~*~Just A Date~*~

Part 3

Another sunrise hit the village of Konoha. However, this day was different. Sakura lay there on her bed still unable to grasp what had happened the night before. She got up and bounced off her bed, headed for the closest and picked out her day's clothes carefully. She picked a white dress with Sakura petals out from her closet and stood in front of the mirror that was in her room. She set it over her pajamas.

"Hmm . . . maybe this one?" She started talking to herself. ". . . or should I wear something more casual instead?"

She blushed slightly and then looked at the time. It was 10:20 in the morning already, and she would be early if she left now but still decided to leave anyhow. 'Just incase Sasuke arrived early', she thought to herself. She threw on the dress, and checked herself out in the mirror again. Once she was content with how she looked, she went into the kitchen to wrap up her belongings.

She had awoken early this morning, making sure that she had coffee so she would be plenty awake. Sakura had also made a little something for her and Sasuke for lunch, thinking of how romantic it would be if the two of them ate it together somewhere, alone. She packed the bag with this 'something' and then left it on the kitchen table and ran to her room again. She looked at herself again in the mirror for the 20th time that morning, making sure everything was okay. She grabbed her bag, straightened her hair and then headed out the door, to the Ninja Academy.

"I can't believe this! It's a date~!" Sakura announced, her heart pounding just at the thought of it. "A DATE!"

Sakura hesitated just a bit before turning the corner to see the Ninja Academy. She took a deep breath in and then continued to walk toward the building. Sasuke wasn't there, early as she had hopped so she waited.

As she was waiting, she thought up little scenarios and daydreamed of how this day would be the happiest day of her life. Time had past and it was not around 11, just the time Sasuke had told her to be. Sasuke still hadn't shown up.

"Sakura?" a voice called out to her from above her, definitely not Sasuke's voice.

Sakura looked up. The sunlight blinded her eyes, she took her hand as a source for relief and saw her teacher's head poke out of the second floor window. "Kakashi-sensei!"

He waved at her. "What are you doing here? I thought I told you guys to relax at home today."

"Um, I'm." She spoke a bit louder, and started to blush. "I'm meeting someone here!"

"Oh?" Kakashi, as if by magic, appeared beside Sakura with a small puff of smoke circling him. "Who are you waiting for?"

Sakura turned to face her teacher. "For Sasuke-kun!"

"Don't tell me you two..."

Sakura giggled.

"...are training together today?" Kakashi guessed.

"Do you think I would in this!?" Sakura snapped back, pointing to her dress.

"Did Naruto invite you two for ramen then? Iruka's treating you three?" The teacher guessed again.

Sakura had forgotten about Naruto. When she returned to her house after catching up with Sasuke he was no longer there. She replayed the kiss he had given her back in her head. The feeling of guilt had started to sink in her, but she shook it off. It was suppose to be a happy day, why was she thinking about that now? She paid her attention back to Kakashi.

"No, Sasuke and I..." Sakura said, "We're going on a date!"

"A date, huh?" Kakashi's beady little eyes looked at the girl. "...with that Uchiwa Sasuke?"

"Yep!" Sakura replied.

Kakashi scratched his head, almost not believing his student's words.

"A date." he repeated. "with Sasuke."

"Yes, a date!" Sakura looked at her teacher, not understanding why he wasn't getting any of this.

"...with Sasuke."

"YES!"

"A date..."

"YES!!!"

"Ha ha ha, to think one day he would actually go out with you..."

Sakura didnt like what she had just heard, and raised a fist at Kakashi. "Just what's that suppose to mean, sensei!?"

"I didnt mean it that way." Kakashi smiled warmly at her and bent down so they were of the same height. He put his hand on her shoulder, and moved his face to hers. " I mean it's just rare to hear that Sasuke's going out on a date..."

"Well, we are!" The girl protested.

"You know," Kakashi came closer, talking softly to her now. "Sometimes teacher gets lonely too..."

"Hey!" Cutting Kakashi off, Sasuke stood there, arms crossed and glaring at the two.

"Sasuke-kun~!"

Removing his hand from Sakura's shoulders, Kakashi got back up to his full height and watched as Sasuke made his way over to them.

Sasuke walked steadily and then once reached his destination, stopped and said nothing. Silence broke out as the three just stood there for a moment.

