Helloooo, everyone! I know, I know, I promised I wouldn't leave you guys hanging! I actually have an excuse this time. I've been working A LOT, I got sick when I went on a trip out of state and it's lasted 2 weeks, to the point where I had to go to the ER yesterday. Diagnosis is bronchitis. Don't worry, I'm doing a lot better now! Also, the day after I came back from my trip I found out that the store I'm working at is closing after the holiday shopping season. Soooo I've had quite a bit to deal with, haha! But I'm back, and to make up for my extended absence, here is a nice long chapter for you. Don't forget that this story is a collaboration between myself and my lovely friend MissKluck. Be sure to go and check out her SasuSaku fanfics, as she's super talented!

I don't own Naruto.

"I bid one million yen!"

Sakura put her head in her hands and shook her head, unable to comprehend how she could have acted so impulsively. She sat under a cherry blossom tree, decorated with pretty lanterns. Upon the end of the auction, the pinkette had quickly retreated to a less crowded part of the festival. There was no way she could have stayed there another minute. She just needed to sit and think.

'Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I bid so much!? Why did I bid at all!? Have I no pride!?' she thought, mentally beating herself up.

As much as Sakura tried to erase the days events from her mind, she knew it was impossible. Her empty bank account would be the only reminder she needed. How many missions would she have to take? How many hospital shifts would she have to work? The girl ran a hand through her cotton candy hair, trying to calm her nerves and failing miserably.

'I'm going to spend months, if not years paying that bid off. I must have appeared so desperate. Sasuke-kun must think I'm pathetic,' she thought.

"Sakura! There you are!"

Sakura looked up to find her best friend coming her way, a concerned look on her face. The pinkette really didn't feel like talking to anyone at the moment, but she knew there was no escape. "What is it, Ino?"

The blonde haired girl stopped in front of Sakura, crossing her arms. "You're missing the festival! Don't you want to play some games and see the sights?"

"Not really. I'm having a bit of an internal crisis here, if you couldn't tell. I'm going to be in so much debt!" Sakura exclaimed.

Ino completely brushed her off, entirely unconcerned. She took a seat next to the pinkette, putting a comforting arm around her. "Oh, come on! You did so well! You got yourself a great catch! I should have been allowed to bid too. It's so unfair!"

Sakura simply glared at the girl.

The blonde grinned sheepishly, letting out a nervous chuckle. "Heh, sorry. Anyway, I wouldn't worry about it if I were you. We should try getting Sasuke-kun to pay for himself!"

The medic raised a questioning eyebrow. "Why do you say that?"

"You saw how miserable he looked up there. He didn't want that Snoo-Snoo girl or whatever her name was to win anymore than you did. You totally got him off the hook. Plus, you're a great catch yourself! Any guy would be lucky to date you!"

Sakura blushed and gave a small smile. "Thanks, Ino. I'm just terrified of facing Sasuke-kun. I'm not ready. I have no idea what I'll say or do when I see him," she replied.

Just then, Hinata and Tenten walked up. Tenten clapped her hands excitedly, a big grin on her face. "Congratulations, Sakura-chan! I'm so happy for you," she exclaimed.

Hinata nodded in agreement, smiling sweetly. "Yes, congratulations, Sakura-chan. I know how much you like Sasuke-kun," she said softly.

The pinkette's blush only intensified, but before she could retort, Naruto and Sasuke decided to pop up. She sighed, looking away.

'Why did everyone have to decide to show up when all I want is to be alone right now?' she thought, annoyed.

"HINATA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled excitedly, running up to hug his girlfriend. "I know I already said this, but I knew you wouldn't let some old ladies outbid you!"

She smiled and hugged him back, a blush adorning her cheeks. "I promised you I wouldn't let you down, Naruto-kun," she said softly.

"I knew you wouldn't break your promise. You're the world's best girlfriend!" he exclaimed, giving her a full kiss on the lips.

The shy girl responded to the kiss briefly before pulling away, her face as red as a tomato. To say she was embarrassed was an understatement, but she couldn't deny that she secretly loved it.

"I'm sorry, do you two want us to leave so you can make out?" Tenten said with a smirk.

Naruto simply glared at the brunette and stick his tongue out immaturely.

