Disclaimer: As always, Naruto is still the property of Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Anyeong haseo, minna – san! I'm not going to do the 5-part story arc. There were too many ideas inside my head and compressing them into only 5 chapters was rather difficult. The School Festival is a very long arc and I don't want to disappoint the readers. Don't forget to give me a review after you finish this story. You guys rock!

Chapter 8: School Affairs Part Three

All hell broke loose.

Sasuke blinked. What the hell? Kiss Naruto's slimy wet pinky? Suddenly, thoughts of unexpected memories swarmed inside his head. Recalling them over and over again brought a bout of nausea in his gut. Standing up stiffly, he placed both arms around the blonde's waist and without word pried him away from his body.

Ten Ten and Itachi blinked as well. Amusement apparent in their faces when they saw Sasuke stood up and successfully pried Naruto off of his body. He then dropped the blonde on the floor with a loud thud. Naruto yelped in pain while Sasuke stared blankly at him.

"Itai! What's the deal, Sasuke – chan? You're so mean! You didn't have to drop me like that you know," Naruto complained, rubbing his sore butt.

Sasuke glared at him. "I'm not mean. And stop acting like a weak clingy girl."

"But you hurt me! Unforgivable!"

"Stop acting like a simpering child, dobe!"

Naruto wiped imaginary tears from his big blue eyes. "How could you, Sasuke – chan? Why are you doing this to me? I admired you ever since we were butt naked and in diapers. Is this how you treat your childhood soulmate?" he sniffed.

Soulmate?

Silence crept the entire room. Ten Ten's ears turned reddish pink. Itachi fanned himself while busily picking out which color should he use next. Sasuke on the other hand looked like he was going to faint.

"That's it! I'm going to beat you into a bloody pulp, foxface!" Ten Ten screeched, pouncing upon the hapless boy. Sasuke and Itachi immediately stood up and restrained her, suddenly feeling a sense of pity for Naruto.

"Stop! Let's just continue the flowers and forget that this ever happened!" Sasuke yelled through Ten Ten's swearings and Naruto's pleas.

Ten Ten would not back down. "No! He's gone too far, Sasuke! Let me kick his ass!"

"You're mean, T! How could you? We're supposed to be friends. And you're lucky that Suke – chan is clinging onto you," Naruto whined in a shrilly voice while hiding his face with his arms.

Steam shot out of her ears. "Don't call him Suke – chan!"

Sasuke sighed as he firmed his grip on her. "All right, that's enough. Stop it, Ten Ten."

Again silence filled the entire room. Naruto and Itachi blinked while Sasuke remained deadpan. Ten Ten stopped struggling and was now standing stiffly. She registered his words plaintively inside her mind.

Ten Ten.

He called her Ten Ten.

After recovering his wits, Naruto stood up beside her and tapped her forehead with his knuckles. "Uh – oh. Guys, it looks like she's completely frozen."

"Frozen? What the hell!" Sasuke grunted as he moved in front of her and shook her by the shoulders. "I forgot that calling her by her real name was taboo! Geez, snap out of it, T!"

While the two teens are busy reviving their friend's consciousness, Itachi heaved a very long sigh. "Kids," he muttered under his breath as he finished taping a red petal to his flower.

4:30 AM

Itachi yawned as he stared at the wall clock above him. He turned back to his task at hand, and then stared at the numerous paper cuts he received from the tissue paper. After putting his finished paper flower on top of the pile, he glanced at his brother who was still making paper flowers.

"Aren't you going to take a break, Sasuke? It's already 4:30 in the morning. Naruto and Ten Ten are already lounging in the sofas, why don't you join them as well?" he asked.

Sasuke shrugged as he picked a petal and wrapped it around the wire. "I can't. I have to finish this or Shikamaru will kill me."

"Baka. You're the one who's killing yourself. Take a break once in a while," Itachi replied flatly as he stood up from where he sat and stretched his legs. He eyed one particular door at the end of the hallway. "Shall I go check on your guest?"

