Sakura slowly regained consciousness, and very soon she was aware of a warm body underneath hers, the chest rising and falling with every breath. Instead of popping up and opening her eyes to face the day as she usually does, she only sighs in content and keeps herself shrouded in darkness. Focusing on her other senses more, she moves a hand, brushing it over the moving surface under, stopping above the place she knew to find the steady drumming that soothed her to no end. She listened closely, hearing the thrumming and light breathing mixing in harmony with her own, but instead of hearing birds chirping in the background like she had anticipated, she heard a hard pattering against the window.
'Oh, great. Rain. Lovely.' she mentally grumbled.
Feeling a rather cold draft from the window, she groaned, pulling the blankets tighter around herself and wiggling closer to the heat source next to her. Breathing in deep, his smell wrapped around her, and she smiled softly. This was amazing, despite the awful weather she knew would be outside, and she knew the freezing rain wouldn't touch her great mood. But with another thought, she was immediately dreading getting out of bed and found herself wishing she never had to. Today was the day she'd have to give her Shishou her mission report. They were always dreadful things to write and discuss, and awfully boring as well. Shaking her head, she chose to try and fall asleep once again, but a giant crackle outside sent the entire room into a tremor, and a blinding flash of light flashed from behind her eyelids.
So sudden it scared her, the blonde underneath her jumped up, dazed and concerned. "What the hell?" he said, staring around, blinking the sleep out of his eyes. It would have been comical to her, but when he jumped up, he jostled her broken arm. When she cried out softly, he snapped awake immediately and bent closer to her. "Shit, Sakura-Chan, I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?" he asked guilty, rubbing her back for the hundredth time within the 24 hours. There wasn't much he could do for her, so he had resorted to that, which she didn't mind at all.
"Just a little." she hissed, sitting up with him. Rubbing her cast, though that wouldn't really help at all through the plaster, she turned to the man at her side. His face was a bright red, and she furrowed her brows together, a pink dust across her nose in response to his. "What?!" she asked accusingly.
Ok, she knew that she had invited him into the bed with her, but nothing had happened, and she figured they'd be adults about it in the morning. She figured Naruto would make a lame joke, they'd laugh about it, and they go get coffee. But no, here he was, staring at her as if she had just came out and said that she wanted to have his babies (she would never admit to herself at this point that that was a possibility one day). Frowning, she leaned over and lightly punched his shoulder.
"Stop." she demanded weakly. "Or I'll literally kick you out of this bed and onto the floor."
Naruto quickly adverted his eyes, and coughed awkwardly. "Sakura-Chan..." he trailed, before pointing at her chest, without facing her.
Puzzled, she looked down, to find what turned him into a babbling idiot. Oh. She did remember noticing that it was a bit drafty earlier, and she supposed it had to do with the weather as well. The thin hospital gown she was wearing did nothing to hid the fact that her nipples had perked from the cold, and were very noticeable. Blushing every shade of scarlet imaginable, she pulled up the blanket and wrapped it around her shoulders.
"P-Pervert!" she cried, kicking him under the blanket. "Why the hell were you staring at my chest to begin with?"
"I am sorry. I just so happened to-"
"Shut up! You liar! Even if that was what happened, why the hell did you stare at them for like, thirty minutes?!"
"Thirty minutes?! You need to check your time estimation, because it was more like thirty milliseconds!"
"Liar! You stared!" she accused, scooting away from him, until she hit the guard rail on the other side. Her side was still pressed against his.
"One glance!"
"One glance too many!" she growled, and the door to the room swung open, revealing a brunette nurse, who was flipping through a clipboard.
"Ok, Haruno-sama, we just need to get you ready for that healing session with your arm, and..." she finally looked up from her clipboard, staring at the blushing couple. It felt like an eternity of just gaping at one another, before she eventually cleared her throat. "Visitor hours don't start for another thirty minutes, sir."
"Understandable." Naruto hurriedly agreed, nodding his head enthusiastically. He surprisingly didn't put up a huge fight and slipped on his sandals, stepping around the nurse and stopped at the doorway. He turned, staring at the still fuming rosette. "I'll be downstairs in the lobby to pick you up." he said finally, turning down the hall.
Sakura sighed deeply, before shoving the blankets off her and standing. She regretted it instantly, and swayed a little, before catching herself on the wall.
"Haruno-sama! You shouldn't move around so much!" the brunette rushed to her side, holding her by her lower back and arm.
Sakura noticed with an uncomfortable frown that after having Naruto's hand on that spot almost all night, it felt awkward and foreign with the nurse. She wanted her to let go, but knew if she did, she would wobbled embarrassingly down the hall.
"Tsunade-Sama has prepared a room down the hall so she can do a final assessment of your injuries and mend that arm." she informed, leading Sakura out of the room.
The pink haired medic felt humiliated, having a nurse lead her down to her room as if she was a delicate elderly woman. She even felt as if she was bent over slightly, and it just added to her misery. She was suddenly very glad Naruto decided to go wait in the lobby instead of insisting he helped, as she was almost sure he would. He really didn't need to see this.
Upon entering the room, she saw her master, propped against the wall, reading through what was probably her mission folder, and Sakura went dutifully to the bed in the corner, the paper underneath her crunching as she sat down. The older woman snapped the folder shut with an audible clap, and walked over to her student, her stethoscope hanging from her neck.
