In the end, everyone Sakura asked to go out for ramen came. Teuchi was pleasantly surprised when five other kids along with his best customer came and filled in all his seats. Their seating from right to left in his perspective went as follows: the sleepy kid, the chubby one, the tiny Uchiha, Naruto, the girl, and sunglasses. He grinned at the blonde.
"Brought your friends over, Naruto-kun?"
"Yep!" he exclaimed, reaching over to pat Sasuke on the back and earning him an annoyed glare from the former, "He's never had ramen before, so he should try the bestest place in all of Konoha, dattebayo!"
Teuchi laughed and started taking orders from Shikamaru's end. "So what'll you be having?"
"Mm... pork ramen."
"Ch-Chicken, please."
"Me too."
"Beef, please!"
"Tempura."
"Fish... please."
The man smiled and turned to his kitchen to prepare their meals. The six of them immediately lit up in clustered conversation paired between who they sat with. Sakura spun her seat a little to her right to face Shino.
"Did the kabutomushi lay her eggs yet?" she asked. He blinked, surprised that she remembered something he'd think would be insignificant for her. He adjusted his glasses.
"She did. Yesterday," Shino replied.
"Really?" she mused. "When the larvae turn into adults, tell me so we could go see more of them?"
He averted his gaze and nodded. Shikamaru caught wind of the conversation from down the bar and remembered something. He reached into his pocket and pulled out a tube wrapped in cloth and made a move for it to be passed down the line.
"Sakura. Here's that thing you wanted. It was a pain," he complained. The weird bundle earned numerous stares as Sakura's eyes lit up and she untied it to inspect the contents. Naruto donned a weary expression at the blackish goop she was swirling around.
"Ewwwww, that's gross," he commented, wrinkling his nose. Sasuke pushed his face aside to get a better look at the concoction.
"What's that?"
Content with the mixture, Sakura wrapped it back up and tucked it into a hidden pocket in the hem of her shirt.
"It's a poison," she answered. "Shino and Shikamaru helped me get it. Right?"
Shikamaru frowned. "You made me exercise then you pulled us in a lake."
"We were getting chased by hornets, what did you want me to do?!" Sakura pouted. Teuchi turned around and started placing their ramen in front of them. Shino reached for a pair of chopsticks and broke them apart.
"Tell us first," he murmured. Shikamaru nodded in agreement and took a pair of chopsticks himself. Sakura rolled her eyes.
"You're welcome," she sniffed. There was a chorus of itadakimasu's before they went to dig into their ramen. After slurping up his first few bites, Chouji glanced curiously at Sakura.
"Hornets?" he asked, "That doesn't sound safe."
"Sakura-chan never does nothin' safe."
Sakura huffed and went back to her ramen. For a moment, Chouji was old. In his late teens, early twenties-- dead on the ground not too far from Lee. The sight was vivid and fresh, the scent of death hanging heavy in her nose. It took her some seconds to recollect herself and force a smile onto her face.
Nothing was wrong.
And nothing was going to be wrong.
::
Mikoto went off to attend a meeting with some of the Uchiha clan shinobi and intended to come back before the Academy let out. But it had gone far longer than she anticipated and she was rushing home to greet Sasuke. As she passed the ramen stand, she heard laughter.
"Stop lyin'!"
"I'm not!"
"You're too troublesome to do somethin' like that."
She slowed down and lifted the cloth tarp to peek into the ramen bar. Immediately, she saw her son in the midst of other Academy students. The strange girl, Haruno Sakura, was there with him once more along with Naruto. Mikoto stepped away from the restaurant and continued her way to the compound.
It wasn't that Mikoto had anything against the boy. She knew he was Kushina's son and meant no harm in any way shape or form, but he drew dangerous attention. People could come and hurt him at any moment, so what would happen if Sasuke was with him at the wrong place at the wrong time?
Then again, there was Sakura. The enigma. If she was constantly around those two and was that advanced as Obito said she was, she wouldn't dawdle upon it. They seemed the safest (and happiest) around the girl so she wouldn't do anything to butt in.
Mikoto frowned. She wanted to know more about the girl; why were they all drawn to her? Why was she so mature? And... what exactly made her this way?
