Chapter 6: The curse of bad luck

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I am lucky. I am going to have another child, and with a little luck it will be a son, one that will be a proud descendant. I hope he will erase the shame of having a weakling like Hinata as the official successor of the clan.

Hyuga Hiashi

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Sasuke entered his house and headed directly to his room, but Sakura wasn't there. He doubted that Sakura would be doing a tour around the house. She had probably risked it and headed back to her house. She probably even chose a different street so that they wouldn't meet.

If she told her parents, he would be in trouble. However he doubted she would. In a way, she was the only person that was loyal to him.

Then again, according to his original plan, after a few hours, every single person in the village would loathe him. They would try to kill the Uchiha traitor, and they would not be referring to his brother. Although considering how effective the ANBU and the hunter-nins had been while chasing his brother, he should be more careful with Orochimaru, his future master.

That was according to the original plan, but the original plan didn't include him getting drunk, and awakening with somebody else at his side.

He had to see Sakura. He had to speak with her, and pray that his fears were groundless.

He left the room and started leaving, when he heard noises that came from the kitchen. He got closer carefully. It should be Sakura, but being a careless shinobi would mean becoming a dead shinobi.

He stepped on the kitchen, and he saw something that he loved and hated with the same passion: The Uchiha symbol.

The Uchiha symbol, that meant everything to him, was on the back of somebody. That somebody turned around, and for a moment he thought it was Itachi. Next he thought it was his mother.

It was Sakura, wearing a white shirt with the Uchiha Symbol.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun. How are you?" She said with a weak but sincere smile. He noticed that she had her hair damp.

"Fine. You already took a shower?" It was a statement rather than a question.

"Hai."

They looked at each other for a second. Sasuke tried to approach the subject immediately.

"My family symbol looks great on you" He wondered where that came from. Still, he had to admit that he Uchiha symbol looked great on her. Her pink hair highlighted clearly the colours of the symbol.

Sakura looked at him with an expression of pure surprise. She blushed.

"Thank you. I... I had nothing else and... I took one of your t-shirts. Is it ok?"

"Hn" He said, which in Sasuke-language could mean anything. From "I love it in you because it highlights your beautiful eyes" to "Take it off now or I'll kill you"

"Do you want some breakfast?"

"Aa" he said, and sat down. He was feeling slightly annoyed with himself. There was something he really needed to talk about, and he couldn't even mention it, and it was very important...

"I cleaned up your room" Sakura said shyly.

"Aa."

"I already started the washing machine" she continued.

"Thanks." He said quietly, feeling a little disturbed. He had never done those chores until his family died. Since then, one of the few things he took comfort was doing faultlessly that kind of little household tasks. He took some pride on taking care of the entire house, and now she was invading that personal space.

"Do you like milk?" asked Sakura

Sasuke sighed.

"Sakura. Do you see milk in the fridge?"

"Hai."

"Is it four years old?"

"Errr, no."

"So, since I am the only one living here, and I'm the only one that buys food here, I guess that I bought the milk, and that should also mean that I consume the milk since I have bought it." explained Sasuke. He intended to be a little hard.

"That's right. I know about your family. I'm sorry. I never… I mean in school…"

"Never mind that"

There was an unspoken rule in the Leaf: Never speak about personal tragedies. That rule was made to stop the alienation of the survivors from the wars. Thanks to that rule, nobody young should know about the massacre.

"I am sorry." He added not feeling sorry at all "I read your diary."

"You did?" She screamed. "Why would you do that?"

"I needed to be sure that what happened the other day wasn't planned" he explained. Well, finally things were moving as he planned. The conversation was going the right way.

"Idiot!" She said, turning around.

Again there was an awkward silence. Sasuke was feeling increasingly frustrated with himself. There was something of the utmost importance that he needed to talk with Sakura. Damn it!

"I am sorry. I know I shouldn't, but I wanted to make sure." Sasuke said trying to calm her.

Sakura was still facing away from him. Sasuke felt the words coming to his mouth.

"I once lost everything dear to me, and the one that caused me unhappiness was one person that I almost worshipped. That's why I am always afraid of trusting anybody. I am sorry." He said, wondering if he was really sorry, and admitting that he was. A little bit.

"Sasuke-kun... you have friends... companions..."

