Authoress' Note:
I deeply apologize for the very late update. Yeah yeah, I know you're already growing tired of me apologising every single chapter, but I guess at least it means I actually updated...so cheer up!
My new school is much cooler than the old one coz I have so much free time that I can actually update. (I only have the afternoon class, you see.)
I am very thankful that you still read, review and support this story even though I announced that it'd be in hiatus for an undetermined amount of time. And to reciprocate that, I give you this next chapter! I hope you'd enjoy it.
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This chapter is dedicated to those who reviewed the last chapter! Hope you all continue to read AND review the next chapters coz this fic isn't dead yet! :D
Hye – Thank you! I hope I updated sooner~ Uni has been keeping me from writing.
danini – Wow, that was a pretty long review you sent me. For that I'll give you the special Naruto shaped ramen-flavoured cookies! (I wonder how that would taste. LOL) I'm kinda hesitating on using Panda-chan Gaara as the antagonist, but the idea is interesting. My crazy mind still hasn't made a final decision though so we are yet to know who the bad guys are. As for T.Y.'s worldly-ness...I try to relate to what my reaction would be if I were in the scenes...so if the characters act stupid, crazy, over-emotional or just plain on-crack, I probably am lacking in sleep. LOL.
Never4Never – I'm not planning on totally stopping anytime soon.
Bulla49 – oooh.. you reviewed the 1st and 2nd chappies. I hope you read until the 9th. Now here's chapter 10 and I hope you're still reading!
Kattylin – what's with the number 3?
yobrother91200 – Lol. Oh no, please don't die. That would mean I'll have one reader less! Thanks anyway!
strawberry30 – we'll see..we'll see. Although I won't be revealing the culprit anytime soon. Stay tuned!
ImaFREAK – I'm back! More SasuSaku to come! And then there's a twist you all won't be expecting!
ulq4schiffer – I'm sorry if I didn't update quickly. I've been busy but I'm trying my hardest to update in-between my hectic schedule..
digzzz – lolz. Yeah, it's been a while since I last updated. Hope you like this chappie too!
hoshino820 – hope you didn't get tired of waiting. Thanks for reading and reviewing!
ILoveSxS – IT'S TRUE! YEAH! \m/
sasusakulove93 – arigatou gozaimashita!
chicky – Thank you for reading and reviewing!
Rose Tiger – You? Worried? You'll be on the edge of your seat for the next chapter then! :D
Yue Heartphilia – yeah, there's plenty more SasuSaku yet to happen.
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*Their ages:
Sasuke – 25
Sakura – 24
Sai - 25
Naruto – 25
Hinata – 24
Shikamaru – 25
Ino – 24
Neji – 26
Tenten – 25
Itachi – 27
Kakashi – 36
Kyoichi/Hikari - 44
Fugaku/Mikoto – 46 (yeah, I know I mentioned that Mikoto was in her early 50s somewhere in the 4th chapter, but I kinda changed my mind.)
Tsunade/Jiraiya/Orochimaru/Madara – 50s
Danzo – 60
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The villain(s) is/are...
*drumroll*
Not yet decided! Haha!
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Dedication: to insomniacs having only the afternoon class! \m/
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Disclaimer:
Astridhong17: I don't own the series Naruto and its characters. I only own the plot.
Sasuke: Hn, finally a normal disclaimer.
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Chapter 009: S'epanouir (Tomber Amoureux) Recap:
Her arms fell to her sides and she turned around to walk away, but she never went too far because she was back in his arms again in no time. She was about to tease him for being suddenly too clingy when he kissed her again. This time, he gave her more time to be able to respond.
When they pulled away for the much-needed oxygen, Sasuke buried his face in her neck and just stayed there. She could feel their hearts beating together and she inwardly laughed because she thought that only happened in movies and story books.
"Sakura?"
"Hm?"
"I think I love you already."
