"Ah, can I get something for the pain, maybe a kiss?" asked the man rolling on the ground in agony as he grabbed the girl's glowing green hand. His brown eyes locked onto her green ones, the chocolate orbs clouded with his stormy fears of the unknown beyond this life. He knew his wound was bad and still he managed to flirt with her.
"Sure, Sai," called the pink haired medic as she removed her hand from his tight grasp, made slick with blood, and continued to thread the man back together with her healing chakra.
A teenager with dark eyes, hair, and the palest skin came over and knelt down on the opposite side of the man from the girl trying to patch the moving subject back together. The stranger's ornamental armor was smeared with blood, and his thrashing wasn't helping the girl go any faster.
"Whoa, not who I meant!" yelled the injured soldier, dismay and disappointment in his deep voice.
"I'm told I'm a good kisser," Sai informed him, his words dry of any emotion.
"Sorry, not into guys, at all," the injured man apologized with quick waves of his hands, a new shocked expression on his face.
"Neither am I, but if it would distract you from the pain I am willing to help," explained the former Root member.
The pinkette did her best to hide her amusement but Sai's bluntness was breaking her composure. The young male ninja's offer of a kiss had done what she needed it to do. It had taken the man's focus off her and let her render the life threatening wound harmless quickly. With her job done, she grabbed the pack she had hastily discarded to help the injured man. She found a rag to clean her hands that were covered in blood. Carefully, she discarded the the newly red cloth and placed her pack over her shoulders, ready to chase after her other comrade.
"Let's hurry and catch up with Naruto," she commanded as the man got to his feet, checking his wounds in amazement.
"You're good, Pinky," he smiled as he shook the mop of brown hair out of his eyes.
She ignored the nickname and gave the persistent man a nod in recognition of his thanks. Sai was by her side ready to depart but before they could leap to the trees the man pulled the rosette to him. Her instinct was to punch him first and ask questions later but having just healed him, she schooled her reaction by setting her burning gaze on his hand that gripped her upper arm.
"Workmanship like this deserves a reward," he purred fingers brushing against her creamy cheek and his head leaning down to steal a kiss.
This man inching closer to her virgin lips was tall, dark and handsome. His eyes shone with a flare for life and his tongue dripped honey. Sakura was sure many girls out in the Land of Fire would find it a just reward, maybe even faint at the prospect of getting to lock lips with a man as good looking as this one. She, on the other hand, was far from impressed that it snuggled closer to annoyance and anger. Before she could stop the incoming kiss, she was separated from the man's grasp and pushed behind a muscled wall of black and orange.
"Did I miss a bandit?" growled her savior, as he lifted the man into the air by his armor.
"Put him down, Naruto," she sighed at his over protectiveness.
"I was just trying to thank her," growled the man a foot off the ground.
"You don't have to thank me, its my job to patch up idiots," commented the medic as she tapped Naruto's arm, encouraging him to put the man down.
She eyed the blond carefully as he set the high ranking solider down. Once the two males were a safe distance from each other, having a private glaring contest, the pink haired beauty experimentally punched the man who rescued her lips.
"Ouch! What was that for?" whined the assaulted boy as he rubbed the violated area.
"Sometimes I can't tell if you're a clone or not," admitted the medic, disgruntled to voice her inability to tell the difference.
"You could have just asked," replied the pouting boy.
"Where's the fun in that?" she winked playfully.
He didn't know what had got into his team medic but lately, she'd been a lot more flirty with him and more patient with Sai. Even though the original Team Seven wasn't back together going out on missions yet, Sasuke was still on house arrest until the council and Hokage figured out what to do with him, she had been like a different person. Naruto could only take into account that the Uchiha was the reason for her personality shift. He failed to factor in that war changed people, that she'd continued growing and maturing with her new responsibilities, and the plain fact that the people she surrounded herself with were rubbing off on her.
Her best friend, Ino, was the queen of flirts, flirted her way in and out of trouble faster than most people breathed. The master of medics, who taught Sakura all she knew, had a perverted side that she let run rampant when she had too much to drink, which was more often than not. Then there was her newest teammate, he had asked her to help him in the art of flirting and had given her several books on the subject so she could help him practice. Naruto himself would playfully tease her all the time, it use to get him a bruised cheek.
