Expectations of Development
--o--
Dealing with Death
--o--
Well. Shit.
Naruto and Sasuke looked as if Sakura had punched them in the gut. Naruto looked a good deal worse than Sasuke, but both had taken a step back.
Kakashi had been afraid of that. He had wanted to have a little chat with her, alone. But she had seemed to have it well bottled up.
And then the two idiots had to go and make her talk.
She did give a good Zabusa impression though. That smile was a perfect replica, even if it looked decidedly out of place.
Ok, first things first, take control of the...
"It was fun, to see the bastards jump back." Sakura snickered, slowly walking towards Sasuke.
"It was fun to see them realize, that I wouldn't go down that easily." She licked her lips, as if trying to catch the last crumbs of a very sweet threat.
"It was even more fun, to see them slowly double over in pain." Alright, time to stop this, no need to traumatize the boys more than they already were.
"Sakura!" He, didn't shout, but it was close.
She glared at him, but she stopped, good she still recognized his authority.
He nodded. "Naruto, Sasuke. Training is over. You two go do something, eat ramen, read some scrolls, whatever. I'll deal with this."
Naruto opened his mouth. Kakashi just glared at him. His mouth closed again.
Sasuke had a quick look at Sakura, then decided that discretion was the better part of valor and disappeared. After a quick glance in Sakura's direction, she was still glaring at Kakashi, Naruto also disappeared.
"We are alone now. Sensei." She growled. "So, what do you want to say? I shouldn't enjoy myself by killing? I should be totally emotionless? I know! I know. But..." The anger drained away, leaving confusion and pain.
"No, I won't say that." He sighed. "I didn't want them to find out at all. I hoped you could keep it..." He trailed off.
She looked at him, tears barely held back. "I didn't want to enjoy it. I didn't."
Aww shit. He would have to hug her, this would be so much easier with boys, they would never want that sort of comfort.
He awkwardly put his arms around her, just enough to constitute a hug.
She giggled weakly. "You are really bad at this you know?" She muttered, burying her face in his vest.. "I didn't..."
"I know. There are very few people who want to enjoy it." He carefully patted her back.
She pulled him closer, he didn't know whether she was crying or not.
"But most people do enjoy it, at least while they are doing it." He continued, he noticed her tense.
"We shouldn't though. Ninja aren't supposed to..." She murmured.
"What's expected of Ninja is often impossible Sakura, there might be one or two Ninja in a hundred years, that come close to the ideal." He looked down at her, but her face was still hidden in his chest. "But most Ninja can't kill their emotions completely."
Now she did look up. "Did you enjoy killing Haku?"
Ouch that was a low blow. He hadn't enjoyed killing the boy. Well, not much at any rate. Far less than he would have enjoyed killing Zabusa.
But was that what she wanted, needed, to hear? He played for time, scrunching up his face in a comical grimace. Too bad she wasn't buying it, frowning as she was.
"I did, at least a little bit." He finally said and her eyes widened. She didn't pull back though.
"I was... glad, he couldn't kill any more of my students." He continued quietly.
It wasn't a lie, not exactly. He was far more satisfied that he killed Sasuke's murderer. That he was also protecting his other students was a very welcome bonus.
"I would have enjoyed killing Zabusa far more." He finished.
Sakura buried her face again. Thinking, he guessed, or crying.
They stood like this for a few minutes, him holding her weakly, she gripping him desperately.
At least she had stopped crying.
She looked up again. "So, it's ok to enjoy it? Their suffering?" She asked, her voice challenging him to tell her yes.
He went down on one knee, looking her straight in the eyes. "Would you have enjoyed it if they were just another genin team? Just out for your scroll? Just trying to pass the exam? Would you have enjoyed it, if you were send to kill an old man because he couldn't pay a debt?" This was the question, that separated the ninja, from the sadist, the human from the monster. He was pretty proud of making it up on the spot.
"I..." she didn't look away, but she still hesitated.
