Kakashi awoke first the
next morning; he got up, and placed his hands on his lower back and
stretched back, yawned and scratched his head.
He froze and his
only visible eye widened at the sight in front of him.
Naruto, and Sakura, cuddled up at the mouth of the cave, in front of the embers of the fire.
Kakashi grinned, his eye was closed and curved into a crescent with amusement, he put his hand on his mouth and tittered like a (perverted) little girl; Sakura's hand was placed firmly on Naruto's bum.
Kakashi wasted no time
whipping out his camera and taking photos of the two.
He was going
to do all in his power to see the next issue of Icha Icha released
soon.
He admired his handy work, still guffawing and muttering how he would help Jiraiya with 'research.'
"Hey oldie, what's
so funny? The closet perv, Pinky over there?" Naruto had replicated
Kiba's smug voice quite well.
With a sigh Kakashi gave the clone
a backhanded boff on the nose, resulted in a 'BOOMF' and a plume
of smoke.
"Trust Naruto's Bunshin to have personalities of their own…cheeky little-"
His train of thought was interrupted by Naruto stirring in his sleep, Kakashi decided to disappear in a puff of smoke, and go get water for breakfast (Getting water reading his silly books, then realizing he'd been gone for half an hour, hastily dipping the reserve canteen in a stream and running back to camp).
Naruto woke up, and was positive he was still dreaming, as Sakura was still cuddling him. But the dull ache of sleeping on his Kunai leg holster informed him he was very much awake.
He blinked a few times,
the gentle warmth of her body against him, the tantalizing tickles
her faint breath left on his skin, her faintly sweet, divine scent
that gently teased his nose, would fill him to the brim with a soft,
enveloping calm.
If anybody asked how he felt about Sakura
right then, Naruto without thinking twice would tell them he loved
her more than even he himself knew, he wouldn't waste time on
metaphors because not one would ever really capture how beautiful he
thought she was, and how much he cared for her.
He went pink when he
realized Sakura's hand had taken residence on his ass…
She
stirred, and shifted so she was laying on Naruto, and arms around his
neck.
Naruto had a heavenly burning delight in his chest as Sakura
dozed on him, using him as a teddy/bed/pillow all at once.
Naruto wrapped his arms
around her back, Sakura responded by muttering his name, and nuzzling
his neck with her head, Naruto lent his head on hers and gently
said;
"Sakura-Chan, its time to get up!" He said in a
supremely happy voice.
"N-nooooooooooo!"
She quietly moaned.
Naruto sniggered at her protest in amusement.
"Just lemme, lemme sleep in for a bit…so tired still…"
"Did I really fall
asleep snuggling Naruto…"
One of her eyes slightly opened
at she saw the black and orange, that and his smell which filled her
senses told her all she needed to know, and with a smile she clutched
him slightly tighter.
"Naruto?"
"Mm,
Sakura-Chan?"
She gave a small yawn,
the hot breeze it sent across Naruto's neck caused a chill of
delight to shoot up his spine.
"I just want you to know, that I
want Sasuke back as a friend."
"So do I Sakura-Chan."
Sakura mentally slapped her forehead, she forgot Naruto never had
anybody to teach him about these things…
"Now it's time to get up, where'd Sensei go?" He said, sitting up and scratching the back of his head.
Sakura paled. Kakashi was there when they went to sleep, so he MUST'VE seen them.
Sakura was dreading his return.
Naruto went and packed up the camp, while Sakura relight the fire, she noticed Naruto keep looking at her strangely.
Sakura remembered Naruto always hid things from people, she had the idea maybe he DID know what she implied.
Kakashi appeared in his usual plume of smoke and 'Bamf' noise.
"Yo." He said in greeting.
"Kaka-sensei? Where have you been?"
"Water." He said in
that laid back tone he usually had, and held up the large water
canteen.
Naruto made an 'Ooooh' sound.
He sat down and
watched Sakura mill about, taking the water from Kakashi, getting the
miso rations ready, Naruto watched her walk around the cave.
"Up,
down, up, down, up, down, up down…" he thought, watching her
bum as she moved around. Naruto couldn't believe it (pun intended),
his Sakura-Chan was finally returning the feelings he had.
He felt
like exploding with joy and rushing over to her and smothering her
with kisses and promises of devotion, he'd developed an addiction
when she cuddled up to him for warmth the night before.
