#ssm15d2

[arounagein-art]

うちはサスケ x 春野サクラ

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Her words...

Day 2: No Filter

[Ah another look back at chapter 181! I wanted to do a redraw of this panel so that you can see the expression on Sasuke’s face. In the chapter we do not get to see how those words impact him... Ah Sasuke keeping his emotions off panel ｡ﾟ(TヮT)ﾟ｡...Please enjoy and take care!]

Characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto ©

[hermadnessmac]

SSMonth15: Day 2

Title: The Fuck is a Filter? Summary: Just when Sasuke has had it up to his ears with all Konoha’s new technologies, he      finally finds a use for it. Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto. But Kishi is doing decently well all on his own. Prompt: No Filter from day two of the SasuSakuMonth Prompts. Rating: K Words: 5,481 Date Completed: 7/6/2015 Warning(s): None Author’s Note: I love the idea of technologically challenged Sasuke. I can see him being kinda traditional and set in his ways. Plus, it’s fun to think about the impacts of such an explosive boost in technology. See if you can guess my phone model after this. OH! And enjoy a little (tiny) side of NaruHina and SaIno.

 “Dobe, if you don’t get that damn camera out of my face I’m going to kill you,” Sasuke threatened calmly from behind his scroll. The pair was grabbing lunch at Ichiraku’s and Naruto hadn’t paused his rapid fire camera flashing the whole time. He even had managed to eat his ramen with one hand—though, admittedly, they were both pretty good at only using one hand—just so he could photograph the event with his other hand.

“It’s not just a camera, Teme, it’s a phone. My camera is on a phone. It’s a camera phone.” Naruto waved his phone in Sasuke’s face, pushing around the scroll, while slurping up a rather large mouthful of noodles.

With a glare that would reduce lesser men to quivering puddles, Sasuke swatted Naruto’s new camera phone away. This emphasis was apparently important to risk death by chopstick impalement, although Sasuke wasn’t particularly sure why. He could have sworn Konoha had just gotten phones—without the magical camera component—last year. There was no way he was going to be bothered with keeping up with all the new technological advancements; they were coming too quickly to handle.

“Get with the times, Teme,” Naruto continued, abandoning his ramen and edging closer on the bar to Sasuke, “When was the last time you upgraded your phone?”

“Unlike some people, I don’t destroy my property within a week of buying it,” Sasuke retorted, rolling up his scroll. It seemed Naruto was intent on persuading Sasuke to upgrade, and these types of conversations always tended to get—heated. The last thing he needed was Sakura’s rough draft of the medical threats to the sharingan to get ramen all over it.

Naruto considered this for a second before a look of smug understanding dawned on his face, and he leaned back on his stool and crossed his arms.

“You still have the original version, don’t you?”

“Obviously.” Although he didn’t find anything to be wrong with his phone—it performed all the necessary functions—there was something about Naruto’s tone that made him feel embarrassed to own an old phone. There was an overwhelming need to defend his choices. “Everything still works, too, unlike that flimsy thing in a week’s time.”

“Flimsy?” Naruto questioned, flipping this thing rectangle around in his hand. “This isn’t all that smaller than the last version….wait. What does your phone look like again?”

“It’s the original that came out a year ago, surely your memory hasn’t gotten that terrible already.” Hopefully the insult would throw Naruto off enough to forget that he wanted to see Sasuke’s phone. It felt heavier in the pocket of his cape than it usually did.

“Yup, that’s it exactly,” Naruto agreed, nodding mischievously. Seeing though Sasuke’s fronts had always been one of the blonde’s talents. He held out his hand, “Now let me see it.”

“No.” Uchihas were nothing if not stubborn.

“Teme, either you hand that over, or I’m going to get it from you.

While the insinuation that Naruto would be able to get the best of him made his hackles raise, rolling around in the ground in front of Ichiraku’s seemed like too much of an abandonment of dignity. Sighing loudly, the Uchiha produced his clunky cellphone.

“Wha—what is this?” Naruto cackled madly. He spun Sasuke’s phone around to observe it from several different angles. It was much thicker than Naruto’s, at least five times thicker. This might have had something to do with the fact that Naruto’s phone lacked a flip cover, but even then it was still fairly large. When Naruto finally flipped it open, Sasuke had to hide a wince. Even he could tell the difference between his clunky, worn out key pad and Naruto’s sleek—wait, were his buttons actually on the screen?

“This thing is ancient, Sasuke!” Naruto declared, tossing it carelessly back at Sasuke. While Sasuke caught it without a problem, at this point he wouldn’t have been heartbroken if it shattered. “You still have a keypad instead of a touch screen!”

“Why would I want to touch the screen, Dobe? That makes no sense.”

Horrified was the only word Sasuke could think of to describe his friend’s face: horrified infused with just a little bewilderment and sprinkled with amusement.

“Why would you touch…? Because that’s where the buttons are,” he exclaimed, retrieving his phone from where it rested on the bar, “Here, look.”

Sure enough, Sasuke could see now, the buttons were on the screen as he had thought earlier. As he watched, Naruto pressed the screen on various parts of the keypad and a message appeared quickly just above it. Sakura-chan, it read, you husband is a techno-dunce.

“Dobe,” Sasuke snarled, lunging for the phone. Naruto dodged his mad grab and pressed a large “send” button in the bottom right hand corner of the screen. The “pop” sound he was so familiar with these days announced the message had been delivered. With that, Sasuke launched himself at Naruto, tackling him off the bar and onto the cobblestone. He didn’t have a plan for after he got the phone,

The pair scuffled in front of Ichiraku’s, heedless of the fact that they were both adults now. Naruto laughed as he dodged Sasuke’s first couple attacks, but the moment he made a move of his own, Sasuke grabbed his arm and swiftly flipped him onto the ground. Dignity was forgotten as Sasuke pinned Naruto’s right shoulder with his knee and successfully snatched the small, white rectangle from his hand. Naruto wailed angrily, but there was little he could do as his left arm had been pinned beneath his torso. Satisfied with the outcome of the scuffle, and more than a little smug, Sasuke sent a victorious smirk at his incapacitated friend, and brought the phone closer to his field of vision.

