A/N: In Yakuza, you were all mad at Sasuke's dad, now, you're all mad at Sakura's dad! Isn't that lovely? Hehe. Thanks by the way for those who answered my fanfic challenge! By the way, with the many songs in this story, I decided to do an OST of Snapshot! Haha! I was bored when I did this by the way. So if you want to know the songs, tell me and I'll post it in the next chapter or send it to you in a private message.


Snapshot

He woke up from the sound of crashing waves and the chirping of sea gulls. His eyes looked at his side, seeing no one lying beside him. Slowly, he sat up and faced the balcony, where his roommate was, her back facing him, her hair swaying with the wind. He looked closely, seeing a smile on her face as his lips curved up as well. He got out of bed and walked over to her, startling her when he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his face on the crook of her neck. "Morning Sak…" he murmured. Sakura smiled at this and turned her head to the side, her lips near his ear. "Morning Suke."

"What time did you wake up?"

"Just a few minutes ago."

"Hey, you two!"

They both looked down and saw Naruto in his orange board shorts, waving at them with one hand while the other held onto a surfboard. "Come on down for breakfast outdoors!" Sasuke smirked and yelled back. "Hold up, are you sure you're Naruto? Because the real Naruto that I know wouldn't be awake at this time! It's still too early." True as it is, it was only 7:15 AM, and if anyone knew Naruto better, it was either Hinata or Sasuke. And boy, Naruto doesn't wake up at this time. "Shut your trap and get down already! The waves are high!" The couple looked at the ocean and sure enough, the waves were high. She smiled and turned to her boyfriend. "Come on then! I know how much you're crazy about surfing!" she received a poke on the forehead. "That's basketball and snowboarding, but what the heck, let's go."


Chapter 5: An Uchiha is Headstrong

Heaven; it was simply pure bliss for the whole gang: nothing but clear blue skies, the sound of waves, the sun glistening on your skin and the fresh smell of salty air. The girls were having a little talk at the same time lying under the sun for a bit of a tan. Kiba and Neji were having a race through swimming with Shikamaru as referee, Shino was reading a book and the two best friends were surfing, bickering on who's the best.

"I beat you and you know it!" Naruto said, grinning while his hands were on the side of his waist. "If I knew, then why would I still be arguing with you about it?" Sasuke countered; the surfboard underneath one of his arms. "Come on, let's go take a break. We've been at it since an hour ago." He said, glancing at his waterproof wrist watch. Naruto nodded at this as both headed back to shore and joined Shino who sat near the food table. "Hey Shino, what're you reading?" the blonde sat down and took a piece of toast. "Five people you meet in Heaven." He answered and continued reading.

"Oh shit, I forgot my phone." Sasuke muttered and got up, heading back inside the rest house to retrieve his mobile. "Geez Sasuke, you're on vacation! Don't bother about phone calls or messages for a while!" the Uchiha stopped and looked at his friend in bewilderment. "Idiot, I could loose my job for that. And besides, Itachi might be calling or my parents may have some urgent things to say. You'll never know." And he continued walking inside.

He reached his flip phone and opened the flap, checking his messages or missed calls. "Damn, five missed calls and ten messages…" he sweat dropped and checked who the callers were. "One from Itachi, one from dad, two from mom and one from Kakashi." He then read the messages.

Itachi- Bro, what's up? How come you're not answering your phone?

Dad- Your mom is getting paranoid here… give us a call once you receive this message.

Dad- PS. Your mom is driving me crazy…

Sasuke laughed a bit, imagining his mom running around the house, trying to call the police or anything, thinking that he was in danger or kidnapped. "Mom is too overprotective of me…" and he read the remaining seven messages; two of which were only funny quotes from his brother. "He's bored…" he thought when he read the messages. His brother only did send him quotes when he was bored. The three messages came from his mom, asking if he was okay, how he was etc. The last two, on the other hand, were from Kakashi, one telling him about what's been going on and the most recent one: "You and Sakura better get here fast. It's an emergency."

Knitting his brows, he closed the flap of his cell and went to the balcony, calling Sakura over as the girl excused herself form her gal pals and ran inside, climbed the stairs and entered the room. "What's up?" she asked, walking over to Sasuke who was in his pants and putting on a shirt. "Get changed and start packing. Kakashi needs us over at the studio, now." With a confused look, she put on some clothes and packed her bags. "Why? What does he want?" a shrug answered her as Sasuke put on his black polo over his shirt and picked up his backpack. "All I know is if Kakashi says it's an emergency, it's really an emergency."


"What?" he asked, his voice sounding dull and his eyes narrowing dangerously. His fists were clenched and he was ready to punch the living daylights out of the man before him. "Well, you see… we're one model short and there's going to be a party tonight to have negotiation business with another company of the boss. Plus, our models will be needed to parade the stage with new outfits released by our designers." Sasuke glared dangerously at Kakashi. "You said it was an emergency…"

"It is." He grinned.

"We're only here for substitution…"

"Yeah but that's important!"

"It is to you…"

Sakura wrapped her arms around her boyfriend's and smiled at him then turned to Kakashi. "No problem Kakashi-san! We'll be there!" the older man smiled at her. "Great! Oh, and be sure you know how to dance. With a look like yours, men will be asking you for a dance number. It is, after all, a formal party." She blinked and looked down, gulping. "Y-yeah…" they were dismissed then and Sasuke took note of her sudden silence. She looked up at him with waterfall tears. "I don't know how to dance…" Sasuke smirked and took her hand. "I can teach you."

"Really? Where?"

"You'll see." And he led her to a road where she wasn't familiar with. Sasuke noted how they were being followed, and it just so happens that that guy has a camera with him. Without thinking it over, he stopped abruptly in a deserted place and turned around. "I'm not a professional photographer for nothing you know." Sakura blinked and turned to where her boyfriend was facing. A man clad in all black with a hat on his head and a camera on one hand stood before them, muttering a curse for being caught.

"Why are you following us?"

"It's none of your concern really. I was paid to do this. You should know; you are a photographer." Sasuke remained impassive. "Yeah but I don't accept payment or any job that involves stalking. I'm a pro at candid shots and formal shots, I can also do better than any paparazzi but I'm not one to take pictures of people because I get paid to stalk them like you."

"Well, I already got what I wanted anyway, I guess I better go." When he was about to leave, Sasuke ran to him and grabbed the camera tossing it to Sakura who almost dropped it but managed to catch the object. He stopped the guy who tried to get his camera back. "Hey, I could report this as stealing!" Sasuke smirked and held him back. "I could report it as stalking. Besides, I think Kakashi can get me out of this mess even if you do report it. Now," he had the man on the ground, face down, as he pulled on his arm backwards, threatening to break it. "It's time for interrogating. Who are you, who do you work for and why are you doing this?"

"Like I said… it's none of your-" Sasuke pulled on his arm once more, earning a yelp from the stalker as Sakura stared at them, camera in hand. Sasuke looked at Sakura. "Check the pictures." She nodded and browsed through the file, eyes widening at every picture. "H-How…" the spy smirked at this. "Even if you do delete them, I've already uploaded what was taken yesterday and sent them to your father, Haruno Ikichi." Her pupils dilated as she stared at the man, her fingers slowly slipping its hold on the camera as it fell and smashed into chunks and bits. "My father is… here..? But he said he wouldn't go here! You're lying!"

"Why don't you wait for his call? Or maybe you'd like me to call him for you?"

"No way! He said he wouldn't go! He said he…" she shut her eyes when she felt tears well up in her eyes then started to run away as she cried. Sasuke let go of the guy, completely forgetting about him and ran after Sakura, at the same time calling out her name. Their "stalker" got up, dusted himself, gathered the bits of his camera and left to report what happened today, all the while thinking about the two lovers.

