e07 (2).txt

8/14/2019 e07 (2).txt

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The conflict lasted until Sakura came up with a compromise. "I'll go to bed every night at nine PM if you read with me from eight nine. Also, you have to go tobed at nine, too. If I wake up in the middle of the night and find that you've left the house to go party with Naruto, I will be seriously ticked off," was Sakura's proposition.Sasuke deliberated for a while before deciding that it was acceptable. He knew that if he went to bed at nine, he'd lie awake for at least two more hours, but he was used to such things. And reading with her actually sounded pleasant.So that was how, every night at eight PM, Sasuke found himself sitting on the couch with a book that Sakura had chosen. Sakura would then tuck herself into hisside, her legs drawn up and her head nestled at the crook of his neck. Often she would spread a blanket over the both of them a soft, downy comforter of dark green, which, while it was very lightweight, gave Sasuke the exhilarating sensationof being bound to Sakura.Sasuke would hold the book, turning the pages when they were done he was uncannily accurate at judging when Sakura had completed a page. However, many times Sakura would have to prod him to turn the page; he'd be too distracted by the warmthof her, the scent of her the adrenaline rush that coursed through him from contact of their skin.When Sakura was playing the piano and when they were reading together were the best parts of Sasuke's day.At nine PM, when Sakura would caress his forehead with a kiss before slipping away from him to the darkness of her bedroom, part of him wanted to curve an arm around her waist and draw her back to him. Another part wanted to follow her and

hold her through the night. He would do neither, only bid her goodnight and watch her go.--Sasuke looked down when he felt small hands tugging at the sleeve of his black shirt.Sakura looked up at him, her green eyes solemn. "Sasuke-kun, I have a list," she stated.When she didn't elaborate, Sasuke felt it necessary to ask, a little warily, "Alist of what?"She bestowed upon him a despairing look, as if the answer was painfully obvious. "A list of what I want to do today."Sasuke was somewhat relieved; he'd been imagining something less mundane. He shrugged. "So what do you want to do?"

She sighed and pulled him down to pat him on the head. "Read the list," she enlightened."I don't have the list," he pointed out."Then maybe you should ask for the list.""Or you could just give me the list.""But you haven't asked for the list, so how am I supposed to know that you wantit?""I asked what you wanted to do. The list would give me that knowledge, so an intelligent human being would thusly assume that I want the list.""You know what happens when you assume, Sasuke-kun.""What happens?"Sakura paused. " I'm not really sure. There's a saying I think it involves a donkey? Um."

"You're a moron," Sasuke informed her fondly.She gave him a sunny grin. "But I'm your moron!"Sasuke couldn't quite smother the small smile that pulled at his lips at that. He tapped his knuckles to her forehead. "Unfortunately," he agreed. "Now, give me the list."Sakura obligingly slipped a folded sheet of paper out of her pocket, having hadenough of their earlier banter.Sasuke unfolded the paper. It read:A List of Things I Want to Do Today,As compiled by Haruno Sakura (AKA That Incredibly Amazing Girl),

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Involving: Haruno Sakura (TIAG) and Uchiha Sasuke (That Broody Guy),and Not Necessarily in Any Particular Order at All1. Go to library2. Buy new pens3. Convince TBG to buy TIAG lunch4. Get haircut (for TIAG, not TBG, although TBG's hair is getting rather long-ish)5. Engage in Epic Hunt for the Ever-Elusive Waldo (Dude with Obnoxiously Striped Shirt)Sasuke stared at the paper, reread it, and then slowly turned to face Sakura. "What the hell?" he asked blankly.She looked smug. "You're just astounded by its awesomeness, aren't you?"He shook his head disbelievingly and handed the paper back to her. "I can't believe that no one has diagnosed you yet," he muttered under his breath. "I mean seriously, you want to go on a hunt for Waldo?"Sakura nodded eagerly. "Yeah! Because, come on where is Waldo? That's like, the eternal question, right there. And I even have a theory: I bet you that Waldo is the missing link. I bet you anything."Sasuke wasn't sure which he wanted to do more at the moment: kiss the silly girl or attempt to knock some sense into her. He just shook his head again. "Let's just go to the library."She shrugged, remaining upbeat. "To the library!"Sasuke had a feeling that it was going to be a long day.--

Once they had checked out the books that Sakura wanted from the library, they stopped at the stationary store to buy pens."I've been thinking about it," Sakura told him, "and all of my pens are boring.I mean, blue, black, red I want an exciting pen. I want something something with character, something that screams individuality. I want a pen with ink that is purple with orange flecks!""Ink doesn't have different-colored flecks in it," Sasuke informed her blandly as they stepped inside the quaint shop."How would you know? It's not like you've ever gotten a pen that wasn't either black or, if you decided to be daring, dark blue." Sakura browsed the rows of office supplies, searching for the pen she wanted.Twenty minutes later, they emerged. Sakura had, predictably, not gotten the penshe'd wanted. She had to settle for one that was the most obnoxious shade of gre

