Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Chapter One

Sasuke is mutely horrified when his mother mentions inviting his genin squad for tea when he gets home after Kakashi's bell test. He stares at Mikoto in disbelief after she has gently wheedled a promise out of him to extend her invitation the next time his squad is assembled, as if just realising what he has agreed to. Itachi chuckles to her left, and she is amused as her youngest almost fleesto his bedroom. Regardless, Mikoto hums to herself in satisfaction, knowing that her son will not go back on his promise. It might take him a while to act on it, but he'll invite them eventually.

She reminds him of said promise two days later, watching the way he freezes when she brings it up at breakfast. Sasuke makes a noncommittal noise.

"And your sensei is…?" Fugaku, who has been out of the village for the past week, prods. He arrived late in the night, and has not yet caught up on the events in his youngest's life. He had not been present for his graduation day, which she knew had hurt the boy, despite the fact that he hadn't uttered a word of complaint.

"Hatake Kakashi." Sasuke answers promptly, as his father has trained him from birth.

Fugaku nods in approval. Sasuke eyes him with a question, but doesn't get a chance to ask it before Itachi is pointing out the time; Sasuke will be late for his very first mission if he doesn't leave soon. After his brother is out the door, Itachi muses to himself, "It'll be good for him to have friends his own age."

Mikoto privately agrees, though Fugaku shoots him a look loaded with disapproval. As far as her husband is concerned, Shisui's and Itachi's ages aren't an impediment to their being appropriate company for his youngest, despite the fact that they are both grown men. Mikoto recognises the need for training, but it would be nice if Sasuke was able to have fun like a normal boy once in a while. She had tolerated Fugaku's military-like monopolisation of Itachi's time as a child, due to his position as heir to the clan, but she has always wanted her second son to have as normal a childhood as possible.

She isn't surprised that Sasuke hasn't extended her invitation yet. It has been a week since he was assigned to Team 7, and though Sasuke doesn't utter a word of complaint to anyone but his elder brother, she knows that he is frustrated.

She had been wistful when she learned that Kushina's son was placed on the same team, remembering their old wish for their sons to become friends. Uzumaki Naruto has clearly inherited his mother's temper, she thinks fondly as she watches her son and the blonde argue down by the riverbank. They're cleaning trash out of the water today. They haven't noticed her watching them from the bridge yet, and she allows a smile to creep along her face as she watches Naruto try to dunk Sasuke under the water and get thrown at least five feet for his trouble.

She doesn't notice the single kunoichi on the team immediately, which is surprising given her colouring. The pink-haired girl enters her field of view as she stalks over to the bickering boys and smacks Naruto upside the head. Sasuke leans away as the girl turns to him, and his mother doesn't need to be any closer to guess as to the expression on his face. The girl's body language changes in an instant, and Mikoto recognises the posture of a little girl in love.

It's kind of adorable.

"They're a pain in the ass." She had sensed Kakashi approach her. He comes to stand at her side, finger keeping his place in whatever novel he is reading as he follows her gaze.

Mikoto looks at him askance. "It must be hard for you," she ventures, "to train Namizake-sama's son." She knew that Naruto's father had been Kakashi's own sensei as a child.

Kakashi snorted. "He reminds me more of Kushina." He admitted.

Mikoto's smile returns. "He does seem to have a temper."

"So does that boy of yours."

Mikoto sniffs, motherly pride wounded. Still, she agrees with the sentiment. An entire childhood living in the shadows of literal geniuses and fighting tooth and nail for his father's approval has left her son somewhat unhappy. No matter that he was advanced compared to his own agemates, Sasuke still lived with an elder brother who was being groomed for ANBU at the same age that he himself had managed to graduate from the academy, whose best friend had awakened the mangekyō sharingan at the tender age of eleven.

"Actually, so does the girl. All three of them are prone to bickering." Kakashi muses conversationally. "It's a miracle they passed Minato-sensei's test. I should have sent them back to the Academy."

"They're children." Mikoto dismisses it with a wave of the hand. "They'll grow out of it with time."

"Maybe." He allows, looking at her from his one visible eye. She imagines the red of the sharingan peering at her from under the hitai-ate slanted across his face, and feels a pang at the thought of Obito. She had barely known him, but his sister has become a good friend in recent years, and she misses her brother very much. "What can I do for you?" He asks cheerfully. "I can't imagine you came all this way just to watch a bunch of genin splash in the water."

Mikoto laughs a little. "Actually, I was just passing on my way to the markets when I noticed the boys in the river." She admits. "Although, while I've got you here, I was hoping to invite you and the children over for tea when your mission is over. I asked Sasuke to extend the invitation last week, but knowing him he's not gotten around to it yet."

Kakashi shakes his head. "They won't be fit to visit the Uchiha main house this afternoon. They'd track mud all over the tatami." He remarks. "I can angle for a less messy mission next time, though." He shrugs.

"That would be lovely." Mikoto nods.

Kakashi is conspicuously absent when Sasuke grudgingly brings his teammates to the family home the next week. He shoots his mother an expression of such pure betrayal that she almost laughs in his face as she welcomes their guests.

Naruto is almost exactly like Kushina had been at twelve; all mouth and very little practical talent to back it up. She smiles fondly as she shepherds the children to the family's sitting room. Naruto has already picked a fight with Sasuke about something or other that happened on the mission, and Mikoto gently reprimands her son when he bites back. Naruto, clearly, just wants attention. She hasn't seen much of him over the years, but she remembers when word got out that Kushina was a jinchūriki—it's likely he's suffered just as much isolation and mistrust as his mother had. Only, for the son, there has clearly been no kind Minato who looked beyond all of that.

She feels a little shame when he smiles at her for defending him. If it hadn't been for the Hokage's decree that Naruto's parentage and status as the vessel of the kyūbi was to remain a secret to the boy, she might have kept more of an eye out for her friend's son. No matter what her husband thought. Fugaku still wasn't impressed that Naruto had been put on Sasuke's team; old prejudices died hard.

The girl, Sakura, is plainly trying to be on her best behaviour. She sits straight, sips at her tea, and speaks only when spoken to, though Naruto is clearly causing her some internal strife as he prattles on, informing Mikoto of her son's aloof behaviour on missions. Mikoto asks her questions about her family and finds out she's a second generation shinobi, though her parents never made it past genin. She seems a smart, sweet girl, and Mikoto likes her. The genin's eyes keep flicking to Sasuke, who is seated on her left, and her cheeks flush when he catches her. The fact that she's utterly besotted with him warms Mikoto's heart, even as it makes her son uncomfortable.

And Sasuke clearly is uncomfortable, but manners prevent him from leaving. Instead, he sits utterly still and tries to disappear on the spot, and Mikoto lets him be. Sasuke is more comfortable around members of the clan, like his brother or his older cousins. Being forced to interact with the village at large will be good for him, but it will be some time before he drops the broody attitude he drapes around himself like armour.

"Ah, Shisui told me we had company this afternoon."

Itachi strolls into the room carrying a shopping bag an hour into the visit, and Sasuke's posture visibly relaxes. He shifts over to make room for his brother, but is utterly scandalized when Itachi chooses the empty spot on Sakura's left, sitting between her and Naruto. "You must be Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan. I'm Itachi, Sasuke's brother." He says as he rummages through his purchases, nodding at them both in turn. He places two boxes of dango on the table, within reach of everyone. "I thought I'd pick up a little something for our guests, Okaa-san. I know you don't approve of too many sweets, but it is a special occasion, after all."

Sasuke wrinkles his nose at the offering, and Itachi raises an eyebrow. He knows Sasuke doesn't like sweets. But the other two children chorus their thanks and tuck in—Naruto with far more gusto than Sakura—and nothing more is said. Mikoto has the distinct impression that Itachi has just ingratiated himself to Naruto for the rest of his life, if the way he lights up when Itachi ruffles his hair is any indication. Sasuke makes an unhappy noise but says nothing.

The next hour passes pleasantly, and the sun is just beginning to set when Mikoto makes Sasuke walk their guests out to the main gate of the Uchiha compound. Itachi is grinning in a mischievous way that she seldom sees on his face anymore, but the reason for his amusement isn't addressed until a sulky Sasuke returns.

The younger brother is dutifully helping their mother clear away the tea things when Itachi begins conversationally, "So. It appears you have an admirer, little brother."

Mikoto laughs outright at the embarrassed blush creeping up the back of Sasuke's neck. "She's lovely, Sasuke." She says kindly. "And Naruto seems… spirited."

"Naruto is an idiot." Sasuke grits his teeth. "And she's… annoying." He marches into the kitchen without another word, and the sound of the faucet being turned on tells them that he won't return for a little while yet.

"High praise." Itachi remarks casually to his mother, who laughs again.

Chapter Text

Kakashi sits across from Mikoto and Fugaku the morning Team Seven return from their first mission away from the village, posture upright but relaxed in a confident manner. Sasuke is seated at his side, back rigid and eyes focused on the table as his sensei dispassionately recounts the story of their time in the Land of Waves. What had been presented as a fairly straightforward C-Rank mission had quickly snowballed into an A-Rank, and her son and his squad had all very nearly died.

Fugaku is radiating pride in that near-undetectable way of his as Kakashi tells them how Sasuke almost single-handedly defended his teammates in the initial ambush against two chūnin, and how his quick thinking and willingness to follow Naruto's lead saved his sensei's life in the second against a rogue jōnin. Sasuke sits still straighter when Kakashi brings up his newly awakened sharingan, and she can sense his pleasure at the fact that he has finally accessed the clan's kekkei genkai.

"In short, Sasuke was invaluable to the success of the mission." Kakashi concludes. "His martial skills have shown considerable improvement over our short time together, and his capacity for teamwork has grown… exponentially." Sasuke's brow twitches, and Mikoto knows he's caught the hidden meaning behind his sensei's words. He's never had to work with others before; the clan tends to train its young shinobi combatively. "However, I wish to apologise for the dangerous position that my decisions as squad leader has placed him in." He nods his head respectfully to the boy's father.

"Nonsense." Fugaku huffs. "The boy is fine."

Mikoto offers Kakashi tea, which he politely declines, muttering something about visiting the Haruno household, and he sees himself out. When the door closes behind him, Itachi—who is seated between Mikoto and Sasuke—turns to his brother. "Well?" He prods, pride obvious in his voice. "Show us."

Sasuke closes his eyes and frowns for a moment. When he opens them, they are red, with a single tomoe in each iris.

"You will have to learn to activate it without closing your eyes, and how to use it efficiently." Fugaku says at once, and Mikoto sees some of the confidence bleed out of Sasuke's posture. The red is clouded over by black, and Sasuke's eyes return to normal as he looks back down at his lap and nods. "Itachi, you will teach him. When you are unavailable, it will be Shisui."

"Yes, Otou-san."

Sasuke shifts almost imperceptibly, and Mikoto knows that he wants his father to be the one to teach him. As much as he wants to spend time with his brother, he craves his father's attention. But he knows better than to complain.

"We may as well start sooner than later." Itachi reaches over and pokes Sasuke in the forehead, in their old childhood gesture of affection. "Meet me in the back garden in an hour. I have an errand to run first." Sasuke nods.

Satisfied that everything is settled, Fugaku leaves to begin his day at the police headquarters, and Itachi heads off on his errand, leaving mother and youngest son alone in the sitting room.

"I'm proud of you, Sasuke." She says into the silence, and the boy looks up at her incredulously. "And so is your father, even if he doesn't say it. Now, why don't you go unpack and take a bath while your brother is out? Leave your laundry in the hamper and I'll do it for you this afternoon."

"Thanks." He mumbles, and she isn't sure whether he's referring to her suggestion, or her praise.

The boys are sitting cross-legged on the engawa, facing each other when Mikoto next sees them. Itachi is explaining the ins and outs of the sharingan and how to activate and maintain it in low tones, and Sasuke is listening with rapt attention. She doubts she has ever seen him concentrate on anything harder; the desire to please his father is so strong.

