To my ship buddy birkastan2018 who inspired me to write and enjoy whatever I get from it.
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or anything related, unfortunately.
Happy Reading!
The first time it happens, he didn't expect it at all. It was fast and he almost face planted on the ground due to shock alone.
Growing up in a team with a female had prepared him for several situations in life, like how to deal with mood swings and annoying antics, but never for that.
He remembers that they would change clothes near each other during missions, and they would often share rooms or tents, so he considers that these situations had trained him to be nonchalant and professional near a kunoichi or any girl for that matter.
Girl. The last time he experienced any of these situations was when they were twelve. She isn't a girl anymore. A girl doesn't walk like that, all graceful and slightly swaying her hips left and right every now and again. A girl doesn't dress like that, with clothes that hug, cling and invite.
It was the first official mission of Team 7, almost two years after the war, when he finally decided to return home. They spent the last ten hours running straight to Suna and it was finally time to take a break and rest for the day.
The Dobe was preparing their camp, she went to get some fresh water and he was supposed to find enough firewood for the night.
Scanning his surrounds, the sound of water splashing rang through his ears. Being near to the country boarder, he knew that this was probably the last spot before miles of endless desert. Without thinking twice, he approached the area where the sound was increasing but stopped in his tracks.
His breathing increased and he felt his chest heaving. His eyes were so wide they could probably fall off their sockets.
Secretly, he knew this would eventually happen, one day far from now, probably after his wedding night because he was that traditional. And he didn't expect it to be her — he thinks — but he isn't complaining.
Stilling all his movements, he waited ten seconds too long to leave, well at least he thought it was only ten but it could be ten thousand times more.
He was mesmerized by the sight of the pink-haired kunoichi that was refreshing herself under the waterfall. Her hair danced and mixed and was now part of the water, a shade or two darker than the usual pale rose.
Her arms were moving along the water flow, in a slow alluring way that unconsciously triggered his Sharingan, burning the momentum forever in his memory.
And if he was traveling the seas, he would swear that it was the sight of a siren mixing with the water and luring him into the depths of the ocean to his end.
Trailing his eyes over each inch of her body, his hand clenched in a tight fist when he saw that her petite form was bare of any impediments for the curious eyes. The curves were smooth and gentle, the stark porcelain of her skin contrasted with the delicate image she was creating.
When she started to twirl in a painfully slow momentum, he knew he had to move before she could face him. Trained light feet faded in a barely-there whisper leaving the entrance of the clearing area unnoticed.
Not far from there, a raven haired boy was crouched behind a tree, panting at the last image captured with his red eyes and clutching his shirt. The blush that tainted his face spread to the back of his neck, and all he could do was wait. He could hear the thump sound buzzing from his ribcage to his ears, while he involuntarily replayed the memento in his mind.
He knew then and it was clear as day that, willingly or not, that could be the valley of his end.
The second time, he was still trying to process what happened previously, and he then dammed this mission cursed.
Uchiha Sasuke wasn't one to seek the beauty in people or things — let alone the external beauty — and he wouldn't start it now. Being an adult during the majority of his teen years has robbed him of that discovery time full of hormones and curiosity, when it was ok to look, stare and gaze.
However, since the latest incident involving his female teammate and a waterfall, he couldn't help but notice little things here and there.
The way she would pull her hair into a ponytail when she was busy and needed to focus — or how she would pull it free afterwards. The way that the strands would bounce and move swiftly with her steps. He doesn't remember the last time he paid so much attention to her exquisite locks.
Once, he noticed how her lips would curl slightly into a tiny smirk whenever Naruto missed a joke. Or how she would puff her cheeks and sigh slowly, closing her eyes, when her patience was wearing thin.
How big and bright her eyes would get when she was excited about the tiniest of things. Those were trivial actions that would pass unnoticed to the old Sasuke, and now he wonders what else he missed. Everything was starkly beautiful — she's beautiful.
