Archive of Our Own

Chapter Text

Reincarnation. The concept of living again after death. It is as fascinating as it was dreadful to think about. If reincarnation is real, then is there an end? Is it real reincarnation if memories are never there? Is it cruel to pretend to be normal when you have such old souls?

It was a concept he, Senju Tobirama, found quite intriguing as a child. He had, at an early age, thanks to Edo Tensei, proved that there is a life beyond death in what is called the Pure Lands, the land where everyone returns to. But beyond that? Was everyone stuck in Pure Lands forever? Or will your very soul wither or return to the world to be recycled after a long stay? How long a stay was it? Is it workable for everyone? What are the criteria for it? Does chakra, being part of the soul as it is, increase as you reincarnate?

Well, once again, a miracle. Here he is reborn, and some of the questions that have plagued him since Edo Tensei succeeded are answered.

What more could he ask?

Maybe that he should have been reborn as a boy. Like he was before.

Well, beggars can't be choosers, he supposed. This is possibly a once-in-a-lifetime (?) opportunity, so he needs to take advantage of it.

Senju Tobirama is now Nara Suzuka. Somehow, he—or rather, she—has gained consciousness at 5. Or at least, he has most of his (her?) memories to piece things together that this is not her first life.

There's no doubt that she barely remembers things still. Many things make no sense when she tries to organize them chronologically. It makes her wonder if it was because her body is so small, and thus her brain is yet to fully develop. Is that why her memories are not back in full, and things keep slipping away?

Curious. She wrote that in her diary. Things to think about once she has gained more of her memories. For now, she supposed she could enjoy life as a 9-year-old.

Or so she thought. 2 weeks after that, the Uchiha were massacred.

Chapter Text

Nara Suzuka has always been weird for as long as Nara Shikamaru has known her (which is his whole life and before even that!). 

She wasn't interested in girl things, such as clothes, and boys liked other girls. This much he has no real qualms about; he could make do with a tomboy rather than an Ino 2.0. The problem lies with the fact that not only is she not like any other girl, but she isn't like any other children, too!

Where children would be happy to have toys, she would be happy to have books and scrolls instead.

"What would you like for your 5th birthday, Suzuka?" Their father, Nara Shikaku, asked the young girl seated on his left arm as they walked. Shikamaru was on his right arm, already with his new cloud-shaped memory foam pillow and action figure.

"A new book." She replies. "There's a new book from Iwa I'm interested in."

"Is that right?" Shikaku asks, amused. "Let's go get it then."

They went home with over a dozen books and scrolls that day.

Where children would be happy to have play time with other kids, she would be happy to have time to herself, her books, and, recently, her lab.

"Where's Suzu-chan?" His best friend, Akimichi Chouji, asks as they sat by the hill just a little away from the main park. "Ino's been looking for her."

Ino, that terror of a girl, likes Suzuka best, or, to be more accurate, likes dressing Suzuka up like a doll and playing with her. For the most part, Suzuka humors her, letting the younger girl do anything she wants with her. It works out quite well for him and Chouji, with Ino busy with Suzuka, she is less likely to boss them around and be a bother. That is, till Suzuka refused to leave her lab at all, then Ino becomes extra troublesome.

Just like now, the albino has locked herself in for 3 weeks now, not even their mother could get her out at all.

"She's in her lab," Shikamaru answers after a while. 

"She hasn't come out yet?"

"3 weeks now."

"Ino's gonna be pissed."

"As she always is." He rolls his eyes. "Where is she anyway?"

"She's by the slides, last I saw."

And looking down the hill, Ino was indeed still there, with another girl with pink hair. "Looks like she found another target." Thank goodness, he closed his eyes after that.

Where children would hate being assigned to take care of younger kids, she adores them and takes care of them as if they were her own children!

"Why should I? I have better things to do!" Shikamaru complains. Their devil of a mother, Nara Yoshino, remains unmoved, giving him an irritated look. 

"The older kids are in school or missions, and I, along with others, am going to have a girls' vacation, which leaves only you to take care of Shikako and Kanoko for a bit."

"We're children too! We're only 6!" 

"It's just 2 hours, Shikamaru," Yoshino argues. "Just until the academy time ends and the older kids come back. Just watch over them as they play in the forest or the playground, that's it."

"That's not just it. They're snot-nosed brats who don't know the word NO, and you're leaving with them. I'll die!"

"Oh, stop being so dramatic." He wasn't; those kids were real terrors, seemingly endless in energy and forever curious, with no sense of boundaries or personal space. Simply say, they are the type of people Shikamaru hates dealing with the most, very energy-draining. Seriously, are they really Nara? Where's that energy from?

"No, Shikamaru, it's final. Nanami's getting married next week, she's been working herself to the bone, so she needs this break, okay? It's just 2 hours."

Shikamaru was about to protest some more, but he was his twin beat him to it.

"I'll do it, I'll take care of them." Suzuka volunteers, tone still flat as ever, as if she didn't just say something ridiculous. "Enjoy the outing, Hahaue."

Yoshino looked hesitant at that. "Are you sure, Suzu-chan? They can be quite the handful." Now you admit it? How troublesome.

"I can handle it. Shika-kun can play with Chouji-kun while I stay with them."

"If you're sure..."

Suzuka, as it turns out, was not only great with children but adores them, even babies! And babies and toddlers adore her back, and thus, she became the resident go-to babysitter from then on. Shikamaru dodges her like she has some kind of infectious disease whenever some kids toddle over her after that.

Where children would have to be forced to study, she would need to be forced out of her lab and books to even interact with other people.

"NARA SHIKAMARU YOU BRAT!" Yoshino yells as she slams the shared bedroom door of the twins. Shikamaru startles, nearly falling from his bed where he was taking a nap. Suzuka was nowhere to be found, probably stuck in her lab again. 

"W-what?"

"What did I hear that you didn't pass your assignment?!"

What assignment?

He must have said it out loud because, somehow, his mother turned even redder in anger. "What do you mean by 'what assignment'? Your teacher told me it's a long-term project that's 40% of your grades!"

Ah. Shit.

"Explain!"

"Uh..."

"Shika-kun forgot it in my lab." Said his savior. They turned. Nara Suzuka stood by the doorway, a project he was 100% sure he did not do, in his hand. "He was stumped on some parts, so he asked for my help. It was left in the lab."

"Oh." Yoshino lowers the frying pan. "I see. You should have said so." Shikamaru stared at the older woman. Well, he didn't know either, and even if he did, it's not as if she gave him any time to orient himself and explain! Troublesome woman.

"Well, don't forget to pass it tomorrow." Their mother said, glaring. "If you fail this semester, you'll regret it!"

He slumped in relief as soon as the door closed. Shikamaru lay on his back, hands crossed over his eyes. "What a drag."

"You should really manage your time better," Suzuka said.

"Not you too, I can't deal with another lecture." He said with a groan, staring at his twin as she lowered the project on his bedside table. "Where did you get that? I don't remember doing it."

"You didn't, I made it." She answers before giving him an annoyed look. "I'll leave it here; you owe me. Leave me alone for the next 2 weeks."

Read: don't try to break into my bed to cuddle with me for the next 2 weeks. How cruel.

"Fine." It's just 2 weeks anyway.

Where children would whine and do anything to escape chores, she would be diligent and go out of her way to volunteer.

"Shikamaru!" His mother was yelling again. "Get back here, you lazy brat. What's this mess?"

"I'll clean it!"

"Who cooked?" Shikaku asked Shikamaru as he and Yoshino entered the room. They just got home from a 'date'. 

"Suzu."

"I'll do the dishes..."

"Let me help, Hahaue..."

"Please take a rest, Asuka-san..."

So yes, Nara Suzuka is a weird little girl.

She also tends to nag him like an old hag. Always chastising his messiness, laziness, and general disinterest in anything in life. They don't get along that well at all despite sharing the same womb at the same time.

But despite all that, she's still his little twin sister, and so when some student pushed at her, he did not hesitate to swing his fist.

Their mother would have his head for getting in trouble, but oh, was it worth it to knock those milk teeth out.

"I'll take care of it, Hahaue." She told her mother, Nara Yoshino, as she entered the living room. It was a mess. It was, after all, the day after her and her twin brother's 7th birthday.

Said brother was still out cold in their shared room, snoring the day away. Typical. For all the genius of the Nara that she had admired as Tobirama, one of the things she can never fully approve of is their laziness. A trait that's more prominent in males and those who proved to be especially logically gifted than most of the clan, which is mostly the main branch family. Combine those two factors still, and you have in the making laziness that beats that of any type of tortoise or sloth you could find in the whole of the Elemental Nation and beyond.

And so, she takes extra care to be even more diligent, for the sake of their mother.

"Ah, Suzuka!" Her mother smiles. "That's sweet of you, but I can take care of this. You have already cleaned up so much! It's the day after your birthday, you should take the opportunity to rest, darling!"

"I have rested already," she reasoned. "And my training with Father is not much till later, I don't have anything to do anyway."

"What about your experiments, dear? Why don't you go to your lab, hm?"

Although not as sophisticated (or dangerous as her Father would claim) as her lab from before, as Tobirama, it was still more than what she no doubt could have had she been born in any other clan or as a civilian. Suzuka spends a lot of her day away on it when not training with her twin and Father.

"I'm stuck," she lies, "I need a break from thinking of it for now."

Yoshino sighs, "Fine, then help me clean this up, but that's it, young lady. I'll be the one to do the dishes and dry them!"

"Yes, Mother."

"There's a good girl." Her mother ruffled her hair. Blood blooms in her cheek at that. How warm. Suzuka can't remember the last time she received such affections as from Tobirama.

Maybe she came to receive them more as an adult than as a child and just can't remember; she certainly hopes so, otherwise that would just be so sad...

