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*One Month Later*
It's been a full month of me being here and joining team 7 and a lot has happened. For starters I started my weight training journey. Nothing too serious but I would go through 'our training sessions' with the weights on. Then on our off days I'd give my muscles two days of rest before continuing. Raising the weight after each week. If you can call what we've done practice, all we've done so far is team exercises after Kakashi comes 2 hours past the slotted time he set. But with my knowledge of the original series, I know this in advance. Not letting it affect me as much.
But Naruto and Sakura still act like whiney children every time he's late. And don't get me wrong, someone wasting my time is a pet-peeve of mine but I push that feeling aside because I need to train for my own sake. If I plan to leave the village in six months then I'll need to be strong enough to protect my virgin hole.
And you might be wondering who has me afraid of this. Its the only person in all of anime that screams 'I touch kids,' when you see him. I find it crazy how as a child I had no concept of a pedo but once I saw him and his freaky tongue I knew he had to be one. Anyways I'm looking into ways to counter him to have a leg to stand on when its time. So I can inherit his empire. God this makes me sound like Anna Nicole Smith, going after old billionaires right before they have a heart attack in bed and die. But so be it.
Over the month I ate out at different restaurants every day and spent time with the true beauties of Konoha. Kiya-chan, Inaho-san, and Ayame-neesan, truly an eventful month. Heck even though I find Jiraiya's hobby deplorable I had to consider taking a peek at the hot spring and use the Sharingan. But I stopped myself as it would bring shame to my ancestors if I did so. But I guess my actions this month were unusual for the higher ups, because one day while I went to the ramen stand an old monkey stopped by to have a chat with me.
*Flashback*
The late afternoon sun cast a golden glow over Ichiraku Ramen as Sasuke sat at the counter, finishing up his second bowl of tomato ramen. It had become a bit of a habit now—he'd stop by when things weren't too hectic, and somehow, he always ended up in a conversation with Ayame.
Ayame leaned on the counter, resting her chin in her hand as she watched him eat. "You know, for a guy who acts all mysterious and broody, you sure eat a lot of ramen."
Sasuke smirked slightly. "What can I say? It's decent."
She rolled her eyes. "You mean 'amazing.'"
Sasuke took another bite and shrugged. "Hn."
Ayame chuckled, then straightened up. "So, tell me, Mr. Uchiha, what's the weirdest thing you've seen in the village?"
Sasuke thought for a moment, then exhaled through his nose. "Last week, I saw Kiba arguing with a cat."
Ayame blinked. "A cat?"
Sasuke nodded. "I was walking past a food stall when I heard him say, "I *know* you took it, just give it back." I thought he was talking to someone—turns out, it was just some fat street cat sitting on top of a crate, staring him down."
Ayame burst out laughing. "Did the cat give it back?"
Sasuke smirked. "No. The cat won."
She wiped a tear from the corner of her eye. "That's hilarious. Poor Kiba."
Sasuke took another bite of his ramen before glancing at her. "What about you?"
Ayame tapped her chin in thought. "Oh! Okay, so this happened a few days ago—some guy tried to pay for his ramen with *leaves*."
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Leaves?"
She nodded, holding back a grin. "Yeah. He was completely serious too. He sat down, ordered a big bowl, ate it, and then, when my dad gave him the check, he just reached into his pocket and pulled out a handful of leaves. Just—*slapped* them right on the counter like it was nothing."
Sasuke shook his head. "What did your dad do?"
"Oh, you know my dad. He was too polite to call him out on it. He just kind of stared at the guy for a solid ten seconds before saying, 'Son, I appreciate your connection to nature, but that's not how money works.'"
Sasuke huffed a short laugh. "Did the guy at least pay in real money after that?"
Ayame sighed. "Nope. He just blinked, like he *just* realized leaves weren't currency, then ran off. We never saw him again."
Sasuke shook his head. "Sounds like something Naruto would've tried when he was younger."
"Oh, for sure," Ayame agreed. "But Naruto would at least have the decency to offer to wash the dishes when he was broke."
Sasuke smirked. "That's because he practically lived here."
