AN: I wrote a review for the last chapter trying to explain what was going on in chapter 7, but if you haven't read it, I'll post it here also.
With that whole analogy thing, what I was trying to get across was how Sakura really feels inside; trapped, suffocated, almost as if she were dying in a sense (which is actually her spirit dying) - and that's what Kakashi saw with his Sharingan (he was that little presence watching her during the analogy). Since you can't see a feeling, I figured he could use his Sharingan to form her emotions into a picture that could tell him how she truly felt. Despite how she tried to make her problems sound lighthearted and not a big deal, he knew she was lying and wanted to know the extent of her unhappiness.
So is that better? Does it make more sense? I hope so, but if not, I might have to do a little revising. Sorry I confused some of you :P
And lastly, thanks for the reviews, and sorry this chapter took a little longer to write.
Courage Needs You - Chapter #8
Thump thump thump!
The continuous dull pounding of the front door drew Sakura awake.
Thump thump thump!
Sighing, she realized it wasn't her imagination or the remnants of her dreams. Cocooned and quite comfortable in her haven of plush pillows and self pity, she lay there listening to the continuing thwacking against her door. When a minute passed by and it didn't relent, she finally glanced at her clock and cringed. It was only 6:00am! She watched the digital green numbers of her clock switch from 6:02am to 6:07am. The pounding continued. Whoever it was, they were damn determined.
Not being able to sleep as the rough banging kept in rhythm with a newly forming headache, she threw her blankets aside and stomped downstairs, prepared to give whoever hell for waking her up this early.
Whipping open the door, she made sure her glare was firmly in place matched with a deadly scowl, only to find it quickly disappearing to a look of shock as she stared into a pair of onyx eyes.
"Took you long enough."
"Sasuke!"
He raised a brow. "Who else?"
She could think up a whole list of other candidates who would be more likely to knock on her door – God included, but decided to wisely not comment on his rhetorical question instead.
"Why are you here?" If this had been a mere year ago, she wouldn't have even asked, she would have been too thrilled at the aspect of Sasuke coming over to her house to have even bothered asking him why. Funny how things changed.
He ignored the question and brushed her by, entering the kitchen uninvited. Dumbfounded she followed.
"How is your training going?"
She grimaced. Just the thought of training made her muscles ache.
"Fine."
He gave a barely perceptual nod of his head before opening her fridge, followed by her cupboards. She noticed his emotionless mask slip into a frown.
"You barely have any food."
She bit her tongue to refrain from a sarcastic remark sneaking through. She was tired, grumpy, and at an all time low. She didn't need Sasuke over making snide annotations about how she lived or ate.
"I'll go to the market again when I have the time."
She watched him walk over, sitting across from her at the kitchen table with hands folded neatly in front of him, staring at her with those intense black eyes. She shifted her attention, not being able to look into those black depths that knew so much yet revealed so little.
"So…" she trailed, desperate to break the deafening silence. "Why are you here again?"
A pause. "Do I need a reason?"
Yes! Or at least that's what she wanted to say. Sasuke coming over to house happened about once in a millennia, and she doubted he simply came over this time to comment on her food storage.
"Well, I don't think you came over just to have an idle chat with me," she said, words insinuating an ulterior motive.
He stood up, his look never altering from her eyes. "I better get going," he said and headed towards her door, leaving a confused Sakura behind.
"Wait!"
The door was shut a second after. Sakura slumped in her chair and rubbed her temples, then used all of her effort to drag herself back to bed. It was still only 6:14am, and she didn't need to be awake till the usual eight o'clock. Shutting her eyes, she willed herself to sleep. She would need her rest if it meant her needing to be as nonchalant as doable in front of the person who knew her deepest darkest secrets.
Besides the oddity of Sasuke's visit, the day had continued as usual. Her world hadn't crashed, Armageddon hadn't fallen, the ground hadn't opened up to swallow her whole; it seemed that having someone know wasn't the end of all things. In fact nothing had changed – it was all strangely ordinary; questionably so, even.
She wasn't quite sure what to have expected from Kakashi when she saw him. Even though he had told her he wouldn't do anything concerning her state, she had still thought that maybe he'd give her a heart-warming talk; or have him drag her to a shrink; or have him tell Tsunade where she would strip her title as chuunin, telling her she was too emotionally unstable to be reliable. But he hadn't – he simply didn't do a thing, just like he said he would. He had greeted her, told her the layout for her training, then proceeded to supervise her like always. He hadn't brought up anything pertaining to the night before.
She walked down the dirt road leading to her home, wondering if she should've been happy or disappointed about his avoidance of the subject. She stopped mid-stride, her face scrunched in thought. This was exactly what he did to her yesterday! He had acted so nonchalant, so lethargic, and just so unbearably Kakashi, that she thought he had forgotten completely of her being in his apartment. And just when she was positive and decided to let the issue go, he dropped the bomb on her!
