#ssfics

[k3nb]

it was late in the evening and sakura could not sleep. she had trained with tsunade from the crack of dawn and, from the legs that had to hold her up all day to the tingling in her fingers that practiced the manipulation of chakra, her body screamed exhaustion. still, her eyes remained fixed on the ceiling as the waning crescent moon shone through her bedroom window. she did not allow herself to turn and look at it, but her peripheral was ever aware of its presence just as much as it had been that night where she had not been enough.

perhaps if she had been stronger. smarter. more reliable. 

if only he had thought her capable of following through with all the promises she threw at his stiff back in her desperation, spewed from her lips and rooted in her heart.

maybe then the boy who made her heart ache would have paused long enough to really think about what he was throwing away. 

if only she had been enough.

sakura’s vision blurred as liquid gathered in seas of green. it was too late to blink them back now so instead, she squeezed her eyes shut indignantly, refusing to let them go. she had shed enough tears that night. 

but she could still feel the ripples behind her eyelids, threatening to spill over after the stone-cold expression on his beautiful face - the last look he had ever given her etched into her memory - weighed heavily on her chest. the kunoichi focused on her breathing, hoping that by forcing her inhales and exhales to file in and out of her body uniformly, that the ripples in her eyes would still into a calm pool, with nary a slosh or drop that could spill over.

she focused on that picture in her mind. a very still pool reflecting the night sky, with a full moon instead of an empty crescent one. there were stars, too, a community of stars that surrounded that moon and it was not alone. the night was mostly clear, though a stray cloud gathered and passed here and there. there were no ripples in that pool. it was calm and still. and it was working. 

there was a calm that passed over sakura such as she had never felt in a long time. the last time she felt this kind of peace was by a campsite in the forest of death with the fish that sasuke and naruto had caught smoking over the kindling she had prepared and that sasuke had lit. where their only concern was trying to advance to the next level as shinobis. blissfully unaware of orochimaru’s presence. before the invasion. before the curse mark. before the separation.

the ripples in her pool were forming again so sakura called her train of thought back and refocused on that stillness. that peace under the full moon. the complete moon. the moon that didn’t feel lonely or inadequate but content and at peace.

a different image morphed itself in her mind with the skill that only the unconscious mind, half-asleep and freed from the constraints of plausibility, can concoct.

the pool remained. the sky was unchanged. but her vision had taken a step back and she was looking at the bigger picture.

two silhouettes stood side by side next to the pool. there was a tranquility that was palpable in the air despite the lack of a breeze or ripple. there was a lightness in her heart that was unfamiliar yet comforting, the kind of contentedness that only a heart that wants for nothing could carry around. she felt fingers on her face and her eyes opened.

instead of the ceiling of her bedroom, she was looking at a familiar face. familiar, but oh so strange. she studied the length of his hair, mapped out the lines on his face, and basked in the softness of his eyes.

“you never seem to change, sakura.”

her breath hitches in her throat and her parasympathetic system instinctively prepares itself for a wave of sadness to crash over her but nothing came. it was almost anticlimactic except for the undercurrents of joy that she was now just noticing. the tears that had only moments ago threatened to spill onto her mattress and the stone road leading out of the village had suddenly disappeared and all she could feel was awe. and joy.

“but, y’know, you’re allowed to have wrinkles too.”

sakura focused on that joy and allowed herself to really feel it. she wondered at it. it was streaming through her veins with all the silence and subtlety that only years of self-assurance can orchestrate. she watched her own hand reach up and cover his.

“sasuke, i know you inside and out,”

was that her voice?

never mind that this was not her sasuke. at least, not yet. never mind that she did not recognize her own voice. or this place. or this man. she had no reason to believe it. but she did. because she recognized the love she felt. the love behind the pain that was crushing her not even an hour ago. the love that the joy she now felt was stemming from. it threatened to burst forth from her being with the same urgency and eagerness as those of the long-gone tears.

“you have nothing to worry about.”

it was as much for her as it was for him. she felt this strange version of herself, whose body she was borrowing in that moment, envelop her in that warmth. as though it had recognized her and wanted to embrace her with such fierce confidence that she believed it. sakura believed those words so much there was no room for doubt.

there was a moment of silence and peace then, looking over the stillness of that pool, the warmth of her hand intertwined with his. the undeniable connection that she could not even begin to describe reaching over space and time to hold them suspended in that moment.

the next day she would awake, and all the threads that knit together this picture in her mind would unravel and disappear along with all traces of sleep and rest. it would be back to training to the point of exhaustion. to ears perked when a stray conversation about far off lands wafts into hearing. with a renewed sense of determination and, buried so deep that she was not even aware of it, a faith that was not unfounded.

she would watch the waning crescent moon turn full. she would watch the stars appear and the clouds give way to clear skies. again and again and again.

she had nothing to worry about. as long as they were under the same sky. and she believed it.

I wish genin Sakura could see her future because that poor girl was heartbroken when Sasuke left. She felt useless and powerless to stop him, she was behind her teammates.

Flash forward to the future, she is the strongest kunoichi who saves lives and incredibly powerful, she’s a role model for all the young girls. The boy she loved so dearly became the man she would be able to love forever and have a family with. Is their situation perfect? No. It suits them, they have duties and at the end of the day they know they love each other very much.

I just want her to know that she’s gonna be okay 🥺

[sickenedfanfics]

Sanguine Symphony

Title: Sanguine Symphony

Chapters:

“Note to Readers”

“Fully Qualified”

“Vampire Overview”

“Human Overview”

“Sanguine Symphony (A Tears of Pearls Parody)”

“Chapter One”

Note:

Please note: The mention of Aboriginal vampire hunters using boomerangs to impale vampires is a reference taken from the show, Firebite, which is an Australian/American joint production.

Type: Alternate Universe, Real Person Fanfiction, Band Fic

Rating: Explicit

Warning:

Rape/Non-Con, Graphic Depictions of Violence, Profanity, Gore

Category: M/M

Fandom: Savage Garden

Relationships: Darren Hayes/Daniel Jones

Characters: Darren Hayes, Daniel Jones, You, Reader, Original Characters

Story Tags:

I miss the 90s, Bring Back 90s Music, Yup I'm Old As Fuck, POV Darren Hayes, Good Writing, Well-Written, Original Universe, Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe – Dark, Slice of Life, Dark, Minor Original Character(s), Guitars, Keyboard, Piano, Music, Musicians, Musical Instruments, vocalist, 90's Music, music group, Band, Band Fic, Alternate Universe – Vampire, Vampires, Abuse, Emotional/Psychological Abuse, Verbal Abuse, Alcohol, Alcohol Abuse/Alcoholism, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Blood, Blood Drinking, LGBTQ Themes, LGBTQ Character, Bisexuality, Gay, Gay Male Character, Homosexuality, Shipping, Established Relationship, Dysfunctional Relationships, Abusive Relationships, Unhealthy Relationships, Domestic, Drama, Past Violence, Past Domestic Violence, Bottom Darren Hayes, Top Daniel Jones (Savage Garden), Reader-Insert, Mild Reader-Insert, Reader-Insert Parts, RPF, Real people, POV Second Person, POV Third Person, POV Multiple, POV Alternating, Bisexual Daniel Jones (Savage Garden), Domestic Disputes, Erotica, Homoeroticism, Gay Sex, Explicit Sexual Content, Heterosexual Sex, Killing, Murder, Romance, Mention of Child Abuse, LGBTQ, Gay Romance, Gay Male Lead Character, Gay Male Relationship, Relationships, Real Person Slash, Real Person Fiction, Based on Real People, Homoerotic Themes, Homoerotic Scenes, Homo, Gay Sex, Explicit Language, Heterosexual, Supernatural, Psychological, Anti-Hero Lead, Magic, Male Lead, Non-Human Lead, Villainous Lead, Adultery, Affair, Cheating, Cross-Dressing, Cruel Characters, Famous Protagonist, Modern Times, Nudity, Singer, Succubus, Suicides

Chapter Tags:

no smut, no sex

Story Summary:

Play me a symphony painted with sanguine kisses.

Darren Hayes and Daniel Jones dropped off the radar twenty-two years ago. Have you ever wondered what happened to that cool-ass group? How can they just disappear without a trace? The answer to that is not one that humans can imagine. The pop duo has been dragged into the underworld of the undead. They've survived this long but their relationship is hanging by the bare threads. Depression, rage, fury, and pain all thrive in this tale of blood, strife, and pain.

Chapter Summary:

Users of the hit vampire social media site, VamVu, get a surprise when a live video featuring Darren Hayes, frontman of Savage Garden, is hosted. They're stunned and outdone, but they get great news.

Intro:

You sit at or hold your Wi-Fi-enabled device (laptop, tablet, computer, phone, whatever) with a glass of junior blood wine at hand. It’s the cheap shit because everybody knows you were piss poor broke before you were embraced, so why would undead life be any different? You sign into your VamVu (yeah, a play on vamp/vampire view) account located on the dark web. You catch up with some of your friends, thumb down a video by sociopolitical leftist pussified vampires which promoted allowing weres, shapeshifters, zombies, demons, and Magic Folk on the site, and thumb up one commenter’s chant of “keep VamVu bloodstained red.”

“Note to Readers”:

AO3 Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

“Fully Qualified”:

AO3 Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

“Vampire Overview”:

AO3 Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

“Human Overview”:

AO3 Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

“Sanguine Symphony (A Tears of Pearls Parody)”:

AO3 Inkitt Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

“Chapter One”:

AO3 Inkitt Quotev Royal Road Scribble Hub Squidge World

----

Other Sites: Fanfiction Original Writing

[ariannjs]

AUNTIES OF KONOHA | A SasuSaku FanFic (One Shot)

This was a sudden idea but it was fun to write! The idea entered my mind when I saw a tweet by one of my friends in the SS fam wherein her mom and tita (aunt) stalked her crush. Haha. And then poof, I suddenly thought of incorporating the “Titas of Manila” vibe in it! 

