Chapter 10 is now up and running. I must warn readers that there is a scene in this chapter that may offend you, and I must stress that offending you is not my intention. If you do get offended, then I offer my most sincere apologies. Also, if you are a Sasuke fan, stop reading NOW. I will not hear of anyone pissing and moaning that their precious "Sas-UKE-kun" is being prortrayed as a bad guy. Guess what? He is! Deal with it!
KONOHA STREETS, ENROUTE TO TRAINING GROUND # 23 1000 HRS
Naruto and Sakura were on their way to meet up with their team. Thankfully, Gai was kind of hungover from the celebration the night before and wanted to start a little later than usual as opposed to his early bird tendencies.
Sakura was dying to ask Naruto how he felt on the whole issue of her mother being in love with his elder brother. She was fine with it and had asked him about it before, but she wanted to be sure first.
"Naruto-kun?"
"Yeah? What's up?"
"You know how I told you that my mom is in love with your brother?"
"Yeah, I remember. What about it?" Naruto asked, not knowing where she was going with this.
"I just wanted to know how you felt about it. I mean, you don't think it's weird or anything, right?"
Naruto looked at her strangely, but schooled himself back to normal. "Aniki is an adult. He can date whoever he wants, but I'm glad that it's your mom." He told her honestly.
"R-Really?"
"Yeah! I mean, your mom is really nice, she's really pretty, and he likes her, too. He just doesn't know how to say it yet. She even knew about my...problem...and she still tried to help me! This is a match made in heaven!" The blonde fox-boy chirped merrily.
Sakura let out a sigh of relief that she didn't even know that she was holding in. "Yeah, she's still really young compared to our classmate's parents and she's been pretty lonely, even if she tries to hide it."
"It's settled, Sakura-hime! We should support them and try to push them into admitting their feelings for each other!" He proclaimed loudly.
Sakura giggled at his enthusiasim. 'This is the Naruto I fell in love with back when we were younger.' She thought as she took his arm. Together, they made their way to their team's training grounds.
TRAINING GROUND # 23 1015 HRS
Lee was already waiting at the grounds when his other two teammates showed up.
"Good morning, Lee!"
"Mornin' Lee!"
Lee perked up at their greeting and responded. "Yosh!! Naruto-kun, Sakura-san! You both look so youthful this morning!" The bowl cut genin exclaimed excitedly.
The pair shared a chuckle at his enthusiasim. They had gotten to know Lee much better in the past month and they knew of his eccentricities but it didn't really bother them all that much. It was just the way he was, but over prolonged contact with the pair, his off duty wardrobe changed and he actually looked human and he began to grow out his hair again. He originally had a long pigtail, but he wanted something a little more functional, so he was settling on a small skinny rat tail like Ichigo's due to Ino's influence. She thought that it would look good on him, too.
Sakura looked over to Naruto. "Hey, you bring your weights?" She asked, pulling hers out of her bag and putting them on.
He responded with a grin and pulled up his pant legs, revealing that he was wearing them the whole time. "You know it, Hime."
She loved the name he gave her and it made other girls quite envious of how he nearly worshipped her, treating her like gold. She was ripped out of her musings when shout boomed throughout the clearing.
"A YOUTHFUL GOOD MORNING TO YOU, MY YOUNG GENIN!" Gai shouted in his usual manner that could render one deaf. At least one couldn't claim they can't hear him. He turned his attention to Sakura, who had just finished activating her weights and was doing some stretches.
"AH! FOR SUCH A BEAUTIFUL YOUNG KUNOICHI TO HAVE EQUALLY BEAUTIFUL FIRES OF YOUTH IS SUCH A TREAT TO WITNESS!!" He bellowed in a booming voice.
Although a little wierded out by the delivery of the compliment, she still blushed slightly and grinned. Naruto saw it and it put a goofy grin on his face. 'She looks so cute when she does that...'
The spandex clad Jounin turned his attention to his whole team. "Now my beautiful, youthful students, we train!!"
"HAI, GAI-SENSEI!" All three of them chorused in unison as pthey went through a series of stretches and calisthenic exercises. Afterwards, they paired up to carry out Taijutsu practice, Sakura with Naruto and Lee with Gai.
