Chapter 11 ---- First Date

It was Saturday. Sakura and Sasuke decided to meet at the bus stop at noon.

Sasuke was standing at the bus stop waiting for Sakura. It was five minutes before noon and he had been standing there for at least fifteen minutes.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Sasuke saw Sakura running towards him. She was wearing a pink spaghetti strap tanktop and a white skirt. She was holding a white bag. As she ran, the skirt swayed in the air elegantly.

"Have you been waiting long?"

"No," Sasuke answered.

"Oh. Ok. I tried to get here at least five minutes before noon," Sakura said panting.

"You're right on time."

They started walking.

"I'm really excited for the movies. I haven't been to the movie theater for a long time," Sakura said.

"It should be a good movie. What time do you want to see it?"

"Um…anytime is fine with me"

"…There is 12:50, 1:40, 3:30, and 5:50 for reasonable times…Others are late," Sasuke said.

"Then…1:40?"

"Ok."

Since they had sometime before the movie started, Sakura and Sasuke decided to go to a café.

Since they had sometime until the show started, Sakura and Sasuke walked slowly.

"Have you had lunch yet?" Sakura asked.

"No, have you?" Sasuke replied.

"No. Do you want to stop by the book store café?"

"Sure."

Sakura and Sasuke went to Coco's café. It was a small, country style café.

As they sat down and had a small lunch, they chatted about the movie.

"I'm really excited," said Sakura.

"Yeah, it should be good," Sasuke answered.

At that moment, they saw lighting outside followed by thunder and sudden rain. Sakura and Sasuke looked at each other. She shot a glance at her watch. It was one o'clock.

"Sasuke-kun, it's 1."

"All right. We'd better get going."

Sasuke paid for the lunch and they went out of the café.

The rain did not seem to stop. They had no umbrella.

"Raining season..," Sasuke muttered.

On the other side of the road, Sasuke spotted a man who resembled Itachi, his brother. Sasuke unconsciously grabbed Sakura's hand. Sakura, surprised at Sasuke's sudden action, looked at him. Sasuke started running.

"Wha…What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked confusedly.

Her tank top was all wet and so was her hair and skirt.

Sasuke could not hear a word. He was too afraid to even check to see if it was really Itachi, standing beyond the city's congested traffic.

They kept running till they came to Konoha Department store. They went in.

"Sasuke-kun..," Sakura said panting.

"I'm sorry. I thought…I thought I saw my brother," Sasuke answered as he was trying to catch his breath.

"Your brother, Itachi?"

"Yeah, let's go, I may have been wrong about it…Just can't feel safe around him."

Sakura remembered the day when Itachi came back to the Uchiha household. It was more than painful to think about.

"But…did he run for me? I don't know if he would've run for himself…At least not that desperately," Sakura thought.

Sakura noticed that Sasuke was still holding her hand.

Sasuke, seeing Sakura staring at her hand held by his, let his hand go abruptly blushing. Sakura looked up and smiled.

It was about time for the show time.

"They took the elevator to the top floor where the movie theater was. Sasuke insisted on buying the ticket.

The room was huge. They found a pair of open seats in the middle row and sat down. The air conditioner was on and it was starting to get to the two because they were wet.

"It's kind of cold, don't you think?" Sakura asked Sasuke as she rubbed her arms.

Sasuke realized that Sakura was wearing a thin tank top. Sasuke looked around. There was no way out. The seats were packed with people and the movie previews started.

"I…I can put my arm on your shoulder…It might help," Sasuke said in a very low tone.

Sakura looked at him.

"Did he say…"

"Do you want to do that?" Sasuke asked her with a serious face.

"S…Sure. Yes. Yes, please," Sakura answered thinking, "Wow that came out really smoothly…"

Sasuke raised his arm and put it on her shoulders. Her cold shoulders felt warm.

She couldn't believe what was happening. Neither of them noticed that the movie had already started.

"Thanks, Sasuke-kun. It's warm," Sakura smiled. She was really happy.

Sasuke simply said, "No problem," but he was afraid that his arm would start shaking.

In the middle of the movie, there was a par where a ninja appeared out of no where while the main character was alertly walking through the dark corridor of the castle. This made the whole room scream. Sakura unconsciously grabbed Sasuke's hand that was hanging right next to her face.

Her eyes opened wide and she was surprised that she actually did it.

"I can't just let go…It'd be weird," Sakura thought.

Sasuke was looking at her surprised.

He felt Sakura's small but soft and slim hand trying to get away as she said, "Sorry!"

He bent his fingers and held onto Sakura's fingers.

Sakura was astonished and so was Sasuke himself. They did not know what to feel at the moment but they both figured out that that was what they wanted.

After the movie was over, Sakura and Sasuke stood up to get out to the isle. Sakura went out first and before Sasuke could, the crowds of people pouring out of all the rows went by and he could no longer see Sakura.

As soon as he found an opening, he zigzagged through the pool of people and finally got out to the lobby. However, Sakura was not standing there. Itachi's face flashed through Sasuke's brain.

"Sakura…Sakura!" he shouted.

Only people turned around to see what the loud call was for and he could not find Sakura.

Sasuke started searching for her frantically. Knowing Itachi, Sasuke knew that anything could happen to her.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sasuke heard Sakura's voice.

He turned around and saw Sakura running towards him. She was waving.

Relieved, and somehow angry, Sasuke said, "Where were you?" Then he saw Itachi a few meters behind her in the crowd. His triumphant smirk sent an eerie chill through Sasuke's back. Sasuke ran forward and grabbed Sakura's hand tightly.

"Don't let go!" he said as he started running into the store section of the department store.

There were so many people that it was like running against a big tidal wave.

Sakura was also keeping up with Sasuke fearing Itachi. Sasuke was holding her hand so tightly that it almost hurt.

Sasuke saw an elevator. It was empty and was about to close. He pulled Sakura into it and the door shut. He pushed "G" for the ground level.

"I saw Itachi..," Sasuke said.

"What is the doing here? What does he want?" Sakura asked with a worried expression on her face.

The door opened. They went out and reached the exit.

The sky was clear and the rain had stopped. The road was wet and shining. They looked around for Itachi but he was seen no where.

"Sakura" Sasuke's grip got tighter.

"Hm?" Sakura looked at Sasuke.

"What time is it?"

"Oh…um…" The watch was on her left wrist and her left hand was gripped tightly by Sasuke's hand. She had to lift her arm to see the time. Sakura looked back up at Sasuke.

"Sakura…" Sasuke turned his body towards her still holding her hand. He looked at Sakura but did not see her eyes staring back at him in the way he was. "Right now, I'm taking you home. I want to make sure that you're safe. Itachi might be planning something again."

Sasuke took Sakura home. In front of her house, Sasuke said to her, "If anything is wrong around you, call me." His eyes were looking straight into her eyes.

"Thanks, I will. Get home safe, Sasuke-kun. I enjoyed today," Sakura smiled. She was not sure what she was feeling. Her heart should be open now but she still could give in to her own feelings.

Sasuke smiled a little and walked back home.

He knew that something was about to happen. Something disadvantageous to him.

As he turned the corner to his street, there stood Itachi with his back facing the sun.

Author Note: This chapter was a difficult one. A distraction for Sasuke's attempt to approach Sakura… Please let me know what you think. I will greatly appreciate any advice! Thank you again for reading!