"Sasuke, congratulations about your brother becoming Hokage."
He gives her a dark glare, before going back to staring at the wall.
"Hn."
With a sigh, Sakura turns back to facing forward when she hears him mumble something under his breath, "What's so good about that?"
They are the only two people in the room, as they wait for everyone to arrive.
Fwup.
Sakura glances back, her head tilting sideways just in time to see the younger Uchiha leave the room.
And then there was one.
She sighs and takes out her book, starting to read.
Alright…focus…focus…
If only for a split second, the water obeys her will and rises—SPLAT. Sakura glares at the stubborn pond.
I'm going to get this, just watch, you evil body of water!
And thus starts her training again.
Chakra to the soles of the feet. Chakra to the water. Lift the water…Lift the water…Form it into a—SPLAT!
She fails—falls.
And she suddenly realizes she can't breathe underwater. Wet hands pull her down, while her solid ones are trying to bring her up.
Oxygenoxygenoxygenoxygenbreathegoddamnit!
In her panic, she doesn't feel the unfamiliar grip on her arm.
BreathebreathebreatheAIR! AIR! AIR!
Coughing out water, she gulps breath after breath down, her hunger insatiable.
Why is she so…tired…breathe…breathe…
Her eyes close shut, but not before she sees a familiar classmate. Black hair, black eyes, fan insignia.
"Are you stupid or what?"
Dots…dots are forming…pretty dots…
"Can't you…Sakura! Sakura, are you okay?"
She wakes up to find her mother fussing about her. Uchiha Sasuke isn't in sight.
She blinks.
No, her vision is fine.
She pinches herself.
No, she is not dreaming.
She forms a seal with her hands.
No, it's not a genjutsu.
Yes, it's actually Uchiha Sasuke leaning against the tree.
"…So?"
Sakura shakes herself.
"Sorry, what was that?"
His eyes seem to bore into her.
"Can I walk you home?"
There! He said it again! But why?
Sakura nods hesitantly.
"…U-un."
Tense and silent. Bored. Slightly freaked out.
It's the oddest walk home she's ever had.
The experience repeats for a week. Then, a change.
"How was your day today?'
Okay, so maybe that wasn't the question she really wants to ask. Baby steps.
"…Fine."
"…Oh…kay."
Silence. Again.
Next week. Next step.
"Would you like to come in? My mom's not home, so she won't mind."
Oh course he's going to say no. But still, it's a step.
"Sure."
…WHAT?
Suddenly stiff, she opens the door and lets the both of them in. As he enters, he looks around curiously.
"Your house is very traditional."
"Yeah, Mom is like that. You should hear how she prattles on about being a proper lady," Sakura babbles. She clumsily closes the lock. For some reason, she can't help but feel the Uchiha's stare upon her back.
She begins to busy herself with tasks so she won't have to meet his eyes.
"Your mom…is she your biological mother?"
Sakura stops in her work of pouring boiling water into her teakettle.
"No, she's adopted me when I was six." Sakura curiously looks over to the boy, her previous mission forgotten. "Why do you ask?"
"Pink hair."
Silence. Sakura gaping. Sasuke...
...Was that a…a…smile? Darn, where's her magnifying glass when she needs…it…
Suddenly realizing she's staring, she goes back to the very important task of getting out the teabag. Right. Avoid the Uchiha's eyes. Don't get caught into any uncomfortable position.
"Do you like green tea with…" Sakura squints her eyes as she holds up the box, trying to read the fancy writing. "…Sakura extracts? Or would you prefer…mint tea made for majesties of…whatever?"
"Green tea, if you would."
Sakura puts back the mint tea.
"Right."
Silence.
Silence.
Curses, sometimes she wished she could be as charismatic and talkative as Ino. A very few rare sometimes, she'll admit, but still…
"So how was your day?"
"Fine."
Sakura continues to make odd small talk as she pours the tea out for him. Sasuke gives his usual monosyllable answer with no indication of interest in anything other than looking around.
Pound! Pound!
"Sakura, it's Mom! Can you open the door? I lost my keys!"
Sakura with a sigh gets up.
"Again?"
She goes the door and opens it, looking at her very flustered and tired mother with mock disgust. Turning back, she opens her mouth to introduce her mother to Sasuke when she sees…
He's gone.
"Why do you walk me home everyday?"
There. She's said it. And she's suddenly regretting it.
Suddenly her life is flashing before her eyes: The day Ino became her friend, the day she met Shikamaru...
Thump. Thump. Thump. Thumpthumpthump
...The day her she met her mother, the day she passed her exams without studying...
"I want to be your friend."
Thu…
...The day Sasuke first walked her home...
Her heart skips a beat.
"Wha…" Her mouth is open, dumbfounded. She quickly closes it. "Why?"
He just gives her one of his usual long blank stares. And then—
"Pink hair."
He walks on, and she can actually feel him smirking. She quickly strides up to him.
"What's that supposed to mean!"
For a moment, she had thought herself in love with him. Maybe.
This is a period in her life she'll never forget.
It's also a period of her life she'll never remember—too blurry.
This is what she does remember:
A smirk.
Ino's incredulous and jealous face as Sakura tells her, Sakura herself being very amazed.
Going out for ice cream. His favorite flavor is vanilla.
The way he loathed his family, his brother especially. She never understood why.
Sparring sessions. He would win. A lot. Except for that one time. She'll never forget.
His weird way of making pink hair the answer to everything. He was oddly obsessed with it, and would love stare at it. It made her blush.
Whacking him on the head was he was being stupid. Surprisingly, the rookie genius did have his moments.
The time when he bought flowers from Ino's shop to apologize.
The time when he didn't get her chocolate for White's Day. Sakura gave him hell for that.
Christmas—a simple card. "You mean everything to me." (This was printed on the card.) "And pink hair." (That was what he wrote.) A pair of chopsticks was attached to it.
The day he told her that she was the closest thing he had ever gotten to a best friend.
That freaked her out.
Greatly.
But it also touched her.
Maybe.
How did it become like this? She doesn't know.
"Okaa-san?"
No answer. It's dark. It's quiet. It's not right.
She turns on the light. Empty house. Everything…in order? Since when?
And then—
"Okaa-san?"
It's a lie.
It's a lie.
It's a lie.
"Okaa-san?"
It's a very bad dream.
It's a nightmare.
It's a genjutsu cast upon her.
It's not real.
"Okaa-san?"
Why is she lying on the floor?
Why isn't she breathing?
Why is her mother lying in a red pool of blood?
Her face is cold. Her hands are cold.
Frozen.
She won't wake up.
Shaking hands move from her mother's fingers to her wrist. Pulse—
Dead.
In two days, she will learn the details. The "Uchiha Massacre", as it was named, was the event where nearly the whole clan was wiped out. Only two survivors remain, Uchiha Itachi and his younger brother, the murderer, Sasuke Uchiha.
In two days, she will receive a pile of books found in her mother's safety vault, a note along found with them.
Property of Ameno Mikoto. In case of death, please give to my daughter, Ameno Sakura.
Sakura, please read this one first.
AN: Yup. I told ya. Happy story. But I'm still not so good at writing angst.
Just to make sure readers understand, this chapter happens before the prologue. Did I make that clear, or is the story still confusing?