Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Thinking About You
(5.5)
OUT OF OUR DEPTH
"/Not me."/
Sakura followed the woman pushing her cart along the aisles. Uncertain if she actually knew her, she decided to slowly fall behind.
The woman – who was wearing a violet floral dress shirt, white slim fitting slacks and violet kitten heels – stopped and turned her head to the left.
['It really is her.']
Sakura smiled and quickened her pace.
Rin seemed like she was talking to someone.
Sakura was getting close. She was now able to hear Rin's voice.
("Have you decided which one you like?")
("Aa.")
"…?!"
Sakura halted.
("Come on then. Put it in the cart.")
['N-No way.']
Just as the person that Rin was talking to approached her, shoppers make their way across the aisle from both direction in front of her.
…
/"There are fresh towels inside the mirrored cabinet if you need them."/
/"Thank you."/
…
…Sakura suddenly remembers catching Sasuke' familiar scent and finding a similar bottle of his cologne inside the bathroom of Rin's apartment…
…
/"Smells like Sasuke-kun's- … I knew it. Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/
…
The face of the tall man – wearing a black hoddie zipper jacket – was obstructed from her view but she could glimpse Rin ruffling the guy's black hair while grinning at him.
…
/"Isn't that Sasuke..."/
/"Hm?"/
/"…with… his girlfriend?"/
…
…She then remembered the woman that she saw Sasuke with, from before…
['She had… brown hair.']
The man offers to push the cart for her and Rin was more than happy to accept. She then wrapped her hand around his arm as she walked beside him.
Sakura takes a step back.
…
/"Make a dedication!"/
/"Tsk! Seriously?! … I dedicate this to… that…"/
…
…She remembers as Sasuke started looking around the audience. He briefly looks at her before turning towards another direction...
…
/"That… special person out there who makes… who made being alive feels like… a blessing."/
…
Sakura takes two more steps back.
['She was there back then. Among the audience.']
…
…Sakura remembers catching a woman who was wearing all-black…
…
/"Sakura!"/
/"Nurse Rin?! I- W-What are you doing here?"/
/"Nothing much really. Just out for a drive. … So, need a lift?"/
/"I- er… I think I have some tissues somewhere inside my coat pocket. … H-Here Sakura. Go ahead… and take it out of… whichever pocket."/
/"Thank you."/
…
The last person makes it across clearing her view.
Sakura found herself staring at Sasuke's back.
…
/"The thing is… the possibility of Sasuke-kun having a girlfriend had been occupying my mind for a while now and I just recently had him admit to it."/
/"He… confirmed it?"/
/"Well, he said that, she's… someone he… /adores/."/
/"I… see. But… what is it about him upsets your- err… Sasori?"/
…
She immediately turned on her heel.
…
/"Why would he be upset over you being moved by someone's performance?"/
/"I wasn't moved. I was devastated, hearing him dedicate sweet words to a girl that isn't me."/
/"Sakura."/
/"I shed my tears for the boy who wasn't even aware that he broke my heart in front of the boy who likes me-"/
/"Whoops! … Oh my- Sakura?! Are you okay?! I'm sorry!"/
…
Sakura kept her back turned and started walking away.
...
...
...
"Sakura! There you are!", Suigetsu yelled
She froze in place.
"I'm done here. Let's go pay for these 'cause we gotta g- Oh!"
Sakura could tell from the looks of Suigetsu that he had spotted Sasuke and Rin.
"H-Hey Sasuke.", said Suigetsu. "What are you doing here?"
"Sa…ku…ra?", Rin spoke.
Sakura slowly turned her head to look back at them.
Sasuke was as passive as he always had been. To him it seemed like it was nothing more than a casual encounter.
Rin anxiously, let go of Sasuke's arm and stepped away from him. "This is… Actually… Sakura… The thing is. Sasuke-kun and I are-"
"Sasuke-kun?", Sakura mimicked, turning around to face them.
"Er… I mean Uchiha-"
['I feel… sick.']
"What's wrong?", Sasuke suddenly asked her.
"Huh?!"
