Hello again my lovelies!^_^
Hope you had a wonderful time last monday for Halloween! Personally I ate so much candy I thought I'd get sick... He, he, he! Anyway... Thank you for the reviews and support and here is the next chapter.
Love you all! xxxxx
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Chapter twenty-four – Finally back?
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6 months later
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Today was no different day. Morning had settled his usual routine, when the lone Uchiha finally awake and sat on his bed, brushing the last strands of sleep out of his eyes. The air was so dry in the morning, thanks to the lake of lava that was surrounding the jail. Standing up, Sasuke walked toward the small faucet that was at the end of the rocky cell and threw water on his face. Taking a huge breath as the water fall down of his pale features, the boy took a small towel and wiped the water away. To say he was enduring poor conditions would be a lie. In fact, being an international criminal had its advantages in prison. Compared to the lower ranks criminal, his cell was bigger and the bathroom was directly in it to avoid any risk of escape. The only problem with his condition was that he wasn't allowed to quit his cell. What would he give to feel the sun on his skin… His only contact with the outside was that little window above his bed. It was a small electrified cell window, but it was enough to let the wind passed in it sometimes and efficient enough to see the sky. As usual, the Uchiha walk toward his bed and sat in front of it on the ground looking through the window with a melancholic smile as he thought about his friends. It was a long time since Naruto came to guard him… But before his thoughts on the matter could go any further, the door of his cell was unlocked and opened a little.
"Uchiha…" spoke a guard in low tone, "You have a visitor."
"What?" asked the dark-haired boy in surprise.
Okay that was different from his little routine. As the guard quit the room and let the door open, a very feminine stature appears. Upon seeing her, Sasuke's eyes grew wide.
"Hokage?" asked the dark-haired boy unsure, as he stands up from his sitting position on the floor.
"Ha. Sasuke… So, how are you today?" asked the Gondaime as she enter his cell and walk in front of him.
"Hn." grunted the boy.
"You could be a little more enthusiastic; I come here with great news." replied the Hokage with a sarcastic voice.
"What is it?" inquired Sasuke, now interested.
"You're about to get out of here…" announced Tsunade with a happy voice.
"What? But I thought I was supposed to stay here for a year?" immediately replied the dark-haired boy.
"Supposed was the word… Your behaviour is better than we expected and the Kages and I have agreed that your place wasn't in jail anymore…" explained the woman as she grabs a chair near his desk and sat on it.
"…"
"You cooperate from your incarceration to today and during the two evasions you remained in your cell even if the door was wide open. You didn't get involve in fights and you didn't do anything against the guards…" continued the blond-haired woman.
"Like I would do something to them… Despise my annoyance when it came to Naruto, I'm still civilized…" replied the Uchiha with sarcasm as an image of an annoying talkative blond-haired guard appeared in his mind.
"Well, that's good, 'cause I don't have your patience when it came to him… Ha, ha, ha!" joked the Gondaime.
"Tch." grunted Sasuke with a small smirk as he sat on his bed.
"Anyway, I thought you had enough time to think about what you did and about your future. So tell me, what do you plan to do now?" asked Tsunade.
Taking a deep breath, the Uchiha took a moment to think before answering the question.
"It's true that I had time to think about my actions and what I would do when I'm finally free from here. Well first, I'll do my hours of community service, finish my sentence and … Rebuilt the Uchiha compound… And then, I think I want to pursue my ninja career, I want to raise my rank a little. But before that, I want to rebuild my relationships with my friends. I want it to be like before. I want the respect and the trust. I want to have my friends back and most importantly, I want Naruto to relax and enjoy his own life rather than have him worried over me… And…" answered the boy with sincerity.
"And what…?" inquired the Hokage, curious.
"I want to set things right with Sakura…" confessed the boy.
"Oh!"
"…"
"Hummm… Well, your plan seems okay with me but I want you to know that this might take a lot of work and energy, you know that, right?" spoke Tsunade in concern.
"Of course." replied the Uchiha.
"Well, if you're ready to leave… Here is your list of chores…" said Tsunade as she gives him a huge scroll.
"I see…" replied the boy with sarcasm.
"You'll be free by tomorrow morning. Your checkpoint is the stand of ramen of Ichiraku, Karin and Juggo will meet you there. Naruto will supervise you." explained the Gondaime as she stands up.
