Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything associated with it. All rights to Naruto belong to Masashi Kishimoto and the other proper entities.

Summary: Sasuke leans away as the girl turns to him, and his mother doesn't need to be any closer to guess as to the expression on his face. The girl's body language changes in an instant, and Mikoto recognises the posture of a little girl in love. It's kind of adorable.

Rating: K

Genre: Friendship/Romance

Pairings: SasuSaku

Hatsukoi

Chapter One

Sasuke is mutely horrified when his mother mentions inviting his genin squad for tea when he gets home after Kakashi's bell test. He stares at Mikoto in disbelief after she has gently wheedled a promise out of him to extend her invitation the next time his squad is assembled, as if just realising what he has agreed to. Itachi chuckles to her left, and she is amused as her youngest almost flees to his bedroom. Regardless, Mikoto hums to herself in satisfaction, knowing that her son will not go back on his promise. It might take him a while to act on it, but he'll invite them eventually.

She reminds him of said promise two days later, watching the way he freezes when she brings it up at breakfast. Sasuke makes a noncommittal noise.

"And your sensei is…?" Fugaku, who has been out of the village for the past week, prods. He arrived late in the night, and has not yet caught up on the events in his youngest's life. He had not been present for his graduation day, which she knew had hurt the boy, despite the fact that he hadn't uttered a word of complaint.

"Hatake Kakashi." Sasuke answers promptly, as his father has trained him from birth.

Fugaku nods in approval. Sasuke eyes him with a question, but doesn't get a chance to ask it before Itachi is pointing out the time; Sasuke will be late for his very first mission if he doesn't leave soon. After his brother is out the door, Itachi muses to himself, "It'll be good for him to have friends his own age."

Mikoto privately agrees, though Fugaku shoots him a look loaded with disapproval. As far as her husband is concerned, Shisui's and Itachi's ages aren't an impediment to their being appropriate company for his youngest, despite the fact that they are both grown men. Mikoto recognises the need for training, but it would be nice if Sasuke was able to have fun like a normal boy once in a while. She had tolerated Fugaku's military-like monopolisation of Itachi's time as a child, due to his position as heir to the clan, but she has always wanted her second son to have as normal a childhood as possible.

She isn't surprised that Sasuke hasn't extended her invitation yet. It has been a week since he was assigned to Team 7, and though Sasuke doesn't utter a word of complaint to anyone but his elder brother, she knows that he is frustrated.

She had been wistful when she learned that Kushina's son was placed on the same team, remembering their old wish for their sons to become friends. Uzumaki Naruto has clearly inherited his mother's temper, she thinks fondly as she watches her son and the blonde argue down by the riverbank. They're cleaning trash out of the water today. They haven't noticed her watching them from the bridge yet, and she allows a smile to creep along her face as she watches Naruto try to dunk Sasuke under the water and get thrown at least five feet for his trouble.

She doesn't notice the single kunoichi on the team immediately, which is surprising given her colouring. The pink-haired girl enters her field of view as she stalks over to the bickering boys and smacks Naruto upside the head. Sasuke leans away as the girl turns to him, and his mother doesn't need to be any closer to guess as to the expression on his face. The girl's body language changes in an instant, and Mikoto recognises the posture of a little girl in love.

It's kind of adorable.

"They're a pain in the ass." She had sensed Kakashi approach her. He comes to stand at her side, finger keeping his place in whatever novel he is reading as he follows her gaze.

Mikoto looks at him askance. "It must be hard for you," she ventures, "to train Namizake-sama's son." She knew that Naruto's father had been Kakashi's own sensei as a child.

Kakashi snorted. "He reminds me more of Kushina." He admitted.

Mikoto's smile returns. "He does seem to have a temper."

"So does that boy of yours."

Mikoto sniffs, motherly pride wounded. Still, she agrees with the sentiment. An entire childhood living in the shadows of literal geniuses and fighting tooth and nail for his father's approval has left her son somewhat unhappy. No matter that he was advanced compared to his own agemates, Sasuke still lived with an elder brother who was being groomed for ANBU at the same age that he himself had managed to graduate from the academy, whose best friend had awakened the mangekyō sharingan at the tender age of eleven.

"Actually, so does the girl. All three of them are prone to bickering." Kakashi muses conversationally. "It's a miracle they passed Minato-sensei's test. I should have sent them back to the Academy."

"They're children." Mikoto dismisses it with a wave of the hand. "They'll grow out of it with time."

"Maybe." He allows, looking at her from his one visible eye. She imagines the red of the sharingan peering at her from under the hitai-ate slanted across his face, and feels a pang at the thought of Obito. She had barely known him, but his sister has become a good friend in recent years, and she misses her brother very much. "What can I do for you?" He asks cheerfully. "I can't imagine you came all this way just to watch a bunch of genin splash in the water."

