RIG=VEDA 6: Hello (It's Me)

This chapter is wonderfully inspired by BTS's new song: NOT TODAY. I'm a proud ARMY, Rap Monster is my bias and I have only recently realized that Suga and Jungkook are hot and that I love Jin's laugh and J-Hope's dance moves and V's dorkiness and Jimin's smile very very much bc before I noticed them I paid too much attention on Rap Monster to bother with anyone else. Dammit.

That is all about BTS thank you.

Before some people find it necessary to bash me because of my choices of pairings please note that: I STICK BY CANON PAIRINGS IN THIS STORY. That means there will be NaruHina goodness and SasuSaku literally dripping in this story, and probably NaruHinaSakuSasu, the terrifying foursome. (And yes, Sakura's hairstyle is like in The Last).

Kakashi is free game. Idk, maybe I'll sic him with Iruka or Yamato or that random filler character he kissed once in the anime.

Of course, romance will not happen until, like, a decade, but it's just something I feel like saying before some of you start suggesting SasuIno or something. SasuNaru may happen if the foursome happens, lmao. Besides, pairing isn't exactly the focus of this story.

(and SasuSaku will actually be a healthy supportive relationship than that thing Kishimoto made up in canon. Nice, right? I have always been a fan of pre-time skip SasuSaku anyways. Shippuden SasuSaku is just… no.)

FOR THOSE WHO ARE WAITING FOR AN UPDATE IN EI:

I AM HAVING A MAJOR WRITER'S BLOCK IN THAT STORY AND I WILL CONTINUE AFTER MIDTERMS. SO PROBABLY MOSTLIKELY IN MAY.

I am sorry and thank you for your support!

Warnings: fluff, Sasuke Tries to Be A Good Person (Again). Did I promise Shisui dying? I'm sorry but it probably will happen next chapter, because Lucky Number Seven.

Enjoy reading!

It takes his new fangirl—oh how the word leaves a sour taste in his mouth—three days before she manages to gather the courage needed to talk to him again.

It gives him a few terrifying flashbacks. Umi's knowledge of the bubblegum girl and her tendency to scream and squeal are making him sweat and tremble and there's dread at the pit of his stomach and it's so terrifying get away from me getawaygetawaygetaway—!

But then she doesn't squeal nor scream or even does any of those random streaks of violence she seems to harbor for anyone but him, as if the Sasuke he is but also not at the same time deserves some sort of a special treatment he never asks for.

Haruno Sakura looks at him, her hair parted in the way he did it for her back then, her hands tangling with each other as she fidgets.

"S-Sasuke-ku—"

"I didn't give you permission to call me by my first name," Sasuke manages to blurt out, only because he doesn't want to listen to whatever fangirly things she probably has to say. What if it's a declaration of love? Sasuke will bolt and hide in a trash can if he has to.

Sakura blanches at his sudden interruption though, her face seemingly unable to choose whether it wants to be as white as sheet or as red as tomato. The girl hastily looks down then, hands twisting on her yellow sundress.

"S-Sorry, Uchiha-san—"

"Call me Sasuke," Sasuke interrupts again, lips twitching upward at the thought of pissing her off and probably down a fangirl by one. Not that he has any yet, or at least he'd like to think so, thanks, "there are still way too many Uchihas in this village. They'll get confused."

The bubblegum girl stares at him blankly, and as soon as she processes his words, she cannot help but to scowl at the Uchiha. Though considering her age, her physical looks and slightly chubby cheeks, it looks more like a pouting plum than anything.

Sasuke doesn't react much to her, simply raising his eyebrow in a silent challenge. Fortunately or unfortunately for him, Sakura remembers her shyness and looks down to the floor again, face flushing.

Okay, Sasuke sighs to himself, this is not going anywhere.

"What do you want?" He asks, and waits as the girl gathers her courage. It's taking too much time in Sasuke's opinion, but he's hardly about to call her out on it lest she loses all of her remaining courage altogether.

"I-I just… Wanna say thank you," she mumbles out, "Mama says I have to thank people who help me so… Thank you very much."

