Guys, I have a confession. I secretly dig SasuHina. But I don't love them because I secretly want Sasuke to leave Sakura alone and have Naruto and Sakura end up together. Blergh! NaruHina is my Naruto OTP, closely followed by SasuSaku. But, admittedly, my favorite crack couples are SasuHina and GaaHina. Emphasis on crack couples. *sigh*

So that's why I'm writing this fic. ;)

Get ready for the ByakuSharingan. (LOL)

Summary: The Kazekage's daughter was sent on a special mission to Konoha. However, she finds herself drawn to the enigmatic son of the Hokage and his strange family. She finds herself questioning everything that she was taught to believe in. Why did her mother despise the Hokage's family? Why was she told to stay away? When love is on the line, can she really follow the rules to the very end?

Scars and Stories of Survival

An Uchiha Sasuke x Hyuuga Hinata fic

Chapter 1

The Right Side of the Wrong Bed

I found myself standing in front of my taciturn father and my tactless mother. I was listening to my mum drone on and on about the responsibilities of a shinobi and the special burden placed on me as the daughter of the Kazekage. She doesn't have to tell me what to do. I know. I'm already 16 years old and I'm a respected chuunin of Sunagakure.

"Konoha and Suna have a strong bond to each other," my mother kept on saying. "But even with this, you have to maintain a certain distance from them. You're there to learn. You're not there for anything else, so concentrate."

I frown. It's a bit hypocritical for my mother to say these things. She was, after all, a former Konoha shinobi.

And she was no ordinary shinobi either.

She was one of the second generation Legendary Sannin of the Fourth Shinobi World War. She was the most powerful kunoichi of her generation. She was also the most able medic-nin in the entire world surpassing her own master, Senju Tsunade. She was none other than Haruno Sakura, now the wife of the most powerful shinobi in Sunagakure, Gaara.

And I was their eldest child and daughter, Sabaku no Karura.

They say that I look exactly like my mother and I'm a bit torn each time they say this. As much as I love to look like the woman who made heads turn even with her age (and I won't say anything about this matter for fear of my life), I wouldn't want the severity of her features associated with mine. I was thankful that I didn't inherit her pink hair because I hated pink. However, I did inherit her emerald green eyes and her overall facial features (save for the constant frown that marred her face). My hair was red – the same shade as my father's and fell down in waves down to my hips. I was petite, which could be attributed to the fact that, like my father, I was born premature.

But it's not because I have a bijuu inside me. Nope. It just happened. And I'm not very interested in the details.

After the war, Sunagakure grew to a very competent and progressive village. It was able to contend with other villages when it comes to wealth too. This was considered as a difficult feat considering the geographical location and the merciless climate my country had. Nevertheless, my amazing father was able to accomplish all of this without any of his eyebrow hair falling, if he ever had any.

"Stop stressing, Sakura," Gaara chided his wife. "I'm sure Karura will make us proud."

I noticed my mother deflate for a bit but the frown was still on her face. I love my mother, but for as long as I knew her, she had this irrational hatred for the village that once nurtured her. I was an avid reader and I knew all about the stories of what happened back then in the records of Sunagakure, but none of them told the tale of how Sakura turned from a cool and strong kunoichi to a constipated, embittered woman. But her irrational mistrust to Konoha was amplified when it comes to one particular aspect of the said village.

"Don't associate too much with the Hokage and his family," she warned one last time before leaving my father's office.

My eyebrows furrow as I look at my father questioningly. "What does she have against the Hokage?"

Gaara let out a sigh. "Do as you please, Karura. I trust you."

This was the reason why I love my father more than my mother.

I happily smiled and went to him, hugging the life out of my old man. He smiled down at me and I knew that despite his normally stoic attitude, I was his favorite kid. And I took advantage of that information. "I'll miss you dad."

"I'll miss you too," Gaara replied.

I stood up straight and asked, "Do I have any escorts on this special mission?"

Gaara nodded and at that moment, two shinobi appeared beside me.

I grinned. These two faces were very familiar to me. One was a young man who had just reached his 18th year and was just recently promoted to the rank of jonin. He had shoulder-length brown hair and was taller than me by about two heads. He never let me forget that. He was my cousin, Kogure – Uncle Kankuro's son.

