Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any of the characters in it.
VIII.
- Table For Two -
"Hello?" Sakura kept the phone close to her ear with the help of her shoulder, busy writing the drug prescription for the woman sitting next to her.
"Sweetie, is there something you're not telling me?" her dad's voice asked, unusually even.
Sakura handed the note to the woman with a smile. "Dad, give me a second, please." She lowered the phone. "Take from these three times a day. If you're feeling worse after a week, come back to me, ok?"
"I will," the woman nodded and stood up, taking her back. "Thank you very much, doctor. Have a good day."
Sakura raised the phone back to her ear once the woman left her office.
"Sorry. I had a patient. What were you saying?"
"Do you keep secrets from me, dear?"
A furrow appeared on Sakura's face as she left the pen slowly on her desk. "I don't keep any secrets from you, dad. What do you mean? Is everything alright?"
"Even if you're in deep trouble and I can't help, I still need to know, do you understand?" Kizashi sounded somewhat cross, which is why Sakura's confusion grew stronger.
"Are you at my apartment yet?"
"Yes."
Kizashi called her yesterday, announcing that he's coming to visit her the next day. Sakura agreed, of course, seeing nothing wrong in that. He even promised to bring her some necessary things. In their last conversation, Kizashi seemed perfectly happy and... himself. Now, she couldn't recognize him. The voice on the other side was almost scolding and angry. It was a rarity to have him raise his voice like that. What concerned her more was what was the reason for that change.
"I share everything with you," Sakura drawled. "I don't understand."
"What's with that black car in front of your apartment then?
Sakura held her breath, eyes going to and fro. "...what car?"
"Are you the Government's target now? Are you being followed?"
"What? No. I don't—" Sakura leaned back in her chair, cutting her sentence in half.
"What have you done?"
"Nothing." Sakura suddenly stood up, pacing to the door and back to her chair. "Nothing wrong."
"Sakura," Kizashi demanded. "Is it something serious? Drugs or murder—"
"Goodness, no!" Sakura scoffed. "Listen, I'll come home in an hour. You stay inside and lock the door if it will make you feel better."
"If they wanted me, they would've parked in front of my house."
"Okay, calm down, I'll be with you soon," Sakura said, leaning back on her desk.
No answer followed through the speaker and before she could check if there's something wrong with her phone, the conversation ended abruptly. What was going on with her father? The last time she heard him being so cross with her was when she was in college and didn't call for a month because she had too much to study. He almost burst into tears of anger then, upset of the thought that she might have forgotten about him. It didn't help much when she explained that the reason for her silence wasn't personal and her love of him hasn't faded in the least.
Worry stung her.
A black car? What kind of a black car? The Government didn't follow her... no way. She hadn't done anything wrong. But then again, she did some illegal stuff lately, although they weren't serious crimes. A knock on the door startled her. "Come in," Sakura tucked her phone back in her pocket and a warm smile replaced her worried expression at the sight of a young mother with a daughter entering her office timidly.
"Is that the office of Doctor Haruno?" the woman asked, eyeing her suspiciously.
"Yes. That's it. I am the one you're looking for," Sakura sat back on her chair.
"Strange," The woman said with a faint smile on her lips. "I've heard rumors of how good of a doctor you are."
The ambiguous note made Sakura raise a brow.
"But?"
"Oh, uh," the woman hesitated, giving a nervous laugh, "I'm just a little surprised by the... just a little surprised, that's all."
"Oh." Sakura could clearly picture another piece of her confidence hitting a hard ground and shattering. "Well, I assure you, I am not going to let you down." She gestured at the hospital bed next to her. "You can sit here if you'd like. Let me hear what the problem is."
Upon leaving the hospital, she noticed her father's vehicle parked close to the entrance. He saw her immediately and drove to her.
"Hey," Sakura greeted, getting in, but Kizashi was scowling. "What's going on?"
"I thought it was safer if I come and pick you up myself. Walking all alone through the streets is dangerous," he explained, matter-of-factly.
"I've walked these few blocks for years now, it's not that dangerous. Police officers guard every street." Sakura put on her seatbelt. "You know I'm safe."