His ototou shook his head no. Itachi said something about heading to the kitchen to make coffee. When his brother disappeared into the kitchen, Sasuke lowered his head and abruptly stopped from his work. 'Kuso, a hundred paper flowers more to go. By this time, I'm sure she'll be able to do this by herself,' he thought smugly. He quickly finished his paper flower and put it on top of the pile.

Sasuke then stood up and winced when he felt a stinging sensation in his left foot. "Damn, my foot got numb," he said sardonically. He stomped his foot for several minutes until he felt nothing but tenderness. Walking slowly, he trudged back to his room next to the room where Sakura stayed for the night.

Pausing for a moment, he pressed his ear against the oak – paneled door and listened for any signs of rustling or racket. When he heard none, he yawned then entered his room, closing the door with a soft click.

On the other hand, Itachi exited from the kitchen, surprised that his ototou was no longer in the living room. "Probably went back to his own room and sleep," he muttered coyly, casting a sleepy glance at the two sleeping people on the sofa. He walked back to his own room, relieved that finally, he would get his own sleep as well.

…………

5:00 AM

The first faint rays of the sun greeted Sakura's sleeping face. She cracked one eye open then the other. "W – What happened?" she asked herself as she sat up from the bed. She eyed the pale blue surroundings, the realization finally sinking in. "I forgot. I slept here last night," she said to herself.

She swung her legs on the side of the bed, running her fingers through her disheveled hair. Sakura stood up from the bed and stared at her face from the mirror on top of the dresser. She took careful notice of the purple bruise on her left cheek, her red – rimmed eyes and the dark circles under it. "I look horrible," she muttered wryly as she averted her gaze from the mirror and sat back on the bed.

Her thoughts traveled back to the events yesterday, starting from the moment when Neji hit her. Her hand went up to her bruised cheek and sighed. That wasn't the first time he hit her. Usually, his reasons for hitting were small --- like for not following his orders, for not agreeing with him, to not wearing the attire he likes, up to the point of accidentally forgetting their anniversary.

After being hit, Sakura would usually head straight back to her own house. She would then run upstairs to her own room and eventually cry her eyes out for the whole night. Afterwards, she would not go to school the following day, afraid that Neji would ignore her in the open and pretend as if nothing had happened. She curled herself into a ball and sank back into bed.

"I wonder if Neji really loved me at all. I think he wanted to keep me because he needed to pour his anger out to someone. I don't know if the decision I made for the last four years is wrong…" she mumbled to herself, the tears coming back again.

Suddenly the door burst open and she screamed. She immediately flung her arms to cover herself and cast a glare at the intruder. Her green eyes changed from anger to relief when she found out that it was none other than the rude raven – haired boy she encountered last night.

"Uchiha – san…" she began. Mindful for her lack of modesty, she sat up straight and gave a sheepish smile at the teen. "I'm so sorry, I didn't know that you're about to enter the room. I mean, you didn't knock and all that's why I…"

"Breakfast is ready," he replied flatly and before she could respond to his words, he closed the door.

With her mouth hanging open, Sakura stared at the door. Despite the rudeness he displayed earlier, somehow she didn't feel unnerved or annoyed at him unlike before. She combed her fingers through her hair, attempting to straighten it, then stood up from the bed and fixed her clothing, smoothing the creases that were formed during her sleep. Before opening the door, she mouthed a quiet "Thank You".

In the dining room…

"Well?" Itachi asked with one eyebrow rose up in question.

"She's coming," was all he said as he plopped down in his seat and helped himself to a bowl of rice. His older brother sighed as he sat down as well and began to eat. Shortly after, they heard light footsteps coming from the end of the hall; Sakura's flushed face peeked at them from the doorway.

"Anou…" she began.

"You're just in time for breakfast, Haruno –san. Why don't you take a seat and start eating?" Itachi stood up from his seat and gestured for Sakura to sit next to Sasuke who seemed not to mind the pink – haired girl who was in the same room with him.