"I know it's not easy. I was the same, after I lost..." he stopped, he didn't want to tell her, he didn't... damn it she needed this, she needed somebody to empathize with, his emotional issues be damned.
"After I lost my eye and a teammate." He finally whispered. Her gaze fell on his sharingan, covered by his forehead protector. "When Sensei came back... and we started the counterattack. I was so angry." He didn't like thinking back, it always brought new pain, but... "Sensei and Rin too. We didn't show any mercy then. If a stone ninja crossed our path, he was dead. It was as simple as that. Sensei took out most of them, of course, but we killed our fair share too." He shuddered slightly.
"I enjoyed it more than any other kill I made, before or afterward." He noticed that he had looked away, towards the grave marker, towards his biggest failure. "We... we can't kill our emotions. Not all the time at least. We can't help but enjoy hurting those who hurt us." He chuckled weakly. "Human nature I suppose."
Sakura nodded slowly, then drew back. And took a deep breath.
"I... I think you're right. I didn't want them to hurt Sasuke, or Naruto. I hated them. And I wouldn't enjoy killing just because." She sighed. "I didn't enjoy hurting Temari like that. I mean, sure, I enjoyed beating her, tricking her. But I didn't enjoy those last attacks." She stopped. "Thank you Sensei." She finally muttered.
He nodded, glad that this crisis was over for now. She would have to work on the rest alone, but that shouldn't be too much for her.
Hmm now to lift the pretty depressing mood around here. "Sakura, I want to give you something, something I got from my teacher, after we had a similar talk." She perked up, good.
He reached into his breast pocket, were his trusty copy of Icha Icha resided. And held it out for her. He could just see her punching him for it, calling him a pervert.
Instead she blushed. Damn did he just give away his copy?
She mumbled something, but a bit too quiet, for even his ears, to make out.
"Sorry, what was that?" He asked curiously. She shouldn't be quite that red.
"That isn't necessary." She finally whispered, a brilliant scarlet.
"Oh? But I insist, it's a masterpiece of literature after all." And it was, even if few people appreciated it for that.
Again she murmured something too quite to make out.
"You'll have to speak up if you want me to hear you." He said amused. At least the ploy had worked, the mood had shifted from depression to embarrassment and amusement.
She stammered a few unintelligible words, pressing her fingers together, her blush never leaving her face.
He had no idea she was so against reading an adult novel, it wasn't that bad. Hell, he knew a few... but what if...
"I err, kinda..." She stammered.
Oh? Oho, has his cute little genin maybe...
"I kinda... alreadyhavethebook." She rushed out, her blush probably covering her entire body by now.
"Ah." He couldn't help the giggle that escaped him. "What was your favorite part?" He just had to ask.
The blush didn't lessen any, but she did manage to look him in the eye again.
"Page 237." She said, smirking ever so slightly and perversely.
Ahh! That was the part were... poor Sasuke. Well at least he would have get out of his shell a bit, if he wanted to or not.
"I see. Be gentle ok?" He patted her on the head.
She rolled her eyes. "Eh, maybe?" She managed a real smile this time. Still somewhat subdued, but it was there.
He nodded, ruffling her hair. "Good. Well, let's skip today's training. Maybe you should talk to your teammates. And well, you should probably inform the hospital that you left. They tend to worry about stuff like that."
She glared at him. "You didn't bother to tell them I left?" She growled, stalking up to him.
He shrugged. "Must have slipped my ofh." Damn, note to self her temper was far shorter than it had been.
He shrugged the punch off, it wasn't that hard, he had worse really. Still, students shouldn't punch their teachers in the stomach. "I see I should remember it next time then." He groaned.
Sakura sniffed. "See that you do."
She stalked away, back straight and growling in anger.
Well, at least the immediate crisis was averted. He rubbed his tender stomach. And it only cost one day of training.
--o--
Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha, lost in thought. After checking out of the hospital, she went home, to tell her parents. After a few tearful hugs and a change of clothes she went out again.
