-achem- Perhaps some people should actually read the author's notes at the beginning of previous chapters too. ;
Chapter Four's Author's Notes:And though there are plenty of people out there who are Sakura-haters... I'm not one of them. And I know there are plenty of fan girls out there for Sasuke... I'm not one of them. O.o -fan girl of Gaara- Anyway... Sorry, but if you guys dun like Naruto x Sakura pairing that much, you probably shouldn't read this. XD
Chapter Seven's Author's Notes: As for characters getting OOC... that's what happens all the time in fan fiction. I mean, I do try to keep things realistic, but if everything went according to how the story is supposed to go, there would be no fan fictions. I promise I'll try and keep them as IC as possible.
And though perhaps Sakura/Sasuke is a better pairing, I just don't go for that much, so.... Sorry, but this isn't going to be a Sasu/Saku story. -sweat drop- Like I said, if Naruto/Sakura doesn't appeal to you, you don't have to read this. ;
My point being, I think I've said all that needs to be said about my chapters in general.
To Behold the Void: I await the examples so I can fix my mistakes. (:
To gorai chai: I don't mock your OTP! XD
So here we are, sitting on the brink of chapter eight. If I can get to chapter nine, it'll be a record. O.o And most of the rest of the story is based around a plot within a plot that I randomly pulled out of my brain on the night June 11 - actually, in the morning of June 12, around 12:16 am. -giggle- I think you'll agree that this twist is rather spontaneous and it makes no sense at all. But don't worry. Amidst the nonsense, you'll find that it will eventually make plenty of sense.
The one Japanese word I'll be using in this chapter is 'Kami', which simply means 'God'. O.o I think.
XD Have fun reading. And review. ; And even though no one's complaining to me about the length of my chapters, Imma make this chapter longer - because I feel like it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. But I wish I did. Don't we all?
Titled. Chapter 8.
Naruto pulled Sakura towards him, arms wrapping around her as she buried her face into the crook of his neck, one of her hands lifting to grasp a fistful of his shirt. He didn't speak; he didn't think that the words would get out even if he had something to say. Eyes closed, he rested his chin on the top of her head, holding her warmth against him, breathing in her fragrance of cherry blossoms, for which she was so aptly named. He held her tightly, feeling the wetness of her tears against his neck, feeling the short gasps that blew upon his skin whenever she took a sob-choked breath, feeling her heartbeat against his in unison...
It was a heavenly moment.
Of course, all moments have to end sooner or later, heavenly or not.
Presently, Sakura lifted her wet face, took a few deep breaths, and eased the tension in her shoulders. "I'm sorry," she apologized quietly.
"For what?" Naruto said with a grin.
Slowly, Sakura gave him a grin of her own. "I don't know," she admitted, and they chuckled quietly. Or rather, Sakura did the quiet chuckling and Naruto burst out into laughter.
But the situation was too serious for them to rejoice yet in their newfound love. There were still many problems to consider, and the next four days to come. It was kind of freaky how fast things were happening, though the days were passing slowly. It didn't much sense, but so many things had taken place in the past two days that Sakura was surprised when she calculated four days left.
Problem number one was Sasuke. No one had expected the Uchiha prodigy to explode the way he did... of course, no one had expected that he harbored a secret love for Sakura in the first place.
"I can't believe it. The minute I stop liking him, he starts liking me."
"That just makes him stupid."
"Oh - I guess."
Problem number two, how were they going to get through the rest of the seven days?
" Sakura, we could just... you know, tease and thrash Sasuke about this mercilessly, heheheh..."
"... Uh, no."
"Joking, joking..."
Problem number three, though Sakura had gotten over Sasuke, she did not in the least want to end their friendship.
"Oh, Naruto, why can't Sasuke just calm down a bit? Why does he have to be so mean?"
"Because he's a cocky little bastard."
"Naruto!"
"OW! SORRY! I THOUGHT YOU DIDN'T LIKE HIM ANYMORE!"
"I don't love him anymore, he's still my friend."