She scowled, continuing to walk stiffly towards her house. He was doing the same thing again! She was sure of it. The unpredictable man just became predictable.
As soon as she stepped foot inside her house, the phone rang. Slipping her sandals off, she snatched the receiver from the kitchen wall.
"Haruno resi– "
"Where the hell have you been?"
She instinctively pulled the receiver away. "Ino, stop yelling." She sighed. "And what do you mean where have I been? I just finished training."
"Monday night! Where were you Monday night? Tenten and I were calling you till midnight! Midnight for crying out loud! And what about yesterday? I dropped by at eight and you still weren't home!"
"Oh, training just lasted a little longer than usual yesterday, and I was home on Monday…I just turned the ringer off 'cause I was tired."
"Liar! I dropped by your house at ten and you weren't there!"
Dang.
"I was at Naruto's at ten." She smacked her forehead, why the hell did she just say that?
"Naruto's huh?" she could hear the skepticism in Ino's voice. "Doing what?"
"He had an emergency."
"Uh huh…what kind of emergency?"
She sighed, Ino was known for her importunateness. "…a ramen emergency."
"Ramen…?"
"Umm ya. He ran out and had no money to buy some more, so he asked if I had any…" Was that believable? Sounded satisfactory to Sakura's ears.
"I see…" Ino still didn't believe her. "Anyway, so tell me what happened?"
"First, you tell me what happened. Why did you say that to Kakashi-sensei? I swear Ino, sometimes I really wonder if there's a brain in that blonde head of yours."
"Hey, at least I came up with an excuse. You and Tenten weren't exactly helping ya know."
"Ya, but how far you and Shikamaru went? Honestly…"
"Look, I know it wasn't exactly one of my greatest moments, but at least you didn't have to suffer the humiliation."
She couldn't argue there. "One more thing; why on earth didn't you mask your chakra? If you're going to stalk someone of jounin status, that should've been your first priority. By god, you're a chuunin, Ino."
"I know I know! It just slipped our mind, that's all. Now are you done, or are you going to bitch some more?"
Sakura bridled, but remained silent.
"Good, now tell me what he was doing carrying you like that, and what happened when you guys left us? Did he take you to his apartment?"
"He was carrying me because I was exhausted; nothing happened after we left; and no, I didn't go to his apartment." Sakura inwardly sighed; she was going to have to make a list of all the lies she was spurting out.
"Damn, I guess nothing's that easy huh?"
Ya, that's what I thought too…
"Hey, what are you doing tonight?"
Sakura paused. Tell the truth, or add to her list of lies? "I don't have much planned…"
"Great! You can come with me and Tenten to Yukio's party!"
"What? It's a Wednesday night, I ha –"
"It'll be great, Sakura! There'll be loud music, hot guys, alcohol, and best of all, no parent supervision!"
Sakura sighed and leaned against the wall. "I can't Ino," she readjusted the phone. "I have training the next morning."
"Oh screw training! And who cares if you sleep in, Kakashi-senpai is never on time anyway, right?"
"Actually, he has been this last week…"
Ino paused. "Oh…well stop being such a goody two shoes and come party with us damnit!"
Sakura fiddled with the phone cord. "I don't know…I've heard stories about all the parties you and Tenten go to. They seem like a bit…much."
"All right, it's settled. Tenten and I will drop by around eight to make sure you're ready. See ya then!"
"Wai–"
The receiver went dead, and Sakura groaned. It was five o'clock, she had three hours till doom arrived on her doorstep. Quickly remembering one of her many lies, she picked the receiver back up and dialed.
"Hello?"
"Hey, Naruto, I need you to do me a favour."
"Sakura-chan?"
"Ya, so will you?"
"Sure, whatever you want."
She beamed; there was never any need for bribes or blackmail when it came to Naruto. "Well if Ino or Tenten or anybody asks where I was at ten o'clock on Monday night, tell them I was at your house delivering some ramen, all right?" An odd request she knew, but one she knew he wouldn't refuse.
"Err, okay."
"Thanks, you're the greatest." She heard him chuckle a little, practically seeing him scratching the back of his head and flashing his cheeky grin. "I'll talk to you later then."
"Eh, wait! That's it?"
She paused. "Yes, why?"
"Oh, all right..."
She physically felt the guilt seeping into her from Naruto's blatant disappointment.
After a bit of hesitation, "Umm…did you want to do something?"
"Sure!"
She winced at his enthusiasm. "Okay…what did you want to do?"
"Umm…" he paused, "did you want to go practice that Jutsu?"
She debated the idea of more training. "Sure…I guess. I'll meet you in the field then?"
"Ya! Alright, I'll see you in a bit."
