Chapter 918 - 19

The elective classes that Naruko and I had picked at Kakashi's recommendation had easily paid off, because the last several weeks had been fantastic and had been a mix of fun and knowledgeable for me. I was within my element with the in depth explanation on how the blanketing of your chakra worked to ensnare the senses of a target and my ocular genjutsu settled on the specialist Jonin that was the target for us students, and I could visibly tell it worked far better now than when Kakashi had taught me the basics.

"Well done, Sasuke." Kurenai said with a smile, the raven haired future Jonin Sensei being the specialist brought in to help us students semi-regularly. "Now try the touch sensation genjutsu."

Technically speaking, the Sharingan could ensnare all the senses, but required the initial eye contact to do it. That was of course a weakness if you're wanting to pull off an ambush, hence my studying to do it like a normal peasant without my eyes.

Or something like that.

My hands went through the three hand seals for the basic genjutsu, my chakra taking shape and blanketing over Kurenai that my Sharingan saw like a fine mist of shimmering violet streaked through with a multicolored kaleidescope.

"Hmmm." Kurenai hummed, making a single hand seal and breaking the illusion. "Better than last week. It isn't thick enough though because I can feel the sensation stop and start again."

I clicked my tongue in annoyance and nodded my understanding. Even with the advantage of impeccable chakra control for my age and being able to see my own chakra density, it still required training and practice to do it properly.

Since my turn was over, the others cycled forward. There were four others in my age group here, since I was doing the electives with Naruko and mine's original class. Ino and Sakura were two of them, while the other two were a civilian born boy and a girl from a Shinobi background via one or both of her parents. The boy, Keiji if I remembered correctly, struggled to perform his but had admittedly made some progress compared to last week. If I were to guess, he would be barely passable at genjutsu, but using it in a combat effective format would not be out of his reach.

Ino and Sakura, annoyingly, did almost as well as me. I should've been happy for them as over the last couple weeks since Naruko and I had been pushed ahead into the year ahead, the two had completely repaired their friendship with me out of the picture and had even started to be far nicer to Naruko. Sure, Naruko was a tomboy through and through, but she was still a girl and definitely liked having two other girls interact with her on a friendly basis.

Plus, the slightly less unhinged part of me thought it for the best that she was expanding her support group, at least so she wasn't reliant upon someone like, well, me.

But I couldn't bring myself to actually be glad for their progress because, and I'll admit I was a bit of a dick, I hated that they were nipping at my heels in genjutsu training. Neji beating me in our first bout of sparring was tolerable as I respected his skill and dedication, seeing him as a peer combatant like I saw Naruko. The other blonde and the pinkette were different, lesser.

I really hoped a Yamanaka never peered into my head. I don't want a number count on how many mental conditions I have.

Kurenai congratulated both of them after Sakura did exceptionally well, Ino having done well too and we were dismissed from the class for the day as it was a half day today. So off to lunch it was.

I turned to leave, but I paused when I heard Ino call my name.

"Hey Sasuke, wanna have lunch with us? Shikamaru and Choji wanted to go to the steakhouse."

Hmmm. Naruko will be in the fuinjutsu class for a couple more hours.

"Yeah, sure." I shrugged. I'd grown to like Choji as he was always fairly cheerful and Shikamaru, well, he was the only person my age that outright scared me. Not scared as in fearful of crippling injury like if I played pop the fox seal with Naruko's stomach, but I was scared of how intelligent that lazy son of a bitch was. I didn't really appreciate how ridiculously intelligent he was until last week when I saw him, after dozing off and taking a nap, drowsily point out multiple errors in a combat strategy I had planned out over several weeks with Naruko while we had been in one of our shared classes.

He then went on to critique my impulsiveness and muttered something about me having two eyes so I could afford to screw up at least once. He fucking knew about the attack on Naruko, or at least that I nearly lost my eye in an attack. Either he figured it out, was told which was unlikely, or eavesdropped. It didn't matter, he was physically weak and unmotivated, but he was the single smartest person I knew and that scared me.

With that thought of everybody's favorite cloud lover, I raised a brow at the two. "You two can lead, I'll just walk behind."

Ino and Sakura then led the way out of the classroom, their conversation not interesting to me as they laughed and occasionally paused to say hi to passerbys they knew, mainly some cousins of Ino's that were even worse than her as a gossip.

"Uh, Ino." I said, jabbing her arm to get her to stop talking. "Lunch, remember?"

"Oh, sorry." She said sheepishly, waving goodbye to the brunette Yamanakas and getting back on track as we headed down the street where the steakhouse was. Thankfully, Choji as the son of the Akimichi clan head basically got a family seat reserved for the immediate family and he had basically free rein to let his friends eat with him. Otherwise, the jam-packed restaurant would've taken too long.

We finally reached the steakhouse, and the place was as packed as ever. The smell of grilled meat and the low buzz of conversation filled the air as we stepped inside. Ino, being her usual self, waved to a few familiar faces before leading us straight toward the family table Choji had reserved.

Shikamaru was already there, sitting lazily in the corner, arms behind his head, looking like he'd rather be anywhere else. Choji, unsurprisingly, was eyeing the menu as if it were his lifeline, completely oblivious to anything else.

I took a seat across from Shikamaru, glancing at the menu briefly before putting it down. "So, what's the plan after lunch?" I asked, not really expecting much.

Shikamaru shrugged. "Probably head home. Too troublesome to think about."

I just shrugged at the answer, expecting that. I wasn't really too interested in idle chatter, because this did feel like a chore at times that I dealt with because I needed this upcoming generation to at the very least be on good terms with me. Being a loner was, well, lonely, even if I preferred solitude as a staple of my socializing. So I to an extent needed to.

Ino, curse her and bless her heart, was trying to pull me into casual conversation about anything really with Sakura. I just politely answered a few questions, like how I was enjoying the genjutsu class, how she and Sakura were doing well in the first aid classes, and other things.

She wasn't insufferable as a person thankfully, just as an almost 11 year old girl.

The food was finished cooking, and I speared one of the steaming cuts of meat with my fork, savoring the aroma. I cut off a piece, chewing slowly, and nodded in approval. It was good, better than I had expected from a place that was packed mostly because of Choji's appetite.

"Choji," I said after swallowing, "how does this steak compare to your clan's cooking? Is it close, or what?"

Choji paused, his eyes narrowing slightly like I'd just insulted his entire bloodline. He set down his fork and gave me a serious look. "Close? The Akimichi clan has the best food in the entire village. This is good, but it's not even in the same league as what we make. My mom's meals could blow this out of the water without even trying."

I raised an eyebrow. "That so?"

"Absolutely," he continued, puffing up slightly with pride. "People don't just come to us for combat techniques, you know. Our cooking is famous, and it's why we make the best use of calories during battle. You gotta try it sometime."

I plastered a faint smile onto my face at his enthusiasm but didn't press further. "I'll keep that in mind."

Ino, overhearing, rolled her eyes. "Here he goes again. You bring up food, and you'll never hear the end of it."

Choji just shrugged and went back to his steak, clearly satisfied with his little speech. I went back to mine, and for a moment, the table was quiet, everyone focused on their meal.

But, of course, Ino and Sakura picked the conversation back up, chatting about something or other, probably training or some other class they had together. I tuned it out while I was eating, the noise of the crowded steakhouse more interesting to me than whatever they were talking about. It was always a balancing act, keeping myself distant enough to be comfortable but close enough to not be completely isolated.

Ino finally got my attention with a question.

"Where are you at in Iryo-ninjutsu, Sasuke? If, uh, you don't mind me asking." She added sheepishly. "You said earlier you knew all the basics."

I thought for a second about how to answer that. I could downplay it, keep things vague, but then there was Naruko. If they ever asked her, she'd probably overshare and spill everything, whether I liked it or not. It wasn't worth the trouble to hide stuff if it would come out later.

And besides, pretty much every faction that may be eventually arrayed against me already knew of my skill and ability that was ahead of what I would have been without the memories.

I sighed. "Honestly? I'm over two years ahead of you guys in that."

That got their attention. Ino and Sakura both stopped chewing, eyes wide. Even Shikamaru opened his eyes and looked at me curiously.

"How?" Sakura asked, disbelief in her voice.

"One of the trained medics, Kabuto, pretty much took me as an apprentice. I got into the advanced stuff faster than normal because of that. He's been teaching me more complex techniques, chakra control exercises, and things you won't see for a while."

Ino blinked. "Yakushi Kabuto? That Kabuto?"

I nodded, wondering how Ino knew him. "Yeah, him. He's good, and I've learned a lot more from him than just the basics."

