The elective classes that Naruko and I had picked at Kakashi's recommendation had easily paid off, because the last several weeks had been fantastic and had been a mix of fun and knowledgeable for me. I was within my element with the in depth explanation on how the blanketing of your chakra worked to ensnare the senses of a target and my ocular genjutsu settled on the specialist Jonin that was the target for us students, and I could visibly tell it worked far better now than when Kakashi had taught me the basics.
"Well done, Sasuke." Kurenai said with a smile, the raven haired future Jonin Sensei being the specialist brought in to help us students semi-regularly. "Now try the touch sensation genjutsu."
Technically speaking, the Sharingan could ensnare all the senses, but required the initial eye contact to do it. That was of course a weakness if you're wanting to pull off an ambush, hence my studying to do it like a normal peasant without my eyes.
Or something like that.
My hands went through the three hand seals for the basic genjutsu, my chakra taking shape and blanketing over Kurenai that my Sharingan saw like a fine mist of shimmering violet streaked through with a multicolored kaleidescope.
"Hmmm." Kurenai hummed, making a single hand seal and breaking the illusion. "Better than last week. It isn't thick enough though because I can feel the sensation stop and start again."
I clicked my tongue in annoyance and nodded my understanding. Even with the advantage of impeccable chakra control for my age and being able to see my own chakra density, it still required training and practice to do it properly.
Since my turn was over, the others cycled forward. There were four others in my age group here, since I was doing the electives with Naruko and mine's original class. Ino and Sakura were two of them, while the other two were a civilian born boy and a girl from a Shinobi background via one or both of her parents. The boy, Keiji if I remembered correctly, struggled to perform his but had admittedly made some progress compared to last week. If I were to guess, he would be barely passable at genjutsu, but using it in a combat effective format would not be out of his reach.
Ino and Sakura, annoyingly, did almost as well as me. I should've been happy for them as over the last couple weeks since Naruko and I had been pushed ahead into the year ahead, the two had completely repaired their friendship with me out of the picture and had even started to be far nicer to Naruko. Sure, Naruko was a tomboy through and through, but she was still a girl and definitely liked having two other girls interact with her on a friendly basis.
Plus, the slightly less unhinged part of me thought it for the best that she was expanding her support group, at least so she wasn't reliant upon someone like, well, me.
But I couldn't bring myself to actually be glad for their progress because, and I'll admit I was a bit of a dick, I hated that they were nipping at my heels in genjutsu training. Neji beating me in our first bout of sparring was tolerable as I respected his skill and dedication, seeing him as a peer combatant like I saw Naruko. The other blonde and the pinkette were different, lesser.
I really hoped a Yamanaka never peered into my head. I don't want a number count on how many mental conditions I have.
Kurenai congratulated both of them after Sakura did exceptionally well, Ino having done well too and we were dismissed from the class for the day as it was a half day today. So off to lunch it was.
I turned to leave, but I paused when I heard Ino call my name.
"Hey Sasuke, wanna have lunch with us? Shikamaru and Choji wanted to go to the steakhouse."
Hmmm. Naruko will be in the fuinjutsu class for a couple more hours.
"Yeah, sure." I shrugged. I'd grown to like Choji as he was always fairly cheerful and Shikamaru, well, he was the only person my age that outright scared me. Not scared as in fearful of crippling injury like if I played pop the fox seal with Naruko's stomach, but I was scared of how intelligent that lazy son of a bitch was. I didn't really appreciate how ridiculously intelligent he was until last week when I saw him, after dozing off and taking a nap, drowsily point out multiple errors in a combat strategy I had planned out over several weeks with Naruko while we had been in one of our shared classes.
He then went on to critique my impulsiveness and muttered something about me having two eyes so I could afford to screw up at least once. He fucking knew about the attack on Naruko, or at least that I nearly lost my eye in an attack. Either he figured it out, was told which was unlikely, or eavesdropped. It didn't matter, he was physically weak and unmotivated, but he was the single smartest person I knew and that scared me.
With that thought of everybody's favorite cloud lover, I raised a brow at the two. "You two can lead, I'll just walk behind."
Ino and Sakura then led the way out of the classroom, their conversation not interesting to me as they laughed and occasionally paused to say hi to passerbys they knew, mainly some cousins of Ino's that were even worse than her as a gossip.
"Uh, Ino." I said, jabbing her arm to get her to stop talking. "Lunch, remember?"
"Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly, waving goodbye to the brunette Yamanakas and getting back on track as we headed down the street where the steakhouse was. Thankfully, Choji as the son of the Akimichi clan head basically got a family seat reserved for the immediate family and he had basically free rein to let his friends eat with him. Otherwise, the jam-packed restaurant would've taken too long.
We finally reached the steakhouse, and the place was as packed as ever. The smell of grilled meat and the low buzz of conversation filled the air as we stepped inside. Ino, being her usual self, waved to a few familiar faces before leading us straight toward the family table Choji had reserved.