The talk with Kakashi had helped her considerably. Even if she still had to suppress some emotions. She felt more like her old self again, the self that she wanted to be. And hey, Kakashi managed to be relatively cheerful most of the time. If he could do it, she could too.
She took a deep breath. It was getting kinda late and she still hadn't talked to anybody. Neither her teammates nor Ino. Who to talk to first?
Well, she would have to find Sasuke and Naruto, she knew were Ino would likely be.
Decision made she changed directions to the Yamanaka flower shop.
--o--
Ino looked up from the flower arrangement in front of her. It just wasn't up to her usual quality. She had other things on her mind. Like the girl that just walked in.
"Forehead." She greeted her... not rival, not anymore.
"Ino-Pig." Sakura replied. But it lacked any heat that might have been there before.
"Dad?" Ino shouted. "I'm taking a break, gonna talk to Sakura a bit."
"Yes dear." The reply came a second later. "Have fun."
Fun, yeah right. Not if this conversation went anything like she thought it would.
"Let's go." Sakura said. "You know the Roppongi?"
Ino looked at Sakura startled. "Err I think I heard Asuma mention it once. It's supposed to be a pretty good bar."
Sakura nodded. "And they don't care too much how old you are, if you are a ninja. You just need to make the genjutsu convincing enough." She said.
Ino blinked, this was pretty bad. "Err, are you sure..." She asked.
Sakura looked at her. She didn't look all that good. "Yeah. I just... I just need a drink. You know? Something that makes you forget. If just for the night. Damn it!" She shouted that last part. Pretty damn loud too. "If I'm old enough to get myself nearly killed time and time again I'm old enough to drink!"
Passer byes looked at her strangely. Some, the civilians with pity, the ninja just nodded solemnly.
Ino sighed. "And you decided to drag me into this why?"
Sakura shrugged. "Cause I need somebody to talk to. Somebody who isn't male."
Fair enough.
"I'm not paying." There were limits after all.
"Eh, I made enough on my last mission to pay for this." Sakura replied.
"Good." They walked in silence after that.
Sakura caught in her own thoughts, not willing to talk here, out in the open.
That was fine with Ino, she wasn't exactly looking forward to their discussion either.
--o--
Sakura slipped into the booth, Ino had taken. The bouncer had let the both of them in after only a cursory glance at their genjutsu. Some kunoichi or other, and the barman hadn't even bothered with that glance.
Luckily for them none of their teachers were present either, so staying here shouldn't be a problem.
She put down a large bottle of sake and two cups.
Ino looked at them dubiously. "What's that?" She asked, worriedly.
Sakura filled the cups. "Sake, some of the better stuff..." she looked down at her cup.
"Ok... so why do you need to drink?" Ino asked, poking her cup suspiciously.
Sakura sighed and grabbed her cup. "Eh I just killed three genin in the forest of death and kinda enjoyed it." She was proud of how casual that sounded. Then she slammed the cup home. Not even tasting the Sake.
Ino stared at her for a second, then grabbed her own cup and copied Sakura.
Both of them started coughing almost immediately.
"Gah, why would anybody drink this stuff?" Ino gagged.
"No idea, sure isn't for the taste." Sakura grimaced. But her stomach felt kinda warm and the burning in her throat wasn't that bad anymore. She filled the cups again.
"So..." Ino started. "Three enemy genin."
Sakura nodded, staring into her cup.
"Why? I mean you said you would..."
"I didn't have much of a choice. They were after Sasuke." Sakura looked into Ino's eyes. "I could have left him and Naruto there, they were unconscious. But what kind of comrade would I be?"
She downed her cup. Ino once again mirroring her.
"Bleh, still tastes like shit." Ino muttered. Sakura nodded in agreement.
"So I lured them in." Sakura continued. "You remember that poison I told you about?"
Ino nodded. "The one that cost you all your D-Rank pay?"
