IMPORTANT NOTE: Ok, I realized that I said Sakura and Sasuke was sixteen and a sophomore. I have made a mistake. They will be juniors in this story. As for Itachi, I want him to stay as a junior in college, so for this story, we'll just have to pretend that Itachi is only four years older than Sasuke, and not five. That's all I wanted to point out.
I've never updated this fast before. The next chapter won't come out as quick, just to tell everyone.
Thank you everyone for all the reviews!
For those who wanted to know about the side pairings:
Naruhina-I will try to focus on this pairing as much I can. But to be truthful, though I adore the pairing, I really don't have much motivation to write about them since Hinata and Naruto are not my favorite characers.
NejiTen-ehh..well they're going to be a year older than all the others in the story. So I'll see how much I can concentrate on their relationship.
Shika?-Just like in my other story, I am unsure who I want to pair this guy with. He may end up staying single. If not, then he'll be with Ino or Temari. I'm not going to concentrate that much on his love life (if he even has one.)
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When Sakura entered the dining room at seven in the morning, she was once again surprised to see all the Uchihas sitting there, already eating breakfast. And she had thought she woke up early.
"Sasuke has informed me of your encounter last night," Mikoto gave her a smile. "So we won't need to introduce Itachi."
Sakura blushed slightly at last night's event. When she had exited Sasuke's bathroom, he had been lying on his bed. He told her that the bathroom was right next to her bedroom, and at that, Sakura had turned redder than a ripe tomato. She had quickly escaped to her own room, and berated herself on her stupidity.
Just thinking about it made her want to run back to her own room.
"Well, sit down and eat with us," Mikoto filled her plate with a large pile of food. "A growing girl needs to eat after all."
Gingerly, she pulled back her chair and sat down next to Sasuke, who hadn't said a word since she entered. But then again, neither had Itachi or Fugaku.
Breakfast was eaten in peaceful silence.
"Sasuke," Fugaku's sharp voice startled Sakura so much that she nearly dropped her glass of milk. It would definitely take some time to adapt to the Uchiha family's ways. "Haruno-san and your school supplies list arrived in the mail this morning. Take her today to get the necessary preparations."
Sakura choked on the milk. I have to go with him…today!
Sasuke made no comment, but stood up from his table, his breakfast finished.
He said one word before he left the room, "Eleven."
"Eleven?" Sakura didn't understand.
Mikoto patted her hand. "He means that he'll be waiting at eleven."
Sakura nodded her head and looked around, only to realize that person that had been sitting on her other side had also slipped out when no one was watching.
I never even heard Itachi-san leave!
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"I'm here!" Sakura exclaimed happily as she came down the stairs.
"You're late."
She glanced down at her watch.
IT'S ONLY 11:01 DAMNIT!
"I'm really sorry," her outer self apologized.
He grunted and opened the door to what she assumed was the garage.
"The-the garage is bigger than my room back home!" Sakura could only gape at the line of vehicles parked all over the area. She saw a motorcycle parked away from all the others. "Is that yours, Sasuke-kun?"
He grunted, which she assumed was 'yes.' Instead of heading towards the motorcycle, however, he headed towards a shiny red Porsche. "Get in."
Sakura complied, seating herself comfortably in the front seat. The moment she strapped in the seatbelt, he took off.
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"Here," Sasuke tossed her a piece of paper, which was probably her 'School Supplies' list.
She got out of his car, and stared at possibly the biggest store she had seen in all her life. It was even bigger than her town mall!
"Are you coming?" by the tone of his voice, it seemed that he wouldn't mind leaving her all alone in the parking lot.
Sakura hurried to catch up.
Of course, with his looks and his family name, Sakura had expected him to be popular…but never this popular!
The moment they stepped foot in the store, whispers escalated.
"Look, there's Uchiha Sasuke!"
"Who's that with him?"
"Is it his girlfriend?"
"No way!"
Sakura unconsciously tagged closer to Sasuke, who was currently completely ignoring her presence.
Girls who were shopping stopped to ogle the Uchiha and glare at the pink-haired female.
"Look at her forehead, it's so wide."
"My god, what an ugly girl."
"There's no way Sasuke-kun would choose an ugly girl like her."
Sakura held her head up high, though the words did hurt inside, since it reminded herself of her childhood. Her hands shook at the sudden urge to go over to one of the gossipers and knock their teeth out.
Before she could execute any sort of action, she felt a hand on her. She looked up; to see Sasuke had taken hold of her arm, and he had begun walking faster.
"Oh my god, he's touching her!"
