Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plotline.

The Seal of Trust

Summary: Playboy Uchiha Sasuke and Playgirl Haruno Sakura are finally a couple. Everything's great with them, but after being a playboy and playgirl for so long, can they give it up so easily? [SasuSaku] [Sequel to: The Dating Game]

Chapter 20 – Seal of Trust

Walking through the garage door, Naruto swung a small duffel bag over his shoulder.

"Here's your crap, teme!" said the blonde as he chucked the sack over to Sasuke, which the Uchiha caught with ease. The raven-haired male then unlocked the trunk to his Mercedes before dropping it in, unzipping it as he added a few more items.

As Naruto watched him pack his belongings, a memory flashed in his mind.

Two days ago…

The doorknob slowly twisted before the door opened, a baffled Naruto walking through the entryway.

"Oi, teme, I'm here now. What'd you call me over for?" asked Naruto.

Teme never calls me over… thought the blonde in his head. And no one's home… Oh shit, is he going to kill me? But what'd I do? There's no witnesses around—!

Naruto was pulled out of his thoughts when he saw a flying object heading towards him. Catching it with one hand, he noticed it was Sasuke's cell phone. Already flipped open, Naruto glanced down, noticing the number on the screen.

"Who's number is this?" he asked, looking at his raven-haired best friend.

"Guess."

Noting the Uchiha's low, murderous tone, one name instantly clicked in Naruto's mind. "Sai? He called you? What about?"

"Who do you think?"

Naruto closed the phone, tossing it back over to Sasuke. "No need to get all pissy at me, teme. He called you about Sakura-chan, ne? What did he say?"

Sasuke, sitting hunched over the corner of his bed, had his elbows on his knees with his fingers laced together in front of his mouth. "She's… annoying."

Naruto raised an eyebrow. "He said Sakura-chan's annoying?"

"No, idiot. She's annoying."

The blonde folded his arms across his chest. "Annoying because she got under your skin, huh?"

Dark onyx eyes glanced at Naruto, his gaze sharp. "That's not why."

"Come on, teme. It's me you're talking to. I know you better than anyone else." Pulling out a chair from Sasuke's desk, Naruto took a seat. "I know you care for her."

"…"

"What did Sai say when he called you?"

"…"

"Answer, teme. I know you didn't call me over for nothing."

"…He said she's not happy."

"So what are you going to do? Just sit here and sulk?" He received a glare in response. Brushing it aside, Naruto continued, "Talk to her, teme. You'll regret it if you don't."

The Uchiha stayed still for a moment before getting up. His movement resulted in a squeak sounding from the mattress as he walked across the room. Opening his door, he glanced at Naruto.

"You can leave now, dobe."

A wide, foxy grin filled Naruto's face following the memory. Noticing this, onyx eyes glanced from his bag to his friend before returning to his back.

"What the hell are you grinning about, idiot?"

He bent both his arms behind his head, leaning back slightly. "Admit it, teme. You're listening to my advice." Receiving silence as his answer, cerulean eyes closed as Naruto snickered, taking a sidestep to face down the driveway. Hearing the screeching brakes of a car stopping, his eyes opened once more. They widened when they saw who exited the vehicle.

"Sa-Sakura-chan?"

"That's not funny, dobe—" said Sasuke with a scowl fixed on his face before he noticed his friend sprint forward. Still hunched over from placing items in his bag, he looked over his shoulder, watching Naruto crush the former playgirl in a tight hug.

"Sakura-chan! You're here! I thought you left us forever!" cried Naruto as he swung her left to right.

"Nice to see you again too, Naruto," choked out Sakura as she gasped for air.

Eventually his embrace loosened as Sakura felt her feet hit the floor once more. She caught her breath before looking towards Sasuke. She watched the Uchiha straighten his posture before turning and facing her.

Feeling the intensity of his stare on her, Sakura felt her heart flutter. They both stared at each other as silence filled the air.

Naruto looked back and forth between the door, feeling the tension in the air. He cleared his voice before saying, "Erm, well, look at the time! I really have to go do something that takes me far away from here!" And with that, Naruto pulled out the keys to his Jaguar and headed towards his car, giving Sasuke a final wink before settling into the driver's seat and leaving.

The tires screeched as the car flew down the street, creating a soft breeze of wind following the burnt rubber on the gravel.

Sakura watched the car before turning back and looking at Sasuke, only to see he had his back to her and was walking down the neighborhood.

"Sasuke, wait!" the pink-haired girl called out, following after him. Soon she noticed him come to a stop at a park with a simple, wide open field. Sea green eyes blinked, feeling the familiarity of the place. Then, a remembrance hit her mind.

