0Summary: She had given up on the idea of being anything more than a friend to him, concentrating more on her training than him. During the course of her training, he had begun to realize that what he felt about her was past peripheral vision. Sasuke/Sakura.
Pairings: Sasuke/Sakura
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto, at all. All the characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi-sensei. The only thing in this story that is mine will be the OCs and the plot itself.
Past Peripheral Vision
Chapter Six – Heart to Heart Talk
The morning sun peered gently through the half-open blinds. Thin strips of light landed softly on the bodies of four figures. The blonde of the four turned on his back, a grumpy look on his face as he pulled the blanket over his head. The pink haired girl was breathing calmly and rhythmically, her skin already losing most of its redness from yesterday. The raven haired male's head bobbed slightly as his hands clutched the blanket around his body. The silver haired male's lone onyx eye was open, his eyelid closing and opening silently. The cold, dry air bothered his nose, a stinging pain in his system. Sitting up, he looked around to the three Chuunin who were still asleep. His right eye crinkled slightly as he looked at the raven haired male. He was most likely already awake, just pretending to be asleep. Raking his fingers through his silvery hair, the Jounin sighed in relief as he looked at the sleeping girl. At least she was asleep for most of yesterday, regaining the strength she was losing quickly because of the fever.
"You know, Sasuke, you don't have to pretend you're asleep," spoke the Jounin, his right side facing the raven haired male. Sasuke's lips twitched involuntarily as he clutched the blanket closer towards his body. "What are you afraid of, eh? She may have given up on you but that doesn't mean you don't have a chance," spoke Kakashi, giving advice like he always did, "I have a feeling that deep within her, she can't erase the fact that she loves you so much that she'd even die or kill for you." Sasuke hissed softly like a vampire forced outside of his dark domain. Kakashi shrugged as he scratched the back of his head. "I know someone who never got the chance to say he loved this girl he liked since we were kids," said Kakashi plainly, bitter and cold memories assaulting his mind, "That is, until he died though. One of the last things that he said was his confession. I don't think Sakura could bear to find out your real feelings for her right at your deathbed, nor do you want to scar her forever."
"Feh," mumbled Sasuke as he stood up and walked silently to the bathroom. Looking back, Sasuke had a bitter look on his face. "Who are you to tell me that, Kakashi? If I recall, you don't even have a loved one anymore," muttered the Uchiha coldly before turning around and entering the room in order to wash his face. Kakashi shrugged carelessly as he looked back at the two sleeping Chuunin. Naruto's body twitched at the cold, the Jounin reckoning it would only take a few minutes before he'd wake up and complain. Sakura was already awake; her eyes open as she blinked quietly. Did she really just hear what Kakashi and Sasuke were talking about? Or was her mind just playing tricks. She had more faith in the latter than in the former. It just wasn't Sasuke to think that way.
"I know you heard that," said Kakashi as he moved his legs down to the floor, his bare feet touching the cold marble. Sakura blushed slightly at the somewhat accusation of eavesdropping. "It's just my opinion you know," he said as he bent down to wear his sandals, "I'm not quite sure how that boy's mind works. No one does. My guess is just as good as yours when it comes to what he's going to do next or what he's thinking about." Sakura nodded as she sat up straight, running her fingers through her rosy tresses. "How are you feeling?" asked Kakashi with a fatherly tone, walking up to his former student. His question earned him a bright grin as Sakura stretched out her arms, emphasizing that she was feeling great. "One day's rest ought to do it," said Kakashi as he rested his hand on top of her head, "So you better stay in that bed!" He ruffled her hair with a silly grin beneath his mask.
"Hey," pouted Sakura as she swatted away his hand. The Jounin merely evaded it and continued messing around with her pink hair. "No fair," complained Sakura as she continued swatting at his hand, "You're not supposed to do this to someone who's just recovering!" Kakashi laughed as he drew back his hand and pocketed it. "Much better," said Sakura with a grin, trying to remove the tangles in her unkempt here. A door swung open and closed softly, Sasuke stepping out with a slightly wet face, water droplets dripping softly to the floor. "Morning, Sasuke-kun," she said with a half-smile on her face, waving. Kakashi waved as well, earning a sharp glare from the Chuunin. "How was your sleep?" she asked as she watched him plop down on the couch. It was no secret to the members of the former Team Seven that he had nightmares of that bloody evening.
