"It's a pleasure to meet you, Fugaku-sama," she says. "I'm Haruno Sakura." He nods to her, giving me a piercing look as he takes his seat at the head of the table, next to Sakura. The farthest seat from Sasuke.
I'm beginning to get a bad feeling about this.
...
I almost don't notice when Itachi sits down on a cushion across from me, he's so damn silent about it. Stupid ANBU. An awkward silence threatens to descend on us, then, but Mikoto comes to our rescue, sweeping back into the room with a jug of water in her hands.
"There you are, dear!" She says happily, setting the jug down and setting about filling up plates for everyone. "Did you manage to resolve those construction plans?"
"Not yet," Fugaku says, scowling. "Juro continues to insist he has more land owed to him than he really does, and Nobu won't make any concession for the store he's planning to build."
"Ah, those two have always been a bit stubborn. They'll come around soon." With the food taken care of, she sets to pouring everyone a glass of water. "More importantly, have you introduced yourself to our guests yet?"
"Of course."
"Fantastic." She pours herself the last glass, taking her own seat opposite Fugaku with a relieved sigh. "Well, I hope you all enjoy this! It's been awhile since I've made it. I hope I didn't ruin it."
I twirl some noodles up and spear one of the tomatoes, stuffed with some sort of cheese by the looks of it, and take a bite. To my surprise, it's really, really good. Ten times better than all the crap Sasuke has repeatedly tried to shove down my throat over the years.
Sakura beats me too it. "This is delicious, Uchiha-san." I hum in agreement, twirling up another bite.
The small talk resumes from there, Mikoto and Sakura once more taking control while the Uchiha men and I eat in silence. Every now and again Mikoto tries to pull one of us into the conversation, but Fugaku and Itachi wall her with short answers and I'm too preoccupied with making sure Sasuke doesn't fly off the handle and out the window to get involved.
Really, I don't see what the big deal is. Fugaku is a little surly, sure, but he's not too bad. Besides, he did just get done working, so this might not even be his usual demeanor. And Mikoto is awesome. She's a good cook, smoking hot, and about as anti-Uchiha as it gets in terms of personality. What's not to like?
Aside from that joke she made about him getting eaten, anyway. I think it was a joke, at least.
… Maybe.
It's while I'm wondering just what Sasuke's beef is with his family that Fugaku sets his chopsticks down, turning his piercing gaze on me. Sakura and Mikoto quiet. "So, I'm told you killed an ANBU on your latest mission."
I swallow my mouthful of tomato, taken aback. Straight to the point, eh? "Kinda," I say, scratching the back of my head. It had been alright to leave out my teammates' involvement when I was showboating in the old man's office, but taking credit for that kill now would just be stupid. "It was a group effort, really. I just got the last hit in."
"That's still impressive, defeating an ANBU a few months out of the Academy," Mikoto praises. "Why, Itachi didn't kill his first ANBU until almost a year after he became a genin!"
"To be fair, he was four years younger than them at the time," Fugaku says. "And he had no help."
Sasuke runs a tomato through with a vicious stab of his chopsticks.
"Times were different back then, dear," Mikoto reminds him. "A team of genin beating an ANBU in this day and age is almost unheard of." The Uchiha head makes a noncommittal noise, taking a drink of water.
"I assume that's why you've been nominated for the Chunin Exams this year?" He asks.
Sakura bobs her head. "Yes, sir."
"How do you think you'll fair?"
"Ah, well, I'm hoping-"
"We're gonna plow through it," I say, giving my pink-haired teammate a chastising look. She bites her lip, nodding. "Kumo and Iwa and all the other villages out to get us won't know what hit 'em."
"Such confidence!" Mikoto says delightedly. "I can't wait to see you three compete in the tournament."
"It's true that you won't have many friends there, though," Fugaku says. "Itachi tells me that only one other team besides yours has been nominated to compete this year." He frowns. "It's a worrying sign for this next generation of genin."
"It's understandable, father," Itachi says, finally entering the conversation. "Kumo and Iwa have become increasingly blatant with their strikes against our teams. Not everyone is capable of handling that type of adversity in an already difficult series of exams."
Fugaku hums, taking a bite of his own pasta sans tomatoes. "We suffered terrible losses in the last exam," he agrees. "Though there weren't any Uchiha competing that year, so it's not overly surprising."
That's… pretty messed up. I turn to my meal, wondering where my appetite went all of a sudden.
"Itachi was part of the first group of genin that Konoha sent to the new Chunin Exams in the Land of Iron," he continues. "There were almost half a thousand genin competing that year, as every village was scrambling to pull in business to replenish the resources they'd lost in the war." He looks over at his eldest son proudly. "Itachi was the youngest competitor there, and he defeated all his opponents and won the whole tournament."
Sasuke grips his chopsticks so hard his knuckles bleed white.
Mikoto smiles fondly. "I remember that day. He cried when he found out he couldn't do missions with his teammates anymore."
The whole table turns to me in concern, then, as I dissolve into a coughing fit. I reach out to grab my glass with shaking hands and take a lung gulp of my water, straining against the urge to burst out laughing as the image of Commander Itachi throwing a fit over a promotion runs through my head. Itachi sighs.
"I'd hoped you had forgotten that."
"I could never forget anything about my boys," she says, winking.
"Yes, well," Fugaku says, a slight tone of aggravation in his voice. "You two seem to be far more capable than Itachi's teammates were. Sasuke should have no such issues, assuming he's promoted, that is."
"Have some faith in your son, dear," Mikoto scolds. "I'm sure Sasuke and his teammates are going to do just as well as Itachi did, if not better."
"Can you fault me for my concern, Mikoto?" He asks. This time I tense up. I'm beginning to realize what's been estranging Sasuke from his parents, and it isn't Mikoto. "Itachi had already mastered his Sharingan when he competed in the exams, and Sasuke still has yet to unlock the initial stage of his."
"Yes he has," I blurt, at the exact same moment as Sasuke hits me with the look we've both agreed on to mean 'No time to explain, just shut the hell up.'
The table falls silent.
Itachi closes his eyes. Mikoto opens her mouth, hesitates, and closes it. Sasuke glares down at his plate. And the weight of Fugaku's stare falls upon me heavier than an Akimichi.
Then, quietly, he asks, "Is this true, Sasuke?"
"… Yes."
Fugaku's coal black eyes narrow. "When?"
"While I was fighting the ANBU."
"That's wonderful, honey-"
"Why didn't you tell me?" Fugaku demands, dropping his chopsticks. Sasuke looks up at him, but doesn't reply, defiant. "You don't even know how to use it yet. How could you squander such a boon going into the Chunin Exams? How could you be so foolish?"
"I'm not squandering it," Sasuke bites out. "My sensei is teaching me how to use it."
"Your sensei?" He says in disbelief. "You think that man has even a tenth of the knowledge of your bloodline that your brother does, that I do? Every single member of this clan would be a better teacher than him!"
"I don't care."
"This isn't the time, Fugaku," Mikoto speaks up, desperately gesturing at Sakura and me. "We can talk about this later-"
"Show me," The Uchiha head says.
Sasuke scowls. "Why?"
"I want to see for myself." I don't believe you.
Sasuke looks him dead in the eyes. "No."
For one single, frozen moment, Fugaku's eyes bleed red.
Then all at once the Sharingan and scowl and the fury disappear. Fugaku looks upon his son stonily, and when he speaks his voice is cold as ice. "Leave."
Sasuke stands up and walks out of the room without another word.
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