So…it was really close. Really, really close. Actually, it was a tie. Twelve to twelve. But…
Sorry, ShikaIno's. Gaara won this time. Why? Well, here's my reasoning: plot.
This story is, first and foremost, a SasuSaku work. All pairings and plot twists must conform to this constant, not the other way around. So, because of the way the plot is planned out, Ino has to be with Gaara…or die an unpleasant death. No, really, I mean it. You'll see.
Sorry, everyone who voted for Shikamaru. I'll write you a one-shot or something. Ok? Ok. Thanks!
.-.-.-.-.
LYING IS THE MOST FUN A GIRL CAN HAVE WITHOUT TAKING HER CLOTHES OFF
.-.-.-.-.
"Sakura-chan," Naruto beamed proudly, "Say hello to Tsunade-obaa-san!"
And the blonde woman promptly smacked Naruto over the head.
"Ow!"
"Hi," Sakura said nervously. Tsunade was tall, imposing, with a frightening expression on her face, not to mention her boobs were the size of the ocean.
Tsunade sighed, quirking an eyebrow at her charge. "Yamanaka Sakura, huh?" she leaned forward, staring into her face. "I've never trained a Yamanaka before."
"She's a close combat fighter," Tenten piped in from her seat on a boulder nearby. "She's good with her hands."
"No weapon flinging, huh?" Tsunade began to circle Sakura. The pink-haired girl swallowed nervously. "Hmm. How are you with your chakra control?"
Sakura just blinked. "Er--?"
"Never mind," the blonde sighed. "We have a lot of work to do. What do I have? Two months? You told me two months."
Tenten shrugged, taking a gulp of lemonade. "You had two months three weeks ago. It's not my fault you left the second we got here, Tsunade-san."
Tsunade snorted. Sakura flinched.
"With Naruto here, someone has to watch Kusa."
"So who's there now?" Naruto questioned, bouncing on the balls of his feet. Tsunade sighed a long-suffering sigh – the kind of sigh Sakura could tell she used quite frequently around Naruto.
"Since you called me here so quickly, I had no choice, Naruto."
The blonde boy suddenly exploded.
"Jiraiya?! You put that pervy hermit on my throne? Is he sleeping in my bed? Is he eating my ramen? Tsunaaaaaaaaaaaade!!"
Sakura's lip twitched a little. Tsunade ignored the loud blonde boy and explained to Sakura, "Jiraiya is Head of War Council for Kusa. He trained Naruto. He's also…my husband." Her lip twisted at the last word. "However, this has nothing to do with your training. Alright, Sakura-san, let's test you a little."
Without warning Tsunade grabbed Sakura's arm and flipped her. Sakura twisted and pulled, creating a sliding effect on Tsunade's hold, and ended up standing (albeit unbalanced and stumbling) instead of flipped on her back.
"Good reflexes," Tsunade noted, as Tenten smiled proudly at her handiwork. "Okay, please tell me somebody explained chakra to this girl."
Tenten and Ino beamed.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "You two are ridiculously useless," she snapped at them. "Chakra is basically energy stored within your body. Channeling your chakra correctly allows for combat maneuvers, as well as the performance of jutsus."
"Okay," Sakura replied, nodding as she dusted off her white breeches.
"Now, what we need to do is make sure you have good chakra control. Close your eyes, girl."
Sakura obeyed.
Tsunade placed both hands on Sakura shoulders, and breathed.
Suddenly, Sakura's eyes snapped open. "What was that?" she whispered cautiously.
"That was your chakra flow," Tsunade told her, a small frown on her lips. "This is strange. Somebody put a lock on your chakra reserve." She shrugged. "No matter. Do you feel it now?"
"Yes," Sakura replied slowly.
"Okay, Sakura-san. Now, try to focus that energy on," Tsunade looked around. "Focus it on your feet," she decided. "Got it? Good. Now, try to climb that oak over there, without your hands."
Sakura stared at her teacher, obviously questioning her sanity.
"Don't look at me like that, girl. If you have focus and control, your chakra will adhere you to the trunk."
