(AN: in this there is naru/hina and slight ino/shika and neji/ten.)
Disclaimer: again, I don't own Naruto or its characters/plot.
"Sakura! N-naruto-kun… h-he ask-"Hinata's stuttering was cut off by Tenten and Ino's squeals.
"Naruto asked Hinata out!"Ino and Tenten screamed into Sakura's ear simultaneously. Sakura fell backwards. When she got back up the hustle and bustle of the normally vibrant Konoha village, seemed to stop and the laughter of children and young girls preparing for the Seijin No Hi festival became but an echo of the past. A cold, yet somehow burning aura was being transmitted through the air. Sakura's fists became snow white, her eye's glowing a mix of red and jade.
"Err, S-sakura… are y-you… okay…?" This time it was Tenten and Ino's turn to stutter. After a few spine chilling moments, Sakura took a deep breath, then looked up, her usual perky look planted on her face. She flashed a heartless smile.
"I'm good." Sakura lied, a very bad one at that as well, due to the fact that even Tenten could see through it. Ino and Hinata exchanged worried glances. Whenever a new year began, Sakura would always be in some sort of mood.
"It's probably about him…" Ino whispered timidly to Hinata. Sakura didn't seem to notice. If she had, she wouldn't have bothered to hide that fact; she'd have clobbered some poor ninja passing by.
"Well, Hinata. I'm happy for you." Sakura smiled again. This time, sorrow was clear in her eyes. Ino figured they should've told her some way else, while Hinata felt upset for burdening Sakura with her own happiness while Sakura was without it.
Tenten noticed the strain between the four of them, so decided to start a conversation that would get them all excited. Clothes.
"So, hey, err, what are you all wearing for the Seijin No Hi festival?" Tenten asked quite depressed. Her Seijin No Hi was last year. She didn't particularly enjoy it due to the fact most of her friends were a year younger than her.
Ino and Sakura burst into obnoxious squeals at the mention of clothes, while Hinata giggled shyly. Tenten smiled at their reactions.
"Well, I had my look planned months ago. Blue and lilac kimono with a chrysanthemum patterned sash. And, I might curl my hair." Ino sighed, picturing every boy in the village falling to her feet, begging her to be theirs.
"Ino, your beauty and skill as a ninja astonishes me. Please, I'm begging you, be mine!" Shikamaru was on his knees, arms around Ino's leg.
Another tanned boy with green eyes and brown hair lunged at Shikamaru, trying to pry him away and claim Ino for himself.
"Please, boys! There's only one boy I'm interested in."Ino looked down at Shikamaru, beaming at the affection he was giving her.
Shikamaru used Shadow Possession jutsu on the boy then said, "Ino, do I look fat in this?"
"Huh?" Ino looked puzzled.
"I said, does this kimono make me look fat?" Ino snapped out of her daydream, surprised by her new surroundings, and looked at Sakura annoyed, only to gasp at what Sakura and Hinata was wearing. Sakura was wearing a black and white knee high kimono, with teal dragons and cherry blossom petals sprawled across the front and back of the dress, while Hinata was wearing an ice blue and dark purple ankle high kimono with raindrops and leaves decorating the bottom.
"Wow! How are you guys gonna wear your hair?" Ino gasped, amazed.
About to answer, Hinata was cut off by a screaming blonde dunce dragging behind him with two doppelgangers, Sai, Shikamaru and Neji.
"Helloooo girlies!" Naruto shouted on the top of his lungs, causing the three boys next to him to flinch in pain.
"Another." Sasuke placed his glass on the bar table, motioning for the barman to give him a refill.
"I think you've had enough sir. This is your seventh shot-"the barman began, but was cut off by Sasuke slamming his fist on the bar and glaring at him. His fringe hung over his face, causing the venom in his eyes to look more sinister due to the shadow they were casting over his face.
The barman seemed oblivious to this because he grabbed a tanto knife from underneath the bar and placed it on the table.