"Sakura! Oi, Sak!" he reached her and grabbed onto her arm as she tried to break free, telling him to let go while still crying. He only narrowed his eyes and pulled her to a hug, making her startled at the sudden action. "I already told you before," he whispered and glanced down at her as she looked up. "I'll always be here." With the use of his index finger, he wiped her tears away and gave a small smile. "Come on."

Before she could even reply, her phone started to ring and she took it out, frowning upon seeing the name of the caller. "It's my dad…" she murmured when she saw Sasuke's raised eyebrow. "Yes dad?" she answered. "I want you over here right now. I need to have a few words with you." She sighed. "But dad-" Sasuke smiled slightly and took her phone, earning a questioning gaze from her. "Ikichi-san, sorry to say this but Sakura can't go right now, she has an important meeting with me and Hatake Kakashi. I'm sure you've heard of him?"

"What the- Uchiha, give the phone back to my daughter this instant!"

"No can do, she's in the comfort room." He said, grinning as Sakura stifled a laugh of her own. "Anyway, it's good to know you're alright sir, bye." And he hung up, turned off her phone then handed it back to her. "You're so evil!" he smirked and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her closer. "I know." And kissed her there then led her to their destination.

"But why did you do that?"

"I thought you needed a break." He soon stopped and looked at the gates before them. "We're here." Sakura followed his gaze and her eyes widened at the view. She opened her mouth but closed it again as the guard saw them and opened the gates. He greeted the couple with a smile. "Good Morning Uchiha-san and…" he trailed off, glancing at Sakura. "Haruno Sakura." Sasuke answered, grinning as the guard nodded and finished his acknowledgement. Sakura continued gaping at the mansion before them, her eyes turning to the bed of red and white flowers in the middle where a small fountain was also placed for added decoration. She gasped. "Don't tell me this is where you used to live!"

"Well, in a way, yes."

"B-but… why didn't you tell me you were this rich? Heck, you're richer than my dad! He would've accepted you soon!" she faced Sasuke who only smiled at her in amusement. "First of all, my parents were afraid that some students in school might befriend and use me only because of my status as a rich Uchiha. Secondly, fans. Third, there are some corrupt teachers that could bribe or use me for money. You get the idea." Sakura nodded at this. "My dad didn't bother; he probably thought that I'd get a rich guy as my boyfriend." She grinned at Sasuke. "And it turns out that my Sasu-kun is a rich guy." She laughed and he did too as they entered the mansion. "Okay, so what about the house that you and your family used to live in when we were in high school? And why did you bring me here?"

"That house was one of the many houses that dad bought, don't ask why. I brought you here because I'm going to teach you how to dance. Besides, there's a bigger space here than in my apartment, if you could call it that." He shrugged and led her to the living room. "Sit down for a while, I'm jut gonna go see mom. It's her 'day-off' today." Sakura nodded and sat down. "You want anything to drink?" he asked and she just shook her head. He bent down and kissed her on the forehead. "I'll be back." And he went up the marble staircase.

Sakura looked around then started to think about a few things. So Sasuke was rich, and if her father knew about it, then he wouldn't be against their relationship. She sighed, feeling annoyed at her father for being picky. "He doesn't even care about who I love. Where's the happiness and love in that? Sheesh."

Woof!

"Huh?"

A dog jumped on her and started licking her face. "H-Haru? What are you doing here?" she pushed the dog away and patted its head. "I brought him with me when we visited you last time. Sasuke said he needed a shot and besides, you two were supposed to be on vacation yet… you're here." She looked up to see a grinning Itachi with his arms crossed and in his doctor outfit. "Before you ask, I am both a human and animal doctor." She nodded and mouthed a "whoa" to him which made him chuckle. "So, are you two back together yet or not?" she blushed, smiled and looked down. Itachi's eyes widened. "You're…" she nodded. "That's great! I was starting to worry about who my sister-in-law is going to be but now that you two are back, I can be rest assured then!" he grinned again.

"That is… if my dad doesn't interfere."

"…your dad is here? But I thought you told me that he wasn't-"

"He lied to me…" she blinked away her tears. "He doesn't trust me… but I guess I lied to him too. But my whole purpose of going back here was Suke… yet I promised him that I won't be seeing Sasuke ever again… but I was already lying…" Itachi placed a hand on her shoulder, making her look up at him as he smiled slightly. "Don't worry; my brother's going to be there, and so will I, mom and dad. We're going to back you up." She wiped her tears away and returned the small smile. "Mm…"


"Come on Sak, you weren't this bad during prom night."

She huffed and sat down on the wooden floor, bringing her knees up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them, pouting at the process. Sasuke sweat dropped and gave a small smile, offering a hand to her. She looked up at him. "May I ask the princess for a dance?" his voice was smooth and cool, as she looked into his eyes and absent-mindedly took his hand. He pulled her up and positioned the two of them. "This is called the waltz." He whispered in her ear and began to move with the beat of the music.

Sakura just followed his lead, her eyes lingering on his as he instructed, drowning in them, feeling lost in those onyx eyes. She felt light-headed at that time, wanting to lean in closer to him. He sensed it and let her head rest on his chest as the next music played a slow love song, "Now and Forever". "You know, this isn't the kind of dance in the party tonight…" he whispered. "I know…" she replied but still stayed in the same position. The song continued to play a melodious tune, lulling the two to close their eyes and relax, the walls of the empty room echoing nothing but the lyrics of the music, their light steps blending in with the rhythm.

Sasuke opened his eyes and glanced at the radio, smirking when he saw the number of the music and knowing what the next song would be. Once it ended, he pushed her away gently, earning a surprised look from Sakura when he said. "And this is the tango…" and the song "Sway" started playing. She gasped when he pulled her again, her back facing him as she looked up at him when his hands started to roam down to her waist, brushing his fingers at her side, including her bust's sides. A blush adorned her cheeks when their gazes locked, his eyes serious and his lips forming a smirk.

"Damn it! He's so good at dancing!" she cheered in her mind, her inner self going wild and crazy. "You know," he said, pushing off her white cardigan, leaving her dressed in a baby blue spaghetti strap dress that reached an inch below her knees, the hem of the skirt having ruffles as a design. Her white stilettos had her standing nearly his height, her nose just a centimeter below his when she stood tall. "You'll have trouble dancing when you still have your jacket on." And he tossed it aside and pulled her back again, swaying to the beat, twirling her at times and pulling her body close to his, dancing an aggressive number.

She felt lost when she looked back in his eyes, despite the room being air-conditioned, she could feel sweat trickle down her forehead, some strands of her hair clinging to her neck. Sakura was beginning to give shallow breaths, her eyes were half-closed and her lips parted slightly. Again, he smirked made sure she was getting the hang of the dance as the song ended soon. She panted and fell to her knees, gasping for air as he bent down, hands on knees, one eye closed while the other looked at her. "You okay?"

A smile graced her lips and she nodded, still panting for air. "That was one tiring dance…" he offered her a hand, pulling her up to her feet as he tugged on the collar of his white shirt, took his black polo and put it on. "But at least you got it." She grinned at him. "I have a great teacher!" he smiled slightly and brushed away the strands of hair on her face. "Get some rest then, it's going to be a long night later on." She took his hand and picked up her jacket, pulling him out the door. "Are you sure you're tired?" she giggled when they reached his old room in the mansion. Rolling his eyes, he opened the door for her as she entered and he followed, closing the door behind him.

