Age 8/Year 8 [Part One]

"Are you feeling ok, Sasuke?" My mother leaned down, hand gently rubbing against my hair. "You look worried."

Of course, I'm worried. Its this year. My brother will murder everyone, including her and my father. What makes it so bad is that I don't know when it's going to happen. It could be today, tomorrow, or months from now! I just... didn't know what to do. I jumped at shadows every day.

"I'm fine, mom." But I wasn't. The stress was compounding, and it was costing me sleep.

"I know my son... and those aren't the eyes of someone that's ok." She leaned down, hands lifting my face up. "Now, tell me what's wrong, sweety?"

I shut my mouth and slowly coiled my fingers. Was it ok to tell her? M-Maybe if I-

...

No.

"I've just been having a few bad dreams." I couldn't, It'd be risking not only her, but everyone else in the village. For all I knew, speaking now could lead to the Uchiha attacking sooner. Maybe everyone would die.

"About what, sweety?" She asked, concern blossoming on her face. "Tell me about it."

I took a breath and nodded. It wasn't a lie when I said nightmares were plaguing my sleep.

"I-It's about e-everyone dying." I was never the best at coping with stressful situations like this. Maybe... maybe talking about it could help me calm down.

It wouldn't. Nothing could ever fix this. I'd done nothing but sit by and watch. I was just a scared little boy, restrained by his powerlessness and fear.

Mikoto listened as I poured my heart out. My 'dream' was as close to reality as I could safely say. Real tears streamed down my face; her soft bosom gave me comfort, even as my muffled sobs stained her dress.

I was a child. A strong one, but crying was only human. Sometimes, living with ninja made people forget this. Mikoto made sure I remembered.

"It's ok, honey. That was just a bad dream." She gently kissed my cheek, her arms embracing me. The sweet scent of flowers wafted in the air. "Everyone has them sometimes. Just remember that they aren't real and can't hurt you, ok?"

I took a deep breath and sunk into her. Just for a little bit, I wanted to stay like this. Slowly, but surely, my eyes closed. The next time they opened, I found myself back in bed, blanked softly covering my form.

I wasn't injured, but it hurt.

--------------------

My brother and father were simpler to deal with than Mikoto. Itachi definitely felt off. There weren't many people antagonizing the Hokage, in fact, it was strangely calm. Weren't they supposed to be angrier? Either way, the few times that such people encountered and tried to sway ne to their view, Itachi was swift and merciless. He never got angry or hurt anyone, in fact, all he did was stare.

That was enough.

I never saw those people again, but not because anything happened to them. They were simply scared to come talk to me again.

"Don't listen to them, little brother," Itachi advised. "The Uchiha are fine as is." Konoha valued us and even though there were idiots that blamed my clan for the Kyuby, most had forgotten or realized how stupid that idea was. There would always be bigots and sour individuals. Thankfully, things seemed to be different in this timeline.

I wasn't sure why, but the animosity within my clan wasn't nearly as extreme as in canon.

"I love you, son." If Itachi was a scorching sun, burning all that got close, then Fugaku was a warm fire by my bedside.

"W-What?" I was frankly shocked at his sudden outburst of emotion. Fugaku was proud and while there were small smiles here and there- bursts of emotions- he wasn't someone to be so frank.

"I'm proud of you."

I didn't know what to say.

"I just wanted to let you know that you, your mother, and your brother were the best things to happen to me." With those simple words, he gave me a hug and walked off into his study.

I should have felt happy. I did. But most of all, I felt nervous.

Things like these were never good signs.

=========

Aside from my little football club, I eventually thought about making a study group to help everyone.

To my surprise, even the lazy Shikamaru ended up joining.

"Eh, If my mom think I'm studying here, she'll stop bothering me at home." He said, taking a seat next to Choji and eating some of his food.

Even though he said that- he gladly helped others when they asked, giving a small, 'what a bother' comment.

Naruko struggled with the more academic parts of the group, but everyone else ended up helping out. By this point, Sakura had shown her presence, hanging around Ino like a shadow.

