Ayumi's flight was scheduled for early the following day. Sakura stood in silence, watching as Ayumi departed on her lengthy drive to the airport.
Unbeknownst to Sakura, Sasori had overheard their conversation.
"What the hell was that?" Sasori shouted, catching Sakura off guard. She had never witnessed this side of Sasori - the calm, red-headed individual now consumed by anger.
"I wanted to help. I told Ayumi not to leave you. I..." Sakura stammered, attempting to explain herself.
Interrupting her unfinished sentence, Sasori angrily cut her off. "This has nothing to do with you, Sakura. Stay out of it."
Sakura, accustomed to handling various situations, found herself unable to hold back tears as Sasori berated her. She turned and walked away.
Instant regret washed over Sasori as he watched Sakura run off, until she was no longer within sight.
...
The next day had arrived, and everyone gathered at the airport to bid farewell to Ayumi. Everyone but Sasori was there.
Sakura's mood was clearly sour, consumed by thoughts of Sasori.
"Where is he?" she pondered to herself.
Turning to Sasuke, who was present with Team 4, Sakura approached him hesitantly.
"Hey Sasuke... Can I ask you something?" she inquired, her voice carrying a certain tone that caught his attention.
"Well, it depends on what it is. Would you still ask even if I said no?" Sasuke replied, noticing the difference in her attitude. Sakura's usual assertiveness had taken on a different flavor this time.
"This... attitude doesn't suit you. I preferred you the way you were, rather than how you're acting now" Sasuke added, candidly expressing his thoughts.
Even though Sasuke disliked how Sakura would often behave towards him, he couldn't deny that it was one of the reasons he found himself drawn to her. Her confident demeanor and assertive nature intrigued him. He was not one to be enticed by those lacking strength.
"Do you believe it's a good idea to suppress your feelings and not show them, even if you have an affection for someone?" Sakura asked, surprising Sasuke with her question.
"Who is she referring to?" he pondered silently.
"I call bullshit on that," Sasuke declared firmly. "In my opinion, it's better to ignore such feelings if that's the case."
Sakura's eyes widened, and a smile graced her lips as she looked at Sasuke.
"You know, Sasuke, I always thought you were some idiot that didn't know anything but maybe you're not after all" Sakura remarked, a hint of admiration evident in her voice.
Sasuke's smirk grew, taking her words as a compliment.
"I believe it's better to have regrets from taking action than to live with the remorse of never trying at all" Sasuke replied, expressing his personal outlook.
Ayumi bid her farewells and captured everyone's attention. Sakura noticed the close bond within Team 4 that she hadn't seen before. Ayumi approached Sakura and reminded her to remember the favor she asked for.
As Ayumi walked closer to her gate, the others couldn't help but express their surprise.
"Damn... he really didn't show up?" Naruto scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah... I thought he'd be the first one here," Kiba added.
A few seconds later, Sasori appeared in front of them, revealing that he had been waiting for hours. "Actually, I've been here all along," he said.
Sakura couldn't help but speak up. "Then why are you here? Go follow Ayumi!"
Sasori showed them his ticket and passport. "That's exactly what I'm doing. I'm going to follow her."
"Oy, what made you change your mind?" Naruto interjected.
Sasori walked up behind Sakura, placing his hands on her shoulders. "Sakura did" he said, smiling at them.
Just as Sasori was about to catch his flight, he turned to face Sakura. "I'm sorry about the other day. Instead, I should be thanking you. You've changed me for the better, and I'm glad to have a girl like you in my life."
Sasori then kissed Sakura's forehead, which infuriated Sasuke. He clenched his fists and stormed off.
...
The group bid farewell to Naruto and Kiba as they left first. Sakura realized she had no choice but to accept a ride from Sasuke.
Sasuke and Sakura stood outside his car, waiting for Sasori and Ayumi's flight to take off.
