Chapter 5:The Unexpected

It was noon.

Sasuke suppressed a sigh as the clock on the outer wall of his Professor's office struck 12. This was what he'd stayed up the whole night for, with no meal and no sleep, and not a moment of rest.

A meeting that was late by two damn hours.

In all honesty, Sasuke knew he should've expected this. Having been a student of the guy for 4 years and worked with him as an understudy on numerous occasions, Hatake Kakashi's tendency of being late for everything was definitely not a surprise. But to be late for a meeting he himself had demanded for, on a Sunday morning, providing Sasuke a deadline for his final project which was to determine the outcome of his past hardwork and gateway to the future ahead? This was infuriating.

Sasuke contemplated going back to the dorm and taking a nap. After all it wasn't his fault that his professor was unable to appear on time for his meeting with his most brilliant student, and Sasuke could sure use some rest having spent the past week in a total craze to finish the project and meet the deadline. But Sasuke knew very well that no matter how calm and careless he seemed on the outside, his mind was practically reeling with tension, etching to be free of the suspense. He mentally groaned in exasperation.

Where the hell are you Kakashi?

As if in answer to his unspoken curse, a cool, lazy voice floated in from the entrance of the hallway. "Hello Sasuke."

The said young man stood up from the couch he'd been sitting on, and looked at his wrist watch pointedly.

The gesture wasn't lost on the silver haired man, and he smiled a little sheepishly at his prodigious student. "Looks like I'm a bit late."

"A bit", Sasuke said in a cold voice.

"You know Sasuke," Kakashi said in a cheerful voice, "I was on my way here when I saw an old blind lady walking by the road carrying a load of grocery, and I just couldn't help but assist the poor soul. Surely you understand?"

Sasuke only stared at his teacher with cold disdain. Old lady my ass. You were probably out there picking up some hot salesgirl in the grocery store.

In his early thirties, Hatake Kakashi was the youngest professor in not only the university, but also the country, and his brilliance was just as popular as his charm over ladies. Like his tendency of being late, Kakashi's popularity as a flirt, along with his habit of making up emotionally blackmailing excuses, were nothing new to Sasuke.

The said flirt smirked inwardly at the glare his prodigious student was throwing at him, and declared in a cheerful voice, "Now that you've understood my reasons, let's get to work, shall we?"

An hour later, Kakashi sat in his office, silent and thoughtful. He was officially impressed by what the young man sitting across the huge secretariat table had just shown him. It was brilliant, no doubt about that, but then Kakashi had expected nothing less from his favorite student.

What kept him silent though, was the question whether or not he should make the offer he knew would change Sasuke's life just like it had changed his. He looked at Sasuke, sitting calmly with elbows on the table, fingers laced together under his nose, pitch black eyes staring right back at him with unspoken question.

"How did you come up with that idea?"

Sasuke regarded his teacher for a moment before answering, "It came to me."

Kakashi knew from the finality in his student's voice that he wouldn't say anything else on the matter, so he decided to cut into the chase.

"What you've done here Sasuke, is more than enough to get you a first class." Kakashi watched the young man's shoulder relax a bit before adding, "But I want to know if that's enough for you."

Sasuke's eyes betrayed no surprise or confusion as he asked, "What do you mean?"

Kakashi pulled his revolving chair a little further from the table and stood up, both hands in pockets.

"I've known you for 4 years now, Sasuke, and I know just how much you're capable of. I also know that this project, know matter how brilliant it is, is not what you intend this to remain."

Slowly, deliberately, Sasuke withdrew his hands from the table and leaned back on the chair, eyes fixed on the siver haired man. Kakashi didn't need to hear him say 'go on'.

"Since we both know that this progaramme you've written has the potential to go a long way," Kakashi used the table as support as he leaned towards Sasuke, "I'm going to make you an offer."

Sakura yawned as she finished the last paperwork Tsunade had given her and stood up stretching her limbs, all stiff from sitting in the same position for two hours straight.

