Song of a Cherry Blossom
by Diana-san

Author's Note: SasuSaku is canon! I'm so happy, I could cry. Or maybe just continuing updating.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 16

The moonlight filtered through the open window as the silence filled the night. A slight breeze from the the outside air swayed the white curtains gently.

Not once did their eyes break away from each other as the silence suffocated the two. The air was getting so thick that Sakura couldn't help but blinking back twice as fast. She tried to rack her brain for the words to comprehend what just happened. She swallowed hard but could felt her throat dry as a rock and her hands clamming up.

She wondered if she should say something first or if she should wait a little longer in hopes that the boy in front of her would speak first in order to rid them of the awkward silence.

Sasuke must have sensed that she was waiting because he began to open his mouth to say something.

"I-" he started.

Before he could continue, a muffled ringing sound interrupted his words. The shrillness of the ring caught the two off guard as it cut through the silent night. The two of them blinked at each other in confusion as if the ringing was just an illusion of the night.

As Sakura blinked back her eyes in confusion, Sasuke managed to search through his jacket pocket to pull out a ringing cell phone.

"Sorry," he mumbled to Sakura as he answered the call.

"I-Ino…" he said in a startled voice as he heard the familiar voice of his girlfriend coming from the other line. He glanced at Sakura who looked away. "Y-yeah, I'm upstairs. You're leaving now? I'm kinda busy right now, I'll call you back later."

Sasuke quickly hung up the phone but Sakura had already gotten up.

"I-I have to go," Sakura said abruptly before Sasuke could say a word.

She turned on her heel and rushed out, her heart racing as she clutched the sides of her dress to hold it up as she ran down the hallway. Not once did she turn back in fear that she might see him follow after her. Or worse, that maybe he wasn't chasing after her at all. Her mind was racing with thoughts, all trying to scream at her at once.

What the hell was I thinking? He has a girlfriend! How could you have let him kissed you? Why did you kiss him back?

But behind all those thoughts hung one thought that kept gnawing at Sakura's mind. She held back tears as she realized that maybe, just maybe, she fell for Uchiha Sasuke. And maybe, just maybe, she also got her heart broken by him at the same time.

It was never meant to be.

Sakura fled down the stairs as she bee-lined to the nearest exit she could find. Blinking back tears, everything in front of her seemed hazy as her vision blurred through the crowds of people and lights. The sound of the chatter and music was deafening to her ears and more than anything, she just wished to be anywhere but here right now.

"Sakura?"

The sound of her name startled her and she jumped a little before slowly turning around. It wasn't Sasuke but she held back a sigh of relief. It was Sai.

He glanced at her with slight confusion written on his face but the expression quickly passed as he returned back to a stoic look. "What's wrong?" he asked, seemingly concerned.

"N-nothing," Sakura stammered. She didn't want to say anymore for fear that she might suddenly break down and cry in the middle of the dance floor. She turned to leave but Sai grabbed her wrist.

"Let me take you home then," he offered.

"It's fine. I can get home on my own," she said softly.

"You won't be able to get a taxi here for another thirty minutes," he stated.

Crap. Sakura hesitantly turned around. I cannot handle being here for another minute much less thirty of them.

"Fine."

She followed him out the door and was relieved to feel the cold brisk air against her skin. It seemed to have a healing effect on her as she tried to calm down her beating heart. Sai waved a man over who appeared to be his chauffeur.

Sakura walked down the steps as she followed after Sai. She wondered if she should have went back to find Naruto instead.

No… then Naruto would definitely ask a lot of questions about why I was leaving early. At least with Sai, he probably won't even say a word to me.

Boy, was she wrong.

They walked to a black sedan and the chauffeur opened the door for the two of them. Sakura slid in first and Sai followed after.

Sai leaned forward to the driver's seat to slip a piece a paper to the chauffeur before settling back down into his seat.

"To that location please."

The chauffeur nodded and turned on the engine.

