âIf It Canât Be Youâ
(Part 2)
Sasuke uchiha/ fem reader
Summary: What starts as boys versus girls ends with Sasuke claiming the only prize he's ever wantedâYour surrender, your lips, and your heart
The afternoon sun was warm against Sakura's skin.
Everyone had gathered beneath the shade of the large tree overlooking the training grounds, enjoying one of the rare days when no missions demanded their attention.
Naruto was in the middle of an exaggerated story, waving his arms dramatically.
"And then the guy looked at me and saidâ"
"No way," Kiba interrupted, already laughing.
"I'm serious!"
"You are absolutely making this up."
"I'm not!"
Laughter erupted around the group.
Choji nearly choked on his chips.
Even Shikamaru let out an amused sigh.
"It's troublesome... but I kind of want to hear how this ends."
Naruto grinned triumphantly before continuing his wildly embellished story, earning another chorus of laughter.
Sakura laughed too.
At least...
She pretended to.
As everyone else focused on Naruto, her eyes drifted across the circle.
To him.
Sasuke.
He wasn't smiling.
He wasn't laughing.
In fact...
She wasn't even sure he'd heard a single word Naruto had said.
His dark eyes were fixed somewhere else entirely.
Following his gaze, Sakura's own eyes landed on you.
You sat beside Hinata, quietly listening to Naruto's story with a soft smile, occasionally laughing under your breath whenever Naruto became a little too dramatic.
Completely unaware.
Or perhaps...
Pretending to be.
Sakura's chest tightened.
She looked back at Sasuke.
He hadn't looked away once.
Not once.
It wasn't the first time she'd noticed it.
It wasn't the casual observation of a teammate. It wasn't even the protective watchfulness of a friend. His dark eyes were fixed on Reader with an intensity that made Sakura's chest acheâa focused, unwavering attention that seemed to filter out the rest of the world entirely.
Sasuke's attention always seemed to find you.
It was subtle.
Most people probably wouldn't notice.
But Sakura had spent years watching Sasuke.
She noticed everything.
The way his eyes searched for you the moment you entered a room.
The way he unconsciously positioned himself where he could see you.
The way he'd grow quiet whenever you spoke, as though every word mattered.
And the way...
You never looked back at him for long.
Instead...
You'd smile politely.
Excuse yourself.
Talk to someone else.
Or find a reason to leave entirely.
Sakura had convinced herself it was nothing.
Maybe she was imagining it.
Maybe Sasuke was simply... distracted.
But now...
Watching him stare at you while the rest of the group laughed together...
Sakura watched the way Sasuke's jaw tightened when you shifted uncomfortably. She noticed how his fingers, wrapped around his own cup, flexed slightly, as if restraining himself from reaching across the table toâwhat? Brush that hair from your face? Cover your hand with his?
Stop it, Sakura told herself. Stop looking.
But she couldn't.
She knew what it looked like when Sasuke Uchiha didn't care.
And thisâthisâwas the opposite.
Naruto's story reached its climax. The table erupted in laughter. Even your lips twitched upward, a polite, fragile smile that didn't reach her eyes.
Sasuke didn't smile. He didn't laugh. He didn't even blink.
He just kept watching you.
Sakura's smile slowly faded.
Her eyes lingered on you from across the circle.
You were laughing quietly at something Hinata had whispered, your smile soft enough that most people probably wouldn't have noticed it.
But Sasuke did.
He always did.
Sakura lowered her gaze for a moment.
She's beautiful, Sakura thought, the realization landing like a physical blow. Youâve always been beautiful.
It wasn't the loud, obvious beauty of a festival fireworks display. Your attractiveness lived in subtler spacesâthe gentle curve of your neck as you tilted your head to listen to something Sai was saying, the way your lashes cast delicate shadows against your cheeks when you looked down, the soft uncertainty in your posture that made you seem approachable in a way Sakura never felt she was.