If you’re a Filipino and you consider yourself a “tita” regardless of your age, I hope you enjoy this!

Cla, thanks to you, this was born! This one’s for you! I hope this fic would make you smile! Stay happy!

Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto, nor any product, franchise, or establishment mentioned in this fic.

————

“Hi, Mars!” A high-pitched voice called the attention of Mikoto Uchiha while she was seated at one of the aesthetic tables of Cafe Mary Grace.

“Mare! You’re here!” Quite surprised, she stood up and leaned closer to her new companion to give her a beso on the cheek. “Kushina told me you might not be able to come, so I thought it’s going to be just the two of us.”

Mebuki Haruno slightly chuckled as they both sat down. It was also a surprise to her that she was able to attend their monthly hangout. Originally, she had somewhere else to go to, but she didn’t want to miss out on the updates with her amigas’ lives so she had to find a way to be able to meet with them. “Well, Sakura doesn’t have any classes so she took over all of my tasks for Sunlife today. Anyway, how are you?”

“Well, actually…” Mikoto suddenly picked up her Longchamp from the chair beside her and started rummaging its pockets. 

“What are you looking for?”

“My White Flower.” She sighed. “Actually, I was having some sort of a migraine this morning and it’s quite hitting me again now. Wait, where is it…”

Rolling her eyes, the caramel-haired woman clicked her small pouch open and gave Mikoto what she was looking for. “Here. And I thought Kushina was the forgetful one.”

“Oh, thank you!” Mikoto chuckled bashfully. “You’re still always the girl scout! I think I forgot mine somewhere at home since I used it right after I woke up too.” Opening the lid of the tiny bottle, she placed a finger on its mouth and waited until the liquid that could somehow miraculously heal all kinds of aches dampened the tip of her finger. She applied it on her temples and repeated the process until she felt the soothing sensation that she needed. “Tch. How I wish these headaches would stay away from me, but it’s returning every now and then.”

“Is that a sign that even at eighteen, Sasuke could still be a kuya?”

A subtle gasp escaped Mikoto’s lips as her gaze landed on Mebuki. And with the way the other woman wiggled her eyebrows at her, she couldn’t help but blush. “N-no, that’s not the case!” She cleared her throat and straightened herself on her seat. “Not at all. We don’t need more babies at home, Mare. Besides, I already have lots of baby succulents in my garden.”

Mebuki chuckled at how her friend struggled to keep her composure. “But 43 is not that bad, Mars. I’ve heard it’s still okay being pregnant at our age!”

“I don’t think Sasuke would appreciate having a sibling that is enough to be his own child.”

“Oh well, that could probably make your son more soft, you know? He’s so much like Fugaku! Imagine him taking care of an infant. I bet he needs that. Like a practice!”

Her laughter only received an eye roll from Mikoto. And if Mikoto hadn’t seen another familiar woman by the restaurant’s door, she was sure she’d have to endure Mebuki’s insistence on the matter for a couple of minutes.

“Kumares! Oh my gosh! I’m so sorry I’m late!”

Mikoto knew the newcomer wasn’t quite sorry at all, but she only grinned due to its familiarity. “It’s fine, Mars. We haven’t ordered yet.”

Kushina Uzumaki rounded the table and gave the two a beso before placing her grocery bags on the same chair where Mikoto’s bag was. “That’s great! Oh well. I wasn’t able to stop myself from dropping by at Watsons after I bought some groceries!”

“Who would be able to resist the temptation of Watsons? I could relate to you! I’m sure Mikoto could, too. Did you buy anything?”

“I wasn’t intending on buying anything, really.” The redhead chuckled. “But then I saw a new shade of this famous supermatte lipstick and I knew I needed to have one while it’s on sale!” She opened a small paper bag to reveal its content. Quickly removing the cap of the cosmetic, she twisted its body and showed the lipstick to her friends. “It’s gorgeous, dattebane!”

“Wow, that’s good for you! I’m kind of becoming lazy in shopping at malls recently. I often just hoard some stuff on Shopee and Lazada or ask Sakura to do the shopping for me. Besides, that’s kind of her thing nowadays too.”

Mikoto groaned slightly. “The joy of having a daughter.”

Mebuki chuckled. “Oh yeah, I remember you’ve always imagined that Sasuke would be a girl when you were still pregnant with him. But don’t worry, isn’t Itachi about to get married early next year? You’ll have a daughter-in-law soon!”

“You’re right.” There was a sparkle in Mikoto’s eyes upon hearing the idea. “Wow. You’re right! I didn’t realize that! Izumi’s such a sweet girl and I can’t wait for her to be officially part of the family soon!”

“My, my! I can’t believe things are going too fast! Just a little bit longer and you’re already going to be a lola, Mikoto!” Kushina’s unabashed laughter filled their side of the venue, but the redhead woman didn’t care about the heads turned towards her.

On the other hand, her statement made the Uchiha matriarch glare at her, and for a second, she somehow thought that she saw her eyes became red.

“I’m kidding, ‘ttebane! You know you’ll still be as charming as me and Mebuki regardless of our age! Anyway, why don’t we order first?”

“Good point. Cha! I’m starving. It’s almost lunch time anyway. Waiter?” Mebuki raised a hand to one of the waiters who instantly handed menus to them and asked for their orders.

Kushina was the first to respond, “I’ll get the signature ensaymada – kindly heat it, okay? – and please prepare a dozen of Cheese rolls for takeout. How about you, Mikoto?”

“Mine is...hmm, Chicken Inasal Sandwich with Tomato and Wansoy Salsa.”

“That’s all for you both? Alright, for me—wait a sec—ah, this! Dory and Saffron Cream Pasta and Mary Grace Hot Chocolate. You guys don’t want to add anything?”

Kushina shook her head, but Mikoto turned to the waiter once more. “Please add a cup of tea for me. Thank you.”

“We’re all set then!” The redhead hummed with delight once the waiter left for their orders. “So what’s up with you guys recently?”

“Nothing much, really. Same old, same old.” Mikoto huffed. “Fugaku still has lots of businesses he needed to attend to. But recently, he often brings Itachi to his trips, as training, he says. I don’t even see them much anymore until they came home last week.”

“Still the busy man, huh? Minato’s the same! I called him out about it. Just because he’s the Mayor doesn’t mean he needed to stay at his office and have overtime!”

Mikoto crossed her arms on the table, smirking in amusement that Kushina had the guts to call out her own husband. “That’s the First Lady of Konoha for you. And what did he respond to that?”

“Gladly, he’s been going home earlier lately. It makes me happy that I could prepare dinner for him again. The thing is, it’s quite difficult to tolerate him because it feels like he’s another teenager in the house!” Kushina massaged her temples as her friends snickered. “I’m not sure if he’s just messing with me or he’s trying to practice being sweet again.”

“That’s why Naruto isn’t maturing,” Mikoto quipped.

“You’re right, though. He used to tell me that Naruto got much of his traits from me, but maybe the immaturity actually came from him!”

“Oh well, what is it with our husbands and their busy lives? Kizashi opened another shop in Suna last month, so he hasn’t returned since then.”

“How fun! I mean, missing your husband sucks, but the all-girls company seems fun, ya know? With just you and Sakura at home!”

“Yeah. You and Mikoto are missing out.” The Haruno matriarch chuckled, and then he proposed, “Perhaps we could invite you both soon for dinner?” 

“Sounds good to me. Sometimes I can’t stand Sasuke’s brooding at home.”

“Count me in, too! Oh, hey! Food’s finally here.”

True enough, the waiter returned to their table with the meals they have ordered, making them pause to say a prayer and then instantly devour their food. 

“By the way, have you heard about this thing going on with Hiashi and Tsume?”

Two pairs of eyes glanced from their food to Kushina.

“You’re not talking about a romantic thing, right?” Mikoto asked.

“Actually, that’s exactly what I’m talking about.”

“That seems like a joke, however.” Mebuki laughed before wiping her lips with a table napkin. “With how reserved Hiashi is, and how...how bold Tsume is, that seems like an extreme contrast.”

“I’m still not sure if it’s true. But we all know how Hiashi lost his wife to cancer so many years ago. And how...Tsume’s husband left them because she allegedly scared him, right? They probably need some romance once again.” Kushina shrugged while slicing her ensaymada. “Oh, well. It’s kind of being passed on to their kids because Naruto complained to me days ago about how Kiba seemed to be hitting on Hinata recently.” She snickered.

“But aren’t Naruto and Hinata together now?”

Kushina nodded with glee. “Yes, Mare! I was pretty surprised my son even had the guts to ask a girl out! Especially the Hyuga!” She laughed. “But yeah. Hiashi suddenly had a soft spot for dogs, and it seems like he often brought Hinata with him whenever they dropped by at the Inuzuka’s Petshop to have their pup checked up. And as told by Naruto, Hinata often mentioned how Kiba tried to spend more time with her.”

“Jealousy, huh?” Mikoto laughed. “Ah, young love.”

“I know! Naruto was pissed! I could remember how I was a bit like that – or worse – when a few girls hit on Minato back then!”

They all laughed, remembering how all of them were present in some of those encounters wherein girls threw themselves on the town’s young-looking mayor.

“Our husbands quite have the knack to attract girls, don’t they? Good thing Fugaku’s the kind who never even glances at his fangirls. To think that he still has lots until now! I’m not sure if I’d actually be bothered by the fact that Sasuke seemed to have gotten such attitude too.”

Mebuki bit her lip to stifle a giggle, mind lost in a memory that she wasn’t sure at first if she should share with her friends. “Speaking of Sasuke, I wasn’t able to mention this earlier but…”

Mikoto turned to Mebuki at the mention of her youngest son’s name.

