Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto
The day Sasuke comes back is the day that Sakura punches Ino in the mouth.
Naruto was playing with her in the schoolyard before class started and she notices the black figure looming under a tree.
"Sakura-chan why are we going to talk to the bastard?" Naruto whines but shuts up once Sakura gives him "the look".
The look that says: I don't care what you think, I'm doing it anyways!
The one all the teachers hate.
"We know what it's like and we're going to help him through it." She answers back before brushing off the dirt and leaves clinging to her hair and knees, strolling across the courtyard with a set jaw.
Naruto trails behind her like a vibrant puppy. He knows that once Sakura gets something stuck in her head, it's impossible to change her mind.
"Hi. I'm Sakura and this is Naruto." Sakura says once she reaches the white-faced boy.
He looks pale and he has bags under his eyes and Sakura knows that they're from the nightmares.
Mother's blue eyes and the blood covering her clothes. Sticky hands and panicked breaths.
'Save me!'
"…I know who you are." He finally replies, edging away from her.
Sakura eyes him for a minute and then flops down next to him. "Well you didn't miss much at school anyways. Iruka-sensei taught us a bit about chakra-control and Ami was still being horrible to Naruto and Shikamaru fell asleep on my shoulder once."
Sasuke continues to watch her as if she is an alien lifeform and Naruto sits down next to her and tugs her hair out of its usual knots.
"And he even drooled on my shirt too!" She complains and winces when Naruto tugs on a particularly nasty snit.
"Why are you talking to me?" Sasuke demands. The boy's dark eyes are intense on hers, a vicious twist to his mouth makes Sakura think that he is thinking of killing.
Sakura stops mid-rant.
"Because I understand."
Sasuke immediately scowls and a harsh look crosses his face. "No you don't. You still have your Mother, you still have a family! So don't even try to compare your pain to mine, liar."
Naruto opens his mouth to shout but Sakura tugs on his hand and he shoves aside the rage filling him.
"Appearances can be deceiving, Sasuke." Sakura says. Her eyes are faraway but they sharpen when Naruto tugs on a lock of her hair again.
She sends him a grateful smile and he snuggles into her shoulder.
Sasuke's mouth opens and then closes. Something like shame crosses his face and he hesitates for a couple of seconds before sitting next to her and leaning back against the tree.
"…Oh and I beat Ami again!"
Naruto watches as Sakura continues to speak about daily life, his hands running through pretty pink hair and thinks that Sasuke is so lucky to gain the affection of this girl.
He snuggles closer to Sakura, who in turn, slides her fingers through his hair.
Naruto smiles and thinks that she is his world.
The rest of the day is similar. Sakura continues to ramble about everyday life and Sasuke listens with a sharp edge to his jaw.
And then comes lunchtime.
The first girl to sashay over is Ami. Her cheeks are pink and Sakura scowls at the obliviousness of this girl. Sasuke attempts to hide behind Naruto who is playing with Sakura's hair again.
"U-Um…Sasuke-kun…do you want to eat lunch together?" The girl asks, blushing.
"He doesn't have lunch." Sakura barks out before Sasuke can rally his strength and refuse.
Ami sends her a vicious glare and Sakura glares back. "Well we can just share then."
It's said with such a simpering look that Naruto has to restrain her from tackling the girl.
"What Sakura-chan is saying is that he doesn't eat lunch." Naruto pipes up, trying to distract Sakura from breaking the girl's nose.
He shudders at the memory of an angry Sakura.
"Yes he does." Ami pouts, sending Sasuke another bat of her short eyelashes.
Sakura snorts and wonders if that is how she first looked when the Okiya Mother taught her why the women in the Okiya wore loose dresses. She'd been confused and a little scared but—the Okiya mother promised she'd find out when she turned sixteen.
"No he doesn't." Naruto says calmly. His hands are still brushing through Sakura's hair and Sasuke is watching them with wide eyes.
He hasn't had anyone save him from those stupid girls before.
Ami is frustrated enough that she turns an ugly red and stomps away.
Sakura is about to turn towards her boys and offer to skip the rest of school when Ino Yamanaka runs up to them.
Pupil-less blue eyes focus on Sasuke and a dramatic sob bursts out of her lips. "Oh Sasuke-kun! I heard what happened! How terrible! If you ever need some comfort, well," she looks up at him from beneath her lashes, "I'll be waiting."
Sakura lurches forward and punches the girl straight in the mouth, eyes bright and furious.
"How dare you!" She bellows. "You shameless little girl!"
Sasuke watches with an open mouth as a tooth sails past Ino and onto the teacher's desk.
Iruka-sensei startles at the blood and Ino's shocked sobs.
"Sakura! Detention!" He shouts, "And Ami, bring Ino to the nurse!"
"Oh come on!" Sakura bellows. "She deserved it!"
Enjoy! Leave me your thoughts :)