During the month they had been on Gai's team, they had been perfecting the Martial Arts styles that Ichigo had taught to them while adpating it with the basic Academy style, yielding some interesting results. What they ended up with were very effecitive hybrid styles that suited them perfectly.
Gai stopped what he was doing in order to look in on how they were doing as was floored by the grace his other two students held. Naruto was both wild and controlled at the same time, bobbing and weaving while snapping out with lightning quick attacks, while Sakura danced in and out of Naruto's attacks with a very calm and graceful form that was actually beautiful to watch.
The two backed off and gazed upon one aonther with a smile. "Ready to take them off, now?" Naruto asked his partner.
"I'm ready. Let's do this, Naruto-kun!" Sakura replied stoutly as they both his the release for their weights. The instant they hit the ground, the two combatants were off like bolts of lightning, blazing through the battlefield with their increased speed.
Gai watched them with pride. Even if their accomplishments weren't his doing, he still felt proud of their diligence and hard work. 'Ichigo-san has taught them very well to have improved so much in such a short amount of time. Sakura's speed, power, skill and endurance have increased exponentially since coming on my team. I'd have to place her among the top of the Genin kunoichi if I had to evaluate her. Her physical strength had surpassed Genin levels and is encroaching on Chuunin. Naruto's improvments are almost frighteningly fast and he soaks up instruction like a sponge. The Academy must have been trying to sabotage his training if this is any indicator. His stamina rivals even my own and is still improving. Given more seasoning and experience, making Chuunin will be easy to accomplish for them. Furthermore, they include Lee on everything they do, almost treating him like family. That was something that Tenten was only beginning to do after a full year and Neji never even bothered with. This team has truly grown beyond even my wildest dreams. I am so proud of them and I might just nominate them for the Chuunin exams this time around.' The bowl cut sensei thought to himself.
After around 30 minutes of hard fighting, the two of them finally stopped. They both went to the shade of a tree and flopped down on their backs, side by side, and linked their fingers together. While resting, Sakura noticed that Naruto's body had changed, becoming very fit and muscular for his age and he had even grown some. She looked at her own figure and was please with what she saw.
'Well, Ichigo-sensei DID say that I shouldn't diet and Naruto from the way Naruto looks at me I'd say he was right on the money! No more dieting for me! My Naru-kun loves me no matter what I look like!'
"Hell yeah! That foxy blonde of yours is looking mighty tasty..." Inner Sakura commented hungrily.
"Heel, girl! Remember, that's mine!"
"Aw, come on! We both share the same body! What's mine is yours and all that, right?" I.S said hopefully.
"I guess you have a point in a wierd way." Sakura admitted.
"Yeah!! Watch out, Foxy-kun!! Momma wants some lovin'!!"
Sakura let out an exasperated sigh at her inner self's raging hormones, but had to admit that she had a damn good point.
Gai chuckled to himself as he watched the way they looked at each other. 'They really draw strength from each other, pushing each other to become the best they can be. I am glad that Hokage-sama opposed the marriage bid by the Uchiha boy. Just looking at their happiness is enough to convince me that he did the right thing. Kakashi, the council has wronged you terribly by robbing you of such focused students.' He declared inwardly.
He cupped his hands into a makeshift megaphone and shouted out instructions. "Alright you two lovebirds! Laps around the training grounds with weights! Let's go!" He called out with a chuckle.
The team trained until the sun began to set and decided to call it a day. Team Gai parted ways, and the couple made their way home for the night. Unbeknownst to them, a jealousy filled pair of onyx colored eyes followed them.
HARUNO RESIDENCE 1836 HRS
Naruto had walked Sakura home and she offered to cook up some dinner for the two of them, which he gladly accepted. She almost felt like a newly wed as she merrily bounced around the kitchen, making some stir fry that her mother taught her to make. It came away with the Uzumaki seal of approval as he patted his belly in a contented manner.
After he helped her clean up the kitchen and a goodbye kiss on the cheek, Naruto departed for the apartment that he and his brother shared.
