perturbation

ˌpəːtəˈbeɪʃ(ə)n/

noun

1. anxiety; mental uneasiness.

"she sensed her friend's perturbation"

()

2. a deviation of a system, moving object, or process from its regular or normal state or path, caused by an outside influence.

"these shifts and swings in wildlife populations are possibly related to climatic perturbations"

()

3. A small distortion (from its normal shape) of an object or of the spacetime curvature around an object.

"her time travel was a perturbation"

Chapter 2 of X. / Past Time. / 6YRS 4MNS 15DYS left.

"A Laugh of Another Time"

(please note Sakura does not realise she likes Sasuke in this chapter at all, despite what it may seem like)

Long, cascading hair sways elegantly in some sudden breeze, the colour a rich and pale blonde; a shade all too familiar to me. A woman, obviously, stands- or maybe, more accurately, floats?- with her back to me, her blatant curves and arches exposed by a tight-fitting robe of some sort. It's a back I've seen many times, I subconsciously note, one strong and proud, one that could only belong to a leader with great intensity yet also a meaningful respect for their followers- A great, trustworthy leader showered by loyalty and admiration. Despite my unbreakable focus on this blonde female's back- who I recognise but can't quite name- I immediately hear the soft melody she's humming, registering it in an almost desperate manner; it's familiar, yet also unbearably foreign. The voice is a deep yet also feminine one, tuneful and welcoming, and yet it also bears a tone of melancholy- Or, perhaps, more accurately, longing. It's undeniably beautiful, but, at the same time, it's like a call made for someone else to hear, and I honestly feel like allowing it to echo into my ears is nothing short of a sin. The only person who could possibly exist as the woman in front of me seems to be Tsunade, although there is a noticeable difference between this woman and my shishou.

And then, like the pieces of a puzzle have finally come together, a clarity dawns in my mind; the blonde woman, who is both my shishou and not my shishou, is simply an empty, void shadow of the woman she is to be one day in the future. Tsunade, I notice, is younger, far more lost and broken than I've ever seen her in my time of knowing her- And, as she turns around, her eyes widening in alarm, her gaze narrowing in anger as if I truly am intruding, I realise that this is a side of her she's never allowed anyone to see, let alone me. I find myself a mere couple of inches taller than her, her judging glare directed up onto my face as if it's forbidden that I've even encountered this weaker self of my teacher, and I can't help but question whether I'm back in my eighteen-year-old body or not. The Tsunade that stands proudly in front of me, her song replaced by the wickedest of scowls, is probably a couple of years younger than I am- Maybe sixteen or fifteen- and, although her muscles and curves are very prominent, that fact itself is painfully obvious.

"Who are you!?" She spits out, her voice sounds as equally affronted as it sounds affronting, a strange hint of desperation leaking through whatever barriers she's trying to hold up. Seeing the one woman I respect more than anything in the world like this- broken and helpless- truly shatters my heart into millions of tiny, tiny shards.

"I- I- I'm a ninja?" I manage to mumble surprisingly loudly, unsure whether I should I actually answer her or not, deciding it's best to be as vague as possible, "And I guess I would like to help you?"

The fifteen/sixteen-year-old opens her mouth to respond, only to instantly shut it again, clearly taken aback with shock. Lines appear on her face, her features now scrunched up in uncertainty, and she barely manages a reply. "W-What?"

"Ah, that's a question I would also like to answer for myself, but I really can't," I say slightly awkwardly, but also undeniably honestly, with the tiniest hint of a chuckle, "I don't really know what I'm doing anymore, but I do want to help you. I mean, if you need help, which you kind of obviously do? I'm sorry, I'm kind of confused as to why I can see you, and I'm a little at loss for words, I guess,"

I don't know what I'm doing or saying anymore, my instinct just taking control, and the fact that my heart is a million times bigger than my brain is truly indisputable at this point, even to myself. Tsunade- the older one- really had a point when she said that my heart is both a hindrance and a blessing, and I suppose I should just embrace that rather than try to fight it. In the last few moments I had in the present time- or, now, I suppose I should call it the future?- my teacher's words are the only part of them that even resembled anything slightly to what a farewell is supposed to. I'll probably end up carrying her words with me to my grave, especially if I don't manage to make it back, and, in some twisted way, I suppose I'm glad that it is those very words that would bid me farewell.

