#medic sasuke lives in my head rent free and i love him

[obsidianstrawberrymilk]

Anyways Sasuke parallels Tsunade in much more meaningful ways than the surface-level bullshit of why Orochimaru mentored him. Both of them are the last members of formerly great clans and feel the pressure to live up to that. Both were closely related to the leaders of those clans. Both were shattered by grief and responded to it by running away from their pain however they could, by closing themselves off and becoming aggressive and distant and putting on masks of arrogance.

Both of them are people who genuinely value human life - Tsunade in her desire to keep as many people from dying as possible while fighting in the Second Shinobi World War and her work as a medic, Sasuke in how he wants to shape the world (before he was brainwashed lmaoo) into a place people don’t fight each other and his general dislike of killing unless it’s necessary.

Both, ironically, were also treated as being wrong when they didn’t want to give their loyalty to the village despite arguably being right, and were then, against all logic, were brainwashed by Naruto to forget their morals and serve the military dictatorship.

Sasuke as a medic would have been so meaningful for his arc. He’s not a violent person by nature, or even an angry person - he’s stubborn, yes, but earnest and kind even when closed off like in Part 1. Him being a medic would still enable him to get stronger, more skilled, but would give him that path away from the violence Itachi, his abuser, said he had to follow. Sasuke through canon essentially just did what the people who killed his clan wanted him to - fell into violence to try and avenge his clan because it’s what he clung to after he’d lost everything else. But that’s so unhealthy for Sasuke especially! Him being a medic would still give him the power and agency he’s wanted, the power he wanted that he might have been able to save his family with, but also gives him his own skills, nonviolent, as opposed to self destructing the way Itachi, again, his abuser, set him up to.

And yes, this means Tsunade isn’t Hokage - thank fuck. She had no reason to actually listen to Naruto, because he didn’t actually say anything to her, just called her a coward. And yeah, while he’s right to a degree, she’s not a coward for refusing loyalty to the village that treated her as a pawn and killed her loved ones by doing the same, she’s a coward because she abandoned her desire for change in her grief. Sasuke, aka the only other character who wants change in this fucking series and who very much hasn’t abandoned it, would be able to show her those same errors without her abandoning her point of view entirely.

Plus, the whole Senju-Uchiha conflict was so emphasized for like, no reason. Okay, they hated each other, and... nothing within the series ever really comes of it. Tsunade teaching Sasuke, the last of a clan teaching the last of her enemy her techniques, again nonviolent ones, them connecting through a desire to save, heal, regain agency but help, would be a much better arc than whatever happened to both of them in canon.

Plus, it could be interesting if you pair it with Orochimaru’s Apprentice!Sakura and canon Naruto, who, despite his teaching for two years under Jiraiya, really doesn’t change at all between the end of Part 1 and Part 2. If Sasuke under Tsunade has become a kinder and better person, Naruto under Jiraiya continues his same flaws and doesn’t change, and Sakura under Orochimaru gets darker and crueller... it would be interesting.

#naruto #naruto meta #anti naruto ending #anti konoha #sasuke uchiha #tsunade senju #sakura haruno #naruto uzumaki #jiraiya #orochimaru #listen even within canon sasuke tsunade parallel still works more than him and orochimaru does #it would just make sense #much more sense #if he became the healer instead #medic sasuke would be so amazing for his arc and tsunades #plus him and tsunade snarking at each other?? #shizune teaching him poisons?? #medic sasuke lives in my head rent free and i love him #orochimaru and sakura both also parallel each other v well #and they fit together #in terms of personality and skills #way better also #like sakuras smart #shes an academic #shes good at poisons and the human body less #but shes also an observer #a scientist #who becomes obsessed with things fast #sound like anyone yk?? #plus how shes also faking her emotions and reactions

[liam-cadmus]

─── sasushika/shikasasu headcanons that live in my head, rent-free;

— sasuke sitting down beside shikamaru when he smokes, leaning his head against the nara’s shoulder, a little fire burning on the tip his pointer finger to light the cigarette.

— coffee. sasuke’s a damn insomniac, and he can’t sleep because of nightmares. so he drinks a lot of coffee to stay awake. 

