Crossroads

Callista Miralni

Disclaimer: Plot, mine. Characters, definitely not.

A writing exercise of sort. Based on an original work. Yeah... this probably won't end well.

You can find all the fun things I used as a reference to build this story on pinterest: /callistamiralni/crossroads/

It was the same everywhere.

The pomp, the circumstance, the piles of money going around.

Graduation.

-naruto-

Naruto tugged on the end of his tie before yanking it off his neck and tossing it over his shoulder. The tie was too much. He didn't want to seem like he was trying too hard to make an impression.

But he was trying to leave an impression. This was his last chance to leave some kind of memorable imprint on a girl who meant everything to him.

Too bad she didn't believe him when he said I love you.

-sasuke-

He couldn't believe it was over.

Four years of sleepless nights spent in the library or the resident hall lounge. Four years of grueling labs and constantly changing material. Four years of mental breakdowns, caused both by academics and his friends, culminating in a five minute walk across a black stage.

Outside the arena, a wave of his friends and classmates stopped to offer their congratulations. Several mentioned they would bring their gifts to the graduation party his closest friends organized for later that evening.

His classmate, best friend, and fellow graduate, Haruno Sakura, engulfed him in a tight hug.

"We graduated!" She screamed, jade eyes sparkling with delight. "Can you believe it, Sasuke-kun? We finally graduated!"

He put a hand on her shoulder to calm the constant bouncing on her heels. "Yes, I know, Sakura."

She pouted and stuck her tongue out at him. "Way to be a total killjoy about it, Sasuke-kun. We were in one of the most difficult programs at university and we aced it."

He and Sakura met their freshman year after he bumped into her best friend and spilled coffee all over her shirt the second week of school. To his horror, this strange pink-haired girl was in most of his classes and was his lab partner for introductory microbiology. They were two of six over-ambitious students double majoring in biochemistry and microbiology.

"Sasuke-kun!" His mother waved him over to where she stood with his father, his older brother Itachi, and a couple he immediately recognized but never met in person. Sakura, too, turned her head at the sound of his name and frowned once her gaze landed on the couple.

"Chichiue. Hahaue."

Haruno Kizashi gave his youngest daughter a soft, but stern, smile. "Congratulations, Sakura-san." He opened his arms for a hug. "You too, Sasuke-san. I didn't realize my daughter's best friend was you of all people."

Sasuke frowned. Him of all people? What on earth was that supposed to mean?

He caught Itachi's eye and his brother barely shook his head.

"I've made lunch reservations at Main Street," Kizashi continued to say. "Would you join us, Fugaku-san and Mikoto-san?"

Mikoto graciously accepted the invitation. "Sasuke-kun, you and Sakura-san rode over here together, right? Take her to the restaurant as well."

How did his mother know that? Sasuke never mentioned it. He and Sakura arranged it the day before so they wouldn't get lost on their way to the pre-ceremony reception and would be able to sit next to each other for the benefit of their numerous mutual friends.

Sakura tugged on his arm. "C'mon," she urged him in a quiet voice. "It's best to get this over with."

Get what over with?

-sakura-

The feeling of unease weighed heavily in her stomach as Sasuke drove through the winding streets to Main Street Bistro.

Of course her father would pick the classiest restaurant in all of En for their luncheon. Sakura didn't know what kind of game her father was trying to play and that scared her.

Her father wanted her to become a doctor. Fine. Sakura enrolled in a dual-major program and enjoyed the work, much to her surprise. She actually looked forward to medical school in the fall.

Her father wanted her to inherit the family's medical empire. Fine. Sakura took several business courses in college and had a minor in Entrepreneurship.

Sakura sacrificed everything on account of her father's wishes. In high school, she built up her student portfolio with club activities, volunteer work, music lessons, and advanced classes. She was so busy, Sakura didn't have time for things like hanging out with friends.

University was a little different. Her time was her own and not micromanaged by her mother. Without the familiar faces of her extensive family surrounding her, Sakura made friends and kept them, despite her busy schedule. She was sad to leave her undergraduate years behind because it meant leaving the freedom to be a young adult behind as well.

"You know how the play these games as well as I do, if not better."

Sasuke killed the engine to his Nissan Skyline. "What of it?" He narrowed his eyes at her.

Sakura gave him a conflicted smile. "It means," she responded, smoothing his blazer collar down. "Whatever happens today, I will always support you as your friend."

Sasuke abruptly opened his door and walked around to open hers. They walked in silence to the main door.

"Hi! Party of two?"

Sakura shook her head. "We're part of the Haruno party."

The woman led them to the back corner—the most secluded part of the restaurant. A chill ran down Sakura's spine as she sank into the empty chair next to Sasuke's older brother. Mechanically thanking Sasuke for pulling out her seat, Sakura steeled her nerves.

Uchiha-san, Sasuke's mother, gave her a warm smile before exchanging a loaded glance with her father. Ordering a bottle of white wine, the Uchiha matron ordered the waiter to serve each person a glass. Sasuke must have sensed her anxiety because he gripped her hand tightly under the table, out of sight from everyone else, and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

"Sasuke-kun, Sakura-san, we have an announcement to make."

Her grip on Sasuke tightened.

-naruto-

The house was packed with people.

He helped prepare the house for the party, grilling steaks on the back porch. Naruto was halfway done when people started arriving.

He saw her through the open back door about an hour after the party started. People crowded around her, offering their congratulations and shoving gifts and cards into her hands. She smiled and thanked each person in turn.

There was something different about her from when he watched her walk across the stage with her head held high. She practically radiated of happiness and delight but now it was tempered by unease.

Beside her, Naruto's mentor and one of his best friends underwent the same routine. Sasuke extended a hand to take her gifts but she declined with a shake of her head. She whispered something in his ear and he smirked before leading her to the kitchen where Naruto knew her best friend was waiting.

