Chapter 11: Bumps in the Road

"Doton: Multi Rock Spear no jutsu."

Sara weaved out of the way of the rocky projectiles that would have pierced through her. She closed in on her opponent, a tall man a few years older than her. "Jukenho: Hakke Rokujuyon Sho."

"Two palms."

"Four palms."

"Eight palms."

"Sixteen palms."

"Thirty-two palms."

"Sixty-four palms."

Her opponent stumbled back as several of his tenketsu were shut off. "You bitch." The man shouted, recovering. He went through a series of handsigns. "What the?" He said with a look of surprise. "Why can't I?" He never got to finish his question, as Sara took advantage of his distracted state. On chakra enhanced strike to the throat, and the man was down.

"Sara, watch out!" A voice warned her.

Sara spun around, feeling the heat of a fireball that would have brunt her. She threw a hail of kunai in the direction of her attacker. Two of them found their mark in the man's left arm. The man cursed and tried to go through a series of handsigns. The man was stopped when a third Kunai lodged itself in his throat, courtesy of her partner.

"How are you holding up?" Kurenai said.

"Just fine." Sara responded, fighting off another opponent. She, Kurenai, and Anko had been dispatched on a mission to eliminate a group of rogue shinobi that set up shop in tea country. Not missing-nin as these men held no affiliation to any known hidden village. These days, rogue shinobi was a rarity. Most shinobi came from one of the hidden villages or swore loyalty to a Daimyo. For most, they were considered little better than missing-nin. Though the difference mattered little for Sara, she had a mission to do, and she was going to carry it out. "For a B-Rank mission, I thought this would be tougher." She said, keeping her disappointment to herself. This was the first B-rank she had in years, and she had looked forward to testing herself. She figured going up against a group of rogue shinobi like this would be an effective way of gauging her skills. But so far, most of the enemies they had faced only demonstrated Genin-level ability. A couple came close to being chunin but failed to impress her. The only difficult thing about the fight was their opponents had numbers. "This mission feels more appreciated for a team of chunin or a veteran Genin team with their Jōnin Sensei. Not a Jōnin, Tokubetsu Jōnin, and a Chunin." She explained.

Kurenai nodded behind her. "I agree with you." She said place two men under a genjutsu that had the two fighting each other. "But our client is a rich man and paid for a B-rank mission and specify asked for at least one Jōnin to handle these rogue shinobi." She throws a kunai into the head of the man that won the fight."

"Hence why we're here," Sara said, blocking a palm strike and delivering her own to her attacker's chest. "I imagine Anko is feeling rather disappointed."

"Like you?" Kurenai said.

Sara knocked out another rogue shinobi. "Perhaps just a little." She responded. "I was looking forward to testing my abilities. Maybe even come back with a good story for Naruto. That boy is always bugging me about my missions."

Through her Byakugan, she could see her friend smiling. "I imagine that there's not much to tell when it comes to D and C-ranks." She ducked out of the way of a sword swing and kicked her attacker in the back. The man stumbled in the direction of Sara.

She was ready for him and delivered several Juken strikes to his chest. "I suppose it's better than nothing." She said.

"You could always exaggerate some of the details." Kurenai suggested. "Say we faced hundred Jōnin level opponents."

Sara rolled her eyes. "Embellishing the details of a mission is hardly appropriate for a Shinobi of Konoha. Especially for one like myself coming from the Hyūga clan." Then a small smile formed on her lips. "Besides, there were easily a thousand here."

Kurenai huffed out a laugh. "Speaking of Anko, where is she?" On cue, both kunoichi heard a blood-curdling scream. "What do you want to bet that she just removed some poor guy's manhood, and snakes were involved?"

"Knowing her, it was a venomous snake." Sara said, trying to keep her expiration out of her voice. She briefly turned her head to face her only sane friend in the area. "How are you friends with that crazy woman?"

Kurenai knocked out a rogue shinobi with a swift kick to the head. "Last I checked, she's your friend too."

"Which has me seriously questioning my taste in friends." Sara responded, then she noticed a familiar figure approaching them at high speed. "Speak of the devil, and she shall appear."

Anko jumped between them and threw something at two shinobi running. This something being a third unconscious shinobi. Both men were sent back by the impact of their comrade. Anko smiled sadistically, and her arms shot out, transforming into a pair of snakeheads. The snakes bit into the two men's necks, and moments later, they were out cold. Anko's arms turned back and returned to their normal length.

"Must you always make such entrances?" Sara asked the purple-haired kunoichi.

Anko laughed. "Of course." She said with an almost snake-like grin. "A beautiful and sexy woman like myself as got to always impress. Keeps the men from losing interest." One of the shinobi charged at Anko. Only to miss and have a snake bit into the back of his head. He screams as he falls to the ground, spasming. "See, these guys can't keep their hands off of me."

Sara rolled her eyes. "Just focus on the mission." She said.

"Anko, were you able to find out who and where the leader is?" Kurenai asked.

Anko nodded. "Sure, did. One of the gentlemen here was kind enough to tell me. After a bit of persuasion." The smile she had was enough to tell what she meant by "persuasion." "He's a man in his forties wearing a headband with the word Kage carved into it. Fancies himself the leader of a new village."

This time Sara did not bother to hide her eye roll. "If the shinobi under his command are any indication, he's not a very good leader or Shinobi." She said, shutting off the tenketsu of an attacker.

"It doesn't matter." Kurenai said. "Anko, where is this man?"

Anko pointed up at a ridge. "He should be in a hut up that ridge."

Kurenai looked to Sara. "Sara, can you see him?"

Without giving a response, Sara focused her vision on where Anko was pointing. She found the hut Anko mentioned. Looking more closely, she shall that a single figure, sitting down. "Found him." She reported.