en that Sasuke had ever seen. She was rather upset.Irritated that such a trivial thing could disappoint her (and by the realization that Sakura's emotional health still wasn't as stable as it should be), Sasukeposed, "You wanted a haircut, right?"As he had intended, her eyes brightened to the radiant green that Sasuke knew and loved. "Yeah. I just " she fingered the tip of her now slightly longer than shoulder-length hair, "I just kind of need the change. You know?"Sasuke was not actually fully sure what she meant, but he nodded anyway. "Come on, then."Sakura smiled softly and slipped a hand to the crook of his arm, directing him to the local salon. Business was fairly slow, so Sakura was attended to immediately even though she hadn't made an appointment.Sasuke had initially intended to watch, but for some reason the sight of Sakura'

s hair being cut discomfited him, so he stared out the window until he heard Sakura's feet hit the ground when she slid down from the chair.Turning to her, Sasuke took a long look. Her hair had been cropped to just barely chin-length, as it had been when she'd cut off her hair during the Chuunin Exams all those years ago. It flared out at the ends slightly. Her bangs were trimmed to about eyebrow-level. Overall, it somehow made Sakura look younger and yetmore mature. Sasuke wasn't sure what length he liked her hair at, but Sakura was looking in the mirror and smiling, so he instantly accepted and approved of the change.She approached him, touching her hair tentatively. "Do you like it?" she asked s

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elf-consciously.Sasuke reached forward and batted a stray wisp out of Sakura's eyes. "Yeah," hesaid quietly, earnestly.At his response, Sakura didn't stop smiling even when they left the salon in search of a place to eat. Experimentally, she kept turning and bobbing her head. As they made their way to a place known for its good sushi, she even began to head-bang.He stared at her, amused. "Why are you doing that?"She rolled her eyes. "I'm rocking out to the elevator music in my head.""One does not generally tend to head-bang to elevator music," Sasuke deadpanned.Sakura laughed delightedly. "And what do you know about head-banging, Sir Broody?"He didn't talk to her for a while after that.--Once they had finished eating, they engaged in the Epic Hunt for the Ever-Elusive Waldo, which basically consisted of walking around town looking for people wearing striped shirts. Sasuke found it rather tedious, but it amused Sakura to noend.While Sakura was thoroughly engrossed in her game, Sasuke took the time to simply watch her. His green-eyed girl was wearing a pleated black skirt, black stockings, and a white shirt with a V-neck that exposed a triangle of red camisole. The brisk wind and the exercise made her cheeks flush, and her eyes shone with excitement.Privately, Sasuke was of the opinion that Sakura was lit from the inside, that S

akura had her own personal source of light and brightness that emerged whenevershe was happy. Naruto was the same way, but his light came through in brilliantflashes and fireworks. Sakura's was softer, more muted, but steadier and more perseverant.Sasuke was shaken from his musings when Sakura suddenly ducked behind him. Thinking that she had pissed someone off by pointing at them, he turned to see whereshe was looking.And then he slowly turned back to her. "Why are you hiding from Hyuuga Neji?" he inquired carefully.She cringed. "I'm not hiding. I'm employing stealth.""Sakura," Sasuke admonished. "Tell me."For a long moment Sasuke thought she was going to refuse, but then, after staring intently at his face, she acquiesced. "D'you remember when we went to the Hyuu

ga Compound a few days ago?"Sasuke made a face. Sakura had absolutely insisted upon not dropping her weeklyvisits to check on Hiashi, and as Tsunade had not specified that she could not go and Sasuke was unsuccessful in dissuading her, he had accompanied her to the Compound. Sasuke again had tea with Hinata (he was a bit more sociable than he had been the last time) while Sakura went through her procedures.When Sakura walked into the tea-room after finishing, her face was flushed a bright scarlet and she was acting very jumpy. She refused to reveal what was bothering her and instead hurried home."Yeah," Sasuke nodded. "Why?" his eyes narrowed. "Neji didn't hurt you, did he?" he demanded, his voice suddenly gaining a frightening edge of malice and ill-intent.Sakura shook her head. "No, no well. He " she blushed and looked away. "He, um."

"Spit it out, Sakura," Sasuke growled."Hetriedtokissme," Sakura blurted out rapidly, eyeing Sasuke as one would eye abomb with three seconds left until explosion.Shockingly, Sasuke's face was a mask of eerie calm. "He tried to kiss you," Sasuke clarified.She nodded hesitantly. "Uh, yeah. We were talking in the hallway and he suddenly began sort of backing me up against the wall and then he leaned really close and I panicked and pushed him away and and, well, bolted." Her words came out in a rush, as if she was trying to get it all off her chest.There was no change in Sasuke's expression, only a sudden chill in the air. "Sta

