Day to Day
A Naruto Fan-fiction
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any bands mentioned, with the exception of Star Pirate Ship.
(A/N: Hey guys! The votes are in, and we've got Ino and Shikamaru with none (did you guys see my notice? If you did, thank you!), Hinata and Naruto with two, Neji and Tenten with three, and the winners are…Sakura and Sasuke, with a whopping six! I guess you guys ride a lot on my grand ideas now these days…uh-oh…That makes me a little nervous….but Enjoy!)
Chapter 20: Pieces
There is a reoccurring theme in the mind of all humans, and that is memory.
Whenever we think of someone, not only see them, we think of something about them.
It was one of these thoughts that saved Uchiha Sasuke's life.
As he stood in the dark night, a red crimson glinting on him, a dark look about everything, a desperate feeling in the air, a moment flashed in his head. A light laugh echoed, and so did the same few words….
"Sasuke, I love you!"
A smile, green silk, the sound of clinking glasses and a flash of ring…then there was a lake, the moon reflected in it, a blurred image of the girl….
As he closed his eyes, the entire memory came back to him, right from the very beginning…
A midnight glow poured over everything, the moon was high in the sky, and stars dabbled the black eternity like a white polka dots. A gentle spring wind swept across the green grass in waves and fluttered leaves. Everything had a peaceful air about it, and the lake that resided outside of the large building was the most stunning. White lilies sat atop green leaves like white teacups on saucers. The chatter of frogs and crickets echoed, and acted as a lullaby for those who threw open their windows during the warm Konoha nights.
Inside the large building, however, there was no such quiet.
Joyful music played loudly in the brightly lit hall, accompanied by the tinkling of martini glasses, laughter, and chatter filled with happiness. Suits and gorgeous, sparkling dresses filled the hall, and the center of attention was none other that the most gorgeous dress and primmest suit of all.
It was late at night, and all of the under aged were in bed, while the adults and older adolescents celebrated a new marriage! Sweets covered ten foot long tables and there was alcohol all around!
The bride, in her stunning white, was filled with a kind of happiness that could never be replaced. Finally, she was married to the man of her dreams!
The man of her dreams held her close, staring into her eyes. Love struck eyes.
The two danced in the center of the hall, and those on the edge of the large and grandly decorated hall could only see from a distance and in glimpses.
"Aren't they so cute?"
Sasuke looked at his escort, no certain look coming to his face. She had said that quiet a few times, anyway.
She sighed, and leaned back against his arm that was aligned with the top of the bench.
"Who knew my cousin's wedding would be such a tear-jerker?" she asked, looking at him, with that same look she had on when she watched chick flicks. "I mean, Miko had been dreaming about this her whole life, and here it is, happening…."
"Sakura, it's just a wedding." He replied, obviously bored with the whole situation. He was wearing a tux, and it was very uncomfortable. The sooner he got home and changed, the better.
He looked at Sakura, amazed at how thin she really was. It was true that Sakura and Hinata were both tiny girls, but Sakura was not only dainty, but also bony. Tonight, she wore a silk green dress, topped with lace, with thin straps that came down to her knees. He could see her shoulders roll and her collarbones clear as day in the dress! But, no doubt, she looked very beautiful. A light, silver sparkle dappled her cheeks and around her eyes, a shining bronze was on her eyes, and her lips were glossed. Around her wrist was the handle to her green matching clutch purse, intricately decorated with threaded on flowers and beads. On her feet were matching green heels, with a thin heel and simple straps.
Then he looked ahead, seeing all of the happy people, laughing and dancing. One woman nearest to him laughed loudly, and then took a sip from her scintillating wine glass.
Sasuke was never one for drinking, and neither was Sakura. "Always hated the smell." She had said.
Suddenly, Sakura turned to him.
"What do you say we got outside?" she asked, "Its so hot and loud in here!"
He nodded, and stood. Then Sakura stood, and he took her hand. He led the way through the crowd with her behind him, and pushed open the door.
The warm, spring night air came as refreshment compared to the hot indoors.
"Wow, isn't that pretty?" Sakura asked.
In front of them was the lake, rippling, dabbled with lilies and leaves, only seen in the darkness because of the bright lights from inside the large building and the change in texture from the grass to water.
And, finally, the moment happened, the one he pictured in his mind.
With a smile, Sakura let go of his hand and walked ahead. She then bent over by the lake, and carefully took off her heels, one at a time. He just watched, as the moonlight fell across her bare back. She looked back at him, smiled, and tucked a piece of pink hair behind her ear. Then, she lifted one foot with her toes pointed, and dipped it into the water. She pulled it back, and then slipped it in. Her arms bent at the elbow and went up daintily, and she the put in the next foot.
