Broken Kunai

Nimbafuu: Awww, thank you! This is a sex-fest with a bunch of ups and downs.
Zeilya: Sex.
MadaSasu: Working on two novels and like 12 fanfic stories. My bad. Also finally playing Fallout: New Vegas. Not as good as the Elder Scrolls, but I want to finish it quickly.
Peacock Slayer, harvestangel99, Silverfox588, Fire: Thank you!
Logogirl: That’s most of my stories. ^_^ He is probably my favorite character: He’s always fighting with Itachi and Sasuke for that spot.
Rosebunse: Yeah, he’s my favorite to torture nowadays.
VampireDoll666: She may yet.

Sorry for the delay in this and all my stories, but I’m close to finishing an original novelized version of Hopelessly. And I just have too many stories I’m writing. *chargin* This one is kinda long and only has one sex scene. Sorry.

Many thanks to PhoenixInnocence for the beta! You saved me some embarrassment. ^_^

----------

Kakashi had bought several bottles of good sake, but he decided he wanted to drink outside of Sasuke’s house. He ventured into his favorite bar, trying to walk as smoothly as possible. His inability to walk normally, or even just look like he was walking normally, irritated him.

He sat down at the bar and ordered a bottle of sake. He poured himself a cup and sipped. It felt good just to be doing something he had done before his injury. Bedding a beautiful young thing was definitely not one of those things, but that felt good too.

Half way through the bottle, Gai came in and sat next to Kakashi. Kakashi didn’t look at him or acknowledge him until Gai was seated. “Gai.”

“Kakashi.”

Gai ordered his own bottle and poured a cup.

“I’m sorry, Gai. I wasn’t exactly sympathetic. I haven’t fully come to terms with my own problems; I can’t handle the burden of someone else’s. I really don’t know how to comfort someone. As a friend, I should have been able to. Sorry.”

Gai hummed.

“I really am sorry about Neji. He was an excellent shinobi and a good man. He died the way we all want to die, protecting those we care about and making a difference in battle. A noble death.” Kakashi snorted softly. “When I was in the hospital and early on when I went home, I wished I had died like Neji did. You should be proud of him. You still have Lee, your favorite. He’s doing spectacularly as a shinobi and a man. TenTen is a fine kunoichi. Me? I lost all of my students. Naruto is one to be proud of, but I didn’t teach him for long and Sakura was Tsunade’s triumph. You have far more to be proud of than me. That’s a contest you win.”

“Indeed. I am very proud of my students.”

“Truce?”

“Ah.”

“Your sake’s on me tonight.”

“Thanks. You didn’t put Sasuke on that list.”

Kakashi huffed. “Sasuke’s my greatest failure. I could have stopped him from leaving Konoha. I thought teaching him the Chidori would keep him here. I was wrong. I was wrong about Sasuke too many times. At least the only person who died because of my failure was Danzo. I consider that a triumph.”

“Agreed.”

With that, both their moods lifted.

“Did you hear about Raido?” Gai asked. “Word is he’s dating a girl ten years younger than him. Pathetic, eh? She’s just playing with an old man.”

Kakashi didn’t give anything away. “Is she? Or is she the pathetic one? Can’t find anyone her own age so she gives herself to someone who’s just happy to have a young lover?”

“But Raido’s the one making a fool of himself. A little young to be going through a midlife crisis.”

“Shouldn’t you be applauding his enjoyment of the ‘springtime of youth!’”

“I suppose, but she is awfully young. I mean, she could have been his student! How disgusting is that idea. Can you imagine having sex with Sakura or me with TenTen? The idea is ludicrous.”

“I guess if you spent four years or more practically raising them like a father, then yeah, it is creepy. But what if they really love each other?”

“I guess. But still, she’s practically a child. A child toying with a pathetic old man. He’s the one who can’t find someone his own age. A lonely old man who’s willing to throw away his reputation to have a shameful relationship. He’s flirting with the law too.”

“If she’s over sixteen, he’s in the clear.”

“It’ll be worse if he does love her because eventually she’ll move on, leaving him for someone closer to her own age. She’ll leave him a wreck.”

“Probably, but he’s got to be aware that it’s likely to happen. And he’s a strong man, he’ll get over it.”

“Sometimes it’s us strong men who are broken worse by broken hearts.”

Kakashi was silent for a few seconds. “Indeed.” His own heart had yet to heal even with Sasuke trying desperately to heal it and make him happy and repent for the hurt he caused him.

Gai started talking about his remaining students in good cheer. Kakashi didn’t let any of his disquiet show, but he was thinking about his relationship with Sasuke. Kakashi had thought about every point Gai had brought up, but he’d started to get over it. Gai bringing those thoughts back made him depressed. He may have Sasuke now, but one day he would leave, tired of an old man.

-----

Four days without Sasuke. Kakashi had cleaned, practiced jutsu, read a cookbook to increase his appeal, read his own books, and now was lounging in the back looking at the garden in the courtyard. He thought maybe he should learn how to tend plants; they were turning a bit wild.

Cold chakra swept over him before he heard the door open. He would have liked to stand to greet Sasuke, but it was too much trouble with an unwieldy false leg.

Sasuke ran across the living room, fell to his knees, dropping his kit as he did, and slid into Kakashi’s back and hugged him. “I missed you,” Sasuke said.

“I missed you too,” Kakashi said as he put his hands on the arms around him. “This house was far too lonely with you gone.”

They leaned their heads against each other.

“Welcome home,” Kakashi said.

“It’s early. I’ll take a shower and then let’s go out for dinner.” Sasuke moved his lips right behind Kakashi’s ear. “Then we can come home and have some fun,” he whispered.

“That sounds like a good plan.”

“Think where you want to go. I’m for anything that’s not squirrel.” He kissed the side of Kakashi’s head and stood. Gently, he asked, “Want help?”

“Yeah. I didn’t think about how I was going to get back up.”

“Can always make a shadow clone.” Sasuke rounded to the front and pulled him up so they were face to face. He scowled. “You don’t look well.”

“Result of being left by myself. I’m okay. Go shower. I’ll freshen up and we’ll go out.”

Sasuke was skeptical, but he hurried into the bedroom to shower and change. Kakashi followed more slowly and looked at himself in the mirror over the sink while Sasuke showered. He pulled his mask down and agreed he really didn’t look well. He freshened up, but there was little he could do about how pale he looked and the mask covered most of his face. He dressed in nicer civvies not knowing where Sasuke wanted to go and Kakashi had no opinion. He went out to the living room to wait for Sasuke.

His heart ached when Sasuke came out, dressed in a casual black kimono, his hair gleaming with product, and just looking so young and beautiful.

“Know where you want to go?” Sasuke asked.

“I only ate at the same three places before Pein’a attack, doing a lot of my own cooking since hiding my face while eating is such a hassle.”

Sasuke pouted. “I haven’t lived here in years. I have no idea where to go. We’re not having ramen.”