"S-Sasuke, d-do you know the answer to this question?" Hinata was as shy as always but was slowly breaking out of her shell. When not following me around, she could be seen spending a bit of time with Naruko. Apperantly, the two of them bonded over some bullies or something? Hinata saw people bothering Naruko, so hiding in the shadows, she threw some training kunai at the idiots and drove them off. She hadn't planned to reveal herself, but Naruko's surprisingly potent sense of smell literally sniffed her out. After that, well, the blond started sitting next to her during lunch.

She made sure to bring me along.

Overall, the study group was a great success!

[Reward: +1 Cun! | Study Group Formed - Other characters growth increased!]

=========

Naruko's chakra control was finally around the level of a beginner. She still struggled to do the basic exercise, but at least she could do it.

"Watch!" With a puff of smoke, she made a 'droopy' clone of herself. The clone jutsu was the first one taught in class this year. A lot of people struggled, but I wasn't one of those people.

Honestly, it was way better than the random explosions of chakra and air she used to do. Heck, it even looked better than the original clones Naruto used to make.

"Very nice!" I, of course, made sure to praise her.

"But that's not all!"

Once more, she focused, surging a gale of chakra into the simple Jutsu. When the smoke vanished, an adult Naruko stood in front of me.

"Hahah! I'm all grown up! you can't make fun of my hight anymore!"

She couldn't make a clone, but she could change her shape... that was such a Naruko thing to do.

"Hey! So, what do you think?"

I laughed.

"You're a genius!"

She grinned like a little girl at a candy shop.

"T-Thanks!"

We returned to training, and after that, we ran into an interesting individual. Walking through town, we met a Hyuuga boy.

He looked at us and scoffed.

"Shouldn't you be going back to your little hole?"

Naruko was about ready to drop a fist in his face.

The Hyuga are a proud, stalwart clan. My previous memories show them as a clan ruled by internal politics, discipline, and fear. Supposedly, the 'main' branch is kept pure by inbreeding, but you hope that's just something I misremembered. Honestly, if that were true, wouldn't it be the same for the Uchiha? Thankfully, I haven't seen anything like that, let alone genetically deficient children. If it is a thing, it's probably with people genetically diverse enough not to be super creepy.

"Man, even with those eyes of yours, you'd have to be blind to think an insult like that was good." You reply to the Hyuga child's insult. Beside me, Naruko blinks, a small grin rising onto her lip. She seems bewildered, but not so much as to see me in a bad light. Considering she was about to clobber this guy, that's was fine.

"Blind? I could put you down with a tap of my fingers." The boy hisses, eyes hardening, but not 'activating' as it were. "Mind your own business and spin on home."

Obviously, this kid has a massive stick up his ass. I tried to be a bit friendly and break the ice, but maybe that was a mistake. Maybe he's having a bad day? If so, the best thing to do would be-

"And your hairs really, ugh, crappy! I bet you never wash it!" Naruko barrels into the conversation, completely oblivious to what's going on. A silent sigh slips from my lips.

Why did I think things would go any other way? She might not be as reckless as Naruto, but that stubbornness and brash attitude are still there.

Where did that sweet, innocent, quiet girl I knew disappear to?

"Excuse me?! Are you an uncultured swine?!" The Hyuga boy hisses, eyes widening and finger gently cupping his hair. "My mother did this for me. She showed me how to do it- and I make sure it's always perfectly prepared." His eyes boil, rage seething just under their surface. It doesn't take a genius to know his mother is a touchy subject. Sadly, Naruko is quick to lose her temper and even quicker to miss the obvious.

"I bet she's fat! And ugly! Why don't you go tell her to shave your head like a butt!" The Hyuga's eyes don't explode, as I expected- no, his gaze freezes. The frigid stare nips at my body.

Why, Naruko? Why can't you stay cool?

...

Perhaps anger management classes would be good for her.

"My mother's dead, you ingrate!" The boy roars, fist flying toward Naruko. So close, she has barely any chance to react and catches the blow on her cheek. To her credit, she rises from the ground swiftly, not the slightest bit of anger on her face. Yes, her cheek's bruised, and she's holding it with a wince, but she seems more sad than angry.