Sasuke ignored his colleagues banter, instead opting to discreetly make his way closer to Sakura. Based on the way she couldn't wait to get away from the auction, he could tell she was avoiding him. The fact that she had bid so much money on him shocked him to say the least. He'd known of her past feelings for him, but he believed that she had gotten over him long ago. After all, how could she still love a traitor like him? She'd been avoiding him even before the auction. Why would she bid so much on him just to run away from him? He needed answers.

Sakura noticed Sasuke slowly sliding over to her from the corner of her eye, and she wanted to make a run for it. She looked over at Ino, her eyes pleading for help. The blonde was confused for a moment, before she remembered their earlier conversation. She knew that Sakura wasn't ready to face Sasuke yet, so she decided to help the pinkette escape.

A group of students were walking by, seemingly to admire the cherry blossom trees and to get away from the hustle and bustle of the festival. Ino stepped in front of Sakura, blocking her from view, and the pinkette disappeared into the crowd. Just as she thought she had made a slick getaway, Naruto decided to open his big mouth.

"Hey, where did Sakura-chan go!?" he screeched.

The pinkette couldn't contain her growl. She loved Naruto, but he was truly an idiot sometimes. She could only hope that Sasuke wouldn't spot her.

It wasn't long before her hopes were dashed. Sasuke quickly spotted a mop of pink among the students.

"Sakura, wait!" he yelled, making his way towards her.

'Shit. Damn my pink hair!' Sakura thought, deciding to make a run for it.

"What the hell!? Sakura, wait up!" Sasuke yelled again, giving chase.

All he wanted was to talk to her. Why was she running away from him again?

The pinkette focused most of her chakra to her legs, trying to outrun him. Sasuke was very fast, and she knew it wouldn't be long before he caught up to her. The only way to get away would be to lose him. Thankfully, there were thousands of people attending the festival. It wouldn't be very hard to get away.

Sasuke did a good job of keeping up for a while, but he eventually lost her in the sea of people.

'Was she called in to treat a patient or something? She can't possibly be that afraid of facing me,' he thought, utterly annoyed at this point.

The raven roamed the festival alone, not wanting to deal with Naruto and his obnoxious remarks. He was trying to clear his thoughts, but wasn't doing a very good job. He needed to know why Sakura bid so much on him and then proceeded to avoid him like the plague. Feeling a headache coming on, he closed his eyes and massaged his temples, willing himself to calm down. Suddenly, he heard giggles and sighs coming from behind him and rolled his eyes, trying to resist the urge to lash out.

Three obnoxious girls that clearly had nothing better to do had been stalking him for the better part of the day. He was in no mood for fangirls and their bullshit at the moment. With that thought in mind, he turned around the face the giggling girls.

"I'm going to say this once. I have no interest in any of you. Stop following me, or there will be hell to pay," he threatened.

A red-haired girl gave him puppy eyes and pouted. "But, Sasuke-kun… You have three beautiful girls here that adore you!"

Another girl with short purple hair nodded in agreement. "That's right! Don't you want to come hang out with us?"

The last girl, this one with blonde hair and an outfit that left little to the imagination waltzed right up to Sasuke. She touched his arm and looked up at him with seductive eyes, and he glared at her, quickly losing his patience. "Mm, Sasuke-kun… Don't you want us to show you a good time?" she asked, having the audacity to move her hand to his chest.

"Get the hell off of me. NOW!" he yelled, his Sharingan activated.

The girl quickly jumped back in alarm, and the three girls left without being told twice. At least they were smart enough to know that he wasn't screwing around. The Uchiha sighed and deactivated his Sharingan, finding a bench and sitting down. He closed his eyes and shook his head, irritated beyond belief.

This whole festival was truly nothing but one big headache.

The next morning, the bachelors and the winners were summoned to Tsunade's office. Everyone was to plan their dates with the help of Tsunade herself, as well as Ino and Shizune. Sakura sighed and walked out of the hospital, making her way to the hokage tower. She had taken an early shift, even though she wasn't scheduled to. Sleep had completely eluded her the night before; there was too much on her mind. On top of that, she figured that she'd need to take all of the shifts she could get if she was to pay off her bid.

The pinkette paid little attention to her surroundings as she walked through the village square. She was working on autopilot at this point, too lost in her thoughts. What would she say to Sasuke when she saw him? She couldn't avoid him this time. He surely hated her, or at least viewed her as pathetic and desperate. Why wouldn't he? Nobody else placed a bid even close to what she did. Not even Hinata, the heir to one of the most powerful clans in the village, bid that much for Naruto. What had she been thinking?

