#Quick! Someone make a Tsunade so the squad will be complete!

[wokasho]

💙 family(like, big sister little sister kind of family) 💜 mentor/mentee

█ ▌♛What kind of relationship does your muse want with mine? || accepting

YES!! YES TO THEM ALL!!! Sakura and Shizune deserve to be the best sisters of this series and bond while eating sweets and healing people!

[shewrites02]

Gone Too Long |Shikamaru x Reader|

Summary: Not having his partner around begins to toll on Shikamaru

Word count: 3k

Lady Tsunade was assigning weekly chores to all the Shinobi who had yet to be assigned a mission. Usually these tasks were reserved for Genin, but this week had been slow for the village. Many Chunin and Jonin were left task less aimlessly patrolling the village.

"Shikamaru, you'll assist Iruka at the Academy for the remainder of the week."

Shikamaru let out a long dreadful sigh before muttering "What a drag, that's so much work." Just above his breath.

Shikamaru complaining was not out of the ordinary, but him complaining in front of the Fifth Hokage was and everyone took notice. Lady Tsunade slowly looked up from her journal with her eyebrow slightly raised. She was offering Shikamaru a chance to apologize before she completely ripped into him like she often did with Naruto. But all he did was smack his lips and cross his arms against his chest.

"Forgive him Lady Tsunade, he gets like this whenever y/n is gone on a mission." Ino announced proudly as a devilish smile graced her lips.

The other ninjas futilely tried to suppress their laughter but soon the whole room erupted into a uncontrollable fit. Even Lady Tsunade's scowl had turned into a humorous smile. Shikamaru's face began to turn beat red as his fellow shinobi teased him.

"So that explains his nasty attitude this whole week. Me and Akamaru knew there was something up with you!" Kiba laughed after Akamaru barked, agreeing.

"I bet his attitude will change once he gets some... special attention" Tenten snickered.

This even warranted a light chuckle from the stoned face Shino Aburame.

"Special... Attention?" Naruto mumbled completely lost. as usual he wasn't paying any attention and the joke had gone completely over his head. Kiba leaned over and explained the joke as clearly as he could. It took Naruto probably a full minute before he caught on and laughed with the rest of them.

Shikamaru grumbled under his breath, but didn't argue. As much as he hated to admit it to his friends, not having you around severely impacted his day to day interactions. He was constantly irritated because he didn't get as much sleep with you gone. The side of the bed where you usually reside seemed like a gaping hole with you not there, and no matter how much tossing and turning he did he was never comfortable.

He was frustrated that he couldn't come home to you after a long day of working with idiots. Even if you did nothing but tell him to give his teammates a break he missed the sound of your voice soothing him. He missed laying in your arms while you lectured that not everybody was a genius like him. At this point he would settle for your hands just gracing his.

And most of all he was distracted by the crippling fear that one of these days you might not come home to him. Shikamaru undoubtedly knew that you could handle yourself. Yall had spared a couple times and you'd come close to beating him more than once. But the idea of not being there to protect you often left him feeling helpless.

With these thoughts constantly running through his mind, it was difficult to focus on the seemingly mundane tasks he was often given. To be honest the only times he wasn't thinking of you was when he was on his own missions, and even then his thoughts were reserved for keeping his squad alive and staying alive himself specifically to see you again.

"Well you'll be glad to know she's coming back today, I'll be expecting you to be in a better mood tomorrow!" Lady Tsunade teased before shushing the crowd and returning to give out assignments.

-

Just as Shikamaru had thought working at the academy was the exact mindless work he dreaded so much. They could've put him with the younger children, given him a challenge, well at least that's what he thought. Instead he supervised a group of kids around the ages of 9 to 11. These children were no stranger to Shikamaru or his legacy, actually any shinobi rumored to have amazing talent or great potential was a topic of discussion amongst the children in the academy. The stories they've heard of Shikamaru and the Nara clan as a whole were impressive enough to earn their respect. In fear of potentially earning themselves a bad name with someone they could possibly call their squad leader once graduating, They gave Shikamaru absolutely no problems.

"Shikamaru Sensei... is it true you forfeited your last match in the Chunin exams?!" A little boy shouted across the blacktop as he and a large number of his classmates came rushing towards the lazy uninterested ninja.

"Yeah, what about it?"

"I told you, Idiot!" A young girl exclaimed, hitting the previous boy in the back of the head with a scroll she had. "He was running out of Chakra and knew he couldn't finish the fight!"

The young girl's confident proclamation surprised Shikamaru. Every ninja in the village knew the story, but very few knew the reasoning behind his actions. Usually the only ones who accurately recounted the story were those who saw the match with their own eyes.

"Who told you that?" Shikamaru inquired.

"Y/n Sensei told our whole class the story the last time she came to the academy, had all of us try to figure out why you'd throw a match that you practically had won. She said it's her favorite story to tell students who are about to graduate."

"Yeah she said it's still the most amazing match she's watched during the Chunin exams, even now!"

"She told us that if we wanna be half the ninja you are, we always have to be thinking two steps ahead."

Shikamaru couldn't stop that infamous smirk from creeping onto his face. He loved hearing that you spoke to your class about him, that you even bragged about how talented he was, even if it was to a bunch of children. You admired him not only for the person he is, but the ninja he's become and that was a great honor to Shikamaru.

"Look, it's y/n Sensei, she's back from her mission!" The little girl from before yelled pointing over at the village's entrance. All the children fervently yelled your name in a vain attempt to get your attention. The academy laid on hill that allowed them to peer down at the entire village, though they could see you, you could not see them.

Shikamaru acting as if he too were one of your students rushed to the fence to see if they were correct, if finally the love of his life had returned home. Sure enough right alongside Kakashi and Tsume there you were. Your smile is as bright as ever despite having a few minor scrapes and bruises. Butterflies filled the pit of Shikamaru's stomach and what was just a sly smirk had turned into a full blown smile, teeth and all. He's heart fluttered, but skipped a beat at the same time it was like he had seen you for the first time.

"Go ahead, class is wrapping up anyway!" Iruka whispered over to him.

Shikamaru was stunned, he was so entranced by the sight of you he was completely ignorant to his surroundings. For the first time since he graduated from the Academy he had let Iruka sneak up on him. Your being gone had even a greater hold on him than he initially thought. He needed to see you right now.

He thankfully patted Iruka on his back before darting off toward the exit. He knew you'd first go to Ichirkau Ramen to pick up dinner for the two of you, a tradition set in place to celebrate a successful mission. So if he could move quick enough he could make it to the flower shop and back to the apartment the two of you shared before you. He did not want a cold empty uninviting apartment to be what greeted you once you returned home, especially after seeing you had endured wounds while on your mission. Honestly he didn't want you to have to worry about a thing.

Once he fumbled into the door, he immediately began to prepare for your arrival. He lit every candle he could find and arranged them around the perimeter of the bathroom while the water for a hot bath drew. He even went as far as to place rose petals in the water. Something he never understood but knew you would appreciate. When that was handled he placed one of his t-shirts on the counter and dimmed the lights. He could hear your footsteps approaching down the hall.