Sakura went to relax in the bath for a bit to soothe her aching muscles and rest for a bit. Afterwards, she got dressed in a halter top and some short shorts that showed off her budding figure nicely and lounged in the living room with a book before heading off to bed.
Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. 'Who could that be at this time of night?' She wondered as she opened the door. The one at the door was the last person she wanted to see.
"Sasuke..." She snarled. "What do you want?" She added, her voice dripping with venom.
He stood there with the same same self-important, arrogant smirk that she grew to detest. "I just wanted to talk about us, Sakura-chan. What does that demon dobe have that's so much better than being with someone like me?" He asked in a smug tone while he leered at her.
"Firstly, don't call me that. Only Naruto-kun, Ichigo-san and my mother can call me that. Next, he's kind, considerate of my feelings, and a joy to be around. If you're quite finished, LEAVE." The pinkette told him as she went to slam the door in his face.
To her surprize and fear, he jammed a kunai into the doorframe to brace it open and then kicked it in. He eyed her again. "You really are developing quite nicely." He said hungrily as he advanced on her with the look of a predator in his eyes.
She pulled back into the house and got ready to fight. "Don't touch me, asshole." She growled.
She didn't even see him coming as he felt a fist in her gut, knocking her out cold. The last thing she heard before darkness claimed her was a cruel laugh coming from the Uchiha.
She slowly awoke in pain as she felt her hands bound apart and an explosive tag on her forehead. She tried to make the seal for the Nawanuke no Jutsu, but found that her bindings prevented that from happening. She looked around to see what was going on and she found Sasuke leering at her lecherously as he slinked over to her with a kunai in his hands.
He used the kunai to slice away her clothes, leaving her bare to the world as she struggled to get loose. He then lowered his pants and got behind her one hand on her hips and the other on her neck. "If you scream, I'll kill you." He hissed as he worked himself up to enter her.
Finally ready, her pushed himself up to her entrance. "Now you're all mine. I hope you enjoy carrying my seed." He told her.
Without warning, he slammed himself inside of her, ripping open her hymen and causing blood to trickle down her legs as she fought back a scream. He continued to ravage her body by pumping furiously and smacked her every time she made a sound.
Sakura's body was wracked with untold pain as the Uchiha continued his assualt on her being. She began to call out mentally for someone...Anyone...To come save her from this hell. 'Naruto-kun...mom...Ichigo-sensei...Gai-sensei, Kakashi-sensei...Lee-san...Anybody...SAVE ME!!!!'
SOMEWHERE ON THE WAY TO KUSA NO KUNI AT THE SAME TIME
Ichigo and Hitomi were busy tracking their target when they got a chill that ripped through them. Ichigo went wide eyed in concern and looked to Hitomi, whose reaction mirrored his own.
"You felt that too?" He whispered.
"Yeah. I don't know how, but something just happened." She replied, her voice wavering.
"Let's get this mission over with and go home. I've got a bad feeling about this." He told her as they picked up the pace in following their target.
BACK IN KONOHA
Just before he reached climax, two kunai screamed out of nowhere. One of them snagged the explosive note and the other buried itself in his arm. He pulled out quickly and fumbled with his pants as he faced his attacker, his kunoichi teammate Tenten.
The bun haired girl was getting angrier by the second as she saw what he was doing to Sakura. "You sick fuck!!!" She bellowed, hoping to attract attention.
Sasuke ripped the kunai out of his arm and he focused an insane gaze on her. "You, you bitch!!! I'll enjoy taming you before I kill you!!" He roared back.
"Try it, you asshole!! I'm gonna cut your dick off and shove it up your ass!!!" Tenten snarled as she summoned up her weapons to do just that.
Naruto was on his way back to Sakura's house because he left his apartment keys on her kitchen counter when he heard the sounds of a battle being fought nearby. He raced over to it, his dread growing the closer he drew to her house. Just outside of her house, the street looked like a battle ground, with weapons and scorch marks everywhere.
"W-what the hell is happening here?!" He shouted.
Tenten turned and shouted to him. "Naruto!!! This asshole just raped Sakura!!" She yelled to him.
He went dead silent and he dropped his weights and summoned 20 clones. He had five go inside to check on Sakura and protect her while the rest followed him to help Tenten against Sasuke.
