DISCLAIMER: Truth be told, I have no idea what this means. But, as protocol stands, I don't own anybody in this story except the plot.
Green eyes followed the languid movement of smooth fabric snaking around her body. Sakura watched with resignment as she adorned a yukata of deep blue with a cute little pastel pink obi tied around her waist in the shape of a bow.
Pity Sasuke won't see it.
Sakura paced around the house relentlessly. She tried her best to distract herself with menial tasks of watering the flowers and taking out trash just so she could create the illusion of time travelling faster. Sakura noticed how her mother glanced at her discretly from a corner with a worried expression casted. With her shinobi training kicking in, she rolled her eyes as she saw at the corner of her eyes, her mother hesitatingly opened her mother to speak but swallowed her words after a moment of apprehensiveness.
Not wanting to feel more depressed then she already was, Sakura decided to finally sober up and go ahead with the festival. She's geared up for it anyway. She picked up her coin purse and walked to the door of her house.
"Sakura," came a gentle voice.
Here we go.
"Hai okasaan?" Sakura patronized her with the same smile she gives Kakashi when annoyed.
"Where's Sasuke?"
"Mission."
"Oh." So you're going alone?
"Have fun." Try to.
And the rest was left unsaid.
~XXX~
The sounds of her shoes dragging on gravel were drowned in the louder cheers of the village children. They ran past her with giggles as they race each other to the other end of the festival. Ah, adolescence. Sakura's head turned to the sound of laughter and found herself gazing longingly at a petite girl with blond hair in a pink yukata giggling at her boyfriend whispering sweet nothings in her ear. Why can't Sasuke be like that? Sakura frowned and kicked the gravel beneath her. Damn it.
Sakura walked aimlessly around the festival, finding a game to play or an animal mask as a token to remember the night. Sasuka peered inside her purse; she brought a tad too much money. See, Sakura has a habit of saving the money she receives after a mission but now, it seemed meaningless especially with nobody to spend on. Feeling like she has nothing to lose, Sakura shrugged and made a self promise to finally splurge a little on herself.
After an evening of mopping, Sakura reached a point where she started to enjoy herself. Having won four goldfishes, a doll and treating herself to two large cotton candies plus a rabbit mask, Sakura felt accomplished. The frown she carried disappeared and her evident stiff shoulder relaxed.
"Come on! The fireworks are starting soon!" Sakura recognized that voice. It was the Akazuki twins! Looking adorable when the twinkling eyed sister tugged on the sleeve of the annoyed looking brother, forcing him quicker on his feet.
I should go get a good view. Sakura thought and with a blink of the eye, she has jumped her way up a small cliff overlooking the festival. Her legs dangled precariously off the edge of the cliff as Sakura sat down and waited with excitement bubbling through her as she heard the quintessential sound of fireworks setting off.
Green eyes widened at the sight of a vivid display of colours in the sky popping with life. Sakura watched in childish fascination as firework displays ended with coloured smoke and then another will burst open into a flower before the cycle repeats itself. But alas, all good things must come to an end. Coming down from a high, Sakura released a breath she didn't realised she held. With that, it marked the end of the festival. An audible collective sets of 'aww's were heard and Sakura giggled. Guessed she wasn't the only one that got enchanted.
People were starting to leave and stalls were closing for after a hard days work. Soon, it was darkness and Sakura figured she could stay for a while longer. Besides, what could happen? The worse that could happen were that some unlucky drunkards missing their front tooth. With hands at the back of her head, she gazed at the starry sky as she lay on the cold grassy patch of the small cliff. She stared at the night and started thinking.
Sometimes, when she can't sleep and ends up staring unblinkingly at the ceiling of her bedroom, she questions her social standing with Sasuke. Where were they in this seemingly unmoving relationship? He runs, she chases after him. He runs again and she just chases harder.
This is so depressing. Sakura's heart whispered and she curled in on herself.
Sakura picked up a presence within the bushes. Her senses were on high alert but deflated when she felt that it had no malicious intent. Her trained sensitive hearing was picking up nearly inaudible footsteps approaching her. As it got nearer, Sakura got more familiar until it suddenly stopped. By now, Sakura already figured who it was.
Sakura continued feigning nonchalance until she couldn't stay quiet and deadpanned, "Come out. I know it's you Sasuke."
True enough, out from the bushes came a dark figure clad in the typical ANBU uniform. The tattoo a distinctive feature on sinewy muscles. A mask in shape of a snake a centimetre away from revealing Sasuke's identity. "It's Hebi to you."
"I'm sorry, Hebi-san." Sakura said in mock respect, a bitter feeling simmering in the pits of her belly.
Sasuke stood rooted behind her. Sakura rolled her eyes and sat up. "I thought you weren't supposed to be back till next week." Sakura gave him a pointed look.
"Yet here I am," came a dry and curt answer.
Sakura oh so wish to throw that mask away. She can't read Sasuke's emotions with that stupid mask in her way. Oh heck, she can't read him even without the mask on. Time seems to be in a deadlock as green eyes met red in a battle of nerves. Suddenly, Sasuke started a series of handsigns; snake, ram, monkey, boar, horse and tiger.
Something clicked in Sakura's head. Wait a minute, that's the handsigns for, Kat-
"Katon, hanabi no juutsu."
