Sasuke's Ash Day

Eventually, Team 7 (and Team Guy, unfortunately) were seated and participating in the festival activities.

“Wow! This spread is great!” Naruto exclaimed as he ogled at the food.

“No thanks to you, Naruto.” Sakura unhelpfully reminded, as Naruto deflated and the others simultaneously chuckled at the blonde’s misery.

“Well, dig in everyone!” Sakura announced, “Happy first day of the cultural festival!”

Sasuke…didn’t eat very much, so the spread was overwhelming. Tenten, that was her name, brought bao, which was a steamed meat bun. They looked good, but Sasuke couldn’t eat them, so he opted to start with what Neji brought because Guy and Lee both brought food with meat in it, and Sakura brought dessert. He didn’t like sugar either. 

“So, what is this?” He quietly asked the boy beside him. 

“It’s pho.”

“Is there meat in it?”

Neji turned to him curiously, “No, not this one. It’s made with vegetables, like bok choy and mushrooms.” He turned to face him fully, “Do you not eat meat?”

Sasuke went to answer, but Naruto decided he wanted to answer for him. “Of course he does! I’ve seen him eat tons!”

“Really?” The raven doubted the blonde’s words, “When?”

“Well, there was…no, wait. How about that…no, you had rice or something…” Naruto struggled to think of something while Sasuke pointed out the smoke coming from the blonde’s ears. 

“His cogs are working too hard.” Sasuke had meant to whisper it to Sakura, but he heard Neji’s chuckle from beside him instead.

“Oh my god!” Naruto screamed, “You don’t eat meat?!”

He rolled his eyes, now under the attention of everyone at the table. “Not really. I can, but the Uchiha don’t eat any meat, or animal by-products, other than fish. I wasn’t raised on it, so I’m not used to it.”

“Is that why you don’t like ramen? It’s made with chicken and beef stock.” Naruto asked.

Sasuke was surprised by the question. He hadn’t thought about it before, but that would make a lot of sense. “Yeah, I guess so.” Just then, Neji started choking and banging his fists on the table. Sasuke gave the boy an odd look as the red flush rushed to Neji’s face.

“Holy crap! Neji, drink some water!” Neji’s female teammate hurriedly gave him a bottle of water, which he urgently gulped down, like his throat was a wilted flower in desperate need of hydration. “Are you alright?” 

A few coughs sputtered out of the usually put-together boy; he drank more water. “God,” he heaved, “Sasuke, what is that?!”

Sasuke felt his heart drop, “Why? Is it bad?”

Neji looked at him and then back at the dish and shook his head. “No, no, it’s just…it’s just…”

“Neji cannot handle spicy things!” Lee proudly announced from in between Naruto and Guy.

Sasuke smirked, “What? Can’t handle the heat, Hyuuga?”

Neji glared, “You eat it then, Uchiha.”

He scoffed, “I made it. I know what it tastes like.” Sasuke didn’t. He had tried that little bit to figure out the missing ingredient, but he hadn’t dared to try it all together. Sasuke was too afraid that it wasn’t going to taste like the one he remembered.

“I think it is delicious!” The flamboyant sensei declared while the mini version of him agreed enthusiastically.

“Thanks, I guess.”

“What recipe did you use?” Tenten asked as she stole Neji’s plate to finish his portion since he was incapacitated, much to Sasuke’s amusement.

“I didn’t use a recipe.”

“No way!” Sakura exclaimed, “You came up with this on the fly? That’s impressive, Sasuke-kun!”

Sasuke blinked, “Uh, no. I did it from memory. My mother made this for me once.” The table hushed and Sasuke analyzed each of their faces, varying from pity to intrigue. He tried to backtrack. “What I meant was, it’s probably not the same because I don’t know the actual recipe. It’s supposed to be made for special occasions, so I only had it that one time. I haven’t eaten it since.” The faces didn’t reprieve. God damn it.

“What kind of occasions would they make this for?” Sasuke turned to his right, surprised. Neji had an air of genuine interest around him and his face was void of any condolence or fear of upset. His face was still rosey from the heat, but that was it.

“Well,” Sasuke began, “usually you would eat this for breakfast-”

“THIS is breakfast?!” His dobe of a teammate gasped dramatically. “Don’t people usually eat eggs and bacon, or something?”

Sasuke felt a vein pulse with annoyance, “I just said that I don’t eat foods from animals, idiot!”

“Ignore him,” Neji stated, drawing Sasuke’s focus back to him. “What did your mom make this for?”

