Title: Indoctrinate

Prompt: Lessons Learned

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Summary: Sakura's jaw dropped. In all this time... with all those girls throwing themselves at him... he hadn't...? A mischievous smile twitched at the edges of her lips. Perhaps it was time for her to teach him a lesson.

Rating: T


"So, who was your first kiss, Sasuke-kun? Excluding Naruto." Silence immediately eclipsed the side conversations in the group, all eyes now locked on the coy blonde who had daringly posed the question. Sakura, seeing the tell-tale signs of apprehension in Sasuke's body, winced. Perhaps it hadn't been such a bright idea to drag the dirt-caked Uchiha to the small cafe after their sparring session.

What had begun as an innocent conversation had quickly escalated into an interrogation of sorts, where each member of the Konoha Eleven was coerced into revealing his or her first kiss. Such a shift in subject had already caused a heady tension to settle over the table. Shikamaru quietly sulked over his grilled pork, having discovered that Ino's first had been stolen back in her Academy days by one of Might Guy's prospects, Yagura. Likewise, Naruto glared balefully at Hinata's crimson cheeks, surprised that the excessively shy girl had already bestowed her first kiss upon some member of the Hyūga clan's main branch.

Although the logical side of her mind rationalized that she shouldn't be bothered by the idea that Sasuke had no doubt engaged in such extracurricular activities with the women of Otogakure during his time away, Sakura still found herself somewhat curious as to what his reply would be. Of course, however, the boy remained stoically silent.

"Sasuke-kun," Ino whined insistently, tugging on the sleeve of his training shirt, darkened with the perspiration produced from his spar with his teammate.

"Teme hasn't had his first kiss, Ino-chan." Naruto chuckled, nearly choking on the ramen he had procured from the chef when Sasuke settled a red-eyed glower upon him. "What, are you denying it, Teme? Go ahead then. Enlighten us all."

Sasuke averted his eyes.

Sakura's jaw dropped. In all this time… with all those girls throwing themselves at him… he hadn't…? A mischievous smile twitched at the edges of her lips. Perhaps it was time for her to teach him a lesson.


Sakura's feet barely brushed the broken ground before she pushed herself back into the air, the heat of a Katon scorching the bare skin of her calf. She hissed in pain. Her speed was decreasing as the fight drug on, and Sasuke's keen eyes had certainly detected her increasing fatigue.

"Sakura. Direct more chakra to your feet. You're slowing down." Sasuke barked, creating signs for his third Chidori of the match. Sakura's eyes widened as the crackling blue energy raced into his palm, illuminating his face in an erie glow within the shadows of the trees that provided cover from the scorching sun. How in the hell did he have so much chakra left?

With a curse, Sakura did as he said, having learned that it was beneficial to her to apply his advice rather than to scorn it, as she had during their first few matches following his return. After her livid response to one of his first criticisms of her taijutsu technique- she had been under the impression that he was labeling her as 'weak' and 'annoying' as he had in their years as genin- Sasuke had cooly reassured her that he was merely trying to assist her in bettering her skills, which had significantly improved since their childhood. Since that concealed compliment, Sakura had made an effort to take heed to the lessons he offered her.

A grin appeared on her grimy features as she used the extra burst of energy to somersault just above Sasuke's Chidori. However, his crimson eyes shifted upwards with her movement. His signature smirk appeared. Sakura's heart sank. Oh dear.

Suspended in the air for approximately two or three seconds, Sakura was unable to defend herself when Sasuke transferred his jutsu throughout the rest of his body. The crackling energy singed her front half as she sailed just over his arm, interrupting her somersault. With a shriek, Sakura broke her fall with the blade of her shoulder. The pain that immediately flared up in the region predicted heavy bruising for the next morning. Wonderful.

Sakura heard the distinct sound of a sharp inhale followed by the silence that often ensues after the dissipation of a jutsu. She listened as Sasuke approached her with light steps, falling onto his knees beside her. His calloused hands roamed lightly over her body, skimming her injuries before he gingerly rolled her onto her back.

The medic bit back a hiss, recalling the crisped skin that marred her back from a misstep in the earlier part of the match. Fighting the wave of vertigo that threatened to overtake her hazed mind, Sakura brought her palm up to a laceration that marked Sasuke's otherwise flawless cheek. A smirk graced her lips at the thought of having inflicted such a wound upon the mighty Uchiha. However, Sasuke's eyes narrowed the moment her warm chakra began to coerce the cells of his skin back together.

"Sakura," he warned, firmly pulling her hand from his face. Sakura smiled at the worry apparent in his features. Since his return, Sasuke had shown an uncharacteristic concern for her wellbeing. Some part of her surmised that it was due to guilt from the countless times he had tried to kill her during his defection. Another small part suggested he simply cared for her. Of course, she promptly doused the small flicker of hope before it was able to kindle into something more.

"Annoying," Sasuke breathed, the warmth in his eyes, which had faded back to their sleek onyx hue, showed Sakura that he meant the term endearingly. Sakura grinned, her eyes widening slightly when she felt her head pulled onto the muscle of his thighs. Glancing up with curious eyes, Sasuke simply shushed her before bringing a hand down to hover over her her throbbing shoulder. The sensation of healing chakra in her shoulder elicited a gasp from her.

Sasuke had never learned medical jutsu…

"My first lesson from you, Sakura-sensei." Sakura giggled at his odd show of humor, enjoying his sudden shift away from his perpetually dark persona. However, as she thought about his innate ability to replicate her jutsu so easily, she frowned. Instead of biting out with a scathing retort of how he shouldn't be trying to copy his own teammate's abilities, Sakura smirked. Perhaps now was the perfect time to remedy the dire situation that had been brought to her attention.

"Sasuke-kun," Sasuke looked down at her with concealed surprise at her use of the honorific at the end of his name. He hadn't realized how much he had missed hearing that one syllable attached at the end of his name during the period of his return. He cocked a single arched brow in askance of his companion's question.

Sakura chewed her lip anxiously, and Sasuke's eyes narrowed at the odd display of nerves on the rather strong-willed kunoichi. Suspicion immediately welled within him. What did this mischievous little girl have planned?

Without further ado, Sasuke found his lips enraptured with the motion of those of his suddenly vivacious partner's. His heart stopped. Was that a blush he felt creeping up the back of his neck?

Better yet, where exactly had Sakura learned such superb maneuvers?

Sensing the Uchiha's obvious surprise at her rather high skill level, Sakura grinned against his lips. She gave him one more chaste peck before settling back onto her original position on his toned thighs. She flashed him a cheeky wink before offering an explanation. Some distant part of her noted how cute the stoic boy looked with crimson stained cheeks.

"Well, you said that was your first lesson from me, when, technically, I didn't actually teach you anything. And since you're such a stickler for details, I supposed it would be unfair of me to allow you to have the misconception that you had learned your first lesson from me. Also, since you've dedicated so much time to helping me out with my taijutsu, I figured I owed you at least one lesson of my own. You may now consider that your first. Now, continue where you left off." Sakura demanded, allowing her eyes to slip closed the moment the soothing sensation of Sasuke's healing chakra resumed on the torn sinews of her bare shoulder.

Her cheeks turned pink at the barest whisper from the Uchiha just at the shell of her ear.

"I believe I require a bit more explanation, Sakura. Would you mind?"

She smirked. Oh, how quickly this boy caught on.