"Maybe fate has different plans", she mourned.
"Maybe we’re not meant to be", he convinced himself.
They bargained.
Everyone knew that their precious love-colored-hair girl’s fate was laughed at by irony. But just when Sakura gives up on love, a ravenette falls into her lap.
AN: Hi hiee~ This is my first time writing a fanfic, that too in third person POV, and who better than my ult SasuSaku to write for?!
The idea for this fic came from a fanart of Naruto pushing Sasuke towards Sakura, and the Boruto episode no. 17, where Ino takes Sakura to the spot where she and Sasuke had their "first date". Sakura denies the claim, saying it just lasted 2.5 minutes. So I thought this would be a cute spin on that.
Lemme know what you think!
Paring - Sasuke x Sakura (Naruto)
Who says fate can't change in 2.5 minutes?
It was an ordinary day in Konoha, three years since the war that shook the shinobi world.
Apart from peace bought by the present alliance, a new face, though masked, was carved onto the Hokage wall—indicating a monumental change.
The streets bustled with an array of noises: vendors calling out to customers, entertainers, and kids holding their parents' hands waltzing around the village.
To most, this would seem like the norm—in fact, a right of the living, but to Sasuke Uchiha, this scene was far from what he had witnessed growing up.
The lone survivor of the massacre, a former terrorist, later hailed a hero, would tell you a different version of reality. Well, that is, if he cared enough to talk. Unlike now, when he doesn’t, as he walks next to his only equal in the world—the only other person who could understand his pain.
The blond-haired jinjurirki did most of the verbal heavy lifting, as usual, with his signature arms behind his head pose. He filled his friend in on everything he missed while being away on his atonement trip.
Three years since he had left. Three years since he gave her his word…
“Oh, and then Hinat–. Oi, Teme! Are you even listening?” Naruto yelled, pulling Sasuke out of his thoughts.
“I’m going to visit Kakashi,” he says. Their former teacher’s office was just a walk away. He was supposed to arrive the day before, as he had informed in the letter through his messenger hawk.
Coming back to Konoha meant opening the grave of everything Sasuke had ever suppressed. This place didn’t feel like home. It was much more complicated for him. For now, like any other wanderer, his home were his two feet. So, he decided to keep this halt short. Only a day long.
He had witnessed a few anomalies on his journey. Kaguya and Zetsu’s cells remained a pain in the ass despite their efforts, and only he, the wielder of rinnegan, could uncover this mystery.
That’s what he was here to do—share the gathered intel and leave. He reminded himself. The fate of the world can’t be gambled with.
“You bastard, did you even hear me? Acting all cool again. Who do you think you are?!” Naruto scowled, jutting his lips forward. “Geez, why does Sakura-chan even like you?”
His steps falter at the mention of her name. It’s the only relevant thing Naruto has said in the past hour, since he arrived at the gates.
A mischievous grin appears on his friend’s face, like he was waiting for this reaction. He deserved credit for being able to read the monosyllabic man, even after being apart for years. The said man scurries away from him.
Pathetic, he calls himself for feeling this odd twinge in his chest—in the place the kunoichi would call his heart—that once only burned with vengeance.
Thanks to Naruto, that version of him was in the past. Albeit, Sasuke would also appreciate if the loser stopped pestering him. He didn’t need to look behind to know he was being followed.
“Go on, run as much as you want, I’ll even pretend I didn’t see you getting red–”
It needed to be studied how easily Naruto could get under his skin.
“Stay out of my way, dumbass.” His voice faded as he leapt from branch to branch, putting distance between them. The wind drummed a rhythm on his worn-out cloak with each jump ahead.
Some benefit his solo travels did him. Speed really had become one of his strongest suits, he thinks, unable to sense the loser’s presence near him. Still, he could hear him sing-song yell, “I’m gonna tell Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan, Sakura-chaan~.”
“Oh? We can’t have you getting sick, Sakura.”
“I won’t, Kakashi-sensei–, I mean, Kakashi-sama.” The pinkette looks apologetic and embarrassed at the same time. What’s the use of this monstrous strength if she almost dropped the pile of books in her hand after a single sneeze, shanaroo?
“Like I said, drop the sama, please.”
If there’s one thing the copy ninja can’t do—apart from using the sharingan now—then it’s making people drop the suffix ‘sama’ while addressing him. Though there was one person who’d drop all the formalities.
He sighs again, completely bored with his duties. At least he knew that that was going to change soon. You see, who better than a sensei would know the truth of his students' feelings?
