Name: Dubious

Author: Monotogue

Rating: PG-13

Disclaimer: Masashi Kishimoto owns Naruto. Anything you recognize is not mine.

Chapter 1

The capital of Konoha was a bustling city filled with people of all kinds: young and old, big and small, happy and sad. Uchiha Sasuke was at the very moment in a shop as he watched Haruno Sakura spin in a furisode.

"Ne, Sasuke-kun what do you think of this kimono?" asked Sakura as she posed in the pink and white furisode, the sleeves nearly reaching the floor as she posed and spun around in it for him.

"Hn." Next to him, his best friend stared at him with wide eyes and an open jaw.

"Is that all you can say?!" he screamed loud enough so that the civilians walking outside of the shop could hear.

"Hn," he responded as he stood up and walked.

"Ah, ouji-sama!" the saleswoman called out to him, "We have more kimono choices if you're not interested in this one-"

"The kimono's not for me," he replied with his back to her and then walked out.

"Sasuke-kun!" Sakura called out, but it was already too late. She sulked with downcast eyes. "Why is it that I can never get his attention?" she asked herself.

"Cheer up, Sakura-chan! I'll buy you the kimono and we can get ramen later, all right? My treat," Naruto said to her. She looked at him with tired eyes. She was tired of everything. Tired of not being able to capture Saskue's attention. Tired of this unrequited love.

"Okay."

Sasuke kicked the rock further down the deserted street, hands crossed across his chest. He didn't know why the dobe and forehead had to drag him out like this every week. They said something about getting to know the capital, but he thought it was just a nuisance. If he wanted to get to know the capital, he could've done it himself- oof.

"G-gomenasai!" A splay of eggplant colored hair fanned out against the dark cobblestones of the street, packages on the ground here and there.

Sasuke was blunt and could be extremely cruel at times, but he was in no way the cold-hearted bastard that Naruto always made him out to be.

Hinata peeked out from her bangs to see a hand stuck out in her face. "Well?" he asked. She put her shaky hand into his bigger one. It was rough and full of callouses as if he had held a sword from the time he was born.

"A-arigatou." He grunted as he started to pick up her packages. "Ano, y-you don't h-have to d-do that." But he had already picked up the little packages she had. "A-arigatou..."

"Hn."

"A-ano..."

"Yes?" She gently used the sleeve of his kimono to wipe away the smudge against his face. Sasuke's face brought on a pink. Hinata giggled softly and gave him a smile.

"Sumimasen." And he is left standing in the middle of the road trying to remember where he had seen those pale eyes...

If the spacing's off or if you have any questions, please tell me.