She leaves them be while she does her housework. She remembers the sharingan training well; now, all members of their household have activated it, and the pride that swells within her for both of her boys is spoiled only by the knowledge that the awakening of a sharingan is painful for the heart. Sasuke is lucky that his did not require the death of a loved one to activate, but rather came about in a desperate attempt to save himself and Naruto. Her own had required far more blood and a dead best friend at the age of fifteen, and she shies away from the memory, shaking her head as she hangs wet clothing to dry.

She spies a flash of pink hair outside while tidying up after lunch, when Itachi has taken Sasuke out to one of the clan's training grounds to practice imitation with the sharingan. Sakura is headed for the house, and Mikoto's curiosity is piqued. Neither of Sasuke's teammates has been over since that first visit, and she wonders what has brought her. The girl is poised to knock when Mikoto opens the door, gaping like a fish out of water in surprise.

"I saw you coming from the kitchen window." She smiles down at the girl. "Come on in."

"I, er," she stammers, pink dusting her cheeks, "I just came to see how Sasuke-kun is doing." She looks down at her feet and shuffles nervously in the genkan. "He got hurt pretty bad back in Wave Country, so…"

Mikoto beckons her inside once again, and the girl obliges. "He's doing just fine, but thank you for coming to check on him." She leads Sakura into the sitting room. "He's out training with his brother at the moment, but since you came all this way, let me make you some tea."

Sakura balks. "Oh, no, I couldn't possibly—"

"I insist." Mikoto puts a hand on the girl's back and steers her to the table. "Maybe you can tell me more about what happened. Your sensei was quite vague on some details, and I haven't had a chance to speak to Sasuke properly yet."

In the end, Sakura relents, and Mikoto makes them both tea. Remembering that the girl likes sweets, she digs out a small serving of wagashi—it belongs to Itachi, but she knows her eldest won't mind her offering it to Sasuke's friend. Like her youngest, Mikoto is not fond of sweets, so there are almost none in the house, but Itachi has a terrible sweet tooth.

Sakura beams with delight at the sight of them. "They're adorable!" She exclaims, picking one up and examining it.

Mikoto smiles indulgently while she pours the tea. The sweets are cute, and judging by the face Sakura makes when she bites into one, they taste good. "So, tell me about your mission?" She asks as she slides a cup of tea toward the girl.

Sakura begins hesitantly. It's clear she's walked away from the mission shaken; she feels she really contributed nothing of value. She stayed with the client while the boys had done all the dangerous work, and Mikoto is quick to assure her that she did the right thing. "The most important thing is the mission was successful, yes?" She reminds her. "Besides, none of you should have been on an A-rank mission in the first place, so it's no wonder that it would be out of your league for now. And it's often just that way in other higher-ranked escort missions, anyway. One or two will stay to protect the client while the others do battle." At Sakura's wide-eyed stare, Mikoto chuckles. "I was a shinobi before my marriage; I've done my share of escorting people across the borders."

Sakura chews her lip, looking unconvinced, and the woman wants to comfort the child. She's only just beginning as a genin, and while both the boys on her team, from what Mikoto understands, have aptitude for combat, Sakura does not feel she does. "Your sensei said that Sasuke was the second to master tree walking." She changes tracks. "I assume that the first one was you?" Sakura nods, muted pride on her face at the mention of her small accomplishment. "That takes incredible chakra control, to get it so quickly. Most genin will be practicing for a few days before they manage to do it."

"I got it on the first go." Sakura preens a little. "Sasuke-kun and Naruto took three days."

"See?" Mikoto nods at her. "You have your strengths, just like the others. What you can do is learn to capitalise on them, and strengthen the areas you feel are lacking." In a conspiratorial voice, she leans forward and stage-whispers, "When I first started out, I threw a mean shuriken, but I was hopeless at strategizing."

Sakura giggles appreciatively as the front door is slid open, and Itachi's voice heralds the return of he and his brother. Almost immediately, Sakura's eyes whip to the open shōji, just in time to see a sweaty and exhausted Sasuke step into her line of sight.

The boy freezes when he sees his teammate seated before his mother. "What are you doing here?" He demands sharply, and Sakura shrinks a little. Itachi has appeared behind him, curious eyes on Sakura.

Mikoto frowns at her son. "She came to see you, Sasuke." She chides. "She was worried about you after your fight in Wave Country."

Sasuke sniffs in disdain, looking away. "Whatever. I'm going to change." He stalks out of sight without a backward glance.

Sakura is obviously hurt. "I should go." She scrambles to her feet and bows to her host. "Thank you for the tea and sweets, Uchiha-san."

"You're very welcome." She tells the girl sincerely. "Thank you for coming to check on Sasuke."

"Have a good afternoon, Sakura-chan." Itachi pats her shoulder as she passes him, and Sakura gives him a shaky smile before seeing herself out. Then, he turns to his mother. "That was rude of him." He observes as he takes Sakura's vacated seat, popping the leftover piece of wagashi in his mouth.

Mikoto sighs, retrieving two more cups from the kitchen and returning to pour Itachi and Sasuke a serving each. The tea isn't quite hot anymore, but it's still pleasantly warm. She pours herself a cup, and she and Itachi wait in silence until Sasuke reappears in the hall.

"Sasuke, come here." She calls him, in a tone that allows for no arguments. He flinches, but obeys, sitting by his brother's side and reaching for his tea. "That was rude." She reprimands sharply. "Your friend was worried. It was very nice of her to come see you."

"She's not my friend." Sasuke clearly wants to roll his eyes. "She's annoying."

"Caring for one's teammates is a strength." Itachi stares down his brother, disapproving. "And you will have to learn to deal with many types of personalities during your career as a shinobi. Those who are not flexible inevitably fail." Sasuke visibly flinches at the iron in his brother's tone. Itachi rarely scolds his brother.

"You need to make more of an effort." Mikoto tells him firmly. "You don't have to like someone to work with them. Just be cordial."

"You don't see the way she hangs off of me during missions." Sasuke is surly. "She's like a—"

"She wants your attention." Itachi sighs. "Honestly, little brother, are you so ignorant of girls that—"

"I know that!" Sasuke snaps, glaring at his brother. "But it's a pain in the—"

"Sasuke!" He flinches at his mother's tone. "You will apologise to Sakura-san tomorrow when you see her for training."

Sasuke is wide-eyed. "But—!"

"No buts." She says sternly. "I raised you to be better than this." Her tone is heavy with disapproval.

Sasuke huffs an indignant sigh. "Fine." He snarls. "May I be excused?"

The next morning, much to Sasuke's mortification, Mikoto walks with him to the bridge to meet his team on her way to the market. The boy has a light dusting of pink on his cheeks when they stop in the middle of the bridge, and she pushes him forward expectantly after exchanging greetings.

He shoots her a look before muttering to a point somewhere to the left of Sakura's sandals, "Sorry about yesterday." He offers no context, but it will do.

By the look on Sakura's face, it's more than enough. "It's okay." She blushes. "You were tired. I understand."

"Wait!" Naruto chortles. "Teme, is… is your Kaa-chan making you apologise?" He laughs uproariously, causing an embarrassed flush to creep up Sasuke's neck and turn his ears pink. But with his mother there, Sasuke reigns in his temper. Barely.

Fortunately, Sakura does no such thing. She thumps the blonde boy on the head so hard he falls over. "Shut up!" She hisses.

If at all possible, Mikoto likes her more.

Chapter Text

Mikoto has never been prouder of Sasuke. She watches him standing beneath the trees outside the training ground that had been used for the second phase of the chūnin exams, surrounded by his team, and her heart swells with it.

"They spent five days together, huh?" Itachi chuckles at her side. "I'm surprised he and Naruto-kun survived each other."

Indeed, the blonde boy is fairly frothing at the mouth; it's clear to see that whatever truce they'd had in the forest is over. As she and Itachi draw near, she hears Naruto complain that Sasuke had been insufferable and selfish for the past few days. Sasuke responds with something that they can't quite catch, and Naruto is incensed.

Sakura holds him back when he tries to lunge at Sasuke. "Honestly, what are you upset about?" She snaps. "At least you made it through the preliminaries. I didn't even make it to the third stage!"

Indeed, Mikoto had heard that there had been preliminary battles to decide who moved on to the next stage. It hadn't happened for several years, but it wasn't unheard of.

"You'd better train hard. I want to knock you out of the tournament personally." Sasuke shifts his weight as he leans out of Naruto's reach when he breaks free of Sakura's hold. A blur of blue and orange later, and Naruto is face-down in the dirt, his arms twisted painfully behind his back. Sasuke is crouching over him, holding him down. "If you're not careful I'll leave you behind."

Naruto quits his snarling and thrashing when he notices them arrive, and Sasuke releases him. Slowly, Naruto climbs to his feet and dusts himself off. He pouts, crossing his arms and turning away from the group.

"Congratulations, Sasuke." Mikoto reaches for him and, uncaring that they're in public, hugs him. It's brief, but when she releases him, she can see his face is pink beneath the dirt smudges. "You did so well."

Kakashi addresses Itachi. "I understand you'll be wanting to train Sasuke for the third stage yourself," he says, sounding bored, "but I have a trick or two I want to teach him beforehand, if you can spare him."

"Of course." Itachi nods. "I'm not his keeper, after all. We can work on our own outside your training sessions."

"Hey, what about me?!" Naruto demands of Kakashi, affronted. "Sasuke already has an entire clan to teach him." He complains, loudly. "Everyone can't get over him. Sasuke this, Sasuke that. It's not fair."

Sasuke sighs in annoyance. "Did he say he wasn't going to train you too? Just because you're useless—" Naruto is on him again, furious. Sasuke, taken by surprise, takes a fist to the jaw before moving to defend himself, stepping away from his mother to draw the fight away from her.

"Enough." Kakashi grabs them both by the collar, holding them apart. "In case you've forgotten, you two are still a part of the same team. Naruto," He narrows an eye at the boy in orange, "It's not Sasuke's fault that he has people to train him in his off time. And Sasuke," he directs his attention to the dark-haired boy, "stop provoking Naruto. You're both headed toward the third phase, and you will be prepared equally. Understood?"

Both boys give surly nods, and he releases them.

Mikoto frowns at the pained look on Sakura's face as she looks up at her sensei. Judging from the stories that Sasuke brings home, Sakura's training has been severely neglected. She has no way to know for certain, but if what she infers is true, then Sakura has been left completely behind, and will continue to be so until after the exams. Granted, the boys' training will be a bit more urgent, to prepare for the third stage, but it still isn't fair.

Still, she says nothing. She's never actually watched them train; it isn't her right to criticise.

Fugaku doesn't make it home for their celebratory dinner. He gives no real excuse, sending word that he's simply up to his eyes in paperwork and can't really leave it another night.

Mikoto is irritated on Sasuke's behalf. Almost everyone is here; Itachi, Shisui, and Sasuke's teammates are seated around the table, chattering animatedly and smiling happily. Kakashi had had other plans already, though Sasuke had told her earlier, exasperated, that he just didn't want to show them what he looked like under the mask. Apparently, it was something of a running joke for the team.

No wonder he'd never wanted to stay for tea.

Sakura is seated between Shisui and Itachi, blushing as they ply her with sweets. The girl keeps playing with the ends of her hair, now shorn off above her shoulders after a mishap in the forest with a katon that Sasuke hasn't fully explained. She's laughing at some joke of Shisui's, and Mikoto hides her smile behind her glass when she sees Sasuke scowling at them. Itachi catches her eye, and winks, telling her that the two of them know exactly what they are doing.

Naruto is seated on Shisui's other side, and asks enthusiastic questions about the ANBU and A-rank missions. The older shinobi humour him, telling their mildest stories, and Naruto's enthusiasm grows. Soon, he's shouting that he's going to become the strongest shinobi in the village, and extracts laughing promises of duels from them for when he's stronger.

"You'll never beat Shisui or Nii-san." Sasuke derides him. "Especially if you're still losing to me."

"Yeah, well, you can't beat them either!" Naruto snipes back, smile replaced by a scowl.

"I'll match them one day." Sasuke appears unconcerned. "It's just a matter of time."

"Right, cause that's what training's for." Sakura pipes up. "Naruto, you need to train hard, too, or you'll be left totally behind! The third stage is full of tough opponents."

