(Not accurate but this is generally what their penthouse living room looks like. Lmaooo Team 7 really be livin the life. They're rejoicing that genjutsu exists and can mind control to an extent sksksk)
~*~*~
Recap from last chapter: A week has passed and Team 7 became popular, with some rumors of Inu and Kawauso on the side. Teenage Team 7 finally finished their first week of training in regards of physical conditioning. Aizawa finally met Uchiha (Y/n) and Hatake Kakashi in a cafe, along with Ashido, Kaminari, and Shinsou. They finally saw where Shinsou lives and he lives in an estate; they will train there from now on. Hawks is tasked to recruit the whole Team 7 (including Inu and Kawauso).
Ashido and Kaminari are aware of Hatake's and Uchiha's multi-quirk skills, believing that they came from a highly classified government agency that specializes in national protection (which is of course a lie). Shinsou only knows so far that Hatake's quirk has something to do with illusions (helps altering appearances), while Uchiha's quirk is healing. Shinsou does not know of the Ashido-Uchiha and Hatake-Kaminari situation, and he is not aware of the seals plastered on Ashido's and Kaminari's bodies because they cover it up with conservative clothing.
~*~*~
It would seem that a week of popularity was enough for this world to create and produce merchandise-- Team 7 merchandise to be exact. You don't even know where to start with that. You really don't. And frankly, neither does Team 7 as a whole... Or maybe they do, because they already purchased some for themselves. Either for their egos or curiosity, you don't know.
But you do know that tonight would be a lot more hectic than usual within the penthouse.
Relaxing on the middle of the extensive couch with Kakashi reading his book next to your right, your eyes widened when Naruto suddenly showed off his chibi vigilante-self keychain in front of your face.
"Looook at thissss!" Naruto boasted excitedly, bouncing in his place. Once your vision focused, you saw the red and white fox mask being a stark contrast to its miniature orange body. The chibi keychain appeared to be doing a victorious pose with its fingers held in a peace sign. "The colors! The cool pose! They got my chaotic good looks just right!"
Unsurprisingly, Naruto bought (maybe stole?) a keychain of 'Kitsune' while Sasuke didn't even bother with any. Although, Sakura got the whole set of the Vigilante Team 7 keychains as souvenir.
Sighing, you have to admit: the keychains were really well-made, and even Kakashi was curious despite his feigned disinterest. The people here sure work fast when it comes to business opportunities, as Team 7 are currently making quite a trend.
"Good looks?" Sakura repeated incredulously whilst lying on the couch to your left, before dangling her own keychain-self above her face; its design was similar to Naruto's but was instead colored pink with her signature porcelain badger mask. It was posed to aim a punch. "We're all wearing masks," She pointed out, unimpressed.
"Which makes you just chaotic," Sasuke remarked bluntly from the other side of the room, sitting on the carpeted floor while rearranging his ninja wire and kunai within his weapon holster. Sakura snorted at the male Uchiha's flat delivery.
"Bastard! Yours looked like a gargoyle with how stony it looked!" Sakura openly guffawed at Naruto's creative insult towards their noir teammate. "You can feel the asshole energy just by looking at it!"
Calming down from her laughter, Sakura was intrigued with Naruto's comments regarding Sasuke's keychain. Curious, the pinkette then retrieved her 'Taka' keychain from her small purchase bag and observed its appearance. Despite its cute design, the blue color scheme and the crossed-arms pose really did give off the vibes Naruto mentioned, which only rejuvenated her laughter.
"I can feel the dead-last and moronic aura coming from yours all the way from here," Sasuke quipped back.
"What the--" Naruto indignantly spluttered, seemingly at a loss of words before settling with: "W-well, yours has a moronic aura too!"
"I'm not taking that from someone who consciously tasted rat poison,"
"I'm telling you, I'm immune--"
"Why? Because you're not a rat?"
"Teme—"
"Where did you guys even get those keychains?" You decided to cut in, not wanting a screaming match within the living room for tonight.
"Oh, it's from a street sale," Sakura answered easily. "Don't worry, we henged into nondescript civilians like you told us to,"
Indeed, you instructed them to henge when in public so that no one can connect them to their vigilante alter-egos. After all, their hair colors are a big give-away, along with the fact that they're often seen together.
Why not use henge while as vigilantes instead, one might ask? Frankly, to save chakra. They're already expending enough as they do their jobs as vigilantes, and one can never be too sure of when they'll need the spare chakra. Henge is an unneeded effort, which they can only spare outside their masks' duties.
"Where'd you get the money?" You asked, wondering about that for a while now.
"Naruto gambled." Was Sasuke's simple explanation to you, not looking up from his weaponries.
You sighed, because seriously, even in this universe, the Uzumaki jinchuuriki has all the luck. Even if they do get kicked out of a casino, they can always just henge into new clients, and the House would not know any better. Naruto can single-handedly make a casino go out of business, and you're not exaggerating on that.
... Hmm, maybe Team 7 should start entering casinos to contribute to the needed rent money.
"Ah," Came your nonchalant response. "And where did the gamble money come from?"
"... Pickpocketed from pickpocketers," Sakura sheepishly replied, but was relieved when you showed no signs of disapproval for their minor crime.
"How are your vigilante lives so far? Anything interesting?" Kakashi inquired curiously, wanting the conversation to continue as background noise while reading his book (you're surprised he still hasn't finished it... or maybe he did and is just rereading). And like that, each Team 7 member shared their own experiences.
You're aware—along with the rest of Team 7— that they were adored by the public, if their merchandises were anything to go by (Sakura secretly hopes you get popular enough to get a keychain of your own so she can purchase one. She will always be a fangirl at heart). However, your three students were not purely altruistic (okay, maybe except Naruto).
Sakura cured every patient she could reach, without expecting monetary payment in return. Though, she ranted about being often seen in hospital CCTVs because they're placed almost everywhere. Fortunately, there are none in patient rooms, so she got to study and gather data regarding illnesses that don't exist within the Elemental Nations. She managed to collect samples and was excited to share her discoveries with Tsunade once (maybe if) you all return home. Yes, while she helps in the hospital for free, that doesn't mean she didn't find anything of equal exchange.
Sasuke, while benefiting the public, is simply looking for warm-ups and training through crime-fighting within the shadows and alleys of the city. It's his way of exploring the limits of this world's inhabitants. People here are weak, he claimed. So, he resorted to just handicapping himself in different ways to challenge himself. From using no jutsu to just using one appendage—he'll come up with anything to overcome his boredom. Of course, you emphasized multiple times that he can't kill anyone no matter how despicable he finds them to be.
Lastly, Naruto was known to be the friendly neighborhood hero; an actual celebrity and the face of the Vigilante Team 7 (Sasuke disapproves of this, but at least he isn't the center of attention this time; however, he would really like for the blond to stop bragging about it). He got to experiment with different materials that cannot be found within the Elemental Nations and used them creatively within his pranks. Although, the blond seemed to be targeting heroes lately because he said that "they keep scolding us like we're children even though we're technically not doing anything wrong dattebayo!". Naruto always did have a problem with authority figures—especially with those who mock or underestimate him.
While the public compares Team 7 Vigilantes to heroes, they are not aware of their true nature as shinobi.
Unless they actively look for it, they will never see underneath the underneath.
"-- and that's how the hero ended up scaring small children because of chicken feathers and black ink stuck to his face," Naruto finished with a proud grin, and as usual, Sasuke has a comment for it.
"How you managed to retain public affection truly baffles me,"
"Yeah?! Like how it baffles me when you had fangirls despite having a stick far up your ass?!"