Sakura blushed. "Thank you." She sauntered towards the unoccupied chair and plopped down next to Sasuke.

Itachi handed her a bowl of steaming rice and a pair of chopsticks. "Well, time to eat." He sat back on his seat and resumed eating.

"Itadakimasu," she muttered quietly. She picked up a small clump of rice with her chopsticks and put it inside her mouth. 'Delicious…' she happily thought as she chewed, unmindful of the stares she was receiving from the other occupants of the room.

Sasuke clapped his two hands together and muttered, "Gochisousama". He picked up his bowl and stood up to place it on top of the sink. After leaving the bowl at the counter, he left the dining room.

When he was out of earshot, Itachi sighed. He slurped his miso soup then remarked, "That brat, he's so shy."

"Is he?" Sakura asked, intrigued.

The older Uchiha grinned. "Aa. Though he doesn't show it, I can see in his eyes that he's fond of you, Haruno – san."

Sakura slurped her own bowl of miso soup. Sasuke – san fond of her? Itachi – san must be kidding. If Neji finds out that Sasuke – san was having an interest on her…all hell would break loose. "I'm sure that's not what Sasuke – san thinks about me. He's…he's too…"

"Conceited? Arrogant? Pompous?"

"Rude."

Instead of responding, Itachi muttered "Gochisousama" and put his chopsticks on top of the bowl. He then poured himself a cup of tea and took a long drink. "True. But you're the first girl he ever encountered, Haruno – san. He's really elusive when it comes to the opposite sex; I almost thought he was gay."

"I heard that!"

Sakura suppressed her giggles when they heard Sasuke's voice boomed from the hallway. They heard the front door being opened and then slammed shut, indicating that the rude Uchiha – san already left. Itachi heaved a sigh as he stood up from his seat and prepared to clear the table.

"Let me help you," she offered.

Itachi shook his head. He turned on the sink and started to wash the dishes. "It's all right, Haruno – san. But shouldn't you be at school right now?"

Sakura's expression turned gloomy. "I…I'm not really needed at school right now."

"Oh?"

She beckoned the older guy to listen further to her. "Itachi – san, can I tell you something? It's my own little secret."

Itachi leaned forward so that he was in eye level with her. "Go on."

"I…" Sakura cleared her throat. "Anou…"

"Well…?"

"I…" She closed her eyes.

"You…?"

"I have a huge crush on somebody."

The older Uchiha nodded. "Who?"

"The rude Uchiha – san."

The plate he was scrubbing fell to the sink.

Konoha Academy…

At the school grounds…

7:00 AM

Sasuke stretched his sore muscles after he finished tacking up a couple of banners on the school's main gates. As usual, he got dumped inside the trashcan and got hanged onto the school's flagpole. He adjusted his thick glasses, wondering when he would get them compressed.

"Oi, nerd boy."

He turned around to find Shikamaru staring at him with that bored expression of his. Sasuke put down his tools as he regarded Shikamaru with a wary glance. "What is it?" he asked.

"The paper flowers." The bored guy reminded him.

Paper flowers. He almost forgot. Sasuke jerked his finger towards the direction of the school. "I left them at the rooftop."

Shikamaru sighed. "How troublesome. We're about to use them as decorations for the stage. If you're finally finished with the flowers, please give them to Hinata as soon as possible."

Instead of answering, Sasuke shrugged and trudged back to school.

11:15 AM

Sakura sat on one of the lounge chairs in the Uchiha living room. She tucked her knees under her chin and counted the hours that passed since school started. 'They must be decorating the stage by now…' she sadly thought. 'I didn't want to abandon my part but…I'm not ready to face Neji. Not just yet…'

"Haruno – san?"

"Itachi – san." She then looked up to see Itachi walking towards her, a tray of drinks in his hand. He set the tray on top of the coffee table then handed her a cup of tea. Sakura brought her legs down, a smile crossing her lips and accepted the cup. "Arigatou, Itachi – san."

