Title: For no one else

Summary: For no one else will I try so hard

Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, I would be celebrating Sakura's birthday by publishing a sasusaku oneshot on Jump. Inspired by the manga the Last Game

Round 1

My name is Sasuke Uchiha, and for some time, my life was perfect. I am the second son of one of the richest moguls in Japan. I have the highest grades my year level and I have broken all the athletic records in school. And while the screaming fangirls are annoying, I am so popular that everyone basically does whatever I say.

Looking back, those early elementary years were probably my heydays. Because by fifth grade, she came along.

I didn't really care about Sakura Haruno at first. I remember how she was introduced to class. The clothes she was wearing looked old and washed out, but despite her plain appearance, she had vibrant pink hair and bright emerald eyes.

I would have ignored her and I did until the next quiz. I expected the teacher to call me out first and congratulate me as she usually does, but instead she was called. She had the highest score, not me. After the initial shock, I brushed it off as a fluke. But it happened again in the next class, and the others. In no time, she grabbed my spot as the highest scorer. The worse part, though, was she was not only stealing my academic records. She was so tiny and fragile looking that I never expected she would be able to break my streak as the best athlete. But she did and I was furious. This quiet unassuming girl just came out of nowhere, and she was beating me. Sure, she was so plain and quiet, people generally left her alone, so I was still the most popular. But I couldn't stand it! I was always number one, and there was no way I would let this girl beat me!

"You think you're something?" I cornered her one day, "I'm still better than you!"

She just looked at me blankly with her emerald eyes, "uhm…okay." Then she proceeded to leave the room.

Her dismissal just made my blood boil. How dare this girl brush me off like that! "Don't you know who I am? My father is one of the richest and most powerful in the country!"

She stopped right there. I smirked, content that I found something to trump over her.

I saw her look blankly at me. "That's your father's achievement, right? It's not yours."

With that, she left the room.

To say I was shocked at her reply was an understatement. With a fervor I never experienced before, I was determined to use all means to beat her. The moment I reached home, I demanded my mother to hire me better tutors, better trainers, classes, sessions, everything that would give me edge over Haruno. But even when I worked so hard, she still had the higher grades.

One day, I was running late to one of my after school classes, so I decided to ditch my limo and just run. But I was probably very exhausted because the next thing I remembered was blacking out and waking up in a cramped room.

"Are you okay?" I looked up and saw pink. Haruno. What the hell? Is this her house? How did I end up here?

"I saw you unconscious at the corner," she explained after noticing my confused face. "You can use the telephone to call your parents."

"I have a cellphone!" I declared, before furiously texting my chauffeur to fetch me after demanding her address. I couldn't wait to leave this place.

I looked around, it seems that she lives in a two-room apartment. At the corner, I could see stacks of books and papers, which means she studies at home. "Aren't you going to any extra classes?" I suddenly blurted. There was just no way she was outperforming him without attending supplementary classes.

"We can't afford it," she quietly replied. "Mom has been working two jobs since Dad died, but it's just enough to make ends meet."

I grew silent after that. So, her father is dead. I glanced briefly at a picture of a cheerful woman with a younger Haruno. Beside it was another picture of a smiling man with a darker shade of pink hair.

"Why are you trying so hard at school?" I asked.

"I don't want Mom to work hard forever," she simply answered. "This is all I can do for her."

After an hour, my chauffeur came, but I was still in a bad mood. When I arrived home, I told my mother to cancel all the extra classes and tutors. I would win my own way, but somehow, after leaving Haruno's apartment, I felt that I truly lost.

The days came by swiftly, and I remained second, always behind Haruno in rank. But it's not over, I convinced myself, there was still middle school.

However, I suddenly found out that Haruno would go to the public middle school. I couldn't believe it, but it wasn't entirely unexpected. She could not afford the private school I planned to go to.

I found her at the school gates.

"Haruno!"

She paused and looked back. "Uchiha-san."

I was shaking, I didn't even know why I was looking for her. I didn't know what I wanted to tell her.