Stepping off the motorcycle, Sakura ran a hand through the silky strands of her pink hair. "Well, thank for the da—" She stopped, glancing down at her wrist as she felt his hand tug on it lightly.

"Let's go for a walk," interrupted the Uchiha, knowing what she was going to say.

Initially hesitant, she pushed her resistance to the back of her mind. She gave him a small, genuine smile. "Sure, sure."

She let him lead her into a nearby park a few blocks away with a nice open field, the darkness of night earning a chilling cool breeze as crickets chirped, the moonlight beams lighting over the verdant grass. A couple of wooden benches were seen near the tall trees.

"Admit it."

Sasuke spoke abruptly as he halted his even steps, turning his broad shoulders to square up with the blossom-haired girl as he gazed at her with an amused expression on his face.

Sakura looked back at him with confusion at his brusque action. "Admit what?"

Sasuke smirked, "That you had a good time with me on our date."

This is where… she thought, so consumed in her thoughts that she hadn't noticed the Uchiha turn and face her.

"Sakura," he started, drawing the girl out of her thoughts. "Listen to me because I'm only going to say this once. I don't want any other guy touching you. I don't want any other guy talking to you. I don't want any other guy looking at you."

Emerald eyes widened at his statements. "Sasuke—"

"You are mine and mine only. I'm the only one who can look at you. I'm the only one who can touch you and think about you. Understand?"

She continued staring at him before a dazzling smile filled her face. Leaning up on her tiptoes, the pink-haired girl pressed her lips against his, running a hand through his hair before pulling away.

"You know, I'm starting to like you being all possessive, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura, putting her chin on his chest as she peered up at him with a glow in her emerald eyes.

The Uchiha smirked at her. "Of course you would. I'm irresistible."

She laughed at his statement. "You always had a way with words, Sasuke-kun."

His smirk remained on his handsome face before his expression became serious once again. "Come back then. Be with me."

The smile dropped from her face as emerald eyes locked with his intense gaze. She took a small step backwards.

"No," she answered.

Upon hearing her answer, Sasuke frowned. "Why not?" he asked, his voice dropping low.

"Sasuke-kun, I believe you. But I think my staying in Suna will be good for us. I'm not ready to all of a sudden trust you again, and I think this time apart will help me trust you again." Seeing him scowl at the idea, she maintained beaming at him as she swished his bangs out of his eyes. "Besides," she added, "I want to see if you can stray from temptation when I'm not around. How do I know you're not going to go to some easy girl who will screw anything that moves?"

"Sakura," he started, his voice a low rumble, "if that's all I wanted I would have left a long time ago."

She merely continued smiling at him in response. "Still, I'm not coming back so soon."

"Hasn't this time apart been long enough?"

"A little time longer won't kill you, Sasuke-kun!" she teased, playing with the front of his shirt.

"No."

"What?" asked Sakura.

"I don't want other boys near you without me there," he stated bluntly, crossing his arms across his chest.

She laughed. "Sasuke-kun, I have every guy in that school wrapped around my little finger." She wiggled her forefinger for added emphasis.

Sasuke scowled, grabbing her hand and putting it down. "I don't want those assholes thinking about what you could do with your little finger."

Sakura scoffed at his assertion, pulling her hand out of his grip. "Sasuke-kun, I can handle myself. If you don't trust me—"

"It's not you I don't trust," Sasuke interrupted her. "It's the idiots who can't control their hormones."

"I'm not that tempting—"

"Yes," he responded immediately, "you are."

Sakura smiled at the compliment, leaning close to his face and pressing her body against his. "Is that so?" she asked softly, watching his eyes move from her eyes to her lips to her body.

"Sakura…" he growled. Feeling the rumble in his strong chest against her hand sent electrical chills down her spine. Pressing her lips against his, she gave the Uchiha a firm yet chaste kiss.

"Fine," she said when she pulled back, "but trust that I can take care of myself."

Sasuke frowned, wounding an arm around her to draw her back to him. "I don't like it."

"It's only a couple months, Sasuke-kun." She ran her hand down his chest, batting her lashes and giving him a seductive smile. "I promise I'll make up for lost time."

He smirked at her. "Don't think I won't hold you up to that, Haruno."

Sakura laughed as he bent down and kissed her once more.

"But," Sasuke added, "you wouldn't have to make that promise if you stayed here." Running his thumb across her bottom lip, he added, "I know a couple tricks that would make you want to stay."

Heat flooded her cheeks as she blushed, biting her lip at the sound of his husky voice. Damn hormones, she thought before taking a breath and clearing her thoughts.