Sasuke moved his head, sadly. He couldn't trust them.

"You have me" she said, turning around, and looking at him.

He raised his eyes, and looked at her. She was holding a warm cup with milk in her hand. She was wearing an oversize white t-shirt, which had the Uchiha symbol. However, he wasn't paying attention to that. He was looking at her devotion. He was looking at the only person that would go with him, if he decided to break off the Leaf. She was offering him her life. Yet, he couldn't take that gift. He couldn't ruin her life.

"Thank you, Sakura." He calmly, but wholeheartedly said, and for a second forgot to talk to her about what had been bothering him for a long time already.

"Did you see the picture of the three Kakashis?" Sakura interrupted again his thoughts.

"The three...? You mean when the three of us had the headband on our eye? "This time Sasuke was kind of smiling

"Hai, it was a lot of fun."

"I guess."

Sakura sat down next to him and started drinking her cup.

Sasuke also drank his cup. Everything was kind of relaxing, for now. He used to like warm milk, but now he never warmed it because he considered a waste of time. But it tasted really good.

"I was in your house. It's really nice" Sasuke considered, trying to create a good atmosphere.

"Thank you Sasuke-kun. But yours is bigger than mine. It's sparkling. Do you clean everything for yourself?"

"Of course." He didn't intend to continue, but he thought that it was all right to have this conversation. It would relax her "I have a rigid timetable for cleaning, training and eating. It's the only way of doing things if you live alone and have very little free time."

Sakura was looking at him, and there was a spark of adoration in her eyes

"What?" He asked.

"You are so cool, Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke looked around for a few seconds. He settled in a smile. Didn't he have to talk about something?

"Ne, I was just remembering what happened during our mission in Ice Country..."

The conversation dragged on. Sasuke felt that he was sinking in a state of dumbness. He wanted to keep talking with her, even if he knew he shouldn't, but he was feeling too calm. It was like being inside a spell. The warmth of the milk, the conversation around the lunch table, the smiles, the long chats... he had missed all that. He would give anything to keep the conversation forever. He would love to forget that his brother was out there with blood in his hands. He would love to forget that the Four Sound were out there, waiting for his decision. He couldn't though, just like he couldn't forget the main reason he was scared.

Very soon, those moments of peace would be gone, and he would be the one breaking them

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Sakura smiled. She had been scared, but everything was all right. They had made a grave mistake, but they probably were not the first two friends to get drunk, and end up spending the night together. They were kind of young for that, but still, it had happened.

No use crying over spilled milk. The important thing was that the next day they were able to talk in friendly way to each other. They were behaving like two adults, understanding and forgiving each other.

In a way, it was serene, the both of them talking to each other. She still loved him, even after all that happened, and she still suspected that he felt something for her.

At least she was glad that Sasuke was smiling. He seemed more relaxed than ever. They should do this sometimes, not that part, of course, but talking together, going somewhere together... She could ask him on a date. Even if he didn't want to go out as boyfriend and girlfriend, they could go out as friends.

Not only the two of them, but Naruto too. Both she and Naruto could help Sasuke to be happy. Maybe the three of them could stretch those moments of peace. That peaceful conversation...

" Hey, Sakura, can I speak with you?"

"Sure...You said your name was... was... sorry, I don't remember your name"

"It's Tenten. Don't worry, it's not important. Many people tend to forget my name. I am nobody important, after all. Out of twenty-one ninjas that passed, the second chuunin exam, only six of them were kunoichi, and I was one of them. However, I am nobody important, just because I have those two freaks in my team that steal all the attention."

"I am sorry; I was knocked out during your match..."

"Oh! Don't be. After all, I'm just a kunoichi. Just because male shinobis tend to have more stamina than kunoichis, they usually get more attention..."

"Did you want to tell me anything?" Sakura finally asked, noticing Naruto wasn't the only one that hated lack of recognition.

"I am sorry, I sometimes get angry... Sakura," she said, finally concentrating on the young kunoichi "I know it's not of my business, but you should stay away from that Sasuke

"What!"

"He is dangerous. When he was fighting those genins from the Sound, he used a seal. I don't know much about it, but it was dangerous. When you stopped him, for a second he diverted his killing intent on you. If the curse hadn't receded, you could have been killed."