"How you holding up, kiddo?" she asked, taking the scope and shoving the buds into her ears, leaning forward and listening to her vitals.
"Been better, but, oh well. It happens." she shrugged, breathing in deep for her master.
There was a long silence as Sakura continued breathing and Tsunade listened, and the honey haired woman checked her blood pressure, doing a chakra scan of her internal organs and head. When she pulled back the rosette's gown to expose her shoulder, Sakura cringed. There was a gaping scar, no longer a wound, but the fleshy mark showed just how intense it was.
"Ouch." she muttered, staring at it in shock.
"I know." Tsunade shook her head, scanning it for any remains of poison. "The poison burnt through the flesh, and it wouldn't let me heal it properly, though I knew you might have wanted to keep the scars anyways, like you always do, so no pain off our backs." she said, shrugging.
Sakrua nodded, thinking of all the scars that marred her body. Many Shinobi prefer to keep their scars, as if they were trophies from battles; a reminder of what they went through, and how they had another chance to live another day. She knew Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, Sai, and almost all of Rookie 9 decided to keep it the exact way, and it was almost fitting that she did as well. Every mark made her proud. Made her a better person.
"So," her master began, grabbing her arm and removing the cast with a very sharp chakra scalpel, and gingerly began her healing, her hands glowing with bright green energy. It was very soothing, but Sakura grimaced as she felt the bone crack and shift into place, the fibers reconnecting. "What the hell happened back there, Sakura? That wasn't like you..."
"They purposefully made us believe there were only eight." she informed, cringing as she felt a pop.
"There were way more. I fought them all, but by the time I got to the leader of the shits, I was already drained, and he got the best of me."
"Damn." Tsunade cursed. "How many were there?"
Sakura thought deeply for a minute, before shaking her head. "I don't know. At least thirty, but I weeded them out in small groups, so it wasn't that bad. Many of them couldn't fight for shit." she admitted, chuckling in bad taste. "Still, I got my ass handed to me."
"God damn it, kid. You're going to give me a heart attack." she whispered, and when she felt the procedure was done, reached forward and pulled the pink haired woman into a tight embrace. "Don't do that to me."
"I can't help it." she giggled, but gripped her close. Wow, were people getting huggy with her lately. "It just happens."
"Yeah." Tsunade agreed, letting her go and stepping to the doorway, filling in some of her chart "Now you know-"
"No strenuous activities, take it easy for a while, don't do anything reckless, blah." she interrupted, rolling her arm. It was tender, but whole again.
"Smart ass." the honey haired woman smirked, shaking her head.
"I learned from the best." Sakura gave her a cheeky smile, hopping off the table and stretching. Thinking about it now, she frowned. "Where are my clothes?"
"They were torn to shreds, so I figured you could wear a pair from your closet. That would look better than you walking out of here looking homeless or in that."
Sakura nodded, flushing a bit as she remembered the little incident that had produced, and began her way to her office when she heard the older woman calling to her. Turning around, she saw a lecherous smile on her master's face.
"Don't take to long, or you'll keep your man waiting." she cackled, and Sakura flamed.
"Shishou!" she huffed, hurriedly stomping to the cabinet she kept nestled in the corner of her office.
Pulling out the clothes, she dressed quickly. The rosette yawned, walking down the hallway a little straighter and without help, now that she didn't have the pain of her arm, and she was sure most the morphine was out of her system. Upon entering the lobby, she found Naruto slouched in the seat so far he was almost falling off the edge. He was staring at the ceiling, mouth slightly open and his eyes were flickering around. Chuckling, she walked up, and nudged his foot.
"What the hell are you doing?" she asked, sitting in the seat next to him.
He scrambled to sit up properly, leaning on the arm rest that connected to the chair she was in. "I got bored." he said seriously, "So I looked up at the ceiling and noticed that those little lines make pictures if you look really close."
She frowned in disapproval. "You sound like Shikamaru with clouds. And seriously? You have ADD. Get that checked out."
The blonde wiggled his brows at her suggestively. "You're a doctor. Check me out."
"Hm. I would, but, I'm technically a patient myself."
"Why aren't you staying?"
Sakura shrugged, looking on at the reception desk, where she saw Ami and another nurse watching Naruto, simultaneously giggling and whispering to each other. She rolled her pretty jade eyes. What a bunch of idiot school girls. "My injuries are no longer serious, my chakra levels are replenished, and if push comes to shove, I can take care of myself medically."
"Understandable." he nodded, rising to stand in front of her. She raised a pink brow, but smiled, and he returned the gesture as he reached out a hand. She grasped it firmly, letting him pull her up, and she relished in his warm fingers. She didn't release his hand, and his smile turned to a beaming grin. "I do believe I need to get you home."
"I could deal with that." she answered, and with a thought, sighed. "I need to write my report anyways. I figured I could walk with you to the Hokage Tower when you leave for training."
"Sounds like a plan."he nodded, but gave her a frown when she released his hand.
He opened his mouth to try to bring up what he was meaning to ask last night, but she had a glare etched into her features. Turning his vision to where she was staring intently, he almost laughed. She was intimidating the poor brunette that had walked into the room earlier, who was bent over, half whispering into the receptionist's ear. Upon seeing the rosette's death expression, she backed away slowly, before bowing to the two women in apologies and hauling ass down the corridor. Naruto did laugh at that, and when the woman at his side heard him, she turned the glower to him.
"What?" she hissed.
