Love is Troublesome
DG32173
Sarah: Chapter 3 is here. I hope you guys enjoy it. There's gonna be a mention of Sasuke in this chapter, but not the way most people would think. I hope you like!
Ino: Sarah-chan doesn't own Naruto's series.
!SHOUT-OUTS!
I'd like to give a shout out to ItaSaku29! One of your guesses is correct! You'll have to see in the chapter!
REVIEW REPLIES
What a rip-off of Deleria's story! --- well, you shouldn't make judgments on just the first chapter. There are so many fanfics out there that it'd be almost impossible to not have parts of other peoples fics, whether knowingly or not. Don't judge a book by it's cover or first chapter.
Great story so far! Update soon! --- thank you all for the support.
NOTE
(Authors note)
"Talking"
'Thinking'
Scene change
POV change
Memory, reading or writing something, etc. (you'll figure it out)"Singing"
"Inner Sakura talking to Sakura"
Scene change in memory
TRANSLATIONS
Teme: bastard
Chapter 3
Second Day of Journey
Shikamaru wakes up first, around six in the morning. As he awakens, he slowly realizes what position he is in with Sakura: a very compromising and troublesome one. Her legs are wrapped around his waist and her hands are clinging tightly to the back of his fishnet shirt. Her head is on his chest. His arms are around her waist in, what an onlooker would call, a possessive hug, holding her unnervingly close.
He realizes that if she wakes up and they are in this position, he may be in for one hell of a pounding. Even though she's got her body wrapped so tightly around him he can't even move to release the hug. 'This is troublesome,' he thinks, a light blush decorating his cheeks.
Sakura stirs slightly, signaling she's waking up. Shikamaru closes his eyes and pretends to still be asleep, praying she'll fall for it. Her eyes flutter open as sleep slowly releases it's hold on her. Then her eyes snap open when she realizes what position they are in, all traces of sleep gone. She notes that he's awake and blushes crimson. "Shi-Shikamaru-kun?" she says timidly. "C-could you let g-go?"
He opens his eyes to give her a serious look. "I tried, I can't move with you wrapped around me like this," he says, obviously annoyed. She misses the small blush decorating his cheeks. She lets out an "eep" and quickly loosens her hold on his shirt, allowing his arms freedom to move. They carefully extract themselves from the knot they had been. Once free, they try to get rid of their blushes. Their efforts work slowly. Sakura grabs some clothes from her backpack and rushes into the bathroom, closing and locking the door behind her. Shikamaru sighs. "Troublesome woman," he mutters, knowing she can't hear him now as the shower starts.
An hour later
It takes a full hour for them to get showered, dressed, and checked out of the hotel. They silently agree not to mention the way they had woken up, to each other or anyone else. Now on the road outside of the small town, they can't stop thinking about how they woke up, how their barely awake minds seemed to think the situation was as it should be until their minds actually realized what the situation was.
To any passerby, the couple looked almost ready to either leap on each other or kill each other. But Sakura and Shikamaru keep their wits and self-control firmly in check. The awkward silence between them since they left the motel is really starting to unnerve them. And they know they will have to talk for this mission to be a success. But both are still too embarrassed to even try to ease the tension in the air. To distract herself, Sakura reaches into her vest and pulls out a novel. She opens it to the page she had marked and started reading it while walking.
Shikamaru raises an eyebrow at that. "You remind me of Kakashi-san," he states.
She chuckles. "How so?" she asks curiously.
"You're reading and walking."
"Oh. I guess since he was my teacher for so long, some of his traits rubbed off. Just glad I didn't get his late streak; Naruto took that trait," she jokes, smirking.
Shikamaru chuckles. "Ah, so that's why Ino's always mad at him after dates."
"Most likely."
"So, what traits did … he … take?" he asks, avoiding saying the name of Sakura's last former teammate. No one ever says his name around her anymore. Not after what he did to her…
"Mysteriousness, moodiness, and secretiveness," Sakura replies immediately, not missing a beat, causing Shikamaru to chuckle again. With this, the tension finally lifts and they start conversing on other subjects to pass the time. Sakura puts her book back into her vest as they converse. There's no need for it now.
Four hours later
Shikamaru glances at Sakura. Ever since they passed Cloud's border two hours ago, she hasn't said a word. And that is very unlike her. He frowns. Something is making her nervous, he can tell by the way she keeps glancing around. Then he senses it too. Another nin somewhere in the wet forest around them, chakra on the very edges of his senses. The chakra feels very familiar, but he can't recall where he sensed it before. "Sakura?" he asks softly, his voice asking the question without the hassle of actually saying the words.
"It's him," she whispers fearfully. "Sasuke…"
At that, Shikamaru tenses, scowling. The Uchiha heir is now an S-class criminal, and has been for five years since his last betrayal. And after what he did just before his betrayal, he has earned eternal hatred from his home village and all who care for Sakura. He had nearly killed Sakura, when she merely tried to stop him from damning himself to the life of a criminal.
Sakura just barely made it out alive. He, Ino, and Naruto were nearby and heard her strangled scream of pain as his Chidori pierced her left shoulder, mere centimeters from taking out her heart or lung. They had barely gotten her to the hospital in time. All she did during her recovery from the surgery that saved her life was murmur the traitor's name and the word why over and over. She finally got over the near death experience, and the traitor who put her through it, two years later with the help of her friends and the village.