Tsumetai Yoru
Chapter 010: Enlèvement Part I
She narrowed her eyes as the morning light attacked them mercilessly, and she moved to stretch but found muscular arms holding her in place. When she traced the length of the limbs back to their owner, she came face to face with Uchiha Sasuke...and was surprised to see him still sleeping.
It was a rather rare occurrence to wake up to him still sleeping. The first time she woke up before him, she wasn't able to resist pinching his cheeks thus resulting to his sour mood that entire day. The second time was when he passed out from inebriation on his balcony more than a week ago. The lines on his face caused by the previous days' stress seem to just disappear when he's sleeping, making him look more his age.
Sakura raised a hand to her fiancé's face to stroke the dark circles under his eyes that were gradually disappearing over the week after their reconciliation. She stilled her hand when the man stirred and waited for him to open his eyes. He always was a light sleeper. His long eyelashes fluttered and onyx orbs were revealed. Despite having just recently walked out of the realms of slumber, he immediately focused on her as if he was on autopilot.
"Good morning, sleepyhead," she whispered as she flashed him a smile.
The pink-haired woman hoisted herself up to his level and leaned down to give him a chaste kiss. When she was about to pull away, however, he placed a hand on the back of her neck and another around her waist before deepening the kiss. Her hands, in turn, rested on his bare chest. He always did go to bed shirtless, after all. They were gasping for air when they pulled away moments later.
Sasuke chuckled, a very good sign that this would be a fine day. "I could get used to this."
He caressed the small amount of skin exposed on her lower back when her top rode up a bit, and she shivered. She rested her head back on his chest as she moved her hand to intertwine with the one on her nape. For a few minutes, they just lay there in complete and comfortable silence, just enjoying each other's warmth.
When she started to get up he pulled her back to him, making her laugh out loud. "Sasuke-kun..." she giggled because his breath tickled her neck. "I'm just going to prepare breakfast."
He relaxed his hold on her at that. "Hn," he grunted before turning away, as if embarrassed at having been caught being so clingy. He was not one to cuddle. In normal circumstances, that is. But since this was the woman whom he just confessed to a mere week ago, he'd be willing to make an exception.
She stopped just as she reached the door and looked back at him. "Go take a shower while I'm in the kitchen. You're needed at work by..." She checked the clock on the bedside table. "...eight thirty."
Oh and yes, she'd get away with ordering him around.
Sasuke was feeling good about himself...really good.
He signed the last piece of paperwork he had for the day and leaned back on his chair, sighing contentedly.
Now, you may ask what the hell happened that made him this happy?
Well for starters, he'd just made peace with the woman he was possibly in love with.
That, and the fact that something really really good happened. And he bet Sakura'd be literally jumping in joy once she found out about this.
He turned his swivel chair away from his desk and faced the vast window behind it. It's still noon but the sunlight didn't penetrate the glass surface even without drapes, because of the one-sided tint on the outside. The city was bustling below him. People rushed to buy their lunch on time before the end of the hour-long lunch break.
The young businessman thought back to what happened earlier that month.
Flashback...
He briefly glanced at Naruto who was practically vibrating in his seat before returning his eyes to the scenery outside the window of the car. Well, as much scenery as you can see in the slums of the city. He could see the residents gawking at the sleek black luxury vehicle as it passed through the narrow road.
"Teme, you can at least act a little excited!" he heard the blond dobe yell.
"Tell me, why are we here again?" he shot back, a bit irritated by his friend's loudness.
He had to admit, even thought he kept a passive face he was a tad curious as to why some lawyer guy named Nobutada Ken wanted to meet them. He just informed them through a phone call that he'd be discussing important matters with the second son of the head of the Uchiha Corp. But what bewildered Sasuke the most was the lawyer's choice of venue. Surely, he could've chosen to meet them at a more convenient place, right?
Naruto shrugged as if that answered his question. "Nobutada-san just said you'd be thrilled once you find out what he's got for you."
The Uchiha scrunched up his nose and threw a disgusted look towards Naruto. "You make it sound so wrong, dobe."