"If you love me, you'll do it!" she replied to his offer.

"…"

"You love me, don't you?" asked the pink-haired girl. "Aw, come on," she cooed, giving him a playful smile. "Say it, say it!"

"Sakura…"

"Come on, you can do it! I need to go soon, Sasuke-kun! I told Sai I would call him in a couple minutes." Her eyes twinkled humorously as she tugged on his shirt.

"Would I do all this if I didn't? Annoying woman," the Uchiha muttered, whisking his head away from her.

Sakura laughed, giving him a peck on the cheek. "Close enough! At least I was able to get that out of a big bad Uchiha." She giggled and ruffled his hair. She turned and a skipped a couple times away from him before turning to face him once again. "I'll see you in a couple months, okay, Sasuke-kun?"

Her grin widened when his eyebrows furrowed in response.

A couple months later…

All the Konoha High students gathered around the courtyard, dressed in blue caps and gowns. A plethora of students assembled together, talking with their friends and taking multiple photos.

Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Ino, Shikamaru, Tenten, Neji and Lee stood together as the group talked amongst themselves.

"Sasuke-kun!"

Said male turned his neck over his shoulder, watching Sakura walking towards him donned in a navy blue cap and gown as well.

"Sasuke-kun," she greeted as soon as she caught up to the raven-haired male. Once she approached him, Sakura wound her arms around the Uchiha's neck and pouted. "You looked like something was bothering you the whole ceremony."

Onyx eyes blinked. "You were late," he stated briefly, his voice flat.

"Almost late," Sakura corrected. "I still got in!" Watching him turn his head away from her, she leaned forward to give him a quick peck on the check. "Don't be childish, Sasuke-kun! I was still able to graduate with you guys!"

"Speaking of which, can you believe we're graduated now?" asked Ino, sky blue eyes widening at the thought. "I mean… we're old!"

"College parties here we come! HELL YEAH—!" shouted Naruto before Hinata elbowed him in the stomach. "Erm, I mean, hitting the books with Hinata… and then PARTYING! HELL YEAH!"

Hinata giggled at her boyfriend's antics as he put his arm around her shoulder, bringing her to him for a side-hug.

Meanwhile, anime-style tears flowed freely from Rock Lee's cheeks. "I simply cannot believe our youthful days of youth are coming to an un-youthful end!" he wailed.

Tenten patted her friend on the shoulder in a soothing manner. "Don't worry, we'll all keep in touch!" she reassured him as Neji nodded beside her. She then glanced at her watch briefly, raising her arm to her line of sight. "In the meantime, guys, our graduation party starts in an hour."

"An hour?" screeched Ino. "That's hardly enough time to get a decent outfit! Shika-kun, we have to hurry home! NOW!"

She dragged Shikamaru as he allowed himself to be pulled by her. He simply waved a brief salute as a goodbye as soon the couple disappeared out of sight.

"Neji-kun and I need to get going too," said Tenten. "We'll see you guys at the party tonight, okay?"

"We're going to go too," said Naruto to Sasuke and Sakura. "Apparently I can't wear my toga to the party tonight because Hina-chan won't let me…" he added, his face dismayed as his shoulders slumped.

"Naruto-kun, it's not proper attire," said his girlfriend. The sound of her voice seemed to revive her dismayed boyfriend as he chortled and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

"Okay Hina-chan, I believe you because Hina-chan knows best!" he grinned foxily as Hinata blushed, and seeing her cheeks color caused his grin to spread wider. He then turned to the Uchiha and Sakura. "Okay, I'll see you guys later then!"

With that, both Naruto and Hinata took their leave.

"Come with me, Sasuke-kun," began Sakura as she turned to face the raven-haired male. She grabbed his hand, beginning to lead him elsewhere, away from the crowd. Eventually they stopped at a nearby trail, where soft grass coated the ground and tall trees with thick trunks surrounded them.

Once under the shade of a thick willow tree, Sakura turned and faced Sasuke.

"So, we're alone now," she started, emerald eyes lifting up to meet with dark onyx ones, "which means I can ask, were you a good boy?"

"Depends on your definition of 'good'," replied the Uchiha. Watching his girlfriend's eyebrows furrow, he smirked, wounding an arm around her waist and pulling her to him. "What do you think, Sakura?"

She glanced down for a moment, taking her and walking her fingers up his chest. "Well, there are plenty of girls at Konoha High. I wouldn't blame you if you slipped, even for a moment—"

"None of them interest me like you do," he answered, watching her look at him and grace him with her smile.

