Thanks everyone for your reviews last time, this time I'm only going to say, keep 'em coming! And also, to Sakura's Indecision, what I meant to imply was that he didn't care which Oto-nin was attacking her, but when I read it back, I realise it wasn't totally clear, so sorry about that. Anyways, enjoy!
Sakura strutted up and down before Sasuke, holding her hands behind her back and imperiously holding her head up in the air.
Sasuke looked at her with a raised eyebrow as he sat on the ground, leaning on the snow.
"Now, my dear protégé, you are a very good ninja. You know far more than me, and in fact, you could give me a lesson on some skills, if necessary. However, today, I have decided to take advantage of this blessed freedom, by giving you a lesson, not about jutsus or skills as a ninja, but about something far more important in life. Now, can you guess what this is?"
Sasuke looked quizzically at her, whilst remaining silent.
"No? Well, my dear Sasuke, in this month and a half we have spent together, I have increasingly found this about you. That you are too heavy, not in terms of your physical weight, which could be compared to a feather as far as I'm concerned, but as in you are too serious, you never take anything lightly, you never have fun. This has improved slightly over the last few weeks, but I still think there is much improvement to be made. That is why I'm going to teach you how to do possibly the one thing I know how to do better than you."
She paused, taking in a deep breath, before continuing,
"I'm going to teach you how to live."
Sasuke looked at her as if she was an idiot.
"You gave me that whole speech just to say that?"
"Why of course, Sasuke, for as you are soon to learn, living is not only a very important life skill, but it is also enjoyable. But no matter. Come, let us begin."
She pulled Sasuke to his feet.
"Tell me, what do you know as of yet of living?"
Sasuke remained silent.
"In that case, we'll have to start from the very beginning. Our first important lesson: learn to speak. Often you'll find that people don't understand you. That they can't give you want you want. Sometimes, they might even think you're mute and treat you like a four year old, and some, not even particularly unobservant ones, might even mistake you for an inanimate table and place refreshments on your head.
"The reason for this is always that you don't talk. If you don't communicate with other people, how do you expect them to be able to understand you? Not everyone understands the language of raise an eyebrow when you want a toasted sandwich, or even, believe it or not, the language of narrow your eyes when you want some sake at room temperature.
"Therefore, you need to learn to speak the same language as everyone else. The one where you move your tongue and make sounds from your mouth. Ever heard of it?"
Sasuke cocked his head to one side and looked as despairingly as was possible for him at her.
"No? Ok, I'll just have to teach you. Raise your tongue and go he-llo. Come on, come on, he-llo. You can do it, just believe in yourself! He-llo!"
Not the famous you-must-be-a-halfwit look on Sasuke! That's unheard of!
Sakura stepped forward and grabbed Sasuke's jaw, trying to open it and form the syllables 'he' and 'lo'. Sasuke slapped her hand away and glared at her.
"Oh, this is hopeless!" she said, throwing her hands up in the air.
"I know how to talk, Sakura."
"You do?!" Sakura displayed mock amazement, "Then why didn't you say so?"
Yes, that's right, Sasuke was silent.
"You know Sasuke, sometimes talking can be enjoyable, even make you feel better! Now I'm actually being serious when I say this. It's not just something people do to coordinate with each other. It's always better to let something out by talking than bottling it up inside. I know this notion is completely new to you, and you might not be ready to start talking by the dozen, but I want you to promise me that if you ever feel that you actually want to talk about anything, that you won't be afraid to talk to me, or you won't suppress your wish just because of some stupid pride issue you may have. Can you do that?"
She was looking at him so earnestly. He looked away. He didn't like looking at her when she was like that. What could he do except say yes? In a way he supposed she was actually right, but doing what she was saying wasn't exactly going to help him achieve his goal. But he gave in anyway, deciding he would deal with whatever consequences would arise out of this later.
"Fine. I promise." he said quite gruffly.
"Yay!" Sakura cheered as she enveloped, or not quite, considering her size as opposed to his, Sasuke in a hug. "Great. So, lesson 1 complete. Now it's time for lesson 2.
"You have actually smiled a couple of times in the last few days, and almost sort of laughed only this morning, I recall. However, we need this event to become more common than the amount of times of year that Orochimaru doesn't stink, so lesson 2, will be laughter.
"Every time you find something funny, or are having fun, disobey what has become your natural instinct to imitate a statue, and allow yourself to laugh! Trust me, it's worth it. Laughing is pretty fun on its own, and though I don't want you walking around this city laughing like a maniac, I really would recommend the outlet of laughter. It is part of your natural make-up and it is not good to suppress it. Ok, I have seen that you actually know how to laugh, so lets try it. Go ha ha ha!"
Sasuke rolled his eyes and shook his head to himself at Sakura.
"Come on! I know you know how to do it! It's just ha ha ha! Simple!"
"Sakura, I'm not going to degrade myself."
"Ahh, that leads me to lesson number 3. Enjoy yourself! Don't have such a big issue with 'degrading yourself' as you call it. After all, it's only me watching! It's not like there's anything to be scared of! Oh!" Sakura said, as if realising something, "Is that what it is? You're afraid of embarrassing yourself?"
