Age 16, 5 months before Chunin Exams
If I thought I could get away with sending an assassin after a leaf shinobi you can be damn sure I would have killed the man that would later become my second father. He brought her back to the house with stitches she didn't leave the hospital with, and a new wound on the back of her head.
"She'll need comforting once she wakes up, but she'll be fine." were his only words before he essentially dumped her into my arms and disappeared. So now I sit here smoldering in silent anger. Naruto is, still, blessedly sleeping off having had twice the safe limit of blood removed from his body and the sun is beginning to set.
"W-what time is it?" I resist the urge to jolt as she moves her head, hazy teal eyes peering up at me as she starts to move ever so softly. I take a glance at my wrist, the heavy black watch from my father ticking silently.
"About an hour past when we usually sit down for dinner." her nose wrinkles a bit and she sits up properly now. Her bandage covered hand, placing itself on my shoulder as she settled beside me on the worn couch.
"Where is he?"
"In his room, still sleeping… We got back hours ago. I was starting to get worried." She gives a… to be honest I'm not sure. It's an odd mix between a sigh and laugh, quickly trying to work herself to a standing position. I have to rush to catch her, her knees buckling as quickly as soon as she tries to stand. She doesn't try to shove me away, instead just wrapping an arm around my neck.
"Help me walk please, I need food." Something tells me now isn't the time to argue, regardless of my concern. So I helped her on the trek to my childhood room, placed in the middle of the hallway between the Master bedroom and Itachi's room. Naruto is slumped face down on the bed sideways. He seems to have managed to get into his nightwear decently well, which is my polite way of saying we were lucky he was too tired to get his boxers off.
"Want me to wake him up?" she nods. I lean her against the doorframe and wait until she has a grip on the wall. I'm careful to hit the floorboards within the nightingale structure, one of his cone-like ears twisted around to my direction in his sleep. I don't quite get all the way over to him before he's sitting up.
"Wuzzup?" his words are slurred, and his unseeing eyes lack the usual haziness of those joining the waking world.
"Are you in a condition to cook?" He nods a bit, reaching around for a moment before putting his pants on and slipping through the door frame. He takes a brief moment to bump shoulders with Sakura, more akin to how a cat rubs itself along your ankle than how two people get past one another. I try my very best to clamp down on the small, sharp, feeling of white hot emotion I have at the display of affection. Finding it mollified as she wraps her arms around my neck once more.
The dining room is a mess, books and scrolls scattered across the table from our attempted research into Jinchukris. I slide her into the head chair, before gathering them up into piles on the far side of the table. Anything from the public library was a waste of time, more children's stories than anything else. The Shinobi library wasn't much better, filled with cautionary tales and misinformation. The smallest group of scrolls is from the clan vault. Sadly the Uchiha seem much more interested in trying to kill Jinchukri than anything else.
I grabbed the last group of scrolls and slipped off to the hidden vault door. The wall within my father's office slid open with ease as I returned them to their rightful places within the clan head vault. The painting of Hashirama and Madara shaking hands, their respective clans behind them, still serving as a centerpiece for the room. My hand finds itself running over the katana I hung beneath it. The sheathe a plain wood, the handle simple black leather, no hand guard to speak of. Yet the tempered blue blade speaks wonders of its quality.
If I hadn't thought I knew better at the time, I'd have thought the blade was magical.
I soon let it be, resting in its place, as I turned the lights off leaving the room in near pitch black. My Sharingan picking up even the smallest hints of light and allowing me to navigate unscathed. It never fails to annoy Sakura (even today) that neither of us turn on any lights.
I worked my way back upstairs to the cacophony coming from the kitchen. Sakura had moved her chair, holding the kitchen door open as she watched open mouthed. My eyes faded to coal black once more I leaned against her chair back, partaking in one of our favorite hobbies. Watching Naruto cook.
Many would say a cook moves with grace, and it's an understandable sentiment. Needing to dance your way through the kitchen around and near other chefs. Naruto however functions more like a bull, I speak from experience in that if you're in his way he will shoulder check you out of it.
He's working at a counter near the sink, having wetted a rag and seems to be rubbing the dirt off of some rather large mushrooms. After that he used his claws to dog out the stems and insides before throwing them all on a pan and placing them inside the already going oven. From there he grabs what appears to be a soft cheese of some kind, quartered cherry tomatoes, and a few herbs I can't place before mixing them all together in a bowl and setting it off to the side back in the ice box.
From a bucket by his feet he begins gathering up small red balls and crushing them with the flat of his knife before cutting them into pieces and straining them through a cheesecloth. About halfway through his work there he pulls out the mushrooms, tapping them with a nail to see if they're to his liking. Having decided they were he fills them with the cheese, veggie, and herb mixture from before. They then went on top of the grill portion of the stove, the fire a low simmer to give them grill marks more than anything. A piece of lettuce tied over top of it to be able to flip it and not lose the insides.