Sakura tilted her head. "Why didn't you say anything sooner?"

I shrugged. "Didn't come up, I guess. Plus, it's not like I go around bragging about it."

Ino gave me a thoughtful look. "Still, that's pretty cool. I mean, you're way ahead of everyone."

"I guess." I took another bite, hoping they'd let the conversation drift back to something less personal. But a part of me felt a little better, knowing that at least they wouldn't hear it from Naruko first and think I was hiding something.

For the record, I was hiding things, from literally everyone who knew me. But Naruko didn't need to know shit, and neither did anyone else. Best friend and sort of confidant? She gets some leeway, but the four other people at the table are good acquaintances and that's it; maybe friends if given enough time.

On that rather insular note, I went back to my meal.

xRSx

xRSx

xRSx

Lee darted forward, moving in a blur. Naruko grinned, her excitement bubbling up again as they clashed once more. Sparring with Lee was almost as much fun as fighting Sasuke. The main difference though was that Lee didn't sulk when she won a round, which took a bit of the fun out of it, but it was still a good time.

She pivoted, narrowly dodging his punch, her foot planting firmly before she aimed a low kick in retaliation. Lee leaped back, just as she expected, but she followed through, catching him off guard and swinging her leg out at his side. Her kick connected, but Lee twisted with the blow, softening the hit before flipping back to a safe distance.

"Excellent form, Lee! Naruko! Keep that youthful energy flowing!" Gai called out from the sidelines, beaming with enthusiasm.

Lee flashed a quick grin at Naruko before he lunged forward again, even faster this time. His fists came at her in rapid succession, and Naruko was forced to focus, her body moving instinctively to outright block or dodge each hit. She absorbed the momentum of his last few strikes, waiting for the right moment. When it came, she let loose a power punch, landing it square in Lee's chest, sending him skidding back.

But Lee wasn't done. He quickly righted himself, eyes locked on her with renewed determination, rushing forward again without missing a beat.

Naruko laughed. "Not bad, Lee, but you're gonna need to hit a lot harder if you wanna take me down, -ttebayo!"

Lee stayed silent, all focus now, his fists a blur of motion as he pressed the attack. Naruko dodged and blocked, her reflexes keeping her in the fight. His speed was incredible, but she was able to keep up, matching him strike for strike while being naturally stronger thanks to the conditioning training Sasuke started her on and Gai improved.

Both fighters exchanged blows, neither giving an inch. Naruko could feel it, he was starting to slow down, just a little. It was all she needed.

Naruko burst forward, feinting a punch to Lee's side. He moved to counter it, and in that split second, she twisted her body, spinning around to land a solid hit on his face. The impact sent him stumbling back, but Lee managed to stay on his feet, panting.

"Round goes to Naruko!" Gai announced, his grin wide and his eyes gleaming with pride.

Lee, catching his breath, gave Naruko a respectful nod. "You're amazing, Naruko. One day, I'll catch up to you."

Naruko wiped the sweat from her forehead and smirked, trying to give off the same energy as Sasuke, failing, then snickering loudly. "We'll see about that."

With that, Naruko rushed forward and didn't say a word. She closed the distance almost instantly, her fists blurring as she unleashed a series of quick strikes at Lee's face. Lee barely managed to block each hit, his movements precise yet strained under her relentless offense. Even as he struggled, his focus never wavered and he maintained enough composure to prevent her from landing a decisive blow.

With a sharp breath, Lee shifted his weight and ducked beneath her next punch, sweeping his leg toward her feet in an attempt to trip her. Naruko saw it coming and leapt over his leg, twisting mid-air to come down with a kick aimed at his shoulder. Lee shifted away, narrowly avoiding the hit, and used the momentum to launch a counterattack with a high kick aimed at her head.

Naruko raised her forearm just in time, blocking the kick, though the force behind it made her stumble back a step. "Heh, nice try," she muttered, her eyes gleaming with exhilaration.

Lee pressed forward again, aiming a rapid combo at her chest and sides. Thinking quickly, Naruko didn't dodge; she blocked each hit with minimal movements, her superior strength and conditioning giving her the edge in controlling the flow. She grinned as she noticed his strikes beginning to slow further.

"Gotcha," she whispered before slipping past his guard. With a quick pivot, she twisted on her heel and drove her fist into his side, sending him sprawling to the ground with a thud.

Lee lay there for a moment, catching his breath, before sitting up and giving her a sheepish grin. "You're really something, Naruko. I still can't keep up."

Naruko laughed, offering him a hand. "Don't beat yourself up over it, Lee. You're tough, and you make this a blast."

Lee took her hand, letting her help him up as Gai's voice boomed across the field. "Such fiery youth! Both of you are shining examples of hard work and passion!"

Naruko dusted herself off and shot Lee another grin. "Come on, one more round? Unless you're too tired."

Lee's grin widened. "I'll never be too tired for another round."

xRSx

xRSx

xRSx

The last couple months since I'd started the new year at the academy had paid off more than I'd ever expected. My chakra control had improved in conjunction with more Iryo-ninjutsu that Kabuto had been instructing me in, my training with Hayate still continued on while Kakashi and Neko were occupied with the upswing in ANBU missions, Naruko was improving without me being forced to browbeat a foundation into her, and Neji had seemingly grasped ahold of me as his preferred whetstone to sharpen his taijutsu against.

The last part was of the current greatest importance as it was the most topical as I pulled away from Neji in our current round of sparring. The Hyuga branch member had, after likely getting permission from Hinata's father, invited me to come over almost every other day to spar with him and we had both gotten a lot out of it. He got to improve himself against a peer fighter and I got the same while also having someone to fight that didn't whine to me about how much it hurt and demanded ramen as an apology.

'The things about Naruko I'm willing to suffer.'

Neji didn't waste any time after we disengaged. The second we squared off once again to start fresh, he was already moving, fast and precise like always. His palm shot toward my chest, a textbook opening from him. I twisted just enough to avoid the hit, my Sharingan tracking every movement down to the slight flex in his fingers.

Typical Neji, efficient and methodical. No wasted motion, always probing for a weak spot.

I stepped in fast, throwing a quick jab. He sidestepped easily, shifting around it to drive a palm toward my ribs. I shifted, but not enough and his strike grazed me. I felt that familiar, annoying sting as his chakra briefly disrupted mine.

Tch. I knew better than to let that get to me. I pivoted on my heel, aiming a low kick at his legs. He blocked, of course, but that wasn't the point. My foot hit the ground, and I pushed forward instantly, feinting a punch before twisting my torso to bring my elbow toward his face.

He caught it just in time, but I saw a slight stagger in his footing. That was all I needed.

I didn't let him breathe, pressing him hard with a flurry of punches and kicks. He dodged most, blocked a few, but I wasn't expecting to hit him with those. I was keeping him moving, keeping him on the back foot. The fight was fast, vicious. I knew how dangerous Neji was. His Byakugan meant he didn't have blind spots, and his strikes, if they landed clean, could mess with my chakra system badly enough to end the fight.

But I wasn't some civi scared of an expressionless gaze. We'd sparred enough times that I had a feel for his rhythm now. He was fast, yeah, but predictable in how he defended once he was pressured.

He darted forward again, hands blurring as he aimed a series of palm strikes at me. I blocked the first couple, but one slipped past my guard and hit my shoulder, sending a jolt through the joint. I ignored the numbness creeping in and drove a chakra-laced punch toward his gut. He spun away, but I was already moving with him, not giving him a chance to reset.

As he shifted to counter, I feinted low and went high. My fist slammed into his shoulder, forcing him back. Without pausing, I spun into a sweeping kick, catching his legs and sending him crashing to the ground.

Neji hit hard, but rolled back to his feet with that same calm look on his face, like he wasn't even fazed. He was breathing heavier now, though. I noticed that.

"You're improving against my attacks," he said, voice steady despite everything.

I wiped the sweat from my brow, smirking. "I've had enough practice sparring with you to figure out some of your movements."

He almost returned a faint smile at that. Almost. Instead, he settled back into his stance. "We'll see how well you've figured me out."

"Anytime you're ready," I shot back, keeping my breathing steady, eyes locked on his every move.

Neji lunged again, faster this time, but I was already prepared. This fight wasn't over, but I could tell I had the upper hand. It was only a matter of time.

Neji didn't hesitate, and neither did I. He lunged forward again, his movements sharper, faster, as if determined to break through my guard. His hands blurred, aiming for my chest and sides in quick succession. I shifted, knocking aside one strike and twisting away from the second, but he adapted instantly, pressing in close to drive another palm toward my shoulder.