— shikamaru just sighs when he sees a very tired sasuke sitting against the front door, eyes half-lidded and slumped against the door because he’s so sleepy but he can’t fucking sleep. 

— “did you sleep?” “no....but do i care? also no...” 

— sasuke is a goddamn heater because of his fire affinity and uchiha genes, which is helpful because shikamaru's gets cold easy. 

— they both can’t sleep unless the other is beside them, because they’re both touch-starved, especially sasuke. 

— sasuke has a soft spot for shikamaru. his dangerous, feared, powerful, persona disappears instantly when he sees shikamaru. he just turns into this blushing, smiling, idiot.

— whenever they get passionate, sasuke always tries to shut his sharingan off, but shikamaru just tells him to not bother with it. but he also looks away when said eyes train on him, and a murmur of “i’m just memorizing this moment.” is spoken.

— sasuke “i love very deeply, it is both my weakness and my strength, so please don’t hurt me” uchiha.

— sasuke is very affectionate even though he’s so stoic. like, when he kisses, it’s very loving. with his palm cupping shikamaru’s cheek. or just pecks his temple, forehead, nose, cheeks. 

— they go to the forest every once in a while. with camping supplies, while staring at the sky. or just walks. 

— “shut up.” “make me.”

— very serious debates. like they just answer each other proving their point, but they both make sense so they just defend it more. then just frustrated huffing from both of them, then just laughing a few seconds later.

— shikamaru keeping his space and making sure that he’s in sasuke’s line of sight when the uchiha has a nightmare, so that he doesn’t get startled. 

— “what’s that?” “clouds.” “are they more interesting than me?” “stop it, you’re teasing me again.” 

— sasuke pulling off shikamaru’s glasses to wipe the fog off. and carrying him back to bed.

— sasuke growling at naruto when he doesn’t allow the nara to have a vacation. let’s just say naruto had to give shikamaru a couple months for rest.

— holding hands. like shikamaru just absently offers his hand and sasuke tries not to lace their fingers together. shikamaru just grins and tightens his hold.

— “you’re not safe being with me.” “did i say it was?” “no.” “good, i chose it anyways. now shut up and kiss me.” 

— sasuke laying on his stomach while shikamaru lays his head on the middle of his back. cloud watching. 

— banter. sarcasm. witty comebacks. smart ass replies.

— shikamaru clicking his tongue when he bandages sasuke’s wounds, eyes a bit teary when the uchiha doesn’t allow others touching him, always someone in their friend group, or he's already passed out.

— sasuke resting his chin on shikamaru’s shoulder, hugging his waist from behind. or just burying his face in between shikamaru’s shoulder blades, or on his nape.

— sasuke helping shikamaru in doing papers and gives his opinions on plans, including battles.

— shikamaru freezing sasuke using his shadow technique when he plans to go to another mission wounded. 

— running their hands in each other’s hair.

— “what happens if we get ambushed?” “if you think i would let them hurt you, you’re mistaken.” 

— sasuke’s blue-tinted chokutō that was once mikoto’s has shikamaru’s name engraved on the hilt. 

— they’re both competitive, and stubborn. so fights are terrible.

— “how are you still alive?” “i’m living for him.” 

— sasuke hides the extent of his injuries, searching for shikamaru, then holding his hand. then he allows the medics to heal him.

— cuddling. one of them tucked under the other’s chin. spooning. one of them hugging the other’s waist while the latter hugs them around the shoulder.

— sasuke flustered and sheepish while he kisses shikamaru’s knuckles. (cause’ he’s an uchiha and he’s an uchiha all the way.)

— fucking warm mornings and cold nights. 

— shikamaru falling asleep anywhere. but sasuke just moves him so he's leaning on his side, or puts shikamaru's head on his lap or shunshins them away to let shikamaru nap on the bed.

— they can’t have children. but that doesn’t stop them from adopting. they’re tired of following their clan’s rules because they’re both heirs.

— “we’re gonna be late.” “have you seen me arrive on time? let them adjust.” *resumes kissing* 

— breathing into the kiss. like, they just chuckle at the enthusiasm. 

— tying shikamaru’s hair out of the way. tucking a strand behind his ear then kissing his cheek.

