EDITED

FUN FACT: I write chapters in one sitting. I don't know why, but when I postpone writing stuff, I wind up changing it altogether when I resume. My friend to help me fight stress? Coke. (The drink, not the you-know-what. And besides, I can't write if I'm bombed.)

Someone asked me to elaborate on the numbers that I presented in the summary, so here I go:

Eight sixteen-year-olds – Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Kiba, Hinata, Sakura, Tenten, Ino

Seven prestigious families – Namikaze-Uzumaki, Uchiha, Hyuuga, Inuzuka, Senju/Haruno, Sabaku, Yamanaka

One school – Konoha Gakuen

Five rivalries – Naruto vs Sasuke; Neji vs Tenten; Kiba vs Ino; Sakura vs Hinata (they're not arguing in this story, but since they're connected through their love interests, you get my point); Sakura vs Ino (in a friendly way)

One love – the love that exists between all the eventual couples

So there. Thanks for the awesome reviews, fav's and follows, though I'm a bit sad that I haven't even reached a hundred yet. I guess many people are discouraged because it's AU and a high school fic *cries*. I'm now moving on Sasuke x Sakura, which has been requested by so many of you. As you've noticed, I'm writing in a loop/circle.

Chapter 10

The Ninth Complication

Breaking her Patience

"This is my fiancée, Haruno Sakura," Sasuke announced, motioning to her. "And with your blessing, I will have her as my own."

Sakura gaped at the obviously insane raven-haired boy. Her green eyes were dangerously close to falling out of their sockets. If anyone's attention was on her, they would have noticed that she was as shocked as they were. Sadly, this was not the case. Every eye was on Uchiha Sasuke, not quite understanding or hearing what he just said. Fugaku was motionless, staring at Sasuke as if he had lost his mind. Mikoto's mouth was slightly agape, though a bit more gracefully and subdued compared to Sakura's. Itachi had an eyebrow delicately raised, his mouth quirking at the side. Sai was staring at his older brother with a blank expression on his face.

After more than thirty seconds of silence, Sakura blurted out, "What the hell are you talking about, Uchiha?!"

The rage in her voice was unmistakable. There was that famous Senju temper once more. Some of the men around the table recoiled a bit at the tone the pinkette had taken. Her eyes were smoldering with impatience as she waited for the surprisingly stoic young man to reply.

Before he could open his mouth, Sakura growled, "Your answer better be good, because I am not marrying anyone just because you said so."

"So you're lying then?" Fugaku asked, directing the full force of his glare on Sasuke.

Itachi sighed. Sasuke had this annoying habit of using people and thinking that no one had emotions like him. He would use and dispose of them at his convenience, not even considering if he was imposing on them or, in this case, upturning their entire lives. But he had to hand it to Tsunade's granddaughter – she was someone whom Sasuke could not mess with. It was actually obvious at first glance that she liked Sasuke, but she was not someone who would readily jump into an opportunity to grab him.

Sasuke cocked an eyebrow. "Don't you love me, Sakura? If so, then what's the fuss about?"

Sakura gritted her teeth. "I am not desperate, Uchiha Sasuke!"

"So you love our Sasuke?" Mikoto started to say, with Sakura not liking the track of the conversation at all. "Then this could be perfect if you think about it."

"There's nothing to think about!" Sakura complained. "I'm much too young to get engaged to anyone!"

"People of our circle do it all the time," Sasuke said impatiently. "Why are you an exception?"

"Because my family is not like others!" Sakura justified. "They actually want me to marry for love and not status."

Itachi chuckled at that. "But Sasuke said that he loves you and it seems obvious now that you love him back. So what's the problem?"

Sakura blushed and suddenly directed the full force of her frustration to the Uchiha patriarch. "I thought you were against this!"

Fugaku scratched his chin in contemplation, setting aside his surprise that Sakura addressed him in such a way. "I'm not totally against this. I just don't understand why Sasuke would go through such lengths to break his engagement to Hinata. Although, being engaged to a Senju has its own benefits. We don't have holdings in the medical field just yet."

Sasuke rolled his eyes. "See? If my father sees the benefits, there's no going against it."

"And if my grandmother says no?" Sakura challenged, holding her face up proudly.

"We'll find a way to convince her," Mikoto assured her. "We Uchiha have our ways. Tsunade-sama will see the benefits."

Sakura paled. Her first impression of Sasuke's mother was that she was a gentle and loving woman. It now seemed that there was a dark side to that soft façade. Among all the members of the Uchiha clan who were threatening or convincing her now, she was most afraid of their matriarch.

"Why do you even want someone like me in your family?" Sakura asked in exasperation. "I don't want to be married. Not yet, that is!"

"I didn't say anything about getting married any time soon," Sasuke deadpanned. "Engagement if very different from marriage. I thought you were smart."

