XxX

Sasuke's POV

Age: 13

XxX

"Shit," Sasuke said. He eyed the clashing ninja in the distance to gauge their fight before quickly ducking underneath the arm of the rogue shinobi at his front. Sasuke blocked the next punch with the back of his arm, using the man's off-kilter balance to send him flying with a brutal kick to the stomach. The ninja didn't get up, so Sasuke rose to his full height, his newly awakened sharingan scanning the surrounding forest.

Their mission was a delivery to Wind, but there had been more than a few sightings of rogue ninja in River, so Sasuke had expected a skirmish or two. But a full out battle against ten rogue ninja? That was definitely unexpected.

Kakashi was at an impasse with the evasive leader, and Naruto was as bright as ever, moving between assailants in flashes of yellow and orange. Sasuke looked for Sakura's familiar shade of pink, but couldn't find her. He turned in a circle, scanning and searching for her chakra until he could barely make it out a quarter of a mile away.

We told her to stay put, Sakura thought to himself. So annoying.

Sasuke took off into the upper limbs of the tree to chase after her, noticing that two other dark chakra signatures were quickly closing in on her as well. Sasuke pushed himself harder, his battle instincts feeling like they've been fully awakened. Ever since the fight against Zabuza and Haku, Sasuke found that his adrenaline rush from fighting felt more intense due to the added sensitivity of his sharingan. He only had one tomoe mastered, but it felt like he finally had a limb unpinned from his side while using his family's kekkei genkai.

He jumped back down to the forest floor and burst from the trees. Sakura was in the middle of the small clearing, her long hair whipping about her face while she fought two ninja at once. Her two kunai crashed and clanged against the sword that swung at her feet and head while she dodged the powerful wind gusts of the other. She leapt over one of the ninja's heads and barely avoided getting decapitated by the other with a delicate twirl in the air. She landed on one knee with her fist pounded into the dirt, yelling "Cha!"

Sasuke was shocked to find the ground beneath shudder ever so slightly. Sakura had gotten stronger, but this level of strength wasn't normal. He analyzed her while the other shinobi struggled to get up, noticing that her chakra was perfectly balanced in her fist. It made her skin pulse with a strange green light.

The other two ninjas were up before Sakura could turn and face them both, so Sasuke sprang into action. Sliding between Sakura's back and the ninja with the sword, Sasuke slashed out with his own kunai to block and push the ninja back. Sakura didn't seem to notice him; she was already absorbed in countering the ninjutsu attacks from the other ninja.

Sasuke knew that this was her weaker area, so he pushed the ninja he fought back and leapt backwards to land beside her. She was busy weaving signs, but still looked to the side to hear him hiss, "Switch!"

Like second nature, Sasuke leaned back into Sakura, both genin using the momentum of the other to propel their next attacks forward. Sasuke quickly made the hand-signs for his Katon no Jutsu while Sakura gathered more chakra in her fist. It felt like a sonic boom went off in the clearing; Sakura's fist connected with the solar plexus of the ninja in front of her while Sasuke's fireball blazed over the dead leaves. The combined heat and energy from their attacks pushed the air back from the epicenter with a violent gust.

Sasuke was breathing heavily, but his sharingan still searched the clearing for signs of active movement, but it seemed that the enemy was down. He turned over his shoulder to look at Sakura. She was breathing just as heavily, but she was… she was grinning.

"That was awesome," she breathed, lowering her arm. Her normally plain, green eyes were shining with vicious excitement when they turned on him. "Thanks, by the way."

Now that the danger was minimal, Sasuke finally found it in himself to feel more inquisitive. "When did you learn to do that?"

Sakura stood up straight. "Learn to do what?"

He grabbed her hand and held it between them, giving her a look like the answer was obvious. "The punches. How did you get them to be so powerful?"

If Sasuke didn't know any better, he might have thought Sakura's blush was from him holding her hand. She eventually stuttered out, "I- I-, I've been working on my chakra control. It's just a technique I learned from reading about Tsunade Senju." Sakura looked a bit apprehensive when she spoke next. "I want to study under her, one day."

Sasuke was a bit perplexed. He knew Sakura trained hard, but for her to learn a jutsu that demanded such intense chakra control from only reading was astonishing. He looked at her differently, like he was assessing a strange, new opponent. "How long did it take you to learn it?"

"Erm… maybe two weeks of training everyday?"

Sasuke was more than perplexed. He was frustrated. He was confused. He was irritated. He was-

He was jealous, and that was the thought that tampered the rest of his emotions down. It was irrational, but he was jealous that Sakura, tiny Sakura with no outside help and training largely on her own, was amassing a power he hadn't considered. He thought of her most of the time as a nuisance to Team 7, but Sakura learned to be able to do more than just hold her own without Sasuke even realizing.