Inside the house, the clones found Sakura and it took all of their restraint to stay focused on the task they were given. They cut her free as she cracked open an eye.
"N-NARUTO!!!!!" She cried as she sobbed into the clone's chest.
The clone smoothed her hair as it tried to comfort her. "Easy there, Sakura-chan. The boss is outside beating the shit outta that asshole." It soothed as it called out to the others. "Hey! Go find a blanket or something to cover her up with!"
With a series of nods, the clones searched and found the article they were looking for and they wrapped her up in it and surrounded her, forming a protective picket line around her.
Back outside, the combatants were huffing as they eyed each other with contempt. Sasuke took the opportunity to throw in a barb to bait Naruto. "Hey dobe! You missed the show! I just showed your girlfriend what a real man is like in the sack!" He sneered at them.
Naruto again went deathly silent. He felt the Kyuubi speak to him. "I know what you're going to ask for, Naru-chan. Here is my power, be careful with it. Protect your loved ones with it." She told him as the potent chakra flooded his system.
He turned to Tenten next. "I wanna thank you for your help, but I gonna need you to step back."
Tenten gave him a grin. "Any time, Naruto."
The red chakra began to swirl and manifest itself physically as he felt his energy return to him, getting him back to 100% strength. His killing intent was squarely focused on Sasuke, making him shake with fear.
Just before he could throw himself at the treacherous Uchiha, two familiar figures blocked his path. He looked up and saw who they were. "Gai-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!"
"Stand down Naruto, Tenten. We'll handle this." He ordered them calmly as Naruto let the Kyuubi chakra die down.
Gai wasted no words as he quickly and viciously took Sasuke down with a nasty gut punch that embedded him in a nearby wall. He scraped Sasuke off of the wall and dragged his unconscious form over by the scruff of his shirt.
Kakashi calmly asked them what happened there, which Tenten was more than happy to explain, followed by Naruto's account of events. After they were finished, the two senseis were almost prepared to finish off the Uchiha themselves, but they thought better of it and just bound him up in steel wire and went inside the house to check on Sakura.
Once inside, they ended up spooking the clones Naruto had guarding her, all of them ready to kill on sight. "Hey! It's just me! The teme's down, it's over!" He told them as they dispelled.
He knelt down in front of Sakura and tried to comfort her, but she pulled away fearfully. "Sakura-chan! It's me!"
She looked up to his face and touched his whisker marks to make sure he was real. As soon as she was sure, she launched herself into his chest, crying her eyes out. "NARUTO!!!!!"
He held her tightly, not wanting to let her go. "It's gonna be okay. He's not going to hurt you anymore."
Kakashi put his hand on Naruto's shoulder to get his attention. "We need to get her to the hospital as soon as possible."
Sakura looked around. She squeaked and pulled on Naruto even tighter. "It's okay, they're here to help." He assured her as he bundled her up in the blanket and carried her in his arms.
"Gai, I'll call some ANBU here to pick up the garbage. Tenten and I will wait here for them and join you at the hospital afterwards. Rin is on duty tonight and she'll help you from there." He told them.
Gai nodded in affirmation. "Right. Naruto, are you ready to go?"
Naruto nodded his head, signaling he was ready and they sped off into the night, making all possible haste to the hospital.
As they disappeared from sight, Tenten let out a sigh. "I wish I had someone that loved me like he loves her. He flipped out when he found her and fought like crazy. He would have ripped that bastard to shreds if you and Gai-sensei hadn't shown up." She confided in the Copy-nin.
"Well, he certainly is one of a kind." He replied as they continued to wait for the ANBU to arrive on the scene.
KONOHA HOSPITAL 2200 HRS
Gai and Naruto barrelled through the double doors of the hospital and sought out Rin, who saw them come in anyway. She gasped in horror as she was told about what happened to Sakura and she admitted her in a heartbeat and led them to a treatment room. Gai had left to inform Sarutobi of what happened and returned with a furious and worried Hokage.
"Sakura, are you alright?" He asked the girl, his aged voice frought with concern.
