Chapter 9

The two are completely oblivious of what's happening around them, seeing that they are heatedly making-out. When Ino opened her eyes and pulled away from Sasuke to catch her breath, that's when she tapped Sasuke silently and he looked at her through the corner of his eye before Sakura realized that he avoided her gaze or found something interesting in the cabinet full of trophies of Kakashi alone.

"Uh…hi, Sakura…" Ino said in monotone. Sakura hadn't had time to talk back since Kakashi came into view with Hinata behind him, an envelop in Kakashi's hand, similar to Sakura's, clearly belonging to Hinata. Sakura walked past Kakashi and stopped in front of Sakura, whispering that Hinata will be waiting for her. Hinata took Sakura's silence as a yes and walked off without saying a word to Sasuke or Ino, nor gave any recognition that she has seen the two of them.

"Anyway, Sakura…I know you have come here to pass your applications I've been expecting that. But I'm certainly not expecting you two, Mr. Uchiha and Ms. Yamanaka. You have been here about…" he rolled his sleeves slightly and peeked in his watch "…twenty minutes ago."

"We were just looking at the trophies." Sasuke gestured towards the cabinet he was looking at earlier.

"Then, I think twenty minutes is enough for looking at all of them. You may go." Kakashi said. Just as when Ino is about to exit the door, she looked back at Sakura and is about to tell her something when Kakashi continued, "Go…"

Ino pouted and called to Sasuke. Sakura heard it and tried to cover what she felt by taking off her glasses and wiping them on the edge of her handkerchief she had almost forgot she brought that day.


"It's just that I hate it when Ino didn't tell me what's going on! I mean, I know that me, myself, forgot about telling her about Neji but I actually told her what happened why we were not able to come on that stupid event." Sakura took off her glasses and putted it inside her pocket.

"Maybe she just forgot…" Hinata said as she tucked a lock of hair at the back of her ear.

"Wish I could really drop off the subject and Sasuke and Ino." Sakura looked beyond her hopelessly. The sun is setting now and she left Kakashi's office at exactly 5:30! And she still has to study for their first exams next week.

"Before I forgot, had Ino told you about the sleep-over we are going to have at Saturday?" Hinata asked as Sakura furrowed her brow in confusion.

"Sleep-over?"

"Yeah…sleep-over. You know…pillows, movies. The whole is going to be there, too, on Neji's option, I suppose. So I thought it would be nice if girls should go too. Mom and Dad are away anyway." Hinata smiled hopefully at Sakura. They are reaching Hinata's house now.

"I guess…" Sakura said without really thinking.


"What we are going to do is very dangerous…" Sakura whispered one Saturday night at Hinata's room, with lights shut off and a candle is held each by Sakura, Hinata and Ino. They are standing at a full length mirror they borrowed from Hinata's parent's room and their images are blurry. Her glasses can't be seen anywhere so she decided she must have dropped it while walking with Hinata.

"This mirror still needs some wiping," Hinata said while taking a towel from her drawer and poured a small amount of alcohol in it. She wiped the mirror and looked at herself in it. The blurry image is wiped off, replaced by a clear one. The flame on her candle moves on its own as she sighed off the nervousness she's feeling.

"Okay, we are going to see…" Sakura gestured at the mirror, and continued, "…who we are going to marry someday, or maybe whom destiny had for us."

"That's ridiculous. I mean, we only read it in a book, right?" Ino tried to hide the uneasiness in her voice but failed.

"It's alright to be afraid. We have to do it one by one." Sakura said. Ino shook furiously.

"But the girl in the book—"

"—is alone." Sakura heard Hinata say. "She's all alone."

"One mistake, we'll either see the devil…" Sakura turned her head towards the mirror, watching her vivid reflection in it, "…or the witch."

There were moments of silence, and soon, Ino found her voice. "I'm out. I'm quitting."

"You Hinata?"

"I'm…" Hinata breathe deeply. Sakura watched her eyes, clearly showing deep confusion.

"Well…?" Ino said impatiently.

