A/N: Here is a long chapter for putting up with my long absence~
Closer
Suppressing a groan, Sakura knelt beneath the cover of a rather large, nastily prickling bush in an effort to buy some time before Sasuke found her.
Sunlight dancing across her sweating skin through the gaps of foliage, the kunoichi in training attempted to regulate her breathing. There was an uncomfortable stitch in her side, but she ignored it. It was Saturday afternoon, which meant student and teacher were sparring in the forest behind the Uchiha compound as scheduled.
As usual, Sakura was losing badly.
She knew it was ridiculous for her to expect a win anytime soon; but still, she hated losing to him. Maybe it was because she knew he was going easy on her (which of course he had to, lest she end up dead) and she still hadn't managed a win. How she longed to wipe that self-assured look off of his face for even a second.
She clenched her fists in frustration, listening intently for any sign of movement.
Sasuke would locate her soon, if he hadn't already. She needed a plan if she hoped to bring herself any closer to victory.
Mentally, she turned over the piece of information he'd given her the day before. It was the closest thing to a praise she'd ever received from him.
You have exceptional chakra control, he'd said. According to both Sasuke and Kakashi, it was rare for someone of her level to exhibit that particular skill, and honing her ability would be vastly advantageous. They'd practiced chakra control again as usual that day, but he hadn't gone into how exactly this could be used during battle. She was at a loss as to the application of her newfound talent.
Pondering the nature of chakra, a metallic glint caught her eye fifty metres to her right between the hangings of a towering vine-ridden tree. Suddenly, an idea flashed across her mind.
She leapt from the bush a split second before the kunai could bury itself into her arm and landed nimbly on the balls of her feet, one hand pressed into the rich, damp soil beneath her. Though she'd avoided the attack, a crimson scratch shone on her shoulder.
There was no time to be distracted by the stinging wound, as Sasuke was behind her in an instant, so silent she barely even heard him.
Rather than leap out of proximity, she decided at the last second to give her plan a shot.
Silencing all voices of self-doubt and second guessing, Sakura hurriedly channelled chakra into her right fist and spun to face him without hesitation, backing the punch with all the strength she could muster.
Sasuke was greeted by hard, daring green eyes as Sakura rounded on him before he could attack, her chakra-laden fist speeding towards his face.
Eyes widening, his Sharingan activated automatically and he easily flash stepped from the path of her oncoming attack.
Unable to stop herself, there was a loud, splintering crunch as the pinkette's fist met the hard bark of an innocent tree which had stood behind him, the force of her attack forming a mini crater.
Sakura grinned to herself in both surprise and accomplishment; it had actually worked! She'd recalled the third or so week of training with Sasuke, when he taught her how to walk on water. This was achieved by channeling chakra into the soles of her feet, and that had inspired the nature of her attack.
Chakra was a physical manifestation of her energy, so she figured channelling it into other parts of her body- for instance, her fists- would increase the strength of her attacks, and it had.
Sasuke meanwhile, couldn't believe what had just happened.
Sakura had almost broken his jaw- well, if one removed his speed from the equation. She'd even triggered the activation of his Kekkei-Genkai, which he never used during their spars as it would have been grossly unfair.
But, he thought, observing her slightly labored breathing as she turned to face him from across the clearing, it seemed he'd underestimated her.
The mere fact that she'd formulated way to utilize her phenomenal chakra control spoke volumes of her intelligence, not to mention she had the ability to actually carry out such an attack at her level. It was oddly satisfying to realise the girl wasn't completely useless. If she trained hard enough, Sakura could blossom into a formidable kunoichi.
He was unable to marvel over the new development any longer however, as his student was once again speeding towards him, encouraged by the near success of her last attack. This time he was prepared for what she had in store. At the last second he ducked out of the way, reappearing behind her in a heartbeat. Sakura was able to control her attack this time around, but he was too quick for her and in an instant both arms were twisted painfully behind her. She was thrown to the ground with a magnificent crash, her face pressed unceremoniously into the grass.
"Damnit!" she exclaimed angrily, dirt getting into her mouth. The bastard had won, again. "Get off of me Sasuke!"
Frustration bubbled under her skin. He was fast!
