Chapter 4 – Want To Try Something?
It didn't make her feel good.
Sighing, Sakura rested her cheek in her hand and stirred her hot chocolate.
Tearing Sasuke down like that, almost crushing his hand… It didn't make her feel good like she thought it would have. It just made her feel like a terrible, vindictive person. What had been the point in her actions and what had she been trying to prove?
"You could look a little happier," Naruto mumbled. "You defeated Sasuke."
Sakura held back an aggravated sigh. "Not fairly. I don't even think we finished our debate properly – I just slammed him about something that wasn't entirely relevant and he couldn't think of anything to say in return." She groaned this time. "And then I went and squeezed his hand–"
The blond laughed at that. "Yeah it's actually bruising and–" Her glare cut him off. "Sorry. I just… thought you'd be happy that you hurt him."
Why would it make her happy knowing she was hurting someone? It didn't matter that it was Sasuke, as he was still a person. He was still somebody who (apparently) experienced emotions and felt things and… Gods, she was such a terrible person. "I need to apologise to him," she sighed, about to rub her eyes but quickly stopped when she remembered her eye makeup. "But I can't."
"You can't?"
"No."
"Why not?" Naruto frowned, sipping his hot chocolate.
"Somehow, he'll just throw it back in my face," Sakura muttered and tried her best not to frown, to stop the down turning of her lips. "He always does."
"Sakura–"
"No." She sighed and sat up straighter, taking a bite of her chocolate muffin. Unlike last time, it was her treat. "I'm not apologising. I should, but I won't."
Silence for a moment. "He really hurt you, didn't he?"
Sakura gave Naruto a small smile, gesturing to his hot chocolate with her chin. "Drink up before it goes cold. I'm not buying you another."
Her guilt didn't lessen. It didn't lessen when she and Naruto went their separate ways, didn't lessen when she returned home to a warm dinner and a smiling mother welcoming her home. It didn't even lessen when Sakura soaked in a hot bath and went on to doing her assignments – something that always took away her stress and made her clear her mind of distractions.
Damned Uchiha.
Even after all these years, he still wouldn't leave her alone.
School was nearly empty when Sakura arrived the next morning, although that wasn't too surprising considering the fact it wasn't even eight o'clock yet. Why had she arrived so early? She didn't even know.
Her mood had been rather low last night, to the point where she couldn't even be bothered signing in to talk with Avenger–S. It was incredibly rude of her since he was a friend who always listened to her problems, but… Closing her locker, Sakura sighed, resting her forehead against the cold metal. Instead of talking to him, she had had an early night. She had eaten her dinner, done all homework that needed to be done and then soaked in the bath before calling it a night.
And the entire time, Uchiha Sasuke had plagued her mind.
And like he had been summoned by just the mentioning of his name in her thoughts, Uchiha Sasuke himself turned the corner onto the corridor, his eyes immediately going to the only other person before they stared ahead of himself blankly. Part of her wondered what he was doing in school so early, and why he looked more brooding (and like a troubled teenager filled with a hell of a lot of angst) than usual, but quickly shut those thoughts down. What he did and supposedly felt had nothing to do with her.
But it had to be done, didn't it? Even if it was only to make him leave her thoughts.
Just as Sasuke was about to pass her, Sakura closed her eyes and inwardly sighed. "Sasuke."
He paused beside her.
"Yesterday…" Opening her eyes, she frowned softly, meeting his dark eyes. They didn't look cold like they always did in her dreams. They certainly weren't warm or open, but they definitely weren't cold. "I'm sorry. For bringing up your brother and then squeezing your hand. I just…"
Apparently, he was suspicious, as Sasuke's eyes narrowed a fraction. "When have you ever spoken to Itachi?"
"My mom works nights in a diner that's open all night and I sometimes stay with her when it's not a school night to keep her company. Itachi-san was there a few times and we talked, as he recognised me from years ago."
Confusion took over his suspicion and Sakura knew it would be about her mother's job, not about Itachi recognising her. It was no secret that her mother was a member of a company that helped out those in debt, as she had often given quick, free advice to others when picking Sakura up from school. However, what wasn't known was that, after the divorce, Mebuki had taken up another job in order to pay for everything such as bills and groceries as well as electricity and heating. When Sakura had offered to get a part-time job, her mother had refused to allow it, saying that all her attention had to be focused on her education.
Instead of replying, despite his only slightly obvious curiosity, Sasuke nodded once and continued on his way down the corridor.
She hadn't expected anything more from him, so turned to her locker and picked up her bag, which was resting by her feet, missing the curious (and still suspicious) glance that Sasuke threw over his shoulder at her.
It was too hot for this.
Sakura fanned herself with her hand, absolutely refusing to make eye contact with anyone lest she wished to burn up completely. By her side, her friend wasn't doing much better. Poor Hinata looked just about ready to faint. They just so happened to be receiving the sex talk (if the large picture on the screen was anything to go by). From who?
A hot policeman.
Okay, so it wasn't actually a sex talk and seemed so much more serious than that, but Sakura could barely even hear the introductory words spoken by the teacher, despite the inner-nerd within herself screaming for her to take notes and listen carefully. It was just… Oh Gods. She was going into meltdown. Fan-girl mode. And so much harder than ever before.
Liar.
