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"Please, be careful tonight, Sakura. There are so many perverts out there!" Mebuki warned, her eyes brimming with her maternal fretfulness.

Sakura smiled reassuringly at her mother. "I will, Mom. I'll be home safe and sound, okay?"

Mebuki nodded, wishing her a fun day and closed the door. Sakura headed toward the park, the sun slowly sinking below the horizon. The streets were filled with many of Konoha's inhabitants as, they too, ventured toward the park - ready to celebrate their annual winter celebration.

Today was Konoha's Founding Day where two men, Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha, cultivated the land that was now a bustling city. The city's council often had volunteers construct a line of stalls to celebrate the event. Most people came during the afternoon, but others joined after sunset to enjoy the snow sculptures, taiyaki, and stargazing. She was unfortunately busy throughout the day, running errands for her parents, but her mother allowed her some time to enjoy the festivities. Entering through the open gate, she searched for her friends.

She had spent a week away from them after the cabins, thinking deeply over everything that had occurred. She didn't want to hurt them, but they were right. She shouldn't be afraid to express her feelings to the person she cared about.

Unfortunately, even with their reassurance, she was still anxious.

She had that person in mind that she had always been curious about. He had interested her in many different ways, but she couldn't say that she was romantically interested until only a month ago - even before she had realized they all had feelings for her.

It was hard for her. Sakura really wished she had Ino to talk to about this.

A hand grazed her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts. Turning around, Sasori stood, wearing a heavy coat that seemed slightly too big on him. A hat covered the majority of his messy, red hair, but the curly ends stuck out along with his shaggy bangs.

"I tried calling your name a few times, but you didn't answer. Thinking about something?" he asked.

Sakura shook her head, regaining her lost composure. "No, it's fine. Are the others here, Sasori-kun?"

"Yeah, let's go meet them," he said.

Sakura agreed, walking beside him, the snow crunching underneath her boots. It had been over a week since they shared their kiss and Sasori wondered if it was time to express his concerns with her. He couldn't just brush it off, it continued to linger in his mind like a bitter taste that wouldn't go away. In his heart, he knew that if he didn't speak with her, he would very easily go mad.

"You look pretty serious," Sakura noted. "What are you thinking about?"

Sasori smiled faintly, bowing his head. It wasn't the time to start a serious chat. To put it simply, he didn't want to ruin the day if the conversation swiftly turned negative. "It's nothing."

Sakura wasn't dense. She knew from that pondering look that he was troubled. She stopped, forcing Sasori to do the same.

"Sakura-chan, the others are waiting," he reminded.

"You promise that nothing's bothering you, Sasori-kun?" she asked.

His eyes dropped to the white powder covering the ground. "Well, nothing too serious. But Sakura-chan..." He bit his lip, a hue of red burning across his face. "Would you mind staying with me after the festival? I feel like I need to discuss something with you."

The thought of their shared kiss swept through her mind like a gust of wind through an open alley. That's what was bothering him! Of course, she couldn't say that she didn't feel any sort of response was needed. It was inappropriate to sweep it under the rug and pretend it never happened. "Sasori-kun, we-"