Sasuke's look could only imply that Sakura was an idiot.
"I'm not afraid, Sakura."
"You must be! Why else would you care? You're a scaredy-cat on the inside after all!"
"I'm not a scaredy-cat."
"Yes you are!"
"I am not."
"You so are!"
"I am not."
"You totally are!"
"I said, I am not."
"Yes, you are! Oh forget it, you're even more stubborn than me. It doesn't really matter, the point is that you have to get over whatever fear or whatever-"
"I told you I'm not afraid."
"Ok fine, yeah yeah whatever, the point is, you need to start enjoying yourself, and this is how you do it."
She grabbed him and pulled him down to the floor and started to roll around, laughing. Soon enough, Sasuke was too, and they engaged in fresh antics, involving several snowball fights, and Sasuke teaching Sakura a jutsu to make an exact sculpture of both of them using the snow.
After much experimentation with this, including making one of Orochimaru picking his nose, Sasuke noticed that the sky was growing dark.
"Sakura." he said, seriously, "We should go in soon."
Sakura noted the darkness of the sky and nodded.
"You're right. Before we go we should get rid of that one-"
She signalled to the one of Orochimaru picking his nose.
"-because I doubt he's going to be happy if he sees it."
Sasuke nodded, before waving his hand in the air, causing the sculpture to disintegrate into snow.
Sakura simply sighed.
"You do such cool stuff it doesn't even surprise me any more." she said shaking her head as she walked towards the door. "Why can't I do any of that stuff?" she continued, pouting.
Sasuke shook his head to himself with a one sided smile. His jutsus might surprise her now and then, but she truly never failed to surprise him.
As they walked down the corridor to their quarters, Sakura hummed, while Sasuke thought of the person he thought of as Old Sakura.
She had been so irritating. Always hindering him, pestering him, trying to righteously do what was best for him. She had been such a know-it-all, but when it came to application of her knowledge in battle, she was practically useless.
What had happened? Why had she changed so much since she lost her memory? Had it really been experience which had caused her to be the way she was before she lost her memory? If so, did it mean experience was going to turn her back into Old Sakura? He sincerely hoped not. He vastly preferred New Sakura to Old Sakura. She did not hinder or pester him, or expect anything from him. She could actually make herself useful on the field. Most of all, she was so strange and unique. Sasuke had never met anyone like her. Whatever she did, she succeeded in brightening up his day, and did not irritate him, which was more than he could say for Old Sakura. Whatever happened, he wanted her to stay this way.
They had reached their doors while Sasuke's thoughts went along this train, and Sakura waved good night to him before entering her room, still humming.
At the memory of Sakura's room, Sasuke's pedantically tidy side had an idea.
He followed her into her room before she could shut the door.
"Yes?" Sakura asked a little surprised.
"Well, I just wanted to… thank you for what you taught me today."
Sakura raised her eyebrows in surprise.
"Whether or not it was done in a jokey spirit, I think it was actually a valuable lesson, and, if I can, I will try to use it."
"Wow!" Sakura said, "Never thought I'd actually get through to you!"
"Well, you did, and in return I want to do something for you."
"What?" asked Sakura, confused by now.
"I want to help you with this." he said, waving at her room.
Sakura looked around, getting more confused by the minute.
"I mean your room. I don't know if you've noticed, but it's actually a horrible mess, and I think I can help you tidy it up."
Sakura smiled remembering Sasuke's permanently spotless room.
"Ok, cool!" She jumped onto her bed and put her hands behind her head.
Sasuke looked at her questioningly.
"Well aren't you going to clean up?" she asked, in mock innocence.
"Ha ha, very funny." Sasuke said sarcastically. "Now get up."
Sakura stuck her tongue out at him and leapt up.
"Ok, firstly, pick all those robes up and put them in your wardrobe." He then noticed one which was considerably bigger than the rest at his feet and picked it up, smiling, as memories of Sakura flailing around in it returned.
Sakura saw it too, and smiled.
"I'll take this one back. But get on with your job." The fanatical Sasuke couldn't wait for this room to look as if it was unlived in.
Once Sakura had dealt with the robes, he turned to the food, as he wrinkled his nose.
"Almost as bad as Orochimaru."
"That's impossible, Sasuke."
They both shuddered at the thought of Orochimaru anywhere near them, before Sasuke returned to his senses, and waved his hand at the trays, causing them to disappear.
"What did you do with them?" Sakura asked.
"They'll be somewhere in the middle of the desert."
Sakura rolled her eyes, and remarked,
"Forever showing off."
Sasuke stood back and looked at the room. It was satisfying, except…
"Sakura, why is there a hole in your wall?"
"I… was annoyed once."
That was enough explanation for Sasuke, and his familiar one-sided smile broke out, accompanied by the customary shake of the head.
"Well, there's nothing I can do about that, so good night."
"Good night, Sasuke."
"Oh, and-" she added when he was half-way out of the door, "Thank you."
He shut the door behind him and smiled.