Sakura whipped her head at Sai. "Where are we going? I want to go home."

"To the club," he said smoothly as the car started up and began heading out of the driveway.

"The club? Why?"

"You'll see," he said in response. He turned towards her. "You seem upset. Did our dear Sasuke do something to offend you again?"

The words he spoke sounded of concern but his face yielded any trace of emotion.

Sakura bit her lower lip as she tried to think of a response. Her mind drew a blank. She didn't know what to say or even what to think. The night had been so overwhelming for her that she wasn't even sure if it happened at all.

Yet, it did happen and the memory of Sasuke's warm lips pressing against hers flashed across her mind. Instinctively, her hand flew to her lips as if she could almost feel that kiss still on her lips. She felt herself blush when she realized what she had done and she was grateful for the dark cloak of the night shadows to hide the color from her cheeks. However, her little motion didn't escape Sai's penetrable gaze as he watched her every antic.

"You're remembering our last kiss?" he said with a tease.

"NO!" Sakura snapped back.

He smiled. "Of course not, then it must have been someone else who kissed you," he quipped. "And a passionate one at that," he added.

"Why do you care?" she muttered.

"I'm curious Sakura. Have you heard much about our family?"

Sakura glanced at Sai in confusion. "What about your family? Besides being a bunch of kiss-snatching thieves."

"Do you know of Sasuke's elder brother, Uchiha Itachi?"

The name didn't resonate much in her memory. Suddenly, she recalled the picture she found in Sasuke's home. Crumpled and hidden behind the trash can. A tall man who was the spitting image of Sasuke only a bit older and with longer hair. She thought back to the conversation she had overhead that day. Of how his brother went and got married to a commoner.

"He married someone of lower status," she said quietly. She thought back to her own parents and the irony of the similar parallels.

Sai glanced out the window. "Itachi was the pride of the family. Sasuke very much respected his elder brother and father. Although my uncle Fugaku never gave Sasuke the attention and love he needed, Itachi was always there for his younger brother. But when Itachi eloped with his girlfriend, Sasuke never forgave him for leaving. I guess the one thing he gained in losing his brother was his father's attention for the very first time. Sasuke became the sole heir to the company and uncle Fugaku never once let Sasuke forget it."

"Why does it matter so much that Itachi married a girl who was just a commoner? Isn't it better that he marries a girl he loves?"

"You think it's easy to fall in love because you don't have the pressure of being responsible for millions of lives."

Sakura was silent for a moment. "What do you mean?"

"Although it may seem harsh of what uncle Fugaku did in removing Itachi from the position, he has his reasons. The corporate world is a harsh one. Maybe even worse than the entertainment world. A CEO may seem to be all mighty and powerful but that is sometimes just for show. A head is only as strong as the body that supports it. With the body gone, the head will crumble as well."

"I know you like your deep analogies and all but I'm not quite following."

"It goes to say that the board that supports the CEO hold great power as well and can easily usurp Sasuke if they combine their efforts. Fugaku knows that. It was what almost happened with Itachi when Fugaku passed down the position to him. When news of Itachi's elopement got out, Fugaku almost lost control of the company. The board did not trust in Itachi's leadership. He was originally engaged to the daughter of the chairman of a bank. Without that financial backing, the company was almost doomed."

He paused as if letting his words sink in before quietly speaking again. "The corporate world is all about partnerships and the ties and connections you have. Much like everything in this society. Who you know plays a great role in your success. Who you marry can play even a greater role. Fugaku was able to take back his position but to entrust it into Sasuke later on, it is certain that Sasuke needs to solidify his standing by marrying someone who can support him. Only then will the board trust in Sasuke's ability to lead the company."

Sakura glanced out the window as she watched the city lights blur by her. "I always thought that wealthy people didn't have any worries. It seemed that they always get everything handed down to them." She laughed a somewhat bitter laugh. "I never thought about how much pain and responsibility they might have to shoulder as well."