"Tch, well you--"
"Ah, Sakura," You cut in before the two boys' argument would blow up (again). This seemed to have quieted the two genins (they wouldn't dare interrupt you), and the pinkette was rather surprised that you called for her.
Then again, what you'd ask of her does deserve her stunned reaction.
"Oh, uh, yes, (Y/n)-sensei?"
"Would you like to be a teacher tomorrow?"
~*~*~
So far within his patrol, Eraserhead couldn't find a trace of two certain vigilantes tonight. Then again, he supposed that they never really had a schedule to begin with, so maybe this is a development he would have to get used to.
Watching vigilantly from the edge of a building's rooftop, he reminisced his interaction with his two students (and their tag-along) and their trainers from the cafe he visited earlier. They all looked normal; nothing to earn his suspicion other than the odd teachings the instructors gave them (he will admit: the facade lesson has its uses, but it's not for kids who were recently introduced to puberty. They don't need to develop a paranoid habit this young).
Nevertheless, Ashido and Kaminari really are themselves. It's the eyes, Aizawa thought to himself. Eyes that did not tell of unspoken burdens like when Aizawa caught a glimpse of Kaminari's heavy gaze when they returned from their two-day absences. After all, the eyes are the windows of the soul, and currently their eyes showed carefree youth (though with a hint of critical cynicism, he noticed but that can't be helped after what they experienced).
As for Uchiha (Y/n) and Hatake Kakashi, well... He's not sure what to think of them. Or rather, he's not sure if his current thoughts about them were accurate.
Hatake Kakashi gave off the impression of an immature man whose mischief is shown through nonchalant dismissal or petty annoyance. He seems to be the type who aims to get under people's skins as a hobby. However, Eraserhead knew that during the conversation, he was actively listening in, despite the inane methods he tries to occupy his boredom with. If Kakashi was a trainer of a student who managed to hold himself well to an army of villains, well, Aizawa can't really underestimate him.
Now, Uchiha (Y/n), on the other hand, was the opposite of her counterpart. Polite, attentive, formal, overall? Nice. Definitely his type of a conversation partner, and she proved that through their earlier conversation. Although, that's the thing that unsettled him.
The traits he described her could also be applicable to Principal Nezu. And isn't that a scary thought? An unknown variable being a Nezu equivalent? She has the same charisma, that's for sure. It was only recently when he realized that the conversation was manipulated to her favor by preventing him from thinking of questions that really matter (he won't fall for it the third time, he swears).
All she has to show next is her uncanny intellect, though he can already imagine her possessing it.
(After all, she ended up in a draw with Nezu in Shogi. Or at least, 'Ashido' did.)
He'll have to do a background check on both of them with Tsukauchi's help. While they didn't show any signs of malicious intentions, it never hurts to be safe.
Aizawa snapped out of his musings when he heard beats of wings approaching him. He was momentarily stunned by the arrival of an unexpected company, as the visitor is not a local of Musutafu city.
"Nice evening we're having, wouldn't you say?"
...
Hawks' latest mission wasn't really given a deadline; so, he took his time with it. The Hero Commission knows him; he's a logical tactician who wouldn't just impulsively go straight into action without accounting every possible consequences. They'll understand why this will take him weeks or possibly months to accomplish (or fail)... Yup, they'll understand. Hopefully.
The Team 7 vigilantes are slippery-- able to disappear into thin air before the police or heroes could approach them. It's either Taka's hidden quirk (ironic that Hawks' name is the direct translation of Taka's name) or there's a third party pulling illusions that makes them seemingly disappear into thin air (Inu was suspected to have an invisibility quirk). Either way, he can't show that he's actively searching for and chasing after them, otherwise they would avoid him at all costs and he can't have that.
He's fast, but he'd rather not waste time in a wild goose chase (for some reason, his gut feeling suspects that they're faster but his conscious logic stomped that idea out).
So instead, he would have to go approach the individuals who have connections to them; Inu and Kawauso.
If his guess was right, once he sways those two, the children will follow. He just has to give a good first impression, show that he can be trusted, and if they're close enough, he can casually offer them a place within the Commission.
Hawks will first observe; watch for their strengths and weaknesses, and then he will recruit them the same way how the Hero Commission recruited him.
Financial troubles (he and Mother were poor after Father was caught), identity issues (he doesn't want to associate with the name Takami), personal problems (a hero, he decided to become because what else can he do with his life?); Keigo will find what the vigilantes desire and he will offer it to them in spades.
So, he thought of acquiring information from the vigilante duo's most frequent witness. While Hawks already has all the general collected information, it never hurts to double-check for missed details.
"Nice evening we're having, wouldn't you say?" The winged hero greeted the man perched on the roof, his wings gliding to lead him beside his fellow pro hero.
"Mission in Musutafu city, I'm guessing," Eraserhead nonchalantly pondered aloud, and for a moment, the blond pouted at how Aizawa unknowingly scrapped the conversation script he made up in his head (then again, he's used to one-sided conversations).
"Mou, so straight to the point," Hawks sighed with exaggerated weariness. Seeing the underground hero unperturbed by his antics, the flying hero decided that he might as well get into business. "You wouldn't happen to know some people named Inu and Kawauso, would you?"
Later on, Hawks didn't learn anything new.
~*~*~
(The next day...)
Today is Monday; one week left before the Sports Festival. This is when you'll teach Teenage Team 7 combat training. And like you promised them, you held the training within Shinsou's estate, although with a surprise guest.
And now, there are six of you on the estate's training ground.
"This is Haruno Sakura, and she'll be your personal trainer," You introduced the pinkette to your teenage students, specifically addressing her assigned student, Shinsou Hitoshi. They just stared at your short pupil dressed in innocuous pink gym clothes, sending minute incredulous glances at you and Kakashi.
Shinsou was wise to not comment first. Unfortunately, the same sentiment can't be shared with Kaminari.
"Is this Hatake's prank?" The blond asked flatly, pointing a thumb at Sakura, as she visibly bristled at the way he simply disregarded her.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Sakura inquired, her polite smile being tight on her face.
"Don't be rude," Ashido chastised, but Kaminari persisted and tried to tackle the situation in a different approach.
"I don't mean anything bad by that, I promise! But... Y'know..?" The blond vaguely gestured at the pinkette's short, lithe figure with an uneasy look on his face. "How old are you exactly?"
"I'm thirteen; my birthday just passed," She answered, crossing her arms and raising an eyebrow to what point Kaminari is leading to.
"Yeah, exactly, you're our kouhai, so..." He trailed off, but Sakura was quick to pick up on where he left off.
"Kouhai in age, but senpai in hand-to-hand combat. It's only a two-year age difference," She stated confidently, as Ashido's and Shinsou's eyes widened at the bold proclamation. However, Kaminari only looked doubtful, and tried salvaging the conversation back to its friendly nature with a forced smile.
"Look, you seem pretty capable, but Hatake is a slave driver and we're hero students, so we have more experie--" You decided that's enough underestimation, and decided to interrupt his condescension, even if it was unintentional.
"Kaminari, I sugge--" Unfortunately, Kakashi was too entertained by the petty squabble and wanted to milk every amusement he could gain from it.
"No, no, Sakura is a big girl now," Kakashi started, patting the mentioned girl's head. "She can fight her own fights, which is why I suggest she should,"
"That, I can do," Sakura agreed as she walked away from the engawa your group is under, her ponytail swinging with her movement, and stood at the center of the open training area.
"... Uh, what is she doing?" Kaminari asked, looking confused at Kakashi, as did Shinsou and Ashido.
"The better question is: what will you two be doing?" Replied Kakashi with that familiar cheerful tone he uses whenever he's being particularly mischievous. He then gently pushed Kaminari after Sakura. "The answer? You two will be sparring!"
