Sunflower Chapter 4: she says there's no reason, a naruto fanfic

AN: I just have to say that I really do not like how the Naruto manga is turning out. Sasuke has gone wacko. /End AN

i. she loved him for a very long time

Sasuke watched her discreetly from the corner of his eye as she sat quietly on the park bench, swinging her (very nice and slender he noted with a faint blush) legs back and forth absently. Her head was propped up on her hands as she fitted her chin on them. Her elbows were propped on her bouncing knees and as she was bent over, her long hair spilled over her shoulders and wisped merrily in the soft breeze. As he regarded her closer, he saw her eyes were distant and glazed over, her pink lips turned up minutely in a soft smile as she daydreamed.

ii. he knew and he reveled silently in the fact

Whenever they sat here on this bench together, either meeting coincidentally or waiting together for their missing team members, she would chatter non stop to him, talking about whatever came to her mind while he would listen, seemingly annoyed but actually faintly amused, to her one sided conversation.

He was not bored by her talking, she did not drone on and on over clothes and hair and accessories. She rambled with a sense of happiness and her voice and tone was always carefree. She talked about everything and anything that came to her bright, happy head.

Sometimes, she would try to engage him and ask him questions but he only equipped her with an apathetic "Hn," before falling silent and judging her reaction. She always shook it off easily and then plowed right on into her thoughts about raspberry cheesecake with lemonade and how he should try the delicious treat one day even though she knew he disdained sweets.

She never ran out of things to say which surprised him immensely; her head was only so big yet it contained so many thoughts. He compared it to her caring heart, carrying so many emotions. Through her bright, carefree ramblings, he learned many little things about her that he kept locked into the deepest depths of his heart.

He found himself yearning to hear her rant and rave about the unnecessary antics of her best friend Ino trying to set her up on a date (though he sometimes seethed inwardly at this and made mental notes to visit her potential dates) and the small fights she would get into with Naruto.

He wanted to know more about her.

She interested him,

He knew she grew up emotionally unprotected and bulled but her friend Ino had helped her combat against the bullies. She was highly knowledgeable in how to deal pain (this he learned the hard way) but she always was bothered afterwards. She had a rivalry with Ino over him (and at this, he was secretly pleased) but Sakura always saw Ino as her best friend over her rival.

Sasuke often heard about how Sakura was worried about their periodic falling apart but she was always overjoyed when they made up, even though she tried valiantly to hide it behind her unique "Ino-pig" name calling.

Through her endless chatter, he realized with a strange tug at his heart how important he was to her. However, he would feel pangs of jealousy that he squashed down when she talked lovingly about Naruto, with almost as much adoration as she talked about him.

She was a strange girl, he noted through his observings. She had become a shinobi even though she detested hurting others. Once, he asked her why she became on despite the fact. She stopped for a beat, surprised and thrown off track at the sudden and unusual inquiry from him but gave a hesitant smile.

"Because Sasuke-kun is one," she had said simply.

However, those words stunned him and he was momentarily speechless. His eyes softened when he heard her next words.

"And I want to protect with my life," she had said serenely.

He regarded her quietly, waiting for her to continue but she said nothing else, falling uncharacteristically silent. He did not push her and by the time she opened her mouth to talk again, Naruto had arrived.

Later, did he realize, she was important to him also.

iii. he did not worry that her love would fade

He cleared his throat but she did not look up at him.

His lips turned down slightly, not used to silence from her. She had not noticed that he had slipped beside her on the bench, her legs still swinging back and forth, drawing his attention to them.

"Sakura."

He watched as she blinked rapidly before her head shot up, careening around to stare wide-eyed at him.

"Sasuke-kun!" she said in surprise.

He watched silently with a faint speeding up of his heart as her lips turned up in a brilliant, bright smile. It almost blinded him and he turned away quickly, wondering if his blush was showing.

"What are you doing here?"

He peeked back at her at the corner of his eyes and saw that her smile was still upon her face so her grunted and kept his face away.

"I was taking a walk. Why are you here?"

He saw her smile drop and he turned to face her, his brows furrowing at her hesitance.

"Oh. I'm just…waiting for someone."

He stiffened.