Sasuke threw his head back and laughed. His laugh seemed strained, almost lifeless. It echoed through the bar, alerting anyone left inside the desolate bar (very few due to the fact it was 2:00am) of what was happening in the corner of the bar.
Sasuke looked back at the barman. He took out his katana and pointed the tip at the barman's neck, and then activated his sharingan. While smiling drunkenly, Sasuke turned the tip of the blade, allowing it to free a blood droplet from the barman's neck.
In his drunken state, Sasuke started to laugh again as he licked the blood of his katana.
"My sword is not worthy to be tainted by your blood!" Sasuke slurred, waving his arms around.
"…Sh-sharingan…" the barman's breathing became heavy and seemingly uncontrollable as he fell back into the various liquors behind him. Anyone else left in the bar immediately scrambled as soon as they heard the word sharingan.
Sasuke sniggered, placing his katana back into its sheath. He took a large bottle of sake then, tumbling slightly, he walked out the door while muttering under his breath, "These people don't know anything…" Whatever that meant, not even Sasuke knew.
While walking down the street of the village Sasuke surveyed the night before him, looking up into the starless sky, pondering whether to stay put and plot to destroy the person who forced his brother to make the choice he made all those years ago, or to leave it be and rebuild the clan.
He smirked, twisting his mouth into a screw in the process. 'I'm an avenger. What else am I? No point in trying to go back to Konoha. I'm hated there. Same goes for all other ninja villages. And besides, how am I to rebuild the clan without a strong ninja worthy of the name Uchiha if the only one who I believe is worthy is bound to hate me? ' Sasuke pondered. His smirk disappeared as he made his way to an old, shabby hotel.
The sign was faded red, and was weathered down to such a state that the words were unreadable. The white paint on the walls was peeling and was vandalised with vulgar pictures. Sasuke looked disgusted as he walked in, but decided that he too broke to be picky. The inside didn't seem as bad as the outside, though the walls were stained brown and yellow and the place smelled as if a million corpses were just left to decay in one of the rooms. The carpeted floor seemed to make a squelching sound with every step he took, causing him to take bigger strides. He wanted to turn back now and find another hotel but by the time he had made up his mind, the hotel clerk was already handing him the key to his room with knobbly fingers.
Sasuke hesitantly took the key off of the women, then immediately dashed up to his room. On his way there, he could hear creaking and banging in the other rooms. Sasuke grimaced, imagining the things going on in there; only to chuckle slightly at his reaction.
"I've been through worse." He said to himself while entering his room.
The next day…
Sasuke arose from his bed wearily. There was a sharp pain in his neck and his bare chest felt sticky. His hair was flat and greasy. He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and decided that the second he got the chance, he would take a shower and wash his clothes. He sniffed his underarms, immediately pulling his face away and wrinkling his nose in disgust. He had never let himself be like this before.
Before he could do anything else, Sasuke threw up over the side of the bed. A stabbing sensation made its way through his body as he threw up again. After wiping away the vomit from his mouth, Sasuke realised he stank of sake and other sorts of alcohol. Massaging his temples, he made a mental note to never, ever drink again. He hated the aftermath.
After putting his boots and white shirt on, he made his way out of the window. He didn't want to see that old woman again, or the stains on the lobby wall, or feel the floor go squelch beneath his feet, or pay his fair.
Sasuke headed towards the gate of the village, with only one thing on his mind.
"Helloooo girlies!" Naruto shouted on the top of his lungs, causing the three boys next to him to flinch in pain.
"What a drag! Do you have to shout so loud?" Shikamaru winged in his usual lazy tone.
"Yes, of course he has to. Him being loud compensates his small-"Sai was cut off by the Konoha Eleven that were present.
"Don't say it!" Everyone shouted at once.
"What? I was about to say brain." Sai smiled a fake, innocent smile.
Naruto got rid of his clones, allowing Neji, Shikamaru and Sai to walk on their own feet again. Naruto went over to Hinata and gave her a tight hug and a massive kiss on the cheek, causing Hinata to go bright red.
