Naruto Shippuden: The Legendary Team

Kakashi, Sakura, and Sasuke stared at their teammate in various expressions of surprise. Naruto only stared back in pure confusion, his mind still reeling. His memories were in conflict with these old ones which he weren't sure were actually new ones or a part of him. The distorted perception made the gears in his mind slow down, needing ample time to adjust and process new information.

Sasuke knew that look and acted fast. "Kakashi," he said in a more level tone than he thought he could manage. "It looks like the idiot became too excited from passing. Care to untie us now?"

Kakashi snapped out of his thoughts and nodded. "All right. Our first meeting as a team will occur tomorrow, same time. We will be going on our first mission. Don't be tardy."

Sasuke scoffed mentally despite the excitement coursing through his veins. 'What a hypocrite.'

After feeling the ropes loosen their hold against him, he waited for Kakashi to finish untying Naruto before proceeding to drag the dazed idiot out of the training grounds.

"We'll be off first," he called out.

Kakashi raised a hand in acknowledgement before poofing out of existence, desiring to read more of his book in privacy. Sakura, on the other hand, raised an eyebrow at Naruto's weird actions but shrugged it off.

'Maybe Sasuke-kun's right and he just became too excited from passing. Sasuke-kun can knock some sense into him.' She repressed the urge to squeal out loud. 'All right! We passed! Sasuke-kun and I are now going to be in the same team forever~! Kyaaaa!'

• • •

"Sasuke? Hey!" Naruto stared at him, wide-eyed. "What happened to you? Why're you—"

Sasuke promptly let go of him and crossed his arms across his c.h.e.s.t. "All right, explain."

"Explain what?" Naruto blinked. "But I don't know how we got to be little again —"

Sasuke's c.h.e.s.t soared a little with hope. Could it be...? Was Naruto...?

"But, hey!" Naruto's eyes darted around. "Where's Kaguya?!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. His mouth wanted to open, to speak words yet even though unformed died on the tip of his tongue. This was it. He wasn't alone. He was right. His gamble was correct.

Him and Naruto...

Indra and Ashura...

The Sage of the Six Paths' legacy...

It truly was like fate.

"Ugh..." Naruto suddenly g.r.o.a.n.e.d, putting a hand to his head. "My brain feels like it's spinning wildly... I'm so confused right now...! What the heck —"

"I'm glad you're here."

Naruto froze in surprise, his head snapping towards Sasuke. The latter actually had the smallest of smiles on his face, and relief seemed to shadow his expression. It only served to puzzle Naruto even further.

"Hey, of course I'm here!" he declared, pointing a finger at Sasuke challengingly. "I'll always be here to kick some sense into your thick head, bastard!"

"Heh. As if you'd even manage to land a hit."

"What was that?! Why I oughta — !"

"Naruto." The change of tone in Sasuke's voice made Naruto stop his antics. "If you still haven't figured it out yet, sit down and meditate. It will help."

Naruto's face scrunched up in confusion. "Meditate? What for?"

"What do you remember before your awareness came crashing in?"

"What do you mean my awareness?"

Sasuke sighed. "Idiot. Just do as I say and sit down."

Naruto grumbled, "Fine, fine. Bossy jerk." He did as Sasuke told him to and sat down on the fresh grass, preparing to relax his mind and body for meditation. Not that doing it was going to take a lot of effort from him; he had already mastered senjutsu enough that this was a piece of cake for him.

Naruto sat and waited, his eyes closed. He left his mind purposefully blank, and carefully breathed in and out. The key to a good meditation lay in breathing. If the breathing is good, the body will relax, and so will the mind eventually. Naruto shut out his senses, focusing only on his internal energy and peace.

It worked. His brain was no longer whirring frantically; he let the memories come and go as they please, yet in an organized, slow manner. He let himself process them all in a leisurely pace, waiting for the answers to gradually come to him.

And when it did, his eyes flew open.

His startled yell made all the birds fly away from where he was.

• • •

Kushina glanced at the clock and frowned. It was going to be seven soon and Naruto still wasn't home. Knowing Kakashi, he wouldn't show up at seven thirty in the morning but most likely about three or four hours later than the agreed time. However, even so, there would still have been plenty of time for Naruto to do everything he wanted to do before he realized that it was nearing his curfew.