It'd been quite a hectic day. Sakura had to wake up super early in the morning and run off to the hospital, even though it was Sunday. Apparently one of the students doing wards had become sick on duty and been suspended for the day, and the superviser only had Sakura's cell number in hand. Since the sick guy was a friend of Sakura's, she had no choice but to come cover for him. After three hours of ward duty she'd been summoned to Tsunade's office to help her get some paperwork done (here 'help' meant working her ass off while her boss gulped down a bottle of sake).

And now, after sending her boss off to the meeting and praying to God that she doesn't fall asleep in front of the board members, Sakura finally had the day, or whatever was left of it, to spend as she liked.

Closing the office door behind her, Sakura glanced at the grandfather clock at the lobby on her way out of the administration building. 5 o' clock. She could either go to the hostel and take a nap, which would probably be a wise choice 'cause God knew she was damn tired. Or she could do as her daily routine asked her to. Walk to the park, watch the sunset, walk back home.

Home. After 6 long monthes, she'd finally come to think of the hostel as 'home'. A second one, no doubt, but a home nonetheless.

In the past monthes, Sakura had earned herself quite a few friends. Good friends. Tenten bonded pretty well with her, despite Sakura being a student and herself being an intern. Sakura admired her roommate and both of them shared almost everything with each other. They had other girlfriends at the college and hostel also but were the closest since they lived together. Living in a hostel, in Sakura's opinion, had a nice charm of it's own. She'd begun to like the special weekly dinners when all the girls ate together, even started looking forward to them. Sakura had friends at Tsunade's office as well, and by some magic, the lady herself seemed to treat her as a friend at times. Ever since Shizune had come back, she'd devoted herself to the hospital only, and it was decided that from now on, a promising student will serve as Tsunade's secratery every year, Sakura being the one this year. The former secratery, Shizune was a lot like a friend/older sister to Sakura.

Outside med society, Sakura ofcourse had Naruto. They met atleast once each week, having dinner and spending time together. Sakura always had a big laugh while with Naruto. She had already started thinking of him as a brother, a childish young brother. And Sakura could tell Naruto looked at her like a big sister as well.

The friendship Sakura most treasured though, was the most non-existent one. Sasuke.

Somehow the two of them had signed an unwritten agreement, to keep their little friendship(atleast to Sakura it was friendship, though she figured Sasuke probably took her for a nuisance) a secret. Sasuke would most of the times join in with Naruto and Sakura, a result of the blonde's non-stop nagging, Sakura had come to think, but he rarely talked to her at those dinners. Although Sakura had noticed that Sasuke seemed to relax in front of her more than he used to, she never said anything of it. She never revealed to Naruto that she met Sasuke on a daily basis, that they shared a secret place of their own, that Naruto was no more the only link between the two of them. That sitting side by side, gazing at the sunset together in silence, a strange, comforting bond had somehow formed between her and Sasuke.

It wasn't always silent though. At times, Sakura would ask him a question, and Sasuke would grudgingly answer. His monosyllabic replies(Hn, yeah, no, ok, fine) made it hard to start a conversation and Sakura hardly got anything more than those, but she kept trying anyway. She never really understood the need that she felt in her heart, to get to know him better. To solve the mystery that was Uchiha Sasuke. And she thought it was better to just go with it rather than think it over too much.

But no matter how much she wanted to know about him, Sakura never asked any personal questions, not after what happened the one time when she had.

Sakura still felt queasy thinking about that day. It was quite a bright afternoon. Sakura walked upto the platform in a cheery mode since she'd just got her salary. Sasuke wasn't there yet. She sat down on the usual spot, thinking what to get her parents and brother with her first earning. She'd only decided on a piece of pottery for her mother and an original copy of one of Tsunade's books for her father when Sasuke arrived. Sakura looked up and smiled at him and he nodded before settling himself on the platform. This was another usual routine for them. Every time they met here, Sakura would smile and Sasuke would nod.

