Summary: All he did was help her stand the cold but it showed that he favored her above the rest of them. But to her, the meaning of his help was much deeper, so much in fact that it warmed her heart.
Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei.
As Time Passes
Favoritism
From the corner of his eye, he saw her trying to warm herself up. They were both special Jounin now, although in rank, he was much higher. He was an ANBU Captain, a wolf mask with red markings covering his face. She was the medical specialist in their platoon, a cat mask with violet markings cover her face. She was second only to him in their ANBU platoon, second to only the Godaime as a medical specialist.
"Is everything all right, Sasuke-sama?" asked one of the Chuunin involved in the mission. Removing his wolf mask, Sasuke took a closer look at the Chuunin. The lower-ranked ninja stiffened as he eyed the crimson eyes of the Uchiha, the dreaded Sharingan.
"Bring Sakura here. I need to talk to her," spoke the baritone of the Uchiha, cutting the cold air of the Snow Country sharply. The lower ranked ninja nodded as he began to look for the pink haired ANBU.
Sasuke's brow knitted with worry as he looked behind him. So far, they had yet to find the renegade ninja which needed his platoon, one of the best in the ANBU, a second ANBU platoon and a select few Chuunin. He was a tricky fellow that even the best of their Hunter Nin could not subdue him and dispose of his body.
"You wanted to see me, Sasuke-kun?" asked Sakura as she appeared before him, removing her mask with a flourish. Among all of the ninjas involved in this mission, even at home, she was one of the few with the luxury of talking to him so candidly.
"You're cold, aren't you?" he asked bluntly. Even with the cloak of an ANBU, it was still very cold in the Snow Country. She had just recovered from a fever, making the cold even worse.
"A bit but you really don't have to worry about it, Sasuke-kun."
"Here. I thought you might need it," mumbled Sasuke as he shoved a plain black sweater with the Uchiha Clan's symbol embroidered at the back into her hands.
"Thank you," muttered Sakura sincerely as she pulled the sweater over her head. A couple of their female subordinates eyed Sakura enviously, because of the special attention the medical specialist received from the stoic Captain.
"You know I did that just because your shivering will lower your performance level." A smile came from Sakura.
"Yeah, I know Sasuke-kun. It's always like that." The onyx eyed ANBU Captain shrugged and faced the other way, trying to find the renegade ninja with his Sharingan. However, before he averted his gaze from her, he nodded simply, leaving a fluttery feeling in Sakura's heart.
- Owari -
I really like this one-shot. It's realistic, very, much like Warming Up was.
They're hunting for a renegade ninja, who was really the only reason why they're in the Snow Country. And Sakura had just recovered from a fever so her immune system isn't working as well as a healthy person's should, making her more vulnerable to the cold. So Sasuke gives her a sweater. He says it's just to keep her performance level as it is but we all know it means something more.
Yeah, it's a sweater with the Uchiha Clan at the back so it should mean something more!
It's easy to write these stories so this'll probably be updated more often. But, that doesn't mean I'm neglecting the yakuza series! I just won't be able to as much because of EXAMS. However, I will update asmuch as I can!
In any case, these stories aren't going to be long, since they're the type devoid of any major storyline. If these one-shots inspire you to write any more, by all means go ahead.