Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto-sensei.

Sasusaku, post-canon. This takes place after 699, but before the events of chapter one.

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A/N: This is turning into a series of loosely-related oneshots and drabbles. Blame the manga and the canon otp.

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She sees him in a nondescript little village a little way off the Hidden Rain village. Its funny how you don't have to see their face to recognize someone you're familiar with. It's the way they walk, the lazy gait, the way they hold themselves, a shift in their shoulders and suddenly, you know who it is without having to see their faces. That is what happened to Sakura.

His hair is sticking out from a greyish turban around his head and he is wearing a-a poncho? Why? But then this is Sasuke and there is no whys and hows because he doesn't have the best fashion radar.

She still remembers that horrible purple bow he used to wear. Repressing a shudder, she quickens her pace in order to catch up with his strides. She's almost reached him when she wonders if she should leave him alone. Would he appreciate being approached by her when he had very clearly wanted to be alone to travel? But she didn't have time to mull over her thoughts or make a decision because Sasuke turned before she'd reached him.

"Sakura," he says her name, eyebrows arched and lips pulled up in an amused half-smile.

"Sasuke-kun," she nods, folding her hands behind her back and trying to look as nonchalant as she could. "You look… original." With the new get-up he has and the almost confession he had made the last time they'd seen each other made her decidedly nervous. What did he mean by that anyway? Flicking her forehead and "maybe next time?"(Naruto had hooted the moment Sasuke left and she had borne different versions of 'Sasuke and Sakura sitting in a tree' for the next few days before finally snapping and threatening to shave off his glorious blond hair if he did not stop).What she knew for sure though, was that he had made a promise to come back to her. Maybe it wasn't the confession of love that Naruto undoubtedly thought it was, but it was a promise she would hold him to. And that was enough, for now.

If Sasuke is confused at her comment, he doesn't let it show, but resumes walking. She walks beside him, sneaking a glance at him every few seconds. She scratches her head. Walks for a few more minutes. Shakes her head. Walks for some more.

And finally, she can't take it anymore.

"Sasuke-kun, what's up with your clothes?" she blurts out.

Sasuke gives her a bemused look. "What about it?"

"It just looks very.." out of place? Huge? Weird? Only a little bit better than the butt-bow? Like a southern tribal leader met hipster? Instead, she says, "would you like to go shopping?"

"Do you need anything?"

He still doesn't get it, does he? "No.. I was thinking you we could buy you some new clothes?"

Sasuke stops walking then and gives her a look which seems to suggest that he thinks she's a bit off. "I have clothes."

"Yes, but.."

"Do you think something is wrong with them?" Sasuke is giving her a raised eyebrow again.

"Well…" she trails off, "Just, don't you think that poncho is a bit too large? We could get you some normal ninja clothes, and a coat which would be more practical, I think?"

If Sasuke arches his eyebrow any higher, if would be swallowed by his head. "My clothes are fine Sakura. This Ruana was hand-knitted from the southern mountain tribes off the coast of Cloud. I am not exchanging this for some common coat." He says the word coat as if it is something nasty.

Obviously, he is very passionate about his poncho. But that weird, turban-like thing he's wearing? In the end Sakura decides it isn't worth it to ask his about it. For all she knew, it was possibly a heirloom passed down from the royal families of the Arabic seas. Hand-knitted. She resists the urge to roll her eyes and instead settles for saying, "Fair enough," and nodding in a mature sort of way.

Let Sasuke have his clothes for now. Atleast it isn't a buttbow.