"What's he doing?" Kurenai asked.

"He's just sitting there. Doing nothing."

"What?" Anko asked, sliding down and slicing at the tendons of her opponent. A quick thrust to the back of the head ended the man's life. "Can't that guy hear his subordinates dying out here?"

"Maybe he's a heavy sleeper?" Kurenai supplied.

Sara shook her head. "No, he's awake. He just ignoring what's happening down here."

"Some leader." Anko commented. "Can you tell how strong he is?"

"From what I can judge, he as the largest chakra pool of all the rogue shinobi here. I say around the size of a mid-Chunin." That would still be smaller than her own chakra pool, which was closer to what Jōnin had. Though she knew better to judge the man purely on how much chakra he had. For all, she knew he had the skill and control needed to match a Jōnin.

"Sara, me, and Anko are going to handle the rest of these guys." Kurenai explained. "Go after the leader and see if you can apprehend him. We'll join you as soon as we finish here. Remember, our client would prefer it if we took him alive."

Sara looked around the battle, noting that the enemy's numbers had thinned considerably. Even if the leader proved to be stronger than her, she wouldn't have to fight him alone for long. "On it." She said, leaping away from her teammates. It took about a minute to get up the ridge, being slowed down by a couple of rogue shinobi, whom she was quick to dispatch. She arrived at the hut where the leader was. Getting into a gentle fist stance, she called out to its occupant. "Come out."

The figure ignored her for a moment. He stood up and walked out of the hut. Sara briefly turned her Byakugan off, so she could get a better look at the man. He's a tall, muscular man in his forties and, as Anko said, wore a headband with Kage carved into it. Rather crudely, Sara might add. The man had a look of interest on his face before it morphed into disappointment. "Did they seriously send a woman after me?" He sneered. "From all the commotion I heard, I thought my men were facing a crack team of shinobi. Not some little girl and her friends. Tell me, is there a real shinobi in your group? Or do I have to discipline my men for being beaten by a bunch of women?"

Sara held back snare. "I am Hyūga Sara, a chunin from Konoha. Women or not, my teammates and I will be better shinobi than you will ever hope to be." She activated her Byakugan. "Now, I will only ask you this once. Our client would prefer that you be alive when we bring you in. Surrender now, and your life will be sparred. Fight me, and I cannot guarantee that you will live."

The man smirked at her. "A Hyūga, eh?" He said slowly. "Never fought one of your kind before. I hear your clan is supposed to produce some of the deadliest Taijutsu specialists in the elemental nations." He got into a taijutsu stance. "I always wanted to test my skills against a Hyūga. Too bad they sent a woman after me. But I suppose you will have to do."

What kind of arrogant fool was she facing? Was he seriously considering facing a Hyūga in Taijutsu? Sara took a breath to calm her anger. She then smiled. She would take this as an opportunity to educate the man not to underestimate a Hyūga or a woman. "Do you really intend to face the Juken in battle? Such arrogance is fated to lead you to your fall."

The wind blows past them as the two opponents wait for the other to make the first move. The rogue shinobi leader was the first to act. He charged at Sara and threw out a punch at her. She swiftly evades the attack and deflects a second attack with a palm strike. For the next few seconds, Sara spends the time avoiding and deflecting her opponent's attacks. At the same time, she was evaluating the skill of her opponent. Admittedly the man was not a bad fighter. His strikes were quick, powerful, and calculated; all signs pointed towards him being a Taijutsu specialist, unlike his subordinates, were sloppy and wasted too much energy in a single attack. It was clear to Sara that this man had seen his fair share of fights. A normal chunin would struggle against him.

Too bad he was facing a Hyūga and one of the better ones at that. Sara found the opening she was looking for and delivered several precise strikes to the man's right arm closing off several tenketsu. The man's eyes widened as he lost the ability to channel chakra in that arm. Anger flashed into his eyes as he tried to strike Sara with a kick. She grabbed the leg by its foot and closed off tenketsu with a series of Juken strikes.

She let go, and the man leaped back. "I suggest that you surrender now. I have closed off the majority of the tenketsu in your right arm and left leg. Your ability to channel chakra into them has been severely hampered."

The man glared at her. "I don't need charka to beat a little girl like you." He charged at Sara.

Sara sighed to herself. This was not the mission she had envisioned for herself. With the man's ability to use charka disrupted, he couldn't move as fast as before. The young Hyūga woman easily sidestepped the man's attack and delivered a Juken strike to the back of his head. Her opponents fell to the ground, sliding to a stop. He was still alive but out cold.

Sara took a breath to calm down and deactivated her Byakugan. She walked over to her downed opponent closed off more of his tenketsu. After that, she began to tie the man up. By the time she was done, Kurenai and Anko were running towards her.

"Looks like you got things under control." Kurenai comments coming to a stop. "Did he prove to be a handful?"

"Not much." Sara said, checking the man's bindings making sure they were secure. "The man was a Taijutsu specialist, not a bad one."

Kurenai smiled. "Unfortunate for him, he was facing a Hyūga."

Sara nodded. "He was also a sexist pig. Called all of us little girls."

A frown appeared on Kurenai's face. "Really?" She said in an even voice. "I suppose that was a good thing. It caused him to underestimate you."

Anko had a smirk on her lips. "I can't wait to see the look on his face when he wakes up and realizes that a little girl beat him. Hey, Kurenai, you think I could have a go at him? Really drive home the point that we women can be every bit the shinobi that men can be." She had a bloodthirsty glint in her eyes. For once, Sara thought it was warranted.

Kurenai sigh putting her fingers to her head. "No, Anko-San. We need this man to be one piece if we are to present him to our client."

The snake mistress had a disappointed frown on her features. "Oh, come on, Kurenai. Can I at least remove his manhood? While he's awake?"

