Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. If it were mine, Naruto and Sakura would be real.
Chapter 2: Letter, seal and fox.
Naruto had finally finished training with Killer Bee and was released by Tsunade to take part in the battle. He wanted to run and tell Sakura about the meeting he had with his father and mother through Kurama's seal, but she was too far away and he had to help end this insane war.
He was utterly exhausted from running everywhere to distribute chakra to his war companions and the only thing he could think of was that he needed to win this war and return home with the woman he loved. Scenes of the night they passed together raided his mind, making him trip over a stone in the middle of the path.
He cursed softly and yet allowed himself to remember the beautiful images that were burned in his memory forever. Sakura gasped, a thin layer of sweat covering her neck as she closed the eyes tightly and called his name.
"Is everything alright, Naruto?" One of the shinobi asked, seeing him stumble once more.
"Never been better." He responded with a dazzling smile and increased speed, wishing more than ever to be home.
Meanwhile, Sakura was running between the medical tents healing and supporting the wounded shinobi that seemed to increase in number more and more.
"Where were you a few nights ago, Sakura-chan? I thought I saw Naruto around here, but that's impossible because he was banned from being on the battlefields." Shizune asked nonchalantly, but Sakura knew better.
She looked at Shizune knowing that the woman wanted a gossip and Sakura wondered if she was so inattentive as to let anyone see her when she arrived disheveled that morning after night in the cave. She made a mental note to slap Naruto for not saying the pitiful state in which her hair was. "Naruto is a long way from here, Shizune." She ignored the first part of the question easily, just as it had been learned in the years with Kakashi, how to be evasive in a conversation.
Shizune opened the mouth to ask something else but Sakura was faster, leaving the tent at a speed that would leave Yondaime envious.
She ran and sighed with relief as she entered an empty tent, sitting in the chair by the table where she would see the next wounded ninja coming through the tent door. She heard the rustle of the cloth and looked up to see a shinobi she'd healed twice, the last time two days behind. "You can sit there, I'll take care of you in a minute." She said it with professionalism and began to prepare the medical utensils.
"Er... Actually I-" Sakura turned to face the man who was stuttering and looking at her with a gleam she had seen before in Lee's and Naruto's eyes whenever they invited her to a date.
'Oh shit.' She thought to herself and left the tray of medical utensils on the next table, staring at the man, knowing exactly what was coming next.
"Haruno-san, since you've taken care of me I can't stop thinking about you." He saw she open the mouth to talk something and decided to finish it before he lost all courage. "I don't know if I'm going to come back alive until the end of this war and I'd like to state my feelings." He held out the unlaced hand and handed the letter he wrote to her.
Sakura bit the lip nervously, taking the letter. "I'm sorry but I can't accept your feelings." She said with concern, she knew very well the bitter feeling of being rejected. "I have someone." She said before she could stop herself and the image of a grinning Naruto invaded her mind at that moment. "But I'll keep this." She smiled faintly, not wanting to break the man's heart.
"Oh." He rubbed the back of his neck nervously. "Of course you would have someone, you're perfect." He said in a defeated voice.
"Me?" She screamed. "I'm not." She stated with conviction. "I'm so sorry." She found herself with an annoying lack of words.
"If you like him, he must be a great man." He said looking at the floor after a few seconds of awkward silence.
She smiled brightly. "He is. He'll win this war." Pride was evident in her voice.
Two days later Sakura had not seen a glimmer of orange and worry was eroding her. The news about the Edo-tensei and several elite shinobi being resurrected made her feel as if there was lead in the stomach. The fact that she had knocked over a White Zetsu inside the medical camp the night before was not helping with the nervousness. She took off the medical coat that was covering the jounin uniform and loosened the hair that was stuck in a tight ponytail, leaving the tent that became stifling.
"Naruto. Guys. Stay safe." She whispered to herself, hating being out of action, but knowing that her presence in the medical tents was necessary.
She walked to her tent and closed behind her, pulling off the vest and boots and leaving it in a strategic place, if anything happened at night she would have to be ready for battle in a few seconds. Without removing the clothes from the uniform she walked to the sleeping bag and felt a presence inside the tent.
In a matter of seconds Naruto found himself knocked to the ground with a kunai around his neck. "If you like this kind of thing I'll not judge you, Sakura-chan." He said with a wicked grin.
Sakura kept the kunai on his neck. "Don't be a pervert, Naruto, and don't scare me like that again." She stepped off him and walked over to the sleeping bag. "We had invaders at the camp last night. I could have killed you."
Sakura saw the worried look on his face as he rushed to join her in the sleeping bag. "Are you alright?" He ran the hand over her face, scanning every inch.
She smacked his hand and laughed at the pout he had made. "I'm fine." She sighed and took his hand. "A White Zetsu has taken the form of Neji and killed some doctors, we don't have very medic-nin now, but I took care of him and Shizune is taking care of the casualties, so everything will be fine." She sighed.