"Then how do you explain to me..." Kizashi's voice trailed off, his attention on the traffic light in front of him. He abruptly decided to change his direction and switched left, "the car in front of your apartment?"
"I'm almost sure it's nothing for you to worry about."
Kizashi took another route and minutes later they stopped at the street in the back of her apartment. As much as she found that behavior to be ridiculous and paranoid, she complied with her father and they entered through the emergency exit of the three-story building. The neighborhood was quiet as always and everything was as usual, which rose Sakura's suspicions. Was Kizashi bored or just the constant stress and worry had twisted his mind into thinking his closest are in danger?
Sakura unlocked the door and invited him in. "Are you hungry?" she asked, leaving her bag on the table.
Kizashi decided to pull her curtains. Soon no light entered the room and Sakura was forced to switch the artificial one on, still not daring to say anything. She headed straight to the kitchenette at the other end of the room. "Dad, relax. I'm not being followed." Sakura washed her hands in the sink and opened her refrigerator. "That's probably that car again. This guy often parks on this side of the street because he lives in the residences on the boulevard and there's no place to leave your car there."
"I'm not sure any of your neighbors have ever had the money to buy a car like that, love," Kizashi peeked through the window. "That's a private machine."
"My knowledge of cars is quite limited," Sakura exhaled, getting tired of her father's act. "That doesn't speak much to me, you know."
"This car... " Kizashi took a breath. "This car is an absolute masterpiece."
"Is that so?"
"Yeah. A V10, revving in a split second," Kizashi murmured, making a pause, "I bet she has a voice of an angel."
"You seem acquainted with the car," Sakura raised a brow, glancing back to him still watching through the window. "I didn't hear if you're hungry or not."
"I'm not. Well, every car geek would know about this beauty," he waved with his hand indefinitely. "I'm not hungry. The thing is... you have no idea how much this car costs."
"Is this a reason to believe someone from the Government is following me?" Sakura inquired.
"Yes. I can't imagine an ordinary citizen being in a possession of such a car. And the police officers don't even question it, they're just passing it by."
Sakura gave out another heavy sigh and placed yesterday's rice on the small table with the intention of eating it. "Get off the window already," she wearied, sitting on one of the chairs, "Are you gonna stay the night? Because you'll have to sleep on the couch. It's extendable."
"I wasn't going to stay, but this car bothers me," Kizashi announced, finally tearing his gaze away from the glass.
"If the Government wanted to get me, I'm sure they would've done it five minutes after they've decided to. I'm walking to the hospital and back, every day, on foot."
"That doesn't appease me. What if it's worse? What if one of these gangs has turned you into a target?" Kizashi sat across her, a shadow passing across his face.
"Then I'll call the police," Sakura shrugged.
"The same police that doesn't seem to mind a 552 horsepower monster lying literally at your front door."
Sakura shook her head. He really was a fan of that car, wasn't he? "I plan on having dinner first. The full day at the hospital exhausted me enough." Sakura just took her fork when her phone buzzed with the sound of an arrived message.
"I could stay with you, but your mother's gonna worry about you a couple of times more if I stay," Kizashi commented while Sakura pulled out her phone and checked it. "I might stay, though."
Get dressed.
Sakura stared at the display without moving. What? A few seconds later her phone buzzed again.
And tell your father these curtains are transparent and I can see both of you clearly.
"You alright, sweetie? You're pale." Kizashi tilted his head.
Sakura raised her head and looked at him for a while before comprehending what he was asking. "Uh, yes. I'm alright."
"Something wrong?"
"Not at all," Sakura murmured, eyes down on the display again.
How formal, from 1 to 10? She wrote slowly and sent back.
"Are you sure?"
"I think I might have to go out tonight, do you mind?" she placed her phone on the table.
"Go... out?" Kizashi was astounded. "Where? I thought all the nightclubs and bars were dead and gone years ago."
"I'm not completely sure where."
Was she going to play his game? The rules he set were not in her favor, though. She had zero knowledge of her surroundings, zero knowledge of him and his thinking, as well as zero knowledge of his intentions. That was a serious disadvantage for her, but then again, she could defend herself fairly well. And he seemed an intriguing opponent. Her phone buzzed again and she checked it.
