Work Text:
There is no way that Sakura’s stupid plan is going to work. Still he finds himself being dragged along; and he will never admit it out loud but he doesn’t really bother to put up that much of a fight. “Kakashi-sensei.” He stares down at the man draped across the couch re-reading those damned Icha Icha books for probably the hundredth time.
“Maa, what do you need Sasuke?” Kakashi’s attention remains focused on his book but the young Uchiha knows Kakashi is listening.
He rolls his eyes and huffs, “I was wondering if you would help me train after lunch.” Kakashi’s eye drifts over to him before glancing at the clock.
“And let me guess, you want to drag me out to lunch to make sure I actually show up on time is that it?” Sasuke feels his cheeks heat a little and leans back, he knew this wouldn’t work Kakashi is already suspicious, Naruto should have been the one do this. He starts thinking of ways to salvage this so he doesn’t have to listen to Naruto and Sakura whining about him ‘not trying’ for the next month. The snapping sound of Kakashi’s book closing a little too quickly makes him jump. “Alright then, lets go.”
Sasuke stares for a moment in disbelief, there is no way that this should have been so easy. Not for him anyway, maybe for Naruto with his ridiculous demands to train at all hours of the day, or for Sakura who has puppy eyes that can crumble the defenses of even the most battle hardened shinobi. He lets out a breath and tries not to think about it, either way he did what he was supposed to.
Strolling through the street is nerve wracking because he knows that Sakura should be here anytime. He just hopes this plan won’t backfire. A flash of pink eases his nerves and he realizes a little too late that his tense silence has put the Jonin trailing lazily behind him on edge as well. He huffs, this might be more difficult than he thought.
“Sasuke-kun!” He winces as Sakura calls out to him and he glances over to see her waving with Kurenai standing behind her looking rather amused. He sighs and heads toward them, part of him is glad that Sakura can take the reigns but the rest of him is terrified because he has no idea what the plan is. “Kakashi-sensei, going out for lunch?”
“Seems so, what about you and Kurenai?” Sasuke watches the two Jonin-senseis share a look. He has the feeling that an entire conversation just happened.
“We were going out so that Kurenai-sensei could tell me more about genjutsu, not that you’re not a good teacher Sensei, I just wanted another perspective and Kurenai-sensei offered to help me! Isn't that exciting?” Sakura throws a bright smile in their direction just as Naruto and Ino round the corner at a sprint.
“Sakura, Sasuke we have a crisis and need help!” Sasuke raises an eyebrow questioning the idiot that he mentally refers to as his best friend, but one glance at Sakura tells him that this is all part of the plan. She rushes over quickly asking what happened, Ino whispers to her and the Uchiha shifts his attention to the Jonin behind them who look quite amused by this entire thing. He can tell Kakashi is humoring them and already probably knows they are up to something.
“Sorry Kurenai-sensei, looks like I have to go.” She grabs Sasuke’s arm as if saying ‘he does too’ before throwing a hopeful look at Kakashi-sensei. “Maybe you and Kakashi-sensei could grab lunch, I would feel bad if I brought you out here and you didn’t even get lunch out of it.” Kakashi and Kurenai share another look before Kakashi sighs as his eye crinkles up in a telltale smile - he probably knows that if he fights it Sakura would bring out the puppy dog eyes.
“Of course, shall we Kurenai?” Kurenai nods and smiles softly in a way that is so her Sasuke can’t even describe it, he knows then that this plan will never work. Kurenai is to soft, that is of course not to say she can’t be pushy, but Sasuke can see very clearly that she and Kakashi would never work. He rolls his eyes as Sakura drags him away; most likely to do a loop around the block then follow their sensei to wherever he takes Kurenai.
“Up to something are they?” Kakashi sighs as he sits down across from Kurenai, he looks up to see the way she glances out the window taking in the sight of his team and one of Asuma’s students watching them intently. They need to put more work into subtlety.
“Looks that way. I overheard them the other day talking about how I am not seeing anyone and need a girlfriend.” He huffs and leans back in his chair. Kurenai snickers and shakes her head.
“Well I supposed they need something to do with their time.” Kakashi frowns, Kurenai takes far too much amusement in this.
