Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of its shining glory.
Summary: Sasuke and Sakura were inseparable to say the least. They have gone through being playmates to schoolmates to teammates to dynamic duo. You can call them absolutely anything, well.. anything except lovers. SasuSaku. AU. Non-massacre.
Kismet
Chapter One
"Good morning Okaa-san" Sakura bowed as she entered the kitchen of the Uchiha family.
"Good morning Sakura, fetching my little Sasuke from a mission? Please sit and have breakfast with us." Mikoto said with a smiling face as Sasuke quietly made an entrance.
"Okaa-san, stop calling me little Sasuke around everybody." He sat from across Sakura who was giving him a sly smug.
"Aren't you cranky? I fixed you two some food to take for that mission, when are you coming back again?" She asked as she put breakfast on the table.
"Two weeks from now." Sasuke answered her while he put pieces of omelettes in Sakura's plate.
"What's the mission?" Itachi had just come from the door. "Hey kid." He put a hand on Sakura's head.
"Hey! I'm no kid and it's classified." She told him with a pout, flattening the hair that stood up from her head as Itachi sat beside her.
"Looks like a tough one." He replied and picked up his chopsticks.
Sakura smirked. "Nothing the dynamic duo can't do." She raised her hand and just as synchronized as a flock of birds the two exchanged a high five in midair.
"You two make a great team. Sakura dear, please make sure Sasuke doesn't get badly injured." Mikoto reminded and handed her their extra pack.
"Hai!" She beamed and took them.
They finished breakfast and bid their goodbyes afterward. They both headed for the gates.
"Should we pass by your Otou-san before we leave?" Sakura asked him.
"No need. I already told him last night." He said.
"Right. So we travel for 2 days and find a place to stay in a village near Kusagakure. We can discuss strategies along the way." She said as they set off from Konoha.
"You don't have to watch over me, just to be clear. You're the one badly injured the last time and had me worried sick. It's a good thing we we're close to the village when those good for nothing hunters attacked." He told her as they jumped from tree to tree. He can't seem to suppress the feeling of anger every time he remembered.
"What do you mean last time that was like our first mission together when we were like 17. Hello Sasuke-kun?" She said as a matter of fact.
"Well we don't want that to happen again." He dead-panned.
"You won't let that happen. I swear if we ever see those hunter nins again I'll pull their heads outs. We're stronger as ever." She assured, Sasuke had turned to her and smiled.
Sasuke and Sakura had been partners for 3 years now. Even before then they had come to know each other since they were about 4.
Flashback..
Sakura stopped as she saw a boy sitting at a bench by the playground. It seems as though he was holding in tears and she thought to ask what he was doing alone in the park.
"Hey. Are you crying?" she asked him.
"No. I'm not. Go away." He told her, hiding his eyes with his arm.
"What are you doing here all alone?" She sat beside him in the bench while holding his arm to see if he wasn't really in tears.
"No I'm not alone. My brother said he'll pick me up here but he hasn't come." He said, removing his arm from his eyes as he looked at the girl.
"Maybe he forgotten." She said.
He came closer to her and stared at her, suddenly forgetting about his dilemma.
"Wow look at your hair! It's pink." He smiled and held the tips of a few strands of her hair.
"Duh! I knew that. Big deal." She answered.
"They match your eyes." He told her and she grinned back at him.
"Little brother, sorry I'm late, I just finished training." Itachi said as he ran to the bench and spotted the two kids.
"Nii-san! You're here! Look I have a friend who's pink." Sasuke pointed at Sakura.
Itachi laughed at Sasuke's words.
"Indeed. What's your name little girl?" He asked her.
"My name is Sakura Haruno. I was named after cherry blossoms because of my hair." She said.
"I see. Well then let me and Sasuke take you home little Sakura. Come on you two." He told them and they stood to follow him.
They waved goodbye when they'd drop Sakura by her house, her parents had thanked the Uchiha brothers for doing so.
"Thank you Sasuke-kun! Nii-san!" She shouted.
"See you tomorrow Sakura!" Sasuke replied keeping a smile in his face.
That was the start of their budding friendship.
After hours and hours of travelling, it was already night time and they decided to rest and camp near the river. They had set up their shared tent successfully and had placed their stuff inside.
"I'll get us some fish and you can start the fire." He instructed and she agreed. He stopped and removed his vest and long sleeve.
"What are you getting naked for?" She asked him, raising an eyebrow.
"I'd catch faster if I get under water. I can dry my trousers later." He said and went.
"Don't be in there for too long if the water's cold Sasuke-kun!" She shouted as he raised his arm as a response before his figure disappeared.
As soon as Sasuke jumped in the water he'd regretted going in the first place.
Fuck. He cursed inwardly. He hurried and caught a big fish instead of 2 smaller ones, immediately swimming back up, tossing the fish he'd caught in the ground.
He hoisted himself up from the water and picked up the dying fish to take back where they camped. He could see the small light from the fire as he got closer.