Problem number four, how do they keep Kakashi from barging in all the time at irregular intervals?
"He said he came in through the window, right, Sakura?"
"Yes, so I guess we could just shut the windows and lock them... And the front door will be locked, of course."
"What if he decides to pick the lock?"
"... Can he do that?"
"I don't know, beats me."
Problem number five, Naruto and Sakura shared the same feelings of unease at the thought of being in the same house as Sasuke. But neither did they want to back out of the mission.
"I really wish we could just leave, Naruto... I mean - I don't want to leave Sasuke alone, because he must be feeling really bad, but..."
"But we can't. I must overcome this mission! I will not fail!"
"If Sasuke blows up again and rips your head off, this mission isn't going to be the only thing that fails - your life will be the other."
"Oh."
"A - an - and - my life will f - fail too..."
"Sakura --"
Problem number six, why the hell were there so many problems?
"I hate my life."
"No you don't, Sakura."
"Yes I do."
"No."
"Yes."
"NO!"
"YES!"
Having done listing the problems they had, the two flopped back against the couch, simultaneously heaving a heavy sigh.
"Naruto?"
"Yeah?"
"This is going to sound weird, but I'm going to bed."
"Eh?! But it's eleven in the morning!"
"Yeah, but I'm so tired... See you in the evening."
"Aah, all right. Good - uh - morning, Sakura."
Sakura dragged herself out of the couch, up the stairs and dropped onto her bed like a sack of wet cement. She rolled over and was fast asleep in a matter of minutes.
Naruto remained on the couch, re-playing this morning's scenes in his head. So intense... So unpredicted. He closed his eyes, frowning. There was another thing to consider, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it... Ah yes. Where's Kakashi? He blinked, cerulean eyes opening as he scanned the interior of the house. Hm. He must've slipped out earlier. It didn't really bother him though that his sensei had scampered off somewhere without telling anyone. Eh, he probably went off to read some good ol' porn.
}-'-,-'-
Really, Kakashi was tracking Sasuke. The prints led off into the forest - predictable. Plenty of people went to the forest to relieve stress. It was quiet and peaceful with only the birds to break the silence. The silver-haired ninja bent down and inspected a deep footprint in the ground with interest. The ground wasn't that soft, so Sasuke must've been quite angry to step so hard as to create this not-so shallow print. Kakashi traced the edges, his expression smug.
He was close.
Rising to his feet, the copy-nin hopped up into a tree, and leapt from branch to branch, his gaze cast downwards in hopes of catching sight of the dark-haired head of the Uchiha. And - at last - he found the youth sitting by himself, in a clearing. Kakashi remained hidden on a branch for a few brief seconds, scanning the scene. He was mildly surprised at the beauty of the place Sasuke had chosen to rest in; it was arranged with the simple luxuries of Mother Nature.
Birch, cedar, and rowan trees thinned out to surround the clearing of tall weaving grass, which blew and rustled with the wind. Off to one side trickled a little pond, which half the edge lay boulders, rocks, and various other things one would find around it.
The Uchiha boy was seated on one of the bigger boulders, legs dangling over the pond, his back to Kakashi.
Kakashi took another few seconds to inhale deeply, before going forth with what he was not looking forward to doing.
"Sasuke," he called softly, stepping towards the boy.
Inner Sasuke groaned. Ah, hell, here we go, another big lecture...
"What?" The surly reply was spoken in a short-clipped voice.
Kakashi hopped lightly onto a boulder facing the boy, his visible eye curving into a happy arc. "So, how goes it with you?"
WHAT DO YOU THINK? Inner Sasuke screamed, punching a fist into the air. JUST HOW STUPID ARE YOU?
"Those Icha-Icha Paradise books must be taking a toll on your wits," he said blankly, leaning back. Truth was, it was rather nice of someone to come after him, even if the guy was a perverted freak.
