The First Day
Sasuke could see the gates of Konoha. After his long mission of redemption, all he wanted was to go home. The village that had always welcomed him looked peaceful and happy with the snow covering the roads. For the first time since his childhood, Sasuke felt genuinely happy when looking at other people thriving. Right at the main gate waiting for him, is his only female teammate, Sakura. Just looking at her flowing pink hair and dazzling green eyes, made him feel renewed and happy again. He made his way through the gates, passing Sakura. He wanted to speak to her, but he didn't know what to say or how to express the feeling of 'I missed you, but I'm too aloof to say it and I also slightly want to kiss you right now'.
Sakura grinned with the force of a thousand suns when she saw Sasuke walk through the village gates. Expecting him to look detached or uninterested, she was surprised to see his lips turn up slightly at the edges.
Sasuke had been mulling over his sudden feelings as he walked towards his apartment. Right as the Uchiha Compound was in view, he veered left and made his way to Kakashi's home.
If there was anyone he trusted with his feelings, it was Kakashi. Though Sasuke understood that Kakashi was busy with Hokage duties and the likes, he figured that he'd be home.
As he expected, Kakashi opened the door with a tired look on his face. Once registered that the man interrupting his well-deserved rest was his former student, he brightened.
"Sasuke, you're back." He ushered the Uchiha into his quaint living room and gestured for him to sit down, "I'm glad you decided to return. Though I'm happy that you visited me, I know you well enough to realize that you would not just stop by on a whim. What do you want to talk about?"
Sasuke figured that it was best to be blunt. Still, he didn't want to bring up any names, so he'd keep the beloved anonymous. "What do you do when you want to get someone's attention? Romantically, of course."
Kakashi's eyebrows rose substantially. "You finally acknowledged your feelings for Sakura?"
Sasuke tried to suppress the slight blush that was sure to appear with the mention of 'feelings' and 'Sakura' in the same sentence. "Just give me advice." He tried to sound menacing, but he figured that he sounded rather flustered.
"Hmmm," Kakashi tapped his chin thoughtfully, "If it was any other girl, I'd recommend showering her with flowers and sweets, but this is Sakura we're talking about. Try inviting her to train with you. Not only will you spend some quality time together, but you will also be thoroughly impressed with her skill. After that, try taking her to dinner."
Sasuke nodded and walked away.
Do I even matter anymore? Kakashi sighed, slouching in his chair and pulling out is well loved Icha-Icha book. He smiled to himself as he imagined his favorite couple finally getting together.
The Second Day
Sasuke surreptitiously placed a small note on the middle of Sakura's window sill, sneaking a quick peek between the cracks of the drapes. Sakura wasn't awake yet, which was completely sensible, given that it was 5:00 in the morning. Lingering by her apartment for an extra second, Sasuke performed a simple shunshin jutsu and disappeared from the premises.
Three hours passed and Sakura woke up to slivers of sunlight shining onto her face. Rolling messily out of bed, she checked her bedside clock. Since she'd been up until 3:30 the previous night, working on formulating new poisons, she was hoping for a little more rest. Regardless, Sakura doubted she could fall back asleep with the sun as bright as it was. Sighing, she padded into the kitchen and rummaged through her pantry. After grabbing some bread and butter, she poured herself a large mug of coffee and sat by the window. In the corner of her eye, she noticed a small, folded note, lodged into the crack of her windowsill. War had taught her to be wary of any unexpected notes and packages, so she readied a kunai for any type of attack. Luckily, the note was benign.
Let's train at training ground 9 at 7:00 pm. -Sasuke
Sakura chuckled upon reading the note. It was so typical Sasuke to be capable of conveying no emotion through a note. Even his handwriting looked aloof. Still, Sasuke had never been this assertive. He didn't care much for her, that much Sakura knew; why would he bother asking her to train? Probably because it was a team training session. But wouldn't he mention Naruto? Maybe it had something to do with the abnormally affectionate look he gave her at the gates the following day. Sakura sighed and placed the note on her table before chugging the rest of her coffee.