"Fine," he mumbled as he leaned back, his eyes closed. Soft sniggers were heard from bedside. "Just… wake up already, dobe," he said exasperatedly, shooting a dark look towards the lump on the spare bed. A familiar harrumph was heard as Naruto threw off the covers, shooting his own glare towards Sasuke. The two male Chuunin then began their customary staring contests. Sakura and Kakashi shook their heads in both disapproval and amusement. They disapproved of it because they were supposed to be older and wiser, no longer involved in such childish pursuits. They were amused because it reminded them both of their Genin days, when everything just seemed right, the keyword being seemed of course. Underneath all that was a maelstrom of torment and confusion, a single ray of light guiding the way of the three males who had misguided pasts.
"Ne, Sakura-chan, are you feeling better?" asked Naruto as he stumbled towards her bedside, an eager and hopeful look on his face. Sakura nodded slowly and Naruto reached out to hug her once more. Kakashi twitched as he held Naruto's arm, trying to pry him off again of the already blue-skinned and choking Sakura. He'd never learn to control his own strength, at least when he was excited with things like that. "Sorry, Sakura-chan, I guess I forgot," said Naruto with a nervous laugh, scratching the back of his head. The pink haired Chuunin wasn't paying attention. At the moment, she was trying to take in the air she had just lost. Sasuke turned his head away, lest he be accused of staring. He was merely checking if Naruto was acting like the idiot that he usually was, at least outside of battle, and choked Sakura again with his bear-hug.
"Shoo off and go get Sakura's breakfast from the nurse's station, the both of you," instructed Kakashi as he motioned for them to move with his hands. Both Chuunin looked skeptically at the Jounin but nodded anyway. "Don't forget to ask for non-hospital food for the three of us! Or at least for me if you boys can stand it!" called out Kakashi to both Naruto and Sasuke. Both the male Chuunin managed to suppress an involuntary shiver at the thought of hospital food. "Don't understand how you can stand the stuff, Sakura," muttered Kakashi as he pulled out a chair and sat down. Sakura mentioned something about hospital food being the only thing she could eat during a certain point in her training as a Medical Specialist. She was clearly one of the best at such a young age but that didn't mean she couldn't train further in the field. "As you are a Medical Specialist, you really are expected to be the one to watch over your health, at least among the four of us," said Kakashi sternly.
"I know I know but I've been really preoccupied with my training," said Sakura ruefully as she clenched her hands around the blanket. Kakashi wagged his finger at her sentence. "Okay, fine. I haven't been preoccupied. I've been obsessed," said Sakura dully as the words rolled off her tongue leaving a bitter aftertaste. "But I really want to be recognized, you know," explained Sakura as she looked at her former Jounin instructor, "It's great and all to be recognized by the entire village for my skills as a Medical Specialist but it's different from being recognized by my own teammate. You and Naruto are fine but it's just Sasuke-kun. He's so stubborn." Kakashi nodded in agreement. It was really hard to earn the Uchiha's respect. He had gained a bit of it overtime but never did Sasuke call him Kakashi-sensei. They were on first name basis since the beginning. He didn't mind, to say the least. At least it didn't remind him of his age but the lack of respect stung him a few times before he convinced himself Sasuke was on first name basis, forcefully on everyone else's part, with everyone except the Hokage. Even he knew the boundaries.