"I just find it cute when you scare the shit out of people." he admitted, smiling his bright smile at her.
"Oh, shut up." she said, tilting her head to the side to hide the blooming crimson on her face. "Let's go."
Following her through the glass double doors, it was way worse than what he had previously thought. The rain was literally pounding the ground in sheets, and when he stuck a single testing hand out into the open air, it was immediately drenched. Turning to Sakura, he frowned.
"What do we do?"
"Well, I say we make a mad dash for it." she answered, watching the storm with a worried expression. Facing Naruto, she shrugged. "It's just water. We can dry off at my house, if you're still intent on staying. It's the closest option."
"Sounds like a plan." he agreed, and they both began their sprint to her house, which was only a few blocks away, considering she wanted to be close to her work.
Ducking underneath the lean-to of the building, she ran up the stairs and shoved her key into the lock, already feeling her clothes clinging uncomfortably to her body. She opened the door, kicking off her sopping shoes and heard Naruto following close behind. She padded down the hallway, picking out two of her fluffiest towels from the linen closet. When she returned, she found Naruto still waiting at the door. She frowned at him.
"Why haven't you come in?" she asked, tossing one of the towels his way, which he caught effortlessly.
He rubbed himself down, and finally stepped inside. "I didn't want to get the carpet wet." he admitted, shuffling around, looking embarrassed. "Hey Sakura, I really don't feel like sitting in wet clothes, but-"
"Hold on." she sighed, walking to her bedroom and returning with a man's shirt and shorts. He stared at her with a hard expression, looking almost angry, and she giggled. "No, you idiot. My dad gave me a few of his hand-me-downs a long time ago, and I sleep in them sometimes when I miss him. Really comfortable, might I add. I'm sorry I don't have any underwear for you, so you can keep the shorts, just give me back the shirt after your clothes have dried." she handed him the items, and he held onto her hands under the tiny pile of cloth. She glanced down. "You know where the bathroom is. Just give me your clothes once you've changed."
He slowly slid the items out of her hands, brushing down hers in the process, and he walked in the direction of the bathroom. Biting her lip, Sakura pulled at her wet shirt uncomfortably, and grimaced when it hit her body again with a wet plop. She went to her bedroom, pulling out a pink tank top and black sweatpants, brushing through her wet hair so it wouldn't tangle. Shivering, she suddenly felt as if a blissfully hot cup of tea would do her some good, and probably Naruto as well.
She made her way to her kitchen, rummaging through her cabinets and pulled down a box of limited edition chamomile tea, a recent pick that her grandmother had gifted her from her last trip to the grocery store. She had been saving it for a quiet night when she wanted to curl up and read her medic scrolls, but she figured now would be a good time as any. Setting a pot to boil, she almost jumped when she heard Naruto enter the tiny space.
"I already threw my clothes in the dryer." he called to her.
"Alright. Did the clothes fit?" she asked without looking, focusing on adjusting the heat on the stove.
"I think so." he said with a hint of puzzlement.
Turning around to face him, she bit down the feeling in her stomach again. Her father obviously did not have the pectoral build the blonde had, so it was tight around his chest area, but it clung deliciously. The bottom of the shirt hung looser, and just right. If he moved a certain way, the light gray material exposed every abdominal muscle he had. The shorts seemed as if they fit and were comfortable, and he looked as if he was just planning on lazing the day away, which was what they were probably going to do, if the storm didn't let up soon.
Despite her aroused state and red face, she cleared her throat and shook her head. "It looks terrible."
"What?! Seriously?!" he screeched, looking down and twisting in awkward angles. "I thought it looked fine!"
Sakura couldn't help the giggle that slipped past her throat. "Ok, you caught me. It looks great." she said, smirking. Before she knew it, she added on, "Reeeally great."
"Oh really?" he chuckled, walking closer. "That's just perfect."
"Step back, you!" she warned, picking up a clean spatula from her washed dishes pile by the sink. "I'm armed."
"And I'm trembling in my boots." he countered, rounding the counter, getting closer to her.
"You're barefoot!" she laughed, holding the spatula up to his chest, and it lightly bumped against it.
He reached forward, grasping the plastic, sliding it out of her hands, and to be trying to threaten him, she put up no fight when he unarmed her. He sat the object onto the counter adjacent to him, and reached forward, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her flush against his body. Her eyes lowered a bit, the lashes framing her jade eyes amazingly, he noticed.
"The innuendo still fits."
"Innuendo? Since when have you learned such big words and when to properly use them?" she breathed, sliding her arms up to his shoulder.
"Since when I learned to clean my apartment, stop at my twelfth bowl of ramen, and to throw out the milk when it's two days past the expiration day."
"What? Why two days?"
"Hey! It doesn't go bad until it smells bad!"
"Nasty!" she laughed, crinkling her nose. When he bent down closer, she didn't reject him.
Her eyes fluttered shut, and he took his sweet time, making sure she wouldn't pull back. Seeing that she was accepting him just as much as he had already done to her, he swooped in. She had just felt the first brush of his lips against hers, when the tea kettle shrieked, and it almost literally scared the shit out of her. Screaming along with it, she jumped, knocking her head against the blonde's, and she cried as it jostled the head injury.
"Damn it!" she yelled. Pushing past Naruto and slamming the pot to the side, she cranked the stove harshly off.