"O-Oh..." She looks at the ground, eyes dark and regretful. "I-I'm sorry. I didn't know."

I sit back, unsure of what to do. I'm not just going to hit the kid- he's obviously had a bad enough day. Did he just get the news, I wonder?

Stepping forward, I rub my neck and stare at the boy.

"Look, maybe we can go get-" Another fist flies, this time at me. I hesitate, choosing not to call on my Sharingan, lest that cause unneeded attention.

The fist sails past my cheek, grazing the side of my face. Like water, my feet flow away from the boy, keeping enough distance to prevent a repeated attack.

"Look, we're sorry." I raised my hands, eyes locking with his own. "We didn't know."

"Yeah! So stop attacking us, ok? I-I'm sorry." Naruko adds, head lowering in shame.

The three of us reach a standstill, each waiting for the next action. Amusingly enough, those walking by give us a wide birth and giggle every now and then. The Hyuga boy doesn't take to kindly to this.

"Just... leave me alone!" He shouts, storming away. A few small tears strike the floor as he vanishes into the crowd. All that's left behind is a bitter taste in my mouth. Naruko feels much the same, her face solemn and dripping with guilt.

"I-I didn't mean to make fun of his mom." She said, fidgeting in the middle fo the street.

I grab her hand and start guiding her away. There's nothing we can do for the boy now. He's lost to grief and anger. Anything we say would probably just make him even more upset. Instead of trying to do something impossible, or at least impossible to me, I'll focus on what we can do.

"Come one, let's have something to eat." I start walking, Naruko trailing slowly behind. She nods hesitantly, eyes trained onto the ground.

"It's not your fault." It really isn't. If anything, it's me and the boy's. I really should have just let him go- and while Naruko was definitely rude, so was he for randomly insulting others.

In the end, this is just the consequence of being a child. No- even some adults fail to grasp what it means to stay calm.

The journey to Iichiraku Ramen is one filled with silence and a pouting Naruko. I try to cheer her up to limited success, but it's the smell of the salty, unhealthy food that brightens her face. She doesn't forget, but the ramen helps soothes her soul. She listens to me, and by the time she's finished her third bowl, I've managed to cheer her up.

"Come on, have another!" Naruko joked, placing another bowl of Ramen in front of my face.

She just finished her fourth. I could barely get through my second.

"A-Are you trying to explode my stomach?" God... I'm so full I can hardly speak properly anymore.

"Awww, come on! If you're my friend, then you have to eat at least half as much as me!"

I started at her fifth bowl.

Oh god.

Suffice to say, it took all of my willpower not to throw up on the way back home.

The things I do for friends...

==========

It's not every day I see my mom being so active. By now, her stomach's ready to burst! My finger's tremble at thoughts of what might occur.

No. I-I won't let that happen.

"Sasuke, whatcha doing?" Naruko's hot breath slithers into my ear, her weight pushing down on my shoulder. "Just cause your mom's watching doesn't mean you can slack off!"

She shouts, even as I duck and roll. Her kick goes wide and my fingers dig into the exposed leg.

"Waaa-" She bounces off the floor, my training kunai trailing after her. To my surprise, her hand comes up like lightning, just barely managing to deflect the thrown weapons.

"O-Ouch." She holds her knuckles, eyes sliding to the discarded weapon near her. That's all the opening I need. The ground rushes past my eyes, Naruko's face drawing closer and closer.

"W-Wai-" My palm punches into her chest, cutting her pleas short and slapping my face full of spittle. Something smashes into the side of my cheek as you blink and try to wipe the spit away. My tongue roves over dirt, and brown gunk clings to your teeth.

"H-Ha...." Naruko chuckles between half-breaths. She cradles her gut and stands up, one eye closed. "G-Got you."

Admittedly, she's right. Things would have been different if I had your Sharingan, but this was a friendly spar and nothing else.

"And that's enough." My mother's voice glides over the field, pulling my attention along with Naruko's. "The two of you did well." Her eyes fall to me.