The Genjutsu mistress of Konoha had a thoughtful look, like she was seriously considering Anko's offer. She shook her head. "No." She said firmly. "You will do nothing of the sort. We're bringing this man to our client alive and with all of his pieces intact."

"Fine." Anko pouted.

Kurenai shook her head, rubbing her forehead. "Come on, the sooner we get this man to our client, the sooner we can get back to Konoha."

Anko continued to pout while Sara nodded at her. "What of the rest of the men under his command?" She asked the team leader. "What has become of them?"

"Most of them are dead or have fled. The rest are unconscious." Kurenai explained.

"Should we take them with us?"

Kurenai thought about it for a few moments before shaking her head. "No, we'll leave them here. We'll tie them up, and I'll put them under a genjutsu to keep them from leaving. After that, we'll notify the proper authorities to come and pick them up."

Sara nodded. "We should try sealing their chakra. That way, they can't escape."

"You can handle that, Sara-San." Kurenai said.

"I say we just slit their throats and be done with it." Anko said in a bored tone.

"Which is why your not in charge here, Anko-San. Come on, let's get to work."

Days later, Konoha Dango stand:

"Man, these dangos just keep getting better and better." Anko said, almost inhaling her food off the stick.

Sara just stared at the woman as she took in one stick after another and discarded them into an ever-growing pile. "Where does she even put that stuff?" Sara asked. It was like watching Naruto eating ramen.

"Probably the same place where your charge puts his ramen." Kurenai said, seemingly on the same wavelength as the Hyūga woman.

They had just gotten out from the Hokage tower after reporting the completion of their successful mission. Anko had suggested they go out and eat at her favorite dango stand to celebrate. Kurenai had agreed right way, and Sara had put some thought into it. She decided to go along with her friends, Naruto was likely still in class, and it would be for a while before she would have to pick him up. Not that he needs an escort anymore, the boy could find his own way back to the compound. Speaking of Naruto, Sara hoped the boy had not gotten into too much trouble while he was gone.

"Hey, Sara-San." Anko said with a mouth full of food. "Don't you have to report to those old sticks in the mud?"

Sara raised an eyebrow at her less than sane friend. "Sticks in the mud?" She questioned, already having an idea of who she was referring to.

Anko swallowed her food with a loud gulp. "The Hyūga elders. You know those old farts who constantly got sticks stuck up their asses?"

"You shouldn't refer to them like that." Sara said. "They are venerable elders of our clan and should be treated with respect."

Anko rolled her eyes. "Whatever." She said, taking another swing at her food. "But don't you have to report to them right away or something?"

Sara shook her head. "The elders don't require me to report to them right after a mission. They understand that their shinobi need a moment to rest and to have time to themselves. I will be reporting to them after I have returned to the compound." Truth was, she was hoping to avoid reporting the elders for as long she reasonably could. As much she respected them, reporting to the elder council of the Hyūga clan was a drawn-out process that left her more tired than the mission itself. Personally, she felt her time could be better spent with training or other more productive activities. If the elders wanted to know about her missions, they could just read the reports she submitted to the Hokage.

Plus, as Naruto would put it, they were windbags that loved to suck out the life out of everything. That boy was rubbing off her too much.

Anko's smirk grew. "So little miss, perfect Hyūga isn't as perfect she claims to be?"

"Anko quit pestering Sara-San." Kurenai interjected before things could get out of hand. "She'll report to the Hyūga elders when she's ready."

"Spoil-sport." Anko said, getting back to her dango.

Sara rolled her eyes. "Thank you, Kurenai-San." She said to the woman with red eyes.

Kurenai nodded at her. The conversation fell silent for a while as they ate their food. Occasionally one of them would make a quick comment or, in Anko's case, a quip. "I think things are finally starting to settle down." Kurenai said suddenly.

"What's settling down?" Sara asked, wondering where her friend was going with this.

Kurenai looked out at the street behind them. "The matter with the Uchiha clan."

Now that piqued Sara's interest, even Anko seemed interested as she slowed down on devouring her favorite food. "How so?"

It at been four years ago now when what became known as the Uchiha Betrayal occurred. A third of the clan under the leadership of Yashiro Uchiha had turned against the village and their clan. They had attempted to kill the Fugaku, the clan head, and his family in a bid to cease power over the Uchiha clan. Later they would have attempted a coup against Konoha. Their bid for power failed because of Fugaku's quick thinking.

Sara remembered that night well. Hiashi had ordered the clan to be put on high alert in case the traitor Uchiha managed to succeed and launch an attack against the village. Despite the outcome of that night, it had been a scary night for her. She remembered standing outside Naruto's door, so afraid that the Uchiha would attack the Hyūga compound. That they would make their way to her home, and somehow, she would fail to protect her young charge.

That was the night when she realized that she viewed the young blonde boy as more than her charge. He was like the little brother she never had. Sara had grown up as an only child, never knowing what it was like to have siblings. Sure, there were other children in the clan, and they were dear to her heart. But it wasn't the same as having a brother or sister, someone who had a direct blood connection. Being with Naruto taught her that one did not need blood ties to be considered family. A part of her always felt that way, but it wasn't until that night that it fully clicked in her mind. The next morning, she had dotted on the boy in her own special way.

"What I mean is that I think the villagers are starting to trust the Uchiha again." Kurenai said. "I haven't heard as many whisperings against them in the last few months."

Now that Sara thought about it, she hadn't heard the villagers speak much of the Uchiha clan's wrongdoings in a while. "I suppose that your right." She said. "It's been four years now. I guess that's enough time for feelings to simmer down and for people to move on." If only that were true for other things.

