Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I have no claim on any of his characters, only the plot of this story.
Trust
by chickypeg
Chapter 14: Lovers' Quarrel
Morning light filtered through the glass doors that led out to the balcony. Hinata, with a broom in hand, half expected Naruto to burst through the doors with a big smile on his face and his arms wide open to embrace her.
But he didn't.
Her heart was so close to his that she knew that he was still physically faraway from her. Smiling a little sadly for she missed him so, she returned to her sweeping.
Today, the Hyuga female was cleaning up the house that she and Naruto would be living in when they got married.
It had actually belonged Naruto's parents, given to the blonde on his eighteenth birthday as that was the date set for him to inherit it. He would receive it, along with a few other small mementos that had been entrusted to Jiraiya by Minato Namikaze. Jiraiya, in turn, had entrusted them to Tsunade before he went off on the mission that had claimed his life.
Tsunade had kept everything, until the time was perfect to hand them over to their rightful owner.
It surprising the house even still existed given the destruction the village had suffered a few years ago! Yet, some homes had survived the trials of the Konoha's damage, including this one because the families had put special chakra seals for protection.
Naruto had actually chosen not to live here, for he had been too attached to his old apartment (and he was also well aware that he wouldn't clean it since he couldn't even keep his small apartment tidy).
He had visited from time to time. However, upon deciding to marry Hinata, Naruto had changed his mind.
His forehead pressed against hers as he held her hands in his. Behind them, the moon was full and bright.
She felt his grip on her tighten as he suddenly drew back and watched her with total seriousness, and almost a bit of desperation.
His expression bemused her because she had never seen him look like this.
"Naruto-kun?"
"I want kids, Hinata...right away if it's possible. I know you're a kunoichi, and you may want to hold off for a few years and..."
She ended his babble when she tiptoed and kissed him lightly. The pair was blushing madly now.
Lowering her lavender eyes shyly, she whispered, "I want them too...right away. And I'll give them all my love."
With uncharacteristic fierceness, she suddenly looked at him and declared, "They won't ever feel like they're unwanted or have nowhere to come home too!" Embarrassed by her outburst, she went silent.
Naruto took her into his arms and hugged her. In a voice that didn't need to be loud to speak the volumes of emotion he was feeling, he whispered against her hair, "Thank you, Hinata. It's all I want for our children."
They both had moments of feeling unwanted. Naruto hadn't know his parents' love and had experienced hatred instead while Hinata had endured her father's scorn for several years. Knowing the emotional scars these experiences placed on them both had made them both agree to never ever let their children feel the way they once had.
But children couldn't live in the one bedroom place Naruto currently resided in. His tiny apartment wasn't fit for two people, let alone any kids who might come along as well.
As such, they had decided to start using the house right away as a lot of work had to be done on the place that hadn't been properly used in nearly twenty years. They had both already started moving in their things, and furnishing the place.
Hinata also found that the place was still very dusty, so she did a lot of cleaning. Sometimes Hanabi and her mother helped her. On occasion, even her dad dropped by to give a nod or two of approval or disproval of the place where his daughter and grandchildren would reside.
Hinata, however, promised that she would make this house habitable. It would be somewhere Naruto belonged, with her; with the feeling the warmth of a family - a family of his own.
Two weeks, she thought with a warm smile: in two weeks time, herself and Naruto would be residing here permanently, because in two weeks time they would be getting married.
"Kakashi-sensei, you look happy," Naruto commented.
They were taking it a little slow this morning because the Hokage's leg was still healing. After breakfast, Sakura had used her medical jutsu on it again, but had advised that he rest it a little. Since this assignment wasn't dangerous, they could afford to be a little laid back.
Kakashi smiled beneath his mask.
"Do I?"
"How can you tell? His mask covers half his face," Sai pointed out.
Naruto gave a cocky grin as he pulled up a red handkerchief and tied it around his face, creating a psuedo-Kakashi mask.