Sakura swallowed.
Even I...
...can't help thinking you're beautiful.
She watched as a breeze brushed through your hair.
You tucked a loose strand behind your ear with an absent-minded smile, still completely focused on Naruto's ridiculous story.
You had no idea.
No idea that someone was watching you with so much love in his eyes.
You never chased. You never begged. You simply sat in your quiet beauty, radiating a gentleness that Sakura could never manufacture, and Sasuke went to you like a moth to flame.
If I looked like that, Sakura thought, the thought acidic and shameful, would he look at me that way?
She knew the answer. She hated that she knew.
You were beautiful. Sakura could admit that without bitterness now, watching the soft light play across your features. You were beautiful the way moonlight was beautifulâunintentional, serene, existing fully in your own quiet radiance without needing anyone's validation.
But it wasn't your beauty that hurt.
It was Sasuke's reaction to it. The way he seemed stripped bare by your presence, all his walls dismantled, his armor discarded. Sakura had spent years trying to crack that armor. You had managed it simply by walking into a room.
Before Sakura could lose herself in those thoughts any longerâ
Naruto suddenly sprang to his feet.
"I've got an idea!"
Everyone looked up.
"What now?" Shikamaru sighed.
Naruto grinned from ear to ear.
"Let's play hide-and-seek!"
For a second...
No one said anything.
Then Kiba burst out laughing.
"Hide-and-seek?" he repeated with a smirk.
Naruto folded his arms.
"Yeah! Why not?"
Kiba chuckled, shaking his head.
"That's kind of childish, don't you think?"
"It is not!"
"It is."
Choji smiled as he reached into another bag of chips.
"I mean..."
Kiba scratched the back of his head.
"We used to play hide-and-seek all the time when we were kids."
Naruto pointed at him triumphantly.
"See!"
"...As training," Kiba corrected. "The instructors would make us hide while another team tracked us down."
Shikamaru nodded.
"It was actually good practice."
Kiba glanced around the wide training grounds.
Tall trees surrounded the clearing.
Large boulders were scattered across the field.
Bushes, hills, and winding paths stretched in every direction.
He grinned.
"Honestly..."
"This place is perfect for it."
Naruto's eyes lit up.
"I knew it!"
Kiba turned toward the quietest member of the group.
"What do you think, Sasuke?"
Everyone's attention shifted to him.
Sasuke slowly lifted his gaze.
He glanced around the training field once before answering.
"...It's a good place for the game."
Naruto pumped his fist into the air.
"Yes!"
He clapped his hands together excitedly.
"Let's make it interesting."
He looked between everyone gathered there before a mischievous grin spread across his face.
"Boys versus girls."
Kiba immediately smirked.
"Oh?"
Choji nodded.
"That actually sounds fun."
Shikamaru let out a long sigh.
"...Troublesome."
The table erupted into chaotic planningâstrategies being formed, rules being argued, Naruto and Kiba already trash-talking each other about who would be found first. Sakura watched it all happen around her like she was underwater, sounds muffled, movements slowed.
But Sakura kept her eyes on you, watching the way you finally, reluctantly lifted your gazeâand found Sasuke already waiting for you, his dark eyes holding promises that had nothing to do with the game and everything to do with the chase.
////////////////////////////////////
The afternoon sun beat warm against your neck, and somewhere behind you, you could hear the boys dispersing, counting to sixty with Naruto's voice carrying loudest of all.
You ducked behind a thick oak tree, pressing your back against the rough bark, and tried to slow your breathing. The field stretched out before youâgolden grass swaying, shadows pooling beneath scattered trees, the distant hum of insects in the warm air. Ino had grabbed your wrist before splitting off, whispering something about meeting at the eastern ridge if you could make it, but you'd shaken her off, needing to be alone, needing to put as much distance as possible between yourself andâ
"âhear her," a voice drifted through the grass, too close. Kiba. You recognized the lazy confidence in his tone, the way Akamaru's claws scratched against earth. "This way. Definitely caught a scent."
