Categories > Anime/Manga > Naruto > Thinking About You
(6.3)
LOVERS OR LIARS
/"Okay."/
-Sunday morning-
Sakura was working on one of her summer homework while manning the Bandai of the bathhouse. She had ear speakers plugged into her ear as she listened to orchestral music from her mp3 player.
Her phone lights up and vibrates so she checks who the caller is. She picked up her phone and saw Sasori's information.
She then quickly put the phone down.
She tried to ignore it but she kept glancing at her phone as she debated within herself whether or not to answer it.
Sasori ends the call and she let out a sigh.
The phone vibrates again and she immediately picked it up only to put it down again. She covered her face with her hands but peeks through her fingers.
("Aren't you going to pick it up?")
She heard a customer speak despite the loud music playing in her ear.
"300 yen for an adult.", she told the customer without looking away from her phone.
From her peripheral view, she saw the customer's hand as he put his payment on the desk
The call diverts into voicemail and Sakura quickly removed her earphones.
~Beep~
"H-Hi. I know you're upset and… I'm sorry… I really want to talk to you… I want to make things right and… I'll be waiting for you at the… pond near the hospital. I'll wait as long as I have to even if it takes all day so~ … I hope you come. I really want to see y-"
~Beep~
She let out a sigh.
.
.
.
Sakura – wearing a white t-shirt, black jumper shorts and a pair of summer sandals – stood above the stairs that led down to the pond. Her hair was in a ponytail.
She found Sasori sitting on the bench of the pond deck.
Sasori – wearing a black t-shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of sneakers – was hunched down with his elbows resting on his lap. His eyes were closed and his palms were pressed together by his nose and lips. He was also tapping his right foot.
Sakura secured her hairclips before inhaling a deep breath and descending the stairs.
.
.
.
Sasori straightened his back as soon as he heard Sakura's footsteps.
He whipped his head to look at her direction and let out a sigh of relief. "You came."
Sakura nodded.
Sasori stood up. "Sakura. I'm really sorry."
Sakura shook her head. "Y-You don't have to apologize. I get it. I hurt you. I-It's okay to be mad at me. It's okay if y-"
"No. I'm not mad at you." Sasori walked towards her. "I- I'm mad at myself though. I shouldn't have taken it out on him… at the worst possible time too. And… I shouldn't have yelled at you. I- I messed up."
"No. I messed up."
"You didn't." Sasori reached for her hand. "I… took you for granted. I was so sure of myself. You… You tried. I know you tried. It's not like I didn't see it. I'm the one who didn't do enough. I'm the one who didn't make it official. I told you that I like you too but… it wasn't enough."
"Sasori..."
"Let me fix this. Give me a chance to make it right. That's all I'm asking."
"We're not… ready. We're not…"
"I know but… let's just… spend the day together. Just this day. And then… we'll take all the time we need to get over this."
"Sasori…"
"Please."
Sakura sighed. "Okay."
Sasori hugged her. "Thank you."
…
…
…
~Trying to put my finger on this feeling
Can't remember what we came here for~
Sakura and Sasori left the pond holding each other's hand.
~Everything we try to say has hidden meaning
When you're the kind of tired sleep can't cure~
Sakura glanced at their joined hands. Sasori looks at her and she immediately gives him a half smile.
~Time moves slow, waiting for this to evolve
When hearts have nothing to hold, they let go
So what the hell are we waiting for?~
Sasori drove Sakura around the town in his motorcycle.
~Are we lovers or liars?
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
He brought Sakura to a marionette exhibit where they met his grandmother. In front of her, the two of them put up a façade.
~Holding onto reasons I should keep you
When all the things you loved are now my flaws~
Sakura looks at the marionettes on display. She stares at a particular doll with braided hair. In the glass panel that housed the dolls, Sakura saw Sasori's reflection.
He was staring at her.
She turns to look at him.
~We took apart our heads while we were sleeping.
But will our dreaming be our down, our downfall?~
Sasori tucked some of her fringes behind her ear.
They stare into each other's eyes only to awkwardly look away as Sasori drew his hand back.
~/Are we lovers or liars?/
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
The more time they spend looking at the exhibits, the more they move away from each other. When one of them would look at the displays on the right side of a room, the other would go to the left. When one would move on to the next area, the other would slowly fall behind.
~Should we lose everything we've got,
Or settle for something that we're not?
And all will be forgiven
If we go back, can we go back?~
Eventually they went their separate ways to cover more ground.
~Are we lovers or liars?
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
They met by the exit as soon as they were done looking around.
They nodded at each other and walked towards the exit together.
~Are we lovers or liars?
/(LOVERS OR LIARS – Lauren Aquilina)/~
…
…
…
"Thank you for coming Sakura-chan.", Sasori's grandmother told them as she walked them out of the exhibit hall.
"It was a pleasure to be here Granny Chiyo.", Sakura responded. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Next time, I hope you two can bring Ino-chan along."
