Note: What to do when insomnia is your best friend? You write the rest of the chapter! You guys, I was finally able to fall back asleep at 4 this morning haha. Would have posted it then, but I had to review it to make sure that my thoughts were coherent during the night! Here you go, hope you appreciate this and again, thank you for being the best and for sending me so many positive reviews!

P.-S. To be honest, I never thought I would get as far as 18 chapters, but I keep getting ideas and the story keeps getting longer. Hope you don't mind haha!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 18

Tobirama woke up slowly. He honestly did not remember the last time he had such a great night of sleep. The bed was comfortable, warm and so soft… Taking in a deep breath, a sweet scent made him realize where he was and crimson eyes opened abruptly. So much for leaving incognito…

There she was, sleeping next to him, her head on his chest like it was the most natural thing in the world. Looking around him, he saw the blanket covering both their bodies. Somehow, he ended up under it too. Trying to move without waking Sakura up, he had to stop when he realized the compromising situation they were in.
Their legs were tangled, and she somehow hooked her ankles under his legs, his right arm was behind her head, hand tangled in soft strand of pink hair and his left one… Tobirama gulped. His left arm was holding her body close to his in an intimate embrace, hand on her waist… Tobirama silently cursed the universe for being in this position, but not because of the fact that he was basically hugging her. No. It was the fact that her small and soft hand was under his shirt on his abdomen… and that she was basically on top of him. Tobirama looked at the ceiling, taking a few shallow breath, trying to calm down. He just had to find a way to get out of this position without waking her up, because knowing her, she would probably be embarrassed and would definitely be avoiding him for the next few days, which he did not want... Or she would punch him through next week. He had to figure it out and fast.

Once his heart rate went back to a somehow normal rhythm, Tobirama looked back at the position they were in. Analyzing the situation, his thoughts were sidetracked again. The large shirt she had been wearing the night prior (his shirt) fell off her shoulder during the night, giving him a perfect view of her creamy skin an the gentle curve of her breasts. Feeling his pants becoming really uncomfortable, Tobirama tried to will his body to stop reacting to her to no avail. His brain could only summon images of her that made his blood boil in his veins, not helping the situation at all. For the first time, the great Tobirama Senju was at a lost. His body was getting the best of him and he hated it.

Suddenly, Sakura moved in her sleep, pressing herself closer to him, her hand sliding up on his rib cage, her leg rubbing against a certain sensitive area. Tobirama screwed his eyes shut, trying to focus on anything else, but could only feel how soft her body was. A delicious shiver shot down his spine and his breath caught in his throat when she nuzzled his neck. The man had been tortured before but this... this was on a whole other level. He could not help the low pained moan that escaped his lips. His hand tightened on her waist and looking up, he clenched his jaw. Gods, have pity...

A strangled sound woke her up from her peaceful slumber. A small headache was pulsing behind her eyelids and she started to regret drinking the two bottles of alcohol the night before. Sakura was surprised by the warmth emanating from her bed and pillows, because normally, she was cold most of the time when she was waking up… Wait. Pillows are not producing heat. Slowly opening up her eyes, she pushed up with her hands to sit in her bed. Feeling something hard and warm under her hand, she froze. Her vision was acclimating to the small amount of light coming in from the window. Suddenly, her eyes caught a movement below her, and looking down, she froze.

Tobirama Senju was in her bed, underneath her and the hard and warm thing she was feeling with her hand was his abdomen. Troubled, she could not talk and seeing his face getting warm, she realized that he was as embarrassed as she was... Or so she thought, not knowing the battle raging in him.

A dozen scenarios flashed in her mind and the most plausible that she could think of was not reassuring and involved them and a few adult thoughts she had the previous week. Taking in her position, it hit her that maybe, just maybe they slept together and she just did not remember. The man was handsome, it was a possibility, but one that she did not particularly want to think about. Seeing that her hand was still under his shirt, she removed it like she had been burned.

"Oh shit, don't tell me that-" Ashamed of what she thought they did and of her behavior, Sakura did not finishing her sentence and tried to scramble out of her bed.

Not noticing her legs wrapped with his, she got caught and started falling from the bed. Waiting for the impact, she closed her eyes, but warm hands grabbed her waist and Tobirama twisted her body so she could land on him. They hit the ground with a thud and she felt the air being knocked out of his lungs at the impact. Opening her eyes, she saw the look of concern on his face.

"Are you alright?" The huskiness of his voice made her shiver and she cleared her throat.

"I am ok." Pausing, Sakura left the warmth of his hands on her to get on her feet and held her hand towards him. "Are you?"

Staring up at her, he could only notice how cute she looked in the morning with her blush, the sleepy eyes and her bed head... And it was not helping his situation. He hoped she did not realize his... problem. Reaching for her hand, he got up and shrugged, rubbing the painful spot on the back of his head. If she was talking about the fall, he was doing just fine. If she was talking about their previous position, he was still recovering.