"Can you teach me?" The words were out of his mouth before he could second guess. He wasn't about to make the same mistake he made when they learned how to walk up trees.

Sakura smiled, but shook her head. "No, I'm sorry, Sasuke. I can't."

"Why not?" he demanded. He didn't realize he was squeezing the hand he still held, so he dropped it like it was on fire.

Sakura's expression faltered for a moment, but she quickly sobered. "I can't teach it to you because you don't have the chakra control for it. It has to be incredibly precise, nearly perfect to get it right."

"Oh, and yours is perfect?"

"I don't know if I'd go that far," Kakashi drawled from the edge of the clearing. "But it's pretty close!"

"Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called, running over to him. "I'm sorry I split off! I engaged the one with the sword, and at first it was just us, but then the second guy came over so I thought I'd do a loop and-"

"You did well, Sakura," Kakashi said firmly, patting her head a bit awkwardly at the same time. "Your ninjutsu skills have improved. You used several wood substitutions that fooled even me."

Naruto came running from the treeline, shouting, "Sakura-chan! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," she sighed, reholstering her kunai. "They're knocked out for now, right Kakashi-sensei?" she asked, looking up at the white haired ninja.

"Yes," Kakashi said, poking one of them with his foot. "It looks like it."

Sasuke, tired of being left out, stomped over to where they were standing and looked accusatorily at his sensei. "You were watching the entire time and didn't step in?"

Kakashi stared at him blankly. "Sakura had it handled well enough. Then, you arrived and aided your teammate with eliminating the enemy threat. I was a responsible sensei and merely observed my students." His eyes flickered back and forth between Sasuke and Sakura in assessment. "I didn't expect to see the two of you working so well together. The timing of your blows were in sync."

Sasuke looked over at Sakura to see her looking at him as well. They had worked pretty well together; Sasuke could concede as much. Sakura looked away first, but Sasuke found himself unable to. What other powers did the girl possess that he wasn't aware of?

"You guys fought as a duo?" Naruto asked dumbly, his jaw open. "Sakura-chan, why didn't you stay by me? I could have protected you way better than this teme!"

"I can protect myself," Sakura growled.

"She can protect herself," Sasuke said flatly, at exactly the same time.

Kakashi chuckled at the wide-eyed pair who were refusing to look at each other. "They are right, Naruto. I think our little Sakura could give you a run for your money sooner rather than later." He gave a conspiratorial grin to Sakura before turning to face Sasuke. "You too, Sasuke."

Sasuke could never see Sakura ever surpassing Naruto's well of chakra due to the nine-tailed beast inside of him, and it was laughable to think she could ever best him, but he chose to keep his thoughts to himself with a small tsk.

"Let's get them rounded up to take to the nearest outpost," Sakura said quickly. She obviously did not want to be the topic of conversation anymore. "Then, ANBU can escort them from there."

"Good idea, Sakura-chan!" Naruto said cheerfully, sliding up next to her. "Why don't we walk together so we can-"

"I'll take the lead," Sakura said, her voice softer than it was before. "By myself."

Naruto looked defeated, but he nodded all the same. "Alright, if that's what you want, I guess…"

Kakashi herded his genin back to where the other enemy ninja were tied to a tree with the two unconscious enemy shinobi thrown over his shoulders. They ran back and readied to leave, but Kakashi stopped them with a hand, using a few signs to summon his ninja dog, Pakkun. He explained that while Sakura's plan was sound, moving these ninja was a bit too dangerous. Sakura understood and was gracious with the change, then he sent his summoning onto the nearest outpost for ANBU to come and retrieve them.

"So does that mean we're camping out here tonight?" Naruto asked, looking rather glum.

"That sure looks to be the case," Kakashi said through a sigh. "One more night before we'll head home."

"But, Kakashi sensei," Sakura said. "What about the prisoners? We'll keep watch, but what if they wake up?" She glanced nervously at the several Sound ninja mixed within the rogues. "You didn't hear it earlier. They have this sonic sound they can make, even without hand signs!"

Kakashi considered it for a moment. Then, he turned toward their captives and clapped his hands together. After forming several hand signs that were too fast for even Sasuke to track, he said "Earth Style: Mud Coffin!"

The ground beneath the pile of upright bodies liquified into a muddy slush that gurgled and popped. Their bodies were sucked deep into the earth until only their heads remained above the surface. Then, the mud solidified back into solid rock and soil, entombing them completely.