"Shut up," Sakura retorted, surprising the Uchiha. He was surprised that Sakura didn't agree immediately. His impression about her was that she would be someone who would do anything just to be with him. She seemed to be on a roll in trying to prove him wrong.

Is she doing this intentionally or is this the real her?

Sakura was shaking. Sure, she loved Sasuke and yes, she fantasized about getting married to him one day. But that was after high school and after medical school and all that shit you need to survive in the real world. Money doesn't matter for them, that's true, but she needed to feel and be accomplished before settling down. And she didn't want to get engaged by force and certainly not in a way where she's being used as a substitute.

She was smart enough to realize that Sasuke still loved Hinata and that he was just finding a way to make the 'breakup' more acceptable to both of their families. He was doing this to shield Hinata from having to explain herself to the public. And he was giving the Hyuuga heiress an opportunity to fight for her love towards Naruto.

But why did he have to use her? Didn't he know that he was hurting her more than ever right now?

Her lack of reaction for a few minutes earned her worried looks from Mikoto and Itachi. Fugaku already left the room, stating that he had to make several calls. Sai excused himself saying that he'd 'rather die than witness such stupidity'. Sasuke was eyeing Sakura critically, trying to read the expressions crossing her face.

Finally, she spoke, "I'm not going through anything without talking to my grandmother first."

Sasuke clucked his tongue edgily. "You still need an adult's permission to do what you want? I thought you were better than that, Haruno."

"What happened to 'Sakura'?" she responded angrily. "You should really be careful or people would think you're lying about loving me."

"Tsk. I call people any way I want when I'm mad. And right now, I'm starting to."

"You really don't know how to act like a gentleman, Sasuke," Itachi reprimanded her brother, shaking his head in shame. "I hope you can forgive him, Sakura-san."

Sakura gave a sideways smile to the older Uchiha. "I'm sorry if I still have to talk to my grandparents because unlike Sasuke here, I actually care about what other people think or feel. Plus, they are my family."

Mikoto nodded in approval. "I hope it goes well. You may be the only person who can be the perfect match to our Sasuke."

"Yep," Itachi agreed. "I'm sure you can put him in his place."

Sasuke frowned challengingly at his aniki. What did his mom and brother mean that Sakura was his match? The nerve. There was no one who could ever be in the same league as him. Especially Haruno Sakura.

Sakura grimaced. She knew that Sasuke was expecting her to just go along with it. She'd read it in so many pieces of romantic literature nowadays wherein the man forces the woman to an engagement and she becomes absolutely powerless over the situation. Well, that was definitely not her personality and events like that are not very realistic in the first place. Even though she held special feelings for the boy, she would never be forced to do something she did not want or something she was not ready for.

Boo for you, Uchiha Sasuke.

She thinks she's got a point over me, huh? We'll see, Sasuke thought. I'll make you want to get married to me.

"That was a very nice meal, Mikoto-sama," Sakura said, standing up. "Thank you for inviting me to your home."

"It was a pleasure, dear," Mikoto said. "It was certainly a breath of fresh air to have you here."

Itachi nodded in agreement. "We hope to see you more often here."

Sakura highly doubted that but she gave her consent nevertheless – out of courtesy. "I hope so too. It was nice meeting you."

"Same here," Itachi replied, his grin directed to Sasuke.

"Sasuke," Mikoto declared, shifting to a very commanding mode. "Take Sakura home."

With that tone that his mother had taken, it was evident that Sasuke could not say no. He grudgingly stood up and walked towards Sakura, holding her arm and pulling her with him.

Mikoto watched in disapproval as Itachi chuckled.

"That boy really doesn't know how to treat women the right way," Itachi commented. "He's different, somehow."

"That's exactly the way your father courted me," Mikoto said with nostalgia written across her beautiful features. "He thinks that the way to a woman's heart is forcibly taking it for their own."

"And here Sasuke thinks that father doesn't like him the most," Itachi said in amusement. "He's taken on a different approach with that Sakura girl compared to Hinata."

"That's why I feel that she's the one for him," his mother stated. "Since Sasuke is exactly like Fugaku, I know how he acts when he's genuinely interested in someone on a romantic level. His relationship with Hinata was more..."

"Sibling-like," Itachi interjected. "I couldn't even tell the difference between how he acts towards her from how Neji does."

Mikoto nodded then suddenly voiced out, "I have a feeling that Naruto's the one Hinata's in love with."

Itachi chuckled. "How did you know?"

"Woman's intuition."

"You're spot on, mother. Haruko and I noticed that Hinata liked him ever since they were children," Itachi said, leaning back and taking a sip of his drink.

"Really?" Mikoto replied, amazed. "Then there's nothing we can do about it. I don't want to go against that. It's one thing to suggest a future to your child and it's another thing to stop it altogether."