His nonchalant nature made it absolutely impossible for him to display any type of excitement or anticipation willingly. Due to this he sprinted back to living snatching up a book that was left on the coffee table and pretended to read it as you walked into the room.

He lowered the book just below his nose being careful to conceal the wide tooth smile he had behind those pages.

"You're home." He announced very casually.

You laughed. He never exceeded those two words when it came to welcoming you back, never a "I missed you" or "I'm so excited to see you" always those two words. When you first started dating such a dull response hurt your feelings, you wanted him to be jumping for joy to see you. Now the promise of hearing those two words was the primary motivation in completing your missions.

"And look, ramen!" You squealed slightly shaking the bag.

Shikamaru glanced over at the bag then returned his gaze to his book. You scoffed slightly offended, this was your favorite part of coming home, pigging out on loads of ramen after eating forest food for a week. Shikamaru knew this! He'd let you recite the details of your mission to him while he attentively listened, it was when you explained all the scrapes and bruises you inevitably always returned with.

"Go get cleaned up so we can eat." He demanded eyes still glued to that stupid book.

Your face fell, that childish giddy smile now wiped clean away. Shikamaru had never had a problem sharing at least a quick meal with you before you hopped in the shower. You were well aware of the toll half a day's walk had on one's body, but was this your boyfriend's crude way of telling you, you smelled. You sat the ramen on the dining room table not bothering to suppress the pout on your face.

Shikamaru got a glimpse of your expression out the side of his eye and immediately felt guilty. Perhaps there was a better way of getting you in the bathroom to see his surprise for you. One that hadn't made you feel so self conscious or small. For such a genius he made some stupid mistakes.

He placed his book on the coffee table to meet you in the kitchen. Bypassing the food he snuck behind you, creeping his arms around your waist before planting a small soft kiss on your cheek. Shikamaru snuggled his head into your neck before speaking.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to be so crass." He mumbled against your skin. "But I do have a surprise for you in the bathroom."

You perked up at the mention of a surprise. A wide grin sneaking on your lips as the scowl you held earlier dissipated. Shikamaru had always been a thoughtful boyfriend even if he was so coy in his interactions with you. He'd fill the apartment with roses for your anniversary , then downplay the extravagant act when you walked in the door. He once planned an entire surprise birthday party for you just to spend the entire night proclaiming he barely did anything. You were excited to see what considerate display your partner had put together this time.

You let out a small gasp as you walked into the romantically decorated bathroom. The dim candles created such a relaxed yet intimate ambiance to the entire space. You chuckled some at the rose petals. Despite the countless lectures both you and Ino had received on how pointless it was to pick the petals off of roses when a person could simply just give their partner a bouquet of roses, he still included them in your warm bath.

"Shika... you didn't have to do all this."

"It was nothing." He reassured disregarding the full speed sprint from the academy to the Yamanaka flower shop, then to the apartment. "Here let me help you."

Shikamaru assisted you in removing your garments. He knew how even the smallest tasks could bring out the failure's in your body after such a long mission. Something as simple as slipping out of a pair of cargoes seemed like a feat to a body so sore from what felt like an endless battle. He let you grasp onto his forearm before dipping into the tub and sinking shoulder deep. The warm water against your ailing body felt almost euphoric. As usual Shikamaru knew exactly what you needed.

Of course your generous boyfriend could not stop there, running you a bath was not enough. He was going to bathe you himself too. Tenderly rubbing the dirt and grime from every cut and scrape on your body.

"How'd you get this one?" a question he asked ever so often. His tone is always dull and irritated.

Shikamaru hated to see you covered in bruises. You called them a causality of the job, but to him they were just a sign that he wasn't there to protect you. He would try to ignore the small ones, but any that seemed too deep or painful he felt obligated to inquire about. Although he never liked the answer. That's probably why wiping away your wounds was so therapeutic for him. If he couldn't prevent the pain, at least he could alleviate it now.

"A shuriken hit me, cheap shot." You huffed.

Your boyfriend's face didn't soften, in fact you were sure you saw him actually grimace at the mention of you getting hit. You wondered why he even tortured himself asking questions he didn't want the answer to. Nonetheless you weren't going to let some small injuries ruin your first night home.

"Rumor around the village is you missed me a whole lot while I was away. "

Shikamaru's cheeks instantly flushed as he averted his eyes away from you. He rubbed the back of his neck nervously as a few unsure chuckles fell from his mouth. He was searching for the words to say.

"I ran into Naruto at Ichiraku's, he said you had such an attitude with all of them. Heard you even snapped at Lady Tsunade you missed me so much."

"Damn, Naruto!" He mumbled underneath his breath. "You mess up my whole routine when you leave!"

You let out an exaggerated sigh at the tired excuse.

"Give it up Nara, you missed me!"

Reluctantly the shadow ninja accepted defeat. He laced his now wet hands with yours and brought them to his lips. He planted a trail of endearing kisses up your arm to your elbow before gently returning your hand to the soothing water.

"I'm a mess when you're not here. I swear you occupy so much space in my brain, I can't even think straight. I miss you so much."

The revelation caught you off guard. Maybe it was his lustful entrance of finally having you home after a month, but Shikamaru very rarely was this vulnerable with you. Such words blossomed butterflies in your stomach. It was as if Shikamaru was confessing his feelings for you for the very first time.

"I love you so much y/n."

"I Love you too."

The two of you feel into a comfortable silence. Shikamaru stood to grab you a dry towel. Reluctant you feel deeper into the water, Although drawing colder you couldn't imagine getting out the tub just yet. After all it had been weeks since you allowed yourself to be pampered in such a way. You wanted to savor every moment.

"God, this feels so good." You moaned in pleasure.

Shikamaru raised an eyebrow at your blissful proclamation, that infamous smirk plastered on his face. He approached the tub, abandoning the towel on the counter, and kneeled behind you. He snaked his hand up your torso, fondling you some before they landed at your neck. You'd have let out a small gasp if the familiar feeling of his fingers lightly squeezing your throat hadn't completely knocked the air out of you. He kissed his way from behind your ear down to the base of your neck.

"I can make you feel better."

-

The next morning the two of you found yourselves in Lady Tsunade's office, along with your comrades. As usual the Fifth Hokage was assigning daily tasks, when her eyes fell upon Shikamaru. His demeanor was clearly different from yesterday, His hands had returned to his pockets and his scowl had been replaced with a content grin.

"You seem to be in better spirits Shikamaru." Tsunade announced inquisitively. "I assume you've resolved that issue of yours?"

The other shinobi snickered at her insinuation. The attention made both you and Shikamaru look down at the floor hoping it would open up and consume you two whole. Shikamaru rubbed the back of his neck, eyes closed before answering.

"Yes Ma'am."

[dimancheetoile]

I'm finding I'm not her (the girl I thought I'd be)

Nine months later, to celebrate Sasuke's graduation from Explosions and Booby-traps Academy, she drags both him and Naruto to a lingerie store.