"We'd better get back to the mission," Sai reminded his teammates, adjusting his gear.
Naruto waited until Sakura was a safe distance from the soldier before he moved to follow her.
"What's your mission," inquired the man as he fixed this protective gear that didn't have a scratch on it except where he had been run through.
Sakura figured he was some kind of noble and his father bought his position in the military but she wasn't going to say anything about it. A man's pride was a dangerous thing to insult, they didn't always react rational when you jabbed it too hard with their flaws.
"We're meeting with the Royal," Sai began but was silenced by a massive hand over his mouth.
"Shut up," growled Naruto, not believing the former member of Root could be so giving with information.
The pale boy pushed the silencer away, "he's obviously part of the Royal Guard," was the explanation for his forth comeliness.
"I actually need to get back to the Royal Guard, if you guys could escort me, I'd be eternally grateful," smiled the man.
Naruto didn't like the idea of him tagging along and being close to the woman he loved after already trying to kiss her but his compassion was stronger than his jealousy. The woods they were traveling through were full of bandits, thieves, and other low lives. So they agreed to let him accompany them. Naruto noticed as they moved down the trail that the new comer positioned himself directly behind his female teammate. His other teammate stuck close to the side of their medic, while he stayed near the man who didn't belong to Team Seven.
Not long into the trek through the forest, the stranger struck up a conversation with the blond man, "so how do you get a woman like that to notice you?"
Naruto shrugged, if he knew the answer to that question, she'd already be his. A dangerous thought crossed his mind as he pondered telling the man she was in to broken men with big brother issues but he didn't want to make his friend sound like a freak. It might do the job of detouring the man, who's attention was riveted on her ass.
"There's got to be a way to bed her," pondered the dark brown haired man.
Before he could take another step, his blond companion had him off the ground and abruptly pinned to a tree. Naruto's displeasure was evident on his face, the words the man had dared to speak made his temper flair almost as fast as the girl he loves legendary temper.
"You don't bed a girl like Sakura. You love and respect her from a safe distance," growled the blue eyed dominate male.
"Whoa, easy, I didn't realize there was someone already trying to bed her," back tracked the newcomer, holding his hands out in a submissive position.
"I'm not trying to bed her," replied the possessive male, leaving it unsaid that he was trying to win her heart. He released his vice grip on the man, still eying him like he was a dangerous snake. The last thing he thought she needed was another man confusing her and he didn't want the competition. They got back on the trail and followed after the woman they were arguing about and the creepy pale boy.
"You're scared of her, aren't you?" came a teasing voice next to him as they walked along.
Naruto gave the guy a look like he was insane but in truth he was scared of her. Scared of what she could do to him with a glance. Frightened that if she smiled the right way, his legs would turn to mush. He was afraid that if he looked into her green eyes for too long he'd get lost in their ocean like depth. It stopped his heart when he thought of kissing her and it made him want to die seeing some else try.
While Naruto was deep in thought about the destructive power the pinkette had on him without even mentioning her ninja skills, the sun was starting to leave its place in the sky to allow her less luminous sister to stand guard over the land.
"While you two girls were braiding your hair, Sai and I found a camping spot," taunted the medic, drawing Naruto out of his thoughts.
Naruto gave her a sheepish grin as he walked passed her to go help their teammate with the campsite. She watched both men closely thinking she missed a cock fight on the trail but both seemed to have come out of it unharmed. Sai was setting up a small tent while Naruto went to find water, Sakura ventured off to find some fire wood. The odd man out sat near the boy who had offered to give him a kiss.
"It doesn't look like the Leaf is taking the protection of the prince seriously only sending three ninja to his aide," remarked the brown haired man.
"The Leaf takes this mission very seriously, and sent quality over quantity, two of the village best are here," replied the man busy with his project.
"So, you and that blond kid are the best, what does that make Pinky, support?" laughed the solider.
"In that context, I would be support," Sai clarified, now done with his first chore.
The pale boy started lining a pit with rocks for the fire. Busy with his task, but being a well trained ninja, he didn't fail to notice the young noble pondering his words.