He was so freaking cute with that pout that Kakashi smiled. “You’re rich; we’ll just stop at the first appealing restaurant.”

Sasuke brightened. “That’ll work.”

Kakashi was kind of glad Sasuke didn’t latch onto his arm like a swooning school girl, but he was also a little disappointed. Then again he really didn’t want the whole village to know they were together.

Sasuke was careful to match Kakashi’s pace. He really wanted to press against Kakashi’s side and let Kakashi use him as support. Yet he was well aware that while two men being together wasn’t unheard of, it wasn’t mainstream and the fact they used to be teacher and student . . .

He wanted to cling to Kakashi’s arm and act like a girl, but he remained his normal stoic self. He’d cling and fawn later when they were alone. He smiled thinking about it. He considered the fact he fell so easily into the feminine role, the uke, and wanted to act like a girl. Thinking about it, it was desperation that made him seduce Kakashi into fucking him, but it was happiness at having his love that made him want to act like a giddy school girl. Pride and decency kept him from acting on those impulses.

Despite that, he did let a small smile creep across his face and he let his arm brush Kakashi’s and allow the spring in his step. He was at ease as if he’d never deserted the village or plotted to destroy it and as if there weren’t people who were suspicious of him.

The entire village was new after Pein’s attack so the facades of all the buildings were appealing. They peeked in every window and discussed the names of the restaurants. They found a dark, intimate restaurant that looked expensive. They might not be noticed in this place and Kakashi could more easily hide his face.

For an hour, Kakashi was able to throw away all his misgivings and enjoy Sasuke’s—gorgeous—company. He sat facing the wall so he could keep his mask down and merely used his napkin to hide his face when the waiter came around.

After no dessert for either of them, they wandered back outside and strolled home. Once they were out of the urban area and surrounded by quiet residential housing, Sasuke wrapped his arms around Kakashi’s arm and rubbed his cheek against his upper arm like an affectionate cat.

When they got home, Sasuke was careful to lock everything and pushed Kakashi into the bedroom. The kimono easily fell off Sasuke’s body, exposing his creamy skin. The rest of his clothes easily slipped over his narrow hips.

Kakashi once again couldn’t believe he could be so fortunate. Kakashi took off his shirt as Sasuke came closer, then pushed down his pants. Sasuke knelt and pulled the straps holding on the false leg. He gently, playfully, pushed Kakashi back. Kakashi pulled himself up to the pillow and Sasuke crawled over his body and kissed him.

Kakashi wasn’t quite as pale now and the fatigue around his eyes had eased, but Sasuke hadn’t stopped being worried. He caressed Kakashi’s face.

“Take me any way you want me,” Sasuke whispered.

“Do what you like.”

“Whatever I like?” Sasuke asked mischievously. His dipped his hand between Kakashi’s thighs and teased his entrance. “I’ve never ever fucked anyone before. But I can wait a little longer. I enjoy being fucked far too much.”

Sasuke moved down to take Kakashi’s cock in his mouth. His fingers swirled over his scarred leg, teasing the scarred stump and the smooth, muscular thigh. He didn’t completely tighten his lips around his cock, letting the nastiest slurping sounds escape as he bobbed his head. Sasuke only took him to the back of his throat, letting the head of Kakashi’s cock hit the back of his throat again and again. It was one of the best blowjobs he ever got and Sasuke wasn’t even deep throating him.

“Stop, Sasuke,” Kakashi struggled to say. “I don’t want to cum yet.”

Sasuke straightened, leaving a nice coat of saliva on Kakashi’s cock and a string of saliva hanging from his lips over his chin. It was a slutty sight. Kakashi reached up and guided Sasuke’s wet lips to his chest. Sasuke obediently sucked and licked at the swollen nubs.

Kakashi occupied his hands with touching Sasuke’s sides and regretted that he couldn’t reach Sasuke’s cock from here.

That made Kakashi think: in a lot of ways, being the top in a homosexual relationship wasn’t so different from a hetero one. Sasuke didn’t have voluptuous breasts, but that wasn’t a plus to Kakashi, he liked small to medium; Tsunade did nothing for him, to her own disappointment one drunken night.

The one thing he did miss about women was eating them out.

“Would you really be willing to do anything for me right now?” Kakashi asked.

“Anything.”

“Got an enema bag?”

“I do.”

“I want to eat you out.”

Sasuke didn’t even hesitate; he went to the bathroom and dug out his enema bag from under the sink. It took quite some time, but Sasuke eventually emerged cleaner than he’d ever been in his life. He crawled onto the bed and Kakashi sat up and got behind Sasuke’s upturned ass.

Kakashi caressed Sasuke’s muscular ass, never fully appreciating until now how lovely it was. It was mostly muscle, but it was very well shaped, like a female model, just enough fat to make it curvy and perfect.

He spread Sasuke’s ass cheeks. In the dim light from the hall they left on, Kakashi could see Sasuke’s puckered entrance. Sasuke was relaxed and it opened just a little with every exhale. Kakashi moved in and lapped at the little rosebud.

Sasuke sighed at the feeling. “That feels really good.”

Kakashi tensed his tongue turning it into a hard spear and pressed it in, penetrating Sasuke’s body with his tongue. The rough top of his tongue and the smooth underside felt wonderful rubbing against Sasuke’s anal ring. His tongue then moved around inside him.

For Kakashi, it still wasn’t as fun as being able to use his whole mouth, but tongue fucking Sasuke wasn’t bad; he did it until his tongue grew too tired.

“Not the same as a women, but not bad.”

“Fuck me more often and my ass might more resemble a pussy.”

“If I didn’t have motivation to do so before . . .”

Kakashi reinserted his tongue and tried to penetrate him as deeply as possible. Meanwhile, he moved his lips over the outside. The squirming tongue and soft lips grew too much for Sasuke.

“Fuck me, please,” Sasuke begged. “Spit on my hole and just fuck me with that. Fuck me hard.”

Kakashi smiled. He loved his own personal slut. Kakashi opened Sasuke’s ass again and spit on the eager hole. His own cock had dried from Sasuke’s blowjob earlier, but Sasuke was by no means a virgin.

Kakashi pressed the head of his cock to the spit covered hole, but just as he was breaching his ass, he pulled back, he repeated it, teasing Sasuke’s hungry anal ring. Sasuke whined. Kakashi pressed in the entire head and Sasuke tightened up around the flare of the head. He tightened up even further to keep him there, but Kakashi pulled out just as Sasuke thought he would. That hurt a little, but Sasuke wasn’t going to complain.

Finally, Kakashi showed mercy and starting fucking him.

“Kakashi,” Sasuke sighed. “Feels so fucking good. Fuck me hard.”

Kakashi put a hand around Sasuke’s throat and pulled him up so that he was fucking up into Sasuke’s body. His stump of a leg was a stable platform, but couldn’t help him fuck the younger man. He caressed Sasuke’s throat and nipped at his neck.

