Hello…
It's been a longer wait than usual, but with all these tests and midterms and studying and homework going on, I haven't really had that much time. Curse you, school! It's a little lengthy though, but not a lot happens. I'm still trying to run through how everything is going to go down, so I guess this is just stalling on my part.
No outline or planning this time, just straight out typing what comes to mind at the moment. I'm too lazy to plan ahead, and I think I work better this way anyway. Okay then, enough from me…I'll get on with it already.
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Another day: that's all it was. There was nothing particularly special going on; nothing out of the ordinary. Naruto started this day just like he did any other: a cup of instant ramen with his friends. He had never taken anything he had for granted, and his friends had always been the most treasured things in his life, but his near fatal experience seemed to have changed his feelings a little bit. It made him look at the world in a different light and appreciate things more deeply than he had before.
Akiko and Suki took note of Naruto's happy demeanor. He was acting very cheerful this morning. They had been expecting a different attitude from him, since Sakura and Sasuke had planned to spend most of the day together. They were usually good at guessing his mood, but the two girls weren't quite sure if he was really happy right now, or if it was just a cover. He noticed their glances and smiled at them without saying a word. As the fastest eater between the three of them, he finished first and stood up to leave the table. Positioning himself between them, he ruffled their hair playfully like he always did when he wanted to get on their nerves. Their annoyed mumbles of protest seemed to satisfy him, and he retired to his room to get changed.
The past few days had been a little rough with his recovery, and although it was coming to him in tiny steps; progress is progress. He was going to the hospital every day, and Tsunade and Shizune were working very closely with him. His little physical therapy sessions were frustrating. Basic things that should come naturally to him were challenging. His reflexes, strength, stamina, and coordination were far from what his normal level. His friends had offered to go with him for support, but there was no way that he was going to let any of them see him struggling, especially not Sasuke.
His appointments with Tsunade were always first thing in the morning, so he waved goodbye to Suki and Akiko, who were left by themselves to wonder why he was in such a good mood, or what could he be thinking of that was causing him trouble that he didn't want them to know about.
The villagers. There had always been a wall of hatred separating them from him. He still felt it to this day: the cold void between them. As a child, sometimes he would wish that he was invisible so that he could avoid their angry stares. But sometimes he felt so invisible that he thought he was only imagining himself and his existence. Although some of the villagers had come to accept him, there were still those who wanted him gone. Someday he had hoped that he would be able to walk down these streets without getting such a feeling, but perhaps that was hoping too much. Even if he was the Hokage, people would still fear and hate him for what he was. But unlike his childhood, he had caring friends now. These people who hated him were only a mere annoyance.
He made it through the crowds on the street and entered the hospital lobby. The receptionist at the desk had become used to seeing him at this time of day, and she welcomed him with a smile. He went down the hall to the usual room, but instead of Tsunade and Shizune, Sakura was there waiting for him. He forgot that Tsunade had told him that she would be in a meeting today.
"Ah," he said at this unexpected encounter, "Sakura-chan!"
"Hey, Naruto. Good morning," she greeted him.
Naruto wasn't exactly unhappy to see her, but he wondered what she was doing here. Tsunade and Shizune were okay because they were older, big sister and parental type figures. He didn't want Sakura to watch him struggle to do the simplest of things.
"You gonna be my doctor today?" he asked.
"Yeah. But don't think I'm going to let you slack off!" she told him, smiling.
It was supposed to be her day off. That's why she had made plans.
"Sorry for bothering you today, Sakura-chan," he said, moving over to the chair and sitting across from her.
She waved off his apology. "It's not a problem or anything," she said, "I've been busy lately, so I wanted to come and see how you were doing."
"Well then…where should we start today, doctor?"
She started with the usual things, testing his limits and analyzing the response of his muscles and bones to certain stresses and strains. She walked him through the same strength and flexibility exercises that Tsunade usually did, and Naruto did his best to make it seem like none of these things were challenging at all.
But Sakura saw right through him. Tsunade had told her that he had refused to let anyone else in the room, "especially Sasuke." That's why both Tsunade and Shizune had denied her access to this room when Sakura had wanted to check up on him. But they had no other choice than to let her come today. Both of them had to attend an important meeting, and they couldn't deny that Sakura would be best suited for the job.
Now, he was holding his right arm out straight in front of him, palm up, just like she had asked.
"Okay, Naruto," she explained, "I'm going to put a weight in on your hand, and I want you to keep your hand raised just like that for a whole minute. This will measure the strength and muscle endurance of your arm."
