The Price of Pride

"Sasuke-kun, why have you been hanging around Naruto recently? You shouldn't do that! His bad habits are going to run off on you!"

Naruto did not sympathize with Sasuke. He probably never would, but...if this was the Uchiha's life then perhaps the blonde would stand to be a bit nicer...nah. In any case, the reason the blonde was thinking this was because right now Sakura Haruno, his former crush back when he was a naive fool. Now, going by the average school girl's standards, Sakura very pretty. She was also rather smart academically...when she wasn't striving to drop her panties for the Uchiha heir. Then again, perhaps most girls and boys are like that in the stages of adolescence.

One reason she annoyed him was that, at least when he was around, she would stick to whispering her disdain for him. However, whenever she seemed to try to butter up to him, or rather the Sasuke the blood clone was morphed into, she wasted no time defaming the blonde. True, he and Sasuke never hung out together and this sudden friendship the two blood clones had created for the sake of their assignments would appear strange to some, but it should not have garnered this much attention. Then again, before his...enlightenment, Naruto was sure he wouldn't be making friends with Sasuke either.

"And why should it matter to you who I spend my time with? Worry about your own business instead of interfering mine. The dobe has his uses," 'Sasuke' replied with a fold of his arms. Yup, definitely movies somewhere down the line.

"I...I'm sorry, Sasuke-kun. I just don't get why someone as talented as you would hang out with someone like Naruto. What could someone like him have that someone like you would need?" Sakura asked.

Oh Sakura, dear. Why would you ever open yourself up like that? Sometimes, Naruto thought they made it too easy. "Hn, why are you so curious about what I do? You don't even know the dobe like I do," 'Sasuke' said. Behind the look of disinterest on his face, Sakura did not notice the gleam in the clone Uchiha's eyes. He could already tell her next thoughts.

"What is there to even know about someone like him? He's a troublemaker. That's all," Sakura said. It was then that the cloned Uchiha wordlessly smirked to him. It was a good thing Sakura was focused on her own thoughts. If she were not, then she would have seen a grin on the Uchiha that would have made blood run cold.

'Sasuke' returned to his lax attitude and snorted. "Fine. Since you see to know the dobe so well, then do whatever he says for two months. If he's really as much of a troublemaker as you say, then that'll give me the incentive to stop wasting my time with him. In return, I'll take you wherever you want to go for one week," 'Sasuke' said. The clone rolled its eyes when it saw the blush that appeared on the pink-haired girl's face.

"You...You'll go out with me for one month, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked. The Uchiha snorted, but he agreed. He then went back to what he was doing. Brooding expression? Check. Scowl on face? Check. Staring at the outside world with contempt? Check. There, perfect Sasuke persona.

"CHA! In your face, Ino-pig! I'm gonna be on dates with Sasuke-kun for one whole month! All I have to do...listen to...Naruto...for two months," Sakura said slowly. She quickly came to the realization of just what her crush had been asking of her. However, she couldn't turn back now. If she turned back now, then Sasuke might think that she was a coward. This was her best chance to prove that they were meant to be together. This was her best chance to prove that she was better than all the other girls. Especially Ino. If Ino found out she had let such a golden opportunity slip away, then Sakura would never hear the end of it!

"Who has to listen to me for two months?"

Sakura jumped with a startled scream when she turned around to see Naruto standing behind her. "Don't do that you BAKA!" Sakura growled. She clenched her fist and swung it for the blonde's face. Yet, her swing never made it full into its target because she found her hand gently caught into Naruto's. He then placed her fist down. If the pink-haired academy student was shocked before, then she was absolutely stunned now.

"Sorry about that, Sakura-chan. Didn't mean to sneak up on you. Yo Teme, ready for lunch?" the blonde then asked.

"Hn, fine, but Sakura told me a rather interesting story. Apparently, she likes you, dobe. She said she's willing to give you a shot for two months," 'Sasuke' replied. Sakura looked at him as if he were crazy, but...how else were they supposed to explain what they had been betting on? Now she would have to deal with Naruto's stupid attempts to woo her for two whole months.