He took the other cup and sat down on the sofa next to her. "You must be practically bored. I apologize that our house provided little to no entertainment. It has always been this way ever since Sasuke and I first moved here."

Sipping her tea, Sakura looked at him with curiosity. There was one particular question she was dying to ask him. "Itachi – san, umm…are the rumors true about…"

"About my rehabilitation?"

To her surprise, she nodded.

"Jeez…they're really on to me aren't they?" Itachi leaned back against the headrest of the sofa, eyes staring upwards. "Aa. I was put under rehabilitation for 5 years because that's what my otousan wanted. They thought that I was under the influence of drugs and you know what? They're right. But I'm not really that addicted. I just got sick of them pushing me around."

Sakura stopped from drinking her tea. "But what about Sasuke – san? What happened to him after you've been put under rehabilitation?"

"Well, since they've lost a good marionette, they decided to train another one. After five years, they finally completed attaching the strings to his body; making him the complete replica they'd expected him to be." Itachi intertwined his fingers together, locking them tightly. "They thought that making Sasuke do all the things that I did before would change nothing. But they were wrong."

Sakura nodded. This was one family secret she never wished to listen.

Itachi smiled faintly. He remembered a vague memory from his younger brother's childhood. "When he was young, Sasuke always wanted to play at our backyard. One time, he avoided his tutor and sneaked outside. Okasan upon finding out that he disappeared went hysterical. They all thought that he got kidnapped."

In her imagination, Sakura imagined a little boy dashing madly towards the vast gardens of the Uchiha mansion. Closing her eyes, she savored the thought. "Sasuke – san must be a pretty robust boy when he was young, Itachi – san," she mused.

"Robust? Aa, but he only ended up playing imaginary Hide and Seek. He hides while we seek. I found him of course crouching underneath a rosebush with all the thorns sticking out from his clothes." The older Uchiha sipped his tea. "He looked like a mischievous little porcupine. Well, when you come to think about it, he does look like one with his spiky hair."

Itachi continued. "Sasuke was laughing when I found him. He was quite an impulsive brat. Okasan was crying when I finally brought him back inside the house. Sasuke was still laughing, bragging to everyone how we didn't find him easily from his hiding spot. Everything was all right. Then, Otousan appeared."

"Your otousan…?"

"After finding out what happened, he punished ototou. The next day, Sasuke didn't come out of his room. Okasan was unaware of the events, which occurred between him and Otousan. Even the maids were also clueless. For two straight days we only heard sounds of crying on the other side of his door. Nothing more."

Sakura felt a sharp pain in her heart. She clutched her chest. "That was awful. I never expected your father could do such a thing to Sasuke – san."

"Well, looks can be deceiving." Itachi closed his eyes. "That night, I finally decided to burst inside his room to find out what really happened. When I entered Sasuke's room, there was no sign of him. I started to check every nook and cranny, even the windows. Just then, I heard whimpering sounds coming from under the bed. I crouched down to look under it and there he was."

"He had been hiding under the bed for too long, afraid that otousan would hurt him again. It took me an hour to convince him to come out of the bed. After bathing him and filling his stomach with food, I began to ask him why he didn't come out of his room. Sasuke was silent, until I noticed something awfully peculiar."

Sakura raised a brow.

Itachi drained his cup and placed it on the coffee table. "I raised his arm to take a closer look. I saw reddish burns on his skin. His other arm also bore the same marks and there was only one thing that came to my mind that night. Otousan turned Sasuke into a human ashtray as punishment."

He ran his hand through his raven locks. "Poor kid. He was only seven at that time. That was also his first major emotional trauma. Years later, I underwent rehabilitation and since then, I lost contact with him. When I finally saw him, he completely changed. He was void of any emotions, he rarely smiled and his movements were fine and precise. I wanted him to experience a normal life so I left the mansion taking him with me. And now, here we are."

