A/N: honestly been feeling a lot of stress and anxiety bc of work and general Life rn lol so this story was a nice break to write. Thank u brumel for inspiring me to actually finish this story ~
He first met her when buying groceries at the open market.
Oh no, he thought, she's cute.
He swore off chasing women for quite some time to focus on training for his jounin exams, but old habits die hard and he could feel his fingers start tingling with an urge to run them through this stranger's pretty pink hair.
It hadn't been that long. His flirting couldn't be that rusty.
He strolled up to her, whistling with false nonchalance. He peeked into her grocery bag in an attempt to strike up a conversation, "Ooh, potatoes! Making a nice meal at home? I'm just here to pick up a few necessities. I'm treating myself to take out for a while since I just passed my jounin exams."
At least he wasn't lying. The grueling exams definitely gave him a free pass to treat himself to whatever he wanted for an entire week. He might even consider sleeping in for a few days.
She smiled tightly at him (oh no, she's really pretty) and said, "Yup, dinner." And that was it.
He expected a bigger reaction, so he tried again. "Oh, maybe you didn't hear me correctly. I said I'm a jounin now. It's kind of a big deal."
"Um, okay? I don't really care." This was Konoha, she ran into plenty of shinobi everyday. She just wanted to finish going about her daily business without hearing some guy stroke his massive ego, no matter how cute he was. In fact, she was tired of the way shinobi walked around acting like they were a gift to this earth!
It was like a pound of bricks fell onto his head. She didn't care about possibly the most important development in his young life? To make matters worse, she started moving away after paying for her final items.
He felt his blood pressure spike. He couldn't let her just get away like this! There had to be something he could do to at least get her to talk to him. Couldn't she feel the undeniable connection pulling them together?!
Then, with stealth that was typically only afforded to the most skilled of kunoichi, she melted away into the crowd and was lost to him.
He pouted. He was definitely going to need some comfort food tonight. May we meet again, beautiful stranger, he thought wistfully.
His wish was granted two days later when he went to deliver a message from the Hokage to Ino. He found the blonde woman working at her family's flower shop and complained loudly that such minor errands should be left to the genin kids, not a jounin as esteemed as himself. He was about to leave as soon as his work was done when a familiar pink head emerged from the back—
"So fate would have it that we meet again!" he declared dramatically.
Sakura jumped, not expecting to see him again, let alone at her job. She glared at him while Ino watched with an amused expression, "Are you following me or something?"
"No, no, I would've found you much sooner if I actually tried. But today the stars have aligned and brought us together again." He pulled a long-stemmed rose from nearby and presented it to her. "A gift for you."
Sakura rolled her eyes but couldn't do much else since she was stuck behind the register. He really had to show up here on all days when her hair was a mess and her skin was breaking out?
Ino finally spoke up, "So Sakura, I had no idea you had other shinobi friends. How do you two know each other?"
"We are not friends."
Sasuke jumped in, "At least, not yet! Ino, why didn't you tell me you were hiding the real flower in here?"
Sakura groaned, "We said two sentences to each other at the market. Is he always like this?"
Ino nodded sympathetically, "Unfortunately. Well, it's my lunch break so good luck you two!" She had always felt like Sakura could benefit from some romance, why not just throw her into the thick of it with Sasuke?
He rushed up towards the counter and offered her the rose again, "Finally, we're alone. So what do you say? Let me take you out, we can get to know each other a little better."
"A red rose?" she snorted, "Please, could you get any more stereotypical?"
He blinked innocently, "What? Since when did true love, romance and passion go out of style?"
She rolled her eyes and went back to fiddling at the register in an attempt to appear busy, "If you're trying to win me over or whatever the hell it is that you're doing by bothering me at my job, it's not working."
"Fine, then teach me. What kind of flowers do you suggest I give you? Won't you give me an example?" He planted his elbows on the counter and rested his chin on his clasped hands, waiting eagerly for an answer.
"Do I look like I was born yesterday? I wouldn't fall for that in a million years. If I made a bouquet to express my feelings for you, it'd be a bundle of thorns. Now buy something for real, or go."