"What's wrong with you?", he asked again.
['What's wrong with me?!']
"You're… turning pale.", said Sasuke.
['I- I feel… like…']
"I'm gonna throw up.", murmured Sakura.
"What?!"
"Brrgh-" Sakura held it in as she made a move to cover her mouth.
"S-Sakura?", Rin was suddenly concerned.
"Oi!", Sasuke moved towards her.
Sakura stepped back. "Suigetsu!", she called, turning to him.
"Sakura? Are you okay?", Suigetsu moved closer.
"S-Sorry! I- I'm… not feeling… well!", Sakura told him. "Please.. brrg- "
"Sakura!" Sasuke sounded alarmed.
"Please tell Orochimaru-san I'm sick and… brrg-"
"Sakura!", It was Suigetsu's turn to worry.
"I'm sorry! I don't think I can go back with you~ I- I- I'm gonna throw up!"
Sakura ran away, leaving the three behind.
"Sakura!"~
.
.
.
Sakura rushed out the door.
…
/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/
…
Passersby gave her curios and quizzical looks
…
/"…he doesn't exactly live here. He does come over sometimes but most of the time he goes home to his house."/
/"He has a house? Why doesn't he ask you to move in and live with him instead?"/
/"It's technically not his house. He had to move in there to live with… a relative."/
…
Feeling nauseous, she staggered as she moves away from the store.
…
/"I had to live with my mother's relatives. … Sasuke was in the same situation, with his father's relative."/
…
['Back then…!']
…
/"Anyway before I send Sasori an e-mail, I thought I'd ask Nurse Rin to take a look at it. I wanted her opinion on whether I was able to write a convincing piece. But I have no way to know when she's around or not busy so I thought I'd ask Karin to hold onto it and hand it to Nurse Rin when they see each other."/
/"I can hand this to her during lunch for you?"/
…
['…Sasuke-kun meant Nurse Rin.']
…
/"Thanks. … So what did Karin say? How did Nurse Rin find it?"/
/"She said it was pretty good. According to... the nurse, it's as if it was written by an actual medical student…"/
…
['All this time…']
…
/"B-By the way, I just remembered I still haven't thank you for proofreading my revision on Sasori's practice thesis."/
/"Right. The one Uchiha brought to me."/
/"Directly? He didn't ask Karin to hand it for me?"/
/"Uhm, no. He personally came to me."/
…
Sakura faltered.
['Idiot!']
…
/"So, you ended up being a great partner to Uchiha. What's he like?"/
/"He's okay I guess. He's actually more tolerant of people as long as you know how to approach him."/
/"Hm~ … You're also more tolerant of people nowadays. I noticed you've improved your relations with Uzumaki Naruto as well."/
/"Eh?... Ehehehe~ When you can keep up with an Uchiha, you can tolerate any other type of people."/
/"That's sort of right, I supposed."/
…
She turned left at the corner of the building…
['I'm such a big idiot!']
…
/"But he's not so bad really. If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside… all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it. But if you do see it, you'll find it one heck of a sight to look at. Very beautiful and very captivating."/
/"Sounds like you think he's a truly wonderful person. … I'm glad to hear that."/
…
…and walked into the alley.
['It was right in front of me all along!']
…
/"Are you talking about Uchiha Sasuke?"/
/"Nurse Rin."/
…
She walked faster as she felt she had reached her limit.
['Right from the start!']
…
/"Anyway, Uchiha; any particular reason why he's been mentioned?"/
/"Why the sudden interest in him? … Oh right, he visits the infirmary a lot lately. Maybe you're the reason?!"/
/"Miss Yamanaka. Just what are you implying?"/
/"Just kidding! But who knows? Maybe you're actually his type Nurse Rin?"/
/"He does come to the infirmary sometimes but he doesn't stay for too long. … Karin drives him away with her quirks."/
…
['From… the very… beginni-']
…
/"Since day one."/
…
['No~']
…
/"I couldn't help it. As it turned out, my heart was already taken by Sasuke-kun before I even realized it."/
…
['She was there! Nurse Rin was right beside me that time!']
