Mission Impossible
Chapter 5
"Sakura!" Ino whined for the nth time that afternoon. "Come on! Tell me Sasuke asked you out!"
"I'm not telling you because he hasn't yet," Sakura could only repeat what she's been telling her best friend all afternoon.
"Aha!" Ino perked up "You said yet!"
Sakura rolled her eyes at her best friend's antics. Beside her, Hinata actually giggled. Perhaps volunteering her time to help out at the Yamanaka flower shop wasn't her smartest decision to date. She'd done so in the hopes of getting some girl time since she spends almost all her time with her team and the Uchihas. Don't get her wrong, she loves Izumi-nee like her own sister and Mikoto-chan like her own mother, she couldn't really trash talk her supposed-to-be boyfriend with them.
"Let it go, Ino," she groaned while arranging the flowers on a certain display they did not know the names of. "You don't see Hinata going all T & I on me."
"Well," Hinata mused, tucking a few strands of her hair behind her ears, "Ino-chan does work in T & I, and last time I checked I wasn't going around denying a very obvious relationship."
Hinata really grew out of her shell when she and Naruto officially started dating. Sakura thinks it's the result of spending so much time with the blond, and while she's proud of her friend, she has to admit that she'd been counting on her to push Ino back a little – not throw her under the bus.
"It's not an obvious relationship," Sakura only realized her mistake once it left her mouth. She willed herself not to look at either of her friends as silence filled the shop.
Thankfully, the chimes of the Yamanaka Flower shop cut through the air, and Sakura was saved from another round of torturous interrogation from her so-called best friend.
"Welcome to the Yaman – oh, Sasuke, what brings you here?"
… or so she thought. Sakura refused to look at Ino even though she could practically feel her eyes burning the side of her head. From her peripheral vision, she could see Hinata take on a look that was not unlike her boyfriend's.
I'm not so sure about how I feel about her adapting Naruto's mannerisms.
"Picking up my mother's order," Sasuke answered, looking around the shop. His eyes landed on her, and Sakura – as well as the other girls – noticed how both his eyebrows disappeared into his bangs. She had simply said she was hanging out with the girls when he asked what she was doing today and left out the fact that she was helping out at the shop. It's not her fault Ino's just as busy as her!
"You finally get some time off work and you spend it part timing?" She wondered if Ino or Hinata could hear the feigned long-suffering in his tone. "Kaa-san would be disappointed."
It was a known fact that the Uchiha family had practically adopted their son's team, but that didn't stop Ino and Hinata from giving each other a not-at-all discreet glance.
"Ne, forehead!" Ino called. "Sasuke's right! Your workaholic ass should really take some time off."
Sakura's brow rose in confusion. "Just a couple of minutes ago you were telling me I should – " Ino's dismissive wave cut her off.
"That was then! This is now. I'm a changed woman! And this changed woman is telling you to get your sweet ass out of here and go enjoy time with your boyfriend."
While she was saying this, Hinata had gone ahead and forced the Yamanaka Flower Shop apron off Sakura and pushed her towards her "teammate". Despite Sakura's prowess as a neo-Sanin, she couldn't have predicted her friend's betrayal and ultimately stumbled into the Uchiha, although he caught her without any effort before her full weight could affect him
Though really, if we're being honest, how much could Forehead possibly weigh?
It didn't escape the two clan heiresses that neither of the two denied the relationship but knowing Sasuke, he probably just didn't think it was worth addressing, especially since it came from people he doesn't really care about.
Once upon a time, it would have crushed her that he was paying more to her best friend than her, but right now it took everything in her not to squeal like the pig Sakura dubbed her as and spin Hinata around in a happy dance. It's been far too long since her Billboard Brow got a date! And even then, it was for a mission!
"So now that you're not busy, I saw a book you'd be interested in but I didn't want to buy it in case I turned out to be wrong."
Even Hinata couldn't help but elbow Ino, discreetly gesturing to the Uchiha's hands as they slid from her shoulders to her arm. The blonde grasped the dark-haired girl's hand, both squeezing to relieve some of their giddy energy.
Despite having her back turned to them, Sakura could feel her friends' excitement, and judging from the way the corner of Sasuke's lips quirked just enough for her to notice, so did he. The Uchiha smirked, letting out an amused breath before pulling her to stand beside him and sliding his arm around her shoulder.
Sakura froze as his arm enveloped her. He pulled her against his side, giving Ino and Hinata an acknowledging nod.
"On second thought, can you have those delivered instead?" He already knew the answer. The Hyuga and Yamanaka heiresses were too busy trying to keep in their squeals to say otherwise, although Hyuga was far more discreet about it than Yamanaka was. Without saying anything else, he turned, pulling Sakura with him, and they left the shop. The door hadn't even completely closed yet when they hear Yamanaka scream "Oh my gosh! Hina! He's so in love with her!"
He made sure not to look at the kunoichi beside while as they made their way towards the compound.
…
Sakura was used to being stared at; it came with being closely associated with a lot of internationally renowned shinobi – her shishou, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, Kaka-sensei… now that she thinks about it, almost all of her friends were famous one way or another – but never in a hundred million years would she have ever thought she would find herself in this situation!
She had to admit, Ino and Hinata's reactions were borderline hilarious – and somewhere in the back of her head, she felt bad for playing them like that – and although she found his whole act amusing, she thought he'd let it go once they left the shop.
But no.
Sasuke kept his arm around her shoulder as if it were as natural as him shoving his hands in his pockets while he walked. She tried distancing herself a little, just enough so she wouldn't be pressed up against his side, but he held her in place, even going as far as to pull her closer to him.