“Well, how do I begin...I’m a bit bothered about why my daughter wasn’t introducing any guy that wants to court her. She wasn’t even talking about any crushes ever since, like every other girl! I was quite afraid that Sakura already became a plant or something. But weeks ago, I’ve tried asking her if there’s a guy that she likes and then – poof! – she went all red!”

“I think I know where this is heading…” Kushina snickered, but Mikoto only raised an eyebrow, wondering if she wasn’t catching up on something.

“She never mentioned the name of the guy. But…” The Haruno smiled mischievously, causing her two friends to lean closer as if a top secret information was going to be revealed inside the decorated walls of Cafe Mary Grace. “She described him – weird hairstyle, dark eyes, fair skin; also...quickly annoyed, rarely talks to others but engages in conversations with her especially through chats, and the one she often tags in memes despite knowing that he wouldn’t find it so funny.”

“So you’re thinking that it’s Sasuke?” Mikoto placed a hand on her mouth, unsure about what she should feel. “But we can’t be sure on the last descriptions!”

“The thing is...I’ve stalked my daughter online.”

“Stalked.” The raven-haired woman gave her a pointed look.

“Yes.”

Kushina guffawed in her seat while waiting for the next revelations of her friend.

“You stalked your daughter, Mebuki? Don’t teenagers dislike it when we invade their personal space?” Mikoto mentioned with her fingers forming quotation marks in the air. “That’s what Sasuke usually tells me whenever I ask him who he’s always chatting with on––” And then she gasped.

Mebuki and Kushina were looking at her now, pairs of blue and green eyes shining with delight at the notion that their friend seemed to have puzzled the pieces on her own.

“Oh, goodness.” Kushina chuckled once again. “I haven’t heard anything from Naruto, to think that they’re all best friends! This is great, ‘ttebane! But you haven’t told us yet what you’ve seen when you stalked Sakura.”

Mebuki laughed before she even got to say anything, almost making a vein pop on Mikoto’s already throbbing head. Because, how could they understand the story if the teller was laughing midway? 

“Well, I didn’t see her tag Sasuke on any meme.” The caramel-haired woman restrained another cackle.

“So how were you—”

“It was actually the other way around! I don’t know how I landed on that random Facebook page but I saw a comment of Sasuke tagging Sakura on one of those doctor memes albums. And then my daughter replied with ‘HAHAHA you’re the one who’s annoying, Sasuke-kun! I won’t be like this to my patients one day!’”

Kushina and Mebuki giggled like teenagers then, leaving the Uchiha matriarch at a loss for words.

“Who would have thought, Mikoto? We might end up as co-mothers-in-law!”

“I didn’t...I didn’t expect this. I’ve always known Sasuke to be the shy one. Although he always seems aloof, he’s actually just shy. I never even realized he and Sakura have developed such close friendship...or more. I used to think that only he and Naruto are the ones who are very close in their team.”

“Well, I was surprised with Sakura too. I know she adores both her bestfriends, I just never imagined she could adore Sasuke in a different way. If anything, I’d actually be glad if my assumptions are true.” She winked at her amigas. “They basically grew up together. And Sasuke grew into a fine gentleman with great values, props to you and Fugaku.”

“Alright! We must do something about this then!”

The other moms faced the redhead, each with an eyebrow lifted inquisitively due to her sudden declaration.

“Remember when we were helping you and Fugaku pass on letters to each other in class?”

“Oh my goodness, Kushina, that was a long time ago!” A crimson stain appeared on Mikoto’s cheeks as she remembered how her two best friends and their then boyfriends (now husbands) actually contributed to the relationship between the campus heartthrob and their batch’s top student. “I don’t think we could do such a thing for Sasuke and Sakura though.”

Kushina scoffed. “Of course we wouldn’t do the exact thing! For one, you and Mebuki should allow them to go out. Like, alone.”

“Actually, I’m fine with Sakura going out. She even usually goes out for some shopping with Ino. It’s just that I have a curfew for her. Hmm...maybe I could extend that whenever she’ll be out with Sasuke.”

“The thing is, knowing my son, he wouldn’t be straightforward in asking her out even if he wanted to. He’s so subtle at everything! I think he actually needs some push.” Mikoto nodded to herself as if she already has a to-do list of her own. Her two other friends grinned at each other, noticing the determination in the Uchiha’s eyes that seemed to be filled with hesitation moments ago. “You know what? This is actually a good idea. I don’t want Sasuke to end up being alone. He’s already getting a bit lonely now that his brother is not always around. And Naruto already has a girlfriend to give much of his time to.”

“Exactly!” Kushina clapped her hands, thrilled that they were going somewhere with this SasuSaku mission of sorts. “Those are great contributions, Kumares! I guess mine would have something to do with my son. Let me see...oh! Wait a minute! What if I ask Naruto to invite Hinata, Sasuke, and Sakura for some sort of a double date? Oh my gosh! That would be so sweet, dattebane!”

The three women gazed at each other with silly grins on their faces. They only wanted to hangout and talk about life in general, what they didn’t expect was that they would end up strategizing as if they were gearing up for a school project, much like their High School days.

“Cha! It’s getting cold here.” Mebuki suddenly complained, immediately getting her small pouch that seemed to fit every possible item in it, which included a shawl that she brought out. Placing the shawl around her shoulders, she heard a familiar voice from behind her and for a second, her friends gave her meaningful looks that she didn’t quite catch at first.

For the one who had just entered Cafe Mary Grace was none other than her beautiful (and single) daughter.

“Oh, Sakura! You’re done meeting with everyone for their Sunlife insurance?”

“Yes, mom. I also picked up your box of Vitaplus goods,” the pink-haired maiden said while handing a package filled with health drinks.

“Wow. I didn’t know you’re into that.”

“Nah, Kushina, I have no time for networking, really. But I wanted to help a friend who’s into this, so I sometimes buy their big bulk. Besides, my future doctor here is kind of obsessed with these healthy stuff!”

Sakura only shrugged before greeting the other women in the room, “Hi, Tita Kushina and Tita Mikoto!” She then approached them with a beso on their cheeks. But for some reason, she was stuck in place when the Uchiha matriarch surprisingly hugged her, leaving her wide eyed.

“Great to see you, Sakura!”

She chuckled shyly as she pulled a chair from an empty table near them. “Um, thank you, tita. You too.”

“It’s so nice of you to help out your mom today, Sakura. Thanks to you, we were able to catch up with Mebuki today!” Kushina said. And then she smirked. “So how are you and Sasuke?”

Mebuki and Mikoto threw glances at each other while stifling their laughter. As always, it was Kushina who would do things right off the bat.

Sakura parted her lips in surprise, eyes blinking as all the titas in the table leaned closer to wait for her reply. “I...I’m fine? I think Tita Mikoto would know about Sasuke-kun, though.” She scratched the side of her head.

“That’s not what we mean, dear.” Mikoto smiled, grasping her hand from across the table.

“Right. How are you and Sasuke?” Her mom asked this time.

Her eyes widened at the implication of the hanging question. She fidgeted in her seat, looking down with the hope that the blush on her cheeks wasn’t prominent for them to see. “H-how are...we? But...t-there’s no such thing, mom.” 

The three women’s shoulders slumped, excitement suddenly leaving their system. Sakura was still trying to grasp the reason behind the on-the-spot interrogation when someone’s phone buzzed.

Saved by the bell, she thought.

It was Mikoto’s. A smile graced her lips when she saw the name on her caller ID. “Hello, Sasu-chan? Yes, we’re still here! Oh, you’re already right outside? Alright, thank you. I’ll be there in a bit.” She returned her phone inside her Longchamp before facing her friends with a beam. And for some reason, Sakura didn’t know if that was a good thing. “My son is there to pick me up. Let’s go?” 

Definitely not a good thing.

The other women agreed, settling their bill and gathering their stuff before exiting Cafe Mary Grace.

Once outside, they all saw a black Audi with Sasuke leaning casually against its side. Kushina, Mebuki, and Mikoto couldn’t help but grin like Cheshire cats. Sakura, on the other hand, shifted her weight from one foot to another, gripping the Vitaplus box in her arms even tighter.

When Sasuke sensed their presence, he glanced at their direction, eyes slightly widening at the presence of someone he didn’t expect to be there. But he quickly brushed it off and approached his mom, giving her a kiss on the cheek before gently lifting Kushina’s hand and pressing his forehead against it. He repeated the honoring gesture to Mebuki, which the woman responded with a cheery “Bless you!”

For a brief moment, it was as if the three elders were holding their breaths, bracing themselves while they waited to see how Sasuke would greet Sakura. 

Would he hug her, kiss her, hold her hand, or what?

Their expectations have faltered, however, when Sasuke simply turned to Sakura’s direction and gave her a nod. 

A simple, small nod.

That’s it? Mikoto blinked in surprise, slightly disappointed with her own son. He definitely got that from Fugaku! 

Sakura smiled in response at his raven-haired childhood friend, grinning a bit wider when she noticed the tinge of pink dusting his cheeks. Thankfully, their moms and aunt failed to see it.

“Do you mind if we give them all a ride?” Mikoto then asked once she recovered.

Sasuke – being Sasuke – simply shrugged and unlocked the car, opening both doors for them before assisting Kushina with her grocery bags to be placed in the trunk. As Kushina and Mebuki entered the back seat, he returned to get the box that Sakura was holding so he could also place it beside Kushina’s groceries.

He found his mom standing by the passenger seat then, with a hand on Sakura’s shoulder as if stopping her from going inside the car beside her mother. “Mom, what are you waiting for?”

“I’m actually thinking that Sakura should take the passenger seat so I and your titas could still talk at the back.” 

Sasuke quirked an eyebrow at her. “Couldn’t you do that with you in the front seat?”

“No!” Three voices startled him and Sakura, though he was just asking the question to his mom.

“Well, you see, they agree with me.” Mikoto grinned. “I mean, I just really missed your titas, Sasuke-chan.” She intentionally completed Sasuke’s name to better gain his favor, well aware that he hated being called with his childhood nickname in front of other people. “Besides, while we talk, you and Sakura could have some—I don’t know—catch up or something.”