"You just want to make me feel bad for hitting a younger girl, don't you?" The electric blond deadpanned at the jounin.
"Why don't you find out?" Your partner urged, eye-smiling.
"Fine, but you'll be the one comforting her," Kaminari bargained, before finally approaching Sakura.
"You know the rules; the fight starts when I say 'Begin'," Kakashi instructed, as Denki and Sakura faced each other. Not wasting any more time, Kakashi exclaimed: "Begin!"
Before Kaminari could even do anything, Sakura already appeared behind him in a blink, and embraced his waist. Already recognizing the upcoming move, the electric blond only managed out a:
"Merciful Kami in Heaven--"
"Shannaro!"
And then, Sakura easily performed a suplex on him, the blond's back meeting the dirt with an audible 'thud'. Shinsou and Ashido visibly winced and uttered out small condolences for the defeated blond, as they eyed the small fissure on the ground, framing Kaminari's back.
"Sorry. I... take everything back," Kaminari wheezed out, as you only hoped that he didn't receive a concussion or any fractured bones (luckily, he didn't get either).
"Apology accepted. It's not like you're the first to underestimate me," Satisfied with Kaminari's apology, Sakura dropped his weight and let him fall ungracefully on the ground. She then offered her hand and helped him sit up.
"This is where we teach you to look underneath the underneath," Kakashi lectured sagely, before asking an enthusiastic: "So, did you learn anything?"
"I learned an emotion greater than loathing for you," Kaminari groaned, now standing upright with Sakura's help, before half-heartedly glaring at the jounin.
"If that's the kind of lesson you picked up from having your hide handed to you, then I can safely assure you that you'll be discovering a new spectrum of emotions by the end of the week," The male jounin quipped, as you only sighed at their antics.
"Dumbass," Shinsou snorted, his eyes then widening at the fact that he said that aloud.
"Oh c'mon! You can't tell me you weren't suspicious at first either!"
"I mean she does look like a fragile doll," Ashido mused, as Kaminari whole-heartedly agreed with her.
"Right?! Exactly!"
"Again, this is Haruno Sakura," You reintroduced the pinkette. "She's Kakashi's former student. Her quirk is super strength,"
"Why didn't you mention that sooner?" Kaminari whined, no doubt humiliated by the sparring match that did not last for more than five seconds.
"And you didn't think of a reason why I made her Shinsou's teacher?" You inquired, raising an eyebrow at his lack of foresight.
"I thought it was a prank! You can't tell me that Hatake won't pull off something like that!"
You were about to open your mouth to refute Kaminari's argument, but then you realized that that was a fair assumption. That is something Kakashi would think of.
"Sooo, since Haruno-san is with Shinsou-san, I'm guessing I'm with Uchiha-sensei?" Ashido asked all of you generally, to which you confirmed with an affirmative 'hn'.
"Then that leaves... " Kaminari trailed off, his eyes widening at the realization of who he'll be left with. He looked at you, wordlessly begging. "Oh no,"
"Oh yes," If only Kakashi wasn't wearing his mask, every one of you would see him grinning.
"Kakashi, stop trying to make the kid cry," You berated your partner, before addressing your students. "Anyway, you may have completed our crammed physical conditioning, but that means nothing if you don't know how to use it. So, let's start with a warm-up spar. Kaminari, Ashido, if you please,"
"I barely recovered," The blond complained, but got into position anyways.
"Your body or your pride?" Kakashi teased, and before Kaminari could snark back at him, you (once again) decided to cut in.
"You'll be fine," You reassured the electric blond, before turning to your partner with an unamused look. "Kakashi, stop demoting me as a mediator,"
"I'll try," You sighed tiredly once again and decided to be satisfied with that response.
"Remember the katas we taught you," You reminded your two participating students, before you raised your hand and yelled: "Begin!"
...
Shinsou watched his two friends (friends? when did he consider them as friends again?), transfixed at how their stances easily transitioned into complex positions in a fast pace; it's like Ashido was physically communicating with Kaminari and vice-versa with how they easily responded to each others' attacks. They know when to hit and when to block, albeit with a few missteps and mistakes here and there, but it wasn't that evident (but to a shinobi's eye, each imperfection was glaringly obvious). The General Studies student now understands why Kaminari was so confident in himself earlier (of course, that was before Haruno sent him to the ground).
However, the longer the fight went on, the more Shinsou's eyes narrowed when he noticed something.
"You aren't actually trainers, are you? At least, not originally," The indigo-haired teen told you, not sounding as a question but as a statement. He seemed so convinced, and you wonder why so.
"What makes you say that?" You humored, as you did not remove your eyes from Ashido's and Kaminari's forms (neither did Sakura and Kakashi, but they were listening in nevertheless).
"I'm not stupid. Those moves Ashido and Kaminari showed are not from any martial arts I know. They're customized, original, specialized. Some moves aren't for incapacitating," It's for lethal strikes, goes unsaid. "You're beyond professional in what you do and I'm guessing your profession isn't training others, is it?" Finally, Shinsou turned to face you, looking for your confirmation.
"I didn't realize you're familiar with martial arts techniques," You remarked off-handedly, a bit uneasy that he wasn't as clueless in fighting as you first thought.
"I want to be a hero. Naturally, I researched,"
And yet, he didn't train in any of the arts; why? Lack of teachers? No, he definitely has more than enough money for that. Lack of motivation? No, his dream was enough motivation for him if he could still keep up with your training regime...
Perhaps, lack of inspiration? Maybe back then, he lacked an idea of what or who he'd mold himself after to, and just recently found it. He had the dream, sure, but he didn't have a plan. He didn't know what kind of hero he wanted to be.
And maybe, he does now.
"Hmm... Is it not possible that we invented techniques to make our services unique hence more valuable?" You inquired curiously, now genuinely interested with Shinsou's potential (and discreetly, so was Kakashi and Sakura).
"Possibly," He shrugged. "However, even if you do need me for Ashido's and Kaminari's training, you would've at least made me pay a discount for your sessions with how high quality the results are. You're well-aware that I am more than capable with paying you, and yet you didn't ask me to pay for a single yen. What do you think does that tell me?" It's not money you're exactly after, he wordlessly implied.
You underestimated him, you'll admit.
What an observant brat.
He definitely has an intuition fit for a shinobi. Too bad the rest of him reads civilian, and you plan on having him remain just that-- maybe a genin at best.
"Hn, you're right, we aren't actually trainers," You simply said, confirming his suspicions. "We're soldiers."
"That explains everything, really..."
("Buuut, if you're still holding out that offer to pay us, we don't really discourage it,"
"Kakashi, stop robbing teenagers,"
"It's not exactly robbing if he's willing to give money,")
After a short while, Ashido won (Kaminari reasoned that he was already worn out from his first spar).
And then, the real training begins.
~*~*~
The courtyard was just a wide area of dirt with no decorations to serve as obstacles that could limit space. It's wide enough to accommodate three differing training methods, which the UA students will alternate in each day. They have to train their quirks, katas (attack and defense), and reactions (reflex and counter).
Maybe it's the fondness you feel for the teens speaking, but you feel like they could learn everything they have to learn within the given time frame.
...
Training 1: Quirk
"While I do want to mess with you more, business is business, so pay attention," Subtly, Kakashi casted a low level genjutsu around him and Kaminari, just so Shinsou wouldn't be able to see and hear what they're actually doing.
"I don't exactly trust you, but it's not like I have a choice," Secretly, Kaminari really does trust Kakashi at what he does. The blond would even go as far as to say that Kakashi may be the best at what he does (or maybe not, seeing as he has yet to compare you and Kakashi fight without restraints). However, he would sooner cough out his lungs rather than admit that.