Kurenai nodded. "Yea, it probably doesn't hurt that the Uchiha have managed to turn their whole attitude around. Remember when Fugaku-San announced they would be expanding the Uchiha police force?"

Sara nodded. About a year after the Uchiha betrayal, Fugaku had announced that they would be allowing non-Uchiha into the police force. Even going as far as to rename the Uchiha police force to the Konoha police force. The Uchiha still dominated the force, but now there were many non-Uchiha in its ranks, including a few Hyūga. "And they have been a lot more open with the village since that night." A genuine dialog had been established between the Uchiha and Konoha. The Uchiha had taken a powerful blow both to its numbers; with a third of their number dead, imprisoned, or on the run, and to its reputation. Still, the signs that they were starting to recover were there.

"Speaking of Uchiha." Anko said. "How are things with your boyfriend?"

Sara felt her face heat up. "Shisui-Kun is not my boyfriend." She responded, her voice just above what normal conversation called for. "We're just good friends."

Anko's smile grew. "Really now. You two seem pretty close for friends." She commented slyly. "And what's with the Shisui-Kun? Doesn't that sound a bit personal for friends?"

Sara felt her face getting hotter and hotter. "Shisui-Ku, I mean Shisui-San is just a friend. Anko-San, I would ask that you stop with this line of questioning. You're coming close to offending me and, by extension, the Hyūga clan."

Anko's smile was now starting to show teeth. "Nothing I haven't done before. Most of your clan already dislikes me, so how can I make it any worse?"

Sara turned over to Kurenai, seeing that the woman was fighting back a smile of her own. "Kurenai -San, please talk some sense into your friend here."

"Sara-San," Kurenai said, holding back a mirthful laugh. "I've been trying to do that for years now. Ever since I've met her. I am no closer to "talking sense" into her now since then."

"Yea, me and sense don't go well together." Anko cackled out. "I thought that you would know that by now."

Sara stood up from her seat. "I think I'll be reporting to the elders now. Kurenai, could you take care of the bill?"

Kurenai nodded with a laugh. "Of course, I will. Have a good day." She said with a smile.

"To you as well." Sara said with a bow. Then she faced Anko, who still had her smirk on. "Try not to choke on your dango." Then she left.

The next morning Uchiha compound:

Sasuke woke up when his alarm went off. Letting out a yawn, he hit the snooze button on the noisy device. Sitting up in his bed, he looked around his room, slowly letting his mind wake up.

Once he was fully awake, he threw his covers off and got out of bed. Leaving his room with a fresh set of clothes, Sasuke made his way for the bathroom for a quick wash. About ten minutes later, he was out of the shower and got dressed after drying off.

Before leaving, he looks at himself in the mirror. He was over eleven years old now, the signs of maturity were slowly showing themselves. He was still a kid, but he was a few short years away from adolescence. His face was less rounded before as the baby fat slowly faded, both from age and the intense training his clan and the academy put him through, giving him a more distinct look. Other changes were slowly showing themselves. His shoulders were a bit broader. He noticed his voice was starting to get deeper, and of late, he had become more interested in girls. Not on the same level as most boys around his age did, but he did find himself looking at the girls in his class a bit more. Though none so far had held his interest long enough for then a passing glance.

He had yet to hit his growth spurt that he imagined wouldn't happen until he became a teenager. He left the bathroom and went down the stairs. A turn of the corner later, he entered through the door leading to his family's dining room.

Food had already been laid out on the table, courtesy of his mother. He sat down at where his food was laid. "Good morning, mother." He said to his mother with a warm smile.

His mother returned the gesture. "Good morning, Sasuke-Kun." She said. "How is my little duckling doing this morning?"

"Mom!" The young Uchiha boy groaned. "Stop calling me that. I'm not a little boy anymore."

His mother giggled. "Ahh, but Sasuke, no matter how old you are. You will always be my little duck."

Sasuke tried to hide his embarrassment. "I'm doing fine, mom." He answered the previous question, hoping to avoid further embarrassment.

Again, his mother giggled. "That's good to hear."

"Don't I get a good morning too?" Sasuke looked over at his father, who was smiling at him.

"Father." Sasuke greeted evenly.

The Uchiha clan head's smile faltered for a moment. "Good morning to you too." He said uncertainly.

The family fell into an awkward silence as they ate their breakfast. This was not unusual. Whenever they ate together, there was always an uncomfortable atmosphere that stifled conversation. At least when father was present, a rare event. Though in the last four years, Sasuke had noticed that his father tried to be at home more often. When his father wasn't present, the young Uchiha boy was more open to conversation with his mother and brother.

"Itachi's not here." Sasuke said. "Is he out on a mission?" A stupid question, but even Sasuke couldn't stand the silence. "He was here last night."

His father nodded. "He left not long after you went to bed. He was summoned by the Hokage. Haven't seen him since."

"Any idea when he'll be back?" His mother asked.

Father shrugged his shoulders. "He's an ANBU Mikoto. You know how their missions can be. He could be gone for days or weeks. Even months depending on what the mission entails.

His mother had a worried look on her face for a second or two. Her features relaxed. "Your right. Itachi is a grown man now. He can handle himself." She looked over at Sasuke, giving him a warm, fond smile. "Just like what you will be one day, my little duckling."

"Mom!"

The uchiha matriarch laughed. "I'm sorry." She said, getting a hold of herself. "The both of you are growing so quickly. I want to be able to enjoy these moments. One day I'll take my eyes off you, and the next I look back, you'll be all grown up. You'll have your own family to worry about." She looked back at her husband. "I'm sure Itachi will be fine. He is, after all, one of the best shinobi this village as ever produced."

Father nodded. "He is." Then he looked over at Sasuke. "I hear that you got top marks on your last exam."