"W-We'll see granny.", said Sasori. "We'll try. Err… we have to go."
"Oh. Okay."
"Well. It was nice to see you again Granny Chiyo and Congratulations." Sakura hugged the old lady.
"Thank you. I hope to have lots more exhibits in the future.", Chiyo snortled.
"You will Granny." Sasori kissed his grandmother on the forehead.
"Maybe next time, I'll also have a reason to congratulate the two of you huh?", Chiyo gestured her eyebrows.
Sakura and Sasori fell silent.
"I'm kidding!" Chiyo guffawed.
Sakura and Sasori awkwardly laughed with her.
"I'm not rushing the two of you." Chiyo waved her hands as she turned her back on them. "You're both still young. Enjoy your youth! Enjoy life!", she yelled back at them as she went back inside the hall.
"So~ want to grab something to eat?", Sasori asked her as soon as they were alone.
"/Only/… if you let me pay for it."
Sasori nodded. "That seems fair."
For the first time that day, they shared a casual but sincere smile at each other.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Sasori walked on. "I'm really hungry by the way so you'll probably regret offering to pay."
Sakura chuckled. "We'll see." She followed after him.
.
.
.
In the middle of their meal, Sasori's phone vibrates and he excused himself to answer his phone.
Sakura watched as Sasori's mood is lifted as he talks to the person on the other line.
She takes the opportunity to check her own phone and found that she had messages from Karin, Naruto and even Suigetsu.
You wouldn't believe who came over at the hospital today! - Karin
The surgery was a success by the way. Obito-san is now in recovery. - Karin
The TEME's roommate came to visit his uncle. He's hanging out with us right now. I don't like him. - Naruto
Oh. Have you heard about Sasuke's uncle? He's gonna be fine. - Naruto
I'm so pissed off. As if it's bad enough that Naruto's third wheeling. - Karin
Yo! I went to the hospital to see how Sasuke's holding up and met the annoying girl and her brother here. - Suigetsu
Sorry for messaging you out of nowhere by the way. Everyone's on their phone right now so I also took out mine. I didn't have anything in particular to tell anyone so I decided to bug you instead. - Suigetsu
I think he likes my sister. He keeps glancing at her. - Naruto
Her brother doesn't seem to like me. He keeps glaring at me. - Suigetsu
There's some sort of tension between Naruto and the freak right now. - Karin
So, This guy was the guy Sasuke hung out with during those times we avoided each other. It's official. I hate him! - Naruto
The noisy blonde claims to be his best friend. What does that make me then?! - Suigetsu
I just became the fourth wheel to their love triangle! WTF! - Karin
If only you were here then I'd at least have someone here who treats me nicely. - Suigetsu
I feel so left out. Wish you were here. - Karin
The mood here just got worst. I bet you could lighten it up. Wanna come over? - Naruto
Sasuke's aunt just sent us away. - Suigetsu
Sakura felt something off with the last message she read.
"Sakura?"
Sakura looked away from her phone screen.
"Yep?"
"Did something good happen?", wondered Sasori as he put his phone back in his pocket. "You look happy."
"I was just reading my messages and…they were sort of funny."
"From Ino?"
"No. From… my other friends."
"I'm glad to hear that you have more friends now."
"I met them through…"
"Sasuke?"
Sakura nodded.
"Who would have thought that the stuck up jerk you once complained to me about would get you more friends huh?"
Sakura chuckled.
"So, have you heard from him yet?"
"Hm?"
"How's his uncle doing?"
"Uhm. Karin said he's recovering."
"You didn't hear from Sasuke yourself? Good to know about his uncle by the way."
"He… wouldn't be the first to contact me. He'll answer if I ask but… He… especially avoided contacting me on Sundays because-"
"Oh." Sasori realized. "Now I feel even more horrible for confronting him like that."
"He probably didn't even give you much thought. He's like that. He either cares about something a whole lot or he just doesn't give a damn."
"That makes it even worst." Sasori cringed. "I made a complete fool of myself."
Sakura giggled. "I've been there."
Sakura's phone rang and she answered it.
"Hello. Karin."
"Why didn't you tell me about Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun?!"
Sakura felt her heart sink. "I…"
She found herself staring at Sasori who suddenly look concerned after seeing her troubled expression.
"Sakura, how could you do this to me? I was the last to know!"
"I only found out about it recently… And- No. That's not an excuse at all. I'm sorry. I wanted them to be the one to tell you."
"You could've at least clued me in!"
"I know! I'm really sorry but… How are you? Do you want to meet me? Do you need me there oh but you probably don't want to see me right now."
"Er… Why would I not want to see you? I'd love to meet you but… don't you spend Sundays with Sasori? But… I guess we could meet tonight. You and Sasori are going to go see the fireworks display right?"
"Erm… Yes. A-Are you sure you're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad? I'm embarrassed! I can't believe I shared my sensual fantasies about Sasuke-kun to my future mother-in-law!"