"Because my... spirit is sort of bound to your body, you can somewhat use my quirk, which can then be applied to your quirk," Kakashi started, having Kaminari's barely-veiled interest.
"Yeah, something about imbalance of something, hence the tattoos," The jounin resisted the urge to correct his term for seals, and instead continued on.
"Yes, well, I'm about to teach you how to stick your lightning in one part of your body," The silver-haired shinobi then demonstrated this by raising his right hand up, and had his signature technique briefly spark from his fingers. "With this technique, you'd have better control over the voltage you discharge and prevent wastage. Depending on the concentration, this technique could be used from shocking people in mid range to cutting through objects or people,"
"Alright," Kaminari took heed of the implied warning. "How do I start?"
"We start by sticking this leaf on your forehead,"
"... That's a joke, right?"
...
Training 2: Kata
"You have really good spatial awareness and body control," You genuinely complimented with subtle surprise, the moment you halted your makeshift spar with your student. "What were your training regimes to achieve this?"
"I just do basic work-out before I enrolled UA, really," Ashido answered with a flattered smile, whilst scratching the back of her head. "Although, I think it's because of my dancing hobby,"
"Dancing?" You repeated incredulously, only being able to recall ballroom dancing by pompous nobles.
"Yeah!" The pinkette enthusiastically confirmed. "I usually do hip-hop and breakdancing!"
"... Hip... hop?" You parroted, unsure.
"Uh, yeah?" Ashido's peppiness toned down, as she looked at you with a raised brow.
"... Breakdancing?"
"... You don't know what either of those are, do you?"
You sighed when she caught you red-handed in your cluelessness.
"Just explain and show a demonstration, and maybe I can think of something to help you build a foundation for your own fighting style," If those dances somehow managed to make Ashido adept at body coordination and awareness, then maybe they are useful.
"Alright, so hip-hop and breakdancing are two different dance styles--"
...
Training 3: Reaction
"Did you have any form of formal training prior to this one?" Sakura asked, the moment she paused her student's practice spar with her.
"No, this is my first," Shinsou answered honestly, wiping the stray sweat cascading down his cheek away with the back of his hand.
"Hm, that explains why your movements were so sluggish," The covert medic remarked bluntly, humming to herself as she thought of various ways to improve that (she's thinking of the training regime that Tsunade had put her through, but really, really leveled it down for Shinsou's sake).
"Well, not everyone could be a prodigy," The indigo-haired teen mumbled petulantly, slightly offended by her frank evaluation. However, it wasn't his affronted tone that caught her off-guard, but rather the fact that he indirectly addressed her as a prodigy. She couldn't help but think it was ironic because she was anything but a prodigy.
"You're right. Not everyone," Sakura agreed with a bitter smile, reminiscing the times she was at a disadvantage because of her lack of prestigious lineage. "However, that doesn't mean you couldn't do better than a prodigy. You just need to dedicate yourself to hard work,"
"Easier said than done," Shinsou scoffed, and the pinkette empathized with his pessimism. Once upon a time, she was at the same predicament.
"That's what hard work essentially is, isn't it?" Sakura rhetorically asked, and he only shrugged. "I was once like you, y'know? Started from zero and only did something about it by the time I realized everyone is moving forward while I stayed behind,"
Shinsou looked at her for a long while after hearing how genuine she sounded. For a second, he dared to hope that maybe, they're the same and that he could eventually reach her level, but stomped that thought out when his cynical logic poked holes at his latter thought. She has a super strength quirk-- common, but revered in the field of heroics. Not to mention that she was adept at hand-to-hand combat.
She was born lucky.
"What made you move?" Still, Shinsou entertained the thought.
"The better question is: how I was made to move," She corrected, her voice lilting in subtle elation. "The answer? Someone just believed I could and guided me all the way," Her elation transitioned to fondness, and somehow, Shinsou just knew who she was talking about with how she looked at their female teacher with open admiration whenever she could.
"Huh," Was all he managed to utter out, much to his embarrassment.
"You don't have to be gifted to be skilled. You just need a good teacher," Sakura sagely lectured, an affable smile plastered on her face. "After all, diamonds were once coals; it just takes time with a suitable environment for them to form,"
Good teacher, huh?
If a healer and an illusionist-- both with non-offensive quirks-- could train a tank how to fight, then maybe they could teach him, a mind-controller, how to fight with his own strengths. Non-offensive quirk-users stay and flock together, right? Besides, with how high Sakura's respect is to the two adults despite having a better physically-inclined quirk, it says a lot about their strength so maybe, just maybe, he'll put blind faith in having a good teacher to help him accomplish his goal .
"... Diamonds were never made from coals, if not rarely. They're actually made out of carbon. Not to mention that it takes billions of years for them to form naturally," Shinsou pointed out (obnoxiously) in a drawled tone.
"... Smartass," Sakura deadpanned, unamused that he ruined her 'teaching' vibe, as the boy only smirked brazenly. "Because of that, for your first lesson, you'll be dodging rocks,"
"Isn't that dangerous?" Shinsou vividly remembers her quirk, and could already think of how it could be applied to projectiles (why are they all sadists?).
"Don't worry, if I break something, we have a medic nearby,"
"Please tell me you're kidding,"
"Once I'm done with you, you'll be better than Ashido-san and Kaminari-san, even with their head start!"
"Sweet Kam-- Itai!"
"Lesson one is evasion! Dodge you tall lamp post, dodge!"
"Where did you get those rocks?!"
"Less talking and more evading!"
Sakura is determined to prove her point across even if it kills her (him, actually).
~*~*~
"If this doesn't guarantee our victory in the Sports Festival, I don't know what will," Kaminari groaned, as you healed the last of his electrical burn wounds on his hands and forehead.
Currently, you're resting on the estate's engawa; the teenagers were all spent, while the rest of you didn't break much sweat. Training was recently over, and as of unspoken tradition, you spent your chakra to heal any injuries the students may sport, along with their sore muscles. Of course, you paid attention to how much chakra you're excreting so that you wouldn't accidentally 'poof' out of existence in front of Shinsou. Speaking of which...
"Ugh, what the hell are you two teaching her to have her think that throwing rocks is good training?" The indigo-haired boy glared at Sakura's pristine figure, as he waited for his turn for you to heal his body that's decorated with multiple bruises. "She didn't hit my head, at least,"
"Yowch," Ashido winced when she saw the polka-dotted black and blue on Shinsou's exposed torso. She was lucky that she only got away with being exhausted and sore.
"I told you, I have good aim. Also, pain is good motivator," Sakura chirped with an innocent smile.
"You're not the one who was pelted with rocks," Shinsou grumbled.
"Well, to be fair, her other teacher threw boulders at her as training," Kakashi mused aloud, which had Shinsou look at Sakura incredulously, before looking at the male jounin for further explanation.
"What?"
"Oh, hey, you have a bike!" Kaminari suddenly exclaimed when he angled his head to look beyond the koi pond and its small bridge. "I didn't think a rich kid like you would know how to ride one!"
"Stop calling me a rich kid," Shinsou muttered disdainfully, before adding, "And stop stereotyping,"
"Well, with all the cars you have in your garage, I wouldn't think you'd ride a bike to school like a normal person," Kaminari honestly stated, before finally exchanging with Shinsou for his turn to be healed.
"Tch, I guess... you're not that far off," Shinsou acknowledged, sighing as he sat down next to you. "I just recently learned to ride it,"
"Wait, what? Really?" The blond seemed to have been caught off-guard by the taller boy's admittance.