He sighed, "You're no fun. Fine, be a doll and wrap up some camellias, please. Oh, and add some lilies in there while you're at it."
Sakura raised a brow, wondering how she got him to actually make a purchase and drop the red roses so quickly.
"For my mother," he said with a genuine smile. She was currently the only woman in his life and he surely wanted to treat her right.
Sakura nodded and got to work arranging them prettily, choosing multiple colors and finishing the arrangement off with a burgundy ribbon. When she slid them over the counter he asked, "How much?"
"It's on the house," she mumbled. Something about a big bad shinobi (a jounin at that, as if he'd let her forget) going through with such a tender gesture made her soften.
"What?" he asked, bewildered. After all that he would've thought-
"Now get out before I charge you triple."
He scooped up the fragrant bouquet and made himself scarce, but not before calling over his shoulder, "I'll tell her they're from her future daughter-in-law!"
He came by nearly everyday, procuring the nearest red rose and pretending to offer it to her over the counter. She pretended to not find him attractive and always shooed him out saying she had work to do when not a single customer could be found. But he always kept the promise of returning the next day unless he had a mission.
Sometimes he would try appealing to her heart by harping on how dangerous his next mission would be and she better appreciate this time with him now because tomorrow...who knows? What started as a little game ended up becoming rather significant to him. He wasn't sure how to convince her that he really, truly liked her though.
A few weeks after first meeting, she was locking up the store without paying much attention to her surroundings because annoyingly enough, her mind was elsewhere. She was wondering about Sasuke because he hadn't come to the store today. It felt like her routine had been completely disrupted even though his presence usually meant she was distracted from her duties…
Lost in thought, she didn't even notice the guy with a glinting kunai lurking around the corner. Right before she managed to finish locking the front door, he came up behind her and pressed the sharp tip to her neck, "Why don't you open up that door and show me where the cash is?"
She sucked in a sharp breath and became hyper aware of her body's reaction: trembling, heart racing, ears ringing. She had always felt safe in Konoha, she wasn't even on alert. She was about to agree and slowly move to open the door when in true ninja fashion, Sasuke dropped in from above and declared, "You're pathetic, leave her alone!"
The attacker whirled around to face Sasuke and spit, "What're you doing here pretty boy?" He slashed his kunai through the air in an attempt to intimidate Sasuke. To Sakura's untrained eye, it was certainly a threat, but to Sasuke's keen sharingan, it was child's play.
Without much effort at all, Sasuke disarmed the man and pinned him roughly against the wall. "I think you owe this nice lady an apology." The man's eyes were filled with fear and embarrassment.
"I-I'm sorry! I just thought since she's...it would be easy."
"Since she's a civilian?" Sasuke drawled lazily. "You messed with the wrong one."
"I wasn't gonna really hurt her!"
"Tell that to them," he scoffed before jostling the man over to the Uchiha patrol that had seemingly appeared out of nowhere.
They led him away quickly, clearly not listening to his pleas that he was just trying to make a quick buck because all the more skilled ninjas kept snatching up all the jobs.
Sasuke sighed and shook his head. "It's not like Konoha's jail fixes any of his problems…"
He fixed his hair and flashed a smile, "Sorry you had to see that. You're not hurt, right? Where were we then? How about that date?"
"Okay," she found herself saying. She was grateful to him for saving her, as easy as it was for him, and she was feeling rather hungry. He could make decent company, she supposed.
"I promise, it'll be fun—wait, huh, what?"
"I said okay," she affirmed. "I'll go out with you. On a date."
"Oh wow, really?!" he asked excitedly but then attempted to recover by clearing his throat. "I mean, oh, good. Glad you came to your senses." He reached out to tap the tip of her nose.
She scrunched her face up at the affection but didn't back down otherwise. In fact, she shrugged and asked, "Can we just go now? I'm getting hungry for dinner."
He fumbled because this was not following his five year plan at all, but to hell with the plan! He straightened up and offered her the crook of his elbow, "My lady."
She rolled her eyes but took his arm anyway and allowed him to guide her to some restaurant of his choosing. She really, really hoped she wouldn't regret this.