He supposed he'd have to take it slow, and eventually he and Sakura could start doing things girls and boys sometimes do together, the kind of things he heard from Shikamaru that Chouji and Ino do, things that make Naruto blush and giggle, much like his white haired, perverted sensei.
They ate and left, it was a days traveling from their current spot, back to Konoha from the border patrol.
While leaping through the trees, Naruto was trying his best not to let his eyes wander onto Sakura's behind.
"Shit! Alright…look at the birds, or the leaves! Those are some nice leaves…I'd just like to squeeze- NO! I'm getting like Ero-Sennin!"
Sakura slowed a little
to join Naruto.
"Naruto-kun, are you alright? You seem a bit
troubled"
Naruto nearly tripped
when Sakura appeared next to him, full of questions.
"Ahh…ha
ha…no! I'm fine Sakura-Chan!" He said with a wide grin.
Sakura
grinned back.
"CHA! NOW LEAP TO MY BOSOM! I'LL HAVE YOU
NAKED AND COMFORTED IN A JIFF NARUTO-KUN!!"
Inner Sakura always has something to add.
The next few hours were awkwardly silent, with Naruto humming with his usual grin, Kakashi with his book out, and Sakura thinking about…somebody blonde.
As they were moving through the trees, Kakashi turned around and gave her the big thumbs up, and his eye was creased into its smile shape.
Sakura went pink.
"She needs to open up a little more, it's about time the party started with those two…" He mused as he turned a page.
They stopped for lunch in a small tea house, Naruto nearly cried with happiness that they served Ramen, he'd been heart broken when they had ran out of the instant-ramen ration packs during their recon with Kakashi, even Sakura patting and rubbing his back and telling him Ramen isn't everything couldn't immediately cheer him up (after a few seconds it did).
They ate, Naruto and Sakura chatting about this and that, Kakashi eating behind his book.
Kakashi marked his page, and closed the book. "Nature calls." He got up and left.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at her sensei.
She started looking
around the small wooden restaurant, and eventually she gave in and
looked at Naruto, he was completely content slurping down his
noodles, the previous 4 bowls stacked neatly next to
him.
"Naruto-Kun?"
He gave a hearty slurp,
whipped his face with the once-pristine napkin; "Mmm?"
"Why
do you always eat Ramen, for every meal of the day? It's really not
good for you. You tried my gyu-don, you said it was tasty…"
He put down his chop sticks and his eyes somehow…transformed for a second, they went from their brilliant light blue, to a slightly murkier, darker blue, but still captivating all the same.
"Because ramen is even yummier?" He said weakly, it was as transparent as the swim wear Ino tried to make her buy a few weeks ago.
"Naruto, we're best friends now, there's nobody I trust more than you in the entire village, don't you trust me?" She was getting ready for the mauling pain of rejection, thanks to Sasuke, it's all she had ever known with this sort of thing.
"Well, I guess it's
because I couldn't really afford anything else…You can get a full
belly with just one pack and –"
"Oh, Naruto!" Sakura
moaned when she heard his life was, yet again harder than hers, yet
he never complained about it (somehow he found walking all day more
troublesome that the hardships he faced in the village).
She placed her hand on his; "I had no idea…"
He grinned, she knew
Naruto well enough to see that it was him trying to calm her down and
make her think there was nothing wrong.
"Ahh! Sakura-Chan! It's
fine! I'm not poor! I eat it now because it's yum!"
Sakura's
hand hadn't left his yet, Naruto was enjoying her care and contact
too much to be embarrassed.
"THAT, was the biggest toilet I have ever done, in my ENTIRE life." Said Kakashi, sitting down coolly, flipping his book open again, while Naruto and Sakura jumped apart with an "EEEK!' sound.
"SENSEI YOU MORON
DON'T SNEAK UP ON PEOPLE!" They roared at him in unison.
"Oooh,
how could you say such things to your beloved sensei?" He asked
with a mock tone of hurt, oddly his eye didn't leave his book.
The afternoon passed normally, Naruto and Sakura having little chit-chats about various things, with the overcast sky and chilly breezes it got dark faster than normal, and they arrived at Konoha an hour or so after sunset.
After a quick stop off to see Tsunade, Kakashi disappeared, muttering something about 'being late.'
"Saaaaakuuuuuraa-CHAN?"
She rolled her eyes at his immature address.