Surprisingly, what I next hear is not another outburst of fury or a scream questioning my mere existence, but a chuckle- A light, melodic chuckle filled with amusement and gentleness, that quickly evolves into jubilant, lively laugh. Almost as fast as her recent laugh had arrived, her voice suddenly erupts into a howling of some sorts, tears lightly lining the corners of her eyes, and I can easily identify her apparent, newly buoyant mood. Now, it's her opportunity to astound me, and, quite expectedly, she does just that.

"You're weird," she declares, the hilarity still palpable among her words, a hand raised to poorly conceal her noticeable grin. I contemplate a counter, only to be halted abruptly by an alien scream, one coated with an absolute terror so unmistakable that I can almost feel the uneven breaths against my skin. Without any warning whatsoever, Tsunade's petite (yet still enviously curvy) body ceases to exist, with only an emptiness left to replace her diminished presence. Again, I am alone, stranded in a world that is nothing but pure, untouchable white, abandoned to diagnose whatever the hell I'm doing here.

I recall this setting being exactly alike to the one I had encountered before waking up in my childhood, the one that seemed like a bridge from the present and to the past, with the same nothingness stretching beyond to the ends of this dream-like world I'm in. In some bizarre matter or another, I find myself drawn to this place, the simplicity of it oddly appealing to me and I feel as if I can finally think with some form of clarity, but only when I'm here. Normally, the events of life distract me from anything and everything, be it the war or time travel or maybe even some petty relationship problem or a fight I might've had with Ino, but this blankness allows me to think about anything (although the blankness itself does entitle some curiosity too, which, of course, just causes me to wonder about it instead of thinking useful things).

Once again made inattentive by my own mind, I hear the scream a second time, only, this time, it's even more frightened. As if on instinct, my legs begin to wander, urging themselves to locate this poor kindred spirit.

; .-;

I wake up to a darkened room, the sun still masked away by the descending moon as the sky paints itself a light iron grey. It's probably about four in the morning- maybe five, at the most- and my head is throbbing, a strange emptiness in the pit of my stomach. Melancholy, I realise, plagues me, infecting my mind in a sadness that isn't quite painful- Just numb, I suppose. I stay motionless for a while, just simply existing as I authorise a number of conclusions to float aimlessly across my consciousness. Regardless to the images of the war that I harbour, that beg me to lie in a slumber so cruel and twisted, my dream had been quite pleasant- Or, more so, not as unpleasant as I'd expected it to be. Instead of death, torture and blood, accompanied by the oh-so-infamous ash of mine, I had only dreamt of helplessness and the broken shadow of my teacher. Despite my disinclining mood, I only feel utterly useless at the moment, which isn't that huge a change from the norm.

Birds, ones that I can imagine are an array of beautiful shades and intricate shapes, sing delightfully as I simply breathe, my sight a never-ending supply of onyx, my body now basking in the recently risen sun. I've been lying down, contemplating, for at least an hour now, not quite alert but definitely not exactly negligent either. Finally deciding that my thoughts have had enough time to order themselves, I free my eyes from their rest, immediately hissing at the bright light that torments my irises. The scene I'm used to, dark and apocalyptic, is very different when in juxtaposition with the sunny- almost too sunny- rays of Konaha and I can't help but inwardly complain, although it is unequivocally an improvement from the blood-red skies I am accustomed to. Pushing my weight up from my horizontal stance, I climb off of my bed, groaning internally as I catch my reflection in the mirror.

My long locks are conditioned in a manner of upright and opposing positions, tangled and dishevelled beyond the easy repair of a brush, and my eyes are redder than Sasuke's sharingan with a thick, ugly shade of purple matching the beneath of my lids- My skin, although much healthier than it had been a few days ago, is sickeningly pale, my muscles scarcely holding a candle to the capacity they once were. Although, usually, I would just roll my eyes, get in the shower and do nothing further, I somehow feel that it might be a decent idea to actually train for once in this twelve-year-old's body's existence, and eating a warm meal (preferably made by me because I know a dangerous lack of people that can actually cook) seems somewhat heavenly at the moment. Without another thought, I crawl sluggishly to the bathroom.