"Uh…okay," was his reply.
She reached for the circular weight and placed it in his hand. She moved her hands under his arm, supporting the weight.
"Ready?"
Naruto nodded. She let go of his arm, and Naruto was forced to hold up the entire mass of the weight. Fifteen seconds in, she could already tell he was having a hard time. Thirty seconds in, his whole arm started to shake. Forty seconds: sweat was running down his forehead. She could see the disappointment within him. This must be pretty hard for someone like him, whose dream was to be the strongest. He had trained so hard his entire life to be the equal of those who were naturally talented, and here he was, unable to perform simple tasks. For him, it was probably like starting all over again. He was feeling weak and helpless right now, and he must be hating it.
Ten more seconds. She placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"You can do it," she said with encouragement.
Time expired and she took the weight from his hand She set it down and quickly examined his arm. It was fine.
"Great job, Naruto," she praised him.
Naruto just stared at the weight. He wondered how heavy it was. Sakura seemed to lift it without any trouble at all.
He looked discouraged. She laid her hand on his shoulder again and smiled softly. With her around, Naruto couldn't stay down for long. Here she was, in front of him, with a smile on her face. She was…
He shook off his intimate thoughts about her and buried them down deep. He shouldn't be having these thoughts anymore. She had another date with Sasuke today.
The rest of the routine went along rather quickly. After it was finished, they chatted for a little bit while Sakura gathered everything she had used into a big bag. Actually, Naruto did most of the talking and Sakura just laughed at how goofy and animated her partner was. She could act naturally in front of Naruto. When she first got together with Sasuke, she had spent half the time worrying whether or not she was doing or saying the right things, a feeling that had not completely gone away yet. She had never felt that way towards Naruto, so hanging around his carefree attitude was nice. Konoha just wasn't the same without those two.
She was awakened from her thoughts as Naruto stood.
"Well, I don't want keep you here any longer than you have to be, so I'll head back."
"I'll go with you," she said, "Sasuke-kun said he had to take care of a few things first, and that he'd meet me back at your place when he's done."
They walked along pleasantly. At least, Naruto thought it was pleasant until he turned to see that Sakura was frowning.
"What's wrong?" he asked.
"What are you planning on doing today?" she asked him.
"Oh, I don't know. I told Konohamaru and the others that I'd go and see them today. I guess they want to show me how much they've grown up."
Sakura was just remembering how Naruto had been injured in the past, but still went out and trained.
"Hmph. Just don't go out and train. You'll get yourself hurt," she said as she eyed him.
"Hehe…" Naruto laughed, "so I guess Sasuke told you, huh?"
"Told me what?" Sakura asked, her gaze intensifying.
Naruto messed up. Just now, he had ruined it for the both of them.
"Uh…nothing!"
"What did you guys do?" her eyes narrowed and searched his.
He knew that threatening look. Now that she knew something was up, she wasn't going to let it go, so he told her what had happened at the arena.
"Sasuke-kun should have known better…" she sighed. When it came to their rivalry, both of her team mates lost the capacity to think clearly.
Naruto's laugh came warily. "Well, as long as I have Sakura-chan around to heal me, I'll be fine, right?"
She didn't look amused.
"No!" she snapped, "just because Tsunade-shishou, Shizune-sempai, and I are here, that doesn't mean you can just go and do reckless things whenever you want!"
She lowered her voice, but she was still scolding him.
"I worry about you because you always do stupid things. So…just be careful when you're out on missions, okay?"
He took a moment to consider her words before he responded.
"You don't have to worry about me, Sakura-chan," he said, giving her a thumbs up, "I'm going to be Hokage."
Sakura mouthed the second part of his sentence along with him as she rolled her eyes. He always said so, but it would be hard for anyone not to worry for someone they care about.
"Seriously, Sakura-chan, are you going to worry that pretty little forehead of yours every single time me and Sasuke go out on a mission?"
He was looking right into her eyes now.
"He's strong, and I'm stronger than him," Naruto added with a grin, "so just have faith in us and we'll always come back."
He was a hyperactive idiot, but Naruto had his moments. She had seen his ability to change people: the villagers of the Wave Country, Gaara, Tsunade, Sasuke, and herself. Even the Demon of the Hidden Mist was brought to tears by his words and actions. Naruto was that kind of person. This guy was undoubtedly a rare find. Sakura's fondness for him was too strong for words to describe.