"Nerves." Sasuke cursed under his breath, trying to calm his jittery fingers. I've really become a pathetic, love-sick child. He thought, mentally chastising himself for being so weak. No matter though. Training was a perfect activity for hiding his feelings. That's why he enjoyed it so much. Wait. Wasn't the entire point of a relationship not to hide one's feelings? Tch. Sasuke shook his head. All this pointless thought was a waste of time. Grabbing his cloak, he set off to Kakashi's.
"Kakashi" He started, walking through the front door without as much as knocking.
"It wouldn't kill you to knock. Or call me 'sensei'." Kakashi muttered, gesturing for Sasuke to take a seat on one of Kakashi's armchairs.
"How do I talk to Sakura?" He asked monotonously, careful to leave every drop of emotion out of his voice.
"Not like that." Kakashi sighed, "Talk, you know - like a human."
"I am."
"You sound like a robot. You need emotions and inflection."
Tch. Sasuke grabbed the cloak he had just set down. "I'll be fine."
"Hopeless." Kakashi sighed, watching Sasuke quickly leave his apartment, leaving the door wide-open, "And disrespectful."
Sasuke waited quietly at the training grounds, his breath making puffs of white in the frigid air. He was showing utmost respect by not starting before Sakura arrived. Minutes passed and Sakura finally showed up.
"Sorry I was late!" She apologized quickly, "See, there was an emergency at the hospital and I was the only one who could perform the surgery."
"It's fine." Sasuke quickly dismissed Sakura's apology, "I hope you still have enough chakra to train."
Sakura looked suspiciously at Sasuke. He was being rude, as usual. "Yeah, I'm fine." Sakura replied nonchalantly, "Why schedule this special training session, though. Aren't we meeting as a team soon?"
"We are." Sasuke agreed.
Sakura nodded uncomfortably, "Let's warm up, shall we?" She prompted, breaking into a nice jog.
"Three laps around the village?" Sasuke suggested.
"Don't you usually do five?" Sakura inquired.
"Yes, but-"
"Five it is."
Sasuke had to admit, he had underestimated Sakura's stamina. She finished the five laps with ease. Nodding slowly to himself, he decided that a harder workout wasn't a bad idea.
"Let's work on chakra control." Sasuke suggested.
"Ooh! Good!" Sakura replied happily, "I can give you some tips."
"Tips?" Sasuke looked taken-aback. He was planning on helping Sakura.
"Yeah…" Sakura deadpanned, "I am the top medical ninja in Konoha. My mastery of chakra is kind of unparalleled. I know that sounds like a crazy boast, but it's the truth."
"I've heard a bit of that, but I've been working on the ninja arts for all of my life-"
Sakura had enough of Sasuke's patronizing tone. He obviously didn't understand how to speak to someone respectfully. Sure, she hadn't showed Sasuke her full skill-set yet, but it was down right rude to treat her like the weak twelve year old girl he left unconscious on a bench. "You know what Sasuke?" Sakura started indignantly, "I know you've been training since you came out of the womb, but I've really put in effort as well. You leave for years and expect to still know everything about my skill level. I studied under a sannin just like you and Naruto. I am not weak. And I will not be underestimated."
"Fine." Sasuke shrugged, "Let's train then."
"Could you just apologize like a goddamn human being?!" Sakura snapped, "I'm going home now." Without as much as a second look, Sakura stormed off in the snow, her chakra enhanced steps making the ground shake around her.
"Fuck." Sasuke cursed, plopping down next to the training stump, "I failed." Filled with frustration, Sasuke stormed off in the opposite direction as Sakura, making his way quickly to Kakashi's house.
"I fucked up." Sasuke hissed, letting himself into Kakashi's home.
Exasperatedly, Kakashi shuffled out of his bedroom, wearing his shuriken pajamas. "For the love of god, could you knock?!"