At the restaurant she caught him staring at her while she browsed the menu, so she looked him dead in the eye, "Do I make you nervous?"
"Yes!" he blurted
She allowed herself a small smile and turned back to the menu, settling into her chair a little more comfortably. Despite his womanizing history, what she could pick up about Uchiha Sasuke was largely impressive: famous clan, incredible powers. She should be flattered to have this effect on him. Actually, maybe because of his womanizing history she should feel proud of having power over him. Going after girls was one thing, being vulnerable was another.
She sighed. No need to get ahead of herself. It was just a date for now.
They made small talk that turned out to be pretty pleasant as they waited for their food to arrive. He told her about his day, explaining that his lateness was due to helping an old woman with her groceries.
"Can you teach me how to do that, by the way?" she asked after they ate in silence for a while.
"What, eat left handed?" he asked obviously.
"No, fight someone. What you did was really cool back there." She had always felt safe in the village precisely because of the presence of people like Sasuke, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to learn some self defense. She was no kunoichi, but it could be fun.
He chuckled, "Oh, kitten. What you witnessed back there was the result of years and years of relentless shinobi training-" He cut himself off after noticing the way she was leaning forward over the table. Why in the world did he find someone's collarbones so attractive?
When he finally managed to tear his eyes away from that delectable expanse of skin and actually look at her face, her expression clearly said, I am no longer asking.
He gulped. "I'll pick you up tomorrow. Be ready at 9." His voice cracked despite his best efforts.
They went to his usual training ground the next morning. Even though every aspect of the situation should've made him feel like he had the upper hand, her presence still put him on edge.
Maybe it was time to put her on the chopping block. He whipped out one of his dirtiest tricks. "I like to train with my shirt off if that's alright with you," he said casually, peeling his top off and exposing his toned body.
"Oh. Should I do the same?"
"NO," he scrambled, "are you trying to make me lose focus?! I am your sensei here. Let's be a little professional, kitten."
"I don't think you'd call some academy kid kitten."
"Nope," he agreed, "it's a special nickname just for you."
She groused, "I'm sure that's what you tell all the women. Can we hurry up and get started?"
"Let's warm up first." Then, he caught sight of something bright. He grabbed her hand to inspect it and found one fingertip wrapped in a bright pink bandage. "Training gone wrong? You should've waited for me."
"Ha ha. Roses have thorns you know." She pulled her hand back, rubbing her wrist where his skin touched hers. If she nicked her finger because she was distracted thinking about him, that was her secret to keep.
They ran through some basic stretches and then he walked her through a few self defense poses. He taught her how to hurt someone bigger than her without hurting herself. Who knew the elbow was so powerful?
"What if someone grabs me, kind of like today?" she asked. He had considered teaching her to break out of a few common holds, but wasn't sure if she'd be comfortable with that. But if she was asking, it wouldn't hurt for her to be prepared.
"First lesson, always watch your own back. The enemy can come up from anywhere, really. Say someone is trying to grab your groceries…" He ran with the example, grabbing her wrist and teaching her to twist in a way that wouldn't hurt for her, and set her up to clock the enemy in the face. "They'll never see this one coming!"
He couldn't help but immerse himself in training, taking on the role of a truly excited sensei instead of a nervous boy. He demonstrated some of the ways he received his nastier injuries ("But you'd be able to get out of this one unscathed, all thanks to me!") and they ended up wrestling around for a bit as he tested her strength. He dared her to try roughing him up a little, but she eventually conceded. She knew when she was beat.
Breathing heavily, they both plopped down on the grass. She admitted, "I can see why you like this. I'm tired, but I also feel...powerful. Like there's more energy running through me." She had always wondered why shinobi insisted on pounding each other to a pulp for the sake of "training" but this wasn't so bad.
"Ah, that would be your chakra. Even civilians have chakra flowing through them. Training always makes me feel better." Although right about now, his head wasn't feeling as clear as it usually would after a training session, thanks to his special guest.
"Still wouldn't wanna be you though," she puffed. Being tasked with protecting a village as large as Konoha must be hard work.
"Ah, that's a first. Many want me, many want to be me...you sure you don't fall into either of those categories?"
