Tomorrow Blossom (Sasuke Uchiha) - Book Two - I Don't Love You

Chapter Nine- Fooling Naruto

"Yes! Mission!"

I threw my arms up in a celebratory gesture, glad to finally be able to get out of the village after such a long time. Well, it had only been a few weeks, but since those weeks had been full to bursting with blood, sweat and tears (all mine, too), I was glad to get away. Except...

Except the mission was with Sai. Just me and him.

Now, I was trying very hard to be reasonable, but looking at him made me depressed. I mean, if you imagine him with rear-spiked hair... Well, you see what I mean. And that gave me a mixture of murderous intent and deep sadness in the pit of my stomach, with some wariness tossed in for good measure. There had been no more similar incidents since that time I 'mysteriously' wound up back in my bedroom after passing out from training- but that was only because I determinedly forced myself back to my home before dispelling my clones. That way, the exhaustion didn't catch me off guard.

I inhaled the forest air deeply, a smile on my face. The sun streamed dappled through the trees' canopy, and the odd squirrel or frog darted past. It was a relaxed air, since we weren't in a hurry; it was only a C rank delivery, nothing urgent. I laced my hands together behind my head, yawning. I wondered if I should summon Yukimaru so that I wouldn't have to walk, but decided that was way too lazy of me.

"U-uhm, Asuka-san?" I opened one eye, and stared at Sai in slight surprise. I mostly kept my expression void, though.

I grunted in acknowledgement, then realised how Ihaku-like I was acting. I quickly dropped my arms to my sides and opened the other eye. I'd been hanging around that obnoxious, narcissistic redhead way too much lately.

"What, Sai?" I flinched at my harsh tone- I hadn't meant to sound so cold. He did too.

"Er, well, I read this book... a-and it said that- that to make friends you have to assert yourself and be more familiar with people-" He looked away, a slight crease between his eyebrows, "-so I was wondering if it would- well- be all right if I referred to you by your first name, from now on."

I blinked. That was all? He fidgeted awkwardly, and I realised just how difficult that was for him. I smacked him on the back, giggling- that was actually rather sweet. How adorably awkward.

"Hey, if you want to call me by my first name, then do so!" I nudged him with my elbow, grinning, "You know, I think I had you pegged wrong. Turns out I rather like ya."

He flushed slightly and sweatdropped nervously, but returned my smile. "So... does this make us friends?"

"Only if you call me Sachi, Sai." I said, and his smile got slightly wider.

"Well well, isn't this cute?" We both snapped round, just in time to dodge a barrage of projectiles. A hooded man stood atop a tree branch, and I wondered why the heck none of these rogue/ enemy ninja ever seemed to use the whole 'silent stealth' that ninjas were supposedly reknowned for. And also why they would be after a delivery that was only in need of C-ranked protection.

The fight wasn't much of a problem, though. For all of the man's boasting, he went down pretty easy- Sai sailed in with his Choujuu Giga, and I, being of a small and wiry stature, stood atop one of the beasts, having a good time ink tiger surfing before leaping off to knock him out with a kunai-turned-baton. The metal that made kunai knives was certainly easier to shape than that Ichiban-Muzukashi stuff that those beads were made of. Ihaku did say that if I mastered manipulating that stuff I'd be able to do it to pretty much any metal.

After I'd clubbed the guy, Sai tied him up with ink snakes and I sent him back to Konoha with Yukimaru. Then we delivered the package and headed back.