Kushina didn't actually favour giving her son a limited time to spend outside on his own since he was fresh out of the Academy now, having proven countless times that he was ready for the world of the shinobi and all of the challenges it came with. However, Naruto was still only seven years old. He wasn't even at least a pre-teen yet. Kushina just couldn't help but worry for him.

Reality of ninjas was harsh, and she didn't even want to imagine what Naruto would feel once he experienced his first kill. Assassination, covert affairs, spying... All in line in a shinobi's work. Soon, her son was going to experience the world of the a.d.u.l.ts. Her world. Their world. A world where child soldiers were so common, they weren't even considered unusual by most people.

It frightened her.

"Damn that boy, dattebane," she muttered to herself as she viciously chopped up onions and garlic. "Always making me worry. Where the heck is he right now, anyway?"

As if on cue, the front door opened slowly, as if the person behind the door was overly cautious in attempting to sneak in. Kushina, however, with her momentarily heightened senses due to her irritation, immediately had her head snapped towards the source of the sound, her fiery red hair flowing loosely behind her back.

Naruto trembled inside as he tiptoed across the hall. He had completely forgotten that he had a curfew. The long, long talk he had with Sasuke earlier did serve the purpose of helping his memories rearrange and organize themselves in his head, but due to his previous confusion, he forgot that in this timeline, he had a family.

Oh... Right! He had a family! He had a mom, a dad, a home... everything! It had completely slipped his mind, and he just let his legs unconsciously take him to this apartment —

"And just where have you been, young man...?" a terrifying, calm voice suddenly sounded from behind him.

The sound of his mother's voice succeeded in causing all the hairs on his body to stand up at their ends.

"Eheheh..." Naruto chuckled nervously as he whirled around to face his irate parent. As he did so, he jumped back in fright. Kushina stood there before him, her eyes glimmering dangerously under the ceiling lights and her long, vibrant-red hair seemingly flying in the air like the snakes on Medusa's head. Her hands were on her h.i.p.s as she regarded her son with ferocity.

Naruto froze in place, sweating profusely. His mouth could not seem to form words properly. "A—Ah... You see, Mom... S—Sasuke and I... Uh..."

"Just what did you two do that it had to take past your curfew?" Kushina demanded. "Do you know how worried I was?"

Naruto hung his head, ashamed. "I'm sorry..."

Kushina's gaze softened. "Don't do it again, you hear? All right. Chin up now, honey." She smiled as she raised his head and cupped his cheeks. "I know you're growing up to be a big, strong boy just like your Daddy, but you have to understand: your Daddy has many enemies, and who knows if some of them are skilled enough to cross the village's borders? Your Daddy and I don't want to take any risks. I've told you this many times before, haven't I?"

"I know... I understand, Mom," Naruto said, tearing up. This was the family he had always wanted. Oh, how it made him so happy.

Someone cared for him so deeply and waited for him to come home. It was such a surreal feeling. It almost felt like a dream. This all couldn't be happening, right? What if this was all just a cruel genjutsu of some sort?

Well, if it was just an illusion, then it was working. He didn't want to wake up.

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She was already fading away as she ran towards him, clasping her arms around him in a warm, tight embrace.

"Naruto!" she cried. "Thank you for letting me be your Mom… Thank you for letting Minato be your Dad… Thank you for being born to us! Thank you… so very much."

She disappeared, leaving a trail of longing tears on her son's face.

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"Don't cry!" Kushina laughed, playfully hugging her son to her bosom. "You big baby!"

Naruto laughed along with his mother, yet still his tears could not stop.

Suddenly, the front door opened, revealing a weary-looking Minato as he stepped inside.

"I'm home…" His voice trailed off when he saw mother and son embracing each other. He smiled, albeit hesitantly. "…Is this a bad time?"

Naruto gently let go of his mother and stared at his father.

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Naruto gripped his forehead protector and grinned up at the monument before going on his training journey with Jiraiya, his fist raised towards the direction of the Fourth Hokage's stone-carved face. "Please watch me."

•••

"I know you'll find the answer." Minato smiled as he placed his hand atop his son's head. "I have faith in you."

Naruto stared at him, something flashing in his eyes. "Really? You reallybelieve I can do it?"

