Chapter Seven
Suspicious
I am not suspicious by nature.
The Hokage released the two ninja from captivity. She gave some speech about not wanting to pay ANBU to babysit a couple of grown men. Of course, this was after she had kept them locked up for well over two months. Sasuke barely listened to her words because his thoughts were whirling around a mile a minute. He was coming to a conclusion--one that he should have come to a long time ago.
Sakura and Kakashi were together.
It was the only thing that made sense. The Hokage was the same woman who allowed his team to chase after him for years. Why was this situation any different? He was willing to admit that Kakashi was just as important to this village as he was. The difference could have something to do with the fact that he was the last living member of the Uchiha clan but Kakashi was the famed Copy Ninja, as well as the only child of the White Fang, or so he had heard. Why wouldn't they at least try to return Kakashi to the village under peaceful circumstances?
On another note, was it a coincidence that Sakura's mission coincided with the time of Kakashi's defection? In all this time she has yet to return from her mission and when Naruto questioned the Hokage as to the time of her return, he was never answered. She brushed him off with some flippant answer that would distract Naruto, but it never distracted Sasuke.
He finally put the question to Naruto just to see what his thoughts were, if he had any, on the situation.
"Kakashi and Sakura disappered around the same time."
Sasuke stated one day as they walked together to Ichiraku for lunch. It wasn't quite a question, but he wasn't one to admit that he was puzzled about anything. The sun was shining that day and it was a contradiction to the turbulent way he was feeling.
He spotted two ANBU operatives following them discreetly as they walked along. This was less than normal, but then again...he might be missing a few. He darted a glance at Naruto, who slightly tipped his head towards an old tree where two more ANBU perched. It disgusted to Uchiha that all of his thoughts kept him from being observant.
"Yeah, that is kind of strange." Naruto replied, scratching the back of his head. He took a glance at Sasuke's face realization settling in. "What? You don't think they ran off together, do you? Eww. That's gross."
Sasuke ignored the face that Naruto made although Sasuke was making the same face on the inside. Geeze! But the Dobe could be such a child sometimes….
He wasn't going to say it out loud, but that was one of the possible conclusions that he had come to. Either Sakura and Kakashi had run off together, or this really was some kind of mission.
I am not possessive.
"Well, you don't have to worry about that. It's just a matter of time before you and Sakura get together. The only guy she's ever had eyes for is you…and maybe Sai but--"
Sasuke glared at Naruto for that insinuation. He had met his replacement…Sai. The guy was an ass and yet the obvious affection Sakura bestowed on both Naruto and Sai--and even Kakashi was a bitter pill he had no choice but to swallow. When he had remarked upon it unfavorably it was something that she said he needed to get used to. She was unwilling to destroy her bonds for him. She had said that he had all but destroyed her when he had walked out of her life and it was her friends who had been there and supported her while he was gone. Just because he had returned home didn't mean that he was going to go back to being the center of her world. He had glared at her when she said that , but she had ignored him and he respected that.
He didn't feel an ounce of guilt for taking the path that he taken back then. There were things that he would have done differently. He'd love to go back and change how he treated Sakura, but the end had eventually justified the means and they would have to deal with it. So far, the entire team agreed to take each day as it came, not trying to push too much at once.
They had been together for a while now. They had decided that it would be for the best if they kept their relationship under wraps for the time being. While Naruto was openly supportive of a relationship between the two of them, Sakura knew that Naruto retained some feelings for her and wanted to ease him into their relationship. She also didn't want to mention it to any of their other friends just as an added precaution. Since he didn't want anyone to be apart of his private life he had to agree.
However, now that Sakura was gone, he began to question the wisdom of that decision. What if she really was with Kakashi? Why did they feel the need to hide such information from him? From the entire village?
The thing was that he didn't truly believe Sakura had gone on a mission. He never had because Sakura was a creature of habit. She always told him goodbye before he left on a mission. This time she had not done so. Why?
The only reason he could come up with is that it wasn't a mission at all. That Kakashi had, indeed, defected from the village. Sakura had went along with him and for some reason they were covering Sakura's disappearance. The thought gnawed at him more than he would have liked to admit.
"Sasuke? Hey, Sasuke are you listening to me?!"
"Why would I do that? I, for one, am intelligent."
Naruto growled in irritation.
I am not standoffish nor am I arrogant.
They ended up at the training fields, which was rather commonplace for the two of them, except that it had been happening more and more as of late. They were on edge because of Kakashi's disappearance. Naruto worried for his friends while Sasuke was concerned with all of the reasons behind the disappearances. This tension caused friction which, in turn, caused fights. Sasuke would provoke Naruto in order to burn steam and anger, which usually ended with the destruction of whatever training ground they happened to be on. Tsunade could have sent them on a mission, but so far she still didn't trust them. She was correct not to because the dark haired shinobi would take the first opportunity he could to leave, which was something that wouldn't go over well this time around.