Read it on AO3

The title is from @mouseymightymarvellous's AMAZING poem, "forgiveness for matryoshka dolls"

Haruno Sakura is born in the early days of spring. She has hair the colour of cherry blossoms and the brightest smile you could wish on a baby's face. Her parents adore her and early on, she's spoiled rotten by every single member of her family. It could be the beginning of a beautiful tale, a happy story to tell children when they ask what a perfect life is. For a few years, it is.

One hot, tiring day of summer, Sakura comes home after a full day playing with the Yamanaka heir, and tells her parents that she wants to join the Academy. She smiles her bright smile and proudly explain how she's going to become the strongest shinobi in the world.

On the same day, Sakura also tells her parents that she is a girl.

Let's try again.

Haruno Nadamaru is born in the early days of spring. He has hair the colour of cherry blossoms and the brightest smile you could wish on a baby's face. Nadamaru is the Haruno's heir, destined to take the Clan Head mantle and keep their trading network in good shape. His mother is already eyeing his cousin Haeru as a potential bride.

One hot, tiring day of summer, Nadamaru comes home with a red ribbon in his pink hair and bright orange fingernails. He talks about his best friend Ino and all the fun they've had playing ninja. He tells them all about Yamanaka-san with his kind eyes and quick laugh and how bad Nadamaru wants to be like him when he grows up.

On the same day, Nadamaru tells them to call him Sakura, like his pretty hair, and asks for a qipao on his next birthday.

Hikari sends her son to his room with a shout and starts crying in her husband's arms. Nadamaru goes, tears streaming down his round face, and swears he'll show them how good a shinobi Haruno Sakura will be.

Sakura graduates a few weeks after her twelfth birthday. She comes home ecstatic, but already expecting the disappointment in her mother's eyes, and the complete disinterest on her father's face. She quickly makes herself a snack, before her mother can decide she'll punish her for her foolishness one more time, and disappears in her room. It still hurts, but it stopped bothering her a long time ago.

Her brand new qipao is waiting for her under the bed, where Sakura hid it this morning. Hikari can't force her to wear more appropriate clothing, but she tries really hard to destroy every dress Sakura might buy for herself. Tomorrow is the big day, and she wants to be the prettiest girl in their promotion. Maybe one of the boys will notice her; surely, if she brings back a good husband, her mother will finally be convinced to let Sakura be herself?

She sighs and carefully braids her long hair, before going to bed. She knows she won't be able to sleep for a while, for how excited she is, but she needs to be well-rested if she wants to pass the test. She can't wait.

Tell me your likes and dislikes, asks the jōnin teacher, and Sakura is about to comply, when he adds the annoying bit about their dream. Sakura has a dream, but she learned a long time ago that it was best not to tell people. No one understood her dream, and her family kept scolding her every time she brought it up. Just like they did when she wore her hair up in a bun with glittering pins, or when she dressed up in her most elegant outfits.

So she bites her lips and waits until both Naruto and Sasuke are done. Then, in a gentle voice and with the greatest care, she crafts her words. She says that her dream is to be acknowledged for who she truly is, and stays quiet when Naruto side-hugs her. She knows how close her answer is to his, and she pretends not to notice her sensei squinting his only eye at her.

The test is a disaster. Sakura gets caught in a genjutsu almost as soon as it starts. She sees Sasuke, lying dead in a pool of blood, and she runs to his crumbled form. Only when she's kneeling next to him does he open his eyes and stares at her. Nadamaru, he whispers, Nadamaru, Nadamaru, Nadamaru—

"Hey, Sakura! Wake up! Kakashi-sensei put you in a genjutsu, but it's over now, don't worry."

Except it's never truly over now, is it, Naruto?

Sakura honestly didn't expect for her secret to hold this long. She's done her best to act true to herself, but sometimes she slips up because Hikari drilled habits into her as hard as she could, whenever Sakura was too tired to fight her mother. Oh, how relentless Hikari could be. And sometimes, that means that Sakura walks with a hunched back and a different sway in her walk. Sometimes, she forgets that she's supposed to trust her team and jokes in a deep voice about girly things and cooties, only to catch herself because she's the one who should be offended at her teammates for making the jokes, not telling them herself.

And yet her secret holds until a few days before the start of the chūnin exams. Everyone in the village heard about it, and so did her parents. When they realized there was no convincing their daughter to back down from her goal, they decided to invite Team 7 to a family dinner, hoping to embarrass Sakura. She won't let them.

After a particularly successful training session that ended with Kakashi almost praising them, Sakura grits her teeth and takes a leap of faith.

"Boys, can I talk to you before we go to Ichiraku?"

Sasuke grunts, looking annoyed, but stays in place. Naruto grins and sits cross-legged next to her, while she gestures for their sensei to join the lopsided circle they created.

"What is it about, Sakura-chan?" Kakashi asks, his orange book balanced on one of his knees. Sakura feels weirdly warm to think he cares enough not to read it when she needs to talk.

"You know my parents invited you to dinner, tonight. And you all promised to go."

Naruto beams. "Yeah, I can't wait to meet them! I'm sure they're really cool."

Cool. Sakura feels like crying. If only.

"There is something you don't know about me, and my parents will definitely talk to you about it. I hope... I hope this won't ruin everything."

Sasuke is frowning and Kakashi has the same look than the day of the test. Naruto just wraps an arm around her shoulders in the half hug he seems to be fond of.

"You can tell us anything, we're your team!"

Sakura nods quickly, holding back the tears she can feel gathering in her eyes. And before she can change her mind, she rushes to grab her ID card in her pouch and throws it at Kakashi's face. Then she ducks her head under a fall of pink strands and waits for the inevitable. And waits. And waits some more.

"Uh."

Sakura chokes on her next breath as she quickly raises her head again. Kakashi is looking at the card with an eyebrow raised, before looking briefly at her, and going back to the card.

"Uh." He says again, then proceeds to shrugging exaggeratedly slow before handing the card to Sasuke. The Uchiha's eyebrows disappear into his hair and he stares at her, not moving when Naruto looks over his shoulder at the ID.

"Who's that, Sakura? Is it your brother?"

It's too much for her, the lack of reaction and Naruto's misunderstanding, and Sakura starts to sob. Deep, ugly sobs she tries to keep silent when she notices how uncomfortable Kakashi looks, but sobs nonetheless.

"Moron!" And Sasuke is punching Naruto, who starts to insult him before freezing when he hears Sakura's hitched breath. He glares back at the card, and a look of understanding settles on his face.

"So you're..."

"Naruto, for once in your life, shut up."

And suddenly, Sasuke is hugging her. Sakura is pretty sure her soul starts to shrivel and ultimately dies inside of her.

"I don't give a flying fuck what your parents decided to call you," he whispers against her ear, "but you're my teammate, Haruno Sakura, and that means I'll stand by you tonight."

As quickly as he appeared, he releases her and settles again on the ground, on Naruto's left. When the Uzumaki looks at him funny, he blushes slightly and looks away.