It was still hard to read the screen in the daylight, Sasuke noticed, but the moment he shifted the device enough to see clearly, a message popped up in small font at the bottom of the screen: SEEN at 13:32. Damn it, the damage had been done. Almost unconsciously, Sasuke threw the phone hard enough into the street that both shinobi could hear the telltale sounds of cracking glass.

“Dammit, Teme!” Naruto raged, finally pushing his old teammate off him. Spiderweb cracks twined across the front of the screen which now displayed a rather distorted and disturbing image of Hinata in a field of sunflowers—his previous “screensaver.”

“Get the new one tomorrow, then,” Sasuke quipped, walking off into the city as Naruto mourned his broken phone. Technology might be advancing at a pace he was uncomfortable with, but Sasuke was out to prove Naruto wrong.

It was time to get a new phone.

---x---

When Sasuke arrived home several hours later, he was more exhausted than he usually was at the end of most of his missions. Naruto had only brushed upon the amount of information he was unaware of, it seemed.

Was he going to be okay without rollover data or would he like to purchase unlimited date? What was data and why did he need it again? Did he prefer a customizable phone or a more generic version? Customizable what?--ringtones and text tones? And what the hell was a widget? Did he want insurance? Was Sakura eligible for an upgrade as well? Did they want to sign up for a family plan?

Needless to say, Sasuke’s head was throbbing as he stepped out of his sandals in the doorway of his and Sakura’s home. He had set out with a quest to prove himself technologically literate, but was already amounting to too much effort.

The pink, strappy sandals next to his much larger ones told him Sakura was home, and soon enough she waddled out into the living room wearing a white apron and wielding a wooden spoon. Her face immediately broke out in a bright smile, and his head began to hurt a little less.

“Welcome home, Anata!” Even though they’d been married almost two years, she still blushed whenever she used the endearment. “I’m just serving up the gyudon donburi—oh what’s this?”

Sasuke had handed her a box covered in white wrapping and topped with a dainty, pink bow. As Sakura admired the gift, Sasuke swept her up into his arms and settled her into her favorite chair.

“Sasuke-kun, I’m just pregnant, I can still walk!” Sakura giggled in protest, “Plus, dinner is just about done.”

“Then you should let me handle that, Koi.” Sasuke swiped the wooden spoon from her hand and dropped a quick kiss on her curved stomach, “Just relax and open your gift.”

Usually, Sakura would put up more of an argument, but there was almost nothing she loved better than surprises. There was a glow on her newly rounded face that reminded him the face children made when sitting in front of a mound of sealed birthday presents. It really was too easy to please her; even something as simple as making dinner or packing her a lunch earned this reaction. Still, he knew he had won the argument when Sakura bit lightly on her lower lip and fiddled with one loop of the pink bow.

“I’ll be right back,” he declared, grinning at the sight of his happy wife trying not to rip into the present. When he was scooping the steamed beef onto the rice, he could hear the sounds of paper violently ripping. He laughed loudly and still had a smile on his face when he walked back into the room with two bowls of food balanced on his arm.

Mint eyes were wide in wonder, and pearly lips formed a perfect “o” of surprise. The wrapping had not even been completely removed, but enough of it was gone to see the text declaring the contents of the box.

“So, you like it?” Sasuke teased, setting a heaping bowl of gyudon donburi on the coffee table next to her. He eased himself into the chair next to Sakura, making sure to set his bowl within reach of his left arm.

Sakura’s eyes zeroed in on him like one of Tenten’s weapons, and then she was trying to launch herself in his direction. Trying was the key word because at eight months into her pregnancy, launching anywhere—especially out of the deeply cushioned seat—was a bit of a struggle. Had he gone to her or attempted to help her out of her seat, however, Sasuke would have risked ruining Sakura’s happy mood.

After a couple attempts, Sakura freed herself from the chair and made her way to him where she threw her arms happily around his neck.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you!” she squealed into his skin. Pulling back from the embrace, Sakura balanced on the arm of Sasuke’s chair and continued to examine her gift, “Ino and I were just talking about this model the other day. It has a ton of new features.”

“Naruto was pretty excited about the camera.”

“The camera? But the last three models have all had cameras.” Sakura cocked her head confusedly before rolling her eyes and cracking open the box of her phone. “That’s Naruto for you, though. But the battery life is much longer, and it uses a kind of glass resistant to shattering.”

“Hm, wonder which part you’re more excited about,” Sasuke drawled. He distinctly remembered complaints about phone screens shattering from just the “tiniest of taps.” His wife flushed slightly and tried to look upset at the accusation, but she ended up breaking out in a smile.

“Yeah, yeah, tease me all you want. I still think it was unfair for the phone company to stop insuring me against shattered screens.” The final cardboard flap was torn open revealing the contents of the package: including the new, white phone. Sakura lifted the device from its casing delicately—as if applying too much pressure would crush it.

“Sleek design.” She let the light reflect off of it at a couple different angles, and then dug in the box for something else. When she retracted her hand, she had the charger. There was a new outlet behind the coffee table, and Sakura stretched rather precariously to get her phone set up. Sasuke only had time to place a balancing arm on her side before she was sitting back up.

“Be careful,” he scolded. There was no reason to risk injury just to charge the new phone. If she was so desperate to get it working he could have just readied the device. Sakura’s face was unapologetic as she flashed the devices screen at him. A white lightning bolt inside a rectangle—he assumed that meant the device was getting electricity—was displayed.

“Don’t be such a worry wart!” A messy kiss was placed on his cheek in an effort to placate him. Still, Sasuke was unamused, and Sakura noticed. He got another kiss and a playful roll of mint-green eyes. “Please, I do more intense stretches in my morning yoga!”

“You still do yoga? Is Ino in on this? I thought you agreed to stop.”

“So what made you get the phone?” Sakura deflected. Normally, Sasuke would call her out on such an obvious move, but the steel in her voice made him reconsider. “Was it something to do with the text Naruto sent me this afternoon?”