"Been through worst."

The silence stretching between them was now awkward and not knowing what happened the night before kind of left her in a disadvantage. He was also looking at her intensely, his body tense, noting every movements she was making and she felt like a prey in front of him. Please, don't tell me I did anything stupid. She already had a complicated relationship with the man and definitely did not need to add something else to it. Her cheeks got redder under the scrutiny of his look. She had to get out of the bedroom. Sakura gripped her elbow and avoided his gaze.

"I'll uhm… I'll prepare some tea."

Not waiting for his answer, she almost ran out of the bedroom and closed the door behind her. Her heart was going crazy in her chest. Sakura, what the heck was that? What happened? Trying to recall what happened last night, she sighed. She drank and then? Did she invite him in her bed? Again, the man was attractive and was awaking feelings in her that she never experienced. It would not be to far fetched to think about this possibility. She had to admit... She felt a pang of disappointment thinking about the fact that they might have had some kind of... intercourse, but she could not recall any of it. She hoped they did not, because she wanted to remember her first time, not be drunk out of her mind while doing it...

Sakura dropped her head on the pantry and sighed realizing the thoughts crossing her mind. What a mess...

Tobirama watched her run out and when the door closed, he released the breath he had been holding. Sitting on the bed, he held his head in his hands. That was awkward to say the least… For some reasons, he expected her to throw a fit or even better, throw things at him, but she had been speechless. He had not been any better and honestly did not know what to say, which was curious. Noticing a bowl of water on her desk, Tobirama walked to it and dabbed water on his warm face.

Grabbing the sides of the desk, he stared at himself in the mirror, shaking his head. What a morning! Turning back to face the bed, he remembered the feel of her body on his and had to admit… He wanted more. More of her touch, more of her warmth in his life… How could he go about that? She was far from being a normal person. She was not superficial like most women, he considered her like his equal strength wise, she was just different. She was smart and it turned him on. Not being the most forward when it came to affairs of the heart, Tobirama was at a lost.

Did this intimate embrace troubled her like it did him? This morning was far from the innocent moment they previously had in the lab. It was something else, something deeper... Picking up his armor, he sighed. He would have to find a way to figure it out without messing up… Maybe Hashirama... NO! He was getting crazy if he thought that his brother could give him good advice. He definitely did not feel like being laughed at.

Sakura was preparing the tea cups and her back was facing him when he came out of her bedroom. Good thing, because she really did not know how to act with he man at the moment. Taking the teapot, she poured water in the cups and looked over her shoulder to see him battling with one of the strap of his armor situated under his left arm. She let him deal with it, but after a while he was still not able to attach it and looked quite frustrated about it. Not able to stop herself, she walked to him and pushed his hand away, grabbing the leather straps and putting her hand on his chest lightly to have him stop moving. Tobirama looked down at her, troubled by her closeness again.

"Let me try to-" She did not have the time to finish her sentence that her front door burst open with a joyful Hashirama walking in, followed by Mito and Madara. Hashirama paused seeing them so close and took in the situation. Them two, the closeness, her hand on Tobirama's chest, the two tea cups. The fact that is was early in the morning and that they were both standing near the bedroom, her wearing his brother's clothes. A mischievous smile stretched his lips and he gave a nudge to Madara's ribs.

Sakura seeing the train of thoughts of the newly arrived visitors looked up at Tobirama with wide eyes. Seeing her distress, he frowned, his previous trouble forgotten. This situation was getting even more complicated.

"Are we interrupting something?" Hashirama's voice was teasing and he wiggled his eyebrows. Mito understanding the innuendo turned bright red and Madara crossed his arms on his chest smirking. Sakura turned her back on them and finished to tie Tobirama's armor and looking up at him, took a deep breath.

"Do you know how to knock?" Her voice was serious and she gave Hashirama a look over her shoulder.

Tobirama grabbed her hand lightly, trying to avoid her temper to flare up and was about to add something, but she gave him a determined look. He could have sworn he saw a glimpse of amusement in her green orbs but he could have made it up. Seeing that she wanted to defend herself, he took his hand off hers and leaned on the door frame casually, crossing his arms on his chest. Staring at Madara, Tobirama shrugged and kept a stoic face on while Sakura faced the visitors.

"Your brother got injured while patrolling last night and came to me this morning so I could heal him." Tobirama had to admit, she sounded really convincing.

"And this is why you are wearing his clothes, I imagine?" Madara's voice was full of sarcasm and she had to take a deep breath before to answer, or else, she would have let her act slip.

"For your information, Uchiha-sama-" Madara froze at the honorific, knowing he should have kept quiet and he frowned, seeing the amused curve on the younger Senju's lips. "This was given to me to replace my blood soaked clothes when I saved his ass." She ended her sentence by pointing at Hashirama. Madara smirked.

