Summary: Sasuke finally lets love back into his life as colors begin to fill his once black and white world. Contains smut.
Rating: M
A/N: This was inspired by OneRepublic’s song “Colors”. Italic text is the lyrics.
Redefining their relationship definitely took time. Unsure of what the future holds for the Uchiha, Sasuke suddenly questions the purpose of life. The purpose of his life. The shinobi world has corrupted him, damaged him, tainted him. Tainted all of them. They are no longer those naïve genins they used to be. Having experienced pain and suffering has brought forth new perspectives in life, and in their purpose as shinobi. Now the question for him lays, what’s next?
As he is once again lost in his way, not knowing where to go or what path to take, Sakura once again embraces him and pours him with her love. She lets her walls crumble again, never letting him go, she lets herself love him entirely.
If there’s one thing Sasuke has learned, it’s that he’s loved. Loved by his late parents, by his late brother, by his comrades, and by her.
Once again, Sasuke’s life is not so black and white. Once again, she is beginning to add colors.
She said, do you see me in black and white
Do you need me every day and night
I said, I don't wanna dance with another
Finally, he lets his walls crumble for her. Finally, he lets her in his heart. Emotions wash over him as he finally lets her see how vulnerable he is.
We could feel this darkness with each other
'Cause when I look at you I see colors
He cups her face, and lets his lips brush over hers before he closes the gap. She closes her eyes as she returns the kiss, lips moving in unison. She snakes her arms around his shoulder, drawing him closer. Her hands find his hair as she lets her fingers tangle in his strands. They break away, gasping for air before Sasuke trails wet kisses from her cheek, down to her neck.
Sakura lets out a grunt as she tugs the hem of his shirt. Getting her hint, he lifts her shirt over his head and lets her unbuckle his pants. He moves to lift her shirt over her head, skillfully unclasping her bra as she gets rid of her shorts.
He takes his time to admire her, admire the delicate skin. He notices the blush painted over her cheeks as they stare into each other’s gazes. He lies her down on the mattress, catching her mouth in another kiss. His hands grip her wrists, pinning her to the bed when he starts moving south. He peppers wet kisses on her chest, hearing her moans and whispers of his name.
When I look at you I see colors
He slides her panties off, and she hisses when she feels the cold air hit her. He lets his fingers run through her folds, eliciting a squeal from her. He plunges a digit inside, watching her reaction. Sakura shuts her eyes as she feels his finger in her. He slowly moves before adding another digit, eliciting another squeal.
“Sasuke-kun!” She grips his shoulder as he smirks. Soon enough he starts thrusting his fingers at a pace, watching her squirm underneath. He moves his other hand to steady her down to the mattress. When he sees her edging, his thumb finds the bundle of nerves and rubs it in circles, making her moan in pleasure, his name tumbling from her lips.
Sakura feels herself clenching when the knot in her stomach starts to build. He thrusts a couple more times before she finally climaxes from his fingers. He rides her off her high before catching her lips in another kiss. She pulls him closer to him, feeling his hard member on her stomach.
She said do you see me in shades of grey
Do you need me like I need you that way
I said I don't wanna play with another
Sasuke can’t fight his urge when he starts to align himself at her entrance. He breaks their kiss and looks into her, fire filling his eyes. She grabs his face and nods before he slips himself in her. She throws her head back, hissing in pain.
He doesn’t dare to move as he examines her face. His heart aches when he sees her in pain.
“I’ll be slow.” He reassures her. She looks at him with the same passion and nods for him to move. His movement starts out slow as they take their time to feel each other. He captures her mouth in another kiss, lips moving slow. He pours out his love into the kiss, touching her in the gentlest way. He runs his hand along her sides as he lets her hands trail his chest and stomach.
He feels a knot starting to form as his climax is near. He starts to quicken his pace, his gaze never leaving hers. She feels pain now turning to pleasure. The room is filled with moans and labored breathing, them whispering each other’s names.