"My cousin Shisui was... well, you know. Like you. He was like you."

And that settles it. Naruto still hugs her approximately five minutes too long and Kakashi offers to braid her hair, which is frankly terrifying and she does not feel the slightest inch of regret at refusing. When they arrive at the Haruno Estate, on the outskirts of Konoha, none of the boys bat an eye when Hikari asks her son to help them settle in. They call her Sakura and compliment her on her dress and later, much later, after Sakura's tears are dry and Kakashi has finished tying knots in their hair (which he keeps insisting on calling braids), they laugh about the angry look on Hikari's face when she understood she couldn't hurt her daughter that way anymore.

When Sasuke starts his apprenticeship in the Sabotage squad, where his fire jutsu and sharingan makes him an amazing student, Sakura starts to consider her options. Naruto is hinting at a trip with Jiraya, to learn both about his family and the Sannin's techniques. Sasuke is barely in Konoha anymore, spending most of his time in the Forest of Death. And she can't stay with her parents anymore.

Now that she made it clear her shinobi career is here to stay, on top of Konoha's administration giving her a new ID card with her true name on it, the Haruno want nothing to do with her. She's this close to being disowned, and she knows it. It means Sakura needs new living arrangements, possibly someone willing to give her their name. She doesn't mind being clanless, like Tenten, but having a name would definitely help her.

It's Kakashi who suggests she tries it with the Hokage. Tsunade has been here for a few years now, and as scary as she still appears, Sakura has seen her smashed more times than she's seen her sober. It helps a lot with the fear. So she goes to Tsunade, bows to her waist and asks to learn her legendary strength. If Sasuke is to be a sabotage expert, with Naruto's quick thinking and his love for traps, Sakura will need to be the blunt force of their team.

Tsunade laughs at her face and calls her a naive little girl. She tells her she'd be better as a medic, that she should stay at the back because she's not as strong as her teammates. That she should go back to her civilian family and think of marriage and bearing children.

Sakura punches a hole through the Hokage's desk and starts screaming. Tsunade lets her swear for thirty seconds before sending her flying through a wall with a flick of her finger. Then she marches out of the office, picks Sakura up, and goes to the nearest training ground.

Sakura grins a bloody smile. The Hokage read her file. She knows of Nadamaru's shadow, glued to Sakura's steps. And she still asked her if it wouldn't be better for her to go back to her clan and get pregnant. That's the whole three seconds it takes for Sakura to fall in love with the idea of becoming the new Tsunade.

Later in the day, when the Hokage is done printing Sakura patterns into the earth, Tsunade sits in the dirt next to her. She asks in tactless and ugly terms if Sakura wants something done about her body. She talks about surgery and procedures and hormones and medical ninjutsu. When she's done talking, Sakura is smiling through her tears, and Tsunade pats her on the head.

Nine months later, to celebrate Sasuke's graduation from Explosions and Booby-traps Academy, she drags both him and Naruto to a lingerie store.

They're seventeen, with a spring in their steps and the future laid down at their feet. Naruto is trying on a emerald bra with a dangling heart pendant in the center while Sasuke stares at a garter, probably trying to figure out if it's going to kill him in his sleep. Sakura looks at herself in the mirror of their proud eyes and she smiles the brightest smile she can conjure. She's beautiful.

She's beautiful and they tell her that, later, when they're all in the kitchen of their tiny apartment, stuffing their face with ramen. Naruto is leaving again in a few days, this time to the ruins of Uzushio. Except he asked them to come with him, and they both accepted. Sakura is eyeing the jōnin promotion Kakashi swears she has a shot at, but she won't take it just yet. She wants to enjoy the time she has with her teammates, while Naruto is still looking for himself in the shadows of a destroyed village.

They tell her she's beautiful when they lie down on the largest futon and Sasuke unties her chest bandages with his teeth. They tell her how proud they are of the woman she has become while Naruto nips at her hip.

In the morning, when they read over her shoulder the letter of repudiation from her clan, they will kiss her gently. Then Kakashi will rush inside with forms and applications, a few chosen words for the Haruno's decision, and an offer to take his name. And Sakura will smile.

[kuriquinn]

An Inch of Gold [10/?]

General Disclaimer

This chapter has been beta-read by: Sakura’s Unicorn

"Anyhow," Pakkun turns his attention to Kakashi. "Lady Tsunade is doing as you suggested. She sent out whatever squads were in Konoha to surround the bubble. They're keeping tabs on how fast it's growing and making sure no one else goes inside or comes out."

"Good," Kakashi says. "Since it's a gateway to another time, we don't want more people crossing over than we already have. When you go back, make sure you tell them that. I'm sure ANBU will need to be called in to ensure any of the nukanin they've been tracking in the area don't stumble in."

"What are you going to do?"

"We've immobilised the person we think is responsible—or at least someone who has been using the situation to his advantage. It's all just a matter of dealing with him."

"No offence, boss, but you look like you can barely sit up, forget dealing with a potential enemy. Time's an issue—I can summon you back home, Lady Tsunade can heal you, and there would be others around to help you out with the interrogation."

"No. We can't be sure if this person is from this time or our time," Kakashi replies. "We can't remove him until then. Even if we did, there would be no way to bring him back. Once I'm outside the bubble, you won't be able to travel back here."

"Can you reverse-summon Lady Tsunade?" Sakura suggests. "She can heal Kakashi and Sarada."

"No," Pakkun replies. "The only reason I can get here is because I'm tied to Kakashi. If I tried to bring anyone else along, we might get lost. It might be rare, but time-travel complicates things."

"So, we need to find someone in the Konoha of Sarada's time," Naruto realises.

"Lor—uh, Kakashi-sensei, you—well, future-you and my father would probably know more about how to deal with this," Sarada says, side-eying Sasuke warily as she speaks. "We only need to get a message to them and they'll be here in no time."

"I can summon a toad!" Naruto volunteers.

"Didn't you hear what we just said, idiot?" Sasuke snaps. "Your contract is tied to your time. That won't do us any good."

"And it'd probably be that tiny, gross baby toad, too," Sakura adds with a shudder. "We need someone who can summon things from this time."

"I could do it," Sarada says. "I don't have a contract with any summons, but I'm from this time. Once I get some of my strength back, I can try."

"You don't have a contract scroll," Sasuke points out.

"No, but thanks to my mother, I've always gotten along with Lady Katsuyu. So, at worst, I'd end up in Shikkotsu Forest for a bit."

"Who?" Sakura whispers to Naruto.

"Giant slug," he replies, and an expression of disgusted horror overtakes her features.

Sarada looks at her in amusement. "Lady Katsuyu could heal me and Kakashi-sensei."

"There's too high a probability that something might go wrong," Kakashi dismisses. "You're still weakened, for one. And it's not likely that a genin will be able to summon a creature as powerful as Lady Katsuyu the first time. There's no time for trial and error."

Unfortunately, he's right; as time moves differently in the places where most summoning animals come from, she might accidentally end up there for days or weeks. They need someone from this time who already.