"Yeah, I used that. It... it wasn't pretty. But back then?" she shuddered slightly. "I didn't care. I just wanted to... I just wanted to beat them. I'm sure some part of me wanted to hurt them too. But that was just a small part."
This time Ino filled their cups. Sakura noticed that their genjutsu had broken. She didn't remember breaking it. But nobody was looking at them, so she didn't apply it again.
"Damn." Ino muttered. "No wonder that you decided to get serious."
Sakura chuckled mirthlessly. "Came close to it in wave too. If Kakashi hadn't been around. If the villagers hadn't appeared." She trailed off.
"You didn't tell me about that." Ino said. Or slurred? Sakura felt kinda weird. Well maybe some more Sake would help with that. She sipped on her cup. Still tasted weird, but not as bad as that first cup.
Maybe that was just the fact that she wasn't sure if she tasted it at all.
"Eh, there wasn't any time." Sakura returned. Did she slur? Well, Ino shrugged so she understood her still.
"A few days after we came back we met up with the sand team... assholes even then. You know what? I'm not sorry about Temari at all. She was... is... a bitch." Sakura muttered.
Ino nodded solemnly. "Yeah, remember the first part? Good riddance." Though Sakura could see Ino was just agreeing to make her feel better. She was a good friend.
"Thanks." She muttered.
Ino grinned, taking another sip from the Sake, grimacing only slightly. "No problem... er for what?"
Laughing Sakura shook her head. "For being friends, for talking here." She looked at the ceiling. "And for making me wait."
She could feel Ino's gaze on her.
"Eh, nobody should be so serious so young." She trailed off. "But, thanks to you too. For making me realize just how precious our childhood was."
Sakura frowned at that. "Was? You still have time."
Ino glared at her. "What are you talking about?" She definitely slurred there, Sakura had a bit of trouble piercing the words together. "If you get serious about being a ninja then I get serious about being a ninja. You won't leave me behind forehead."
Sakura smirked. "Too late piggy. I already got Sasuke to kiss me."
The screamed "WHAT?", that followed left her ears ringing. She quickly looked around the room. Everybody was looking at them. She blushed furiously. Ino didn't even notice the looks. "You did what with Sasuke?" She screeched.
Sakura tried to shush her, when she saw the bouncer approaching. "Henge!" She hissed to Ino, who looked at her stupidly for a second, before her hands flew clumsily into the seals. Sakura almost laughed at how stupid Ino looked doing the seals in slow motion.
But she had the same problem. And forming her chakra wasn't all that easy either.
It took her three tries, before she got it right. And holding the henge? That proved to be quite difficult as well. But she held it, Ino too, though she did look a bit green.
Sakura grinned from ear to ear, as the bouncer stopped in front of them.
"Is there a problem ma'am?" He asked politely. Sakura started to shake her head, then reconsidered. That would probably be a bad idea.
"No, my friend just got a bit exited, is all." She said, though the bouncer seemed to be kinda slow, the way his brows furrowed at her.
He said nothing for a few seconds, then nodded. "I see, but I think that will be your only bottle for tonight." Then he turned around and returned to the door.
Sakura wanted to... wanted to... she looked around, all around her people grinned. She looked at Ino, who had lost control of her henge. Then down at herself, still in her henge.
"Whatever." She muttered, if they let her stay for now, that was all right with her. She didn't get what was happening anyways, so she sat down again.
"You kissed Sasuke?" Ino hissed at her.
She filled her cup again and took a small sip. "Of course, he's on my team after all." She replied smugly.
"How? I know, that you know, that he would never touch a fangirl ever." She said, before she drank her whole cup.
Sakura looked at the Inos... err Ino. "Eh it was pretty easy. Just held a kunai at his throat." She smirked.
Ino blinked. And reared up for another scream, Sakura could just tell. A second later Sakura sat besides Ino and muffled the scream with her hand.
"Shhh." She muttered angrily. "Want us to be thrown out?"
Ino shook her head and reached for the bottle. "Nah." she blinked. "You know this stuff is actually pretty good." She took a drag.
