Catch Me

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I just wish I did. And I don't own Yuuna from Gundam Seed Destiny. I need a creepy guy for this, and he's as good as any. Besides, I suck at making up names.

Summary: They were childhood friends. Both incredible in the looks department, yet failures in terms of trusting others. She left for one year, and now she's back in Konoha. He's no different, but as they face their sophomore year of high school, everything else seems to be.

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Chapter 3

"Care to test that theory?"

The question hung in the air. Sai smirked, and Sasuke frowned. No one smirked but him.

"What? You, a pathetic little girl, want to challenge me?" Sai and his annoying friends laughed. Sakura's eyes narrowed. She put on a shocked face.

"Oh?" she taunted, "I had no idea you were…chicken."

The laughter stopped abruptly. Sasuke was tempted, but settled for a smirk. Sai growled, and put his face inches from Sakura's. She stood her ground.

"I could take you. Anytime, anywhere." he snarled. Sakura was unmoved.

"Prove it."

Sai stepped back, to Sakura's relief. His breath stunk something awful.

"Tomorrow." He announced, "On the football field. I challenge you to a game." He pointed to himself, then at his three friends. "Us four, against you, Uzumaki, Hyuuga, and one other person." He smiled devilishly. "Your best friend can't play."

Sasuke was mad at this, but Sakura helped him save face.

"Why not?" she demanded, "Afraid he'll kick your ass?"

Naruto howled with laughter, and Neji allowed himself a small chuckle. Sakura never missed a beat.

"Fine, I accept your terms. "

They shook on it, and Sai walked away. Neji, Naruto and Sasuke were gathered around the pink-haired girl.

"I can't believe you just did that!" Naruto yelled. Neji said,

"As much as I hate to admit it, Sai is one of the best players here."

"But he's not the best." Sakura pointed out. "So who is?"

Simultaneously, Naruto and Neji looked at Sasuke, who smirked.

"Me."

Sakura rolled her eyes playfully. "So modest, huh, Sasuke-kun." She glanced at the three of them. "I'm assuming you're all on the football team here?"

They nodded. Sasuke, of course, was captain, and quarterback.

She grinned, and turned to Neji and Naruto. "You guys don't have to do this, you know."

Naruto was appalled. "What do you mean, don't have to? OF COURSE WE DO! This is a once in a lifetime opportunity to kick Sai Roukishin's butt! I am so not passing this up."

Neji nodded in affirmation. "For once, I agree with him."

The girl smiled big. "Thanks, you guys." She then turned back to Sasuke. "We're still missing one other player. Any ideas?"

Sasuke, Neji, and Naruto exchanged glances.

"There's only one guy for a time like this…"

Sasuke smirked. "Shikamaru Nara."

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"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!"

Shikamaru winced. Here we go, he thought. Ino Yanamaka was on a rampage, once again. Over Sasuke Uchiha, and his relationship with a girl with pink hair.

"Calm down, Ino." He rubbed his face tiredly. "This is so troublesome."

The raging blonde whirled on him. "What do you mean, calm down? I'm about to lose Sasuke to some freak with pink hair and a big forehead!"

Who's actually quite pretty. The dark-haired genius mused. But he didn't dare say so aloud.

The boy's forehead creased as he rubbed his temples, frowning. "Man," he groaned, "my head hurts."

Ino, not surprisingly, ignored him and continued her rant.

"THIS SUCKS ASS! I'VE BEEN WAITING AN ENTIRE YEAR FOR SASUKE TO NOTICE ME, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN THIS BITCH COMES ALONG…"

Her tirade ended abruptly, as she caught sight of the four figures heading up the staircase towards them. A stronger breeze than before blew around them, cherry blossoms dancing in the wind. Ino could only smile in satisfaction as she watched Sakura shiver, and wrap her arms around herself.

Geez, I forgot how crazy the weather is back here. Sakura rubbed her arms; goose bumps trailed up and down them. She, Sasuke, Naruto, and Neji walked farther up, approaching the blonde she recognized as Ino and a boy with dark, pony-tailed hair. Shikamaru, she reasoned. The six teens now stood face-to-face. Sakura caught sight of Ino glaring at her, but shoved the thought aside. She had bigger things to worry about.

