Facet of Future

4

Chapter 3

"Would it hurt for either of you to smile?" a beautiful redhead with matching eyes dressed in a dark kimono with colorful floral patterns grumbled. "For gods' sakes, this is a festival, and you're going about it as though it's still just the usual."

"We are smiling." Sasuke Uchiha deadpanned, wearing a dark yukata, while the redheaded girl next to him nodded, wearing a white kimono with pale blue floral patterns.

"What dad said." She chimed in, and Karin Uchiha groaned in frustration. That finally got the slightest of smiles from her husband and daughter.

"Is that Sasuke?" Ino asked, wide-eyed.

"Looks like it." Tenten said.

"That's because it is him." Neji confirmed.

"Ha!" Naruto said with a triumphant pump of his fist. "I knew we'd get through to him and bring him back eventually!"

Kiba growled low in his throat. "After all the shit he's pulled and running off to join that snake bastard in Hidden Sound, he's really just getting welcomed back?" he asked. "Sorry man, but I just can't let it go that easily."

"…I know he's done a lot of bad stuff…" Naruto rose to defend his friend, but that just set Kiba off.

"Bad stuff?" Kiba angrily echoed, and brushing off Hinata's attempt to calm him down. "Gods damn it, Naruto! Did you forget what me and everyone else on that mission went through because of him running off? Some of us nearly died that day! And one of those was you!"

"I know!" Naruto shouted back. "I still have a scar where he shoved a chidori into my chest! But…!"

"ENOUGH!" Tsunade thundered, and causing the two arguing ninjas to break off and then stand down after a deep breath. "That Sasuke Uchiha turned traitor will be addressed at another time. He'll have his chance to speak for himself, and if need be take responsibility for his past actions."

"But, baa-chan…!" Naruto protested, only for Tsunade to gesture at the screen.

"Don't worry too much." Tsunade said. "From the look of things, Sasuke's going to be just fine in the future."

Naruto had no response to that, and glancing once at Sakura as she laid a hand on his arm. Hinata did likewise for Kiba, and then both Naruto and Kiba stepped away from each other.

"…in any case," Kakashi began after a moment. "Who's the redhead with him? I've never seen her before."

"I don't think she's from the village." Kurenai remarked. "Maybe someone he met outside, possibly even from Hidden Sound who defected to us after Sasuke's return or capture?"

"That would be the logical assumption, wouldn't it, Kurenai-san?" Neji asked with a nod.

"It would be." Kurenai said, and the other jounin present nodded in agreement. "It would also be logical to assume that their shared experiences led them to move on from their shared past together."

"So it would seem." Neji said with another nod.

"Anyway," Mikoto Uchiha said while turning away. "I think I'll go and find the rest of my team. See you later, mom, dad."

"Don't get into trouble." Sasuke said, and Mikoto looked mildly offended at the notion.

"Me? Get into trouble?" she asked. "Come on, dad."

"Hn…then let me rephrase that." Sasuke said. "Don't let trouble find you."

Mikoto laughed at that. "Don't worry." She said with a small grin. "If it does, I'll just find a way to get out of it, like I always do."