Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Play Pretend ❯ Sasuke's Thoughts on Team Seven ( Chapter 1 )

Before you read: This idea was inspired from an essay that someone on Livejournal wrote a while back (I suck for not being able to remember who). The topic was something like “How would Sasuke's life had looked if Itachi hadn't slain the entire clan?” or something like that. It had me wondering… And so I decided to write something about it.

 

This will not be a flowing fic, it'll only be a collection of oneshots and drabbles related to that AU. They will not be posted in chronological order, and such, I'm always open for suggestions on which scene to try and re-write next. Hit me, people!

 

That's all. On to the fic!

 

Sasuke's Thoughts on Team 7

 

”Tadaima.” Sasuke called into the hallway as he bent down to undo his sandals. He threw a quick glance to the right, noting that both his mother's and Itachi's shoes were on the rack. Hn, so Itachi'd finally come back from his mission. The young boy fought to suppress the excitement he felt. It was useless, especially since he knew he'd probably just be disappointed later. Even if Itachi was at home, he was probably too tired, or busy, to train with Sasuke anyways.

 

His father didn't seem to be home yet. It wasn't a big surprise, really, since their new sensei had let them all go very early.

 

“Okaeri!” Mikoto's voice sounded from down the hall. A moment later, she appeared in the doorway, smiling down at him while she wiped her hands off on a towel. “How was your first day as a genin, Sasuke-chan? I want to know all about it”

 

Sasuke winced as he turned to put his sandals on their place on the rack, careful to let his hair fall down to hide the grimace from his mother. He was really tired of being asked the same question over and over again on his way through the Uchiha-compound. Everyone seemed to think that this was such a big deal…

 

Well, to be honest, he's thought so as well, at least until this morning. Now he was just… frustrated.

 

“I've asked you not to call me that,” was the only thing he said, his voice low and tinted with annoyance. He stepped only the polished wooden floor, stepping closer to Mikoto. “You never say it to Itachi-niisan.”

 

“Oh, but Itachi's too old to be called `chan' anymore,” she said and smiled, starting to walk back down the hall. Sasuke followed, glaring a little at her.

 

“I'm not a child anymore. I'm a genin.”

 

“I know, I know.” Her voice was slightly sad, and he could see even from behind how she bent her head lower. “But to me, you'll always be my little boy!” she then continued, before he got to ask himself or her about it. As they entered the kitchen, she hurriedly went over to the counter, putting a pot of water on the stove. Then she was back by his side, motioning him to sit down, taking her own place by at the other side of the table.

 

Sasuke rolled his eyes at her eagerness. “What do you want to know, exactly?” he asked.

 

“Well… begin with tell me who your teammates and your sensei are!” Mikoto leaned forward, resting her head on her hands as she smiled at her youngest son, who was obviously feeling cornered and trying to make it come off as annoyance. He was so easy to read, opposite to her older son, and Mikoto always felt happy about that. About having a child who still allowed himself to be a child, even if he didn't realize it himself.

 

Sasuke scowled. “There's a girl… I think her name was… Haru… something. Haruno… Sakura. Yeah. Haruno Sakura.”

 

“Oh, I know who she is!” his mother said. “She's the girl with the really unusual haircolour, isn't she?”

 

“Yeah. She's really annoying, though. It's like she wishes we were sewn together or something; she always attaches herself to my arm or something when she sees me and I don't get it. It's annoying.”

 

Mikoto had to stifle a giggle. She almost felt bad for Sasuke; he hadn't yet begun to understand the man-and-woman, love-and-relationship business. He was too naïve and kept himself too isolated for that.

 

“I can imagine that it would get rather impractical to have someone hanging at your arm all the time,” she stated, trying to stay serious.

 

“I just hope she stops with it when we start with missions. She'll get in the way.”

 

“M-mh,” his mother agreed. Then she continued with expectant voice; “And? Your other teammate? What's he like?”

 

Sasuke's face darkened even more than it had when he mentioned the Haruno-girl. Mikoto raised an eyebrow; she could almost feel the wave of hatred radiating from her son. “He's a complete idiot,” he said. “He's the stupidest person ever, and the worst in the entire class. He can't do anything right, ever.” He turned his head, looking down on the floor, grinding his jaws together. Usually, a comment like that would have given him a scolding, but his strange behaviour served to make Mikoto curious instead, and she leaned forward just a little bit more, eyeing him.

 

“Did something happen?” she asked with her eyebrows raised.

