Summary: In a world where everyone should know where they belong, she is the only one who doesn't.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, Divergent and the cover picture.

Enjoy!

Aberrant

by cheerry-blossoms

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Chapter Five – Uchiha Sasuke

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"Sakura," I pause using the dumbbells when I hear Tobi calling my name. Ugh, what does he want now?

"And Luna, on the platform."

Ah, right, the duels have already begun today. Naruto and Sasuke were the first ones to fight, since they were the first jumpers, and of course everyone knew who will win. Secretly, though, I was cheering for Naruto, because, well, only Hinata did, I guess. He put up a fight, but was beaten by Sasuke easily. Ino, then, was next, and fought against Ran, Taka's lover. Since they knew each other from their original kumi, Ino's bitch mode was on, so she released all the frustration she had for her opponent. Strands of red hair (and blood) were scattered on the platform. Ino is quite stronger than I expected.

I bite my lower lip hard. I'm not yet prepared for this! It's true I might have gained tiny muscles over the week, yet it isn't enough to knock someone out, especially this Luna girl from the other group who is bigger and taller than I am. Dark chocolate hair and eyes, matched with a body built larger than the average female—she indeed appears strong. Compared to my soft, feminine features, I am nothing.

I will lose!

Still, I keep an unemotional face as I climb the platform, though I'm a wreck inside. My opponent is already waiting for me there, cracking her knuckles one by one, which is probably an attempt to scare me or something. Even from afar, I sense her anger towards me, and it is slightly reasonable because she's the Sasuke admirer from the rooftop who tried to seduce the prince.

"Go," Tobi signals us.

I hesitantly put up my arms in defense mode, while Luna begins stepping forward, her body ready to attack. Her fist is bigger than mine, so I know it would hurt a lot if I get hit by that. Ugh. So, hoping to gain an advantage, I take note of her gestures, of her footwork; I form predictions on her next movements.

She stops and angles her right foot at two o'clock. She's going to punch me using her left arm.

As predicted, she thrusts her left arm to my face, and in instinct, I dodge it by taking steps backward until I reach the stairs. My cheeks warm up. I climb up back on the platform, finding myself cringing at the sight of Tobi glaring at me. He is really creepy when he's angry.

I do the defense stance once again, almost caught off-guard when Luna comes attacking me all of a sudden. My arms automatically cross in front of my face to receive the punch instead before stepping away from her, yet again. They tingle a little after due to the power of that hit.

Luna's eyes darken. She's clearly getting more impatient on not having to land a punch on me, judging from the angry growls from her when I keep on avoiding her punches.

"Stop running!" Tobi shouts at me. Eep!

"What did you do to Sasuke-sama?" Luna hisses, soft enough to be unheard by the others, but loud enough for me to hear. Oh, so that's what got her panties in a twist. As I open my mouth to feign innocence, she continues, "Why did he choose you back then?"

To bully me, perhaps, I almost say.

But I'm getting tired, my pants are getting labored. My vision gets blurry that it's as if Luna suddenly has a clone beside her. Even before she hits me, I think I'm going to faint. Moreover, I can feel Tobi sending dagger glares to my back because I'm delaying the fight.

I'm not going to win this fight, anyway, so I taunt her.

"Hm. Jealous much?"

Seeing her horror-stricken face is victory.

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I wake up with an aching nose. A soft groan escapes my lips as I try to sit up. Man, it's not easy to breathe with two small rolled tissues inserted in your nostrils. Who the hell put these here?

"Hey, hey, take it easy." Ino sits on the bed, pushing me to lie back. Apparently, my nose was dislocated, so a Yori medic fixed it for me while I was unconscious, according to Ino. They are not in sight, yet again. Am I not allowed to see them because I came from the Yori?

Looks like the clinic will be my most frequented place now. Unfortunately, not as a doctor but as a patient.

"It fucking hurts." I whine, lightly pressing my fingers on my nose. I flinch; my nose is like burning from intense pain.

"Oh. My. God." Ino's face brightens. "You just cursed!"

I gape at Ino like she's just grown two blond heads. "I did?" I ask dumbly.

"YES!" She laughs and rambles, her voice rising an octave, "You're officially a Shinobi now! Congratulations on finally taking a step in letting go of your boring Yori upbringing!"

Is that even funny? I don't know what I said. My mouth has no filter right now since my nose and pride are damaged. Cursing is just a way of relieving my frustration, and I rarely do it.