After all, Butsuma Senju died when he was 13, Hashirama took over after that. Surely, after acclimating properly as Clan Head, the turmoil with his marriage to the Uzumaki Princess, everything went a lot better from there? Surely they were a proper family; they never got to be under Butsuma and the perceived betrayal in the river?

There's this little boy, blonde and blue-eyed, with whiskers-like birthmark on his face. He likes to pull pranks and is always being chased by chunnins. He was 2 years their senior in the academy despite being the same age, younger by days even. But Suzuka digresses; it's not what caught her attention.

No, it was the large and unique chakra signature that he had. Burning—scalding in its nature, had it been any other sensor than her, a water nature type. It was familiar warmth, both that unique and scalding chakra and that sharp and rough like 'texture'. A Jinchuriki, an Uzumaki Jinchuriki like Mito-aneue.

It seems that his sister has passed the title of Jinchuriki in her maiden clan. 

It was fascinating how intricate and strong the seal was. It allows a trickle of the Kyuubi's chakra to drip through the host's chakra pool steadily and assimilate it. It was such a fascinating thing that she wanted to drag the Uzumaki down and study it firsthand. It was different from what his sister did to herself upon sealing the biju. How times have truly changed for Biju to no longer be something that needs to be restrained thoroughly...

She'll need to create an opportunity for them to talk.

"You're spacing out." Said a familiar voice of her twin. Nara Shikamaru stared at her, a frown marring his usual bored face as he lay his head on her lap. "Don't tell me a new experiment crosses your mind? You just came out of your 2-week experiment spree."

Indeed, Nara Yoshino has been taking on even more missions as they have passed their toddler stage, giving her more opportunities to stay in her lab without many hurdles. Their father folds like a wet towel to any request she has, unlike their mother, who, as Shikamaru puts it, is 'a nagging hag'.

Suzuka can't find it in herself to be too mad, despite the constant interruption of her experimental spree. It was a nice change of pace; it reminded her of his older cousin, Senju Touka, who was just as stubborn in her concern for his well-being.

"Nothing of the sort," she answers. "I was just thinking of Naruto."

Despite not inheriting their signature red hair, everything else, down to their mulishly optimistic belief, was Uzumaki through and through. It was a trait of Uzumaki, as it was their hair, even Mito, for all her elegance and politeness, is quite a character. Suzuka finds herself fascinated with him.

"What about him?"

"Does he not have parents?" She asks, remembering the times she saw the boy doing his own groceries, laundry, and other things. "I have yet to see another Uzumaki." Which was quite strange, although the Uzumaki live in the Land of Eddies, it was not uncommon to see them in Konoha since their princess lives here. Additionally, Naruto lives in Konoha; as far as she knows, it's only natural to assume that his parents would be in Konoha too.

"He's an orphan," Shikamaru replied as he sat up. "Tou-san said his parents were lost to the Kyuubi attack."

"Kyuubi attack?" She asks, bemused. 

Her twin sighs, "And Kaa-san's always on my business for sleeping and skipping when you don't pay attention yourself." He grumbles under his breath. Suzuka ignores him, looking at him intensely, waiting for an explanation. "It's on our latest history class. October 10th, the Kyuubi appeared out of nowhere and attacked Konoha; the Yondaime sacrificed himself to kill it."

Kill it? The Biju is very much alive and sealed in the only blond Uzumaki.

"Why are you asking anyway?"

"Call it curiosity."

Shikamaru looked skeptical before sighing and lying back on her lap, closing his eyes again. "Yeah, right. I don't want to know. I don't want to get dragged, whatever it is you're planning."

She ignored the jab as she let her mind wander again.

"Why is Naruto alone when he has the Kyuubi? Shouldn't he have an Uzumaki with him as a guardian even if his parents are deceased?" Suzuka demands out of nowhere as they enter the forested part of the compound. "Why are people so cruel to him? It's quite bemusing, shouldn't they be grateful that the Kyuubi is still under Konoha and not wreaking havoc?"

Shikaku felt himself freeze at that. He turns to his little girl, and she looks blank as always, but there is an underlying displeasure in those crimson orbs.

"How do you know about that?" He asks a non-answer.

"I asked first, Chichiue." She said firmly, mouth downturned. "Why are you dodging the question?"  

Because the answer is way above your clearance, he wants to say, but he knows his little girl, forever curious and mulish, she would never be satisfied with such answers. How should he put it?

"The Uzumaki are no more." He said carefully. "He's the last as far as we know. As for why people are so harsh to him...well, people by nature are easily fearful, and fear can make anyone do really cruel things."

"What?"

"How do you know about them anyway?" He asks his daughter, eyes narrowed. "The Uzumaki are a well-kept secret, and so is Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki. Suzuka, this is an S-class secret, so please, tell me, how do you know about it?"

"I'm a sensor, remember? I was curious." Was all his little girl said, and Shikaku wants to curse from the Pure lands and back at that. Of course, his daughter just has to be a sensor talented and curious enough to match their ancestor, the Nidaime Hokage. 

"Suzuka, baby," He grabs his daughter's shoulder, kneeling to stare at her in the eyes. "Listen to me. This is an S-class secret, which means that this is way above your clearance. You can't tell anyone about this, alright?"

"Why?"

"I can't say, Suzuka, sweetie, please, promise me that you won't tell anyone about this, not even your brother."

"Not even Naruto himself? He doesn't seem to know about it." 

"No, not even."

"I promised. I don't like it, but I promised, you don't have to worry about me, Chichiue."

He pats his daughter's hair, both pleased and saddened. "That's a good girl." Shikaku felt his heart clench at the incensed and disappointed look on his daughter's face. "Tell you what, why don't you invite the kid around? There's no decree against inviting him now, is there? You and Shikamaru can befriend him. Sage knows that boy needs it."

Tobirama, at 3 years old in his new life, has come to a decision. She, as Nara Suzuka, will not get involved in Shinobi politics; her time as a politician and leader has long been over. It has been over since her death as Senju Tobirama. It was time for the new generation to take the lead, she had thought.

And so, for the next few years, she kept herself out of the village business and let herself live out the best of her life in the Nara forest, surrounded by books, her lab, and children that she watched over and sometimes even taught.

She wasn't born the heir, just like before, but unlike before, she did not need to take over and make the harsh decisions in life because of an idealistic older brother. Nara Shikamaru is a Nara, lazy and unmotivated, but very much capable and pragmatic, it was obvious even at his very young age. He was a very gifted child indeed, learning seals at an accelerated rate for someone with no disposition for it (Uzumaki heritage).

And so, she might have been inattentive to what is happening around her. She curses, as Tobirama, this wouldn't have passed at all, he was always guarded and in the know—paranoid as his brother would put it, cautious and pragmatic, if you ask him.

Suzuka stares at the research notes lying on her desk. 

No trace of Uzumaki at all from any of the history books. At least, nothing of good significance.

Damn it, Hiruzen. What the hell happened?

Chapter Text

Tobirama has always been impatient. He likes things done fast. Never had the patient wait and accommodate those who cannot keep up with his work. Tyrannical, as Touka and his Anija would say, efficient, he would argue. The point was that being known as the fastest man alive has its roots and consequences.

Tobirama was never able to really improve his patience before his death. He has also never shied away from confrontation and calling out bullshit, especially against old fools. There's a reason why the Senju elders hated his guts aside from his peculiar coloring, despite all his work that benefited the clan.

But that was Senju Tobirama—Senju Tobirama, who was from one of the most prominent and powerful clans of Hi no Kuni, who had made a well-known name for himself and had gathered respect and fear. Now, he was Nara Suzuka, a recently turned 9-year-old girl from the Nara Clan who's just been in the Ninja Academy for 3 years. He—she was no one remarkable in the grand scheme of things, someone with no real power to make change.

It was a frustrating realization, even more than the fact that, because of his reincarnation, his perfect chakra control was in jeopardy due to the new chakra introduced into his (her?) soul. He had never felt so powerless, not after Batsuma's death anyway, and it was wrothful as it was a slap in the face.

She has been too complacent. How could he have at least not known that both his blood clan, as Senju Tobirama, was all but gone, and his mother clan hanging to just one individual left?

How pathetic...

"In a span of half a century..." Time truly is a cruel mistress. "How times have truly changed. Anija, Mito-aneue, Touka-itoko..."

Uzumaki Naruto is used to being ignored and treated like he carries an infectious disease. It has always been that way, ever since he knew how to write his own name. He didn't know why; it started even before he started pulling pranks. In fact, he only started pulling them as revenge.

There's nothing he can do about it, though, since no one would tell him why. Well, not now at least...

"Just you wait!" He yells at the kids who tried to gang up on him, but didn't take into consideration that he would fight back and beat them right back. "I'll become the next Hokage, and you'll all regret this! You better believe it!"

He ignored the snickers from the other kids and teenagers, and the disgusted, fearful looks from the adults. He kicked the sandcastle he was trying to build just earlier before bolting out of the park.

What do they know? He'll be the Hokage for real! And once he is, they're going to eat their own words!

"Your penmanship is atrocious." Said an unfamiliar voice in his ear. Naruto screamed, falling on his back and scrambling back in fear. He stared. 

"Ah-ah-" He shakily points. The apparition didn't so much as twitch; everything was white, except the eyes, which were crimson and glowing under the moonlight. The girl's very beautiful, and Naruto would have appreciated her beauty more had she not been- "A GHOST!" He screeched, gathering in his hand whatever he could grab in his pocket to chuck at the ghost.

Thump!

His gama-chan crashed into the ghost's stomach, and it bounced back, landing pathetically at the ground. Not through it, it wasn't a ghost after all.

"Really? That's it?" The girl asked, giving him an unimpressed look. "It's even worse than I thought." Naruto doubts he was supposed to hear the last part at all, considering that the other muttered it under her breath, but Naruto has always had a good sense of hearing, much to his dismay.