"True." Ayame leaned forward on the counter. "Okay, one more—what's the *most impressive* thing you've seen?"
Sasuke took a moment to think, then leaned back. "A few weeks ago, I saw that Jonin, Might Guy run 50 full laps around the village. On his hands."
Ayame's jaw dropped. "No way."
Sasuke nodded. "He was yelling something about 'youthful endurance training' while some kid in a terrible bowl haircut, and bushy eyebrows ran behind him, crying." screaming "Guy-sensei!"
Ayame covered her mouth to keep from laughing too hard. "I swear, Guy-sensei is built differently."
Sasuke smirked. "I'm still not convinced he's human."
Ayame grinned getting excited, with a small blush on her face. "Okay, my turn—one time, I saw Kakashi reading his little orange book *while* balancing on a single kunai. Just—casually, in the middle of the market."
Sasuke gave her a knowing look. "That sounds about right."
"I don't even think he realized people were staring," she said, shaking her head.
Sasuke scoffed. "Or he didn't care."
"Probably both."
They sat there for a moment, the warm breeze rolling through the open stand. Ayame propped her elbow on the counter and rested her cheek in her palm. Softening her eyes as she looks at the boy in front of her, then looks at the setting sun with a thoughtful far away thought.
"You know, I like this," she said.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
Ayame smiled. "Just… talking. Having normal conversations. Not everything has to be about missions or training or serious ninja business."
Sasuke stared at her for a moment before looking back at his ramen. "Yeah. It's not bad."
Ayame grinned. "That's practically a love confession coming from you, Uchiha."
Sasuke rolled his eyes, but the small smirk on his lips betrayed him. "Don't let it go to your head."
Ayame laughed. "Too late."
---
The quiet hum of the village filled the air as Sasuke took another bite of his ramen, his mind lost in thought. Ayame had momentarily stepped away to clean up in the back, leaving him alone at the counter.
Then, the flap of the stand lifted, and a familiar presence entered.
"Ah, Ichiraku Ramen," came the aged but warm voice. "It's been a while."
Sasuke's chopsticks paused for just a fraction of a second before continuing. He didn't turn around as the Third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, stepped beside him, taking a seat at the counter. The old man adjusted his robes and gave a polite nod to Teuchi before ordering a simple miso ramen.
Hiruzen glanced at Sasuke with an easy smile. "It's good to see you here, Sasuke. I didn't expect to find you enjoying a meal at a place like this."
Sasuke, still eating, replied evenly, "I don't see why not."
Hiruzen chuckled. "No, I suppose not. Though, I had the impression that you were more of a solitary type."
Sasuke merely shrugged, neither confirming nor denying it. He wasn't in the mood for a long conversation, but he knew better than to outright ignore the Hokage. Outward politeness was necessary, if only to avoid unwanted attention. As it was clear this visit was deliberate, 'had his actions given the higher ups room to pause.'
'Must be this old pervert's crystal ball giving me away, as how else would he know I'd be here.' Sasuke thinks while taking a bite of his ramen.
Hiruzen studied him for a moment before shifting his gaze to the stand itself. "This place holds a lot of memories. Many young shinobi have come here over the years—Sakumo, Jiraya, The Fourth Hokage, and even Kakashi in his youth." He smiled fondly. "It's always good to see the new generation finding comfort in the village."
Sasuke didn't respond right away. He simply finished another bite of ramen before saying, "It's just a meal."
"Perhaps," Hiruzen mused. "But a meal shared with others can be meaningful."
Before Sasuke could reply, Ayame returned, setting down a clean stack of bowls behind the counter. She noticed the Hokage and immediately straightened up.
"Hokage-sama! What an honor," she said with a bright smile.
Hiruzen nodded warmly. "Ah, Ayame. You and your father always serve the best ramen in the village."
She laughed. "We do try." Her eyes flickered to Sasuke, and she leaned on the counter. "Sasuke here is starting to become a regular, actually."
Hiruzen's expression twitched with interest. "Is that so?"
Sasuke shot Ayame a look, but she just grinned innocently.
