I am so terribly sorry for taking so long, I should now hopefully be able to update at the end of every week or week and a half with long chapters.
Sakura and Sasuke were walking towards the Uchiha estate or thats what Sakura had presumed. They walked in a comfortable silence with occasional glances at each other once in a while. After a little while they stopped about a mile from the Uchiha estate to eat dinner at a very fancy restaurant. Sakura looked at the restaurant with awe, it was beautiful. Inside there was a cherry blossom tree directly in the middle of the place with a small pond surrounding it. There were four small red bridges going onto the small bit of land that the cherry blossom tree rested on. The restaurant was two stories the second story had a big square hole in it and railings on the side of the hole. The hole was there to make room for the tall cherry blossom tree which branches and blossoms almost reached the glass ceiling. There were tables everywhere with white and red table cloth. The tables were lit by candles and paper lanterns that hung on the ceiling from string. "Wow Sasuke this is, beautiful." Sakura said breathlessly. Sasuke looked at Sakura with a small smile on his face. A waitress in a pink and purple Kimono walked up to them with two menus and a smile on her face. "Uchiha-san, your table is right this way." The women said then started leading them to their table. Their table was a small candle lit one on the grassy earth under the cherry blossom tree. "Sasuke, this is just too much." Sakura said in disbelief. A small frown adorned her face "I should not have said yes, No this doesn't change anything I am still leaving after I take the Exams." Sakura thought reassuring herself of her decision. "Do you not like it?" Sasuke asked with a worried tone. "No Sasuke I love it, it's just so unbelievable." Sakura said with a smile. A red tint appeared on Sasuke's face and he turned away. "I'm glad." He said a smile forming on his face.
They sat down at their table and ordered their food and beverages. Once their food came they ate in a comfortable silence glancing at each other once in a while. "Well this is awkward..." Sakura though while she ate the last bite of her food. After a while there check came.
"I'll pay." Sasuke said and reached into his pocket for money.
"No Sasuke it's fine I can pay for this one."
"Sakura I asked you out for dinner I'll pay."
"Sasuke I saw the check, thats a lot of money, I'll pay for myself and you pay for yourself, we are not arguing about this." Sakura said as she took out some money.
Sasuke sighed and got up from his seat as the waitress collected the money, he turned to Sakura and held out his hand to her. Sakura looked up and saw his hand held out and with a little bit of nervousness she took it. Sasuke escorted her out of the restaurant and they began walking to what Sakura thought to be the Uchiha estate. "I have a, something I want to show you" Sasuke said as they came to the gates of the estate. He turned toward her and grabbed both of her hands with a small smile on his face. "I hope you like it Sakura." Sasuke said and used one hand to push open the gate. "Um but first can you close your eyes." Sasuke said as he blocked her view of inside the estate. Sakura sighe then closed her eyes and Sasuke grabbed her hands and led her inside. After a minute or so of him navigating her through the estate with her eyes closed they stopped at a garden. Which compared to the rest of the Uchiha estate that was broken down and rotted seemed to be alive and beautiful. Flowers and plants bloomed everywhere, different arrays of color reflected off of the small pond in the middle of the garden. There were seven cherry blossom trees surrounding the garden and acting like a barrier to the outside world. Though there was a small gap between one two of them that Sakura and Sasuke had entered through. "Ok, you can open your eyes." Sasuke said with a fond smile on his face. Sakura opened her eyes and was immediately overcome by awe. It was simply the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. So many beautiful colors surrounded her and she felt like she was in another world. One that took all of the pain and grief away, one so far from reality that it felt like the only sane place in the world. Like she could just stay here forever and have the death and decay rot away the world without her being apart of it. She felt happy for once in her life even though it was just a garden. She turned toward Sasuke at a loss for words desperately trying to figure out what to say. He looked into her eyes and a real smile formed on his face. He grabbed her hand and led her through the flowers and to a bench near the pond. He sat down and Sakura followed suit. "Sasuke this is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen." Sakura said with a smile. Sasuke looked at her with adoration and squeezed her hand slightly while looking into her eyes.