He watched Sakura as she organized the documents in his office. A task he assigned her to do in exchange for increasing the funds of the Children's Therapy Center that she founded.
At first, she was suspicious of him, but her heart gave in at the mention of his offer.
“Do the others know you’re bribing me into working on your behalf?” She raised an eyebrow, familiar with the slack in front of her. He could tell her irritation was building up. He’s had her repeat the same task since yesterday.
Organize the documents alphabetically.
Scratch that, do it chronologically.
Nope, base it on the urgency, please.
At one point, he accidentally summoned his hound of dogs, who messed up her progress, forcing her to redo everything. It’s a miracle she hasn’t punched his head into the desk, given it’s her rare day off. She doesn’t usually get one, let alone two back-to-back, in the same week.
Surpassing her master meant something different to her than what it did to her male counterparts. After the war, her work exceeded all limits. At the age of smelling roses and going on dates, Sakura kept meeting the stench of blood, antiseptic, and the aftermath of a shinobi’s lust for power.
She exhales, massaging her byakugo seal.
But in a way, she was thankful for her Sensei’s company. The calendar adjacent to the scrolls displayed today’s date and an eternal curse of a word for her: Valentine’s Day.
Somehow, the greatest healer of the five nations carried an ache that no medicine could cure.
This had become a time of the year when she volunteered for more shifts. It was sick and twisted, but seeing the misfortune of others made her feel less miserable. No one could get her to leave the hospital. She wouldn’t even be seen on the streets.
Everyone knew that their precious love-colored-hair girl’s fate was laughed at by irony.
Fatigue slumped her shoulders, or maybe the broken heart. She huffed and contemplated asking Ino if the coupon for the blind-dating event at their favorite bar—which she had earlier said no to—had expired already. Her Galentine’s was filled with tough girl talk and awareness of the rumor circling the obachan groups about her.
They think you have the clap, that’s why no guys go out with you. She recalls Ino telling her. Her mother, too, had been asking for a son-in-law and a grandchild like a five-year-old would nag for a Barbie.
Dealing with all that was exhausting. Her composure weakened again, emotions threatening to spill.
For countless nights, she had wondered if those words even meant anything. Wondered if loving a man who had never returned her affection was right.
Maybe the next time she sees him, she’ll have moved on.
“I guess, he does take after me,” the Hokage laughs to himself, knowing both: her affections for the tragedy of a man, and that time was slipping.
She turned to him in confusion.
Are these early signs of dementia? Perhaps schizophrenia? A check-up was definitely due soon.
She mentally schedules an appointment for him. His naturally grey hair did a great job of veiling his age. But in his head, the clock ticks time like a bird of prey eating flesh—swift and merciless. For the first time, Kakashi Hatake wished punctuality was a rule everyone obeyed.
“Sakura… I think you’ve done enough.” I shouldn’t make you suffer more than you have already.
The guards jolt when a rinnegan stares back at them. Sasuke proceeds to the stairs above.
“I know all the shortcuts ‘round here, y’know.” A smug voice threatens his peace.
That fucker, concealed his chakra and waited here for me.
“I have no interest in discussing anything with you,” Sasuke stated, his temper beginning to reach a new high.
In no world did he make his personal feelings a group project. It was only recently that he accepted what he felt for Sakura, and he had made his decision.
Naruto matches his pace, refusing to give up. “How long will you keep running away, Sasuke? I know you haven’t forgotten about her.”
He had seen the longing in Sakura’s jade eyes, back when they were kids, and even now, when they were grown into fine shinobis.
He was determined to bring his best friends where they belonged—with each other.
For everything Sasuke had done in his life, having a woman like her stand by him and love him was the last thing he deserved.
His mother once told him, ‘When you love, you care,’ and seeing Sakura cry pulled at his heart as if he was hurt himself. Back then, he couldn’t afford to stray from his goals, from his revenge. So he pushed her. Tried to sever every thread that fate had tied them with.
Running only made things worse. She existed in every town and corner he visited. People from far away would sing her praises. Orochimaru would do too. The more he saw her, the more powerful she got. Even the blind could see that a criminal like him wasn’t a match for her.
Yet, he selfishly wanted her all to himself. There had been days when he was a letter away from asking her to join him.
If there was anything close to home for Sasuke, then it was Sakura.
“You’re Sharingan’s of no use if you cannot see the truth.”