"Back then, my brother would drive me to my middle school and even bring me out for joy rides," Shinsou expounded distractedly as he watched with fascination at how his bruises seem to magically disappear under your green touch. "But since he was recently promoted, he got busier and..." He trailed off, with all of you already aware of his older brother's situation.
"Oh..." Was all Kaminari contributed as a comment, as Ashido and Sakura distracted themselves through their inane habits whenever they feel awkward.
"It's fine; I actually do enjoy riding a bike," Shinsou reassured, trying to lift the somber atmosphere he unintentionally brought to your group. "It's peaceful and quiet, unlike sports car engines,"
It was silent for a short while.
"Well, y'know, Kakashi and I never rode a bike before," You finally spoke up, a smile tugging on the corner of your lips.
"Whaaat?! Really?!" Ashido gasped in disbelief.
"Of all things you guys didn't accomplish..." Shinsou scoffed, but was subtly thankful for the shift of topic.
"Hatake, you gotta ride a bike!" Kaminari exclaimed excitedly, his energy suddenly rejuvenated.
"Oh, uh--" Kakashi seemed hesitant and looked at you for guidance; you only shrugged at him which he replied back with a deadpan look.
"Ride the bike! Ride the bike!" The electric-user chanted. "C'mon guys, cheer with me; ride the bike, Hatake!"
You already know that Kaminari secretly wanted Kakashi to fail his first time riding a bike, just so it would be the jounin's turn to be humiliated. Kakashi does not go down easily.
"It's Shinsou-san's bike though," Sakura pointed out, before looking at the mentioned boy for wordless permission.
"It's fine, he can borrow," Shinsou allowed, and that only made Kaminari, Ashido, and Sakura look at Kakashi expectantly.
"Maah, maah, alright," Your partner conceded, standing up from the wooden staircase. He then crossed the garden and retrieved the bicycle leaning by the estate walls, near the garage. Steadying the two-wheeled transportation, Kakashi just hopped onto it, and had it stand still despite it not moving. "Okay, so how does this work?"
"Wait, what?" The UA students were gobsmacked by Kakashi's perfect balance, the man subtly flexing his shinobi prowess. Sakura tried to muffle her laughter.
"How are you doing that?!" Kaminari screeched, before burying his head in his hands in disappointment. "Ugh, I bet the next thing you're gonna do is pull a Jesus and walk on water,"
"I dunno anyone named Jesus, but..." Kakashi gave off a weird giggle that had the three teenagers look at him with wary stares. Sakura only seemed exasperated by your partner's antics.
The rest of the healing session went smoothly with a contented atmosphere.
~*~*~
Inu and Kawauso won't be making an appearance for another night, or at least, Inu won't be out for tonight.
You decided that you and Kakashi would take a few breaks here and there just so your schedules would seem random and unpredictable. With your free time, you decided that now would be the best time to visit this city's public library, especially since it's night time. You doubt the place would be flooded with people at this time.
You found the public library days ago, however, their system was... different from Konoha. Frankly, it's quite new to you, especially with technology involved. You passed by the place from time to time, just so you can observe how it works. Like how there are mechanical sensors that blare if unchecked books were to exit its grounds; how people can freely use computers as long as they digitally register-- so on and so forth.
You don't really have trouble with any of their policies, but there is one hindrance that can even be a problem from the Elemental Nations.
You can't borrow books without an official ID.
Though it is a hindrance, it's not really a problem. A quick genjutsu was enough to have the librarian hand you the book you intend to borrow, as long as you return it within exactly three days. A problem at the Elemental Nations was simply a delay here, due to the locals not being able to detect genjutsu.
Multiverse Theories: Theoretical and Hypothetical Perspectives, the title page of your book read.
Exiting the public library, you ducked within a nearby empty alleyway, henged into your Kawauso uniform, then headed back to your penthouse via rooftops. You won't be crime-fighting for today. Your chakra was already drained by your UA students' healing session; you can only perform four C-rank jutsus at best.
So, for tonight, you'll only focus on researching to find a way back home. At least, that was the plan, until...
"Excuse me, have you seen someone suspicious? Perhaps, someone wearing a creepy mask and is hopping around buildings?"
A man with red wings approached you, his golden eyes scanning you from head to toe. A hero, your thoughts supplied.
His greeting was peculiar; very unlike how the others usually 'greet' you and Inu. Still, how he worded his 'hello' did not escape your notice. It was a message with an underlying intention: are you a friend or foe?
Halting from your roof-hopping, you stopped on top of a building with a large water tower and decided to humor the stranger.
"Someone suspicious? Yeah," You replied back, before rubbing the chin of your porcelain mask in a fake pondering look. "But it's someone who has calculating eyes, with arms on their sides to easily maneuver in either offensive or defensive position midair, whilst hiding behind a proverbial mask that tricks people into thinking he's an easy-going guy,"
The blond man did not seem to expect that kind of response, but like you, he didn't miss your concealed message and knew exactly what you were doing. It depends, was what you indirectly said, while coming off as observant and hinted that he couldn't fool you through honeyed words (it won't stop him from trying though, you will later learn).
This man seems to know how to look underneath the underneath. The question is: to what extent?
Snapping out of his trance, he glided down in front of you at face-level; you can see a faint stubble on his chin.
"Oooh, tell me more~" He purred with a hand on his cheek, as you frowned underneath your mask.
"This isn't flirting,"
"It's better than flirting,"
"Cheeky bastard," You huffed under your breath.
"Cheeky? Maybe. Bastard? Not really; my birth was legitimate," He gave off a tenor laugh, before he finally introduced himself. "My name's Hawks; third top hero,"
Hawks, huh? So this was the first hero Team 7 met when they first came here. He was also Sasuke's first brainwashing victim. It would be bad if he were to see Team 7 unmasked as that could trigger his hidden memories.
"Kawauso," You clipped back, hinting the end of the conversation. Just when you're about to leave, he continued talking-- either because he's oblivious that you want to leave or chooses to ignore it. With your first impression with him, you know it's the latter.
"Kawauso; river otter, huh?" He pondered aloud. "But you have a crow quirk,"
Oh? They think your Kawauso persona has a crow quirk? Then, what quirk do they think Inu has?
"Is there a rule where I have to name myself after my quirk?" You asked, sarcasm dripping from your tone despite your flat delivery.
"Yes, but it's unspoken," He answered, shrugging his shoulders as an afterthought. "I mean, there's me, Hawks,"
"Maybe it's because you're simply uncreative," You deadpanned, before he clutched his chest to feign a heart attack.
"Ouch!" Then, he gave a lazy grin. "At least the traits of a hawk reflect me; fast, can fly, good sight. How do you relate with a river otter?" His tone came out as teasing, but you knew better than to assume that it's just a jest.
He's trying to subtly fish information from you by lulling you in a false sense of security through seemingly light jokes, and you saw right through it (unfortunately for him).
"Good try," You remarked dryly, showing as much disinterest as you could, before preparing to launch yourself to the next rooftop-- away from him.
"So, I'm guessing those Team 7 kids are somehow related to you," Your indifference disappeared the moment he had the audacity to mention your family within your vicinity. Instead, it was replaced by ruthless cynicism.
He mentioned Team 7 for a reason-- either as a subtle threat to you, or he plans on making contact with them.
Neither you prefer. No matter his reason, you know that his ulterior motive involves gaining information regarding your small group. The thing that has you most wary is that you don't know him enough to have an idea of to what extent he's willing to go just to gain that information.
Turning your head towards him, your eyes narrowed behind your mask, before you made a swift grab for his tan jacket and yanked him down from his stable hovering. You then slammed his back on the pillar of the nearby water tower, not letting go of his fabric.