He wouldn't say that he was staring — or that this was a habit now — and he wouldn't admit that he was seeking the beauty of things either, it was only a simple research of things unknown to these new open eyes and his new perspective of life.
So when Naruto suggests that they should stop at the hot springs slash inn on the way back, he decided he wouldn't be annoyed and he would take this time to learn what he missed. It was time to strengthen the bonds with his team.
In less than an hour, he wished he could take it back. What was he thinking? After 40 minutes of one-sided loud chatter, Sasuke wanted to flee and leave the blond blabbering like a lovesick puppy alone. It seems that the hot water gave him a boost, and the Dobe wouldn't stop talking about the Hyuuga heiress.
It was easy to make a quick excuse and throw it at the first chance he had. Sasuke wrapped himself in a dry towel and went back to their shared room.
With the hot springs behind him, he remembered a different bath and couldn't avoid the smirk gracing his face. And then, he mentally slapped himself for letting his guard down. Walking to their shared room, he knew he didn't have another choice than to indulge in a cold shower after such train of thought.
Twisting the doorknob with determination, he's surprised when he finds himself surrounded by mist and a very naked pink-haired nin. It happens again and like before, his first instinct is to freeze. Eyes slightly wide, hands clenched tight, he cursed under his breath.
He can't help himself, and he travels his eyes from head to toes. The curves that he now has memorized perfectly — without the help of his sharingan this time — are shinning with a thin layer of water, which is making the sight even more tempting. He licks his lips then.
Some pink strands were glued to her inviting slender neck, dripping water droplets that were running down to her collarbone and diving in the middle of her breasts. He followed their race down to her stomach, not forgetting to pay attention to the two perky pink nipples on the way. His throat was dry and it was difficult to gulp when the last drop fell into her navel.
He could feel the warmth of his cheeks, travelling to his neck, and burning up to the tips of his ears. He continues his actions, as it was a mission. He contemplates the curves of her hips, and then dips more to find a narrow trail of pink that made his mouth water. Stopping there for a second — or several — and then he trailed down her long toned legs that seem to go for miles.
Realizing what was happening and his clear mistake, he snaps his eyes up. When he meets her eyes again, those green green eyes that were wide and calculating — fiercely narrowing after a second — he knows that he's in trouble.
He steps back, bringing the doorknob with him and tries to muster his best puppy eyes — in the best Sasuke way — which looked painfully amusing. He closes the door in a second while stammering a "Fucksorrysorrysorry~!"
He doesn't wait for a reaction, bringing his fingers up and making a hand sign, he vanishes in thin air, once he hears the door clicking shut. He doesn't come back to their room until he confirms she's sleeping. When his head hits the pillow, his mouth turns up into a smirk and he thinks that he can now relate to the Dobe and his fear for the little blossom.
After two weeks and several cold showers later, he was finally able to discipline himself. Uchiha Sasuke wasn't one to indulge in selfish and private pleasures of life. He never needed that before, why would he need to do that now?
With a crinkled nose and a curled lip, he chastised himself to not become like the Dobe. Ugh.
With time separating the last eventful mission, he concludes that the right thing to do is to apologize to Sakura. They haven't met since they came back from the mission, and they haven't spoken since the incident — yes he was calling it that. The way back to Konoha was quiet, and the tension between them was crackling in the air. He thought he could easily cut it using Kusanagi.
Determined to do just that and get rid of this guilt? or whatever annoyance he was feeling, he jumped through the village, from rooftop to rooftop. He landed on her building in a few minutes, and climbed down to her windowsill.
The glass was up, saving him the trouble to knock, the curtains were slightly shut, but he still had a few inches opened to see that he was in fact on her bedroom window.
He was still surprised that she let him off the hook so easily, and didn't call him out on it. So, he allowed himself a moment to think of what he would say first.
He doesn't know if that was a blessing or not, because in two seconds he heard a mellow sound that was about to become his doom. And then it happened again.
The third time lasted longer than any previous encounters, and it was undetected — he thanked Kami for that.
