Women's Lib 2/5

[AngelOfDeath]

AN: And to think, it used to be a one shot. Then it got too long. That is all. Disclaimers from CH 1 still apply.

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Sasuke found himself sweating under the long black wig he had thought he would be able to throw away and safely forget. At least this time he got to wear pants. It had been a fight, but if he had to wear another skirt then someone was going to see the wrong side of his fist. Even if the pants had created new discomfort, it was worth it. Sasuke dragged the bags with him as Naruto spotted Sakura and dropped his bag to run over to her, wig bouncing dangerously. The fool had better not let it fly off. It would be nice to have an excuse like that to leave, but failure was failure and Sasuke had too much pride to let a mission go as badly as that.

?Oh good! I wondered if you would come.? Sakura had her hair down today. It fell in glossy waves to her lower back and looked a lot better than Sasuke?s fake hair which matched it in length. She wiped some sweat from her lip as she helped them load their things beneath the bus. ?I had Ino put you on the list, so you have a ride there and back. She?s the one with the clipboard. Go ahead and check in and then take a seat. I?ll join you soon. It?s pretty cramped, so we?re three to a seat.?

Naruto looked fine with this, but to Sasuke it was simply getting worse and worse. Having his personal space violated wasn?t just excruciating, it was also a danger to their mission. Of course, Naruto didn?t seem to be thinking about any of that. He was just glad to see his new friend again.

?Doesn?t Sakura look pretty today, Sasuke?? Naruto chirped. ?I didn?t think her hair was nearly so long as that.?

?It?s Sana while we?re here, and don?t forget it.? He felt he was in no position to discuss Sakura?s looks. He had gotten a good enough look a week ago. There was no containing his irritation at the way Naruto was scraping against his nerves on this issue. Sasuke easily found the lady with the clipboard and she gave the two boys a very appraising look.

Naruto fussed a little under the woman?s sharp gaze. For his own part Sasuke was worried as well. This was the first time someone had really looked at the two of them. There could be glaring errors that they weren?t aware of. Even if they got by this first inspection how long would they hold up in the constant presence of women like her?

The girl placed the pen behind her ear and shifted her weight on her feet. ?I don?t remember meeting you two before, you must be Sakura?s new friends.?

?That?s us!? Naruto chimed in. Sasuke just kept wondering how he had gotten included in all of this in the first place. He had barely exchanged a word with any of these women. It was all Naruto?s fault that this pretend ?us? had come into being.

?Well, I?m Ino. She may have told you a little bit about me already.? It was spoken with the easy confidence of someone who expects other people to do her bragging for her. ?I?ve just been helping to organize this little trip. It isn?t as big as the nationwide one later this summer, but I do think it will be a good chance to connect with our fellow women.?

The way Naruto already looked excited almost made Sasuke smile a little, more a pull at the side of his mouth than anything. It was so easy to give Naruto a cause to fight for. He?d probably get excited about cheese if someone talked about it in a significant enough way. But hearing this woman talk was not Sasuke?s idea of a good time as pretending attention was not something he was good at.

?Are we checked in now?? Sasuke spoke suddenly and Ino met his eyes with a spark of emotive response that was less then pleasure in her facial features. He didn?t turn away from her change of mood.

?Of course. . .? She left the pause for him to fill in his name. Pen poised above the clipboard.

?Sana Uchiha.?

?Of course Miss Uchiha. You better go find Sakura. Knowing her, and I do, she is probably trying to help too many people get their stuff loaded on to the bus. All I said to her was that it would be nice if she would help. . . and Sakura just gets so funny when friends ask favors of her.? Ino gave a lopsided smile.

Sasuke got the distinct impression that Ino knew exactly what would happen and that Sakura was probably cutting Ino?s work in half or more by directing everyone?s efforts. The respect he had for the talent it took for Sakura to manage something like that was shadowed by the criticism he had for letting oneself be so easily manipulated into doing work. This Ino was certainly an interesting sort of friend for Sakura to stick by.

It wasn?t much longer before everyone was on the bus, Sakura, Naruto, and Sasuke in one seat in the back with Sakura squished in the middle, and the loud buzz of excited talking echoed through the hot space while the rush of wind from open windows added to the almost deafening noise. Sasuke was just trying to keep his wig in place as the hair whipped around him and made life a misery. At some point Sakura reached over him and closed the window beside and in front of them. She gave him a sympathetic smile.