A loud, boisterous laugh then filled the entire car as it slowed down near an almost-empty lot. In the middle stood a middle-aged man in a grey suit who Sasuke assumed was Nobutada Ken. The man had his back on them and seemed to be supervising on the clearing out of the rubble from the obviously-recently-demolished building.
Sasuke and Naruto went out the car and walked the rest of the way to the middle of the field and it was not until the Uchiha cleared his throat that the lawyer turned around. The man's eyes widened for a second before his brown orbs softened upon recognizing the two men before him.
"Good morning, Uchiha-sama and Uzumaki-sama," Nobutada greeted, bowing before the younger males. "Thank you for coming out here." He straightened up and flashed a kind smile towards them.
Sasuke, always straight to the point, asked, "So what's this all about?"
Nobutada's smile widened and he handed a folder –which he was holding the whole time- to the Uchiha, letting him read its contents. Sasuke's brows furrowed as he read the file but Naruto's reaction –he was reading above his friend's shoulder- was completely different.
"NO WAY! Teme, this is really grea-"
Sasuke cut him off. "Who's behind this?"
He had finished reading the file and, as the dobe said, it was great news. But something nagged in his brain. This was all too good and considering everything that had happened in the company, this might be a trap of some sort.
"My client has chosen to remain anonymous, Uchiha-sama." The lawyer's smile turned apologetic.
The nagging inside his head became stronger. Why would this person not reveal himself when he just did a wonderful deed? Unless that person has an ulterior motive...
"How can I trust him? How can I trust you?" he asked coldly.
But the face of the older man lacked the deer-caught-in-headlights expression Sasuke expected. Instead he was given a pleasant smile as the man handed him another file.
"Everything has already been transferred to your name, Uchiha-sama and all the legalities of the matter have been taken care of by my client so there's no need to worry," Nobutada explained.
He was silent for a while, his practised mind already working on the pros and cons of every possible decision he had to make. With everything that's happened...from the infiltration in the Uchiha Corporation to the bombing of the Haruno Medical Centre, he could not help but be suspicious of just about everything. Especially since this proposition seemed to very much be on their good side. It was then he came to a decision, "Then I guess I can't say no."
End of Flashback
He still hadn't found out anything about the anonymous person, which was utterly surprising on his part because he knew private investigators...really good private investigators. Whoever passed the ownership of that parcel of land to him really didn't want to be found out.
In the course of the month Sasuke had been going back to that place, supervising and continuing the work being done there. The construction was finished long ago but it was due to operate within a couple of weeks. It was a little behind schedule, he had to admit, but at least he'd be celebrating this with Sakura.
After his confession to Sakura that morning a week ago, she had become noticeably bubblier...a precise contrast to how she was during their fight, as what Naruto told him. Her smile didn't just hold kindness and compassion in them. There was something new there that made her light up even more...made her more radiant, if that was even possible.
Sure, she hadn't exactly stated that she reciprocated his possible feelings for her –remember he said 'I think'- but she hadn't shied away from him either. The Uchiha remembered that after he blurted those words out, Sakura just stood there for a moment with her eyes as wide as saucers before they softened and she offered him a dazzling smile, and then he was suddenly pulled into a gentle embrace.
He felt like their relationship changed since that faithful day. After her shift at the hospital, she would drop by the penthouse and cook dinner for him since she didn't trust him to be making anything healthy with how busy he was with work. He was now accustomed to her going through his belongings and had even given her a spare key to the penthouse. He would then be left with no other choice but to come home from work around half past seven in time for dinner and they would eat the meal together in comfortable silence.
Sometimes she'd spend the night, mostly on his insistence with the reason that she'd look about ready to pass out from exhaustion or something similar to that. Last night was one of those nights. Sasuke just didn't get it. His fiancée often chastised him for overworking yet she couldn't resist doing so too herself.
Sasuke just shook his head before standing up to retrieve his discarded suit jacket from his office couch and heading to the door.