There was a pregnant pause after that as Sasuke weighed the predicament, sensing something strange. But when he realized that there was no point discussing a petty thing, he finally nodded at his mom and waited for her to get inside the car beside Mebuki. He closed the car door and waited for Sakura to enter the front seat next, before closing her door as well and rounding the car to go to his side.

Internally squealing, the three women at the back seat gave each other knowing glances that Sakura was able to catch through the rearview mirror.

Her neck suddenly felt warm the moment Sasuke entered the car. There’s this weird pressure of being this close to him and having the elders behind them, watching them carefully contrary to what Mikoto said that they would still converse with each other.

She busied herself with her phone then. And upon unlocking it, she noticed the latest Facebook notification that appeared on her screen: Sasuke Uchiha mentioned you in a comment.

Biting her lip to fight her smile from growing, she threw a glance at the man beside her. What made all her tension go away was the fact that he was also surprisingly looking at her with a smirk playing on his lips.

And then Sasuke drove off to bring the titas home.

————

June 2019 | @AriannJS

————

Some terms that might need definitions:

Mars/Mare/Kumare - (Tagalog; derived from a Spanish word) appellation for a female close friend; appellation for your child’s godmother 

Kuya - (Tagalog) big brother

Lola - (Tagalog) grandmother

Tita - (Tagalog) aunt

Amiga - (Spanish/also used sometimes in the Philippines) female friend

Thanks for reading! Please let me know what you think! :D

[spideyslut]

Up All Night

Peter sat on the ceiling with a textbook on his lap. He squinted through his glasses in concentration as lo-fi music played lightly in the background. The sun was setting in his bedroom window and peter was planning on staying with his books until it came back up. Tony told him not to stress out too much about ‘

“You’ve got this, Pete, you’ve been studying all week. You’re ready for anything they throw at you.”

As much as Peter wanted to believe his Dad, he just knew he’d regret it if he didn’t pull this all-nighter. Steve walked into Peter’s room with a box of pad Thai and an energy drink. Peter grinned appreciatively at the kind gesture, “Thanks Pops. I’m gonna need this.”

Steve smiled weakly and wrung his hands a bit, “You’re welcome, dear. Are you sure you really need to study all night? Maybe only a few more hours?”

“I really think I need to,” Peter sighed, already getting frustrated with his work.

“Hmm. Well, what if you invite a friend over to study with you? Maybe it’ll at least be fun that way.”

“That’s a good idea, Mr. America,” Wade said with a grin as he walked into Peter’s room.

“Oh, hi, Wade,” Steve smiled politely, “would you mind staying with Peter while he studies tonight?”

“It would be an honor, Captain.”

Peter rolled his eyes at Wade’s banter as Steve quietly closed the door behind him. Peter lowered himself halfway to give Wade what he called a “Spider-Man kiss.” Wade smiled into the kiss as his boyfriend hung upside down in front of him.

“You’d be even with my other head if you went a little lower,” Wade chuckled, “just saying.”

Peter laughed and set himself on his feet, “Not tonight, I have to study.”

“Well, I’ll help! That’s what Tony invited me here for anyway.”

Peter moved his things from the ceiling to the bedroom floor and the two boys sat cross-legged in front of each other. Wade held up flash cards and Peter flawlessly recited the definition on the back and resisted Wade’s urges to strip every time After a while Wade went on a snack run while Peter stayed home and played Kahoot. Wade burst into the room with armfuls of junk food right as Peter finished his study jeopardy game.

“Break time!”, Wade announced as he tossed Peter a bag of gummy worms and turned on Adventure Time. Peter munched on potato chips and watched cartoons for an hour or so before deciding to get back to studying. He opened a quizlet and was rewarded for each good answer by Wade who would toss M&Ms into Peter’s mouth. After a few rounds of quizlet, Wade started to notice that Peter was looking more and more fatigued.

“Babe let’s take a nap,” Wade suggested.

“Ugh… what time is it?”, Peter groaned at the idea of losing study time. It was 3 a.m. They could take a 3-hour nap before getting up and studying before the exam was scheduled. Peter was too tired to refuse. He took off his shirt before climbing into bed beside Wade. The mattress and the duvet never felt as soft as it did in that moment. Peter was already drifting off to sleep when he felt a gentle kiss on his forehead and a whisper from Wade, “I love you, baby boy.”

6 a.m. came too soon for Peter. He dragged himself out of bed and back to his PC. Wade went into the kitchen and Peter listened to the crackling of frying eggs and coffee brewing as he concluded his night of studying. He padded to the kitchen island and perched on a barstool. He was immediately presented with a strip of bacon, a cup of coffee, and two eggs- over easy, Wade knows him all too well. Peter smiled sleepily at Wade in thanks before digging in. After finishing his food, Peter quickly dressed and gathered his backpack. Wade walked with Peter to the school and promised to meet him when he was done with the test.

Wade hung out in the campus Einstein Bros. as he waited for Peter. He picked at his bagel and realized that he was a little worried for his boyfriend.

“You’re getting too involved in this shit. Why do you even care?”, a voice sneered in his head.

“Oh, shut the fuck up,” said the other, “he’s his boyfriend, he’s allowed to care about him. If the test is important to Peter it should be important to Wade.”

Wade sipped his coffee while the voices bickered within him. After a half hour he stood and went to Peter’s test building. Peter walked out 15 minutes later, and his face brightened up as soon as he saw Wade.

“How was it?”, Wade asked as he reached an arm out to Peter.

“Nailed it,” Peter smiled as he embraced his favorite mutant, “I need another nap though.” He nuzzled his face into Wade’s shoulder and allowed all his tension to melt away. Wade smiled and ran a hand through Peter’s hair, “Let’s go make that happen, baby boy.”

[ao3feed-sasusaku]

by lightcee

SasuSaku development (see: intimacy) during Blank Period, in Sasuke's POV

OR: the reason for Sakura's change of fashion style during blank period

Words: 3890, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English

Fandoms: Naruto, Boruto: Naruto Next Generations

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply

Categories: F/M

Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke

Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke

Additional Tags: Sweet, Sweet/Hot, Smut, Fluff, Canon Compliant, First Time, Blank Period

[thefangirlslair]

i have nothing to offer this new year and this past holiday seasons (really, nothing for the past few weeks now even though i promised some lmao i am sorry) but i wanna thank everyone who still follows my journey into writing for sasusaku. hope i can still give you fics that stir your emotions and make you feel things. happy holidays everyone and happy 2022!!! please take care of yourselves always ♥️

since i have no new year fic, here’s my last year’s piece hehehe love u all!!

[tiredrobin]

attempting to avoid draining my weakass garbage iphone battery by not opening another app. failing miserably. anyway i just need to make a note so i am less likely to forget it

[theredconversegirl]

The Perfect Gift | SasuSaku 🍅🌸

Hey!

I missed Sasuke’s birthday last year, but I won’t do that again in 2020.

I wrote a new fic in collab with @sorceressmyr​ again 💕 (thank you for all your help beta’ing this story!) So, there will be some art later! 😉

Here’s the blurb:

Title: The Perfect Gift

Summary: He never thought he’d turn twenty, or that he’d enjoy celebrating his birthday ever again. If every year he gets a gift like this one though, Sasuke won’t mind putting up with the festivities. [Blank Period]

Rated: M/E [Smutfic] Romance/Some Humour/Light Angst *More info in the fic.

Companion piece for “Birthday Girl” 🌸 (not a necessary read).

Read here: FanFiction | ao3

Hope you enjoy it!

xoxo

[vasoula]

The Peepshow

Summary: Two months after his redemption journey, Sasuke is back to Konoha and Sakura couldn’t be more happy about them spending a lot of time together. However, things take a hard turn when Sakura is assigned a special mission and she has to hide it from the rest of Team 7. Everything comes spiraling down when Sasuke finds out exactly what she has to do.

Tags: hard rated m, blank period, kinda AU-ish

Author’s notes: Please read, thank you!

Hello sasusaku fandom, it’s me ya girl, back after so many years to join the fandom once more. I have been missing this couple dearly and after going through a lot of fanarts, I stumbled upon my favorite girl and biggest inspiration strawberrycreampiefluff. She had made a mini doujinshi years ago, and I wanted to create a story about it so badly. So, I contracted her, got her blessings and created this mini monster fic you will read below (which she will hopefully recreate into a full fanart comic when she finds time - love you girl! - please support my friend’s art, it’s amazing!). This is a collab between us sort of. The first chapter is like a prologue - introduction to get the gist of things. This takes place after the last, but before sasusaku travels, kind of an alternate way of how sasusaku got together. I tried to keep the characters as close to canon as possible and this my first official full chaptered fic, so please be kind and leave comments and likes to show your opinion and support.

You can also read it on fanfiction and Ao3.

Next chapter

“Act one: Different mission objectives”

Haruno Sakura walks briskly towards the Hokage tower, her high-heeled shinobi sandals clanking against the pavement as she makes her presence known to the people who pass by. A few heads turn around, mostly males, to stare at her. She is known as one of the most beautiful women – if not the most – in Konoha. As the Fifth’s apprentice, she is working at the hospital as the top chief and she is well respected by shinobi villages all around the world for her talent in medical jutsu.

Sakura is currently dressed her hospital clothes, because her shift at the hospital just ended. She is wearing a button up white shirt that’s left slightly unbuttoned when it reaches her chest, a short black skirt and her white medical robe on top. She is heading to meet Tsunade who just asked for her to be present at her office immediately. The pink haired girl already knows what that means and what it entails.

It is a new mission.

That has to be it. It has been months since the last one, and her working hard as a medical ninja limited her chances of being sent into one. She is more than ready for it. However, she has a feeling this is only the start of bad news. Knowing her teacher, it has to be a special kind of mission. Being called so suddenly like that also gives her the heads up to guess the genre of it.