?I guess we both should have braided our hair before we left.?

Once again she and Naruto dove back into conversation about what the retreat might hold while Sasuke was left to simply regard her with a vague feeling of obligation for having done a favor for him. Even worse, now that the wind was not providing him with enough distraction from his immediate surroundings he was brought back into a world that was very warm, full of chattering women, and one in which Sakura?s leg was pressed rather firmly against his.

?So who?s the older sister?? The shift in topic next to him knocked Sasuke out of his reverie.

?Oh Sana. She?s always so cold and bossy.? Naruto got close as if he were going to say something secretive but it was still at full volume so he could be heard above the din. ?I think a lot of it is just an act. She?s really a very nice person if you give her a chance.?

?You both look so different. Do you have different mothers or fathers??

?Different mothers.? Naruto seemed to be getting into this. Sasuke tried to pay attention so that he wouldn?t get confused in a lie. Every new piece of information was carefully stored away and he hoped that Naruto wouldn?t get too carried away with the whole lying thing. It didn?t come naturally to his honest friend and he might not know where to stop before it stopped being believable.

?Tell me more about your village, I?ve never spent much time out of the city and often I think how wonderful and peaceful the country must be. . .?

No. None of that. Naruto knitted his brow as he thought of what to say and in the brief silence Sasuke leapt in. ?You wouldn?t want to know about that.?

With a tilt of her head and a raised eyebrow Sakura looked at him expecting him to continue. It was such a bother, all of this, and to think this was just so their damn mentor could have some stupid pictures.

?We left because there was trouble at home. I?d rather keep it private.? Hopefully that was ambiguous enough. The way Sakura was already starting to coo in compassion was a good sign. He stifled a smirk of triumph. Then, as if she knew a way to turn every victory Pyrrhic, she grabbed his hand in her own and earnestly regarded him.

?I?m sorry. If you or Haruko ever need to talk to someone I?ll be there. I mean, you both are doing me such a big favor by coming on this weekend with me that I just wish I could return the kindness.? To Sasuke?s great horror he felt his cheeks attempting to color as she still held his hand. It was an extreme act of will for him to not jerk away from her.

With a squeak of happiness, Naruto threw his arms around Sakura, accidentally tangling one hand in Sasuke?s wig and pulling his head at an odd angle. ?You?re just so wonderful Sakura. I wish I had known you years and years ago!?

Sasuke just closed his eyes and groaned.

When they arrived after a few hours there was a woman with a megaphone directing the various buses that were arriving. Even though Ino had said it was a small gathering there were still several hundred women there and as everyone tried to get their stuff together and find a place in the field nearby, others were setting up banners on the bus or working under large open tents to give out information. Sasuke got their things while Naruto checked out what was going on in the tents. Sakura had split off to secure them a good spot to camp.

Buried under a pile of bags, sweating even more now that he was under the sun in the infernal wig and without any prospect of taking off his shirt, Sasuke was ready to tear someone?s head off. There had to be water somewhere. He was thirsty and getting to the water in his pack was not an option right now. After being forced to ask several people for directions he discovered where the fields for camping were located and he tried to find that distinctive head of pink hair when he was suddenly joined by Naruto who didn?t think to take a bag while he read the informational pamphlet he had gotten.

?It seems like they?ll have different discussions set up in the buses that came. What a clever idea!? Naruto scratched at his wig, something he was doing with increased frequency. It skewed to the side a bit. Sasuke hissed at him to fix it and Naruto tugged at it absently. ?Oh! And there?s a witch play tomorrow evening. I wonder what that could be??

?Oi! Sana! Haruko! Over here!? Naruto still didn?t know to respond to his new name but Sasuke spotted the voice and the waving arm of Sakura who had found one of the few spots near a tree that were not yet snapped up. It was a good choice.