While it was grilling he went back, finishing off the pile of red balls. Straining them through the cheese cloth and into a wok he adds sugar and a little lemon juice before leaving it to simmer on a burner.
"Could someone come stir this please, slow and steady" I move quickly, almost tripping over the door frame in my haste to make sure it doesn't burn.
He steps over, flipping the mushrooms onto the lettuce side and tapping the bottom once more with a claw, nail. The liquid in front of me seems to be coming to a boil, my stirring keeping any of it from burning and sticking to the bottom. His work with the mushrooms is quickly decided as done as he pulls them off the grill, and instead in a small side box of the oven. The sole purpose of it to keep food warm until it's ready to eat.
He nearly boles me over, pulling a pitcher of lemonade out of the icebox, large wedges of squeezed lemons still floating in the ice filled drink. "After another about ten minutes when it's gotten a bit thinner and reduced, pour it through the cheese cloth again and into here, mix well, and place it on the table please."
"Understood" I followed my words with a nod, and I could see that despite her shaky steps Sakura had begun to set the table. White cloth laid over the fine Konoha Oak, made from one of the first trees felled in the forest. A gift from the first Kage, we've always tried to ignore how it was never quite level. She grabs the fine porcelain plates and bowls, and my mother's crystal glasses. Apparently we're all in the mood to feel a little fancy tonight. "Any alcohol tonight?" He makes a so-so motion with one hand, the other grabbing a sauce pan and placing it on the stove next to where I'm stirring.
"Yes and no, it's a bit of a surprise I was saving for a special occasion… but I get the feeling we could use the pick me up." Her eyes met mine, and neither of us could argue with the sentiment.
He lifts the lid of a small pot I hadn't noticed on the back of the stove, his mouth twisting into a frown as he puts it back on. Instead turning his attention to the saucepan as he puts it on a burner, twisting around he pops open the icebox grabbing what looks like pre-prepared fish of some kind. It takes me a moment to recognize the bright pink thing as skinless salmon, which is placed in the pan along with cold water. The lid of the pan is put on, and it's being brought to a boil. A second saucepan is placed on the stove as well, making me glad again at the stove's custom design and extra burners. The second saucepan is filled with water and seems to be brought to just a boil.
The mystery pot is strained revealing two hefty looking potatoes which are quickly mashed, the boiling pan with the fish has the lid removed and turned down to a simmer, and the boiling empty pan has asparagus thrown in it.
After two minutes the asparagus is drained and turned into a rather unappetizing looking mush, and is mixed with the potatoes. Another three minutes after that the fish is added to the bowl, as well as a few miscellaneous spices, before it's all folded together. The saucepans and pot are dumped in the sink as he grabs a new saucepan, throwing a block of veal fat into it. Medium heat, a tablespoon of flour, and a minute of constant stirring later he moves into his next step.
As Naruto began to add milk to whatever he was making I finally took the syrup I had made off the heat. Straining the hot liquid through the already stained red cheesecloth and into the iced lemonade. The ice cooled the syrup and made it so I could mix it all together with no issues.
I try to keep an eye on what he's doing while I carry the drink to the table, he's finishing up with the sauce now. Pouring the last of pre-chosen spices, and used it to coat the salmon mixture rather thickly. He takes the bowl, moving over to the icebox and placing it.
Then he pulls out a bowl with the same exact thing already inside of it. A small smirk on his face.
"I know you both like to watch me cook, so I made this the other day. Needs to chill for a minimum of an hour." I can feel my neck heat up, as though I were getting scolded for something inappropriate. Sakura looks about the same, seeming to find the floor itself very interesting as she uses her hair to hide the blush on her face. He seems amused by our lack of a response, working the now chilled substance into individual portions before running them a bowl of flour, an egg bath, and then coating in bread crumbs. A drizzle of oil and they're placed in the oven. Sakura takes the chance of him bending over to glance up, her voice still nerve wrenchingly soft.
"So, how much longer?" He cracks his neck, stretching a bit before he answers her.
"It uh, mph, needs fifteen minutes in the oven. That gives me time to run out and grab the last thing." I pause my grabbing of the pitcher, setting my glass back down.
"Out, what do you mean out?" He shrugs a bit, his hands coming up and interlocking the fingers behind his head in an oddly relaxed stance.
"I mean out, I gotta grab the last thing for dinner." I shake my head slowly as I fight the urge to sigh. Sakura laughs a bit, and most of my annoyance is gone like smoke to the wind. He heads back through the halls, coming out as he's struggling to pull on a T-shirt backwards. I find myself stepping forward and lifting it up.