It must be a flower mission.

Yes, flower, Sakura thinks and nods to herself after waving at some people who greet her.

Flower mission is a term for female ninjas only. It is a code for a seduction mission.

Going and especially accepting a seduction mission is a big step for shinobi women. It is a very sensitive topic and it needs to be handled delicately and in secrecy. It is a powerful weapon which when used correctly, the mission will be done easily or quickly depending on the execution.

The three-man team pattern has most young girls create bonds or worse falling in love and it makes them attached in one way or another to their male teammates. That is why most ninja women have a difficulty seducing another man. The life of a ninja is usually short; you never know what could happen and the kunoichis value the idea of love. Still though, a woman’s power is strong and every kunoichi succeeds efficiently in their own little style.

The moment Sakura comes into the office, Tsunade’s head snaps up. The two women hold eye-contact for a few seconds before the younger medic closes the door behind her with a soft thud.

No one else is in the room, so Sakura guesses that whatever the fifth Hokage is about to tell her must be something of importance. She makes her way into the room and with elegant movements sits down on the chair that is positioned right in front of the desk. There are no formalities between apprentice and teacher when no one is around to watch, and since Tsunade made no sign to stop her, she also speaks first.

“Tsunade-sama, you called me.” It is not a question, but it is not a mere observation either.

The older woman sighs and puts her folded hands beneath her chin. Her eyes close for a moment and then she lifts her head upwards, giving Sakura a fond and soft look like a proud mother would give to her grown up child. A blonde strand escapes from her well-made and low ponytail and her red manicured fingers come forth to tag it back to place. An elegant move, and there is no wonder where Sakura took her beautiful ways from.

“Yes, I did,” Tsunade pauses for a second and then hastily continues, going straight to the point. There is no time for pleasantries. “I have a new mission for you.”

There is no surprise on Sakura’s face and Tsunade cannot tell if she already knew what her intentions are or she has simply masked her face with a facade of indifference. A true kunoichi right there, but then again…it could be the influence of a certain brooding male.

Before Sakura could ask more, Tsunade beat her into it and answers to her unspoken question. “It is a seduction mission.”

This time the girl reacts instantly and she blinks profusely, pink eyelashes fanning rosy cheeks repeatedly. “A-ah,” Sakura lets out a squeaky response, knowing the consequences of such mission.  

So I was right! It is a flower mission, she thinks and curses mentally. Here come the arising problems and she has not even started yet.

“I know, but believe me, I have no choice,” Tsunade put her palms atop of the desk and she pushes her chair back slightly, “This mission is specifically made for you.”

The woman knows what she is doing to her student right now, but seriously the girl is one of the best out there. Her exotic looks and endless beauty draws men like magnets to her. Besides, with her alluring ways and witty personality, she can bend even iron willed males, for example, Sasuke Uchiha.

Sakura has already made a list of problems at the back of her mind and her inner self screams in horror.

This is her first official seduction mission. How the hell is she supposed to break the news to rest of Team 7? She cannot straight go up to them and tell them. Naruto will surely react instantly and whine about it until the next decade. She has a feeling Kakashi, being trained under Tsunade, might already know something about this mission and that leaves her with one last important person to tell.

The man her heart yearns for.

After coming back from his redemption journey, Sasuke was a changed man. He was everything she had hoped for. Some parts of his character still remained the same that go back to his genin days, but she saw a new side of him that has been hidden for years, buried deep within all the hatred he harbored for most of his life. The last Uchiha has always been a cool character with a calculating thought process. The difference now was that he was free from the hatred and sins that plagued most of his life.

That is where the healing took place – right at this heart.

While he was away he helped many people during his journey across all the lands. That in return helped him find himself. He learned to love himself again and he stopped being angry at the world. He saw life from a different perspective and by the time he returned the storm inside his mind was calm once more.

Sakura’s heart flourished when he came back two months ago.

The two have been spending time together more than ever. They hang out after Sakura’s shifts at the hospital during the day either alone or with the rest of Team 7, sometimes including Sai. Other days, when their schedules are not so busy, Naruto comes and collects each one of them so they can have dinner at Ichiraku just the three of them. On special occasions, when the Hokage in training feels extra giddy, he will bring Hinata along and they will have something akin to double dates as he likes to call them.

It is an unspoken secret that the relationship between Sasuke and Sakura is a complicated one. They are at the stage where sometimes they act like they are together or other times they are on the verge of being in a relationship. Sakura knows what she is feeling that is for sure. The pure, unwavering love she feels for him is rooted deep within her and grows everyday as she watches him be happier and calmer before her eyes. They have had their moments of intimacy together before. Instances where they became close -  she remembers those intense feelings they shared through eye contact and hushed whispers when they were left alone.

The first one was after the war when Sasuke was in prison. The first time he expressed his feelings towards what had happened between them all those years. All the wrong and the ugly parts of himself he wanted to distinguish himself from.

In those quiet moments in the dark where he could not see, his eyes sealed like the criminal he was, he told her the truth. He trusted her now to reveal the ugly truth of Konoha and its elders. He divulged all the hardships his brother, Itachi Uchiha, had to endure to bring peace to the world. In a whisper, he confessed all about his clan like a dirty secret -like he was the sinner and she was the priest. And like the true healer she was, Sakura helped him see the good in him that she knew was still there and gave him disclosure. He accepted her kind words once more with a simple nod and a quiet thank you. But for Sakura, at the current time, it was more than enough. She saw the change in him. It was a small start but she would accept it. The young woman had endured harder things in the past after all.

Later that night, when she cried angry tears at the unfairness of the world, because now she knew finally about the Uchiha massacre, she knew all of them had to endure something hard in their lives and learn to live with it. But god if it did not hurt her that he was the one left suffering the most. And she just wished, she hoped, her love was enough to heal that part of himself that was trying to recover.

The second one was when he left for his redemption journey. While they had spend a few moments together before he left, nothing compares to that single experience. She knew she had to wait for him again, but this time it was not a tear jerking moment with her heart lurching in her throat. No, this time, it was her mind buzzing with all the implications his fingers left on her forehead and the fond look he was giving her.

The third one was when the Konoha 12 had their first night all together again. Of course Naruto had a hand in organizing once again. That little rascal, Sakura had thought then fondly. This guy was always trying his best to bring people together and he was doing a damn good job at it. The fact that he was able to persuade Sasuke into an outing like that was a feat itself.

Everything was going smoothly until the drinks started pouring in. Shots after shots of sake had Sakura feeling pleasantly tipsy that night, but she was not the only with that effect of alcohol on her. Somehow everyone had more than a little in their system and that did not exclude the moody male of Team 7. He was acting normal alright, Sakura would have told you, she was sure of it. But then, Ino Yamanaka, her notorious best friend was dragging her along the dance floor and she could not help but feel a hot stare at the back of her head. Goosebumps arising on her skin had her on edge. She knew then he was blatantly staring at her and he was not trying to hide it in the slightest. It was like then everyone knew what going on and her axis had sifted on its head. She could not fathom this would be the place where Sasuke would lose all his inhibitions, much less with everyone watching in anticipation his next moves. Naruto on the other hand, unbeknownst to her, was throwing just the right comments here and there, making Sasuke see Sakura from a different perspective. About time, if you had asked Naruto; he watched Sasuke analyze Sakura dancing as if she was a riddle ready to be solved.

Sasuke, at the hot age of twenty, was now a young man and finding a woman attractive was the natural course of life. However, for him these new profound feelings confused him. He did not know what he was feeling and all he wanted to do now was stare at Sakura until his eyes tired themselves out. He was ready to activate his sharingan just so he could commit that image to his memory.

That feeling in his chest was starting to bother him though and suddenly he felt all the stares on him from the intense chakra he was producing. Looking around he felt second hand embarrassment for himself, his ears getting red. Getting a shot of sake from the nearby table, Sasuke gulped down its contents and got ready to leave his position at the bar. He could not handle to keep his emotions in check any longer and this was bad. He was not ready to admit to himself what he was feeling and trying to suppress it any longer could do more harm than good. Better he left the situation right now before he put him and Sakura in a compromising position he was not ready to handle yet.

Right at that moment, Sakura decided to turn around, her dress sticking to her like a vice from all the sweat her intense dancing had caused. One look at Sasuke had time freezing. They held an intense eye contact for a few seconds, and her heart fluttered in her chest. She saw the change in him, she has seen that look before when other men had stared her way in the past. It was then she knew, tonight had been something more to him even though nothing has transpired between them yet. Maybe Sasuke was not ready to acknowledge these feelings yet, but Sakura had hope that this was the start of something new between them.

Feeling bold she started to approach him, confident in herself and brave enough thanks to the alcohol she had consumed. The moment she moved, she saw him flatter in his steps. He was about to leave and escape. The fearless Sasuke Uchiha was scared of what was transpiring between them, but she was not about to let him have his chance to escape this time. Sakura saw his jaw clenching and his hand flattering at his side from its place at the bar stool. He stared at her unblinkingly, waiting for her next move like they were about to have a fight at the training grounds.

Sakura then approached the bar like she owned the place and opened her mouth to say the most simple words known to existence.

“Hey, Sasuke”, she greeted in a whoosh, a breathless exclamation. She leaned against the bar stool and waited for the inevitable dismissal of denial.

Sakura found herself surprised however when he went rigid and leaned forward his towering body over her like he was about to whisper a dirty secret in her ear.

“You are different from the last time I remember you,” He confessed hotly, his mouth near her neck. If it was not for the obvious fact that she knew him well, any other person would have thought he was drunkenly leaning on her, but Sakura is not anybody and she understands this the way of him hiding his emotions from showing on his face in the shadows her neck provides.

What a weird way of seeking comfort from his own shyness, Sakura thought.

She idly recalled then that they were not in fact alone and Naruto was right behind them. When he started making obscene signs with his hands Sakura felt herself flush from head to toe, but the murderous glint in her eyes was apparently enough to stop Naruto’s crudeness.

