**Chapter 12**

"Guren, you can't be here." What Sasori felt in that very moment has long passed the stage of shock. He was mortified, his tipsy state long forgotten.

Why was that woman in his home, at that hour, with their little child present, looking like she has been grieving for months, was beyond his understanding. But he didn't want to go back and make the same mistake with her. He couldn't.

A sad smile that didn't rich her teary eyes crept on the lady's beautiful features, her hand caressing her daughter's small face. "I know. But like I have already told you, I don't know what else to do Sasori. You are the only one I could have come to."

"Guren I…"

"Please…" Her voice was broken and it was more than visible that Guren was barely containing her sobs. The red headed man in front of her felt like someone has stabbed him with a sharp blade in his ribs, heart pounding into his chest. It was painful to see her like that, he felt…guilty. "Don't turn your back on me…not this time."

"Dude…" Hidan quickly threw his friend's limp body on the sofa in the living room, coming right beside his distressed friend, placing a hand on his shoulder, silently assuring him he was not alone.

Among their little gang, Hidan has been the one to know all the details of the twisted story between the other two occupants of the room and he knew what internal turmoil was the other senior facing in that moment.

"I know that you must be suffering Guren. Hell I can see it with my own eyes but…" Sasori rubbed his tired eyes with the back of his palms, feeling like turning around and run straight on the door he has just broken. "…try to understand me as well. Look around you. We barely have two rooms for three people. Just where am I supposed to…"

"Daddy?" Everyone's eyes darted on the little girl's fragile frame, who let go of her mother's legs and took two small steps in the direction of a rooted in place Sasori, lifting her hand to grip his index finger, big rounded auburn eyes boring into the pair of the one that gave her life.

Guren closed her eyes for a moment, exhaling deeply, feeling her dry lips quiver and her eyes fill with burning tears. Hidan parted his mouth inhaling sharply once, looking like he wanted to say something-probably a curse-but changed his mind in the last moment.

There was nothing he could do, but watch in awe at his friend's unresponsive body. He felt the urge to slap his head and make him snap out of his stupor, before he hurt the creature eying him with a questioning innocent gaze, probably not understanding why his father was not returning her tiny affectionate gesture.

Sasori was so lost at what to do, not quite used to deal with such a burden placed upon his heart, but at that moment, but when he felt the warmth radiating through that weak grip, clinging to him, his widened eyes got lost in the crimson chestnut irises of his child and her angelic face.

She was so beautiful and so reminiscent to him that it was making him both proud and scared. A mistake…a mistake that happened three years ago was looking at him with the saddest gaze he ever witnessed into someone and it tore his soul in half.

Guren raised her hands towards her daughter, not wanting the child to feel rejected-a feeling no one should ever feel-by her own relative. She wouldn't put it past Sasori thought, because she knew that most of the fault was hers anyways. But no one could have blamed her for wanting to keep the baby in the very first place.

"Honey, come to…"

Sasori beat her into taking the child into his arms, holding her dearly on his chest, she wasting no time in placing her much smaller hands around his neck, burying her face into his messy red locks.

The senior mentally cursed the bad timing , feeling guilty that he smelled of alcohol and tobacco. His voice was soft and warm when he addressed her, not wanting to scare the child. "Samira, don't be afraid dear. Your dad is here."

He looked straight into Guren`s amazed eyes, reading everything inside: relief, emotion, thankfulness. Was she that afraid he was going to hurt his own daughter? He stroked Samira`s back in a soothing manner, feeling her warm breath fan on his forehead. Poor child was probably exhausted. A quick glance assured Sasori that it was truly an unholy hour.

"Thank you." Guren`s gratitude came whisper like. She used a napkin Hidan surprisingly handed her, to wipe out the fallen tears from her cheek, looking down, not able to face the guy in front of her. "Thank you. At least for her…"

"Hidan. Go to that nonstop fast food and buy some Chinese Food and burgers." The said grey haired senior only nodded, looking straight into his friend's eyes.

Sasori looked dead serious…and dead tired. He probably was a mess in that moment, so he wouldn't argue with his commanding tone…for then at least. "Guren, has Samira eaten anything today?"

"She did. I bought her something before coming here. Though…" A small blush made its way on her neck, when the woman's stomach rumbled once, betraying the lack of nutrients in her system. "…I…have not eaten anything from yesterday morning."

Sasori blinked rapidly, feeling his eyes stingy and dry. Damn that club and poor light. "Good. Come. Hidan, here." He slipped a hand into his pocket, giving his friend the wallet with some cash he had.

Sasori was not the one to have money on him, only using his credit cards. Not that he had much to begin with, but better safe than sorry. "Take this and go. Don't be late thought, tomorrow morning we must catch the plane."

"Roger that. Be right back. I discharged that dead blonde idiot on the sofa. I think I should call the priest though. Or a doctor…"

"Let him there. I will give him a good wake up call tomorrow…or in a few hours. He is not a little kid."

"Grab my scythe if you need it and decapitate him. We only need his head to confirm his identity." And he was out, stepping on the crushed on the floor door like it was not even there. Sasori shook his head in disbelief, motioning for Guren to follow him into the other room.

"I am glad to see you guys getting along."

The red headed guy used his available hand to turn the light on, the other holding his daughter glued to his broad chest. Judging from her calm breaths, she was probably sound asleep. "Yeah, they are crazy but we take care of one another."

"I see. I am sorry for coming here, truly. I know you don't have many space to spare to begin with." The blue haired woman looked in awe at the gentleness in Sasori`s movements, when he lowered their daughter on his bed, covering her with his two wool blankets-cashmere, he got them from his deceased grandma, Guren knew because they were together at that time-studying her face for a bit, a hand caressing her forehead.

"No. It is all right. I shouldn't vent my anger on you and her. You did nothing wrong after all…" His auburn eyes softened at the way the little kid buried her face into his pillow, turning around and gripping her Teddy Bear on her chest, sleeping peacefully. The picture of her was truly iconic, Sasori wouldn't lie. "…Samira is…my daughter as well."

"Sasori I…you don't have to…"

"I know I don't act responsible towards the two of you Guren. I wronged you both, choosing to pursue my dream and neglecting you. I don't want to hurt her and I don't want my child to grow deprived of the love of her parents."

"Don't say that. You have to finish high school at least. Everyone would understand. You have a bright future as an artist, so why screwing it up then? It is not like we are married or something."

Ah that. How many nights have they argued over the topic and how many harsh words and curses neither wanted to say or be able to take them back have they thrown at each other?

Too many.

Sasori leaned in to place a small kiss on Samira`s forehead, standing up from the bed, exiting the room, with Guren following him suit. He threw a not so worried glance over a limp Deidara, making sure he was still breathing, then entered the kitchen, closing the door behind him.

He didn't have to worry for the front door too much, because the other students in the dorm knew of Hidan and his scythe and truly NO ONE wanted to meet Lord Janshin and face his wrath.

Guren took a sit on the table, while the red headed senior boiled some water to make them a strong coffee, an unpleasant atmosphere lingering in between them. They knew there were many things to discuss and truly no one wanted to start on rambling about the unfortunate things they had in common. Samira was a difficult topic to discuss and both were still young.

Sasori would turn twenty in four months and Guren was twenty two. They met three years ago at a party and they fell for each other at first glance, getting together ever since, neither bothered by the gap of age between them.

Guren was studying piano and violin at that time and was an aspiring singer, while Sasori was considered a genius painter of his generation, already winning local competitions. They were picture perfect, everyone could see.

"Wouldn't you say something? This is weird." Guren couldn't take that silence any longer, the lack of communication getting the best of her. Where was that cheerful red headed wild boy she has met three years ago?

Because a quick glance at Sasori`s stiffened shoulders told her his soul was turned to ashes, his body an empty shell. He was much more mature than last time she saw him. An year ago, if she was to be honest.

"What is there to say? You have problems and I am racking my brain to figure out a solution." Sasori poured the dark coffee into two cups, placing one in front of Guren, taking a sit in front of her at the small table, his eyes fixing a spot behind her back, in the living room.

An old Chinese red and green lamp he bought from a festival.

A token of luck, that was what it was written on the box.

But where was that luck anyways?

"In your room" A tiny voice whispered at the back of his mind. It sounded painfully alike his conscience.

"You…don't have to do anything. I demand nothing from you. You have already done enough by recognizing Samira and allowing her to bear your name, even tough we are not married."

Akasuna Samira…the name floated into their minds, neither voicing it out loud, but kept on repeating it all over again. Sasori knew that it was the last thing he could do for her. He was in his senior years at high school, a child himself if he was to be honest.

That night…if only they would have used protection first time they slept together, three years ago, they wouldn't have been in that situation. And to think she got immediately pregnant, sounded like fate has planned to test them as persons.

"And what good has that done for her anyways? I am jobless, so I barely have money to send you two. I don't have a home of my own. I have a family I don't get along with, living on the other side of the world and I barely see her."

He didn't say you, it didn't slip Guren`s vigilance. But she chose to keep it for herself, not entitled to ask anything from him anyways. It was she the one to lie to him and say she was on pills, refusing to use condoms.

But…she was drunk after all. The woman fisted her hand into her slightly messy blue locks, pulling it backwards, her dark eyes cast on her chest, thinking about how stupid she has been. "You are a good man Sasori. You have always been."

"How long?"

Confused black met auburn, the said lady not quite catching the meaning of his words. "What?"

"How much time do you need to find a house and move there? What happened to you anyways?"

"My mom died five days ago. Heart attack. She died in her sleep, with no other symptoms whatsoever. When the legist came, he told us there was nothing it could have been done."

She made a brief pause in her speech, as if the events were playing under her long eyelashes over again, gripping the hot cup of coffee with both hands, leaning further into the chair. "One day after her funerals, her relatives came to us with their respective lawyers, demanding her will. I studied the law and saw that I, as her daughter, am inherited to half of her fortune, along with my sister, but she threw me out as soon as she came in the doorsteps, throwing a tantrum."

Sasori`s auburn eyes softened at the sight of the trembling woman in front of him. She looked worn out and mentally exhausted. Why were people hating one another that much anyways?

What harm could Guren and her daughter have done to them for Heaven's sake? You don't throw a single mom with a kid on the streets. And as far as he was concerned, Sasori knew that Guren had another sister that resented her, married with an ambassador and living in Portugal. Why would she need that house anyways?

"I am sorry to hear that…your mother. I didn't know."

She shook her head once, sipping her coffee, feeling it warm her insides. She avoided telling him they slept on a bench in the park the day before, on purpose. She was too ashamed of her pitiful condition. "Don't worry about that. I should have let you know, but it happened so fast that I…didn't know how to react."

"What about your job? Are you still teaching piano?"

"No. They fired me because they said they needed someone with more experience. I tried at the local Elementary, but they told me they have just hired someone before me, though they saw my CV and told me they would call if they needed a substitute." Guren has been a piano prodigy ever since she was a child, proudly saying that her daughter, Samira, has inherited her talent. Too bad they would have to struggle for some time, until she found a decent job.

"I see…fuck. What are you planning to do now? You know…we share this cave in here and we barely have space but…you know no one is going to throw you in the streets."

Black eyes flew on his direction, to look for any trace of doubt inside, finding none. Sasori was more than serious.

Did she really expect him to act like her family? Probably not, since she came running to him. "You don't have to do this. I know you are barely making a living yourself. I don't want us to be a burden."

"You and Samira are not a burden. Hidan and Deidara will understand as well. It is the last I can do. Tomorrow I am leaving for a competition in Washington. You will be alone for three days in here. I am going to leave you my credit card as well. There is quite a high sum of money for the winner and I know I barely have any rival. If I win, they will be yours to keep."

"Sasori…" A hand rose in the hair stopped her from refusing him. It was not the time to act like modest and independent. Not when a three yeas old girl was in the equation.

"Stop. You don't have a say in this matter. Meanwhile, I am going to talk to one of my class mate that is a musician as well and see if I can find something for you. He has connections."

It was her to stop him. "Listen Sasori…I have been thinking about and…I am leaving the country."

Sasori`s crimson eyes flashed in confusion, not ready to hear such dramatic words coming from her mouth. Maybe it was stress speaking.

They cut their connections two and a half years ago when she hid her pregnancy from him and decided to dump him, on Christmas Eve, saying she was moving with her family in Minnesota. "Leave the country? Where? And do what?"

"Switzerland. I have a girl cousin there that answered my e-mail and after telling her my Cinderella story, she invited me to go live with her. And she even offered to get me a job as a music teacher there. She is the Principal of a school in the community she lives in. I accepted the offer."

Sasori let the information sink in, nodding once in understanding. For the moment, it was the best decision she could have taken. Guren was moving to Europe.

That was…he felt like he was going to lose something from his life…even if he and Guren were long over, Samira was still there. His daughter. His flesh and blood was going to be living far from him. And he would be selfish to deny her a better future, Sasori was aware.

"What can I do to help you?"

'More than I did', were the words he wanted to say, but refrained from doing so. Except money and telephone calls, he barely had any sort of contact with the woman in front of him and the little kid.

It was not like he didn't want to see Samira, but he didn't have the time or the money to pay for the plane ticket. He had school, projects and a poor paid part time job as a waiter, taking as many night shafts as he could. And his friends were just the same, except for Sai, whose father was a politician and Itachi, who was a filthy rich Uchiha…

Then it hit him.

Itachi…Uchiha…

He quickly pulled out his phone, flipping it open and dialing the number of his gone in the world, to study Law and put the bad guys behind the bars, friend, not bothering to take into consideration the time zone.

Guren was looking in his direction, eyebrow rose, hands shoved down the pockets of his leather jacket. It smelled like his cologne and it made her smile. After all that time, she still loved him.

No, what they had was not a childish high school romance, at least not for her. She truly loved Sasori and her feelings probably never ceased, his image haunting her mind each time she looked into her daughter's puppy eyes.

Their daughter.

He gave her a memento, a part of him to cherish while he was not beside her. An angel. Samira.

A bored smooth voice came from the other side of the line, on the second call. Itachi never changed. He was as prompt as ever. Law was doing him good, Sasori decided.

"Guten Morgen."

Sasori rolled his eyes, till they hit the back of his head. Like he needed his friend's mockery. Man were Uchihas really dumb and totally uninspired. "Cut the crap you weasel and listen up. I need you to do me a favor."

"Really now? Then do tell me what can I do for my impatient friend, who only calls me when he needs something for me? I really hope it is not about a girl…again."

Ok, so maybe Uchihas were quite insightful, but that was beside the point. Guren was eying him like he has grown a pink horn. "I have someone that needs a home to stay for at least…" He made a brief pause, looking at Guren, silently asking her how much time would it take for her to prepare everything and leave the USA? "…three weeks. A month, at most."

"They? I thought you said someone."

Ok, Sasori totally felt the urge to take the first flight to Vienna and beat the hell out of his friend, even though he would probably do something like sue him and thrown him in jail with his magnificent knowledge in the field. "Stop being a smartass and tell me if you can do that."

"A home? Do those people live in the USA or Austria?" Of course. As soon as Itachi was accepted to the University of Law, his father bought him a two stories house in the downtown. Uchihas didn't do dorms. They had a reputation to keep.

"What do you think?"

"That you need a strong coffee and a painkiller for the upcoming hangover. You sound drunk."

"No shit, Sherlock. What gave me away? My soprano voice? Jacksonville you moron, I am asking you to let them stay to your freaking castle like mansion, with your family."

There were strange noises Sasori was able to hear coming from the speaker, sounding painfully alike a sage doing meditation zen. He would put it past the older Uchiha brother, that one was crazy as Hell. At least he was not a playboy like the other younger version of his. Sasori got sick in his stomach at the thought of Sasuke and how he managed to crawl his way into Sakura`s heart.

