Hey guys! School has officially started again ): I'm...already swamped with work, which I am sure you guys are as well. This chapter might seem uninteresting to a few of you, but it is a hugeeeeeeeeeeeeee plot mover, so please take your time to read and review. (:
No updates till ~30 reviews. Sorry. ):
Disclaimer: Nope. OMG D: No WSJ last week! The horror!
Chapter 2
"Hey, Naruto! Over here!!!" Sakura cheerfully yelled as she waved her arm over her head.
Sasuke waited patiently on the bridge as he looked at his fading reflection in the water as a gentle breeze blew through his silky and uneven locks. It was only a matter of time.
"Ohayouuuuuuuuuuuu, Sakura-chan! Sorry I'm late, I had something to do, dattebayo!" Naruto apologized.
"Don't we all? The rebuilding of Konoha's still going on. It'll probably be a few more months until it returns to how it was back then."
"And a few more months till Kakashi-sensei comes home…" Naruto mumbled to himself, but the others caught it.
"Hn." Sasuke walked ahead of Naruto and Sakura with his eyes closed.
"Oi, teme! Wait up!" Naruto started.
Sakura put a hand on his arm to stop him. He looked at her, somewhat surprised at her actions. Wasn't everything okay already? It has by now been eight months. So complicated.
"It's fine, Naruto. Sasuke doesn't like it when Kakashi-sensei's mentioned."
"So you call him by that again?"
"Yeah. There's…no reason to just call him Kakashi anymore. We're just pupil and student, or…ex, I guess." She lightly laughed.
Sasuke didn't like the mention of Kakashi, because he felt somewhat unsure of himself. What if Sakura returns to him later on once he comes back to Konoha? And how will he get rid of the guilt that he had ruined their perfectly fine relationship? If it weren't for him, then nothing would have happened. If it weren't for his selfishness, then he would've died alongside Itachi back at the plateaus. Then he wouldn't have to go through all these conflicting emotions and weird vision problems. He hadn't told Sakura yet, in case she freaks out over nothing. It's most likely from lack of rest.
"Sasuke-kun! Wait up!" Sakura ran up to him, laughing, and jumped onto his back, his arms instinctively reaching back to support her. "We can't use up all our energy now when we're about to spar!"
"Hn." A smile tugged on the corner of his mouth. He was willing to lose everything but this woman. Just being able to see her laugh with her, see her, hear her, and feel her, are his life's happiest memories thus far.
"You're not mad, are you?" Sakura mumbled into his ear.
"No."
"I…love you, Sasuke." Sakura's face reddened as she whispered it into his ear.
Sasuke gently swung her from his back to his arms and kissed her on the forehead before he placed her back onto the ground.
"Love you too."
"Can you two stop touching each other for just five minutes?!" Naruto yelled.
"Someone seems jealous." Sasuke smirked.
"Stop showing so much PDA!"
"Where's our freedom, hm, Naruto?" Sakura joined in.
"You know what! I'm going to bring Hinata-chan right now!"
"What about your ramen party?" Sasuke humoured. "By the time you come back, we'll be gone."
"Cancelled! Whatever, dattebayo! Just come on this date then!" Naruto pouted as he threw an envelope to Sasuke.
It nearly slipped his fingers but he managed to grasp it in time.
"Sasuke…?" Sakura wondered aloud.
"It's nothing. I'm a bit tired. What's this for, dobe?"
"Hinata and I…are getting married, dattebayo!" Naruto sheepishly said as he scratched his head.
Sakura opened her mouth in shock then ran up to Naruto and gave him a huge hug. "Congratulations, Naruto! How'd you ask her?!"
"Her parents figured out we were having sex, so they asked whether I was serious about her or not."
"…Did they walk in on you?"
"No, they just…sat outside while we got our business done. Then they spoke to us through the paper doors."
"Baka." Sakura sighed. This was so Naruto.
