one_long_mission | [closed] Multi-Purpose AU Post for Neji and Flirtsuke

"Niisan likes sweet stuff... He can have it." the boy grimaced.

"Steaks it is~ We can probably eat some of that later on too." he was not really minding expenses. "I wasn't even sure which was most commonly used in curry. Good thing I asked." he had not eaten much of that stuff himself, really. "Menma was always big on ramen, and since I was on my own, I wasn't really into anything fancy unless I was out and wanted to impress the ladies~"

"Of course." She only nodded, keeping tally herself mentally. Not that she truly minded the expense; after all, being able to afford some of the finer things was rather reminiscent of home. "In which case, I would be pleased to show you how to actually cook fancy things so you may attempt to impress a lady. Seeing as how you are no longer on your own."

She flashed him a brief smile before moving on ahead to select the proper kind, glancing back to attempt to ensure the younger one was paying attention, too.

"Hmm~ that is right, I do have a lady to impress now~" he purred. "I must learn to be able to make amazingly fancy things to enhance her lifestyle." he ran a hand through her hair, smirking. "Trust me, you will only have to show me once~" and if he went to see any chefs at work? He might become something of a mimic prodigy thanks to that sharingan.

The youngest was staring at the basket below, where his tomato laid. His thoughts were clear.

"Sasuke." She clapped her hands once, close to the younger boy's face. "Pay attention. The tomato will still be there. You shouldn't let your attention be consumed by one single thing, understand?"

Harsh, maybe, but she didn't... know any other way to teach.

The boy gave a cry and nearly stumbled back, gripping at his older self's hair for support.
"Whoa there~" Sasuke hastily rose his free hand to resettle him so he would stop. "You weren't listening to Neji huh?" he caught one of the paper cranes and handed it back to him. "Focus at all times, Sasuke. You never know when something'll happen"

The boy pouted, placing the crane again atop his head. "But you're always really reaaaaaally relaxed."
"I'm also older and more experienced than you are. This'll serve you later, understand?"
"How's pickin up veggies n'stuff gonna help with anythin?" he had once known what most of the future entailed for himself, but living here, it seemed he had forgotten.

"Just listen and remember it, or else I'm eating your tomato."
He gave a light whimper. "Okay, okay! What was it all about?" he glanced around, noticing where they were. "Pickng meat? But aren't all those steaks and stuffs all alike?" he wasn,t getting how useful this could be.

"One can be relaxed and yet aware of everything that goes on around him." She stared up at the younger boy and only shook her head, bringing one finger up and extending a hand to demonstrate just what he should look for in a cut of meat; the fat content, the cut itself, the area of the animal from which it was cut. As she gestured with one hand, she brought the other up, out of his immediate sight, and lightly poked his arm, testing to see if he was only focusing on her words, and nothing else.

"Pay attention to your whole surroundings at all times. That is what a shinobi is."

The youth looked down, murmuring. "How'm I gonna remember alla that?"
"How? easy. Unless..." he was unaware if his younger self was at that stage yet. "...do you have the sharingan?"
"Yeah, but-- you mean I can use it?"
"You betcha~ It can record a great deal of information, you know? Don't overuse it though, you'll ahve to learn when's a good time and when it isn't. Save chakra for emergencies too."

The boy gave a nod. He would just try to remember what he heard for now, since having her repeat would be something she sure wouldn't do. The tap on his arm had him blinking and glancing over.
The older one chuckled lightly. It seemed this market outing was serving as useful lessons for his younger self.

Neji actually gave the older of the two a rather displeased look at that. "The Sharingan isn't something to be used so lightly, Sasuke. Your memory on its own is better than you give yourself credit for," she addressed the younger of the two firmly. "Using Jutsu unnecessarily is a quick route to finding yourself unprepared should the need arise."

That was addressed to both of them, before she collected her cut of meat and retrieved the basket from the older one. "Come, there is nothing else we need."

Sasuke bit his lip lightly.
"Ahahahah! She scolded you!" the younger laughed.
"She scolded you too, you know?" he grumbled after handing the basket over.
"She scolded you first!"