Sakura ignored the hissing thought and instead kept her eyes locked on the tall man standing at the front of the assembly hall, only vaguely noticing the teacher taking her seat. He was so proud looking and his dark eyes were incredibly intense, making her stomach flip whenever they scanned through the audience, seeming to stick on hers. She knew that was just the irrational, fan-girling side of her, however. Like when girls went to see their favourite male artist in concert and foolishly believed that he had been winking and smiling at only her. Even Hinata felt that way, though, so Sakura didn't beat herself up about it.
"Is this everyone?" The dark haired man glanced over at the teacher supervising the talk, who nodded in response. He stared at the crowd of teenagers again and smiled, earning himself a few swoons. "A few of you here know who I am already, but for those of you who don't, my name is Uchiha Shisui."
Uchiha Shisui.
Uchiha.
Sakura felt her attraction to the man fade ever so slightly, allowing her to calm herself. While it was possible Shisui wasn't actually related to Sasuke, there was a very high chance that he was. Now that Sakura was thinking about it, the last time she had spoken with Itachi, he had mentioned something about a cousin who was a policeman. Maybe it was Shisui?
"I'm here today to talk to you all about internet safety and how it is imperative that you do not give too much information away." Due to wearing a microphone that was attached to his shirt, Shisui was able to walk from the centre of the floor and over to the side a bit, making sure he had everyone's attention. "I know, it's a boring subject and you're all aware of how to stay safe, but do you really?"
Sitting up straighter, Sakura frowned softly. This was really important, actually. It would be a good idea to focus on his words, instead of his appearance.
"A few months ago, I was speaking with my cousin and found out that he had friends over the internet, ones he made through some kind of game." Inwardly, Sakura smirked. Was he talking about Sasuke? Part of her hoped that he was, and that he was the type of person to make fun of his younger cousins. "They speak often and while I don't know exactly what's said between them, I can take a guess: casual banter, giving advice and whatnot."
Again, Shisui walked across the floor. They didn't actually have a stage, but to make sure that everybody would be able to see the person presenting the assembly, the chairs were set out like in a movie theatre, going higher and higher with each row. If they didn't include the couple of teachers who were on the row before them, she and Hinata were right at the front, having got there early.
Right at that moment in time, Shisui was standing only a few feet away from them and it was amazing to see how connected he was with the audience, how relaxed and laid back he seemed, despite the fact he was speaking with over two hundred teenagers.
"And while it's great that my cousin is making friends, a part of me worried for him. Nowadays, hearing something on the news about online relationships is becoming an every day thing. Nobody really bats an eyelid until it happens to them, or somebody they care about." His eyes were intense again, serious. "Many things can happen, because you don't really know what that person is truly like or who they are. It could be a fake profile, could be somebody who is dangerous."
Avenger–S.
Her hands clenched into fists against her thighs. This was aimed at relationships such as hers and Avenger–S's, wasn't it?
"Some people even fall in love over the internet and want to meet up in person. This can lead two different ways, though. Either you find what could possibly be the love of your life, or you could end up being the next story on the news."
Her heart was pounding.
"At the station, we receive so many calls about online predators, but most of the time, we can't really do anything about it."
"Why?" somebody yelled from near the back. "If they're predators, then they're criminals!"
"That's true." Shisui nodded in agreement and shrugged his shoulders a moment later, dropping his hands to his sides. "But at the end of the day, these are fake profiles. Some of these predators have been playing their games for so long that even the smartest of trackers cannot pinpoint their exact location. Fake profiles can also mean fake IP addresses, but I won't bore you with all the technology talk. I'm here to make sure you know how to keep safe on the internet."
Walking over to the stand, Shisui picked up a small remote and lifted it towards the screen. Not even a moment later, a slideshow was being played, showing them a variety of different pictures. They weren't too interesting, merely old news stories and other than the headlines, the writing was too small to actually read, so Sakura kept her eyes on Shisui.
"It's safe to say that teenagers, naturally, are curious about what it is to be more adult, more grown up." Some in the audience muttered, making him smirk. "I get it, really I do. You get bored, you see some things and you want to try them out for yourselves. I'm not saying it's bad, I just want to drill it into your heads that you're sure you know what you're getting yourselves into. Personally, I'm sick and tired of all these stories being reported about meetings gone wrong, or something of the sort. All you kids need is somebody to tell you what to look out for, how to keep your computers secure, and that it's important that, should you ever plan to meet somebody in person, you take a couple of friends along with you, ones you know will help you should something go wrong."
Meeting up? Sakura bit her lip. She and Avenger–S had never talked about meeting, or anything such as that. It was more like they went with the flow, spoke about what came naturally to them, or what was troubling to them. Half of the time, Sakura didn't even think when her fingers were flying over the keyboard of her laptop, typing her thoughts down and sending them rather easily.
What would speaking to him in person be like?
"There's no true way of knowing if you're being groomed by a predator." His voice was more serious than earlier, now. No hints of a joke. "You get a gut feeling, perhaps, and something they say may seem a little out of place, may seem a little… sensitive, should I say. This could be through the request of a certain type of picture, or with less tame words." The smirk returned. "Yes, I'm talking about what is now referred to as 'sexting'. Lately, it seems to have become a more popular thing to do. It's safe to say that everybody's doing it, right?"
A few mutters in the audience and quite a lot of nods, friends nudging each other with knowing smirks.
"There's no other way to discuss these things with you than to be blunt. I've always felt that teenagers are babied too much by adults, who want nothing more than to shield you all from the evil, wicked ways of the world." He chuckled and shook his head, walking to the other side of his floor. "I personally see no harm in warning you all of things such as these, instead of you going out there and getting yourselves into trouble by blindly experimenting, not truly knowing what exactly you're getting yourselves into – not until it's too late, anyway."
