Day Three & Four:

Nighttime | Pride

In the days following the festival, Sasuke and Sakura met more frequently. Most of the time when they did meet, they spent a bit of time together on the beach in privacy. Sometimes they barely spoke, sometimes Sakura doted on him, showing concern despite his constant assurances of his health. She noticed things most did not, going beyond that of his physical state. If he happened to have a stressful day that took a toll on him, she was always somehow more attentive.

Sasuke enjoyed her presence in a way he didn't enjoy anyone else's. He was curious about her, and yet he took in all the information about her that he did learn at a pace of leisure. Regardless of how much his wonder plagued him, Sasuke did not question her. What he did learn, he learned by being by her side or by her own admission. If he was nothing else, Sasuke could be considered a patient young man—he'd grown to realize through many hardships that impatience would get him nowhere.

Sometimes Sakura would accompany him away from the shore, padding behind him close and quiet, so light on her feet it was appalling, and smelling so good he too often found himself closing his eyes and breathing in the scent of her. She didn't smell of salty seawater. She smelled almost floral and sweet. Sasuke didn't like sweets, but with every day that passed with him seeing or not seeing her again, he learned that he did like her.

Most of Sasuke's time was spent in training his body, his mind, or even both simultaneously. His father expected great things of him, especially since his brother was the prodigy of the Uchiha himself. Sometimes Sasuke selfishly wished that the burdens upon him would lessen as it was already decided that Itachi—being the eldest son—would be the one to take over as head of the clan once their father stepped down. Of course, Sasuke would still be there working closely by his side, they were men of war, and though Sasuke hadn't yet experienced war with his own eyes and his own sword, he knew well just how gruesome it was.

The men of his clan were known to be prideful, envied for their strength and will. There was never a time when any of them, no matter the age or rank, ever felt they'd reached their prime. If you stopped reaching towards becoming a greater version of yourself, you were ridiculed and possibly even shunned. Being weak or lazy wasn't an option. You had to be strong enough to win, to carry the weight of your comrades if need be, and to make sure that your wife and your children lived their lives free and safe—protected by your hands. There was nothing that pleased the Uchiha more than taking care of their own.

Sasuke had always wanted to protect those of his clan to an extent. He looked at his mother—always so kind and affectionate, caring for him, looking out for him—and he wanted to be strong for her. Not only did he want her to be proud of him but he wanted to prove himself to her; to his father, brother, and the rest of his clan as well. It didn't end there, even those outside of his clan—those that he knew were watching him, taking in his growth in a way most calculating—Sasuke wanted to show them. He had something to prove, and he would prove it.

But it had intensified greatly ever since Sakura had made an appearance in his life. He was working harder, studying more, paying closer attention during his clan meetings, and he wasn't rebelling as much. A handful of moons shouldn't have brought about so much change, and yet Sasuke noticed it. His parents noticed. His brother noticed.

Sakura noticed.

"You seem well, Sasuke-kun," she told him one day, her slender frame just next to him as he sat in the forest, shaded by many trees. He was cleaning his sword, done with his training for the day, and she was keeping him company.

"Hn." He stared at his blade as he dragged the cloth down it slowly, mindful of the sharpness. "You as well."

Truthfully, Sakura always seemed well, but he was certain that she was smiling a lot more as of late. There was no evidence to indicate that he was the cause, and if he had any hopes of that being the case, she was none the wiser. Perhaps thoughts like those were caused by that prideful blood of his, but he was not put off by it in the least. He wanted it to be the case. However, he would not ask her if it was.

Most of their time together was during the evening hours, but Sasuke was appreciative of any time he was able to bask in her presence, no matter the hour or the duration.

"I'm grateful," she added after the passing of a long moment, the sound of nothing but his cloth on his blade and the whispering wind in between.

Sasuke's obsidian eyes glanced over to her, contemplative and calm. His hand quit moving and he let his sword rest upon his lap. She really was otherworldly, something innately special and pure, leaving his heart aflutter in the strangest of ways. The way she smiled at him was so sincere that it was almost majestic, whimsical, and yet angelic all at once.

Every time he laid eyes on her, Sasuke felt healed, and it was a sensation he cherished and wished to hold onto for a very long time.

A/N:

This concept is one I've been dying to write for a few months now. Time has been extremely limited for me lately, but so many of the SSM prompts were inspiring for me to outline exactly what I want to happen for this story. That being said, I will not be posting in time for each day, but I will still fill the prompts I've chosen to work on and incorporate them into this story.

Up till now, I've been establishing my setting slowly with very short chapters, but some will be much longer and plot-filled. I have a lot I want to do with this fic, so I hope you guys will enjoy it.

Thank you to everyone who has reviewed so far, seeing your thoughts really means a lot! Each chapter will go with this story in order. Again, I'm writing this as I go despite the outline, so updates will come when they come, but I'm stoked to see this through to the end.