A/N: I'm ALIIIIIIVE! Haha, why, hello there! Here I am again, alive and well, posting another fic. I started writing this at 3:00 AM of August 1st. And now, a half-year later, I'm posting this, freshly typed up! I was planning on posting this last November 30th, for my birthday, but I wasn't finished, and I was totally busy that day. Anyway, here it is, so I hope you enjoy, and please REVIEW!
-17-
DISCLAIMER: -Looks over birthday gifts- Nope, nobody gave me NARUTO for my birthday. . . On with the story!
-17-
"Wow! A mask just like niichan's!"
A six year-old boy named Uchiha Sasuke was standing in front of a stall, a look of surprise and delight evident on his facial features. He was in Konoha's annual Getsuei Saishi, or Moonlight Festival, looking around at stalls selling food, toys, games and stuff to do for adults and kids alike. It just so happened that Sasuke and his nuclear family passed by a particular stall selling masks. Said stall displayed varying masks, from ones used in festivals and masquerades to ones painted and made to look like an ANBU mask.
"Sasuke-kun, I'm afraid it's not that alike. Overall, they do, but looking into details, they aren't However, do you still want to buy one of those?" Uchiha Mikoto - Sasuke's mother – asked, pointing at the masks. She was the proud mother of two prodigious sons, Uchiha Itachi, the older brother, and Uchiha Sasuke, the one she seems closer to.
"Uhh, yeah, but not the one earlier. Itachi-niichan has his own ANBU mask, and one day, I will too. So, I want to buy a mask that will resemble the one that someday will be mine," Sasuke replied, grinning. He was trying not to space out and daydream of becoming ANBU captain in the middle of a conversation, especially not in front of his father, Uchiha Fugaku.
"Well said, kid!" the owner of the stall replied, giving him a thumbs-up. Sasuke grinned at him in return.
"Very well, Sasuke-kun, which one would it be then?" Mikoto asked.
"Uhh. . . The wolf one looks good," replied Sasuke, who pondered for a moment before answering.
"It does, doesn't it? And I'm sure when you become ANBU, you'll get that mask too!"
"Hai, 'kaa-san!"
"Ooh, pretty!"
A six year-old girl by the name of Haruno Sakura was standing in front of a stall, a look of delight and amazement evident on her cheerful face. She was in Konoha's annual Getsuei Saishi, or Moonlight Festival, looking around at stalls selling food, toys, games, and other stuff to do for both children and adults. It just so happened that Sakura and her parents passed by a particular stall selling origami. (1) Said stall displayed an amazing array of flower bouquets, cranes, exquisite boats, weapons, and many others, all made form varied coloured paper.
"They are, aren't they, Sakura-chan?" asked Haruno Katsura – Sakura's mother – putting a gentle hand on her daughter's shoulder. "Do you want any of those?"
"Hai, 'kaa-san, of course!" replied Sakura, nodding eagerly, making her head bob up and down, as if her head would fall off any second.
"Well then, pick any, and we'll get it for you."
"Any? Any at all?"
"Yes, any. Any at all."
"Arigatou!" grinned Sakura, hugging her mother with all her might. Her father, Haruno Kouseki, chuckled in the background. He always did love Sakura's little antics. (2)
"Well? Go pick, hime!" Sakura's father prompted.
Sakura ran to the counter, paused for a moment while looking at the display, frowned, and whispered to the stall owner. The owner nodded, giving Sakura a wide grin, and set to work.
When the stall owner looked up again, he was holding a branch, made of paper, with little sakura petals scattered all over it. Sakura's eyes widened in delight. She squealed upon seeing it, and took it gleefully from the stall owner. She thanked the man, told her parents she'll be going to the bridge on the other side of the street the festival was being held, and sped off. On her way there, she saw a little boy, her age, with a piercing onyx gaze – harmless and innocent, but still piercing – and dark hair that sticks out in the back. As she went, she looked back, and saw the Uchiha emblem on the back of his navy blue yukata.
"So he's an Uchiha . . . Interesting . . ."
"Here you go, young man!" the owner of the stall handed Sasuke the mask he asked for, which the young Uchiha took gratefully. As his family was supposed to go to the side of the festival away from the bridge, however, Sasuke saw a little girl – his age - with a bright emerald gaze, full of wonder and sense of adventure, at the same time delight at what seems to be what she was holding. She had pink hair, which matched her kimono. As she ran, he managed to see the family crest on her back: a white circle.
"A Haruno, eh? Interesting . . ."
His thoughts, however, were broken by his mother. "Sasuke-kun? Daijoubu desuka? You seem to be thinking about something."
