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Day 1 – First Love (SSM17)

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“I didn’t know you liked archery” says Sakura.

He runs his hand over the curve of the bow, “I never told you”.

“Why not?”

He shrugs, “it never came up”.

Generally, Sasuke is not a man to believe in signs from the universe. But of all the places they could have visited, of all the villages, of all the shops, they just happen to stumble upon this one – a very inconspicuous one – that stocks some of the highest quality weapons he’d ever seen.

An archery set; whilst practical, did not usually make the cut of stock to what is normally found within a shinobi weapons shop. So to find one now, and one of such quality… “I’m going to buy it,” Sasuke remarks. Not a question, but instead a statement.

Sakura rolls her eyes, “okay, sure”.

–

Archery was his first love when he was a child – or maybe it was his second, or third…he did love his parents and brother more after all.

“Archery was one of your loves, then,” offers Sakura, sitting on a rock just a metre away as Sasuke looks over his newly bought set.

“…it was one of my hobbies,” Sasuke corrects.

“uh, huh,” replies Sakura

–

They’re currently staying in a small log cabin; assumed to be abandoned during the war. No occupant has come back to claim their ownership during the pairs brief stay of one week within the abode.

After breakfast, Sasuke had formed a routine to take out his new bow, and have a bit of practice outside in the woods. He’d bought a handful of arrows on the same day to accompany his honing of skills – it had been a while since he’d done this on a regular basis.

One morning, Sakura decides to join him.

She stands near him, not too close, but enough to see the concentration upon Sasuke’s face as he aims for the bulls-eyes of his makeshift targets. She notes that he is rather good at it, with an accuracy nearing one-hundred percent.

“Could you teach me?”

Her voice breaks his concentration, his arrow pierces a point slightly off target. He lowers his bow, and turns to Sakura, “teach you?”

She nods, “yea, teach me how to use a bow and arrow”.

He shrugs, there is no reasons not to. Sasuke steps back, and holds out the bow, nodding for Sakura to take it. She smiles, and steps forward, taking her stance and picking up a spare arrow. “Okay,” she says, “is this right?”

Sasuke shakes his head, “when you draw back on your bow, you need to keep it as close to your body as possible”.

Sakura readjusts her stance, drawing back the bowstring closer to her lips – however her bow was still not held in the correct manner.

“Keep the actual bow closer to you, Sakura,” Sasuke instructs, taking a step closer, “you wont have enough control in your current stance”.

She sticks out her tongue in concentration, and adjusts her stance once more. “Like this?” she asks.

Sasuke exhales softly, and walks up until he is behind her. Sasuke takes her elbow with his only hand, and adjusts her body position until she stands correctly. He presses his chest to her back, and quietly adds, “like this”.

Now, he can step back – he should step back if Sakura is to draw back the bowstring and fire. But he doesn’t, Sasuke continues to hold onto her form.

He breathes out – Had this been her plan? He wonders, a slight smirk forming across his lips. Bravely, he decides to move his hand down until it rests on her hip. He breathes in her smell – but Sakura elbows him away.

“Hey, come on, step back Sasuke-kun. How am I going to shoot when you stand that close?” She fires the arrow, she misses her target. “Dammit,” she calls out.

Sasuke stands a foot behind; face neutral, no words to be said.

Well – he’d certainly misread that situation…