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Tsubame: I finally found a better title for this story. I have to say that I HATED the other title. “The Beauty of the Cherry Blossoms,” it sounds too sugary and sweety…. –shivers- the days of my youth. I think this title is better and I hope you agree with me.
any of Masashi Kishimoto’s characters…there is said it…
“My Brother’s Bride”
By Tsubame Ongaku
Chapter 11: Konohagakure
Especially…Ino…
“Sasuke-kun!” a shrill scream was heard only forty seconds after stepping into the village. “I missed you!” Yes, Ino Yamanaka was his girlfriend but Sasuke was not you call a willing boyfriend. Ino was pretty with long, straw-blonde hair and lovely blue eyes. Naruto thought she was annoying and Sasuke only thought more so. She was a nice girl despite the duo’s annoyance of her. It was just her habit of turning into a complete fangirl. Well, actually that was what made any girl annoying.
“Ino!” Sasuke froze. He desperately turned to Naruto, his eyes read. Please help me, dobe…
Naruto chuckled. “You’ve brought this to yourself. Face your problems like a man…” Naruto wanted to get revenge on Sasuke for hitting him with a rock while he was still perched on that tree. The ungrateful jerk deserved whatever the Ino-pig dished out for him.
“I’m going to kill you someday.” The brunette muttered, as Ino came closer and closer.
The blonde grinned evilly. “You’re welcome to try…Datte ba yo…”
From under the cape, Sakura didn’t understand what was going on. What were these two talking about? Who was that scary person running towards them with the speed of a freight train? Wasn’t somebody going to say anything?
Ino Yamanaka was coming closer and closer… the hair behind Sasuke’s head was rising… he was beginning to sweat uncontrollably. “Tell, Ino…” he began. “…That I’m sick or wounded…from a fight…and I have to go see a doctor quick.”
“Can I help?” Sakura asked innocently. “I’m also a medical ninja, you know.”
“No!” Sasuke shook his head furiously. “A doctor…a doctor will do just fine. That you…” He turned to Naruto. “Take care of her, will yo----ahhh!“
Ino had jumped on Sasuke’s back and clung to him like a little monkey on a branch…except…Ino was a prettier than a monkey. “Sasuke-kun, I missed you so very much! You had left so suddenly!”
Sasuke ground his teeth with annoyance while Naruto watched them trying to suppress his laugh. He was not doing a very good job of it though. “Ino please get off of my hea---“
Suddenly, somebody punched him…right on the face and sent him flying a couple of meters away… with Ino…
“What the…” Naruto blinked. There was Sakura with her form still froze from when she punched Sasuke. “Sa---Sa---Sakura-chan? Are you okay?”
“Huh?” she looked around. She looked quite confused and then she glanced at the people sprawled on the ground. “Why did I do that?”
“I should be asking that question, forehead-girl!” the blonde was up quicker than they could blink. Sakura was so fast that Naruto didn’t even see her punch her.
Sakura was still staring at her hand. Unable to understand why she did that. She did that without thinking. “What was going on?” she thought. “Why am I suddenly acting so oddly?” She stared at the boy bleeding on the ground. She could see blood oozing from his swollen lip. “Why do I feel like I still want to hit him?”
“Sakura-chan?” Naruto watched in wide-eyed confusion at the girl, looking at her fist, confused. “Why did you---? It couldn’t be that you still----“
“Where is your Hokage?” She cut him off. She knew what he was going to ask but it was a question that she was asking herself. “And show me to my living arrangements. I have to clean myself up. I’m not partial to dust and grime.” She off first head down and cheeks flaming with embarrassment.
Sasuke brushed the blood from his cheek and grimaced with disgust at how much it stung. “What was that all about?”
“Uchiha, you really are dense,” he said, shaking his head. He then ran off to catch up with Sakura.
Sasuke stared at their backs, not really able to grasp the situation. Did he just miss something? What did Naruto mean by him being dense? What did he do?
