Anthology: Connected

#1: Her Smile

Synopsis: #1: "It's been a long time since I saw your smile." [Collection of SasuSaku oneshots]

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Note: Since I've written more than five fics for SasuSaku on my Tumblr blog, I decided to post them here, too.

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Sasuke couldn't remember the last time he'd seen this expression on her face.

For a few years, they had been enemies. They stood on opposite ends of the battlefield, him having different goals and beliefs from her and the rest of the Shinobi Alliance. Even so, however, she and Naruto never stopped chasing after him, trying to bring him back to where he supposedly "belonged".

There was a part of him that hated it back then because they seemingly didn't understand. They didn't understand him, and they never would.

But there was also a part of him that still thought of them as home. As teammates... as friends. Friends who would do anything to save and protect him.

He always kept that side of him suppressed until he forgot that he ever even felt that way.

With Sakura, on the other hand, it was often somehow... different. Sometimes, whenever he stared at her, his mind would flash back to those same green eyes that cried for him and pleaded with him not to leave the village. His mind would flash back to those times when she tried to protect him, those times when she'd try to engage him into a conversation, and those times when she'd put on a smile and a blush for him.

But when he met her during the times when he was rogue, her expressions became entirely different.

That first reunion when he watched as she effortlessly grabbed Sai's collar, apparently not even knowing at the moment that he was there, her face was contorted in anger and irritation. It wasn't that far from what she always wore back when she was annoyed with Naruto, but it was still different when paired with her now-mature, confident features.

And when she slowly lifted her head towards him when he uttered her name, he could see the shock, confusion, sadness, and longing painted on her face.

Then there was the time when she confronted him before he was about to kill Karin. She seemed a little apprehensive at that moment, but there was no mistaking the determined, resolute expression she wore. He tried to kill her, his mind plunged in darkness to even completely realize what he was doing.

It was a relief that he didn't succeed.

With him, she was always sad. She was also crying sometimes because of him. It seemed that all he ever brought her was pain and rejection. Even back in their genin days, he pushed her away and hurt her whenever it came to his curse mark.

When she confessed to him wholeheartedly for the first time, he almost gave in. Almost.

But in the end, he hurt her and left her behind.

When she confessed to him for the second time, he hesitated.

[Just what was it with her and her words that always seemed to affect him?]

But in the end, he hurt her again and left her behind.

He wanted to sever bonds with her. He was prepared for her to hate him. It was all for the sake of his goal. He was going to become Hokage in his own way and become alone with no one left who could possibly persuade him otherwise.

But life just had its own twists and turns for him.

Now, as he stared at her while she was laughing and grinning with him and Team 7, he had that unexplained feeling in his chest again.

This time, though, he already knew the answer.

As they all stood up, planning to end the Infinite Tsukuyomi, he found himself falling back a little, making his steps at an even pace with hers.

"Sasuke-kun?" she said to him questioningly, still grinning brightly as if she almost couldn't believe the recent events that happened.

He sent her a sidelong glance.

She stared back, swallowing a little at the intensity in his eyes.

Then he surprised her by lifting the corners of his mouth a bit.

"...It's been a long time since I last saw your smile," he remarked softly.

And I'm glad you never lost it.

fin