And the other shinobi was a young woman named Hitomi. She was a chuunin of my year at the academy. She was also the top of my year – another fact that she constantly reminded me of.

"Yo, Karura," Kogure said, grinning wolfishly.

"Hey," Hitomi said with an annoying smirk.

"And there's also two other shinobi from Konoha who will escort you," Gaara added.

I rolled my eyes. "That's really too much, dad. Don't you think it'd be better to travel stealthily? Having huge numbers could only attract travel."

"I won't risk it. And besides, Konoha insisted."

"Whatever," I retorted, earning me a glare from my father. He hated it whenever I talked out of turn. This further cemented my reputation as Suna's spoiled princess.

I guess I inherited this trait from my mother.

In a blink of an eye, two shinobi from Konoha appeared. They were in standard ANBU uniform and they were clearly males. They wore intricate masks that creeped me out a bit but I'd never admit that.

They didn't say anything to me or my father. They were crouched in respectful bow.

The man with blonde hair spoke, "We are here for your daughter's protection, Gaara-sama."

"I leave everything to you," Gaara replied. "You may go now."

"Hai!" we all chorused. I noted the way my father sent me a small smile before I turned around. I was certainly going to miss my old man. I'd be gone for a month to train in Konoha, which was actually my greatest wish during my promotion to chuunin. I always wanted to train in different hidden villages – an opportunity that was now possible because of the united shinobi alliance that the villages formed after the war.

Everything was more peaceful now, but we can't help but have small skirmishes every now and then. There were still plenty of missing-nin who cling to the old beliefs and have twisted ideas for world domination. There were also underground organizations who pose considerable threats. There was no such thing as a perfectly peaceful environment, but thanks to the heroes of the past, we were able to achieve most of that.

Why did I pick Konoha first? Simple. I always have a rebellious streak when it comes to my mother. I was always curious to know about half of my heritage. I took the Chuunin Exams in Kumogakure since they hosted it in my time. Details about Konoha's current state were rare in Suna's libraries, especially in the Kazekage's personal information bank. I wouldn't doubt that my mother was behind this. My parents rarely spoke about the Hokage in front of us even though Suna and Konoha were the closest in terms of diplomatic relations compared to other hidden villages. I always wondered about Konoha but they just won't answer any of my questions. I once earned a five-hour intensive medical ninjutsu training session from my mother because I asked who the current Hokage of Konoha was. Heck, even that trivial information that everyone in Suna knew wasn't made available to me.

And it's not like I didn't try to ask other people. But it seemed like my mother threatened them to shut up about Konoha whenever I asked. This frustrated me to no end and I know that these actions of mine were the source of constant argument between my parents.

Because I felt bad about causing my father grief, I let it go. I realized that my father loved my mother in his own way but the same cannot be said about mum. Aunt Temari once told me that some women keep a part of themselves sealed away to a special person. When I was 14, I realized that my mother sealed away a part of her for someone else – and that someone was not my father.

There was a time when I hated her for it. But I didn't want to interfere with my parent's marriage. It was evident to me that their union was arranged. The details weren't revealed to me either. But for as long as I can remember, I learned to be content.

There were other women who could love my selfless father. He had me and Ayame, my 12-year-old little sister who just became a genin. There was also that little runt Yashamaru, my 15-year-old younger brother who was promoted to chuunin at the same time I became one. He's one of those arrogant snots that were just too talented for their own good.

"You're falling behind, Karura," Kogure said, snapping me back to reality.

We were all running across the sand dunes in a pace that made me wonder what sort of urgent event we're going to miss in Konoha. The ANBU shinobi were already meters ahead of us and it was apparent that Kogure and Hitomi lagged behind because they were waiting for me.

"You overexcited that you're finally going to Konoha?" Hitomi teased, covering her smile with her hand – an annoying habit of hers.

"Shut up," I retorted. "Just because you two went there once – "

"Four times for me, actually," Kogure said. "I'm one of the special envoys Gaara-sama always sends to Konoha. And I always visit Aunt Temari there."

I groaned. Of course! Only the Kazekage's family wasn't allowed to visit the family of his only sister. Why? Because the great Sannin Sakura forbade them. The only time I got to see Aunt Temari was whenever her family was the one who visited Suna. She married a Konoha jounin named Nara Shikamaru, from what I know. They have two kids – Shikaku and Asuma.