"Those two really all that dangerous?" asked the brown haired man.
The dark haired ninja paused in his task to seriously consider the man's inquiry. His mind about the team he was forced upon had been changing since almost day one. He had a new found respect for the duo after the war.
"I would estimate they are the most dangerous duo I've ever met," he finally concluded. It wasn't just their abilities that made them so dangerous. It was there determination to protect each other that made them deadly.
It gave the man something to mull around in his mind. The Leaf had taken the prince's request for protection seriously, if what the young man said was true. He also began to wonder what made this pair so formidable. While the noble was busy speculation about the ninjas he found himself to be in the company of, the blond returned with plenty of water for the evening.
"That's a lot of water for just cooking," estimated the older male.
Naruto looked at him, noting how out of place he seemed with his pretty armor, fancy sword, and flower boy looks. He didn't feel the need to justify to this pampered prissy man how much water he brought back.
"Sakura likes to clean up before bed," noted Sai in his drab manner, hanging his friend out to dry.
A small blush paraded across whiskered cheeks thinking of the girl bathing herself and how he would like to lend her a helping hand. A crash nearby brought the pervert out of his lustful thoughts and back to the reality at hand. Sakura had dropped a large log by the fire pit to use as seating. She then dropped another to use as fuel for the fire. All the members of Team Seven continued in there rituals of preparing camp. Leaving one to watch the inner workings of the group from his new perch on the log.
The outsider was having a difficult time figuring out the dynamics of their relationships. He knew, without a doubt, the blond was in love with the rosette, but she seemed oblivious. While the dark haired boy seemed to notice the one sided love between the two, it did not seem to stop him from making crude remarks to either of them.
"Sakura, what would you do if I tried to kiss you?" Sai asked, he was puzzled at her delayed reaction to the noble's earlier advances.
"I'd punch you," she replied, snapping some branches for kindling before tossing them in the fire pit.
"What will you do if the prince tries to kiss you?" inquired the man.
Naruto was intently listening to the conversation with mixed emotions.
"Watch the log," instructed the girl before a fist infused with chakra shattered it to bits.
The newcomer gawked at the sight of such overwhelming strength from such a small person. Her teammates were unfazed by her display of power. Naruto lazily brushed off a few shards of wood that had landed on his jacket, while Sai was busy with a scroll and ink brush.
"You can't hit a prince," Sai pointed out matter-oh-factually, not looking up from his work.
"It's called an empty threat," she informed him with a sigh.
"So, when you tell me or Naruto to shut our mouth or you'll shut it for us, that is an empty threat?" questioned the boy with the fairest skin.
"No, because I can do that," grinned the medic dangerously, as she held up a glowing green hand.
Sai nodded in understanding putting his scroll and ink away, as a black scribble mouse ran off into the woods without notice, the noble was too busy trying to comprehend how the defenseless flower had turned into a monster in a flash. Once the fire was going everyone relaxed around it. Sakura sat on the log with the noble watching her teammates who made themselves comfortable on the ground across the fire. Naruto had put a pot of water on to boil. Reaching into her over sized green vest, she pulled out her storage scroll holding her food. With a heavy sigh she unlocked the ramen she had stored away for missions. On closer inspection she noticed they were not the ones she put in there.
"Naruto," she growled, accusing green eyes locked on to innocent baby blues, "did you switch my ramens?"
"I would never," he started but she raised her brows questioning his words before he even finished his sentence, "alright, but I'm tired of that flavor, its all I've had this week," he admitted with a sad puppy dog look. The impulsive boy had gone and spent too much money on her birthday present so his food money was tight. As to not starve and stretch his money, he had bought out all the ramen on sale, only one kind was left.
"How is that my problem? Give mine back," demanded the pinkette.
"Don't be greedy, Sakura, didn't you learn to share?" taunted the blond, a whiny tone made her grit her teeth.
"Its not greedy to want what's yours," bellowed the girl snapping to her feet, fists balled in aggravation.
The young man, with no ninja training, surprised the medic who had been focused on the food thief. His strong hands locked around her upper arms, his face in close proximity to her own.