Naruto felt anger boil in his body at that. "Hey! What do you mean by that, huh? Why don't you say it directly in my face?!"

"I'm just saying, your penmanship is atrocious, and your survival instinct is basically non-existent." The girl, who hasn't introduced herself yet and is already insulting him, says bluntly. "It's pathetic for an Uzumaki."

"Wh-what did you just say you bas-" Wait, for an Uzumaki? "-wait, what? What do you mean by 'for an Uzumaki'? I'm the only Uzumaki here. Do- don't tell me you know another Uzumaki?" He felt hope rising in his chest at the last part. Was he not an orphan after all? Or perhaps he has some distant relatives that he didn't know about, and-

"The Uzumaki clan is known for their vitality, longevity, large chakra pools, good environmental awareness," The girls list out, heedless of the impact she is making in Naruto's psyche. "And their unparalleled skills in Fuuinjutsu, which meant their calligraphy skills are second to none."

Naruto felt his head spin at that. Clan? He was from a clan? 

"I-I'm from a clan?" His voice trembled as he asked. He wants to berate himself at that, showing obvious weakness has never helped him; even when he was much younger, it just encouraged people to be even more cruel. Before he could do so, however, the girl responded.

"The Uzumaki clan is the sister-clan of the Senju," She explains, looking in the direction of the Hokage Monument. "Of which 2 were the first of the Hokage of Konohagakure. Uzumaki Mito-hime was Senju Hashirama's wife; the Uzumaki are one of the founding clans of the village, despite being from the Land of Eddies." She turns back to him, eyes shining in assuredness he's never seen in anyone, not even the Hokage, and points at his chest. "That red swirl you're wearing, that is the clan banner of the Uzumaki Clan."

Oh.

Oh.

"Ah-ah-WAAAAH!" Naruto didn't know where the tears even came from. He wasn't feeling sad, not at all. He should be so why? Why was he sobbing his heart out in the chest of some random girl he didn't even know the name of?

"Hey, what's your name?" Naruto finally asked as he pulled out of the cool hug of the mysterious girl. "I can't just keep calling you girl or you in my mind, ya' know."

"Suzuka, Nara Suzuka," The girl, Suzuka, replies, wiping his nose with her kerchief. "I'm 2 years your junior, but we're the same age."

"Nara?" He perks at the familiar name. "Are you related to Shika?" 

"Keep still," Suzuka chastised, making him straighten up instinctively. "And yes, I am, Shikamaru's my older twin brother."

"Twin? You don't look alike." They look very much the opposite. Whereas Shika was a little tan, Suzuka was paper-white. Shika has brown hair and eyes, while Suzuka has white hair and red eyes. They also have different vibes in them; had Naruto not been informed of their relation, he wouldn't have guessed at all.

"I'm an albino," She explains patiently, finally letting go of his face and pocketing the kerchief. "I have little to no melanin, which means I don't have color. I looked more like our great, great granduncle, the Nidaime Hokage."

"You're related to the Shodaime and Nidaime Hokage?" Naruto asks, eyes shining in awe.

"Distantly," She says dismissively as if it wasn't the most awesome thing in the world. "Logically speaking, you are a distant cousin too, since Mito-hime married the Senju, and the Senju and Uzumaki are sister-clans."

"A-ah, I think my head's going to explode."

"Take it easy. Here, drink." She somehow pulled a flask out of nowhere. Naruto didn't know where it came from.

As if reading his mind, Suzuka explains. "I pulled it out of this," She shows a scroll full of excellent calligraphy and diagrams that he did not understand. "This is Fuuinjutsu, the pride of the Uzumaki. Do you want to learn?"

"I'll be the best Fuuinjutsu user, believe it!"

"I do. You are an Uzumaki." The sureness in that statement was enough to make him feel warm like never before.

This has to be the best day of his life. If he's dreaming, please, don't ever wake him up!

"But really, don't wear all white, I seriously thought you were a ghost, ya' know."

"It's my night clothes."

Nara Shikaku stares. There it was, the only son of Namikaze Minato and Uzumaki Kushina in their living room, slumped over some papers and learning calligraphy, his dear daughter by his side watching like a hawk, and his son on the other, looking bored at it.

"Suzuka, baby," He pinches the bridge of his nose, closing his eyes to gather his composure. "We need to talk."

Minato's kid looked nervous at that, but a quick pat on the shoulder by Suzuka seemed to help settle him down. 

His dear daughter looked up at him, even as blank as her face was, and despite not having the gift of being a sensor like her, he could feel just how unapologetic she was. Nara Shikaku closes his eyes once again.

"Shika, guide Naruto through his kanji." Suzuka orders before standing up.

"What? Why?"

"You're here, you know your kanji, and I need to talk to Chichiue." She states. "I think the logic follows."

"Tsk. What a drag." No matter how much he complained, though, Shikamaru still ended up doing what his sister asked of him. He's very obedient like that. 

"Should we go to the forest, Chichiue?"

"I told you it was an S-class secret." He said with a sigh. "Why did you tell him?"

"The Uzumaki, although downplayed, is still part of the Konoha history," She replies. "I just told him that he has a clan that so happens to specialize in a very niche jutsu. I told him nothing that cannot be found in the history book if you dig deep enough."

Of course, of course, she found and exposed a loophole in it. It was so brilliant that it almost made him want to whistle with the pride that crept up his being.

Still...

"Shikamaru's supposed to be the problem child of you two." He groans. "Now I have two, what a drag."

"I didn't tell him about the Kyubi." She adds.

"He'll come to know on his own when he progresses soon enough." He finishes. "Plausible deniability." He wasn't able to quite stop the awe in his voice at that. "Well, if you ever want to quit being a shinobi, you have potential for politics, you can be the youngest Elder in the council."

The usual stoic expression on his daughter's face melted into something sour, making him laugh.

"You should stay for dinner at least." Shikamaru's mother says, arms on her hips as she stares down at him.

"Oh, I-I don't want to impose!" Naruto says, unusually shy, a far cry from his usual obnoxious and cheerful self. 

"Nonsense!" Nara Yoshino tuts. "Suzuka never brought anyone home before! You're our special guest!" 

"Just stay, she won't stop nagging you if you continue to refuse," Shikamaru advised. "You need to get used to this, especially if you plan to continue coming here."

"C-continue?"

"Hmph, you seriously didn't think that one session was enough to fix your atrocious calligraphy, did you?" Asked the familiar voice, making him jump. It was Suzuka, it seems her father, and she were done with whatever they were discussing.

Naruto bit his cheek. They talked about him, didn't they? Her father must not have approved of him. He fidgets, he was used to it, and yet, and yet...

"I can't teach you every day. I have things to do. Shika will fill in during the times that I'm unavailable. He should be able to teach you the basics at least. " Suzuka continues making him freeze. "I'm available during break and lunch time, I'll quiz you then. If you want to live by your ancestors' legacy, you'd better take this seriously, Naruto. "

"Suzuka-chan..."

"2 out of 4 Hokages are seal masters." Shikamaru cuts in. "I say that learning seals, even if you don't reach complete mastery, is a step closer to being Hokage." 

"Shika..."

"Indeed, you want to become Hokage, don't you?" Nara Shikaku mused. "Well, at the very least, you need to have legible penmanship; there's a lot of paperwork that needs to be done."

"And you need to be of a healthy weight!" Yoshino chides. "Proper nutrition is the key to a healthy body, and you'll need it if you want to grow strong enough to force the Sandaime into retirement."

Is this what it means to have a family? Is this what he's been missing his whole life?

For the second time that week, Naruto bawled himself till he could no longer shed tears.

He can't remember the last time he truly cried before that.

Chapter Text

As it turns out, it was not just calligraphy he's terrible at. His history knowledge—beyond that of Hokage's, and even then!— was severely lacking. He doesn't have any taijutsu style—not even the one in the academy!—and worse of all, he's barely able to mold his chakra!

Why, Suzuka suspects the reason he's able to do so at all without knowing the proper technique was through sheer brute force. The number of trees he managed to explode in the Nara forest was a witness to his sheer destructive tendency due to chakra mismanagement.

Well, it seems like she'll have to don her baby gloves. Suzuka was glad she could recall the times he, as commander and Clan Heir, was in charge of training the little ones. He hated it then, who wouldn't? Knowing that the one you train is destined for an early grave because of the wars they have business being in. 

"Do not push," She instructs gently. "Think of it like the tree is a ground full of ants and little things you don't want to step on." Senju, by nature of their legendary kekkei genkai, the Mokuton, are nature lovers. Thus, the warning of an animal suffering unnecessarily is usually enough to deter them from causing too much trouble and taking things more seriously. Although he didn't grow up a Senju, Suzuka has a feeling that Naruto is somewhat the same.

"Like an ant, like an ant..." The Uzumaki mutters to himself.

"Let's do this again." She points at another tree. "This time, do half of what was before."

"Can't you just tell him the amount?" Her twin interrupts. "You know how much he's putting in his feet, don't you? Why bother taking the long route? At this rate, you'll clear this part of the forest."

"Learning takes time." She explains as she watches Naruto gather chakra in his feet again. Hmm, still a little off from what she requested, but he's improving. "He's got a lot of chakra, and more to come; he needs to learn to be able to estimate things by himself if he wants to truly master his control."

"Still," her twin wince as another tree was decimated. 

"Sorry!" Naruto said for what felt like the hundredth time.

"It was a little off," Suzuka supplies. "You only manage to lessen it by a quarter. Try again."

"He's learning quite fast," Her twin shot her a doubtful look at that. "3 weeks might be a long time, but he has a monstrously large chakra pool, and it's developing at an ever faster rate." Because of several factors, such as the fact that Naruto's still growing, his lineage, and of course, the seal on the Kyubi. "He can learn tree walking in just a week, yes, but that would be inadvisable considering his unique predisposition."

