The new camp was not like the firs tone. Hidden between two mountain belts it seemed to be either the worst or the best place to camp. Sakura didn't know which she should think of. However, at the same time she felt sort of glad that she got closer to Konoha than to Suna – they were winning. The sun was barely rising and she was already busy readjusting the ropes to her tent… even though she had to admit she hardly slept in there any longer.
Her cheeks coloured slightly pink when she remembered back at all those nights in his tent. Her stomach tingled with delight and she smiled brightly at the yellow fabric of her tent. It was like she could feel his hands on her hips and his kisses on her neck and….various other places. The blush intensified and she began to fidget with the rope. It was horrible, every night she would go to his tent and they would…to say mildly…not get much sleep.
Sakura shook her head. It wasn't the time to daydream about Naruto in the middle of a war. Yet, she couldn't help but smile.
-
Yamato stared at Tohru with a bored expression. "What are you doing?". She didn't say anything and continued to move her hands randomly. He tried again. "What are you doing?" The brown haired girl turned her head to look at him over her shoulder. "I am trying to make a tree grow." He raised an eyebrow and stood up and walked over to her, standing beside her while looking at the ground.
Her small fingers patted the ground where she had planted the seed. He spoke. "Tohru, you have already learned how to make a tree – why plant one instead?" the little girl smile and poked his side hard. "Well of course! We can't just always make plants like we want – it is just some stupid short cut – sometimes we need to let nature do what it wants to."
He looked at where she poked him, and glares. "…"
Yamato sighed. "Short cuts eh? Who have said that to you?"
"My dad!"
-
Naruto sat up in his bed, feeling more relaxed than he had done in days. He looked around the tent with a content gaze, as he felt the person beside him sit up. Her arms went over his shoulder and she nuzzled her head against his cheek. "Hmm – go back to sleep, there is still a few hours till sunrise"
Naruto took one of her hands and brought it to his lips, kissing it lovingly. Sakura smiled against the corner of his neck, pressing herself up against his back. "You're really silly right now … hmm?" she could feel he smiled against her wrist as he kissed it too.
"I can go for two days without sleep" he muttered against her palm, his lips only slightly parted. She held unto him a bit tighter, closing her eyes. "As a medic I know that it is not healthy at all, you need to get some sleep." He teasingly licked her wrist, and she gave a shriek in surprise.
He grinned.
She groaned and playfully hit his shoulder as well as she could from where she sat. "Damnit Naruto, you remind me of some sort of animal! Aren't you sophisticated at all?"
The grin widened.
"I can tell all sorts of other situations where you sound like an Animal, Sakura-chan. For example, a few minutes ago, I swear I heard you moan like a pig" despite the offence, Sakura couldn't help but laugh, and rested her head against his neck. "I can't believe I return here every night to hear that."
His blue eyes met her green ones, even though it was very hard from how they were sitting. His hold on her wrist tightened, and he brought her knuckles to his lips. There were no words, and no smiles – as if both afraid to tell what they felt, but still were able to tell without even saying them.
The blanket around her chest fell as she reached up and kissed him passionately on the lips. His hands went from his lap and her wrist, to her hips, holding her tightly.
With her eyes closed she let him push her back in the bed…
-
Jiraiya leaned back in his seat, watching Naruto fight against Tsunade. Nineteen years old, and his strength outmatched the vast majority of Konoha. His speed was incredible too, moving so fast that it seemed like he disappeared.
The blond-haired woman slammed her fist into the ground, but before it even hit the brown earth, Naruto had kicked her hands away, and now she was flying across the ground. The blond-haired Naruto grinned, proud of his progress.
Jiraiya noticed that Tsunade's hands were shaking as she tried to stand up. Age must be catching up with her too.
-
Naruto sat on the mountain side, looking over the camp with a smile. He felt someone come from behind him and sat down. Shikamaru scratched his ear, not turning to Naruto.
"So…what are you doing here?" he asked after a while.
Naruto leaned back and the setting sun reminded him of his days in the Hokage-tower. "I am thinking about things. We're winning the war Shikamaru, and soon…everything will be like it used to be"
Shikamaru looked thoughtful. "When…you don't need me in Konoha any longer, I think I'll move to Suna." This made the Rokudaime turn his head towards him, but there was no disapproving frown, only a look of understanding. He clapped Shikamaru on the shoulder and then looked back at the camp.
No words were exchanged afterwards – only the mutual understanding.
-
Neji hissed when Hinata applied the medical cream on his back. Even though she tried her best to be tender, it was hard not to draw pain from the wounds he had gotten on his back. Their shared tent was small, with only one semi large bed in the middle, where they were currently sitting.
In a low voice she spoke. "Please, try…and be calm." He didn't say anything in return and bit down in his lip when she applied the cream on another wound.
It was strange. How her fingers seemed so loving, as they traced his back, and every time it came across a scar, he could fel how sadness and remorse overtook her. He decided to ignore the pain, and instead focus on how she moved her hands across his back.
She wasn't strong minded or strong in strength either. She didn't object if someone ordered something from her. He doubted sometimes that if Naruto came to her, and ordered her to sleep with him, she wouldn't have it in her to say no…or maybe it was just him.
Neji had several weeks ago found out of Sakura and Naruto's newly created relationship, but didn't have it in him to tell Hinata. Every time he considered telling, he could see her broken heart and hurt face.
He sighed when her hands reached his neck.
-
Kisame looked up when he felt Zetsu emerge from the ground. His shark-like eyes gazed at the plant-like figure who gazed back at him.