To say that I was excited to see them was an understatement. The last time I saw them, Shikaku and Asuma were both toddlers. Now, they should be about the same age as I was.

"Twice for me," Hitomi added. "I was sent to deliver special packages to Temari-sama."

That does it. "So what?!" I snapped. "I'll be staying there for a month. I'll have all the time to learn about Konoha and being a jounin!"

I noticed the way Kogure's eyes softened. He understood my pain and my curiosity. I always felt a special bond with Konoha. I couldn't describe it, but there was something there. I wanted to know why they were considered as the most powerful shinobi village in the world. I wanted to know how they became the most prosperous. I wanted to meet other ninja aside from the ones in Sunagakure. I wanted to know who the Hokage was and who his family was. I wanted to know why my mother turned her back to her village.

I wanted to know everything.

"Please hurry up," a cold voice said from behind me, "we would like to get to Konoha within two days."

I nearly lost my balance. Fortunately, Kogure was at my side, breaking my fall. I turned my head and saw the man with a raven mask behind me. I didn't even sense him there! How the hell - ?!

His blonde companion was a few paces in front of us. This man had raven hair that stuck out at the back. It reminded me briefly of a chicken's butt and I barely suppressed my giggle. Instead, I glared at the man and continued running. He was supposed to be one of my guards and yet he acts like he's special!

And because of that, I ran faster than anyone. I leapt from tree to tree without looking back. The arrogant bastard! I'll show him!

I'm known as the fastest kunoichi in Sunagakure. That was one of my talents aside from inheriting my father's skills. I inherited very little of my mother's inclination towards medical ninjutsu, and that was the reason why she would use it as punishment for me. Ayame was the one who showed talent for that certain subject while Yashamaru was brilliant in everything.

I shifted my gourd gingerly against my back. I could feel the sand shifting inside of it, making me realize that I was more tired than I let on. But I was unwilling to break my pace. My pride dictated that I go for the run without stopping. I won't stop until I reached Konoha. I had monstrous chakra reserves and boundless energy from being cooped up for so long. I wanted out and it showed.

"I know you want to get to Konoha as soon as possible but you don't have to murder all of us out of exhaustion!" I heard Kogure's angry voice from behind me.

And because of that, I landed on the grassy ground. Because I ran like a maniac, we were already inside the Fire country by sundown.

"Gomen!" I cheekily said as the other four shinobi landed near me. "Let's camp here for the night."

No one complained, save for the raven-haired Konoha nin who let out a 'tch'. I seriously wanted to pummel the man within an inch of his life.

Thankfully, there was a good blend of Gaara and Sakura inside of me. Though I had some of my mother's temper, I also had my father's restraint. Not to mention that the entire concept of going to Konoha was effectively decreasing my ire.

I was putting down my gourd as Hitomi set up our sleeping bags and Kogure made a fire. The raven-haired Konoha nin was already gone, making me wonder if he was doing a patrol of the surroundings. His blonde companion was sitting on a tree high above us, seemingly claiming that branch as his spot for the entire evening.

"Don't you want to sleep here?" I asked the ANBU.

He chuckled, much to my surprise. Suna ANBU were as silent as statues but this one wasn't. Maybe it was a trend in Konoha?

"I'm one of your guards, Karura-sama," he replied. "I'll look out for you from here."

I blushed. I really didn't like being protected. "Thanks," I forced out as I scratched the back of my head. "Where's that bastard you're with?"

The man spluttered. "B-bastard?! A-ah…"

"Yep, that bastard," I deadpanned.

"He's on patrol," he said after a moment's hesitation. "He'll be back after he surveys the perimeter."

"'Kay," I said, flopping down my sleeping bag and putting the covers around me.

"Ne," the blonde nin said, "is that gourd Gaara-sama's?"

"Once was," I answered. "He has a new one now. He gave it to me when I became a chuunin."

"Nice," was all he said before he became silent once again.

And at that instant, his companion appeared beside him on the branch.

"All is clear."

"Good. You on first watch?"

"Naturally." There was that arrogant tone again.

It bothered me that I couldn't see their faces. Suna ANBU also had masks but they only had one design – a plain black mask. The fearsome patterns of animals didn't suit me well. And it didn't help that I couldn't see their eyes.

