Chapter 7

I had chosen Shikamaru for several reasons. His skill set, status as heir of the Nara clan, and potential as a leader were all incredibly useful traits, but ultimately it was his intelligence that set him apart. Sure, I was happy to be friends with everyone, but I needed a friend who I could speak to as an equal. So many of the conversations with others likely threatened to test my sanity. One of the negatives of this transmigration was the emotional maturity gap that existed between myself and other students. Even Shikamaru was still just a kid, but he'd definitely be less annoying than some of the others.

And so, that second Monday, I sat beside him. His head was resting on the desk over his arms, and I wondered if he was actually asleep, but, slowly, he turned his gaze towards me, and his eyes were narrowed curiously. I chose not to say anything and instead focused on setting up my notepad and textbooks in preparation for the lecture.

He turned his head back and soon was fast asleep. Well, making friends was never easy. I did get a friendly nod from Chouji at least who sat on the other side of Shikamaru. Some progress. The day passed as normal, and I had Ichiraku for dinner. The stuff was addicting.

The next morning, I once again sat beside Shikamaru, and he gave me the same curious glance. This time he asked, "Is there a reason you've changed seats?"

"Am I imposing?" I raised my brow at him. He sighed and shrugged.

"No, it's just troublesome."

"Ah, do you mind explaining why?" I asked, genuinely curious if the other boy had a reason beyond mere annoyance.

He signed again and began to point at different classmates, "Hinata and Shino. Sakura and Ino. Kiba and you. Chouji and I. It's hierarchy and how people get paired together. Iruka likes to pair people who are already sitting close together and who are similarly close in skill on projects. You sitting close to me means I'm going to eventually get tagged with you on some project."

"And that's a bad thing?" I asked, slightly offended.

"Not really, just," he ran his fingers through his hair, "You're a perfectionist. You try to succeed at everything and honestly, it's an expectation that will be placed on me if we're partnered together, because I might enjoy my rest, but no way will I do less than my partner. It wouldn't be fair."

I felt my eyebrows raise. What do you know? Shikamaru had a moral compass. Sure, I knew he cared for his team and would do everything to make sure they survived, but this was more than that. It was an unwillingness to do less than his fair share. I could respect that.

"I can move," I offered. Sure, it meant I wouldn't cultivate as close as a friendship with Shikamaru, but I wasn't going to force it on him.

"Meh," he shrugged, "It's already too late. If you move now, I'll just feel bad and end up working harder anyways. You're a real drag."

The last words were said without any venom, and I found myself smirking, "Good to know me merely changing seats has had such a profound improvement on your life."

Shikamaru flicked a wad of paper at me as I dodged and laughed. He grumbled and laid his head back down on the desk. I shared a look with Chouji who had something of a vicious look in his eyes. That was different from the kind boy Sasuke knew. Chouji spoke,

"Ya know, Sasuke, we could use another member for when we play ninja after school. Would you like to join us?"

Shikamaru's groan caused the table to vibrate, and he said, "I've been betrayed. How could you, Chouji?"

"Consider it payback for last night when you were supposed to be the hunter but fell asleep!"

Ah, the look in Chouji's eyes was that of vengeance. I approved.

"You didn't wait that long." Shikamaru grumbled as Chouji yelled out,

"Two hours!"

I began to laugh at the interaction and noticed Chouji and Shikamaru's faces had softened. Soon, they were laughing too.

"Yeah, sounds good. I'd be happy to join you guys for a game or two."

"Good, this time someone can find Shikamaru and force him to actually run," Chouji said as he took a bite out of a bag of chips.

Shikamaru groaned once again. I was about to say something, but the arrival of Iruka derailed whatever it was I was about to say as he started in on a lecture regarding the tactics used during the First Shinobi World War.

The end of the school day came quickly, however, and soon I was with a group of boys a few blocks from the Academy. The rules of playing ninja were simple. One player was the hunter who would hunt and chase the other players. If a player was caught by the hunter, that player also became a hunter and helped catch others. The game lasted until everyone was a hunter or the one-hour timer ran out.