Fiery red flames emerged out of Sasuke's mouth forming a shape of a fearsome dragon with ruby for eyes dancing in the chilly air with graceful fluency. The dragon then split into two and the dance became an intricate tango between the two as they weaved through the night sky alongside each other. Soon, they flew in opposite direction only to charge at each other with such feriocity akin to that of its master, missing each other by a heartbeat. Sakura could not tear her eyes away at the beautiful movement played before her eyes. It looked so surreal. Just when she thought it couldn't get any better, the two entertwined their bodies and flew for her. A few metres away from her they abruptly collided their heads together, thus bringing forth a new magic; fireworks which looked like fairy dust.
Sakura felt so overwhelmed and utterly and unbelievably happy at the unexpected turn of events. She grinned madly at Sasuke whilst trying to supress a giggle.
"Very original, Sasuke," She laughed heartily in the dead of the night. It all felt so ludicrous and she laughed even harder.
With new found joy, she skipped to where Sasuke was and looped her arm around his, "Don't worry, nobody will see us. I'm not mad at you anymore." Sakura noticed how Sasuke relaxed when she said it but she didn't mention it lest it insults Sasuke's manmanmanlyyyman pride.
Being the gentleman Sasuke was, he saw Sakura to her door where Sakura's mom was worriedly waiting for her arrival, pacing outside the door relentlessly, arms crossed tightly. Just on cue, Mrs. Haruno saw her baby daughter and heaved a sigh of relief but a quirked brow soon followed when she saw an ANBU with Sakura.
"Mummy, meet Hebi-san. He nicely offered to send me home." Sakura had a huge smile etched on her face as she tried to explain why she had her arms entertwined with another man.
The said man only gave a grunt of acknowledgement.
"He's a man of few words Mummy. Please excuse him." Sakura rolled her eyes in derision.
"Well, alright. Come in, it's late," Mrs. Haruno motioned to Sakura, still eyeing the mysterious man. "Thank you ... Hebi-san for bringing her home safely." She gaves a slight bow out of respect to Sasuke, willing to give him the benefit of a doubt since Sakura did come home in one piece.
"Oh Mom, I'm the freaking Hokage's apprentice. I can defend for myself if I'm in danger!" Sakura raised her arms in the air in disbelief.
"No point arguing with me young lady. Being a kunoichi means nothing to me if you're still living under my roof." Mrs. Haruno chided and rushed her inside the house.
"Goodnight Hebi-san." Sakura waved and batted her eyelashes at Sasuke. Sasuke didn't react to her blatant flirting and he gave a short bow to Mrs. Haruno before blending into the night, leaving no trace of him standing in place outside the Haruno household just a second ago.
~XXX~
Sakura woke up the next morning in a good mood. She got out of bed and got herself ready to join Sasuke in his usual spot in the forest where he trains everyday. She hummed a happy tune to herself as she made her way to a secluded area in the forest. As she expected, Sasuke was already there doing his daily training. She knew Sasuke knows that she was there and she observed quietly the rapid attacks he's inflicting on the poor tree.
As she observed, something felt off about Sasuke that morning. As fast as his movements may be, it wasn't the usual speed at which he usually trains with. She quickly assesed Sasuke from head to toe, her med-nin mode on. His legs were not limping, his arms were not bruised. So, what was it?
To her horror, Sasuke suddenly fell to his knees. Sakura immediately went over to his side, checking for any sign of injury.
"Sasuke! We need to get you to the hospital! You have internal bleeding and a few broken ribs!" Sakura exclaimed in panic. Sasuke's short breaths didn't help at all. Sakura wrapped Sasuke's left arm over her head and hastily made their way to the hospital. Once there, Sasuke was given immediate attention by her lady Tsunade herself.
Tsunade made a disapproving face as she inspected him. "Exhaustion, five broken ribs, a bleeding lung and dehydration. Way to go easy on yourself kid." Tsunade then turn to Sakura with a serious look on her face, "Do not let him get out of bed for at least a week until his body stabilizes again. I don't care what you do, just do it. In the first place, we weren't expecting him to return to Konoha in such a short time." Sakura nodded mutely.
Tsunade and Sakura worked silently on healing an unconscious Sasuke. Tsunade knocked him out cold after he fussed about not wanting to stay in the hospital. Green chakra illuminated the room while beads of perspiration formed on Sakura's forehead but she was too worried to notice it. Sakura felt like it had been hours before they successfully finished patching up Sasuke.
Sakura watched the sleeping Sasuke as he lay on the hospital bed with a serene expression. Feeling overwhelmed with today's events, Sakura found herself slowly drifting to sleep in the chair beside Sasuke's hospital bed. Sakura woke up with a blanket drapped over her and Sasuke staring unblinkingly at her. She couldn't control her emotions and tears started to fall cerimoniously down her cheeks.
"You look ugly." Sasuke remained unfazed.
"Shut up." Sakura wiped her tears with the back of her hand. "Why didn't you go to the hospital straight away when you know you're hurt? That's so stupid." Fresh tears began to fall.
"My wounds can wait but that festival cannot. In the end, I still missed it." Sasuke replied wryly.
Realization struck Sakura. Sasuke did remember yesterday was the day of the festival which she told him she wanted to go so much! Feeling touched at his gestures, Sakura wiped the last bit of her tears, climbed onto the bed and hugged him, "Thank you."
Sasuke stiffened at her actions but did not utter anything. After a few minutes, Sakura felt an awkward hand on her head, patting her stiffly; it almost felt like Sasuke was consoling her. Sakura hugged him tighter and feeling emotional, she started crying again.
"Idiot." Sasuke said softly.
Sakura smiled between her tears because she knew that was the best she's going to get from Sasuke.
A/N: I just wanted to try a Sakura/Sasuke oneshot. It drained me. XD
Anyways, do tell me how you feel about this. :)