However, during this, he also made a quick retaliation by deploying most of his feathers from his crimson wings and had them levitate behind you, targeting your back. Despite the looming threat behind you, you did not loosen your grip on his jacket.
Fast, Hawks' inner voice warned him.
"You will not interact with them or whatsoever," You growled, pressing him harder on water tower's column. You won't let this unpredictable man near any of your students.
Trapped between a metal column and an agitated vigilante, Hawks swallowed down his nervousness when something in the air triggered his survival instincts to go haywire. It's making him so anxious that his adrenaline has already activated and rushed within his bloodstream.
"Hey now, relax; I just want to talk to them," It took most of Hawks' willpower to not stutter; the rest of his will was restraining himself from launching his feathers to their target just so he could get rid of this fearful feeling.
"If you're going to send them a message, talk to me and I will be the one relaying it," You will not be lenient on that. "You will not near them, make contact with them or whatsoever. Trust me, I will know if you disobey. Are we clear?"
The unknown feeling in the air intensified, and his self-restraint waned from having the feathers not attack you; the flying projectiles were closer than they were last positioned-- one was already touching your nape. He can't help it. There's something in the atmosphere that's making him uneasy.
It's suffocating and he feels like he's dying and he could already see his blood seeping from a wound he does not recall getting and he is frozen on his spot and he can't movemoveMOVE RUN--
"Hehe, i-it's weird that you're doing all the threatening when you're the one held in a pointblank position," He tried lightening the situation, his signature smile looking strained on his face. He attempted to distract himself by tracing the red paint lines of the otter mask with his eyes (he can't see your eyes despite being so close to your face).
"I can think of fourteen different ways to use your feathers against you," You started, your tone low but sharp. You curbed a good fraction of Killing Intent to have him think more rationally. "Nine ways with you ending up dead, two for critically injured, and three for you unconscious,"
"I doubt that," He jested, his bravado slightly returning. His hand was slowly holding over yours to guide it away from his clothing. Your hold on him did not relent.
"Want a trial?" With movements too quick to catch, you managed to snatch the feather directly behind your neck, and placed it by the side of his jugular. Even if he could manipulate the feather within your hold, you positioned it in a way so that no matter how he moves, he's bound to receive a wound if he were to struggle.
"Ah, while I do doubt that you could use my feathers against me in fourteen different ways, that doesn't necessarily mean there's zero ways for you to do that," The blond hero placated, which you only responded back with silence. Unnerved by the quiet, he wordlessly asked you what you were waiting for through his expressive eyes.
"I'm waiting for your agreement," You simply said.
"Technically, we're currently in a stalemate so--" You pressed your held feather closer to his neck, and he swore that you nicked his flesh and had it lightly bleed. His hands were too stiff on their stationary position to properly check. "Okay, okay, no communicating with your kids. Got it."
"For your sake, I very hope so," Finally, you released your held feather and let it retreat back to the hero (your hand lingered longer on his neck for some reason and its faintest touch made him shiver). You then stepped away from his personal space. The blond called the rest of his feathers off, and had them retreat back to his wings-- recovering them back to their original size.
Admittedly, he held himself well despite your Killing Intent already reaching jounin levels; him not running away with the first chance he got was a testament to that.
"Ahem, well, that was quite a... " Hawks coughed lightly onto his closed fist. "Strong impression for our first meeting,"
"You word that like our meeting will be a common occurrence," You commented rather disapprovingly, as you would rather not encounter him again.
"It will be," Hawks confirmed cheekily with a smirk, before taking flight once again. Positioning his hand on his head like a mock salute, he gave off a playful farewell that promised his will-be constant presence. "But for now, sayonara!"
Finally, he flew away.
Though, he can't help but notice that you visibly stiffened when he announced his departure; especially when you seemed so ready to reach out. It was so subtle, he could've missed it.
Fortunately for him, he didn't. If his guess was right, it was a subconscious reaction; involuntary.
What it entails, he doesn't know yet, but at least now he knows something.
...
"Haah, of all members I could've encountered, it had to be the most protective of the bunch," Hawks lamented to himself in his solitude; the night sky was exclusively his for tonight. "At least now I know who's in charge of the group,"
Lifting his gloved hand, he lightly touched the cut skin on his neck, but was surprised when he felt no pain. Not even a speck of blood was visible when he double-checked his hand that made contact with his supposed wound. Huh, he could've sworn his own feather actually nicked him, courtesy of the vigilante.
Kawauso was definitely a lot different than he first thought. She was scary, intimidating, and it made his blood rush with anticipation of what she would do next. She was a constant looming threat promising to follow if you had said or done something to aggravate her. To think that he was the first to leave, instead of staying longer to fish for more information.
Dangerous. She's very dangerous.
"What a woman..." Hawks whistled, wondering to himself on when was the last time he felt this excited.
He promises himself that he'll be better prepared the next time he sees her.
~*~*~
OMAKE: Hypothetical Question
Your age: 12
Shisui's age: 13
Despite his love for his clan, Shisui hates going back to his house within the compound (not home; it never felt like home ever since his father died). His house was empty and often quiet, and it contradicts his bright and playful personality (he doesn't like feeling depressed; he already felt enough of that). That's why he usually goes back-and-forth with missions, and bothers for company from Itachi or--
"Okay, if you were on fire and the only way to extinguish it is piss, would you accept it?" You asked, whilst chopping your selected vegetables to prepare lunch within your apartment kitchen.
Shisui didn't bother hiding his amusement at the bizarre question. He started these hypothetical questions as an icebreaker at first, then it just became a pastime of sorts the longer the habit went on.
"Pbfft, no. First off, that would probably hurt a lot on a burn wound since piss is mostly consisted of salt, which could then infect the wound and have me dead anyway through infection,"
"... You really thought that through, didn't you?"
"We're shinobi; we have to think about different scenarios as many and as quickly as we can,"
Itachi couldn't make it to your small lunch date due to his current mission, and honestly? Shisui doesn't mind. It's been a while since he hung out with you-- just you. Don't get him wrong, he enjoys Itachi's company as well, but it's different when it's just with you, a fellow academy graduate of his batch. It felt nostalgic.
(If only a certain Nara was present (alive), you would all be complete.)
Seeing you in a domestic environment, cooking lunch in your casual clothes topped by a pink apron really had his dormant crush on you rear its ugly head. Seated on the dining table, he watched like a love-struck idiot as you maneuvered around your kitchen to prepare your meal.
Ugh, it's just so off-putting that you're a kunoichi who's capable to kick his ass, while at the same time, you're capable of being like Mikoto-obaasan, a, a--
A housewife, his mind (unhelpfully) supplied, and he internally groaned and fought his face's blush down. Then, his fantasy bubble popped when you opened up an extension to your previous conversation that caught him off-guard.
"Now that I think about it, where do we even get an amount of piss to extinguish fire?" You inquired curiously, wanting to distract Shisui from his thoughts that made him look bothered. He was grimacing while looking down at the table.
"I don't know, a clan, maybe?" He shrugged, his troubled look disappearing. Instead, it was replaced by a grin. "Don't think too hard on it. It won't happen any time soon if ever,"
"Eh, true, since I'm the Uchiha pariah, they'd probably just choose not to piss on me if I were on fire," You concurred, but of course, you thought of exceptions who would actually try to save you (Mikoto, Itachi, Sasuke, and of course, Shisui). Like you predicted, Shisui contradicted you but he said it in a way that had you laughing.
"I would pee on you,"
"Pbfft!" You guffawed, as the boy realized how he said his declaration, his face burning from embarrassment. "Haha, Shisui, what the fuck?" You continued laughing.