Leaning against the counter for a minute to make the pounding in her brain cease, she pulled down two cups, tossing a tiny tea bag in both, pouring a bit of boiling water in both. Turning around, she noticed Naruto holding a hand against his mouth, an angry yet shocked expression on his face, and a cute pink coloring across his cheeks. He wasn't looking at her, but out the window, his brows furrowed, and she immediately felt her stomach drop to her toes. He wouldn't look at her, he looked upset and shocked, and he looked like he was thinking really hard. Hyperventilating, she came to a conclusion. He didn't feel anything when their lips touched. Granted, it was barely a kiss to begin with, but he must have not felt a thing. Her fingertips creeped to her own mouth, and she still felt a light tingle. Oh no. It's happening.
Clearing her throat, she sat down the two mugs on her table. "Sorry, as you can see, I made tea."
"Yeah." he answered, and his voice came out gruff.
Chewing on her lip, Sakura sat down, sipping the scolding tea way before it was ready to drink, as she always did. Looking out the window, she noticed it was getting worse, if that was even possible. "You know, I thought today was going to be beautiful, and I would skip home, happy, and after I turned in my report, take a walk through the park." she sighed, taking another drink. "Oh well."
"It looks like a fish is going to pop in front of your window any minute." he joked, still having not touched his tea. It was to be expected. Naruto never really liked things molten hot like she did. Actually, thinking on it, a lot of people didn't. "If it keeps up like this, I am not going to training today."
"Fine by me." she said, giving him a smirk. Before he could answer to that, her lights ahead flickered, and she groaned. "No, don't you freaking dare." she yelled at the fixture above, before it steadied. Satisfied, she took another drink, and all at once it shrouded them in darkness. Crying out, she stood abruptly, her chair scooting loudly. "For the love of Kami!" she growled, going to her sink and crouching, picking through the cabinet underneath. Pulling out four huge candles and a box of matches, she lit them and sat two in her living room, and two on the kitchen table. "Can this day get any worse?"
"Well, a huge bear could bust through that door right there and maul us both. Or Tsunade could hit menopause and come in here to take it out on us. The two situations are pretty much identical."
Sakura shook her head, laughing. "You're terrible."
"I get that a lot. And it's almost always from you and Teme. What's up with that?"
"We don't lie about who you are."
"Really now?" he asked, and she nodded, rising to set her mug in the sink.
"Yup." Looking out the window while she was standing, she cursed. "My apartment is a piece of shit."
Getting up, he placed his half drunk mug into the sink with hers, and leaned against the counter. "Come live with me." he shrugged, as if it was a natural question.
Shaking her head, Sakura grinned. "It's tinier than mine!"
"Hey! I'm moving into the Hokage mansion soon—and yes, you are helping—so there will be plenty of room for the both of us!"
"Oh, yes, definitely." she nodded, smiling playfully now. "I can't wait."
She pushed herself off the counter, and walked to the living room. Pulling out a pen and form from her end table, she threw herself across the couch and began scribbling. Naruto followed suit, falling into the seat that wasn't occupied by her body. Sakura continued filling in her report, and she eventually felt him playing with her feet. She squirmed, at first annoyed as she was trying to get work done, but soon she was giggling as she wiggled around. Having enough, she threw down her pen and paper and sat up, pushing on his chest.
"Stop it, pest!" she whined. "I need to get it done! I know you're bored with the power out, but Naruto, please."
He caught her hands and pulled them behind him and over his shoulders. "Hm."
"Hm, what?" she asked, scooting her lower half closer, and he rested his hands on her hips.
"What are we?" Naruto asked seriously, searching her eyes. She didn't look panicked or cornered, but rather as if she was expecting it, which he smiled softly at. "We definitely aren't friends anymore." he said seriously, leaning forward. "And I know for one, that I really like you. So, what then?"
"Whatever you want us to be." she whispered, leaning her forehead against his, giving him a heartfelt smile. That was all the answer he needed. The ball was in his court again, and he was more than willing.
With the low light from the flickering candles, and the rain pounding from the outside as their hearts beat wildly together, it was really something out of a movie. Sakura's breath hitched in her throat, thinking about just how perfect this moment was. How perfect everything seemed with Naruto, and she really wanted to bash her head in for not noticing this sooner. She felt a strong hand slide down her hip and grip her thigh, pulling her to straddle his waist. Her stomach did a somersault, and she almost became dizzy with the hot feeling coursing through her veins like adrenaline. His oceanic blue eyes were shades deeper than normal, and she was sure it wasn't because of the lack of proper lighting.
Leaning forward, he firmly pressed his lips against hers, and she almost moaned on the spot. This was nothing like the feather touch in the kitchen earlier. His lips were surprisingly soft, and just like the rest of his body, was radiating heat. Her mouth seemed to perfectly mold against his, and she felt his hands slide to her back and up her tank top, which she arched her back at the rough callouses that traced patterns on her spine, but she didn't complain. It felt amazing. His kissing became more feverish and demanding, and while he was a bit clumsy, he made up for it with the sheer pent-up passion that was just bursting at the seams.
Impatient, he hesitantly began to slip between her lips, and when she parted them, he didn't wait to delve his tongue to search her mouth. She tentatively began to explore with her own, and the heat spiked so high, she whimpered. Upon hearing her little cry, he growled low in his throat, the sound predatory and to Sakura, completely irresistible. Her hands buried themselves in his hair, the blonde spikes just as silky as they looked, and still a little damp from the rain. Tugging gently, she pressed her body forward and against his, her hips instinctively moving in slow circles. Her mind was in a haze, and having never really done this before, her body was reacting on it's own; but she heard an appreciative groan from Naruto, and she figured she was doing the right things.