"It's too…traumatizing. No wonder Sasuke – san is so…bitter."

Itachi snorted. "He's always bitter. It's just that…he doesn't know how to mingle with people anymore. If there's only something I could do to help him with this little problem of his…"

Sakura raised a hand. "Maybe I can do something about him, Itachi – san!"

"Huh?"

She flashed Itachi an "okay" sign. "Don't worry! Just leave everything to me!"

12:30 PM

At the school rooftop…

Sasuke finished taping the petal to its stem. He tossed the paper flower inside the cardboard box. "Whew, fifty more to go," he groaned as he picked up another wire and tissue petal. He stared at the blue sky above him. "Wonder what that stupid 'nisan is doing with that girl right now."

"Yo! Looks like you're almost done, Suke – chan!"

Turning around, Sasuke groaned when he saw Naruto standing at the doorway, a wide grin pasted on his face. "What do you want, Naruto?" he asked dryly.

Naruto sat cross-legged in front of him. "Is it bad to visit my Suke – chan at this time?"

He rolled his eyes in annoyance. "Stop adding monikers to my name, dobe."

"You're so cruel!" Naruto exclaimed, feigning innocence. His blue eyes traveled down to the paper flowers Sasuke was making. He picked one red flower and held it in front of Sasuke. "So, how's it going? By the way, T told me that she saw Hyuuga prancing along the halls without his girl. I heard rumors that she and Neji had a big fight yesterday then Poof! She suddenly disappeared."

"Maybe she couldn't take the abuse anymore," Sasuke retorted and snatched the flower from Naruto's hand and put it next to the rest of the pile.

Naruto sighed. "Perhaps. So teme, I heard from Itachi – san that you're going to attend the festival wearing normal clothes," he whispered quietly.

The raven – haired boy shrugged. "He told me I should take a break from my gawkiness."

"Great! Then you can enjoy the festival with us without worrying about those bullies!" Naruto snapped his finger in emphasis.

"I can't disappear just like that, dobe." Sasuke stood up then started counting the flowers just to make sure it was complete. After several minutes, he fingered one blue flower and tossed it back into the cardboard box.

Five hundred.

Afterwards, he removed his glasses, using his sleeve to wipe sweat from his forehead. Eyeing Naruto who was still waiting for his answer, he sighed. "Chouji and the others assigned me to do all the cleaning at the end of the festival."

"So? You can do that after the end of the festival."

"They're expecting me to be there, dumbass. I'm supposed to be hanging out all over the place."

Naruto slapped a hand dramatically over his forehead. "Oh right. You're the janitor. Good thing I'm with the food committee. I wonder how T is faring."

"Ten Ten is in good hands. She's put under the jail booth committee."

"That's even worse. She might arrest me for having a crush on you!"

Sasuke bonked him on the head. "Har – har – har. Quit it, kitsune. You're already way over your head."

Naruto stuck a tongue out at him. "Ow! Whatever. So, are you ready to give those to Shikamaru? He's been mumbling troublesome words all day! And he's certainly looking forward to seeing those flowers on stage."

"I'm about to do that." He tried lifting the box but it wouldn't budge. Sasuke glanced at Naruto with a smirk on his face. "Sou dayo, Naruto. Can you help me?"

The blond boy crossed his arms. "Yada. Why should I do it? Where's your partner?"

"Apparently missing in action. Now help me or I'll kick you in the ass."

"Why don't you just kiss my ass instead?"

Instead of answering, Sasuke kicked him hard on his butt.

3:00 PM

Konoha Academy…

Back at the rooftop…

Sasuke stared below at the booths that were all set up and decorated. As for him, he finished all of his chores even the scrubbing of toilet seats in the men's restroom. "What a day," he muttered to himself at the same time removed his glasses.

The door to the rooftop suddenly opened and Sasuke quickly put his glasses back on. He turned his head and swallowed when he saw a familiar pink –haired girl panting from the doorway. "H – Haruno – san…?"