"What is he thinking!"
"NO!"
Sakura saw him roll his eyes slightly and she suppressed a giggle. So the Uchiha did have some emotions after all. He glared down at her when he heard her stifled laughs, and she immediately quieted down.
She reached out and took his hand off her arm. When he looked at her, she smiled. "It's okay. I won't get lost."
"She touched him!"
"How dare her!"
"I'm so going to kill her!"
With a laugh, Sakura tuned out the voices and happily followed Sasuke through the store.
Forty-five minutes later, the two emerged out of the store with their arms full of shopping bags…well at least Sakura did. The two hadn't made much conversation when shopping, except Sasuke occasionally telling her that she was buying the wrong supplies.
"I'm starved," Sakura put all the bags in the back, "I can hardly wait to get some food."
The Uchiha made no comment in response, but Sakura decided that was normal.
She closed her eyes as the car started to drive, savoring the (somewhat peaceful) silence.
She was barely holding on to the edges of reality when she felt the car stop, and drowsily, her eyes opened.
"Are we there already?" she sat up and glanced to her side, before her mouth dropped open and her eyes bulged out. "Oh my god! Where are we? Is this your mall? It's ten times bigger than the store back over there, and I had thought that was humongous! Why are we here? Sasuke-kun?"
He had already gotten out of the car. "You're less annoying when you don't talk."
She looked down in embarrassment. "S-sorry. It's just a natural habit, I guess." When her head went up again, a smile was already back on her face. "But, what are we doing here?"
"Clothes."
"Clothes!"
"My mother told me to get you clothes."
Sakura followed him through the doors of the mall. "But I have my own clothes."
When he whipped around to look at her, she was sure his eyes flashed red. Had she annoyed him that much on this trip? "Just-do-as-I-say," his words seemed to be forced out of his mouth, and instead of talking, it seemed he actually wanted to strangle her right there on the spot.
Sakura, getting the message, shut her mouth.
A few minutes passed as Sasuke took her deeper and deeper in the mall. Sakura was quite confused. There were clothing stores all around them, but he made no move to head to any of them. Didn't he know that she wanted to get clothes shopping over with so she could return to eat lunch?
So lost in her thoughts, she never noticed he had stopped, and her face crashed right into his back.
"I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry!" she was back to her normal chatter.
Sasuke inwardly sighed. Old habits die hard, I suppose. "This is the food court."
"But I thought we were going shopping for clothes…"
"Eat first. Shop after."
There was a squeal of happiness, and before the Uchiha could react, arms were around his neck as the girl hugged him. "Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!"
He pushed her off when his senses came back around, but he could feel that the stares of the people that saw. Uchiha Sasuke…was showing public displays of affection? It was a sure sign that the end of the world was nearing.
She seemed to realize what she did, and started to apologize all over again.
Sasuke was ready to leave the ranting girl and just go home. He couldn't wait until this day was over.
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When Sasuke realized that the almost famished girl was just staring at the menu wistfully, he knew something wasn't quite right.
"They all look so delicious," the pink haired girl remarked, earning a few weird glances from the girl behind the counter. After all, it was just another fast food store. "But I can't buy any of it."
Sasuke looked at her. What was she talking about now?
"I just realized I spent almost all of my money on school supplies," she smiled at him again, though her eyes told him that she was in despair. Was food this important to his small girl? "But its okay, Sasuke-kun, you can buy whatever you want. I can eat when we return."
He rolled his eyes. As one of his classmates would say, this is troublesome. "What do you want?"
She shrugged. "I suppose I would have just gotten a burger and water." Her stomach's grunts in protest clearly told everyone within a five feet radius of her how hungry she really was. "But like I said, I don't have any money and—Sasuke, what are you doing!"
He was ordering two burgers and waters from the counter-girl (who need I mention, was blushing like crazy.) He seemed oblivious to the pink-haired girl's protests as he took the food and headed towards the nearest table.
When Sakura sat down across from him, he shoved the food over to her. Though she was still busy protesting about 'him paying for her' that she didn't even notice.
"Eat." He ordered, since he was getting tired of her talk. Food in her mouth was sure to shut her up. "Just give me back the money when we get back."
She looked gratefully at him. "Thank you, but aren't you eating anything?"
He didn't reply. He never did really have an appetite during lunch. He heard shuffling noises and looked down to see a burger under his nose.
"You have to eat," her voice sounded almost like his mother. "It's not healthy to skip lunch."
With a sigh of annoyance, he grabbed the burger from her and took a bite. It was…missing something. He saw the packet lying on the table. There was his solution.