"Right, Sakura-chan!" Naruto pumps his fist into the air. "And Sasuke-teme, don't slack off. You have to face me so I can knock you out of the running!"

"You'll be the one knocked out. I'll leave you in the dust no matter what." Sasuke leans back with a smirk, ignoring Naruto's loud protests. The blonde moves to lunge at him, but Shisui holds him back with a laugh, and Naruto complains.

It's the liveliest the house has been in a while, now. Neither of her sons are particularly rambunctious, so the house is usually serene, but Mikoto remembers when Sasuke had been young and full of smiles. He had been the heart of the household, boisterous and cheerful, adored by all of his family, whether obviously or from a distance. She sighs internally as the thought that her husband's lack of obvious approval for the boy has hurt him. Granted, it's driven him to put his all into his training, but that gentle happiness he'd had as a little boy has bled out of him. It's a shame.

He seems at ease now, though, she notes, despite the dark looks he occasionally sends his brother and cousin. Mikoto knows that, in his own way, he sees Naruto and Sakura as friends. They're the first he's had outside the clan since he was a very small child, and it makes Mikoto happy.

Sakura is still stealing looks at Sasuke when he's not looking, and it clearly amuses Itachi to no end. If Sasuke's complaining is to be believed, her crush is still in full force, and it irritates him. But, he had said the day of the first stage of the chūnin exams, she isn't the worst of the girls that follow him around. There's a girl from the Yamanaka clan, apparently, that throws herself at him every chance she gets. Mikoto gets the sense that it's all harmless enough, for now, but she almost laughs to herself every time she thinks about how it will be when they all begin to contend with hormones.

Poor Sasuke.

Later, when it's dark outside and Shisui has graciously offered to walk Naruto and Sakura home, Sasuke and Itachi begin to clear up after dinner. She smiles as they pile bowls and plates onto the serving trays and take them away, allowing herself to relax.

Fugaku arrives while the boys are washing up, and she rises to greet him in the hall. After an evening of lively company and good cheer, the house is quiet, and she welcomes him with a kiss on the cheek and a quiet hello.

"Where is Sasuke?" He asks immediately.

"Helping Itachi clean the dishes."

He strides past her and into the kitchen; she trails behind curiously, and enters the kitchen to find both sons staring at their father. Fugaku considers his youngest for a moment, before planting a hand on his shoulder. Sasuke's eyes widen a fraction. Itachi raises his eyebrows in surprise, but makes no sound.

"You did well." Fugaku says quietly. Then, awkwardly, he pats Sasuke's shoulder before leaving the room and heading toward the bathroom to wash up. Sasuke stares after him in shock, and Mikoto beams.

Chapter Text

Mikoto is surprised to find Sakura at the Uchiha's private training field, watching Sasuke training with Kakashi and Itachi when she brings the men lunch.

"I have nothing to do at home," Sakura offers by way of explanation as she helps Mikoto spread the picnic blanket under the shade of a nearby tree, "so I thought I'd come watch."

Mikoto eyes her sons and Kakashi. Kakashi is observing Sasuke as he attacks his brother—the older boy doesn't allow him to land many hits, neatly dodging and striking Sasuke's vulnerable points with a tap of the finger. Almost halfway to the third stage, and Mikoto can see that Sasuke's speed has increased, but he's still no match for his brother.

"They're trying to emulate Gaara's sand shield." Sakura tells her as they stand and watch, hands clasped behind her back. "Lee-san couldn't manage to get through his defence in the preliminaries, so Sasuke-kun needs to strike fast and hard to have a chance of cracking it. And then, when he manages to land a hit, he'll use the chidori."

"Chidori?" Mikoto's eyebrows raise.

Sakura nods. "It's Kakashi-sensei's creation, I think." She shrugs.

Kakashi calls a break, and the three make their way over for lunch. It's a quiet affair; Mikoto apologises to Sakura, since she doesn't have a bento for her. She hadn't expected the girl.

"It's fine." She digs around in her backpack. "I brought my own, see?"

The boys settle around them, and Mikoto is amused to see the pink spread across Sakura's cheeks when Sasuke chooses the spot next to her. Though the girl misses the dirty look Sasuke gives his brother as Itachi settles on her other side, Mikoto doesn't, and she bites back a chuckle. Apparently, Itachi's behaviour at dinner a few weeks ago is still not forgiven. His glare only grows darker when Itachi offers Sakura a piece of his dango, and she accepts happily. "Thank you, Itachi-san!"

"Not at all, Sakura-chan." Itachi gives her a small smile. "Sweets are best when shared among friends."

Sasuke narrows his eyes and turns away, drinking from his water bottle almost savagely. Sakura, blushing, offers Sasuke her own when he empties it in a single breath. He takes it, muttering his thanks, and drinks deeply.

"I'll go fill them up!" She offers brightly when he drains that one as well. "Does anyone else want me to fill their bottles?"

Kakashi and Itachi both take her up on the offer; she disappears toward the small building on the edge of the field, where training gear is kept. Mikoto watches after her. She's a good girl, she thinks. A good, supportive teammate. Sasuke and Naruto likely don't appreciate how lucky they are to have her.

"Where's Naruto?" She asks the others, shaking herself out of thoughts of the pink girl. "I was under the impression you were going to train both, Kakashi-san."

Kakashi shrugs, nose in his book. "He's found himself another instructor to train for the exams." He says, sounding bored. "Honestly, there's not much I can teach him anyway."

Sasuke snorts, chewing on a cherry tomato. Mikoto had packed them especially for him. "There's not much anyone can teach him." He corrects.

"That's not very nice, Sasuke." Mikoto chides him.

"You shouldn't underestimate your opponents." Itachi tells him wisely. "Even if they're your friends."

Her youngest shrugs. "I didn't say he was weak. Just stupid." He pops another tiny tomato in his mouth, lifting an eyebrow as if to challenge anyone to say otherwise.

Sakura returns with the water bottles a few minutes later, and the boys are at it again. The summer air is almost stifling, and Mikoto keeps her company on the blanket. She fans herself while they chat, sharing Sakura's water bottle in an attempt to stave off the heat at least a little bit.

"Are you free tomorrow night?" Mikoto asks her, remembering something. "We're having a dinner party for Sasuke's birthday; you and Naruto are welcome to join us."

Sakura's eyes sparkle. "I'll have to ask my parents, but I'm sure they'll say yes!" She nods energetically. "I don't know where Naruto is, though… I haven't seen him all week."

"That's alright. I'm sure Kakashi-san knows where he is." Mikoto waves her concern off. "Just come on over at about five. Some of his cousins will be over as well."

Sakura shifts nervously on the doorstep of the Uchiha main house the next night, fingers curled about a small blue package. The girl is dressed for the occasion, in a pretty white dress with a colourful floral pattern, her hair held back from her face by a white ribbon. She looks utterly charming. Mikoto takes the gift with the promise of delivering it to Sasuke later, when their relatives have gone home.

She smiles down at her as she ushers the girl in, appreciating the pretty picture she makes against the browns and dark blues and blacks of her clansmen when she steps into the sitting room. As if the pink of her hair is a beacon, eyes turn to her and her cheeks begin to burn in self-conscious embarrassment.

Mikoto casts her eye around for one of her sons. Finding Sasuke standing in a circle of his elder cousins, she recues him from their interrogation and pairs the two together. "No one could find Naruto to invite him," she says, a little disappointed, "but we're glad you came, at least." She eyes her son. "Right?" She prods.

Sasuke's ears burn a little at having to be reminded of his manners. "…yeah." He eventually says, sounding sincere. "Thanks."

Sakura beams. "Thank you for inviting me!" She chirps.

"I'll go ahead and put this in your room, Sasuke." She indicates Sakura's gift in her hands. "Why don't you introduce your friend around?"

"You didn't have to get me anything." She hears Sasuke grouse as she steps away.

"I know. But I wanted to."

"…thanks, I guess."

She's glad she invited the girl, she thinks to herself when she comes back downstairs. She's the only one Sasuke's age at the party—most of his cousins are Itachi's age or older, and the two thirteen year olds are nearly dwarfed by everyone around them. She watches them out of the corner of her eye for the next hour; Sasuke doesn't leave Sakura's side, probably aware that people are staring at her.

It's arranged so that Sakura is flanked by Sasuke and Itachi when dinner is served. Shisui takes the seat opposite, and Itachi's other friend Izumi sits next to him, leaning over to chatter with Sakura excitedly. Together, the four of them create a wall around the pink girl and distract her from the curious eyes of the other guests.

"That's his teammate?" Fugaku asks in a low voice when Mikoto takes her seat next to him at the head of the table.

"Yes." Mikoto reaches forward to serve first her husband, then herself, from the spread in the middle of the table. At her gesture, everyone else starts serving themselves. "Her name's Sakura. She's a sweet girl."

"Hm." Fugaku lifts his drink to his lips. "He seems taken enough with her."

"You think?" Mikoto's eyebrows raise, her gaze shifting over to her children. Sasuke's elbows are on the table as he listens to Sakura's chatter. The girl blushes when he says something—probably scolding her—and then smiles up at Itachi when he comes to her defence. She can see the back of Sasuke's neck flush, and chuckles. "Itachi seems to enjoy teasing him."

Fugaku snorts. "It's a little early for Sasuke to be dating, isn't it?" He asks, a little seriously, though there's a hint of amusement in his tone.

Mikoto laughs. "I wouldn't worry about that just yet, dear. They're just children." She hums to herself. "If you ask me, we need to be more concerned with Itachi and Izumi."

Mikoto visits Sasuke before bedtime, watching him from his bedroom door. The boy is tired, but it doesn't stop him from going through the small mountain of gifts left on his bed with Itachi. Fugaku is already in bed—he has an early start in the morning—but Mikoto isn't tired yet.

"More sweets." Sasuke wrinkles his nose, shoving a box of candy to his brother. Sasuke is utterly incapable of feigning gratitude; it's the main reason that he hasn't opened a gift in the company of anyone but his immediate family in the past three years.

"Last one." Itachi presents Sakura's gift to him, and Sasuke eyes it with trepidation. "From Sakura." He read the tag on the top.

Slowly, Sasuke takes the package and gingerly tears the wrapping paper, as if expecting the gift to explode upon contact with the air. When he gets a look at the contents, though, he becomes a little more enthusiastic, freeing the box from the gift-wrap. Itachi gives a low whistle when Sasuke opens the box, and Mikoto hears the clinking of metal on metal.

"These are good quality." Itachi picks up a shuriken from the box. "She must have gotten them just today. You said you needed a new set yesterday, didn't you?"

Sasuke is examining a kunai. "Hn." He agrees. "I can use these in the exam."

Itachi eyes the box. "Are those explosive tags?"

"Not in the house." Mikoto warns immediately, alarmed. Sasuke gives her a look, and she narrows her eyes at him. "You can try them out at the training field tomorrow. Make sure to thank Sakura when you see her, too. It was a very thoughtful gift, considering you needed new ones."

Sasuke's cheeks dust a faint pink and Itachi snickers. "Yeah, yeah." He waves them off, carefully setting the box under his bed and stuffing the wrapping paper into the plastic bag they've been using to keep his room tidy. "I'm going to bed."

"Alright, good night, Sasuke."

Chapter Text

After the Hokage's funeral, Itachi's mother invites Sasuke's teammates over for tea.

It's a sombre affair; one that turns into supper and then a sleepover when the rain doesn't stop. A phone call to Sakura's parents later, and Itachi is helping his brother haul out a pair of spare futon for Naruto and Sakura. His own has already been relocated to the living room, where the three of them plan to sleep.

"Make sure you keep your hands to yourself, tonight." Itachi smirks down at his little brother, who scoffs.

"If Naruto keeps his idiot mouth shut."

"Oh, I wasn't talking about Naruto-kun." Itachi's voice is faux-casual, and he nearly snickers when Sasuke chokes on air.

"Nii-san!" He hisses, eyes darting around to make sure no one is within hearing range. His cheeks are pink. "I—she—I don't—!"

