The Coming of the King

Chapter 17 - The Land of Waves (1)

"Are the others being a bit too persistent for Sasuke-kun's liking?" Sakura teases warmly, chuckling.

I reopen my eyes just to glare at her. I may be more open with my teammates, but that doesn't mean that I like being made fun of.

"Relax, I'm kidding!" she giggles. "I know that you don't like any of them," she states with a secretive smirk.

I raise an eyebrow, hoping to dear god that she doesn't think that I like her of all people.

"Or me, for that matter," she sighs.

Okay, good, but who on earth does she think that I like? I don't ever show signs of liking anyone, even as friends! Yesterday was just an exception.

"But that's alright! I knew that I didn't have a chance from the start," she mutters.

No, no she didn't. I'm gay, so no girl does. But now I'm confused. Sakura is probably one of the few people that actually knows a substantial bit about me, although not by any choice of my own. Even I don't know what she's talking about. She doesn't know that I like Naruto, right? She can't know.

There's not enough pieces to that puzzle. Even Shikamaru isn't smart enough to put nothing and nothing together and come up with something. Nothing plus nothing equals nothing. Sakura has nothing and more nothing. There's no way that she knows anything. Or something, for that matter.

"You don't swing that way," she titters.

Shit.

"What?" I ask, trying to appear totally bewildered.

'Honestly, how did she figure it out? I didn't think I was being that obvious, besides yesterday,' I think.

She added nothing and nothing and got something. That is mathematically incorrect. Plus, this could mean that I'm in deep shit. I really, really don't want to be a part of the Clan Restoration Act.

"You like Naruto," Sakura hisses quietly.

I feel the blood rush to my face as my eyes widen in shock. I didn't think that she'd figure it out. This is bad, this is really bad. If she's jealous, she had best just tell me now. I mean, I'm not going to stop liking Naruto, but I don't want anyone stabbing me in the back. This is the opposite of what I meant when I wanted someone to confide in. This situation leaves only two very important questions: Does Naruto know? and, Is Sakura going to tell anyone?

"I could never like that dobe," I deny, but even I know that I'm a crappy liar.

Sakura's scrutinizing gaze can see right through my facade. Especially because I'm blushing like a schoolgirl. This is one of the most embarrassing situations I've ever been subjected to in my entire life.

"Oh really?" she teases. "Then why did you get so jealous when Naruto went to hang out with TenTen yesterday?" she asks, almost serious, but not quite.

Of course, the one thing that I've ever done in the history of ever that could possibly, maybe, point to me liking a girl is the thing that gets me found out for liking my male best friend. I don't even see the logic in Sakura's thinking. I mean, she's right, but how on earth did she figure it out?

"Th - that wasn't anything," I stutter in denial.

And now the entire universe shall be alerted to what a sucky liar I am, and no, brain, don't go there. Don't even think about thinking about that thing that I shouldn't be thinking about.

"Sure," she says in a sing-song voice. "Just admit it, Sasuke," she snaps, dropping the -kun for the first time since I've known her. "You like Naruto," Sakura states.