Oh Lord, Sakura.

Sasori truly felt his pulsating headache rise to the sky, massaging his temple with his available hand.

Just when he thought he found someone special to try a relationship with, life decided to bitch slap him and come to bite him in the ass. Great.

For a brief of a moment, Sasori felt like he has just thrown her in the embrace of his dark haired rival, the moment Guren and his daughter walked into his room.

Great. The irony. He has been the one to question her into thinking about another man, when he more than had a child.

"Hmmm…I could do that. But first, tell me which unfortunate soul am I going to welcome into my home?"

Sasori bit his lower lip, not actually bothered to choose his words carefully. Itachi more than known about his situation, and as much as he would like to deny it, the Uchiha has been there to support him, being friends from Elementary, like Hidan. Sai and Deidara only came into the picture in the ninth grade. The Uchiha was already in the eleventh grade, being two years older than them.

"My daughter and her mother, Guren." He watched the woman in front of him lower her gaze in shame. He realized that maybe he should have asked her first if she was fine with it, but they had to think about Samira. It was not like she could stay in the same house as him and his nuts sadistic cursing like sailors friends, despite their kind nature.

Sasori didn't want to imagine hir three years old daughter devoting her soul to Lord Janshin in three weeks, wearing black leather clothes and piercing.

Itachi`s answer was simple. "Ok. I am going to call my mother the first hour in the morning. I do realize the time zone, unlike other retards I know. Rest assured. She is going to totally like the idea. You know how she is." Who didn't know Uchiha Mikoto and her totally angelic nature? That woman would have welcomed everyone into her home, providing shelter, soothing words and her famous heart shaped chocolate cookies. And his next sentence was having a serious hint in it, no sarcasm involved. "Money as well."

Sasori mentally exhaled in relief. He knew he could always count on that particular friend for his...more serious problems. He totally hated to accept help, money especially, from his two loaded friends-Itachi and Sai-but the situation asked for it.

He would repay the Uchiha back when he had the money, it was a promise the red headed senior made with himself. Itachi told him he could use the money for his funeral, after he knocked some sense into his mind for thinking like that.

"Thanks bro. For everything."

"Anytime. If there is something more I can do for you, do tell me. I promise not to charge you much for the consultation."

"Dude just…stop reading that shit, it damages your already Schizophrenic brain."

"I need this to deal with you people and my foolish little brother. Someone has to be the mature one, among you kids."

Oh, he totally had to bring up the topic Sasuke. That 'foolish little brother' was way more cunning than he would have liked. Guess he knew where the onyx eyed Uchiha got it from. "I think you are high."

"And I think Deidara is dead by now. I bet you guys let him have Gin again. But…I am not going to comment on that one. I am having a two weeks holiday next week, by the way."

"Oh the joy. I am totally looking forward to see your ugly weasel like face."

"I love you too man. And if we are on the topic arrivals, if you are planning to throw me another surprise welcome party, please don't let Hidan chose the thematic as well. I don't want to sit on another medieval torture device with sharp needles, he calles chairs."

"Why should we do that? You are going to announce the whole damn town you are coming anyways. Anyways, do give me a call as soon as you talk to Mikoto. I will be out of town until Friday afternoon."

"True true. Gut. I am giving you a call as soon as she answers me."

"Ok. I am hanging up. This phone call is going to get me bankrupt."

"Don't worry, I got it covered. See yeah. And…take care. Ask for everything you need, do you hear me Sasori?" Oh, he used his name, without adding insults to it. Itachi meant business.

"Thanks dude. Keep in touch."

He gripped the nape of his neck, massaging and rotating his head to alleviate the pain surging down his spine. Sasori felt absolutely exhausted and he had to be up in what…three hours?

"You don't have to do this Sasori. I don't want to bother your friends as well."

"Don't be ridiculous, you will be no bother. Mikoto, Itachi`s mother is a sweet heart. She is going to adore you and Samira. And you will have a decent room for you to sleep in until you get everything settled. You just focus on your passport, visa and other documents."

Guren stood up, coming right in front of him than, without even realizing what she was doing, leaned in to embrace him, feeling his body flinch at the contact.

"Thank you. Thank you a million times."

He let his hands linger on her shoulders for a moment, then gently, but firmly pushing her back from him. It was not in his intention to be a pig, but he liked to make it clear for her that he wanted to stay away from her business. Samira was something else. That was just between him and her. "Guren…"

She realized what she meant with his gesture, pulling back, ashamed. It was in that moment when Hidan made his glorious appearance on the kitchen, they snapped out of their reverie.

"Those fuckers are slower than snails. How much time do you need to make a damn cheeseburger, for Janshin`s sake?!" He stomped beside the two people, planting the bags down the table, flailing his arms in the air like a diva.

"Dude…this thing…" Sasori pointed his finger towards the bags, feeling the urge to beat Hidan till it would make a good pair with the other comatose fallen comrade of theirs. "…is full of triple cheeseburgers, for fuck`s sake!"

"And what do you want it to be filled with? Caviar? Just damn eat it already until I…"

Guren took a bite of one of the cheeseburgers, not giving a damn if that was all she was going to eat, moaning pleased at the feel of food on her stomach. Calories and fats be damned. That was good. "This is the best invention, ever."

Hidan grinned at her, nodding energetically. "I second that." And even lifted his fit in the air, hand on his shoulder.

Sasori slapped his forehead in disbelief, exiting the kitchen, going straight to the shower to get rid of the smell of smoke in his hair and strong beverages. The red headed senior only needed five minutes to wash his body and throw some baggy pajama pants and a T-Shirt on him, and head to his room to look for a painkiller.

He had troubles in finding the pill he wanted in the darkness, but he closed the door and refrained from turning the light on, afraid he was going to wake Samira up from her peaceful slumber. God only knew how much she has suffered because of her uncaring relatives.

That until a soft voice made him turn his head over his shoulders, trying to make up her small frame under the warm covers. "Daddy? Boogie man under the bed."

He smirked once, heading in the direction of his daughter, slipping under the covers, lying beside her, helping her climb on his chest, resting her head in the crook of his neck. She let her hands rest under her cheek, exhaling contently at the feel of his father's warm embrace, the feeling so utterly unfamiliar for both of them.

"Don't worry angel, no one is going to hurt you." He placed a soft kiss on the top of her head, caressing her soft long hair, lulling her back into sleep.

'Not even I will hurt you' were the unspoken words. Sleep soon came to his totally exhausted body, feeling his heavy eyelids close. It was the first time he cuddled with his daughter and Sasori swore it was the most amazing thing in the world.

I am sorry Sakura…our story has to wait for a moment.

}{

"Well, this was fucking good. That fucker has not taste, I swear."

"I agree. With the part of this cheeseburgers being good that is."

"They only use fresh tomatoes and salad. I might not look like it, but my body is a temple. I worship it!"

Guren snorted loudly at Hidan, stuffing her face with the food he bought, amused at his way of talking and cheerful attitude. Sasori`s friends were insane, but devoted, she knew. They didn't judge and their eyes were not full of hate and reproach towards the single mom.

For the past half an hour, they broke the world record's for how many hamburgers could they eat. "Nice."

Hidan stood up, throwing the plate he used into the sink-he wasn't a damn maid to clean it, that was Deidara`s dream job-and slipped his hands into his pockets, pulling out his car keys. He handed Guren Sasori`s wallet, like the senior instructed.

"Now that was fun. But I must go. Tell that idiot I am going to sleep at Sai`s. He can have the sofa, while you and the kid can rest into the bed."

Guren followed Hidan in the living room, eyebrow raised in confusion. She felt bad for creating such a situation. "You don't have to leave. I can find something in the city…a motel or…"

"Don't worry. That weird unemotional fucker has ten freaking rooms covered in dust. He has one to spare all right. Plus, his maids are hot." He winked at her, making her giggle, while putting on his jacket. She vaguely asked herself if he was going to truly drive while having drank. "I am leaving."

And just as sudden, Hidan turned his back on her, waiving and marching along the hall, muttering some curses, complaining about the lack of proper lightning in there, tripping on the stairs. He couldn't possibly be drving in his state right?

Guren took a peek at the blonde senior abusing the sofa, eyebrows rose. He looked dead, so not wanting to be held as a witness to a possible murder, she let her pace bring her to the next room, where the sight of her daughter sleeping peacefully into her father's arms brought tears down her eyes.

Guren placed a hand on her mouth, containing her sobs, closing the door, not wanting to disrupt such a scene. In less than a mouth, they would be on the other side of the world, so maybe she should allow Sasori just one moment alone with his daughter. After all, he didn't reject them. Life just didn't give them other choices.

She went back into the living room, seeing Deidara`s limp body fallen on the floor, gripping the leg of the coffee table, curled under the small piece of furniture, drooling and muttering she incoherent things, amazingly not waking up. He was dead drunk.

So not seeing another solution, Guren slipped past him and got comfortable on the sofa he has just rolled off, but covering him with the blanket, while she got warmed up by Sasori`s jacket, her eyelashes falling as soon as she let her head hit the pillow. Everything around…smelled like his cologne.

}{

What was that unfamiliar fluttering blooming in her chest, like million of bumblebees landing gracefully on the soft petals of the daisies, in search for pollen to prepare the sweetest honey, she felt in that moment, dancing her way out of the physical perception, along with the most alluringly dangerous guy she ever encounter? Because Sakura had absolutely no idea of what was happening.

All that the pink haired girl was able to see in front of her was a mixture of the basic colors of the rainbow, shooting through her dilated pupils, coming from the lasers and the most enchanting male specimen she has ever laid her gaze on.

To her utter horror, Sakura realized she was that kind of a drunk person, who was not losing her mind, falling into oblivion while she had strong beverages down her system, rather than one that knew exactly what was going on around her, but found a surge of unexpected boldness and energy that pushed her to be daring and act out of her character.

Like in that moment, when she had one hand securely placed around Sasuke`s neck, while the other was thrown in the air, dancing along the songs she started to recognize, wildly, with the same fervor and abandon as she did whenever she prepared a choreography.

Sakura realized that being around the dark haired Uchiha, she felt liberated, because she didn't need to act like a mannered lady in front of him and restrain from expressing her inner thoughts, like she did around Sasori and the others, afraid not to appear childish or crazy.

The emerald eyed girl felt no restraint to spread her wings free and fly from the society's cage, acting totally like who she wanted to be, not like what the others expected her. She was not strong like Ten Ten, or have the grace and gleam of a delicate swan, like Hinata.

She was unconfident, trying to find her place under the sun, letting destiny play the strings of her life and dictate her rhythm of her life as an aspiring doctor, as a lover, as a dancer, as a high school student and later on, as a grown up successful woman.

Sasuke was not a guy she hoped to impress or come as close to perfection and ideal of womanhood and eternal feminine charm, and probably that was the reason why she allowed her moves to be unruly, and her giggles to be full hearted and not restrained.

Sakura let her long brown rimmel covered eyelashes part, smiling widely at the dark haired boy watching her in a way so sexy that send small tremors rolling down her arms, and pinching her soft skin, and she couldn't help herself but trace every detail of the mastery in lines and sharp edges of his pale face.

She licked her lips, feeling her mouth going dry when he gave her a ghost of a smirk, letting his hand sensually trace the precise curves of her heart shaped hip, while their bodies rocked together in perfect synchrony.

He was undeniably gorgeous and Sakura would have no second thoughts to openly admit Sasuke was the most handsome teen…no…man she has ever seen.

And before her intoxicated mind had time to think twice of what she was about to say, the pink haired girl tightened her grip around his neck, bringing her chin to rest on his broad shoulder, whispering hotly into his ear. "I know I am drunk and whether I will be able to remember it or not, it doesn't matter. But I must say that you are so damn hot, Sasuke."

The onyx eyed Uchiha felt a brief electric jolt bolting on his nape, when he felt Sakura`s soft lips fanning the sensitive skin behind his ear lobe, saying such things to him, like they were a couple on a date.

He knew she has been having alcohol for God`s sake, but she looked pretty aware of what she was doing, only that savage attitude she had was the one to suffer a sudden transformation…and it was not a bad thing.

He lowered his chin towards her rosy check, mentally cursing his raging hormones for reacting at their closeness, while he inhaled sharply once, her sweet floral fragrance invading his senses, making him go dizzy, deciding to return her compliment.

Sasuke has long became immune to being praised for his good looks wherever he went, but hearing it coming from Sakura had another effect on him, because he found his heart react in a funny way, like for a short, almost imperceptive moment, the thumping organ, along with his blood and every cell, had a rush of energy, fastening their peace. "Hn…is this something you would say to another guy, while on a date, Sakura?"

Sakura knew she was a hypocrite, no she was not going to deny that fact. Only there was some invisible magnetic force that pushed her more into Sasuke that she couldn't fight. Mentally, she was screaming for help, for someone to come and save her from that situation, because she alone did not have the will power to remove her body from his.

It was too good. He was amazing, and everything about him made her emotions spin like a rollercoaster and mind to cloud. Sasuke came with a tornado of new things she has not been able to experience with anyone else and as life was giving them more encounters, she felt her nurture mysterious feelings down her heart, that she was afraid to voice. Sasuke was…something else.

Something more.

Dark. Alluring. Sensual.

Addiction.

"No. But I am being honest with you." Why? She had no idea, but as soon as Sakura nuzzled the tip of her nose under his jaw, she felt tremors upon the soft skin of her lips at the contact with his amazingly strong manly cologne, blending into his unique salty ocean and burned cedar smell, making her insides melt.

Sakura could totally understand why any girl out there would waste no time in throwing herself down his feet, because he possessed a virility and a dark appealing aura she found in no other until then.

And a content moan almost escaped her parted lips when she felt one strong arm fold around her slim waist, his touch burning her skin under the thin top that was concealing her soft curves from his eyes to see, bringing her flush to his body.

But her skilful moves never ceased, her legs and hips levitating above the floor, moving impossibly graceful for an ordinary person, her years of training and talent dictating her every move.

"Should I take advantage of it? Tell me…Sakura…what else do you think of?" Probably in her euphoric state, the emerald eyed enchanted dancer has never realized that their teasing moves quickly turned into something more intimate and more sensual, but it didn't escape Sasuke`s vigilance and experience.

And he liked it. He liked the feel of her body molding and responding to his own exploring touches, desire to taste her and feel more of the creamy velvet skin she was so freely displaying burning under his fingertips in a way it didn't do for another girl.

And it both scared and thrilled him. If he grew attached to someone, it automatically meant allowing her one step further into his life and he didn't want that to happen…again.

Not after Ronja. To think he was helplessly in love with the brunette dancer was still making him disgusted with himself. But he would not judge Sakura based on their common passion, because that was childish and low.

Sakura was melting into that impossibly low, calm and rich voice grazing her eardrums, realizing that Sasuke was not in fact trying to be sexy like the other guys would do, when flirting, because it came to him as second nature.

He has been born to be on the top and not necessary for some twisted sort of respect or fear he inflicted into the others, to get into the stupid game of popularity, no, far from that, it was for his own skills and value.

"Think about what? You?" It that almost an week they have spent together and talked to each other, Sakura realized that the younger Uchiha was not the gangster that has molested her the first night in the local supermarket.

He was a very complex character and a genius of emotions. He knew exactly what the others around him wanted and how to give them to make his way out of every situation, as a winner, not a loser.

The energetic song the DJ was playing, suddenly turned into a slower beat, bringing all the couples in the most creative hugging poses, moving along the familiar sound. Jay Sean 'Ride it' was a perfect opportunity for Sasuke and Sakura to silently give in into each other's embrace, if just for a moment.

