Look! I have actual paragraphs! It's a little short, but I'm happy with it! ^_^
Disclaimer: Maya-chan2007 does not own Naruto or the Sound of Music. Quite frankly, seeing as she's about to go off to college, she really doesn't have the time, energy, want, or need to own it. XP
It took a while for Sasuke to calm down after Kakashi broke the news to him that he wanted to invariably prostitute his children out to sing for him. And yes, those were Sasuke's exact words. Or close enough to them, at least, according to Naruto. It also helped to calm Sasuke down when Karin took him over to the side of the room, where they talked in low murmurs, with her calming him down enough to where he could calmly, rationally, and without breaking anything (most likely Kakashi's face) explain that he did not in fact want his impressionable teenage children to participate in such an event. Kakashi did not take the rejection well.
After trying to explain that if Sasuke let his children enter the contest, and they won, then there would be a cash prize. Sasuke said no, noting that he already had enough cash around. Sakura noted that he was a 'stupid rich person', though she could have been bitter for the close, personal contact that Karin seemed to be having with Sasuke.
On that note, while Kakashi tried to persuade Sasuke, and Karin was keeping him calm with her arm wrapped around his, and whispering in his ear, the children started a conversation on who they liked best with their father.
"I don't know, I just don't really know Baroness Karin that well. If I had to choose someone to end up with Father Sasuke, I would have to say Sakura-chan!" Naruto exclaimed from over in the corner of the room where they were situated. He nodded his head sagely, as if he had spoken the most important thing that he could possibly say.
"Yeah, I mean, look at her! She's all over Father! Why doesn't he push her away, or something?" Tenten replied, outraged at this indignation towards her beloved Father. "We don't even know the woman, and already she's draping herself over him!" Neji was beside her in an instant, soothing her by rubbing her arms with his hands, muttering things to her like, "She's not worth it," and "Don't worry about it."
"Totally! Even though Father and Sakura haven't been together that much, they make such the cutest pair, don't they?" Ino squealed in delight. Sakura was steadily turning redder and redder with each passing comment.
"That's all well and good, but are we actually giving this woman a chance?" Shino asked, so far the only one with an objective opinion. "Precisely as Tenten has pointed out, we don't know her. Is it really right for us to pass judgment like this?"
Pondering this for a bit, Kankuro said, "Oh, so then you didn't see her freak out when she saw that cockroach, and start yelling at Kin because we 'allow such vermin in the house?'"
There was a dead silence that settled over them as Shino was informed of this woman's hatred for bugs. There was no excuse for it, really. Nor was there any other way to handle it. The woman would have to be brought down. Shino started working with Shikamaru on specific plans, others putting in their own opinions on how to go about it, Sakura trying very hard to ignore them, when Hinata said something that made them stop.
"I-I'm not sure about S-Sakura or Baroness Karin, b-but Mother was really nice…" Hinata said in a soft voice, softer than what was usually normal for her. This statement caused several, if not most or all, of the teenagers to look up at her, while pondering on this thought.
"True, Mother was awesome. I mean, come on, she picked us up from off the street, didn't she?" Temari said. Everyone (except for Sakura and Tenten) nodded at this.
"No, she didn't get me. Father's the one who found me…" Tenten said in a faraway voice that was so sugary sweet that it induced cavities.
"Is that why you like your father so much?" Sakura asked after surreptitiously flossing her teeth very quickly. Who knows, Sister Shizune could have made cavities a sin for all anyone knew.
"Well, yeah! And, Father's the coolest Father that anyone could ever ask for!" Tenten said with the same awe in her voice that she had used earlier. Quite a few others started trying to clean their teeth. This is how the other adults found them, actually, when they went to check up on how everyone was doing.
"…I'm not sure exactly what it is that you did while I was gone, Miss Sakura, but you've got my children flossing and taking care of their dental hygiene. Without anyone having to say anything," Sasuke said, flabbergasted that his children are actually somewhat responsible. If only he knew.
"Oh, come on, Sasuke-kun," Karin said with a slight pout to her admittedly pretty face, "Surely your kids aren't that bad."
Sasuke smirked a bit, sharing a look with Sakura that made her heart skip a beat, and to her embarrassment made a blush appear on her face. Turning to Karin, Sasuke replied, "You're right; I guess Kakashi's just got me a little tense, is all." He had said this with a smile to Karin that made Sakura's heart tighten uncomfortably.
"W-well, we should go a-and train, now, kids," Sakura stammered out while looking away quickly and unconsciously wringing her hands together. The kids looked at each other before nodding and heading towards the door, making chatter to try and not make Sakura feel upset with her obvious heart-break.
Karin and Sasuke were lounging on the couch together, enjoying the relative peace and quiet as Kakashi was with his dogs coming up with a new method to try and convince Sasuke to lend out his kids, and Sakura was out with the teenagers training.
Leaning in, Karin asked Sasuke, "Sasuke-kun, when are we going to tell them about us?" Sasuke looked at her, but looked straight ahead quickly.
"Of course not. They don't need to know, at least not yet," Sasuke said in his usual taciturn way.
"But, we are going to tell them, right?" Karin asked in a wheedling voice. She was tired of having to keep her very special relationship with Sasuke a secret; not that she wasn't happy, but she felt that it was past time to be keeping their bond a secret. She was damn proud of what they had, and if he wasn't happy too, then all of her hard work would be for naught.
Sighing, Sasuke ran his hand through his hair before turning to give Karin one of his rare smiles. "Of course we'll tell them; don't worry so much about me, Karin."