Sasuke blinks. "Just that?"

"I-I—" She fumbles with her words, hands twisting even further on her poor sundress, "I looked into the mirror."

He raises an eyebrow. What does that even have to do with anything?

"I look pretty," she admits, face flushing when she realizes she has just complimented herself in front of a boy, but Sasuke's eyes simply flash in understanding because she's very self conscious of herself, isn't she? Sasuke doesn't remember this particular quality in the roaring bubblegum girl in the war he doesn't remember the name of or the squealing long haired bubblegum girl, but he certainly remembers a few days ago when she was bullied and crying because of her forehead, out of all things.

Sasuke doesn't really understand what's so bad about wide foreheads, to be honest, mostly because it's just forehead, and he himself exposes his forehead daily.

But she's a girl, and perhaps girls are more sensitive about their appearance than most men, because he knows of the gruff Uchiha boy grumbling about his acnes and his bangs, he's seen an old man commenting offhandedly about his no-longer-handsome looks, and some others.

And, well, it's a normal thing, he guesses, to be self conscious… To an extent, that is.

But he still thinks she has it a bit too much, because she hasn't been able to look him in the eye even once.

Squinting, Sasuke pointedly doesn't respond and waits until the girl hesitantly flicks her eyes over to look at Sasuke's own dark orbs and squeaks, letting out mildly hysterical apologies to the boy.

This… Is definitely not the Bubblegum Girl from the Show.

Or at least not yet.

Still, Sasuke finally gives her some pity and asks, "So you're not picked on anymore?"

"E-Eh?"

"Those girls," he elaborates, "they're not bullying you anymore?"

"T-They… Um," she bites her bottom lip, hesitating, "they, um…"

Sasuke narrows his eyes, then, because that's a sign that it is still going on, somehow. Of course, he thinks, they're not going to stop simply because I mocked them.

Bullying is wrong, he knows, even if it's not his problem, it's still wrong, but he's hardly about to be her knight in shining armor or her hero. That will make it like she cannot do anything—in which she can, if his memories of her destroying boulders are any indication—and as if he's her… destined Prince Charming or something. In which he's not, thanks. He can make them run away when he's in the area, but other times? She'll have to do it herself.

To truly escape from bullies, people have to stand up against them, or so Sasuke believes.

Of course it's not going to be easy, even if Sasuke doesn't know about it explicitly because he's never been bullied before, but well…

"If they tease your forehead again," Sasuke starts, gaining her attention, "just punch them in the face."

Sakura's jaw drops.

Sasuke, seemingly not noticing or caring of her bewildered expression, nods sagely to himself and continues on, "if they corner you, kick them between their legs."

This time she starts to pale, obviously imagining the pain that will come from that one action, because boys or girls, if they're kicked right there, it's going to hurt, and still Sasuke pays no heed.

"Anyway, their words don't really matter, so just ignore them," he nods to himself again, "get a friend, get a ninja mentor, get stronger, punch some people, punch some rocks, hug some slugs, win some fights, drink sake, poison some people, collect cats, whatever. And stop looking down at the ground," he says the moment he sees she's about to lower her head again, making her snap her head up to look at him, "that makes you look pathetic, and pathetic people are annoying. People's eyes are up here, my eyes," he points at his eyes, "are up here."

Sakura blinks at him, wide eyed and jaw open. She seems to be at loss for words, and honestly, Sasuke is done waiting for her to collect words to say.

"Chin up," he says lastly, and after inclining his head at her once, he leaves her behind.

.

.

.

.

They're messing with her again, she realizes, and it's very scary. They're very mean, and even if she's not covering her forehead like she used to before, they still mess with her and laugh at her, they point at her forehead and corners her and she's very very afraid. She wants this to stop, she wants them to stop, she's had enough, she doesn't want this to continue!

(Not too far away from where she's cowering and surrounded by other girls, a blonde catches sight of her and tightens her jaw, stomping toward them—)

She wants them to stop, if only she can stop them, if only she can—!

