One Day, Three Autumns

Words have no wings,
But they can fly a thousand miles.
- Korean Proverb

VII.
She still smell the same as she remembers – mint and vanilla. From the corner of her viridian eyes, she glanced at his direction, heading to his brother, meeting people in suits and shaking hands with them. He still looked the same yet so very different. He seems a bit taller with broader shoulders and leaner figure. Girls and women would be even more desperate to be by his side, she unconsciously furrowed her eyebrows at this thought.

Ino, with a frown, watched the pinkette steal a glance at the raven-haired officer for what seems like a minute observing him. She waved her pale hands at the pinkette's heart-shaped face. The blonde hasn't finished telling her about the upcoming art exhibit Sai will be participating with.

"What?" Sakura gave her an irritated look.

"You're too obvious, Forehead." Ino sighed and watched the pinkette slowly blushed in embarrassment.

"You were saying?" Sakura changed the topic quickly, giving her full attention to the blonde.

"The exhibit, Forehead!" Ino gave her a bored look, "It's on Saturday and I was about to ask you to come."

"I have a morning shift at the pedia dept. and the new building, for the night." She answered, turning down the blonde's invitation.

"Boring! I guess that's what single women do." She gave the pinkette a smug and teasing smirk of her own. Ino ignored the sharp glare she was sending her way, and before Sakura could say a word upon opening her mouth, the blonde cut in,

"Do you know what's the new building for?"

"Not that much, I'm one of the first batch of doctors. Believe me, we're only like 4 doctors. I heard it's for the government workers or something."

Ino laughed at the pinkette's naiveté that caused her best friend to look at her strangely,

"It's for the police and the other P.D."


He followed his older brother to the direction of Tsunade and her team. He lazily drew the glass to his lips, sipping a bit of champagne. It gave him an advantage to look over the pinkette who shied away with her blonde baby-blue eyed best friend upon seeing his brother and him approaching. They politely excused themselves though.

Tch.

She's running away this time and he let her.

Is reverie was broken when his brother introduced him to Tsunade. His coal ones didn't miss the way her honey-colored eyes flickered many emotions – surprise, disbelief and dislike. He understood the latter though. He inwardly sighed and greeted back, as he was taught too. He came back to his usual self, aloof and stoic as ever as he patiently half-listened to his brother thanking Tsunade's team. The older blonde woman thanking him back for backing them up or something with the likes of that.

He noticed that he hasn't been himself lately.

His eyes unconsciously searched for a pastel pink head and petite figure when he heard his brother asked the renowned doctor,

"Where's Haruno-san? I heard she'll be nominated in the professional and humanitarian peace prize." Itachi said with a smile on his face, oblivious to his brother who almost dropped the delicate glass to the floor. "Made a cure for Chikungunya Disease. Outstanding."

He froze momentarily.

Sasuke cursed himself for not introducing Sakura few years ago to this bastard.

"She's making a name in the field, indeed. She'll be here in a minute." She replied to Itachi, voice filled with pride for her apprentice. She eyed the stunned younger Uchiha for a second. "I don't think she'll like the award stuffs. She's a simple woman, doing good deeds."


"I'm nervous as fuck." She promptly stated in front of the mirror as she stood beside Ino who was retouching all the make up on her face that Sakura couldn't quite catch on in that category. Ino made no response as she carefully applied mascara, on her already long lashes. Sakura can't really understand the noisy blonde.

"What the fuck, Pig? You're quiet." She whispered sharply at the blonde, who now finished whatever she was doing.

"Be natural, Forehead." She rolled her baby blue eyes at her and pulled out her maroon lipstick from her small leather pouch. "Stop cussing like a sailor, you look too innocent." She muttered and paid her no mind again.

"Why are you taking so long?" She asked the blonde irritatingly, "I'll head out."

Ino opened her mouth to protest and follow the pinkette.


Face him. You're fucking brave, girl. She repeated like a mantra inside her head as she shyly approached Tsunade. She heard her mentor replied something with a proud face. She noticed the figure before them. In all honesty, she found the elder Uchiha gorgeous yet so matured at the same time. He had broader shoulders than his baby brother but an inch or two smaller than him. He was dressed in a black tux with properly tied red tie. All looking expensive that matched his black Italian leather shoes. Then he had this warm aura yet equally mysterious like his brother.

And he's the reason, Sasuke left.

"You must be Haruno-san?" He greeted with a big hand extending to her.

Unsure, she accepted it and nodded at the man, "Pleased to meet you, Uchiha-san." Itachi politely greeted her back with formal honorifics and manners.

Sasuke stared at the confrontation impassively, Tsunade noticed.

"I heard the underground P.D.'s doing well." Tsunade started a conversation, just to be fair while the ex-couple were present.

"Yes, a lot of cases but nothing we can't handle." Sasuke replied before his brother could say anything.

"The new building is made especially for your department, the hospital is looking forward working with you, Uchihas." Tsunade proudly declared, as a proud woman she is.

I'll be working with him?

She'll be working with me?

As if it's the universe's fault or the gravity's, her bright green eyes met his bottomless coal ones.


Dear Readers,

I know it's late and not as much.

I've been really really really busy.

Depression and all. My parents recently decided to separate.

yah. Stay tuned.

Sorry it's late. Haven't been myself lately.

~Schneewittchen.