From A Life Long Past

10: Team Kakashi

"Sasuke-kun! I'm so glad that we ended up in the same team! The change in teams is the best thing that has ever happened to me!" Sakura chattered in a high-pitched voice, hovering around Sasuke.

"You can speak normally, you know? There isn't anything wrong with Sasuke's ears," Naruto pointed out.

Sakura glared at him and hissed, "Shut up. I wasn't talking to you."

Then she turned around, her attitude making a hundred-eighty flip as she went back to gushing over Sasuke.

Pointedly ignoring the fangirl, Sasuke brushed past her to sit next to Naruto.

"Why did they suddenly reshuffle the teams?" Sasuke asked Naruto expectantly.

"Because true love prevails!" Sakura cheered, accidentally saying it out loud.

Naruto gave her an odd look, but Sasuke grabbed his head and turned it.

"Don't encourage her idiocy," Sasuke said in warning.

From the corner of his vision, Naruto could see Sakura scowling resentfully at him -- probably out of jealousy rather than the irrational hate of most others.

"Sasuke, your gayness is showing. Look, she's upset," Naruto reminded, contemplative.

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "I'm not even going to get mad anymore. It's a waste of energy."

"I'm serious here. I am telling you out of consideration for your love life," Naruto said soberly.

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow.

"Me, with that girl?" he questioned, his incredulity showing.

Sakura blushed, suddenly finding Naruto not so bad after all. If Naruto became their wingman... Sakura could see him in a more pleasant light. A gentleman considerate of a maiden's feelings was a decent person. Regardless of Naruto's past "transgressions", she would forgive him.

With her selective recall, she did not consider the person who dropped her on Naruto to be the culprit -- she always blamed Naruto for supposedly molesting her.

"I would rather remain celibate for life. There are still descendants of the Uchiha clan elsewhere. I won't do it even if it's to revitalise my clan," Sasuke said gravely.

Naruto placed a sound-warding barrier to preserve whatever was left of Sasuke's image.

"Drama queen," Naruto taunted. "I'll help you give birth asexually if you continue this nonsense."

Sasuke paled and looked at Naruto pitifully.

Naruto could not possibly be cruel enough to do that, right?

Ah, if it was about the lack of descendants and thus children to reincarnate in...

"Asura will most certainly do it!" cackled Kurama, his words almost audible to Sasuke.

"I will have children at some point," Sasuke amended his hasty words. "But nii-san can also..."

Naruto's blank stare stopped Sasuke before he could say something that he would regret.

"Ah, Izumi-nee-chan," Sasuke said in realisation. "Is he... over it yet?"

"He's healing, but he wouldn't be meeting any girls in his current organisation. Unless you plan to introduce a few to him?" Naruto asked quizzically.

"There aren't any worthy of my nii-san," Sasuke declared with conviction.

"Then what? Will you volunteer yourself?" Naruto challenged.