“I just wish they weren’t trying to play matchmaker, but even Sasuke seems to be in on it so it can’t be too bad.” It’s true, he worries about the youngest Uchiha, wonders what he could have done to save Itachi, prays that he can save Sasuke. He can put up with their mischief for a few days so long as it draws Sasuke out of his shell, makes Naruto grin the way Minato-sensei used too, gets Sakura to pull them all together they way only she seems able to do.
Kurenai gives a nod, she has known him long enough, and taken a few ANBU missions with him, she knows, understands what runs through his mind. She smiles. “You never know Kakashi, they might actually find someone who will put up with you.” He rolls his eye and Kurenai laughs. He decides to change topics.
“So how are your students doing?” As with any Jonin-sensei that quickly changes the conversation to stories of ridiculous things their students have done. Surprisingly lunch isn’t a total disaster and he is reminded of the fact that he actually does have friends, even if he doesn’t always want them.
If only he had known a few days becomes weeks.
Sakura paces and Ino sits on the couch giving the ninken belly rubs, Naruto has started making ramen in the kitchen, Sasuke should probably go help him before he ruins more of Kakashi-sensei’s pots. Instead Sasuke waits patiently for one of them to realise what he already knows. Kakashi and Kurenai won't work. After a moment Sakura slows before flopping down on top of Bull. “Kurenai-sensei is too nice!” Ino nods in agreement.
“I could have told you that kid.” Pakkun grumbles from somewhere under the pile of dogs fighting for the Yamanaka heiress’ attention.
Ino hums quietly and Sasuke for a moment forgets why they even brought her along in the first place, before remembering she is only here for the drama, and some bullshit about True Love, Sasuke scoffs. “We need someone else,” Ino says while glancing around. “Any ideas?”
Naruto comes bounding out of the kitchen his eyes sparkling with determination. Sasuke rises from his spot on the floor and heads for the kitchen, Bisuke following close on his heels. He tends to the ramen that the idiot almost burned while listening to them discuss who should be the next person they match with Kakashi. Finally they settle on the tokubetsu Jonin Anko. Sasuke can already tell that will end miserably.
As soon as the ramen is done and the group of them eat Ino and Sakura start planning. Sasuke sighs.
Trying to set Anko and Kakashi up is a lot harder than any of them had anticipated, seeing as none of them really have any reason to talk to her or know much about her outside of having seen her and Kakashi talking every once in awhile in the mission room. After a few weeks of failed attempts Sasuke grows tired of them bickering over how to solve their problem, so Sasuke decides to deal with it himself.
“Anko-san. May I please speak with you?” Beside him Naruto’s jaw drops and Sakura chokes on air. The Jonin turns to him and tilts her head to the side before giving a grin that unnerves him just a little and humming.
“I don’t see why not. Sasuke right?” He nods and his team seems to begin regaining their composure just as Ino shows up. “What can I do for you kiddos.”
“Go out on a date with Kakashi-sensei.” Once again his teammates sputter and choke, and Ino makes a noise like a dying bird. He ignores them in favor of watching the Jonin flash through a few facial expressions before settling on one; delight.
“I would love to kid, but,” she snickers. “I don’t think your Sensei would be very interested in me.” Sasuke feels his face contort in confusion and Anko just laughs.
Sakura is the first to recover, “wait, what is that supposed to mean?”
Ino gets this light in her eye and snaps her fingers. “He’s gay!” She grabs Sakura’s arm- who has gone strangely silent - and turns to the boys with a grin. “Let’s go, this is a whole new game.” She turns and drags a stunned Sakura behind her while throwing a wave back at Anko. “Thank-you Anko-san!”
The Uchiha heaves a sigh and nods at Anko before turning to his teammate and dragging the blond away in the opposite direction. The girls will come up with a plan but for now Sasuke doesn’t want to think about it. If the way that Naruto’s three brain cells seem to struggle to comprehend the situation says anything he doesn’t either.
Iruka-sensei doesn’t work, Naruto interrupts them halfway through lunch screaming about how Iruka is too pure. Kakashi finds it amusing Iruka doesn’t, even so it isn’t bad. He just adds it to the ever growing list of stupid things Naruto has done. He walks Iruka home and is a perfect gentleman but they are both just humoring the students. Iruka is attractive, definitely so but Kakashi knows the man wouldn’t be down for a quick fuck, and a relationship most likely wouldn’t last. (Not to mention the threats from Anko aren't worth it.)