Neji dusted himself off then went over to Tenten and gave her a swift kiss. Tenten giggled. "So, Naruto. Why did you drag us here to the middle of a girl's kimono shop?" Neji asked, curious.
Shikamaru raised his eyebrow at Naruto while Sai just gave Naruto the fake smile again.
"Mainly to see the girls-" Before being able to add to what he said, Sakura punched him in the gut. Sakura's eyes were ablaze.
"You pig! I don't know what Hinata see's in you!" Sakura seethed. Her fists were getting ready for Naruto to get close enough for her to punch him again.
"You're so right! Finally, someone who agrees with me!" Neji gasped. Everyone looked at him, their eyebrows raised at how out of character he was. "Sorry…"he muttered something else, but no one heard.
Everyone turned back to Sakura and Naruto.
"Sakura-chaaaan! You never let me finish! I was also going to say that I was looking for you girls because I'm arranging a party after the Seijin No Hi festival thing. Oh, and the reason why kill-joys Neji, Sai and Shikamaru, are here with me is because I couldn't find Suigetsu, Lee or Kiba.
"What about Karin?" Hinata asked. There was a moments silence then a burst of laughter. Sakura wiped a tear from her cheek.
"She still thinks Sasuke is in love with her. I mean, even after he tried to get her killed, she still has a shrine of him. Even I don't feel that way about Sasuke anymore." Sakura said. An awkward silence was present and it left a lump in everyone's throat, not allowing them to break the silence.
Ino was the only one to gather up enough courage to talk. "Sakura… but… you still have some feelings for him… right?" Sakura's eyes hardened as Ino revealed what was obviously the truth. Another awkward moment passed. This time, no one broke it.
"Helloooo Konoha…. umm, seven?" Suigetsu's kitty-cat voice brought cheer to the present Konoha eleven plus Sai. Juugo was right behind Suigetsu. He walked in front of Suigetsu then smiled warmly while waving slightly.
Juugo sensed the tension and stress being radiated from Sakura, and then frowned. He was always worried about Sakura; not because he liked her, but because she was one of the people, including Lady Tsunade and Hinata, to come up with some sort of medication to help him control his curse on his own.
"Anything wrong Sakura?" Juugo asked, his voice filled with concern. Sakura looked at Juugo, for a brief moment her eyes filled with hurt, but quickly regaining composure, she managed to flash a cheery smile.
"Oh, Juugo! Of course I'm okay; it was Naruto just pissing me off, as usual!" Sakura said. Everyone wondered which part of that was true. They all guessed the part about Naruto pissing her off. Juugo nodded, regardless of the fact the answer didn't satisfy him, but he dropped the matter.
For the next hour, everyone was getting ready for Naruto's party, as well as the girls getting ready for the Seijin No Hi festival. Everything was going well. The sun was shining and everything was perfect.
"Yo losers! What's up?" Karin's voice shattered the once perfect day, as she appeared before them wearing a red and white knee high kimono that stuck to her body. The one she had wanted to wear to impress Sasuke. Everyone groaned, knowing that if there was one person in this whole world that could make such a well loved tradition turn into a reason to strip, it was Karin.
"Karin, what the hell are you wearing?" Suigetsu was disgusted by the fact he actually liked her. He already knew what she was wearing and why, but he hoped she could have enough pride in herself to prove him wrong.
"For the Seijin No Hi festival, what else? Besides, Sasuke would be horrified I didn't wear this for him!" Karin squealed Sasuke's name. Everyone looked at her as if she were delusional, everyone except Sakura. Sakura began laughing, her voice sounding bitter and harsh.
"Sasuke has been gone for almost five years. No one's heard from him since the disappearance of Madara."
Karin scoffed. "Sakura, darling. You're not a sensory like I am. So you can't feel his presence. I can, and it's getting stronger as each day goes by. He's obviously coming back; well, not for you anyway…" Karin looked Sakura up and down, then smirked. Sakura clenched her fists, gritted her teeth.
She did not want to start a fight with Karin, but her inner self kept egging her on. It was unbearable. Before she could think, she launched herself at Karin.