Fighting for You-

Disclaimer: We do not own Naruto!

Chapter Twenty-One

Blooming

"He's dangerous, Sakura," Mebuki said, keeping her voice low. "As a doctor, you know how I feel about violence."

"He's a professional, mom. It's perfectly safe," Sakura argued. She knew her mother would react this way, knowing she wasn't a fan of MMA. Her father was a different story. He enjoyed the fight, and even tried to side with Sakura.

"She's right, dear. They train for this. And look, Sasuke barely has a dent on him." Kizashi grinned and subtly leaned his head towards Sasuke.

Both of her parents have mastered the art of talking about people who were only a few feet away without giving any hint to the subject of their conversation. Sakura had not, though. It wasn't easy for her to mask her feelings, especially if it was her frustration.

"I could hardly say the same thing about the other gentleman," Mebuki snipped. "It worries me. Sakura, sweetie, I know you like him, but what makes you think you're safe with someone who could do that?"

Sakura felt her blood rush. Was her mother insinuating that Sasuke would hurt her? "Mom, he would never do that!" Her arms were waving around, trying to explain. "He has never done anything like that. Sasuke-kun is so gentle and he's always so careful. He would never do that to me."

Mebuki raised a brow, and Sakura held her tongue. She had given herself away, but pressed, "Sasuke-kun would never hurt me." Sakura believed it with all her heart. He never made her feel uncomfortable or threatened, even as she watched him spar or fight with any of his opponents. Not even if he and Naruto would rough house from time to time.

Sasuke's touch was always kind and gentle. He was soft and careful with her. And it applied to more than just his physical touch.

Kizashi placed a hand on her shoulder and the other on her mother's, trying to calm both of them down. "Darlings, let's not get snippy here. We were invited as guests and we should behave accordingly. Sasuke's right there, we ought to congratulate him."

"Don't bother if you're not going to be sincere about it." Sakura glared at her mother and turned around. She would hate it if her mother approached Sasuke and congratulated him while not meaning any of it—all for the sake of being polite. What she said had shocked both of her parents and she knew she would get into trouble. But today wasn't about her parents or her, it was about Sasuke. And her father was right, she ought to congratulate him.

As much as she tried to walk normally, she knew she was stomping—storming—over. She wanted to put as much distance as she could from her parents and hoped that being with her friends would soothe her.

Ino took one look at her and then her parents and knew what had happened. She didn't say anything, though. And Sakura only gave her a fleeting look before congratulating Sasuke. She took a shaky breath in and tried to wave him off. It wouldn't be fair for her to ruin his day with her parents' behavior. And she wouldn't bring it up, even when he asked.

Dinner was a lively affair, and for once, Kakashi allowed fans and other producers and important people who made the event happen. Even Sasuke's opponent was there. Sakura recognized some media personalities, but none of them had their cameras out. She was thankful everything was a little chaotic, for it gave her little time to talk to Sasuke alone. Every time someone asked for a photo with him, she gladly ducked out, giving them space. The sour look on his face always made her giggle.

Naruto was getting his fair share of attention just by simply being himself. Some of the fighters were there and he looked happy to talk to all of them. He and Ino looked connected at the hip, as Naruto always had an arm around her. She didn't miss Ino stealing looks at her, though. Later. She would tell Ino about it later.

As soon as Sasuke was done taking more photos, she watched him walk over to her, a small frown on her face. She smiled at him, though, thinking he was probably too tired to let all of this keep on going for long. "I would hate to be one of the fans you dislike, Sasuke-kun," she teased.

"I don't know what you mean… I love my fans." He retorted, pursing his lips while looking over to Kakashi to see if he was being watched. When he realized he wasn't, he let out a sigh and leaned a little closer. "Who am I kidding, they're so annoying sometimes."

Sakura laughed at that. "Even if you tell them that, I'm pretty sure they'd still be your fans, anyway. Are you tired?"

"You're probably right," he mused and then shrugged his shoulder. "Not really, I'm always feeling a little hyped up after a fight. At least until the food settles." Sasuke laughed then and patted his stomach.

Sakura nodded. "After the adrenaline dies down, your stomach requires most of your energy to digest. It makes sense to want to sleep during that time." She realized she pulled a medical dialogue on him and stopped herself. "Ah, sorry. I was reviewing that before this weekend." And she wouldn't mind droning on, too. If it meant Sasuke not asking where her parents were.