"Someone," he said slowly, and Sakura watched in fascinated horror as his facial expression turned murderous.

"Y-Yes," she stuttered out. "Some…one."

His eyes narrowed and she squeaked. "You won't mind, will you, Sasuke-kun?" she cried out, distressed.

He sighed inwardly and made a mental note to visit Ino to stop her from trying to set up Sakura with strangers.

"I do mind," he said bluntly and her jaw dropped.

"What?"

He disregarded her and continued. "I'll stay here and wait with you. I want to see if he's dangerous."

She stared at him, her smile completely gone. "Sasuke-kun, I can take care of myself."

"I also want to make sure he isn't some pervert."

"Sasuke-kun, I told you I can handle it! Besides, Ino wouldn't set me up with someone like that!"

He frowned, angered that she was going to go on a date that was not with him. "Why did you even agree to be set up in the first place?"

She looked at him wide-eyed in surprise. "Well, I didn't. But Ino told me that she told the guy I was coming anyway and I'd hate to think he'd be waiting for someone who's not coming."

Sasuke frowned again. "She's playing on your weakness."

Sakura bristled. "What weakness," she growled, irate that he was insulting her.

"Your soft heart," he said quietly.

She opened her mouth to retort but he continued. "You hate to make anyone unhappy because it makes your heart feel heavy. Even if it means hurting yourself to do something you dislike, you will still do it to help another person."

He turned to look at her with dark eyes.

"You're frightened of losing your best friend so you try to please her by going along with her ideas, even if you don't like them yourself."

Sakura frowned and looked away.

"Since when did you know so much about me," she grumbled.

He continued looking at her.

"Since you opened your heart to me."

iv. because she was his

Her eyes widened and she turned to look at him only to see his face inches away from her own, he having moved closer to her. She leaned back, unused to the sudden proximity from Sasuke.

"E-Eh, Sasuke-kun, are you feeling okay today?"

He stared at her for a beat and then straightened, giving her her space once again and she sighed inwardly in relief. She squashed down the small seed of disappointment.

He disregarded her question and instead, asked her one.

"Why do you love me, Sakura?"

Her eyes widened and her jaw dropped again. Sasuke-kun usually didn't ask these kinds of things. He flinched away from topics concerning her.

"E-Eh, S-Sasuke-kun, that was…a while ago," she said quietly.

He didn't believe her but her words cut him.

"You can't lie for shit, Sakura."

She flinched at his harsh words. "Sasuke-kun…"

He turned to her and she flinched again at his intense stare. "Answer my question. Tell me why you love me."

v. he wants to know why

She blushed a million shades of red then and he momentarily let go of his anger to watch her face change colors and listen to her sputter nonsense before she calmed down.

She turned away from him and looked determinedly away, ignoring him.

He waited patiently for her, knowing she would respond sometime. She could never resist talking to him.

Finally, he heard her sigh in defeat and turn to him dejectedly. He held back his smirk and waited.

"I love you because…" she said hesitantly, trailing off.

He waited, intrigued. Was it his striking good looks? His rock, hot body that she blushed at whenever he exposed it during hot summer training days? Or his intense, cold, sexy demeanor?

She tapped her chin thoughtfully, forgetting her earlier chagrin, caught up in her thoughts.

"It's not so much as for your pretty looks or hot body," she said sincerely and he felt his ego plummet some. "I mean, if it wasn't for your stiffness around people, most would think you're gay." She looked at him then. "You can thank Naruto for that, by the way."

He resisted the urge to strangle a certain someone.

"And your coldness is scary and not attractive at all," she said with a growing sense of exasperation. Sasuke was nursing his wounded pride when she turned to look at him with something akin to wonder.

"I don't know why," she said simply.

He fell off the bench.

vi. but she can't answer

She frowned prettily as she stared down at him.

Slowly, with as much dignity as he could possess in such situation, he picked himself back up and stood awkwardly in front of her.

"You don't know?" he asked, his tone incredulous and slightly angry.

She looked up at him, her brows still furrowed in thought. "Yes."

"There are so many reasons why I should hate you," she said softly and he stilled.

"You left me and you hurt me," she told him. "A lot."

He felt his heartstring tug painfully and for the life of him, he could not bring himself to say sorry. He cursed his pride.