"I-I don't know, Hokage-sama." She responded in a quivering voice.
His eyes narrowed. 'Damn that Uchiha and the council that keeps protecting him!' He thought.
Rin came up to them and got their attention. "Sorry guys. I going to have to ask you to wait outside while we work on her and run some tests." The medic told them as they complied.
Sakura began to reach out for Naruto again. "No! Don't leave me alone!" She cried.
"It's okay. Rin-neechan is going to help you, Sakura-chan. I'll be just outside the room. I'll never leave you." He told her as he kissed her on the forehead and left the room to let Rin and the medics work.
Before leaving he pulled Rin over to him. "Nee-chan...Please. Please help her..." He choked out, trying to stem his tears.
Rin pulled him in for a hug. "Of course. I'll do everything I can to help her." She assured him as he left the room.
Outside, Gai and Sarutobi sat on opposite sides on of the saddened blonde, looking on in worry.
"Why?" He croaked out. "Why did this have to happen to Sakura-chan?!" He cried out in pain as he sobbed into his hands.
Tenten and Kakashi had just arrived at the hospital to see him break down. Tenten rushed over to the grief-stricken blonde and enveloped him in a comfroting embrace as Kakashi delivered his report to his superior.
"Hokage-sama, Sasuke Uchiha is now in custody of the ANBU and currently incarcerated in their cells, awaiting trial. I will have a full report on your desk by first light." He informed the aged leader in a crisp professional tone. He then turned his attention to the grieving Naruto.
"Naruto, I can't imagine how tough this is for you, but I'll help you and Sakura in any way that I can." He told the boy sympathetically, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"Thank you. All of you." He replied, his voice gaining strength. "I'll never forget this as long as I live. I vow on my nindo, the Uzumaki Way, that I'll repay all you've done for Sakura-chan." He vowed, his word filled with strength and conviction that were easy to detect.
The old Hokage smiled with pride. 'I've never been more proud of you, Naruto.'
Gai cleared his throat as he spoke his piece. "In all seriousness, Naruto-kun, I am very proud of how you are handling this. If you or Sakura need ANYTHING, just let myself or Lee know."
"Thanks sensei. It's nice to know we can count on our team." He replied with a smile.
"Same with me and Rin, Naruto." Kakashi added.
Tenten also spoke up and offered support. "If Sakura needs a girl to talk with about this, she can talk to me if she wants to." She offered.
"Thanks, Ten-chan. I'll let her know."
"Naruto, when her mother and your brother return from their mission, do you want to tell them yourself, or do you want me to be there with you?" He asked the boy.
"If it's alright with you, can we tell them in your office, Jii-chan?" He asked.
"As you wish, Naruto." He told the boy. He truly saw him as another grandson, and he'd be damned if he didn't help him through this mess.
Suddenly, the door to Sakura's room opened and Rin came out, pulling down her mask. Naruto wasted no time in asking her how she was.
Kakashi had concerns as well. "How is she Rin?"
Rin took a deep breath and began to explain. "Physically, she'll recover in around 8 days time, but I highly recommend that she see a councilor about what happened before she returns to full duty." She stated as she looked at Naruto.
"Go on inside. She's been asking for you." She told him softly as he darted off into the room. As soon as he was inside the room she shut the door slightly and told the rest to the others.
"We ran the rape kit on her and it came back positive for semen, but thankfully there was only just enough to take samples. After the samples were taken, we gave her a contraceptive solution to eliminate any chances of pregnancy. She had massive muscle and inner wall tears, as well as the cuts, bruises, and abrasions she had from her bindings, but her hemmoraging was minor, thankfully. In all honestly, I'd like to kill the little bastard that did this very slowly. I don't care if he's the precious last Uchiha! He stole her virginity from her, something that is completely unforgivable!" She raged slightly as she turned to Tenten.
"You and Naruto prevented her from being forced into an unwanted pregnancy. You especially, Tenten. You stopped him from finishing.
Tenten shivered and hugged herself. "I know, but...that bastard is on my team. I don't feel safe with him around, especially if what I've heard about the council is true."
Kakashi knew what he had to do. "Don't worry. I'd sooner cut off his hands than let him touch you or anyone else like that." He told his kunoichi student to give her some form of comfort.