…
/"The moment our eyes met, I was... captivated/. When he responded to my gesture, my heart skipped a beat. Something inside me was stirred."
…
['It wasn't me at all.']
…
/"But maybe that was his charm. Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/
…
['Not me.']
.
.
.
~Blargh~
Sakura let everything out into the nearby dumpster.
…
…
…
"What happened to you?", Sasuke suddenly came up from behind her.
"Go… a- … Go away~! … Don't look! Don't look at… me!"
"Too late. I've already seen everything."
She was flustered. "I said… go away… /fweh/! Please."
Sakura began feeling for her handkerchief.
"Here." Sasuke held out some tissues and a bottle of water to her.
"I don't need your help. Now leave me alone already."
"Are we going to go through this again?"
"…"
Sasuke handed her the items again.
Sakura grabbed the items out of his hand.
Sasuke stepped back as Sakura straightened herself.
She turned away from him and began cleaning herself up.
"Did you have a drink or something?"
"No!", she retorted. "I just… had an anxiety attack. It's normal. It happens a lot though it hadn't happened in a while."
…
"I sent Suigetsu back after paying for the items.", he informed her. "Don't worry you won't get in trouble for this."
"N-Nurse Rin?"
"She also went ahead."
"H-How long were you and Nurse Rin- N-Nevermind! It's none of my business!"
"Over… three months I think."
"Oh. A-Around the same time she started working as the school nurse."
"Aa."
"When were you planning on telling Karin?"
"Huh? … We didn't want it to… affect her apprenticeship. It's very important for her and her father so~!"
"Does Naruto know?"
"Aa."
"Does Kakashi-sensei know?"
"Aa."
"I see." Sakura finished cleaning up.
She discarded the used tissues and the plastic bottle before making a move to leave.
"Sakura."
"I won't tell Karin anything so… keep your promise."
"…?!"
"I said I'd support you remember?"
Sasuke nodded despite his confusion.
"So, make sure you tell Karin everything. Stop lying to her. She deserves better."
"A-Aa. In… due time."
"When is due time?! She needs to-"
("Sakura?")
Sakura and Sasuke looked at Sasori who just came into the alley.
"Sasori.", Sakura was surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?", he wondered.
"I- I was running some errands for Orochimaru-san. But then I had an anxiety attack and felt nauseous so I ran all the way back here.", she explained. "W-What about…you?"
"I was driving by when I caught a glimpse of you walking out of that store. I immediately stopped but… I was hesitating to come and see you." Sasori glanced at Sasuke. "Then I saw him… get out of the store and quickly made his way to go after you. I- … I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah.", Sakura lowered her head. "I'm fine. I feel better now."
"You don't look fine at all." Sasori walked towards Sakura.
"S-Sasori I-"
"It's okay.", he interjected. "Everything's okay now. We're fine." Sasori reached for her hands again.
"But-"
Sasori hugged her. "It's fine Sakura. It really is. I'm okay now so…"
"Sasori?!"
"I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye."
"N-No! I'm the one who has to apologize.", Sakura whimpered. "I'm really sorry. Sorry for being selfish. And sorry for being so unfair with you."
"Let's just forget about all that okay?" Sasori held her tighter. "None of that matters anymore."
Sakura weakly nodded. "Okay."
Sasori pulled himself back. "Let's go. I'll take you home so you can get some rest."
Sasori spared Sasuke a look as she was pulling Sakura out of the alley. "Thanks for always looking out for her. But I'm here now so you can go ahead and go to wherever you need to be."
"…"
"Sasori."
"Come on Sakura." Sasori let go of Sakura's hand and put it around her shoulder instead.
"Huh?!"
"Say goodbye to your friend."
"I- Uhm…" Sakura turned towards Sasuke. "G-Good night. I'll see you tomorrow at work."
Sasuke nodded.
"Bye then.", bid Sasori as he led Sakura away.
Sakura glanced back at Sasuke.
Sakuke placed his hands inside his pocket as he watch them leave.
"Sakura."