After a beat, her eyes brighten with an idea. "Konohamaru-sensei."

"Huh?" Everyone watches her in confusion.

"Konohamaru-sensei can summon toads! I've seen him do it," she remembers.

Kakashi raises an eyebrow. “That’s interesting. The Sarutobi clan usually favour monkeys from King Enma’s court.” He frowns in thought, then shakes his head. “But that’s still complicated by the fact that we have no idea where he or the rest of your team are."

"Or if they're even alive," Sasuke reminds her.

"I don't care if you are my father, if you keep saying that, I'm going to punch you," Sarada informs him with false civility.

Naruto guffaws while Sasuke scowls at her.

Pakkun blinks, looking from Sarada to Sasuke, raising an eyebrow. "Well, that's not complicated at all."

"We're having a bit of a day," Kakashi admits.

"I'm getting that." The dog considers Sarada. "It's funny, you don't smell as much like him as I'd expect. You smell more like—"

"Time for you to go, Pakkun," Kakashi interrupts. "Keep me notified if anything major changes."

"Right, boss."

The dog disappears again, leaving Sarada and Team 7 alone in the dimness.

"So…" Sakura breaks the silence, sounding uncertain. "Underground river, right?"

It turns out that there’re more to having a plan than simply getting up and following Sasuke. Everyone’s still a little on edge, and Kakashi, although able to stand now, does so on wobbly legs. With their strongest member severely weakened, the squad can’t afford to have anyone else occupied with helping him walk.

“We could summon that big dog of yours,” Naruto points out. “The huge one.”

“Were you not just listening when we spoke about how hard it is to summon here?” Sakura demands.

“Well, we wouldn’t be sending him back and forth or asking him to take back anyone,” Naruto protests. “If we’re quick about it, maybe we can manage before summonings become too impossible!”

“No. I already suggested it,” Sarada says. “Lor—Kakashi-sensei’s too weak right now, both in terms of physical strength and chakra reserves.” 

“Well, he doesn’t have to be the one to do it. We just need his blood, don’t we?” Everyone stares at him. “What? It’s true! I saw Kabuto do it once with Orochimaru, back when me and Pervy Sage went to get Granny Tsunade.”

“That’s…not a bad idea,” Sakura says, sounding surprised and admiring at the same time.

Naruto beams the way he usually does when Sakura notices he’s done something great. He might never have a chance with her, but it’s still nice to be acknowledged by his friends. Even if the other one responds not with praise, but with a scowl.

“That wouldn’t work unless the person using his blood has excellent chakra control,” Sasuke points out. “Which means you’re out.”

“Shut up! You’re not much better than me, asshole. Remember who learned to climb trees first!”

“It wasn’t you. And how many times would you’ve become paste on the ground if I hadn’t saved your worthless hide?”

“Not so worthless! Turns out, I’ve got as impressive a family as you do!”

“I don’t care if you are the Fourth Hokage’s son, you’re still a dead-last loser!”

“Say that again! I dare you!”

“Both of you, shut up,” Sarada cuts them off, the sharpness of her tone oddly reminiscent of Sakura. “I can do it. My chakra control is on point.”

“You’ve been pushing yourself all day—and you’re still healing from a major injury,” Kakashi reminds her. Sarada’s face flickers with pain, as though she’d completely forgotten about her injury and had just been forcibly reminded of it. “The only one with the right kind of control to attempt that right now would be Sakura.”

Sakura’s eyes bulge, and she wonders if she’s heard correctly. “M-me?” Her voice comes out cracked, and she swallows. “No way! I’m not strong enough to do a summoning! I don’t have enough chakra, or—”

“You’ll be fine,” Sarada tells her, inexplicably confident.

“You don’t know that,” Sakura protests. “For all I know, you just met me today!”

Sarada looks like she wants to say something to that, but abruptly changes her mind and instead replies, “I trust Kakashi-sensei’s judgement.”

“There’s a sentence that inspires terror,” Sasuke murmurs under his breath.

“Are you sure that’s really smart?” Sakura questions.

“Maybe she was dropped on the head as a baby,” Naruto wonders.

“You all know I can hear you, right?” Kakashi points out dryly although his students ignore him.

“I’d trust him with my life,” Sarada insists. “And my parents have always respected his judgement, too.”

Naruto snorts and grins at Sasuke. “You were saying?”

Despite his earlier remark, this information doesn’t surprise Sasuke. He might not say it out loud, but he respects his teacher more than anyone else in Konoha. All the other adults look at him with pity because of what happened to his family. Beyond that, there’s always an odd air of distrust that’s been there since as far back as he can remember. As for his peers (with the recent exception of his teammates), he has no use for them.

Ever since the day he passed the team, Kakashi has spoken to Sasuke as if he were an adult. More than that, he’s taken an interest in teaching him jutsu to strengthen him. Out of all of his teachers since the massacre, Kakashi has done the most to help him get closer to his revenge.

And, of course, there’s the fact that he’s the famed Copy Ninja. It’s hard not to respect a shinobi of such ability—which is probably why Sarada’s mother feels the same.

Whoever she is.

“… he always treated me like one of his own kids, so—”

“Kakashi-sensei has kids?!” Naruto demands, cutting off Sarada.

Her face takes on the deer-in-the-headlights look everyone associates with her accidentally revealing more than she should. “I-I didn’t say that. I meant, you know, if. If he had his own kids, he’d treat me like one of them. In the future.”

“Would that even be legal?” Sasuke wonders.

“Wait a minute, is this that girlfriend you were pretending to have?” Naruto guffaws.

“Kakashi-sensei has a girlfriend?” Sakura gasps.

Kakashi chooses this moment to speak up. “Sarada, this is the thing we talked about not doing, remember?”

“Right. Shutting up now.”

Except that doesn’t stop his mind from busily racing away, trying to parse the implications of potential kids.

Kids.

Not a kid, but several. Multiple tiny versions of him and—

And whoever is unwise enough to have children with him. Because really, what kind of crazy person has the patience (or insanity) to put up with him? Forget that—who would he ever get close enough with to even consider having children? He’s not even sure he deserves kids, even if he wanted any because he’s never really wanted to have—

Now is not the time to get distracted¸ he chastises himself.

“Sarada, whatever your relationship with us is in the future, right now, we can’t afford you treating us like friends or family members. For however long this mission lasts, or at least until we get back to your team, these are your comrades and I am your commander in the field. You do whatever I tell you, without question, and don’t let your feelings get in the way.”

“Right.”

“There’s a reason that family members are not meant to be on the same squad.”

Sasuke isn’t sure if it counts, considering they haven’t become family yet. He knows if he says anything about that, though, he’ll have his teammates emoting all over him, so he decides it’s best not to point it out.

“Okay.”

“I mean it, Sarada. I’m not your friend or whatever you consider me to be. Right now, I’m your superior.”

“Yes, sir, Lord Sixth.”

Everyone stares.