— summons. shikamaru would sometimes walk around the market, with a hawk perched on his head or shoulder, or a sloth draped over sasuke’s shoulders. there’s deers and snakes in the forest behind their houses. 

— shikamaru likes tracing sasuke’s anbu tattoo or just press his thumb against his pulse mark. 

— shi and su. shika. sasu. nicknames. love, dear, baby. it's a bit cheesy, but they both love it.

— "why do you such have bad taste in men." "are you saying you're not my type?"

— shikamaru nara-uchiha being scary when he pulled off his menacing stare. (sasuke laughs to his chest when he hears it)

— sasuke uchiha-nara letting out one of his rare smiles when shikamaru hugs his waist from behind.

— sasuke's heart clenches whenever he sees the stuff around the house making it so lively. he's used to growing up to bland walls and empty shelves, but shikamaru made living easier.

— sasuke's impulsive to shikamaru's overthinking.

— they’re so fucking focused when they make battle plans. like, anbu commander + advisor mulling over the plans repeatedly, as if they’re not two intelligent men helping each other. “oh, shikamaru, sasuke, this is such a good plan.” them: deadpan staring

— sasuke blends so perfectly with the shadows, people don’t even notice him there. shikamaru has always sensed the shadows, so whenever sasuke is there, he knows. so if they’re in missions, he’d purposefully drape the shadows over the uchiha, who gets startled, much to his amusement. he’d pull them away if they call him though, because sasuke will not willingly show himself if he’s stubborn enough.

— sasuke has this thin but durable, deer-skin bracelet that has a little emerald gem, while shikamaru has this steel chain bracelet that has a blue hue to it. ugh it’s adorable. 

— sasuke likes placing marigolds like a crown on shikamaru’s hair, placing leaves or vines because it looks good against his dark brown hair. he would place white or royal green ribbons as the hair ties, because it compliments shikamaru’s hair well. while shikamaru tucks cornflowers, or amaryllis because it looks good with sasuke’s clothing. or just weaves trailing bellflowers in his braids.

#headcanons #otp things #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #shikamaru nara #nara shikamaru #shikasasu #sasushika #fluff #shikamaru x sasuke #sasuke x shikamaru #i love them <3 #don't like it? leave #i'm not that good for flowers #but i just searched ones that look nice

[southsidestory]

The Ghosts We Make

RATING: Explicit

SHIP: SasuSaku

SUMMARY: The Sasuke she knew is gone, but this savage stranger in his place is close enough that she can forget. For a night, Sakura loses herself in his arms, and pretends that the boy she loves is still here with her.

AUTHOR’S NOTES: This is an alternate take on what could have happened after Sakura offered to join Sasuke at the Samurai Bridge. To be 100% honest, I mostly wanted to write some enemy SasuSaku smut. If that sounds like something you'd enjoy, please read on! 

Oneshot. Complete.

Read on FFN or AO3

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This isn’t the Sasuke that Sakura once knew. That boy, the one she loves, is dead. And in his place stands a man far beyond salvation. A stranger in Sasuke’s skin, corrupted by the vengeance he sacrificed everything for. Including her.

On the Samurai Bridge, she made him an offer, one she didn’t expect him to accept. He did, though, and now Sakura walks by his side. Only a few scant inches separate them; that and the betrayal she intends. Because allowing him to live is an insult to the boy he once was, kind and protective beneath that cold facade. The facade has finally fallen away, but the heart beneath it is long gone.

“Here,” Sasuke says, pointing towards the small village hovering on the horizon. “We’ll stay the night.”

So he won’t take her to his hideout yet, wherever that is. Doesn’t trust her enough, she supposes.

Well, he always has had good instincts.

“All right,” Sakura says. “That’s fine by me. I’m tired.”

It’s been a long day, a long week. A long four years without him. She wonders how long the rest of her life will feel, once he’s not in it. Endless, probably. Either that, or she’ll fail, and the rest of her life will be very, very short.

The village can barely be called such, and there’s only one inn. A traditional looking establishment with a tiny, grey-haired woman behind the front desk. She narrows her eyes at them, and Sakura supposes they must be quite a sight: travel worn, obviously shinobi, Sasuke’s left cheek streaked with dried blood, like rust-red tears. For a moment, Sakura thinks the old woman is going to kick them out, but she accepts their ryo without complaint and hands over the key to a third floor room—just one room, with one bed, which Sasuke asked for.