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y here," he ordered in a detached voice, before turning in Neji's direction (the Hyuuga was talking to someone and hadn't thus far noticed Sasuke and Sakura's presence)."Wait." Sakura's voice took on an apprehensive edge. "What are you going to do?Sasuke-kun, you're hey! Sasuke-kun!"Sasuke took no heed of her, instead beginning to walk towards to oblivious pale-eyed boy.But then Sakura's restraining arms were wrapped around his torso. The spontaneous embrace was awkward and clumsy, as she had ended up throwing her arms around his side, pinning his arm between her and his body."Give me one good reason not to beat the shit out of him," Sasuke snarled lowly."He didn't mean anything by it, it was harmless, Sasuke-kun ""He tried to kiss you when you didn't want him to." Sasuke blinked once and looked at her. "You didn't want him to kiss you, did you?" he confirmed, sudden dread pooling in the pit of his stomach.She also blinked, astonished. "Wha no, of course not.""Then he had no right to even think about "Sakura cut him off. "Sasuke-kun, hey. Sasuke-kun. Let's just go home, okay? I'll I'll talk to him about it later. Let's just go home, Sasuke-kun," she appealed, detaching her arms from him and instead slipping her hand into his.Sasuke stared at her hard. "Let's go home, Sasuke-kun," Sakura repeated gently.If only for her sake, Sasuke nodded stiffly and allowed her to lead him home bythe hand. Sakura didn't notice when they passed by Neji and the Hyuuga noticed them. Sasuke did, however, and he tightened his grip on Sakura's hand as he shot

the other genius a vicious glare. Neji had gone and taken their rivalry to a new, highly personal level.LINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINELINEWHY DOES THE LINE THING-Y NOT WORK AGAIN?!So we can all recognize it as official, now. I am a fluff-whore. D: It's so sad. BECCA IS ASHAMED OF HERSELF. She also doesn't feel like even looking over the chapter, so please excuse any and all stupid mistakes, mmkay?And I just had a revelation. It was: Where the hell am I going with this story?Because I seriously have no idea. (dies) I think...I should kill another character. Wait, no! Everyone should die. Except for Shino. Because he's Shino. But it'd be something straight out of Antigone! Which I actually have to write an essay about for Monday. Guess what I'll be doing at the last minute on Sunday night.Go on, guess.

Unrelated:1) Newest Naruto chapter (I've lost track of the numbers). Enh. Kinda bored me.Pein and Kakashi fought. I was...less than enthralled.2) Let me ask you guys something: is it weird to feed marshmallows to one's horse? Because my mom seriously laughed at me for at least ten minutes straight when I explained to her why all the marshmallows were gone.Everything Is AlrightThe next morning, Neji could be found sitting in the courtyard of the Hyuuga Compound, nursing a cup of tea and glaring at anyone that approached him. Staring broodingly into his teacup, he mused over his own situation involving one HarunoSakura and one Uchiha Sasuke.Ever since Sasuke had come back to Konoha, Neji had felt threatened by the Uchiha's extraordinary bond with the object of Neji's affections. At first he had bee

n mollified by his belief that Sasuke was not interested in Sakura romantically, but in light of recent eventsIt was undeniable. Sasuke was in love with Sakura. And, as Neji had come to realize, Sakura returned the black-haired youth's sentiments wholeheartedly.Neji had to admit that Sakura and Sasuke made a striking couple Sasuke, with his dark good looks, and Sakura, with her delicate, exotic features. They complemented each other. Sasuke was a noticeably more pleasant person to be around when Sakura was with him, and Sakura was much less moody with Sasuke there to steady her.Still, Neji couldn't help but feel bitter about the whole thing. He had never de

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voted so much time and effort to winning the approval of one person, and then, just when he was thinking that she was beginning to develop feelings for him as well, she was snatched away from him by a traitor.He couldn't even fathom how Sakura could love someone who had betrayed Konoha a shinobi's village was everything, and to accept one who had trampled over that concept so irrevocably it was inconceivable to Neji.But then he conceptualized that maybe it wasn't quite so unbelievable. He recalled all of the little moments between Sasuke and Sakura that he had witnessed all of the glances, all of the touches, all of the words. Sasuke's protectiveness, Sakura's devotion. And he realized that what Sakura and Sasuke had was something that Neji couldn't even begin to understand.It was something strong and fierce and overwhelming in its subtlety. Something that had been escalating and growing and strengthening between the two, making matters such as political ties completely irrelevant. Neji couldn't imagine what something like that must feel like.That might have been why he had tried to kiss her a few days ago. After she hadfinished treating Hiashi she and Neji had been conversing in the hallway, and something that amounted to desperation and frustration and misplaced anger led him to back her up against the wall and try to kiss him.Once she had realized what he was doing, Sakura had immediately pushed him away, the alarm and incredulity in her eyes evident. She had backed away, mumbling something about needing to 'get back to Sasuke-kun,' and fled.And thus Neji's campaign for Sakura's feelings went down in flames."Neji-san ?" Neji grit his teeth in irritation when a meek maid's voice interrupte

d his thoughts.He turned to face her slowly. "What?" he asked stiffly.The maid flinched. "Ah, well, you have a visitor."Neji was in no mood for company. "Whoever it is, tell them to go away," he instructed."Wow, Neji, so must be seriously ticked off," came a voice from behind him. "Usually you at least ask who the visitor is." Neji knew that voice anywhere.And then Tenten was standing in front of him, peering down at him from her standing position. Neji considered telling her to leave before dismissing the thought; Tenten's steady presence usually served to ease away distressing thoughts of his.He stood. "Spar?"She nodded, and they walked to the Hyuuga's private training yard, where they bo

