Chapter 4
Sasuke was in the kitchen, absentmindedly putting together breakfast in the quiet that blanketed the Uchiha compound. The silence was as thick as ever—a silence he’d long since grown accustomed to, yet never fully accepted. The weight of it, the emptiness that stretched through the halls and rooms, seemed to sink into his bones every day, like a reminder of everything that had been taken away.
Just as he was setting the pan down, he heard the faintest shuffle of movement behind him. Startled, he whipped around, his muscles tensing. But then he froze, realizing who it was. His older brother, Itachi, stood at the edge of the room, shadowed by the morning light spilling through the window. Itachi’s presence was so rare that, for a moment, Sasuke’s mind couldn’t quite reconcile it. Was Itachi really there?
They hadn’t spoken—really spoken—in so long. Whenever Itachi was around, which was rare enough, he was always on his way in or out, leaving Sasuke with the same short, detached words. And yet, here he was, almost a ghost in his own home. Sasuke wanted to feel relief or excitement at seeing his brother. But instead, all he felt was anger. Anger at the way things were. Anger that his brother was barely there at all.
He swallowed, pushing down the bitterness that threatened to choke him. "Do you… want some breakfast?" His words came out stiffly, almost robotic, and he instantly regretted how forced he sounded. But what else was he supposed to say? How else could he bridge this gulf between them?
Itachi didn’t respond at first. His face was unreadable, his eyes distant, like he was looking at something far beyond Sasuke. For a second, Sasuke thought he might not answer at all.
"Itachi?" Sasuke tried again, his voice a little sharper. Itachi blinked, as if snapping out of a trance, and looked down at him with that usual calm expression that seemed to keep everyone at a distance.
"No," Itachi said quietly, his voice devoid of warmth. "I’m leaving on another mission. I don’t have time."
Sasuke’s fists clenched at his sides, and he could feel his frustration rising. Another mission. It was always the same. Itachi, coming and going without warning, like he had somewhere more important to be than here, with him. Wasn’t his own family important enough? Wasn’t Sasuke important enough?
"A mission," Sasuke said slowly, his tone laced with resentment. "So… you’re going to be gone for a long time again, right? Out of the village." The accusation was clear, though he barely kept his voice even.
Itachi’s gaze flickered, an almost imperceptible shift, but it was enough to make Sasuke feel the sting of rejection all over again. For a second, Itachi looked away, and Sasuke wondered if he felt even a fraction of the pain he was causing.
"Yes," Itachi finally replied, his voice softer, regretful even. "It may take a while."
The emptiness, the frustration, the anger—it all broke loose. "Right. Well, don’t bother," Sasuke snapped, his voice breaking. "Don’t bother coming back if it’s so easy for you to keep leaving." He turned on his heel, storming away before Itachi could respond, not daring to look back. His breakfast lay abandoned on the counter, forgotten in his surge of hurt and rage.
Itachi stood there, alone, watching his brother disappear down the hall. His usually composed face betrayed a flicker of grief, something deeper than his calm mask allowed. The weight of his own guilt pressed down on him, suffocating. He wanted to say something, anything, to take away Sasuke’s pain. But there were no words that could undo what had happened. The massacre, the lie he carried, the burden he bore silently. Protecting Sasuke had come at a cost he would never let his brother know.
But as Sasuke’s footsteps faded, Itachi found himself wondering if keeping him at arm’s length was truly worth the toll it was taking on them both.
--
Kakashi leaned against the compound wall, cloaked in shadows, his ANBU mask already in place. The air was still in the early morning as he waited, his keen eyes tracking every movement around the Uchiha compound. He noticed a quick flash of movement as the younger Uchiha, Sasuke, stormed past, head down, completely absorbed in whatever frustration or anger had him distracted. Kakashi's eyes narrowed slightly behind the mask. Sasuke hadn’t noticed him, and while it wasn’t unusual for a civilian-level shinobi, he couldn’t help but think that Itachi would have been aware of every presence around him at that age.