Then, he proceeded to make his eyelids droop a little. Pointing to them as he spoke to Sai, "It's all in the eyes, see? Whenever he's happy, they crinkle like this, around the corners, and they close a little more. See? See?"
"I'm seeing," Sai said.
"And when he's reading his pervy novels, you can see them turn upward like this-"
"I do not look like that," Kakashi denied.
As much as he tried to sound unaffected, he was really annoyed with his former student mocking him.
Naruto pulled off the handkerchief and grinned. "Of course you do! Didn't I do a good imitation?" he asked, turning to Sai now.
Sai glanced over at the Hokage. The older man looked on with a very serious expression. Sai knew him well enough, but he did not have the same familiarity with him as the others did as the white haired man had not been his sensei.
In the past he might have smiled and agreed with Naruto just to annoy the Hokage.
Thankfully, the years in the village had taught him a couple of things like being sensitive to the feelings of others.
"Ah...I'm not too sure," he wisely stated. While he might fool around and tease the others, he did learn that he had draw the line with the Hokage out of respect.
Naruto looked disappointed.
"Where's Sasuke and Sakura-chan? They might be able to tell me."
Kakashi flipped open a novel now.
"The lovebirds are down by river," he replied.
Naruto looked thoughtful. "Hm...lovebirds does seem to suit them now."
Everyone had noticed the change in the atmosphere between Sasuke and Sakura. Before, they were rarely found in a room together, and when they were, there seemed to be a bit of stiffness.
Now, things just seemed a little more easygoing between the two: it was a little warmer.
Maybe a little too warm, as in hot – given Naruto's experience the night before.
"I'll go get them. We should head out soon," Naruto stated.
Before he moved to go, he whispered loudly to Sai, "Watch his face, you'll see him giggling like a creep, and-"
The blonde ducked when Kakashi tossed a kunai his way.
The water was cool around her ankles. Sakura had just washed her face and sponged off lightly in this quiet spot. Little fish swam around her feet.
"We have to leave soon," Sasuke reminded her from the shore. He was leaning against a tree casually as he cleaned one of his kunai.
Neither of the two had initially planned to come here together. Sakura had just mentioned she wanted to tidy up a bit before they moved while Sasuke claimed he needed to clean his weapons, so he had followed.
Sakura was now smiling at her husband's words. She looked so serene stood in the river, with the morning light upon the creamy skin of her pretty face. She looked like a nymph of sorts, mystical; beautiful...exotic.
The black haired man returned his attention to his weapon, quite certain he wouldn't control himself if he looked at her for too long.
"Sasuke-kun, what will we do when we go back home?"
Sasuke glanced at his pretty wife again, a little taken aback by her question. Then he shrugged.
"We can have sex. Isn't that what husbands and wives usually do?"
Sakura shot him a green eyed glare as she was irritated with his sarcasm.
"Besides that, Sasuke-kun!"
He released a heavy sigh.
"I don't know. What do you want to do?"
She stepped out of the river and sat down on one of the large rocks where she proceeded to put on her sandals.
"I was thinking along the lines of doing something together."
"Like what?"
She looked up at him, noting his disinterest.
"Like stuff that husbands and wives usually do – besides have sex," she couldn't help but snap.
Sasuke frowned.
"What do husbands and wives do besides have sex?"
"They spend time with each other."
"Isn't having sex spending time with each other?"
"Is having sex all you can think about!?" she demanded, exasperated.
His eyes became darker, if that were even possible, given their obsidian color.
"I want you now. If we didn't have a blonde, oblivious, idiot hanging around, I would have you."
Sakura blushed deeply.
"Sasuke-kun-"
He walked over to her and grabbed her arm, pulling her to her feet in one swift move. Those heated eyes stared down at her, looking at her just as they had the night before when he made love to her.
He lowered his head to hers and pressed his mouth to the very corner of hers, as he growled lowly, while glaring almost menacingly, "It's taking all of my control to not take you right here,"
He lifted his prosthetic hand now, and lightly encircled her neck as he carefully slid his lips softly over her own.
"When we get back," he hissed against her sweet mouth, "you're not going to leave the bed until I'm done with you."