Itachi grinned. That was what he loved most about his mother. He was glad that his father was actually amenable to the sudden rearrangement of the situation. The old man blatantly declared that it was for the sole purpose of advancing their company. On the other hand, his mother didn't want to ruin anyone's life. Itachi was happy that they had their mother to balance everything out. He suddenly remembered his wife and the reason why he married her – she reminded him a lot of Mikoto.

The two finally got up and went out of the dining hall, hoping that Sasuke wouldn't do anything completely idiotic.

Halfway to the Senju estate, Sasuke was feeling his temper rise for the umpteenth time this day. He had just gone through hell for almost 24 hours.

What kind of hell, you may ask? He was indirectly rejected by his fiancée after he picked up a letter of confession she wrote for his best friend. He saw the same girl almost bleed to death after being bullied by useless girls, only to be carried all the way to the infirmary by another man, who was the person she loved. He was also shut out of the room by said man, ignoring the fact that Sasuke was the fiancée and that he hated being disrespected that way. And then, after all that, his parents came and invited the girl he disliked to their home and insisted that she have dinner with them. He decided to take action and ease the trouble the 'breakup' would have to his now ex- fiancée by deciding to declare his undying love to the girl he despised. He then decided to take a move of revenge by also proclaiming that he had every intention of marrying her someday.

When he thought he had everything in the bag (since he was sure that the girl whom he hated, who was, ironically, crazy about him, would try to bag this opportunity of marrying him without hesitation), the girl in question had to go ballistic and embarrass him in front of his family. His plan was revealed for what it was and he was pissed that she figured him out so quickly – a feat that was only possible for people who were close to him. He tried to rebuff her in every way he can. He acted cool and collected but anyone who knew better would realize that he was losing it fast. He was not used to not getting his way, especially when he staked his life on it.

And to put shit on top of the crappy cake, Haruno Sakura (the girl whom he disliked, despised, and hated, to use so many words) was not talking to him right now. There she was, a deathly cold aura emanating from her very being, sitting just on the other side of the passenger's seat. The limousine was spacious and she wasn't speaking to him, but it felt like she was too close for comfort – something which added to Sasuke's ire. His awareness of her loomed over his mind like a disease.

He gave her an annoyed sideways glance. She was looking outside the window, her eyes focused on nothing in particular. The lights played on her face and he noticed that she did not regain the color that she lost during the entire day. Sure, she had been blushing after all that he said and did, but she looked drained once again. Deep lines creased her face and the dark circles under her eyes were more apparent to him now. He knew that she was worried for nothing. She had plenty of time to think about their engagement and she should be more concerned that she was pissing him off by actually thinking that she had the right to think about anything.

"What's wrong with you?" he finally voiced out, evening out his tone to resemble apathy.

Sakura turned dead, green eyes at him. "What's up with that question?"

She's doing a great job in riling Sasuke up. "The question doesn't need to have any implications. I'm just asking what's wrong with you. Not that I care."

"Why would you?" Sakura challenged. "You don't care about anything."

Sasuke gritted his teeth, his onyx eyes glinting malevolently. "You don't know anything about me."

Sakura laughed dryly and turned back to the window. "You're right. I don't know anything about you, even though I once fancied that I did. But if I have to speak like someone who knows you, I would say you sometimes care. You just don't want other people to know it."

He was rendered mute by what she said. He merely stared at the side of her head, the odd shade of her hair making him briefly wonder why it turned that way. He mentally shook his head. "What an assumption, Haruno."

"Well, I do have to know these things, or try to assume," she said with a hint of humor in her voice, "since I'm going to get engaged to you."

Sasuke suppressed the sudden quirking of his mouth. "I thought you didn't want to."

"I was kidding," Sakura countered. "I just have a lot on my mind right now. Give me a break. I don't know what's going on with my best friend and it's only natural that her current health status occupies my mind more than our relationship status.

Sasuke didn't know why, but for some reason, finding out that her thinking about someone else aside from him in this situation made him more annoyed. Heck, he wasn't even thinking about anything or anyone else since he proposed the whole deal. Admittedly, he had started out with this abrupt decision because he wanted Hinata to save face, but the lavender-eyed young woman already left his mind the moment Sakura stared at him in disbelief in the Uchiha dining room.

It was if she was trying to prove everything he thought of her wrong.

"You can ask your grandmother when you arrive," he said out of nowhere. "I'm sure Yamanaka will be fine. She's a strong girl."

Sakura turned her head towards him so fast that he imagined hearing a 'crack' come from her neck. Her pale face was now streaked with pink.

"Y-yeah," she stammered. "I'm sure she'll be fine. She's strong."

Sasuke nodded, not really understanding why she was blushing after what he said.