"W-Wait…"
"Oh well. I'll get over it."
"What?"
"You know, I never really hid my fangirl side from Nurse Rin so~ but I guess this means that nothing else about me can ever put her off. It's only my good characteristics that are left for her to discover, right? Although… I'm worried that in the remaining months of my informal apprenticeship, it will be very awkward between us."
"I-I'm confused. F-Future mother-in-law?"
"Well Obito-san- I mean 'Ojisan' is Sasuke-kun's guardian, which means when Nurse Rin marries him, he's going to become Sasuke-kun's mother figure, therefore, making her sort of my future mother-in-law."
"N-Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun's uncle? Getting married?"
Sakura saw Sasori do a double take upon hearing that.
They stared at each other.
"Yes! They've been together since they were in college."
…
/"My grandfather doesn't understand. He thinks my objective is a waste of my time and his resources and if I insist on pursuing it, I'd have to do it without his financial help. He also threatened my uncle's position should he support me, so I moved out of the house."/
/"Your uncle; he's your legal guardian?"/
/"Aa. He can't afford to suffer a financial crisis especially now that he's planning to start a family of his own."/
/"So you didn't run away from home?"/
/"Hn. I can go back whenever, but it means I'd have to give up on my goal."/
/"And Kakashi-sensei was completely aware of your circumstance?"/
/"Aa."/
…
/"I think… I'm starting to see the whole picture now."/
/"Hm?"/
/"Nurse Rin. She's the reason why he can't live with his uncle anymore isn't she?"/
/"Y-Yes."/
/"It must be… really… awkward huh? B-Between the three of them?"/
/"Yes… Can you imagine how hard it is for me?"/
…
/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/
/"…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? How come he didn't 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."/
…
/"…It's one of his privileges for being the owner's nephew. Although he would have more privileges if he only made his position as an Uchiha heir, official."/
/"Oh… I wasn't aware this establishment was owned by the Uchihas."/
/"It used to be his parents' but… after the accident; his uncle took over, hence the name-change. Uchiha Obito is currently recognized as the owner of all their properties until Sasuke is ready take over."/
…
/"Would you like to buy a perfume?"/
/"Ah, no. Sorry. I just thought the scent was familiar."/
/"It's quite a popular brand for men but its only available here in Rinnegan."/
…
/"Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/
…
['Oh Shit. /Fuck/.']
…
/"Why won't he just tell her that he already have a girlfriend?!... Suigetsu. Are you listening?"
/"Huh?! Oh. Yeah."/
/"Wh- What's wrong? You're acting like nothing happened?"/
/"I… Uhm. It's not my place to say… anything about it."/
/"Oh~ So, you can say Karin is 'bitchy' because you thought she sees Sasuke-kun like he's just some piece of meat but you have nothing to say about Sasuke-kun leading her on despite being already… involve with someone else?"/
/"No comment."/
/"Wh- … You're totally on his side!"/
/"Not really. Not on this one. But… like I said, it's not my place to speak."/
…
/"I believe we got ourselves caught up in a complicated situation… I don't know how much you already know. Sasuke-kun… He said he'll be the one to explain things to you but I don't think he fully understands the situation himself.
Oh how I wish I could do something about this situation but my current circumstance puts me in a position where… I have to act in favor of Sasuke-kun."/
…
//Sasuke's aunt just threw us out of the room//
…
['She's his uncle's girlfriend.']
"Sakura! Hello! (I think the call ended.)"
~Beep~
Sakura slowly put her phone down.
Her left hand planted on her face.
"Nurse Rin is Obito-san's girlfriend."
…
…
…
Sakura slammed her forehead on the table.
Sasori smirked. "I think I got an extra shovel."
Sakura look up at him.
"Right. Not funny." Sasori held his laughter in.
Sakura snorted.
Sasori broke into laughter
Sakura joined him.
.
.
.
-Afternoon-
Sakura peeked into the living room. "Otousan~"
"Oh Sakura, you're back." Kizashi acknowledge her. "Mebuki! Sakura's here.", he yelled.
"Good!" Mebuki appeared from the kitchen. "Sakura. It's my turn to leave. Watch the bathhouse while I run some errands. Er… On that note, is there anything you n-"
Kizashi found it weird that his wife suddenly turned quiet. He glanced at Mebuki to find her looking surprise. He then looked at the direction Mebuki was staring at.
"Oh."
Kizashi found Sasori standing beside Sakura.
Sasori took a bow.
"Uhm~ Okaasan. Otousan. This is err… Sasori.", she introduced him.
"S-Sasori?!", Kizashi mimicked.
"Sasori. My mother and father."
"Good afternoon.", Sasori greeted them.
"W-Well… I'll be… damned." Mebuki found her voice again.
.
.
.
Mebuki had her arms crossed as she stared at Sasori.
Sasori sat on the couch across Mebuki.
Kizashi walked in with some refreshments. He laid the tray down on the coffee table then took his seat beside Mebuki.