"Yup, bye."
She hung up the phone and slouched against the wall. That didn't go as planned, but then again, things rarely did for her. She smiled though, the eagerness of Naruto's voice still ringing in her ears. Leisurely, she slipped her sandals back on and headed towards the usual training field. Looking up, she took in the grey murky sky and the briskness of the air. At least it wasn't raining yet, she thought.
When she arrived in the glade fifteen minutes later, she wasn't surprised to see a figure in orange pants already there.
"Yo," she gave a slight wave.
He grinned, jogging up to her. "You sound like Kakashi."
"Eh?" The statement caught her off guard. "I suppose it's because I've been spending so much time with him."
"Awe, and how has the private training with the pervert been?"
She smacked him in the arm lightly, feeling as if she should reprimand him even though the description was true. "It's been good…tiring, but good."
"Well, I hope it ends soon," he said, striding away with her following in tow. "It's weird not being able to see you everyday."
She quickly looped her arm with his, and rested her head against his shoulder, the ghost of a goofy grin in place. He always made her do things which she normally wouldn't do – maybe because he had a habit of always making her feel good about herself.
Naruto didn't object to her actions – he never did when it came to her. "Come on, we have a Jutsu to master," he said, grinning down on her. She couldn't help but return the gesture.
A couple hours later, Sakura found herself lying down on the dewy grass, her chest heaving up and down from exhaustion.
She waved her hand dismissively. "I'm done Naruto," she panted, watching as he sat down, a grin on his lips.
"You did well! I think you've mastered it."
She nodded in response. "Thanks by the way for helping me."
His silly grin was replaced by a soft smile. "It's no problem. You know I would do anything for you."
A truth she knew too well. Still feeling slightly out of character, she perched up on her elbows and looked at him in wonder. "After all these years Naruto, I still don't understand why you're so nice to me."
Leaning back on his hands, he dipped his head back and surveyed the inky sky. "I know you don't understand." He turned to look at her. "You're a smart girl Sakura, but I don't think you'll ever understand why I like you."
Crawling over on hands and knees, she wormed her way onto his lap and rested her side against his chest. The position rekindled memories of last night, but she quickly shoved them down. Naruto just watched her, making no movements, no sounds. He was used to this Sakura – the Sakura who would display bouts of affection towards him, having no other means of output. He learned long ago not to put more meaning behind these spurts of friendliness than she intended. The fact that he knew she didn't do this with anyone else made the truth of her not loving him in turn a little easier to bear. He would part the ocean if it meant her being happy.
"How do you do it?" she whispered, playing with his vest pockets. "How do you always make me feel so special?"
He rested his chin atop her head and chuckled softly. "Easy, 'cause you are special."
She sighed at the statement, knowing she should've expected such an answer. Years of unrequited love and yet he never faltered. Even her dying devotion to Sasuke died down to an ash. A person could only be so devoted – so patient, before they snapped, or so according to her.
She sighed, her breath condensing in the air. "I don't deserve you." And yet, she would never let him go. She wondered if that was selfish or not.
"Sure you do," he said, tone light and matter of fact. "Everybody deserves somebody."
She wanted to ask him who he had, but didn't. Why couldn't things have been different? Why did they have to be so complicated? She wished she could've just returned his feelings, to be able to sit here knowing each other's love was returned…but she couldn't, and she felt confused that she couldn't. She knew he would take care of her and cherish the ground she walked on. She would never have to worry if she was with him she knew, the idea almost tempting enough to tell Naruto the feeling was finally mutual.
It was enticing indeed, but not tempting enough if it meant their friendship was on the line. The more she thought about it, the more she knew she could never cheat Naruto in such a way. It would be a regret of a life time.
"I wish things could be different," she said, speaking into the collar of his vest.
She heard him sigh – he knew what she meant. "I know."
She glanced at the sky and groaned. "I have to get going."
"Already?" He was clearly as disappointed as she.
"Ya," she crawled off his lap and stood up, stretching a bit. "Ino and Tenten are coming over to drag me to somebody's party," she said, rolling her eyes at the thought.
Naruto stood up as well, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Oh, who's party?" She watched as he tried to remain nonchalant, but it was obvious he wasn't too keen on the idea of her going. Naruto wore his emotions on his sleeve – an aspect she never wanted him to change.
"I think his name is Yukio," she said dismissively, trekking through the field, Naruto at her side.
"Yukio? He turned eighteen a few days ago. His father is the manager of the chain of Teijitsu Casino's."
She grinned. "Well aren't you well informed."
"It's all Tsunade's fault. It's hard not picking up things like that when I was searching for a gambling junky."
"Oh, well did you want to come with us?"
"And listen to you girls banter about who has the firmest ass? No thank you!"