The thought was a quiet reminder of the immense talent of the older Uchiha sibling. Itachi’s skill was unparalleled, a level of focus and natural ability that had set him apart from even the most talented of shinobi. But that level of excellence cast a long shadow—a shadow that now loomed over Sasuke, left to grow up in a world where his once-loving older brother was a distant ghost, more of a memory than a real presence.
A moment later, Kakashi spotted the familiar form of Itachi as he approached, slipping through the compound gates with his usual silent precision. But something was off. Itachi’s face, usually so impassive and controlled, held a faint trace of… something. Regret, perhaps? Or was it sadness? It was rare to see even a hint of emotion on Itachi’s face, but Sasuke had the power to break through that mask like no one else.
Itachi stopped beside Kakashi, giving a small nod of acknowledgment. The ANBU mask obscured most of Kakashi’s expression, but his eyes softened just a bit. He didn’t say anything for a moment, merely observing his partner.
“You look… troubled,” Kakashi said finally, his voice soft. “Everything alright with your brother?”
Itachi hesitated, his eyes distant. “It’s nothing,” he replied quietly, his voice carefully neutral. But Kakashi knew better. He’d seen that same look too many times before—usually in his own reflection. The weight of guilt, the relentless toll of loss, a sense of duty so heavy it nearly crushed you. Kakashi understood it all too well.
For a moment, Kakashi considered pushing the subject, but he knew Itachi well enough to recognize when his partner didn’t want to talk. Still, he couldn’t help a soft sigh. “Grief… it has a way of gnawing at you, whether you realize it or not,” he said, half to himself. “I know how it feels, losing everyone… being alone with that weight. But you’re not alone, Itachi.”
Itachi glanced at him, his expression unreadable, but Kakashi saw the flicker of understanding in his eyes. “You’re right,” he said softly, though there was a bitterness to it. “But I made a choice a long time ago, Kakashi. For his sake. Whatever burden I bear… it’s nothing compared to what could have been.”
Kakashi wanted to say something more, but he held back, respecting the walls Itachi kept around himself. Instead, he gave a nod and adjusted his stance, signaling that they should get going.
As they leapt into the trees, heading out of the village on their mission, Kakashi’s mind lingered on the Uchiha brothers. He hoped, in some way, that Itachi wouldn’t let the pain of his past consume him. He’d already seen too many lives swallowed by the burdens they carried, and he’d nearly lost himself in that darkness once too.
--
Yona settled into her seat, half-listening to Iruka’s lecture on basic chakra control. Today’s seating arrangement had changed drastically—Naruto had claimed the seat right beside her, much to Ino's displeasure, who now sat a bit further down next to Choji. Shikamaru, however, remained stubbornly next to her, which was rare for him, considering he usually did the minimum effort in any situation. She almost smirked at that, wondering if he’d deemed her worthy of the “trouble” it took to secure a spot by her.
“Look at me! I’ve got the best seat in class now!” Naruto beamed, slapping his notebook down on the desk. “Right next to my new best buddy!”
“Your only best buddy?” Yona teased, giving him a sideways glance.
“Hey, I’ve got a long list of friends!” Naruto insisted, then grinned. “But you’re my newest friend! That makes you the best, obviously!”
Ino rolled her eyes, half-amused, half-annoyed. “Yona, he’s already distracting you, isn’t he? I can barely hear Iruka-sensei over his chatter.”
Shikamaru leaned back in his seat, clearly unfazed by the complaints. “Troublesome, but honestly…” He gave a small smirk, casting a glance at Naruto. “The guy does keep things interesting.”
Naruto puffed up with pride. “See, Shikamaru gets it! Maybe if Sasuke and his fangirls up there would loosen up, they’d get it too!” He laughed loudly, almost leaning into Yona, who was covering her mouth to hide her smile.