She hadn't been thinking, that's what. She'd lost her head. Let her feelings get in the way. Had she no shame or will power whatsoever? Hadn't she promised herself that she wouldn't bid on Sasuke no matter what?

'So much for that. I'm never going to live this down,' she thought, walking into the hokage tower.

Sakura made her way down the hallway, heading toward the waiting area outside of Tsunade's office. She had her head down, and was still mentally beating herself up. She could just picture the stares, the judgmental eyes, the snickers. The thought made her sick to her stomach.

"Sakura-chan, watch out!"

The medic looked up just in time to greet the doorframe before she walked face first into it. A loud bang sounded throughout the room, making everyone wince. The pinkette groaned and put her face in her hands.

"Aw, shit!" Sakura cursed.

Hinata gasped, and Naruto ran over to his teammate. "Are you alright, Sakura-chan!? I'm sorry, I tried to warn you!" he exclaimed.

Sakura simply nodded, rubbing her nose. "I'm fine. I don't think anything is broken. I won't even have a bruise. Just caught me by surprise, is all…" she said, looking away in embarrassment.

Naruto brought her into the waiting area and sat her down before taking his seat next to Hinata. Sasuke eyed his pink haired teammate curiously, but she avoided eye contact at all costs. The Uchiha sighed and looked away, deciding to let it go for now. Everyone was here to plan their dates. She'd have to speak to him eventually. The group sat in silence, waiting for their turn. Sai, of course, couldn't resist making a snide remark.

"Gosh, Ugly. Are you sure you're okay? You're sitting there with such a sour look on your face. You look like a zombie with those bags under your eyes," he said.

"Shut your fucking face." Sakura growled.

Sai cocked his head to the side, unaware of the danger of his situation. If he were a decent human being, he'd keep his mouth shut. However, Sai was not a decent human being. "Wow, you really are testy today. Are you on your time of the mon-"

He didn't have a chance to finish his question. Sakura was over to him in a flash, and proceeded to knock him unconscious.

Sasuke couldn't resist smirking. He never liked Sai whatsoever, and he refused to admit that it was partly due to jealousy. The artist was annoying as hell, but it was amusing to watch his mouth get him into trouble. Watching Sakura knock him unconscious was… oddly satisfying. He licked his suddenly dry lips and cleared his throat awkwardly, looking away.

'Okay, it wasn't that impressive. Do I seriously dislike Sai that much?' he mused.

He refused to acknowledge that watching Sakura use her strength like that satisfied him in more ways than one.

"Yo, Sakura. Not for nothing, I mean, he totally deserved it and all… but I think you just petrified Sai's date," Kiba spoke, amused.

Sakura took a deep breath and took in Kiba's words, before her eyes widened in alarm. She looked over at Sai's date, an older woman from Iwagakure, and felt shame wash over her. The medic quickly gave a deep bow. "I… I'm so sorry. I apologize, ma'am! I shouldn't have lost my temper like that-"

"What the hell are you apologizin' for, girlie? I'm glad you knocked his ass out!" the woman exclaimed.

Sakura stood upright in surprise, fighting the urge to smile. "Um… really?"

"Yeah, really! Never have I met such a rude and crude little shit! He'd been making comments about my age ever since I won him. As soon as our turn came up, I was going to pay your hokage to take him back!"

Everyone in the room sweat dropped, but understood where the woman was coming from. The people that knew Sai personally knew that he was far from pleasant. He definitely took some getting used to. Though if you could get past the fake smiles and the crude comments, he wasn't all bad.

Just then, Shizune came out of Tsunade's office and greeted the group with a smile. That is, before she noticed Sai laying on the ground, out cold. "Oh my gosh, what happened!?" Shizune shrieked.

"Sakura-chan lost her temper. But it was because Sai was being a dumbass, as usual!" Naruto exclaimed.

"Tch. You're one to talk, dobe," Sasuke muttered.

"What was that, teme!?" Naruto yelled.

"What the hell is taking so long!?"

Everyone turned to see a very impatient looking Tsunade, holding her bottle of sake. Everyone once again sweat dropped. Leave it to the hokage to start drinking before noon. Shizune regarded her with a bow.

