❈—19:: Talk and Run

Kakashi had said for us to meet at my house at 07:00 A.M. today; I'm ready by 06:15.

This is because, the last time my teammates had been told to come to my house at seven (which was only just the day before yesterday), Sakura had shown up at 06:30.

Of course, it's only until I'm ready and waiting with almost an hour to go that I realize that, with how things ended between us yesterday, there's a good chance that Sakura won't be as eager for the dreaded 'alone time' with me as she'd been the last time she was here.

In fact, I think it's safe to say that those few exchanged words yesterday may have irrevocably altered our team's dynamic, especially considering its young and rather volatile state to begin with.

Not for the first time, I wonder if there's anything I could have done differently yesterday, but then I shake off the thought after a moment; thinking like that is stupid.

There are lots of things I could have done differently yesterday, the fact though is that I didn't do them; wishing things are different is stupid and pointless.

Always has been. Always will be.

My only course of action right now is to figure out how to mend things going forward. There's some hope there at least, especially since Kakashi talked to both Sakura and Naruto yesterday.

So he told me anyway, when he'd showed up in my living room unannounced, as I'm coming to realize is his wont.

The jōnin's aggravating and trollish behaviour aside though, he does seem to be taking his duties seriously enough.

It's a major, and pleasant, difference from what I'd feared being his genin-pupil would be like, thanks to Caleb's memories.

Although, I suppose it makes sense that his behaviour is so different; being a jōnin-sensei is a big responsibility, it's reasonable that the village wouldn't assign it to someone who would be irresponsible enough to mismanage it.

Yet another way my life differs from that story, I muse.

Of course, that thought is naturally followed by the question that often trails in its wake: And if that is different, what else is?

I hold back a sigh.

It's funny, I never much cared for attaining knowledge until I found myself possessing great quantities of it.

There's a knock at the door.

I check the time; 06:32. Looks like Sakura couldn't help herself after all.

Or, I reconsider after a moment, as a string of memories from our last year in The Academy come to me, maybe she's simply very punctual.

I can't recall her ever being later than a few minutes early to anything.

I slide the door open, and as expected it is Sakura.

She takes in my fully dressed form.

"Um, good morning," she says, awkward and self-conscious.

I nod in return, then invite her in.

The next few minutes are some of the most awkward I can remember having the displeasure of experiencing.

Sakura keeps making abortive attempts to start conversation with me, and everytime I look at her, she always finds something that isn't me to get really interested in.

Soon enough, I can't take it anymore and I come up with a way to break the ice as it is.

"Let's do some warmup exercises," I say, then immediately rise and begin to head outside, giving Sakura little choice but to follow.

At the little training ground in my family's compound, I ask; "Kata or run?"

Sakura hesitates. "Which kata?" she asks finally.

I shrug. "Anyone you want."

She thinks for a moment. "Run," she decides.

Then why ask at all? I think with some irritation.

We settle into what, for us, is a light jog. Well, for me anyway, it might be a bit more than that for Sakura.

Nothing that she can't maintain virtually indefinitely though, and I should know since during Hell Month back in sixth year, we all had to run at a slightly faster pace than this for three consecutive days.

Just like I expected, by our third lap around the field, Sakura seems to have relaxed from her tenseness around me.

Slowly, I match pace with her, coming to run alongside her, our breaths misting in the cool, morning air.

"I'm sorry about yesterday," I say without preamble.

Sakura misses a step, but recovers instantly.

I match pace with her again.

"You don't need to apologize, Sasuke," she says. "You were right." The words seem to physically pain her to admit.

"I know I was," I agree. Because I was right, I know that. "But there are better ways I could have said it. I'm sorry for that."

Sakura doesn't say anything for some time.

"I'm glad you told me," she says finally. "I never really thought about how… annoying it must have been for you. I'm sorry."

You should be, I think but don't say. Her behaviour really was quite annoying.

"It's okay," I say. "Just… tone it down from now on."

Sakura goes red, and I'm certain it isn't because of the exercise.

"Kakashi-sensei talked to me about it," she says, sounding embarrassed.

I nod.

We settle into silence once again, though one significantly less pregnant than before.

Sakura doesn't seem to do too well in silences when she's not feeling so awkward though, because after a few minutes, she asks; "Why do think Kakashi-sensei asked us to meet today?"

"For training," I say.

Why else would he ask us to meet?

"Well, I know that," Sakura says, "I just meant… what kind of training do you think he wants to give us?" she pauses for a second. "Wait, you don't think he's going to make us fight him again, do you?"

I shrug. "Maybe."

I don't actually think Kakashi would do that, but with that man one can never be sure.

"I hope not," Sakura says, voice tinged with fear. "He hits really hard."

I refrain from rolling my eyes. She really needs to get over her fear of getting hurt. It's unbecoming for a ninja.

Steadily, the minutes roll by, Sakura making several attempts at small talk that always peter out due to my reticence.

Eventually, instead of giving up, the girl decides to just talk for the both of us. I let her, her words rolling over me like water off a duck's back.

"Nice to see my little sannin are so energetic this morning," Kakashi says behind us.

Sakura and I turn, and upon looking at Kakashi, I sigh, at the same time Sakura mutters a "what the—", and Naruto lets out a muffled scream of what is undoubtedly rage.

Because on Kakashi Hatake's shoulder, still in his pyjamas and bound in rope, with a sleeping cap stuffed in his mouth, is a wriggling Naruto Uzumaki.

—❈—

A/N: again, remember, there's a link in my profile to read all publicly available chapters. My Patreon link is also there with even more chapters ahead, if you'd rather do that.