Chapter Text
It was common knowledge that Sasuke was part of a cursed line. The fact had become somewhat of a joke amongst the village. The curse had started with Sarutobi’s team. They said Orochimaru was the cause of it. The jutsu he pursued had been so perverse it had cursed all those that came after.
After Orochimaru, it had been Obito, then, after Obito, Sasuke himself. Of course, they said, one generation had been fortunate and skipped the curse. But those that said so simply did not know about Nagato, Yahiko, and Konan.
Sakura did not believe in the curse. She found the idea of curses and destiny to be laughable things. While Sakura didn’t believe in the curse, Sasuke did . It was hard to come face to face with the fabled Sage of Six Paths and not believe in things like curses.
So now, looking at the three genin before him, arms crossed, and a frown marring his features, he wondered which one of them would betray the village and continue the curse. Naruto, a fellow believer in the curse (but a more optimistic one), insisted he had broken the curse by bringing Sasuke back. And even if he hadn’t, he was sure Sasuke could convince whichever brat decided to leave to stay.
Sasuke hadn’t been so sure. He had tried for weeks to talk Kakashi out of his decision to saddle him with a genin squad.
“It will help heal your inner child,” Kakashi had smiled.
Sasuke felt more like it was dooming his inner child to rehash old traumas
The group consisted of one girl and two boys - typical. The girl was the tallest of the three. Her hair was black, the tips dyed acid green, and thrown into a messy ponytail, her bangs hanging in front of her heavily lined bright green eyes. The second tallest was a boy with black hair shaved short to his head - though not as dark as the girl’s - and black, lazy eyes. A Nara. The final member of the group, and the shortest, was a boy with light blue, almost gray, shaggy hair and brown eyes.
Sasuke stood out of sight of the genin, observing the group silently. The Nara boy and the other one were both posturing, trying to catch the eye of the girl in the group. She giggled at them coyishly, egging on their behavior, and seeming to enjoy it.
Sasuke let out a world weary sigh. It was time to rip the band-aid off. It’s not like he had to actually train them. He could fail as many genin squads as Kakashi threw at him.
He stepped out of his hiding spot behind a tree, already a little disappointed (but not surprised) that they hadn’t even sensed him in such an obvious hiding spot. To their credit, his new squad noticed him immediately.
The girl noticed Sasuke first. Her mouth hung open slightly and a light blush colored her cheeks before she ducked her head shyly.
“ Great…” Sasuke groaned inwardly. Both boys seemed to notice her reaction and shot Sasuke matching glares. Sasuke let out another sigh. Had he not suffered enough in life already? Did he really have to suffer being dragged into the love triangle of children ? He dragged a hand through his hair and wished Naruto was here so he’d have something to punch.
“ You’re our sensei? Aren’t you barely older than us?” The blue haired boy said, every bit a preteen.
He had clearly been trying to take Sasuke down a few pegs in the eyes of his female teammate, but his comment had the opposite effect. Based on the gleam in her eyes, she seemed to now believe she had more of a chance if Sasuke was close to their age.
She didn’t and he wasn’t. He was twenty-five and happily married.
“My age is unimportant,” Sasuke said with clenched teeth. Had he been this irritating at twelve? Surely not. Angry? Yes. Irritating...? Well, maybe he didn't actually want to know Kakashi's answer to that particular question...
“It is if it means you barely have more knowledge than we do!” Blue hair said defiantly.
Sasuke rubbed his eyes feeling cursed in a different way now.
“And why is your left hand all bandaged? How are you supposed to train us if you can get that injured?”
“Shisui, shut up ,” The girl grumbled. Sasuke shot a scathing look up heavenward. Surely it was just a coincidence and this kid wasn’t actually named after his cousin. “Sorry, Sensei."
“What’s your name?” he ground out at the girl.
She blushed at being singled out, but responded with a strong voice “Ayaka Ozaki, Sensei!”
Sasuke turned his head towards the Nara kid and raised his brow expectantly.
“Shou Nara.”
Sasuke looked at the mouthy blue haired boy.
“Didn’t you hear her? It’s Shisui.” Sasuke really didn’t like this boy. “Yoshikawa,” he added belatedly.
“Yoshikawa…” Sasuke mulled over the last name. Then it clicked. “Your father was on Shisui Uchiha’s genin team, yes?”
“Yes,” Shisui said, lifting his chin proudly.
“Shou,” Sasuke called.
“Yes, Sensei!” Shou responded.
“I assume you know shadow possession jutsu, but what’s your affinity?”
“Earth style, Sensei.”
Sasuke nodded.
“Ayaka, does your clan have any special jutsu?”
“No, Sensei,” Ayaka said somewhat defeated. She seemed to think this was a failing.
Sasuke nodded. “What’s your affinity?”
“Fire, Sensei.”
Sasuke gave her a small smirk. “That’s mine as well.”
Ayaka beamed at Sasuke.
“You?” Sasuke asked. Shisui frowned, seeming to notice he was the only one referred to as simply "you."
“My clan doesn’t have any special jutsu, and I’m fire style as well. My older sister has already taught me a lot of fire techniques, so I’m not sure what you’ll be able to add to that…”
“Your sister is still a genin, kid.”
“So?!” Shisui snapped.
“If you’re content only knowing genin level techniques, that’s fine, kid, but I don’t know that I’d be bragging about it.”
Shou let out a loud sigh at this and Ayaka giggled.
Shisui glared at Sasuke. “I wasn’t bragging . And my name is Shisui! ”
“I’ll call you that when you become worthy of it,” Sasuke hissed. “But as it stands right now, I won’t drag my cousin’s name through the mud by using it to address a brat who might not even be my problem tomorrow.”
Shisui’s jaw dropped. “You-you’re…”
“Sasuke Uchiha…” Ayaka said with a look of awe on her face.
“We’ll meet here tomorrow at six to assess whether or not I’ll keep you on as my students. Don’t be late,” Sasuke said, turning on his heel and walking back towards the village.
He fumed the entire way back to his house. Twelve year olds were insufferable. He couldn’t stand them when he himself had been twelve, and he definitely couldn’t now. He truly had to be cursed if this was the team Kakashi had saddled him with.
He would simply fail them tomorrow. There was no way they would pass the bell test. A small, childish voice in his head bet money that Yoshikawa would be the one to turn traitor if they did pass. Sasuke wasn’t sure he’d care enough about the kid to stop him if he did.
Cursed indeed…
Later, with takeout in hand, he opened the front door with a quiet, “I’m home.”
He was greeted with an excited giggle as Sarada sped her way towards him in the hall, followed by Sakura’s enthusiastic cheer of “Papa’s home!”
He knelt down to scoop Sarada into his arms, placing a kiss to her chubby cheek. Sakura waddled her way towards him, and Sasuke had to lean around her pregnant belly to place a kiss on her lips.
“Welcome home,” Sakura whispered against his lips. She reached to grab the takeout bag from his hand, and he was sure she was more excited to see it than him. “I can’t wait to hear how today went.”
Though…
-with Sarada in his arms, excitedly jabbering about her day with words he only half understood as they followed Sakura into the kitchen for dinner-
…it was hard to feel cursed at all.