Chapter 9

Naruto and Sakura walked out of the hospital's front door and not out the window for once. A few nurses watched Sakura wearily as she went by, she stared at her feet, unable to make eye contact. She felt a crashing wave of shame come over her, she was weak. Everyone looked at her like she might break at any moment, that or try and kill herself again. She knew what they all must be thinking.

'How can their hokage's apprentice be so weak?'

Tsunade took her own effort and time to train and mold Sakura into a great medic, a mirror image of herself. It seemed to all go to waste. Sakura could feel the tears burning her eyes, she needed to get away from all the prying eyes. She knew she was a disgrace she didn't need anyone reminding her.

One night she overheard two male villagers talking while Naruto, Kakashi and her were getting their routine bowl of ramen. Her attention was brought to them when she heard her name and Naruto's name. She discreetly listened in while waiting for her ramen to cool down.

"What did our Hokage see in her? She was held captive for three years and couldn't manage to get away."

"It's surprising considering all of her years of training with one of the great sannins."

"Haruno clearly is not as capable as she acted. Seems she got a harsh dose of reality."

"Could you imagine what she must have gone through?"

"Psh. If she was strong as everyone claimed she would have gotten herself out of there. She had three years to make a move and nothing."

"Probably too scared."

"Please! She was probably just waiting for the Uzumaki boy to come to her rescue as usual."

"She managed to survive, that counts for something."

"They kept her alive for three years. Who knows what kind of information she gave about the village to save her neck. They should have just left her ther-"

Sakura tore herself away from their conversation when Naruto's bowl of ramen went flying before crashing on the floor. Naruto was out of his seat and had the man pinned against the wall of a building by his neck. Kyuubi's chakra could be felt in the air and everyone on the nearby street froze. Naruto put more pressure against the guy's neck watching his face start to turn blue. Sakura stepped forward and grabbed his elbow trying to pull him away.

He looked at her and she could see the red flashing in his eyes, fighting to take over. She smiled at him lightly and pulled his arm again. He turned back to the guy he had pinned against the wall. "You ever so much as look in her direction or breathe her name again I will kill you," he growled giving one last hard shove before releasing the hold on his neck. The man fell to the floor gasping as his friend bent down to help him up. "That goes for both of you. Anyone in his village," he yelled looking around at the people gathered on the street. He took Sakura's hand and practically dragged her away. She turned and waved sadly at Kakashi while she let their words sink into her mind.

Naruto had been on edge since then ready to bite off anyone's head that so much as looked at Sakura for too long. It made Sakura feel worse to see that he wasn't his usual cheerful self with people, it was entirely her fault. She could feel more tears pooling in her eyes as they stepped outside into the afternoon sun. She tried her best to blink them away before Naruto noticed.

Unfortunately for her he noticed right away. There usually wasn't anything that was going on with Sakura that he didn't notice. "You okay Sakura-chan," he stopped walking midway down the steps turning back around. She was on the step above him making them eye level with each other.

She forced out a smile and nodded her head, "Yeah, the sun is really bright today. It was just making my eyes water a bit," she offered out lamely hoping he bought it. He studied her for a few seconds and could tell she was lying. He was going to just let it go for now, Sakura would talk to him about whatever was bothering her when she was ready.

He had discovered a new found patience that he never knew he possessed. The younger Naruto would have pestered and bugged her until she either; A.) Beat him senseless or B.) Just tell him so he would stop annoying her. Sakura didn't know it yet but she owned the young blonde ninja. He intended to make her realize just how much she meant to him. He wanted to continue their talk from a week ago at the train grounds but he did want to overstep and make Sakura uncomfortable around him. As much as he wanted to be with her, have her be his wife and then the mother of their kids. He would settle for being her friend, companion, anything she needed him to be as long as she was always in his life.

"Well alright then. Let's get you home," he smiled giving Sakura's hand a little squeeze. They walked through the village hand in hand joking lightly. Sakura looked at Naruto as he threw his head back laughing at something she had said. Sakura watched the way his lips curled, his eyes were closed and the sun shining off his hair created a heavenly glow. He looked like a piece of art, he was perfect. His whole body just radiated a delicious energy that made Sakura want to curl up in his arms and never leave.

Naruto caught Sakura staring at him again. The way he kept catching her looking at him gave him hope that she wanted him as much as he wanted her. He felt his lips curl slightly and shot her a wink tugging her hand making her bump her hip into his. She scowled at him but didn't make any move to get away, releasing her hand he threw his arm around her shoulder. Villagers watched the pair as they made their way down the street with curiosity, however the pair were too wrapped up in each other to notice.

They turned down the dirt road Sakura's apartment was on. She moved in about five years ago after her parents were killed during a mission. She never really dealt with it just shoved it to the back of her mind. It came with the ninja life, many people in the village lost parents, siblings, friends. It was just the way things were. She did find comfort that they died together, fighting for each other. She missed them from time to time but she tried not to dwell on their loss too much. She looked over at Naruto and couldn't believe how strong he was. Not just physically but mentally. With everything he was handed in life he never faltered, he handled it in a way she wished she was able to. She craved his strength.