Tch. Sasuke's glare grew more intense.
"Fine, fine, I'll help you." Kakashi capitulated, sinking onto his soft couch. "Let me guess: you said something debilitating to Sakura and now she's mad at you. Look, she's changed a lot since you left. She's not the little girl you can say virtually anything to and receive nothing but a sad kicked-puppy look. She's trained just as hard as you and Naruto and her training has shown serious results.
"Let me get you caught up. After you left, Sakura began to take her training very seriously. She sought out Tsunade and learned medical ninjutsu. She was a natural. Her chakra control was impeccable and she quickly rose ranks in the hospital. Not only did she learn how to become an incredible healer, but she also integrated her chakra control into her fighting. During the war, you only saw a brief demonstration of her power. Since then, she's worked on countless other jutsus and medical techniques. Sakura is a force to be reckoned with, Sasuke. She is anything but in need of your protection. She's protecting all of us."
Nodding slowly, the edges of Sasuke's lips turned up slightly.
The Third Day:
Sakura was pissed. Pissed at herself for forgetting that Sasuke hadn't been interacted with people in a friendly way in a long time and also pissed at Sasuke for not fucking changing! He was the same emotionless bastard she had fallen head-over-heels in love with years ago. Damn, she still loved him. Though she wanted to hate him, beneath his cold, prickly exterior, he was a kind person who didn't like killing. One conversation she had as a genin remained indelible in her memory.
"Why didn't you finish him off?!" Naruto exclaimed, pointing off in the distance at the shrinking figure of a bandit who had tried to kill team seven's client, "You had an open shot, ya know. Use those flashy moves!"
"Didn't want to waste chakra." Sasuke grunted, "Just forget it."
"Come one man. We all know you had plenty of chakra left. You're always bragging about your fancy moves. Why didn't you just stab him or something?"
"Yeah Sasuke-kun!" Sakura added in, "That would've looked so cool!"
"I don't like killing." Sasuke mumbled.
"Eh?" Naruto cupped his hand around his ear, "I didn't catch that."
"I don't like killing!" Sasuke spat, glaring daggers at his teammates. "Leave me alone."
Sakura had never felt closer to Sasuke than in that moment. It made her feel good to know that she wasn't the only one who didn't want to kill people. Sure, she wanted to protect her teammates and peers, but killing was something she never wanted on her conscious. And to know that Sasuke Uchiha, the prodigy, felt the same way, validated her in so many ways. For that reason, Sakura felt bad for lashing out at Sasuke. Though she couldn't deny, he needed someone to call him out on his rude bullshit, she was sure she could have been less harsh. Overwhelmingly frustrated, she accidentally crushed her coffee mug, spilling boiling coffee all over her hands and her clothing.
What a wonderful start to my day. She thought groaning and walking into her room so that she could get a clean change of clothes.
Sasuke thought over the recent events. He did feel remorse for what he said to Sakura. It surprised him how easily it was to pinpoint the emotion he was feeling. Typically, his emotions would be labeled with 'general anger and/or hatred', but this time, he knew what he felt and he knew he had to do something. Sasuke thought back to how his mother and father interacted. Though it had been years since he had seen his parents, he remembered how kind they were to each other. In the rare occasions that they would fight (which usually had something to do Fugaku underestimating Mikoto's strength), Fugaku would cook something instead of having Mikoto do it. Sasuke doubted that cooking for Sakura would be as symbolic since she could barely cook for herself, much less an entire family. Regardless, he was willing to try anything.
Sakura sat on her couch, fidgeting uncomfortably. She knew that apologizing to Sasuke would teach him nothing about human interactions. It was about time people stopped turning a blind eye to his social idiosyncrasies. Taking deep breaths, she desperately tried to calm herself before she broke more furniture.
Sakura jumped abruptly when she heard a sharp rap at her front door. Before reaching for a knife, she sensed the telltale chakra of Sasuke Uchiha. She wasn't sure if she was worried or relieved, but she opened the door nonetheless.
