Hello! ^^ Here's the next installment, and the continuation of chapter 5. I hope that you like it too.

Sorry it took me so much time to update, things at work became difficult three months ago and it's been really stressful and absorbing, but fortunately, I'm on holiday now, so I'll be able to keep my promise of publishing a chapter every two weeks :)

As always, thank you so much for your reviews, favourites and followings, I'm really honoured that you're enjoying my story *bows*

I'll give you a very brief explanation about the Sengoku Era, the topic of the exhibition Sasuke and Sakura go to. If you know about it, you can skip the following paragraph.

The Sengoku Jidai (the Warring States Period) starts in 1467. However, there are several events which could be considered the end of it (no, I'm not going to bore you with a History lesson). Let's say that in 1615, Japan is unified and the Tokugawa clan governs it. As you can imagine by the name, this period is marked by political intrigue, uncountable alliances between clans, betrayals and constant military conflict. Japan was divided in several territories and many of these daimyos (or feudal lords) fought with each other for control over land. Probably most of you have heard of Oda Nobunaga, who desired the unification of the country under his divine rule. There are mentions of very famous lords during this chapter, some of them still very admired and loved in Japan nowadays, specially in the regions where they ruled.

Theo1987: Thank you for your constructive comment, and I apologise if something is not very clear... What kind of back story do you think is needed? Maybe it's something that will appear in later chapters, or that I missed, and in that case, if it can improve the story, I'd love to know. Could you send me a PM, please?

Remember that Inner Sakura will be in italics and between '...'

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Day 6: #Thank you

OF FIGHTS AND UNEXPECTED EVENTS II

I'm having a date with Sasuke-kun today.

Ino glared through half closed eyes at the screen of her smartphone. Couldn't that girl have thought it twice before waking her up with that type of text on a Sunday morning, when people could be lazy and sleep in?

However, her expression softened a moment later and she sniffled slightly. She knew Sakura, and she knew her motives for doing it. and though she was still a little bitter, she was incapable of holding a grudge against her for long.

"Idiot..." she whispered quietly.

"Something's the matter?"

Sai's sleepy voice reached her a bit muffled from under the covers as he turned on the bed and put his arm around her waist. As her only answer, she showed him the message and he read it after opening only one eye, making an uninterested sound.

Ino pressed a few keys, making the face of an annoyed emoticon with a popping vein and round eyes furrowed, and sent it.

"A very mature reply from your part..." he said closing his lids and snuggling up to her. "So, I supponse this will last two or three more days..."

"I was going to call her today, but now..." she pouted, feigning frustration. "I'm sure she told my boss about our fight because the following day, when he arrived, he looked at me and I swear I saw an amused glint in his eyes. And she calls him 'Sasuke-ku-'"

At that moment, Sai lifted his head and pressed his lips against hers, cutting her off. His free hand cupped her hand as he deepened the kiss, teasing and exploring, so slow and intense that she almost dropped the device, lost in his passion.

"What was that about?" she asked, breathless and flustered, when he released her.

"You're being too loud so early in the morning."

"It's not that early...!" she furrowed her brows, puffing her cheeks.

"For you and me, it is."

Ino blushed even more at his words, remembering why they had gone to sleep in the wee hours that night.

He cuddled to her again, sighing in content.

"You love her too much. Make up already, I don't think I can bear being woken up by your grumbles much more time."

"Hey!" she hit him playfully on the shoulder and in response, he nuzzled her neck, half covered by a few loose strands of hair.

Then, Sai released her and took the phone from her hands, putting it on his bedside table before hugging her again and closing his eyes.

"And, it's your day off, so no more talking about your President today."

Her only reply was a happy chuckle as she turned around in his arms and returned his embrace.

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Sakura stared back at the angry emoticon on the screen of her smartphone, and pursed her lips, annoyed. With a sigh, she put the device back into her handbag, decided to forget about Ino for the day, and looked around, searching for Sasuke.

She had arrived fifteen minutes earlier to her date because her chauffeur had told her that on Sunday there was usually more traffic around that area and they had set off earlier than planned. However, it had been raining the night before and the weather was not being good that morning either, so there were not many people or cars on the streets. She stared at the dark grey sky pensively. Fortunately, they were going to be inside the museum for a long time, so the probability of them getting wet was almost nonexistent. However, she would have liked it to be a sunny day so they could have a walk after the exhibition.

She looked around again and then, at the points of her high-heeled over-the-knee boots. After watching the forecast while she had breakfast, she had had to change some of the clothes that she had planned to wear. It had been a difficult decision, since she was not sure if she had to dress casual or elegant. She did not want to embarrass herself in front of him on their first date if she made the wrong choice. In the end, thinking about his partner style, she had gone for a mixture of the two and had settled on a pleated red skirt, a black jumper with a turtle neck and a thick woolen shawl big enough to cover even her arms when drapped over her shoulders. However, she had forgotten to bring an umbrella.