We could feel this cryin' with each other
'Cause when I look at you I see colors
She can feel her climax nearing as she wraps her arms around his torso, pulling him closer. He senses her desperation and starts to quicken his pace, hands gripping her waist. She lets him move, wrapping her legs around his waist, drawing him closer. He hisses when he feels her nails dig to his back. With a few more thrusts, they both reach their climaxes, as he empties himself inside her, riding them from their high.
Every time I look at you lately
I see colors that are changing
“I love you.” Sasuke rests his forehead on hers. He looks at her with the gentlest stare, eyes filled with so much emotions that he can feel his throat tightening. He notices how her eyes glisten as she returns with a look just as soft and so full of love. He wonders how she can love him so much.
day ten: colors of you and me
// collabed with @ss-tyytyy ♥ had a lot of fun writing this with her and definitely something we’re considering continuing!
- - -
"I'm tellin' ya, Teme! I see it!”
Sasuke placed his drink on the counter, dark eyes turning towards his friend that sat on the stool next to him. He could see droplets of ramen broth lining his whiskered cheeks, running down and around his jaw before he brought his sleeve up to wipe the mess from his face. Sasuke rolled his eyes away and back to his own bowl of ramen.
It was their usual Wednesday night: meeting for ramen in Naruto’s favorite restaurant, eating their fill of noodles and usually drinking sake, but tonight, Sasuke didn’t feel like drinking. He didn’t want to feel the burning alcohol crawling down his throat, filling his stomach with an indescribable warmth, or hearing his best friend talk his ear off about this stupid color he had mentioned before.
Purple? Is that what he called it? Regardless, it sounded ridiculous to Sasuke. Some farfetched, fairy tale story and he didn’t have the patience to deal with it today. Naruto didn’t take the hint though.
“It’s such a pretty color. I never thought I’d see a color in my life, but this! I can’t wait to meet my soulmate, whoever she is… Hell, whoever they are!” He corrected and Sasuke merely grunted his response. “The first time I saw it was this weekend while I was hiking with Lee. I barely caught a glance of them in the trees, but there they were, flowers colored in such a soft and light color. I thought I was going crazy or losing my mind!”
He sat back in his chair now, arms crossed over his broad chest while his dark locks fell over his face. Instead of toning out his friend though, he opted to listen, his curiosity piqued by what the blond idiot was saying.
“Not only did I see it outdoors, but I can see it right now. That bottle over there has liquid in it that’s a purple hue. I didn’t believe it either until I visited Kakashi-sensei and told him about it!” Sasuke’s eyes glanced over at Naruto once more, grey and black painting such a splotched picture that jealousy piqued at his chest a bit.
He wondered what it would be like to see colors other than these shades they were cursed with for eternity — that he was cursed with for eternity.
The Uchiha leaned forward in his seat now as Naruto blathered on, talking about how light and how pretty the color was, about how he wanted to see it more often and that he would search for it more often. At that, he decided to call it a night. He couldn’t handle it anymore, and from his day at work, he really just wanted to sleep now.
“I’m leaving,” he interrupted as he pushed his stool away from the bar and stood. The disbelief in his friend’s eyes glistened in the pale light of the room, but Sasuke didn’t bother taking a second glance. He knew the puppy-dog look that was awaiting his dark eyes.
“Teme! Don’t be rude! I wasn’t done—”
He toned out his hearing, toned out the blistering shriek of the blond the moment he exited the building. The crisp night air welcomed him, a crescent sliver hanging in the everlasting sky above as he took long strides towards his home. Cars lined the streets, people meandering down the sidewalks; it was a busy night for it being the middle of the week, but Sasuke merely paced himself on the way home.