“I am not a techno-dunce. I just don’t see the need to constantly spend money on every single upgrade.” That, and Sasuke hadn’t even known technology had progressed this far. The last phone upgrade he was aware of was simply thinner than his without a flip-cover.

“Mhmm,” was Sakura’s noncommittal reply. She saw right through him, and he knew it. “Well, you picked a great time to upgrade. This really is a good model.”

The phone she had just gotten was nowhere near done charging, so instead Sakura reached inside Sasuke’s cap to grab his. It was the same model as hers, but the frame was blue instead of white. Additionally, Sasuke’s phone already had a simple black case around it; the salesman had told him it was the best case money could buy—which Sasuke had in spades—but the name was odd. Something to do with a mammal?—maybe a rodent of some kind?

“We should personalize your phone, Sasuke-kun!” she declared, flicking her finger across the surface of the phone. “Hm, what apps do you use the most?”

“Apps?” What the hell were those? The salesman hadn’t said anything about those.

Sakura observed him in a calculating way for a moment before expertly rearranging the small pictures on his screen. Areas he didn’t even know existed appeared with every movement; it seemed that touching the screen in a different location created a completely different reaction.

“It’s short for ‘application’,” she informed him without looking up from the screen, “These icons correspond to different programs. Obviously, if you want to take a picture you press the ‘camera’ icon.” She did so and the screen switched to reflect their floor. “You can also hit the front facing icon to take a picture of yourself.” That ‘icon’ was a pair of arrows at the top of a column of other icons. “Smile!”

Sasuke barely had time to shift his face from the “bewildered” expression he’d been sporting to something even mildly normal before a bright light flashed and an odd “click” noise sounded.

“There, we can use that as your home screen,” Sakura chattered, her fingers flying through buttons once more. Before his eyes, the generic sunset morphed into a picture of Sakura and him. He was relieved to see he had managed to half-smile before the flash went off. “Aw, it’s so cute, Sasuke-kun!”

Just when he thought he was done, Sakura launched into a new round of questions. Did he like his camera silent or with the noise? Was auto-flash okay? Did he want a calendar widget? What about a fitness app? Did he have earphones?—because if he did Sakura could download some music for him.

The list of questions was never-ending, and Sasuke’s head was spinning. His wife was a good teacher, and she patiently explained some of the more basic functions—like adding a contact. In theory, it all made sense. It was how fast Sakura flew through the motions that bewildered him; her actions were so automatic that it was easy to miss a step—like the way she held down the home button to bring up all his open apps—the first couple times she did it.

Eventually, Sasuke’s headache began to come back, and he decided it was time to take a break. Sakura was in the middle of an explanation of all his different widgets—why would he need so many different applications? And why were they called widgets?—and didn’t give an indication of stopping anytime soon.

“I think your phone is done charging, Koi,” he announced, gesturing at the green rectangle filling the screen of her phone. That was a well-timed escape.

Sakura squeaked excitedly and snatched her phone. Two pictures later—one for her home screen and one for her screen saver, she explained—and Sakura was quietly organizing her device on his lap. Sasuke absent-mindedly massaged his temples and watched the skillful way her fingers skimmed across the screen; she really had been slowing down for him.

“How are you so good at this?” Sasuke asked, “The salesman said you hadn’t upgraded to a touch screen yet.”

“I haven’t, but Ino has had one for a while,” she confirmed, looking up from her phone, “And the hospital gave laptops to all of its high tier employees so we can work from home more easily. They’re all touchscreen, too.”

What the fuck is a laptop? he wondered. His confusion translated to his face, apparently, because Sakura laughed at his blank stare. The drawer under the coffee table was slid open, and Sakura sat her new toy down to pull out a sleek silver rectangle.

“Sorry, Anata, a transportable computer. They’re called ‘laptops’ because they’re so much smaller than the ‘desktop’ computers that were stationary on peoples’ desks.” She opened the silver rectangle to reveal a screen that took up one whole rectangle and a keypad that covered the other. A couple clicks later, and Sasuke was gifted with the inside view of someone’s throat. “See? Chi-chan sent me the results from this upper endoscopy to review.”

“So you can continuously transfer files to and from the hospital?” That was extremely useful, especially with Sakura nearing her maternity leave. How had they gone this long without technology?

“Well, kiiinda,” Sakura hummed moving the “laptop” to rest on the edge of her protruding stomach so he could see it better, “It’s online—or on the internet—so it’s more like the information is floating all around us.”

Sasuke regarded her with a baleful gaze, “I may not be the most technologically savvy, Sakura, but I’m not an idiot. The information is not floating around us.”

Breaking into laughter was probably not the best way to deal with his wounded ego, but that was exactly what happened. A peal of laughter, so sudden it seemed to be startled out of her, filled the living room. Sakura realized her mistake, covering her mouth in horror, but it was too late. Sasuke had already pulled away from her, scowling, and rose from the chair. With him gone, Sakura fell into the space he had been occupying.

“Sasuke-kun, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just…,” Sakura trailed off. She looked truly apologetic, but Sasuke could also tell that the corners of her mouth were threatening to pull upwards in a smile. “It was really cute.”

Any annoyance Sasuke felt earlier faded, but he had definitely had enough technology for the night. He rolled his eyes playfully so she would know he wasn’t mad, and ruffled her hair. “Hn. Annoying. Play with your toy and floating information, I’m going to bed.”

For a second Sasuke half thought she might follow him, as she pushed against the chair cushion to get up, but then she changed her mind and reclaimed the phone she had abandoned. As he walked away, he felt a tug on his shirt. Sakura was looking up at him with twinkling eyes and a pout.

“What, I don’t get a goodnight kiss?” She had angled her pouting lips so they were easier for him to reach.

A thought crossed his mind, and Sasuke hid the smirk that was trying to break free. He leaned in as if acquiescing to her request, and Sakura’s eyes fluttered closed. The moment he was close enough to feel her breath escape between her lips, he pulled away and slipped down the hallway.

