Sunday, August 4th, 2013.
Happy Birthday President Obama!
School started for me. Sadly. On the 1st.
Fun Fact: Um... I started school? I finally finished SAO?
Anime/Manga & Book Recommendation: Totally not in the mood. I dunno why. I just really don't want to do it. Sorry.
Answer to last QotW: Um... between Psycho-Pass, Zetsuen no Tempest, and maybe SAO.
Dedication: TehNicksterBoi, my friend. Go check out his stories.
Disclaimer: Is the creator of Naruto highschool? No. I didn't think so.
Nearly 3k words of SasuSaku, peeps. Enjoy it.
Even though I'm back in school, chances are, my updates will remain the same.
ATTENTION: I'm gonna do a Christmas chappy or two for DoOver, and I want ideas for presents BETWEEN pairings. Like Sasuke to Sakura, Sakura to Sasuke. Sai to Ino, Ino to Sai. Etc. So even if you're not reading it, I'd like ideas.
Enjoy the romance.
Chapter 17: The Last Present
RECAP
When we got back into the house, everyone was silent –seemed to have been since the letter– and looked at us expectantly.
We sat back on the couch, at our previous places. "Well? What next?" I questioned.
Everyone was shocked, but shook out of it, deciding to leave the matter alone. They went back to chatting to each other, eating more cake, and cleaning up the present wrappings and trash.
END OF RECAP
Sasuke POV
A few moments later, my mother signaled me to follow her. I stood and walked toward her.
She pulled me into a hallway so the others wouldn't see us.
I expected her to say something about Itachi, but surprisingly, it was something completely different.
She gave me a kiss on the forehead. "I'm going tuck in now, honey. Shisui and Mura are going to sleep in his room. Naruto in his, and the others will use the guest rooms. But there isn't enough room for Sakura."
For the record, Naruto came over so much when we were younger, Mother eventually set up his own room here. It's not as personalized as his own in his apartment, but you could tell it's his.
Anyway. To more important matters.
"We should have enough. There are plenty of rooms."
Mother had a weird, forced, yet mischievous smile that she had when she planned something. Planning something the way mischievous and meddling mothers do. I have a bad feeling…
"The other rooms are in the other houses of the Compound. We haven't touched those houses."
I had forgotten. The main house, our house, wasn't that big because it held the main family only and the Uchiha weren't famous for many children. We also tend not to like flashy things, even though we liked to show off.
Therefore, we didn't have the 20 guest rooms that celebrities have but never use. It's just completely unnecessary and a hassle.
"Can't she sleep with Hana, then?"
"Hana's sleeping in a twin bed. There's no way she could fit."
"So are you trying to tell me that she has to sleep with me?"
"Exactly that." The smile remained. I'm not objecting!
"Please explain your reasoning, Mother." I deadpanned. Don't tell me…
"I don't quite trust Kakashi, Naruto-chan, nor Kiba-kun with Sakura sleeping with them. Tsume is a sometimes violent sleeper, and her bed is too small. So is Sai's, and I doubt she'd be all that comfortable sleeping with him. And she can't sleep on the couch."
"Naruto could. Let her have his room." Mom's eyes narrowed.
"The point is, she's sleeping with you and that's final. I left something she could sleep in on your bed, dear. I trust you with her." Her tone was the one she used that showed there was no room for argument.
I sighed. "Fine."
Though she leaned in close and whispered. "I know she's a pretty girl and your hormones should be raging by now, but I trust you anyways. I know how you are. As you mother and all."
She winked at my mortified expression when she pulled away. "You care too much about her to do anything. Not to mention, you have the steel self-control of an Uchiha."
She patted my cheek and kissed the other, leaving to go up the stairs.(1) "Goodnight, honey."
I stood frozen in the hallway until Shisui walked passed by me with Mura and clapped me on the shoulder.
"What's wrong with you?" He asked. Then, he shook his head. "Never mind, I don't really care anyway."
"What a loving cousin you are," I deadpanned, my shock beginning to wear off.
"The best," he gloated. "Anyway, Mura-chan and I are going to sleep now, 'kay? I assume Mom did, too."