Itachi pats him on the shoulder, sweeping past him with a futon under an arm. Really, it's too much fun to tease his little brother. He's so serious. And he bites every time.

Their guests have changed into borrowed sleepwear—Itachi is gratified to see Sasuke squirm when he notes that Sakura is wearing one of his shirts and her leggings to bed. She's turned away from them when they first enter the room, with the uchiwa displayed proudly in the middle of her back. It appears that Naruto has also borrowed some of Sasuke's clothing—and the scowl on Sasuke's face as his eyes travel over to his blonde friend reveal how not-pleased he is at this.

Their mother brightens when she notices them enter the room. It seems the Uchiha matriarch is taking her first time hosting a sleepover seriously; the low table has been pushed aside to make room for the bedding, and laden down with snacks and a board game or two that Itachi wasn't aware they had. Sakura has already claimed a deck of cards and is shuffling them with more skill than Itachi would have thought she'd have.

He's not above admitting that Sakura has utterly charmed him. She's a bright, bubbly girl, with a witty mind and a sharp tongue. He likes Naruto, of course—he is just like the vague memories Itachi has of the boy's mother, whom he'd always liked—but Sakura is a welcome surprise. His brother's initial complaining about his squad had made her out to be a lazy know-it-all, but Itachi suspects that Sakura works just as hard as the boys. He's seen the bruises she's inflicted on Naruto. No one can possibly do that much damage to a jinchūriki without doing some kind of physical exercise to strengthen themselves.

And she's pretty too, he muses, watching Sasuke huff at her as she scrambles over to help him lay out the mattresses while Mikoto wanders off in search of blankets. Of course, Itachi prefers dark-haired girls, but there's a certain something to Sakura's young face that is pleasing to look at. He knows his brother agrees, even though Sasuke would rather eat glass than admit it; he's caught his brother sneaking looks at Sakura when he thinks no one is paying attention to him.

"Will you quit being annoying?" Sasuke pulls the second mattress over to start rolling it out. "I don't need help."

"I know you don't." Sakura says. "I still want to."

He grumbles, but lets her assist. Itachi knows for a fact that, if he were really against her help, he'd have yanked the bedding out of her hands.

He has a powerful wish for a camera the next morning. Naruto is already up and about—he can hear him talking with Mikoto in the kitchen—but Sasuke and Sakura are still dead to the world, curled up in their bedding.

Apparently, they'd had the bright idea to push the futons together in the night. Sakura has obviously slept in the middle, likely to prevent Sasuke and Naruto from killing each other, and has turned over in her sleep to face Sasuke. The boy in question has not shifted over from where he likely would have started the night—on the opposite edge of the mattress, as far away from his friends as possible and facing the wall away from them—but with Sakura's nocturnal shifting, she's crowded him almost off the bedding.

Under the blankets, it looks like Sakura might be cuddling up to his back. It's hard to tell for sure.

Itachi steps around them gingerly, a laugh bubbling up inside him as he steals into the kitchen and closes the door securely behind him. His mother and Naruto look at him, and the younger boy cackles.

"Naruto-kun was telling me," Mikoto says with a laugh, "that this is not a rare occurrence on overnight missions."

"Really?" Itachi is both shocked and delighted. Sasuke does not often tolerate physical closeness with anyone outside his immediate family. Even then, his acceptance of his mother's affectionate hugs appears grudging at best.

"Uh huh." Naruto talks around his food as he shovels rice into his mouth. "He acts all pissy about it when he wakes up but he never lets anyone else sleep in the middle."

Itachi files the information away for later, when the others have gone home. As much as he loves to tease Sasuke lately, he's not about to completely mortify him in front of his friends.

"Hey, cuddle-bunnies, wake up!"

Shisui, on the other hand, has no such reservations.

There's a distinctly feminine scream and a pubescent cry of pain, followed by a string of curses. Itachi pulls the door open to find Shisui doubled over with laughter at the edge of the futon as Sakura fights to disentangle herself from the blankets. "Sasuke-kun!" she cries, "I'm so sorry!"

Said boy is rubbing the side of his face with a scowl directed at Sakura. "What the hell did you do that for?" He demands as she leans over to him and peers worriedly at his temple.

"I'm sorry!" She cries again, hands fluttering awkwardly, as if she wants to touch him but is unsure where would be appropriate. "I just heard a shout, and I reacted!"

"It's a good reaction for a kunoichi to have." Mikoto's voice is thick with contained laughter. The two young teens look over their shoulders and spy the two older Uchiha and Naruto in the kitchen doorway, and their faces nearly glow. Sasuke, clearly, recognises the gleam in his mother and brother's eyes; his attempt at a glare is ruined by the colour in his cheeks.

"Now you know how I feel!" Naruto declares, pointing at Sasuke.

"No wonder you're brain damaged." Sasuke bites at him. He turns to the girl. "Since when do you hit like a fucking sledgehammer?"

"Language!" Mikoto scolds, sending Naruto off into a fit of giggles. Sakura squeaks at Sasuke's question and hides her face in her hands.

This is the scene that Uchiha Fugaku wanders in to, one hand rubbing at an eye as the other glares around the room.

"What on earth is all this noise?" He demands.

The words slip out of Itachi before he can stop them. "I guess Sakura-chan is the one I should have told to keep her hands to herself, huh?"

Sasuke doesn't speak to him for the rest of the morning.

Not long after the others have gone home—Naruto still guffawing and Sakura with her cheeks tinged pink—Sasuke sequesters himself in his room. When he passes on his way out of the house, Itachi can hear the ominous scraping of a whetstone against metal. He should probably warn Shisui to be wary of stray kunai finding their way to him.

The two of them meet Izumi at the public training grounds. She's moving through a drill with a squad of other recently-promoted jōnin when they arrive, but the exercise is soon over, and she joins them after changing into street clothes. The three meander down the main avenue, and slip into a small restaurant for lunch.

"You owe me a hundred ryo." Shisui declares, settling back after placing their order with the server.

Izumi's eyebrows raise. She and Shisui had made a bet back when Sasuke's crush on his teammate was first established that the boy wouldn't so much as hug her before they were twenty. "Nuh-uh." She looks at Itachi for confirmation.

"I don't think it counted." Itachi shakes his head. "They were asleep."

"Are you kidding?" Shisui shakes his head. "That should make it count even more!"

"Wait." Izumi butts in. "Are you telling me that Sasuke-kun—the same Sasuke-kun who once threw a boy across the room for putting an arm around his shoulders in the academy—who has an aversion to most forms of human interaction, let alone physical touch—was actually snuggling with Sakura-chan?!"

"Other way around." Itachi corrects her, answering her delighted giggling with a grin. "Which is also why it doesn't count."

"But he let her." Shisui protests. However, he is overruled.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Naruto's absence leads to a calm within Team Seven. Though they miss him—yes, even Sasuke—they get on with their training regardless.

Kakashi takes them on missions. Mostly they're assigned C-ranks. It wouldn't do, Tsunade says as she hands them their first mission scroll after Naruto's departure, to send her own apprentice out to do rookie work.

Their work takes them all over the Fire Country, sometimes just beyond the borders, and Sasuke and Sakura grow as shinobi. Sasuke has finally, Kakashi realises with some measure of relief, realised the importance of teamwork. He's quick to protect the medic on the team, despite the fact that she's more than capable of defending herself these days, and follows Kakashi's lead without a word of complaint. One time, when they strategize before ambushing a bandit camp, he actually comes up with a decent plan that doesn't include himself doing all the work. Kakashi agrees to follow said plan, and it goes off without a hitch.

Sakura learns to keep her head around the boy, much to everyone's relief, but perhaps Sasuke's most of all. Now, when they sometimes walk together to get dinner after training or a mission, she isn't hassling him by calling them 'dates'. They're simply friends and teammates catching a bite to eat together before wrapping up their day, like many other shinobi in the village. She even goes so far as to invite their sensei along, too. Kakashi rejects Sakura's every invitation to join them, though. He has an image to keep up.

She makes her first kill at fourteen. Kakashi and Sasuke grimace at each other over the campfire as she retches and cries in the aftermath, the latter awkwardly patting her shoulder. He'd made his own first kill some months before; Kakashi remembers the sick, nauseating feeling that used to come with taking a human life. Sasuke had handled it about as well as he had, if Kakashi was honest; there had been some vomiting involved, and a period of silence, but those born into shinobi clans were trained from birth. Sakura has had no such luxury.

"You get used to it." Kakashi tries to say comfortingly. He'd never say you get over it. He still has the occasional nightmare.

Sakura only cries harder, and Sasuke glares at him.

"You had no choice, Sakura." The boy says to her instead of snapping at their teacher, voice pitched low. "He was going to kill you. You did what you had to do to survive."

Kakashi hides his surprise at the rare display of sensitivity.

Well, isn't that interesting?

They turn fifteen, and Kakashi spots them spending time together in the village on occasion. He raises his eyebrows, because Sasuke wouldn't have given Sakura the time of day not too long ago. Now, he's rolling his eyes at something she says as they enter Ramen Ichiraku, exasperation clear on his face but still willing to be in her company.

Kakashi doesn't stop to observe them any longer. He's late for a meeting with the Hokage.

The introduction of a new teammate goes about as well as Kakashi expects.

He's not above admitting that Sasuke and Sakura have grown on him over the past few years. As they've settled into their new team dynamic, minus Konoha's Number One Knucklehead, he's even found himself enjoying watching them train. Mostly, he serves as referee while getting to read his fabulous Icha Icha, letting them do their thing and demolish the sparring grounds. He offers light criticism here and there, but Tsunade and Itachi seem to have their individual training well in hand.

Sasuke's speed forces Sakura to work on her defence, and Sakura's brute force forces Sasuke to work on his evasion. One hit from her chakra-laden fists and Sasuke would be sent flying; something the prideful boy wants to avoid at all costs, and so Sasuke develops a long-range fighting style in addition to his natural close combat prowess.

Her newfound level-headedness around the boy is proving dangerous for him, and their sparring intensifies now that he actually sees her as someone worth trying against. One time, she breaks his arm. Another, he leaves her with burn marks all over her legs. Sakura patches them both up afterwards, and neither seems to hold any resentment for the other for their injuries.

So, a year and a half after Naruto's departure, Kakashi decides that they're ready for another shot at the chūnin exams. He lodges a formal request with the Godaime to have a temporary member assigned to Team Seven to take Naruto's place.

And that's how they end up stuck with Sai.

Kakashi had been debriefed about Sai's history as a ROOT operative. He expects the boy to be lacking in social skills.

What he does not expect is for Sakura to punt him across the training ground the first time he opens his mouth.

He does, however, expect Sasuke's katon.

"You must be Sakura-san and Sasuke-san." Sai greets them with a creepy, forced smile when Kakashi brings him to them. Sasuke and Sakura had been standing under a tree, heads together and talking quietly, speculating about their new teammate. The other boy had taken one look at the two fifteen year olds and leapt to the logical conclusion. "I am Sai. I hope I do not get in the way of your sexual tension."

"Don't break the new guy." Kakashi drawls as Sai goes flying from Sakura's blow. The fireball that whirls past him ruffles the pages of his Icha Icha novel.

Sai is left battered and bruised after his first training session with his new team. Kakashi watches in amusement as Sakura sticks her nose in the air and stalks off, a glowering Sasuke trailing behind. He wonders at what point their roles switched. Just over a year ago, Sasuke would have been the one dealing the pain, and Sakura would trail after him admiringly.

"First rule of Team Seven," Kakashi nudges the mangled heap of flesh that is Sai with his foot, "is not to mention the sexual tension."

Because, really, who are those two kidding?

Things don't improve.

When Sai decides that applying nicknames to his new team would be the best way to seem friendly, Sasuke actually electrocutes him.

"Now, now, Sasuke." Kakashi says mildly as he holds Sasuke's wrist, preventing a follow up. "I'm sure he meant to be funny."

"He called me ugly!" Sakura cries in indignation, her own retaliation cut short by Sasuke's outburst. "Sensei, can't we just ask for Naruto to come home? I don't want to take the exams with him."

