Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Chapter 4: A Compromise
When they arrived at the Haruno household, it wasn't until Mebuki finished brewing the tea that she spoke up.
"Sakura has amnesia."
Sasuke's hands were on the teacup, and Mebuki's news was as shocking as the piercing heat that radiated from the teacup. Sasuke quickly pulled his hand away and looked up instead.
"I'm not clear on the details, but she was on a personal mission to save you and… then…"
Her thin lips were slightly quivering now, although her emotions were kept at bay, refusing to shed a single tear. Breathing in deeply once, Mebuki composed herself and locked her eyes with his.
"It is heartbreaking for a mother to have a daughter who can't remember her. Sakura has forgotten everyone – you, Sasuke, included – and i don't know how long it'd take before she recovers her memory, or if she will at all."
A flicker of annoyance lit up within him. "So you want me to help Sakura recover her memories." He spat out bitterly.
"No. I don't expect you to bring her memories back. In fact, I don't want her to remember you. However, I will ask you this: spend eight days here in this household. That is also how long Sakura's stay at the hospital would be."
It wasn't a question nor a favour; it was a demand Haruno Mebuko won't take a "no" for. However, the Uchiha boy gave her exactly that.
"No."
His reply was immediate and his sharp gaze willed her to stay silent. If Sakura had been really dead – physically, that is – he may have considered, and even then, his likely answer was "no."
Slowly, he got up to leave – although he had nowhere to go – ticked off inwardly for having wasted time like this.
"Mikoto wouldn't have said "no"." Mebuki quietly, yet clearly, muttered aloud. Instantly, Sasuke froze in his tracks, feeling a cold wave wash over him. He glared as hard as he could, and Mebuki inwardly flinched, but kept herself composed.
"Oh, did I say something I shouldn't have?" Mebuki paused to take a small sip of tea. She sighed, and apologized. "I'm sorry I mentioned her."
Another sip, and she continued again. "You've lost your clan, Sakura's lost her… love, and I've lost my daughter."
She gave him a hard look, unflinching from his continued glare. It was an icy silence, and although Sasuke usually enjoyed any and all silence, it was he who broke it first.
"She wasn't in love with me."
Mebuki raised her eyebrows, slightly surprised at his words. "Of course, she was a fangirl, obsessing over you… She also grew to a caring teammate who developed a crush on you… But in the end, she had fallen in love."
Sasuke opened his mouth to protest, when Mebuki cut him off first. "And don't tell me she wasn't in love because you're not a woman and you're not her mother and you weren't there."
The last point was pressed hard, as the three words were engraved into Sasuke leaving them indelible. It was true, after all.
'Are all women annoying or are all Harunos annoying?' Sasuke thought vaguely.
"One."
"What?" Mebuki stopped drinking her tea, and inwardly, gave a small victoery cheer. One was better than none. Masking her emotions as well as the man before her, she pressed on.
"Eight is fair."
If spending twenty minutes with this woman was annoying, Sasuke could only groan at what would come from spending days with her.
"Two, that's it. You should be glad I agreed at all."
'Indeed I am, but I can't show you that.' Mebuki thought, but masked her amusement. "Fine, I'll push it to four."
"Two –"
"Four." The teacup was set down on the table, making a "clang", while Mebuki made her point. "There's only so much I could compromise and four is the limit. I'm meeting you halfway. Fair, isn't it?"
Haruno Mebuki was stubborn. 'Like mother, like daughter.' A thought drifted in as Sasuke tried to keep his annoyance at bay.
"Hn."
And that was a "yes". Four days, Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Mebuki would live together while the only thing connecting the two – Haruno Sakura – stayed at the hospital. Or so Sasuke thought as he quickly paced away from the house, led back to the investigations building by three ANBUs.
a/n: eek! Thank you readers & reviewers xD OMG I just dropped by at school for something and NO. The reality of back-to-school is... horrifying. (I start school next week).