"Are we allowed to use jutsu to escape?" I asked. One of the older boys shook his head,

"Not all of us know jutsu yet, so to keep it fair, no jutsu allowed."

I nodded. Made sense. Technically the only jutsu I knew were the Great Fireball jutsu and Shunshin, so I supposed it would not exactly be fair to roast a kid for a children's game. Shunshin's speed would also be unfair for those unable to keep up. Still, it would be nice to add the three academy jutsu to the game once we had mastered those. Oh well, enough planning for now.

"To start, the boundaries for the game are anywhere within half a mile of the Academy. No hiding in any businesses or high civilian areas. Everyone clear?"

We all nodded.

"Aright, I'll be a hunter first. You have five minutes to clear the area. Begin!"

I leapt into the air, using chakra to enhance my jump, and landed on one of the nearby rooftops. I'd need to figure out a good location to hide from the hunter, but one too with the optimal opportunity to escape. I made my way over to one of the water towers and hid beneath the lid on one of the metal grates. The high vantage point would allow me to see anyone coming without being seen unless they were looking at a specific angle. Fingers crossed this would be enough. I began to wait.

About twenty minutes passed. I saw a few of the kids run along the streets below, but none of them looked up. I found myself grow a bit concerned. I knew they were only kids, but the situational awareness was atrocious. If I had been an enemy shinobi, it would have been simple to snipe them with a kunai.

I continued to observe and wait. Eventually, I saw Shikamaru lazily making his way down the road at a leisurely walk. I figured he must have already been caught if he was walking out here so casually and made certain to push myself closer to the water tower. Shikamaru suddenly looked up and we locked eyes. I frowned as he smirked. The Nara heir continued walking down the street in a lackadaisical manner. What was he up to?

I pondered ditching my hiding spot but decided to give it a few more minutes and see if anything would happen. Several minutes later, Shikamaru appeared again down on the street corner. I frowned. Why would he be walking the same direction? Unless...

I leapt from my spot to another roof just as hands swiped at where my ankles had been. I gave a laugh, "Nice try, Chouji! You almost got me."

The Akimichi Clan Heir gave a frustrated scowl, but smiled after a moment and said, "Next time, Sasuke!"

I nodded and took off across the rooftops. Several other hunters were making their way towards my location. Chouji did not follow, knowing that my speed was far beyond his. Still, that stealth was pretty impressive from the Akimichi. Very impressive.

I continued running across the rooftops. I had about another twenty minutes before the game would end. Several of the hunters were trying to corner me, but I was easily able to weave my way through them by hopping down onto the street and then up onto other rooftops. Several of the hunters obviously didn't have the chakra control necessary yet to perform such feats, so I found it fairly easy to leap over their heads as they attempted to grab me. I was tempted to just find another hiding spot but avoiding being caught was more fun and I found it useful training. Obviously, there was never a need to activate my Sharingan.

Time was almost up, and I began making my way to the "home base" as it were. Hadn't been too difficult to run on ahead of my pursuers. I smiled as I saw the post that held the timer. Ten seconds and I'd be home free.

Suddenly, I felt something tighten around my ankle and I was hoisted into the air. Shit! I hadn't been looking for traps. As I hung in the air, I turned to see Shikamaru making his way from around a corner with a smirk on his face, "Eh, Sasuke? Didn't think I'd catch you in that one."

I scowled and crossed my arms, "Let me down, you moron."

Shikamaru chuckled and quickly undid the trap. I gave him an annoyed nod, "That was a good plan."

"Ah thanks. I figured someone would eventually be stopping back by before the timer ended. Just didn't expect it to be you."

"Ah, you caught him Shikamaru!" Chouji huffed as he came running from around the corner. The Nara gave Chouji a proud smirk and I scowled. Damn it. I'd have to be more careful in the future. Still, it was quite impressive of Shikamaru to think that far ahead.

"Ah, ah!" One of the boys yelled out as everyone was slowly congregating back at the post, "Looks like the hunters win today! Nice work, Shikamaru!"

Shikamaru shrugged as the compliment and said, "I didn't do that much."

"Still, pretty impressive to catch someone as fast as Sasuke!"