"I hate this war." Naruto said in a choked voice with sadness.
Sakura nodded and saw Naruto staring at a fixed point next to her belongings. "What do you-" She stopped when she realized what Naruto was staring for. Before she could stop him he jumped and grabbed the seemingly offensive object and stared to her with narrowed eyes.
"What is it?" He asked through clenched teeth as he read the paper in the hand.
"A love letter." She said nonchalantly.
Naruto finished the reading with a face of disgust and Sakura screamed when he set the paper on the candle beside the sleeping bag. She saw a gleam of satisfaction in his eyes as the paper turned a pile of ashes. "It's just a letter." She shouted with him.
"Of love." He said with less anger. "From who?" He questioned without taking his eyes off her.
"A patient." She stroked his hand with her thumb trying to calm him. She was accustomed to seeing Naruto screaming or even angry, she knew how impulsive he was about everything. But this reaction was something new, he always acted annoyed around Lee, Sasuke or any other boy who approached her when they were genin, but after returning from the trip with Jiraya he had changed that aspect. This look of anger in his eyes was new to her, almost possessive.
Naruto grabbed her hand and tossed it into her sleeping bag, placing his body over hers, he stared at her. "Why did you accept the letter?"
She gasped and realized that the look in his eyes was definitely possessive. "It's just a paper, Naruto." She realized that was the wrong thing to say when the grip on her fists got stronger. "I didn't accept his feelings." She whispered on his lips. "I said I already have someone."
The smile on his lips was huge after hearing that statement. "That night you said you would be mine." He whispered back and did not let go.
"I am." She smiled to him and used her strength to release the grip on the fists, using the hands to undo the zipper of his jacket. "I missed you." She said with a missing tone in the voice and he put the forehead over hers as he kicked the sandals away from his feet. She laughed at his antics and helped him take off the knit blouse.
"I didn't stop thinking about you." He put the hands inside her blouse sending shivers down her body. "I've been on the battlefield today." He said as he spread kisses down her face and neck. "I learned to work side by side with Kurama."
"Kurama?" Sakura asked curiously and turned away to look into his eyes.
"The Kyuubi." He said with a smile. "His name is Kurama and he lent me his power."
Sakura gasped and shoved him, landing on him this time. She put her hands on his chest to support herself. "You turned that fox covered for chakra?" She remembered the time he lost control in the fight of the bridge against Orochimaru.
Naruto interrupted her. "No. I'll show you." He closed the eyes in concentration, gathering natural energy and asked Kurama to lend the chakra as he gathered enough energy.
"You want to use me to impress your girlfriend, brat?" Kurama's hoarse voice echoed in his mind.
'Just this once.' He said in an almost childish tone and heard Kurama's laughter echo in his mind.
Sakura watched with astonishment as he was covered by a powerful and shining chakra cloak. "Beautiful." She whispered and plunged her lips into his, looking into the bright eyes she noticed that the iris looked like a frog's irises but she thought it looked good in him. She closed the eyes and got lost in his kiss. His body was hotter than normal and the Kyuubi's chakra made her skin tingle but she liked the sensation.
Naruto growled as he felt her body pressed completely into his and the position they were in was not helping to maintain control. "Sakura, wait." He moaned between the kisses but she did not back away. "Damn, Sakura." He grunted as he felt her lips on the skin of his neck and shoulder.
"I think I like Kurama now, even though he hurt me that time. Tell him he's forgiven." She said in a weak voice and Naruto realized that there was something different in the way she was talking.
'What are you doing to her?' He asked Kurama.
Kurama laughed lightly. "I didn't do anything, kid. She must like the chakra, is powerful after all."
Naruto forced himself to turn off the chakra that was radiating from him and Sakura moved away. "Hey." She screamed in protest and he laughed.
"What was that thing with the Kurama's chakra?" Naruto asked curiously as he saw her unsatisfied face.
She bit the lip nervously and pointed at the seal on her forehead that he had not noticed before. "I've been storing this for a while, but the chakra that emanated from you has completed my seal." She looked at him shyly. "It was so warm and inviting, I think I got carried away."
Naruto smiled at the seal on her forehead. He did not know that Tsunade had taught her that and he felt proud, he always knew that Sakura was strong but somehow he knew that seal would make her even more powerful and for him it would be irresistible. He kissed the perfect design that had formed on her forehead, feeling immense happiness to know that he had contributed to it. "I'll warm you, now." He whispered and turned her back on the sleeping bag, never taking the eyes from hers. "Let me Love You." He said in a whisper and kissed her.
Sakura smiled with that last statement, she felt loved whenever she was with him and it was a good feeling. She was happy to have completed the seal and felt safer and stronger than she had felt a long time ago, having Naruto caressing every inch of her body was helping to complete the wave of happiness. After terrible days she allowed herself to get lost in his embrace and forget the war just one more night.