Within twenty minutes, I emerge from the bathroom door, wet and covered by a towel that is much larger than I recall it being. My hair drapes down my neck, sending an uncomfortable chill down my spine as I awkwardly (and slowly- very slowly) make the journey back to my room. From the obnoxiously loud humming I can distinguish with ease, I deduce that my mother is also awake now, cooking what seems to be poison. Within another ten or so minutes, I am dressed and mostly dry, and then, after yet another fifteen or so, my hair is straight and put up in a ponytail with a very attractive- If I do say so myself- braid at the side of my head. After rummaging through my completely unnecessary collection of makeup, I locate some concealer to hide away my disgustingly dark bags, before finally exiting my room. Unlike yesterday, I can establish my path down the stairs pretty damn efficiently, and so, as I arrive down at the bottom of the staircase, I discover my arm unused.

Without bothering to converse with my mother too much, I grab a piece of toast and say a rushed farewell before feeling the warm air against my skin; alas, after what seems like years, I am outside again. Many people stop to greet me, which I easily grow accustomed to fairly quickly, but I find my quest to the training grounds progressing rather slowly and, surprisingly, I don't begin to grow impatient. I forgot what it was like to live in a community of people, more concerned with their shopping lists than fighting what could be the most powerful gathering of ninjas in existence, and, unlike yesterday when I made it my sole mission to avoid everyone, chatting to the busy women and loving couples and excitable children really raised my mood- Everyone is so carefree and, honestly, I find myself becoming carefree too, as if their attitudes are a contagious disease that I would normally be trying to cure- except, this time, I don't want to cure it.

-But I happen to collide head-first into a very gorgeous antidote, anyway.

Of fucking course.

Uchiha Sasuke stands in his glory, blatantly angry, his finely-crafted hands instinctively resting on my hips and waist to stop my plummet. Thanks to my brilliant showcase of luck though, it doesn't work and, in seconds, I find myself rested against his broad chest, my fingers holding my weight up by the sides of his head and, rather expectedly, this catastrophe causing his demeanour to crumble into the foulest of them all. If it had been any other person, or if I had been any other person, I would've been rendered into a blushing mess, stuttering out apologies in pure embarrassment, but neither of the conditions were met; I was Haruno Sakura and he, he was Uchiha Sasuke.

And Haruno Sakura happened to both detest and fear Uchiha Sasuke, who happened to find her the epitome of worthless and aggravating- Or, more accurately, they both still very much do. No past tense needed, despite this being the past… Although, yesterday, I found myself enjoying his presence, today, it was all back to square one. What he did to me cannot be washed away in a single moment with a single smile, and that is the only resolve I am currently certain of and, definitely, will stay certain of.

"Get. Off. Of. Me," his royal highness seethes, his arrogance painfully evident as he gazes upon me in the most deadly of ways, "Now,"

Fucking twatface. Fight me.

"You make it sound like I want to be on you," I snort in response, easily climbing off of his annoyingly hard body, an equally murderous glare awarded to his pitiful existence, "Which, trust me, I don't nor ever will want,"

I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. I hate you. Kill yourself. Die. Stop existing.

"Tch, that's surprising," Sasuke stands up rather elegantly, his tone mocking. Immediately, he folds his arms, his navy top clearly struggling to contain his muscles, as he examines me in what could effortlessly be deducted as disgust, "Aren't you the one that continuously declares your undying love for me?"

Or curiosity. Disgust or curiosity- It's hard to tell with this idiot.

"Well, as I'm sure you've heard, there's a fine line between love and hate," I pretend giggle with mock sweetness, "It's was pretty blurred for me but, don't worry, it's clear now-" Pausing for empathises, I let out a girly laugh. "I hate you," I hiss, my voice possessed with a sudden tone of fury. I probably really shouldn't be saying any of this, in complete honesty, but he's making my blood boil and I've never really been one to contain my temper. Not that unsurprisingly, he raises his eyebrows in confusion and I instantly am made aware of how largely I just fucked my life over. Haruno Sakura would never, ever talk to him like this, not even in ten billion different lifetimes- I'll be caught within the day, my time travel forced public to the entire world. Madara will be alerted as if I'm a bright, flaring signal and, just like that, I'll be killed. My life is over- completely and utterly over.