Silence crossed between the two of them. After a while, it was Sakura who bridged the gap.

"Why did you suddenly do that?" Sakura asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "You don't really love me. Hell, you don't even like me. Why did you suddenly say that you want to marry me?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I think you know the answer to that."

"For Hinata's sake?"

"Yes." Although a tiny, almost remote portion of his brain was saying that this response wasn't entirely true. "Where did you learn to throw a knife like that?"

Sakura was so shocked by his question that she almost slid from her seat. "Out of all the things to ask!"

"Then don't answer," Sasuke said nonchalantly. "I was just curious."

"My grandmother taught me."

"So I guess the Senju rumors aren't just talk."

"You could say that."

"But I'm not scared of you," Sasuke replied, leaning his body towards her. "I'm quite sure that I will have you whether you say that you don't want it now, Haruno Sakura."

Sakura reddened, and this time, it was not because she was shy. "I don't understand what you mean, Uchiha Sasuke." Yes anger, not embarrassment.

Before she knew it, he was only a few inches away from her, her body superlatively aware of the heat emanating from him. His face glowed in the soft lights of the city, his mouth curled in a sneer that only served to make him look devilishly handsome. His pitch black eyes were glittering once again – hard and unforgiving, but also filled with a dark desire that she could not quite understand. However, her body seemed to register what that meant since it shivered in reaction.

He lifted his right hand, caressing the side of her face with deliberate slowness that made her eyes go wide. Her lips shook and she hoped to god that Sasuke didn't notice. But it seemed that he did, since his smirk only grew wider.

When he spoke, his voice was deep and dangerous. "You always wanted me, Sakura. You can deny it all you want, but we both know that it's just your pride talking. You would jump at any chance to be with me and now that you're given that, I'm sure you won't let anything get in the way."

Sakura managed to voice out her thoughts, but was severely disappointed by the way she choked the words, "H-how can you be so sure that it's pride? And even if it is, what I said was the truth. At the very least, I don't want to have you that way."

"That way?" Sasuke repeated, the emphasis unmistakable, his hand starting to toy with the soft, pink locks that fell on her forehead. "So you thought you could make me fall in love with you and consider you eventually? Don't make me laugh. There's only one woman I will ever love, and that's Hinata."

Sakura pushed down the painful lump that suddenly constricted her throat. "Then what are you trying to do with me?" she forced out.

"We can't always have what we want," Sasuke stated. "I have to accept that fact. Lucky for you, you can finally have what you want."

"Not like this. Definitely not like this."

"You'll take what you have and I promise you, you'll like it," Sasuke insisted, his tone dropping to the point of huskiness. She gulped involuntarily, much to her chagrin. It also didn't help that his mouth was centimeters away from her ear, his hot breath fanning the side of her face and her oversensitive lobe.

She mentally cursed herself for being so weak. But then again, all her mental and emotional defenses were down. She was just so utterly exhausted at this point that she couldn't think straight. She couldn't even tell herself straight out that she wasn't considering Sasuke's proposal at all.

She didn't even notice that they finally arrived at her home.

"You have a week to think about it, Sakura," Sasuke said as the chauffeur opened the door. "I don't have patience and I won't wait just because you feel like keeping me hanging. When I don't have a proper answer after that, I will announce to the press that we're engaged, whether it's true or not. But that won't matter because by then, it would be too spread out to retract."

Sakura couldn't move an inch even as Sasuke's car already left the driveway. She stood there, staring into nothingness.

Many times for the past years, she pictured Sasuke talking to her in various imaginary scenarios. This would be the first time that he spoke to her that much. But their conversation went like nothing she had ever dreamt of.

A development such as forcing her to get engaged to him in such a callous way was certainly not part of her fantasies.

After a few minutes of just standing there like a statue, she finally managed to move her legs and walk inside the house. When she finally opened the door, she was surprised to find her grandfather sitting on the waiting room, apparently anticipating her arrival.

Jiraiya was a wonder to many. He was mostly a goofball whom other people didn't take seriously. If it weren't for his age-old reputation as one of the most respected names in medicine, no one would have believed his accomplishments at first sight. He was an unruly man who didn't care much about how he groomed his hair. He was an inveterate pervert and would still brag about womanizing even though he was happily married to Tsunade. He was the only man who had the balls (or the lack of brains) to actually challenge the fiery woman, able to woo her after being constantly rejected and beaten up. But even with his quirks, it was no lie that he was a man of great intelligence. He also loved his wife and granddaughter dearly.

Fun fact about her grandmother and grandfather: they were actually married because they had a drunken night together and Jiraiya accidentally impregnated Tsunade. This was a clarification to those who thought that he actually successfully wooed Tsunade in a conventional sense. But it was true that they fell in love eventually and said love was steadfast.

