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Flotsam

Chapter 9

[After the Chaos]

Naruto stood at the edge of the docked ship, staring into the city. For just a moment, he wanted to lose himself in the sea of torches flickering in the distance, lighting up the now boisterous landscape in front of him. But he couldn't be immersed in the sight, he knew, while Sasuke was staring at him like that. "Oy, Naruto." He finally called, and Naruto tightened his fists until his knuckles turned pale.

"Naruto." Sasuke's voice was more insistent this time, and Naruto turned around, immediately lunging at Sasuke with far more anger than necessary. He grabbed onto the front of the Captain's shirt, tugging him forward by the fistfuls of cloth. Sasuke quickly shoved Naruto back, but the Quarter Master immediately swung a fist straight at him. Sasuke swiftly caught his fist, twisting the blonde's arm until he let out a pained sound. Sasuke shoved him backwards towards the cabin. He gave Naruto one last toss, briskly following him before slamming the door shut behind him.

Naruto seemed so unhinged, and Sasuke hated when he was like this. There was simply no reasoning with the boy when he got upset, which happened far too often. His emotions truly were troubling. Naruto closed the gap between the two, and their stares had a silent battle, one Sasuke was more than willing to leave. He turned nonchalantly away from his Quarter Master with an unreadable expression, smoothing his shirt back down from where it had crumpled.

It proved to be the wrong move, as he heard Naruto's voice boom behind him. "How can you just... Not care! About anything!" Sasuke's face remained unconcerned as he glanced over his shoulder. "Emotions have a time, a place, and a purpose. I see no reason to feel them right now." Naruto slammed his fist against the wall, and finally a flicker of annoyance was displayed on the Captain's face. "Dammit, Sasuke! You don't think about emotions! You just-" Those vibrant blue eyes were clenched tightly shut, and Sasuke watched him with a growing disinterest in his ranting. "How can you say there is no reason to be upset...? You saw her... She wanted your approval so much." Sasuke felt something twinge in his chest, but he decided that now was not the time to address it, and so he suppressed it once more.

"She was willing to die just so you would stop treating her so coldly. Over something that had nothing to do with her!" Sasuke's teeth were ground against each other as he finally spat out, "This is what you asked for! She wanted to do this!" Naruto's hand finally fell from the wall where it had impacted, and Sasuke felt as if he could hear the fool's tears gathering from the distance.

"She is just another crewmember. She does not warrant such a scene."

Naruto let out a weak chuckle in response to the typical, apathetic response. He ran a hand through his hair, trying to gather his thoughts. "She's not though," he started, gazing wistfully at the ground, "it's impossible to be around her and not..." He paused, trying to locate the word before he met Sasuke's eyes, finally reaching the conclusion, "... love her."

The Captain felt a burning deep in his chest at the words, and he raised an unsure eyebrow at his oldest friend, trying not to display the growing unrest. "What of Hinata?" At first, Naruto seemed surprised, if not a little confused. But then his lips settled into a sad smile. "No, not like that. I meant I love her... like I love you." Sasuke did not respond, and silently prayed that Naruto would not speak such things again. But it did not stop the suddenly sentimental blonde, who finally concluded, "Like a brother."

"I do not have a brother anymore." Sasuke's response was curt and dismissive, and he turned to leave before his friend's emotions unraveled any further. He felt a hand weigh heavy on his shoulder, and in a strictly instinctual manner, he jerked his body away from the touch. Thankfully, Naruto seemed to accept the response, and only gave one last plea. "Sasuke. Take it easy on her, please." Sasuke almost felt a smirk form on his lips, but instead tried to maintain his composure for the last moment of conversation. He tilted his head to the side, recalling the memory of her shining eyes as she held a dagger to his chest.

"She is not weak enough to warrant it."

The words settled in the air, and he could see Naruto's big, goofy grin out of the corner of his eyes. "Yeah." He murmured, "you're right."

Sakura could only remain standing from the wall she was leaning against. So when Shinigami lunged at her with her dagger, she only had one option. She quickly raised her arms, ready to take the blow, not bothering to concern herself with the consequences just yet.

