The Seven S's
A/N: I know it's late but Ramadan Kareem, everyone! I wrote this oneshot as a celebration for Nowruz/Persian New Year, which was on 21st March(I know I'm so late, but later is better than never!). I'd really like to thank Iminnerdvana for taking the time to beta this fic. Happy reading, everyone! c:
Discliamer: I do not have any ownership over Naruto & its characters. They rightfully belong to Masashi Kishimoto. I write fan-fictions solely for entertainment.
"Sakura, you surely do have the fondness for reds." Mikoto acknowledged, who rolled up a large damp carpet before handing them over to Sasuke. His task was to hang them in order to dry them up under the sunlight.
The pink-haired woman sat by the dining table, covered with newspaper, as she was painting cherry blossoms on the reddened shells of cold hard-boiled eggs, which she dotted with gold specks in the centre. She wore a green buttoned-up cardigan and a pair of white trousers.
During those earlier weeks, Sasuke had invited Sakura several times to the Uchiha household due to Fugaku and Mikoto being very delighted with her presence. The middle-aged pair were eager when they heard the news from young Uchiha that he was very much interested in seeing the blossom-haired woman. Upon hearing this news from the parents, Itachi, along with his pregnant wife, Izumi, were thrilled that Sasuke had finally found the one with whom he's ready to share his future.
As per today of being the last Wednesday eve of the year, Scarlet Wednesday, Sakura was invited over to help Mikoto in the preparation for the upcoming Nowruz, which would take place on Saturday. The Uchiha matriarch, along with her sons, were finishing the final touches of Spring Cleaning, where the household is engaged in deep cleansing of their home, as well as decluttering anything which was no longer necessary to hold onto anymore. Fugaku was out of the house, donating any unwanted things from the household to charities and buying fireworks for this particular evening. The house was almost clean, in which the middle-aged woman had finished scrubbing the Persian carpets notoriously while Itachi was wiping the windows inside and out in order to get them evenly polished.
Meanwhile, Izumi, who had already seated herself next to Sakura, was doing the same chore as her soon-to-be sister-in-law by painting the hard-boiled eggs with paisleys.
"I agree, Okaa-san. Sakura-chan's designs look beautiful," the brown-haired woman remarked cheerily.
"Thank you, Izumi-san," the pink-haired woman replied before she responded to her soon-to-be mother-in-law, "red is my favourite colour."
By the time afternoon broke, they were done with the chores and the Uchiha patriarch had reached home, but not without the various types of fireworks in the shopping bag on hand. During the sunset, they rested for some time, and Mikoto happily served them afternoon tea with sweet and savoury pastries on the side. Amongst themselves, they chattered regarding the tasks to be done before the very big event on Nowruz. It was almost time for the Scarlet Wednesday eve and they were all looking forward to jumping over the bonfires in their backyard.
The Uchiha patriarch along with his sons stepped outside into the garden to light some fire while the dark-haired woman was preparing some traditional dinner to be feasted upon on this special night. Sakura and Izumi decided to remain with the middle-aged Uchiha and help her in the kitchen. However, Mikoto insisted that the pinkette shouldn't trouble herself since she was a guest in their home.
"It'll be quick, Sakura. The noodle soup is almost ready," the doyenne assured the young woman, as she stirred the contents in the large metal pot.
Upon hearing that, Sakura succumbed to her slight embarrassment and thought that it would be best to join the men in the garden.
After she closed the backdoor behind her, the rosette saw a small object being flung towards her feet-
The pinkette swiftly leapt away when a huge BANG came as it ignited on the same area where it hit the ground.
"Sasuke-kun! You've given me a scare!" Sakura complained.
The dark-haired youth smirked smugly at her sudden reaction, whose hand held a small box of red cracker snaps.
"So you get ready for the evening, Sakura," replied Sasuke teasingly.
Footsteps approached them, as Itachi japed with his younger brother, "Sasuke, you could've at least given Sakura-san a pack beforehand to make it fairer."
As the younger Uchiha was about to respond to his older sibling, Mikoto emerged from the back door and rebuked, "Sasuke, you brought a guest into our home, and you're scaring her before the ritual?"