"Shikamaru Nara?" The boy stepped forward, and Sakura stuck out her hand. "Sakura Haruno. I hear you're the one to go to in a football crisis." They shook, and Shikamaru cocked his head slightly. "Football crisis?" He eyed the three boys before him. If their captain had actually come to him, along with his best, then there had to be trouble.

"What kind of football crisis?"

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"So that's it?" Shikamaru, master analyst, and hands like Superglue, was quite amazed. "You're planning to take on Sai and his gang, by yourself?"

Sakura shrugged. "Technically, I'm not by myself. I have Naruto, Neji, and if you want, yourself."

Shikamaru grinned. "Sounds like a plan."

It was after school, and the group (Sasuke, Sakura, Naruto, Neji, Tenten, Hinata, and Shikamaru) was about to disband and head home.

"Coming, Sakura?" Sasuke called over his shoulder. The pink-haired girl was watching Hinata, Neji, and Tenten leave, her brow furrowed and a slight frown on her face. She started, and walked over to him.

"Oh, yeah. Sorry."

The pair walked home in comfortable silence, but Sakura was frowning again. Sasuke, of course, noticed, and contemplated a plan of action. Well, he thought, here goes.

"Sakura?"

The jade-eyed girl turned towards him.

"Hmm?"

"Well, I'm about to sound like someone other then myself, but…are you okay?"

She slowed considerably. "Um, yeah, I'm okay."

Sasuke shot her a dubious look. His companion sighed, and said, "I don't think Tenten likes me."

The boy stopped in mid-step. "What? Why do you say that?"

Sakura shrugged. "I dunno. As soon as I called you Sasuke-kun today, she wouldn't stop hounding me about us."

Sasuke raised his eyebrows. "Us? What do you mean?"

Another shrug. "We've been friends a long time, Sasuke. She wouldn't believethat's all we were, that we were just friends, that we hadn't gone out…"

Her throat was getting tight. Sakura couldn't understand why. Furious with herself, Sakura wiped her shining eyes with the back of her hand. "I'm sorry, I just…it's just…I've never had to defend myself like that before."

The long curtain of pink hair swept past her shoulders, concealing Sakura's face. With real compassion lighting his eyes, Sasuke took a hand and gently lifted it, tucking the hair around her ear. Just in time to see a single tear slip from her eye and land noiselessly on the pavement.

"Sakura…."

Said girl let out a small whimper, and Sasuke pulled her to him. She pressed herself into his chest, getting as close as she possibly could. What was wrong with her? She wondered. Eventually, Sakura pulled away. She was surprised when Sasuke delicately brushed away the last of her tears with his thumbs.

"Feel okay?"

She opened her mouth to respond, but all that came out was a huge yawn.

"I'm just exhausted all of a sudden…"

Sasuke smirked.

"Need a lift?"

Sakura managed a giggle, and obliged, climbing onto his back.

Barely five minutes later, as cherry blossoms blew onto the porch of the Haruno house, Sakura was fast asleep. Sasuke was in quite a pickle. He only had to hope it would be Mrs. and not Mr. Haruno that answered the door. Sakura's father did not like him. He had known that for as long as he'd been able to understand his own father. They were enemies, Fugaku Uchiha causing the downfall of the Haruno electronics company all those years ago. Mishawka Haruno would have forbidden Sasuke and Sakura's friendship, if his wife, Shizanu, had not stepped in.

Swallowing uncomfortably, Sasuke knocked. But unfortunately, he found himself face-to-face with the man of the house.

"What do you want?" he demanded, glaring at the teen.

Sasuke looked at him pointedly, shifting the sleeping girl on his back. Mishawka's glare immediately became fiercer.

"What the hell did you do to her?"

The Uchiha was thankfully rescued from retort by the appearance of Mrs. Haruno.

"Oh, Sasuke! How nice to see you, dear. I hope you're well?"

"Yes ma'am." He replied stiffly. "Sorry to bother you, but…"

Sakura chose an appropriate time to turn her head, and nuzzle deeper into his neck. It took all of Sasuke's energy to control a blush. Shizanu recovered first.

"Well, you can just bring her upstairs, dear, I'll get her something to eat for when she wakes up." The woman headed purposefully towards her kitchen, not before looking sternly at her husband.