I nodded.
"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun!" Mura called over her shoulder as she and Shisui ascended up the stairs.
I walked out of the hallway and my father went passed me, leaving a, "Goodnight, son."
I took a seat on the couch as the other adults, Hana, Kakashi and Tsume, went to sleep as well.
"What were you doing in the hallway?" Kiba asked.
"Mom was going to sleep." He mouthed an "oh" and nodded.
"So what now?" Naruto asked. "I highly doubt any of us are going to sleep, too."
I thought for a moment. "What about video games? We can play down here because we'd probably disturb the others if we play in my room."
"Okay. What games do you have?" Sakura asked, as she and the others followed me to the TV across the room for the controllers and games. I turned the TV on.
"These. I don't feel like getting the others upstairs." I spread them out. "I have 3 controllers, so if we all want to play, we'll have to take turns."
"How do you play video games?" Sai asked.
Everyone froze.
That is, until Naruto broke it with an exaggerated, dramatic gasp. "You've never played?! You poor, deprived child!"
Sai shook his head. "I grew up in ROOT, remember? Such things would be unnecessary distractions."
Kiba slapped him on the back, grinning. "Then we're gonna teach you!"
While they were dealing with that, Sakura and I picked a game to play.
"Alright, who's going first? I should, since it's my house, my game, my controllers, and my birthday. Actually, I think I should play every turn. Who else?" I slipped the game in.
Surprisingly, no one (aka, Kiba and Naruto) protested about my playing every turn, but the aforementioned No Ones (must I spell it out to you?) broke out into an argument after both wanting to play. Sai and Sakura wanted to as well.
To calm them, Sakura suggested Rock-Paper-Scissors for the remaining four to play to decide who plays. "Best two out of three. Whoever wins in your pair plays first."
They did.
In the end, it was Kiba and Sai. Sakura instructed Sai on the mechanics of the controller and how to play this particular game, guiding him while we played. Better her than Naruto.
For whatever reason, my stomach clenched as I watched Sakura lean over Sai's shoulder, and sometimes lay her hands over his to guide his fingers while we played and she taught. Jealous~…
Not.
Naruto was sulking on the couch, waiting for the game to be over so he could play, too.
Finally, we were done and the line-up was Sakura, Naruto, and myself. The Golden Trio! (2)
That's Harry Potter.
So? We're a cool, trio, too. I need to think up of a name for the quartet we become with Sai…
... Dumbass…
"I'm gonna kick your ass, Teme!" Naruto said as we started.
"In your dreams, Dobe," I replied.
"I'm gonna kick both your asses if you don't pay proper attention." Sakura commented.(3)
"Hey, hey, Sakura-chan! Will you kiss me if I win?" Naruto pleaded. I scowled, irritated. Stupid little-…
Then, it occurred to me he was teasing, since we all know he's no longer into Sakura like that.(4) I felt a bit better.
You're never going to admit you're jealous, are you?
I won't because I'm not.
"Hell no!"
I felt even better with her harsh, blatant refusal. You're hopeless.
"Aw, Sakura-chan! That hurt…"
"Like I care."
This is gonna be fun.
I yawned as Sakura and I walked to my room. The others had already gone to their respective rooms.
Earlier, I explained to Sakura what my mom had said about her sleeping with me.
There was polite I'm-fine-on-the-couch protest, but obviously, it failed.
When we entered the room and turned on the lights, we found a pink nightgown on my bed. Sakura walked over to it as I locked my door.
Don't get any ideas – I've grown a habit of doing that since I was 7 and got sick of Shisui pranking me in my sleep and leaving "surprises" for me in the morning.
"Must be for me." Sakura said. I nodded.
She picked it up and headed for my private bathroom. "I'm gonna change, okay?"
I nodded.
A couple moments later I had changed out of my clothes, remaining only in boxers and pajama pants, sans a shirt. I lay in my bed under the covers. It's too hot for a shirt. It's July, for Heaven's sake.
Sakura came out of the bathroom in the nightgown, her clothes in a pile in her hand.