“Tease!” Sakura called after him a few seconds later.

He didn’t even bother trying to hide his smirk or laughter.

---x---

Unfortunately, the morning greeted him with more technological hurdles. Sakura had not joined him until much later that night, and he had thought they would spend a lazy morning together in bed. Actually, he had been very much looking forward to

Sasuke’s life rarely went according his plans, sadly.

“Aiiiiiieee!” A familiar, annoying voice screeched from downstairs. “I can’t believe Sasuke got you the newest phone model!!!”

Noooo, Sasuke groaned internally, collapsing resignedly on his down pillow. It was far too early in the morning to be awake, first of all, but it was much too early to deal with Yamanaka Ino. The bleach blonde had no concept of an “inside voice”—much like a certain dobe he knew. Even though he was two floors away from where the pair of women probably were, her volume had pierced his oak door and thick blanket.

“Pig! Keep it down!” Sakura’s voice cut in, angrily, “Sasuke is still asleep!”

“Oh, whatever.” He could picture the dramatic way Ino was probably tossing her hair, “After all he put you through, I think he can deal with a couple early mornings.”

Someone wasn’t pulling her punches, Sasuke winced, reaching for a shirt. Although Sasuke and Sakura had made their peace with their past long ago, he still felt a familiar pinch of guilt at the truth in Ino’s declaration. This was going to be a fun morning.

If it wasn’t for the aroma of his favorite green tea brewing downstairs, Sasuke might have escaped out the window.

“You have to follow me on Instagram! I’m almost to 1K!” Ino exclaimed as Sasuke was coming down the stairs.

1K? What the fuck was that? Sasuke repressed a sigh, and rounded the corner into the kitchen. Why did technology have to come with a whole different language? He really should have kept up.

“Oooo! And Twitter!—and Tumblr!”

“So glad that I can help you increase your following,” Sakura commented drolly, clinking her cup down on the kitchen table, “Want a senbei? Or some peaches and yogurt?”

“Oh Kami, Sakura, this is just too great! Look at you all barefoot and pregnant being a good little housewife!” Ino squealed, reaching in her kunai pouch for her…phone? If the glare Sakura was directing at her best friend was any indication, the kunai might have been a smarter choice.

Neither woman seemed to notice his presence, and he used this invisibility to observe and better understand the situation. Hovering at the kitchen’s entrance, Sasuke watched as Ino opened an app on her phone and proceeded to organize the food his wife had prepared for a picture.

Although he didn’t know what was going on, he had to admit there was something aesthetically pleasing about the shot Ino had lined up. The peaches they had gotten at the market the other day were sliced and in a wooden-grain bowl. Each slice had a slight sheen of juice covering it, making the munching look mouth-wateringly fresh. White, vanilla yogurt filled another bowl, and the final matching bowl—they had gotten the set from Sakura’s parents as a wedding present—held enough senbei to peak over the top. Two cups of steaming green tea framed the triangle of breakfast foods, and Ino had taken care to make sure that both women’s manicured hands were placed besides their drinks. Sunlight spilled over the shot, and the glow of the wooden table and bowls created a picturesque morning scene.

Anyone viewing the picture could probably smell the tea.

Kah-click, kah-click, kah-click! The obnoxious sound effect Ino had chosen to keep ruined the tranquility of the moment, and Sasuke was shaken from his reverie to see Ino selecting the best shot and typing up a caption at the bottom.

“Hashtag breakfast with the bestie, hashtag bitches for life, hashtag yum, hashtag no filter,” Ino rambled, her long, purple nails clicking away on her screen.

“Hashtag?” Sasuke asked in a dull monotone. He could see every caption that Ino had just announced, but her constant use of the word ‘hashtag’ made little to no sense. “Isn’t that the pound key?”

Both girls jumped at the sound of his voice. Sakura recovered first, and she pushed her chair back to come and give him a kiss on the cheek. She remembered, almost too late, how fond he was of public displays of affection, and chose to pat his arm affectionately. Despite the fact that she was trying make him more comfortable, Sasuke felt cheated of his morning kiss.

“Here, Sasuke-kun,” she said, motioning him to follow her to the stovetop. There was a third cup already sitting on the counter, and Sakura filled in with tea before handing the hot beverage to him, “I made some extra tea in case we woke you up, Sasuke-kun.”

“Thank you, Koi.” He took a sip, and closed his eyes contentedly. This is how mornings were supposed to start. Fresh tea, streaming sunlight, and tender kisses. Well, two out of three would just have to do. Having a gossip queen witness their morning exchange was unacceptable.

When he opened them, Sakura was beaming at him with such gentle affection, that Sasuke threw his need for privacy out the window. He couldn’t ignore her any longer—not with those plush lips and freckled little nose. Ino be damned, he leaned forward and gently guided her chin upwards before place a chaste kiss on her lips. She froze like a frightened rabbit, and Sasuke had to resist the urge to kiss her far more thoroughly.

“Tastes delicious.”

By the amount of color that rushed to her cheeks, it was clear Sakura caught his innuendo.

“I think I earn credit by not photographing that tooth-achingly adorable moment,” Ino cut in, nibbling on a senbei. The pair pulled farther apart, and Sasuke masked his annoyance by drinking his tea. Baby blue eyes continued to observe the pair over her rice cake, before pulling it away with a flourish, “Annnnd I should get major points for not making fun of your whole ‘pound key’ thing. Kami, have you been living under a rock for the past three years?”

“The first model only came out a year ago,” Sakura corrected, sliding into her chair.

Ino flipped her hand dismissively, “Same thing. Good thing you’re content with your ancient brick, because you have lost out on a lot of info.”

“Actually, Sasuke got us both new phones, Ino.” His wife was quick to come to his defense, which he was thankful for. Normally a sharp retort would have already been on the tip of his tongue, but Sasuke would hate to accidently make his technological ignorance even more apparent than it already was. “He was figuring his out last night.”