"You sure about that? Because Naruto called me and—"

"Whatever that jackass told you is a lie, and I will kick his ass so hard—"

Sakura's laughter interrupted his statement. "Calm down, Sasuke-kun. I was kidding, I just wanted to test you."

He scowled. "You know I don't like being tested, Sakura. And I could be asking you the same questions."

Said girl nodded. "True, but girls can control their hormones much easier than boys. We don't think about sex every seven seconds."

"You should be thankful you're in my thoughts every seven seconds," retorted Sasuke, smirking when Sakura shoved him in the arm.

She then moved to sit on the soft verdant grass below her. When Sasuke followed suit, she rested her head against his broad shoulders.

"It's kind of amazing, though," she spoke softly.

Sasuke nodded, "Sex is, yeah. We should try it." He chuckled as he watched her roll her eyes and punch him in the arm.

"Not that, you idiot," she retorted with a small smile on her face. "I'm talking about everything we've been through and how we overcame it, especially considering this is the longest relationship we've both ever been in." Sakura lifted her head from Sasuke's shoulders, adjusting herself to sit in front of him. "Not bad for a first run, right Sasuke-kun?"

Said male nodded, mumbling a simple, "Aa."

A soft breeze rolled by and Sakura watched as Sasuke closed his eyes, the wind lightly whisking his hair aside. Placing her hands against the ground, Sakura leaned forward, pressing her lips against Sasuke's. She felt the Uchiha tense at first before relaxing, feeling his hand rise and hold the back of her head as he slanted his mouth against hers.

After a few moments Sakura pulled away, giving the former playboy a smile that instantly brightened her pretty face.

"That's it, by the way," she began.

"What's it?" asked Sasuke, arching a brow.

"That kiss. That's my seal of trust. I trust you now. Do you trust me?"

Closing his eyes for a moment, the Uchiha muttered, "I always did." He reopened them to find Sakura smiling at him as she wrapped her arms around his neck. Sasuke wrapped his arms around his waist, pulling her to sit in his lap.

"But you know…" he added, his voice a low murmur.

Sakura tilted her head to the side, her expression puzzled. "What?"

"You promised that we would make up the time we were apart."

Her mouth fell open as she gaped. "I said that months ago. How do you still remember that?"

The Uchiha smirked in return. "How else do you think I got through the last few months without seeing you?" He grip on her waist tightened as he leaned forward and pressed light kisses against her neck. "Without touching you…" he whispered, causing tingling sensations to go down Sakura's back.

She laughed, clutching his raven hair as she said, "Fine, you're right. I did promise—"

She squeaked when Sasuke hungrily kissed her, pushing her down against the soft grass.

Epilogue

As she prepared to go out with Sasuke for the night, Sakura stood by her mirror, fixing her hair and applying light make-up. Sasuke waited patiently on her bed, hunched forward as his elbow rested against his knee.

Sakura hummed softly as she fished out a pair of earrings, leaning towards the mirror to put them on.

"Sasuke-kun, you've been really quiet today. What are you thinking about?" she asked as she glanced at him through the mirror.

The former playboy glanced at her briefly before darting his eyes to a corner. She could see he was searching for words. After a few moments he spoke.

"If you were with so many guys, how come you never…" His voice faded towards the end of the statement.

"Slept with them?" Sakura filled in, turning to look over her shoulder at Sasuke who nodded tentatively. Turning forward once again, she resumed fixing her appearance in the mirror. "Well, with other girls, they feel they have to give you sex. With me, I manage to get boys to fall in love with me without doing any physical favors."

"You're that confident that your technique works, huh?" he retorted with an arched brow.

She laughed softly and turned to face him, beaming at him as she winked. "Well, I got you, didn't I?"

The End

Author's Note: …I thought this day would never come. But it finally has. So I started Seal of Trust in February 27th, 2007 and am now finishing it on Sunday, August 21st, 2011 at 1:53 AM.

It's kind of funny to think I've been working on it the last four years. But then again most of those were months long intervals between chapters. I finally got it done though :D

Thanks everybody, each and every single reader and reviewer, for sticking with me through the story! I mean, four years, that's a long time. Our journey has sadly come to an end. :(

But not to fear! I have other writing projects I want to get done. I have a Naruto & Hinata story in the works and I want to branch out to other animes/games like Inuyasha, Kingdom Hearts, Final Fantasy VII and Final Fantasy X, etc. Hopefully I could get those out soon!

I really hope you liked the ending. Sorry if it wasn't a climactic ending, but I did my best :P Review letting me know what you think! (For the final time, how depressing, or maybe that's just me. :P)