Izumi followed after Mikoto through the door as well, and complimented, "Oooh, busted."
Sasuke let out a sigh, as he slumped his shoulders lightly at being picked by almost everyone. Maybe he can enjoy the fireworks with Sakura after dinner.
"Mikoto and everyone! The bonfires are lit! And I got the fireworks ready." Fugaku announced. The five bonfires were ignited in a single row.
Each of the family members had taken their turn in leaping over the bonfires after the other, but not without saying the line several times 'Give me your fiery red colour and take back my sickly yellow pallor'. Except Izumi due to her condition, and so Itachi laid out for her a row of stub candles for her to skip over them. This act was done to burn away any negativity during the final days of the year, for fire was the source of light and energy.
When it was Sakura's turn to perform this ritual, she ran and leapt over the fires, one after the other, wishing for all the negativity to be removed from the final days before the spring equinox. She felt a fiery heat bloomed through her body and her heart pumped fast from the adrenaline.
"Give me your fiery red colour and take back my sickly yellow pallor," the rosette recited as the act of ritual, as she jumped over the bonfires several times.
When she was done jumping over the bonfires and returned to where the Uchiha's stood, Sasuke slipped a glance towards her.
"What?" Sakura asked, crossing her arms in front of her with a playful grin on her countenance.
"You didn't jump high, Sakura," said the dark-haired young man with a smug smirk while he stuffed his hands in his pockets.
"Oh really? Wanna bet, Sasuke-kun?" The pinkette teased, raising her pink eyebrow and daring him to accept her challenge.
"Sakura-san, you jumped higher than Sasuke-kun," Izumi chimed in, sniggering.
"Oh, see? Izumi witnessed it." The petal-hued woman pointed out.
At that, the young Uchiha released an exasperated sigh and accepted his defeat. However, he vowed that he definitely would be competing with the rosette later in the evening.
"Sasuke," called his father as he continued further on, "bring the outdoor chairs from the shack."
"Aah, father." The dark-haired man bowed his head slightly towards his father before disappearing into the shack by the corner of the backyard to fetch the stacked plastic chairs. After placing them in the garden, he noticed Itachi walking away from Sakura. Afterwards, Fugaku and his elder son were putting out the bonfires, except the one in the centre. Sasuke shortly returned to where his family stood.
The Uchiha's - along with Sakura - gathered around the lone igniting bonfire while they maintained some distance with mere meters from it. Except for Fugaku who crouched down onto the ground, lighting some pyrotechnics, in which he remained some distance from the bonfire. A few moments later, a small tank of a novelty firework started firing out colorful missiles into the sky. Then the Uchiha patriarch ignited a fountains firework, which started releasing sparks in all directions. A larger ground spinner was whizzing too, causing the colourful sparks to fly around as though a flower bloomed upon the ground. Lastly, an aerial repeater was set on the ground, and some moments later, it shot different tubes into the sky, exploding one after the other.
For the time being, the people gathered around in a circle, marveling with awe and fascination at the sight of the dazzling magnificence before them. Izumi looped her arm through her spouse's, as they both stood watching.
Sasuke, on the other hand, stood beside Sakura and observed the reflection of the blazing lights dancing upon her features within his peripheral vision. He couldn't help but feel truly content that Sakura was enjoying her time with his household. The pinkette had felt that the young Uchiha was regarding her immensely. The moment her vivid green eyes met his softened dark eyes, her rosy lips curled into a smile. Their glancing was withheld for a few moments before the glimmering of the fires had fizzled out before them.
"Alright, time for dinner." Mikoto's cheering voice broke the silence. The pregnant woman accompanied her mother-in-law into the kitchen while the men cleared any remaining of the spent fireworks in the garden. The rosette joined the ladies to help them serve the herbed noodle soup to the household, and this time, the Uchiha matriarch had not refused. Soon after, they sat upon the arranged chairs around the lone blazing bonfire and feasted their dinner in silence.
By the time they were done, it was time for Sakura to call it a night with the Uchiha's and return to her home.
"Thank you so much for your hospitality, Mikoto-san and Fugaku-san," Sakura thanked the patriarch and the matriarch earnestly, bowing her head.