Since there was no way he could win, sasuke sighed and rolled his eyes. "Either way..... sorry." he did sound extremely apologetic as he adressed her, taking two longer strides so he could lean over just a little. "I'm not going to do that anymore, or... well, encourage others to do it."

"I should hope not." She looked to him and just briefly raised a hand to touch his cheek -- all wasn't quite forgiven, but it wasn't anything that need come between them. "We can speak of this more later. For now, let's pay, and get you home. Unless you're joining us for dinner, Sasuke?"

She glanced up to the younger of the two with a raised eyebrow, uncertain if Mikoto-san would appreciate her stealing two of her children.

"Right." he murmured, briefly bringing a hand up to touch her own, accepting the light comforting gesture.

The youth tried not to look too disgusted. "No thanks. Curry doesn' sound all that tasty..." it might be something that would come later to him, who knew? "M'gonna go train more~ Been a while since I tried throwin kunai n'shuriken n'senbon."

"Keeping up your throwing skill is a must too." he approved his younger self's use of time. "Remember, you don't have to keep these papers on your head all day..."

"Suit yourself." She only shrugged, giving him an approving nod in response to how he chose to spend his time. "Though training with the cranes and working your throwing at the same time is preferable, if you are not yet at that level, do one at a time. If you need tips, speak with Tenten."

The female of his teammate certainly possessed the same skill with weapons, no matter the age.

"Right! I'll do that~" the boy chirped happily.
Sasuke picked him up and set him back on the ground as they paid for their purchases, then handed him his tomato. "There you go. Say hi to mom for me?"

"Uh-huh! I will. See you, older-me, see you, Neji-neesan!"
And he was off like lightning, Sasuke shaking his head slowly as he claimed the bag with the heavier meat. "...and were you going to continue from earlier?" he asked, knowing it would be best to have anything irking her out of the way... mainly about how he chose to use his dojutsu. "I wouldn't have told him, if I knew you disapproved it that much." he still felt bad, judging by how his eyes instantly fell to the floor.

She offered him a flash of a smile at being addressed as 'nee-san' before returning her attention to Sasuke and claiming the other bag. "It is relying too much on a bloodline for things it is not suited for," she murmured quietly, free hand moving to find his again. "There is a measure of pride in the possession of the Sharingan, that is true, but using it for a task that can easily be accomplished through other means? Is wasteful. Not only in terms of Chakra, but in terms of skill, as well."

She brushed the hand holding the bag near her temple. "Like the Byakugan. If I were to rely too heavily upon it to see everything around me, not only would I severely strain my eyes, but should the time arrive where, for whatever reason, I cannot use my bloodline? I would not have developed my regular sight to see all that can be seen, as well. Do not permit your bloodline to become a handicap, Sasuke. You are too talented for that."

Her hand claiming his brought a large measure of comfort. "I understand." he gave a light sigh. "I'd never actually faced any sort of situation like this, but... if it did happen and I had wasted chakra on fickle things, yeah..." her knowledge and analysis was quite a boon.

"Talented.... well, most talented Uchiha in Konoha over in my world." only one left too. "That makes things too easy, heh." he blinked slowly. "Looks like I got scolded good. Sure had been a while, that."

"I hope the situation does not arise," she confirmed, sighing quietly and looking ahead. "But when things are too easy, one cannot gain skill. If there is anything I have learned in my path from being merely a Genin to Jounin, it is that even genius must strive."

She squeezed his hand lightly with a brief, small smile. "Though you know I am in no position to scold you. Merely to advise you, as someone who cares for you very much."

"It'll never arise, because now I know better~" he gave a chuckle. "You're right though... looks like I made things too easy for myself here and there..." although it did not sound like he had made ridiculous use of his dojutsu at any and all occasion.

"Well then, thanks for the advice." he laid a kiss upon her temple. "It'll sure serve me well, and hopefully the littlest me got a few things from that too."