With a sigh, Sakura closed her eyes, focused her energy, and placed a foot forward.
And another.
And another.
Tsunade blinked, her mouth hanging open.
"What--how--?"
Her eyes widened, as Sakura reached the half-mark.
"Fast learner…"
She did not stumble, or slip, once. She didn't open her eyes, either.
"Amazing control…"
Tsunade close her gaping lips and shook her head, a grin appearing on her face.
"Five weeks, huh?" she turned to Tenten. The brunette nodded happily.
"Okay," Tsunade watched as Sakura steadily made her way up the tree trunk. "I think I can make something of this girl yet."
"I told you she was smart," Ino whispered to her sister, as Sakura landed on the first branch successfully.
Tenten furrowed her brow. "Ino," she said slowly, "I need to talk to you later."
"Okay," Ino replied happily.
.-.-.-.-.
"What?!"
The blonde girl was horrified.
"Sakura?! Kill her?! Oh, my God. That family is more twisted than I thought it was!"
She paced across the room, occasionally shooting glances out the window, down to the training grounds where Tsunade was happily whipping Sakura's ass into shape.
"This is horrible," she muttered, turning to face her sister. "This is absolutely horrible. We sent Sakura into a death trap!"
"Yeah, I know." Tenten sighed, rubbing her temple with her hands. "I can't bring myself to tell Sasuke…I mean, what if he thinks it's worth it and…does it?" the last words came out as no more than a taut whisper.
Ino shook her blonde head in agitation. "What do we do?"
"I don't know," Tenten replied honestly. "I guess--" she swallowed deeply, weighing her choices in her head with a heavy heart. She already knew the decision she would make, the conclusion she would come to, but she weighed the options one last time regardless.
"I guess…my sister's life is more important than my happiness."
"She's not really your sister, Ten," Ino sat down next to Tenten on the bed, a hand on the brunette's shoulder.
Tenten heaved a deep sigh, closing her eyes and standing up. After a few silent moments, she pivoted, the bright smile on her face contrasting the glittering of tears in her eyes.
"She feels like one, Ino."
"Yeah," the younger whispered, standing up and enveloping her sister in a hug. "Yeah, I know what you mean. I'm so sorry, Ten."
Tenten smiled. "It's not your fault."
They stood there for a very long time, holding each other in comfort, before Tenten released Ino and stepped back. She took a deep breath, released it in a short puff and plastered her face with a fake bright smile.
"Alright then," she grinned, straightening her dress. "I guess it's time to go see Sasuke, huh?"
.-.-.-.-.
"Sakura," he calls, but not really. Sasuke's voice never reaches beyond two decibels. She's noticed that.
Tsunade frowned at Sasuke for interrupting their training session. The black-haired prince shot an apprehensive scowl right back, lifting a hand and pointing it at his opposite wrist. Tsunade blinked, looked down upon her disciple's battered little body, took a look at the sky, and jumped.
"Jeez," she breathes, immediately bending to pick Sakura up, "Why didn't you tell me, you crazy little dolt? It's been ten hours."
"I noticed," Sakura smiled wryly, dusting off her extremely mussed clothes. "I tried to tell you, but apparently you couldn't hear me over the explosives."
"Explosives?" Sasuke repeated, slightly aghast, reaching her side and touching her elbow protectively. He looked at the ground around him, noticed a serious dilapidation in the amount of trees in the clearing, before snapping his head back up to meet Tsunade with fiery eyes. "You threw bombs at Sakura?!"
"And much more," Tsunade chirped with a smirk. "Get some rest, Sakura-chan. We start bright and early tomorrow."
And with that, she disappeared in a giant puff of smoke.
Sakura heaved a heavy sigh, slumping into Sasuke. He blinked, immediately shifting to support her weight. She leaned on him for a few seconds, before he began leading her away.
"Tough day?" he questioned.
"Oh, you bet. Was training this tough when you were a kid?"
"Yes."
"Oh. Okay."
He took one look at her, dirty, tired and extremely overworked.
"Want a bath?"
"That'd be nice."