Shikamaru was already there, sitting lazily in the corner, arms behind his head, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Choji, unsurprisingly, was eyeing the menu as if it were his lifeline, completely oblivious to anything else.
I took a seat across from Shikamaru, glancing at the menu briefly before putting it down. "So, what's the plan after lunch?" I asked, not really expecting much.
Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably head home. Too troublesome to think about."
I just shrugged at the answer, expecting that. I wasn't really too interested in idle chatter, because this did feel like a chore at times that I dealt with because I needed this upcoming generation to at the very least be on good terms with me. Being a loner was, well, lonely, even if I preferred solitude as a staple of my socializing. So I to an extent needed to.
Ino, curse her and bless her heart, was trying to pull me into casual conversation about anything really with Sakura. I just politely answered a few questions, like how I was enjoying the genjutsu class, how she and Sakura were doing well in the first aid classes, and other things.
She wasn't insufferable as a person thankfully, just as an almost 11 year old girl.
The food was finished cooking, and I speared one of the steaming cuts of meat with my fork, savoring the aroma. I cut off a piece, chewing slowly, and nodded in approval. It was good, better than I had expected from a place that was packed mostly because of Choji's appetite.
"Choji," I said after swallowing, "how does this steak compare to your clan's cooking? Is it close, or what?"
Choji paused, his eyes narrowing slightly like I'd just insulted his entire bloodline. He set down his fork and gave me a serious look. "Close? The Akimichi clan has the best food in the entire village. This is good, but it's not even in the same league as what we make. My mom's meals could blow this out of the water without even trying."
I raised an eyebrow. "That so?"
"Absolutely," he continued, puffing up slightly with pride. "People don't just come to us for combat techniques, you know. Our cooking is famous, and it's why we make the best use of calories during battle. You gotta try it sometime."
I plastered a faint smile onto my face at his enthusiasm but didn't press further. "I'll keep that in mind."
Ino, overhearing, rolled her eyes. "Here he goes again. You bring up food, and you'll never hear the end of it."
Choji just shrugged and went back to his steak, clearly satisfied with his little speech. I went back to mine, and for a moment, the table was quiet, everyone focused on their meal.
But, of course, Ino and Sakura picked the conversation back up, chatting about something or other, probably training or some other class they had together. I tuned it out while I was eating, the noise of the crowded steakhouse more interesting to me than whatever they were talking about. It was always a balancing act, keeping myself distant enough to be comfortable but close enough to not be completely isolated.
Ino finally got my attention with a question.
"Where are you at in Iryo-ninjutsu, Sasuke? If, uh, you don't mind me asking." She added sheepishly. "You said earlier you knew all the basics."
I thought for a second about how to answer that. I could downplay it, keep things vague, but then there was Naruko. If they ever asked her, she'd probably overshare and spill everything, whether I liked it or not. It wasn't worth the trouble to hide stuff if it would come out later.
And besides, pretty much every faction that may be eventually arrayed against me already knew of my skill and ability that was ahead of what I would have been without the memories.
I sighed. "Honestly? I'm over two years ahead of you guys in that."
That got their attention. Ino and Sakura both stopped chewing, eyes wide. Even Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked at me curiously.
"How?" Sakura asked, disbelief in her voice.
"One of the trained medics, Kabuto, pretty much took me as an apprentice. I got into the advanced stuff faster than normal because of that. He's been teaching me more complex techniques, chakra control exercises, and things you won't see for a while."
Ino blinked. "Yakushi Kabuto? That Kabuto?"
I nodded, wondering how Ino knew him. "Yeah, him. He's good, and I've learned a lot more from him than just the basics."
Sakura tilted her head. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"
I shrugged. "Didn't come up, I guess. Plus, it's not like I go around bragging about it."
Ino gave me a thoughtful look. "Still, that's pretty cool. I mean, you're way ahead of everyone."
"I guess." I took another bite, hoping they'd let the conversation drift back to something less personal. But a part of me felt a little better, knowing that at least they wouldn't hear it from Naruko first and think I was hiding something.
For the record, I was hiding things, from literally everyone who knew me. But Naruko didn't need to know shit, and neither did anyone else. Best friend and sort of confidant? She gets some leeway, but the four other people at the table are good acquaintances and that's it; maybe friends if given enough time.
On that rather insular note, I went back to my meal.
xRSx
xRSx
xRSx
Lee darted forward, moving in a blur. Naruko grinned, her excitement bubbling up again as they clashed once more. Sparring with Lee was almost as much fun as fighting Sasuke. The main difference though was that Lee didn't sulk when she won a round, which took a bit of the fun out of it, but it was still a good time.
She pivoted, narrowly dodging his punch, her foot planting firmly before she aimed a low kick in retaliation. Lee leaped back, just as she expected, but she followed through, catching him off guard and swinging her leg out at his side. Her kick connected, but Lee twisted with the blow, softening the hit before flipping back to a safe distance.