“Eh, Sasuke-kun, what do you mean?”, she asked hesitantly, her hand raising and resting on Sasuke’s back in a sense of comfort. The soft material of his black shirt damp against her palm.

They were almost approaching the stage of hugging right in front of everybody.

Before they could complete the hug though, Sasuke’s head turned to the left, his cheek almost brushing against Sakura’s. The pink haired girl shyly turned her head slightly towards his direction, their faces almost touching. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the effect he still had on her and damn him if he he did not thrive on it.

He could think of all the nice things he could say to her, now it was the perfect time to take a step closer to approaching the inevitable connection they have. But his mind had other plans when the words slipped out of his mouth. In a teasing manner he was only capable of, he smirked and said, “More annoying than ever.”

He was sure she must have caught on his teasing by now. Using bitter words of the past to heal their wounds by putting another meaning to it. She was a smart woman and she could understand his actions better than anyone.

Sasuke knew she had caught on when he felt her fist punch lightly his stomach as if to punish him for insulting her.

“That is not a very nice way of complimenting someone, Sasuke-kun,” she whispered angrily, facing him completely. Any traces of wonder were gone from her emerald eyes replaced with mirth and she continued, smiling menacingly at him, “I thought I taught you better than that.”

“Hm,” Sasuke hummed in response and stood straight once again, looking down at her.

By now they had become a spectacle to their friends, the black haired male could feel Naruto almost bristling with excitement from behind him and he was not about to disappoint his friend who has been pestering him to get on with his feelings already.

“I guess we should spend more time together so I can get better at it.”

The double meaning behind his words was evident.

Sasuke Uchiha then patted Sakura Haruno’s head like it was the most natural thing in the world to do and smiled down at her gently.

His female teammate took a big breath through her nose, rosy cheeks glowing, and crossed her arms across her chest. She had him where she wanted him.

“Damn right we should!”

That was one week ago from her current position at the Hokage office. Just when she was making a great progress with seducing Sasuke, she has to go and approach another man for a mission. Talk about making matters weird between them. The worst part is the fact that she has to tell him. She wonders what his reaction is going to be considering they are not together yet. Is he going to act jealous or indifferent?

Who is she kidding? He is just going to glare her with this stupid scary look he gives in assassination missions to terrify people off the moment the words come out of her mouth and that is it.

“I haven’t finished yet,” Tsunade literally saw the thoughts displayed across Sakura’s face. It is like her life passed before her eyes, and her skin got a tad paler.

“Of course there is more,” the pink haired girl mumbles sadly while looking down, but the Hokage lets it slide.

“You will have back-up,” Tsunade says and sees with the corner of her eye Sakura sucking in a breath, “the rest of Team 7 will be with you,” and then next thing she knows the girl is chocking on air.

“W-what?” Sakura coughed out, giving her teacher a desperate look.

She feels like she is the center of the world and it is slowly closing up on her. Life suddenly looks less appealing, because good old Team 7 is back on track again with Sakura’s first seduction mission as a head start.

“Tsunade-sama, please tell me you are joking.” The pink haired medic grabs the sides of the armchair and hopes it does not break and crumble along with her composure.

The young woman also hopes her teacher is having some kind of twisted pleasure out of this because she is certainly not feeling happy with the news.

Tsunade wants to reprimand her student for losing her temper, but she understands what the girl is going through and also knows she in no better position to talk when it comes to matters like this. Still though, ears and eyes are everywhere and they must keep a low profile when in the Hokage’s office.

“Sakura,” The curvy female looks at her seriously, “Team 7 will be the back-up of this mission and that’s final.”

I am doing it for your sake, Tsunade wants to say but keeps quiet instead.

Somehow, Sakura understands where her teacher is coming from. This will be a test for both sides. It is a test for her that is for sure. A test for patience, a test for her relationship, a test for her seduction abilities both on the target and Sasuke, because let’s be honest, who is going to calm down the last Uchiha other than her?

Sakura closes her eyes, takes a calming breath through her mouth and then controls the pattern as taught by Ino’s yoga lessons. She could do it this.

The young female opens her pretty green eyes once again and then stares at Tsunade straight in eye, a determined expression on her face. The will of fire is practically seeping through her and her fiery temper is burning up again but for another cause.

“That’s the spirit,” Tsunade says proudly and hands her the scroll that has been lying on the wooden desk the whole time. “This is your target, Misty Jade.”

The first thing Sakura does when she steps into the house is to check for a specific chakra signature around the area. Sasuke pays frequent visits to her house nowadays you would think he lived in there, having keys and all, but alas.

She lets out a long sigh of relief, glad that she did not detect Sasuke’s compelling presence. Thank heavens, cost is clear. The twenty year old girl suspects that the males of Team 7 had already been called to Tsunade’s office, the second she was out of the vicinity. She mentally praises her teacher and then she decides to prepare for battle. The kunoichi briefly wonders how the hell she is supposed to deal with this. She has no clue how to handle this.

Sakura runs upstairs, heading straight to the bedroom. She slams the door open, scroll still in hand, and starts rummaging through her things in order to pack. After a few minutes of checking everything, she put all the necessary items in her mission bag. From medical supplies to energy pills to scrolls to clothes to a sleeping bag and lastly to the money she will need for the seduction necessities she has to buy. Finally finished, she sits down on the bed, crumpling the blue silky sheets in the process. Then, Sakura unrolls the scroll and reads.

Mission #B039                     Type: B-rank               Specialist: F (female)  

Stage: Pre                             Place: Village hidden in the Waterfalls

Target: Misao Takashi

Gender: Male

Age: 25 years old

Characteristics: Red hair, blue eyes and relatively tall.

Efficiency: Messenger

Information: Misao Takashi is an important messenger between two feud lords that control and lead illegal product transportations. Your mission is to seduce said messenger that has in his possession a folder with contract papers which contain info for the next meet up and also a pair of keys. This is the part one of the main ANBU mission that will follow after you succeed. Mission includes back-up. Good luck.

The kunoichi falls back on the bed with a flop, thinking how she should approach the mission. She idly scratches her scalp and tosses her body around from side to side, her long pink locks sprawled across the bed sheets moving along with her. Sakura knows what the village hidden in the Waterfalls is known for.  And if her guesses are right, a guy like him would go to a special kind of place. The men of Team 7 will also go there.

“This is just great!” Sakura shouts even though no one is in the room.

She stares up at ceiling, her mind thinking of all the possibilities and scenarios. The pink haired girl knows what to do to succeed in this mission, however hiding from Sasuke is the main problem.

With huff she stands up and starts pacing around the room while babbling nonsense and muttering profanities out loud, until the idea hits her.

“Of course,” Sakura jumps on the bed, “Tsunade-shishou is the solution!”

She lies down, calm once again, and grabs a nearby pillow, squeezing it close to her chest. The warmth it provides calms her for a second, but she resists the urge to snuggle it closer. The girl can already imagine the Uchiha’s frown when she will tell him that she will be staying at Tsunade’s for a few days in order to work on some papers that have to do with the hospital.

Sakura just hopes he will believe it for her sake and for the sake of this mission.

                                                        ❤︎    

“It’s dirty and disgusting in here,” Sasuke mutters angrily, sitting uncomfortably on the animal print armchair, “Why do we even have to do this?”

The hot pink, soft and furry material irritates him even more as his elbow barely glides on it, making it difficult for him to nurse his drink. It is too warm, too velvety.

The last Uchiha almost growls out of sheer annoyance. This mission is far too low for his standards. He cannot believe he allowed himself to be dragged in here. His pride is hurt goddammit. Yes, he may be a man, but he has never set foot in a pleasure house. Or as his best friend and ex-sensei like to call it: a strip club.

The atmosphere is suffocating him, the lights are too dim. All kinds of different and hypnotizing aromas assault his senses, making his clear mind drunk and hazy. He cannot tell if it is his alcoholic beverage that is making him feel this way or it is the misty cloud of seduction and pleasure filled nights that surround this place.

The men of Team 7 have been assigned on a mission just yesterday as a backup to an ANBU specialist. Sasuke was definitely not pleased with the news, but he could not go against the fifth Hokage’s orders as much he wanted to, so he mildly complained until he was shushed by Tsunade. So, here they are today, in the place that their target and the other shinobi are supposed to be. Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki and Kakashi Hatake, being expert ninjas, have already detected the target sitting in the middle of the area, near the front. And now they have to wait. If something goes wrong, only then they are allowed to interfere.

“Focus, Sasuke.” Kakashi says calmly, a white hospital mask covering his face instead of his usual ninja attire. “A mission is a mission.”

The grey haired shinobi is collected as always, and Sasuke cannot help but scowl.

As if the ridiculous place is not enough problems, they were also forced to wear formal clothes. Supposedly, they are ordinary men looking for some fun and not ninjas who are capable of killing anyone in the room within seconds. Thus, the men of Team 7 have to make it believable by dressing up fancily to blend in with crowd and to stay undistinguished.

“Well, it’s not that bad in here.” Naruto tells them with a foxy grin on his face, clearly excited to be in a place like this. A slight blush is covering his cheeks since he has been consuming a few portions of alcohol for an hour now. The blond is pleasantly tipsy and happier than usual.

“Shut up Naruto,” Sasuke turns to his left and addresses his best friend, “If Hinata found out you’re here, she would dump you.”

Sasuke is very irritated, and that results to more insults and jibs than normal. He crosses his legs, right ankle meeting left knee, just to move and do something out of spite.

“T-That’s not true!” The man immediately tries to explain, “I told her it was a mission and she was okay with it!”

Naruto’s face visibly falls, and he looks at Sasuke with his puppy dog eyes. However, before the blonde could set off, being an emotional drunk and all, Sasuke just looks at other side, ready to ignore the impending whining.