Suki was the only one there when they got back to the house. Akiko had gone to the market to pick up a few things for Naruto's kitchen. With the three of them staying there and Sasuke and Sakura stopping by all the time, his food supply always needed restocking. Naruto needed a bigger refrigerator; he was only used to feeding himself, so he never really needed a big one.
So here he was, alone with Sakura and Suki. The blond was listening to the pink haired girl explain how Naruto's session went and why she was here. Naruto wasn't really sure why, but Suki always seemed less talkative when Sakura was around. Maybe it was just his imagination.
Footsteps were ascending the stairs outside. The three of them turned to see Sasuke standing in the doorway.
"Yo," was his simple greeting.
Suki and Naruto gave a "yo" in reply, and Sakura greeted him with an exclusive smile.
"Shall we go then, Sasuke-kun?" she said.
"Y-yeah."
They both gave Naruto a cheerful glance (with Sasuke's being discreetly cheerful) as they paused in the doorway, and then they were off. Naruto smiled after them before going back inside.
"You okay?" asked Suki as he sat next to her.
"Fine," he said, but a moment or two later he said something different.
"I…want them to be with each other, and I try my hardest not to feel this way. Somewhere deep down inside, I think I'm jealous. Does that make me a bad person?"
Seeing him like this... he wanted to be completely selfless for the sake of his friends, but it was beyond human emotional possibility to do so. She reached for his hand with both of hers.
"Baka…of course not. Of course not."
Naruto felt instant warmth being next to Suki when she scooted towards him and drew him close. Her shoulder was soft, and he couldn't resist the temptation to take in the fragrance of her clothes and hair. He wanted to be this close to her, well maybe not forever, but…. just a little longer wouldn't hurt.
When Akiko came back, they still hadn't moved from their position. She shook her head. They had to be the dumbest people she knew. Look at them, they made a perfect couple. Couldn't Suki see that no one ever saw this side of Naruto except for her. Naruto wasn't afraid to show his emotions to people, but there was no way he would even dream of letting anyone else see him distressed like this besides Suki. Sure, Akiko had seen him like this before, but Suki was the only one he went to for comfort. He only came to Akiko when his problem involved Suki. Akiko sighed at both of them as she opened the door.
Naruto jumped up quickly. He felt like he had just snapped out of a daze as he took a few bags out of Akiko's hands. What had he been thinking just now; and only a few moments after he had been thinking of Sakura…
"Looked like you two were having quite a moment," she whispered to him as they moved to the kitchen.
"I'll tell you about it later," said Naruto, watching as Suki made her way over to them to inspect what Akiko had brought.
With the cabinets nice and full of food, they bummed around the house for half an hour before deciding to head out and see what the day had in store for them. And what they found was Shizune. She had come looking for Suki. Tsunade had assigned her a mission at last. Akiko and Naruto tagged along with them to see what the mission was all about.
Tsunade had been expecting the three of them to come together, and she greeted them all with a small nod as they stepped into her office.
"Suki, I have a mission for you," she got straight to the point as always.
The blonde girl's eyes followed Tsunade's movements as she held out a piece of parchment. The Hokage read the mission request.
"The leader of the small village Kiyoshi has requested that Konoha send ninja to protect a precious relic that has been the symbol of their village for generations. Another village, which has quite a bloody history with Kiyoshi, has threatened to steal it, and it is believed that they have hired ninja from Amegakure to do it."
Tsunade handed Suki the mission outline. It was a B-rank.
"From what I've seen, I trust in your ability to lead a squad for this mission, and you've received a high recommendation from a credible source," Tsunade nodded in Naruto's direction. "But if you don't think you're ready to lead, then I'll go with one of the more experienced jounin."
Suki shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama, that won't be necessary. I'm ready."
"Good. For this mission, you will have a team of three chuunin at your disposal. Of the chuunin who are here in the village not out on missions, only Rock Lee and Ten-ten are off limits; I have another assignment set up for them. Choose a three man group and depart for Kiyoshi before noon."
"Understood, Hokage-sama." Suki gave a low bow.
Akiko did the same, and Naruto just grinned and waved.
When they were gone, Shizune tapped Tsunade on the shoulder.
"I thought you were going to tell Naruto the news," she said to her master.
"I changed my mind."
"Why is that?"
"Because," said Tsunade, "it's better if he thinks he's doing it by himself. If he knows that the kyuubi's chakra is helping him recover, he won't have any sense of accomplishment at the end."
