Sixteen

SAN

He hates her. Sasuke decides from the moment she opens her mouth, he hates Aizawa Sakura.

He hates her stupid, stupid face and loathes her stupid, stupid voice even more.

She makes Hinata laugh. She makes everyone laugh, and at him of all things. Sasuke despises attention. Especially if it's unnecessary.

Sakura's lips are curved into a smug little grin, eyes sharp like a cat. She seems pleased with herself. He narrows his eyes at her and wants to snatch that smile right off of her face.

"I suppose grace does naturally come to shock to someone as manly and mannerless as yourself," he retorts dryly. He looks her up and down, and adds with a silver tongue, "Whoever you are anyway."

His tone is ice cold that even Shino visibly shudders.

"Hey, Sasuke, that was—"

She gasps and clutches her heart in a very dramatic demeanour, causing everyone to blink at her. "Shit! She bites back! Hinata-san, save me!"

And just like that, Sakura has won his entire friend group over. She's an annoyance, and he scowls at her, turning away.

Giggling behind her hand, Hinata leans over to the pink-haired girl. "Sorry about him. Sasuke-kun's just tired today."

Opposite them, Kiba rolls his eyes. "You're always makin' up excuses for his pompous ass, Hinata-chan," grunts the Inuzuka. He looks to Sakura and jerks a thumb in Sasuke's direction. "He's not tired. He's grumpy. Constantly."

Sakura smothers a laugh by biting her lip hard. She hasn't meant to but she's just made Sasuke a target of jokes. And she doesn't mind it at all if he continues to react like that.

"Kiba-kun," says Hinata a little warningly, as if to say don't step on the kitty's tail. And it makes everything just that much more intriguing.

"All right, I'm sorry," Sakura sighs putting her hands up before Kiba can say anything else. Sasuke rolls his eyes, not believing her sincerity for second.

She's only been sitting with them, not even for a hot minute, and already she seems to think she's better than him. Where does she get off thinking that? He really despises people arrogant people like her.

"Sasuke-sa—" She coughs, "I mean Uchiha-san. I'm only playing with you. I do apologise."

She makes an x over her heart.

"I swear it. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings."

He grinds his teeth. "You didn't hurt my feelings," he insists.

"Please accept my apology for wounding you!" She's making fun of him.

So he doesn't let in.

Oh how he hates her.

Beside him, Hinata is practically staring him though so he has no choice really. Eventually, he gives a grunt and a stiff nod and goes on with it.

Sakura's grin stretches wider.

In those three seconds, she's gathered more intel than she had expected, eyes darting between the Uchiha Ino has claimed and the soft and gentle Hyuga.

"Hey, Aiza—"

"Sakura," corrects Sakura, turning to Kiba who leans forward across the table.

"Yeah. Um. You're in Class 2B, aren't you? With that perverted Hatake-sensei?"

The Haruno stifles a laugh at the reputation Kakashi seems to hold. "I am," she confirms.