But thankfully, another large blast hit the ship, causing it to shift precariously to one side. She continued to brace herself against the wall, thanking the gods as her assailant quickly lost his footing. However, it was not enough to sway him, as he quickly stood again. Before she could blink, she felt the burning sensation of a blade splitting the skin on her arm. Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to stop. She could feel the wetness gathering, and she knew it was over. His eyes widened as he halted his attack. He stood to his feet, grabbing her arm and holding it up. A thin, iridescent purple tinted liquid quickly poured from the wound, dripping down her arm.

Sakura tried to speak, to scream, to do something! She screamed at her feet to move, but she was too weak. 'Damn these stupid human legs!' She pulled her arm back towards her, but he did not let go. She couldn't rip her eyes away from him, trying to formulate any kind of plan to get herself out of this situation. She couldn't even cry out for the man she desperately wanted to see. No one could see her like this. The man's surprise was bleeding into a twisted curiosity, and the pit in her stomach grew. A wicked smile grew on his face as he chuckled.

"It all makes sense..." He whispered, "Merma-"

But the word was never finished. Sakura's face was suddenly splashed with a warm, thick iron liquid. The blood sprayed into her mouth, but she could not even shut it. Because there in front of her was Suigetsu, holding the man's head back at an unsettling angle, his sword lodged deeply in his throat. Sakura's head was spinning, her stomach lurching. She could hear herself screaming, but couldn't care to hold back. Her entire body was shaking as she felt the man's blood drenching every inch of her torso.

"Sakura!" Suigetsu's voice felt so far away, and when the boat shifted, the dead body's weight fell further on her as Suigetsu pulled his sword back. Sakura could only think to grab it before it fell on her, and the blood continued to spill onto her. She could see her wound being fully covered, and tried to be thankful, but her eyes kept returning to the partially beheaded corpse in her arms.

"Sakura! Fuck!" She finally looks up, seeing Suigetsu as he grabs the body, throwing it to the side as he repeats the question she vaguely remembers hearing before. "Where's the fucking key?!" She tries to answer, but suddenly remembers the blood coating her mouth. She begins to gag, choking on the bitterness in her throat. In her distress, she looks over at the key laying on the ground near him. She lifts up a bloodied arm, vaguely gesturing towards the broken necklace. She looks back down at the pool of blood surrounding her, finally finding the ability to move, only to scream once more.

Suigetsu grabbed the key from the ground, shoving it in his pocket before he turned around to the hyperventilating wreck of his teammate. He grabs her by the arm, finally realizing her still profusely bleeding wound, her fresh blood splitting the maroon coating. "Dammit, Sakura! Get it together!" He yanked a handkerchief from his belt, roughly tying it tightly around her arm to hopefully hide the open wound until they could get away.

Sakura let herself be dragged from the room, trying to find some semblance of sense to understand she had to get off the ship. But it was as if every instinct, every thought escaped her over and over, leaving only the impression of death. Every time she looked down at her hands, all she saw was red. She had asked for this. She had known this could happen. But yet, here it was in front of her and she wondered why the hell she ever thought she could do this. Tears welled in her eyes, and she was almost relieved to feel something beyond pure terror.

As fate would have it, this was the moment Sasuke finally got to her. His hands cupped her face, lifting it gently, though rushed, to look him straight in the eyes. Her normally green eyes seemed so dull, and so far away. The contrast between the dark maroon splatter and those green eyes was something he never wanted to see again. She was finally able to speak, croaking out his name.

"S-Sasuke."

He did not wait a moment more, sweeping her off her feet and over his shoulder. She tried not to think about the devastation in the scene around them as he carried her through the halls. The trails of blood that followed to the place she had been—had it really been worth this? What could possibly be worth this? She found the strength to move, and quickly grabbed onto his shirt, sobbing openly as she tried to comfort herself with his warmth.

"Are you okay?" He asks her as he climbs the ladder, spotting Naruto at the top and knowing Suigetsu followed close behind them below. She did not answer, and he tried not to yell at her for it. He tried to feel for any pooling blood, but all he could notice was the wetness of her tears and the already drying spray on her. It did not stop his racing heart, and he so he called to her again.

"Sakura. Did he hurt you?" She sobbed louder, and the frustration hit him like a wave larger than any he'd faced at sea. 'Please..." he pleaded to himself, wishing he had the courage to speak his thoughts.

'I want to help you.'

Naruto had already begun clearing a wide pathway to the gangplank, and Sasuke ran after him. Naruto finally turned to him, surprised when a blood-soaked Sakura landed in his arms. He ripped his gaze from the sight long enough to ask the retreating Captain, "Where the hell are you going?!"