She couldn't help but laugh. "Fair enough."
He continued walking with her all the way to her house. She didn't object – she was used to such things from Naruto. When she arrived in view sight of her home, she saw Ino and Tenten standing on her porch.
"You guys are early," she said by her way of greeting. She gave them both a once over, barely taking note of the bags they carried. "Umm…don't you guys think you're a bit overdone?" She knew the fact that Ino wearing a super mini black skirt, black boots, and blue tank shouldn't have surprised her, but it did nonetheless. Tenten looked a bit more respectful, besides her black top dipping so low she was wondering if a couple of things might pop out, or the fact that her pants were so tight she pondered the idea if the girl would be able to sit.
"Overdone? Girl, this is what everybody is going to be dressed like!" Ino said exasperated.
Naruto snorted. "You girls look like tramps." Leave it to Naruto to be blunt.
Tenten huffed. "Who asked you monkey-boy?"
Naruto glared and Ino easily ignored the two. "We knew you wouldn't have the right clothes to wear, so we brought some for you," her dazzling white teeth beamed at Sakura, temporary blinding her.
Naruto quickly looked to Sakura. "You aren't going to let them dress you up like some doll, are you?"
Sakura looked between her three friends. "Naruto's right. I'm not sure I want to dress like…that."
Ino glared waves of indignation. "And why not? It's about time you find yourself a guy Sakura, and believe me, if you dress like us you'll bound to be noticed."
Sakura wasn't sure what to be madder about: the fact that her friends thought she needed to dress like a whore to get a guys attention, or the fact that they thought she needed a guy to begin with.
"Look, can we discuss this inside, it's not exactly warm out." Sakura brushed past all three and unlocked her door, her lemmings following behind.
"And why may I ask are you still here," Tenten asked, arms crossed, eyes frosted.
He stared down at the brunette as he stepped forward, using his tall frame to its fullest to make the height difference that much more noticeable; an immature intimidation tactic that Naruto never got tired of.
"To make sure you two bird-brains don't corrupt Sakura," he ground out, voice deep and grave.
Sakura sighed irritably. "Can you guys please just be nice? Look, I'll try on some of the clothes and we'll see from there, all right?" She snatched the bags Ino was carrying and hauled them to her room. She dumped the clothes on her bed, jumping a little when Naruto appeared behind her to inspect the clothing.
He picked and prodded and examined the clothes, a scowl forming afterwards. "Is this even clothing? Or are these the remains of material the clothing company discarded? Look here, this one has holes all over it!" He picked up another shirt. "This one is see-through for crying out loud!"
Ino and Tenten emerged from the hallway to her doorframe and Naruto quickly glowered at them, contempt evident. Sakura had to agree, the clothes were a bit…flashy for her.
"Is there anything in here that's a bit more conservative?"
Ino sighed. "Would you lighten up Sakura? And while you're at it, kick golden boy here out! He's just making things more difficult for us."
Naruto bristled. "As soon as I'm Hokage, the first thing I'm going to do is exile you both from the country!"
Ino's jaw dropped. "You can't do that!" and turned to Tenten. "He can't do that right? I don't want to leave – what will I do, where will I go?"
"Ino relax! This is Naruto we're talking about. Do you honestly think he's going to become Hokage?"
She snickered. "Oh ya."
Naruto moved to approach them when Sakura snatched his wrist, stopping him in stride. "Look Naruto, why don't you just go? I promise I'll be fine and that I won't let them corrupt me."
She regretted her words as soon as she saw the hurt in his eyes.
"All right, have fun then," his voice was crisp and sarcastic, before he disappeared in a puff of smoke.
"Finally!" Tenten exclaimed. "Now we can have some fun!"
Sakura suddenly wished Naruto had taken her with him.
It was an hour later when Sakura found herself standing in front of her mirror, pulling down the material of the dress in hopes she could lengthen the fabric by stretching it to every inch of its life.
"It's perfect!" She heard Ino screech. That was where Sakura had to disagree. Even though she had been eating more (a promise she had made to Kakashi) she was still too skinny. She would have preferred it if her legs were covered…
"I'm not sure you guys," she said, still pulling at the hem. The dress was quite pretty really, a pink shade or two softer than her hair, with thin dainty little straps to keep it in place – but it wasn't Sakura. It was flashy, beautiful and bold; the total antithesis of what Sakura saw herself as. She didn't want to be noticed, to have unfamiliar eyes lingering on her – appraising her – scrutinizing her. True she inwardly complained of being overlooked, but it was something she had grown used to, accustomed to the oblivious neglect. Attention was foreign and unwanted now.
"It's a bit too short."
Ino arrived beside her, stopping her friend's fiddling. "Puh-leeze, Sakura. This is the most conservative thing we brought. And besides, it goes perfect with your hair. Now all that needs to be done is your make up and then we can go!" She clapped her hands in excitement, a gesture Sakura couldn't quite match.
