Eye Contact
Summary: She caught a glimpse of red and knew why she'd been summoned. Oh but she hated him so much. And of course, it wouldn't be the last time she'd meet his eye. SasuSaku reunion, not clichéd.
Disclaimer: Damn, in the last two weeks, I still haven't claimed possesion of Naruto. How troublesome.
Hospital. Rest. Hospital. Rest. Was it just her or did Sakura see a pattern start to form? Of course, work for Konoha's two most promising chunin was out of the question. When you're good at something (of course) the best thing to do is to sit around and do bugger all. Of course.
"Hey Sakura-chan!" Sakura turned to smile at the young nurse who talked to her.
"Hello Kyo-kun! (Picture Kyo from fruits basket in pink scrubs!!) Any interesting patients?"
Kyotaka frowned in thought.
"There's one guy that the Hokage won't let anyone see. She told me to send you to her office. She seems serious...sober..."
Gasping at the thought of a sober Tsunade at 6pm, Sakura rushed a quick 'Thankyou!' to Kyotaka and rushed to the Hokage's building. Ignoring the guards and staff, she rushed straight to Tsunade's office.
"Shishou, what is it-"
She paused as a long silence stretched between those in the room. Of all times. Of all people. Catching a glimpse of red, the panic she'd been feeling diminished to a cold, hard hatred. She realised why she'd been summoned. Oh, but she hated him so much...
Her face smoothed into a carefully blank mask as she inclined her head graciously towards the figure in the room.
"Uchiha-san."
"Haruno-san." His eyes met contact with hers. For a moment that stretched to an eternity, they stood there. Eyes locked. Faces blank. Hearts thudding with nostalgia and resentment.
"How long have you been here?" Though he'd won the stare out, Sasuke found no pleasure in the victory. Sakura was different. She'd changed as much as he had. As Naruto had. The head band she wore showed her as a chunin and the scars that illustrated her arms and neck weren't their from hiding behind her teammates.
More than that, her feelings towards him had clearly changed too. She'd do watching and more fighting now hopefully. Good. One less annoyance to put up with, she may even be useful. Probably not, but it was a possibility.
"About a week. I've been in hospital for a while. I assume you didn't know I was here?" He raised an eyebrow at her calm demeanor but said nothing else.
"You caught me off guard," she admitted, "I was under the impression that I was to kept on a strict régime of uselessness until my wounds were fully healed. No matter how many years that would, realisticly, take." With a harsh glance at her sensei, Sakura felt the resentment she'd felt for the past week bubble beneath her dry exterior.
"So what difference would that make?" With his harsh statment earning a growl from Naruto and Tsunade and even a small, sympathetic laugh from Sai, Sasuke was suprised to see a very small smile on Sakura's face. No blushing or mumbling or yelling, just a small, interesting smile. Interesting because it didn't seem to represent anything. Not amusment, nostalgia, sympathy, scheming or even concealed rage. Just a smile to hide apparent emptiness.
Which was exactly what she felt. At this simple question, every ounce of resentment and anger evapourated to a dead nothingness, masked with a smile. And at the depth of this bitter absence, was the sly curling voice of her Inner. Her real, unvoiced thoughts that she hated to admit, even to herself.
'Will you show him the difference now? Or wait until a necessary time? Of course there's a difference, he just needs to be watching. You'll blow him away. You've grown.'
As the voice pushed her into her usual state of unease, Sakura's smile brightened.
"Welcome back Uchiha. Sorry, but I must get back to the hospital, I have a job to do. In the mean time, my vote is on keeping him, but restricting his chakra and banning him from missions for at least a year. Trustworthy isn't the first used to describe him." She directing this last part at Tsunade and, ignoring her former team mate's angry hiss, she left the room.
Uchiha would pay for the insult. Oh how he'd pay.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
'They've let him back in...interesting.' The silhouette watched the Hokage rub her temples in agitation. 'But Pinky doesn't seem too happy about the arrangment, even though she agreed. I'd bet a lot of money that the look on her face isn't her way of representing ecstasy.'
It was true, the dead look in her eyes and the angry set of her jaw as she emerged from the building didn't seem to express unbridled, endless joy. But somewhere along the lines, there was a glint of what looked like...
There wasn't an exact word for it. Sadisticness came close enough. Whatever the adjecive, it didn't bode well with Uchiha. Pushing his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, Kabuto straightened.
Not noticing the eyes that bore into his back, he rose and began to leave.
He froze but didn't turn. A shadowed smile painted his face as he identified the chakra behind him.
"It has been a while..." He muttered, more to himself than the figure.
Grunting in agreement, the shadow shifted to a fighting stance.
\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/
Likey? If not then I appreciate feedback to tell me where I'm going wrong. It's always nice to hear. Also, keep voting, who should go out with Sakura?
Ja ne,
Niamh.
