Chapter 2: Naruto

In the old empty classroom, she had seen that boy, Sasuke, and Tayuya. She couldn't hear them but Tayuya was definitely eyeing on Sasuke the whole time when he was looking somewhere else. Tayuya took a step closer, looking up at Sasuke's eyes. He didn't look back but she knew that he would be hers.

"Sasuke-kun, you know, you attract me." She leaned in and planted a kiss on his lips. Although, he wouldn't kiss back. Sakura gasped at the sight of this. She knew it wasn't right peeking like this.

Tayuya felt something wrong.

Why isn't he kissing back?

Doesn't he notice her?

She clung her arms around his neck, trying to receive the kiss back. While Sakura thought, he isn't kissing back, he's avoiding it. Suddenly, Sasuke's eyes went on Sakura. Sakura gasped again. He just looked into her eyes while she looked back.

'Oh no.' Sakura thought as she looked away and walked away fast.

At the moment Sakura walked away, Sasuke pried Tayuya away. He turned to leave when Tayuya stopped him.

"Sasuke-kun! But I said, I was attracted to you. Why aren't you--"

"So? You don't attract me." Sasuke tried to walk away when she stopped him again. "It's that girl, isn't it? The new girl." Sasuke could of left right there but this made him think. Was it because of the girl? Whenever he looks into her eyes..

"What girl?" Sasuke asked coldly. When she said nothing, he left the room. Tayuya felt mad. This was the first time ever that didn't go her way, she wanted to make sure it was the last.

Gym time.

As students gathered in the indoor gym wearing their gym uniforms, white and navy blue, their teacher walked in.

"Settle down. Today, you may continue what we were doing yesterday." Throwing and catching wasn't that big of a deal, Sasuke thought.

"Hey, you know that new girl. She's kinda pretty. I think.." Naruto, who was standing beside him, said.

"What? You like her or something?" Sasuke asked as he threw the ball to his partner.

"Yeah. She's pretty, kind, nice.." Naruto fell into a daydream as he threw the ball and his partner.

"Whatever." Sasuke said, turning away from him, trying to focus on getting gym over with. Although, he couldn't help it but to look at that girl. He saw her across the gym. She didn't really have a good throw. Then, he turned away, concentrating on something else.

Later, when gym ended.

"You're Sasuke-kun, right?" A voice from behind asked. Sasuke turned to see the pink haired girl.

"Yeah, so?" Sasuke wondered how she knew his name.

"I was wondering. Just wondering, I'm not that good at throwing and I was wondering.." "Wondering if I can help you." Sasuke finished her sentence. She just nodded. He considered it for a while. She was kinda pretty he guessed. But she was like any other girl. Besides, Naruto liked her, he couldn't do that to his friend.

"Umm, why don't you ask Naruto? I'm busy." He left with that. Sakura didn't know what was wrong. So she dumped the ball that was in her hand onto the pile of other balls in the cart. Naruto was about to go and talk to her but she left the gym before he even took a step. Naruto sighed and walked out too, finding Sasuke.

"Did you see her?" Naruto asked, looking at Sakura leaving.

"Yeah. She's okay." Sasuke picked up his book bag while Naruto was thinking for a moment.

"You know the new art convention, I'm going to ask her. What do you think?" He asked eagerly.

Luckily, Naruto caught her in art class few days later.

"Hey, I'm Uzumaki Naruto, you sit in front of me in homeroom? Remember?" Naruto asked as he sat down next to her.

"Oh, hi. Yes, I remember you." She said.

"So, you like art. Me too. I mean, not really doing art myself. Just.. It's beautiful, what's the title of that?" Naruto asked, trying to take interest. She was sketching one of those roman sculptures.

"It's Julius Caesar. I'm not that good." She was delighted by his compliment.

"Well, I think it's great. You know, there's going to be this gallery opening for like one day. The famous Donaka Nabiki is opening her first gallery here. I was hoping that you'd go, with me." Letting out everything he had on his mind for quite a while, he waited for her answer. "Sure. Of course. But the tickets. Aren't they hard to get? Expensive too." She said, although she was dying to go there.

"I already got them. So we're on for Saturday?" He asked and got a nod in return. "Great, it's a date." Then, he left.

Sakura thought over it. I mean, it felt like he forced her into going on a date with him, even though it wasn't. Her joy and eagerness took over her as she closed her sketchbook and left the room.

Saturday.

The phone rang in the Uchiha household. Sasuke was the only one home so he picked it up.

"Hello?" For a moment, there was a pause. Then, someone spoke up.

"Sasuke. It's me. You remember, right?" The voice sounded familiar. Although, he couldn't quite make it out. Then it struck him.

"Why are you calling here? Why are you even here?!" There was angst in Sasuke's voice.

"Sasuke, please. Try to-"

"What?! Try to understand? Try to listen to you? You had a choice. We both know that it can't be changed." Sasuke heard tears on the other end of the line.

"I had a dream, Sasuke. That didn't include me staying here my whole life."

"You mean it didn't include me, us." If she had a reason to leave, then he had a reason to be angry with her.

"No, I loved you dearly. I still do. As your mom, it had bothered me so much to make that decision." He heard more tears and snuffles. There was a pause.

"Then why did you?" Sasuke's voice was much calmer now. He heard no reply and he knew that it was true.

"You and my art. they're different things. I love them both, differently." She said, trembling from her tears. Did she? Sasuke thought.

"I called because there's this opening today. If you want to come, you can and please do. I would like to see how you've changed." She said before hanging up.

This had bothered him, like he couldn't breathe. He left the house to clear his mind.

Naruto was really excited, as he stood outside the building, he smiled to himself. In his hands were the tickets and a banquet of roses, just waiting for her. Sakura was on her way as she crossed the red bridge [from the naruto manga]. With her was an invitation flyer and her usual small bag. Looking at her right, she saw a familiar back and the back of his head looked familiar too. She noticed it was him and decided to have a quick chat before she left.

The fact that he was trying to think about his mother was the only thing on his mind. Should he forgive her? For those painful four years? He did not know. He still longed for a mother. His mother. The long ago mother who used to make his lunch and greet him when he got home. The one that loved him, and stayed with him till he was asleep. His arms were on the bridge, looking out into the river. After thinking that much, he sensed that someone was standing somewhere close to him and they weren't moving. Looking at his left and then right, he spotted that girl.

"Konichiwa Sasuk-kun!" She said, not once looking at him but into the river as he had done. He was quite confused. Why was she here?

"What are you doing here?" He asked, still looking at her.

"What were you thinking about? I was standing here for quite a while." Sakura avoided his question, hoping that he would soon forget it too.

"Nothing." He said as he turned to look elsewhere.

"Well, you shouldn't waste your time thinking about nothing. It's a beautiful day." She tried to loosen him with his seriousness. Sasuke guessed that she was right. Thinking about his mother, was thinking about nothing. He also wanted to feel good instead of feeling trapped and muffed.

"Okay. How about you go on a date with me, right now." He asked out of no where. Sakura was kinda shocked by this and forgot about everything else. She wanted to, of course. "Sure.." She said as she blushed.

"Let's go then." Sasuke said as he grabbed her hand. But he felt something with her hand. Sakura quickly let go of his grasp and folded the "something" and stuffed it in her bag. "What was that?" He asked, looking at her bag curiously.

"Nothing." Sasuke then held her hand again and began to jog, Sakura jogging along with him.

"Where are we going?" She managed to ask while they were jogging faster than before.

"You'll see." He said as he led her towards a place i can't say right now.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Poor Naruto, if you remember that he also had a date. Review please and find out what happens in the next chapter.