"You did not answer the question." Rolling her eyes, Sakura put her hands on her hips.

"After our "chat" I was too sore and tired to go through my clothes for the night and this was on top of my drawer." Her eyes bored into Madara's and he lost his smirk when she added: "I don't appreciate having people question my work ethic and decisions first thing in the morning, so if you'll excuse me, Tobirama-sama and I were about to continue our discussion on the training curriculum for the young future shinobis."

Walking across the room, she went back to where the tea cups were and looked at the three of them over her shoulder. "You know where the door is." Her voice did not leave any room for argument, the discussion was definitely over.

The three people behind her exchanged surprised looks and three pairs of eyes focused on Tobirama who shrugged. "You heard what she said." Keeping a straight face was hard at that moment since they all walked towards the door in a stupor. Before exiting, Mito paused at Sakura's height.

"At least, do me the honor to come over for dinner tomorrow night? I missed your presence this past week."

Wanting to figure out the situation between her and Tobirama without having them breathing down both of their necks, Sakura shrugged.

"Sure, sure. See you tomorrow night."

Mito walked to the door, but before to leave, looked back at Tobirama and sent him a triumphing glance. Sakura did not have a clue that she just accepted to come to her own birthday party. Remembering his brother's plan, Tobirama frowned.

When the door closed, Sakura's shoulder sagged in relief. Turning around with the two cups in her hands, she was faced with a frowning Tobirama looking at the now closed door. His attention focused on her as she handed him a cup and he took it, nodding his head in thanks.

"We have to talk about the fact that you don't lock your door at night.'' At first, she thought he was kidding, but meeting his serious gaze, she paused and stared at him with a raised eyebrow. Getting closer to him, she poked his chest with her finger.

"Are you for real? I just saved both our asses the humiliation and the first thing you think about is my habit of not locking the door? Tsk.. Ungrateful Senju-" Being called ungrateful did not sit well with him so he did not let her any time to finish.

"All I am saying is that we would not have been in this situation if you had locked the door in the first place."

"You mean, if you hadn't been there this morning, none of this mess would have happened?" She was slowly getting the best of him and he was starting to lose his patience. The frown on his face deepened and he answered her with a hard voice.

"I can leave now if you want me to." Looking down at her, he saw the beginning of a smile she tried to hide with her tea cup and tilted his head. "… And you are messing with me."

She shrugged and walked past him to go to her back porch. Looking behind her, she send him an amused look.

"Maybe I am, maybe I am not." Seeing him rooted into place, she remembered that they had to clear whatever happened the night before and blushed slightly. "Are you coming? We have things to talk about."

Getting out of his torpor he followed her outside and sat on a stair next to her. He was always at a loss of words with her. She always had the right thing to say for his brain to stop functioning properly. This feeling was quite new for him.

The same awkward silence surrounded them while they were sipping on their tea. Tobirama did not know where to start. The situation was already quite strange, he did not need to open his mouth and make it weirder. His head snapped up when she started talking.

"Did I… Did you…" Blush staining her cheeks, she took a deep breath, and was finally able to form a coherent sentence. "Can uh… Can you tell me why I woke up with you in my bed?" That was a good start.

The first few words coming out of her mouth somehow gave him a clue of what she thought happened and his heart beat accelerated slightly. If she thought about that kind of possibility and did not react strongly, did it mean that she might have had some sort of attraction towards him? The thought itself made him feel all fuzzy inside… Seeing her waiting for an answer he cursed inwardly. Get your head out of the gutter!

"I uh.. I was patrolling last night and found you on the steps, asleep." Scratching the back of his head, he avoided her gaze, uncomfortable. "I brought you inside and was about to leave but you asked me to… stay." Clearing his throat, he looked back into her curious emeralds. "So, I did and planned to leave after a few hours, but…"

"You fell asleep." Closing his mouth, he nodded. He looked guilty, for some reason, but she decided to let it go. "This week was crazy, I cannot blame you."

"I am sorry if I made you feel uncomfortable this morning." Looking at the woods in front of them, he took a sip of tea. He was not really sorry because he appreciated this new twist in their relationship, but for her sake, he could apologize.

Looking at his face for a moment, she hummed and shrugged. She closed her eyes and presented her face to the sun, enjoying the feel on her skin. Silence fell again, but this time, it was comfortable.

Sakura was thinking about how better she felt this morning. About her, about life, about the situation she was in... She came to term with a lot of things the night before because of Madara and even though it had been painful, she was thankful for the help. She had been pushing things away for too long. Exhaling slowly, she reopened her eyes and drank from her cup. Life was not perfect, but right now it was good to her. This whole situation with Tobirama did not phase her, but she was really touched that he stayed when she asked. When my drunk self asked. He cared. Might not look like it most of the time with this stupid stoic face of his, but he had a good heart and knowing that she was one of the few knowing this made her feel a warmth in her chest. He had been distant with her in the beginning and later on had not been scared to be vulnerable with her and was able to admit that he had been scared for her well-being. There was so much more to Tobirama Senju than the history books were reporting. It was also really easy to rile him up when he was trying to prove a point... In general, she felt lucky to be able to discover him under a new light. She had to say, the man was growing on her. Like, really growing on her.