Another half hour later, she was deemed complete – a masterpiece – an object fit for viewing. She felt like a glorified doll.
She was reluctant to leave the house in this state, and showed it by clutching onto the doorframe before Tenten pried her fingers off. Sakura hung her head and wrapped her arms around her torso; trying to warm her naked arms while making herself as small as possible as they strolled towards the outskirts of Konoha where Yukio's house was located.
She could feel stranger's eye's boring into her – could hear the snide, disgusted, lecherous comments – could taste the sour, bitterness, and longing in their aura. Tenten and Ino remained oblivious, either not caring or too accustomed to the stares.
It was ten thirty when they arrived, the house already swamped with teenagers, the music blaring and the lights flashing. It seemed the guy had the money to throw extravagant parties, Sakura thought. As they grew closer, she saw some people passed out on the wraparound porch, hearing Ino mutter something along the lines of 'party poopers'.
The urge to flee in the other direction only intensified as her friends yanked her up the porch steps.
"Jeez Sakura, you're acting like this party caught the plague. What's your deal?" Tenten shouted over the music.
Sakura remained silent, not feeling the need to answer and sighed when she was nudged through the front door by Ino's elbow.
"Hey, you made it!" A tall boy, a couple years older, with shaggy almond hair, dark blue eyes, and a beer clutched in one hand said as he sauntered over to them through the thicket of half-drunken teenagers.
Sakura quickly deduced this to be Yukio. He flashed them a million dollar smile before kissing Ino and Tenten each on the cheek. His parents must have spent thousands on his dental work.
"And may who I ask is this lovely flower you brought with you?" Sakura watched as he dragged his eyes along her, acting as if he had the right to be so blatant. She felt her eyebrow tick.
"Yukio, this is Sakura. Sakura, meet Yukio," Ino said, her giddiness factor increasing a notch.
He let loose a sly smile, before bowing and kissing the back of her hand.
Is this guy for real?
She also made a mental note to wash her hands when she got home…
"So this is the Sakura you've been talking about? I'm glad to finally meet you."
He was handsome, she admitted to herself, but as usual, the personality ruined the package.
"Come, I'll get you lovely ladies a drink."
With a clasp on her wrist and a shove from her back, Sakura was forced to follow Yukio through the throng of people in his over extravagant house. She briefly wondered if his parents knew he was throwing such a party, and if they did, would they care?
Making way to the kitchen, she stepped over bottles and cans, passed out people, and couple's who were being a little too open with their affection. The music wasn't as blaring here, letting her hear Ino and Tenten's gossip about the way Yukio filled out a pair of khaki's. She rolled her eyes so far back she saw her eyebrow twitch.
"Here you go," he said, handing each of them a bottled beer. Sakura tried to smile a thanks, but found it turning into a grimace.
Ino took a swig, trying to hide the expression of repugnance it caused. It was always amusing to see Ino try and behave older and more mature than her fifteen years.
"I'm surprised people are already passed out," Ino commented.
She watched Yukio sigh and shake his head. "I know – those fools don't know how to hold their alcohol. They're a bunch of buffoons if you ask me," he said, finishing his statement with a gulp of his beer.
"Then why did you invite them?" Sakura asked before she could stop.
He flashed her a smile. "What can I say? I'm just a nice guy like that."
Sakura felt her mouth tug into a little smile. Either his charm was working, or his smile was infectious.
Damn dental work.
"Come on, let's go join the party!" He said; tone boisterous and contagious.
She winced as the music pierced her ears and vibrated the sole's of her feet when she stepped foot into the living room. No one else seemed as perturbed as her, she noticed.
"Come on, let's show them what dancing is all about," Tenten yelled, worming her way into the midst of dancers, Ino hot on her heels.
Sakura hesitated in following, before sighing and walking over to lean against the wall. Dancing just was not her thing – nor partying, and yet, here she was. She swirled the bottle of beer in her hand, watching the liquid forming a little whirlpool inside. It grew tiring after thirty seconds.
Sighing irritably and wondering why the hell she was here, she watched Ino and Tenten sway and shake every possible part of their body. They also seemed to have their own personal fan club, she noted, observing how several pairs of eyes were glued to them.
She hated to admit it, but they were good – in fact, she wished she could've moved like that also. She groaned, recognizing the twinge in her chest as jealousy. She hadn't felt that in a while…
Tapping her fingers against the bottle, she brought it up to her nose and took a whiff. Scrunching her face up, she dangled the bottle arms length away. It smelt terrible!
"That bad eh?"
She swiveled her head to the right, seeing Yukio grinning at her. "I understand; I'm not too fond of beer myself. I'm more of a hard liquor kinda guy – come on, I'll get you something else."