It was odd, he thought to himself, how everyone could live in such a dark and mysterious world. Some people have the ability to see a single color, while other are doomed to the voids of blacks and greys; it was one thing he couldn’t quite wrap his mind around, the thought of a soulmate entering one’s life one day, and they’re seeing their world in a different light the next. He scoffed as he opened the gate, feet padding down the stone path to his apartment complex.
Just as he reached the main building, he thought he caught a glimpse of light from the corner of his eye, a tree with blooming petals but it was nothing more than the lightest shade in his visible palette. Upon opening the door and allowing the warm air to consume him, he made way for the stairs, skipping a step to the top floor and finally entering the comfort of his home.
Color was a mere concept. Nothing more, nothing less.
. . .
Bzzzt.
A single eye opened, hair covering his aristocratic features as he glanced at the phone on his nightstand.
Bzzzt.
He blinked, his hand reaching for the device only to find the name and ridiculous photo set to accompany it showing up on the screen.
“What.” His voice was groggy, sleep-ridden and deep before Naruto’s ecstatic voice sounded through the ear pierce.
“You’re not awake yet?!”
He blinked and rolled over on his back, the back of his hand pushing the long strands of dark hair from his face, the side of his hand rubbing the sleep from his eyes before he stifled a yawn.
“I am now.”
Light filtered through the crack in his curtains, hardly lighting his surroundings as he listened to whatever his friend was going on about. This time, it was about his morning workout and what it consisted of, then slowly asking Sasuke to hang out after work. He merely grumbled to himself as he sat up and threw his legs over the side of the bed, feet touching down to the hardwood and lifting his heavy body from the bed.
It was a Naruto-like gesture, but he scratched at the back of his neck as he wandered towards the window, pulling the curtains open and allowing the light to reveal his room. It was almost immediate, but his heart hitched in his chest, air stuck in his lungs as his eyes widened at the sight outside of his window.
His phone dropped to the floor, nearly shattering the screen as it slid across the hardwood and away from where he stood. From his spot at the window, Sasuke could hear Naruto’s shouts of concern, but he was far more entranced with the view from his window.
Sasuke knew he hadn’t just seen what he thought was white blooming buds, but the color of cherry blossoms in full swing — they were everything but white.
They weren’t black, nor grey or white. They were colored in such a soft and delicate color, a color he had never seen before. It made his tongue go stiff in his mouth, his cheeks hot with a fury he never knew existed, all because that made up myth had come true.
He was seeing color for the very first time.
“Sasuke! Teme! Where are you?!”
The Uchiha blinked and stepped away from the window, hand reaching for the deserted phone on the floor before bringing it to his ear.
“Shut up, Dobe. I’m fine, dropped my phone. I gotta go.”
He didn’t leave room for questions or confrontation; his mind was whirling like a carousel, trying to find a grip as he rushed back to the window to look at his color once more. There were no words to describe the beauty behind it, but a new door in his life had opened, and whether or not he was ready to take that step was up to him — he had a soulmate, and it was now up to him to find them.
- - -
Sakura was a young woman with an esoteric imagination. Ever since she was a small girl, her parents had teased her for her ability to turn nothing into everything. Growing up, Sakura Haruno was never bored or lonely. Through her eyes, even though the world was what many people considered dull and lifeless due to its monotonous color scheme. Unless you were one of the lucky ones who happened upon your soulmate, the only colors you could see were the everyday blacks and greys. Sakura was one of those not fortunate enough to stumble upon hers quite yet, but she was a dreamer.
Over the years, the many novels she had the pleasure of reading only helped to keep her dreaming—hoping—seeking. There were those who didn’t believe in soulmates, those who found the whole aspect of it tedious and exasperating, but Sakura knew it was only because they had yet to find their soulmate. Once they did, they would change their minds. The world would become so much more beautiful.
Then they would be like her.
To see the world around not for what it was, but for what it could be.