"I'm afraid not." Kakashi shakes his head. "Jiraya-sama was very clear when he said that Naruto was not ready for the exams yet. Unless," he eyes them thoughtfully, "you'd rather wait another year or two before taking the exams yourselves? Seventeen isn't too old."

"No!" They both cry at once, much to his amusement. Sasuke has always been the ambitious type, looking to take over his father's position as Chief of Police one day, but Tsunade's training has awoken a drive within Sakura as well. She wants to be strong, she'd told her teammates once. She was doing everything in her power to be someone people could rely on.

But she's still bound to have fleeting moments of insecurity now and then, Kakashi supposes. When he dismisses them from training that day, she looks despondent. The two of them head into town together, not even bothering to offer Sai an invitation. He hasn't yet earned that level of respect from them.

Just before they are out of earshot, Kakashi hears Sakura's wobbly voice. "Am I really ugly, Sasuke-kun?"

He doesn't hear if the boy responds verbally, but he can see the redness in his ears as he shakes his head.

Kakashi watches them for a moment more, before surveying the damage left on Sai. The beatings seem to be getting worse and worse. He shudders at the thought of either of them at their full potential in a few years.

The two of them will take the world by storm one day, he is sure. In fact, he pities anyone who tries to stand in their way. Especially if they decide to do it together.

He has a sneaking suspicion that they will.

Chapter Text

Sai spends much of his time with Team Seven confused.

During his time in ROOT before it was collapsed, he had been placed on many squads of varying gender composition. He has observed men and women much older than him interacting with each other with varying levels of professionalism and detachment. He's aware that his upbringing has crippled his social abilities, and has spent the last few months reading up on various social interactions and customs in an attempt to integrate himself better into village life. However, some things are simply beyond his comprehension.

He wonders if he'd be able to understand his teammates had he been allowed a normal childhood.

They're in the middle of the second round of the chūnin exams, squeezed together in a janitor's closet and whispering as low as possible. The objective is deceptively simple; retrieve a scroll hidden deep within the confines of a warehouse crawling with other teams of varying level of skill and traps around every corner. There are three other teams in their particular test; only two scrolls exist. Time is of the essence.

The three of them are packed tightly into the small space, forced to press together as they strategize, and Sai wonders if Sasuke positioning himself between he and Sakura is a conscious act. Everything he has read about body language indicates sexual interest from the both of them for the other. The way their pupils dilate and they angle themselves toward each other is a key giveaway, as are their constant unnecessary touches. He understands that much.

What he does not understand is why no one will acknowledge it.

He has become painfully aware that mentioning anything even remotely relating to the nature of their relationship will result in grievous bodily harm. Even if Sakura has relented and begun to heal him after training sessions, he does not wish to be subject to another chidori or chakra-infused punch.

He once asked Kakashi about it. The man had presented him well-worn orange book that had been most enlightening. Unfortunately, before he was able to complete the prescribed reading, they had seen him with it. Sakura had broken his wrist in her furious attempt to take it from him, and Sasuke had set it aflame, leaving nothing but ash. Kakashi had been visibly distressed at the destruction of his beloved novel.

"Never," Sakura had growled at Sai, "read anything that Kakashi-sensei gives you that isn't a mission scroll." Ignoring their teacher's complaining, she narrowed her eyes. "You know he's not the most socially aware person, sensei. Are you trying to turn him into some kind of pervert?"

"Not that he's not weird enough already." Sasuke had groused, using the heel of his nin sandals to grind the ash into the ground.

When Sai had blithely commented that Kakashi had implied that the book would help him understand the two of them better, the killing intent that radiated off of them had seemed to frighten even their unflappable teacher. It was only his skill as an elite ninja that had spared him from the vicious beatings that Sai had been incurring on a regular basis.

He has since come to the conclusion that they are simply suffering a particularly stubborn case of 'denial'.

"Everyone ready?" Sakura hisses into the quiet. The two boys nod. "Okay. Sasuke-kun takes point. Sai, release your drawings as soon as we have to engage another team. I'll bring up the rear."

Sasuke, sharingan activated, carefully opens the door and sticks his head out, checking the dimly-lit corridor. "It's clear. Come on."

They run, single file, through the twisting corridors. Sticking to the shadows, they pass by a team of Suna-nin ensnared in a net trap. The three boys don't notice them as they pass, too intent on cutting themselves out without getting electrocuted by the random metal cables in the net. They only encounter another team, this time of Iwa-nin, when they reach the safes that contain the scrolls.

"You're too late, kids." One of the older shinobi taunts them from the ceiling, where their team is standing upside down. "The other scroll's gone, and this one is ours."

"No one said we had to get it from the safe." Sasuke sneers. "We just have to deliver it to the goal."

The Iwa-nin have less than half a second to react before Sasuke is breathing a fireball in their direction. Sai releases a flock of flying drawings from his scroll, and Sakura positions herself before the only available exit.

The leader of the Iwa-nin launches himself at her while his two comrades deal with Sai and Sasuke's jutsu. Sai barely has a moment to notice her launching a kunai at her attacker before an unfamiliar doton jutsu forces his attention away from his teammate. As he dodges the volley of rocks, lighting crackles from somewhere to his left. There is a scream, and one of the Iwa-nin goes down heavily.

"You little shit!" The other nin swears, and focuses his attacks on Sasuke. With one man distracted and the other down, Sai has time to hurriedly draw a few more creatures, releasing them to back up his team.

He can hear Sakura's scuffle with the other nin behind him. Heat sears from in front of him as Sasuke releases another katon.

"Sasuke-kun, be careful with that fire!" Sakura calls as the man she was fighting with goes flying across the room. If Sai were an expressive person, he would have winced at the cracking of bone as he slams against the wall. "If you destroy the scroll we fail!"

"I know!" Sasuke snarls, hurling a fistful of shuriken that shreds his opponent's clothing, forcing him back. "Search them before they recover, I got this!"

Sai keeps a lookout as Sakura pats down the two unconscious nin. She rummages through their various pockets and satchels, growing more visibly frustrated as she finds nothing. "They don't have it!"

"We assume that this team has it at all." Sai points out mildly.

"They have to!" Sakura stands and positions herself next to him, watching Sasuke's fight. "There's only three other teams, and we saw one of them caught in a trap. Even if the final team has one, there should be one left."

"Then check the damn safe!" Sasuke snarls as he blocks a kick to his head. He catches the leg and throws his opponent over his shoulder.

"They're both open." Sai remarks, unruffled.

"Maybe—wait!" Sakura squints at the two open safes at the edge of the room. She makes a hand sign. "Kai!"

The third Iwa-nin goes down just as Sai copies her. Sasuke lands beside them, breathing heavily. Sakura performs the release for him. "Shit."

Both safes are intact.

"At least they were real." Sakura frowns down at the shinobi lying in a heap around the room. "I don't get how we didn't see the genjutsu before."

"More focused on the enemy." Sasuke grunts, wiping his brow with the back of his hand. Sakura moves to heal a deep gash on his left arm. He holds it out without protest.

"Now we just need to figure out how to get into these things." Sakura hums, eyes on the wound as it slowly closes.

"It must be trapped." Sai agrees, circling them with analytical eyes. "Can you see anything with the sharingan?" Sasuke shakes his head.

"It gotta be internal." Sakura surmises. "Maybe it's rigged to explode? If we get it wrong, the scroll is destroyed and everyone fails."

The three of them fall silent. Sasuke flexes his arm when Sakura's green healing chakra recedes. "Thank you, Sakura."

She turns pink at the softness in his voice. "It's my job, Sasuke-kun," she reminds him quietly. "Remember?"

"Are you going to kiss now?" Sai asks innocently. Their faces go brilliantly red. "That would be highly inappropriate, considering the circumstances."

"Sai—you—!" Sakura steps forward menacingly.

Sai is saved from a punch by—of all people—Sasuke. He feels inexplicable relief and gratitude that he will not have to deal with a concussion for the rest of the task. "Sakura, we're in the middle of an exam. We can kill him later."

On second thought, Sai thinks as the sharingan bores into his eyes, perhaps he is not so grateful.

Chapter Text

Naruto is so glad to be back!

His two favourite people in the world are waiting for him at the gates when he returns, having been informed of his imminent arrival an hour ago via toad summon. Sakura is bouncing on the balls of her feet as soon as he comes into view, waving madly and beaming at the sight of him.

He races ahead of Jiraya and scoops her up in his arms, twirling her in the air and delighting in her peals of laughter as she hugs him. "Naruto! We missed you!"

"I missed you guys too, Sakura-chan!" He beams as he lets her down. She's so short! "Hey, Sasuke, I think I'm taller than you!" Sakura giggles at the irritated expression that crosses Sasuke's face.

"I don't think so, idiot."

"Yeah, I bet I am. C'mon, stand back to back!"

"No."

"Boys, boys!" Sakura laughs, stepping between them and placing a hand on their chests. "Come on, it hasn't even been a full minute yet!"

But she's laughing and Sasuke has a tiny little smile on his face that Naruto didn't even realise he was capable of, so he drops it and decides that they're going to get ramen. Because, how else was their reunion going to go?

He meets Sai the next day, when he joins them for training. Technically, he isn't a part of Team Seven anymore, but he doesn't let that get him down too much. He's sure Tsunade will reinstate him sooner or later.

Sai is… weird. Naruto isn't sure he likes him. He doesn't seem to have much of a filter, and coming from Naruto, that's saying something.

"I still can't believe you guys took the exam without me!" He whines as he and Sasuke sit under a tree to watch Sakura and Sai spar. He's impressed with just how good Sakura has gotten.

When he says so, Sasuke smirks. "She's pulling her punches."

"Nuh-uh!" Naruto whips his head around to his friend.

"Are there any broken bones yet?" Sasuke asks, eyebrow raised.

"No?"

He snorts, turning his attention back to the fight. "Then she's pulling her punches."

It's weird. Sasuke sounds almost… kinda proud of her? It's so completely the opposite of how things were when Naruto left that it honestly pulls him up short for a few moments. The Sasuke that he remembers was surly and rude to their female teammate. Now, he watches her fight with the same critical eye that Naruto remembers him watching Kakashi with when they were kids. It's a mark of respect that he doesn't think Sasuke's ever really directed at him, and Naruto is his best friend. Two years apart with no communication notwithstanding.

He's suddenly insecure when Sakura wins the fight and happily plops down on Sasuke's other side. The smile she gives him is different now, too. It's not the same besotted smile of their childhood; it's softer, full of affection and familiarity.

"So, what have you guys been up to while I was gone?" Naruto speaks up to hide the sinking feeling in his stomach as Sai sits on his left.

Sakura shrugs with one shoulder, fanning herself with her other hand. "Well, we got promoted, been on a few missions, stuff like that." She says brightly. "I've started working in the hospital and Sasuke-kun has been helping out at the police station. Mostly we stick to the village lately."

"Boring!" Naruto whines. "Hey, when I get put back on the team, we should angle for a good mission! It'll be like old times!"

Sasuke leans back on his hands and smirks at the blonde. "And get saddled with a D-rank because you're still a genin with practically no experience? I don't think so."

Naruto lets out a wordless cry of fury and tackles Sasuke. He's a little sensitive that most of his classmates now outrank him.

Sakura shrieks as the boys barrel into her, and Sasuke is on his feet in an instant. "Watch what you're doing, you idiot." He snarls and wraps an arm around Naruto's neck, wrestling him into a chokehold. "Think before you do shit like that or you're gonna hurt someone!"

Sakura rolls her eyes, tugging lightly at the hem of Sasuke's shirt. "I'm fine, Sasuke-kun. It just surprised me is all."

"I do not understand why you are constantly fighting people on Ugly's behalf." Sai pipes up from the other side of the group, watching Sasuke restrain his best friend.

Sasuke glowers at him as he releases Naruto's head. The blonde had let out an indignant squawk at the unflattering moniker. Suddenly, both boys are on the same side, ready to defend their female teammate's honour. "I'll electrocute you again." Sasuke growls.

"The hell is wrong with you?" Naruto agrees. "I oughta kick your ass for calling Sakura-chan that!"

"Enough!" Sakura gets to her feet. "If you three can't behave, I'm leaving."