"How long until he's up to full strength, Tsunade-sama?"
Tsunade smiled. "I read the report Sakura left. He performed two times better than yesterday. That's way too fast of an improvement for the condition he was in. At this rate, he'll be running around and causing havoc in a little over a week."
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"Your first mission as a Leaf ninja! Are you excited?" asked Akiko as they waited at the gate.
"It's just another mission, I suppose," replied Suki.
"I wonder when I'll get mine," pondered Akiko, "I'd prefer a solo mission, though."
"Why is that?" the other girl asked.
"I can't stand working in groups. It annoys me."
Suki rolled her eyes at her and they smiled together.
"You're dumb, Kiko…"
It took longer than Suki would have liked, but Naruto came back with the team that she had selected. Ino was the eager one, and she walked tall at the head of the group. Chouji wasn't really watching where he was going, and he almost bumped into five people because his concentration was on his bag of snacks. Shikamaru walked behind them with his hands in his pockets.
"Hey! Suki!" Ino called, "we're going on a mission together! That's so awesome!"
"It's not as exciting as you make it sound," groaned Shikamaru.
"Munch…munch…munch…" Chouji ate.
"Hey everyone. Did Naruto tell you about the mission?" asked Suki.
Ino frowned. "No. When I asked him about it, he just said, 'kill the bad guys and then come home.'"
Naruto defended himself. "Well, was I wrong?"
Suki shook her head and took a moment to explain the details to them.
"Well…let's get it over with, then," said Shikamaru.
"That's not the right attitude!" scolded Ino, "you have to say, 'let's do this, guys!'" She pumped her fist in the air.
Instead of pumping his fist in the air, Shikamaru reached for the bag of chips that Chouji was devouring. The round ninja pulled back.
"It's down to the last bite, Shikamaru. You should know that I'll never give it up!"
Ino went from being energetic to having a sour look on her face.
"You guys are so lame," she pouted.
"Uh…anyway, let's get going, you guys," Suki said, giving her first orders to the team.
"Bye!" Akiko called to their backs.
"Oi, Shikamaru," Naruto shouted, "watch out for Suki for me."
"You're pretty dense, aren't you?" the slacker said back, "she's the jounin. Suki has to take care of us."
"Oi," Naruto ignored him and called to Suki this time, "hurry up and come back, okay?"
"Yeah…" she smiled lightly and felt a soothing heat in her cheeks.
Seeing Naruto stand there, she felt like she was leaving something behind. She saw him turn to Akiko and whisper something she couldn't quite read on his lips.
"I feel like I want to follow her," is what he said.
He and Akiko watched until the four small figures disappeared down the road. She was gone. But, sometimes missions just suddenly came like that, and it couldn't be helped. Naruto sighed and began to walk back with both hands behind his head.
"Hey, Aki-chan," Naruto said, turning to walk back into the bustling city, "can you do me a favor? It might be fun."
"What is it?"
"I want to give Konohamaru and his friends a little test…"
That's right. He didn't have time to dwell on thoughts of Sakura and Suki. He was going to push those guys hard.
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Sasuke gave a rare smile. He was gave away small smirks and such when Naruto was around, but a genuine smile like the one Sakura was seeing now was a special occasion indeed.
The Uchiha could hardly believe it himself. He had always thought that after his family was murdered that he would never be able to feel this kind of happiness again. Sakura: she made him smile. It was the way she laughed, it was the sound of her voice. It was her precious smile, her graceful blush, and her caring eyes. Everything about her made Sasuke feel so…good. He listened to her talk about whatever she wanted. She had a lot of things to say, and Sasuke was feeling a little bit of pressure to be talkative. However, she didn't seem to mind his short responses, which was good.
Sakura didn't want to make him feel like he needed to have an in depth conversation with her. That wasn't his personality. Instead, he nodded and smiled at the things she was telling him, and Sakura was just glad he was listening. She couldn't expect him to be anything more than he was, and that wasn't really a problem since she loved him that way.
"Sakura…" he took advantage of a momentary pause in conversation.
"Hm?"
"Sorry…I'm letting you do all the talking, aren't I?"
"Don't worry about it, Sasuke-kun."
"Uh…um…" he sounded awkward, "I haven't said much, but I just want you to know that…I-I'm really happy being here with you."
"Me too, Sasuke-kun."