"Not interested. Now come on you ass or I'm eating without you," Naruto said to the raven-haired boy. Sasuke gave a sound that seemed to be between a snort and a chuckle. Nevertheless, the Uchiha stuffed his hands in his pockets and walked out of the classroom. As he and Naruto walked out of the classroom, he turned to Sakura.

"Looks like you rejected the dobe one time too many. You better find some way to make it up to him," 'Sasuke' said as he left. Sakura stayed behind in the classroom as she watched the door close behind her. This...was not a good start to her to the rest of her day.

Meanwhile, the Naruto and Sasuke clones that had been left in Konoha found themselves seated on a park bench. "Haruno Sakura. How I would have loved to hear those words you said to me if I were not this way. I probably would have been suckered just as fast too," Naruto said as he opened his lunch.

"Well, I am you after all. Though she is a gullible idiot for this Uchiha body, she's still an intellectual kunoichi. We would look forward to breaking her just like all the others. Plus, you know as well as I that becoming close to her benefits our plans further," Sasuke said as he ate. The blonde clone snorted. He took a sip of the drink he had bought for his lunch.

"...We're still going to eliminate her."

"Naturally. However, I currently have no thoughts...on our other problem," Sasuke said as he ate a piece of his food from his boxed lunch. Now, given that the two clones were from the same being, it did not take Naruto long to understand what Sasuke was talking about.

"Hmph, her little sister is more interesting than she is, but there is room to guide her as well. You know what they say, it's always the quiet ones," the Kyuubi jinchuuriki answered which made the raven-haired clone roll his eyes, Both slowly settled into silence as they ate their lunch. Unfortunately, this would not happen for very long.

"Naruto?" Both academy students turned their heads and noticed Sakura standing a few feet away from them. They say old habits die hard, and perhaps there was truth to that since Naruto had to fight the sneer off his face. He held up a smile.

"Yo, Sakura-chan. What's up?" He asked. Sakura did not immediately answer him. She seemed to be taking some time to gather her thoughts. Thankfully, she did it in enough time because the longer she stood there the more tempted both clones were to forgo their plan, and drop the female student's body in a place that no one would find her.

She cleared her throat. "I...I realize I was pretty mean to you. I'd like the chance to make it up. P-Please go out with me for just two months. I can prove I've changed. I'll do anything you want, at any time when my parents let me. Just...give me a chance," Sakura pleaded.

Naruto's mouth thinned. The countless memories he had cultivated were shared between the original in Kusagakure and the clones in Konoha. What this meant was that, Naruto had an astute perception to people lying to before. It was how he survived for so long. This perception was only strengthened by the numerous memories of backstabbing, corrupting, lying, and distrusting business dealings from those whom he had cultivated through his ability. Basically, he could tell when someone was half-assing him. Hell, he could tell Sakura was actually quarter-assing him at the moment.

"You do anything I say?" he asked. Sakura shivered. Whether from the tone he asked his question, or whether she truly didn't want to be around him, she wasn't sure. However, she found herself nodding all the same. It would be fine. All she had to do was survive for two months, and then...Sasuke would be hers!

"Y-Yes," She said.

Naruto leaned back in his park bench. A quick glance at Sasuke showed that the Uchiha was content to eat his own food. Thus, the blonde exhaled and leaned forward. "Alright, Sakura. I'll give you a chance to show me you've changed, dattebayo. However, you've been very disrespectful and mean to me a lot of times. So...I think I deserve some respect, don'tcha think?" he asked.

Sakura swallowed for a moment, but she found herself nodding her head dumbly again. "Then, for these two months, when we're alone...you're going to call me 'Sir',"

Sakura would not say why the smile Naruto gave her freaked her out, but it was more than just a freaky feeling one gets when they are shocked by something. No, this was a feeling that made her fear for her very own life.

....

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