Your blood turned to ice.
Footsteps crunched nearby.
"y/n?" Naruto's voice, calling out with that particular brand of optimistic loudness that somehow managed to be endearing and terrifying when you were hiding. "C'mon, we know you're out here! Might as well give up!"
You didn't move. Didn't breathe.
More footsteps, closer now. Multiple sets. You could hear them spreading out, combing through the grass, their voices carrying in the still afternoon air.
You squeezed your eyes shut, willing your heartbeat to slow, to quiet, to become nothing. If they found you now, you'd have to run, have to expose yourself, have to face the others with your face flushed and your composure shatteredâ
You turned your head slightly, preparing to peek around the trunk and assess your escape route.
And froze.
Sasuke stood ten feet away, partially concealed by the neighboring tree, his body angled perfectly to remain invisible from the searchers' approach. His arms were crossed loosely over his chest, his posture relaxed in a way that spoke of absolute confidence. And his eyesâhis dark, dark eyesâwere fixed on you with an expression you could only describe as smug.
He'd found you.
Of course he'd found you. Probably within the first minute of the game beginning. You were never really hiding from himâyou were simply delaying the inevitable.
You stared at him, panic rising in your throat. If you moved, if you made a sound, the others would hear. If you stayed, you were trapped in this pocket of silence with him, with that look on his face that said he knew exactly how cornered you were.
"Anything?" Naruto's voice, impossibly close now. You could hear grass rustling just beyond your tree.
You didn't move. Didn't dare to breathe.
Sasuke's gaze never left yours. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted one hand and pressed a single finger against his lips.
Shh.
The gesture was intimate. Commanding. A shared secret pressed into the space between you.
You understood immediately. He wouldn't give you away. Not yet. This momentâthis stolen, dangerous momentâbelonged only to him, and he was hoarding it like a dragon guarding treasure.
His lips curved slightly, that smug expression deepening into something almost predatory, almost hungry. He wasn't looking at you like you were a teammate to be found in a game. He was looking at you like he'd caught something precious, something that had been running from him for months, and he had no intention of letting go.
The footsteps passed. Naruto's voice faded eastward, still calling your name with cheerful persistence.
But you didn't move.
You stayed frozen against your tree, trapped in Sasuke's gaze, your heart pounding so hard you were certain he could hear it across the distance.
Your hands trembled against the bark. The others were still close enough to return, still hunting, still calling. But here, in this pocket of silence, it was just you and him and the unspoken understanding that he had you exactly where he wanted you.
Cornered.
His.
Sasuke's eyes darkened, satisfaction flickering across his features. He lowered his finger from his lips, but the command remained etched in his expression.
Stay quiet. Stay still. Stay with me.
And god help you, you did.
Sasuke pushed off from his tree with a fluid, silent motion. He didn't look back to see if you would followâhe simply raised one hand, a brief beckoning gesture, and started walking deeper into the field where the grass grew taller and the trees clustered thicker, away from the voices and the game and the prying eyes of your friends.
You stood frozen for three full heartbeats, every instinct screaming at you to run in the opposite direction, to call out to Naruto, to escape while you still could.
Your feet moved forward.
You followed him through the swaying grass, keeping enough distance that you could pretend you weren't really together, that this was coincidence, happenstance, anything but the deliberate choice your body kept making. The sounds of the search faded behind you, muffled by distance and the wind rustling through the leaves.
"How did you find me?" The question slipped out before you could stop it, your voice barely above a whisper. "So quickly."
Sasuke stopped walking. He turned to face you, and the afternoon light caught in his dark hair, in the sharp angles of his face. He looked at you with an expression that made your chest tightenâsomething fierce and certain and terrifyingly tender.
"I'll always find you," he said simply.
The words landed between you like a vow.