"To be a parent is to have undying faith in one's child." Minato retracted his hand, and Naruto instantly felt the loss of warmth from his father's touch. "Now then, it's time for me to go. My chakra's fading."

Panic filled Naruto's c.h.e.s.t. "Huh?! No, wait…"

"I will rebuild the seal. However, this will be for the last time." Minato watched as the ink marks on Naruto's stomach went back to their original forms. He looked at his son with narrowed eyes, faith and determination shining in his irises. "The Leaf can be rebuilt. I'm counting on you… Naruto!"

He faded away, his gentle smile the last thing his son saw.

Naruto tentatively placed his hand on his abdomen, as if trying to gain back the warmth of his father's touch. A smile curved his lips.

"…Thank you… Dad."

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Naruto rushed to his parents and hugged them, ignoring their small exclaims of surprise.

'I think this is what it feels like... to be truly happy.'

• • •

Sasuke let out a somewhat relieved sigh as he heard the sound of faint laughter coming from the house. Satisfied, he placed his hands inside his pockets and turned around, walking towards the direction of his house. He and Naruto may have been enemies once, but the fact still remained that Naruto was his closest friend. And perhaps he always would be. Sasuke knew that, knowing that numbskull, their bond would probably last a lifetime.

'Hmph. I'm actually going soft now...' Yet Sasuke did not flinch as greatly as he would've had. Resigned acceptance was slowly filling him, and he found that he did not exactly unwelcome it.

• • •

Sakura hummed a sweet, romantic melody as she skipped towards the training grounds. Today was her first day with her new team, and she was excited! To be able to spend more time with Sasuke made her feel even more ecstatic as she daydreamed about the possible subtle romantic lines he was going to say to her in the duration of the day. Oh, he was so dreamy —

'But Sasuke-kun wouldn't do that, anyway,' Sakura mused, chuckling to herself lightly. 'I'm getting a little too ahead of myself.'

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto greeted cheerfully, waving a hand towards her direction. "Good morning!"

Sasuke sent her a sidelong glance, nodding curtly in acknowledgement.

"Good morning, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura greeted with a happy smile on her face.

"Ahh... Sakura-chan..." Naruto said somberly, hanging his head low in disappointment. "I'm here, too, you know..."

While Sakura was distracted with her daydreaming (evidence in which there were sudden hearts in her eyes), Naruto leaned towards Sasuke, his gaze imploring.

"Do you think Sakura-chan remembers, too?"

Sasuke closed his eyes, feigning disinterest. "I don't think so."

"But... would she?" Naruto hoped. "She's a part of Team 7, too. We're friends!"

"I don't think she'll remember, Naruto," Sasuke said promptly, crushing his hopes. "Maybe we're just the only ones who came back." Sasuke looked at him then, his stare almost piercing. "So you shouldn't treat her like the Sakura you know back in our timeline."

"I know that!" Naruto said, annoyed. "But I'll still keep on believing. Team 7 is one, remember? We're all going to stick together no matter what."

At that moment, Kakashi suddenly appeared in front of them with a poof, wearing his trademark masked smile. "Yo!" he greeted with a raised hand.

"YOU'RE LATE!" Naruto and Sakura chorused in irritation.

"Sorry, sorry," said Kakashi, giving a sheepish smile as he rubbed the back of his head in apology. "I couldn't sleep. You see, I was up all night thinking about this poor old lady I helped yesterday — "

"You really think we're gonna believe that?!"

Kakashi sighed, sounding resigned. "Such cute little kids. Anyway, let's go."

"Hey, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto said, coming up beside his teacher. "What kind of mission do we have today?"

Kakashi turned towards him, his grin unusually very bright.

"Ah, I think it's about the case of a missing cat…"

Naruto's jaw dropped open.

'Nooooo! Not that stupid cat again!'

• • •

"So much for an exciting day…" Naruto mumbled as he opened the front door of his house. His body was covered with claw scratches and tiny bites. The cat, Tora, had been very anxious and angry earlier, perhaps because of the fact that Naruto was chasing him with a desperate, horrifying expression on his face that the feline just snapped. Sakura had only stared and sighed as Naruto wrestled with the cat, while Sasuke informed Kakashi that they completed their mission.