Sakura was a believer. Her parents were soulmates after all, granting her aspiration that she, too, would one day find that person. The longing she felt for her soulmate only grew when one of her dearest friends experienced color for the first time. Hinata was on the timid and quiet side, and had been rendered speechless and shocked when it first happened. Sakura just so happened to be with her. The two met for coffee and a breakfast to go at a cafe they frequented when it happened.
It was an otherwise ordinary day, an early Wednesday morning. The cafe was filled with other patrons there for their morning coffees, some rushing more than others. When Sakura first began visiting the cafe it was still new, a one-owner place with little business but it hadn’t taken long for word to spread of their wonderful service and excellent food. Their baristas were knowledgeable, friendly and all four that were employed there had quickly recognized her, memorized her order and she needed to do no more than greet and thank them for their work in the mornings.
When she had time, she took the same table so long as it was open. Sometimes she was with Hinata, sometimes Ino, sometimes other friends, or even by herself. The atmosphere was always the same though. Light and warm, soft, serene music was a constant background noise, often that of mellow harmonics coming from nothing more than a piano. It had a soothing effect on her, even on the busier days when boisterous laughter and enlivened chatter threatened to drown it out.
Today, Sakura was feeling content and pleased. She and Hinata hadn’t spoken much on their walk. They’d finally taken their seats, Hinata having her usual breakfast tea and croissant while Sakura had her coffee and a blueberry muffin. So many scents surrounded her, filling her nostrils with each breath she inhaled. The freshly brewed coffee was her favorite amongst it all, but all the warm, baked goods were pleasant to smell as well.
Nothing was out of the ordinary, at least until Hinata’s face morphed into a ghastly look. Sakura’s delicate brows arched at noticing the change in her friends expression, seeing the way she fidgeted slightly in her chair, the way she anxiously tucked her straight and long, dark hair behind her ear, the worry of her lips as her pale eyes looked upon a small banner wrapped around the tray on the edge of the table by the window. It was stocked with napkins, condiments and sweeteners. Sakura saw nothing that should’ve caused such a look to come to her friend’s face.
“Hinata? What’s the matter?” She questioned carefully, her dainty hands cradling her warm mug while her eyes flickered from Hinata to the tray and then back to her again.
There was no response at first, Hinata couldn’t form any words though her mouth did open time and time again as if she wanted to explain. Sakura was a patient woman, but there was a lingering concern for her friend that had her pressing the matter.
“Are you alright?”
“Y-yes, its—” Hinata’s voice broke as if she couldn’t possibly elucidate. Sakura sipped her coffee, waiting and eventually, Hinata pointed at the illustrated oranges on the banner. “The oranges…” she turned her gaze to Sakura, blinking incredulously at her friend. “They’re not grey.”
“Not grey?” Sakura would’ve shouted in her shock, but her voice came out as barely a whisper.
This was it. Even more proof that soulmates did exist. There was an immediate excitement for her friend, knowing that she had come across her destined person somewhere and hadn’t realized it—but there was also this nagging envious feeling that Sakura couldn’t shake.
When would her time come?
. . .
Thursday began just like any other day. Again, Sakura had a full twelve hour shift ahead of her. The constant beeping of her alarm was what roused her, promptly at six that morning. After silencing it, Sakura stretched on her bed, arms raised high, body twisting from side to side until she felt fully awake and ready to get her day started. She always had her alarm set to wake her a couple hours before her shift; she never liked to rush in the mornings.
Once she slipped out of bed, Sakura padded over to the sliding glass doors that led to her balcony. Her morning was never started properly if she didn’t first walk out to breathe in the fresh morning air while taking a peek at her hummingbird feeder. The small birds and their rapidly flapping wings had always fascinated her. Sakura read stories of the males being beautiful, multicolored birds. When she watched them, Sakura pictured them looking more vibrant than they did from her eyes.
Today, Sakura found that those tales were factual.
It happened as soon as she stepped close to the banister and peered over at the hanging feeder filled halfway with sweet nectar that kept the hummingbirds coming back to visit. A small smile was adorning her features, lighting her eyes and accentuating her soft attributes. It was quick to evolve into a startled look—one similar to that of her friend’s the day before.