 

“No. Nothing. He's just a complete dobe, that's all.” But on the boy's cheeks, a slight tint of red had begun to spread. Mikoto watched him silently, having to fight hard not to pressure him for more information. Sasuke was obviously bothered by something that had with his last teammate to do; the only person who could ever bring a blush onto his face nowadays was Itachi.

 

…speaking about Itachi…

 

“It's a common occurrence that they team the highest graded genin with the lowest graded one,” a cool voice said from the door. Mikoto glanced at Itachi, she wasn't surprised that she hadn't noticed him come, nor did she know how long he'd been standing there. Those sorts of details didn't bother her, not anymore. It was just something you had to get used to when your son was the definitely best shinobi in the entire village.

 

Sasuke, on the other hand, stared openly at his brother, thoughts racing through his mind. Was that praise, he'd just heard? Itachi met his gaze, and smiled slowly back at him, making Sasuke flush a little deeper. That was definitely praise! He couldn't believe it.

 

“It's a way of testing your capability to adapt,” the older boy continued, while starting to walk over to the stove. He peeked into the pot. “I think the water is hot now, Kaa-san,” he murmured.

 

Mikoto nodded and got to her feet. As she begun to rummage around in the drawers for teacups, Itachi sunk down to sit beside Sasuke. “So, what is this `complete dobe's' name, then?” he asked his younger brother, his voice revealing his faint amusement.

 

“Uzumaki Naruto,” Sasuke answered, shrugging. Mikoto glanced over her shoulder at the two boys, her eyes meeting Itachi's cool gaze for a moment. Then she turned back to the tea. Of course she knew who Uzumaki Naruto was, and so did Itachi; the entire older population of the village new. She, however, took pride in knowing that she wasn't the type who would judge a child because of circumstances he had absolutely no say in like that, and she suspected that her older son didn't care either.

 

The problem was Fugaku. He wouldn't take lightly on this.

 

Mikoto wondered if it would be better not to tell him anything about Sasuke's teammate, and see what time would bring. Though, if Fugaku found out that `the Uzumaki-boy' was his son's teammate, and that his wife had kept that information from him, the situation would become problematic.

 

“Actually, I'm surprised that he even made genin,” Sasuke continued, oblivious to his mother's inner conflict. “I was certain that the examiners failed him.”

 

Mikoto sat down by the table again, placing the tray with the cups before them. “They might have given him another chance to prove himself,” she suggested easily. Actually, she knew exactly what had happened, with Mizuki and that boy, but that was classified information for everybody who hadn't been directly involved. Itachi glanced at her, an eyebrow raised, and she smiled back, as usual feeling uncertain about exactly how much her older son knew were able to figure out about these sort of things.

 

“You haven't told us anything about your sensei yet,” she reminded Sasuke in an attempt to change the topic and shrug off the unsettling feelings crawling up her back.

 

The boy scowled again. “He's barely even worth mentioning,” he mumbled silently, avoiding his mother's gaze as her eyebrow's furrowed.

 

“What was that, Sasuke-chan?”

 

“Nothing,” he answered quickly. “His name is Hatake Kakashi.”

 

Itachi made a sound from behind his cup, causing Sasuke to glance at him. “Hatake is a capable jounin,” Itachi said as he slowly put the cup down. “He can be a little strange from time to time, but he is strong and there is nothing wrong with his morals.”

 

Sasuke's eyes widened. He had never heard Itachi complement one single person that much in only one sentence ever before. From one moment to the other, his annoyance with what to him had appeared as a very weird, unqualified person, changed to something close to respect. If Itachi thought that highly of this Hatake Kakashi, he had to be something really special, and he suddenly regretted his earlier comment.

 

“I… I guess he can be a qualified sensei. He told us to meet him at the north training field tomorrow at five am, I guess I'll find out then,” he said, looking at Itachi, trying to hide his silent plea for approval. Itachi simply `hn'-ed, and turned his attention back to his tea.

 

A while later, when Sasuke had finished his own tea and excused himself, telling them he'd go train for a while (and for once not asking Itachi if he'd go with him), Mikoto stopped Itachi on his way out from the kitchen by placing a gentle hand on his arm. The young man turned towards her, an eyebrow raised.

 

“You didn't tell him about Kakashi-san's never failing ability to turn up late,” she reminded her son, uncertain about what she should make of that decision of his.

 

Itachi's lips twitched slightly. “Neither did you, Kaa-san,” he pointed out.

 

oooo

Owari

oooo

AN: Mikoto is awesome and doesn't get enough love. Sasuke is his mother's baby boy and Itachi is the coolest and most awkward big brother ever. Just fooling around here.

Disclaimer: Oooh yes. I own Naruto. I make a shitload of money from writing this. Right…