That pulled a laugh out of her, "You'll have to introduce me to some of these people who want you, because I'm still not buying it. And I think this 'shinobi for a day' training is plenty for me. I know some civilians wish they could become ninjas, but I don't think I was quite primed for that." She gazed up at the clouds, becoming more serious.
He was buzzing with curiosity, "What do you mean?" Even as a shinobi himself, he noticed the way being a ninja was portrayed as the most noble profession, with ninjutsu and genjustu being placed on particularly high pedestals. He thought about how people like Rock Lee were often looked down on for relying on taijutsu because theoretically, anyone could do that. To be a shinobi was a gift.
"I used to get bullied a lot as a kid," she started with a sigh. "Both for my looks and the fact that I was just a civilian. They called me weak...useless. I've grown more confident when it comes to my appearance, but sometimes there's a voice in the back of my head that tells me I don't contribute anything to this village since I'm not a ninja." She never worshipped the ground shinobi walked on because so many of them had hurt her as a kid. Ino was her only non-civilian friend, actually.
"We need you around otherwise we'd blow up the whole world, don't you think?" He said it so casually that it made her laugh.
"Sure, I guess so. And hey, what about your eyes?" She'd been curious for a while actually.
"Oh, the sharingan." He had activated it earlier without offering an explanation. He brought it back again with a single blink and was startled by the way she looked at him so intently. Most feared his ocular powers so greatly they always avoided making eye contact. "It's a clan thing. Some call it a gift, some call it a curse. I think it's a bit of both." A common theme in the shinobi world. He had his destiny.
But he didn't want to linger on the subject, so he turned to her, "What about you? Why'd you start working at the flower shop?"
She blinked, not expecting the question. This wasn't their first truly sincere conversation but she started to realize she didn't hate it. "At first it was just a job I could do while I finished school. The flowers are pretty, they smell nice, Ino's great, you know. But I decided to stay because I liked how flowers mean something to people. I've seen plenty of shinobi visit their team in the hospital with flowers, or even a grave. I love doing wedding arrangements. I think it's really sweet when people give flowers just because, or if they're for a certain occasion. It brightens my day too."
"My mother really appreciated those flowers the other day."
She laughed, "Did she? Well I'm glad. It was a nice bouquet, I can admit that."
He hummed, "She told me to leave you alone, too. I told her I just can't help it, but she said you'll come to me if it's true love. Which it definitely is." He sighed and got up to his feet, dusting himself off. He reached a hand down to help her up, "Let's get you home. I've got a mission tomorrow too, I had better prepare."
She let him walk her most of the way home and was about to call out "see you tomorrow" but the words died on her lips when she realized he would be out of the village tomorrow. Was she feeling disappointed?
He returned from the mission tired and dirty but otherwise unharmed. He walked leisurely towards the looming gates of Konoha, not paying much attention to the world around him. He should be safe at this distance.
Eventually, he noticed a figure waiting near the gates. Was that…?
"You waited for me," he stated when his feet finally carried him far enough to look Sakura in the eye.
She bit her lip, "I did."
"And you brought me flowers."
She sighed, "Yes, I did."
"Why?"
Sakura shoved the bouquet into his hands then hugged her arms close to her body, "It's your fault, idiot. You're always going on and on about how your missions are so dangerous and you have to fight off so many bad guys." She stamped her foot and declared, "I was worried about you!"
His face lit up instantly, elated. "They are dangerous!" he insisted. "But this was just a routine patrol. A little annoying, but manageable. And, I am a jounin after all."
She rolled her eyes, but her expression was playful, "Yeah, I think you've mentioned it a few times."
They started walking into the village together, hands brushing against each other just so. He made a big show of smelling the flowers and giving his approval. "Can you patch me up a little? I think some of your pink bandages would work."
"In your dreams."
"Oh come on! You have to at least give my knee a kiss to make it better." Besides, he already did dream about it.
Did she even want to ask? She sighed, curiosity getting the best of her, "And why only your knee and not somewhere else on your body?"
"Because!" he cried out, "I scraped my knee falling for you!"