"Excellent form, Lee! Naruko! Keep that youthful energy flowing!" Gai called out from the sidelines, beaming with enthusiasm.
Lee flashed a quick grin at Naruko before he lunged forward again, even faster this time. His fists came at her in rapid succession, and Naruko was forced to focus, her body moving instinctively to outright block or dodge each hit. She absorbed the momentum of his last few strikes, waiting for the right moment. When it came, she let loose a power punch, landing it square in Lee's chest, sending him skidding back.
But Lee wasn't done. He quickly righted himself, eyes locked on her with renewed determination, rushing forward again without missing a beat.
Naruko laughed. "Not bad, Lee, but you're gonna need to hit a lot harder if you wanna take me down, -ttebayo!"
Lee stayed silent, all focus now, his fists a blur of motion as he pressed the attack. Naruko dodged and blocked, her reflexes keeping her in the fight. His speed was incredible, but she was able to keep up, matching him strike for strike while being naturally stronger thanks to the conditioning training Sasuke started her on and Gai improved.
Both fighters exchanged blows, neither giving an inch. Naruko could feel it, he was starting to slow down, just a little. It was all she needed.
Naruko burst forward, feinting a punch to Lee's side. He moved to counter it, and in that split second, she twisted her body, spinning around to land a solid hit on his face. The impact sent him stumbling back, but Lee managed to stay on his feet, panting.
"Round goes to Naruko!" Gai announced, his grin wide and his eyes gleaming with pride.
Lee, catching his breath, gave Naruko a respectful nod. "You're amazing, Naruko. One day, I'll catch up to you."
Naruko wiped the sweat from her forehead and smirked, trying to give off the same energy as Sasuke, failing, then snickering loudly. "We'll see about that."
With that, Naruko rushed forward and didn't say a word. She closed the distance almost instantly, her fists blurring as she unleashed a series of quick strikes at Lee's face. Lee barely managed to block each hit, his movements precise yet strained under her relentless offense. Even as he struggled, his focus never wavered and he maintained enough composure to prevent her from landing a decisive blow.
With a sharp breath, Lee shifted his weight and ducked beneath her next punch, sweeping his leg toward her feet in an attempt to trip her. Naruko saw it coming and leapt over his leg, twisting mid-air to come down with a kick aimed at his shoulder. Lee shifted away, narrowly avoiding the hit, and used the momentum to launch a counterattack with a high kick aimed at her head.
Naruko raised her forearm just in time, blocking the kick, though the force behind it made her stumble back a step. "Heh, nice try," she muttered, her eyes gleaming with exhilaration.
Lee pressed forward again, aiming a rapid combo at her chest and sides. Thinking quickly, Naruko didn't dodge; she blocked each hit with minimal movements, her superior strength and conditioning giving her the edge in controlling the flow. She grinned as she noticed his strikes beginning to slow further.
"Gotcha," she whispered before slipping past his guard. With a quick pivot, she twisted on her heel and drove her fist into his side, sending him sprawling to the ground with a thud.
Lee lay there for a moment, catching his breath, before sitting up and giving her a sheepish grin. "You're really something, Naruko. I still can't keep up."
Naruko laughed, offering him a hand. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Lee. You're tough, and you make this a blast."
Lee took her hand, letting her help him up as Gai's voice boomed across the field. "Such fiery youth! Both of you are shining examples of hard work and passion!"
Naruko dusted herself off and shot Lee another grin. "Come on, one more round? Unless you're too tired."
Lee's grin widened. "I'll never be too tired for another round."
xRSx
xRSx
xRSx
The last couple months since I'd started the new year at the academy had paid off more than I'd ever expected. My chakra control had improved in conjunction with more Iryo-ninjutsu that Kabuto had been instructing me in, my training with Hayate still continued on while Kakashi and Neko were occupied with the upswing in ANBU missions, Naruko was improving without me being forced to browbeat a foundation into her, and Neji had seemingly grasped ahold of me as his preferred whetstone to sharpen his taijutsu against.
The last part was of the current greatest importance as it was the most topical as I pulled away from Neji in our current round of sparring. The Hyuga branch member had, after likely getting permission from Hinata's father, invited me to come over almost every other day to spar with him and we had both gotten a lot out of it. He got to improve himself against a peer fighter and I got the same while also having someone to fight that didn't whine to me about how much it hurt and demanded ramen as an apology.
'The things about Naruko I'm willing to suffer.'
Neji didn't waste any time after we disengaged. The second we squared off once again to start fresh, he was already moving, fast and precise like always. His palm shot toward my chest, a textbook opening from him. I twisted just enough to avoid the hit, my Sharingan tracking every movement down to the slight flex in his fingers.
Typical Neji, efficient and methodical. No wasted motion, always probing for a weak spot.
I stepped in fast, throwing a quick jab. He sidestepped easily, shifting around it to drive a palm toward my ribs. I shifted, but not enough and his strike grazed me. I felt that familiar, annoying sting as his chakra briefly disrupted mine.
