Title: Skirts & Shoes, Pants & Punches
Fandom: Naruto
Type: Multi-chapter story
Rated: PG13
Word Count: 6, 324
Summary: She wentfrom a girly girl known for her bossiness, to a hardcore tomboy known for her parents' astonishing death. Sakura Haruno realized how stupid she had been all this time. Being somebody she's not just to win a guy's heart? Some inspiration turned her into her true self—a tomboy. Not only did this transformation attract the Akatsuki- it attracted her crush and nearly all the boys in school. But a hardcore tomboy such as her is hard to enthrall.
From girly girl to tomboy, she has been through the worst. Getting an invitation to join the Akatsuki, she realized she's just caught the attention of more men than she can count. Unfortunately, tomboys don't fall in love. AkaSaku with MultiSaku.
A/N: This chapter isn't beta-read, only the first part is. Sorry Nonumaru! I've waited a week for your reply but received none, but thank you for beta-reading the first part of this chapter! :3
BTW, thank you so much to everyone who has followed, favourited and reviewed. I feel so disappointed with myself to know this was last updated on October, and to think it's February now. So sorry guys! :'(
…
..
.
I'm tryin' to figure it out
Lounging on my dreams
Don't wanna be ashamed
So I'm fixing everything
.
..
…
"Ah, thanks for letting me sleep here," Sakura nervously thanked, staring at the windows in the room.
"You're welcome," he answered calmly.
The Pinkette was still in Itachi's room, sitting on her side of the bed, her back facing the raven-haired man. It was morning and the sunlight seeped in through the blinds, birds were chirping cheerfully, whereas the sounds of maids rushing about to clean the Uchiha manor after the party were indistinct. It was the mark of the last day of the week, Sunday.
The first thing Sakura saw when she woke up was Itachi, who had a towel wrapped around his waist and his hair-dripping wet. The Uchiha heir did not notice she was awake—and proceeded with slipping his towel off to get dressed, right in front of the Rosette.
It was a pleasant surprise for her alter ego, but Sakura was embarrassed.
Her squeal made Itachi look up in surprise, and she instantly pulled the covers over her to avoid eye contact.
Now that her blush had faded, she sat up straight, still facing away from the dark-haired man.
"How did you sleep?" Itachi asked, putting on his belt. The blush on his cheeks had yet to go away.
"It was amazing," Sakura smiled, although she knew he couldn't see it, "The bed is soft and the covers are so fluffy and the room was cold. It was the best sleep I've had in a while."
After slipping his shirt on, Itachi approached her and sat down next to the Pinkette. He joined her in staring outside before he asked, "Do you have anything to do today?"
"N-No," Sakura stammered, trying to push the image of Itachi out of her head, but doing so only caused her cheeks to tint red, "B-But, I have to go to Konan. I have to t-tell her that I'm fine, because she might be worried about me."
When Itachi put a hand on her shoulder, a tingling sensation shot throughout her whole body. "After that, why don't you come back here?" he whispered, his breath hot against her ear, his voice seductive.
"I-I can't." She looked away from him as her blush became more visible. "I have to go to Madara after this. I want to spend some time with him."
A few seconds after she stopped talking, the grip on her shoulder was released and she gathered the courage to look at Itachi, to ask him something.
To her surprise, he looked a bit hurt.
"Uhh…" her mind raced, "D-Does Madara have any plans this e-evening?"
"He doesn't…" Itachi muttered, staring at the carpet with an emotionless face. Sakura watched as he inhaled and closed his eyes, before releasing his breath. He stared into the Rosette's emerald orbs, his crimson eyes unreadable.
He reached a hand out and ran his fingers through Sakura's hair. "Cherry…" He whispered to himself. Sakura wouldn't have been able to hear him if she wasn't sitting so close to him. "Please forgive me…"
"For what?" She asked, smiling cheerily although confused. She was subconsciously enjoying the feeling of his fingers running through her pink hair. "You haven't done anything wrong."
Itachi cupped her cheeks and planted a small kiss on her forehead.
Stunned, she did not react, eyes widening slightly. The Uchiha heir stood up and walked away, muttering an indistinct, "I'm sorry, Cherry."
