Chapter 21 – It's Getting Worse
"Come on!" Sakura rolled her eyes. "It's not that scary."
They were all sat on the sofas and to make more room for the others, she was sitting in front of Sasuke, between his parted legs. It was a lot more comfortable than it sounded and the feeling of his arms around her, holding her gently, was an indescribable feeling. It helped her relax greatly.
"How can you say that, Sakura-san?" Hinata gasped as somebody on the movie was decapitated. "Violence is always scary. Random violence is just as bad."
That was Hinata for you. Soft and gentle and a pacifist. She disliked violence greatly and wouldn't even harm a bug. It was definitely something Sakura admired about her. Hinata was like her complete opposite and was able to calm her down most of the time.
"Attacks that are well calculated are never random," Gaara murmured.
Sakura didn't bother to reply as she got stuck into the bowl of popcorn laying on her lap, pausing for a moment to allow Sasuke to get some. He didn't really care for sweets or anything of the sort, but she knew that he didn't mind the odd snack here and there.
Beside them sat Naruto and Hinata and on the other sofa was Lee and Gaara. According to Sasuke, Hinata and Naruto were still not an item, which disappointed her beyond belief and she knew that she would have to try and set the pair up somehow. As for her mother, Mebuki had gone for a bath before leaving for her night shift. It was a last minute shift because one of the women had apparently collapsed and nobody else was available.
Even though she'd liked to have spent more time with her mother, Sakura didn't mind too much. She had her friends with her and the problem with Sasuke had been sorted. When they all left, she would be able to spend time with Mebuki alone, which seemed better in her eyes. The thought of her mother sitting with them all was a bit strange.
Besides, her mother had plenty of friends at the diner! Despite the late nights, Mebuki never truly complained because she got on so well with the other employees and even the customers.
"Man, I'm so glad you're here for college," Naruto said for what felt like the hundredth time. "What're you going to be studying?"
"Martial arts."
"You can study that?" exclaimed the blond as he jumped up from his seat, ignoring Sakura as she saved her popcorn before it toppled over. "Since when?"
Lee couldn't help but laugh at his expression. "For a while now, Naruto-kun. It is what I am currently studying, also."
"Shit," he groaned and dropped back down into his seat. "Why did nobody tell me that?"
"Gai-sensei mentioned it many times at the dojo," Lee told him, clearly feeling sorry for his friend. "There are also posters in the entrance to advertise the course."
Much to Hinata's surprise, Naruto looked for comfort from her, placing his head on her shoulder and pouting miserably. Hesitantly, she patted his hand which was resting on his thigh. "Perhaps you could transfer?" she offered with a hopeful smile.
He sighed sadly. "Will I even be able to do that now?"
"Of course," Sasuke muttered as he shifted slightly and leaned back, allowing Sakura to do so as well. Their reclined position was much more comfortable for him. "You'll probably have to contact the college soon, though."
They hadn't even enrolled yet, so it was still a possibility for him. Enrolment day wasn't until next week and then in just over a month, they would be starting college. It was quite scary, really and it made her feel rather grown up. No more high school. No more–
Wait, what was the difference again? There would still be lockers and textbooks. There would still be lessons and teachers and bitchy girls and horny guys and–
"What about you, Sakura-san?" Lee asked.
Thankful that her attention had been taken away from whatever the hell her thoughts had just been, she smiled at him. "Tsunade-sama came to the hospital in Suna while I was there." Understanding how big of a deal it was, Hinata gasped and sat up, smiling proudly at Sakura. "She asked me to be her apprentice."
Silence.
"Hell yeah," Naruto yelled loudly and was once more on his feet, jumping on the bed. "I knew that old woman would love you!"
What?
Sasuke scowled over the top of Sakura's head and unsurprisingly, Gaara joined him with glaring at Naruto.
"What did you do, Naruto?"
But the blond was too hyped up to hear the warning in their voices as he continued bouncing, as he dragged Hinata onto her feet and had her bouncing with him. She tried her best to stop, to sit down and warn him about possibly breaking the sofa bed, however, her words were also ignored.
"Tsunade-baa-chan is an old friend of ero-sennin's!" He grinned, keeping a tight hold of Hinata. "She came by to see us not long after you left and I told her all about you."
So that was where Tsunade had found out about her. "But she told me that Iruka-sensei said–"
"Oh, she went to see him after I told her about you to make sure I wasn't making it all up," explained Naruto and after a second, he jumped down off of the bed, grabbing Hinata's waist and setting her onto the ground, too. Sakura inwardly winced as she imagined the complaints her mother would be receiving from downstairs when she returned. "We're going to go and get something to celebrate with!"
Something to celebrate with? Sakura growled at the way Naruto was handling Hinata. He was making her seem like a porcelain doll, one he could fit in his pocket whenever he liked. Then again, Hinata didn't seem to be complaining. If anything she looked quite content with the attention. She had probably grown used to it over the summer and Sakura made a mental note to get all the details. The two had definitely grown closer. A lot closer.