"And there's no need to follow Sasuke dear, imagine what Sakura would say if you set foot into her room."

The man grumbled. "I still don't trust this kid, especially not at this age."

Sasuke was insulted, and slightly disturbed. Did he honestly think he was gonna…

"No worries, sir." He assured through gritted teeth. "Sakura would kill me if I tried anything."

Without giving the man a chance to respond, Sasuke headed carefully up the stairs to Sakura's room.

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Her room was quite different from most girls'. No pink in sight. Instead, Sakura's room was painted a nice, light green color. And instead of boy band posters and teen idols, she had photos. Photos of everything. Nature, people, random things, you name it. But out of all the pictures Sakura had along the walls and on her dresser, the one that caught Sasuke's eye was the lone on her beside table.

It had been taken years ago. Sasuke knew that just by looking at who was in it. Sakura and himself, both smudged in dirt, his dog, Shadow, and his mother.

Flashback

"Sasuke! Pass it here!"

The little boy of eight caught his friend's eye and threw her the football, as best he could. It sailed through the air, landing neatly in Sakura's outstretched arms. Shadow barked and ran after her, Sasuke in pursuit. Mikoto looked up from her book just in time to see both her son and Sakura crash to the ground, laughing.

"Are you two alright?" She asked, only a bit concerned. They got up a second later, covered in dirt.

"Yeah, mom, we're good."

"Oh, Itachi, would you come out here a moment?" Sasuke's older brother stepped out onto the back porch.

"Yes, mother?"

She held up a digital camera. "Would you be a dear and take our picture?"

Itachi raised his eyebrows, looking from the dirt-covered kids in the backyard, to his mother, who was gazing at him expectantly.

"Oh, alright."

Smiling, Mikoto handed him the camera and called to her youngest son.

"Sasuke, Itachi is going to take our picture. Would you come over here?"

The boy and his dog, along with the pink-haired little girl, ran over. The three of them, along with his mother, stood at the base of the old tree in their backyard.

"Say cheese." Itachi drawled lazily.

"Cheese!"

End Flashback

Sasuke was jolted out of memory lane by a sharp knock on the door.

"What're you doing in there, boy?"

Cursing himself, Sasuke gently placed Sakura on her bed, pulling the covers up to her chin. Footsteps echoed from outside, and Mrs. Haruno's sharp voice reached his ears.

"Leave them be, Mishawka. Sasuke won't do anything."

"And how do you know that?"

"I trust him."

The raven-haired boy was pretty sure he'd overstayed his welcome. Glancing one more time at Sakura's sleeping face, he cautiously bent down and planted a soft kiss on her forehead.

"Sweet dreams, Saki."

Wow, first day back was certainly doing a number on him. Sakura murmured something incoherent and smiled a little. Sasuke smirked, and headed out.

"I'm watching you, punk."

You could practically see the steam coming out of the man's ears.

"Good to know, sir." The boy quipped.

Mishawka turned beet red. But before he could say more, Shizanu touched his arm. She smiled at Sasuke.

"It's nice to see you, Sasuke. I hope you'll stay for dinner sometime. I know Sakura would love to have you."

Sasuke smirked. "Will do, Mrs. Haruno. Could you ask Sakura to call me when she wakes up?"

"Of course."

"Then I'll just let myself out."

As Sasuke headed down the street, hands in his pockets, he failed to notice the figure crouching in a tree across the way.

"Interesting…"

Kakashi's grin widened behind his mask, not that you could tell.

"Who knew that the cold Sasuke Uchiha had a soft spot? For a girl…"

"Very interesting indeed…"

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A/N: I'm so sorry about the wait! School's been crazy and my parents…well they're constantly in a mood. This chapter was basically just filler; I just gotta introduce some more characters. The next one's gonna be action-packed, I promise. Let's see…Today's Sunday. That gives me five days to brainstorm and three to try and type it all. Wow, I don't like those odds. But I'll have to work something out. Sasuke's such a softy…really gotta stop doing that. But ladies, I swear. Next chapter, Sakura's gonna kick some righteous ass! Hell yeah!

Please read and review!

P.S What about Kakashi? I just felt like putting that last part in. Any ideas on where that should go? Lemme know!