Once upon a Saturday, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

.Once upon a Saturday.

He didn't know when or how this certain feeling started. Even though he couldn't find the answer, his mind still kept on asking questions. Confusion and regret at the same time, a mixture of two feelings that he won't be able to bear that much longer.

He somehow knew that everything was his fault.

When he was seven, he first met her at school. They were at the same grade and same age. She was just one of the crowd, a shy girl who was bullied because of her strange hair color and oversized forehead.

Although, he knew that he could stop his classmates from bullying the girl, he never saved her. He didn't like to be involved with commotions.

He never paid any special attention to her. However, the way she cried and asked for help never left his conscience.

When he was twelve, everyone in his classroom was already familiar to him. The bullied girl from before was now friends with a popular girl, from the looks of it, the girl gained confidence. But what erred him was that the girl was now part of his 'fan club' that annoyed him the most.

To him, everyone who joins that stupid fan club of his should be considered annoying. Because rather than studying and getting good grades, they devote themselves to planning how to make him fall in love with any of them.

'Pathetic', he always thought.

He was twelve when one day, the girl with an oversized forehead came to him, blushing and fidgeting. In the back of his mind, he knew that this girl would confess.

As expected, she confessed. But how could he reciprocate such unsure feelings to a girl he barely knew? So, he rejected her with a simple, "You're annoying", turning his back and walking away from her. It was a simple rejection, although he knew that it was a rude, he didn't give a damn---they weren't even sure if what they felt for him was love.

The next day, he saw the same girl walk up to him and confess. "I won't give up", she said with confidence and determination.

Although he somewhat expected that, he still grew annoyed by her.

It was the same routine for the both of them---confession and rejection. But one day, he grew tired of rejecting the same persistent girl. So, instead of his usual grunts and scowls—he gave her his hateful glare and said, "Is your forehead so wide that you couldn't even see how much I despise girls like you?" With that, he turned his back and walked away. He knew the girl would cry, she would burst out in agonizing sobs and mournful tears. But, never did he expect that the girl would come running to him and apologize. She said she was sorry and would never bother him again.

True to her words, he hadn't an encounter with the girl who has an oversized forehead. He never felt guilty or bothered; he was rather relieved.

Although, it wasn't the same persistent girl, other girls still confessed to him. It was a matter of only one person being deducted to his everyday annoyance.

Inwardly, he grew increasingly annoyed by his fan girls.

He was thirteen when again, he saw the girl with the strangest hair color, at his doorstep and politely asking if his older brother is in. For a moment, he was shocked to see the same girl who bothered him before but he was even more shocked to hear the girl ask for his older brother.

He nodded in response, meaning his brother was in. The girl blinked a few times and grew silent. She stared at him straight, not even blushing nor fidgeting. Very different from when he last talked to her.

She was staring at him intensely and he felt annoyed by it. He scoffed rudely,
"What" and glared at her. She was taken aback but smiled nonetheless, "May I come in, then?" she asked politely.

He was rendered speechless for a while but regained his composure immediately, while grunting in response, he led her into the living room and left to call for his brother.

A few minutes after, he came back with his brother beside him. The girl greeted him, "Good day, Itachi-san" and took a side-glance back at him and said her thanks.

He left the girl with his older brother alone. He never intended to know her reasons to begin with. He didn't like putting his nose into others' business.

Nonetheless, after her visit, even without questioning his older brother—he just said, "She's a representative in the committee that I'm leading". She was just an ordinary acquaintance of his older brother, he noted.

"She's my classmate," He blurted out suddenly, confused at a moment. His brother laughed for a second and smirked, "I know, foolish little brother"

He himself was confused on why he said that inappropriate fact.

He was thirteen, when he noticed that every Saturday, the same girl who had the brightest evergreen eyes and oddest hair color kept on visiting his brother. He wondered, was she so serious about his brother's committee?

Amongst all people, he took pride into knowing that he understood his brother the most. Besides, he grew up to the image of his brother.

He became unfriendly, calm and composed like his brother.

But, he didn't know what changed his brother to be in serious daze. His brother was spacing out, smiling as if dreaming about something good.

He was fourteen when he took note of his brother's habit of looking at the calendar. Putting his cup of tea down, he asked his brother, "Why do you always look at the calendar?"

In response, his older brother smiled at him and answered, "The time will come and you'll understand, otouto"

But then, he wondered, when will he be able to understand?

Her visits became very frequent that she became friendly with his mother and wasn't intimidated by the presence of his father. It seemed like she was a part of the family already.

He couldn't bring himself to understand.

He was fifteen when he began to stare more at his odd classmate, Sakura. He just wanted to know what's so special about this girl. It was during history period when she became his partner for the project. He took this as a chance to know her better.

He liked doing things in advance, after the announcement of the project, he started planning it out already. The project was a simple research due in two weeks. 'By the 5th day, this project is finished' he thought. So, for four days, he worked alone, without even consulting his partner.

During the 5th day, he was surprised to see his partner at his doorstep, "I'll get Itachi, so wait", he muttered while stepping aside the door and letting her enter.

She tugged at his shirt and stopped him for a moment, "I'm here about the project".

He nodded in reply, and led her to his room. He handed her the draft of the project and smirked, "You'll get a fair grade"

The girl only stared at the paper for a moment, jerking her head up, she glared at him and ripped the papers she held.