Sakura watched as Itachi approached the door and twisted the knob, opening the door. Before he stepped out of the room, he glanced over his shoulder and stared at the tomboy for a few seconds with an emotionless expression.
The girl frowned in confusion. "What's wrong, Itachi?"
He did not reply, and left the room.
…
..
.
I think I…
Think I'm losing focus...
.
..
…
Sakura dismounted her motorbike and took off her helmet. Skittering towards the door, she rang the doorbell and waited patiently for an answer. After a few minutes, Kakuzu answered the door.
"Are you looking for Konan, Brat?" He questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Um…yeah. How did you know, old man?"
"She was damn worried when she learned you didn't come home last night." He stepped to the side, allowing the shocked girl into the house. He pointed to unconscious girl on the sofa, "She fell asleep in the living room waiting for you to answer her calls."
Sakura rushed to the blue-haired girl, who was sleeping on the sofa with her party dress still on. Frowning, she stroked her best friend's hair, "Oh God…Konan…"
"Don't worry, Pinky, she's fine," Deidara walked in from the dining room, a plate of toast and jam in his hands, "And don't wake her up now. She fell asleep around 4 o'clock in the morning."
The Rosette's hand slipped into her pocket and she took her phone out. She hasn't checked her phone at all since she woke up. She turned on the screen—and found she missed about 20 calls from her best friend.
"Hey, hey! I didn't know Shrimp dropped by for a morning visit!" Kisame grinned, happy to see the Pinkette in their living room. He beckoned her to enter the dining room, "Have you had breakfast yet? Come on and eat with us!"
"Keep it down, Kisame," Sakura heard Sasori hiss from the dining table, "And I'm not fond of the idea of having that little girl at the table for breakfast."
"I wouldn't mind having the Blossom herself for breakfast."
"Shut the fuck up, Zetsu! That bitch is mine for breakfast!"
"Watch your mouth, Hidan. I'll kill you if you don't shut the fuck up."
"We're all going to be killed if Konan wakes up," Pein said calmly as he opened his bedroom door. Everyone fell silent, for what the leader said was true. The orange-haired man glanced at Sakura. "Are you hungry, Angel? If I'm not mistaken, I think I just heard Kisame invite you to the table."
"Y-Yes, he did…" She stammered, leaving the amber-eyed girl on the sofa and approaching Pein. He held her hand and ushered her into the dining room. All of the Akatsuki members were there.
"You could sit in Konan's place, Blossom," Zetsu told her.
"Ah, that's alright," Sakura shook her head with a nervous smile, "I…I really have got to get going. I just stopped by to check on Konan." Deidara, Hidan and Kisame frowned, and before they could beg her to stay, the Pinkette stole the toast on Pein's plate, "I'll just be taking one."
She took a bite of the peanut-butter and jelly toast before she walked out of the dining room, "Thanks guys! Bye!"
Soon, Sakura was already on the road, making her way past traffic. 'Hey Inner, did you listen to thatentire ruckus back at the Akatsuki home? The boys were calling me all kinds of nicknames!'
'Of course I heard them,' Inner Sakura had a punk-like grin on her face, 'Let's start with the leader. Pein calls you Angel, Deidara calls you Pinky, Sasori calls you "little girl", Hidan calls you all those offensive names for women like "bitch" or "slut", Kakuzu calls you "Brat", Zetsu calls you Blossom, Itachi calls you "Cherry", Madara calls you those names given to wives from their husbands…'
'Like "love" and "darling"?' Sakura rolled her eyes, and received a nod from her alter-ego. Releasing a sigh, she pulled up into her driveway and took a few minutes to stare at her house. She got off of her bike and entered the house.
.
Later that day, the Haruno heir received a call from Konan. After lying to the blue-haired girl she slept at Ino's house, Sakura apologized profusely for not telling her about it and offered to treat Konan to some dinner.
"No need to, girl," Konan declined politely, "I'm much too tired from the party yesterday. Did you have any contact with Madara today?"
"Nope, I haven't heard from him the whole day." Sakura shook her head, lying down on her sofa, "Why do you ask?"
"Oh, just wondering…" The blue-haired girl's voice hinted she was hiding something, "You should ask him out, though. I mean, you do have a crush on him, right?"