12.
Oh... Okay. The stakes were high.
"I have good news for you," Sakura smiled at her father. "I know the person in possession of that car."
"You're making fun of me," Kizashi furrowed.
"I'm not," Sakura chuckled. "He's a patient of mine."
"He?" Kizashi leaned in, palms on the table.
"Yeah, he... just wrote to me."
"I understand."
Sakura raised a brow at his intonation.
"No, it's not... it's not like that. He's not..." she stuttered, eyes dropping down with inconvenience.
"It's exactly what I think it is."
"I am sure that's not the case. He's not the type to... you have it all wrong, I promise."
"Is he reliable?" Kizashi asked as if interrogating her.
Sakura stood still for a moment, watching him. "...I don't know."
"Give me one good reason to let you go out with him and I'm leaving this apartment."
Sakura relaxed back in her chair, thinking. "I saved his life?"
Her father thought over her words for a while before standing up. "In this case, I'll be going."
"Are you sure you don't want to—" Sakura stood up, speaking after him, but he sneaked away from her apartment, rejecting every offer she made until one last Take care, sweetheart. didn't silence her completely.
He gave her a tight hug and... left.
Sakura stood there, on the threshold, with a heavy heart. It touched her deeply that he cared to that extent and she appreciated it, but all that could become unhealthy at some point. Laughter and smiles couldn't conceal his true state and emotions, they never did. Kizashi was sincere and warm, at all times. He instantly reflected the problem whenever something went wrong, The pain in his eyes was discernible and his reluctant retreat clear.
Fearing that he would end up like this gnawed at Sakura for a long time. Fear of the moment when she would take serious decisions on her own and he wouldn't have a say in them, forced to be a spectator. There was a shade of bitterness in him just now, a bitterness she hadn't seen before. As if he realized she's grown up and he's not supposed to keep her from danger the way he did when she was high to his knee anymore. As if he saw her slipping away, going beyond his reach and where he couldn't follow, although he wanted to.
That's why she reminded him of it whenever she could, teaching him to see things differently, to somehow... cool in his affection to her so that the detachment afterward hurts less. She has never been a parent, but something told her that whatever she did, he was going to remain the same devoted heart. A faint smile curved her lips as she closed the door absently. There was this line that circled in her head, in fact, it was from a movie she watched a while ago. The opening line said in a female voice. Weary, melancholic timbre.
Perhaps no one has ever said that out loud so I guess I'll have to say it... only death can separate a father from his daughter.
Well, that surely had to fit in the 12 section.
Twenty-five minutes later, Sakura stood in front of her mirror, contemplating her reflection in heavy silence. She never thought she'd ever wear that dress, but here she was.
The black cotton enveloped and outlined her form, ending a bit under her knees. On both sides of the boat neckline, on her shoulders, were attached the endings of a sheer tulle of organza with a touch of pale pink that fell down her back. Exquisite, delicate blossom embroidery followed the rim. Sakura tied her hair in a low bun but left a few locks around her face. She wore pearls as earrings. After a moment of looking, she scoffed. For once her hair color was apt and she was content with the result.
Only if she knew where she was going exactly. That would've helped her immensely.
She put on her indigo trench on the way out, grabbed her black, cocktail clutch and dashed out of the apartment. The high heels didn't allow her much speed, but that had a bright side. Moving slow gave her the opportunity to examine the miraculous sight. She doubted these streets have seen or will ever see such vehicles. The car nailed the attention immediately. Matter-of-fact, her father missed mentioning some details. The color of its carbon-fibered body was matte black and the windows — darkened. It was obvious that the design was subordinate to aerodynamics because the aesthetic only reminded of a supercar. It was more of a clever fusion between every day and a racing car. Still, the sharp edges and cutoffs gave out an overall aggressive vibe.
As Sakura neared the car slowly, the front door opened and Sasuke stepped out. He surrounded the car before she could get close and opened the other door.