"If they tease your forehead again," She remembers Sasuke-kun saying to her around a week ago, his words having repeated in her mind over and over again since that day, "just punch them in the face."

She's hardly able to do that, she's not going to be able to do that, but, but—But he's saved her, before, and although his words are mean (pathetic, he said, pathetic, annoying) he still saved her and gave her encouragement and advice and—and it's good, it's great, and it makes her feel as if she's not entirely alone in this Academy, that perhaps her decision to be a kunoichi is not that bad anyway, and that perhaps she can be brave like the kunoichi next door, that perhaps she can be so kind and strong and badass and awesome.

She wants to be strong.

She wants—

People's eyes are up here.

She wants to—

Chin up.

Haruno Sakura takes a breath, and lifts her chin up, lips pressed in a thin line.

"I look pretty!" She tells them, and although her hands are trembling, her lips are wobbling and tears threaten to pour from her eyes, she looks at them in the eyes, she looks, because their eyes are up there and she has to chin up, because she cannot handle this anymore, she cannot stand them anymore.

Chin up. He said.

Chin up. She repeats to herself.

"I look at the mirror, and I'm pretty!" She says again, and this time, there's a strange feeling in her chest, and she finds herself actually starting to believe her own words. That's right. She sees it on her own, right? Her forehead is still visible, but she's pretty, she's cute, and that's enough, right?

Right?

"Wh-What does that even have to do with anything?" One of the girls say, "your forehead is so big, it doesn't even matte—"

"I'm pretty!" She bites back, choking down the frustrated tears, "I'm pretty!" She cannot say that her forehead doesn't matter, because she's still self conscious about that, still thinks that perhaps her forehead is too big for comfort, but she's pretty, she's pretty and that's a fact, that's what matters right now.

"I'm pretty and you cannot say otherwise!"

The girls are about to say something, but Sakura twitches and ends up punching Ami in the face, a knee jerk reaction in avoidance of the jeers that will surely bring her down again.

Ami flails and falls flat on her bum, while even Sakura stares in disbelief over what she's just done.

"If they tease your forehead again," Sasuke said to her, "just punch them in the face."

She never guesses that she'll actually follow that sort of advice.

(She is about to help the cowering girl, when the girl she's about to help suddenly fights back, shouts back against her bullies and she feels glad, because that girl is fighting back. But then things escalate and the girl who was cowering not even a minute ago punched the other girl in the face.

She cannot help it.

Yamanaka Ino looks at the scene in front of her, from the red face one of the bullies sport, the sudden fear in another ones', and the stupefied look on the pink haired girl, then laughs so hard her stomach hurts.)

.

.

.

That day, Sakura gains a friend: a friendly and brave Yamanaka Ino, who smiles at her and brightens her day, who tells her more advices in becoming braver, stronger, prouder of herself, who teaches her about flower languages and compliments her looks, who doesn't mind her forehead and suggests to part her bangs to show her forehead and perhaps she will do it, sometimes, but she thinks that she likes her hairstyle the way it is, and Ino doesn't mind, really, because it's good for her too, and gives Sakura a red ribbon as a hair decoration—

Sakura is… happy.

She's gained a friend.

She's not alone anymore.

She thinks she can be strong, this time around.

.

.

Ino gains a friend, and she likes her very much.

Sakura is a girl, a friend, who still smiles hesitantly and lowers her head sometimes before she seems to remember not to, whose smiles are very pretty and cute, who has pink hair that is so smooth, who smiles at her and looks at her like she's the next best person in the whole world and still able to (hesitantly) speak up against her when Ino gives her suggestions—

And Ino, who likes a friend more than mindless minions and goons, smiles because Sakura is a friend, definitely, and that's great! She's cripplingly shy, but it's not a few confidence booster won't fix, and if Ino, who is learning to be as awesome as her dad cannot do it, then surely her dad can!

.

.

.

Sakura and Ino gain friendship within each other, after that fated day when Sakura punched Ami in the face.