She should be thankful. Sharing the same bed will make this—simpler. (Not easier. Nothing will make it easier.) It's hard to feel thankful, though, because she can't stop wondering what Sasuke wants with her. She's a medic, the perfect replacement for that poor girl he left to die, but there are plenty of medics in the world, if few of her caliber. Why allow her to join him when he has to be suspicious of her motives?

The answer may be as obvious as it is base, and found between the sheets of the one bed he requested.

No sooner than the door has closed behind them, he says, "I know you're trying to trick me."

Sakura swallows. "I've missed you, Sasuke. So much. I just want to be with you."

She's never told a lie with so much truth in it before.

Sasuke's jaw relaxes a fraction, but his eyes are all wrong. No warmth, no hidden softness—and on a purely clinical level, he seems unwell. His left eye has been bleeding, and both are clearly strained.

"Let me heal you," Sakura says.

Which is stupid. A weakened Sasuke with dulled vision is a Sasuke she might have a chance of killing.

He dismisses her with an abrupt wave of his hand. "I'm fine. Danzou was no match for me."

Whether or not that’s true, he looks sick, but Sakura lets it go.

Their rented room is clean enough, if plain, but the bed is small.

Sasuke catches her looking, and his lips turn up at the corners. "Nervous?" he asks, a cruel edge to the question.

He's playing with me. Like a cat with a mouse. Batting her one way and another before striking the killing blow.

"Why would I be nervous?" Sakura asks.

He walks over to her, so close that she can smell him. Exertion, fresh air, the smoky scent of some fire jutsu. And blood. Sasuke wraps his hand around her throat, the gesture gentle and ominous at once. A threat, but a tender one.

"Why do you think I asked for only one bed?" he whispers.

"To save money," Sakura says flippantly.

His hand tightens, and she can feel his thumb pressing into her pulse point. It should terrify her, but it isn't fear that's making her tremble.

"You used to be bolder than this with me," he says. "You told me you loved me so much you couldn't stand it."

That night… it all comes back to that, doesn't it? The night he left.

Sasuke bends down, until he's only a few inches away, and asks, "Can you stand it now?"

She swallows, feels her throat flex against his hand, which loosens and then quickly works to unfasten her cloak. It falls from her shoulders, leaving her in her combat gear, which suddenly feels immodest.

The way Sasuke is looking at her—it's not right. He seems unbalanced, that cool calm he always exudes utterly shattered. More than that, he seems shattered. There's a manic glint to his weakened, dark eyes. Anger and energy ready to burst free at any moment. She's a fool to come here, to risk this. Sasuke has always been dangerous, but right now he's wild. There's no telling what he might do.

So it really shouldn't shock her when he kisses her, but it does. Nothing has ever shocked her more in her entire life than his lips pressing against hers. Not at all like she imagined her first kiss, because this is rough and demanding. He bites her lower lip, and it hurts just enough to make her gasp. Then he's kissing her more deeply, and Sakura can't care whether this is a good idea or not, whether he loves her or hates her. All that matters is this kiss, and she throws herself into it, wraps her arms around his neck and gives in.

When he finally breaks away, his breathing is as ragged as her own. "You didn't answer my question, Sakura. Can you stand it now?"

What a hateful way to ask, Do you still love me?

Sakura steps backward, but that new distance does nothing to diminish the heat and want that charges the air between them.

"No," she admits. "I can't."

That must be the answer he hoped for, because she's suddenly in his arms again, and he's kissing her throat. Nipping, licking, sucking in a way that's sure to mark, and she lets him do it. Because soon that's all she'll have left of him—

Sasuke jerks at the zipper on her shirt, yanking it down. Her nipples harden just from that, which he must see through her bra.

"Did you think about me?" Sakura asks.

His answer will either hurt her or make this harder, but she can't take it back.

He stills, his hands grasping her sides, fingers on her ribcage, just below her breasts. "I tried not to," he says, and for one fleeting moment he sounds like her Sasuke again.