Shoving a hand in his pocket, Shisui raised the other in a half-hearted, one shoulder shrug. "I won't say that you shouldn't do this, or experiment with that, because I believe being a teenager is all about experimenting. You're growing into yourselves and becoming more aware of certain needs. You're glimpsing into the adult world and want part of it. Perhaps you see 'sexting' as harmless flirting, as a little bit of fun. Some of you may even think of it as a bit of a rush, saying such racy things to one another. However, be aware of just who you're talking to and make sure you're both on the same page. Are you fooling around, or are you planning on one day making what you're saying to each other, a reality?"
In front of herself and Hinata, two teachers glanced at each other, the sterner, older woman frowning as she did so. Obviously, she didn't particularly like how laid back the Uchiha was being. She'd probably been expecting him to lay down the law, to say that they shouldn't be getting involved in things such as those. Honestly? Sakura appreciated the way Shisui was telling them everything the way he was. He was speaking to them not like he was superior, but like it was casual, friendly advice. Like speaking with a male family member you knew you could trust. Previously, with other guest speakers, they'd all been stern and took absolutely no shit. They'd all told them exactly what they should be doing, and what they shouldn't. It always felt like they had absolutely no choice in the matter. Whereas with Shisui, he was relaxed, he was saying that, while it was okay to experiment, they should take precautions first.
"You could be fooling around while the other person may think you're being serious. That leads to misunderstandings. You may know this person in real life, or you may not, but say you decide to meet up and speak in person, keeping in mind that you're thinking one thing, and they're thinking another. What could happen?"
Hesitantly, a few hands raised, since Shisui clearly wanted an answer given the fact that he paused. And as he scanned the crowd, his eyes moved to Sakura's, making her heart skip a beat until they landed on the pale pearl coloured eyes beside hers, making it stop altogether.
Oh no.
"What do you think would happen?"
Oh no!
By her side, Hinata was the reddest Sakura had ever seen her and she could have sworn that the Hyuuga wasn't breathing. Great! Gritting her teeth, Sakura glared over at Shisui for a moment, who was patiently waiting for his answer. Couldn't he see that Hinata had difficulties speaking in front of large crowds? It was so obvious!
"Anything," Sakura forced herself to speak loudly, taking the attention away from Hinata, who sighed with relief and sent her a grateful look.
"Anything such as what?"
He wanted a detailed answer? Sakura's eyebrows knitted together. "Well… If it was a private setting, one of them could become too touchy-feely. Worst case scenario, they could force themselves onto the other person, though because of their 'sexting', they believe it's what they want. Hence, the misunderstanding."
Shisui smirked, nodding once. "Good answer." Her face felt warm as he walked away and to the centre of the floor again. "You'd all be surprised with just how many cases we have of situations such as these. Most of the time, they all begin with supposedly innocent 'sexting'. That's the problem with online relationships. Half of the time, you don't know who you're really talking to. Sure, you may talk, but are they telling the truth? How can you be so sure?"
His questions had a small, horrible doubt forming in her mind.
Did she really know Avenger–S, despite all their conversations?
"'Sexting' can lead to sending pictures of yourselves." He became more serious at this slight change of topic, knowing how sensitive some people could be of it. "Private pictures, ones you don't want the whole world to be seeing, ones you don't want anyone seeing other than their intended receiver. However, and I hope you all already know this, once you send a picture such as that, you are no longer in control of what happens to it. The person you sent it to, is. Sometimes not even them. What if their computer has a virus? Or what if their computer is hacked? Or what if that person turns on you one day and in an act of spite, posts your explicit picture onto the internet?"
Dark eyes skimmed through the crowds. "It's safe to say that you're all aged sixteen to seventeen, right? Maybe some of you are eighteen?" A few nods and grunts. "In most countries, including our own, you are all still classed as minors until you turn eighteen. This doesn't mean that you are children, or that you're lower than us adults. It simply means that you're more…" He paused, trying to find the right word. "It means you're more protected than adults, you're more vulnerable and innocent, in a way. Whether it be with your parents, or the law, you are classed as a minor.
"You could be talking to an older man or woman, and maybe you're even hitting it off, but one day, you could decide to send each other explicit pictures of yourselves. If you have lied about your age, the other person could end up in a lot of trouble." Shoving his hands in his pockets, Shisui sighed. The move reminded Sakura so much of Sasuke that it stunned her. "Just last year, there was a case just like this. Somebody accused a man of possessing child pornography and while the girl in those pictures didn't seem all too young, when those pictures were assessed, it became apparent that she was in fact underage. And even though she lied about her age and came to his defence, it was still classed as grooming. That man is now serving time and is on the sex offender's list for the next ten years."
"What about the picture? What happened to it?"
"It was destroyed, as were all other pictures sent to the man."
A silence fell over those gathered for a moment, each of them feeling for the innocent man, but at the same time, feeling a strange torn emotion. Surely he would have had some inclination that the girl was underage? Something always gave them away, after all. For example, even though they were keeping their ages hidden, Sakura had let it slip that she was still in school when wanting to comfort Avenger–S. Also, those gathered were angry at the girl for lying about her age. Did she feel guilty about ruining that man's life?
