Knitting Fate (Canon Patchworking with Uchiha Ren Part II)

Eighth Thread

"Attitude is a choice. Happiness is a choice. Optimism is a choice. Kindness is a choice. Giving is a choice. Respect is a choice. Whatever choice you make makes you. Choose wisely."
― Roy T. Bennett, The Light in the Heart

Ren uses Sasuke to pass the hair accessories to Sakura for many various reasons, really. Firstly, because that simply delays her being glomped by a grateful and amazed eight-year-old for about six to seven hours. Secondly, she realizes that Sasuke himself is very much wary of and uneasy around ay of his fangirls, Sakura included. And what's better for treating such uneasiness other than placing him right before the cause? Thirdly because, Ren noticed before, Sakura isn't exactly popular with other people in her class, especially since she drove Ino off (yet Ren starts to doubt that there really was that glorified by the show, close bond between them at all, given what she learned and then saw), and suddenly the most popular boy in school gives her a gift. Must have been quite a shocker.

Fourth, and perhaps most important reason for Ren was to see what Sakura would fawn over; that Sasuke was the one to bring it, or that Ren was the one who was behind it all.

And, much to Ren's surprise, Sakura actually cares more about who it's from, not who brings it to her. But that's not an unpleasant surprise – it means that Sakura doesn't 'love' Sasuke in completely blind way if at all (assuming eight-year-olds are even capable of romantic love, of which they aren't), but wants someone to acknowledge her instead, and thus follows the crowd. And that needs rooting out, Ren decides. Even if she's to gain yet another shadow, she decides she can live with that. Sakura is, after all, one of those characters she liked more as Renee.

...ooo~(x)~ooo...  

"Thank youuuuuu!"

Ren only grunts when Sakura collides with her legs and waist with a force even Naruto can't really muster, and after tiny pinkette nearly damages her hips in bone-crushing hug. That kid is already frighteningly strong, she decides. Also, what doesn't slip past Ren's attention, Sakura has her hair held firmly in the style she managed yesterday, with help of three black hairclips with cherry blossom flowers, and a cherry-red headband.

"No problem, kid," Ren huffs, "but you don't really have to thank me by trying to kill or damage me, I'm okay being fine, you know."

"Oh!" Sakura squeaks and lets her go with an embarrassed blush. "Sorry. But... But when Sasuke-kun brought me those hairclips from you, I was so happy! And they're so pretty! Thank you, thank you a lot!" girl beams at her, and Ren rolls her eyes, but with a small smile on her lips. It was, after all, (arguably) better than the scrap of fabric Ino tore from the sheet she had with her, really. It wasn't just a scrap lying around without purpose, but accessories that were actively chosen and bought for her.

(As to why exactly, don't ask Ren, really. She was just walking by the business street, saw the store and thought, well, why not.)

Hana joins them shortly after and Sakura is in awe again, because it's another older girl who wants to talk to her. It appeared to be quite a big deal to pinkette, in all honesty – bigger than Ren would think. But she and Hana let themselves indulge the girl, as Sasuke, Naruto and Kiba are apparently running late.

When they finally show up, fifteen minutes later than usual, Ren can't exactly fight her eyebrow going up. Because there was an addition to the trio in the form of no one else than Shikamaru and Choji. And Naruto seems very uneasy, even more so as they approached her. Enough for Ren to know that he perpetrated something.