Sakura nodded, then took the bottle form her friend. "Yeah, I suppose."
"But seriously," Ino whispered. "A kunai at his throat?"
"Ehhh, just to get him to talk. Wouldn't force him. Would just be wrong."
Ino nodded. "Very, very wrong yeah." She swayed slightly, as she brought a finger to her lips. "Why would he talk to you if he has a kunai at his throat?"
"Means you are strong. Interesting." Sakura wondered why she found it hard to concentrate. She didn't have that much sake. Her father always drank about the same as she and Ino drank together. He didn't sway like that. She was missing something though. But that wasn't important anyway.
"A toast." She had seen a few adults do that too.
"A toast?" Ino asked.
Sakura nodded. After the world stood still again she answered. "A toast. To the end of childhood."
Ino looked at her, then carefully nodded herself. "To the end of childhood." She lifted her cup, mysteriously full again. Sakura lifted her own and emptied it.
She stared at the table for a second, then looked at Ino. "Let's go."
Ino looked up at her, she kinda slumped into the bench. "Huh? Where?"
"Sasuke. You gotta kiss him too." Sakura answered. Fair was fair after all.
Ino blinked slowly, considering the idea. Then nodded. "Yeah I gotta kiss him too."
Slowly the two of them got off the bench. Sakura briefly wondered where her coordination went. She still had it seconds ago. But with Ino's help she managed to stagger to the exit.
On the way out they bumped into a kunoichi, but the woman only seemed amused by that.
"Careful you two, who knows who you'll run into." She said cheerfully, then went to the bar with her companion.
Ino ignored that totally, instead she looked at Sakura. "Uhh where is Sasuke?" She asked.
"Just follow me, we went to his home to collect some stuff for a mission once, I know where it is." Sakura giggled.
--o--
Anko watched the two genin wobble away from the bar, one slurred a barely understandable question to the other, who answered in the same gibberish.
Truly, the two would have a morning to remember.
She turned to her companion. "Was that wise? Letting them go off on their own?"
Kakashi shrugged. "Probably not, but their talk did answer a few questions. And what's the worst that can happen?"
Anko twitched. "Did you have to say that? You just jinxed the poor things."
Kakashi looked at her with such innocent eyes...
"Oh? You worry too much." He sat down at a table.
"Anyway, you want me to teach the pink one?" Anko asked. "She impressed me, going after her opponent like that."
Kakashi nodded, though he didn't look that happy about it. "Yes, she could have restrained herself a bit more though."
Anko raised an eyebrow. "And you want me to teach her restrain?"
Kakashi shook his head. "No, how to make poison. You are the only expert we have in Konoha."
Huh? She was? "I am? I would think that the medics are better at that than me."
A waiter put their usual drinks in front of them, the joys of being a regular.
"They have a good grasp on the basics, and some more advanced stuff, true. But they have no real idea how to use that in combat. Or which poison to make on the fly." Kakashi said.
Anko nodded slowly. "I suppose, poison isn't really that much of my repertoire though. I know barely half as much as a grass ninja."
"Still three times more than our experts." Kakashi countered easily.
"Well... alright. I suppose I could teach her a bit." They drank in silence for a few minutes.
Anko spend that time, compiling a list of what she knew, how much of that she could teach in a month. And panicking about the prospect of having a student.
She wasn't cut for teaching! She was better at scaring children than teaching them. Though maybe that wasn't such a bad thing when handling poison.
"You know she's gonna go up against Konoha genin?" She finally asked. If she taught her and she killed a genin from Konoha...
"Yes." Kakashi didn't seem to worry at all, the way he slumped into the bench. "But she asked for nonlethal poison too. So I'm not too worried."
Well, that was a relive. "Heh, pity. Still if she beats some of the better fighters I'll need to take pictures of the clan heads faces. A clan-less kunoichi beating their best. Oh that would be great."
Kakashi nodded slightly, his eye narrowed. "That could be... amusing..." He drawled, a smile slowly spread over his face. "I think I'll need to step up her training some."