Lee frowned ever so slightly. He didn't want to burst Naruto's bubble, but he felt somebody had to say something. "You will not be served for alcohol, Naruto-kun."
"No…" His voice had a lilt to it as Naruto's grin widened. "But you will! You have your I.D, bushy-brows."
His words only troubled Lee further. "Naruto-kun, I–"
"There is no way in hell that Lee-san is drinking alcohol," Sakura snapped as she leaped up and grabbed Naruto's ear, yanking him down to her height so that they would be eye level. "The last time he had a drink, it took Gai-sensei, Neji-san and myself to restrain him. Even with Sasuke and Gaara here, Lee-san is way too much to handle when he's had a drink."
Naruto scratched the back of his head, trying to ignore the painful sensation of his ear almost being pulled off. It wasn't impossible, but it still hurt like a bitch and the pain only increased with every slight tug. "Oh yeah. I forgot about that."
"Exactly," she growled, finally releasing him. "And I, for one, won't be having anything to drink. It won't be fair to leave Lee-san out like that."
He sighed dejectedly before offering a small smile. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't think about it like that."
"I also can't drink, Naruto-kun," said Hinata softly. "My father doesn't approve of it."
"He doesn't approve of me, either." Naruto smirked wickedly at her. "But you still hang out with me."
Despite the raging blush on her cheeks and the fact that her trembling hands were fidgeting madly with the other, Hinata smiled. "That is because you're my friend."
Friend? Was that all? Sakura pouted up at Sasuke, but he merely rolled his eyes at her expression. Something had to be done, she decided. Not only for Hinata, but for Naruto, too. It seemed her description of their relationship bugged him. He was looking at her rather intently, enough so that it made her fidgeting grow as well as the trembling of her hands. Hinata's pale eyes had also widened considerably.
"Naruto," muttered Gaara warningly. "Stop looking at her like you're about to murder her."
Much to Sakura's surprise, Naruto blushed and dropped his eyes to the floor, his eyebrows mashing together and the awkward silence that followed had Sakura biting her lip excitedly.
They liked each other!
The feelings weren't one sided.
But just as Sakura was about to squeal with happiness for the pair, Sasuke's hand pressed to her stomach, gently yet noticeably pushing against it. It had her pouting once more. That was his way of wordlessly warning her to stay out of it and be quiet. Naruto was still trying to find a way to confess his feelings, most likely. Well that idiot had better do it soon! If she had to smack their faces together like she used to do with her dolls, then Sakura would not be happy about it. Poor Hinata would have an anxiety attack right there and then and Naruto would start freaking out about what to do or how to help her. And of course, Sakura expected Sasuke to help her with her planning.
"I don't mind if you all want to drink," Lee assured them all with a smile.
Hinata shook her head. "It wouldn't be fair, Lee-san."
"Hinata's right," Sakura murmured.
"I don't mind," he repeated and stood up, patting one of his pockets to make sure his wallet was in it. "If you give me your money I will go and buy them for you. Naruto-kun is right, we should be celebrating. Not only is your dream coming true, Sakura-san, but Gaara-kun has come home!" His fist clenched as he raised it and his face was one of determination. "We must celebrate!"
There was no arguing with Lee when he had that face on. If they continued to disagree, then he would start going on about their youth and whatever else came with that. Realising this, Sakura nodded once to Naruto, who immediately grinned and slapped Lee's back, nearly causing him to stumble. Nearly. Lee would not be taken out by something as simple as that. He may look rather slim, but they all knew how tough he truly was.
"You coming with us, Hinata?" Naruto asked as he accepted Sakura and Sasuke's share of the money. It was clear by the mere handing over that the couple would not be moving from their comfortable position. "I could always pick something up for you."
Was there any point in repeating that she couldn't drink?
Sakura smirked at her from over her shoulder, unknowingly shoving her hair right into Sasuke's face. On the other sofa, Gaara was amused by the fact that he didn't even try to move out of the way, knowing that it would be a failed attempt. Those pink locks had grown so much over the summer. Instead, Sasuke remained still and waited somewhat patiently for his girlfriend to settle down again.
"Go on, Hinata." Her smirk widened wickedly and catching onto her thoughts, the exact same smirk pulled at Naruto's lips. "Your toothbrush is here and you won't be returning home until tomorrow afternoon. All you have to do is not drink too much."
The Hyuuga glanced around at them all, feeling torn on the inside. While she wanted nothing more than to try alcohol and to wear makeup and be like all the other girls, Hinata also didn't want to disobey her father. It would be so disrespectful of her to break his rules, to go behind his back and deliberately disobey him. What would he do if he ever found out? What would her punishment be?
Gaara sighed as he also stood up. "Don't pressure her like that, Sakura. If Hinata wants to drink, then she will. It isn't anybody's choice but her own."
She pouted up at her best friend. Need she keep repeating that he always pushed her off the wrong path when she strayed onto it? "I'm not pressuring her," Sakura muttered childishly. "I'm just pointing out that Hinata's eighteen years old now. Like you said: she can drink if she wants to. I'm just making it known that her father never has to know about it."