"We should celebrate!" She claps her hands, her baby blue eyes sparkling in excitement. I instantly know it is bad news.

I groan, raising a hand. "No thanks. I'm not feeling well."

"Hmp. But we'll still celebrate after your pretty nose gets fully healed, alright?"

I did not answer. Celebrations are still an alien concept to me. It's not true I'm letting go of my 'boring' Yori virtues, because that would take time. She has not let go of her Shin virtues, either.

Ino suddenly sits straight and hands me a folded black cloth which I recognize as Sasuke's cloak. Crap, I forgot about him! "Oh, by the way! Shika asked me to give this to you. Is that yours?"

"No, that's Naruto's." I lie, grabbing the cloak from the blonde. Convinced of my lie, she merely shrugs, telling me to take a rest before going out. I develop the habit of looking away from her whenever I lie.

Even if I consider Ino to be my closest friend here, I still can't tell her about the owner of the cloak.

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Letting an hour pass after my friends' departure—Naruto, Kiba, Chouji and Hinata visited me, too—I struggle to stand up, soreness finally hitting my legs and arms. I groan.

It is only me in the clinic, fortunately. Ran and her other loser friends are already out after taunting me for a while. I turn on the medic part of me and begin looking for ointment to ease the pain on my nose, or whatever pain-relieving medicine there is. I have no injury other than that since all I did was avoid. That was a nice strategy, to be honest. I think it might work from time to time.

Aunt Tsunade taught me how to mix substances in creating medicine and even poison. She also had me read thick textbooks about it, so I'm quite knowledgeable in that area. However, I am not allowed to execute because that's a Chi and Yori's job.

Luckily, there is no need for experimenting for I find one container of ointment which name I recognize to help relieve pain for hours. It contains mint, so I guess it would suffice for the night.

After applying a generous amount on the skin, I snatch Sasuke's cloak from the bed I used and head out to look for him. After all, he told me to return it tonight.

Sasuke didn't give me a specific time and place, so I just walk to the first place popping from my mind. He might be practicing by the river. Even if he's a royalty, I peg him to be a hardworking person, and a prideful one at the same time. Considering his position in the hierarchy, he couldn't afford to lose any of his fights, thus it wouldn't be a surprise if I find him still training at ten in the evening.

I wonder what he thought of my fight this afternoon. I grimace.

True enough, there he is by the same stony riverbank, meditating.

He immediately senses my presence, for he tilts his head to my direction, with a frown forming on his quite sweaty forehead. He looks pretty exhausted.

"You're supposed to be resting." He says lowly, referring to my injury. My nose will be fine, geez.

I shrug, striding over to where he is. I lift the cloak for him to see. "I'm returning this…" I sheepishly respond. It's weird how I always get shy around him.

Before he gets to open his mouth, I pull out a small round white container from my pocket and open it. I dip two fingers on the cream before rubbing my thumb on the other two fingers, and then spreading it on the fingers on my other hand, putting the container back in the safety of my pocket. Without thinking, I gently rub my coated fingers on both sides of Sasuke's forehead while grazing my thumbs on the area above his eyebrows. His scowl deepens, confusion reflected on his tired onyx orbs.

"It's an ointment which helps cool down the body. I found it in the clinic." I quickly explain, feeling my cheeks flush. I kind of stole it. Or borrowed. Whatever.

I just realize Sasuke is almost a head taller than me, that his lips are on level with my head. My arms are stretched reaching for his forehead and my head is craned up awkwardly due to his height. He's towering over me so his head is blocking my view of the moon.

The effect of the moon rays outlining his head and the shadows on his face made him so painfully gorgeous.

Actually, I don't know what made me do it. I acted on my own, without thinking of the possible consequence of touching the Prince. Perhaps, my medic blood kicked in when I see him looking so stressed. So, yup, I'm still a Yori.

Slowly, Sasuke's eyes soften a little. I think the medicine is now having an effect on him.

"How did you know about it?" He asks quietly, not making a move to remove my hands from his forehead, to my relief.

I keep my fingers massaging his forehead, although my arms are getting uncomfortable now. "I was a Yori, remember?" I whisper.

"But you aren't supposed to learn until initiation."

Crap. I'm busted! I have to think of an excuse! He can't find out about my secret training! Aunt will be in trouble. I'm sure he felt my actions halting when he spoke.