Sasuke leaned in close to Sakura, causing her to panic, thinking he was going to kiss her again. However, he spoke instead. "Sakura, I won't repeat myself, so listen carefully. Sakura Haruno, be with me."
Sakura looked at him, puzzled, but the sound of airplanes taking off drowned out Sasuke's words.
Sasuke adjusted himself and smirked, while Sakura blinked rapidly, trying to make sense of the situation.
...
The next day, Sakura sat in the cafeteria, enjoying her lunch. Sasuke walked up to her, catching her off guard as her mouth was still full of food.
"This Sunday, meet me at the Hokage Tower around 5 p.m" he said.
Sakura looked at him with confusion, unable to finish chewing her food. Sasuke turned around but left her with one more remark.
"Be on time. Don't be late, not even for a minute."
Sakura looked at Ino with a perplexed expression. "What was that about?" Ino curiously.
"Just Sasuke being delusional" Sakura reassured her.
...
Sakura decided that since Sasuke hadn't given her a chance to respond, it was pointless to go to the meeting. Instead, she spent the weekend accompanying her mother, Mebuki, on a sale hunt.
"Look at all this stuff, honey!" Mebuki exclaimed. They spent most of their afternoon shopping, but then it started to snow.
Sakura suddenly felt a wave of guilt wash over her. She remembered Sasuke's request to meet at the Hokage Tower.
"Okasan, would someone wait in the snow for four hours if no promise was made?"
Mebuki looked at her. "That's absolutely absurd, of course not!"
However, Sakura couldn't shake off the feeling of responsibility. "I have to do something. I'll see you at home!" She ran towards the Hokage Tower.
Sakura arrived at the tower and scanned the area for any sign of Sasuke. Her eyes immediately landed on him, sitting in the corner, shivering in the cold.
She rushed over to him, holding an umbrella over both of them. Sasuke opened his eyes slowly, looking at her with fatigue.
"Where have you been? I told you not to be late" Sasuke said, not showing anger but disappointment in his tone.
Sakura looked at him. "Well, I didn't give you an answer."
"Well, you're here" Sasuke retorted.
"I wasn't even planning to come in the first place!" Sakura's face turned red.
Sasuke smirked. "But you did."
"Here... let's get something warm to drink." Sakura extended her hand to help him up.
Sasuke stood but leaned his head against her and closed his eyes. Sakura misinterpreted his actions and panicked, kicking him away.
They went to a nearby cafe, where Sakura bought tea from a vending machine.
"Thank goodness for Konoha's vending machines, right?" Sakura smiled at Sasuke.
Sasuke blinked at her before accepting the tea, using its warmth to thaw his freezing hands.
They climbed to the top of the tower, gazing out at Konoha.
"Wow... Look at all those lights, Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed, pointing to the sky.
Sasuke laughed and poked her cheek playfully. "You're so silly. Those aren't stars, Sakura."
Sakura squinted her eyes. "So you're saying there are that many satellites in the sky? You must be joking, Sasuke. They're stars."
Unbeknownst to them, Sakura and Sasuke found themselves locked out as the lights shut off for the night. Panic began to set in as they hurried to the doors, but their attempts to open them were in vain - the handles had been locked.
Although Sasuke managed to maintain his composure, Sakura's anxiety started to escalate. Realizing that they didn't have their phones with them, Sasuke began to worry.
Through gritted teeth, Sasuke lashed out, assigning blame. "This is your fault, you know that, right?"
"What? My fault? You're the one who chose to wait!" Sakura shot back, his tone tinged with frustration.
"This is the first time I've ever waited for someone, and it's about to be the last—all because of you!" Sasuke exclaimed in exasperation.
They found themselves a small enclosed area for shelter, but they both continued shivering in the cold. As Sasuke began to cough, Sakura cautiously distanced herself from him.
"Where is your driver? Shouldn't they have been waiting for you?" Sakura asked, trying to come up with a solution.
Shaking his head, Sasuke replied, "No, I sent him home."