"Slow and steady wins the race." Shikamaru recites the Nara Clan's mantra. "I suppose that makes sense. But I ain't helping you explain things to the elders."

"Chichiue has me covered." 

"Of course he does."

"Aren't you going to improve his taijutsu form?" Shikamaru asks as he watches Naruto practically brawl with Chouji. There was no clear style in his movements at all, not even the standard academy style.

"I would, had it not suited him," Suzuka replies, not taking her eyes off the fight.

Her eyes are glowing a bit, indicating she's transferring chakra directly to them to improve her poor eyesight. An impossible feat, some would say, madness, the other half would cry, but this was his twin they were talking about, and those two things have never stopped her from doing whatever it is she wanted. Shikamaru does not need to worry at all about the possibility of blindness that comes with using chakra on the eyes without being born into the clan of dojutsu users. Suzuka was perfectly capable of healing herself more than anyone in that sorry excuse of a Shinobi Hospital.

"Having a distinct style would take away his unpredictability."

"Something good to have in your arsenal." Shikamaru nods in understanding.

"How is his calligraphy?"

"Steadily improving. We might be able to finish learning by the end of the week."

"And you?"

Shikamaru groans at that. "I'm still reading the last scroll you gave me. It's a lot more complicated than the one before."

"Of course it is," Suzuka says. "If you're able to perform this seal consistently with no hitch, you will be halfway to being a seal master." 

What a drag.

"-ink I did well in this exam!" Naruto says in high spirits as he munches away at the lunch that Chouji gave him. "Lots of what we've discussed were on it!"

The Akimichi and Yamanaka, seeing the Nara integrate the jinchuriki in their midst, had also made their moves. While the Nara is concerned with his education and social life, the Akimichi are in charge of the boys' lunch and snacks during the times he's not in the Nara or any of the three clans. Lastly, the Yamanaka is in charge of the general needs of the boy, such as a new apartment just outside of the shopping district, and some new furniture and allowance disguised as winnings in a non-existent charity event. 

Ino scrunches her nose in disgust as the food shoots out of the boy's mouth as he speaks. Ino was with them during lunch time since her new friend goes home for her lunch.

"Naruto!" The paler blonde screeched. "Don't talk while you're chewing, you're spitting out food! That's disgusting, you're as bad as Chouji!"

"Hey! I don't do that!" Chouji protested as he did exactly that.

"It's improper manners to speak while eating," Suzuka explains to the two, wiping Naruto's mouth before doing the same for Chouji with a different kerchief. "It is rude and can offend a lot of people."

"Sorry." The two apologized in unison. 

"To Ino, too."

"Sorry, Ino."

"Tsk, never mind it." Ino harrumphs. "And you!" The paler blonde points rather rudely at her. "What are you? Their mother? Stop babying them!"

"Well, what choice does she have?" Shikamaru huffs. "You play the bad cop, naturally, that only leaves the good cop role."

"Enough." Suzuka sighs, cutting off the two before it could evolve into another argument. "Lunch time's almost over. Eat."

"Ah-huh-ha!" Suzuka gasps as she wakes, startling her twin, who was cuddling her awake when she jolts up. "Haa...haa...haa..."

"Damnit, woman!" Shikamaru groans, also rising to sit up. "What is it? It's the dead of night!" 

"An anomaly." She says as she stands up. Before Shikamaru can even think to ask, his twin vanishes in a blinding flash of white.

"Agh, damnit." He cursed, any trace of drowsiness gone. "At least get changed into something warmer, you fool. Tsk."

Looks like he needs to borrow even more blankets and firewood at the front desk now.

"So much for a vacation."

Senju Tobirama was once hailed as the fastest man alive. Once again, it is proven today with her arriving at the gates of the Nara Clan in just over an hour despite coming from the southernmost part of the Cha no Kuni. And yet, even then, she wasn't fast enough.

Suzuka stares in horror at what greeted her as she burst through the Uchiha compound. 

It was total annihilation. Bodies littered everywhere, not unlike in a battlefield during the Warring States Era, but unlike there, the bodies are not out of the open field baking under the hot sun, but under the dead of night in a place that was supposed to be safe for them.

"What the hell..." She clenched her fist. First his clans, and now the Uchiha too? Is the faith of the founding clans to be erased before the village reaches a century? 

Sssssssshhhhhhhhh

A sharp and resonating sound reaches her ears.

Nara Suzuka zeroes in on the odd chakra. The Uchiha Police Department. But just as it was there, it was gone. No trace to be found at all. Like the person just vanished. Like Hiraishin. She seared the chakra signature in her mind. She has a feeling that she'll come to know that chakra with her sword, intimately, soon enough.

"Space-time ninjutsu, huh?" Interesting.

Suzuka raised her hands to her head as she turned to the approaching ANBU.

"I need to speak to Sarutobi Hiruzen."

"Leave us." 

Tobirama stares at his old student, visibly aged, both in body and spirit. He looked solemn, a stark contrast to the bright and courageous young man he had been before he marched to his death. 

"Time has not been kind to you, Saru." He comments, ignoring the tense ANBU in the ceiling, away from view. 

"Oh?"

"It's an insult to have ANBU hiding from a sensor." He states, glaring at the exact location of the 4 ANBU in the room. "Let's talk alone."

"Hmmm, you are indeed a gifted sensor, Nara Suzuka-san." Hiruzen compliments before gesturing for the ANBU to leave. Tobirama waits until he can no longer feel them near the tower before walking forward.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, what the fuck did you do?"

Sarutobi Hiruzen has lived a long life, a life longer than most Shinobi, even longer than the God of Shinobi and the Creator, considered to be the pinnacles of Shinobi strength and prowess. He has been leading the village for almost a third of his life, having taken the mantle of Hokage from his teacher since that fateful day.

Living so long, it can be said that he has experienced everything life has to offer, living in the Warring States Era and living through the 3 Great Shinobi Wars, and then the Kyubi's attack on Konoha. Hiruzen has made decisions he was not proud of. Has turned a blind eye to the horrors of things not meant for the eye of the masses.

Complacency is complicity, as many would say. He may not have been the one who stabbed the sword, but he was the one who looked away despite knowing of the conspiracy to murder. He was as much to blame as the one who did it, if not more so, because of the actions that led to it.

He stares at the painting of the Hokage on the wall directly to his desk. 

"Hashirama-sama...Sensei...I don't think I dare to face you anymore..." He sighs, blowing a smoke out of his pipe.

Just then, 2 ANBU shunshin in front of him, a curious white bundle in their arm.

The bundle stared him directly in the eye, freezing him. What a strong gaze. Familiar, somehow. 

"Leave us." He found himself saying before he could even process it in his mind.

The ANBU obeyed. They disappeared into the ceiling, integrating themselves into the shadows.

"Time has not been kind to you, Saru." The little girl comments, cool and with an undertone of pity and understanding. The name tickled something at the back of his mind.

"Oh?"

"It's an insult to have ANBU hiding from a sensor." The only daughter of the Nara Clan head, Nara Suzuka, states, glaring at the exact location of the 4 ANBU in the room. "Let's talk alone."

"Hmmm, you are indeed a gifted sensor, Nara Suzuka-san." Hiruzen compliments before gesturing for the ANBU to leave. The albino stares past him for a few seconds before glaring again, moving forward, tone intimately familiar and terrifying in its power.

"Sarutobi Hiruzen, what the fuck did you do?"

Hiruzen was not a sensor. Has never envied his teacher despite the advantages that come with it, knowing well enough how debilitating it was. It was more a curse than a gift for those especially gifted, like Senju Tobirama.

Powerful enough to feel the whole of Hi no Kuni passively, and even more if he tried. Powerful enough to sense every flicker of chakra at every change of emotions of the people around you. Truly, it was a cruel enough curse to make any Yokai weep in madness and despair. His teacher was not a Yokai, though. He was a demon by his own making.

Hiruzen didn't need to be even an untrained sensor to feel the sheer power of the chakra the little girl was releasing, though. It was enough to bring anyone to their knees. 

"Tobirama-sensei..." He trembles, his beloved pipe falling from his lips. "How?"

"You'd better start talking, or I don't know what I'll do. I trust you don't want me angry, Saru."

Chapter Text

The Warring States Era was not some peaceful paradise. It was full of death and suffering on all the corners you look at. Tobirama can't count with all his digits the number of clans that went extinct. He knew that it was only a matter of time for even the Senju and Uchiha to follow suit. Which was why he supported the idealistic dream of his fool of an elder brother. Worked himself to near death just to draft all the legislation, laws, alliances, and blueprints necessary to build the village, one brick at a time.

The village has been his pride and joy since it was built. It made the always-present threat of death and desecration seem like a nightmare that can easily be forgotten. It was a pipe dream to think that peace would last. The First Shinobi War soon followed them like a leech that refuses to let go of the human they clung to for blood. Then, the Second Shinobi War followed soon after, and he died in there. He may not recall the exact circumstances of his death, but he knew he died in that war.

He died in battle, defending the youth who are the future of the village. Senju Tobirama died with no regrets, as he knew. But now, he lives again, and the regrets that were never there upon his death came slapping him in the face.

"I have built this village with my own hands," He whispers, lowering his gaze to the dainty hands he now possesses, so different from the ones in the past. "I helped build it with the goal of survival of our clan, of the Uchiha, of the clans that I personally sought to build this village."

"As it turns out, this very village would be the destruction of Senju, Hatake, and Uzumaki." The founding clan is all functionally extinct. "But even that I can accept. War is unforgiving, I know firsthand how devastating a war could be..."

Hiruzen looked away from his piercing gaze.

"...I have come to accept that my clans didn't survive the wars as I had left them. It was war. But this...Hiruzen...isn't it a peaceful time?!"

"They were planning a cou-"

"Why?!" He slams his fist on the table, destroying it. "Why has it come to that point in the first place? Why is the massacre of the only remaining founding clan the solution? For it to end up like that...what in the Sage of Six Paths have you been doing?"