"My cousin and I often debate over how many sides of a story there are. I say two, he says three." Shisui was still serious as he regarded them all. "However, it doesn't always matter how many sides to a story there are when up against a jury. They take all child cases extremely seriously and the second the word 'grooming' was mentioned, that man's fate was sealed, despite his lack of knowledge."
It honestly made Sakura feel sick. It always did when she heard about things such as this. For example, rapists only receiving a short sentence (like mere months), whereas innocent people who fought back in self-defence, to protect themselves, received life. What story had she been reading about in her mother's magazine a few weeks ago? Sakura frowned in concentration, trying to remember, but it wouldn't come to her and when Shisui began talking once more, she decided to try and figure it out later.
"What I'm trying to tell you all is that not only should you be wary of who you meet over the internet, but be careful with what you say to them, also. I'm certain that quite a lot of you, if not all of you, would feel guilty if you sent an innocent man or woman to prison, all because you lied about something such as your age." It seemed receiving a nod from one of the teachers meant time was up and in response, Shisui smiled to them once more. "If any of you have any questions, feel free to approach me any time today. I will be here until the final bell."
Nodding a final time to them all, he left the hall.
"S-Sakura-san… Um… I…"
Smiling to herself, she patted Hinata's arm and leaned down to grab her bag, which was resting by her feet. While leaning over she also handed Hinata hers. "Don't mention it."
She and Hinata had been great friends for three years now and Sakura would even say that they were best friends. It had been difficult getting to know the Hyuuga at first, what with her anxiety problems, but slowly, surely, they became great friends who looked out for each other.
Sakura could even remember the very first time Hinata had really looked after her. She'd been feeling low, as it had been when Gaara informed her that he'd be moving back to Suna with his family. After hearing about it, even though Sakura told her she wanted to be alone for a while, the Hyuuga had come over with two bags, one filled with snacks and the other, her sleeping clothes. She'd been so nervous about inviting herself over (to the point where she actually felt physically sick) and continuously helped Mebuki out with whatever mess was made, thanking her repeatedly for allowing her to stay. But once she got comfortable with staying in Sakura's home, it had been obvious, due to the way she relaxed and smiled warmly at Mebuki, at the way she simply helped herself to food and drink.
That day, Sakura had been so very grateful for Hinata's support. She'd even contacted Gaara for her, telling him how upset Sakura was that he was leaving. In response, at one point during that night, he'd come over, also. It had been a little awkward, the three of them squeezing into her bedroom (it was only a small room, after all), though there was no denying that Sakura was happy he came over. A few days later, he left.
Shoving those thoughts from her mind, Sakura stood up along with Hinata, the pair of them slipping their bags over their shoulders.
"Sakura-san?" Hinata called as they began to make their way out of the hall. "How are things going with your friend?"
Out of the corner of her eye, she spotted Sasuke not too far from them with Naruto by his side, the blond grinning brightly and waving enthusiastically at her when he also spotted her. While Naruto seemed amused, however, Sasuke looked aggravated. No doubt because of Shisui.
"Things are going fine, I suppose," Sakura answered, tearing her eyes away and focusing on the girl by her side. This was one of the only things wrong with how the seats were set out. Getting down the stairs was ridiculously hard work, not to mention it could be a fire hazard. "We didn't speak last night, though, and the night before, I was kind of moody with him. I just hope I haven't scared him away." She laughed even though she felt far from laughing.
Hinata smiled softly at her, knowing that Sakura wasn't truly laughing and only putting on a front. It felt wrong to call her out on it, though, so she settled on telling her quietly, "I'm sure you haven't. We all need time to ourselves, sometimes."
"Sakura-chan!"
An arm fell over her shoulders, very nearly causing Sakura to stumble down the stairs. But while it was almost the cause of her fall, it was also the cause of her staying stood up, too. It seemed Naruto noticed he almost knocked her over, because his hold was tight.
"Idiot," she snapped, glaring up at him angrily. "I could've fallen!"
"I saved you!"
"You nearly killed me!"
"Sakura-chan." He pouted, pushing his cheek up against hers. "I'm sorry."
By her side, Hinata's eyes snapped away, eyebrows knitting together and her cheeks blushing furiously. Oh, Sakura knew all about Hinata's crush on Naruto. Apparently, it had started way back, on the very first day she saw the Uzumaki. He'd been everything she wasn't. Loud, confident and refused to give up, no matter what he was doing. So she'd admired him from afar, due to her fears, due to her anxiety. Even though time had gone by (four years, to be exact), she still had feelings for Naruto.
Interesting.
"Stop touching me," Sakura grumbled, clenching her fists tightly.
"But–"
"Naruto," she growled out his name, emphasising on the three syllables. "If you don't let go of me, I'm going to punch you so hard you'll think a train has hit you."
Just like that, he let go, smiling sheepishly as he did so.
She shook her head and stepped closer to Hinata, just in case the dark haired girl had a fainting episode while they were on the stairs. It wouldn't surprise Sakura if she did, especially not with how close Naruto was to them and her earlier distress thanks to Shisui. She could feel him right behind them and if the look on Hinata's face was anything to go by, she could, too.
"Just breathe," she murmured to her without looking in her direction, a small smile on her lips. "It's only Naruto."
Hinata nodded quickly in response.