As Sasuke's cough persisted, Sakura, being a pre-med major, instinctively placed her hand on his forehead and realized he was burning up with fever.
Sakura removed her scarf and wrapped it around Sasuke's face to keep him warm. Leaning onto each other, they drifted off to sleep.
A few hours later, Sasuke and Sakura were discovered, and finally, they were released from their confined space.
"Do you need a ride home?" Sasuke offered.
"No, don't worry about me. I'll be fine" Sakura waved him off.
Sakura was unsure of how to explain her absence to her mother. However, before she could provide an explanation, her family greeted her with congratulations.
"Well done, Sakura! We heard that you saved the heir of Uchiha Corporation!" Kizashi exclaimed.
Her parents and brother continued to talk highly of Sasuke. Little did she realize that Sasuke had specifically came to express his gratitude towards Sakura for her assistance last night.
...
Returning to school the next day, Sakura noticed rumors circulating that she was now Sasuke's girlfriend.
Rather than denying or confirming the rumors, Sasuke chose to confirm them.
Avoiding the gossip, Sakura made her way back to Ino's house.
"So, is it true? Are you really dating Sasuke?" Ino asked, her head down.
"No, of course not! Those rumors are not true, Ino," Sakura reassured her friend.
As Sakura wandered around Ino's room, she spotted a book on the desk. Before she could pick it up, Ino quickly intervened, grabbing it from her.
"Don't touch that!" Ino exclaimed.
Sakura looked at Ino, bemused by her reaction, and the two quickly apologized to each other before preparing to leave.
...
"Teme, are you serious about dating Sakura?" Naruto asked curiously.
Kiba stared at Sasuke. "Yeah, how will your parents react, considering Sakura is from a middle-class background?"
"Why wouldn't I be serious about dating Sakura? I'm completely serious" Sasuke responded, his gaze shifting between Naruto and Kiba.
Naruto wore a puzzled expression as he questioned Sasuke further. "Then, what's your plan? How do you intend to approach your parents about Sakura?"
A moment of silence hung in the air as Sasuke contemplated how to broach the subject with his parents. The tension in the room was palpable, leaving both Naruto and Kiba feeling uneasy.
...
Naruto visited Sakura at her workplace one day and met Hinata Hyuuga. Intrigued by Hinata, Naruto invited her to his studio, where he discovered that Hinata and Sakura had been best friends since middle school.
During their conversation, Naruto voiced his concerns about Sakura potentially getting hurt if she pursued a relationship with Sasuke.
Hinata took offense at Naruto's words. "How could you say that? What are you trying to imply?"
Naruto smirked, trying to ease the tension. "Hinata, I didn't mean any offense. I'm just looking out for Sakura, your best friend. But I must say, cute girls like you can be quite frightening when angry."
Hinata firmly corrected Naruto, "First of all, it's Sasuke who likes Sakura, not the other way around." With that, she left the studio, accidentally bumping into Kiba on her way out.
"What was that all about?" Kiba asked, seeking an explanation from Naruto.
Naruto glanced at Hinata's retreating figure. "Nothing, really."
...
Meanwhile, Ino decided to take Sakura to a nightclub to lift her spirits. They both consumed shot after shot, but Sakura wasn't interested in dancing. She wandered away from Ino and accidentally bumped into a guy.
"Oops, I'm sorry. I didn't see you there," Sakura slurred drunkenly as she tried to make her way through.
The next thing Sakura knew, she woke up with a pounding headache. The reality began to sink in as she took in her surroundings—a hotel room. To her relief, she found herself fully dressed. However, she couldn't remember what had transpired during the night.
Sakura's eyes widened with panic as she noticed a note beside her: "Thanks for a great time!"
Thoughts raced through Sakura's mind as she tried to decipher what had happened. She sighed in relief, realizing that maybe nothing untoward had occurred after all.
...