"There were children, Saru!" Flashes of corpses appear in his mind. "Are you saying they are part of it, too?"

"I have built this village, not for some foolish dream of utopia where no death will occur," He spat. "I have built it to lessen them, to give the next generation the chance to survive in this harsh world. If a massacre of an entire clan is how it ends up being, then what's the use of having it at all when we did it to survive?"

"I'm sorry..."

"I'm not asking for an apology," He told his former student coldly. "That's not what I'm asking for. I deserve an explanation. I deserve an acceptable reason!"

Hiruzen sighs at that, looking at the skies before looking back at him. "It will be long...please, sensei, have a seat.

"The Kyuubi was released upon the birth of the current Jinchuriki." He starts, not elaborating on who, knowing very well that his sensei knew just who he was talking about. "The masked man who controlled the Kyubi...has Sharingan..."

His sensei tensed at that. Hiruzen can't remember the last time he saw the younger (now isn't that just strange, Hiruzen has always seen the other as older, but now, even with combining Suzuka's age, he is barely a third of his age), this small. Senju Tobirama has always been larger than life, like a solid rock (tree?) that you can cling to, forever unmoving, unchanging, and unswerving. But now...

"Everyone knew about it...and with the Uchiha's precarious position as separate from the village..." He sighs.

"It puts into question their loyalty, especially in the eyes of the civilians..."

"Indeed." He closed his eyes, remembering the days, months, years that came after the attack. "It only escalated from there..."

"They're dissatisfied then, rightfully felt oppressed." His teacher cuts in, mouth downturn. "And you never did anything about it? Never offered them counters, proposals, or anything at all to dissuade them from treasonous thoughts?"

"I have made mistakes..."

"Mistakes that caused the death of hundreds!"

"That could have ended in thousands!" He retorts, he stares at those familiar piercing eyes before sighing. "Had the coup happened, the other village would see, and they would think we have become weak and attack us. My hands were forced."

"Your hands were forced by no one but yourself and the choices you've made!" And oh, wasn't that a slap in the face? Danzo may have been the one who went behind his back, but he was the one who turned a blind eye to all his schemes and let him do whatever he wanted.

"Where's Homura and Koharu?" Tobirama asks. "Danzo? Torifu? Kagami? What happened to them? Saru, how could this happen?"

That's right...where are they? Kagami is dead. Torifu turned his back on them. Homura and Koharu were leaning more and more with Danzo...and Danzo...

What is there to hide, really? It's not like his teacher is someone still green. And honestly, Hiruzen doesn't want to hide anything from his beloved teacher. He never did before, and he won't now.

Senju Tobirama has always been steady and staunch. Hiruzen admired that the most, even more than his infamous genius. Tobirama-sensei always knows what to do.

So, he spilled. Anything and everything.

Tobirama was seated and silent throughout the confession. Lips downturn in displeasure, but otherwise unreadable. Hiruzen felt the stab of disappointment and anger radiating from the other, but he never interrupted.

"Saru," Tobirama said with a sigh, looking tired and aged, a contrast to his (her?) youthful appearance. His eyes were glazed over, distant as if recalling something far away. "There is a difference between tyranny and being assertive." 

Tobirama stood up, turning his back on him. He was looking up at the picture of the Hokage before settling on the picture of the Shodai.

"Silence is compliance, and complacency is a disease that would rot your very soul."

Those piercing eyes turn back to him. 

"You're the Hokage, it would not be tyrannical to kick them out if they are gaining influence when it is a threat to the village. Saru, just because they are your team does not mean you need to keep them with you."

Hiruzen lowered his gaze at that.

"You must never let such attachments interfere with your decisions; a rotten tree must be pulled out of its roots lest it infect the whole forest."

"What if it had been Hashirama-sama?" He blurts out.

It was a low blow. He shouldn't have said it. Hiruzen regretted them the moment they left his mouth.

Tobirama sighs, eyes softening in pity before hardening again in that steadfastness Hiruzen knew very well.

"Then I would also cut him down," Tobirama said without a blink. "Because the Anija I know and love would never have done anything that would harm his greatest dream. I will cut him down if it comes to it, because that's what he would want too."

Hiruzen felt something break in him at that.

"I'm sorry." He choked. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry....sensei..."

"I need the files. Anything you have against Danzo. It's not too late yet."

"Of course."

Akamichi Torifu has lived his life full of regrets. It felt like, since Kagami's death, everything went into a spiral, as if he were the only glue holding their team together after Tobirama-sensei's death. He ran, like a coward that he is, he ran once things started to change.

He wasn't like Tobirama-sensei with his unfaltering logic and patience, nor was he like Kagami with his unadulterated charisma and empathy. He was Torifu, forever shy and avoidant of conflict, more a follower than a game changer.

Still, learning of the massacre of Kagami's mother clan...Torifu knew it was more than just the new prodigy of said clan snapping. He knew it was more than that. Just like he knew that a lot of things that happened in the village were more than what the public is told. He might have left their team, but he knew all of them for a while. He knew them very well indeed.

He sighs, looking at his Zen garden. Here he was, in the safety of the Akimichi lands in Konoha, isolated even among his clan. He has no face to show. Not since he turned his back and looked the other way to save himself. 

"Akamichi Torifu," A voice called from behind him. Torifu threw the kunai he always had in his person. It didn't make any sound of hitting anything because it was snatched mid-air. The hands holding it between fingers...

Torifu stares. 

"A kid...?"

An albino kid who has such a piercing gaze. A little kid who looks very much like Tobirama-sensei.

He lets out a mirthless laugh. "How cruel. Now, I'm even hallucinating, truly, my time must be near." Having retired from active duty long ago, his long-abled body has deteriorated. Now, he was nothing but a frail old man on the edge of death.

Cool hands wrap around his hand, startling him from his morose thoughts. Instinctively, he looked up, meeting those crimson eyes, and he felt himself pulled.

"Tobirama-sensei," He choked. "How?"

"I don't know." His sensei answered. "It's certainly a fascinating question, isn't it? I've been experimenting."

"Of course you are." He said with a wan smile, a laugh being startled out of him. When was the last time he felt this light?

"Torifu, I'm not here for just a visit," Tobirama said. "I have entrusted Kagami with a lot of my research. I heard you possess them?"

He sighs at that, looking away in shame. "Not all of them. A lot of them are destroyed with his death."

His eyes glazed over, remembering the charred house of his late teammate. It was looted and burnt to the ground days after the latter's death. 

"It was outsiders who looted and burned down the place," he explains, voicing his skepticism.

"Officially." His teacher said stiffly, catching up at his implication. "Hah, what a mess."

"Danzo probably has a lot of them." He says. "But I highly doubt it was just him."

"Oh?"

"Tea?" He motioned to the tea set beside him. "I have green tea."

"Please." And so he handed one of the cups. He always has 7 cups with him.

"Kagami was murdered. I know he is, he said so himself."

"Kagami..." He panted as he chased after the other. "...slow down!" 

"I don't have the time!" Kagami yelled back, looking beyond harassed. "It wasn't an accident! I knew it, Madara-sama wouldn't have done it had he been in his right mind!" 

"Done wha-oof!" He landed flat on his back as he bounced back from slamming into his companion.

"Madara-sama didn't stab Tobi-sensei, at least it wasn't him in his right mind! Madara-sama would never hurt Tobi-sensei; he would have sooner cut his own throat before he did so. It all makes sense now!"

"What?"

"Sensei always told me that there's this weird thing that he saw before he lost consciousness," he explains. "He said that Madara-sama was spiraling and that creature was the one sucking on his logic and emotions!"

"C-creature." He felt his stomach drop. A creature strong enough to manipulate THE Uchiha Madara?

"Sensei and I have been looking," he rambles on. "What started the conflict with the Uchiha and Senju in the first place? Do you know where it all leads back, according to Uchiha records?"

"N-no?" They're searching Uchiha records? 

"It only led 3 generations before Senju Butsuma! Every other record was either stolen or deliberately destroyed! And all of the destroyed records have faint traces in them, all of which matched with that creature!"

"W-what?" He asks in horror. A creature getting past the Uchiha and destroying their records? For what purpose?

"The same was the case with the Senju," Kagami expounded further. "Isn't that just suspicious? Just what is that creature trying to bury?"

"W-we need to tell the others!" He blurts out, tugging at the sleeves of the younger man. 

"No, not yet." Kagami shook his head. "Tobi-sensei was looking at the Uzumaki and Hatake records too. I think he discovered something."

"A-are you-?"

"I am, I don't think that ambush that killed Sensei is something from rogues after all," Kagami said steely. "And I don't think that creature would let me live either."

"T-then isn't that more a reason to tell others?"

"No. I need something more solid." He says. "I need to get through those research papers first."

Days later, Kagami was dead, and days after that, his house was looted and burnt to the ground. Akamichi Torifu stared at the urn that contained Kagami's ashes, and tears fell on his face as his other teammates broke down beside him. All he could think about was that he should have spoken; he should have stopped the other. He should have tried harder.

In the end, he was a weak-hearted coward through and through.

"I tried to look at the things Kagami left to me, but I never did find anything about what he talked about," Torifu confesses. "I-I tried to talk to Mito-hime and Hatake Inoue-sama after a while, to look for what you two discovered, but it was too late..."

"The Uzumaki was all but wiped out, and the Hatake and Senju functionally extinct." His teacher finishes for him.

He nods.

"I don't remember," Tobirama mutters. "I don't know why, but I don't have a lot of my memories. I don't know what it is that Kagami was talking about in your memory, but I suppose that's a start..."

"I-I'm sorry..." He sobs. "Ack!"

His hand stings from the slap. For someone so small, that slap sure packed a punch.

