Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. It is the sole property of Kishimoto Masashi.

A/N: Hello minna-san, it is I, the author! Anyways, here we are now at Chapter 28! We're finally nearing the end of Sasuke's project! There will be more laughs, sighs, and of course never-ending adventures for our favorite nerd! Enjoy!

Note: I added some tidbits to the story especially in the breakfast scene. Okay, back to your reading now! ^^

Chapter 28: Sights and sighs.

Uchiha residence

12:00 MN

Sasuke sighed as he stared at the window. 'What is Itachi doing right now? It's been more than two hours,' he thought worriedly. He glanced at his pink-haired companion who was sleeping peacefully in his bed. Sakura was worried sick about their school project. If Sasori and Deidara wouldn't be able to find a cure for Koichi he'll kill them. His murderous thoughts dissipated when he heard incoming car sounds and his brother's voice. He sighed in relief as he saw Itachi got out of the car with Koichi tucked under his arm. Sasuke immediately went out of his room and opened the front door.

Itachi wasn't fazed at all when he saw his panic-stricken face. "Sasuke. What's the matter? You looked like you saw a ghost."

His younger brother opened his mouth to speak but then he clamped it shut. His eyes darted from the infant simulator to his brother. "Koichi," he rasped. "Well? Did Sasori and Deidara able to figure out what the problem is?"

"Aa," Itachi handed him the simulator. "Sasori completely fixed it."

Sasuke inspected Sasori's handiwork. Wow, it looked better than earlier. But first…he eyed his brother warily. "What about the problem with the voice-recognition system?"

"Problem solved." Itachi ran a hand through his silken tresses. "He programmed the toy to recognize "Suke's voice". So don't worry about it."

"Hn," Sasuke muttered under his breath. He didn't want to cause another ruckus. Good thing Sasori remembered that important tidbit. He can now sleep comfortably tonight. He noticed his brother's intimidating look. "What?" he asked.

"Where's Sakura-san?"

"Sleeping."

"Oh." That was fast. "In your room?"

One eyebrow twitched. "Yeah. Where else do you want me to put her?"

Itachi tapped a finger under his chin. "Hmm…I don't know."

Twitch. Twitch. "If you're thinking about anything dirty 'nisan, I'll pound the living daylights out of you."

His brother cackled, as if his threat was something that only a child could have done. "Calm down, my foolish little brother. It's not like I'm accusing you of manhandling her. She's your wife after all, so, you're free to do whatever you want with her."

Sasuke gaped. The nerve of his brother! "We're only married in our school project. Stop assuming, it's not funny." Out of nowhere, he remembered Sakura's tear-streaked face. It wasn't just the school project she was stressing about. Maybe it had something to do with her misogynist boyfriend. The scene at the supermarket was a big letdown. Not to mention Tenten had beaten the crap out of her.

The boy's eyebrows furrowed in thought. 'Why is that girl so unlucky?' But before he could further ponder on that question, he felt a sharp pain on his forehead. His hand went up. "What in the hell were you doing? That fucking hurts!"

Itachi gave a sly grin. "What's wrong with me flicking your forehead?" Sensing his brother's ominous glare, he turned his back on him. "Anyways, I'm off to bed. Get some sleep because I'll be driving you off to school first thing in the morning. We don't want your wife to find out about your alter ego. " He gave him a lazy wave goodbye then trotted off towards his bedroom.

Sasuke stuck his tongue out at his brother's direction.

7:00 AM

Uchiha residence

Sakura opened her eyes. Light streamed through the blinds in Sasuke's bedroom. She sat up immediately. 'Where's Koichi?' she thought. As if to answer her thoughts, she heard light snoring and looked down. The infant simulator was sleeping peacefully next to her. She picked Koichi up and touched his cheek. The electronic toy woke up and blinked.

"Koichi-kun?" she asked, barely a whisper.

The toy giggled and waved its arms. "Mameee!"

Breathing a sigh of relief, she hugged it close to her chest. Thank goodness! She thought that she won't be able to see him again. Now she'll be able to face Suke-san with no guilt whatsoever. The door opened and Itachi greeted her with a big smile. "Ohayou, Sakura-san!"

"O-Ohayou Itachi-san." Sakura immediately sat up. She bowed her head in gratitude. "Thank you for everything last night."

Itachi waved a hand dismissively. "No need to thank me. Sasuke didn't stop hounding me the entire night. He wanted to make sure everything's okay."

She smiled inwardly. So he was worried? Even though he was a stoic individual, Sasuke had a soft spot. Still hugging Koichi, she bowed her head in gratitude then went followed Itachi out of the room. She saw the young Uchiha slouching on the sofa, reading the newspaper. Sasuke didn't even acknowledge her presence, let alone look at her. But she only smiled. She had inkling that it was a certain habit of his.

