[BOOK 1 OF THE SHARING SERIES]
Two different worlds meet. Two existences collide. On the one hand, an orphan learns what love, friendship, and devotion mean. On the other, a young girl realizes the implication of being a civilian kunoichi in a worl...
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𝓖𝓮𝓷𝓽𝓵𝓮, that's what comes to mind upon landing eyes on Sasuke. Not genius, handsome, or moody, but gentle. And they've been sitting next to each other for quite some time, their knees brushing every time they move, yet he's never recoiled from the touch, not even once.
But despite Sasuke's comforting presence, Sakura cannot completely relax. The pain, for one, lingers even though Mole has done a very great job of nursing her wounds. And sometimes, when she closes her eyes, the unwanted touch of Zaku's hands against her bare stomach resurfaces, like she's still trapped under his weight. Every time Sakura's mind wanders to those events, a shiver runs down her spine; the warm feeling of his breath against the skin of her neck mixes with reality, increasing her heartbeat as the pathway to her lungs constricts. When it happens, Sasuke calms her down by squeezing her knee, and the memory of his fingers running down her short pink locks soothes her, making her heart flutter. He remains silent, though, and his gaze never leaves the fire.
The length of her hair should bother her, but it doesn't—just like the increasing amount of scars altering the smoothness of her skin. But she doesn't love Sasuke because of his good looks, and if he's going to love her one day, she wants it to be because of her, as a whole. She recalls his last words when he called her ''the most capable kunoichi'' he's ever met and glances at him inquisitively.
"Sasuke-kun..."
She squirms upon meeting his gaze. Whatever had been clouding his mind must have been pretty dark... She clears her throat before resuming.
"Thank you for believing in my strength... With the state Zaku left me in, it's hard to see me as nothing more than a pathetic kunoichi, so thank you."
He nods, eyes returning to the dancing flames. After staring at his profile, Sakura breaks the silence again, anxiously playing with her fingers.
"It means a lot, coming from you. You're the best genin of our year, after all... Well, the best at everything, really. Sometimes, I wish I was more like you, you know? Not that I want your name or to be from a prestigious clan, but I envy your drive. You put so much energy and passion into everything you do. That's why you're the best genin of our year, why I admire you so much."
Sakura watches in awe as the tips of Sasuke's ears turn pink. Encouraged by the sight, she retrieves his hand and earnestly meets his eyes.