Don't get her wrong, when it was just the two of them, or with their other friends, Hinata was completely comfortable and able to relax a lot. It was just around large crowds such as this one, or in classes, or sometimes even with her own family, that she felt trapped and like she was going to have an anxiety attack. She'd confided in Sakura about her anxiety several times, telling her how down it made her because she wanted to be more confident, to be more freely spoken and herself. Sadly, Hinata had whispered to her, this was herself, and nothing would change that.
"We have a free now, right?" Hinata nodded in response to Sakura's question and once she did, Sakura glanced over her shoulder at Naruto, who was speaking with Sasuke. "Oi, Naruto. We're going to the café down the road. You have a free now, too, don't you?"
He immediately stopped speaking with Sasuke at the sound of her voice, nodding eagerly. Then, he paused in his nodding, looking up at Sasuke again.
Sakura cursed herself.
Sasuke probably had a free now, too.
"Uh… Maybe later?" Naruto asked with a small smile. "It's my treat anyway, so I'll meet you after school again."
Crisis averted, she mentally cheered. And it seemed Hinata thought the same because she sighed with relief. "Sure. See you later, then!"
"No homework tonight?"
Sakura shook her head, smiling at her mother. "Hinata and I got most of it done during our free today at the café."
"I used to love it there," Mebuki remembered fondly, pausing in her talking to take a bite of her meal. "Always so quiet and peaceful, though only because it's never really been all that popular."
Yeah, she'd noticed that. Though it obviously earned enough to keep running, it was by no means a popular place. There were always people there, but never any school kids. If they were ever to buy anything from the café, they had it to go and even then, that was rare to happen since most of them chose to go to a shop that wasn't too far from the small café. Still, she and Naruto loved it there, as did Hinata. They definitely served some of the best hot chocolate she'd ever had.
"I'll be working again tonight," her mother stated after a few moments of silent eating. "I offered to take Yuuki-san's shift, since her sister is due to go into labour any day now."
Inwardly, Sakura couldn't help but frown. Her mother was going to end up wearing herself way too thin one of these days and it worried her greatly. Normal work hours went from nine to four, allowing Mebuki the time to return home and have an early five o'clock dinner with her daughter, before going off to work in the twenty-four hour diner just two minutes from their home. Then, she worked from six until two. That was only some nights, usually Wednesdays and weekends, but it was still too much in Sakura's opinion.
She just wished her mother wasn't so against her getting a job. Surely it would help out? Her mother disliked the thought of Sakura finding herself a job, as it meant less time spent on her studies. In Mebuki's opinion, all those in education should focus entirely on that education. Otherwise, what's the point? They'd only be half-focused on it otherwise, which means not as good results. That was her mother's opinion, however. Sakura honestly believed she'd be able to handle the juggle.
Well, she'd just have to prove to her mother with the summer job in Suna that she could definitely handle being in full time education as well as having a job.
"Doesn't Yuuki-san usually work until much later into the evening?" Sakura asked. "Or, much earlier into the morning?"
When Mebuki nodded without another word, Sakura sighed.
Dinner was over not long after, but when Mebuki stood up to go and do the washing up, Sakura stopped her with a small smile. "Go and get an hour or two of rest, Mom. I'll do the washing up."
It was with a grateful smile that Mebuki nodded and went for that nap.
Entering her bedroom, Sakura sighed and shut the door behind herself, going straight over to her docking station to quietly play some music and once it started, she grabbed her laptop, switching it on while sitting back on her bed.
It was a small room, though it was decorated nicely, in Sakura's opinion and it made it feel more comfortable, more homely. Against the longest wall of the bedroom was her single bed, the room being too small for a double and on the bed were several cushions, making it a delight to sink into, yet a pain to actually sleep in at night and make in the morning. Usually, Sakura simply threw all the cushions to the ground at night and threw them all back onto the bed in the morning.
Above her bed was a single shelf, one that held framed photographs of herself and her friends, as well as one with her mother. Most of the pictures were old but it didn't make them any less nice to look at. Also, on the wall the foot of her bed was against, was a television, angled perfectly for the perfect view on those lazy, rainy days, or even lazier Sundays.
Everything else in her bedroom was rather basic. Cream walls, except for the long wall the length of her bed was against, which had a cherry blossom wallpaper and dark wooden flooring that the couple below her hated them for, as they could hear everything. Say, for example, Sakura was wearing heels. If she so much as took a step in them, they'd be complaining. However, the carpet that had been in place originally had been smelly and old, as well as rough against her feet. Mebuki had replaced it with stylish wooden flooring as soon as she possibly could.
It seemed like everything her mother ever did was for Sakura. Instead of getting the more popular rooms fixed up first, she instead had Sakura's room done and had done it all herself. It may not have seemed like a lot, but it meant a lot to Sakura. Mebuki simply wanted the best for her daughter, even though she couldn't give her everything. And Sakura respected her so much for it.
Her chest of drawers matched the wooden flooring, as did the single shelf, wardrobe, bookshelf and bedside table, however, the chest of drawers also acted as a dresser, as it had a mirror in the dead centre of it, the table part of it allowing her to place her make up, perfume bottles and anything else cosmetic, onto it. There was also a swivel chair tucked under the dresser for her to sit on when she did her make up. Sometimes, Sakura liked to do her homework at the dresser, too, using it as a desk.
The bookshelf was situated next to the dresser, the bedside table obviously beside her bed and the wardrobe was next to her bedside table, both of which were opposite the dresser and bookshelf. Like Sakura had thought earlier, it was a tight squeeze, but it felt like home and she felt comfortable in her room. She liked waking up in the morning and opening her cherry blossom coloured curtains (the window being directly opposite her bed) and being given the view of a sometimes peaceful looking park (whereas in the front room, all she saw was a car park and the main road), and she liked going to bed at night, watching a movie to fall asleep to. It may not have been much compared to what others had, but it was home.