"Really?" Sakura raised a brow, feeling more and more as if she's going to a movie premiere. Strange, she didn't imagine him being that kind of a person. But having heard of his skills and influence, she was positive he could be whatever he wanted. He didn't lie about the 12 either. Her first thought was that he must have had something of an overcoat or a suit jacket, the weather was far too cold for one to hang around only in a shirt and a vest. Although interested in his clothing choice, she reminded herself the detailed examination could be left for later.
"Women have this unique talent in slamming doors that only need a gentle push," he explained, eyes running over her body. "I'm not doing this for you."
"Of course... that car costs more than me, I'm sure," Sakura's eyes held his as she passed by him and tore away from them while getting in.
What did he think, that she wasn't ready to handle him? He wasn't the only one armed with refined sarcasm and ambiguous remarks. Waging war might be his specialty but it wasn't like she's not acquainted with common strategies. Once he closed the door and got in his seat, Sakura reached for her seatbelt, but he just observed her while she did it.
"What?"
He didn't answer, proceeding to start the engine. A muffled, low roar reached their ears and as soon as he hit the accelerator, they set off. With the back of her hand resting on her mouth, Sakura almost laughed at the way he drove through the small alleys of her neighborhood. It wasn't like his, for sure, with holes here and there and impossibly narrow spaces between the parked cars. Evading all these obstacles clearly irritated him greatly, but neither of them said a word before they got out on the boulevard.
"You're not a fan of seatbelts," Sakura noted, in wonder.
"I'm not," he glanced up at the traffic light.
"What do you tell the police officers when they pull you up?"
"My name."
"Right," Sakura looked through the darkened glass. "Convenient."
The grumble heaved up an octave with every small touch of the accelerator, but Sakura was convinced he wouldn't have brought that kind of a car just to barely touch that pedal. "Where are we going, if it's not a secret?" she renewed the conversation as they slid down the road at a modest speed. Matter-of-fact, riding in that car was like floating, it didn't feel like the car touched the concrete at all.
"A restaurant. You might've heard about Ichiraku. It's on the city's outskirts."
"I haven't heard of it," Sakura admitted, stealing a glance at him. "But I hope my outfit meets their expectations."
"It does. Well done," Sasuke commented, looking straight ahead.
"You're not bad yourself."
Sakura finally caught a lapse of time in which she could actually see him and discern the layers of his clothing. Something about the variety of his accessories told her that he wore mainly black. Accordingly, he had a black shirt as well as a black watch but the vest was an elegant charcoal nailhead. Sakura hurried to avert her gaze to the other side before he says something about her scrutiny. Hoping that the frustration wasn't written all over her face, she furrowed over a thought in particular. He was so handsome that it physically surged through her like an electric bolt to have a single look at him.
"Finally," Sasuke murmured, shifting the gear.
Sakura noticed they have just exited the populated area and had continued their way on the highway. Here and there a chance car or a lorry passed by them, but overall the road was lone and quiet. A quiet puff escaped Sakura as she shook her head.
"What?" Sasuke inquired.
"Nothing, just..." Sakura's gaze wandered indefinitely through the window. "All these years and I haven't left this city a single time. This is the first time in ages."
"Really?"
"Yeah," she chuckled hollowly. "Perhaps the war will end sometime in the near future and I'll be able to travel."
"The war's not going to end soon," Sasuke accelerated, lowering the shrill sound of the engine. "Don't raise your hopes."
"I can't spend my life drowning in sorrows. Like you," Sakura teased, a playful smile twitching on her glossed lips. "I can always dream."
"Dreams are useless," he retorted. "You clearly haven't seen a battlefield with your own eyes."
Sakura was about to reply but they reached their destination and her attention diverted. The restaurant was built on the plateau whose foot served as a residence of Konoha. Surprisingly, the parking was full. She almost let out a laugh when the realization struck her. These were all expensive cars. So that's where the rich went to have dinner while the ordinary citizen dealt with the food deficit and the numerous restrictions. As she got out of the car, she chose to be silent for the time being. This was all unfamiliar to her and it was better if she played dumb.
