Naruto Fan Fiction / InuYasha Fan Fiction ❯ More Than Anything ❯ The Ultimate Plan ( Chapter 18 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

By: KibaSin

Chapter Sixteen: The Ultimate Plan

“Look, look!” a girl squealed in excitement. “I've risen three slots since the last time Iruka-sensei sent out the ranking scores! I'm above Reina, now!”

“Like that's going to help you,” Mayu snorted.

“What do you mean, Mayu?” the girl asked in anger.

“She's trying to tell you that you'll never become the Kunoichi of the Year, which means that you'll never be able to stand beside your precious little Sasuke-kun.” The Hyuuga Neji Fan Club member, Mizuki, flipped her hair over her shoulder, as she cast a smug glance in the other kunoichi-in-training's direction.

The girl stiffened, narrowing her purple eyes on Mizuki. “I have as much of a chance as everyone else, Mizuki! You're just jealous because you know you'll never be able to catch Hyuuga Neji's eye as long as you stay in the rank you're in!”

Huffing, Mizuki stated, “I don't know what you're talking about. I don't need to be the Kunoichi of the Year in order to make Neji-sama notice me.”

“That's right,” another Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club member spoke up. “You don't need to try at all, Mizuki, because we all know that no matter how much you try, your precious Neji-sama will only have eyes for Higurashi Kagome.”

“No,” Mizuki growled. They were just jealous. They all knew that Uchiha Sasuke was beginning to show interest in Higurashi Kagome, and they wanted to make it seem like, one day, she would suddenly return Neji's affection. Well, she would not! She would return Uchiha Sasuke's and then the world would fall into place! “I'm just not putting myself up for disappoint, since we all know that Leiko will end up being the Kunoichi of the Year.”

“Leiko's not even—”

“You're all wrong!” Naruto spoke up, grinning from ear to ear.

“Oh? And, tell us, how do you know, Uzumaki Naruto?” Asuka rolled her eyes. That boy really needed to shut up.

“Because—” Naruto was pushed away as he tried to wrap his arm around his best friend's shoulder, “—Kagome here is going to beat all of you!”

The once quiet classroom burst into laughter, as the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club tried to quell their anger by laughing it away. There was just no way Higurashi Kagome was going to beat them in the race to gain Uchiha Sasuke's heart! Not when they knew about her devious little plan!

“As if,” Sakura snorted.

“W-what?!” Naruto growled. “Kagome'll—!”

“Quiet down, Naruto.” Kagome waved her hand to silent him. He might want to be the center of attention, but she did not. Especially when her mother had practically stripped her of all oden eating privileges and made her practice, practice, practice because of him.

“But, Kagome, you—”

A single glare shut him up quick enough for Kagome's taste.

“Don't try to act all cool, Higurashi—” the rest of the class seemed to realize that the Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club had converted to using Kagome's surname only, as Sakura growled, “—We both know that you'll never manage to climb up the rank fast enough to dig yourself out of the last position.”

“A-actually, Sakura, K-Kagome is—” Hinata nearly jumped out of her seat, as Sakura turned to glare harshly at her. She was not quite sure what she had done, but she fiddled with her fingers a little more in an attempt to draw attention away from herself.

“Hey!” Kiba growled. “Don't look at Hinata that way, Sakura! She didn't do anything wrong!”

“Well—” the class also noticed that Sakura seemed to have gained quite a bit of confidence in the last few days, “—if she would keep her nose out of other people's business, maybe I wouldn't have to!”

Wanting to defend her friend, Hinata spoke up a second time. “I-I only wanted to t-tell you that Kagome is in a r-rank above my own, Sakura.”

“What?!” Sakura cried.

“What's the matter, Sakura?” Ino smirked. “Is something wrong?”

“N-nothing's wrong!” Sakura hissed. “Ino-pig!”

“Quiet down!” Iruka hollered.