While she had several hummingbirds that visited regularly, the first she spotted today. The small bird was one she recognized right away, but it wasn’t it’s everyday deep grey any longer. Instead, it was a fathomless, rich color so unspeakably alluring. The sight of him stole her breath and had her heart stuttered to a screeching halt. With a silent gasp, Sakura raised her trembling hands to cover her mouth, tears pricking at her eyes as she stared upon the little bird’s beauty.
Yesterday, she’d been so envious of her friend seeing a color for the first time, and now it was happening to her. This meant that sometime the day before, Sakura had come across the person destined for her and like most others, was completely oblivious. Dozens of faces flitted through her mind, but of course she had no hope of knowing whom she crossed paths with could’ve been the one. There were too many.
It mattered not though. The only importance there was for now, was that this color had presented itself to her and it had a meaningful connection to her soulmate and regardless of how difficult it may be, Sakura was going to find them.
“Pink.”
His dark eyes scanned the screen of his phone, memorizing the name and the color he had been seeing more and more lately.
It was so soft, a gentle and alluring color that sped the steady beat of his heart in his chest; he wanted so badly to know just who he was looking for, but with no hope, he locked his phone and stood from his desk.
It was another long and painful day at work. It was like any other day — show up to work, type his reports, hand them to his manager, access any extra work that needed to be done, pack up and leave. Yet today, he was now seeing that single color and it was driving his mind wild knowing he wouldn’t find his answers being stuck at work. He sighed as he clocked out, grabbed his belongings and headed towards the door.
With his work behind him, he departed from the building and began his walk towards the bus stop. The blond wanted to spend more time with him, especially after Sasuke exploited that he could now see a single color, and without any let up or relief, the Uchiha was now on his way towards Naruto’s.
As he walked, hands deep in his pockets, he noticed the sky overhead and how beautiful it was in its prime. Pinks mixed with the white of the clouds, softly blurring into the grey that stretched across the horizon. Not only was this color in the sky, but it also appeared among the flowers and blooming trees — even buildings had that single color plastered all over their posters and menus, painted in pink and advertising sweets, drinks and desserts.
It made the corner of his lip twitch as he finally arrived at the bus stop, noting his perfect timing as the vehicle pulled up. As per usual, the people before him started to pile on, paying their fee and then taking their seat and he followed. Once on board, he slipped towards the back of the bus, noting the heat that encased his body as he slid into the cushioned seat and let his head rest against the back.
His eyes closed, sleep beckoning his mind but he knew better than to let his mind slip on public transport. It was when he felt something hard slam into his arm, abruptly moving him and sending a wave of chills through his body that he opened his eyes and glared at the person next to him.
It was there that he found a head full of pink hair, a button nose, and large, doe-like eyes staring back at him. Though it wasn’t the pink hair that caused his breath to hitch in his chest, but the color of her eyes that lured in every one of his senses.
It was such a lively color, glowing with energy and happiness and it drew in his undivided attention before he tore away his eyes and merely turned his back to her. He wasn’t sure if he heard her speak to him or not, but he closed his eyes as tight as he could, trying to discard the presence of the girl sitting next to him.
Sasuke wasn’t sure what had just come over him, but when he felt the bus start to roll, he could hardly feel his heart in his chest as it rattled his entire body with every beat.
. . .
It hadn’t been the best of days for Sakura. The several hours she spent at the hospital moved at a slower speed than she was used to. It was also a particularly busy day and for once, the young woman was disappointed in herself to find that her mind wasn’t fully on her work. The fault belonged entirely to that color she had begun seeing — blue.