Sasuke stood uncomfortably at the front door, holding a tupperware full of homemade food. Before he could say anything, Sakura ushered him in.
"Did you make this?" She asked, quickly setting the table.
Sasuke nodded, setting the container onto Sakura's table. Looking at the table cloth, he murmured quietly, "I just wanted to apologize for yesterday."
"You did?!" Sakura's eyes lit up, "Thank you-I mean, apology accepted! I wanted to apologize too. I was too harsh."
"It's okay." Sasuke sat down, "The food's still warm. Let's eat."
"Sounds great!"
The two dug into the home-cooked meal. After the first bite, Sakura sighed. "How is this so damn good?! You really have to be good at everything, huh. Cooking included."
Sasuke shrugged, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips.
The Fourth Day
Sakura woke up, still buzzing with the excitement of the previous night. Could she call it a date? She wasn't entirely sure, but god, she wanted to think it was. At this point, she was afraid that Sasuke was under the impression that she'd moved on from him. She no longer acted obsessive towards him, nor did she obsess over every little thing he did. It was about time that she informed him about her love. Though she didn't present it in the same way, she still adored Sasuke and she knew she always would.
Dressing fervently, she sent a hawk with a letter to Sasuke (Sakura was well aware that texting or calling was much easier, but she also knew that Sasuke wasn't up to date with any technology). Sakura stared in the mirror, actually looking at her appearance for the first time in a while. Unlike her attitude as a preteen, Sakura wasn't discontented with her body. She enjoyed her appearance and she knew that however she looked, this was the body that allowed her to save people's lives as well as end them. She was powerful and she knew it.
Sasuke was excited. He hated to admit that he was feeling joy from something petty like a date, but he couldn't help it. He knew there was a spark between him and Sakura, a mutual understanding of each other's situation that made them work well together. Not only did he like Sakura romantically, but he wanted to have her as a partner in battle. She could heal him, but she could also back him up or even protect him. Sasuke was certain that being with Sakura was the best decision he could make.
With an uncharacteristic bounce to his step, Sasuke made his way to the park, seeking out the bench at which Sakura had instructed Sasuke meet her. He was about fifteen minutes early, but it was typical of Sasuke to arrive at a meeting place before anyone else got there.
"Hey Sasuke!" Sakura called, jogging towards the bench, "Nice to see you!"
"You invited me here." He deadpanned.
"I did." Sakura nodded awkwardly before taking a seat next to Sasuke, "Well anyway, i-it's pretty out."
Sasuke nodded. "Winter's is nice." He muttered.
"Yup. It's snow nice." Sakura chuckled at her own joke, eliciting no response from Sasuke.
"So…" Sasuke started, not meeting Sakura's eyes, "Was there anything you wanted to talk about?"
"I uh-I just wanted to thank you for last night." Well, Sakura wasn't entirely lying, "I really appreciated the meal."
"I'm glad you did." Sasuke nodded, "It was my mother's recipe."
Sakura's eyes widened. Sasuke never mentioned his family around her before. It was obviously a touchy subject for him. "Well, it was simply delicious. I'm uh, sure you did her proud."
Sasuke nodded, his cheeks reddening slightly. "It's starting to snow."
"Yeah," Sakura nodded, "It's really pretty. Still, we can probably stay. I doubt it will get much worse."
Sasuke nodded in agreement. As if on cue, the winds picked up, sending the snow in hoary, frigid spirals.
"Looks like it just got worse." Sakura sighed as the snow continued to get heavier, "I'm going to use earth style to make us a small shelter. Once I've done that, you light a fire. Going out in the snow is going to increase our chances of hypothermia, especially since we aren't dressed for the frigid climate. It's safer if we just wait it out."
"Okay," Sasuke started, "Are you sure we couldn't just hurry home."
"Listen to me." Sakura insisted, "I know what I'm doing."
"I trust you."