He felt his lip stung again and frowned.
“Sasuke-kun? Should I come with you to a hospital?” Ino asked, taking a hold on his arm. But Sasuke pushed her away, lightly. He didn’t like Ino that way and he found her annoying most of the time but he was still a gentleman.
“No, Yamanaka…I’ll go by myself,” he sighed. “I still have to see Kakashi-sensei anyway.
“That’s a good idea! Sensei will be so pleased to know that his best student is back!” Ino squealed hugging his arm tighter. “I think Kakashi-sensei is in a meeting with the other jounins though. You might not be able to talk to him until later.”
He shrugged. He already knew that Kakashi-sensei was aware that he was back. The perverted old man had his ways of finding these things out. “Then I’ll go see him later after the meeting.”
“Sasuke-kun, let me go with you.” But before she could follow him, Sasuke disappeared. The guy used his famous disappearing act. It is very helpful when he wanted to get away from Ino. Which happened more constantly than not.
He had hid within the trees and watched Ino as she looked aimlessly for him. His thoughts were on a different person though.
Why had Sakura hit him?
The throb on his cheek reminded him that he needs to see a medic soon before the swell got worse. He’ll think about the mystery of a woman’s logic another time.
“Have you been waiting for me for long?” he asked her. She flushed and looked away. She showed him the medical kit.
“I felt bad about hitting you. The least I can do is fix that for you.” She told him to sit down on a nearby bench. “Hold still for a few minutes. The healing will sting for a while but endure it. This way, it won’t leave a scar.”
It did stung but not that much and it was only for a few minutes. He was watching her while she was healing him. He saw little drops of sweat dropping from her brows and the concentration on her face. Healing must take a lot her energy.
“Sakura, this is enough. Don’t over-exert your self.”
But she ignored him. “This is the least I can do!” the finished off the healing and dropped to the ground, tired. “See? That wasn’t so bad.”
He really couldn’t understand this complicated girl. First she hits him, then she helps him and now she was pretending to be so strong. Why? “Why are you helping me? I don’t understand you. You don’t have to help me. I’m the enemy, remember?”
She snapped the medical kit closed. She had to return this to Shizune-sensei soon. “Friend or foe. That doesn’t mean a thing when you’re a medial ninja. I medic helps both sides. That is our job.”
“Had she always been this dedicated to her job?” Sasuke thought, but quite suddenly he frowned. “Don’t tell me that that weasel actually raised her well.” He picked her up then Sakura began to struggle. “No, you’re tired from that. You need to rest.”
"My apartment is not ready yet.” She argued. “Naruto-kun is still talking to Tsunade-sensei.”
“Then…” He pulled her to sit on the spot beside him and dragged her head to his lap. “Sleep here for a while. I’ll wake you up ‘til Naruto comes.”
She was doubtful at first but the weariness began to take its toll. She knew he was right and that he was exhausted. She yawned and seconds later, she was asleep.
Sasuke never imagined that she’d become a medical ninja. He observed that she had a lot of potential. He wondered if his brother taught her. Thinking about it, made him angry. His brother had been everything to her for the last few years. He had been her father, brother, friend….and probably teacher.
She looked so sweet. The brother Sasuke remember was someone who hated sweet. He hated sweets and craved the bitter taste of caffeine. Itachi had grown up way too early. He was trained to go further than others. He thought of marriage long before he learned how to work a basketball.
Itachi never learned how to play. He learned to hold a shuriken before he even held a top before.
During the days where Itachi trained, Sakura would sometimes hide behind the bushes and simply watched him work. He had never understood how she could watch him like that. What had made him so cool? Even then, Sasuke liked his pink—haired childhood friend.
Sasuke had to admit grudgingly that his brother was good to look at. He had heard somewhere that girls Sakura-chan’s age tends to like older guys. They search for some sort of father figure. This had more than once put him in unease. She hung around her brother a lot lately and he didn’t like it.