END OF FLASHBACK
"Sakura.", Choji – who was wearing a beige tuxedo with a red neck tie – called her attention.
"Hm?"
"Looks like we're each other's date for this wedding huh?"
"Karui isn't coming?"
"She's out of town."
"Haruno-san. Akimichi-san. Move a little closer.", Sai instructed.
"Okay.", said Sakura.
Sakura wore the empire waist dress and Ino was wearing a violet hourglass dress with a sweetheart neckline.
"Just call me Choji."
Sakura moved closer to Ino and Choji moved closer to her.
"Now, Nara-san and… Sabaku-san. Come closer as well."
"All right.", said Temari. Temari opted to wear business attire – that composed of a black suit and a red dress shirt – instead of a dress.
"Just start calling us by our names already man.", Shikamaru told him as he moved closer to his girlfriend.
"S-Sure."
Shikamaru and Sai were both wearing a classic black tuxedo.
"Sai. Can you just take the picture now?" Ino was getting impatient.
"Okay. Everyone smile."
Sakura smiled weakly.
"Ready and… 3, 2, 1"
~/Whirr, Zoom, Click~/
/./
/./
/./
/Noir/
…
You'd love me to bits, if I wasn't already in pieces
I don't want you, but I don't want to be without this
Gave you sign after sign, time after time
Will we sink or swim, treading this water till we descend
We never win, one more loss and I'm lost till the end
We told lie after lie, time after time
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Pain doesn't last, but we dived in head second, heart first
We could be the best, but I can't stop living in fear of the worst
Sleepless night after night, time after time
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Don't you, don't you
Don't you dare drown on me
Don't you dare drown on me
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Gave you sign after sign, time after time
We told lie after lie, time after time
(OUT OF OUR DEPTH – Lauren Aquilina)
...
/./
/./
/./
/TBC/
OUT OF OUR DEPTH
"/Not me."/
Sakura followed the woman pushing her cart along the aisles. Uncertain if she actually knew her, she decided to slowly fall behind.
The woman – who was wearing a violet floral dress shirt, white slim fitting slacks and violet kitten heels – stopped and turned her head to the left.
['It really is her.']
Sakura smiled and quickened her pace.
Rin seemed like she was talking to someone.
Sakura was getting close. She was now able to hear Rin's voice.
("Have you decided which one you like?")
("Aa.")
"…?!"
Sakura halted.
("Come on then. Put it in the cart.")
['N-No way.']
Just as the person that Rin was talking to approached her, shoppers make their way across the aisle from both direction in front of her.
…
/"There are fresh towels inside the mirrored cabinet if you need them."/
/"Thank you."/
…
…Sakura suddenly remembers catching Sasuke' familiar scent and finding a similar bottle of his cologne inside the bathroom of Rin's apartment…
…
/"Smells like Sasuke-kun's- … I knew it. Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/
…
The face of the tall man – wearing a black hoddie zipper jacket – was obstructed from her view but she could glimpse Rin ruffling the guy's black hair while grinning at him.
…
/"Isn't that Sasuke..."/
/"Hm?"/
/"…with… his girlfriend?"/
…
…She then remembered the woman that she saw Sasuke with, from before…
['She had… brown hair.']
The man offers to push the cart for her and Rin was more than happy to accept. She then wrapped her hand around his arm as she walked beside him.
Sakura takes a step back.
…
/"Make a dedication!"/
/"Tsk! Seriously?! … I dedicate this to… that…"/
…
…She remembers as Sasuke started looking around the audience. He briefly looks at her before turning towards another direction...
…
/"That… special person out there who makes… who made being alive feels like… a blessing."/
…
Sakura takes two more steps back.
['She was there back then. Among the audience.']
…
…Sakura remembers catching a woman who was wearing all-black…
…
/"Sakura!"/
/"Nurse Rin?! I- W-What are you doing here?"/
/"Nothing much really. Just out for a drive. … So, need a lift?"/
/"I- er… I think I have some tissues somewhere inside my coat pocket. … H-Here Sakura. Go ahead… and take it out of… whichever pocket."/
/"Thank you."/
…
The last person makes it across clearing her view.
