The Serious & the Smirk

Sunday gave way to Monday and then without knowing, it was already Thursday. The school got steadily busier and the stash of Chemistry mess in my room grew reassuringly thick. Sakura no longer showed up to my house to finish up the project together. For that matter, it was as if each day after that weekend passed by, the less frequent she came by or the shorter it took for her to stay.

Especially in school, other than the whole epitome of the student body that was still in their usual rounds of avoiding me from that accident last week, Sakura was doing the same. And the thought of it was sure uneasy. Was it because she saw Itachi? Was that it? Why would she then be avoiding me?

I took the usual route down the hallways and took in all the stares from curious eyes that were wondering whether I got another bruise on my cheek today, but I don't. That's because I wasn't dealing with their punches or kicks anymore. I was supposedly dealing with a much more major thing behind the scenes yet; Sakura hasn't tried to contact me. Whether it was her plan to disconnect each other during school from prying eyes to secure all of our safety or because she recognized my brother for some other reason that I want to find out, I wouldn't know because Sakura wouldn't be where I am.

I reached my locker and pinned the numbers down, but unlike every other routine, I unexpectedly received quite a number of letters today. A bunch of them flopped down from my locker and landed down to my shoes. This caught the eyes of many people surrounding me at that point of time but, they scattered quickly like mice.

I shrugged it off as I grabbed the letters as a whole and decided to open one of them.

"Thank you, Sasuke Uchiha," I read inwardly. Was that all? There wasn't even a sign from whom it came from.

I flipped the letter upside down, upright and even checked the insides of the envelope again to see if anything was there.

But, there was nothing.

I took the next few minutes to tear open another letter and another but all of them said the same thing, appreciating my efforts to whatever I did. It was about eight opened letters when I reached to one with at least some ink smudged on it. I squinted my eyes to peer through the thin sheet of paper covering the letters and I found there was at least a paragraph of words on it.

And when I tore it open, the letter opened up with an introduction to whom it was written from. And unbelievably, it was Sai.

"You're quite a fool to drag yourself into everyone's shoes and take the beatings for yourself but I thank you anyway. I wouldn't have to deal with the loss from my father's company for having to deal with a lot of my medical issues which I made them believe to be because of my clumsiness and frail body, considering how pale I am,"

"So, I appreciate your effort for being a fool. And I'd like to thank you personally but, I don't want to get involved with you since you're definitely under their feet right now."

I scoffed at reading Sai's letter. Was he being nice to thank me or just plainly insulting me? If I ever found out how this Sai looked like, I wouldn't hesitate to punch his nose. I laughed half-heartedly.

What the hell, this guy...

However, thanks to his strange letter, I was able to grasped onto why I had the amount of letters I gotten. Most of them thanked me, while most of them portrayed that I was surely digging my own grave with whatever I'm doing and for at least a few had warned me just how stupid I am and are just going to laugh at me for not following their warnings. All in all, there were people still seeing what's happening on the surface and still taking Naruto and Sakura a threat. They didn't know what was really going behind the scenes.

Not that I was one to broadcast that.

It was just that, yes, I'm surely digging 6 ft. down the ground into my own grave because I got myself into quite a scenario.

I shoved the letters back into my locker when the bell rang before I dashed to my next class. I wasn't surprised that Sakura wasn't there for lessons at all.

She had been avoiding me after all.

I caught on.

By the time Kakashi's voice stopped droning on about algebra, the school bell screeched into our ears. The grey haired man left quietly as the class began to gather in their own cliques and talk about the usual. It was either the financial district going down, the amount of people their father retrenched because of the financial downturn or whether their families' company had the money to take another land to build a new branch.

The only conversation that stood out was the one Ino started with me, "I need to talk to you."

This, of course, caught attention. I stared at Ino, before I glanced at Shikamaru and Kiba. They didn't seem to acknowledge my cry of help in my eyes before I stared back to my own desk space. Naruto, however, was glaring forcefully at me as he was lying on his desk the whole time. This, of course, made me notice. He didn't seem to trust me at all so much, which I don't blame him because we hadn't talk since that accident last week. For that matter, his trust on me seemed to falter by the fact that Sakura hadn't turned up in school after the weekend she spent at my house, considering the dumb blonde had some feelings for the girl.

Of course, he wouldn't trust me. But, I had to decide now before Ino wonders about my relationship with Naruto or Sakura.