"That's okay," he smiled warmly at her, not minding in the least. "I hope things have been going well for you and that you aren't overworking yourself."

"It's not that bad, really." Sakura held her hands behind her back. "Tsunade-sama hasn't been asking for me much lately, too. I have more free time."

"It's a good thing." Sasuke's eyes brightened the slightest bit. "Maybe that means more time for me and you can help me stick to my diet."

"Diet?" She asked. He did mention he was going to lose weight, but she had been so used to seeing him eat a lot lately it was hard to imagine. "Is this for your next fight? Does this mean you won't eat my museli anymore?"

Sasuke hummed. "I have to drop back down to make weight for my next fight. I'll be going down to lightweight. If you make me museli though… I can't exactly refuse…"

"I'll make the calories worth it." Sakura grinned. "But if you really have a strict meal plan, let me see it. Maybe I can help." It would be a good opportunity to put some of the things she learned in nutrition to work. In turn, she would also be supporting Sasuke, which she wanted more than anything.

"Alright, I do have a meal plan. I'll share it with you once we return home. I only have a month to get back to where I was, so it's going to be tight to do it in a healthy way."

"Okay." It was easy talking to Sasuke. Even if it was about the smallest things. She appreciated it and hoped it would stay that way.

They didn't get to talk so much anymore since Naruto roped the two of them to take photos together at the photobooth. It was fun, though. Naruto kept putting hats and giving Sasuke signs to hold. Ino was already in place, ready with hers. Sakura was laughing the entire time, with Sasuke scowling at Naruto for giving him the silliest signs.

She did enjoy taking a set with Sasuke only, though. And asked for it to be printed twice so that they could each keep a copy. When it was time to go, Sakura was thankful. There was no question asked about her parents by either Kakashi or Sasuke. But it was Naruto who made things awkward in the SUV.

"W-Wait, Sakura-chan, where are your parents?" He asked, looking at the back seat to check if they were there. Ino glared at him, and Naruto blinked, looking so confused. "What? Did I say something wrong?"

"My mom had a work emergency," Sakura explained easily. Lying about her parents' whereabouts was easy, and it came naturally to her. As a child, her parents were always busy but if they wanted to escape functions and events, getting Sakura to lie for them was the easiest route out. "She and dad should be back at the hotel right now, getting ready for their flight out."

"Eeehh?" Naruto looked confused, but leaned back and crossed his arms across his chest. "'Guess it's tough being a doctor, huh. Does this mean you'll be getting work calls like this, too?"

Sakura hummed. "When I become a surgeon, yes. If they really need me." Being a doctor was tough, but she knew that and wanted to help as much as she could. It was the main reason why she kept on studying and working hard to become one.

"Aww. Don't go skipping out on my fights, though." Naruto pouted. "Teme would cry if you missed one of his."

"Tch," Sasuke turned his nose up at that, but his ears tinted red. "I wouldn't cry, Dobe."

"Bet ya would!" Naruto poked him. "Or Teme would nearly kill the guy so he has an excuse to come and see you."

"Not funny, Naruto!" Ino screeched, but Naruto laughed and Sakura found herself giggling as well. It was silly, but she wouldn't put it behind Sasuke to come to the hospital to see her—even if it was right after a fight.

"Don't worry. Most surgeries are planned and scheduled. It doesn't happen as often." Sakura smiled. "Mom is just… one of the best, I guess." She realized she might make it sound like her mother was lying and just tried her best to cover it up. "Anyway, are we free tomorrow? I haven't been to this city yet. I'd love to go around."

"We can do that. I just have an interview in the morning, but I'm free after that," Sasuke answered while shooting her a small, reserved smile.

"Lunch, then!" Ino clapped her hands together. "Or brunch. Either way, it'll be fun. They have a shopping center nearby."

Sakura laughed and Naruto whined. Trust Ino to consider shopping before sightseeing. "Shopping sounds good. Maybe we can rent a car so it's easier."

"And less carrying," Naruto mumbled. "Not that I hate doing that, ya know?" He looked at Ino. "I just want to be able to hold you."

That was too sweet and Sakura was tempted to fake a gagging sound. She was happy for Ino and Naruto, though. It was rare for Ino to show this much interest in one person, and judging by how she spoke about Naruto, Sakura knew Ino was totally in love with him.

"Okay, shopping tomorrow after brunch." Sakura looked at Sasuke then. "Can I come to your interview?"

"Of course," he nodded, giving her another soft smile. "I'll be happy to have you there."

