Crossroads

Callista Miralni

disclaimer: plot only. The ring actually exists, you know. You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

At last, the end of my horrible suspense writing. I think.

She blinked owlishly at the paper.

"Just sign my name and initial each page?"

Sasuke scowled and grabbed it from her. "Read everything carefully," he scolded. "There might be something hidden in there to trap you."

Sakura groaned. "I hate legalities. I can never understand them."

"Aren't you getting a minor in entrepreneurship?"

She shrank into her chair. "Yeah. I barely passed business law."

Sasuke shook his head and continued to read the housing contract.

"Sa~ku~ra~cha~nnnnnn!"

The air left her lungs temporarily. "Na-ru-to-ku-n," she gasped out. "I can't breathe..."

"Ah! Gomen!" The blonde squawked as he loosened his grip on her. "Ne, are you excited for graduation?"

She perked up at the mention of their commencement ceremony in two weeks. "Of course," she smiled. "I can't wait to get out of here."

"And leave me and Ino-chan behind?"

Sasuke rolled his eyes.

"Leaving you—definitely. Ino, not so much," she said with a mischievous twinkle in her eyes.

Naruto pouted for a moment before brightening up. "One day, Saki-chan, we're going to get married and I'll work in Sasuke's lab as his business guy. And Ino-chan can work in the hospital with you!"

Sakura shared a dark look with Sasuke.

"Why would you want us to be together forever?"

Naruto's voice lost its joyous tone.

"Because we're family."

Her eyes softened from its harsh stare and Sakura whispered his name.

"And I love you!"

Immediately, Sakura's eyes hardened and she scowled.

"You haven't said anything to her yet."

Naruto threw back the shot. "Yes, I have," he insisted. "'s not my fault she won't take me seriously."

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Who could take you seriously Dobe?" He said as he took another drink. "You're always goofing off and constantly telling her you love her. No wonder Sakura thinks you're joking."

"But I'm being serious!"

"You have no sincerity," the Uchiha pointed out harshly. "And she can tell. Naruto, when we graduate next week, there is no guarantee you will ever see her again."

"That's why there's The Plan," Naruto quietly refuted. "I know your mom works with Sakura-chan's dad sometimes. If I work for you, I'll be able to see her. Eventually, she'll have to give me a chance."

Sasuke wanted to hit him. Love doesn't work like that, he wanted to shout. Sakura would date him to get Naruto off her back, not because she genuinely had deeper feelings for him. She would never marry him because of her desperate need for independence and space.

Naruto needed a girl who relied on him to be her knight in shining armor. He needed a girl who worships the ground he walks on, who would do anything for him in a heartbeat. He needed a girl who possessed enough backbone to tell him when he's being stupid, but would say it in a gentle enough way as to not spark a screaming match. Someone like Hyuuga Hinata, with her quiet nature and timid personality, would suit Naruto best but Sasuke wasn't cruel enough to wish someone as rambunctious as Naruto on a girl as sweet as Hinata.

Sakura needed a guy who could quietly support her and be willing to let her exercise her creativity. She needed someone who could temper and match her fiery nature. Sakura needed the freedom to breathe.

Thinking on it, Sasuke wished he knew what kind of person he needed. If he knew, maybe it would be easier to let go of his ridiculous reliance on Sakura to balance his life.

-ino-

The sun was rising.

Pale light illuminated the marble steps to the Museum of Natural History. Ino watched as Sakura and Sasuke climbed the stairs with enviable grace and composure. From her position behind the wave of ANBU agents, Special Defense, and policemen, the woman could see the dim scattering light by the sapphire on Sakura's left hand.

The agent they spoke with earlier frowned. "I can't believe she's disobeying a direct order."

"They're civilians, not soldiers," Kankuro reminded him sharply. "Your orders are meaningless to them."

The leader waited for them at the top of the steps with Temari beside him. Ino saw Kankuro's jaw ripple in anger at the sight of his sister's pale face. Even though someone wrapped her wound with a makeshift bandage, Temari still bled heavily. Nine other people were huddled on the step with her, all of them bound at the wrists.

Panic suddenly seized her. What if this was a trick? What if handing over the jewel causes a bloody massacre? Every instinct warned her to run but Ino remained in place. Her anxiety must have showed because the agent gave her a wane smile.

"Don't worry," he said. "We have eyes across the street."