Noticing the distraction, Naruto quickly kicked the desk in front of him to gain Uchiha Sasuke's attention. The other boy turned to glare at him, clearly not appreciating his method of genius, and Naruto scowled when Sasuke quickly returned to staring at the chalkboard afterward.

Sakura bit her lip, saying, “I mean, of course there's nothing wrong. Hinata's ranked so far beneath me that—!”

“Hinata's ranked in the slot above my own, Sakura.” Ino smirked, wondering how her old rival would be able to respond to that. “As of now, that is.”

“Well, Ino-pig, I didn't drop—”

“I didn't drop in rank, Sakura,” Ino growled.

“W-well,” Sakura stuttered. She did not know what else to say. Her mother had not allowed her to see the Academy ranking when it arrived.

“Come on, Kagome!” Naruto whined. “Tell them!”

“Tell them what?” she snorted. “My mother didn't let me see the stupid letter when it came. She was more concerned with making me train because of you, you idiot.”

“Are you still mad about that?!” Naruto gasped.

“It was yesterday!” she snapped. “Of course I'm still angry!”

“Oh, come on!” Naruto pouted, hoping she would stop glaring at him. “Iruka-sensei noticed my progress, so he had to have noticed that you've been mastering a new lightning technique every other week!”

“It's not every other—” Kagome's eyebrow twitched when she was not able to finish.

“Lightning?!” Sakura laughed. “A genin doesn't have nearly enough chakra to produce a proper lightning technique, Naruto! You probably just think Higurashi's so great because you know—!”

“Who are you to say a genin can't produce a lightning technique?”

Sakura's eyes snapped immediately to Sasuke, while her mouth fell open in surprise. The Uchiha was not even looking at her, but his deliciously dark look caused her face to flush and her hands to shake. “W-well, I mean, it's not like a genin usually trains as often as you, Sasuke-kun,” she giggled. “You're an exception to the rule. I mean, you could probably—”

“Shut up. I've seen—” he was lying, “—Kagome perform a lightning technique her grandfather taught her, and it is as good, if not better—” completely and utterly lying, “—than my clan's fire technique.”

“S-Sasuke-kun,” Sakura gasped. “You can't mean that!”

“Eh? Sasuke, you haven—”

“Yeah!” Naruto's voice drowned out Kagome easily. “Sasuke-teme wanted to scope out the competition—me, obviously!—and I caught him red handed after Kagome performed her awesome electrification technique!”

Blinking, Kagome said, “Naruto, you didn—!”

“More like you ran into me, dobe,” Sasuke growled.

“Wai—”

“Like hell I did, Sasuke-teme!” Naruto spat.

“Will you two let me—?”

“It's your word against mine, dobe.” Sasuke made sure to draw out the last word to prolong the Uzumaki's suffering. He more than deserved it after forcing him to speak with Itachi.

“Naruto!” Kagome shrieked, as Naruto went to reply.

Instinct controlling him, Naruto screamed when Kagome grabbed him by the ear and began to pull. “Hey, hey, hey!” he yelped. “Let me go!”

“Higurashi Kagome, I will only say this—!” Iruka exploded.

“Not now, Iruka-sensei—!” Iruka was so surprised that he paused in step, “—This idiot isn't letting me speak and, damn it, I'm going to speak! I have performed three high level techniques that my grandfather taught me here at the Academy. You've all seen it! But never, never, has Uchiha Sasuke come across me—”

“Why are you trying to deny it, Kagome?!” Naruto gasped. Then, despite the pain in his ear, he wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. “I thought you liked it when Sasuke-teme, you know, watched you.”

The Uchiha Sasuke Fan Club gasped as a collective unit.

“Agh!” Kagome turned red in the face, as her memory mocked her with the fact that she thought Uchiha Sasuke was quite handsome. “I'm going to kill you, Uzumaki Nar-u-to!”