Sasuke slowly nodded, he had just finished his food. "I did." He responded.

His father nodded approvingly. "That's good to hear. I'm proud of you. You know that, right?"

Sasuke stood up from his seat. "I'm heading out for the academy." He said. Without another word, he turned around and went for the door.

His father called out to him just as his hand touched the frame. "Perhaps, you can invite your friends over to celebrate?"

Sasuke remained silent for a second before he responded. "I guess." He opened the door and closed it behind him.

He lingers just outside the door. Long enough to overhear his parent's conversation.

"There, there, Fugaku. I know you're trying."

I know." His father said, frustrated. No, not frustrated, exhausted. "At times, I feel like he hates me."

"Fugaku, my dear. Sasuke doesn't hate you." There was a brief pause. "He's just not comfortable with you."

"Is that suppose to make me feel better?" He heard his father say dryly.

"Just give it time. He'll warm up to you. What you need to do is keep trying. Show that you do care and that you've changed."

Sasuke didn't stay around long enough to hear the end of the conversation. His mother was right he didn't hate his father. Though he felt that uncomfortable didn't describe how he felt about his father. He wasn't sure what word could be used to describe it.

Deep down, the boy knew his father was trying to reach out to him. That he had changed from the man he had known for most of his life. But he wouldn't let that man get close to him. He was scared that if he did, he would only get hurt. Sasuke knew he wasn't fair with his father. But he couldn't bring himself to trust his father after what happened four years ago.

He exited the compound and entered the streets of Konoha. Immediately he braced himself for the looks he would receive. Even four years after what became known as the Uchiha Betrayal, people still shot him dirty looks, and he would hear whispers of how he came from a clan of traitors. It didn't matter that most of the clan remained loyal to the village or that his father had personally defeated the leader of the insurgents; people still looked down on him. Though he did admit that they were less frequent now.

The young uchiha silently made his way to the academy.

Konoha Shinobi Academy

"Sasuke-Kun! Will you go out with me?"

"For the last time, I said no!" Sasuke said, not bothering to hide his irritability. "Now go away. You're bothering my friends and me." HE told of the fangirl.

The girl looked dejected. "Are you sure about that, Sasuke-Kun?" The girl pleads with her obsession.

Sasuke shot the girl a glare that had her go rigid. "Yes." He said coolly. The girl ran off, joining with a group of girls who looked torn between scolding her or sympathizing with her.

Sasuke held a hand up to his forehead and sighed. This had become a frequent occurrence seen he came to the academy and seemingly got worse not long after the Betrayal. Every day a girl or several would approach him asking for a date or shower him with praises and gifts. On a rare occasion, a mob of them would chase him around the village, a terrifying experience in its own right. Good thing he had the help of Naruto and Hinata to deal with them. Otherwise, he might have been guilty of mass murder by now.

Sasuke walked back to where his friends were sitting. He sat down next to Naruto. "Why me?" He said with a huff. "Can't they see I'm not interested in any of them?" Sure, they all were pretty, but know of them held his interest. To be honest, most of them seem shallow to him.

"What do you have to complain about?" The blond next to him said, several eyes floating lazily around him. "You've got lots of girls chasing after you. Do you have any idea how many guys want to be in your position?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, a smirk present on his mouth. "Let me guess, you're one of them?" He said. For a moment, he thought he say Hinata stiffen.

Naruto playfully rubbed his chin. "Well, I wouldn't mind." He said with a small laugh. "I mean, seriously? I'm better looking than you are and stronger. Why don't I have a bunch of fangirls chasing me around?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes, only slightly amused by his blindfold friend's antics. "Maybe it's because they know you're already taken." He commented, his eyes shot over to Hinata. It was almost admirable how the Hyūga heiress held back a squeak.

Naruto tilted his head to the side. "What's that suppose to mean?" He asked, confused.

Sasuke shook his head. "Oh, nothing. Just a little joke." His smirk had grown.

Naruto frowned as he eyed him. "You making a joke? That's new." Naruto's eyes turned over to where the group of fangirls was. His head remained facing Sasuke. He had a thoughtful look on his face. Sasuke was almost certain that was a sign of the end days. "I will admit that none of them are very interesting." He wrapped his arm around Hinata, surprising the girl. "I mean, none of them are as pretty as Hinata-Chan. And she's so nice." This time the poor girl did squeak and turned beat red. "Any guy would be lucky to have her." The girl slumped into his shoulders. Naruto looked down at the unconscious girl, panic quickly taking over. "Hinata-Chan!"

Sasuke tried his best to hold back his laughter and failed.

Naruto's head shot up at him, several pairs of eyes seemingly glaring at him. "This isn't funny, teme. Hinata could be seriously sick."

Sasuke got control of himself. "Dope, Hinata's is just fine. She just got a little overheated." He said to placate his friend. The blonde continued to glare at him, though some confusion was settling in.

"Overheated?" Naruto asked.

Sasuke shook his head. "Again, it's nothing." He stood up and walked over to Hinata. "Come on, if it makes you feel better, we can take her to the nurse." He knelt and picked the girl up, swinging her limp arm around his shoulder.

Naruto's features relaxed, and he nodded. The boy swung Hinata's other arm around his should. Both boys stood up, lifting the unconscious Hyūga up, and proceeded to carry her to the nurse's office.

The whole time Sasuke had a smile on his face.

Minutes later, the nurse had assured them (i.e., Naruto) that Hinata was just fine, and what she needed was rest. While waiting for the girl to wake up or for classes to resume, whichever came first, Sasuke decided to use the restroom.

Exiting the restroom, Sasuke started to return to the nurse's office. It would not be long before lunch ended, and classes resumed. He had to make sure that his blonde friend got to them on time. He didn't want to face a scolding from Hinata. The Hyūga heiress was as sweet as a flower, but that girl could be scary when she needed to be.

