Pretty Lights?

[one_without_wings]

Sasuke really, really wanted to see the lights. He heard about how autumn was coming and how pretty it would be. After dinner, which he had eaten very slowly, he sat outside on the porch to wait for these lights to come out.

Somewhat uncharacteristically for him, but a trait that may be believed shared for the Uchiha since it happened so often... he fell asleep. He had taken a blanket, perhaps feeling too warm, too comfortable, and not all that good. He still did want to see those lights... He was definitely feeling all too nice and warm right here.

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[one_without_wings]

"Group hug?" Hiro was the first at the finish line, followed by Akemi, and last came Miki and Sasuke.

"You get hugs all the time from him, I'll get there before you this time!" Apparently, there was some mini-rivalry going on between these two..

[itachi_san]

Itachi didn't notice it, though. For the moment, he was completely wrapped up in the arms of these children - young shinobi-to-be who actually looked to him for advice and returned it with love and appreciation. It wasn't a feeling Itachi was used to having, at least, not aside from his younger brother. And even that really only happened since he arrived here.

It was a bit overwhelming of a feeling, actually.

There were tears on his cheeks before he even realized he was crying.

[one_without_wings]

Akemi noticed first, and then Sasuke, and the Miki. He was the first one to say something about it.
"Hiro! You're squeezing too hard, he's leaking water!"
"I am not!"
"It's gotta be Sasuke then. Leave some for me! You can get hugs any time!"
The other snorted. "You're just jealous." although Sasuke did let go, leading by example. "Niisan! Are you okay?"

Hiro hoped he hadn't broken anything, although there was no trace of pain on his features.

[itachi_san]

There was a reaction of surprise as Itachi quickly connected the dots between the words and the dampness on his cheeks. He wiped his eyes with he back of his hand.

"Sorry... I guess I'm just... so happy, they just started..."

The smile never left his face. This, he kept thinking to himself, was the kind of life he'd always dreamed of when he was out on the battlefield or traveling amongst the Akatsuki - to be home, safe, surrounded by family and friends... The things he gave up in the name of the village were the things he wanted, no, needed the most. They were what made life worth living.

"As long as it's not blood... I'm okay. I'm... okay..."

[one_without_wings]

Sasuke gave a sigh, relieved. "That's good! Great, even."
"Yea!" a chorus echoed.

And all too soon, they were all laughing and hugging again. Life was indeed truly a bountiful one when filled with happiness.

"Hey, Sasuke! think your crow'd help me for moving target practice?" Miki asked, thinking to up his game just a little.
"Hmm.. I can ask. If he pecks at you for throwing things at him though, you're on your own."
"Sometimes I wonder if you're an ally or an enemy." the other boy groaned.
"Summoned animals have their own criteria, you know." Akemi reminded him.

[itachi_san]

"Just be careful not to hit him." Itachi felt the need to remind him. Sasuke was very fond of that particular crow, as much as Itachi was of the one that bore Sisui's eye. "None of us... are medical specialists..."

If Itachi was, of course, a lot of life would be a lot less complicated!

He turned to the others. "What have you been working on at... the Academy? Anything that I can help with?"

[one_without_wings]

"Yeah.. it'll be okay as long as you don't hit him." Sasuke gave a slow nod. "He should probably know you all anyways, since we're gonna work together a lot."

"Having no medic on your team is bad, right?" Akemi quipped. "Maybe I can try and see if i'm any good at it. There's gotta be more I can do than earth jutsu."
"You make food too!"
"Miki, there are more important things than food." she rolled her eyes.
"I don't think so!"

Hiro shook his head. These two... "We've started to learn poisons, so we can treat basic infections. First aid and survival are coming up!"
"This means Miki can eat wild mushrooms... if he knows which are safe." sasuke chuckled.
"I do know!" the other boy protested.

[itachi_san]

"It's very important that everyone... at least knows proper survival skills. But having a medic on a team can be a very big advantage...." He nodded. "It can also be a disadvantage."