"Ugh, shut up!" He groaned, burying his head underneath his folded arms. "I was trying to comfort you! You know what I mean!"
After calming from your laughter, a few more chuckles escaped from your mouth before relenting.
"Yeah, of course I do; thanks," You genuinely stated, an appreciative smile on your face. "But I'd really appreciate it more if you don't do that, and instead actually find water,"
"I know! I know!" Shisui wished the floor would just swallow him whole.
"Okay, now that I asked my hypothetical question, it's your turn," You diverted the conversation's control to him, and had him thinking.
He can't really think of a creative question right now due to his distracted thoughts, but then--
"If you're gonna have a partner, what kind of partner would you desire?" He asked, as he tried his very best to not look too interested for your answer. Okay, he's curious; so what? It's not like he would actually try to match himself to your ideal partner just so you could reciprocate his feelings (okay, fine, he would try but he would probably fail miserably).
"Hmm..." You pondered for a while, as you poured the chopped vegetables to your stew. "Someone like Kakashi,"
At your response, Shisui spluttered, because he expected you to answer with characteristics, personalities, traits; not an actual person. The thing that caught him so unprepared was the fact that you didn't even think too long about it. You already have someone in mind.
"I think Kakashi's skillsets match my own, since he's a front liner while I can act as the ultimate support," You continued on, which snapped Shisui from his brief heartbreak. "He's rounded with ninjutsu, kenjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, and I'm rounded with poison, genjutsu, strategy, and fuuinjutsu which is already versatile on its own. He specializes in tracking too, which I'm terrible at. So frankly, I just want someone to complement my skill arsenal to be a jack of all trades. With Kakashi as my partner, we could be front liners, infiltrators, saboteurs, and trackers,"
He... He was talking about romantic partners, but you misinterpreted that as mission partners. Unbelievable.
To think he was so close to admit defeat to his (secret, unrequited) love rivalry with the dog summoner.
"Well, I mean, I think I fill in those requirements just fine," Shisui proposed, trying to act as casual as he could. "All I'm missing is tracking, right?"
"Huh, actually, you're right," You agreed, nodding your head at the thought. "In fact, you have a better grasp of some of Kakashi's skillsets like genjutsu and kenjutsu,"
Shisui preened at the compliment with a beaming smile (also because of the fact that you said that he was better than Kakashi. Okay, so maybe you didn't actually say that, but still!).
"Then I'll learn tracking, so that once we're jounins, we'll get to be mission partners!" Shisui declared, slamming his fist on the palm of his hand in conviction.
"Sounds like a plan," You beamed.
"Alright, I can see it now," The boy announced dramatically, motioning his hand horizontally as if he's reading an invisible title. "In the bingo books, we'll be S-ranked nins called the YinYang Duo!"
"That's such a lame name," Snorting, you pinched the bridge of your nose in embarrassment. "First the Tomoe Trio, and now, YinYang Duo?"
"Hey, there was some thought put into it," Shisui insisted indignantly. "Like, uh, y'know, the duality of yin and yang, and uh, that's why it's duo-- stop laughing!"
"You're just as bad as Minato-sensei when it comes to naming things. Is it a speedster trait?" You teased, as you stirred the boiling pot.
"I promise, it's a good name! Because most of your skillsets are yin-based, and mine is yang--" Shisui ranted throughout lunch to justify his naming skills, filling your apartment with inane chatter as white noise.
It's funny how he didn't find his home within the compound, but rather here. Here, Shisui feels more like himself; at home.
Indeed, after a few months, Shisui learned another specialization; tracking.
(In the near future, he never got to use his coined moniker, YinYang Duo, with you. The Copycat Nin got that privilege instead.)
BONUS OMAKE:
Your age: 13
Shisui's age: 14
Itachi's age: 12
Sasuke's age: 6
"(Y/n)-nee!" Sasuke called out to you the moment he and Itachi exited the tree line and into the clearing. The boy immediately ran towards you, and enveloped your waist in a hug.
"Hey there, Sasuke," You greeted back with a fond smile, before ruffling his hair.
Then, the young boy let you go and looked at your companion, not bothering to hide his disdain.
"Shisui," He flatly addressed the older teen.
"Sasu-cakes," Shisui flatly addressed back, holding in a smile, as you and Itachi looked at each other, already knowing what the other was thinking.
Here we go again.
"You can't call me that! Only (Y/n)-nee can," Sasuke harrumphed, crossing his arms over his chest.
"Oh? Too bad; I thought of the nickname first," Shisui teased with a playful smirk, which only had the younger boy glower at him.
"Nii-san, why are you still friends with him?" The six-year-old whined to his brother, and Itachi can only respond back with a sheepish closed smile.
"Why can't you be nice like your nii-san?" Shisui whined back, making a pouty face. "Speaking of which, Itachiii, why is he here? I thought training time is just Tomoe Trio time,"
"Don't be rude, Shisui," You lightly chastised, when Sasuke bristled that Shisui wants to dismiss him. "I'm glad to see you here, Sasuke. It's been a while," You appeased the child, a bit exasperated that the curly-haired Uchiha was actually looking to argue with a six-year-old.
Placated, Sasuke then proceeded to ask you.
"(Y/n)-nee, what's Tomoe Trio?"
"Oh, it's just some name for Shisui to call our group," You simply explained, but Sasuke seemed fascinated enough by the mention of 'group'. Wanting to be more involved with you and his older brother, he announced:
"I wanna join!"
Naturally, Shisui would use this opportunity to poke fun at Sasuke.
"Too bad, it's named trio, so it can only be three,"
"Then, we'll just kick you out," The boy resolved firmly, which had Shisui sputter indignantly.
"You can't do that! I named the group!"
"(Y/n)-nee, nii-san, tell him off!" Of normal child behavior, Sasuke pushed for the older figures to fight his fight for him. Itachi was of no help when he just looked at you, silently asking for help.
"Okay, how about this?" You settled, as you placed Itachi next to Shisui and have them hold hands, before proceeding to hold theirs in each of your hands, creating a small circle, with Sasuke at the middle. "There, we can be the Tomoe Trio, while Sasuke will be the pupil-- the dot between all tomoe. With four of us together, we'll be the Sharingan,"
Unexpectedly for them, you bowed your head and laughed because you thought that Shisui's penchant for creating terrible names was rubbing off on you, unaware of the mixed looks of adoration, awe, and appreciation directed towards you.
"Why can't Shisui be more like you?" Sasuke huffed, which had you halt your laughter and look at him with tired fondness.
"Why can't you treat me like (Y/n)-chan?" The older teen quipped back.
"Because she's my nee-chan, and you're just Shisui!" Sasuke reasoned with his immature logic. "Also, she's nicer!"
"Ouch," Shisui clutched his chest in feigned pain. "I can be nice. Can't I be Shisui-nii?"
"No, because you don't live with us," The boy vindicated, knowing well that he can't reason that 'we're not related' due to being clanmates.
"(Y/n) doesn't live with you either," Shisui pointed out, his face being the epitome of the expression of 'gotcha!'. However, Sasuke was not bothered, because confidently, he said:
"Wrong!" Sasuke proudly exclaimed. "She'll marry nii-san and actually be my nee-chan, because she'll be my aniyome and then she'll live with us!"
[Note: Aniyome means sister-in-law, specifically the wife of the older brother.]
"A-ah," Mortified, Itachi seemed more self-conscious and realized he was still holding your hand. He instantly pulled his hand away in embarrassment. "You can't say things like that, Sasuke," Itachi chided his brother lightly.
"Why not? Don't you like each other?" He innocently asked, and it only seemed to pain Itachi to reply based on the grimace plastered on his face.