Going out with Asuma turns out much the same as going out with Kurenai, although they end up in a bar and not a restaurant. The two of them spend most of their time talking about their teams and how his little ducklings have dragged one of Asuma’s students into their mischief.
After that they seem to give up on stalking these ‘dates’ and settle for simply setting them up, and making sure he attends. Kakashi thanks every god he can think of.
Genma is next and that’s an enjoyable time, even if it isn’t what his students would have wanted, they go for drinks, and after a few drinks end up at Genma’s place. It isn’t the first time he has slept with the man (not with the way the tokubetsu jonin flirts with practically anything that moves) and it probably won’t be the last. Although it also reminds the copy-nin that he hasn’t really done anything exciting or seen anyone now that he has students to look after, that's not to say that they won’t be fine for a night or two on their own.
How they convince Ebisu to go for dinner with him is beyond him but he will bet Sakura had to pull out The Look, either way it’s awkward and definitely the worst ‘date’ of the lot. Still when they part ways later in the evening he feels like he knows the other jonin just a little better.
By the time they get around to Gai he can tell they are running out of ideas, either way what was supposed to be lunch and training turns into a series of challenges each growing more intense than the last. It’s fun, although he will never admit it. The awe and glee on the faces of his students as he and Gai make each challenge more ridiculous than the last is certainly amusing. Even so he can tell that they will be giving up soon, Naruto has lost interest and Sakura is growing frustrated, and he isn’t sure that Sasuke was ever here for anything other than to avoid being hounded by Sakura. The only one still convinced that Kakashi needs a significant other is Ino and well it’s Ino so she could be interested in the topic of Kakashi’s love life until one of them dies.
It becomes obvious that they have run out of willing or fitting candidates after Gai because it is strangely silent for a few weeks, he is relieved that he can finally go back to regular life and not be worried about being asked out in the middle of the mission room or tricked into going on a ‘blind date’. And so things return to peace, or as peaceful as they can get with his team.
“I give up, there is no one!” Sakura flops onto the bed ignoring Akino’s yelped protest as she lays on him.
“Yeah, I hate to say it but I think it’s hopeless.” Ino seems genuinely sad about that but Sasuke just hopes that they will stop trying. They have wasted so much time on this already.
He is more than relieved when they find no other candidates, maybe now they can get back to training and take some missions.
Sasuke misses the last few weeks of shenanigans, why is it that Team Seven always gets the mission gone wrong? He leans out from behind the tree searching for any signs of the missing nin that showed up or Kakashi-sensei. There is nothing. He can’t even see Sakura or Naruto. This is bad.
The forest has gone eerily still, he leans back and lets the world bleed into a familiar red, it will drain his chakra and he will have to be quick but he can’t risk missing something, being taken by surprise. Studying his surroundings with the sharingan is far quicker. There is still nothing, so doubling back on his own tracks he makes for where the four of them had initially split up when they had been ambushed, it's a risky move but it will give him a better chance of finding Sakura or Naruto. And if there is one thing that Kakashi-sensei has drilled into their heads it would be that you never abandon your team, that there is better chances of survival in groups.
He knows that finding Kakashi will be a lost cause, the man had probably redirected the fighting as far from his students as he could, that doesn’t eliminate the possibility of someone breaking off from the fight to come looking for them though.
He needs a plan, Sakura will probably be too shaken to start forming one and Naruto probably has no clue where to even start. Fist step, find the team. Stepping out of the tree line and into the clearing they had stopped at for a short break leaves him yet again at a loss for what to do. After a moment he heads off in the direction that Sakura darted off to when Kakashi called for them to run. Once he is back in the trees her tracks are easy to find. She must have been more panicked than he first thought.
Sakura’s tacks are uneven and don’t even look like she bothered to hide them, even without the sharingan he probably would have been able to follow them. Although after a while they stop and he has to wonder if she started to hide them or just took to the trees.
He starts to search the area for anything that might indicate where she went. When he does find her he will admit she managed to hide herself well, he almost would have missed her if he hadn’t basically tripped into the hole she had slipped into. In all honesty he is a bit too big to fit all the way into it but the green eyes staring back at him reveals that Sakura is just small enough to have crawled into it.