"Here's some extra noodle soup I packed for you and your family. We're hoping to see you on New Year's," said Mikoto, handing over the parcel to the pinkette.
"Yes," Fugaku agreed with his wife's statement.
"Have a good night, everyone. See you on New Year's day." The young rosette bid her farewell to the Uchiha's before making her way into the chilled night.
"Sakura," a familiar voice called towards her.
Upon hearing that, she turned around and rejoiced, "Sasuke-kun!"
The dark-haired man strode to where the pinkette stood and said, "I'll walk you home."
Ecstatic green eyes and a grin appeared on the rosette's countenance, as she tucked a lock of hair behind her ear and hummed in response. The pair strolled through the streets.
Within the streets of the Konoha, bonfires were kindled here and there, where some people jumped over them shouting the same line, as the duo did back in the Uchiha's garden. Citizens also lit small fireworks in the corners, forming small crowds around them. Children scurried through the cobbled paths as they waved about sparklers. Policemen patrolled in these roads, making sure that casualties were dealt with swiftly.
While the pair were making their way to Haruno's, they spotted Naruto jumping over the bonfire along with his fiancée, Hinata.
"Oi! Teme! Sakura-chan!" The blond greeted them loudly, jogging up to his friends and his dark-haired fiancee followed after him. Sasuke scowled at his friend's boisterousness in public.
"G-good evening, Sasuke-kun and Sakura-chan," the shy Hyuuga stuttered as she saluted the pair.
Sasuke simply greeted back with, "Naruto" and he simply bowed his head towards Hinata with courtesy.
"Hey, Naruto and Hinata. Enjoying yourselves for the evening?" Enquired the rosette.
"Yeah, 'ttebayou! I just jumped over a large bonfire. Sasuke, wanna compete with me?" Naruto boasted raucously.
"Hmph. It's supposed to be a ritual, not some competition, dobe." The black-haired man's features furrowed, crossing his arms.
"Oh yeah? I'm sure you wanna do it, but I'll definitely beat you this time, teme!"
"Says the person who almost got himself burnt last time," Sasuke muttered.
"Naruto, Sasuke-kun's right. It's best if we just focus on the ritual instead of risking burning ourselves," the pinkette advised.
"I agree with Sakura-san. Naruto-kun, the fireworks are about to start. It's great seeing you, Sakura-san and Sasuke-kun." Hinata bowed her head slightly before she scurried along with her fiancé towards the direction of her clan's compound.
"See ya! Sakura-chan, text me if Teme jumps higher than me or not!" The blond waved and shouted back at the pair, as the public eyes turned to Naruto. The Uchiha rolled his eyes, grateful that he wasn't next to his loud friend.
"Naruto!" Sakura called after him, whereas Sasuke just scowled at his immature behaviour, clearly uninterested in the competition.
After a few moments of silence as they continued with their stroll, the pinkette turned to the Uchiha and questioned, "What was that about?"
"What do you mean, Sakura?"
"You act so high and mighty with Naruto, unlike with me." Sakura placed her hands on her hips, teasing him.
"With you, it's different," he declared as he stopped in his tracks and turned towards her before continuing with a smirk, "and you haven't jumped high."
Ahead of them was a huge bonfire in the dark route, where very few adults jumped over it before they abandoned it elsewhere, but a policeman remained patrolling it. On its left was the park while on its right was the stilled dark lake.
"You're still on that? Perhaps we can settle it there, so I can prove it to you that I can jump higher," challenged Sakura, pointing towards the fire.
"Heh, fine. After you, Sakura," Sasuke offered.
Before doing anything, she settled the plastic bag onto the side of the road. The pinkette took a deep breath and ran with all her might towards the dancing flames. She jumped over it and felt the heat.
"How was it? Did I jump higher this time, Sasuke-kun?" She questioned aloud after she landed on the ground.
"Aah. Better than before," came the Uchiha's response.
"Alright, your turn now," announced the rosette.
The dark-haired man immediately sprinted and leapt over the bonfire. After he landed on the ground and prepared to get up, he began, "I jumped hi-"
And that was when something small was being flung between his feet and he scurried away from it before it touched the ground and produced a loud BANG. He quickly realised that it was a piece of red cracker snaps, and Sakura was holding a brand new packet of the novelty firework.