Several of the other boys started to agree and were complimenting me on my speed. I felt myself flush with pride. Sure, it was a result of my natural talent and superior chakra control, but it was still nice to be recognized for my skills. I graciously gave a smile and said thanks to those who gave the words of encouragement.

"Eh Sasuke, would you like to join us for dinner?" Chouji asked as more of the boys began to disperse. I looked towards him and Shikamaru. I could see the barest hint of concern in their eyes, and I felt my annoyance bubble. That same look of pity. I imagine someone had told the two of them about what had happened. I closed my eyes and sighed. Despite my annoyance, dinner sounded nice.

"Ah, are you eating out or?" I asked.

"Nah, Chouji's mom makes dinner for our families on Tuesdays, but you're more thank welcome to join us," Shikamaru offered with a smile. I swallowed. Family. I couldn't deny the grief that threatened to overtake me at that point, but I forced out a smile and said,

"Ah yeah. Sounds great."

Chouji and Shikamaru gave a smile, and we were soon making our way towards the Akimichi compound. The easy comradeship between the two was obvious and I felt lucky to be included. I knew that Sasuke in canon had maintained an aura of aloofness and wouldn't have been caught dead just socializing, but I was not him. Grief and rage existed in my heart, but I would not allow Itachi to steal my life from me.

As we approached the compound, I noticed several guards with the the Akimichi clan markings apparent upon their clothing give me odd looks. I supposed it was understandable. The Uchiha Clan, while not overtly antagonistic, had never been excessively friendly to the Nara or Akimichi clans due to their close alliance with the Senju. It was difficult to become especially friend when your families had warred against each other for generations. Personally, I refused to allow past grudges to dictate my future. I gave the guards a friendly smile as we entered the home.

The home was spacious, somewhat more so than my own, with a large open concept. We removed our shoes and made our way down the corridor. As we passed the kitchen, a large woman with brunette stuck her head out and gave us a warm smile. Her smile dimmed ever so slightly as she saw me, but returned brilliantly after a moment, "Ah! Chouji, you didn't tell me Sasuke would be joining us tonight! Please go get another place set!"

"Ah sorry mom, but sure!" Chouji rushed past his mother, and I gave a deep bow, "Ah, my apologies for the inconvenience, Lady Akimichi, but Chouji was kind enough to offer dinner and I could not refuse famous Akimichi cooking."

"You're quite the charmer aren't you, dear?" she laughed and patted my head, "You're always welcome, Sasuke. It is no inconvenience at all."

I gave a smile even as I heard Shikamaru mutter under his breath, "Wish my mom was this nice."

Chouji's mom had the good grace to ignore the statement and merely pinched Shikamaru's cheek, "Your mother and father are in the dining room with the others. Why don't you go on in?"

I could see Shikamaru's discomfort and covered a laugh with my hand. It was amusing to see my friends interacting with the adults. Friends. I paused. Had I so quickly begun to view Shikamaru and Chouji as friends? As I followed behind Shikamaru, my eyes on his pineapple shaped haircut, I decided that yes, he and Chouji were my friends. A smile rested on my face.

We entered a large dining room with a lowered table and pillows upon the ground. Shikamaru's parents and Chouji's father were already seated at the table and eating what appeared to be some small appetizers. I was surprised, however, to see Inoichi, his wife, and Ino seated at the table.

As she saw me, Ino gave a light "yeep!" and hid behind her mother. I chuckled silently to myself. While somewhat awkward, it was humorous to see the girl hiding behind her mother. The adults in the room gave a nod as Shikamaru and I entered and Chouza heartedly let out, "Welcome! Please take a seat!"

He gestured to a few open spaces, and I took a seat between Shikamaru and Chouji. I felt…awkward. As if intruding on a moment I had no business being in, but this lasted barely a moment before Shikamaru's mother spoke, "I don't believe Sasuke's met everyone here, so shall we share names?"

"Ah yes!" Chouza let out with a boisterous boom, "My name is Chouza. I assume you met my wife Chokisu when you entered?"

I nodded and smile, "Yes, Lord Akimichi. Your wife was very hospitable and welcoming!"