Tch. I knew better than to let that get to me. I pivoted on my heel, aiming a low kick at his legs. He blocked, of course, but that wasn't the point. My foot hit the ground, and I pushed forward instantly, feinting a punch before twisting my torso to bring my elbow toward his face.
He caught it just in time, but I saw a slight stagger in his footing. That was all I needed.
I didn't let him breathe, pressing him hard with a flurry of punches and kicks. He dodged most, blocked a few, but I wasn't expecting to hit him with those. I was keeping him moving, keeping him on the back foot. The fight was fast, vicious. I knew how dangerous Neji was. His Byakugan meant he didn't have blind spots, and his strikes, if they landed clean, could mess with my chakra system badly enough to end the fight.
But I wasn't some civi scared of an expressionless gaze. We'd sparred enough times that I had a feel for his rhythm now. He was fast, yeah, but predictable in how he defended once he was pressured.
He darted forward again, hands blurring as he aimed a series of palm strikes at me. I blocked the first couple, but one slipped past my guard and hit my shoulder, sending a jolt through the joint. I ignored the numbness creeping in and drove a chakra-laced punch toward his gut. He spun away, but I was already moving with him, not giving him a chance to reset.
As he shifted to counter, I feinted low and went high. My fist slammed into his shoulder, forcing him back. Without pausing, I spun into a sweeping kick, catching his legs and sending him crashing to the ground.
Neji hit hard, but rolled back to his feet with that same calm look on his face, like he wasn't even fazed. He was breathing heavier now, though. I noticed that.
"You're improving against my attacks," he said, voice steady despite everything.
I wiped the sweat from my brow, smirking. "I've had enough practice sparring with you to figure out some of your movements."
He almost returned a faint smile at that. Almost. Instead, he settled back into his stance. "We'll see how well you've figured me out."
"Anytime you're ready," I shot back, keeping my breathing steady, eyes locked on his every move.
Neji lunged again, faster this time, but I was already prepared. This fight wasn't over, but I could tell I had the upper hand. It was only a matter of time.
Neji didn't hesitate, and neither did I. He lunged forward again, his movements sharper, faster, as if determined to break through my guard. His hands blurred, aiming for my chest and sides in quick succession. I shifted, knocking aside one strike and twisting away from the second, but he adapted instantly, pressing in close to drive another palm toward my shoulder.
I wasn't going to let him have it.
Instead of dodging completely, I leaned in, allowing the edge of his palm to glance off my arm while I twisted my body and dropped low, avoiding his follow-up strike. In that instant, I saw it, a small opening in his stance. It wasn't much, but it was enough.
Before he could recover, I surged upward, putting all my speed into a hooked punch aimed right for his face. He tried to react, but he was a fraction too late.
My fist connected cleanly with his cheek, the impact forcing his head back as he staggered. Neji's body tilted slightly before he fell to the ground, landing with a dull thud. He didn't move for a second, his expression empty as he processed what had just happened.
I stood there, panting slightly, watching as he blinked a few times and weakly pushed himself up. His movements were sluggish, the usual grace replaced with a lack of balance. I might've caused a small concussion, and I felt my mouth thin as I fought the urge to cringe at the thought.
"You win," he said quietly, his voice strained. He straightened up, wiping a bit of dirt from his sleeve as he gave me a respectful nod. "This time."
I exhaled, lowering my guard, feeling a rush of satisfaction.
I then deactivated my Sharingan, only to hiss under my breath as I felt a dull throb behind the eye I nearly lost. It had happened every now and then since then, but with less frequency over time. It'd probably be gone within the year according to the eye specialist, but it was still annoying like how my cracked tooth had been before I had a doctor seal it closed and clean out any possible infection.
"Need that patched up?" I asked, gesturing at his cheek which had started to darken as a bruise began forming from the hit.
Neji frowned and looked like he was going to say something impolite, but then paused and exhaled through his nose audibly.
"I would appreciate it."
"Good." I said, going through the necessary hand seals and my left hand glowed a soft green. "Naruko doesn't like it because it supposedly tickles and then she bleeds on my furniture."
That was thankfully a very brief faze for the stray I let into my house. Brushing that memory aside though, I reached forward and brushed my fingers along his jaw, pressing on his face a bit and he winced.
"Tickle?" I asked, failing to hide my amusement.
"Cold." He clarified, his eyes narrowed as the discoloration vanished and he flexed his jaw experimentally. "Does your shoulder need to be unclosed?"
I shook my head, taking a step back from my sparring partner.
"I'm good, just need to flex my chakra to force it open." Right as I finished that statement, I tried it once again like I had last week and forced the closed tenketsu to open by flowing a large amount of chakra into the area.
It worked, followed by a burning sensation that had my teeth clenching for a second and a flash of numbness in the arm.
Neji just looked at me with a completely flat expression.
