Withered Black Flower:
By:Terrified of Logic
Beta-ed by the ama-zing Kisa Kisa Yum Yum
With help from the awesome KinkyK and JazzyJ
Dedication: To everyone who reads and supports this story
A song bird landed on the window sill, Sakura looked up and smiled briefly before scribbling some more. She sat by Tsunade's bedside table, writing. Tsunade's eyes were closed, her breathing fairly regular. As Sakura sometimes looked up for her work, she saw some expressions flit across the smooth face of her mentor.
"Ah, Tsunade sama, I will find the antidote, and soon you will be better. The sun shines today, despite the fact that Konoha is in ruins. The war waged against Konoha is at a standstill for their leader has been injured, but I know the war won't be still for long. We will rebuild Konoha and make you proud." Sakura said, even though Tsunade could not hear her. Sakura shredded a corner of her note absentmindedly.
"Shall I tell you a secret, Tsunade sama?" She said now, talking more to herself than anything.
"Uchiha Sasuke is in my custody. My care now. He has been poisoned. I don't really know why I took him in, but I feel I would have regretted it if I left him today. I know, not the shinobi way and 'let go of your feelings'… he's in my house, sleeping. That traitor. You know I wish…" Sakura trailed off mumbling. Her pen rolled off the table and fell on to the floor with a clatter, to which she suddenly rose from her daydream.
"Oh god. What am I doing? Slacking on the job…" Sakura bent her head once more immersed in Healing Herbs and Potions taking down notes about the different plants and properties.
"Good morning Sakura chan!" Naruto waltzed in. Sakura raised an eyebrow at Naruto's overly chipper attitude as Donguri trailed in behind him, smiling at her.
"Doughnuts for breakfast anyone? With fresh coffee." Naruto said with exaggerated ecstasy on the word 'fresh'.
"No thanks Naruto, I had some this morning."
"But your coffee tastes like…shit." Naruto whined pulling at his hair in mock horror and despair. "It tastes like brown water and-"
"There is nothing wrong with my coffee!" Sakura interrupted hotly turning a bit pink, not really understanding the reason why she was defending her coffee, it was just coffee for Christ sakes.
"Sakura chan, Naruto and I specially picked out some doughnuts and coffee for you, because we thought you would be working late. Perhaps you could have at least one?" Donguri said with a little hope, offering the bag to her.
"Oh alright then." Sakura gave in with a little grunt and sigh, but was secretly happy that someone was thinking about her this early in the morning. The bag was warm, it was truly fresh doughnut and coffee. She could smell the tantalizing baked goods with sprinkled sugar.
"Alright, but if I have one then you guys have to join me." She said with a wide grin. Naruto pulled up two chairs and sat in one hastily.
"Feed me!"
Sakura did not miss the small twinkle in his eyes.
"Open up then." Sakura said, breaking off a piece of doughnut and placing it in his mouth. Suddenly she felt hot coffee trickle down her leg. She winced and held in a gasp.
"Oh no! I'm so sorry!" Donguri apologized profusely, bright red as she mopped up the coffee. Sakura bent down, grabbing a towel along the way.
"No problem, happens to everyone a this time in the morning eh?"
"But what will we do with no coffee?" Donguri asked, ashamed she had wasted their morning nourishment.
"Well, you can always come over and have some of mine." Sakura offered innocently.
Sitting on the bench in the park with Naruto and Donguri, Sakura asked,
"Where is Kinomi and Manryou? I haven't seen them for awhile."
"Well," Donguri said taking a mouthful of onigiri and swallowing, " Manryou got a message that he needed to get back to Kusa, but I don't think it's particularly urgent. Kinomi, well she's been in a fussy mood lately, fussier than normal, so I've kind of been avoiding her."
"Is she alright?" Naruto asked concerned.
"Course. I wouldn't worry. It's just Kinomi." Donguri shook her hair flippantly.
"I need to go, sorry for ditching, but I just remembered I left something at home. I'll see you later!" Sakura waved as she leapt on to the nearest roof.
"More time to spend with you then I guess." Naruto faced Donguri with an exaggerated look of adoration. She pushed him away and grinned.
"Baka."