What little light they had gave her the most dramatic shadows, and she turned back at him again and laughed, bending over and placing her hands on her thighs.
Then the strangest thing of all happened.
She cocked her head to the side, and smiled this light, wispy smile.
And then she said, "I love you, Sasuke."
Sasuke opened his eyes, and looked toward the night sky, an indescribable look on his face.
A droplet of red rolled off his fingers, and hit the ground with a single plit.
And, with that, rain began to fall, mixing with the one red dot, washing away the crimson that stained him as he stood….
He looked down, and felt his hair begun to fall around his face from the weight of the water.
"We can never be weightless…"
Haruno Sakura teetered back and forth from her heels to her toes, moving up and down like a strange teeter-totter. A smile covered her face, and she held behind her back a present. Although, with that smile was a smudge of dirt, that streaked across her cheek and over her nose. Her short pink hair was in a short French braid that ended around the top of the back of her head with the hair spiking out everywhere, and two loose strands hung around her face.
She was still dressed in her ninja fatigues, only now they had changed for the spring. Her black pants ended around her knees, and all of the skin from there to the middle of her foot was wrapped in white bandages. On her feet were the traditional black sandals. Her head band, scratched and worn, hung around her neck loosely, and she wore a long-sleeve black shirt that she had rolled up to her elbows, exposing more white bandage, which wound around her arm down her second set of knuckles, or, the middle of her fingers. On top of her shirt was her vest, which held kunai, shuriken, scrolls, and throwing stars in its pockets. She had unstrapped her vest so it hung open, pulled off her mask and stuck it through her belt loop, and shoved her gloves in her pocket. She was dirty and sweaty, but she could careless!
After not hearing an answer, she knocked again. The door was a rickety wooden one, warped with age, and the brass knob no longer shined, no matter how many chemicals were applied. The small, equally rickety porch surrounded that door, and the one-story apartments extended out further. Really, it wasn't an apartment. Every tenant got one room, and there were two bathrooms, one kitchen, and one closet, used mostly for brooms, shovels, and whatnot. A rusty sign was nailed to the wooden house, right next to the door. It read, "KONOHA JOUNIN MEN APARTMENTS". Which meant that Konoha paid each tenant's rent, sort of like navy housing. The majority of the ninja population lived in these types of housing-let's call it ninja housing-and it could be assigned based on rank, age, or gender. Sakura lived in one that wasn't designated by anything, but at the same time, it was a traditional apartment complex; every tenant got a living room, kitchen, bathroom, and bedroom.
She still waited, teetering on her feet.
CRASH!
Suddenly, the knob turned and the door opened, revealing a brown eyed, sandy-haired boy. He smiled at Sakura sheepishly.
"Uh, hey, Sakura-chan." He said, and looked back once when someone shouted.
"Would you like to um…come in?"
A chair crashed to the ground.
"Yea." Sakura said, and looked at him suspiciously.
She followed him in, slipping the present in her pocket.
The boy looked barely sixteen, and wore a baggy white shirt and black pants. He scratched his head, and walked down the hallway. Then he paused, and looked at Sakura.
"Um, do you know where Sasuke's room is?" he asked.
She nodded, and smiled at the quiet boy. His name was Toshi, and he was one of the only polite and modest boys in the whole housing. He was extremely thin by nature, and worked as a silent assassin, although he was only sixteen.
Then he nodded, and walked into his own room, shutting the door quietly behind him.
Suddenly, booming laughs filled the house, and Sakura lifted an eyebrow.
"Hey, that's a flush!"
"Yea, right, I'll believe that when we can flush your fat ass."
She began to walk down the hallway, and immediately smelled the liquor.
"Fat ass? At least I have some meat, ya flip'n sack of bones!"
"Hey, this sack of bones is better than you."
She poked her head around the corner, and smiled at the sight.
Six jounins sat around a rickety card table, two smoking, and the rest drinking or looking at their cards. In the middle was a stack of dollar bills; the potluck they were all betting for! They all looked so comical, like "men doing what men do best".
The most comical of all, however, was who was sitting in between Misunagi and Tsutsui.
He ran his fingers through his jet-black hair, looking around at the other men. While Misunagi and Jin fought over a flush, he deftly slipped a card into his hand, and smirked.
"Royal flush!"
With great grandeur, he laid out his cards on the table, and all of the others gawked in surprise and amazement!
The obvious victor leaned forward and pulled the pile of crash toward him. Then, with the most triumphant smirk of all, he pocketed it!