"When is it, dobe?" Sasuke waved the envelope around, it unopened.
"Why don't you read it, teme?"
"I don't want to open it, because you licked this envelope closed."
"Whatever! I'll open it." Sakura groaned and grabbed it from Sasuke's hands. "You guys are just like a bunch of kids…"
It wasn't that he didn't want to read it, he was afraid that he would read things wrong.
"It's this Saturday!" She exclaimed.
"Why such the late notice, dobe?" Sasuke fumed.
"Eto…Hinata-chan's…pregnant."
"Nani?! I thought you guys used protection or at least some chakra jutsu!" Sakura cut in.
"They obviously didn't think that far ahead."
"It's not my fault! We got carried away!"
"Yeah, you guys got carried away with having sex about 4 times a day and 30 times a week." She sarcastically remarked.
"Hey! How'd you know that's how many times we do it!? Have you been stalking us, Sakura-chan?!"
"Stop, dobe. Stop."
"It's the talk of the town, Naruto. Everyone can hear the two of you."
"Nani?! Then maybe we should've done it in the basement instead…" He trailed off.
"That's not the point, Naruto. Instead of being out here, perhaps you should be at Hinata's house getting ready for your wedding. Ever thought of that?" Sakura sighed.
"But…Sasuke needs to be my best man!"
"Your best man, dobe?"
"Well…of course, dattebayo! And Sakura-chan's going to be Hinata's Maid of Honour!" Naruto brightly said.
Sakura turned away from him and pulled Sasuke with her. "He never even bothered to ask us before he gave us those positions!"
"Can we say no?" Sasuke smirked.
"That's not what I meant! But…to get everything ready within 5 days is just…"
"I'll see you guys there, dattebayo! Make sure you get there three hours before the wedding!" Then he was gone.
"…"
"…"
"Invitation says traditional formal wear."
"Hn."
"Time to go shopping."
"The compounds have more than enough for this wedding."
"If you say so."
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- Sunagakure -
"You are going to Naruto's wedding, no?" Gaara stoically asked.
"Why not? It is the wedding of my ex-pupil." Kakashi lazily answered.
"Then you will escort me with Temari and Kankuro. We leave in half an hour."
"That's not a lot of time, is it, Kazekage?"
"It will take us three days to get there, which means two days for preparations. So, no."
"It seems so much like him, doesn't it?"
"Yes, it does." Gaara slightly smiled.
"It's time you get married too, Gaara." Kakashi sighed.
"I can't take away Sasuke's woman, Kakashi. I won't ruin their happiness."
"How do you know they'll be happier together than apart?"
"I saw the sparkle in her eyes and the changes in Sasuke when I visited Konoha." Gaara said as he looked out the window and onto the barren landscape.
"She's going to have an unwanted harem at this rate." He chuckled. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to get ready."
"We'll meet at the front then."
Kakashi left the room and closed the door with a swing of his arms. Everything was so troublesome for him right now. Just like a situation where Shikamaru would run from. He wished he could. Arriving at Suna was Kakashi's request, not a mission from the Kazekage. However, Kakashi was still getting paid to be a lookout for the citizens of Suna and he would be deployed to dispose of any spies or trespassing ninjas. He was paid too much for such a tiny job.
Acting as a citizen and a humble post office delivery man, Kakashi found this life just too relaxing to his liking. There was no thrill; the ninjas he had to dispose of were minor. They weren't even worth the fight. Of course he didn't kill them; he just merely knocked them out and threw them out over the border.
Last but not least, he was also somewhat sexually frustrated. The erotic dreams he had when he first arrived dissipated after half a year. Occasionally though, he would find himself thinking if he should just go to a brothel of some sorts to ease out his annoyances. But then it would be horrible for something like that to happen. And what could he say to Sakura when they meet again? That he's been sexing up random women at Suna during his mission? Inappropriate shinobi behaviour. And…it still hurts to think about her.