She'd sworn she had him that time! Even with her new idea, Sasuke avoided her attacks as easily as if they'd been delivered in slow motion. The victory she'd so heartily longed for remained infuriatingly elusive, even against a watered down version of his abilities. She'd be training for fifty years before she landed a scratch on him.
Smirking, he acquiesced, reclining to a kneeling position. Sakura rolled over, propping up her dirtied torso with the help of both elbows. She spat at the dirt encroaching on the entrance of her mouth, eyes furiously bright and refusing to meet the dark pair before her. Her hair had come loose from its braid, falling to the ground in mildly soil ridden waves.
Silence filled the clearing as she dug her fingers sullenly into the earth.
"That wasn't bad."
Sasuke was speaking to her, she realised with some delay, so caught up was she in self-beration and disappointment.
Wait a second.
He'd just said something to her that wasn't criticism.
Immediately, without permission, her face broke into a faltering smile, hardly daring to believe what she was hearing.
"You're still slow,-" her smile wilted a bit here; she knew she was still slow, especially in comparison to him, "-but you're thinking. That attack triggered my sharingan." he admitted grudgingly. Her eyes widened with astonishment and then glee.
"Did it? Really?" She fell exhaustedly onto her back, her smile so wide it threatened to split her face in two. Despite her obvious fatigue, he could see that she was truly elated by his words. An unfamiliar feeling of accomplishment surged through him.
It was hard to pinpoint, but this felt different from the many times he'd mastered new jutsu, or won a challenging spar. It was a lightweight satisfaction that relaxed him from the inside. The feeling was strange but he welcomed it- their hard work was paying off, little by little.
With that thought Sasuke decided to end training for the day. The sun had beat relentlessly down on them all morning with a bone-deep heat that did nothing for their stamina. He turned to look at the afternoon sky, an unexpected wave of drowsy relaxation washing over him as the sun took a fleeting respite behind some clouds. For a brief moment, Sasuke allowed himself to unwind and accept the sense of accomplishment that today's spar had surprised him with.
It was certainly an achievement for those small hands to be capable of such destruction when she put her mind to it. Contemplatively, his eyes regarded her fingers half-buried in the dirt before traveling up her arms, lingering on the scratch in her shoulder and finally coming to rest again on her face.
The sun had given up hiding behind the bundle of spotless white, it's golden rays spilling starkly across the forest floor.
He found himself arrested by her eyes, startlingly clear seafoam-green gems glittering in the light as she stared straight up towards the sky. Ordinarily Sakura's hair was light pink, but under the sunshine's harsh assault it appeared especially pale. Several strands fanned gently around her, long and disheveled. Her tanned skin glowed brightly, contrasting with the flecks of dirt that littered her arms and thighs.
When her eyes suddenly found his, the tiniest jolt ran through Sasuke- so small he managed to ignore it. A gentle wind caressed the forest leaves to elicit a soft wave of rustles, the only sound that carried through the clearing.
Unexpectedly, Sakura's heart-shaped lips curved into a small, slow smile. He was caught off guard for a moment, and then her eyes disappeared in a tired sweep of pink lashes. For a second, Sasuke allowed himself a moment of utter transfixion.
He was normally repelled by bright things, but right then and there he couldn't deny he found Sakura's natural colours complementary. Breaking his gaze, he fisted a clump of grass in his unsettling realization. Her unusual hair had repulsed him at first... but he was slowly growing accustomed to it.
"Sakura-chan!" Naruto's thousand-watt smile lit his face above the massive bowl of steaming ramen sitting before him.
Sakura sat perched on the cushy stool of Ichiraku's, a bubbly Naruto to her right and an annoyed-looking Sasuke to her left. She barely had the strength to answer him, she was so stuffed. All this ramen couldn't possibly be healthy for them. The sodium content was through the roof, but she couldn't argue with him on the taste factor- Ichiraku's was delicious.
"Don't yell." she instructed without any real bite, fiddling with her chopsticks. He pouted. Everyone was always telling him not to yell, he wasn't even talking that loud!
"You're coming on the trip, right?" he questioned in quieter tones, and she shook her head.