Sakura felt warm inside. She'd been waiting her entire life to hear that from Sasuke! Grinning warmly, she made the hand-signs for earth style. "Now that we have a shelter, you can make a fire. I'll add some small holes for the air to escape so that the fire isn't starved of oxygen."
Sasuke nodded and cleared a small circle before lighting it on fire with a quick katon.
"Well, now that we're stuck here, we have to pass the time." Sakura suggested, "Would you mind telling me about how you learned how to make the dish you served last night?"
"My mother taught it to me when I was young." Sasuke started, looking straight at the fire, "It was my favorite thing to eat for dinner, so I insisted I learn how to make it in case-" Sasuke stopped for a moment, his breath catching, "in case I wanted to make it when she wasn't around."
Sakura sucked in a breath. "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it." She assured, "You know me, I could fill up hours babbling!"
"It's fine." Sasuke shrugged, "Plus, I don't think I'd be able to survive your rambling."
"That's valid." Sakura chuckled.
"Anyway, when my mother first showed it to me, I was so confident I'd get it right on the first try. I didn't and I was really frustrated. Then, my brother came in after a long mission. He seemed really worn out, as usual, but he walked me through the steps again and I figured it out."
Sakura smiled softly, inching closer to the fire and to Sasuke.
Without as much as a prompt, Sasuke began to tell more enthralling stories of his childhood.
Sakura sat next to him, taking them all in gratefully. Soon, the roaring of the wind ceased outside. "I think the storm's over." Sakura sighed with relief, "I have to run to work now, or else I'll be late. I totally forgot about my shift at the hospital. I had a great time though."
Sasuke nodded.
"Let's meet again tomorrow?" Sakura suggested.
"That'll work."
The Fifth Day
For once, everything seemed so simple. Sasuke knew exactly what he wanted to do and he was not going to doubt himself for a second! Hurrying out of his apartment, he ran to the weapons shop.
Tenten greeted him with a happy smile. "What can I get for you?" She asked, fiddling with a couple explosive tags.
"I need a set of kunai. Your nicest ones." Sasuke said confidently, reaching for his wallet.
"I know you already have good weapons, so who are you buying these for?" Tenten raised her eyebrows suggestively, digging under the counter for the requested kunai set.
Sasuke figured that hiding the identity of the person would be pointless. "Sakura." He stated, placing a hefty wad of money on the counter.
Tenten looked at Sasuke incredulously. Slowly, her lips turned up until she was grinning like a lunatic. "FINALLY!" She squealed, "I'm so happy for you two!
"Hn." Sasuke took the pretty box and made his way to Sakura's house.
Sakura's apartment was finally in view. For some reason, Sasuke wanted nothing more than to sprint up the 52 steps (he knew that because of his sharingan, not because he'd been there so many times) and kiss her on her gorgeous pink lips, but that was not the way to go (according to Kakashi). He would stick to the plan and execute it perfectly as if it was a battle. Sasuke's entire body filled with warmth when he saw the familiar light-beige door. Taking a deep breath, he knocked politely, instead of simply walking in as he usually did. In a few seconds, Sakura scurried towards the door and opened it, her eyes brightening at the sight of Sasuke.
"I brought you these-" Sasuke started before being interrupted by Sakura's lips planted firmly on his. Sasuke quickly got over the initial surprise and leaned into the kiss. Sakura's soft hair brushed against his cheek and her rough, calloused hands embraced his. She smelled sweet and floral, just like her namesake; Sasuke couldn't think of anything but her. He was trapped in her beguiling beauty and her soft touch. When the two pulled away, Sasuke felt as if he had gone to heaven and back, just short of gasping for air.
"Sasuke." Sakura smiled her radiant smile, "Thank you."
For once, Sasuke really, genuinely smiled back.
A/N: Well, I hope y'all enjoyed that! Yet again, I just want to thank fanofthisfiction for everything they do for the FRM and their fellow writers. Merry Christmas to all of you who celebrate it!