"…He saved me from death and kept me conscious until the ambulance arrived. Of course I like him," Sakura smiled as Madara came to mind, "But I'm not sure about asking him out. He might think I'm annoying or clingy."
"He won't, trust me." Even if the amber-eyed girl was not in front of her, Sakura could feel the warmth of the senior's assuring smile, "That guy's a gentleman. He would never break your heart, Sakura."
"Well… I guess you're right," A feeling of reassurance pervaded the Pinkette's body, "Thanks."
Silence fell upon the pair as they'd run out of ideas for subject to talk about. After a few seconds, Konan piped up, "Oh yeah, did you know there's going to be a test tomorrow?"
"A test? For the seniors?"
"No, you're gonna be taking the test, too!" The blue-haired girl giggled, "You didn't know about the examination until now?"
"N-No, I didn't!" Sakura fell from the sofa with a thud, before getting up to pace around the house. She glanced up at the clock and cursed, "Damn! It's like, 5 o'clock on a Sunday evening, and the test is tomorrow?!"
"Yeah."
"Why do you have to answer me so casually?!"
A giggle. "Sorry, Sakura. May I suggest a way to help you?"
Sakura nodded, forgetting the fact she was on the phone and her best friend could not see her nod. After some time, Konan spoke, "…okay, I take your silence as a yes. Why don't you get somebody to help you out? It would be better if you talked to somebody in my grade. You'll get keywords and tricks, not to mention some quick revision tactics and tips to answer questions. This is of course since the person is a senior, who has taken the examination before."
For a few minutes, the Rosette was calm. "Oh. If that's the solution, then meet me at the library in the city."
"Sorry, but I'm busy this evening," the blue-haired girl apologized, the hint of sorrow in her voice strong, "You could get help from another Akatsuki member. How's that?"
With a frown, the emerald-eyed girl asked, "Who could I choose?"
The senior took a few moments to think. "Well, there's Deidara, Sasori, Pein, Zetsu, Itachi…Hidan's an idiot so he's out of the question. Kakuzu's a pretty smart guy, so you could go with him, if you want."
"Um…I'm not on the best terms with Itachi right now, so he's out of the list…" Sakura frowned, walking around her living room. She knew Konan was curious, but before her best friend could utter a word, the pink-haired girl continued, "Kakuzu has anger issues, Zetsu's just plain creepy, Sasori's a bastard, Pein…I'm not picking Pein…"
"That just leaves Deidara," Konan said, "He's free for the rest of the day. Do you want to meet up with him?"
"Yeah, Deidara's good," Sakura shrugged with a small smile, "Besides, it'll give me a chance to spend some time privately with him. The other guys in the organization are always butting in whenever he tries talking to me."
"Aww…Sakura, you have a crush on Deidara, too, don't you?"
"Maybe," was the Haruno heir's simple reply.
"Alright. I'll tell Deidara to meet you at the library at 7 o'clock," Konan uttered, "And don't worry. Today's Sunday—the library is open until midnight. The librarian that works on Sundays is a crazy lady." Sakura giggled.
"Okay. Thanks, Konan!" The pink-haired girl chirped happily.
"Anything for you, Sakura," the amber-haired girl said, sincerity in her angelic voice, "Just remember: don't let Madara know you're on a date with Deidara!" With that, she hung up.
The Rosette put down the phone with a giggle. She shook her head with a smile, thinking of Konan and her mischievious behaviour.
A date with Deidara? It sounded a bit far-fetched, since all it was going to be was a study date…
Sakura stared at the mirror, focusing on the bright smile playing across her face. For some reason, 'a date with Deidara' sounded better than 'a study date with Deidara'.
As much as she hated to admit it, Sakura actually liked thinking she was going on a date with the handsome blonde Akatsuki member.
…
..
.
All the questions in my head
Are from my heart instead
.
..
…
Sakura nervously approached the front door of the Uchiha manor. She stood still in front of the grand entrance, hesitating to ring the doorbell, afraid of the residents' reactions. It wasn't until a few minutes later did she finally manage to push the button.