As the weekend came to an end, Sakura returned to school, only to find pictures of herself in bed with a guy posted all over the school walls. Disgusted faces and slurs greeted her as students walked past.
In a swift response, Sasuke rushed to Sakura's side, intervening as the students persisted with their hurtful remarks.
"Don't believe us? Then take a look at what's on the wall!" Karin exclaimed, pointing to a nearby surface.
Sasuke's eyes widened as he instinctively turned around to see the pictures on the wall. Feeling a mix of hurt and confusion, he redirected his attention to Sakura, confronting her directly.
"Sakura, what is this?" Sasuke questioned her, seeking an explanation for the situation at hand.
Sakura's eyes widened, desperate to explain. "I was tricked! You have to believe me."
"I don't believe you" Sasuke responded coldly, avoiding her gaze. "Is the girl in the picture you then?"
Unable to provide an answer, tears welled up in Sakura's eyes. It was clear to her that the girl in the picture was indeed herself.
"I don't even know who you are anymore" Sasuke said, his words veiled with disappointment as he turned and walked away.
...
Struggling to contain his anger, Sasuke sought solace in boxing, channeling his emotions through every punch. Lately, he had been consumed by anger, and Sakura was the source of these overwhelming waves of emotion. He desperately wished to forget her, feeling foolish for allowing himself to be entrapped in his feelings for so long.
...
Meanwhile, Sakura collected herself and began removing the photos from the walls. Determined to uncover the truth, she decided to search for the guy involved, enlisting the help of Hinata, Naruto, and Kiba.
Narrowing her eyes, Kiba uttered, "Hey... I know that tattoo."
Sakura glanced at Kiba, curiosity piqued. "Are you sure?"
"I think one of the club's hosts might have some information... We can definitely find out his name" Naruto suggested.
Upon reaching the club, the owner proved unhelpful. Naruto and Kiba decided to use the threat of shutting down their business in order to extract the identity of the mystery man in the picture.
Thanks to the combined efforts of Naruto and Kiba, they were able to track down the person in question and delivered a much-needed lesson to them.
...
Sasuke unexpectedly encounters Ino, who hands him the key to the hotel room where Sakura had stayed. Rather than allowing Sasuke to venture alone, Ino follows him into the room.
As Sasuke steps into the room, he is confronted with countless photos. Anger and pain consume him, knowing he had harbored strong feelings for Sakura. This sight shatters the hope he had envisioned for their relationship, leaving him feeling betrayed.
Ino, trailing closely behind, attempts to console Sasuke. "I'm sorry, Sasuke. She's a bitch and not worth your energy. She betrayed you."
Sasuke glares at Ino, his teeth clenched. "What's wrong with you? I thought you were her friend. Friends don't speak ill of each other like that."
Ino embraces Sasuke tightly, shedding tears. "She stole you from me! I loved you first. For years, I watched you from afar, even as you ignored me and turned your attention to her!"
Sasuke forcefully pushes Ino away and starts to walk away. Ino desperately clings to him, crying out.
"Am I not enough for you, Sasuke? I don't understand. Why her and not me? I'm more compatible with you, I-..."
Sasuke interrupts her and leaves. He believes Sakura's innocence. It was Ino who set her up, while Sakura was speaking the truth.
Meanwhile, as Sakura returns to school, she endures harassment from her fellow students. One particularly cruel student knocks her off her bike, and a crowd gathers, hurling derogatory slurs at her. It feels like déjà vu, reminiscent of the day when Team 4 targeted her.
With tears welling in her eyes, she looks at her tormentors defiantly and shouts, "Is this all you've got? Bring it on!"
The students intensify their torment, throwing anything they can find to hurt her - pencils, books, jackets - anything accessible. Overwhelmed, Sakura collapses to the ground, her nose bleeding and her knees weakened.
...
Summarizing can take up so much of my time but honestly it's so fun watching each episode and then writing.
This chapter was filled with a rollercoaster of emotions, truly!