Her love for him had never faded
“I know your feelings for him. It must be hard to…” He pauses, leaning on his palm, and gives her the smile that’s only reserved for her. “Never mind, I’ll just talk to him.”
“Mm-hm,” she says, shaking her head. “Sensei, I’ve been wondering if…” images of the moments they’ve shared flash in front of her eyes. From their genin days, when she had a simple crush on him, the night she begged him to stay, to their most recent encounters. “I’ve misunderstood Sasuke-kun.”
Tears blur her vision. She looks down at her feet to hide them. I can’t keep acting like a crybaby forever. The poisonous thorns of love took over her throat again, closing it shut. She wants to say something, but the fatherly figure Kakashi had become made her vulnerable in front of him.
“He was supposed to be here yesterday,” he said.
Her eyes go wide, catching onto the real reason why she was bribed.
Kakashi sees the misplaced blush on her face. What should’ve been her cheeks are now her eyes—red.
“It’s fine.” She says, dropping the scrolls on a random shelf since it didn’t really matter where she kept them. Her fists clench, turning her knuckles white.
She smiles, she really tries to. Yet, the contours fail to reach her eye, reminding him of the day she confessed to Naruto. It’s fake.
From the window, he catches a Sakura leaf falling down into a puddle.
“I guess, I do annoy him a lot.” She turns on her heels.
Her mind races in different directions. Have I been burdening him with my feelings? She wilts. Her head hangs low, heart heavy at the possibility of causing him pain.
She ought to let him go. Naruto had suffered ‘cause of the promise he made to her once, so did Kakashi Sensei while protecting her all these years. She cannot let Sasuke have the same fate.
He’s someone who was thrown around in adults’ mess. It had only been three years since he started living for himself. She couldn’t break a free bird’s wings.
Definitely not her Sasuke’s.
He knew he had. She may have forgiven him, but he hadn’t forgotten how he had hurt her in every stage of their life. The warmth she gave, he returned with burns. His fingers still twitch at the memories of his attempt to—
“She’s better off without me.” A flawed man like me would only taint an innocent flower.
It was midnight when he reached the village. Somehow, his feet stayed glued in one place. So he ran again, but this time, to his family.
He had spent the night in the Uchiha cemetery.
Itachi, kaa-chan, tou-san… You would’ve loved Sakura… The way I do…
“Hey, Sasuke… shut up with all that bitching, y’know,” Naruto bared his fangs. He pitied the current state of his rival. “When did you become such a fuckin’ loser huh?”
Sasuke had predicted the petulant tantrum. He just didn’t expect it to be in front of the Hokage’s door. The rush of electricity surged through his body. He was seconds away from striking at Naruto.
“You don’t have a clue what you’re talking about!” Sasuke’s voice strained as he growled. He hated this feeling. Loathed feeling pathetic.
His tomoe swirled in rage.
Kakashi recognized the electric buzz. His eyes met Sakura’s. She gasped, knowing who the two chakra signatures belonged to.
“GROW A PAIR, SASUKEE.” Naruto jumped on him. His prosthetic arm grabbed Sasuke’s collar hard enough for it to rip. He shoves him against the wall, ready to fight.
They both swing their fists. Sasuke dodges it and elbows Naruto in the stomach, making him curl.
Before either of them could strike, the door swung open.
Sasuke loses his balance, giving his opponent a chance to strike. Naruto kicks him straight in the rear before realizing who was standing at the door.
“Oh no, Sakura-chan!” A shiver ran down his spine.
Time slowed down for Sasuke. His Sharingan takes in every frame.
The person he was running away from was mere inches away from him, and he was about to crash into her.
Sakura yelps at the sight, hands raising at the commotion in front of her.
Her lips were plump. Face prettier than he recalled. His mind froze.
He spots an equally shocked Kakashi standing behind his paperwork.
He had to think quick, before they do what he thinks they’re gonna do
Sasuke pulls Sakura by the waist. Milliseconds away from falling into her—kissing her.
He activates his rinnegan, creating a whirlpool of chakra around them. They both vanish in a swift motion.
A delicate sakura branch falls in the middle of the Hokage office with a thump.
Naruto and Kakashi stare at it, and then each other—mouth wide open.
He had used teleportation.
“Sensei…, I’m so dead,” Naruto sweats. Both his friends were going to kill him. “What do I do now?! I haven’t even married Hinata yet, y’know,” he bites the tips of his fingers, running in circles ‘round the room.
Sakura shuts her eyes, bracing for the impact to hurt her back.