Naruto whistled. "Wow, Kakashi-sensei! I haven't seen that one before!"

"Let's just get camp set up," Kakashi said easily. He tossed each other their respective scrolls of supplies to prep their campsite and off to work they went.

XxX

"Okay," Naruto said, sliding his hands back and forth. "What's for dinner tonight, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Bean soup!" Kakashi said cheerfully, passing out bowls.

Sasuke looked at the brown mush in his bowl and grimaced. Even though he hated when it was his turn to cook, he at least made something edible.

"What! I can't eat this!" Naruto gagged. "It smells like gym socks!"

"That's the garlic," Kakashi said brightly. "Adds a bit of flavor."

Sasuke looked over to Sakura to see her looking at her bowl with a bit of apprehension as well. Her eyes flicked up to him and seemed to ask a question. It was in the slightest tilt of her head and movement of her eyebrows, but he saw it the most in her eyes: are you going to eat it?

Sasuke didn't know how to respond other than shoving a spoonful of the nasty looking substance into his mouth. Although the texture was awful, the taste wasn't so bad. He couldn't really taste the garlic Kakashi mentioned, but there were a few flavors mixed within the muddy soup that made it palatable.

While Naruto complained and Kakashi tried to coerce him into eating, Sakura continued looking at him silently. She raised a single eyebrow. Well, she seemed to say, how was it?

"It's edible," Sasuke said quietly, eating another bite. It was hard to swallow, but he hoped the thick substance would fill him up quickly.

Sakura quickly ate a small bite and chewed thoughtfully. "It's almost like… hummus? But not quite as thick."

Sasuke hmm'd

"It's not bad, Naruto," Sakura said. She elbowed him and jerked her chin at his bowl. "Eat or shut up. I'm not listening to you complain all night about a perfectly fine meal or your growling stomach."

"But Sakura-"

Quicker than expected, Sakura had Naruto's ear between her fingers. "Do I need to remind you that you're a shinobi now?" Naruto balked and tried to jerk away, but Sakura only pulled him closer. Sasuke smirked.

"We're lucky we planned to have rations for an extra week, much less an extra night," she hissed. "We could have gotten in real trouble and not had food for days. What if we didn't have our packs? What if they were stolen? What if-"

"Sakura."

"What," she snapped, turning her sharp eyes on Sasuke.

The Uchiha merely narrowed his own. "He gets it." Then, he added, almost as if he couldn't help it, "Plus, your yelling will attract even more rogues. I'm not in the mood to fight anymore."

Sakura's mouth slowly popped open before snapping shut. She shoved Naruto to the side while keeping her eyes locked on Sasuke's. He swore he could feel her chakra rising within her, coating the area with a thick, angry fog. But, it disappeared as quickly as he felt it burn into existence. The only evidence that remained was the leftover fire in Sakura's eyes.

Then, that disappeared too, and Sakura said nothing.

Sasuke felt off for the rest of the meal, but he quickly snapped to when he realized how their sleeping mats were laid out.

"Absolutely not." Sasuke snapped forward and slapped at Naruto's hand. "You are not sleeping next to me tonight."

Naruto had the nerve to look offended. "C'mon, Sasuke! I already promised I wouldn't do it again!"

"That didn't stop you the last three nights," Sasuke seethed back.

"It's not even that bad!"

"I'm not repeating myself."

"You wanna bet, teme?"

"I'll just sleep in the middle!"

Both Naruto and Sasuke turned to look at Sakura. Her arms were crossed and she had a hip popped in an ultimate I am so much more mature than the both of you stance. "Just move mine in the middle, alright? It's better than you two arguing."

Naruto was whiter than a sheet. "Sakura, I really don't want you to kill me when I accidentally grab you or something."

She rolled her eyes. "I won't kill you, but I will elbow you if you even breathe on my sleeping bag. Besides," she said, swinging her hair over her shoulder while she walked over to them and moved the mats. "You're more scared of me than you are of Sasuke." She looked up and both boys gulped at the savage glint in her eye. "For good reason."

She's insane, Sasuke thought to himself.

Another very, very small part whispered in his mind, She's also right. Still, she missed a small detail that Sasuke hadn't been able to admit to himself since getting to know her.

He was a little bit scared of her, too.

XxX

Sasuke's POV

Age: 15

XxX

It took Sasuke two months to figure out how to act around Sakura after almost kissing her. He found himself counting in different languages to distract himself or memorizing scrolls and repeating them in his head at first, but he eventually figured out that being honest with himself was what would keep his head squarely on his shoulders. Sakura being beautiful became just another fact to him and his cool ease was suddenly back. He could be around her and not freak out about his thoughts; it was okay to think she looked nice and it was okay to think that she had a nice smile. She was beautiful, so these things became the facts that steadied Sasuke.