"I'm staying. I'm curious about my future that's why I'm staying…" Hinata said, slightly tightening her grip on the candle.

"Okay, Ino, you may wait outside with Hinata. I'll go first." Sakura said but Hinata held a hand up, stopping Sakura.

"I'll go first."

Sakura looked at her. There was uneasiness and fright in her eyes earlier, now replaced by heavy determination.

"Go ahead." Sakura nodded and grabbed Ino by the arm outside Hinata's room and closed the door quietly.


At Neji's room…

"Neh, Neji, why is Hinata's room dark?" Naruto said as he peeked through Neji's room window.

"I don't know. Another woman-thing?" Neji shrugged while he watched Sasuke snort.

"Then let's have a guy-thing." All heads turned towards Sasuke.

"What do you mean?" Gaara said, he's brow twitching, while Sasuke sweat dropped.

"HEY! Don't get the wrong idea! I just thought…"


"I saw Naruto-kun…" Hinata blushed.

"In front of the mirror?" Sakura and Ino asked.

"In front of the mirror." Hinata replied, blushing even more as she mentioned the face and giggled slightly as Ino and Sakura looked at each other. Ino gulped.

"I'll try it." Ino whispered.

"Sure thing." Sakura nodded.

"Good luck." Said Hinata, extinguishing the candle by blowing it.


A few minutes later, Ino came out with a furious look on her face.

"No one came out. And all I heard is the wind blowing my beautiful hair onto my more beautiful face! And I had miscounted fifty-two to fifty-four that's why I started it again! And then this happens? My hair is ruined!" Ino said.

"Wait a minute…" Sakura whispered. She had been sure of it. "I closed the window earlier, I'm positive."

"Well, there it is." Ino said, trying to smooth down her hair. "Maybe it's was just another similar window."

"Yeah…maybe." Sakura sighed. "Well, it's my turn now."


Sakura entered the room with a candle lit in her hand, and made her way towards the full length mirror of Hinata. As Ino had said, the window is open and the wind is blowing in a moderate way, but strong enough to extinguish her candle. She inhaled and exhaled deeply at her image in the mirror.

She whispered a few incantations as directed in the book they read earlier and none happened. Just as she was about to turn around she saw something moving from behind her in the mirror. The raven locks look familiar. The pale complexion is another thing. Sakura is starting to have a shrewd idea on who is the guy.

She decided not to turn in case it might be the devil, but the image spoke to her.

"Fancy seeing you, Ms. Haruno, admiring your looks even at this time of the night." Sakura gasped slightly. She was kind of speechless. The tone was the same.

The person you are going to see at the mirror in the middle of the night, magical or not, will be the one destiny has for you.

"And your glasses are missing once more. May I ask where it is?" he said.

"I-It's none of your business." Sakura found herself saying. She slowly turned around.

The ritual is non-magical. It's true.

"Ha! I petrified you! It's a record then." Sasuke said.

"So…so the Naruto earlier…he also went through the window…" Sakura began to glue together the pieces of the puzzle in her mind.

"Yup."

"So…"

"So?"

Sakura didn't respond fast. She looked at the window and made her way towards it.

"From Neji's room, right?"

"No other place." Sasuke replied, making his way towards Sakura.

"But it could be dangerous! It has a three-storey risk and you guys might fall!" Sakura said, looking down but suddenly, two hands held her arms tightly.

"But we're ready to take the risk if an angel is there to catch us." Sasuke moved closer towards her. "That's what we call 'falling in-love.'"

"I—"

Sakura's words never left her. All she knew is that Sasuke is kissing her with the wind rejoicing around them. The ritual…I wish it would last.


A/N: So! It's finally done! I really have to squeeze this in my schedule it's because I really have to do things.

Also, I'm finding it hard to practice my singing because I am kind of…into joining Little Big Star at ABS-CBN, 'ya know…

Anyway, it's not until Season 2 or Season 3…if there will be a season three. But I really wish I could join.

See you guys 'til next update!