"I've said it once before, and I'll say it once more. You have to learn to --"
"-- To let it go; to give a little. I have to learn to deal with it, and I have to learn not to get made at Sakura because even though 'her heart didn't choose mine'," Sasuke finished sullenly, looking away.
Kakashi blinked. "Well, yes."
"I - can't."
"Oh?" inquired Kakashi. "And why not?"
Sasuke's eyes flashed defiance. "I just can't."
"Nothing I say is going to change that, am I right?" sighed the copy-nin.
"That's right."
Kakashi gave the boy a slanted glance. "Then I guess I'm going have to tell you a secret."
Sasuke arched one eyebrow. Oh, a secret, sneered Inner Sasuke, fat lot of good that'll do me.
"It's something I've been keeping hidden for a long time."
"What?"
Kakashi paused, squeezing his eyes shut for a second. This was going to be hard - hard on himself, and most definitely hard on Sasuke. He inhaled slowly and exhaled, running a hand through his silver-gray hair.
Sasuke arched his other eyebrow. Get on with it, fidgeted Inner Sasuke.
"Sasuke..." sighed Kakashi, looking weary.
Irritated now, Sasuke blurted out, "For Kami's sake, will you hurry up?"
"Yes." There was silence for a long time, and Sasuke was considering just getting up and leaving when his sensei finally spoke.
"Sasuke, you know that your family's bloodline is pure, right?"
"Right." Where is he going with this? What does this have to do with anything?
"Well, it's not."
"Excuse me?"
"It's not pure. Your mother first gave birth to Uchiha Itachi, your older brother. And then she was - eh - blessed with you."
Sasuke frowned. He hadn't missed out the hesitation before the word 'blessed'. "So?"
"But your mother didn't stop there."
"Sorry?"
"To save the innocent and the guilty, I'm not mentioning any adult names... Around the same time you were born, another man courted your mother, and she birthed him a baby girl. This baby girl, now grown up like you, was - is your half-sister."
Sasuke stared blankly, registering this fact. So his mother was a whore. Eh, go figure. So he had a sister somewhere out there. Eh. "So?" he repeated. "Why is this information relevant to me?"
"Because that baby girl's name is Sakura. Haruno Sakura."
The bomb having been dropped, Sasuke was... to say the least, dumbfounded. Stunned speechless, completely knocked off his feet. Sakura. His sister? She was his sister? It was impossible. It was completely insane, ludicrous; it was madness.
Shock stamping across his face, he spluttered out a response. "Th - that's... not probable! How is that probable? We can't be siblings. We can't!"
Kakashi traced meaningless patterns on the boulder he was seated on, not looking at his student. "Can't you? You're right; it isn't probable. But it's quite possible. Look at it logically, Sasuke. You both have the same pale skin. The same thin face - though perhaps Sakura's got more of the feminine curves. Your bangs even part the same way; in the middle." He looked up, carefully putting down his next words. "And Sasuke, I think, in a subconscious way, you knew this. You were always protective of her, whether you admit it or not, and yes, you do love her. But not in the way you think you do. You love her as a sister. You love her as someone to look after, but not as --"
Sasuke cut across the words with a growl of, "No. You don't tell me what I feel." He stood up, fists clenched. "If she's part Uchiha, then she'll have the sharingan genes within her blood."
"Right," Kakashi confirmed slowly.
"So she at least has one sharingan eye."
"Right." Again, spoken slowly.
"Hm." Sasuke un-tensed his hands, fingers relaxing as his mind wondered over the rash plan he had just pulled out of his brain. It is time for a little experiment, snickered Inner Sasuke, arms crossed, but it's so... deceitful. How can we get away with this? Oh - oh, no, maybe this isn't such a good idea...
Shut up, Sasuke lectured his conscience. Just shut up.
Inner Sasuke began babbling. She'll tell the Hokage-sama, and we'll be locked up for sure - HELL NO!
Ignoring his inner self, Sasuke gave Kakashi a curt nod. "I don't believe that she's my sister. I don't believe it for a second. But I will find out the truth in my own way." With those simple but cryptic words, he left the clearing, the shadows swallowing his figure as Kakashi watched, puzzled.
