"Oh yeah!" Sakura screamed. "It's good to be back! Bring on the challenge!" She took a powerful stance, with flamming eyes.
Sasuke and Naruto exchanged a confused look. It's not often that they saw Sakura say what was on her mind. Once she noticed how they were looking at her, she smiled sweetly and mumbled a few small words of embarassment.
Since it was plainly obvious that someone had purposely pinned Sasuke and Sakura against Naruto, and prevented Sasuke from talking to Sakura for so long, they all knew what they had to do.
Naruto ran into the small hut and sat down abruptly. He raised his hand and said: "One bowl of ramen, please!"
Sasuke and Sakura followed suit.
"Like old times!" Sakura smiled to herself. "We really should do this more often!"
The two boys smiled lightly, chowing down on their fresh noodles. From their eyes, it was rather obvious that they were sharing the same thought. Good to be back. Sakura-chan is especially cute today.
Naruto looked over to notice Sasuke watching the girl with pink hair, and smirked. I knew he'd fall for her some day. Good thing it wasn't when we were all on the same squad. That would've crushed me. He slowly averted his gaze to Sakura. I'm glad I don't have the same feelings for her anymore. It would've killed me to see her and Sasuke together if I did. His thoughts then slowly drifted to Hinata. Wait! Why am I thinking about Hyuuga-san? He shook his head to clear it, then opened his mouth widely, filling it with warm noodles.
Sakura, who was watching him for a whille, let out a small, quiet laugh.
"What?" Sasuke demanded. What caused Sakura to cover her mouth and turn around to not face the two boys? Was something wrong?
Sakura had now realized that since the moment she regained her memories, Sasuke had been way to overprotective. I know he's lost everything precious to him... but I'm not going anywhere... He doesn't need to worry like he is.. She puffed her cheeks up like a small bratty child would. I like it, but I don't. I like his attention, but I don't want to be like his possession. I'm not just his. I'm mine, too.
She turned her head casually like nothing was wrong. Sasuke was still watching her, starring her down. She acted as though nothing was bothering her, even as his watchful eye became more and more discomforting.
Naruto, who was now much more skillful, noticed this and attempted to ease the tension. "So guys," He announced, more than anything. "Have you guys come up with any new moves?"
Sasuke, not moving his eyes from the beautiful, and nervous, Sakura. "We haven't had the time."
Sakura decided to act like it wasn't bugging her, although it was slowly breaking her down, and she was almost about to burst. "Naruto, we haven't been able to even practice in about three weeks." She took on a mouthful of noodles. "I think I should go warm up after this."
After finnishing her noodles, she abruptly stood up. "Thank you very much!" She said, and with that, she was gone.
Naruto nudged Sasuke. "Do you think she's trying to get away without paying?"
Sasuke nodded. "I'll pay for her..."
"Hyah!!" She called, practicing her skills. She sat down cooly. "Maybe... maybe I should be practicing more than just taijutsu. I'll work with my chakra later."
She knew the whole time that she was being watched. She knew who it was too. It was a familliar presense to her. "Just as long as it's not him.." She sighed.
Becoming annoyed, she called the figure out of hiding. "Okay, if you're going to watch me, at least help me get back into shape."
"Sakura, I'm impressed."
She puffed her cheeks up and crossed her arms. "Why? Did you think I wouldn't be able to to sense you after all we've been through?"
The figure lifted her hands to shoulder level. "Nyah... I just figured you'd be to distracted to notice I was here."
She furred her eyebrows. "Distracted by what?" She was furious but didn't want to show it. What could she possibly be distracted by other than what's going on with this ambush and this guy trying to pin her old squad against eachother?
"Sasuke." The very sound and way the name crept off of Ino's silky lips made Sakura shiver. She didn't even want to think about it.
September 24th 1999
All I long for is Sasuke. What should I do? He doesn't even look at me. He probably doesn't even know who I am. And worse yet, I have the most annoying kid, Naruto, following me everywhere. I think he likes me. Alot. I'm so grossed out. I try to be nice to him, but it's really hard, because he's just so... Naruto! There's really no way to explain Naruto other than annoying.
