"Twisted" – prequel to Touched

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

A/N: This story has some OOCness, so watch out! Sasuke and Itachi's relationship here are not as that of the original story. And not to mention this is an AU story. The Naruto gang is studying, but I started this story during the near end of their vacation, so schooldays are near again. They're entering 4th year in their upcoming school year. –That's all! I just want to clear off some things! -


Chapter two: Ordinary Sunday

"Sunday." Today, he will go to the mall, buy his school supplies needed for his 4th year high school, maybe some new uniforms too.

"Lazy head! Wake up already. It's already ten in the morning." Itachi's voice rang outside his door at the same time knocking it loudly.

"I'm already up!" He opened the door and glared at Itachi. He hated Itachi from calling him names. It makes him feel like he was still a five year-old kids. Sometimes, things never change….

"Well, good morning to you too!" Itachi shot back sarcastically at his brother.

Sasuke walked down the stairs and walked directly to the door without even telling anyone that he's going out.

"Sasuke? Aren't you going to eat your breakfast, dear?" stepping out of the kitchen, his mother asked him with a sweet voice that gives him a chill run down his spine.

"No, I don't have the appetite to eat right now." He really disliked her mother's way of talking to him. He preferred some strictness in her voice.

"Why? Are you ill?" his mother stepped closer to Sasuke, concern was visible from her tone.

"No, mom." He stepped backwards; obviously crept out by his mother and another reason is he saw Itachi leaning on the wall watching him with a wide grin on his face. He knew that Itachi was taking "this" to tease him again like the old times. When they were still children, his brother about being a mama's boy always teased Sasuke. Whenever they would quarrel, Sasuke would always ran up their mother and tell him that they got into a quarrel and it was all Itachi's fault.

"Are you sure?" his mom questioned again.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I'll… be going now. I'll be back later." Sasuke turned to the door and proceeded outside.

Sasuke walked down the street hoping his day would be better. He checked his wallet almost forgetting about his money to buy his school stuffs. Hopefully he brought enough money for his expenses. He walked down street, passed by many shops including those cafes and restaurants. He felt his stomach growl in hunger but he really didn't have the appetite to eat right now.

I'll just eat at lunch…his stomach growled again.

He passed by the restaurant nearest to the mall, named "Squisito". It was an Italian restaurant. How he missed eating Italian foods. His stomach growled louder. Suddenly, a girl was coming out of the restaurant, taking off her ID and bidding goodbye to a person, who seems to be the manager of the restaurant. She didn't notice him standing there and bumped into Sasuke clumsily. And she landed on her butt.

"Oww!" she winced. Rubbing her hip. Sasuke was startled, he never would think that he would see her again, the pink-haired, emerald-eyes bartender, but she came from this restaurant. Seeing her in her uniform but with a brown trench coat to cover it. So it means she works here too?

Sasuke helped her up, her hand surprisingly soft to touch as if he was touching a baby's hand. He had not mistaken she was the bartender, the one who had captivated him with just one look, with just one smile. He felt odd, he felt his face going to a shade of pink when she looked up at him and smiled an apologetic smile to him. She shyly whispered an audible 'sorry' and took off.

He was perplexed that how could this girl affect him like that, he hadn't even talked or knew this girl! Heck, the world is really full of surprises. He mused.

He walked again walking the same path as the female bartender went.

"Sasuke!" a male's voice called out to him. He turned around and find no one that he recognizes.

"Oi! Sasuke-yaro!" Hn? That sounds like the dobe. Maybe I'm just hearing things, there's no way I'm meeting him here.

"Oi!" He earned a heavy slap on the back, which made him turn and glare at the person who did it.

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice became deadly low and faced the blonde hair, fox-faced male.

"Oh, sorry about that, Sasuke-yaro." Naruto said beaming his foxy grin again.

"Don't call me a bastard, dobe."

"Don't call ME a dobe, bastard." Sasuke had the urge to smack him in the head but he cared for his reputation, they were in a public place. He just huffed and walked off with Naruto trailing behind.

"Off to buy school supplies, bastard?" Naruto walked beside him.

"Hn."

"The same for me. Hey Sasuke-yaro. You're still on the track and field team aren't ya?

"Why do you ask dobe? You're going to quit?"

"Me? Quit? Nah… I just want to make sure you're still joining. Because we still haven't settled who's the fastest runner yet!" Naruto laughed.

"You just don't grow up, do you dobe?" Sasuke sighed.

"Why? Scared of losing to me bastard?" Sasuke's vein popped out, losing wasn't his thing.

"No."

"I guess so." Naruto chuckled.

"I heard that several sections would be disbanded. Your section is one of them, isn't it?" Sasuke brought up a conversation for the first time.

"Yeah. I hope we can be classmates! And Sakura-chan too! I hope we'll still be classmates!" Naruto chirped the moment he mentioned 'Sakura-chan'.

"Who's Sakura?" Sasuke asked. Her name seems familiar, he heard it somewhere.

"You don't know Sakura-chan? She's one of the school's prettiest girls! And my best friend too! As far as I can remember, you, Sakura-chan and me are classmates from kindergarten. Then, me and Sakura-chan until this 3rd year!"

"Me?"

"Yea! The three of us! Don't you remember? Oh you must be getting old to forget things a lot, bastard." With that, Naruto earned a painful smack right in the head.

"I'm not old!"

"Well, do you still remember the first time the three of us met? We used to…" Sasuke didn't concentrate on Naruto's speeches but his attention was now on the girl again, the female bartender. It seems like they always meet at every unexpected places. She was standing outside the bookstore, looking at the featured pocketbooks that the bookstore have. He trailed his eyes on her as she moved even a slight muscle.