This was his first time to encounter a girl being mad at him. "Fair grade? That's bullshit, Uchiha. If you want to have a fair share of grade, then let me do a fair share of work"

Stupefied. It was the only word befitting his situation at the moment. He found himself smiling nonetheless, "Fair enough for me, Haruno. I never knew you had this kind of temper"

"Well, I never knew you actually had a wider vocabulary"

He discovered a lot about her; she was also an avid fan of books, her views about politics was same as his. He already expected her above average level of intelligence but he didn't expect her sense of humor to be good. Sarcastic and witty, he would often describe her.

'She was pretty easy to get along with', he thought.

Although he didn't notice much, he was already chatting with her in a lax manner; he spent more time with her at school.

Lastly, he barely noticed that he was staring at her more frequently.

Still, his brother's habit of looking frequently at the calendar remains an enigma.

It was a Saturday and he was sixteen, the same girl visited his older brother. However, it didn't start with a greeting of,"Good day, Itachi-san" but a kiss on the cheek.

He averted his eyes away and walked out from the scene.

He didn't know that she and his brother was in a relationship. This time, he didn't want to confront his brother---he didn't need unwanted answers, anyway.

Somehow, he felt like punching a wall. It was a strange and unexplainable feeling in his gut.

He felt uneasy during Saturdays.

It was the anger towards his brother that he couldn't bring himself to explain. Why couldn't he get angry at her? It was her fault in the first place.

There was a lot of 'If only' in his mind.

One included, 'If only I didn't reject her--'

It was then, he got himself clarified from all of his questions-- He is in love.

Months came and went.

He couldn't bring himself to confess, he wouldn't be able to steal his brother's girl.

He tried having a girlfriend but it didn't last. He couldn't even bring himself to kiss a girl.

He tried to forget all about her.

He tried---to move on---just like what she did before.

It was a Saturday but his older brother wasn't around. He wasn't surprised to see her at his doorstep. He darted his eyes away from her face and started talking, "He's not---"

"Why are you avoiding me?" she butted in, having a worried look plastered on her face.

"I'm not avoi---"

"May I come in, then?"

He sighed in defeat and allowed her in. A heavy impregnated silence came upon them in the living room. Luckily, she brought herself up to speak. "You're avoiding me, denial won't get you out of it"

"You'll hate me" he muttered, avoiding eye contact with her.

She stood up from where she was sitting and went in front of him, "What---why?"

He stared at her face for a moment and took note of everything about her. She wasn't the same girl crying for help and she wasn't the same girl who blushes and fidgets whenever he was near.

This girl risked everything on her platter for an absolute rejection and humiliation, he remembered.

The girl he never imagined liking.

Even just for a while, he wanted to feel stupid.

So, he leaned in and risked everything. Gave his utmost bet for something so surreal.

He kissed her.

Even though it was just a quick peck on the lips, he expected a slap on the face and a huge breakdown, like what most of the girls would do.

However, she just dazed off for a few seconds. Looking back at him with a flabbergasted expression, she cried. Just that.

He brought himself to apologize but his ego wouldn't allow him, instead, "I told you, you'll hate me", came out from his lips.

She sobbed and sobbed, like a little kid she was before. "Why?"

"It took me months but I couldn't forget and I couldn't keep it" He answered, his lips forming an apologetic frown.

It just surprised him to see her smile while crying. It was beyond his calculations, "It took me years--- to know the real you."

"It took me four years to believe that you'll get to notice me too"

"Four years just to let you know that I---"

This was far beyond his comprehension and being a man of few words didn't help much either. With his body acting on its own impulse, he found himself hugging her lithe body. "You'll need to stop counting days, Sakura"

She continued sobbing but smiled nonetheless, "I counted years, genius"

"What about my brother?"

"Oh, about that---you have to ask him yourself"

It was during that evening that he brought up the 'Uchiha courage' within himself to have a talk with his older brother.

With a complete set of tea and sweets that his brother seemed to be fond of, he initiated the talk, "Why did she kiss you on the cheek?"

After a big bite on the animal biscuit he was holding, Itachi smirked, "I asked her to, a part of my 'help'"

Bringing the cup of tea near his lips, "What was she to you?"

"She was a representative who gave me her lunch when I forgot mine and my wallet. In return, she wanted me to help her get close to you--"

"…" he gulped his serving of tea, eyeing his brother in a scrutinizing manner.

"And she was also the girl who banged her head into a tree, when I ordered her to kiss me on the cheek whenever she visits" Itachi continued.

"So you did like her.."

With a ghost of a smile, he answered, "Hey, I never said I didn't, otouto"

"Then why did you help her?"

"Nah, I'll just steal her from you if you somewhat make a big mistake and break up with her"

Sasuke smirked, "That will never happen, 'nii-san"

He somehow knew that everything was his fault.

Yes, it was his fault for jumping into conclusions quickly.

And a plus for being a complete ass.

Nevertheless, he finally understood why his brother loved Saturdays.

"I told you, I won't give up" she whispered to him

With a rare and sincere smile upon his lips, he held her hand.

Together, they walked.

Once upon a Saturday, he was sixteen and he found love.

.End.