Itachi's head popped from the kitchen door. "What are you kids waiting for? Go to the dining room now so that we can start eating."

Sasuke stood up from the sofa and trudged towards the said room. Sakura followed suit, mindful of the Uchiha's current state of annoyance. Well, he thinks he had perfect judge of character but he's wrong. He was confusing her, to the point that it made her want to scream and lash out at him.

Just what exactly did she do to him?

Upon entering the dining room, Sasuke immediately sat down then proceeded to read the newspaper. He may not show it but he occasionally stole glances at his pink-haired classmate who was obviously too caught up with her thoughts. Needless to say, he wasn't completely ignoring her. He was just…playing safe. To protect his identity, of course.

She took a seat next to him. He still didn't notice her.

Itachi sat across from them. "Well then, shall we eat?" Sakura nodded eagerly, placing Koichi on her lap while Sasuke put down the newspaper. The three of them muttered, "Itadakimasu," then started their meal. The older Uchiha glanced at his brother who was eating in a rather fast pace. "Sasuke," he began. His brother continued wolfing down his meal. "If you keep that up, you'll get sick. Unless," he smirked, "you want Sakura-san to give you the Heimlich maneuver."

Sasuke choked and sputtered. Sakura squeaked then immediately handed him a glass of water. He downed all of it in one gulp. Itachi's smirk widened. He went back on eating his meal, even if his brother was glaring daggers at his direction.

'Ah, this really made my day.'

Sasuke said goodbyes to his brother and Sakura then headed out for school. Itachi kept on insisting he take Sakura with him but he refused flatly, muttering an excuse about Sunagakure Gakuen being far away and he didn't want to be late. He made another turn at the corner then checked to see if the coast was clear.

"Finally, now I can change," he breathed a sigh of relief. There was no sign of his brother and Sakura. He ducked behind a thick bush and unbuttoned his coat, revealing his uniform. Afterwards, he mussed his hair with hair gel and donned his wide-framed glasses. Stuffing his coat inside his bag, he was all-set for school. "There was no way I'll be able to focus whenever she's around," he muttered under his breath. Seriously, what was his brother thinking? First was the school festival and next, the supermarket and now, this? There was one thing he remembered on his past encounters with her and that was to stay away out of Hyuga Neji's property. He didn't want to deal with Neji's ramblings. Not after he finishes the school year.

He remembered Sakura's misty green eyes and troubled face. The way Neji treated her as if she was nothing but a thing to him.

Haruno Sakura was his property, wasn't she?

But then, why was he acting like he cared?

"I must be out of my mind," Sasuke thought. Still bothered by his thoughts, he finally reached the school's gate when out of nowhere, a pair of arms wrapped around him. He turned around to face his attacker and sweat dropped. It was none other than his blonde friend grinning from ear to ear. "Ohayou, Sasuke-chan! How was your sleep last night? You better had a dream about me or else, I won't let you go!"

"Cut it out, dobe! Sheesh, stop calling me that or we'll get caught!" Sasuke finally disentangled himself from Naruto and bonked him hard on the head. Naruto feigned pain as he massaged the spot where he hit him. "Ow! Watch it! Man, I know you like S&M but don't do it here. Do it when were alone!"

It took a huge amount of self-restraint for Sasuke not to kill him right then and there. Good thing a bag came out of nowhere and knocked Naruto off his feet. "Head shot!" the perpetrator exclaimed. The younger Uchiha smirked as he saw Tenten walking towards their direction. He waved a hand at the brown-haired girl. "T, over here," he signaled. It didn't take long for her to reach them.

"Wow, foxface. Super clingy at this time of the morning?" she commented. Naruto smirked as he stood up. "Well, T. I'm just super happy that this project will be over. It was hard being your husband."

"And why is that?" she asked, rolling her eyes.

Naruto crossed his arms. "Your snores are loud. You can't cook, you sleep late, you make me do all the work and you leave your clothes scattered all over the floor. I'm your husband, not your personal housekeeper. And to top all that, you hogged the blankets!"

Tenten smacked him on the head. "Freak! What kind of reasons were those? I'm not treating you like a housekeeper! I'm just asking you favors!"

"Oh really? What about that time you asked me to wash your undies?" Naruto teased.

The girl went beet red as she sputtered incoherent words. Naruto ran ahead of them as he waved his hand in a teasing manner. "Don't worry T! At least I did a good job in removing all the stains!"

"Come back here you perverted creep!" Tenten screamed bloody murder as she ran after him.

Sasuke tried not to snicker as he adjusted his backpack. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Chouji and his friends waiting for him near the school fountain. Apparently they were eyeing him like he was a very special kind of meat. Oh no. Bully time already? He glanced at his watch. 30 minutes before the first class. Which means…?