"Inefficient and uncreative."
"Effective and worked." I corrected him, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a pocket sized seal scroll. "You want a water?" I asked as I formed a hand seal to open it, depositing two bottles of water onto the surface of the scroll with a pop and puff of smoke.
"Yes." He replied, to which I responded by tossing the bottle to him and he caught it.
I cracked mine open and began to drink, looking around the Hyuga compound. It was more spacious in part than the Uchiha clan compound, but it had a more spartan feel to it whereas there was some more colourful artistic choices for my clan's. I might've been biased though, to be fair.
"Does something strike your interest about my clan's residence that you haven't noticed before?" Neji asked, noticing that I was actually inspecting the buildings. I could tell he was being kind of sarcastic, so I just gave him a side eye look.
"There's several things I could say and none of them are nice," I replied flatly, screwing the cap back on and setting the bottle down as I knelt to adjust the tightness of my sandal, "And no, nothing struck my interest. I was comparing it to my own clan's residence, nothing more."
Neji didn't visibly react. He was the polar opposite of Naruko, and it was actually a bit off putting because of my acclamation towards her behavior. She wore her emotions like a uniform, while Neji was, much to my annoyance, similar to Itachi in containing his emotions when he wanted to hide things. Prodigy, dojutsu, long hair, resting bitch face, and was/is willing to hurt close family.
The parallelomania is not something I like dealing with, so I internally called myself an idiotic spaz and shunted the intrusive thoughts aside.
I remained silent, content with the lack of conversation that Naruko always felt necessary to fill the air with. This was a pleasant change of pace and I was going to make the most of it.
But alas, there was always something that ruined it.
Neji scowled faintly and his eyes twitched, a very brief flaring of the veins around his eyes occuring and he seemingly looked through my head to see what was behind me. Setting aside the slightly disturbing thought, I shifted to see what had his mood changing and saw that it was Hinata arriving back home from somewhere; an outing judging by I believe was Ko escorting her.
I could understand Neji's frustration and anger about his father dying, coupled with him being a kid that got a brand on his forehead. But Hinata was his cousin, or sister by blood given that their fathers were twins. And I was fundamentally incapable of finding that acceptable, because of my own issues with Itachi.
Thankfully, the clenching of my jaw and the brief narrowing of my eyes while looking at Neji went unseen by him. Hinata noticed us and slumped slightly at the look Neji gave her, but I gave a slight wave and a small smile plastered on my face. He then deactivated his dojutsu and turned back to look at me.
Now, I could have remained nice and been perfectly pleasant and civil like I tried to be for the most part. But that shitty look towards his younger cousin annoyed me.
"You look like your uncle set up a betrothal between you two." I pointed out, saying it as casually as possible.
Neji visibly grimaced, glaring at me like I'd stated some horrific fate for him. Speaking of that, now I'm wondering what his outlook on fate would be if that occurred.
"As if that's impossible going by the history of different clans." I stated as a follow-up, covering my bases. Though judging by the narrowing of his eyes at me, I counted it as a win and dropped that portion of my slight bullying of him. "And do you mind not acting angry at close relation in front of the guy that has none?"
The Hyuga's face shifted slightly, blinked once, then his posture relaxed.
"I will attempt to remain civil." He replied, sounding rather forced.
"Thank you." I acknowledged his promise, then I went back to remaining silent and Neji seemed fine with that.
xRSx
xRSx
xRSx
Months had passed since they had started the new academic year and Naruko was quite pleased with herself as she wrapped her new orange coat around herself tighter. Fuinjutsu came naturally to her, she was learning so much other stuff in the elective classes, and she actually had straight up friends now! Ino and Sakura had stopped being annoying because Sasuke wasn't around them as much and they had started inviting her to outings, 'girls outings' as Ino put it.
Which was what they were doing now as they made their way to the pricier clothing store she and Sasuke had gone to that got stuff from the capital of Hi-no-kuni and Ino was explaining the current fashion trend that Naruko was making an effort to understand, at least for Ino's sake. But her mind was still on fuinjutsu, because she managed to make an exploding tag that didn't blow up early and a clone with it, and was absolutely pumped.
"I'm still going to wear orange." Naruko replied after Ino's explanation, making the other blonde frown and a tic mark formed at her temple. "What? Orange is cool, -ttebayo."
"I said you can still get orange, Naruko." Ino said, fighting to roll her eyes as they got within sight of the store and she pointed at it for emphasis. "They have orange silk shirts here. Didn't you hear the last part I said?"
She… in fact, did not.
"Um, yeah?" She replied sheepishly, looking to Sakura for support. But the other girl just stifled a laugh.
"Let's just go inside." Sakura said, the three girls then entering the store.
The moment they stepped inside, Naruko immediately veered off toward the shirt section, eyes scanning for anything orange. Ino let out a loud, exaggerated groan behind her.
"Naruko, you are impossible!" Ino huffed, crossing her arms as she and Sakura followed at a more measured pace. "We literally just got here, and you're already on a mission?"