Remembering the feel of his abdomen under her fingers, something new stirred inside of her. She had never been the most experienced with men, but she could label this feeling she had since their moment in the lab as desire. Waking up next to this man, this handsome and strong man, who would not feel this way? Smiling a bit, she shook her head an leaned back on the step. Her younger self would have probably had a heart attack to wake up in such circumstances, but since nothing was normal anymore, she did not really care.

Tobirama was sitting next to her, enjoying the silence. For some reason, he was still hearing the way she talked the night before about "our Konoha" and even by analyzing the reasons for this choice of words, he could not find anything logical. Was he overthinking? In fact, they did not really know where she was from or how she got so close to their camp. She was peculiar but helped them so much. Glancing at her, his shoulders relaxed. It could not be anything bad. She was a good person.

In this moment, he had to admit that Madara might have been right about the hard way. She looked... at peace. Her green eyes, while still holding remnant of her past, appeared to be more serene. Lighter. The flame that was barely shining in her emeralds the past few weeks was back... And it was a mesmerizing view. Knowing what he knew, he was seeing her under a different light. She was fascinating. A puzzle with ever changing pieces and he felt lucky to be able to find new pieces of her every day. Taking a quick decision, he continued to look at her and the way the sun lit up her face with a warm glow.

Sakura glanced up and almost choked on her tea when she realized that he had been staring at her for the past few minutes. There was something warm in his eyes. Something that sent a shiver down her spine. His look was so intense that she felt like her could read her thoughts.

"Is everything ok?" Her voice sounded small and unsure. Drinking the last of his cup, he set it on the step and got up on his feet. Eyes never leaving hers, he graced her with one of his rare smile and she almost choked again. She had never been on the receiving end of it and now that she was, it felt like someone hit her.

"You look different Sakura. It suits you." Seeing the way she reacted to his smile made his decision even easier. Taking her hand in his briefly, he gave it a squeeze and let it go. Her eyes widened and she frowned lightly.

"Thank you for the tea." About to transport himself, he paused and turned back to her. "Maybe I can tempt you with dinner later this week?"

Her mouth fell open as she sat there, wondering if she heard him right. Sakura nodded her head numbly, still in shock, which made him smirk as he did the last seal of his transportation jutsu.

Sakura sat on her back porch for a few minutes, trying to figure out what just happened. First, they woke up together, then they were almost humiliated in front of their friends, after that, they drank tea and talked comfortably and he just... asked her out? Did he just asked her on a date? And she said yes? This was so unlike him though. Well, it was unlike what she expected of him. But she was pleasantly surprised... Picking up his cup, she stared at it and recalled his smile. A blush crept on her face. Of course, he has dimples when he smiles.

Sakura went about her day and walked to the hospital. She had a feeling that her relationship with Tobirama went from complicated to even more complicated that morning. What were they? Flirting? Maybe. Who knew what was going on in this head of his? Stopping by her office she grabbed her white lab coat and did her round.

Getting in the lobby to ask a question to one of the nurse, she was surprised to see Izuna, elbows on the counter, talking with one of the girl. When he saw her, a blush stained his cheeks. What was that reaction for? Looking behind him to see who he was with, she smirked when her eyes fell on her best apprentice Ama. Meeting his eyes, she raised an eyebrow. Excusing himself, he ran towards Sakura and stopped in front of her, scratching the back of his head.

"Hey Sakura!"

"Izuna, my staff has a job to do and you flirting does not help us at all you know that?"

"Actually, she was going to take her dinner break, but-" Seeing something he did not like in her eyes, Izuna stopped talking. "No. No Sakura, you better not." A mischievous smile found her lips and she clasped her hands behind her back.

"Better not what?" Her innocent look made him blush even more.

"Please, do not tell Madara and Hashirama yet. Or I'll tell them about your attraction to Tobirama-" Slapping the back of his head Sakura growled.

"I am not attracted to him." Of course, both of them knew that to be a lie so it was now her turn to blush, remembering the recent events. Izuna took advantage of her being flustered.

"You are, it is as evident as a nose in the middle of a face, Sakura. He is attracted to you too judging by his outbursts when someone treats you poorly and the way his eyes are warming up when he looks at you.''

Sakura paused and thought about it. She could not deny that he had been looking at her with a warmth in his eyes that hadn't been there before. But outbursts, Tobirama?