Maybe she doesn't have to do this. Maybe he isn't beyond salvaging—

Then he says, his voice harder, "It doesn't matter now."

"If it doesn't matter, why did you bring me here?" Sakura asks.

"Why did you come?" he snaps.

It's the cheap way out, answering her question with a question, and he doesn't even give her a chance to respond. Just kisses her again, hard and unyielding, like this is a fight instead of an embrace. Perhaps in a twisted way it is.

He manhandles her onto the bed, then his lap, his hands buried in her hair. There's a desperate edge to his kisses now, and Sakura knows hers are just as needy. Because this is it, her best chance, and it seems horribly wrong that it will happen this way. That she'll lose the boy she loves at the moment when she finally gets to have him.

Now, now. She has to do it now.

Sakura pulls a poison-edged kunai from her pouch, and she has a split second to stab him before he notices—

But she freezes. The deadly point of the kunai is pressed against his stomach, not quite close enough to prick, and she can't muster the force to carry out the deed. Her chance slips away like sand spilling through open fingers. He'll kill her now.

Sasuke grabs her wrist and squeezes so hard that she drops the kunai. He snatches it up, throws it away, and flips her onto her back, arms pinned over her head. His expression is vicious and furious, but worse than that, hurt.

"So much for love," he says, and he sounds choked. "I should kill you."

Sakura bites her quivering lip. She's shaking out of shame, not fear. Because she failed; because she attempted this in the first place.

"Go ahead," she says. "I'm ready."

And she is. Because a world without Sasuke is not one she'll ever find fulfillment in anyway. Her heart has been tied to his for what feels like forever, strung together by an invisible thread, and he's so far gone. It’s just a matter of time until she follows him. She closes her eyes, waiting. For a kunai to slit her throat, for his capable hands to break her neck. Surely he'll at least make it quick.

He releases her, and when Sakura looks up, she finds him frowning down at her. Still angry, still wounded, but saner.

"Either get out or take off your clothes," he says. "No weapons anywhere near you. No tricks."

Sakura sucks in a sharp breath. "You—you still want me?"

He glances away. "I want a willing girl. Are you willing, or was that a ploy to get close to me?"

"Both," Sakura says. The least she can give him now is that truth. "You're more handsome than ever. I'm sure you could find plenty of willing girls."

"None like you," he says. The words are ground out of him, like he's angry at himself for admitting it.

None like her. He has no idea what that does to her. To be wanted, finally wanted by him.

Get out, or take off her clothes, he said. She finishes what he started, and undresses.

.

.

Back at the academy, before she knew anything about loss or passion, she sometimes daydreamed about making love to Sasuke. In the vague and distant way that a twelve-year-old girl could conceptualize, mostly focused on having done it rather than the particulars. Later, once they were genin together, those daydreams turned both baser and more emotional. She imagined getting married someday, and the night that would follow, in more detail than she should have. In the time since he left, she has tried not to indulge in such fantasies. They only make her yearn more. But that doesn't stop the dreams, which only grow more heated with every passing year. Dreams in which a shadow Sasuke is on top of her and inside her, leaving her flushed and wet when she wakes.

She's fantasized about making love to him a thousand times, but she never imagined anything like this. A rough fuck in a rented bed, with her face pressed into the pillows while he pins her down with his strong body. She can't look at him in this position, but she can feel him. Rocking in and out of her, using her, driving her pleasure higher and higher with every thrust. It hurts so sweetly that she can hardly bear it. It's not supposed to be like this, and Sakura doesn't know what's worse: how little care he's putting into their fucking, or how much she's enjoying it anyway. She can't help but moan and arch her back, giving as much as she can with him holding her down this way.

Sasuke grasps her chin, turns her head to the side, and presses a messy, lopsided kiss to her open mouth. He swallows her whimpers and somehow takes her harder. She's not going to come this way, not without more careful attention, but she doesn't give a damn. Nothing could be better than this, even if it's ruining her. The Sasuke she knew is gone, but this savage stranger in his place is close enough that she can forget for a moment.

She can tell he's close from the sounds he's making, rougher and needier, and then he gasps—

"Sakura."