"Yeah! A mission to find the coolest orange shirt in this fancy place!" Naruko shot back, grinning as she ran her hands along the racks, already spotting a few promising options. Some had gold embroidery, others had flame-like patterns stitched into them, and one even had a subtle swirling design that reminded her of the Yondaime's cloak.
Sakura chuckled. "At least she has a theme going."
"More like an obsession," Ino muttered, before stepping up beside Naruko. "Fine, if you're so dead set on orange, at least let me pick one that won't make you look like you dressed yourself in the dark."
Naruko pouted but didn't protest. She may not have been as into all this fashion talk, but even she knew Ino had a good eye for it. "Alright, but if it doesn't scream 'Naruko,' I'm not getting it."
"Oh, trust me," Ino said with a smirk, already sorting through the shirts. "I'll make sure it screams something."
Ino wasted no time, immediately plucking a shirt off the rack and holding it up to Naruko's front, tilting her head slightly as she analyzed it. It was a bright orange silk button-up with black cuffs.
"Hmm… no, too formal," she muttered before setting it back and grabbing another, this one a softer shade of orange with intricate gold embroidery along the edges. "This one's kinda nice…" She squinted, then shook her head. "Nah, too delicate. You'd ruin this in a week."
Naruko huffed. "Hey! I take care of my stuff!"
Sakura snorted. "Naruko, you literally spilled ramen broth on your coat two days ago."
Naruko just mumbled under her breath, feeling her face heat up.
Ino ignored them, already pulling out another option, a deep sunset orange, short-sleeved shirt with a swirling design faintly stitched into the fabric. She pressed it against Naruko, tilting her head again. "Okay, this one might work."
Then she grabbed another, a rich amber-colored sleeveless top with a subtle sheen to it. She tilted her head once more, then nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, these two. They're stylish, and they actually suit you. Try them on."
Naruko took the shirts and blinked at her. "Wait, already? What if there's a better one?"
Ino rolled her eyes. "Naruko, if I let you keep looking, we'll be here all day. Just try these, and if you hate them, we'll keep looking."
Naruko grumbled but ultimately shrugged, making her way to the changing rooms. "Fine, fine. But if they don't feel good, I'm picking my own, -ttebayo!"
"Like I'd let you leave looking like a disaster," Ino shot back with a smirk. "Now hurry up!"
Naruko stepped into the changing room, closing the curtain behind her before looking down at the first shirt—the deep sunset orange one with the swirling design. She pulled off her coat and slipped the new shirt on, adjusting the fabric before turning to the mirror.
She made a face at herself, puffing out her cheeks, then scrunching up her nose. Then she grinned and gave herself a mock-serious nod, turning slightly to the side to see how it fit. The material was smooth against her skin, not too tight, not too loose. It felt nice. Actually… she really liked it.
She stretched her arms above her head, testing how it moved with her body. No weird stiffness, no uncomfortable tight spots. Yeah, this was good.
She turned a little more, inspecting the way the swirling design caught the light subtly. It looked cool. And it was orange, which made it even better.
She smirked at her reflection. "Not bad, -ttebayo."
Rolling her shoulders once, she stepped back and called out, "Oi, Ino! This one feels good!"
Naruko barely had a second after calling out before Ino's voice came from right outside the changing room—strained, like Naruko had just yelled directly into her ear.
"Lower your voice," Ino said, and Naruko could practically feel the sigh through the door.
She winced. "Ah—right, sorry," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck before stepping out.
Ino was still pinching the bridge of her nose but recovered quickly, looking her up and down with a critical eye. She tilted her head, examining the fit, before finally nodding in satisfaction. "Yeah, that looks nice on you. We'll get that one."
Naruko grinned. "Told ya orange is cool."
Ino rolled her eyes but still kept a smile on her face. "Yeah, yeah. Now try the other one on."
Naruko nodded and stepped back into the changing room. She carefully slipped off the first shirt, making sure to place it neatly back on its hanger before grabbing the second one.
Naruko pulled the second shirt over her head, adjusting it before turning to the mirror. She made a few faces at her reflection again, tilting her head this way and that. It was a darker shade of orange—almost amber.
She tried to think like Ino. Maybe this colour made her hair and eyes stand out more? The normal bright orange she usually wore made her seem like a sunrise or something.
…Actually, that sounded more like something Sasuke would say.
She frowned, shifting her arms. The lack of sleeves felt weird. She wasn't used to her shoulders being bare like this. But then again, her hair being long had felt weird too, and now she barely noticed it. Maybe she could try this out, see if she got used to it.
Naruko took one last glance in the mirror before shrugging to herself and stepping out of the changing room.
Ino was waiting just outside, arms crossed, while Sakura had reappeared, presumably after browsing through some of the store's other sections. Both of them turned to her as she walked out.
Ino gave her a quick once-over before nodding. "Looks fine. Do you like it?"