Never has to know. Hinata bit her lip thoughtfully. They weren't pressuring her, no matter how much it probably seemed that way. For a while now she had wanted to break some of her father's rules, to see what it felt like being like everybody else. However, that anxious part of herself always held her back. She couldn't upset her father like that, could she? But since she was with trusted friends now and they would always keep her safe…
Forcing herself to stop with the fidgeting, Hinata dropped her hands to her sides and nodded once. "I want to."
Naruto grinned. "Really?"
She smiled at him softly, happy to see such happiness on his features. "Yes."
"It's settled then." His grin widened and he grabbed her hand, causing the blush on her face to return. Even Sasuke was stunned by Naruto's sudden forwardness. "Come on, bushy-brows! We're off to the nearest store."
Considering it was way past eleven at night, both Sakura and Lee knew that the nearest open store was at least a mile away.
Just as they were about to leave, Sakura frowned when Gaara followed.
"You're going, too?"
He raised a brow at her and a small smirk was on his lips. "I'm sure Lee dislikes being a third wheel just as much as I do."
This time, Naruto was blushing just as heavily as Hinata.
She couldn't help but laugh, turning slightly in Sasuke's arms so that she could see them all. "You did that on purpose."
The amusement in his eyes grew. "Perhaps."
The blond at the front of the group muttered under his breath before stomping forward, pulling Hinata along with him. The blush on their cheeks was still bright and still amusing the others and before they turned to leave, Gaara caught the keys that Sakura suddenly threw to him from the coffee table.
"You'll need those to get back in."
"Lee has his own set of keys–"
"Yes, but not to my apartment he doesn't." She rolled her eyes and during that moment, completely missed the cushion that was thrown at her, only missing her face because of Sasuke catching it. "Oi! Stop being so rough with me, Gaara!"
Much to the surprise of the others, he snorted. "I know you don't believe in that feminist crap."
Well, not entirely. Like Sasuke, Sakura believed that if a woman was getting up into a man's face, if she was hitting him and abusing him, then he had the right to defend himself. If a woman was going to act like a man, then she should be treated like one. Hell, Sakura knew that she punched much harder than most guys, and she hated being treated like she was weak just because she was female and a lot smaller than them!
"Yeah, well, I'm a lady, so–"
Gaara barked out a laugh this time. "You're not a lady, Sakura. You're a pain in my ass."
She scowled at him and sat up onto her knees. "Take that back, you jerk!"
"No."
"I swear, Gaara, I'm going to…"
"To?" he pushed with a smirk.
No words would come to mind and Sakura could feel all eyes on her, making her even more annoyed as she desperately tried to find a decent threat.
When the silence continued, his smirk widened. "I thought so."
He turned away, making Sakura even more desperate to find a retort. "Just wait until you're asleep, Sabaku Gaara!"
"Your nagging will most likely put me to sleep."
Her face flushed red but it wasn't out of embarrassment. It was out of anger. And the sight of her anger had Naruto cowering behind Hinata before he lunged forward and daringly grabbed Gaara's other hand, yanking him out of the apartment. Lee was right behind them all, smiling sheepishly at Sakura and trying not to make any sudden movements, waving his hands in a show of surrender.
It was only when the front door closed that she fell back so that she was laying down on her back, smiling up at her boyfriend. "That got rid of them."
"You put on the anger."
Sakura rolled her eyes, laughing quietly. "I knew it would freak Naruto out. This way, I have some time to think of a good retort."
"Sneaky," Sasuke complimented her. "How long will they be gone for?"
Pursing her lips, she thought about it for a moment. The nearest store was at least a mile away due to all the others closing around ten in the evening. When she was the one walking to that store, it took a good half hour to get there and back. That depended on how hard Lee pushed them all, though. He enjoyed taking monster steps with his long legs.
"About half an hour."
Just as he leaned over her, intent on kissing her, Sakura pressed a finger to his lips, forcing Sasuke to come to a halt. She could tell from the hooded look in his eyes what he wanted to do. "Not tonight, Sasuke."
Despite wanting to be with her in such a way, he knew not to pressure her. "Fine."
"It's not that I don't want to," she told him honestly when Sasuke remained leaning over her. "I'm…"
"You're…?"
"On my period." Her voice was quiet and there was a faint blush on her cheeks. "Can you wait for a few days?"
Sasuke smiled at her and pushed her finger out of the way, finally claiming her lips in a gentle and chaste kiss. "Of course I can. It's not just about sex for me."
His words made her smile. "Good, because I–"
"Sorry, sorry!" a loud voice exclaimed and the pair of them froze in their position as Naruto stumbled through the living room with one arm over his eyes and the other waving in front of himself, to feel out his surroundings. "I forgot my wallet!"
The Uchiha growled beneath his breath before reaching over and picking up the frog shaped wallet, not in the least bit sorry when he threw it and it hit Naruto in the face. "Get out, idiot."