I pointed to my desk, signaling that she could put them there. She understood.
The nightgown was pink, spaghetti-strapped, and had blue ruffles.(5)
It didn't look… inappropriate or anything. My mother wouldn't do that.
No matter how much she wanted to set me up, I was still her (now) 14-year-old, "baby boy".
It actually looked pretty… cute, on her. Don't tell anyone I said that, though.
She had a small blush on her face, obviously not accustomed to such a thing. Not to mention, she had to sleep in it next to me in my bed. Refusing it would be rude. The only other option was a shirt of mine, anyway, and it probably wouldn't cover much more.
"It feels a bit weird to wear, but I like it. It's cute." She said as she walked around the bed to her side. For some reason, she stopped before she went all the way around, instead going to the door and plucking something off of it.
She walked over to the bed, reading it even as she sat down.
"What is it?" I asked.
"A sticky note your mother left." Sakura explained. "It says I could keep the nightgown."
Alright, then.
I stretched yawned. Sakura placed the note on the bedside table next to her and climbed into bed, pulling the blankets over her shoulder. I turned the lights off from the switch above my head.
Then, suddenly, she leaped up, threw the blankets off, and walked quickly to my desk.
"What are you doing?!" I asked, alarmed, flicking the light back on. What the hell?!
"I almost forgot! Your present!" She exclaimed, picking it up from the desk and walking over to the bed.
Oh.
She nearly gave me a heart attack!
I sat up and swept my legs over the side of the bed, letting them rest there as I sat.
She picked up the bag and sat beside me.
"It's not much, but I hope it'll be of use to you," she said, taking a book out of the bag.
It was almost the size of a textbook, and a hardcover.
Shinobi Tips and Techniques Vol. 1 was the title. My eyes widened. No way!
I turned to her. "I thought you could only get this if you had the clearance of a chunin or jounin." I said.
Every time I tried to buy this, I was told I had to at least be a chunin or jounin or something higher to buy it, even if you were buying it for someone else that had said status.
Same goes for borrowing it from the library – Chunin or above clearance only. Period.
So how'd she get this?
She blushed under my intense stare. "I convinced Hokage-sama is all..."
I was about to ask how, but I decided that she probably wouldn't answer me anyway.
And that some things are also better left unknown.
That didn't mean I still didn't want to know, though.
"But he had a condition." She said.
"Which was?" I asked. A condition? Well, I guess she had to do something in return to getting such a book.
"That I teach you the basics of medical ninjutsu." I blinked. Really?
"But what if I can't use it?" I remember her telling me that some people were just incapable of using it. Or, even if they were, the most some could do was the very basics and no further, which explains why there are much less medical ninjas than combat. Aside from reasons of preference, of course.
"Then I teach you more advanced first-aid." I shrugged. Sounds okay either way.
"It's beneficial that you at least know first aid in case something happens. Especially if your ambition brings you into unexpected situations…" she said, her voice trailing off. Her eyes darkened, and she seemed almost… sad. Why?
I was about to ask her when she suddenly snapped out of the trance she was in and turned back to me. "I'm sorry that this wasn't really special or anything… you're kinda hard to buy things for…" I agreed with her on the latter part. It would be hard to buy me something.
"It's fine." I said, turning the book over. I noticed that where there was usually a price sticker, there was only the small white remains of one, as if it was scratched off.
Then, I remembered something.
This book was pretty damn expensive. Like around 100 bucks and over, on sale – college textbook price, almost. How'd she pay for this? WHY would she pay for this?
Because she cares about you. I told you – girls will do a lot for the guys they like.
I ignored him and spoke out anyway. "How much did you pay for this?" I said. It wasn't a question – it was a demand.
She looked away, mumbling… "Like thirty bucks or less… not that much for a book of that size…"
I narrowed my eyes. "Tell me the truth Sakura – you and I both know that it was expensive."
She looked at me a moment, as if planning to try lying to me again. Then, she sighed, giving up – she couldn't fool me.
"It was originally $145 dollars…"
My eyes widened… What?!