You looked away, unable to hold his gaze, and continued walking. Your hands twisted together at your stomach, nerves sparking electric beneath your skin. You needed to leave. Needed to manufacture some excuseâI should find Ino, the game is still on, someone will notice we're both missingâanything to break this spell before it swallowed you whole.
You opened your mouthâ
"Over there." Sasuke's voice cut through your forming words. He was pointing ahead, toward a break in the trees where afternoon sunlight spilled onto weathered stone.
A fountain.
It was old, probably older than the village itself, water spilling from a cracked basin into a pool below. Moss grew thick on the northern side, and wildflowers clustered at its baseâpurple and white, bending toward the water's edge.
You stopped walking.
"I remember," Sasuke said quietly, moving to stand beside you. Not touching. Never touching unless you allowed it. But close enough that you could feel the warmth radiating from his arm, close enough to smell the faint scent of grass and training sweat and something uniquely him. "A few months ago. You were here with Ino, Tenten, Hinata.
The memory surfaced unbiddenâyounger, lighter, splashing water at Ino while she shrieked with laughter, your hair loose and wet, your feet bare against the warm stone.
"You didn't know I was watching," Sasuke continued, his voice dropping lower, rougher. "You were standing in the water up to your ankles, and the sun was setting behind you, and you were laughing at something Ino said. Your hair was falling out of its tie. You had a flower behind your earâwhite, I don't know what kind."
He turned to look at you, and his expression shattered something inside your chestâstripped bare, vulnerable, the mask completely gone.
"I hadn't seen anyone or anything so beautiful in my life," he said. "Not before. Not since."
The fountain's water spilled endlessly into the pool below, the sound filling the silence between you. You couldn't breathe. Couldn't think. The field, the game, your friends, your guilt, your resolveâeverything narrowed to this boy standing beside you, offering you pieces of his heart with the same precision he used to throw kunai.
You looked down, a small, genuine smile breaking across your face despite everything. "I didn't just stand there," you said quietly, your voice carrying a warmth you hadn't intended. "I slipped on a mossy stone and fell completely into the water. Drenched from head to toe."
You could feel his eyes on you as you slowly walked toward the fountain, your footsteps soft against the grass. The water's surface rippled gently, disturbed by the continuous flow from above, and you stared at your own reflectionâdistorted, wavering, somehow more honest than the face you showed the world.
"Ino laughed for an hour," you continued, your voice barely above a whisper. "I had to walk back to the village squelching."
Behind you, Sasuke moved. You didn't turn to look, but you felt his presence drawing closer, the space between you shrinking with each silent step. Your reflection in the water showed him approaching, his dark form growing larger, more solid, more there.
Then you felt itâa gentle tug at the back of your head, the light pressure of fingers threading through your hair. You froze, your breath catching in your throat.
He lifted a strand of your hair to his face.
You couldn't see it happening, but you feltitâthe intimacy of the gesture burning through you like wildfire. The slight inhale of breath as he smelled your hairâshampoo and wind and something uniquely you. The way his fingers lingered against the nape of your neck, brushing the sensitive skin there with devastating gentleness.
You turned around.
He was closer than you expectedâso close you had to tilt your head back to see his face, so close you could count his eyelashes, so close you could see the way his pupils dilated as he looked down at you. The strand of your hair was still wrapped around his finger, connecting you like a tether.
"Waitâ" you gasped, arms pinwheeling, balance failing.
You fell backward.
Your back hit the water with a tremendous splash, cold shocking your system, your cry of surprise cut short as water filled your mouth. But you weren't aloneâSasuke, caught off guard by your flailing grip on his shirt, lost his own footing and tumbled forward with you.
He crashed into the fountain beside you, water erupting upward in a chaotic spray, drenching you both completely.
Water streamed down your face, plastered your hair to your neck, soaked through your clothes until they clung heavy and revealing against your skin. The shock of the cold faded rapidly, replaced by something far more dangerousâthe heat of Sasuke's gaze fixed on you, unwavering, hungry.