Sasuke, who was seated near the front, shifted slightly, his back tense. He’d caught glimpses of the lively atmosphere at the back of the room, and although he tried to ignore it, his gaze kept wandering in Yona’s direction. She was laughing along with Naruto, Shikamaru looked laid-back as usual, and even Ino was getting drawn into the conversation. He wasn’t sure why it bothered him so much, but it did.
“What’s so funny back there?” Sakura muttered to Sasuke, glancing over her shoulder at the group. “Class is way quieter without Naruto bothering us all the time. I guess he finally got the hint and left me alone.”
There was a hint of something wistful in Sakura’s voice, though she quickly covered it with a shrug. Sasuke didn’t respond. He kept looking back, catching Yona mid-laugh, and felt a pang of irritation—at her, at Naruto, and maybe even at himself for noticing so much. It had only been a few days since their argument, but he couldn’t help feeling the weight of her cold shoulder. And yet, he couldn’t bring himself to apologize first.
Oblivious to the silent drama, Naruto leaned in closer to Yona, practically beaming. “Hey, after class, want to practice throwing shuriken with me? I bet I can totally beat you!”
Yona raised an eyebrow, crossing her arms with a playful challenge. “Oh, you think you’re better than me now, Naruto? That’s rich coming from someone who barely hits the target half the time.”
“Hey! I hit it… at least… sometimes.” He scratched the back of his head, laughing, unbothered by the jab. “C’mon, I’ll get better. Maybe I’ll even beat you and Sasuke one day!”
“Sasuke?” Shikamaru smirked, glancing knowingly between Naruto and Yona. “Good luck with that.”
Yona shrugged, smirking. “Hey, if Naruto’s confident, who am I to crush his dreams?”
Sasuke clenched his jaw slightly at the mention of his name. He could feel Yona’s nonchalance radiating all the way to his seat at the front, as though she was deliberately ignoring him. And if he were honest with himself, it stung a little.
Class eventually ended, and as everyone started filing out, Sasuke finally stood up, almost unconsciously trailing after Yona and her group. He lingered nearby, uncertain of what to say but unwilling to let the day end without at least trying to approach her.
Sensing his presence, Yona gave him a glance, her face neutral. She didn’t say a word, and her silence seemed louder than anything. Sasuke swallowed his pride and tried, albeit reluctantly.
“Yona,” he started, his voice quiet but firm.
She raised an eyebrow, her expression cool. “Yes, Sasuke?”
Naruto, oblivious to the tension, beamed. “Oh hey, Sasuke! Come to join us?”
Sasuke shot him a brief glare. “Not… exactly.” His gaze returned to Yona, hesitant but sincere. “I… I wanted to talk.”
Yona’s expression softened slightly, but she only nodded. “Fine. Let’s talk.” She turned to Shikamaru and Naruto. “I’ll catch up with you guys later.”
As they walked a little away from the rest, Sasuke finally took a breath, gathering his thoughts. “About the other day… I shouldn’t have snapped at you. It was—”
“Uncalled for?” Yona finished, her tone gentler than it had been in class.
He nodded, feeling a bit more at ease now. “Yeah. I don’t… I don’t usually get like that.”
Yona’s expression softened further, and she let out a sigh. “You know, I get it. Sometimes things just… build up. But if we’re going to keep training together, we need to be able to talk. Otherwise, it’s just going to get frustrating for both of us.”
Sasuke nodded, relief flooding through him. “I understand.”
Yona gave him a small smile. “Good. So, friends again?”
“Yeah,” he muttered, a hint of a smirk tugging at his lips. “Friends.”
As they headed toward their usual training ground, Sasuke felt a weight lift from his shoulders. Somehow, making peace with Yona had lightened him more than he’d expected, and he couldn’t help the small, rare smile that lingered on his face.
But his relief was short-lived.