'Crap,' he thought inwardly, seeing Chouji's disgusting smirk.

It was going to be a very long day.

12:30 PM

Recess time

Sakura gloomily finished the remains of her garden salad. Soon it will be Kurenai-sensei's class, signaling the end of their school project. She stole a glance at her 'husband' who was sitting in the farthest corner of the cafeteria. Apparently he was dumped again in the trashcan; hence he smelled of rotting milk and covered with banana peels. She sighed as she cuddled their baby. Just a few more minutes and they'll be passing the simulators back to Kurenai-sensei for grading. Looking back at Suke, she was really worried about his well-being. If only there was something she could do to help her newfound friend.

"Sakura," Ino began, breaking her thoughts. She was also nursing her baby. Sakura turned to her friend. "What is it?" she asked. The blond girl had a knowing smile on her face. "What's the matter, Sakura? You seem not to be yourself lately. Care to tell me what's inside that big forehead of yours?"

She sighed again. "I was just a little burned out from the events during the past few weeks." Plus the fact that she had a feeling that Uchiha Sasuke was annoyed at her. She would often wonder what she would have done to upset the stoic Uchiha. Maybe it's because she was relying on him too much when it comes to her conflicts with Neji. It was confusing; she didn't understand why Sasuke would defend her from Neji. Even if he was constantly annoyed by her. But then, there has to be reason.

"Are you still worried about Neji?" Ino asked softly. Sakura couldn't hide the truth from her best friend so she nodded. Ino flipped a stray lock of hair away from her face. "Sakura, I'm going to ask you a question and I want you to answer me honestly. Are you happy with Neji?"

Her question took Sakura by surprise. She never expected it from Ino. Usually, her blonde friend would only care about her looks. Still, she was grateful for her friend's concern. "Thank you, actually….I'm quite confused with my feelings for Neji-kun." Ino nodded, urging her to continue. Sakura fiddled with her thumbs nervously. "Um…lately, I've been thinking about our status. Neji still kept on hurting me even though he told me a lot of times that he'll change."

"Sakura, if you can't handle it anymore then break up with him. If something bad happens to you, I don't think your parents would like to see their daughter getting hurt," Ino reassured her. She took Sakura's hand and gave it a comforting squeeze. She was deeply concerned. Judging from the past events, she saw how her best friend fared in her relationship. At the school festival, on top of the rooftop, not to mention the bruise on Sakura's cheek. Even though she tried to cover it with makeup during their classes, Ino knew who was responsible for that bruise.

Sakura smiled at Ino's gesture. She gave her hand a soft squeeze. "Thanks Ino-chan."

2:30 PM

CLASS TIME

"Okay class," Kurenai-sensei addressed her students. The class went silent though there were giggles coming from the back. The teacher tapped her ruler to get their attention. "Congratulations on finishing your projects. I know it was a tough one and you managed to prove to us how responsible you guys were. So," she presented a cardboard box in front of them and continued, "I have here three infant simulators who successfully passed the requirements of this project. So, I will be announcing the pairs with the highest grades."

Sasuke clasped his hands tightly. Hopefully he and Sakura would make it through this despite the previous mishaps. Hell, he put a whole of effort to pass this stupid project. Running a hand through his hair, he swallowed thickly as he listened to Kurenai's announcement.

The teacher held out the first simulator. "First pair: Inuzuka Kiba and Hyuga Hinata."

Kiba yelled in delight while he dragged his shy classmate in front. Hinata squeaked but soon gained her composure when Kurenai-sensei handed them their certificate. The class gave them a monotonous clap. "Good job you two. Though I strongly disapprove of you teaching the baby dog tricks, Kiba," Kurenai commented.

"I'm sorry teach. It's just that I want our child to be a veterinarian someday!" Kiba answered loudly. The entire class sweatdropped at the pairing. Of course, everyone knows that Kiba was an avid dog lover.

Kurenai went back to her post to pick up the next pairing. "The next pair is: Akimichi Chouji and Aburame Shino." The class felt a dark cloud emanating from the back as Chouji and Shino walked towards the teacher to get their prize. Kurenai gave them their certificate and asked, "Despite the fact that you boys were partners in this project, you managed to pull through and teach the baby what you knew. Congratulations, though Chouji you are not allowed to eat snacks during class time."

"Thank you Kurenai-sensei," Shino accepted the certificate. Chouji was too busy with his snacks so they both took their positions next to Kiba and Hinata. Kurenai smiled at her students then reached for the last simulator. Sakura held her breath as she awaited the last names to be called. She glanced back at her partner who seemed to be lost in thought. 'What could he be thinking?' she wondered. Everyone in class knew that Suke was the ultimate nerd/victim. But only she knew that deep inside, he wasn't that bad of a guy. She didn't believe in the quote, "First impressions last." To put it more likely, Suke was the first friend she ever had, aside from Ino and the girls.

