Chapter 9

"Sasuke-kun. Did you see my missed call? I tried calling you several times." Sakura wraps her gloved fingers around the sleeve of Sasuke's coat.

Sasuke drags his forearm from her clutch. Undeterred, she moves her hands up to grab further up his arm.

"Didn't notice. Bad reception," Sasuke averts his eyes from hers.

Sakura nods her head understandingly. "Oh okay. Can we talk now?"

She notices and can't help but be a bit embarrassed by the way Sasuke breathes in deeply and slowly before he answers, "Maybe another time."

Sakura isn't willing to take another time for an answer. How many times has he brushed her off now? They just needed to talk and work through whatever it was that was keeping him distant from her.

Raising his voice, Sasuke calls out to Naruto, "Yo! Ready for that financial econ exam?"

For a minute, Sakura had completely forgotten that the pesky blonde was around.

"Nah, but I will be in a few hours," Naruto responds with a grin.

"Yeah right," Sakura thinks to herself. Naruto wasn't the sharpest tool in the shed. He was nothing like Sasuke. No one came close to Sasuke.

Gently, but with effort, Sasuke extracts each of Sakura's fingers from his jacket-clad bicep, then shrinks back before she can resume her hold. Powerless, Sakura watches as Sasuke nods his head and gestures for Naruto to follow him down the path to the library.

Needing to retain some sense of dignity, she focuses on the man who always hearkens to her words and demands. "Aren't you going to get me what you promised?" She hopes the ambiguity of this statement directed at Naruto would garner a reaction from Sasuke.

Naruto fishes out a plastic bag. "Your coffee and tarte are already paid for at Tsuchi's."

She opens the plastic bag to find the drugs she requested for her headache and stomach.

Naruto smiles brightly, but Sakura knows him well enough to know that there is no real cheer behind it. He articulates, "Feel better, Sakura-chan."

How the hell was she supposed to feel better when Sasuke dismissed her as if she were simply an annoying mosquito buzzing in his ear? She most certainly deserved better. Why couldn't Sasuke remember how special their relationship was? They were meant to be together. They were each other's first and would be each other's last.

She just had to make sure that she was the only woman of substance in his life. Most of the girls he fucked around with were of no real threat to her. They weren't as attractive as her, and they usually didn't have a good head on their shoulders. They were essentially just a warm hole until he was ready to settle down.

Hinata doesn't actually fit in this typical repertoire. Yes, the shy girl might be considered attractive by those who liked women on the fleshier side, but Sasuke wasn't one of these men. He preferred slim and toned. If it were based solely on looks, Sakura wouldn't have cared as she had the advantage. However, Sakura couldn't ignore the tiny fact that Hinata came from old money, and loads of it.

Sakura was by no means poor, and after medical school, she knew she would make a name for herself in her field. But even if she made it to the top, she would never belong to the same social circle as Hinata and Sasuke.

She knew Sasuke wasn't a superficial aristocrat that only dated women who came from prestigious families. But from the few instances where she had a chance encounter with his mother and brother, she realized that they were of the pedigree that stuck with their own kind. Knowing how much Sasuke loved his family, this may serve as a hindrance. But maybe if she could prove that she wasn't after Sasuke for his wealth, she may have a chance of being accepted.

However, someone like Hinata could put a major dent in her plans. After all, money loved money.

Hinata had never been a threat before, she never showed interest in anyone other than Naruto. Sakura was always baffled by the attraction. Sure, Naruto was attractive in his own way, if you liked loud and bright. He took care of himself in the gym, was well-endowed, and from last night's tryst she now knew he had a very long, nimble tongue. But Hinata was in love with the idiot before any of these qualities started blossoming; when he was a scrawny, rejected ugly duckling. Maybe Hinata had a Mother Teresa syndrome and gravitated towards the lesser fortunate.

So, why the sudden association with Sasuke? Why was she wearing his coat? Why did she look like she had just rolled out of bed? The thought that it could be Sasuke's bed, made her want to throw her scalding coffee at an innocent student rushing across her path.