"Maybe ask Kurenai for some help training her. She complained that none of her brats were interested in genjutsu." Anko added. "Isn't your brat supposed to have a talent for them?"
Kakashi giggled. "That is an interesting idea... but I don't know how much use that will be against her opponents. Both Neji and Sasuke are immune to genjutsu."
Anko rolled her eyes at that. Bloodline users and their Illusions. "Not immune, they merely have better defenses against them. If you catch them unaware, they still fall for them."
"I suppose." Kakashi drawled, clearly not believing her. Asshole.
"Anyway, are we here to talk about boring stuff or to drink?" She crowed.
Kakashi chuckled and reached for his cup again. "To drink I believe."
--o--
Sasuke felt bad. He felt like that for most of the day. And this wasn't his usual, I'm lonely, I have to train, I have to avenge my family, kind of bad feeling. This was new.
When Sakura had said she enjoyed killing those guys... it reminded him of Itachi. And then it didn't. Itachi didn't look like that, like a crazy bloodthirsty killer.
Not that Sakura looked much like that. She gave it a good run sure. And he was sure in a few years she might be able to pull it off. But a little pink haired girl in a dress, just didn't inspire terror on quite that level.
Still, that statement had him flash back to Itachi. He growled slightly. Just like everything else, eventually led back to Itachi. The man just didn't leave him alone. Haunting him every second of every day.
He sighed, as he prepared his dinner. After Kakashi had send both him and Naruto away, they met up outside the training ground.
Neither had said a word, just stared in Sakura's direction.
Naruto had opened his mouth now and again, but he had kept quite.
In the end they had both left without talking. Naruto somewhere, Sasuke hadn't cared enough to check and Sasuke back home, to train, like every day since the massacre.
He didn't enjoy it, he didn't enjoy the isolation from his peers, the constant soreness, the fangirls. But he didn't have the time. And he did enjoy proving he was the best. That his hard work did pay off. That he was constantly coming closer to Itachi.
And there he was again. He hadn't screamed at Itachi invading his thoughts in years. Not after the first year, that was the hardest.
Now he was just too used to it.
Somebody knocked at the door.
Sasuke grumbled, even if he was glad for the distraction. In a way he was even glad for the fangirls. It gave him something else to rage about.
He ambled slowly over, was that giggling he heard? He thought he had gotten rid of the fangirls when he left the academy. Sakura didn't count, at least not anymore. Not after today. Not after the tower.
Why did he kiss her again? Just a reward right? Well he did kinda...
"Open the damn door Sashuke." Somebody shouted drunkenly.
Somebody female. "Yeah, we wantsch in." Somebody else screamed.
Sasuke briefly considered ignoring them. But they started knocking again, louder and who knew what they would do if they lost their patience. He was reasonably sure Sakura was out there. Probably with Ino.
Once, not even one month ago, he would have snorted in contempt, left them out there and simply ignored the banging. Content in the knowledge that they were useless and would give up soon enough.
Now though? He was certain, if he didn't open the door they would kick it in. Well Sakura would, but Ino would follow.
What would happen afterward he didn't know. It wouldn't be pretty however and his apartment wouldn't be salvageable and he didn't get enough from the orphans fund and the Uchiha money, to pay for a new one. Especially if he destroyed it himself, beating the stuffing out of two drunken idiots.
Better to intercept them outside. And wrestle them into submission there.
His thoughts screeched to a halt. Where had that come from?
He shook his head, then opened the door It wasn't important.
"What do you want?" He asked, rudely. But they were causing a ruckus, at 10 in the evening. He felt very justified.
"A kisch." Sakura drawled, her eyes half closed.
"Again?" He asked.
Ino's eyes widened. "You really really kisched him?" She slurred, then punched Sakura.
Well she touched her at any rate.
Sakura nodded happily. And here he thought the guys were supposed to brag.
