Haruno Sakura was 12 when she was finally placed on a genin team.
As Iruka announced her name after Uzumaki Naruto, the young girl glanced at the whiskered boy beside her. His bright blue eyes connected with hers in excitement.
That's not so bad. She thought to herself, offering him a small smile. He may have started off as a class clown and renowned prankster, however once the Uchiha clan took control of the village that had quickly changed. There wasn't much even someone as crafty as Naruto could get past the sharingan. And Fugaku was a stern leader- nothing like the kind and grandfatherly Third Hokage. She wouldn't have blamed the blonde boy if he had settled down out of fear alone.
Besides that, Naruto, she had found, had a huge heart. After her father had died in the coup d'etat (as most working in the administrative building had when the Uchiha came to assassinate the Hokage and the village elders), Naruto had been one of the people to pick up the pieces. He had witnessed her break down against the academy wall one day after class, unable to face going home and finding it lacking from her fathers' absence. And although the boy had grown up without parents, he seemed to perfectly understand the emptiness she was afraid to face at home.
The blonde had been all encouragement and positivity, telling her how much her father would be proud of her quick wit and unparalleled grades, even managing to make her laugh at a self-depreciating joke about his own horrible marks within the classroom.
He wasn't any older than her, yet he was able to display a mature level of empathy that Sakura couldn't even seem to muster when trying to comfort her best friend Ino who had lost both her parents in the attack.
With him on her team, she knew she would always have someone to watch her back.
Then Iruka named off the third and final member of their team and her heart dropped.
Uchiha Sasuke.
Ino made eye contact from across the room, communicating an apologetic look.
Sakura glanced at the quite dark haired boy to her left.
It was funny, a couple of years ago she would have been ecstatic to hear she would be on the talented Uchiha's team.
But that seemed like a lifetime ago.
So much had changed since then.
The once popular Sasuke became a pariah in the classroom after the coup. Being the only Uchiha in their grade, everyone seemed to project their mistrust and anger out on him. In the weeks following the Uchiha rise to power, he had been mocked, screamed at, shoved and even jumped by his fellow classmates one day after school had ended. The fight didn't last very long. Even outnumbered 3 to 1, Sasuke had been more than able to handle his own- though he had walked away with a black eye.
From that day on however, his older brother had always appeared to pick him up from school, his sharp eyes flashing between each student as if trying to determine who had given his little brother the shiner.
Nobody dared lay a hand on Sasuke after that.
Sakura couldn't exactly say she was any different when it came to the treatment of the Uchiha. She caught herself giving him dirty looks whenever he entered the room or would throw her nose up to him when she noticed the boy looking for a place to sit at lunch.
She wasn't exactly proud of her behavior; she knew it was unfair. After all, she had seen him shuffle in the single file line down to the basement for safekeeping along with the rest of the class. He had played no part in the Coup. She could remember the same look of confusion and worry mirrored on his face just as much as everyone else's.
None of that seemed to matter though- he was one of the youngest and most accessible Uchiha for everyone else to take their frustration out on.
Looking at him now, he didn't seem to even be paying attention. It appeared as if he didn't care one way or another who was on his team- she supposed he assumed everyone hated him equally and it would make no real difference to him.
Sakura felt a tinge of guilt at the realization that he was probably right.
Emerald eyes flicked back over to Naruto. He had been Sasuke's self-declared rival before. But looking at him now, he was simply watching the Uchiha, his expression laced with subtle concern. His lips were drawn to the side and eyebrows furrowed in deep thought. She couldn't help but wonder what he was thinking.
"Team 7's sensei will be Uchiha Renjiro." As Iruka finished up the announcements and students began to leave three by three with their new senseis, Naruto tossed his head back and groaned.
Sakura pursed her lips, mentally agreeing with Naruto's unabashed disappointment.
Having an Uchiha for a sensei would no doubt leave her and Naruto competing with Sasuke for attention. If there was one thing Sakura learned during the short amount of time that Konoha was ruled under the Uchiha thumb, it was that they looked out for their own.
A man with short dark brown hair approached them. He donned the usual green jounin vest, and Sakura could make out the Uchiha crest etched on both his sleeves.
"Well come on then, lets get to know each other a little." With a flick of his head, he turned and began walking, his three new students hot on his heels as he led them up to the roof.
"As Iruka mentioned, my name is Uchiha Renjiro." He began as the three of them settled onto the floor. "It is my prerogative to make sure the three of you are shaped to become worthy enough to serve this village as full fledged shinobi."
As he spoke, Sakura took him in, noticing how he rubbed the back of his neck nervously, and when he leaned against the wall behind him his knee bounced with anxiety.
He does seem a bit young. Are we his first team of Genin?
Emerald eyes flicked towards the dark haired boy sitting not too far from her.
Or was he nervous because he was given the responsibility to oversee the Fifth Hokage's youngest son?
She could imagine that would be a nerve-wrecking task. After all, everyone knew Sasuke was expected to be just as talented a shinobi as his older brother Itachi- who was almost leagues above everyone else. It had been said on more than one occasion (under muttered breath, of course) that Itachi had been the trump card that pulled the coup in the Uchiha's favor. It seemed everyone had a story about seeing him that day, making him impossibly everywhere at once.