After sharing her great news with him and receiving a rather emotionless Hn, Sakura suddenly remembered something. Deciding on a gift for her brother was going to be really hard, so why not seek a little help?

"Hey Sasuke", she asked cheerfully, "You have a brother, right? So can you give me any idea what to get my brother with my first salary?"

She'd noticed his shoulders and jaw stiffen the moment she uttered 'brother', but the rest of the question had come out before her brain could comprehend the observation.

Sasuke remained silent for the rest of the afternoon and Sakura didn't dare ask any more questions seeing the cold, heartless, pained look etched across his usually poker face and the clenched fists. He didn't even wait till sunset that day, just stood up abruptly and left without so much as a glance towards Sakura.

Sakura was horrified. She knew she'd ruined any chance of a friendship between them, and she only had herself to blame. The next day, Sasuke didn't show up at all.

It was three more excruciating days before Sasuke finally appeared at the park again and by that time Sakura was convinced that he'd never forgive her for whatever it was that she'd done. But Sasuke never brought it up again. Sakura was ready to say sorry, to promise never to ask anything personal again, but in the end all she could do when she saw him walking up that platform was to give him an apologetic smile, and somehow, by some miracle, it was accepted with a nod.

"Excuse me, lady." The male voice brought Sakura out of her reverie. She moved out of the way murmuring a sorry and realized she was already on the way to the park. With a sigh she resumed her walk.

She hadn't seen much of Sasuke or Naruto the past few weeks, due to their finals. So this was probably gonna be another day of sitting alone under the sunset.

Except Sasuke was already there when she arrived.

"Hey!" Sakura was surprised(and a little embarrassed) at the happiness in her own voice, but couldn't erase the wide grin on her face.

Sasuke only nodded in reply to the enthusiastic greeting and Sakura rolled her eyes. Walking around Sasuke, she took her usual seat beside him before asking, "How was the exam?"

"Fine."

"The project went well?"

"Hn."

"So it's all done?"

"yeah."

Sakura sighed. How hard was it to use more than one word to answer a question?

"How was your day?" the hesitation in Sasuke's usually cool voice made it clear that it wasn't often when he expressed interest in other people's day. And Sakura almost jumped in surprise.

"Um. .well. ." she tried to hide her bewilderment, afraid to discourage him, "Kinda crappy. Had to work all day starting from 5 am this morning."

Sasuke smirked. And suddenly Sakura realized she'd missed that sideways smirk of his a great deal the past weeks.

"So that's why." Sasuke left the sentence at that.

"That's why what?"

"You look like shit."

Sakura's face turned scarlet. "You don't look like the prince yourself, Mister." She said, patting at her hair self consciously.

Sasuke shrugged.

"How many nights exactly have you passed without any sleep? And how many meals have you skipped in the last few days?" There was no escaping Sakura's trained, doctor's eyes.

"Just a couple." Sasuke replied to the reprimanding questions in a lazy voice. "Enough to still attract the fangirls." Smirk again.

"Show off." Sakura muttered.

"Anyways," she sobered up again. "How did the project go? You'd been working so hard on it."

"It was. . unexpected." The uneasiness was back in his voice.

"What do you mean?" Sakura asked cautiously. You never know what question might tick him off.

Luckily for her, Sasuke seemed to be in an unusual mode to talk.

"Ever heard of Hatake Kakashi?"

Sakura looked puzzled. "The founder of Hatake Corporation?"

Sasuke nodded.

"Well. Who doesn't know him? As far as I know he's one of the most brilliant scientists and most clever businessmen in the country, right? And isn't he your professor?"

Sasuke nodded again. "Hn."

"So? What about him?"

"I think," Sasuke said, an uncertainty seeping through his voice, "He offered me a job in his lab, as his assistant."

A/N: I AM SO SORRY for the late update. Life's been kinda busy the last few days. And i believe it's gonna reamin that way for the next 3-4 weeks. So i'd like to apologize in advance for the next late updates. About this chapter. Probably the worst one so far. But i promise it'll get better.

Reviews make me want to write faster :D