The calculating gaze Ino pinned him with was the slightest bit unnerving. He was stronger than her without a doubt, and he had dealt with far more dangerous foes without batting an eye. Still, there was something intimidating about confronting his wife’s best friend—especially when she was head of the Interrogation Squad.

“Reallllly,” Ino drew the word out and resumed munching on her rice cake.

“Hn.” There was nothing more he wanted to say to that.

“Well, go on then,” she urged, kicking the edge the chair he had just sat in, “Go get it! Obviously you’re going to need all the help you can get!”

Technology help from Ino? Sasuke almost rejected her straight away, but she had a point. He did need help playing catch up. And if the way her phone was attached to her hip was any indication—not to mention the terms she threw around without a second thought—Ino might be his best option for a mentor. Sakura seemed to know it too, because she only offered him a shrug and apologetic smile.

She’s not that bad, Sakura seemed to say, I think you should at least try it.

“Fine.” He sat his cup down on the table—probably a little more firmly than necessary—and left to retrieve his phone. If the blonde could help him regain superiority over Naruto, then so be it. He would just have to grit his teeth and bare it.

---x---

Not surprisingly, there was only so much of Ino could take before Sasuke stalked frustratedly out of the house. The blonde knew her stuff, he could admit it. The three hours Sasuke spent under Ino’s tutelage gave him more insight to technology—his phone specifically—than ever. She was even a decent teacher. Because of her long-term relationship with Sai, the kunoichi had increased her patience by tenfold at least and knew how to repeat things in different ways until they made sense.

It was just the tittering and condescending tone that set his teeth on edge—and she knew it too! There was no way that Ino—trained in the art of breaking wills—could not know that she was pushing his every button. She was probably punishing him for all those years of mistreating her best friend. Once the two patched up their friendship in their chunin years, Ino had regained her vindictively protective streak over her pink-haired friend.

Which Sasuke would normally appreciate if it weren’t directed at him.

Sighing, Sasuke strode up the dimly lit street to his house. After discovering that his coverage was still pretty spotty in the forest and in all his normal hiding spots, he had retreated to the deep stacks of the library. Ino and Naruto would never think to find him there, but Sakura would if she really needed to find him. She was also one of the only ones with his phone number.

So, among dusty books and blessed silence, Sasuke finally resolved all his confusion with his phone—and computers. And the internet. He knew what Facebook was—along with Twitter and everything else Ino had mentioned—and he had created accounts for all of them. All in all, Sasuke was feeling pretty accomplished. He just wished it hadn’t taken him as long as it had.

The house was quiet when Sasuke walked in. The distinct aroma of grilled fish filled the air, but he didn’t hear Sakura cooking in the kitchen. No music was playing—which was generally the tell-tale sign that Sakura was studying her medical texts. He didn’t hear the shower going or foot-steps from upstairs, either. It was odd, but he didn’t feel any foreign chakra signatures in the house.

Two bowls of rice, still warm, sat on the table with strips of salmon and trout decorating the plate next to them. Everything was set, even the kettle in the center of the table, but Sakua was nowhere to be seen. It was as he circled the table that the he noticed the patio door was open.

Sasuke had his kunai drawn as he entered their covered deck, but he soon realized there was no need.

Curled up on the cushioned patio-couch was his wife.

A navy-blue, fleece blanket—embroidered with the Uchiha fan—was wrapped tightly around her shoulders to ward off the evening chill. She had propped her head on her hand and hadn’t shifted as she fell asleep. Petal pink hair trailed over her arm, long enough now to touch the armrest. The book Sakura had been reading lay abandoned between the chair and rounded stomach, but Sasuke didn’t have to see the cover to know she had been reading the Baby Names book again. A soft glow settled onto her skin, not just her normal pregnant glow, but from the luminescent fireflies that hovered like a halo above her head.

Smiling, Sasuke reached into his cape for his phone and snapped a picture.  There really wasn’t a better first picture to upload to his new Instagram account. He almost submitted it without entering a caption, but he stopped himself just soon enough to type out a single caption.

No filter.

Final A/N: I AM SO SORRY THIS IS SO LATE!! I never intended for it to be this long, obviously it got away from me. Hope you enjoy it nonetheless.

[pastelzoro]

one hundred twenty eight

notes: day 2: no filter / part i / inspired by this

--

--

she takes a deep inhale, spine arching and chest thrusting forward. her eyes blink open without trouble and, as she shifts, she aches in all the right places. sakura stares at his sleeping face, the way his long lashes rest against his cheekbones, messy hair tangled and fanned around him, resting against his throat like a ghost of a mark from years before.

the sun invades the room and she hunches her shoulder to hide behind the covers. her movements and the sun’s assault get him to crack an eye open, still hazy with sleep. he closes it a second later, takes a long moment before he tries again. he blinks rapidly as if trying to will sleep away and sakura smiles at his efforts.

“good morning,” she whispers, bending a knee and bumping it against his. 

“mm,” he hums, inhaling and moving the covers off of his shoulders.

sakura does so too, the morning air kissing her bare back and making her shiver. she stares at him for a second, the way his forelocks fall diagonally across his face, moving up and down when he blinks. she reaches over, finger-combs them aside just so they’d fall back into place.

sasuke’s watching her the entire time, his mismatched eyes still half-lidded with sleep, lips slightly parted. sakura drops her hand and rests it on his shoulder, runs her thumb along his collarbone, eyes cast down.

how long has it been since they’ve slept side by side? since the covers have kissed her skin because she’s bare underneath them? when was the last time he’s touched her, the pad of his fingers rough yet his caress delicate and his eyes memorizing everything, shifting from his actions and up to her face?

sakura closes her eyes as her smile forms, fluttering her eyes open a second later and looking up at him.

there’s a pause, right then, in that moment.

it leaves her both heavy and light, comfort settling in the pit of her stomach, where butterflies had once lived, years before. there is calmness, wrapping around her veins. security in the way her heart beats slow and sluggish.

his lips tilt into a soft smirk and sakura’s arm wraps around his neck, pulls him closer until her naked front is flush against his. 

there’s no fire, in the way they kiss. it’s slow, lazy, sleepy. her lips pressed against his, curved to fit and only, her lower lip in between his teeth, open mouth kisses against the corners.