Unless... I kill Sasuke...

Oh, that sure as hell does seem like the most appealing concept I have ever thought up in my entire life; the man who ruined the lives of my best friends, my teachers, innocent people, allies and everything in between, finally served a delicious (for me, anyway) meal of justice. I am a genius- What on Earth is stopping me? Oh right, basically very single bone and tendant in my body; He's young and sweet at the moment, probably far more innocent than I'll ever be, the blood stained on my hands instantly coming to mind. Sure, he's killed and hurt and destroyed lives, but he, as he is now, hasn't done any of that- There's still a chance, somehow and in some very hopeful way, there really is a possibility that I could save him. Also, at the same time, I doubt I'd even be able to kill the actual Sasuke either- He could possibly atone for his sins, regain his senses, and finally come home. Just the mere thought of it prevents me from saving the lives of hundreds and possibly thousands.

"What?" The ebony-haired boy asks, his facial expression as close to baffled as his face will ever be, and he suddenly becomes very interested in me, so much so that he actually unfolds his arms and straightens up slightly. Black eyes examine my every breath mercilessly, like a predator waiting for the perfect millisecond to sink its teeth into the flesh of an innocent prey, and, out of the millions of words written in the dictionary, I can only describe them as judgemental and suspicious. I've unmistakably fucked everything up, haven't I?

"It was a joke, Sasuke-kun," I attempt sweetly, ignoring his look of distrust and annoyance, "I could never mean that about you- You're undeniably perfect,"

No, it's pretty damn deniable actually...

"Hn, you should give up already," He scoffs, rolling his eyes, although he doesn't quite conceal the look of shock still evident on his face, probably not realising that he's even wearing it.

Oh, trust me, I've already given up on you.

Along with that thought, I feel an uncontrollable grimace overtake my fraud smile, as my heart cries out in agony with a painful throb. I hiss at my pessimism and sudden longing, cursing them to an eternity with Sasuke- One that is clearly unattainable for me. But I guess that's how it should be; Sasuke's in a different world to me (both literally and metaphorically), one that's plagued with inhumanity, with remorselessness and with darkness; one of a destroyer. I am a healer; a creator, and it's only right that we remain untangled with each other.

Growing up, especially as I was surrounded by a variety of lovesick teenage girls, I was often told the saying "opposites attract", and, like any little child obsessed with the idea of a fairy tale ending, I unquestionably believed every syllable. Yin and Yang, the sun and the moon, light and dark, evil and good, protagonist and antagonist; All perfectly balancing each other out, because, without one, the other would have no purpose- Like, how can you truly appreciate the beauty of sunrise if the sun never set? Or how could you learn to truly treasure good people if there weren't others who would hurt and torture you? I mean, I once heard that it is only in your darkest moments that you discover who your friends really are. A diamond only has worth because we give it worth, and we only trust because we chose to trust; opposites, although balancing each other out, could never attract one another. A villain and a superhero could never fall in love, like how can two people who cannot even relate to each other, mentally, even converse, let alone be attracted to one another?

And so, even though 'opposites attract' and Sasuke is my opposite, I am not attracted to him. Even though he destroys and I create, even though he is the darkness and I am the light, even though he is cold and analytical and I am warm and emotional, I am not attracted to him. Despite his undeniable sexiness (this being more about his older self) and his God-like features, I am not attracted to him.

I, Haruno Sakura, am not attracted to Uchiha Sasuke.

And yet, it is as this sentence indents itself into my mind that I, unwillingly, see the hurt in black orbs of the broken boy in front of me- I see humanity, raw and untainted, confused almost and, suddenly, everything makes sense. My dream's priority wasn't to force me aware of my mentor's secret trauma, but to enable me to understand that even the strongest of people have weaknesses too- That, even people crazed with power and evil, have more than a glimmer of goodness inside of them; my dream told me to reach out to Sasuke and, unlike in the other world, to actually save him.

And, honestly, it is in the darkest places that light shines brightest, vibrant amongst the cryptic shadows; his kindness, although blurred, is far more beautiful than any other kindness to exist in the world, at least to me anyway, and his kindness is far more obvious when in contrast to his other attributes in comparison to another's kindness. He, who was once envisioned as a monster who assassinated the helpless and needy, is beautiful.