He had taken a few steps when his day decided to take a turn. "Well, if it isn't the Uchiha traitor." Sasuke's mood quickly soured as he recognized the voice.

He turned around to see three boys glaring at him. "What is it you want, Daisuke?" He said to the leader of the trio, a boy with a bandana wrapped around his head.

"What, can't upperclassmen greet their juniors?" Daisuke said mockingly.

Daisuke and his friends (read: underlings) were in the year ahead of them. Daisuke had taken an immediate disliking towards Sasuke, for what reasons he didn't care to find out. At first, the older boy had been tolerable, seemingly satisfied to shoot glares at him whenever they saw each other. Then after the Uchiha Betrayal, the boy had started to go out of his way to make his amnesty known to Sasuke.

He frequently picked fights with the young Uchiha and always accused him of being a traitor. His bullying wasn't limited just to him, he tried to pick on his friends as well.

"Hello." Sasuke greeted with a mocking smile. "Now go away." He turned around, hoping to get away from the trio. His day was going good, and he wanted to keep it that way.

No such luck. He felt a presence appear in front of him, and a hand slammed into the wall. Sasuke looked to see that the Bandana-wearing boy had gotten in front of him, blocking his way. Sasuke tried to move around the boy, but his friends had closed in, trapping the Uchiha.

"Now, is that any way to greet your seniors?" Daisuke said with a venomous smile.

Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "I don't have time for this." Sasuke said to the boy. "Get out of my Daisuke. I have better things to do than deal with you and your underlings."

"Oi, who calling an underling?" A boy with a shaved head said. "We're his friends, right Daisuke?"

"Can it, Kaito." Rebuked Daisuke. Then he turned his attention back to Sasuke. "Typical Uchiha, acting so high and mighty. Always thinking you're better than us, just because of an eye infection. No wonder no one likes your clan." The boy's glare intensified. "I'm not at all surprised your clan tried to overthrow the village. To be frank, I think the Hokage was too easy on you. He should have had all of you killed. Your nothing more than a bunch of traitors."

Sasuke gritted his teeth at the comparison to his clan. "I'm not a traitor." He almost shouted. "I was almost killed that night, and my mother was severely injured."

He saw Daisuke roll his eyes. "Yea, right." He said. "You know what I think?" He brought his face in closer to Sasuke's. "I think that the whole "Uchiha Betrayal" was faked."

Sasuke's blood was boiling now. "Fake!" He said.

"Yes." Daisuke answered. "Once word got out about your little coup, your father pretended to call it off. Then to make things more convincing, he engineered the Betrayal to make it look like only part of your clan were traitors. When, in truth, all of you are traitors. Your clan is just bidding it's time before they try to take over the village."

"That's not true." Sasuke shouted at Daisuke. The memories were surfacing again. A blade shooting from his mother's back, a red liquid dripping off the edge.

Daisuke grabbed him by the hair. "Of course, it is." He said in a low tone, almost coming out as a growl. "You call me a liar, traitor?"

At this point, Sasuke would have not been surprised if his teeth were cracking with the way he was grinding them now. "I'm not a traitor." Would he always have to live this stigma? Would he never escape the shadow of what his clan had almost done?

Daisuke's eyes narrowed. "You are, just like the rest of your clan." His grip on Sasuke's hair tightened. "The Hokage should have had all of you executed."

Sasuke's hands balled into fists. He had enough of Daisuke's' accusations. He didn't care how much trouble he got into.

"What's going here?" A voice called, stopping the fight before it began. Sasuke felt Daisuke let go of his hair. All four boys looked in the direction of the voice. "Well?" Iruka asked, shooting them all a stern glare. "Is anyone going to tell me?"

"Oh, it's nothing." Daisuke said with a forced smile. "We were just hanging out with our junior here." He gestured to Sasuke. "We found him all in the hall here. So, we thought he could use the company." He looked over at his lackeys. "Right, guys?"

"Yea, that's right." Kaito said. The other boy nodded.

The scared chunin raised an eyebrow, keeping a neutral expression. "Is that right?" He said. "It looks a bit more than that to me."

Daisuke laughed nervously. "Well, Uchiha-San wanted to have some fun. And I'll admit we might have gotten a little carried away." He explained.

Iruka seemed unconvinced. His gaze landed on Sasuke. "Uchiha-San, I want to hear your side of this. Is what he said true?"

For a brief moment, Sasuke thought about telling his sensei the truth. It would get Daisuke and his goons off him for a while. But then he would go back to messing with him and his friends, and they would be more relentless about it. "Yes, Iruka-sensei." Sasuke said, deciding it wasn't worth it in the long run. Besides, the older boy would be in the academy for another year or two before graduating. Then he would likely never see him again. "It is as they say."

Iruka looked at him with an unreadable expression. For a moment, Sasuke thought that the man didn't buy their story. Iruka let out a sigh. "Very well. I believe you." He said. He faced Daisuke. "Daisuke-San, if you and your friends have enough time to hang out with your juniors. then you have enough time to do me a favor."

Daisuke kept his smile. "Of course, Iruka-Sensei." What is it?"

"I need you to head down to the storage room and pick up some supplies for me. Here is a list of the stuff I need." He produced a slip of paper from his pocket. "Bring them to my classroom before classes end. I'll let your sensei know you'll be late."

Daisuke took the slip and bowed. "Of course, we'll get it done right away." He looked over at Sasuke, giving him a contemptuous smile. "Be seeing you around Uchiha-San. Come on, guys, let's go." Daisuke walked down the hall, with his two lackeys following close behind.

