Like, ugh!

People keep telling me that Sakura is in love with Naruto now!

Like, ugh, NO!

That's not right!

Naruto belongs with HINATA!

And Sakura belongs with SASUKE!

(Though, personally, I don't give a crap about Sasuke. He can die, for all I care.)

This story is dedicated to all Anti-NaruSaku fans!

As well as loyal SasuSaku and NaruHina fans!

A New Tactic

Sakura was trying something new. A new strategy. A new tactic.A new way of thinking.

A new way of getting idea from Tenten and Ino. Tenten, because she had never acted interested in Neji, but all of a sudden, they're completely in love with each other. Ino, because it was Ino and Ino kept up on the latest bits of advice from her girly magazines.

After defeating what had remained of Akatsuki, and defeating the Sound in the war, things had settled down in Konoha.

Naruto was as good as ever, the place of Rokudaime promised to him in a few years, once Tsunade retired. Sai was much better at emotions, and actually feeling them. Sasuke was...well, the same as Sasuke could ever be.

"Good morning, Naruto," Sakura said, stepping on to the bridge and leaning her elbows onto the railing. "Good morning Sai, Sasuke."

The three men looked up, all of the blinking in startlement.

Sakura always greeted Sasuke, then Naruto, and then Sai. And always referred to him as 'Sasuke-kun.' Always. Naruto glanced at Sasuke, who looked actually surprised for once, then at Sai, who blinked once, and then went back to drawing.

"You're later than usual today," Sai said, without looking up from his drawing. "Something happen?"

Sakura shrugged, staring out over the water, her back to Sasuke.

(Rule #1: Do not refer to him as 'Sasuke-kun' any longer!)

"I figured that it would make no difference," she answered, calmly. "Kakashi-sensei is always late, and Yamato-san is out on a mission."

Naruto blinked at his pink-haired teammate, then turned away and glared at Sasuke.

"All right," he said. "Who is this, and what did you do with Sakura-chan?!"

Sasuke blinked at him.

"Dobe," he said, then looked away. "I didn't do anything with Sakura. That's her, obviously. She's just acting...strange."

Sakura glanced over her shoulder and met Sasuke's obsidian eyes—

(Rule #8: Do not get lost in his eyes!)

—and raised an eyebrow.

"You're more observant than I believed, Sasuke," she said, then went back to gazing out over the water.

Naruto folded his arms across his chest, pouting, as Sai glanced at Sasuke, who looked almost...no...

Hurt?

"Sakura-chan, what's wrong?" Naruto asked, his blue eyes glittering.

"Nothing, Naruto," she answered, calmly. "I was just talking to Hinata last night, and she seemed a little upset about something—"

"What?" Naruto brightened immediately. "Is she okay?"

Sakura shrugged, a sly smile creeping across her face.

"Oh, I don't know," she said, slowly. "She sounded fairly upset last night—"

"I'd better go check on her!" Naruto called out, and leaped off of the railing, and took off at a full sprint back towards the village.

Sai sighed, stood up, and followed the blonde-haired Chuunin, without having to be urged by Sakura or Sasuke.

Which left the said pair alone.

(Rule #5: Do not engage him in conversation when alone. He has to start it.)

Sakura absently toyed with the edge of her hair, running her fingers through it and pulling at the ends.

"What is it?"

Sakura turned around, leaning her back against the railing, and raised an eyebrow at Sasuke. The dark-haired Uchiha was leaning against the railing as well, but his arms were crossed over his chest, and his eyes were on the planks at his feet.

Sakura read his body language without saying anything.

Crossed arms; he's blocking everyone out, building a wall between him and the others. Eyes on the floor; pretending, uncaring.

Sakura smirked.

Hm, maybe Ino's magazines are actually right for once.

"What do you mean?" she asked.

"You're quiet," he said, montonously. "And you were late. I doubt that all of this has something to do with hooking Naruto and the Hyuga girl up—"

"Hinata," Sakura interrupted, jade eyes narrowed. "The 'Hyuga girl' has a name. And her name is Hinata."

Sasuke looked up at Sakura, raising a dark eyebrow.

"Fine," he snapped. "I doubt that this has anything to do with hooking Naruto and Hinata up. There, happy?"

"Yes, actually, I am," she answered, calmly.

"Answer the question," Sasuke ordered, a few minutes later. "What is it?"

Sakura folded her arms across her chest.

"Maybe I'm just trying something new," she answered, steadily.

"It's stupid," Sasuke answered, in the same voice. His dark eyes lifted from the ground and met her own green ones.

"Everything I do is stupid, according to you, Sasuke" Sakura snapped.

Was that a...

A wince?

Did Sasuke-kun — (The rules are NOT enforced in the mind!) — just wince because I called him Sasuke?

"Did you just flinch?" Sakura questioned. Sasuke glared at her.

"No."

Sakura grinned.

"Oh, I think you did, Sasuke"

There it was again. A small movement, a twitch of the lips, a barely noticeable flutter of the hair.

"Sasuke."

Again.

"Sasuke."

And again.

"Sasuke."

Wow, I never thought torture could be this much fun, Sakura mused, an evil smile spreading across her lips.

"Sasuke—"

"Stop it," Sasuke interrupted, anger seeping into his voice. "Knock it off."

"What?" Sakura taunted, innocently. "I'm just saying your name—mph!"

Sasuke pressed his hand against her mouth, silencing her. His entire body pressed against her own, his muscles rippling just beneath the fabric.

(Rule #3: Do not fantasize about his body.)

"My name," Sasuke whispered in her ear, moving his hand from her mouth. "Is Sasuke-kun."

And he pressed his lips against her own.

I love new tactics.

Ha ha!

Take that, you evil NARUSAKU fans!

HA!

This is probably my last story for a while.

Because Regents suck.

Majorly suck.

Like Orochimaru-just-came-back-to-life-again suck.

(I hate Orochimaru.)

::Honatetsu Kiyasha::