I keep up a poker face so he won't read my thoughts. Don't stutter now! "It's basic. Mother always uses this on Father when he gets hot-headed." It's quite true. It's not basic, but Mother really uses this on Father to calm him down. She is Tsunade's sister, after all.

Realizing I'm doing this to Sasuke using my parents as reference, I cannot control the spreading of warmth on my cheeks. I quickly pull my hand away. I hope he doesn't notice!

I clear my throat as I look to the side, in an attempt to hide my blushing face. "I-I can give it to you… if you want to… A-As thank you… For the cloak, I mean…"

Let the river swallow me now.

"No. Return it to the clinic." Sasuke replies.

My whole face heats up. "Ah! Right. I forgot!" I exclaim while (harshly) pushing his cloak to him, refusing to meet his gaze. Worse, I feel his fingers grazing onto mine when he holds the cloak.

I bite my lower lip due to the sudden awkward atmosphere. None of us are speaking; only the soft whistle of the wind, the chirping of the grasshoppers and the gentle flow of the calm river reach my ears. To others, this scene looks peaceful, but to me, who can sense Sasuke's eyes focused on me, who can still feel the tip of his calloused fingers on my hands, I find this unnerving. My heart is pounding violently against my ribcage.

Before I completely melt from his gaze and touch, I break the contact and steps back farther.

"Good night, Sasuke."

I hear the cracking of the stones from beneath Sasuke's feet as he shifts.

"Aa. Good night, Sakura."

I don't return the ointment.

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I am already in my bed when I realize I called him by his first name without a suffix.

It was also the first time he called me by my name.

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Sasuke and I are back to the same place the next day during the chakra training. Shikamaru is somewhere near us; I don't know how I knew. It's like I can sense him. He's in the woods, and I'm guessing he has probably recognized the perks of my strategy after what he saw two days ago.

Our rendezvous last night is not opened up. Besides, we didn't talk to each other upon our arrival until now. We are in our own worlds, concentrating chakra in our feet. I'm quite surprised his presence doesn't distract me anymore, unlike that incident last time.

But this is better. I can show him now what I'm really good at! He must have been disappointed of me when I lost to Luna yesterday. That was expected, but I still can't help but feel like a trash.

Oh god, am I trying to impress him?

Ignoring the weird fluttering in my chest, I courageously walk on the water, keeping a mental note not to get distracted by anything, even that handsome boy with raven locks who is watching me keenly.

Slowly, I take a peek on my feet, my heart leaping in happiness seeing my feet stable on top of the water, as well as my reflection on the clear water which is grinning widely. I muffle a squeal against my palm in excitement. I try stomping on the water, beaming when I didn't fall. This time, I didn't hold back a happy squeal as I stomp and jump around.

I feel so light, having to finally achieve something.

I am beyond happy! This is so great! I may be one of the losers in the duels, but I can confidently say I'm the first one to take a grasp of this whole chakra control thing! CHA!

In the midst of my little celebration, I accidentally make eye contact with Sasuke. The corners of dark alluring eyes are slightly crinkled, and if I look closely, the small smirk on his lips is visible.

My cheeks get warm.

I suddenly wonder; if I fall, would he catch me this time?

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Ino, Naruto, Chouji, Hinata and I lie inside the clinic, our beds in the same row. All of us suffered the unfortunate event of losing to an opponent. Today, I fought Idate, a fellow Transfer from the Shin. He's really skilled, based on his fights, that he could rival Sasuke's strength. They once faced each other in a duel, though Idate lost. Still, he gave Sasuke a good fight and I'm sure Sasuke recognizes his abilities. If I could recall correctly, Idate has the highest rank among us Transfers, placing second overall, and his score is not far from Sasuke's.

He's also quite nice, since I know he held back while fighting me, and it's not even offending. Actually, I once have spoken to him for a few times, learning he's a flirt. We just didn't have the time to get to know each other more because we have a different set of friends despite the same sleeping area. And no, he's not associated with Taka.

By the way, he also defeated Kiba two days ago.

There had been a change in the scoring system after the first fights. The first system still applies to fighters of the same ability level. Now, if the winner is the higher ranking one, he or she will get eight points, while the weaker loser gains three points. On the other hand, if the winner has a lower ranking, he or she receives fifteen points, and the loser will have no addition to his score. It's fair.