The Uchiha manor was burned to the ground soon after she was stabilized and in the care of the hospital and Tsunade; everything with the Uchiha fan emblem was also destroyed. The Uchiha clan had been completely wiped out in the massacre over thirteen years ago in the minds of everyone who found out about the near murder of Sakura.
The Kazekage had sent out hunter nin by the dozens in search of Uchiha Sasuke upon hearing Sakura had nearly been killed by said man. Gaara and his siblings always thought of Sakura as a little sister who's innocence they needed to protect. Sakura is one of the rarities among ninja. Despite having killed more than her fair share of enemies, she still retains an endearing innocent nature. Most shinobi and kunoichi lose that soon after graduating from the academy.
The teme was never found, though. And now he's reappeared, watching them from the forests of Cloud. Sakura shudders and huddles against Shikamaru's side. He instinctively wraps an arm around her shoulder and pulls her closer. He will kill the Uchiha on sight for what he had done to Sakura or die trying. Anyone who knew of what happened will, even if it were a civilian. She has an annoying way of being able to befriend anyone she meets, just like Naruto does. Except for the teme who nearly killed her.
Shikamaru's dark eyes glare at the forest around them as they continue making their way to the Hidden Cloud Village. It is still about three hours away, and Shikamaru is certain that the Uchiha will follow them the whole three hours. If the traitor comes into the open, Shikamaru won't hesitate to attack.
Just the thought of him watching them is causing Sakura to become extremely scared. She has a right to be; last time she and Sasuke were in the same place, he left her for dead. Shikamaru, Ino, and Naruto found her where he had left her and rushed her to the hospital. She literally died on the operating table and Tsunade had to give her heart a jumpstart, so she was told. She will never consider Sasuke the way she used to, ever again. She is now absolutely terrified of even hearing the boy's name. Kakashi never uses his Sharingan around her anymore; it reminds her of the eyes Sasuke had last looked at her with; his Sharingan eyes glaring at her as he forcefully pulled his arm from inside her chest, letting her drop without an ounce of care or regret.
The two walk on, trying to ignore while painfully aware of the Uchiha heir watching them from the forest around them. Whatever he wants can not be good, for them or Konoha. Sakura tries to get as close to Shikamaru as she possibly can without having him actually carrying her. Shikamaru understands. It's her intense fear that is driving her to seek comfort from the nearest being of safety.
Basically, she needs him to comfort her. His arm tightens around her waist. Shikamaru senses the Uchiha's chakra spike dangerously before falling quickly to the faint pulse it had been. Whatever the reason it spiked for, it most likely involved the way they are currently walking so close, too close for Shikamaru's comfort. But the lazy nin doesn't complain. It's easier that she stay close; the closer the better. It'll be that much harder for Uchiha to do anything to her if she stayed so close to him.
In the forest
Sasuke scowls as the Nara prodigy hugs his Sakura close to his side. He accidentally lets his chakra spike before quickly bringing it back under control. It's then that he notices the rings. Ivory wedding rings. Left ring fingers. Oh… shit. They're engaged?! But when? They never really spoke to each other much in Konoha! Hardly at all actually. And they were rarely ever together outside of missions. His eyes narrow. Something isn't right. Sakura's chakra is flickering like she's scared to death of something. But what? He inches closer to hear their words. Hearing them talk should clear things up.
"Shika-kun," Sakura whispers, close to tears. "Don't let him get me." Sasuke's even more confused. Let who get her?
Shikamaru nods solemnly. "I won't, Sakura, I won't," he promises. "That Uchiha-teme won't be around long if he tries to get you, I promise."
Sasuke's eyes widen in surprise. 'It's me… but why? Was it… oh god! When I find Itachi I'll make sure I kill him slowly and painfully,'
With one last, longing look on the pink-haired angel he has loved ever since he first met her, he takes off in search of Itachi. His brother will pay for hurting her.
With Shikamaru and Sakura
Sakura looks at the forest in surprise. Sasuke's chakra had spiked twice before taking off at lightning speed in the opposite direction. What is he planning? Obviously nothing good can come of this.
"This could turn out troublesome," Shikamaru sighs, running his free hand through his hair.
Neither of them notice that they are still clinging tightly to each other as they continue to make their way towards Kumogakure. When they see Kumogakure's gates come into view, though, then they realize that they are just a little too close for either of their comforts. Sakura delicately releases her death-grip on his Jounin vest and moves a few inches away. But when he moves to take his arm from around her waist, she shakes her head, her hand on his to keep his arm around her waist. "It has to look believable," she says in response to his surprised look. He thinks it over for a moment, then nods. His arm relaxes around her waist as she leans her head against his shoulder. Yep, they looked like the perfect engaged couple. Now to keep acting engaged. That will be the troublesome part.
The Cloud nin at the gate read their ninja papers a thorough, then compare the pictures with them, and finally, about ten minutes later, allow the two to pass. They let civilian couples pass with just a quick check for weapons. Obviously, like in most Hidden Villages, you have to make sure the nin are who they say they are. Or you could wind up in big trouble. After all, there are a lot of S-class criminals around nowadays.
Sarah: okay, next chapter will be about them exploring Kumogakure and gathering some information.