Naruko glanced down at herself, rolling her shoulders again at the unfamiliar feel of the sleeveless cut. "Yeah, it's fine."
"Okay good." Ino replied, a pretty purple shirt in her left hand as she gave her another look up and down. "I got what I wanted and so did Sakura, so let's go to the shoe store to see if there's anything there you like. Go ahead and hang that back up so we can check out."
Naruko complied and stepped back into the changing room, slipping the amber-colored shirt off and carefully placing it back on the hanger. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, rolling her eyes at how weirdly fancy this whole thing felt, then grabbed both shirts and walked out to rejoin Ino and Sakura.
They made their way to the cashier, with Ino still holding onto her own purple shirt and Sakura with a pinkish-red blouse. The transaction was quick, with Naruko handing over the money without a second thought before the cashier nearly shoved the bag into Naruko's arms.
That… still never failed to annoy her, but at least Sasuke wasn't here because he was rather mean about it. Best friend and she loved that about him, but she didn't like seeing him that way. He was far less scary when he smiled and wasn't angry.
As they stepped out of the store, Naruko briefly considered something that almost made her snicker out loud. If this had been an actual shopping trip for them, they probably would have gotten way more stuff. But instead, they'd only gone out of their way to get her something.
Ino's dad was a big-shot clan head and absolutely loaded. If Ino really wanted to go all out, she would've.
So she'll play dumb for now, because it felt amazing to have more friends, friends who cared.
She couldn't wait to tell Sasuke.
xRSx
xRSx
xRSx
It's been about a week since Kakashi came back from the massive campaign of ANBU, and I'm still getting used to the fact that he's back despite this being the third time this week I've interacted with him. He's already started working with me on refining my Sharingan once again, pushing me further than I've ever gone before. It's exhausting, but I can feel myself improving at a better pace in fighting with it. Slowly, but steadily.
Now though, we're walking through the village after the rather heated session of training that's left me decently fatigued, but the good kind. Kakashi's doing what he does best, reading his damn Icha-Icha book, right in the middle of public as we walk to my house. He doesn't even try to hide it. It's honestly ridiculous. His head is tilted down, and his hand flips through the pages lazily as if we're not even walking through a village with people everywhere.
I can't help it; I have to say something.
"You're never going to get a girl doing that so blatantly in public," I say, crossing my arms and looking up at him. I forgot about how much of a habit it was to see him reading his book like that, but it still annoys the hell out of me.
Kakashi doesn't even look up, his one uncovered eye barely visible as it skims the pages. "You're a child, Sasuke. Your opinion doesn't matter."
I stop walking for a second, taken aback. It's not like he's wrong, but the way he says it, so casually, almost like he's been waiting for me to say something like that, just makes it worse.
"You really don't care about what people think, do you?" I mutter under my breath, shaking my head. "You just keep doing whatever you want, in front of everyone. It's embarrassing."
Kakashi hums in response, the sound of it more like a thought than an actual reply. He flips another page without sparing me a glance. "Subtlety is overrated. Besides, who needs subtlety when you're already a man of mystery?" He glances at me then, that familiar gleam in his visible eye. "What would you know about getting a girl anyway? You've still got a long way to go."
For a moment, there's silence between us, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the streets. Kakashi pauses as if he's thinking it over, then glances at me with that irritatingly nonchalant expression of his.
"Never mind," he says with a shrug. "I just thought about it, but then I remembered, you've got a girl squatting at your house like a stray cat."
I freeze.
My face burns, my heart pounding in my chest. "Wha—" I start, but I can't even finish the sentence before I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mix of anger and embarrassment. My mouth goes dry, and the world feels like it's spinning.
"She's not—!" I start, trying to gather some kind of coherent response, but Kakashi's already strolling ahead of me, unfazed by my reaction.
I grind my teeth together, trying to hold it in. He just had to bring that up. Of all things. I've been dealing with that situation already, and now it's like he's made it public knowledge.
He's such an ass.
"You're making it sound worse than it is," I mutter under my breath, my hands balled into fists, as if that'll make the embarrassment go away. "She's not—"
Kakashi cuts me off, glancing back with that damn lazy smirk on his face. "Sure, sure. Just make sure you keep a little food for yourself, Sasuke. Wouldn't want to come home and find her claiming your couch next."
"Shut up," I snap, my voice a little harsher than I meant, but Kakashi only grins wider. He knows it gets under my skin, and damn it, he's enjoying it.
I can't even think straight, my mind still stuck on his words. It's not like that with Naruko. She's just… well, she's just there, okay? It's not like I'm letting her take over my space. She just keeps showing up.
Still, as I keep walking beside Kakashi, I can't help but feel my face burn with embarrassment. Every time I think I'm starting to get a handle on things, there's always something, some little detail he finds to make me look like an idiot.