"Sasuke, never take your eye of an oponent, especially if you think them beat but not dead."

She looks at Naruko, a complicated expression on her face.

"I'd suggest keeping that sort of trickery up, but try and improve your fundamentals and not get hit."

The young Uzumaki blushes and nods, lips rising into a smile. Her pearly whites almost blind me.

"Thank's, Sasuke's mom!"

My mother sighs, but nods.

Leaves crackle as I approach.

"So, do you think you can help her get better, mom?" It'd definitely be a big boost to Naruko if she got some actual training under her belt. Mikoto wasn't some petit wallflower- she was an accomplished ninja in her own right. Maybe not on Kakashi's level, but still deadly in combat.

Her eyes soften, a small hint of hesitation flashing within them. Why? I knew that look...

"Sasuke... I don't think now's the time." She gently rubs her stomach, a smile blossoming onto her face. "Your little sister or brother's almost here."

"You're going to get a sister?!" Naruko shouts, eyes widening to the size of saucers. "When?!"

She's at my side in an instant, hands griping my shoulder.

I turn to Mikoto for help. She chuckles, amusement dripping from her tone.

"Well, she's not here yet and we don't really know." She pauses and caresses her gut. "Doctor says in a month or so."

"Wait... does that have anything to do with your fatness?" My friend points out. "I thought that was cause you were eating too much food!"

...

Wow. Tact? What's that? Clearly, Naruko doesn't know!

My mother steps back, taken aback by the sudden insult, yet she lets out a small giggle.

"I'm not fat. I'm just pregnant."

...

I don't think she-

"What's preganagnt? Can you eat it?"

Jesus...

My skin crawls and I look away.

"Ah... I guess you are a bit too young to know about those things." Her eyes slide over to me. "Maybe I should have Fugaku teach you too, Sasuke."

Lightning crawls up my spine. God, that's going to be awkward. Thankfully, unlike what people normally assume, it's probably not going to be that bad.

Not unless they make it bad by stuttering or avoiding the subject...

....

"Is it something we'll learn in school?" Naruko asks, knitting her brow forward. "Cause it sounds really compicated."

I sigh.

"It's pronounced complicated."

She huffs, arms crossing over her chest and eyes looking at me sternly.

"Whatever!" I noted that her tongue is bright pink and a bit longer than mines.

What a kid.

"H-Hey! don't give me that look!" She's on me in a second. "That's the 'Naruko's saying something dumb' look, isn't it!"

What?

"I have a look like that?"

I swear, her grin's almost as bad as that of shark's.

"Nope! But you just admitted that you were thinking that!"

Wow. That was really sly of her. Naruko can be a lot smarter than she lets on.

"Ok, ok, maybe you're a tiny bit right."

Her tiny fists gently impact my shoulder.

"Don't be mean!" She sticks her tongue out once more, so I reach up and grab it, lightly pulling her forward.

"Weaght wou dwuing!" She shouts, arms reaching to grab my face.

Her slithering hands proves to be too fast for me without the Sharingan. Dirt brushes against my hair and tiny blades of grass prick the back of my neck. Intrusive fingers slide into my mouth, plucking my tongue and pulling it out.

"Wgats gat fweel wlike?!" For her small stature, Naruko is prety heavy. I can't even move!

I let go, giving the rambunctious girl some breathing room. She smiles triumphantly, jumping off me a moment later.

"Ha! You're fast but really scrawny." She teases, gently pushing my shoulders. "I bet a small wind could blow you over."

My eyes roll, hands rising to get her fingers off my tongue. Thankfully, she lets go.

It's at this point that my mother chimes in, a pleased smile on her face.

"As I was saying- we can't set a training schedule up just yet. Maybe a bit after your sibling's born, Sasuke."

I nod, accepting the reasonable answer.

"So, after that workout- are any of you hungry?"

A loud, earthshaking roar splits the clearing.

"H-Hehe. Yeah..." Naruko speaks, not even needing to answer. The crimson blush on her cheeks speak pounds.

How can she eat so much and not gain a single pound?

...

Jinchiriki's are bullshit.