'Fairy-God Father'
Thoughts
"Speech"
"Flashbacks"
Lost Year
Listening!
Life is like a bicycle,
in order to keep your balance, you have to keep moving.
"Say hi to Shikamaru for me." Temari called out.
Sakura turned and gave a wave before she headed to the entrance of the gates of the wind village. As the Hokage's most trusted student, Sakura was responsible to deliver an important scroll to the Kazekage personally. For a Chunin, this was quite an easy task, but walking alone for miles and miles under the hot sun right after she had done her mission would be really torturous, so Sakura tried not to be over excited to accept Temari's offer when she had let her sleep in one of their guest's room.
But of course, Sakura hadn't forgotten, that time when she last came here was to send Chiyo's body and Gaara back to the village. So she promised to herself that when she were to come to Sunagakure, she made sure that she would visit Chiyo's grave before leaving the country.
Knowing the routes, she finally approached to a dozen of other tombstones which were located at the side path of the entrance. Immediately recognizing the familiar name craved on the stone, she approached quietly towards the grave and paid her respect.
"It's been quite a while." Sakura muttered, certainly not anticipating any answer at all.
"You are Tsunade's apprentice, I presume."
Sakura looked up from the grave and watched an old man trudging towards her with heavy footsteps and both hands behind his back. She blinked in surprise, not expecting that anyone would visit anyone's grave during a non-festival period.
But slowly, memories of the people who were present at Chiyo's funeral soon resurfaced as the man who was approaching her was none other that Chiyo's brother, Ebizo.
"Ebizo-ji-sama." Sakura quickly gave a respectable bow to the elder.
"What a pity." Ebizo said, staring impassively at the grave after acknowledging Sakura's politeness.
Sakura raised her head and watched the elder man staring quietly at Chiyo's grave. Feeling extremely tempted, Sakura asked what was it that made him felt a pity. Was it his sister's death? Was it the fact they lost Sunagakure's most treasured weapon? Or was it realizing the Third Kazekage was kidnapped by someone who was actually related to him?
"Sasori had such a bright future." Ebizo muttered while shaking his head slowly. "He could have been a great help if he had choose the correct path."
Sakura softened her bright emerald eyes and went back staring solemnly at the soil beneath her feet.
"Naruto. Was that his name?"
Sakura widened her eyes and turned to Ebizo again. Realizing he was really asking a question, she nodded her head in reply.
"From what I've heard from Temari and Kankuro, it was that young lad who had changed Gaara, or was I wrong?"
"No, you're correct, Ebizo-ji-sama. From what I see over the past three years, Gaara greatly changed ever since I've seen him before the Chunin exam and after the Chunin exam." Sakura gave a small smile. "Naruto have this weird talent in changing people with his words, and I admired him for that."
"Ahh…" Ebizo nodded understandingly before he gave a sad smile.
"What a pity."
Sakura inclined her head, realizing the question she asked about what was a pity beforehand was not replied yet.
"Why is that so?" Sakura repeated her question that she previously used a while ago.
He gave a silent sigh and he looked up into the clear blue sky.
"If Sasori have met someone that could change him like how Naruto was able to change Gaara, how different would the present be?"
So many things could be different if just one incident was changed. What if someone could stop the Uchiha massacre? What if someone had stopped the Nine-Tail fox to be implanted into Naruto? What if Naruto was able to bring back Sasuke before he had left to train with the Sanin?
There's so many what ifs, but was it possible to turn back the time to change these things?
There is.
"I want to be that person." Sakura sniffed. "That person who has the power to change..."
"… Agree or not, you don't have a say even if we're cooperating together, we are going according to my way." Tsunade narrowed her eyes.
"I have nothing to do with Suna and I don't plan to deal with them anymore." Sasori gritted his teeth as he stared at the path where they had both came from the clearing they were resting previously.
"I know you had some conflicts with the Wind village, that's why you ended up here, pathetic and alone." The blonde growled back.
"You don't know anything about me and you have no rights to butt into my past and life."
"Yes, I don't know anything about you and I don't have the rights to care. But one thing I do know that you like making girls cry." Tsunade bellowed.
"What do you mean by that." Sasori scoffed, noticing that they were going off topic.
"If it wasn't for Sakura, I could have lost my temper right there and then." Tsunade crossed her arm.
"And what does this got to do with her?"
"Only bastards make girls cry." Tsunade closed her eyes and pretended not to hear what Sasori said.
Sasori clenched his fist tighter. "You're pissing me off."
"She didn't bawl out her sorrows and showed it openly, I've noticed that she had cried herself to sleep once, right after when you use your words to hurt her." Tsunade challenged her harsh tone with his.
"It's none of your business."