It didn't take long for Sakura's laptop to start up, for her to sign in and smile to herself when she saw who was already online.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Hey.
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Hey.
Rolling her eyes, Sakura placed her laptop onto her lap, leaning back against the headboard of her bed and getting more comfortable.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: How've things been going?
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Dull. You?
Gaara was never much of a talker. Not in person, and not on instant messenger. It stopped bothering Sakura long ago, because if she was really annoying Gaara, then he would tell her so and stop talking to her.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Oh, you know. Same old, same old. I've been waiting to catch you online for a while. You'll never guess who finally came back!
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Who?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Naruto!
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Naruto's back? When did that happen?
Smiling to herself, Sakura told him everything that had been happening as of late, including her heated debate with none other than Uchiha Sasuke. He congratulated her on finally putting the Uchiha in his place, as well as almost crushing his hand, though she could almost see him shaking his head at her with annoyance when she told him about apologising to Sasuke.
Sabaku–no–Gaara: So he's finally back, then.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: And just as much of an idiot as he's always been! What time is it over there?
Sabaku–no–Gaara: It has just gone eleven o'clock.
Sakura's eyes widened.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Wow. I didn't think it was that different! Has your insomnia been bothering you again?
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Temari seems to believe I'm depressed.
His confession had her heart breaking, even though Sakura knew that wasn't Gaara's intention. They'd always been honest with each other, bluntly so.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: You miss me that much, huh?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Seriously, though. Why does she think that? Is it really that bad over there?
Sabaku–no–Gaara: It's not that it's bad over here. I simply don't have as many people to trust here as I do in Konoha.
Gaara had always had problems making friends.
Sabaku–no–Gaara: There's a girl who's following me around lately, but she's more of an annoyance than anything else. Matsuri, I think her name is.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Maybe you should give her a chance? Maybe she likes you?
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Remember Uchiha's fan-girls and how they acted?
It was with a shudder that Sakura remembered them. Hell, she didn't even have to remember, as she saw them only a daily basis. They practically worshipped the ground Uchiha Sasuke walked on. And Sakura was disgusted to recall that, at one point, she'd been no different.
Sabaku–no–Gaara: That is how she acts.
Well, Sakura could see why Gaara avoided her, now. Already he was against opening up and trusting others – well, not necessarily against it, but wary of it. Having her acting the way she was, was not the way to go about things. The girl needed to be herself, needed to show him her vulnerable side, yet also how strong she could be. Gaara liked that in girls, Sakura knew. He liked real girls. Not fakes.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Ah, I see your problem.
Sabaku–no–Gaara: Yeah.
"Sakura?"
Looking up at the door as it opened, Sakura tried her best to smile at her mother, who was already wearing her uniform for the diner. Had two hours already gone by? It didn't even feel like she and Gaara had been speaking all that long.
"I'm going now. I'll lock the door after myself and remember: always look–"
"Through the peep-hole before answering," she finished with a smirk. "I think I started to remember when you said it for the twenty-seventh hundredth time."
Mebuki raised an unimpressed eyebrow, but there was amusement shining in her eyes. "Switch the lights and heating off before you go to bed, okay? I'll see you in the morning."
After kissing her cheek goodbye and telling Sakura to say hello to Gaara for her, Mebuki left. It wasn't too long later when Gaara said goodbye, and that he should try to get some sleep. However, just as he did, somebody else signed in, making Sakura bite back her grin as she said her goodnight to Gaara, and her hello to Avenger–S.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Hey!
Avenger–S: You weren't online last night. I thought something might have happened.
Sakura grimaced.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Yeah, I'm sorry for not coming online. After getting home from school, I fell asleep and was out for pretty much the entire night.
Avenger–S: Has your father tried contacting you again?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: It's only been like a day or two… But no, he hasn't. Even if he does I want nothing to do with him, though. He's caused my mom and me too much pain.
They fell into their usual banter, teasing each other one moment and then talking about serious things such as what was being reported in the news, the next. All of their conversations were unpredictable and it was something Sakura liked most. She enjoyed their talks because they made her problems drain away but at the same time, Avenger–S also forced her to confront those problems.
And hours later (their conversation being one of the longest so far), he asked her something that was, once more, completely unpredictable even for him and Sakura couldn't help but wonder what happened to make his attention go in that direction. They'd never seen each other, so it couldn't be her, right? Then again, their last talk had a few innuendos hidden within it, so maybe that was why he asked?
Avenger–S: Want to try something?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Like what?
Sakura bit her lip as the pen at the bottom of the screen repeatedly appeared and disappeared. Whatever he was trying to say, he clearly wanted to make sure it was worded correctly – if he could even find the right words at all.
Avenger–S: Have you ever sent a picture of yourself to someone?
She frowned at the screen.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I thought we agreed on not showing our identities? If I send you a picture, if we've ever passed each other before, you'll definitely know who I am.
Avenger–S: That's not the kind of picture I mean.
Her mind suddenly flashed back to the assembly her year had had to sit through earlier that day. It had been about online relationships and the dangers of sending… of sending…
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Nudes?
Avenger–S: …Yeah.