Ino had been bugging her about the same trip a few weeks back, but eventually she'd put her foot down. There was way too much to do- studying, labs, homework and training Sakura barely left Sakura any time for herself. Speaking of which, she needed to leave now if she was going to make the skype session she'd scheduled with her parents. It wasn't often their free time coincided, and she missed them dearly.
The only perk to her training at the moment was a huge surge in her fitness level. This week she'd discovered she could stay up later to study without feeling so tired, which meant her body was slowly growing accustomed to the strain.
"There's way too much to do, Naruto."
"But you need rest!" Naruto insisted, looking crestfallen at her declaration. "A nice soak in the hot springs would do you some good, you know."
"I can soak at home in my own bathtub," she shot back although she knew it sounded pathetic. Her bathtub was nice, but it couldn't really be compared to the environment of a hot spring.
"You have to attend." Sasuke stated unexpectedly, and she turned to him in surprise.
"Not you too?" she muttered, shocked that he was commenting on something of this nature. Train harder, become faster, push herself to her limits, yes. Those were things she'd heard from him constantly of late. Relax and soak up some steam? Didn't quite fit with his usual agenda.
"Your first mission will take place at a site near to the springs, and you must pass. I will be making a detailed report of your performance to be read directly by our Hokage."
There was a beat of silence, and then-
"And you didn't feel the need to notify me of this before?!" she was suddenly angry. She had another week to prepare, but it seemed like too short a duration. He'd mentioned it before, during the initial days of her training, but that was the only incident and she'd promptly forgotten about it, what with having an actual life.
Was she ready for such a thing? Doubts swirled ominously around her thoughts. A silence fell over the trio, Naruto looking uncomfortable with her sudden outburst.
"You have to attend," he responded coolly, making her blood boil with his unbothered demeanour. "Shunning your duties is not an option."
"I have no problem doing my duties Sasuke, but if you've failed to notice, I actually have shit to do when I'm not running around with you in the forest!" her voice was rising now but she didn't care. "I take my academic life very seriously, I take myself seriously and I won't just drop everything at your beck and call!"
He was glaring at her now as other customers had begun throwing odd glances in their direction, but she didn't give one solitary fuck.
"Now if you would excuse me, I have something to do." she slung her satchel over one shoulder, getting up and slamming her money on the counter. "I'll see you later, Naruto." she felt a little bad for ruining their lunch date with her outburst, but she'd make it up to him. He smiled at her in understanding, and she gripped his shoulder gently in way of apology before heading through the door.
Sasuke's eyes followed her swishing ponytail all the way out to her car, and he only severed the gaze once she'd pulled out of the parking lot, an irritated tch falling from his lips.
"You know Sasuke, she's right." Naruto was frowning at him. "She's really swamped these days, I'm surprised she even made time to eat with us today. You should have told her sooner."
Not liking the fact that Naruto, of all people, was lecturing, Sasuke ignored him, finishing the last of his miso without enthusiasm.
He hated to admit it, but for once the dobe was right.
"Yamanaka Ino."
There was a pause as Anko eyed the triplet of large pink suitcases before her. Her expression suggested personal offence at their presence.
"…You do know this is a week-long trip?" she asked dryly, but Ino didn't bat an eye.
"What's your point?" the blonde asked levelly, earning an eye roll as Anko ticked the her name off the list.
"Haruno Sakura." she stated her own name with an amused smirk at her friend's inability to travel light. Name checked, she wheeled her single suitcase to the bus's storage compartment.
"Shikamaru!" Ino's commanding tone rang out, followed by an exasperated sigh.
"Was all of this necessary?" he inquired flatly, eyeing her bags with mild incredulity. "I mean, you need to bring three whole bags but I'm the one who has to carry them?"
With narrowed eyes, Ino crossed her arms bossily. Sensing her claws poised to attack, Shikamaru handled her bags without further comment.
Sakura frowned.
She was going to drive the guy away if she continued with this behaviour. Usually men took pleasure in being of service to the commandeering woman, if only to blatantly flaunt their masculinity. Shikamaru however, was clearly uninterested in such displays.
Unbothered, her friend's well-manicured hand looped into the crook of Sakura's elbow.
