An Inch of Gold

11

This chapter has been beta-read by: Sakura's Unicorn

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Sasuke hasn't gone far.

He isn't sure whether it's because some logical part of his brain knows it would be a bad idea, or because the feeling in his legs is disappearing. He doesn't really care, either; there's too much that he's trying to wrap his brain around, not least of which being that, apparently, his future child hates him. He can't deal with that reality just yet, though, because one notion has pushed to the forefront of his mind and is blaring at him in fiery characters.

It isn't Sakura.

The person he will one day kill to gain the Mangekyō Sharingan which will allow him to defeat his brother and ensure he can safely restore his clan. The person whose only crime will be that he cares for them most in the world.

Not. Sakura.

She will live.

The relief is palpable. Bewilderingly so, actually.

He's never been completely indifferent to the girl. She's simply been relegated to a place in his mind where he puts everything he intends to deal with after he kills Itachi. Whatever he might feel toward her now is irrelevant, or so he insists. It's the same thing he tells himself whenever anyone starts to get close, even if he sometimes forgets.

And it's just further proof that keeping himself distant from Sakura is the best. Perhaps that's why she lives.

Based on what he's experiencing now—a weight lifted from his shoulders and a warmth in his chest—he hasn't kept as much distance as he thought. His squad, especially Sakura, have come to mean more to him than he will ever admit out loud.

True, she's damned annoying.

He can't even remember her before she was trying to conceal her crush on him. And then when she wasn't. If she just didn't make a huge deal about it, he might willingly spend time with her. Strictly speaking, she's the only one on the team whose intelligence is on the same level as his. It wouldn't be so bad, spending time with a person who could actually discuss topics that go beyond the realm of ramen or erotic fiction.

There's also the small matter of her being slightly terrifying (he will never, ever, admit this). Sakura's temper is on a hair-trigger, and Sasuke's very glad that Naruto is the one she beats on, because he's seen the bruises. If the moron didn't have the lucky ability to heal quickly, he'd be in the hospital every other week. Sasuke has enough mental and emotional scarring in his life, he's fine without adding physical abuse to the pile.

But beyond those minor quirks, Sakura is likeable.

She's the only truly innocent person he knows. Unlike the rest of Team 7, she has no dark past or horrifying secret. She has never known loss, has never truly hated anyone in her life. No matter the situation, she exudes an aura of approachability that Sasuke could never achieve even with years of practice. Her temper aside, Sakura's gentleness and kindness are something that make him and Naruto want to protect her from being taken advantage of.

Which is why it makes sense that both he and Naruto, who hides his crush even worse than Sakura does, are both drawn to her, in their own ways.

Except, as it turns out, one day, it will just be Sasuke. One day, that kind, bright girl is going to be his. She will, inexplicably, wait for him to finish his hunt for Itachi, agree to marry him, and then help him restore his—