::
Yashamaru didn't know what to do. For the most part, his wounds had healed and he was no longer confined to bed rest. He made an effort to talk to Gaara and apologize for everything he said that night, but he couldn't find him anywhere. He was never in his room when he checked nor was he in any other place he normally frequented.
He shouldn't be surprised by this development. He didn't deserve for Gaara to forgive him for taking up that mission. Yashamaru raked a hand through his blonde hair as he slipped out the village gates. If only he hadn't doubted the boy. Gaara put all his faith and trust into him and he ruined it with just a few heartbreaking sentences.
If—
"I don't know what to do, Hiruko."
"What's wrong?"
Yashamaru stopped, eyes widening. He nearly forgot this place, one of Gaara's most secretive hideaways: the oasis just a bit away from the village with the Rafu River running through it. He crept over silently and pressed himself against the bark of a tree before peering around it. Gaara sat at the edge of the river, gazing up sadly at the hooded figure beside him.
"Yashamaru wants to talk to me again," he murmured. "I see him ask people sometimes. But... But he's going to try and kill me again, isn't he?" Gaara clutched his puppet closer. "He is, isn't he? He'll try again and again and again an' again..."
He started to shake as tears fell down his cheeks. Remorse coursed through Yashamaru's insides, yet he remained in his spot and waited. 'Hiruko' reached over and gently patted the boy's head to calm him down.
"I'm sure he wouldn't do that again," he said, "I know how hard it is when someone betrays you like that. I learned that the hard way back in my younger days."
The boy rubbed at his eyes. "S-So were y-you mad?"
"Mhm. But I've had a long, long time to think about it... And trust me, I've had a lot of experience with these things," 'Hiruko' hummed. Yashamaru was sure that this man had probably sensed him by now and had no clue as to why he kept acting like nothing was happening. "But eventually, I let it go. Forgave them."
Gaara blinked. "Huh? Why?"
"Because when you forgive someone, you're not doing it for them. You're doing it for yourself." 'Hiruko' stood. "Take it from me. At least listen to what he has to say before deciding to forgive him or not. In the end, it's your choice," he smiled. He turned his head, allowing Yashamaru to see the soft, big brother like expression on the lower half of his face. Gaara stood up as well and latched onto the man's baggy sleeve.
"You're leaving? Already?" he asked.
"Sorry, Gaara. I'll come back soon, okay?"
Gaara nodded and let go, letting the man disappear from sight. Yashamaru had already gone by making a hasty retreat back to the village.
::
"Nya! Is that dango? Lemme taste, lemme taste, lemme taste, lemme taste!" Kou purred. He trotted around Itachi's legs relentlessly and whipped his tail around in anticipation. Itachi stalled at the sudden appearance of the feline. He looked at the windows and doors before lowering his dango stick and letting the cat munch on it.
"Hello again. Did you need something?"
"A snack. But this dango is sooo good, nya!"
The cat padded about the kitchen in the main house and jumped up onto the countertop. He sat on the granite with a sharp grin, bright eyes pinning the eleven year old boy to the spot. Itachi was... curious, to say the least. This summons had made it a point to pop out of nowhere and hang around for a few minutes, then leave as mysteriously as he came. It made him wonder.
"Kou-san."
He leaned forward. "Hm?"
"Why are you here, exactly?" the Uchiha questioned. "I doubt anyone in my family had summoned you, and Nekobaa-sama would never interfere in business that isn't hers."
Kou bobbed his head. "True. True."
"Then—"
"Then nothing!" the cat exclaimed, striking a fabulous pose. "No need to worry, 'tachi-chan. I'm a summon closely tied to your clan. There's only so many people I can contract with, nya."
Kou leapt off the counter and strutted out the kitchen with his tail raised in the air. "Bye bye!"
Itachi was left in the middle of his home with a dango stick in his hand and a whirring mind. Someone must be keeping an eye on him, he deduced. It couldn't have been someone from the clan, as no one would dare spy on the main house. And Nekobaa-sama had secluded herself in an abandoned city for a reason she would sell her weapons, nothing more or less.
