A gei top is Sasuke's white shirt; it's worn by people who practice Marital Arts.
(POV Sakura)
This day was probably the longest in the world. How long was I in that room? Seams like days, but it was only mere hours. It was nice to hang out with Sasuke, like when we were kids—only he didn't hate me.
My booted feet shuffled along the stone hallway floor. Where was I going? I guess I just wanted to get out of the dying room. It was so… drab. Not a slab of color anywhere! I never knew Orochimaru could be so boring!
For a while, I just walked, turning at corners, until a fence door gave me a dead-end. The fence was a rusty thing. Though it you could see a fenced yard. The fence was far off miles off. If it was fenced, I should be allowed out, right? If I wasn't, oh well, even better.
I opened the door; it squeaked louder then Naruto's rubber ducky, Ducky, he called it. I stepped out into the crunchy, yellow grass. The place or, rather, yard was scattered with ninja, each sparring one another. Did they even care if they killed each other? Probably not. What with blood splattered everywhere, eyes black and puffy, it sure didn't look like it. They grunted along, dodging almost every kick, punch and no-justsu that came their way; it was almost as if they didn't notice me. Hello! Pink hair here, how could you not be starstruck? Not that I wanted the attention, I was just used to it. When I went on missions, it was all I got.
The air was stained with the smell of browning blood. It felt odd, just standing there, when people were defiantly on the verge of death. I was so used to running across the pristine floor of the hospital, just to save dying shinobi and the occasional villager. Maybe I just needed to walk around.
My eyes met the shine of medal. Apparently, Orochimaru didn't care if his men killed each other there was a fucking bar out here! It had gold colored medal, it sat right next to the door, a tender inside it, and about nine drunks on the eleven stools. I walked to the bar, men or no. Maybe some Sake would clear my mind or make me drunk. They both sounded pretty good right about now.
"Sake, please," I said, sitting in the farthest chair from the drunks.
The bartender grinned. It wasn't a kind one, like most of Sasuke's, it was evil and sly. "Sure, Pinky. I've got cherry, strawberry and lime." His voice was slurred and overlapping. It made me feel… sleazy.
"Cherry," I answered, trying to ignore the man's voice.
"No prob, Pinky," the called over the grunts. He handed me an eight-ounce cup, filled to the top with the pink alcohol drink. I tried to smile probably came out twisted and took a sip from the cup. "She's going to get drunk," he muttered under his breath. He most likely thought I didn't hear him, them thinking I wasn't a kunoichi and all.
Heads whipped up, all hearing the words as well, all in my direction. Three pairs of eyes were glazed with lust; the others were awestruck. My eyes widen and the three charged at me. How long had it been since they've seen a decent woman? I wondered.
Each one had a weapon in hand. "Barley dressed…" one said. I leapt onto the bar, under a think tree branch.
One grabbed at my sandal-booted. I kicked it off, grabbed at the branch, and swung over it, landing strait on the branch. "Damn it, guys," I called down to the three playfully. "Do you not notice the gei I'm wearing? It's Sasuke's! I've got to keep the stupid thing clean!" Kami-sama knows how much the Uchiha hates damaged things. I really didn't care about the perverted men grabbing at me. Their lives, not mine.
One jumped up next to me, closing in, trying to lock me on the tree trunk. I just kicked him off, hard no chakra needed. I most likely injured his vital organs with nothing but sheer force. Damn, Orochimaru had perverts!
(Sasuke POV)I walked out. The three perverts of the place were chasing someone up a tree and getting kicked out in the process. It looked like there were broken bones and bad organs in the mix of flesh.
"Vodka," I told Yadimarku. He gave me a cup of the sticky drink. I gulped the thing down as another perv fell to the yellow grass.
"Hey, Sasuke-san," the man, who obviously had some broken bones, said to me, trying to stand. "She's a feisty one up there, she is." Did he ever get tiered of trying to impress me? "Nice hair too.… Colorful."
Colorful? Where was Sakura and her 'colorful' hair?
"Pinky!" the brown-headed man called. "Tiered yet?"