"What are you apologizing for?" Tobirama asked frostily with a glare that could make thousands of veteran shinobi drop to their knees in fear. "You couldn't have known. You did as you were asked by your friend, whom you trust. There's nothing wrong with that."

"...b-but..." He tries to argue.

"But nothing. Kagami made his choice; it is not your fault nor his," His sensei said firmly. "The only one to blame is that creature. It was the one who murdered Kagami, not you. It was the one responsible for everything, not you. None of this is your fault. You were young then, Torifu. If even Madara fell in his clutches, if even Kagami with his Mangekyou fell, what could you have done? You lived, you survived, there's nothing wrong with that."

He felt himself choke a cry at that. Tears erupted, days, months, years, decades worth of tears fell. 

"...S-sensei...Aaahhhh!"

Tobirama stared at the sobbing Chouji. It was a gloomy day as the procession proceeded. Chouji was clutching on to Shikamaru and Naruto as he let his heart out for his late grandfather. Suzuka stood not far away from the three with Ino beside her, just as solemn as they.

'You were just waiting for comfort, weren't you?' She thought to herself as the coffin of Akamichi Torifu was lowered. 'Guilt must have weighed you down.'

"You can rest now, Tori...say hi to Kagami for me..."

Chapter Text

Suzuka tried to ignore the glare her twin was sending her. It had been going on for weeks now, ever since she disappeared from their bedside back in Cha no Kuni. He had, thankfully, covered for her with their parents, so her absence went unnoticed, but that didn't stop him from throwing judgmental looks at her at every moment of every day.

Suzuka resolutely ignored him in favor of reviewing the retrieved documents Hiruzen had sent her. And oh, was it extensive. Just looking at the pile the first time was enough to give her a flashback to when she was doing all the paperwork necessary to build the village from nothing.

And it was quite the hassle to read through them without Shikamaru being in her business. Somehow, he had the knack of finding her no matter how well she hid herself, and it was too much of a risk to lock herself in the lab in case the little shit figured out how to get in when she was knee deep in her reading. Thankfully, Kage Bunshin has been somewhat helpful with her problem, but even then, she can only do so much without arousing suspicion from the little shit; somehow, he also knows if she's using too many clones. Suzuka has yet to figure out how he kept doing it, and it's aggravating.

The only salvation she has is, thankfully, no matter how irritating her twin was, he never snitched on her or confronted her directly about it. Until now, that is.

"What do you need Kage Bunshin for?" The little brat asks, eyeing him with that signature Nara gleam. "It's been going on for almost a month now. What are you doing?"

"It's none of your business." She responds with an eyeroll, resolvedly ignoring the displeasure radiating from the other's chakra. 

"Hey, I covered for you!" Shikamaru said indignantly. "I think I deserve at least some kind of explanation, at least."

"I didn't ask for you to cover for me, did I?"

"You-" The other sighs. "You goddamn woman. This better not backfire on you because I swear, if it does, I'll tell Tou-san, and you'll be grounded for the rest of your life."

Suzuka just returned the glare.

"Suzu! Shika!" The familiar voice of Ino shouted as she slammed the door in their living room open. Naruto and Chouji are also hot on her heels. "Have you heard the news?"

"Hah?"

"Sasuke is being pulled back for a year!" Naruto declared as he kneeled beside her. 

"Apparently, the Hokage declared him mentally unfit to continue for now and put him for a year of mandatory therapy sessions!" Chouji whispers as if there were anyone else listening to them. Never mind that the only other person in the house, other than them, was their mother, who was on the other side of the house.

"Akira-san's in charge of him apparently," Ino adds in the gossip. "That's why he was in school earlier, to get the excuse for him."

Naruto and Chouji made an O with their mouth in realization.

"What a shame, looks like he won't graduate with us, there goes my dream of being on the same team." The lighter blonde laments with a pout.

"Tsk. I honestly can't see what you like about that asshole." Shikamaru spats. "And even if he wasn't pulled back, he would still not be your teammate, idiot. Do you really think the Hokage will break the Ino-Shika-Cho trio?"

Ino glares at the insult to her crush before looking away. "Well, a girl can't dream, can't she?"

Shikamaru just rolled his eyes at that. He never did like Sasuke for some reason. It was one of the reasons why she had Hiruzen pull the Uchiha back instead of her putting herself in between like she did with Naruto. It was definitely not because the 'last' Uchiha has an uncanny resemblance to his rival, Uchiha Izuna, definitely not.

"What are your plans for the 'last' Uchiha?" Tobirama asks his student as he leans back to his seat.

Hiruzen sighs, "To be honest, I haven't really thought about it, as I have said, it was an absolute last resort."

He clucked his tongue at that. "You should always have a plan for everything, have I not taught you that?"

"Yes..."

"The Uchiha does not feel like normal people do," Tobirama says. "It's already traumatizing enough, but with Uchiha's, this is doubly so."

"It is..." Hiruzen agrees with a sigh. "...I was thinking of letting him continue to interact with his peers, perhaps they could help Sasuke-kun to move on or at least ease his burdens-"

"No." Tobirama cuts in. "He's too much of a risk right now; we don't know how he will respond to others, and we cannot endanger other kids, especially not Clan Heirs."

"Then what are you suggesting, sensei? Will you take him under your wing like you did Naruto-kun? You will know best how to handle an Uchiha."

A pang of guilt and anger hit him at that; he mercilessly stamped it down before responding. "That would be worse." He shook his head. "An Uchiha feels obsessively. Being there in their worst moments is a surefire way of developing unhealthy coping mechanisms. It is preferable to have them interact with a lot of people to avoid single-minded obsession." Like with Madara.

"Pull him out for at least a year." He advised. "It is better to leave him with a trained professional, let him feel things slowly and carefully. It is doubtful that it would cure him, but at the very least, it is worth a try."

"Just because he's being pulled doesn't mean he won't graduate with us." Suzuka cuts in before another argument breaks out between the two. "He has very good grades; he could still catch up after the mandatory sessions he has, or even do the work needed while having them."

"Oh! Like distance learning!" Chouji says. "Akahiko-jutei's taking home classes because he caught a severe case of the flu last season." 

"Eh, what about the practicals?" Naruto asks. "Third year is the hardest year!" 

"He can take them separately," Shikamaru explains. "It's not like he's being held in the mental facility where he can't leave."

"Still," Ino sighs. "That has to be very exhausting..."

"Well, that's just how it is."

Their third year has gone by fast; it was almost the end of the year again before they even knew it. Naruto's chakra control has improved quite well, not to the point that he could do a normal Bunshin no, but certainly enough to be able to pull it without summoning hundreds of copies of it just for it not to be a weak copy.

"Are you sure you don't want to graduate now?" Shikamaru asks the younger boy beside him, who was practically inhaling his 5th ramen bowl. "I mean, you can technically do Bunshin now, even if you still need to summon 4 dozen of them, and it's not like you can't use Kage Bunshin."

"Nah, I can wait." The blond said dismissively after he gulped down the last of his bowl. He had come a long way from being a mannerless street rat to having basic ones. Suzuka has truly raised him a fine young man. "I mean, I'd rather graduate with you guys, that way we can be on the same team, or at least Suzu-chan and I!"

One of the lessons Suzuka imparted is the placement of Genin Teams, clan heirs, especially the Ino-Shika-Cho, are almost always exclusively partnered together. Still, the other guaranteed team was the dead last, being partnered with the top Shinobi and Kunoichi of the graduating class. Naruto would surely be put as dead last next year, even if his grades have somewhat improved because of his repeated failings, and his twin, naturally, was the top Kunoichi, so it was indeed a win-win situation for both of them. 

"Have it your way then." 

"It would be nice if you two were on the same team!" Chouji agrees. "Then we can do team collaborations and exercises together!"

"Oh yeah! Chouji, you're brilliant!" The blonde cheers, high-fiving with Chouji. Shikamaru sighs. These two always have so much energy.

"By the way, did you know Sasuke-kun took the finals earlier!" Chouji gossips, leaning over Shikamaru to Naruto. Maybe he should have thought his position better; it was a bad decision to sit in the middle of the two.

"He did?" Naruto also leans in.

"Yeah, he did them earlier, I guess. I saw him with Mizuki-sensei when I went to the restroom." 

"Huh, so Suzu-chan was correct then."

"Agh!" Shikamaru shoves the two back away from him. "Stop leaning over me, you idiots. I can feel your spit! So what if that bastard's graduating with us? Big deal."

Naruto throws him a weird look. "What's your deal, Shika? You're unusually aggressive."

"Shika hates Sasuke-kun." Chouji answers for him. "Ever since Sasuke-kun pushed Suzuka to the ground in the first year, he held a grudge!"

"WHAT?!" Naruto asks indignantly. "That bastard. I knew he was an asshole, but not to that extent! What's his deal?"

"Who knows?" Chouji shrugs. "Anyway, Shika punched his milk teeth out and ever since then they avoided each other like a plague."

"Hah. Pushing a little girl on her knees and making her bleed. He's a scum. I really don't know why he's so popular; it's not like he's that good-looking. If it's just about the face, then Shino's just as objectively attractive."

"Well, many girls are afraid of bugs..."

"You're improving," Suzuka says approvingly, patting his head. "Good job Naru."

Naruto giggles, leaning to that warmth the other provided. "Of course, this is all for my future as Hokage, ya' know!"

2 out of the 4 Hokage are sealmasters? That's a 50% more chance for him to be one! If the prospect of being close to his ancestors was not enough to tempt him to practice fuuinjutsu, the possibility of being closer to becoming the next Hokage certainly solidified his resolve!

"Tsk. How annoying, how could you nearly catch up to me in just 2 years time? I've been doing this for almost all my life." Shikamaru complains but there was no real bite to it, more teasing if anything.

"Well at least you have talent for it somewhat," Ino cuts in with a pout. "Chouji and I barely progressed beyond basics at all."

"You've been doing good." Suzuka mollified. "You're certainly doing better than most in our age group."