"anything new?"
"the camp has moved several kilometres towards Konoha – it is between two mountainpasses – it'll be hard to do a discreet mission to infiltrate the camp."
Kisame looked annoyed. "we were just to retrieve Hanara Tohru and Haruno Sakura, that is all – how hard can it be?"
"very hard, the Rokudaime is not someone you mess with"
-
Itachi stared strangely wide-eyed at Sakura, who sat opposite from him. Exhausted from the constant torture she had fallen unconscious. Itachi had never before experienced someone who seemed to have a second personality. His hand reached out and grabbed her cheek, and forced her head upwards so he could get a better look at her.
To him she seemed so weak. Her only strength resting in her stubbornness. He grabbed her chin a bit harder, and narrowed his eyes. Every time he entered her mind, he was overwhelmed with emotions – not just sad, but good emotions too. It was…intoxicating.
-
He saw her eyes flutter open when his hand slowly pushed back the pink hairs that had fallen into her face. When seeing this she scooted closer and buried her head in his chest. Naruto kissed her temple. She spoke.
"The camp is going to be divided soon. Will you be fine on your own?"
He moved his hands from her shoulders to her hips and muttered. "Probably going to miss this, but I know I'll have years with this afterwards." She laughed slightly and poked his stomach. He returned her poke by lifting her up and kissing her own stomach.
-
Kozuki looked up from the terrace, his brother beside him, watching the stars. "So? Where do you think we'll go when we're grown up?"
The darkhaired boy looked at the stars too, smiling. "I am going to be just what father is! And I'll sell a lot of stuff, and become rich!" his older brother laughed. "that is not what I am going to be! I am going to be a legendary warrior, that'll save princesses and countries!"
Kozuki snorted and looked the other way. "no way, you don't have it in you!"
-
Orochimaru looked at the man and woman before him, their eyes wide as Kabuto smirked at them. "mr and mrs Haruno am I right?" they couldn't even nod of fear. He turned to Kabuto.
"I believe you need to deliver the message."
-
Sakura jumped through the trees, kunai ready in her hand as she cut through the hords of sound ninjas. To her it seemed like they were coming from every where. She was beginning to be exhausted from all this battle. A ninja appeared in front of her and she jumped gracefully to one side, hitting the ground with her foot, making it crack open.
Strangely, she felt herself being pushed backwards and down on the ground. Her eyes met the dark ones of Kabuto, and she squirmed to get away. "what do you want!?"
The sound had stopped moving, and Sakura was the only leaf ninja in the area. She was screwed.
"I am not here to fight Haruno-san. I am merely here to give a message."
She narrowed her eyes. " a message?"
Kabuto smiled. "yes, from none other than the Nanadaime himself"
She went quiet, and he continued.
"I have your parents as hostages. In order for me to release them and not kill them, you'll bring me the reincarnation of Uchiha Sasuke, which I believe you already know who is" he said in a creepy voice. Sakura's eyes widened.
"What!?" she felt herself freeze and suddenly she couldn't move. It was as if her world suddenly crashed down…
"you have ten days to pick up the boy and return to Konoha, or else your parents will die"
Kabuto disappeared along with the sound ninjas before she could do anything.
-
When she entered the camp, her mind numb from the news she had just received, Hinata screamed. "Sakura! Hurry! Temari is hurt! We need your help!" with her feet moving on their own, she ran as if this was a matter of life and death…as if it was a matter of her parents or Sasuke.
The tent smelled of blood and medicine. It always smelled like that. The yellow walls were smattered here and there with blood, and she saw it, in the operation room, Temari lying, gasping for breath while Shikamaru leaned over her, with an expression she had never seen on his face before. She pushed him aside. "Wait in the front tent"
Shikamaru just sat down on the bench, head in his hands.
-
It seemed like hours before Sakura came out of the tent, she dried her bloody hands in a towel, a look of sadness on her face. Shikamaru didn't look up. Silence.
"Shikamaru. Temari-san is going to be alright."
"…"
Sakura frowned. "but…I am sorry. We had to remove the baby"
He looked up, surprise written in his face. She looked sad. "it…was either the baby or her. It wasn't more than a month old, but…I am sorry." She took a deep breath. "you can…go and see her now."
She didn't have to say the same sentence twice before he had run off into the room beside them. She could feel her legs shake and she needed to sit down. Her eyes closed as she struggled not to break. First her parents…now this. She rubbed the towel against her fingers harder.
Tsunade stood in front of her.
"I don't want to talk to you" she muttered in a low voice.
Tsunade spoke. "are you going to leave him again to get your parents back?"
Sakura didn't answer.
-
This chapter has not been beta'ed – and some scenes needs a bit more detail. The reason why I am posting is now because I think you've been waiting too long already. The chapter may be disappointing, but the story is nearing its end – maximum six chapters left. Here is the reason for this late update:
I go to school. Gasp. Surprise! And this month I have had a lot more test than usual, including two exams. (Where I scored the second highest grade in both of them!). So, I am sorry, I have been too busy – and now my 18th birthday is coming up too. Aaargh! So much to do! Don't worry, the beta'ed version of this chapter will be up tomorrow – meanwhile, enjoy this unusually crappy chapter.
Now – what will happen to her parents?
Will she leave the camp?
What is going on with Kozuki?
…how will Rokudaime end?
Everyone who enjoyed Rokudaime will most likely be pleased to hear what my next story is. Yet another Narusaku. It is called Daimyo. And that is all you get to know for now. No plot revealing, because I don't want them to be stolen! Haha!