Inwardly, they both knew that each had his very own personal life they would return to in the upcoming hours, but only for that moment, just like Sakura has smartly requested, they would give each other a part of their insanity, because such was life at their age.

It was all about experience, testing and allowing the other to come closer, make mistakes and learn from them.

"Who else would I be interested in?"

"You tell me."

"Don't play with me Sakura." Sasuke tilted his head, the longer bangs following the motion, resting on his high cheek and bottomless eyes, cupping Sakura`s small chin, lifting her head towards him, his eyes falling straight on her partly glossy moist full lips, the urge to kiss her growing ten fold when the little pink haired vixen pulled her lower rosy petal in between her canine, emerald half opened orbs lingering from under her long curled eyelashes to his own.

The most breathtakingly smirk he could have mustered lightened Sasuke`s features, that time, his own feelings making their way to his smoldering irises, flaming around the meandering hues of ink jet, sending a pleasurable jolt right through Sakura`s thighs, down to her toes. "I am the one supposed to be the player here."

Sakura was certain her pulse was running at the speed of light and her racing heart has burst into flames, like a frozen comet coming from the faraway webs of the edge of the Universe, approaching the Sun at the sight of those impossibly dark eyes of his, looking in awe at the way a silvery tiny stars flickering into his smoldering irises, like million of snowflakes, never once witnessing such an artistic color of orbs, not even in movies or magazines.

Sasuke was that kind of guy mothers would read their daughters about, from the fairytales books: the anti-hero of the story, living in a majestic palace, riding his strong, imposing black horse in the stillness of the night, being cold as ice, but sensual and dark as the secret needs into one's mind.

But she was not a small kid anymore, so she was not afraid to not fall for the hero of the story, but going for his opposite counterpart. Someone everyone advised to stay away from, but having that kinetic attraction towards everything he came in contact with.

"I don't mind…playing your game…this time only."

"I see you are not afraid of many things tonight."

"And? Does it suit me?" She felt his hot breath fan over her lips and Sakura could have sworn to all the Deities humanity has ever prayed to, even ancient ones, that she never felt the desire to kiss a pair of lips so ardent, in her all existence.

Hell not even Sasori`s, though that was a very meaningful contact they had, which she totally enjoyed. They looked so soft and inviting that it let her lungs out of air.

That was no good, Sakura was constantly grinding her hips straight on his own, in that totally amazing manner, worth of a dancing queen, and it was having an arousing effect on him and the amount of alcohol he had was not helping Sasuke`s tightening pants.

He didn't intend to make her feel uncomfortable around him, well aware she was not like all the other girls he crossed paths with that would waste no time in slip a hand down his pants and let him know how willing they were. But Sasuke couldn't help it. She was too soft, too warm and her body felt too good upon his own to have any sort of control.

So the dark haired Uchiha found himself fighting with his carnal urges, for the first time in his life, using his rationality or what was left from it. Gosh has he overdone it with whiskey that time. He needed a driver, because Suigetsu was probably crying over some toilet, with Karin hitting his face. Those two…

"Very. But it would suit you better when you are not under any influence of the drinks."

"Hmm…not that is not something any guy would say in such a situation. Isn't your gender always in search for drunken girls to toy with?"

"You always have to think so low of me."

"Does it bother you?" Where did all that overconfidence coming anyways, because Sakura was certain she hasn't bought one from the mall, while raiding the stores with Ten Ten and Hinata, but the fact that Sasuke has not found a way to pin her on some wall-or God forbids the toilets-and take advantage of her was throwing her up.

And to add to her shock, Sakura realized she was teasing him on purpose to not only test his reactions and patience, but because she trusted him. Fuck, she grew to have some sort of trust, totally feeling like he would stop if she asked him to do so.

Control. The Uchiha had control and that was making her exhale in both relief and disbelief. It was then when the pink haired girl realized that if Sasuke was getting one step further into her personal space, was not because he was a daring teen that has just passed puberty in search for his sexuality, but because she has allowed him to do so.

She felt Sasuke tighten his grip around her waist. He spread his lean fingers upon her jaw, forcing her neck to arch more, while he practically hissed the words upon her lips. It was amazing that they didn't melt the barely existent between them distance and kiss. "Very."

"But why should I care about how you feel about me, in the very first place?" They both stopped on the middle of the dance floor, trapped in their own world, having a staring contest, letting their eyes do all the talking. Then Sasuke leaned forward and pressed his moist lips on her earlobe, making the elastic tissue vibrate when he flicked the tip of the tongue upon it, the reaction he got from Sakura immediate.

She shoved her nails down his muscled forearms, feeling the throbbing veins pulsate under her touch, emerald eyes going shut, shoulders stiffen at the sudden burst of tingles down her neck.

And she finally said the words that lift a boulder from Sasuke`s chest, making him smirk widely on her cheek. "I don't hate you Sasuke. I never did. Though I find you totally arrogant and a jerk at his finest. But I don't resent you."

"Hn. And even if you did…" He deliberately articulated every syllable, to let her know she was not the one in control, even if he let himself so loose around her that night. "I would totally not give a damn about it…Sakura."

It was only because he was permitting that kind of behavior was she able to touch him like that and dance with him, like no one was there to witness. Not wanting to deprive his tongue from tasting her, Sasuke traced the smooth, delicate skin of her long neck, covering her in hot saliva, then let his teeth graze her pulse, teasing her, before he pushed his lips upon the pumping vein, sucking greedily, during the time his palm flew at the back of her neck, keeping his head steady, satiating from her milky skin.

"Ahh…"

She felt like honey and strawberries on his tongue and she was soft as cashmere, making Sasuke go crazy at the mere thought of how her whole body might have felt under his touch. Damn, that was not good. Dark desires shot through his mind when she actually moaned softly, fisting one hand into his ebony locks, slightly pulling at it.

Sakura literally felt like she was floating above clouds, her all skin punctured by million of goose bumps and shivers, rippling through all her body , making her muscles constrict involuntarily at the contact. She couldn't believe what was happening, but what Sasuke did was unbelievably pleasurable. He was so good and his mouth on her was divine.

"Sasuke…st-" To her major horror, the emerald eyed girl found herself unable to finish the sentence, her voice coming out as a whimper, rosy lips parted to make place for more needing oxygen to enter her throat.

It was too much. He has always been too much for someone weak like her to handle and Sakura found herself having two opposing thoughts shooting through her mind: one was screaming at her to turn her head over her shoulder and smash her lips upon his, succumbing into temptation, while the other was urging her to push him back and run away, because she more than had another guy who was probably her boyfriend, even if they didn't make it official yet.

"Finish that sentence and I will do it." To prove his point and make it clear for the poor girl how much she wanted what he was doing and how bad she craved for it, Sasuke let his tongue lick its way up to her chin, nibbling on it, then gliding down on her throat, gluing his lips on it and suckling her gentler, pulling her thin sensitive skin in between his teeth, nourishing from her.

She grounded her hips onto his own, shuddering at the feelings creeping down her system upon the contact.

"Sasuke I…" Unconsciously Sakura`s hands flew behind his broad shoulders, gripping his shirt, drunk by his manly scent, silk lips on her neck and the warmth of their proximity. It was insane. It was forbidden.

And she liked it all. Taking it all. Feeling it all.

Like a desperate drug addict, in search for that psychedelic substance that took her to madness, oblivion and ideal world.

The tip of Sasuke`s tongue was following her jaw line and flicking upon her ear shell, blowing a hot steam through her short pink locks at the base of her neck, smirking. "How could I possibly be thinking you hate something on me, when it is more than clear that you actually…"

He glued his mouth on her ear and tightened his grip around her waist, folding his available hand around her shoulders, securing her into his arms, whispering sensually, making her all skin tremble in pleasure. "…enjoy every second you spend in my arms."

If Sakura would have been awake of her dream land, she would have probably hit her head with a baseball bat right the instant when she has actually nodded in confirmation, while his mouth was working magic on her neck.

'Stop it right now, what the heck are you doing, you have Sasori, for Heaven's sake, get a hold of yourself!'

Yeah, her conscience was screaming at her to stop playing with Sasuke, because she didn't know when he would decide to take that further, but too bad her body was acting on his own accord.

"You wish Uchiha…." Her voice came almost as a moan, making him chuckle deep into his throat. Sakura felt her cheeks combust, thanking her lucky star for the lack of light around, either way, she would have looked like a crab in metallic top.

"You don't know what I wish for Sakura…but I like the way you say my name…or should I say…moan it?"

"I don't moan anythi…ohhh!" Ok, in Sakura`s mind, she didn't have any idea of what has the raven haired Uchiha did to her neck-probably bit and fanned a cool breeze over the bruised skin-because it send a violent jolt through every neuron of her body, electrocuting her.

And there was a flaming pool boiling in the pits of her lower abdomen that started to nag her, with every touch and every passing moment under Sasuke`s ministrations and Sakura, even in her tipsy state, was more than able to perceive the alerts her mind was sending her:

DANGER

And to her utter horror…the pink haired girl realized that she liked it!

Hell, she liked what Sasuke did to her and it scared her!

Out

Out

She had to get away from him and make a run for it, before she did something she regretted on later. How would she be able to face Sasori after almost making out-she was not reciprocating…yet-with another guy?!

She was not like that and that was not like Tsunade or her mother taught her.

So with a new found determination, Sakura placed a hand on his chest-cursing for the way her stomach clenched upon feeling his rippling muscles under her touch-and pushed him away from her body.

"…?" Sasuke only watched in awe at the way the pink haired girl detached her body from his own, pushing him aside-no one ever did that, except from Ronja-and stumbled backwards, combing her fingers through some fallen on her eyes longer pink locks.

"…I…have to go…"

"Sakura…"

Was he trying to stop her, because Sakura didn't think she would have the energy to stop him that time. She was afraid of her own unknown feelings for him. "Don't…just…this was a mistake…"

Though she didn't know if he heard her, because the pink haired dancer was already half turned in the direction of the stairs, slipping past people.

The Uchiha found himself react in an unusual way, because before he could have stopped himself, he found his legs already moving in her direction, running to catch the stunning dancer, who sprinted towards the exit, climbing the stairs.

And he more than cursed when a drunken girl he was just about to pass, turned around unexpectedly, colliding with his chest, and when she caught the sight of him, she began to flirt her way into his pants, throwing her hands around his neck.

"The fuck…" Something was detaining him from catching Sakura, and Sasuke, in his tipsy state almost mistaken her for his object of interest, the only thing not matching being the cheap perfume she wore. It was nothing like the lily of the valley and cherry blossom Sakura had.

"Hey gorgeous, why don't you dance with me?"

Sasuke didn't even fight the urge to roll his eyes at her stupidity, shoving her aside, cursing loudly for losing Sakura`s track because of her.

"Fuck off….damn it…annoying fangirls…" His onyx eyes roamed all over the mass of people, realizing that he lost her.

}{

Something warm, trembling and possibly crying collided with Sakura on her way out and the emerald eyed girl realized it was the friend she has lost hours ago and she looked like meteors were falling from the sky and someone has forbidden banana milkshakes-her favorites- from consumption.

"Ten!" Sakura pulled the chestnut eyed girl into a tight bear hug, thanking all the Heavens she finally found her, because she was not to spend anymore time in there, with Sasuke following her suit. The pink haired dancer realized how bad she has screwed the situation up.

Better make a run for it till she had some sanity left into her intoxicated brain. Sakura swore she was never going to touch alcohol again, at least not when she was not in her personal home or surrounded by only her friends.

"Sakura, chill girl!"

"Oh my God, Tennie let's get the heck out of here now!" Sakura threw a worried glance over her shoulder, mentally cursing the lasers that made it impossible for her to identify someone. They all were glowing like aliens, looking alike.

"Out? I don't want out, I want to hit the bar and stay there for at least two months! Or four o'clock in the morning, until they throw me outside."

"That is out of question! Alcohol is…Evil! Yeah, the Devil in a bottle, not like the Genie in a bottle, understand?"

"The Hell are you talking about Sakura?! Are you drunk?" Ten Ten was barely seeing anything in front of her and it was not entirely the colorful laser's fault. She felt stinging tears pricking at the corner of her eyes and Sakura was gripping her shoulders, shaking her body…they were both in high heels on the stairs. Dear Lord.

"Yes!" She was, right? Sakura was not sure if she was drunk or simply insane.

"Well fuck! Come!"

Although Ten Ten more than loathed the idea of going back outside when one barely clad Neji Hyuga was probably venting his frustration out on something or someone, depending on the mood, she understood that the horror creeping on her friend's face was something that had to deal with a certain Uchiha, hence the reason she was in a rush. The chocolate eyed girl was not going to start taking guesses.

"Hurry! Damn all this people and high heels! Tennie I am going to throttle you for making me wear this things!"

"Tell me about it, it is not like I wear it on daily basis! Move, you imbecile!" Ten Ten pushed a random drunkard that had a bottle of Tequila in one hand and the other was free to roam on whatever he could have groped, from breasts to asses.

He got one hell of a punch from a very angry chestnut eyed girl, falling on his butt. Sakura tripped right onto him, her reflexes not working properly.

"Auch! What the…Ten are you still holding my hand?"

"Duh!"

The two girls exited the club like some hideous monster was chasing them, like two leading actresses in a horror movie for teenagers. They had the disheveled clothes, high heels and messy clothes. The only thing missing was blood on their noses and mouths.

"Finally!"

"Why the rush? Have you raped someone or something? Where is Sasori? And Hidan?! Fuck my life, I totally forgot about…" Ten Ten stopped mid sentence, eying Sakura in a funny way. The pink haired girl was panting heavily, her cheeks and neck were tomato red and she was pulling her lower lip constantly.

She totally screamed 'I have a guilty pleasure and I suck at hiding it.' Poor girl. She would have laughed if she wouldn't have done just the same.

Ten Ten`s cognac eyes were flying in all directions, like she was under the influence of psychedelic substances. She felt like that anyways, Neji`s touches still lingering on her skin. But she inhaled deeply once, pulling herself together, rubbing her leaked mascara with her sleeve. She probably looked like a hoe, she was aware.

"I…am a stupid Ten. I am so damn stupid!"

"Sheesh, don't scream like that in the middle of the streets! Come, let's grab a cab or something."

"What cab?!"

Ten Ten slapped her forehead, letting her palm drag along her face, shaking her head. Either Sasori got Sakura high all of sudden, or was suffering from agoraphobia…though the only creatures populating the street were some druggies and hoes hanging on their hands, coming in and out of the club.

"Cab! You know, those yellow cars you see in movies and always charge you twice the price, and you don't have the money to pay and you have a concert to attend and your life depends on it…those kind of stuff."

"You do realize you abused the word and, do you?"

"Ok, so you are able to point out something like this, but you don't know what a cab is? Give me your phone."

Sakura slipped a hand into her pockets, looking like she wanted to reach her knee, emerald eyes pointed upwards, tongue stuck outside, the reply more than convincing. "I don't have it. Bloody Hell Ten Ten, I lost my phone!"

"Oh for crying out loud…where have you lost it? Bar? Dance floor? Bathroom?"

Sakura gripped Ten Ten`s shoulders-again-shoving her nails down the thrown off girl's leather jacket. "Tennie, I think someone must have stolen it!"

"True. You never know in that…"

"Sasuke stole my phone!"

A pair of chestnut eyes went wide as saucers and a palm well placed on Sakura`s loud mouth, successfully silenced the screaming girl. "What the…?! Don't be so loud, Jeez!"