"Oi! Teme," Naruto also growled as he picked up the wallet. "I was trying to give you both some privacy! There's no need to be so–"
"Go, Naruto." Sakura slapped her forehead. "And don't go buying any of the cheap stuff. I don't want my throat to feel like it's on fire."
He nodded and left quickly.
It didn't take a genius to realise that the mood was gone and when Sasuke realised this, he sighed and sat back, once more leaning against the cushioned back of the sofa. At the same time, Sakura also sat up, smiling at him in a way that seemed almost shy. It was quite endearing, actually.
"How many times have I told you that I missed you?"
Her words made him smile. "Including now? Eight times." His smile warmed, much to her happiness. "I missed you, too."
"I'm so glad to be home," admitted Sakura.
"We'll have our own place soon, too."
She bit her lip worriedly. "Did you tell them about me, too? Or just that you want your own place?"
"For now, just the latter," Sasuke murmured. "I don't want my father to think either of us chose to stay in Konoha just to be together. He wants you to succeed just as much as he does me."
Sakura nodded understandingly. Quite a few times now, Fugaku had muttered that he expected to hear great things about her. Not good things, but great things. It had always amused her when Itachi was around and heard those words, for when his father wasn't looking, the older brother would roll his eyes and smirk at her.
It was such an overwhelming feeling knowing that the Uchiha family accepted her. They didn't only accept her, but they also respected and supported hers and Sasuke's relationship, even going as far as to telling Sasuke that he would be a fool to mess things up again. And Sakura had to agree. If he messed up in even the slightest way, then he was definitely a fool.
"When are you going to tell your mother?"
She sighed at his question, biting her lip once more. "The sooner, the better, but not just yet." Her voice was quiet. "I've only just got back."
"We still have over a month before college starts." He shrugged, taking her hand in his and idly playing with it. "During that time we could warm them up to the idea."
That sounded like a good plan. She already did her fair share around the apartment, but Sakura knew she could do more considering the fact that her mother worked two jobs. One of them even called her right at the last minute, asking if Mebuki would be able to work a shift.
"What about our college schedules?" asked Sakura suddenly, her features worried. "Tsunade-sama's already told me that on the days I'm not at college, I'll be with her, both shadowing her at the hospital and receiving special lessons. I'll be getting a timetable when I start, but–"
"Calm down, Sakura." He smirked. "That's the whole point of us living together. This way, we'll get to see each other a lot more than what we would if we stayed like this."
His words spoke the truth, she realised. If they continued living with their parents, then they would have very little time for each other. More than likely, they would only be able to see each other on weekends, if that. It all depended on how hard Tsunade was determined on pushing her.
But that also meant less time to see her mother. "We'll have to keep two nights a week free."
Sasuke frowned. "Why?"
"To see our families." The way she said it made it seem so obvious. "We can't forget about them or our friends."
He seemed unimpressed to say the least. "After Naruto's latest interruption, I highly doubt we'll be inviting him around."
"That may be true." She smirked. "But what about Hinata? Lee-san? Gaara? Or what about your friends?"
Sasuke merely shrugged, seeming unconcerned. "I don't plan on inviting Suigetsu or Karin over. In fact, I haven't spoken to either of them since we finished school. Juugo, perhaps. He has a calming effect."
Sakura smiled at that before suddenly standing up and kissing his cheek. "I'm going to get changed into my pyjamas. I don't want to accidentally fall asleep in my new dress."
Nodding, he watched her go before turning back to the television. It was the ending of the movie they'd been watching, the one that Naruto had interrupted and ended up leaving near the end with the others. Even Sakura had admitted that it wasn't the greatest horror movie out there and she'd seen much scarier, but it seemed to have frightened Hinata easily enough.
None of them seemed out of breath in the slightest, but the redness of Hinata's cheeks made it obvious that Lee had in fact pushed them to walk faster than they usually would. Since her cousin knew of him and they were great friends, she already knew that Lee was into his exercise and enjoyed making a challenge out of everything. Halfway back from the store, he'd challenged them all to a race. First one back would win. Win what? They had no idea.
In the end, Lee won but it was a close second between Naruto and Gaara. Much to her chagrin, she was last though thankfully wasn't too far behind. That would have been embarrassing if she was.
"I suppose this will do." Sakura smiled proudly as she pulled the glass bottles out of the carrier bag, placing them on the coffee table. "I'll go and get the glasses–"
"Allow me," Hinata cut her off with a smile, disappearing into the kitchen only to reappear a moment later, somehow easily carrying five glasses in her arms as well as a cold bottle of something fizzy for Lee. "I wasn't sure which drink you would prefer, Lee-san, so–"
"Coke is fine, thank you." He nodded once, accepting the drink and downing most of it quickly.
"Have any of your ever had alcohol before?" asked Naruto curiously with a raised eyebrow.
Sakura nodded and pointed up at Gaara as she poured his drink. "Temari and Kankuro bought loads of Suna's strongest when Gaara got his acceptance letter." She paused and lifted the glass, eyeing the vodka. "That's a double, right?"