However, Sakura did not expect to find him at their house as of this moment. She thought he was in Sunagakure, taking care of business as usual. Jiraiya was always the one who took care of international affairs, though Tsunade would angrily stress that more often than not, the man had other affairs he attended to. But Sakura knew better. Jiraiya's womanizing was all a ruse. He would never cheat on his beloved (especially when said beloved was as scary as Senju Tsunade). It wasn't that Sakura was unhappy that he was here, but it was just that she'd rather talk to her grandmother about everything that happened – especially what happened with Sasuke. Jiraiya had a tendency to be overly nosy and his reactions weren't always appropriate to the situation. While Tsunade would react in a way which would be expected from a grandmother (caution, overprotectiveness), Sakura won't be surprised at all if Jiraiya started slipping Sasuke aphrodisiacs or something of the type.

"Sakura!" Jiraiya exclaimed, jumping up from the couch and running towards his granddaughter in a manic way which didn't befit his age. "You're here! I was worried!"

Sakura accepted her grandfather's embrace and replied, "I thought grandma told you."

"Oh she did," the old man said. "But you still should have told me."

"I thought you were out of town," she said as he let her go.

"I was," Jiraiya said, feigning hurt. "But you still have to inform me about what's going on. I don't like being kept in the dark."

"Sorry," Sakura apologized, smiling slightly. "It was just a really long day."

Jiraiya nodded in understanding. "I'm sure it was. And don't worry, your grandma told me that Ino's doing well. But she won't be going home tonight because she still has to look after her and do some rounds at the hospital."

Sakura expelled a relieved breath. "That's great."

"You still don't look that happy," he observed. "Did something happen at the Uchihas?"

Sakura immediately went on high alert. "How did you know I was there?"

"Your grandma told me, remember?" Jiraiya reminded her. "So, what happened?"

"N-nothing," she stuttered. Curse you, Uchiha Sasuke!

"You know you're not a very good liar," Jiraiya chided his granddaughter.

"I have to tell grandma about this too," Sakura said, her head hung low. It was true. She was a bad liar. Even Sasuke could sniff it out. "Sasuke… h-he…"

"He what?" Jiraiya repeated, his eyebrows wriggling suggestively.

"Grandpa!" Sakura nearly shrieked. "You're such a pervert!"

"Nothing new about that. And besides, we're talking about you here, young lady," Jiraiya retorted. "And I was just kidding. Even I won't be able to forgive Uchiha Sasuke if he grabbed my precious granddaughter's small – "

"Don't you dare finish that sentence!" Sakura screeched, her face as red as a tomato as she smacked Jiraiya's arm. "It really doesn't comfort me that you're making such lewd references to me, your own flesh and blood!"

Jiraiya massaged the area of impact, murmuring something about Sakura inheriting her grandmother's temper and un-'womanly' strength. This served to annoy Sakura even further as she stood up, wanting to walk away from all of this.

"Hey, hey," Jiraiya halted her, his face finally turning serious. "I'm sorry, kid. I was just trying to lighten up the mood."

"Now's not really the time grandpa," Sakura said, tears stinging the back of her eyes. Before she knew it, a single drop left one emerald orb, shocking Jiraiya.

If there's one thing he knew, it was that his granddaughter rarely cried. "What did that Uchiha brat do?" he questioned. "You can tell me anything, you know that."

"H-he," she started to say, "I'm… well, he…"

"He what?"

"He told his family that he wants to get engaged to me," Sakura replied. "But he didn't tell me beforehand. Before all of this chaos, I was under the strongest impression that he despised me."

"Why would he despise you? Did you do anything?" Jiraiya asked.

"He thought I was the one behind the bullying incident he experienced with Hyuuga Hinata in middle school."

Jiraiya frowned. "And why would he think that? Isn't that a bit too far-fetched?"

"My name was mentioned by one of the attackers. I guess I was being set up but my name kind of stuck with him," she explained forlornly. "He's a very close-minded person and he still doesn't believe that I don't have anything to do with it."

"But why would he suddenly say that he wants to be engaged to you?"

"It's because of Hinata."

"Oh that's right!" Jiraiya interjected. "I thought that brat was engaged to the Hyuuga girl."

"He was," Sakura clarified. "Apparently, something happened that caused them to break it off. And now, he's trying to get engaged to me and make it seem like the decision was made out of love just so that the sudden break up would be justified."

"So he's using you?" Jiraiya concluded.

Sakura did not have the nerve to say it so she just nodded mutely. That was the closest and most realistic summary that anyone could think of out of all of these events.

"Then what's wrong?" Jiraiya added. "I'm sure you would have said no by now, knowing you."

"I did. It's just that – "

"You do love him?" the perceptive old man finished her sentence, eyeing her carefully.

Sakura blushed and didn't say anything. Nothing gets past her grandfather.