Instead, a hand cradles her neck. Wait, wasn’t I falling back? Fall? I was falling on SASUKE-KU—
She opens her eyes and gasps, seeing Sasuke hovering above her. Close, too close. His breath fans her face. WHAT IN THE GODDAMN HELL?! Inner Sakura screams.
A gust of wind scattered Sakura petals between them. His mismatched eyes were just as stunned as her jade ones. Their proximity made his heartbeat erratic. He was sure she could feel it.
Just before they had hit the ground, Sasuke snaked his lone arm around her, protecting her from the blow.
A strange sound escapes his throat. “Sa-Sakura,” he stuttered, trying to get off of her, but the more he tried to move, the more aware he got of their position.
Their limbs were tangled, lips almost touching, eyes locked in. Her hair had cascaded in a beautiful pink halo over her head. He felt her softness against his hard chest.
“Shit,” he cursed again, afraid of crossing the line.
They were on the outskirts of the Flower Village. Somewhere in the distance, water symphonized with the sound of birds. He had visited this place a while back. It was added to the list of places he wanted her to see. He knew she would love it.
Maybe we’re not meant to be.
But the sick thorns of his psyche stopped him from taking her forever outstretched hand to him, from surrendering to her love.
Woody-musk filled her senses. Sakura had imagined scenarios like this as a kid. Never did she think they would come true with him.
He hasn’t even tried moving.
She wanted to say something. But the taste of a possibility kept her tongue captive. The weight of his body felt pleasant—it left her dizzy, with coo-coo birds spinning around her lewd mind. Lord knew what expressions she was making, for she did not know what to do!
“Sasuke-kun!” She broke the silence with a sudden yell.
Sakura had never reacted negatively to his touch. Did her feelings change for me? Regret fills his mind at the thought of making her uncomfortable. He messed up bad.
“I’ve missed you so much!” She says, through closed eyes.
It takes her a second to process what she had just confessed. Her hands come flying to her mouth as if she spilled a top ANBU secret. His Sharingan recording her every move, only fuels the embarrassment more.
Her heart sped up at the dreaded rejection coming her way.
This is it. Sasuke thought. There was never going to be a day again where fate would have him fall into her lap.
Sasuke mustered up the courage to bring her head slightly closer to him, indicating a move.
“Mhm, sa-same.” He whispers.
“Really?” She asks, incredulous and uncertain that she heard him correct.
His mouth goes dry at her parted lips.
They both gulp, inching closer, yet playing the game of who does it first in case they both got the wrong idea.
Fucking hell, I need to man up. He chides himself.
She was the first girl he saw at the academy, the first girl he ever talked to, the first girl he ever showed a fraction of care for, the first girl he ever fell for.
And she will be the last girl he ever loves.
Sasuke dips his head lower into hers. Their noses touching, lips just shy of kissing.
“Sakura… I’m sorry… for everything,” His voice comes out strained.
Her arms find the purchase of his cloak. She feels the warmth of him in every part of her body. His sincerity breaks her into tears.
“Mm hm,” she shakes her head, and graces him with the bright spring smile. “We’re good,” she beams—hugging him.
Their lips finally close in the gap, smiles intermingling. She tilts her head to deepen the kiss. Sasuke tugs on her hair lightly, melting her into putty in his hold. His lips were rugged against her soft ones.
Sakura’s chest heaved at the tingles his touch was giving her. His fingertips ignited goosebumps on every inch of her skin. She locks her legs behind him and brings him even closer. He was everywhere, yet not enough on her.
Shy pecks turned into a heated kiss. She had never felt anything like this. Unaware that these sensations even exist. His tongue protruded into her mouth, as if knocking to let in. She welcomed it with a soft moan. They danced a rhythm of victory, celebrating a battle they had finally won.
Her body felt hot all over, everywhere. Skin, lips, and the half-lidded gaze in between were all intoxicating.
Sasuke lost his grip on logic.
To him, she was a goddess he never even dared to think of like this, but the sounds she was making awakened a primal instinct beyond his understanding. Her nails scratching and caressing his abs wasn’t helping either. He didn’t want to let her go. Fate had gifted her to him.
His tongue wraps around hers, sending a sharp jolt of pleasure to her core. She bucks her legs tighter around him. Almost grinding.
If there were a heaven to exist, she was sure it was nothing close to this kiss.
“Kaa-chan, my ball got lost,” they hear a child’s whine and break away from the embrace.