"No, you've got it the wrong way. Just put your arms up." He scowls a bit, sticking his tongue out even as he does as requested.
"What's it matter?" I roll my eyes as I fix the fabric, pulling it back down in one sharp movement to reveal his fluffy mass of blonde hair and red eyes. His whisker marks shifting due to the fresh air hitting them once more, reminding me he's not fully human anymore.
"Appearances matter, we can't have people thinking you're some wild animal." He sulks for a moment, and we can hear her laugh again as she watches us. His hand gently nudges at mine, still having a grip on the edge of his shirt.I let go, but he wraps his arms around me. The hug is tight, and if my training wasn't as intense as it is, I'd have been feeling my bones creak.
"Thank you, for caring so much." With that I was quickly released and he was out the door. I could feel my face gaining warmth and decided my best choice was to hide in the kitchen and watch the pan in the oven. All it took was ignoring the giggling from the other room.
Soon the timer went off, and I pulled them out. They were crispy, and a golden brown color with twelve in total. I carried the tray into the kitchen as I began placing four per plate, only pausing at her wide eyes.
"What?"
"Your hand!' I glanced at the hand holding the pan and couldn't find what was causing her concern. The skin looked fine, and my nails weren't gross. I gave the hand I was using to place them on the plates a look as well and still couldn't find anything out of place either.
"Should I be getting them off the pan with a spatula?" Her hand comes up, pinching the bridge of her nose as a few strands of pink hair cover her eyes.
"No, I was referring to the fact that you don't have an oven mitt!" I blink once, twice actually, before I look at my hands once more. My paper pale skin being untouched by the steaming hot metal pan that I had pulled directly from the oven. I give a small shrug as I continue placing them on plates before I begin to walk back to the kitchen.
"Hmm, well it doesn't hurt. I'll bring it up to Sensei at training tomorrow." she just gives a heavy sign in response, and I do the same for the mushrooms. Throwing the now wilted lettuce and burnt twine in the trash. She pours us both glasses of lemonade, and we have a small cheer once I sit back down. The taste finally gave away that it was pomegranate seeds that he had been working with. She gives a small gasp as she bites into the fish.
"Alright, I gotta admit. Naruto outdid himself this evening." I nod slowly, experimenting with my own food and dipping the fish into the insides of the mushroom. Mixing the fish with the surprisingly earthy flavors of the cheese. We eat in silence for a few minutes, taking a sedated pace as we wait for our wayward roommate to return. I turn on the radio, adjusting it to the weather.
"Good evening folks and welcome the 10 O'Clock news. I'm your host Might Guy! Tonight we've got a rather youthful story of a Genin saving a civilian's pet cat from an escaped giant spider from the forest of death. But first the weather, Kakashi if you'd be so kind!"
I choked on my food, Sakura snorting her drink out her nose and making a whining sound at the sensation.
"Thank you Guy, my name is Hatake Kakashi and Guy has asked me to step in when I'm in town. According to current meteorologist reports this is going to be a rough summer. This next week is looking to be record setting high temperatures, nearing the 110 range in fahrenheit. That's above the 40 mark for Celsius users. Combine that with the current dry spell that seems to be going nowhere. Stay inside it in the shade whenever possible, and stay safe folks. Back to you Guy."
We're both just staring at the radio in vague shock. Our food had been forgotten at the oddity we'd just discovered. We both jolt in surprise however as Naruto sits down in his chair, head cocked to the side.
"You two good?" I nod for a moment before I finish coughing. Turning the radio instead to just plain music. Sakura is massaging her nose as she wipes up the mess on the table.
"Y-yeah, we're fine-" I take another sip of my own drink, finally getting the last of the scratchy feeling from my throat. "- just surprised by what we heard on the radio." He nods, picking up the mushroom itself and taking a bite out of it before taking a bite from one of the fish things. He hardly seems to chew before he swallows,
"So, what do you two think?" Sakura grabs the pitcher and pours him a glass as I chuckle.
"It's great, you outdid yourself." He beams with pride, the radio beginning the next song. The keys of a piano began to float out into the air.
"I'll admit, I was a bit worried about the timing of everything. I feel a bit bad about having to buy dessert." He rolls his shoulders a little, not quite a shrug but seeming a bit miffed, taking a hefty bite out of the food on his own plate. Sakura shrugs a bit, refilling her glass.
"I don't see anything wrong with that." He shrugs properly now, seeming to debate on what he should say in response.
"I just couldn't get it to set right, texture was all wrong every time I tried." I reach over, grabbing the pitcher from her and filling my own cup once more.