"Well, I can't say that I like it," Jiraiya said. "I certainly don't like his apparent motives and I don't want to see you get hurt. But in the end, this is your decision, Sakura. Just remember that your grandmother and I are here to guide you. Also, we can certainly protect you from the likes of that brat. Even though his parents are powerful, he's no match for us. He's still a child after all – a very conflicted and disturbed one at that."

Sakura pursed her lips. It was true. Sasuke wasn't a very conventional person. There was something about him that far exceeded his years – a dark disquiet that was both frightening and unsettling. But still, those characteristics are what drew Sakura and countless young women towards him. Naivety would make one think that they have the ability to break the walls and get through to him, but reality struck Sakura sooner than the others. She loved him just because. She didn't have any intentions of being the one who could turn him into anything else. She loved him for who he was and who he wasn't.

"Thanks, grandpa," Sakura said. "I just don't understand what's going on. And I don't think I'm in the mood for anything else. I just wanted to know if Ino is fine and then Sasuke springs this up. I don't understand how his mind works."

"Well, I know this sounds too idealistic, but I do believe that there will come a time when people can truly understand one another," Jiraiya said with a huge smile marring his aged features. "And that may also be true with Sasuke. He might take longer than other people, though but I'm sure you can do it. Of all people, you can do it."

Sakura groaned, hiding her face in her hands. "Why are people starting to put too much faith in me? A while ago, Mikoto-sama and Itachi-san said almost the same thing."

Jiraiya looked surprised. "You mean to say his own mother and brother have a feeling that you can change him?"

She nodded, perplexed at the sudden change in his grandfather's demeanor. "Then they might be right, since they know him best," he stated.

Sakura groaned again. "I really don't know how to feel about that."

"Take it one at a time, Sakura," Jiraiya advised. "Don't think about it all at once or you'll get wrinkles. Just look at your grandmother."

"If she were here, you'd be dead by now," Sakura said, laughing as she went up the steps. "Thanks again, grandpa."

"Sure thing, kiddo," Jiraiya replied. "Good night and sleep tight!"

"Good night."

She then realized that she never told her grandfather about the ultimatum Sasuke gave her. Somehow, she didn't want anyone to know. If anyone found out, then there was no telling how they would react to the darkness in Sasuke's heart. She wanted to scream at herself for trying to protect the man even at the cost of her happiness, which only led to one conclusion that she should have learned years ago.

Love is a pain in the ass.

Three days after the incident, Uchiha Sasuke found himself at Hyuuga Hinata's bedside.

The young woman called him the day before, asking if they could talk. It was apparent by the way she spoke (or stammered) that she wanted to talk to him about their engagement. Since Fugaku had taken it upon himself to call Hiashi before their two children could even sort anything out on their own, she already found out about his plan of breaking the arrangement. She also learned about his supposed reasons. To say that she knew that he was lying was an understatement. Hinata knew him better than anyone else. She needed to know the truth.

She deserved to know anyway.

He would have to tell her that she knew about her true feelings.

Here he was, staring at Hinata's beautiful face. It was true that the Hyuuga heiress was indeed a sight to behold. Her features were delicate, seemingly fashioned after dolls that he has seen his female peers play with when they were younger. Her hair was in stark contrast to her fair complexion and her eyes were haunting because of their uniqueness. Her smile was gentle and her countenance was relaxed. Everything about Hinata was soft and endearing. You couldn't resist to protect her or to care for her, but you know that she has a hidden, quiet strength that could be unleashed when you get on her bad side.

Meanwhile, his thoughts shifted to another lady. Haruno Sakura. Her beauty wasn't something that grows on you. There was nothing gradual about her appearance. She was made to impress, as he would describe it. From her unusual pink hair to her striking emerald eyes, there was nothing serene about Sakura. Her complexion was creamy and her cheeks were often rosy. She was someone who was tough and had experience with the real world. There was something about her that made him want to subdue her. He wanted her to yield to him, but somehow, he knew that he never will – not even when she had strong feelings towards him.

"Hello, Sasuke-kun," Hinata's soft voice beckoned him from his disturbing thoughts.

Why am I even comparing them?

"How are you?" he automatically asked.

Hinata smiled warmly. "I'm fine."

Hinata's smile was warm and comforting. Sakura's was vibrant and contagious.

What the fuck?!

"What did Tsunade say?"

"Tsunade-sama, Sasuke-kun," Hinata reprimanded him gently. "It's nothing serious but father forced me to take a rest. I'll be returning to school tomorrow."

"That's good to hear," Sasuke said. "I took the liberty of taking down notes and getting your assignments for you. I hope Neji gave it to you?"

"He did. Thank you very much," Hinata replied.

They were prolonging the inevitable, they both knew that. But they had to. Neither one of them was actually ready to admit nor say anything. In the end, it was Sasuke who broke the silence.