"Look alive, Forehead!" she was saying, smoothing flawless locks behind one ear. An excited smile curved at the corners of her berry-stained lips. "I know it'll be hard staying away from your cave for a whole week, but you'll survive!" she teased.
Though thoroughly unimpressed by her friends constant exaggeration of her studious lifestyle, Sakura couldn't resist a smile of her own.
Sasuke's ill-timed announcement of her mission had foiled her original determination to avoid the trip, but she opted to sweep all thoughts of the obstinate boy aside. Certainly, a well-deserved break was due. Sure, she had the mission to complete, but that didn't rule out taking advantage of hot springs and massage services galore. She'd been busting her ass for weeks training with the Uchiha, all the while maintaining a high academic standard. It was by far the most exhausting routine she'd arranged for herself, and her anticipation for the weeklong escape didn't come as a surprise.
With Ino to her left she settled into a window seat, briefly contemplating her assigned mission.
According to Sasuke, she was required to execute a package retrieval from an underground location not far from the resort. He would be accompanying her, but the brunt of the responsibility was on her- he was backup, essentially, a last resort. More importantly he was to fulfil the duty of assessing her performance and present a detailed, written report to the Hokage.
All in all it didn't sound too dangerous, but naturally she was nervous; it was her first mission, after all.
"Stop fretting, Forehead. You'll be fine!" Ino's knowing voice permeated her thoughts. Ino too would face her first mission this week, but she was somehow handling it rather better than her friend. Closing her eyes, she slipped a lace-trimmed sleep mask over her face and reclined her seat several inches, leaving Sakura to marvel at her unbothered demeanor.
Looking at the situation objectively, Sakura's brow furrowed in contemplation. Sasuke had been training her for little over a month now. She could perform very basic jutsu, and while her physical combat wasn't anything to brag about… this was only a retrieval mission after all. There would be no expectation of her to engage in battle but of course, things didn't always go as planned.
With a resolute shake of her head, she banished the worrisome thoughts.
It would do no good to brood herself into anxiety over what was to come. Whatever happened was going to happen, she'd damn well trained as hard as she could thus far. She had no intention to mess things up, much less fail.
Fishing a murder mystery novel from her backpack, she slipped a pair of earphones into her ears and began to read.
"God, I could die like this." Ino's contented voice wafted into her ears through hotspring's soothing steam.
Sakura made a noise of assent, too relaxed to bother opening her mouth.
Seven AM found both girls drenched in a warm pool of comfort and serenity. She'd wanted to sleep in, but Ino dragged her out of bed yelling that they had to get to the hot springs before the crowd. Five minutes in however, she found herself unable to hold a grudge against her best friend.
She'd never felt so relaxed. Sasuke's last minute announcement of her mission seemed trivial now that she lay chin-deep in one of natures finest gifts.
Speaking of Sasuke and the mission...
They were scheduled to visit the museum today for familiarization purposes. Thankfully, Hinata and Kiba had decided to join them, having some scoping of their own to do. Once Naruto heard Sasuke was going, he decided to tag along too (much to Hinata's poorly concealed pleasure).
Secretly, Sakura shared in the girl's delight; It would have been an absolute nightmare spending time with Sasuke under the guise of a recreational trip to the museum. They had to at least appear interested in the displays, and the image of Sasuke making casual conversation was beyond even her imagination.
Through the thick haze of steam, Ino's eyes narrowed in her friend's direction but the pinkette was oblivious, clearly lost in her usual maze of overthinking.
"Come on, Forehead," Ino groaned, startling the other girl. "I know that look on your face. I thought we promised not to worry about this mission-"
Splashing toward her friend, Sakura looked around wildly as if to check for eavesdroppers. She shot Ino an incredulous look.
"Say that a little louder, would you?"
Ino rolled her eyes.
"No one is here, Sakura. And the word "mission" could mean anything," she ignored the scowl on her friend's pretty face. "Like my mission to get you laid by the end of the week."
Sakura glowered, clearly warning her to shut her mouth.
Ino ignored her.
"We're popping by a bar tonight for a few drinks, so make sure you're back from the museum by six." Her eyes were closed again as she reclined, the perfect picture of peace.