Unless, maybe I was a dumbass. I thought I could kill Itachi after learning Chidori, joined Orochimaru in the undisturbed trajectory of events, thought it a good idea to attack the kages, and thought it a fantastic plan to be a tyrant, so… damn, I really did have it in me to be an idiot.
Or…
Yeah, Naruko's stupidity is what causes it, or Naruto. Same difference really, they both want to kill me with their mere presence. A sound and rational internal deduction right there.
Kakashi slows down, his pace easing into a more comfortable rhythm, and I can't help but feel a subtle shift in the air. The teasing in his voice fades, replaced by something more genuine. He seems to be thinking about something before turning slightly to look at me.
"You know," he says, his voice softer now, "it's not as fun to mess with a kid who's actually working hard in training today." He says it like he's realizing the weight of it, like it's a shift he doesn't usually make. "So I'll try to be a good teacher."
He pauses, looking at me more seriously now. I don't know what it is, but the whole conversation feels different all of a sudden. It's like he's about to ask something important, or at least something that matters more than his usual banter.
"Tell me," he continues, tilting his head slightly. "How's it going with Neji? You getting along with the other resident prodigy?"
I blink, caught off guard for just a moment. For a second, my thoughts flit between Naruko and the embarrassing misconstruing of our friendship, but I push it aside. Kakashi had mentioned Neji before, so it's no surprise he's bringing him up again.
"Yeah," I start, clearing my throat. "I've been invited to the Hyuga compound a lot recently. We've been sparring, training together. I'd say we're getting along well." I pause for a moment, considering. "He's shaping up to be a friend and a rival, kind of like how Gai is with you."
I can't help but smirk internally slightly at the comparison, even though I know it's not quite the same. Neji and I have a different dynamic than Kakashi and Gai, but there's something about it that fits.
As I look at Kakashi, though, I notice his stride hitch just for a second. It's almost unnoticeable, but it's there. I don't know what it means, but something about it feels off. He gives no sign of it when he answers, though.
"Well," he begins, a chuckle in his voice that doesn't quite mask a certain dryness, "I pray that Hyuga never ends up like Gai. Though it's good you have another friend that isn't Naruko."
"Hey," I protested, beginning to say something else before I paused.
Yeah, even the last couple months of being a year ahead and neither Naruko or I had made any additional true friends in our current classes aside from Neji. Tenten was nice, but was no more than an acquaintance that Naruko made with me being dragged along because I recommended being nice.
While for our previous year? Naruko was at this point pretty tight with most of the kids our age while I, well, still wasn't. Neji though was someone I enjoyed being around.
I can't help but wonder what exactly Kakashi's thinking as I go silent, but I let it pass. The whole conversation about Neji and the Hyuga clan feels like it's almost getting too heavy for a moment that started out about my 'love life,' but Kakashi's been right before, maybe I am getting along with Neji a little better than I thought. I just didn't realize it until now.
"Not exactly the same," I murmur, more to myself, but Kakashi nods like he understands.
"Just be careful with that," he says, his tone slightly more serious than before. "Neji's strong and will be a skilled Shinobi, but keep your guard up. Prodigies always have their weaknesses."
I could only guess at what he meant by that, but I was not exactly bad at such guessing because of my knowledge.
"Thanks, Kakashi," I say, almost reluctantly, but I know he's just doing his job and trying his best. And for once, it doesn't feel as annoying as it usually does.
We reached my house just as the late afternoon sun begins its descent, casting long shadows over the village. Kakashi gave me a lazy wave without saying a word of farewell before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, leaving me standing at my doorstep. I exhaled, rolling my stuff shoulder from today's training before stepping inside.
The sight that greets me makes my eye twitch.
Naruko was sprawled out on my couch, one arm hanging off the side, her head tilted at an awkward angle, and she's snoring like a chainsaw that some drunk wrapped around a wire fence. Her long, tangled hair fanned out over the cushions, a complete mess. But what truly grated my nerves was the fuinjutsu note stuck squarely to her drool soaked cheek, its inked symbols pulsing faintly. It looked. So. Stupid!
I press my fingers against my brow, inhaling sharply through my nose. And then, despite myself, Kakashi's voice echoes in my head. 'A girl squatting at your house like a stray cat.'
I will forever deny that he was unironically right.
Taking several quick, measured breaths, I try to will away the impending headache.
"It's only a couple months away from graduation," I mutter under my breath.
Only a couple more months. Then, maybe, just maybe, I'll finally have my house to myself again.
After getting a lid on my borderline unhinged exasperation, I walked over and pulled the paper off her face, crinkling my nose when she snorted, shifted in her sleep, then proceeded to snore once again.
I blamed Itachi for this, for no other reason than that I hated him and he deserved the blame. I then walked to my bedroom, got to the window, and chucked the paper out the window. Let some other schmuck deal with it.
I then collapsed on my bed, briefly noting how cold the sheets were, before letting out a muffled scream into my pillow and I flailed as I punched the bed frame.
I was stuck with her, wasn't I?
End chapter:.