But I'm still not attracted to him.

"Give up on what exactly?" I find myself asking, just able to recall the conversation in the midsts of my increasingly complicating ideas, "It seems as if you've only given me half of a conversation there,"

"Hn," He smirks, in a way that would be considered almost cheeky if he wasn't Uchiha Sasuke, "Half of a whole conversation? Isn't that what one usually inputs, especially when the said conversation is between two people?"

In response, I allow a sigh to escape the back of my throat, accompanied by its best friend- An eye roll. "You know what I mean," I state, flatly.

"Hn, do I really?" Another smirk overtakes his lips, in a way that's almost teasing, as he muses gently.

"Shut up," I snort.

"You'll have to ask more nicely than that, Sakura,"

"Shut up," I say again, only this time it sounds slightly more impatient.

"You're annoying," is all that he responds, with a slight chuckle (that I might've- and most likely have- imagined), before turning on his heels and leaving me alone in the street.

; .-;

Approximately four and a half hours later, at exactly one o'clock, I'm nose-deep in an article written by one of Orichimaru's apprentices, uncountable amounts of papers and books piled up in front of me. My eyes, now exhausted from over three-and-a-bit hours of reading and researching, scan the words sluggishly, absorbing the information in an almost unbearably slow manner, and I manage to ignore the looming presence above me. Suddenly, a hand taps my shoulder, instantly causing me to freeze.

"That's quite a lot of reading material you have there, Sakura," Unexpectedly, it's Kakashi's voice that floats smoothly into my ears, his gaze lingering suspiciously on the file that's in my hand; Orchimaru's name is like a flare, blaring and bright, obvious against the paper background.

"Kakashi-sensei!" I exclaim as a greeting more than anything before confiding in myself to mumble an excuse, "I was just- I was just polishing my knowledge up a bit and this ninja has a very interesting biography on an ex-ninja of Konaha. I suppose it's good to be aware of our enemies as well as our allies. Teamwork isn't entirely everything, you know,"

"I suppose you have a point?" He chuckles before standing up straighter, "Well, I really ought to be going, I have a meeting with the hokage,"

"Oh, really? About what?" I find myself asking without a second thought, accustomed to knowing everything.

Surprisingly, my teacher answers without hesitation, revealing to me probably the most desirable piece of information in existence, "It's about an ancient weapon- One that has an almost unobtainable amount of power. Asuma and Kureni think they might've found it and we've discussing whether it's worth going for it or not,"

The weapon. It can't not be the weapon- It has to be the one I'm supposed to retrieve! Well, this is all going much smoother than I expected... I've already located the most important item in history; I've already located our saviour!

"You definitely have t- er- I mean, surely it's worth obtaining,"

The man nonchalantly nods and, from what I can tell, his lips are pursed together tightly. He's contemplating my words- or, maybe, something else entirely?- in a merciless manner, his beady eyes now resting on the bookshelves stationed behind me.

Hundreds and thousands of versions of different reading material lie in huge, dark oak book shelves, dust on many of the surfaces as this section tends to be ignored, all seemingly embracing the table I am seated at. There is a relatively large gap (although it's not as wide as one of the bookshelves) on either side of the circle for people to pass through, although only high-rank ninjas tend to inhabit this area. What seems to be the grandest part of the library is the thick, crimson carpet that was actually only put on half of the flooring- the other half being wooden- although the part I posses is completely covered. Euphoria ignites the most pleasant feeling within me, the homely scent of old paper and scrolls instantly causing me to time travel (again) to a time far before any I've ever lived through- Oh, how I absolutely adore being the library and how I undeniable missed it whilst I was busing myself with battles.

"Hm, perhaps," his voice carries itself distractedly, his focus clearly not on anything I'm carelessly uttering, "Well I ought to be going, good bye Sakura. Oh, and if you want any extra information, I'm very knowledgeable on Orchimaru's curse mark,"

; .-;

"You know, Sakura-chan, you've been dressing differently the past two days," Naruto mentions as we make our path to Ichiraku's, the dark sky lit up the shop lights and street lanterns. We'd met up a couple of hours ago as I wanted to start training a little bit and, of course, as Naruto is always 110% up for training, he offered to help.