She has seen the alley she and Neji were occupying not long ago, so she more than dragged her crazy friend along, towards…somewhere. She had no idea where. And it was cold as well.

About what her pink haired friend was saying…Ten Ten was not able to process anything at that hour. What was she talking about, because last thing she knew, Sakura has been with Sasori….right?

Clearly, things went a little wrong. And she still didn't have any sign or call from Hidan. Well her phone went out of battery but such was life. Images with Neji and Hidan beating the hell out of each other were shooting through her mind and Ten Ten felt her head spin.

"Tennieeee…I don't…I don't know what is going on here! I don't know anything!"

"What the…girl, just calm down and tell me what the hell are you talking about? Why are you telling me about Sasuke? Where is Sasori?"

Two girls-hot ones-were walking hand in hand, well more than Ten Ten dragging a totally went in La La Land Sakura, who was pouting and tripping on each rock on her way, through the deserted streets, destination unknown. Both in a very deep emotional turmoil, in the verge of tears.

"You don't know Ten…fuck I screw it up big times and and…I am drunk. Tennieee…why am I drunk and so dumb? Why are drunk people idiots?"

"I have no idea, but I totally want to know why do you say you screw it up? C'mon don't let me taking second guesses because you know where my imagination runs, right?"

"I…I kissed Sasori…and he kissed me back and told me he wants to start something beautiful with me…and and…I think we made out!"

Inwardly Ten Ten was freaking out. She has more than crossed a line she shouldn't when getting involved with Neji and allowing him to ravage her feelings again, like he did almost an year ago.

And what did her friend said? Ten Ten turned her head over her shoulder, chocolate tresses hitting her neck and face in the process, looking at a very distressed Sakura, who was biting her nails with her available hands. There went a totally perfect executed French manicure.

"No shit?! Whoa this is new! Well…congratulations I think…wait…why do you look so depressed then?"

"Because he left with Hidan, who looked like he has jumped from a plane without a parachute, supporting a very drunk Deidara. What happened to them, you should know since you have been with them?"

"We were making out intently when Neji and his whore, Amy, emerged from one of the toilets and caught us in the…act. From there…everything can be translated into punches and insults. That until your secret lover boy came and saved the day. Not that. Uchiha…not being aggressive. I think he was high as fuck."

Sakura stopped dead in her tracks, looking at her friend like she has grown a pair of wings. "What?! Oh my…Neji saw you with Hidan…please tell me you at least wore clothes! And why was Sasuke in there?!"

"We did…thankfully…actually he kind of saw me giving him a hand job and I have no idea why he was there, but then that blonde idiot of a senior, Deidara, barged in, totally shitfaced and threw up on Neji`s shirt."

Sakura looked like she was about to have a heart attack. That couldn't have possibly happened. And she was the one thinking she had problems. Ten Ten looked like she was attracting danger…just like her.

"Ok, I am going to overlook the spicy details and freak out at the absurdity of the situation. I mean wow...just speechless."

"You can say that again, because it is worse than you can imagine. Not only that Hyuga bastard made a fool of Hidan, but he actually had the guts to kidnap me and..."

"And what?" Sakura's voice was hoarse and came out whisper like, probably intending to add to the solemn atmosphere.

Ten Ten gave out a tired sigh, rubbing her temple. "We kissed and felt each other up, somewhere at the back of the building, in dark alleys like rats on heat. Well...I could be a hypocrite and say that he was the one to kiss me first, but I found myself reciprocating."

"Are you serious?" Wasn't it obvious from the way she spoke, or has Sakura stupidly thought is was the alcohol getting the best of it?

The chocolate eyed girl nodded once in confirmation. She did her best to ignore the uncomfortable constriction on her chest when Neji's name has been dropped out and mentally calculated whose home was the closest. It was probably hers. "Yeah...and the worst part is that I liked it and he saw that too."

"But you like him so why is the matter then? Do you honestly think he is just playing you?"

"I don't just think Sakura, I am sure he does, either way he wouldn't act like a bitch with me all the times." Her words had a hint of regret that made Sakura consider the fact that there was something else bothering her friend, like a more powerful emotion that had to do with her self trust and it was knocking at her door of sanity.

"Ten this is not entirely your fault, is his as well."

Well, she shared part of the blame, Sakura would be honest with her, after all that was why friends were for: to point out what the others would not tell her and find solutions together.

"I am weak Sakura, why don't you get it?" She spun around to face her pink haired dancer friend, who barely avoided a collision with her back and her tone came harsher than she would have liked.

"No, I don't get it! I don't understand why are you always taking all the blame by yourself?! You are one of the toughest people I know, just like my aunty and the fact that you are still able to say no and admit your faults, even if you are taking it to extremes, it is a solid proof of that!"

"I wish I believed you..." Ten Ten let her eyes rest upon her feet trying to dig in what Sakura was saying. Was she right?

"Don't believe me, but have faith in you. The one that is a pathetic excuse of a strong girl, should be me! I am the one telling Sasori I would be more than ready to take us further, yet have no problems in dirty dancing with Sasuke, after he left with his friends!"

"Oh snap...so were you running of him then?"

"Yeah! I somehow got my conscience back and told him off, though all I thinking about is go there and feel it again."

Ten Ten was stunned at how many things she had in common with the girl she only met one week ago, even the way they viewed their flaws and it both made her happy and sad.

Happy because Sakura understood her and sad because she shared her pain.

"Then you should should consider your own advices more girl, because whoever had the guts to tell that Uchiha off is not a weakling."

"I am Ten Ten, because I regret not doing that. I can fake my attitude towards the others but I cannot fool my feelings. Every thought goes into that direction."

Ten Ten threw a glance over Sakura's shoulder, nibbling her lower lip, her voice dead serious. Well, as serious as a drunk distressed girl could have been. "...go back then. To him, that is."

"Wha...why...no, aren't you listening to what I said? I barely left there, God only knows how and you want me to go running into his arms?"

"Why not? Just as me, you like him and fuck if I am not able to bet you that he kind of does feel something for you as well."

"I know exactly what he feels for me Ten, he is intrigued by the thought I don't kiss the ground he walks on like the others. He wants what he cannot have!"

"Are you that sure Sakura? Because you can never know after all...how this world goes. You know what my mistake with Neji was?" She didn't want to push her friend in the arms of a boy that would make her suffer or toy her, then treat her like shit, but Ten Ten' s motto was that it was better to feel love and lose it, then not feel it at all.

Sakura felt her legs turn into steel and her stomach was screaming at her to feed him. She was beat and she felt confusion taking over her senses. Sakura didn't like confusion, she wanted certainty, control and security. "Mistake? The fact that you left him?"

"No, that was unavoidable. It was the fact that I didn't fight for him. I should have gone and explain to him what happened, instead I walked away and let him draw the conclusions. No wonder he labels me as a whore."

"No, that was not a mistake. He should have trusted you and listened to you instead of staying on the sideline and judge."

"You think so? There is something you should know when getting involved with people like them girl."

"That they have a big ego?" Yeah, if she were to think of Sasuke then Sakura understood what her friend was trying to tell her. She vaguely realized the were heading in an unfamiliar direction, but she didn't question.

"That and the fact that they are no Prince Charming and life with them is not a fairytale either, in the way of stolen kisses under the moonlight and holding hands in a field of poppies. You have to do more than puppy eyes and declare your undying love for such guys to step into their playground."

"You mean they are dangerous and you should proceed with caution? Like the slippery floors on the mall?"

"Why do you care anyways? I thought you have already chosen Sasori."

"..." She had no reply for than, her friend was right. Sakura thought that she might have bumped her head something, because she was thinking to Sasuke and she was curious of his life as well, finding it more and more fascinating.

Sasori was able to show her a fairytale like teenage love, but Sasuke was able to show her raw passion and exploding emotions. The question was, in which direction as she swinging on?

"Love sucks. Major balls. This thing with life is...complicated Tennie."

"I know."

"Where are we going? It is almost four o'clock in the fucking morning and I am...hungry. I think I am way past tired. I am so tired that I don't feel tiredness anymore."

Ten Ten laughed at her friend's complains. She was so cute when she was loosen up. "My home is closer than yours. You can spend the night. Mom overworks it...again."

"So...are we going to be alone then?"

"Why, are you afraid to be left with me? I don't worry, I only rape hot dudes."

"No, I don't mind it haha." Sakura grinned at her friend, linking their arms like they were in the s16th century, resting her head in her shoulder. Having friends was great, especially crazy ones that made her forget about...boys...raven haired handsome ones. "Are you going to make me take the sofa?"

Ten Ten winked pointedly at the pink haired clinging on her dancer. "Nope. I have enough space in the bathtub."

"Kinky! I want food as well. I hope you have cereals."

"Kinky? Wow you actually said it without blushing. Alcohol does magic on you girl. Cereals? I am not a fucking horse. I have ham and burgers and you are going to eat that and pretend you like it."

"...I am going to get fat and it is going to be your fault. And I want my phone back!"

"We can jog in the morning if you want. Want to go back and look for it? I mean duh...we should totally go and do that!"

"No!" Sakura tightened her grip in the chocolate eyed girl's forearm preventing her to turn back to the dreaded club. She liked her small pink flip phone a lot, but like hell would she be in the same place as Sasuke in that...lifetime...or until Monday. "I don't want to meet him , not now!"

Ten Ten eyed her in disbelief, blinking slowly and pursing her lips. Was Sakura serious? "You are willing to abandon your phone just because some stupid boy is there humping other hoes?"

"Yes!" Right, because that was the best thing to do. No one said a drunk Sakura was a smart one.

"The Hell girl?"

"It is not like I am going to find it in that mass of people anyways. That would be a waste of my damn time besides...he kissed my neck...and ear...and he licked my chin..."

Ten Ten was fighting the need to throw her head back and laugh like crazy at the way her friend was sporting a beautiful pale pink hue on her cheeks, but she refrained from mocking her further.

"...Tennieeeee...he suckled on my earlobe, can you believe it?! And...I don't know what he did but it felt good and there is this clench inside my stomach and I feel hot down there and..." She started to scream and in the other passerby's' eyes they looked like hookers at the job.

"Whoa calm down Sakura Jeez. My house is over there." she pointed to some two story house with a large yard behind and a green painted fence...and pumpkins and corn on the stairs. "That white painted one, with the horrible red rooftop. You can scream for as long as you want in there."

"...B-But he kissed my neck! And his tongue was on my...oh damn it...!"

"Come now, don't tell me you haven't enjoyed it." Oh Ten Ten so knew about how she felt, because all the way her friend didn't spell Sasori's name for more than three time. But Sasuke was on her every sentence. Yup, she was a goner.

"...then what about this wet feeling I have on my..."

"Not in here. Marital advices for virgins on my room only."

Ten Ten pushed a still rambling Sakura into her house, locking the door and going straight to the kitchen to grab some food for them. The night has already been fucked up so why bother making a run for the bed anyways?

"Tennie I want Coke."

Sakura was high, Ten Ten decided. And she knew if what: Sasu-cocaine.

}{

Sasuke darted out of the club that started to annoy the hell out of him, panting and having troubles in keeping his balance. He should have drunk less and he should have not let Sakura leave. He was almost there reaching her, when she reunited with her equally demented friend and disappeared from his sight.

Not only he was wandering around the relatively small building-it had one hell of a basement that was for sure-but he was holding a very personal device in his hand, eying the screen that shown the clock, ten missed calls and messages and a wallpaper with a ballerina.

Not any phone. Sakura's phone. She hasn't realized she lost it when she ascended the stairs and collided with some dude that tried to grope her.

Sasuke knew he had to return it because no matter how tempting the idea of reading her messages or check the pictures was, he was not the kind of man to do something so low. That was for people like Neji or Suigetsu.

Speaking of which, his onyx eyes caught the sight of someone with long brown hair, half naked and looking like he has just been rescued from Titanic, fell on the ground, on his butt, smoking.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, mentally cursing his overwhelming generosity for being friends with such imbecile people, approaching the distressed looking Hyuga, resting his back in the wall beside him, playing absentmindedly with the pink phone. Pink hair, pink phone, pink lips, that color started to plague his vision.

"Hyuga, you are a fucking idiot." Sasuke did his best to make it as simple as he could. It was not that he was lying, because he truly considered Neji a fool for playing his cards the way he was doing. And boy did he loathe his fuck toy from the bottom of his heart-yeah, he had such thing as well-not only she was flirting with every dick that crossed her way giving them a bad name, but she was arrogant as well. And no one was allowed to b arrogant there. That was Sasuke`s dream job.

Neji didn't even raise his pale eyes from the ground he was so intently studying, probably following some cockroaches or ants roaming around. He couldn't have been more disgusted. "Fuck off Uchiha."

"Nah...that is for cowards like you. Besides, I am going to be accused of being a dishonest friend. Here." Sasuke threw his jacket on Neji's head, aware of the fact that the Hyuga boy was going to get sick.

And he didn't even know why he cared so much. Ah, yeah, he remembered. Their mothers were friends and they were gossiping about their kids. Mikoto would skin him alive for not taking care of him .

"The fuck...could you at least pretend you are not a dick?"

"Only if you grow a pair of balls and stop being such a douche."

Neji took Sasuke`s jacket, covering his bare torso. Man was he freezing and to his utter stuporn Neji realized that the only reason he has been able to withstand that autumn wind was because of Ten Ten's proximity. Her warmth, her skin, the familiar taste of her vanillas and berry lipstick...his palms were sweating.

And Sasuke was smirking down at him knowingly, shaking his head. Neji frowned at him, without any effect. He loathed that particular friend of his with burning passion for his damn sharp intuition.

And he insulted him nevertheless, although he knew the paled eyed boy couldn't stand to be laughed at. "Look who's talking. The king of manwhores and all the demons."

"At least I am not trying to pretend being the gentleman I am not, like some people I know." Sasuke took a cigarette, handing one to Neji, both taking long drags, like elders with problems.

Sasuke was well fine being considered a delinquent, because he couldn't care less about the others, but Neji considered himself high society, if he ate his burger with a fork and slipped Latin words or French idioms in between his sentences-monologues gosh he loved to brag a lot like Naruto-and that was making Sasuke sick on his stomach.

"I have no idea of what are you talking about."

"This is why I say you are an idiot." Someone was calling Sakura and Sasuke saw the ID. Her aunt. Should he answer? Not if he was trying to avoid suspicion.

Neji snapped at him, trying to be intimidating, although it was quite difficult to do that from the way he bent his knee and had his hands on his lap, like a beggar.

Sasuke felt amused at most. "Stop fucking insulting me, Uchiha!"

"Then stop being one. No wonder you lost her. She saw how much of a pussie you are and laughs at you every chance she gets."

"Are you high or something? Ok, don't answer that cos I already know the answer. Who is making fun of who? Ten Ten is nowhere on my level."

Sasuke made a brief pause, lighting up another cigarette, hating the way his mind was clouded, and not from what he was smoking. He put Sakura's phone into his pocket, letting his hand rest in there as well, looking like a creep stalking her.

"You are right. She is not on your level Hyuga. She is better than you. I can say by the way she looked like back there and the way you look like you sell newspapers at the metro station, that you did more than talk. And I bet she was the one rejecting you."

"You have no idea what you are talking about."

"Is it no true? I don't give a shit is you screw that whore of your girlfriend, or whatever the hell you call her, Amy, until she has STDs on sale, for Christmas, but be a man and listen to your guts for once in your stupid existence."

Neji was taken aback by the calm, yet dangerous tone in Sasuke`s low voice. Since when did he become such...deep? "I have no intention in going back to Ten Ten if this is what it bothers you."

