Rateing: PG 13; T

Couples: S&S N&H N&T I&S

OoO

Drabble One:

Ritual

Sakura sat watching the horizon light as she had expected it to, as usual she placed her forehead protector on her forehead, bowing her head and letting a strangled sigh escape her lips.

It was routine, as if scripted in her life, and bound by routine she had no other choice.

She moved her hand to her chest, whispering her silent vow. "I will be the best, I have promised you father, I will make you proud." She said, her word's leaving an erie silence in it's wake.

Her head came up, her hands grasping the forehead protector. She changed it's position, making it once more sit atop her head. As it was ritual, a way of showing her respect for her fallen father.

Her eyes watched as the sun came up over the now brightened horizon. So many things were left undone, so many word's were left unsaid, it was almost impossible to believe that her father was really dead.

She stood, adjusting her black shirt so that there were no wrinkles in the soft material. Her life had been turned upside down, her world thrown into disarray as she watched in horror as Itachi Uchiha murdered her father, her mother having fallen just moments before. Her vision was red as she stared down at two lifeless bodies, and saw the smirk covering the Uchiha's face.

It was not long after that Sasuke Uchiha had come back after killing his leader; Orochimaru, earning him a sense of respect once more from the peaple of Kanoha. She didn't trust him, how could she? He had those same eyes, that same smirk... That same will to hurt her.

She had avoided him succesfully for the first three months, her training taking up most of her time. She had asked Tsubame if they could train later in the evenings as to not meet up with him at the ramen stand she was often dragged to by Naruto.

It didn't make any sense to her that she should actually miss the knuckle-head, and soon found herself wandering to the ramen stand on her own. She remembered his smile as he had noted that team seven was once more re-united.

She had sat rigid, her body tense as Sasuke had eaten qietly next to Naruto. Hinata sat on her other side, her attention placed down to her ramen, her word's leaving her again. She had been 'seeing' Naruto for about a year now, and they seemed qiet happy together, although thier relationship did consist of her passing out at least three times a month.

At first she had thought it comical, how Naruto would whine and complain at how she had passed out just as he was landing his first kiss. But after a while the brooding Naruto finally got to her, his eyes saddened as he thought his girlfriend scared of him, that she didn't want him close to her. He was rather surprised when Hinata had made the first move, earning her a tamato as a boyfriend.

She had talked to Sasuke before, her word's concealing the rawnessthey truly held as she spoke. As was her habit... merely a habit, so thats what it would be. She hadn't hoped to fall for him again, but after six months and four day's of tormenting and agonizing over it she admitted that she-Sakura Haruno- had once more fallen forone-Uchinha Sasuke.

And so was her predicament, her routine was off by but one thing, her morning chat with the Uchiha. She sighed as she headed off toward a bridge she had once loathed. She watched the cherry blossoms fall as she neared the place of meeting, her mind wandering to thier childhood days.

She remembered who she was, that annoying girl who used to chase an emotionless boy, that naive child who thought love could be earned by strengthe alone. She was nothing to everyone, and nothing had now become everything to her.

She watched as the still form of Sasuke leaned against the side of the bridge, his hair falling into his eyes. "Ohayou, Sasuke-kun." She said and he nodded in affirmation of her greeting. She smiled at the sall ritual they had come to know so well. He stepped sideways, indicating that he wanted her to join him.

"Sakura I want to ask you somthing." He said and she nodded, her head bobbing as she looked up at him. "Did you mean it when you told me you loved me?" It was a simple qeustion, one with an indefinate answer, she looked down, her eyes brimming with tears at that casual qeustioning.

"I did." She answered simply stepping back as if to leave. He stepped back to, grabbing her arm and looking into her shocked emerald eyes.

He looked at her, his eyes searching for somthing within hers. "Do you still mean it?" He asked and she once more looked away from him, but he put his hand under her chin, pulling it back up to face him. Her eyes were brimmed with tears, but she glared at him none-the-less.

"Don't ask me that!" She spat, her word's dripping with malice as she looked over the side of the bridge. She sighed before speaking again. "You don't know how many times i've stayed up at night wondering that same qeustion." She said her body tense as she stepped forward to the rail of the bridge.

Sasuke watched as she closed her eyes, letting the world drift away but for a moment. He stood behind her, his hands moving up to her shoulders. "Why don't we find out together." He said and she turned abruptly, her eyes sharp as she looked at him.

"What's that supposed to mean? All of the sudden you just want me to forgive everything you've ever done! You want me to love you even after all the rejection you put me through!" Her voice was raised and he smirked, pushing her up against the railing.

Her mind didn't want to comprehend what was going on, but her body was trying desperately not to respond to his touches, and failing miserably. His arms snaked around her waist, sending shivers up her spine as well as a tingling feeling surging through her entire body. "You never cared... why now?" She asked and he looked down at her, his eyes almost glaring.

He kissed her then, her words and throughts cut off from all coherency. She remembered vaugely the feeling of him sliding his hands up her sides, the taste of his mouth, the feel of his toungue. She stood before him, a wreck in more ways than one, and yet... she loved it.

"I always cared." He said and that was his simple answer, as it was custom, and custom was law in an unsaid way, that he had to fullfill the prophocy of his life. He held her close, yet he held in the words that would bind him to her for the rest of his life, for as was the ritual, the ritual of a proposal, and that was for another day.

"Shit! I have to meet with Tsunade-sama! I'll see you tonight same place! We'll talk then!" She said her eyes sharp and yet hazy all the same as she stepped away from him.

OoO

Mwahahahah! And so the first drabble is done and has taken place! haha... Can you wait for the proposal?

Here's the titles of all five drabbles.

One- Ritual

Two- What We Lost

Three- Proposal

Four- Moon

Five- Wedding Cake and Red Candles

So there ya have it! Be looking forward to the second one soon! Hope ya'll liked it! It didn't take real long to type, but I put a lot of thought into it... haha, luv ya all,

R&R