"Don't push yourself, okay?" warned Kakashi as he crossed his arms, "Even if you do train and train, if you keep getting sick because of it, how will you earn his respect?" Sakura nodded slowly as she blushed again. It was really ironic that she, one who was a master at human anatomy and the way the body worked, would forget about her own safety and health, just to prove herself to someone. If she really did have to prove herself, taking a step at a time was the way to go. She had just bitten off more than she could chew with what she did. "Now, all you have to do is rest for today, don't dwell on the past and by tomorrow, you'll be ready to go!" said Kakashi cheerfully as he leaned back on his seat, "Still, I'm sure Tsunade-sama will tell Aya to give you light exercises, progressing to more difficult ones as soon as you get better but, at least, you'll be starting again." The door swung open and the scent of food assaulted the senses of the Jounin and the recuperating Chuunin. "And here's our food," he said as his right eye crinkled slightly, looking behind.
"Nurses said everyone has to eat the food they prepared," muttered Sasuke stiffly as he walked over to Sakura's bedside and set the tray on the moving table, shoving it slightly to send her food towards her. Kakashi groaned as he poked at his food. Hospital food was probably something that could cause his death rather than help him recover. "The nurses also said that breakfast is the food that no one complains about. It's just a couple of pieces of bread, some butter, some jam and orange juice," said Sasuke as he sat down, not minding the amused look on the Jounin's face. What did Kakashi have to be amused about? He just relayed what the nurses had told him to say to the silver haired Jounin. "What?" he hissed as he picked up a butter knife and threatened to stab the Jounin with it.
"Nothing, it's nothing at all," said Kakashi with a wry look on his face. Stretching the material of his mask with his finger, he looked at his dilemma. "I'll take this to the Jounin's lounge and eat there in private. No Jounin is ever here at six-thirty in the morning. Visiting hours doesn't even start at that time," said Kakashi, standing up and excusing himself. The Jounin maneuvered his way to the door, balancing the tray filled with his breakfast. Stopping, he looked back at the three eating Chuunin with a grin on his face. "Just like old times, this scene is. Naruto is currently gobbling up his food while you two both have this look of disapproval on your faces, neatly eating," said Kakashi, reminiscing. "Oh, that and Sasuke is suspiciously located near Sakura," he added with a wry grin. He quickly exited the room and closed the door right when a couple of sharp kunai lodged themselves on the wooden door. He absolutely couldn't resist adding that last statement, even if it cost him his life! Or a few strands of hair on his head in his case.
In the Afternoon
Kakashi and Naruto excused themselves for a couple of hours, noting it was already Sasuke's shift in watching over Sakura. The pink haired Chuunin couldn't believe that Sasuke had remained in her room, alone, and watching over her as Kakashi and Naruto did whatever else they needed to do. Sasuke didn't particularly care that he had to watch over her alone, for so long as silence, comfortable to him, was in the room. Yesterday was bearable because she was asleep during his shift, as she was for most of the day. She was awake now and he had a feeling that things wouldn't go the way he would have liked them to. Things never went according to his plan when she was around. It was embedded in her nature, likely subconscious, to somehow ruin his meticulously planned day. Crossing his arms, the male Chuunin made his way to the window to watch what was going on outside. Might as well pretend he was busy so she would do something else to entertain herself.
"So," she began as she clasped her hands together. Her heart was beating erratically against her rib cage as her cheeks reddened due to embarrassment. His sharp onyx eyes watched as their fellow Chuunin and their former Jounin sensei began walking away from the hospital, both of them chattering good naturedly. He didn't respond to what seemed to be her attempt of trying to spark up a conversation. "Sorry," she mumbled as she ran an irritated hand through her rose colored tresses, "If it weren't for my weakness, you wouldn't be here watching over me. You'd be doing something else that's much more important." That statement caught his attention. Turning his head, he focused his onyx gaze on her. "But you know, Sasuke-kun, I'm not as weak as I used to be, or I'm trying not to be weak anyway," she said with a slight grin on her face. Facing him, the pink haired Chuunin smiled a strained smile. "And I hope you see at least that much, Sasuke-kun, I really do," she spoke. For some unexplainable reason, his heart tore at her current expression.