Sarada realises what she just said and resists the urge to smack herself in the forehead. “Can we…pretend that’s just from the overwhelming pain in my arm?”

“Good idea,” Kakashi says tightly, a vein near his temple twitching.

“Lord Sixth?!” Naruto sputters.

“Not now, Naruto.” There’s iron in their teacher’s tone, and everyone sobers. “Our focus has to be on the mission. And if we’re going to go with your idea, we need Sakura.”

She bites her lip, uncertain.

“Uh…right,” Naruto says. With effort, he tries to get his brain to stop blaring the words ‘Kakashi’ and ‘Hokage’ at him. He shoots Sakura a tense smile. “You’re totally strong enough to do this, Sakura. I mean, even Sasuke thinks so—”

The aforementioned squad member folds his arms in front of him but doesn’t refute the statement.

“—and if you need chakra, I can lend you some of mine. I’ve got lots!”

“You don’t even know how,” Sasuke reminds him.

“So? I’ll figure it out!”

“Naruto, your chakra is…unpredictable,” Kakashi reminds him, though that’s not exactly the word he wants to use. “And your control isn’t at the level you’d need to be entirely successful. We need a perfect mix of control and power, especially given the time differential we’re working with.”

Naruto pouts, the demon fox sniggering in his head; just because they have a point doesn’t mean he has to like it.

“Sasuke, on the other hand—while your control is less refined than Sakura’s, if I talk you through the process, you should be fine.”

Sasuke bristles at being referred to as second best, but he also looks at Sakura for the first time since he returned from his walkabout. He has to remind himself that Sarada never gave him a straight answer; there’s no point in acting as if Sakura is walking around with an expiration date—one he may or may not be responsible for.

She’s alive right now which is the important thing. If Sarada ever reveals different…

Well, he’ll deal with it somehow. He doesn’t know how, but it’s all he has right now.

He considers his teammate, who fidgets a little under his scrutiny then squares her shoulders in determination. There’s a tiny wrinkle in her brow, one he’s come to associate with resolve in the face of a new challenge.

“Okay,” she finally says and Sasuke finds himself nodding as well.

Kakashi draws his scroll out and tells them to face each other before once more biting into his finger enough to draw blood. After tracing the name of the summons on the parchment, he reaches for Sakura’s hand and presses it flat against the contract. Her palm presses into the blood causing small trails that haven’t been absorbed by the paper to seep between her fingers.

“Picture who we’re calling for, and keep his image in your mind,” he informs her. “You have to keep track of several factors when summoning—the size of your target, the reason you’re calling upon them—things like that. Then adjust the amount of chakra you draw in to the blood seal.” He gestures for Sasuke to place his hand over Sakura’s. “You will provide that chakra, but Sakura will channel it through the blood and into the contract. To do that properly, I need you both completely in sync.”

There’s a brief hesitation, but then Sasuke leans forward and covers Sakura’s hand with his.

The effect is immediate.

Sakura feels the blood rush to her face and any thought of what she’s supposed to be summoning is promptly replaced by the most irrelevant thoughts.

Sasuke’s hand on mine! That’s never happened before, not really. It’s almost like we’re holding hands, only we aren’t. Oh…oh, his palms are calloused! Why didn’t I ever imagine that? And…his hand is bigger than mine, it almost completely covers—

“Sakura?” Kakashi prompts, cutting off her moment of hyperventilation with the raising of an eyebrow.

“I’m fine,” she squeaks, mentally chiding herself to focus. There’s no point in getting excited—it’s all a moot point now anyhow.

“Hey, asshole. You’d better not take advantage of this,” Naruto grumps and then curses when Sarada steps on his foot.

“Would you be quiet? They have to concentrate.”

“I’m just sayin’.”

“Naruto.” There’s warning in Kakashi’s voice.

“Jeez, sorry…”

In the meantime, Sakura takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, forcing herself to focus—on everything else but the warm hand over hers. She’s only recently trained herself to sense the chakra of others—at least to the extent that any non-sensor type can. And that’s only because it seemed like the next logical step after considering her excellent chakra control.

It’s easy to pick out Sasuke’s chakra, even if she wasn’t touching him.

It’s strong and a little astonishing, but familiar to her in the same way Naruto’s and Kakashi’s are. With Sasuke, though, she feels other things—ominous power, but a sense of protectiveness. And beyond that—a dark something is curled there, deep inside, muted. It’s almost as if it’s been walled off, and though she’s not trying to touch it, her senses reach too deep and she recoils.

Her eyes shoot open, a cold, twisted nausea hitting her at the same time that Sasuke pulls back like he’s been burned.

“Sasuke?” Kakashi prompts.

“It’s nothing,” he grunts, and Sakura clears her throat, adding, “I’m fine.”

With only minor hesitation, she puts her hand back down in the blood and waits for Sasuke to do the same.

It’s the curse-seal, she knows. That’s where that terrible sensation comes from. She knows this because it’s the same one she experienced when Orochimaru trapped her and Sasuke with his killing intent, forcing them to experience their deaths. That ugly, disgusting chakra hidden within Sasuke, crouching like some kind of gremlin, is his and doesn’t belong.

Sakura grits her teeth.

She’s even more determined now.

Maybe if they get out of here sooner, they can question the teleporter that Kakashi trapped. If they find out more about the curse seal he has, perhaps they can find out enough to help get rid of the one branding Sasuke.

Which means she needs to focus.

Sakura’s chakra control has always been based on visualisation, and so, that’s what she relies on now. She imagines her chakra as if it’s a key: an incomplete, broken key that’s not quite sculpted properly to fit the door represented by the summoning scroll. Sasuke’s chakra is there, close enough for her to reach out and draw it to her. She pulls little slivers of it to herself and shapes it into the spots which are lacking on her key. She fits it into the cracks and grooves, pressing the tumblers on the metaphysical lock.

Throughout all of this, she has to be careful. If she opens herself to it too much, Sasuke’s chakra will overwhelm her. It already feels too hot—fire and lighting searing her skin where he touches her. But if she just opens up a little, like the floodgates on a dam, that’ll be fine. It’s just a matter of being careful and keeping in mind the creature they want to bring to them and—

There!

With a final pulse of both their chakra moving in tandem, the scroll bursts with light. Sakura and Sasuke quickly move out of the way, and a puff of smoke later, the space between them is occupied.

A large, hulking bulldog dressed in ninja gear sits there, frowning.

Of course, that could just be his usual expression.

“Boss?” he directs at Kakashi.

Sakura laughs out loud in genuine pleasure.

“We did it!” she cries. She experiences a peculiar wave of exhaustion, but it’s not enough to tamp down her sense of accomplishment. They actually succeeded in summoning an animal together! It’s an advanced technique that only Naruto has managed to date. It might not be a giant toad, but Sakura can’t help but think she’s moved up a level in her ninja training.

She beams at Sasuke, who looks as if he expected nothing less. There might actually be a hint of a smile on his face (and she refuses to believe that it’s just the shadows cast by the glow stick).

Their eyes meet.