Sasuke started to lean forward to where he was merely inches from her face and whispered "I, I like you a lot Sakura." He said and started to close the distance between them. Sakura didn't move away from the kiss but sat there a little bit in shock. Then a rustle in a tree broke her out of her thoughts and the pain and memories of everything bad came back pushing away the happiness. Sakura put a hand on Sasuke's chest and stopped him from leaning in anymore. "Sasuke I am flattered, I really am but I can't kiss you and I don't like you that way, I'm sorry." Sakura said then got up from the bench and started to walk away. Sasuke sat there a little bit in shock then stood up and followed Sakura to the gates of the estate. "I'll, uh walk you home." Sasuke said stay as confident as ever. Sakura sighed "Alright." She said looking to the ground.
After a very long and awkward walk to her house Sasuke dropped her off at her door and began walking back. As soon as Sasuke was out of sight Sakura ran into her house and opened her bedroom door. She slammed the door and then jumped onto her bed closing her eyes and screaming into her pillow. "Ok, ok Sakura calm down, just watch a movie and eat a giant bowl of ice cream and you'll be good." Sakura said to herself with a sigh. got out of her clothes and changed into a red tank top and grey shorts. She walked into her kitchen and got a bowl of cookie dough ice cream and then went and sat on her couch and flipped the tv on. Sakura sighed and put a giant spoonful of ice cream in her mouth "Well that was one of the most awkward situations I have ever been in." Sakura mumbled through a mouth filled with cookie dough. "Yeah that was pretty awkward." Akuma said as he walked into the living room from the front door. Sakura stared at the tv as she put another scoop of ice cream in her mouth. Akuma sat next to her on the couch grabbing the remote and flipping the channel. Sakura being too deep in though to notice the channel changing.
She then sighed and set her bowl down "Honestly I know you guy's were watching me the whole time but why did you have to stay for that part?" Sakura asked turning her head to look at Akuma. Akuma shrugged his shoulders then said "If it makes you feel any better if he had kissed you Madara would have slit his throat." Akuma said with a smile. "Oh yeah that makes me feel sooo much better." Sakura said bringing her legs up and crossing her arms over her knees as she buried her head in her arms. "Ugh I hate romance I think I'll just stick to breaking bones and slicing throats." Sakura mumbled with a sigh. "Yeah that is what you're good at." Akuma said with a chuckle. "Whats so funny?" Sakura asked looking up at him. "I just find it funny that all these men are attracted to you yet you aren't attracted to any of them." Akuma said looking at her with a smile on his face. "Hey I am attracted to some men." Sakura said with a slight blush. "Oh and which men are you attracted to?" Akuma asked with a raised brow. "No one imparticular." Sakura said turning her head to hide her blush. "You know I could just read your mind if I wanted to right?" Akuma said with a serious tone. Sakura turned toward him with a knowing look. "Ok yeah you're right I was bluffing but seriously you should just tell me." Akuma said with a smile. "Ugh fine." Sakura said and whispered a couple names in Akuma's ear. Akuma laughed and said "Wow I didn't know you were into bad boys Sakura."
"Shut it."
"I also didn't know you were into tall, muscular, blue and gills." Akuma said laughing some more.
"I said shut it!" Sakura shouted tackling Akuma off the couch and pinning him to the ground.
"Why are you pinning me to the ground?" Akuma asked.
"Because you were being annoying." Sakura said with a smirk.
"Yeah perfect way to punish a guy, get on top of him." Akuma said sarcastically.
"Yeah I guess I didn't plan this very well." sakura said with a calculated look as she got off of Akuma. Akuma sighed and shook his head and said "You really need to pay attention more."
"And why is that?" Sakura asked with a raised brow as she leaned against the wall.
"Because." Akuma said then stood up and walked over to her putting both of his hands on each side of her head trapping her. "If you do anything like that again, I won't stop myself from kissing you." Akuma said seductively with his face only inches from hers.