"Go ahead, we won't disturb the both of you," I heard Naruto say, as if trying to make the situation light. That wasn't something I expect from someone who didn't trust me but, I guess he knew we had to make do with each other so that things will flow smoothly.

And the whole class seemed to think of it wrongly about both me and Ino because of that dumb blonde's comment. I tried to ease the excitement from them but by then, I heard a countless number of whistles and people cheering us on. Everyone was taking it the wrong way, and they had the naive mind-set that Ino was going to confess to me but, I know she wouldn't. I'm not like that to her.

I took a glance at the Yamanaka's face, taking the fact at how embarrassed she appeared to me. Her face was beetling red! I swiftly grabbed her by the hand and ran straight for the door, ignoring the growing anonymous amount of people whistling even louder and louder. And when I was about to step out of the door, I found her standing in front of me.

My feet stopped out of habit while she inspected every inch of me. I felt my hand tense on Ino's skin as Sakura's eyes stare right at the both of us. If felt like hours but only minutes when she eventually glanced past me and then to the class. From her presence, all that noise died down.

She took one last look at me before she gave me a smirk, "You're quite popular, hey, Uchiha?"

She was taunting me, in front of everybody, continuing her act as the dominant one in the hierarchy of the school. I know it was all just an act, just like how Naruto was trying to make our mood light yet, it felt that her words were piercing me right in the gut more than it should.

Her smile provoked the class once more and there wasn't even a whisper heard. When Sakura finally took her seat, it was only then the class decided to scatter. I did the same as I dragged Ino away and towards the back of the school. I couldn't risk on bringing her to the roof since I couldn't tell her that that's where I met the duo behind her back.

"I'm sorry about that, Sasuke," she bowed her head. This didn't make me less frustrated at all, but I knew it wasn't her fault for creating such a misunderstanding.

"So, what was it you wanted to tell me?" I knew Ino like that. She wasn't the one to be into a fool like me. She was more concerned about things that would potentially hurt her friends. She was more concerned about friendship than anything else; it was evident with Kiba and Shikamaru and the things she said about Sakura and Naruto. Her heart was purely just for her friends.

"It isn't a big of a matter but, I wanted to check on your injuries," She say as she stared down onto the patch of grass we were standing on, avoiding my eyes. I noticed then that the school's tall buildings were overcasting our own figures. I couldn't believe I dragged her all the way here, out of sight from anyone. Of course, people would think the wrong way. I breathed out a short sigh.

"You see, you didn't come back to Kiba's house until one in the morning and you decided to go home in those injuries during the weekend despite what we said to your mother," Ino's voice was low, as if threatening me and she took hold of my arm, gripping it to make sure that I knew she was serious, "You went to meet them, didn't you?"

I nodded hesitantly, wondering what she'll do with that information so, Ino simply just sighed. She let go of my arm, and compulsively paced left and right. I knew what she was thinking. I knew she was thinking it was her fault I got into this mess without having to put a strict eye on me and the fact that she blamed herself for not being able to protect Sakura from being who she was now, all of that, I knew Ino was inwardly blaming herself.

This time, I was the one to grab her arm.

"You know, you shouldn't do that," I say, "Trust me when I tell you everything will be fine."

She looked me right in the eye, as if she was going right through and into my mind, and dissect every part of my thoughts just to make sure I was telling the truth. And when she seemed to trust my answers, there was hint of a smile on the corner of her lips then before she looked away, "Then it was no wonder that Shikamaru didn't question your actions that day at the hallways. He must have believed in whatever your plan is."

But the thing was, I had a change in plans. If I hadn't had gone to seek either Naruto or Sakura, I wouldn't have known anything about who was behind the whole hierarchy and that Naruto and Sakura had no control of what they were doing. I wouldn't have found myself to be the selfish one, and ignoring the fact that Sakura and Naruto would have to suffer the consequences they couldn't help but put themselves in.

"Now you look hesitant," Ino snickered, "You have a plan, right?"

"I did," I managed to say, "But there are some changes."

"And I thought you would just throw yourself into every opportunity you get to face Sakura and Naruto…?" She looked interested, worried even. Well, considering the fact that Sakura and Naruto were once her friends and she want to make amends with, of course she was worried. What could I say about that? She'd be worried about the two of them other than me.

I shook my head.

I couldn't tell her anything else but I reassured her with my attempt of a gentle smile, "If anything, I want you to know Sakura didn't blame you for anything."