"Hmm, well I can see that Sasuke will be a fun date for you, Sakura." He once again warmly smiled at the girl and vanished with a small puff of smoke being the only thing left behind. He waved 'goodbye' with his hand out the 2nd floor window, leaving them to be.

'Fun date...' Sakura thought. 'Of course it will be a fun date!' Sakura looked over at Sasuke, wearing his usual clothes. He seemed to make no effort to dress up for the occasion. Sakura met with Sasuke's eyes that were waiting for her to say something...or maybe, rather eyes that just seemed to stare at her as if she was expected to do something.

"So." Sakura attempted to make conversation for a start. "What do you think?"

She sort of danced in front of Sasuke, showing off her white dress with cherry petals on it, she was sure Sasuke hadn't seen her in it before. She smiled at him, waiting for his response.

Sasuke looked blankly at her. ". . . . Whatever."

She laughed Sasuke's reply off as if it was nothing, but she felt as if a small knife had slashed her heart. Sakura wouldn't give up; rather-Inner Sakura would fight to the end! Sakura suggested they go for a short walk around town to pass the time. Sasuke didnt argue.

They walked, in awkward silence since every time Sakura tried to carry on a conversation she would end up talking and Sasuke responding with short answers here and there. Once and a while he would speak out one sentence, but rarely.

"Sasuke-kun, do you want to eat some dangos?"

"No."

"Are you sure? This shop's dango's are really good!"

"I don't like sweets."

They continued to walk and then Sakura stopped them again.

"Sasuke-kun, want to go in that store?"

"No."

They continued their walk once more. It had been like this for about an hour, and she couldn't really tell since his expression didnt change but Sasuke looked bored. She had tried to make this a fun date but things where defiantly not going according to plan. Then a sudden realization hit her, 'could Sasuke still be mad about last night?' She looked over for a moment at Sasuke, and then continued to worry herself with thoughts.

Sasuke looked over at the stores, the people around him. Not sure what Sakura's intentions where exactly but following her non the less. She wanted a date with him, so is this what she wanted to do? He glanced a peek at her for a second and realized she was mumbling to herself, not as happy as she was at the begging of the day. 'See?' he thought. 'What's so great about going out on a date with me?'

He brought his attention back to the people around him. For some reason he could feel an intense pair of eyes following them from the start. Sasuke decided to end this 'date'. "...Sakura."

"Hey!" She turned to him. "It's almost lunchtime, are you hungry?"

His stomach responded, softly growling. Instead of eating breakfast as he normally did, he had been training early in the morning making sure not to waste the day; so he was in fact hungry.

"Not really" He lied. The noise inside of him grew louder. ". . . . ."

"I have a surprise for you!" She threw away her worries, sure that her 'surprise' would make things all better. After all, a way to a man's heart is through his stomach, right?

She went for Sasuke's hand to lead him to an isolated spot where they could eat together. Realizing fast what she was doing, she stopped herself halfway and pulled her hand back. "Oh, sorry!"

". . . ?" It took Sasuke a second to figure out just what Sakura had intended to do.

Sakura carefully thought to herself, while slowly reaching her hand out again. 'It IS a date after all...'

"Sasuke-kun, can we?"

"What?"

"Hold hands?"

"Hell no!"

"Why not!?"

"Just...!" Sasuke started to blush. "Because!! No!"

"Please??" She begged.

He put his hands in his pockets, showing Sakura he had absolutely no desire what so ever of holding hands.

'Damn it!!!' Inner Sakura shouted, veins popping out from her head and the background bursting with flames. Outer Sakura, of course, had a different reaction.

"Ahaha..." She gave a weak laugh and took her hand back. "Never mind."

". . . ." He looked at the girl, who was trying her hardest to smile back at him.

"Let's go and sit down somewhere then...you ARE hungry, right?" She held on to her bag, tightly. "Sasuke-kun?"

" . . . Fine."

Farther away, two foxy eyes had been watching the two.

"Why that b*****d!!!" Naruto held on to the cardboard ramen sign he as behind, trying not to be seen. He looked on as the two walked out of the street, then in to the forest. Naruto's imagination took over his rational-if any- thoughts. 'He's trying to be with Sakura after being so cold to her!? Damn it, I should of gone after Sakura last night . . . what went on between them!?'

He carefully followed after the two.