The pink-haired doctor got a firm hold on the squirming child in front of her while she held a syringe in the other hand. The child had arrived in her office-slash-clinic with his mother half an hour ago to get his shots but the constant struggling and yelling from the child didn't really help speed up the process.
"Oh c'mon, Hiro-kun, it won't be so bad," Sakura told the boy, silently hoping he'd give up and let her administer the shots.
But alas, he once again struggled against her grip, the futile attempt looking downright pitiful. His mother had pinned both his legs with her own while her arms took hold of his waist and the other arm that Sakura won't be prodding on.
"No!" Hiro shouted.
Sakura inwardly growled. Hiro wasn't the most difficult case she handled and most certainly not the most annoying, but her patience was not exactly endless and this was pushing it. She had to calm the boy down if she wanted to get his shots done, otherwise it would be potentially dangerous for the seven-year-old.
"Hiro," his mother warned quietly and Sakura could see she was also losing her patience. "Be nice to Dr. Haruno."
"B-But she's going to hurt me with that big needle-thingy!" he reasoned, eyeing the syringe with such contempt.
The mother suddenly laughed, her hold on her son loosening slightly. "Oh she's not, sweetie. The medicine she's going to give you will make you strong like those ninja you watch on T.V. and it would also make you cool like that man we saw by the door."
"The silver-haired mister?" Hiro asked cutely, his big eyes gazing questioningly towards his mother.
"Of course, sweetie."
The boy smiled. "Okay now, Lady Doctor Haruno, I'm ready to be strong like ninja and cool like the silver-haired mister!" he exclaimed, bouncing up and down his mother's lap with excitement.
Sakura felt a smile tug at her lips at Hiro's infectious happiness. "Sure you are, kiddo. Now, hold still and after this I'll give you a special candy!"
The kid shut his eyes tight and bit his lower lip when the needle penetrated the skin of his upper arm and then suddenly there was no pain anymore. "Is it over?" he asked as he slowly opened his onyx eyes.
"Yep!" Sakura opened a drawer on her desk and retrieved a big lollipop and handed it to the boy who grabbed it with a hurried thanks.
"Yay! I'm gonna be cool and strong and famous! Kenji and Misa are so gonna be jealous!"
Hiro's mother just 'tsk-ed' and mutter something that sounded suspiciously like 'Boys these days...' before standing up and leaving with a bow and a 'thank you'. The door had just barely closed when it opened once more. Sakura, not hearing the distinct click of the door closing, looked up from the papers on her desk.
"Yo!"
The pink-haired doctor stared...
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...and stared.
The Hiro kid earlier didn't lie when he mentioned the silver-haired mister and she couldn't help but stare at his hair that stuck up at the front. But then she inwardly slapped herself. She was wondering about how he got his hair colour when she herself has pink hair.
She cleared her throat and shifted her gaze to his masked face instead. She probably looked like an idiot earlier. "What can I do for you, Mr...?"
"Ah, my name is Hatake Kakashi." His only visible eye crinkled in amusement. "My, you've grown so much Saki-chan."
Sakura raised an eyebrow. How can this man –a stranger, no less- address her so familiarly? "E-Eh?"
"Don't you remember our picnics at the park when I taught you how to ride a bicycle? I'm so hurt to know that you've already forgotten me, Saki-chan," He clenched a fist over his heart in fake sorrow but his eyes –err, eye- gave away his amusement. "Though I am amazed with the news that it was you who my godson managed to reel in. Small world, I must say."
Suddenly memories and images flashed before her eyes. There was one memory when her parents dropped her off at a certain teenager's house. Then as she watched them leave for work in the old sedan that they used to own, a hand was placed on her head ruffling her short pink strands as if reassuring her five-year old self.
Another memory was of her squealing in pure happiness while her hair was swept by the wind at the speed that the bicycle was going. She now understood why her parents left her with this man whenever she had no classes. At the age of eight, she already understood that her parents worked very hard to provide food on the table everyday and still send her to school. She later learned that this silver-haired man in his early twenties was the son of her parents' colleague who had died the year before she met him at the construction site he was supervising.