Misunagi's jaw dropped. Then, he looked at Jin, who had claimed a flush before, and pointed at the victor's flush.
"That's a flush, fat ass."
Jin growled, and leaned back in his chair, tossing his cards on to the table. One older man put out his cigarette, sighing in defeat.
In all honestly, Jin wasn't fat; Misunagi was just an idiot, looking to annoy Jin.
Sakura leaned against the doorway now, and smiled.
"Yay Sasuke-kun!" she said, and clapped.
All of the men looked at her, and Sasuke looked at her as well, smirking.
Jin shook his head, and scratched his head. "He wins, and then he gets laid."
Sasuke silted his eyes at Jin. If you could burn holes in people with your eyes, Jin would now not only be full of holes, but also sitting in a crater.
"Ooooo…." Misunagi hissed, and Tsutsui laughed, slapping his scarred hand on the equally scarred table.
Sasuke just got up, and walked toward Sakura. He continued to walk, and Sakura fell in stride with him.
"So, what're you doing here?"
"What, I can't watch my guy kick ass at poker?" she joked, slipping her hands into her pockets. She ran her fingers over her present, her smile growing.
He just looked at her, and Sakura rolled her eyes.
"I just got back from two-week mission, and I felt like dropping in."
"And without a shower." He added, gesturing toward the large dirt smudge on her face.
"Oh, forget it! You've seen me dirtier than this anyway!"
He smirked. There truly were days when she would rather die than be out in public, dirty.
"Besides, its not like everyone in Konoha is awake to see me."
Ah. So that part of her hadn't died!
Sasuke made what Sakura called his "laughing face", when he got this look in his eyes and his mouth twitched, only for a second.
Sakura looked at him.
"I missed you."
The sentence hung in dead air, and he looked at her, barely nodding.
"Me too."
Another thing had changed; Sakura didn't feel like she was about to have severe cardiac arrest when Sasuke said something "un-Sasuke-like".
Instead, she smiled, and removed one hand from her pocket to slip it into his.
And, just as she did this, the two stepped out into the night.
Sasuke looked at the ground, and then ahead, toward the dark night. The warm spring night was enough to warm any body.
"Any destination in mind?"
"No."
Their feet hit the dirt road, and only the sound of the crickets and the slap of their sandals pierced the silence of the night. Sasuke relaced his fingers through hers, and continued to walk in step with her. She just looked at him for a moment as they walked. His hair swept back, the deep shadows falling over his clothes and skin…how one side of his face seemed immersed in darkness, and how he seemed to focus on nothing, but just look ahead, casual but ready. She knew that he was ticking things off in his head, as always.
'That tree looks the same, there's a new puddle…'
No matter where he was, no matter what was going on, his head ticked off everything, making a tally of every living, dead, or never living thing around. He was always cautious, and a part of her knew that he would always be that way.
After all, it was what made him ANBU, what made him Uchiha Sasuke, ninja extraordinaire.
Then, something in his face changed. It was like someone snapped, and the light went off. He glanced at the ground, and then looked ahead again. More dark shadows covered his face.
The two walked in silence. Sakura had learned from being with Sasuke so long, from their genin days on, that sometimes, silence could be the greatest thing. At least, with Sasuke, it seemed that way. But now, something was off….
But he broke the silence.
"Have you ever thought about destiny?"
Sakura's eyebrows went up, and she barely stopped her mouth from opening. Sasuke never started a conversation, or acted to weird…
"You, um, I mean, yea, I guess." She replied, "I train with Neji sometimes. And Tenten. Neji's a bit crazy about the stuff."
He nodded. Sakura took this as a "this conversation has ended" action, but she never was one to abide by anyone's rules.
"What's bothering you?"
"Nothing."
"Nothing?"
"Yes. Nothing."
"Okay. Fine."
Sakura looked forward now, hoping he would crack, but knew he wouldn't.
Finally, she stopped.
Sasuke looked at her. There was a look in his eye that seemed to glint for just a moment, hiding something from her.
"What?"
She slipped her hand out of his, and pulled something out of her pocket, but held it in her palm. She was curious about what was bothering him, but if he didn't want to tell her, so be it.
"Since you won't tell me, I figure I better give you this and be on my way before you drive me nuts." She said, and opened her palm.
In her hand was a small, worn, cylinder-shaped charm. Carved in it was the kanji for Uchiha.
"It's a family charm, like something you would carry into battle, sort of like carrying your family's honor." She explained, "I found it by accident, on my mission. I guess it's your relative's. They must've lost it on their own mission."
Suddenly, her eyes opened wide.