“we should get up,” she breathes against his skin. “cook breakfast.”

“don’t want,” he huffs, his arm around her waist as he rolls them so her upper body is on top of his. “we can go out for breakfast.”

“but, sarada--”

“will be fine with that,” he tells her, his lips against her jaw.

his fingers start trailing up her spine, teeth nipping her skin. sakura lets out a soft sigh and willingly melts into him.

[behindheremeraldeyes]

🌸 SasuSaku Month 2015 • Day 2- No Filter • Title: Behind the lens • Summary: AU- Put an amazing photographer together with a beautiful model and nothing more is necessary to create magic. • Notes: well… Blame Instagram or any photo editor but… When I hear filter, all I can think of it taking pics… So, another AU won’t be that bad… I’ve tried to make a different personality for Sasuke based on… Idk, personal experiences with taking pics? Maybe… Haha Hope you enjoy it! 🌸 🌸

His life has always been based on his photos. The talent and the perspective he had when behind a camera were something extremely precise and unique. His angles were perfect. His vision was revolutionary. All of that in a 20 year old boy with an incredible future ahead of him. His name was already renowned in the world of fashion and, due to his incredible looks, every model in Konoha would kill to have a private photo section with him. Uchiha Sasuke was a trend. He was a talent, indeed. But that overrated and billionaire talent of his was, slowly, killing the photographer inside of that boy. The passion he had once developed for photography was, tragically, reaching its end.

What was happening to Sasuke was the same thing that tends to happen to every successful artist. All that fame and glory and the popularity earned due to their talent end up replacing the one feeling that has made them start the whole thing: love. The love for the profession and the passion for doing what makes them feel good gets totally outshone when all the perks of being “important” are offered to the artists. They change after that. All that love and passion disappears and, before any of them can notice, years have gone by without a single pleasant memory regarding what was once the dream of their lives. It’s a sad world for artists and, when all those benefits start to lose their meaning,- because they all will, eventually- depression and mental blocks and anger starts hitting them until they finally give up. And giving up wasn’t something the Uchiha wanted to do.

Even if he had barely turned 20, the photography prodigy could already notice how his life had turned upside down. He could see how the inspiration he used to gain from little things and the initiative of photographing the new were flowing away from his body. Sasuke knew he wasn’t that same boy with an old camera in hands anymore. He knew he didn’t smile behind the lens anymore. And you bet he missed that feeling. The feeling of a well done job and the excitement of doing anything to get the best close and the love for making a single moment eternal by using a single finger. He missed his old self more than anything. But just missing that little boy wouldn’t bring him back. The photographer was going to do something about it. Somehow, he would.

Not exactly knowing why, the Uchiha ended up telling his agent about the whole identity crises he had been living recently. He told that gray haired man about fearing the depression and taking bad pictures and missing his old passionate self that felt pleasure in his work before. Sasuke told him everything and, after analyzing the whole talk, the agent decided to help his client. If he wanted passion, he would have passion. And, if love was the one thing he was looking for in a photo section, why not sending the boy to be the official photographer of the newest Valentine’s Day clothing collection of a famous brand, right? Right… But the boy wouldn’t know that until he met the model.

After discovering what his agent had done, Sasuke didn’t like it at all. He didn’t want another superficial job with those dry models anymore. He didn’t want the frustration of another monotonous work. He wanted more than that. He wanted to feel something- anything- with his pictures again. And a Valentine’s Day catalog- the most emotionless event in the world- just didn’t seem to be the answer. Still, since his name was on the contract, doing it had become an obligation. An obligation that, in his mind, would only destroy even more the true image of himself he preserved in his memories. The shooting section was set to happen in only one day. Sasuke had been informed that only one girl would be posing for him and that she was also a great model. The whole thing seemed to be extremely too perfect and extremely too boring for that kind of job. Nothing that he wasn’t already expecting, to be honest. However, when his eyes first saw the girl he would be working with, something inside his heart told him things would be different. And, indeed, they would.

The first time he had the chance to see his model was when he first entered the backstage to check on the scenario. Through the reflection of a mirror, finally, his eyes found her. The girl that was being prepared by the make up team was certainly something interesting with all of her features. Her green eyes reminded him of the intense color of the forests and her height, even if she was impressively small for a model, seemed to be just perfect in her proportions. Her milky skin and her legs that were exposed were just too shiny and seemed to be too soft no matter from where he looked at it. And, finally, the one thing that caught his- and probably everyone else’s- attention the most, was that pastel pink hair of hers. That, out of all the times he had worked with girls, was something his dark eyes had never seen before. And they were glad for the opportunity.

The length of those locks reached just a little lower her shoulders. That unusual coloration of pink, when contrasted with her emerald eyes, made her look so fresh and young and while wearing that figurine,- a white lacy set of bra and panties that was careless exposed by an open robe- his eyes couldn’t help but being thirsty to see more angles of her body. He just couldn’t wait to meet her. And, fortunately, all the preparations were finally over. It was time for photographer and model to meet. With the brushes and the people away from her, the girl with pink hair was finally able to see him staring at her through the mirror in front of her. When she realized so, it took the pinkette almost two full minutes to express any reaction other than just staring at him. His dark eyes were hypnotics and, somehow, she just couldn’t command her body to look another way. She wanted to look at him. And, at the same time she had reached that certainty, the photographer also realized that his gaze was simply trying to devoure hers. At that time, something had definitely happened between those two. Something, doubtlessly, impossible to be measured by words.

It was only when someone accidentally bumped into him that their whole staring section was interrupted. He blinked a couple of times and the girl shyly covered herself with the robe before, finally, standing up and walking towards her future photographer. There was a blush on her cheeks by the time she was standing just some inches away from him. And that blush, he though, deserved to be framed.

“ hi…. I am Haruno Sakura… Your model… The model.”

“ do you know who I am?”