I wasn't going to let him have it.

Instead of dodging completely, I leaned in, allowing the edge of his palm to glance off my arm while I twisted my body and dropped low, avoiding his follow-up strike. In that instant, I saw it, a small opening in his stance. It wasn't much, but it was enough.

Before he could recover, I surged upward, putting all my speed into a hooked punch aimed right for his face. He tried to react, but he was a fraction too late.

My fist connected cleanly with his cheek, the impact forcing his head back as he staggered. Neji's body tilted slightly before he fell to the ground, landing with a dull thud. He didn't move for a second, his expression empty as he processed what had just happened.

I stood there, panting slightly, watching as he blinked a few times and weakly pushed himself up. His movements were sluggish, the usual grace replaced with a lack of balance. I might've caused a small concussion, and I felt my mouth thin as I fought the urge to cringe at the thought.

"You win," he said quietly, his voice strained. He straightened up, wiping a bit of dirt from his sleeve as he gave me a respectful nod. "This time."

I exhaled, lowering my guard, feeling a rush of satisfaction.

I then deactivated my Sharingan, only to hiss under my breath as I felt a dull throb behind the eye I nearly lost. It had happened every now and then since then, but with less frequency over time. It'd probably be gone within the year according to the eye specialist, but it was still annoying like how my cracked tooth had been before I had a doctor seal it closed and clean out any possible infection.

"Need that patched up?" I asked, gesturing at his cheek which had started to darken as a bruise began forming from the hit.

Neji frowned and looked like he was going to say something impolite, but then paused and exhaled through his nose audibly.

"I would appreciate it."

"Good." I said, going through the necessary hand seals and my left hand glowed a soft green. "Naruko doesn't like it because it supposedly tickles and then she bleeds on my furniture."

That was thankfully a very brief faze for the stray I let into my house. Brushing that memory aside though, I reached forward and brushed my fingers along his jaw, pressing on his face a bit and he winced.

"Tickle?" I asked, failing to hide my amusement.

"Cold." He clarified, his eyes narrowed as the discoloration vanished and he flexed his jaw experimentally. "Does your shoulder need to be unclosed?"

I shook my head, taking a step back from my sparring partner.

"I'm good, just need to flex my chakra to force it open." Right as I finished that statement, I tried it once again like I had last week and forced the closed tenketsu to open by flowing a large amount of chakra into the area.

It worked, followed by a burning sensation that had my teeth clenching for a second and a flash of numbness in the arm.

Neji just looked at me with a completely flat expression.

"Inefficient and uncreative."

"Effective and worked." I corrected him, reaching into my pocket and pulling out a pocket sized seal scroll. "You want a water?" I asked as I formed a hand seal to open it, depositing two bottles of water onto the surface of the scroll with a pop and puff of smoke.

"Yes." He replied, to which I responded by tossing the bottle to him and he caught it.

I cracked mine open and began to drink, looking around the Hyuga compound. It was more spacious in part than the Uchiha clan compound, but it had a more spartan feel to it whereas there was some more colourful artistic choices for my clan's. I might've been biased though, to be fair.

"Does something strike your interest about my clan's residence that you haven't noticed before?" Neji asked, noticing that I was actually inspecting the buildings. I could tell he was being kind of sarcastic, so I just gave him a side eye look.

"There's several things I could say and none of them are nice," I replied flatly, screwing the cap back on and setting the bottle down as I knelt to adjust the tightness of my sandal, "And no, nothing struck my interest. I was comparing it to my own clan's residence, nothing more."

Neji didn't visibly react. He was the polar opposite of Naruko, and it was actually a bit off putting because of my acclamation towards her behavior. She wore her emotions like a uniform, while Neji was, much to my annoyance, similar to Itachi in containing his emotions when he wanted to hide things. Prodigy, dojutsu, long hair, resting bitch face, and was/is willing to hurt close family.

The parallelomania is not something I like dealing with, so I internally called myself an idiotic spaz and shunted the intrusive thoughts aside.

I remained silent, content with the lack of conversation that Naruko always felt necessary to fill the air with. This was a pleasant change of pace and I was going to make the most of it.

But alas, there was always something that ruined it.

Neji scowled faintly and his eyes twitched, a very brief flaring of the veins around his eyes occuring and he seemingly looked through my head to see what was behind me. Setting aside the slightly disturbing thought, I shifted to see what had his mood changing and saw that it was Hinata arriving back home from somewhere; an outing judging by I believe was Ko escorting her.

I could understand Neji's frustration and anger about his father dying, coupled with him being a kid that got a brand on his forehead. But Hinata was his cousin, or sister by blood given that their fathers were twins. And I was fundamentally incapable of finding that acceptable, because of my own issues with Itachi.

Thankfully, the clenching of my jaw and the brief narrowing of my eyes while looking at Neji went unseen by him. Hinata noticed us and slumped slightly at the look Neji gave her, but I gave a slight wave and a small smile plastered on my face. He then deactivated his dojutsu and turned back to look at me.

Now, I could have remained nice and been perfectly pleasant and civil like I tried to be for the most part. But that shitty look towards his younger cousin annoyed me.

"You look like your uncle set up a betrothal between you two." I pointed out, saying it as casually as possible.

Neji visibly grimaced, glaring at me like I'd stated some horrific fate for him. Speaking of that, now I'm wondering what his outlook on fate would be if that occurred.

"As if that's impossible going by the history of different clans." I stated as a follow-up, covering my bases. Though judging by the narrowing of his eyes at me, I counted it as a win and dropped that portion of my slight bullying of him. "And do you mind not acting angry at close relation in front of the guy that has none?"

The Hyuga's face shifted slightly, blinked once, then his posture relaxed.

"I will attempt to remain civil." He replied, sounding rather forced.

"Thank you." I acknowledged his promise, then I went back to remaining silent and Neji seemed fine with that.

xRSx

xRSx

xRSx

Months had passed since they had started the new academic year and Naruko was quite pleased with herself as she wrapped her new orange coat around herself tighter. Fuinjutsu came naturally to her, she was learning so much other stuff in the elective classes, and she actually had straight up friends now! Ino and Sakura had stopped being annoying because Sasuke wasn't around them as much and they had started inviting her to outings, 'girls outings' as Ino put it.

Which was what they were doing now as they made their way to the pricier clothing store she and Sasuke had gone to that got stuff from the capital of Hi-no-kuni and Ino was explaining the current fashion trend that Naruko was making an effort to understand, at least for Ino's sake. But her mind was still on fuinjutsu, because she managed to make an exploding tag that didn't blow up early and a clone with it, and was absolutely pumped.

"I'm still going to wear orange." Naruko replied after Ino's explanation, making the other blonde frown and a tic mark formed at her temple. "What? Orange is cool, -ttebayo."

"I said you can still get orange, Naruko." Ino said, fighting to roll her eyes as they got within sight of the store and she pointed at it for emphasis. "They have orange silk shirts here. Didn't you hear the last part I said?"

She… in fact, did not.

"Um, yeah?" She replied sheepishly, looking to Sakura for support. But the other girl just stifled a laugh.

"Let's just go inside." Sakura said, the three girls then entering the store.

The moment they stepped inside, Naruko immediately veered off toward the shirt section, eyes scanning for anything orange. Ino let out a loud, exaggerated groan behind her.

"Naruko, you are impossible!" Ino huffed, crossing her arms as she and Sakura followed at a more measured pace. "We literally just got here, and you're already on a mission?"

"Yeah! A mission to find the coolest orange shirt in this fancy place!" Naruko shot back, grinning as she ran her hands along the racks, already spotting a few promising options. Some had gold embroidery, others had flame-like patterns stitched into them, and one even had a subtle swirling design that reminded her of the Yondaime's cloak.

Sakura chuckled. "At least she has a theme going."

"More like an obsession," Ino muttered, before stepping up beside Naruko. "Fine, if you're so dead set on orange, at least let me pick one that won't make you look like you dressed yourself in the dark."

Naruko pouted but didn't protest. She may not have been as into all this fashion talk, but even she knew Ino had a good eye for it. "Alright, but if it doesn't scream 'Naruko,' I'm not getting it."

"Oh, trust me," Ino said with a smirk, already sorting through the shirts. "I'll make sure it screams something."

Ino wasted no time, immediately plucking a shirt off the rack and holding it up to Naruko's front, tilting her head slightly as she analyzed it. It was a bright orange silk button-up with black cuffs.

"Hmm… no, too formal," she muttered before setting it back and grabbing another, this one a softer shade of orange with intricate gold embroidery along the edges. "This one's kinda nice…" She squinted, then shook her head. "Nah, too delicate. You'd ruin this in a week."