But it was his own damn fault. He was the one who initiated it and he was the one who went through with it. No one could be blamed for his mistake but himself.
As he exited the Kazekage building, Kakashi turned towards the direction of his apartment block and passed various small shops, all of them bustling with their families. A sandstorm had just passed the Country of Wind and another one would not be here for a few days. So says Gaara's experience. He ran a hand through his uneven silver-grey locks and sighed.
He had left his mask along with his shinobi clothes in the apartment he stayed at. For now, he only sported sweatpants, his usual sandals, and a black t-shirt. To cover his Sharingan, he used chakra-filled contacts. Perfectly comfortable. The only problem with his getup was that all the women young and old flocked to him like birds to their seeds. At least none of them had grabbed his ass just yet. But all of them have been asking him of many…unnecessary favours. Such things like feeding her dog because she is out grocery shopping. Ever heard of coming back early?
Speak of the devil, one of the younger ones is standing outside his apartment door today. She was quite pretty, around Sakura's age but perhaps a bit older by a year or two. In her hands was a small basket, possibly consisting of food and other things. He had been almost drugged before. Thank God Sakura had taught him how to degrade drugs in his blood quick enough.
"Do you need something…?" Kakashi politely asked. The sooner he got this over with, the better.
"I've noticed that you always go out to eat every day and it isn't very healthy, so I prepared a meal for you is all." She quietly said as she looked at him.
"Is that all? You needn't have waited for me out here. I have some business to attend to."
"I wasn't sure what time you were going to be back by and I wanted to catch you before you left…" She trailed off.
"How old are you, Mika?" Kakashi randomly but kindly asked; he hoped he remembered her name correctly.
"I-I'm 22…w-why?" Mika stammered. A flush started on her light complexion.
Just as he thought. A year older than Sakura, the same age as Sasuke. How coincidental. Why is it that he manages to unwillingly attract women all around her age? This is becoming more troublesome than he had thought.
"I'm 35." He softly stated.
"And…?" She boldly replied.
"I'm too old for you. Thank you for the meal, but I don't think it's up to my tastes." Kakashi took the key out from his pocket and inserted it into the lock, ready to open his door to step into his haven.
"But, it can still work, can it not, Hatake-kun?" Mika persisted. "I know of lovers many years apart…"
He turned around to look at her; her brown eyes big with shock and surprise. "It won't happen." Kakashi clearly stated.
"Why not…?"
"I love another woman who is younger than you." Then he went in his apartment slot and closed the door, leaving Mika with the meal tight in her slim hands.
-
Kakashi left his apartment in his shinobi attire, complete with the mask, Konoha headband and his pack. To avoid any unneeded drama, he had used a Teleportation Jutsu to arrive at the front gate like Gaara had said so earlier. He was only late by five minutes.
"I'd assume something had happened at your area, Kakashi?" Gaara emotionlessly asked.
"Got confessed to for the 517th time."
"At this rate, you're going to steal all the women of the village. The population for Suna will soon decline. Do something about it."
"I did. I asked her how old she was and I told her my age. Said something about lovers being many years apart can still work."
"It'll work if the two of you want it enough."
"You know how it is, Gaara."
"Then so be it. We've spent time idly chatting here."
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- 3 days later [Konohagakure] -
"Hey, Sasuke." Sakura childishly asked. "Which colour do you think looks better on me?"
Mentioned man turned around to look at her, his eyes squinting at the two kimonos she held up with her two hands. The two garments were dark blue and black-grey. The dark blue outfit was held together by a white obi whereas the black-grey kimono was held together by a crimson red obi. Both looked good on her to say the least.
"Do they both look that bad? What's with the creased forehead, hm?" She laughed.
"Seeing as how I'd like for you to wear the dark blue one on our future wedding…the grey one will suffice." He smirked.
"Who says I'm getting married to you?" Sakura turned her back to him.
"Me."