Ever since Sakura had taken the liberty of looking it up and putting a name with the color — all thanks to an online chart specifically for those subjected to the vividness of pigmentation. Blue was everywhere she looked it seemed, but the different shades of it had come to her gradually. What started from the deep hues coloring the hummingbird developed into even darker shades amongst different fabrics or posters. Then lighter shades appeared, ranging from flowers growing upon the bushes outside of her home to the sky overhead.
That had amazed her the most.
To think that the soft grey sky was actually such a warm blue and not always the same blue either. It changed all throughout the day and now when she thought back to reading of the wondrous colors of the sky, Sakura found herself dreaming of even more colors. This had caused her to become absentminded and diverted during her work. It was so bad, in fact, that when the surgeon supervising her witnessed her unusual behavior, she had ordered Sakura to go home.
That was the only reason she had stepped foot on the bus at such an early hour, amidst the nine-to-five workers’ commute home when the hustle and bustle was the worst. Still, she found herself getting lost in each shade of blue her eyes spotted; being distracted enough to bump into someone and have them give her a shove which forced her into another body.
The sudden and unexpected push was not what started her into going wide-eyed and breathless — it was the sight of the smooth and soft dress shirt she had pressed into, the color one that was deeper and yet lighter at the same time in comparison to the blue she had already accustomed herself to. Her eyes raised to the face of the man she’d disturbed only to find the most beautiful porcelain face she’d ever seen before.
“I-I’m sorry,” she stammered, feeling her cheeks warm with embarrassment at the proximity and the aghast look the beautiful man was giving her.
He didn’t look at her long though before he turned his back to her, making her pout. It gave her time to admire the new color gracing her eyes, but there was just something about this man drawing her in — as if her heart was seeking him out. His hair was somehow tamed and yet messy at the same time, the back in disarray while his bangs framed his gorgeous face perfectly. There was a blue tint to his hair also, captivating her. She couldn’t just ignore the presence of someone so positively alluring.
“Excuse me,” she began, voice cracking slightly and making her blush deepen. Sakura cleared her throat and gently tugged on the man’s shirt when he ignored her. Her lips pursed and she turned her attention to her phone, needing to put a name to the color of his shirt.
Purple.
To be specific, lavender.
“Your shirt is purple… it suits you.” Sakura knew well that most of the population couldn’t see colors and if she had a choice, she would like to know little details like that; even if she couldn’t tell the difference herself. Maybe he could see though and he already knew. Regardless, she didn’t regret telling him.
. . .
Sasuke felt his eyes widen at her comment, completely taken away by what she just said. He always chose whatever looked best with the darker color of jeans he would pick out and the fact that she just mentioned his shirt being a color that was neither grey, white nor black — who knew he was choosing purple of all colors. Instead of keeping his back to the girl, he turned in his seat, allowing his eyes to shift to the woman sitting next to him.
His dark eyes reeled in the color of her hair; such a soft color that it piqued his curiosity and made him wonder if everyone had the color of her hair or if it was only her. He cleared his throat slightly, trying to find something to say.
“Your hair is pink,” he stated in a low voice, sliding down in his seat slightly so he could be a little closer to eye level with her. He wanted her to look at him again, see that light shade that he saw when she sat down by him and looked at him. He wasn’t sure what color he saw then, but it was interesting.
That color and pink reminded him of something natural, a happiness emitting from them mixing together and just when he wanted to turn away once more and enjoy the peace and quiet, he did exactly what she did and pulled his phone out.
After finding the color — green — he glanced back at her once more; different shades of green colored the world around him and not just her eyes. He never realized how many things contained that color, albeit the grass, trees, plants, clothes that people wore and buildings painted in the color. He noticed how much pink and green went together, and not just on the woman sitting next to him.
“And your eyes are green.” He breathed out softly with a click of his tongue.
“Green,” she breathed, those beautiful eyes lighting up in excitement. “Are they pretty? What is green like?”