"I don't-"
"Hush! You didn't come all the way out here not to have some fun, Forehead!"
"I am having fun!" Sakura retorted, "This is fun, what we're doing right now-"
"Oh come on, this is a glorified bath and you know it. What else are you gonna do, hole yourself up in the room and pore over the mission?" Ino inquired drily. "Don't tell me you're going to study."
Sakura set her jaw, annoyed that she was losing the argument. She wasn't dead set against having some fun, but truthfully she'd brought nothing to wear to a party, which she admitted shortly after.
Though she couldn't see it, Ino's lips curved into a devilish smirk upon hearing her admission.
"Oh Sakura, you know I can help you with that."
Raising her eyes to the heavens, Sakura groaned in defeat. Of course she knew Ino could lend her an outfit.
That was exactly what she'd been afraid of.
"Aww, you two are matching!"
Sakura rolled her eyes at Naruto's meaningless observation.
Sasuke ignored him, his gaze flitting across the map of the museum with inhumane speed. The trio stood at the museum's entrance in wait of their remaining friends.
"You guys are comin' with me and Kakashi-sensei, right?" he continued, unbothered by the lack of a response.
"Um—"
"No," Sasuke's monotonous refusal cut her off, and he passed the map to Sakura for her own inspection. "We're dealing with completely different wings, Dobe."
Naruto pouted.
"It's only noon, I bet you guys have time! What else could you have to do, huh Teme?" He prodded in a tone bordering on whining.
Sasuke shot a caustic glare at his best friend, but offered no response.
"Hold on a second, answer me!" Naruto persisted, his voice rising. "I know you won't be at the hot springs, you already soaked this morning before the sun was up…"
Sakura tuned her friend out, focusing on the layout of the map before her. She had to memorize it for tonight lest she risk failing, or worse— do something idiotic and face Sasuke's wrath.
It seemed simple enough. Their side of the museum was organized according to various themes- clothing, artwork, weaponry and technology. Each section went in a circle, following a layout according to the timeline. As she committed the exits to memory, Naruto asked a particular question that was a little too loud for her to ignore.
Her eyes shot up to look at Sasuke in surprise.
"You have a date?" Wearing a look of unabashed disbelief, Naruto sounded insultingly skeptical of the possibility.
"Would you shut your mouth," Sasuke snarled, looking a bit more worked up than Sakura was used to. Then again, Naruto was the only one who could get such a rise out of him. "I said I'm meeting someone at the cafe."
"Meeting with who? You're being so mysterious about it, it must be a date. But who would go on a date with you?" his nose wrinkled distastefully at the idea but Sasuke ignored him, walking into the building and away from his friend's prying questions. Of their own accord, Sakura's eyes followed the clench in his jaw as he disappeared through the door.
Naruto, it seemed, was too shocked to pursue the subject. He turned to Sakura, as if to say 'He's kidding, right?'
"Come on, Naruto," she shook her head in exasperation. "Let's not jump to conclusions. It's not like Sasuke usually shares his innermost secrets with us," she pointed out, and received an answering snort.
"Speak for yourself. I know everything about that bastard." he sounded almost proud of the admission.
"Anyways, it's not unbelievable that someone would date him," she began, finding it hard to imagine Sasuke sharing things about himself with anyone. Then again, Naruto could probably annoy him into opening up.
"He's family is rich and he's good looking," she shrugged, looking down at the map once again. "Never mind that he has the social skills of a poisonous tree. That's enough for some people."
"Why do we have to do it? It'll be easier for them, a duo has got to be stealthier than a trio." Shikamaru whined, causing Sasuke's eyes to narrow. He didn't care for Asuma's team shoving all the work onto himself and Sakura, but the spiky haired rookie was right.
And so the pair found themselves sneaking along the hallway into the employees' changing room.
Sasuke paused at the door and Sakura mimicked his actions as he listened intently for any indication of occupation. Thanks to their careful observation, they'd been able to catch the moment the guards changed shifts ten minutes ago. Any performances the museum put on were scheduled to take place in the evening, so logically there was no reason for any member of staff to be inside. Of course, they had to make sure.
Once he was satisfied, Sasuke opened the door noiselessly and they slipped in. He heard Sakura click the lock in place from the inside.
