Chapter Seven

Conflicted


And apparently, she thought as a group of admiring women flocked to the object of her view, what she wanted did not matter. She was entirely kidding herself, childishly so. There were no rational reasons for her feelings even if she thought he was pretty.

Admittedly, he was very pretty. And at least a dozen women or so had noticed as well. With a sour purse of her lips, Sakura turned back towards Genma. He seemed to be oblivious to her sudden bitterness when he continued chatting. "Oi," He said as his eyes focused on something past her. "Isn't that Sasuke?"

Shaken from her momentary sulking, she blinked and then blushed mildly. "Wha- no it's not."

The brunet gave her an incredulous look and then stared back behind her. "Yeah that is. Aren't you two friends? He's getting drowned in estrogen and you're not going to bail him out?"

"That's the idea."

He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Trouble in paradise?"

She snorted and then in a show of utter indifference, she turned her back towards the throng of women. "You act as if we're a couple," she said in a strained lack of concern.

"That's the idea," he drawled. "Or at least that's what most people think." If possible, his eyes shined with even more hilarity when she sputtered on her drink. He thumped her back for support. Once she was able to efficiently speak again, she rounded on him. "And what do you think!?"

At once, his hands flew into the air, with his palms upturned into a defensive position. "I didn't think anything! And can you please," he stressed as his eyes widened at her clenched fists. "Calm down? I think you're about to shatter that fine china if you don't."

"Liar!" She accused. "And I am calm!" Her screech had several people glancing at them curiously.

He ran a hand through his smoothed back locks. "What an oxymoron…"

It felt as if she were losing her normally collected mind. Not only was Genma irritating her with his uncanny ability to state the obvious, but someone was burning tiny spheres of fire into her back. And she really did not care to find out whom or what was doing the rude staring. It took but a matter of seconds to pivot on her feet and make her way through the crowd. She was vaguely aware of the sound of pursuing footsteps.

The pink haired kunoichi was outside in minutes, her body realizing that fact before her mind. The sensation of frosted air against her heated skin felt unbelievably alleviating. That was before she heard her name being called in two very different tones.

"Wait, that was extremely stupid of me! Come back! Sakura!"

"Sakura."

She turned – her body reacting instinctively towards the call of her given name. The action seemed to be happening too slow; her senses were unusually sharp. It all happened with surprising clarity.

In one instant she could see where the large double doors of the venue had burst open and where Genma stood anxiously. And then, seemingly at the same time, she could also see where Sasuke had exited the building from the side door and where he stood, somewhat piqued.

They too seemed to take notice of each other at the same exact moment. Sakura, stunned by the sudden situation remained unaware of the impulsive spark of aggression emanating from the men. Genma glanced back at Sakura, his face the epitome of remorse whereas; the Uchiha remained staring coldly at the older male.

"I didn't mean it. Please just come back inside, you'll freeze out here." Genma finally said. His brown eyes darted around her steadily freezing form, worriedly.

"Why should I?" She shot from across the road.

"Because you can enjoy the party with me," He tried to flirtingly coax her. "I get that I was wrong. Sorry. Really I am. You don't date Sasuke."

She couldn't help that her mouth slackened and eventually hung wide open at his words. Automatically Sasuke glanced away from his cold staring to look at her with an odd expression.

Oh God. There went any form of subtle discretion. Now he would think that he was the root of the problem happening between her and Genma, which he kind of was.

"What?" The dark-haired male hissed through clenched teeth. Either he didn't like the prospect of them dating or he was just bewildered. At best, he was a combination of the two. As if just noticing his presence, Genma turned to address him.

"She doesn't date you. As in she's single. Available." Was it her or had the normally cheerful senbon nin suddenly turned very brusque?

"Genma…"

He ignored her. "No I want him to hear this too. I mean it does involve the two of you, quite frankly. Now, Sasuke are you dating Sakura?"

Instead of turning to look at Genma, his eyes trained dead on hers. "What business is it of yours?"

"Because I intend to," The older male replied just as flatly. His brown eyes flashed chillingly at the Uchiha. "Do you plan to date her?"

Fed up, Sakura crossed the icy street. "Enough Genma."

But the brunet shifted his body towards the equally dark-haired male across from him. "Better yet – do you have feelings for her?"

Nothing could have prepared her for his question. Involuntarily, she sucked in a sharp breath and held it. She was positive he could feel the tension and maybe even a little hope that zinged through her body.

Without breaking even the slightest sweat or hesitating in the least, he answered, "No."

At once, her back erected and she released the breath that she had been holding. She marched determinedly back up the steps and stopped once she reached Genma's side. In a manner that he most likely meant to comfort her, he placed his arm on the small of her back to lead her inside.

"Wait do you need something?" She asked Sasuke, somewhat scathingly. He had called her name after all. It appeared that he was holding some object behind his back, blocking it from her vision.

