Bake-neko

By TwinEnigma

By TwinEnigma

Disclaimer: I do this for fun and because I should be sleeping. Obviously, I don't own Naruto and I'm not making money off my scribblings.

Keywords: AU, Chuunin-exam arc

16: Confession

Sasuke didn't get see the fight with Rock Lee against Gaara, but he did see the aftermath when Lee was hurried past him on a gurney. It wasn't pretty. Clearly, that boy was someone they'd have to watch out for in the next round.

"He had a crush on me," Sakura said, absently, her head turned towards the doors Lee had disappeared through.

She had been diagnosed with a concussion and her eyelids drooped sleepily. The scroll on medical jutsu Sasuke'd managed to sweet talk a nurse into letting him borrow to keep her busy dangled from her fingertips.

"Hey," Sasuke said, shaking her shoulder, "You heard the nurse. No sleeping."

Sakura shook her head, blinking. "Yeah, sorry. I'm just tired."

"You can rest when they're sure you don't have any nerve or brain damage and no bleeding in your brain," he told her.

Sakura huffed in mild annoyance, leaning back into the pillows of her bed. "Do me a favor? Never become a medic-nin, Sasuke. You have terrible bedside manner."

He stared at her and then turned away, smirking a little.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked.

He gave her a look. "Yeah?"

"Something's wrong with you and," she paused, licking her lips nervously, "...I really, really like you. Promise me you'll get help, okay?"

Sasuke turned away again, the dull whisper of prey twisting in his mind. He knew she wouldn't have had the courage to say that if she didn't have that stupid crush on him. "You shouldn't bother yourself. I'm fine."

They'd given him antibiotics and strapped an ice pack to his shoulder. It was nothing, they'd said, just a minor infection that would clear up soon.

"I'm going to go get some more water," he said at last, standing. "Don't go to sleep."

There was silence a moment. Then, she sighed and settled back into her bed. "Hot and cold - I can't figure you out, Sasuke."

He blinked, confused, and turned to leave. Girls were so strange.

"Sasuke?" Sakura asked again.

He paused in the doorway, one hand on the doorframe. "Yeah?"

"What was that with Hinata? You were like a whole different person." She bowed her head and added, "I've never seen you talk like that before, not to anyone."

Sasuke paused, uncertain of what to say. He wasn't sure how to put it so that someone as naïve as Sakura could possibly hope to begin to understand. At last, lowering his eyes, he answered, "She... reminded me of someone who wasn't strong enough..."

Sakura looked at him quizzically.

He shook his head. "It doesn't matter. I'm going to get stronger and then things like that won't happen again."

"Sasuke," she said, her gaze turning soft, pitying.

Unbidden, he could feel those eyes from that day on him again, choking him in their insufferable pity and false compassion.

We're so sorry, Sasuke. There were no survivors.

He turned abruptly and stomped out into the hallway, the door slamming shut behind him.

Pity was the last thing he wanted.

Prey, something in him hissed.

AN: Oh hai thunderstorm and heatwave giving me an excuse to go through my old notebooks and copy them over while I wait for the cool air. Guess what update I had lurking in the big pink-covered one, under my old math notes?

Chapter title is a mite misleading, from a certain point of view. Sakura gets close to saying her feelings and Sasuke almost admits he was seeing himself in Hinata. It is very likely that Sakura's crush being predicated on a lie will be brought up in the future - as different as this Sasuke is turning out, he's still capable of being a massive dick and probably not going to be gentle about clearing it up if he thinks her crush is causing an issue.

That aside, he does show his weird form of compassion in this chapter. Like... I AM CONCERNED AND WOULD BE UPSET IF YOU DIED, BUT I AM UNABLE TO EXPRESS IT IN A NICE WAY.

Also say hello again to Sasuke's trust issues.