Naruko huffed. "Hey! I take care of my stuff!"

Sakura snorted. "Naruko, you literally spilled ramen broth on your coat two days ago."

Naruko just mumbled under her breath, feeling her face heat up.

Ino ignored them, already pulling out another option, a deep sunset orange, short-sleeved shirt with a swirling design faintly stitched into the fabric. She pressed it against Naruko, tilting her head again. "Okay, this one might work."

Then she grabbed another, a rich amber-colored sleeveless top with a subtle sheen to it. She tilted her head once more, then nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, these two. They're stylish, and they actually suit you. Try them on."

Naruko took the shirts and blinked at her. "Wait, already? What if there's a better one?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "Naruko, if I let you keep looking, we'll be here all day. Just try these, and if you hate them, we'll keep looking."

Naruko grumbled but ultimately shrugged, making her way to the changing rooms. "Fine, fine. But if they don't feel good, I'm picking my own, -ttebayo!"

"Like I'd let you leave looking like a disaster," Ino shot back with a smirk. "Now hurry up!"

Naruko stepped into the changing room, closing the curtain behind her before looking down at the first shirt—the deep sunset orange one with the swirling design. She pulled off her coat and slipped the new shirt on, adjusting the fabric before turning to the mirror.

She made a face at herself, puffing out her cheeks, then scrunching up her nose. Then she grinned and gave herself a mock-serious nod, turning slightly to the side to see how it fit. The material was smooth against her skin, not too tight, not too loose. It felt nice. Actually… she really liked it.

She stretched her arms above her head, testing how it moved with her body. No weird stiffness, no uncomfortable tight spots. Yeah, this was good.

She turned a little more, inspecting the way the swirling design caught the light subtly. It looked cool. And it was orange, which made it even better.

She smirked at her reflection. "Not bad, -ttebayo."

Rolling her shoulders once, she stepped back and called out, "Oi, Ino! This one feels good!"

Naruko barely had a second after calling out before Ino's voice came from right outside the changing room—strained, like Naruko had just yelled directly into her ear.

"Lower your voice," Ino said, and Naruko could practically feel the sigh through the door.

She winced. "Ah—right, sorry," she muttered, rubbing the back of her neck before stepping out.

Ino was still pinching the bridge of her nose but recovered quickly, looking her up and down with a critical eye. She tilted her head, examining the fit, before finally nodding in satisfaction. "Yeah, that looks nice on you. We'll get that one."

Naruko grinned. "Told ya orange is cool."

Ino rolled her eyes but still kept a smile on her face. "Yeah, yeah. Now try the other one on."

Naruko nodded and stepped back into the changing room. She carefully slipped off the first shirt, making sure to place it neatly back on its hanger before grabbing the second one.

Naruko pulled the second shirt over her head, adjusting it before turning to the mirror. She made a few faces at her reflection again, tilting her head this way and that. It was a darker shade of orange—almost amber.

She tried to think like Ino. Maybe this colour made her hair and eyes stand out more? The normal bright orange she usually wore made her seem like a sunrise or something.

…Actually, that sounded more like something Sasuke would say.

She frowned, shifting her arms. The lack of sleeves felt weird. She wasn't used to her shoulders being bare like this. But then again, her hair being long had felt weird too, and now she barely noticed it. Maybe she could try this out, see if she got used to it.

Naruko took one last glance in the mirror before shrugging to herself and stepping out of the changing room.

Ino was waiting just outside, arms crossed, while Sakura had reappeared, presumably after browsing through some of the store's other sections. Both of them turned to her as she walked out.

Ino gave her a quick once-over before nodding. "Looks fine. Do you like it?"

Naruko glanced down at herself, rolling her shoulders again at the unfamiliar feel of the sleeveless cut. "Yeah, it's fine."

"Okay good." Ino replied, a pretty purple shirt in her left hand as she gave her another look up and down. "I got what I wanted and so did Sakura, so let's go to the shoe store to see if there's anything there you like. Go ahead and hang that back up so we can check out."

Naruko complied and stepped back into the changing room, slipping the amber-colored shirt off and carefully placing it back on the hanger. She gave herself one last look in the mirror, rolling her eyes at how weirdly fancy this whole thing felt, then grabbed both shirts and walked out to rejoin Ino and Sakura.

They made their way to the cashier, with Ino still holding onto her own purple shirt and Sakura with a pinkish-red blouse. The transaction was quick, with Naruko handing over the money without a second thought before the cashier nearly shoved the bag into Naruko's arms.

That… still never failed to annoy her, but at least Sasuke wasn't here because he was rather mean about it. Best friend and she loved that about him, but she didn't like seeing him that way. He was far less scary when he smiled and wasn't angry.

As they stepped out of the store, Naruko briefly considered something that almost made her snicker out loud. If this had been an actual shopping trip for them, they probably would have gotten way more stuff. But instead, they'd only gone out of their way to get her something.

Ino's dad was a big-shot clan head and absolutely loaded. If Ino really wanted to go all out, she would've.

So she'll play dumb for now, because it felt amazing to have more friends, friends who cared.

She couldn't wait to tell Sasuke.

xRSx

xRSx

xRSx

It's been about a week since Kakashi came back from the massive campaign of ANBU, and I'm still getting used to the fact that he's back despite this being the third time this week I've interacted with him. He's already started working with me on refining my Sharingan once again, pushing me further than I've ever gone before. It's exhausting, but I can feel myself improving at a better pace in fighting with it. Slowly, but steadily.

Now though, we're walking through the village after the rather heated session of training that's left me decently fatigued, but the good kind. Kakashi's doing what he does best, reading his damn Icha-Icha book, right in the middle of public as we walk to my house. He doesn't even try to hide it. It's honestly ridiculous. His head is tilted down, and his hand flips through the pages lazily as if we're not even walking through a village with people everywhere.

I can't help it; I have to say something.

"You're never going to get a girl doing that so blatantly in public," I say, crossing my arms and looking up at him. I forgot about how much of a habit it was to see him reading his book like that, but it still annoys the hell out of me.

Kakashi doesn't even look up, his one uncovered eye barely visible as it skims the pages. "You're a child, Sasuke. Your opinion doesn't matter."

I stop walking for a second, taken aback. It's not like he's wrong, but the way he says it, so casually, almost like he's been waiting for me to say something like that, just makes it worse.

"You really don't care about what people think, do you?" I mutter under my breath, shaking my head. "You just keep doing whatever you want, in front of everyone. It's embarrassing."

Kakashi hums in response, the sound of it more like a thought than an actual reply. He flips another page without sparing me a glance. "Subtlety is overrated. Besides, who needs subtlety when you're already a man of mystery?" He glances at me then, that familiar gleam in his visible eye. "What would you know about getting a girl anyway? You've still got a long way to go."

For a moment, there's silence between us, the sound of our footsteps echoing in the streets. Kakashi pauses as if he's thinking it over, then glances at me with that irritatingly nonchalant expression of his.

"Never mind," he says with a shrug. "I just thought about it, but then I remembered, you've got a girl squatting at your house like a stray cat."

I freeze.

My face burns, my heart pounding in my chest. "Wha—" I start, but I can't even finish the sentence before I feel the heat rising in my cheeks, a mix of anger and embarrassment. My mouth goes dry, and the world feels like it's spinning.

"She's not—!" I start, trying to gather some kind of coherent response, but Kakashi's already strolling ahead of me, unfazed by my reaction.

I grind my teeth together, trying to hold it in. He just had to bring that up. Of all things. I've been dealing with that situation already, and now it's like he's made it public knowledge.

He's such an ass.

"You're making it sound worse than it is," I mutter under my breath, my hands balled into fists, as if that'll make the embarrassment go away. "She's not—"

Kakashi cuts me off, glancing back with that damn lazy smirk on his face. "Sure, sure. Just make sure you keep a little food for yourself, Sasuke. Wouldn't want to come home and find her claiming your couch next."

"Shut up," I snap, my voice a little harsher than I meant, but Kakashi only grins wider. He knows it gets under my skin, and damn it, he's enjoying it.

I can't even think straight, my mind still stuck on his words. It's not like that with Naruko. She's just… well, she's just there, okay? It's not like I'm letting her take over my space. She just keeps showing up.

Still, as I keep walking beside Kakashi, I can't help but feel my face burn with embarrassment. Every time I think I'm starting to get a handle on things, there's always something, some little detail he finds to make me look like an idiot.