Sakura sat down and pulled out her handkerchief. She wiped away her sweat and dabbed at Sasuke?s face a bit before he pulled away in surprise and dropped all of their stuff down. Why did she do things like that? Didn?t she know to keep to herself? Then again, these retreats seemed all to be about ?bonding? and in general all these women?s liberation people were pretty free around each other. Sasuke tried to think of the last time he had ever been in a situation with a bunch of guys like this. He was pretty sure it had involved a lot of alcohol and he had left early from boredom. None of them had touched him. . . unless you counted that guy he punched.

Pulling out the pamphlet, Naruto showed Sakura what they all had to look forward to. She seemed to have a mixed response. ?Well and good to talk about these things, but I?m sure a lot of girls just see this as a vacation. I mean, out camping in the country. . . it does seem more like a holiday than anything else. I wouldn?t expect too much to come out of the discussions.? Naruto looked a little disappointed. ?Not that you can?t have a good conversation about just about anything. I?m sure the campfires at night will be another opportunity.?

Sasuke searched through his stuff and through Naruto?s. It seemed as if there was a significant item missing. He looked again just to be sure. Nothing.

?Haruko.? When Naruto didn?t respond, Sasuke grabbed him by the ear.

?Ouch!? Naruto rubbed the pinched lobe and gave Sasuke a pout. ?What?s wrong??

?Where is the tent??

?I thought you had one.?

?NO.? Sasuke looked up into the branches of the tree for some serenity. ?I told you very clearly that I did NOT have one. And yet you persisted in thinking I had one anyway. I told you I would get the film if you would get the tent. How. . . just forget it.? Sasuke pulled out his sleeping bag and began checking his stuff as if listing precisely it would somehow make a tent pop in at the bottom. Just behind that extra flashlight battery. . .

Small feet in sandals forced his eyes up and to the left. ?You can share mine. It will be a squeeze since it?s just a two person one, but it?s better then nothing right??

Oh gods. As if the bus ride hadn?t been enough torture. ?Couldn?t. . .? Sasuke tried to think of a good excuse quickly.

?Nonsense, I insist.?

?You?re the best Sakura!? Naruto was already diving in to her tent kit with gusto. Either Naruto was the most na?ve boy on the face of the planet or he had really forgotten that they were indeed not women and therefore in a rather sensitive position while asleep.

With a start, Sasuke tried to recall what exactly he had packed as pajamas. Normally he just slept in some underwear, but that was an extremely bad idea at this juncture. Maybe Naruto had thought ahead and. . . Sasuke shook his head. He was getting delirious. Best to just take today one step at a time. If he thought about this any more he was going to have some sort of episode. And the blood would be someone else?s.

?I think this goes in that slot over there. . .?

?I don?t remember this being so complicated when I used it last, Haruko. Maybe I should just do it.?

?No no, let me. It?s the least I can do for you.? A loud snap had Naruto jumping around in pain clutching at one hand. ?It?s ok! We didn?t need that rod anyway!?

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That night, in the tent, dressed in shorts and a shirt (which was about as close as he had to night clothes), Sasuke found himself again at one side of Sakura with Naruto softly snoring on the other side. Neither of them had fallen asleep yet, Sakura because she wasn?t used to the lack of noise in the country and Sasuke for what he only said were ?other reasons? when Sakura pressed him for an answer. Instead of just doing nothing, the infuriatingly friendly girl had decided it would be good to talk until they got more tired. Sasuke found it irking but somehow it was difficult to say no.

?I get the feeling you don?t like me much, Sana. I didn?t want to say so to Haruko because she has such a high opinion of you, but I know you?ll tell me the truth.?

Why did women ask these sorts of questions? It was silly to worry about things like that. ?I don?t dislike you. I?m treating you just like I treat everyone else.? That wasn?t entirely true, a voice in his mind taunted, you try to ignore her more but you can?t.

?Oh.?

The period of silence that followed made Sasuke hope that Sakura had finished with the interrogation. No such luck.

?Do you dislike people in general then??

?Look, I?m just not like you or, or, Haruko.? Keeping things straight was getting tougher as a slight throb of pain at his temple distracted him. ?I?m not a people person. I don?t hate anyone.? Lying again, the voice in his head chided, you certainly hate your brother. . .

This was far more than he had spoken to anyone in years and it was making him feel somewhat aggressive and angry. If this was how the next few days were all going to be then he might as well just leave and let Naruto do all of this himself. That weird boy lived for this stupid touchy feely friend junk.