"Really?" asked Sasuke in surprise.
"Really." answered the woman before continuing her explanations, "Now remember, you can't be outside of your house if it's dark. If caught breaking this rule, the Anbu will escort you right back at your house, which by the way is an apartment not too far away from Naruto's. You'll have one hour tomorrow to settle there after your day of work. Good luck."
"Thank you." replied Sasuke as the Gondaime leave the room.
As she was about to quit, the Hokage walk back in a little and look at the dark-haired boy with expectant eyes.
"Don't mess up Uchiha or you might regret it." warned Tsunade before leaving.
"Of course." replied the boy as the door closed.
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The next morning
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"God dammit why do I have to wake up at 6 in the morning to get ramen when the shop is not even open?" whined a blond-haired boy as he walks in the sleepy deserted streets of Konoha.
"'Cause I say so." replied a grey haired man, nose buried in one of his infamous book.
"Damn Kakashi! What's going on?" asked Naruto in incomprehension as they reach the stand of ramen.
Suddenly, a puff of smoke erupted from behind them and Naruto jumped behind Kakashi in panic.
"WHAT THE HELL…?" yelled the boy.
"Lord Kakashi, here is the prisoner 623, have been release at 5:30 this morning. Do you confirm the delivery?" asked a huge brown-haired guard as he holds a young man by his shirt collar.
"Delivery confirmed." spoke Kakashi as he let go of his book.
"Thank you." replied the guard before releasing an annoyed dark-haired boy.
Once the guard let go and disappeared, Naruto by-pass Kakashi and look at the new comer with soft eyes.
"TEME! Awwww man! You're out of jail?" asked the jinchuriki literally beaming over the news.
"Yes." replied the Uchiha as he replaces his shirt.
"And you will supervise him for the day." announced the grey haired Hokage as he locks eyes with his two pupils.
"WHAT?" asked Naruto in disbelief, his eyes wide like two round plates.
"With his community service… Just follow him and the other two and make sure the job his done good." replied Kakashi.
"Other two?" asked the blond-haired boy in concern.
At the same time two other puff of smoke appeared in front of him, revealing two guards from the jail with a girl with red hair and a young man with orange hair.
"Oh! Those two." replied Naruto.
"Lord Kakashi…" begin one of the guard.
"Yes. Prisoners 624-625. I confirm the delivery." immediately spoke Kakashi.
"Alright sir." replied the man before disappearing.
"Well, you got yourself your mission, good luck with that." said the grey haired man as he starts walking away and jump on a roof top.
"Always so lazy I see…" spoke Sasuke with an amused tone.
"Yep. Things never change." replied Naruto with a nostalgic smile.
"Hn." grunted the Uchiha in response.
Turning around to meet the other two, the two members of team 7 were surprised to see the rest of Haka team smiling.
"Nice to see you Sasuke!" greeted Juggo as he engulf the dark-haired boy in a hug.
The Uchiha was so surprise by the sudden action that he almost fall back on his butt, but caught himself before so. Once release, Karin threw herself at him and hug him like there was no tomorrow before releasing him and looking at him with a blush on her face.
"Hello Karin… Juggo. Are you guys feeling okay?" inquired the Uchiha surprised by such affection.
"Hi Sasuke. Of course we are! We're just happy to see you. We were alone for such a long time." explained Karin with a huge smile.
Sensing the discomfort from the dark-haired boy, Naruto decided to intervene.
"So are you guys ready to start?" asked the blond-haired boy as he stole the Uchiha's scroll.
"Like we have the choice…" replied Karin in a bored tone.
"Rhaaaa… Come on Karin, it's going to be fun!" tried to cheer Naruto as he looks at the list of chores.
"Speak for yourself, you're not going to work." added again the red-haired girl as she cross her arms over her chest.
"At least we're free." tried Juggo as he smile.
"It's going to end fast thrust me." replied Sasuke as he get his scroll back and start walking away, "Let's started this."
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20 minutes later
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After walking around town for a good twenty minutes, Naruto and his three friends finally reach the right address.
"Alright. We're at the right place." announced the jinchuriki as he stops walking in front of a small house.
"Finally." whined Karin as she remembered all the wrong paths they had taken.