"I didn't say make up with her. I say listen to what she has to say. And don't look at me like the dobe in math, because you know what I am talking about." Sasuke had no idea why was he interfering into Neji's love life, like he could have given a damn about that, but he knew about their breakup and he knew the truth.

The fact that he decided to not disclose it to his oblivious friend was crystal clear. If the Hyuga was not willing to fight for her, he didn't deserve her. It was not his place to make sure he had the correct image of how things truly happened. It was Neji's.

"That is history. She is just a slut like all the others." Neji decided to push Sasuke`s buttons a little bit, not liking his reproachful tone.

Uchiha started to sound like his uncle-they were brooding and staring alike as well, which was scary-and that made him angry. Or rather...he spoke the truth and Neji did not want to hear the truth and admit he was wrong.

"Like that pink haired dancer you want to bang."

Neji didn't overlook the way Sasuke tightened the hold he had on his cigarette, but surprisingly his face remained just as impassive. Inwardly, he was envisioning really inspiring ways to torture the brown haired Hyuga and deprive him of his manly parts. "She has nothing to do with this."

"No shit? What about Ronja? Isn't it the same as them?"

Sasuke remained impassive again and that put a frown on Neji`s face. Why was there to lie about when everybody knew the truth? "No."

"Heh...you are the one that can't let go yet…you call me delusional. Keep on dreaming Uchiha or rather…lust after her."

"I am not lusting after her. She is the one running away."

"From you."

A small deviously smirk. Sasuke threw the butt of the cigarette on the ground, stepping on it, hands slipped into his pockets. "From her fears…that is a battle she has to win herself."

"What the…"

"Where is Suigetsu? Our supposed to be DD." Sasuke didn't want to start on a philosophic conversation with the Hyuga from all the people. That one was in denial of his own feelings, yet he had the guts to bring up the topic Ronja.

Oh the mere thought of that girl made his blood boil in rage. How stupid could he have been to…he needed to get away from that place. His home was not an option, Sasuke decided. So it was his uncle's villa.

Neji stood up, dusting his Jeans, coming beside his brooding friend. "I have no idea. Probably dying in some corner of that I am not sure. I don't give a fuck either."

"Good. Then we take a ca…" Something unbelievable caught Sasuke`s attention, cutting his sentence short, making his eyes go wide as plates in disbelief. Was that joint he has smoked that strong, because he could have sworn in front of the altar that he has just seen his best friend along with Neji`s girl cousin, holding hands and exiting the club.

"What? Have you realized I am right and decided to repent?"

"Motherfuking…I am killing that dobe, mark my words." Sasuke pointed his finger in the direction of the oblivious pair that has just crossed them, totally not paying attention to anything, but them alone.

And Naruto has kissed Hinata`s hand, upon their intertwined fingers. He snorted loudly at Hyuga`s stupid looking face. That was worse than Deidara throwing up on him. Priceless, should he record it, Sasuke wondered.

"W…What….is that Hinata?! And Naruto?! Why the fuck are those…oh don't tell me…"

"I already confirmed you are an imbecile, but I didn't think you are blind as well. Isn't it obvious they are on a date?"

Neji wasn't even listening to Sasuke, instead he was marching towards the happy pair, with the sole intention to bitch at them for their…their guts! Yeah, guts to appear as a couple in public. For Heaven's sake, that was the most disgusting scene he has witnessed that day. "Is this some kind of twisted joke I don't understand? Cos it is totally not funny at all!"

That made both Naruto and Hinata stop dead in her tracks, the reaction immediate. Hinata`s lavender eyes went impossibly wide, gripping Naruto`s hand, while he protectively put a hand around her shoulder, bringing her closer to him, grinning down at Neji. "I assure you my dear jealous friend that I will not joke when it comes to Hinata."

Neji could have sworn he saw red and he had a rising headache that made his temples burst. "I cannot believe my uncle let you to the club Hinata and judging by your reaction he doesn't know about it. Oh that will not be too pleasant."

"N-Neji I…"

"Oh, cut it already Neji, why picking up on her? Dude just…go nag someone else, will yea?" Naruto had enough of that kind of attitude.

If the Hyuga wanted to be his friend that was good, but no one was going to mock Hinata ever again, until he was still breathing, that was a vow Naruto made since they started dating.

Sasuke came beside Neji, standing in front of the two people, an eyebrow rose, studying them intently, like they were artworks in a museum, mentally laughing his ass out loud at the ridicule of the situation. Neji was making a fool of himself big times and it was damn funny.

That until he remembered the scratch he got on his car…it was ten inches long and…his plate number had to be replaced…he furrowed his eyebrows at Naruto, the said blonde quickly catching his meaning, rubbing the back of his neck apologetically, laughing awkwardly.

Someone was going to get beaten up soon and Sasuke would have been more than pleasant to deliver some punches to his stupid looking face, but he wouldn't do it in front of his…he almost gagged when he said girlfriend, like Neji did. He had more class than that. Duh.

"Hehehe…Teme, you here man, too?"

"Leave that, I asked you a question. The heck do you think you are doing?" Though no one actually understood who was Neji screaming at, nor did they seem to care. Sasuke stayed there silent, eyes glued on the pair, suddenly seemed more interested.

That, until he finally spoke and made the others envision themselves fell on their backs, in their heads, anime style, addressing solely to Hinata. "Do you drive?"

It took the shy Hyuga girl three minutes to recover from shock and answer him, in a voice so tiny, that if you have breathed, you would have missed it. "I-I….D-Do."

"Hn…good." Sasuke nonchalantly threw the key to the lavender eyed girl, she barely catching them and walked passed the little assembly, urging them to follow him in the parking lot. "You drive."

"WHAT?! Teme, why can't I drive instead?!"

"Because like Hell I am going to have you near the driver's seat of my car in this lifetime, you idiot. You drive like the loser you are and you took driving lessons with Gorillas on Ecstasy."

"Hey, that is not true! Someone might have put that trash can in my way!" They were already in front of Sasuke`s other car-a shiny dark blue Porsche Cayenne-with Hinata slowly approaching the car, like it was the lion's cage at the Zoo, with Sasuke climbing on the passenger seat and the other two guys on the back seat.

Mentally, the Uchiha thought how much would the fine be to make them climb the trunk instead, actually not having any idea of why did he care about that, since he had all the money in the world to play. Aha, he didn't have a trunk. Damn stupid car.

"Someone might have been put your nose in the way of your eyes and prevented you from seeing clearly. You fucking imbecile."

"Who do you call imbeci…"

"The heck, I am not finished with screaming at the two of you! Hiashi-sama is going to find out about this!"

"Fuck Neji, stop screaming into my ear damn it, I had enough back there man!"

"Quiet, or I am going to murder you two and I am not ashamed to do it in public."

"Ahm…S…Sasuke…w…how…I mean what is the shift pattern on the lever…I don't see the reverse…"

Sasuke promptly and unceremoniously banged his head on the window. They were going to be home on Monday. God help him. Why wasn't he driving anyways? Oh yeah…because he kept on thinking of emerald sparkling eyes and…the confession that she did not hate him.

}{

"What is the time again?"

A moan like voice came from her right, muffled by the pillow that was covering her head. How could Ten Ten be able to sleep with her head buried under the pillow was way beyond Sakura`s understanding.

Not to say harmful for the girl's cervical. "…girl…for fuck`s sake…how late could it be since five minutes ago you have asked me this question?"

"I would like to see, but the alarm clock is on your side and I can't see." Sakura felt like she had sand on her eyes and her eyelids felt heavy and stuck with glue. She was yawning constantly, but sleep wouldn't come to her.

She was that beat tired. Damn those nights wasted in the clubs were all the same: have fun during the night, being a zombie the whole week, especially for those like Sakura that didn't hit the clubs on daily basis. Wasting nights like that was horror for her.

"Why does it matter anyways?"

"I need to call aunty Tsunade and let her know I am here, before she freaks out and calls the police."

"Mmmm…you know, that would be fun because some of Sasuke`s family are police officers. They will call him as a witness and your little love affair is going to be disclosed." Ten Ten felt like shit. The two girls didn't even take a shower after they stuffed their faces with whatever the fridge contained, but hit the pillow instead trying to sleep.

They were both clad in their panties and Ten Ten`s oversized T-shirts with skulls on flames, bras thrown carelessly alongside their clothes on the floor. That looked suspicious if someone would have walked inside and saw them.

Sakura felt the headache she had double at the mere thought of Sasuke. She barely slept for three hours, but she barely had any trace of alcohol down her system, so she was kind of sober.

And horror crept on her spine when she realized what she has done…and who has she done it with.

The pink haired girl threw a hand around her friend's shoulders, resting her head on her shoulder, sounding like someone from her family died…again. "Teeeenieeeee…."

"Whaaaaaaay aaaareeeee you talking like thiiiissssss?" The said girl didn't even flinch away. Has she been crying, because her voice was hoarse? Sakura couldn't be sure though.

"I don't want Monday to come!"

"Good, because today is Sunday…I guess. That if we haven't been kidnapped by aliens or thrown some thousand years in the future…or past. Go check the streets and see if we still have cars around."

"I mean it Ten, I fucked this up big times. Give me the phone…or something that speaks for the matter."

Ten Ten turned around to face her friend, feeling too out of energy to laugh at the way her makeup was leaking on her cheeks and forehead. That was one good totally wasted Halloween makeup. "I have no idea where is my phone, nor do I care. Go call Tsunade from the home phone."

Sakura rolled on her side and got off the bad, having problems in standing, feeling the room spin. "Whh…Where is the phone anyways?"

The answer was speaking volumes about the chestnut eyed girl's personality. "I have no idea. I usually give a bip from my mobile to locate it."

"…there is nothing intelligent crossing my mind at this hour to give you an answer Ten, so please understand this three words: What the fuck?! How can you not know where is your home phone?!"

"Like I ever use that. Only mom uses it to talk to our annoying badmouthing relatives on holidays, or when someone dies and call us to the funeral. Just go and check on the kitchen or halls or wherever they place it on the movies. The horror ones."

"Well damn…and how do I call my aunt then?" Sakura looked at the clock, seeing that it was already 9 am, then went to the window, her emerald eyes taking in the sunny day and the people jogging on the streets or walking their dogs.

Ten Ten lived in a fancy neighborhood and actually she was not that poor as Sakura has suspected. "Let's go outside and run some laps."

That made Ten Ten open her eyes for the first time that morning. "What? Running? The only thing I want to run is the coffee machine. Ah, go downstairs and make us some strong coffee with extra sugar and then I might reconsider to actually move a finger and come down."

"So will we run?"

"I said nothing about the running part."

Sakura was already downstairs, feeling shivers bolting down her bare thighs. Damn was it cold inside. It looked like it was sunny all right, but the air was cold. "That is an yes!"

"No! I am tired! I want to sleep! And coffee!" And secretly…she wanted Neji out of her mind. "Fuck!" Ten Ten covered her face with the pillow, muffling a loud scream. She was feeling like she has been doing push ups for the past two days non stop and her feelings were a rollercoaster.

"Girl…I remembered where the phone is!" She jumped off the bed and headed downstairs just in time to witness her friend spilling boiled water all over the stove and sink, palms on her head.

"The hell happened in here?"

"I have no idea. It just slipped from my hands. Tennie…do you think I have Parkinson?"

Ten Ten prompted her shoulder in the door frame, folding her arms over her chest, eying her friend in disbelief. That was one clumsy future wife all right. Se secretly laughed at the image of her being married to Sasuke and the poor man being forced to do housework because of his pink haired woman. Funny as fuck.

"I have no idea what that means, but it sounds fancy."

}{

A pair of bright blue tired eyes were peeking at the white ceiling above, trying to check on the vital signs of the owner.

He was breathing all right, he was seeing ,which was a confirmation that he was somehow sober, all the muscles in his body were stiffened, which was good, because if he was feeling pain, then he was not paralyzed and he was lying on something hard.

Good. The first stage was complete and Deidara confirmed he was alive, which was a wonderful thought, he concluded. The difficult part was yet to come, because he actually had to stand up and drag his limp body to the shower, where he could drown in peace under the hot steam.

But when he tried to stand, he bumped his head on the glass coffee table, falling on his back again, with a loud thud and a colorful curse that crossed his electrocuted mind. "Fuck….the fucking shit am…"

Then he started to gain back his senses. Why has he hit his head on something hard, since he was sleeping on his bed?!

His eyes went saucers wide, somehow managing to get from under the table and grip the edge of the sofa, looking in the direction of the mysterious occupant of his supposed to be place for slumber.

A slender body…delicious feminine curves covered with a man's jacket…pale milky skin…long legs…pajamas…angelic sleeping face…unusual hair color…his stupid mind was not able to put two and two together at that hour, plus his vision was kind of foggy and his eyes dry and blood shot.

So he reached the magnificent conclusion one could have had in his situation, gripping the blanket-he hasn't even realized he was covered with something-tightly and screaming like a banshee that saw a frightening spider on her shoulder.

"AAAAAHHHHHHH! I have been raped by a hot chick and I don't recall the events!"

That woke up the other occupants, scaring the living daylights out of all of them. Guren was rubbing her eyes, looking confused in the direction of the noise, eyebrows curled up in panic, thinking that something bad might have happened.

A shoe came flying from the hall, perfectly aiming Deidara`s mouth, making his head snap backwards, hitting the coffee table's edge again, successfully silencing him. Sasori was looking like he was about to murder someone on the spot…with Hidan`s scythe in his hand.

Guren asked herself if that was one of the situations where people were advised to call the police and try to escape on the windows, praying that some mentally deranged would have no other stuff to do than play Spider Man and rescue her.

"You!" he pointed the scythe towards a very anxious looking blonde haired artist, his voice throaty and robotic. "You…woke Samira up you fucking shitfaced fag looking moron! I am going to skin you alive, jail be damned!"

Deidara fainted right on the spot. With his red hair sticking in all the directions imaginable, clad in only his pajama pants and bare torso, bangs under his equally auburn darkened in anger eyes and that menacing voice, Sasori looked like Sweeney the Todd, the scythe version.

Guren was more than glad that she was going to spend her remaining time in the Uchiha household. "…Please tell me that thing is for one of your projects at school…"

Samira came in the doorway looking at the scene in front of her, giggling at her dad, much to her mother's horror. That couldn't have possibly happened. "Daddyy…I…want one like that too!" And pointed at the scythe.

It was in that moment when Sai and Hidan decided to make a glorious appearance on the flat, with the grey haired senior kneeing in front of the present audience, hands raised in the air, dreamy eyes and anime tears. "One more atheist converted to Janshinism!"

Sai was noting down the things unfolded under his eyes, nodding contently, smiling in that awkward way only he knew. "I read in a book about families and their bonding time. I understand now how it works. Happy families love to cosplay in the morning, to give each other a good wake up call."

Then he rubbed his short dark hair with the pen, thinking deeply. "I wonder…should I cross-dress as a sexy maid as well?"

}{

"Ten Ten, please do explain me why cannot I move my legs anymore?"

"Well let me see…hm…I have a feeling that it has to do with the fact that we have been running like two crazy women for three hours flat, around this damn park!"

"Don't tell me you are still angry at Kiba`s dogs. They are cute actually. One of them looked like Sasuke`s uncle. The hot one. The same hairstyle. He even licked my hand."

Sakura was taking her time in licking a tasty big melon and vanilla, with caramel topping on it ice cream, mentally thinking about that fast food they have just passed.

For some unknown reason, she was in a relatively good mood that morning, after she more than threatened her chocolate eyed friend to join her for the morning training, of course, clad in some of her clothes. She has been too lazy to go back home and take some of hers.