Sakura appeared to be acting normal a few days after their chaotic mission and even ate with him and Naruto at Ichiraku on her day off not a week after. She was, at most, a bit more apprehensive than she was beforehand, but Itachi had steered him away from thinking she was upset or hurt.

She's probably realizing the same thing you did, Itachi said nonchalantly.

When Sasuke had snappily asked what that was, his brother had smirked and replied, That you're not a rude, skinny kid anymore.

So, Sasuke chalked it up to her getting used to the change in dynamic between the three of them as they got older and grew into their bodies. All three of them trained hard, and they had the bodies to prove it. Sasuke wasn't as vain as his blonde teammate, walking around shirtless just to pause in front of mirrors, but he was at least happy Itachi's words were true; he definitely wasn't skinny, anymore.

Naruto hadn't been much help in the matter. Sasuke found that he couldn't talk to the dobe about Sakura because the idiot seemed to be under the impression that Sasuke and Sakura should date. Naruto insisted that they were perfect for each other this, already such good friends that it could only end well that, and Sasuke's resolve chipped away until his reasoning for not wanting to date Sakura only boiled down to one thing; she was still his teammate.

Naruto didn't push it as much as he did before Sasuke openly admitted to his attraction, but he still found moments to make the Uchiha nervous or stumble. The blonde devil specifically loved to pull Sakura into any and all of their exploits, regardless of if she wanted to go. At first, it was unbearable. He didn't know what to do or say, but eventually, Sasuke liked the growing dynamic between Team 7.

In the last year, their awkward encounters and general growing up had separated them as different, especially for Sakura. Yet, the more they hung out outside of training, the more Sasuke felt like he was a genin again, hanging out with his first real friends in his life. He no longer needed to learn how to mesh with their ebb and flow. Now, Sasuke was able to slip into off-duty mode with much more ease, and found himself enjoying their team hangouts more and more.

In fact, Sasuke even hung out with Sakura by themselves a few times. It started at first as happenstance, the situation due to Naruto not showing up or being late enough to end up not showing up at all. They all ended with the two of them spending much more time together than they expected to. In the last two weeks, Sakura was invited over to the Uchiha's private training grounds to train several times and an ease had settled between them from the bond that had been growing since they were twelve. It was secured into a tight knot that couldn't be broken.

Sasuke tried to convince himself that he didn't have an ulterior motive outside of simply hanging out with a friend, but he couldn't deny the feelings inside of him. He wanted to see her, but just the two of them. That way, he wasn't constantly checking to make sure Naruto and Kakashi weren't waiting for him to look at her or react in a certain way. He wasn't mute when the other two were around, but when they were alone, he found himself talking about things he didn't remember knowing or not worrying if his response revealed too much. Sakura already knew what he was thinking most of the time, anyway.

Yet, Sasuke was still extremely surprised to find Sakura at the Uchiha's private training grounds with his older brother and cousin. She was never pushy about them hanging out and it certainly wasn't like her to show up uninvited, so Sasuke concluded that his idiot relatives had something to do with it.

He should have never mentioned that Sakura's hair was getting longer to Itachi. The knowing glint in his brother's eyes the past two weeks had been unbearable.

Sasuke stood with his hands in his pockets on the sidelines, watching Shuisi and Sakura fight. It looked like they were playing a game; Itachi stood in the middle of the throwing circle and lazily flicked kunai to the sides while Sakura and Shuisi simultaneously tried to dodge and snatch the projectiles before they thudded against the wood targets.

Shuisi black eye after Sakura shoved him into a pole in retaliation for slicing her skirt, but they were both grinning. She danced around on the tips of her toes while she plucked one, two, three kunai from the air, besting Shuisi each time.

Shuisi quickly blew a ball of fire at Sakura while she leapt across the grass to grab the next kunai, but she quickly evaded, leaving his cousin to grab it for himself a second before it hit the wood.

"No fair," Sakura called, though she looked far from put out. She was grinning even harder, her hands falling to her knees to catch her breath.

"You're beating me seven games to four," Shuisi hollered back, throwing a shuriken at her with a wild toss. "I'd say it's more than fair!"

Her kunai deflected it to the target beside her with a savage grin. "You're just mad I'm faster than you."

Shuisi laughed. "In your dreams. You're just better at dodging things because you're so tiny," he said, reaching out to ruffle her hair.

Sakura slapped his hand away with a snort. "Yeah, that's not it."

"How did you become so quick on your feet?" Itachi asked in his soft, inquiring way.