"Oh, really?" I imitate shock, lowering my eyebrows, "I had absolutely no idea,"

Chuckling slightly, I roll my eyes, casting a glance at his illuminated face- The yellow lighting of the buildings we pass cause the most majestic of highlights to appear on his face, his beautifully coloured eyes enhanced even more than by his usual cheerfulness. Not dissimilar to every day, those blond locks of his are untamed and messy, but I can just about determine that he's been running his hands through it repeatedly. What makes me want to laugh the most, though, is that I have to actually look slightly down to Naruto, his towering height and evident manliness no longer existent and, in its place, only the short and troubled boy I grew up with. I don't mind though, this is all pleasantly refreshing.

"Oh," the boy mumbles, now bright scarlet, "I- I mean you look great,"

"Thanks," I answer easily, inwardly in hysterics at his blushed demeanour, prying my gaze off of his small form with an unshakable smile.

I've missed this so much.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, don't you think that Kakashi-sensei has been acting weirdly recently?"

My smile instantly crumbles. I notice a tiny child crying as her mother reassures her that her dad will return soon, but, by the look on the women's face, I highly doubt that's the case. As they seem to be a non-ninja family, I can only presume that a medical illness or disease is the cause that is keeping this little girl without a father, and that ultimately breaks my heart. I'm a medical ninja, and yet I can do absolutely nothing to help her- Her father's probably already gone. And, fuck, her mother isn't even allowed to mourn because, if she mourns, the women that her little girl looks up to the most won't guide her into being happy. The women has to be strong for her daughter but I understand how hard that really is; I've seen this happen so often now and yet, every single time, I still am barely able to pull myself together.

"What do you mean?" I find myself asking, ripping my eyes away from the two females, and finally I see the tiny ramen stand within my line of sight.

"I dunno, he just has, I guess," is the response I hear as the twelve-year-old gestures for me to enter before him, his slightly chubby and small fingers holding the plastic flaps open for me. With that same smile I had before plastered onto my face, I mutter a small 'thank you' and enter the ramen shop.

"Maybe," is all I respond with, offering a smile to Ayame and Teuchi as I take a seat, unable to forget the heart-breaking scene I just witnessed.

; .-;

Later that night, I'm found at the kitchen table, exhausted and resting an elbow on the wooden surface. My hair is down, long and wavy, and I'm clad in a magnolia tank top and some pale-blue cotton pyjama shorts, paper just a tiny reach away from me. Not unlike the millions I've retrieved before, it's a mission request, and, surprisingly, it isn't for a mission I've ever done before- Meaning, somehow, I triggered a chain of events that is different to my previous lifetime. Already, I've impacted fate and, by the description of the mission, not at all insignificantly. In vibrant, black kanji, it reads 'B-RANK MISSION, assisted by SARUTOBI ASUMA and HATAKE KAKASHI'; genin are only supposed to have D-rank missions and only when they're really, really experienced are they even considered for a C-rank. I have no idea what I've done, but it's nothing that should be taken light-heartedly.

Equally so, to be assisted by two jonin? That means that there's no way in hell that it's just a B-rank; this is at least an A-rank mission, otherwise it would only be for a four man squad, regardless of our genin rank. I have in fact encountered cases where chunin have been sent on A-rank and genin on B-rank, and neither of any of those cases were assisted by more than the usual one jonin. But what A-rank mission would require for us to attend instead of a team of jonin or chunin? Perhaps it's specifically for Team 7 because it involves one of us?

I should go and dress myself appropriately. Without any notice, we are to start the mission tonight and be back by tomorrow night and I still haven't even bothered to change out of pyjamas. No real details have been enclosed in the job briefing, only mentioning that we are to strictly and obediently follow every order barked at us, without question or hesitation. Usually, we'd have, at the very least, a tiny section vaguely informing us of our objective, but this? It has nothing of use, at all. It only states an inaccurate rank, who is to be present, where we're meeting, the length of the mission and that we just have to follow orders; I have never, in my entire ninja career, received something as uninformative as this.