"Then I will just have to make you mine so I'm not being greedy," he whispered, his intense chocolate orbs held a predatory glint.
"Is that a good pick up line?" Sai questioned, as he pulled out his notebook and pencil.
Sakura only managed a slow nod, Naruto was ready to break them apart when he noticed her hands moving in a familiar fashion.
"Remember the log," she warned, only to receive an infuriatingly cocky grin. He moved in for the kill, his baby soft lips moved to seal over her sun ravaged ones. He closed his eyes, expecting to meet soft pouting lips, he was stunned to be greeted with coarse, hard bark. His eyes flew open to see a log there instead of the girl he had ensnared. Looking around the campsite, he spotted her nestled between her boys looking smug. He had been confident she wouldn't strike him but he didn't understand how she had escaped his grasp. The stranger took his seat again, he was baffled, a woman had never refused his advances like this one.
"Classic," grinned the blond as he held out a fist to her. Without taking her eyes off the noble she bumped her smaller balled hand to the boy's.
"Isn't that technique taught in the academy?" questioned the former Root member.
"That's why its a classic, Sai," they both explained in annoyed tones.
The artist scribbled a few more things in his notebook before he snapped it shut. The medic took his dominate hand and began tracing nimble finger all over it. The other male didn't seem to mind her being so intimate with the strange boy. She then thumped Naruto with the back of her hand, he then handed her his hand, which she rejected in wanting his dominate hand. The poor boy had to move in an awkward angle to accommodate her demand.
"Its still hurting?" Naruto inquired, only sounding half interested in his own question.
"When I use it too much, but even a short battle leaves it tender," answered the boy with ink black hair.
"What's it been now, like a week," the bored blond continued the conversation.
Sai nodded his head, "makes it difficult to masturbate," he informed them.
"Not appropriate," Sakura shook her head disapprovingly while their other teammate about had a hernia from laughing so hard.
"I'm going to put that comment under guy talk instead of flirting techniques," comment the boy getting his hand worked on as he jotted it down in his notebook with his freehand.
"You write well with both hands," Sakura noted, a little jealous his handwriting was better with his left hand than hers with her right.
"I am good with both hands," agreed the confident artist.
"That's a better pick up line," grinned the sassy girl.
"It was a true statement with no innuendos meant by it," the confused Sai replied.
"That's what makes it a good line," Sakura laughed.
"If you are so good with both hands just use the other one to get your jollies off," commented Naruto as he laid next to the medic still comparing his hand to that of the injured boy.
"I do, I just prefer this hand," affirmed the fair skinned boy.
"Gross," groaned the young woman as she worked on the said hand.
"I wash," assured the young man.
"This is not a suitable conversation in front of a lady," the noble finally broke in, overcoming the shock of the conversation.
"If there was a lady here I wouldn't say these kind of things, this is guy talk," informed Sai with all seriousness.
"Am I just one of the boys now? Lucky me," huffed an annoyed maiden.
"You're as flat as a boy," retorted the serious pale boy.
Naruto chuckled, he was surprised Sakura hadn't killed either one of them yet. Either she had learned to let things go or she was desensitized by all the perverts on the team. He was still waiting for one of them to get hit into oblivion.
"I though ninja would be better mannered and speak more kindly of the fairer sex," scowled the nobleman.
Sai looked deep in thought before he answered, "we're in the field, on a mission, like death, I don't see gender out here, we all bleed and die the same."
His words hit a nerve with the other ninja, the Fourth Ninja War still fresh in their minds. Death hadn't cared about gender, age, experience, or anything. It claimed life after life with no prejudice or preference.
"I figured out what's wrong, do you want me to tell you or do you want me to just fix it?" questioned the medic, breaking the suffocating silence.
"Just fix it, I trust you," Sai answered with confidence, his dark eyes locked with her forest green. They winced once with pain as she unattached and reattached the tendon in his hand that had been done just a tad wrong.
The outsider looking in on the unusual habits of the trio had a new found respect for them. They had odd conversations, were slightly violent, and not an ounce of political correctness between them. Under all of that, there was a love and respect for each other that could only come from time and trust. He was beginning to realize he would never break into this tightly knit group. But that wasn't going to stop him from trying.