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder and guided her back to the kitchen; his actions so casual that Sakura failed to notice the contact.
"I'll take that from you," and he placed the bottle on the already covered counter. As soon as he placed it down, someone snatched it and walked away. Yukio simply chuckled and rummaged through his fridge.
"You seem like a cooler kinda gal," he said, looking over his shoulder to spot her watching him. Sakura fiddled with the fabric of her dress, unsure of what to say. In truth, she wasn't an anything kinda gal – she was a water loving, juice drinking, milk gulping girl, a fact that seemed too embarrassing to say aloud all of a sudden. "Here, this is my mom's, but I doubt she'll mind. You like mangos?" He uncapped the bottle and gave it to her.
"Ya…"
He smiled. "Great, you're going to love this then. I'd drink it myself if it weren't so feminine."
The bottle was clear and the liquid a gloomy yellow. She tentatively sniffed and found it actually did smell like mangos. She looked over the top to see him leaning against his fridge watching her – smirk sly and arms crossed.
She inwardly sighed before closing her eyes and taking a sip.
"Sooo….how is it? You like?"
She grinned timidly despite herself. "Ya…I can't even taste the alcohol."
His smirk broadened. "Perfect."
She took another sip, knowing he was still watching her when a couple of guys, raucous and hanging off each other, burst through the swinging door adjoining the living room. They both had shoulder length black hair, slicked back into ponytails, long narrow faces, lean frames, and pants baggy enough to fit a whole family. They looked like twins if it weren't for the fact one of them had brown eyes and the other blue. To Sakura, they honestly looked like a pair of weasels poking from their burrows.
"Yukio! So this is where the fuck you've been! Takeshi and I have been having a helleva time looking for you." Takeshi, the one with blue eyes, wrapped his arm and Yukio's shoulder, while Ryota patted him on the back. "You dog you, taking all the babes for yourself." He glanced at Sakura. "So who's the chick?"
Sakura bristled at the degrading comment and at the fact that they didn't even have the decency to ask her for her name, looking to Yukio instead for the information. She suddenly realized that these were the three guys she saw at the coffee shop – the ones who had let Ino and Tenten take their table.
"Come on guys, knock it off," Yukio said, brushing Takeshi's arm off his shoulder.
Takeshi faltered, then quickly recovered with a smirk. "All right, all right, I get ya man," he said shrugging his shoulders and stepping away. He slowly walked away around Sakura. "Come on Ryota, Yukio's trying to play good ninja, bad ninja."
Sakura watched; brows furrowed in question as Ryota grinned and walked towards her. Her dress was suddenly yanked up from behind, giving the entire room a nice clear view of white cotton panties. A quiet startled cry escaped before instinct churned over, causing her to unconsciously pivot around and snatch the wrist, yanking it down and causing the body to flip over and on its back in turn.
"Holy fuck!" Ryota screeched, backing up and with Takeshi lying on his back stunned.
Yukio stepped forward, pushing a trembling Sakura behind him. "What did you expect, she's a chuunin," he remarked, dark amusement playing in his eyes.
Sakura clenched her fists, eyes narrowed as she glared off into space, letting Yukio guide her from the kitchen to the staircase by her arm. She was seeing red – never had she experienced such intentional humiliation. She couldn't even imagine someone having that kind of audacity to do such a thing. She suddenly wished she had done more than simply flip him.
She was led into what she assumed his bedroom, decorated in dark blues and creams. The music was but a dull thumping underneath them. He sat down on the end of his bed, sinking into his comforter and patted the spot beside him. Reluctantly, she agreed.
"You okay?" His expression showed genuine concern, helping the red bleed from her vision. She nodded but continued to clutch the bottle in her hands.
"Don't worry I'll deal with them later. You just calm down and relax, okay?"
Sighing, she nodded once and gave him a forced smile.
"Hey I know, you seem like a smart girl, wanna play a game of shogi? I must warn you though, I'm pretty good."
Sakura couldn't help but smile compliantly. "Are you sure? I mean, this is your party and all…shouldn't you be down there mingling?"
He chortled a little, voice deep and catching. "Don't worry 'bout them. They're all probably too drunk to even realize where they are, and besides, I would much rather be up here with you," he said, pinning her with a grin.
Sakura's eyes widened from the bold statement, making her feel awkward, tongue-tied, and juvenile inside. She wasn't used to hearing such things, especially with such confidence while being directed towards her.
He suddenly laughed, pinching the bridge of his nose and shaking his head. "Sorry, that must have sounded really cheesy, eh?" She only laughed faintly in response, too polite to actually agree.
Half an hour later, Sakura found herself lying down stomach first on his bed, him opposite of her with a shogi board between them.