With Kou being a summon, he couldn't hope to track them without violating some code of conduct.
The light pitter-patter of footsteps came from the front door.
"Aniki! You're home!" Sasuke grinned. Mikoto walked behind him as he jumped into his older brother's arms. Itachi smiled.
"How was your day, Sasuke? Did you have fun?"
Sasuke pouted. "It was okay. I like Iruka-sensei better than the other sensei 'cause he's nice and fair," he said, surprising Itachi. "But then I had ramen with Naruto and Sakura and Chouji and Shikamaru and Shino! I had a lotta fun!"
"Did you? That's great."
Sasuke wriggled out of Itachi's grip and made way towards his room.
"I gotta do my homework. I'll be in my room kaa-san, aniki!" he shouted from the top of the stairs. Itachi stared after him with a raised eyebrow before turning to his mother.
"He's with his friends more often."
"It's a good thing." Mikoto sighed. "I won't have to worry too much anymore."
::
It was quiet near the Academy. In the absence of kids and other teachers, a sort of eerie feeling crawled up Iruka's spine. He sat down on the makeshift swing and looked up at the stars, marveling at their twinkle. He didn't know why he agreed to a meeting on a night like this. Six year olds shouldn't be let out at night, shouldn't they?
"Sensei."
Iruka jumped and scrambled to his feet. Behind him stood Sakura dressed in a pair of black unisex pants and a loose green shirt. Had he not known any better, he would've thought she was a little boy who happened to have eccentric pink hair.
"Sa-Sakura! I didn't hear you—I mean—how long did, uh, did you just get here?" he asked with an embarrassed grin. She nodded.
"Yeah. Follow me. I'll show you where Naruto lives," she said. She turned on her heel and went off. Iruka jogged a bit to catch up with her. Sakura was just as quiet as her surroundings, oddly enough. She was completely different than how she was in class. More serious and more mature, she held herself like a higher shinobi—if she were his equal. Sakura made no indication of small talk and kept a little ways ahead to guide him through the thinning streets.
"Um, Sakura? Are you over at Naruto's a lot?" he questioned.
"It depends. I teach him how to cook, how to clean... He can't live off ramen for the rest of his life, but I guess the orphanage never wanted to teach him any of that," she sighed. She made a sharp turn down a narrow road, causing Iruka to nearly trip over his own feet. His eyebrows furrowed.
"He doesn't live at the orphanage?"
"They kicked him out."
Neon lights invaded his vision as the street of the Akasen came into view. Crowds of people were strung alongside the buildings with numerous provocative individuals coaxing others from the doorways. Panicked, Iruka opened his mouth to warn Sakura about what they were getting into only to be cut off.
"If you don't make a scene, they won't care," she mentioned quietly. Her expression darkened a considerable amount, "Keep up, sensei."
Sakura made an abrupt left into a maze of dingy alleyways. These were the backs of the clubs, casinos, and love hotels. All that could really be seen here were the dumpsters and unconscious drunks, and the occasional sight of a raunchy couple in the shadows who thought no one would be looking.
Iruka blushed every time.
Eventually, they came upon Magenta's back street. Iruka eyed the steel staircase that hugged the edge of the building and led up to the third floor. A single window was lit up-- curtains drawn and a short shadow passing by every now and again. His shoulders dropped.
"Not... here," he mumbled. "Surely... He can't be allowed to live her. He's—Naruto's just a boy."
...
"I know."
Sakura turned her head to observe his wide eyes. "You see a boy, sensei. But you know that's not what everyone else thinks."
His surprise diverted to her and she looked away. "You—"
"Don't be too hard on him, okay? He's had it rough his whole life and there's only so much I can do for him. You understand, right?"
Her back was turned to him, blocking his view of her face. Her fists were clenched at her sides and he could see her veins emerging from her arm.
"Right."
Sakura's head lowered as she began her walk away from the apartment. "Goodnight, sensei."
For a long while, he couldn't take his eyes off her. Now he knew what is was about her that made the other sensei retire, and why he gave him fair warning against her. But he was able to tear his eyes away from her small form and leave the Akasen in the opposite direction.
"Goodnight, Sakura."
::
EDITED 1/31/18