Leaving Her Alone

*Chapter 8*

A/N:

First off...
HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL OF YOU!!! We've made it out of 2021!!! Here's to hoping 2022 lets us be great!!!

Alright, now that that's out of the way...I just want to say that I sincerely apologize for making you guys wait so long for an update. I promise that it's not intentional. It's literally just that I [quite clearly] suck at keeping an update schedule, and the fact that I work like a dog definitely does not help...

So, going into 2022, I'm going to put my best foot forward and do my absolute best to just do better. I'm not gonna promise a schedule - like I said...I SUCK at it. But what I can say with certainty...is that my next update won't take a year and eight days.

And now, without further ado (and further word vomit), here's Chapter 8! I hope that it's worth your long wait...

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Sakura heaved a tired sigh as she stared morosely into the cup of tea she was presently sipping on.

Ugh...I'm gonna ache all over in the morning, I just know it... she mentally groused as she carefully flexed the tingling muscles in her left arm. I mean, who in their right mind makes a girl haul heavy wooden support beams around all by herself?! Honestly...

With a partially muted groan, she dropped her arm back down into her lap and shifted her wearied jade green gaze over toward the brooding raven-haired boy currently seated across from her. She barely held back another, far more exasperated sigh as her gaze fell back down into her teacup.

And on top of all that, Sasuke's been sulking like this for HOURS now! UGH, here we are in this absolute PERFECT setting...FINALLY alone together in this adorable little café and sitting at an outdoor TABLE FOR TWO, no less...and he has yet to say one word to me, or even acknowledge my existence at all! Cha...this is SO unfair!

"Wow, don't you two look cozy..." drawled an all-too-familiar voice from just a few feet away.

Sakura's head quickly shot up in the direction of said voice, her gaze immediately landing on Naruto...who wore one of the most uninterested expressions she'd ever seen.

She almost rolled her eyes on instinct alone. Since when has sarcasm EVER been in this dweeb's range of expression?! "Humph...whatever, Naruto. You're just jealous-"

"Kakashi-sensei wants us back at the inn if you're done with whatever the hell it is you're doing here." Naruto spoke again, abruptly cutting Sakura off and shooting a smug grin in Sasuke's direction. "The scouting mission turned out to be a huge success, and now we -"

"Tch, yeah...a success. I bet it was, loser." Sasuke replied scornfully as he stood from his seat. "Let me guess...Kakashi's the one that found all the useful intel, right? While you barely managed to find what...one of the henchmen's old ramen cups?"

Sakura snorted a laugh and opened her mouth to add a jab of her own, only to be cut off once more by Naruto, who was...also laughing?

"Haha...yeah I don't know if that was supposed to be a joke or an insult, jerkface, but I'm in an awesome mood right now so I'll let it slide." the blonde said, snickering a little more as he turned to walk away. "Anyway, you guys are obviously done here, right? C'mon, let's get back to the inn."

Sasuke very nearly growled as he stalked after the boy. "I swear there are not enough words in existence to express just how absolutely friggin ANNOYING you are..."