Title: Future
Summary: Palmistry - Sakura had taken the class years ago, but she could never pass up the amusing opportunity to read her teammates' futures.
Date: July 1, 2013
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.
Prompt: Holding Hands
Pairing: Uchiha Sasuke x Haruno Sakura
Rating: K
Warning(s): Mild Language
Comments: Post-War. This was pretty tough. Where has my muse gone? Also, I researched Palmistry and ended up combining a few things. So - the information/explanation is not as accurate as I'd like! Meep!

Future

Haruno Sakura grinned as she tenderly traced her thumbs against calloused skin, the muscles beneath her fingertips twitching under her exploring ministrations. Her green irises curiously tracked the many lines and curves that were engraved into the tanned hands in her loose hold, brows furrowing with mental recollection as she scrutinized the different lengths of creases and its complemented connotations. She attentively inspected long and wide fingers, curving the digits inward to measure against a strong and squared palm.

"That tickles, Sakura-chan. What are you doing?"

Sakura giggled, briefly flicking her mischievous emerald eyes upward to meet questioning royal-blue, "I told you, Naruto – I'm reading your future."

Uzumaki Naruto blinked, bewildered as he switched his focus between her and the hand that she was intently probing, "…You can do that?"

She responded with a shrug, although her playful grin remained, "I doubt its level of accuracy but I find it a little intriguing. It's called palmistry – I was required to take a class on it in preparation for a mission. I guess what I learned stuck." She smirked, tracing a long, curved line nearer to Naruto's thumb, instigating another reflexive twitch from the sensation.

Naruto leaned closer, observing the way she intently tracked along the many lines that decorated his roughened skin, "So, what's my future like, Sakura-chan?" He grinned excitedly, "Does it say when I'll become Hokage?"

"Tch. Idiot."

A scowl twisted Naruto's lips as his blue eyes instantly shot across the clearing of Training Ground Three, glaring with annoyance as Uchiha Sasuke apathetically continued to sharpen his Kusanagi, several feet away from them, "No one asked you, bastard!"

"Well…" Sakura hummed, recapturing Naruto's attention as she slithered her index nail across his left palm, "…Your heart and life lines are both curvy – which means you freely express emotions and have a lot of energy." She smirked, looking up at the blonde, "No arguments here."

Naruto blushed, scratching a hand through his hair as he tried to assess her findings for himself, though unable to interpret any meanings by staring at simple lines across his hands, "…What else does it say?"

Sakura teasingly poked the area at the base of his thumb, "Your fate line is very creased and it connects with your life line – that means you're life is destined for success and that you're a self-made individual. Having both is a good omen – with hard work you can achieve many of your desired goals."

Naruto grinned, flexing the hand that Sakura released, staring down at it with renewed enthusiasm before throwing a haughty smirk towards the opposite side of the field, "Did you hear that, Sasuke-bastard? I'm going to be Hokage!"

Sakura chuckled. She watched as Sasuke subtly rolled his eyes while Naruto stood up and ran across the clearing to happily shove his large palm into the Uchiha's line of vision – prompting an annoyed frown and a sharp insult from their typically-silent comrade.

"May I?"

Sakura glanced up and was greeted by Sai, his pale hand outstretched towards her and a curious expression on his features – the painting he had been previously working on was neatly set aside in favor of approaching her.

"Sure!" The kunoichi gestured for him to sit in front of her, eagerly taking his left hand and probing her fingers across his skin – which was a lot softer than Naruto's, "You certainly have an artist's hand, Sai. Naruto's skin is really rough – probably from using his Rasengan so much. Your skin is really smooth though."

"Does that affect my palm's assessment?"

Sakura smiled up at him from under her lashes, "Your lines aren't as deep and creased as Naruto's – so, yeah, a little." She traced the base of his four digits before running her index along his thumb – his muscles didn't spasm but Sai's head did inch closer with interest. "Your heart line is broken – which means that you have trouble expressing yourself. And your life line is very straight – which means you're cautious about relationships."

Sai blinked thoughtfully, brows furrowing, "I see."

Sakura smiled, "But your fate line cuts through both your heart and life lines; very deep – which means external forces have affected you and will continue to affect you positively, if you allow it."

"That last one is easy!" Naruto shouted, grinning – in the midst of trying to grab Sasuke's hands, "Team Kakashi positively affected you! And we'll keep at it, Sai! Believe it!"

"Get off me, idiot!"

Sakura curled her hands around Sai's, looking up at him with a happy grin, "Sounds like a pretty good assessment to me. What do you think, Sai?"