I ignored my cowardly thoughts and let sleep consume me. We have an early start tomorrow as I insisted. I wanted to reach Konoha as soon as possible.

"How long 'til Konoha?" I breathed as I leapt from tree to tree.

As usual, I was at the front of the pack. The raven-haired bastard seemed to be pissed off with this but he let it slide. He wasn't allowed to attack his charge and it was obvious that his companion was holding him back. I never pass up the opportunity to annoy him with my travel skills. And it was also obvious that I was annoying the hell out of Hitomi, which was an added bonus to this. I was only feeling sorry for my cousin, Kogure, who was muttering profanities under his breath.

"An hour," the blonde ANBU replied. "Are you trying to break a record?"

"More like trying to break her legs," the bastard said.

Without realizing it, my hand moved on its own, throwing a couple of kunai towards the bastard who dared to insult me. Sometimes, I wondered if I had another entity inside of me that made me do things I don't usually do. Kind of like a tailed beast or a demon imbedded inside of me. My mother liked to call it my own personal, inner Sakura. Or Inner Karura. Whatever. I don't like it one bit.

Surprisingly, the ANBU pulled out a sword and deflected my attack without so much as a flinch. If only I could see his face, I just knew he was sporting an arrogant smirk. It would seem like an action true to his persona.

"I don't think it'll be wise if anyone died right now," Hitomi interjected. "Let's just get this over with, okay?"

"Why? You tired?" I mocked her, feeling a rivaling smirk mar my features.

"Tsk," Hitomi said. "Must you always act like such a child? We're both chuunin, for god's sake."

"If you're not careful with that smart mouth of yours, I'll become jounin before you."

And I found myself arguing with Hitomi for the rest of our travel. Only when an imposing wooden gate with the symbol of Konohagakure appeared in my line of vision did I stop and took in the wonder that is the Leaf village.

As our two guides talked to two of the Konoha guards on duty, my eyes surveyed the scenery before me. Konoha was the total opposite of Suna. Instead of plain brown and gold, there was a huge array of colors painted all over. I only knew what they were called but I have yet to see such shades splashed into one wondrous portrait. From where I stood, I could see different buildings of different designs. There was no distinctive form of architecture and it seemed that individuality was more of Konoha's style.

I could spot the Hokage's tower – the largest building in the entire area. Even though it seemed like the farthest structure, it could easily be seen, which was a testament as to how humongous the thing must be. I found my feet moving against their own will. I could barely hear Hitomi's and Kogure's footsteps as they hurried after me. I forgot all about the two ANBU accompanying us. I already knew where I would go

I would go to the place where all the guests of Konoha should go upon arrival.

The Hokage tower.

Different scents that I have never smelled before assaulted my nose. There were shops here and there, selling food and merchandise that could rarely be found in Suna. The rich greenery of the Fire Country provided the village with many products that could only be dreamt of in Suna's unforgiving climate and setting. I could briefly understand why my mother was grumpy. Leaving this place would surely make one miss it. There was something very homely and warm about Konoha and I was briefly ashamed by how I was belittling my own village. But still, I could be excused. It was my first time here after all.

"Wipe off that drool on your face," Kogure teased.

I ignored him. I was too happy to even be mad at that. So what if I drooled? The place was utterly drool-worthy.

"Are we going to stay with Temari-sama?" Hitomi asked.

"Yes," Kogure replied. "The Nara estate is huge enough to host even a horde of us. I thought you've been there before?"

"I never asked if we could fit," Hitomi dryly stated. "I only asked if we were going to stay at her house."

Kogure coughed, apparently trying to hide his embarrassment. "Temari-sama insisted, according to Gaara-sama."

"Hm," was all Hitomi said.

I ignored their banter. I didn't even know what my cousin saw in Hitomi but somehow, the helpless idiot had a crush on her. I smiled as laughing children ran past me, chasing one another energetically. There were a few ladies holding heaping bags of groceries while men went about their daily routine. A couple of shinobi could be seen walking around casually, relaxed and obviously on their day off. My companions and I earned curious looks from people and I could feel myself reddening slightly at their scrutiny. It wasn't like they hadn't seen Suna shinobi visit before. There was an open line of transport between the two villages after all.

It may be because of the giant gourd I carried around the back. It was obvious that I came here on another boat. I was someone important because the two people behind me were trailing me like any bodyguard would. It would seem that they recognized the artifact I carried around.

