Title- Sweet Dreams
By- Envo
Pairings- [Slight/One-side] NaruSaku, SasuSaku, NaruHina
Disclaimer- I don't own Naruto.
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Chapter 1
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Out of all four seasons present throughout the year, winter is without a question on the top of his most hated list. Quite frankly, he detests having to tread through the bone chilling gusts and sometimes join with bitter cold droplets of freezing rain.
He shuts the howling wind out with a loud bang of his front door, nearly taking the hinges off the plate of wood as he leans against said place with a heavy sigh and allows his eyes to close for a brief moment. Despite having probably the largest chakra reserve around the village, it doesn't stop a reconnaissance mission from sucking his energy dry.
A hand lifts the painted mask and throws it aside as the cool air surrounds his uncovered face with a refreshing touch. Through his dripping wet strands of blond, cerulean orbs scan the dark interior of his apartment and a small smile touches his lips. The surprisingly clean floor and spotless tabletop never ceases to amaze him whenever he returns from his missions. Hell, he doesn't even bother to memorize the layouts of his furniture since it changes with each visit from his helpful teammates that bothers to clean his house whenever they decides to visit.
Musing to himself, he slowly rounds the corner and make his way towards his private resting place. Though the thought of filling his empty stomach with ramen crosses his mind and tempting him to detour towards his small kitchen, he dismisses the thought instantaneously. As a twenty two year-old ANBU member, he no longer allows his craving for food to override his judgment. And when his body screams at him for rest, he heeds it without a second thought.
He drags his tired form into the small stall serving as his bathroom to wash away the filth that marred his skin during the mission. An ambush that led their team on a wild goose chase along the southern half of the border had not been on their team's agenda, and by the time they had hunted down each and every rogue in the group it was already the crack of dawn. The following days was rather uneventful compared to their first day scouting, but because of that particular event, none of them had the luxury in letting their guards down.
With his eyes half-closed, he emerges from the steam-filled room ten minutes later. The fit black pants are replaced with a pair of comfortable trousers in the same shade while the fishnet shirt replaces the dark, sleeveless turtleneck that landed in a heap in the far corner.
The turbulent weather outside seems to calm down slightly as sheets of rain reduced into nothingness and the surging gust dissolved into a cool, midnight breeze.
Having donned on his casual sleepwear, he proceeds towards the neatly made, twin-sized bed and falls into the realm of unconsciousness after covering himself with the thin comforter while leaving his upper torso exposed to the light brushes of wind that slipping through his unclosed window.
"Sasuke, give it up already." The fight that dragged through the entire day slowly wore down everyone in the vicinity. This was not the way he had imagined their reunion of the former Team Seven.
No matter how many times Sakura's green, healing chakra flared, it never seemed to be able to put an end to the constantly reappearing wound with each swipe and slash of metal. Even with his back turned, he could still feel the worrying gaze Sakura drilled into his back as she tended to a severely wounded Kakashi thanks to Sasuke's chidori variant—chidori nagashi.
Flanking his two sides were a serious looking Yamato that stepped forward to fill Kakashi's empty spot, who he later recognized as Tenzo, while to his right stood Sai with that same stoic expression of his. Neither side of the party said anything as they regarded each other while he and his kage bunshin produced another rasengan, it being the seventh of the day.
Ahead, twin sharingan wheels spun dangerously as its user continued to glare at the members of Team Kakashi surrounding him. A thin trickle of red slid down from the corner of his self-exiled, ex-teammate's tightly clasped lips and successfully bring his attention away from the piercing pools of crimson. None of them were left unscathed even with Sakura healing nonstop; her chakra level was diminishing in an alarming rate with each surge of chakra from her hand, and judging from her harsh panting, it wouldn't be long until she collapse from chakra exhaustion.
As of now, he had managed to land a hit that disabled the usage of Sasuke's right arm, a direct hit from his rasengan to the chest, though its impact was null by the electric current that runs through the Uchiha's form, and then a shallow scratch across the abdomen just moments ago. But the unstable wobbling and the feel of needles jabbing into him whenever the wind choose to pass by reminded him of his own conditions; a stab to his thigh that missed his femoral artery by a hair's length, a slash across his left shoulder and crushed collar bones made him hardly better off than his opponent.
All the sound that was left between them were the harsh breathings and the spinning of the chakra ball in his hands. There were no movements from either side. None of the trees stirred, not even one bird chirped; all was a standstill.
They were all reaching towards their limits, and they knew it well; judging from the slouched posture of the raven haired man, his energy and chakra were nearing their tipping point as well.
Without a warning, twin pools of red disappeared behind suddenly shut eyelids and its owner fell forward without a noise—
Another presence jars the complex web of chakra he weaved throughout his apartment and he bolts upright with a kunai in one hand. All grogginess gone, his sharp eyes scan through the dark corners and lastly, lands on a slim figure beside the opened window. A silky white, knee-length nightgown blows gently with the chilling breeze of the night while twin emerald orbs gaze at him, asking permission quietly. Tense muscles relax slowly as he let out a sigh.
"Sakura," he breaths and the kunai drops from his hand.