“Fuck, I want your cum inside me,” Sasuke moaned. “Use me, Kakashi, fuck me.” He growled. “Fucking impregnate me. Fuck me until you do.”

Kakashi really put his hips into it. Sasuke pressed Kakashi’s controlling hand on his stomach harder into his abdomen and leaned back, trying to be as close as possible. His other hand reached back to grab Kakashi’s wild hair. He fisted the white brush and thrust his body down onto Kakashi’s cock.

Kakashi moved the hand not being pinned to Sasuke’s stomach to Sasuke’s cock which was wet with the precum leaking down his length. Sasuke cam after a dozen pumps to his cock. That sweet hole Kakashi was pistoning in and out of tightened and he let himself go inside Sasuke’s lithe body.

Kakashi eased himself down on his back and Sasuke flopped onto his side. Sasuke regained his breath then got up to turn off the light. He curled up against Kakashi’s side when he came back.

“Are you alright?” Sasuke asked, still concerned by how bad Kakashi looked when he came home.

“Yeah, fine.”

“Then why are your eyes not only hooded, but dark?”

“Drinking last night?”

“It’s more convincing when you don’t have an inflection at the end.”

“I did drink the other night.”

“What’s wrong? I’ve never ever known you to drink. Is it me?”

“I would never show up for a mission with a hangover. It’s just my own insecurities. You’re so young and perfect and I’m an old, injured, retired, washed-up—ow!”

Sasuke hit him in the ribs. Kakashi looked at him expecting a playful scowl, but that wasn’t what he saw. Sasuke looked like his heart had been torn out, his eyes looking glassy.

“What?”

“Do not degrade yourself. I love you and I don’t want you thinking like that. You mean everything to me; I want you to be happy. I wish we could be out there together, working together, fighting side by side, I’d even trade a sexual relationship with you just to be your partner. But I have what I want most, besides my brother. I just want you. It doesn’t matter to me what condition you’re in—not to say I’d be alright with you getting pudgy—but I love you no less because you’re missing a leg or retired. And you’re not old. But an older man sort of represents security, safety. I think even once you start looking like a wrinkled, old piece of leathery fruit, I’ll still adore you.”

“I just can’t understand why you, the most beautiful creature I’ve ever seen and the most powerful shinobi I’ve ever encountered—beside Naruto—would want with me, an older, lame former jounin.”

“You don’t have to understand it, just accept it. I want you to talk to me when you’re depressed or doubting me so I can put your fears to rest, but I want you to stop thinking like that. You’re not damaged goods. A broken kunai is better than none when you’re attacked.”

Kakashi caressed Sasuke’s cheek. “I do hate this leg. You’re out there working, doing what I loved, and I’m stuck here doing nothing. I’m uncomfortable going out in public because I’m ashamed of this leg. I just don’t know what to do with myself while you’re gone.”

“I hate seeing you like this,” Sasuke said with an affectionate voice as he snuggled up under his chin, “but I’ve realized that worrying about you keeps my mind off my own wounds. I hope you’ll be there for me when I face my own demons.”

Kakashi was concerned, but understood. So much had happened—much that Kakashi wasn’t even aware of—Sasuke obviously hadn’t dealt with it all yet, walling it away until he had the time and freedom to. “I will.”

-----

Kakashi didn’t foresee what that conversation would invoke.

Sakura had Kakashi’s warning about Sasuke and Sasuke had put in for a change of teams, but they were still on the same team for the time being. This morning was the worst yet when it came to Sasuke’s hostility—even Yamato took a step back from the Uchiha.

“Teme, what’s up?” Naruto asked.

“Leave me alone, dobe.”

The use of the nickname put Naruto a little at ease, but Sasuke was at his most intimidating. Sakura shied away from Sasuke.

Luckily, things didn’t come to a head until they were on their way back from the mission.

“How is Kakashi-sempai doing?” Yamato asked Sasuke as they dined in their makeshift camp.

Sakura shrank back even before Sasuke’s aura darkened.

“He’s well. He’s still a little depressed that he was forced to retire.”

“I’m surprised you’ve become housemates; he practically chased the rest of us away.”

“I was persistent.”

“That’s good. I’m sure he’s needed some help.”

Yamato wasn’t as attuned to Sasuke as the other two were, nor did he have any special reason to concentrate on that aura, but Naruto could feel it and Sakura just wanted the ground to open up and swallow her.

Yamato finally noticed that Sakura had been inching away from the rest of them. “You alright, Sakura?”

She started to nod, but Sasuke’s voice broke in, cold and menacing. “Feel guilty?”

She looked at him as if Sasuke was approaching her with a kunai in hand and a killing intent in his eyes. As it was, he wasn’t looking at her and that scared her even more.

“I’m sorry, Sasuke, it wasn’t my—”

Sasuke’s eyes darted to her just before he leapt at her.

Naruto had felt Sasuke’s temper ratcheting up and reacted instantly, grabbing Sasuke before he could touch her.

“You ruined his life!” Sasuke was trying to get out of Naruto’s hold, but he was so angry he couldn’t even bring his hands together to make a seal.

Sakura scrambled backward to get away from the angry Uchiha. Yamato was stunned at first, but he came over and touched Sasuke’s neck, releasing chakra into his nerves, making him sag in Naruto’s arms. He was still conscious, but barely.

“He’s probably going to be full of furious energy again once that wears off,” Yamato said. “Pack up your things and take him home or at least as far as that energy will take him.”

Naruto nodded and went about packing up his and Sasuke’s stuff, leaving Sasuke motionless on the ground. Shouldering two travel packs and not trusting Sasuke to ride on his back like a kid, Naruto picked him up bridal style as the barely conscious Uchiha tried to struggle. They left Yamato to deal with the frightened kunoichi.

Naruto made it seven miles before Sasuke’s struggling became too much for him and he’d added curses to the mix. Naruto put Sasuke down and Sasuke didn’t try to get back to Sakura.

“What the hell was that, teme?” Naruto demanded.

“I meant what I said.” His voice was back to its sinister lowness.

“Which part?”

“She ruined his life. She injured him, she—”

“He never blamed her; he’s gone out of his way to make her feel better! He’s the one who should be angry. He doesn’t seem that depressed; especially since he moved in with you.”

“He’s depressed and I have to live with it. The night before we left for this mission, he . . . he’s depressed. He was talking like that kid . . . Haku. It hurts me to see him like that. Because of that bitch!”

“Calm down. What do you mean he sounded like Haku?”

“When you guys were telling me what happened while you thought I was dead, you said Haku felt like he was a broken kunai, a useless weapon to Zabuza. Kakashi feels useless to Konoha. He can’t hide his depression from me like he can from the rest of you. He won’t even fully relax into our life together because he feels useless, like he doesn’t deserve me. No matter how many times I argue, he keeps pulling back because he thinks I’ll come to my senses and leave him. It’s all her fault!”