She regarded him puckishly. "My Lance takes your Rook," then watched him frown, causing her to giggle involuntarily.
"It seems I'm in over my head here. You should have warned me you were an expert."
She laughed, feeling like she was a robot set on hilarity mode. "I'm not an expert…I just enjoy the game every once in a while."
"Uh huh…" He moved his piece. "You know, for a drunken person, you're doing pretty damn good."
She giggled mechanically. "I'm doing well, not good, and I'm not drunk! I'm just…happy." The word seemed alien on her lips, even in her intoxicated state.
He lifted a perfectly sculpted brow. "Well, since you're not drunk, and have finished your cooler, would you like another one?"
Sakura pretended to think, her body shaking with suppressed unknown mirth. Honestly, she just couldn't stop laughing! Even her face hurt from all the uncharacteristic smiling she'd been doing. "Sure, why not!" followed by a dramatic hand wave.
He smiled and rolled off the bed. "You know Sakura, you aren't like most girls I know."
"Hmm?" She lolled her head to the side. "What 'cha mean by that?"
"Well you're smart, modest, and have absolutely no alcohol tolerance whatsoever."
She found herself forming a moue expression, a feature very atypical for her. "I do so!"
He smirked. "I bet you've never even drank before."
She sat up, eyes narrowed. "Now you listen here! I don–"
He stepped forward and placed his finger against her lips, stopping any rant that may have escaped. "Shh – it's what I like about you," he whispered.
Sakura froze, her eyes widening. He smiled, removed his finger and left the room. Hustling downstairs to the kitchen, he couldn't help but succumb to a face-splitting grin.
"Hey, there you are! Where you been Yukio? And have you seen Sakura? I can't find her anywhere."
Yukio opened his fridge and pulled out another cooler. "Don't worry Ino, I'm keeping her company in my room. Takeshi and Ryota were being jerks to her so we're just playing some shogi now." He uncapped the bottle and filled a flimsy plastic cup with beer from the keg.
Ino laughed, knowing she shouldn't have been surprised. Sakura was most likely the only girl who would fancy playing a game of shogi at a party. "Well all right, you just take care of her okay?"
"Oh, course. You just go enjoy the party, 'kay?"
"Ya, ya. Catch ya later loverboy."
Yukio watched as she left and almost bumped into Takeshi when he swiveled around.
"Well if it isn't Casanova. So how are things going with pinky up there?"
Yukio grinned, sipping his beer. "Perfect, and thanks by the way Takeshi. And tell Ryota thanks as well. As soon as I'm done I'll come get you guys all right?"
His smirk was transparent in its cruelty. "No rush birthday boy; you go enjoy yourself now."
Sakura stared at the wall, her head hanging over the side of his bed, barely registering the fact that he was talking. She had won, something she had laughed and bragged about insanely, and so he had suggested a rematch. Was it her turn? Did they even start playing again?
She lifted her head, seeing blue eyes staring at her through her swirling ones. It felt like she had just twirled around and around before suddenly stopping, her eyes darting back and forth like a pendulum on hyper-speed.
He laughed; the sound still as contagious and melodious as before. "You all right there?"
She dropped her head back again, feeling the blood rush and heat up her face. "I feel kinda…funny." Her voice sounded dull, even to her ears. She felt him move, the mattress beside her dipping lower with his weight.
He sighed, making it sound more forced than needed. "You really aren't much of a drinker are you?" She noticed his humoured smirk, and found herself laughing at him in turn with no reason behind it.
"Are we still playing shogi?"
He laughed. "Girl, I think it's best if you don't do any thinking for the next while."
She grinned. "I think you're right," she gave him a sideways glance. "It's much better just lying here anyway."
She was a rather happy and relaxed drunk, he observed, as she laid there, her head lolling from side to side and a grin resembling the Cheshire cat smearing her lips.
She felt his hand brush her forehead, clearing away pink wisps of hair, before stroking her cheek with a false tenderness. She only closed her eyes, selfishly basking in the soft caress of his fingertips – too inebriated to care and question the morality of it all. She didn't even flinch as he shifted his weight again, making the other side of the mattress dip with his aura hanging above her.
Lifting her head partly up to look at him questioningly, he only smiled that gorgeous smile and placed his hands on her hips, pulling her down till her head wasn't dangling anymore. Her dress bunched at his fingertips.
Her eyes became the size of saucers, unable to comprehend the situation under her layers of drunkenness, however, a faint screaming was heard in the background of her mind, echoing off of her muddled thoughts.
She tried to sit up, her body only partly cooperating. "What are you doing?" Her brows knitted together perplexed, and her temples pulsed like drumbeats when she tried to twig his actions.
He placed his finger on her lips again. "Shh, don't talk – just close your eyes and enjoy yourself," he whispered, his words persuading her into submissiveness.