"So," Renjiro continued. "Why don't we all go around and share what our goals here are." He flicked his head towards Sasuke, indicating he go first.
The younger Uchiha looked a bit taken off guard and his dark eyes flickered in Sakura and Naruto's direction briefly before resolutely settling on the ground before him.
"I just want to make my clan proud." He said quietly.
Kinda a lame goal… Sakura couldn't help but think. She had expected more from the resident genius.
"That's a great goal to have." Renjiro answered with a smile. "Family is important, and if you fight to become stronger to protect your family, that is an admirable objective, indeed."
Sakura and Naruto's eyes met right before the blonde's brilliant cerulean seemed to roll into the back of his head.
Sakura stifled a giggle, but deep down she gave a mental sigh. If all their sensei's interactions with Sasuke were just going to be a series of ass-kissing, it was going to get old real fast.
"And you?" Noticing Renjiro-sensei's deep brown eyes focused on her, she quickly cleared her throat.
"I want to be a feared kunoichi, renowned in all the 5 great nations so the name 'Haruno' will be etched into the history books forever. To honor my late father."
She couldn't help but notice the muscles in Sasuke's hands tense up. Before she could ponder on why, Renjiro spoke.
"That's a beautiful goal, Sakura. I will be honored to help you reach it." The sincerity in his eyes took Sakura off guard and she was left speechless as he moved on to Naruto.
"Well this question is easy- I'm going to be the next Hokage! Believe it!"
Renjiro raised a dubious eyebrow; his response was anything but. "You know what they say, shoot for the moon and even if you miss, you're sure to land among the stars."
The familiar burn of guilt began to eat at Sakura's chest. Renjiro- sensei didn't seem to be playing favorites at all. Perhaps she and Naruto had misjudged him.
"Well!" He clapped his hands together, garnering his students' attention once more. "I think that's enough for today. We all have a little more insight into who we are teaming with. Tomorrow, we'll begin training. Meet at Training Field 3 at 7am."
Dismissing the three newly anointed genin, Renjiro waited until he could no longer hear their footfalls echoing from the stairwell before moving over to the other side of the roof where a man leaned against the wall.
"Now that wasn't so bad, right cousin?"
"I don't know…" Uncertainty creeped into Renjiro's tone as his hand went up to rub the back of his neck. "The other two don't seem too keen about Sasuke. It might present as an issue if they refuse to work as a team."
"Well, you're going to have to find a way around that." The other man pushed off the wall to approach Renjiro, his short black hair bouncing as he threw his head back with a confident smile. "You're smart Renjiro. If I didn't think you were capable of doing that, I wouldn't have volunteered you to Fugaku-sama."
"Yeaaaah…. I really wish you hadn't done that, Shisui." The other Uchiha admitted.
Shisui shot his cousin an apologetic look. "Well, if it wasn't you, it would have been me on that chopping block."
"It probably should have been. I mean, next to Itachi, you're closest to Sasuke. You know him the best, and you would have been a much better pick for training him. Plus, you're basically like another son to Fugaku-sama. You wouldn't be dealing with as much pressure as I am to succeed with this team."
"I have full confidence in you, cousin. You will be fine. Besides, you're a great guy- they'll learn to love you."
Renjiro threw him a doubtful glance. "You're more of a people person than I could ever hope to be." He muttered.
Shisui threw his head back in laughter. "It's not my fault if I inherited all the charm in this clan." He supplied with a shrug. "But anyways, Itachi needs me right now. I just do not have the time to spare training a team of genin, as much as I would like to be there for Sasuke."
Renjiro looked out over the rooftops towards the Great Stone Faces. "I know." He sighed in agreement.
Shisui clapped him on the shoulder. "Don't look so downtrodden! Today was only the first day. Sasuke admitted he didn't have any friends at the academy, so you knew that camaraderie wouldn't be there on day 1. But every team needs time to grow together. You'll see."
Renjiro bit his lip. "And… what If I encounter issues with the jinchuuriki?"
"You know it's Fugaku-sama's intention for that to eventually become Sasuke's responsibility. Naruto is still young; as far as we've witnessed, he hasn't displayed any indication he can access the Kyuubi's chakra yet, so that shouldn't even be a worry of yours for now. Just make sure you focus on Sasuke's training in the meantime."
"Right… right."
Shisui offered an encouraging smile. "You're going to do great Renjiro. Stop doubting yourself so much."
A jolting caw sounded from the right, and both men eyed the large black raven perched on the railing as its dark beady eyes locked onto Shisui. It gave another impatient caw, the obsidian feathers catching the sunlight as it extended its wings slightly.
"Well, it appears I'm being summoned." Shisui sighed, giving Renjiro one last clap to the shoulder. "You know I'll be in touch if you need anything, cousin." With an impish wink and one quick hand sign, he disappeared in a flourish of smoke.
