Chapter Text
Sasuke wanted to ask Kakashi a question about the Chidori and burst through his door, forgetting another soul lived in his apartment.
Sakura's hair looked longer, almost softer, but he was sure that was the light playing tricks on him. She was wearing a loose slug hoodie with the antennae looking sort of like ponytails.
A glass mug of what appeared to be coffee between her hands, her toes gently tapped the floor when she dipped her feet in rhythm; she was still too short to reach the floor when she sat.
For some odd reason she had nail polish on her fingers and toes. It was the kind he saw Itachi wear occasionally. Either for decorative or chakra-attack related reasons. He deduced that for this particular time of day, Sakura wore it for the former.
"Good morning!" She beamed at him, setting down the mug to reveal a moustache of foam. He had to stifle a chuckle.
"Hn." He looked around, wondering why Kakashi hadn't shown up yet.
"He's probably still asleep." Sakura quipped before wiping the foam with the sleeve of her hoodie. Unladylike, her mother would say. She was sullen for a moment — she did not need to think about her parents today.
She found that recently she got angry when people mentioned her parents.
Sure when they left her she felt like something was wrong, but they weren't doing something bad, they were her parents afterall!
Sure whenever she asked for more money they'd send back a colourful letter with the general theme of saying she was ungrateful, and that sometimes made her cry for hours on end...
Sure whenever they asked her to come to them in whatever place they were in without sending her any travel money or written permission so she could leave the village, her chest twisted...
But... They were her parents.
They were her parents and they left her.
Well, technically it was her fault because she wasn't what they wanted... But they still left her! Whether she actually deserves to feel angry about that, she has no idea.
The adults around her seem to be fraught with the judgement that her parents have done something wrong. But she just can't seem to wrap her head around it.
She must've done something horrid to warrant them leaving, she figured as much when she came to a conclusion that being alone was scary. To subject a child to such torment without cause would be cruel. And her parents were not cruel! They smiled at people on the street, they gave sweets and bread to the poor kids, they joked around with people and helped out their neighbours.
They were not cruel.
Only has a second passed since all these thoughts swum in her head. She's begun to think at a pace that surprises herself and often Kakashi.
So she quickly downs the rest of the chocolate milk, wipes the foam off, and washes the cup. She does not need to think about her parents today. Drying her hands on the hoodie, she sits down next to Sasuke, slumping on Kakashi's couch. He leans forward when he notices Sakura though.
"I didn't think you'd like coffee." He states.
She blinks, "I don't?"
After a beat she adds, "It was chocolate milk."
He raises his brows slightly, amused. He scoffs and leans back, sitting proper with his arms behind his head.
She squawks, "What?"
"Nothing, I just thought you were too old for that."
She scoffs in indignation, "I will have my hot-chocolate flavoured chocolate milk anytime I want, like a proper Kunoichi, thank you very much." Turning her nose up at him.
"Excuse me?"
She glowers at him, a challenge in her eyes, she enunciates: "Hot-chocolate flavoured chocolate milk."
Would Kakashi not have Shunshin-ed into the room, Sasuke would have burst into giggles.
"It's not good manners to barge in people's houses Sasuke." Kakashi remarked lazily.
"Oh shut up."
"Cranky today, aren't we?'
"Whatever." He looked off to the side (avoiding Sakura's general direction). "I need help with my Chidori."
"Oh." He seemed thoughtful for a moment. "After I drop Sakura off at the Hyuga residence, sure."
Sasuke turned to Sakura, expectant. She held his gaze for a moment before her brain decided to boot up. She looked away abruptly but Sasuke caught her face furiously flushing. He used his Sharingan for less than a split second to preserve that scene in his mind. T&I could not get this information out of him if they tried. (They probably could but he has too big of an ego to admit that.)
"U-uh." Sakura stuttered, before balling her fists in her lap, "Hinata-chan invited Ino and I for a tea party. Well, it's really just an excuse to have some much needed girl talk—" she fussed with her hair inside her hoodie, "—but Hiashi-san does not like Hinata-chan out and about in 'common' restaurants so we have to go to her house on a formal notice otherwise we can't even talk to her!"
Sakura slumped in her seat, "Naruto has his work cut out for him."
"What?"
Kakashi deadpanned, "Sasuke, I know you're dense but I expected you to be at least a little more aware than Naruto."
"...what?"
Sakura giggled, then hopped off the couch. "I'm going to get ready, bye Sasuke!" She shut her door behind her.
"Why do I have to leave?"
Kakashi just ruffled his hair, and spoke quietly, "This is still a new place for her Sasuke, and it's a place with new people. It took her a while to get used to me being here."
Sasuke looked conflicted.
"It'd help if you respect her wishes. I'll meet you in about an hour."
"So is that 5 hours or 6?"
"Oi."
Sasuke promptly left the Hatake apartment and Kakashi heard Sakura shuffling. She was standing by the door all this time. She was still weary.
Just how bad were her parents?
★★★
The Hyuga compound was large, brandished but relatively bland. It exuberated class and decorum, but other than dark brown and shades of white and beige and something that could be considered purple, the compound was just incredibly fortified and gigantic.
A doorman let the Jonin and baby Kunoichi in. The hallways were empty, save for the few servants quietly pittering about. The Hyuga residence had an odd feeling about it. It always seems like a tragedy has happened. Like it was permanently stuck in the few moments after you bury someone.