"How about a dinner-date? I have money this time!"
"YES!" she
thought, nearly pumping her fist in joy.
"YES!" thought
Inner Sakura at the same time, pumping her fist in joy.
"Um, sure! But under one condition."
"Oh, what's that Sakura-Chan?"
"You take me somewhere OTHER than Ichiraku."
She knew it would kill Naruto to choose between her and Ichiraku, but it was for his own good, she was determined to show him Ramen wasn't the best food around.
"Oh…alright Sakura-Chan!" Sakura was surprised how quickly he chose.
After wandering around
for a bit, they finally found a restaurant Naruto approved of.
As
they went in, they unconsciously held hands, Naruto's sunny smile
seemed to block out the ominous rolling thunder in the distance.
As they entered the BBQ restaurant, Sakura was on the look out, Naruto chose this one because Chouji had spoken so highly of it, and often ate here. Sakura knew, where there was Chouji, there was Ino and Shikamaru too.
After a quick scan the restaurant was clear, and her hand stayed entwined with Naruto's.
They sat down and ordered, Sakura had taken to playing footsies with him, her leg was enclosed by his two, Sakura's left leg was rested on the outside.
The smell of the zesty
Mongolian BBQ meat was sensational, it had a sharpish, sweetly
savoury smell, it had Naruto's belly growling again, which Sakura
heard.
"See? Other stuff can be good too!" picking up her
chopsticks.
They thanked for their
food and Naruto really hoed into his, downing the whole bowl before
Sakura could even get half way with hers.
When Sakura's bowl was
empty, and Naruto had finished hunting stray clods of rice in his
fifth, they decided to go.
Unfortunetly they were met with the
storm, now pounding Konoha…
"Why are there so many storms
in Konoha!? It's crap how many we have! My hair will go yucky now…"
"Hey, Sakura-Chan?
You know what I like doing right now?" He said, gently gripping her
wrist.
"Whaaat?" She asked, filled with suspicion.
"THIS!"
He jumped in a puddle, blasting her with mud and water, drenching her
legs and caking them in mud.
"YOU'RE DEAD NARUUUTOOO!!" She
growled, kicking mud at him as he ran away with his hands protecting
his head.
Naruto slid around,
scooped up a handful of muck and launched it at Sakura, who was
marching towards him with a stern frown. It splattered on her
shoulder, she paused, looked at the dribbling brown mess on her top,
then glared at Naruto as she scooped up her own goopey projectile.
Problem was, her gargantuan strength also applied to throws, so the
ball of mud shot at Naruto's chest like a bullet, making a dull
'whump' as it impacted.
Naruto held his chest and coughed,
Sakura was momentarily worried she hurt him, when she saw his grin
and that old hand seal again.
Suddenly a group of Naruto's
popped into existence, some grinning, some already scooping up mud,
and the poncy one who was waving at Sakura and saying something about
how lovely her skin would be after the coming mud bath.
They all charged at her
in a phalanx, with the Poncy Clone skipping in the back.
She
quickly dropped, snatched mud in each hand and flung them with all
her might into the group, the throws were so hard the spinning,
disintegrating muddy bullets struck a clone each, then kept going as
they went bamf with defeat, taking out further clones in their path.
But then the bunshin-gang threw their retaliation, the mud seemingly being sprayed at Sakura in a relentless torrent, she was already head to toe covered in mud, laughing her head off like a drunken banshee.
The fight went on for a while longer, when all that remained were Naruto, and a very muddy Sakura.
"Ahhh! Saku-ra-Chan! I did-n't get mu-ddy!" Naruto jived in a sing-song tone.
Sakura's eye twitched and she tackled Naruto to the ground, rubbing mud in his face and hair as he floundered in the large puddle.
The both trudged through the silent, rain battered village, their laughter and conversation rolling like an eerie wind through the village, with a backing band of the melodic rain drops and brooding, thunder.
With an arm over each
other's shoulders they walked to Sakura's apartment, Naruto
insisted he walk her home fro Chivalry's sake, he also wanted to
see her new apartment, so they walked, either of them not caring or
minding the cool raindrops caressing their forms.
Sakura lived in
small apartment complex, not far from Naruto's, though hers was no
way near as dingy as his.
Sakura stood in front
of the stairs to enter the building, gently biting her bottom lip and
wearing a look of concern.