In the blink of an eye, he pulled apart and pressed her onto her back gently, hovering above her, panting as he watched her with heated eyes. She gripped both shoulders, yanking him back down and for a second awkwardly clanked their teeth together, in which they both chuckled at, smiling against each others lips before all humor was wiped away with the feeling of them moving together. She felt his arousal press against her stomach, and she shivered. He shifted his body to the side, trailing a hand down to her thigh and pulled it up against his hip, pressing her lower half closer. When he tried to shift back to her center though, he accidentally leaned against her tender shoulder, and when she cried out, he knew immediately it wasn't from pleasure.
Pulling back, his brows laced together, a concerned expression etched in his flushed face. Taking his hand off her thigh, he pressed it against her cheek before sliding it to cup her chin. "Shit! Sakura-Chan, are you ok?"
Biting her swollen lip, she nodded. "Yeah, it just hurt a little, that was all. It's healed, but it's sore." she panted, reaching up to try to sooth the now throbbing joint with a bit of chakra. "It's fine."
"No, it's not." he sighed, letting his hand fall from her face and onto the cushion next to her. He hung his head, and her line of vision was blocked by his bangs. "I'm sorry."
"Naruto, it's fine. Don't you think you're kinda over reacting?"
There was a tiny pause, and she heard him let out a long breath. "I just...I still feel terrible about what happened. I should have known something would go wrong. I had a feeling. I-"
"Naruto. Shut up." she gritted out. "Injuries happen. Some information isn't given. But it turned out alright, didn't it? I came back to you." Cupping his face in her hands, she literally almost forced him to look at her. "If we blame ourselves for everything that goes wrong on a mission, we'll go insanely depressed. So just stop, don't beat yourself up about it. You didn't do anything."
Naruto frowned, staring at her. "Sakura-Chan-"
"I said shut up." she warned, gently tapping the side of his face in a mock-slap. Sliding her hands to his chest, she gripped his collar, pulling him close while letting her eyes flutter closed. "And kiss me."
The blonde smirked, leaning forward and pressing his forehead against hers, their noses brushing. "I would, but I don't think you want Ino seeing us all tangled up." he whispered, his lips lightly tapping hers as he spoke.
"Mmmm." she hummed, still in a daze by having him so close, not really registering what he was saying. The rosette pressed her lips against his anyways, which she felt him sigh happily, but as soon as she tangled her fingers in his hair again, her eyes snapped open in realization. "Pig?" she screeched, sitting up abruptly, taking Naruto with her.
"Yes. I felt her turning to the stairs a few seconds ago." he said, looking at the door. Right on cue, a sharp pounding assaulted the wood. "Damn, I am good!"
"Oh, shut up." she hissed, narrowing her eyes at him. Pushing off the couch, she opened the door, Ino immediately shoving her way inside. She had the angriest expression on her face, and her blue eyes were filled with tears. Shit. "Hey, Pig-"
"DON'T YOU 'HEY, PIG' ME, FOREHEAD." she shrieked, pointing at Sakura as if she were an offending object. "You dare not call or contact me yet today, when I had to find out what happened to you by freaking Lee. Freaking LEE, Sakura." she continued to scream, and ended with a dramatic sniff. "I thought we were best friends. Now, not so much."
"Ino, I'm sorry, ok? Things have just been going really fast and all at once for me. I was going to call you tonight, I swear. Now shut up and come have some tea, you're soaking wet, you idiot. Why didn't you just call me?" she asked, leading her blonde friend into her bedroom, where she gave her a pair of her own clothes she had forgotten at her apartment once. Oh well, now she can take them back.
"I wanted to see it with my own eyes." she admitted, turning towards the bathroom. "I wanted to make sure you were actually ok, instead of me calling and you saying you're ok so I won't worry, when I know half the time you're not." Sakura stared at her, and Ino huffed. "Yeah, I know about that, Forehead."
"Just go get changed. We totally ditched Naruto in the living room just now." the pink haired woman sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose.
"Yeah, I saw him here. So what's the deal?" she leaned in, and dropped to a whisper, her face having 'devious' written all over. "You guys get in any action yet?"
Sakura was suddenly flooded with the intensity of the last twelve minutes and her face blew up in flames. There was definitely action, but until she fully got to talk to Naruto about their relationship, she really didn't feel as if she had the right to spill the details yet. "None of your business! Now get!"
Closing the bathroom door on Ino's face, she went to her dryer and pulled out Naruto's clothes, folding them neatly into a pile and walking back out into the living room, setting them on the end table. When Sakura faced him, he was watching her with an unreadable and hot expression. She bit down the next round of blush and plopped onto the couch.
"So, were you making pictures out of the lines in my ceiling while I went to deal with Pig?" she asked lightly, pulling a throw pillow from the side and clutching it to her chest.
"No." he admitted, turning to the blank television. "I was just thinking."
"Ooo, you and thinking don't go hand in hand." His blonde head swiveled towards her, and he had a playful scowl on his face. She stuck her tongue out at him. "It's true."
"You're just lucky your handicapped, otherwise I'd take you down."
"I am not handicapped." she sniffed, turning her head to the side. "I'm injured. A difference, thank you."
"Not really, Grandma."
"That is it!"