But these meetings stopped altogether when school and her friends took up most of her time.
And she hadn't heard of or seen him ever since.
That is, until now.
Recognition reached her eyes that were immediately filled with tears. How could she have forgotten him? How couldn't she even recognize him? The mask and the silver hair had been a total give away since he hadn't changed his style a bit. Sakura certainly felt like an idiot and would've screamed in frustration had she not been overwhelmed with emotion upon seeing her friend after so long.
"K-Kakashi-sensei!"
And Kakashi barely had the time to open his arms wide before her smaller frame slammed against his in a tight embrace. He smiled under his mask when he noticed that she still called him 'sensei' even after all this time.
He chuckled and ruffled her pink locks like he always did when she was young, and soon her tears stopped. She giggled lightly and pushed away to sit on the couch with the older man.
After a while, a new thought entered her mind. "So your godson...?"
"Ah..." The masked man folded his muscular arms over his chest. "Dense girl."
Her eyes twitched at the comment. She was not dense! "Kakashi..." she hissed warningly.
Kakashi sighed, as if he just face-palmed. "Your fiancé is my godson."
Her reaction was instant. Her doe-like eyes widened even more and she couldn't seem to find the right words to say. If he was Sasuke's godfather then he must know Mikoto and Fugaku...and both Uchiha clan heads knew her parents – who Kakashi also knew – since they were colleagues in college.
That was when it clicked to place. Kyoichi, Hikari, Fugaku and Mikoto knew Kakashi because they knew the silver-haired man's father. Oh, what a small world. So why hadn't she met Sasuke earlier on in her life? That much was a mystery.
"Oh...small world indeed," she remarked after recovering from shock. "So...what brings you here?"
Kakashi shrugged. "That spoiled brat sent me to get you."
"Sasuke-kun?" she clarified and he nodded. "Why? Did something happen?"
"Relax, Sakura. It's not like everytime he sends for you he's in trouble. He just has some things to tell you. That's all," the older man explained, effectively calming down the pinkette.
She huffed. "Mou, Sasuke-kun is sometimes so lazy. He could've just driven himself here if he had anything to say."
Kakashi just shrugged nonchalantly again. "Working with him for almost a decade has made me realize the lazy side of him," he told her in a bored manner. "Anyway, he wants to meet you for lunch. Might as well cancel all your appointments for this afternoon."
The pink-haired doctor looked at the older man weirdly. "So you're now his errand boy?"
She was satisfied when his left eye twitched in annoyance at the term 'errand boy'. It amused her greatly how someone as prideful and talented – not that she'd give him an ego boost by telling him that – as Hatake Kakashi would take orders from someone else.
"Now, now..." he reprimanded her. "...there is no need for you to do that, Saki. In fact, I was the one who volunteered to fetch you since I haven't seen you in so long, and this is how you treat me? So ungrateful..." he ranted, although he mumbled the last part.
Sakura giggled. That was just so...Kakashi. He'd tend to be overdramatic over petty things.
"Hn," she grunted and fought for a more neutral expression. "Let's get going then."
At that, the silver-haired man shook his head forlornly. "That Sasuke brat is rubbing off on you."
The ride to the Uchiha heir's office building was uneventful. Kakashi filled Sakura in on what happened to him when they lost contact. And Sakura couldn't help but wonder how she could've missed him when he practically lived in her father's office.
Apparently, Kakashi's connection with the Uchiha family helped build the foundations of the Haruno medical empire. He was often in Kyoichi's office discussing financial strategies and whatnot with the male Haruno. He was basically his advisor, being the child genius that he was – until he was called by the Uchihas after their run-in with Orochimaru's black market transactions. Since then, he'd been assigned directly under Uchiha Fugaku himself and was tasked to handle international relations especially in Sunagakure and Kumogakure.