"I'm sorry, Sakura-chan!"

"Tch."

"Did I say something wrong?"

He spots them at the market when he goes grocery shopping one evening the next week.

He doesn't call out. It's a little painful to see them seated together at one of the outdoor cafes. His feet are rooted to the spot as Sasuke leans forward with his elbows on the table and says something, and Sakura raises her hand to hide a giggle. Sakura is wearing a lab coat and hospital scrubs; Sasuke is wearing a police uniform. They look so… grown up. Which is ridiculous, because Sakura has only just turned sixteen and Sasuke isn't quite seventeen yet; they're still technically kids. Like him.

He saw them just yesterday. He's hurt that they didn't invite him.

But then Sakura seems to sense his presence, because she looks over toward him and waves. He returns the gesture and trots up, faking a grin and hoping they don't notice.

"Hey guys. Whatcha up to? On a date?" He can't help but ask. He's been getting weird vibes from them ever since he got home. They're so touchy-feely with each other and he's starting to suspect that there's more going on with them than they're telling him.

They both go pink and Sasuke chokes on his water. "No." Sakura shakes her head vigorously as Sasuke coughs. "We just meet up after work sometimes. Do you wanna join us?"

He gets the sense that she's asking to be polite. The way Sasuke is looking at him out of the corner of his eye and frowning a little is telling him to get lost.

It's weird. For the first time since he returned, he doesn't want to be around his friends. The sinking feeling that he's been experiencing on and off since that afternoon at the training grounds is back.

"Nah, I'm just shopping." He holds up one of his plastic bags filled with instant ramen. "Maybe next time, yeah?"

Sakura smiles. "Sure. See you later?" She asks, fidgeting in her seat. She doesn't even comment on how unhealthy it is that he's only buying ramen.

"Yeah." He waves, turning his back on them. "See ya."

"Later." Sasuke says, the only word he's spoken since Naruto arrived.

He walks away. If his stride is a little faster than normal, well, no one says anything.

He's on his way out of the Hokage tower when he runs into Itachi.

"Hello, Naruto-kun." Itachi is still a head taller than Naruto, forcing him to look up at Sasuke's elder brother as he ruffles his hair. "Sasuke told me you'd returned to the village. How are you?"

Naruto grins. Itachi is one of the few people who didn't look down at Naruto when he was a kid. He knows the guy can be crazy scary when he wants to be, but to Naruto he's just Sasuke's big brother.

"I'm good!" Naruto perks up. "You getting a mission?"

"I just completed one, actually." Itachi hums. "I was thinking of visiting the new teahouse on the east side of town before heading home. Would you like to join me?"

"Sure!"

Naruto follows Itachi through the winding streets and into a little teahouse that he ordinarily would never have noticed. They order tea and sweets, and take a seat at a booth in the back. Itachi regards him with a deceptively light stare, and then asks, "So, what's on your mind?"

"Huh?"

Itachi smiles. "You seemed distracted at the Hokage tower earlier."

Naruto frowns down at the table, scratching a nail across the polished surface. A server brings their order over before he speaks.

"Are Sasuke and Sakura-chan dating?"

Itachi chuckles. Naruto looks up with a frown. "What's so funny?"

"Half the clan is asking that question." Itachi says after a sip of tea. At Naruto's incredulous look, Itachi elaborates. "Sasuke is the son of the leader of the clan. People notice him. There are plenty of rumours about him and Sakura-chan."

Naruto takes a vicious bite of his nerikiri and chews mutinously. "But are they or not?"

Itachi's face twists into an amused sort of second-hand embarrassment. "No." He shakes his head. "Though everyone at home wishes one of them would take the first step." At Naruto's plain confusion, Itachi sighs and puts his teacup down. "I'm fairly certain my little brother is in love with her, though he'll deny it." He elaborates. "But he's so defensive about anything the clan elders might be critical about. Not that it matters what they think of who we date. Their role is more advisory and ceremonial these days; Otou-san has the final say in those types of things, and he likes her well enough."

Naruto mulls this over in his head, staring down at his tea. He's been harbouring a little, fleeting hope that after all this time, Sakura-chan might like him back now that he's grown up a little. Sasuke had been so indifferent to her when Naruto had left, he'd never considered the two of them as a couple when he returned.

He expresses that thought to Itachi.

"Sasuke was never indifferent to Sakura-chan." He says with a small, sympathetic smile. "He's never been particularly open about his feelings, but those of us who care to look can see them."

"Oh."

Naruto's stomach sinks so far he can't even feel it anymore.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

The house is quiet when Itachi returns from his mission.

His father would be at the station; he supposes his mother is out running errands. He toes off his sandals in the genkan and considers the merits of bathing before taking a nap, when he hears a soft, feminine giggle coming from the back garden.

Intrigued, Itachi keeps his steps light as he pads through the house. The shoji that leads out to the engawa is left open, allowing the late afternoon sunshine to flood the hall and gleam against the hardwood floors. Dust mites float languidly in the air as he rounds the corner and takes in the sight of his little brother, sitting on the edge of the engawa, with Sakura draped across his lap.

Their backs are to him, so they don't notice his arrival. He's amused that neither has detected his presence; they're both skilled shinobi in their own right, but apparently they are too wrapped up in each other to be paying much attention to anything else. It's cute.

He leans against the door frame and waits. He can see from his vantage point that Sasuke has an arm wrapped around Sakura's waist, but little else. When Sakura giggles again and leans into Sasuke's kiss, Itachi clears his throat.

Loudly.

Sakura shrieks and leaps off of his little brother's lap, wide eyed and rosy cheeked. Sasuke shoots his brother a dirty look; it would have been menacing if not for the red of his ears.

"Good afternoon Sasuke. Sakura-chan." He says brightly.

"Aniki." Sasuke grits through his teeth. Poor Sakura is too mortified to speak, burying her face in her hands.

"Okaa-san won't be happy if she catches the two of you fooling around in her house." Itachi remarks lightly, ignoring Sasuke's darkening expression. It's rare for his little brother to address him as such, but it's becoming more common lately as Itachi mercilessly teases him about his new girlfriend. "Do try to be a little more discreet, won't you?"

"Shut up." Sasuke snaps, cheeks beginning to glow a faint pink. "Like you and Izumi aren't sneaking around."

Itachi's smile is magnanimous. While the Uchiha value love, they're also very conservative. Sex before marriage is a big no-no for the elder generations; the younger members don't hold to this idea as strictly, but it's still practiced by a large majority of the clan. "If we were, we'd be better at it than you." He raises an eyebrow. While he and Izumi do enjoy their private time together, they've never been caught once.

"I—I need to go home." Sakura squeaks, drawing Sasuke's attention away from his elder brother. "I… have to help Kaa-san with dinner."

"I'll walk you." Sasuke stands immediately, hurrying his girlfriend past his brother and into the house.

Itachi chuckles when he hears the front door slam.

Sasuke glares blackly at him over the dinner table that evening as they eat. Itachi simply smiles serenely and ignores his brother's foul mood.

"And how was your mission, Itachi?" Their mother asks, sipping at her miso soup.

"It went smoothly." He replies, selecting a few pickles from a dish in the middle of the table. "I was glad to come home." His eyes linger on Sasuke for a moment before turning back to Mikoto.

"Are you going to the festival this weekend?" She asks lightly.

He nods. "Izumi and I have plans to attend, yes."

Mikoto turns to her younger son. "What about you, Sasuke? Are you and Sakura-chan going?" It's no secret that Itachi's mother adores Sasuke's girlfriend. If Itachi were the type to hold grudges, he might be offended that she appears to like Sakura more than Izumi.

Sasuke shrugs. "We're going in a group." He mumbles. "Naruto wants to ask Hyūga to go with him but knows her father won't let her."

"So you're making it a group outing?" Mikoto hums. "That's very nice of you all."

Sasuke shrugs again. "We'll probably split up at some point."

"Make sure you win Sakura-chan something cute." Itachi teases, shoving a pickle into his mouth to hide his grin.

"Oh, yes!" Mikoto giggles, missing Sasuke's irritation at his older brother. "I think I still have some of the things your father won for me when we were young! I'll have to have a look later."

"Mikoto." Fugaku warns, sounding put upon.

It hasn't gotten any less fun to tease Sasuke over the years. The only downside is that Sasuke tends to resort to petty revenge these days.

"By the way, Nii-san," Sasuke doesn't look up from his bowl of rice, elaborately casual, "didn't you say something about taking Izumi to Hokage Rock for the fireworks?"

Itachi freezes, staring at his brother. He hasn't told anyone but Shisui of that plan. How had he known?

"Oh, what a lovely idea! I can't believe I've never thought of going there for the fireworks before!" Mikoto gushes. "I might join you, if you don't mind!"

"Not at all, Okaa-san." It's Itachi's turn to glower at his brother. Sasuke just smirks at him over the table, completely aware that he's ruined Itachi's plans. He and Izumi were meant to wander the festival for a little while, play some games and socialise, and then he was going to suggest buying food and finding a place near Hokage Rock to watch the fireworks, where they would have an impromptu picnic. It had been Itachi's plan to have a little privacy with Izumi that night.

And Sasuke has just ruined it. Judging by the victorious gleam in his eyes, he knows it too.

"Point taken." He mutters a little while later as he reaches over to clear away the dishes. Their father has already retired to his study and Mikoto is tidying the kitchen. "How did you even know?"

Sasuke shrugs. "I'm a shinobi." He says, as if that explains everything.

It probably does.

Itachi finds he can't be too mad at his brother when the festival actually rolls around. He spies Sasuke and his friends several times during the night as he and Izumi meander through the crowds.

"They're so cute." She sighs as they nibble on yakitori, watching the group of teens across the street. Sasuke is holding hands with Sakura as he argues with Naruto and Sai about something or other, exasperation writ clear on his features until the girl speaks. His posture softens and the group disbands; Naruto throws his arm around a blushing Hinata's shoulders and leads her away, and Sai is dragged almost bodily away by one of Sakura's friends. He thinks she might he Inoichi's daughter. Sakura had mentioned a friend in the Yamanaka clan a few times.

"Enough that you don't regret paying up for that bet with Shisui?" Itachi teases, leaning in close to her ear.

She giggles. "I guess so."

They watch for a little while longer as Sakura leads Sasuke around a few stalls. Itachi has to cover his mouth when Sakura wins Sasuke a prize at the strength tester. Izumi snickers as Sakura forces the hawk plushie into Sasuke's arms despite his obvious grumbling. Still, he tucks the stuffed bird under his arm and takes Sakura's hand again, disappearing into the crowd.

"Come on." Itachi grabs Izumi's hand after the teens have disappeared. "Let's get some dango and go find somewhere to watch the fireworks."

"Not a word." Sasuke says stiffly as he enters the house later that night, stuffed hawk under one arm. He glares at his brother defiantly, as if daring him to comment on the toy.

Itachi grins. "I didn't say anything."

"Uh huh." Sasuke snorts. "I know you were spying on us. I saw you."

Itachi clucks his tongue in admonishment. "You should have been paying attention to your date. Besides, we weren't spying. You were in public. We just happened to see you."

Sasuke rolls his eyes and disappears up the stairs.

Their mother comes out from the kitchen, cup of tea in hand. "Was that Sasuke coming home?"

Itachi nods. "Sakura-chan won him a prize, it seems." He says mildly, enjoying the way his mother giggles.

"I told you not to say anything!" Sasuke shouts down the stairs, sounding strangled.

Just because Itachi isn't mad at his little brother for ruining his date, doesn't mean he won't get his payback.

Chapter Text

"Those two are so doin' it."

Ino ignores Naruto's spluttering as she follow's Kiba's eyes. Sakura and Sasuke are sitting together at the table with the rest of their friends, Sasuke dipping his head down so that Sakura can whisper into his ear.

Teams Seven, Eight, and Ten are hanging out today, celebrating Naruto's promotion. He's the last out of the lot of them to make chūnin; something Ino has already given him tonnes of shit for. They're crowded around a low table at the Yakiniku Q, easily the most boisterous group in the restaurant. It's their turn to get drinks for everyone.