Is he even allowed to be drinking on such mission? Kakashi better do something, Sasuke thinks, complaining inside his head instead.

“Don’t fight.” Their teacher interrupts, knowing how those two are and how bad they can get when Sakura is not around to stop them.

He has even given them just enough freedom, permitting them to drink, because he knows they are the back-up of this mission and not the main person. Kakashi strongly believes that intervention will not be needed, considering this an efficient ANBU specialist sent by the Hokage herself.

So, Kakashi just sits relaxed, waits and enjoys the show.

The oldest member of Team 7 is wearing a dark grey button-up shirt, the collar slightly open and a pair of black trousers. Naruto has a similar style, except he sports a nice pair of jeans with a light blue button-up shirt that makes his gorgeous eyes stand out more. Sasuke opts for a more classic style though, completing his look with black trousers, a white button-up shirt (with the first button undone) and an onyx suit jacket to top it off.

It is an extraordinary night today since the place is filled to the brim with men of all ages and from different villages, plus, the interior design of the club is full of pretty decorations. As the shining neon letters say outside on the wooden board above the club’s name, Hustler’s Ho, it promises a night of busty tricks and naughty chicks, and of course a special guest. Sasuke didn’t pay attention to the name, it is useless information anyways.

The waitresses are all beautiful women holding silver trays with glitter and fruity scented oils applied on their bodies and every time they move under the low dimmed lights to serve the customers, their smooth skins sparkle teasingly. The atmosphere is thick with cigarette smoke, but despite that, the room somehow smells good because of the enticing scents that come off from all the perfume the females of the club have put on.

Red velvet curtains hang from the ceiling at the left side of the club and make up for entrances to the changing rooms, while the bar and the bathrooms are at the right side of it. In the center of the room is the stage where the lights shine the most since the ceiling has a lot of spotlights in all kinds of colors there. The rest of the huge area is only provided with low dimmed lights and that makes the dancers at the stage stand out more. The walls are painted a dark pink color and it gives the room a sense of obscurity and raw sexuality.

Great amount of money gets thrown at the stage as the ladies entertain the crowd with their dancing skills either on the poles or on the floor. Excited shouts of more can be heard even from where the members of Team 7 are seated at the back of the club. The dancers are barely dressed in Sasuke’s opinion; too much skin is bared for the eyes to feast. He averts his eyes, a light blush dusting his cheeks.

A dark blonde girl is currently dancing, her back turned to the pole, her hands up in the air touching the steel above her head. She is moving her lower half sexily in fluid left and right motions, her hips rolling expertly. The girl is wearing purple lingerie with her hair up in a high ponytail, and money is stuck in all kind of places from the men who put it there. She keeps it professional, but her face still expresses the hidden erotic feelings she wants to convey.

Then, all of a sudden, the music slowly quiets down and a deep male voice comes from the speakers. “Thank you dear, you were amazing as always! Please, grab your money and clear the stage.”

Sasuke silently scoffs and rolls his eyes at this. He should really stop drinking, the alcohol is making him show his irritation and that is not a good thing when on a mission. He has to keep his face impassive, bring forth a cold facade. Especially when in that said mission, Sakura is not there to calm him down and Naruto only breathes to make it worse for him with his antics. Of course, Kakashi is nonchalant as always.

The crowd gets almost completely silent, only a few murmurs can be heard now, and the unknown voice continues. “Only today, we have a special guest dancing…”

Without warning, a swift sound gains the attention of everyone inside the room. It is a whoosh of air fluttering against hard yet soft and velvet material that signals that the curtains have just been opened. The whispers get a tad bit louder at this, but get lost when the raspy voice resonates through the room once again. “Now, gentlemen, prepare to meet tonight’s special guest, a beauty and an exotic flower among the ladies…”

The sound came from the left side of the club, near the back. Heels clanking against the floor in a steady rhythm and elegant manner are the only thing that can be heard. The steps are light and slow paced. It has a nice ring to it, the continuous clicking is pleasant to the ears and everyone is holding their breath in anticipation. The males of Team 7 hear loud gasps, watching as men are getting blown away by the mere sight of this special guest. Heads are turned, all the attention clearly diverted behind. The pace has a unique air of confidence that no one can quite put their finger on. The woman has a stealthy and powerful walking. A soft tune starts playing as an intro while the woman comes closer and closer to the stage.

The dancer narrows the distance between her and the stage as she takes painfully slow steps towards it or so it seems to the eager men. The shadow that still hovers near the area where Team 7 is –thanks to the somber and tricky lighting– hides her, until finally, a curvy form starts to appear as she comes forth to where the light is. Her silver, almost dark gray, stilettos are the first things that show. A few agonizingly and torturous seconds later, long legs and fair smooth skin come into view.

Naruto reacts first, an exclamation leaving his lips. It is not a sharp inhalation of amazement, but it is a loud gasp of shock. His blue eyes widen and there are hazy no more. Cold sweat forms on his forehead, and he is feeling like someone threw cold water on him to wake him up and bring him back to the harsh reality. It is definitely not an easy feat to astound the ninja who is known as the best at surprising people.

The voice resonates through the room once again and the male starts praising the newcomer dancer, “An exotic babe, outstanding with high class skills.” The announcement is over, and the music gets steadily louder while the special guest is one step away from the stage.

She just stands still with her back on the cheering crowd for a few seconds as if to bewitch the already elated men with her beauty. The young woman is posing sensually and it compliments her already perfect body. She is captivating in every sense. Her legs are long and toned while her tights are voluptuous and her rear is curvy. Her waist is slight bent and it makes her behind stand out even more. Her back sparkles teasingly thanks to the glittery substance that has been applied on her skin everywhere on her body. She lifts her left hand up to course it through her silky long locks while her right one is resting on her inner tight in a provocative pose.

That unmistakable pink hair belongs only to one person.

Kakashi feels his mouth hanging open inside his mask. This event took a very fast turn for the worst and he does not like the ending result at all. She is the last person he could think of going up there if you had asked him about it. He closes his eyes and hums quietly awaiting for the impeding doom waiting to happen.

Sasuke reacts not a second too late and his breath hitches. A flash of light blinds him and he blinks his eyes twice in response. The lighting must be playing tricks on him, because there is no fucking way this is Sakura ready to go up there. He freezes and his face goes rigid. His calculating yet beautiful onyx eyes widen and his naturally pouty lips part slightly in shock. A wave of cool air passes by him –probably someone activated a fan to create more special effects for such a unique guest– and it makes his soft black hair flutter in the wind. An intoxicating scent fills his senses and clouds every ounce of rationality within him.

The special guest goes up the stage, turns around and Sasuke can breathe no more.

“Please welcome, Misty Jade!”

Sasuke Uchiha, for the first time in years, sees red.

[ssuzumi]

sasusaku fic recommendations ❤️🧡💛💚💙

Modern AU

i’ve been in this au phase for years most of my recs will be from this universe

Quietus by @angel-chu for explicit scenes use ao3

Captain! by @sloshi

My Bestfriend’s Girlfriends by @sloshi

Sakura’s Secret by @roraewrites

Murphy’s Law of Love by @zgs1994

Carousel’s in the sky by @zgs1994

Coming Home to You by yunotsuki (@ytamano)

Porn without plot by cherryblossomthundercrash (@uchiharvno)

Innovative Mirrors by Poeticfilter

Echoes by Rebirth of the Phoenix

Noir by @fortitude-sakura

Trial & Error by ManhattanChase

Two nigh stand by Sharingan blossoms

If New York is to USA, then Konoha is to Japan by diamondsrefract

Feudal AU

Forbidden by @blackrosedrippingred

In the spring by Adelaide Leichhardt

Sunrise by @amraklove

The Uchiha’s wife by @ombreecha

Lonely Existence by Inkling39

Anthologies

compilations of one-shots

Reflective by @blackrosedrippingred

Affinity by @ravenandwritingdesks

Supernatural AU

In the cards by @ravenandwritingdesks

I was going to put a lot more but acads....i’ll be updating this post from time to time ☺️☺️

Part 2

[joygaroz]

sweethearts

PART ONE

AO3 | Spanish

Title: Partner

Prompt: Stuck With You

.

He might have become interested in her without noticing.

She was different, of course, she had pink hair and big and lively green eyes. But she was petite, and she carried herself a little behind the usual group. That’s not how he noticed her.

He noticed her when he bumped into her after running back home from his training with his older brother. Somewhere during his trip back home, a group of loud girls had spotted him and decided to chase after him. He was not pleased at all with the idea of dealing with a bunch of loud girls.

But turning around the corner, he seemed to be unable to avoid clashing with one.

Not loud intentionally, but loud because she didn’t expect to bump into someone either.

Shushing her by moving his hand towards her mouth on reflex, he pulled the girl away from view and waited for the footsteps of the group to fade.

Not noticing the way those big and lively eyes stared in awe at the cute boy holding her hostage.

She clutched her hands tight towards her chest as she felt her heart quicken its beats. She had never seen the young Uchiha so close before, and he hadn’t even glanced back at her that much.

But then he did, and her air caught up. He stared a few seconds, she seemed to start to heat up and he wondered if she would be alright after removing his small hand from her face.

She simply blinked, he simply raised one of his eyebrows.

“Sorry” he said shortly, quickly avoiding her curious eyes and directing his own towards the floor, he had heard something falling when they clashed.

Sakura was slowly brought back to present when she heard him speak. Her eyes following the boy as he picked up what had fallen from her arms.

“Is this your book?” he heard him ask, and she gasped as she took the item from his hand.

“Yes, thank you Sasuke-kun” she spoke at last, although letting him know she knew his name before even introducing himself, which made him realize he didn’t know hers.

“Um, what was your name?” smart, Sasuke, he thought. That would made her think he had known of her instead of being the only one who does not know his classmates’ names.