Unless, maybe I was a dumbass. I thought I could kill Itachi after learning Chidori, joined Orochimaru in the undisturbed trajectory of events, thought it a good idea to attack the kages, and thought it a fantastic plan to be a tyrant, so… damn, I really did have it in me to be an idiot.

Or…

Yeah, Naruko's stupidity is what causes it, or Naruto. Same difference really, they both want to kill me with their mere presence. A sound and rational internal deduction right there.

Kakashi slows down, his pace easing into a more comfortable rhythm, and I can't help but feel a subtle shift in the air. The teasing in his voice fades, replaced by something more genuine. He seems to be thinking about something before turning slightly to look at me.

"You know," he says, his voice softer now, "it's not as fun to mess with a kid who's actually working hard in training today." He says it like he's realizing the weight of it, like it's a shift he doesn't usually make. "So I'll try to be a good teacher."

He pauses, looking at me more seriously now. I don't know what it is, but the whole conversation feels different all of a sudden. It's like he's about to ask something important, or at least something that matters more than his usual banter.

"Tell me," he continues, tilting his head slightly. "How's it going with Neji? You getting along with the other resident prodigy?"

I blink, caught off guard for just a moment. For a second, my thoughts flit between Naruko and the embarrassing misconstruing of our friendship, but I push it aside. Kakashi had mentioned Neji before, so it's no surprise he's bringing him up again.

"Yeah," I start, clearing my throat. "I've been invited to the Hyuga compound a lot recently. We've been sparring, training together. I'd say we're getting along well." I pause for a moment, considering. "He's shaping up to be a friend and a rival, kind of like how Gai is with you."

I can't help but smirk internally slightly at the comparison, even though I know it's not quite the same. Neji and I have a different dynamic than Kakashi and Gai, but there's something about it that fits.

As I look at Kakashi, though, I notice his stride hitch just for a second. It's almost unnoticeable, but it's there. I don't know what it means, but something about it feels off. He gives no sign of it when he answers, though.

"Well," he begins, a chuckle in his voice that doesn't quite mask a certain dryness, "I pray that Hyuga never ends up like Gai. Though it's good you have another friend that isn't Naruko."

"Hey," I protested, beginning to say something else before I paused.

Yeah, even the last couple months of being a year ahead and neither Naruko or I had made any additional true friends in our current classes aside from Neji. Tenten was nice, but was no more than an acquaintance that Naruko made with me being dragged along because I recommended being nice.

While for our previous year? Naruko was at this point pretty tight with most of the kids our age while I, well, still wasn't. Neji though was someone I enjoyed being around.

I can't help but wonder what exactly Kakashi's thinking as I go silent, but I let it pass. The whole conversation about Neji and the Hyuga clan feels like it's almost getting too heavy for a moment that started out about my 'love life,' but Kakashi's been right before, maybe I am getting along with Neji a little better than I thought. I just didn't realize it until now.

"Not exactly the same," I murmur, more to myself, but Kakashi nods like he understands.

"Just be careful with that," he says, his tone slightly more serious than before. "Neji's strong and will be a skilled Shinobi, but keep your guard up. Prodigies always have their weaknesses."

I could only guess at what he meant by that, but I was not exactly bad at such guessing because of my knowledge.

"Thanks, Kakashi," I say, almost reluctantly, but I know he's just doing his job and trying his best. And for once, it doesn't feel as annoying as it usually does.

We reached my house just as the late afternoon sun begins its descent, casting long shadows over the village. Kakashi gave me a lazy wave without saying a word of farewell before disappearing in a swirl of leaves, leaving me standing at my doorstep. I exhaled, rolling my stuff shoulder from today's training before stepping inside.

The sight that greets me makes my eye twitch.

Naruko was sprawled out on my couch, one arm hanging off the side, her head tilted at an awkward angle, and she's snoring like a chainsaw that some drunk wrapped around a wire fence. Her long, tangled hair fanned out over the cushions, a complete mess. But what truly grated my nerves was the fuinjutsu note stuck squarely to her drool soaked cheek, its inked symbols pulsing faintly. It looked. So. Stupid!

I press my fingers against my brow, inhaling sharply through my nose. And then, despite myself, Kakashi's voice echoes in my head. 'A girl squatting at your house like a stray cat.'

I will forever deny that he was unironically right.

Taking several quick, measured breaths, I try to will away the impending headache.

"It's only a couple months away from graduation," I mutter under my breath.

Only a couple more months. Then, maybe, just maybe, I'll finally have my house to myself again.

After getting a lid on my borderline unhinged exasperation, I walked over and pulled the paper off her face, crinkling my nose when she snorted, shifted in her sleep, then proceeded to snore once again.

I blamed Itachi for this, for no other reason than that I hated him and he deserved the blame. I then walked to my bedroom, got to the window, and chucked the paper out the window. Let some other schmuck deal with it.

I then collapsed on my bed, briefly noting how cold the sheets were, before letting out a muffled scream into my pillow and I flailed as I punched the bed frame.

I was stuck with her, wasn't I?

End chapter:

I unsealed the steel mannequin with a puff of chakra and a hiss of air as the scroll flared to life. The thing dropped with a heavy thud onto the worn patch of dirt in my training yard, the ground trembling slightly beneath its weight. It was solid, too heavy to drag from the shed, which was why I started sealing it for convenience.

Technically Naruko was the one that sealed it, but I refused to acknowledge my thanks after she teased me after I accidentally blew up a seal.

I set it up, locking its base into the earth so it wouldn't tip, and stepped back a few paces. The metal caught the morning light in dull silver streaks, dented and scorched from past sessions but still holding firm.

I exhaled once, closing my eyes. I focused, then drew chakra through my tenketsu and guided it deliberately, up my arms, flooding through my shoulders, and tightening in my fingers. A familiar burn made its way through me, sharp and controlled. Then I opened my eyes, stepped in, and started punching.

Each strike rang out with a loud clang, the force of my enhanced blows echoing off the steel like hammerfalls. My knuckles stung almost immediately, even with the chakra buffering them, but I kept going, left, right, elbow, palm strike, again. It wasn't about breaking the thing. It was about pushing just past what I could manage yesterday.

Graduation was soon and I would need everything I had. About a year at most before the chunin exams, before Orochimaru.

Behind me, Naruko sat cross-legged by a tree bordering the yard, shoveling rice and grilled fish into her mouth from a bento box with absolute calmness you would expect from a Floridian alligator that ate flushed meth. I didn't need to look to know she was watching.

She gave a loud, satisfied mmph between bites. "You know," she said around a mouthful, "you could just punch actual people. That's what I would do, -ttebayo."

I didn't respond. Stopping to respond would mean thinking, and I was doing this to avoid thinking.

Clang.

Naruko kept chewing. Kept watching. The scent of her breakfast drifted past, and I briefly regretted not eating first.

Clang.

One more hour, I told myself. Then a break. Maybe.

I stepped in again, ducked low, and shifted my stance.

The next strike wasn't with my fists. I planted my hands against the steel torso, chakra surging down into my legs, and launched myself up. The air cracked behind me as I flipped over the mannequin, twisting my body in a tight arc above it.

At the apex of my spin, I drew my hands together in a practiced blur, blurring through hand seals.

My lungs filled with chakra-laced air as my hands snapped to the final seal. Mid-twist, I exhaled sharply.

"Katon: Gōkakyū no Jutsu!"

A roaring fireball erupted from my mouth, illuminating the sky and reflecting off the dull steel below. The heat licked across my face as I angled the blast downward, right toward the mannequin's chest.

It hit with a sound like thunder, flames engulfing the steel target in a bloom of red and orange. The fire dispersed a moment later, leaving only the scorched, blackened surface of the mannequin smoking faintly beneath me.

I landed a few feet away, sliding back with a soft thud of sandals on dirt. My breath came out slow and controlled, my stance relaxed but ready to dash in again.

From the tree, Naruko let out a whistle. "Well damn, Sasuke. That's one way to make a point."

I wiped a sleeve across my mouth, the lingering heat still curling around my lips.

"I wasn't making a point."

She grinned, stuffing another bite into her mouth. "Sure you weren't."

I rolled my eyes and turned toward her, brushing the soot from my sleeves. "Are you going to make your clones or are you just going to sit there and chew in my ear?"

She wasn't that loud, but she was still a loud eater.

She giggled around a mouthful of rice, swinging her legs lazily where she sat. "Say please."

My eye twitched. Involuntarily, of course.

I let out a breath, slow and pained, then put a hand to my chest and bowed with a theatrical flourish. "If it would so please the golden princess, might she honor the black prince with a dance across the training yard?"