"I'm going to finish it." Sasuke ground out, and Naruto wanted to respond, but Suigetsu's loud cheering from behind Sasuke distracted him. Naruto looks back down to the trembling, sobbing pinkette in his arms. He almost goes to leave with her, but she scrambles in his arms, calling out in a much louder voice, "Sasuke!"

He stops in his tracks, glancing at her over his shoulder, as his grip on his sword grew tighter. She reached out toward him, her face in a pained grimace and the blood on her face washed away in streams of tears.

"Please." She begged.

"Please don't." Sasuke can feel his soul being torn in two, as he looked at the wreckage of a ship left behind. The water was pooling through the cracks, mixing the blood of both crews around his feet. The ship would not stay afloat much longer at this pace. He knew the crew would fall, and there was no reason to risk his men. But then the very woman begging him to leave was the same thing that kept him wanting to return. He wanted to personally end every single man who let this happen. He wanted to find the man who caused this and watch the life fade from his eyes over and over again.

"Please." She continued, and he took a deep breath, never separating their gazes. He clenches his jaw before spinning back to face her and Naruto, accepting her back from Naruto before yelling to his crew, "Abandon ship!"

As he went to leave, Suigetsu quickly appeared beside him, wordlessly expressing his intent to remain by Sakura's side. He glanced at him, opening his mouth to tell him to leave, but Suigetsu didn't let him. "I'm not leaving her." It was not up for debate.

"Tch." He mutters, reminding himself of the reality before him. This woman in his arms had a relationship with the idiot following him, whether he liked it or not. And this was not the time for childish insecurities.

The rest of the trip to the ship was in silence, and before they knew it they were at the girl's quarters. Hinata opened the door in a rush, grabbing Sakura from Sasuke's arms and helping her to stand on her feet. She pushes her friend's pink locks from her face, trying to get a good look at her with a warm, comforting smile. "Let's get you cleaned up, okay, Sakura?" Sakura, still out of words, nodded emptily.

"She can do it herself." Suigetsu objected, and Sasuke scowls at him. "We don't even know what happened. She could be hurt."

Suigetsu crosses his arms, openly challenging the Captain with a sneer, "Well she isn't gonna let you touch her, anyway, asshole." Sasuke reached out and grabbed Suigetsu by the front of his shirt, swinging at him. But before he made contact with the cocky man, Sakura spoke.

"I'm not hurt." Sasuke let go of Suigetsu as if he had completely forgotten the insubordination, and purposefully ignored the cheeky grin still plastered on his face. "You're lying." His voice betrayed his cool demeanor, and he gestured at the fashioned bandage around her arm, hoping it would be less indicative of his distressed state.

She looks down quizzically, obviously having forgotten she sustained an injury at all. This was exactly what he was worried about. If she could not even notice the wound someone had tended to, how could she be trusted to recognize any other pain through the adrenaline? "This is nothing." She held up her arm as if to prove her point, but Sasuke pressed on, taking a step closer, "That's not up to you, I am your Captain."

But suddenly, an unexpected face was before him. Hinata stood between the two of them, an uncharacteristic glower aimed at both the men. "Please leave, Captain." Her voice was firm, and suddenly he understood exactly what Naruto meant about how scary the timid woman could be. He obeyed, taking a step back in surprise. Behind her, Sakura looked suddenly nervous. Suigetsu, who had fallen silent, also did not look very happy with the situation. But he, too, obeyed, and after a moment of silence, both men made their exit.

When they were finally alone, Hinata turned to Sakura, not making eye contact as she began to help her shed the layers of the dress. But Sakura pulls her arm away from Hinata when she goes to remove the bandage, with the obvious intention to inspect the only obvious cut on her body.

Hinata falters for a moment before finally asking with a calm sadness, "Is there something you are hiding, Sakura?" But the question does not sound like a question at all, and Hinata turns away from her without an answer. She readies some buckets and towels to begin wiping the blood stains from Sakura's skin. When she turns back, Sakura is staring at her with an open fear. Hinata shakes her head, and whispers gently, "Do not worry. I will not ask again. You can leave it on."

Sakura can feel the air return to her lungs, and she lets out a breath she held in for far too long. She could feel the tears in her eyes as her friend began to wipe her bruised skin clean. "Thank you."