"So what is the first chore?" asked Sasuke as he open the scroll.
"Clean the old woman's yard." spoke Naruto as he read over his shoulder.
Looking at the said yard, the group was wondering if it was really a yard or the village dump. There was so many things in it that it made no sense that someone could live there.
"That pile of junk?" said the red-haired girl in disgust, "Damn it's going to take us a month!"
"Stop complaining and let's started this, oh and don't forget… That woman wants to be call Miss." said Sasuke as he read the scroll.
Knocking on the door, the dark-haired boy back away a little and wait for someone to open the door. After two or three minutes of waiting, a small old woman opens the door slightly to look at the intruder.
"Yes?" asked the woman in an angry tone.
"Hello miss Kawachi. My name is Sasuke Uchiha and this is Karin and …" begin to explain the Uchiha.
"I know damn well who you are…" interrupted rudely the old woman, "Get out of my yard before I call the police."
"Miss Kawachi, we're here to help you clean…" tried Karin as her own anger begin to rise.
"GET OUT YOU BASTARD!" yelled Miss Kawachi before closing the door in Karin's face.
"What the hell? OPEN THE DAMN DOOR YOU OLD WOMAN! MY FRIEND IS HERE TO CLEAN THE DAMN YARD AND THAT'S AN ORDER FROM THE HOKAGE TSUNADE HERSELF!" tried Naruto as he barged on the door.
Suddenly, a sound of clicking was heard. Wondering what it was, the blond-haired boy stop knocking on the door and look around for the source of it when Sasuke jump on him and pull him toward the road. In an instant, a flock of kunai was thrown at the spot Naruto was standing a minute ago.
"Woahh! Thanks Sasuke." spoke the jinchuriki as the two stand up.
"You're welcome." replied the Uchiha.
"DAMN YOU OLD CRAZY HAG, WHY THE HELL ARE YOU ATTACKING US FOR?" asked Naruto in fury.
As he was about to barge on the door again, a voice caught his attention.
"Why are you yelling so much in the morning Naruto? There's people who try to relax before their day at the hospital" spoke a feminine voice.
Looking around for the source of the voice, the group easily spots a well-known blond haired girl who was leaning on a window pane in the building right behind them. Despise the annoyed look on her face, it was clear that the Yamanaka girl was far from sleeping.
"Huh! Oh! Hi Ino!" greeted the blond-haired boy with a sheepish smile, "It's not my fault, Sasuke is trying to do his hours of community services and that old hag don't want to hear about us. She's throwing kunais at us!"
"What Sasuke? Oh! Hi!" said Ino in surprise as she waves at the boy, replacing her loose robe at the same time.
"Hi." replied the boy, looking away.
"Well, if I were you, I would forget about that one, she's crazy. There's no way, you'll be able to talk to her if she decided that you are the enemy. You should try another place." said Ino with a smile.
"Sigh, okay. Let's go somewhere else then…" replied Naruto as he begins to walk away with his friends.
"Thanks…" said Sasuke to Ino as he followed Naruto.
"Hold on a minute…." spoke the blond-haired boy as he stops dead in his track.
"What again?" asked the Yamanaka girl in annoyance.
"We're not near the Yamanaka House… We're near the Inuzuka clan… Hey! WHY ARE YOU IN KIBA'S HOUSE?" said Naruto as he points an accusative finger at her.
"Huh…. Ha, ha… I… Gotta go!" spoke Ino before closing the window noisily.
"Do you think Kiba and her are…?" asked in disbelief the blond-haired boy to the Uchiha.
"I don't even want to think about it. Let's go." replied the dark-haired boy in annoyance.
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10 minutes later
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Walking around a corner, Naruto spot the next address and ran at full speed toward it slowly followed by the rest of the group.
"Here we are… Wohhohoh! Mr. Sawari!" yelled the hyperactive blond as he waved his right hand in the air.
Upon hearing his name, the man let go of his rake and walk out of his garden to meet the young Uzumaki.
"Oh! Naruto! Long time no see. What brings you here?" asked Mr. Sawari as he took out his gloves.
"My friend Sasuke is here to help you with the garden!" announced Naruto as he slap his best friend's back.