In short, it was Naruto who did all the work. Not even his evil eye could faze the slight amus.e.m.e.nt on Sasuke's face.

"Welcome home, Naru — huh?!" Kushina ran over to him the moment her eyes met his form. "What happened to you? I thought missions for fresh genins are D-Rank only!"

"Um… It was a D-Rank mission," Naruto said, immediately filled with embarrassment.

Kushina stared at him.

"Er… some rich old lady's cat ran away, so we had to…" Naruto g.r.o.a.n.e.d in pain. "That stupid cat…"

"Ah, you mean Tora-kun?" Kushina's voice was laced with mirth.

Naruto's head snapped towards his mother. "…How do you know that, Mom?"

"Well, there came a time a little over a few years ago when that same cat managed to run away in the middle of the night," explained Kushina. "It was only discovered in the morning that Tora-kun went missing. Since that day was the day when almost all genins, chūnins, and jōnins were busy due to the Chūnin Exams as well as the upcoming peace treaties between villages, I was coincidentally the only one available. Minato immediately sent me out to find him, leaving you in a crib in his office. It was urgent since the 'rich old lady' you mentioned was desperate to find him."

Naruto's eyes were wide, his attention completely on his mother's story. "Did you find him, Mom?"

"Yeah, I sure did!" Kushina let out a hearty laugh. "By the time I found him, it was almost dinner, so I was… um, a little grumpy. Tora-kun was apparently hiding inside a warehouse. When I approached him, I was in such a bad mood that he behaved when I grabbed him and went towards the Hokage Tower."

Naruto gulped, imagining the poor cat, frozen in terror as he was confronted with the scary image of his mother, her eyes cat-like and red and her hair standing up on their ends.

"Ah… Ahahaha…" chuckled Naruto nervously, rubbing the back of his head. Fear crept up in his c.h.e.s.t, rising towards his throat. "I—I see…"

"Let me come along when you go catch him next time," Kushina told him with a wink as she led him towards the dining room. "I'll see if he still remembers me."

'There's no one in the world who'd ever forget Mom when she's in scary mode…' Naruto thought to himself, swallowing.

Kushina kept on chatting with him, her voice soft and warm while her words were lengthy. Naruto merely kept silent and listened to his mother talk, relishing the feeling of actually having a mother in his life. Whenever he thought about what he had missed out on, he could almost feel the tears welling up in his eyes. Nowadays, he cried more often, causing Kushina to teasingly call him a crybaby. Minato was more considerate, only encouraging his son with his usual, perpetual warm voice.

She was tending to his wounds, nursing them with cotton, bandages, water, and alcohol. There was pain, of course, but it was easily negligible. There was nothing that could ruin his happy mood. His mother, here… His father, his team, his friends…

Jiraiya…

What mattered right now was how he was going to protect them all until the end.

• • •

"Scrub it properly!"

"All right, all right! I get it!"

Iruka sent him one last death glare before turning back to grading his papers. Naruto, on the other hand, stuck his tongue out at him rebelliously before going back to cleaning the walls of the classroom. Even though he had already graduated from the Academy, Iruka still found ways to make him pay for the huge paint, oil, and confetti prank a few months ago that literally redecorated the whole room. He hadn't been kidding when he promised an appropriate punishment for his constant misdeeds.

'How nostalgic...' he thought to himself. 'I never thought I'd go back to cleaning up after my messes...'

He sent a glance towards Iruka, who was momentarily not paying attention to him.

'Iruka-sensei...'

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"Naruto…"

Iruka took a seat beside him, giving him a bit of space after seeing Naruto's tear-stained face.

"I heard about Jiraiya-sama."

"…" Naruto only continued to have a dull look in his eyes.

Then he spoke.

"I wanted him to keep watching me… I wanted him to be here when I become Hokage." A melancholic smile curved his lips. "To have him see me do more than just screw up… Heh…"

"Jiraiya-sama had nothing but praise for you," Iruka told him with a reassuring smile. "He'd brag constantly about you, how you were practically his grandson. How you were a man who had inherited his spirit. He never doubted for a minute that you'd grow up to be a wonderful Hokage." Then he stood up, slowly making his way over to Naruto's side. "Jiraiya-sama will always be watching over you. I'm sure he's looking down on you now, wherever he is. But if you just sit around sulking, he won't be able to brag about you. So…"

He took one of the sticks holding the popsicle in Naruto's hand. "Don't stop being the person who earned all that praise. Be yourself… and cheer up!" He then snapped the popsicle in half. "You're Jiraiya-sama's prize pupil — the man who he acknowledged as being the best." He gave one of the sticks to him.