Even in darkness she felt the motions of dizziness, with that little voice in the back of her head still hollering away, the words too incoherent to understand.
Her body jumped minutely as an iciness touched the side of her thigh before dragging up and down to hurriedly familiarize itself with her. She knew somewhere in the mush that was her mind, that it was his hand touching her, and the notion of someone caressing her leg sparked a sense of déjà vu.
A sudden ghost of a remembrance ignited, her body flushing with the partial memory and when she tried to hold onto it, it only faded and vanished, leaving her flustered and confused.
Another iciness traced the arch in her shoulder, the coldness telling her it was wrong but lacking enough strength to convince her drunk body otherwise.
Her head lounged to the side, pink hair sprawled about while a foreign sound whispered past her lips – only encouraging the wintry fingers to become more audacious.
Lips pressed against her neck, thin yet soft, making her arch into the body lying on top of hers. She gripped the clothed shoulders of the person, not even remembering who it was and finding herself not caring either.
She imagined the fabric to be black, and laced her hand through the person's hair, picturing it silver, whimpering as he played on the inside of her thigh with a timid bravery. She clutched the hair, wondering why it wasn't longer – heard the person moan, wanting it to be much deeper.
Air brushed and tickled her chest, the thin barrier of her clothing slowly being removed with no objections from the wearer. The now recognizable frosty hand slipped between their bodies and felt its way to the now bare skin.
She mewled, lips sailing along her jaw and swiftly working its way to her own parted lips.
"Kakashi…" the name left her mouth, soft and longingly.
The presence above her stiffened, and the glacial hands left her body.
"What did you just say?"
Jade eyes languidly blinked open, dazed and perplexed and lost in a reverie of their own making.
"Hmm…?" she said, her stupor still lingering.
Dark blue eyes slit menacingly. "You said Kakashi. Who the fuck is Kakashi?"
She stared in wonderment at the boy on top of her. "Kakashi…?" she repeated, voice soft and breathless.
Her words brought a scowl onto his handsomely boyish face before he quickly struck her – her head snapping to the side in reaction.
The trance fogging her brain vanished, making her grab her throbbing cheek instinctively before looking at him. Her dress was still hanging off her shoulders; half exposing her but too stunned to care.
"You hit me…" she said almost questioningly, wishing the fuzz in her brain would leave. It was beyond frustrating.
The sound of the door opened, the music downstairs filtering in. "What the fuck is going on?"
The sound of Ino's voice was heard, making them both instantly look at the rattled blonde. Sakura winced at the sudden movement.
"You goddamn bastard thinking you can touch Sakura like that!"
Still impossibly lost, Sakura watched in chopped up skipping scenes that was her vision, as Ino yanked this boy off of her before punching him square in the jaw. He fell like a sack of potatoes, causing Sakura to start laughing hysterically, clutching her stomach as the feeling of nausea roused but still not able to stop her maniacal giggling.
Ino sighed and shook her head.
It was a half hour later when Sakura found herself laid out on her bed in the dark, with the presence of people around her. Turned out Ino had come up to get her to tell her they were going because Tenten had drank too much and was throwing up in the bathroom. Ironic how it turned out Ino was the most responsible of the three at the party. The wonders just never ceased.
Much to her humiliation, Ino had called Shikamaru, asking him to come over and help the intoxicated Sakura home. He was there in minutes, assisting her as a human crutch all the way home before laying her down, proceeding to check her pulse rate, temperature, and pupils. Sakura just watched him with a childlike curiosity – still waiting for the effects of the alcohol to wear off. Ino arrived just minutes ago after dropping an equally drunk Tenten home.
"Is she all right?" Ino whispered; voice haggard and exhausted.
"Ya, nothing out of the ordinary for a smashed chuunin," he mumbled, a lazy yawn escaping. "Of course the hangovers are never a pretty thing though. Awe well, maybe she'll learn from this then."
Ino huffed. "She better learn from this," then stopped, a huge smirk working its way onto her face. "But it was pretty funny to see her drunk. I haven't seen her laugh like that in months! It was…refreshing."
"Well, I'm sure she didn't do it for your benefit," and looked at Sakura askew. "Sakura, there's a glass of water and aspirin beside you; no doubt you'll need it when you wake up."
She muttered something incoherent then lifted her hand before dropping it down again, eyes thick and heavy and refusing to open.
Ino chuckled. "Come on Shik, let's let her rest."
He agreed and they left with a soft click of the door.
Erm, not sure how I feel about this chapter - infact, I'm pretty sure I don't like it. I bet most of you are wondering wtf is this and where is the KakaSaku goodness? But keep in mind a story needs supporting characters as well, and this chapter I see as being a catalyst of things to come between Kakashi and Sakura. And that's it, thanks for reading!