"But– –"
"It's only a matter of time."
"Well…I hope it won't be as messy as Naruto's then."
"Hn…" Sasuke smiled as he hugged her from behind and placed his head on her shoulder, making her drop the two kimonos onto the bed.
"Hey, that tickles!" She laughed.
"There is something I've been wondering for a long time now."
"What is it?"
"You're not pregnant after so long?" He quietly asked. He hoped nothing was going wrong.
"No, nothing's wrong, if that's what you're worried about." Sakura softly answered. "I just want you to myself for a little longer. Besides, Sasuke, I'm only 21."
"Hn." He smiled into her hair; it was just so like her. "What do you do after every time then?"
"I rather keep that to myself. If you're really interested, you can go through the medical volumes downstairs in the basement. They're all waiting to be touched again." She said seductively and gently unwrapped his arms from around her and then proceeded to grab the kimonos off the bed. Exiting the room, she gave a small wave to him with a flick of her wrist.
A sharp pain shot through his head just as soon as she left the room. His knees collapsed and one arm threw itself out to catch himself while the other went to hold his throbbing head. Forehead creased as a tight frown marred his flawless features, beads of sweat formed on his face. He slowly drew his hand away from his eyes and opened them; red liquid dripped from his hand and onto the mahogany-coloured floorboards. He sat down beside the wardrobe and swiped his free hand across his eyes, concerned about the blood. No matter how hard he swiped, he couldn't get a clear view anymore.
Sakura ran up the stairs as she heard a thump and no response from the storage room. "Sasuke?" She asked uncertainly as she reached the top of the stairs.
When she reached the room, she found it empty, aside from a splotch of blood on the usually spotless floorboards. Alarmed, she whirled around only to crash right into Sasuke's chest. Heart pounding, she looked up anxiously at his face, the first time being bothered by his long and dark bangs.
"It's nothing to worry about." He calmly said. "I just accidentally got a cut from hitting the side of that thing when I lifted a box up. See?"
A gash the size of her middle finger sported itself on his left forearm. Blood leaked from it and stained his pale skin. In his other hand was a white towel already half soaked with blood.
Sakura sighed. "I guess nothing can surprise me now after what we've been through. Considering this is minor compared to our other injuries from before. Why didn't you respond when I called you earlier?"
"Hn."
Focusing her chakra into her hand, she mended the skin within seconds and gave it a light kiss.
"Uchiha Sasuke all ready and active for duty!" Sakura said playfully.
He didn't look amused with her antics, or rather, he had his emotionless mask on once more.
"Is…something the matter, Sasuke?" She whispered.
"No, nothing's wrong. I'm just a bit tired. I think I'll go to sleep now." He responded.
"Oh…okay."
She didn't even have the heart to make a joke if he was too tired from last night. The look on his face just worried her more than consoled her.
"Don't worry about it. It was rather fun watching you talk in your sleep last night than sleeping. Never knew you had such…innocent dreams, Sa-ku-ra." He smirked.
Looking at her, Sasuke could only make out the tinge of pink on her usual porcelain white complexion. Satisfied with his tease, he left the room and carefully proceeded towards their bedroom. Maybe the cause of this was lack of sleep. Even though it was early to head to bed, he wasn't completely lying when he said he was tired.
"I hope nothing crawls up your pants when you sleep tonight, Uchiha." Sakura muttered in the hallway before she entered their room to join him.
"Hn. I'll take it as an invitation then." Sasuke smiled.
"Whatever, I'm thankful we're finally sleeping for once. I'm tired too from all this lifting and such." She grumbled.
Placing a kiss on her forehead, he pulled her into her arms as she pulled the coverlet over them.
"Goodnight, Sasuke."
So how'd you guys think of it? Give me feedback pleaseeeee? Love you guys. ^^ No updates till 30 reviews, because I'm a busy person too!
- Kanryu out 06/01/10 5:08pm