✔︎ Sakura's Moronic Best Friends (1/2)

Chapter 9; Go out with me...

Sakura made her way to the living area, in the direction Kisame had pointed to before disappearing before her eyes. She was a little embarrassed to admit that even though he had literally pointed in the direction to go, Sakura still got a little turned around.

Goddamn huge house and its goddamn ridiculous maze-like corridors. Goddamn it all.

A part of Sakura fully expected to be lunged at the moment she entered the living area, but Kisame had been right, and there wasn't anyone there when she peaked hesitantly around the corner. At least no one she could see. It was fully possible one of the perverted men was just hiding around the corner or in the shadows, waiting to snatch Sakura when she least expected it. In that case, Sakura was also fully ready to roundhouse kick anyone who touched her.

But, really, even if someone jumped her right then, Sakura probably wouldn't have noticed. She was still too hung up on her conversation with Kisame and what he had inferred.

He loved her.

It wasn't a surprise, particularly. Sakura got the daily-sometimes hourly-dedications of undying love from many of the men, particularly Madara and Tobi, and Sakura had become somewhat accustomed to it. As accustomed to it as she could be, anyways.

When the men like Madara said those three words, Sakura would brush it off, not really convinced. It wasn't that she didn't believe that Madara cared for her in an extreme way - even a blind man could see he cared deeply for her. But he was so foolish about it all. Joking about being her future husband and whatnot. In a way, it made it all less real, less important to Sakura. It didn't make her panic like it would have if it had felt heartfelt and intense.

When Tobi told her he loved her, Sakura felt like a big sister or mother to him. Not a romantic kind of love, really. He said it in his childish way, and Sakura would just smile and pat him on the head, not panicking when he would land a wet kiss on her cheek or forehead. She didn't feel like anything was expected of her when Tobi was with her like that. She liked it that way, honestly.

But when someone like Kisame told her he loved her, well, it was different. Someone like Kisame didn't just say things like that without fully meaning it. And it scared the living shit out of Sakura.

Kisame was like her protector, her big brother. Never mind how she felt her gut squeeze up when he confessed to her, or how her mind stopped spinning when he kissed her, for that single, still moment.

Sakura knew she wasn't in love with Kisame, not like he was with her, anyways. And that was why she'd keep fighting him, fighting everyone in that house. Because anything else was leading them on, really.

But it still bothered her, intensely, about what he'd said about himself compared to "someone like Itachi."

Someone like Itachi.

Someone like Itachi was intense, adorable if they knew him well enough, a lady killer.

Someone like Kisame.

Someone like Kisame was gruff and fun-loving, scary to look at but warm-hearted.

Sakura could give a long list about the traits of each man in that house, and it wouldn't make a damn difference. She loved certain things about each of them, the traits each of them having not making one greater or better than another.

It was like when Sakura used to compare herself to Ino when they were younger. The pretty little blond haired girl. Outgoing, loud, and pretty without a too large forehead. Sakura had thought she was ugly and undesirable when she was young, before Ino had come along and pulled her out of the shadows, away from the taunting and the empty home she grew up in. Ino had made her feel wanted, pretty. Ino had kicked the boys who picked on her. Ino had been her first girlfriend.