"'Flashback'?" asked Kakashi.
"Sasuke is currently known as the 'Last Uchiha' despite there being two other Uchiha - both of whom have advanced Sharingan. There are also several users of Sharingan who are not Uchiha by the way."
"Well, yes," admitted Kakashi as he was one of those non-Uchiha. "Though there's one surviving Uchiha that I apparently did NOT know about."
Twenty years previously:
Kakashi Hatake looked across the Academy grounds at the kids his age, except these had not graduated early.
An ANBU gently touched down on a nearby bench.
"You're my sensei?" asked Kakashi.
The figure turned, revealing someone wearing a mask, but it was not an ANBU-style mask. This was leather and covered about half the face. "Indeed. As you should have been told, there are no currently available teams for you to join - so until one is available you'll be learning directly from me."
"They decided to pair masks up?" asked Kakashi, not used to seeing anyone besides himself wearing one.
The figure reached up, undid a buckle, and removed his mask.
Kakashi didn't flinch at the sight, merely nodded thoughtfully.
"I wear mine because some people find this a bit disturbing," said the figure. "Kiyoshi Kasugano. Chunin. Taijutsu expert. My hobbies are calligraphy, baking, and ancient history. My skillset in order of usefulness in the general missions I get assigned is: taijutsu, cryptography, pattern recognition, and gate guard."
"Kiyoshi Kasugano?" asked Kakashi. "Why am I remembering him all of sudden?"
"That would be the first flashback."
"So Kiyoshi-sensei was involved in this somehow?" asked Kakashi. "How? He died shortly after I was assigned to a team under Minato-sensei."
"You know of the Kasugano clan?" asked Sasuke.
"Yes, they were associated for a long time with the Uchiha as a subservient clan since the Warring Clans period - long before the current Hidden Village system was formed," noted Kakashi.
Sasuke nodded, having known that already.
Seven years previously:
"I don't get it," complained Sasuke. "Why am I supposed to look out for her?"
Itachi sighed, checked around, then pulled his little brother off to the side. "Remember. You never heard this from me. Mentioning this around the house is just going to get you in trouble."
"What? Is it something bad?" asked Sasuke.
Itachi paused. "That girl is your half-sister."
"WHAT?!" yelled Sasuke.
Itachi finger-flicked Sasuke in the forehead.
"OW!"
"I found out about it when I was your age," said Itachi. "Mother was having some bad days when she was first pregnant. Father 'dallied' with a member of the Kasugano clan."
"You mean father-?" Sasuke was nearly aghast.
"Yes, he later claimed it was in order to further strengthen the Kasugano clan, but mother found out and decided that other motivations were more likely," drily stated Itachi.
"Well, she's not as icky as that other Sakura," said Sasuke. "That must be why."
"The Kasugano clan has long been known for their innate talent at taijutsu, as well as being exceptionally gifted at Chakra Transformation though lacking an innate affinity with fire like the Uchiha clan has," said Itachi. "Anyway, that's the reason you should keep an eye on her. She might develop her own Sharingan though that's unlikely."
"Whatever. Are you going to train with me now?"
Another finger-flick. "Not now. I have a mission to prepare for."
Sasuke scowled at the memory of one of those happier times before his brother had become That Man.
"What's that look for?" asked Naruto.
"Sakura," answered Sasuke. There was something off here, but what?
"Oh," said Naruto, nodding. "The Other Sakura."
"No, my half-sister, not the pink one," said Sasuke.
two years before present:
"Uzumaki-san?"
"Eh? Err, Kasugano?" asked Naruto, looking up from the swing. Nobody ever bothered him on the swing.
"Look," said the short-haired tomboy. "I'm just saying this cause you seem nice despite being an idiot."
"Eh?" asked Naruto.
"You keep asking Haruno-san out," said Sakura. "She keeps turning you down. Often violently."
"She just needs time to come around," said Naruto.
"No, she genuinely despises you," said Sakura.
"No, that's just an act," said Naruto, who then looked around and leaned closer to whisper. "She's just tsundere."
"No, I'm serious," said Sakura. "You annoy the hell out of her. If you keep it up, she'll hate you. Stop asking her out, stop pestering her, and MAYBE sometime in the future you'll at least be friends. She likes my half-brother."
"So do all the girls," grumped Naruto. "I don't see what's so hot about him!"
"Sasuke... has some issues to work through," admitted Sakura Kasugano. "I'm around to kick his butt if he gets too emo though."
"Yeah! That's a good thing!" admitted Naruto, grinning again.
"Well, I just wanted to tell you to stop pestering Haruno-san," said Kasugano. "She'll at least be less hostile to you if you stop now."
"Yeah, I can see why that'd make you scowl," said Naruto, grinning. "Man, she used to kick your butt seven ways to Sunday."
"She is of the Uchiha clan, even if she's also Kasugano," said Sasuke. "Therefore it is only fitting she is a superior fighter. I recall you losing to her regularly."
"Ah, Sakura Kasugano?" asked Kakashi, eyeing the cloud. "Is this going where I think?"
Earlier:
"-so you have to come at me with the intent to kill," said Kakashi, letting the two bells tinkle against each other.
All three were reacting much as his expectations for them.
Sasuke, eyes narrowed and frowning. Apparently the girls his age thought it made him look focussed and cool. Kakashi thought it made him look constipated but that was just his opinion.
Naruto - eager and clueless. So ready to show the world how awesome he was - even if the world at large would just laugh at his pretense of awesomeness. Not as bad as he could have been though.
Sakura - cautious but with an undercurrent of eagerness. Word from the Academy transcripts was that she was a real "fight monster" who enjoyed the thrill of battle. Most likely of the three to attack him right off the bat, going for a taijutsu battle. Not because she thought she would win against a jonin, but because she'd want to see his style of fighting and measure her strength against his.
"You may begin," said Kakashi when it was obvious that nobody was going to try for a pre-emptive strike.
Sakura's fist caused a log to crack in half barely a second after he'd done the substitution. Looked like he should have made that 'eager with an undercurrent of caution' instead.
"So, did something just happen?" asked Sakura Kasugano, scratching her head.
"Other than this 'Naruto getting the Mokuton because he's supposed to be a hero and currently isn't much of one'?" asked Sasuke. "No."
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(Posted Sun, 18 Aug 2013 19:18)
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