It was dusty, and larger than he'd expected.
Lockers lined each side of the wall, and several pairs of shoes were placed before them at random intervals. There was a bookshelf to his right and a desk-chair set at the other end of the room.
The lights were off, and the only window was covered by a set of plastic blinds but his eyes adjusted quickly. Noticing a large corkboard above the desk, littered with what looked to be notices, he decided they would start there and motioned to Sakura.
She wasn't doing badly thus far; he appreciated her silence as she stepped past an unstable pile of boxes sitting to their left. He imagined that teaming with Naruto was nothing short of a headache for Kakashi.
Sasuke had just skimmed across the phrase Biweekly bake sale! when his keen ears detected footsteps approaching the door.
Immediately he dashed behind the convenient pile of boxes, yanking Sakura along with him. Unfortunately the boxes were only so high- not only was he was forced to sit on the ground, but in order to escape detection they had to leave absolutely no space between the two of them. The door handle rattled, and a jangling of keys followed.
Like an idiot, Sakura was stiffly gaping before him, her eyes wide and her pupils blown in the dim light. Before the door creaked open, he yanked her head out of view and quieted his breathing, hoping she didn't reveal their presence by doing anything careless, like squealing or shifting.
As it was, whoever had entered would see them if they walked far enough into the room. There were probably better hiding places available, but they hadn't had enough time to find one.
Gritting his teeth, he listened to the footsteps pause metres away, and then there was a shuffling of papers accompanied by the sound of gum chewing.
Beside him, Sakura had gone as still as a rock, the only indications of her alarm being the thundering heart against his chest and her fingers digging into his shoulders. She didn't shake, didn't make a sound. Her steady breaths warmed his neck, but he couldn't hear them.
In a scenario like this he might have used his Sharingan to create a genjutsu and easily complete the mission undetected, but Sakura didn't have his bloodline limit— she needed to learn how to handle herself without it.
He wouldn't be her sensei forever.
Sakura couldn't decide if it was a blessing or a curse that her face was pressed into Uchiha Sasuke's neck.
She hadn't had time to process the person's entrance— Sasuke had thankfully dragged her out of sight before they could be discovered.
On one hand, the position hid her flaming blush that currently rivaled the colour of Gaara's hair. On the other hand, she'd come to the unwanted realization that Sasuke smelled good. It brought back memories of the time he'd attempted to kidnap her by her car, she thought ruefully. That same minty fresh forest smell tinged by a hint of burning firewood clouded her senses as she sat, quite literally straddling the man beneath her.
Which brought her to the next issue— there wasn't a sliver of space left between them, and her body wasn't at all reacting as she'd hoped. With each passing second, she grew more and more horrified.
Knowing what she did of the Uchiha, she expected him to be hard, cold, prickly… too unpleasant for one to enjoy being pressed up against, right?
Wrong.
She should be focused on the troublesome situation they'd landed themselves in, but all Sakura could think about was how warm and firm Sasuke felt beneath her. The feeling of his hand pressed against the her neck and the other across her back was encompassing, and not unpleasant by any stretch of the imagination.
So, rather than formulating a plan or even preparing some kind of elaborate lie in her mind in case they were caught, Sakura sat- ahem, straddled- with her mouth agape, struck dumb by the feelings creeping along her spine. The urge to fidget was nearly overwhelming.
A microscopic part of her brain remained mercifully functional however, so she settled the matter by digging her fingers into his shoulders for a beacon of self control.
She could feel her heartbeat reverberating against his chest and the answer of his own— slow and steady.
The only indication of Sasuke's unease was an unusual sharpness to his chakra, though perhaps that could be attributed to his heightened sense of alert. He didn't appear at all distracted by their position; she may as well have been just another cardboard box.
Eyes fluttering closed, she valiantly attempted to quash the inappropriate thoughts racing through her mind, praying to the Kami that they weren't caught. And then-
Click.
The door closed, leaving them alone once again, but Sasuke did not move.
There was no telling if the person would double back; barging out prematurely would be foolish.
Sakura was frozen against him still, her eyelashes feathering rapidly against his neck. Her fingers gripped him a little tighter, as if asking what to do.