Kicking to gain his freedom, Naruto was a little surprised when his ear slid from Kagome's hold. However, he was given only a moment to smile before his mind kicked into gear and he scrambled to remove himself from the classroom. “Holy shit!” he yelled. “Kagome, I didn't mean—!”

“Lightning Release—!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“This is all your fault!”

The Uchiha boy slowly smirked, while the blonde shinobi-in-training pointed an accusing finger in his direction. “What are you talking about, Naruto?” he asked. “I think that bandage suits you perfectly.”

His face flaming, Naruto stomped his foot repeatedly while he yelled, “If you hadn't burned my arm with your stupid fire technique, Kagome would have never got it in her head that she needed to do the same thing with her lightning technique, you ass!”

“I don't see how this is my fault,” Sasuke said.

“She's trying to impress you, you bastard!?” Naruto huffed. Was the Uchiha really so stupid that he could not see what was right in front of his face?

“I still don't see how—”

Ignoring the Uchiha's dark scowl, Naruto flapped his uninjured arm in an attempt to get his point across. “You emotionally constipated bastard!”

Taking a step forward, Sasuke purposely grabbed onto Naruto's bandaged appendage. “What did you just call me?” he hissed, making sure that he squeezed tight enough that the blonde would feel every ounce of pain he deserved.

“Ow, ow, ow!” Naruto squawked. “Let go of me, Sasuke-teme! That hurts!”

“Why?” Sasuke smirked. “You're supposed to be some great and powerful shinobi, aren't you?”

“Of course I—!” Sasuke tightened his hold. “—Ow, ow, ow!”

“Really?” The Uchiha boy huffed, adding, “That's odd, Naruto, because all I see right now is a girl that would cry over breaking her fingernail.”

“Damn it, Sasuke-teme! How many times do I have to tell you?” Naruto barely managed to yank his arm from the other boy's grasp. “I'm not a girl!”

“That bandage on your arm could have fooled me.”

His face flaming once more, Naruto wailed, “The nurse at the hospital told me that they had no other choice because a squadron of injured shinobi had needed all the other bandages! It's not my fault that the only bandages they had left were pink!”

“Hn,” Sasuke snorted. Like he was going to believe that story.

“It's not!” Naruto erupted, again.

“Whatever,” Sasuke said. “I didn't come here to listen to you complain about your injury, anyway. Do you have another plan or not?”

“Of course I have another plan!” Naruto spat. “But now, oh now, I'm not entirely certain you're good enough to have someone as awesome as me, Uzumaki Naruto, helping you gain my best friend's heart!?!”

“You made a promise, dobe,” Sasuke hissed. Now?! Now of all times, when he was so close, the idiot decides that he no longer wants to help him?! Did he have a death wish?

Sticking his nose in the air, Naruto crossed his arms the best he could. “Yeah, well—” the Uchiha glared at his arrogant tone, “—if you don't stop going on about how you think I'm a girl, when I'm clearly not, then I think I have every right in the world to break said promise.”

Uchiha Sasuke clenched his fist. If he had to, he would beat Uzumaki Naruto until he agreed to help him once more.

“What do you think of that, Sasuke-teme?” Naruto asked.

“What do I think?” Sasuke hissed.

“H-Hey!” Naruto stiffened, realizing how close the Uchiha was to attacking him. Which, in his opinion, was completely and utterly un-cool. A shinobi should never hit a man while he was injured! “If you attack me, I'll never help you!”

“What is your plan, dobe?” Sasuke growled. He was not amused. Not at all.

“Gah,” Naruto huffed. “You're so impatient, you know that?”

“Naruto.”

“Well—!” Naruto puffed out his chest a little, “—I was thinking about it today in class, Sasuke-teme, and I realized that you have managed to come a long way from our first attempt at Kagome's heart.”

“You mean the one that you ruined?” Sasuke asked.

“Yeah, that one—” Naruto stopped, realizing that he should not agree with that statement. It was not his fault that the Uchiha boy could not ask Higurashi Kagome out on a date! “Despite the fact you completely ruined that mission, Sasuke-teme, I am willing to overlook your comment for the time being.”