"I just don't get it," Ino crossed her arms. "Based on what we've been learning with you, fuuinjustu's certainly very powerful, so why isn't it taught in the academy beyond just storage and explosive seals? Wouldn't it make sense to teach it just in case someone has real knack for it like you, Shika and Naruto?"

"Fuuinjutsu's a very complex art, it takes a lot of research and study to master even the most basics of its aspects." Suzuka explains. "It would be highly impractical to teach academy students such complex and dangerous art without supervision of a master or someone close to it."

"And fuuinjutsu experts are rare." Shikamaru agrees. 

"They are," Suzuka nods. "And well, it would hardly be ideal to have a village be full of seal masters anyway." Look at what happened to the last village to specialize on it. They were annihilated by the other villages out of fear was left unsaid.

Naruto looks away at that. Chouji pats his back in comfort, even Ino look somewhat remorseful at bringing up the topic in the first place.

"Anyway, it just means that it's not your calling." Suzuka segue. "You've been doing quite well with genjutsu and iryo-ninjutsu Ino. Maybe we could focus on that on top of improving your kenjutsu."

"Right."

"Chouji can go ahead and focus on his nintaijutsu and shurikenjutsu."

"Yeah!"

"We'll be the strongest teams out there, they'll never know what hit them, believe it!"

In the other side of Konoha, the infamous Copy-nin and son of the Hokage simultaneously sneeze, startling everyone and scattering the cards off the table.

"Bless you." Genma said.

"Are you two sick?" Kurenai asks worriedly. 

"What, my rival, are you feeling under the weather? You should go to the hospital, there's nothing more important than your own health after all!"

"Nah, probably someone talking about us." Kakashi dismissed.

"Probably." Asuma agrees.

Chapter Text

The graduation was uneventful; all of them passed with flying colors. Which is to be expected, really, after all, Suzuka personally tutored them. It was just a shame that she wasn't at least 2nd Kunoichi, but Sakura deserves it. The girl, despite being from a civilian family, was top in academics, nearly matching Suzuka's! 

"We're officially ninjas now!" Ino cheers, hugging her best friend. Sakura hugs back, just as happy. 

"Yeah!" 

"Let's go to the spa to celebrate!" She giggles, dragging the pink-haired girl with her.

"Huh? Aren't you going to celebrate with your family and..." Sakura asks, eyeing the Nara twins who were with Chouji.

"Nah, that would be much later!" Ino dismissed. "It would be a big celebration between our clans; we still have a couple of hours before that."

"If you say so..."

"I do say so!" She insists. "Let's go!"

"Hmm? Isn't that Naruto?" Sakura suddenly asks, making Ino pause. "Why is he with Mizuki-sensei?"

"That's weird...the exam's not over yet..." The blonde frowns. "Wait here, Sakura, I need to tell Suzu-chan!"

"Huh?"

That night, there was no celebration at all from the Shinobi Trinity. 

Iruka has a lot of regrets, but the biggest of them all has to be not being a decent adult to this knuckleheaded ninja in front of him. So small he looked, staring at him in worry and horror as Izuka was pinned down by the traitor, unable to do anything as the biggest secret of the leaf village was revealed.

"Don't you see?" Mizuki cackles. "Iruka hates you for killing his parents, you are the Kyuubi no Yoko!"

"No! Naruto, don't listen to him!" Iruka wheeze. "That's not true-you-"

"That's another crime on your list!" Naruto yelled back; the glare he wore shook Iruka to the core. It wasn't a look he had ever seen on the always-smiling ninja before. His teeth were bared, eyes full of anger. "On top of betraying the village and injuring a loyal shinobi!"

"Hah!" Mizuki snorts. "What could you possibly do? I'm a respected shinobi, and you-you've always been trouble! Why would they believe you over me?"

"Perhaps then, my testimony would hold an even more weight then?" A commanding voice cuts in. Iruka froze at the familiar voice. It was Nara Shikaku, the Jounin commander of Konoha, beside him, the other two leaders of the Shinobi Trinity of Konoha. 

Ah. It was a sting operation.

As expected, Ino-Shika-Cho are together, and so are Aburame, Inuzuka, and Hyuuga, which naturally leaves Naruto, Suzuka, and the recently returned Sasuke together. Suzuka didn't even need to pull strings with Hiruzen at all; Sasuke's grades were enough to put him on top of the class, if barely defeating Shino by a couple of points overall.

Suzuka would have preferred not being teamed up with the Uchiha, if only to avoid dealing with the emotional baggage he obviously still carries. Still, it wouldn't be ideal to leave him with other children. The Uchiha didn't even glance at them after the announcement and continued ignoring them, as they were all but left alone in the room to wait for their teacher.

"He's late!" Naruto huffed, irritated. "Where is he? It's been two hours!"

"He was probably caught on a last-minute mission," Suzuka reasons. "I heard he was a workaholic."

Hatake Kakashi was a name she was quite familiar with, not only because of her Father's complaints but also because Suzuka had made it her mission to know as much as she could about the last living Hatake, Tobirama's last living relative by his mother's side.

His lateness was definitely not because of a last-minute mission.

"Still, how could he? It's our first day as a team..." Naruto pouts, then, a grin, a familiar one. "Hehe, why don't we teach him a lesson? So there won't be next time, ya'know?"

There would definitely be next time, the albino thought, but didn't say. She closed her eyes and let herself be lulled into sleep, ignoring the scroll and ink the blond just pulled out of his jacket.

Sasuke looked curious about the scroll, but proved to be too prideful to ask anything. Tsk. How troublesome.

It was another hour or so before their teacher arrived. 

Naruto. Well, Suzuka has to admit she had to bite her cheek to stop laughing. Upon stepping on the ink on the floor, the jounin was transformed into a hunchback with a prominent single tooth and a cane.

The same cannot be said of the last Hatake, who looked more than displeased as he dispelled it. He looks ready to throttle Naruto, who was rolling on the floor in laughter.

"My first impression? I hate all of you!" The masked ninja says blithely. "Let's meet on the rooftop." Was all he said, then vanished.

"What a killjoy!" 

Kakashi swallowed his amusements as Naruto looked ready to jump at him at his introductions. Sasuke looks like he couldn't care less, and Suzuka, the girl, looks blank, as if she had no expectations at all.

"Your turn, canvas." He points at the albino.  

"My name is Nara Suzuka," Suzuka says. "I like my research, kids, animals, my family, and the village. I hate traitors and anyone who hurts kids and animals. My dream is to live a peaceful life and make breakthroughs that could be helpful to the village."

That was...well, loaded. Like, there was a story to be told at each of them. Kakashi tried to think back to what he knew about the little girl. 

The daughter of Nara Shikaku, the Jounin Commander and Head of the Nara Clan. She is not the clan heir, being the second-born twin, but it was said she is quite the force. A genius like the rest of her clan, but not lazy at all. Aside from her appearance, her overall personality and genius were often compared to the Nidaime Hokage.

Well, at least he won't have any difficulty with teaching the kid...

"Blondie, you're next."

"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" He declares, jumping to his feet, he has Minato-sensei's face but Kushina-nee's fire. "I love ramen, and my friends, I hate anyone who hurts them...." He side-eyes his other teammate at that. "...and the minutes it takes to make ramen..." He lists out. "As for my dream, my dream is to become the next Hokage..."

Huh, like parents, like son...

"...and become a Fuuinjutsu master that would make my Uzumaki ancestors proud!"

What. 

"I will rebuild my clan!"

What. Wait. He was not informed of this at all.

Kakashi was glad he had 3/4 of his face covered, lest his shock make it known. Sasuke looked at him as if seeing him for the first time. There was a spark of life—of hope and understanding— in his gaze. It was the most emotion Kakashi had ever seen in Itachi's sibling since the massacre.

Suzuka looked proud.

"I see." Was all he could say. He needs to talk to the Hokage.

"Emo," he calls. "You're next."

Sasuke glared at him. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I  hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything..."

Ah. Maybe they should have just dismissed the meeting after all. 

"What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."

Kakashi just stares at him. Great, a mentally unstable Uchiha. Wasn't he in therapy for a year? Kakashi would like to have a word with the one in charge. Oh, he can feel a headache coming miles over a mile away now. Maybe it was time to cash in on his health insurance.

The other kids' reaction was quite curious. Naruto looked appropriately disturbed, stepping away from his male teammate to go with the other one. He was oddly protective with the way he was in front of her, but also nervous, given the way he was clutching at those tiny hands.

"The fuck." Naruto says, face full of judgment. 

Suzuka, curiously, looked irritated more than anything. As if she were deeply inconvenienced. 

"Well," He says to cut the tension between the three. "You kids sound like the most interesting misfits." It wasn't even a lie. "That's it for this meeting then."

"What?!"

"Meet me tomorrow in training ground 7 at 6 am for your survival training." He continues.

"A survival test? Why?!"

"Out of 27 academy students, only 9 will graduate to Genin; the rest go back to the academy for re-education. Academy graduation is just for nomination to Genin; the actual graduation is to pass the test given by your teacher." He answers with a chuckle.

"That's so unfair."

Kakashi shrugs. "That's how it goes."

"Hmph. Never mind that," Naruto shrugs before looking at him, full of arrogance as he points a finger. "You better watch out then, we'll pound you to the ground, believe it!"

Kakashi just sighs. "By the way, a piece of advice, don't eat breakfast or you'll puke." With that, he sunshin out of the rooftop.

He needs to talk to the Hokage.

Chapter Text

Sasuke felt numb. Then angry. So, so angry. 

"I don't want to talk about it!" He yells at the older woman, his 'therapist'. Why does he need one? He doesn't know. He wasn't the crazy one who snapped. He wasn't the one who left his only brother under the torture of Gengutsu. He wasn't the one who killed the entire clan, including their parents!