The redhead nodded and accepted the glass, adding his own coke himself.
"Naruto–"
"Double!"
Of course. He wouldn't want to be left behind. With a knowing smirk, she glanced over her shoulder at Sasuke. "I guess you want a double too, right?"
"Am I really that predictable?" He smirked in return before sitting up so that his chest was against her back once more. "Lemonade instead of coke, though."
She nodded, easily pouring the boys' drinks before looking up at Hinata with a smile. "Single like mine?"
That was obviously the smallest of the two, so Hinata nodded and accepted the glass with a smile, taking a wary sniff after the coke had been added. So this was a vodka and coke. Not as great as she thought it would be, in all honesty. Some of the girls in school had made it out to be some kind of drink that should be worshipped. And as she followed Sakura's lead and took a sip of the drink, Hinata had to hold back her grimace. It was vile! And burned her throat. How on earth did people enjoy drinks such as these? Where was the pleasure in them?
"It gets better," Naruto assured her, nudging Hinata's arm gently with his elbow. "Ero-sennin let me drink all the time when we were travelling."
Wow. Why wasn't Sakura surprised? Really. That man was just the worst influence ever. Then again, it was clear Jiraiya cared for Naruto and she supposed it was better to let him drink where he could keep an eye on the blond, rather than when he was out on a street corner with friends or possibly alone.
Sakura could understand Hinata's views on the drink, though. The first time she'd tried vodka was when she was in Suna with Gaara and his siblings. This stuff was much weaker, though. After only two drinks she'd been drunk and Sakura could tell when Gaara glanced down at his glass that he found the vodka weak, too. Wordlessly, she picked up the bottle and handed it to him just as he reached over for it, not even needing to look at him to know that he'd want more.
"Are you sure you can't drink, bushy–"
"I am certain, Naruto-kun," Lee interrupted with a smile. "Sakura-san is right: it's for the best that I don't drink. I don't enjoy feeling like I'm not myself."
And Sakura would rather Lee didn't destroy her living room. Her mother would be devastated since she had worked so hard to buy all of the furniture. "I don't think you need to drink to have fun, anyway." She smiled when he nodded in agreement.
Only an hour and a half later and she was onto her sixth drink, but Hinata politely declined when she was offered her sixth drink, deciding to join Lee and stick to the soft drinks. Alcohol just wasn't for her. Already she was feeling rather dizzy and much lighter than usual and Hinata wasn't sure if she enjoyed the feeling or not.
"I don't feel as anxious," the Hyuuga murmured when all was silent.
Naruto grinned at her. "We've found you the perfect medicine, then!"
"Hardly," snorted Sakura, who'd joined the guys on their doubles not long ago. "Having anxiety would be much better than being a drunk, in my opinion."
For a moment, as they all watched her, Hinata thought about it. Truly thought about it. And as she did, she pursed her lips and frowned minutely, the expression making Naruto's blush brought on by alcohol, deepen.
"It is a nice change," she finally decided, but then nodded. "But I agree with you, Sakura-san. The feeling of being lightheaded isn't that nice, either."
"Lightheaded?" Gaara seemed amused.
Even Sasuke smirked.
"Are you drunk, Hinata-san?" Lee questioned innocently.
Naruto turned his head to the side, squinting at the girl by his side. Like the others, there was a faint blush on her cheeks and her eyes weren't as focused as they usually were. Not only that, but Hinata seemed much more relaxed as she leaned back into the sofa, now holding a lemonade instead of a vodka.
She felt her own cheeks with her hands, seeming surprised. "But I only had a few!"
And even though she was worried, Sakura found it a nice surprise that Hinata wasn't getting overly panicked or anxious like she would when sober. This worry was much calmer and more tame, making her only feel a little embarrassed about being a lightweight. If she'd been sober, she would have been blushing and stuttering and stumbling over her words until she fell silent altogether, unable to even think straight.
"Don't worry about it," muttered Gaara as he took another sip of his drink. "In Suna, Sakura passed out after her third drink."
"In my defence," Sakura blushed madly when they all snickered, "that stuff is stupidly strong! I'm surprised nobody's gone blind because of it."
"Oh, they have." He shrugged. "Some have even died."
Sasuke's eyes narrowed and he sat up properly, holding Sakura closer to him. "And you still let her drink that stuff?"
Icy blue eyes rolled and Gaara seemed totally unconcerned by Sasuke's protectiveness. "We all know our limits. Do you really think any of us would have allowed Sakura to drink recklessly?"
Deciding he had a point, Sasuke backed down.
"You seem to know a lot about alcohol, Gaara-kun," Hinata murmured thoughtfully.
Again, he rolled his eyes. He seemed more laid back when he'd had a drink. "There's not much to do in Suna."
"So you drank?" Naruto pushed and leaned forward, pointing to his glass. "I mean, you're pouring like… I don't know fifths or something."
