'Kay, another chapter, since I'll sadly be away for the next week in Florida –tear–
I think we'll all survive. Anyway, this will do for now. Again, suggestions are always welcome, since I am, of course, running low on ideas . Still have a lot more already written, but if there's anything you'd really like to see happen, let me know and I'll do my best to write it in.
So here's "The Reality" and "The Chidori".
Sakura opened the door the next morning.
"S-Sasuke!" she said, hardly able to contain her surprise. The Uchiha stood on her doorstep, leaning against the wall like it was any other place – not the home of the girl he had kissed just the night before.
"Hey," he said calmly. "You ready?"
"For what?" Sakura asked.
"For class. You know, school," he said.
"Oh, yeah, I just need to get my-"
"I'll wait for you," Sasuke said, and reached in and pulled the door closed.
Sakura stood there facing the closed door for a moment, her mouth agape. Memories of the night before came flooding back to her. Was this really happening!
Okay, Sakura, control yourself. He's not angry about last night, that's good. He's still being nice to you. Even if he does regret what happened, at least this means he still wants to be friends. And if he's not mad...Just go with it. Feel him out.
Sakura nodded in agreement with her inner self, then grabbed her bag and left. Sasuke was still waiting outside. They walked silently, side-by-side till they reached the academy. Once they had entered the crowded halls, Sakura was instantly hit with the surprised stares of the students, each thinking the same thing: Why was Uchiha Sasuke walking in with her? Or anyone, for that matter! With each step she took, the halls got quieter, the talk dying to curious whispers.
Sakura glanced at Sasuke. She didn't want him to stop being nice to her just because it was drawing too much attention! But he seemed unswayed, facing straight ahead, hands in his pockets, head bent down slightly, and his eyes closed.
They neared their classroom, and Inner Sakura sighed with relief. Once they were out of sight, people would talk about them, but at least she wouldn't have to hear it.
Then Sasuke reached over and took her hand. Sakura could've sworn she heard some of the students gasp, but she couldn't be sure; it was hard to hear anything over the sound of her madly beating heart.
They finally got to class. Sanctuary, Sakura thought. Not that she didn't love his attention, and oh my God! He was holding her hand! But now she didn't have to worry about him being driven off by some nosy, loudmouth –
"Oh my God!" Ino nearly fell out of her chair.
"Shut up, Ino," Shikamaru said, then muttered something about "...Troublesome...".
Everyone was silent. Sakura could feel her face growing red as she looked around the room and found every eye upon them (except for Naruto, who was hitting himself in the head repeatedly, screaming "Wake up! Wake up! Wake up!").
Sasuke, having had enough of this, started to lead Sakura to her seat.
"So, wait," Tenten said, she and a very distraught Lee blocking their path. "When did this happen?"
Sasuke cocked a brow. "Did...what happen?"
The brunette kunoichi looked skyward helplessly. There was no way to get a straight answer from an Uchiha unless you got right to the point.
"Are you two going out?" she asked.
Sakura didn't know the answer herself.
"Uh..."
"Yes," Sasuke said.
Sakura nearly gasped out loud.
"We have been for a while. Right?" Sasuke said, looking over at Sakura.
Her blushed deepened.
"Right," she replied, biting her lip to suppress a smile.
Sasuke looked back at Tenten, meeting her surprised expression straight-faced.
"You mean you haven't noticed?" he said, then attempted to continue up the row. "Excuse us," he said, and Lee and Tenten moved as quietly as ghosts (as pale as one, too) back to their seats. Sasuke walked Sakura to a table, giving her hand a comforting squeeze, and sat down next to her.
Their sensei finally arrived.
"Wow," Kakashi said. "What's got you all so quiet? Whatever it is, I should use it in my lessons –" Then he saw Sasuke sitting with his arm around a blushing Sakura. "Wow..." he said again.
oOo
After a few uneventful classes, Kakashi called the team together.
"Okay, you two," he said when Sasuke and Sakura met up with him in the courtyard, "Naruto said he was going to go 'puke his guts out' and he'd be a little bit late, so we should start without him. I was going to do some training with the three of you, but..." Kakashi looked back and forth between the two. "...Maybe not..."
"I could show her some jutsu," Sasuke offered.
"...Really?" Sakura asked.
He shrugged.
"...Okay. Go ahead," Kakashi said. "I'll be over here...spotting you..." and he leaned against a tree and opened his book.
"Okay," Sasuke said, turning to Sakura. "First things first, you have to know the hand motions-"
"I know 'em. Some of them, anyway," Sakura said.
"Alright..." said Sasuke, smirking. "Try some. Horse."
Sakura took the right position without a moment's thought, taking Sasuke by surprise.
"That's right," he said. "Okay: Seal of the Tiger. Boar. Ram."
Sakura finished before he could even get the words out.
"I...think you've pretty much got this," Sasuke said after he called out a few more. "Do you want to learn Chidori?"
Sakura's eyes widened.
"Um...Do you think I'm ready?" she said unsurely.
"It's a good technique to know," Sasuke said, "and this is just practice. You won't have to use it until you're confident in it."
"Um, okay," Sakura said, glancing at Kakashi – who wasn't listening anyway, being so absorbed in his book. "Sure. How does it go?"
Sasuke showed her the hand combination then held his wrist, tensing his hand until a blue glow began to form from his palm. He extinguished it before it grew to full strength.
"You try," he said. "Just don't use your full chakra, so you can stop it, and without the running start, it's not likely to reach full strength anyway."
Sakura nodded and did as he did. She was faintly surprised when the same spark of blue fire started in her hand as well.
"Ohmigod," she said, gasping.
"Good! Now let it fold back into itself."
Withdrawing her energy, the Chidori began to shrink until there was nothing left. Sakura stood there for a moment, staring at her palm in disbelief.
"Alright, Sakura!"
She looked up and found many eyes upon her. The students and sensei had noticed the Chidori from every point in the courtyard and had turned to watch.
"That was pretty sweet," Shikamaru said, slapping her on the back.
Ino stood beside him, muttering, "It wasn't that cool..."
Sakura turned back to Sasuke, grinning.
"I can't believe I..."
"Nice job, Sakura," he said, smirking.
"Than-" Sakura's words caught in her throat as she noticed the intensity of his gaze. There was a glimmer of nervousness in his dark eyes, but determination as well. Before he could change his mind, he leaned in and kissed her. Really kissed her. Right in the middle of the courtyard with everyone there to witness it.
Their reaction was almost cliché. Ino fell backwards and nearly fainted, Shikamaru only just catching her before she hit the ground. Everyone just stared, including Kakashi-sensei, whose attention was drawn from his book by some real live action.
Naruto came pushing through the crowd just in time to see their lips break and Sasuke hold her there, leaning his head against hers.
Sasuke looked up at the group.
"Do you mind? We're trying to train here," he said.
Sakura laughed, and the others backed away somewhat reluctantly.
"Nice Chidori, Sakura," Kiba said, as he and Shikamaru attempted to drag Ino away.
"God damn it, you're heavy," Shikamaru sighed and slapped her across the face.
"Hey!" she screamed, instantly breaking her stunned trance, and she chased him back to where their team was meeting.
A/N: Yeah, totally aware that Sakura is completely incapable of the Chidori at fourteen...However, when I wrote this, I knew nothing about it and had only seen the rock-awesome move in an AMV about eps 134-135. But screw logic. This is fanfiction. What the author says, goes, so I hereby declare Sakura is not so much of a n00b in this fic. :) Happy.
Thanks, all, for the reviews!
- 3- The Morbid Original