“ well, yeah… I only knew you by name until some moments ago when the team finally pointed at you while you were standing there…”

“ oh… Sorry, I didn’t mean to-”

“ it’s okay… It’s not like things won’t be like this in some moments, right?”

She offered him a smile. A smile so warm and sincere that made all of his muscles relax. Perhaps, working with her would be an interesting experience.

“…. I am Sasuke… Uchiha Sasuke. I hope we can have an amazing day at work today.”

“ me too! I hope we can have lots of fun!”

Her childish face made her whole self seem just like an innocent child. An innocent child in stilettos and barely naked under that pink robe of hers. Sakura, in his eyes, held that same aura he had when he first started taking pics. That aura was just so pure and precious that the Uchiha knew he had to immortalize it before the time came and destroyed it forever. It happened to him. Then why wouldn’t it happen to her too, right? It would certainly be a shame to lose such perfect and fresh innocence but, unfortunately, there was nothing that could save it. He knew about it already. He knew that he couldn’t simply convince her to drop it all. After all, the whole modeling thing was still a dream for her.

“ how old are you?…if you don’t mind me asking.”

“ not at all… I’m 20 and I’ve been modeling for… 7 years already.”

“ hn. Then we have no amateurs here.” He smirked, just a little to send her the air of the joke.

“ not at all. None of us will be able to count on beginners luck this time.” She mimicked his gesture, and he liked what he saw. A girl with personality, for what it seemed. Photographing her, definitely, wouldn’t be that boring, after all.

Their breath meeting ended right after they unconsciously exchanged another moment of silent staring. As the loud signal bell echoed around the whole shooting set, the whole crew knew that it was time for them to free the main scenario and occupy their positions. The show was about to start.

Model and photographer walked side by side until they reached the scenario that awaited for them. It was something trying to simulate a teenage girl’s dream room. There was a fluffy carpet and a high large bed and the most delicate of the decorations placed on that pre-maid set. The Uchiha went towards the camera that had been provided by him and, after checking the illumination and giving the girl a last check on her make up, the team behind the studio took her robe off, revealing the rest of that amazing body of hers. Sakura was, indeed, an impressively beautiful model. A model like no other he has ever met before and he has met many already. Her whole self seemed to be different. And that just left the boy even more curious to see how her photos would be. He was positive they would be good. Unfortunately, as the girl full of surprises she is, Sakura broke all of his expectations. And he wasn’t ready for that at all.

“ okay, everyone. Let’s start this and go home.”

When his cold eyes finally started to look at her through the lens of his camera, the Haruno girl knew that there was something wrong happening. She wasn’t feeling safe. She wasn’t feeling confidant and, every time she looked at him, all her emerald eyes saw was a camera with legs. There was no emotion behind those moves and she just wasn’t used to that kind of treatment. It felt as if she was committing a crime every time her body made a pose. It felt as if she was being watched by a stranger. It felt as if there was no human being behind that machine. And that was simply unacceptable for the pinkette.

It didn’t take long before Sakura, literally, stopped molding her body into poses. Her ears could capture the surprised whispers and the blaming words of some models who were watching her from the back. She knew everything was going to fall on her, yet, such thing didn’t matter at the moment. At that exact moment, the only thing that mattered for her was discovering what was wrong with that boy. And, once he removed his eyes from behind the camera and met hers, they both knew that solving that problem would not be something easy.

“ Sakura… What’s wrong?”

“ … I can’t do this.”

“ uh?” He approached her, holding the camera in his left hand. “ are you shy or something?”

“ no, don’t be ridiculous, I-”

“ are you feeling bad or something? Want me to ask for a doctor?”

“ no.. No, it’s not it. I just-”

“Uhm..” He placed his right hand on her forehead and, at that moment, that girl was starting to lose her patience. “ you don’t seem to have a fever. Did you eat something weird? Because, when I do, I can’t-”

“ Sasuke!” She shoved his hand away from her. “ this isn’t the problem! The problem is… I can’t feel your heart… I can’t feel you here… With me.”

The way her eyes were staring deep inside his black pearls was just too intense for him to be able to hold that eye contact for too long. For him, it felt as if he was the one to be blamed for at that moment. He was the guilty one according to her eyes and they were right. It was his fault. Not entirely but still his fault. He was the one running away from that place. He was the one who couldn’t find a way to change his own carrier. He was the one who had already given up. And Sakura noticed that just by looking at the one behind the camera.

“….”

“ what’s wrong with you, Sasuke?” She said, holding onto his hand.

“ nothing. Let’s go back to this, okay?”

“No! Not until you tell me what’s going on.”

“ tch… I’ve never had an annoying model.”

“ if being annoying is the same as being concerned, then, yes, I am annoying.”

“ hn.”

“… Let me help you… At least in this photo shoot, we are a team. I’m not an amateur, remember?”

The way she squeezed his hand and looked at him simply brought all of his barriers down. Even if he had just met her, Sasuke could already tell that she had a strange power over him. A strange power that could make that whole crises of his turn into words for the first time. If it was with her, the Uchiha knew he could express himself perfectly. If it was with her, he knew she could help him. And she would, for sure.

Sighting defeatedly, the photographer returned his eyes to her and his dull expression quickly became a sad one. Sasuke didn’t know what else to do with the whole photography anymore. It wasn’t the same and he just couldn’t accept anything different than before.

“ I hate it…”

“… what?”

“ I hate photography….”

With that said, the boy offered her the camera and her eyes widened. Sasuke was, at last, exploding.

He hated photography at that moment. All that love he once had for immortalizing people and places, was no longer inside of him. There was nothing more than an empty shell inside of him. But you could make sure she would fill it back.

“ take back the control over your pictures… Do it on your own way or don’t do it at all. You can do it. You are the photographer here, Sasuke…”

Using her delicate hands, Sakura softly pushed the hand with the camera back to his body and, softly, she stood on the tip of her toes, aiming to reach his ears. When she got there, her melodic voice, finally, whispered:

“ you are not an amateur…”

For some reason he didn’t know, those words made effect on him. Those words that had been nothing but a mere joke between them moments before; were surprisingly unlocking all of his emotions from inside his heart. Of course he wasn’t an amateur. He was a famous professional and he knew exactly why he had become one. He knew his purpose with a camera and, after meeting her and seeing in one person all the feelings he had been looking for, Sasuke knew how to bring his old self back. He was going to immortalize that stunning blush of hers just like he had many times immortalized the happy moments of his family before the accident. Sasuke would make them proud. And he would do it in his own way.