He explained how medic ninja functioned as support for the team, largely without fighting. It was rare to have a medic ninja go to the front lines. If they were hurt or killed, the rest of the team would be in danger. In many instances, the a sensor nin doubled as a medic. The basic skills for one role overlapped greatly with the other. If anyone in that group would have a natural tendency toward the med nin path, it was Hiro.

"That's not to say you shouldn't learn the skills too..." He smiled. "The chakra control will improve your elemental jutsu."

[one_without_wings]

As Itachi explained what it was that made a medic what it was, the needed qualities and how they fought from the back if at all, there wasn't one that did not give Hiro a glance.

The boy, however, protested as he blushed. "What would I do as a medic with that chakra pool though?" he looked away. He did have the most control over his chakra now, second only to Sasuke, and this was because their leader had prior experience.
"But isn't that what you are, still? You do throw and fight okay, but you mostly need to stay in the back, right?" Miki cocked his head. "Plus, staying in the back gives you the advantage, you can see troop movements and whatnot. My dad said so."

[itachi_san]

Itachi was no expert in medical ninjutsu, and couldn't answer many of their questions as far as that was concerned.

"When I was an Academy student, the instructor thought that maybe... I'd end up as a mednin... And my chakra pool wasn't much better than yours is right now." He offered with a smile. "But while I had the chakra control, I had a far greater affinity for yin release... and no affinity at all for yang release. With my sharingan, genjutsu became an obvious focus after that."

That, and Fugaku probably would have been appalled at the idea of a medic as the head of a battle-focused clan. But Itachi wouldn't say that in front of the kids!

"Don't underestimate yourself. Any of you."

[one_without_wings]

Sasuke's eyes went wide. A medical ninja? His brother? He too could imagine how different things would have been at home, and he looked away. He could not recall any Uchiha being a medic, after all. As useful as they were on the field, their bloodline was better for combat. "..." he recalled, a few months ago, how he had pleaded Sakumo to teach him medical jutsu. Now he could see he probably never would have learned much, if at all.

"I've never underestimated myself." Miki was all grins and pride. Who knew if, somehow, his family was not related to some Uchiha on this side, generations past? "And I never will, either!"
"I'll show him he underestimated my cooking." Akemi giggled. "I know what I'm good at, so I'll stick to it and get stronger."
"I know what I'm good at too." Hiro gavea slow nod. "...now that I found it though, it feels I can do more... if I figure out just how.."

[itachi_san]

He felt Sasuke slump against him a little, and poked him gently in the forehead.

""Just because I couldn't get the hang of it doesn't mean... you can't. Maybe you'll surprise yourself."

He did, after all, have an affinity for lightning style that Itachi didn't have. He didn't share Itachi's slight water affinity either. Everyone's different, even brothers.

"I don't think there's anything... that you can't do if you want to, Sasuke."

[one_without_wings]

"Maybe I can ask Sakumo if he'll show me the basics. After all, I'm older now." that and some knowledge of chakra first-aid could be useful.

He gave a big, bright smile. With his brother telling him there was nothing he could not do, of course he fully believed so outright.

[itachi_san]

Of course Itachi had that kind of faith in Sasuke. He always did and he always would.

He sat back, nibbling on the riceball as the group started up with their practice again. He might not have been their teacher, but watching them learn and develop their abilities made him feel a sense of pride he hadn't felt since he was little.

This, he smiled to himself, is life worth living.

[one_without_wings]

Indeed, they were all growing, and were unlikely to stop soon, both in skill, some also in strength, and also body and mind.

In time, Miki would become a weapon specialist and fire jutsu user of a caliber to rival Uchiha-born shinobi.
Akemi would become the group's shield and spear thanks to her earth techniques.
For his part Hiro would master his sensing abilities and discover summoning scrolls, perfecting a technique that would enable him to store chakra within, as well as attuning chakra locks so other he would design could use them.

In the future, years from now, Sasuke would drink knowledge on the use of a blade and develop his own fighting style, mastering the sharingan like he would be expected to, leaving most of the fire jutsu to Miki to focus on lightning.
Together, the four would be the pride of Michi no Sato.