"Blue… as always…" she said, grinning some more. He shrugged and sat down on the bed, sighing as she jumped on it and looked at him with a childish grin. He smirked and shook his head, lying down and closing his eyes. Sakura bent down, hovering above him, her arms supporting her weight as her long hair somehow tickled his face. "You can lie down you know…" he said, not opening his eyes to look at her. "Yeah, but I want to watch you sleep."

"As if you don't do that before…"

"Well, I'll do it again."

"No, just get some rest."

"I don't want to."

He opened his eyes and sat up, narrowing his orbs at her as she continued giggling. She stuck her tongue out at his facial expression until her eyes shot wide when he had captured her mouth in his, sucking on her tongue and pushing both their bodies onto the bed, with him on top. He parted, looking at her with a smirk. "Are you going to sleep now?" she glared and looked away. "No? Then I guess I'll continue." She bit her bottom lip when he kissed her neck and began to suck on it, causing her to squirm under him, her fists clenched while his still grasped on her wrists, securing them above her head.

"Sleep or this?" he asked again. Sakura moaned and pulled him closer, giving him her answer. He smirked and pulled away, shaking his head. "No can do Sak, we're going to be busy later, now get some rest." She pouted but again, he didn't buy it. "No means no Sak. Go to sleep." And he pulled the covers over them both, his arms wrapping around her waist as she snuggled to him. "You're not fair…" he smirked in reply and tightened his hold. She sighed. "At least you're here…" she murmured, closing her eyes as she rested her head on his chest, his heart beat lulling her to sleep.


It was held outside, where waiters were serving food and drinks to people who sat down and waited for the gourmet. The night sky was clear, showing bright stars twinkling, the moon was full, illuminating the dark night. The garden was beautiful, lights adding to its beauty, tablecloths were red, speakers were placed on the right positions, the DJ playing a few songs, a crew handling the sound effects, the stage where models would parade later on and the lighting.

The whole place was extravagant. Rich clients, guests and negotiators were present, all dressed in a not-so modest attire. Some had theirs custom made or coming from another country. Sakura seemed to be slightly awed at the sight of celebrities and singers around the place, her arms were linked with her boyfriend as they continued to walk and look around. "Where the hell is Kakashi?" Sasuke asked, looking around. The presence of the other people didn't seem to amaze him. All that mattered right now was that they find their manager and settle a few things. "This suit is killing me…" he murmured, tugging on his collar, earning a giggle from his companion.

"You didn't even button the black coat," she smiled. "And I still think it makes you look better-looking than ever!"

A smirk crossed his lips as he turned to her. "Well, you're not so bad yourself." He said, eyeing her from head to toe. She had on a red halter dress that reached five inches below her knees with matching red stiletto heels. Her pink hair was in a bun, held by a pair of black chopsticks which Mikoto had lent her. She also had silver dangling earrings and of course, the silver tag necklace that he bought for her years back. Her lips had a glossy pink color, her face having light make-up, making her look simple yet elegant, or in other words, strikingly beautiful.

She blushed and looked down, a small smile on her face. She did take a lot of time preparing, with the help of his mom of course, and it was all worth it. "Yeah, I really spent so much time to look good for him…" she glanced at him for a moment then back at the ground. "Hey Sak, heads up, not down." He instructed as she gave a nod and held her head high. "Still, all this work will be gone later once the modeling of new clothes starts…" she sighed.

"What's up?" he asked her.

"It's just that, it's going to be a long night…"

"I told you that earlier didn't I?" she nodded. "Let's just… enjoy… even for a bit." He muttered, looking for any sign of spiked up silver hair. "Found him." He whispered to his girl, leading her towards Kakashi who sensed them and gave a smile. "Hey, glad you could make it! I was beginning to worry that you wouldn't." Sasuke grimaced. "I was supposed to ditch you but no… that could cost me my job…" he forced a small smile and nodded. "I couldn't let you down now could I?"

"That's what makes me so relieved!" Kakashi led them to a few tables, introducing the two to his old colleagues and other people he knew and have met before. "Ah, so this is Uchiha Sasuke…" said one woman, standing up and shaking hands with the pro photographer. "I've heard so many things about you from Kakashi." She turned to the pink-haired girl beside him. "And you must be that new model of his, Haruno Sakura." She smiled. "You really do fit together," her eyes turned to Sakura then to Sasuke. "I'll be looking forward to your new pictures Uchiha-san." Sasuke forced a slight smile, nodding to the woman who sat back down. "I can't take this anymore…"

Kakashi then led them to a table full of celebrities where Sakura tightened her hold on Sasuke's arm, her heart beating faster upon seeing famous actors, actresses and models alike. "Whoa…" he laughed a bit and grinned at her facial expression. "Better get used to them soon Sak, you're now a model."


An hour passed and the three sat down, much to Sasuke's delight, then began to discuss and eat. "So Sakura, did Sasuke teach you how to dance or what?" Kakashi asked, grinning as the couple blushed a bit and turned away. "I'd like to see the two of you dance, that's why," he raised a hand to the DJ, giving a signal. "I personally assigned a dance number for the two of you."

"What the hell? Kakashi!" Sasuke stood up, clenching his fists and glaring at the older man who chuckled. "You didn't say anything about this!" he said, hearing a very familiar music play. Sakura's eyes widened. "Hang on! This is the same song that was playing earlier when he taught me the tango!" and sure enough, "Sway" was playing once again. Without any choice since the spotlight had intentionally hit them, Sasuke offered a hand to the girl who nervously took it, unsure if she should do this or not.

"Follow my lead if you get lost." He whispered to her ear before they reached the dance floor, all eyes eagerly watching them. One hand clasped with hers, the other around her waist while her other free hand wrapped around his neck. She gulped as the beat started and kept going, refraining her head from lowering and keeping her eyes on his. She decided to keep her thoughts preoccupied by observing him instead. "For someone who didn't expect this to happen, he sure is cool and confident about this…" a small smile formed on her lips, finding the courage to dance with just one look into his eyes. "He was dubbed as the 'three-C guy' back in high school. Always Calm, Cool and Confident; those three Cs were after all, one of the things that attracted me to him."

Sasuke gazed into her emerald orbs, forgetting about his surroundings, not minding how the people watched them in awe, how average photographers took their picture and how girls squealed- "Wait a minute? I'm still attracting fans here? Crap!" he shook the thought away inwardly and concentrated on Sakura and their dance, making a mental note to beat up Kakashi afterwards.

Despite how angered he is at the silver-haired man, it subsided until it completely died down when he saw her smile, just in time with the next song that played entitled "When I see you smile". He stopped all of a sudden, not seeming to care since there were people who were starting to dance, covering them, and hiding them from the viewers who would've noticed his abrupt halt in dancing. Sakura stared at him with a confused look when he turned around and walked elsewhere, not knowing that the girl followed him.

Sometimes I wonder
If I'd ever make it through
Through this world without having you
I just wouldn't have a clue

"How did Kakashi get that song? Did Neji or Naruto help him? Did nii-san hand it to him? I just composed that song… we only recorded it once but… how did he get a copy? I didn't give him one yet…" That wasn't the real reason why he walked away, but just the mere fact that Sakura was there, and she would, rather, could recognize his voice when he sang. "Sasuke!" he stopped when he was far from the crowd, standing in the middle of the backyard, where the place was equally lighted to where he came from, yet no one else was around but him and Sakura.

"What's wrong? It isn't like you to just stop and walk away without saying anything."

He remained silent, glancing at her as she walked closer to him, hands clasped behind her as her gaze traveled upwards, staring at the night sky. "Wow… great view…" she whispered to herself, twirling around a bit and stopping as she saw a fountain nearby. With a smile, she skipped towards it, bending down to take a look at her reflection and taking a seat on the border that surrounded the fountain, preventing the water from escaping it. Sasuke only stared at her as she looked at him, her smile turning to a sad and worried look. "Sasuke..?"