Before they could even start, Naruto came bounding up, grinning from ear to ear. "Yona! There you are!" he called out, waving wildly. He shot a sidelong glance at Sasuke, an expression of competitive challenge crossing his face. "Hey, we’re gonna practice shuriken-throwing today, right? Bet I can beat you."
Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Are you actually going to join us, Naruto?"
Naruto smirked, crossing his arms. "Yeah, what, are you scared, Sasuke? Afraid I’ll beat you?"
Sasuke let out an exasperated sigh, a little more loudly than he’d intended. He looked at Yona, raising an eyebrow as if to ask if she really wanted to go along with this.
Yona simply shrugged, an easy smile on her lips. “I mean, he’s got the enthusiasm,” she replied. “How could I say no?”
Sasuke resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but he gave a curt nod. He wasn’t going to push the issue now—not when he and Yona had only just put their argument behind them. If she wanted to include Naruto, he’d deal with it. For now.
“All right, let’s get started,” Sasuke said, turning his back on Naruto and heading toward the practice targets.
Naruto let out a victorious laugh, shooting Yona a grin. “See that? I knew he wouldn’t back down!”
Yona chuckled. “Let’s see what you’ve got then, Naruto. Show us your best throw.”
Naruto grinned, taking out a handful of shuriken with exaggerated confidence. He positioned himself dramatically, focusing as if he were about to unleash the ultimate technique. He wound up his throw, shouted, “Take this!” and hurled the shuriken—most of which missed the target by a wide margin.
Sasuke couldn’t help but snort. “Impressive. Really.”
Naruto flushed. “Hey! That was a warm-up shot!”
Sasuke smirked. “Sure it was.”
Yona stepped forward, laughing. “Come on, Naruto, let’s work on that aim. Try again, but this time, don’t tense up so much.” She adjusted his stance, giving him some tips with a smile. Naruto listened intently, nodding.
Sasuke tried to ignore the way Yona and Naruto were interacting, but it bothered him more than he cared to admit. Why was she paying him so much attention? He was tempted to roll his eyes, but instead, he simply took his own stance, aiming his shuriken effortlessly at the target.
With a flick of his wrist, all of his shuriken struck near the bullseye, one after the other.
Naruto glared. “Show off.”
Sasuke shrugged. “It’s called practice, Naruto. You should try it sometime.”
Naruto gritted his teeth and tried again, throwing with all his might. A few hit the target this time, albeit at the very edge. He looked over at Yona expectantly.
“Not bad! A little more practice, and you’ll get the hang of it,” Yona encouraged, giving him a thumbs up.
Sasuke clenched his fists, irritation building. She was praising him for that? He took a deep breath, trying to focus on his own training and keep his annoyance in check.
“Come on, Yona! Let’s have a match!” Naruto said excitedly, spinning around to face her.
She looked at Sasuke with a playful smirk. “You think you can take me down, Naruto?”
“Definitely!” Naruto replied with a determined nod. He shot Sasuke a smug look. “Besides, I’ll do way better than Mr. Broody over there.”
Sasuke’s patience was finally wearing thin. “Do you actually plan on hitting the target, or are you just going to talk big?”
Naruto glared at him. “Watch me!”
As Naruto prepared to throw again, Sasuke leaned against a tree, crossing his arms. He glanced over at Yona, who was laughing as Naruto almost lost his balance mid-throw. Sasuke clenched his jaw, reminding himself to stay calm. After all, they’d agreed to put their fight behind them.
But as he watched Yona and Naruto train together, Sasuke couldn’t shake the nagging feeling that he was somehow being left out. He wasn’t used to sharing Yona’s attention, and though he’d never admit it, he hated it.
Yona was surprisingly good at teaching. She had a natural way of breaking things down for Naruto, offering pointers on his aim and techniques. “Try to follow through with your throw, Naruto,” she instructed, demonstrating the motion with fluid grace. “It’s all about keeping your wrist loose.”