…
Mebuki cleared her throat.
"Er… First of all…" Sasori started. "I'm sorry for not coming here to introduce myself sooner. I- I swear I have only good intentions for your daughter. W-Were not even… really dating yet. I had decided to ask her out properly only when she is in college so~"
"Yes. We are aware of that. Sakura made sure to tell us.", said Kizashi.
"What's your plan for when the time comes then?" Mebuki spoke. "Are you two going to live together once she moves to Tokyo?"
"I… erm… No. She and Ino are going to live together I think.", Sasori answered.
"But isn't she only planning to go to Tokyo so she could be with you?!"
"That's one of the reasons…/originally/. Ma'am. Sir. Ino and I may have influenced her but believe me when I tell you that your daughter is actually really very passionate about becoming a doctor."
Mebuki scoffed, "All I know is, she wants to be a doctor so she could impress /you/."
"Are you aware that Sakura once save a young boy who drowned in the pond near Uzumaki General Hospital?"
"What? N-No! When did this happen?", Mebuki was shocked.
"When she was eight. He resuscitated the boy by performing a mouth to mouth."
"My Gosh. My daughter did something like that at such a young age?", said Kizashi.
"She did. At such a young age, she already understood how important it is to have the ability to not let life slip out of your fingers.", said Sasori.
"I never knew something like that happened. How could she have hidden that from us up until now?" Mebuki was astounded. "All this time I thought that she just… didn't want to be left behind by you and Ino. I thought that… it was all… for you."
"I wish it was ma'am." Sasori chuckled. "It's true that… the past couple of years Sakura has supported me but the only reason I rely on her so much is because I know no one else who is as interested and willing as she is to dive into medical topics. I regret to say that at some point, I seemed to have taken advantage of that but… while Sakura did consider being praised and appreciated by me to be her pleasure, I'm sure that the both of you know very well that I am not the only one she had been aiming to impress all her life."
"…"
Guilt and sorrow transformed Mebuki's face.
Noticing her mood, Kizashi held her wife.
"I've seen her potential with my own eyes.", Sasori continued. "She recently saved another man from a sudden cardiac arrest."
"She did what?"~
"It happened just Last night actually."
Mebuki and Kizashi looked at Sasori with shock and curiosity.
"I was stunned myself. I mean, it was the first time I experienced someone collapsing right under my nose. I thought I'd do better but I panicked and I froze." Sasori rubbed the back of his head. "Your daughter however... Being the guy that admires her the most, I thought she was already wonderful but… back then, I saw a reliable, capable and beautiful woman."
Mebuki let out a sigh. She then stood up.
"Err… dear?"
"I've left the bathhouse unattended for a very long time now. I think I'll head back so~ If you'll excuse me."
Mebuki left Sasori and Kizashi alone.
"Uhm, D-did I say something wrong?", Sasori worried.
"No.", Kizashi assured him with a smile. "Thank you for sharing that with us. We felt like we had just gotten to know our daughter a little more. We… haven't been the most supportive parents- well, you probably already knew that. I'm really happy to learn that /in spite of us/, Sakura turned out to be a good person. Hearing a man speak highly of my daughter with such passion, truly… makes me proud."
.
.
.
Sakura smiled to herself as she ties up her right braid.
She stood up from the landing of the stairs where she had been sitting on while listening carefully to the conversation between Sasori and her parents. She then made a move to join the two males in the living room.
.
.
.
"I'm ready~!", Sakura shows off her green yukata with white cherry blossom silhouette prints and pink obi to Sasori and her father.
"Wow. You look beautiful.", Kizashi commented.
"Your… hair.", Sasori noted her braids.
"Today is Sasori day after all.", Sakura grinned
Sasori smiled back at her as he stood up.
"I supposed you two are heading out." Kizashi also shot himself off the couch.
"Yes." Sakura turned to his father. "I'll run Okaasan's errand for her while I'm out."
"Nah. I'll go." Kizashi waved her offer off. "You two have fun. Just don't stay out too late."
"Are you sure?"
"No. So run along before I changed my mind.", Kizashi clowned.
"Uh-Oh~!", Sakura played along. "Come on Sasori. Hurry!"
Sakura started pulling on Sasori.
"O-Okay."
.
.
.
Sakura stood outside, holding the door open for Sasori as she waited for him to finish putting on his shoes.
Sasori stood up and walked towards the door.
She stepped away from the door to let him pass.
Sasori stopped by the door and turned around. He looked at Kizashi who just stood at the end of the hallway, smiling at him. He then turned to Mebuki who was standing behind the Noren.
Sasori smiled and took one last bow before walking out of the door.
He walked pass Sakura who smiled weakly at her parents as well before closing the door behind them.
.
.
.
LOVERS OR LIARS
/"Okay."/
-Sunday morning-
Sakura was working on one of her summer homework while manning the Bandai of the bathhouse. She had ear speakers plugged into her ear as she listened to orchestral music from her mp3 player.