A few seconds of silence ticked by before he gave a short nod.
Somehow she understood the silent exchange, and slowly lifted her head.
The dimness was broken only by slivers of sun peeking through the blinds, cascading across her face and lending a glow to dust particles drifting lazily in the air between them.
A belated, distant thought told him she was far too close.
Sasuke's body made a rare display of ignoring his brain however, arrested by the way her green eyes glowed under the thin cloak of darkness.
Their position granted her a few inches on him, dictating that he look up to meet her eyes rather than the other way around. From here he could see the pale freckles on her chin; her eyelashes appeared long enough for him to take notice of them.
All of a sudden her mouth was moving and she was peering at him like he'd gone insane.
Sasuke? Her lips formed his name, jolting him from whatever strange path his thoughts had briefly gone down.
...
"Get off." he breathed, almost soundlessly.
Shock flitted across her features but Sakura but complied quickly enough, putting several feet between them.
"Find the schedule, now." for some reason he couldn't grasp, Sasuke felt an abrupt rise in his irritation.
True, they'd almost been caught. Furthermore, they still weren't safe from discovery. However, that was not what was bothering him. He pushed the thought to the back of his mind and focused on the task at hand as Sakura triumphantly located a worn timetable pinned to the wall.
In a few seconds they'd snapped a picture and left the room, looking left and right before retracing their steps.
They were almost at the door when a voice right on the other side stopped them dead in their tracks.
"I'm only doing this part time, Ben, why would I want to work as a receptionist my whole life?"
Green met black as they realized they were about to be caught, exiting the RESTRICTED. STAFF ONLY door. From no perspective could this be twisted so that they didn't face consequences. It was especially key for them to avoid being noticed, as they would be breaking and entering into the very same establishment the following night.
Sakura's heart leapt to her throat so violently she didn't even register that Sasuke had shover her against the wall until his lips were against her ear.
"Play along," he whispered, sliding the hair-tie from her ponytail while his other hand snaked around her waist.
Damn him, She'd escaped that blasted scent of his mere minutes earlier yet here it was once again overwhelming her senses! To make matters worse, the sharp edge to his chakra was back and it sliced across her skin without abandon, amplified by the feeling of his hands delving into her hair. Roughly, he hoisted one of her arms around his neck and though she hadn't thought it possible- moved even closer.
The blush burned all the way down the back of her neck, accompanied by a fresh wave of unwarranted goosebumps.
Sasuke felt even better against her than he had three minutes ago, and that was saying something. Perhaps Ino was right, she thought mournfully. Maybe she did need to get laid.
One barely-there brush of his lips against her neck, and the pinkette actually felt a shudder run through her.
Fortunately, the shock of the door swinging open was a timely distraction.
"What the hell?"
Sasuke froze and Sakura held her breath, which she was sure had been embarrassingly loud a second ago. Sasuke had strategically positioned them so that her face was blocked, and she could only catch a glimpse of brown hair from where she was.
"Why are people always coming in here to fuck?" the woman deadpanned, and Sakura swore her soul left her body. "How on earth is this place a turn on for anyone?"
They was no way that's what it looked like, they weren't anything near to-
"Get out! There's an onsen down the road, you know. They have love rooms available!" she grunted irritably, walking down the hall without a backward glance, a cellphone pressed to her ear.
Sasuke was through the door before Sakura realized she'd been holding her breath, his warmth clinging briefly to her skin.
"Ino, you said, and I quote- 'I'll find you something low key, you absolute bore.'" Here she gestured wildly to the skin tight, lace-backed number. "This is not low key!"
"Fine" her friend snapped "Just drape yourself in a rags then, if it'll make you feel better. Maybe you could find something in the garbage that appeases you-"
"Quit being a bitch, Pig."
"You know what's gonna happen to you?" the blonde gave a pitying head shake, lips pursed. " You're gonna be in your fifties with sagging tits thinking damn, I should have listened to Ino. I should've dressed to slay when my body had the ability to bring men to their knees."
Viridian eyes rolled at the dramatics. Her body was hardly bringing anyone to their knees.
"But it'll be too late by then!" Ino admonished, smacking her in the face with a well placed toss of some sort of silken garment.