The only female member of former Team Seven makes her way towards the edge of his bed. "Sorry, Naruto. I didn't mean to wake you," her words are soft even in the dead of night, and despite her almost inaudible whisper and being shrouded within the shadows, he could still pick up the poorly-concealed tearfulness in her nonchalant tone.
He steels himself at her words and allows the tide of red fury to pass before making an attempt to speak without having the entire village listening in on their conversation. "He did it again, didn't he?" Judging from the trembling in his words out of his raging emotion, he has done a poor job at remaining calm.
The woman looks at him with melancholy eyes but remains silent. Pushing the blond strands obstructing his vision away, he let out a resigned sigh. Signaling his ex-teammate, he pats the space beside him wordlessly.
"I'm sorry for bothering you like this again," her voice is muffled as she delves beneath the blankets and settles beside him. Almost automatically, his arm curls around her waist and pulls her close as he tries to warm her freezing form with his own.
"What is it this time? I'm all ears." he voices his question quietly and waits as patiently as he can for her answer, which never fails to make him sick when it does.
"He was with a woman again when I got back from the hospital," she tells him without emotion; a robot answering a typical question.
"That bastard—"
"Only they weren't in the garden this time around," bitterness fills her voice as she continues with a self-mocking tone, "they were in our room when I found them." Blank façade abandoned, the agony on her face is so apparent, so real that even he can not bear to watch least he wishes to go on a savage rampage in the middle of the night. Droplets after droplets of pristine tears roll down her face as she buries her tearful face into his shirt, damping it within seconds.
Not knowing what else can comfort the pink haired woman, he does the next best thing. His hands soothes over her back as he allows her to weep in his arms. His chest tight and he finds himself unable to speak reasonably with the anger filling up inside him, so he wisely kept his mouth shut. Each droplet serves to only widen the tearing wound in his heart as he listens to the quiet wails of the woman in his arms. Trying desperately to fight against the urge of paying his other ex-teammate a late visit, he concentrates on other thoughts.
"This can not continue, Sakura. Look at what he's done to you," the sobbing does not stop, but he continues, "This is the fifth time you've come to me during this month, and excluding the two weeks of me being on a mission, I don't think you need me to tell you how serious the situation looks."
"I-I just thought he cared. The day when we—" she broke off. The sobs lessen, but the trembling of her shoulders does not stop. "I-I thought I could help him, Naruto. He's been through so much and I thought I could make him forget the sadness of his past and take away the pain, but…"
"What did I do wrong, Naruto?" her outbursts reduces to a whisper once again as she asks him.
It dealt a blow somewhere inside and the receding rage came rolling back once more; only this time he couldn't stop it. "You, wrong? Sakura, are you seeing reason? He is the one cheating behind you back and making you like this yet now you are saying you are the one who's done something wrong?"
He knew he struck a nerve, but it was necessary. The trembling form in his arms stiffens at his sudden outburst. He sighs.
"Sakura, you are his wife. Shouldn't you do something about it instead of allowing it to happen again and again? Maybe hit him over the head or something will make him think straight," he tries to cheer her up with his usual stupid jokes, but it doesn't work this time.
Silence settles between them until he almost give up on hearing her answer.
"I am sorry, Naruto." The helpless four words were and is always the end of their conversation. And it always hurts.
He waits quietly until he is sure that she is soundly asleep before lifting his arms from her and leaving her side.
Padding soundlessly out of his room, he perches down on the three-legged stool and watches the clouds part and make way for the moon to shine. The chilling wind that sends goose bumps across his bare skin jolts him from his thoughts as he move to close the window, shutting off the entrance to the offending wind.
The knowledge of keep one's home safe is known by all seasoned shinobi, but he left his window open for a reason; the particular reason that lies in his bed at this moment. It started two months ago when she first came over with a troubled face, then it all went downhill from there on out. Though he longs to hold the figure in his bed and not letting her go, it is neither his right nor his place to do so, as she is a married woman. She knew it too, yet neither of them said anything.
His feelings for her has never been a secret; it is, on the contrary, a well known fact. Being with the one he loved is suppose to make him feel happy, complete; but seeing her weeping for another man is simply out of his range of acceptance, especially when said man is a close friend of his.
He would never have allowed any of this to happen had it not been the vow he took when Sasuke left. He had failed to bring him back, and the disappointment in her eyes was surprisingly and overwhelmingly heartbreaking.
"Last time, I couldn't save you as you came tumbling down. But this time, I'll make sure you'll land in my arms."
It was and is because of this secret vow he took that he is in this situation today. He wants to stop it, to end all the pain that sends shock to his crumbling heart with each sob and tear from the woman he loved, but he still kept to his promise.
"I'm right in front of you. Why can't you see me instead?"
He is not sure how much longer he can hold on like this, but he can feel the limit drawing up near.
"End this agony for the both of us, Sakura."
A/N: No idea where this one pops out, but here it is. There will be another one to two shots (depends) following after this one; related or not, you can be the judge, because I honestly think they can all be read separatly without much confusion.
There's not much to say about this one, so I hope you enjoy reading it.
Reviews and constructive criticisms are welcome and greatly appreciated!
Envo 12/31