?Well, for what it?s worth, I like you. Ever since I saw you both I had an odd feeling about you. Nothing bad, just different. I trust my intuition, and I just know that all three of us were meant to be together somehow.? She wiggled around a bit to get comfortable and then there was a heavy silence followed by her even breathing near Sasuke?s ear. She was sleeping facing him. Naturally.

Something odd, eh? Maybe this Sakura girl was more perceptive than he had originally figured. They were both entirely too free around her and starting tomorrow he would watch himself more carefully. Rather, he should be watching Naruto carefully. He turned his back on the two sleeping near him and prayed that his wig would not fall off in the night or, even worse, tangle itself up hopelessly.

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?So which one should we go to??

Sasuke scratched at his head just as Naruto also did. His real hair was probably matted and greasy. The whole wig thing was going to drive them both crazy. Naruto snapped pictures of each of the buses and then of Sakura and Sasuke just in time to catch Sasuke putting up his hands in front of his face.

?No pictures.? Sasuke ground out through clenched teeth. He meant no evidence. Naruto just stuck his tongue out at his friend.

?If you don?t decide then I?ll decide for us.? Sakura looked around at the signs. ?I know that Ino is probably directing the talk about eugenics laws and having children. I?ve heard enough about that for a lifetime. I?m sure the one on Vietnam will be packed to the gills, and the one on men too. . .?

?What about men?? Naruto wanted to know what women thought about men. It would be fun. He could tell Kakashi too. Besides, Naruto?s knowledge of current events was limited to the world of mechanics and even if he knew a little about how a tank ran it didn?t mean he knew anything about the soldiers running them on a battlefield. At least men he knew something about. He was one after all.

A wary Sakura made a face. ?You don?t want to go to that one first thing this morning. They?ll just be talking about unequal structures of power and all that. This afternoon will be better for that one; everyone will be too warm to argue much.? She paused as she considered if that was a logical assumption and then pushed it from her mind instead.

Sasuke was getting fed up, if they stood around like this all day then they would probably be pulled in to some sort of outside conversation and that would just lead to more unanswerable questions about the life of Sana and Haruko Uchiha which he didn?t have answers for. Just sitting around listening to someone talk was the best way to kill time. He would have to be decisive for the whole group of them.

?Here.? Sasuke pointed at a random bus. ?We?ll go here.?

Sakura colored something a couple shades darker than her hair. Naruto did the opposite and went pale when he read the sign. Sasuke watched them stonily enter the bus as he finally read the sign for himself.

?. . . ?Our Bodies?. . .? He cringed. ?Damn it.?

This bus slowly filled with sheepish looking women, many of whom were blushing or giggling while a slightly older woman looked on from the back of the bus with a confident smile. When the mostly silent audience had reached a certain number, the woman began to talk. She stood and brushed back some hair from her eyes, standing tall if stooped in the bus, but nothing about her was threatening and she seemed to have compassion for the way these women seemed to exude an avoidant aura.

?We?re all here today because, as women, there are some things that we should be allowed to discuss among ourselves freely and without judgment. While we are all here in this bus, whatever you say will be honored and will stay in this bus. My name is Miki, and I?ll be directing the discussion about ?our bodies?.? Laughter tittered a bit through hands over faces. ?None of us need feel ashamed of our bodies, and yet we?re taught that talking about them is not acceptable, even dirty. The body is not something you need to feel is a secret or unnatural. We all have breasts just as we all have lips, and just like lips they come in all shapes and sizes.?

Kill me now. If the heavens were merciful they would strike me down right now. Sasuke thought to himself. And that was just the beginning. Miki, who revealed that she was a divorced woman in her early thirties, told them about what they could expect to experience as their bodies changed in their older years and about what was and was not normal in a menstrual cycle. Some women asked tentative questions, but the general air of the group was becoming less tense. Eventually, when just about everyone was comfortable (with the exception of the two non-women in the bus) some rowdy girl in the back called out.

?Hey! Auntie! We wanna hear about sex!? The women laughed and Sasuke and Naruto tried harder to sink into their seat. If Naruto hadn?t been the one holding the camera then Sasuke probably would have taken it apart by now out of sheer stress. Sakura was just as fascinated as the rest of the women and laughed until she had to wipe little tears from the corner of her eye.