Just outside, Sasuke and Suigetsu stood facing opposite directions. Sasuke does not face him when he speaks.

"You are treading a dangerous path. Your open insubordination will not stand on this ship." But Suigetsu quickly retorts, "Everything I do, I do to protect her. I don't expect a selfish bastard to understand that."

Sasuke scoffs. "I don't care." Suigetsu lets out a bitter laugh as he heard the Captain beginning to depart. "You sure?" He taunts, and Sasuke chooses not to respond. When he returns to the deck, his crew is awaiting his command, and he realizes there is more to worry about than a simple girl.

"Where to, Captain?" His quarter master was always so capable in situations like this, and as much as he normally hated it, he was grateful for some semblance of normalcy right now.

"Set sails for the Sand."

A few days had passed since they left the port, and Sasuke knew he had to talk to Sakura about it soon. He had allowed her several days to rest, but if he didn't get her back to work soon, he feared the crew would begin to question his mercy for the girl. Particularly, he was growing more nervous about his Sailing Master's growing disdain for the girl. It was getting harder for the Captain to justify his decision to keep her on board if she served no use to them.

A light knocking on his door interrupted Sasuke's thoughts. He narrowed his eyes at the door for a moment, recognizing that there were only a few members of his crew with such a slight hand. He swore, it was like that woman could read his thoughts. "Come in."

Sure enough, Sakura opened the door and stepped into the room. She seemed guarded and unsure, and Sasuke knew he should tread lightly. The scene she had witnessed and endured was enough to traumatize most people. But then again, isn't this what she had asked for? Didn't she want the pirate life? She must have known that this was a possibility. He had tried to warn her before. He never even wanted her to go on this mission in the first place. His anger build as she stood there, refusing to make eye contact or initiate the conversation.

"Why are you here, Sakura?" He finally asked, and if at all possible, she seemed to shrink even further into herself. Her voice was much quieter than he was used to when she mumbled, "Naruto told me to come speak to you."

Sasuke couldn't tell if this answer was comforting or even more infuriating. She had finally come to speak to him, but only after Naruto called for her? When was she planning on doing it before he interfered?

"It's time for you to return to your post." Sakura stood taller, but still did not look him in the eyes. "Aye, Captain." Her voice had returned to the normal volume, and she turned to leave the room without anything more. But Sasuke's temper got the better of him, and he could feel the anger growing at the pathetic state of the woman. She was stronger than this; if he thought she could not handle this life he would have never accepted her onto his crew. Why couldn't she just see that she was fully capable, and finally find her confidence? Everyone else was so sure of her abilities except her.

"I did not say you are free to go."

Sakura stopped, slowly turning back to face him. When she finally met his gaze, he saw emptiness in her normally bright emerald eyes. He loathed the sight. He beckoned her with one hand to come closer. She slowly obeyed, standing before him, awaiting his next command. However, it appeared the one thing he wanted to talk about was the very thing she was trying to avoid.

"We need to talk about what happened." Almost immediately, tears began to pool in her eyes as she opened her mouth to talk. "I can't, I-" Sasuke held up a hand, silently ordering her not to bother with her objection. Frustrated, Sasuke lets out a sigh. He knows his anger is slightly irrational, but he cannot stop it from coming out. "You have got to learn how to handle these things better, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes flared back to life for a brief moment, and she felt the fire inside her burn at the thought of being chastised. Sasuke's eyebrows raise slightly as she raises her voice, her hands balled into fists. "I'm sorry I'm not like you, Captain." She spat out the words, ignoring any regret they came with. "I guess you were right, like always." She throws her arms between them in her own frustration as she finishes, "I'm not used to this. I can't just... Get used to this!"

"Then why did you sign up for this, Sakura?" His tone was somewhere between derision and frustration. Sakura knew what he was saying made sense, but it didn't make it bother her any less. She tried to answer, but all that came out was a choked sob. She ripped her eyes away from him, staring at the wall while trying to maintain any sense of dignity she still had.

Sasuke recognized the wall she was quickly building between the two of them, and he knew this was the opposite of a productive conversation. If he couldn't honestly talk to her about the mission, she would have to leave the crew. He couldn't keep someone on who he couldn't talk to about things like this. But she would never open up to him if he continued to treat her like a child. He sighed, knowing what she needed from him—the very thing the Quarter Master criticized him for. He needed her to see that he did feel. He was not nearly as detached as he seemed.