Quickly tucking a lock of pastel pink hair behind her ear, Sakura tried to stand in a way she looked as casual as possible. It was 5.15 in the evening, and considering she was going to be busy for the night, the emerald-eyed girl decided to pay a visit to a certain someone on her mind while waiting for nightfall.
A young woman in a maid uniform answered the door. Her brown eyes rested on the young girl in front of her, and her lips curved into a smile, "Sakura-chan, am I right?" The Pinkette nodded in reply and the maid bowed slightly, "Please forgive me, but Madara-sama isn't home right now. He will return tonight."
"Thank you," A sorry smile played on the Rosette's exquisite face, "But…I'm actually here to see Itachi. Is he here?"
The woman was surprised, but her facial expression returned to normal and the welcoming smile returned. She took a step aside to allow the girl in, "Itachi-sama is in his room. Please wait in the living room while we call him."
Sakura walked in and flashed the lady a smile of her own, "That's alright. I'll go up to his room myself." The pink-haired girl proceeded with climbing up the flight of stairs leading to the upper storey of the mansion. She approached the entrance to the raven-haired man's room, and knocked on the door slightly.
"Itachi?" She called out, waiting for an answer.
When no reply came, she knocked on the oak door again—this time, harder. "Itachi? Please open the door, I know you're in there," She pleaded, frowning, "It's…it's me, Sakura. I came to see you."
In an instant, the door opened, and Itachi stared at the Pinkette with surprise written all over his handsome face. After a few seconds, his lips curved into a small smile, "This is a pleasant surprise, Cherry," He opened the door wider and allowed her inside his room.
"Take a seat," He offered, pointing to the cushion armchairs by the bookshelf which fell on Itachi the night before. Sakura complied and watched as the dark-haired man brought a tray to the small, round table between the two armchairs.
On the tray was a teapot and two cups.
"I didn't know guys had tea parties," Sakura giggled, watching Itachi pour some tea into her cup. The raven-haired man offered her the tea with a charming smirk, indicating he found her comment funny.
"You look like you're going somewhere soon, Cherry," The man remarked, taking a sip of his tea. Sakura was wearing a red and white blouse, along with a matching, knee-length, red skirt. The Haruno heir blushed, and Itachi chuckled, "It's not everyday I see you wearing a skirt. Did you agree to meet with my uncle tonight?"
"No, I'm not meeting Madara," Sakura shook her head, denying the Uchiha's allegation, "Let's not talk about it."
"Alright…then, why did you want to see me?" Itachi asked, raising an eyebrow as he placed the glass cup carefully on the table, "You told me in the morning you planned to see Madara this evening."
"I just…well, you suddenly went upset, so I wanted to know what's wrong," Sakura explained, and the smirk on the raven-haired man's face immediately disappeared. Noticing this, she immediately frowned, "You see? What's up with that, Itachi?" She leaned forward and held his hand, "You could tell me, right?"
"I can't," He looked away, breaking off their gaze into each other's eyes. He stared out the window, a hint of guilt in his crimson eyes, "I'm sorry."
"You're hiding something from me, Itachi," Sakura frowned, tightening her grip on his hand. She opened his clenched fist and laced their fingers together, transforming a frown into a small, reassuring smile, "I don't know why you're apologizing to me. Why are you saying sorry, Itachi? Won't you tell me?" The man frowned, staring into her forgiving, emerald eyes, "Come on. I'm your Cherry, right?"
"You'll have to ask your savior," He said, his voice low, hinting some sorrow, "Madara knows what I feel guilty of. He should be able to tell you."
"Alright," Her smile became brighter as her eyes shifted to the scenery outside the windows. The lock on their hands broke, and Sakura folded her arms, enjoying the evening, "You know, spending time with you reminds me of Sasuke. Who is he, really?"
"My little brother is an immature, anti-social boy who always wants things to go his way," Itachi said, chuckling as he did so. He glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, "He only resembles me in looks, the anti-social part,"—a giggle from Sakura—"and the attraction towards you, Cherry."
Sakura smiled as her cheeks tinted a faded red. "Sasuke isn't much of a gentleman…" She commented, staring into Itachi's ruby orbs, "…unlike you, Itachi."