Surrounding the parking place, a wide alley enveloped the glass-paned restaurant and led straight to the entrance. Sakura had a hard time moving for a moment, her eyes now on Sasuke, who walked ahead slowly, with a dark knee-length topcoat covering his shoulders.
"Are you coming?" he asked out loud as if sensing the trail her eyes made on him.
"Uh, yes," Sakura couldn't believe the heat rising within her every time she laid eyes on him. It was getting ridiculous not being able to control your own body in any way. She trailed after him obediently until he stopped to open the door for her.
"You trying to save the glass from my destructive touch now?" she wondered, entering, "I'm beginning to think you know me too well."
"I do," he said and she glanced back at him. An unpleasant sensation washed over her. What did he know about her, exactly? And why did he bring her here? There was something really suspicious about all this, but she preferred to leave these questions for later. An assistant took their coats and left them to the hostess — a short, winsome woman that spoke in a quiet manner. She ushered them into the dining hall.
"Do we have a table?" Sakura whispered, leaning his way with worry, but he didn't care to answer.
The most unnerving part was the solemn atmosphere, the lowered lighting along with the artful decorations fitting the interior. There was even a small quartet in the corner of the wide room, playing music. The dreadful feeling that she didn't belong attacked her with full force and she squeezed her bag with both hands, eyes dropping down. While the not-so-discreet wave of looks still oppressed her, the hostess left them to ensconce. It was a quiet and secluded table, adhered to the high glass wall. It seems all the visitors of the restaurant were regular and everyone knew each other. Why else would they watch her as if she's an outsider?
"Ah, Mr. Uchiha!" A cheerful voice reached their ears and they turned to look at the neatly dressed head-waiter who seemed to know Sasuke very well, judging from the warm smile on his face. Sasuke, on the other side, didn't seem to reciprocate these feelings at all. "Welcome back. I haven't seen you in a while. How is your brother doing?"
Sakura tensed terribly, not sure what to expect as Sasuke froze, eyes fixed on the waiter.
"My brother's dead," he replied coldly. "Any other questions?"
The waiter withered, his smile fading away in an instant. "My deepest, deepest condolences."
"Yeah, whatever," Sasuke snapped, turning to look through the window, but Sakura wearied, her fingers slowly creeping in closer to his hand and burning to touch it. He pulled away sharply and Sakura realized the waiter was still waiting inconveniently next to them so she gave him a guilty smile.
"I hadn't the pleasure of meeting you, dear," the waiter put on his dashing smile again and took her hand in order to kiss it, which resulted in her blushing.
"Haruno Sakura."
"Beautiful," the waiter commented and she wasn't sure if he talked about her appearance or her name. Nevertheless, this man was the first thing that eased her throughout her whole evening so far.
"You seem to know the Uchiha family very well," she noted quietly.
"Oh, yes. I had the honor to know Uchiha Fugaku, one of the most respectable men I've ever met. He came here often., the waiter paused. "Though his son has taken after his father in manners, he's the living image of his mother—"
"Okay, that's enough," Sasuke interrupted with a masterful tone but the waiter only gave him a surprised look.
"If you don't mind, sir, I'm talking with the lady."
Sasuke's gaze shifted on Sakura and the sudden urge to run hit her. Fortunately, something changed his mind and he relaxed back in his chair in defeat.
"Please, do tell me..." Sakura bit at her lower lip.
"Call me Teuchi."
"Teuchi, how much did he pay you to be so nice to me?"
"You are insulting me. Being nice is my own choice and I'm certainly not paid for it. It would've been nice if someone actually did."
Sakura chuckled.
"My guess is you are nice with every woman he comes here with," she leaned into Teuchi, whispering cheerfully. "Why should I feel special?"
Teuchi was suddenly taken aback by her statement and for a moment remained silent. He glanced at Sasuke who observed thoroughly a point in the tablecloth, appearing uninterested in the conversation.
"There must be some kind of a misunderstanding here, dear," Teuchi hid his hands behind his back. "You are the first woman he's brought here."
Sakura opened her mouth in surprise but closed it soon after. Her cheeks flushed red as she lowered her eyes down to her lap.
"Something I can be helpful with?