"So, I guess Itachi must've given you a pack before you left?" The young Uchiha observed with a smirk appearing on his lips, as he reached for his own packet from his trousers' pocket. He suddenly threw a piece of it at the rosette.
"Yeah, he actually did when you went to get the fireworks from the house," she confessed after skipping away from the small pyrotechnic.
"Looks like I'm not the only one who anticipated this," said the dark-haired man with a smirk.
"Shannaro! I won't go down without a fight!" Responded Sakura enthusiastically, as she continued with pelting another red cracker snap at Sasuke, who was quick enough to dodge it sideways. He countered by tossing another novelty firework at the pinkette's left side, where she swivelled onto her right to avoid it.
The pink-haired woman chased after the man, tossing the small firework, as mirth played upon her soft features. It continued with the pair chasing after one another, back and forth in which an ignition of spark embarked upon the ground followed by a loud sound of BANG. Soon after that, it led the two figures to have their dance of the night, doing whatever they can to compete with the other. Adrenaline of excitement filled the air, where one laughed openly while the other sniggered amusedly.
When the final red cracker snap burst on the ground, the duo was already out of their breaths.
"I win!" Sakura declared triumphantly.
"Says who? There are no witnesses here," protested the Uchiha. Except for one witness who's the patrol who minded his own business.
"But what about you saying that you jumped higher than me?" The pink-haired woman argued back.
"That? I didn't really feel the flames," Sasuke defended dismissively.
"Sasuke-kun, you liar," the pinkette pestered, nudging him lightly with her left shoulder.
The dark-haired man said nothing but returned the gesture towards Sakura by swiftly poking her side since he knew of how ticklish she could be. She, in turn, could not help herself, but giggled and shook her head in refusal. As Sasuke was about to tickle her more, the rosette darted away, hugging herself defensively.
"Sasuke-kun!" She squealed and held out her hand with her palm up. Before the young Uchiha approached her again, she blurted with such merriment, "Alright, that makes us even then, but next time we should do it in front of your family, including Shisui-san as our witnesses."
The latter snorted at her statement and uttered, "You're so annoying."
After a moment, the sounds of booming, crackling, hissing, sputtering and whizzing were heard in the distance. Sakura picked up the bag of a parcel, and the pair drew themselves toward the borders of the peaceful, dark blue lake. One clasped her petite hands behind her back, whereas the other stuffed his hands inside his pockets.
The lake was being reflected with the bursts of intense colours that displayed upon the starry sky. Peony, chrysanthemum, flying fish, willow, comet and crossette fireworks flew into the pinnacle of the dark night and exploded, leaving trails of vivid sparks before each disappeared into complete nothingness. Crowds started to gather onto the borders of the lake, their expressions twinkling with such excitement, as some pointed to the glittering of the pyrotechnics.
"Sasuke-kun, the fireworks are so beautiful," said the pinkette, admiring the spectacular view before her.
"Aah," the dark-haired man quietly agreed.
Sakura turned her head slightly towards Sasuke and saw the way he sighted the bright-coloured splattering of the shimmers and the twinkles. The Uchiha sensed her regarding him and directed his dark eyes towards her - along with his countenance. Amidst the crowd's cheering and the booming of the fireworks, the rosette beamed sanguinely and the other focused on her features with such candour. They were both truly absorbed with each other at that very moment.
It wasn't until the shooting and the blazing of the illuminations ceased to an end. The crowd began to disperse as the boisterousness and the exhilaration dwindled.
"Let's go," said Sasuke, and Sakura hummed in response to his statement, where she walked side by side with him.
After a few minutes of strolling through the streets of Konoha, the pink-haired woman decided to break the silence, where she knew they were about to reach her house.
"Sasuke-kun?" She called softly.
Sasuke replied by angling his head towards her, indicating that he was listening to her.
"It's been on my mind lately since we introduced our families to each other for a while," she paused before she continued seriously, "but when are we going to get married?"
At that, the Uchiha halted in his tracks and stated, "After Nature's day, I'm going to start my training at work and I have an exam to prepare for at the end of June. So, after I suppose."
