A loud scream echoed through the Uchiha compound.
Sasuke who was in the Kitchen assisting his mother with dinner preparations, hastily stepped into the hallway just in time to see his girlfriend frantically scramble down the giant steps, tears streaming from her eyes. The girl was sobbing so loudly, that the young Uchiha didn't consider running towards her for fear of losing his sense of hearing.
And in all fairness, he was just too stunned to move, even if he didn't value his hearing as much as he did.
The girl's eyes zeroed in on him; however, she quickly looked away as if too scared to even complain to her boyfriend. She then hastily pushed past Sasuke and started running away from him as if he had a deadly contagious disease that she could contract, if she so much as looked at him. A second later the girl was out of the door, not even bothering to close it behind her.
Sasuke shifted his attention to the top of the stairs, knowing full well what he'll find there. And just as he thought, at the very top, stood his elder brother looking as impassive as ever as he watched the girl scurry away.
However, Sasuke could easily detect the hint of smug satisfaction in his brother's eyes, as he shifted his gaze to him, before his unperturbed tenor echoed; "So, what are we having for dinner, Sasuke?"
.
Sitting in Naruto's favorite ramen stand, Sakura didn't even need to look up to see who it was that just joined her. His brooding aura was enough to alert her to his presence even from miles away.
Sasuke plopped down next to his teammate, and silently gestured for the waitress to bring him a plate. Not that he really liked ramen or anything; but after so many years with Naruto, the dish just became an acquired taste for both him and Sakura. It was either acquire the taste or die of hunger as Naruto would forever insist on consuming nothing but ramen.
Shifting her attention from her plate, and towards her friend, Sakura narrowed her eyes slightly.
"What's wrong?" She questioned.
To the normal onlooker, Sasuke would appear as emotionless as ever. But she knew better. How did she know you ask me? No idea. And in all fairness she had no idea either; she was just venturing a guess.
Which happened to be true, since something really was wrong.
As a response to her question, Sasuke just looked pointedly back at her.
And that was all it took for the smart medic to catch his drift.
"He did it again, didn't he?" She concluded, unable to hide her amusement.
Sasuke raised an eyebrow, as if to tell her that this was by no means funny to him.
"So, how did he drive this one away?" She questioned, hoping to change the current monologue into something resembling a dialogue, which was quite hard to accomplish when you're talking to an Uchiha.
*Like pulling teeth.* Sakura thought, having had firsthand experience with how hard it is to pull teeth, courtesy of her line of work.
"I don't know." Sasuke finally offered. "I wasn't even there this time." He added wistfully.
Sakura grinned, "You gotta hand it to him; he has a real talent for driving your girlfriends away."
Sasuke just glared at her.
"You think this is funny?" He questioned darkly.
Sakura waved a hand in front of her face but couldn't help but reply truthfully, "Pretty much." She said laughingly, as she ignored Sasuke's indignant glare.
"Oh, come on," She said mid giggles, "Why don't you just talk to him about it?"
"I have." Sasuke said simply.
"But that was a long time ago."
"And what changed? he'll just tell me what he did back then: that he knows what's best for me. That I have very poor taste in women, and that the girls I pick are not good enough to hang around his Ototo." Sasuke said, trying very hard to stay impassive, but failing miserably as bitterness laced his every word.
Sakura sighed.
"Well, maybe he is right; I mean if none of those girls could handle him, then they might not be good enough, after all." She offered, trying to add some perspective to the whole situation.
Once again Sasuke just glared at the girl, a patented Uchiha glare that could send anyone else running for the hills.
But this just caused Sakura to grin at him.
"How about your mother; I am sure Mikoto-sama wants you to find someone." Sakura offered hopefully.
Sasuke actually shrugged at that.
"She trusts in his opinion." He said bitterly, through gritted teeth.
Sakura slouched in her chair.
"Well, then you're doomed." Came her straightforward reply, as she stuck her tongue out at her friend.
The Uchiha scowled as the waitress placed his plate in front of him, her attempts to catch his eye completely lost on the boy who was glaring pointedly at Sakura.
It's not like he was in love with any of the girls he dated, or thanks to his brother: attempted to date. But he was a seventeen year old boy. And with his looks, he had like half of the female population of Konoha vying for a few seconds of his attention.
But Noooo! He had to have a vindictive, impassive and ridiculously protective older brother, who just happened to be one of the strongest men in Konoha.
I mean, Sasuke just didn't see what his brother was too worried about. What harm could he possibly bring on himself out of a few innocent (or not too innocent) dates?
Sasuke sighed internally. Since Uchiha don't sigh out loud. Actually, Uchiha just don't sigh, period. But, he was desperate at the moment.
"Why are you so eager about going out with someone anyway?" Came Sakura's voice that snapped him out of his trance. "You hate people." She said honestly. "All people." She added informatively. "You even hate animals." She added as an afterthought. "Hell, you hate all living things, except for tomatoes." She finished insightfully.
Sasuke blinked a couple of times.
"Are you done?" He asked his chatty friend.
"Yup." The pinkette said smiling brightly back at him.
"It is not a matter of wanting their company." He declared.
"God forbid." Sakura commented sarcastically, causing the Uchiha to throw a venomous glare her way.
"I need to go out with someone." He said in an impassive voice, that thoroughly masked any need that might have been there.
