I'm
rusty at Naruto as of now, but please excuse that fact.
I don't
own Naruto, except maybe a picture of the character in the back of my
Bleach manga.
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"
"Hn."
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"
"Hn."
It was almost like a routine for them. It always started with a love confession, and it always ended with a blunt rejection. And even though Sakura had known that it would always turn up like that, she was bound to that routine.
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"
"Hn."
Sasuke didn't mind either. All he had to do was say no. No. No. No. Reject. Reject. Reject.
It had been like that since forever now, the days when they were still genin. Sakura's soft pink hair would sway in tune with the wind as she asked the same question.
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"
"Hn."
Sasuke would always be the one who would bring her down, and he knew that. So in the end, rejection would always be the main answer to her daily question.
Until one day, Sasuke broke it.
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do--"
"Just... stop." Stop. Stop. STOP!
"Oh... I... okay." Was her only answer. Sakura had stayed quiet after that, in stilled silence. That seemed to be the last straw for her, and Uchiha Sasuke did not know.
- - - -
What I Want To Hear
twelve minutes ago
- - - -
The next week, when they finally weren't busy, it was different.
They were at the ramen store, the old Team 7. Naruto had invited them to eat with him, and thinking of the free dinner they would share, they both agreed. Now, both wondered if they would be better off cooking their own food, alone at home.
The seating was just great too, it was Sakura, then Sasuke, and Naruto, with Kakashi seated the farthest from Sakura.
The ramen was served, and there was only one that was overjoyed.
"Itadakimasu!" Naruto cheered, breaking the chopsticks almost perfectly in half. "Thanks for the food!" He groveled over his food, quickly bringing himself inside of the bowl of ramen.
"Dobe." Sasuke shrugged at the sight of his improper eating and went straight to his own bowl of steaming beef ramen, swishing the soup around with his unbroken chopsticks.
"Sasuke-kun," Sakura started, breaking her chopsticks in half.
Here it goes again, Sasuke inwardly thought in his head. "I love you Sasuke, do you love me?"
"Can you please pass the soy sauce?" She smiled cheekily, using her chopsticks to point to the bottle of soy sauce that lay near Naruto's bowl of pork ramen. "I can't reach it without me having to go over you."
"S- Sure." Sasuke was confused. Sakura would usually bring her usual question at the first moment she could. She never really passed up a chance. He wasn't used to that.
Quickly snatching the soy sauce before Naruto could use it, he handed it to Sakura. "Here."
"Thanks." With a smile, she started pouring it all over her soup, eating her food as if she had never seen ramen before.
Everyone noticed.
Naruto raised his opinion. "Have you been eating, Sakura-chan?" He gobbled on one of his fish cakes. "You look like you haven't eaten in forever." Kakashi nodded in agreement.
"Kunoichi must eat good meals daily, Sakura." Kakashi piped up. "You should know that."
"No, no!" Sakura hastily waved her hands in front of her. "I'm fine! Fine!" The young woman explained. "I've just got to hurry, I have a meeting today."
"Someone?" Sasuke chimed in curiousity.
"Meeting?" Naruto tilted his head to the side.
"Today?" Kakashi poked.
"Yeah." Sakura smiled cheerfully. "It's what you call... a 'date'!" She laughed whole-heartedly, her cheeks covered in a slight pink blush.
"NANI?!" Naruto almost jumped in glee. You see, Sakura had not been on a date since forever-- she had always been waiting for a certain someone. "Sakura-chan, you're finally going on a date? With who?" He pressured her to tell.
"Well," Sakura brushed it off, pushing her ramen towards Naruto. "Umm... Naruto, would you like to have the rest of my ramen?"
His eyes widened in delight as he saw her half-eaten bowl. "I sure would, Sakura-chan!" Naruto completely shunned the topic, his eyes were now lusting over the luscious ramen.
"Okay!" Sakura inwardly cheered at the fact that she lured Naruto away. "Well, I'll be going!"
"Buh- mf- bye, Saku-mph- chan!" Naruto quickly went to eating her ramen. "Thnks-mm for thr foo-mph-d!" She could barely understand his words, but she waved goodbye anyways.
"Well, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, Kakashi-sensei!" She gave them a smile. "I'm off!"
Speedily, she disappeared into the night.