"Now Sai doesn't have to ask you for help getting him off," teased Naruto, trying to get her attention, even if it was negative.
"Who taught you to be so vulgar?" she snipped as she hit his arm.
He laughed and rubbed his arm, the violence against him had failed to even bruise him. She was loosing her touch.
"You know I was raised by a super pervert. For future reference, if you're injured and need help you can always call on me," winked the blond suggestively.
"I'll let Sai call on you too," she barked as a mad blush raged over her face like a forest fire.
"I'm a good teammate but he's on his own there, that offer is just for you," he grinned as he poked her in the side.
A hot glare set on him as he waited for her to slam any of her body parts into his vulnerable gut. Her elbow looked like it was in the best position for the job. An evil grin replaced her scowl, which scared him more than the angry look. Her sudden movement to stand startled him, in reflex he braced for impact.
"Come on then," she called down to him, motioning toward the tent.
His cocky grin vanished in an instant to be replaced by a look of pure confusion and horror.
"W-what?" he stuttered.
"Everyone keeps telling me to just sleep with you and get it out of our systems," she explained, in a down to business manner.
"I've heard several people say that," agreed their comrade.
"W-who?" Naruto couldn't get his stutter under control.
"Lots of people, lets go," the impatient rosette encouraged, she'd teach him to be so loose with his words.
"You-You're not injured," he protested as he scooted away from her.
Seeing his retreating form gave her confidence to take it to the next level. It took two steps before she was in range to crouch down and crawl over his well built frame. Her eyes took on a lustful look, part of it was due to her training as a ninja, the other part was she taken an interest in the blond. She wasn't going to proclaim her unyielding love for him, but she would admit she liked him, maybe more than a just a friend.
"Maybe its a hurt you can't see. Beside," she pulled on the black zipper holding jacket closed, hearing some of the teeth click in compliance to reveal his undershirt, "you shouldn't offer something unless you're willing to follow through," she purred as she leaned in close, hot breath caressing his outer ear.
The taunting grin she wore as she pulled away from him was infuriating and thrilling. By the swing in her step as she walked away, he could tell she thought she'd won this round. He watched in disbelief as his teammate held out a fist to her that she greeted with her own. A feral growl sounded deep in his throat. Turning to scold him for not following through on his word, she got caught up by the boy. In mere seconds, he pinned her tiny frame to him and was strutting towards the tent she had suggested to goad him.
"What were you saying?" he asked, the stutter gone and no fear in his eyes.
Instead of letting anger take hold of her she called his bluff. She let her legs wrap around him and she could feel the heat radiating from him.
"I said, lets go," she repeated, fingers slipping into surprisingly soft hair. She was being stubborn even though she was in way over her head. His hands found their grip on her outer thighs, trying to adjust the death grip they had around him from her nervousness.
There was a longing in her eyes that frightened him. His lips were dangerously close to hers, he didn't know what scared him more, that she wasn't backing down or that she hadn't sent him flying yet. He had been conditioned that whenever he invaded her space or did something else perverted, she struck him. Naruto stopped before they made it to the tent, waiting to see if she would come to her senses and free herself of him or if she would continue their dangerous game.
Before he got an answer to his pondering, she was reaching into her pack for her kunai. He released her after she sent one of them flying, then latched his fingers together for her foot to launch her in the direction she sent the weapon. Returning to the fireside, he noticed the ink user had three beast ready to follow after her if need be. Sakura soon returned dragging a poor boy by the ear. His face twisted with pain that was soon forgotten as soon as he laid eyes on the noble.
"My lord, thank heavens you are alright," came his melodic voice.
"Yes, no thanks to you. You will not speak another word till morning," growled the young noble.
This caused Sakura to raise an eyebrow at the snappy lord, "sounds like now is a good time for everyone to get some food before the grumpiness spreads," she remarked, thinking of her blond teammate, who was never a happy camper when hungry.
Her teammates brought their storage scrolls out to get their food. Naruto was thrilled to still have his stole goods. Sai had several kinds but the mischievous blond had taken Sakura's purely to irritate her. Seeing her glare at her packaged food, Sai silently bumped her and traded her for one of his. She smiled graciously at the boy before sticking her tongue out at Naruto.