After a few moments of silence, she decided to speak first.

"Uchiha-san," she just looked at me. "I will miss you." And with that, she left.

I couldn't accept it. It cannot just end like this, with her winning everything I worked hard for. I will not allow myself to lose to her.

The next year, I enrolled at the public middle school. I will challenge myself to climb to the national rankings without relying on the advantages of private education. It has nothing to do with her at all.

Round 2

We were not in the same classes in middle school.

However, it was not that hard to keep tabs on her. She still beats me. In every test and in every record, she constantly ranked first, and I am second.

They might be quite annoying, but the fangirls surrounded me in droves. Wherever I go, there was always at least one clinging to me, offering me a boxed lunch or asking for a date. I always politely declined, I prefer studying over a useless date. A date won't help me beat Haruno, and that is my goal.

While Haruno ranked first in school, she was still a loner. Friendless, she never tried to mingle with everyone.

"You are second once again, you are so smart." A purple haired classmate whose name I forgot was simpering at me with her annoyingly squeaky voice.

It took me a lot not to glare at her. I did not need a reminder.

"But that person always getting first," butted in a redhead whose name I can't recall either, "she's so weird and quiet. She might get first place in everything, but that's no good if you don't have friends. You are still far better than her, Sasuke-kun!"

That statement cheered me up. How many years have I been hung up over beating Haruno? It must have been four years already, and through all those times, I have consistently been the most popular one. I might be second, but in the eyes of everyone, I will always be first.

So, one day, when I saw her walking towards me in the corridor, I felt myself walk straighter despite several girls following me. With a boost of confidence, I determinedly approached her for the first time since I arrived to this school and gave her a haughty smirk, "Haruno."

She paused and looked at me with wonder. After a few seconds, her emerald eyes lit up in recognition. "Ah…Uchiha-san! It's been a long time, so you go to this school too." She gave a polite bow and left.

However, I froze. She has forgotten me. She has forgotten ME! How dare she forget me!

Later, I glared daggers at her from my classroom. I could see that she was having her PhysEd classes at the field, and doing rounds without a care as usual.

"Hey look, even Uchiha ogles at girls!" I heard one of the boys in my classroom grab a chair and looked out the window. "Oh, it's Karin! Isn't she hot?"

"She likes Uchiha though," another boy joined us, "Why are you such a chick magnet?"

I just shrugged, not really caring. All I could see was a certain pink haired girl breezing through the obstacle course.

"Hey, Uchiha, how come you don't have a girlfriend? You leaning the other way?" They both laughed when I glared at them.

"So who is your type, eh, Uchiha?"

I continued to stare after Haruno, "Someone who isn't better than me. Someone who doesn't sport a weird hair color. Someone who does not forget you."

"Hmm, that's pretty specific, Uchiha, I know how hard it is to have your girlfriend better than you."

"Yeah, look at Haruno, there's no way anyone would date her. She might be smart but I bet she looks down at everyone."

"Yeah, who does she think she is? She probably thinks she's better than everyone."

"Shut up!" I slammed my fists at the table, "You don't know anything about her."

I left the room feeling even more irritated. I don't know why I just defended her, I shared the same opinions. But somehow, I do not like it when other people say those words about her.

I still hated that she would just forget me like that. I want to beat her and for her to acknowledge her defeat.

Two boys were going in my direction, so I decided to turn, until I heard their conversation.

"Why didn't you tell her you like her?"

"No way, to say that means I would lose. The first one to admit they like you, loses."

I paused. I smirked. I knew what I should do. I will make Haruno like me, then I will break up with her. Finally, I will win.

I was confident I would win this time. Girls practically beg me to go on a date with them. The very next day, I rushed to where Haruno usually eats her lunch.

"Haruno."

She looked up, "Oh, Uchiha-san."

I leaned to her closely, my eyes looking directly at hers in a way that makes girls swoon. "I see you're eating alone as usual…You know, I decided to be nice and allow you to go out with me."

She just stared at me with wonder, "Why would you want to go out with me?"