“She feels bad enough, Sasuke. I had to comfort her that night; I had to scrub the mission because she was on the verge of falling apart.”

“Good. I want her to suffer.”

“Sasuke,” Naruto softly reproached.

“I will never forgive her. I’ve requested to be put on another team. Tsunade will transfer me once we return from Suna.”

“You’re leaving?”

“The team. It’s not really our team anymore, is it, Naruto? Team Seven died the night I left Konoha and it’s never coming back. Sakura made sure of that.” Sasuke’s voice dripped with venom.

Naruto shoved Sasuke. Sasuke stumbled but kept his feet. “What is wrong with you? You think Sakura did it on purpose?”

“No,” Sasuke gritted out.

“Then stop it.”

“I’m going home.” Sasuke picked up his pack and headed for Konoha. Naruto decided to follow to keep an eye on him and avoid sleeping alone in the forest.

-----

Nothing in Sasuke’s mind changed during his run. However, when he was in sight of his own home, he began to consider the consequences of what he’d just done. He was probably in trouble with the Hokage, but it was Kakashi’s reaction, his disappointment and anger, that he was afraid of. He stood a hundred yards from his house for a full minute before he decided there was no avoiding this.

Using all his skill as a shinobi, Sasuke crept into the house and into the bedroom. Kakashi was asleep. Sasuke carefully stripped and entered the bathroom to freshen up before crawling into bed.

The movement of the bed as he got in woke Kakashi. Kakashi sucked in a breath and pulled Sasuke into his arms. Kakashi hummed a welcome and went right back to sleep.

It felt dishonest to Sasuke to let Kakashi sleep and not confess to what he’d done, but on the other hand he should let Kakashi sleep. He was ashamed that he tried to attack Sakura. He lived with his guilt all night, never able to sleep, worrying what Kakashi’s reaction would be.

Sasuke was on his back with Kakashi’s arm over his chest and his head on a pec. Sasuke watched the sky beyond the window lighten and periodically played with Kakashi’s hair. The birds started singing in earnest and one particularly obnoxious bird perched in the tree outside the window and sang his little heart out, waking Kakashi.

“That bird is begging to be kunai practice,” Kakashi mumbled.

“I’m glad you’re awake,” Sasuke said.

“You’re the only one.”

Sasuke tried to smile, but Kakashi wasn’t looking at him anyway. Kakashi pulled out one of the hidden kunai in the room and threw it out the window, scaring the bird away.

“Kakashi, I have to tell you something. To wait any longer feels dishonest, like I’m hiding something from you.”

“You didn’t fuck someone, did you?”

“No.”

“Hokage still alive?”

“As far as I know.”

“Then it can wait.” Kakashi snuggled back down under the covers. “Go back to sleep, Sasuke.”

Sasuke turned onto his side and stroked Kakashi’s hair. “I love you.”

Kakashi growled in a fine impersonation of Sasuke. “Go start the coffee.”

Sasuke gave his hair a kiss and obeyed, grabbing his clothes on his way out. He made coffee, but he hesitated to make a full breakfast. He dressed, ready to leave his own house if need be. He didn’t pour a cup for himself, but laid out a mug of black coffee for his lover and waited at the table, his eyes darker than Kakashi’s had been before this mission, tired from the mission and sleep deprived.

Kakashi came in half dressed, unshaven, unshowered, and barely awake. “Okay, what’d you do?”

“Naruto stopped me, so she’s okay. I tried to attack Sakura. I’m very sorry. I’m ashamed of my behavior. It was my fault; she did nothing to provoke me. I’m so sorry. I didn’t harm her. I don’t even know what I was going to do if Naruto hadn’t grabbed me. Yamato paralyzed me and had Naruto take me away from our camp. When I got feeling back I came straight home. I haven’t slept all night, afraid you’ll be angry with me. And I deserve it. I let my temper snap. I’m sorry.”

Kakashi’s face was expressionless, too sleepy to emote. “That’s all?”

“Um, yeah. It’s a big deal. I’m probably going to be called in this morning for attacking a teammate. With my history it’s probably not going to go well. But I’m more afraid that you’ll be angry with me. Aren’t you?”

“You’re contrite enough. Learn to control your temper. Considering there’s an ANBU behind me, I’d say you are due in the Hokage’s office.” Kakashi stood up and covered his lower face with a sleeved hand and turned to the window. “You heard all that. Add my assessment that he’s sincere and that if he’s to be punished, house arrest here would be the most productive.” He turned to Sasuke. “Be honest about why you attacked her. I’m going back to bed. Drink that coffee, Uchiha, you’ll need it.”

-----

Sasuke was relieved that Kakashi wasn’t mad at him, but he thought it best to keep his contrite state of mind and demeanor. Remarkably, it worked. Probably only two people had ever seen this side of him: Kakashi and now Tsunade. Well, and that ANBU who came to get him this morning. Even Itachi never saw him truly contrite.

And he told her the whole story. Well, not about the seduction and the mind blowing sex, but he told her that he and Kakashi were lovers and that Kakashi’s depression was what pushed him to attack Sakura.

Even as contrite as he was, Tsunade was pissed off. Sakura was like a daughter to her. But after hearing Sasuke declare how much he loved Kakashi and how hurt he was by seeing Kakashi depressed, she realized they were nearly on equal footing; they were both concerned about a loved one here. She calmed, remembering that Sakura wasn’t touched.

“You’re wealthy enough, no more missions until you go to Suna,” Tsunade said. “I’m tempted to make you stay at home while the others go to Suna, but you should probably stay with Kakashi. I think you’re sincere about your feelings for Kakashi; you’re not known to be a great actor and I’ve seen any emotion from you before today. I would also keep Sakura here if I hadn’t promised to send her to Suna. When you get home you will have a new team.”

“Understood.”

“Let me make myself clear, if you had touched a hair on my apprentice’s head, you’d be in far more trouble and even your lover wouldn’t be able to save you from a week with Ibiki.”

“Understood.” Sasuke added a little false regret and fear to his genuine shame. “I am sorry. I promise I will not attempt to harm her again. As Naruto and Kakashi had said, she’s suffered enough.” He literally swallowed his pride. “I will even apologize to her if you wish.”

“I recommend staying away from her.” Tsunade’s eyes fell to her desk and a sheet of paper there. An evil smirk worthy of an Uchiha crept across her face. “On second thought, you will go on missions, but not with Naruto, Sakura, and Yamato. We have an injured jounin, you will take on his students on D rank missions until you leave for Suna or the jounin recovers, whichever comes first.”

Sasuke cringed. “Yes, ma’am.”

“You’ll meet them tomorrow morning. I’ll send you their profiles and the missions they are to take this week. Dismissed.”

Sasuke went home to find Kakashi up and showered and dressed eating a small breakfast.

“Are you really not angry?” Sasuke asked as he approached his lover.