"Oi, Sasuke-yaro! Are you deaf!" Naruto was trying to call the attention of his companion but to no avail. He looked at the direction Sasuke was looking at and found the person of the topic.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto called after his friend. With that, Sasuke was shot out of his reverie and realize that 'the Sakura' they were talking about was just 'her' after all! The female bartender looked their way and waved back at Naruto who was waving to her. But her eyes slightly widen when she saw Sasuke standing beside Naruto with an emotionless façade.

Naruto walked towards Sakura, and so did she. Sasuke just followed Naruto from behind. Sakura just beamed at Naruto then he suddenly hugged Sakura very tight, which made her drop the bags she was holding. Some oranges came out of the plastic bag as well as some of the fruits and the other bag also found its way to the floor hopefully the books inside are not damaged and still neat.

Naruto picked up the bag of book and rearranged them, while saying 'Sorry Sakura-chan I didn't meant it to happen.' Over and over.

On the other hand, Sasuke and Sakura are picking up the fruits that got out of the plastic bag. They picked up each fruit until an apple was left. Two of them, were to pick it up but ended up touching each other's hands. The calloused ones met the soft smooth ones. They immediately pulled away as if they were stung by a hot water and ended the contact between them. Sasuke picked the apple up and handed it to Sakura, while trying to keep his uneasiness.

"It's okay Naruto. I don't mind." This was the first time Sakura spoke and also the first time Sasuke heard her soft-spoken voice clearly.

Oh, I forgot. Sakura-chan, this is Uchiha Sasuke, you remember?"

"Of course, how would I forget." There was this smile of hers again, it always makes Sasuke's heart jump. "We were still kindergarten back then."

"Oi, Sasuke. This is Sakura-chan I was telling you about!" Naruto introduced the ex-classmates. Sasuke just nodded and gave Sakura a curt smile, as if to acknowledge her presence. Sakura in turn, blushed and smiled back exposing her white teeth.

"You should be ashamed Sasuke-yaro. You don't even remember Sakura-chan!" Naruto lectured him.

"How the hell could I remember all this stuff? It was a decade ago!" Sasuke shot back. Sakura just chuckled at their interaction; it really amused her greatly. That's the only time those two stopped, finally getting aware that Sakura's with them and they should act more decent.

"Ne Sakura-chan, we'll help you with that. It's our fault to begin with." Sasuke twinge at Naruto's statement. WE'LL help you with that? It's OUR fault to begin with? Since when did I become a part of these? It's your fault that you hugged her and she dropped these bags not mine! Sasuke's mind shouted angrily. Naruto always put him into trouble that he wasn't supposing to. But he had no choice but to stay calm, he was with this girl that he barely knew, it would be embarrassing to get angry in front of her.

"No it's okay, Naruto" Sakura protested.

"We don't mind to carry them, do we?" Naruto nudged at Sasuke who only give him a questioning glare. Naruto snatched the two bags and gave the other one to Sasuke.

"Naruto, it's really okay. I'm on the way home, you don't have to carry these for me."

"Going home? Okay then! I know where it is." Naruto chirped ignoring Sakura's protests.

Naruto on the lead; Sasuke and Sakura just tag along. Sasuke can't help but glace over at Sakura every few moments and finds her more charming than ever. She's one of the school's prettiest girls! Naruto's voice echoed in his head. He blushed to himself and shook away those thoughts. Stupid Naruto. Always getting me into trouble.

"Sasuke-kun? Are you okay?" Sakura asked him.

"Uh-yeah… I think so."

There was this eerie silence between them again and Sasuke finds himself resisting glancing over to her.

After few minutes of quiet walk, they were in front of Sakura's apartment. They found themselves going inside an apartment, which looked like a brand new place where no one was living in it. They put the bags at bar counter and proceeded to the living room.

"Sakura-chan! I'll be going now!"

"But – "

"I forgot something important, see you next time!"

Sakura sighed and looked at Sasuke, he was just about to go when Sakura's voice stopped him.

"Ano… do you mind if you stay for a while? I just want to cook something for you, in exchange for the trouble I gave you." She fumbled at her clothes.

"Umm… I don't think-" his stomach growled and it was enough evidence that he was hungry and there was no way he could protest after that.

"Well then, I just have to make you something to eat to satisfy your stomach." She gave him a hearty smile. "Make yourself at home!"

It took quite a long while for Sasuke to wait for Sakura to finish her cooking. He just paced around the living room, examining the pictures hanged n the wall. He noticed one picture with a group of many children. He was there; she too was there, Naruto too. And also many of his classmates right now. And below the picture stated that batch 1995-1996.

He stared at it. Amused how their faces have changed for the passing years.

"Sasuke-kun?" he looked at her.

"Come and eat."

They sat there beside each other as they eat at the bar counter. He never thought of anyone would be as good as her. Her cooking was great! And his stomach thanks her for it. Such delicious meal was given to him. I think was not bad after all.

They ate in silence as he enjoyed his meal, and Sakura could tell by his face. It makes her happy to someone likes her cooking. She had been learning a lot in that Italian restaurant she had been working for many years now.

Sasuke really enjoyed his meal. His stomach was contented. Now, it was time to bid goodbye. They parted ways once again.

He stopped dead in his tracks. "Ah! I forgot to buy my things!" Curse you, Naruto!

She leaned against the doorframe the picture frame in her hand; the picture of their childhood memories. Her thumb brushed against the raven-haired kid who was now a grown man. A smile plastered on her lips. It seems like fate has something for you and me after all. And I'm glad fate brought you to me today.


A/N: ah! Finally finished! 3rd chapter to go! I am having a hard time now; my mom has been very strict on me for using the computer too much. So I think I may take a couple more days to finish the 3rd chapter so in the mean time bear with me! I'm so sorry!

I hope you liked this chapter! I worked hard for this! Hahaha….

Don't forget to review. Thank you!

megan