Her name, he said her name, and that's so much better than a climax could ever be.

She thinks, anyway. Then he pulls out of her, flips her over, and starts caressing her between her legs. It's clumsy, too much pressure in the wrong places, but then he finds the right spot and Sakura cries out. She's so wound up already that the slightest touch feels electric, the pleasure coiling tight so quickly that it doesn't matter that he's clearly never done this before. It's Sasuke touching her, taking the time to get her off even though he's already gotten his, and that's enough to push her right to the edge—and over it.

Sakura rocks up against his fingers, her back arched and legs painfully taut as bliss washes over her in luxurious pulses. He doesn't stop until after she falls to the bed, breathing hard in a way that’s almost like sobbing. Then it is sobbing, because something so wrong has no right to feel so good, but even pleasure this profound can't fix them.

"Come home," Sakura says. "Just come home, and we'll figure out the rest—"

He clamps a hand over her mouth, smothering her plea. "Konoha isn't my home anymore. And it's not the place you think it is. Everyone's hands are bloody, they're all guilty, every one of them—"

Sasuke jerks away from her and pulls at his hair. He seems broken, half mad, and Sakura tries to soothe him. She touches his hands, gently pries them away from his head, and whispers nonsense: “It's all right” and “You're safe.”

And, "I love you."

He looks at her then, frowning. "You tried to kill me."

"I thought it would be merciful. I'm sorry, I—I was wrong."

"No, you were right."

He lets out a feral, startling burst of laughter without one bit of humor in it. He looks crazy, less like himself than ever, and Sakura hates it.

"Stop that!" she shouts.

He does, abruptly, and says, "The only reason I'll ever return to Konoha is to destroy it.”

No. No.

Sakura grasps his beautiful face between her hands. "You don't have to go this way."

"Maybe not, but I want to."

That mad laughter is gone, but she would almost take it back over the deadness in his eyes and voice.

"Did you ever love me?" Sakura asks.

It's a selfish question, but she needs to know. The curiosity has been eating her alive for years.

He softens when he says, "I did. But not anymore. I can't love anything anymore."

That's the last thing she hears before his sharingan awakens. In another moment she's lost, dragged into blank, black unconsciousness.

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Sasuke must have put the covers over her and tucked them around her snugly, because that's how Sakura wakes up the next morning. Sunlight peeking around curtains, surrounded by warmth, the ache of latent pleasure between her legs. It takes a moment for the world to right itself around her, and when it does, she feels strangely at peace. After such a tumultuous night, she has no right to be so calm, but she is.

Sasuke said he can't love anything anymore, but she doesn't believe him. Because there was something in his eyes when he told her that, a hesitation. A lack of confidence in his own words, the kind that means he's lying to himself.

He's not gone, not truly. And as Sakura lies on her side, savoring every scratch and bruise from their brutal lovemaking, she makes a promise to herself: that she'll never give up on Uchiha Sasuke again, and she'll do whatever it takes to bring him home.

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AUTHOR’S NOTES: I hope you enjoyed this angsty, smutty little oneshot. I certainly had fun writing it. ;) I know this fic ends a little abruptly, but I really need to focus on The Valley of the End and didn't want to let this expand into another multi-chapter WIP. The title for this fic comes from Laurie Halse Anderson’s novel Wintergirls: “In one aspect, yes, I believe in ghosts, but we create them. We haunt ourselves.”

If you have a minute, please let me know what you thought!

#sasusaku #ssfanfiction #sasusaku fanfiction #ss fanfiction #sasusaku fic #my fanfiction #the ghosts we make #oneshot

[365daysofsasuhina]

[ 365 Days of SasuHina || Day One Hundred Ninety-One: The Patent Office ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata, Uchiha Itachi ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Best Years of Your Life ] [ AO3 Link ]

A few days after arriving back in his hometown, Sasuke decides to finally ask Hinata if she’s ready for him to come work.

After bumping into her completely by accident, and then arranging some volunteer help with her new flower shop business, Sasuke’s finally ready to speak to her again. He’d been so taken aback by just so happening to run into her, he’s admittedly put it off for a bit. After all...it’s not every day you come face to face with your high school crush.