"I can't be that bad of a wife for you to react like that, right?" You teased, which only worsened Itachi's blushing face.
"Ah, o-of course not, you would be an exceptional wife to me-- I mean, not like I will be marrying you, but in general, you'll be a good wife, but I won't mind marrying you, I'm saying in my opinion, I..." The Uchiha heir seemed to blank, as all of you stared at him wide-eyed with how he reacted.
That was the most you've all seen him express his emotions, at the same time, the most you've heard him talk in a sentence.
"Please don't look at me," Itachi murmured, as he looked away, using his bangs to block out his face, but his ears remained red.
"Itachi, you're so cuuute!" You squealed, with a big grin on your face. "You're not an inexpressive doll, after all!"
"Hn,"
As you continued to pester Itachi to gouge more reaction from him, you were unaware of how Shisui was eyeing the two of you, before he looked down at his hand still conjoined to yours.
~*~*~
The sun was just about to rise by the time Itachi arrived to the training ground near the Naka cliff for his daily training with you and Shisui. Unfortunately, you couldn't make it due to a B-rank mission that had you away from the village for a week, which meant that there would only be him and Shisui for today.
"Morning, 'Tachi!" The curly-haired teen greeted with a smile, and he replied back with a nod of acknowledgement. After wrapping training bandages on both his legs, Shisui stood up from the tree he was once leaning on and neared his fellow Uchiha.
"Free style or taijutsu only?" Itachi asked, but his sparring partner did not reply immediately.
"Listen, we need to talk," The older teen started, which had the heir look at him with his usual inexpressive face, wordlessly telling him to continue. However, he didn't expect that of all topics Shisui would confront him with, it would be about-- "I know you have feelings for her,"
Itachi did not say anything to that; he didn't know what to say. He can't exactly lie to his brother in any but blood, because the accusation was not wrong.
He doesn't know exactly when it started, but his affections are there.
With his mature logic, he would've reasoned that maybe it's just a crush that would fleet in time. But life of a shinobi is often short, and in their line of work, they mature faster to the point that their current age is the age when people start looking for lasting, meaningful relationships. Besides, he was an Uchiha.
And Uchihas don't half-ass affections; they don't do something as simple as 'crushes'.
When normal people fall in love, Uchihas dive in love.
"I'm not mad. It's not like she's hard to love," Shisui continued with an appeasing smile. "I'm actually happy for you. It makes you more human, y'know what I mean? But..."
Shisui glanced at the rising sun distractedly.
"I've been pining for her for a long time now, so," He looked back at Itachi, his eyes radiating determination. "Don't think I'd give up on her just because I see you as my brother,"
"I won't fight you for her, Shisui," Itachi resolutely stated, but he only shook his head.
"No, not a fight. She's not a prize to be won. It's her choice in the end," He said, accepting of that fact. "If she does end up having feelings for you, feel free to accept. Hell, you can even make the first move,"
"Shisui--" Itachi tried again.
"It's fine, I'm serious," His best friend reassured, placing a hand on his shoulder. "I have no control over her feelings and neither do you, so I can't hold that against you,"
Itachi continued to stare at Shisui, scanning for any indication of hidden anger or contempt. Much to his relief, he found none.
"But... give her time, okay? She's been through a lot of losses, and she's still recovering no matter how she acts otherwise," Shisui advised, sighing. "She lost a lot of her precious people, so I don't think she's ready for our feelings. You understand that, don't you?"
Indeed, Itachi does. Both agreed to not take advantage of your vulnerable disposition.
"Hn,"
Shisui accepted that answer.
"But once we both know she's ready, may the best man win," The older teen grinned but it doesn't reach his eyes.
Despite everything Shisui said, Itachi knows that it wouldn't hurt any less. He knows that Shisui is already trying to prepare himself if you were to not reciprocate his affections. He's opening himself up to all the possibilities. And frankly, Itachi is thankful that Shisui gave him a chance to act upon his affections, rather than using their brotherly bond against him.
However, Itachi is selfless. It's not like he needs a romantic relationship with you; he just wants to be with his precious people. As long as you're happy, he'll let fate decide.
Even with Shisui's permission, Itachi won't make a move on you or whatsover. Don't get him wrong, if Shisui says it's okay, it's actually okay; Itachi trusts Shisui. However, it will not stop the guilt Itachi would probably feel just because of his self-sacrificial tendencies.
(He always was a gentle child.)
The only exception where he will heed Shisui's words is when you, yourself, would make a move towards him. If it makes you happy, he will accept.
Though, in the end, Itachi knew that this conversation was not meant for him, or at least, not entirely. This confrontation was for Shisui, himself. To have the older boy overcome his own selfishness.
(Shisui swore he will not lose to jealousy and envy. He will not betray a friend. Not again.)
Seemingly able to pick up on Itachi's thoughts, Shisui changed the subject.
"Y'know, I wish I have a wingman like Sasuke too. Looks like I'll just have to adopt my own precious otouto." Shisui joked, chuckling when Itachi humored him with a small smile. It really was just a harmless joke; Shisui meant nothing of it other than a simple jest.
But then, later that month, he met Naruto.
~*~*~
BONUS:
Naruto: Rat poison has this tangy taste with a bit of a rough texture. I think it was supposed to be fish flavored.
Sasuke: You ate rat poison?
(Y/n): I am very, very worried.
Naruto: Don't worry, it won't work on me because I'm not a rat.
Sakura: You're a slug?
Naruto: I'm a WHAT?!
Sakura: Slugs can eat rat poison and it will not kill them.
Kakashi: Thank you everyone for entertaining me with literally the funniest conversation I have ever heard in my entire life.
[The only reason Naruto survived is because he's a jinchuuriki, and not because he's not a rat. Sasuke will always snort whenever this topic is brought up. To those who are active in my discord server, you guys know the context behind this gag lmao i promise yall im not an actual idiot pls believe me (shit fuck thats exactly what an idiot would say)]
...
Kakashi to Sasuke: Sorry it's my first time teaching for real, so how about I teach you an A-rank assassination jutsu to start off my session.
Kakashi to Denki: It's only my second time to teach, but even still, I know better now and can do better self-control than before... So here's a watered down version of an A-rank assassination jutsu to start our session.
...
Sorry for the sort of late update (I don't even have a schedule lmao) but I got recently addicted to stardew valley (again lol) and of course school plays a part in my misery
This chapter kicked my ass so bad holy shit. 12,000+ words I--
Also, bear my low quality writing (my recent chapters have been whack and rushed for a while lol). School is yuck and is making my brain mush. I can't think straight and I'm just bulldozing my way through to get to the main plot because im so impatient lmao argh my slow burning ass is killing me
Cold and harsh MC is back because of Hawks lmaooo
Look at shisui trying his best and itachi doing the same urgh my heart
For age clarification, Shisui is one year older than MC, while Itachi is one year younger than MC. Kakashi, Obito and Rin are four years older than MC. I know the timeline is fucked but I dont give a damn
So, in this fic, Kakashi is 29, MC is 25, Team 7 is 17 (currently 12/13 tho oof)
Man, MC's life is such a clusterfuck lmao. From a sunshine to a storm cloud. Don't worry, she's got friends throughout the way so she somewhat recovers... in a way. Trauma is one of the secret love interests and will be MC's loyal boyfriend. Tis the True Ending; so everyone can go home now.
Btw, No Place Like Home (i might rename it as Paradox) will be published after I finish the Vigilante arc for this book so stay tuned for that. This time, it's not a crossover book and is just Narutoverse-centric which would feature pre-canon Third War as its main timeline (it will eventually reach canon tho)