Alternative versions - SasuSaku One-shots

4 - Stranger

Sakura would often come to the Hokage mountains to let out some steam. Sometimes she'd punch nearby trees. Other times she'd just lay on top of the Hokage stones, enjoying the view.

No one ever came to her little safe spot. So she was suprised when someone suddenly joined her on the Hokage mountains.

¤

Sakura sat between the spikes of the second Hokage's hair. She had always admired Senju Tobirama and his accomplishments. Though he wasn't on good terms with the Uchiha clan, his seals and jutsu creations were the best she’d ever heard of.

The people on the street looked tiny from over there. Shinobi and civilians alike, everyone looked like ants to her. Her eyes wandered around the village, sometimes stopping at certain areas, such as the market.

She flinched when someone suddenly sat down onto the first Hokage's head. Sakura glanced to her right. A raven-haired boy with black eyes looked down at the village just like she did a few moments ago. She watched his strangely pretty eyes wandering around the village.

"How long are you going to watch without saying anything?" He asked out of the sudden.

She turned her head to the other side in  embarrassment. How could she have known that he had noticed her staring?
She cleared her throat.
"Er... I just thought you had pretty eyes. I didn't mean to stare. I'm sorry."
She glance through the strands of her hair.

The boy blinked, then turned to her.
"If I was feeling uncomfortable, I'd have told you long ago. You don't need to apologize for something like that."

"Oh, okay..."

They went silent again. Sakura took a slight look to the side to see the boy doing the same. He turned his head to the village.
"It's pretty, isn't it?"
"Y- yeah... it is."
Her heart jumped a beat at the word 'pretty' coming out of the boy's mouth.

Sakura wanted to say something, feeling the strange urge to have a conversation with this stranger. But she didn’t say anything, scared to annoy someone who doesn't want to talk. And Kā-san would be mad if she did....

¤

"You do know, I can shut up If you don't want to talk, right?" The raven-haired boy asked after a few minutes of silence. He didn't turn away from the sight before them.

"N- No! It's just... you're a stranger and Kā-san said I shouldn't talk to strangers..." She muttered under her breath. The boy still heard it and smiled slightly, turning to her.

"Well, we can't break your Kā-san's rules, so let's say we aren't 'strangers' but 'friends'. Then you're still allowed to talk to me. We can go back to strangers after that. How does that sound?" He nodded, as if agreeing with himself.

Sakura chuckled at the action. This boy was fun to talk with.
"Okay. Then we're friends now."

He smiled.
"Good. I'd be sad If we couldn't talk."

"Really? Why?"
She was starting to get comfortable talking to him. Was he trying to ease her?

"Well, I thought you were really pretty."

"I see... wait-?"
She was thinking what to say next and the words left her mouth without even processing his answer. But when she did, her cheeks turned light pink.

Sakura managed to get out a little 'Thank you' she didn't even know if he heard.
"I thought you were... really pretty too." Sakura muttered.

"Thanks." He leaned back. "The view here is amazing."

Good. He didn’t seem to be thinking much of their exchange. She was starting to feel embarrassed for taking him calling her pretty serious.
He probably says that to all the girls he meets...

Finally having calmed down from his previous words, Sakura cleared her throat again - a habit she picked up.

"I often come here when I want to be alone."

"Wouldn't I be interrupting your alone time then?"

"... We're friends, so it's okay."

"What would've happened if we weren't?"

"I may of may not have beat you up."

"Do you really think you could?" He chuckled, amused.

"You don't know but I'm not that weak." She said, while clenching her fist. "The other day, I punched this girl in her face because she was bullying my friend."

"Are you planning to become a kunoichi?" He asked, a seemingly interested look on his face.

Sakura's eyes trailed to the Shinobi Academy. They had a good view on it, as it was pretty close to the Hokage mountains.
"My friend Ino says she wants to become one but I'm not really sure. Shinobi sounds like danger."

The boy didn't immediately response and Sakura didn't dare to look to the side and see his expression. She kept her eyes on the Academy grounds.

Finally, he talked.
"Oh... That- That's true. Being a Shinobi has lots of dangers!"
He sounded... sad? No- disappointed?

"I'm sorry..." She said. Did she say something wrong? What if he doesn't want to talk with her now?
What if he doesn't want to be friends anymore?

"You're a gentle person." He suddenly said. "Really."

Sakura's cheeks turned even brighter. But before she even had the chance to say something, the boy stood up.

"Sorry. I have to go now. Actually, I'm not allowed to come here. Hopefully we'll meet again"

Sakura waved at him and the raven-haired boy smiled before
disappearing without a trace.

It wasn't until the next day, she'd realize, the technique that stranger used was a jutsu called shunshin.

She wondered what would've happened if she said she wanted to become a kunoichi. If he'd have told her he wanted to become a shinobi too.
If they would've become real friends this time.

¤

Sakura would often come to the Hokage mountains to let out some steam.

No one ever came to her little safe spot. So she was suprised when someone suddenly joined her on the Hokage mountains.

She didn't see the boy again after that. Sometimes, she looked back to the event that happened that day, wondering if she'd ever meet the pretty boy with black eyes again.

It'd take another few years until she saw him again, this time as a strangers again.

¤

A/N

So this is an Alternate Universe where Sakura never saw Sasuke, which is why she didn't break her friendship with Ino. Over the years, she grew more confident with Ino's help. Sasuke also didn't experience the Uchiha massacre, so he's more laid back.