"I'm certain it would've been fine, but if it's easier for you to go to a bakery there's no shame in that-" I take a moment to get a new bite and chew, "-or do I need to remind you of how badly I burn food?" He grimaces, causing Sakura to laugh hard enough to snort. Which in turn causes Naruto to start laughing, leaving me to smirk and join them in chuckling at myself.
Knock-Knock
We all turn, facing the closed front door that's just around the corner of the hall. The radio still playing it's piano solo, as we have a silent debate on who answers the door.
Knock-Knock-knock
Firm double tap turns into a bit more of a rapid knock, and I push my door back. If they keep that pace up they'll ruin the paint on my door. Wrenching it open I found someone I didn't recognize, and honestly don't remember much of them.
"Is Haruno-Chan in?" I blinked a moment, the hand behind the door palming a kunai.
"She is, what of it?" They shift on their feet, glancing behind them before pulling a cloth bundle out of their pocket and holding it out to me.
"A gift." I just kind of stare at him before slowly taking the cloth bundle. The boy seemed relieved that it was taken and quickly left my porch. I'll have to check with the clan security how he made it into this part of the compound. Yo which I later learned that he was allowed in after inspection. I close and bolt the door once more before I head back to the dining room.
Naruto grabbed one of his katana's and has it sitting against the edge of the table, and Sakura looks a bit shaken. It's hard to notice, but this line of work sinks it's teeth into you quickly. Letting your guard down is a rarity, even within your own home. I lay it on the corner of the table near her.
"Some boy, I didn't recognize him. Says it's a gift for you." She reaches over, opening it with one hand. Inside of the simple cloth wrapping is a single steamed bean bun and a note. Her eyes scan it over before she gives a sigh and relaxes back into her chair.
"It's fine, just a note from Mitarashi-San to let me know she's expecting a full recovery." Me and Naruto do the closest thing we can to exchanging a glance before looking back to Sakura. She has the decency to blush before continuing her sentence. "R-right, neither of you know who that uh, is. Um….. Tokubetsu Join I met that got hurt in a training accident earlier today, bad leg injury." Naruto nods, finally going back to his food. I settle back into my chair, feeling my taught muscles relax once more. Naruto stands and makes his way into the kitchen. The sound of glass being moved against one another rattles out before he returns with a large amber bottle.
"Right, I think it's time for dessert." He sets it on the table, the somber mood seeming to be broken as quickly as it was started. Sakura slowly settled back into her chair once more as she set the bean bun off to the side. Her fingers shredded the note that came with, picking it apart bit by bit before it was nothing more than a pile of confetti on the table, rather than biting at her knuckles. I lean forward in my seat taking the bottle from him leaving his hands free to turn right back around as he grabs something that smelled mouth watering from the oven. Her eyes were wide, my own following suit, as he carried in the take home baked good. The symbol of the Akimichi-Clan on its side. I lean forward, wanting to get a better look and can't quite help the disappointment in my tone as I see just how plain it looks.
"It… looks like brownies." He has a sharp grin in response, using a sharp knife to begin cutting into it. Revealing it wasn't a solid substance, but instead a crust on top. Each of us got a bowl and a spoon, digging into the gooey pudding-like substance. Dark rich chocolate that carries the heat of alcohol allowing it to bloom in my stomach. Sakura pours the glasses of barrel aged mead, a slightly bitter tasting drink but complemented nicely by the sweetness of the pudding.
"This is Spiced Rum Pudding. Had to do it as a special order but I think it was well worth the time." He eats his own slowly, allowing me to get seconds and Sakura thirds. I take a moment to just kind of cram the mushroom in my mouth, feeling my jaw crack a bit as I chew the crunchy outer shell of the charred mushroom. With our dinner's finished properly the mead pours more freely, the dishes set to soak in the sink and the pan of pudding was soon empty. The world seemed to flow a bit as we listened to the music and made small idle conversation. Soon Sakura was grabbing our wrists and leading us to her room, Naruto was shoved onto the bed and I was pulled on afterwards.
"I'd rather if we're going to pass out together it be more comfortable than on the couch." I can't exactly argue with that sentiment, but I do adjust her so that as she lays down she's not suffocating Naruto. Soon the two of us kind of sandwich her, the comforter pulled up over us all. I watch her breathing begin to even out. The alcohol, injuries, and warmth all doing their work and making us tired. Things will get sorted out in the morning, and training will begin. But for now.
"We're a family, right?" Naruto's head lifts a bit, as Sakura blinks herself back to awareness flipping around in the bed. She gives a smile, pressing her forehead to mine. I can feel my cheeks burning, hating that I had felt the need to ask such a dumb question.
"Of course, you're my boys. We're team 7"