Within the next forty minutes, I am in uniform and slowly walking the streets of Konoha, more alert now than I have been in days, which is why I easily sense Sasuke's approaching figure. It almost takes me aback seeing him so laboured and tired, this clearly being the first late-night trip he's had in his little life, so much so that I have to force myself to not burst into a fit of laughter. Honestly, I've been finding everything ludicrous recently. Gradually, his frame is beside mine, his mind obviously not yet registering my occupancy, and I take this as a chance to frighten him a little bit.

"SASUKE," I bellow loudly, causing him to jolt instantly and let out a very quiet and very deep squeal (or, what I could infer as a squeal anyway, because "Uchiha's don't squeal"). A widened pair of eyes immediately glare at my amused face as I erupt into hysteria. I honestly didn't expect it to work this well.

Haha, payback's a bitch. This is great.

"Sakura," The victimised teammate of mine seethes as he comes to recognise my face, "Tch, I should've known,"

"But you didn't! ~~" I tease triumphantly, beyond simply pleased with myself, "Which is why you let out that girly squeal,"

"Uchihas don't squeal." The male states before suddenly accelerating away from me. Unfortunately for him, my current speed far surpasses his and I instantly am adjacent to him again, a smile still evident on my face as I continuously allow a few chuckles to escape my throat.

Although my smile is outlived soon enough as, unfortunately for me, the vivid moon casts the most angelic of reflections on Sasuke's face, a strange illusion infecting his face with what looks like innocence, and it's probably the most attractive I have ever seen him. Despite his alleged anger, his eyes are easily the happiest I have ever seen them and the expression of his face, though concealing many of his emotions still, seems far less cold than before. Amusement and pleasant surprise, as well as the anger of a mere and petty child, are easily deducible on his gorgeous features, and I'm honestly breathless. He's never been this beautiful.

No. Stop it. He's a child and you're almost a fully grown women. He's a monster who betrayed the village and you're one of the most loyal medical ninjas of all time. He's a complete dickbag and you have a couple of redeeming qualities- STOP IT. You cannot possibly find this little boy attractive and you can't possibly forget about all the shit his slightly more grown-up version has done. STOP IT. Pull yourself together, Haruno Sakura, you're on a mission to save the fucking world. Stop finding a boy that's at least six years younger than you attractive. STOP. IT. And. DO. YOUR. JOB.

"Hn, you're annoying," He says without too much disgust, the moon still causing me to question every moral and hormone in my body.

"Thanks, dickhead. I appreciate it,"

And then Uchiha Sasuke laughs.

Okay, so honestly, this is a little late. Sorry, school's just started again and I'm so stressed and haven't really been able to write that often (hence a shorter chapter than usual). Don't worry though, I'll be updating again, like usual, within two weeks at the latest, no matter what. Also, this chapter is very scarely edited as well, so I apologise for that.

On a side note, I know everything might seem a bit rushed or awkward at the moment, but everything will come into play soon and you'll understand why certain things are as they are. This story will be long, that I can promise, although chapters will eventually be three days or a week rather than just the single day, which I was actually going to do this chapter but decided it was cute to end it on Sasuke laughing.

ALSOOOOOO, Sakura does not like Sasuke. She thinks he's attractive, that's it. Any of her conflicting feelings are about finding him attractive, not about romantic feelings or whatever. I like Sakura as she is right now and don't really wnat her to start liking him for a little while (please bare with me). Sakura does not like Naruto, by the way, because I got my friend to read through this and she asked if Sakura liked Naruto and no, she doesn't (and she never will!). Naruto's crush will end soon (probably sooner than Sakura realises she likes Sasuke) and I'll probably incorperate NaruHina at some point.

As for other shippings, it'll be the basic ones that most people ship; NejiTen, SuiRin (which will have many cute moments because omg, otp as fuck) ect. I don't think I'll be putting in Ino or Shikamaru with anyone, though, as I want this to be mostly SasuSaku and I can't decide whether I want ShikaTema and InoSai or ShikaIno. Also, would you hate it if I made Kiba and Shino gay? Ahaaaa, that would be v cute, but idk, what do you guys want?

Also, yey or nah to Shikamaru and Ino having romances with anyone and, if yey, who?

Opinion on chapter? Thoughts, criticism and likes? Anything you want to/don't want to see happen? Leave a long review and I'll be sure to annswer questions and consider ideas ~~

Lots of love,

Karamel x