Naruto slowly took it. "Thanks… Iruka-sensei."

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"Why are you staring at me and not doing your job?" Iruka's irritated voice snapped him out of his thoughts. "I swear, Naruto, if you're thinking of playing another atrocious prank again..."

"No, I wasn't!" Naruto protested. "I was thinking of something else!"

Unfortunately, Iruka didn't look convinced.

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"Naruto, you also must have been in a lot of pain… I'm sorry, Naruto... If only I did a better job… You wouldn't have to feel like this."

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"If you don't have any more clean water, you can go refill that bucket yourself in the restroom," Iruka said before continuing to grade tests.

Naruto continued to steal glances at him, nostalgia and melancholic feelings throbbing dully in his c.h.e.s.t.

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"There's no way that demon fox wouldn't try to use the power of the scroll. Unlike what you're assuming," Mizuki taunted.

"Yeah…" Iruka said. "The demon fox would do that. But Naruto is different… I've acknowledged him as… one of my excellent students. He may not be the hardest worker… and he is clumsy and no one accepts him…

"He already knows what it is to feel pain inside your heart.

"He isn't the demon fox. He is a member of the Hidden Leaf Village."

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In this timeline, he and Iruka didn't share that kind of history anymore. In this world, he was no longer an orphan. In this world, Iruka was also no longer an orphan. Both of them were now happily living their own lives. Lives which they didn't get to have.

Gone were the moments they shared. Like they never existed. But it was still vividly present in Naruto's heart. He knew that he would never forget the first person who acknowledged him when no one else cared about him.

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"What the hell is going on out there?!" Naruto demanded.

Iruka looked at him straight in the eyes. "…War. Madara's making his move."

"!?"

"Iruka!"

"I think it's time we stopped lying, Gen-san," said Iruka. "Naruto's no fool. Our only choice now is to explain the situation rationally."

"Yeah, explain why I should sit on my a.s.s and hide while my friends and comrades are out there suffering and dying!" Naruto uttered strongly.

"Because we're fighting this war…" Iruka said firmly. "…to protect you!"

"!?"

"Madara is hitting us with the full brunt of his forces. He's determined to capture you and Killer Bee-san once and for all. If he gets his hands on the Hachibi and Kyūbi, he'll complete his technique and the world will be doomed! By protecting you, we're protecting our future itself!

"Yes, people are putting their lives on the line to protect you. Naruto… your battle this time is a battle with yourself… to wait, and endure."

"Let's go back inside," Iruka urged, taking Naruto's silence as thoughtfulness.

But Naruto stared at him in determination.

"I'll end this war myself!" he exclaimed with conviction in his tone. "I'll endure all the hate and pain on my own! That's my role!"

"Are you listening to me?!" Iruka said. "You have the Kyūbi inside you! This isn't just your problem, Naruto!"

"You were the first person to recognize me!" Naruto shot back. "Why is it that now you're only worried about the Kyūbi?! Why don't you trust me?!"

"Stop acting like a baby!" Iruka yelled. "You wanna know what I really think of you?!"

"I think you're one of my most precious students… and…" The look on Iruka's face was that of stern honesty. "You're like a little brother to me."

Naruto stared at him in surprise.

"The enemy leader is personally coming after you… How could I even fathom letting you out there to face him?" Iruka elaborated. "And you're not alone… you don't need to shoulder the entire burden yourself."

"I'm not that kid anymore…" Naruto said. "I'm stronger than I've ever been. You're the one who gave me that forehead protector, Iruka-sensei."

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Naruto unconsciously stopped wiping the walls, his head tilted downwards as the revelation of what was truly happening dawned upon him.

It was true that he — that they — had been given a chance to make things right. It was true that this was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for him to be able to fix things, to prevent the devastating war from happening again.

However...

It seemed that some things had to be sacrificed for the greater good.