They had stopped walking. Sasuke cautioned a glance over to her; she was gazing at him intently. This moment…what did she want him to do? It was obvious, and no matter how hard he tried to avert his attention, her eyes kept sucking him right back in. His mind was racing. He knew what he wanted, but he wasn't quite sure how to go about it. An unsure shuffle of his feet moved him an inch closer to Sakura. She was inviting him to come closer.
She was waiting, swinging from side to side with her hands behind her back. Her heart skipped a beat when he moved closer to her. He seemed unsure of himself, so she took a step forward as well. She felt faint as he wrapped an arm around her lower back, sealing the distance between them. This was it. It was happening right now.
"Sasuke-kun…"
She breathed helplessly as his hand grazed her cheek, pushing her hair back behind her ears.
Sasuke's heart rushed. Was it nervousness? Was it excitement? His breath grew shallow with every inch he leaned closer to her face. There was no turning back now. Sakura was so close, and he felt her drawing him closer with a hand that had found its way to the back of his neck. She tilted her head for a better position, and she closed her eyes. The space between them was nearly nonexistent. She had come as far as she was going to go. It was Sasuke's job to make the connection.
He took a deep breath, closed his eyes, traveled the extra inch, and gently pressed his lips onto hers…
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"If you don't come at Aki-chan as a real opponent, then you won't be able to get these bells."
Konohamaru glanced sideways at him team mates. What the hell kind of test was this? Naruto wanted them to take a couple of bells from Akiko, and the one who didn't manage to steal a bell wouldn't be treated to Ichiraku. Although he hadn't been expecting a test, Konohamaru was very confident. Since Naruto was still recovering, Akiko was going to take over for him. He wasn't afraid of this girl. She was barely taller than him.
Konohamaru was set, and Moegi was ready, but Udon didn't seem too enthusiastic. He seemed to be red in the face…
Naruto was about to signal them to start, but Konohamaru was already in action. He tossed a few shuriken at Akiko. They hit their target, and Akiko was blasted off her feet.
"Eh? That's it?" he was surprised that they had won so easily.
"Aki-chan!" Naruto yelled, "Gah! We've got to get her to the hospital!"
A fist hit him on the top of the head like a hammer.
"Geez," Akiko appeared behind him, "I'm right here, Maki-san, so calm down."
"Substitution!" shouted Konohamaru, noticing the log full of the projectiles he had thrown.
"I'll get you this time!" he exclaimed. He nodded to Moegi, and the two of them came at Akiko from both sides.
Their twin flying kicks were blocked easily by the jounin with a lazy motion of her arms. They both landed on their feet and tried another double attack, but Akiko simply jumped back a few feet to safety.
"Udon!" shouted Konohamaru, "what the hell are you doing, just standing there!? If the three of us don't attack together, we'll never get those bells!"
Akiko used her speed to run past her two attackers.
"Yeah, what's the matter, Udon-chan?" she asked.
The small boy's face totally flushed, and he hurried to back away.
"Don't tell me," came Moegi, "he's got a crush on Akiko-nee-san…"
"Eh? A crush?" Akiko looked back over at the boy.
"Yeah…" said Moegi, "he used to have a crush on me, and he'd do weird stuff like that all the time…"
Konohamaru was too fired up for this to bring him down.
"All right! Moegi, it looks like the two of us are getting those bells on our own! Follow my lead!"
He made a seal that Akiko was familiar with.
"Kage Bunshin no jutsu!"
There were ten of them; eleven including the original. They all made transformation seals.
"This works on Ebisu-sensei, but I'll have to change it a bit for a girl! Supa Irropoi Harem no jutsu!" (Super Erotic Harem technique)
Eleven naked, muscular men surrounded Akiko. Her eyes widened in surprise, and her face was twisted in the momentary shock.
"D-don't think that an immature technique like that will get to me," she said, casting her eyes downward. Being surrounded by naked men was certainly a new, uncomfortable experience for her.
"Konohamaru!" wailed Naruto, covering his eyes, "don't pull that shit when I'm around!"
"It's your fault!" Akiko shouted at him, "you are the one who gives him these kind of ideas!"
She got rid of the clones as fast as she could, but she couldn't help but feel awkward as she punched them.
Moegi came from behind with shuriken, and she appeared to be hit again.
"No, Aki-chan! Are you bleeding?! Get help!" yelled a frantic Naruto.
He felt another hammer on his head.
"Seriously, Maki-san, I can understand the genin being fooled again, but you…are you sure you're a jounin?"
She turned to the genin and left Naruto to rub his head.
"No wonder these guys are so pathetic! They got trained by a total idiot!"
