Gaasaku: Hush (DISCONT.)

A Knowing Brother

It was the third day of the chunin exams. Team 7 was resting in a sheltered spot near a river. Delicious smell was coming from new-caught fish, now roasting near fire. Three students were sitting right next to it, waiting in silence. Nobody noticed a weird sphere made out of sand thirty feet above their heads.

Naruto's eyes were glued to the frying fish. Sakura could almost hear his thoughts: 'Must grab the biggest one! Tasty! Not as good as ramen but good!"

Inner raged. 'That bastard! You are such a pig, Naruto, I —' Sakura cut off her before any swear words came through. Searching for something to switch her attention to, her eyes fell on their other companion. Sasuke.

The male's onyx eyes were distant and even unfocused. I hope he's okay. After that encounter with Orochimaru, he have been acting strange, Sakura worried. Naruto didn't even notice anything new in the Uchiha's attitude. Though, on the other hand, you couldn't really see the change. Nobody could ever tell if Sasuke was happily smiling or having a blank face. Sakura suspected it was because his jaw muscles hurt when he grinned. Not like she ever seen him doing it.

Her own mind strayed to her own encounter with Sabaku no Gaara few days ago. Huh. Gaara of the Desert. Strange name. The pinkette assumed it was an ordinary title in Suna. Which actually made no sense whatsoever.

And the scroll... When her boys asked her about the stroll that the Suna genin gave her, she lied that she found it on the ground, near their camp. Naruto easily took the bait, congratulating her and saying that she was amazing, defending camp like that. But Sasuke remained doubtful. He told them that nobody here is that careless to leave something important like that, and pointed out that the pinkette must have at least fought somebody. Maybe there was something else. Or somebody else.

Lingering suspicion in his eyes as he put two and two together told Sakura that he didn't trust her. But she couldn't tell him. Gaara asked and that was the least she could do to repay him. Luckily, Naruto interrupted the black-haired by accusing him of not believing in Sakura. The blond launched himself at his rival and another scuffle broke out. That was the first time Sakura have been grateful for their fights. Still, she couldn't shake off the feeling that Sasuke wasn't going to let this go.

Delicious smell filled the air and jolted a very hungry pinkette back to present. Naruto already grabbed a piece and was pigging on it. Sasuke looked as cool and controlled as ever.

"I'm going to get more water." Sasuke said. Sakura watched him stand up and trudge into the forest.

She couldn't really understand what to do now. Bracing herself for an awkward silence with Naruto, she tried to look away.

"Hey! Hey!"

Sakura snapped open her eyes. Searching for danger, she only saw Naruto holding the stroll and beckoning her closer.

"How about we open the stroll while Sasuke's gone?"

"What? Naruto, we were given strict orders not to! What if we fail because of that?"

Naruto put on a sheepish smile. "Well, just think about it. Don't you think it was too easy for us to have both strolls? What kind of a ninja fights you and just looses the stroll?"

Suddenly noticing her fuming face he quickly added: "N-not that you aren't strong, S-sakura-chan! I-I just wanted to say that, er, maybe this is a t-trick like in p-part one of the chunin exams...?"

"Huh. You may be right." said Sakura, remembering how the tenth and final question was actually not a question at all. "But what if it's not a trick this time?"