Here's just a little oneshot I jotted down. It's AU SakuSasu as well as some slight OOC-ness on Sasuke's part but nothing too horrendous (in other words he doesnt run around screaming about rainbows and butterflies).
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its related affiliates, specifically Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke in this instance. I am getting NO monetary gain from this so, please don't sue me...
4 Little Letters Can Make A Difference || SAKUSASU
Sakura didn't know what was more painful, her right leg, recently broken but currently healed; or the fact that Sasuke once again had called her weak.
She'd spent the last five years of her life training like there was no tomorrow (the first three of those were spent trying to bring Sasuke back, and she thought she'd proven she was stronger when she'd punched him in the jaw, sending flying back with a dislocated jaw) just to prove to everyone that there was more to the lone female on their squad than just pink hair, a red dress, and needing to be rescued.
Of course, that all went down the drain when she was in a 3-to-1 battle and someone drops an exploding tag, which sent you flying backwards and then they somehow (fiverouges) managed to knock her out and drag her away. And, of course, it didn't matter to Sasuke that she'd trained like crazy for half a decade (justtoproveherselftohimalwaysalwaystohim) because he was still having to beat all of his foes just to get her back from hers, in the process beating all of them as well.
And then, to her horror, she'd woken up being carried by the last remaining Uchiha, her leg broken, bruised, and bleeding; while he barely had a scratch on him, had barely even broken a sweat. She'd quietly, as if afraid of his lashing out at her by dropping on the ground, thanked him. And, in his usual way, Sasuke simply gave her grunt in response, muttering something under his breath that sounded along the lines of "weak" and "annoying" in combination somehow.
And now, as the pink-haired medic sat and let her leg adjust to the sudden rehealing, she felt that old, once thought forgotten, pain of not being enough. Somehow, despite her constant training, she was still the one who was weak, who was the burden to her other teammates (all three of them currently milling around her, none seeming to quite want to make eye contact with her or Sasuke).
Weak. Sakura detested that word and all the baggage that came with it. Same as annoying. Both words used constantly to describe her by her (hotalwaystheretosaveher) teammate.
"Time to move out," Kakashi stated and they all stood up, Sakura ignoring the pain that came up through her still sore leg, "Konoha if half-a day's run, let's get on it. Can you make it, Sakura?"
Sakura nodded, hating that he had to specifically call her out to see if she was strong enough to make her way to own home.
Half way home, as her luck would have, they were once again ambushed (Sakura found herself wondering why she could nevereverevernever have a normal mission when she was with her teammates). She was doing just fine until one of these rouges decided to roundhouse her leg exactly where it had been previously broken. Cursing she knelt to the ground, her hand covered in green as it tried to do a rapid healing.
Before she could even put her hand to her leg, however a dark blue blur was in front of her, katana swinging as it connected with the man, piercing his heart and killing him instantly.
Sasuke looked over his shoulder at the rosette, a smirk on his face, "You were holding us up."
"Sorry," She bit back at him, pain making her voice sharp; to the right Naruto was yelling about how all of these damned ninjas kept popping up like daisies and how they were keeping him from eating his delicious yummilicious ramen.
"Can you carry her, Sasuke?" Kakashi called over, ignoring Naruto's ramblings.
"I'll be fine," Sakura muttered, annoyed about being such a burden.
"No you won't, you'll just slow us down and I'm ready to return home." Sasuke told her, reaching down to pick her up and sling her across her back, leg screaming in protest of the sudden movement.
"But I wouldn't want to be an annoyance to you, Sasuke," Sakura protested, the word burning her tounge as she spoke it, "I'll get Naruto to carry me, I'm sure he won't mind." And, he wouldn't make her feel bad about it.
"I can carry you without a problem, Sakura, unless you doubt my ability?" Sasuke asked as they set out, his speed seeming unhindered by the added weight. And then, as if to further prove his point, they managed to somehow get far ahead of the other two. Damn Uchiha.
"Alright, you proved your point," Sakura said, "I understand, you're the strong one and I'm the weak one, whatever."
"I never said that," Sasuke argued, "I'm merely showing you that I am not one to be easily brought down."
"But you called me weak earlier," Sakura said, lips bunching up at the unpleasant memory.
"No, I didn't say 'weak' I said 'weakness' there's a difference," Sasuke said, "Four extra letters."
"Oh, what's the difference, either way I'm nothing but a burden." Sakura grumbled, hating having to admit the truth, "And I worked so damned hard too, I don't know how I got hit so easily."
Sasuke snorted, "You were too busy watching me."
Sakura blushed a deep pink, he'd seen her worrying over him, "Yeah, I mean it was five-to-one."
"And you had three-to-one, I've fought in worse conditions." Sasuke shrugged as much as he could with the girl resting on his shoulders.
"Can't help worrying." Sakura shrugged.
"Do you think I'm weak?" Sasuke asked as they could see the forest thinning, signalling that the village was coming up soon.
"No, course not."
"Then why worry?"
"Can't help it, when you really care about someone then you can't help but wanna make sure they're always as safe as can possibly be." Sakura answered, wondering where all the talkativeness came from.
Sasuke didn't speak again after that, resuming his previous dignified silence as they approached the village. When they passed through the familiar wooden gates, Sasuke headed to Sakura's apartment.
"Thanks," Sakura said, sliding down off of him and reaching into her back pocket to get her key.
"Sakura, what is a weakness?" Sasuke asked, looking at the girl as she opened her door.
"Um, something that hinders you or causes you to lose or get hurt?" Sakura formed the answer into a question, unsure of why he was asking.
"Then would I be considered your weakness?"
"By definition, yeah, but you're far from weak." Sakura shook her head at him, still not getting what he was aiming at.
"Earlier, I didn't call you annoying because you were weak, I said you were annoying because you were a weakness." Sasuke told her, shrugging as he turned around, "And if you can't figure that out, then you're almost as stupid as the dobe."
Sakura blinked for a second as the connection finally hit. She chuckled to herself as she walked into her apartment, small smile on her face. Yeah, four little letters kinda did make a difference.
To be weak or to be a weakness.
Two totally different things.
/. . . And it only took breaking her leg twice to figure it out . . .\\
Well, here ya go! Now that I look back over it I know its not my best work but it'll do for something I just sat down and cooked up. :)
Please send me a short review, it can be anything, it doesn't have to be long and drawn out; just, something so I know this was worth my time and effort to post up here!
Later!
-Emy