“It was my first day at the academy. It was just her and I that morning, so she thought it would cheer me up. It did, but this is a delicacy, so typically we ate it for special events.”

“Like what?” 

Sasuke was shocked that Neji was continuing the conversation. He was even more surprised that he was dragging on. “Ceremonies, or family gatherings.” Neji nodded and took a bite of one of Tenten’s steamed buns. Guess that was that.

“You know,” Sakura started beside him as she ate her dessert, “I would love to know about some of your traditions, Sasuke-kun. After all, that’s what the cultural festival is about. Getting to know each other's cultures.” Yeah, Sasuke wasn’t sure if he felt like doing that. He just hummed as continued to pick at his food.

“Maybe somebody else could start.” Kakashi, surprisingly, suggested. “Let’s see…” Their sensei put a finger to his chin in thought, “Well, I never had connections with extended family, but my father used to tell me that every summoning was an ancestor to connect with and that was why you could make contracts with them. I'm pretty sure he made that up because it was just the two of us, but it was nice to think that each of my summons is family.”

“That is a lovely thought, Kakashi!” Guy exclaimed, “My father used to gift me nunchucks for every one hundred laps around the village!”

“That’s so on brand for you.”

Sakura smiled, “My mom and dad would always take me wherever I wanted for my birthday! It didn’t matter how expensive, or how far, but they always went out of their way! One time, I asked for a rose covered in frosting as a joke, but they got me one anyway!” She laughed nervously, “That’s not really a family tradition, but…”

“No, it is.” Kakashi justified. “It’s something you and your family do together, so it counts. Don’t sell your experiences short, Sakura.” Sakura smiled at her plate and took a drink from her cup.

Naruto raised his hand, “I go out with Iruka-sensei to eat ramen! Does that count?”

Kakashi smiled, “Of course.” Naruto smiled back and giggled at the thought of having his own tradition. Everyone continued to talk about their family traditions, from holidays to fighting styles typical for their clans. Sasuke stopped listening too intently when Sakura started talking about birthdays because, well, he’d had 8 years without one. At least everyone seemed content and happy with each other's company. Some of him still wished it was just him and Team 7, but who was he to squash their fun?

“Hey,” a low, modulated voice that Sasuke was starting to familiarize himself with spoke softly. Neji smiled, “If you’re alright with it, I would be pleased to hear more about the famed Uchiha clan.”

Sasuke raised a curious brow, “Aren’t the Hyuuga and Uchiha notoriously rival clans?” Neji nodded, but said nothing else…alright then. He cleared his throat, “Fine. What do you want to know?”

The regal Hyuuga shrugged and crossed his arms, “The two of us come from large clans that are ancient compared to the smaller clans. I’m curious to know if there are any striking similarities and differences.”

That…made some sense. Sasuke supposed.

“Sakura mentioned birthdays. Do the Uchiha do anything special for that?”

The raven felt a tinge of melancholy mixed with a dead nostalgia that made him sneer, “Yeah…we did.”

The brunette blinked innocently, yet his milky eyes seemed to hold so much knowledge that Sasuke felt as if he could see right through him. He chuckled to himself; pun not intended.

“Would you explain it to me?”

“Why do you care?” Sasuke suddenly attacked, much louder than he intended. He knew he was attracting attention, but he couldn't care less at the moment. Why was the Hyuuga pestering him so much?

“It’s just a question. You don’t have to answer if you don’t feel like you can.” Sasuke could feel his competitive fire burning brighter in him. That felt like a challenge.

“I absolutely can.” He lied. Sasuke was doing a lot of that today. He huffed, “We had plenty of traditions and holidays you’ve probably never heard of.”

“Why’s that?”

“Because they’re ours. They were the Uchiha’s and the Uchiha’s alone.” Sasuke crossed his arms, not unlike a petulant child, and grabbed his water to drink frustratedly.

Neji hummed in understanding. There was another wave of awkward silence between the two of them, but then he decided to speak again. “The Hyuuga have a tradition that we call flowering. It’s a right of passage into adulthood that every Hyuuga, main branch or side branch, perform three times in their life.”

Sasuke took the bait, too curious, “3 times?”

He nodded, “You perform the first ritual at 14, where you are given a lotus seed and dipped in the special pond located on the Hyuuga grounds.” He turned and smiled, “The pond is only used for these ceremonies. Once you’re submerged, you plant the seed.” Neji put up two fingers, “the second submersion is at 18. This is when you’re considered a full adult and by that age, the lotus should have bloomed. The last one is only performed when you’re wed. All of these are done during a full moon.” He shrugged, “It’s supposed to be symbolic of the Hyuuga eyes. We have a plethora of lore about our connection to the moon.”