Her gaze darted to the rooftops and the sunlight caught a sniper's scope. Ino relaxed for a moment before the someone spoke across the street.

"Come up to the roof," the leader finally said. "We'll exchange there."

Ino could barely make out the nod of Sakura's head before she and Sasuke disappeared into the dark museum lobby.

-sakura-

"You made the right decision."

Sakura's voice took on a chilling tone. "You didn't give me many options."

He stretched out his hand. Sakura slid her engagement ring off her finger and dropped it into his open palm.

"Loupe."

A jeweler's loupe was handed to him. Holding the ring up to the light, he inspected the sapphire with the loupe. She resisted the urge to bite her lip. What were they waiting for? They got their stupid jewel—just let everyone go!

After a few minutes, the terrorist handed the loupe to his comrade and slipped the ring on. "It seems you have upheld your end of the bargain."

"My parents and guests," Sakura reminded him sharply.

"Ah yes." He gave her a chilling smile. "I did say I would let them go, didn't I?"

The sound of whirring blades filled the air as two helicopters landed on the roof. The leader whistled, gathering his men to the rooftop.

"Adieu, Haruno-san. I enjoyed working with you this evening. Perhaps in the future, we'll be close business partners."

The crew boarded the helicopters, their leader's gaze still on her and Sasuke, as they took off into the dawn, leaving nothing behind but early morning silence.

-naruto-

Little by little, the guests came out of the museum. A dozen ambulances filled the street in front, treating people for superficial wounds. A squadron of Special Defense forces swept through the museum and were surprised to find no casualties during the ten-hour siege.

When Sakura and Sasuke finally emerged from the museum, Ino ran down and enveloped them in a tight hug. Naruto followed at a more sedate pace.

"Don't ever scare me like that again!" Ino exclaimed. "I'll never forgive you if you do."

Sakura apologized repeatedly, elbowing Sasuke to do the same. Once Ino had enough of hearing their apologies, she let them go and looked at him expectantly.

Stepping forward, Naruto hugged Sasuke first. "I'm glad you're okay, man."

"Sorry," Sasuke rubbed the back of his neck.

Naruto reached out and gathered Sakura in his arms. "Don't," he echoed Ino's words. "-ever do that again."

To his surprise, Sakura hugged him back and whispered, "I'm sorry."

Sasuke tapped him on the shoulder and pointed at someone behind them. An irate ANBU agent, different from the one they dealt with the entire evening, stormed towards them with Kankuro on his heels.

"Haruno-san!" He stopped inches away from Sakura. "How could you make that decision without consulting us? This is a federal investigation and I should arrest you for obstruction."

"You asked me to sacrifice five hundred lives in exchange for an eight hundred thousand dollar rock," Sakura said, her voice like steel. "I'm a medical student—I'm dedicated to saving as many lives as possible in my chosen profession. Besides, you have no right to my sapphire."

The agent sputtered. "That jewel is property of the National Museum-"

"Who lost it." Sakura interrupted. "Even though the jewel is stolen property, it was purchased through legal means. My fiancé possess the certificate of authenticity for the jewel; in the eyes of the law, the sapphire and its setting belong to me."

Everyone was at a loss for words. Sakura—who normally couldn't make sense of any kind of legal document—was asserting her civil rights? The girl who usually cared less about material possessions and couldn't be won over by sparkling trinkets was fighting for her jewelry?

"It doesn't matter even if you legally own the ring, seeing as how you handed it over without a second thought," the agent hissed.

Sakura stuck her hand into the pocket of her shorts and pulled out something. The brilliant white sapphire scattered white light everywhere between her fingers.

"I happen to know the artist who designed my engagement ring and had him make me another," she explained as she slid her engagement ring onto her left hand. "He happened to receive your stolen sapphire as part of a shipment of gemstones he ordered to make his rings. Luckily for me, he had a spare setting because his wife loved the design so much. It wasn't much to insert another similar quality sapphire into the setting and pass it off as the original."

Cradling her hand close to her chest, Sakura gave the agent a defiant stare. "If you want it so badly, then pay fifteen hundred dollars for it."

The agent grew red in the face and stormed off. Naruto couldn't believe Sakura had the gall to challenge a federal agent over a rock.

Kankuro ushered them all into a car.

"Come on—I'll take you guys home."