His feet walked over to her, head hung low and stopping right in front of her as he averted his gaze elsewhere. Sakura couldn't figure out his behavior so she stood up and looked at him in the eyes. "Hey, what's wrong?" he didn't say anything, nor did he look at her. She sighed and forced a smile. "Funny though, when we were dancing, the next song that played, the singer sounded like you. For some strange reason, I thought you composed a new song and is really the one singing it but then, you didn't-"

Sasuke didn't even hear a word she said but only stared at her as she continued ranting, her shoulders going up and down when she laughed at a few things she said, her lips still a glossy pink, her hair still in perfect order yet a few strands clung to her skin due to the sweat her body produced after their heated dance of tango. Her hands were still clasped behind her back, green eyes looking elsewhere as she continued talking, eyelids closing at times and opening again as her gaze turned to the stars.

When I see you smile
I can face the world oh, oh
You know I can do anything
When I see you smile
I see you ready to fly oh, oh
I see you shining right through the rain
When I see you smile
Oh baby when I see you smile at me

Slowly, his eyelids felt heavy as he leaned closer to her, his right hand reaching up to her face, startling her when he began to caress her cheek, his other hand wrapping securely around her waist as his eyes fully closed and his lips centimeters away from hers. A smile adorned her face and she wrapped her arms around his neck, closing the gap for him when her eyes closed. He tasted her lips; a sweet flavor of watermelon, her newly bought lip balm. He nibbled on her lower lip as Sakura parted her lips, her tongue sticking out a bit when his greeted hers.

He pulled away and kissed her forehead lightly, his right hand going down to her waist to pull Sakura into an embrace. He buried his nose in her rosette pink hair, inhaling the addicting scent. "When I see you smile…" he whispered, singing softly as she leaned her head onto the crook of his neck, the two swaying to his song. "I can face the world…" he continued, his eyes closing once more, mimicking hers. "You know that I can do anything…" she finally understood why he walked away. Sasuke was often sensitive to his own songs, especially when they were mostly inspired by her presence or absence.

"Silly Suke…" she whispered. "If you're so sensitive, why do you keep singing and composing these songs?" he pulled her closer to his body, reliving the memories of their moments in the past. "Baby when I see you smile at me…" he ended, trailing off and savoring what they were doing. "Love you…" she whispered, pulling away and looking up at him. He smiled and kissed her softly. "Love you too…"


"And now, we will be having our models walk down the stage with newly designed clothes by our very own designers!" the emcee announced as two women stepped out in their original outfits, posing for the camera and walking back in. A few more walked out of the backstage as the previous ones quickly changed into their next clothes. Sakura took a deep breathe in, realizing that she was next. Kurenai, who was beside her, boosted her spirits, cheering her on and applying final touches to her. Sakura smiled and walked out of the backstage, stepping out and walking confidently towards the front, hearing the gasps and awes from the audience.

Her eyes caught her boyfriend's who smiled at her and did his job of taking her picture. She looked at him directly, posed, and twirled then went back inside, letting out a sigh of relief when she reached the backstage. Kurenai quickly pulled her into the dressing room, grabbing the new set of clothes from Tsunade and told Sakura to change into them. Sakura blushed when she was eyeing herself in the mirror.

"Sasuke will kill me for this…" she thought. Her clothes were revealing, yet she's seen worst but she always did feel uncomfortable with clothes like these. But she was a model, she shouldn't be embarrassed or shy on what she wears. At least she isn't going to walk out in a bikini like the other girls whom Tsunade called as flirts and at times, sluts.

"Feh, they flirted with your boyfriend." She remembered Tsunade say. "But I've got to hang it to him, he didn't seem to be affected by their batting eyelashes or choice of clothing." Sakura smiled to herself. "I guess I really am lucky to have fallen for him and him for me." She stepped out of the dressing room, earning a look of awe from her two tutors who quickly pushed her to the stage. She forced a smile, trying to fight her awkward behavior when all eyes were on her, she shivered involuntarily when she felt lust or the auras of some perverted men. "Damn it! I hate wearing a tube top and a really short skirt when in heels!" although it sounded plain, the designs were definitely what caught some fashion designers eyes.

Sasuke gaped, almost dropping the camera when he saw his girlfriend on stage, walking in almost nothing. A vein popped at the side of his head but he smirked when he noticed how fast she walked back inside. "Heh, I guess she's not used to it." He fixed his digicam, zooming in and out at times. "Good thing Kakashi allowed me to change into my casual clothes." He thought. Sure enough, he was wearing his typical outfit as Sakura would call it. "At least I'll look like a real photographer instead of some rich client in a tux."


Time passed and it was the final round: the showing of kimonos. Sakura breathed in and out, giving a determined look as she wiped a sweat away from her brows. She fixed her waist length hair a bit as Kurenai combed and tied it to a half-pony tail style. Tsunade fixed her white yukata, fumbling on her red obi, making sure she wouldn't stumble with the long length of the dress. Pink cherry petals adorned the white kimono, making the clothing suit her because of her namesake. Kurenai took a navy blue Japanese umbrella, handing it to her as Tsunade took a red rose and placed it on her hair. She then trimmed a few of her pink bangs; her ears exposed a pair of white gold dangling earrings.

They applied final touches, not putting lipstick but instead, a lip gloss over her lip balm, powdered her cheeks a bit, letting her shine and look outstanding. Tsunade smiled at her. "You look like a princess Sakura." She commented and Kurenai nodded, proud of their work and their student. "Now go knock the audience off of their seats!" The raven haired woman winked. Sakura was about to go when she stopped and headed back to a mini table, snatching the silver tag necklace and putting it on. The two women stared at her as she gave a small smile, clutching the pendant close to her heart. "I never did go anywhere or do anything without wearing this." She closed her eyes and clasped her hands together, looking like she was praying.

Some of the models who passed by stared at her in awe, admiring her beauty. They were stunned and awed of how a newbie model like her had walked out of the stage with such confidence and air of superiority, keeping the audience glued to their seats and eyes on her. While there were some who liked the girl, some detested Sakura. One of them is none other than Aimi Yukiko. She was the top model, yet had a snobbish and bratty attitude. Also one of the girls who had taken an interest to Sasuke and had tried yet failed miserably to get his attention or to even have him.

Yukiko was enraged after hearing and knowing that Sasuke had recommended this newbie in the studio and was even partnered to him, and worst of all, she was his girlfriend! It aggravated her to no end. She cursed Haruno Sakura, loathed her for gaining the attention of many who once worshipped the ground she walked on. Now, almost every girl in the studio talked to her, crowded around her. "That bitch took everything I owned!" she thought fiercely, an evil smirk playing on her lips. "I'll end your modeling career tonight!"

Sakura hid the necklace inside of her kimono and opened the umbrella as she walked out of the stage in a slow and graceful manner. Her expression had a serene look, her simplicity and elegance having the men and women stare at her beauty, thinking if she was an angel or a human. Despite the many eyes that stayed glued on her, she only focused her gaze on one person who seemed to have forgotten to take her picture since he had lowered the camera. His eyes were wide and they were gazing into her own green orbs. A smile formed in her lips as she reached the end of the stage, careful not to trip on the wires of the lights.