Closing his eyes, he tried not to dwell on their interaction. Sasuke wouldn't betray him.

Right?

"Hey."

Bumping fists with Sasuke, Naruto smiled at her. He wanted so badly to reach out and embrace her but he restrained himself. She always looked so uncomfortable with his touch, shying away and returning his hugs with reluctance.

"Congratulations."

She grinned and thanked him but something seemed different. She looked tense, almost nervous to see him.

He wondered why.

"Sakura-chan!" Ino called her, enthusiastically waving for her to come to her side. "Tenten-chan and Karin-chan are here!"

She excused herself. Sasuke shifted his weight—a nervous habit Naruto knew meant he wasn't telling him some thing.

"Spit it out."

"It's nothing," Sasuke reassured him. "Want to get a drink?"

-ino-

Ino excitedly pulled her best friend through the crowded hallways to an empty room at the end of the hall.

"So?" She sat down on the bed. "Where did you and your parents go with Sasuke-kun after graduation? You guys disappeared fast."

Sakura tensed. "To Main Street." She named a local restaurant favorite. "Chichiue made reservations for us."

"Really? For all of you? Did you plan to eat lunch with Sasuke-kun and his parents?"

She didn't respond, choosing instead to pick up a photo frame on the desk. "This is Naruto-kun's room?"

Ino frowned. "I don't know. Why do you think that?"

She came face to face with a framed photo from last Spring Break of their trip to Nami. Hinata snapped this candid shot of the four of them and posted it on facebook. Ino and Sakura were caged in between Sasuke and Naruto as the boys attempted to get them into the water.

"Oh."

Sakura shoved another frame into her hands. It was also from that same Spring Break and taken on what they called "formal night." Briefly, Ino remembered the beachside restaurant they picked out with their incredible sea food. She snapped the picture in her hands of Naruto asking Sakura to dance to the Chopin waltz playing on the dance floor.

"Saki-chan," Ino said as she returned the frames to the dresser. "You'd tell me if something was up, right?"

The smile didn't quite reach her green eyes.

"Of course."

Later in the night, Ino found Sasuke nursing a beer by himself on a corner of the back deck.

"Hey."

He scooted over to make room for her. Ino sat down and casually asked, "How was lunch with Sakura-chan's parents?"

Sasuke tensed and took a drink.

"It was just lunch. Nothing special."

Briefly, she wondered why neither of them would go into much detail.

"I didn't know your parents knew each other."

Sasuke offered her a taste of his beer. She declined.

"Me neither. I guess they're business partners."

In a way, it made sense. Sakura's dad owned a hospital and Sasuke's mom was the CEO of a medical research lab. Sakura herself was slated to go to medical school in the fall while Sasuke had an internship waiting at his mother's company for the summer.

"That's nice," Ino commented off-handedly. "At least, you know you'll never lose touch with Sakura-chan, right?"

He went rigid before covering it up by taking another drink.

"Yeah. We'll never be apart."

-sakura-

She giggled as Karin dramatically flipped her hair over her shoulder and ignored Kiba with an exaggerated huff of impatience. Sakura was going to miss this—the carefree moments of reprieve from constant studying and the brightness these people infused in her life.

"Saki-chan!" Someone yelled her name from the living room. "Come in here and take a shot with us!"

At the mention of taking shots, Karin shot forward and grabbed her hand, pulling her through the crowd effortlessly.

"Ladies and gentlemen, the Summa Cum Laude graduate has arrived!"

Blushing at the mention of her honors status, Sakura accepted the lime and the shot of tequila before extending her hand and allowing Sai to pour salt on her skin. With practiced ease, she licked the salt off her hand, downed the shot, and sucked on the lime. Sakura didn't grimace like the others had and people loudly cheered.

"And to think," Tenten wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "This girl refused to hang with us on the weekends before her twentieth birthday. She takes tequila shots and holds her liquor better than the rest of you!"

The crowd hollered indignantly at Tenten's bold statement, clamoring for her to take a shot of Everclear. She obliged with a flourish.

"A toast," a familiar voice said in her ear at the same time someone pressed a shot of her favorite liquor—Absolut Vodka—into her hand.

Sakura smiled weakly and turned around to toast Naruto properly. "To the end of another school year," she said as she tapped her glass against his.

"To you and all your amazing accomplishments, Haruno Sakura-chan," Naruto said.

His gaze was too intense on her and she wished she had something in her hands to occupy herself with other than the empty shot glass. Reaching for her cell phone, Sakura pretended to check it for a message.

"Hey," Sasuke appeared before her with their belongings in hand. "We've got to go."

She glanced at the time. Two am. Perfect.

Passing the glass back to Naruto, she reached for her wristlet and gifts. Sasuke shifted his weight before smirking at Naruto and telling him he'd see him at the gym in the afternoon. Sakura quickly said goodbye to him as well before waving to Ino.

Sasuke opened his car door for her and she sank into the front seat. As he started the car, he glanced at her before squeezing her hand.

Hey, it's okay. The silent message filled the space.

She looked at him in doubt. "It's so hard keeping this from everyone."

"They'll know soon enough," Sasuke reassured her in a soft voice. "It won't be long until the announcement is made."

Sakura sighed quietly and leaned back into the seat. "A whole summer of keeping this from Ino-chan..."

Sasuke glanced at her again, the meaning of his stare effortlessly interpreted in her head, before shifting into drive and turning on the radio. He had faith in her, was it?

She wished she had the same confidence.

Author's Note:

In Japan, the legal drinking age is twenty, not twenty-one.

I think I may have found the grievous flaws with the original version of Crossroads. Alas, this is too much fun to write.

Ja ne!

Callista Miralni