"Oh yea! I got some string too, just in case you wanted to wear it or hang it up." She said quickly. Then, she dug into one of her jacket pockets, still holding the tiny tablet, and laced it through the tiny hole in the top of the charm.
Then she held it out to Sasuke, who picked it up as carefully as he would as if it was glass, ready to shatter.
"I figured, you'd want it, because, no one carries more family honor than you do." She added, quieter than before, watching as Sasuke rubbed his finger over the charm, and held it carefully.
He nodded.
"So… 'Thank you Sakura'?"
He looked up at her, and continued to nod.
"Yes. Thank you."
Then he looked down again, as if trying to implant the image of that little stone in his mind forever.
Sakura felt awkward. She rubbed her arm, glancing at the ground, and then up at Sasuke, whose face was more unreadable than usual.
"Well, I think I need to go home." She said, and began to walk the other way.
She made it only ten steps away when she heard him.
"Sakura!"
She turned. This time it looked like all of his attention was on her.
"You know, I can never be weightless…like you." He looked at her as if there was some kind of hurricane in his head he couldn't figure out.
"What do you mean?" She took a step toward him.
"I mean…because of who I am, I'll never be able to do the things you want to do."
"Like what?"
He looked at the ground.
"Be safe."
Sakura looked at the ground as well, now feeling awkward. She knew what he meant, but wasn't sure.
"…Are you, expecting something out of us, Sasuke?"
"Yes."
Sakura walked back to him, only looking at him and his downcast eyes, not listening to the slap of her sandals….
"You know what I expect?" she asked, her voice barely a whisper.
He looked at her.
"I expect for you to give everything you have." She answered, "And you know what? You always give ten times more. Even if you can't be weightless, even if some things will never happen, you can't always worry about that. You have to live day to day, and hope for the best."
Sasuke thought only a moment. Then, one end of his lips moved upward.
"You really are humble, despite all of your rash actions and quick anger."
That anger came speeding through Sakura's body!
"What?" she exclaimed, "I think you did that to ruin the moment!"
"So what if I did?" he asked, and slipped the tablet into his pocket. One hand slipped into hers, the other came around her back, and Sakura gave it her all to keep the annoyed look on her face.
Sasuke leaned his face in, and smirked.
"You can't stay mad at me."
"Yes I can."
"No, you can't."
He then leaned in, and kissed her gently. Her head moved away at first, and then she leaned in as well. The red on her face changed from a sudden burst of anger to the natural reaction. She placed one of her hands near his face, and he could feel the light brush of her fingertips across his cheek. The other arm was around his neck, and could feel his hair when he turned his head.
The only witnesses were the cicadas, which chirped in the spring night, and the one who felt weightless…was Sasuke.
Everything had been falling on him from day one, and it was on his last mission, dripping in blood, that he realized, that he would never lead a normal life, be normal, have anything that everyone else took for granted. And it was his victim that had shown him this, because his victim had known him, had heard his legend and had changed his goal to being the man who killed him. It took this man to make him realize that he would be hunted because of his skill, and never safe.
Never.
But….
"I expect for you to give everything you have."
Words like those would keep him alive.
Times like those would keep him alive.
And, for all he knew, they kept her alive as well.
As they stood there, he began to wonder…what had he said to her?
Hey ya'll!
I feel so pathetic…how long has it been since I've updated? Weeks? I have GOT to stop doing that, but I think I've just had my mind on so many other things….
Not to mention, I blacked out on my "grand idea" for Sasuke and Sakura. In all truth, a part of it is still STIRRING, as in NOT READY IN ANY WAY SHAPE OR FORM, so instead, I created this. This is an angle I've never done, and it interested me. I'm big on psychological things…but this chapter kind of reminds me of what might happen in Fruits Basket, for all those that read it! Either way, I tried. I think I wrote it five times!
I'm not totally sure if the point(s) came across, but I think I explained it very well in the last part. At first, I had this idea that was very "darkness only", but I did that last time. So, this time, I incorporated humor, and a little bit of mystery…the first little memory-thing was nice to finally write. That one's been in my head for months!
But I'm REALLY SORRY I DIDN'T UPDATE SOONER! I love you guys like a fat kid loves cake, and I should be thinking up plots and writing more often! (Isn't that the weirdest simile you've ever heard?)
In case you don't know, I have another Naruto story up (don't worry, the whole thing's already written, so all of my energy is going into this one!) Its called Hate Me, and it's a story to make you think! It stars Gaara and Sakura, and I'm already up to like, chapter ten on that one. I've had some awesome reviews on it, so maybe you guys will like it too! But its not a romance in any way, shape or form. All of that stuff is here!