She told him everything that happened to her that day. What she played, who she played with…everything.
Itachi had just seemingly ignored her but every few minutes he looked up at her direction and nodded. He was listening and that made him uneasier. Itachi didn’t even listen to his sensei and there he was listening to a little girl talking about the most trivial matters.
She had been so important to him but now, he needed to remind himself that she couldn’t be trusted and that she was an enemy. She might even be a spy for Itachi.
After a few minutes, he got up and picked up the exhausted girl in his arms. She hardly weighed anything at all. It annoyed him to think that Itachi might not have fed her enough. He had to get her to a bed soon… but her apartment was still being readied. It might not be ready until later that evening.
He couldn’t let her sleep on that bench until then.
He groaned then decided that it might be better that he took her there. He didn’t like it but he didn’t really have much of a choice. Besides he owed her…
She never had a proper sensei for medical jutsus. She had only taught herself. She had decided long ago that she would help Itachi-sama this way. She promised herself that she’d be his personal doctor. She wanted to take care of him the same way he took care of her through the years.
But it was never enough for her.
All her memories before being together with Itachi were gone. All that was left for her was Itachi. He was all she had left in the world. Her father, her brother, her sensei, her whole family, that was what he was.
It really saddened her when he said that she needed to go with them and that she could come with him on his mission. It made her feel incapable of fighting beside him.
“Where am I?” she moaned then got up, surprised to find herself on a bed. She looked around the room. She saw a television, a computer and large stereo. Judging from the looks of the place, it looked like a guy’s room. It was a tad too masculine, even though it was so tidy.
There was a balcony nearby. The sky was changing to a very pretty color. Outside, the sky was darker and the sun was changing to deep orange and red color. It was almost night time. She didn’t know how long she’d been unconscious. But she was pretty sure that she’s been out for at least a few hours. It was still early afternoon when she was awake.
She closed her eyes and listened to the sounds around her.
She could hear the shower running. Someone was using the shower. She got up in a snap. Why was she in this strange place? Where was she?
The sound of the shower suddenly disappeared and moments later a person came out of the bath. With only below his waist toweled, hair straight and streaming the side of his face, Sasuke came out. “Oh. So you’re awake,” he said nonchalantly.
Sasuke’s body was beautiful, like Michelangelo’s David. His face wasn’t bad to look at either. His raven black hair, which was usually styled up was now straight, wet and clinging to his face and eyes so piercing it was drilling holes through her heart. It had to be a crime to look this good.
Unfortunately, it can’t be found in any rule book. This made it more dangerous.
Sakura had never seen a male half-dressed before. Not even Itachi-sama took off his clothes in her presence. HE always said that I wasn’t proper for a lady to see men half-dressed.
Sakura’s heart was beating furiously. Itachi-sama had ever made her feel like this before. He made her feel pleased and warm all over but the feeling Sasuke was giving her was different. She feels light-headed and faint. Why? She was in love with Itachi-sama, right?
Why was she having these feelings with her fiancé’s younger brother?
“Oi, say something,” Sasuke said. When she didn’t reply, he walked closer towards her and placed a hand on her forehead.
But she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. She didn’t want him to see how much he affected her. She knew it would be clearly visible on her face. Her face must be red. So without facing him, she shook her head furiously in answer.
Sasuke frowned. What was wrong with her then? “How come I don’t believe you?” He sat down beside her, not caring that he was dressed in only his towel..
“Would you put some clothes on first at least?” She burst out.
Sasuke looked from her to the towel still wrapped around his waist. He then realized the reason for her uneasiness. He snorted. “What? Don’t tell me that this is the first time you’ve seen a guy half-dressed.” He couldn’t resist teasing her a bit. With his fingers, he brought her face up to his and stared deeply into her eyes. “I don’t look that bad, do i?”
Sakura clenched her teeth. He didn’t look bad at all and he knew it. He was making fun of her. “What am I doing here, you pervert!”