Mikoto laughs a little. "Actually, I was just passing on my way to the markets when I noticed the boys in the river." She admits. "Although, while I've got you here, I was hoping to invite you and the children over for tea when your mission is over. I asked Sasuke to extend the invitation last week, but knowing him he's not gotten around to it yet."

Kakashi shakes his head. "They won't be fit to visit the Uchiha main house this afternoon. They'd track mud all over the tatami." He remarks. "I can angle for a less messy mission next time, though." He shrugs.

"That would be lovely." Mikoto nods.

Kakashi is conspicuously absent when Sasuke grudgingly brings his teammates to the family home the next week. He shoots his mother an expression of such pure betrayal that she almost laughs in his face as she welcomes their guests.

Naruto is almost exactly like Kushina had been at twelve; all mouth and very little practical talent to back it up. She smiles fondly as she shepherds the children to the family's sitting room. Naruto has already picked a fight with Sasuke about something or other that happened on the mission, and Mikoto gently reprimands her son when he bites back. Naruto, clearly, just wants attention. She hasn't seen much of him over the years, but she remembers when word got out that Kushina was a jinchūriki—it's likely he's suffered just as much isolation and mistrust as his mother had. Only, for the son, there has clearly been no kind Minato who looked beyond all of that.

She feels a little shame when he smiles at her for defending him. If it hadn't been for the Hokage's decree that Naruto's parentage and status as the vessel of the kyūbi was to remain a secret to the boy, she might have kept more of an eye out for her friend's son. No matter what her husband thought. Fugaku still wasn't impressed that Naruto had been put on Sasuke's team; old prejudices died hard.

The girl, Sakura, is plainly trying to be on her best behaviour. She sits straight, sips at her tea, and speaks only when spoken to, though Naruto is clearly causing her some internal strife as he prattles on, informing Mikoto of her son's aloof behaviour on missions. Mikoto asks her questions about her family and finds out she's a second generation shinobi, though her parents never made it past genin. She seems a smart, sweet girl, and Mikoto likes her. The genin's eyes keep flicking to Sasuke, who is seated on her left, and her cheeks flush when he catches her. The fact that she's utterly besotted with him warms Mikoto's heart, even as it makes her son uncomfortable.

And Sasuke clearly is uncomfortable, but manners prevent him from leaving. Instead, he sits utterly still and tries to disappear on the spot, and Mikoto lets him be. Sasuke is more comfortable around members of the clan, like his brother or his older cousins. Being forced to interact with the village at large will be good for him, but it will be some time before he drops the broody attitude he drapes around himself like armour.

"Ah, Shisui told me we had company this afternoon."

Itachi strolls into the room carrying a shopping bag an hour into the visit, and Sasuke's posture visibly relaxes. He shifts over to make room for his brother, but is utterly scandalized when Itachi chooses the empty spot on Sakura's left, sitting between her and Naruto. "You must be Naruto-kun and Sakura-chan. I'm Itachi, Sasuke's brother." He says as he rummages through his purchases, nodding at them both in turn. He places two boxes of dango on the table, within reach of everyone. "I thought I'd pick up a little something for our guests, Okaa-san. I know you don't approve of too many sweets, but it is a special occasion, after all."

Sasuke wrinkles his nose at the offering, and Itachi raises an eyebrow. He knows Sasuke doesn't like sweets. But the other two children chorus their thanks and tuck in—Naruto with far more gusto than Sakura—and nothing more is said. Mikoto has the distinct impression that Itachi has just ingratiated himself to Naruto for the rest of his life, if the way he lights up when Itachi ruffles his hair is any indication. Sasuke makes an unhappy noise but says nothing.

The next hour passes pleasantly, and the sun is just beginning to set when Mikoto makes Sasuke walk their guests out to the main gate of the Uchiha compound. Itachi is grinning in a mischievous way that she seldom sees on his face anymore, but the reason for his amusement isn't addressed until a sulky Sasuke returns.

The younger brother is dutifully helping their mother clear away the tea things when Itachi begins conversationally, "So. It appears you have an admirer, little brother."

Mikoto laughs outright at the embarrassed blush creeping up the back of Sasuke's neck. "She's lovely, Sasuke." She says kindly. "And Naruto seems… spirited."

"Naruto is an idiot." Sasuke grits his teeth. "And she's… annoying." He marches into the kitchen without another word, and the sound of the faucet being turned on tells them that he won't return for a little while yet.

"High praise." Itachi remarks casually to his mother, who laughs again.