Sasuke's feelings 🔞

Sakura's part messenger

Sakura stepped out of the house, strolling down the street, with thoughts from last night and the events of this morning. She felt dreadful after being rudely awakened and battling a hangover. "Thank goodness I've got the next couple of days off from the clinic," she muttered to herself, feeling like she could sleep for a week.

As she made her way through the main streets, her grocery shopping now done, she noticed a men's clothing store and decided to pop in. Grabbing a plain black, long-sleeved shirt, she thought, "This should be alright for him, at least for now."Exiting the store and ready to head home, she caught sight of Ino walking past hair a mess, shoes in hand, and makeup halfway removed. Unable to contain her amusement, Sakura let out a laugh. Ino, noticing her, quickly pulled Sakura into a quiet alleyway, covering her mouth with her hand. "Shh... not so loud, Sakura. People will stare," she whispered, embarrassment in her eyes.

Sakura gently removed Ino's hand from her mouth, teasingly remarking, "Walk of shame, huh?" with a smirk. Ino, her face now flushed crimson, tightly shut her mouth. "Why not take a more discreet route home you are a shinobi after all,?" Sakura suggested, pointing towards the rooftops while still unable to hide her amusement.

Ino let out a sigh, admitting, "Yeah, about that" ino now a brighter red, "ohhhhhhh a bit tired are you, ino" both of them burst into laughter. Ino then spotted the bag in Sakura's hands. "Men's clothing, Sakura?" she questioned with a wider grin.

"Mhmm, poking fun at me, are you?" ino retorted playfully. "So, what were you up to last night, huh?" she teased, eyebrows raised.

Sakura gently pushed Ino away, shaking her head. "It's not like that," she says. "Sasuke just took me home last night, but nothing happened." Despite Sakura's assurance, Ino remained skeptical, brushing off Sakura's explanation. "Sure, sure. When something does happen, you'll tell me, right?" she teased, winking before hurrying down the alley, eager to get home without attracting any more attention. "Don't forget to invite me to the wedding!" she called back with a laugh, disappearing from view.

Left blushing and feeling somewhat foolish, Sakura continued on her way home, her mind reeling from the encounter.

Back at home, Sakura found the couch empty, with Sasuke nowhere in sight. As she unpacked her groceries, she set aside a few items to whip up a meal, realizing it was well past noon and neither of them had eaten yet. While searching for Sasuke, she heard the sound of the shower running. Deciding to give him his privacy, she left the shirt she bought for him on the coffee table and returned to the kitchen, turning on the kettle and starting to prepare some tomatoes she'd snagged on sale.

Suddenly, the sound of the shower ceased. Sakura's heart raced as she couldn't quite believe it was Sasuke. She stood there, her gaze fixed on the bathroom door, waiting with bated breath. When the door finally opened, she was met with the sight of a half-naked Sasuke, clad only in a towel. Caught off guard, Sakura stumbled back, hastily covering her eyes with her apron. Sasuke, his own face flushed with embarrassment, explained that his clothes were in the dryer. Sakura quickly turned away, allowing him to retrieve his clothing and retreat back into the bathroom.

Sakura takes a moment to compose herself, her cheeks still tinged with a hint of red. Determined to move past the awkwardness, she focuses on completing the meal she had begun, setting the table . Sasuke finally emerges from the bathroom, she notices the torn shirt he's wearing and points towards the one she'd brought for him on the coffee table. "That's for you," she remarks softly. "I noticed yours was ruined."

Sasuke glances over and murmured a quiet "Thank you, Sakura." Relieved that he's accepted her gesture, she waves him over towards the table. "Come, sit down and eat first," she invites him. He nods and takes his seat, the room falling into an uncomfortable silence. Desperate to break it, Sakura mumbles, "How were your travels?" Sasuke lifts his head slightly. "Yeah, it was alright."

Feeling drained by the lack of conversation, Sakura sinks into silence once more. Suddenly, Sasuke speaks up, breaking the tension. "You left your house key on the coffee table," he notes.

Sakura says "Oh, no, it's a spare. I left it for you. I didn't know if you had somewhere to stay." Sasuke's expression softens at Sakura's explanation. "Thank you," he responds quietly, his tone carrying a touch of warmth. The weight of the tension begins to lift as they share a small, understanding smile. "use the guest room as you please"As they finish their meal, Sakura insists on taking care of the dishes, despite Sasuke's offer to help. Her intense stare leaves no room for argument as she firmly says, "It's rude to have a guest clean up."

Feeling a little scared of facing an angry Sakura, Sasuke decides it's best to comply and settles onto the couch. Sakura returns with a steaming cup of coffee and a few biscuits for him,As she walks away, Sakura catches a glimpse of his face and could have sworn she saw him blush. Shrugging it off as her imagination,

grabbing her own drink heading out onto the balcony to catch a little fresh air as she notices the sun setting focused on enjoying the warm drink, a faint sound catches her attention—a subtle rattle on the roof. She glances up, only to find a man leaping onto the balcony with her. "a messenger" she whispers, the messenger handing her a letter, he turns to Sasuke now standing right beside her also handing him one, "woh...... when..... how long have you been standing there" Sakura asks, surprised by how fast he was. "not long" he says looking on edge and tense, the messenger now gone disappearing into the night

a mission the both exclaim.... together