th dropped into ready positions.Before they could begin, however, another voice interrupted. "Um "They both turned and found Sakura (who had spoken) and Sasuke approaching them.Neji tensed automatically, a practiced impassive expression sliding over face like a shutter.Sasuke's hand enveloped Sakura's, reminding Neji of the day before when he had passed them on the street Sasuke's glare, angry and territorial, his hand tight around Sakura's. The same glare that Sasuke was directing at Neji at that moment.The two stopped about five feet away from Neji and Tenten.Sakura smiled uneasily. "Hi, Neji, Tenten," she greeted. Tenten echoed the pleasantry. Neji nodded."So, uh, Neji, I just wanted to " Sakura began uncomfortably.Neji knew what she was trying to say. I don't think of you that way, I'm sorry.

His gaze softened. "I understand." Indeed, he did. He was much too practical topursue a relationship with a person that was so clearly going to end up with another. He knew that he had never loved Sakura, only cared for her. He probably would have grown to love her over time, had Sakura returned his sentiments.But Neji knew, without a doubt, that he never would have loved her as much or as strongly as Sasuke did.He didn't think that he could ever love anyone that much although, casting a brief, thoughtful glance at Tenten, he deemed it worth trying.Sakura smiled, obviously relieved at not having to voice what she was trying tosay aloud.

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--Sasuke was not in the best of moods, to put it mildly. Yesterday he'd learned that Neji had tried to kiss Sakura, and then Sakura had insisted on going to the Hyuuga Compound to clear things up with Neji which basically consisted of Sakura starting to say something and then Neji just responding that he 'understood.'Sakura seemed to think that the Hyuuga truly did understand, so Sasuke didn't push the case, but he decided to keep a close watch on the pale-eyed boy wheneverhe was around Sakura, just in case he got any funny ideas.That night, as he laid seething and brooding in bed, he came to what was most definitely one of the most life-altering, core-shaking revelations of his life:He was in love with Sakura.The notion had been creeping up on him for some time now, all part of some process, some escalation, some way of letting the notion ease in subtly. First he had realized that he truly did care for Sakura, which, at the time, had been very hard to admit. Then he'd come to the conclusion that he loved Sakura platonically.And now? Now he knew that he loved her loved her in that way, that other way, that special, terrifying, beautiful way.He'd been reflecting on the past day's events and had recalled his sudden urge to kiss Sakura. At first he'd dismissed it as simply a passing fancy, a trivial whim, but then then he'd found himself thinking that he wanted to kiss her still.And even Sasuke, socially stunted as he was, knew that wanting to kiss someone was not a platonic form of love.Eventually Sasuke found himself sitting cross-legged on the floor of Sakura's be

droom, staring at her as she slept. Like always, the sound of her breathing calmed his troubled thoughts, but he was still very distressed.Mostly because he knew that falling in love with Sakura was the worst thing he could have done under the circumstances. Sakura would never love him in that wayagain. He was only setting himself up to get hurt or much, much worse, hurt her.Because what if Sakura did love him back? What would he do? What would he say? Could he really just live happily ever after with Sakura? Marry her?The thought was almost inconceivable to him. That he could marry Sakura, make her his in name as well, and and everything would simply be alright? No family to avenge, no power to seek, no brother to kill? Just waking up to Sakura's green eyes every morning?No, he told himself firmly. Because Sakura would never love him back.

________________________________________

GUESS WHOSE LINE-THINGY WORKS AGAIN? In your face, Kenna. Hah.YES IT'S SHORT. DEAL WITH IT. I WANTED IT THAT WAY. And it's probably really weird and random because I was aim-ing the entire time I wrote it (as I still am now). Oh, and I periodically jumped around my room, head-banging to "Last Words" by Thousand Foot Crutch. It's all very distracting. Ohoh, and I wanted to get this out early because I'm busy tomorrow and am not going to be home all weekend. Yeah. AND I have midterms tomorrow. Funfun. Except my teacher promised to give me a donut because I'm a genius!kid. Score.I think this (like, the story) is gonna end pretty soon. Unless Missa hits me with a plot idea that calls for extensions. Yes.Unrelated:1) Chapter 423. Nah, Kakashi's not gonna die. I don't believe it. He either hasa trick up his sleeve or someone's gonna come save him. But can we please get ba

ck to Sasuke now? I miss him...even if he does bring unnecessary drama to the story.verything Is Alright"Where are you going?" Sasuke asked suspiciously.Sakura crossed her arms and averted her gaze. "Where are you going?" she muttered rebelliously."Sakura," Sasuke reprimanded. He had caught her trying to edge out the door while she thought he was taking a nap.She huffed. "Sasuke-kun, I haven't trained in three weeks; I'm losing all my skill!"