"They are not!" Naruto nearly screeches, flailing his arms around and nearly knocking some poor woman over. "No way!"

"Oh, come on Naruto," Kiba rolls his eyes, "trust the nose, will you?"

"What?" Naruto gapes as Kiba taps his nose. "Oh, gross, dude!"

"What's gross is you two talking about someone else's sex life." Ino tosses her hair. "Seriously, guys?"

It's not news to Ino. They've been together for like eight months already, and Sakura tells her everything. She was the first person Sakura came to when Sasuke asked her out, the person she came to for help preparing for their first date, and the first person she called when he kissed her. Of course, Sakura tells her about the times that her parents are out and she sneaks Sasuke into her bed. She thinks it's sweet, how they are together.

But that doesn't mean it's anyone else's business. Ino is Sakura's best friend. She's entitled to details. Naruto is Sasuke's best friend, but if he doesn't feel like sharing that stuff with him, that's up to them to work out.

But dog-boy has no business spreading gossip.

"I'm just saying what everyone else already knows." Kiba shrugs.

"Yeah, and if rumours get around and back to his parents they'll be in trouble." Ino hisses. "Keep your mouths shut."

"Wait, you mean it's true?!" Naruto looks grossed out.

Ino sniffs. "That's none of your business." She smiles at the bartender and picks up a tray of drinks. "Hurry up and help me. And so help me Naruto, if you make a scene and embarrass them one of these trays will have an imprint of your face in it!"

Sakura is spending the night at Ino's place tonight, so she kisses Sasuke goodbye on the cheek outside the restaurant—he flushes at the public display of affection and grumbles as the boys heckle him—and walks home with her.

"So, do I wanna know what Naruto was freaking out about all afternoon?" Sakura asks suspiciously. "He was fine until you guys went to get drinks."

Ino sighs. "Kiba opened his fat trap and blabbed about you and Sasuke-kun." She admits. She and Sakura have a long-established, unspoken agreement to be honest with each other, sometimes to the point of being hurtful. If something makes Ino look fat, Sakura tells her. If Sakura looks like a walking corpse after putting in too many hours at the hospital, Ino says so. If someone is talking shit about one of them, they let the other know. It works pretty well for them.

Sakura frowns, pretty green eyes blinking at Ino in confusion. "He knows Sasuke-kun and I are together."

Ino shakes her head. "No, I mean, he told Naruto about your…" she looks around at the semi-deserted street and leans in to whisper to Sakura's ear, "…alone time at your place."

"EH?!" Sakura's face blossoms with a blush as dark as her old qipao. "How does he know?! Ino, you swore—"

"I didn't tell Kiba!" Ino snaps, insulted that Sakura would even consider that she would break a confidence like that. Especially about something so personal. "He can smell it with that freaky dog-nose of his! Try a shower next time!"

Sakura covers her face with her hands. "Oh gods, I'm never going to be able to look at either of them ever again."

Ino snorts. "Yes you will." She reassures her. "I mean, come on, when you two get married and start having babies, everyone's gonna know." She grins slyly, throwing her arm around Sakura's shoulders. Sakura only squeaks and shakes her head. "And hey, if they say anything, Sasuke-kun will set them on fire for you." She sighs dramatically. "You're so lucky."

"If I'm lucky, the ground will open up and swallow me whole."

Ino laughs. "Hey, c'mon, you can make that happen with your bare fists." She points out. "See? What did I say? Lucky."

"Come to think of it," Ino drawls later, when they're ensconced in the privacy of her bedroom, chocolate wrappers strewn across the bedspread and bottles of soda on the nightstand, "you've never really told me what he's like."

"Huh?"

Ino leers at her. "Come on. You know."

Sakura stares at her for a moment before understanding blossoms across her face. "Ino!" She snaps, flustered, her face pink. "That's private! I can't believe you!"

Ino rolls her eyes. "Oh, c'mon, Forehead. I give you all the dirty details about me and Sai."

"But I never asked for them! I couldn't look at him for a week after you told me—"

"Can you blame me for being curious?" Ino sighs, examining her nails. She needs to repaint them; they're starting to chip around the edges. "I had a crush on him for ages, too, you know. It's not like I've never thought about it."

Sakura scowls at her. "No dirty thoughts about my boyfriend!"

Ino shrugs with a grin. "Can you blame me? I mean, the guy is hot."

"You have Sai!"

"I'm taken, not dead."

They've reached a stalemate; Sakura is glowering at her best friend. Ino is grinning wolfishly. As much as she loves Sakura, the girl is way too much fun to tease.

She goes in for the kill. "I bet he's all repressed." She sings. "The guy is so emotionally constipated. You take charge, right?" Sakura looks so red she might faint. "Come on, I know you. You've got him wrapped around your little finger, don't you?"

Sakura grumbles something into her collar.

"I didn't get that."

"I said you have no idea what you're talking about." Sakura covers her face.

Ino's eyes sparkle with delight. Finally, details! She adjusts her position so that she's laying on her stomach, chin propped up on her hand. "Come, on, give me something!" She needles, reaching up with her other hand to tug one of Sakura's away from her face. "One thing. Then I'll shut up! I promise!"

"Fine," Sakura snaps, eager to drop the subject. "One thing." She chews on her bottom lip for a minute before she continues. "He… he likes to give me love bites."

Ino's eyebrows shoot up. "Really?!" She gasps. "But I've never seen—"

"I'm a medic." Sakura rolls her eyes, even as she shrinks in on herself in embarrassment. "I heal the visible ones."

"The visible ones? So does that mean that…?"

Sakura makes a strangled sound, but then tugs down the collar of her shirt. There, on the top of her left breast, is what is unmistakably a hickey. Ino squeals and scrambles to her knees, throwing her arms around Sakura. "I'm so proud of you, Forehead! Look at you, gettin' it!"

Sakura makes a sound like a dying animal. "Can we talk about something else? Anything else? Preferably before your mother barges in here asking about all the noise?"

Ino rubs her cheek against the crown of Sakura's head for a moment before she releases her. "Okay, okay. I promised." She agrees. "Tell me, what do you think? Purple or slate for my nails this time? It's about time I redid my manicure."

Ino answers the door when Sasuke comes to pick Sakura up the next morning. They've got a lunch date with his brother and his fiancée.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" She chirps.

"Morning." He grunts, peering behind her. "Is Sakura ready yet?"

"Almost." Ino leans her hip on the doorframe, eyeing Sasuke up and down.

"What?" He demands, shifting under her appraising eye.

"Nothing." She shrugs. "Just, the neckline of the dress she picked is a little lower than she thought." Here, she taps at the spot on her chest where Sasuke left his mark on his girlfriend. "She's just fixing herself up."

Sasuke's eyes widen and he flushes. It's so cute. If she didn't have Sai, she would totally be jealous of her best friend right now. "Er, right." He rubs the back of his neck and looks away. "Um. I'll wait out here."

"Sure thing." Ino grins and closes the door over. Then, she calls out, "Sakura! Sasuke-kun is here!"

"I'm coming!" She calls down the stairs.

"You'd better be." Ino mutters to herself, eyes flickering back to the door. She hadn't managed to squeeze anything else out of Sakura last night, but she'll be damned if she stops trying!

"How do I look?" Sakura appears at the bottom of the stairs, twirling in a pretty white and red dress. She's only got a little makeup on, highlighting her eyes and the pink of her lips.

Ino nods approvingly. "Very nice. Knock him dead."

Sakura giggles. "Okay. I'll call you later, yeah?" Then she slips out the front door with a "Hi, Sasuke-kun!"

Ino sighs and closes the door behind her as Sasuke mutters his greeting. Time to clean up.

Chapter Text

Chapter Text

Tsunade blinks at her former student.

"Say that again."

"I think I'm pregnant."

Tsunade eyes Sakura up and down. The twenty-one year old isn't showing any visible signs yet, but a medic of Sakura's calibre would be able to detect symptoms much earlier than the average woman, even if she wasn't expecting to find herself pregnant. "You think, or you know?"

"I'm as certain as I can be without a blood test. I took like four home tests and they all came back with mixed results." Sakura bites her lip. Her legs swing on the examination table in Tsunade's office. "Please, Shishou. You know the hospital won't let me order my own lab work."

"Like you have to ask." Tsunade tsks, already digging in her drawer for a pair of latex gloves and snapping them on. "When was your last period?"

"Five weeks ago."

"Fatigue?" She asks, withdrawing the vials to draw the blood.

"I fell asleep doing paperwork in my office yesterday afternoon." Sakura sighs. "I feel like I'm always napping."

"Any nausea? Hold out your arm."

She obeys, and Tsunade inserts the needle. Sakura watches with interest as her blood runs through the tube and into the vial. "Some. It's getting worse. I can't stand the smell of eggs anymore. And yes, before you ask, I've been urinating more frequently and my breasts have been more tender than usual."

Tsunade grins up at her as she withdraws the needle and holds a cotton ball to the wound to stop the bleeding. "You almost sound like you know what you're talking about." She says with snark.

"I'd hope so, otherwise my teacher would have failed to educate me properly." Sakura grins back, moving her hand to take over applying the pressure. "How long do you think the bloodwork will take? I haven't told Sasuke-kun yet and he's worried that I'm sick."

"I'll put a rush on it." Tsunade says, scribbling patient details on the vial and accompanying paperwork. "Hopefully it'll be back by tomorrow afternoon, but we'll set up an appointment for the day after tomorrow just to be safe." Here, she looks up. "Bring your husband if he can make it. I'm pretty sure we both know what the test will say."

Sakura and Sasuke are sitting in her office at the appointed hour, the latter looking concerned and confused. Tsunade breezes in with the manila folder containing Sakura's medical history; without saying anything, she hands Sakura the bloodwork results.

Sasuke, of course, can't understand the medical jargon. "What's that?"

"Do you want to tell him, or do you want me to do it?" Tsunade asks her protégé as she sits behind her desk, jerking her head at Sakura's husband.

Sasuke narrows his eyes, glancing between them. "Tell me what?"

Sakura chews her lip for a second with a faraway look on her face before she turns to her husband and says simply, "I'm pregnant."

Were it any other couple in the room, Tsunade would have done her best to remain detached and professional. However, she knows both of these young people so well, and Sakura is almost like a daughter to her, that she can't help but burst out laughing at the shell-shocked look on Sasuke's face.

"But… you've been getting shots." He frowns. "You got one four weeks ago."

Tsunade calms her mirth long enough to look down at the file on her desk. "There's a very small failure rate; it could be due to any number of factors." She shrugs. "Most likely the old one wore off just before she got her most recent, leaving a very small window where she wasn't protected. It happens sometimes. It shouldn't hurt the fetus, but I'd wait until we can book you in for an ultrasound before you tell anyone."

"Why?" Sasuke turns to Tsunade.

Sakura places her hand on Sasuke's knee. "It's to make sure the baby has a heartbeat." She says softly. "Anata, are you… okay with this?" She asks in a very small voice. "I know we said we'd wait a few years…"

"I'll give you a few minutes." Tsunade stands, patting Sakura on the head as she walks out of the room. She knows many, many ways to eviscerate a man alive. She wonders if her oath to heal would hold up if Sasuke did something stupid like saying he didn't want the kid. Luckily, Sakura's delighted laughter floating through the door a minute later eases her mind.

Since Sakura's pregnancy is considered low risk, they have their first ultrasound at twelve weeks. Tsunade has taken personal responsibility for Sakura's prenatal treatment; she doesn't trust anyone else with her favourite.

"And there's Baby." She says, angling the wand on Sakura's abdomen. She's just beginning to show, but it's hidden well under loose clothing. "Everything seems good at first glance. Just, let me…"

Sasuke is staring at the screen, squeezing Sakura's hand. Out of the corner of her eye, Tsunade can see him jump a bit as the sound of the fetus' heartbeat comes on over the monitor.

"That's our baby." Sakura whispers to her husband reverently, staring misty-eyed at the screen. Sasuke brings the hand he's clutching up to his mouth to kiss it in a rare public display of affection as he stares.