"Naruto, I think you better stay at
my place tonight, you'll get a cold if you go out in that
again…"
"Sakura-Chan! I only live a few streets away, don't
be silly I'll be fine!"
"But your not the medic-nin here
buddy, I'm telling you, prolonged exposure to the cold and elements
will give you a cold." She said, closing her eyes, tilting her head
up in a smug way, no doubt repeating what Tsunade had said to her.
"Oh…but…"
"Think
of it as a sleep over!" She said, "I've got a spare bed and
stuff, Ino always comes over!"
"Um…ookay…I've never been
to a 'sleep over' before Sakura-Chan, are they fun?"
Sakura, a little sad
that he never even stayed at a friends house until now, decided to
make sure he enjoyed himself.
"You'll have to wait n' see."
She said, gently towing him in to the building by his wrist.
After taking their shoes off, they entered Sakura's apartment, which had thick white carpet, and light red, pinkish walls, she decided they could both do with a wash.
"Naruto, you have a
quick shower, I'll get you some clothes and a towel out, and then
I'll have a wash."
"Okay! Sakura-Chan, your apartment is soo
nice! The carpet feels AMAZING on my feet."
With a grin and his compliment she left to find him something to wear.
"NARUTO! IN MY APARTMENT! WITH ME!!" she thought happily to herself.
"CHA! HIS VIRGINITY IS MINE!"
She happily toddled to the bathroom, and went to knock when she realized the door was open.
Naruto heard the funny noise she made and turned around in the shower, give Sakura a gander at his front side too.
Sakura gave a loud yelp and threw what she was carrying down and turned around in a blur, at the same time Naruto tried to cover himself and turn around.
"N-N-Naruto-Kun? FOR GODS SAKE SHUT THE DOOR! THAT'S WHAT IT'S THERE FOR!"
"Ahhh…ha ha Sorry Sakura-Chan! I've never had to
close the door before I'm sorry!" Naruto was even redder than
Sakura was.
Sakura couldn't blame him though, she realized he
had lived alone for more or less all of his life, so shutting the
bathroom door while showering would not have occurred to Naruto
before.
Naruto emerged from the bathroom a few moments later, he gave Sakura a flat look, looked down at the baggy, lilac shorts that said 'Sexy Bitch' on the bum part, then looked at her and in a small voice said; "We're even now, Sakura-Chan."
Sakura couldn't help as Naruto slowly took another surly glance at the offending design, Sakura nearly died when Ten-Ten gave them to her, and Sakura wore them without seeing the back of them…
Sakura held in her
laughter, merely nodding and hurrying off the bathroom for her
shower.
The water jetted out, flattening her pink hair on her
head, she rocked backwards and forwards, hooting with laughter at
Naruto's stony reception of the shorts, her hands feebly in front
of her, as she shed tears of humor, she laughed so hard she began
lean on the shower wall, as standing had become a little hard.
After
her laughter had subsided, and the muck washed from her body, she
washed her hair, taking great measure to make sure the shampoo was
all the way in, completely clearing her hair of any mud or dirt,
leaving it with its lovely fragrant smell.
She got out of the
shower, and had an idea.
Naruto was sitting on the bed, soaking up Sakura's presence in the apartment. When she'd left he immediately sprang from her large bed and went exploring, keeping an ear out for the water to stop. He was in her lounge room, looking at the photo of Team 7, when he heard the water stop, he put it down and returned to his seat on the bed.
He was sitting on the
edge, looking at the wall when he heard Sakura
purr:
"Naruto-Kuuun…"
He turned around and his eyes went
WIDE, and had to tilt his head up for his nose was bleeding a
little.
Sakura was in the door frame, striking a sexy pose in her
underwear.
"So do you think I'm more womanly now?" She asked
with a lewd wink.
"Ahhh…y-yes, Sakura-Chan!" He beheld her beauty for a moment longer and finished: "You're…amazing, Sakura-Chan."
She was very humbled by his opinion of her, she chuckled and relaxed, she pointed at her forehead; "This is too big," She then pointed at her boobs; "And these are a bit small…"
"No, Sakura-Chan. Your
forehead, some people say its too big, I love it. It's so big…and
round, I just want to kiss it."
