Day 3: Phobia

Summary: Sasuke didn't really understand how Naruto's unexpected phobia of thunder led to him cuddling with Sakura, but it did, and Sasuke learned that life can be quite surprising sometimes. "Oh my god, were you smiling just now, Sasuke?"

Rating: K

Genre: Humor/Angst

Disclaimer: Naruto does not belong to me.

A/N: I'm sorry that this is late. I was busy today. Sorry. And don't forget to review! This prompt was hard.


Team Taka shoots through the forest, leaping from branch to branch with incredible speed. Sasuke leads in front, with Karin and Suigetsu to his left and right respectively, while Jūgo takes up the rear. The four travels silently, mostly because they are all too tired to start a conversation.

Lightning flashes, briefly lighting up the gray sky.

Sasuke increases his speed. He does not care for the rain. The sooner they reach an inn, the better.

Karin and Suigetsu groan as they struggle to keep up.

Fortunately for the members of Taka, within ten minutes, they are able to find an inn – albeit a shabby one – and finally, Sasuke orders, "Stop. We'll rest here for tonight. Karin, Suigetsu, take care of the check-in. Jūgo, I want you to check the perimeter to make sure we've lost those hunter-nins."

Three relieved sighs. Then, "Hai."

Sasuke gives them a nod, and they each set off to do their tasks, eager to get some rests.

A loud thunder roars in the distance.

Sasuke smirks, leaning against a random tree. Thunder, huh?

He's never been the sentimental type, but with the thunder and inn – plus the fact he has nothing to do – memories of his genin days start surging forward, and one in particular he remembers with a certain degree of fondness.


It was only him, Naruto, and Sakura. Kakashi, apparently, had another A-ranked mission he had to take care of, so he couldn't come with them. Not that they needed his help. The mission they were given was only C-ranked, and it was merely to escort a traveling merchant. Sure, they had one or two encounters with bandits, but it was nothing they couldn't handle.

After completing the mission, they had set out to head back to the village. However, a storm was on the horizon, and not wanting to travel in such weather unnecessarily, the three teammates had agreed to stay at an inn until the weather clears.

Naruto had been the one who checked them in. Following his teammates' wishes, Naruto had gotten them one room (it's okay, Naruto, Sasuke-kun, I don't mind sharing a room with you guys) with three beds (there's no way I'm sleeping in the same bed as you if it's not necessary, dobe).

Everything was well – until Sasuke was woken in the middle of the night by a strange noise.

Slowly, he reached for the kunai he kept under his pillow. (yes, he's that paranoid)

He got up, and noted that Sakura, who was on the other side of the room, was still sound asleep. He didn't sense any foreign chakra, so that left …

The dobe.

Looking down at the bed next to him (Naruto's head was covered by the blanket), Sasuke strained to hear the sound. Listening more closely, Sasuke identifies the sound as sniffling. Was the dobe crying?

Sasuke tapped Naruto's shoulder with an uncharacteristic gentleness. "Dobe?"

His only answer was more sniffling.

Lightning flashed, and thunders roared.

"Sasuke-kun?" asked a sleepy Sakura. "What's wrong? Why are you up?" She rubbed her eyes tiredly, and Sasuke finds that she looks kind of cute, like a kitten; Sasuke's always liked cats.

He quickly dismissed the thought.

The mission must've took more out of me than I thought.

"Something's wrong with the dead last," he says. Immediately, Sakura's eyes filled with concern, and Sasuke had to tell himself – twice – that he didn't care and wasn't jealous.

Sakura tip-toed her way to Sasuke's side. "Maybe we should peel off the blanket?"

"Hn."

"I'm taking that as a yes?"

"Hn."

"Right."

Sakura slowly pulled back the blanket covering Naruto's head, and was shocked to find the blonde shaking and sobbing fiercely. She exchanged a worried glance with Sasuke.

"Hey, Naruto, what's wrong?" she asked gently.

Frightened blue orbs gazed back at her. "T-The thunder-r. I'm s-scared of t-thunder."

Huh? The dobe's scared of thunder?

Sakura hesitated. She bit her lip. "Well, if it helps, how about all of us sleep together in your bed? That way, you won't have to be scared."

Naruto shed more tears. "Oh, will you, will you? Sakura-chan? Teme?"

Sasuke wanted to protest, but Sakura shot him a look.

He relented, "Only if Sakura sleeps in the middle, I don't want to sleep next to you, dobe."

The teary grateful look Naruto sent him made him wince.

And so, with Sasuke on the right, Sakura squished in the middle, and Naruto on the left, Team 7 fell into deep slumber.

The next morning, Sasuke is more than horrified - not to mention embarrassed - to find that somehow, during the night, Naruto had managed to fall off the bed, and most important -

he, the great Uchiha Sasuke, had ended up cuddling with Sakura.


"Yo, Sasuke."

A voice snaps him back into the present. Suigetsu is looking at him weirdly.

"What?" Sasuke snaps.

Suigetsu grins mischievously. "Oh my god, Sasuke, were you smiling just now?"

Sasuke glares at him. "Hn." No.

"Yes, you were!"

Luckily for Suigetsu, Jūgo appears just in time. "Sasuke-sama, please come inside. It's going to rain soon."

With one last glare at the white-haired man, Sasuke says, "Aa."


Haruno Sakura looks at the raging storm from the Hokage's Tower.

Sasuke-kun, where are you?


Review please! All review are welcome!