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Sasuke dug in his heels. "I will absolutely not allow you to train. The Hokage specifically said no physical exertion for a month."Sakura rolled her eyes. "She meant like, real physical exertion! A little lighttraining won't hurt me and will help me keep my skill up."He sliced her a frustrated glare. "Why won't you ever listen to me? I told you no. You think I'm being mean, but I'm doing it for your own good.""That's the point, though!" Sakura shouted, clenching her fists and making agitated gestures. "I know what's good for me. I can take care of myself and make myown decisions! Why won't you respect that?"Sasuke stepped closer so that he could purposely tower over her. "Do you want to know what your problem is?" he hissed.She stuck her chin out defiantly. "No, I don't. I greatly dislike problems, tryto avoid them when I can, and I really don't like people pointing them out to me!"He ignored her. "Your problem," he began, dark eyes narrowed to slits, "is thatyou get so caught up in helping and taking care of every goddamn person on the planet that you completely forget about yourself. You have no idea what's good for you, but you get mad at the people who care about you for trying to help!"Sakura gasped, outraged. "That is not true."He sneered at her. "Yes, it is. Did it ever occur to you that I'm not letting you do what you want to do anymore because when I did, you became ill? Do you know how guilty I feel about what happened to you? Did you ever stop to consider how scared I was when you collapsed? Well, Sakura? You seem to have all the answers."

She stared at him. "Sasuke-kun I " she shook her head. "I'm sorry, okay? I'm reallysorry. I know I've been stupid, but I just " she bit her lip, looking miserable.Seeing that he had gotten through to her, Sasuke put his hands on her shouldersand tried to steer her back into the manor. "Then just come back inside," he coaxed. "Forget about training."She immediately became rigid, her original stubbornness returning. "No. Sasuke-kun, please?" She tugged at his sleeve. "Just spar with me a little. Just for a little while. Really light, I promise no jutsus or weapons or anything. C'mon, Sasuke-kun. For me?""That's not going to work on me this time, Sakura," he informed her, pointedly avoiding her bewitching eyes."You don't care about me," she accused.Now that ticked Sasuke off. "Of course I care about you, stupid!" he growled. "H

onestly, I don't think you care about me. You never stop to consider how much Iworry about you. All I'm asking for is your safety and well-being. Is that so much? Do you even care about how I feel?"Sakura stomped her foot. "Of course I do!" she yelled. "I love you, you stupid-haired moron!"The instant that the words left her mouth, she grew extremely pale, her eyes widening, before her face turned beet-red. And then suddenly she was running.Running away from him.And all he could do was stand there, watching her go.--Sasuke stumbled around dazedly, seeking out Sakura's chakra signature.

"Of course I do! I love you, you stupid-haired moron!""I love you, you stupid-haired moron!"

"I love you "He still couldn't even conceive of it. Sakura loved him? Sakura loved him? Sakura loved him?The very idea that Sakura could be in love with someone like himNo, he told himself. She was mistaken. She just thought that she loved him, as she had so many years ago. After all, she had looked like she regretted it the moment she said it. Surely that meant something.Surely it couldn't be true.But still, still, Sasuke could not crush the horrible, treacherous hope that was growing. If there was even a possibility that Sakura loved him could maybe even l

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ove him close to how much he loved herSuddenly he felt her chakra flaring. Immediately alarmed, he rushed to its location, which was in Team Seven's old training grounds. There was Sakura, letting loose a flurry of chakra-enhanced punches and kicks in a training sequence.Instantly, he was beside her, catching her punch and subduing her kick. She gaped at him, startled. Sasuke saw what hinted at tear tracks glistening on her face."You never listen to me," he murmured, releasing her limbs and using the pads of his fingers to wipe away all traces of her tears.She ducked her head, and his fingers fell away. "I'm sorry," she blurted immediately. "I'm so sorry I just I was forget I said anything, okay? Just forget. Can we please pretend this never happened? I " her lower lip wobbled, which she hid by burying her face in his neck. "I want to go home. Please take me home, Sasuke-kun."Sasuke felt as if he had been punched in the gut. "So you really didn't mean it," he said slowly."What?" came her muffled voice.His own voice practically shook. "You don't love me." He was a fool, a fool, such a goddamn foolShe came out of hiding to peer at his face. She seemed surprised by what she saw. "Sasuke-kun I you...""Do you?" he demanded harshly, backing her up against a tree. "Answer me, Sakura." He was almost pleading. "Just tell me. Do you love me?""Yes," she whispered. "More than anyone. But it's okay, Sasuke-kun. I know you don't feel the same way, so just "

"Do you know how badly I want to hit you right now?" he queried sharply.She blinked at him, confused and surprised."You're the most oblivious person I've ever met," he said lowly, running a handthrough his hair. "How could you even doubt ugh. God, Sakura." He didn't even stop to think about it. "I love you. So much, and for so long. I "He was cut off by Sakura's abrupt kiss, her arms winding around his neck. He stood, stiff, frozen, unable to process what was going on. Sakura Sakura wasAnd then he was kissing her back, fiercely, desperately, clutching her to him and refusing to relinquish her mouth even when his lungs began straining for oxygen.When they eventually did break apart, Sasuke immediately buried his face in herhair, panting harshly."Sakura," he breathed. "Sakura." Sakura, Sakura, Sakura

--That night, they were curled up on the couch for their ritualistic reading hour. But Sasuke had abandoned literature in favor of resting his head on Sakura's shoulder, his face pressed to her neck.Sakura was gently stroking his hair. They hadn't talked about what happened at the training grounds, but they didn't need to; a glorious, beautiful understanding had bloomed between them, and all the proof that was needed was Sasuke's refusal to unwrap his arms from around her and the tender look in Sakura's eyes.