“Sakura, Sakura Haruno” she had calmed down her heartbeats but the blush was now threatening to reveal how embarrassed she was of speaking with him. She was feeling self-conscious since a while now, but the boy in front of her had suddenly had something attracting his attention as a new presence neared them.

“I see, so, Sakura, please come with me” Sakura’s eyes widened once more as she felt herself being mangled around by the boy.

Soon after she noticed too, footsteps and giggles echoing in the narrow passageway both Sasuke and her exited through the other side. She supposed Sasuke-kun surely disliked attention but she also couldn’t help but feel a little giddy inside seeing as she was the one stuck with him by choice.

Because, he could have just left her there, couldn’t he?

Glancing at the boy leading their way, she noticed his focused gaze as he continued to hold her small wrist.

She averted her eyes to avoid dwelling into it and becoming red faced. In the process, noticing the small path she used to follow towards the small lake. A small corner in which she used to read peacefully. Without really intending to do so, she stopped and made Sasuke be pulled back.

“Wha—”

“Here, they never come here” she said as she took the role now and lead him towards the grown path of grass, greenery reaching to the height of their small chests, shadowed by really bushy and green trees surrounding the area.

Sasuke was skeptical, since what he really wished was a way to return back home, but he figured he still had time before his curfew and those girls would surely find something else to entertain themselves in short time.

He let himself be guided by Sakura, somehow curious about this secret passage and the way this girl seemed to know her way around the area. She blended so naturally between the greenery and bright natural colors, her hair glowing and flowing with the natural light and air of the summer day.

He was still the one holding onto her, she simply led the way seemingly unaffected by his touch and he suddenly felt self-conscious. Why was he holding on to a girl?

He couldn’t dwell much into that detail because the second right after he heard her telling him they had arrived.

Looking up he saw the small cave a few steps afar from them, beneath a really old tree leaning towards the luminous lake. He let go of her and she run towards her hideaway. Book in hand, she left a trace of her small feet on the soft dirt ground. Completely out of sight of everything up hill, she smiled back at him when she had taken a seat under the small gap the cave allowed for a tiny person like her, and maybe also him.

Compared to his first impression, she was now glowing; surrounded by this soothing and natural atmosphere, she was even flipping the pages of her book now at ease. He blinked a few times, taking in the surroundings because one can’t simply be too cautious. But, after noticing they were really down hill and at a blind sight from up, he approached once more.  

Sakura seemed to be expectant of his thoughts about her secret spot, so she was staring at him with an excited smile. He decided to ignore her bright eyes and instead distract himself from the uncalled heat that had started to burn in his ears by looking at the book she was flipping through.

“What is your book about?”

“It’s a story book. My dad brought it from one of his trips to Iron” she took the bait and instead continued to excitedly tell him all about the book that held so much history about the Iron country. She also told him about how his father liked to collect different storybooks for her, all from different places and she enjoyed adventure stories the most. How the hero saved the citizens, how he battled many enemies, his special techniques, and some jutsus were even thought through the book. That particular point picked the boy’s interest.

“That is really cool, have you learned it?”

“Oh” Sasuke watched how Sakura’s radiant light gradually faded “well I don’t have anyone to practice it with, my friends don’t seem that interested in books and the likes”.

“Why not?” this time Sasuke burrowed his brow, he could never understand girls. So far, Sakura seemed much different from the rest. Sure, she was petite and seemed just as fragile; but she was also curious and brilliant. And he kind of liked it, she was easy to be with, interesting even.  

“Well, they like making themselves look prettier and cooler”.

“What is so cool about fixing hair and giggling all the time? I think you are cooler” before he could help himself, he spoke his mind. He was a little absent recalling the times his brother came home from a mission and told him about his adventures. He enjoyed that, and he was glad he had found someone that enjoyed and admired the same things like him.

The wind blew letting the trees make a fresh lullaby as it caressed their blushing faces, having realized the secret thoughts that had been shared without noticing.

In the peaceful hideaway of summer memories, both of them had found a partner who would have their backs.

“I think you are cool too, Sasuke-kun”.

[ariannjs]

Hey guys! Here are the links of my SasuSaku fics! Hope this helps you kill em boredom during this quarantine period 🤗❤️

[spideyslut]

Holy Moly

Exciting news! The ever-amazing @kermangot translated "Wade Loves Fall" into Russian!! I'm honored that someone would take the time to translate my writings, it really means a lot to me.

You can find the translated story below!

[ao3feed-sasusaku]

by Mojojojo2017

Finally, in a husky voice, he whispered, “I’m attracted to you in ways I cannot explain…”

Words: 647, Chapters: 1/?, Language: English

Fandoms: Naruto

Rating: Explicit

Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings

Categories: F/M

Characters: Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura

Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke

Additional Tags: Uchiha Sasuke is Bad at Feelings, Mutual Pining, Feelings Realization, Dirty Thoughts, Suggestive Themes, Eventual Smut, Canon Compliant, Post-Canon

[thefangirlslair]

i’m very conflicted about something... that i am currently writing about.... lmao pls help

just choose between sasuke and sakura ahAHHAHA PLS HELP

[catflorist]

SasuSaku Month 2020, Day 9: Around the Table Summary: Team Seven is on the move. When Sasuke cooks dinner each night, he goes out of his way to make crispy rice the way Sakura likes it. But he doesn’t want her to know that. Rating: K+ Note: A drabble set the garden!verse but works on its own too :) Please check out my aforementioned longer fic, The Garden, to read more SasuSaku from me (until I post more here)

Scorched Rice

The genin of Team Seven had formed an unshakeable night time routine.

After a long day of travel, Kakashi would pause and appraise their surroundings: a nice bend in the river, a clearing in the middle of a deep forest, or the base of a grassy hill. If the correct thoughtful look entered his eye, the genin already knew to drop their bags and set up camp. 

Kakashi started the fire. Sasuke took grave charge of cooking their dinner. He ignored all Naruto’s pleas to assist in favor of Sakura’s steady and helpful hands. With no table, they ate off their knees, leaned against mossy tree trunks or smooth boulders. Eventually Kakashi would yawn, fluff up his bedding, and open his novel. 

The three genin always sat for a while before cleaning up. Naruto babbled about their day, eliciting cheerful smiles and responses from Sakura or Kakashi’s wry humor. Every now and then Sasuke offered a noncommittal grunt. Then Sakura would reach for the old pot of rice to pry away bits of the scorched rice from the bottom. Only when she completed this ritual did Naruto and Sasuke begin to tidy up their campsite.

Every night, without fail: Kakashi’s expression. Dinner. Sakura reaching for the pot of rice.

Rice cooked over the fire was temperamental. Sometimes, Sakura found what she was looking for with a gleam in her eye and the sound of a triumphant crunch. Other times, she pushed the pot away, dissatisfied. Whenever this happened, Sasuke felt defensive, like he did when Kakashi critiqued his form and technique after a sparring session. The rice he made had not passed her inspection.

Sasuke had an idea on how avoid the annoying look on her face all together. One night, he placed the pot over the fire and waited until he heard the oil sizzling. 

“What are you doing?” Naruto asked as Sasuke arranged a thin layer of par-broiled rice at the bottom of the pot.

“Go away,” Sasuke advised. Naruto conceded. His cooking expertise ranged from heating instant ramen to arranging extra toppings on top of an Ichiraku’s order. He bounded away to help Sakura unfurl their bed-rolls.

Sasuke waited a minute or two to let the bottom crisp up, then added the rest of the rice. This part was hard. He had no way of knowing when the bottom had crisped enough. It might be soggy or completely burned when the time came to flip it out of the pot. Sasuke paced. After he felt enough time had passed, he removed the pot from the fire and let it steam until the rice cooked through. Sakura came by to help with the rest of their meal.

The team gathered together to eat, pouring stew over their rice. 

Sakura eyed the pot and smiled. “It looks like a good okoge tonight,” she noticed.

“Hold out your bowl,” Sasuke said to Sakura.

“What?” she asked.

Sasuke glared. “Your bowl,” he insisted.

“Oh,” she said. Sasuke grasped the rice pot by its handles and flipped it upside-down.

The okoge dropped in one whole, beautiful, scorched piece. The portion covered Sakura’s entire bowl, a golden lid over the rest of her dinner. 

Pride washed over Sasuke. He had landed an unexpected hit on an enemy. He had passed a difficult test at the Academy. It was perfect.

Sakura caught the satisfied gleam in his eyes. “Did you…?” she started to wonder, stopping short at Sasuke’s scowl.

“Now you don’t have to complain anymore,” Sasuke muttered. What did she look so happy about?

“You’re right,” Sakura said. She rearranged her features. Sasuke had performed an act of kindness. For his sake, she would pretend he had not. “I’ll never complain again. But how am I supposed to eat all this?” Playing her role, Sakura let irritation seep into her voice.

Sasuke scoffed. How would I know?

They were both pleased. 

The Team Seven routine changed: Kakashi’s look and their bags dropping. Dinner. A layer of crispy rice split between the four of them.

-x-

A lifetime later, Sasuke was cooking in Sakura’s kitchen. He had only recently returned to the village. They nursed a tentative friendship.

Sasuke made the rice and flipped it upside-down onto a platter.

In the close quarters of her kitchen, Sakura had grasped a much better understanding of Sasuke’s procedure than she had as a genin on the move. He par-broiled and drained the rice. Heated the oil, pressed a thin layer of rice at the bottom, waited. Poured the remaining grains on top, poked holes through to release steam. Waited again. Mumbled out for luck, then flipped.

It was as perfect as Sakura remembered.

As they ate at her small kitchen table, Sakura commented, sly between bites, “I didn't realize the rice was so complicated.”

“It’s not,” Sasuke denied, intrigued by a nick in Sakura’s table.

Sakura smiled. 

He admitted, “It’s muscle memory.”

.

.

.

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Thank you for reading! As mentioned above, this drabble takes place in the world of a recent fic I wrote--The Garden published on my AO3. please check it out if you’re interested in reading more :)