“Sasuke?” Her voice cracks on the the last syllable of his name and he reaches his hand closer to her to help draw her out but she seems hesitant.
“Yeah.” Her fingers clasp around his and she drags herself out of the little nook.
“Where is Naruto?”
“I didn’t see him on the way over here.” Her grip tightens and Sasuke can see the way she shakes, can feel it. They need a plan, but she isn’t in a condition to do much; too emotionally shaken.
“We were almost home.” Sakura’s voice is barely a whisper, it’s true, they had only stopped for the night because they were almost home. They all knew that if they traveled quickly they could have been home within another hour or so but their complaints had make Kakashi cave and agree to stop for the night.
“Anbu.” They are close enough to the village there should be patrols somewhere. The look his teammate gives is enough to understand she needs clarification. “There are Anbu patrols once we hit a certain point near the village, if we can find an Anbu squad they might be able to help us.” He explains. Her eyes light up with new found determination as a clear course of action is decided on.
“Okay, how do we get their attention?” That is a good question. He thinks back on Itachi’s time as an Anbu, he had never really paid any attention (aside from learning the fastest way to find his brother in practically any situation), he wishes now that he had. They sit there for a moment, then Sakura hums. “Some Anbu use bird calls, or whistling to get attention from other squads maybe that will work?” Sasuke isn’t sure but he will bet it will, usually Anbu are watching everywhere, any noise out of place should grab their attention.
“I guess we will find out.” Sakura nods, the shaking has stopped and she seems to have calmed a bit. He knows some of the routes they take so it should be easy to find someone.
“What about Naruto?” Sasuke winces, he hadn’t thought of that, the idiot will probably be fine. He’s like a cockroach, impossible to kill. Still the image of Kakashi and Sakura standing in front of the Memorial Stone flashes in the back of his mind. He sighs weighing the options, one of them needs to go find him. He is quick and far more capable in the case there are problems along the way, Sakura is slower but she is better at moving through the trees. Besides she doesn’t know the patrol routes, not the way he does, she would have to rely on vague direction and luck. In all honesty the faster they get skilled shinobi to assist them the better.
“Do you think you can find him?” She looks nervous for a second but then nods, she must have come to a similar conclusion. “Good, cover your tracks, go slow be thorough, don’t be afraid to stop and hide if you hear something strange.” He parrots the basic search and rescue rules that Iruka-sensei taught. He doesn’t want to send her off into the forest on her own while there are missing nin crawling around but he doesn’t have a choice, besides she is smart, and as long as she isn’t panicked she should be able to hide her tracks well enough. She nods and then is off, darting through the branches.
He lets out a breath and heads towards the village. He doesn’t bother trying to be stealthy, the faster they get help the better, besides if someone is following him they will hopefully be walking right into a squad of Konoha’s elite. He pushes himself to run faster knowing he is still a fair ways away from regular patrol areas. Along the way he tries to make as much noise as possible.
He counts the minutes in his head as he watches the blur of the forest become more familiar. One, Sakura will be fine. Two, he is not moving fast enough. Three, focus on the plan. Four, Naruto is too stubborn to die. Five, run faster. Six, focus on the ground don’t fall. Seven, this should be close enough. Eight, hope. Nine, silence. Ten, Panic.
He stops paying attention and trips. A hand wrapped around his arm stops him from hitting the ground. He twist to see a white painted mask staring down at him. Eleven, relief. He lets out a breath and lets the Anbu haul him into an upright position. The blank cat mask staring at him makes him realize that they are waiting on an explanation. “I’m Sasuke Uchiha, member of Team Seven, we were ambushed and split up, we need help.” There is a silent nod and then the trees are shifting and he watches a few Anbu pass in a blur. He turns to follow them and Cat stops him a firm hand on his shoulder. He shakes his head and pulls away. “I’m going, they’re my team.” There is a pause and then the man lets out an audible sigh. Sasuke grins knowing he has won this argument. That grin slips off his face when he is hoisted over the man’s shoulder. “Wh-” He can’t get a complaint out before they are moving through the trees.
Sitting in a waiting room is miserable. Judging by Naruto’s loud complaining the blond agrees. The nurse finally comes out of the room and leaves the door open behind her. “Alright, you should be fine to go in and see him now, be careful we don’t want him to pull his stitches.” Sakura is the first one in the room, by the time Sasuke makes it into the room she has thrown herself at Kakashi and started crying.