Her phone lights up and vibrates so she checks who the caller is. She picked up her phone and saw Sasori's information.
She then quickly put the phone down.
She tried to ignore it but she kept glancing at her phone as she debated within herself whether or not to answer it.
Sasori ends the call and she let out a sigh.
The phone vibrates again and she immediately picked it up only to put it down again. She covered her face with her hands but peeks through her fingers.
("Aren't you going to pick it up?")
She heard a customer speak despite the loud music playing in her ear.
"300 yen for an adult.", she told the customer without looking away from her phone.
From her peripheral view, she saw the customer's hand as he put his payment on the desk
The call diverts into voicemail and Sakura quickly removed her earphones.
~Beep~
"H-Hi. I know you're upset and… I'm sorry… I really want to talk to you… I want to make things right and… I'll be waiting for you at the… pond near the hospital. I'll wait as long as I have to even if it takes all day so~ … I hope you come. I really want to see y-"
~Beep~
She let out a sigh.
.
.
.
Sakura – wearing a white t-shirt, black jumper shorts and a pair of summer sandals – stood above the stairs that led down to the pond. Her hair was in a ponytail.
She found Sasori sitting on the bench of the pond deck.
Sasori – wearing a black t-shirt, skinny jeans and a pair of sneakers – was hunched down with his elbows resting on his lap. His eyes were closed and his palms were pressed together by his nose and lips. He was also tapping his right foot.
Sakura secured her hairclips before inhaling a deep breath and descending the stairs.
.
.
.
Sasori straightened his back as soon as he heard Sakura's footsteps.
He whipped his head to look at her direction and let out a sigh of relief. "You came."
Sakura nodded.
Sasori stood up. "Sakura. I'm really sorry."
Sakura shook her head. "Y-You don't have to apologize. I get it. I hurt you. I-It's okay to be mad at me. It's okay if y-"
"No. I'm not mad at you." Sasori walked towards her. "I- I'm mad at myself though. I shouldn't have taken it out on him… at the worst possible time too. And… I shouldn't have yelled at you. I- I messed up."
"No. I messed up."
"You didn't." Sasori reached for her hand. "I… took you for granted. I was so sure of myself. You… You tried. I know you tried. It's not like I didn't see it. I'm the one who didn't do enough. I'm the one who didn't make it official. I told you that I like you too but… it wasn't enough."
"Sasori..."
"Let me fix this. Give me a chance to make it right. That's all I'm asking."
"We're not… ready. We're not…"
"I know but… let's just… spend the day together. Just this day. And then… we'll take all the time we need to get over this."
"Sasori…"
"Please."
Sakura sighed. "Okay."
Sasori hugged her. "Thank you."
…
…
…
~Trying to put my finger on this feeling
Can't remember what we came here for~
Sakura and Sasori left the pond holding each other's hand.
~Everything we try to say has hidden meaning
When you're the kind of tired sleep can't cure~
Sakura glanced at their joined hands. Sasori looks at her and she immediately gives him a half smile.
~Time moves slow, waiting for this to evolve
When hearts have nothing to hold, they let go
So what the hell are we waiting for?~
Sasori drove Sakura around the town in his motorcycle.
~Are we lovers or liars?
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
He brought Sakura to a marionette exhibit where they met his grandmother. In front of her, the two of them put up a façade.
~Holding onto reasons I should keep you
When all the things you loved are now my flaws~
Sakura looks at the marionettes on display. She stares at a particular doll with braided hair. In the glass panel that housed the dolls, Sakura saw Sasori's reflection.
He was staring at her.
She turns to look at him.
~We took apart our heads while we were sleeping.
But will our dreaming be our down, our downfall?~
Sasori tucked some of her fringes behind her ear.
They stare into each other's eyes only to awkwardly look away as Sasori drew his hand back.
~/Are we lovers or liars?/
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
The more time they spend looking at the exhibits, the more they move away from each other. When one of them would look at the displays on the right side of a room, the other would go to the left. When one would move on to the next area, the other would slowly fall behind.
~Should we lose everything we've got,
Or settle for something that we're not?
And all will be forgiven
If we go back, can we go back?~
Eventually they went their separate ways to cover more ground.
~Are we lovers or liars?
Are we burning up to keep this fire alive?
God loves a trier, but there's nothing left to try
Lying to ourselves, lying to each other
Hiding from the truth, lying under covers?
Are we lovers or liars?~
They met by the exit as soon as they were done looking around.
They nodded at each other and walked towards the exit together.
~Are we lovers or liars?
/(LOVERS OR LIARS – Lauren Aquilina)/~
…
…
…
"Thank you for coming Sakura-chan.", Sasori's grandmother told them as she walked them out of the exhibit hall.
"It was a pleasure to be here Granny Chiyo.", Sakura responded. "Thank you for inviting me."
"Next time, I hope you two can bring Ino-chan along."