Naruto stroked her and kissed her neck as she felt his lips come down as the blouse disappeared somewhere on the floor, she gasped. "Naruto?" He had not done it last time, but she thought the last time had been a little rushed and they were kind of lost in inexperience.
"Let me Love You." He repeated it and looked into her eyes. She felt herself burn with the intensity in those blue eyes and lay the head on the sleeping bag, allowing him to do what he wanted with her.
She felt his lips on every part of her body and she almost thanked Jiraya for the teachings she had given the student, almost. She had never admitted that she was grateful for that old pervert out loud. "Naruto, please." She begged weakly and smiled as he kissed her lips and obeyed her.
He kept his promise to keep her warm that cold night. She looked into his eyes as he loved her and she did not care if she deserved that obvious adoration in his eyes, she did not care who was outside that tent or what tomorrow would bring. All she wanted was to love him back. "I love you, Naruto." She whispered in his ear.
When he laid his forehead against hers and closed the eyes tightly, she knew he was lost. "Sakura." He grunted as he bit her throat. She felt the sharp canines scratch at her skin and smiled with the shivers the gesture was sending through her body. "Sakura." He moaned this time and she hugged him tightly, feeling every bit of her body attached to his. She discovered that she wanted this more than anything and there would be no regrets about her choice. Naruto was hers and she would be his as long as he wanted her.
"Sakura-chan, do you saw-" The familiar voice echoed through the tent.
Sakura and Naruto sat abruptly.
"How problematic." Shikamaru grunted as he looked at them and closed the tent door behind him. "I looked for you around all the camps." He said looking to Naruto.
Sakura felt the eyes widen and the cheeks warm as she realized the situation in which Shikamaru had found them. She did not miss the grin that adorned his lips and knew he was amused by the situation. But she thanked to be him for having found them, he was discreet and would not spread the gossip because it was too laborious for him.
"What you doing in Sakura's tent?" He asked with raised eyebrows and Sakura knew he was teasing, if the amused gleam in his eyes were any indication.
"Sleeping?" Naruto said uncertainly and Sakura smacked her forehead with that creature's lack of quick thinking.
"What happened, Shika-kun?" She asked worriedly and thanked them for being dressed this time. Last night was too cold to sleep without clothes.
He took a few steps toward the couple. "You know we're in war, don't you?" He asked, still amused and Sakura felt an almost uncontrollable urge to punch that smile from his face.
"Say." She said through gritted teeth and a fist raised toward him.
He took a step back and raised his hands in a gesture of surrender. "Sakura-chan, I came to get Naruto. You know how much I had to run to find him. A waste of energy and time looking for him while he was dating, this is-"
"Shikamaru." Sakura said in a warning tone. She looked at Naruto who was scratching the eyes and still sleepy to think. "Go, Naruto."
"Oh, okay." He mumbled and stood, pulling on his sandals and jacket and following Shikamaru out. When he reached the edge of the tent he took a few steps back and kissed her forehead. "I'll see you as soon as I can." He smiled when she nodded and smiled back.
Shikamaru cleared his throat and looked to Naruto that walked with the hands behind his head and a broad smile on face. "So.. you two?" Shikamaru said carefree.
Naruto's smile widened. "I love her so much."
"Everyone knows, Naruto." Shikamaru grunted.
"She loves me back." He clarified.
Shikamaru nodded. He remembered the way she cried when she heard the truths that Sai had said that day in the tent in Konoha before they set off in search of Uchiha. He saw the determination to protect Naruto that gleamed in those green eyes. He was not sure if she loved him in a romantic way but he knew that Sakura loved Naruto in some very strong way.
When he heard that she had knocked down all the squad that they sent only to kill Sasuke herself, he thought she truly valued Naruto more than any other. If she was able to try kill Uchiha Sasuke after falling in love with him throughout her teenage years just to spare Naruto from the burden, he thought Naruto was more important to her than she showed. But all this was too tiring for him to put a second thought.
"I'm happy for you." He answered truthfully. If anyone deserved happiness it was Naruto and if anyone deserved a corresponding love was Sakura. He was really glad they found what they needed in each other.
Note: I really had no intention of continuing this story, but due to the comments I think it needs an end for Sakura to prove that she will choose Naruto even if Sasuke comes back to the picture. There will not be many chapters (I think). And I don't write sex scenes, if someone is waiting for it, I'm sorry to disappoint.
Thanks for review: Ultrachols, IanAlphaAxel, Narusaku lovers, MindForgedMan, YeagerMeister31, NSfox and Guests.
Satoru Ryoma: I'll try to answer your questions in the next chapters.
Bree: Your review made me walk in the clouds, tks.