Military Chapter 2, a naruto fanfic

Thanks to those who reviewed! I'm not gonna list them down here, but you know who you are! xD

A/N: Okay…I noticed most of you saying 17 would be too young to be a Lieutenant Colonel for Sasuke. Sorry but I didn't wanna put him as 21, though I think I should have…but now I'm too lazy to edit it soo…bear with it? D: I did do research on the rankings though if it makes people feel better… m( )m

Military

Chapter 2

The blonde haired woman glared at the young Lieutenant Colonel in front of her, he neither looked nervous nor frightened as he coolly stared at her hazel eyes, awaiting her next words.

"I am not please with this report, as you can see." She said, pulling out a folder from her drawer. She did not receive any respond from the teen, and it irritated her.

His mentor stood to the side, mentally scolding the Lieutenant Colonel, but Sasuke said nothing and continued to stare at the Marshal.

"But because of your reputation and skills, I am not willing to sacrifice anyone who has proved their worth." She continued, pulling out a few papers from the folder. "So I'll give you a choice, to choose…"

Sasuke blinked. "To…choose?"

2 years ago

1st September

Nine p.m.

Isolated.

That's what Sakura had said to him before he lashed out at her. Her tear stricken face made him flinch before he turned and left her to his other two comrades. He could angry shouts and curses from Naruto, and he felt the glare on his back from his General, Hatake Kakashi, yet he walked on as though it had not affected him.

He wouldn't…couldn't let a girl get through the walls he so carefully built around his heart, not after his parents death.

"Sakura! Are you okay?"

The blonde teen held her shoulders gently, urging the girl to tell him what had happened between the Uchiha and her. One moment he had been watching Sakura, who was talking to Sasuke when the girl said something and the Uchiha had lashed out at her. He had been utterly confused by Sasuke's behavior, it wasn't everyday you see him snap at people, especially girls.

Curse the bastard, Naruto was really tempted to knock some sense into the Uchiha's head right now.

The General's reaction was different from what Naruto expected. He had thought that Kakashi would demand to know the problem, but he merely shook his head and dismissed them, telling Naruto to bring Sakura back to her quarters. Naruto's answer was a nod and Kakashi left without another word. He needed to talk to the Uchiha about this one.

Sasuke sat cross legged on a branch in a tall tree by the river, the very same river he had met Sakura. He frowned, wondering why he remembered such a thing. He leaned back against the bark of the tree and sighed softly, thinking back on his 'fight' with the pink haired girl. It was not because of her words that bothered him, it was how well she saw him that he was worried about. No one had ever said those words before, nor had anyone bothered to. They never saw what was underneath his cool façade and he never let them. So how was one girl he had just met a few weeks ago managed to do that?

"So what are you going to do about it?"

A voice that was all so familiar to the Uchiha said, as the teen glanced down to see the General leaning against the tree he was in. He returned his gaze to the sky and shrugged.

"Why did you do it?"

He remained silent. Why had he?

"If you continue like this I doubt Naruto would be forgiving…"

He snorted. "I don't really care what the dobe does."

The General's lone eye gazed lazily towards the teen on top. "Are you sure?"

Did he?

He again remained silent, contemplating his choice of answer. "Maybe."

Kakashi chuckled. The young boy was so easy to read and he didn't know it. "I would suggest talking to her about the problem, I just don't understand how you let your emotion get the best of you."

"…I don't know." He muttered, his frown deepening. "It just…happened."

Kakashi nodded, smiling behind his mask. He turned to leave, when he felt Sasuke behind him. He cocked an eyebrow, silently questioning him. He appeared to be uncomfortable about something.

"Thanks…I guess." He mumbled, barely audible.

If Kakashi was surprise he did not show it, he merely chuckled and ruffled his ward's hair like when he was young and walked off, ignoring the glare he got from the Uchiha. What he did miss, was the small smile on the teen's face after his back was turned.

She stood there, like any other nights when he was on patrol duty. Her pink locks swaying gently with the wind, and her back facing him.

He was lost at what to do.

Naruto had confronted him earlier that day, after he had returned. He took in all the shouts and yells from the blonde, gritting his teeth in annoyance, but he knew he deserved them all the same.

"Damn it apologize to her."

Naruto had said after running out of breath. Sasuke stared at him weirdly.

"What?" he asked bluntly, not believing what he heard.

"You heard me." Naruto snapped, folding his arms across his chest. "Even if she did say something to upset you, you shouldn't have snapped at her like that. I'm pretty sure she didn't mean to upset you."

Great, Naruto was being wiser than him. He scowled.

"I won't -"

"Don't tell me you won't!" Naruto yelled again. "It's your bloody fault she was crying this afternoon! Don't deny it!"

Sasuke winced unknowingly. Naruto's obnoxious loud voice pierced the air and his ears painfully, and by now all the occupants of the quarters were staring at them, not that they weren't already.

Naruto straightened himself after that, then grinned all of a sudden. "Because of that, you're doing patrol duty tonight."

Sasuke immediately glared at him, but it did not have the desired effect as Naruto turned and walked off, no doubt off to the showers.

He sighed, racking his hand through his black hair as he wondered how to approach her.

"Who's there?"

Her soft voice made him snap back to reality as he walked out from behind the shadows of trees. She gasped in surprise but quickly smiled at him.

"Sa-Uchiha-san." She greeted, her fake cheeriness easily detected by Sasuke.

"Sasuke." He said, making her blink.

"Eh?"

"Call me Sasuke, I'm still your comrade or teammate." He replied, and she dumbly nodded.