For a second, she pretends that they share the look. The one he’s given Naruto many times in the past. The one somewhere between acknowledgement and grudging respect.

It almost feels better than the memory of his hand on hers.  

“My summons are still better,” Naruto grumbles, and it’s as if he’s released a genjutsu.

Reality intrudes once more. Sasuke’s expression hardens, and he looks away. Sakura fights back a painful twinge in her heart, but does that same. Only to notice Sarada looking between her and Sasuke with an expression on her face that Sakura interprets as reproach.

Right, that’s exactly what she needs—to be judged by Sasuke’s daughter because of her overly obvious crush.

“Bull, I hate to ask,” Kakashi says, voice rising above her inner turmoil, “but we’re in a pinch…”

ナルト

Once Kakashi is draped over Bull’s impressive bulk, discussion turns to their next move.

“The place I found is this way,” Sasuke says, already turning to lead the ragtag group off into the unknown.

“Hey, hold on! Wait!” Naruto interrupts. “We have a dog now. Can’t we just smell our way out? You know, in case your way leads us to a dead-end or another monster-filled lab or something?”

Bull rolls one lazy eye at Naruto as if to protest having his importance limited to sniffer-dog. Sarada knows he won’t say anything though. Out of all of Uncle Kakashi’s summons, he’s the most reticent and doesn’t bother with sentences when a single word would do. Still, he makes his response plain by trudging off toward the tunnel Sasuke pointed out earlier.

“You smell something, Bull?” Kakashi questions.

The dog nods.

“Is it more half-dead bodies and rotting monsters?” Naruto adds. “Because we did that before and it didn’t really turn out all that fun for us.”

Bull snorts, almost in derision. “People.” He grunts. “Alive.”

“Oh, that’s a relief,” Sakura sighs.

“Blood,” Bull finishes.

“…That’s less of a relief.”

“No, wait. That’s good news,” Sarada interrupts. “Sort of. Mitsuki and Konohamaru-sensei were hurt, remember? Maybe that’s what he’s smelling! They’re alive!”

“Or it’s some unlucky hikers who fell down a hole in the forest and ended up wandering down here, lost,” Sakura points out.

“Well, we can’t be sure until we look, can we?”

“No point in arguing about it,” Kakashi cuts them both off. “If both Sasuke and Bull agree that this is the most likely path, we follow. So, stay sharp, and follow Sasuke.”

The surly teen doesn’t react beyond doing as he’s told. Everyone else follows, and soon, they’ve fallen into another defensive formation. Naruto, now over his momentary protest, wanders beside Sasuke, as if refusing to be led by his friend and rival. Sarada trails a bit behind them, keeping an eye open for possible ambushes (because, based on what she’s seen so far, she wouldn’t be surprised).

She wonders if Mama—Sakura—grabbed more than replenishment pills from the laboratory because her arm still stings like it’s filled with a million fire ants.  She wants to ask, but the pink-haired girl doesn’t seem very comfortable right now. Sarada suspects it’s a few things, not least of which is Sarada’s identity, and she has to stop herself from comforting her. Mama would welcome it, but this young Sakura would probably get defensive. Also, her body is so tense right now, Sarada suspects any sudden surprises might lead to her throwing punches. Sakura might not have super-strength at this juncture in her life, but she can still do damage.

The tunnels continue to wind, splitting into several new branches. Sarada marvels that Sasuke got so far on his own so quickly before—and even remembered the way back. The marvel is somewhat diminished, however, by the overwhelming eeriness of the channels themselves.

After hours without seeing sunlight and being forced to breathe the dank underground air, Sarada is jittery. Every shadow seems like an enemy, and every sound, the portent of attack. One moment, all she can detect are the regular echoes of their party’s footsteps, the next, it’s a distant dripping sound. Occasionally, she imagines she can hear scraping or digging. Just as she tells herself it’s only the sound of earth shifting, more noticeable to her now because they’re all underground, it changes again. She imagines breathing or panting and can’t fight down the temptation to look behind their little group to make sure nothing’s followed them.

Hers isn’t the only unease because, after several minutes, Naruto decides he’s had enough of the silence.

“It’s not fair,” he complains—his voice, unnaturally loud in the tunnel, causing everyone to jump in surprise. “Why is he gonna be the next Hokage? He doesn’t even want to be!”

Sakura mutters quietly behind Sarada. “It figures he wouldn’t be able to let it go for long…”

“And what kind of moron chooses a porn-reading, always-late, mask-wearing weirdo to be Hokage, anyway? Hey! Wait a minute!” He lowers his voice conspiratorially although it’s still loud enough to be perceived. “If Kakashi-sensei becomes Hokage, they have to put his face up on Hokage Rock, right? They can’t do that if he’s wearing that mask!” He nudges Sasuke, ignoring the savage elbowing he receives in return. “We’ll finally be able to see it.”

“No, you won’t,” Sarada points out, unable to help herself. She justifies it because it’s not exactly something that will cause time and space to collapse. “The rock sculpture has a mask, too.”

Naruto groans, shoulders slumping. “Are you kidding me?!”

“Sorry.”

“No way…that’s just…that’s not right. So no one in the entire village knows what their Hokage looks like? What if it’s some weirdo, like Orochimaru, in disguise? How can you even tell it’s Kakashi-sensei?”

“There’re people who’ve seen him. Even I’ve seen him without his—”

“What?! How?” Naruto whirls around, gaping. “How’d you manage it?”

“Well…when I was little, he used to play inai-inai-baa with me. And he showed it to all of my Academy class at our graduation exam, sort of. It wasn’t really a big thing.”

“Are you kidding?! This is a huge deal!  Tell us what’s under the mask! It’s a matter of…of village security!”

Sarada giggles because, right now, his earnest determination and utter exaggeration remind her so much of Boruto. The sound seems to startle Naruto and Sasuke because they both turn around and stare at her.

“What?” she asks.

Sasuke quickly turns around without answering her, but Naruto replies, “It’s only...I didn’t think Uchihas could laugh. It’s kind of scary.”

Sasuke clenches his fist.

“Hey!” Sarada protests, unable to stop herself from putting her hands on her hips…before remembering why that’s a terrible idea. She sucks in a pained breath.

Naruto is by her side. “Are you okay? What’s wrong?”

“She shattered the bones in her arm, and you’re asking what’s wrong?” Sasuke mutters under his breath. “Idiot.”

“It’s called being considerate, Sasuke. You’d think you’d be able to at least fake that, seeing as how she’s your future daughter.”

Sasuke doesn’t have a response to that and returns to his sulking, slouching walk.

“Speaking of future kids,” Naruto continues, a smug note in his voice. “Do I have any? Or do I get to be a super popular ladies’ man with dozens of girlfriends, living the bachelor lifestyle?”

He pretends to flex his muscles.

“I can’t tell you that,” Sarada reminds him.