I swallowed, irritated, "Do I need a reason?"

She stood up and gradually pointed at the exit door, "You can go out through there, you don't need me to go with you."

I looked at her in disbelief. Is this girl really the number one student in school? This would be harder than I thought.

With some effort, I managed to explain to her that I was inviting her to eat lunch with me. With some hesitation, she agreed and I took her to the most expensive restaurant near our school and told her she could get anything. She seemed surprised and asked what I wanted from her. Of course I couldn't tell her my plans, so I just told her that I decided to be nice to her.

For the next few days, I accompanied her to her to part-time jobs and her home, carried her grocery bags, and everything I could think of to make her like me. But it was definitely hard work. I didn't realize how many part time work she engages in, or how heavy her groceries are. I once hired a man to try to get her wallet so I could save her and be her hero, but apparently, she had learned karate from a neighbor and defended herself quite well.

In the end, we graduated from middle school, and I still wasn't close to winning.

Round 3

By high school, we followed a routine.

We still didn't have similar classes, but we ate lunch together and I always accompanied her to her work, grocery trips or fetch her when she is about to go home.

It became a comfortable routine, but I was still no closer to getting her to like me the way I wanted her to.

When I discovered she still didn't have a cellphone, I insisted that she buy one. That weekend, I was determined to impress her with my knowledge on cellphones but she just asked the salesgirl for the cheapest model. When I offered to buy it for her, she declined.

"But I was the one who insisted you to buy one!" I told her, annoyed as usual with her stubbornness.

"But I decided to buy it, and I will be the one to use it!" She countered.

We ended up in a café after that. I stared at her as she read and studied the manual for the cellphone. In the last few years, while we have been together constantly, she still seemed so distant from me. Even when I treat her to meals, she would also give me some homemade food or a gift in thanks the next day. I never saw her really smile or acknowledge if she feels anything special for me.

"Hey, Haruno."

"Yes?" She lowered the manual.

"Your dream is give a better life to your mother, right?"

She nodded.

"Have you ever considered marrying a rich guy?" The moment the words left my mouth, I blushed furiously, "I don't mean me, I mean someone else!"

Haruno simply shook her head.

"Why not?" I cursed myself for asking, but I wasn't able to stop myself. "A rich man can give you and your mother a better life."

"Then, that wouldn't be because of my hard work. I want to thank Mom for everything she has done for me. I want to earn for myself what I will give to her."

I just nodded silently. I couldn't help but think that the person she would like will be so lucky. She will like him for himself and not for anything else. I frowned at that thought and felt my chest grow heavy.

One day, at school, a girl approached me and asked if Haruno and I were dating. I almost laughed at this. I've been trying to make her like me, but I never once thought of her as a girl you could date. I explained that Haruno was simply a childhood classmate, and that I don't even consider her a girl at all. That was really my honest opinion. Girls, no matter how annoying, try to look good, are gentle and fragile. Haruno rarely laughs, and other than our uniforms, she does not seem to care much about appearances. And frankly, how would you call someone who can carry a sack of rice a girl?

I reflected on this as I proceeded to accompany Haruno home, when she paused after checking her cellphone.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"It's my aunt," her voice was softer than usual, "Mom had an accident….I don't know what to do…"

I felt my heart stop. For Haruno, her mother was her life. I pulled her hand and for the first time, I saw her crying.

"Let's go," I pulled her and called a cab. I asked her the name of the hospital, and asked the driver to go there as fast as possible. Beside me, I could see her shaking, and without thinking, I grabbed her hand.

She rushed to her mother's room and promptly dissolved to tears. It appears that her mother simply fell from the stairs and broke her ankle, but it was enough to worry Haruno. The doctor called her for some information, leaving me alone with Mrs. Haruno in the hospital room.

"So you're Sakura's friend," her mother smiled.

I shook my head, "No, we are not friends. I am just her classmate."

"Sakura has always worked very hard, and I have always been worried about her. But I am glad she has a good friend like you."

I simply nodded before leaving the room. After a few minutes, I heard Haruno called me.