The bento box nearly tumbled off her lap as she choked on her food. Her face flushed scarlet, eyes snapping away from me like the sun had suddenly come too close.

"Sh-shut up," she muttered, voice high and completely betrayed by the growing color in her cheeks.

But she stood, brushing crumbs from her lap, and with a single hand sign, a dozen Narukos appeared around the field, all grinning and stretching like they were warming up for a relay.

I cracked my neck, flexed my fingers, and smiled just slightly to myself.

Back to work. Though I should enjoy for now how easy it was to win the back and forths because I had little natural charisma, just that she was naive and not quick witted on comments.

My Sharingan flared to life, the world sharpening in an instant.

I surged forward with a burst of chakra and blurred across the training yard. One clone barely turned before I was in front of her, my elbow crashing into her guard. She flew back, dispelling in a puff of smoke.

Another came at me from the side. I twisted low, pivoted off one foot, and drove a punch into her ribs. She blocked, barely, but the force sent her skidding back, heels scraping the dirt.

I didn't stop moving. Another flash step, another strike, another clash of fists and flickers of smoke. The yard became a web of motion, my eyes tracking every twitch and shift, feet gliding effortlessly from one target to the next. My punches came faster, my momentum rolling from one blow to the next with barely a breath between.

Two more clones came at me in tandem, one high, one low. I ducked under the first, twisted mid-roll, and drove a heel straight into the other's back before she could react. Poof.

I landed smoothly, chest rising with sharp exhales, a wild grin pulling at my face.

I was chaining it all together. Finally. Not just flashes of speed or instinct-driven strikes, but a rhythm.

I could feel it, my body catching up to the experience crammed into my mind.

The grin on my face evidently unnerved Naruko's clones, because the look now plastered on my face had more than one of them flinching before I dashed forward.

xRSxxRSxxRSx

The classroom was louder than usual, the floor of the training hall packed with students pairing off and trading strikes under Iruka-sensei's half-distracted supervision. The final month before graduation had everyone on edge, more drills, more spars, more last-minute posturing from people who wanted to make impressions before assignments went out.

I stood with Neji near the back wall, both of us with arms crossed, watching another spar play out in the center. Two boys, civilians, and they had comparatively clumsy footwork, no sense of timing. I'd already gone a few rounds earlier, so had Neji. Iruka knew better than to force us into anything structured at this point but I expected either Naruko, Neji, or me being paired up to spar; perhaps Lee.

"This is a waste of time," Neji said idly, eyes tracking the fight without real interest. "Some of them won't even pass. It's already been decided."

I gave him a sideways look. "Decided by who?"

"Fate," he said simply, like that answered anything.

I rolled my eyes and exhaled through my nose. "Fate's a stupid excuse."

Neji's pale eyes turned toward me. Calm, unreadable. "It's not an excuse. It's reality. We are born into our roles. Into our limits. Trying to escape them only wastes energy."

"That's not how it works." I shook my head, glancing back at the spar. One of the boys slipped and got tagged in the jaw. "A river only flows one direction, yeah, but it twists. Forks. Spreads. Just because you were born on one bank doesn't mean you're stuck there."

Neji didn't speak right away. He stared at me, as if trying to decide whether I was being naive or willfully ignorant. "You can't change where you come from."

"Maybe not," I replied, "but you can change where you end up."

The silence between us stretched. Then he looked away, eyes narrowing ever so slightly, not in annoyance, but in thought.

It wasn't the first time we'd talked like this. Wouldn't be the last. But something about his silence this time felt heavier.

We weren't friends exactly. Not yet. But he'd started seeking me out for conversations. He never said it aloud, but I think he respected being challenged.

So did I.

My gaze drifted across the yard, casual at first, until I spotted her.

Naruko stood off to the side with Lee, one hand on her hip, the other gesturing animatedly as she laughed at something the bushy-browed friend of ours said. Her grin was wide, bright, and then she turned just enough that I caught it.

A bruise. Faint, yellowing at the edges but still there, blossoming across the edge of her cheekbone like a shadow someone forgot to clean up. Probably from earlier that day. I'd seen her get clipped during a spar with probably Lee, she hadn't backed down, of course. Because she never did.

I forced my jaw to stay unclenched, but something tightened in my chest anyway.

It was nothing. A bruise. She was a shinobi-in-training. This was normal. Expected.

Still, the uneasiness crawled up the back of my neck, and I had to resist the urge to glare at her like it was her fault for getting hit. I clicked my tongue softly and looked away, trying to focus on Neji again.

You're being an idiot, I told myself. It's a bruise. She's fine.

But ever since that day, since she almost was killed, I hadn't done well seeing her hurt outside of me specifically training with her.

No one noticed, of course. Not her. Not even Kakashi. But it was there, all the same, buried just below the surface, simmering quietly and low.

I crossed my arms tighter and watched the sparring ring again.

Maybe Neji wasn't completely wrong. Maybe some things were set in motion and impossible to shake loose.

Or maybe I just didn't like the idea of her laughing like that while sporting a reminder that this world was still too dangerous.

Either way, I hated the feeling.

The spars were starting to wind down, the crowd of students shifting restlessly as another match ended. Dust hung in the air, kicked up by all the movement, and the low buzz of conversation and footsteps filled the courtyard. I could feel the heat of the afternoon pressing down through my shirt, the weight of the sun stretching shadows long over the training ring.

Mizuki stood near the center, clipboard in hand, scanning the roster with his usual half-bored expression. Then his eyes flicked up, a glint of interest passing through them.

"Next up, Uzumaki and Uchiha," he called out.

The words snapped through the yard like a trigger. A few heads turned immediately. Of course they would, that matchup always got attention.

Naruko perked up instantly, cracked her knuckles and was already bouncing on her feet as she jogged toward the ring.

I sighed, pushing off the tree I'd been leaning against, stuffing my hands in my pockets as I walked out after her. I could feel the way people watched us. Like they expected fireworks.

They weren't wrong.

We stepped into the ring, the dust swirling around our sandals. Naruko tilted her head at me, eyes gleaming with mischief, the bruise on her cheek now fully visible. She looked absolutely ready.

I met her gaze evenly, already feeling my chakra begin to stir under my skin.

She smiled, wild and bright. "Try not to get knocked on your butt this time, Sas'ke."

I didn't say a word, glaring at the bruise on her cheek as I blinked once and my Sharingan flared to life.

Mizuki's arm dropped. "Begin."

I closed the space in a heartbeat.

My first jab snapped for her chin, feint. She bit. I shifted the strike mid-motion, hammered an elbow toward her ribs. She twisted, forearm sliding into the blow, the impact thudding into muscle instead of bone.

Naruko grinned, spun off the block, and her knee came roaring up for my stomach. I dropped my weight, let it graze my shirt, and fired a kick at her supporting ankle. She hopped clear, sandals scraping dust, and was already driving a straight right for my jaw.

Good. My Sharingan tracked the strike, my vision breaking her motion into clean frames. I rolled inside the punch, let it slip past my ear, and answered with a left hook that would've cracked most students' guards.

She met it head-on, chakra-bolstered palm to my knuckles, the clap echoing like a firecracker. The shock stung up my arm. I felt her chakra flare, strong and hot, smashing against mine where our hands locked.

Neither of us gave ground.

I forced her hand off, and snapped a kick straight up for her shoulder. She crossed her arms to block; the impact jolted through both of us. Before she could reset, I spun, heel whipping for her temple. She ducked by centimeters, braid whipping the air.

She drove forward while I was still pivoting, short, brutal body shots, her fists pounding like hammers. I caught two on my guard; the third thudded against my ribs. Pain flared, dull and bright, but I fought through it, planting my feet and slamming a knee toward her midsection.

She twisted, let me glance her side, then answered with a head-level roundhouse that ripped the air in front of my face.

One breath. Then a second.

The ring around us blurred, all noise in the background gone. Just her and me, exchanging strikes that would flatten anyone else in this class.

I felt my blood spark, the grin stretching wider on my lips.

Time to push harder.

I surged forward, Sharingan spinning, reading the twitch of her muscles before the blows even came.

A straight punch to my face, I tilted back just enough to let it scrape the air.

A low sweeping kick was my response and I was already moving, anc stepped over it and punished her exposed side with a hard palm to her ribs. She grunted, staggered a half-step… and then smiled.

She tanked it. Like it was nothing.

Fine.

I snapped my fists out, a flurry of jabs and hammering hooks. She blocked most, slipped a few, but the rest landed, one hitting her shoulder, stomach, and collarbone. She took them all, chakra rippling under her skin as she refused to give ground. One shot rang off her temple. She blinked, but didn't slow.