Feeling more refreshed, we drop by The Pit to release our frustrations. On our way to Ichiraku, a tattoo shop catches our attention. It is more hidden, darker and smaller than the other stores surrounding it. There is no neon sign outside to attract customers which is common to tattoo shops like this. Still, the designs displayed on the window spike our interest in checking the shop up.

I wanted to get a tattoo since first day.

In contrast to the unwelcoming exterior, the shop is full of customers inside. Design templates in rectangular glasses are all around the place, open for the people to see. Fixing my gaze on one particular design, I slowly detach it from the wall to take a closer observation of it. This is perfect for me.

I catch sight of a familiar woman walking inside one of the studios of the shop. I run after her and grab her wrist, receiving a confused look from the black-haired woman. Confusion turns to fury when she sees me.

"Do you remember me, Anko?"

Anko yanks her arm off from my grip, hissing, "Why are you here?"

"I…"

"I told you to choose Yori." She inches her face closer to me, still keeping her tone down.

I look around to look for my friends, and they're thankfully distracted by the designs. I stare back at Anko, pressing my lips firmly before saying, "I have to ask you—"

"No. I'm only here to draw tattoo." I hear the unspoken meaning behind it: Let's go to where no one can hear.

I show her the glass template of my chosen design. Frowning, Anko snatches it from me and tells me to take a seat on a reclining chair similar to the one from the aptitude test. We are now inside the privacy of her studio.

Anko grabs a chair and positions herself to my left while asking me for further details on the design, with the needed equipment on the table beside her. I bite my lip hearing the machine softly hiss, and then Anko slides down my shirt's lapel off of my left shoulder after.

I don't suppress the shudder I feel when the tip of the tattoo pen touches the skin on the left part of my chest. I just stare at the ceiling trying to get used to the feeling of piercing pain on my delicate skin.

I let minutes pass before I start asking questions, "Why do they kill the tokushu?"

Anko, her gaze focused on her work, whispers, her voice calmer than before, "Because they don't conform to the norm. They can't get controlled, and the leaders don't want that."

"How many were already killed?"

"Nearly forty. My brother is one of them," Anko's voice weakens a little. "My brother and I were experimented in the kumi we came from, and then they discovered him being a tokushu. I had to run away from there, away from the sad memories, that's why I'm here."

I listen to the buzzing of the machine she's using. The situation finally dawning on me, I suddenly fear for my life. I have to be extra careful from now on. I should avoid all means that would expose my identity.

But there's something wrong. If Anko chose to be here, then why did she tell me before to stay in Yori? Where did she come from? Who are these leaders she was talking about?

"Who are these 'leaders'?"

She pauses for a moment. I don't know if she doesn't want to get distracted from her work or if she's contemplating on her answer. Soon, she exhales deeply.

"Chi and Shinobi."

I widen my eyes. Does that mean—

"It's a secret between the Shinobi council and Chi officials. The Hokage has no business in it… yet." Anko quickly adds, much to my relief. So, the Uchiha Family probably has nothing to do with this. That's good; I don't want to go against them if circumstances ask for.

"But does he kno—"

"There. You're done. Go out and pay." Anko pulls away like touching me burned her. I did not notice how much time has passed. She turns her back on me as she directs an electric fan to me, rambling on how I ask too much questions.

I pout. I pick up the handheld mirror on my right side and raise it to my chest.

I hold back the gasp that threatened to come out.

There on my left breast is an image of a cherry blossom that's still about to bloom, which is a representation of me still growing up. Under it are three petals which are falling from the flower symbolizing my parents and Aunt Tsunade, who I all love and have chosen to throw out of my life the moment I decided to be a Shinobi. The design is on my left chest where my heart is, because even if they are not on my side anymore, they will always be in my heart. The redness surrounding the drawing makes it more dramatic.

Anko did this perfectly.

Placing the mirror back on the table, I carefully pull the lapel back to its normal position when Anko said it's dry enough, making sure to hide my tattoo. I cringe when the cloth touches the skin where the tattoo is.

I take one last glance to Anko, muttering a thank you before walking to the counter to pay.

While I wait for the cashier to give me the change, I hear my friends' voices from a distance. I just listen to them, knowing they are effective in making me forget my troubles.

"Would this suit me?"

"Yes, yes, choose faster. This is troublesome."

"Too much food, I can't choose!"

"There are no dog images here!"