He took her to his room, reasoning that it was a mile closer than the guest wing of the complex. Her eyelids drooped the entire way, and he had to prop her up against his doorframe while he performed the jutsu that would unlock his heavily protected door. On their journey to the bathroom, Sakura noticed that the entire receiving area was dark and seemed rather blandly decorated. I guess he doesn't use it much.
"Here," he said, handing her a towel that appeared out of nowhere. "I trust you can make it to the tub without falling over?"
"You think too highly of me," she mumbled grumpily, before snatching the towel and shutting the door in his face.
.-.-.-.-.
She resurfaced an hour and a half later; clean, fresh and rejuvenated, hair and body scrubbed to glistening sanitation. Sakura climbed out of the massive sunken pool to find that her clothes had vanished, replaced instead with a large black shirt, folded neatly beside the door. She slipped it on; it fell to her knees. She smiled.
It smelled like sandalwood; like Sasuke.
The room outside the bathroom door was dark and extremely under furnished for the residence of royalty. A large black four-poster bed lay beside the French doors that led to the balcony. There were a few full bookshelves, a desk and a chair, and that was all. Sakura stood in the frame of the bathroom door; on the adjacent wall was the door that led outside.
The receiving room had been lit, the crystal chandelier on the ceiling glittering with the light of the candles situated at its peaks. The ceiling of Sasuke's receiving room was high and vaulted, the floor carpeted with white, and holding two long black curving couches and a glass table. There were no pictures on the walls. Nothing. Across from the couches that stood in front of the bedroom door, a sliding door led to the foyer.
Sakura tentatively situated herself on one of the couches, pulling her knees up to her chin, rubbing an eye tiredly. She didn't really expect to come out and find that Sasuke had vanished again. For one, she had not seen him since three weeks ago. And second, she didn't know where his room was…meaning she had no idea how to get back to her own.
Tenten and Ino must be freaking out right now, she thought, absentmindedly twirling a lock of pink hair around her finger. I hope they're not too worried.
She sighed, stretched, and slid down into a lying position on the couch. She lay there for a few moments, before flopping over on her stomach, pouting. A black piece of something caught her eye, peeking out from beneath the furniture.
She reached a finger down and picked at it in boredom. It slid out little by little and, with a furrowed brow, she picked her head up off of the couch and reached down, tugging on it. A photograph came loose.
Great, she thought as she straightened into a sitting position, why am I always finding other people's photos?
Sakura's heart stopped when she flipped it over.
Little Itachi sat on a bench swing beneath a cherry blossom tree, wrought with iron and gold-leaf. He wore a big smile on his face, his hair blowing loose around his shoulders, a bit of dirt showing on his knee from under the hem of his gray shorts. In his arms, he held a baby with black fuzz on the crown of his head, wrapped in a blue blanket with the Uchiha fan embroidered on it, one little arm stretched out, the tiny hand holding firmly a lock of his brother's hair. Beside Itachi sat a tiny little girl, no more than four years old, with big brown-black eyes and curled coal black hair tied in two pigtails. She wore a pale green dress with more flounces than a wedding cake, her head turned away from the camera, one pale white hand placed on her little brother's blanket, her eyes wide in amazement.
Uchiha Sakura.
The main door clicked and Sakura jumped, bending down and shoving the photo back under the couch. Her eyes widened when she saw the floor underneath carpeted with photos of the three, sometimes only two, captured in moments of play and frolicking, some family portraits with their little faces solemn.
"What are you doing?"
Her head snapped up so quickly she banged it, hard, against the tabletop.
"OW!"
Sakura raised her body up a slower, rubbing her throbbing head as Sasuke rushed over, a tray in his hands.
"Sakura?"
"No, I'm okay," she winced, "I've got to have the hardest head in the world, there's no bump or anything."
"Hn," he grinned, before offering her the tray. On it was a large steaming bowl of miso ramen, a slice of strawberry Bundt cake and a cup of milk.
She looked at him. He shrugged, turning away. "She said you were training for ten hours."