"Well," Hiruzen continued, "it's good to hear that Sasuke is finding connections within the village." He turned his wise gaze back to the young Uchiha. "Tell me, Sasuke… how are you finding Konoha these days?"
Sasuke's posture remained relaxed, but he could feel the intent behind the question. He met the Hokage's eyes evenly. "It's the same as always."
Hiruzen hummed thoughtfully. As he can't help but think about all his past mistakes and the dealings with Danzo over the years. "The same huh."
But he only shows only a second of sadness before continuing. "And your team? Your sensei? Your comrades?"
Sasuke didn't look away. "They're fine."
Ayame raised an eyebrow at his dry response as he's never talked this way with her but didn't comment.
Hiruzen stroked his beard. "It's important to build relationships, Sasuke. I know you carry a heavy burden… but even the strongest shinobi cannot walk their path alone."
Sasuke resisted the urge to sigh. He had heard variations of this speech before—from Kakashi, from Naruto, from Sakura. He simply responded with, "I know."
The old Hokage smiled. "Good. You see, Sasuke, this village—our home—exists not just because of our strength, but because of our bonds." He gestured slightly. "Take Ayame, for example. She and her father work hard every day, feeding the shinobi who protect this village. Their efforts, though different from ours, are just as important."
Ayame blinked in surprise, not expecting the Hokage to have such high respect for non-ninja's like herself and her father. "Uh Hokage-sama your too kind… What me and my father do can't be compared to what you and the ninja's do to protect us. I mean, I just make ramen." With Ayame shyly bowing her head, completely fooled by the old monkey.
Hiruzen chuckled. "You provide warmth, familiarity, a place where people can gather and share moments together. That, too, is the Will of Fire."
Sasuke finally sighed as he doesn't want to see Ayame just be used as a pawn in his manipulations. "I've heard this speech before."
Hiruzen was unfazed. "And you will hear it again. Because it is important."
Sasuke remained quiet, stirring his ramen absently with his chopsticks. He didn't argue, but he didn't agree, either.
Hiruzen studied him for a moment before offering a kind but firm expression. "The Will of Fire is what allows us to move forward, even in pain. It is what keeps us from being consumed by vengeance or hatred. It is what ensures that we do not fall into darkness."
Sasuke's grip on his chopsticks tightened slightly. He felt the weight of the words, but at the same time, they did not reach him the way Hiruzen probably wanted. He wasn't some naïve academy student. Or the hot-shot arrogant little prick people think he is. He has a firm understanding of just how powerful and important he is. He Hiruzen wanted to he could crush him in an instant, he could use him to breed a new clan of loyal ninja, and he could eradicate his entire family in seconds. And he knows the truth about the current Konoha, its rotten from the inside out. 'That damn Danzo'
The Hokage took a slow sip of his tea. "In time, you will understand, Sasuke. I only hope that when that time comes, you will still have people by your side." With Hiruzen shooting a look at Ayame with the girl catching it and gives a light blush.
Sasuke exhaled through his nose and stood up. "Thanks for the meal," he said to Ayame, leaving some money on the counter before turning away.
As he stepped out of the stand, Hiruzen watched him go, his expression thoughtful.
Ayame, still standing there, glanced at the Hokage. "You really like your speeches, don't you?"
Hiruzen chuckled. "An old man must do what he can."
She smiled, shaking her head before glancing at the retreating form of Sasuke. "I dunno… I think he's still figuring things out in his own way. What happened to him isn't something that someone could just simply move on from easily."
Hiruzen nodded. "Perhaps. But the road he walks is treacherous. I only hope he finds his way before it's too late."
Ayame said nothing, but a part of her wondered what exactly Sasuke was searching for.
Outside, Sasuke walked through the streets, his mind turning over the Hokage's words. Bonds. The Will of Fire. Protecting the village.
"Utterly ridiculous. My family was never treated apart of this village."
None of it changed his goals.
But for a brief moment, he let his gaze linger on the bustling streets of Konoha, on the people, on the warmth in the air.
He clicked his tongue and looked away.
"Hn."
And just like that, he was gone.