"Oh! Hummm… I don't think I…" begin the man as he eyed the infamous dark-haired boy.
"Don't even end this sentence! Sasuke has to do his hours of community services; it's an order from the Hokage. Don't worry, he is not dangerous and I'll stay here while he does his chores." interrupted Naruto with his positivism.
"Well… Sigh, okay… But have an eye on him okay?" finally gave in Mr. Sawari.
"Of course." replied the blond-haired boy with a victorious smile.
"Thank you Mr. Sawari." thanked Sasuke as he lock eyes with the man.
"Mph! Try to prove them wrong…" replied Mr. Sawari as he walks back to his house.
Once the man got inside the house, the dark-haired boy took a shovel and hand a pair of gloves to Karin before giving her a pair of shear and giving a spade to Juugo, Naruto following behind.
"Let's start this. Karin collect the vegetables and the fruits that are ready and put them in this basket while Juugo and I prepare the other half of the field for Mr. Sawari second garden." explained the Uchiha as he read the tasks on the scroll.
"Yes." said Karin with a smile.
"Let's go." added Juggo.
"And me, what do I do?" asked Naruto with worry.
"Sit there and watch us… Damn Dobe, aren't you suppose to know your job." accused the dark-haired boy as he rolls his eyes.
"What did you say Teme?" replied the boy as his anger rise.
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Lunch time
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Once the lunch time arrived, Naruto took a shovel and join the dark-haired boy as he let Karin and Juugo quit the field for their dinner.
"You know Sasuke…" started the blond-haired boy as he dig a hole in the ground, "You miss quite a lot of stuff since your departure and your incarceration… Don't you want to know what?"
"You can give me a refresh if that's what you want to do. I'm not pushing my luck with you…." replied the Uchiha as took out a rock in Naruto's hole.
"What do you mean?" asked the blond-haired boy as he stops his actions.
"I'm glad you're still talking to me as if nothing happened, but I know I don't deserve your friendship. I appreciate the moment, I don't want to over exaggerated." explained the Uchiha as he too stops his actions.
"What the hell are you talking about? You are my friend Sasuke. You accepted to come home and that's all I was waiting for. To me we're all settled, pal! Stop worrying about that, we're friend!" spoke Naruto as he catches his friend in a head lock.
"Okay Dobe…" said Sasuke with a smirk as he threw his friend on the ground.
"Ha, ha, ha!"
"So… What's going on with that Hyuga girl?" asked the Uchiha as he sat on the muddy ground.
"Huh!... Nothing everything is fine…" answered the Uzumaki with a deep blush on his face.
"You're so in love with her that you look like an idiot!" teased the dark-haired boy.
"Take that back you ugly Teme! I ain't no idiot, I'm in love and you'd be just like me if you weren't so emo…" accused the blond-haired boy still blushing.
"Tch. Right." replied Sasuke as he rolls his eyes.
"Anyway… I'm so happy… Hinata is so awesome and beautiful… My life is great! I think I'll pass the chunin exam next month…" explained softly Naruto with stars in his eyes.
"You're still a genin?" asked the Uchiha in disbelief, a smirk on his face.
"Hey you are a genin too… And besides, if I wouldn't have to chase after you, I would be jonin for sure…" answered the blond-haired boy as he looks away in indignation.
"Tch… Yeah right!" replied Sasuke, clearly initiating a challenge
"Wanna bet on that?" asked Naruto, upset.
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On Ino's side
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"Where the fuck is she?" asked the blond-haired girl as she by-pass a bunch of old women.
Running like a mad woman in the hospital corridors, Ino was trying her best to find someone. When she bumped in another person and throws her on the floor.
"Oh!" whined the brown-haired nurse as she hit the ground.
"Sorry Ayame… I was looking for Sakura did you saw her today?" immediately asked Ino as she helps the girl stand.
"Yes, I think she is in her office filing papers." replied the girl as the Yamanaka starts running again.
"Thank you." yelled Ino before turning a corner and disappearing.
Running toward the stairs, the blond-haired girl climbed them two at a time until she reach the next floor. Turning to her right, she ran at the end of the hall and threw the door on her left side open.
"SAKURA!" yelled again the girl in pure excitement.
"Hello to you too Pig…" replied nonchalantly the pink haired girl as she continues to fill her papers as if nothing happened.
