THE WHAT IF THEORY | sasukarin

18-Awkward Times

It was obvious Sakura had a lot on her mind, but Karin didn't want to pry, so instead she just silently followed Sakura as she led them into a shop called "Yui's Tea". A waiter came to lead them to their mats. Karin ordered gyokuro; Sakura ordered matcha.

"When did you start drinking matcha?" Karin asked. "I thought you only drank sencha and all."

"Hm, Lee is the one who got me into it. Besides, matcha has so many medicinal qualities."

"You've been talking about Lee quite a lot lately." She wiggled her eyebrows. "Is something going on perhaps?"

Sakura wished she could just laugh it off, but today wasn't the best day for her. "I haven't thought about that. Guess I'm still not over Sasuke." 'And I probably never will be.'

"Oh..."

"Yeah."

Saved by the bell, the waiter interrupted their awkward conversation by placing their tea on the low table, bowing and leaving just as swiftly. Karin picked up the cup gingerly and took a sip, observing the woman opposite her from the corner of her eye.

Sakura placed her teacup on the table and sighed in content after drinking, but Karin saw that the tiny cup wasn't even half empty. "So, tell me everything's that's been going on? How's Suigetsu and Juugo?"

Karin shrugged, "Last time I saw them they were fine. Crazy, but still fine." This earned a giggle from Sakura. "We have a new scientist though."

"Really?" Now this piqued Sakura's interest. Scientists were hard to find, mostly because everyone wanted to be shinobi like Naruto. "How did you find them?"

The conversation had moved to a better route, and Karin's tense shoulders relaxed as she narrated.

"Suigetsu was looking for a sword and we ended up going to this barren land where a bunch of people were calling themselves 'The Wind' or whatever." Karin began. "That's where we met Sachiki and brought her to my lab for experimentation–relax, it wasn't anything harmful." She explained when Sakura's expression turned sour. "And afterwards she said she wanted to stay."

"Is she like, an experienced scientist?"

"No, but she knows more than a lot of other people."

"Oh, so you're her mentor?" A big smile spread across Sakura's face, and she clapped her hands together. "You have a student!"

"Eh...I guess..." Karin awkwardly smiled. Sachiki was less of a student and more of someone she wanted to keep from self destructing, but potayto potahto.

"That's so cool!" Sakura gushed. "I'm happy you're keeping yourself busy at the hideout."

"Me too."

And on that awkward reply the conversation died down, an silence stretched between the two women. The redhead tapped her fingers against the hardwood as a distraction from the elephant in the room.

Karin knew what Sakura wanted to ask, and she didn't know how she'd answer her questions.

After what felt like an eternity, Sakura finally brought it up.

"I see you and Sasuke have been getting close."

Karin swallowed. It wasn't a question or an accusation–she was just making an observation, and the fact that Sakura already knew bits of what was going on made Karin hate herself.

'Use it to your advantage' Juugo had once said, and that was what Karin always reminded herself with. This world, whatever Juugo had created, was nothing but an advantage.