When they were gone, Iruka sighed. He turned over to Sasuke. "Alright, Sasuke.' He said, crossing his arms. "Tell me the truth. Were Daisuke and his friends bullying you?"

Sasuke should have known that Iruka wasn't going to buy their story. "No, they weren't." He said, trying to walk away.

He felt a hand land on his shoulder. Sasuke looked up at Iruka. The scared chunin was giving him an intense stare. "Sasuke, you shouldn't let them bully you like this. Letting them get away with this will only encourage them to continue. Now, are you sure that Daisuke was telling the truth?"

Sasuke held back a scowl. Why couldn't he let this go? "Yes, I'm sure." Sasuke said. Iruka continued to give him an intense stare. After a moment, Sasuke looked away. "Look, I'm glad you're concerned. But I can handle it myself. I'm." He hesitated for a moment as the next word danced on his tongue. "I'm an Uchiha. We can handle ourselves, and I have my friends with me."

Sasuke looked back at Iruka, seeing the man continue his look of worry. Then he let out a defeated sigh and removed his hand. "Fine, I'll let this go." The man said, sounding like he was trying to convince himself. "But only just this once. But if I see this happen again. It's off to the headmaster with them, understood?"

Sasuke nodded. "Yes, Iruka-Sensei." He waited for his sensei to say something more. When he got nothing, the young Uchiha boy began to walk off.

"I could always use an assistant or two." Sasuke paused when he heard Iruka talk. "Those boys seemed like they had plenty of time on their hands. Perhaps I can keep them busy."

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something. He closed it and nodded. "Thanks." He said just above a whisper. Then he walked off.

Somewhere in the forest of Konoha

Despite what Naruto believed, Sasuke did like being alone. It gave him the chance to think. He didn't mind the company that the blindfolded blonde and Hinata provided and even enjoyed it. But there were times when he wanted to be alone, truly alone and not under the watchful eyes of his friend's little spies.

Sasuke had long since figured out when Naruto was keeping one of his eyes on him. He hadn't felt anything since coming to the park. Sasuke smiled to himself. It seemed his closest friend realized that he wanted to be alone.

He knew Naruto was worried for him. Ever since he returned from his break, the boy with whisker marks had given him worried glances. Sasuke was certain that he saw the exchange with Daisuke and his cohorts. He was tempted to stop Naruto when he got that look that promised humiliation for the three. However, he stopped himself knowing how stubborn his friend could be (and admittedly partially looking forward to whatever happened to Daisuke.).

Sasuke looked around the wooded area of the park. He quickly realized he had wandered off further than he intended to. Briefly, the young uchiha boy debated if he should go back to the park or continue to explore this part of the woods.

Sasuke decided to go with the latter. There was a chance that he would run into someone if he returned to the park. Right now, he wanted to be alone, to think. Today had been a bit more overwhelming than he would have liked. Between his father, the continued whispers of the villagers, and Daisuke, Sasuke found that he needed to be alone to think.

Putting his hands in his pockets, Sasuke began to walk through the forest, having no direction in mind. Listening to the chirping of the birds, he began to enjoy the peacefulness of the forest, and soon the stress of the day began to ebb away.

With the stress slowly being lifted off his shoulders, Sasuke found that his thoughts began to become clearer. Things were not as bad as they were a few years ago. Relations between his clan and the village were slowly improving. Whispers of the Uchiha being traitors were dying down, still present but not as prevalent as they were before and after the Uchiha Betrayal. Daisuke, while a nuisance, was just a thug. He and his friends could handle him and his lackeys.

As for his father, well, that was something he could deal with later. Soon enough, he found himself simply enjoying his walk through the forest. He didn't know how long he had been walking, minutes? Hours? He came to a clearing in the forest.

He didn't know why, but Sasuke felt like there was something special about this clearing. It didn't seem any different from the other clearings he and his friends had found in the forest in the village. Except for a lone tree in the center. It seemed unmarkable.

He did admit it was a nice place. Perhaps he would bring Naruto and Hinata here tomorrow, he thought, turning around. Then he stopped. Not far from him was a small hill that overlooked the clearing. Sasuke squinted his eyes, looking at the top of the hill. Was that? Sasuke took a step closer, trying to get a better look. Was that a person?

Carious about who the person, if it was a person, Sasuke walked towards and up the hill. "Who would be all the way out here?" He asked himself. Then belated realized he would be included in the answer to that question.

As he got closer, he was able to make out more details of the person. It was a girl with long brown hair that went past her shoulders, and she looked to be around his age, maybe a little older. She was sitting down on a chair in front of something. Coming at the girl from a slight angle Sasuke saw that it was a painting of some kind. Judging by the brush in the girl's hand, it wasn't hard to judge who the artist was.

He paid the painting attention, as his eyes were fixated on the girl. "Beautiful." That was the only way to describe her. She was more beautiful than any girl he had seen in the village. He stopped just a few feet away from the girl, continuing to stare at her. He wanted to say something, get the girl's attention. But he couldn't, whatever sound he tried to make would die in his throat. He just kept staring at the girl, fixated by her. He wanted to soak in every detail of the girl. The way her brown hair blew in the air, the way her hand tightened around the brush when she added another brush to her painting. He wanted to see what her eyes looked like, what color they were. Just one step over, and he could see the rest of her face.

His feet remained planted to the ground. He knew how much of a creep he was by staring at the girl with her knowing. When he finally did open his mouth, the sound of thunder broke him out of the spell. He looked out to the sky hanging over the clearing. The uchiha boy was surprised to see dark clouds were forming in the sky.

"Wasn't it just clear days sky a moment ago." He thought to himself. The girl seemed to have not noticed the sudden change in the weather. So fixated on her work, she hadn't noticed that storm was coming.