Kakashi-sensei looks a little lost as he pats her head trying to assure her that everything is alright. Naruto is strangely quiet as he pulls a chair up to the bed. And Sasuke, well he honestly doesn’t know what he feel. He thinks he can hear Kakashi’s voice telling him concern for someone else is good, but he still hears a whisper at the back of his mind telling him it is weakness, that voice sounds an awful lot like the brother he lost.
So he hovers in the doorway, unsure, as Sakura finally calms, and Kakashi-sensei praises them for their quick thinking. He hovers in the doorway while Sakura and Naruto start trying to give Kakashi-sensei hugs without jostling him too much. He wonders, if they weren’t here, Team Seven, would anyone be? Would Sensei be all alone here? The shock across Kakashi’s face when Sakura offers to do things for him gives Sasuke an answer. He doesn’t know if that makes it better or worse.
Naruto and Sakura leave after a while, they are going to get ramen, they ask if he wants to go with them. Sasuke declines, he needs some time to figure out some things, so he stays with Kakashi-sensei. The man has long since fallen asleep again (with only slight amounts of nagging). Sasuke sighs and lets his brain reworks through the last twenty-four hours.
The click of the door startles him, the idiots must be back. He looks up but instead of his team mates he is looking at an Anbu with a familiar cat mask. He tenses up and stares, the Anbu does the same. There is an awkward moment where the Anbu looks as though they are going to leave. Sasuke sits there, unsure of what is happening. He is about to say something when Kakashi-sensei shifts slightly.
“Tenzou?” The mask shifts from staring in Sasuke’s direction toward Kakashi.
“Hai Senpai.” Sasuke tenses at the exasperation and fondness in that voice. They seem rather familiar with one another.
“Have you come to take care of me in my moments of weakness like a good little Kouhai?” Kakashi asks quietly. His voice is teasing but it has a softness that Sasuke rarely hears, more often than not it is reserved for Sakura’s bad days, or when someone looks at Naruto with fear sprawled across their face, or even more rare, when Sasuke wakes up and is willing to admit he had a nightmare, blood soaking into the earth and a monster in his older brothers skin.
The Anbu, Tenzou, scoffs. “You need to be more careful Senpai. You are lucky your students came to get us, you could have died.” Sasuke catches the seriousness in Tenzou’s voice and suddenly feels like he is intruding. On that note he gets up with hopes to slip out unnoticed. The man in the mask lets him past with a simple nod and if Kakashi notices him leaving he doesn't say anything.
The idea hits him the next time he talks with Ino, a few weeks after Kakashi-sensei is cleared for light duty. He really doesn’t know why he didn’t think of it sooner with the way that their interaction had been. The softness in Kakashi's voice, the way that Tenzou had been quick to call him out. Maybe, just maybe this one will work. He knows that Sakura and Naruto will think he is crazy so he goes about it alone. Like any mission it starts with research, he needs to find out more about Tenzou.
So he starts with Bisuke, “Hey,” he asks in the middle of the night, “do you know a Tenzou?”
Bisuke sniffs and his head pokes up from beneath Sasuke’s blanket. “Tenzou? The nice one?” He asks over a yawn.
“Nice one?” He repeats confused.
Bisuke snuggles back under bedding and Sasuke has to strain to hear the muffled response, “yeah, he brings us treats, and he always has the bosses back.”
Sasuke goes to ask for more but Bisuke has already returned to sleep. He sighs and tries to sleep himself.
The next conversation is with Pakkun.
“You wanna know about Tenzou? He is an Anbu that was on the bosses team and the two get along pretty well I guess.” Pakkun pauses before looking up at Sasuke. “Hold on why do you want to know?” Sasuke shrugs trying to play it off as curiosity, he knows it didn’t work, even so the ninken just sits down and sighs. “He’s got guts, but he is still kind of a push over until things get serious. But he complains and Kakashi actually listens. Hope that helps you kid, and you didn’t hear it from me.”
And with that Pakkun is gone, distracted by the sound of Sakura coming home.
He tries to ask others but the answers are either non-existent or way too cryptic.
That's fine though, now Sasuke needs to plan.