A crush he...really isn’t over, apparently. Seems his time traveling the world and learning photography didn’t fully bury the feelings. Because they popped back up like spring daisies the moment they locked eyes again.

He still feels a little bad...he sort of dropped all forms of communication with his old classmates post high school. True, he hadn’t had many true friends...and he and Hinata weren’t exactly best buddies. And it’s not like she’s the only one he hasn’t spoken to in ages. But the general feeling of being a distant jerk remains. After so long with such poor luck with “dating” (he never did have a girlfriend in high school...she was the only one he ever had a crush on, and her sights were always elsewhere), he thought traveling might help him forget, or at least find something new.

But instead he developed a new passion, and it let him shift his focus for a while. A silly high school crush, after all, isn’t anything to cry over once you graduate. Especially since he hadn’t even worked up the guts to admit anything…

And even now, he’s not sure what to do about it. They haven’t spoken in years, and even in school that was rare. The stupid love square they were in meant everyone was preoccupid by the wrong person. Didn’t help her own object of affection got married almost immediately after high school. Sasuke had gotten roped into being the best man, but she hadn’t been there.

...not that he blamed her.

So now, here they are: two practically strangers thrown together after so long. With Sasuke partnering with his brother for several projects, he’s back in town for about a month. And he, running his big mouth, offered to help her with her newest pride and joy: a little flower shop just a few blocks from his brother’s place.

Funny how that worked out…

Breaking from his thoughts, Sasuke takes out his mobile and sends her a short text.

Need any help today? I’m free.

Before he can slip it back into his pocket, he can’t help a small jolt as it jumps in his hand. Huh...someone’s a quick replier.

Sure! Head down any time u want!

Huh...that was easy. Moving downstairs, he gives his brother a small wave. “Heading out for a bit.”

Itachi blinks. “...will you be back for dinner?”

“Probably - why?”

“I thought you might like to go out to eat, since we’ve not had a chance to do so yet.”

“Oh, uh...sure. Just text me when you wanna go, I’m not going far.”

“...oh?”

“Got a little part time gig down the street.”

That seems to get his brother to brighten. “...I’m glad! I’ll let you know when I’m ready, then.”

“Cool.” Giving a mock solute, Sasuke heads out and takes a quick pace down the sidewalk.

It’s funny, he grew up on the other side of town, so despite being home, not much here is familiar. Itachi insisted on remaining due to the town’s artful focus. As a musician, it’s suited him well. Hence Sasuke being ‘hired’ by the orchestra he plays with to take promotional pictures at their shows this season to sell as prints and use for posters. It’s actually a pretty sweet gig, especially since it almost means one long visit with his brother...and no rent for a month.

Hence why he can afford to volunteer a few hours at Hinata’s. Poor thing’s been running her new little business all by her lonesome. While he can appreciate the drive, he’s worried she’s working too hard. Maybe by the time he leaves, his help will convince her to hire on someone else to help reduce her workload.

At the corner before the store, he perks up. Several people linger outside, admiring the displays and heading inside to see more. She was right: she is getting good business. Makes sense: it’s that plant growing time of year.

Heading in, he finds her behind the counter, helping a small line of customers as others take to perusing her goods. While she’s bright-eyed and clearly enthused, he can see a small lag to her frame that betrays some exhaustion. Hinata doesn’t notice him at first, too involved with her clientele, so he hangs back for a bit until they find a lull.

“Hey.”

“Oh! Hey!” She gives a crooked smile. “Things are hopping!”

“I can see that. What do you need me to do?”

“Well, um…” Teeth nibble her lip in thought. “...I guess for now, you can help with inventory…? I think we’re doing okay, but if anything looks low, there should be more in the back you can grab. I’d have you help juggle customers, but…” A sheepish glance. “You...probably don’t know about the flowers, or...anything, r-right?”

“Not really, no.”

“Okay...that’s fine! Just having another pair of hands will be a b-big help!”

He starts by familiarizing himself with some of the basics, noting what looks to be running low. Thankfully he’s got a good visual memory, and it doesn’t take much to head to the back, find what looks right, and bring up more to fill the emptying shelves. Larger items like heavy pots and cement edgers for flower gardens he helps pack around. Her shop isn’t that big, and there’s a noticeable lack of carts or trolleys for carrying large or heavy loads. He might have to suggest that.