"Well then I'll make sure not to because I would rather not waste my first kiss in this timeline on you." Sakura said pushing him back with her hand. She then grabbed her bowl of ice cream and walked toward her room. "Goodnight Akuma." Sakura said before she shut her door. Akuma let a small smile form on his face "Goodnight Sakura." He said quietly.
~The Next Day~
Sakura was stirred out of her slumber as she heard a knock at her balcony window. Her eyes flickered open and she pushed herself into a sitting position with her left hand. She looked at her clock with a sigh it read in bright green numbers '3:23am'. Sakura got out of bed and walked toward her window. On her balcony was a woman with long brown hair and an ANBU uniform on as well as a mask shaped as a monkey covering her face. Sakura opened her window "What can I do for you?" Sakura asked.
"The Hokage requests your presence Sakura-san." The ANBU Said then bowed politely and disappeared.
"What could that old man possibly want at three in the morning, and how is that every time I run into an ANBU they know who I am?" Sakura asked herself as she closed her window. She looked outside and saw ammonus cloud filled sky looming over the quiet streets of Konoha. "I hope it rains soon." Sakura thought looking at the village gates which were very visible from her window. "I'm starting to rethink my decision, this isn't good." Sakura though with a sigh as she turned around to rummage through her closet for clothes. She put on a black mesh shirt with a fishnet shirt underneath as well as tight black training shorts.
"I am going to assume it's a mission and if it's not I am going to kill the bastard for waking me up this early with no excuse." Sakura said. She slipped her weapons pouch on her leg and strapped her katana on her back. Sakura then put her hair up with a black ribbon that had two tied to the end of it. The ribbon was long and dangled down to her upper back after she tied her hair up. She then put a red belt on that had numerous compartments and small pouches on it. Sakura opened a drawer in her dresser and grabbed ten small scrolls attaching each one to the compartment on her belt. The scrolls had a string attached to the end and the string was attached to a kunai. When Sakura was done it looked as if she had a skirt of kunai and every time she moved the kunai would hit each other making a clicking sound. She looked in the mirror and fixed her wrappings which had a black skull painted on them today. Which looked cool though every time one wrapping would get out of place the design was messed up. Though also when she talked the skull would move with her mouth. Sakura looked at her reflection for another second then smiled under her mask. She then turned away and disappeared in a whirl of cherry blossoms appearing in the Hokage's office in the same manner.
"You wanted to see me Hokage-sama?" Sakura asked as she leaned against the wall left of the Hokage's desk.
"Yes, thank you for coming Sakura-san, I'll get straight to the point then, I have a missions for you." Sarutobi said then brought out a file with the mission details on it. Sakura walked over to the desk and picked up the file and looked over the details.
Rank- S class
Type- Assassination
Target- Yohaku gang
Location- Last seen near the Hidden waterfall village
"When would you like me to leave?" Sakura asked after she looked over the entire file.
"As soon as possible." The Hokage said with a serious tone. Sakura nodded then disappeared and appeared back in her room. Sakura walked over to her closet and put a black cloak on but left the hood down. She grabbed her pack and looked inside to see everything she needed for a mission already packed and gave a slightly questioning look.
"Have fun on your mission Saku-san." She heard Akuma say. Sakura turned toward her door to see Akuma leaning on the frame with a smile on his face.
"Thanks, see you in a week." Sakura said as she put her pack on and disappeared and appearing near the village entrance. She walked over to Izumo and Kotetsu and handed them a scroll saying she was leaving for a classified mission.
"Another S-class mission Sakura?" Izumo asked with a smile.
"Now Izumo you know I can't tell you that, classified remember." Sakura said with a crease of her eyes.
"Nice mask." Kotetsu said with a small smile.
"Thanks." Sakura said then grabbed her scroll back after Izumo was done looking it over and stuffed it in her pouch under her black cloak. "See you guys in a week or so." Sakura said with a crease of her eyes then walked out of the gates and into the forest heading for the Hidden village of Waterfalls.