There was no denying the fluttering in her stomach, but was that nervousness or something more? Yes, Sakura had been aroused before and this definitely felt like arousal, however, could she really take the risk of sending nudes of herself to somebody over the internet? Somebody she had never even met before? What if those pictures were posted all over the internet? After all, once you take those pictures, once you send them, you are no longer in control.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Don't you have porn for that kind of stuff?
Avenger–S: Porn is meaningless.
Wasn't it supposed to be that way? Absolutely meaningless? You watch it, you jerk off and then boom, you're done. At least, Sakura had always thought that was what it meant to guys.
Avenger–S: What's so good about plastic bodies, fake pleasure and even faker orgasms?
Well, he kind of had a point. Sakura squirmed in her seat, biting her lip.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I don't know… How do I know you won't post them up somewhere?
Avenger–S: You may not know my identity, but you know me. Whatever this is, means something.
"I won't say that you shouldn't do this, or experiment with that, because I believe being a teenager is all about experimenting. You're growing into yourselves and becoming more aware of certain needs."
That was what Uchiha Shisui had told them all earlier that day.
It was okay to experiment, as long as they were smart about it.
Standing up, Sakura walked over to her bedroom door despite being home alone and locked it, double checking to make sure it didn't give in to even the slightest amount of pressure. It didn't. She sighed and moved over to her drawers, quickly stripping down and pulling on her nicest matching set – an apple green lacy thong with a lacy bra the same colour.
Her laptop made a pop–up sound, the kind that told her she had a new message.
Avenger–S: You don't have to.
Ignoring that message for a moment, she checked herself over in the mirror, pulling every strand of her hair back into a high bun. It was how everyone identified her, how they knew it was her. She was the only person in Konoha with naturally pastel pink hair.
After dimming the lights until they were off completely, Sakura walked back to her bed and sat down carefully, adjusting the screen so that while she could see the writing clearly and was capable of typing, the camera went no higher than her stomach. She'd never felt confident about her breasts, anyway.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Okay.
Avenger–S: Okay?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I'm up for trying something new.
There was a lengthy pause, one where her heart was pounding away in her chest. It made Sakura believe that he wasn't going to reply, that he was really laughing at her from behind his screen. Maybe he was doing that? Maybe he couldn't believe how unbelievably easy it was to get her to agree? Did it make her look like a whore?
Avenger–S is sending you a request to video chat.
Sakura's heart stopped.
Shifting backwards so that she was more comfortable, she leaned against the headboard of her bed and swallowed heavily as she accepted the video chat. It took a few moments to load, but the second it did, her heart was in her throat and her palms were sweaty.
The sight before her was nothing special. While she was sat in bed, Avenger–S seemed to be sat at a desk and like Sakura, he had the camera aiming down at his crotch. He was still fully dressed.
Oh Gods, did she seem desperate?
Avenger–S: Have you ever done this before?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: No. Have you?
Avenger–S: No.
So where did they start? Was she supposed to do something that would get him going? Or would he start that kind of conversation?
Avenger–S: You're breathing quite heavily…
Sakura blushed and quickly muted her microphone.
Avenger–S: It's not a bad thing.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: You might recognise my voice if I say something or make a noise.
She saw him shift in his seat.
Avenger–S: Why would you be making a noise?
It occurred to her that he thought she had meant moaning, or gasping. Anything that had anything to do with being pleasured. Partly, yes, Sakura had in fact meant that. However, that wasn't actually what she meant. It was mostly the talking that had her worried. Her mother wasn't due home until way after midnight and it was only ten, so Sakura knew that she wouldn't be disturbed – it was simply a precaution. If her mother came home and found her door locked, she would immediately call out to her to see if she was okay – which meant her identity would be given away.
What was she supposed to say in reply to that?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: You never know…
When he shifted again, Sakura also shifted, parting her legs further so that the keyboard was easier to reach and therefore giving Avenger–S an eyeful. He certainly didn't complain and in fact unbuttoned his jeans, seeming to be adjusting something when his hand reached in–
Oh Gods. She was turning him on!
Avenger–S: I want to hear you moan.
Something was happening to her eyes. Sakura blinked a few times, willing them to stop feeling so heavy.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: First you would have to do something to make me moan.
His microphone was also muted, Sakura realised belatedly, watching as he shoved his jeans further down, revealing plain black boxers. It made her swallow hard seeing that they were tight, seeing his erection clearly through them. Unlike her room, his was fully lit, whereas Sakura only had her laptop lighting up her more… intimate areas.
Avenger–S: Would it make you moan if I kissed your neck?
Would it be obvious to others if they ever, somehow, got a hold of this certain conversation, that this was their first time doing such a thing?
Sakura paused thoughtfully, her hand raising and stroking the side of her neck. It didn't feel all that sensitive.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Maybe if you kissed a little lower…
She imagined sinful lips brushing against the base of her neck, moving lower and lower until they reached her chest… Sakura's breathing became shallow as she shifted her position ever so slightly, biting her lip.
He reached into his underwear once more.
Avenger–S: What if I were to kiss my way from your lips, slowly down your neck and to your breasts, teasing one of them as I gently caressed the other?
In response to his words, Sakura reached up and stroked her breast, trying to think of it as someone else's hand, but after a moment, it had no effect on her due to the padding on the bra. Leaning up, she unhooked the bra and dropped it to the side of the bed, sitting back once more and cupping her breasts. It seemed he could either see part of what she was doing, or guess, because that hand in his boxers began moving a little faster.