"We shouldâ" Your voice came out breathless, shaking. You pushed against the fountain's stone floor, trying to rise, to escape, to put distance between yourself and this moment before it consumed you both. "Someone mightâif they find us like thisâ"
"Let them."
The words cut through your panic like a blade.
Sasuke moved before you could fully stand
He surged forward in the water, closing the distance you'd tried to create, until his knees bracketed yours and you had nowhere left to retreat.
"Let them find us," he repeated, his voice low and fierce
"Sasukeâ" You tried to pull back, but he followed, matching your movement inch for inch. Your back hit the curved stone wall of the fountain. Trapped.
Sasuke didn't stop.
He placed one hand against the stone beside your head, caging you in, his face inches from yours, water dripping from his hair onto your shoulder, your cheek, your lips. You pressed back harder against the stone, your breath coming in short, desperate gasps, your hands finding the fountain's edge behind you as if you could somehow push through it to escape. But there was nowhere to go. He was everywhereâhis warmth searing through your wet clothes, his breath mingling with yours, his love a physical weight pressing down on you until you couldn't breathe, couldn't think, couldn't remember why you were supposed to say no.
"Tell me to stop," he challenged, his voice cracking with emotion, with desperation, with the same wild recklessness that had driven him to propose, to chase you, to kneel in this fountain and offer you everything. "Tell me to stop and I will. I'll let you run. I'll let you hide. I'll spend the rest of my life pretending I don't feel this if that's what you needâ"
He leaned closer still, until his forehead nearly touched yours, until his lips hovered so close you could feel the vibration of his words against your own.
His hand left the stone to cup your cheek, his thumb brushing away tears you hadn't realized you were crying. "âlet me love you. Let me have you. Even if it's just here. Even if it's just now. Even if you walk away after and never speak to me againâ"
His voice broke completely.
"âjust let me show you," he whispered against your lips, the words a confession and a plea and a promise all tangled together. "Let me show you what you do to me. What you've always done. What you'll always do."
Sasuke moved with agonizing slowness, giving you every opportunity to turn away, to push him back, to say no. But you didn't. You couldn't. Your hands stayed fisted in his wet shirt, trembling, anchoring you to him as the world narrowed to the space between your mouth and his.
He paused a breath away, his dark eyes searching yours one final timeâasking, begging for permission.
You didn't move.
He closed the distance.
The first kiss was barely thereâa whisper of pressure, soft and tentative, his lips brushing yours like he was afraid you might shatter. The taste of himâwater and want and something infinitely warmâmade your knees weak. Your breath hitched, caught in your throat, and your eyes fluttered shut of their own accord, surrendering to the sensation, to him.
Sasuke made a sound against your mouthâsomething broken, relieved, desperateâand then he kissed you again.
This time there was nothing tentative about it.
His hand slid from your cheek to cradle the back of your head, fingers threading through your wet hair, tilting your face to give him better access. He kissed you like he'd been starving for years and you were the only sustenance, deep and hungry and consuming, his tongue tracing the seam of your lips until you opened for him with a whimper you couldn't suppress.
The world dissolved. The fountain, the water, the possibility of discoveryâall of it faded beneath the onslaught of sensation, of Sasuke Uchiha kissing you with a single-minded devotion that shattered every wall you'd built.
He pulled back only to trail his mouth down your jaw, your throat, his teeth grazing the sensitive skin of your neck with a possessiveness that made you arch against him. You gasped his nameâ"Sasuke"âand he groaned in response, the vibration traveling through your chest where he pressed against you.
Then his hands were at your waist, lifting, and you were too lost to protest, too far gone to remember why you should. He picked you up easily, your legs wrapping instinctively around his hips, and he stepped out of the fountain with you in his arms, water streaming from both of you onto the grass below.
"Mine" he breathed against your lips, and you didn't deny it.