"Then take note of your health, Sakura," he said as he looked towards her, a cold, unfeeling emotion dancing across the dark pools he called his eyes. The pink haired female nodded, flinching internally. She mentioned something about the irony of it all, about how she was the one lying down on the bed and how he was just standing there, somewhat watching over her. "Hn," he murmured as he picked up a red spherical fruit. He had grown a liking to apples, the tangy sweetness just right. He didn't know why he did. It was probably all those days sitting uselessly on the hospital bed with her at his bedside, a plate of peeled apples on her lap. Throwing it up in the air and catching it nimbly with his left hand, Sasuke picked up the knife nearby and began peeling it. Why he was doing so, he really didn't know.
"Sasuke-kun, you like apples a lot, don't you?" she asked. It was more of a statement than a question to begin with. The Uchiha paid her no mind as he continued removing the red skin that covered the pale yellow-white flesh beneath. "Guess you do," she said to herself as she raked her fingers through her rosy tresses. She let out a sigh as she looked at him, seriousness written on her face. "Sasuke-kun, you're going to participate in the Jounin Exams next year, aren't you?" she asked as she faced the Uchiha's back. Sasuke nodded slowly, biting into the apple, as he managed to suppress a shiver. Since when did her voice have any effect on him? It wasn't supposed to have any effect, positive or negative, to begin with. "Ganbatte," she said softly as she let her fingers brush against her pale cheek, "I hope you become a Jounin next year. Being a Jounin means you'll be one step closer to achieving you dream right?" In a flash, Sasuke disappeared from his earlier place, now in a position much closer to her. His lips were barely an inch away from hers.
"So annoying," he muttered as his eyes narrowed. Sakura's heart began pounding against her rib cage, the rhythm erratic. Her cheeks were starting to redden as the seconds passed by. She could feel his hot breath dancing against her skin. She could see everything about Uchiha Sasuke. His eyes betrayed him. What the rest of his body seemed to show was everything opposite of what the eyes truly said. She could read his vulnerability, his confusion. Exactly what he was vulnerable to and confused about, she didn't know. She was feeling the exact same way to begin with, vulnerable to him and confused about him. "You're so annoying," he stated once more as his head moved slightly. Sakura flinched internally. She didn't need to be reminded. "Always making me do things that I never planned to do," he added in the same quiet and accusing tone. Without any warning, he seized her lips. The spur of the moment action caught her in surprise and in her mind, she could only think of two things. One was that the Uchiha Sasuke was voluntarily kissing her and the second was that he tasted of apples.
Tsuzuku…
Hm. Chapter six finished with a rather unexpected end. On your part of course, not so on mine.
I hope you liked it because I had a blast writing it these few days, around three mind you.
Most of the "heart to heart" talk in this chapter is between Kakashi and Sakura really but hey, Sasuke and Sakura sort of had a heart to heart talk! Or at least in my opinion they did.
And yet again, this one isn't really an eventful chapter. Next chapter, however, she'll be out of the hospital. Hope you stay tuned until then.
Side-note, nothing really important but I'd like to say it anyway. 19 more reviews until Past Peripheral Vision meets the 100 review mark! Hope you help get it to there!
Next Chapter: Chapter Seven – A Solo Mission
Chapter Preview: "This is a solo B-Rank mission," stated the Godaime as she unfurled a scroll and looked at scroll that lay on top of her table. The Jounin were far too busy doing other more important missions to deal with their occasional B-Rank ones, leaving the Chuunin to do the mission. "I'd normally assign this as a Chuunin Team mission but considering the risks involved, it has become a solo mission," explained Tsunade as she faced each and every one of the Chuunin that were there. "In Kaen Village, about half a day's travel from here, there is a minor mafia who's holding the village leader's daughter hostage. The mission is for you to rescue the daughter and bring her back safely to her father," continued Tsunade as she rolled up the scroll and held it in her hand as if handing it to someone. The Chuunin talked amongst them as to who would be assigned this mission. "Haruno Sakura, you are in charge of this mission. You depart for Kaen Village in one hour," ordered Tsunade as she stretched out her hand towards the pink haired Chuunin's direction.