At the same year, Chouji and Shikamaru get closer with each other,

Hinata and Shino sit next to each other in the class, finding comfort in each other's silence and non-judgmental exchanges,

Akamaru is no longer pissing on Kiba's head,

And Sasuke—

.

.

Sasuke wonders if it's because of village hidden propaganda against the Uchiha, or because these kids are just very jealous of his obviously (arguably) better upbringing (mainly because he's from a Clan and they're either orphans or civilians), but they never try to engage him actively in conversations, and other times, they are actively mocking or praising the apparent 'genius' of the Uchiha Clan.

Sasuke doesn't really mind. He hardly cares. He likes the solitude. The less stupidity around him, the better. And the genius talks—albeit Sasuke not thinking of himself as a genius because no matter how he wants to, he's not in the same level his big brother once was when he was Sasuke's age—makes his pride soar to the higher skies.

But solitude is different from loneliness, and sometimes, the classroom, although how packed it is, makes him feel lonely enough that he wants to just go back to the Compound and either hug his brother or terrorize Shisui. At least Shisui makes his days brighter (and wetter) than the boring classes and suffocating loneliness he sometimes feel.

"Do you have friends?" His kaa-chan asked him once, and Sasuke couldn't really answer, but smiled at her anyway.

"I have classmates. What's for dinner?"

It's not that he doesn't interact, per se. He speaks with Shikamaru sometimes but often leaves him alone so the boy can sleep. He shares some of his food—except the tomatoes—with Choji, doesn't insult Kiba that much, and sits beside Hinata and Shino with ease. He keeps a safe distance away from fangirls—or possible ones, like Ino, who is already leering at him a little bit and Sakura, who now wears hairclip to keep her new hairstyle and a red ribbon tightened around her head like a headband in similar to bunny ears, who steals glances at him sometimes during class—and probably insulted a few other classmates by not remembering their names properly, but he interacts with them.

And yet that doesn't mean he feels a bond stronger or as strong as he is with Shisui, who he can count as this crazy older friend who drenches him daily. They're merely acquaintances, not friends, and it's mystifyingly different, and very, very lonely.

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They meet again after the end of the first term, where Sasuke sports A(s) and B(s) in all subjects except for the teacher's evaluation of his social interactions, where the Clan has been getting very tense lately, where his brother and even Shisui have been having less and less time to spend with him.

He's able to shower properly now, which is good and enjoyable, but he's still not approaching the river yet. Not yet. Maybe he will, if Shisui and his big brother continue with their patient guidance against Sasuke's fears.

And on his way home, he spots the boy he endearingly calls as Uzuamki once again sitting on the swings, and Sasuke has to stop only to wonder if he sits there all day, which must not be good for his butt.

Naruto looks up and meets his eyes, and Sasuke is understandably surprised when he sees the gloomy look on the blond slowly disappears, only to be replaced with something akin to... hope? Relief?

Sasuke doesn't know.

He stares at Naruto, and watches as the blond opens his mouth to shout.

"Sauske!"

Silence.

What.

Sasuke blinks, slightly wide black orbs looking at Naruto's own blue, now lighting with mischief as the boy grins foxily.

"What's wrong, bastard? Cat got your tongue?"

That little shit.

He probably shouldn't have called him Uzuamki.

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So.

I apologize.

I have writer's block on EVERYTHING, and if you notice oddities in this chapter, it's because I forced myself to write when I really don't want to, because I feel bad, it's been MONTHS, and I haven't even updated EI. I originally intended for this chapter to end in Uchiha Massacre, but well, it'll appear next chapter maybe, probably.

Sakura shouting that she's pretty is grand, ok. While appearance must not be your only source of self esteem, remember Sakura is often belittled for her appearance—her wide forehead—and her standing up and believing in herself that she is pretty enough is a step toward healthy confidence.

And Sasuke is a loner, yay. He's lonely but he likes solitude. He's the type who I think prefer close relationships with few people rather than many relationships at once. While he can be a decent person toward others, he will be very open toward only few people in his life.

So, uh, review? For spaghetti bolognaise, maybe?