She noticed that his onyx eyes went from her face to Genma's and then to the arm that was touching her lower back. "Nothing," he whispered. With one swift motion he had shoved the tiny object, whatever it was, back into the recesses of one of his pockets and stalked off down the road.

It was silly, really it was, but Sakura had a feeling that she was being snubbed. As in the "cold shoulder". Sasuke missed their latest training session and he did not answer his phone or door. She could definitely understand the last two. He was not a people person. She could dig that. But it was a little odd that he blew off their scheduled meeting seeing as he would usually beat her there in record time.

Not only had he forgotten about their session, but he had seemingly dropped off of the radar as well. Kakashi and Naruto had no clue as to where he might be lurking. Even Tsunade, seemingly omniscient, did not know his whereabouts.

Was it possible that he was simply on the outskirts of the village? Perhaps he needed to stretch his legs. The perimeters of the village could become quite limited at times.

Choosing not to dwell on him and his possible locations, she continued her spar with the Hokage. Damn. After about twenty minutes of just trying to dodge the beautiful woman, she was exhausted. On the brighter side, the condition of her body was steadily improving.

Tsunade seemed to take notice. "Very good, Sakura. You've been just able to keep your head above the water. Wonder how long you can stay afloat?" As if to test her theory, she flickered into Sakura's vision and aimed another high kick.

It connected, the motion sending her flying into the bark of a tree. She regained balance in seconds, her jaw aching from where she had just been attacked.

"Go home," The blond said knowingly.

"What? I can do better Shishou. Next time -"

"You're distracted. And you can't fight. Go home, Sakura." The hint of a warning was making itself known on the edges of her voice.

"Fine." She was a smart girl, and that entailed knowing when to back down.

It was just at the climax of the evening when she found herself taking a minor detour home. It was somewhat depressing to realize that she was spending Christmas without any company. Not that she hadn't been invited to any get-togethers. She'd turn them all down at the prospect of being a third-wheel.

Nothing ruined a good party like awkwardness. Judging by her current circumstance, she had plenty of that to go around.

The prior evening had been exceptionally puzzling and even a bit disappointing. It had seemed like (maybe she was just being senselessly paranoid again) that Sasuke had been furious at something or another. Maybe he was only at angry at her. Whatever the reason for his mood – it definitely killed hers. Literally.

She wasn't horribly pleased to admit that she had left Genma standing on the stairs after the Uchiha had fled. The part of her brain that kept nagging at her, telling her that something suspicious had been going on, flared up. "Oh!" The words flew of their own accord from her mouth at her sudden epiphany.

That feeling she got last night, even though she hadn't been in the best of moods, was altogether misplaced. And the answer had been there all along. Of course he had made her like that! In his fit of foulness – he had projected his emotions on to her and had made her just as miserable!

Or maybe, at seeing his crestfallen face, it had made her a bit sad as well.

She was a compassionate creature by nature, having honed and displayed her skills at the hospital with her patients. So it was plausible to assume that her mood was just a reflection of her concern and not some product of an unexplainable-deep-other-worldly-bond.

Out of boredom, she decided to watch the sunset from one of her most favorite spots – Hokage Mountain. It was a memory – faded and hazy – that brought a poignant burst in her chest. She used to watch the sun fall from the sky, or what she perceived it to be doing at the time, with her parents when she was young. And then with Team Seven. Wiping her moist eyes with the back of her hand, Sakura let her feet dangle on the carved hair of Sarutobi. Admittedly, it was a serene sight. All around her –delicate wind whipped at her hair – tossing it everywhere. Below her, there was the bustle of village life and the commotion of the academy kids on the grounds. How strange that they should be in school on Christmas.

If she squinted hard enough, she could make out the sleeping form of Tsunade in her mansion of sorts. She sighed and let her head fall back with the fading sun warming her cheeks. Of course, the few moments she had to herself were always interrupted, which was about to happen; the faint footfall behind her was proof enough.

When the space next to her was filled, she almost choked on her own breath.

"Naturally you would be here," Sasuke began as if she was not sitting there – next to him. "I was going to turn around and leave but what would be the point? I'm just going to run into you again at some moment…"

She disregarded him, concentrating instead on the color of her nails.

"…Inevitable…"

Her eyes stung and then watered as she stared without blinking into the multi colored sky. It was swirled in pastels – cerulean, orange, and lavender blending into one unnamable color.

"…Hn…I should really just leave…"

Finally at her wits end, she snapped. "Are you trying to be annoying?"

He stared at her, obviously caught off guard. She expected him to lash out at her in retaliation but honestly she did not care if he did. Tired was an understatement when it came to how she felt towards him. She tried, to the best of her abilities. Maybe she was to blame for where they went wrong. And to think, she thought that maybe, after all of their shared history, that they might actually be friends.