Smiling contentedly to herself, Karin leant back into the couch. What did she care if she had to wait for a little bit longer? She had her man, and nothing was going to change that.
Outside, Sakura was overseeing the teenagers in their training and helping when necessary such as when she had to break Naruto out of a genjutsu that he had set off accidentally.
"Geez, I always fall for that…" Naruto said, sulking and thinking about his many numerous attempts at the obstacle course that Sakura had set up. It was always the genjutsu-pit that he had trouble with and got stuck at.
"Well, then we just need to fix that, don't we?" Sakura asked cheerfully, back to feeling like herself as soon as she was in her element—pushing the kids through a rigorous training course and helping as she saw fit.
"You mean like how you're fixing the thing between Father Sasuke-teme and you?" Naruto asked shrewdly, pointing out that she's not really one to talk.
"Th-that's something else entirely!" Sakura stammered, blushing quite a bit. "B-besides, there's nothing happening between me and him, a-and it's not like there would have been, either!"
"Yeah, keep telling yourself that honey; whatever helps you sleep at night," Tenten said while walking over with Neji and Lee to stand next to Sakura. All three had already made it through the training course that day, so they were watching and waiting for everyone else to get finished.
Sakura glared at the lot of them, before changing her look to one of 'complete innocence'.
"Hey, Lee?" Sakura asked in as 'innocent' a voice as she could pull off, considering the circumstances. "On average, how many laps do you think everyone runs for their training?"
The ones gathered had a vague idea of what might happen, but they couldn't stop Lee in time.
"On average, we run about fifteen laps around the entire estate, though I could run more!" Lee boasted with pride…and youth.
Still smiling, Sakura turned to the growing crowd of teenagers who were looking apprehensive on what would happen to them next.
"Double what he just said. As for you, Lee, you can triple it if you want," Sakura said with the smile still on her face.
Groaning in protest (they had just finished the obstacle course!) the teenagers started on their laps.
This left Sakura alone in her thoughts.
First, the matter with Karin. She didn't seem like a bad person….and as much as Sakura hated to admit it, she knew that Sasuke-no, Captain Sasuke, and Baroness Karin would make a good couple. Just look at how much they already seem to care for each other? That, and they obviously have history together, and not in the scholastic sense.
Whereas Sakura only really knew him for a day before he left for three months. True, he's back now, but Sasuke-no, Captain Sasuke, has only eyes for Karin-no, Baroness Karin.
Sakura couldn't even really have a relationship with Captain Sasuke (yes, she got it right that time!). She's a nun. A nun-in-training, no less. This wasn't the time to get caught up in relationship issues.
Sakura should have already been made a full-fledged nun by now. She came to the convent the same time as Shizune and Lady Tsunade-shishou, but she was still a novice. Shizune, no Sister Shizune, was already one of the most respected, higher-up nuns. Tsunade, no, Reverend Mother was already, well, the Reverend Mother! And what was Sakura? Just plain Sakura, with the wide forehead, as Sister Ami was so kind to point out.
Look! You're already starting to learn kindness and forgiveness! Just wait; we can become a nun easily!
Ah, yes. Another thing that made life difficult, at least as far as getting a date or becoming a nun is concerned. Having an Inner Self talk to you all the time doesn't really help that much, especially when you're supposed to stay sane, or at least have the appearance of being sane.
Hey, you talk to me, too. And I thought that you weren't supposed to have a relationship as a nun?
Sakura wasn't even sure if she wanted to be a nun anymore. The convent was pretty much all she knew, except for the few years of traveling that she did with Sister Shizune and the Reverend Mother before they became such. Those years were some of the worst, but at least she wasn't alone anymore. She didn't even know what she would do with herself if she was to leave the convent. It's not like she was really qualified for anything, or even had the post-secondary education required.
Not to say that Sakura was stupid. On the contrary, she was actually quite bright, and could probably learn what she needed on the fly.
But that would be the same as quitting, and Sakura was not a quitter. She was also in Lady Tsunade's debt, since she took her in so many years ago, and gave her a purpose. True, being a medical ninja in a convent wasn't much of a purpose, since there wasn't much need for any ninja in a convent, but at least she could use her medical prowess to help the people in the nearby village, and on occasion in the convent as well.
So, all Sakura would have to do is persevere. She wouldn't be in this job forever-although secretly she wished that she could be; the teenagers just grow on you-she would eventually be able to go back to the convent. And when that happens, Sakura would put her all into it. She would become the best nun that she could be, so that way she could make Lady Tsuna-the Reverend Mother proud of her.
But don't you remember when Shishou became Reverend Mother? She became someone she's not, fulfilled all of the expectations of others, and then finally snapped under the pressure and went back to her usual self.
Sakura did remember. Tsunade had shut herself inside to escape the pain of what was her life from before, carefully avoided all things that could remind her, but eventually succumbed when she accidentally had a bit of sacramental wine.
True, she wasn't the strictly devout Reverend Mother that she was before, but she still knew when and where to take responsibility for herself. It was this reason that kept her the Reverend Mother seat; otherwise she would have had to step down.
Before Sakura could contemplate any further, she heard Kin in the background calling for everyone to come to dinner.
I guess I should stop thinking about this for now, Sakura thought to herself. There's always time later.
Well, there's that. I'm going to keep this short, so please review! But seriously, people, I only had, what, two or three reviews last chapter? To the one's that reviewed, thank you, I know that you at least like my story. To everyone else, is it really so hard to just push the darn button and say 'I liked it', 'it was funny', or 'it sucked'? =_=