I GOT 17 REVIEWS! THANK YOU GUYS! I LOVE YOU!
Thank you, all 17 of you reviewers!
DeityofRoses (sorry, no Sasuke and Hinata here! I always found that couple a little out of context, but hey, who cares? I'm glad you like the concept and my writing! Thank you! Please tell me your opinions on this chapter!)
Springninja (I like your screen name! I'm so happy its spring, and warm! You got you Sasuke and Sakura, so tell me what you think!)
Warprince2000 (Love ya buddy, but my story always seems to be cool…can't it be 'extra extra special', or 'super-terrific'? Lol, just kidding!)
Froggie3 (Thank you! I'm actually…well…kind proud of myself that you turned green! Just kidding…anyway, let me know what you think of this update!)
Babykitty2070 (Hey! I'm glad you enjoyed the Ino and Shikamaru chapter! They are a bit left out, aren't they? Anyway, be sure to tell me your thoughts on this chapter!)
Dexo23 (Well, I'm not a Shikamaru and Temari kind of person! Lol…I kid, I kid…. In any case, this chapter wasn't a Naruto and Hinata…but maybe next time, right? Let me know your thoughts!)
Sephynarutocloud (I keep the story T because it gives me the freedom to write whatever and not think, 'Oh, crap, I need to move up the rating.' I do that for every story I write, because I get a little random sometimes. And there is cussing. Anyway, continue to tell me what's going on in your head…its kind of interesting! Lol.)
Ayasi (Hey! You got Sasuke and Sakura? Excited? Were excited? I hope it met expectations. Let me know what you think!)
Ayane Selznick (My I missed you too! I miss getting reviews, and knowing what to write all the time. Sorry for the long wait! But I think every girl is a bit like another, and I liked Tenten from the moment I read her more in-depth profile on! (She hadn't hit the manga yet then) She seemed flawed in her own special ways, a real tomboy and yet still conservative, looking up to all of her heroes and elders. That last chapter was a bit gooey, but knowing Ino and Shikamaru, I knew I couldn't make it serious. Ino's too random, too dorky, and Shikamaru has this comical badass thing about him. Its weird! Then again…who never lacks rationality anyway? Let me know what you think of this update!)
Rachel (I'm so glad you liked the last chapter! Shikamaru is whipped, but in a good way. I thought it would make Ino seem more fun if she had a little obsession. Tell me what you think of this update!)
Bianca (Everyone was really funny in your last review! As for sugar…I think if I ate as much as you do, I'd be sick, really, really sick. Thank you so much for your compliments! Thank you, all of you! I was kind of wondering if it bothered you that you're my characters, and well, yea. (I'm getting into this, lol). Do tell me your thoughts on this chapter! (Especially Sasuke and Sakura, lol))
Danny (Starbucks! I already miss their Pumpkin Spice lattes. Anyway, on that whole "good idea thing" I should've put 'its not ready' in big letters, because it wasn't. I have to think things over for a long time, turn them over and over in my head and play with them before I put them on paper (or would it be a screen?). So, thus, when Sasuke and Sakura won, I was in a panic. Thankfully, I took a thread of the "grand" idea, added on some of my others, and then wrote about it. Hopefully it's still up to standard…I get very nervous when I post up chapters! Anyway, thanks! And, it seems like I have a lot of people itching for Hinata and Naruto, so you may just see it! And, just wondering, did you know that I'm also the author of the story 'Hate Me' that you've been reviewing? Let me know of your thoughts!)
KirstiexxxNguyen (They should make a study, to see if people's hyper ness bleeds into what they type as well. That would be interesting! Anyway, I'm glad you liked the last chapter THAT much! I hope you liked this one THAT much!)
Vearix (You seem like a cool, calm, collected person. But yes, the voting system does work for my advantage, and my disadvantage, but over all, it seems to attract people to read it. It's nice. I like to write what others like! Maybe Naruto and Hinata will be up next time!)
i-dream-of-blue-eyes (Thanks funny. You dream of blue eyes, yet you ramble about chocolate ones…get it? Lol! Okay, so it wasn't THAT funny, but oh well! I like all of the guys though. Not like, drooling like, but I don't hate them. After all, I write about them! Who knows? Maybe next time it'll be Neji and Tenten…let me know what you think of this update!)
moonlightpath (Okay, so Neji and Tenten were up to bat this time…maybe next time! I'm glad you like the last chapter, though! I thought it oozed a bit, but people seemed to like it! Let me know what you think of this chapter!)
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-IHearVoices