This time it was Sakura who rolled her eyes. "Just say half the glass, Naruto." Sitting up straighter, she then shrugged, trying to take the attention away from Gaara. She could tell by the very faint twitch in his brow that he was feeling uncomfortable. "The stuff in Suna is a hell of a lot stronger. He wasn't joking when he said I passed out after like, three drinks or something."
The reason why Gaara drank quite a bit while in Suna was because he seriously had nothing better to do. No, he was not alcohol dependent or anything of the sort, since he'd only drank twice while they were in Suna. He was, however, depressed and found it better to have a drink to take the edge off of the day. Since she arrived at his home, he hadn't been needing one nearly as much, though. He only drank twice and one of those times had been when they were celebrating.
"Is there really nothing to do in Suna?" Lee asked with a frown. "I would have thought it would be exciting, what with all the survival and–"
"It's not exciting when you have to focus on it every minute of every day," the redhead muttered. "It gets tiring."
Not to mention his problem with Matsuri and the fact nobody had accepted him. Sakura held back her urge to frown but just as she was about to change the subject, somebody else beat her to it. It made her smile to herself that he'd cared enough to step in.
"You said you're studying martial arts."
Gaara seemed vaguely surprised by Sasuke's statement, but nodded anyway. "Yeah."
"What do you plan on doing after?"
He shrugged at the question. "I haven't thought that far ahead. I would like to open my own dojo, thought."
"We could become rivals," Lee declared as he hopped to his feet, raising his fist and clenching it tightly. "I plan on following Gai-sensei's footsteps and taking over the dojo when the time comes."
There was a smirk on his lips. "You would have to defeat me at least once before I even consider you to be my rival."
The challenge clearly had Lee's blood boiling because his fist began to tremble and his expression was one of determination, leaving the others to stare in surprise and wonder. "I have trained a lot since our last spar, Gaara-kun. This time it won't be so easy."
"Good. I'll be rejoining the dojo as soon as my apartment is set up."
"It's not set up yet?" Naruto slurred with a frown, pausing in pouring himself another drink. "I thought it would be ready by now?"
It was Sakura who answered since she knew more about it than he did. Knowing her best friend the way she did, she had decided to take care of his furniture and anything of the sort, teaming up with Temari to make sure they had it perfect for him. If Gaara had been left in charge, he'd be living with the bare minimum, probably forgetting to by something that was incredibly important. Like a refrigerator.
"He's still waiting on the furniture to arrive. It should be here in two to three days, though. There was a delay in shipping, or something."
"Gaara-kun."
The serious voice of Rock Lee had Gaara looking up at him languidly, wondering what his problem was. "What?"
"I cannot wait until our spar," he admitted, still remaining rather serious. "So I challenge you to an arm wrestling match!"
Hours later, four of the six had passed out from either exhaustion or drinking too much, leaving the remaining two to watch the television that was left on.
Only an hour after the arm wrestling match, much to her horror, Hinata began to feel sick and much dizzier than before, though fortunately, Sakura managed to get her to the bathroom on time just when she started throwing up. They'd been in there for a while, so the guys entertained themselves by continuing with their arm wrestling matches.
The first match was between Gaara and Lee. It had lasted a while but eventually, much to Gaara's surprise, Lee won. He brushed it off as it being the alcohol in his system. Then it was Naruto and Sasuke and for a while, it had been a tough match. Neither of them budged until Sasuke flexed his arm and slammed Naruto's hand down into the counter.
Due to the coffee table and the dining table being made of glass, Sakura had demanded that they used the counter in the kitchen. What made it easier was that there was a half wall, one that meant they could stand opposite each other. One in the living room and one in the kitchen.
Then it was Naruto and Gaara. Gaara won.
Naruto and Lee. Lee won.
By that time, Naruto was getting frustrated, but none of them told him it was because of how much he'd had to drink. The blond was barely capable of standing straight. All of his sentences had been slurred and half finished, too.
Then, it was Sasuke and Gaara.
Oh the tension had been palpable.
In the end, the two girls returning from the bathroom had ended their match, as Sakura needed help with changing Hinata, who was just about ready to pass out. The Hyuuga had been leaning heavily against her and even though Sakura was a freakishly strong girl, she was unable to manage somebody's entire weight after having quite a few drinks and feeling a little drunk herself.
Lee was the one who helped her carry Hinata into her bedroom, though respectfully turned away when Sakura undressed her and changed her. He once more carried her into the living room, gently settling her down in the centre of one of the sofas.
"Is she okay?" Naruto had demanded, leaning over Hinata just as she fell asleep. "She doesn't look too good."
Sakura slapped his hand away just as he went to touch her. "Her body's not used to alcohol, Naruto. And keep your hands to yourself."
Only ten minutes later and Naruto had fallen asleep beside Hinata, only just managing to slip out of his shirt and socks before he was out. Next was Sakura, who'd already been in her pyjamas when she cuddled up next to Hinata, peacefully sleeping. Sasuke had fallen asleep not much longer after his girlfriend and once he was asleep, Sakura had turned around, snuggling up to him instead.