“Right,” Sasuke sneered. Was the other boy actually going somewhere with his little rant?

“Anyway, what I was going to say was, now is the time to strike!” Naruto grinned. “Kagome has been, like, all girly when it comes to you since you saved her from those fan girls and gave her that flower!”

“Do you have a point?” Sasuke asked.

“You need to go for the direct approach, Sasuke!” Naruto beamed. “Now! Right now!”

Sasuke nearly choked on his tongue. The blonde shinobi-in-training expected him to actually—?! After he had—?! “You want me to—”

“Yes,” Naruto's eyes gleamed.

“You're an idiot,” Sasuke scoffed. A swarm seemed to appear in his stomach, fluttering over and over again, as the thought raced through his mind. There was just no way. Absolutely, positively, no way.

“Eh, that's fine,” Naruto shrugged. Secretly, a smirk appeared on his face. “I knew you couldn't do it anyway. I mean, come on, you're practically afraid of your own shadow whenever Kagome's around.”

The Uchiha's dark gaze became chilling in an instant.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Kagome.”

“Eh?” Kagome turned quickly on her heel, blinking at the sight of the boy. She had not expected to see him in the market, but she smiled nevertheless at the sight of her friend. “Hello, Hakudoushi. Did you forget to go grocery shopping, again?”

“No.” The white haired boy shook his head. “Rin has caught a slight cough, and Kanna practically demanded I fetch her some medicine. Apparently she does not want to catch it, too.”

“Oh,” Kagome blinked. “Is Shippo complaining about it, too?”

“Of course.” Hakudoushi allowed his eyes to flicker when he recognized the familiar chakra signature that suddenly appeared. With a smirk, however, he decided that Kagome did not need to be informed about the arrival.

Shifting her footing, Kagome nodded and took a good look at Hakudoushi. Then, as his soft, lavender colored eyes bore into her, she blinked in realization. “Oh my—!” she gasped. “Hakudoushi, you are so mean!”

Appearing innocent, the genin blinked in mock surprise. He knew perfectly well what the Higurashi girl was talking about, but he could not help but ask, “What are you talking about, Kagome?”

“This isn't the way to the hospital!” she huffed.

“And—” he encouraged her.

“—you're supposed to be getting medicine for Rin!” she finished. “You said yourself that she has a cold. What if it worsens while you're away?! What if she suddenly comes down with a fever?! What if—?!”

Hakudoushi shut her up by grabbing her hand and leaning into her.

“Hakudoushi?” Kagome asked. What was he doing?

Almost sighing at the oblivious girl's reaction, Hakudoushi released her. Then, he said, “You should become a medic-nin. You'd be good at it.”

Immediately, the kunoichi-in-training sputtered with laughter. “You're only saying that because you don't like any of the other kunoichi that do want to become medic-nin! I'd be terrible at it! And, besides, you know that I want to become the greatest jounin-instructor that this village has ever seen, Hakudoushi!”

Hakudoushi nodded. He did know that.

“I couldn't imagine myself as a medic-nin, anyway,” Kagome smiled in humor.

“That doesn't mean you wouldn't be good at it. You worry enough,” Hakudoushi replied.

“Oh, that's funny!” Then, in a grand display, she mocked him by shifting into his stance, and said, “I'm the amazingly awesome Hakudoushi. I managed to become a genin before I should have, and I'm not afraid to show the fact that I absolutely hate the people the Hokage stuck me with—”

Hakudoushi narrowed his eyes, while the girl sighed.

“—But, despite all my awesomeness, I need a girl to worry about me and those I care about. I mean, I'm just so awesome that I couldn't ever imagine doing it myself.” To finish her display, Kagome flipped her hair over her shoulder and made sure to stick her nose high into the air.

“That was pitiful,” Hakudoushi snorted.