He always moved concealing his chakra, and being the fastest shinobi in the village, smooth and stealth came as easy as breathing for him. He was undetectable and he used it in his favour. He moved with the breeze and hid himself easily. Switching to a forty five degree angle, he could see the source of that calling sound was pilled up on the bed.
Expert red eye enhanced his senses and he met a vision that imprinted itself in his mind — forever. Closed eyes, flushed cheeks, lips parted allowing her soft pants to escape.
Sakura was kneeling in the middle of her — very large for one tiny person — bed. Her hair was mussed and twisted in a bun on the top of her head, a few pink strands were loose, framing her face. Her clothes, or what could be clothes, indicated that she just woke up. Her hands were roaming over her petite body freely, and they stopped when her fingers found the hem of her nightgown.
It was difficult to breathe properly, and it took everything for him to keep still. He closed his eyes and suppressed the urge to flee, clenching his hands into fists instead. This was wrong. He knew and still couldn't move.
Not blinking, he allowed himself to look back to the scene in time to see the offended material being yanked over her head, and her perky breasts bouncing in a circular movement. He definitely shouldn't be here. Move, you idiot. This is Sakura, your teammate.
He was pulled from his thoughts by a sharp intake of breath, which draw his mismatched eyes back to the sinful pink-haired kunoichi. She was trailing her fingers from her nape, slowly down to her belly button, making sure to slide over every curve on the way.
She resumed her journey and stopped with two fingers over the edge of her waistband. Playing and teasing the skin around and just under it. She finally gave in and slipped her fingers inside. She sighed and stilled for a second and the hesitation was making his blood boil and travel fast, to places he wasn't so familiar with.
At this point, he was torn between flashstepping as far as possible away from this little minx or staying to enjoy the show. He scowls at that. Uchiha Sasuke is not weak, and this temptress is not becoming his weakness — Hn!.
How dare she? Invading his thoughts and affecting him so much. He held his hand up, forming the sign that would tear him away from the scene, when he heard the most enticing and dangerous sound of his life, snapping his attention to her again.
"Sas-su-kngh.." He couldn't breath. Was he caught? or — no! It couldn't be, right? — he couldn't wait any longer.
If the first option was right, he had to get away from Konoha, or better, as far away from the Fire Country as possible. If he wished to live and not be punched six ways to Sunday, just to be revived by the same sinful hands that caused this equally sinful show — and the punching too — to then be killed by the same hands again!
His face paled — if that was even possible — sweat dropping from his temple. All the blood drained from him in a sweep feeling that left him dizzy. Without a second thought, he completed the hand sign and left the building, leaving a trail of leaves behind.
Going towards the Forest of Death, he was sure he could find a good hiding spot. He knew with absolute certainty that was one of the last places she would go looking for him. It wouldn't be her first choice — or the first choice of anyone who was part of Team 7.
Five long minutes passed, and his name was not shouted through the village. He exhaled a breath he didn't know he was holding. This was a good sign.
It was during the sunset that same day, when blue met orange and pink, that he realized that he should stop running. After spending the whole day overthinking and jumping in the Nara River — too cool down just a bit — every now and then, he couldn't ignore it anymore.
This all happened for a reason, and as mortified as he was to contemplate these possible reasons, he couldn't just ignore them.
He wasn't running from a person, he knew that now — but if he was, that person would be himself. He was running from feelings, he was running from possibilities, he was running from the unknown.
And the same way he learnt to seek and appreciate the beauty in all people and things, he learnt that he needs to embrace and feel them too. Because, in the end, you will not only find the beauty — or whatever you were seeking — you will become it.
With a renewed confidence in his step and an accentuated smirk, he marched back to the residential area he visited earlier that morning. This time, he'll use the front door, and he'll knock twice and wait. This time, he'll face her and apologize. This time he'll let everything fall into place.
A/N: Ok, first one-shot done. Thoughts?
Should I update this to a `one-shot collection` work?
Thank you for reading! :)