________________________________________ Um. Hahahahahaha--yeah. Very late, I know--and I had such a good streak going, too...alas, alack. But anyway. As I hope I have made abundantly clear, I've never really known where I was going with this story, so all you really got was thishalf-assed attempt. Terribly sorry. This was my very first multi-chapter fic, an

d, lame as this may sound, I learned a lot from it. For example: when writing astory, HAVE A PLOT.Yup. There'll be an epilogue-ish thingy after this because I know this chapter was all random and WTF-ish. THERE WILL NOT BE A SEQUEL. Possibly a few related oneshots, though. Who knows. Certainly not me.Guess what, though? I have a new SasuSaku multi-chap planned; I'm really excited about it. -runs around in circles- Make sure to watch out for it, mmkay?Unrelated:1) KAAAAAAAAAAAAAKAAAAAAAAASHIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!!!!! -dies inside-Everything Is Alright

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"So, bastard, you and Sakura-chan finally got together, huh?" Naruto leered, slinging an arm around his best friend's neck. "Took you long enough! But still it seems like just yesterday you were an asexual, antisocial little awkward turtle. Oh, wait! It was just yesterday. And today, too. Actually, you never did stop being an awkward turtle, did you? Ah well, at least we know you're not asexual anymore! But damn, that reminds me I lost the bet hey, d'you think Shikamaru would accept an I.O.U.?"The only reason that Sasuke didn't knock Naruto clear to the other side of Konoha in the very beginning of his little monologue was because he was too focused on waiting for Sakura to exit the flower shop."How long does it take to tell someone one thing?" he muttered.As if in response to his irritation, Sakura and Ino stepped out of the shop. Sakura was lagging behind, her face hidden in her hands, while Ino marched up to Sasuke, her hands on her hips."Roses or lilies?" she asked him crisply as she extracted a tape measurer from her pocket and looped it around Sasuke's neck."I what the hell?!" he exclaimed, trying to fight off the tape measurer-wielding female."Hold still!" she snapped. "I'm trying to take your measurements. I ask again, roses or lilies?""For what? Get off me! Sakura!" He stared accusingly at the green-haired girl, a 'make your insane best friend leave me alone' look in his eyes."Ino " Sakura began, raising her hands in a placating manner."Don't even start, Sakura!" the blonde warned. "Do you know how long I've been w

aiting for you to get married? Do you?"Sakura's reply of "Who are you, my mother?" overlapped with Sasukes bewildered outcry of "Married?"Ino rounded on him. "Yes, married! Or were you planning on just having a meaningless fling with my best friend, hmm? Is that it? C'mon, tough guy, answer me. We'll see how pretty you are with a black eye ""Ino, stop it!" Sakura ordered as the tops of Sasuke's ears burned bright red. "You're embarrassing him "Naruto, meanwhile, found the whole scene terribly funny. "Yeah, Sasuke!" he snickered. "What are your intentions for our dearest Sakura-chan? Speak up, now, don't be shy."Sasuke glared savagely at him as he continued to resist Ino's ministrations. "Shut up, dead-last! I " he snuck a glance at Sakura, who was watching him expectantl

y, her expression devoid of anything that told him what she wanted to hear fromhim.Disgruntled and humiliated, he growled to the group at large, "We're only nineteen!"Ino arched an eyebrow imperiously. "Time is of the essence, Uchiha. You're shinobi! You could go on a mission and die tomorrow! A meteor could hit the earth! Aplague could spread! Naruto could say something intelligent and we'd all die ofshock!"Naruto scowled and crossed his arms. "Funny, Ino, very funny."She waved a dismissive hand at him and opened her mouth to say something else, at which point Sakura found it prudent to step in and save Sasuke from further mortification.She gently disentangled the tape measurer from around Sasuke and handed it back

to Ino. "Ah, Ino this is all a bit soon, don't you think? I promise I'll let you attack Sasuke with a tape measurer and harass him about flower decorations some other time, okay?" she offered, ignoring Sasuke's betrayed hiss of "Sakura!"Ino's eyes softened. "I'm gonna hold you to that, Forehead," she cautioned.Sakura just grinned in response.--"Your best friend is crazy," Sasuke muttered sullenly as they walked away from the Yamanaka Flower Shop, leaving Ino and Naruto squabbling behind them.Sakura ruffled his hair. "So is yours," she reminded him cheerfully."Not the point," he grumbled, snatching her hand from his hair and holding it in

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his own.She sighed happily and snuggled up to his side. "Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"He frowned at her. "You already know the answer to that.""Yeah," she conceded, "but I like hearing you say it. I'm a girl and therefore insecure by definition. Humor me."He exhaled and spoke to the top of her head, "I love you.""Do you love me a lot?" was her follow-up question."Yes," Sasuke admitted, a bad feeling forming in his stomach."How much do you love me?" she pressed. "Like, a lot, or a lot a lot, or a lot a lot a lot?""That's a stupid question," he groused.Sakura tugged at his sleeve. "Sasuke-kun, if you want this relationship to work, you're going to have to learn to answer all of my inane questions, no matter how much they embarrass you.""I'm not embarrassed," he mumbled."Then answer the question," Sakura urged.A pause, and then: "The third one.""The third what?""The third option."" So you love me a lot a lot a lot?" Sakura smiled brightly."Yes," Sasuke acknowledged wearily."More than anyone and everyone and anything and everything else?""Yes.""And you'd do anything for me?"