Miki herself chuckled and reached behind her and pulled out an odd looking chart. ?I thought we?d get there eventually. This is a diagram of. . .?

?Pretend to collapse.? Sasuke growled in a low tone to the only other male in this whole retreat.

?What?? Naruto looked at him in confusion.

?Do it. As if you hadn?t had enough food. Right. Now.? His eyes were riveted to the diagram as he picked up traces of conversation from Miki about parts of a woman?s body that he had never heard the names for before except in slang terms from other men. Naruto wilted in a somewhat convincing slump.

It was lucky that they were at the back. Sasuke made some sort of excuse about how Naruto just had a fast metabolism and needed some lunch right away to up his blood sugar. No one paid them any attention. Sakura followed them out acutely concerned and fussing over Naruto who more than likely loved the attention. When Naruto practically sprang out of Sasuke?s arms once they were several yards from the buses Sakura just laughed at them.

?Couldn?t take it??

?No.? That didn?t even begin to cover how much Sasuke wished he had never heard some of the things he had heard. Especially about bleeding. It sounded like being a woman was awful.

It wasn?t too much longer before all the lectures ended and everyone had some lunch. There wasn?t a cloud in the sky and that meant the buses were going to be like ovens that afternoon. Many of the women were advised to go and get some water or to soak their shirts before they went in for the afternoon talks so that they could avoid heat stroke. They were all the same talks, so that people would have a chance to go to a different one than whatever they had attended previously. Tomorrow the most popular ones would be repeated and the less popular ones replaced by other topics. In general the mood during lunch was convivial and people compared notes on what they did that morning. The little group containing the two antagonized spies was doing the same.

?So we?re going to the one on men next right? We?d better go and sit down now because that one will fill fast. Maybe it?s good we ate before everyone else.? Sakura looked energized. Naruto tried to match her but Sasuke wasn?t trying to and ended up seeming petulant as he snapped some pictures of the women talking and laughing around them. Kakashi would pay for this. Not just with money. There would be retribution.

Ino showed up when they were just about to leave and asked Sakura if she would like to help set up for the play later that night before dinner. Even though Sakura clearly looked like she didn?t want to, ignoring a request for help from a friend was just something she couldn?t do. Sasuke saw the determined glint in her eyes and got annoyed for some reason. She shouldn?t have to do all the things this friend of hers didn?t feel like doing just because Sakura was a soft touch when it came to favors.

?Actually, Sakura?s busy tonight. She promised to go walking with us before dinner. Find someone else.? Sasuke forgot to lighten his voice and both women looked over in shock at the interruption. Then he coughed a couple times and said in a higher tone. ?My throat?s so dry.?

With a shrug, Ino dropped the subject and instead told Sakura a bit about the changes that they had made for the next day. Ino said they should come to her talk tomorrow and then walked off to get someone else to do what she had tried to offer to Sakura. Once her friend was out of hearing range Sakura turned on Sasuke looking absolutely livid.

?I never asked you to get involved. You were being very rude. I am glad to help Ino.?

?She was just using you because you were convenient.?

?I know she was, but it was my choice to help her now wasn?t it. Ino doesn?t stop being my friend just because she has manipulative moments, and you won?t just because you have pissy ones. Now let?s just go to the bus.?

Naruto was silent between the two of them as they all walked toward the bus in a cone of understated fury: Sakura over Sasuke?s presumption, and Sasuke over being scolded for just trying to help. That was the last time he?d stick his neck out for her, that was for sure. Whatever had possessed him to do it in the first place was beyond his understanding. The longer he was around women, the less he seemed to get how they worked. Things would have been truly unbearable if they had made it to the bus without incident, but a bunch of girls ran past them flicking wet towels at one another. They were followed by a laughing women carrying a bucket who, when she tripped and overbalanced, spilled the entire quantity of the pail on Sakura and Naruto, while only getting one of Sasuke?s legs wet in the splash.