Sasuke exhaled slowly, feeling his body give way to whatever emotion fluttered through his chest. He couldn’t quite pinpoint it, but the sound of her soft voice sent shivers down his spine almost instantly. He readjusted in his seat once more, allowing himself to face her and really get a look at the woman next to him.
He studied her eyes once more, noticing just how deep the shade of green the tops of her irises actually were, slowly dissolving into such a soft green that it made his tongue go numb. Words sat on his lips, begging to be said and when he held his breath for a second too long, everything hitched in his chest.
“It almost resembles warmth and living,” he clicked with his tongue before looking away for a brief moment. He wasn’t sure if the bus was hot, but his cheeks and ears felt entirely too hot for his liking.
“Warmth and living…” she sounded completely taken with the idea, feeling amazed and excited at once.
The girl didn’t seem to understand the meaning of personal space — leaning closer against him and clasping his hand with both of hers.
“Wow. That truly sounds amazing. Yours are… they’re black. But, not like the everyday black. I mean, they’re like this deep black. Like I’m staring into an endless abyss of emotion. Glossy… and not only black but these lighter speckles are there… almost grey, only different than grey. They’re really pretty.”
His breath hitched in his throat at the sudden contact, making his cheeks and ears grow hotter with each passing second. When he turned to look at her, he noticed the slight pink that dusted her cheeks and not only that, but a different color started coming into play.
It was soft, like the color of her hair only it painted her skin and added another color to his palette. He felt unusual, something strange stirring in his chest the longer he looked at her before breathing out.
Sasuke then looked away, his eyes focusing on objects passing by as the bus continued moving. He wasn’t used to this type of treatment—being close to anyone, especially some random stranger he met on public transport but there was something about her that was drawing him in and he didn’t want to escape that feeling.
He felt comfortable, safe, a sense of relief washing over him as he let his body relax, the tension slowly fading when he looked back at her.
“And yes,” he said softly, trying to force the words out. “Your eyes are pretty.” The corner of his lip turned up into a smirk, hoping she wouldn’t notice that she actually made him do something other than scowl, but it was clear to him that she was inquisitive and paid attention.
The color adorning her face darkened to a shade more vibrant than pink and for a fleeting moment, she averted her eyes. Those dainty hands didn’t release his, but instead held on a little tighter. When her eyes met his once more, she said, “My name is Sakura. What’s yours?”
“Sasuke.” He said in a voice that wasn’t as cold as it usually was. Staring into her eyes was like seeing the world in a different, much more appealing light and although he had just met this girl, he didn’t want to leave her right away.
Unfortunately, the bus came to a halt, his stop for getting off and going to Naruto’s. He sighed, his hand tightening around her smaller hand in his. “This is my stop,” he said, dark eyes flicking back to her to catch sight of her beautiful color palette one last time.
“Oh.” There was a bit of disappointment that flashed in her eyes, but she still smiled at him. “Well, Sasuke-kun, I have a feeling we’ll see each other again soon.”
He clicked his tongue, a softer smile pulling at his lips before releasing her hand and standing from his seat.
“I do too.”
He slid between her and the seats in front of them, striding down the aisle with his heart beating full force, skipping down the steps and finally letting go of the breath he didn’t realize he was holding. When he glanced back, his eyes searched for her; his beacon of color, a light that he didn’t want to go out and when he found her, his eyes connected with hers and a world of color consumed him whole.
It was unlike anything he had ever experienced, knowing full well that he had just met the person he’d been searching for and while the promise of myth still danced around in his head, he knew it to be true now.
He smirked at her as the bus began to pull away, letting her go along with it because he knew that wouldn’t be their one and only meeting — definitely not the last.
Let me put my artist hat on and let’s talk colour theory. I’ve always been interested in the little details when it comes to Sasuke and Sakura’s development and their relationship. Their character progression, their actions towards one another, the way Kishi draws them looking at each other in particular. However, what about the colour choices behind their designs and what do they mean? I’ve been thinking about these things and I have a feeling Kishi put a lot of thought behind their designs.