He placed the fish in the leaves that Sakura put up and sat down the log to warm himself up.
"Water's cold huh?" She said as she dug up a small towel from her pack and tossed it to him.
"Thanks." He replied and stood, holding the waistband of his trousers.
"Whoa whoa whoa, just what are you doing trying to strip in front of me?" Sakura interrupted.
"Oh sorry. Thought you didn't mind. It's not like you haven't seen it before." He said, seemingly composed.
"That was a long time ago! And I didn't know you were in there!" She blushed furiously and threw a pebble at his direction, almost hitting him.
"Relax. I was just teasing. I'll go change in the tent." He held his hands up to calm her. He smirked when his back was facing her.
It happened one time and they decided to forget all about it. Except they didn't. Sasuke teased her every chance he can get.
Flashback..
Sasuke had just come home from a solo mission that day. He wasn't sure what time he'd be getting back so he told Sakura to just meet him for dinner at the park near the complex around 7. He was back at home at 6 and had greeted his mom. He went to his room to get some fresh clothes and immediately took a shower after.
Sakura had knocked and greeted Mikoto just about 10 minutes after he had entered the bathroom.
"Good evening Okaa-san" she bowed.
"Sakura dear, waiting for Sasuke?" She said more than asked.
Sakura nodded in response. "Can I please use the bathroom?" she asked.
"Of course dear, you know the way." She permitted and she went her way.
The Uchiha home consists of 4 bathrooms. One powder room, and one bathroom each beside the bedrooms. She was accustomed to using Sasuke's bathroom since she can remember. This is the reason why her feet had led her there.
Sasuke had just finished and turned off his shower. Just as he was getting out and about to snug the towel over his hips, the main door to the bathroom opens to reveal a very startled cherry blossom. Instead of making a sound, the palm of her hand slapped in her mouth and her faced had turn red as a tomato can be.
There she sees Sasuke and all his dangling glory.
A tinge of red was visible in Sasuke's face as he looked away and covered up with a towel.
"You can stop staring now." He broke the silence as he masked his face with his hand to cover a growing blush.
"I didn't mean to! I didn't know you're here and I had to pee and-
"Yeah.. let me just get dressed first. The bathroom's all yours." He said as he walk past her to get dressed in his room.
Boundaries have definitely been crossed that day and that they both agreed that night to just forget about the whole ordeal.
It's just that one time Sasuke brought it up and thought Sakura looked really funny trying to prevent herself from blushing that he decided to dig it up when he gets the chance. After all, he really has nothing to be embarrassed about.
Sasuke had changed his pants and let the wet ones dry over the fire. Sakura had already started cooking the fish and he sat beside her to hold the stick for her.
"Thanks Sasuke-kun, always a gentleman." She remarked.
"Yeah, unlike that guy you're seeing." He said with a hint of annoyance.
"Not seeing him anymore. He's a slob." She told him.
"So you did notice." He twisted the fish from the other side.
"What do you mean I noticed? You and Naruto won't shut up about it. It's like every time I introduce them to you guys they immediately become threatened." She defeatedly explained.
"He does have the Kyuubi sealed inside of him, but he's a complete dobe and we're only looking out for you."
"Yeah, I know."
None of the guys she went out with were good enough for her. Most of them just even wanted to get inside her pants. If she knew Sasuke had threw a punch to half of the jerks she had a date with, he would have received one from her as well.
Once the fish was cooked, they had started eating while running over their strategy for the mission. They were to escort a rich landlord from Kusagakure to Amegakure for a classified business deal. Of all the hidden villages, they could agree that Ame was both their least favorite.
"I hate it there. The rain never stops and there isn't a single tree. Talk about a dead city." She complained.
"Tell me about it. We wouldn't be staying outdoors there thankfully. It seems that the rich landlord hates the rain. We'll be staying at the hotel where his business deal will happen." He read through the mission scroll.
"It must be a bigtime deal for him to drag himself to a place he hates." She said in a questioning tone.
"I have a feeling that this wouldn't be a smooth transaction."
"Couldn't agree more. Let's just be careful, Sasuke-kun." Placing a hand on his shoulder.
"You should rest. I'll take watch first." He offered.
"Alright, don't let me get eaten from bears."
"Huh, I'll try." He answered as he watched her enter their tent.
He heard her fumbling some stuff from her bag and then a few seconds later she tossed him something from the small opening of the tent. He catched it and examined the object.
"It's an earpiece with a built-in mic." She said from inside the tent, her voice a little muffled.
He'd heard her shuffle a little more until he was convinced that she has finally settled in her sleeping bag.
Sasuke had put the earpiece on and immediately heard Sakura's voice from the other line.
"Raven, come in. Over."
"Pink blossom, this is Raven. Go ahead."
He heard her giggle and he couldn't help but smile at her silliness.
"Goodnight." She muttered sleepily.
"Roger that. Sleep well, pink blossom."