"Hey!" shouted Konohamaru, "no one talks about me or Naruto-nii-chan like that!"
"Konohamaru, Moegi, make her pay for that!" Naruto commanded them.
Akiko rolled her eyes. For someone who had just been concerned for her, he was now telling them to beat her up.
"For a little runt, you talk a lot," she said to the young genin.
"Don't call me a runt!" he said back, "you'll be bowing down to me one day after I become Hokage!"
All this yelling…she could tell that Naruto had been his tutor.
In spite of their newly found fighting spirit, Moegi and Konohamaru found it very difficult to even get close to their opponent. And when they did manage to get close, she didn't even bother to dodge their attacks because a weird metal skin would show up and protect her from taking damage.
Seeing his partners struggle, Udon had mustered the courage to rush at Akiko. To counter his attack, she smiled and waved at him, and he was kneeling down and making circles in the dirt with his finger.
In the end, they weren't able to capture their prize.
"We…lost…" panted Konohamaru, "does that mean that none of us get to eat Ichiraku?"
"The point of the test was to show me how much you guys have learned. Don't feel so bad; me, Sakura-chan, and Sasuke couldn't get our bells from Kakashi-sensei either. The theme of the test is teamwork, and I saw a lot of that from you guys. Well, except for Udon…he was useless!"
The snot-nosed boy was still glancing upwards at Akiko.
"Anyway, since you all did a good job, I'll take you guys out for some food! So you guys lead the way!"
Their bright eyes sparkled at the thought of eating.
"I'll get mine with shrimp!" exclaimed Moegi.
"I'll get mine with pork!" announced Konohamaru.
"I'll have lots of fishcake with mine!" said Udon.
"Shut up, Udon, you didn't do anything!"
Naruto walked a few paces behind them. Akiko walked beside him.
"That love for ramen…just how much of your personality has passed on to them, Maki-san?"
Naruto smiled.
"It's fun being like an older brother…"
"Yeah, they really idolize you. Konohamaru-chan even uses the same jutsu; and he has the same prankster mentality that has worked so well for you in fights."
"Naruto-nii-chan! Ramen eating contest!" Konohamaru challenged him.
"Are you kidding!? I can eat more than the three of you combined!" Naruto proclaimed proudly.
"Not if Aki-nee-san is on our side!" Moegi said, pleading to Akiko and pulling on her arm.
"Are you sure, Moegi?" asked Konohamaru, "she's so small, she probably doesn't eat at all…"
"WHAT DID YOU SAY, LITTLE BOY!" Akiko erupted.
"S-s-s-scary!" the genin shouted, "she's just as scary as Sakura-nee-chan!"
"Ummm, you'd better run, Konohamaru," Naruto warned.
"Aieeeee! Moegi! Udon! Nii-chan! Help me!"
She left welts on top of welts on his head.
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They had spent a good deal of the morning and afternoon together, but their date came to an end when a messenger from the council came with another grunt work mission for Sasuke. With no other choice but to accept, he walked Sakura home. They lingered outside her doorway.
"Sasuke-kun, thank you, I had fun!"
"I'm glad…"
They lingered more.
"So I'll see you later then, right?" she asked him.
"Of course."
She turned the handle of the door but didn't open it. It didn't look like Sasuke was going to take the initiative. Didn't he know how to say goodbye to a girl properly. She was going to have to show him, then.
She threw her arms around his neck and embraced him for a kiss.
Sasuke hadn't been expecting it. He was thinking about Naruto. If she tried to kiss him in front of Naruto, he would have to stop her without explaining why.
They parted after a few seconds, and she finally went inside. Today, she had experienced her very first kiss with Sasuke. She had no doubt that today had been the best day in her entire life.
It had been a first for Sasuke as well. Who would have ever thought that he, Sasuke uchiha, would ever be going out on dates and kissing young girls? Certainly not him. He was lost thinking about the feeling of her soft lips…
Until a voice called him from behind. It was a voice that Sasuke would have been better off not hearing for the rest of his life.
"Aww…isn't that sweet. Sasuke-sama, you're quite the ladies man aren't you?"
He almost didn't want to turn around. He hoped to god that he had just imagined that voice just now.
"What's the matter, Sasuke-sama? Didn't you miss me?"
Damn. He turned around to face the voice. Those spectacled eyes were like poison; threatening this whole new life that Sasuke had just found.
"Kabuto," he snarled, "what…the…FUCK…are you doing here!?"