This was the sight that welcomed Mebuki when she returned from her late night shift and she couldn't help but stare at the living room in stunned silence.
By now, Naruto was spooning Hinata, who was spooning Sakura. Sakura, on the other hand, was completely entangled with Sasuke, holding onto him tightly. It was rather amusing, Gaara had murmured to her after the woman snapped a picture of them all. However, rather than finding it amusing, Mebuki's heart warmed as she saw her daughter clinging tightly to Sasuke with her face buried into his chest. His chin was resting on the top of her head and his arms were wrapped around her in a protective and comforting embrace. It was such a beautiful sight to see.
"I don't remember purchasing alcohol," Mebuki stated quietly, though there was no scolding look on her features. "Just as long as you were all sensible…"
Lee nodded and sat up, quick to assure her, "Hinata-san got sick, but Sakura-san took care of her."
Her face warmed. That was her Sakura, all right. Always taking care of others. It was no surprise that she wanted to be a doctor. "Make sure Hinata-chan drinks plenty of water when she wakes up," she told the two boys. "And there should be some medicine in the bathroom if she has a hangover."
"I'm sure she will be grateful," retorted Gaara, pointing in the direction of the bathroom. "We cleaned the mess up."
She should hope so. The last thing she wanted after a long night shift at the diner was to be cleaning up somebody else's vomit. Though, considering it was Hinata, she supposed she wouldn't have minded too greatly. The girl seemed so delicate and was always caring for Sakura. Very much like these two boys.
"It's good to have you home, Gaara-kun," Mebuki told him softly as she walked forward and closed the lid on the bottle of coke that had been left opened. "You are a very good friend to Sakura. Like her older brother, even."
It was strange thinking of Sakura as his sister considering their previous relationship. It may have only lasted a short while, but it had still existed and they had still kissed a few times. Wouldn't that be classed as incest? The thought of kissing Temari, who was actually his sister, horrified him. "Thank you."
"And the same goes for you, Lee-kun." She was mindful of keeping her voice low, so that they didn't wake the other four up. "You're also a very dear friend to Sakura. I'm very grateful she has you both to look out for her."
Lee blushed at the compliment and was surprisingly unable to find the words to reply with. Eventually, however, he cleared his throat, managing to whisper, "You did a very fine job with raising her, Mebuki-san. Sakura-san is blossoming into a beautiful flower–"
Gaara rolled his eyes and cut him off. It was way too early (or late) to be receiving a lecture about youth. "Now isn't the time, I know, and I'm sure you're exhausted but…" He frowned, growing serious and at his expression, the other two did, as well. "Sakura's anger has gotten a lot worse since the last time I saw her."
After taking a moment to think about it, Lee nodded, too. "I am genuinely worried for my friend, Mebuki-san. Sakura-san has difficulty controlling her temper."
The woman swallowed hard and her expression cracked ever so slightly. To try and distract herself, she tucked the other four in, making sure they were all covered and kept warm. "I know," she whispered so quietly that they almost didn't hear her. Then, she moved closer to them. "It has gotten better, though. Since Sakura has been with Sasuke-kun, her outbursts have gone down–"
"But they're still there." Gaara was remaining firm and serious, not allowing Mebuki's emotions to sway him. "I've been watching her over all summer, Mebuki. Sakura…" As much as it pained him to say it… "She needs help."
"It will take more than an outlet like martial arts," Lee murmured thoughtfully, his eyes straying over to the television. He couldn't even tell what they were watching now. "Her skills have flourished wonderfully over the years and both Gai-sensei and I are very proud of her. However, martial artists never go looking for trouble. They only fight when necessary or during tournaments."
Mebuki rubbed her aching eyes, feeling much more tired than she had five minutes ago. "She gets worked up so easily and it hurts that I can't do anything to help."
"But you can, Mebuki-san!" Lee quickly lowered his voice when Hinata mumbled in her sleep, trying to turn around once she'd released Sakura but failing due to Naruto's firm hold. If only she knew he was holding her. Lee was certain she would pass out again. "Getting Sakura-san the help she needs will help her."
There was silence for a moment as Gaara regarded her, wondering if his words would be the right ones. "She's scared of her anger."
The blonde's eyes widened. "…What?"
"She's scared of turning into her father."
Thankfully, no tears filled her eyes and after taking a deep, calming breath, Mebuki glanced over in Sakura's direction, her eyes softening at the peaceful look on her face. Yes, Uchiha Sasuke was definitely the source of Sakura's happiness.
"I selfishly tried to believe that that would never happen," Mebuki admitted quietly. "Whenever Sakura would get angry, I always told myself that it was okay. She's just stressed." Her eyebrows knitted together and this time, tears did fill her eyes. "…But that's what I always told myself whenever her father got angry."
Lee frowned in confusion, looking between Gaara and Mebuki. "Her father? Am I missing something, Mebuki-san?"
Her mouth opened to answer, about to reply, but when the words wouldn't come out, Gaara answered for her, saying, "Kizashi was violent with them both, though only once with Sakura. It was a regular occurrence for Mebuki, though."
