So sorry it took so long to update! School and basketball practice and work are murder! Well, here's the next chapter read and review!
Chapter 7 Evil Intentions
A month later found Sakura lying on her stomach on her bed, a rare occasion now a days. She was pouring over her algebra book, trying frantically to get done with her homework before the Cross Country meet that would determine if she made it to state or not. If she got the best time, she could beat out Sasuke, beings it was a co-ed team, and both the girls and the guys had to run the same distance. Lately, with Sakura's times, she'd beat Sasuke if she won.
Sasuke, she had avoided him all month, taking the longest routes to class, dodging him in lunch and at home, though she took care of running into him by staying at Kankuro's with Naruto most nights until late when she'd come back just to sleep. She'd get dressed in the morning and head to Kankuro's again to shower and eat breakfast. She spent so little time in the house that she wondered why she couldn't just move there.
Tsunade, that's why. Sakura had sent a letter of request to the head mistress, but she would hear none of it. She said Sakura had no reason to move, that Sakura needed to come up with better excuses. Most likely, Tsunade thought she just wanted to sleep with Kankuro. Too bad she didn't realize Sakura didn't want to date. She wanted to be single with guy friends.
"Sakura, how are you coming with number two? I still don't understand," Naruto complained. Sakura looked down from her bed to the floor, where Naruto was comfortably laying, trying to do the same homework, though it seemed he only did Math when Sakura did. Sakura was a wiz, so he figured she'd give him the answer, too bad she made him work at it.
"You need a graphing calculator for that one. I'll go get mine; I left it on the kitchen table," Sakura jumped off her bed and made her way to the kitchen, where she had been doing homework before, but she had heard Sasuke come in.
Grabbing it, she made her way back to her room, but stopped when she heard Ino, who was in the living room, say her name. Sakura stopped and leaned against the wall, hoping to hear what she was saying.
"Sakura," Ino said, her voice dripping with disdain. "Don't worry about that scrub. She's white trash that shouldn't be here. How she made it into this prestigious high school is beyond me. It takes brains."
"Ya, well, it seems like she has them, and some athletic ability after all," one of Ino's precious followers replied.
"Ya, well, Sasuke's going to kick her butt today at the meet. He's been practicing so hard. There's no way that garbage can compete. I'll make sure of it," Ino sneered.
She'd take care of it? What did that mean? Sakura headed back to her room before Ino caught her spying.
Naruto looked up as she entered, "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."
"Nothing, I'm just really nervous about today," Sakura wasn't techniquely lying. She was nervous, but not for the reason's Naruto thought.
"You'll be fine. What could go wrong?"
More than he knew, Sakura thought.
Naruto, Kankuro, and everyone else that paid a lick of attention to Sakura's nervousness, dismissing it for the upcoming meet. Sakura wanted to scream. She wouldn't go anywhere alone while Ino was in the house, and didn't eat anything Ino made or offered her.
Finally, Sakura was standing on the field of which she would running on, with the competitors stretching around her. Sasuke and the rest of her team sat in a circle. Sakura had been stretching all day, so she was just running in place to get her blood pumping.
Guy-sensei came up to the team and gave them his little pep speech, something about harnessing our youth for a victory. Sakura didn't really pay any attention; she was trying to pump herself up by dismissing that Ino couldn't do anything to her as long as she was in the race. Sakura would be fine.
"Hurry up girls. We don't have a lot of time. The meet's going to start, and I need to be there to support my Sasuke," Ino told them as she helped her friends put into motion their devious plans to make sure Sasuke won and Sakura didn't. She'd do anything to make sure Sakura wasn't on top. Through blood, sweat, and tears, Sakura would lose!
The gun sounded and Sakura had taken off at a steady pace. She had pulled out in front of the pack to begin with Sasuke right beside her. Throughout the race, the two slowly left everyone behind. Only a guy from Waterfall High tried to pass them, but he ran out of gas and fell behind with the rest of them.
Sakura could see the finish line, so she sped up. She needed to beat Sasuke to win, to make it to the championship, and Sasuke needed to beat her to make it. Either way, someone would be staying home.
Sakura pushed her legs to pump faster, faster, faster. She pulled ahead of Sasuke by a good two feet. Sunlight reflected off a piece of wire that Ino and her friends pulled to trip Sakura and send her to the dirt, face first- her legs buckling under her. Sakura screamed as pain seared up and down her right leg. It felt like it had broken.
Sasuke passed her, though he slowed down a bit. When he heard her scream, he stopped and hesitated. He looked at the finish line, and then back at the other runners. He needed to make a decision. If he didn't, the others would pass him and make it.
Sasuke gave up debating and ran to Sakura's side.