Renjiro watched the raven take flight, satisfied it had completed its task. He gave a quick huff of breath to dispel any remaining nerves and began to make his way down from the rooftop as well.
xXx
The next morning Sakura was sure to arrive at the training grounds bright and early.
She was the first one there.
Not too much of a surprise- she was 10 minutes early, after all.
She patiently waited in the field, shoeing over blades of grass to draw pictures using the dew that still clung to the small stalks as the sun just began to break through the morning mist.
The soft crunch of grass underfoot alerted her to another's presence, and she half turned to see Naruto rubbing at his eyes looking only half awake.
"G'morning, Sakura-chan." He greeted mid-yawn.
"Good Morning, Naruto. You not get enough sleep?" She asked, stifling a giggle at his mussed hair.
"Ehhh? No I think I did. I'm just not used to being up so early."
Sakura nodded in agreement. She wasn't typically up at this hour either, but as soon as her alarm clock roused her, adrenaline kicked in at the excitement of finally getting started on her career as a kunoichi.
"So uhhh… what do you think about our team?" Naruto asked, some of the sleepiness in his eyes wearing off as he looked at her for her answer.
Sakura's mouth twisted in thought.
"I'm not sure yet. I'm trying not to make any snap judgements, you know?"
"Yeah I guess." The blonde boy looked off into the tree line, quiet for a moment. "It seemed like everyone else was relieved when they didn't get Sasuke on their team. Or me… for that matter."
Sakura gave him a pitying look as his eyes grew soft in thought. But then his features morphed into a smile as he flashed her a thumbs up.
"But I'll bet that means we'll be the strongest team yet- just a big band of misfits!"
Pink eyebrows furrowed with indignation.
"Hey now, speak for yourself." She chastised.
"Still," he continued, oblivious to the fact that he had slightly offended her, "At least everybody just kind of ignores me for the most part. But with Sasuke…" He trailed off, lost in thought again.
"I just feel kinda bad for him, you know?" He finished.
"Well, don't." Another voice cut in, all edge and sharpness.
Both newly minted genin turned abruptly to see Sasuke behind them, leaning against a tree as if he had been there the whole time.
Wait, how long had he been there? Sakura worried internally.
At their stunned faces, Sasuke looked away with a scoff. "I don't need your pity. I don't need your friendship. And I don't even need this team. Just stay out of my way so I can graduate to Chuunin as quickly as possible."
Tch. What a snob. Sakura thought as she threw the dark haired boy an unimpressed look. Not that he was even paying attention. All genin need to start off on a team to learn how to collaborate with others during missions. Even his esteemed older brother had to.
She didn't see the need to voice this out loud. People like Sasuke typically had to learn such things the hard way.
Naruto, however, clearly thought he could verbally convince him otherwise.
"Bastard! Everyone needs a team! You're not special!"
Sasuke shot him an impervious look. "My scores say otherwise."
Naruto gave a low growl, but before he could respond Sasuke continued.
"Your scores, on the other hand, suggest you shouldn't even be here. You should just drop out now before you get yourself killed."
"What did you say?!"
Seeing this was escalating, Sakura stepped in with both hands up in a placating manner.
"Ok, just hold on a minute. We all graduated as genin, we're all here now, and we're going to be on the same team. So maybe we should just try and make the best of it."
Sasuke looked at her with cold midnight blue eyes. She had a sinking feeling she had just entered his cross hairs.
"And you, who came from some no-name clan. Do you really think you even belong here?"
Her teeth clenched as she stared at him in shock. Did he really just…?
How dare he! Entitled Uchiha prick!
"Don't insult Sakura-chan!" Naruto quickly piped up in her defense.
"I may not be from some prestigious clan, but at least that means you know I worked hard to get to where I'm at instead of being handed everything because my daddy is the hokage!"
It wasn't true in the least- she had seen him practicing his shuriken jutsu long after everyone had gone home for the day on more than one occasion. But her blood was boiling and she couldn't help the words that spilled from her mouth.
The last thing she expected was for him to call her bluff.
"Oh yeah?" He questioned as he slipped his pack off his shoulders and slid into a fighting stance. "Well if you really think I've just been handed everything, then I'll gladly prove you wrong by handing you your own ass."
The incredulous look on her face let him know he had taken her off guard, and he gave her a haughty smirk.
"Scared? That's what I figured."
"We're not scared of you!" Naruto shouted, snatching a kunai from his pouch.
"Then prove it, Dobe. I'll take you both on."
From the shadows of the tree line, Renjiro buried his face in his hands.
No wonder Sasuke never made any friends in the academy. He thought dejectedly. I certainly have my work cut out for me.
He took one final deep inhale then flash stepped between the three before anyone could start throwing hands.
xXx
Don't worry guys, I didn't cut Kakashi from the story- I could never do that to our favorite lackadaisical sensei. He'll come in later. ;) I really enjoy exploring different facets of the character's personalities and dynamics in this AU, although Naruto and Sasuke's personalities will always butt heads no matter the universe. XD Let me know your thoughts so far if you can spare the time! And thank you to everyone who reviewed the first chapter- you have no idea how much it helps my motivation. ^_^