Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Haruno Sakura wasn't one to drink. She normally left that up to her shishou. After all, the fifth really did love her sake, and sometimes, someone other than Anko had to look after the old hag. Sakura never really liked playing the babysitter. Especially when Tsunade was so drunk she would get mad at the smallest things and unleash her massive strength on her favorite student. So when Sakura did partake in the consumption of alcohol, it was normally for a pretty damn good reason.

And for Sakura, this counted as a pretty damn good reason. She swept aside her cup and went straight for the flask, only to down the sake like water. And it very well may have been water, the way it replenished her like a ninja stranded in the desert region. She almost wished she was stranded in the middle of nowhere. Anything was preferable to the current situation she was dealing with.

Once she couldn't feel liquid trailing down her throat anymore, she slammed the flask down on the table with such force that a crack split it in half. She ignored it as it crashed to the ground in pieces, and she wiped her mouth daintily with her napkin.

She looked up at Sasuke, who was still avoiding her gaze. There wasn't a trace of redness on his cheeks, but she knew he was embarrassed. That twitch of his eyebrow was a tell-tale sign of his irritation.

Sakura pinched the bridge of her nose and held up her hand for the hostess to come. The petite woman in her kimono shuffled up to the awkward pair and looked between the two. She batted her pretty brown eyes first at Sasuke and then at Sakura. Neither of them looked at her, and she tried to push down her discomfort.

"H-Hai?" she asked kindly, bowing slightly at Sakura, who had lowered her hand and glanced at her. "Y-Yes? Is everything all right?"

Sakura smiled sweetly at the hostess. "Gomenasai. I'm so sorry. I seem to have…" Her green gaze flicked down to the broken shards on the wood floor and back up to the hostess. "…accidentally knocked down that beautiful flask. Would you mind getting us another round of sake? No need to bring us new cups, just the sake is fine."

The hostess creaked her neck to look at the Uchiha in all of his glory. Her smile twitched, and she bowed deeper.

"Uchiha-sama?" she barely whispered, "I-Is there anything I can d-do for you?"

Sasuke, facing the opposite wall from the poor hostess, finally tilted his head back and gave her the fiercest glare she had ever seen. In shock, the woman slipped backward and fell on her bum. She held her palm in front of her face, horrified at his cold eyes.

"Just the sake is fine," Sakura repeated pleasantly, her smile cracking the seams as she clenched her fists under the table.

"H-Hai!" the hostess yelled, scrambling out of the private room and slamming the sliding door behind her.

This evening had not turned out the way she had hoped. When Sasuke had invited her to join him for dinner as repayment for her healing him from his last ANBU mission, she expected nothing more than complete silence from him and an occasional hum of his disapproval of the cuisine. She thought it odd that Naruto hadn't tagged along but chalked it up to him being focused on his Hokage training duties.

She knew how busy he was. He barely had time to visit her at the hospital for his weekly check-in with her to ensure the hospital was run correctly. Of course, it always was run correctly. Sakura made sure of that. She wasn't the head medical ninja for nothing.

That wasn't to belittle Sasuke's duties, either. When the lieutenant of the police force took time out of his busy schedule to meet with her, Sakura made sure she was dressed to the nines.

Sakura took a deep breath. "Could you repeat the question, please?"

The candlelight flickered between them, and the melted wax slithered down the body. Sasuke opened his eyes wide, the spinning circles of the Sharingan blaring.

"I'm going to kill you," he growled quietly.

A small gasp was heard from the doorway, and the two turned to look at the intruder. The hostess was back with as much sake as her arms would allow. Sakura's smile returned.

"Domo arigatou!" the kunoichi giggled. She couldn't help but laugh. This whole thing was ridiculous. "Thank you so much! Just set them on the table, please!"

The woman did as she asked and bowed. "Will there be anything else?"

"Yes, actually," Sakura stated, "I'd like some alcohol to go. Would you happen to be able to…?"

"Of course," she squeaked, "I'll package some up for you right away."