"Alright, Sasuke it is then." She said, and her voice sounded lighter than before. He shifted uncomfortably before her, as she stared at the ground as it was the most interesting thing.

"Listen, about this afternoon…" he started, but trailed off, not knowing what to say.

She stiffened at the mention of the incident, he noted as he remembered the words that they exchanged during their 'fight'.

"You should stop that." Sakura had said.

"Stop what." He replied, downing his water.

"Being so isolated. It hurts to see you pushing everyone away when you need someone."

He stop drinking immediately, anger flashing in his eyes as he glared at the girl beside him. "What would you know." He snapped, screwing back the lid on the bottle.

"I don't, but it still hurts." She said, frowning up at him.

"So stay out of it." he said, his glare never leaving her.

"Sasuke…everyone needs somebody. Even someone like you."

He stared at her in disbelief. Here he was thinking he finally had some peace because his team did not consist of a fan girl bugging him, but now he had someone that thought she knew him?!

"I do NOT need your opinion on what I need or what I do not!" he hissed. Sakura did not back down.

"Sasuke! Don't you know it'll only hurt more?" she tried to let him see the logic there, but he was already on the edge.

"NO!" he shouted all of a sudden, startling her. He noticed his other two comrades had turned to their direction, no doubt shocked at his sudden outburst.

"Damn it Sakura!" he yelled. "I don't need nor do I WANT someone telling me what will happen if I don't live my life like any normal human would!"

"Sasuke…"

"Did you have to see your parents die in front of you? Did you need to feel the pain of not being able to protect them because you were too weak? Did you need to feel the pressure of being hidden in the shadows of your elder sibling!?" he all but shouted at her, and she suddenly felt terrified of him, her tears streaming down her face as he continued to glare at her.

"You wouldn't." he stated, as he turned and walked away, ignoring Naruto's shout and curses that were directed at him.

He scratched the back of his head nervously. He had never felt this way before, and he had never been in this position before either.

"I just wanted to say-"

"I'm sorry."

Her sudden apology stopped his words and left him staring at her. "What?"

Sakura looked away, and he continued to stare at her. "I shouldn't have…been assuming so much, about you I mean."

Damn, he wasn't expecting that.

It left him speechless, because he was the one who should be apologizing, not her.

Emotions are not suppose to get in the way, be it in a mission or training.

He shook his head. He didn't know it, but he was showing more emotions than he had for the past 16 years of his life.

A mere girl did this to him, and he wondered if he had made a mistake to get to know her.

"Sakura, I'm sorry."

The girl looked surprised. Her mouth parted and her eyes fixed on his emotionless face.

She smiled.

Loud, irritating.

That was registered in his head as he rub his temples. That dumb blond girl was clinging onto him as though the world was going to end.

"What do you want Ino."

Her blue eyes glared slightly at the Major, seemingly unafraid of him. He glared back.

"Just asked if you could take over my Cadets again today." She smiled sweetly at him.

He wouldn't fall for it again. Not after the last time.

"Shift your weight to your right shoulder."

So why was he here again?

Right. She blackmailed him, or tried to.

"Sakura was crying that day and I no doubt know it was you who caused it." she had said dangerously.

Like they say, hell hath no fury like a woman's scorn.

It was unimaginable that he, Uchiha Sasuke would cower in fear from the wrath of a woman. But sadly, he did. After all, he didn't have the energy to continue his counter.

He sighed.

Today was going to be boring, long day.

"Sasuke?"

Or maybe not.

Said teen turned to see Sakura walking up to him, and she smiled in greeting. He nodded.

"What are you doing? Aren't they Ino's charge?"

Sasuke nodded again, telling the Cadets to take a break. He turned to the girl.

"Is there anything you want?"

Sakura shook her head. "I was just walking around when I saw you."

They stood next to each other in a comfortable silence, neither saying anything nor needed to. Soon she left, bidding him a good day and Sasuke felt his mood had lighten considerably. At least he wasn't glaring at the poor Cadets now.

They met every night, right beside the river of their first meeting. It became a normal schedule with no arrangements. He would go for patrol duty, and she would be sitting by the river, as though waiting for him.

No one questioned his sudden willingness to take on patrol duty, and no one was about to, for they did not want to face the possibility of the Uchiha dumping the duty on them. They did not suspect that the once emotionless Major was meeting someone during that time, but Naruto noticed the sudden change of attitude in his best friend.

He grinned.

The ice block was melting, and a girl was doing this.

Haruno Sakura, cherry blossom of spring. Her laughter lit up the gloomiest room and eased tension.

For once he was glad that Sasuke was retrieving the most attention from girls, especially when it did much to change him.

"What does the future hold for them I wonder…" the blond boy mused, smiling as he watched his best friend and the medic talk under the afternoon sun.

After that day I spoke to her, I began to understand more things.

We make our own luck, by our actions and state of mind. As such you control your own fate. Only one thing is certain, none of us can escape the grave.

But then again, death was far from my mind. She brought meaning into it, and the walls I had carefully built up were being torn down, by her.

And somehow, I found out, I didn't mind too much.

A/N: I thought of stopping it here, but then the present for them wouldn't be complete, as I left it hanging at where Tsunade lets Sasuke choose something. And I thought I could end it with two chapters...sorry guys looks like there'll be more waiting...I guess it turned out to be more of a chapter fanfic now...gah...

Sasuke: I feel so...

Sakura: Preechy?

Sasuke: ((glare))

Dark: ((giggle)) I love those lines!!

Sasuke: Whatever.

Sakura: Please review!