Promises Remembered

Chapter 6

A/N Good things that happened this week. I had a profound experience involving my grandfather on Sunday that brought me a lot of comfort. Ya, one of those kind of things. I, after hours on hold and lots of running around I was able to obtain the lean release for my wrecked van yesterday so I am driving to my state capital with my brother today. Thankfully its just an hour away. I had a few new readers that left lots of lovely kind comments yesterday in the middle of irritating phone calls and they really made my day so much nicer. It's my youngest's daughter's second birthday today. And most importantly, my local Aldi has their holiday peppermint almond milk creamer and its amazing. I am enjoying my coffee as I post this. so yummy!

Chapter 6

Sakura

Fifty-five days into the past

He is not for you.

It had been a recurring phrase since Sakura first realized she was attracted to him. Then she had fallen back in time and her crush had only gotten worse. His surprising and obvious interest was not helping.

When he'd sat on her counter, just a little too close, tugged down his mask and wordlessly asked her to feed him—blatantly flirting with her—she had been almost painfully reminded of the last time she'd given him the sweets.

She had been sure his older self had wanted her to feed him too. But he hadn't actually gone so far as to lean in and open his mouth for her. It had felt more like he was reliving a pleasant memory, wishing he was in that moment instead.

Then she'd done it, leaning in to meet him, placing the sweet on his tongue as if in a trance. He was so beautiful and she wanted him so badly, and maybe he wanted her too. And then she had gone and offered to make him dinner, practically asking him on a date.

As soon as the door had shut behind him, her legs had nearly given out. Crouching on the floor of her kitchen, Sakura panicked.

What the hell was she doing?

He was only interested because she held the secrets of his future and maybe because he might find her pretty but as soon as he met Kazuki's mother that would be it. She needed to get a grip. No more returning his flirtations. Making him dinner was absolutely out of the question. It would just give him ideas and hurt her more when he inevitably moved on.

So for the next two days, her recurring phrase had become a mantra. She repeated it every time she thought about him.

"He is not for you."

Thankfully the Hokage had sent him on another mission and she hadn't had to face him since. Unfortunately, the absence had only made her think about him more. Between repetitions of her mantra, her mind had gone into overdrive, over-thinking their every interaction since arriving.

Was he right about them always knowing each other? Was that the reason for the moment on her parents' roof? Maybe, even though he was going to marry someone else, their friendship was important to him.

He is not for you.

One of the many times someone had commented on how alike she and Kazuki looked slipped intrusively into her thoughts in the middle of teaching her advanced medical class. Could she possibly...

No. Of course not. It was absurd.

He is not for you.

So absurd that she had banished it from her mind and invited Aiko out that night to distract herself. They had overindulged in rice wine and ended up passing out in a heap in her apartment.