He frowned. "It was a one time thing. A reward for..." He trailed off.
Sakura didn't seem to notice his slip up. Why was she drunk anyway?
"A reward yesh." She mumbled. "An I wan you to kisch Ino too."
Sasuke's mind went blank for a second, then rebooted. There was something very very wrong here. He couldn't quite put his finger on it however. But... wasn't he supposed to think about a guy? And not two girls kissing him.
--o--
Somewhere in a shattered wasteland, a little boy stood over a corpse.
The boy was bruised, bleeding, and severely malnourished. His gaunt face stared down at the corpse. A sword had pierced the man, he had been handsome before, but the empty face was frightening even without the hatred in it's eyes.
The boy knew, that this victory was only temporary. But it was a victory, the first he ever had. Well, the first he had alone.
Though he wondered where the sword had come from. He pulled it out of the corpse.
On the hilt somebody had written a word. Threesome.
Libido blinked, he had only the vaguest idea of what that meant. However he wasn't one to question good luck. And if the idea got him a weapon that would allow him to defend himself against the Itachis roaming the mind scape...
He whirled around, bringing the sword up in a desperate block. Another sword slammed down on it.
The force of the blow drove him down onto a knee, the sword vibrated dangerously.
Another Itachi had come, face blank, besides eyes filled with hatred...
Libido decided it was past time to disappear. There would be other opportunities to fight. And now he had a weapon.
With a last glare at the Itachi he turned and ran. He had become good at that, since the Itachis appeared. He was so small back then...
--o--
Sasuke shook his head. Right. Itachi. That was what he had to think about. Not...
"Shinten Shoushid." Ino slurred. His eyes widened. As he felt something slam into his body.
It felt kinda weird, almost as if somebody had shoved him out of the way. Not painful, just rude.
And then he couldn't do anything. Just watch as Ino took over control of his body.
--o--
It was, Ino decided, an interesting experience. To go from very very drunk, to very very sober.
She looked down, at a broad chest, washboard abs and...
"Hey, no touching the meshandice." Sakura shouted.
Ino blushed brightly, remembering where she was...
Oh god! She had taken over Sasuke's body, he would never forgive her.
Why did she agree to go drinking with Sakura? Why? Oh right, her friend had decided to become a real ninja sooner than planned and Ino wanted to know why. Stupid her.
She sighed, getting Sasuke was a stupid dream anyways, both her and Sakura had known that. He was just so broken...
Sakura gestured to a chair, she had gotten from somewhere. Rolling her eyes Ino nevertheless sat down.
"This is a bad idea you know?" She asked.
Sakura looked at her in bewilderment. "What are you talking about? It wasch your idea." She answered.
"I was drunk!" Ino shot back. Of course, talking to a drunk made reasoning an uphill battle.
"Sho?"
"Forget it. Just hurry up with the ropes." Ino muttered.
She really shouldn't go along with this. But this might be the only chance she ever got at a kiss from Sasuke. She smirked evilly. And wouldn't it be fun to brag about it to those little twits from the academy?
"All done." Sakura cheered. Ino nodded and released Sasuke, it was a wonder she had lasted so long, she looked at her body slumped in the door. It had taken her three tries to get her chakra into a modicum of order, who knew how long she could keep supplying the needed amounts, on instinct alone?
--o--
Control returned, only after he was tied to one of his kitchen chairs. He supposed he should be glad the girls decided not to strip him. And he had to say he was somewhat impressed. He knew that it was harder to use chakra while drunk.
Not just because you had trouble seeing straight, but the alcohol also did something to your chakra system. But the scroll detailing that was kinda theoretical and didn't have much use, beyond telling him that alcohol made chakra control more difficult.
Ino slowly made it back to her feet. He had noticed that once she was in his body she stopped slurring. He briefly wondered what it meant for attacks with poison against her.
She blinked, then grinned. "You can't run away now." She giggled. Sakura nodded giddily. Though both of them seemed to have trouble keeping their eyes open.