"Stay there," he told her, briefly glancing down. She tried not to take their height difference as an insult. "We're being watched."
As if to make sure she was going to overheat from embarrassment, the Uchiha poked her on the forehead which turned into a flick. Sakura was sure she was as red as her top.
"You don't think I know that you moron?" she huffed in an attempt to hide her increasingly blushing face. Maybe if she tried hard enough, she could pass off her redness as irritation. "Half the street is staring at us because your too lazy to get your arm off me!"
She saw the way Sasuke's eyes darted to something behind her, the slightest upward quirk of his lips didn't go unnoticed as he returned his gaze to hers.
"Why are you suddenly so shy about it?" Sakura's brow rose in confusion when she noted that he talked louder this time. "My girlfriend shouldn't feel the need to hide our relationship from anyone."
…
Sasuke felt her tense but urged her to keep walking. Thankfully, Sakura didn't question him and continued to try and hide her face by burying it against his side.
"Sasuke-kun?"
Both shinobi turned their heads; beside him, he felt Sakura straighten a little.
"Elder Daizo," he nodded, purposely tightening his hold on his teammate. As expected, the elder's eyes zeroed in on his arm that was wrapped around the Hokage's apprentice. If he had thoughts against it, he made it a point to keep it to himself.
Elder Daizo was one of the quitter members of his clan, and truth be told, Sasuke isn't 100% sure which side he's on, but he knew that the man wouldn't be the one trying to "break them up" if he discovered his and Sakura's "relationship".
"It's rare to see you outside the compound," the younger Uchiha commented. He felt Sakura's eyes land on him before they glanced at his clan elder and gently pulled her closer to him in an attempt to soothe her.
Daizo nodded, smiling at the pair.
"It's even rarer to find Haruno-san out of the hospital on days like this." He turned to Sakura. "Mikoto-chan is always going on about how you never take a day off. It's good to see you out and enjoying your youth."
For a moment, his eyes went to Sasuke before returning to the kunoichi.
"Why, if you keep yourself cooped up in the hospital all day, how do you expect to find a suitor?"
Sakura had to reel in the urge to pinch Sasuke for putting her in this situation. The glint in Elder Daizo's eyes, the subtle upturn of his lips – in the back of her mind, she wondered if all Uchihas thought they were unreadable slabs of stone when in reality all people had to do was look for the right tells –, the way his eyes momentarily glanced at Sasuke; he was trying to get information.
And Sasuke was more than happy to give it to him.
He pulled her closer, as if she wasn't already as close to him as decently possible, and tightened his hold on her.
"Aah, her being away from potential suitors actually benefits me. Although I highly doubt anyone's stupid enough to try and make a move on my girlfriend."
And just like that, the heat on her face that she had just managed to get rid of came back in full force. She momentarily forgot herself and elbowed the younger Uchiha.
"Sasuke-kun!"
"Why are you suddenly so shy about it? You were practically throwing yourself at me when we were genin."
"I was 12!" Sasuke had to physically keep himself from laughing at Sakura's whine. "Besides, I've long since moved on from – "
"Yet here you are."
"I swear Uchiha, I will hurt you." Her glare was warning enough, although much like all her previous attempts, it did nothing other than getting him to laugh. Well, more like a low chuckle, but that was already a laugh by Sasuke-standards.
He poked her forehead again, and Elder Daizo caught how his eyes softened when he did.
"Aah, if you'll excuse us, Elder Daizo, Kaa-san is waiting for us." With that, he turned and walked towards the compound, dragging a flustered Sakura with him.
…
Neji was on his way to the Yamanaka flowershop to get Hinata when a mop of pink happened to catch his eye.
He'd known team Kakashi since they were genin. It's a known fact that they're a close-knit team – but then again, most of Konoha 12 are – and while Naruto's known for being overly friendly with his friends, a hug here, casual arm sling there, a couple good-natured punches thrown around for good measure, the Uchiha was far more reserved. In fact, for most people, the only interaction they'd have with him are nods, a raised eyebrow, and if he's feeling talkative, grunts of "aah" and "hn".
That, however, was not what he saw.
Uchiha Sasuke, possibly the most affectionately reserved and detached shinobi in all the Five Nations, had his arm around a certain pink-haired kunoichi as she glared at him from their height difference. He's not sure whether her flushed face is from embarrassment or anger – knowing Sakura, it could easily be both.
"Why are you suddenly so shy about it? My girlfriend shouldn't feel the need to hide our relationship from anyone."
Before Neji could process what he just heard, one of the Uchiha elders approached the… couple… and he took that as his cue to leave.
He made a mental note to take Lee on whatever challenge it was the boy presented the next day.
He's gonna be crushed.
First of all, I am so sorry for the late update! I just got swamped with requirements for our internship, and now I'm also currently working on my undergrad thesis, so updates are gonna be even more irregular. Again, I'm so sorry!
Also, for those who haven't noticed, I changed my name so it matches my tumblr, Instagram, twitter and ko-fi so if you wanna interact with me, you know where to look rawrr. I also drabble in a little digital art although I still consider myself to be a newbie at it, but if you wanna check it out, I'd really appreciate it.
Another thing, this update is significantly shorter than the rest. Like, no lie, I was actually bummed when I saw realized how short is it (through the word count) but I couldn't continue with what I had in mind without it getting too long so this chapter had to take the hit.
Anywaaaaay, thank you so much for reading! And as always, I'll see you on the next update.