"He doesn't-" realizing that she was talking alone, she cursed. Damn Izuna. Now she had even more things to sort out regarding a certain white-haired Senju... But honestly... What is there to sort out? He is handsome and you like the man...

Madara spent the day with Hashirama, doing paperwork while his friend was finalizing the details for Sakura's birthday tomorrow. He had picked up her gift earlier that day and was really pleased with the result. Signing the last document on the desk, Madara pushed his chair and waved at his friend.

"I'll go check on her and make sure she is alright today." At that, Hashirama snorted.

"She looked quite fine with my brother this morning."

Rolling his eyes, Madara left the office, hearing Hashirama's laugh even when he was outside of the building.

This morning when he saw them so close, something stirred in him. Of course, Sakura was amazing, but he did not have any kind of attraction to her. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense. He was feeling like he had to protect her. Like an older brother. It wasn't the first time he had that thought, but this time, he knew that it was how their relationship was. She was open with him, trusting him and he was trusting her. She stood up for him and his clan during the negotiations and made sure that everyone was equal. He had affection for her like he did Izuna and also... she would never looked at him like she looked at the younger Senju. But he was fine with that. As long as she was happy.

Climbing on her front porch, he opened the door and sat at her kitchen table, waiting for her.

The rest of her shift went smoothly and she was back home surprisingly early, which was amazing. Getting closer to her house, she saw that her door was open. Taking one of her kunai out of her pouch, Sakura walked slowly to it and kicked it open, entering and tackling the intruder. Her kunai was deviated by another one and she ended up face to face with Madara. Breathing out she cursed.

"Shit! Please don't ever scare me like that again" Pinching the bridge of her nose, she continued. "You could have waited on the front porch instead of breaking into my house, Madara."

Crossing his arms on his chest, Madara huffed and a smirk found his lips.

"To break in I would have to unlock your door, which, for your information, was already unlocked. If you don't want unwanted visitors, you might want to lock it." Smug expression on his face he cocked his head on the side and looked at her.

"Not you too! I am a grown woman, I can handle an intruder or two."

"This isn't relevant. Grown woman or not, you need to be more careful." Rolling her eyes, she walked passed him and started water for some tea. A smile spread on her lips thinking about her bickering with Tobirama about locking the doors when she cleaned the cups from this morning. Madara saw her smile before she could hide it.

"Looking happy today." Turning toward him, she shrugged and about to resume what she was doing, he grabbed her shoulder gently and made eye contact. "But seriously, how are you doing?"

Thinking about it for a moment, she wasn't looking at him. Activating his sharingan, he scrutinized her facial expression and her eyes. That done, he deactivated it and relaxed. She looked peaceful.

"Actually... I am good! Definitely better and this is in part because of you, so thank you." Seeing the sincere expression on her face, Madara's eyes softened.

Staying with her for an hour, they talked about clan matters and her days in the hospital. Once their conversation over, she walked him out on the front porch. He was about to leave, but looking back, he paused. She smiled at him and he turned around, walking back to her. In front of her, he wrapped his arms around her body and dropped a small kiss on the crown of her head against his better judgment.

"I am glad you feel better." Hearing her giggle, he looked down at her bright eyes.

"Softy." Madara took a step back and raised an eyebrow.

"If you tell this to anyone, I'll deny it." Smiling down at her, he walked back down the stairs. "Have a good night."

Sakura stayed a few minutes on the porch, watching his back. He was a good man. Who knew that an Uchiha could show that many emotions? It was quite new for her, but she appreciated it. Being in the past did not seem so hard anymore when she thought about the people surrounding her.

A few shadows watched Sakura go back into her house. Seeing the interactions she had this morning with Tobirama and now with Madara, the shadows came up with a plan. Smile creeping on their lips, they left.

She was running. It was so dark. She could hear Tsunade's voice and for a moment she thought it was her imagination until she saw her blond hair in the distance. The Hokage was walking in front of her in this void.

"Tsunade, is it you?" The hope in her chest was painful. Tsunade faced her, staring at her with a sad expression in her warm honey eyes. Approaching, she gently touched Sakura's cheek and the young kunoichi could not hold in the tears flowing freely from her eyes.

"I did this for you, for us, please don't hate me..."

"I don't understand-" She could not voice anything else. Her body was falling and reopening her eyes, she was in a place that was too familiar. Battle sounds caught her attention and she was standing on the battlefield, again. Reliving the last moment of the war. She could see Naruto and Sasuke fighting and herself standing with them. Shaking her head Sakura's eyes widened. Why can I see myself? What is this? She was seeing the last moments of the war like she was a spectator. Knowing what happened next, Sakura averted her eyes.

"Don't look away Sakura, you will understand..."

Sakura screwed her eyes shut and shook her head.

"No, I need to wake up... WAKE UP!"

Sitting up straight in her bed, Sakura could not control the shaking of her body. It had been so real. The voice of her mentor, her touch... Bringing her hand to her face, Sakura touched her wet cheeks only to burst into tears again. What was that about? Her normal war dreams did not feel this real...