"It's my business." Tsunade flung open her eyes and jabbed her thumb into her chest.
"I can't tell if your way in showing your appreciation towards certain people is by hurting them or if you just like to do mean things to people." The blonde placed both of her hand back to her side and gave a solemn expression. "The fact that she didn't tell you all these were because she cared about your feelings. She doesn't want you to feel guilty or anything about it."
"She cares about you and even I can see it. I won't believe it if you were to say you know nothing about it." Tsunade's face darkened.
"I'm just trying to push her away. I didn't mean to hurt her." Sasori looked away.
"What for?" She argued.
Sasori closed his eyes and sighed.
"Let me be alone." He muttered.
"Have the courage, dumbass." The blonde yelled as Sasori trudged away from her.
He turned and glared at her before shouting back.
"Shut up."
Sasori was good at strategies and manipulating things. That's one of the talent he had that brought him to fame. But in relationships, there's no such thing as strategies and manipulations to get that connection right, that's why Sasori never dared to be part of these relationship stuff that would show his weak points to others.
He wanted to be near her, to talk to her, to touch her, to smile like her and to be happy with her. But he couldn't find a way to tell her how much he wanted to be with her, for the rest of the journey, for the rest of his life.
All of these things were what Sasori wished he could do. But without the courage, what's the point of even thinking about it?
Courage. He repeated in his mind. Leave the pride aside.
Sasori braced himself up and raised his hand, wrapping it around Sakura's thin arm that was hanging over his shoulder.
"You already are." He slightly turned his head and whispered into Sakura's ear, which was right beside him when she rested her chin on his shoulder. "You're already the person who has the power to change. To change me. And the fact that I couldn't felt any happier was because you said that, you wanted to be that person for me."
It was ringing in her head. Those words that Sasori said were changing into another form of meaning, a meaning that Sakura couldn't felt any more elated after realizing what Sasori meant.
I'm in love with you too.
"Sakura." The name sounded like a lullaby that Sakura almost failed to realized that it was actually her name. She raised her head as Sasori slowly stood up and gently grabbed onto her arm, lifting her up from the rough ground.
"Sasori...
"Let's go." Sasori stood up, holding onto Sakura's arm to pull her up as well. "It's late, and you need the rest."
0o0
It's funny how every little thing that the person you love did, you'll pay attention to it.
It was just like the old days when Sakura would always watch Sasuke during his training, when he's in class, or even when he was eating or going back home from school. It's like a routine, or a kind of stalking scheme that Sakura had since she was a child till he left the village. This had stopped for four whole years and the feeling of something so magical finally came back to her again.
How soft his features were when he wasn't straining his eyebrows or giving those powerful glares. How his lips parted when he was asleep. It was almost the same feeling of her watching Sasuke before, but it was entirely different than those creepy methods where Sakura had to hide and avoid being suspicious about being seen.
It was like she was allowed to watch him openly without having to worry about anything. She doesn't have to carry any sorts of burden, she could just relax, and be amazed by every single thing he does; even when he's just sleeping.
'Stop staring.'
What?
'I said stop staring. You do know that I'm forced to see whatever thing you're looking at too? We've been staring at his sleeping figure for the past fifteen minutes.'
Go away.
'You better heed my warni-'
I'm not staring. I'm just daydreaming.
"Sakura, stop staring."
"I said I'm not-"
Sakura turned to stare at Shizune who was squatting beside her. Realizing she was not speaking in her mind but out loud, Sakura glanced away in embarrassment and stared at the fire instead.
"What happened between the two of you?" Shizune changed her position and sat on the ground, leaning on the same tree as Sakura.
The fire crackled and danced along with the wind that blew by once or twice. Night had fallen and everyone was resting to replenish their energy for tomorrow. Tsunade was sleeping at opposite side of where both apprentices were resting while Sasori was sleeping beside her, a few trees away.
"Have you got your first official kiss?" Shizune raised her eyebrow in a childish manner when Sakura didn't answer her question.
"What do you mean by official?" Sakura tilted her head and watched Shizune who was suppressing a giggle.
"You'll know what I mean in the future." Shizune whispered and hugged her knees to her chest. "So did you get your first official kiss?" She repeated the question.
Sakura refrained from rolling her eyes and just shook her head firmly.
"You didn't?" Shizune widened her eyes in surprise and went back resting her chin on her tip of her knee.
"No." Sakura sighed and shook her head.
"So nothing happened just now before you came back?"
Sakura shook her head confirmed again, urging herself not to ask her anything when the pinkette knew she would just shrug off her question.
"That means…" Shizune immediately recalled the incident that happened days ago when she was hiding behind the tree to witness Sasori doing stuff that she knew she could never say, unless she wanted to get brutally murdered or something.
