Shinobi (Sequel to Otokage)

This is Yours.

The sky was rather blue today, Sasori noted with a dulled interest. He was sprawled back on a leafless tree branch at his team's training grounds, waiting for his three genin to arrive. The cold air nipped at his pale real skin as red curls bounced in and out of his vision. He raised his hand to the sun, twisting it this way and that while flexing his fingers.

Still, he wasn't used to being human.

Feeling. Breathing. Experiencing. It had been years ever since he was "resurrected" in a flesh and blood body and he still didn't know how to feel about it. Of course it was a nuisance now to be conscious of his personal well-being and it was far more inefficient as a biological organism, but it was something comfortable.

Sasori rubbed his eyes. He couldn't find himself to be too annoyed by it. He was part of a village again and given the privilege of a genin sensei. He single-handedly had the opportunity to help shape the future shinobi of Otogakure with every legal right to do so. All it took was a one month period that changed him from S-Rank rogue to loyal shinobi, and it happened because his killer was able to change his mind.

'Sakura, hm?'

A brat turned formidable Kage. She had the whole village's trust and faith in her hands, including those others might regard as gang members or criminals. He saw some of her training sessions and witnessed the decisions she made to shape the village into something renowned. Sakura was a pretty damn great leader, honestly. Eccentric and devoted, yes, but she was someone many would be more than willing to follow.

Especially after kicking that Uchiha's ass to the ground that day.

He smirked, remembering just how badly Sasuke got beat. The kid was an dimwit for even opening his mouth and challenging her like that.

But that made him a hypocrite for thinking something like that, didn't it?

"Sasori-sensei!!"

"Eh?! What are you doing all the way up there?!"

"Sensei, get your old butt down here!"

Sasori's lips tilted upwards as he rolled over and dropped down in front of the group of twelve-year olds. He looked at them with his usual half-lidded eyes.

"Izumi. Miwa." he acknowledged, nodding at the brunette and pixie-cut blonde. He then glanced at the cheeky little black-haired ball of anger that never failed to insult him and flicked her forehead.

"Shigeko. Rude as always, I see. So," he sighed, "What excuse do you all have now for being late? You know very well that I hate to be kept waiting."

The three exchanged glances before they each slid off their packs off and produced small boxes. They held it out to him with matching smiles and voices that chorused.

"Happy Valentine's Day, sensei!"

Sasori blinked. The boxes, each tied with a colored ribbon, were forced into his hands before he could reply. Each had a clear film top so that he could see the chocolates inside. Homemade chocolates. He stared down at the packages like they were foreign objects and tried to reason just why they were in his hands.

"Do you... want me to give these to someone?" he questioned. Izumi's face scrunched up as she flipped her brown hair over her shoulder.

"What are you talking about? We made those for you!" she exclaimed.

"For me?"

His eyes were blank and glued to the boxes. Another thing he couldn't get used to was how kind his genin now and his past genin had been to him. Them, along with other shinobi he would encounter in his day to day life. They knew who he was, didn't they? How many people had perished at his hands. His previous unethical practices with human puppets.