She apologized, but Sakura told her it was fine and that she should hurry back to the pump to get more before the next set of talks began. Naruto, whose wig seemed wet and bedraggled echoing the boy himself, didn?t compare to the drowned rat look that Sakura was sporting after the drenching. Thankfully, this new mini crisis had averted everyone?s minds away from the lunch incident and Sakura and Naruto squelched over to the bus. Naruto nimbly climbed onto the hood of the bus and then the roof to dry off as much as possible and Sakura just stood outside and greeted people while Sasuke saved them a seat. It was about as good an outcome as any of them could have hoped for under the circumstances.

Once everyone had packed into the little bus for the afternoon session there was murmuring and discussion while they waited for the late speaker. Naruto was mostly dry thanks to the heat of the metal and the sun but Sakura had not been quite as lucky. Her white shirt was still quite translucent and she confided in her two friends that she didn?t feel quite right like that. Her clothes were too heavy and she?d much rather be out of them. Sasuke closed his eyes and counted to ten so that the vivid image that had sprung into his head would cease cracking at his determination to maintain distance. Sakura gave her clothing a wet sounding pat and tried to laugh it off. Sasuke cleared his throat and caught Naruto?s eye so that they wouldn?t wander to Sakura?s starkly outlined chest. Sasuke had only looked at her because Naruto had, of course. At least, he convinced himself of that.

A sprightly little woman practically zipped past them to the back of the bus. ?Sorry I?m late ladies! You wouldn?t believe the line for the bathroom. Those portable things are just nasty, aren?t they?? The woman pushed her glasses up the arch of her nose and smiled fit to break her face. ?What a great turnout! I?m so excited. Is everyone ready to talk about men??

There was a cheer of assent. Sasuke and Naruto tried to do their impression of a bus seat cushion like at the last talk.

?I?m Naie, and I?m sorry to disappoint you all but what we?re really all here to talk about is women.? There was a collective sigh as she let that sink in. ?You see, behind nearly every construction of what woman is are the ideals that men have thrust upon us. ?Good wife, wise mother?? Ha! And what of the beauty standards. . . I?m telling you my sisters, we are simply forced to pander to a male stereotype of femininity. Raise your hand if you had to take home economics.? Everyone raised their hands, and Sasuke elbowed Naruto so he would too.

?You see, you see! Of course you did, it is required by the government.? Naie jumped up and clapped her hands. ?And remember how they said they were teaching us life skills. Well, shouldn?t men also know how to cook and sew? Indoctrination, that?s all it was. By the government no less, which is just another reasons to be wary of what they are feeding into our brains. You all know that or else you wouldn?t be here today. How come men are not held to the same standards as we are??

This speaker was by far much more scattered and inflammatory than the other lady had been, but the discussions were far more cutting edge and soon women were getting riled up telling stories of how they had felt oppressed at one time or another. Naruto looked like he was about to break down in misery and even Sasuke was feeling an edge of guilt for the times he had taken his mother for granted. Before she had died. . . before she had been killed.

A hand on his shoulder forced him to unclench his hands and look up from the floor. Sakura patted him kindly. ?Don?t get angry, Sana. We?re making a difference just being here and anger doesn?t do you any good.? She thought he was angry about something else entirely, but somehow her words did soothe him. The urge to kill receded and his breathing slowed down. The speaker?s high voice carried through to him once again.

?. . . and what of this long hair many of us sport? Why it is nothing more than part of another constructed beauty ideal. One of many. We grow it to catch men?s eyes, not because we truly love it or want it for ourselves. It is such a hassle after all. Who here has thought more often than not: I?ll just cut it all off!? Many hands went up. The women with short hair in the audience smiled in a superior way. ?Then do it! Hack it off! If you don?t like it then you shouldn?t have it!?

?. . . I wish.? Sasuke?s murmur was at just the wrong moment. Soon he would have his own short and easy hair back. Oh when his scalp could breathe again, that would be a glorious day indeed.

Naie, who had been racing up and down the bus as she spoke, rotated and fixed her eyes on Sasuke. ?Who said that? C?mon own up!?

A sparkle in his eyes, Naruto called out. ?Right here! Sana!? He pointed down at Sasuke who tried to sink down beneath the seat, but found he couldn?t fit. A knife appeared in front of his face. He looked into the bespectacled face of the speaker.

?If you mean it, then show us. Don?t let the male ordered system of beauty rule you any more.?