"Buzz off, asshole!" Sakura's angry voice called back. It was definitely Sakura. If she was twelve, I would've worried, but she's sixteen, a kunoichi and a hell of a medic. With these asses, she can take care of herself.
"Don't be like that, babe." The man who said that fell to my heels, blood covering his chest and head.
"Sakura," I yelled up to her as another perv fell. I took another swing at the vodka. She swung down from the branch, chakra keeping her on the thing. Her short hair hanged under her head. "Holding yourself up okay?"
"Sasuke!" she said, her tone a bit whiny. Not as whiny as Karin, but still. Her green orbs were glued to my cup of yellow vodka. The so-called perv leader, jumped up to her with a kick. She paid no attention, dodged it, and knocked the man out cold. "How old are you? I know you're not old enough to be drinking! Your barley seventeen! That is no age to be drinking" she sniffed the air above my cup without falling off the branch "vodka!"
"Hn…" I mumbled, not caring about what she was saying.
She jumped down feet flipping over to land on the bar and grabbed my cup. Turning to Yadimarku, she yelled, "You ever and I mean ever let him drink anything other than Sake, and I swear to Kami that it won't be just his" she pointed to me "life on the line!"
Who the hell did she think she was? Weakling like her has no right to tell me what I can and cannot drink!
"Sakura!" I hissed, pissed. By now all the perverts were hiding away, probably thinking she was mine. The pinkette jumped down, landing on the seat next to me. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"
She looked at me, eyes calm as a green rolling ocean. "Sasuke, its simple, really. I'm risking my life to save yours."
"Risking?" I repeated. What the hell was that?
"Uchiha Sasuke," Sakura said, lifting her hand to put pink strands of her hair back in place behind her ear. Most of the ninja in the yard had gathered around us. "I know you. When you were twelve, you were willing to blast me out of consciousness when I took away your Sake. Now your seventeen, and I won't let you have your vodka. Now you've seventeen, and you know a hell of a lot more ju-jetsus. And I'm still the annoying little girl you hate," her calm hadn't dissolved. It was as if she really believed I hated her. It kind of hurt.
"Sakura," I sighed, "I get it. You're a medic, you worry, its what you do. But my vodka "
" Makes you happy, I heard it all before. Shikamaru has no, had the same story. Lazy ass was on the verge of death. And if you drink any more, you will be too. You give yourself away; I can see the alcohol levels in your body." Green eyes bore into my own. They were sad and disappointed; again, it hurt. She was never ever disappointed in me. She was Sakura, damn it!
"Sakura, give it back." Her soft green eyes smothered against my anger filled onyx ones. All I could manage was a strangled whisper; I couldn't yell at her (don't know why the hell not).
"Sasuke, I said no."
The men 'oh'-ed and 'ah'-ed at my failure to flare out my temper. "Pinky's gonna lose her life today," some men declared. "She's dead," some others said. "Ha! Sasuke-san can't control his woman!"
At that one Sakura turned to them, a death wishes clear in her eyes. "Okay you know what!" she yelled, hearing all the comments. "One more comment and I make him mad enough to kill you all!" Her eyes held emerald flames; they burned bright. "And Kami knows I'll help. You're all bakas. Say all those things you were saying to his face and I promises you he won't be the only one enjoying a bloodbath!" Her hand was glowing green with chakra. That hand held my vodka cup. "And you know what?" Her hand tightened around the cup. "If Sasuke was the wimp you want to make him out to be" the glass broke in her hand; vodka spilled on her bleeding fingers "he wouldn't be Orochimaru's favorite! So piss off!"
"You've got a nice girlfriend," Yadimarku whispered, his voice sleazy as always.
"She is not my girlfriend," I said, rolling my eyes. She's just a damn friend correction, was.
Sakura looked at me, eyes changed from 'crazy killer' to 'it's just another day in the sun.' "You live in a dump, and your friends are trash. Why you left us for them is far beyond me." I knew who 'us' was it was Naruto-dobe, Kakashi and herself.
I ignored her. "Vodka, again…" I sighed.