"Thank you for your compliment," The raven-haired man gave her a genuine, grateful smile, as though she had just forgiven him for an atrocious mistake. He reached out for her hand and clenched it, "Can you promise me something, Cherry?"
"As long as it's not 'don't share your smile with anyone but me', okay," Sakura giggled.
"Will you promise not to hate me?" He asked, catching the Pinkette off guard. Hate him? Why would she hate him? The subject of him feeling guilty of something returned. Why was he so sorry? Why did he keep apologizing to her, when Sakura herself doesn't even know what he's done to her?
"Okay, I promise," A small smile played on her face, "Although I don't know for what, I'll forgive you for whatever you're feeling guilty of, Itachi."
A reassured smile. "Thank you."
"No problem," She grinned, before proceeding with asking him a question, "Oh yeah, is it alright if…I stay here until dusk? Because, I have nothing else to do until tonight."
"Of course," Itachi nodded, taking another sip of his tea. He set his cup down and smirked at Sakura, "And I've an idea to pass the time. There's a bed right over there," He indicated the king-sized bed, his smug smirk taunting the girl.
A bitter blush crept up to the Pinkette's cheeks, making them burn. Looking away, she hissed, "You remind me of somebody, you know that?"
"And who might that be, Cherry?" He asked, his seductive tone returning once again.
"Madara."
.
Sakura walked down the flight of stairs, heading towards the exit of the manor.
She was so concentrated on where she was stepping, she did not realize the servants line up near the grand entrance and bow to the man stepping in.
"Sakura-chan?" Madara asked in surprise, staring at the pink-haired girl who was paralyzed in shocked halfway down the stairs. Passing his briefcase to a maid, he undid his tie and a pleased smile played on his face, "What are you doing here, dear?"
"Uhh…I wanted to see if you were around…" Sakura didn't know what to say. She was too afraid to tell him she came to see Itachi instead of him, fearing Madara would be hurt. Standing still, she awkwardly looked away while he walked up the stairs to approach her, "Err…the lady told me you won't be back till tonight…"
"The meeting was cancelled," He smirked as he tucked a lock of hair behind her ear. Her lips curved into a small smile and he immediately noticed the red clothing she was wearing, "You look stunning in that outfit, darling. Were you planning to go on a date with me?"
"N-No, I wasn't," She denied, and panicked when his smug expression changed into that of surprise. Frantically searching for words, she stuttered, "D-Don't get me wrong! I…I just dropped by for a v-visit, just for the evening because…cause I'll be…b-busy tonight…." Her sentence faded.
"A visit? I thought you just arrived," He raised an eyebrow, his lips forming a slight, suspicious frown, "I thought you told me you came to see if I was around, not you came to visit."
Inside, Inner Sakura ran in circles in her head.
"Uh…I…" Sakura was at a loss for words. She just screwed the whole thing up.
"She came for a visit, Uncle," A familiar voice came from the top of the stairs, catching the attention of both of them. Both pairs of eyes focused on Itachi, who was staring at them with his usual, emotionless expression.
"Itachi?" Madara uttered in confusion, before returning his gaze to Sakura, "You came to see Itachi?"
Before the Pinkette could answer, the raven-haired man at the top of the stairs started making his way down. "Yes, she came to see me, Uncle," Itachi explained on behalf of the emerald-eyed girl. He approached them and Madara took a step away.
The younger Uchiha stroked Sakura's pastel-pink hair and gave her a small smile, "I'll see you tomorrow, Cherry." He planted a kiss in her hair, before glancing at Madara, who had a dissatisfied frown on his face, "And Uncle, you might want to explain something to the beauty here before she leaves."
With that, Itachi proceeded with walking down the stairs.
Sakura stared at her savior with curiosity. She knew what Itachi was talking about. He was talking about the reason to why he was feeling guilty—and he told her that his uncle knew what it was.
Madara watched his nephew walk into the dining room before returning his attention to the pink-haired girl in front of him. He calmly observed her for a few minutes, reading the curiosity in her eyes.
Sakura took a step forward, towards him. "Come on, explain to me. Why is Itachi always apologizing to me?"