Ten Ten was drinking her miraculous water full of electrolytes that were doing something to the adrenaline and neurons that no one knew exactly what, but thought it was amazing, stuffing her face with her own ice cream, that was more like a combination of all the assortments possible. Only she would have asked for an extra large with three toppings.

Well, she was in a really good shape and Sakura learned that Ten Ten was intently training for the track and field team, especially when she knew that starting the next day, they would be getting flyers with the clubs they wanted to take part in and apply for them.

And that made her think about the dancing team and Ronja. Oh, she had one hell of a work to do if she wanted to be part of their crew. That was why Sakura decided she was going to have a routine from there one and train like she used to.

Of course, after spending time in the club until four o'clock in the morning, she felt her knees tremble like a jelly fish and her all muscles felt…she couldn't feel any of it actually and that was a scary thought.

Like a wandering soul without a body. And the ice cream felt good, despite the cold weather. Everyone eyed them like the two girls were escaped from the mental hospital.

They had white T-Shirts and eating ice cream…when there were barely 10 Celsius outside. Yeah, they were that insane, Sakura and Ten Ten knew. But they couldn't care less about that.

Plus, they have met Kiba and two of his dogs, doing morning exercises as well and much to Sakura`s horror he actually invited her at the same party Sasori did, but she had a good excuse not to join them.

Sakura politely told him she was going to have a date already, until Ten Ten bluntly told him that she was fucking someone hotter and that didn't smell like some animal's pee, letting them both mouth agape.

The emerald eyed girl pushed her crazy friend aside and chatted some more with her class mate, finding out that one of those cute dogs was called Akamaru and he took care of him since he was a puppy and the other, was his sister's and had a name she couldn't remember-not that she actually cared-but they seemed to like her. Kiba told her the dogs were not friendly with anyone and they were able to sense the good and bad people, and were only respectful and friendly with the kind ones.

Sakura bit her lip in order to prevent him to ask what did it mean for a dog to pee on someone's car, but refrained from doing so. Dogs loathed Madara for a reason, apparently.

Then they parted ways and the two girls carried on with their laps around the park, avoiding collisions with the elders that were lying themselves they still had the bones of a twenty years old, looking like running in slow motion, for shampoos commercials and small kids with bikes. Those were the worst! The little monsters had Naruto`s stamina which was a frightening thought.

But the worst part was that Akamaru bit Ten Ten`s shoe. Oh that made her snap and bad. She started throwing a tantrum, threatening Kiba with decapitation, flailing her fists in his direction, making him run for his life when she started to enlist the silent methods of killing she knew.

"Aish…stop talking about that loser already, is getting on my nerves! Fucking disgusting creature let his saliva on my precious running shoes, look!"

"No thanks, let me enjoy this ice cream and I do want it to stay in my stomach, thank you very much. I talked to my aunty, she is going to remain at the hospital till evening."

"Why? Is there a spreading disease or something?"

"Nah. They are short on staff. Apparently, everyone is on vacation all of sudden and there are not enough medics for the night shafts. But she told me Madara is there as well to keep an eye on his subordinates and she is not that alone. Not too many patients and only two emergencies, but she has to be there physically.'"

Before they left Ten Ten`s home, Sakura has managed to locate the home phone and call her aunt, because her friend threw her cell phone in the washing machine, so she actually had to call herself from her home phone to find it.

She told her she and her friends had a lot of fun and everything went smoothly, without any unfortunate event-she kind of lied big time there, but well, what happened transcended human logic anyways-and she was spending the day at Ten Ten`s, which Tsunade was totally fine with.

Then, Ten Ten`s mother, Sara, who was a model looking short brown haired woman with the coolest attitude ever-she should let her and Tsunade meet because their personalities totally matched-came and prepared a decent breakfast for the two girls, meeting Sakura. They quickly got along, because the older woman was just like Ten Ten, in terms of attitude.

"Anyways, why are you so adamant in torturing your lungs and feet with a session of running after hitting the clubs and having no more than few hours of sleep?"

It was already 1 pm and Sakura was glad Ten Ten's mother prepared some toast, eggs and green tea for them before they went jogging, either ways she would have been flat on the ground or in one of her aunt's hospital beds which was a scary thought, if she was to consider Ten Ten's ideas of her and Madara keeping each other's company, meaning going at it in every available room.

"I have to train and gain stamina first if I hope to be part of Ronja's team."

"I saw rabbits dancing better than some of those girls, you know?" Sakura finished her ice cream, taking a quick lick on her finger of the tasty topping, following her friend towards Hinata's home, where they decided to have a learning session-more like gossiping, eyebrows furrowed at her obvious insult.

Then she quickly realized she has been confusing. "No, I am not talking about the whole dancing club and the whole assembly. I am talking about the one that takes part in the competitions, you know? That of only five members that lacks two. I am aiming for one of those positions."

"Cool. Then that is another story. I saw the way they train because we had to share the gym often during upcoming competitions and I must say their 6 hours of continuous training were no child's play."

"Thanks for trying to make me feel good Ten. That helped my cause. Are you sure Hinata doesn't mind us going to bother her? I feel bad for her not being there with us yesterday."

"Don't worry. I am sure she had her fair share of entertainment." Ten Ten elbowed her pink haired friend playfully, making the said girl frown. She didn't like that grin. It was mischievous.

"What do you mean by that?"

The answer got her fangirling. "She had a date with Naruto."

}{

-half an hour later. Hinata's home-

"Hina, tell your mom that she is a genius of pastry. This coffee and almonds biscuits should take a Nobel. Yummy, how does she gets the dough so...soft?"

"T-thank you. She is mixing the eggs with sugar and a lot of vanilla flavored butter. I-I helped her too."

"Cool." Ten Ten was resting on the carpet, back pressed on the bed and her arms spread on the floor, her bare toes touching the ones of the other two occupants of the room.

After Hinata's mother has welcomed them into her home, with cookies and a warm big smile, greeting Sakura, who she has heard of but never met before, the two girls went straight into her friends large Princess like chamber, with a pink haired girl marveling at the beautiful Victorian style villa, much to their amusement.

Though, she was a little gone in Neverland for the moment, her emerald eyes hanging open as plates, stuffing her face with food. Ten Ten spread her leg and kicked her ankle in a wake up call manner.

Was she actually able to feel the taste of what she was eating? She has just chocked on a napkin. That was no food. "Hello, Terra to Venus, responding please!"

Hinata looked worriedly at her dancer friend's frozen in terror expression. Was it better to not have disclose all the truth and only hand her the troublesome device slipping a little white lie in between her stuttering explanation? "Sakura, I...I think this is n...not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?! Holly fuck Hinata, Sasuke has found my phone, MY phone! What if he read our messages and my mails and watched the videos and the pictures and..." She was flailing and her mouth was full of cookies, more than spiting on her friend's Egyptian wool and silk carpet.

"So what? Who the hell cares if he did? That would only prove how much of a pig he really is." The first thing that Hinata told them after they barged into her room was 'to tell Sakura that Sasuke got her phone, which she was returning.

And apparently the pink haired girl found it cataclysmic, instead of a relief that it has not been found by a stranger to make her bill worth the President's one, or spread the pictures online.

What really interested her was her unexpected and totally secret date with Naruto in the very same club and how she drove Sasuke`s ridiculous expensive car, getting to their destination in two hours instead of twenty minutes, because she was afraid not to break something and drove a Cayenne at the astonishing speed of 30 mph. She even told them that Neji fell asleep thrice because he was drunk.

Sakura snapped her eyes at the chocolate eyed friend who shrugged once, rolling her eyes and aimed for a bottle of orange juice. Home made one. "Wha...Ten, are you seriously not seeing the problem here? What if he read my messages to you where I cursed his guts to the Hell and back or worse the ones where you made me say I find his ass sexy? Or my sweet flirty messages to Sasori?"

"So what? He already knows you have the hots for him, but you chose Sasori instead. And it is not like you have compromising pictures with you or something there."

Sakura flipped her phone open, quickly navigated through the menu and as soon as she found the picture she was looking for, she shoved the screen under Ten Ten`s nose. "What does this look like to you?"

Hinata came beside the chestnut eyed girl, lavender eyes filling with horror. Ten Ten furrowed her eyebrows, the glass she wanted to empty frozen midway on her lips. "Why in the world do you have a photo with you clad in your underwear in the mirror?"

"I wanted to check on my new lingerie aunt Tsunade more than threatened me to wear, Jeez! What if he saw this? What would he say about me?!"

"That you have a killer body and big boobs. Maybe make it his phone wallpaper or the desktop picture of his laptop, who knows?"

"YADA! No way in Hell! My life is ruined!"

"Gosh relax girl, it is not like he saw that anyways. Do you honestly think Uchiha is that much of a loser? I mean, he is a loser, but not a total hopeless case, you know? More importantly is why our supposed to be shy friend of ours over here, haven't tell us about her rendezvous with Naruto?"

Hinata was blushing madly, avoiding everyone's eyes. Sakura was panicking somewhere in the background, but she had half of her attention towards the Hyuga girl nonetheless. "I…I…he…he invited me to go a…and I couldn't have said no…bec…because I…"

"Oh, c`mon Hina, stop being this shy will you? You totally ditched your friends in favor of that dude. What have we talked about? Girls before manwhores."

"Stop teasing her Ten, I think is totally romantic. I mean, they went to some kind of secret date alone, enjoying each other's company! Fairytale like! I am soooo glad for you Hinata!" Sakura threw her arms around her dark haired friend, giving her a peck on her check, the said girl returning her embrace immediately.

"Romantic? Sakura, you even find the fact that Uchiha grinded his body on yours on the dance floor romantic and let me tell you that he was not thinking about what cheesy Shakespeare line should he use to compliment your sparkling green eyes. As for you young lady, you are a goner. At least that Naruto is having serious thoughts about you. Because if he doesn't…"

"He hasn't grinded his body on my own. We have danced!" Yeah, right, if kissing necks, feeling asses, shoulders, steel pectorals and muscled backs was considered dancing, then Sakura was on the right side.

"Naruto is really sweet. He bought me ice cream and he kissed me when we rode the boat!" It took all her might for Hinata not to stutter while confessing. A choir of 'whats' and 'OMGS' followed.

"He kissed you?! OMGOMGOMG totally-sweet-and-romantic-I-am-dying-to-know-the-details-was-it-French?"

"He bought you ice cream and you rode the boat? What the hell, is he obsessed with fishing or something? Careful Hina, cos you know what they say about the ones that like to catch on big fishes: they lack p…"

"Don't finish that sentence Ten Ten!" Hinata covered her eyes with her palms, a mad angry blush spreading over her pale neck. Sakura threw an airplane origami folded napkin in her direction. "W-We are not l-like that and he kissed my cheek! And it was wonderful!"

"He kissed your…oh like seriously, and here I thought it was going to be hot and spicy. You made me get excited in vain. Now I have to stuff my face to replace the adrenaline rush. Wow, this is cool Sakura. You can sell this things in the cafeteria."

"From a medical point of view, that was completely wrong. Besides, I like the way their relationships progresses. Taking it baby steps is the best course of action." Sakura came to sit beside Hinata, both eating cookies, eying Ten Ten.

The said girl had a dumbfounded expression on her face, killing the remote control in search of a good music channel on TV. Apparently, there were only hot news at that hour, with car crashes and how much the global economy sucked.

"I think you are not the one to talk about that Sakura. You still haven't told us what was the deal with Sasuke and Sasori. And you even made me tell you everything about me and Neji. Oh shit, I haven't called Hidan yet. Do you think they left?"

"Totally! I mean, they had a plane to catch in the morning. I tried to call Sasori, but he has no signal. There is nothing for me to say. Sasori is willing to overlook the fact that Sasuke hung up on him after the dinner and give us a chance."

She was biting her lower lip to suppress a small smile, making Ten Ten slap her check. Her friends…needed therapy. "And I liked it. I like him."

"T…This is g-great. I am glad for you Sakura."

"Thanks Hinata, you are a sweetheart. No wonder Naruto is all over you."

"Ok, so you like Sasori. Good. But why were you running from Sasuke then and why were you dancing with him?"

Sakura sighed in exasperation, feeling a painful clench down her stomach. It happened to her whenever the topic Sasuke was brought up and it started to bother her.

"I went back into the club to look for you, my lost insane friend, but while you were busy sucking faces with Hinata` s cousin, Sasuke came and took me by surprise, starting to flirt and dance with me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Slap him until his face flew in the other side of the club and run, obviously! But what have you done instead: starting to dance with him and make out. What have I told you? You like him, stop denying it, everyone can see."

"I-Is it t-true, Sakura?"

"…not in the way Ten makes it sound. We dancer all right but it was…it was in the spur of the moment!" Sakura unexpectedly stood up and started pacing around the room, biting her nail, like Tsunade used to do when distressed, focusing her emerald eyes on the ground, driving their friends dizzy. "I don't know what came up to me! I mean…I was drunk, I know I was but…I don't even know how to put it!"

She stopped looking down at her friends, a panicked and confused expression dancing into her widened jade orbs made their friend get pity on her. It was quite a rare sight to see such a strong girl like Sakura so down.

"What exactly? The way you feel about him?" Ten Ten already knew what bothered her friend, she too being in the same situation. Sakura was having contradicting impulses and she had no idea who to listen to: her heart or her mind.

"D-Do you feel more than you should for Sasuke?" Hinata was quite insightful for an inexperienced girl like her. Ten Ten raised an eyebrow at that. That was one interesting case.

"How should I describe it? is…when I am with Sasori, he makes me happy and safe and I feel that he is the kind of guy that can give me the kind of young romance we see in the movies…on the other hand, when I am with Sasuke I feel things that I am not able to feel around everyone else and this scares me."

Sakura made a brief pause, trying to voice out her thoughts as best as she could. In all honesty, she was quite confused of what she really felt for each guy. Her friends were there not to judge though, they were there to help and that gave her confidence.

"I…he makes me feel like I can do everything and be everything you know? It is not difficult to be more like myself and less like the others want me to be when I am with Sasuke."

"What?" Ok, so Ten Ten actually didn't need Sakura to confirm she had a crush on the raven haired Uchiha. But her friend started to talk about deeper feelings that didn't sit right with a total normal liking on a hot popular guy. The way she made it sound was…

"T-This is more than you feel for S-Sasori, Sakura." Good, so Hinata was not sleeping either, Ten Ten realized. If even the smart Hyuga realized what Sakura`s problem was then she had another thing coming. That was no good.

"I have one hell of a problem girls. I mean, I don't know what happens to me around Sasuke and I don't want to see him tomorrow! Oh God I don't want to go to school!" She bent her head in defeat, crying out in frustration and messing her short pink hair. Deep down, she already made her choice. But…was it truly what she was looking for?

Passion. Raw, burning passion.

The kind that intoxicated the brain and poisoned the vision with sensual whisperings and greedy touches. And the one to give her that…

Was not Sasori.

The chocolate haired girl's stare softened, her voice dropping an octave, trying not to sound harsh. She was mad at the popular gang for playing with their feelings and more than that, she was angry with Sasuke for toying with her friend's feelings.

Maybe it was not a bad idea to consider paying him a short visit and threaten him into letting her friend alone. Ten Ten was not afraid of Sasuke, not in a million years. "Girl…you…I think you are in lo…"

"I think you should listen to your own heart talking." Definitely something was fishy with Hinata all of sudden, Ten Ten realized, because not only she was talking with more confidence about such topics, but she was not blushing so madly at that either. It made the blonde Uzumaki look like a magician.