Sasuke found himself creeping closer to hear her answer. He was shocked when she said, "Let's just say there were several times that Tsunade-sama showed up very, very intoxicated to training. In the end, I either learned to dodge or get clobbered to death, only for her to heal me half-assed and do it all again."

Shuisi howled while Itachi merely let out a breath of air, the only usual sign of his amusement. Sakura grinned shyly and said, "She stopped after Minato-san saw me a bit banged up for dinner one night."

"You were more than banged up," Sasuke argued, stepping into her field of vision.

Itachi and Shuisi knew he was there, but Sakura looked surprised. She bit her lip for a moment and looked like she was somewhere she wasn't supposed to be. To Sasuke, it was only partially true. If she wanted to train here, she could train with him, not those two idiots.

"Sasuke," Sakura said, her eyes flickering to Itachi and back. "I ran into Itachi-san on the way home-"

"Just Itachi," his brother sighed and Shuisi sang.

"-and I told him I was going to go train and he invited me along and then your cousin came and I'm sure you know how he is-"

"I'm offended," Shuisi said, as if he were surprised.

"-and we ended up here."

Sasuke felt his brother's eyes on him. "It's fine," Sasuke said, feigning nonchalance. Even if it irritated him, it wasn't her fault. It was his stupid family members being nosy, per usual. He added with a smirk, "Shuisi could convince a monk to commit murder, so I don't hold it against you."

"And strangely, that did not offend me."

"Of course it didn't," Sakura said, rolling her eyes.

Sasuke looked at Itach. "Looked like you were playing games instead of training, nii-san."

"If we are bred to be killers, we might as well use those same skills for other enjoyment," Itachi replied calmly. He ad a gleam in his eye, but it was more mischievous than anything.

A playful, scheming Itachi hadn't been seen in years and Sasuke was a bit in awe. After his brother left ANBU and opted for the Konoha Police Force, he had settled back into the brother he knew as a child. He was less severe and looked less empty, and Sasuke knew it was because he wasn't murdering people once a week.

"I see," Sasuke said, not wanting to get into a lecture with his brother. He turned to Sakura. "Do you still want to train?"

Sakura immediately looked excited. "Yes! I've been dying to show you my new jutsu!"

Sasuke felt his cheeks almost give into a smile. "If it's anything like what Naruto showed me the other day, I'll pass."

"Let me guess," Sakura said through a chuckle. "It was that new variation of his sexy-jutsu he's been working on?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"I can't believe he finally figured out how to make a sexy-jutsu that looks like you!" Sakura laughed even harder. "Kami, I hope he never attempts it in front of me. I might die!"

"Because he's so good looking?" Shuisi supplied, ever the suggestive one.

Sasuke glared at his cousin. "No. Because it's me, but in a girl form."

Itachi sighed and looked to the sky. "I didn't need to hear that."

Sakura giggled.

"So," Shuisi said, drawing out the word. "Itachi, why don't we head out of here and let these two kids try to get to our level, yeah?

'

"You are not on my level, Shuisi."

"And you win the most offensive thing said to Shuisi for the day!"

Sasuke watched the two fade away and shook his head, wondering how on earth his brother and his cousin were as close as they were. Shuisi was everything his brother was not; loud, obnoxious, pervy, and cordial. Itachi was reserved, quiet, and rarely looked at Izumi.

That relationship had been the strangest to witness, but of course, it only made sense after Sasuke caught his brother and Izumi sitting together on the porch one night. She was pressed to his side and her head rested on his shoulder. They spoke so quietly that Sasuke could not hear them, but he watched for a while, only leaving when his brother raised his head to kiss the crown of Izumi's head. It warmed him to know that his brother could show affection to someone other than him.

"Shuisi isn't that bad."

Sasuke turned around. "You cannot be serious."

Sakura smiled and shrugged. She walked over to the nearest target and pulled the kunai embedded in it. "He's actually very kind. He might be loud and a bit of a shameless flirt, but he wasn't threatening."

"What do you mean by threatening?"

Sakura waved her hand at him and moved to the next target. "Oh, you know what I mean."

"No, I don't," Sasuke said, pulling out a kunai with much greater force than necessary.

Sakura paused and looked over her shoulder at him, her eyebrows screwed together. "You don't?"

Now, Sasuke was irritated. "That's what I said, didn't I?"

Sakura opened her mouth to retort, but shut it. Then, a slow, pink started to flood her cheeks. "Men look at me like I'm a piece of meat. It's gross and sometimes they look like they want to do something. Nothing will ever happen because I'd handle it before it could get too far, but it doesn't mean I don't feel it." She arched a brow at him. "Have you never noticed? Naruto got so pissy when we went to Iron. The men there are very forward."