But I knew that they have never seen me before.

The Kazekage's daughter.

As I approached the building, I could see the Hokage mountain.

Surprisingly, there were seven faces.

I knew who the first six were.

The Shodaime Hokage, Senju Hashirama. He was known as the God of the Shinobi and the man who built Konoha. He was a Wood Element User and the man who stopped the warring states of olden times.

The Nidaime Hokage, Senju Tobirama. He was known as the man who conceptualized and strengthened the shinobi system. He was the greatest combatant of his time and the man who developed the kinjutsu, Edo Tensei.

The Sandaime Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen. He was the teacher of the first generation of the Legendary Sannin. He was the third man to be named as the God of the Shinobi, following Hashirama and the Rikudou Sennin.

The Yondaime Hokage, Namikaze Minato. He was dubbed as Konoha's Yellow Flash – the fastest man in history. Deemed as the hero of the world, he was also the one who defeated the Kyuubi and sealed it within his own son.

The Godaime Hokage, Senju Tsunade. She was one of the first generation Legendary Sannin and was the most powerful kunoichi. She was Hashirama's granddaughter and Sakura's master. She developed the system of medical ninjutsu.

But the other two faces…

I'm not sure what to make of them. I knew who the Rokudaime Hokage was but all the information I know ends there. I didn't know Konoha now had a Nanadaime Hokage, which would mean that…

No way.

"What's wrong?" Kogure asked.

I didn't realize that I stopped in my tracks.

"I something the matter?"

I turned around. I didn't realize that the two ANBU nin were with us. It was the blonde fellow who asked me.

I didn't hesitate. "Why are their seven Hokages? I thought - ?"

"Save your questions later," the raven-haired bastard cut me off. "The Hokage will answer them."

I resisted another mounting urge to murder the impertinent fucker. But before I could say anything, I noticed the slight hunch the other man's shoulders had taken. His head was tilted towards the mountain, seemingly observing it from behind his mask. There was a sadness looming over him before he shook his head and faced me.

"Raven's right," he said, the gentle voice I was accustomed to now gone. "Let's go to the Hokage tower. The Seventh must be worried."

I didn't push my questions further. There was something about my queries that seemed to offend these two people. I mentally groaned. Why is it that even now, people won't answer me? Do I have a sign on my forehead that says 'don't answer'?!

Come to think of it, I did inherit my mother's infamous forehead.

I followed the two silent Konoha shinobi towards the Hokage tower. Up a flight of stairs we all went, mindless of the sudden weight that has befallen our legs. I could sense my chakra flowing irregularly throughout my body. It screamed exhaustion and I just realized that I have pushed myself to the limits today just to show up some unworthy dick. But I persisted. After all these years, I would finally meet the Hokage. I would finally have answers to most of my questions.

"Excuse us," the blonde said as he knocked on the office door.

He opened it and I entered, bracing myself.

That was when a flash of yellow came across my vision and engulfed me in a constricting embrace.

"Karura!"

"Aunt Temari!" I exclaimed, hugging the woman back. "It's been too long!"

"Much too long!" Nara Temari almost yelled in my ear.

When she finally let go of me, I was able to see her better.

It's been four years since I last saw my aunt. The last time was when she visited Suna. She wasn't accompanied by her kids or her husband. She was sent on a mission and Suna happened to be along the way, so she opted to stop by with her genin team. It was strange to see my aunt, a born and bred Suna kunoichi wearing the Leaf standard and teaching Leaf students.

"Long time no see, Karura," a masculine voice said from behind Temari.

My eyes landed on two young men, both much, much taller than me. The one who greeted me had a big grin on his face. His hair was brown and spiked up. Before I knew it, he was ruffling the top of my head. The other one had the same hair color as my aunt tied to a ponytail that resembled a clump of weeds. He had a bored expression on his face and he merely sent me a small smile.

"A-are you…?" I started to say, and then before I knew it, I was leaping up to them. I didn't stop from engulfing them in the same manner my aunt did to me. "Shikaku! Asuma!"

Shikaku laughed. "Good of you to remember!"

"Troublesome," Asuma murmured.

"You're still the same as ever, Asuma," I said, laughing with Shikaku. "How are you guys? Where's Uncle Shikamaru?"