Maybe she was overreacting and there was nothing between Sasuke and Hinata. But a little nagging voice kept on vying her for attention; telling her that she hadn't misread the gentle and playful manner in which Sasuke interacted with Hinata. A side that had never been shared with her.

Sakura needed to get to the bottom of this. If anyone had information on this mystery, it would be the gossip monger, Ino Yamanaka.

After knocking that swiftly turned to banging, Ino finally opens her front door. "Forehead."

The blonde moves aside to allow Sakura entry, "Pig."

Dressed only in a white crop top (probably belonging to her stupid boyfriend), and black boy shorts, Ino shamelessly saunters back to her bedroom.

Sakura reprimands, "Can't you put on some clothes before opening your door? It could've been a stranger."

"Can't you call before coming over?" Ino retorts, but with no real anger in her voice. She slips back under the covers and opens her hands, welcoming Sakura onto the cozy bed.

After being rejected first by Sasuke and then by Naruto, feeling low, Sakura eagerly accepts the invitation. She curls up against Ino, savouring the warmth wafting off her body.

"What did Sasuke do this time?" Ino asks while moving Sakura's pink bangs to the side.

Sakura gets straight to the point, "I saw him a few minutes ago with Hinata outside the shopping centre."

"And? They know each other." Ino covers her and Sakura's bodies with a thick purple comforter.

"Yeah, obviously I know that they grew up together, and went to the same school – just as we did." Sakura furrows her brows, and continues, "But it was different."

Ino sounds unconvinced, "When it comes to Sasuke you tend to misread situations."

Both women look in the direction of the front door when they hear the click of a lock. Sakura moves to slide off the bed, but Ino tells her, "It's only Sai."

Obnoxious Sai. What did she ever see in that pale asshole?

The shuffle of winter gear being removed is heard. A minute later, Ino's boyfriend appears on the threshold of the doorway.

Sakura rolls over to face the other side of the wall; turning her back on her ex.

"You're late," Ino huffs.

"And I see you've already found a replacement." The noise of something solid hitting the floor followed by the sound of a zipper propels Sakura to quickly roll back around.

"What the fuck are you doing?" Sakura asks as Sai begins to slip out of his very tight black jeans. Tighter than anything she owned. Seriously, what did she see in this man?

"Joining my woman in bed," Sai responds in his typical robotic voice. He then sheds his sweater, leaving him in a black pair of briefs.

Sakura immediately hops off the bed and hurries over to sit on a chair next to Ino's reading table.

"What's she doing here?" Sai places his lips against Ino's, who then parts hers to deepen the kiss.

"Ino, I'm still here," Sakura screeches from the other side of the bedroom.

"I know, Forehead." Ino moves closer to Sai, then answers his question, "Sasuke problems."

Sakura huffs in anger, "I'll come back when you're alone. I don't need this clueless asshole's input."

Sai pulls Ino on top of his body, "Guys, just wait until I'm out the fucking door."

"It is about Sasuke's new girl?" Sai asks kissing Ino's cheeks.

Snickering, Ino responds, "When is it not?"

"Fuck you two, I'm gone." Sakura tries to reign in her temper, she shouldn't have wasted her energy on seeking out Ino. A text message would've sufficed.

Sakura is already out the bedroom door and halfway to the front door when she hears Sai tell Ino, "I saw him and a girl with creepy eyes. She was dressed in a sexy, elf costume. Her tits and ass are bigger than yours if that's fucking possible." Sakura turns around the same moment when Sai takes the opportunity to pinch one of Ino's nipples through the fabric of her top.

Ino moans in response, "Yeah, sounds like Hinata."

"They real?" Sai pulls the cover over Ino's shoulder, cocooning them in warmth.

"Yeah, she's au naturel."

"She's hot," Sai exclaims.

Ino agrees, "Yeah, but a bit of a prude. I am surprised she wore anything other than her oversized hoodie."