Sasuke suddenly remembered the mission where they caught several bandits terrorizing outlying villages. They had used her as bait, but Sasuke hadn't truly realized what kind of bait until that moment. He looked up at Sakura and found himself feeling guilty that they had used that plan plenty more than just the one time. "I have noticed."

Sakura frowned. "Then why did you ask?"

"Because I forgot," Sasuke admitted. "You're with Naruto and me most of the time and people are afraid to look at us." The powerful duo that was the jinchuriki and the younger Uchiha weren't popular among the civilians. Their many arguments throughout their genin years had caused quite a few disturbances that didn't earn them any favors, either.

"That's true." She then said, as though in an afterthought, "It's very different when I'm alone."

Sasuke looked sharply at her. "Do you not need to walk alone anymore?"

Sakura flushed again before her eyes narrowed into thin slits. "I thought we left the protective bullshit behind back when we were thirteen?"

Sasuke glared, but Sakura held her ground. "I'm serious. I can handle it." She blew a strand of hair out of her face. "Are we going to spar or not?"

Sasuke held her stare for a moment longer before trudging past her. "Yeah. Let's spar."

XxX

"I hate her new jutsu," Sasuke muttered darkly to himself. He was drenched from head to toe from the massive wave Sakura kept summoning. It was impressive the first time, annoying the second, and made him downright murderous by the third.

Sasuke leapt forward on the water, dropping to slide across the surface to avoid a nasty kick. He flicked his kunai in his hand and moved to stab the back of Sakura's knee, but she was quick, dropping to block his arm with her other leg just in time. He leaned forward and on to his back to hit her with a spin kick, but she jumped into the air with a burst of chakra at her feet.

Perfect, he thought to himself.

Using his sharingan, Sasuke flash stepped underneath and behind her and moved to kick her unsuspecting back. She sensed him just before he could land the blow, twisting to grab his leg and pull his momentum even further forward. Sasuke could feel the chakra in her hands building and took a deep breath as she tossed him over her shoulder.

He threw his hands forward and clawed at the water, pulling himself to a stop a hundred or so yards back. Sakura was on him in moments and the battle continued. They were too chakra depleted for anymore ninjutsu, so taijutsu took the lead. Sakura was quick, but Sasuke was quicker, landing more blows on her than she did on him. He was still surprised by how little he actually could connect. True to her word, Sakura was an expert evader. Sasuke's speed was barely an advantage against a nimble fighter such as Sakura.

Sasuke finally saw his chance. Her chakra had slipped low enough for her foot to wobble on top of the water. Ducking below her punch, Sasuke tackled Sakura backwards with a splash. The shock interrupted her concentration and her body fell through the water, and Sasuke nearly cackled in glee as she finally got wet for the first time since the fight started.

Sasuke of course pulled her up out of the water after a moment or two. He smirked at her red, sputtering face, but helped her wipe the hair from her eyes. "How does defeat taste?"

"Like shit," she spat, but there wasn't too much heat behind it.

He smirked. "Good."

Sakura glared at him and coughed up another mouthful of water. "I almost had you, too."

Sasuke scoffed. "When?"

She kneed him in the back and he let out an oof. "Just now. Your sharingan was flickering. I was trying to wait it out, but you got me first."

"I did," Sasuke said smartly. "Now, you have to say it."

Sasuke enjoyed this part of Team 7's traditions only on one occasion.

"You win, Sasuke," Sakura said dully, giving him a look that screamed, You are such a child.

His grin disappeared when a gust of wind reminded him of how wet he was. "Dispel the water. I'm freezing."

Sakura gave him an unimpressed look, but she made the hand signs. Slowly, the water recessed until they were laying on dirt once more.

It was at that moment that Sasuke realized their positioning. Sakura was splayed out on the ground while he sat on top of her, straddling her hips. His hands were wrapped around her wrists at her sides, and he could feel her pulse beating rapidly against his fingers.

Sasuke sucked in a breath, but he couldn't move. He was frozen, not because he wanted to stay or move, but because he had no idea how Sakura was going to react. Their almost kiss had been months ago and touching had been strictly regulated, only to occur when absolutely necessary. Sasuke hadn't wanted to push her when she clearly only wanted a platonic relationship with him (much to Naruto's disagreement), and he was a bit nervous about what he might do if they got too close. In the heat of the moment, Sasuke was an actions first, thoughts later type of person. He didn't want to be like that about Sakura because he couldn't afford to be; she was his teammate and his friend and he wouldn't give that up for anything.