Sakura's face became red as a beet.
If she was butter, she would have melted away.
"Sasuke-kun," she whispered his name and shifted so that her forehead pressed against his and their lips were no longer touching as she looked down to the ground. Her hands gently pressed against his black cloak as she asked softly, "Outside of bed, do I have a place with you?"
Her question shook some of the lust out of him.
He remembered how she had wanted to place a sex ban between them because she had felt he viewed her as nothing more than a sexual object. Acting like this was only going to reinforce that ideal.
He had promised to make this marriage work with her, and he grudgingly admitted to himself that it couldn't be good if the only time they spent with each other was in bed.
"What do you want to do outside of bed then?" he asked her.
She lifted her head and she smiled up at him happily. Her emerald eyes even sparkled a little! She looked so cute like that, that he almost blushed.
"Maybe we can go to lunch together, and spar together-"
"That doesn't sound any different from before we got married," Sasuke stated.
Sakura grinned.
"Just because we're married, doesn't mean we stop being friends."
Hm...that was true.
"Maybe you can teach me some of your favorite tomato recipes, so I can prepare them for you on the days you return home from missions," Sakura suggested.
Now she was hitting his weak spot. He did love his tomatoes, and unfortunately she didn't know many recipes with his favorite food, so this was probably a pretty good idea. Besides that, he did want to spar with her-they had never quite gotten around to doing that.
Also, truthfully, sometimes he simply liked having her around.
"I'm not used to talking a lot," Sasuke reminded her.
"I know, and I know you need your personal space. I'm only asking for you to share some of it with me," she told him.
Sasuke's face softened a little. He felt himself appreciating her understanding, and being reasonable about this. During his travels, he had run into men at local taverns who would gripe about their wives who were too pushy, too naggy and who didn't understand they needed time for themselves.
"Okay."
"Okay?" she repeated, surprised at his quick agreement.
He turned away.
"Pick something and we'll do it," he told her.
He glanced over his shoulder and saw her face brighten with happiness. He was glad, because he sick of the times he saw her face streaked with tears because of him.
"Let's go to lunch some time when we get back-"
Her words were cut off when someone appeared.
"Lunch sounds great! Let's go to Ichiraku's!" Naruto exclaimed as he appeared out of a thicket of bush, hands in the air with a cheerful expression on.
The blonde had shown up to bring them back so that they could get going with the assignment, and had happened to overhear the part of the conversation with Sakura wanting to go to lunch.
Sakura scowled.
"Naruto, this is lunch between me and Sasuke, as a couple."
Naruto looked disappointed.
"Aww...I'm not invited?"
He looked like a disappointed puppy and Sakura felt a little guilty. However, she couldn't help but demand, "Shouldn't you spend time with Hinata instead? Your wedding is in two weeks!"
Naruto grinned.
"Yeah, but I thought we could spend time together as Team 7, especially since bastard here won't be attending."
The place went deathly silent.
Sasuke was very still. He didn't utter a word. Sakura was stunned, and Naruto sensed that he let slip something the pink haired female did not know.
Shit!
"Um...ah...I better get going..." Naruto began while grinning foolishly, but Sakura caught him by the back of his shirt.
"And just what-" she demanded as she dragged him nearer with her inhuman strength, "do you mean by that?"
Naruto, for once, seemed at a loss for words. Noting that he wasn't going to reply, Sakura turned cool green eyes to her husband.
Sasuke swallowed hard when he sensed the anger that was blooming in his wife.
"Hn," Sasuke grunted, not wanting to show how affected her was by the pink haired girl's mood change.
Sakura narrowed her eyes. She was undaunted by her husband's seeming lack of concern on this matter. She released Naruto who proceeded to scramble away.
As much of an idiot he was, he knew when to run (especially since he had spent a lot of time watching Shikamaru get beat on by Temari for his laziness).
Hands on her hips, pink hair blowing in the wind, she demanded of her husband, "Just why aren't you attending Naruto's wedding?"