"What a coward." The young medic muttered to herself and stare at the fire before giving a sidelong glance at Sasori. And to the shock of her life, two furious, chocolate colored eyes were glaring back at her.
"Eek!" Shizune gave muffled shriek that slightly shocked Sakura. The pinkette turned and grabbed tightly onto Shizune's shoulder to offer a barrier for her.
"What?" Sakura whispered harshly, hoping that Shizune's sudden outburst wouldn't wake either Tsunade or S-
"Sasori, you're awake!" Shizune tried to speak in a humorous way as she scratched the back of her short black hair.
"..."
"Time to sleep." Shizune announced. She scurried back to her original position which was just a few meters from Tsunade.
"Can't sleep?" Sasori asked plainly after staring at Shizune, making sure that she doesn't even move an inch after she reached her position.
"Yeah." Sakura rubbed the back of her head sheepishly.
"Then I suggest that you stop thinking about things and rest your mind. You'll eventually fall asleep." He drawled.
"Says the person who often has insomnia?" Sakura teased.
Sasori just stared at her with a blank look and sighed. "That's because I didn't follow the things I've suggested to you."
"You thought about stuffs?" Sakura moved closer and leaned against a tree that was just a few feet away from the tree that he was resting on.
"Who don't?" He answered dryly.
What things does he think about usually? Sakura pondered as she watched him staring at the crackling fire.
"Let me tell you a boring story, so you can fall a sleep easier."
"A story? A bedtime story?"
Without bothering to explain to Sakura, Sasori began. "There's this boy who has a magic sword, he fight demons and was named a hero after a war."
"One day, he was given a task to save a princess." Sakura beamed as she interrupted.
With a soft scoff, Sasori continued. "He took his magic sword and marched towards the dungeon where the princess was trapped."
"After fighting with countless of demons and dragons, he finally reached the dungeon, but to find the most powerful monster in the universe blocking his entrance." Sakura merrily said.
"But despite how big and scary the monster is, the boy promise that no matter what, he'll never let the princess down." Sasori calmly proceeded on.
Sakura found herself listening and adding to their almost endless story that they both created together. It was really fun and entertaining which in fact, should have made Sakura even more awake. But finally, under Sasori's misty and gentle voice whenever he spoke, she finally found the peace and fell asleep.
0o0
"No sake."
"Alright, no sake."
Shizune called out for a waitress and placed their order in a lone, small eatery shop that was located not far from the clearing where they were previously resting.
"A storm is coming." Shizune stared at the window. "Why didn't Sakura and Sasori follow us here?"
"I've asked both of them to take a walk and get some herbs."
"What?" The apprentice bellowed, but she slapped her hand to her mouth as she awkwardly gave some apologetic looks to the few other customers who were giving them disapproving looks.
"May I know what are you planning?" Shizune narrowed her eyes and watched Tsunade suspiciously.
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "What can a woman and a man be doing in the forest under the rain?"
"You knew the rain is going to come?" Shizune said in amazement as the waitress brought the pot filled with tea and two small glass cups for them.
Tsunade poured the tea into her cup in silence.
"I still don't get it. Except for the part where you are just making the both of them sick."
Tsunade set her elbow on the table. "Why don't we just sit here and wait for something to happen?" She lifted up her cup and took a small sip. "And by then, we'll know."
0o0
"There's a storm brewing. I think the amount we've collected would be enough." Sakura stared at the bundles of weirdly shaped plants that were tied up together with a string.
Right after Sakura finished her sentence, light raindrops started pattering on their head and the rain starting becoming heavier and heavier.
"There's a tree cave." Sasori pointed out.
"What an idea for a walk." Sakura lightly joked as they quickly rushed towards the direction of the tree cave.
Diving inside like some young kids jumping into the pool, they tried to find the best and comfortable position and decided to stay it like that since the tree cave was rather small.
The silence was destroyed by the sound of raindrops. It was still peaceful, really, but Sakura just couldn't seem to enjoy it when she couldn't answer a question that she had been pondering for the whole morning.
"Sasori."
The said man gave a side long glance.
"Why do you like me?" Sakura questioned.
"…Hn."
"Why?" Sakura hugged her knees tighter to her chest as the feeling of wanting to know of the answer grew a lot more "Is it because the way I squeak during my sleep?"
"Maybe."
Sakura gave a light punch on his shoulder while he rolled his eyes at her. For a moment when Sasori hadn't spoke for ten seconds, Sakura knew her hope in hearing this unexplainable question could never be fulfill.
"I don't know." Sasori gave a small sigh. He didn't want to answer her in the first place, but something just told him that it was alright to reveal his own feelings and emotions to someone who he could finally trust.