But Sasuke didn't realize how captivating her eyes were when they were barely visible. Previously wide-eyed and shocked at their positioning, the longer that Sasuke sat on top of her, the lower her lids slid. The viridian circles became slits and Sasuke was mesmerized just by watching her breathing slowly deepen.

Sakura was… relaxed underneath him. Like she didn't want him to move. And she looked good…

It was too much for him. In a panic, Sasuke sat back and pulled them both up to stand. Sakura let out a small shriek and bounced off of him, but quickly regained some distance. They brushed themselves off and grabbed the spare weapons, not really looking at one another. Sasuke cursed himself the entire time, wondering if he had blown it for sure that time. But, when he brought over the remaining weapons to where Sakura waited, she gave him a smile and cheerful thank you.

"So," Sasuke said, watching her close and latch the box. "Do you know what Naruto's planning for your birthday?"

Sakura groaned as she straightened. "Don't remind me. I'm terrified. My parents are going to be gone visiting my aunt and he thinks the three of us are going to go crazy."

"So he told you."

"You knew?" She punched his arm. "Why didn't you warn me sooner! My birthday is this weekend! We could have planned something else!"

Sasuke glared at her and rubbed at his arm while he turned to walk back. "What? Like faking an illness? That didn't work so well two years ago." Last year, they had been on a mission, as well as the previous years. Anytime they were home for a birthday, Naruto decided to go overboard with celebrations.

Sakura skipped over to him and matched his stride. She hugged her arms to her chest and sighed, looking at the ground while she walked. "Yeah, that was a weird birthday."

Remembering what Naruto said to him a while back, Sasuke wondered if that was what she was talking about. He wanted to know, but he didn't have it in him to ask. "It won't be so bad. Maybe he'll bring liquor."

Sakura laughed and shook her head. "I would pay to see you drunk, Uchiha."

Sasuke raised a brow at her. "Uchiha? Since when did you call me that?"

She shrugged, grinning. "I don't know. It was just a good day today, so maybe I'm feeling silly."

"Silly? Really?"

"What, does that word confuse you since you've never done anything silly in your life?"

"That's definitely not true," Sasuke argued. Then, he said without thinking, "I chased a cat around the compound when I was a kid, screaming that I wanted to be its daddy cat."

Sasuke, you are a moron, he thought to himself in horror.

Sakura stopped in her tracks. Sasuke kept walking while trying to fight a blush, but Sakura quickly ran to catch up to him. "Oh my gods, Sasuke!"

"Don't even think about telling Naruto."

"I wouldn't!"

"No, you'll just use it against me for the rest of my life."

"No, I won't." Then, she added as though she couldn't help it, "Especially when I don't know what you named the cat."

"Mr. Mittens," Sasuke replied immediately before cursing out loud. Sakura's light giggle made his ears burn. "Knock it off, Sakura."

She held her hands up, but her eyes still sparkled with mirth and she was grinning from ear to ear. "I won't ever mention it again, Sasuke."

They walked in amicable silence the rest of the way to the street. Sakura turned to head home with a smile and 'See you later', but Sasuke caught her arm. He didn't know why at first, especially when she looked inquisitorially at him, but the words seemed to come to him in an instant.

"About earlier…" Her eyes widened, so he changed his mind at the last second. "It's okay for you to train at the Uchiha's grounds if I'm not there. I wasn't upset."

Sakura seemed to let out a breath of relief, and she smiled brightly up at him. "Thank you, I… I did feel kind of weird being there without you."

"Don't make a habit of it," he muttered, dropping her hand. When she balked at his words, he added with a bitter tone, "Shuisi really is a shameless flirt."

Sakura immediately laughed and waved him off. "Not my type, but thanks anyway." She gave him one more smile and wave before she headed off down the street.

Sasuke watched her walk away and wondered if he was still her type.

XxX

Sasuke's POV

Age: 12

XxX

"Otōto."

Sasuke looked up to see his brother leaning on the doorway of his room. It was after dinner and Sasuke was polishing his shuriken at his desk when he felt Itachi's chakra move toward him. "Yes, nii-san?"

Itachi gestured towards Sasuke's bed. "May I sit?"

"Sure," Sasuke said, eyeing the stiff movements of his brother in suspicion. "Is everything okay?"

"Ah. I had an injury that's still healing."

Sasuke put the shuriken in his hands back on his desk. "Would you like me to get Okaasan?"

"No," Itachi said, smiling lightly. "I'll be alright in the morning."

"Okay." Sasuke glanced at the door. "What's up?"

"You're growing up, Sasuke."

"I guess." Then, Sasuke said sourly, "It'd be nice if Otosan thought that, too."