"Finally, I knew you'd be here." Sakura heaved a few gasps of breath then smiled at him. With hands clasped behind her back, she walked towards him. Her soft pink tresses were blown lightly by the wind as she neared him. Her expression turned sad. "Anou…gomene."

He blinked. "For what?"

"For…um…for what happened yesterday."

"I don't understand."

Sakura frowned. "You must have heard of my disappearance from the kids here at school. Well I…I just ran off somewhere last night and I…but I'm all right now." She stared at him, peering through his thick foggy glasses. "And also…I wanted to apologize to you because…"

"Because?"

"…Because Neji burned all of the paper flowers we made yesterday." Sakura blurted out. Her tears streamed down her face. "It's my entire fault! I'm so sorry! I promise, I'll do my best in finishing all five hundred of them today! Please don't be mad! I'll explain everything to Shikamaru! I'm sorry!"

Instead of answering he only stared at her. Afterwards, he turned away from Sakura, leaning against the railings. "All right. Stop. You don't need to babble everything to me." Running a hand through his slick black hair, he almost forgot that he was supposed to play the part of a nerd.

He dropped his hand to his side. "I understand. When I arrived here, I noticed the burnt pieces of tissue paper next to the water tank. The first thing I thought was that it was Chouji and his gang who did it but," he cleared his throat. "I didn't expect that the perpetrator would be your boyfriend, Haruno – san."

Sakura lowered her eyes. "I know." She bit her lip.

"But don't worry about it. I finished all of the flowers. And I already gave them all to Shikamaru. To save you from his boring lectures, I even added that we finished all of them overnight." Sasuke sighed as he glanced at his watch. Almost time for the school to end. "Is there anything else that you wish to ask me, Haruno – san?"

Sakura was stunned. "I…" Unbelievable. He finished the paper flowers all by himself? Impossible! But staring at the teen in front of her, she began to wonder what kind of eyes he was hiding under his glasses. Nevertheless, she was still impressed.

This boy that she only met yesterday…he was a mystery.

She had to return the favor. After all, the nerd boy didn't do all of the work just because she asked him to. She was guilty for not being there to help him. Deep inside, she knew that he got scolded by Shikamaru and was forced to work double time on the flowers.

Suddenly an idea popped inside her head.

"I know!" she exclaimed, throwing Sasuke off guard. She smiled prettily at him. "Do you have plans or something after school?"

"No."

"Great!" she said then clapped her hands. "Want to go with me to the ice cream shop? My treat!"

"I…" Sasuke rolled his eyes. Was this girl nuts? Did she really want to get whipped by Neji? "Your boyfriend would get mad if I let you treat me, Haruno – san."

"No! He wouldn't! I mean, why would he?" she asked back, but her voice trailed off. Of course, even though she was still in a fight with Neji, she was still aware of his extreme sense of jealousy. Surely Neji wouldn't mind if she invited a friend, particularly a nerdy – male friend, for ice cream now would he?

"He would get mad, Haruno – san. Judging from his superiority here in school, I'm sure that he'll go bonkers once he finds out you've been hanging out with someone like me." He gave a wry smile. "If you'll excuse me, I have to get going. And I also think that you need to go home as well."

She was puzzled. "Why?"

Sasuke pointed a finger at her clothes. Sakura looked herself over and she immediately blushed when she saw that she was wearing boy's clothes. She offered an apologetic look then excused herself, leaving him alone standing baffled at the rooftop.

Sasuke sighed. That girl was way beyond weird.

And interesting. Way too interesting.

Suddenly, his eyes widened. "Wait! Was she wearing my clothes just now?"

7:00 PM

Itachi cracked two eggs in a bowl and starting beating them. Hearing the front door being slammed shut, he sighed. "Oi, ototou. For the fifteenth time, please don't slam the door."

Sasuke's head popped from the kitchen's entrance. "Whatever. What's for dinner?"