Sakura's shins are pressed against the mattress and her heart is hammering anxiously, "What exactly did you see?"

Sai is kissing Ino's neck when the blonde plops off his lap and urges him to answer Sakura's question, "Tell her what you saw, babe."

Huffing out air through his nose in frustration, he glances in Sakura's direction. Black eyes bored, he tells her, "I saw him taking the little elf to the parking garage."

Sakura reasons that maybe Sasuke offered Hinata a ride to her big brother or what is it big cousin's place, she didn't really care to know the distinction. She just knew that Neji was remarkably attractive and she may have once considered him an option, that was until she saw how weirdly obsessed he was with Hinata. An obsession bordering on incest.

She pushes those random thoughts to the back of her head and focuses on what she wants to confirm. "That's it? He could've just been giving her a ride somewhere. Right, Ino?" She looks at Ino for confirmation, and the blonde shrugs her shoulders in uncertainty.

"They were physically close," Sai explains.

"Well, people are close to each other when they are walking to the same destination," Sakura reasons condescendingly. She really thought Sai had improved on his analysis of human behaviour.

"You're such a fucking bitch," Sai mutters quietly, but loud enough for Sakura to hear.

Ino pokes him in the side. "Be nice."

"I'm not that clueless. His hands were around her. Right above her fat ass. That clear enough for you?" Sai explains vindictively.

Sakura feels nauseous at this revelation. She takes a seat on the bed to calm herself.

"She's not his type," Sakura says in an attempt to convince herself.

Sai breaks this illusion, "She's any straight man's type."

Ino agrees with her boyfriend, "Yeah, once she is not wearing that atrocious hoodie. Sakura, maybe you're right and it was just a ride, or maybe she and Sasuke fucked. But you gotta drop it. This obsession is getting out of control."

"You're one to talk. You were just as obsessed," Sakura reminds her friend.

"That's before I met someone who actually gives a shit about me, and who is even sexier than that grumpy asshole." Ino nips Sai's ear playfully.

"After you stole him from me," Sakura reminds Ino. Maybe she would've moved on too if it weren't for Ino. Would the positions be reversed, with Sai rubbing up on her and Ino coming to her for love advice? The thought nearly has her laughing out loud. Most likely she would've murdered the pale asshole.

"You two hated each other. You were just using him 'cause he looked like Sasuke, and Sai was just in it for some pussy."

Seemingly offended at being compared to Sasuke, Sai intervenes, "I don't look anything like that constipated, rich boy. You know I was only with her 'cause I wanted to know if her pussy was as pink as her hair, and we both know the answer to that."

Ino giggles, "Yeah, it's sweet as bubble gum though. Instead of worrying about something you have no control over, why don't you join us."

The invitation was very tempting. Many nights, when Sakura was alone and aching in bed, she wondered what it would be like to be fucked by Sai and eaten out by Ino. She had slept with Sai on multiple occasions when they dated and he was a decent enough lay. She and Ino had experimented in high school and in college, and it was some of the best sex she ever had.

"I'm down. We can just put a paper bag over that ugly mug and stuff my dirty sock in her mouth to keep it shut," Sai says, not hiding the contempt lacing his words.

That was Sakura's cue to leave. Today wouldn't end well if she punched Sai through the wall. "You're such an asshole. I'll message you, Ino."

Ino pleads, "Just let it go, Sakura. Go get Naruto to do some of your chores or something to get your mind off Sasuke."

A light bulb goes off in Sakura's mind. Naruto was the missing piece to this puzzle. Hinata must have seen her with her childhood crush in the bar, and probably made a move on Sasuke out of spite. Well, two could play that game. She was trying to hold back on how much of a hold she had on Naruto for Hinata's sake, but now all bets were off the table.

"Sakura, I don't like that look in your eye. Hinata is a nice girl, leave her out of your mess." Ino's words are barely heard as Sakura's mind begins scheming.

This was pretty silly and OOC, but I really loved it. Hope you guys did as well.