"Eww get a room." Naruto teased. "I'll be happy to spend my morning with Ino."

The girl giggled suggestively at that, and Sakura did gag for real this time. "You get a room!"

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Sakura walked out of the shower. As she dried her hair with a towel, she noticed her phone screen was on. Her father had texted her that they were already at the airport and that he hoped Sakura would stay safe while she stayed with her friends. Her heart clenched. She had been rude to her parents, but her father was still being kind to her.

To be fair, her father wasn't who was giving her and Sasuke a hard time, it was her mother. She didn't hear a peep from her since their argument and Sakura preferred to keep it that way until she got home. She replied to her father, telling them to have a safe flight and told him about some of her activities with her friends the next day. He replied near-instantly, telling her he loves her, and so does her mother.

That only made her feel guiltier and she tossed her phone on the bed and got on, not caring that her hair was still damp and that she hadn't changed into her sleepwear yet. The robe was thick and comfy enough to sleep in, anyway. Sakura briefly closed her eyes, wishing her mother would just leave her alone. Her eyes opened again when she heard a knock.

Upon opening the door, she was surprised to see Sasuke in his sleepwear, holding on to a pillow.

"Hey," he greeted her, averting his eyes and worrying his lips for a second before asking, "can I come in?"

"Of course." Sakura stepped aside to let him in, unconsciously clutching her robe close. "L-let me just get changed." She picked up her clothes from the edge of the bed and scurried into the bathroom. It wasn't like she wasn't expecting Sasuke to come to her room. In fact, she hoped he would. They both had a long day and she desperately wanted some cuddles.

She quickly changed to her pink nightie. It was a little too short and revealing for her liking, but she had to admit she looked good in it. The lace on the sweetheart neckline and at the hem that stopped in the middle of her thigh. The thin strap on her shoulders was all that held it on to her. Sakura hung her robe and walked out, finding Sasuke sitting on the edge of the bed.

Obsidian eyes quickly locked on her and slowly raked over her form before looking away. "I'm sorry I didn't call or anything… I wanted to see you."

"No, it's okay. I was going to ask if I could come to your room when I finished, anyway." Sakura noticed his gaze on her and felt a little conscious, but she did like having his attention on her. She stopped just an arm's reach away from him. "Not yet sleepy?"

"Are you?" He asked instead of answering and gave the bed next to him a look in invitation for her.

"A bit tired." Sakura walked over to him and loosely wrapped her arms around his neck. She looked down and smiled warmly. "Congratulations again."

She wouldn't let herself forget that today was an important day for Sasuke. She was proud of him, and even if he didn't jump in excitement as Naruto did, she knew he was happy. Sakura stroked his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."

Sasuke hummed contentedly, his strong arms winding around her waist and hugging her back. "Thank you, it means a lot to hear that from you."

Her smile widened, eyes softening further. Her other hand came up to cup his other cheek, and she looked at his lips for a moment, wanting to kiss them. She bit her lower lip, not feeling brave enough to ask. Sasuke didn't miss the gesture. He smiled and tilted his head back while raising his right hand to cradle her cheek just as she had done his. Then he let the same hand slide into her hair and pulled her down into a kiss that was slow but not hesitant.

As soon as their lips met, a soft moan escaped her throat. She had been wanting to kiss him ever since his win, and it felt different from their first kiss, but the spark was still there. His warmth soon blanketed over her, and she found herself stepping closer between his legs. Her arms wound tighter around his neck to deepen the kiss. Sasuke's hand fisted her hair but in a way so as not to pull it or bring her any discomfort. His head tilted to the side, tongue slipping out to seek her own the next time their lips parted. His arm around her waist tightened slightly, pulling her until her body was pressing against his as much as possible.

Sakura felt his tongue slide against her lip, and she eagerly opened her mouth to give him access. As soon as she felt his tongue on hers, she let out a breathy moan, wanting more of him. Her tongue slid against his, the heat pooling below her belly button. Her hands wandered down to his arms, feeling his muscles and giving them a light squeeze. Sasuke pulled his tongue back soon and gave her lower lip a little suckle before breaking the kiss. He was slightly winded, eyes heavily lidded as he gazed into hers.

"Can I stay with you tonight?"

She was a little disappointed that their kiss ended so soon, but the thought of having Sasuke sleep with her for the night got her excited all over again. Sakura nodded but didn't make a move to let go. "I'd like that," she breathed.