“What?” Kagome gasped. “It was perfect!”

“I wouldn't be childish enough to act as you just did,” he replied.

“That wasn't the point!” she snapped. “If I didn't worry for you, no one would! But, that doesn't mean that I need to become a medic-nin, or would even qualify for the job!”

“You're in denial,” the genin boy stated simply.

“And you're a jerk, so we're even,” she muttered.

“Tch.” Hakudoushi rolled his eyes, letting the Higurashi girl know that he did not appreciate her statement.

Recognizing the fact that the conversation was officially over, Kagome sighed. “You're no fun, Hakudoushi.” Then, she added, “Well, you haven't been since you became a genin, anyway.”

“I have responsibilities now,” he stated, “I cannot play around as I used to.”

Nodding, the Higurashi tilted her head in his direction. She asked, “So, are you actually going to go to the hospital for Rin soon?”

“Yes.” Hakudoushi found the question ridiculous, since the kunoichi-in-training knew he would retrieve Rin's medicine eventually. He was not that cruel. “Otherwise Kanna will come looking for me.”

“Right,” Kagome grinned. “We wouldn't want Kanna to turn that horrifying mirror on you, now would we?”

“If you wouldn't say that if you had had yourself stuck inside of it,” Hakudoushi hissed. As much as he appreciated Higurashi Kagome's kindness and wished she would notice him at least once, he did not appreciate the fact that she always brought that little detail up.

“Oh, come on, it was funny!” Kagome laughed. “You were trapped inside a mirror!”

“That technique is actually very dangerous, and—” Hakudoushi did not finish.

“You were trapped inside a mirror!” Kagome repeated. “And, not only that, but you didn't figure out how to get out for four hours!”

“If I remember correctly—” Hakudoushi knew he did, “—you weren't laughing then.”

“Yeah, well,” Kagome blushed, “I didn't know how to get you out either! We're lucky that Kanna managed to reverse the technique, otherwise you probably would have had your soul sucked out and your body devoured by whatever it is that resides in that thing!”

“I still don't see how you can laugh about it now,” Hakudoushi snorted.

“Because, it's funny now,” Kagome smiled. “You're not stuck in the mirror anymore, and it's hilarious to think that you, the prodigy, could be trapped by such a simple little thing. No one can touch you, yet you were completely trapped by a mirror.”

“As hilarious as this conversation is, I have somewhere that I need to be.” Hakudoushi decided it was best to end his interaction with Kagome, despite how much he enjoyed it, before the girl told his secret to the whole village. “I hope you have a pleasant day, Kagome.”

While Hakudoushi spun on his heel to leave, Kagome chuckled at his back, saying, “Oh, don't run away, Hakudoushi! I was only having a little fun!”

Her sentence did not stop the young genin from walking away, though.

Rolling her eyes, Kagome yelled, “Fine! I have dango to go buy anyway!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Come on.” Naruto used his good hand to gesture toward the market below. “Come on.”

The Uchiha boy rolled his eyes, as he stated, “Her mother said she went to buy some dango. There's no way she's left alread—”

“Come on, Sasuke-teme!” Naruto hissed. “Kagome's right there!”

Sasuke moved toward the edge of the roof quickly, and purposely bumped the blonde shinobi-in-training a bit to move him out of the way. “Where?” he asked.

“Hey, hey—!” Naruto growled, trying to protect his hurt arm. “—Don't push me, you bastard!”

“Then get out of my way, dobe,” Sasuke snorted. He did not even know why he had let the idiot tag along. It was not like he needed him to ask Higurashi Kagome on a date for him. No matter how many butterflies hatched in his abdomen, Uchiha Sasuke was positive he could force himself to ask such a simple thing by himself.

Scowling, Naruto peered over the edge of the roof.

“You look like a stalker.”

“Ha!” Naruto laughed. “Everybody knows that Kagome is my friend, so I doubt I'm the one they'll think is a stalker. Besides, I'm the master of disguise, Sasuke-teme! Nobody is gonna see me!”