"W-We'll see granny.", said Sasori. "We'll try. Err… we have to go."
"Oh. Okay."
"Well. It was nice to see you again Granny Chiyo and Congratulations." Sakura hugged the old lady.
"Thank you. I hope to have lots more exhibits in the future.", Chiyo snortled.
"You will Granny." Sasori kissed his grandmother on the forehead.
"Maybe next time, I'll also have a reason to congratulate the two of you huh?", Chiyo gestured her eyebrows.
Sakura and Sasori fell silent.
"I'm kidding!" Chiyo guffawed.
Sakura and Sasori awkwardly laughed with her.
"I'm not rushing the two of you." Chiyo waved her hands as she turned her back on them. "You're both still young. Enjoy your youth! Enjoy life!", she yelled back at them as she went back inside the hall.
"So~ want to grab something to eat?", Sasori asked her as soon as they were alone.
"/Only/… if you let me pay for it."
Sasori nodded. "That seems fair."
For the first time that day, they shared a casual but sincere smile at each other.
"Come on. Let's get out of here." Sasori walked on. "I'm really hungry by the way so you'll probably regret offering to pay."
Sakura chuckled. "We'll see." She followed after him.
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.
.
In the middle of their meal, Sasori's phone vibrates and he excused himself to answer his phone.
Sakura watched as Sasori's mood is lifted as he talks to the person on the other line.
She takes the opportunity to check her own phone and found that she had messages from Karin, Naruto and even Suigetsu.
You wouldn't believe who came over at the hospital today! - Karin
The surgery was a success by the way. Obito-san is now in recovery. - Karin
The TEME's roommate came to visit his uncle. He's hanging out with us right now. I don't like him. - Naruto
Oh. Have you heard about Sasuke's uncle? He's gonna be fine. - Naruto
I'm so pissed off. As if it's bad enough that Naruto's third wheeling. - Karin
Yo! I went to the hospital to see how Sasuke's holding up and met the annoying girl and her brother here. - Suigetsu
Sorry for messaging you out of nowhere by the way. Everyone's on their phone right now so I also took out mine. I didn't have anything in particular to tell anyone so I decided to bug you instead. - Suigetsu
I think he likes my sister. He keeps glancing at her. - Naruto
Her brother doesn't seem to like me. He keeps glaring at me. - Suigetsu
There's some sort of tension between Naruto and the freak right now. - Karin
So, This guy was the guy Sasuke hung out with during those times we avoided each other. It's official. I hate him! - Naruto
The noisy blonde claims to be his best friend. What does that make me then?! - Suigetsu
I just became the fourth wheel to their love triangle! WTF! - Karin
If only you were here then I'd at least have someone here who treats me nicely. - Suigetsu
I feel so left out. Wish you were here. - Karin
The mood here just got worst. I bet you could lighten it up. Wanna come over? - Naruto
Sasuke's aunt just sent us away. - Suigetsu
Sakura felt something off with the last message she read.
"Sakura?"
Sakura looked away from her phone screen.
"Yep?"
"Did something good happen?", wondered Sasori as he put his phone back in his pocket. "You look happy."
"I was just reading my messages and…they were sort of funny."
"From Ino?"
"No. From… my other friends."
"I'm glad to hear that you have more friends now."
"I met them through…"
"Sasuke?"
Sakura nodded.
"Who would have thought that the stuck up jerk you once complained to me about would get you more friends huh?"
Sakura chuckled.
"So, have you heard from him yet?"
"Hm?"
"How's his uncle doing?"
"Uhm. Karin said he's recovering."
"You didn't hear from Sasuke yourself? Good to know about his uncle by the way."
"He… wouldn't be the first to contact me. He'll answer if I ask but… He… especially avoided contacting me on Sundays because-"
"Oh." Sasori realized. "Now I feel even more horrible for confronting him like that."
"He probably didn't even give you much thought. He's like that. He either cares about something a whole lot or he just doesn't give a damn."
"That makes it even worst." Sasori cringed. "I made a complete fool of myself."
Sakura giggled. "I've been there."
Sakura's phone rang and she answered it.
"Hello. Karin."
"Why didn't you tell me about Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun?!"
Sakura felt her heart sink. "I…"
She found herself staring at Sasori who suddenly look concerned after seeing her troubled expression.
"Sakura, how could you do this to me? I was the last to know!"
"I only found out about it recently… And- No. That's not an excuse at all. I'm sorry. I wanted them to be the one to tell you."
"You could've at least clued me in!"
"I know! I'm really sorry but… How are you? Do you want to meet me? Do you need me there oh but you probably don't want to see me right now."
"Er… Why would I not want to see you? I'd love to meet you but… don't you spend Sundays with Sasori? But… I guess we could meet tonight. You and Sasori are going to go see the fireworks display right?"
"Erm… Yes. A-Are you sure you're not mad?"