That made Sakura`s stare fly on the Hyuga`s direction. Was she implying she should…she couldn't do that, because it meant digging her own grave. "Wha…no! Under no circumstance will I do such thing. I already made my choice and I think me and Sasori are going to be fine. In fact, if you stop talking about Sasuke he is going to vanish from my mind. So do me a favor and don't bring up that topic anymore. It gets me depressed."

"We don't. But you are talking about him every two seconds. It is your choice though. Me and Hina are going to support your decision and nag you about how imbecile that might be, whenever you need it."

"Yes. We are going to do that. I have my own confession to make." Hinata had the undivided attention of her two friends, trying to get the conversation in another direction and not make Sakura even more uncomfortable. "I am going to…j-join the choir audition next month."

Two pairs of arms pulled her in a tight group hug, kissing her cheeks and squeezing her hard, fangirling and congratulating her.

"Oh my God Hinata, I am so going to be there and cheer for you! Hell, I am going to bring you roses on every concert!"

"Fuck yeah Hina, you show them what you got!"

And their joy only lasted for one more minute, before a throaty manly low voice came from the other side of the door, the owner knocking loudly-more like banging-on the door, making the three girls jump ten feet up, pulling their hair.

"Hinata, are you there? Aunt says you have aspirin."

Ten Ten was already calculating her chances to survive if she was to jump on the window. Hinata had a large, old three, with thick branches that came to touch the window…

"Hina, what the fuck is your twerp cousin of yours doing here?!" Ten Ten did her best to keep her voice to a whispering level, cognac eyes gleaming with anger. Oh, she so wanted to open the door, pull him inside by his hair and beat the heck out of him for having the guts to start making out with her the day before.

Hinata looked like she was in the verge of having a heart attack. "H-He l…lives here, remember? I-I was the one t…that brought him home last night and…"

"Forget that, go there and tell him to fuck off, so we can leave this place without being seen!"

"Hinata! I need that damn pill now, or else you will call the ambulance in the next few seconds!"

"Motherfucking ungrateful son of a… I am going to give you a reason to call the ambulance Hina, just give me a second…" Ten Ten promptly marched towards the door, with the sole intention of murder Neji right on the spot. Unbelievable, how could she have overlooked that Neji was going to be there as well, basically living in their home?

Another low angry voice came from the other side of the door. "Hyuga, are you done screaming or are you trying extra hard to be more annoying than the fucking dobe?" She felt someone tugging on her arm, pulling her backwards harshly.

Sakura was in hysterics, not giving a damn about the two guys from the hall. "HOLLY SHIT! Don't open that door!" She snapped her head backwards, emerald eyes searching for the lavender looking just as shocked ones, silently asking her what was going on in her home. "Hinata, why…what is Sasuke doing here?!"

"I-I have no idea! Maybe Neji called h-is friends over…he…he kind of does it every Sunday, it is some kind of ritual the boys have…"

"So it is not the first time?! Why didn't you tell us, like totally!" She turned around to face an unmoving Ten Ten, trying to calm down. Venting on Hinata was pointless, because it was obvious that she was not at fault for the uncomfortable situation. "Girl, we have to get out of here."

"Hey, what is going on in there? Are you alone? I hear voices!"

"And what would you have expected to hear, barking? Stupid Hyuga…"

"Go fuck yourself Uchiha! Hinata, are you in there or not?! I know you are, so open this door as in now!"

It took Sakura only three seconds to bolt to the window, pull it open, inhale sharply once and jump on the closest branch, hanging on the three like a monkey, trying to find a foothold. Hinata went white as a wall, placing a hand on her racing heart.

"S-Sakura!"

"Shit, I knew she is crazy! I am calling you later Hinata, thanks for the cookies, tell your mother I want the recipe! Bye!" Ten Ten was right on her dancer friend's tail, both making their way down the thick three, cursing at the scratches they got, jumping from the last branch that separated them from the ground, landing on their butts.

Hinata came running to the window, gripping the frame and looking down in horror. Their friends were both demented, that was for certain. "A…Are you guys all right?"

"YEAH! We should do this more often together, you know?"

"Bye Bye Hina, tell Neji he could go die, because the planet is going to thank him for not consuming oxygen anymore!"

A quick wave and they were gone, making their way through the large garden, escaping on the other confined gate the Hyuga mansion had, that connected their home with the main street.

She shook her head once in disbelief, shutting the window, taking a bottle of aspirin and opened the window, her lavender eyes colliding with a pair of equally pale angry and bored onyx ones.

"H-Here. Aspirin."

Neji took the said object, quickly gulping two pills, muttering a forced thank you. Sasuke did the same, only he took only one medicine and put more effort into thanking Sakura`s friend-and Naruto`s girlfriend, that is going to take him time to get used to, damn the mental images-letting his sharp eyes scan the room Hinata has emerged from, looking for other possible occupants. For a moment he could have sworn he heard other voices as well.

Familiar voices. He was having one hell of a hangover as well.

"Are you alone? I heard voices." Neji was looking curiously at his girl cousin. Normally he didn't give a damn about what she was doing, but the girl had the habit of inviting her losers friends over to chat about…things nerds talk about-probably filling each other in with the latest beatings they got-and he was quite interested in a particular one.

A hot girl with two buns.

Hinata gulped once, shutting her eyes to avoid being seen through and lied as smoothly as she could. "No. I was watching videos online and they were funny. There is no one in here."

"Huh…I don't give a fuck anyways. Whatever. Let's go Sasuke. I want you to show me that roundhouse kick you brag about."

Sasuke`s stare lingered a second more on the window, a small smirk making its way on his handsome face. He took a quick peek at Hinata to confirm his thoughts-her pale innocent eyes were a major giveaway-nodded once at her, then followed Neji downstairs. "Hn."

Hinata was already texting the pink haired girl. Apparently, the guy that made her float in cloud nine was way smarter than they thought. Sasuke could have bought everything he wanted with money, but maybe he didn't bribe the ones that gave him those IQ tests as well.

}{

-Next morning, 7 am-

"Fuck, it is so cold that I think my neurons have frozen! Who the hell is this nuts to make us run laps in this…this refrigerator?!" Ten Ten was rubbing her hands, blowing hotly on her cold fingers, clenching her jaw, cursing their PE teacher openly, not giving a damn about who heard her.

"We could have used the gym this morning, I do agree, but try not to scream out loud though, I don't want Mr. Maito to hear us and give us detention!"

Sakura was running after her marching towards the other gathered students in the middle of the school's field, she too feeling chills down her arms, mentally thanking her inspiration for taking her black ski fleece, because there were barely 10 Celsius degrees outside.

Hinata was the best thought. She had a triclimate ski jacket and was giggling at her chestnut eyed friend, who had a T-Shirt with some rock band she didn't recognize. Poor girl was absolutely freezing, but so were the other students, who were complaining about the idea of taking laps on such a weather. Not only was it cold, but it was windy as well.

No more hot summer days, autumn was making its presence known. When the three girls approached their classmates, they did their best to stay at the opposite side of the popular gang.

If only Hinata wasn't waving at her new lover…of course all the gang turned to look-more like stare and hiss-in their direction. Ten Ten promptly turned her back on them, facing Sakura, hands folded around her, cursing and brooding.

"Hey, why have you done that, I wanted to turn around as well!" Sakura felt terror unfold from the pits of her stomach, the electrifying sensation of Sasuke`s heated stare enveloping her from the distance getting her unbelievably hot all of sudden.

And he was smirking at her in that impossibly sexy way she grew to…she shook her head energetically, trying to discharge those thoughts out of her mind. No good. No good at all.

"Stop it already Hina, those people are giving me the creeps. And I don't know what is worse: this freaking low temperature or those sluts!"

"I-I am sorry."

Gai`s deep loud voice successfully silenced the uproar around him, making the group more compact. "Good morning kids, I hope you have a beautiful morning today! The weather is lovely and your youthful faces are filling my teary eyes with joy!"

The tall man in his signature green spandex jumpsuit pointed his fingers in the direction of the sky, making all the eyes that were watching him in disbelief follow his lead, inwardly questioning his mental sanity. That teacher…was something else. "Let's all shine and try to run faster than the wind!"

Then the dreaded command followed. "Everyone, spread your wings free and run! Ten laps!"

It was Karin the one to surprisingly voice out what was crossing everyone's minds in that moment. "Around the field?!" The others nodded in agreement, whispering towards each other and complaining about the cold weather, the absurdity of running like crazy and the muscular cramps that would follow.

"Oh you are right my dear, I am sorry, my fault. I was thinking about the school, but since you so smartly pointed out that the field is smaller…that would make it as…thirty laps around this field! Starting from…NOW!"

A round of complaints was echoing through the stillness of the morning, cursing the red headed for her loud mouth. Suddenly, stating the obvious felt like a bad idea.

"Oh you have got to be fucking kidding me…good job Karin for making us all run three additional laps! Damn stupid hoe…"

That was one loud and totally screaming Ten Ten, who more than didn't care about getting detention or whatever. She has already been a member of the track and field team and one of Gai`s favorite students, so he would overlook it like he always did.

"Have a problem with that Ten Ten?"

"Duh, what do you think?! Oh yeah…I forgot…you don't think because you lack brain and neurons!" Ten Ten was having troubles in containing her anger. Not only everyone was looking at her, enjoying the show, but Neji was shooting lasers down her skull and it made her snap bad. She didn't want to start wander her stare after his girlfriend.

"I think that us running yesterday…was not a good idea." Sakura felt her own mind getting foggy, the images from her dancing with Sasuke in the club getting on her. She wanted to turn around and run in the opposite direction. Detention? That was good if it helped her escape his knowing gaze.

"You can say that again girl! I can't even move this damn legs properly! Like seriously, why did no one tell me that today we are facing arctic storms?"

Sakura, alongside Ten Ten, Hinata and Choji, who saw them and joined his group, remained somewhere at the back-a hunted position apparently-of the large group of running-more like zombie-ing-students, laughing at Ten Ten. Seriously, her face and her language were priceless, running as slow as they could.

The logic was simple: they only had 40 minutes, so the slower they run, the less laps they took.

Apparently, there were others that realized that as well, and were doing just the same, totally ignoring a screaming and flailing at them teacher and his favorite student Lee, who was at the front, running like he was chased by hungry bears in the forest, followed by the machos of their generation, that claimed to be athletes.

Surprisingly, no Sasuke or Neji among them. His friends though, and some of the other students that were also athletes, rivaled him and that distracted the clown looking teacher enough to not pay attention to the totally ditching lazy students.

"You didn't ask."

"I can give you my jacket if you want, Ten Ten." That made her chocolate eyes beam with a newfound happiness, in the way people who reach Nirvana did, quickly taking Choji`s oversized warm clothing, pulling up the zipper, moaning contently.

"Fuck yeah! It is too good to be alive again! Thanks Choji, you are a life saver."

The said boy was already panting and they only had two laps, but it was visible that he was trying his best. Just like Hinata, he gained courage and self trust while surrounded by his friends. " You are welcome."

"How many we had so far? Ten?"

"How should I know? When you run around this freaking field, it looks like you never finish."

Sakura rolled her eyes at her friend, already feeling like sweating. So much with being all warm and comfortable. She tried to look after Sasuke, but couldn't see him in the front, which was weird. Then it hit her! "Tennie…where is…the one whose name shouldn't be mentioned?"

"Hogwarts, from what I can remember."

Hinata and Choji started to laugh at the way Sakura`s frown grew like an eclipse, taking over the sun. "No shit Sherlock! Not that one, I mean the other evil creature haunting my dreams!"

"Oh, so now you dream of him? Is it kinky? Are you going at it BDSM mode?"

It took Sakura exactly one second flat to turn her frown into a pure malice stare and lunge at the laughing Ten Ten, who sensed the danger approaching and fastened her peace, running at top speed from her unleashed friend. It just got a mere allusion to make her snap.

But she was going to help her cause. Sasuke and the other…she wouldn't say his name, were somewhere behind them, not too far away, probably eying their assess, like the perverts they were. Losers.

"Tennie…I am going to skin you alive!"

"Only if you can catch me first!"

"Watch me!"

While Sakura sprinted towards a running from her and laughing like crazy Ten Ten, Gui was cheering on them in the background at their magnificent display of youthfulness and enthusiasm, much to the other's dismay. In their eyes, the pink haired dancer and her friend were just trying to attract a lot of attention.

But the most obvious display of jealousy at the two running girls` swag came from Karin, who was running behind Sasuke, Neji and Naruto, along with her friends.

When Sakura and Ten Ten was in the process of passing them, the red heeded leg's hit Sakura`s ankle, making the said girl stumble and fly straight on Sasuke`s back, almost taking both of them down, if not for his sharp reflexes.

Ten Ten more than went into hysterics, along with the others who were around, much to Sakura`s horror.

One moment she was teasing and threatening her chocolate eyed friend, the next one she found herself in the arms of a smirking down at her Sasuke.

He was holding her glued to him, by her waist, almost lifting her up from the ground, her feel barely touching the ground. That looked like a rehearsal for Romeo and Juliet.

"Wha…get…get off me!"

"I knew you cannot help it but throw yourself at me Sakura, but here I thought you were more reserved in public." And his smirk only grew tenfold when Sakura shrieked in horror and pushed him out of her, more than running back to her group of friends.

"You pink haired freak, get your filthy hands off MY Sasuke!" Was that Karin? Sakura was not sure, because she was busy hiding in between Hinata and Choji-seriously Ten Ten was having abdominal cramps, the traitor-annoyed at the way people were calling her names and talking behind her back, saying that she did that on purpose. As if. In all honesty, she hasn't even saw Sasuke, being too busy with her and her friend's little contest and tired.

"Can you imagine her guts? Totally hate her attitude!"

"Yeah, she is a show off! Why is everyone so obsessed with her anyways?"

"She is sleeping with that seniors like a total whore, that is why!"

"Guys, hide me somewhere." She whined at her two panting exhausted friends.

"I am sorry Sakura, it was not your fault. Don't worry about them, you are not like that." Choji softened his gaze at the emerald eyed dancer, feeling sorry for her.

Hinata placed a hand on her shoulder, turning around briefly to make eye contact with an equally angry Naruto. He was telling something to Sasuke then he nodded once at her. "S-Sakura, I think w…we should stop. The teacher wouldn't mind. Others did that as well."

"Yeah…we should. Let Ten have all the fun. Look at her."

Sakura followed Hinata and Choji out of the running people, joining the ones that were taking a break on the grass, watching the ones remaining on the field, still running. They were mostly from the track and filed team and it was no wonder.

"I hate this…when they treat me like that. Though…I think they are somehow right…" Sakura combed her short hair, pulling her bangs backwards, unzipping her sleeve. She was sweating.

"N-No, don't say such things. I..if it is because of S-Sasori, you should not feel ashamed. It is ok to be confused. W-We all have been at some point of time."

"I wish I was that committed as you Hinata. You are the true angel here. I think…I start to turn into…" She pointed her finger to a group of random girls that were flirting with the boys that finished the laps, not able to finish the sentence 'them'. Was she truly a double timer?

"I don't know what is the problem Sakura, but I trust Hinata`s judgment and I trust you."

"Thanks Choji, but I don't think I deserve that much credit."

Sakura was nibbling her lower lip aimlessly, following the guys that were asked to do push ups-Gai was an expert to modern torture-not even able to laugh at some of them who looked like they were rehearsing Kama Sutra positions. She suddenly felt scared and disgusted of her attitude.

That until Ten Ten threw another remark that made all the present audience burst in a fit of laughter. When she came back from running, jogging towards them, she passed Neji in her way-totally intentional-who was trying his best to impress the ladies with his abilities of doing one arm pushups-she and Hinata decided Naruto was better, because she would rather not start to talk about Sasuke and the fact that he was doing them on fingers-and more than sarcastically told him:

"That's right, worship me Hyuga, kiss the ground I walk on!" And he fell right on his face, making a fool of himself.

