Lesson #09: Apology

Apology: Regretful acknowledgement of an offence.

"It is no surprising fact that it is easy to anger Sasuke-kun. Consider how mysterious it is, there's bound to be a way you have accidentally offended him. This is the reason why you must know how to apologise properly and in a way that he'll forgive you easily. As someone who has offended Sasuke-kun before, this is what will make or break your budding relationship with him." – Sakura Haruno

Goal: Apologise properly to Sasuke.

Sakura's Tip: Don't go overboard with your apologies.

Tenten couldn't escape the feeling of regret as she slid down the door of her apartment front door in guilt. She placed her head on her knees as she groaned softly, remembering what had just happened moments before. She didn't mean to do it, really. It was just that he had been so infuriating and he was practically egging her to do it. But now that she had done it, instead of feeling a sense of satisfaction, she just felt downright guilty.

Oh, what had she done? She really shouldn't have hit him in a pressure point with her arrow. What if he was hurt? No, she had made sure that there was no particular force behind the flinging of the arrow. The arrow was only supposed to press into his pressure point, hard enough to make him fall but not so severe that it would pierce his skin. But she left him lying on the training ground in an unconscious state.

Damn, what if he was found out by one of his fans? If that happened, she could only imagine the terrors they would cause to her when they found out she was responsible. Tenten shivered, maybe she should go back and help him. At that thought she stood up with a determined gaze as she quickly ran out of the apartment, hoping to find Sasuke still unconscious without a crazed fan in sight.

Normally she would take five minutes to get to the training ground but due to her overwhelming worry, she took merely two. When she arrived, her eyes were crazed as they darted around the area, looking for the unconscious Uchiha. In her peripheral vision, she managed to catch sight of familiar spiked hair near a log. She quickly ran to the area, breathing a sigh of relief when she realised that Sasuke was still where she had first left him. Approaching him softly, she knelt down beside his unconscious form and gently pushed some of his raven bangs out of his face. A faint smile graced her lips as she noticed how adorable and peaceful she looked when he was sleeping, or in this case unconscious.

However, as fast as those thoughts came, they flew out just at the same speed when she shook her head. She didn't have time to admire his unconscious form. She needed to bring him to safety, somewhere his fans wouldn't find him. Grabbing one of his arms, she carefully hoisted up his unconscious body, placing another arm around his waist in order to support him. She placed one of his arms around her shoulders as his body slumped on hers, causing her to stumble at the sudden weight. He was pretty heavy for someone who didn't look like he weighed a lot.

Clenching her teeth, Tenten began half dragging him to her apartment, purposely taking a longer route in order to avoid suspicious gazes. She took almost twenty minutes hauling him to her apartment, partly because Sasuke was so freakishly heavy. When she finally arrived inside her apartment, her legs almost gave way at the weight but she managed to right herself, placing him on the couch with a plop.

Tenten sighed in relief as she rubbed her shoulders. Never again would she do something so stupid. Sasuke was still unconscious, but at least he was lying comfortably on her couch away from prying eyes. Now, what should she do? She couldn't exactly leave him there while she went to meet her team. Tenten slumped against the bottom of her couch, resting her head on the cushion just below Sasuke's chest. She closed her eyes as her mind swirled with thoughts on how to apologise properly to the prodigy.

She knew that she wouldn't be able to just simply apologise from her actions. That would just make her seem apathetic about his situation and it wouldn't make up for what she had done. Tenten thought of perhaps presenting him with a gift of some sort, but since the person in question as the receiver was Sasuke, she really didn't know what to give him. The boy had no likes, apart from drawing, but she had already given him drawing materials. What else would make up for her actions?

As Tenten was caught up deeply in her thoughts, she didn't notice the boy above her start to stir. Sasuke had felt her presence and was fighting his drowsiness, trying to flick open an eye. When he had done so, he noticed the brunette deep in thought and in such close proximity. His eyes flicked around the area, noticing that he was in a foreign place. It took only seconds for him to realise that he was at Tenten's apartment. After all, the large amounts of weaponry on display gave the apartment's owner well away.

"How should I apologise to Sasuke?" Tenten muttered quietly to herself. Due to his close proximity, Sasuke was able to hear her muttering a clearly. He frowned for a moment before a small smirk spread its way over his lips. Ah, so she wanted to apologise to him huh? Well, he better take full advantage of this situation.

Stealthily, Sasuke leaned closer to the girl's ear, making sure that she could not hear nor feel his movements. When he was just centimetres away from her ear he whispered huskily, "You could give him a massage. He says that his body is in pain after you hit his pressure point with a stupid arrow."

Tenten jumped in shock, almost knocking into the boy behind her as he scrambled away to avoid her flailing limbs. She snapped her head into his direction, where she found the once unconscious boy smirking at her. "You scared me Sasuke! When the hell did you get up?" She asked with a frown.

He sat up on the couch, making himself a little more comfortable. "Just a few minutes ago. Now, where were we? Oh yeah, you were going to give me a massage."

Tenten's brows furrowed as she scowled at him. "No I wasn't," she snapped.

Sasuke lifted an eyebrow. "You sure? I thought you wanted to apologise? You do know that I tend to hold the longest grudges," he responded cleverly, carefully watching her reaction. Tenten bit her lip, she did want to apologise but massage him? Her thoughts began to fizzle as she struggled to find a proper answer. She wasn't good with approaching her feelings, especially when they were romantic, and with her object of affections urging her to massage him she honestly did not know what to do. Her mind had drawn a mental blank.

He watched her curiously. "You know, you don't have to do it. I was just joking," he tried, sensing her discomfort. Tenten shook her head immediately, finally deciding on an answer.

"No, I'll do it. Just this once though," she warned as she motioned him to move aside. Tenten took a seat on the couch beside him before telling him to face his back toward her. Breathing deeply, Tenten cracked her knuckles before placing her hands gently on the boy's shoulders. She was amazed at how broad his shoulders were, and at that thought she desperately tried to fight the blush that was sure to creep onto her face.

Sasuke relaxed into her touch as he waited patiently for the massage to begin. Honestly, he felt as though his heart was beating especially fast. It wasn't everyday that you got a massage from the girl you liked.

Keeping her mind focused, Tenten squeezed gently on his shoulders before a loud shout of pain erupted from the boy before her, making her cringe in embarrassment. Apparently her squeeze wasn't gentle as she seemed to have applied a little too much pressure.

"I said give me a massage, not pinch me! You're supposed to relieve the pain, not increase it!"

Lesson Outcome: Massages aren't your forte.

Feedback: Find another way of apologising. Never massage again.