"I'm sorry, Tsunade-sama. It's just… Well… You might want to look for yourself," Shizune said softly, pointing to Sai sprawled on the ground.

The hokage snickered and glanced at Sakura. "Sai being a prick again?"

The medic simply nodded.

"Eh, leave him there. He'll come to eventually," Tsunade said, entirely unconcerned.

Shizune gasped, not believing what she was hearing. "But Tsunade-sama! We can't just leave him there like that! Shouldn't we make sure he's alright?"

The blonde rolled her eyes, wanting to get the show on the road already. "Sakura, do you believe that you punched him hard enough to cause great bodily injury?"

Sakura shook her head at her master. "No, I don't. Sai may be a lot of things, but I wouldn't punch him hard enough to seriously injure him," she said.

"That's good enough for me. Where's Kakashi? I don't see him," Tsunade asked.

Sasuke looked at the hokage incredulously. "Are you seriously asking that question? I'm sure he's at home reading his trashy novels. Or as he puts it, 'getting lost on the path of life.'"

Tsunade rolled her eyes and shook her head. "You're probably right. Shizune, go summon Kakashi yourself," she said with a smirk.

"But, Tsunade-sama-"

"No buts! This is a direct order. Go get him," Tsunade said, the smirk never leaving her face.

The brunette blushed and nodded, giving a slight bow before leaving the room. Tsunade turned to regard everyone remaining in the room.

"Alright, everyone is here to plan their dates. We'll do this in the same order in which we conducted the auction. Someone wake Sai up so we can get this show on the road," the hokage instructed.

A devious smirk came across Sakura's face, and she knelt down next to Sai.

"That can be arranged," the pinkette smirked, cracking her knuckles.

Everyone winced as a loud smack sounded throughout the room. It was going to be a long day.

Sasuke and Sakura sat in the waiting area in an awkward silence. Almost everyone else had finished planning their dates, with the exception of Kakashi and Shizune who were who knows where. The two shinobi were simply waiting on Naruto and Hinata to finish up. The pinkette sat on the opposite side of the room as Sasuke, keeping her head down and pretending to read a book. In reality, the words on the page never registered in her mind. She was just too nervous about what was to come.

Sasuke sat across the room, deep in thought. Sakura hadn't even looked at him or acknowledged him in any way since they'd been waiting. To say that he was confused was an understatement. She'd bid so much for a date with him, yet she was completely ignoring him. What in the world was with her? Just as Sasuke was about to open his mouth to demand some answers, the door to Tsunade's office opened.

Out walked Naruto and Hinata hand in hand. Sakura looked up from her book and smiled at the two, finding them to be adorable. The two lovebirds walked up to the raven and the pinkette, informing them that Tsunade was ready to see them.

Sakura gulped and put her book down with shaky hands. She was not looking forward to her impending doom. How was she supposed to explain to Sasuke that she'd totally lost her head? How were they going to go on a date when he so clearly had no interest in her? Maybe she'd be able to get out of it somehow. She'd find a way to spare Sasuke from the torture of spending a day with her.

After saying goodbye to their friends, Sasuke and Sakura slowly made their way into the hokage's office. The blonde haired woman acknowledged them with a nod. "Feel free to take a seat, you two," she said.

The two shinobi took a seat in front of the hokage, waiting to hear what she had to say. However, before Tsunade even had a chance to say anything, Sakura broke the silence.

"Tsunade-sama, I really don't need this date," she said.

The hokage and the raven looked at her in surprise. The former proceeded to narrow her eyes at her student. "Sakura, once your bid as been placed, you're not allowed to withdraw it. If you couldn't afford it, maybe you should have thought before-"

"It's not about the money! I'll still pay off my bid," Sakura cut her off.

This confused the blonde even more. She knew how much her student adored the Uchiha brat. Why would she pass up the opportunity to go on a date with him?

"I don't understand. Explain yourself," she barked.

Sasuke turned in his chair to get a better look at Sakura, a questioning eyebrow raised. "I'm interested to hear this as well," he said.

Sakura looked down at her lap and twiddled her thumbs, feeling a wave of anxiety wash over her. She was about to make an even bigger fool out of herself in front of the man she loved. How the hell was she going to explain herself?

'Why couldn't I have just stuck to my guns and stayed out of it? Then I wouldn't be in for such an embarrassment,' she thought.

The pinkette screwed her eyes shut and gulped, deciding to get the whole thing over with as quickly as possible.

