Green
Original Prompt: Green
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Ones mind can conjure the most twisted of creations, or the most awful of thoughts. For the briefest of seconds we can contemplate ideas we'd never voice out-loud, but our mind had conjured the thought regardless.
But simply thinking does no harm.
There is no action to follow.
No consequence to behold.
An outward exterior of kindness, compassion, and understanding can only be maintained if thoughts of envy, and jealousy, and bitterness are explored only within the mind; where it is safe, and contained. One must restrain what they let the world see of their inner mechanisms.
“Hey Sakura-chan, what are you thinking about?”
The kunochi stops stirring her straw; a task of absent-mindedness, “oh, nothing,” she smiles.
Sasuke eyes her peripherally, then turns back to his bento.
“So anyway,” Naruto continues, “Kakashi said I can start shadowing him tomorrow. I have no idea what to wear though – hey Sakura-chan, what do you think I should wear?”
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She could do it; she contemplates that afternoon. After Naruto and Sasuke had gone off to train, after they'd left her as she'd reassuringly stated, 'oh, I'm heading back to the office, anyway'.
But she remains still where they'd eaten their lunch. The grassy fields of the village's main park. Bright, and green – perhaps to match her spirit.
Its merely a thought, one Sakura keeps to herself for this thought – this very thought, practically embodies the idea of betrayal.
But still – what if she had tried her hand at being Hokage?
What if? – what if?
No one else had been asked, the generation before merely assumed; lets pick the loud one that kept insisting on the role.
To gain acknowledgement; that had been Naruto's motivation. A motivation driven from self-interest.
What if? – what if?
What if they'd asked her. What if they'd asked anyone else. Why did they not ask? Why assume?
She is qualified, she is experienced, she'd shadowed Tsunade during her reign – why did they not ask her? Why did they not ask anyone else?
“So, you're still here,” comes the voice that snaps the kunochi out of her mind-numbing thoughts.
She turns to find Sasuke regarding her from above. “Oh, hello,” she smiles.
Choosing not to reply, Sasuke takes a step to move beside her.
He sits down, she turns to look at him.
“He'll catch on,” he says.
Sakura, hoping and wishing that Sasuke not refer to what she believes he refers to merely replies, “okay, we're going to start with vagueness, huh?”
He remarks quietly, “Sakura, you know what I'm talking about”.
She frowns, “I haven't said anything”.
“Nor have you done anything”.
“Exactly, so what's the issue?”
He inclines his head towards her, his eyes drill into her expression, “what you're thinking about, its akin to betrayal”.
“You don't know what I'm thinking”.
“Don't I?” he says.
She bites her lip, and turns back to look down to her feet, “I haven't done anything, nor do I plan to”.
“Lets keep it that way”.
Her expression slowly fades – it is his tone that sparks the change. “I'm not promising anything, though” she says.
Peripherally, Sakura swears a ghost of a smirk passes the expression of the Uchiha. “Is that so?” he says.
“I could do it, if I wanted to”.
“I don't doubt that”.
“I'm more than qualified”.
“More so than what is recommended”.
“I,” she pauses, “I never promised anything and what if I wanted this dream as well, why doI have to be the one to step aside?”
“Nothing logical dictates that”.
“Exactly! And so...” she stops.
Sasuke awaits her respond with a knowing look.
“You...” she pauses, pouting with a frown, “...you expect me to go through with it, don't you?”
He nods, “I do”.
She pauses, then continues, hesitantly, “...and...you want me to?”
He smirks, “I do”.