“I thought you might snap at some point. I’m glad you didn’t hurt her and that you feel bad about it. There’s food in there.” He wasn’t resentful at being awake anymore.

Sasuke fetched his meal from the kitchen and sat down. “My punishment is replacing a genin team’s captain on some D rank missions.”

Kakashi laughed. “Tsunade has an evil sense of humor. Those poor kids.”

“And I won’t be going on missions with Sakura anymore. I’ll be going on D rank missions until we leave for Suna and then when we get back, I’ll have a new team waiting for me.”

“Good.” Kakashi sounded legitimately cheerful.

“Good? How can you call D rank missions good?”

“You won’t be in danger and you’ll be coming home every night.”

“You do have a way of looking on the bright side.”

Kakashi huffed. “Not always.”

Sasuke stared at the table as he ate. “Some part of me wants to apologize to Sakura, but I think that’s just a way I think everyone will give me some slack. I’m sorry I tried to attack her, but then again, I’m not sorry. I’m sorry about the consequences rather than the act. Something needs to be said to her though. And Naruto. I’m just not the one to say it to her. I won’t attack her again, I know that, but seeing me may be bad for her.”

“I understand. I’ll pick up some umeboshi and go see her.”

Sasuke’s gaze drifted down. “Thank you. If you hated her too, she probably wouldn’t live long. You’re a much better man than me.”

“Older, more experienced, and it was my choice.” He paused. “Or maybe there was no choice; there was no way I could stand there and let her die. Regardless, it wasn’t her fault and I’m fine with it.”

Sasuke nodded. “Don’t let her think I’m too sorry. I just regret acting on my impulse.”

-----

Sakura had already been visited by Tsunade to let her know she was aware of what happened and what actions she took. She also wanted to comfort her apprentice.

Sakura was shaken, but calming. She’d seen Sasuke at his worst, at his most fearsome, even been his target before, but then he had been cold. His rage being turned on her frightened her to the point she really felt like a rabbit.

She jumped when Kakashi knocked on her door, but she let him in when she realized it was him. She offered him a chair.

“Sasuke told me what he did. He regrets snapping, but didn’t think it a good idea to apologize in person, but he also doesn’t want me to mislead you; he does resent you and really wants to . . . attack you, but he won’t let himself lose control again. Tsunade’s reassigned him.”

“She came here and told me.”

“Are you okay?”

“He was so hostile during the whole mission that it wore on my nerves. Attacking me shattered them.”

“Tsunade giving you some time off?”

“A little. I didn’t want too much time off or else I might not be able to go back out. She’ll put me on B rank missions for a while.”

“Good. I hope this will be the end of it. His rage and your guilt. I think having the hell scared out of you is punishment enough, no?” he said lightly.

Sakura nodded. “But, um, he said you were depressed.”

“My leg wasn’t the reason I was depressed.” He sighed. “Living with a younger man, who is thirteen years younger, makes you aware of just how old you are. I’ve never felt so old, not even when I was teaching three young scamps at the tender age of twenty-six. Being thirty just became old when there’s a seventeen year old running around the house.”

“So it was Sasuke’s fault?”

“Yeah,” he said with a small laugh.

“That does make me feel better.” She smiled.

“I have something else to make you feel better.” He lifted the bag he brought with him. “Umeboshi.”

Her smile was finally wide and genuine.

-----

Meanwhile, Sasuke headed for Naruto’s apartment. Half way there, he thought it was wiser to apologize to Yamato first; he was the one he wronged the most after Sakura.

Yamato wasn’t at home, so Sasuke had to feel for his chakra and ask around. He finally found him on the edge of the village, helping build more buildings.

“Taichou,” Sasuke said as he came up behind the wood user. “Forgive me for interrupting. Could I have a moment?”

Yamato excused himself from a group of architects. They walked into a small alley between finished buildings.

“Tsunade call you in this morning?” Yamato asked.

“Hai. I’m off the team, substituting for an injured jounin, taking his genin. I wanted to apologize for snapping. It was irresponsible and . . . I’m very sorry. I meant no insult, but it was insulting. I should have never let myself lose control like that, especially while under your command.”

The sincerity in Sasuke’s voice surprised Yamato. “Apology accepted.”

“Thank you. Tsunade doesn’t want me seeing Sakura, but Kakashi is passing on my apology to her. I’m going to apologize to Naruto as well. I’m sorry our last mission together ended so poorly.”

“You’re a very talented shinobi. Good luck.”

Sasuke found Naruto easily at his favorite ramen stand.

“Let me pay your bill today,” Sasuke said as he sat down next to the blond.

“Sure.”

Teuchi brought Naruto a bowl. “Anything for you?”

“Plain miso.” Teuchi turned to make his bowl.

“Sorry,” Sasuke said to Naruto.

Naruto leaned to the side to bump his shoulder against Sasuke’s. No hard feelings.

“I’m off the team,” Sasuke continued. “We’ll go to Suna together, but I’m stuck babysitting genin until then.”

“What is baa-chan thinking?!” Naruto demanded. “You with genin?!”

Sasuke smiled. Teuchi set down a bowl with a few pieces of pork.

“Thank you, Teuchi-san,” Sasuke said at the free extra.

“You’re the one who’s picking up Naruto-kun’s bill.” Teuchi’s smile was almost evil.

-----

Sasuke decided to wait until all three of the children were assembled to appear. Rather than walk up, he jumped down from a tree just outside of their arms’ reach, startling them.

“I’m Uchiha Sasuke, I’ll be replacing your sensei for the time being.”

All three were scared and two looked like they pissed themselves.

“You’re picking up litter out of the river. I brought your wading boots, poles, and bags.” He gestured to the equipment leaning against the trunk of the tree. “Grab them and let’s go.”

The two boys and a girl stood frozen for several seconds. “Are you just going to stare?” Sasuke asked. That woke them up and they gathered their things.

He folded his hands over his stomach, slipping his hands in opposite sleeve cuffs, and led them to the river. He didn’t lean against a tree as the genin entered the water, just stood there watching absently.

The boring task wore away their fear and awe of the Uchiha.

“I bet you never had to do this kind of thing,” the brown haired boy, Ryouta, said to Sasuke.

“I stood in that same river about four or five years ago,” Sasuke said. He looked further downstream. “There. There is no indignity you’re going through that we didn’t go through.”

“You’re on a team with Naruto-san, right?” the black haired boy, Kazue, said.

“I was. I was on a genin team with him. Right now, I’m transitioning to another team.”

“Why?”

“Personality conflict with another member of the team. Naruto did the same thing you are now.”

They went back to their task a little less disgruntled.

The girl, Saki, stretched her back and looked at Sasuke. “Why are you wearing a sword? We’re so close to the village and this is just a D rank mission.”

“Our first real mission, a B rank, quickly turned into an S rank mission. Never assume anything. Never assume it will be just a D rank mission. In the middle of the chunin exams, the village was attacked. It was just a normal day when Pein attacked. A shinobi should always be prepared for the worst.”