"I know that Sasuke-kun would rather not date me, but I saw the look on his face when that one spoiled girl was about to win a date with him. I got jealous, and I rashly placed my bid. I know that he's not interested in me or wants anything to do with me whatsoever, but I'm just glad I got him off the hook. Tsunade-sama, you should let Sasuke-kun go on a date with someone he's actually interested in. Like I said, I'll still pay off my bid so don't worry!" she exclaimed quickly, talking about the Uchiha like he wasn't even there.

Sasuke and Tsunade stared at the pinkette, stunned. Sasuke didn't even know what to say. How could Sakura think that he didn't want anything to do with her? She was his teammate. She was more than just a teammate, actually. He considered her a true friend, and he had other feelings regarding her that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He refused to acknowledge that he knew damn well what those feelings were.

"Sakura, you've got it all wrong-"

"No, Sasuke-kun. It's alright, you don't have to lie and make me feel better. Now that we've got that out of the way, I'm going to take my leave," Sakura said, standing up.

"Sakura, you are not to leave this office!" Tsunade ordered.

The pinkette ignored her master, turning on her heel and taking a step toward the door. Sasuke bolted out of his seat, and Sakura gasped as she felt a hand grab her wrist gently but firmly.

"Don't go," he said calmly.

Sakura felt her pulse begin to race, and she wanted to listen to him. However, she also felt the growing need to run away. They'd never had a proper conversation regarding their past issues. She still loved him dearly, but was still trying to get over him. She needed to avoid him. She needed to get away from him.

"You never listened to me when I asked you not to go…" she said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

She knew that she shouldn't have said it, but she had to. There was no way she'd be able to deal with rejection again, so she decided to push him away first. She expected him to get angry and tell her to get out of his sight, so she was surprised when he did the opposite.

Sasuke's eyes widened in surprise at her words. To be honest, he was a little hurt. However, he knew he had no room to judge her after all he'd put her through. He quickly regained his composure and gave a sigh. "That may be true, and I know you're just as stubborn as I am. But I'm asking you as your teammate and your friend to sit back down. Will you do that?" he asked calmly, looking her straight in the eye.

The pinkette hesitated for a moment but ended up nodding and quietly heading back to her seat, with the raven following. Tsunade simply eyed the two shinobi knowingly. To tell the truth, she was rather impressed with Sasuke. Maybe the brat would be good for her student after all. Not only was she impressed with the Uchiha, she was also grateful to him. She truly wanted Sasuke and Sakura together, mainly for her students sake. However, she also had her own reasons.

"I'm glad you were able to keep her here, Uchiha. I've got a lot of money riding on this working out," Tsunade said matter-of-factly.

Sasuke and Sakura simply stared at the hokage blankly.

"You placed bets on us going on a date!?" Sakura screeched.

"Of course I did! Who do you think you're dealing with!?" Tsunade retorted.

Sasuke rolled his eyes and crossed his arms. "Can't say I'm surprised. I mean, we are dealing with the woman who's usually buzzed before noon," he muttered.

The blonde shot him a glare. "Don't forget who pardoned your ass, Uchiha. Show some respect," she snapped.

"Fine, I apologize," he growled.

"Damn right you apologize. Anyway, back to what we're here for. We'll have you two go out on your date sometime this week," the blonde said.

The pinkette shook her head at her master. "This week won't work. I'm working every single day this week," she said.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at her student. "Every day? I always make sure you have at least one day off. Usually two. How are you working every day?"

"I picked up two shifts for this weekend. I don't know if you realized, but I spent quite a lot of money during the auction! I need all of the shifts I can get," Sakura replied.

"Well, who's fault was that? You're not getting out of this, Sakura. I'll be moving your schedule around so you don't work this weekend," Tsunade shot back.

"But Tsunade-sama!"

"No buts!" she barked, before turning to Sasuke.

The Uchiha looked back and forth between the hokage and Sakura, internally sighing. Those two definitely had nasty tempers, and he hated being in the middle of it. He finally faced Tsunade, waiting for her to speak.

"Alright, Uchiha. Now that it's been established that your date will be this weekend, we need to figure out a location. Did you have any place in mind?"

Sasuke thought for a moment before nodding. "I actually do have a place in mind. It's a café over where the Uchiha compound was," he replied.