Despite their obvious skill gap, Yona patiently guided him, and soon he was hitting the target with a bit more accuracy. Sasuke watched with a mix of admiration and irritation; while he couldn’t deny Yona’s talent as a teacher, having Naruto around made everything more chaotic. He preferred the quiet focus he shared with Yona during their training sessions—just the two of them.
Once they felt satisfied with Naruto’s aim, they moved on to their usual sparring session. Yona and Sasuke stood facing each other, and Sasuke felt a rush of anticipation. This was where he truly excelled.
As they began, it quickly became apparent that while Yona held her own in terms of strategy and quick thinking, she was no match for Sasuke’s taijutsu skills. He dodged her strikes effortlessly, countering with precise moves that left her scrambling to keep up.
Sasuke felt a smug sense of satisfaction as he landed a few solid hits, effectively demonstrating his dominance in their spar. But just as he was reveling in his victory, he heard Naruto’s irritating voice cheering from the sidelines. “Come on, Yona! You got this! Show him what you can do!”
Sasuke scowled, irritation flaring. Why can’t he just be quiet for once? The energy Naruto brought was exhausting, and it disrupted the rhythm he had with Yona. He preferred the times when they trained alone, where they could push each other without distractions.
Yona, despite the commotion, managed to launch a surprise kick that caught Sasuke off guard, sending him stumbling back for a moment. Sasuke quickly regained his balance, and before he could say anything, Yona had fallen to the ground in a tumble.
“Nice try!” Naruto called out, laughing.
Yona let out a chuckle, brushing herself off. “Thanks, Naruto! It’s all part of the learning process, right?”
Sasuke couldn’t help but smirk at her good-natured attitude, but it only added to his annoyance. “You need to work on your balance and footwork, Yona,” he pointed out, his tone half-serious, half-teasing. “You’re leaving yourself wide open.”
Yona nodded, her expression earnest. “I know! I get too excited and then I forget to stay grounded.”
Sasuke took a step closer, demonstrating the proper stance and footwork. “Like this. Keep your weight centered, and watch your opponent’s movements. If you do that, you’ll have a better chance of defending yourself.”
She focused intently on his instructions, mimicking his movements. “Like this?” Yona asked, adjusting her stance.
“Exactly. And remember to keep your guard up. You can’t just focus on offense; you need to be ready for anything,” he added, feeling a strange mix of pride and annoyance as she absorbed the advice.
They resumed their spar, and Sasuke noticed Yona was improving. With each exchange, she seemed to grow more confident, dodging and countering his moves with a renewed sense of determination.
“See? You’re getting the hang of it!” he said, a hint of approval in his voice, but he couldn’t shake the bitter taste in his mouth knowing Naruto was still cheering her on.
“Thanks, Sasuke!” Yona laughed, her enthusiasm infectious. “I’ll get you next time, just you wait!”
Naruto piped in, still cheering them on. “Yeah! You got this, Yona!”
Sasuke shot him a glare, irritation bubbling beneath the surface. He much preferred when it was just the two of them, training in the quiet intensity that had become their routine. “Shut up, Naruto,” he snapped, trying to focus. The last thing he needed was Naruto’s relentless energy messing up his groove with Yona.
But as they continued, Sasuke couldn’t help but feel a twinge of frustration that their training dynamics were shifting. He glanced over at Naruto, who was animatedly shouting strategies for Yona to use against him. It was hard to ignore how easily the blond seemed to fit into their group, but the change left Sasuke feeling unsettled.
This isn’t how it was supposed to be, he thought, scowling as Yona smiled at Naruto’s encouragement. Deep down, he felt a sense of possessiveness over his training time with Yona. He wanted it to be special, just like it had always been.
In the end, as they wrapped up their training session, Sasuke found himself feeling conflicted. While he couldn’t deny that Naruto’s presence brought a certain liveliness, it also made him miss the simpler, quieter moments he’d shared with Yona—just the two of them, pushing eachother to be better without distractions.