"It's late. Let's get into bed… then I can hold and kiss you more." He smiled and stood up, giving her no choice but to step back so he had room.

Sakura gave him some space and crawled into bed after him, settling herself close to his side. Their bodies fit so well together, and despite Sasuke having such a strong physique, it was actually comfortable lying on his chest. His scent and warmth were addicting, making her want more. His arms around her were warm and comforting and he didn't hesitate to show her affection by kissing her forehead or rubbing her back.

"Sakura," he began after a few moments, while he was nearly lulling her to sleep with his gentle touch and tender kisses. "You mean a lot to me… you know I'm here for you, right? You can talk to me if you want."

Her body tensed for a second but slowly relaxed as he finished his sentence. "I know," she said, voice small and quiet. "Thank you. I'm just… trying to process it first. And today is a good day, I want it to stay that way." Sasuke's sensitivity towards her was refreshing and much appreciated. But she meant it when she said she didn't want to ruin today because of her parents.

"Hn. I understand." He let out a soft sigh and began combing his fingers through her hair. "I just want you to know that you can depend on me and that I'll do right by you. I promise."

Sakura nodded against his chest and held on to him a little tighter. "Thank you, Sasuke-kun. You can tell me anything, too." She yawned and closed her eyes for a second, feeling her tiredness wash over her. Combined with Sasuke's comforting presence, it wouldn't be long until she fell asleep.

"I know, Sakura, and I will."

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Ino unlocked the door and opened it, half expecting not to see her best friend in bed, but she was. With Sasuke. That wasn't even the part she was upset about. She was upset because they were fully clothed. Instead of scolding them right then, she stepped back quietly and shut the door. She walked back to her room, and found Naruto lying in bed and on his phone. He was still naked, the blanket barely concealing his ass. She bit her lip, but pushed her wants down because she needed to get to the bottom of things.

"Naruto." Ino sat on the bed and waited for him to put his phone down and look at her before continuing. "Sasuke's a virgin, isn't he?" There was no use beating around the bush, and no one else knew Sasuke better than Naruto did.

"Oh, Teme? Yeah, he is." Naruto grinned. "Why? Oh my god, don't tell me they were fucking when you went to check on Sakura-chan!"

His excitement was precious. "No, they weren't." Hence the conclusion. "Sakura's a virgin, too. But why isn't he making a move? I've given them so many chances." She frowned.

"I dunno." Naruto shrugged. "Maybe he didn't have a condom? Teme's kinda weird like that."

Ino rolled her eyes. "Well give him one later. I'm going to talk to Sakura while we shop."

"Okay," Naruto rolled over, stretching without shame and showing Ino his whole body. "I'll shower. We can breakfast? Or…" He gave her a suggestive grin.

"We have brunch later, so I'll go with the latter." She giggled. Honestly. Sakura needed to know what she was missing.

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The interview went by a lot faster than Sakura expected. There wasn't much media this time around, and not as many fans lingering around the building. Kakashi reserved a car for them for the afternoon, and to her surprise, didn't give them a babysitter (driver). Sasuke volunteered to drive, and they arrived at the agreed brunch restaurant.

Naruto and Ino were already there, sitting next to each other. Brunch was good, and as expected—heavy on the carbs. Naruto ordered the eggs and bacon, while Ino had a waffle and some fruit. Sakura ordered pancakes and felt bad when she saw Sasuke only had a salad and some chicken breast. She assumed it was part of his new diet, but she didn't expect him to start so soon.

Naruto had called shotgun, much to Sasuke's irritation. Sakura was fine with it, sitting in the back seat with Ino was fine with her. She felt her best friend fidget and knew that Ino wanted to talk to her. Things happened so fast the previous night that she wasn't able to fill her in about her parents. Sakura knew Ino would want to know, so it didn't surprise her when Ino pulled her away from the boys as soon as they arrived in the shopping district.

"Let's meet back here in two hours!" Ino told the boys and linked her arm with Sakura's. "Byeee!" She didn't even wait for Naruto or Sasuke to react or say anything, she only pulled Sakura away to the opposite direction.

"I-Ino!" Sakura struggled to keep up but finally fell in step with her. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you. But my mom was being so—"

"—Why haven't you had sex with Sasuke yet?" Ino went right to it, not caring that they were in public. "Sakura, this is like, the how many-th time we slept over with them!"

Heat pooled to her cheeks. "W-We're in public!"