Sakura blinked and stared at him for quite some time. She couldn't blame him for that. Nobody could ever explain how feelings and emotions worked out. But Sasori surprised her yet again when he decided to continue from where he left.
"For a while after I spent my time with you, I just realized that eternal beauty isn't the only thing that I find beautiful in the world anymore." The rest of the answer that he wanted to say was spoken when he laid his calm eyes on her.
Sakura inwardly gasped as a rush of heat surrounded her face.
Ebizo-ji-sama, you're right.
How different is he 17 years later and now?
She could still remember him watching her with that disdained look after he declared that it was annoying for him to waste his time to battle with Chiyo and her. Now, how different was he? How much had he changed?
And with those simple words that Sasori used to explain how important she was, Sakura felt as if she was flying in the sky.
When the redhead turned his eyes away from her, Sakura immediately had the urge to make Sasori stare at her again. She wanted all his attention on nothing but her, she wanted his eyes set on nothing but on her.
Oh Kami… What is he doing to me?
In order to shake off her weird feeling she lusted back of her mind, she casually punched his shoulder again.
"So the Sasori I know has turned into such a sweet-talker yet charming Sasori?" She tried to tease him.
"Did the rush of blood happened to diminish your brain cells when you're blushing?"
"I'm not-" Sakura clasped onto both of her cheeks and turned away.
"Hn."
"You're still mean and evil no matter what."
"I hope you know that I don't care."
Sakura rolled her eyes and stared at the bundle of herbs she was holding. Immediately, images of Tsunade and Shizune resurfaced.
"I was wondering why were you glaring at Shizune yesterday. She just asked me a question, there isn't anything wrong, is it?"
"There isn't." Sasori replied casually.
"She seems scared of you." Sakura nodded to herself.
"Everyone is."
"I'm not." Sakura eyed Sasori with a smile. "Remember that."
"Hn." Sasori glance back at her.
Oh Kami… why is he so beautiful all of the sudden?
'I don't think I have to remind you again that I can hear what you are thinking in your mind right?'
Forcing not knock herself out so that Fairy-God-Father could be quiet as well, she softened her features and watched the rain along with Sasori.
However, one last doubt she had yet to clarify was still repeating in the back of her mind. She inwardly tried to debate whether she should ask or not. But finally after building up the courage, she went ahead to query the question that she couldn't imagine asking any S-ranked criminals at all.
"Have you kissed before?"
There was a long and awkward silence that Sakura couldn't help but wished she could bury her face into a hole.
"…What?" Sasori turned to stare at her with an incredulous look.
"Just answer." Sakura sniffed and rubbed her nose sheepishly.
Almost knowing what he was thinking through that hesitant look in his eyes, Sakura added quickly.
"I know this question is surprising and maybe sensitive." Sakura starting playing with her thumb. "But please be truthful."
Oh Kami…. OH KAMI… What do I mean by saying: please be truthful?
"Am I obliged to answer?"
"Y-Yes." Sakura stuttered quickly.
Her stomach fluttered in anticipation as she bit her lips while dreading for the answer. She was just like a kid, asking her parents what movie were they going to watch later, and the kid would always be hoping that it would be some adventurous and exciting show instead of some romance movie that children couldn't possibly understand.
Sasori scooted a little closer to her, although it goes unnoticeable for Sakura.
"Yes, I have." He spoke, his half-lidded eyes staring right through her.
'What a disappointment, isn't it?'
W-Why would I be disappointed? His past romance life has got nothing to do with me.
'Then may I question why are you trying to hide your real emotions?'
You-
"She's someone you know." Sasori said calmly when Sakura never said anything.
Sakura was snapped back to reality immediately after Sasori's words left his mouth. Green met brown and they just sat there in silence for the past minute, gazing at each other without looking away or even blinking.
"Shizune?" Sakura gasped in horror.
'You moment-spoiler'
I don't know why I said that either.
Sasori gave an inward sigh as he continued staring calmly at the thunderous raindrops.
"She's someone who I want to understand the best."
"Understand?" Sakura blinked slowly
"She's right here." Sasori gave a smirk.
"Right wher-"
And in that moment when Sakura was hoping to not hear yet another disappointed answer, she instead received a kiss that was officially the first one she ever had in her lifetime.
Author's note:
To compensate with my slow update, I present you my short and sort-of fluff chapter that I attempted for the first time instead of the normal plot stuff that I've already started writing. And that's why, this took me forever to finish. (I'm starting to worry about how on earth am I suppose to handle Remember? which would have more romance stuff inside :X )
To that one person who messaged me on tumblr about Lost Year, thank you so much for that sweet comment! And not to forget all the sweet and very very supportive reviews! I can't count how many times I read them again and again to boost my motivation and complete this chapter :')