"What kind did he give you?" inquired the nosy blond.
"Pork," she taunted, delighted to see he was jealous.
"Awe, and you had the vegetable kind, Sai trade me," whined the jealous one.
"Sorry, I gave our guests mine," apologized the artist.
After a few more grumbles they all quieted down and ate their food.
"Time for some sleep, young lord, you will take the tent," Sakura said, it was an order, not a suggestion.
Rather than tempt fate, he listened to the girl and drug along the poor boy. Once they were out of sight she let the huff of annoyance and the massive eye rolled out she had been holding since she healed the man. She set her sleeping bag by the fire and prepared to get some sleep.
"Sai, its your turn for first watch, I've got second, Naruto that leaves you third," she yawned, dipping a clean rag in the left over water to run over her face and arms. Scrubbing away the day's worth of sweat, dirt, and blood.
Naruto gave Sai a look, wordlessly saying he would take the medic's watch. Sai nodded in understanding, he didn't do it because she was a girl. He told himself it was because she was the medic and needed the most rest. If he allowed himself to think the truth, it would be because he loved her. His love for her was anything but romantic, he pictured her as his bossy, sometimes abusive, cousin or what it might be like to have a sister.
Streams of moonlight peaked through the massive trees as a noise woke the medic, kunai in hand she scanned the area to see the artist working on something in his sketch book by the small light of the fire.
"Is it my turn?" she questioned, grogginess still muddling her brain.
"No, go back to sleep," the boy with dark eyes ordered without lifting his attention from the page before him. His teammate nodded and drifted back to dreamland. The blond then rose from his sleeping bag to sit by the man absorbed in his work. "Its not your turn yet, either," he noted, working on the shading of his subject.
"Its fine, couldn't sleep," he looked at the page, it was a detailed sketch of his Sakura sleeping next to the fire, "she's beautiful," Naruto noted, his attention drawn to the page.
"She is unique," Sai affirmed, that was as close to a compliment about her looks as he got. He didn't find her looks attractive at first but when it came to their female teammate he learned it was best to keep his true opinions to himself.
"Its fine if you don't see it, her inner light that I see shining through, makes her my own personal star," mused the young sage. He watched her smaller form shiver as the wind picked up, caressing her back with its chilly fingers. He moved away from the artist to lay behind the woman, who captured his heart all those years ago and never returned it to him, using his own body to shield her from the cold.
"Well, we are both dead men in the morning for not waking her again, so I will tell you, I see it," Sai confessed as he shaded the lines around her sleeping eyes. He saw it, he didn't completely understand it, but there was something about her that made him want to be around her, to protect her. Something clawed at his heart every time he saw that fake smile, maybe it was because they were all broken in some way that drew them together. The girl whose heart was broken by love, the boy who was raised to have no emotion, and the boy who was branded a demon and outcast since birth. Life had forced them together but they had formed an unbreakable bond. Even the two with the rockiest of beginnings were now bound together by mutual respect.
"I think she'll wait until after the mission to kill us, you know she won't allow a black mark on her record with a failed mission," chuckled the blond as he let his fingers pull along her pink strands of hair.
"Naruto," she grumbled as she turned around and snuggled closer to his body, surprise took hold of the two males. She was still sleeping, much to the thankfulness of the said blond.
"Get some sleep, Sai, I've got watch now," smiled the giddy boy, holding the girl close.
Sai shook his head as he put his things back in his pack. Naruto was playing with fire, her temper may not be the bundle of explosives it once was but she still was a firecracker of emotion, and would burn him to bits when she woke.
As the sun started to break the night's grasp over the sky, Sakura stirred in his arms. Mentally preparing for the incoming punishment, Naruto didn't remove himself from her. Her green eyes opened and scanned their surrounding, which wasn't easy with a massive chest blocking her view, to see it was almost time for them to rise and continue on with their mission.