She flushed lightly at the kiss to her temple and huffed quietly. He knew she rarely approved of public gestures of affection, but, well... she wouldn't protest it, this time. "I should hope he picked up more than a few things," she murmured, looking to him and attempting another disapproving expression, though she couldn't quite hold it. "He is rather cute, but I somewhat worry that he does not take his training completely seriously. He is too apt to focus on the moment, rather than take in the entire sight."

He knew she didn't approve of public showings, but there just were times where he couldn't rein himself in. Just one kiss, now and then... She was just that irresistible.

When the subject shifted to his younger self, he gave a light hum. "It's clear that he hasn't suffered any real hardships yet, and if everyone is aware of what's in his future, I,m pretty sure there's much overprotecting going on..." because he might not be cute for that long still. "I've been trying to coax some of Sakumo's chakra control exercises on him, and I know he trains somewhat properly, but it's like you say. He doesn't have any big picture in mind." it somewhat worried him, but what might he do about it? "He is still young though... so i suppose people are letting him enjoy that youth of his, like Kakashi-sensei would say."

"Is it wise, to keep it from him?" She glanced up at him, pausing before tugging lightly at his hand, leading him on toward her home. "Coddling will do him no favors in the future."

A small sigh as she shook her head, opening the door and ushering him in. "Though I suppose I cannot judge overmuch, seeing as how the youngest male iteration of myself is, well... naive. He is half your youngest iteration's age, however. That changes things."

"It might be wise... but how fair would it be? The way I see it, in many timelines the massacre occured, save for Hokage-niisan. If he knows too much, would it be good, or bad for him? Even if he's prepared, it won't make it any easier to deal with, when..." his hand squeezed firmly as images of that day, never forgotten, flashed through again. Before he learned the truth, the whole chain of events, before his parents had been filth that plotted against Konoha's hierarchy.... he did love them.

His voice still did shake lightly as he continued. "Mom is here.. and dad, so.. maybe he knows, but... chooses not to deal with it..." he claimed a deep breath, stepping out of his shoes as they arrived inside. "No matter how young, we need to be faced with hardships... true hardships... before we can begin to really accumulate experience." he did wish both their youngest selves' own hardships would be long in coming..

She stayed silent, listening to him as she slipped out of her own shoes and retrieved the other bag, setting them both in the kitchen. When she returned, it wasn't with any words of comfort -- she couldn't exactly offer them. Instead, she just brushed her fingers along his cheek and tilted her head to let her lips brush gently against his.

"If I could, I would prevent my younger self from ever being acquainted with the manner of my father's death," she murmured softly, glancing up to him. "He has family, in a way, and he is outside the reach of the Main Family for now. Part of me is selfishly curious to see how he will develop, what skills he will learn, how far his wings will spread without that tragedy to stunt him, and yet... if I am depriving him of the will to strive? I cannot know. Those are not decisions we are ever qualified to make."

She kissed him again, longer this time. "All we can do is try our best for them."

They both did feel the same.... they both had tragedies to trigger their growth and get them to where they stood, and yet... yet if they could? "Maybe... all we want... is for the ideal life we didn't get to be given to them... which isn't entirely selfish." indeed, wishing for others' happiness was the opposite of selfishness. "But there is that matter of them stagnating or not taking things as seriously as they should... but.." dark eyes shifted to her and gave her cheek a quick nuzzle. "Shouldn't we trust them to use the knowledge they gain as they best can..?"

The nuzzle to her cheek never failed to make her laugh, her fingers tightening in his shirt as she held him close. "Indeed, perhaps you are correct... If nothing else, I will enforce the necessary discipline to ensure they are always performing at their best."

She brushed her lips over his cheek before finally drawing back. "Shall I prepare dinner for you, Sasuke?"

He chuckled at 'discipline', because maybe this just was what the children needed. This felt like practice for parenthood. He could feel folds of cloth tightening, never failing to note her reaction to thst specific touch.

"Now, now~ Since when do you have to do everything? i can help with that curry~" besides, the way he saw it, he could learn hands-on and just ahve more fun. "Cooking is teamwork too~" unless of course it's simple things for which he would just be in her way. And yes, he was already fetching a big pot.

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