“I heard about that, your team killed that missing-nin, Zabuza,” Ryouta said.

“We didn’t actually kill him,” Sasuke sighed. Why is that of all their exploits the one people remember? Suigetsu asked him about it too. “We defeated him, but once he was fired—or betrayed—by his employer, we backed off and Zabuza fought his former employer’s men. It took a hundred men and most of them died before Zabuza fell.” Sasuke didn’t mention he was unconscious—and feared dead—during that part.

“I only fought Zabuza for a few minutes,” Sasuke continued. “Naruto and I fought Haku, who was a remarkable shinobi with an amazing Kekkei Genkai. I say that now even after I’ve unlocked all the powers of my Sharingan.”

“Ooooooo,” all three cooed, truly impressed.

Kazue suddenly perked up. “That’s right, you’ve got the Sharingan!”

“Show us,” Saki whined, pushing her blonde hair from her forehead.

“You’re supposed to be cleaning the river,” Sasuke said.

“When we’re done, will you show us?”

“If you finish quickly and do a good job.”

The genin turned enthusiastically to their job. And finished an hour later.

Sasuke surveyed the area and deemed their mission complete. With the three of them lined up in front of him, looking up expectantly, he fed chakra into his eyes and they turned their forbidding red.

The genin gasped in astonishment.

Sasuke didn’t know what got into him, but he activated the Mangekyo.

“For real?” Ryouta said.

“Show us something,” Kazue pleaded.

Sasuke gave a mischievous smile. “No.”

“Come on, show us something.” They had officially lost their fear of him.

“You’re supposed to be our sensei, teach us something.”

“I can’t teach the Sharingan, it’s a Kekkei Genkai.”

“What’s a Kekka genkguy?” Ryouta asked.

Sasuke remembered that Naruto hadn’t learned about it until they were a genin team, so it was probably not unusual that these three didn’t know. What did Iruka and the others actually teach? Sasuke didn’t remember since it was all so below him.

“Kekkei Genkai are special abilities passed down through certain bloodlines. The Uchiha have the Sharingan and the Hyuuga have the Byakugan; these are doujutsu which are centered in our eyes. A Kekkei Genkai is often the ability to use two normal elements at the same time as with my former captain, Yamato, and his wood element and the ice element that Haku used: wood is water and earth, ice is water and wind. There is also the ability to manipulate one’s body in ways impossible for other people. I have a friend whose body is water; it can be cut through and he can turn into a puddle.”

“That’s so cool!”

“Since I am a sensei today, I will teach you something. This is something my own sensei taught me.” He made hand signs. “Tiger, hare, boar, dog.” A small earthen wall sprang up where he smacked the ground. Unlike Kakashi’s dog sculptures, Sasuke’s wall was adorned with flame engravings. “I don’t have an earth affinity, but I can do this. Try it.”

The three of them eagerly made the simple hand signs and made three lumps of dirt.

“Good.”

“Huh?” Saki didn’t think it was very good.

“If you were completely no talent, nothing would have happened. You have to learn how much chakra to channel and whatnot. But now you have something to practice.” He considered. “If you finish your mission tomorrow as well and as fast as you did today, I will teach you how to control your chakra so you can more efficiently use any jutsu.”

They started the day about to piss themselves, ended it beaming up at him.

Sasuke escorted the trio back to the village. He was just as calm and unflappable as when he escorted them out, but the genin were much happier.

“Your sensei was the Copy-nin, Hatake Kakashi, right?” Kazue asked.

“Correct.”

“Wow,” Ryouta said.

“They say he’s copied over a thousand jutsu,” Kazue said.

“I believe they’re correct.”

“He’s not your captain anymore?” Saki asked, remembering Sasuke talking about someone named Yamato.

“No.”

“Why not? He didn’t die, did he?”

“He was injured on a mission, lost his leg saving a teammate.”

They awe-d again.

Sasuke felt like talking about his lover, freeing him to think about him. He did worship him and decided to put him on a pedestal for these three. “Kakashi is the son of the hero known as The White Fang of Konoha. Kakashi was always a prodigy, graduating the academy in one year at the age of five. He became a chunin at six years old.” The genin were already wide-eyed and opened mouth at those three facts. “He was about thirteen when he was promoted to jounin. He created his own powerful jutsu that same year, the Chidori.”

Sasuke stopped and activated the Chidori. They all were awed by the chirping lightning around Sasuke’s hand. He deactivated it.

“His first mission as jounin is the one where he picked up the nickname, Hero of Kannabi Bridge along with his teammate. He lost his left eye and his teammate, an Uchiha, my cousin, was dying and gave him his Sharingan to replace the eye he lost. He later joined ANBU, but left after a few years.

“He then started testing academy graduates for a team, but his expectations were far too high and he failed numerous teams. But he passed us. Though I think we disappointed him in the long run. You see, he believed in teamwork above all. ‘In the ninja world, those who break the rules are trash, but those who abandon their comrades are worse than trash.’ He taught us that. But Naruto and I were always at each other’s throats. It was beyond being completive or being rivals.

“Anyway, during the recent war he was appointed the commander of the third division of the Allied Shinobi Forces, where he became a hero again. He took on the reanimated Seven Swordsmen of the Mist; not alone, but it was still impressive. He helped greatly in the final battle as well.

“Just a few weeks ago, he was on a mission with Naruto and our teammate from our genin days, Sakura,” Sasuke couldn’t keep the sneer from his voice when he said her name “and my replacement on the team, Sai. Sakura was almost killed when she set off a trap, but Kakashi rushed in to save her, losing his leg. He sacrificed himself to save his teammate.”

“Wow! He’s so cool!” Ryouta seemed to now have a personal hero.

“Yes. To help him out and because we’re close friends and former teammates, we live together. I help him out since he’s still getting used to the false leg.”

“Can we meet him?”

“Maybe. Do good work and I’ll think about it.” Sasuke inwardly smiled; seeing these genin fawn over him would bring up Kakashi’s spirits and ego.

Kakashi never escorted each of them home, but these three were under Sasuke’s care and this was his first time dealing with children, so he saw each of them home. He didn’t dare go near the door, fearful of what the parents’ reaction would be—he was a missing-nin for three years, recently on probation and house arrest, and technically, sort of kind of, killed a Hokage.

“Goodbye, Sasuke-sensei,” Saki said as she ran toward her door.

That put a smile on his face. Well, it put a subtle half smile on his face.

-----

“I’m home,” Sasuke announced as he came through the door.

“Welcome home,” Kakashi said from the sofa, not looking up from his precious book.

Sasuke smiled; Kakashi was getting back to normal.

“So, how was your first day as a sensei?” Kakashi asked.

“Not bad.”

Kakashi put down his book and looked incredulously at Sasuke.

“Really. Once they got used to me they were fine.”