It took a few seconds until he finally opened his mouth. "I have nothing to clarify, dear," He said, climbing up the stairs. Once he reached the top, he looked over his shoulder to glance at Sakura, who had a worried frown on her face. With a slight smile, he assured her, "And you must know I'm not angry at you, Sakura-chan. I'm just…not in a good mood tonight."
As he turned around and walked away, Sakura stood there—the sadness visible on her beautiful face as she waited and waited until she heard the doors of Madara's room shut close.
…
..
.
Be real to me now
That's all I'm asking
Be real to me somehow
More than anything
.
..
…
Deidara approached the Pinkette who was standing near the library doors. "Hi, Pinky!" He chirped and smiled as she looked up from her phone, "How're you doing?"
"Hi, Deidara," Sakura's lips curved into a warm smile, keeping her phone in her pocket.
"You look really good, yeah," He complimented, noticing her attire, "It isn't something I thought you'd wear for a study date."
"That's because we're not going on a study date," Sakura giggled, holding his hand, "I already knew the exams were coming up, alright? I've already prepared for it, so we don't need to enter the library, Deidara."
The blonde raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Then why'd you tell Ko—"
"I just needed an excuse to be alone with you, okay?" Sakura put her finger to his lips, her cheeks slightly tinting red as she looked around. When the cobalt-eyed man complied and fell silent, she continued, "The other guys are always butting in everytime you talk to me. I just wanted to spend some time with you, considering I was never given the chance."
Deidara remained quiet for a few more minutes before his lips curved into a smirk, "Okay, I know what you're implying, Pinky. You have a crush on me, too, don't you?"
His reply made her cheeks burn. "N-No!" She sputtered, tightening her grip on his hand, "And what do you mean by 'too'?!"
Deidara chuckled at her embarrassment. "I thought it was pretty obvious I have a crush on you, yeah."
"I-I know that," She muttered, looking away, "And I suppose you already know I like Madara," She could feel the blonde smirk at her and she started walking, dragging him along with her, "And I want to spend time with you because I've already spent time with other members."
"Okay, okay, I get it, yeah," The azure-eyed man chuckled. He stopped and gently pulled his hand out of Sakura's grasp.
The Pinkette originally thought he didn't want to hold her hand. "What's wrong?" She asked, being careful to not show any sign she was hurt, "Did I hold your hand too hard?"
"No, you just held it the wrong way," He allowed his lips to curve into a winsome smile. He bent down and held her wrist, lifting her arm up. Then, he laced their fingers together, silently enjoying the reddish tint on Sakura's cheeks, "You see? The spaces between my fingers are right where yours fit perfectly, yeah."
The Pinkette looked away to avoid eye contact with the handsome blonde in front of her. Instead, she turned around, "Okay, that's done. Where do you want to go?"
"Up to you, Pinky," He shrugged as they simultaneously began to walk.
"If it's up to me, I'd say we just wander around the area," Sakura smiled, glancing at him from the corner of her eyes.
"That's a good idea, yeah," Deidara smiled, slightly tightening his grasp on her hand, "You look like you've got something to say, Pinky."
Sakura was silent for a few minutes. "I just wondered if you had a great time at the party yesterday."
"It was fun and all, but the best part was when you and your friends took a picture of me kissing you, yeah," He grinned, looking down at the Rosette, who simply giggled, "Do you still have the picture?"
"It's on Hinata's camera," She replied, "She told me she'll pass me her camera at school tomorrow."
"It's nice to see you've made some friends your age, yeah," Deidara commented.
"Yeah, I know," She nodded, "But my best friend is still Konan, though. I don't think anybody could replace her," Her eyes met Deidara's, "I'm happy to finally be accepted by the girls of my grade. Maybe I'll grow less tomboyish if I spend time with them."
"I'll still like you no matter how you turn out, yeah," He said, smirking, "As long as you don't turn into an overly girly bitch like that Yamanaka chick, then I'll still try everything in my power to make sure no other guy gets you."
"Ino's not as bad as everyone thinks," She defended, frowning, "She's actually a nice and caring person once you get to know her. And I will never turn back into that horrible bitch I was back then."
"I believe you, Pinky," The smirk was still plastered on his face, "You remind me a lot of myself back when I was your age, yeah. I was determined, but reckless and overconfident."
Hearing these words, Sakura's face softened and she asked with a slight hint of curiosity, "What happened?"