"I'll see what I can do about the council. I won't go down without a fight." Sarutobi assured them. He was tired of the council trying to walk all over him and the shinobi of the village.
Meanwhile, inside the room, Naruto nearly bum rushed the bed Sakura was on. "Sakura-chan! You're alright!! Thank Kami!!" He cried happily as they embraced each other tightly.
But suddenly, she pulled away from him, her gaze cast downward. "S-Sakura-chan? W-what's wrong?" He asked, his voice filled with dread.
The girl began to sob heavily. "H-he tainted me...I'm n-not pure anymore...I'm filthy now!!!" She cried further as she buried her face in her hands. "You w-wouldn't want me anym-more..."
Naruto looked at with a hard gaze. "Sakura-chan, stop it." He told her sternly, getting her attention.
"What that...bastard did to you is not your fault! I still love you and I always will! Please, don't push me away..." He told her as he fought back his tears.
Sakura gazed at him in wonder. 'He really does love me...I should have known that...' She mentally chided herself.
"Shannaro!! His heart's always been ours and our alone!!! He's always told us that! Tell him you love him too, dumbass!!" I.S bellowed in her mind.
"Alright already! Damn!" She told her inner persona to placate her. She reached out and stroked Naruto's whiskered cheeks softly and lovingly as she prepared to speak her mind.
"I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. I was just so scared that you wouldn't love me anymore. I shouldn't have doubted how you felt about me and I want to tell you that I love you, too. With all of my heart, mind, body, and soul. I am yours and nothing will ever change that. Ever." She declared to him as she pulled him into a deep loving kiss, a kiss that further reinforced everything that she vowed to him.
When the kiss broke, Naruto was left staring into her jade green eyes in amazement. After he recovered he had a vow of his own to make, kneeling at her bedside.
"Sakura-chan, Everything that I am and have, I give to mind, body, heart, and soul now belong to you and you alone. You will always have me and I will never abandon you. I will love you until the end of time." He told her honestly as he geared up for his big question.
"I know this is a few years off, but when we're old enough, will you marry me?" He asked as he took her hands into his.
The young girl was shocked to put it mildly, but shock was something that I.S shrugged right off. "He offering to be our forever!! Yes!! Say yes, dammit!!" I.S shouted.
Sakura's eyes were wet with tears again, only this time they were tears of happiness. "Yes...yes I will, Naruto-kun!!!!" She cried out as she held him for dear life, never wanting to let him go.
The rest of the group that came to the hospital and a late arriving Lee all heard the proclaimations of love and the future wedding proposal and there wasn't a single dry eye in attendance.
Tenten thought that it was the single most romantic thing she had ever heard or seen in her life. All of those romance novels she kept under her bed didn't even come close to what she just bore witness to.
She started to cry gently but was supported by an equally teary eyed Lee who had the most gentle smile on his face that she'd ever seen him have. He made a slient vow of his own, that he would always support and defend his teammates and friends to the death. To him, a fellow orphan just like Naruto, his friends and team were his family. Even though Sasuke's actions that night were heinous and demanded swift, brutal retribution, making sure his family was okay came first.
Gai watched the love his two students showed for each other with no small amount of pride. There were no passion filled shouts and declarations of youth, because they just wouldn't do this happy occassion justice. He settled for a soft grin and a single, small tear the ran down his face.
Sarutobi watched the boy who grew up alone and hated be accepted and loved by the one he loved in return. He hoped against hope that he would still be around to administer their wedding ceremony personally when the time came. He wished the two of them a bright and happy future together from the bottom of his heart as the powerful old shinobi leader let his emotions flow.
Rin cried openly in to her former teammate's vest, who himself was letting a few tears go. 'Sensei, Kushina-san. I hope that you can see this. Your son has found the love he has craved his entire life. Her love for him will give him the strength to overcome any obstacle, to accomplish the impossible.'
Rin looked over at the happy couple and smiled sadly. "I wish Obito were here to see this. He would have really liked Naruto."