Sasuke finally sighed. He shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away, "I have to go on a mission,"
"When?"
"Next week."
"For how long?"
"A month."
Sasuke frowned when he saw that a vein throbbing on Sakura's forehead.
"And just when exactly were you informed of this mission?"
She didn't bother to ask for details because she was well aware that it was an S-class mission and therefore highly classified.
"Five days ago."
If anything, Sakura looked like she was going to hit something, and that something was probably him.
"Did it ever, within these last five days, cross your mind to inform me?" she questioned with feigned calmness.
"Things have been messed up these last couple of days, Sakura," he pointed out.
They had argued, made up, and then gone on a mission.
"You had chances to tell me!" she finally snapped. "Just when exactly were you going to? The day before?!"
He didn't need to reply; his silence answered for him.
The wind picked up and a few leaves blew between them.
"I see," she whispered hoarsely and turned away.
Sasuke frowned and felt a bit uneasy...almost as if his conscience was poking at him. Something told him to follow after her as she began to walk away.
"Where are you going?" he asked behind her.
"Back. There's no point in saying anything else, is there?"
"What do you mean by that?"
She spun around, and he noted that her eyes were moist. "It's not like you're going to grace me with a proper response are you?"
"I told you I'm no good with talking!" he snapped back.
"You talk when it suits you to do so!" she shot back and turned away. He heard a sniffle and felt a twinge of guilt. "You are such a jerk!"
Well, it was true that he used to mouth off about getting revenge in the past, and there were times he did so on about a new jutsu he had learned, and on occasion he did grumble about someone else getting the tomatoes he wanted from the farmer's market...
Okay, so maybe he was capable of talking, but just on topics that he liked.
She moved to go again, but his hand that caught her wrist from behind stopped her. Sasuke closed his eyes as he thought of how happy she had been since they started this mission, how she had smiled so beautifully, how her laughter had tinkled and lightened the darkness in his heart.
"Things are different now," he said quietly.
"They are different," she agreed, then added coldly, "and had they remained the same, and you dared to inform me of your month long mission the day before, I would have walked out the door," she turned to him now and he saw her tear streaked face, and the absolute fury written on it, "and I wouldn't have looked back."
Sasuke believed her. She was capable of it.
Once pushed, Sakura could turn into a stubborn, pig headed woman.
But then again, it took a stubborn, ignorant person like himself to push her to that point as well.
"It's different now...and I'm glad it is," he admitted, surprising her with his words. He released a heavy breath, "I would have told you sooner, if I had remembered."
Sasuke felt a bit irritated now: he was explaining himself. Since when did he explain himself to anyone?
"What are you trying to say? Is leaving for an entire month that unimportant to you?" Sakura demanded as she spun to face him.
"That's not what I'm saying," he growled at her, angry now at her.
"Then what are you saying?"
Sasuke was glaring at her, but she met it quite easily with one of her own. He bared his teeth at her.
"You're annoying."
His words obviously hurt her. He saw it in her eyes before she turned away and moved to go, only saying in a frosty tone, "Do what you want,"
He lifted a hand as if to reach and stop her. However, noting what he was doing, he withdrew it into a fist and decided that this time, he wouldn't go after her.
"Kakashi-sensei! Kakashi-sensei!" Naruto whispered loudly as they made their way to the area he had marked.
Kakashi glanced over at him.
"What is it?"
"Why does it feel like a blizzard?"
He was clearly referring to the married couple who was walking side by side, two feet apart from each other. It was a drastic change from what they had been like since they commenced the mission. The two would normally be closer, there would be an occasional touch, a little brush.
They shared looks unconsciously and sometimes conversed a little softly. Neither had realized at the time how much they had truly looked like a newly married couple.
Now they resembled a pair of enemies who had been forced endure each other's company. The atmosphere was so cold right now that Naruto had a feeling that if he stepped within that two foot distance they had placed between themselves, he would freeze into a block of ice.
"Probably a small squabble. They'll get over it," Kakashi assured him.