"Hiashi told you," he stated tactlessly.

"Yes, he did," she replied. She then looked at him with her haunting eyes, peering through his nonexistent soul. "Why?"

"I love someone else."

Hinata actually laughed slightly at this. "I think we know each other well enough to know that you're lying to me. Please tell me the truth, Sasuke-kun."

Sasuke's expression was carefully blank as he fished his pocket for the crumpled letter. Upon seeing it, Hinata's eyes immediately widened. She didn't have to read it to know what it was. She did recall seeing Sasuke with the letter before she passed during the bullying incident. She just forgot all about it with the entire scheme of things. Everything was just too chaotic.

"Y-you found it?" she said, her voice faint.

"I did," Sasuke said. "I've known for a while."

"A-about N-naruto-kun?"

Her blush irritated Sasuke a bit. "Yeah. I mean, only a blind or extremely stupid person could overlook that. Unfortunately for you, Naruto is extremely stupid."

Hinata was biting her lower lip and Sasuke wouldn't be surprised if she was accidentally drawing blood. "So that's why you broke the engagement?"

"In general, yes."

"Fugaku-san said that you're already engaged to someone else."

"To Haruno Sakura, as a matter of fact," he answered. "But nothing's certain yet. She still has to consult with her grandparents."

Hinata's eyes widened. She had an idea that Sakura had a crush on Sasuke, but that was just a hunch. It would seem that there was something going on that she didn't know. Something happened but she was not the type of person to pry.

"Congratulations," she said, laying a hand on Sasuke's. "I'm very happy for you."

"Hn," was all that Sasuke said.

"But I hope you're not forcing Sakura-san into anything," she said, a knowing look on her face. "Please do not use my predicament as an excuse. You would only hurt her."

"Tsk. I don't really care about her. My only goal is that you come out of this unscathed," he explained. "You know that admitting that we're in love with other people would perfectly justify our breakup."

Hinata sighed. Sasuke was a hard person to deal with at times. "But I don't want it to be that way. So what if they found out that I… l-love Naruto-kun," she faltered at that phrase, still getting the hang of declaring her emotions, "I'm not as fragile as you think I am. Especially when it comes to this. I don't want Sakura-san to get involved with this. I think she likes you."

"She loves me," Sasuke corrected her, startling Hinata. "I've known for a while because she was my classmate back in junior high. That's why it's easier this way. And she already agreed to this. It's not just for your sake, Hinata."

"S-she did?" Hinata repeated, unsure whether or not she should be happy with this. She made a mental note to herself to talk to Sakura or perhaps even thank her.

"Yes," he lied. This time, even with Hinata professing that she knew him more than anyone, she did not detect the lie. It was just her nature to believe in the goodness of others. Maybe she thought that as long as Sakura was happy by having Sasuke now, she could rest more easily with their decision.

"Okay," Hinata said, looking tentatively at him. "So, are we still friends?"

"Of course we are," Sasuke assured her, his mouth lifting just a little bit to reveal a small smile. "We've always been friends."

Hinata beamed at him and stood up, hugging him. Sasuke hugged her back, a sense of loss gripping his cold heart. The safety and assurance that Hinata brought was now gone. His status in the future is uncertain once again. He didn't like not knowing. He didn't like waiting for things that he didn't expect or plan. Hinata was always part of the plan. He knew her more than anyone and she was an indispensable part of his life. That was why he cared for her.

Maybe not enough to actually, truly love her. But for his own and current definition of love, he could say that he did love her. Someone (by the name of Itachi) once told him that there were different kinds of love. Itachi described it as yearning for someone. The feeling of not being complete without them and the feeling that you always want to be the best in front of them. At the same time, they also bring out the worst possible side of you. You don't feel rational and there was always a nervous expectation inside of you. There was also a feeling of contentment mixed with excitement. For Sasuke, it was so irrational that he couldn't even tell if Itachi was still sane while his older brother explained these things to him. One thing was for sure – Hinata only made him feel a few things of what Itachi cited.

To feel all of those things would certainly make a person's head explode.

Just then, Hinata asked, "How about your feelings? What do you feel about Sakura-san?"

Sasuke stared at Hinata. If he were to be honest to her, he would say that he didn't know. The woman did not anger him as she did before. He only felt fissures of annoyance whenever they talked, and that was mainly because she was making him wait. He even would go so far as to say that he was starting to grow some respect for her. She surprised him at every turn and he was starting to doubt all the suspicions and impressions he had of her. She didn't seem to be lying about her past.

Unfortunately for her, Sasuke just carried a grudge for too long. Up until such time that she was completely clear of all doubts, then she could earn his approval.

Approval for what exactly?

It wasn't like he desired her as a friend or even as a companion.