Tsunade lets them have their moment as she takes all the requisite measurements. When she's done, she prints out a picture of the sonogram and hands it to Sakura. "We'll book you in for another scan in five weeks and see if we can't tell the gender." She says with a smile. "You're due around the end of March."

Sakura wipes her eyes with her free hand before she takes the picture. Tsunade cleans the gel off her stomach while she and Sasuke stare at the grainy image. Sakura laughs wetly and says, "Our mothers are going to freak out."

"We'll be fine." Sasuke says quietly.

"And it looks like she's a girl!" Tsunade declares at the next scan. Sakura is very obviously pregnant now. She's been complaining in the break room between rounds that she doesn't fit into any of her pants anymore.

"Hello, baby girl." Sakura murmurs and runs her hand over the top of her rounded abdomen gently, above where the gel for the transducer is spread. She grins up at Sasuke. "My father was right."

"Is she healthy?" Sasuke demands anxiously. "Sakura refuses to slow down—"

"She's just fine, from what I can see." Tsunade says reassuringly. Sakura has also been complaining that Sasuke—and by extension, his whole family—has been hovering far too much since her pregnancy was announced. "Her heartbeat is strong and everything looks like it's developing properly. I'll just do some checks…"

She ignores the bickering of the couple in the background. Sasuke wants Sakura to take fewer shifts at the hospital. Sakura refuses. "I'm pregnant, not an invalid!"

"Don't you worry, Uchiha." Tsunade says decisively, handing them the new printout. "If it so much as looks like she's overworking herself, I'll personally bind her chakra and dump her on your doorstep."

Sakura gapes. "Shishou! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I'm on the baby's side." Tsunade says with a narrowing of her eyes. "I'm not letting you work your way into preeclampsia on my watch."

Sakura looks between her husband and her teacher, from concerned frown to stern, pursed lips. "Unbelievable," she huffs.

Tsunade gets the messenger at three in the morning on the thirty-first of March. Six days overdue, Sakura is finally in active labour.

She's been having contractions for the last day or so; Tsunade had checked her out just twelve hours before and told her to come back when the contractions got closer together. As competent a doctor as Sakura is, she's still a first time mother; feeling the pain had scared her to the point that she'd begged Tsunade to take a look.

She breezes into the delivery room, snapping latex gloves on her hands and immediately checking her dilation.

"You're almost ready." She announces. "How long ago did your waters break?"

"About an hour." Sakura is laid out on the table, feet propped up in stirrups. Sasuke looks pale and tired under the fluorescent light, but alert.

"Contractions?" She snaps at Shizune, who is acting as the attending nurse.

"Five minutes apart. Next one's due in about a minute." Shizune looks up from Sakura's readouts. "Foetal heartbeat is within the healthy range. No signs of duress. She's in position. We're just waiting on the cervix to finish dilating."

Tsunade nods. "Uchiha!" She snaps. Sasuke's head whips up. "Your hand doing okay there?" The contraction has started, and Sakura is squeezing his hand so hard that Tsunade wouldn't be surprised if she crushed his finger bones into powder.

"I'm fine." He says, sounding strained.

"I've just broken a few of his fingers again." Sakura says sheepishly when the contraction subsides, relaxing her crushing grip on his hand. "Shizune-san keeps healing him for me."

Indeed, Shizune's hand is already glowing green over their intertwined fingers. Tsunade can't help but be amused.

"I said I'm fine." Sasuke says waspishly.

"It's just about showtime." Tsunade says, rolling up her sleeves. "Get comfortable, people. This might take a while."

Seven hours later, an infant is born.

Uchiha Sarada is perfect in every way, from her downy patch of dark hair to all ten miniature toes. She hollers loudly as Tsunade places her on her mother's chest.

"Here's Mama," she whispers to the squalling infant as Sakura's hands come up to cradle her baby to her body.

Sakura is exhausted but smiling, blinking away happy tears. Her fingers trace along her baby's back in reverence. "Hello Sarada," she whispers, dipping to kiss the child's forehead, heedless of the residue of childbirth. "I'm so happy to finally meet you."

Tsunade peers at Sasuke for a moment; he looks awestruck. Cautiously, his hand reaches out and gently cups the back of Sarada's head, fingers smoothing along the patch of dark hair. Tsunade can already see that the baby will heavily resemble her father.

"Look what we made, Sasuke-kun," Sakura breathes, resting her head against his shoulder but not taking her eyes away from the baby. "She's perfect."

Sasuke swallows before responding.

"Aa."

Chapter Text

For as long as Sarada can remember, Mama has never looked like the rest of their family. She points it out to Papa when he takes her down to the lake to start teaching her the clan's katon.

"That's because she wasn't born an Uchiha like us." He says softly, placing a hand on her dark little head.

"Like me and you and Oji-san and Ojii-san and Obaa-san?" She blinks up at her father.

"That's right." Papa nods. "Her last name used to be Haruno, like her parents."

Sarada loves Mebuki-obaa-chan and Kizashi-ojii-chan. They let her play with paints and crayons when she visits with Mama. "How come she changed her name?" She asks curiously.

Papa seems to think about this for a while, sitting on the edge of the dock. It seems their lesson is over for now. "Because she became a part of this family." He says eventually. "People do that, when they get married."

"Will I have to?"

Papa blinks down at her for a moment. There's a weird look in his eyes that she doesn't understand. "Probably not." He eventually says. "Our name is special."

"Special how?"

"It's a very old name." He says slowly. "Going back many generations. Lots of very strong people have had our name, so people associate it with strength. Not many people in our clan would give it up."

"So Mama got strong when she changed her name?"

"No," Papa's smile is crooked, "she was strong a long time before that."

Papa only smiles properly at home.

"That's because he's happiest here." Mama says when she brings it up as she tucks Sarada in for bed. "He loves us very much and we make him very happy."

"But you smile everywhere." Sarada says. "Aren't you happier here too?"

Mama's bright green eyes widen. "Of course I am, sweetheart! There's nowhere else I ever want to be if you and Papa aren't with me!"

Sarada thinks about this for a moment. "And when you go away for work?"

Mama's eyes soften. "When I go to work, I miss you both very much." She smooths Sarada's hair away from her face. "But I do lots of good things there, and that makes me happy, too."

"But not happier than me and Papa do."

"No."

"Does Papa do good things at work too?" She asks. She doesn't really understand what it is her parents do. She knows Mama helps sick people and Papa catches bad guys, but beyond that she doesn't really know.

Mama nods. "He does. His work is very important. It protects people all over Konoha."

Sarada sighs and snuggles into her blankets. Her parents are both very important people, but they still come home to her every night anyway. It makes her happy. "Good night, Mama."

"Good night, baby."

When Sarada is six years old, Papa is sent away for a while. She and Mama are sad about it; it's not the first time he's been sent away, but this time he's gone for six whole weeks before he comes home. He tries to sneak inside in the middle of the night, but Sarada had had a bad dream and is awake with Mama in the living room when he walks in.

"Anata!" Mama cries when she sees him. He's got lots of cuts and his clothes are torn. Sarada sees the bright red of blood on his arms before Mama is hurrying her out the door and into the hallway.

Sarada can't get the image of her Papa out of her head; he looks like he's dying. She presses her ear against the door and strains to listen.

"…she'd be awake." That's Papa's voice, sounding tired and sore, like it does after a long day at work.

"She had a nightmare." Mama's voice is the same as it is when Sarada sees her working at the hospital. "Hold still, let me patch you up."

"I should have gone to the hospital."

"Yes, you should have. But that doesn't matter now. We can only hope she didn't get a good look at you. Turn around."

Mama doesn't sound too worried; if anything, she sounds angry. That's strange to Sarada. Mama is never angry with Papa. Sometimes with Naruto-oji-chan or Ino-oba-chan, but never Papa.

"There. That's the last of it." Mama is saying. "Go and have a shower, wash all that blood off. I'm going to check on Sarada."

"Thank you, Sakura."

"You don't need to thank me, Sasuke-kun." She sighs. "I'm not going to leave you to bleed out in the living room."

Sarada scrambles away and hides in her bedroom. She throws herself under her covers and waits. She can hear Mama's footsteps getting closer.

"Sarada, honey? It's Mama." She says as she opens the door. Distantly, she can hear Papa start up the shower. Mama is the bestest doctor Sarada knows, and she wouldn't leave Papa alone if he was dying, so she relaxes a little. "Are you asleep?"

"No." Sarada sits up. "Is Papa okay?"

Mama smiles tiredly. "He's fine. He's just having a shower."

"Can he come see me before I go back to sleep?"

"Of course, sweetheart." Sakura sits on her bed. "Are you okay?"

Sarada chews her lip for a moment before answering—a habit she inherited from her mother. "What happened to him?" She asks in a whisper.

Mama stills. "Some very bad people hurt him while he was on his mission." She says slowly. Sarada's eyes widen. "But you know how strong Papa is. He beat them and came home and I fixed him right up." She hastens to assure her.

"So he's gonna be okay?" Sarada's eyes well up with tears. For a minute she'd been so afraid that Papa was going to die.

"Of course he is." Mama runs her fingers through Sarada's dark hair. "He would never, ever let anything take him from us."

Sarada buries her face in her Mama's side, but she doesn't cry. Mama rubs her back and runs her fingers through her hair with soft noises of reassurance until Papa appears in the doorway. He looks fine. Tired, but fine. Sarada throws herself into his arms.

"I'm sorry I scared you." Papa murmurs into her hair. His arms are tight around her as he lifts her. She's a bit big for this now, but he hefts her onto his hip and kisses her forehead. "I'm okay, see?"

Sarada nods into his throat. Sarada knows what blood smells like from her many scraped knees and nicked fingers from shuriken practice, but she can't smell any on him. He smells like strawberry shampoo and soap. "Can I sleep in your bed tonight?"

"Of course." Sakura stands and throws her arms around them both. "Come on. We're all up way past our bedtimes."

Sarada giggles at the pout Papa gives Mama, but he carries her into their bedroom anyway.

Papa and Mama both stay home, the next day. Sarada still has to go to the academy, but Papa promises to take them out for ice cream when they pick her up.

She sees them standing with Hinata-oba-chan while she waits for Boruto. She runs toward them and Papa bends down to pick her up. "Hello, Oba-chan!" Sarada chirps.

"Hello, Sarada-chan." Hinata-oba-chan's voice is always so soft and pretty. "How was school today?"

"It was good! Manami-sensei taught us flower meanings!"

Mama laughs. "I remember those lessons, eh, Hinata? It was the only time we didn't have to worry about the boys being loud and disrupting the class."

"If I remember correctly, you were plenty loud and disruptive yourself." Papa says with a smirk. Sarada recognises it as the tone he uses when he's making fun of Mama.

Mama tosses her long pink hair over her shoulder. "And yet I still beat you in every single written exam." She sniffs.

The grown-ups laugh and say goodbye. Papa puts her down and Sarada holds his and Mama's hands as they start down the street. "Are we still getting ice cream?" She asks hopefully.

"Aa." Papa nods.

She skips along happily. Her Mama and Papa are both here, and they're both smiling and happy. Her fright from the night before fades away and she enjoys time with her family.

They have dinner when they get home, and Sarada does her homework on the coffee table after. She can hear Mama and Papa talking softly in the kitchen while they do the dishes; Mama's voice is happy and Papa's tone is light. When she sneaks a peak at them, Papa is bending down to kiss her.

Sarada's eyes get wide and she blushes, ducking her head. There's a small part of her that feels icky when her parents kiss, but mostly she's happy that they love each other so much.

"Sarada!" Mama calls when she's nearly finished her homework, hurrying into the living room. Papa follows behind at a slower pace, a small smile on his face. "Come sit with us for a minute!"

It's usual for Mama to interrupt her when she's doing her homework. Sarada crawls up onto the couch and sits between Mama and Papa and looks between their happy faces in confusion. Papa pulls her onto his lap and Mama's eyes sparkle bright like the stars in the sky outside when she puts her head on his shoulder and wraps her arms around them both.

There, sitting on her Papa's lap and with her Mama's arms around her, Mama and Papa tell her that, soon, she's going to be a big sister.

THE END