"Did she tell you that?" Ino's gaze went right through at mine, hoping and wishing that it was all true.

Not that I heard directly from that Haruno herself but, I knew having to have Sakura not hurt Ino for all these years must have caused that Haruno quite a sacrifice to make that fucked up people behind the hierarchy happy. Well, that was what I thought since Sakura did promise me not to tell anyone about what I knew since more people will get terribly involved. Sakura was still worried about the people around her, and she decided not to hurt Ino, getting the Yamanaka some immunity against Sakura and Naruto's means of beating people up randomly.

I smiled, because even though I didn't want to say it out loud, I trusted Sakura's actions.

By the end of dinner, I strolled back up to my room, ignoring the pile of homework I left on my desk and just laid on my bed, staring at the ceiling. I adjusted myself to lie on my comfortable side and attempted my best to ignore the bruises that were still in the midst of healing.

Simply, I was doing nothing. Mentally, emotionally and physically drained, I'd been simultaneously exhausted and on edge for hours. I grabbed hold of the books on top my side table and flipped through pages of highlighted quotes by Oliver Twist I had memorized but I actually seen nothing at all. I paced back and forth around my room compulsively, trying to stem the dread whenever I thought about Sakura.

Because I couldn't understand the situation she was in and why she had suddenly disappeared and reappeared in front of me. When I needed her to be there, she wasn't and when I didn't expect her to, I would be caught by surprise. And I just didn't understand why she'd avoid me even though we'd been somewhat in good terms for at least a few.

As the hours circled towards midnight, I found my acute anxiety drumming into my head and I couldn't help but I had to get out of bed. I didn't take a second thought that I was actually still wearing my house slippers when I escaped through the back door. I even told the housemaids then to keep quiet about it and I hope they know I meant it.

I was by the front gate then sprinting down and towards the convenience store that I realized was open 24/7 before I took a few minutes to stare out at the apartment building from across the street. I knew she lived there. But I knew it wouldn't be so coincidental for her to run out of the house when I was right in front of it. I might be always in the right place and time for every single time we met each other from there but, I knew that won't work this time.

I took one last scan through the building and everyone's lights were off except for one or two yet, that didn't seem to lose the frustration in me. It was as if once I got out of that house, I just had a rushing urge to find that stupid Haruno.

I just had to confront this girl.

So I took my last chances to the last thing I knew where'd she would be and quickly dashed for it, remembering the directions she had pointed me with. I recalled that we had to cross a zebra, travel down another long stretch of pavement before landing down a subdivision of houses we had permitted ourselves to enter in. I remembered all of that and I was still lost to find where that damn playground was.

I panted, losing the full amount of energy I thought I had. I didn't expect myself to take so much effort in finding that girl without an aim. I just felt that I needed to confront her, and just face her as to what really was going on. Other than that, like how I was thought by my father who raised me to be like the son he wanted me to be, I didn't see what benefit my decision would lead me to.

And when I finally got myself in front of the playground with its innumerable amount of dirty sand and the swings standing beside the slides, I knew I was at the right place.

It was already 12.37AM and I hope the housemaids didn't inform father or mother I had left home for the time being. And after I took a glimpse at my phone, I saw her emerge from behind the slides.

From a distance, I could remember how I was immersed in her deep emerald eyes like the first time I saw her. And for what seemed an endless span of time, I couldn't say anything. It occurred to me that I might have been hallucinating, since it seemed too convenient for me to find her, especially at this late at night. I slowly blinked and realized I was wrong. Sakura was real; she was there, in the place she had recently dragged me into.

It was then, while I was staring back at her from across the days we hadn't spoke, that I suddenly knew why I had to meet her.

A/N: Sorry that this chapter came in late! But hoped you liked this chapter and hope the upcoming chapters will understandable because so many events are going to come hahahaaha. Please put in a review if you think there are things I should improve on other than grammar (which I can totally would like to ignore that . there are far more grammar nazis that could do that for me)

REMINDERS

1) Updates on the following stories would be ; Her Despotic Rule will be on Tuesdays & Thursdays (for Months: September October), Naruto's Lucky Bet will be soon be updated on Mid October Thank you for your patience !

2) CHANGE OF USER NAME BY END OF OCTOBER

HeirOfStars Hitais

Seriously though, Hope you enjoyed this chapter :)