Oh! I had this dream last night. It was almost perfect. Sasuke asked me out! it was so beautiful.. I didn't want to wake up. But what was wierd, was that I refused to his charming offer. I said 'No, Sasuke. Why would I go out with you when all you do is treat me the way you do.' That made my fantasy land a nightmare. Why would I ever say that to Sasuke? He's pretty much the only thing I think about!
Sakura thought about that dream and realized that it was like a warning or a premonition. She is treated like she is his doll, and can't move without his permission. It seems that if she did, Sasuke would go crazy. He would say stuff like, "Where were you, Sakura? Why did you go without telling me?" Then if she didn't tell him, he would say something like, "Am I doing something wrong?"
"Sorry, Ino," Sakura growled. "Sasuke doesn't distract me..." she averted her gaze. "Not at all.."
Judging by the way Sakura sighed the last part out, Ino knew she was lying. "Right," Ino said. "That's why you inhaled your noodles to get away. Sasuke watching you isn't that comforting."
Sakura gave her a funny look. "How would you know what it's like for Sasuke to stare at you for at least ten minutes strait?"
Ino sighed. "It's how he got me to leave him alone." She closed her eyes and crossed her arms over her yellow sweater that was cut at the elbows. "He followed me for days once, just because I told him that I liked him." She opened one eye "He was a creeper for... two or three days, I think."
Sakura gaped at her. "When did you tell him you liked him?"
"After we declared war over him." Ino sighed. "Now that he's the way he is, I can almost picture us fighting over who keeps him because neither of us do!"
Sakura sighed and giggled a bit. "Well, at least he isn't attatched to you..." Sakura held herself insecurely. "Since I regained my memories, he's been.. with me, and it's starting to creep me out..."
Ino seemed to notice something in the forest around them, so she took Sakura's wrist and ran. She pulled the pinkette through the woods and into the flower shop and took a flower and got ready to shoot it at whatever entered the store, meanwhile keeping Sakura behind her.
Sakura put her hands together and asked. "Ino, what's wrong?"
"You dummy! We were being followed!"
Sakura's eyes widened then narrowed. She looked at Ino, and figured they were thinking of the same person, but Ino seemed to have someone else on the mind. "Who?"
"I don't know!" Ino snapped! "I'm suprised you didn't notice, idiot! And it isn't Sasuke, so stop thinking of him!"
A trance like state overcame Sakura. "Ino, I know who it is..." Ino lowered her guard as Sakura walked passed her.
Ino lowered her guard at sputtered at her friend. "What?" By this time, Sakura was at the doors. "W-well who is it, then? Sakura?" And then she was gone. Ino ran to the doors of the flower shop and looked around. "Sakura? Sakura who was it?"
Sakura traced down the presence that was once unknown to her. Once she did, she found an older man sitting on a tree, who complimented her right away. "Good job with finding me, Sakura-chan. I was worried you forgot about me.."
Sakura crossed her arms. "How could I forget you, come on..."
"SHE WHAT?" Sasuke screamed in Ino's face.
Ino was panicing. "Yeah! We were just hanging out in my flower shop, when she just... left! I have no idea where she went!" By this time, Ino was bitting her nails, and chewing her hair. "Like, we knew someone was tracing us, but then she just said 'I know who it is' then she was gone!"
Sasuke's eyes widened. He looked over at Naruto who was concerned, but not so much as Sasuke.
Ino was freaking out, now walking in circles. "What should I do?" she mumbled. "I don't know what to do..."
"What do you want?" She asked. "Why were you following me?"
He smiled. "I was bored, is all. Really." It was easy to tell she wasn't convinced.
"Really, sensei?" She said. "Or was it really..."
The next day, Naruto, Ino and Sasuke, while all looking for her, found a missing poster.
Sasuke almost went balistic. Not now. Not Sakura. Why did Sakura have to go missing?
Gee. That sure took a long time to write... haha
-Skarmory