Looking at the theory of colours, there’s a concept called colour harmony. This relates to the relationship between colours and their positions on the colour wheel.
Analogous colours are the ones which are close or right next to each other on the color wheel, while complementary colours are directly opposite each other.
The dominant colour in Sakura’s clothes is red as her attire consists of a Chinese-style dress with short sleeves in deep red with green (or sometimes blue) shorts and sandals. In her case, the colours of her clothes are complementary because red and green are opposite each other on the colour wheel.
In Sasuke’s case (during his Genin years), he sports a blue t-shirt, white shorts and blue sandals. In terms of colour context then, Sasuke and Sakura look really harmoniously when they are together, having blue and red as their dominant/main colours respectively.
During Shippuden, Kishi changed Sasuke’s design, giving him Japanese-style clothes consisting of a white shirt with dark blue/black trousers and a purple rope belt. Sakura’s outfit also changed, consisting of a red top and light pink (Kishi sometimes draws it grey) skirt with black boots. (In The Official Character Data Book, Kishi describes her outfit as resembling a karate uniform, designed with a focus on close-range combat). Once again, when depicted together, there’s a harmony between Sasuke and Sakura’s looks colour-wise.
Now, if we consider their eyes, things start getting even more interesting. Sasuke’s eyes are onyx in color, while Sakura has green eyes. However, when Sasuke activates his Sharingan, his eyes become red. And you guessed it – red and green are exact opposites. And not only that, Sasuke’s Sharingan complements Sakura’s medical jutsus too as her healing chakra is green in color. In fact, even Sasuke’s Rinnegan and Susano’o complement Sakura’s eyes and jutsu, as purple and green are opposites too.
To me, it’s like Sakura’s green eyes can soothe Sasuke’s anger (his Sharingan) and she can heal him with her (green) healing chakra and her loving heart. Her heart, compassion and love can turn his eyes from red to their original color – dark onyx.
So, the harmony between Sasuke and Sakura is evident. We find it in their clothes, in their ninja techniques, in their eyes and practically in every other respect.
But wait, there’s more.
While reading about Japanese colour symbolism, I came across some intriguing little details. In the courts of Ancient Japan, there were ‘forbidden’ colours, or kinjiki, reserved only for people of royal descent and the highest ranks. Of those ‘forbidden’ colours, three in particular stood out to me the most, namely:
黄丹 ouni – orange – reserved for the crown prince (well, Naruto didn’t wear a crown, but he sure got to wear the Hokage hat in the end, so yeah)
深紫 fuka-murasaki – deep purple – for subjects of the first rank (sounds a lot like Sasuke to me, him being the Shadow Hokage. On another note, Sasuke’s name supposedly derives from a famous ancient ninja. I’ve also read his name means assistant/supportive commander).
深蘇芳 uka-zuou – dark red – for imperial princesses (what was our Cherry Blossom Queen’s main colour again? Ah, yes – dark red. Interesting.🤭🌸).
When I came across this info, I couldn’t help but wonder if: 1- Kishi deliberately used these ‘forbidden’ colours for our trio in Team 7, or 2- being the extremely talented and hard-working mangaka with a vast knowledge of colour theory, he chose complementary colours for our heroes’ designs that harmonise well with each other. Or option 3 – maybe it was a combination of the two points from above. In any case, I’m sure lots of thought was put into Sasuke and Sakura’s designs because they are fantastic, complementing their personalities and inherent characteristics in a beautiful way.
There are probably lots more things I can talk about when it comes to Sasuke and Sakura and colour theory, but this post has become too long as it is. The bottom line is, Sasuke and Sakura complement each other, in every respect. I hope this was interesting for the brave souls who stayed to read it till the end.
P.S. I know this prompt was technically due for the 10th but life happened. In my defence, I had the lineart done on time, but I also had to colour it, you know ^_^ *wink*.