Laughing, she threw her pillow at his face, in which he caught effortlessly. She reached forward to push on his chest again, and he caught her hands, holding them together as if they were in hand cuffs. She squirmed around while he laughed, until a loud knock on the wall caught both their attentions.
"No rough housing on the couch." Ino called, but went to smash in next to Sakura anyways. "Scoot over, both of you!"
"Yeah." Sakura snorted. "Or you're going to crush us with your monster ass."
"I'll kill you, Sakura Haruno. Injured or not."
"I could still beat you, injured or not."
"Girls! Girls! You're both pretty." Naruto interrupted, laughing. "Now, let's focus on what we can do until either the power comes on or the rain lets up."
Ino shrugged, standing already and moving towards the closet, where Sakura kept her board games. "We could play a game?"
Sakura sighed, already dragging off the couch and setting the candles on the edges of the table. "Why not?"
Naruto smirked, already sitting next to the table. "Loser has to buy lunch tomorrow for the other two."
"Deal!" the girls said in unison, setting up the game.
While joking and taunting and playing the game, Sakura noticed that Naruto was sitting extremely close to her, and at one point, even brushed the back of his knuckles down her spine. She didn't mind at all, and ended up just leaning her back on his knee eventually. Ino noticed everything with a wide smirk.
'Wait until I tell everybody.' she thought with a cackle, and moved her game piece smugly to finish.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX XXXXXXX
Today was gorgeous, Sakura confirmed as soon as she opened her window that morning. The birds were singing, the sun was shining, flowers were scented strong in the air, and the rosette was sure that it was going to be a wonderful day. She walked into the kitchen, poured herself a hot cup of coffee and read through the news paper sections; and by sections, she means just the immediate news, then she went straight for the comic strips. The funnies were only smiling worthy, but she still enjoyed them.
With a quick breakfast of oatmeal and toast with half an apple, she was out the door and on her way to the hospital, despite the many protests of Naruto and Ino. She was more than able to work, but she really couldn't do much heavy lifting or running yet. She really wanted to hop back onto the working train as soon as possible, and she had head a rumor from a nurse when she was walking to her office the day she was released that the surgeries were falling way behind. It's been quiet a few days since her incident, and she was more than capable of a few surgeries and clinicals. Sighing, Sakura pushed open the giant double doors of the building and rushed to her office, swiping away the miniscule amount of dust from her writing pad.
The pink haired medic soon went to work, totally forgetting the amount of time that was steadily flying past her. Before she knew it, she was onto writing her twelfth report, when a knock on the door finally resulted in her lifting her head. She cringed at the cramped muscle in her neck, and began massaging it.
"Come in!" she called, pulling out another piece of paper and scrawling notes onto it for the night shift head director.
When nobody spoke, she lifted her head to find Naruto leaning against the door frame. She hadn't seen him since the night he, Ino, and she had spent the day playing board games. She also recalled having to pay a bowl of ramen to Naruto, and taking Ino to the Barbeque. It was still fun, despite her losing, and the blonde has been so busy with training lately, that he had been apparently staying until real late at night, thus having limited time for seeing friends. Although, now that she thinks about it, they're more than friends. Or, she thinks so. He never gave her a straight answer, but, neither did she to him. Tucking that back into her mind for later that night, she greeted him.
"Hey." she said tiredly, smiling. When he didn't return her smile, she immediately frowned. "Oh no."
"Oh yes." he countered, pushing off the frame with his shoulder and walking towards her. He ignored the chairs and couch, but instead came to stand next to her behind the desk, and leaned a hip against the wood. "You're working too late again, and so soon, after what happened."
"It's not that bad! I'm fine, really. I just needed to catch up on some work, that's all." she assured, and snorted. "Besides, it's been a few days."
"When I told you to take a break, that doesn't mean go take a tiny vacation—one where you almost were killed—and then hop right back into working yourself into the ground again!" he scolded. "Learn how to regulate yourself."
"Look, Naruto, it's ok."
"No! No, it's not!" he sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
Concerned, Sakura sat down her pen and stood, approaching the blonde cautiously. "Ok, is this solely about me working? Or is something else bothering you?" she asked, reaching forward and putting her hand on his shoulder.
Sighing, he lifted up his own hand and laid it on top of hers, giving it a squeeze. "No. That has a little to do with it, but there's something else." he admitted, hanging his head between his shoulders.
The rosette got a sick feeling in her gut, and she swallowed hard, letting her hand fall. He didn't protest, but continued to wallow in silence. "What is it? You're worrying me." she started slowly.
Lifting his head, he looked very tired. "Baa-Chan wants to see you, Sakura."
"About?" she coaxed.
"I'll let her tell you that." he said, and turned towards the door, stopping at the frame and waiting as she got her things together and stripped off her white coat, hanging it on the hook in the cabinet.
"Is it that bad?" she gulped, following after him. He said nothing, instead chose to stare ahead of him. She sighed, throwing her hands up in the air. "Fine, be like that, you brat."
"I'm sorry, Sakura-Chan. I'll just wait to talk about this until Baa-Chan tells you, ok?"
"Why can't you tell me?"
"This isn't something I can say out in the open." he muttered, tugging on her hand. "Come on. We'll have plenty of time to talk about this in a little bit."
"Ok...if you say so..."