"And why is that?" She questioned, arching an eyebrow.
"My social standing depends on it." Sasuke declared.
"Your social standing?" She parroted in question format.
Sasuke nodded.
"Even Naruto has a girlfriend now." Sasuke declared. "Do you know where that puts me?"
Sakura shook her head, "It's fine; I don't have a boyfriend either. We're at the same place." She declared with a happy smile.
And at that, Sasuke's eyes widened by a minute fraction.
"It's worse than I thought." He surmised.
"Heeeey." Sakura said, a little affronted.
"I am fine." She assured herself confidently.
"At least I am not in denial." He said impassively.
And just as Sakura started contemplating punching her friend through the Ramen stand, the third member of team seven popped his head between them, as he smiled brightly at his two comrades.
"Good morning." Naruto twitted happily, his million dollar smile casting its light over the place.
Sasuke winced at all the happiness.
"Shut up, Dobe." He said without permeable.
"What did I do, you bastard? I just said good morning. Sheesh, someone didn't get his beauty sleep today." Naruto said plopping down on Sakura's other side.
"So Naruto, how are things going with Hinata?" Sakura said, choosing to interrupt before this turns into a fist fight, as is always the case with the two.
As a matter of fact, they once had a three hour sparring match because of the words 'good and morning' and no one wants a repeat of that.
Sakura's words seemed to do the impossible. As Naruto actually frowned. Not only that, but he frowned while sitting at Ichiraku's. Oh, humanity is in danger now.
Bowing his head the blonde responded, "Not good." He declared.
"Why not?"
"We've been dating for three weeks now, and the longest conversation we've had was: 'good morning Hinata-chan….. N-Naruto-Kun…. Booom.'"
"Boom?" Sasuke repeated impassively.
"Yah. After that she just passes out and I carry her home." Naruto said somberly, before glaring at the now smirking Sasuke.
"What the hell are you laughing at, teme." Naruto bellowed.
"You." Sasuke said simply.
"Oh, you think that's funny? At least my big brother's not preventing me from dating girls." Naruto mocked.
Sasuke shot up from his seat, with every intention of pummeling his friend. And on Sakura's other side, the blonde stood up as well smiling challengingly back at his friend/eternal rival.
"SIT!" Came Sakura's low, yet thoroughly dangerous command. "If we destroy one more ramen stand, Shishou will have us clean the Inuzuka dog stables for months to come." She gritted out.
Exchanging a look that roughly translated into: 'I'll punch you in the face later', the two once again resumed their seats.
Sighing, Naruto started, "This is hopeless." He said miserably.
"Not more hopeless than my situation." Sasuke pitched.
"Oh come on." The girl between them said in a happy tone, putting a comforting hand on both of their shoulders. "I'm sure you guys will figure it out." She said confidently. "Hinata-chan just needs some time and patience and she'll get used to having you around without driving herself into a coma." And shifting her attention to the perpetually brooding Uchiha she pushed on, "And I'm pretty sure that you'll find a girl who your brother approves of, or at the very least one who can't be intimidated by his scare tactics."
Naruto smiled, and Sasuke just looked disbelievingly back at her.
However in a second, the Uchiha's expression changed.
"Sasuke?"
"You're right." He said getting to his feet. "I don't need the right girl; I just need a girl who won't be intimidated by my brother."
"Good luck finding that." Naruto declared, from his perch on Sakura's other side.
"But, I already have." Came the raven's level monotone.
"Huh?" The two questioned.
"Who's that?" Sakura questioned obliviously.
"You." Sasuke said simply.
"What?" Sakura questioned.
"Are you asking Sakura-chan out?"
"Cuz, I think we've both outgrown that phase." Sakura said wisely.
"I'm not exactly asking you out." Sasuke elaborated. "I merely need you to pretend to be going out with me."
"How would that help anything?" Naruto questioned.
"If she could weather my brother's intimidation; then the curse would be broken."
"Oh, come on," Sakura whined. "Only God knows what he does to those poor women, why would I put myself through that? And even if I survive him, who told you that he'll approve of anyone you date after that?"
"It won't matter if he does. I just want to get back at him, and maybe prove to him that I know what I'm doing." Sasuke said excitedly. Actually much more excitedly than she's ever seen him before, and much less excitedly than any other human being, except if that human being was another Uchiha.
"But why would I subject myself to that." She said rolling her eyes. "Your brother is the most powerful Anbu captain in Konoha. And I've seen some of those girls after they met him; they're like shells of their former selves. Now, I'm not stupid enough to…."
"Please." Sasuke interrupted in all seriousness.
Sakura took a second to ponder the fact that he actually feels strongly about that.
"Well, it's not like Sakura-chan has someone anyways." Naruto reflected intuitively, before doubling over in pain, as Sakura's fist connected with his stomach.
"Fine." Sakura finally concurred, looking at the expectant Sasuke. "But, you'll owe me big time for this." She declared.
Sasuke nodded and gave a mischievous grin, that widened even more as he watched Naruto squirm on the floor in pain.
"So, what's the plan?"
Well, I just finished an ItaSaku story and I had to get into another. I think I'm addicted by now.
I have no idea where that came from. But I hope you guys liked it.
I don't know exactly how long this is gonna be, but I know what I'll be writing and I shall let my muse guide my keyboard strokes.
Let me know what you think, and whether you'd like me to continue.