Sakura grinned happily and dug in. Sasuke watched the petite girl decimate her food with vague amusement, leaning against the back of the couch. When she finally surfaced from her bowl, gulping down the milk, she settled with a sigh next to him, cradling the delicious dessert in her hands.
We wait for the bus that's going to nowhere
In my plaid dress and burgundy shoes
In your red lipstick and lilac kerchief, you're the most pretty lady in the room, sun.
Sasuke looked up from where he was perched, grinding the edges of his kunai against a whetstone.
The bus driver smiles, a dime and a nickel
We climb on our seats, the vinyl is cold
Michelle ma Belle, the song that you loved then, you hold my hand and sing to yourself
Sun, sun
Sun, sun, sun, sun, sun, sun…
"Where did you hear that?" He cut in, in an uncharacteristically soft voice. She looked up from ripping a piece off of her Bundt cake.
"Oh, from Ino, a while ago," she replied simply, popping the piece into her mouth. "Why, do you like it?"
"No," Sasuke said quickly. "I mean, yes. I mean…well, I just thought that maybe…" he paused as he realized he was fumbling. "Never mind."
"What?" Sakura abandoned the cake and nudged herself closer, getting on her knees and leaning to stare at his face. A mumbly fumbly Uchiha Sasuke definitely called for further inquiry. "Come on, Sasuke," she said softly. "You can tell me."
He sighed, contemplated, and relented.
"It was my mother's favorite song--is," he muttered finally. "I thought maybe--maybe you'd heard her singing it."
"I don't get it," she said candidly, plopping down the ground in front of him. "Why were you so shocked, then?"
"She--" he frowned, uncomfortable. "She hasn't done that in a very long time. Since…"
He trailed off, and Sakura decided to go for it and hypothesize.
"Since…Sakura-san died?"
Sasuke's head whipped up. "Who told you that?" he snapped.
"Naruto," the pink-haired girl replied, unfazed, "The first night I got here."
His face was angry, then confused, then angry again, before settling into indifference. "Well, I guess I should have known."
"Come on, Sasuke, tell me," she prodded, both vocally and literally. When he refused to continue, she took a deep breath, huffed and poked him square in the chest.
"Listen mister, we are getting married extremely soon and you are being ridiculous, how am I supposed to marry a guy I don't even know anything about? So Uchiha Sasuke you better spill whatever sob story you're holding in right now or I swear I will make that wedding mother twelve hours long!"
The prince stared at her in amazement.
"Are you threatening me?" He asked, raising an eyebrow incredulously.
"I'm informing you." She retorted smugly.
Sasuke stared at her for a few moments longer, and she stared right back, resolute. Finally, he leant back into the couch and surrendered to this freaking annoying pink haired kid, convinced of her ability to prolong his mental suffering as long as she deemed necessary – meaning, until she got what she wanted.
"My mother is a good person," he began, a tone of insistence in his voice. She grinned and levered herself back onto the couch.
"My mother is a good parent," Sasuke continued once she had settled comfortably, "She is a good queen, and a good mother. It's just, she's been unusually…distant, since…The Incident."
Sakura swore she could hear the capitalization.
"Before…she died, my mother was…closer." He forced this out a little awkwardly. Sakura blinked. At this rate, he wouldn't finish until they were fifty. Wait a minute--
"Sasuke…have you…never told this story before?" she questioned curiously, cocking her head. He glared at her. "No."
"Sorry! Okay, go on…please."
Sasuke frowned, but continued.
"Mother…she would play with us. She would cook and eat dinner with us, read books to us, buy toys for us, take us out, tuck us in, all that. You know? She was an extremely caring parent. She still is," Sasuke added hurriedly, "She just…stopped doing that. Even though me and Itachi…we were still so young when it happened. We lost a sister, she lost a daughter…but it was like she didn't care. I don't know…I guess we felt like…"
"You needed your mother then?" Sakura offered softly.
"Yes," he looked at her curiously. "Yes. But she withdrew almost, kind of into herself. Since then, she does not appear outside of court functions. She does not talk to us, or see us, or anything. The only time I ever see my mother now is at balls and dinners, and other things she must attend mandatorily. It's unnerving." He swallowed uncomfortably. "I don't even remember her face clearly anymore."