"He's out!" blurted the girl.
"Who is out?" asked Sakura still focused on her papers.
"Sasuke…" spoke Ino in irritation as she slams the door closed and sat in front of the other girl's desk.
At the mention of his name, the pink haired girl stops writing and look at Ino with surprised eyes.
"Really?" asked the young medic.
"Yes!" spoke Ino with insistence.
"Well… That's good for him." replied Sakura as she starts writing again.
In an instant all the papers on the girl's desk went flying across the room and two hands clap on the desk before Ino was two inches away from the pink haired girl's face.
"That's all?" asked the blond-haired girl in horror.
"What?" asked Sakura now clearly annoyed.
"Aren't you suppose to faint, yell, I don't know, do something?" inquired Ino now upset.
"Why, would I do that? It's not like it change anything…" answered the young Haruno as she stands up and look at the window behind her.
"Of course it does, you're in love with him…" said the blond-haired girl as she sat back in her chair.
"Was…" cut Sakura as she looks back at the Yamanaka with anger.
"Still…" replied Ino with a knowing smile.
"It's not like he care anyway…" said the pink haired girl in defeat as she looks again at the window.
"HA!" accused the blond with triumph.
"Look… I'm over him okay. Besides, he has a lot to worry about at the moment. No need to bother him with my non-existent feelings…" explained Sakura with a sorrowful voice.
"Sakura…"
"What?" asked the girl as she turns around.
"You can't give up now…" spoke Ino.
"It's complicated…" replied Sakura as she sat back in her chair.
"Another reason to do something…" immediately said the Yamanaka girl.
"Things happened Ino. He doesn't return the feelings, why bother… I got the message a long time ago. We're just friends now and if it's okay with him, it's okay with me. Now if you'll excuse me, I got papers to fill." explained the girl as she starts collecting her papers again.
"If you say so… But avoidance had never been a good solution and as long as you don't try to settle things right, you won't be fine. You did the things you did 6 months ago for a reason… You can try to forget or deny it but you still have feelings for him. He's different now, you're different now… You deeply care about him or else you wouldn't have risk your life for him. And as long as I can see, I think there's more then just friendship in his eyes when he looks at you." spoke Ino with determination.
"Oh and you base your opinion on what?" asked Sakura, annoyance evident in her voice.
"Wait and see Forehead. See you tomorrow at the flower shop?" said the blond-haired girl with a knowing smile as she leaves the office.
"Yeah…" replied angrily the young Haruno as she slams the papers on her desk.
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On Naruto's side
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Still working in the field with Sasuke, Naruto was chatting loudly about everything that had occurred in the village since the Uchiha departure as the dark-haired boy try to follow.
"And Neji and Tenten are now dating! Can you believe that? I thought the guy was in love with himself. And I saw Kakashi with little Asuma and Kurenai sensei the other day, and it was far from being normal. I think something is going on between them." explained the blond-haired boy with a huge smile.
"If they're happy, that's good…" replied Sasuke as he nonchalantly kicks a rock in the ground.
"Yeah…"
As they became silent, the dark-haired boy couldn't help but feel uncomfortable about his next question. Since Naruto hasn't talk about her, he was starting to think it was a taboo subject. Stopping his actions with the rock, Sasuke took a deep breath and ask his question.
"And what about Sakura?"
"Sakura?" replied Naruto in surprise, "I haven't seen her a lot during the last months… When we got back from the war, she felt in a coma for three months. I was scared she would never wake up, but one day she opened her eyes and I never felt so relieve. She had been in rehabilitation for two months after that and her jutsu has been classified forbidden. She have also been forbade by Tsunade to use any chakra until she judge the situation okay, so now she's doing clerical work at the hospital. She moved out of her parents' house and took an apartment near the hospital; you know that building near the book store?"
"Yeah." answered the dark-haired boy.
"Oh! And Tsunade told her yesterday that she would be able to use chakra probably next week, since her chakra system look good! She promise me to go get ramen to celebrate that when she'll be allowed to try. But me and the guys decided to prepare a surprise dinner for her. Wanna come with us?" asked the jinchuriki with enthusiasm.
"I don't think it's a good idea." answered the boy as he looks away.
"Nahh! She'll be okay with that." replied Naruto with a smile.
