Akari Uchiha

Ch. 98 A Call For Help

There weren't a lot of instances when Akari had seen Sasuke Uchiha smile. Apart from the one time both of them spent beating up Itachi in a genjutsu as a part of "trauma bonding". Other than that, the only time when his lips had curled even in a glimpse of a smile was when she finally mastered the snake sage jutsu. 

"Would you look at that," he drawled. "I didn't expect you to actually be able to do it."

She blinked and looked up at him. "Why do I have a horn?"

"Because you are in sage mode."

"Why do you get two horns and I get only one?"

"I didn't design them, half-blood."

She tilted her head as she observed Sasuke, confused. "You look happy. That doesn't add up."

"Now we can do white rage attack on genjutsu Itachi together," he drawled. She raised a judging eyebrow. "What!?" he instantly defended. "It's therapeutic. Don't look at me as if you weren't having the time of your life when we did this the last time."

"...Fine, it IS therapeutic," she admitted. 

"You were laughing like a maniac, worse than me, honestly."

"It's oddly satisfying to rage on your... abuser?" she hesitated, not sure if she was allowed to call Itachi that.

"Abuser?" Sasuke raised an amused eyebrow.

"You got a better term?" she deadpanned.

"Yeah. Torturer."

"Oh I got a better one! Executioner!"

Sasuke blinked. "But you're alive."

"But it's an 'extended death sentence' according to him," she quoted Itachi's own words.

"If he wanted to kill you, he wouldn't have put the cursed seal on you. Too much effort. He has probably given up."

"Ah yes, the cursed seal," she smiled sarcastically. "How can we forget. What a blessing from my elder cousin."

"At least he isn't your real brother."

"Please, you love him."

"I also hated him for 10 entire years of my life."

"It's better than having him hate you," she deadpanned. "I am the one who is screwed here."

"Itachi doesn't hate you," Sasuke spoke, before pausing. "Probably."

Akari sighed. "Anyways, can I really talk to snakes now!? Like wild snakes?"

"Go, try," Sasuke drawled before snapping his fingers.

Instantly the familair giant snake appeared in front of them, bowing his head. "You called, master?"

"Take your best friend to wild snakes."

One snake and one tiny Uchiha blinked at him before looking at each other with narrowed eyes. Best friend?

"Yes, master Sasuke."

Sasuke watched the two of them disappear as Aoda took her to the Land of the Snakes again. He usually overheard them bantering while she finished the training tasks that he had assigned her. Which was honestly the first time he had heard his snake summons say anything other than 'Yes master'. It intrigued him because once he started to get over his anger and grief over everything connected to Itachi, he started noticing things around him. 

Like if there were other members left connected to the Uchiha clan, where was Karin and the rest of team Taka, why were his summons so goofy when they were around Akari, what other jutsus could he learn without relying on his sharingan or Orochimaru's cursed seal, what else is Itachi planning to use Akari for, among others.