Sasuke walked closer, the people, surprisingly giving him way as he smiled and raised his camera, finally remembering to do his job. She suppressed the urge to giggle at his actions as she did a pose for him, a sweet smile on her face as Sasuke clicked and took her picture, stepping back when he was done and gave her a small smile of his own. She did one last pose for the other photographers. From behind, Yukiko held onto a cord, waiting for the right time. Sakura turned around and Yukiko pulled the rope, making the pink-haired girl loose her balance and footing. She tripped on the wires that were connected to one, dropping her umbrella as she felt her body falling down from the stage.

He sensed the danger she was in and without thinking, dived right over to the guests of honor's table, sliding to where Sakura was about to fall, his back on the table as he caught her falling body in time, the commotion earning a few glasses and wine bottles to break. Some had gathered to see if they were alright while some stayed away to give them some air. Sasuke sat up with Sakura still in his arms. They were panting as the events replayed through their heads. He grasped her shoulders and had her look at him in the eye. "Hey, hey Sak, are you okay?" he asked worriedly. She gave an unsure nod as he pulled her into an embrace, not minding how his cheek received a cut from one of the sharp edges of the broken shards of glass when he dived to catch his girlfriend. "Thank God you're alright…" he said, kissing her on top of her head as he closed his eyes, saying a silent prayer of thanks to the Lord he worshipped, being a Catholic like his mom.

Yukiko glared at the couple, a mix of jealousy, anger and defeat welling up in her heart. If she was in Sakura's position earlier, would Sasuke jump in without thinking to save her? All these questions began to swarm in her head as her fists clenched tightly, her long well-manicured nails digging deep into her palms, making them bleed. "Why? What does she have that I don't?" she asked herself, glaring at the two as Sakura got off of Sasuke as he managed to get out of the broken table with her help, his body slightly aching as she assisted him to stand up, noticing his cuts as she felt guilty for his wounds.

"Man, you should loose some weight Sak." He teased, grinning at her as she still felt sad and guilty. "I'm sorry…" he blinked at her as she suddenly hugged him, his feet staggering a bit but he managed to steady himself. "I'm sorry… if only I watched where I was going or walking… if only I wasn't this heavy, you wouldn't be in pain." He sighed and shook his head, a smile on his face as he raised her chin with his index finger, drowning out the voices of the people who began talking about what had caused the accident as cops came to check if there was anyone fatally wounded.

"It was my decision to jump in and catch you, so don't worry about it."

Sakura still avoided his gaze as Kakashi, Kurenai and Tsunade came running towards them, asking them if they were okay. Sasuke gave a sheepish grin as Sakura nodded, a small smile on her face, a forced one at that. "She's fine, I am too. These are only minor cuts, I've felt worse." Tsunade checked his wounds and sighed in relief. "Yeah, his wounds aren't deep, not that fatal or many, but it still doesn't mean we'll just leave them be. It still has to be treated. I'll go get the medical kit." She marched back to the backstage as Kurenai kept them company, Kakashi grabbing two seats for the two twenty-eight year olds.

Tsunade came back with a medic kit as Sakura volunteered to treat his wounds, saying it was her fault why he got injured despite his protests. The three left the couple alone as they dealt with the authorities. Sakura carefully placed disinfectants on his wounds, him flinching from the pain as she gently placed a band aid over the cuts. "Does it hurt..?" she asked, scolding herself for asking such a stupid question but, she couldn't stand the awkward silence. Sasuke smiled and shook his head, saying it was nothing. She looked down though, and it pained his heart seeing her sad. "Well, it hurts…" Sakura faced him as he took one of her hands and placed it over his chest where his heart was. "…it hurts here, whenever I see you sad or crying." He gave another smile to her, his eyes half-closed as his other hand brushed away her bangs, gazing at her face, admiring her beauty.

"Smile for me tenshi, that's all I need from you to help chase away the pain …" Sakura couldn't help but let her lips curve upward at his attempts and sweet words to make her smile. "That's better." He whispered, and kissed her on the forehead, pulling her into another hug. "I promised you before," he whispered. "I will catch you when you fall, figuratively and literally, I will always be here, be there, to save you when you're in danger. I'll take the risks for you…" her eyes became watery. "You sure have a way with words…" he laughed a bit and grinned at her sheepishly. "That is what Naruto would say, 'the Uchiha way'."


He clenched his fists upon seeing the pictures. Without giving it much of a thought, he slammed his coffee mug, amazingly, not shattering it to pieces and took the newspaper on his desk angrily. He glared at the headlines, then turned to a few pages, stopping at one particular article as his eyes widened at the title and the pictures only made his blood boil. "Uchiha Sasuke…" he thought, reading the whole news.

"Newbie model Haruno Sakura nearly had a fatal accident if pro photographer Uchiha Sasuke hadn't jumped in to catch her from the fall. According to witnesses, it was top model Aimi Yukiko who had tried to cause Haruno's fall by pulling on a wire, making the rookie model trip." He stopped reading and cursed again, thankful that his daughter wasn't harmed but disturbed that the Uchiha was there to save his little girl. "Why is it that wherever my daughter goes, the Uchiha is there?" he already approved Sakura of becoming a model, but after reading the newspaper, he thought otherwise.

Haruno Ikichi grabbed his mobile phone and looked for Sakura's number. He pressed the call button, waited for her to pick it up and when she did: "I want to have a few words with you Sakura, no ifs, buts or anything, this is really important, it's about the social gathering tomorrow and I need to discuss all this with you." And he hung up, not giving his daughter a chance to say anything else. A grim expression was on his face as he tried to formulate a plan in his mind.


A sigh escaped her lips as she closed the flap of her phone, gripping it tight. Sasuke looked at her with a raised eyebrow, stopping from the paperwork Kakashi assigned to him. Sakura sat down beside him on the couch and frowned. "He wants to talk to me again…" another sigh. "I won't be here tomorrow. There's this so-called social gathering that my dad holds every year." Sasuke gave a nod and continued to fix the files. "I won't be here tomorrow either, Kakashi says he has a job for me tomorrow at some sort of event." Sakura blinked at this. "Where is this event being held?" he shrugged. "He's going to tell me tomorrow, you?" she shook her head. "I don't know either. But one thing's for sure, we won't be seeing each other tomorrow until nightfall." She smiled and he returned it with his own. "Well, better go to your dad's now, he might get mad again."

"Yeah, and you'd better head over to the studio soon, otherwise, Kakashi would panic again."

"Let him wait." He said, leaning towards her without warning and capturing her lips into a kiss. "I think this is where we last left off yesterday when I told you to sleep." He whispered in her ear, leaning down to her neck and sucked onto her skin. She responded with a moan and wrapped her arms around his neck again. "Sasuke… my dad…and Kakashi might get mad…" he didn't heed her and just continued, slowly pushing both of them down, him laying on top of her as he let his hand run down her side, stopping on her waist and lifting her shirt up. "Let them both wait." He murmured against her collarbone, licking the red mark on it.

She arched onto his body when his hand had reached her mounds and he smirked at her reaction. Her hands pulled him closer, entangling her fingers with his raven hair, gripping on the spike of black locks and pulling him some more. He pulled away for a bit and hovered above her face, smirking at her flushed cheeks and half-lidded eyes. It only turned him on when she looked like that. "Hey tenshi…" he whispered and she closed her eyes, lifted her head up as he let her kiss his neck, letting her have fun for a while. "Why do you always call me that..?" she asked, nibbling on his ear as he smiled slightly. "Because you are one, tenshi."

He faced her and she did the same, gazes locked on each other as they closed and leaned their faces once more, their lips locking in a sweet kiss. He broke away as he gave a gentle smile and got off of her, Sakura sitting up and watching him fix his papers and pictures. "Well, I guess I've made Kakashi wait long enough, so, better go now." He gave her a quick kiss on the lips and grinned at her surprised eyes. "Bye tenshi." And he took his motor keys with him, heading for the door after hearing her whisper a "bye" to him.