“…. Thank you.”

“ uh?”

“…. Out.” He said, almost in a whisper.

“ what!?”

“ I said OUT!”

In the second time, it came as a scream. A scream so loud and clear that, after seconds, all the people that were surrounding them simply exited the room. Sakura was about to do the same but, before she could take any step away from him, his hand held her shoulder and she knew that he had woken up. The photographer didn’t need those people around him to make what he loves to do. All he needs is his camera, a little bit of creativity and, of course, the girl with pink hair. Without her, there would be no photos. Not for that catalog. Not for the rest of his life.

“ if we are really gonna do this… It’s gonna be my way.”

“ copy that! Just tell me what to do and I will!” She smiled proudly of him.

“ hn. Let’s finish this and I’ll pay you a coffee.” He smirked. “ first of all… Take this shoes off… Teens don’t walk around in their hells while wearing only bra and panties.”

“…. Yeah, I agree… Give me a hand here.” She said, asking for a supporter while she took off the shoes.

“… Uhm… Use the bed. I need to do something.”

“ tch… You could have helped me before…”

With a pout in her lips, the pink haired girl, innocently, sat on the edge of the bed while taking off those heels that felt more like needles in her feet. She threw them under the bed and, silently, waiting for his next order. Sakura could feel like he had finally gotten back on his feet. She and the rest of the world they lived in knew about his awards and his gift with the photography, but she also knew about the trauma that life had caused him. She was a huge fan of his work and finally having the chance of being a part of it was a dream come true. She wanted it to work out for him. She truly wanted him to be happy while behind those lens. No matter what, she wanted him to fall in love with the essence of being a photographer again. And, using the most unusual methods, he would fall in love again. But not only with photography this time.

Closing her eyes for those exact nine seconds was probably the worst of the ideas after having activated the true artists within the Uchiha. By the time the 10th second arrived, her body had been thrown behind, with her back laying against the soft mattress of the bed. Her pink hair had been splayed around and her eyes were staring into his eyes. Sasuke had literally thrown his body over hers, placing one knee in between her legs and supporting his weight with one hand while holding the camera with the other. At that moment, Sakura saw the smile behind the camera. She saw the darkness of his eyes. A darkness so beautiful and deep that, instead of scaring her, made her blush. And that blush was the one thing he wanted for his camera.

Sasuke’s brilliant idea came when he remembered the one thing he hated the most in all of the Valentine’s Day clothing catalogs. In every single one of them, there is an implicit act of sex about to happen between the models. It’s always like that and, indeed, it sells. But he just couldn’t imagine a girl so pure as Sakura doing that. Not a girl with such a warming blush like hers. So, taking that red and pink cheeks as his inspirations, the boy decided to use them as the great theme of his work. The blush of a person in love. The blush of an innocent girl. The real blush of a real girl. And what a perfect combination that had become.

“ hold still…”

“ Sa-Sasuke-”

“…-kun.”

“ uh?”

“ say it… With my name.”

“…. Sa-Sasuke-kun…” She blushed harder and he couldn’t help but smirking. At that moment, his finger, finally, captured that blush of hers. And you bet that blush of hers also captured something else.

Even after the picture was taken, the photographer and the model remained in that place for almost five minutes. Their eyes hadn’t been disconnected not even once and, if not for the camera in hand, something more than just staring would have definitely happened. But, once the whole romantic atmosphere was dissipated, the awkward moment that followed was, certainly, embarrassing.

“ I-I think I should…”

“ yeah… That would be a good idea…”

“ hn, sorry…” He said, sliding over the side of the bed and sitting on its edge.

As a mirror, the pinkette also did the same but in the opposite side. None of them talked for some moments but, eventually, something came out. And what came out was the most contagious laugh he had ever listened to.

“ why are you laughing?”

“ because… Because you actually climbed on top of me just for a photo… How many girls can say that?”

“ hn… Just you.”

“ see? That’s… That’s awesome.”

“ tch… I still didn’t get the laughter.”

“ isn’t it obvious? It’s because I’m happy, silly. Loving what we do is simply amazing and now I see that you’ve regained this love.”

“ hn.” He smirked. “ indeed… I think I love you.”

“ what?!” Her eyes widened.

“ what?”

“ did you… Did you just…”

“ hn, we have no time for that now, Sakura. We still have some more photos, let’s go.”

Embarrassedly, the boy stood up and went to check on the illumination that was near the mirror. He still didn’t know how to photograph her but, as long as he stood away for that moment, she would probably not notice his own blush. What a silly photographer, she knew. Still, she followed him after some moments and, indeed, they finished all the pics, each of them with a different point of view. His point of view. The point of view only he had and that would only feature the one with pink hair, he had decided. Sasuke knew he couldn’t do his job without her anymore. He knew he wouldn’t be able to smile without his blushing muse anymore. So, from that moment on and during the coffee he had offered, the Uchiha had decided to make her his exclusive model. He wouldn’t let anyone else but him capturing that stunning blush of hers. Only he could do that.

The catalog came out after some time and, on the cover, the blush that changed his life. He had demanded the editors not to touch such unique blush with their computer programs or photo editors. He wanted that pic to be published exactly as it had been taken. He wouldn’t accept any change on that natural beauty. No photoshop, no editors. No filters. Just the true face of a blushing model. His blushing model.

[kaermenna]

(I’ve never been better.)

sasusaku month 2015, day 2: no filter

[batsy-nee]

Day 2 No filter

They see each other without a filter, they see their faults and virtues! <3

[scriptblossom]

day 2: no filter

[behindheremeraldeyes]

What reflected there was the real deal- love.