His older brother didn't look at him and continued beating the eggs. "A tomato dish."

"Hn." Sasuke muttered then walked onwards to his room. Inside, he changed his clothes into something more comfortable. The doorbell rang. He cursed then went out of his room to answer the door. Yanking it open, his eyebrow rose up.

"What do you want?" he asked a matter-of-factly.

Outside, Sakura blushed furiously under his gaze. She held out a brown paper bag in front of him. "Here. I'm sorry that I borrowed the clothes. Itachi – san told me it was okay so I…"

"It's perfectly all right. Thank you," Sasuke replied and snatched the bag from her hands. When Sakura showed no signs of leaving, he sighed. "Did you forget something inside?"

"Um…no! It's just that I…"

Out of nowhere, Itachi appeared behind him with a ladle in his left hand. "Ototou! Are you scaring the mailman again? I already told you many times that the mailmen are…" He suddenly stopped talking when he saw Sakura standing outside the doorway. "Haruno – san! What are you doing there?"

"Um…good evening, Itachi – san. I was just leaving," Sakura bowed her head and was about to leave when a hand grabbed her delicate wrist. She yelped, her eyes locked with its onyx counterpart.

"Come with me," Sasuke said immediately, dragging her with him as he stepped outside the house.

Itachi stood speechless by the house's main entrance, but nonetheless waved his ladle as if shooing the two away. "Don't forget! Be back by dinner or I'll make you eat rotten tomatoes, ototou!" he yelled at them, seeing his brother's back tensed up.

He smirked as he went back to his cooking. 'She'll take care of him.'

…………

They rounded up to another corner when Sasuke finally let go of her hand. He ran his hand nervously through his hair all the while trying hard to come up with something to say.

Sakura glanced at him, curiosity evident in her features. "Uchiha – san…I…"

His eyes bored into hers. She swallowed. "I – Is there something wrong, Itachi…no…um…S- Sasuke – san?"

She sighed in relief when he didn't flash her with his impenetrable stare. "No…I didn't mean to…uh, whatever," he spoke flatly as he stared at her once again. "What were you doing outside of our house?"

Her brow crinkled. "Oh…I was just returning the clothes I borrowed from Itachi – san when you…"

"Those were 'my' clothes. That stupid brother of mine, no wonder my closet was in disarray when I came home."

Sakura squeaked. "I – I didn't know about that! I apologize, Sasuke – san! I…"

"Never mind," Sasuke cut off abruptly. He stared at her again. It was starting to become a habit. "Anyway," he began. "Itachi warned me to be nice to you or else he will have my head. So, is there something that you want to ask of me, Haruno – san?"

"I…" Sakura clasped her fingers together. Now's her chance!

"Sasuke – san…there's this um…in our school and I was hoping…"

He raised a well – arched brow in confusion. "What?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "O – Our school's having a festival tomorrow and I was wondering if you would…like to come with me."

She could have sworn she saw a vein throbbing in the Uchiha's temple. He blinked once, then twice. His onyx eyes widened and based from the pink – haired girl's observations, he was shocked. She played with her fingers nervously. "S – Sasuke – san?"

Before Sasuke could open his mouth to speak, they heard loud footsteps trudging towards their direction. Finally it stopped and both teens glanced at the newcomer. The moonlight spilled on the three and Sakura could not believe her eyes at whom she saw. The newcomer had big brown eyes with brown hair tied up into two buns. Her pointer finger was directed towards them.

"Y – You're the girl from our school!" Sakura exclaimed.

The girl snorted. "You're the pink – haired hussy! What the hell are you doing with Sasuke?"

A/N: Yay! Chapter 8 is done! I apologize for the late update because my beta reader is having apoplexy because of hospital duty. Just kidding! Actually it's because of the summer heat! Anyways, time for another question and answer portion. Still the same, the more the reviews the faster the updates! I need the answers right away!

"What do you think will happen after Ten Ten's outburst?"