"Eh? Oh, hai, 'kaa-san. I'm fine. Where are we going next?" he asked, flashing his mother a wide grin – the one his future obsessive fangirls would kill to see, the one only his future lover would be allowed to see.
After a few minutes of looking around together, the Uchiha family decided to split up and do their own business by themselves. Uchiha Fugaku gave Sasuke a few hundred ryō so he can play in the game stalls or buy anything he wants. Sasuke thanked his father, and then went off to who-knows-where.
Sasuke decided he wanted to go see what the Haruno girl is up to. He's not being nosy, he's just . . . Curious. Yeah, he was just curious, that's all. He remembered where the girl went to. He recognized the direction as the side of the street near the bridge. Yes, the Cell Seven bridge. But let's keep that a secret for now, shall we?
A few minutes of weaving in and out of the crowd aside, Sasuke found her. He found the Haruno girl.
She was sitting underneath one of the sakura trees surrounding the bridge's area. She was hugging her knees, and it seemed like she was sobbing. The thing – whatever it was – that she was holding before was gone as well. Sasuke went closer and decided to approach the crying girl.
"Hey, I'm Sasuke. Uchiha Sasuke," Sasuke started, sticking his hand out. The girl looked up. Oh, she was crying alright. Her eyes were red and puffy; her cheeks were stained with tears, and her hair stuck to her face, obscuring it in the process. Reluctantly, the girl took it, and just so she's not rude, she replied, although somewhat forced – she did not want to talk to a stranger right now, even if he was from the prestigious Uchiha clan.
"Hi. I'm Sakura. Haruno Sakura," she replied, taking Sasuke's hand and shaking it. (3)
"It's nice to meet you, Sakura. Demo, it looks like you were crying. You're disturbed. Is there something wrong? Daijoubu desuka?"
"Hai, I'm alright, I guess. I'm not hurt physically or anything,"
"Then do you mind telling me why you were crying?"
"It's . . . It's the origami my 'tou-san bought me,"
"I though you like it?" Sasuke asked. Seeing Sakura's raised questioning eyebrow, he added, "I saw you running in this direction around . . . half an hour or so ago, and you looked pretty happy,"
"Hai, I did like it. No, I love it. Demo. . ."
"Demo?"
"There were these girls – three of them – from my class in the Academy. They were among those who tease me about my forehead," stated Sakura.
"What about your forehead?" asked Sasuke, face in a pretty deep frown. He always heard his classmates call someone 'forehead girl', or 'billboard brow'. Maybe that's her?
"They say it's large, so they call me names, such as billboard brow and forehead girl." At this, Sasuke's eye's widened. So it is her! (4)
"No it's not," Sasuke couldn't help but blurt out.
"Huh?"
"It's not large," Sasuke clarified. Apparently, not clear enough, since Sakura still looked confused. "Your forehead. I mean, frankly, it is slightly larger than average, but it's not noticeable, especially at first glance. Actually, somehow, it's not noticeable at all. It doesn't matter what size your forehead is anyway, you're still pretty. . ."
Sakura blushed at this. Sasuke's the first boy to make her feel better about her forehead. The compliment definitely helped.
"So. . . You were saying?" prompted Sasuke. The pink-haired kunoichi-in-training snapped out of her thoughts, and went back to reality. She continued with her story.
"Oh yeah. . . Well, as I was saying. . ."
-o-o-o-FLASHBACK-o-o-o-
"'Kaa-san, 'tou-san, is it alright if I go to the bridge?"
"Alright, darling, but be careful, go it?"
"Roger!" exclaimed a saluting Sakura.
Sakura ran in and out of the crowds, also spotting a raven-haired Uchiha boy her age along the way. When she reached the foot of the bridge, she froze. There stood three of the many people she dreaded facing alone. (5)
"Well, well, well. If it isn't little Sakura-chan. What's up, billboard brow?" Sakura winced at the terrible nickname.
"Uh, hi . . .?" replied Sakura, unsure of what to say. Well, actually, she does know what she wants to say, but taking a look at the situation – three against one – she'd really rather not, especially not in the middle of a festival. In the dark. At night.
"Is that a way to greet your best friends in the whole wide world? No! We expected better from you, billboard brow."
"Eh?"
"Anyway, let's play Monkey in the Middle! What do you say, Sakura-chan?" the bully asked in an overly sweet voice.
"Anou. . ."
"Yay! Demo, we don't have a ball, or anything to pass around, for that matter. Do you have any ideas?" the trio's leader asked, not even waiting for Sakura to answer properly.