"Have you been waiting for long?"

She turned to the voice as a content smile drew across her lips and her heart skipped a beat in her chest.

"No, I've just arrived."

He had changed his usual suit for black jeans, a white shirt, a light purple woolen jacket that was zipped up to his chest and a mac jacket that reached just pass his hips. In his left hand, he carried a black umbrella. Sakura sighed inwardly. Fortunately, her intuition when choosing her outfit had been correct.

'I think that sigh was not only relieved, am I right?'

She was a bit startled at the sound of her inner voice. Some days had passed since the last time she had had to hide what she was truly thinking from other people and, she realised, she had not missed it too much.

'Ino is really lucky to see him so many hours every day...'

That commend had been made in a dreamy tone, and she cleared her throat, pushing vehemently her thoughts to the back of her mind to avoid any distraction, and smiled innocently at a comment that Sasuke was making about the weather. As if on cue, a drop grazed her cheek and she looked up.

"It was a good thing that we decided to meet here" he said starting to walk toward the entrance of the museum, assuring himself that Sakura followed just behind.

They had just crossed the gates when the downpour started and, looking at each other, they smiled relieved. After leaving their outer clothes in the cloakroom, they followed the signs and started their tour around the exhibition.

The place was organised by sections and they slowly walked through rooms filled with armours and information about their owners and all sort of objects, documents and paintings related to the Sengoku Era, sharing impressions and opinions. When they arrived at the weapons area, they admired the magnificent collection. Among them, there were blades that had belonged to Uesugi Kenshin, Tokugawa Ieyasu and Ishida Mitsunari.

As Sakura was busy looking at some old documents depicting Takeda Shingen's swords, Sasuke, who was in front of a different array, took his time to study her. She was standing straight, her posture denoting years of discipline and sports, with her head slightly tilted forward as she observed the contents of the glass cabinet, her hands around a dark clutch bag made of kimono fabric printed and embroidered with peonies and other colourful flowers. And, he admitted to himself, she was really pretty with her red and black clothes, and her hair tied in a high ponytail, cascading down until it reached her shoulder blades.

Suddenly feeling uncomfortable with that fleeting thought that had crossed his mind, he breathed and made his way to another display case, turning his back to her. However, it was not long until his mind returned to the woman a few meters behind him.

He was glad that she was having a good time. During the rest of that week, after inviting her to the exhibition, he could not help wondering a few times if she was genuinely interested in the Sengoku Era. Though her voice had sounded enthusiastic, over the years he had developed a natural mistrust after so many people getting closer to him for his looks or his position. However, watching the way her green eyes shone as she read the pages in front of her brought peace to him, like a soft spring breeze at the end of the winter. A small smile drew across his lips, feeling his shoulders relax, as if a heavy burden had been lifted off them. It had been a long time since he had enjoyed going out with someone and done something they both liked. Even though he came from a wealthy family, his tastes had never been extravagant. He took pleasure in an evening spent reading at home, in quiet places and in culture and tradition, quite the opposite of what the women he had been involved with loved. It seemed that in some aspects, Sakura was the same as him and that was very precious to him.

Without realising, he had wandered around the room and now Sakura was on his right, a few meters away from his position, and he was watching her again. She shifted slightly, tilting her head to the side, and suddenly aware that she could catch him looking in her direction, he turned and took a few steps toward the nearest arrangement, a good amount of tools and weapons belonging to Oda's ninja. A few moments later, he saw some movement out of the corner of his eye as she walked to him. She stopped in front of the glass case next to the one he was looking at, and smiled, admiring a small engraved dagger which had belonged to a retainer of Date Masamune.

"Is the Shingen fan-girl in you satisfied with what you're seeing?" he asked her, a small smirk drawing across his lips.

"Very much" she replied, her features shining with delight and, even though he still could not determine if what he felt would become deeper or it was just curiosity and admiration, he knew that he was really glad to have met her.

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An hour later, they were sitting down in the coffee shop of the museum as the waiter served them their orders, a cup of black tea for him and another with green tea for her. They drank the first sip in a comfortable silence, watching the rain through the window by their table.

"Did you make up with Ino?" he finally spoke, leaving his cup on the saucer.

"I didn't" she took a sip of her hot tea and then, grabbed her phone from her bag. "I told her that I was going out with you today and this was her answer."

She showed him the screen and Sasuke lifted a brow upon seeing the annoyed emoticon that had served as a reply. When he looked at her, she had her lips pressed firmly, but her eyes sparkled with a playful glint.

"I don't really understand it, you're not really angry with her so, why are you behaving like this?"

"I might not be angry, but I feel upset for her childish tantrum so, until she takes the first step, I'm not going to do anything."

"But you sent her that text" he pointed at her phone.

"We had an argument but I don't want her to feel that I've hidden things from her. That's not my nature. If we make amends and later I tell her that I went out with you, or she discovers it on her own, then I'd be the one to feel bad, because I know who she admires now and it'd be like doing things behind her back."