A normal hit would've rattled someone. Dazed them. Naruko just grinned wider, cheek flushed with the imprint of my knuckles.

I growled under my breath, ducked a wide swing, and punished her with a spinning elbow to the sternum.

Her foot slid back to stay upright, but her smirk didn't leave. "That all you got?"

I didn't answer.

I blurred in again, weaving between her punches, watching her movements unravel like threads through my eyes. She aimed a punch at my chin, predicted. I stepped to the side and planted my fist into her shoulder. She fired a counter, I ducked it, hit her ribs again. And again.

She kept moving, kept swinging.

She wouldn't go down.

And somehow, that only made my blood run hotter.

I swept in low, pivoting on one foot, the other snapping up toward her midsection.

Naruko caught it, hands locking around my ankle.

But she wasn't fast enough.

Before she could tighten her grip, I twisted, my hips swinging around with the momentum, and brought my other foot crashing into her chest like a battering ram.

The hit landed clean. She let out a startled gasp, eyes wide, and the force sent her flying back.

She hit the dirt outside the ring with a thud and a bounce, rolling once before coming to a stop on her back, blinking up at the sky.

"Point to Sasuke," Mizuki called, voice barely audible under the ringing in my ears.

I lowered my leg, breathing controlled and steady despite the rush of exertion. My Sharingan slowly dulled, fading back to black.

Naruko groaned, then sat up, brushing dust off her face, hair a wild mess of gold and grass.

She looked up at me, eyes shining despite the hit, and grinned happily.

I didn't smile back. I just stepped to the edge of the ring, hand extended to her.

She slapped her palm into mine and let me pull her to her feet. Her grip was strong, as strong as mine and I tried to keep that thought from becoming a negative one.

"I'll win the next one, -ttebayo." She vowed, sticking her tongue out at me slightly and smiling, her teeth barely visible with her tongue still out.

The smile and the gleam in her eyes chased away the thoughts, and I managed to return the smile.

"I'm going to prove you a liar." I said, engaging in the impulsive thought and I poked her nose, making her scowl.

I then reset my stance, eyes flaring crimson as we clashed once again.

xRSxxRSxxRSx

Ichiraku was quiet tonight, quieter than usual, at least. There were only a few patrons inside the stand, and the air smelled like freshly cooked noodles and soy sauce. Steam drifted up in slow ribbons from the bowls in front of us. I sat beside Naruko, our shoulders brushing now and then when she leaned too far in excitement or to wave her chopsticks for emphasis.

She slurped loudly and thumped her half-empty bowl on the counter. "What's his deal, seriously?" she asked, her voice booming like she forgot that there were other people nearby. "Neji, I mean. Every time I talk to him, he acts like I'm some kind of idiot who doesn't know how the world works."

I took a slower bite, feeling the noodles hit my tongue. Naruko was still glaring down at her broth, her blue eyes narrowed. There was a faint bit of miso stuck to her lip, and I had no idea how she hadn't noticed yet.

I chewed, swallowed, and leaned back slightly on my stool. "I know why he acts like that," I said, keeping my tone even.

She turned to me immediately, eyes wide and expectant. "Well? Spill."

I gave a short, dry laugh and shook my head. "It's not my story to tell."

Naruko blinked, brows furrowing. "Seriously?" she huffed. "Then why bring it up at all, teme?"

"Because I figured you'd ask." I took another bite, letting the silence stretch for a second or two. "And because I thought you'd understand."

She stiffened beside me, clearly not expecting that. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I didn't look at her right away. I just focused on the bowl, stirring the noodles absently with my chopsticks. "It means I wouldn't want you going around sharing stuff about me I didn't give you permission to. Stuff that's not really anyone else's business."

"Yeah, but—" she started, and I cut her off before she could dig herself deeper.

"You don't like it when people call you a stupid orphan."

Her mouth snapped shut.

The words lingered in the air, and I didn't regret saying them, though I didn't enjoy watching her flinch slightly, either. She stared at her bowl now, lips pressed tight, the earlier spark of annoyance gone. Her fingers tightened around her chopsticks. Not like she was angry. More like she was grounding herself.

I gave her a moment.

When she finally spoke, her voice was lower. "That's different."

"Is it?" I turned toward her now, fully. "It's something personal. Something that pisses you off when people bring it up like it's casual."

She shifted again, hunched slightly, like her oversized orange coat wasn't enough to shield her from the words. "Yeah," she muttered. "Okay. I get it."

I nodded. "Neji's got stuff like that. Only it's tied into his entire clan, not just him."

She let out a long breath. "Figures. Stupid clans with stupid secrets." She paused. "Yours too?"

I looked away. "Obviously."

She frowned but didn't push. Probably because she'd tried before and knew I'd shut it down fast. And maybe because deep down, she got it. She didn't have a clan, but she knew what it was like to carry around things you didn't want exposed. Secrets were sometimes the only thing that felt like yours.

After a long silence, Naruko went back to slurping her ramen. The mood had shifted, but not in a bad way. It was quieter now, more thoughtful. She finished her second bowl and pushed it aside, letting her arms hang off the counter lazily.

I finished mine at a more reasonable pace, then paid for us both before she could protest. She glared at me, of course, but it was half-hearted.

"You know I'm gonna get you back for that, right?" she muttered as we stepped out into the cool night air.

I rolled my eyes. "Sure."

"No, seriously." She jabbed a finger at my chest. "One of these days, you're gonna find all your rice swapped for extra spicy pickled radish, and it'll be my doing."

"I'll call it karma," I muttered.

She barked out a laugh at that, bright and sudden. The kind of laugh that cracked through the quiet like lightning. She looked up at the sky afterward, lips still curved.

"I'm still gonna kick Neji's butt one of these days," she said eventually, hands behind her head now as we walked. "Just to wipe that smug look off his face."

I gave her a side-glance. "You'll probably have to hit harder than you did earlier today."

She gasped. "Excuse you!"

I let a smirk curl on my face. "You hit like a civilian."

"What?"

"You heard me."

She shoved me, and I let it slide. Her strength was low-key unsettling if I actually thought about it. Not enough to move me much in this specific case, but it wasn't nothing either.

For a second, we walked in silence again.

"You know," she said suddenly, almost casually. "You get weird when I'm hurt."

I blinked.

That… can she read me that easily? Of course she can, idiot savant that is practically living with me. Of course she can.

I didn't reply.

"You get weird about it," she said again. "Like… twitchy. I'm not made of glass, you know."

"I know that."

"Then what gives?"

The wind blew past us, lifting a few strands of her hair, sending a dry leaf skittering across the path. I kept walking, hands in my pockets. "It's nothing."

She gave me a skeptical look.

I glanced at her. "I don't like seeing my friends get hurt. That's all."

She didn't say anything for a bit. Just walked beside me, steps a little slower now. "Huh. Friends, huh? Not best friend?"

I sighed. "Yes, best friends. You're a pain, you know that?"

She looked off into the distance, her smile softer now. "Thanks, I guess."

We reached the fork in the road near her apartment first. She didn't immediately veer off, though. She just stood there for a second.

"You gonna walk me home, or what?" she asked with a grin.

I sighed, but turned with her. "You're just going to tell me to head to mine so you can sleep on the couch again."

"Yeah, but I figured since you're in such a good mood, you might as well keep the act going."

We kept walking. The moon was out now, half-shrouded behind some clouds. I glanced over at her again and found her looking forward, the smile still faintly there.

Neji had his reasons. I had mine. And maybe Naruko, loud and stupid and too stubborn for her own good, had started to realize there was more to people than what they let show on the surface.

Maybe.

But for now, we walked in silence, the kind that didn't need to be broken.

xRSxxRSxxRSx

The electives had finally evened out into a rhythm, each week a balance of lectures, a few strategy tests meant hands-on practice, and moments where I was either satisfied or completely irritated with my progress. The genjutsu training with Kurenai had started focusing more on fine control of layered illusions, more subtle manipulations of sensory input, not just brute-forcing a fake image into someone's mind. I was still ahead of the pack, though Ino and Sakura were catching up faster than I liked to admit.

Iryo-ninjutsu had gotten more tedious. Kabuto had been a serious taskmaster the past two sessions, and Shikamaru once again scares the hell out of me in the strategy classes because he always wins.

As for Naruko, well, she had taken to fuinjutsu with alarming ease and the scary progress she had maintained for roughly the last year continued. She talked about it almost constantly now, to the point where I had to actively shut her down sometimes if I wanted to get anything done.

But it was hard to deny the results.