"Sasuke," she placed a hand on his knee. "I'm so sorry."
He blinked twice, stared at her for a few seconds, before straightening and coughing. Sakura paused. He's completely uncomfortable with the situation, she realized, he's not used to it…he doesn't do this heart-to-heart stuff. But…her brow furrowed as she mentally conversed with herself. He's still actually trying to talk to me about his life? About…Sakura? Just because I asked? She gave a little whooping cheer inside. Oh my God! Does he…does he trust me?!
"Anyways," Sasuke cleared his throat uneasily, cutting into her mental reverie, standing up and turning away. "I guess I thought…when I heard you sing that, I thought maybe my mother came back to herself again."
She raised herself up, and they stood in silence.
"I'll sing it for you anytime you like," she whispered finally, her face inches from his back, a tiny smile on her lips.
"Hn," he replied, and turned back to face her.
Sakura grinned up at him, and his lip twitched a little.
Suddenly, as if snapping out of something, he marched past her, picked up her abandoned cake, placed it in her hands and ushered her to the door. Her dirty clothes had been laundered, placed in a neat folded pile, and Sasuke picked this up as well, loading it into her arms. She slipped her shoes on hurriedly, as her fiancé all but pushed her out the door.
"It's late," Sasuke said in a bland monotone, back to his strange, distant self. "You should be getting back."
"Sasuke--"
He cut her off harshly. "Your sisters will be worried."
He had no idea how much.
.-.-.-.-.
"Sasuke-san?"
Said dark-haired prince blinked at the figure in front of his door.
"Tenten-san," he replied, slowly. "I see we are back to the formalities. Is this about--?"
Two Yamanakas in a row? What was this, Attack of the Prodding Sisters Day? He turned and looked down the hallway where the pink-haired one just vanished. The brunette must have come from the opposite direction, he reasoned.
"I, uh--" the brunette fumbled uncomfortably. "Can we--?"
He said nothing, stepping back to let her in.
"Do you have information for me?" he questioned cautiously as she seated herself on Sakura's recently vacated spot. Tenten licked her dry lips, shifting uncomfortably.
"No, Sasuke-san."
Sasuke froze, and turned to the older girl.
"Do you understand what this means?"
"Yes, Sasuke-san," she whispered shakily. He reached her in two strides, grabbing her chin and yanking it upwards. She winced.
"Why?" he sneered angrily. The brunette forced her glistening hazel eyes to meet his own cold ones, but her lips did not part. "I know you went to see Itachi. So why?"
"I can't say," she replied weakly, her throat dry.
He shoved her face away with an angry growl. Tenten remained in her place as he paced around the room in barely controlled fury, reaching out and breaking whatever ornament he came within a foot of, reminiscent of her own reaction when Ino disappeared. Finally, Sasuke stepped to a corner of the room, and rang a bell.
"You called, sir?"
A tiny blonde girl appeared, in a maid's pink kimono.
"Yes," Sasuke snapped, his eyes fixed on the shaking form of Yamanaka Tenten. "Bring me Hyuuga Neji."
He turned back to her as the servant girl mumbled a quiet, "Yes, sir," and vanished. Sasuke plopped down on the opposite couch, his eyes never leaving her trembling frame.
"I hope you are comfortable, Tenten-san," he said flippantly, an edge of iciness in his voice. "We are going to be having a nice, long conversation. You are in for a long night."
.-.-.-.-.
Okay, so…I'm okay. :D I guess it was just stomach flu, because I am totally alright right now. So here's the chapter I promised…it's not very good, because it's an info chapter, so I hope you forgive me.
Title of the chapter refers to end section. I really like Panic at the Disco.
Thanks to everyone for their concern and sympathy…I didn't even know people reviewed Author's Notes XD. Thanks a lot, it made me feel very loved.
Thanks for your votes, everyone. Every review was counted, from the posting of Chapter 10 until 7/27/08.
Until next time. And review, please!