He seemed to regain his composure in the next instant but the lashing never came. Instead, he simply smirked before turning to watch the life flurry beneath their feet.

It was her turn to gape, although it was short-lived. "How is your Christmas going so far?"

He spared her a glance. "Fan-fucking-tastic."

Her cheeks instantly colored at his words, sweat dewing on the nape of her neck. It was safe to say that his sudden use of derogatory vocabulary was making her a wee bit anxious. "Uhh..okay…I think I'll go now."

She made to get up, but his sudden words halted her. "You can stay."

So, you can eventually chew me out? No thank you. She could take a wild guess and say that her thoughts were clearly painted on her face for he frowned.

"I meant that," He rolled his eyes upwards. "That – ugh – Look I'm sorry, okay?"

The fevered look he was giving her left her really no other options. "Alright. But I still think I should go-"

"Stay," he hissed none too gently. And then his eyes met her bewildered face. "Please." His last word was softer than his previous. In that moment, illuminated by the vanishing sun, he was considerably alluring.

She resumed her seat next to him. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have pried about Christmas-"

"Don't worry about it."

"And about what Genma said, that was out of line…"

He snorted, the action bringing a sort of human quality to his features. In truth, it was hard to remember he was even of her same species, with such a flawless face. "So I take it you two had a nice night," despite his earlier plea for her to stay, she detected a hint of malice in his voice.

"I suppose. I mean I left right after you. I'm a rotten person for leaving him like that…"

The Uchiha shook his head lightly. "Actually, that's the smartest thing you could have done. He's no good for you."

A pink eyebrow raised in surprise. "And who are you to judge who's right for me? I'll have you know that he's a good man."

Sasuke scoffed. "Yeah if you like someone three times your age. Maybe you do like older men, as stupid as that is, pick someone else."

"Why?"

"I don't trust him," he said simply.

"And who are you again?"

He opened his mouth to shoot some snide remark back at her, when unexpectedly, he closed it. The brooding aura which had all but vanished was crowding them both like a throng of mad men.

Sensing or more like feeling his change in mood; she decided to put some of her training to use. As she expected, his emotionless face broke into a wide grin. He swore and then glared furiously at her. "What the hell was that?"

"I was projecting my emotions onto you."

"You've been practicing." He commented. It sounded like a compliment but she couldn't be sure.

"Sure have," she grinned proudly.

"At least you've done something right."

She frowned. "And what does that mean?"

It was apparent that they could not go for more than five minutes of cordialness without arguing about something. When she was twelve, she wouldn't have ever spoken a word against him. But that was eight years ago.

"It means that at least you've continued your training. But, you need to find new friends."

"Leave Genma alone."

"Why couldn't you just fall for the dobe?" He hissed.

"Excuse me? He has Hinata."

"Obviously. But it wasn't always that way."

Ah. She remembered all too easily how she had shunned Naruto in his advances. Eventually he moved on and found someone that was actually worthy of his attentions.

It was her turn to laugh derisively. "I don't think he would have wanted damaged goods." Something about her words had him tense again, his face pale. And then she realized how they could have been interpreted.

"He's going to pursue you. You know that right?" He murmured.

"Who, Genma?" He nodded his head in affirmation.

"Yes, I do."

"And you're perfectly fine with that?"

"No, I mean I don't have feelings for him. Wait," Her eyes flashed. "Why am I telling you this!?"

He shrugged. "I don't know. You tell me."

For once, she decided to actually be truthful. "Because I feel like I can tell you anything." She braced herself for the backlash.

He froze, his expression indecipherable. They both stared outwards in silence.

"Sasuke?" She began hesistantly.

"Yeah?"

"A-are we friends?"

He smirked. "Don't be an idiot."

"What does that mean?"

"What do you think?" He muttered, dryly.

She smiled. That was as close to a yes as she could have hoped for. Suddenly, she could feel a weight being lifted from her shoulders. It felt good to be able to identify her exact relationship with him.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"I'm not apologizing for leaving all those years ago. And I have no regrets." She stared, unsure of where he was going with his words. "But…we went wrong somewhere."

"Yeah we did," she agreed in a whisper.

Above them, the last remnants of sunlight vanished across the horizon, leaving the sky a navy color. It drained the color from everything, bleaching even her vibrant hair white. The darkness cocooned them in something akin to a cool blanket but offered no comfort from the silence.

TBC

A/N: Wow. It's been almost two weeks since my last update. And a big apology to all those who looked for the other dream Sakura had. I went back and corrected the error. I meant to say that it was four chapters ago instead of two. Sorry. But for all those valiant efforts, the dream was in chapter two where Sakura describes her and Sasuke in a risqué position towards the end (If you blink you'll miss it). And I do believe that Sasuke was rather naughty for that. And to the fans of Conceiving With You: this story will be my first priority but I will update that one when I'm not working on this one. Review and many thanks! Ciao.

Surmise