"I think I had something to do with it. Bastard didn't tell Sakura about the assignment and I accidentally let it slip."
"Well, there's nothing we can do about it now."
"But I feel responsible! I want to-"
Kakashi caught his former student's shoulder and shook his head. "Don't."
"But-"
"This is a couple's argument."
"But they're my friends!"
"They're married now. This is an issue between the two of them. Do not, Naruto-absolutely do not get yourself involved in a marital argument. This is something they need to work out on their own, and it is what will help them grow and comprehend each other better. Do you understand?"
Naruto shoved his hands in his pockets. He was an idiot but he was still quite smart too. In a way, he felt sort of locked out due to the boundary placed between him and his friends now that the two of them were married.
At the same time, he understood because he had also separated himself a bit from them when he had started dating Hinata.
Yet, because he had a woman he loved, who was going to be his marital partner soon as well, he knew why he shouldn't get involved.
He wouldn't have liked it if Sasuke jumped into an argument he and Hinata might have – there were just certain boundaries that shouldn't be crossed.
Reluctantly the blonde nodded.
But that wasn't going to stop him from deciding to deliberately throw them together when the opportunity presented itself.
And indeed Naruto found the opportunity.
It happened when they found the spot he had appeared from the night before. It was clearly outside the tunnel they had been going through. As the area was located on a cliff, they had to follow a very narrow path away from the waterfall where the entrance had been.
Naruto had marked the sodden wall with a piece of wall using a rasengan. It was likely that he might have tried to use his rasengan to break through and couldn't.
The circular markings on the wall was definitely his.
"The wall might be reinforced with some sort of chakra to prevent us from breaking in," Kakashi commented as he observed it.
"But if Naruto came out, there must be a way in," Sakura pointed out.
The Hokage nodded before he turned to Sasuke.
"Can you look into this for us? Use your sharingan to see the direction of the chakra flows."
Sasuke nodded and immediately activated his doujutsu. They stayed on the wall for a long moment before he spoke.
"The chakra is flowing in circles around a door and creating a sort of forcefield that reinforces its strength."
"Can't we break through?" Naruto questioned.
Sasuke frowned.
"Maybe. The circular flow is creating small whirlpools in certain spots which might be the weakest areas. Use your rasengan on those areas."
"I can't see the chakra flow, bastard!"
"I'll direct you, stupid," Sasuke snapped back. Then, he whipped out a dried twig and walked over the wall. It was soft from the rain, so he easily marked off three spots where the whirlpools were.
Naruto didn't need for him to tell him what to do next-he formed the rasengan and hit it into the three spots Sasuke had marked off.
Once he hit the third spot, the wall cracked apart slowly and then shattered to pieces, revealing a doorway. Everyone stepped through into a huge, dark room.
However, what was disconcerting was the fact this room revealed the entrances into two tunnels.
Naruto scratched the back of his head uneasily.
"This wasn't here before," then he sighed and turned to his comrades, "Sasuke, you and Sakura take the right. The rest of us will go to the left."
Before the couple could voice any protest, the others had hurried off-almost as if they knew the pair had fought, and wanted in no way to be a part of any crossfire that could arise between the two.
She was giving him the silent treatment.
Him.
She was giving him – the mighty Uchiha, her husband, the silent treatment!
Oh, this just roasted Sasuke's insides.
He was furious.
To make matters worse, he was aware that she knew that he knew that she was giving him the silent treatment.
Nothing, absolutely nothing pissed Sasuke off more. He had endured all sorts of irritations, given that he wasn't normally a patient man. But this – this just took the cake.
He didn't know if to tear his hair out or scream at her.
Yes, scream. He wanted to yell at his silly little pink haired wife.
Oh, since Naruto had thrown them together, neither had uttered a word. Yet, Sasuke could feel these vibrations coming from her, as if to she was psychically telling him, 'I am not speaking to you right now because you have upset me.'
No, Sasuke couldn't take this.
He wouldn't.
It was unacceptable.
This sort of behaviour from her was just wrong!
Sasuke smirked to himself suddenly.