Sakura nodded. "Great. Because I intend to get drunk." She let out another giggle at the menacing stare of the Uchiha. "Very drunk."

The hostess bowed quickly and left without a word to Sasuke. She wouldn't get bitten again by that dangerous snake's glare.

"I think I know what you're trying to say, Sasuke," Sakura said as the door slid shut again. She grabbed one of the three flasks and set it down in front of her. "You really do love me." Sasuke's arm fold tightened as Sakura took a swig. "But you're just not man enough to say it."

The Sharingan was spinning wildly now. His intent to kill was emanating off of his body. Sakura leaned forward. He wasn't going to harm her. He couldn't if he tried. They were equally matched now as Sannin.

Sakura downed another flask of sake in five gulps. The alcohol dribbled down her chin, and this time, she didn't bother wiping it away with her napkin. No, that was too ladylike for how she felt then. Instead, she used the back of her fist.

"However," she slurred, "I feel that it's taken you too long to come around and notice how great I am." She hiccupped. "And so, I'm not sure I want to give in to you."

Sakura crossed her legs, nearly falling off her chair in the process. Sasuke wanted to reach out for her, but his hand remained hard on the drink.

"My answer," she gulped, "is no."

Sakura had thrown the jug aside and was onto her third helping of sake. Sasuke was livid. His body was tense and ready to pounce.

"And I am swamped," Sakura continued, waving her arms around for emphasis. "I have a lot of people to heal."

She stood up suddenly, thwacking her knee against the table. Her half of the table broke off and fell on the floor. She giggled, swaying side to side as she tried to maneuver in her red kimono.

"I have a lot of things to do right now," she huffed, grabbing the last flask before it could topple over. "And I've gotta go."

Sasuke stood rapidly, watching Sakura as she turned around, the alcohol sloshing out of the flask as she tripped over herself to slide open the door. As she stepped outside, she noticed the strange number of people leaning up against the outside wall of the private room. She narrowed her eyes at them, and they shuffled back.

"Hostess-san!" Sakura hiccupped.

"H-Hai," the woman said, prying herself away from the owner and other hosts and hostesses in the eavesdropping group.

"Where's my sake?" she asked through lidded eyes.

"H-Here," she said, taking a brown bag off the counter and pushing it into Sakura's awaiting hands.

"Arigatou," Sakura said with a nod. She thrust a thumb behind her and giggled. "Uchiha-sama will pay for everything."

She bowed deeply at the wide-eyed staff and staggered backward. A large hand took hold of her shoulder, and she felt warm breath caress her ear.

The hostess paled and held up her hands. "I-It's on the house! N-No need to pay!"

"We'll be leaving then," Sasuke said, his voice vibrating down Sakura's spine.

She shivered. He noticed. In one fell swoop, his dark blue cloak was around her. He guided her outside, and she told him that she was fine and attempted to swat him away. He paid no heed.

"Sasuke-kun," Sakura moaned, "I've got this! Shannaro!" She threw a fist at his heads. All five of them. "Just let me go."

Sandals clicked and clacked as they made their way down the moonlit street. Sasuke frowned down at the drunken Sakura.

This evening had not turned out the way he had hoped. When Sakura accepted his dinner invitation as repayment for her healing him from his last ANBU mission, he expected more than drunken ramblings from her and a wasted medic-nin at the end of the night. He had specifically made sure Naruto couldn't tag along because of his Hokage-in-training duties and even convinced the Hyūga he so loved to visit despite his busy schedule. He barely had time to visit Sasuke at the police station for his weekly check-in to ensure the station was run correctly. Of course, it always was run correctly. Sasuke made sure of that. He wasn't lieutenant of the police force for nothing.

That wasn't to belittle Sakura's duties, either. When the head medical ninja of Konoha took time out of her busy schedule to meet with him, Sasuke made sure he was dressed to the nines.

Which is why Sasuke wasn't too pleased when Sakura vomited all over his clothes.

This was going to be harder than he thought.