Sakura found herself staring at Sasuke's back.
…
/"The thing is… the possibility of Sasuke-kun having a girlfriend had been occupying my mind for a while now and I just recently had him admit to it."/
/"He… confirmed it?"/
/"Well, he said that, she's… someone he… /adores/."/
/"I… see. But… what is it about him upsets your- err… Sasori?"/
…
She immediately turned on her heel.
…
/"Why would he be upset over you being moved by someone's performance?"/
/"I wasn't moved. I was devastated, hearing him dedicate sweet words to a girl that isn't me."/
/"Sakura."/
/"I shed my tears for the boy who wasn't even aware that he broke my heart in front of the boy who likes me-"/
/"Whoops! … Oh my- Sakura?! Are you okay?! I'm sorry!"/
…
Sakura kept her back turned and started walking away.
...
...
...
"Sakura! There you are!", Suigetsu yelled
She froze in place.
"I'm done here. Let's go pay for these 'cause we gotta g- Oh!"
Sakura could tell from the looks of Suigetsu that he had spotted Sasuke and Rin.
"H-Hey Sasuke.", said Suigetsu. "What are you doing here?"
"Sa…ku…ra?", Rin spoke.
Sakura slowly turned her head to look back at them.
Sasuke was as passive as he always had been. To him it seemed like it was nothing more than a casual encounter.
Rin anxiously, let go of Sasuke's arm and stepped away from him. "This is… Actually… Sakura… The thing is. Sasuke-kun and I are-"
"Sasuke-kun?", Sakura mimicked, turning around to face them.
"Er… I mean Uchiha-"
['I feel… sick.']
"What's wrong?", Sasuke suddenly asked her.
"Huh?!"
"What's wrong with you?", he asked again.
['What's wrong with me?!']
"You're… turning pale.", said Sasuke.
['I- I feel… like…']
"I'm gonna throw up.", murmured Sakura.
"What?!"
"Brrgh-" Sakura held it in as she made a move to cover her mouth.
"S-Sakura?", Rin was suddenly concerned.
"Oi!", Sasuke moved towards her.
Sakura stepped back. "Suigetsu!", she called, turning to him.
"Sakura? Are you okay?", Suigetsu moved closer.
"S-Sorry! I- I'm… not feeling… well!", Sakura told him. "Please.. brrg- "
"Sakura!" Sasuke sounded alarmed.
"Please tell Orochimaru-san I'm sick and… brrg-"
"Sakura!", It was Suigetsu's turn to worry.
"I'm sorry! I don't think I can go back with you~ I- I- I'm gonna throw up!"
Sakura ran away, leaving the three behind.
"Sakura!"~
.
.
.
Sakura rushed out the door.
…
/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/
…
Passersby gave her curios and quizzical looks
…
/"…he doesn't exactly live here. He does come over sometimes but most of the time he goes home to his house."/
/"He has a house? Why doesn't he ask you to move in and live with him instead?"/
/"It's technically not his house. He had to move in there to live with… a relative."/
…
Feeling nauseous, she staggered as she moves away from the store.
…
/"I had to live with my mother's relatives. … Sasuke was in the same situation, with his father's relative."/
…
['Back then…!']
…
/"Anyway before I send Sasori an e-mail, I thought I'd ask Nurse Rin to take a look at it. I wanted her opinion on whether I was able to write a convincing piece. But I have no way to know when she's around or not busy so I thought I'd ask Karin to hold onto it and hand it to Nurse Rin when they see each other."/
/"I can hand this to her during lunch for you?"/
…
['…Sasuke-kun meant Nurse Rin.']
…
/"Thanks. … So what did Karin say? How did Nurse Rin find it?"/
/"She said it was pretty good. According to... the nurse, it's as if it was written by an actual medical student…"/
…
['All this time…']
…
/"B-By the way, I just remembered I still haven't thank you for proofreading my revision on Sasori's practice thesis."/
/"Right. The one Uchiha brought to me."/
/"Directly? He didn't ask Karin to hand it for me?"/
/"Uhm, no. He personally came to me."/
…
Sakura faltered.