It felt sad, to put it simply. And constrictive.
A familiar sense of dread pooled in Sakura's stomach. Extending its tendrils up her throat, latching onto her tongue, forbidding her to scream.
A maid came to them and bowed low, "Welcome Hatake-san, Sakura-chan. I will take you to the young Lady's quarters, Sakura-chan."
"Alright then. Have fun Sakura." With that, Kakashi ruffled her hair before shunshining away.
"Nii-san," Sakura greeted the maid.
"Follow me."
★★★
Sakura and the maid had the displeasure of running into Hiashi.
"Who are you?" He glared at the newcomer, then sneered at her clothes, "We don't need another maid."
Sakura had half a mind to deck this pompous prick, if not for herself then for Hinata-chan. She quickly decked that train of thought when the maid spoke, "She is here for Hyuga-san, Hyuga-sama."
"Hanabi?"
"Ah. Hin—" the maid blinked, looking down, "Hyuga-chan."
Hiashi rolled his eyes and went on his way, making no subtleties about pushing the maid out of his path. Sakura stared daggers at the back of his head.
The maid sighed and brought Sakura to Hinata's room.
★★★
"Hyuga-san?" She called.
Hinata opened the door, "Ume-san!"
"Ah, so her name's Ume," Thought Sakura. "Hi Hinata-chan!"
Hinata beamed and pulled Sakura into the room. She invited Ume in, but she refused and closed the door.
"Ume-san is really nice," Sakura mused.
"She is. She's working here because her mother got sick and needed someone to take her place." Hinata furrowed her brows, "Father doesn't like it when people call me Hyuga-san. Most of our maids know this... But Ume didn't at first."
"Oh... Still he shouldn't be rude to her. Humph!"
"Exactly!" Sakura turned around to face the voice.
"Ino!"
★★★
The three girls sat around a low white table, a tea cup in front of each of them.
"You know these violets on the cups mean humility and modesty?" Ino snorted.
Hinata giggled, "Well clan secrets are to remain in the clan. Even our fighting style is such in a way to preserve our secrets."
Sakura wondered if she could learn the secrets of the Sharingan, but to do that she'd have to marry Sasuke... WAIT WHAT—
"Sakura-san! Are you alright?!"
"Yeah forehead, your face is burning— OHMYGODWHOISIT."
And just like usual, Ino clocked her within seconds. She exhaled sharply, defeated. "I-I don't know if I... Like him like that..."
Hinata smiled sweetly, "That's ok. It took me years to figure out I liked N-naruto-kun."
"Seriously?" Ino peered at the (rejected?) heiress, "We figured it out on day one."
Hinata made a sound not unlike a blubbering fish.
"Don't worry Hinata, Naruto is as dense as a rock." Sakura hummed thoughtfully for a moment, "Why do you like him, Hinata-chan?"
Hinata's face burned, but after much struggle she was able to speak, "S-some kids used to call me a m-monster because of my eyes—"
Ino gasped, outraged. "Dipshits!"
"—and one night, I got lost. It w-was snowing. I was crying." She hugged herself, "And then there he was, hand stuck out, grin on his f-face. U-uchiha-kun and Lady Uchiha-sama were looking for him, calling out his name. He just pulled me up on my feet and dragged me, running."
"Seriously? So rude." Sakura jested.
"Shush Sakura don't interrupt her." Sakura gave Ino an overly offended look.
Hinata giggled, "We walked for what felt like hours until I started to recognise things... He said, 'Why are you crying? If I still had a house of my own as big as this I'd never cry!'. I was s-still choking on tears so he g-gave me the warmest smile I've ever seen... I stopped crying, and he wiped away my tears."
Ino and Sakura collectively gasped. Hinata blinked. The bright haired girls approached closer to her and we're now nearly squishing her between them.
"A-ah. But that's when Lady Uchiha-sama found him and took him back home."
"Awww." Ino cooed as Sakura pulled Hinata into a hug.
Sakura had a gleam in her eye, "We should totally set them up!"
"YES!"
"U-um... I don't know... He pr-probably doesn't remember..."
"Hinata," Ino's voice was serious, "We will make him remember."
★★★
Sasuke could barely dodge Kakashi's attack, using his arms to block the axe kick. He quickly backed away when he attempted a swipe at him. Sasuke left an opening behind him and Kakashi kicked him into his stomach.
"Good, you're getting better. If you can control your strength a bit more, you can spar one-on-one with Sakura again."
Sasuke ignored the warmth creeping up his neck in favour of twisting himself upright to throw a hard punch to Kakashi's ribs.
Wood splattered in his place. Substitution jutsu.
He turned quickly, Sharingan activated, and was able to pin Kakashi to the ground, both his hands behind his back.
"Good job Sasuke!" Kakashi disappeared into the ground and reappeared behind the boy, "I think I'll start trying now.
A few hours after endurance training, Kakashi finally taught him how to focus his Chidori and aim it at a target. Apparently he'd been having trouble focusing.
"So now we have to work on getting Sakura out of your head without all the fighting."
Sasuke froze, turned slowly towards Kakashi and jutted out all the killing intent he could muster. To Kakashi, it tickled. The Jonin chuckled and ruffled the baby Shinobi's head before shunshining away to pick up Sakura from her girl's day.