"You bastards," she growled, feeling the body she was snuggled up to tense. It crossed her mind to send him flying across the campsite but it just wasn't in her heart to do it. Besides, it would be more fun to keep him guessing, then snap at him right away. Her boys spoiled her, she was going to be in trouble when she was sent out on missions with others. Naruto just chuckled as she snuggled closer to his warmth. It was about time to break camp but she didn't feel like moving just yet, she was enjoying their exchange of body heat. Before she could fall back asleep, they sensed intruders headed their way.
Three ninja hid themselves from the untrained eyes. Four intruders stumbled into their camp, they were busy searching the area to pay attention to the danger that surrounded them. In a blink, they were captured with kunai to all their throats with the help of a shadow clone.
"Looking for us," Sakura purred in her captive's ear.
"No, we've been searching for," just then their guest, the noble, came out of his tent, "young prince," exclaimed the man in her clutches. All four men tried to go to their knees but the blades to their vulnerable jugulars stopped them.
"I know they are useless, but would you three release the captain of the Royal Guard and his subordinates," requested the prince.
Grudgingly, the ninjas let the soldiers go. As soon as they were freed, they all fell to their knees, bowing to the young prince. Silent curses ran through the minds of two of the ninja while one remained as calm as ever. The hot head blond released his clone, waiting for whatever came next, he had personally assaulted the prince at least twice, he lost count of how many times he thought about it. He stifled a laugh, his wild cherry blossom had turned down the chance to be kissed by a true prince charming.
"Seems you started your mission early, you just didn't know it," commented the prince to the ninjas but his eyes stayed focused on the rosette. He expected her attitude to change toward him, a satisfied smirk spread over his face thinking she would bend to his will, like every other girl.
"We were instructed to meet you outside the castle, it seems you came early," Sakura stated, returning her weapon to her pack.
"I got eager," smiled the prince.
"You got lucky," growled the pinkette.
"I get lucky a lot," came his cheeky response, making the girl want to smack the grin from his face.
"Well, what's done is done, let us continue to your destination, and then return you home," concluded Sai, keeping a level head.
"Our captain here will lead us back to the rest of the Royal Guard and then we shall continue on," ordered the young prince.
From there, they broke camp, reunited the prince with the escort he had been separated from during an attack from some ruthless bandits the day before and safely guided them to their destination. Unknown to the guard, eliminating several threats along the way.
Once in the safety of the town, they got the prince settled into the palace there. The team was about take their leave and secure the grounds when the prince was ready to test his theory on the girl who intrigued him.
"Sakura, do you have a moment?" he questioned innocently.
She nodded, sending both her boys a look that she would be fine and they should secure the area without her. Even though he motioned for her to come closer, she stayed near the door. She wasn't about to give him an inch, he was sure to take a mile.
"I have work to do," she commented, doing her best to sound bored by his tactics rather than intimidated.
"Is it so bad to spend time with me?" he questioned with a smirk.
"Did I say that?" she answered with a question of her own.
"I still have to thank you for saving my life," he noted, moving closer to her.
"I told you its my job to patch up idiots," the pink haired girl replied with no sign of a smile, she just wanted to do her job and go home. She didn't care for this man the way she did for any of her boys, even Sai held a greater portion of her heart than this flirt with his empty words.
He was surprised she still had the nerve to call him an idiot. Something in those green eyes spoke to him. She was torturing him and she didn't even know it. He moved in closer just to see what she would do. The image of the log shattering to sawdust replaying in his mind.
"I could save you from this life, you could be a princess," he smiled, stopping just in front of her.
Her brows furrowed in thought, she didn't need saving. This way of life wasn't forced on her, she chose it, and followed it with a passion. It wasn't easy but she loved her life. Before she could voice her thoughts something caught her eye. Her quick hand shot out and sent the prince to the ground with her over top of him. Blades impacted the door she was just standing in front of with dull thuds. She was moving after where the weapons had come from. Three missing ninja attacked her, they were good but they were no match for the student of the Fifth Hokage. Naruto and Sai showed up moments too late.
"What the hell were you two doing?" she snarled at them.
"Fighting off the others," the dark haired boy answered.
"Picking up your slack," came Naruto's snide remark.
"What was that?" she yelled as she grabbed his ear.
"Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, that hurts," whined the knucklehead.
"Seems it was a good thing you stayed behind," Sai noted looking at the weapons penetrating the walls.
"I'll be glad when this mission is over," sighed the girl, still holding the boy's ear in case he felt the need to voice something else stupid.
"You can come be my princess," their charge offered again.
Naruto froze and Sai listened intently to what their girl would say. It made him feel strange waiting for her to speak. He wanted her to hurry up and turn him down but at the same time he wanted her to stay quiet in the event she chose to become his wife. He didn't understand the conflicting emotions welling in him. Not knowing what face to make, he gave her his smile. It was best to get through difficult situations.
Finally she spoke, "sorry, they'd be lost without me."
"My sense of direction would still be in tact," Sai corrected, not understanding her meaning.
Sakura tried to stop the eye roll she felt coming on as soon as he opened his mouth but it got away from her.
"If you wanted to run off and marry some prince, I wouldn't stand in the way of your happiness," Naruto remarked, devoid of any emotion.
She shook her head in disappointment, neither male made an argument to keep her. Of course, they were stuck with her so she tried to shrug it off, but her legendary temper flared for a moment thinking the boys shouldn't allow some stupid, full of himself prince steal her away.
She pulled the ear she still had a tight hold on so his face was close to hers, "and if being with your dumb ass makes me happy?" she snapped.
"Ouch, then you better stay with me," he yelped back, wanting nothing more than for her to return his tender ear.
Her glacier cold glare set on the artist of the team as she shoved the hot head away from her.
"You best stay with me too, you're the best man for the job of keeping us in line," Sai teased but his heart felt lighter now that she voiced her need to stay with them on team seven.
The young prince did not understand them, here he had offered this amazing rare blossom everything a girl could want and she would rather live a terrifying life with her comrades who were all too happy to not stand in her way. Then a thought struck him.
"You love one of them," he realized out loud.
Another uncomfortable silence stretched out before the crowed. Sai was content with the genuine smile on her lips even if it was a small one. He shared it with her, he knew the truth. Naruto's nervous energy would not leave him to stand still. His hand found the way to the back of his neck to rub the short blond hairs and his legs shifted his weight from one back to the other.
"Yes I love them," the far away look that possessed her made the blond consider her to be lost in thought about their disturbed friend back home, "they may be obnoxious, rude, idiots, but I'd go to war with them any day. You, I'd leave home," she spoke clearly.
The noble figured it was a ninja compliment because he didn't completely understand the reference. By the smug looks on the boys face she just chose them and that life style over him and his.
"A ninja for life, I see," mused the brown haired man.
"Till the day I die," smiled the pink haired vixen, kunia sailing passed the prince into the eye socket of a man who appeared out of thin air behind the unsuspecting man. It made a sickening sound, causing the prince to cringe, looking behind to see the lifeless body on the floor sent shivers down his spine. Turning back to an empty room surprised him, he hadn't heard a sound. Taking two guards with him, by the time they arrived in the court yard the battle was over. The blond was on the ground with a wound.
"Idiot, I could have handled that," he heard the medic scold as he got closer.
"Oh, it hurts so bad, I need something for the pain, maybe a kiss?" teased the boy, an impish grin on his face.
"You heard that, did you?" she chuckled as she healed him.
"Sai and I got a good laugh after you went to sleep," he answered, relaxing under her gentle care.
"Well, here, for the pain," she breathed, as nimble fingers slipped into blond tresses, and pulled his face to hers, locking her virgin lips to his. His eyes wide with panic, she was done healing him, he was joking about the pain. He relaxed and put his hand behind her head and kissed her back with enthusiasm. Like everything he did, he did it with gusto.
The pale boy appeared by the prince, wiping blood from his short sword, while watching the scene unfold before them. The young lord had his answer, she was in love with one of them. She wasn't blind to the feelings of the loud, violent, overprotective, boy. She simply took it in strides, loving every moment of it. Their story didn't seem picturesque with all the blood and violence, death and life, but it was their story and he was humbled to have the pleasure of seeing one chapter of it with his own eyes. One day, he hoped he would find someone to write an equally interesting love story with.