"You don't waste any chance to mock him, do you?" Sakura gave a hi5 with Ten Ten, mentally noting down her attitude. She was not denying her feelings, but at least she was trying her best to keep on the right side of the road. Unlike her…

"Can't help it. Someone has to remind him how much he sucks…or he is being sucked. Where is Amy?"

Sakura shrugged once, looking around to find the said girl. She was staying with her friends, glued to another group. Choji and Hinata observed that too. "Finding other victims, probably. I heard some of this hoes saying that she and Neji had a fight. Apparently they don't talk to each other."

"S-Strange."

"I agree."

Ten Ten remained silent. And she wasn't laughing anymore, her stare glued to Neji and his retracting back. What was going on in there?

}{

After the PE class, Sakura and Hinata went straight to math, well aware of the fact that even if Kakashi was always late, the strategic seats-meaning far from people that annoyed them-were the first to be taken.

Ten Ten said something along the lines of 'wish me luck with that insolvency shit' mentally preparing for her test, while Lee and Choji had a free periods, because the arts teacher was accompanying the seniors to the competition and the Principal has not been able to find a substitute to take his place, on time.

Nonetheless, Sakura exhaled in relief when she spotted two empty seats somewhere on the third row where the most normal students were chattering or revising their homework, but Hinata's reticence to head towards the specified location made the pink haired dancer take a double look around the class she was avoiding eye contact with.

Her friend's eyes were glued to Naruto who raised his right hand and had a wide grin plastered all over his face, signalizing them to follow the opposite direction. Hinata wanted to stay with her boyfriend, Sakura concluded and she was kind of...the third wheel.

Of course the Hyuga heiress was too polite and devoted to imply such a longing, so the emerald eyed girl decided not to be a bother and let the shy Hinata enjoy the blonde's uplifting company.

So with a newfound resolve, she changed her route, taking a sharp U-turn, passing through the front desks-Karin and Amy's harsh retorts didn't pass unnoticed by her-with a stunned pale eyed girl following her suit, approaching Naruto's desk.

"Hey Naruto, got tired from the PE? I swear Gai wants to turn us all into athletes until the next Olympic Games."

Without any further notice, Sakura took a sit at the desk behind Naruto, looking pointedly to Hinata, who stood awkwardly in between the two desks, attempting to pull the chair beside her, but she quickly caught the silent message, smiling softly at the smirking pink haired dancer.

"Man, I swear he is crazy, I mean thirteen laps, seriously? I think I only did half of them. Hell even Suigetsu did only nine and we all know he has more caffeine in his body than Red Bull."

Naruto did nothing to contain his happiness, wasting no time in coming closer to Hinata as soon as she took the seat on his right, intertwining their hands under the desk, making his girlfriend blush meticulously, not used to openly display such affection.

"At least he didn't pay much attention to us the mortals, instead focusing on the kids from track and field team, right Hinata? I couldn't take my eyes from you, I swear."

"R-Really? I...a...am sorry for being a d...distraction." Her voice no louder than a soft whisper, but the bell like fairy tone made Naruto see rays of sun bursting put of his chest.

"Distraction? I love to be distracted by you hehe." He leaned in to whisper into her ear, much to the other class mates' astonishment. A reject and a popular, being all sweet talk was unseen. They were not too discrete in their disagreement either, Sakura realized.

But it was nothing compared to what she got herself into, when she more than obliviously decided to stay behind Naruto, not realizing who that particular place was kept for. And Naruto decided to, for some unknown reason, pretend he didn't notice. "Hn...from all the empty seats, it had to be this particular one you take."

Sakura felt the air suddenly vanish from her lungs, all her senses more alert than ever, when the smooth dark rich voice she came to associate with Sasuke`s unique aura, made its way to her ears.

And the sound of the chair scratching the floor and the unexpected charged with the familiar electricity made it certain for the unresponsive pink haired girl that the guy she was trying so much to avoid, was going to be her seat mate.

Damn. She did her best to play it cool and, faking a cough, not making eye contact, addressed him evenly. "It is called democracy Uchiha and I don't think you own this land, so if you don't like it you are free to chose another one."

"Last time I checked you wanted to be a doctor, not a lawyer." Instead of feeling insulted, Sasuke chose another approach, decided not to treat Sakura like Karin or Amy and tell her off. No.

Her avoiding gaze told him he made her uncomfortable enough to entertain him further. She was trying to join his friend's and Hinata's conversation, or occasionally check on her homework. She was probably thinking about how to melt into the floor, pursing her lower lip. Cute.

"My, such a sharp memory you got there." Never in her life would have Sakura thought she would pray for the teacher to come quicker. She could clearly feel his delicious scent of his expensive perfume radiating from his toned body, tingling her nostrils and the aimlessly fluttering down her chest was accelerating her heartbeat.

Sasuke playfully leaned towards the flustered girl, whispering hotly into her ear, making sure his lips brushed her earlobe, causing her shoulders to flinch, emerald eyes snapping shut and her breath hitched into her throat. "My memory is not the only thing sharp, Sakura."

"You are stepping into my personal space."

"It didn't seem to bother you on Saturday, while you were more than comfortable with touching me."

"Teme, stop making Sakura uncomfortable!" Naruto and Hinata were all eyes and ears on the weird desk mates, well aware of their chemistry. It was basically sparkling like a lamp, attracting everyone's attention.

Sasuke quickly pit on the bored look he was displaying to the others, not even eying his blonde friend. Images of the scratch he made on his car replying into his mind. "Stop being such a loser and don't blink into my general direction. Do you know how much the painting is?"

"Why do you care anyways, since you are filthy rich? Jeez I don't get you. And so as you know, you are a fake friend."

Sakura was not sure she wanted to know what he meant with that, but Hinata was containing a giggle. That was weird. She looked like she was loosing up around the others.

"It is not my fault you are an idiot by nature. I perfectly remember telling you that if you keep on screaming into my fucking ears, you are going to walk to your home."

"I wouldn't have minded that you bastard, but I would have appreciated if you would have actually not have thrown me out of the car AGAIN, while it was still moving!"

"Moving?" The way Hinata drove was more like going backwards. Sasuke never thought he had that much patience in his system. Maybe it was the alcohol speaking.

The shy Hyuga avoided his stare. "Thanks God Hinata doesn't drive like a manic, like you do. Stupid bastard."

"I am going to kill you someday dobe. And I am going to enjoy every minute of your suffering."

Sakura, who snapped out of her reverie, eyed Sasuke in confusion, trying to determine which face he was using when talking so playfully with his friend. That was one hell of a case of split personality. "You are…weird. And sadistic."

"Good morning kids. I am sorry I am late, but you know I actually hehe…helped an elder with hypermetropia pay for his groceries."

Sasuke would have thrown her a smartass remark-and he actually had one especially prepared for making her flush-but Kakashi decided to show his…mask-who has ever seen his face anyways?

Maybe police-to the students, entering the class, muttering an excuse that was more imbecile than the previous one-Sasuke was going to incinerate his cousin Obito for giving him ideas-starting to spread flyers among the desks.

Naruto looked at the sheet in front of him like it was sheep liver he had to eat, probably thinking it was a test. "What the hell is this?"

"This Uzumaki, is the list of all the clubs you are invited to join this year. I was asked by the Principal to hand these flyers to you and help you decide. You have the name of the club, a short description of what they do, the names of their Presidents and the date of auditions."

Sakura eyed the flyer intently, already finding her point of interest, on the top of the last page. "Dancing team…President Xue Ronja…Vice President…Ame Konan…Hinata, hey!" She tapped her friend's back lightly, the said girl turning around to face her.

"H-Have you found your club?"

"Yeah. I already know the date from Ronja. They have ten available places on the choir, have you seen? The audition is one day before mine."

Naruto joined the conversation as well, rubbing the top of his head with a pencil. "So…are you guys going to join those clubs?"

"Yeah…I plan on doing so. Hinata?"

The said girl looked a little bit reticent, but then she had a sudden newfound determination, so she voice out her own decision. "I-I think I am going to give it a try."

"Awesome!" Naruto more than screamed, making the other students laughed at the way Kakashi snapped his head over his shoulder to face him, pointing in the direction of a problem he wrote on the blackboard, when no one paid attention to him.

"I would tell you how to solve that, but I have no idea how to." Sakura shook her head at a standing up Naruto, who more than reluctantly made its way to the said dreaded exercise. Hinata looked just as lost.

His own salvation was the dark haired Uchiha, but he more than politely told him he was not going to break the rules and let him cheat. "You are a fucking knucklehead. Go there and die."

"Bastard!"

"Hn…better than a complete moron."

Sakura looked at the way Kakashi took a sit on the desk, reading his outrageous material, assuring Naruto that he had enough time to solve the exercise, no one rushing him. He actually told to another guy that was creating a commotion on the back to join the blonde on the other blackboard, giving him one hell of an equation.

"This doesn't look too good. Look at him, he is going to faint." If Sakura was talking to Sasuke, she had no idea of why was she doing that, but she somehow started to feel stressed and panicked for no reason, especially when she broke the tip of her pen, because she pressed it too hard on the notebook, unable to focus.

Not only she was having problems with her guilty conscience, but after seeing the official flyer of the dancing squad, the emerald eyed girl started to have an idea of how much hard work she was going to face from then on. Three weeks till the audition and she was nowhere near to her past form.

Sasuke was actually solving the problem that was making Naruto sweat like he was at the altar, in front of the priest, getting married, for the lack of anything better to do, when he felt the obvious distress in the pink haired girl's beside him forced impassive voice, finding himself actually making small conversation. "He is only living up to his reputation as a big idiot."

"Why didn't you tell him how to do that problem? You look like you know what you are doing." Inwardly Sakura felt jealous at the neat numbers and letters his left hand was writing down his notebook, nonchalantly like he knew the answer in advance. Damn was that boy smart. And the fact that he chose to talk to her was making her feel…

Her emerald eyes darted from his notes to his face, finding his onyx amused orbs catching her stare. She flinched, muttering something she probably didn't want to know, burying her chin into her calculus book. She was stupid stupid stupid…

A new message arrived on her inbox. She quickly flipped her phone open under the table, seeing that it was from Sasori. He told her they were heading to the place where the competition was taking place, asking her how was school.

She smiled softly on her lap, texting him back as fast as she could, not wanting to risk Kakashi to catch her. That man had 360 degree vision, Sakura could have sworn.

"Tell him to stop trying, because he will never have you." A low sensual rich voice whispered down her ear, making Sakura flinch, hit her knees on the desk and drop her phone with a loud thud. When did Sasuke get so close to her? She felt the hair on her nape erect at his closeness.

And what he told her… "Mind your own goddamn business!" It took all Sakura`s will power to keep her voice low and not snap at him. The nerve of that guy to barge into her privacy like he owned her or something.

"I do mind them. Why are you still in denial? I thought you were smarter than this, Sakura."

"And I thought you were not much of a perverted cocky dimwit. Guess we both got it wrong then."

"I would get you back for insulting me so often, if I haven't knew you are only doing it to try and fool me. You are not a good actress Sakura, and definitely not a double timer. You are playing with fire."

Sakura`s breath hitched down her throat when Ten Ten`s words rung into her mind. She told her the same thing as Sasuke. Was she that obvious? "What are you talking about?" She faced Sasuke, seeing how he dropped the smirk from his thin lips, looking serious. That uncommon ability to change moods with the easiness of a professional drama actor was making her shift uncomfortably on the chair.

Sasuke was already difficult to read even without him acting the cryptically way. His answer was simple, but it meant the world. "You like me."

"…I-I don't. You are imagining things and you want to play with my mind, like you always do, b-but I am not stupid."

She actually held his penetrating knowing gaze for as long as her thumping madly into her chest heart was able to resist, before making her light headed, trying to actually understand why was he talking like that all of sudden.

Was that the next stage in a player's flawless plan to lure her? Because as long as she still had the strength, she was not going to give in to his charms.

"Hn…you are turning into your friend." He resumed his writing, remaining silent for the rest of the class. And Sakura had no idea of what he was talking about. Which one of her friends? Ten Ten or Hinata?

Sakura decided to find out and let him know she was not the one to kiss the path he walked on like his fangirls did. Though, that class felt like it lasted for ten hours long.

The pink haired girl didn't want to disturb Hinata who was meticulously taking down note, so she actually tried to pay attention, ending up with re-reading the flyer with the clubs, until she was able to recite the content by heart.

And although Sasuke was silent, doing God only knew what, she didn't overlook his meaningful subtle brushings of his elbow on her forearm. And that made a blush deepen on her cheeks. She was lost.

A sudden unexpected message made Sakura focus on other things than Sasuke`s expensive spicy cologne and the warmth radiating from his hard rock body-Hell she was even able to hear his calm breaths-and the dancing team and the amount of responsibilities that came along, coming from the chestnut eyed friend that has probably finished her test paper. Sakura know that teacher only allowed them half an hour at most to solve the multiple choices test.

"Stupid Hyuga broke up with Amy on Sunday. Some girl behind me saw her bawling her eyes out in the bathroom. I hate him."

}{

Author's Note: So, this is the first chapter I am posting after Naruto officially came to its end and I want to take some time and state what exactly this nine years since I have been following the manga has meant for me.

Naruto was not only a form of keeping myself entertained, but a way of life. I have started to read this since I was in Elementary, so I can totally say that I have grown up with the characters, finished high school and even University, coming to associate every Wednesday with the release of a new chapter, and I can sadly say that those days are never going to be the same again.

It was an honor for me to have come across such a talented author and I find Naruto to be not only the best manga I have ever laid my eyes on, but an undying inspiration for this generation.

The way it promotes eternal friendship, love and devotion towards people, spreading the clear message of universal peace being achieved through mutual understanding and acceptance, makes it one of the deepest, most insightful stories, blended in such a genius way for all the ages and audience to perceive and understand her.

Naruto taught me the importance of giving all the other a chance to prove themselves, value them and try to find the good in everyone, accepting the people around as friends, not enemies and the way it astonishingly ended, from Sasuke`s perspective, it was the solid proof of perseverance and open mind being rewarded with common peace. Love is truly able to conquer the hearts and bring peace among the people, unifying them, so that is why now Konoha is no more the village 'hidden' in the leaves but 'dancing' in the leaves.

Through Naruto, I was able to join this community and find amazing fans like me, who share the passion and understand of the manga and for this new found friends, I am eternally grateful.

I cannot say I am not sad and teary at the fact that my all times passion has faced its glorious end, but I am more than joyful at the idea of a third part coming on spring, with the future generation. When I have seen the pairs I was totally thrilled, feeling my fangirl heart jump out of my chest.

Like seriously, Sarada is the cutest thing ever, she looks so much like Sasuke and his mother, Mikoto, that makes me smile whenever I see her and judging from the general reaction, she is already quite popular among the fanbase. I love the fact that Sakura and Sasuke actually have a girl, because it is totally refreshing and not cliché-many would have liked a boy- and I am looking forward to see her father`s attitude towards her. I cannot wait for the interaction between Sarada and Bolt-that kid is a mini version of Naruto-

My Sasuke and Sakura dreams has come true and now that I know they end up together, all the stories seem so legit all of sudden, it is amazing. I still cannot believe my eyes when I check on Sasuke`s updated profile and read that he is married to Sakura and has a daughter named Uchiha Sarada.

Thank you all for the feedback and I am sorry to have written down my rambling, but I couldn't help myself to share my opinion. Naruto has ended, but a new dream is on the way.