"Hey, she has one of those uber-expensive-but-also-really-pretty origami!" one of the other two commented, pointing the sakura origami out.
The trio's leader had a more mischievous glint in her eyes all of a sudden. "Oh, can we use that then, Sakura-chan?" Yay! You're ever so kind," the leader said in one breath, making it evident that they will use the origami – whether Sakura wanted to or not.
"Uh, anou. . ."
Before she can utter another sound, however, the other follower snatched the origami out of its owner's hands, and the game of Sakura in the Middle began.
"Give it back!" cried Sakura, reaching up, trying to get back her precious origami.
"Nah!"
"Don't think so!"
"We might, but you have to get it back from us yourself!"
This continued on for a minute more or so, until three of the four girls 'playing' got tired. Sakura took this a s a chance to retrieve the precious work of art. It was currently being held by the one nearest the railings of the bridge, so the pink-haired future medic tackled that one. Unfortunately, the girl was thrown backwards, and her grip on the origami loosened. Said possession of the pink-haired kunoichi flew out from one of her enemy's hand, therefore falling into the waiting water below.
"IIIEEEEEE!" Sakura screamed as she watched, mortified, as her beloved sakura origami fell into water that killed it just by the mere action of soaking it. She stared blankly in the water after that, tears streaming from her eyes down to her cheeks.
"Jeez, forehead, if you hated the thing so much, you could've just given it away. You didn't have to drown it down there," the leader of the bullying bunch commented, making Sakura more furious than before.
"You made me do that."
"Nope. It's all your fault, forehead. You're the one who lunged at my friend, therefore making her let go. It's your problem, billboard brow, not ours."
"What did you call me?" Sakura, now fuming mad, spat out. Her face, though still facing the waters, showed complete anger and determination.
"I called you billboard brow, forehead girl."
"Oh no, you did not."
"What if I did?"
Sakura finally turned around, fists tightly clenched. "Then you'll face my wrath!"
-o-o-o-END FLASHBACK-o-o-o-
"Aaaand . . . I punched her," Sakura finished telling her story, turning to look at Sasuke.
He raised an eyebrow and smirked. "Impressive."
Sakura looked at him uncertainly. "You mean it?"
"Why wouldn't I?" Sasuke asked back, raising his eyebrow a little higher.
Sakura let out a small grin. "Thanks, then."
"Uh. . . You're welcome?" Sasuke offered. Sakura just giggled back. "So they drowned your origami, huh?"
"Yeah, pretty much," Sakura sighed, suddenly looking sad again.
"You really loved it, didn't you?" asked Sasuke again.
"Of course. 'Tou-san bought it for me. I love my 'tou-san to bits, but he's always away on missions and stuff, so we don't get to see each other anymore. Besides, it was really pretty and all."
"Well, would you still like it if somebody else bought it for you?" he asked, brows furrowing.
"N-nani?"
"Would you still like it if I bought it for you?" he clarified, brows knitting together further. He had a determined look on his young pale face.
"Sure I will. But you don't have to!" she replied, waving her hands in front of her, gesturing a 'no'.
"What if I insist?"
"I guess it is okay, but really, you don't need to," she insisted, shaking her head, making her pink hair whip around.
"Well, I do insist.
"O-okay, then," she finally agreed, blushing slightly.
"Perfect!" Sasuke finally grinned, traces of his former facial expression completely gone. Grabbing her hand, Sasuke dragged Sakura to the origami stall.
"Eh?!"
"One sakura branch origami please," Sasuke requested, holding up his index finger for emphasis.
"Sure thing!"
A few minutes later, and the ordered origami was done. As the vendor handed it to Sasuke, Sasuke gallantly paid for it and handed the finished origami to Sakura. The latter shyly took it, blushing slightly, but smiling back nonetheless.
"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun!" the rosette exclaimed, giving him a glomp. Yes, a glomp, not a hug.
The boy stumbled, and went straight to the ground. "Nah, it was nothing."
"Well, to me, it isn't. Oh, matte!"
"Nani?" he asked, looking back at the girl who was still on top of him.
"I have to give you a favour as thanks!" the girl exclaimed.
"No, you don't," the raven-haired boy replied with finality to his tone.
"Demo. . ." she protested.
"You won't stop until I say yes, will you?" he asked, sighing. He knew he'd lost this one battle. She's too cute for her own good.
"Iie!" the girl replied, laughing lightly.
"Okay, fine. How about . . . You go through the festival with me? You know, look around and play and stuff," Sasuke explained.
"Okay!" Sakura cheerfully replied, smiling at the boy she will come to . . . Nah, don't wanna spoil it.