The hokage nodded at the raven in approval. "That works. You two can work out details amongst yourselves. You're dismissed," she said, reaching for some paperwork.

The two shinobi stood up and gave a slight bow before exiting Tsunade's office. Sakura seemed to be in a hurry to leave, but Sasuke still wanted answers. He still couldn't get over the fact that she seemed to believe he wanted nothing to do with her. He'd been trying to be more kind since he'd returned to the village. Was he doing a terrible job? Sakura had placed her bid out of a combination of jealousy and pity. Did that mean she still had feelings for him? Why did he even care? All of the questions bothered Sasuke greatly, and there was no way he'd let her avoid him any longer.

"Sakura, wait up," he called.

The pinkette stopped in her tracks and sighed, not in the mood to talk to anyone at the moment. She was still trying to reel in her humiliation. She didn't bother turning around, instead continuing toward the exit. "I need to get back to the hospital, Sasuke-kun. We'll talk later!" she responded.

Sakura was out the door before Sasuke could get another word in. He knew that he could have caught up to her if he really wanted to. However, he decided to leave it.

'After all, she can't avoid me forever.'

Sakura walked through the village square, heading toward the hospital. She was relieved when she realized that Sasuke hadn't followed her. She was grateful that he was giving her space for now. Unfortunately, she knew that he wouldn't let it slide forever. Once he was determined to do something, he did it. It was only a matter of time before he cornered her. The thought made the pinkette sigh, and she looked up to admire the cherry blossom trees scattered about. She smiled to herself, finding comfort in the scenery and the fact that it was such a lovely day outside. She almost wished she could skip going to the hospital and go to a park instead.

Suddenly, three girls stepped in front of Sakura, effectively blocking her path and making her stop in her tracks. She recognized one of the girls as the one that had been hell bent on spending her fathers money to win the auction. Setsuna, was it?

Upon closer inspection, she recognized the two other girls as her former bullies. The pinkette clenched her fists, trying to block out the memories that were trying to come to the surface.

'Gosh, why are you so ugly!?'

'Your forehead is HUGE! You could paint a bulls eye on it and never miss!'

'Why don't you fight back when we push you around, huh!? You make this too easy!'

She resisted the urge to growl as she recalled her painful childhood memories. Being bullied as a child had absolutely destroyed all self-confidence she'd had. Thankfully, she was no longer that weak child. She'd grown up and become a strong kunoichi, while they'd never even graduated the academy. Knowing that she was above them, Sakura decided to ignore the girls and continued to walk forward, intending to brush past them.

"Hey, Sakura-chan, don't be like that. Aren't you going to say hi to your old classmates?" asked the girl with blonde hair.

Sakura took a deep breath, her lips set in a thin line. They were going to taunt her. She decided to kill them with kindness, and graced them with a pretty smile.

"Ah, yes. Hello. I wish I could stay and catch up, but I was supposed to be back at the hospital a while ago," she said.

"Aw, that's too bad. We really wanted to reminisce about old times. You know, like how you always liked Sasuke-kun. Still no luck in your love life, huh? Not that anyone blames him," a brunette girl said cruelly.

The medic narrowed her eyes at the three girls. "Do you honestly have nothing better to do than try and bring others down? Have you not grown up whatsoever?" she asked icily.

Setsuna stepped forward with a smirk, staring Sakura straight in the eye. The pinkette didn't back down, staring back with equal intensity. She would not be intimidated, especially not by a spoiled brat who likely couldn't even throw a shuriken properly.

"Come on, Sakura-chan. You know it's true. Why the hell would Sasuke-kun, or any man, want someone like you? You trained under Tsunade, and both of you have quite the reputation. Not in a good way, either. What man would want a woman with monstrous strength and an equally terrifying temper?" Setsuna said, the smirk never leaving her face and her eyes never leaving Sakura's.

The pinkette could feel old wounds resurfacing, and she took a deep breath. She tried to will the memories away, but it was close to impossible. She'd struggled with insecurities her entire life, and even though it'd gotten a bit better with time, they were still there. She continued taking deep, slow breaths, willing herself to calm down.

'Come on, Sakura. Get yourself together. You can't hit a civilian, no matter how much you'd like to,' she thought.

'I can't believe I ended up following her after all. Have I no self control?' Sasuke thought to himself, utterly annoyed.