Getting out of bed on shaky legs, she slowly made her way to the kitchen and made herself some coffee. Leaning on the counter she exhaled. She just missed them, that was probably the reason why this dream had been so vivid... Getting her thoughts and herself back together, she quickly dressed and left for work even though it was still dark outside. There was no way she would be able to fall back asleep.

It was almost five o'clock when Mito burst into her office, hands on her hips. Sakura raised her head from the pile of paper sitting on her desk and Mito took in her appearance. Obviously, she did not sleep well, according to the dark circles under her eyes.

"You are coming with me."

"Mito, I can't. I have a lot of work to do."

"Did spending time with Tobirama affected your memory? You agreed to come and have dinner with me tonight."

Remembering the moment when she agreed to this, Sakura leaned back in her chair, throwing her head back and sighed. Pinching the bridge of her nose she groaned.

"I did. I am sorry, I totally forgot." Rubbing her eyes, Sakura let her arms fall to her sides.

"I know, I am aware of that, which is why I am here and you are coming with me. You look horrible." Looking up at Mito, Sakura sighed again.

"But-" Mito rolled her eyes and grabbed Sakura's arm to pull her on her feet.

"Ama will take care of everything during your absence. It will be a short dinner. If you want, you can come back after. Now come with me, you need to change."

Sakura groaned again and followed the Uzumaki. She knew it was useless to try and get her way. She also had the same look Ino had on her face when she wanted her to go out. The look saying: You better come with me or else. Her tired body had some difficulties to keep up with Mito's fast pace, but she followed and did not complain. She knew better

Once they arrived to her house, Sakura entered and was surprised to see that a bath was ready for her to get in. Raising an eyebrow to the red haired woman, Sakura sighed when the only answer she got was a shrug.

"I need to listen to Tobirama and start locking my door more often..." Her mumble brought a smile on Mito's lips.

"Come on, stop being grumpy and get cleaned up. I brought something for you to change into."

Sakura climbed in the bath and leaned back, relaxing when the warm water worked on the tension in her muscles. Taking the time to scrub with some scented soap, she rinsed her body and washed her hair. Once done, she got out of the bath and put a robe on. She barely opened her bedroom door that Mito was entering, shoving a kimono in her hands. Sakura's eyes widened.

"No. uh uh. No kimono."

"Yes kimono, and you have five minutes to change or I'll help you myself."

Sakura stared at Mito incredulously and the staring contest started. Tired, Sakura giggled. Scratch that, Mito was worst than Ino ever was. Shooing the Uzumaki out of her bedroom, Sakura started to put on the kimono and smiled at the color. Emerald green with some pink floral patterns. So fitting. It looked like it was made for her. The thought made her frown. To tired to think about that, she turned around and gasped when seeing herself in the mirror.

"It's been five-" Mito was entering the bedroom but stopped at the sight in front of her. "Sakura, you are gorgeous!"

Blushing at the compliment, Sakura smiled. She never had anything this beautiful. The cut accentuated the curve of her waist and the color just made her eyes shine. She looked like a woman and felt like one. Not that she did not feel like one, but being in a man's world made her forget about her femininity sometimes... She wondered it Tobirama would appreciate. Stop thinking about him. Blushing even more, Sakura looked at Mito. The red haired could follow her train of thought and she laughed, taking some make up out. Smiling mischievously, Mito patted the bed where she sat.

"No. I am wearing the kimono, there is no way you put that thing on my face." Crossing her arms on her chest, Sakura looked away. Mito grabbed her hand and forcefully sat her on the bed.

"I swear, I will only put some of this black paste on your eyelashes to make them appear longer. That's it."

Black paste, equivalent of mascara in her time she guessed. Nodding her head, but still not convinced, she stilled for the Uzumaki to do her work. Looking back in the mirror once Mito was done, her eyes widened. The green of her eyes appeared to be a deeper shade of emerald and was a perfect match with the color of her kimono. Mito grabbed her hand, smiling while looking at her work.

"Now let's go. I am hungry and dinner is almost served."

The walk to the Senju compound was somewhat quiet and it made her frown. The street were empty and for some reason it looked weird. Thinking about it though, she realized that she was always in the hospital so she never really saw the streets at this time of the day... Getting closer to the compound, Mito let Sakura enter first and when she opened the door, she wished she had stayed home. Her eyes widened when about a hundred people screamed:

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!"

Sakura froze and did not know how to react. A fake smile found her face and she was thanking people as they greeted her. She had be so absorbed by her dream and everything else that she had forgotten about her birthday. It had been the only thing she thought about for the past month and today, she did not think about it at all. The attention was suffocating and made her claustrophobic a bit. A servant passed next to her with a tray containing cups of sake and she sighed in relief. Taking one, she gulped it down fast and took in a deep breath. They had been nice enough to organize something like this to her, the least she could do was to participate and try to enjoy. Seeing a flash of white in the back of the room, Sakura turned her head in this direction. Locking eyes with Tobirama over the crowd she gave him a smile and continued to answer questions and thank people.