"I have killed very few men." His voice had returned to a normal volume, and Sakura's muscles released from their tensed state at the shift. She still did not meet his eyes, but she let one of her arms fall to her side. Sasuke watched, trying to think of the way to express what he felt. He was not exactly a man of words.

"You do not have to take pride in killing, or enjoy it. It is a necessity to protect yourself." He spoke matter-of-factly, and Sakura looked up to him. He locked eyes with her as he continued, "... and others."

Sakura felt her heart skip a beat at the gentleness of Sasuke's features and tone. She knew from the brief time of knowing him that Sasuke had never been the kind to share his feelings. Even when they first reunited, before the damage from mother, he was a man born from trauma. She did not blame him for not wanting to share.

But here he was, trying to comfort her after an experience that, for him, must still be commonplace, even if not by his hand. How many times had he stared death in the face? His voice from a distant memory rang in her head.

'I'd rather die.'

She sighed, and Sasuke raised an eyebrow at the distracted action. She shook her head, as if to bring her back to the present. "Still, no one should have to die. It shouldn't end like that." She was unsure of herself, and the idea was so absolutely naïve that it boiled Sasuke's blood. Did she not just witness the true nature of pirates? His ship is one of the very few that avoids bloodshed. She can't be so-! So stupid to think that all pirates were like him! His eyes narrowed back to his previous, harsh glare.

"Don't be stupid, Sakura." He reprimanded, but she did not respond. She stared back at him with a cold emptiness. "I'm not." She mumbled, barely over her breath. It only served to anger him more.

"Do you even know where you were?" Sasuke sneered, and Sakura winced at the question like the very words burned her. "Do you know what pirates do to women like you?" He grabbed her arm roughly, and she pulled back to no avail. "If your little pet hadn't been there, do you know what that bastard would have done to you? Death, Sakura, would be the merciful end."

Sakura stopped struggling, and his grip loosened. He never wanted to hurt her, but she was so foolish. If he couldn't get her to understand the stakes, what would happen to her? He couldn't even save her this time; Suigetsu had. He had been too late. Perhaps that's why every second he stares at her, shaking and crying before him does nothing but make him hate himself for ever bringing her on this ship.

"Could you have handled it, Sakura?" His voice no longer menacing, becoming more sullen by the syllable as he further loosened his grip on her. "If I fail to save you next time?"

He gently pulls her closer, and the tears are falling freely down her cheeks. She can see his clenched teeth, and feel the fine tremors in his arm that held her. Suddenly, she realizes the source of his anger has very little to do with her. He is so blinded, he does not notice when the cloud of self-doubt and fear lifts from her eyes. Her deepest desire to make him better courses through her.

"You did not fail, Sasuke."

He is so shocked by her words that he releases her, staring down at her with disbelief. Surely, she must be able to read his thoughts! He doesn't move when she opens her arms, slipping them under his and embracing him. He feels her arms lock around him, but the sensation does not feel at all like a prison. He can feel the way her heart is beats hard, but slow against his chest. He looks down to see her eyes are closed, with a few silent, final tears.

"Nothing you do," She whispered, pressing her forehead against his chest, "Could ever make me doubt you."

Sasuke has not felt so speechless in so long. His throat is dry, and his mouth hung open. He wanted to tell her she was wrong, that her opinion meant nothing to him. But it would be a lie. He knew he had no reason to crave her approval. But this impossible girl was his undoing, and Neji's voice rang like an alarm in his head.

'That girl is trouble.'

' How very wrong she is...'

And as his body responds to her touch in a way that awakens a distant, lost memory, Sasuke realizes Neji was right. But he wonders why this woman has chosen him. She has had many opportunities to ruin him, but she has never acted on them. Does she know, he wonders, what she does to him? What a dangerous thing, to feel this way.

Sasuke is finally able to move, and he rests his hand on the back of her head, feeling her further melt into him.

"I'm sorry, Sakura."

Sakura's eyes snap open at the words. The first time the Captain has ever apologized to her, and she has absolutely no idea what it is for. She does not move, hoping he will explain himself. Luckily, he does.

"It is my fault you were hurt. I was foolish." Sakura pulls back from him, but only far enough that she can meet his eyes. She feels silly straining up to look at him, but she is too scared that if she moves any further, he will slip from her grasp entirely.