Sakura arrived through her window as always. She took notice of the underwear's, bras and dirty clothes on the floor. She inwardly groaned; she hated laundry day. She gathered up her clothes and made her way down the stairs. She hadn't seen Sasuke so far. He was probably brooding and being an anti-social recluse in his bedroom. Not that she cared or anything. She snorted at the mere thought of him. Dumping her clothes in the washer she turned a dial and waited. She never left the laundry room even though it was too warm and cramped, because the last time she did that, she had forgotten she had done laundry and it had flooded, and apparently she put the soap in wrong because the bubbles and foam just wouldn't stop expanding across the entire room. She sighed. She really hated doing laundry.
Grabbing a book off the side of the shelf where she kept the detergent and powders, she sat on top of the humming machine and started to read.
It was a romantic story between a boy and a girl, a common chick flick styled book. It was an easy read, but it kept her captivated till the laundry was finished. She called it her 'laundry book' because she read it only when she did her laundry; therefore she had almost memorized it word for word. But doing laundry would not be the same without it.
A slight rustling put her on alert, she silently grabbed a kunai ready to slice anything that moved. Sasuke slid quietly into view.
"I think you dropped this." He held out a pair of small lacy, red underwear…more specifically a thong. Sakura blushed bright red. She coughed, hopping off the washing machine she strode over to him in two quick steps and snatched the offending garment from him.
"Thanks." She said shortly, unable to look him in the eye., she turned and placed it on the washing machine, hoping he would leave. But he didn't.
"What are you still doing here?" Sakura asked, voice calm and steady, but it had underlying tones, trembling slightly from the adrenaline rush she just had from embarrassment.
"I came to get my washing done."
Sakura stared at him.
"Yes, even I do my washing sometimes." Sasuke brushed past her.
"By the way, your laundry is finished." Sakura hurried over to the machine in haste to get her clothes without revealing any more unmentionables.
"And Sakura?" He drawled, whilst taking off his shirt and putting it in the machine.
"Yes?" She squeaked turning a shade of crimson.
"Nice red underwear."
He smirked.
She died.
Sakura busied herself spreading out clothes on the washing line, trying to keep herself from remembering and reliving the embarrassment Sasuke gave her. Another reason to curse him. He would have never, I repeat, never, have been this rude to her when they were genin. Although technically Sasuke was still a genin, she had no doubt that he had the skill of a jounin. She knew he wasn't a virgin, just by the way he talked, walked and breathed air like he owned the goddamn place.
But mostly it was confidence. Sure, he had confidence in ability when he was younger, but it had never been enough for his father. But now, he seemed more at ease with other people. Almost cocky and arrogant. He hadn't been so much as arrogant when he was little, just an over show of intelligence and strength that had surpassed his age group. But now everyone had caught up to him, he was going to get a big surprise when he faced his ex team members of Konoha.
The last item had been hung on the line and Sakura reached into the basket, she lifted up the pair of panties that had caused her great grief that afternoon and she blushed the same colour as them. Sasuke had seen her underpants. Oh my. Thank god, he hadn't seen her in them. She considered throwing them away so she would never have to see them. But then, she decided to keep them. It was a present after all from Ino, a birthday present from long ago.
"Happy birthday Sakura!" Ino said flinging her arms around her friend.
"Thanks- thanks for organizing this party as well it's great!" Sakura said happily.
"No problem. I couldn't have you organize it and make a fool of yourself again." Ino smiled cheekily.
"Shut up." Sakura jostled her friend and nabbed a glass of champagne.
"To our everlasting friendship."
"To friendship." The clinked glasses and drank the fizzy alcohol, under pulsing lights and heavy bass, in one of the best (expensive) clubs in Konoha.
"Sakura, open my present. "Ino handed her a small box girft wrapped in sparkly black paper.
"What is it? Is it some kind of expensive cream or something? Or weird glitter?"
"Just open it and see."
"INO!"
"What?"
"I can't wear this!"
"Why not?"
"It has-has-lace…red…roses…lace…"
"Now don't get your panties in a twist. Like my pun?"
"No."
"Aww, don't you like your present?"
"Well…I…"
"You can wear it for Sasuke…when he comes back."
"But what if he's not coming back?"
"He will."
"Why are you so confident?"
"Because, Konoha does not breed cowards."
"What do you mean."
" You'll find out soon."
"Thanks for the present, Ino."
"I'm glad you like it, hun."
"I never said I like it, Ino."
"Forehead. Stop being so stubborn and maybe your forehead wouldn't be so big."
"Shut up! Oh here comes Shikamaru- lets go dance. We are going to break the floor tonight.
And they did. For once, Sakura forgot about Sasuke, and her worries and her pain, and just focused on living in the moment.
Maybe she would wear those red lacy abominations after all. Sometime.