Oddly enough he that fixation added to her allure. A part of him wanted to let her continue with her painting, even if it meant that she may become soaking wet. It seemed wrong to interrupt her now when she was undoubtedly focusing so hard on finishing her painting. The other more sensible part of him won out.

If she did get soaked in the rain, she would get sick for days. That was something he didn't wish on her. Not to mention she might not look as pretty if she was soaked in the rain. Sasuke shook his head. "Sasuke, get a hold of yourself. You don't want this very pretty girl to get wet in the wet in the rain. It would be rude. So just get her attention and let her know that a storm is coming," He told himself.

His eyes glided back over to the girl, ready to get her attention. It was then he noticed what the girl was painting. In the center, painted with remarkable detail, was the lone tree in the center of the clearing.

It was such a simple little thing, yet Sasuke was impressed. The tree was the only thing on the canvas, with a bit of green surrounding it, no signs of the clearing surrounding it. Was the girl only painting the tree? Or would she add it later? He would have to ask her later when he got them out of the forest. What impressed him the most was how real the tree looked in the painting. The colors, shadings, and even the way the tree casts its shadow all looked so real, so alike the subject. It was almost like he could reach out into the painting and feel the bark on the tree.

"It's a nice painting." He thought.

The girl's shoulders jolted, with her hand stopping mid brush. Wait. "Did I say that aloud?" Sasuke asked dumbly. The girl's head slowly turned. For a second brown eyes met with onyx eyes. The eyes were just as pretty as the rest of her.

Neither individual spoke as they stared at each other. Now seeing the girl's full face, Sasuke soaked in every detail he could. "Come on, Sasuke, say something. You're looking like a creep here, just staring at her."

"Uh, hi?" Sasuke said weakly. He was almost certain that his blush could rival Hinata's, judging by the intense heat he felt right now.

That spurred the girl into action as she stood straight, almost knocking her chair over. She grabbed her painting and darted off.

Panicking, Sasuke spun around and shot his hand out. "Wait!" Only for his feet to trip over themselves and his face meet with the ground. "Nice going, Sasuke." He said to himself. Rather than risk further embarrassment, Sasuke stayed where he was, Not even bothering to turn over to face the sky, and he didn't care if he would get soaked from the rain.

Sometime later, he felt a familiar presence hang over him. "Sasuke?" He heard Itachi's cool voice say.

"Yes, Itachi?" Sasuke's muffled voice answered.

"What are you doing?"

"Trying not to dye from embarrassment."

"I see." He knew his brother was smiling right now. "I think you're succeeding." Sasuke felt like groaning. "Are you going to get up?"

"That depends. Are we the only ones here?" Sasuke asked.

"I believe so, yes." Itachi replied.

"Then yes, I am." Sasuke said, using his arms to push himself up. Itachi helped him up.

"Thanks." Sasuke dusted himself off.

His brother was giving him a quizzical look. "Dare I ask what happened here?" He said with a small hint of a smile.

Sasuke turned away, feeling a blush creep across his face. "I fell."

"You fell?" Itachi questioned.

Sasuke walked past his brother. "Yes, I fell. Now, are you going to take me home or not?" He felt a little sorry for snapping at his brother like that. But Sasuke wasn't in a mood to explain.

"I suppose I will." Itachi said, taking a step up next to Sasuke.

The whole way back, one thing dominated Sasuke's mind. "Will I meet her again?"

He never noticed that the storm clouds had cleared away.

Kurama clan compound

"Where were you?"

"Painting." Yakumo responded to her uncle. She showed him her painting.

Her Uncle Unkai looked between her and the painting in her hands. "You were outside again? Weren't you?" He got no answer. "You know you're not supposed to leave the compound."

"It was only for a little bit." Yakumo argued back. "I didn't go far." She turned the painting over, looking over her work. She noted the storm cloud, she added.

Her uncle ran his hand through his hair, sighing in frustration. "It's for your own safety." He said. "You're still learning to control your abilities. Not to mention your weak constitution."

"He fears you." A voice in the back of her mind said.

Yakumo ignored it. "I know." The journey to and back from the forest clearing had been difficult.

Her uncle walked over behind her. "It's a good painting." He said.

Yakumo nodded, she felt it could use a little more work. "It's not complete yet."

"I'll be sure to add it to your collection when you do." Her uncle said. "Did anyone see you?"

Yakumo thought back to the boy she saw in the clearing. As she ran past him, she had caught a glimpse of the symbol on his back. What was an Uchiha doing so far in the forest? Why did he approach her? Why did she run from him? Most importantly, why couldn't she get him out of her mind?

"No." She lied.

"Good." Her uncle said, walking in front of her. "Kurenai-San will be here soon. I suggest you get ready for your tutoring session."

Yakumo's eyes lit a bit. Maybe her sensei would know why she was feeling this way. "I will, Uncle."

Her uncle gave her a soft smile. "You may want to get some rest. I imagine your time outside has left you a little tired."

"Yes, get some rest." The voice taunted her. "We'll have some fun before your slave master arrives."

Again, she ignored the voice. "Thank you, Uncle." She said with a forced smile. "I'll consider it."

Another chapter done and we have the beginning of a new Arc. So yea things might have been settled with the Uchiha clan, but Sasuke is still having a hard time with it, but hey he's got his friends to help him with that. He just needs to remember that. Anyway with the way I got this arc planed I think it's last for about seven or eight chapters, then move on the Academy graduation and onto the main cast's genin adventures. A lot of you have probably already guessed who is going to be this story's iteration of Team 7 will be, I wonder how many of you have guessed who the Sensei will be. (Hint: Its not Kakashi).

I'm getting close to finishing the next chapter so hopefully I'll have that out sometime next month. If not a little bit after the new year. So until I hope you enjoyed this chapter and looking forward to the next update.