}-'-,-'-
Naruto pulled himself out of the couch, applying his ninja skills to move silently. He crept upstairs, poking his head into Sakura's room. There she was, the pink-haired beauty, fast asleep on top of her bed, curled up on one side. Naruto tiptoed past her, and pulled the blinds down on the window, from which sunlight shone through. This made the room dark so the sun's shifting rays wouldn't bother Sakura's closed eyes. How thoughtful of Naruto!
Yet had he known the future, had he been able to peer into just hours ahead, he would've taken Sakura with them. He would've found Sasuke, and there, in the broad daylight, would've beaten him to a bloody mess of nothing. Had he been able to foresee the results of him closing the blinds, he would've regretted and cursed until his soul collapsed. But Naruto had no way of knowing the future. So it was with a heart oblivious to all, he then tiptoed out of the room and shut the door noiselessly behind him. Quite suddenly, his stomach began a protest in hunger, which consisted of several loud growls.
Clamping a hand over his rumbling tummy, he fairly dashed down the stairs and flew out the door. Now that Sakura was asleep and he wasn't needed anywhere, he could go eat! Whoo! He set off cheerfully to the Ichiraku noodle-shop, a big wide grin all over his face.
Hm... I think I'll go for pork ramen today! So with thoughts of steamy instant noodles floating around in his head, accompanied by the feeling of Sakura's love for him, Naruto was sailing on cloud nine - much like the day he had graduated from ninja school.
}-'-,-'-
Sasuke had concealed himself behind some bushes, watching with suppressed anger as Naruto bolted out the front door and skipped towards the noodle-shop.
Ah, what a coincidence, but his timing is perfect, Inner Sasuke mused, but still panicking. But - are you sure you want to do this?
Ignoring his inner presence as usual, Sasuke waited until Naruto's form could no longer be seen in the distance. And then he waited some more, just to be sure. He rose stiffly from his position, legs slightly cramped from several minutes' of waiting. Jogging on the spot soon loosened his muscles enough so he could walk without feeling like wood. He hurried into his house - what if Sakura wasn't there? - and one glance around the first floor told him enough to know that Sakura wasn't down here. Upstairs, perhaps?
No sooner had he put one foot on the first step, did he hear faintly a sleepy moan, and then sounds of someone rolling over on a bed, for the mattress creaked. He allowed a small smirk to grace his otherwise blank expression. She was asleep, eh. Even better.
Soundlessly, he scaled the stairs, heading towards her room without hesitation. The door to her room was closed, and when he opened it, he was vaguely surprised to find that the room was enclosed in total darkness. Someone must've closed the blinds on the windows. Naruto had unknowingly made Sasuke's plan easier to put forth. He eased his way into the lightless room, closing the door behind him.
Before he went ahead, Sasuke leaned up against the door, taking a long drawn-out breath. He let it go slowly. What he planned to do would almost certainly get him exiled from the village. It would leave Sasuke permanently friendless. Naruto would not forgive him, not ever. Kakashi would not be sympathetic to his reason, either. The Hokage would definitely not like this. It would leave Sakura emotionally scarred for life. It would leave the entire village in a state of shock. But he fully intended to do what he had to do.
Sasuke was more heartless then anyone imagined. Perhaps he was more heartless then he himself thought.
End chapter.
Well. xP A cliffhanger. =D So, how'd you like it?
Sasuke: I have come, despite my initial reluctance, to encourage reviewers to review.
Kiche: Come on, Sasuke, do the sexy pose! =D
Sasuke: --; -strikes a sexy pose- Kami.
Kiche: -maniacal laugh- WHOOT! Review, please, since I got Sasuke to do his sexy pose! -whisper- Hold that pose, Sasuke.
Naruto: -screeches- THAT'S FUNNY, AHAHAHA!
Kakashi: -reads his book- -giggle-
Anyway... O.o Hope this chapter's extra long-ness will make people review!