“Ah, come on! A hint?” he cajoles, he lowers his voice even further to his version of a whisper. “Come on. Kakashi-sensei isn’t even paying attention!” It’s true, when Sarada checks—it seems like he’s drifted off against the very large dog’s head. “I just wanna find out if I’m going to be super different!”

“Not really,” Sarada says, her lips twitching a bit. “You’re still the same kind-hearted person in both times. My father and you are still friends and rivals. You respect each other.”

“That doesn’t sound like me,” Naruto says while Sasuke mutters, “Like that would ever happen.”

They share a glare.

“You still do that, too.”

“I guess telling me if I get to be Hokage is pushing it, huh? Since you already let the cat out of the bag about Kakashi-sensei.”

“Just a bit.”

Naruto gives an exaggerated sigh. “Fine. I guess I’m just not meant to find out. But—” He jabs a finger at Sasuke. “If this guy’s dreams can come true, I know I can make mine come true, too! I will be Hokage after Kakashi-sensei!”

“Shout it a little louder, idiot. I bet they didn’t hear you in Suna,” Sasuke grumbles.

“And more important than that, I’m gonna be the best uncle ever and make sure you turn out normal. With a father like Sasuke, I’m amazed you’re not emotionally stunted. I mean, he hasn’t even apologised yet.”

“For what?” Sasuke demands.

“Sakura’s feelings are hurt. And it’s your fault. Again.”

Sarada turns slightly to see Sakura staring resolutely at her feet, pretending not to listen to the argument. Based on the clench of her fists and the flush of her cheeks, the reality is obviously different. She opens her mouth to tell the guys to knock it off, that this definitely isn’t the place for such a spat, but Sasuke speaks before she can.

“What the hell do you mean, again? When have I—” he cuts off his furious, hissing retort and exhales through his nose. “Even if I had anything to apologise for—which I don’t—what would be the point if it’s something I haven’t even done?”

“Yet.”

“Ye— Shut up. You have no idea what this is like.”

“Finding out secrets about your life, learning about family members you never realised you had, getting angry at people who don’t deserve the blame…” Naruto pretends to tick things off on his fingers. “Oh, of course not. I have no idea what that’s like.”

Sarada raises her eyebrows at that because sarcasm is usually her father’s weapon of choice. She’s never known her uncle use it. Of course, she’s never heard him—or eavesdropped on him—having a serious conversation with her father, either.

“It’s different,” Sasuke maintains.

“No, it’s not,” Naruto argues. “And that’s another thing! You’re making a huge deal about all this, like it’s the worst thing in the world you could find out—that you have a family. That one day, you’re going to have a kid and a wife and achieve your dreams and—”

“That’s all you see, isn’t it?” Sasuke demands, seemingly forgetting his earlier attempts to keep his voice down.

Everyone comes to a stop.

“That’s all you see! It’s all just a matter of hard work for you! A game, a competition! And you can ‘only ever go up from here,’ right? Well, that’s not how it works!”

Kakashi rouses. “Boys now isn’t the time—”

“Is that what you think?” Naruto demands, cutting off his teacher’s warning. Something flashes across his blue eyes that looks equal parts livid and hurt.

“You only ever see what’s right in front of you! You haven’t even thought to ask what the price is, have you?!” Sasuke continues. Sarada suspects she’s the only one close enough to notice his gaze flit toward Sakura and back.

So, that’s what he’s been brooding about. He’s still trying to figure out if Sakura is the person he will kill to get his Mangekyō Sharingan. Sarada is sick at the thought.

“What price? What are you talking about?” Naruto demands.

“Underneath the underneath,” Sasuke sneers. “You never learned that, no matter how much Kakashi tries to teach you. Face it, you’re not cut out for this life. It’s a life of blood and sacrifice and it’s not simply about hard work and believing in yourself. One day, you’ll learn that and, when you do, I hope I’m there to—”

WHUMP!

Sasuke reels backward, clutching his jaw. A bruising heat blossoms over the knuckles of Sarada’s left hand. She knows the only reason she landed the blow was because her father was expecting it to come from Naruto.

“You need to shut up!” she orders him. “The things you’re saying about the people who care about you—in what world do you have the right to treat people that way?”

Naruto is shocked, but still attempts to speak to her. “Sarada—”

“No!” she moves, physically putting distance between herself and the boys. “I’m tired of you taking out your anger on everyone else. Whatever’s bothering you, lashing out at the people who care about you will not fix it.”

Sasuke’s eyes narrow at her, glinting red in anger. “You understand nothing.”

“You’re right, I don’t,” she retorts, her own Sharingan rising to the surface. “All I ever wanted was to get to know you more—to find out what you were like when you were my age because you never talk about it! But you know what? I totally get it now. There’s a reason you don’t talk about when you were a kid because you’re a jerk! I can’t even figure out why my mother fell in love with you or why Naruto cares about you so much! You treat everyone like they’re stepping stones!” She jabs a finger in Naruto’s direction. “At least, he never stops being a completely genuine person! You? You are a disappointment!”

He turns to face her more fully, his stance reminiscent of someone expecting a second punch.

“You can’t say that to him!” Sakura cries and Sarada hears her stepping forward. “You don’t understand!”

“Why are you defending him?” Sarada challenges, fury turning briefly on this useless girl. She’s angry at her, too, mostly for not having become the mother she knows. “He treats you worst of all!”

“You…you can’t…He doesn’t—”

Sarada isn’t in the mood for her young, besotted mother’s attempts at defence. She continues to face Sasuke, willing him to understand she means everything she’s saying. “I don’t know what happens in the future to change it, but I hope it happens fast because you need a serious attitude adjustment! Shanna…eeeesh!”

She barely catches herself in time.

Or so she thinks.

Sasuke inhales sharply.

Naruto and Sakura have reflexively turned to Sasuke, expecting him to lash out or yell or do something. Even Kakashi has dragged himself into a more alert position, waiting to break up a fight.

No altercation arises, however. Instead, red eyes flit across Sarada’s face, searching for something. They linger on her forehead then dart beyond her for a second. It’s only for a second—a heartbeat—but it’s long enough for Sarada to notice. She knows the only thing—the only person—behind her is Sakura.

Sasuke’s eyes return to Sarada’s face, and she watches them flicker back to unfathomable black. The rest of his face smooths out into that familiar mask of blankness. Does she imagine it or have his shoulders relaxed a bit?

Before anyone can figure out what just happened, he abruptly turns on his heel and stalks down the tunnel.

Sarada is panting in still-simmering anger, although it’s quickly being replaced by confusion and a small note of panic. Sasuke continues to retreat—not fast enough for him to be stalking off, but the dismissal is clear. And given what she’s pretty sure he’s finally figured out, it makes no sense to her.

Everyone else seems wrong-footed as well, judging by the expressions on their faces. Even Kakashi looks like he’s trying to parse his student’s behaviour.

As usual, Naruto is the one to break the confusing and awkward silence. “You just punched your dad,” Naruto remarks with forced levity. “Better hope he doesn’t remember any of this, or you’re totally grounded.”

Sarada doesn’t bother telling him it’s the least of her problems.

つづく

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