Why not, Sasuke thought, it wasn?t as if his hair was real. He had little to lose and the sooner this ended the better. He stood up slowly, grabbed the knife and sawed at his hair until everything past his shoulders lay on the ground. This was much better. Some women gasped and cringed, others cheered. When Sasuke had finished his makeshift haircut the hand that held the knife was softly being pried open. Green eyes pleaded for him to let go. He tightened his hold instead.

?Sakura, no.?

?Sana, I admire you too much. You just gave up something precious to you. I dragged you here. I don?t want you to feel alone. Let me do this for you.? The look of pain on his face was stifled quickly as he handed the knife over to her. How could he say no to something like that? Guilt, a rarely felt emotion for Sasuke, took over more strongly than before and all the lies he had told and snubbed conversations Sakura had tried to start with him suddenly flooded his mind. She honestly wanted to be his friend. The defenses he had had over a decade to perfect in his quest for revenge had nothing prepared to deal with the likes of her. People like her and Naruto, selfless and loyal, attempted to prove his conception of the human race false.

And as Sakura?s silky, damp, tangled, pink hair fell to the dirty floor of the bus to join his fake black locks Sasuke knew that he had wanted to escape her because he had started to desire her. He liked her. Even worse, he might need her. She was just the sort of distraction he had single-mindedly avoided ever since the car crash that had killed his parents and ruined his life made him swear to be the best mechanic in Japan and win back a good reputation for his family name. Insurance money and cut brake lines made his brother a murderer and Sasuke rich. He would have traded all that money in an instant to be able to stop his parents from getting into that car. Sasuke would be a better mechanic than his brother ever had been, and then he would go visit Itachi in jail, tear up the proof of his triumph in front of the bastard and walk away to let him rot. Or maybe he?d kill him. Sasuke hadn?t decided yet.

But Sakura threatened to bleed out his hate.

She wanted to be there for him.

And heaven help him, he wanted her there too.

?You both have to speak tomorrow! At the farewell banquet tomorrow evening, I insist. And if you try to get out of it I will just pester you until you do. You both are an example to us all.? Naie began to clap and the rest readily joined in with claps and whistles. Sakura looked like she was about to cry as she glanced down at her hair, but then she slipped her hand into Sasuke?s and smiled.

?Solidarity, right??

All Sasuke could do was nod woodenly while his fingers reflexively closed over hers.

[bookworm]

Hmm...interesting. Still, can't wait to read the next part.

[csmlee]

At least this time he got to wear pants. It had been a fight, but if he had to wear another skirt then someone was going to see the wrong side of his fist.

*giggles* Sasuke in a dress. *giggles more*

He?d probably get excited about cheese if someone talked about it in a significant enough way.

That's so true! Naruto is such a cute kid who gets overly excited and hyper very easily. *huggles him*

To Sasuke?s great horror he felt his cheeks attempting to color as she still held his hand.

Aww... *pinches Sasuke's cheek* You're so adorable when you blush. I can only remember one time when he blushes in the manga. And back then, I had the same reaction as I'm having now.

That night, in the tent, dressed in shorts and a shirt (which was about as close as he had to night clothes),

I just thought of something that is completely irrelevent to the plot. What if Sasuke and Naruto have hairy legs? *imagines Sasuke with hairy legs walking around in shorts* Then that would give out their identities right away, no?

AoD: Yeah, you're right... this is completely irrelevent. *whacks Cheryl*
Cheryl: *pouts*

?. . . ?Our Bodies?. . .? He cringed. ?Damn it.?

Bwahahaha! I knew it! Sasuke is a closet hentai! *snickers*

But Sakura threatened to bleed out his hate.
She wanted to be there for him.
And heaven help him, he wanted her there too.

This is so sweet!

All Sasuke could do was nod woodenly while his fingers reflexively closed over hers.

Aww... *melts* I love this. You're able to write a sappy scene without making it overly sappy and the characters managed to stay close to their original selves too.

*glomps you* You have NO idea how much I was giggling and cackling throughout this chapter. I love the way you portray the trio. Naruto's carefree and clueless attitude is adorable, the innocence and naviety in Sakura makes me want to huggle her, and Sasuke's random snide and cynical comments had me snickering all the time.

So... onto the next chapter!