Sakura bit her lip, one hand dropping to the keyboard of her laptop.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I want to see you…
He understood immediately just what part of him she wanted to see, because he was suddenly tugging down his boxers, giving her a sight that had her stomach pooling with warmth.
Avenger–S: Your turn.
Barely even aware of what she was doing, Sakura swung one leg over her laptop and stood up, shuffling her underwear down her legs. Keeping one hand covering herself, she returned back to her original place.
His hand was touching himself once more at the sight of her covering herself, seemingly touching herself. It was odd, yet strangely arousing, watching him pulling his hand up and down his length, watching how his hips bucked in time with his movements. It seemed average-sized, though definitely more than a handful for him. Sakura would say, if she was guessing, that he'd be able to fit both of his hands along his length. Quite impressive, she'd have to admit. But what would she know? It was her first time seeing one.
Avenger–S: Are you just going to sit there?
Sakura had masturbated before. Several times, in fact. But could she masturbate on camera to somebody while they did the same? Had she been hearing about this in school, Sakura would have immediately rolled her eyes and judged those people. Now, she was in the exact same position.
It felt so good pleasing him, though. It made her feel more confident.
Slowly, her fingers began a rhythm of gently teasing herself in circular motions.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: If we were to ever meet in person, what would happen?
He paused in his movements for a moment before he slowly continued, typing with the other hand.
Avenger–S: I'd take you out. Show you the city I live in and then maybe we would go back to my place.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Like a date?
Avenger–S: Yeah.
Even though they had never met before and had no idea what the other looked like, Sakura couldn't deny that butterflies fluttered around her stomach at the thought of being on a date with Avenger–S. She didn't need to know what he looked like. Avenger–S… It was hard to explain.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I'd like that.
His hand stopped completely and he stayed completely still for half a minute, which had Sakura stopping also. It felt strange continuing without him and instead, she kept herself covered with her hand, watching him warily. It said that he was typing several times, but it wasn't until at least two minutes later that he actually settled on what he'd put and sent it.
Avenger–S: Do you want to? Meet up, I mean.
Sakura bit her lip, closing in on herself ever so slightly. Was he only bringing this up now because she had revealed herself to him? There was always something about online relationships going wrong either in the news, or in the papers. But was that even what they were? In an online relationship? Strangely enough, it felt like they were.
Did she want to meet up with him?
Taking a deep breath to calm her nerves, Sakura wrote her reply.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Where are you from? If we're going to do this, then we need to know a little more about each other. Age, where we live. We don't have to exchange names or pictures, that way it'd be easy to back out if one of us suddenly changes our minds.
Avenger–S: That makes sense. I'm seventeen and from Konoha, by the way. If we don't exchange names or pictures, then how will we know who the other is?
Her heart skipped a beat. Konoha? Was there a chance that she had already met him? There were several high schools in Konoha and it was a huge place, but there was always the chance of passing him by.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I'm seventeen and from Konoha, too. On the day we could tell each other what shirt we're wearing? Does that sound good?
There was a pause in his response and Sakura bit her lip, hoping he was just as shocked as she was.
Avenger–S: Do you think there's a possibility that we've met before?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Konoha's a big place… Maybe.
Glancing down at herself, Sakura frowned. Just one look at the video chat told her that Avenger–S was still in the mood, his erection standing proudly.
Fall–of–the–Blossom: Do you want to continue, or…?
Avenger–S: Only if you want to.
She smiled softly at his words, not replying through message as she instead continued what she had started, the excitement of possibly having already met Avenger–S causing that warmth to return. For a second, her eyes shut slowly and her head fell back, but Sakura opened her eyes a moment later, watching as he received her wordless message and continued.
Free hand gripping hold of her thigh, Sakura's hips bucked into her own hand, her vision blurring for a few seconds when she felt the familiar signs of orgasm. It seemed Avenger–S was just as close, for his hand was moving much more quickly, hips bucking just as much as hers were. Knowing that she was alone in the apartment made Sakura more comfortable, so she didn't hold back her moans and gasps of pleasure as her fingers worked to his pace. And when orgasm slammed into her, Sakura's hand on her thigh released it and grabbed the sheets, her breath catching in her throat and her hips bucking uncontrollably. At the same time, Avenger–S reached his orgasm, too, most likely to the sight of Sakura reaching hers. It added to her pleasure, seeing him release himself like that. It made her feel so very powerful.
Sakura collapsed against the headboard of her bed and panted hard. Previously, her orgasms during masturbating had always been rather small, lasting mere seconds, but that one… Who would have thought that having somebody join her, even if it was over video chat, would make her orgasm much stronger, much more powerful?
Fall–of–the–Blossom: I can't wait to meet you.
Avenger–S: I know.
A/N - This chapter was originally going to be split into two separate chapters and the second half was going to be in Sasuke's point of view instead of Sakura's. However, I've always thought that Sasuke is unpredictable and there's no true way of knowing what's going through that head of his. Shisui's talk opened up the 'adult world' to them both. As well as that, Sasuke's just an average teenage boy, with the same needs and other shit like that. He's not actually an avenger in this story, despite his username.
Also, keep in mind that they've been speaking for months, not only for four chapters! The story begins around three months after they started speaking and they speak every day (except for the day before in this chapter, when Sakura was too drained to talk).
Anyways, hope you liked the chapters. Oh! And is anyone else excited about Naruto Part 3?!