Sasuke's eyes narrowed. "A date?" He wondered who it could be. Suddenly, he realized something. He was a bit jealous. Jealous at the fact that Sakura might just like someone else. Someone that wasn't him.
Sasuke quickly covered that up, thankfully, hoping that the others didn't notice.
It was a second too late, it was Kakashi and Naruto that noticed.
"Sasuke."
Sasuke turned to face his old teacher, a slight scowl on his face. "What?" He said casually, picking up his chopsticks and poking his food a bit.
"You're brooding again." Kakashi announced, Naruto lifting his head from his ramen.
Naruto nodded, agreeing with his sensei. "Sasuke-teme, why don't you just follow her? I know you're a bit jealous, neh? Neh?"
Sasuke had the urge to smack Naruto's head into his ramen, but fought it. "I'm not jealous," he hissed.
"Baka." Naruto rolled his eyes and went back to his ramen. "Just go and follow her already-- don't be an ass."
Hn. For the first time in awhile, Sasuke decided to listen to him.
"Whatever." In a matter of seconds, he was out the door.
- - - -
"Where is he?" Sakura trudged throughout the darkened street, impatiently walking back and forth. "He's late." She glanced at her watch. It read 6:30.
He was thirty minutes late, she thought, a bit irked at the possiblity that she was stood up.
"Hey." A poof came from behind, the person tapping her on the shoulder. "Sorry I'm late." He apologized, and although his voice was cold and hard, it seemed sincere. "I had to hide from my other comrades."
"Oh," Sakura smiled, forgiving him almost immediately. "That's fine. I'm just glad you at least came, Neji-kun."
Neji gave a small smile. "Thanks." He showed his arm. "Now, shall we, Sakura? I'm sure it'll be a long night."
"Alright then!" Sakura's emerald eyes lit up. "Let's go?" Her arms linked together with his, and the strolled the street, their figures slowly fading with the night.
Although they were great ninja, they didn't know someone was watching. A shadowed figure appeared out of a nearby tree, red eyes glimmering in jealousy. "Neji... ?"
- - - -
"Naruto's inviting us to eat ramen."
Sasuke noticed that every time they would have their usual Team 7 dinner together, Sakura would always make excuses, excusing herself for the night. It was always the same exact excuse.
"I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun." Sakura's eyes drifted away from his own, as he stood at the front of her door step. "I've got to meet someone today. I'm sorry. Please apologize to Naruto in my behalf." She apologized will full sincerity.
It went on like that for the next weeks to follow.
"I'm sorry, I'm meeting with someone again."
"I'm sorry... well... you know already."
It was the same exact excuse Sasuke heard every time, and he wondered why he still came to ask her. Even though Naruto asked him to, he couldn't help but think that he could just not invite her.
It would all be the same.
"I love you Sasuke-kun, do you love me?"
He was starting to miss that line. Sasuke sighed, rubbing his head in deep thought.
Sasuke was wondering why he wanted to hear that line. It was nonsense. She couldn't love him. She didn't love him. Everytime Haruno Sakura would say that line, he always thought, 'Does she really mean it?'
She did. He knew that.
Sasuke just didn't want to admit that she is, now was, in love with him.
He grunted at the thought, running his hands through his sleek, onyx hair. "..."
- - - -
Sakura clenched her phone tightly. "Moshi moshi, Neji-kun." She spoke quietly and nervously as the pearly-eyed man came on the line.
"Sakura." His voice was calming and soothing to hear. "Is there anything you need? It's four o' clock in the morning, you must have something on your mind. You can tell me."
"Neji-kun..." She called out to her boyfriend. "I'm sorry... Neji-kun... but..." She struggled to find the right words to say. "I..."
She could feel his mouth form into a smile through the phone. "It's over, isn't it, Sakura." His tone was still calm, and she was surprised. "I could already feel it, you don't love me."
"I..." Her voice was slurred, she felt tears spilling out of her eyes. "I'm so sorry... Neji-kun..." She sobbed on the phone, her tears burning as they ran down her cheeks. "I'm so sorry..."
"Don't cry, Sakura." Neji reassurred. "You don't have to apologize. What's over is over."
Her eyes widened. "Neji..." She sniffled.
"You still love him, don't you?" His low voice chuckled through the phone. "That's the reason, isn't it?"