Sai smiled at her. "I'm telling you all this for one reason. Sasuke is a dear cousin to me. He's the only family I have since my older brother passed away."

"And what reason is that?"

"Sasuke is stubborn. He may not see it but I see it. He likes you. He won't admit it but he does. And he may never admit to such a thing because of the reasons I stated earlier. He has a responsibility as an Uchiha."

"So what do you want me to do about it? Stay away from him?"

"No, the complete opposite. I don't want him to be miserable but he will be if he is forced his hand in marriage."

Sakura scoffed. "Look, assuming if Sasuke even has feelings for me… it doesn't mean that this is true love or that I feel the same about him or that we will get married and live happily ever after."

"I know… but it doesn't hurt to believe. I'm telling you to not push him away because he will most likely try to push you away."

"I doubt he likes me like that. He has a girlfriend." She thinks back to the kiss he gave Saki. "And he has another girl he seems interested in. He seems to have a lot of girls."

"Don't feel too bad. He never once had a real relationship given his playboy status."

"What makes you think that he isn't just playing with me as well?"

Sai turned to face Sakura. His gaze softened as he looked at her. "Because for the first time in my life, I see Sasuke losing his cool whenever you're around."

Sakura kept quiet as she stared out the window.

The car pulls up to Icha Icha. "Why are we here?" Sakura asked.

"Since I told you a secret, I feel that it is time for you to share yours."

"W-what secret?"

"Jiraiya doesn't actually know how to keep secrets very well when intoxicated," he quipped.

Sakura closed her eyes as she rubbed her temples. The night seemed to be getting more complicated by the minute.

"But he is also the reason I am here. Your secret was the reason I even decided to come."

Sakura glanced up at him. "What do you mean?"

"You can say my reason for being in Konoha is for two things. One is to observe the life of a high school student for my upcoming movie role. The other is to observe you."

"Me?" Sakura barely squeaked out.

"It's ironic when I heard about you. A girl leading a double life. It was uncannily similar to my role in the movie. A guy who leads a life as a famous singer while under a guise of a normal high school student. I thought it would be interesting to come watch you and see if I can get a better feel for my character."

Sakura gaped at him. I can't believe I spent so much time worrying about slipping up when he knew all along.

"And you're telling me this why? Wouldn't it better for you to observe without me knowing?"

Sai smiled. "That's for me to know and you to find out Miss Saki."

Sakura frowned at him. "You seem to know everything about everyone but we know nothing about you."

"As I intend it to be. Now it seems as if it's time to bid you good night."

He got out of the car and went over to the other side to open the door for Sakura.

Sakura glanced up at him as she stepped out of the car. "Seeing you be a gentlemen makes me even more wary of you."

Sai smiled. "You are very observant. But there are some secrets that you won't find out until later."

"You won't say anything about this will you?" she questioned him.

"I don't have any reason to. I rather keep my reason being here hush-hush as well," Sai replied coolly.

He removed his coat and placed it around Sakura. "It's cold tonight."

Sakura eyed him from the corner of her eye. For some reason, every little thing you do seems to have some ulterior motive. I can't help but feel as if there's more to this than you let on.

"Thank you," she replied curtly. She began to walk forward but Sai grabbed her by the wrist and turned her towards him. He leaned in close as his eyes penetrated Sakura's own. She gulped. Oh god, he's not going to kiss me again is he?

He paused slightly as his lips hovered dangerously close to Sakura's. Then he moved close to Sakura's ears as he whispered, "See you at school on Monday."

Sakura pushed him aside as she huffed in anger at his little joke. "Stop messing with me!"

He smiled as he waved goodbye but Sakura had already turned to march into the club. He turned around as he placed his hand on the handle of the car door. He glanced up and a faint smirk danced across his lips as the moonlight shone down on his face.

"Things are about to get interesting," he murmured to himself.

In the distance, hidden in the shadows of a nearby store came the sounds of a shutter clicking.