And Sakura was amazed. Sure, she knew that Kakashi was smart, but her six-year old mind wasn't able to realize the freakin' genius just before her eyes. So that's why he was able to graduate at an early age and be able to skip school to play with her.
When they arrived, Sasuke was already waiting at the lobby, studiously ignoring the irritating squeals from his fangirls. Really, how were they able to even enter the company grounds? He appeared to have been waiting for quite some time already because he had his head propped up by his hand that was resting on the armrest of the lobby couch and his brows were furrowed.
Sakura smiled at the sight and moved towards her fiancé with Kakashi tailing lazily behind. Sasuke still seemed oblivious of their presence.
When she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him from the back, the position forcing her to lean down and rest her cheek against his. At first, Sasuke tensed. Sakura knew just how much he despised people getting touchy with him...although he didn't mind when the contact was from her or anyone else in his inner circle.
She watched as he subtly glanced at her from the corner of his eyes, and concluded that he recognized her when he sighed and relaxed in her arms. This resulted to her being on the receiving end of his fangirls' glares...which she just shrugged off.
"Took you long enough," the Uchiha muttered under his breath.
Sakura scoffed. "You and your obsessive compulsive tendencies," she teased him lightly before giving him a peck on the cheek. "I wouldn't have been late if you hadn't sent my babysitter-slash-childhood friend to get me. Speaking of being late, what am I late for anyway?"
Sasuke turned halfway around, causing her to pull back and straighten up. "We're going somewhere," he answered simply.
"Where?"
He smirked. "You'll know when we get there." He then turned to Kakashi. "Thank you for fetching her for me. You may go now."
The masked man raised an eyebrow before muttering a low 'Pushy brat,' and walking away, leaving the couple alone.
"Come on," Sasuke said, dragging a dazed Sakura out to the parking lot.
The car ride was quiet mostly because Sakura was in much deep though wondering where her fiancé was taking her and well, Sasuke was such a quiet man. Having been too preoccupied with her thoughts, the rosette almost didn't realize it when the car stopped. She glanced around and saw that they were parked right in front of the Akimichi Food Services.
She turned to Sasuke and raised a questioning eyebrow at him. "What are we doing here?"
"Food tasting, of course," he told her as if it was the most obvious answer in the world.
He led her to the doors where they were quieted by a round man. She recognized him as Akimichi Chouza, Shikamaru's bestfriend's father. He seemed to have been expecting them and was purely overjoyed at the sight of the couple.
"Ah, so you're the famous Uchiha bride!" the older man exclaimed, turning to the pinkette who blushed prettily at the unexpected comment. "I am happy that you chose our company to lend our services on your wedding day. We promise not to disappoint," he finished with a bow.
Before Sakura could reply, Sasuke butted in. "Hn. I expect you not to."
The Haruno heiress gaped at her fiancé and nudged him. Akimichi-san was being nice and welcoming to them and her dearest fiancé just had threatened him. Subtly, but he still threatened him nonetheless.
She knew for a fact the Uchiha – especially the men - were perfectionists. There's no room for error for them and even a single mishap might had to the destruction of your career. Yes, she knew all those even before she met Sasuke but when she did though, it led her to the theory that they all have Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder. Just like how Fugaku always stirred his coffee counter-clockwise. Or how Mikoto wakes at exactly 5:45am everyday, brushes her long silky straight raven hair, and always puts on her right shoe before the left. Or just simply how Sasuke would not step on the lines between the tiles on the floor. Or maybe she's the one who's obsessive compulsive having noticed all these.
But acting like this to someone who's doing them a big favour by catering food on their wedding – wait...what?
Her eyes widened and she faced Chouza before turning back to Sasuke who seemed to have been expecting her to catch on soon, judging by the big smirk he had on his pretty face.
"We're here to taste samples of food?" she asked tentatively.
"Hn," he grunted, his smirk still on. "That's what I told you."
She ignored his arrogant remark. "And the food is for our wedding?"
"Yes."