He smiled as he stared at her, leaning his chin on his laced fingers, his elbows propped on the table.

"You're very straight-forward and loyal."

"Yes" she looked at him in the eye. "I might have tens of other faults, but not that. Lies sooner or later bring unhappiness to your loved ones and to yourself."

"And if you were forced to say one?"

She took a few seconds to answer, thinking about it carefully.

"It depends on the situation and the lie" she leaned back on the chair. "To bring happiness to a person in their final moments? Definitely, yes. To twist events for my own convenience? Never. I prefer to pay the consequences of my own actions."

"A very noble way of thinking."

"Maybe. And probably quite old-fashioned for today's society too. However, I can't help putting myself in the other person's shoes. How I would feel if I was the one who's been lied to" she wrapped her fingers around her cup and stared at him. "And you?"

Sasuke looked at his dark beverage and then, took a sip.

"Well, I'm the president of a corporation, so I'm not innocent of deceiving strategies or being merciless," his tone of voice was a bit sarcastic. "However, outside work I try to stay true to myself and the values they've taught me. That doesn't mean that I'm as honorable as you. I confess that I have a darker side and that sometimes I feel tempted to give into it, and that I can hold grudges for a long time..."

Sakura was going to reply when his smartphone rang. With a sign of apology, he took a look and frowned. Then, he pressed the button to pick the call up.

"Itachi? What's the matter?"

As he listened to his brother, Sakura could see that his face turned a bit paler and that his eyes sparkled with something akin to disbelief, and she felt a bit concerned.

"I'll be there immediately."

He hung up and looked at her, trying to remain calm.

"I'm sorry, but I have to leave. Something came up in the company and I have to get there as soon as possible."

"I hope it's nothing serious" his only answer to her wish was a tight smile that only lasted a second, which told her that it was quite the opposite.

He stood up and picked up the leather wallet with the bill the waiter had left on the table before, followed by her.

"We don't know yet."

As soon as the tab was taken care of, they made their way to the entrance, walking along corridors and leaving rooms filled with cabinets and displays at a quick speed.

"I apologise for the sudden change of plans" he turned his head to his side, looking at Sakura, who was keeping up with him despite her high heels. "I wanted to invite you to have lunch at a nearby restaurant but-"

"Don't worry" she smiled, not bothered by their rush in the slightest. "Maybe next time."

He nodded lightly, his lips pressing in a thin line, going back to his worried silence.

"I'll take you home" he spoke again after a few minutes, while they were waiting for the cloakroom staff to bring their outer wear.

"Oh, no" she said shaking her head. "You'll have to take a detour. I'll call home, or I can take a taxi..."

He looked at her with a serious expression.

"I can't allow that."

And before she could protest again, he took their clothes from the clerk's hands and turned to the parking access that connected the museum with the parking lot under the square in front of it, touching her shoulder lightly to indicate her the way. An unexpected shiver run down her spine and for a few seconds, she felt incapable of looking ahead, at his agile figure that did not lose his elegance of movements despite the sudden change of speed in his pace and the stiffness of his shoulders.

The journey, done in complete silence, was faster than they had thought, since not many people had decided to go out in that sort of weather. It was still raining hard and the wind had started to blow up suddenly. Fifteen minutes later, they had arrived at her house and he stopped the car as close as he could to the wooden gate, which had a gabled roof where she could take shelter from the rain without getting wet.

"I'm sorry for not being a more pleasant company during the drive."

Though he was trying to hide his anxiousness, his expression was grim and his eyes had turned hard and inexpressive.

She unfastened her seatbelt as she made a soft sound of understanding.

"No, I'm the one who has to apologise for making you bring me home" her expression softened. "Thank you for a great morning. I had fun."

"No, thank you" he said making emphasis on the last word.

With a hand still on the steering wheel, Sasuke leaned forward slightly and looked into her eyes, and Sakura felt a blush tint her cheeks. He was not going to... right?

"Not many times I have been able to enjoy an exhibition as much as today."

He straightened his posture again and offered her a brief troubled smile. She nodded, repressing the urge of saying something else and holding him up even more, and went out of the car, closing the door. He rolled down the window of the passenger seat.

"I probably won't be able to call you in a few days if... the mess is as big as it seems."

Sakura shook her head, playing it down.

"Don't mind it. I hope everything will solve soon."

She made a gesture with her hand as Sasuke let the handbrake off. Then, she stayed by the gate watching him drive away, turning when she heard the quick approaching footsteps of a servant who carried an umbrella for her. Unconsciously, when she wrapped her body up with the shawl, feeling cold after a gust of wind, she touched the spot on her back which he had brushed with his fingers.

And though she tried to convince herself that what she was feeling was not disappointment and that it would not make any difference if he took more or less time to call, deep inside her heart she knew that she was already missing him.