"Matte!" Sasuke suddenly stopped, making his pink-haired companion stop as well.
"Nani?" she asked, tilting her head to the side.
"Aren't your parents waiting for you?"
"Nah, they know I can take care of myself. How about yours?" Sakura waved her hand to get her point across.
"Yeah, but if I just come at the allotted time we had set and told them I'll go with you instead, they'll understand. Like yours, my parents know I can take care of myself. I'm an Uchiha, remember?" he asked, giving her a grin.
"You do realize you can always come across as cocky, right?"
"Eh?" he asked, a brow raised in questioning.
"Right now, one word is floating in my head to describe you."
"What is it, then?"
"No offence, but. . ."
"Spit it out!"
"One word, Sasuke-kun: cocky."
At this being said, Sasuke laughed. "So I've been told. Let's go, ne? Tell me see the three who drowned your origami, and we'll teach them another lesson."
Sakura turned to face Sasuke, and put her index finger on her lower lip. "What do you mean?"
"From now on, when somebody messes with Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke will take revenge."
Sakura giggled, and they ran off.
"Sasuke-kun, where are you taking me?!"
"Temper, temper, Sakura-chan. We're nearly there. Be patient, koi . . ."
"Hai, hai. . ."
Uchiha Sasuke, now eighteen, is leading his girlfriend of three years, Haruno Sakura, also eighteen, to a place that is very special to both of them. Sasuke is leading Sakura to the bridge where they first met.
It has been twelve – yes, twelve! – years since they met on that fateful day on that bridge. A lot has happened through those twelve years. Itachi, Sasuke's brother, slaughtered the whole Uchiha clan and left, leaving Sasuke behind to grieve, and hate him.
Sasuke and Sakura had been put on the same team, but they weren't like before anymore. Sasuke withdrew himself from the world. Then, not too long after they became a team, Sasuke himself left, looking for more power. It was all because of one Orochimaru person, who they met in the Chuunin Exams which they took – and survived – together.
After Sasuke left, Sakura trained harder than ever under Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin, along with Orochimaru. And so did Naruto – Sasuke and Sakura's team mate – under Jiraiya, another of the legendary trio. Both trained long and hard, for currently – then, at least – only one purpose: to drag Sasuke's ass back to Konoha, whether he liked it or not.
When they did manage to get Sasuke back, he withdrew even more from the world, if that was possible. He was put on probation, thus the Hokage giving him missions only in the village. However, for some terribly rare occasions, Sasuke was granted a mission that lets him get out of the village, Sakura, Naruto, or their former sensei, Kakashi – or all of them – had to come with him. He can never go alone.
Because of this, Sasuke always picked Sakura as his partner, his reason being that she was great medic (although he would never admit it at the time), and she is the most tolerable, despite Kakashi being much quieter than Sakura. And, seeing that he and Sakura are always alone (Kakashi and Naruto just often suddenly disappear), he started opening up to her, and maybe – just maybe – became her friend yet again, just like when they were six. They grew closer, just like before. Maybe even closer than both of them expected. Especially Sasuke.
As the pair grew closer, it took toll on Sasuke. He started losing sleep over his pink-haired 'friend'. Even so, he still can't get himself to be angry with her. After a few weeks of this, the last straw for Sasuke came. And, unexpectedly, this straw is named Sabaku no Gaara, Kazekage of Sunagakure.
When Sasuke saw Sakura with Gaara, he was fuming mad. He didn't know exactly why though. He managed to ignore the both of them for a week, until Sakura couldn't take it anymore. Sasuke promptly took a lecture and a pounding- both a courtesy of Sakura – and a teasing from Naruto, and no help from his sensei 'for here'.
It was Sakura's turn to ignore Sasuke. Having way too much pride, he didn't budge either. They didn't talk to each other for a week. Naruto – having been fed up by his friends' immaturity – asked his indifferent sensei to go with a plan he came up with to get them to talk again, and work well as a team once more. He hated the silence. And frankly, so did his sensei. They formulated a plan, and it worked.
What didn't quite go as planned, though, were the confessions they blurted out.
"Why won't you just stop being such a jealous bastard, and sit still long enough to see that I love you?!"
The next day, the village found out that Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura were going out.
That night, the party people and top socialites of Konoha Twelve held a party, and dragged their senseis and antisocial team mates into it.
The morning after that, we find the Konoha Twelve – and their senseis, no less, with two of the Legendary Sannin – all boozed up, drunk on the floor.
That afternoon, uvulas were triggered, and so were the flush on the toilets. The hospital ran out of painkillers.
Oh, a lot of events happened through all those years alright, but I wouldn't want to bore you with an overly long montage, now, would I?