Sasuke was surprised, “Really? The Uchiha do too.”

Neji seemed genuinely surprised. “You don’t say?” 

“Yeah. Except ours was always a bad omen. My mother used to tell me this campfire story, of sorts, that used to freak me out.”

“Really?” He smirked, “And what was that?”

He clicked his tongue, “It’s stupid, really.”

“Well, I want to know what had the great Sasuke Uchiha quivering in his sandals.”

At this point, Sasuke and Neji were sucked into their own little world. Neither one remembered that six other people were listening in on their conversation, shocked that both of their stoic members were hitting it off.

“I wouldn’t quiver,” he defended, “that’s ridiculous! Besides, they told the story to all of the clan children. It was meant to warn us of strangers and keep us off the streets by curfew.”

Neji snorted, “You had a bedtime?” Sasuke rolled his eyes but didn’t give him the satisfaction of responding. The brunette nudged him gently, “So, the story?”

He sighed, “I’m not going to tell it as well, but you were told not to stare at the full moon for too long or else it’d turn red and a sharingan eye would be staring back at you. Ready to put you under its genjutsu and weed you away from your home.”

Neji stared, and Sasuke stared back awaiting his response.

“What the fuck? That is scary.” Sasuke chuckled at how calmly he cursed.

“I told you! The moon was bad news! The Uchiha culture was centered around fire, so the sun was what we worshiped.”

“Our clans are like two sides of the same coin.”

Sasuke smirked, “Yeah, I guess they are.”

The conversation died off for a minute as the two came back to join their teammates in their cultural feast. Everyone was staring at them.

“What?” Sasuke asked, somewhat annoyed.

“Nothing,” Kakashi answered casually. “So, Neji,” the brunette looked up, “this flowering ritual. You must’ve performed the first one, yes?”

Neji nodded, “Of course, sir.” He answered politely. “It would be dishonorable not to.”

Kakashi hummed, “Well, congratulations. That’s a very special occasion!”

“Come to think of it,” Naruto spoke unexpectedly, “Sasuke’s birthday is soon, right?”

The raven shook his head, “No, it’s not, idiot.”

“I could’ve sworn it was in July…”

“Naruto, it’s August.”

Team 7 gaped with bulging, aghast eyes. Naruto slammed his noodles on the table, a sickening clack ringing in their ears. “WE MISSED YOUR BIRTHDAY?! WHY DIDN’T YOU SAY ANYTHING, TEME?!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes as if the answer were obvious. “We were in the middle of the Chunin Exams, and I don’t know if you recall, but we were also attacked by the Sound and Sand.” A wash of realization hit their faces like ice-cold water. “Besides,” he continued, “I don’t care about my birthday.” Which was only partly true. Sasuke does care about his birthday, but he hasn’t celebrated it in 8 years, so he doesn’t like remembering it.

“Wait,” Neji chimed in again. Sasuke should really stop being surprised when he speaks to him. “How old are you now?”

It took Sasuke too long to answer, but for some reason, he felt it was a sensitive topic to tread. “I’m thirteen now.”

Neji looked appalled and slammed his hand on the table to look at him. The table shook and Sasuke was taken aback, “Sasuke, that’s the Uchiha’s age of legality! You’re an adult!”

The raven shifted uncomfortably, “Yeah, I guess so…but it doesn’t matter.”

The brunette seemed offended, “Of course, it matters. We just discussed the similarities between our clans. I know for a certainty that the Uchiha hold a special ceremony for this occasion.”

Sasuke glared, “And how would you know?”

“You can see them, Sasuke. The Uchiha ceremonies could be seen by the whole village! My father explained it to me. The fire burns brighter with every passing age and thirteen should have been your coming-of-age ceremony! That’s a huge thing. Do not belittle it.”

Sasuke swallowed, a sudden lump in his throat. “Whatever,” he seethed, “like I said, it doesn’t matter. It’s not like anybody knows how to do it anyway. I’ve only ever attended one of those…stupid things.” He felt all eyes on him and his blood ran cold through his veins, as his face began to heat up with an unfamiliar shame. He couldn’t do this anymore. 

Sasuke stood abruptly from the table, cringing at how the plates clattered at his obvious frustration that he couldn’t cover up, “Excuse me. I’ll be taking my leave now.” He turned to leave, but quickly turned around to bow, “Thank you for the meal.” Then, he left.

