Twiceborn: Adventures of the Red-Haired Menaces

Chapter Nine: Reform

The mood was tense when they set out for the academy the next morning. All Sakura could hear was the footsteps the three of them made – three, because Kakashi had been delayed by locking up the house behind them. Apparently he wasn't too eager to catch up either. Sakura sneered, huffing as she folded her arms. No doubt he didn't want to stare upon that which she had become – a tiny ball of fire and rage liable to ruin everything they were working for. Not that she could yell at him about anything time-dimension-travel wise.

Because wouldn't that be a juicy little tidbit of information for the ANBU or jonin watching them to overhear?

They would either be classed as insane, deluded kids, or they'd be hauled off to the bowels of T&I never to see the light of day again. Sakura didn't particularly want either of those to happen, so keeping her emotions in check it was. Maybe that was why Sasuke was right by her side? He seemed to enjoy ruffling her messy red locks, and Sakura didn't mind it – mostly because she had confidence and strength to back herself up with this time around. She had already proven she wouldn't let the bullies get to her. Otherwise she'd get them. Right in the face, with a nice right hook. Or whatever blow she managed.

Plus there was no denying the fact that it was impossible to save her hair from its perpetually messy state. Sakura would probably hiss like a cat if anyone ever approached her with a brush from then on. Her hair and brushes simply didn't mix, and Sakura didn't particularly want to start losing her hair before its time. Not to mention it hurt her poor scalp.

Sakura snorted, pulling a lock of that spiky red hair in front of her face. Oh how she had fallen... A low chuckle left her lips. And to think she had once obsessed over her appearance for hours before each day at the academy... She shook her head, blinking as she realised both Sasuke and Naruto were looking down at her in mild alarm.

"What?" she grumbled petulantly.

Naruto swallowed, looking somewhat hesitant as he spoke. "Your laugh is really scary now," he mumbled, scratching at his whiskered cheek, sounding uncharacteristically unsure of himself. "It sounds like you're plotting something."

"Huh?" Sakura glared at him flatly. "Does not."

"Does too," Naruto retorted, seemingly gaining confidence when she didn't snap and try to punt him into the nearest building. "Neh, Sasuke, back me up here!"

"Hn."

Naruto pouted. "I can't tell whether that was agreement or not," he said, puffing out his cheeks as he stared between the two of them. Sasuke simply stared back at him, eyebrow raised ever so slightly. "Come on," Naruto continued, still pouting – though the creeping grin and growing confidence made their way past the upset face he wore. "Our cute, little tomato-haired imouto is—"

"What did you just call me?" Sakura found herself asking, baring her teeth as she curled her fingers in the neckline of Naruto's shirt. "Tomato... You just called me a tomato, didn't you?" she enquired, ignoring Sasuke frantically gesturing behind her at the imbecile in front of her eyes.

"But..." Naruto scratched at his chin, not meeting her eyes. "Sasuke likes tomatoes... and your cheeks are really chubby – with, like baby fat of course, which is perfectly natural and cute – and your face is kinda a bit round thanks to that... plus the awesome hair—"

Sakura smiled, teeth bared in a mockery of a grin, eyes narrowed. "Do you want to da—mph!"

Sasuke's hand closed over her lips just like the time before, halting her question on the last word, and she could feel him silently asking her to please stop asking people whether they wanted to dance or not. She didn't particularly understand why she always felt so compelled to say that either though. The words just seemed to fall so neatly from her lips. "No punching him either," he said, and Sakura felt her shoulders sink. It wasn't like she was going to punch him... after all he'd asked her not to hit him, and she would refrain as much as she could... because she had reverted to a more childish frame of mind, which affected her in more ways than she liked to admit. Scowling, Sakura reached forwards, poking his sides, intent on getting justice for being called a tomato. She had expected that from the bullies, not her pseudo-brother. Not after he'd dragged them into the wrong dimension.