"What are you doing? Get to the finish line! You can go to the championship!" Sakura exclaimed through the tears, gesturing towards the finish line with one arm; the other was holding her knee-where the break point was.
"I'm not crossing that line without you," Sasuke said as he stooped down to her level. "We'll wait for a paramedic to come."
"No. Just help me up. We can hobble there," Sakura insisted once she realized he was serious about not crossing that line without her. She would not let him get last because of her.
Sasuke looked at her skeptically, but did as she asked and placing her arm around his shoulder, he helped her to her feet. With one arm around her shoulder and the other holding up the broken leg, he hobbled with her to the finish line. They were only about two yards out from the line, and at least five people had passed them already.
"You didn't need to do this," Sakura said through clenched teeth. The pain was excruciating, but she wanted to make it to the finish line. She needed to do this. Sakura wasn't a quitter.
"I know," he said.
Sakura came in ninth, and Sasuke was tenth. Guy-sensei ran up to the two of them, taking Sakura from Sasuke and brought her to the infirmary. He looked like he wanted to cry. Sasuke and Sakura were supposed to be his one way ticket to the championship meet.
Ino ran up to Sasuke.
"Sasuke, why didn't you pass the finish line? You could have won!" Ino exclaimed. "It was practically rigged."
Sasuke frowned, and putting two and two together, figured out what she meant. "You mean to tell me, you did that to Sakura?"
"I didn't mean for that to happen. Honest. I just wanted to trip her, to slow her down, and I helped you!" Ino explained, as if her reasoning made all the sense in the world. "I didn't know she was going to break her leg."
Sasuke was fuming. And would have punched something, but it wasn't worth it. What's done is done, though that didn't stop the anger that coursed through him like venom.
"Ino, we aren't dating anymore. We're through. Over. I want you to pack your things and move out. And don't even think about telling Tsunade or I'll be forced to mention why I'm kicking you out," Sasuke told her heatedly.
Ino looked up at him through tears and stormed off. Sasuke shook his head and went to visit Sakura.
When Sakura awoke, Naruto and Kankuro were hovering around her bed at the hospital. She had to stay the night for observation. Both of the boys had swarmed all over her as Guy-sensei had carried her, but he had warned them to give her some space. After getting her leg cast, she had fallen asleep.
"Hey guys," Sakura smiled.
Their faces lit up when she spoke. Finally hearing her voice calm and normal, not the high pitched voice it had been when she had been hurt and crying.
"Hey. That was quite a nasty fall you took. How do you feel?" Kankuro asked as he sat gingerly on the side of her bed.
"Not too bad, but I assume that's the pain meds helping," Sakura replied.
Naruto came around on the other side and sat on the bed, careful not to bump her leg or move the bed too much. "You had us worried," he said as he took her hand in his and rubbed his thumb along the side of her hand.
Sakura smiled, relishing his tenderness compared to his usual flamboyant attitude towards everything. It was nice to know he had room for some down time.
"Well, I'm thirsty. Need anything?" Kankuro asked, getting up. He knew how Naruto felt about Sakura and was willing to give them the space so they could be alone.
Naruto and Sakura shook their heads.
Once Kankuro was gone, Naruto cleared his throat. "Sakura, you really had me worried when you went down. You didn't get up right at first."
"I'm sorry Naruto. I never meant to make you worry," Sakura said.
He shook his head. "No. You have nothing to be sorry about. Once I figure out who did that to you, I'll personally decapitate them. That, or I'll let you take a swing or two."
Sakura smiled and placed her hand on his cheek. "That's the one thing I love about you Naruto. You're my light even in darkness. You know just what I need to make me feel better."
Naruto grinned at this, his heart pounding. "So, uh, once your released and you feel up to it, would you like to go check out a movie, or go to, uh, dinner or something?" Naruto asked, running his hand through his blonde hair nervously.
Sakura didn't say anything at first, nor did her face give her feelings away. Finally, after an eternity to Naruto she replied, "Yes, Naruto. I'd really like that."
Naruto leaned in then and kissed her on the forehead. Sakura wrapped her arm around his neck and pulled him down to her lips.
Sasuke got off the elevator and headed to Sakura's room, lilies in hand. He wanted to apologize for his behavior. He wanted to make things right with her, maybe even ask her out.
Glancing in her window, he saw her and Naruto sitting close together talking about something. She reached up with her free hand and placed it on his cheek. Then, after Naruto asked a question, and she answered, they leaned in and kissed.
Kankuro found Sasuke just staring through the window at what Sasuke had thought could have been him and Sakura. Throwing the flowers on the tile, he turned and practically ran back to the elevator.
Please review so that I know you all like or dislike it.