"If you say so…" said Sasuke as he stands up
"Anyway, our day is over. HEY KARIN, JUUGO! The day is over it's time for you to settle in your apartments. You have one hour." said the blond haired boy before turning around his best friends, "So I saw you tomorrow?"
"If you're still assigned to guard us…" answered the Uchiha as he collects the tools.
"You bet on that one." replied the boy as he walks away.
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On Sasuke's side
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"I'll need food…" whispered the dark-haired boy as he try to collect some things for his apartment.
Walking toward one of the store he used to go before he left the village, Sasuke took a bag and enters the grocery store with a list in hand. As he was about to turn the corner of the last row, a small feminine voice stop him.
"And I'll take that one sir. Thank you."
Looking around the stall, Sasuke look at the young woman at the counter with surprised eyes. Long legs, nice curves, medic coat and pink hair… Yeah, no doubt on that, it could only be her.
"Sakura…" whispered the Uchiha.
"Here you go miss, see you next week." replied the cashier as he hand the girl a bag.
"Yes." replied the pink haired girl as she leaves the store.
Immediately, Sasuke emerges from the last row and stare at the door as he hands over his items to the cashier.
"Hummm… Mr Uchiha… Long time no see… Did you find everything you were looking for?" asked the man as he put the items in the bag.
"Yes… Humm… You can call me Sasuke and don't worry I'm not here to cause you any trouble. I just need stuff and I used to come here…" explained the dark-haired boy as he gives money to the man.
"I know… It's just weird after all of those years…" replied the man as he puts the money in the cash register.
"Have a nice evening." spoke the Uchiha as he took his bag and hurriedly quit the store.
"You too." replied the man.
As soon as the door closed, Sasuke look around to see if the pink haired girl was near. It was a chance to talk to her that he couldn't miss. After all, Tsunade was right. Gaining his friends thrust wouldn't be an easy task and it was going to be even harder with Sakura. So he had no other choice than to make a move as soon as possible, if he wants to succeed one day. Walking in the main street, the boy spots her walking toward a street at his left. Not wasting anytime, Sasuke ran after her. As she was about to turn the corner, he catches up with her and puts a hand on her shoulder. Upon reflex, the pink haired girl turns around and back up in a fighting stance.
"Nice reflex…" commented the Uchiha with a smirk.
"Sasuke?" asked the girl in disbelief as her eyes travel from his head to toes.
"Hey." greeted the boy.
"What are you doing here?" asked again the young Haruno.
"I saw you at the grocery…" replied the boy pointing his bag as proof.
"Oh! Yes. You needed things too?" inquired Sakura as she calms herself.
"I suppose." replied the Uchiha as he tried to sound casual.
But as natural as the conversation may seem, it was really only superficial. It was clear for Sasuke that the girl wasn't comfortable around him and the silence between them was only adding fuel to that tension.
"…"
"Well… Hummm… I'm glad to see you're out of jail, but hummm… I'm kinda of late right now." explained the pink haired girl as she nervously played with the handles of her bag.
"I see. Want me to walk you home?" suggested Sasuke in an attempt to continue his conversation with her.
"Huh! Well, humm…" hesitated Sakura as she was trying to find a way to escape.
"You can say no if you don't want to." said the dark haired boy as his voice grew sombre with deception.
"That's not it… I just don't want to bother you and honestly, I'm not sure about all this." immediately replied Sakura feeling bad.
"Suspicious, hn?" replied the boy with a smirk before he grabs her bag and start walking.
"Hey! Get back here!" yelled the pink haired girl as she catches up with him.
Walking in silence until they reach her apartment, Sasuke followed Sakura and slowly climb the stairs that lead to her apartment. As she was about to put the key in the lock, the dark haired boy interrupted her.
"Listen I don't want to do anything wrong. I just want to spend time with you."
"Why?" asked Sakura not understanding his motives.
"'Cause I think we have things to settle. What happened during the battle 6 months ago…" begin Sasuke as he looks at the girl with emotion.
"Well I'm not ready for that." interrupted the pink haired girl as she held his gaze.
"Sakura… I want to make things right with you. Just give me a chance and you'll see." replied the boy as he gave her back her bag and grab her hand in his before kissing it and leaving.