She couldn't keep that up for long anyway. She loved him! She was crazy about him! She would come around soon enough!
All he had to do was wait.
But she didn't speak a word to him still.
Sasuke was busy stewing in his juice about this. He was following behind her along the dark tunnel. Sakura had lit a torch which she held up as they walked along.
As pissed off as he was, as miffed and absolutely furious he was, he could not take his eyes off her backside.
Just watching the way it moved in those shorts sent his blood racing. Hers wasn't too big, neither was it too small...it was just perfect.
Round like a sweet melon that he just wanted to fill his hands with and-
He paused when he realized that his rage was turning into lust. All the heat from his anger was gathering into his loins.
Maybe Sakura sensed something was amiss for she paused and turned to him, finally speaking cautiously, "Sasuke-kun?"
Realizing Sasuke had stopped, Sakura did the same. At first, she thought that he had noticed something she hadn't.
Then she began to feel a strange atmosphere around him. Although she was still upset with him, she couldn't help but turn to him and ask what was wrong.
She had only managed to voice his name, and it wasn't because he had done something to stop her.
At least not physically.
The dim glow from the torch revealed her dark haired handsome husband, glaring at her with a mix of fury and passion. His hands were shoved in his pockets as he adopted a stance that one could mistake as casual.
But he was brooding, watching her with the eyes of a predator.
Sakura almost ran, but he pinned her with his stare alone. She swallowed hard, her green eyes gazing back at him with uncertainty, even as she could feel herself reacting to the look his eyes. Knowing he wanted her, knowing what he was capable of doing to her made her stay right where she was.
But they had a mission.
And she was angry with him still!
Gathering her wits, she lifted the torch higher.
"Let's not waste time," she stated in a cool tone, and turned to go.
However, he caught her wrist that was holding the torch in a swift movement. Startled by his unexpected tight grasp, she dropped the their source of light. Upon impact with the ground, the flame doused and they were shrouded in darkness.
"S-Sasuke-kun?" she whispered his name now, not sure about what was happening.
"You," he hissed.
"M-Me?" she repeated in small voice.
He growled, "Yes, you," and caught her shoulder with his other hand so that he pinned her against the wall of the tunnel with the front of her body against it while, the length of his own hard one pressed against her back, trapping her.
His hands began to roam her body, not seductively or sensuously, but hungrily. His hot mouth was on the side of her neck, sucking at her flesh and leaving a dark red mark.
She couldn't stop the moan that rose from her throat. He rewarded her soft sound of pleasure with a nip to her earlobe.
One strong hand found its way into her shorts and found evidence of her arousal. He smirked, pleased to know how turned on she was.
Deliberately, he stroked her lightly, teasing her as revenge for ignoring him.
"S-Stop," she begged, but couldn't find the strength to remove his pleasuring hands from her.
His strokes became slower, stronger and she moaned. Her head rolled back against his shoulder as her breath came thick, hot.
Sasuke licked the bead of sweat that rolled down the side of her head.
"Sasuke-kun," she whispered.
"Do you want me?"
She made a soft, weak noise.
He caressed her deeply.
"You want this, don't you? Answer me," he hissed against her ear. She feel the hardness of his body pressing against her back, branding her flesh with its heat.
"Yes," she admitted and cried out when he rewarded her with one last tease of his hand. She whimpered at the loss of his touch, but he had other plans for her.
He pulled her around and caught her wrists in his hands, pinning them on either side of her head against the wall as he lowered his mouth to capture her own. His tongue plunged the depths of hers and stroked against hers thoroughly.
Never once did she resist.
Not when he touched her sweet curves.
Nor when her shorts were tossed aside.
Not even when he caught hips in his hands and lifted her against him so that he entered her in one powerful move.
No: she urged him on with her cries and pleas for more, and he gave her as much of himself as he could.
She licked the sweat on his collarbone and clamped her long legs around his hips. She was much of a slave to his passion as he was to hers. They moved against each other, kissing, nipping and suckling each others flesh until they both climaxed with their soft sighs of passion echoing throughout the empty tunnel.