"You're arrogant and mean and cold. You don't know the meaning of teamwork and you were going to hurt the people I loved most."

He bristled but stayed silent, enduring her verbal beating, understanding that he deserved it.

"But I still love you."

This love is just unavoidable. Inevitable. Unreasonable.

I just can't stop.

vii. why she loves him

"I don't need a reason to love you."

She smiled softly, her emerald eyes looking kindly at him.

"I just do."

And I just can't stop.

Because you are the only one for me.

vii. she thinks her love is unrequited

She laughed easily then, releasing brevity in the solemn mood.

"That's often the case in unrequited love," she said forlornly but easily. "I've accepted the fact a long time ago."

Sasuke felt intense rage course through him then and his hand shot out to grab her wrist. She was about to question his action when her eyes slid past his and alighted on another figure.

"Ah, here comes my date!" she said with a bright smile.

viii. and he scoffs at her stupidity

He was a good looking boy, bronze hair and sparkling blue eyes.

Sasuke hated him at first glance.

Sakura's date approached them and his brows narrowed in confusion as he saw another boy holding on to his dear Sakura-chan.

He waved to her and came up besides her, standing dangerously close to the quietly seething Uchiha contemplating murder.

"Ohayo, Sakura-chan," he greeted.

The Uchiha heir stiffened at the suffix.

Sakura smiled brightly and waved, standing up, trying to shake Sasuke's hand off her. It did not come off and she frowned quickly at him before turning again to her date. She opened her mouth to greet him also and ask for a name but her other wrist was soon seized by the unnamed boy.

Sasuke's hand itched for his kunai.

"Sakura-chan, let's go on our date!" he said, tugging her along.

She stumbled after him but was snagged back, her head jerking in the harsh movement.

Sasuke's grip on her wrist was tight.

She stared up at him in confusion.

"Sasuke-kun?"

Sakura's date glared at the Uchiha in perturbation. "Uchiha Sasuke, will you please let go of Sakura-chan so we can go on our date?"

It wasn't surprising he knew Sasuke's name. Team 7 was famous after all. However, Sasuke was uninterestedly surprised that the boy did not know how dangerous he was. He let his eyes bleed red and Sakura's head whipped to the boy in horror.

Quick as a flash, Sakura was removed forcibly from the boy with a strong pull and nestled by Sasuke's side.

"You will never touch her again."

The boy's blue eyes were wide as they stared at the two figures in front of him, one utterly bewildered, and the other frightfully calm. He shuddered at the intensity behind the other boy's blood red eyes.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura said softly and tugged slightly at his hold on her but he only tightened his arm around her warningly. She stilled at his next words.

"Because she is mine."

I'm yours.

ix. because he was hers and she was his

The boy ran. He tripped and stumbled and fell but he kept running and did not look back.

Those eyes promised death if he dared mess with the Uchiha.

Haruno Sakura, the beautiful pink cherry blossom, was Uchiha Sasuke's.

Sasuke's hold around her remained tight, even after the boy had disappeared from sight. Sakura struggled against his hold.

"Sasuke-kun! What was that for? You almost gave him a heart attack!"

Her voice trailed off when his eyes slid down to hers. Her mouth turned dry at the look on his face.

His eyes were fierce and burning with anger and possessiveness.

"You are mine."

His voice sent shivers down her spine and she trembled slightly. His words made her knees weak and his pretty, pretty, oh so pretty face was so close.

She fainted.

x. they needed no reason to love

His anger disappeared as soon as she fainted, replaced by incredulity and exasperation.

Her reactions always amused him but it annoyed him slightly that she would faint like that. He smirked when he brought his large hand up to cup her soft, warm cheek as she slept.

But it was okay.

She fit perfectly into his arms, like they were puzzle pieces. He supposed this meant they were meant for each other.

Sasuke agreed with her words, that there need be no reason for her to love him.

She just did.

And that was good enough for him.

It was exactly the same reason why he loved her.

For no reason at all.

He just did.

Love.

It's not unrequited.

It's reciprocated.

And her lips curved up in her sleep as she dreamed about her dear Sasuke-kun eating raspberry cheesecake and drinking lemonade with her.

It was the perfect love story.