"He does," Itachi said, although his words seemed tight. "He thinks of me as very young tonight, actually."

Sasuke frowned and fully turned around in his chair, straddling it. He knew why his brother was in his room. "What happened?"

Itachi looked at Sasuke for a long while. "I told him that I'm in a romantic relationship with someone."

Sasuke's jaw cracked against the top of the wooden chair. "You're kidding me. Who are you dating? Since when do you even date? Nii-san, this is really-"

"It's Izumi."

Sasuke paused, the reality settling within him like a tide of unease, pushing happiness for his brother back with confusion and apprehension. "She's not full Uchiha. And… and you're the first." Sasuke closed his eyes. "Itachi, what did Otosan say?"

"He was displeased."

Sasuke understood a thousand different meanings in three words. "The result?"

"She is not allowed in the house."

Sasuke's eyes opened wide in alarm.

"But," Itachi continued, "She is allowed in the garden."

"He said yes?"

Itachi nodded, sporting a small smile.

"Wow," Sasuke murmured, looking at his brother with a tilt to his head. "Can I… can I ask how it happened?"

His brother frowned. "You know I do not like to tell you the details of my meetings with Father."

"No, not that. With the girl!"

"Izumi."

"Iz-Izumi," Sasuke repeated quickly. Itachi's glare lessened. "I just didn't expect this from you, that's all." Sasuke scratched the back of his neck and said, "My brain is kind of short circuiting after learning that you actually like girls that way."

Itachi grimaced. "That was rude."

"Well, it's not like you gave me a reason to think any differently!" Sasuke argued. "Now, are you going to tell me how it happened, or what?"

"We were acquaintances and then friends. We went to lunch once and it was… well, awful. We tried again a few years later and it was better. She confessed to me a few months ago." Itachi's voice became very thin. "It took me a while to realize I felt the same."

Sasuke was astounded. Itachi never spoke of his own feelings, moreso he described how he felt in riddles and lessons for Sasuke to unpack. This verbal explanation was completely out of character. "So," Sasuke said dumbly. "You love her?"

Itachi looked up and said clearly, "Ah."

Sasuke nodded slowly. After a few moments of silence, Sasuke got the nerve to ask, "What's it like?"

"What is what like, Sasuke?"

"Love, I guess." Sasuke made a weird face at his brother. "I don't see how you could be in love."

Itachi was smiling now. Sasuke unwittingly had walked himself into a lesson. "And why is that?"

The chair creaked beneath Sasuke while he shifted in his seat, searching for an answer. "You don't act like a person in love. They talk about the person they love and are with them all the time."

His brother nodded, but then shook his head. "That is a form of love, I think."

"Are you ever going to tell me your form of love?"

Itachi huffed out a laugh. "I will try. Love is more of a feeling. It is why so many poets and songwriters desperately try to capture its essence in their art. It comes in many shapes and sizes, but it is a sense and direction towards another person nonetheless."

"Do you write poems about Izumi?" Sasuke asked with a grin.

Itachi gave him a withered look. "Are you paying attention, otōto?"

Sasuke sighed. "Yes, nii-san."

Itachi shook his head lightly and continued. "The feeling I am having right now is an example. The love of a close family member fills my body with warmth and I am happy to be where I am at."

Sasuke's dry retort dried on his tongue. He was a bit overwhelmed by his brother's declaration, now paying attention to his every word.

"No single thing is perfect by itself," his brother said. "That's why we're born to attract other things to make up for what we lack. Your partner fills the spaces that you cannot occupy or did not learn from your life's journey. Only then do we walk in the right direction."

"Does Izumi have things that you lack?" Sasuke asked.

"Yes," Itachi said without shame or hesitation. "She is warm, lively, and humorous. She is immediately kind to everyone she meets."

"You are not unkind, nii-saan," Sasuke defended. He leaned the chair forward and said, as seriously as he could, "You are warm, and you can be lively. You are funny at the most random times and your kindness is just… more quiet."

Itachi smiled at his brother and reached out. Sasuke leaned even further and closed his eyes, his smile natural and unrestrained.

"Thank you, otōto," his brother said, tapping Sasuke lightly on the forehead. When Sasuke leaned back, Itachi's gaze was thoughtful. "When you think you are in love, will you tell me, Sasuke?"

Sasuke didn't think he'd fall in love anytime soon, so he said, "Of course, nii-san."

XxX

AN: I loved this chapter! I wanted it to highlight Sasuke's growth that could have taken place had he had his family around to support him. Kind of breaks my heart for canon Sasuke :'( Please let me know your thoughts!