"And luckily for me that was how much it was on sale. The normal price is $215. It was nearly 30% off."
"… you paid $145 for this book?"
"I'm serious about books!" She protested. "But you're right – even I wouldn't spend much unless I needed it."
"But you didn't."
"I know you wanted it a lot, though."
"You can't possibly be saying you paid that much for my sake."
"I didn't, relax."
Alright. I was confused.
"How, then?"
"I paid $55, almost one third of what I would have otherwise. Hokage-sama let me do so, paying for the rest, with a condition. Which I already told you."
"But still, that's…" It's quite a bit of money, but it's also hard to believe that's all she had to do. Is she not telling me something?
Sakura shrugged, understanding what I was trying to say. "Favoritism? He also told me to keep a close eye on Naruto, and we all know how tough that is. Compensation, maybe?"
"Are you not telling me something?" I asked. What's she not telling me?
I couldn't shake the feeling that she was leaving something out…
She jumped, looking surprised. But hesitated and confirmed my suspicions. "N-no! I told you already."
I narrowed my eyes.
She rolled hers. "Fine, maybe he did ask me to do something else. But it's none of your concern."
Well, yeah, it kinda is because you did it for me, I remarked in my head.
Sakura yawned, reminding me that we should get to sleep.
"Let's sleep now, alright? We can start your training whenever you want. Just let me know."
I nodded, placing the book on the desk and turning off the lights when I climbed back in the bed.
We both crawled in bed.
She scooted a bit close to me so she wouldn't fall of the bed if she decided to turn over in her sleep, since she was at the edge before.
My bed is queen sized, so while we could both fit alright, it's not big enough for us to be very far away from each other. We were less than a foot away from the other, but I don't think either of us really minded.
I was comfortable with Sakura – she was a good, close friend. And she is very calming to me, proven when she calmed me down so quickly after his present.
We all know what Sakura thinks of me to some extent.
I turned over to lay on my right side, my back to Sakura. She was facing it.
"Goodnight, Sasuke-kun. Happy birthday." She said, sleepiness seeping into her voice.
"Goodnight, Sakura. And thank you. Really…" I was honestly thankful to her. I owe her so much…
And I'm sure she doesn't care about compensation. She's kind like that…
"You're welcome, Sasuke-kun…" she mumbled, sleep making her words slur slightly. "I'm here for you, 'kay?"
Thank you, Sakura.
We drifted off to sleep.
It was a good sleep. Great, really.
One of the best I had in a long time.
Sometime in the night, Sakura had ended up sleeping against chest and I had my arms around her. We were so close to each other…
And for some reason, I couldn't bring myself to mind.
That doesn't mean either of us told anyone in the morning. Or anyone period.
Because that's a secret between us, for however long until one of us (Sakura, if at all; God knows I won't) breaks our silence. I don't think Sakura will though… even if Ino tries to pry it out of her.
But for now, I was content.
(1): There's a second flight of stairs in that hallway - not the main one that the others have used before.
(2): The fact that the original Team 7 was the second line-up wasn't on purpose, I swear. It just happened, and I realized it afterward.
(3): Reminds me of the "I'm gonna be Hokage!" shiz a couple chapters ago, when Sakura coined in her own 2 cents about the Hokage buzz.
(4): I don't know if I went over this already, but Naruto's moving on past Sakura after her insistence on doing so. She doesn't want him to fall into unrequited love with her again. It hurt him enough the first time, a second is just cruel. Especially when someone else loves him.
(5): Just felt like it. Here, take a look, it's really cute: : / / w w w . sammydress .c m / product 95185 . h t m l. Add the "o" between c and m.
ATTENTION:
I'm gonna do a Christmas chappy or two for DoOver, and I want ideas for presents BETWEEN pairings. Like Sasuke to Sakura, Sakura to Sasuke. Sai to Ino, Ino to Sai. Etc. So even if you're not reading it, I'd like ideas.
QotW: Favorite couples? From any anime. Preferably not Naruto, but if (one of) your OTP(s) is from Naruto, (like me), fine.
Love,
Cherry.