Why is he the one being referred to as broken when all he wants is to avenge his parents and his clan? What was so wrong with that?

"Sasuke-kun," the therapist, Akira, calls out gently. It was so fake that it made him sick. "You've been through a very traumatizing event, it is understandable if you feel a bit lost, that does not mean you are broken beyond repair..."

"I'm not!" He yells, throwing the tissue holder in the direction of the woman. "I'm not broken, and I'm not crazy!"

"You're not," The woman agrees. "But you are hurting...and that's okay..."

He was pulled out for this. Pulled out of the Academy that could help him graduate, climb the ranks, and achieve his goal. He never hated something more than ever before. 

"You don't understand anything!"

Nothing happens. He wailed and wailed and wailed, throwing things at the other and destroying the sterile room, and yet nothing changed. Clearly, this so-called therapy was useless, and yet it continues. Anger built up in his being.

"Suzu-chan!" An annoyingly familiar voice calls out from somewhere not far from where he was on his way home. It was Naruto, that overexcited fool who failed to graduate last time. Sasuke doesn't know the younger kid personally; they're not from the same class after all, but he started seeing him frequently lately.

He was running, hands full of a scroll. "There you are! Almost didn't catch you, ya' know!"

He stopped in front of another kid—the Nara Princess, he realized, there was no mistaking the pale complexion, hair that seemed like a blank canvas, and eyes as red as Sharingan—who was also holding some bunch of scrolls.

"Naru." Suzuka acknowledged, tone and expression as blank as her appearance. Sasuke doesn't think he ever saw any major shift from that icy countenance at all in all the years he knew the younger girl. And yet she hangs out with the most obnoxious people Sasuke has the displeasure of knowing. It was weird.

"I'm finished with these!" The blond grins, motioning to the scrolls in his hand. 

"Already?" Suzuka looks briefly surprised before it is substituted for something undeniably softer. A twitch in her lips. "Good job. You're progressing faster than I thought." She pats his head as if he were a child, and the other just leans in, like a cat asking for affection. The Uchiha has no doubt that had he been physically able to, the younger boy would have purred.

"Hehe, of course, I have the best teacher there is!" 

"Flatterer," The albino snorts.

Sasuke doesn't know if he has ever seen such a showcase of expression from the girl before. She always seems impervious and cold, always with the same blank and cool countenance, no matter what she is doing. And yet...

"I suppose it's expected," The girl continues, before turning away. "I have some new materials you can practice with. Come."

The blond happily followed the albino, a skip in his steps.

Sasuke stares after the two, a stab of jealousy in his heart.

It had been almost half a year since he was pulled out. Sasuke felt frustration build up within him. He was not restricted from practicing ninja arts; no, he had a tutor, and he was not forbidden from taking exams, but it was not the same.

The tutor kept teaching him the basics as if he was still in his first year...and he has no one to spar with because the tutor was useless.

And he still has to go to that blasted therapy session even if there wasn't anything that changed at all. 

Sasuke taps impatiently at the side of his chair as he waits for his therapist. Then, something caught his eye. He pulls at the bound book.

'Types of Lies', it reads.

Huh.

"I think I am upset," he tells Akira the next session. The woman stared at him wide-eyed, clearly not expecting it. "More than anything, I feel betrayed." 

What was better than a lie? White lie? Half-truths? No, it was lying by omission and making people assume based on hints you dropped.

"I see," Akira says gently, smiling at him with a smile that Sasuke thinks was supposed to be comforting, but it has the opposite effect on him, making him want to throw up. "That is understandable, he was your brother after all."

Bit by bit. Slow and steady wins the race...

"I miss my mother..." He says, not even lying. "...she used to make us dango, and Itachi doesn't like to share..."

He was allowed to attend the academy again on the condition that he takes a mandatory monthly evaluation. It wasn't a hard choice at all.

"...he wasn't present during those last months leading to the..." 

He was officially out of therapy just in time for his graduation. 

Sasuke has no opinion of Nara Suzuka. The girl wasn't one of his fangirls, one of the only two that wasn't. They have no interaction with each other at all, aside from that one time he thought she was following him and he lost his temper. He pushed her and got his teeth knocked out and his nose broken because of it, courtesy of her brother. Simply say, despite being in the same class for years, they are practically strangers.

So no, he doesn't hate or like her; she was just a classmate he never really paid attention to. So he was surprised when he was suddenly put on a team with her because she was apparently the top Kunoichi of their class. Needless to say, he was more than pleased with the placement. 

Nara Suzuka has never been interested in him, so he won't do anything detrimental with his revenge. She is talented enough to get the top spot, so she won't be a burden either. She's the perfect teammate for him.

Naruto, on the other hand...

He stares at the blond, who was doing some calligraphy. Sasuke doesn't really understand. Sasuke remembers just seeing something similar by Suzuka and Shikamaru a couple of weeks ago. He turned away. 

Naruto was another thing; he is a prankster, trouble incarnate. He is also known to be quite nosy and irritating; on top of that, he is dead last who failed to graduate 3 times. Sasuke just knows he won't know any peace with him on his team. He doesn't know how he's friends with the Nara Twins of all people. They seem to be the type of people who would find Naruto too annoying to even talk to in passing.

The scroll, as it turns out, was a seal that forces transformation jutsu. Upon stepping on the ink on the floor, the jounin was transformed into a hunchback with a prominent single tooth and a cane. Sasuke turns away quickly.

"My first impression? I hate all of you!" The masked ninja says blithely. "Let's meet on the rooftop." Was all he said, then vanished.

"What a killjoy!" 

Sasuke glares at the spot the jounin was in before.

Sasuke just stares as their supposed teacher finished his 'introduction', if you could even call it that.

"Your turn, canvas." He rudely pointed at the only girl in their group. 

"My name is Nara Suzuka," Suzuka says, looking unbothered and uncaring as she usually does. "I like my research, kids, animals, my family, and the village. I hate traitors and anyone who hurts kids and animals. My dream is to live a peaceful life and make breakthroughs that could be helpful to the village."

It was straightforward and complete. 

"Blondie, you're next."

"I am Uzumaki Naruto!" Naruto declares, jumping to his feet, nearly hitting him. Sasuke glares at the younger ninja. "I love ramen, and my friends, I hate anyone who hurts them...." The blond side-eyes him at that.

Sasuke frowned. The hell's this dead last is looking at?

"...and the minutes it takes to make ramen..." He lists out. "As for my dream, my dream is to become the next Hokage..."

He almost snorts at that.

"...and become a Fuuinjutsu master that would make my Uzumaki ancestors proud! I will rebuild my clan!"

What?

Sasuke's eyes widen. Uzumaki Clan? Rebuild it? He has a clan? Fuui-

His train of thought was cut off as Kakashi spoke again. "I see."

"Emo," Kakashi calls. "You're next."

Sasuke glared at him. "My name is Sasuke Uchiha. I  hate a lot of things, and I don't particularly like anything...What I have is not a dream, because I will make it a reality. I'm going to restore my clan and kill a certain someone."

"The fuck?" Naruto was looking at him in judgment, a couple of feet away from him now. Sasuke doesn't really care.

"Well," Kakashi continues. "You kids sound like the most interesting misfits. That's it for this meeting then."

"What?!"

"Meet me tomorrow in training ground 7 at 6 am for your survival training." He continues.

"A survival test? Why?!"

"Out of 27 academy students, only 9 will graduate to Genin; the rest go back to the academy for re-education. Academy graduation is just for nomination to Genin; the actual graduation is to pass the test given by your teacher." Kakashi answers with a chuckle that was more fitting for T&I than for teaching.

"That's so unfair."

Kakashi shrugs. "That's how it goes."

"Hmph. Never mind that," Naruto shrugs before arrogantly jabbing a finger at the jounin. "You better watch out then, we'll pound you to the ground, believe it!"

Kakashi just sighs. "By the way, a piece of advice, don't eat breakfast or you'll puke."

Sasuke glared at the space previously occupied by their supposed teacher. 

"Suzu-chan, let's go get Icharaku, my treat!" Naruto offers, practically dragging the girl with him. "I have the last of my allowance, apparently, since civilians of age are 18, I'll get the rest!"

"That's only if you pass tomorrow." Suzuka corrects.

"Pah, that's a guarantee!"

"Wait," Sasuke found himself saying before his mind could even catch up. 

The two stopped, turning to him in unison. Naruto looks irritated while Suzuka looks like she wants to be anywhere but his vicinity. Sasuke swallowed his pride.

"You're from a clan?"

"Yes, you have a problem with that?" The blond asks defensively.

"I never heard of the Uzumaki clan before," Sasuke winced at the hateful glare that got him, now just understanding just how terrible his choice of wording was. "I mean, I don't remember it being taught in the Academy," He corrects. 

"That's because they're long dead." Oh. "Annihilated by Kumo, Iwa, Kiri, and other villages because of their mastery of Fuuinjutsu."

Sasuke clenched his fist at that. Annihilated...just like...

"There are probably some more Uzumaki in hiding," Naruto continues. "But most had long perished in the fall of Uzushio back in the Second Shinobi War."

"Fuuinjutsu is notoriously hard to master." It was understandable that many would fear such esoteric but powerful art. "Why would they not be taught in the Academy?" There was no mention of Suna or Konoha. Why would such a legendary clan be erased by the village?

"I don't know," Naruto says honestly, a tad bitter. Sasuke didn't know he could ever make such a face before now. 

"Can...can you tell me more about it...?" As soon as he said he wanted to take it back, he wanted to beat himself up for it. He can't afford to get attached; they would interfere with his mission. He opened his mouth again to dismiss it but the raw emotion that crossed the younger boy's face stopped him in his tracks. 

Ah.

"Why don't we scout the training ground 7 instead?" Suzuka cuts in, snapping him from his thoughts. "We can take a to-go order instead."

Sasuke just nodded.