Sakura takes in their surroundings. The Sky and water mirrored each other. They wore blue and had swirls of cotton floating white. A lighthouse-like structure glowed in the sun.
Panicked, almost puts a dent in the ground with her elbow. She looks at him, afraid they’ll get caught in an indecent act.
“Sasuke-kun…” her eyes pleaded. Whether it was to continue, ‘cause she hated the lack of their closeness, or to flee the location, to avoid the embarrassment, she wasn’t sure.
“Hn,” he gets up, understanding they need to leave. He would’ve stayed longer, said something to her. But instead of being courteous, he forgot to use his brain.
An Uchiha man acting so brash on impulse would’ve gotten him chewed up by his clan.
“How ‘bout we look for it together, Aka-chan?” A voice walking towards them speaks.
They had no time to spare now. At this point, he could only hope she didn’t get the wrong idea that he was taking advantage of her. Their “talk” had to wait now.
He hides them behind the tree trunk and looks at Sakura one more time.
Her eyes shone prettier than any emerald he had ever seen. They reflected a kaleidoscope of unspoken emotions to him. She didn’t want their time to end either.
A decade of long wait had culminated in these 2.5 minutes for her.
He pressed his lips to her forehead, just above the seal of her strength and patience.
It only took them three years to move from the forehead tap to a forehead kiss, she thinks. BUT ALSO AN IMPROMPTU MAKEOUT WITHOUT EVEN GREETING EACH OTHER FIRST, SHANAROO—inner Sakura interjected.
She could wait a million times longer if it was Sasuke who was on the other side for her.
“Let’s go,” he whispered into her ear, using his God given rinnegan to take them back.
“...and then I told him to grow a pair, basically. I didn’t know this was going to happen, Sensei,” he says—raking his brain to find any solution, any excuse to give to Sakura. He could sense them coming back any minute now.
Kakashi deflates. “I guess, we really messed up this time, huh?”
He had tried to intervene with fate, and it showed him that he’s a Hokage, not God himself.
Making an effort was really not his forte. He sinks in his chair, eyes glued to the ceiling—expecting a murder hungry Uchiha and the world’s most dangerous kunoichi to come for their blood.
The cherry blossom branch from earlier crackles into purple hues and disappears like an explosion reversing. In an instant, Sakura and Sasuke fell on the mahogany floor with a thud, on either side of the room. They were panting, as if they ran all the way to the Hokage office, not teleported.
Naruto and Kakashi eye the two with guards higher than when they fought the Fourth Ninja War. Their stance meant business. They waited for them to speak like soldiers anticipating their leader’s word.
An outburst was due soon.
Kakashi tried to decode their expressions—especially Sakura’s—to see if she was hurt. He was just as liable for orchestrating this surprise.
It was Sasuke who first stood up.
“Your report.” He cleared his throat and placed a scroll with his gloved, well, the only, hand on the table—buying some time for Sakura to gather herself.
A few moments ago, this place had witnessed her broken heart pretending to be fine. Though in the current, she was trying hard to hide her blush. Her face was still hot as she wiped her mouth with her knuckles.
From the corner of her eye, she catches a glimpse of Kakashi’s smirk. The glint in his eyes told her he understood everything. She dusted her clothes to avoid their gaze.
That perv! Of course, he found humor in their humiliation.
The scroll had no value compared to the scene his cute genins had created. Nothing ever escaped his perceptive eyes. He noted Sasuke’s ears were flushed too.
It was Naruto’s turn to be shocked. He flinched a little when Sasuke moved past him and patted his shoulder wordlessly—a brother-to-brother gesture of gratitude that the blond will take ages to understand.
“Oh, you all are so adorable,” Kakashi sighed like a grandma. “All’s well that ends well. No? Sa-ku-ra,” he teases her in a chirpy tone—pushing her off the edge into the madness he knew her for.
She mimes ‘no’ in a hundred languages. “Huh? Eh? Wha—? But I, you know. We just, and—” She freaks out, taking the bait.
Kakashi resumes his work, knowing the rest would take care of itself.
“Huh, what are you talking about, Sakura–chan? You and Sasuke what?” Naruto asks, ignorant of the death wish he just made.
“So, where were you guys? I gave Sasuke a talk, y’know!” The innocuous fool blabbers to his heart's content. “Wait, why are your lips and cheeks so red?”
Her fist trembles and tightens before she unleashes a monstrous punch on the centre of his head.
Sasuke’s usual frown was nowhere in sight, and a loud SHANAROOGAH echoed in the building.