After watching his female teammate leave in such a rush, determined to avoid him once again, Sasuke told himself he'd just let her go. However, after standing there in the hallway outside of Tsunade's office like a dumbass for a few minutes, he realized he simply couldn't help but follow after her. Sakura had always been rather easy for him to read, but now she just confused him. He still didn't understand her motives, and that bothered him greatly. What bothered him even more is the fact that he even cared. He was Sasuke Uchiha, and he didn't go out of his way to chase after anyone. Especially not a girl.

'A strong, interesting, beautiful girl.'

Wait. What?

The Uchiha quickly shook his head in an attempt to clear it, not liking the direction his thoughts were going. He focused on walking through the village square, in the direction of the hospital. It wasn't that far of a walk, and surely Sakura must have made it there already. He wondered which department she was working in. He'd have to ask someone once he made it there.

Sasuke suddenly stopped in his tracks upon recognizing a familiar chakra signature. He ducked into an alley and masked his chakra so that she wouldn't sense his presence. He was sure Sakura would have made it to the hospital already. Poking his head out of the alley way, he saw his pink haired teammate with three other girls. One of the girls was in Sakura's face, and he recognized her as the girl who had nearly won the auction before the pinkette had saved him. Not usually one to eavesdrop but not really caring at the moment, he focused on listening to what was being said.

"I'm going to ask you politely to step aside so I can get to work. I advise you to listen to me while I'm still being nice," Sakura seethed.

"What's the matter, can't handle the truth?" the blonde girl asked.

"She obviously can't. She never could! Remember how she used to always do nothing but sit and cry whenever we'd pick on her? Never even did anything to fight back! You really make this too easy, Sakura. Just accept the fact that not only will Sasuke-kun never love you, but no man will ever love you!" the brunette screeched.

Sakura growled and balled up her fists, quickly losing her patience. She wanted nothing more than to knock all of them out with one punch. However, she knew that she could easily kill them if she wasn't careful. It killed her that she could really do nothing except sit there and take their insults.

Setsuna smirked at the pinkette, knowing that they were getting to her. She flipped her hair over her shoulder and proceeded to go on another vicious rant.

"I know the truth hurts, honey. Maybe you should consider completely changing up your look. Your pink hair is hideous, but that can easily be remedied with some hair dye. Your body will be harder to fix though. You have no curves whatsoever, not to mention no tits. Have you ever considered getting breast implants?" she said cruelly, batting her eyelashes with a fake smile.

Sasuke couldn't believe his ears. His fists balled up at his sides, and he was ready to attack those three spoiled brats. The fact that they could say those horrible things to Sakura made his blood boil. Did they have no idea who they were messing with? His teammate had trained under Tsunade herself. Not only did she have monstrous strength, she had incredible intelligence. Just as he was getting ready to jump out of the alley and teach the girls a lesson, Sakura shocked him.

The medic simply rolled her eyes and let out a deep breath. She eyed the three girls, and decided that she was finished with being nice. She wasn't one that went around flaunting her strength and talents just for the hell of it, but she figured if she couldn't give these girls a physical beat down, she could sure as hell give them a verbal beat down.

"Alright, this has gone on long enough. I don't have to listen to this nonsense. I am the student of the hokage herself, and I'm not the same weak little girl I once was. I have friends and family whom I love dearly and who love me in return. I'm the second best medic in the land of fire, and I have a good job doing what I love. Tell me, what do you three have going for you besides being spoiled bullies who have everything handed to them on a silver platter?" Sakura asked, her own smirk now in place.

The three girls simply stood there with wide eyes, mouths agape. It was obvious that they were having trouble formulating a response. Sakura's smirk only widened, and she didn't wait for them to say anything. She instead opted to brush past them and continue on her way, completely ignoring their presence.

Sasuke had his own smirk on his face now, beyond proud of his teammate. He was amazed at how brave she was, and how she stood up to the girls and their poisonous words so effortlessly.

His satisfaction was short-lived, however, and he watched in horror as Setsuna pulled a knife out of her pocket and grabbed Sakura by the hair.

"What was that, you fucking bitch!?" she screamed in rage.

Sakura gasped as she saw the knife in Setsuna's hand, and was prepared to evade it when Sasuke suddenly appeared. The Uchiha grabbed both of Setsuna's arms and squeezed, effectively making her let go of both Sakura's hair and her knife.