The table was quiet with the sudden exit of Team 7’s crucial member. 

“Did we do something wrong?” Lee asked innocently.

Tenten kicked Neji from under the table, who hissed.

“Ow, what the hell, Tenten!”

“What is wrong with you?” She scolded. He blinked, clearly confused. “You were going on and on about your clan’s traditions and ceremonies, but did you even think about how Sasuke would feel?”

“He and I are similar. He wouldn’t want us to tiptoe around the subject as if we were sneaking through glass.”

“That may be true, but you just chastised him for not going through his coming-of-age ceremony!”

“Those are important! It’s distasteful to his family-”

“Neji! Think, would you? Sasuke doesn’t HAVE anybody! He couldn’t perform it even if he wanted to! I don’t know a lot about their culture, but I know that they’re family events. You could do your ceremony on your own because it’s private. His,” she pointed to where Sasuke stormed off, “would have included his immediate family, distant family, Hell! Maybe even the clan elders, because it’s a passing of the torch. He’s not supposed to do it himself.”

Neji looked to have been struck in the chest with a knife. Tenten huffed disapprovingly, “You can be a real ass, Neji.”

“Wait, wait, wait,” Sakura interrupted, “are you saying that Sasuke missed the most important birthday in his clan’s lineage?” Neji was unwilling to speak after that berating, but he nodded. Sakura gasped and turned to Kakashi and Naruto, “Guys, we didn’t do anything for Sasuke’s birthday! We didn’t even ask!”

“It’s Sasuke we’re talking about. He wouldn’t want a big party like that!” Naruto justified.

“Did he tell you that himself?” Sakura countered, knowing the answer. Naruto stuttered over his words, but looked down; ashamed.

“Sakura’s right.” Kakashi sighed, disappointed in himself as the boy’s sensei, “We should’ve made a better effort to support him. Even if the village was in shambles.”

“It is not too late!” Guy exclaimed positively, “It has not even been a month. You can make up for it!”

“How the hell are we supposed to do that, Guy?” Kakashi asked.

Guy smiled blindingly, “Research, of course!”

“Research?” Naruto blinked in realization, “You mean, like, look up how to do the ceremony, right? The Uchiha one?”

“That is correct, young Naruto!”

Sakura beamed, “What a great idea! There’s so much history though. How do we narrow it down?”

“Ash Day.” They all turned to the previously hushed Hyuuga.

“What’s that?”

“The ceremony. They call their right of passage Ash Day. It’s the single most important day of an Uchiha child’s life because it’s setting their childhood aflame and igniting the flame of adulthood. They're burning their past to ash.”

“Wow…that’s so beautiful,” Sakura paused and put an inquisitive finger to her chin, “how do you know this again?”

A small blush flooded the brunette’s pale face, “As I said, our clans are rivals, and you could always see an Ash Day ritual from the Hyuuga compound.”

“Why?”

“There was always smoke in the sky.” A silence fell over the group in contemplative thought…

…before Naruto ruined it. “Do we have to set Sasuke on fire?”

Sakura hit him on the head, “You’re an idiot!” She turned to Neji, “Do you think you could tell us everything you know about the ritual? You’re probably going to be our best shot.”

He blinked, but straightened his back, prepared for the mission given to him. “I’ll do my best, but we should look at books too.”

Sakura smirked, “Of course! Book smarts is my specialty!”

“So, when should we do this Ash Day?” Tenten asked.

“The end of the week.” Kakashi chimed in, “Friday is the final day of the cultural festival and everyone will be celebrating to the fullest. It would also give us time to plan.” He turned his one eye toward the Hyuuga, “How many people should we invite, Neji?” 

He pinched his brow in thought, “As many people as possible, I suppose. The Uchiha value family and traditions, so the more members of the clan that show up for your Ash Day, the more people recognize and accept your transition into adulthood.”

“Then it’s settled.” Sakura clapped her hands together, “We’ll invite all of our friends and thoroughly research this Uchiha tradition to put Sasuke’s Ash Day together ourselves!”

“And it should be a surprise!” Naruto chimed in excitedly.

“That sounds like a great idea, Naruto.” Kakashi smiled, “Alright, teams. I know that we’re not on duty during cultural week, but this is a matter of emergency.” He paused for dramatic effect, “Operation Ash Day is in full effect. There is no room for failure.” Everyone put on their determined faces as a glint lit off in Kakashi’s visible eye. “Mission start!”