"Ah, Nah, Nah!" Chouza smiled, "None of that now. Just call me Chouza. You can save the Lord Akimichi stuff for when you're on the village council! Heh."

I nodded. I hadn't thought of that. My younger self's memories did speak of Fugaku's attendance at different council meetings so I supposed it made sense that I would one day have similar responsibilities. I turned my thought from the future to the Naras as Shikamaru's mother spoke,

"My name is Yoshino and this man I get to call my husband is Shikaku," she gestured to the Jounin Commander who was in the middle of a shot of sake. The man raised his hand haphazardly and gave a slight nod, "Yo!"

"And eh, we've already met," Inoichi spoke up, "But this is my wife Hanasu. And you obviously know Ino."

As Inoichi mentioned her name, the blonde girl finally seemed to gather her courage and looked out from around her mother's arm and gave a wave, "Hey, Sasuke. You did amazing with the shuriken today!"

I gave Ino a smile, "Thanks, Ino. You didn't do so bad yourself!"

She really hadn't. Of the girls in the class, Ino was easily the top kunoichi and was honestly second only to myself in overall scores. She was also far more sociable than myself and had quite the friend group. It couldn't hurt to be nice to the girl, but I hoped it wouldn't cause any over the top affections to develop.

"Hah, I'm very proud of my daughter and her skills!" Inoichi said with a smile and his wife gave a soft smile.

That's my boy.

I internally winced and felt that familiar grief worm its way into my heart. I didn't belong here. Not with happy families. I should be training and preparing to kill Itachi. And yet, it felt so nice too to be in this room.

"Eyy Shikamaru, are you gonna let a girl show you up?" Yoshino asked with a smirk. I could tell Shikamaru grew annoyed at the words from his mom as he angrily took a bite from the table. I felt the urge to defend my friend,

"Shikamaru is very skilled in tactical analysis. He caught me with a trap while we were playing Ninja today."

I saw Shikamaru's eyes widen slightly, and he gave a slight nod of gratitude. The pleased look on Yoshino's face was odd. I wondered what she was thinking.

"Why do boys play Ninja still? It's not like we aren't already actual ninja at the academy," Ino huffed. I was about to respond before Inoichi beat me to it.

"It's a good game and useful for developing skills on the battlefield. Shikaku, Chouza, and I developed a lot of our teamwork initially playing games like that throughout the village."

Ino huffed, but any further conversation was cut off as Chokisu entered with a large steaming skillet of grilled meats and vegetables. The rest of the meal passed pleasantly with light conversation and friendly banter between the adults. Shikamaru, Chouji, and I felt into a fun conversation ourselves talking about class and, for the first time since arriving in this world, I felt like everything was going to be okay.

As we finished eating, I stated that I needed to head on back to my estate before it started getting darker. I was given a large box with leftovers to take home by Chokisu who absolutely insisted that I take it. I was not one to deny such tasty food that would last me for several days at least.

As I said my goodbyes to my friends and made my way out the door, I noticed Shikaku standing outside with a cigarette in his hands. The man noticed me and said, "Sasuke, it was good to have you join us tonight."

I gave a short bow, "I hoped I wasn't an intrusion. I know the Uchiha have not always been close with your families."

Shikaku shook his head and said, "Times change and so do alliances." He sighed and flicked some of the cigarette embers onto the ground, "Your father and I didn't always see eye to eye, but he was a good man and a powerful shinobi. I was honored fight alongside him several times during the Third Shinobi World War. If you ever want stories about Fugaku of the Wicked Eye, don't hesitate to ask."

I felt my throat grow dry and I gave a nod.

"Thank you, Lord Nara."

He took a deep drag of the cigarette and flicked the remainder of the butt onto the ground, "I know what paths the Uchiha take when they desire power, but there are other paths. The paths of friendship and bonds are more powerful than those of hatred. Don't forget that."

I felt my lips thin. Mangekyou.

"Sasuke, if you hurt my son, I'll kill you."

I nodded and offered after a moment,

"I'm not Itachi. I won't walk his path."

“See that you don't."

-End Chapter