Ino stumbled towards him, intercepted halfway by Sakura, who helped to stead her.
They reached him and Ino let herself fall down onto his lap.
She grinned at him, with half lidden eyes. "Can I have a kiss?" She asked, surprisingly clear.
He sighed, he could turn away, but who knew what the girls would do then. He looked at Sakura, who looked at him... pleading? Expectantly? Threatening Who knew.
Girls were weird. Kunoichi weirder. Well, a kiss would be the fastest and easiest way to get rid of them he supposed. And it wasn't as if it felt bad. He snorted, or was some sort of promise.
He leaned forward, he notice that Ino didn't smell much of alcohol. Sure, there was a faint whiff, but not much. Then again, they weren't used to alcohol, so they probably didn't have much.
Their lips met. He heard Sakura whisper Naruto's name. He nearly rolled his eyes. That worked once, he wasn't stupid enough to make it work twice.
Still, he might as well do his best.
It lasted a few seconds. Their tongues dancing briefly, before he pulled back again. He could feel Sakura's eyes on him. It was weird, Ino didn't seem to notice, her eyes were closed and she was smiling brightly.
Whispering she snuggled into him. "Hmm that was nice. Thank you Sakura."
What? He was the one who kissed her, not Sakura. Why didn't he get a thanks?
Then Sakura hugged Ino from behind. "Thanks for being there." she muttered. He was apparently forgotten, as soon as they got what they wanted form him.
He wondered why that hurt. He wanted it that way after all, no distractions and all that.
He looked down at the girls, who had somehow slid down on the floor and passed out, lightly hugging still.
He ignored the slight blush forming on his face and shrugged off the rope Sakura had used to... secure him to the chair. Apparently it was more difficult to tie somebody to a chair, than to perform a high class jutsu. Or she was just bad at knots.
He looked down at the two girls again and sighed.
He disappeared into his bedroom and came back with a blanked. There, that should be enough. There was no way, that he would carry them onto the couch. Or god forbid into his bed. He shuddered at that thought.
Grumbling he headed into his kitchen, his dinner was still good, dealing with the girls had only taken a few minutes.
Food, then bed. He decided, he would have to get up early. Hopefully tomorrow he would actually get to train with Kakashi. And he wanted to be awake before the two girls. If only to enjoy their pain. Revenge was sweet after all. He grinned evilly, as he prepared his dinner.
--o--
Naruto twisted and turned in his bed. The day had started so well, Sakura had woken up. She was fine and wanted to train.
She even agreed to go on a date with him!
And then it all went to pieces.
How could she enjoy killing somebody...
That was...
Good people didn't enjoy killing other people.
He had desperately wanted to talk to somebody, as he walked out of the training ground. But only Sasuke was there. And for once Naruto didn't know what to say. He tried, but whenever he opened his mouth he had to think back to Sakura's smile, Zabusa's smile. And all thoughts fled.
Why would Sakura...
Again his mind drew a blank. He had been wandering aimlessly through Konoha since morning. Around midday he spotted some pervert peeking in on the girls bath. But he just didn't have the energy to do something about it, so he walked away.
He growled, angry at... he didn't know. Not at Sakura. She was alone, against three enemies and had to defend him and Sasuke. At Sasuke? For loosing against that snake freak? Or himself? Yeah right. He wasn't stupid enough to think there could have been any other outcome.
In the end nobody was to blame, the only one's who he might be able to blame were either dead or way out of his reach. Which meant he couldn't beat them up.
He tossed around a bit more. That still left him to deal with Sakura.
Hopefully Kakashi had talked some sense into her. And if not... well as a comrade he would talk some sense into her. Maybe ask for hat date. Beating him should... well should do something.
Maybe even the right thing.
He buried his face into his pillow.
He would make it better. Somehow. You didn't leave your teammates hanging.
--o--
Hmm the chapters get longer... hope that trend continues. And hey it's not quite as dark as the last ones. Dunno if that is good or bad.
Still need a beta however.