The look on his face could only be described as heartbreak and it made Mebuki's heart warm seeing the look. It wasn't pity. Lee was truly feeling for her.
"You didn't deserve that, Mebuki-san." He didn't even need to try to keep his voice low. "Sakura-san didn't either. I saw him come by here not too long ago, while Sakura-san was in Suna. Did he…?"
She shook her head, offering him a small smile. "I didn't let him into the building."
"I'm glad," Lee told her before saying just as seriously, "Next time, I want you to tell me if he is here or gives you any trouble, Mebuki-san. I will not allow him to harm you or Sakura-san. You are both very precious to me and Gai-sensei has always taught me to protect my loved ones."
Those familiar green eyes softened and her heart felt incredibly lighter with his words. "Thank you, Lee-kun." Standing, she leaned over, gently kissing the tops of each of their heads. "I should be getting to sleep, anyway. I have a shift early in the morning at the office. You should both try to get some sleep, too." She paused, giving them another look of motherly love. "I didn't know them, but I'd like to think both of your parents would have been so proud to see the kind of men their boys have become."
With that, she left, leaving the two boys to smile to themselves.
Mebuki was like the mother they'd never had, which solidified only one thought in their minds as they exchanged a single look:
Haruno Kizashi would not harm Mebuki or Sakura.
It was way too early in the morning when they were woken by banging.
Hesitantly, Hinata opened her eyes and glanced around, though was happy to realise that she didn't feel as bad as she thought she would. It must have been the medicine Sakura had given her the night before, not to mention the tall glass of water she'd been forced to drink before falling asleep.
Naruto was missing, she realised after a moment, but the bathroom door being shut made it clear when he was. As for Sakura and Sasuke, she noticed with a smile, they were both still sleeping and holding onto each other. It was nice seeing that happy look on Sakura's face. Even in sleep, she seemed happy and peaceful. The other two were slowly waking up, with Gaara stretching and Lee blinking rapidly to try and clear his vision.
"What's that noise?" Gaara muttered irritably.
Hinata also sat up and waited for a second, frowning when she glanced at the clock and realised it was way past nine in the morning. That meant Mebuki would be at work.
"It seems to be the door," replied Hinata, her frown deepening when the person continued to rudely bang on it. That was no way to knock on somebody's door so early in the morning. Her father would have absolutely refused to open it or would have treated the guest with the same rudeness when demanding that they leave. "Perhaps we were too loud last night?"
"Possibly." Lee sighed, rubbing his eyes. "Naruto-kun got rather excited with the arm wrestling."
The banging continued, only growing louder the longer they took to answer. "It must be a resident, since they're in the building." As Hinata got up, she stretched, enjoying the popping and cracking of her joints. The sofa bed wasn't the most comfortable of places to sleep. "I will answer it and try to calm them. Sakura-san won't be happy to have such a rude awakening."
That was true, Gaara and Lee wordlessly agreed before looking over at Sakura, watching her for a moment. Their conversation with Mebuki the night before was still very clear to them and still at the very front of their minds. Sakura's anger was getting worse and was harder for her to control. She didn't need anybody making her angrier than she already felt.
The bathroom door opened just as Hinata left and sheepishly, Naruto's eyes trailed over to the bed, the blush on his cheeks deepening when he saw Hinata was awake.
"You were clingy last night."
Gaara's words had him freezing. "W-What?"
"To Hinata." The redhead smirked tiredly and leaned back into the sofa, resting his eyes. "Wouldn't let go of her even while you were sleeping."
"You like her, don't you, Naruto-kun?" Lee pushed, smiling warmly. "I think it is great. You seem to make her very happy."
He grinned. "You think?"
But then Lee's smile dimmed and and he glanced in the direction of the bathroom. "You were in their for a while. What were you doing?"
"Oh, I ate something funny yesterday and I didn't want to go while Hinata was awake, but I really needed a shi–"
A loud crash and a startled cry had Gaara's eyes flying open, had Lee immediately on his feet and on the other sofa, Sasuke's eyes also snapped open and he dragged Sakura closer, leaning over her as the crash startled him.
Naruto, on the other hand, had only one thing in mind when a large man came storming into the living room with a look of pure rage on his face.
"Hinata!"
He was blocking the hallway, however, so the blond could only stand there with a fierce glower, trying and failing to intimidate the other man. The older man wasn't even looking at him, for his eyes immediately swept over to the couple laying on the sofa, narrowing dangerously at the sight of Sasuke shaking Sakura awake. She was slow to respond, moaning in protest and trying to slap the hands away from her. She even rolled onto her stomach to try and avoid the wake up call, but Sasuke only turned her back around and sat her up, having Sakura leaning against him as he quietly murmured for her to wake up.
The man's fists clenched and the murderous look on his face seemed to double.
"Get your hands off my daughter!"
A/N - Thank you all for your kind and lovely messages last chapter. They really do mean a lot to me and I hope you enjoy this chapter