['Idiot!']
…
/"So, you ended up being a great partner to Uchiha. What's he like?"/
/"He's okay I guess. He's actually more tolerant of people as long as you know how to approach him."/
/"Hm~ … You're also more tolerant of people nowadays. I noticed you've improved your relations with Uzumaki Naruto as well."/
/"Eh?... Ehehehe~ When you can keep up with an Uchiha, you can tolerate any other type of people."/
/"That's sort of right, I supposed."/
…
She turned left at the corner of the building…
['I'm such a big idiot!']
…
/"But he's not so bad really. If you look close enough you'll see his kind gestures and find a sweet side to him, hidden somewhere deep inside… all that hard and stoic surface. They're faint and so tiny that if you look away for even a second, you'll end up missing it. But if you do see it, you'll find it one heck of a sight to look at. Very beautiful and very captivating."/
/"Sounds like you think he's a truly wonderful person. … I'm glad to hear that."/
…
…and walked into the alley.
['It was right in front of me all along!']
…
/"Are you talking about Uchiha Sasuke?"/
/"Nurse Rin."/
…
She walked faster as she felt she had reached her limit.
['Right from the start!']
…
/"Anyway, Uchiha; any particular reason why he's been mentioned?"/
/"Why the sudden interest in him? … Oh right, he visits the infirmary a lot lately. Maybe you're the reason?!"/
/"Miss Yamanaka. Just what are you implying?"/
/"Just kidding! But who knows? Maybe you're actually his type Nurse Rin?"/
/"He does come to the infirmary sometimes but he doesn't stay for too long. … Karin drives him away with her quirks."/
…
['From… the very… beginni-']
…
/"Since day one."/
…
['No~']
…
/"I couldn't help it. As it turned out, my heart was already taken by Sasuke-kun before I even realized it."/
…
['She was there! Nurse Rin was right beside me that time!']
…
/"The moment our eyes met, I was... captivated/. When he responded to my gesture, my heart skipped a beat. Something inside me was stirred."
…
['It wasn't me at all.']
…
/"But maybe that was his charm. Sasuke-kun is like an unreachable entity. I supposed it made people think that; if you were acknowledged by him, you must be someone very special."/
…
['Not me.']
.
.
.
~Blargh~
Sakura let everything out into the nearby dumpster.
…
…
…
"What happened to you?", Sasuke suddenly came up from behind her.
"Go… a- … Go away~! … Don't look! Don't look at… me!"
"Too late. I've already seen everything."
She was flustered. "I said… go away… /fweh/! Please."
Sakura began feeling for her handkerchief.
"Here." Sasuke held out some tissues and a bottle of water to her.
"I don't need your help. Now leave me alone already."
"Are we going to go through this again?"
"…"
Sasuke handed her the items again.
Sakura grabbed the items out of his hand.
Sasuke stepped back as Sakura straightened herself.
She turned away from him and began cleaning herself up.
"Did you have a drink or something?"
"No!", she retorted. "I just… had an anxiety attack. It's normal. It happens a lot though it hadn't happened in a while."
…
"I sent Suigetsu back after paying for the items.", he informed her. "Don't worry you won't get in trouble for this."
"N-Nurse Rin?"
"She also went ahead."
"H-How long were you and Nurse Rin- N-Nevermind! It's none of my business!"
"Over… three months I think."
"Oh. A-Around the same time she started working as the school nurse."
"Aa."
"When were you planning on telling Karin?"
"Huh? … We didn't want it to… affect her apprenticeship. It's very important for her and her father so~!"
"Does Naruto know?"
"Aa."
"Does Kakashi-sensei know?"
"Aa."
"I see." Sakura finished cleaning up.
She discarded the used tissues and the plastic bottle before making a move to leave.
"Sakura."
"I won't tell Karin anything so… keep your promise."
"…?!"
"I said I'd support you remember?"
Sasuke nodded despite his confusion.
"So, make sure you tell Karin everything. Stop lying to her. She deserves better."
"A-Aa. In… due time."