Sasuke rolled his eyes. “Right, keep telling yourself that.”

“Well, all right, nobody except—” Naruto halted suddenly, “—Hakudoushi!”

Uchiha Sasuke stiffened at the name, as it instantly left a bad taste in his mouth. However, he chose to ignore the fact, as he said, “That little brat couldn't find a—”

“No!” Naruto shook his head. “No, no, no, no! Hakudoushi's down there with Kagome!”

As the other boy leaned over the edge to point down into the market area, Sasuke felt a sharp feeling rise within his chest. His dark eyes immediately found Higurashi Kagome's dark colored hair, and the feeling in his chest stabbed at him again when he realized Hakudoushi was indeed standing beside her.

“What do you think they're talking about?” Naruto wondered aloud, as Kagome seemed to raise her voice in Hakudoushi's direction. Her stance alone told him that she was outraged, but, damn it, that was not enough for the boy.

“Do I look like a—?” The Uchiha did not finish, as his eyes zeroed in one the sight of that little bastard grabbing onto Kagome's hand. Then, in a purely possessive manner, the bastard had the audacity to lean into her!?!

“Eh, Sasuke?” Naruto blinked. “Are you ok?”

The butterflies left over in his stomach twisted into something sinister, while Sasuke imagined Hakudoushi lying in a pool of his own blood. It was what he deserved, after all, for touching what rightfully belonged to him, Uchiha Sasuke!

Naruto almost stilled when a dark chuckle escaped the Uchiha's mouth. A single memory flashed through his mind—Kagome's dark eyes bore into him, lightning cloaking her body, while a dark chuckle escaped her mouth, “Nar-u-to.”—and he made sure he was at least five feet away from Sasuke after that.

There was no way he was going to chance it.

Though the moment passed, Sasuke's raging emotion was not appeased. Not even by Kagome's blatant display of mockery soon after. That little bastard actually thought he was competition. He actually thought he had a chance at capturing Higurashi Kagome's allusive heart. He actually thought he could steal what belonged to an Uchiha!

Sasuke would show him. He would easily snatch up Kagome's heart and delight in the knowledge that he was the one who held it in his hand. He would gain her love, her acceptance, and never let her go afterward.

“Ohhh,” Naruto grinned. “Hakudoushi obviously didn't take that well.”

Sasuke clenched his fist, as Hakudoushi made no move to leave. Yes, he appeared to have drawn into himself and denied whatever Kagome had said, but he was not leaving. And that fact alone did not sit well with the Uchiha.

Then, as if Hakudoushi sensed Sasuke's need, the genin walked away.

“Well—” Naruto slid back to Sasuke's side, “—what are you waiting foooor?”

Sasuke's annoyance only increased when the Uzumaki, surprisingly, ducked beneath his swing.

“What the hell?!” Naruto complained loudly.

“Shut up,” Sasuke growled. He made sure his next swing connected with his target, and smirked in satisfaction when the idiot disappeared over the edge.

“SASUKE-TEME!!”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

“Did you hear something, Fuma-san?”

“No.” The woman shook her head. “Why?”

“That's odd—” the other woman sighed, “—I was certain that I just heard someone yell.”

The Higurashi girl turned away from the conversation. She had thought she heard something, too, but she supposed that she could have been mistaken. Besides, she did not feel the need to disturb the older woman over something so minor, even if she really did want to confirm if they had both heard the same thing.

“Fuma-san?”

“Oh my—!” Fuma-san gasped, “—that's Uchiha Sasuke!”

Kagome spun on her foot, her hair lifting into the air, as she felt her face heat up at the mention of Sasuke's name. It was ridiculous, though, because there was a possibility that the woman was mistaken and—

But, no, there he stood. Uchiha Sasuke.

“Ka-go-me.”