It was between classes, late in the day, when she finally brought it up. We were walking the road that ran between the administration building and the academy, cutting through one of the smaller parks. I had a book in my hand, one of the older genjutsu theory manuals Kakashi had tossed at me last week, and I was currently using my Sharingan to read, and she was eating a dango stick and barely paying attention to where she stepped.

"Hey," she said between bites. "Shikamaru's dad invited me to one of those Akimichi barbeques. They do 'em every month or so, apparently."

I assume she meant Shikamaru extended the invitation on behalf of his dad, but I wasn't going to split hairs and derail her thinking, no matter how amusing it was to do.

I didn't look up from the page. "Today?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

She ignored the flatness in my tone. "And Choji's dad said I could bring someone. Said it's good bonding and that I'm part of the group now." She nudged me with her elbow, hard enough to make me shift my footing. "You should come. I know you don't like crowds, but I bet there'll be food even you'd like."

I sighed, then flipped the page. "Not crowds, I just don't like them pitying me. Not interested."

There was a beat of silence before she shrugged. "Suit yourself. I'm still going. Ino's gonna be there too, and she said she'd bring those weird fruity drinks she likes."

I nodded absently, already losing the thread of the conversation as my eyes scanned the lines of script. But once she walked ahead of me a few paces and I saw her silhouette caught in the late afternoon sunlight, I felt something twist behind my ribs. She was already waving to someone across the street and smiling. No hesitation. No second-guessing.

I didn't say anything when she left, just gave her a half-wave and turned back the way we'd come.

The house felt empty when I got back.

Naruko had become a permanent fixture there lately, half because of training, half because she simply didn't like being alone in her own apartment. I didn't mind her being around, even if she was loud, irritating, and had a bad habit of leaving scrolls and explosive tag paper lying around. At least it meant someone else was breathing in the space.

With her gone, the quiet was deafening.

I set the book down on the table, stared at the blank corner of the room where she usually left her coat and sandals, then turned on my heel and walked out the door.

The sun was almost down by the time I reached Training Field Three. The trees were rustling in the breeze, the usual background hum of insects filling the space between my thoughts. The grass crunched under my feet as I walked to the middle of the field and unsealed the weighted bands from my scroll, affixing them to my wrists and ankles with practiced movements.

If I wasn't going to socialize, I'd train.

That was how it always worked, right? If I couldn't fill the silence with voices, I'd fill it with motion.

I started slow, just stretches and some limbering exercises. Then moved to quick punches and footwork drills. The cold air bit at my skin, but I didn't stop. I didn't want to. I needed my body to feel something because my head was starting to feel too heavy.

The first signs of sweat beading on my forehead felt like a relief.

I moved into a kata I'd been refining with Kakashi the past few days, combining high-speed taijutsu movement with chakra control bursts, short, explosive dashes meant to simulate Shunshin precision but on a much smaller level. My Sharingan activated mid-combo, the world shifting as my perception sharpened. I saw the exact arc of my foot's rotation, the lean of my torso, the imperfect follow-through of my backhand.

It wasn't perfect. But it was getting closer.

I kept going until the sky turned dark enough that the stars began to show faintly through the gaps in the trees. And only then, when my arms were burning and my legs felt like stone, did I finally stop, breathing hard and still unsatisfied.

Naruko would've made a joke about me overworking myself. Probably said something dumb.

She was probably laughing right now. Probably smiling like she always did, mouth wide, eyes squinted, like the world didn't know how to break her anymore.

I sat down in the grass, leaned back on my hands, and stared up at the sky.

The ache behind my ribs hadn't gone away.

xRSxxRSxxRSx

Kakashi watched from the tree line, one leg bent comfortably against the branch, back leaning against the trunk, arms folded loose. Below, Sasuke moved like a blade, fast and honed but still raw in some ways that weren't obvious unless you'd seen it before. The kid was alone. Again.

Not surprising, really.

The grass bore the signs of his passage, flattened patches, scorch marks, and the shallow furrows of countless heel-pivots. The latest round of high-speed taijutsu ended with a chakra burst that snapped across the clearing. Sloppy edge. Still too much wasted force. But he was improving.

Kakashi adjusted slightly, careful of the dull ache that ran down his side. The medic-nin had been clear, no missions, no field drills, nothing that risked reopening the sutures for at least three more weeks. So here he was. Grounded. Not that he really minded it, given the timing.

He looked down at Sasuke again, who had transitioned into rapidfire Shunshin strikes, one after the other with barely a second between.

Kakashi tilted his head, watching.

The kid was channeling something. Not just energy, but whatever sat just under the skin. Restlessness, maybe. Or something heavier.

Kakashi had seen it before. Lived it before. He knew the shape of self-isolation that didn't come from a desire to be alone, but from believing no one else could understand. Or worse, that understanding would make no difference.

And yet… watching him now, Kakashi felt something else stir under the quiet pity.

Relief.

Not much longer now.

Sarutobi had confirmed it earlier that week, Team 7 was already being finalized. Once the exams were over and graduation was official, Kakashi would take Sasuke and Naruko under his wing, as planned. They'd passed his unspoken test months ago, and they'd only grown since.

Soon, watching from a distance wouldn't be necessary.

He could finally step in. Teach them properly. Guide them. And, hopefully, keep them from falling into the same holes he'd never crawled out of himself.

Another impact shook the clearing. Sasuke struck the ground with a chakra-laced palm, dirt lifting in a tight blast. Efficient, if a little overkill.

Kakashi leaned forward just slightly, enough to see better through the thinning canopy. His ribs ached in protest, but he ignored it.

Sasuke slowed at last, chest rising and falling, hands resting on his knees. The kind of exhaustion that came from pushing to the edge but not over. A quiet form of discipline, even if it came from the wrong place.

Kakashi didn't feel bad for watching from the shadows. But he did feel a little bad that Sasuke never looked up. Never checked if someone might be there. Never seemed to care either way.

Still.

He wouldn't be in the shadows much longer.

He reached into his vest and pulled out his book, Icha Icha Tactics, bent at the spine, pages dog-eared from the last hospital stay, but didn't flip it open.

Just held it.

And kept watching.

xRSxxRSxxRSx

Naruko walked half a step ahead of me, her arms crossed tightly over her stomach like she was trying to hold herself together.

"I don't know, Sasuke," she muttered for the third time, not looking back at me. "What if I mess up the theory again? I almost failed last time."

"You didn't," I said, hands in my pockets. "You passed with flying colors except for the written part barely. You'll do it again."

"That's not exactly reassuring, -ttebayo," she huffed.

"It's not meant to be," I replied. "It's just the truth. You'll barely scrape by on the written, maybe. But you're solid on everything else. Sparring, weapon drills, jutsu demonstration, you'll crush it."

She didn't say anything to that, but I could see her shoulder tense for a moment before she exhaled. Still fidgeting, though. Her fingers kept twitching at her sides, like she wanted to punch something just to get the nerves out.

We turned onto the main street leading up to the academy. A few other students were ahead of us, moving in small clumps. Some looked nervous, others were acting too confident for it to be real. Everyone was feeling it today.

"I'll be fine," she said after a moment, more like she was trying to convince herself than me.

"Yeah," I answered simply. "You will."

We reached the steps of the academy just as the sun broke fully over the rooftops. The building looked the same as always, plain, a little worn, and completely indifferent to the nerves of every kid walking through its doors today.

Lee was already there, stretching in front of the entrance like he was preparing for a full-on tournament. He had one leg pulled behind his back, the other knee bent deep, and his arms moving in wide, fluid motions like he was warming up for a sprint. The second he saw us, he brightened.

"Good morning, Sasuke! Naruko!" he called, all energy and full volume, as usual.

"Hey, Lee!" Naruko grinned, instantly forgetting whatever nerves she'd been chewing on. She jogged up to him, giving him a playful shove on the shoulder. "You look like you're about to try out for the Fire Daimyo's guard or something."

Lee beamed. "We must always treat every challenge with the utmost seriousness! Youth demands it!"

I nodded once in greeting, more subdued. "You ready?"

"Absolutely," he said, fists clenched at his sides. "I will do my best today, and so will both of you!"

Naruko laughed again, her earlier tension completely wiped from her face now. I let my eyes drift across the courtyard, scanning the other students milling around.

Neji was off to the side near one of the benches, seated with his back straight and arms loosely crossed. He didn't look up, didn't fidget, didn't speak. Just sat there calm and still, like this was another day of sparring or meditation.

He felt me looking and raised his gaze just slightly. We locked eyes for a second. His face gave away nothing, but I could read the readiness in the way he held himself.

He was going to take this seriously.

So was I.