"When is due time?! She needs to-"
("Sakura?")
Sakura and Sasuke looked at Sasori who just came into the alley.
"Sasori.", Sakura was surprised to see him.
"What are you doing here?", he wondered.
"I- I was running some errands for Orochimaru-san. But then I had an anxiety attack and felt nauseous so I ran all the way back here.", she explained. "W-What about…you?"
"I was driving by when I caught a glimpse of you walking out of that store. I immediately stopped but… I was hesitating to come and see you." Sasori glanced at Sasuke. "Then I saw him… get out of the store and quickly made his way to go after you. I- … I'm sorry I didn't come sooner. Are you okay?"
"Y-Yeah.", Sakura lowered her head. "I'm fine. I feel better now."
"You don't look fine at all." Sasori walked towards Sakura.
"S-Sasori I-"
"It's okay.", he interjected. "Everything's okay now. We're fine." Sasori reached for her hands again.
"But-"
Sasori hugged her. "It's fine Sakura. It really is. I'm okay now so…"
"Sasori?!"
"I'm sorry about last night. I'm sorry I left without saying goodbye."
"N-No! I'm the one who has to apologize.", Sakura whimpered. "I'm really sorry. Sorry for being selfish. And sorry for being so unfair with you."
"Let's just forget about all that okay?" Sasori held her tighter. "None of that matters anymore."
Sakura weakly nodded. "Okay."
Sasori pulled himself back. "Let's go. I'll take you home so you can get some rest."
Sasori spared Sasuke a look as she was pulling Sakura out of the alley. "Thanks for always looking out for her. But I'm here now so you can go ahead and go to wherever you need to be."
"…"
"Sasori."
"Come on Sakura." Sasori let go of Sakura's hand and put it around her shoulder instead.
"Huh?!"
"Say goodbye to your friend."
"I- Uhm…" Sakura turned towards Sasuke. "G-Good night. I'll see you tomorrow at work."
Sasuke nodded.
"Bye then.", bid Sasori as he led Sakura away.
Sakura glanced back at Sasuke.
Sakuke placed his hands inside his pocket as he watch them leave.
"Sakura."
END OF FLASHBACK
"Sakura.", Choji – who was wearing a beige tuxedo with a red neck tie – called her attention.
"Hm?"
"Looks like we're each other's date for this wedding huh?"
"Karui isn't coming?"
"She's out of town."
"Haruno-san. Akimichi-san. Move a little closer.", Sai instructed.
"Okay.", said Sakura.
Sakura wore the empire waist dress and Ino was wearing a violet hourglass dress with a sweetheart neckline.
"Just call me Choji."
Sakura moved closer to Ino and Choji moved closer to her.
"Now, Nara-san and… Sabaku-san. Come closer as well."
"All right.", said Temari. Temari opted to wear business attire – that composed of a black suit and a red dress shirt – instead of a dress.
"Just start calling us by our names already man.", Shikamaru told him as he moved closer to his girlfriend.
"S-Sure."
Shikamaru and Sai were both wearing a classic black tuxedo.
"Sai. Can you just take the picture now?" Ino was getting impatient.
"Okay. Everyone smile."
Sakura smiled weakly.
"Ready and… 3, 2, 1"
~/Whirr, Zoom, Click~/
/./
/./
/./
/Noir/
…
You'd love me to bits, if I wasn't already in pieces
I don't want you, but I don't want to be without this
Gave you sign after sign, time after time
Will we sink or swim, treading this water till we descend
We never win, one more loss and I'm lost till the end
We told lie after lie, time after time
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Pain doesn't last, but we dived in head second, heart first
We could be the best, but I can't stop living in fear of the worst
Sleepless night after night, time after time
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Don't you, don't you
Don't you dare drown on me
Don't you dare drown on me
We're going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Going really deep now, we're going really deep now
And I think that we're out of our depth, losing our breath
But don't you dare drown, don't you dare
Gave you sign after sign, time after time
We told lie after lie, time after time
(OUT OF OUR DEPTH – Lauren Aquilina)
...
/./
/./
/./
/TBC/
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