All these events led us to a single one, which you guys are about to witness . . . Now, pretty much.
Sasuke's surprise. For Sakura, of course.
Can you guess what it is?
Okay, never mind. I'll just blab it to you guys. Later.
"We're here."
Sakura, now totally un-blindfolded, snuggled closer to Sasuke. Both were sitting underneath their favourite cherry blossom tree. The tree where they first met. (6)
. . . Yup, the one near the bridge.
"Hey, koi?" Sasuke started, getting up.
"Hmm?"
"C'mere."
"Whyyy? Can't we just relax? It's our only day off together! Shishou never gives us days off together, you know that!"
"Yes, of course. By the way, why did she give us one now?"
At this, Sakura giggled. "I begged her to let us come to the festival."
"Mm-hmm. What did you beg her with?"
"Sake." (7)
"Figures. Well, you knew her best besides Shizune-neechan, so I guess you would know what she wants. . ."
"Sasuke-kun, I do my research early, unlike you."
"Hey. Cockiness: my thing."
"Don't I know it."
"C'mon, koi, come here."
"Whyyyyyy?"
"I want to as you something." Sasuke, wearing a blue yukata with a light blue sash and the Uchiha fan at the back, pulled Sakura up, who, wearing a light pink kimono with a fuchsia obi and sakura decorating the kimono itself, reached out a hand for Sasuke to take.
"Oh?"
Taking Sakura's hands, Sasuke began to speak again. "Koi, aishiteru. I'm willing to protect your life with mine. Spend the rest of it with me?"
Sakura, eyes wide with shock, recovered in a matter of thirty seconds. "Wow. When I was twelve, I imagined the cliché Will you marry me?' and you kneeling. Apparently, I was wrong. But this is so much better."
Sasuke raised any eyebrow. Sakura shrugged, "Fan girl days."
So . . . What do you say, koi?"
"Hmm. . . "Sakura pretended to think, putting her index finger on her bottom lip.
". . ." Sasuke's eyebrows twitched, tensely anticipating for his lover's answer.
Seeing Sasuke, Sakura burst out laughing. "Aww, Sasuke-kun, be patient! Of course, I'll give you an answer!"
". . ."
". . ."
". . ."
". . ."
"Well? Come on, koi, I'm dying here! You can say 'no' or –" Sasuke was cut off by Sakura's finger, preventing him from talking further.
"Hell yeah, Sasuke-kun. Hell yes."
"Thank you, Sakura. Arigatou."
In a total apocalypse moment, Sasuke hugged Sakura, a lone tear of joy escaping his eyes.
"You don't have to thank me, Sasuke-kun. I love you, after all!"
"Yes, I love you, and I'm willing to give up my life to save yours. I'm willing to die for you to live. I'd rather be emotionally burdened than to see even a single sad tear come out of your eyes. I'll make you the happiest person alive, I promise under this lovely moonlit night."
-OWARI-
-17-
(1) – Can't think of anything else, sorry!
(2) – See! Sakura's not spoiled!
(3) – I can't help but think of James Bond with their introductions. . .
(4) –Proof of my amazing psychic powers!
(5) – The bullies from Episode 41 and 42. . .
(6) – I seem to use favourite trees a lot. . .
(7) – When they said beg, I think they meant bribe
(8) – The sequence is: Sasuke, Sakura, Sasuke and Sakura again. Just for those who were confused.
(9) – The Italics can be for both of them, but looking it over, I think it fits Sasuke more.
-17-
Getsuei Saishi – Moonlight Festival; 'getsuei' can mean both moon and moonlight, but I thought 'moonlight festival' sounds better. Besides, a Moon Festival already exists in China,and they're in Japan, so I want to make up my own. . .
Niichan – big brother
-kun, -chan, -san, etc. – honorifics
Origami – Japanese art of paper folding
Hime – princess
Yukata, kimono – Japanese robes (for the lack of better describing words. . .)
Demo – but
Daijoubu desuka – Are you alright?
Hai – yes
'tou-san – dad
'kaa-san – mom
Iie – no
Matte – wait
Nani – what
Koi – love
Sensei – teacher; master
Chuunin – Journeyman Ninja
Sannin – three ninja
Hokage – Fire Shadow
Sake – a traditional liquor from Japan made from rice; favourite drink of Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage
-17-
A/N: Heeeey! I'm finally done! HUZZAH! I hope you enjoyed! This is my first full SasuSaku fic, except for Alphadogs, which I don't think counts at this point
Wow. . . My first oneshot without any lime whatsoever. . .
REVIEWS, PWEASE?