"N-no," the tender stuttered. "You're too young. You're-you're Sakura flow-flower was right…." His brown eyes never left Sakura's approving smile.
"I'm not his; and I'm always right always." Sakura said, smiling sweetly. How she did it was beyond me, I could barely manage to talk to the guy.
I rolled my eyes. And realized again that she wore my gei top… and hardly anything else. "What were you thinking?"
"Huh?" she asked, lips pressed to a glass of Sake. I waved a hand to her… outfit. She pulled her cup away and swallowed. "I forgot the men here were pervs, I guess." She licked her lips they were pressed together when she concentrated. "Have some Sake if you want to drink. I'm really sorry, but you know I'm just looking out for you. Because it looks like Orochimaru won't do it."
I smirked. Somewhere in her, she was twelve, just not lovesick. It was a nice thought. Even when we were genin, she was caring. Motherly, in a way. 'We're too young to drink Sake, Sasuke-kun' this, 'Naruto, you're thirteen; you shouldn't be so perverted' that, 'Sasuke-kun, talk!' and the more famous 'NARUTO!' Oh, the better times…
"Go inside," I told her.
"I know I should…. After this." Sakura lifted the cup to her lips, drinking it in one short swing, and stood. "You're still as caring as always. Maybe…." And she went inside.
Why did I care? Should've kept my mouth shut. Then I wouldn't have gotten myself into this Uchiha Sakura crap, because sooner or later those bakas would think Sakura was mine. She wouldn't have scared Yadimarku into never giving me my vodka. And I wouldn't feel like I do now.
Confused.
Yadimarku's words rang in my head. '…nice girlfriend…'
(Inside; Sakura POV)
Perverts.
And Sasuke way too young to be drinking Vodka. Vodka! I mean, Sake, okay. It has barly any alcohol in it, unlike vodka. Vodka has what? fifty percent alcohol! Way over the amount a seventeen year old should be drinking way over the amount a seventeen year old should be allowed to drink!
Coming across a door, I stopped. It was Karin's. I remembered Sasuke's words, '…go rub it in Karin's face, will you?' But, I wonder if she had some paper, and maybe a pencil. I knocked. "Karin-chan?" I called. The door opened that second, not wide, just a crack, like last time.
"What do you want?" she asked, rather rudely. Her upper lip curled upward.
"Do you have a paper, and maybe a pencil?" I asked, sweet as can be, though all I wanted to do was barf at the voice and her.
She tried Sasuke's 'hn…' and went inside, slamming the door in my face. Seconds later she came back, with a pack or plain white paper and three pencils. "Don't bug me."
"No," I said, stopping her from closing the door with my foot. "Sasuke wanted me to do something."
"Really?" she smiled.
"Yeah," I grinned. "I've got a better body then yours! Look at it hourglass! Yours is a squash!" I sang, loving the fact that I had an excuse to do this. She was getting on my damn nerves! Then I smiled. "That's all."
Her red eyes narrowed into slits. "Don't bug me," she repeated.
I nodded, my smile sweet. Rude as he excuse me, she may be, I didn't have to be it to her. (That little hourglass thing was just because Sasuke wanted it. I still liked to make him happy.) I went over to Sasuke's room. Why hadn't they given me my own room, or stuck me in the dungeon? Oh well.
I opened the door and shut it behind me. The chair Sasuke sat on looked empty without his strong legs swung around it. I pulled it to the dresser. Then I frowned; I didn't know what to draw!
Ah, swell. I'd just let my subconscious be my guide. Pencil to paper, my hand moved. Up… curve… under… curve… lift… down… across… lift… down… curve… lift… down… curve…. Shade…. Lift… down… curve… curve… lift… down… curve… curve… curve… under… meet. Lift… down… curve… curve… lift… down… curve… curve… curve… under… meet…. Shade….
A hand reached down, grabbing my paper. "Hey!" I yelled.
"What'd you draw?" Sasuke's voice asked.
Hell, I didn't even know! I pulled the page back to me. My sketch was nice. But I didn't know why I drew it.