“Scared shitless?”

“Pissless actually. I’ll survive. And I think they will too.”

“I’m glad.”

Sasuke sat down on the thin strip of the edge of the sofa and then laid his upper body over Kakashi’s chest.

“You talked to Sakura?” Sasuke asked.

“She’s alright now.”

“That’s good I suppose.”

Someone knocked on the door. Sasuke growled and got up. His mood changed quickly when he opened the door. Kakashi peeked over the back of the sofa in time to see Sasuke do something he may only do with Naruto, and Kakashi even doubted that. Sasuke clasped hands with a masked ANBU at neck level.

“I’m glad you made it back safe,” Sasuke said.

“So am I,” the ANBU said.

Sasuke invited the ANBU captain in.

“How are things going?” he asked. On seeing Kakashi sitting up on the sofa, the masked man raised a hand in greeting. “Good afternoon, Kakashi-san. I hope I’m not intruding.”

“Not at all.” Luckily, Kakashi wasn’t feeling like ravishing Sasuke before dinner.

“I’ll make some tea,” Sasuke said.

“I’ll go read in the courtyard,” Kakashi said. “Bring me a cup.”

Kakashi left, feeling just a little bit jealous.

-----

The light was failing. Kakashi had only read about three pages, distracted by his own thoughts. Sasuke and that ANBU captain were still talking. Kakashi could just hear their voices, but not their words. Parts seemed serious, other parts sounded almost like laughter.

Kakashi never had a lover before, but he supposed they were expected to have friends of their own. That captain was only just a little older than Sasuke. He was his age. Damn, he needed a drink.

Kakashi snapped shut his book and created a shadow clone to help himself up and he went inside.

The sound of Kakashi coming in snatched Sasuke’s attention. He looked at the clock. They’d been talking for five hours.

The captain also saw the time. “I should go.” He went over to where Kakashi was refilling his cup and bowed. “Forgive me, I’ve stayed too long.”

“It’s fine.”

The captain turned back to Sasuke who was joining them. “I’ll start working on the arrangements for our mission to Suna and inform you.”

“Thanks.”

“I’ll let myself out. Kakashi-san,” he bowed.

“Captain.”

The captain went through the door and then jumped away.

“I’m so sorry,” Sasuke said. “He’s still the only friend I’ve made since coming back. I’ll make dinner and then my body’s completely at your disposal.” He gave Kakashi a seductive smile.

Kakashi knew he shouldn’t show his jealousy. He returned the look. “I’ll hold you to that.” He grew serious and Sasuke started preparing for dinner. “So now that he’s back, we’re going to Suna soon, I take it?”

“Yes. He’ll take care of everything.”

“Have you ever seen his face or know his name?”

“You know ANBU better than I do. Neither. I never even asked his code name and he never gave it. I just think of him as ‘ANBU’ or ‘Captain.’ Once he retires . . . But I’m used to not seeing people’s faces. I don’t think I want to see it. In my mind he’s a cat mask.” He looked mischievous again. “You’re not jealous, are you?”

“Maybe a little,” he said lightly.

“I’d never let another man—or woman—touch me.”

“I’m glad.”

They sat down to dinner. “My genin knew about you and I told them a few things. They want to meet you. Would you mind if I brought them around?”

“Ahhh, sure.”

“I might bring them over tomorrow, so be ready.” In other words, be dressed and don’t surprised me at the door with something kinky.

-----

Sasuke took his genin to the same farm he’d picked weeds at years before. They were fired up, but Sasuke warned them to only pick certain plants and not do what Naruto did and pick the herbs and flowers.

They finished quickly and Sasuke led them back toward the village, to a training area.

Sasuke walked up a tree trunk and then upside down on a branch.

His genin were as impressed as he and the others were so long ago in the Land of Waves.

“Chakra control. Gather chakra in the bottom of your feet to attach yourself to the tree. You have to use the proper amount. If you learn to use the proper amount of chakra here, you will get better at using the proper amount in your jutsu. The bottoms of your feet are among the most difficult places to gather chakra, so if you can control it there, you can gather it in your hands for jutsu. This will also help you develop your stamina and to gather chakra while moving.”

He dropped to the ground and tossed kunai into the ground at the genin’s feet. “Use these to mark your progress up these trees. I don’t expect you to get too far today, but this is another thing you can practice.”

They picked up their kunai.

“First, gather your chakra in your feet.”

The genin put their hands together and focused their chakra.

“Now you can either try running up the tree using momentum or you can put your foot on the truck and try to gage how much chakra you need to attach.”

Like he and Naruto, the boys ran up the tree trunk, they both used too much and repelled themselves off the trunk. The girl used his second suggestion. Sasuke had long ago concluded that women were intuitively better at chakra control. Saki was at the base of that tree for a while, but she was finally able to walk a few steps before falling. Sasuke rush in to catch her.

“Excellent.”

The boys continued to run and with momentum ran up farther than their female teammate, but they were still using momentum to help.

“Don’t get too excited, relax and focus on the tree.”

After an hour, he stopped them. “I’m impressed. I don’t want you wearing yourselves out too much. Now, show me the jutsu I taught you yesterday.”

They made three walls about three feet high and five wide. They were inelegant without any decoration.

“Good, good improvement. Rest a bit and I’ll take you meet Kakashi-sensei.”

That seemed to perk them up more than his praise.

Soon, they were on their way to Sasuke’s house. Sasuke opened the front door. “I’m home.” He ushered the genin in.

Kakashi stood up from the sofa. “Welcome home. These are your genin?”

“Wow,” Ryouta said. “You’re taller than I thought.”

Kakashi gave one of his happy rainbow eye smiles.

“Introduce yourselves,” Sasuke said from behind them. Saki realized they were standing between two of the most famous and most powerful shinobi living.

“Abe Ryouta.”

“Jo Kazue.”

“Kondo Saki.”

“Can we see your Sharingan?” Kazue asked.

Kakashi lifted his headband and opened his eye.

“So cool!” Ryouta exclaimed.

“Let’s go outside and you can show them one or two of your ‘thousand’ jutsu,” Sasuke suggested.

Once out beyond the wild courtyard, they gave Kakashi room.

“Show them the Water Dragon Bullet,” Sasuke suggested. “We were training a few weeks ago and it was the one jutsu that hit me,” he explained to the genin.

Kakashi made the water dragon which reared up, slithered near the genin then jumped up and then down into the ground.

“Wow,” Ryouta sighed.

“I taught them the Earth Style Wall.”

Kakashi made an impressive wall adorned with dog heads.

“Show him your progress,” Sasuke said to his genin.

The three of them made their small walls.

“They were just mounds of dirt yesterday,” Sasuke said with a little pride. “I’ve been teaching them tree climbing as well.”

“You’re teaching them pretty advanced stuff,” Kakashi said.

“Well, I don’t know what I should be teaching them, so I’m just teaching them what I think they should know.”