Overall, Sasuke has to admit...he doesn’t feel like he’s all that much help. Hinata, being the only expert, still has to handle all the questions, the till and the prices, and taking custom orders for bouquets to make later. But they get through the day well enough, Hinata turning off the ‘open’ sign with a weary sigh.

“Is it like that every day?”

“Nearly,” she admits, a hand at her neck. “If the w-weather is bad, it keeps people away. But nice days like this get pretty busy.”

“Sorry I couldn’t do more…”

“Oh, no no! You were a great help! I’ll admit, some of that heavier stuff is rough…”

“Any way you can get, like...carts to carry things?”

“I should, yeah…” Another sheepish glance. “I have a very long list of “‘should dos’, to be honest.”

“Like hiring some permanent help?”

“...maybe…”

Before they leave, however, Hinata drags out a pot from behind the counter, carefully tending to the plant inside it.

“...what’s that?”

“This,” Hinata explains slowly, concentration mostly on her task, “is a new breed of flower I’m trying to germinate.”

“...wait, like...a whole new species?”

“Mhm. I’d...well, I’d explain it, but…” She gives a soft giggle. “I’m...guessing you might not find it very interesting.”

“Interesting, yes. Something I can comprehend...probably not,” he easily admits. “Not really a plant person. You’d have better luck with my mother, honestly. But it...looks pretty.” A hand gestures, earning a small snort from his companion.

“Thanks...it’s supposed to be a tribute to my mother. She inspired my love of flowers, so...it’s meant to be a thank-you for that. Something that...reminds me of her. I’m hoping I can get them stable and maybe sell some. Sort of help...spread her love, and mine.”

Sasuke softens at that. “...I take it she’s...gone?”

A somber nod. “She died when I was five, a w-while after my sister was born. She had medical complications, and...only lived a few weeks after that. But before she died, she taught me about plants, and how much she loved them. She always had a big garden that would be so full of flowers, the backyard was like a rainbow...and it always smelled so sweet…”

“...well, you’ve accomplished that,” Sasuke murmurs. “I stopped when I got here because everything smelled so good. And the plants you had outside were beautiful.”

“Thanks…”

“So if you do make a new...specie, can you patent it? Or somehow mark it as your own creation?”

“Maybe! I’m not too concerned about that, though. Mostly it’s a personal project. I’m not looking to make it into something big, or worth a lot of money.”

He gives a nod.

The pair lapse into silence for a time. “So...did you want to try to sell some of your pictures here?”

“Huh?”

“The ones you took of the flowers! I thought maybe people might buy them here!”

“Well...I could try. Maybe make a few prints and have them on the counter. I think most people are here for the real thing, though.”

“Well, not everyone has a green thumb,” Hinata laughs. “And that way, they’d have the pretty blooms all year! I bet they would sell!”

“...I’ll have to give it a try.” Smiling, Sasuke then jumps as his phone buzzes. Seems Itachi’s ready to go have that dinner. “Well...I better run. Meeting my brother.”

“Okay! Next time you’re free, let me know! Maybe during a day off, I could...show you more about the products? So you’re more familiar.”

“Sounds good.” Maybe he’d be a better help that way…

Leaving her to lock up, Sasuke exits the shop only to pause as Itachi pulls up to the curb in his car. A window rolls down to show a knowing smile.

“I had a feeling this was the place,” Itachi muses.

Pouting just a hair, Sasuke hops in. “...it’s something to do.”

The elder brother doesn’t reply, still smiling as he drives them off toward dinner.

                                                       .oOo.

     OKAY, all caught back up as I should be xD      Ngl this prompt was kinda like...what? But I managed to...kinda tie it in to this piece, lol - I dunno how patenting really works, but apparently you CAN do so with new plant species, according to google! Don't worry Sasuke, I wouldn't understand it either xD (Also, this is a sequel to day 135, if you're interested!)      Anywho, it's way past bedtime for this nerd - thanks for reading!

#sasuhina #uchiha sasuke #hyūga hinata #uchiha itachi #best years of your life [ au ] #365daysofsasuhina