" Yes."Sakura scowled at him. "You paused, Sasuke-kun. Why'd you pause?""Because you're going somewhere with this," Sasuke accused.She looked offended. "Sasuke-kun! How could you say that? All I want to know ishow much you love me. Is that so much to ask? Is it? Does that mean you don't love me as much as you say? Do you not love me at all? If that's the case, I'm afraid we're going to have to get a divorce. But don't worry! It's not me, it's you.""What are you even talking about? We're not married," Sasuke pointed out reasonably.Tears formed in the corners of Sakura's eyes. "Now you don't even want to marryme, either? That's it, Sasuke. We're through. I want all of your stuff gone by tomorrow."

"It's my house!" he snapped.She tore her hand out of his. "Oh, so now you're going to leave me homeless anddestitute? My mother was right when she told me not to marry you, but I didn't listen to her! Now look what's happened my husband is cheating on me with a harem of older women oh, the shame I knew I should have dated Naru "Sasuke couldn't take it anymore. "Alright!" he yelled. "Alright. I'd do anything for you. Happy?"She beamed at him, all traces of her tears immediately disappearing. "Yes! So that means you'd buy me anything, right? Right?""Yes," Sasuke groaned, wondering how long it would take them to reach the manorand if he could put up with his green-eyed girl and her nonsensical ramblings until then." So how about that pony, huh? Huh, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura looked up at him, pleased

with herself, her eyes shining beautifully.Sasuke's only response was to drop a kiss to her lips and mutter, "You little twerp."--That night, as they lay in bed, Sasuke watched Sakura drift in and out of sleep, content to stay up and watch over her, just in case. Then he remembered something."Sakura," he whispered."Mmm?" she responded, burrowing further into his side.He hesitated, and then realized that there was no other way to say it. He drew a

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long breath. "Everything's alright," he murmured. And it was true; he was holding the most beautiful girl in the world, a girl that loved him. A girl that wasSakura, his Sakura.Her eyelids raised about halfway, revealing the bright green that he loved so dearly. "I'm glad, Sasuke-kun," she smiled. "I'm glad."He was glad, too.

________________________________________ So guess what, guys? My older brother got arrested for underage drinking. HappyThanksgiving, all.But, um, yeah. This story is finished finished finished. Hmm, what to say, whatto say...first of all, I'd like to thank...myself, for being amazing; and then me, for being myself and thus being amazing; and then also Becca, for being me and thus myself and thus amazing.But seriously? All of you guys that reviewed and said very kind, very untrue things rocked my world. If you apply to that category, go buy yourself something nice. If you took the time to alert and/or favorite this story and read all the chapters, pat yourself on the back. If you are just reading this story randomly, um, thanks? And if you stumbled upon this page by accident...erm, just hit the Back button, bro. It should solve your problem.And then, of course of course, I need to thank the uber-fantastical Missa for encouraging me and coming up with ideas and ranting about anything and everythingwith me (but mostly about pretty guys). Love ya.Again, though, I'd like to apologize for how I pretty much let this story go tohell in a handbasket. But hey, it was my first ever multi-chap, and I finished i

t. That counts for something, right...? Kind of. You can maybe anticipate a fewoneshots from me, and then I hope to see you all at my next SasuSaku multi-chap! Not sure of the title, yet...but right now I'm working the plot out with the help of the ever-helpful, ever-pimping Sharon. So expect something not-quite-soon-ish, but not-quite-later-ish, either. Y'know?Once again, THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU. For reviewing and just putting up with me in general. -runs in circles-Everything Is AlrightEpilogue(-ish thing)"Sasuke-kun Sasuke-kun Sasuke-kun!"Sasuke turned to find his green-eyed girl racing towards him, up the stairs andonto the porch of the Uchiha manor. He caught her as she launched herself at him, lifting her up briefly.

"What, what, what?" he asked, amused.Her eyes wide and bright and wild, she grabbed his hand, tugging. "Come on comeon come on!"He allowed her to lead him by the hand away from the manor, into the inner Village. The villagers were gathering, chattering excitedly, even though it was the peak of summer and an ungodly hot temperature.Sakura, lovely in a pale yellow tank-top and a white skirt, charged through them, shouting "Excuse me excuse me excuse me!" Sasuke wondered whether this was another one of her games, to repeat everything she said three times.He rather liked it better than her game last week, when she addressed him only as "Sasu-baby."The crowd around the Hokage Tower was very dense, but they didn't have to work to get to the front. Instead, when people saw them, they would just part so that

they could get through, smiling.It really kind of made him wonder what was happening.Once they were at the front of the crowd, Sasuke looked at Sakura. "What's going on?"She beamed at him and pointed to the top of the tower. There stood Tsunade and Naruto except Naruto was wearing the Hokage robes."Oh, God," Sasuke said.Sakura bounced up and down. "I KNOW, RIGHT?!"Once she was sure she had everyone's attention, Tsunade spoke. "As you all know, I'm " she frowned. "Getting old."