"Why would I be mad? I'm embarrassed! I can't believe I shared my sensual fantasies about Sasuke-kun to my future mother-in-law!"
"W-Wait…"
"Oh well. I'll get over it."
"What?"
"You know, I never really hid my fangirl side from Nurse Rin so~ but I guess this means that nothing else about me can ever put her off. It's only my good characteristics that are left for her to discover, right? Although… I'm worried that in the remaining months of my informal apprenticeship, it will be very awkward between us."
"I-I'm confused. F-Future mother-in-law?"
"Well Obito-san- I mean 'Ojisan' is Sasuke-kun's guardian, which means when Nurse Rin marries him, he's going to become Sasuke-kun's mother figure, therefore, making her sort of my future mother-in-law."
"N-Nurse Rin and Sasuke-kun's uncle? Getting married?"
Sakura saw Sasori do a double take upon hearing that.
They stared at each other.
"Yes! They've been together since they were in college."
…
/"My grandfather doesn't understand. He thinks my objective is a waste of my time and his resources and if I insist on pursuing it, I'd have to do it without his financial help. He also threatened my uncle's position should he support me, so I moved out of the house."/
/"Your uncle; he's your legal guardian?"/
/"Aa. He can't afford to suffer a financial crisis especially now that he's planning to start a family of his own."/
/"So you didn't run away from home?"/
/"Hn. I can go back whenever, but it means I'd have to give up on my goal."/
/"And Kakashi-sensei was completely aware of your circumstance?"/
/"Aa."/
…
/"I think… I'm starting to see the whole picture now."/
/"Hm?"/
/"Nurse Rin. She's the reason why he can't live with his uncle anymore isn't she?"/
/"Y-Yes."/
/"It must be… really… awkward huh? B-Between the three of them?"/
/"Yes… Can you imagine how hard it is for me?"/
…
/"So, you live here with your boyfriend?"/
/"…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? How come he didn't 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."/
…
/"…It's one of his privileges for being the owner's nephew. Although he would have more privileges if he only made his position as an Uchiha heir, official."/
/"Oh… I wasn't aware this establishment was owned by the Uchihas."/
/"It used to be his parents' but… after the accident; his uncle took over, hence the name-change. Uchiha Obito is currently recognized as the owner of all their properties until Sasuke is ready take over."/
…
/"Would you like to buy a perfume?"/
/"Ah, no. Sorry. I just thought the scent was familiar."/
/"It's quite a popular brand for men but its only available here in Rinnegan."/
…
/"Nurse Rin's boyfriend uses the same cologne Sasuke-kun uses."/
…
['Oh Shit. /Fuck/.']
…
/"Why won't he just tell her that he already have a girlfriend?!... Suigetsu. Are you listening?"
/"Huh?! Oh. Yeah."/
/"Wh- What's wrong? You're acting like nothing happened?"/
/"I… Uhm. It's not my place to say… anything about it."/
/"Oh~ So, you can say Karin is 'bitchy' because you thought she sees Sasuke-kun like he's just some piece of meat but you have nothing to say about Sasuke-kun leading her on despite being already… involve with someone else?"/
/"No comment."/
/"Wh- … You're totally on his side!"/
/"Not really. Not on this one. But… like I said, it's not my place to speak."/
…
/"I believe we got ourselves caught up in a complicated situation… I don't know how much you already know. Sasuke-kun… He said he'll be the one to explain things to you but I don't think he fully understands the situation himself.
Oh how I wish I could do something about this situation but my current circumstance puts me in a position where… I have to act in favor of Sasuke-kun."/
…
//Sasuke's aunt just threw us out of the room//
…
['She's his uncle's girlfriend.']
"Sakura! Hello! (I think the call ended.)"
~Beep~
Sakura slowly put her phone down.
Her left hand planted on her face.
"Nurse Rin is Obito-san's girlfriend."
…
…
…
Sakura slammed her forehead on the table.
Sasori smirked. "I think I got an extra shovel."
Sakura look up at him.
"Right. Not funny." Sasori held his laughter in.
Sakura snorted.
Sasori broke into laughter
Sakura joined him.
.
.
.
-Afternoon-
Sakura peeked into the living room. "Otousan~"
"Oh Sakura, you're back." Kizashi acknowledge her. "Mebuki! Sakura's here.", he yelled.
"Good!" Mebuki appeared from the kitchen. "Sakura. It's my turn to leave. Watch the bathhouse while I run some errands. Er… On that note, is there anything you n-"
Kizashi found it weird that his wife suddenly turned quiet. He glanced at Mebuki to find her looking surprise. He then looked at the direction Mebuki was staring at.
"Oh."
Kizashi found Sasori standing beside Sakura.
Sasori took a bow.
"Uhm~ Okaasan. Otousan. This is err… Sasori.", she introduced him.
"S-Sasori?!", Kizashi mimicked.
"Sasori. My mother and father."
"Good afternoon.", Sasori greeted them.
"W-Well… I'll be… damned." Mebuki found her voice again.
