Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, or the show which is named after him, nor do I own any of the characters which appear in the aforementioned show yadda yadda yadda.

Pairing: Zetsu X Sakura

Type: One-Shot

Warnings: Will probably have OOC (Out of Character)-ness. I apologize if there is OOCness in the story, I will do my best to...do my best? May have swearing in it.

Set: This story is set in the high school realm.

Word Count: 1,516

Reshaped and edited by myself.


Attached

+*+ A ZetXSaku One-Shot +*+


It was a Monday afternoon; school had been let out about half an hour ago. Two students sat side by side on a grassy hill just outside the school, jut enjoying each other's company.

Zetsu looked at the pink haired junior sitting by his side. She was strangely calm.

No one besides his family, the Akatsuki, were this calm when around him. It was puzzling to him, how this preppy, upbeat girl didn't fear him, not even a little bit. It was unnerving, yet strangely nice.

"Sakura-san, why aren't you afraid of us?" His white side asked. For as long as he could remember he had had two sides to his mind. A good, light, laid-back side and a bad, dark, uptight side. He looked normal enough physically, which he was very thankful about in most cases.

His natural skin colour was a very pale white almost chalk white. Sometimes he painted himself half black as a joke.

He found, through trial and error, using his white side invoked better results. Though sometimes he didn't have a choice on which side to use.

One such time, was when he had seen Sasuke hit Sakura in the busy corridors, in front of everyone. The people watching, some of them were probably her friends, hadn't even lifted a finger to help her. Zetsu didn't know what had come over him; he had just felt a sudden urge to protect her.

He hadn't even seen her before that day. He hadn't even known that she'd existed.

His dark side had come out and he'd sent Sasuke to the hospital. He'd almost gotten expelled...until Sakura had come to his defence.

She had been the only person, other than the Akatsuki, to ever stick up for him and he still didn't know why she did it.


*_+_* Flash Back *_+_*


Tsunade sighed as she put her sake bottle down on the desk half covered with papers.

It was Zetsu again.

And this time she couldn't just excuse him on behalf of his...mental state. Zetsu had sent someone of extreme high standing to the hospital and now the boys father was out for blood, even though Zetsu was good friends with the the father's other boy, Itachi.

Eye witnesses had claimed it was a completely unprovoked attack, and although she didn't quite buy that – Sasuke was always causing trouble – no one would own up to what really took place.

She sighed again and pressed the intercom button.

"Send him in Shizune!" She told her vice principal loudly.

"Right away Lady Tsunade," she heard Shizune say. Tsunade sighed and braced herself.

The door opened, a second later, to reveal the pale skinned, green haired man that had strange golden eyes.

"Take a seat Zetsu-san," she said tiredly, gesturing to a seat in front of her desk. He sat down.

Suddenly the doors burst open and Sakura came running in.

"It wasn't his fault Tsunade-sama!" She shouted, dramatically slamming her hands down on her desk, cracking it slightly, "He was defending me!"

Tsunade regarded this calmly. She was already used to Sakura's dramatic outbursts and her damaging school equipment by accident. Oh, yes, she's experienced it all when she'd been the principal aid last year.

"From what?" Tsunade asked calmly, and then that calmness went down the drain. Sakura had a large, swelling bruise on her left cheek. Just the right size for a fist. And suddenly the puzzle pieces fit together.

Tsunade almost hit herself. Zetsu never did anything violent without reason, even when his dark side was in control.

"Sasuke, he...hit me. Everyone was either watching or video taping the event. Zetsu came in and helped me before he could do worse." Sakura admitted, smiling at Zetsu. Who had been shocked into silence.

"Alright then. Zetsu, even though you did what you did to defend Sakura, you did send him to the hospital, and as you know, Sasuke-san and Itachi-san's father is extremely wealthy. So there will have to be a punishment. Nothing as severe as being expelled though."

Sakura smiled widely, "Thanks Tsunade-sama!"

Tsunade's eyes narrowed and the air crackled with electricity. Both teens cowered, thinking they were in trouble.

"Oh, but when that abusing asshole comes back. He'll get the worst punishment I can think of! No one hits a girl in my school, and gets away with it!"

Both teens sweatdropped. Zetsu had already punished him. Zetsu had sent to the hospital. But with the mood Tsunade was in, neither teen wanted to remind Tsunade of that fact.

Besides, a little extra punishment wouldn't hurt Sasuke...too badly. He deserved everything he got.

"Okay, you two can go back to your classes now." Tsunade dismissed the two teens, and they left as quickly as they could.

After they'd left, Tsunade slammed her hand on the intercom button.

"Shizune! Get your ass in here now! And bring some more sake!"

Tsunade would tell her what she'd learnt. Sakura was like a daughter to the both of them.


*_+_* End Flash Back *_+_*


Sakura smiled up at him, her eyes closed.

"I don't know," she told him, "but something tells me I don't have to fear you."

"But we're a monster." He said, disgusted with himself. He looked down at the ground. 'And you're an angel,' he thought.

She gently took hold of his hand, making him look at her in surprise. Her hand was warm, he noticed vaguely. His dark side stirred, but it didn't radiate hatred or anger like it usually did. It just stayed on the fringes...like it was...observing.

"You aren't a monster Zetsu-san," she said, opening her eyes. They weren't full of mischief like they usually were, they were serious. Zetsu had to mentally berate himself to avoid getting lost in them.

"H-How do you know?" He stammered, trying hard to concentrate on the conversation at hand and not on the fact that she hadn't let go of his hand yet and that the contact was making his whole body tingle.

She smiled again and it almost took his breath away, her eyes twinkled like they usually did.

"Because, I can see it in your eyes. You're a good person Zetsu-san." She pulled a hand free and gently touched his cheek.

Zetsu blushed at the contact.

She leaned in and kissed him on the other cheek. Smiling at him she put both hands in her lap and then looked at her watch with disinterest. Her eyes widened and she jumped up.

"I was supposed to be home half an hour ago! I'm sorry Zetsu-san, I've got to run. See you tomorrow!" She winked at him and then took off, leaving a stunned, blushing Zetsu behind.

He touched his cheek robotically, still not quite believing what happened.

He really couldn't believe it.

Neither could his family apparently.

He could hear the Akatsuki's shocked whispers coming from the bushes off to the side. He was too shocked to be angry.

"We know you're there!" He called, "Come out please."

He was way past getting too attached, and he'd only known her a week.


+_+ Finished +_+


Constructive criticism and anonymous reviewers (meaning you don't have to log in to review) are welcome. If you see any mistakes please tell me. Thankyou to all my reviewers, you are all loved.