"What ever do you mean, Captain? I- I was just not a good actress! He asked me about you and I just couldn't-" Although Sasuke wanted to hear the rest of the thought, he had to interject. He could not let her believe this was her fault.

"Apparently news of me showing interest in a woman traveled faster than my ship can sail."

Sakura's face burned red as the blood rushed to her face. Had she heard him correctly? Sasuke, showing interest in a woman? Sasuke showing interest in her? She scoffed, and pulled away from him. She wiped her tears, a playful smile on her face.

"I find my reasoning far more likely!"

"Why is that?" He deadpans, and Sakura is suddenly even more thrown off by the fact he hasn't dispelled the idea that he was interested in her. She stumbled over her own words. "W-Well, I mean. I have heard of you before. You are known to be quite the heartbreaker, Captain."

Suddenly the way she is addressing him bothers him. How can she hold him so intimately one moment, then immediately return to this distance? Her choice of words, too; who does she think he is? Sasuke Uchiha was not the kind of man to take his affections lightly.

"I am no such thing." He balks, and Sakura blinks rapidly in confusion. She shakes her head again, raising her hand as she tried to think of how to express her thoughts. "You don't have to explain any of your actions to me, Captain. I do not judge you nor any woman with you."

"Tch." Sasuke is stuck in a limbo between embarrassed and annoyed. She really did have the wrong idea of him. It was true that many women had attempted to sway him, and on a few regretful nights, he had invited them onto his ship. But yet still, he could never bring himself to allow them any closer.

He was a heartbreaker, he supposed, but not in the way she suspected. In all of his years as a feared seafarer, he had never truly shared himself with anyone.

"Captain..." Sakura whispered playfully, "Are you blushing?"

Sure enough, Sasuke could feel the telltale warmth in his cheeks as he struggled to regain his dignity in this embarrassing conversation. He ignores her question, and motions to her arm instead, an obvious attempt to change the subject.

"Is it healing well?" Sakura feels like she could suffer whiplash from the stark contrast, and so she nods dumbly, placing a hand over the bandage to hide her own insecurities. Truthfully, the wound had healed shortly after the battle. She only left the bandage on because Suigetsu insisted that normal, human wounds did not heal so quickly. The small scratches still present on Sasuke's exposed skin were evidence enough.

Sasuke's mind fell back into his self-doubting thoughts that roused his temper just moments before. He wanted to promise her that he would keep her safe from this point on, but he knew his words meant nothing. If he wanted to protect her, he just had to do it.

But then he looked up at Sakura, who was smiling innocently the same way she had before that trip. His lip twitched up, for not even one second. If he could ignore her red-rimmed eyes and damp skin, her spirit was the same. He did not need to save her. She was fully capable of that herself.

"So why the Sand, Captain?" She hummed happily, passing by him on her way to the door. Sasuke turned so he could follow her movements.

"We are going to use what you brought us." He pulls a chain from his sleeve, revealing that the key she had retrieved now hung from a bracelet on his wrist.

Sakura already knew what that meant for their voyage. She had not only retrieved that key because Sasuke had asked her to. Orochimaru was also seeking the contents it revealed. Her largest concern now was not a matter of Sasuke reaching the information, but then his sharing it with her. He already did not trust her; this was not going to be easy.

"What do you suppose we'll find?" She feigns excitement, but her reaction seems to be overdone, as Sasuke eyes her suspiciously.

"Information." He responds vaguely. Sakura only nods, unsure on how to respond. Thankfully, he takes pity on her. "Return to your post." He states, and she turns back to the door, ready to depart when he stops her.

"But prepare yourself. You will accompany me when we land."

'Wait, what?'

Author's Notes: Happy New Year's everyone! I wanted to get this one out quicker for two reasons. One, because I still felt guilty for the cliffhanger. Two, because I just posted another story!

The story posted is the modern celebrity AU I talked about before. It is written in a way that it can stay a one-shot, but also leaves a lot of open questions. I may continue it, but I'm unsure for now. It does contain heavy one-sided ItaSaku, so don't read it if you aren't a fan. I am a rapid MultiSak shipper and only a little ashamed (SasuSaku OTP for life).

Thank you for those who continue to read my stories, I appreciate you all so much! The best present I received was your lovely feedback. I know all authors say it, but reviews and comments mean the world to us. We are never more motivated than when we get them!

Enjoy the rest of your holiday season!