"Red wine. You know which one," Sasuke finally spoke.
"Very well. My daughter's going to serve you tonight. The wine will be here in no time," Teuchi nodded and left, leaving a continuous silence between the two.
"Sorry," Sakura furrowed, afraid to look up but... she did, nevertheless.
Sasuke pulled at his tie to loosen it a little. Presumably, he wasn't aware that the ghost of a smile on his face transfixed her mercilessly, the sensation like hot iron through her skin.
"Glad to know you can smile," voice down, Sakura tried to restore her dignity, even though it had completely crumbled down after her last mistake. It was a couple of times harder for her to breathe around him. "I'd embarrass myself more often."
She looked through the glass pane, leaning on her hand. Never in her life she thought she'd be able to see Konoha's lights from above. It was like tiny Christmas lights have been scattered on a vast midnight blue canvas, sparkling warmly in the distance. That city has always been in her heart, but now she loved it more than ever. Perhaps the quiet music in the background hyperbolized the feeling but still, it was true.
"You seem to visit this restaurant often," she started the conversation absent-mindedly, her eyes still upon the resplendent view.
"My father did. I just follow the tradition."
"Why didn't you take his position in the police?" Sakura turned to meet his eyes.
This time, he didn't move for quite some time. She doubted he'd give her an answer at all, after the pause prolonged, but he did. "I wanted..." he took a deep breath,"to be like my brother."
"I understand."
"No, you don't."
Sakura furrowed at him, unable to comprehend his severity. А slender, dark-haired girl approached them with two glasses and a bottle of wine. "Good evening, I am Ayame." The girl left the glasses on their table and looked at both of them. "Should I pour the wine or leave it to you?"
"Leave it," Sasuke cut in, without even turning to her.
"Thank you," Sakura smiled at her, deciding that she deserved more attention than Sasuke cared to give her before she leaves their presence.
"Do you want something else?" Ayame inquired quietly, but the silence extended, Sasuke busy glaring at Sakura.
"That will be it for now," Sakura finished the conversation on her own and Ayame walked away.
"Stop doing that," Sasuke gritted teeth.
"Doing what? Being nice, like every normal human being would?" Sakura asked, lowering her voice over the table.
"I'm not the one who keeps bragging about being better than the rest," he leaned in.
Sakura scoffed. "I'm not better than the rest. I just thought she deserved—"
"You keep doing that," Sasuke shook his head. "Even now."
He wounded her, with every single word he said, and she could only watch in awe. She fought the anger in her chest and forced her voice to come out as even as possible. "Sorry, what exactly did you bring me here for, again?"
"I was assigned to study you," Sasuke threw in, and a brief pause spread between them.
"What?" Sakura gasped. "Study me?"
"I had to check if you're good enough. If you're dependable," he went on, mercilessly. "And you know what, I don't think you're even near to good enough. You are a disaster."
Sakura had frozen in her place, astounded. "I—"
"Don't start again," he cut her off. "Why don't you just stop playing the caretaker and skip to the point?"
"Excuse me?"
"Come on, I've seen that look before. We both know what you want." Sakura was too stunned to talk, opening her mouth, but words didn't come out of there. He used her confusion and continued, "I don't need another desperate pick-me girl to tell me what to do with my life."
Sakura swallowed, feeling as if physically hit. Tears filled her eyes and threatened to suffocate her as she stood up slowly, leaning on the table for support because she wasn't sure her body would listen to her. "Thank you..." a smile emerged on her trembling lips, turning her face into a grimace. "For bringing me here. Very kind of you. Good night."
She walked away, ignoring the attendants' piercing gazes. Her only hope now was that she would find a taxi to take her home quickly. This day was just too long.
A/N: That... was a bit longer than usual. Thanks for reading. Smooth Sasuke is smooth (or not so much lol) I transformed Ramen Ichiraku into a fancy restaurant, hope you like the change.
Chapter 9 will practically be overthinking Sakura and... some other things I'm not gonna share but it's gonna be more of a filler, just so you know. Could be shorter than normal, I'll see. See you next time and another thank you to whoever joined in recently!