"What's with you lately?" Naruto said after noticing again that Sasuke's focus wasn't on training. Naruto had collapsed on to the ground and Sasuke still stood panting heavily and clearly exhausted.
"Nothing."
"Don't give me that. You've got your panties twisted into a knot about something and it's about time you told me what it is."
"I don't have to tell you anything, loser."
"Then stop picking fights with me. Find someone else to be your scapegoat."
Naruto left him alone in the training fields, mumbling about insane chicken-heads and needing ramen. Sasuke didn't bother to stop him and call him back.
There are few people I love and even less that I trust.
The duo met up a few days later like they never had a fall out to begin with. Neither apologized, although Naruto really didn't have anything to apologize for. However, Sasuke gave a peace offering--he paid for lunch. He regretted the offer right after he made it. The expression on Naruto's face was scary--even to him. However, he knew that to renege on the offer would be worse than any fight provocation, so he said nothing. Hopefully his bank account could handle the strain. He didn't come into the full fortune until he turned twenty-five. Damn stipulations…
"So you ready to tell me what's been bothering you?"
Sasuke glanced over at Naruto who had not looked away from his bowl. "Depends."
"Upon what?"
"Upon you."
Naruto looked at him, puzzled. He didn't quite get how any of Sasuke's problems could have anything to do with him.
"What are you talking about, bastard?" Naruto asked, facing him head on.
"Are you still in love with Sakura?" Sasuke asked so bluntly that Naruto flinched. Naruto looked away immediately.
"You could at least be a man about it and say yes."
"I would, if my answer were yes," Naruto replied after a short silence. "Sakura and I, well, you don't know this but I had a chance with Sakura but I turned it down." Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he started to question this when Naruto spoke. "The truth is I don't want to be someone's second best. If I got with her then that's all I'd be."
"You're a moron."
"Maybe, but I'm a moron who made the right decision. How long is it going to take you to tell me you're together?"
Sasuke blinked slowly, surprised. "You knew?"
"I know Sakura. She's different."
"Different, how?" Sasuke asked his curiosity got the best of him.
"What, you expect me to say some garbage about how she seems complete? Dude, you're such a chick."
"At least I have a girlfriend, loser. No one would touch you with a ten-foot pole. They're afraid stupidity is contagious."
"Says the guy who's always around me."
"…you're right. I think a few brain cells just died just by sitting here with you."
Naruto opened his mouth to reply but only ending up laughing. A small smirk formed on Sasuke's face in response. But it faded away quickly.
"Sakura left me for another man."
Naruto spluttered and choked. After several coughs and a hard pat on the back from a stranger, Naruto yelled, "What?!"
"It's the logical conclusion."
"Wait. You're not certain? You just can't go accusing her of some shit like that without proof you ass!"
"She left without saying goodbye to me. You know how she is about saying goodbye."
"That's your proof?! She didn't say goodbye to me either, you bastard!"
The two stared at each other for a moment, simultaneously realizing that something wasn't right.
"When did you last see Sakura?" Sasuke questioned.
"I'm supposed to remember that?" Naruto scratched his head and thought really hard while Sasuke mentally face palmed. For a moment he had forgotten who he was talking to. When Sasuke said nothing else Naruto questioned, "Who did you think Sakura left you for?"
Sasuke didn't reply, choosing instead to toss enough money down for his and Naruto's meal and then left. Saying it out loud was completely different from just thinking it.
Even fewer were those that are those I trust and love. Sakura was one of the people that fell into that category.
Sasuke walked home in complete silence. He reveled in the odd occurrence. It wasn't often that you didn't hear any sounds coming from some creatures that came out at night but he wasn't one to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Sasuke let his mind go blank. He stopped thinking about Kakashi and his reasons for leaving. He stopped thinking about Naruto and Sakura's could-have-been relationship. He stopped thinking about Sakura with someone else, because if he did not he would probably do something he shouldn't.
All he could do is wait calmly until she came home. He would ascertain what her true feelings for him were, and when she told him what he wanted to hear, then he would tell her that it was time for them to make their relationship public. He'd marry her within four months.
And then everything would be fine.
Happiness, an emotion that I can truly say I hadn't felt in some time, is a heady emotion. Before Sakura left on that mission I was happy. For sometime after that mission I questioned if I would ever be again.
A/N: In my defense...I had to completely rewrite this chapter because I was unhappy with how the previous version turned out. However, I wasn't quite expecting this chapter. *Shrugs*
Thanks to BlueArcticWolf for beta-ing this chapter.