"Something happened between Itachi and I, yeah," He answered, almost immediately, "That should explain why I never liked that pretty guy. Anti-social and always cool. It makes me want to punch him in the face, yeah."
Sakura fell silent and stared ahead. However, Deidara's stoic expression quickly changed into an apologetic smile as he looked at the Pinkette, "No offense about your feelings for Madara, Pinky."
"None taken," She giggled, her eyes locked on the path. The sky had gotten dark, buildings brightened up and cars turned on their headlights. People were starting to fill the pavement, carrying briefcases and talking on the phone, not caring to take notice of the two unique teenagers holding hands.
Just then, a thought came to Sakura's mind. "Dei-chan, remember that time when you were playing football with Sasori and some other guy?" She asked.
"I already told you I don't remember who the other guy is, yeah," The blonde reminded her, frowning, "Why is that other boy so important to you, anyway?"
"I just feel he's connected to Madara, alright?" She quickly replied before returning to the topic, "Although I don't really remember, don't you remember the stranger you played with that day had raven hair?"
Deidara fell silent for a few minutes, trying to recall the day he first met the Rosette. "You're right, yeah," He said, his cobalt eyes meeting her green ones. He looked at her suspiciously as though he knew she was getting to something, "I remember he had dark hair. What difference does it make even though we knew that?"
"You're so negative, Deidara," Sakura's lips tugged upwards slightly, "I have a feeling the boy who played with you the other day was Itachi."
Upon hearing his name, his eyes became wide. "…that bastard?" He repeated, surprised. Then, he started to laugh, "Pinky, there's no way Itachi was the guy Sasori-danna and I played with that day! He's a complete opposite, yeah. The boy really cared for your safety and he expressed emotion, unlike Itachi."
"Well, I can't help but think it's him," Sakura frowned, unsure. She looked up to the sky, "Maybe he changed after his parents passed away. He changed…negatively."
"Whatever, yeah, I still don't believe it's him," Deidara rolled his eyes before raising an inquisitive eyebrow, "Why're you suddenly thinking about Itachi, yeah?"
The Pinkette remained quiet as she bit the inside of her cheeks. "Uh…I've seen the softer side of Itachi," She admitted, hoping it didn't give out any inappropriate hints, "He reminded me a lot of the boy you played with the other day, but I didn't ask Itachi if it was actually him."
Deidara did not reply, and when she looked up she found he was staring at her incredulously.
"If you want to know, you should've just asked him," He said, his eyebrows still raised as he was obviously still surprised, "Did you lie to Konan about you sleeping over at the Yamanaka house, too?"
That was a secret Sakura did not want to divulge. "No, I wasn't lying about that part, alright?" She tried to sound calm, for she knew overreacting would sell her out. She just hoped the faint tint of her cheeks wasn't so visible, "If you don't believe me, you could just go ahead and ask Ino."
Deidara smirked and stared ahead, "Even if she backs you up, I still wouldn't believe it, yeah. You slept at the Uchiha manor, didn't you?"
"Even if I did, why would it matter so much to you?"
"Okay, who did you sleep with?" Deidara looked at her, mischief flickering in his azure eyes as his smirk made Sakura's cheeks burn, "Did you get in bed with Madara or Itachi or Sasuke?"
"Deidara!" She shrieked, embarrassed. Her grip on his hand tightened as she hissed, "I didn't sleep at the Uchiha manor, alright!"
"You know I don't believe you, yeah," He chuckled, obviously getting gratification from her embarrassment, "But, don't worry, Pinky. Your secret is safe with me."
"I'm so tried of this," She released a sigh of irritation, "Why do you boys love to tease me? Is it that fun to make a girl embarrassed and angry at you?"
"No, we hate it when girls get angry at us boys," Deidara smiled at her, the look in his eyes softening, "We just do it because we think it's cute whenever a girl's embarrassed and blushing."
Sakura was caught by his words. She didn't know what to feel—she felt angry but stangely happy at the same time. Did the other Akatsuki members tease and embarrass her just because they liked to see her blush? Or angry? Or did they do it just so they could get her to pay attention to them?
"How annoying," She breathed out, calming down.
