Tale As Old As Time / SasuSaku

Embrace the Present

"So, I went ahead and got you this new phone, and I even took the time to write down all the instructions for you in this notebook. It's got everything you need to know, like a cheat sheet for life here. I figure you're not familiar with a lot of stuff around here, so this should help you out," Sakura said, handing him the phone and notebook. Sasuke glanced through the notes, looking a bit confused.

"Wait, you want me to memorize all of this? Right now?" Sasuke raised an eyebrow. He was an intelligent guy, but trying to memorize everything in that notebook in just one day seemed impossible.

"I'm not saying you have to memorize it all in one go. But at least it'll give you a head start on 'fitting in.' I have a friend who works in the government, and they're willing to get you the necessary identification. And another friend who can fake education transcripts and resumes. Don't ask what I told them, I have a good relationship with them, so they didn't pry too much," Sakura sighed as she sat down next to him on the couch.

She was lucky that her friend's dad was the Hokage, and they didn't question her too much. All she had to say was that she had a 'family friend' who wasn't from around there and grew up homeless. They promised to provide the needed documents in the next few days.

"Education transcripts? Resumes? What are those?" Sasuke asked curiously.

Sakura pointed to the notebook, "I wrote some notes about those too. Why not take a look?"

Sasuke skimmed through the notebook and nodded, "I had no idea you needed all these things just to get a job..."

Sakura shrugged, "I guess you didn't back then. Did you even go to school in your time? What did you do, exactly?"

Sasuke looked over at the pink-haired girl sitting beside him, "Yeah, I did. My family was pretty well-off, so we had private tutors instead. They owned a shuriken business, you know?" He seemed to trail off a bit, his demeanor changing as he mentioned his family.

Sakura's eyes softened, realizing that she could learn more about the mysterious man sitting next to her. "What does your family do now? Well, not now, but back then. I mean, it's kinda weird to talk about it as if we're living in the present. But I'm curious, what did they do?"

"Well, I guess in this time period, my parents have been long gone. Even before I came here, they were already dead. It's just me and my brother. I hope you understand why I need to go back," Sasuke opened up, surprising himself with his honesty. But at the moment, Sakura was the only person he had, so he felt compelled to share.

"Yeah... I understand. I'm sorry you have to go through all of this. What's your brother like?" Sakura asked, intrigued. It was clear that Sasuke held his brother in high regard, and she could sense the importance of their bond.

Sasuke smiled, his eyes lighting up, "He's mysterious yet complex. Highly intelligent and extremely skilled. We're very close."

A smile formed on Sakura's face in response, "Your brother sounds like an amazing person."

"What about you? Do you have any siblings? What are your parents like?" Sasuke inquired, feeling a newfound curiosity. This was the first time he had ever had a conversation like this with a woman. In his time, he didn't see the need for it. He was too focused on his family's business and spending time with his brother. His parents had once attempted to arrange a marriage for him, but it didn't work out. After their passing, the idea had never crossed his mind again.

"No siblings... Just my mom. My dad passed away a couple of years ago, but he was absent long before that. He wasn't a good man," Sakura trailed off, her voice tinged with a mix of sadness and relief. For some reason, she felt comfortable opening up to the enigmatic man next to her. Sakura inwardly shook off the thought, recognizing the danger of falling into that kind of familiarity.