She contemplated before she came up with a suggestion, "how about on your birthday then? We'll have time to be prepared for that day."
Sasuke smirked, and declared, "it would be best to announce it to our families as soon as possible, before we announce it to our friends."
The pinkette hummed delightfully in agreement, tucking a lock of blossom hair behind her ear.
"I just can't wait for that day, Sasuke-kun!" Sakura confessed bashfully, knitting her hands together in front of her.
"Aah, same," the dark-haired man agreed, his eyes were tender at the sight of the woman next to him blushing.
When they reached the gates of the Haruno's, Sakura turned towards him and directed a charming smile, as she tilted her head slightly before babbling, "Thanks for walking with me to my home. I really enjoyed spending this evening with you and your family."
"Same here. And send my regards to your parents, Sakura."
"I will. Have a good night, Sasuke-kun." The rosette smiled at him, and the Uchiha took this opportunity to approach her with a few steps in which he gently tapped her wide forehead.
"I'll see you on New Year's day," Sasuke promised, his fingertips briefly lingered upon the smooth skin.
At that moment, Sakura beheld the incandescence within the black-haired Uchiha's facial expression, especially with the way he dilated his softened smile to her. He relished upon seeing the wide, startled emerald eyes and the charming blush appearing on her cheeks.
He turned around and said, "I'll be going now." The tall figure made his way to where he came from before he disappeared into the night.
Sakura raised her fingers to her forehead and grinned faintly to herself. She had not missed the tints appearing on the tips of Sasuke's ears after he gave her his back.
'That Sasuke-kun. He can be vulnerable sometimes.' She thought to herself pleasantly before she headed to the front door of her house.
That day came, where the pinkette could see her own reflection in the mirror, being sided with two tall, lit candelabras. She had made sure to wear her brand new red dress with gold embroidery at the neckline, bosom, sleeves and hem. The Uchiha's have donned new clothes too.
Upon the embroidered tablecloth laid the seven objects that started with the letter "S" of their culture, along with other objects that represented the birth of spring. The seven symbolic items are a bulb of garlic for good health and medicine, an apple for beauty, dried lotus tree fruit for love, wheat sprouts for rebirth and renewal, samanu for sweetness and prosperity, vinegar for age and patience, and sumac for sunrise. She also spotted her own cherry blossom painted egg with the other decorated eggs. A few bowls of coins and goldfish were set on the table, as well as a few pots of flowering hyacinths and narcissus. Platters of chickpea and rice cookies, honey almonds, baklava and a mixture of dried fruit and roasted nuts were placed on the tablecloth too.
Sakura and the Uchiha's sat around the sofreh, as they all listened contentedly to Fugaku reciting the poems and verses of fortune for everyone available in the room. The pink-haired woman had never felt so blessed to be in the presence of a family, with whom she wanted to share her life in the future. She slipped a few glances towards Sasuke, where he felt her gaze within a heartbeat and met them. She directed a cordial smile at him. It ended up with the young Uchiha looking elsewhere with heat appearing faintly on his complexion, which the pinkette hadn't missed.
When the exact transition of the equinox occurred at noontime, everybody started wishing amongst themselves a happy new year. The Uchiha patriarch and the matriarch started distributing the coins, the monetary notes, the bite sized-sweets and trail mix.
"Sasuke, there's a huge blessing in these Nowruz desserts. So take each!" Mikoto scolded, and Sasuke reluctantly accepted the small desserts from his mother's hand, despite his prior refusal.
"Having a few sweets on Nowruz isn't gonna hurt you, Sasuke. It'll make your life sweeter, Otouto," Itachi taunted, giving a small bowl of samanu to Izumi.
The young Uchiha said nothing but scowled sulkily.
It was time for lunch, and they feasted upon herbed noodle soup with legumes, herbed kuku and breaded fish with herbed rice. All felt nothing but joyous on this day. When most of the family members were done with their feast, they placed the plates and the cutleries in the dishwasher in the kitchen.
Meanwhile, Sasuke, who seated himself next to Sakura, secretly placed something on her lap. When the rosette looked down with confusion, she was surprised to see a large red apple on her crimson dress. She understood the meaning behind his gesture, as she felt something tugging at her heartstrings. She shyly tucked a hair behind her ear and met his determined dark gaze.