Trying his best to lighten the mood some, Naruto began asking her about work, which she told him about the amount of paperwork she went through, which they both crinkled their noses at. She then told him about the auxillary artery cannulation she had preformed, and when she tried to explain the surgery to him he blanked out, so she shook her head at him and laughed. Soon they were in front of the Tower, and his mood went sour again. Opening the door for her, she inwardly panicked, and when she reached her master's office, the tension in the air was palpable. The room also occupied a few Shinobi she knew were of Jounin level, and even Kakashi-sensei.
"What's going on here, Shishou?" she asked slowly, setting down her bag of medical scrolls. Tsunade motioned for her to sit.
"Sakura, we're really sorry we have to bug you after what happened a few days ago, but this is serious." she said grimly, looking up at Kakashi briefly. "Recently, we sent a team of retrieval Shinobi to gather the bodies from your previous mission."
The sinking feeling was getting worse. "Uh huh."
"Quite a skilled killer now, aren't you, Sakura?" Kakashi smiled behind his mask, his eyes crinkling. It would be just like him to try to act light in this kind of setting, she thought with a smirk. "And quite a number too. I'm impressed."
"Kakashi." Tsunade warned, and turned back to her student seriously. "We took your word for it in your report, and the numbers of bodies matched up perfectly; all except one." she continued darkly, reaching forward for a piece of paper. On closer inspection, Sakura saw that it was her mission report. "We couldn't find the man of this description, and right about the place you said you left the body, there was indeed a puddle of blood, and a crusted kunai, but nothing else." she finished, folding her hands in front of her frown.
"No no no no no." Sakura whispered, looking through her report frantically. Upon seeing the highlighted area of a description, her heart stopped. "No way. Not possible. Shishou, I hit him right in the jugular. I saw him bleed out and take his last breath. This isn't...possible." she cried, throwing her report back onto the table and slumping in her chair.
"Whatever happened, he's nowhere to be found, and there's been several reports in Kumi that several young boys have started going missing."
"Or joining a gang." she breathed, going completely limp in her seat. Raising a hand to her head, she tugged lightly on a few locks. "Damn it!"
"Now, I think he knows we'll be coming for him again." she grumbled, and Sakura saw that she was itching to open the bottom drawer to her right, where the rosette knew she kept her sake. She didn't blame her. "I'm sending out a squad this time. And you being the only real witness to what this man looks like, and what his strengths are, I figured you would be ideal for this squad, but I'm not sure-"
"He doesn't know how strong I really am!" Sakura hurriedly shot in. "He fought me when I was drained, and I still 'took him down', only this time, I'll make sure I severe his head from his fucking body." she growled, clenching her fists.
"I don't think that's a great idea." Swiveling her head around, she gaped at Naruto, who was the one who spoke up. "We shouldn't send her out so soon. I think he'll be expecting her." As he said this, the room fell silent, and he wouldn't meet her eyes.
"What the hell, Naruto?" she hissed, glaring a hole into his whiskered cheek. "If this is your way of protecting me, it's doing nothing but pissing me off, so stop!"
"She has to go, Naruto." she frowned, staring at the man at the doorway.
"Then at least let me go with her!" he blurted out, shoving himself off the wall. "Let me go, Baa-Chan! I can help!"
Tsunade sighed, rubbing her temples. "Naruto, you have to stay. Your training is still in progress."
"But it can wait, can't it?"
"No, it can't."
"Why the hell not?!"
"How many times do you think I want to run out of this office, and insert myself into a mission?!" the older woman hollered, glaring now. The room tensed. "Do you think, for one second, I didn't want to go out with Jiraya, that mission he died on?!" she finally calmed, looking down at her balled up fist.
"As Hokage, your duty is to stay within the village, and protect it from the inside. Better you learn that now, rather than later. Think of it as part of your training." she finished coldly. The room was silent still, and she glanced around at all the Shinobi that filled it, before resting on Sakura. "Be ready in two days, that way I can dig around in this a little more." Tsunade turned to Naruto. "And you, be here at eight o clock sharp, tomorrow morning. Dismissed."
Everybody filed out of the room, and as expected, the blonde haired man waited for Sakura to gather her bag and follow him out into the hall. As soon as everybody left, she shoved him against the empty corridor wall, the same one where they shared a moment almost two weeks ago. Slight moonlight from the waning moon outside casted a ghost of a milky light through the windows. He said nothing, but stood still, letting her hold him against the cold surface.
"What the hell?!" she whispered harshly. "Why say that? Is that your way of trying to protect me? Because all that did was make me angry, and make me look silly. The Hokage, who is also a world renown medical ninja, thinks I should go on this mission, but you want to sit there and tell me and everybody else that I can't handle it?" He was still quiet, his jaw clenched, and he wasn't looking at her, but rather above her head. She stared at him, waiting for a response. "Naruto!"
His eyes snapped down to hers, and he looked a mixture of worried, hurt, and upset. It wasn't an expression that looked good on the normally cheery blonde's face, and it scared Sakura. "Do you have any idea how much you mean to me?" he whispered, and that was certainly not what Sakura was expecting. The sentence sent her jerking back slightly, and she lowered her eyes. "Do you know freaking crazy it's driving me, that I can't go on this mission with you?"
"Naruto..."
"No. Just stop." he huffed, closing his eyes. "Just...stop."
Lowering her head, she leaned her forehead against his pectoral, her hands no longer pinning him against the wall, but rather resting on his chest now. "This is how it is." she sighed. "And I want you with me, I do, but I understand where Shishou is coming from where she's standing on this."