.
.
.
Mebuki had her arms crossed as she stared at Sasori.
Sasori sat on the couch across Mebuki.
Kizashi walked in with some refreshments. He laid the tray down on the coffee table then took his seat beside Mebuki.
…
Mebuki cleared her throat.
"Er… First of all…" Sasori started. "I'm sorry for not coming here to introduce myself sooner. I- I swear I have only good intentions for your daughter. W-Were not even… really dating yet. I had decided to ask her out properly only when she is in college so~"
"Yes. We are aware of that. Sakura made sure to tell us.", said Kizashi.
"What's your plan for when the time comes then?" Mebuki spoke. "Are you two going to live together once she moves to Tokyo?"
"I… erm… No. She and Ino are going to live together I think.", Sasori answered.
"But isn't she only planning to go to Tokyo so she could be with you?!"
"That's one of the reasons…/originally/. Ma'am. Sir. Ino and I may have influenced her but believe me when I tell you that your daughter is actually really very passionate about becoming a doctor."
Mebuki scoffed, "All I know is, she wants to be a doctor so she could impress /you/."
"Are you aware that Sakura once save a young boy who drowned in the pond near Uzumaki General Hospital?"
"What? N-No! When did this happen?", Mebuki was shocked.
"When she was eight. He resuscitated the boy by performing a mouth to mouth."
"My Gosh. My daughter did something like that at such a young age?", said Kizashi.
"She did. At such a young age, she already understood how important it is to have the ability to not let life slip out of your fingers.", said Sasori.
"I never knew something like that happened. How could she have hidden that from us up until now?" Mebuki was astounded. "All this time I thought that she just… didn't want to be left behind by you and Ino. I thought that… it was all… for you."
"I wish it was ma'am." Sasori chuckled. "It's true that… the past couple of years Sakura has supported me but the only reason I rely on her so much is because I know no one else who is as interested and willing as she is to dive into medical topics. I regret to say that at some point, I seemed to have taken advantage of that but… while Sakura did consider being praised and appreciated by me to be her pleasure, I'm sure that the both of you know very well that I am not the only one she had been aiming to impress all her life."
"…"
Guilt and sorrow transformed Mebuki's face.
Noticing her mood, Kizashi held her wife.
"I've seen her potential with my own eyes.", Sasori continued. "She recently saved another man from a sudden cardiac arrest."
"She did what?"~
"It happened just Last night actually."
Mebuki and Kizashi looked at Sasori with shock and curiosity.
"I was stunned myself. I mean, it was the first time I experienced someone collapsing right under my nose. I thought I'd do better but I panicked and I froze." Sasori rubbed the back of his head. "Your daughter however... Being the guy that admires her the most, I thought she was already wonderful but… back then, I saw a reliable, capable and beautiful woman."
Mebuki let out a sigh. She then stood up.
"Err… dear?"
"I've left the bathhouse unattended for a very long time now. I think I'll head back so~ If you'll excuse me."
Mebuki left Sasori and Kizashi alone.
"Uhm, D-did I say something wrong?", Sasori worried.
"No.", Kizashi assured him with a smile. "Thank you for sharing that with us. We felt like we had just gotten to know our daughter a little more. We… haven't been the most supportive parents- well, you probably already knew that. I'm really happy to learn that /in spite of us/, Sakura turned out to be a good person. Hearing a man speak highly of my daughter with such passion, truly… makes me proud."
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.
.
Sakura smiled to herself as she ties up her right braid.
She stood up from the landing of the stairs where she had been sitting on while listening carefully to the conversation between Sasori and her parents. She then made a move to join the two males in the living room.
.
.
.
"I'm ready~!", Sakura shows off her green yukata with white cherry blossom silhouette prints and pink obi to Sasori and her father.
"Wow. You look beautiful.", Kizashi commented.
"Your… hair.", Sasori noted her braids.
"Today is Sasori day after all.", Sakura grinned
Sasori smiled back at her as he stood up.
"I supposed you two are heading out." Kizashi also shot himself off the couch.
"Yes." Sakura turned to his father. "I'll run Okaasan's errand for her while I'm out."
"Nah. I'll go." Kizashi waved her offer off. "You two have fun. Just don't stay out too late."
"Are you sure?"
"No. So run along before I changed my mind.", Kizashi clowned.
"Uh-Oh~!", Sakura played along. "Come on Sasori. Hurry!"
Sakura started pulling on Sasori.
"O-Okay."
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Sakura stood outside, holding the door open for Sasori as she waited for him to finish putting on his shoes.
Sasori stood up and walked towards the door.
She stepped away from the door to let him pass.
Sasori stopped by the door and turned around. He looked at Kizashi who just stood at the end of the hallway, smiling at him. He then turned to Mebuki who was standing behind the Noren.
Sasori smiled and took one last bow before walking out of the door.
He walked pass Sakura who smiled weakly at her parents as well before closing the door behind them.
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