Sakura just smiled.

"Don't worry. He would never hurt me. I know him"

"Whatever. As I said, it's not of my business, just be careful."

Sakura smiled when she remembered Tenten's warning. Well, he had hurt her, after all, and she was feeling very sore in her private parts, something that proved that those flashbacks were very genuine. Still, it was not his fault.

They would need some time, but they would get over it together. Everything would be all right. Hai, everything would be perfectly all right.

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Sakura was speaking about Haku, when Sasuke finally interrupted.

"Ne, Sakura?" He said, replaying his next sentences over and over through his head. He had to do it, whether he liked it or not.

"Hai?"

"When did you have your first period?" He said half-blushing.

Sakura was surprised for a second, but she continued speaking because she thought he was just curious

"Well, it was when I was eleven. It's a little soon for girls, but my mother said it is because I developed very fast."

Sasuke felt his headache getting worse really fast.

"Is it very regular?" Second question of the day. He hoped the answer wouldn't be as bad as the first one.

"No, not at all. It's very irregular. I can stay three months without having my..." The words stopped coming.

Sasuke was looking right at her when she understood. First it was the eyes that opened wide, then the face, her features first with surprise, then with confusion, fear, horror. Then, the hands started sharing, finally, the rest of the body.

Sasuke asked quickly. He was sure that very soon she would be too terrified to answer.

"When was your last period?"

Sakura thought about it for a second. Then her eyes opened even more

"Sakura, when was your last period? Your last period?" He insisted.

"Two weeks ago" the words were almost too low. Sasuke barely heard them. He wished he hadn't. He wished he had left the Leaf when he had first decided it. He understood that he had been born under a bad star the day he decided to train for one more hour, the day of the night of the Red Moon. If he had arrived earlier, he could have been killed by his brother, and things would have been easier. From then on, his whole life: having Sakura in his team, catching Orochimaru's attention, and having the chuunin exam at the same time that the war against the Sand started were all part of that chain of bad luck. If he had left the Leaf, his bad star would not have affected anybody else. It was his fault. Now it was too late.

"Sasuke-kun?" She whispered "You mean I could be..."

He didn't answer. He wished he could be someone else, someone with better social skills. He wished he could lie. However, he couldn't. Unprotected sex at the worst possible time, and adding his usual bad luck made a deadly combination. Even as they spoke, he was sure that one of the two self-imposed missions he had said once "The resurrection of my clan and to kill one man" was on the way of being solved.

"Sasuke-kun..." she repeated. Her hand went to her stomach, while the cup fell to the floor. The sound of glass shattering didn't faze any of the two people, now suffering conflicting emotions. Sakura got up and ran away, straight to Sasuke´s room. A little time later Sasuke heard the door of his bathroom opening and closing... and again the sound of falling water.

The spell was broken, the moments of peace gone forever.

Sasuke wished again that she hadn't gotten involved with him. That had been a mistake from the very start. The worst part was that he had known it. He had known that for outsiders, getting involved with the Uchiha clan, once known as the strongest clan, later known as the tragic clan, was bad news. She hadn't listened. Now it was up to him to do what he had to do.

Sasuke used a broom to clean up the pieces. Then he started walking to the library, while he remembered what Sakura had said about the walls. He had thought about it too. Although his mental image had not only walls but huge ice walls around his soul. He too, had wished to break them, but eventually he had wised up. If people got close to him, he would feel sorry if he lost them. He didn't want pain. If people got close to him, he was allowing them a spot in his soul, and the betrayal was too painful. Sakura was right. He was afraid. He was afraid of people betraying him. He was afraid of pain. He was afraid of feeling alone again, after getting used to warmth.

He had reinforced those ice walls around him as a way of survival. He had thought he could have his soul dead but safe from pain inside the ice walls. He didn't need anything like love of friendship. His feelings had died. He was a rock, and rocks feel no pain.

However, now a person that he cared about was hurt, and it was his entire fault, as always. He was going to pay the price.

He entered the library and picked up a map of the Leaf, and three very specific books. He went to the bathroom door, sat down, and started reading them, while he waited for her to leave the bathroom. Sooner or later she would have to leave, and hopefully she would feel better, because the day wasn't finished yet

He suspected it was still going to be very, very long.