Ripples

Chapter 23

                               Trials

-xxx-

"So you're really not hurt?" Ino repeated.

"Really not hurt," Sakura said, grinning a little. "The whole slave-thing wasn't nearly as bad as it could have been."

And that was another thing she had to do – talk to Tsunade about the Sound village. She doubted it would be a priority to help the people there while there was so much turmoil in their own village, but she had to try.

She and Ino were currently making their way to the Hokage's tower – Sakura was hoping to speak with Tsunade about Juugo, and maybe wrangle permission to visit Sasuke as well. She'd feel better about all of this if she could just see him...

"And nothing happened with Sasuke?"

Sakura hesitated just long enough for Ino to pounce. "Something did happen!"

"Er...sort of..."

"Sort of? How can something 'sort of' happen?"

In a very low voice and with a bright scarlet blush, Sakura related Sasuke's surprise kiss.

"He kissed you?" Ino hissed, and then, strangely, burst into giddy laughter.

"What's so funny?" Sakura asked, a shade defensively. That kiss had been the cumulative moment of a years-long love, and she didn't appreciate Ino mocking it.

"Oh, Sakura, my dear, blind Forehead-girl-"

"Hey!"

"Haven't you figured it out yet? He's got a thing for you!"

Sakura stopped in her tracks, staring at her friend, swallowing hard as her mouth went suddenly dry. "What was that?"

"Sasuke's got a thing for you!"

Sakura forced all the skepticism possible into her voice, trying to ignore the way her heart thudded in her chest at Ino's words, like a caged bird desperate to fly. "Oh, really? And you can tell this just from my vague description of his actions, without seeing him or speaking to him or interacting with him in any way yourself?"

Ino shrugged, still grinning. "I don't need to. You told me all I need to know – Sasuke kissed you."

Sakura fought the blush that rose once again to her face, unable to stop her mind from skipping back to the gentle, warm pressure of Sasuke's lips on hers, the soft darkness of the cave, the blind wonder and love and warm, dangerous hope that flowered in her chest...

The medic became aware that Ino was still staring at her, and made herself respond. "And?"

"Think about that for a moment. Uchiha Sasuke kissed you. Uchiha, emotionless ice block, training-on-the-brain, never-so-much-as-looks-at-a-girl, Sasuke kissed you."

Sakura thought. And Ino saw the exact moment when realisation dawned; that Sasuke, who had never been a fan of physical contact, let alone any vaguely sexual contact, whose only kiss had been an accident with Naruto, would only kiss someone he cared about a very, very great deal.