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Sasuke concluded that it was indeed a very weird day, if Tsunade would ever admit such a thing. Perhaps he was dreaming."So," she continued. "I hereby resign my position as Hokage and leave my post to your new Rokudaime, Uzumaki Naruto." She removed her Hokage's hat and placed it jauntily on Naruto's head. The blonde boy peace-signed, grinning broadly.The crowds cheered uproariously, shouting and celebrating. The boy they'd used to scorn had come to be a great Village favorite.Tsunade shook her head wryly. "Gods save you all." She walked away, leaving Naruto alone on top of the Tower."Well, it's official. We're all screwed," Sasuke murmured, but he was smiling.Sakura took his hands and danced around. "He did it he did it he did it!"Sasuke watched her as she laughed and cried and screamed all at once, hair wildand eyes green and God, she was so beautiful.Naruto spoke. "As my first act as Hokage I order the immediate construction of a community pool!"Better than Sasuke had feared. He'd thought for certain that Naruto's first order of business would be to build himself a personal ramen shack, right there in the Tower.That would probably be his second act.--One Month Later"Sasuke-kun, can you go get me a drink, please?"Sasuke glanced over to where Sakura reclined in a poolside chair, her red tankini exposing a strip of her abdomen, her sunglasses hiding her eyes. "What do you

want?"Before she could answer, Naruto strolled over, looking thoroughly ridiculous inhis bright orange swim-trunks. "Heyyy, bastard. Hiya, Sakura-chan."Sakura raised her sunglasses. "Shouldn't you be working on official Hokage business, instead of chilling at the pool?"He grinned. "I'll have you know that ensuring the happiness of my people is official Hokage business." He punched Sasuke playfully on the shoulder. "Some of ushave real jobs, instead of just taking the occasional S-ranked mission when we feel like it."Sasuke shoved him back, and the situation devolved into a full-fledged scuffle before Sakura stood, taking off her sunglasses."Boys, boys. No rough-housing by the pool." She shook her head mournfully. "Kids these days "

Naruto and Sasuke shared a glance, which caused Sakura to back up, hands raised. "Um, guys "They joined together to fling her into the pool. She surfaced, sputtering. "You !"Naruto laughed and cannon-balled in to join her. Sasuke sat on the edge of the pool, smirking, and outstretched his arms towards her. "Come here, I've got you." She swam over to him, and he took her in his arms, lifting her out of the pool.She wrung out her hair. "You guys are jerks."Naruto's blonde head bobbed. "But we're your jerks!"She hid a smile and went back to her chair. This time Sasuke waited for her to draw her knees up, then sat down on the end of her chair, using her legs as a back-rest. She pressed them closer together so he would have more support.He leaned back, and Sakura bent forward, massaging his head in small circles. He breathed out, and she peered down at him. "You look happy," she remarked.

He felt the sun on his face, heard Naruto splashing around. He collected one ofher hands, rubbing his thumb over her palm. "I am," he admitted.She smiled and bent down, kissing him on the mouth. He smiled into the kiss, tilting his head for a better angle, but broke off when Naruto splashed water at them."Get a room, you two! No one wants to see that!"This time it was Sasuke and Sakura who looked at each other, and rose to jump in the pool and give Naruto a good, solid thrashing.In the water, Sasuke took a moment to look at Naruto, yellow locks disheveled, and Sakura, treading water beside him, ankles brushing his. She noticed him watch

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ing and swam closer, winding her arms around his neck. "I love you," she whispered into his ear, her wet cheek pressed up against his.Sasuke was happy.

________________________________________ OHMYGOD. I forgot all about this story until like, two hours ago, when I was like, hey, I should write an epilogue. So I did. Crazy, right? Right.So. I kind of want to write a sequel for this, from Sakura's POV mostly. Maybe have them go on some super-duper mission or something. But I don't know. I have a lot of other stuff I'm working on...and I'm afraid I'll write the first few chapters and then run out of ideas/lose interest/get bored. As dictated by my history. But, maybe.So, yeah. Thank you everyone for the reviews and kind words and...kindly-wordedreviews! You've no idea how much they mean to me. ALL OF YOU ARE NINJA GANGSTERS. Doesn't get any better than that, yo.Unrelated:1) Danzo. Is. Such. A. Bitch. -seethes-2) Team Hebi (or whatever they're calling themselves these days) had a cute moment! I'm so upset. You know, in like, the second-to-latest chapter, when Karin was bein' all annoying and Sasuke was basically just like "Shut up, ho," and Suigetsu was like "Haha, Karin got in trouble!" and Zetsu or whoever was like "Sasuke, you've sure got a lot to deal with." Or something....Yeah, well. It was still cute, and I'm still upset.:)

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