Sasuke on the other hand sighed. Of course Chouji would pass the project. He remembered the chokehold the fat guy gave him when they were in the restroom. Chouji threatened him to do their essay or else he'll be hanging at the flagpole in his birthday suit. He tapped his pen impatiently and muttered, "Stupid fat-ass. Without me, you wouldn't pass this project. I hope Haruno and I make it out as well or I'll never forgive myself if I lose to them." The irony of helping the other pass but not benefitting from it was so mortifying.

Kurenai picked the last infant simulator. "And finally, the moment that you've all been waiting for. The last pair that I'm going to announce exerted a lot of effort in making their 'marriage' work and raising their baby well. Even I was so surprised that this baby was well-loved even though we all know that this is just a toy."

'Haruno literally spoiled the baby that's why,' Sasuke thought dryly. He already had a hunch that they'll be the ones passing the project. His instincts never proved him wrong.

"And the pair with the highest points is Haruno Sakura and her partner!" Kurenai-sensei announced. Everyone was surprised, some of them were awed that Sakura and the nerd would get the highest score. But then again, Suke was a nerd so getting the high score was of course, nothing to him. The pink-haired girl stood up and walked in front with her chin high. Nerd boy on the other hand, bowed his head and mumbled apologies as he passed by because of the stench he received from this morning's bullying. How typical of Kurenai-sensei to forget his name. But nevertheless he accepted the certificate and resumed quickly to his seat. He took a glance at Sakura who was grinning at him. He turned his face away.

He didn't want her to see his reddening face.

6:00 PM

Uchiha household

"Wow, I envy you man. Highest score in class! Too bad T and I got a B+ but it's still good," Naruto mused as he flipped through the pages of Sasuke's essay. Said boy grunted as he dried his hair with a towel. It felt good to have a shower after a neck breaking day at school. Earlier during dismissal, Chouji and his thugs cornered him again in the classroom. They plied him again with their homework and demanded he finish all of it before tomorrow. Just when he thought he could've finally gotten some rest. Good thing Naruto showed up and gave him a ride home.

It was an arduous ride home on his scooter.

The 30-minute drive was pure torture. Especially with Naruto hounding him to hang on to his waist while the blonde fool who was grinning under his helmet, swerved past vehicles and posts. Last time he whacked Naruto upside down when they almost crash through an electrical post.

Naruto averted his gaze from his essay. "Sasuke-chan, where's Itachi and T? I haven't seen them since this afternoon!"

"Grocery shopping. Itachi's been raving about having a party tonight since I passed the project with flying colors," Sasuke quipped as he placed the towel on the rack. Where in the hell did Itachi get his party spirit? Running a hand through his messy hair, he head for the door. He could feel Naruto's unnerving gaze on his back as he left the room.

The blond chuckled quietly to himself as he continued to read.

…

Sasuke lazily browsed the TV for a good show when he heard Itachi's car pulling over the driveway. The door was loudly opened and Tenten entered the living room, groceries in hand. She gave him a sour look before heading towards the kitchen. 'What's wrong with her?' he thought as he stood up from the couch. He was about to follow her to ask when he got stopped in his tracks.

Sakura was standing at the doorway.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, albeit annoyed. No wonder T's face scrunched up like a dried tomato. The petal-haired teen didn't respond and was rather uneasy. Sasuke walked a bit closer to her. "Haruno, why are you here?"

"I invited her."

Both teens turned around to see Itachi entering the house, groceries on hand. Smirking, he sauntered past them, heading to the kitchen. Sakura didn't move from her spot. Sasuke sighed as he moved closer to her. She took a few steps back. "Um…I'm sorry. I bumped Itachi-san and Tenten at the supermarket. He told me that you're having a party and…"

"Hn," he responded. Stopping in front of her, he could only stare at her small form. Since when was she small? He leaned for a closer look. Soft petal-colored hair, Bright green eyes the color of emerald and smooth milky-white alabaster skin. For once, he never saw her as an annoying classmate who kept causing problems around him and his fragile identity. Now, looking at her closely he realized one thing.

Haruno Sakura was very pretty.

And he was making her uncomfortable.

Author's note: There you have it folks! Chapter 28! I know I kept you waiting for so long and I apologize for the delay! I love this story and I'll do my best to continue this until the very end. Thank you for all the support and keep those reviews coming! Stay tuned to the next chappie!

And here's another one of my never-ending cliffy questions:

What will happen at next chapter's party?

a. They will be having a good time

b. There will be a bitch mud fight

c. Sasuke will finally get it on with Naruto

d. Feed the author with more noms

See you guys at the next chapter!