Naruto ambled down the road, taking his time, looking at flowers and kicking a stone along the way. He took a deep breath of air and closed his eyes, letting the oxygen flow through his body. He opened his eyes and the blue cerulean irises, glowed an even darker blue than normal.
Reaching his destination he let himself in, using the key wedged into a bush.
"Sakura chan!" He shouted through the doorway.
Upon hearing no reply, he walked in and shut the door, making his way down the hall and into the kitchen. It was empty. No problem, he would just wait in her kitchen. He made himself at home, helping himself to the cookies and milk from the fridge and settled into a chair at the breakfast table, reading the evening post.
Fifteen minutes passed and Naruto had finished all the cookies, the litre of milk and still no sign of Sakura. He wandered toward the fridge and looked through the contents, for something edible and tasty for an afternoon snack.
"Naruto." Sakura hummed into his ear.
Sakura saw it all on slow motion, the look of shock on Naruto's face that morphed into fear, the hairs that stood up on end on his nape and the inevitable; Naruto hitting his head on the inside of the fridge.
"Boo." She smiled and helped him up.
"Sakura, don't scare me like that." Naruto moaned rubbing his painfully sore head.
She ignored him.
"Well someone's finished all the cookies again. I'm not baking till next week as well, what a shame." Sakura examined her nails. Naruto's jaw hung open in horror.
"Y-you're not baking till next week?"
"Yes, because I literally baked two days ago. Next time, go easy on the cookies."
Naruto scowled. Just like someone else she once knew. She shook her head.
"Shall I make dinner then?"
"Yes please!" Naruto sat back in his chair at the table, waiting expectantly.
"Coffee while you're waiting?"
Sakura busied herself around her kitchen, chopping, searching and boiling all at the same time. She hummed an unfamiliar tune as she worked. Naruto's eyes softened as he watched her. She had grown up so much, and no matter how much stress or work pressure she was under, she always managed to cook him supper every other day. She was like the sister he never had, he would always protect her and make her happy.
"Naruto, no carrots right?" Sakura asked as she chopped up a few.
"No thanks." Naruto replied, craning his neck to see what she was making.
"What's for dinner?"
"Snips and snails and puppy dog tails." She deadpanned.
"No seriously." Naruto said making a face, at the prospect of eating a dog's tail.
"Beef stew with bread or rice of your choice."
Naruto salivated at the thought and nodded enthusiastically, hoping that Sakura wouldn't change her mind about the current menu.
She turned back to the stove, mixing, stirring and sampling, and finally she sat down at the table with the fire on low, the stew set to simmer.
"Naruto, shall we train tomorrow?" Sakura asked fingers laced together, thinking.
"Sure, why not? It's not as if I have any missions anyway." He laughed bitterly.
"You know, sometimes I miss Baa-chan sending me on D ranked missions just to piss me off. He laughed lightly.
"Is she any better?"
"No, she can't speak anymore, and she sleeps." Sakura's voice was steady, but her eyes betrayed her true sentiments.
"Sakura, she will get better, especially if she's being taken care by you. Truly." Naruto gave her a smile
"I promise."
"You shouldn't make promises like that, Naruto."
"I know."
She smiled briefly before suddenly remembering the stew on the stove. Quickly turning the heat down, she began ladling it out on to bowls with warm bread on a plate.
"Here you go Naruto, this is your, I took out most of the carrots before hand."
Naruto grinned and inhaled. The deep scent of rich warm food was almost sustenance in itself.
"Hold on a second."
"Can I eat yet?" Naruto grumbled, spoon raised to attack his food at any given notice.
"Let's eat together, please?"
"So sit down at the table." Naruto said watching her puzzled why she was walking toward the doorway.
"Sasuke! Come down for dinner!" Sakura yelled up the stairs. She turned to see Naruto staring at her.
"He's eating dinner with us?" He gaped.
"Yeah? So?"
"Him? With us?"
"What's wrong with that? We used to have dinner together all the time. Or have you conveniently forgotten that?"
"Conveniently forgotten." Naruto grumbled quietly out of earshot.
"Anyway, I thought you were the one who was all for team bonding." Sakura said briskly, ignoring Naruto's last comment.
Sasuke padded into the kitchen at that point and promptly a well calculated piece of carrot flew past his ear.
Sasuke glared at the blonde at the table who was glaring with equal fire in his eyes.
Sakura sighed. Six years and both still had not changed, no matter how much they would deny it.
They were both stupidly male.