Switching his focus between her bright green eyes and the hand she held, a slow smile spread across his lips, "I like this evaluation – even if it is, as you mentioned before, very illogical – to base one's future off the creases of one's hand."

Sakura laughed, squeezing his hands with tender affection, "But still a little interesting, ne?"

"Hey! If this palm stuff says that I'm going to be Hokage – then it's accurate! Here!" The blonde had forcefully dragged an irritated Uchiha Sasuke across the clearing, pushing him into a seated position across from Sakura and thrusting his hand in her face, "Tell us Sasuke-teme's future!"

"Let go, you loser!"

"Oh, shut up, you bastard! You know you want to know! You had plenty of time to run away – you didn't even use a chidori to get away from me! Just try it! Sakura-chan, tell your boyfriend to cooperate!"

Sakura grinned, a light flush coloring her cheeks – and the tips of Sasuke's ears – before she gently took his hands into hers and curiously followed the patterns of his skin, "It'll be quick, Sasuke-kun."

"Annoying;" Although, his incensed mutter went ignored.

Sakura eagerly started following the creases across his palm while Sai and Naruto observed with silent interest a few feet away. As the seconds went by, Sakura's smile began to lessen and her brows furrowed as she gently tracked the smooth skin in front of her. Sasuke watched her, bored, briefly throwing a glare towards Naruto, who only smiled innocently in response.

"…Why are you taking so long, Hag?"

"Yeah – what's this palm stuff say about the bastard?"

"…You know what?" Sakura laughed and she released Sasuke's hand – and the Uchiha instantly recognized the strain of her light mood, "I took the palmistry class years ago. I can't seem to recall what Sasuke's lines mean."

Naruto pouted, "Aww, no fair!"

Sai frowned, "How unfortunate."

Sakura grinned, waving a hand in dismissal, "It doesn't matter anyways. We have the power to make our own futures. No use fretting over it."

Sasuke watched her suspiciously – he didn't even realize Naruto loudly agreeing with her before challenging Sai to a spar. Once the painter agreed, they disappeared in a haze of white smoke, consequently leaving Sasuke and Sakura alone in silence.

"…What did you read?"

Sakura's green gaze refocused on him, brows steepening with hesitance before reaching for his hand and examining it a little sadly, "It's nonsense, Sasuke-kun, really. I had to take the class to infiltrate as a gypsy for a drug market – I doubt half the things they taught us were authentic."

"Just tell me, Sakura."

Sakura bit her bottom lip upon hearing his quietly urging tone, tenderly caressing his palm before letting out a breath, "…Your heart line was broken by a lot of intersecting, smaller lines – which means you suffered through emotional trauma." Sasuke's fingers twitched but he remained unobtrusive as he listened to her gentle voice, "Your life line is short and shallow – which means you were manipulated many times by others." Her frown deepened and she finally looked up to connect her gaze with his, "And the line of your future – your fate line – you…you don't have one." She instantly squeezed his hand in assurance as he blinked at her, "Not to say that you don't have a future, Sasuke-kun. A lot of people don't have a fate line, including–"

"It's fine, Sakura," His interrupting response was faint, dark eyes trailing downwards to stare at their linked hands, "You said it yourself – we have the power to make our own futures."

Decisively, Sasuke smirked. With only a brief moment of hesitation, he shifted his hand so that his fingers could entwine with hers, fitting comfortably between the gaps, their palms pressed together, appreciatively taking in the sight of her petite hand curled protectively within his own. He held up their locked hands at eye level, connecting his determined onyx with her baffled emerald.

"…This is my future," He stated softly, smirk lifting a little higher when a brilliant smile split her features, "This is the future that I want to make my own."

Sakura chuckled, leaning forward and pressing her forehead against his, her fingers tightening further, "That sounds nice. I'd like that too, Sasuke-kun." She giggled, "Do you want to know a secret?"

"Hn?"

She leaned in close, pressing a chaste kiss to his lips, blushes dusting across both their cheeks, "I don't have a fate line, either." She winked, "I guess that means we're meant to be?"

Sasuke smirked, "That's an oxymoron."

"Ino-pig always says we are a beautiful disaster."

"Shut up, Sakura."

She grinned, "Make me, Sasuke-kun."

Using the connection of their clasped hands, Sasuke pulled her forward and locked their lips together once more – an amused giggle falling passed her mouth and a satisfied smirk spreading across his. The passionate action left them heated and breathless.

"Definitely – meant to be."