Sakura's eyes widened. It
clicked in her mind, it was odd that Sasuke was suddenly praising
her, and had the exact same gastric problems Naruto had that day for
a moment…
"W-WHAT? When we were first promoted to Genin, that
wasn't Sasuke that said that, it was you, wasn't it? It was you
in Henge!"
Naruto scratched his head "Ahh…ha ha,
maybe…Sakura-Chan…I'm not one to say..."
She slipped on her
shirt and baggy pajama pants she wore to bed, and sat next to
him.
"Sasuke was a friend, he couldn't show his emotions
well…"
"But he was our brother all the same." Naruto
finished gravely, his fist audibly clenching.
"Well…" She said
glumly, looking at Naruto's foot; "I think, we should PAINT YOUR
NAILS!" She sprang off the bed and returned a moment later with a
large make up box, filled with nail polishes.
"Hmm…I know you
like orange, so…how about this one!" She thrust the vivid orange
bottle under his nose.
"Whaaat? Paint my nails…"
"Come
on! It'll be fun!"
"….alright then, Sakura-Chan!"
Sakura bit her bottom
lip in concentration, she carefully finished the last black swirl on
Naruto' final nail, she took his hands and blew on them, to make
sure they were nice and dry.
"There."
"Wow, Sakura-Chan!
It's so COOL!"
"Yeah." Said Sakura flatly.
They quietly watched
television for a bit, Naruto noticed Sakura was sitting with her
knees tucked in under her chin, looking dejected and
blue.
"Sakura-Chan, are you alright? Did I say something wrong?"
"No it's just….argh! Why do we have to hide it still? We're
not 12 anymore, why can't we just go and say it!"
"What are
you talking about, Sakura-Chan?" Naruto's voice had taken on that
soft tone it did when he was deeply concerned for one of his
'precious people'.
With a sigh she explained; "Naruto, I….I
love you, I never realized it until you left, I've decided
with our life style, nothing can wait…but…do you love me?" She
asked, her big eyes peering at him, waiting for bullshit like Sasuke
gave her.
Naruto's heart was beating harder and faster than it ever had, here was the most beautiful, caring girl he'd ever met telling him she honestly did return his feelings, he didn't need to think about his answer, what it entailed, he simply said; "Yes, of course I do Sakura-Chan!"
She somehow just appeared on his shoulder, her arms locked around him, his sheltering her. She could smell his hair, Naruto was her perfect drug, his scent would draw her into an amazing high, his special little genuine smile he normally saved for her would lull her into the most beautiful hallucinations, and his body would get her adrenaline pumping, it would stimulate every cell in her body, fire her up, get her energized.
He just held her and looked into her bright emerald eyes; he loved those eyes.
He felt her kiss his neck gently, she worked up to his jaw, he got proactive and grasped her lower back, pulling her in for a passionate, yet loving kiss that seemed to last an eternity to both of them.
They were both dizzy, but supremely satisfied.
When Sakura had her shirt off again, Naruto stopped. He ran a hand down her firm tummy.
"What is it Naruto-Kun?" She asked in vague fear,
hoping he didn't think she was fat.
"I'm…I'm sorry
Sakura-Chan." She realized he was stroking the scar left by Sasori.
"I've broken
another promise, I promised my self I'd never let you get hurt
again, and look at this!" Sakura looked down at the very faint pink
line to the left of her belly button.
She sat up and held his
hands. "Naruto-Kun, its fine. I think we should protect each
other, that's how this happened anyway."
Naruto slowly
nodded, Sakura ran her hands up his arms, and then pulled him in so
their foreheads were resting on each other, and their noses just
touching.
Naruto's grin
returned and he began to kiss her again, with twice the enthusiasm as
before.
She giggled as he planted soft kisses along the scar on
her belly. He seemed to be sealing it as a mark of their unity, and
his devotion to never let it occur again.
After a long time of
kissing, giggling and the odd pillow fight, they eventually fell
asleep, the spare bed sheets and quilts lay forgotten in the corner,
and Sakura lay with her head on his chest and her arm around his
body, and her leg over his.
Naruto had an arm under and around
her, with the other resting on her waist.
Naruto liked Sakura's
bed, it wasn't lumpy and saggy like his, and it was comfy in all
the right ways.
He decided he needed a new bed, one that would fit
Sakura too.
Sorry about the late update I tried my best to get it just right (re-did a lot of it multiple times!) But here it is, as with the first; please give any suggestions for improvements, thanks for reading chapter 2!