The Uchiha fan stood proudly in the center, interlaced with the Haruno Clan symbol. Both were shaded to look round. Beautiful butterflies looked as if flying around the corner of both symbols. My best drawling scene Sasuke left.
I used to draw things like this when I was twelve, the two clans interlaced, always locking together. But this… this was amazing. It was simple. Nothing to ruin the beauty of the two symbols. My mother always told me to keep beauty simple, but this… this was gorgeous. Amazing truly.
My jaw giggled, trying to form words that wouldn't come out.
"What why'd you draw that?" Sasuke stuttered, pulling the white sheet out of my fingers. Sasuke never stuttered. He was Sasuke, damn it.
"I honestly don't know. I zoned. All I felt was the pencil in my hand, and my hand moving over the paper. I wasn't even thinking, really," I whispered, shocked at Sasuke's stutter.
Sasuke's mask had fallen. Pure shock was his most portent on his face. But there was more. There was a trace of smugness in there. Maybe he thought I wasn't over him. Though it was true, he was a baka. There was something else though. Happiness? Joy? I don't have much experience judging those. Maybe I was imagining things.
Who knew drawling could bring up so much emotion in an Uchiha an Uchiha!? People are always shocked by them, but….
"Sasuke, can I have it back?" I asked.
"No. Draw another one. Don't look at it; drift off." He ordered me in to the tone of Sasuke-kun, not Sasuke-do-whatever-I-say-or-I'll-kill-you. I couldn't disobey.
"O-okay…" I stuttered.
I grabbed another sheet and the dull pencil. I started to draw, not looking down from his onyx eyes. They were on the paper.
Up… curve… under… curve… lift… down… across… lift… down… curve… lift… down… curve…. Shade….
"Sakura, you have this memorized," he accused.
My hand dropped the pencil and I turned to the page. There they were again. Uchiha and Haruno interlaced proudly. My jaw dropped wide I swear it almost hit the floor. (A/N: Not really.) How the…?
"No. If I did, the circles would have overlapped. Because you saw I wasn't looking," I countered calmly. Sasuke was the type that only responded well under calm conditions; that I know.
Sasuke took the paper; my jade eyes followed. A well-masked emotion flickered across his face, and disappeared. "Who taught you?" he asked, taking the three small steps to the rock bed. I knew what he meant.
"A friend," I answered, knowing he wouldn't know Sai.
"Who?" he pressed. Normally, he wouldn't've cared. Wonder why he did now? But he was still using Sasuke-kun's tone; I couldn't not answer.
"Sai," I said, the name burning on my tongue. Sai was a good person, but he was a bit… un-understanding. He was a bit under sensitive when it came to everyone else, and oversensitive when it came to himself.
Sasuke nodded, probably hearing the flames in the name, and sat on the bed. His eyes never left the drawling. He had them on top of each other, the new one on the bottom and the other one on top. What was he thinking? My heart skipped a beat. He wasn't going to rip them, was he? He better not!
"Can I have them back?" I questioned.
He 'hn'-ed and reached out toward the dresser drawers. His arms reached out al the way over to. He opened the drawers and stuffed the papers in¾stuffed!
"Sasuke," I howled. 'Those were rightfully ours!' Inner Sakura screamed inside me.
"Hn…"
I took a deep breath.
"Sasuke, give them back. Or I swear to you all yell," I breathed out.
"Yell for all I care." Sasuke-do-whatever-I-say-or-I'll-kill-you was back.
"Sasuke, you don't know what you're saying," I threatened. "I can make most of everyone in this compound hate your guts. I can."
"Then go ahead." His face was emotionless as he always tried to make it seam.
I shrugged. His virginity¾I hope. I may not have gotten over him, but I sure had tried. And failed. But that didn't mean Neji didn't have his ways. Neji can be very convincing.
"Sasuke-kun!" I half-yelled, half-moaned. Like I said, his virginity in question not mine; mine was lost months ago….
"What the fuck!" Sasuke yelled, understanding what I did.