That was when she frowned. "And I haven't been informed that the wedding plans had started because...?" She crossed her arms over her chest, waiting for his explanation.
Sasuke sighed. He hated it when he had to explain himself so he opted for the best and shortest answer. "Something came up and father said we had to start planning as soon as possible."
Her worry was almost instant. "What? What happened?"
His smirk had vanished completely now. He had expected her to just accept his explanation and they can get on with the food-tasting, but he should've known better. "I'll explain everything to you later, Sakura." Without waiting for Sakura to respond, he turned to Chouza – who seemed to be confused at the exchange – and told him to proceed.
The rotund man jumped back into action...well as much as he could jump anyway. He led them to the other side of the establishment where four long tables were set up and filled with every kind of food imaginable. The tables were for appetizers, entrees, main courses and desserts respectively.
It was half an hour before her lunch break when they finished deciding on the last of the dishes, and the pink-haired doctor was already full that she felt like bursting. She groaned as she climbed back into her fiancé's car. She's never tasting that many dishes ever again! But she absolutely loved that strawberry cannelloni and Gateau au Opera! She remembered how Sasuke wrinkled his nose when she brought the third spoonful to her mouth. He was never a fan of desserts
"What are you giggling about now?"
She must have closed her eyes in the midst of her musings and when she opened them, she found the dark-haired man looking at her with a raised eyebrow.
"I was so not giggling!" she protested but could clearly see that he was just playing with her.
"Hn." He started the engine and drove off from the food establishment.
"So where are we off to next?" she asked nonchalantly.
He seemed to think for a moment before answering, "We need to go to Yuuhi's."
And all words died in her mouth. The Yuuhi's were the most prestigious jeweller in the whole Fire Country. The only thing she owned from them was a pair of diamond studs. To think that her wedding ring would be from Yuuhi's made her want to squeal.
Sasuke regarded her expression carefully before speaking up. "You like that, don't you?"
She flashed him her brightest smile and he could see it even though his eyes focused on the road. "Yes, very much." She sighed happily and leaned back on the leather seat. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun."
As a response, he let go of the gear stick and held her left hand which was resting on her lap. He squeezed it to tell her that he acknowledged her gratitude.
The excitement of the day had died down and after being stuffed by the most delectable dishes, blinded by the most gorgeous jewelry she'd ever seen, and being pestered by the most annoying team of individuals who'd want to know what kind of table cloth material, glassware, flowers, bouquet, cake, invitation and even the car engine of the bridal car she'd want for the wedding...Sakura was even more thatn willing to go home where a nice hot bath awaited her.
But, alas, the preparations wouldn't be perfect without the wedding dress. Both she and Sasuke opted for a Western wedding despite both their families being traditional, so her wedding dress would be a white gown instead of the traditional kimono.
Sasuke was then chased away by Ino, who had suddenly appeared in the dress shop, explaining that the groom shouldn't see the bride in the wedding dress before the actual ceremony. The man kissed the rosette's cheek and left with a promise to be back after fetching his suit.
"Oooh...I'm sensing something," Ino announced to Sakura, wriggling her blond eyebrows suggestively.
The pair was being led to the VIP backroom by the head designed. The pink-haired woman rolled her eyes. Her bestfriend was such a bloodhound. She could sniff out even the slightest difference in a person's usual personality.
"What now?" Sakura asked.
"Umm..." the blond supermodel took on a thinking pose, something she adapted from Shikamaru. "Did he confess?" she asked so suddenly.
Sakura's reaction time seemed to have gotten slow because she just stared at Ino, blinking and not talking at all before her face turned beet red. How can Ino be so spot on?
At her reaction, it was Ino's turn to gape like a fish out of water. Totally unattractive, but the paparazzi was nowhere to be found thankfully. "You..." she swallowed, pointing at her bestfriend accusingly. "You mean, I was right? Wow, Sakura. That's just...wow! Spill!"
The pinkette sighed. She should've seen this coming. "Later, pig. I'm tired and I want to get this fitting over with," she said, standing from her seat as the designer reappeared with a large box that contained the most important dress in her life.