"I don't care!" Ino shouted in a whisper, dragging her into Ninbucks. They got in line and Ino pulled her card out. "I mean, I know you're a virgin, and so is he, but like—"

Wait, what? "How did you know this?"

"Forehead." Ino looked at her pointedly. "Only a virgin that's totally in love with you would leave that pink nightie on you."

Her jaw slacked. "Wh-you—you went into my room?"

"Yeah, you gave me a key, remember?" Ino rolled her eyes and gave the barista their usual. "And come on, Forehead. When are you gonna…" She nudged her head towards Sakura, making her blush as red as a cherry.

"That's none of your business!" She covered her face with her hands. This was too embarrassing. Trust Ino to make things weird and awkward in public.

"It so is. Naruto is trying to convince Sasuke to man up to it later. And getting condoms." They moved to the end of the counter to wait for their drinks. Sakura was embarrassed beyond belief, and Ino totally didn't care that people were listening to their conversation. "Really, Forehead. What's the deal? Are you scared? Is he scared?"

"No!" Sakura was kind of. But she didn't want to discuss that right now. "I just—what's the rush?"

"You're missing out." Ino pointed at her and took their drinks before pulling Sakura to a table. She placed the straw into their drinks and handed Sakura hers before taking a sip from her own.

"Be honest though." Ino looked at her carefully. "Are you scared?"

Sakura's hands fisted her skirt and she looked away. "A bit…" She bit her lower lip. "I always get nervous but it's not like I want him to stop when he… kisses other places." Her voice lowered as she spoke, still so shy.

"Oh my fuck, so he did try!" Ino squealed. "Okay, this is good! Progress!" She waved her hands around excitedly.

"Can we please change the subject?" Sakura was back to covering her face. "We're in public."

"Tsk." Ino looked around at the people who were looking their way, they all averted her gaze. She looked back at Sakura and sighed. "Okay, fine. What was the deal with your parents? You were mopey the entire night. Sasuke noticed too, you know."

"I know." She put her hands around her drink and took a small sip. "He tried to bring it up last night but didn't push it. I really appreciate that."

"Oh my god he's so in love with you," Ino breathed. "So that's what you did? You talked about your feelings instead of fucking last night?"

"No!" Sakura blinked. "I—I didn't tell him. I didn't want to ruin his night."

Ino sighed loudly and mumbled over her straw. "Okay, that's fair. So, what? Your parents think he's too violent or something?"

"Yeah. My mom…" her brow creased. "Thought that Sasuke would hit me or something."

Ino guffawed. "Oh that's priceless. Sasuke looks so tough but I heard he wouldn't even hurt a fly."

Sakura looked at her with a confused look, but giggled. "Really? I mean, I know he's really gentle with me. He would never hurt me, Ino."

"I know he won't." Ino smiled sincerely. "He's so taken with you. What did your dad say?"

"He… I think he might like him, you know? It's mom."

"Figures." Ino shrugged. "I can't tell you what to do, but what do you want to do?"

"I want to be with him," she whispered. "I want my parents to not give him a hard time. His family is lovely, too."

Ino smiled at Sakura and held her hand over the table. "Sakura, if you want him that much, I'm sure your parents will come around."

"You think so? I mean… I kind of yelled at my mom."

"You what?" Ino gasped. "What did you say?"

"I told my mom not to congratulate Sasuke if she wasn't going to be sincere about it."

"Yikes." Ino took a sip. "I guess it's not that bad… your mom wouldn't take it lightly though. And I'm guessing that's why they left."

"Yeah." Sakura nodded and took a sip. "I'll talk to them when I get home, though. I don't want to keep secrets from them, and I don't want to stop seeing Sasuke-kun, either."

"Aww. You're growing up!" Although she was giggling, Ino did mean that. And she was proud of her. Sakura was finally starting to fight for what she truly wanted.

A/N:

Hello, sorry for the long wait but we're back. XD

We would just like to clarify to readers at this point that yes, Sakura is a virgin. Of course it is mentioned here, but we wanted to post a quick note about it because there was some major upset due to a mistake written on our part. We didn't mean to insinuate that Sakura wasn't a virgin and the fic has been edited to take away the bits that did. We apologize for that.

Everything is in order now and we will get back to more frequent updates. We hope you enjoyed the chapter and approve of the new cover photo. I've added a link to Ink's original post on my profile here, and also added a link to my SasuSaku discord server. Everyone is welcome so long as you follow the rules. Hope to see you there.

Til next time,

Kairi & Tyy