"Busy with stuff," Shikaku replied. "He's the Jounin Commander, you know."

"He is?!" I exclaimed. "I never knew."

"Of course you wouldn't," Temari venomously grumbled. "Your mother cooped you up in her little nest far too tightly."

"Aunt Temari," I said in warning. But I knew that my aunt had a point. My mother's protective nature and hatred for Konoha was unbelievable.

"Auntie," Kogure's whiny voice said from behind me.

"Kogure!" Temari said, pecking Kogure on the cheeks.

"You barely noticed me!" my cousin said with a pout.

"Well, I could see you as much as I want to," Temari justified. "But Karura is another case entirely."

"But still!"

"Stop being so noisy, Kogure. You're being too troublesome," Asuma said in his usual bored tone. I knew that he was his father's son through and through. I only met Nara Shikamaru once, but the man left a lasting impression to me. Beyond that eternal exterior of laziness was a staggering genius that I could only think of in my wildest fantasies. He was one of the reasons why Konoha was impenetrable – a genius strategist that was the most intelligent man in the entire shinobi world.

And it seemed that Asuma was following closely in those footsteps.

"You're also here, Hitomi-chan!" Temari added, patting the younger woman on the shoulders. "I see you've also brought your fan."

"I was hoping to learn from you, Temari-sama," Hitomi respectfully said. "I also want to train during my stay here."

"Of course, of course," Temari answered jovially. "I'll get you a boyfriend while we're at it!"

"Auntie!" Kogure exploded. "We're not here for boys – "

"Correction," their aunt said. "You're not here for boys. If you were, your father will be sorely disappointed in you!"

"THAT'S NOT WHAT I MEANT!"

"Hai, hai," Shikaku interrupted. "We're making a scene in front of the Hokage."

If Shikaku hadn't said what he said, I wouldn't have noticed that the most powerful man in Konoha was even in the room. My eyes landed on the figure seated on the imposing desk at the end of the room.

My eyes widened.

He was someone that I was very familiar with. But I didn't recognize him from the carving atop Hokage mountain.

The Nanadaime Hokage was seated on his chair, wearing black robes lined with white linings. Underneath was a dark blue shirt coupled with the standard shinobi black pants. When he stood up and went around his desk, I could see that at the hem of his robes were patterns of red fire. The Hokage's hat tied loosely on his side as he leaned against the edge of the table. He crossed his arms and looked at me with bottomless onyx pits that made me shiver involuntarily.

I knew him.

I knew him all too well.

He was one the second generation's Legendary Sannin.

A brief image flashed in my mind's eye – the faces on Mount Hokage.

The Rokudaime Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto. He was the most recent Hokage that I know of. He was the Hokage when I was born, according to my father. He was the savior of the world, like his own father, Namikaze Minato. He was the one who defeated Uchiha Madara and sealed the Ten-tails within himself. He was the reason why there was peace in the entire world. He was the pillar of the Shinobi Alliance. He was the Child of the Prophecy.

So why was this man the Hokage? Where was Naruto? Where was my mother's best friend?

The man standing before me as the Nanadaime Hokage was Uchiha Sasuke.

He was once part of my mother's genin team. He was the infamous Last Uchiha. He betrayed Konoha when he was younger and trained under Orochimaru himself. He later killed his master and joined the Akatsuki. He was the murderer of several powerful shinobi and had a bounty on his head as one of the most sought-after nuke-nin along with his own brother, Uchiha Itachi. However, both of the brothers were redeemed when they played crucial roles in the war. Sasuke himself helped save the world from Uchiha Madara. He was one of the celebrated heroes of the war.

But I never knew. I never realized that he could be the Hokage.

Which meant that either Naruto abandoned his duties or died.

But from what I learned from my mother about Naruto (the only person she fondly spoke of in Konoha) and from what I have read in books, he wasn't the type to abandon his duties. His sole drive in life is to become the Hokage.

So why?

Does that mean that he's dead?

"Welcome to Konoha," Uchiha Sasuke spoke, effectively breaking my reverie.

"A-ah," I stammered. "T-thank you."

The Uchiha smirked at my antics. "I hope you enjoy your stay here. I have assigned mentors for you as the Kazekage requested. I'm sure you'll learn a whole lot more than you ever have here in Konoha."