"What is the meaning of these pictures Sakura?" he asked; his voice stern and serious. His daughter just sighed and crossed her arms, looking at the pictures that lay over the center table of the living room where father and daughter sat. "What does it look like to you dad?" Ikichi huffed and leaned back down on the couch. "I know that you're seeing him Sakura, you promised and told me that you will not go here to see him." Sakura frowned at the word "promised" since he himself broke his promise. "What's wrong with holding hands?" she asked back. Ikichi scowled at this. "That's no problem, but what about his kiss on your cheek or forehead? What about those hugs? In public?" Again, she remained impassive. "Friendly kiss, friendly hug, what's wrong with those?" Her father rubbed his temples and groaned.

"Just forget about it dad, just tell me what this social gathering is all about?" she asked, changing the topic and taking a sip from her tea cup that was served a while ago. "Oh, that." He said, straightening himself up as he cleared his throat. "It's not exactly a formal party but do dress a smart casual. It will be held outdoors at the Grand Cherry Park (GCP) downtown. It's around 10.30 AM until the afternoon perhaps. So, you know what else we do there. Just talk to some of your colleagues, and yes, some college friends of yours from the States will be there."

Sakura lit up at this. "You mean Temari-san and her brothers as well?" Ikichi nodded, finishing his tea as Sakura jumped and punched a fist in the air. "Hell yeah!" her father spat the tea and looked at Sakura in disbelief. "Where are your manners young lady?" he asked all of a sudden but Sakura just jumped for joy, despite wearing heels. "I get to see them again!" Ikichi sighed. "Not only them but even the girls that you knew." Sakura only grinned. "It doesn't matter! At least I won't get bored like the last time!" and she continued to think about things to do for tomorrow.

"Well, at least that would get her mind off of that Uchiha…" he thought. "Well, I guess you'll have to stay here so that you won't be late tomorrow." She stopped and turned to her dad. "But…" Ikichi narrowed his eyes at this. "Come to think of it, where are you staying the moment you got here?" Sakura gulped inwardly and said the first name she thought of. "Ino's." Ikichi nodded. "Well, you can move back here so that you won't bother her there anymore." Sakura shook her head at this. "No, I don't want to leave Sasuke alone, it feels more like home there than here…" Ikichi raised a brow at her. "Ino is living alone, and she really feels lonely without me, that's why when she heard I came back here, she asked me to stay in her house."

"I see," he nodded again. "In that case, I'll just pick you up there then."

"No need to, I can go to GCP myself, it's only nearby." She grinned.

"But-"

"Come on dad, I could use the morning walk!"

"Fine."

"Thanks!" and she stretched her arms. "Well, I guess I better go now, I promised Ino to be home for dinner because we're going to cook something together!" she lied. "Heh, yeah right, they're still on vacation in the beach house, I could only pray for a miracle…" she groaned inwardly as Ikichi nodded, bidding her goodbye.

Once outside the Haruno estate, she quickly took her phone out and called Ino. She waited until the fourth ring before the blonde finally picked up her cell phone. "Hey Sakura, how's it going?" Sakura grimaced. "You're still at the beach..?" Ino said yes and asked her why and the pink-haired model explained everything. The girl on the other line smiled. "Don't worry Sakura, Shikamaru and I are heading home in an hour, he says he needs to go back to work or he'll be fired." Sakura giggled and thanked her friend then hung up. "Now to call Sasuke!" she grinned.


"So, you'll be taking candid shots, write a few things as well and here," Sasuke took the ID that Kakashi handed to him. "That will be your pass to enter the gates. The guards will be very strict about visitors and guests, so just show that to them and they'll let you in-" he got cut off when Sasuke's phone rang. The Uchiha excused himself, earning a nod from his manager before he answered the phone. "Hey Sak, what's up?" She smiled on the other line. "Are you almost done there?" she asked him. "Hang on," he turned to Kakashi who waved a hand as if to dismiss him and he gave a nod and turned his attention back to his phone. "Yeah, I'm done. Why?"

"I was thinking, do you want to have dinner somewhere..?"

"You know my answer tenshi."

"Stop calling me that Suke…"

"Well, I want to."

She shook her head but smiled none the less. "Fine, I might as well think of another name for you as well. So, where are we going to eat?" Sasuke stepped out of the studio and looked around. "I don't know, you decide, you asked me out." Sakura thought for a while and grinned. "Do you remember where we had our first date?" Sasuke smiled at the memory of that night. "How could I forget, that was the day I asked you to become my girlfriend after the championships."

"Yeah, so, is that place fine with you?"

"Depends, are you in proper attire?"

"Uh… you were with me earlier so you should know…"

"Oh, right." he slapped his forehead with his free hand and looked straight ahead, smirking at the process. "You know, that dress of yours makes me want to just grab you and make out with you in public." She blinked in confusion. "Why?" his smirk only widened. "Well, the way you walk makes you look se-"

"Don't even say that word Uchiha Sasuke!"

"Why not? What's so bad about mentioning that you're hot to put it in other words?"

"I don't like it…" she muttered. "And how can you tell if…" she trailed off when she stopped, seeing her boyfriend just a few feet away from her, smirking. "I am standing just a few feet away from you, that's how. And really, it's getting cold tonight, so why didn't you bother to wear a jacket over that dress of yours that may I add, shows off your legs and it only turns me on all the more."

Sakura blushed, knitted her brows and hung up, approaching Sasuke who did the same, only he was snickering at her flushed face. "You should really stop hanging out with Kakashi! You're starting to become a pervert!" again, that trademark smirk of his appeared as he leaned closer to her. "Only when I see you or when I'm around you." She huffed and looked away, earning another laugh from him. "Come on." Sasuke said, placing an arm around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "You might end up catching a cold out here."

They reached the semi-fancy restaurant and sat down on a table for two, ordered their food and decided to talk for a while. "What did your dad say?" he asked, resting his arms on the table as she had her hands clasped on her lap. "You remember the stalker?" he nodded. "He got the pictures and questioned me about our relationship. As of now, I told him that we were only friends, somehow, I can't seem to find the courage to tell him straight and be proud of our relationship." She sighed. "Are you mad..?" he thought about it for a while, a smile forming on his lips as he reached out to her with his hand, motioning for one of hers to come out. He clasped both of their hands, intertwining their fingers together as he gazed at her. "Why would I be mad? Until you're ready to tell him, I'll wait." She forced a smile. "Smile for me tenshi, not a forced one but a real one." She giggled, placing her free hand over her mouth and he gave a nod. "Much better."

After eating, they decided to walk around for a while, Sasuke lending his black polo to her after noting how she shivered from the night wind. "It's amazing how you don't feel so warm with a shirt underneath your polo." He shrugged and held her hand into his. "I'm used to it." Sakura looked down at his right hand, raising it up with both of her hands and looking at his wrist. "You know, maybe I should buy one of these." She said, gesturing to the black and blue baller bands on his wrists. He blinked and removed his blue one, putting it on her right wrist since her left hand had a silver bracelet. "You can have this." He said, smiling softly at her. "I know blue is also one of your favorite colors." She smiled and thanked him. "That's because of you, since it's also your favorite color, I started to like it."

"Hn."

She poked him and he looked at her confusedly. "What did I say about one-word, one-syllable replies?" he sighed. "What's wrong with it?" she gave him a mock glare and he looked at her then tweaked her nose, laughing when she pouted and glared at him. "Kawaii Tenshi." He whispered in her ear, giving her a light kiss on her lips. When he parted, she looked at him with a soft expression. "I'd call you gaki for being immature at times…" he smirked. "But..?" he asked. "But that name doesn't fit you, Yami nin." he smiled. "Dark Ninja," he closed his eyes. "So you still remember the role I played back in high school…" he leaned down again, giving her another kiss. "Let's go home."