Tobirama was not a fan of birthday parties and after hearing her the other night, he knew that a big celebration was not what she wanted, or needed for that matter. Still, no one listened to him when he had voiced some of his concerns. He had tried to talk his brother out of this idea the night before right after he left her place, but his reaction had been: "Brother you are worrying too much, everyone like surprise birthday celebration."

Seeing the distressed look she gave him at that moment and the crease between her eyebrow, he knew that she was not comfortable and he was no fool. He knew to well that the smile on her face was fake. He observed her going from one person to another, talking and grabbing some sake when servants were walking passed her and could not help but to feel sorry for her. She had told Madara about her birthday, probably hoping that the man would keep it for himself and here she was, surrounded by too many people, wanting to be anywhere but here...

After an hour, she finally thanked everyone and she was exhausted. Looking around, she had to admit that it was heartwarming to see both clans together, talking and laughing. She had been able to accomplish something great at least. But she really wanted to go back to her house and sleep right now. She was too far from the main door. Maybe she could go to the balcony and sneak out... Making her way to the other door to get some fresh air, she was stopped when Hashirama hooked his arm to hers and brought her to the middle of the room.

"It is time for the gifts!" Sakura shook her head

"No this is not necessary, I-" Cutting her, Hashirama laughed and squeezed her hand.

"Nonsense, it is your birthday."

Clenching her jaw, she tried to keep calm by breathing in deeply. Then it began. Each clan member Uchiha and Senju brought her a gift. There was a variety going from scrolls to dried herbs, to trinkets made by artisans. Finally, after what seemed to be an eternity, Hashirama brought her his gift which was a nice little plant for her house, Mito gave her a medical scroll from her clan, Madara and Izuna gave her a nice katana with an engraved handle, and Tobirama... Tobirama was still standing in the corner of the room, not moving. She did not want any gifts, but had to admit that she was a bit disappointed, because, of all people, she expected him to... To what? She did not know. Thanking everyone, the celebration continued and the attention was not on her anymore when Hashirama brought out the honey wine. Waiting a bit, Sakura slipped outside when she determined that people drank enough to be oblivious if she left.

The Senju garden was amazing at this time of the year with all the blooming flowers. She took a deep breath and continued her walk for a moment until she found a large tree and hopped on one of the branch. Sitting comfortably, she let the cold night breeze caress her warm face. She was grateful for the celebration and the fact that they went through all this trouble for her, but it had been a lot to take in after the week she had. Leaning her head on the bark, she sighed, looking up at the stars. Relaxing for a few minutes, footsteps made her look down at the intruder.

Tobirama was looking up at her, the moon making him appear even more handsome. He was wearing a black kimono with dark blue accents. Not wearing his happuri, strands of white hair fell on his forehead, giving him a boyish look. His pale skin had a supernatural glow and her heart skipped a beat when she saw his soft look and the small smirk on his lips.

"May I join you?" Not able to talk at the moment, she just nodded rearranging her position on the branch. In a second, he was sitting next to her and quite close. She could feel the heat radiating form his body. Trying not to react to his proximity, Sakura continued to gaze at the stars. "Overwhelmed?"

Understanding his question she chuckled.

"Yes, you could say that. Is it that obvious?" His eyes never left hers and he nodded imperceptibly. "It was unexpected, to say the least." She looks down at her clasped hands sitting on her thighs.

"I told them that a small gathering would be better, but you know how Hashirama is by now." Their eyes meet and Sakura smiled at him. Her heart warmed up when she thought about the fact that he knew her better than she thought. Surprising man.

"I know, your brother is unstoppable once his mind is set on a project." A sigh escaped her lips. "Don't get me wrong, I appreciate the gesture, I was just not… Ready for something like that, if you will. I am glad the clans are getting along though."

He chuckled silently and smiled at her. A real smile, again, the one that made her legs like jello. Good thing she was sitting. How was it possible that she had been on the receiving end of his smile twice in two days? Clearing her throat, she returned the smile and his breath caught in his throat. Recovering quickly, his eyes wandered to the night sky. Even in a situation like this, she though about the unity of the clans instead of her own well-being.

Sakura was curious as to why he was here with her...

"Why did you escape the celebration? Already bored?" Shaking his head, he took in a deep breath.

"I was looking for you, actually." Her heart was beating really fast. He was looking for her? Palms sweaty she rubbed them on her kimono and tried to swallow the knot in her throat. These words were not supposed to affect her the way they did right now.