"What the hell do you think you're doing!?" Sasuke boomed, sharingan activating without him realizing it.

The pinkette and the three bullies looked at him in astonishment, wondering where he'd come from. Sakura frowned to herself.

'Was he eavesdropping? Did he jump in because he didn't think I could take care of myself?'

The girls paid no mind to Sasuke's irritated state, and forgot all about Sakura as they proceeded to surround the raven.

"Fancy seeing you here, Sasuke-kun!" the blonde giggled.

"Yeah, we were just talking about you! All good things, of course. Gosh, has anyone ever told you just how handsome you are?" the brunette asked dreamily.

Sasuke growled at the girls and glared heavily at them. "I suggest you shut up and get the hell out of here before this gets very ugly," he hissed, growing increasingly irritated.

Setsuna gave what she hoped was a cute pout and strutted up to Sasuke, putting a hand on his chest and looking up at him. "Oh, Sasuke-kun. Don't be like that. You have three beautiful girls here who want nothing more than to make your day. Wouldn't you like that?"

Sasuke's glare only intensified. "The only thing that will make my day is for you to get the fuck off of me," he growled.

Setsuna frowned and backed off, finally realizing that maybe she shouldn't anger him anymore. "Come on girls, maybe we should go. We'll see you soon, Sasuke-kun!" she exclaimed.

With that, the three girls ran off, but not before sending nasty glares Sakura's way.

Sasuke gave a sigh of relief, glad that the bullies were gone. He turned to face Sakura, who was staring at him with an unreadable expression. This bothered Sasuke greatly. He walked up to her and stopped a couple of feet in front of her, unconsciously scanning her body for any sign of injury.

"Are you okay?" he asked.

"I'm fine, Sasuke-kun. I was fine before you interfered. I could have handled those girls myself," she replied, irritated.

The raven frowned at this. "When I saw that brat pull a knife on you, I couldn't just stand by and do nothing," he retorted.

"That's another thing. Why are you following me?" Sakura asked with a frown.

Sasuke didn't reply for a moment. He looked around and noticed that they had created a scene. There were some vendors and civilians staring at the pair, and the raven sighed in irritation, running a hand through his hair. They were in the middle of the village square, after all.

"Let's talk somewhere a little more private," he said, turning on his heel and walking toward the alley way he'd just come from.

Sakura followed him, and the two ducked into the alley way for a little more privacy. They didn't need the whole village knowing their business. People talked like crazy, especially the civilians. The pinkette crossed her arms and looked up at the Uchiha, waiting for an explanation.

"The reason I'm following you is because I want a proper explanation. You placed such a high bid at the auction, yet you don't want the prize. You've been avoiding me like the plague since I returned to the village, and now it's even worse."

The medic gulped and unconsciously wrapped her arms around herself as a form of protection. She looked away into nothingness, anything to avoid his gaze. This wasn't a conversation she wanted to be having.

"I don't know why I did it. I just didn't want you to end up with someone you didn't want to be with. I didn't want you to end up with someone who would bother you. I just… I care about you a lot, Sasuke-kun. I just want you to be happy, and I know that Tsunade-samas enforcement of the whole date thing has you less than thrilled," she answered, still looking away.

The raven stood there in shock, staring at her and not quite knowing what to say. What was there to say? What did this mean? What should he do? All of these questions raced through Sasuke's mind as he stared at her in silence. Sakura finally built up the courage to look back at him, and his lack of a response hurt her.

'He's just looking at me in silent contempt…' she thought sadly.

The medic cleared her throat awkwardly and looked down at her watch. She needed to get out of the situation, and quickly. "I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I really need to get back to work," she said, making her way out of the alley way.

As she walked away, Sakura realized that she probably wasn't being fair. She truly was grateful to him for stepping in and saving her, even though she knew she could have handled it herself. Suddenly, a memory struck her. The pinkette stopped in her tracks and turned halfway around to face Sasuke, who was still staring after her. With a small, pained smile, she uttered three simple words.

"Sasuke-kun… Thank you."

With that, the pinkette walked away.

There you have it! Getting into the good stuff now. How will Sasuke and Sakura's date go? How will EVERYONE'S dates go? Will they end in disaster, or will our favorite ninjas find love? We'll find out soon! Thank you for your reviews, follows, and favorites. They mean the world to me. If you enjoyed this chapter, please be sure to leave a review! Until next time!