"Yeah. I wish he was still with us, too. I bet he's smiling down on us along with sensei and Kushina-san right now." The copy-nin replied as he pulled Rin in closer.
Tenten managed to compose herself and decided to make their presence known. "Hey! If Ino's the maid of honor, can I be a bride's maid?" She called out.
Lee, almost as if on cue mirrored her request. "Oooh! Can I be a Groom's man?! I wanna wear one of those fancy suits!" He asked them, as excited as a kid at Christmas time.
Naruto and Sakura turned to face them with matching, glowing smiles. 'Oh my, it's Minato and Kushina all over again...' Sarutobi said inwardly, his grin growing even wider.
Sakura told Tenten that she was more than welcome to be a bride's maid when the time came, but Naruto's answer was different.
"Sorry Lee, you won't be a groom's man." Lee felt heartbroken when he heard this but Naruto wasn't finished.
"You'll be my Best Man, standing right there with me when the time comes." He told the bowl cut boy.
Lee could hardly believe his ears. He began to whoop with glee and even snatched Tenten into a near bonecrushing hug. She simply hugged him back, knowing how he gets when excited. "Lee, you excitable baka, calm down. We're in a hospital, you know." She scolded him softly.
Lee apologized for being so loud, but she admitted that she was happy as well. Very few tragedies such as this had a positive outcome.
They all looked back at Naruto and Sakura, seeing Naruto's head resting in her lap while she played with his spiky hair and whisker marks. She looked around for Rin and found her near by at the door to her room.
"Rin-san, can Naruto-kun stay here with me?"
"Of course, dear." She told her as she pulled a blanket off of an unused bed and draped it over Naruto. She turned to the rest of the crowd. "Alright, show's over. Let's let them get some rest." She told them while shooing them out of the room. The group dispersed and all went home.
Sarutobi felt uneasy about leaving them unguarded, so he had two of his most trusted ANBU watch over them. "Tora, Neko. Allow no one but these people near them. Check for henges and genjutsu on all visitors and staff. This village has shown itself to be untrustworthy where Naruto's well being is concerned. I will not have anything happening to them under this roof, am I clear?" He instructed the two elite shinobi.
The two nodded to the affirmative and took their posts, Tora outside of the door and Neko on the ledge outside the window. Neko, being a woman herself, couldn't help but shiver in disgust at what the last Uchiha had done. Rape was always highly frowned upon in Konoha, and those who were found guilty of it were severly punished. Losing their shinobi status would be the least of their worries.
Unfortunately, said shinobi was the village 'prince', the last of the supposedly loyal Uchiha, Sasuke. She and her partner had heard no end of stories that the council were almost puppets to the spoiled boy's will, giving him anything he wanted to keep him happy, all in the best interests of the village, they would claim.
'A laughable and pathetic excuse...I already know that they are going to pardon the Uchiha, but we'll be ready for him next time he tries this. I'll kill him myself if I catch him...' Neko thought angrily with a growl to match.
A/N: This chapter was difficult for me to write, as it is a crime that I could never forgive. Rape is a crime of revenge and it fits Sasuke's vengence driven personality to a very creepy tee. Jealousy is another motivating factor in this sort of crime, and could be directed not at the victim per se, but at the victims loved ones. In canon, he has all the right motivators for the crime, not to mention the twisted mind set that follows. Also, he has developed a very dangerous type of OCD that fixates on people and property. Ones under this type could become very dangerous if not kept in check. Unfortunately, Sasuke's wasn't and it was allowed to fester until it came down to this.
Sasuke wanted Naruto to suffer, but was too cowardly take him on directly, so he waited until Ichigo and Hitomi were out of town, Naruto and Sakura were both tired from training and for Naruto to go home to make his move. This resulted in Sakura being too tired to fend him off properly and Naruto to not be able to take him down by himself due to fatigue until the Kyuubi decided to get involved.
Next chapter, you will see how the village takes the news and also the return of Ichigo and Hitomi. This won't be pretty. BTW, inspiration for this chapter came from the fic by Mr. Lee, entitled,"How to mend a broken heart". Very dark, but captivating story that is also Naru/Saku, but sadly it remains unfinished. I would adopt it, but I could hardly do it justice.