They walked back to his home, locking the front door and heading straight to his room. Usually, he would sleep on the couch or on the floor, but tonight, he wouldn't, because Sakura had invited him to lie down beside her, with just one pull of his arm, he had obliged. Just like before, she used his chest as her pillow, her hands wrapped around his body while his were around her waist securely, pulling her body closer to his for added warmth. He took a whiff of her strawberry scented hair, getting so addicted to the smell. His eyelids felt heavy, his muscles relaxed and slowly, he fell asleep.

"Good night, tenshi..."


He stirred and opened his eyes, feeling cold by the lack of warmth. He looked beside him, seeing a vacant spot. He sat up when he heard the door to his bathroom open, the water vapor coming out and emerging from the room was none other than his girlfriend, her body wrapped in a towel while her hands were busy drying her wet hair. She sensed his gaze and looked at him, blinking while he smirked at her, the sleep in his eyes fading. "What're you staring at?" she asked. "You, tenshi." He answered, getting out of bed and approaching her as she took a few steps back until she was trapped between him and the wall. "Morning tenshi," he greeted, giving her a light kiss on the forehead then went to the bathroom.

"For a minute there I thought he would…" she sighed, a bit disappointed and half relieved. She peeked in the bathroom, seeing him brush his teeth after removing his shirt. Feeling her gaze on him, he raised a brow at her as she smiled and shook her head then headed to her luggage. He told her to place her clothes in his closet since it had extra space but she refused the offer and had her outfits inside her bag. "So, I have to dress a smart casual attire…" she pulled out her usual outfit, a sleeveless dress reaching her knees in the color of black and an off-white cardigan.

"What time are you going home?" she asked after getting dressed. He was still in the bathroom taking a shower. "I'm not sure." He replied, loud enough for her to hear. She shrugged and sat on the bed, checking the clock. "I've got an hour and a half." She yawned and stood up. "Hey Suke, what do you want for breakfast?" she asked, knocking on the door. He opened it, his body and hair dripping wet and a towel the only thing he had on that was around his waist. "Up to you." He said, drying his hair with another and not noticing her red cheeks and wide eyes. "Um… okay…" she whispered, hanging her head low and clasping her hands in front of her, walking out of the room.


"I should really get used to this…" she said to herself, over and over again while flipping the pancakes. The coffee was ready and so were the plates. The flapjacks the only thing that was stopping breakfast from being ready; two more and she was done. Her ears heard footsteps as Sasuke came in the kitchen, yawning at the process and eyes still bore the sleepy look. She giggled at him and he only rolled his eyes. "What is it with her when she sees me like this?" he asked himself, grabbing two mugs from a cupboard and pouring coffee on both. "How many teaspoons of sugar?" he asked. "Two." And he nodded then placed the two mugs on the table.

Sakura turned off the stove and placed a plate of three pancakes in front of him, with butter and syrup on top, melting and coating the food, making it look mouthwatering. She also had the same stack and then sat across from him. "Care to lead the prayer?" she asked with a smile. He nodded as the two of them did the sign of the cross, gave their thanks and exclaimed an "Itadakimasu" before they dug in.


"So, once you're done, just call me and I'll pick you up, and in case I finish earlier, I'll just send you a message and ask where you're staying." He said, closing the door behind him and locking it as the two stepped out of the compound and onto the sidewalk. Sakura nodded as her boyfriend checked if he had his camera with him. She waited until he was done checking and then smiled brightly at him. "Have a good day then Yami nin!" she grinned. He smirked, pocketing his hands in his dark blue denim jeans. "You too, tenshi." And he gave her a quick kiss on the lips before they parted ways; him heading to the studio and her to GCP.

"Shoot, I forgot to ask where he's going to shoot pictures!" she snapped her fingers and sighed. "Oh well, he doesn't know where the social gathering is being held either, guess we're even." And she continued walking towards her destination, passing by a few old folks whom she greeted with respect then stopped in front of the GCP gates. A guard stepped forward, asking who she was and what was her business here. "Haruno Sakura, daughter of Haruno Ikichi. I'm here for the social gathering." At the mention of Haruno, he opened the gates and let her in. She thanked the guard and proceeded walking inside, looking around for anyone she knew.

"Sakura, over here!"

She stopped and turned to her right, smiling upon seeing a familiar blonde run towards her, followed by a red head and brunette. "Temara-san, Gaara-san, Kankuro-san! It's great to see you again!" she exclaimed, running to Temari as the two enveloped each other in a hug. "We really missed you Sakura!" The blonde said, grinning as Kankuro waved and smile whilst Gaara gave a nod and a small smile of his own. "So, how's life been treating you?" Kankuro asked the pink-haired girl. She grinned in return. "Great! I'm now a model you know!"

"Aa, we do. We read the newspaper." Gaara said, showing her a smirk. "So, who's your knight in shining armor?" Sakura blushed and looked down, trying to find the right words as Temari grinned. "Hey, that guy was really an eye-catch! Not to mention, an Uchiha!" Kankuro raised a brow. "Why would an Uchiha bother to save a model?" Sakura gulped and looked around. "To be perfectly honest, I… well… we know each other since high school, and no Gaara, he isn't my knight in shining armor, but my Yami Nin." They quirked their brows while she grinned. "I'm his kawaii tenshi."

It took the two male for a while to get it but the blonde female suddenly squealed and clasped her hands with Sakura. "Oh my gosh! He's you're-!" Sakura nodded. "And you're his-!" again, she nodded. "Girl, since when?" she asked again. Sakura laughed. "He's my ex, but then, when I came back, I heard that he still hasn't moved on and well, he still loves me…" her eyes were half-closed as Gaara recalled a few things the pink-haired model told them before. "So, he's 'Suke'?" she nodded and Kankuro chuckled. "So, all this time, 'Suke' was actually Uchiha Sasuke?" and she nodded once again.


"Ah-Choo!"

"Bless you."

Sasuke sniffled, muttering his thanks to his newly appointed co-worker. He had a bowl-cut hair and really thick brows that he swore he saw them move. "It better not be Sak talking about me again…" he thought, reaching the gates of his destination where his partner stood and gaped at the view behind the bars. "Name and reason why you're here." The guard demanded. Sasuke sighed and showed him his ID, along with his partner's. The man nodded and opened the gates, their IDs around their necks. "Time to start working." He glanced briefly at his partner. "Lee, take out the checklist and your notepad and start writing a few important details about this place." He instructed the rookie who nodded and saluted him. Inwardly, Sasuke cringed. "Geez Lee, you're a year older than me yet I feel so old around you…" he sighed and took out his digicam.

"Sasuke-san! Take a picture of that!" Lee said, pointing to a cherry blossom tree where a lot of people gathered underneath it, laughing and having a good time. Sasuke smiled slightly at the pink petals that surrounded them, raising his camera and took a shot at the direction Lee was pointing at. "Good choice Lee, you're a natural." He commented, rather, praised, which according to Kakashi, was rare for the Uchiha to do to rookies. Lee felt water blur his eyes as he was touched by the compliment and was now determined to do better. "For Sauke-san and the studio, I, Rock Lee shall do my best! Also, to make my idol, Gai-san, proud of me!" he declared, earning weird looks from the crowd as Sasuke sulked, taking a few steps away from his companion.