"I told you," I teased. "I can make every man here hate you." I knew it was every man. I saw it in their chakra, and the way they flared out when I yelled.
Sasuke shrugged. "And every woman loathe you."
"I don't plan on staying here. I might stay till Juugo-san gets better, and then I'll find some way to escape. Besides, so far, I've seen exactly one woman¾if she is in fact a woman¾and she all ready hates me," I said, knowing he knew I meant Karin. "Now, art. Now!"
"Hn…"
One more time, I'll ask just one more time, then, I'll yell.
"Please?"
"Hn…"
I yelled, louder this time, the same thing as before. Then I added, "Sasuke-kun, you're hurting me!"
"Shut it, Sakura!" he hissed.
"Paper," I answered.
He rolled his onyx eyes and appeared in front of me. "Sakura," he said, bending down to look me in the eye, "keep quite, or I'll make you."
I sighed, rolling my eyes. "Here he is, Uchiha Do-what-I-say-or-I'll-kill-you Sasuke." His eyes bore into mine, burning holes into them. I glared back. Hard as I tried, I knew it didn't look anymore than playful. I could never really get mad enough to glare at him. I hate myself for it. "Please. Give. Me. My. Papers."
Sasuke's face was still only centimeters away from my own. "I said no." He was pissed. I knew it; he hates to repeat himself.
I sighed¾again. "At least let me sign it," I breathed. I knew my breath tickled his skin, heating it to an uncomfortable¾but enjoyable¾temperature.
"No."
I sighed again. The day was only half over and I was annoyed as hell. Was I like this when I was twelve? Could I possibly have been that annoying?
"Fine," I surrendered. "I'll be with Juugo-san. Unless you have anything else to add. No?" I asked, pushing Sasuke away and going to the door. "Thanks." I left.
(Juugo's room)
"Sasuke-san can be a pain," Juugo-san told me.
The bed squeaked under me as it adjusted to my weight. I hugged my legs closer to my chest. Tears stung my eyes. Sasuke used to be so sweet¾or sweeter. He used to risk his life for me, then tell me I was annoying. He used to care.
"I know," I said, hearing my voice crack. "I know better than anyone…." And I did.
"How long have you known him?" Juugo-san asked, his tone comforting. He had a way to make you spill your guts out to him with his caring little look.
"Years. Before I was eight. I lost count." A chuckle escaped my lips. "I used to call him Sasuke-kun¾waste of my time. I used to have a crush on him. Hey, Juugo-san? Do you know why they're called crushes? Because you always get crushed in the end, always."
"Aw…" he sighed. His beefy arms encircled me in a bear hug. It reminded me of Naruto. They both had a way of making me cry my eyes out, just to make me feel better. "Sakura-sama, trust me, he'll cool down. Just leave him be." He pulled away and looked me in the eye with his orange ones. "Sakura-sama, he treats you better then me, Karin or even Suigetsu. He gets over his anger towards you father than with any of us. Have you seen the way he looks at you?"
I knew it was rhetorical, but I answered anyways. "With hatred? Annoyance? Disgust?"
"No, sama. His eyes soften. You've proven to be able to take care for yourself, and yet he looks at you as if your some diamond to be protected from any danger at all costs; one who must never come in contact with the outside world. Sakura-sama, you're special to him."
I scoffed, tears still rolling down my cheeks. Sasuke's heart was cold; the only people that were in there were the ones that were there before it froze. I wasn't one of them. My tears, which used to be controlled, now ran free, marking their path.
"Juugo-san, he used to be nicer. When we were genin, I was his top priority. And he hated me, but he still risked his life for me, time and time again. He just used to care. He's not like this; I know it," my lips quivered as tears fell at a quicker pace.
Sasuke wasn't like this. Sasuke was not like this. He cared. When I cried, he hurt, somewhere. Somewhere, he came to care about me¾maybe not love, like I had but care. Now, I'd bet anything that if he saw me crying, he'd 'hn…' and say, 'Stop crying, weakling.'
"Don't worry, Sakura-sama. I understand."
He's not like this….
He's not like this….
