This Girl's Name Is Sakura Haruno [Naruto Fanfic]

Chapter Sixteenth

The party had just ended not too long ago and all of them managed to escape before Kimiko could open her mouth to order them around and clean up. Each of the pair went their separate ways. Sasuke had led Sakura into the woods to a white gazebo.

Sakura took her seat on the wooden swing that was attached to the ceiling of the gazebo by two ropes, while Sasuke leaned against the wooden railing. The two spent the next couple of minutes enjoying the silence that never occurred during the party; nothing but the waves rolling in and retreating again. The summer breeze held a salty taste to it as it came by lifting any thoughts on their minds and blowing it elsewhere.

After a moment, Sasuke decided to break the silence with a question that's been buzzing his mind. "Are you okay?"

"Huh?" Sakura snapped out of her peaceful daze at the sound of Sasuke's voice.

"Are you okay?"

"Well of course," Sakura smiled, "why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't mean that. Are you okay after that night?" Sasuke explained as he patiently waited for her answer.

"Oh...well I guess...kind of." The cheery atmosphere was long gone now. Sakura had her head down slightly as she fumbled with the ends of her scarf. "But to tell the truth...not really."

"Then why don't you show it?"

Sakura looked up at him with glassy emerald orbs as she gave him a sad smile. "Why would I do that? Why make everyone around me unhappy just because I am? That's crazy. Pity, I don't want anyone's pity. I'm not weak, I can hold myself up and I don't want to be a burden to anyone. And I know for sure that if anyone heard about this...their going to treat me like a baby. I'm the girl that needs to be protected, the one that needs to be looked after constantly. I don't want that. That's why I smile all the time."

"But they're all forced,"

"So, you've noticed." Sakura sighed deeply at the young Uchiha's discovery. "I haven't really found anything to really smile about since I became an orphan aside from the couple of times spending time with you guys. There's a saying that the people that are the happiest looking are the ones suffering most. And I have to agree to that."

"So how do I know you're truthfully happy and it's not just a mask?"

Sakura laughed lightly, "What are we playing? 21 questions?"

"Hn, answer my question."

"My eyes, they're the biggest give away to what I'm truly feeling. As much as I tried over the years to train myself from retaining the emotions in my eyes, it never worked."

"How?"

"Ever heard of the saying 'a girl's eyes are an open window to her soul.' We smile, express sadness, fear, and anger through our eyes. That's how you'll know."