He heard a few giggles and he turned to where it came from. Flinching, he went back to Lee's side as he saw the eyes of the young girls turn into hearts when he had looked at them. "I'm starting to hate my job…" he thought, his eyes twitching as they passed by more girls who giggled and gawked at him. "I bet even if I get married, I'd still be attracting girls…" he nearly threw up at the thought of teen girls and gays chasing him while he was carrying his kid. "Bad mental image…" he shook his head and took a random shot of little kids who were dressed smartly and in their best behaviors. A smile formed on his lips when the children had turned to him and hid behind their parents, a shy look coming from them.

"I wouldn't mind little girls, at least they're quiet…" he thought and continued to look for good shots. "Yosh! We've done this, taken this, and this…" Lee started checking the list and jotting down notes on a notebook. "We're on a role here Sasuke-san!" he took another shot of two men shaking hands and laughing at their conversation, then another with a mother and her two kids. "So far so good…" he felt tugging on his pants that he looked down to see a little boy at the age of seven with tear-stricken eyes. "N-nii-san…" he whimpered. Sasuke, having a soft spot for crying girls and kids, bent down to at least have a good view of the kid who continued sniveling.

"What is it?" he asked, Lee right behind him and staring at the child. "I-I can't find m-my mommy..!" he said, trying hard to prevent himself from crying out loud. Sasuke gave a gentle smile and picked him up after securing his camera in its case around his waist. "Don't worry, we'll find your mom." He assured him. "What's your name?" the child sniffed again. "N-Naoki Sh-Shiteshi…" Sasuke nodded and turned to Lee, giving a serious expression. "Lee, look for anyone in charge of the speakers and have them announce of a child named Naoki Shiteshi looking for his mom, wait for her then lead her to us." Lee nodded and ran off as Sasuke tried to comfort the kid. "Hey, don't worry okay? My friend likes helping out people and once he's told to do something, he'll do it."

"T-thank you nii-san…"

Again, he smiled and turned to the ice cream booth. "How about I buy you an ice cream while we wait for your mom?" he asked, waiting for the kid's answer. Shiteshi wiped his tears away and gave a nod as Sasuke walked towards the stall and put the child down, asking him what flavor he wanted and ordered one from the vendor. "Shiteshi," he called, handing the boy the chocolate ice cream. "I'm just curious, of all people, why did you ask for my help?" he led the seven year old to a bench as the two sat down. "I saw you in the paper! Mommy told me not to talk or trust strangers but… I needed help and you looked familiar…" he said, licking on the iced treat. "You're that Uchiha who saved a newbie model right?" he smiled and nodded as the kid continued telling him random things. "At least it keeps him still and unafraid of being lost." He thought to himself.

"Ne, nii-san, what's that?" Shiteshi pointed to his camera as Sasuke took it out and showed him the object. "It's a camera Shiteshi, it takes pictures of people or anything you want. For instance, this is the one responsible on why you saw me in the newspaper." The child gave a grin, understanding Sasuke's explanation as he continued to ask questions, the photographer answering him with patience and the best he could. After a few more minutes of waiting, Lee came back with a middle-aged woman who looked relieved to see her son safe and sound. "Shiteshi-chan!" she exclaimed, running towards the seven-year old who stood up and greeted his mom with a smile.

"Thank goodness you're alright! Don't you ever leave my side again you hear me?" she hugged her child and carried her, smiling gratefully at Lee and Sasuke. "Thank you so much for taking care of my baby. How can I ever repay you?" The two shook their heads, indicating that it was no trouble at all. Shiteshi waved goodbye to Sasuke who returned the gesture as he and Lee continued with their job.


Time passed and soon, it was nearing the end of the day. Sakura had avoided her father with the help of her three friends. Right now, she listened as Temari talked about a few random things with Kankuro joining in at times and Gaara giving side comments. Sakura stopped all of a sudden when she saw a certain someone who was taking pictures and telling his companion something. Sakura walked over to the two while her three friends stared at her with confused looks. "Sakura, what's up?" Kankuro asked her but she just kept walking, her pace going faster by each second and her lips forming a smile as she neared the photographer who had his back turned to her.

This time, she was jogging towards him and had her arms open wide when he suddenly spoke, having her skid to a stop. "You know tenshi, I am not called Yami nin for nothing." He said, not looking at her but deleting some extra pictures on his digital camera, turned it off and placed it back in its case. He then faced the girl who gawked at him as he smirked. "Missed me tenshi?" Lee raised a brow, wondering who he was talking to when he turned and gulped, seeing Sakura gaping at his partner. "You're Haruno Sakura-san!"

The pink-haired girl turned to Lee and gave a nod then turned back to Sasuke who laughed at her expression. "What? Surprised to see me?" he asked. "Maybe, but I sure am, Uchiha." The three turned to the new voice, seeing Haruno Ikchi approach them, two bodyguards following him with cautious eyes. "Why are you here Uchiha?" Temari and her brothers rushed to Sakura's side, readying to back Sakura up in case things get ugly. "Just doing my job sir." Sasuke answered, patting his camera and Lee nodding, supporting his answer. "I see, then go on, continue with your job."

Sasuke smirked. "Done already sir." Ikichi frowned. "Then what are you still doing here?" The Uchiha only pocketed his hands. "I'm still here because I'm going to pick up my girlfriend and treat her to dinner, what's wrong with that?" he asked back. "Then go take her and leave." Somehow, Ikichi regretted saying that when he looked at Sasuke's onyx orbs.

There was something different about his eyes, and it disturbed him. Something was going on and his daughter had lied to him. However, he had things planned out, but what he didn't expect was that this boy actually had the guts to fight back. Somehow, he finally figured what an Uchiha is capable of. "An Uchiha is Headstrong. Remember that, Haruno Ikichi-san." And he walked off, taking Sakura with him, a satisfied smirk on his lips.

"Wait." He said.

"No." Sasuke answered and looked at Ikichi. "I've waited long enough for you to accept me, I've endured ten years of being alone and not looking for another girl, I'm sick and tired of waiting, and if respecting your decision is not enough for you to accept me, then maybe showing you what a real Uchiha does will." He paused, feeling Sakura grip his hand as he returned the action. "I am rebelling; I'll fight against you to win your approval. I have done so already with your wife and daughter. You're the only one standing in our way to a happy life, you're the only one preventing our love. But that's all in the past." He looked straight ahead, sensing Sakura's smile and Lee's silent cheer. "Because now, I have won." And he continued walking away, Sakura waving bye to her friends who waved back enthusiastically. Lee wiped the happy tears away from his eyes and ran after his partner, bidding a respectful goodbye to Haruno Ikichi and the three siblings.

"Uchiha, you will regret those words…"


"Sasuke-kun," she whispered while they were on their way home that night. It was beginning to grow darker and later but they didn't care. "What is it tenshi?" he asked. "Aishiteru." He smiled and held her hand tighter. "So do I."

To be continued…


Next on Fallen: Chapter 6: Remember the time

"Hey, Sasuke-kun, look what I found!" she chirped, entering his room as he stopped fixing his things and turned to her. She held a photo album and looked really excited to open it. Smiling, he motioned her to sit on the bed as he put down the stack of papers he was fixing earlier and sat down beside her. She waited for him before she opened it, browsing at the pictures. "I remember this one…" she said, closing her eyes as if to relive the memory of the event that occurred. "This was where we first met and talked."


A/N: Whew! That was one long chapter! I hope that can satisfy you guys for a while! School is about to start and that could mean another long time for me to update, plus, I'll be getting inspiration from my high school life for the next chapter! If you have any request of their high school life that you would want to read or know about, let me know okay? So, perhaps this would be on hold after a week or so. I'll try to update soon but I'm not making any promises! Please be so kind to leave a decent and good review!