Author:
UnknownShinobi
Title:
Between
Category:
Anime – Naruto
Disclaimer:
Last I checked I wasn't a Japanese guy…
All characters, countries, and jutsu pertaining to the Naruto belong wholly to Kishimoto Masashi.
In no way am I trying to claim ownership of Naruto, it is merely a basis for this story.
Following Apply ONLY to the current chapter.
Warnings:
None
Pairings:
One-sided SasuSaku, One-sided NaruSaku
Other:
Written during Ethics in the Media
Sakura-centric
Inspired by a previous drabble (if you know which, good for you!)
Speech/Though Guide
"blahblahblah" normal speech
'blahblahblah' thought
"blahblahblah" flashback speech
"blahblahblah" Kyuubi
Between
Chapter 1: Remembering the Past - Origins
It's the first time in a long while that she's actually allowed herself to sleep in and she finds herself looking over the cluttered table which stands by her bed. The alarm clock or more precisely the series of battered and brutally abused clocks which once occupied the small space have long disappeared. It their place stands something much more important, much more significant: a set of photos depicting a group of friendly faces.
And she realizes now, as she gazes at each picture, her place in her team.
Team 7…
It seems like so long ago…
And yet, the memories are as clear as if they all happened yesterday.
Eyes finally focusing on the first picture, the closest one, she can't help but smile. It's her genin team smiling back at her through a thin layer of dust. Her hand moves to cleanse the surface of this interference and as the particles fall away it is as if a fog has dispersed.
-FLASHBACK-
"Teme!"
"Shut up dobe…"
"Naruto…"
"Hatake-san, please stay still! Oh, the lovely little cherry blossom. You stand in the middle. Yes, right there. Ready?"
-END FLASHBACK-
She was so happy to be standing next to Sasuke-kun, as grim and silent as he was. The photographer had of course insisted that she stand in the middle of the potrait, continuously referring to her as 'the little cherry blossom' as he did so. Little did he know that the cute little girl and her sensei's hands were the only things keeping the two boys from attacking each other.
So clearly does she remember her feeling for those two the moment the teams were announced. Remembers the mixed emotions of annoyance, disgust, and absolute adoration she felt for the rookie of the year. Somehow she knew that she was going to lose many friends because of this opportunity she had been given, to be on the same team as the most sought after boy in all of Konoha. But in Naruto, in that hyper-active blond, she saw herself. He was blind in his love for her, stubborn in fact. It was for that reason she despised him, for showing her what a fool she was and always coming between her and Sasuke-kun.
But she knew that wasn't true.
She was the one in the middle, unsure of herself, indecisive. She was the one caught between them, between the one racing towards the future and the one caught up in remembering the past.
Slowly, the photo slips from her hand and silently lands face down on the soft, sky blue carpet covering the floor. Her focus has shifted to another picture.