He didn't even realize that he was taking too long to answer such a simple question. Hinata was regarding him with an amused expression on her face. He didn't like the look one bit.

"Does it really matter how I feel for her?" Sasuke said, glowering at Hinata.

"Of course it does!" Hinata exclaimed. "Though your silence was telling."

His frown suddenly turned to an arrogant smirk. "Maybe I just want her body."

Hinata pursed her lips in distaste. "I know you're better than that, Sasuke. You're just trying to be bad again. You're not a player."

"Well, I think that you should be thanking me."

"Why?"

"Because if I'm engaged to Sakura, Naruto would finally get off her hair," Sasuke bluntly stated, making Hinata redden furiously again.

"I-I don't want Naruto-kun to notice me for those reasons!" Hinata gasped.

Sasuke shook his head in disdain. "You've really fallen hard for that dobe, haven't you?"

And the two friends fell into a comfortable silence, occasionally stopping the habit for some good-natured banter and hoping that a few lies would not stop anyone from attaining true happiness.

The week passed by rapidly, much to Sakura's chagrin. She was now in a restaurant with her grandparents, facing Sasuke and his parents. The atmosphere was unbelievably thick with tension, neither side really wanting to acquiesce to anything just yet. They were mentally calculating the odds of everything before they could actually sort everything out vocally.

Sasuke was annoyed once again. He really didn't think that they should drag the adults into this. He expected that he and Sakura would talk about this with just the two of them. Involving adults always made things messier and he especially didn't want to be on the receiving end of Senju Tsunade's ferocious glares.

"So, shall we start?" Mikoto started good-naturedly, trying to diffuse the tension.

"I agree," Jiraiya said. It seemed that the calmer ones were the two of them.

Sakura couldn't suppress a sigh escaping from her lips. She had made a decision and she told her grandparents the night before. Now was the time to drop the bomb.

"What's your decision, Sakura-san?" Uchiha Fugaku spoke, his eyes glittering expectantly, almost the same as the look his son was having, only in a more positive way.

She cleared her throat. "I've decided to get engaged to Sasuke-kun."

This immediately brought a wide smile on Fugaku's face. Mikoto looked grateful, undoubtedly thinking of the endless possibilities of change Sakura could bring to her son. Sasuke was smirking, mentally giving himself a pat on the back for being able to predict the outcome. Meanwhile, Tsunade was still glaring at him with a murderous expression on her face, clearly displeased with the way Sasuke treated her granddaughter. Jiraiya had mild humor evident on his face. It seemed like he knew something that the others did not.

"On three conditions," Sakura suddenly added. This she hadn't told anyone except her grandfather.

"What?" Tsunade asked, but was stopped by Jiraiya grabbing her arm. She raised a delicately arched eyebrow at her husband, surprised that Sakura didn't tell her anything about this plan.

"What is it?" Fugaku asked a bit too happily.

Sakura met Sasuke's gaze evenly, noting his set jaw – an indication of resentment.

She inhaled sharply. "First is that we don't get married until we reach the age of 27. Second, he should never cheat on me. Third, if he does anything to disrespect me or jeopardize the relationship, I can and will break off the engagement anytime I want."

Tsunade wanted to a do a victory dance in the restaurant, people be damned. She had raised a fine young woman. The older woman realized that Sakura was in love with Sasuke and that she might accept this proposal. However, it seemed that she was doing this on her own terms. She was not about to let a man take control of her life and treat her unfairly.

"This would be in the form a formal written contract," Jiraiya added. "I already had the family lawyer draw up the documents."

With that, he brought out the papers and let the flabbergasted Uchihas read them. Fugaku, however, was not discouraged. "This contract is of little matter to us. Sasuke is a man of his word and would stick to the stipulations."

It was obvious that the man would do anything to seal this deal without Sasuke ever getting out of anything like this ever again. He did it once with the Hyuugas, who's to say he wouldn't do it again?

Sasuke wanted to strangle the pink-haired monstrosity sitting right across him. How dare she?! He could very well do anything he pleased! He would die before he signed anything as demeaning as a contract! He would never bow to the likes of her. She was doing this to get back at him, that much was true. She was doing this to attain the satisfaction of binding him to her as tightly as she could.

How could he even consider that this girl was pure and honest? There was no doubt now in his mind that she could do what he accused her of. She could definitely be the mastermind behind that incident many years ago.

Sakura could sense what was going on through Sasuke's head. She could practically hear the accusations being screamed at her from his bottomless eyes. She was afraid of what may happen but really, he brought this upon himself. She will fight or die trying. She was going to prevail. She was going to defend herself. She was not going to let him exploit her feelings.

The question that remained now was this: who was going to win in the end?

Done! Leave more LOVE (REVIEWS) please! PLEASE! :D