She looked back down the road and felt chills rush down her back. The last time she had been on this road was the night she was taken. She had been coming home from a late night at the hospital. She had spent the whole day training with Tsunade and Kakashi before she pulled a six hour shift at the hospital. She remembers the way her legs had a hard time keeping her standing as they wobbled slightly with each step. She remembered how heavy her eyes felt, like she could have fallen asleep standing up, she felt like a zombie as she walked through the empty village.

Sakura tried to shake the memories from her head trying to forget but with each step they took closer to her apartment the more she remembered. She remembered struggling to get the lock in the door, her vision blurred from exhaustion. To some it may have looked like she was pushing herself too hard and maybe she was, but in the exhausted state was the only time she didn't think of Naruto. She refused to lay awake at night crying over the boy who loved her that she managed to push away. Draining herself was the only way she could sleep at night. If not she would toss and turn, reliving Naruto's abandonment and rejection.

She stumbled through her door unfastening her satchel from her waist and throwing it on the table. She walked towards her bathroom to shower before she passed out when she saw a figure in her peripheral vision. She turned her head quickly but didn't see anything. She walked over to the couch where she thought she saw the figure and looked around her living room. Nothing had seemed out of place. She felt a chill of cold air coming from her open living room window, she shivered as she walked over closing it before making her way back to the hallway. She looked down the dark hall and thought she saw a shadow disappearing into her room.

They were right outside her apartment now, she felt like she was on auto-pilot as she stepped out from underneath Naruto's arm and reached to grab the key Tsunade had made sure to have remade for her. Not that a locked door did much.

She felt a rush of adrenaline as she turned back to the front door to grab her weapon satchel off the table. She turned and was met by two beady eyes, before she could even react her body was thrown backwards against the wall. The framed pictures she had came crashing down on the ground with her. She pushed herself up and threw a punch at her intruder. She was ashamed by how easily he caught her hand laughing at her before grabbing her neck and smashing her head against the wall. The plaster of the wall cracking behind her head, she winced. She could feel the warm sticky feeling of blood on the back of her head.

Sakura stepped into her apartment and took a moment to take everything in. Everything pretty much looked how she left it. Her bag was still right on the table where she threw it that night. All the furniture was in the same place. She looked in the kitchen and saw that there was still an empty glass sitting next to the sink from her juice the morning before she was taken. There were some slight changes, the bowl of fruit she had on her kitchen table was gone. They most likely threw it out so the rotten fruit wouldn't contaminate the air. The pictures that were once on the ground with their broken frames and glass were back on the wall in new frames. The crack that should be on the wall from her skull was fixed and a fresh coat of paint coated the wall.

Naruto watched Sakura as she lifelessly walked around her apartment in a circle. She went over to the wall the Tsunade had fixed after she was taken that way Sakura's place was back to normal for when she came home. Tsunade didn't want her to have to relive her experience, but Naruto watched as Sakura walked around in a trance, her breathing was becoming more heavy.

"Well didn't you just make this too easy for us," she recognized that voice, she felt her whole body shake. She used every once of strength and chakra she had left and sent him flying across the room with a kick to his stomach. She stumbled and ran for the front door, she pulled it open ready to yell and alert others when she stopped dead in her tracks. She remembered the dead look in his red eyes and the evil smile on his. She tried to scream but she felt like she was under water. Next thing she remembered was waking up shackled in a dark cell. Kisame laughing at her and telling her their time together would be "Fun".

Sakura hand traced over where the crack should have been. She felt like she was suffocating, she couldn't catch her breath as she felt her chest heave violently. She felt a hand on her shoulder and quickly whipped around throwing a charka charged punch. Naruto was able to block it just in time otherwise he would have been thrown nearly halfway across the village.

Sakura looked like an animal backed into a cage. Her chest heaved painfully with every breath she tried to take. Tears flowed down her cheeks as she shook her head over and over. Naruto frowned, taking her face in between his hand and pressing his forehead against hers. "Breathe Sakura-chan. I'm right here."

"I can't," she gasped. "I can't be here," she sobbed. Naruto swept her into his arms spinning on his heels and left the apartment without a second glance slamming the door behind him. It was difficult being in that apartment for him as well. When he found out she was missing he went and sat in her home for hours, days maybe. Just staring at the broken glass on the floor and the smear of her blood on the wall. It made him sick to his stomach being back in there.

He jumped up onto the roof tops and ran to his apartment. He figured that was the next best place to take her. He dropped down in front of his door and fumbled to get his key out while holding Sakura.

"You can put me down," Sakura said, pulling her face away from her spot nuzzled in his neck still wet with tears. She wiggled and tried to get him to release her.

"No, don't worry about it. I got it," he managed to fish his key out and pushed the door open. He walked inside kicking the door shut behind them. He walked over to the couch and sat down holding Sakura in his lap. He noticed she was still having trouble breathing. He leaned back pulling Sakura with him so her head rested on his chest. "It's okay Sakura-chan. You don't have to go back there. You can stay here as long as you want."