Ino pouted but nodded nonetheless. "Fine, but tell me later okay?"
"Promise."
"Forehead, the design looks perfect on you!"
It was the first thing Sasuke heard when he returned to the dress shop. There was no mistaking it that it was the Yamanaka who exclaimed, and he briefly wondered if he should bribe the designer to let him look at the dress later. He quickly dismissed the idea though, reasoning that he'd prefer to be surprised. So, he knocked on the shop's backdoor and waited patiently.
There was a bit of a commotion on the other side of the door – there was even a harsh whisper of 'He's here already? Quick, quick! Take the dress off and hide it!' – before the door opened to reveal the slightly rattled designer. When he stepped in the room, his eyes were immediately attacked by the white fluorescent light which totally contrasted the dimness of the seemingly closed-up front room.
"Oi, it's Sasuke," declared Ino who was sitting next to a mannequin and looking like one as well.
The man rolled his eyes and 'tch-ed'. 'As if they didn't know it was me in the first place,' he thought to himself. His attention shifted when the curtain separating the dressing area from the rest of the room was swept away. A flustered Sakura then stepped out and he couldn't help but think that she looked comical. Her beautiful pink mane was in disarray and she had an awkward smile on her face.
"Hey, you're back." Her soft voice reached his ears as she made her way to where he was by the door.
"Hn, I promised you I'd be back after I pick up my suit," he reminded her.
It was true. He had just picked up his suit for the wedding then came back to the dress shop where he left Sakura with Ino. He couldn't afford any more dilly dallying after all. From what his father told him, the wedding should happen as soon as possible.
FLASHBACK:
He knocked before opening the door to his father's office and saw the Kyoichi and Kakashi were already there as well. His father was seated behind his desk while the other men occupied the seats across from the older Uchiha.
"Have a seat, Sasuke," he heard his father say.
He sat down on a vacant chair beside Kakashi and waited for his father to say anything since asking straightforwardly would be disrespectful. Although Fugaku had loosened up upon the introduction of Sakura to the family, it didn't seem wise to test how much more at ease he could get.
Fugaku shifted in his seat and laced hi fingers together on the table. This was, as Sasuke recognized, his father's business pose. "I had received news about what's been happening to the company." Of course, he would know about that because he was still the owner of the company while Sasuke was just second in command. "And I have reason to believe that someone is trying to take over the company...Someone who is good at what he is doing."
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TBC
Chapter 011 Preview:Enlèvement Part II
"My engagement to Sakura?" he repeated.
Sasuke clenched his fist angrily. He wasn't left with any other choice and no matter how difficult it is, it was the only way to solve all this. Lives were on the line and he couldn't let his pride and emotions get in the way. A little sacrifice on his part could tip the scales back to their favour.
"Please don't do this. Just...Just leave our family alone!" Mikoto pleaded, tears flowing down her porcelain face. "Sasuke and Sakura don't deserve all of this."
She couldn't stop the tears as she finally drew her eyes from his hunched figure. "So, that's it? A-After everything..." she swallowed thickly, still unable to process the information that her world was crashing down. "After everything that's happened, you leave me just like that?"
"You're worse than trash."
Glare. "What did you say?" he hissed heatedly.
"I said, you're worse than trash teme."
Authoress' Note:
YAY! I'm still alive! This is where the plot thickens. There'll be many twists that may confuse you so I'm open to your questions and suggestions. Did the preview confuse you too? It's designed that way, don't worry. They're snippets of what's to come, so stay tuned! And I promise sooner updates since I finally overcame my writer's block! Yay for that!
Oh yes, about the NaruHina portion of this...there'll be lots of that in the next chapters. Expect some ShikaIno and NejiTen too! ;)
Ooooh... and why's Mikoto crying in the preview? Who's gonna break up with who? What's behind the chapter title? And why did Naruto say that Sasuke's worse than trash?
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Tanji/astridhong17