Tale As Old As Time / SasuSaku

We're Not Really Strangers

"Yo, Sasuke! I'm Naruto," Naruto exclaimed with an eager grin on his face. It was their first meeting, and Naruto was buzzing with excitement. He had heard so much about Sasuke from Sakura, who considered him some kind of 'family friend'.

Sasuke raised an eyebrow, giving Naruto a skeptical side-eye. He couldn't help but draw comparisons to his energetic buddy Ashura from the Land of Ancestors. The similarities were uncanny.

"Hey," Sasuke responded in his usual deadpan tone. Sakura and Hinata stood nearby, quietly observing the Naruto-Sasuke interaction.

"He seems a bit reserved," Hinata whispered to Sakura. Sakura nervously replied, "Yeah, he had a rough upbringing. He's been through foster care and homelessness." Was she really just making stuff up? If Sakura hadn't stepped in, Naruto might have been stuck on the streets.

"So, Sakura said you wanted Naruto to meet his cousin Karin. Any particular reason?" Hinata asked curiously. It was a weird request, and even Hinata couldn't quite wrap her head around it.

"He needs to learn about relationships and improve his social skills. I thought it'd be good for him," Sakura explained, concocting a reason on the spot. How long could she keep this charade going?

"You should totally come, Sasuke! It's gonna be a blast! We're throwing a huge party at a reception hall in a couple weeks," Naruto chimed in, slinging his arm around Sasuke like they were long-lost pals. Sasuke seemed slightly taken aback by the sudden touch, managing only a nonchalant "Hn" in response.

"You should come too," Hinata nudged Sakura's arm. This was the last thing Sakura wanted. But it seemed like she had no other choice.

In the past few weeks, Sakura had taken it upon herself to teach Sasuke how to drive. To her surprise, he was a quick learner. He was slowly settling into this new world, but he still had his occasional moments of confusion. It was a bit embarrassing for Sakura to admit that Sasuke had mastered parallel parking before she did. She secretly accepted that he was probably a better driver than her.

"Yeah, maybe. I was planning on studying and working," Sakura reasoned. The last thing she needed was to witness Naruto's red-haired cousin drooling over Sasuke. In the few weeks Sasuke had been crashing at her place, she had become weirdly protective of him. She had managed to keep him hidden from Ino so far, but she knew it was just a matter of time before Ino found out. And once Ino got wind of it, there would be no avoiding her relentless interrogation. Sakura knew that no one would buy her story of Sasuke being just a 'family friend'.

But what exactly was Sakura and Sasuke's relationship at this point? Were they just friends? Roommates? Or was Sakura more like his caretaker?

"Come on, Sakura, just come," Hinata insisted with a playful wink, directing Naruto to leave. "Alright, Naruto, stop holding the poor guy up."

Naruto laughed and apologized, "My bad! It feels like Sasuke and I have been buds forever."

Sasuke rolled his eyes and quipped, "Whatever, loser. Let go of me already," gently removing Naruto's arm from his shoulder.

"He even gave me a cool nickname! From now on, you can call me 'dobe'," Naruto grinned. "Later, teme! Bye, Sakura!" Naruto waved as he followed Hinata out of Sakura's place.

Sakura let out a sigh as she tidied up the dining table. "So, what do you think?" she asked, seeking Sasuke's opinion.

Sasuke chuckled and replied, "He reminds me of a friend I had, Ashura. But he seems alright. I think we'll get along."

Sakura smiled. "That's good to hear. But aren't you excited to meet his cousin Karin? Naruto mentioned she'll be there, right?" Sakura cursed inwardly. She wasn't particularly fond of Karin, but she felt like she didn't have much of a choice. It was better for Sasuke to be with someone already connected to Naruto, even if Sakura had reservations. At least it provided some small solace knowing Karin was Naruto's relative, but it still didn't make the situation any easier.