Sakura slumped against the wall.
They were both breathing hard. Her face was buried against his chest, her hands clinging weakly to the front of his shirt.
One of his own was placed flat on the wall to the side of her head.
The other one was higher. It suddenly bunched into a fist as he demanded in frustration, "Why?"
"Sasuke-kun?" she whispered her husband's name, not sure what was wrong.
He leaned back and in the dark, she could make out his troubled expression.
"Everything about you bothers me. Your hair, your eyes, your body."
"Sasuke-"
He interrupted her when he caught hold of the side of her face roughly, tilting it so that he look into those expressive emerald orbs of hers.
"Every time you're happy, it makes me happy. Every time you cry, it gets me angry because I don't want you to cry. Every thought, every feeling of yours matters to me."
Sakura was stunned by his words.
"Why do you make me feel so much? And why do I care so much about what you feel, and what makes you happy? You're my wife, but it's on my mind so much that I can't think of anything else," he snarled.
He didn't understand why he felt this way, why he agonized and cared so much for her. Sure, she had mattered to him before.
But not on this level. These emotions she invoked in him were just indescribable.
Then, he noticed she was smiling. Throughout the entire passionate session they had shared, Sakura had never looked at him with fear in her eyes. There had been moments of shock, wariness and uncertainty, but she hadn't gazed at him with fright.
"And why aren't you afraid?" he continued angrily as his grip tightened. He was acting like a confused beast. This was good enough reason for her to fear him.
However, she smiled up at him so prettily as she took his hand that was on her face gently.
"Oh Sasuke-kun," she murmured and pressed her lips to his battle scarred hand. "I'm not afraid anymore, can't you see?"
He blinked, shocked by her words. He grappled with his feelings then. While he might look like an angry warrior on the outside, on the inside he was practically tripping over himself!
"You care so much for me, Sasuke-kun. I didn't know you were thinking so much about me," she whispered. Then, hesitantly, she placed her own hand on the side of his face. "Perhaps, Sasuke-kun, you love me too?"
Sasuke's frustration disappeared then.
He gritted his teeth and didn't respond.
Sakura saw his eyes shutter and she knew he was blocking her out now. Was it so hard for him to tell her that he loved her? Couldn't he admit it to her? She was quite sure he did.
He physically stepped away from her, and slowly became immersed in his own dark thoughts. Sakura knew this for she recognized this expression on him countless times before.
When he turned away, her hand caught the back of his dark shirt, much like a child. He paused and glanced over his shoulder at her.
Her pink head was lowered.
"Can't you tell me what you're thinking?"
Sasuke was silent. She took that as a flat out 'no.'
"Fine," Sakura whispered and released him. She found her shorts easily and pulled them on, feeling ashamed that she had acted like an animal with him in the heat of the moment.
Sasuke sensed something amiss in her voice.
"Sakura..." his voice trailed off as she quietly picked up the torch and relit it.
"I'm sorry," he apologized helplessly.
"It's okay," she told him in a tone that sounded oddly defeated. "I know you need time to come to terms with what you feel."
Her pretty mouth twisted suddenly.
"But I can't say I'm happy to know that you wish you didn't care so much about me."
Her words struck like a knife in his heart.
She moved to go, but he grabbed her shoulder.
"Don't," he said.
"Don't what?" she asked.
"Don't walk away from me," he replied.
She could feel the familiar heat of his body behind her, and all she desired at that moment was for him to take her in his arms and admit he loved her.
"We have a mission," she reminded him, and couldn't help but add with a little sting as well, "and you'll be going on one for an entire month soon."
His body temperature rose, meaning he was probably getting angry with her again, but she was too upset, or rather, too sad to really care at this point. She was about to remove his hand and continue down the tunnel, but his grip tightened and suddenly, his hard chest was pressing against her back. She felt his warm breath on the tip of her ear when he spoke.
"What if I lost you one day too?"
Hope you enjoyed! I think this chapter was a little longer than others, hope it makes up for my slow updates!