"Wear it underneath. We're gonna get a few drinks in you tonight." She muttered the latter statement under her breath. "Now come on and braid my hair!"
Sakura raised an eyebrow at the bossy command.
"Please."
Sighing in defeat, she slipped on the tights and started grudgingly on Ino's luscious golden locks.
She wasn't disagreeing- she could stand to have some fun. Sakura was no stranger to partying; the pair had some wild days back in high school after all. Perhaps she had been cooped up too long, in her room, the library and most importantly, around Sasuke.
At the thought of her sensei, her nostrils flared in embarrassment.
Thoughtful baby blues settled on her reflection in the mirror. Sakura's hands made little time of her hair, but Ino's eagle eyes had quickly deduced that the pinkette's mind was somewhere else.
"What happened today at the museum?" The one question Sakura had hoped to be forgotten hung suddenly in the air.
"…What do you mean?" She attempted to inject nonchalance into her answer, but they both knew she was a dismal liar.
"Don't play dumb." Immaculately threaded brows wiggled suggestively at her. "If you're hiding something, it must have been juicy."
"Nothing happened!" Her pinkened cheeks however, were incriminating.
"I saw you two sneaking out from the restricted section by the sixteenth century cookware." Ino began casually. "Sasuke looked like he'd gotten into my Orgasm blush, his face was so red." she snickered.
"I'd rather not discuss it." Sakura's weak refusal was barely audible.
"So something did happen! Come on, you can't keep this from me, you've been acting like you weren't interested in him for weeks!"
"That's because I'm not."
"I can't believe you finally got some action and you won't tell me! Come on Sakura, at least dish on the size of his-"
A well placed yank on Ino's braid cut her question short, and Sakura met her glare with a curious mixture of doe-eyed innocence and mortification.
"Are you crazy?" she whisper shouted, scandalized. "Sasuke and I have never even kissed, much less… whatever it is you're suggesting."
Clearly disappointed, Ino deflated in her chair.
"I don't get it, is he really that bad? He literally carried you in his arms when you got injured."
"That was—"
"You two train alone three days a week—"
"Actually, sometimes Naruto and Kakashi—"
"And I know you're not blind—"
"Ino, be that as it may, it's not enough for me to get in bed with the guy," finished with the braid, Sakura threw her arms up in exasperation. "We never speak during training, unless he's criticizing me or telling me what to do. And you've seen it for yourself, he's rude."
"To me, maybe— and I'm not excusing his behavior." Ino frowned at the memory. "But he tolerates you and Naruto."
"Oh, a real catch, someone who tolerates me." Sakura commented drily.
Ino stood up with a sigh, turning to face her friend.
"I'm not telling you to fall in love with the guy! Just… test the waters. You can't look me in the eye and say you've never considered what it would be like."
Sakura pinkened even further. As of today, Ino had her there.
"That doesn't mean—"
A hand rose to interrupt her spouting of defensive logic.
"All I'm saying is you need to live a little. Have some fun okay? I want you to enjoy college, Forehead. It's not all training, lab work and books for crying out loud. You've been working yourself to the bone; you barely give yourself a break."
With a final huff, Ino tucked a stray pink curl behind her friend's ear.
Her delivery wasn't the gentlest, but Sakura knew Ino's heart was in the right place. Excluding her persistent matchmaking efforts, she knew there was truth in her words.
"Now," slipping on painful looking black heels, Ino straightened up with a wicked grin. "Let's go break some necks."
A/N: I'm really not happy with this fic at all, lol. Whenever I reread it everything comes across as juvenile & wordy. I'm tired of second guessing my work so from here on I'm just gonna write whatever I feel like and post instead of tearing everything to shreds with scrutiny! If it's good it's good, and if it's bad it's bad. I started this fic a long time ago, when I read more novels and wrote regularly. Lots of things have changed...
I've already written some of Chapter 15, so I'll try to post soon~
CH. 15 PREVIEW:
Sasuke stood motionless, observing her as she gathered herself. It would be her alone from this point on; he had to remain at the entrance to keep watch. With a brief nod of resolution, she turned to enter before she could overthink any further, but a hand around her wrist stopped her.