"Oh yeah, that reminds me," Deidara snapped his fingers as something came to his mind. Looking down, he asked, "Pinky, have you had your first kiss yet?"
A vein popped on her forehead as images of Hidan involuntarily sneaked into her thoughts, "Why do you want to know?"
"Just wondering," He said, smiling.
"You know I'm not going to answer that," Sakura rolled her eyes.
The golden-haired man pouted, "Why not?"
Sakura remained silent and looked away. She's had enough experience with the kisses the boys gave her. If she was facing them or near them, they're bound to give her an unexpected peck on the cheeks or forehead or, even worse, on her lips. She's had about two encounters involving lip-to-lip contact, and she planned on saving her third one for Madara.
"You've kissed someone before," Deidara sounded disappointed. Although she couldn't see him, she knew he was frowning, "Darn. I could tell by how you act, Pinky."
"Why would you care whether I've kissed someone before or not?" The Rosette asked, watching the cars on the road.
"Hey, everyone wants to be the first when it comes to kissing you, okay?" Deidara whined, "Now I'll just have to tell them we missed our chance, yeah."
"Don't you dare tell anyone," She glared, before raising an eyebrow, "And what do you mean 'everyone wants to be the first'?"
The blonde chuckled, "You can't possibly be dumb enough to not realize almost everyone's developed a crush on you, Pinky."
Sakura's face returned neutral. Of course she realized it.
"Deidara, if you loved someone, would you be willing to lie to them?"
He was silent for a few minutes. It had nothing to do with the earlier topic, but he answered anyway, "It honestly depends on the situation. If lying would prevent her from feeling or getting hurt, then maybe, but if the truth was inexorable since the beginning, I'd tell her and make the most out of every minute."
Sakura did not look at him. Instead, she stared at the pavement, her pale green eyes hooded and her lips slightly curved into a frown. Deidara subconsciously noted her loosening grip on his hand as her continued, "I wouldn't lie to her for no reason. Nobody who loves someone would lie to that somebody without a reason."
They continued walking for the next few minutes and the azure-eyed man waited tensely for his crush's reaction. When he did not receive one, he frowned in worry, "What's wrong, Pinky?"
Sakura was preoccupied with her thoughts of Madara and Itachi. She wondered why Itachi kept apologizing to her and Madara's sudden change of mood.
"Well…if this is concerning Madara, you should see Zetsu, yeah," Deidara smiled, although his worry was still in his blue eyes, "That guy's got his nose sticking in everyone's business, yeah. He should be able to tell you what you wanna know. Just be careful, though—he's as creepy as hell and I heard he likes to bite people."
When a giggle escaped the beauty's lips, Deidara added with a smirk, "Especially if he's around a pretty girl like you, yeah."
Sakura smiled, her facial expression soft. She stopped walking and looked up at the blonde, "Thank you, Dei-chan. I'll keep that in mind," At this point, she slowly pulled her hand out of his grasp, "I think we should stop here. I'll see you tomorrow, okay?"
He looked a bit surprised and disappointed, but he tried his best to smile, "Yeah, okay. Good night, Pinky."
"Alright, bye," She waved and walked the direction from where they came from. Before she receded into the distance, she turned around to see Deidara watching her. Grinning, she called out, "By the way, Hidan stole my first kiss!"
The wind blew softly from behind her and played with her candy-coloured hair, slightly lifting her red skirt, but not to a point which embarrassed her. Deidara's eyes widened when he heard her and his jaw dropped.
She watched him curse and crack his knuckles with a grin still on her exquisite face. "Don't worry, Pinky!" He shouted back, "I'll kill that son of a bitch for you!"
She giggled and turned around before she started jogging away. "Thank you!"
…
..
.
You're beautiful
And your mind is just beautiful
And I can't pretend
That that doesn't mean a thing
A thing
To me
.
..
…
A/N: Did I tell you guys I re-read the reviews just yesterday? I laughed—no, not because the reviews were funny, because I was so happy of the positive feedback. It's true, reviews motivate me to write faster. Hopefully I can get the next one done within three months or so.
Make a suggestion of a couple you want in next chapter involving Sakura. :3 I'll try to make it happen.
Review please! :D