"I do too." he admitted. "But I can't stand the thought of you going back out there to find the man that had hurt you so badly. I want to rip his fucking throat out." he gritted through his teeth, shaking his head, his arms rising to encircle her around the middle, his hands resting on her mid-back. "I want to go to help you."
"I have all the other Jounin this time. I'll be fully prepared and ready for the worst." she said, pulling away from him. "I'd be lying if I said I'm completely fearless, but who is before a mission? It will be better this time."
"You better be right." he said, his mouth slanting.
With that she began out the doors and towards her home, Naruto following suit behind her. Sakura giggled slightly, and shook her head.
"You know, keep following me home like this, people will think you live there. You do have an apartment of your own, you know." she called out behind her, and he chuckled, trotting up to her side.
"But yours is so much better." he informed, grinning happily at her.
"Why's that? Last I checked, it was shit."
"Because, it has you."
Despite how cheesy that was, she found herself blushing. The rest of the way was quiet, both drowned in their own thoughts, and when she came close to her door, she turned around, where he was leaning up against the railing, like the night before the beginning of her mission. That brought a strange feeling to her, and she wasn't sure if she liked it or not. Glancing at the ground, she eventually met his gaze, and hesitated. He raised a blonde brow at her.
"Naruto. I know we kinda brushed up on it earlier, but...uh...I was just wondering, if you were wanting to put a label on...'this'." she said, motioning between the two of them with her pointer finger. "I know that I like you, and I like you a lot." she finally admitted, swallowing hard, her stomach doing weird things again. This isn't butterflies, she thought with a wince, this is freaking monster birds. "So..."
Naruto chuckled, pushing off the railing and walking over to where she was propped against the door. "I know that I like you a lot personally, so, if we were going to put a 'label' on anything, I'd say I'd put a label on you that says 'mine'." he leaned down and whispered that last part in her ear, and she shivered.
"Naruto Uzumaki!" she mock glared at him when he pulled away, and puffed her cheeks out to the brink of unattractiveness. "I am my own person, idiot!"
Laughing, he leaned a forearm against the door by her head. "Worth a try." he said softly, shrugging.
"Hm." she hummed. "Fine. But if I have to be yours, it's only fair I get you in return."
"Have to? Please. You know you want me." he said, waggling his eyebrows.
Sakura stared at him, straight faced. "On second thought, keep yourself. I'm going to go inside."
"Oh, come on, Sakura-Chan!" he whined, pressing closer.
"Don't be so needy. You're acting like a woman."
"Funny, Teme said the same thing the other day."
"It's a sign." she nodded, pressing her hands against his pectorals.
Naruto didn't respond, but simply watched her expression, and she smiled at him, which he returned almost instantly, just like he always did. That was one of the things she loved about him. Thinking on it, she loved a lot of things about him already. Even his faults, no matter how annoying they were. She slid her arms from his chest to his back, where she gripped his shirt into two fistfuls.
Reaching up on the balls of her feet, she kissed him gently at first, but when he pressed more desperately, she returned the intensity with just as much enthusiasm. Soon, the temperature spiked again, and they were clinging to one another feverishly, still against the door to her apartment, and Sakura found herself not caring if her neighbors saw her or not. She didn't care if the whole village saw them; hell, the whole world. All that mattered right now was her, and the hyperactive knucklehead that was currently melting her mind with those heated lips of his.
Pulling away, they were both out of breath, and watching each other for a long time with hooded eyes. Eventually Sakura's hands unwound from his shirt, and turned around to unlock her door. When she opened it, she faced him again, giving him a soft peck on his lips.
"Everything is going to be fine." she assured. "And pretty soon I'll be back again, and you can bug the crap out of me some more."
Before she could enter her apartment, he grabbed her arm. "You will be here for the festival at least?" he asked worriedly, swallowing hard.
"Of course. That's three weeks away. I may miss the big move, but I'll catch this bastard again, find out how the hell he smooth talked his way from the grim reaper, then bash his head in for good. I'll be here for the festival." the rosette finished.
"I'm holding you to that." he threatened, and started down the steps.
Shaking her head, Sakura threw her bag next to the couch and fell onto it, a smile gracing her lips when she thought about the blonde haired idiot. Finally, their feelings were out in the open, and she was the happiest she's ever remembered being. Looking out the window, she watched the moon hovering in the inky sky, and felt her eye lids droop, the rest of the day crashing down onto her. She really hoped the mission that was coming up would pass quickly and smoothly so she could get back to Naruto, and seriously try out the whole dating thing, which was what she was sure this was.
But as she rolled over, deciding to sleep on her couch that night, she couldn't help the one question that raced in the back of her mind.
She was so sure she sent the bastard on the way to hell. So how in the world did he get out of death's grip?
A/N: So, yeah. I hope I didn't disappoint the whole getting together scene. There's a looottttt of NaruSaku in here, because there isn't going to be a lot in the next chapter, and I'm heading on my first round of Vacation tomorrow, so there won't be another chapter for a few days longer than normal. Sorry guys. :/
Anyways! I feel like I'm going to get about 60-40% ratio of reaction on this, and mainly it's going to be bad. WHY? I don't know. Maybe I finally progressed the relationship to the step below the climax, and I'm nervous. Did I push it too quick? Hm.
Read, (By the power invested in me...) Review, and Enjoy!
Read on,
~Dayonight7