"Uchiha-san, thank you. I didn't know what I would have done without you." With those words, she gave me a bright smile.

I nodded again, and rushed to get a cab. I felt myself shaking. During the taxi ride to the hospital, I couldn't stop thinking about holding her hands, and when she gave me that smile. Especially, that radiant smile. For the first time, I acknowledged her as a girl.

"The first one to admit they like you, loses."

I lost to her again.

Round 4

Our routine continued by college. We were still in the same university, but while I took business courses, she was taking medicine. We still frequently saw each other, ate together and studied together.

I have long given up denying that I have fallen for her. I tried dating other girls, but they were always annoying, and I would end the night calling Haruno and talk about anything to keep myself sane.

But Haruno remained as oblivious to my feelings as ever.

Since our elementary years, Haruno never attended any clubs, despite coaches asking her to join. So, it was a surprise when I heard she joined the flower arrangement club. She told me that a fellow med student invited her, but I was beyond irritated. I asked her to join all the clubs I joined, but she always declined. Why would she join some useless club like flower arrangement at the invitation of some stranger over me? After all these years, what am I to her?

I was so pissed I ignored her for days, until one day her mother called me frantic. Apparently, Sakura just left the house suddenly. Panicking, I ran looking for her, until I saw her sitting at a park.

I sat beside her. "Your mother was worried."

"I'm sorry."

"Why did you run off like that?"

"All my life, I just wanted to give my mother a better life. Soon, I will be a doctor and I will be able to give that to her. But after that, I saw that, I don't have anything else to cling to, I don't have any other dream.

"I was also sad. These last few days, you weren't around, you weren't calling to text me or invite me to some mundane stuff (I grimaced, inviting her to the tomato festival was not mundane). I thought it was nothing, I survived without you before, in elementary, in middle school…But I realized, that I miss you."

My heart was beating madly, finally, has she finally realized?

She looked at me with a smile, "You are really my best friend."

I think I was going to have a heart attack. I just got friendzoned. Then, I shook it off. Haruno is not used to these feelings, having concentrated to having one goal for so long. What she felt, was certainly more than friendship. It must have been 10 years already, since we first met. I could wait longer.

"Sakura."

"Eh?"

"I'll call you Sakura from now on."

"Okay. Should I call you by your first name too?"

I smirked, "That would be appropriate."

"What is your first name?"

I will not lie, that pretty much hurt. Ten years and she doesn't know my first name at all?

But that was progress. Afterwards, my heart would race every time I hear her call me "Sasuke-kun."

The next day, I joined the Flower Arrangement Club. The president who invited Sakura, Ino Yamanaka, was annoying, but I learned from her that Sakura joined the club to improve her social skills. The blonde told me that Sakura always admired how I was with people and she decided she would work on her people skills.

I smiled, the Uchiha smile that doesn't really look like a smile, but is a smile nonetheless. After all these time, she does see something in me that she appreciated. I also learned that she admired how I worked hard outside my family's influence.

Little by little, she went out of her shell. While I am jealous she started making friends and going out with people other than me, I am glad to see her happy, and smiling more often. Under Yamanaka's guidance, she started becoming more fashionable, and I had to scare off some guys who started being interested in her.

She was working hard in her own way, and I will work hard too, until she would recognize that we feel the same way for each other.

Round 5

Years passed, and she became a well known doctor while I built my own pharmaceutical company. It was a long and hard road, but eventually, she did grow emotionally mature.

She told me stories from when we were young.

"You were cute, but you kept on irritating me with your constant challenges," she shared with a playful smirk.

She told me that she would never understand why I would keep talking to her, or doing stuff for me. For a while, she thought I pitied her.

I looked at the girl before me who reached all her dreams through her hard work. The girl I tried so hard to defeat and who, I eventually realized, I just want to stand on equal toes with. This was the girl who saw me for who I was, someone who captured my heart by being herself.

For no one else would I work so hard to love and love me back. And with the surprised look at her face when she saw the diamond ring I showed her, I know it is not the end of our journey together.