Sakura could only stare as the Uchiha boy poured the ketchup onto his burger. "Uh…"
"I like tomatoes."
A burst of giggles escaped her. Tomatoes? Him? When he glared at her, she forced herself to shut up. "Sasuke-kun, may I ask you a question?"
"Hn."
"What is Konoha Academy for the Gifted and Talented like?"
"…nothing much."
"How are the people in it?"
"…okay."
"Are there any special after club activities?"
"…I don't know."
Sakura could have pulled her hair out in frustration. "Please, Sasuke-kun, then could you tell me what you know about the academy?"
He was silent for a long while, when suddenly he met ehr eyes and they darkened. "Everyone there worships the school's idol."
"Who…?"
If possible, his eyes darkened even more. "Itachi."
"Itachi?"
"He graduated with full marks on everything all four years," Sakura wasn't sure if she was supposed to tell him that the ketchup was being squeezed out from his burger, since his hands were clenching it so hard. "He was the top of everything, the genius, the prodigy."
So that's why Sasuke is so cold to his brother. Sakura thought. He's always been in his shadow.
"All father did was praise him." Sasuke seemed to have now forgotten about her, and was mumbling to himself. "Never anyone but him."
Sakura raised an eyebrow. It seemed that the taciturn Uchiha could talk on about his brother forever. The word 'Itachi' must really be taboo to him.
She reached out her hand and gave him her most reassuring smile she could muster, "Well, if Itachi is so great, you'll just have to try your best to surpass him, won't you?"
He stared at her, before he gave half a nod, and leaned back, as his emotionless mask slipped back into place.
Sakura resumed her meal, happy that the tension between them had finally disappeared for the moment.
"Excuse me? May we sit here, too?"
What was going on?
"No."
"Oh please, Sasuke-kun?"
Sakura looked up, and saw three beautiful model-worthy girls standing in next to Sasuke. All were slender-legged and long-armed with beautifully carved faces, perfected with spa and salon treatments.
"I said no."
Sakura glanced sharply at the boy across from her. What was he thinking, rejecting these stunningly beautiful girls? She suddenly felt like she didn't fit in.
She got up. "Sasuke-kun, you can stay here with these ladies. I'll just go shopping and come back when I'm done, okay?"
"Sit down."
There was no room for argument in his tone, and Sakura meekly retook her seat, feeling the pressure of the glares on her back from the three girls.
"Sasuke-kun, you heard the girl. She needs to go buy clothes. Why don't you just let her?"
"No."
Sakura looked at the raven-haired boy. She could tell his patience was thinning, and he hardly had patience to begin with. Alright then, she decided. It'll be Sakura to the rescue!
"Um…I don't think Sasuke is in the mood for company right now, so…uh…would it be so kind for you to l—"
"No one was talking to you!" the three girls turned their heads towards the poor pink-haired girl and lashed out at her.
"Why are you even sitting here?"
"Who the hell are you?"
"Sasuke-kun, who's the brat?"
Sakura felt herself shrinking back. Maybe trying to help wasn't such a good idea after all.
"Will you all just shut up already?" a new voice joined.
"P-president!" All the girls immediately complied.
"I could hear you all the way across the food court!"
"We're really sorry, we didn't mean it!"
Sakura couldn't see who the girls were talking to, but it was clear that whoever it was, she had the authority over all of them.
Sasuke, on the other hand, who had a clear view of who the new person was, scoffed in disgust. It was the President of his fan club.
"Now who's the poor girl you're picking on?"
The three girls moved aside.
Sasuke scowled. Now he had another fan girl to deal with, not to mention another bully to add on to Sakura's list. But of course…he never expected what would happen next.
"Forehead girl!"
Sakura dropped her burger.
"Ino-pig!"
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Ah hah! So Ino has been introduced. I'm not sure yet if she is going to play a big part in the story. Some reviewers have said that Itachi is nice to Sakura, while others have said that Itachi doesn't really like her. What I actually was trying to portray was that he was indifferent, not really caring if there was someone else in the house.
Later on, will he warm up to her? Even I'm not that sure yet.
I'm basically trying to focus on keeping Sasuke in character in AU standards. I'm not going to really concentrate on Itachi's attitude, so forgive me if any of you feel that he is OOC later on.
Next Chapter:
SASUKE AND SAKURA GET INTO A DISAGREEMENT! WILL THINGS BE RESOLVED? OR WILL SAKURA ALREADY HAVE AN ENEMY BEFORE THE SCHOOL YEAR HAS EVEN STARTED!
Please Review!