Three weeks, it's been three weeks and he still can’t come up with something. The main issue stems from the fact that he doesn’t really know Tenzou, all he knows is the mask, and that is no help. Finally as with most things he gets frustrated and just fucking gives up on subtle.
This is how he ends up at the Anbu HQ at 1:30 in the afternoon on a Tuesday. He doesn’t hesitate before entering, someone with a bird mask gives him a strange look, he ignores him and heads straight for the woman in the wolf mask sitting at a desk sorting papers (probably mission files), and politely calls out to her. “Wolf-san, I am sorry to interrupt your work but do you have a moment to answer a few questions for me?” Her head snaps up at the question and for a moment her eyes are wide as if she had seen a ghost, he rolls his eyes (despite what others believe his family did teach him proper manners).
“Uchiha-san, You do realize you shouldn’t know what this building is for, correct?” Her tone is soft and nothing at all like you would expect based on the mask. He huffs, it’s almost like they forget that he would come here as a child, sure he never actually came in but he would wait outside for Ita-
He stops that thought there.
“Yes, but this is important, please I just have two questions Wolf-san.” He pulls out the ‘cute card’ that he almost had forgotten he knew how to do. He leans in on himself a little to appear smaller and lets his feet shift nervously as if he is shy. When he looks up at her with wide eyes she sighs.
“You Uchiha always getting what you want.” She leans back in the chair looking back to her work and motions for him to ask his questions. He feels something like triumph settle in his gut knowing he can still manipulate people even without genjutsu.
“Do you know a Tenzou? I don’t know a last name.” She looks up at that.
She shifts nervously, “I can’t give you the identity of any active shinobi, I’m sorry.” He frowns.
“Then do you know of a way I might be able to talk with them?” She looks ready to shut him down so he turns his eyes to the floor and starts to pout slightly. “Please Wolf-san, He saved me a few weeks ago and Kakashi-sensei says it is only polite to thank someone in person.” He looks up at her and is surprised to see that the mention of his jonin-sensei has got her thinking, debating. He pauses, could it be that these people respect Kakashi? Sure he was a good fighter but the man reads porn in public not to mention the lateness and laziness. He shakes his head, that can’t be it she must have a bleeding heart.
She looks back and forth around the lobby, he does the same, there are only two agents in the room, Canary and Turtle, she sighs deeply. “I’m not supposed to do this but if Kakashi-taicho said so…” She trails off and Sasuke almost gapes in shock. These people do respect him. Once he gets his mind wrapped around that he files that away as useful information for later. “Cat-san is training right now, on grounds four. He should be done in roughly twenty minutes.” He nods and smiles.
“Thank you.”
“Be careful, Kakashi-taicho will kill us all if you get hurt because you got caught in the middle of an Anbu training session.” He nods and she makes a sweeping motion with her hand, he takes the dismissal for what it is, get going, and heads for the Anbu training grounds.
He takes his time getting there and arrives just as the team is finishing up. He recognizes a few of them from the mission gone horribly wrong. One of them notices him and straightens up and before he knows it the entire group have their eyes locked on him, honestly a little intimidating. “May I speak with Tenzou for a moment?” The cat mask moves in his direction and he takes that as an affirmative as the rest of the group scatter and go off to do whatever it is Anbu do, still he waits until it is just him and the man in the cat mask left in the field.
“Did you need something Uchiha-san?”
He hums, “Go on a date with Kakashi-sensei.” The words haven’t even left his mouth and the other is sputtering and most likely blushing beneath white porcelain.
“I- but- wait, what- I- I’m sorry?” Sasuke rolls his eyes, scratch most likely, Tenzou is definitely blushing.
“Just one, a real date. After that I don’t care.” And with that he leaves, something will either happen or it won’t but hounding an Anbu captain won’t get him anywhere.
Sasuke can tell the day it happens. Firstly because Kakashi-sensei disappears for dinner, just leaving them money for Ichiraku’s. Sasuke feels rather accomplished when it happens again a few weeks later. Still he doesn’t say anything, not when Sakura takes notice of their sensei vanishing for a few hours at at time, not when a Kakashi gives him a curious look, not when he sees the shifting of trees around them as they leave or return to the village (he waves subtly at the man a few times), not even when he gets a half wave directed back at him.
It isn’t his business, so he doesn’t bother to say anything.