Immediately, as the dark haired boy drew closer, Kagome shifted her gaze to the ground. It just figured, as her heart picked up in delight, that he would come upon her in the one place that she never wanted to encounter him again. Because, even if it did not bother him or he had forgotten, they were standing in the same general area where she had—! Where she had—!?

“Kagome, I wanted to know if—?”

Even though he paused in his sentence, Kagome felt her face darken at the sound of his voice. And, damn it, it was ridiculous! Every little thing about him should not send her into a flutter! Because he was just a boy and she was just a girl, and there was absolutely nothing going on between them!

“I, um—” He struggled with his swollen tongue, determined to seize the opportunity and take what belonged to him. But, damn it, the butterflies had returned full force.

“Fuma-san, do you think—?” the woman trailed off.

Once more, Kagome blocked the annoying women out. Her mind had immediately attached itself to the thought, even unfinished, wishing it to be true, and she pushed it away. Why would Sasuke want to ask something like that? Why would he ever want to ask her something like that?

Sasuke moved closer to her, hoping that the movement would lift her beautiful blue eyes up onto him. But, no matter how close he got, the Higurashi refused to look upon him. “Kagome, I really wanted to know if you would—?” and, then, he realized that his stomach had turned to knots with the proximity.

“Sasuke?” Kagome forced herself to calm down, to think rationally, as she sensed that the Uchiha wanted to ask her something important. And though her face was flaming, she shifted so she could see him from beneath her lashes.

He knew she did not mean it. That dark, seductive look was purely innocent. Yet, Sasuke felt his face redden a bit as she blinked rapidly. “Would you—” he gulped, “—I mean—” again, “—that is—” and again, “—I meant to ask—?”

“Sasuke, are you ok—?” Kagome stiffened, as the boy latched onto her hand.

“Would you, please, come with me?” he asked. He just could not ask her while so many people were watching them.

“U-um,” Kagome blinked, “I suppose—”

Uchiha Sasuke was already dragging her away from the street.

“Sasuke?” she asked. “Where are we going?”

Sasuke did not trust himself to answer. He was not even sure where he was taking her, he just knew that he needed to get away from the crowded market street. And, thankfully, he found refuge in a dimly lit alleyway.

Watching the Uchiha's back, Kagome frowned a little. It was weird that he could not ask his question in front of other people. Almost like when Naruto had jokingly asked her on a—

His hand tightened on her wrist.

Ohhh.

Kagome gasped, feeling her face turn red when she realized that she had almost let herself believe that he had wanted to—! Wanted to—! But, that was completely and utterly ridiculous because Uchiha Sasuke would never—!?

“Kagome, I wanted to know—” he said quickly.

“S-Sasuke?”

“—if you would go on a—” his traitorous tongue almost won the battle, “—a—”

“Sasuke, you're hurting me,” Kagome whispered, as his grip tightened.

Sasuke snatched his hand back immediately. He then turned toward her, reaching for her wrist once more in concern. “I'm sorry, I didn't mean to—” he started.

Allowing him to take her wrist in his hand, Kagome stuttered, “I-it's fine.”

Her tiny wrist, slightly red from his frustration, in his hand, Sasuke looked up and found himself swimming in those beautiful dark blue eyes that he loved so much. The same blue eyes that he wanted to keep only on himself, and the only way he was going to do that was by—

Unknowingly caught beneath the same spell, Kagome softly whispered, “Sasuke?”

“Kagome, would you—”

“Yes?” she asked.

“—Would you go on a date with me?”

The world seemed to crash back down around them, as Sasuke realized that he had done it. He had managed to actually—! He had—! And, now, all he had to do was wait for the glorious answer that he knew would fall from Kagome's slightly open mouth.

But, instead, all he received was a simple, “What?”

- - - -

KibaSin: Thus, with this chapter, I disappear from fanfiction for about a week because I have yet to complete my summer homework that is due in a week. But, I hope you enjoy it!

Kiba