“Pervert? Me?” He asked, innocently. “But you’re the one who keeps staring at my…” He lowered his voice a decibel and made himself sound as sexy as possible. “…soft, strong…sexy skin.”
Sakura turned redder. “You think too much of yourself, pervert,” she growled, slowly inching away from him.
“Do I really?” slowly running his hands through his still wet hair. “Don’t you find me the least bit attractive?”
He was testing her patience. He was gorgeous and he knew it. Why couldn’t he be like his brother? He was so beautiful and strong to her in his own quiet way. He didn’t need to show off to let her know that he was strong. She felt like she was the luckiest girl in the world knowing that someday she’d be his wife.
But why was it that…Itachi-sama never made her heart beat like this before?
“Just get dressed!” she finally threw a phonebook his way.
Without much effort on her part, Sasuke dodged it. He sighed got up and took his clothes that were hung on the chair nearby. He knew she was right and it was getting cold anywhere but he just loved the way she looked all flushed like that. She looked really cute.
“Fine, I’ll get dressed but don’t go anywhere. I’ll escort you to your apartment as soon as I’m done.” He disappeared inside the bathroom again.
Sakura dropped into the soft pillows again, then used another pillow to muffle her scream of frustration. What was it about him that affected her so? Why was it that he seemed to know her so well. And why is that being in his apartment didn’t scare her? It almost seemed like she trusted him already.
No! She couldn’t let that happen! She was only for Itachi-sama. She dedicated her life to be the perfect life partner for him. She couldn’t betray him. She must not.
He came out again a few minutes later, his hair was still a little wet so he was still towel-drying it. She didn’t even notice him come out. She was too busy staring into space. He frowned, wondering if she was thinking about his brother again.
When they were younger, Sasuke remembered that Sakura was his and his alone. Naruto was always with them but he was always two steps behind them. Naruto had understood their feelings and always stepped back when they needed to be alone. Though Naruto had a small crush on Sakura at this time, he was never heartbroken. He had Hinata to turn to.
“What are you thinking?” he asked, pulling up a chair to sit in front of her. He crossed his legs, leaned back and waited for her answer.
“What am I doing here?” she asked again, still not looking directly at him. “Is this your room?”
He nodded. “Yeah, this is my room. You fainted earlier, trying to heal my wounds.” She finally looked at him and saw the sincere smile he had. “I want to thank you for that. You must not be used to using that power because you fainted right after.”
She blushed. She had lost count now how many times she’d blushed. He was right. She was not used to using it because she’d only used it twice before, not including practice. “Could you take me to my apartment now? It is not good for a girl to be in a guy’s apartment at night.”
“Sure, come on. I think it should be ready by now,” he got up and waited for her to do the same. “Tsunade-sensei wants to see you too.”
“Tsunade-sensei?” She stared at him confused. She’d heard of the Tsunade before, of course. She was the famous medic ninja. But what did she want with her?
Sasuke grinned. “How would you like to be her student?”
The pink-haired nin could just stare at him. To be a student to one of the greatest medic ninjas in the world was a great opportunity. She knew that Itachi-sama would be really thrilled. But why was he doing this? She was the bride of the brother that he swore to kill.
“What is the catch?” Sakura didn’t trust him. There had to be something he wanted from her. “I will tell you now that I won’t kill Itachi-sama for you.”
Sasuke snorted. “Who said anything about you killing him? I want to kill him myself.” He leaned against the wall, bored. He never thought that he had to convince her. This was no ordinary opportunity. He had to trick the Hokage into teaching her. But then again, Tsunade would never accept her, if Sasuke didn’t say she had potential. “It is up to you whether you trust me or not. I am offering you this opportunity with no strings attached. I won’t force you to take it.”
Should she trust him?
Riley-Mayori: If you are reading this. I had no time anymore to mail this to you! I am going to be busy, busy, busy until Christmas. I'm sorry. I hope you understand. I know this is bad without editing. I bet I am getting some of my grammar wrong.
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