"Duh!"

"Hey, guys, look who I brought here with me!"

"Dobe, let go."

I freeze recognizing the voice of the last speaker. Not only do I painfully know that voice, but I also remember his nickname for Naruto. I am not even looking at him but he can make my heart do somersaults. Oh the power he has over me.

As if he's calling me, I tilt my head to the center of the shop where my friends are, his eyes immediately magnetizing my gaze. Sasuke, what are you doing to me?

Soon, he pushes Naruto's face away to force the blond to detach his hand from his shoulder. Sending me one meaningful look, he turns around to go out of the shop. I get this weird instinct he is telling me to follow him.

"Uchiha Sasuke, huh?" Anko comments from beside me. She's also looking at the spot where Sasuke was. Ignoring her suggestive remark, I puff my blushing cheeks as I accept the change from the cashier before swiftly sneaking out of the shop. I'm getting better at sneaking away.

"Where is Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice is the last thing I hear as I close the door.

I immediately see the Uchiha crest on Sasuke's shirt in the middle of the Shinobi crowd. Pushing my way through the people—The Pit is oddly full now—I follow him without thinking. I focus my gaze on the emblem so as not to lose sight of him, but I keep a good distance between us.

We enter the underground, pass by several corridors until we reach the other side and get to the Shinobi training grounds. Finally, he stops by our usual meeting place, taking a seat on the ground and leaning on a tree overlooking the river.

Without uttering a word, I sit on the left side of tree, pulling my legs to my chest. I stop the urge to scratch the itchy part on the tattoo; it is getting irritating.

I think of what Anko told me. It is not the individuals' fault they possess diverse personalities. At every rule, there will always be an exception, and this should be applied to the tokushu. Anger surges in my chest at the unfairness of my situation. For now, I can't do anything to address this problem, but once I become more powerful, I will do anything to stop this shitty system. I will get stronger.

I glance at Sasuke. Should I tell him my condition? Will he understand? I mean, Anko said the Hokage isn't involved in the matter. Sasuke might be the next ruler aside from Itachi, so he must have an idea about the tokushu, right? He can do something about it, right?

I decide against it.

"Let's make a deal." Sasuke's voice disrupts my thoughts. I glance at him again with wide eyes. Was he saying something before that I didn't catch?

"Help me in controlling my chakra. And in return, I'll train you in combat."

Actually, that favor really is tempting. Sasuke remains at the top for winning all of his fights, and I'm at the bottom for losing all of my fights. He's excellent in combat, however, he hasn't gained control over his chakra, if I have observed correctly, while I somehow did. Both of us will benefit in this deal.

But Sasuke finds my lack of response irksome. He rakes his fingers on his soft inky hair oh-so-sexily, matched with his deep dark eyes glaring at me. They are intimidating, yet I can't take my eyes off of them. Anyone can drown in it.

"Look, asking for a favor is already hard for me. Just say yes or no now, damn it." He hisses, obviously trying to hold himself back from shouting at me. Being considered a royalty, Sasuke must have never asked a favor to anyone, because he commands. If ever he did ask, people will immediately grant his request, without any complaint. Perhaps, I'm the first one to ponder over his suggestion.

Besides, what is there to think about? This is the first favor Sasuke asked of me, and after saving my life from the rooftop, this is the only way I could repay him for now. But of course, I won't reject his combat training offer.

He seems fun to tease, so I take the chance. Geez, Naruto's rubbing off on me.

"Hn." I try my best, Sasuke-style.

The original 'Hn' guy arches an eyebrow, his expression showing surprise. "Did you just use my expression on me?" There is no hint of anger on his tone. In fact, while he sounded surprised, he seems amused, as well.

Yes, he's not mad!

I nod. "Aa."

"Are you a fangirl?" Oh great, he finally asks me.

No, I'm not. I'm just observant. Okay, maybe a little.

"Hn." This is actually more fun than I thought. 'Hn' can mean yes, no or I don't care in Sasuke's language. No one can really know except if you've known him since diapers. Now it's his time to decipher what I mean.

He clicks his tongue, his shoulders slacking.

"You're annoying."

I should be offended; never have I been called that way. Ugly, billboard brow, yes, but not annoying. Oddly, I think it was a compliment, similar to Sai's 'Ugly.'

I smile. "Hn."

He smirks; he knows I have agreed to the deal.

TO BE CONTINUED