'You're beautiful.'
His tender obsidian eyes spoke with such volumes, and at that, Sakura blushed affectionately for he was truly the man of actions. She moved closer to the dark-haired man and whispered candidly, "thank you, Sasuke-kun."
He simply nodded at her sincere expression of gratitude, before they both got up to join the rest of the family members in the living room for chitchat and teatime.
When it was afternoon, it was time for Sakura to rejoin her own family and celebrate New Year with them. The Uchiha matriarch had already prepared for her small parcels of Persian lunch, snacks and desserts to deliver some to the Haruno's, as a token of the clan's hospitality. She clasped Mikoto's and Izumi's hands each in turn with her own, before she bowed her head slightly each towards Itachi and Fugaku, bidding her farewell to them.
Sasuke walked with the pinkette to the foyer in which he held onto the plastic bag with a few parcels in them for her by the time she was slipping onto her shoes. When she was done, he handed them over to her and held the entrance door for her.
"Sasuke-kun, I really enjoyed celebrating Nowruz with you and your family. But why did you give me the apple from your family's sofreh?" She curiously inquired softly.
"Because you are worthy of it." Came his genuine response, meeting her green eyes.
And there she observed what he truly meant. He hadn't focused solely on the appearance, but on what was truly inside of the person's heart. Sakura briefly closed her eyes and she relished in hearing those words since Sasuke was a man who hardly ever complimented anything.
At last, she offered a timid smile, "Thank you again, Sasuke-kun."
"You don't have to mention it."
"I see. Good night," the rosette responded, a bashful smile appeared on her rosy lips.
"Night, Sakura." With that, the young Uchiha bowed his head slightly towards Sakura before she made her way home.
On Nature Day, which marked the thirteenth day after Nowruz and the final day of celebration. Both the Uchiha's and the Haruno's decided to spend their day out in the countryside to get rid of any bad luck associated with the number thirteen. It was also believed that wheat sprouts were returned to nature in order to prevent any illnesses, misfortune and pains for the coming year.
The pinkette had worn her light green sweater, white trousers and heeled sandals to match the theme of the day whereas Sasuke wore his usual dark shirt, charcoal gray slacks and black sandals.
Before lunchtime, Itachi and Sasuke have assisted Kizashi in barbequing the kebabs, especially with the younger Uchiha in grilling and basting the skewered tomatoes. Meanwhile, the others laid the plastic plates and cutleries on the carpet. Both families enjoyed themselves to the brim by dining on freshly grilled chicken and lamb kebabs, mint-yogurt drink and side dishes. Some had even gone for walks. Afterwards, they had their chit chat while the youths played various card games, before they had their afternoon tea.
When sunset had commenced, Sasuke and Sakura paced away from their families, as they both held the sabzeh from their homes. They settled onto the grass, tying knots on their blades of the wheat sprout as they made their wishes for the coming year. They both approached the blue-jewel stream, before they tossed them into the cascading waters. The pair watched the knotted sprout dancing away by curving gently on the surface before it disappeared into the lake by the countryside. It's believed that if the knots were untangled due to nature's influence; then, it certainly meant that your wishes would come true in the coming year.
The rosette remembered the wishes she made in the past year. But one of them was certainly to find a man who shall accept her in regards to her passion and what her heart truly held within. Surely she had admirers who approached her based on her physical appearance, but none of them saw past that. Until she met Sasuke who cut straight to the chase since he was raised under a reserved household. He eventually introduced her to his family members, which truly warmed her heart. Now that she stood side-by-side with him, her heart felt contentment that her last year's wish had been answered.
This time, she wished for Sasuke to pass his exam and for a lifetime marriage with him and his family. She had a strenuous instinct that the dark-haired man wished the same things as she did amongst the other prayers he made.
Far in the distance, they spotted Izumi throwing her knotted wheat sprout into the stream with Itachi behind her. The pair returned to the picnic spot with their hands held.
With the rose and the orange hues reflected upon the scattered clouds in the blue-violet sky, Sasuke and Sakura turned their backs on the stream and made their way to rejoin their families.