“You three have a good sensei,” Kakashi said. “Even if he’s a substitute.”

-----

Sasuke sent the genin home after Kakashi got to show off a little. The experience did seem to stroke Kakashi’s ego; he seemed happier.

Not long after the trio left, the ANBU captain arrived.

“We’ll leave in a week.”

“How am I supposed to get to Suna with one leg?” Kakashi asked.

“I could carry you on my back,” Sasuke said.

Kakashi pouted behind his mask.

“Or Yamato could make a palanquin and we could carry you,” Sasuke said.

“I’d feel more pathetic.”

“You’ll be traveling by horseback,” Sasuke finally said seriously. “Can you ride?”

“I can.”

“That inspires confidence,” Sasuke said dryly. “Maybe we should go visit your steed and make sure you can ride it all the way to Suna through the desert. You know, one of my hawks could fly you there. I can’t ask them to take all of us, but one could take you.”

“I’d prefer that.”

“Horseback would require a longer route around the denser parts of the forest before we hit the desert,” the captain said. “Will your hawk take both of you? Sounds like keeping you and Sakura apart is a good idea.”

“I think so. They don’t appreciate being used as pack animals, but they might allow that. We can set off a day or two after you three.”

“Two days. We’ll leave in three, you in five.”

-----

Kazue didn’t show up the next morning. Sasuke went to his house with the other two in tow. Kazue’s mother opened the door and was startled to see Sasuke there.

“Excuse me. Is Kazue ill? We were supposed to meet for training.”

She stepped back and her husband came to the door. “We don’t want our son to be taught by a criminal,” he sneered.

“The Hokage assigned me to substitute for their normal sensei,” Sasuke said. “She trusts me. But if that’s your decision, I will be subbing for a few more days. Good day.”

He turned around and led the other two away.

“Criminal?” Saki asked as they headed for the training grounds.

“I left the village without permission. I was put under house arrest for a few months when I came back.”

“You just left without permission?”

“For three years. I became the student of an enemy of Konoha, but I never aided him in hurting the village. I’ve been forgiven. Helps that the person I learned from was a friend and former teammate of the Hokage and that he, under my direction, helped win the recent war. I’ve been forgiven any crime I’ve committed. But you knew who I was; you were frightened of me when we met.”

“We just knew that you helped Naruto win the war and that you were the last of the great Uchiha clan and that you were really powerful and scary.”

“All that is true.” They arrived at the training grounds. “Let’s see how far up the trees you two can get.”

About ten minutes later, Kazue ran up.

“Your parents have a change of heart?” Sasuke asked with a wink. “Tree climbing; get to it.”

Kazue smiled and ran up his tree, slashing the bark with zeal.

Saki finally mastered it enough not fall. She walked up and down the trunk then walked up on the top of a branch and sat down.

“Excellent, Saki,” Sasuke said. “Rest before you try walking on the underside.”

Ryouta made it half way up and almost stayed up, but he fell away. Sasuke caught him. “You’ve used too much chakra, rest.”

They watched Kazue run up, jump down, run up, jump down.

At noon, Sasuke told Kazue to stop and he unwrapped four bento boxes. “Lunch.”

“Bento?” Saki asked. “Did you make these?”

“Of course not. I bought them. I’ve never made a bento. On missions, I either eat field rations or hunt. But Kakashi-sensei bough us bentos sometimes.”

Sasuke’s emotionless expression turned into a frown when they looked more eager to eat once they knew he didn’t make them.

Recharged, the genin went back to running up the trees. Saki practiced walking up the tree rather than trying to walk upside down yet.

Then Kazue’s parents ran up. “Kazue!”

“Mom!” Kazue had attached to the tree about ten feet up. Distracted, he fell, but Sasuke jumped in to catch him.

“How dare you run away like that!”

“Mom,” Kazue whined as Sasuke stood him up, “I can’t miss training.”

“If you must leave,” Sasuke said, “first show me your progress on the wall jutsu. Use what you’ve learned about charka control for the jutsu.”

Kazue concentrated and then made the handsigns and slapped the ground. A three foot tall wall about seven feet long grew from the ground.

“Excellent! If your parents won’t allow you to train with me, I want you to keep practicing the tree climbing and that jutsu. I’ll be teaching Saki and Ryouta how to walk on water once their tree climbing is perfected; you’ll have to ask them to teach you that or your normal sensei. Do not try to walk on the underside of a branch without someone there to catch you if you fall.”

“Walking on . . . water?” Kazue’s father asked, disbelieving.

“Yes,” Sasuke said. “Perhaps it’s too early for them, but it’s something of a basic skill for chunin and higher and it teaches chakra control that improves all their skills, so I thought it best to teach them now. They’ve already shown they are capable.”

“Kakashi-sensei said he’s teaching us really advanced stuff,” Ryouta said.

“Kakashi-sensei?” Kazue’s father asked again. “You mean Hatake Kakashi?”

“Yes,” Sasuke said. “My sensei. I took them to meet him yesterday.”

Kazue’s parents looked at their son. “Why didn’t you tell us about that?” his mother demanded.

“You’re always so busy. When would I?”

Sasuke thought about his father; he was never around. No wonder he was so attached to his older brother.

“First time you listened to me about anything was last night when I mentioned Sasuke-sensei,” Kazue said in a low voice.

“You’re giving them advanced training?” Kazue’s father asked.

“Yes. Kakashi taught us early out of necessity. I see no reason not to teach them now.”

“Fine,” the man relented.

“I’m not sure what you’re concerned about; I would never hurt them. The Hokage trusts me with them. And I know better than anyone the consequences of rash action. I wouldn’t lead them astray.”

“Okay, but, Kazue, don’t you ever run away like that again!” his mother said.

“Sorry.”

Sasuke turned his full attention back to his genin. “Saki, if you’re feeling rested, try walking on the underside of that branch; I’ll be beneath you to catch you.”

-----

It was their last day before their trip to Suna and Sasuke’s last day with his genin. They were sopping wet, having dropped into the river countless times today. But, at last, the trio were standing on the surface of the water.

“Good. You’ve learned everything I wanted to teach you before I left. Change into your dry clothes and I’ll treat you to an early dinner.”

They chose Yakiniku Q. As they finished, Sasuke spoke.

“I’m very proud of all three of you. You have bright futures as shinobi ahead of you. I expect to hear good things about you when I return from Suna. But don’t get over-confident or do anything rash to impress anyone. Do what you know you can do and only push yourselves when needed or when your life is not in danger. I don’t want to come back and find out any of you died.”

“Hai!” They all said.

Saki took out a wrapped object. “We wanted to give you something to thank you for all the great training and to remember us with.”

Sasuke took the package and unwrapped a black weapon pouch. It had been personalized with the Uchiha fan pressed into the front of it. He was actually touched.

“Arigato.” He bowed his head. “Now I’ll have to check up on you when I get back.”