Reaching inside his kimono, he grabbed a small package and taking her hand, he put it in her palm gently. A shaky breath left her lips at the feel of his calloused hands on hers. He got her a gift after all. He just waited to have some privacy to give it to her… Looking up in his eyes, she could not move, hypnotized. What brought her back to reality was him reaching placing a strand of hair behind her ear, touching her cheek slightly. Her body betrayed her for the second time and she leaned into his touch for a split second and his heart almost stopped when she did. Realizing what she was doing she cleared her throat and smiled, putting a bit of distance between them. Looking at the package in her hand a smile appeared on the corner of her lips when she saw the meticulous way it had been wrapped.

"You didn't have to..."

"I did, now open it."

Listening to him, she opened the package and taking the lid off the small box, gasped once she saw what was inside. It was a necklace. The fine silver chain was professionally crafted and so unique. On it was sitting a pink and red sakura flower shaped stone, with some emerald green patterns in the back. Picking it up, she held it in front of her. It was small, but so beautiful. Looking at her gift and then to Tobirama a few times, she did not know what to say.

"I-I… This is gorgeous!-" Seeing the happiness light up her face hit him right in the chest. With his warm hands, he took the necklace from hers and moving to sit behind her on the branch, he placed it around her neck and attached it. Leaning back slightly, without putting distance between them, he looked at her, wearing the necklace.

"Beautiful…" The whisper escaped him before he could stop himself. Bringing her hand to the flower she blushed.

Looking up at him, she could not breathe, think or even move. He was so close and his body was so warm. Feeling strong thighs on both side of hers. His scent was reaching her, making her thought process even harder. The relaxing smell of pine tree and rain. He kept looking at her with this indecipherable expression and she could only stare at him. Slowly, he reached out and cupped her cheek in his hand, turning her head towards him. His other arm snaked around her waist, pulling her closer to him. He was so gentle that she relaxed in his hold. He was hypnotized by the picture of her, sitting there, looking like a goddess in her green kimono, her skin caressed by the moonlight, those deep green eyes... Caressing her lips with his thumb, Tobirama bent forward. Mesmerized, Sakura could not move. Was this really happening? And why did it feel so right? This. Them being so close and so intimate all of a sudden.

He knew he should probably stop. Something told him to, but his body was just drawn to her... since the morning they woke up together, he had the urge of holding her, of touching her skin... Maybe she did not want this, maybe she was not attracted to him? She could feel his warm breath so close to her lips and lost in the moment, she closed her eyes. Seeing this as a sign of consent, Tobirama came closer and barely brushed his lips on hers when Hahsirama tumbled out of the compound yelling.

"TOBIIIIII! Where are youuuuuu!" Cursing silently, Tobirama leaned back and cleared his throat, Sakura opened her eyes, slightly disappointed and somewhat surprised about the event. Seeing her disappointment plain as day felt like a punch in the guts.

Sakura sat there, not knowing what to do. Her desire burned painfully in her stomach. The kunoichi did not know what took over her, but seeing him looking at her with liquid fire in his eyes, she threw her prudence out of the window. For once, she would think about what she wanted. She had lived for other people's happiness for way too long. For once in my life, I will be selfish. Consequences be damned.

"He can wait.."

Not having the time to think about it more, she reached back to him and brought his face to hers, sealing her lips on his in a searing kiss. At first, he froze, but there was so much fervor in her kiss that his own flame took over and he forgot about his brother. Her lips were soft and sweet. He could taste the sake she drank earlier and it was intoxicating. She had been bold and he had to admit, he did not expect this... But he really enjoyed it. Feeling her hands playing with his hair, he pulled her close and tilted her head back to deepened the kiss. Even pressing her body against his, Tobirama felt like they could not get close enough. His lips left her mouth and tilting her head back a bit more, he left a trail of burning kisses on her neck. A moan escaped her and she tensed, embarrassed by the sound that left her throat. Tobirama raised his head and smiled at her softly, meeting her surprised green eyes before kissing her lips again.

"TOBIRAMAAAAAAAAA!"

Hearing his brother's voice getting closer, Tobirama pulled back and looked down at her. She looked gorgeous with her chest heaving, her bright eyes and her swollen lips. She looked so... inviting. The way she looked at him, like she wanted more made him bend closer to her for another kiss, but footsteps made him stop. With a frustrated groan he looked back to his brother's form coming closer to where they were. Glancing at her with eyes full of warmth, he took her hand and brought it to his lips.

"Happy birthday Sakura." Sakura shivered at his low and husky voice. Letting her hand go, he gave her a last smoldering look before to disappear and reappear in the garden next to his brother.

Sakura brought her hands to her lips and a dumb smile found her face. She could not believe what she did. She kissed him. Seeing his face when he pulled back awoke something primal in her... Leaning back in the tree, she sighed. Maybe I should stop swimming against the current and see where the river brings me?

There you have it! Hope you enjoyed!