Sakura nodded, not making a noise, but Neji knew what the answer was. "..."
"I see..." Neji sighed with assurance. "... we're still friends, right?"
Sakura's emerald eyes brightened. "Of course." Before she hung up, she couldn't help but mention one last thing to him. "Thanks, Neji. Thanks for everything." A small laugh was heard, and soon, only the dial tone was heard.
- - - -
Sasuke walked up to Naruto. "Dobe." He casually leaned on the wall where Naruto rested.
"Sasuke-teme." Naruto glared back, punching Sasuke square on the shoulder, hard. Sasuke winced-- Naruto had gotten considerably stronger by now. They did this on a daily basis, so it was really nothing. It was pretty early in the morning too.
"Hn." Sasuke grunted, facing frontwards.
Naruto spoke. "I'm having another dinner." He announced. It was Friday, they usually had it then. "Go and invite Sakura." He instructed the ebony-haired man. "Tell her it's at 7."
Sasuke scoffed. "Why?" He questioned monotonously. "I'm not going to her house, just to hear that's she's going out with 'Neji-kun' again." He said coldly. "There's no point."
"Oh? I don't think so." Naruto said in a wishy-washy matter. "Sakura-chan and Neji aren't dating. At least, not anymore. They've broken up."
The first thing Sasuke thought was: That bastard broke up with her?! He could imagine Sakura's teary-eyed face.
Hm? What's this? Sasuke felt a bubble of anger in his body. "I'll go see him." Was all he said, brushing past Naruto without another word.
Naruto scratched his head. "Huh? Who? Who's him, Sasuke-teme?! Neji? H- Hey!" Too late. He was already gone by then.
- - - -
Neji strolled down the streets, hands stuffed in his pockets, a satisfied smirk on his face. "You can come out now, Uchiha." He activated his Byakugan. "I can sense your chakra overflowing."
"Che." Sasuke jumped from his hiding place, in front of the older one. "Hyuuga."
Neji ignored him, and strolled along, as if Sasuke had never existed.
"Look at me, Hyuuga." Sasuke hissed icily, his words rolling of his tongue full of hatred.
"Why don't you just go to Sakura, huh?" Neji walked forward even more, his pace quickening. "I'm sure she'd love to see you come and visit." He suggested nonchalantly. He really did mean it too; Sakura must've wanted Sasuke to visit by now.
"Bastard..." Sasuke's anger got a hold of him. He walked up to Neji and grabbed him by the collar. "... you?! You hurt Sakura, and I don't think I want to forgive you for that."
"Hn." Neji raised an eyebrow. "Seems the little Uchiha is jealous. And for one thing, I did not break up with Sakura. She did. She's in love with someone else, as you might already know."
Sasuke's eyes widened a little.
Neji smirked. "Take care of her, Uchiha." He pulled Sasuke's pale hands away from his shirt and walked away, waving a bit before he disappeared into thin air. "..."
So, in the end, she still loved Sasuke.
And that made Sasuke crack a smile, wondering if people thought he was stupid to start smiling out of nowhere, especially if he was one who never did smile at all. Oh well.
It was some sort of love.
As soon as that was over, the smiling Sasuke had an urge to go and visit Sakura.
- - - -
"..." Sasuke walked up to Sakura's front porch, and after hesitating a bit, he knocked on the door. "Sakura? Hey. Sakura, are you there?" He knocked on the door again, now answered by the girl he had been waiting for.
She smiled a little, her eyes still red from earlier in the morning. "Hi... Sasuke-kun. Why... Why are you here?" She asked curiously. "Are you here to invite me to Naruto's dinner? I'll go this time, I've been--"
"That, and I'm here to ask you a question, Sakura." He simply answered. Sakura nodded, as if she understood.
"Oh," Sakura stood and waited for his question. "Well, that is it that you want to ask, Sasuke-kun?"
Sasuke cracked a smile again, which surprised Sakura completely. He stepped forward, leaning and bending down to her ears. His words almost made Sakura's heart skip a beat.
"I love you Sakura, do you love me?"
Um. Don't worry. Neji has Tenten.
I totally got sucked into writing this story. I hope you like it, like that other one-shot I made, which I'd like to say thanks for making me reach 80+ reviews! That was amazing.
I truly hope you review, and tell me what you think.
-Tsukia, tma.