Uchiha || Sequel to Haruno

Ten: The Reunion

Just like Sakura said, Sarada got enrolled into the ninja academy the day after.

It didn't pose much challenge to the young prodigy seeing as how she's technically already a genin. But it wasn't like Sarada felt accustomed to things. It's been three days since she's came here and she's realized that a lot about this timeline doesn't make a single sense.

People who shouldn't be alive in the same generation are interacting and she's starting to think that maybe something went wrong about that jutsu.

Did Indra lie?

And where was Sasori?

She wanted to dedicate her time looking for answers, but now Sakura has got her busy with actually studying.

Although all she's done so far was cause her classmates to gawk at her and admire her in awe of her abilities. She's got all the genin basics perfected. Basic Taijutsu. Basic Ninjutsu. But that was all. She couldn't reveal any of her kekkei genkai. She couldn't risk being found out as a Haruno.

Or as an Uchiha.

"Where did you learn to perform the Shadow Clone jutsu?"

Sarada let out a yelp as her seatmate, Uchiha Obita suddenly asked. Pulling her out of her reverie. A habit that she maintained even in this world.

"Uhh, I don't really know." She replied.

"Huh? How do you not know? Are you a genius or something?" Obito mused, looking at her incredulously.

"I don't think so. Maybe it's like muscle memory?" Sarada answered awkwardly, desperately trying to lose the attention that she was getting from Obito.

"Whuuuuuut? Muscle memory? What does that mean?" But Obito pressed on, not getting a single clue of Sarada's discomfort and unwillingness.

But before Sarada could once again give an answer which she was uncomfortable about, someone thankfully chastised the curious boy.

"Let her be, Obito. She's obviously not comfortable about it." Madara deadpanned, casually throwing a small piece of crumpled paper at Obito from his seat at the back.

"What the heck, Madara? What was that for?!" Obito complained, standing up abruptly to reach for the other Uchiha.

"Pipe down, Obito! Or your standing outside!" Hagoromo yelled, causing Obito to swiftly sit back down but not before bowing apologetically.

"Sorry. Did I make you uncomfortable?" He inquired, turning towards Sarada who was a bit flustered at the sudden change of attitude from Obito.

"Uhh. Nah. It's fine. I just don't like talking about my memory loss." Sarada answered, trying to lose the guilt of lying about her amnesia.

"Oh my God. I didn't know!" Obito fumbled, obviously flustered about his earlier actions now that he knew about Sarada's condition.

"It's okay. It's okay." Sarada assured, waving her hands awkwardly in front of her.

Before she focused once more on what the teacher was saying, or going back to her own little world inside her trance, she looked back at Madara and offered him a small smile. She quickly looked away after seeing him smile back.

::

"Did you have fun today, Sarada-chan? I heard Obito was bothering you?" Sakura questioned, staring at Sarada expectantly as they both walked home.

Apparently, Saizo and Kagura both agreed to Sakura's suggestion of letting her live with them until she recovers her memories or until someone comes looking for her. It amazed Sarada just how much pull Sakura had on her parents. But just as she had said before, she was pleasantly overbearing.

"He was just...curious. But he wasn't bothering me." Sarada answered, looking down as she felt a bit of discomfort. She never liked the thought of talking to Sakura casually. In her mind, she was still her mother despite the young appearance and the fact that she's still a child in this...timeline.

Sakura was about to speak once more when something on the corner of her caught Sarada's attention.

"How about Mada-"

"I forgot something in the academy. I'll go back home on my own, Mo- Sakura-san." Sarada quickly muttered, sprinting back to the direction of the academy without looking back. While Sakura just shrugged her shoulders and turned to continue her journey home.

But something stopped her.

"Strange. Sarada didn't bring anything today." She mumbled.

::

"I knew I wouldn't mistake that red hair for anyone else." Sarada mumbled, glaring at the figure in front of her.

She had just barely caught her breath after chasing this person down. She already knew who it was so she didn't expect that she needed to run all the way deep into the forest before the person stopped running away.

"Why thanks." The person sarcastically responded.

"So where the hell have you been all this time, Sasori-san?" Sarada groaned out, a bit too tired to even respond to the sarcasm.

"It's been two days. It hasn't been that long." Sasori answered, plopping down to the ground and leaning his back on the trunk of a tree.

"Yeah sure. But it is a long time if you consider the fact that we weren't supposed to get separated at all. Where have you been?" Sarada questioned, copying the older man's actions as she sat on the ground and leaned against a nearby tree.

"Where did you...arrive, Sarada?" Sasori questioned, displeasing Sarada at the lack of response to her earlier question but she decided to indulge the man a bit.

"A clearing nearby. Why?" She responded.

"Well, lucky you. I arrived at Suna. Which is why it took me a long time to get here." Sasori sardonically responded, waving a dismissive hand in front of him as he stared indifferently at Sarada.

"Did you perform the jutsu correctly?" He added.

"How should I know? I've never done it before. But we're both alive aren't we? So I'm guessing I did it right." Sarada responded, sighing into herself. Feeling a bit of relief that her only ally was now in sight.

As much as she loved the company of Sakura and the other people she's supposed to know from her own timeline, she couldn't really confide in them about her real situation. And now as much as she felt skeptical about Sasori's personality, he's also the only one she has right now that know exactly what situation she's in.

"So how do we get back?"

"Well, shit."