Like important, unforgettable bonds that never got to form again.

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"What's this…?" Naruto pulled out a folded piece of paper from the forehead protector Iruka gave to him earlier and began to read its contents:

'I expected you'd try to rush out to the battlefield right away. I know you're ready to fight.'

'If you're reading this letter, it means I couldn't stop you.'

'Tsunade-sama ordered us to the Hidden Cloud's secret island to guard you and delay you from leaving as long as possible. I'm writing this letter just in case things don't work out like I want them to…'

'Which is pretty pathetic considering I'll be on an official mission. But if that's how it goes… I don't know if I'll manage to give this to you or not, but there's something I need to tell you.'

'In fact, now that you've left, it's the only thing left to say.'

'Come back alive, Naruto!'

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Naruto managed a smile as he looked at Iruka one last time.

'Iruka-sensei... We may not now have the bond that tied us together in my world...'

'But I will always remember you...'

'...as one of the people who I will love no matter what.'

end of volume 02

• • •

• •

•

OMAKE/EXTRA

"He's late," Naruto muttered darkly.

"When has he ever been early?" Sakura added sourly.

Sasuke said nothing, but frowned when he saw the cameraman pace back and forth in impatience.

"Oji-san," he called out flatly. "Can't we take the picture now and just paste Kakashi's face on the photo or something?"

The man looked scandalized. "No! Absolutely not!" he insisted. "This is a once in a lifetime picture! Everyone in the team has to be present!"

Sasuke looked faintly disappointed.

Naruto grumbled to himself. "I swear, if he pulls on that 'black cat crossed my path' line again, I'll—"

"Hello!" And speak of the devil: Kakashi appeared before them in a poof, his hand raised in both apology and greeting. "Sorry I'm late. You see, a black cat—"

"AAARGH! I KNEW IT!" Naruto cried out, pointing at his teacher accusingly. "YOU REALLY DON'T HAVE ANY OTHER LINES, DO YOU?!"

Kakashi sweatdropped. "Eh…?"

"Cut the comedics and pose for the picture already," muttered Sasuke, already irritated from the heat. Sure, an occasional gust of wind blew by, sending momentary pleasant chills down their skin, but it was in the middle of summer. The sun's rays would still eventually overpower any coolness they had at their disposal.

Naruto snickered. "Sasuke sounds like an old lady!"

A vein pulsed on Sasuke's temple. No. He would not get worked up on this. He was twenty-five years old in a seven-year-old body. He was m.a.t.u.r.e. He now rarely got affected by anything negative other than simple, shallow dislike.

However, Naruto was always the one with the uncanny ability to annoy him this greatly.

"Naruto, stop taunting Sasuke-kun." The slightly timid kunoichi of their team reverted into an angry girl jumping into the defense of her crush. "Let's just take the picture and get it over with. Without fighting."

Naruto swallowed. "Y—Yes!" he immediately agreed, coming to her left. Sasuke took his place on her right, while Kakashi sheepishly stood behind them.

The cameramen adjusted his lens, focusing them on the team.

Naruto glanced at Sasuke, whose face was monotonous. "Oi, Sasuke! Smile a little!"

"…Shut up," Sasuke gritted out.

Sakura glared at Naruto. "Stop pestering Sasuke-kun!" she scolded.

Kakashi rubbed the back of his head. "Well… this isn't going well…"

"C'mon! It's going to be our greatest team picture ever!" Naruto exclaimed, catching Sasuke's attention.

Sasuke blinked slowly. 'Team picture…' He glanced at Kakashi, who told Naruto to calm down and mind his own business. The latter, on the other hand, was grumbling along the lines of "But photos like this last a lifetime…". Sakura looked irritated, but kept her ground.

The cameraman waved at them, annoyed. "Stop yakking and pose! The camera's ready!"

Naruto beamed. Kakashi placed both his hands on his male students' heads with a sheepish grin. Sakura tilted her head slightly and gave her best smile.

Sasuke let out a small breath that he hadn't realized he'd been holding.

"Smile!" the photographer announced before taking the picture.

Days later, when Team 7 excitedly made their copies for themselves as well as for their respective families, they marveled at the rare sight of Uchiha Sasuke's soft eyes and equally gentle smile.