The pride, bordering on arrogance, in his statement was unmistakable. There was something definitely unsettling about him. Was he the reason why my mother didn't want me to approach him?

I knew that my worries were baseless. There was no way that a village as prestigious as Konoha would proclaim someone suspicious as their Hokage. There were reasons (and valid ones) as to why Uchiha Sasuke was now the leader of the Leaf. And if he had assumed the position for years now, it meant that he had established his reputation well.

"He's gonna stay with me, Hokage-sama," Temari spoke from beside me, surprising me at the seriousness and respect that was coming from my aunt.

Sasuke nodded. "If that's what you wish."

"Thank you for having me," I said, shaking myself out of my stupor. There was no use being rattled and being disrespectful towards my host.

"Hn," Sasuke said, his scrutiny bothering the hell out of me.

"Sasuke-kun."

The soft, feminine voice alerted me to a new presence in the room. It seemed that there was another door in the office – one that connected to an unknown area of the office.

Out came a beautiful woman wearing the standard Konoha jounin uniform. She had long, midnight blue hair that reached down her back. Her hair was layered and framed her face artfully, making me insanely jealous as to how she maintained such tame and shining locks. Her overall demeanor was gentle and refined, making me wonder if she was truly a shinobi. She seemed to be someone who was born from nobility.

The unsettling thing about her was her eyes – white and pupil-less.

I read about something like this before.

"Hey."

I was floored. I never thought something as informal as that could ever come out of the Uchiha Sasuke's mouth. He swept across the room and met the woman, giving her a kiss on the forehead. I almost blushed because I felt like I was intruding on some weird, intimate moment.

At the same time, three people strolled in from behind the woman.

Two of them were teenaged boys. They were both wearing the Konoha symbol on their forehead bands, which meant that they were shinobi. One had unruly black hair and the same white eyes as the woman. The other had brown hair with the same white eyes. The third person was a girl with blue hair and onyx eyes.

"What are you all doing here?" Sasuke asked.

"I thought we'd welcome our guests," the woman responded, giving me a gentle smile which I found myself returning without any hesitation.

Sasuke turned to me after he followed the woman's gaze. Then, he spoke, "This is my wife, Uchiha Hinata and these are my children – Naruto, Neji, and Mikoto."

My eyes widened, momentarily forgetting my manners. Naruto? Uchiha Sasuke had a son named Naruto?!

"N-nice meeting you," I choke out.

"Hey, where're the ANBU escorting us earlier?" I heard Hitomi whisper behind my back.

"I don't know," Kogure replied. "Konoha ANBU are really creepy, so don't worry about them."

"Nice meeting you too, Karura-chan," Uchiha Hinata said, moving towards me and placing gentle hands on my head. I was surprised. I have never encountered a woman with such a warm, magnetic presence. She was the complete opposite of her husband, if I do say so myself. But I'll never utter these words aloud unless I wanted the Hokage's wrath.

"Very well then," Sasuke interrupted us. "I'll introduce you to your trainer during your stay here."

My confused thoughts immediately went on high alert. "Hai!"

"Come on in."

The two ANBU that were with us earlier came through the door Sasuke's family appeared from. I immediately felt cold sweep down my back.

No frigging way!

The two young men removed their masks.

My eyes immediately flew to the smiling blonde man. He had a remarkable resemblance to the Yondaime Hokage, which I have seen before in pictures in my history books. He had the same cerulean eyes, same hairstyle, and same overall bearing.

And then there was the other boy – the bastard. He was the spitting image of the Hokage – same hairstyle, same onyx eyes, same build. He was wearing an arrogant smirk on his face, like the one I imagined.

"These are my sons," Sasuke said. "Minato and Itachi. From here on out, Itachi will be your teacher."

I stared at the man named after the former Akatsuki member. All thoughts flew from my head as I began to grind my teeth in annoyance. There was no way I'll submit to this cocky fucker. I didn't have time to wonder why Sasuke's other son looked nothing like him or his wife. I didn't have time to wonder why exactly my mother was so against me meeting this seemingly normal family.

All I knew for sure was that I hated the fact that I had to be trained under Uchiha Itachi.

That's it for now! First time writing in first person perspective, so forgive me if I seem amateurish. Hope you be kind to me and leave a review. And I apologize if I keep on posting new stories. Plot bunnies biting my liver in my sleep.