Chapter One

Sakura Haruno stood in her mirror, brushing her soft, pink hair. Her mind wandered over the chores she had to do today and the list of groceries she needed to buy at the store. "Milk, instant ramen, and some chicken and rice for tonight's dinner." she mumbled to herself. Sakura was having Naruto and Hinata over that night. They were going to eat and relax.

After making herself perfectly presentable - as she always made sure to do - she grabbed her small wallet and attached it to her thigh strap. Sakura hummed a tune to herself while she stepped out into the heat. It was an unusually hot day, she noticed. That didn't bother her. She liked the warmth. Warmth reminded her to be positive.

She walked slowly through town, in no hurry. It was around ten in the morning and she wasn't having Naruto and Hinata over until four in the afternoon. She figured if she went to eat lunch at Ramen Ichiraku and dallied there for awhile, then bought her food and went back home to prepare the house and the meal, she'd have perfect timing. She passed Shikamaru in the street and gave him a warm smile and a nod. Shikamaru, leaning against a wall and halfway listening to a little girl chattering, lifted his chin lazily toward Sakura and puffed his cigarette.

It had been a year since all of the drama with Sasuke had finally ended. He had come to terms with the town and now lived somewhere on its outskirts. He was never around. That didn't bother Sakura at all. She had moved on long ago. Sakura had no one in mind when it came to romance. After her parents died, she lost all interest in any love that wasn't platonic.

Sakura took a seat at Ramen Ichiraku. The man behind the counter approached her and waited for her order. "Just a regular bowl, please." Sakura said kindly. "Hai." the man replied quietly as he headed back to prepare her ramen. Sakura's mind drifted to all kinds of things. She wondered if Ino was having any luck in wooing the new clothing salesman up the road. She thought about what she would do with her hair that night. She thought about Naruto and how happy he is with Hinata. This thought brought a small smile to Sakura's face. It made her happy to see Naruto happy.

A medium sized bowl of Ramen was set in front of Sakura's face, taking her out of her thoughts and into reality. The hot noodles smelled delicious and they sizzled lightly. Sakura's stomach rumbled and she happily brought the hot noodles to her lips to blow them cool. The best ramen in town was right. Sakura thought about the times she had spent with her former teammates there.

She sighed contently after finishing her ramen - because it was delicious but also because she liked her memories.

"You seem pleased." a cold voice stated from behind her. Sakura's skin prickled up into goosebumps and her stomach lurched. She didn't turn around. She didn't need to, to know who was behind her. Sasuke Uchiha took a seat beside her. He ordered a bowl of Ramen and folded his hands on the counter, looking down at his icy white fingers. Sakura stared blankly into her bowl. If she had learned anything from Sasuke... it was how to stay composed.

"You don't have anything to say to me?" Sasuke inquired, looking at Sakura from the corner of his eyes the way he always had. Sakura looked at the side Sasuke's expressionless face, matching the calm. "What do you expect me to say, Sasuke?" Sakura was surprised by her own cool voice and the relaxed way she said his name. She was more calm than she'd imagined she would be in this situation - not that she had imagined meeting up with him...

Sasuke turned to completely look into Sakura's face. He studied it slowly then replied, "I don't know. I figured you might ask how I was doing or something." Sakura raised her eyebrows in a fashion that said, "I care?" Sasuke looked like he was about to say something but before he could start, his ramen was set in front of him. His attention flickered away from Sakura and he eventually focused more on his food.

Sakura stood and gave the man behind the counter the money for her ramen. She started off but Sasuke called, "Sakura," She stopped in her tracks, turning her head enough for him to know she was listening. There was a beat of silence. Sasuke studied her profile and her back. His eyes trailed her spine, past her backside, down her legs, and to her feet. "Sakura," he said again, completely emotionaless then added, "will you meet me at the bridge tonight?"

Sakura turned her head back to the store she was headed to. "Sorry," she said lightly. Sasuke's face dropped a little but he kept up the act of not being surprised. Sakura started to walk off as she called behind her, "I already have plans."

Writer's note:

This is my very first fanfiction. Feel free to review! x