After twenty minutes or so Sakura's breathing had returned to normal and she just laid on his chest listening to his heart beat. She was mortified that she kept falling apart like this and Naruto had to be the one that had to pull her back together. "I'm sorry," she whispered.

Naruto grabbed her shoulders lightly and pulled her away from her chest so he could look at her. She kept her head hung not letting him get a peak at her face. "Hey, look at me," Naruto's had a serious tone that made Sakura give him what he wanted. "There's those beautiful eyes," He smiled leaning his head against her. "Why are you sorry?"

"I'm supposed to be a medical Kunoichi. Not just any Kunoichi but the apprentice to the hokage herself. I'm supposed to be this strong feared ninja, but I'm not," she stared into his eyes and brought her hand up to touch his cheek. Her fingers grazed over his whiskers and she let out a shaky sigh. "I'm a pathetic excuse of a Kunoichi," she whispered.

Naruto jerked his head away from Sakura looking at her with almost a look of repulsion. Sakura looked down. He finally saw the real her and was disgusted with her as she was in herself. She went to move off his lap but Naruto wrapped around her waist. She wiggled and pushed his chest trying to squirm free. Naruto's grip was locked in tightly. She started to get frustrated and shoved his chest a little harder.

"Let me go," she grunted, pushing him harder each time. He just tightened his grip and grabbed her chin with his free hand.

"I will not listen to a bad thing anyone has to say about you, not even you Sakura-chan," his dark tone sent chills down her spine. "You won't have you talk about yourself like that to me or anyone because it's not true okay," he forced her to look him directly in the eyes. "You are one of the hardest working kunoichi I know, you may not have family legacies but your dedication is something I have always admired. You suddenly think so little of yourself but what happened to you wasn't because you were weak. They didn't take you a spent year trying to break you because you're weak Sakura-chan They know how strong you are. Why else would they keep in chained and drained of your chakra. I know it's difficult being home but you are still you, the same strong girl that made the village cower just by a glance from you."

"It's not hard," she looked over to stare at the wall. Naruto was surprised by her candid tone so he let her continue. "I'm back walking the same streets, eating the same food, we go to our same old training ground," she paused. "People watch me, stare like I might crumple at any moment. Some people look at me like I'm dirt, That I spilled all our village's secrets to save my own skin," she looked over and saw Naruto's eyebrows furrowed and could feel his hands flex with rage. "Not even that is difficult. I used to be by the right hand of the hokage, when I walked through the village people looked at me with.. I don't know really, respect I suppose. They didn't try to break me when they captured me, they did. They broke me in ways that Tsunade can't just fix with a few healing sessions. I once could look at myself in the mirror and recognize the reflection staring back at me. I look in the mirror now and see nothing. I am a ghost. It's not hard," she rested her head against his shoulder. "It's unbearable."

Naruto was quiet for a while. He never knew she felt that way, he knew she had a lot to work though but they had caused so much damage. He looked at the girl sitting on his lap. She couldn't see it now but one day he would make her realize how strong she was. Naruto sighed and leaned his head against her shoulder.

"I know it's going to take a while until you get it, but you're wrong," he stated simply. "You may see yourself like that and some of those of idiotic villagers may look you and see this image of yourself that you created... But the others, your friends, me.. We all see the real you Sakura-chan. You're not a ghost, you're stronger than ever before." Sakura looked at him in awe. "One day you'll get it, but until then I have no problem reminding you every day," Naruto said, smoothing out her hair.

Sakura just stared up at him, she knew he wasn't lying to her. She didn't believe his words herself but she knew he did. Maybe one day she would think of herself like an actual leaf ninja again, but she knew Naruto always would. He saw what she never saw in herself. She leaned forward and shocked them both by pressing her lips lightly onto the corner of his mouth. "Thank you Naruto-kun," she whispered, pulling away too drained to be embarrassed.

Naruto stared at her like well, an idiot for a few seconds before a slow smile spread across his face. "Anytime Sakura-chan," he realized he was still pressing her against him and loosened his hold. Sakura took the que to slip off his lap and settled for curling up next to him on the couch tucking her legs under her chin. Naruto was about to ask Sakura what she wanted to do when her stomach rumbled quietly. Sakura's face went beet red as she covered her face with her hands.

"Hungry," he asked laughing. It made him happier than she could ever now to see her eat and build her appetite back. Not that she was ever chubby but Sakura used to love food.

"Yeah a bit," Sakura giggled. "It's a bit early to go and meet Kakashi for ramen don't you think," she looked out his window and judging by the light from the sun it looked around three in the afternoon.

"I was thinking we could actually eat here tonight. I could cook for us, I sent a couple shadow clones to the market so they could stock up the fridge and pantry," he rubbed the back of his neck. He looked at Sakura and could tell she was hesitating. "We don't have to. I just thought you like something different, I'm not really much of a chef anyways" he offered lamely. He was a little bummed, he really wanted to be the one to cook and nurse her back to health.

"No, that sounds great," she said quickly, feeling his disappointment.

"We really don't have to go to Sakura-chan. Whatever you want I'll make it happen," he beamed at her.

Sakura laughed at him softly. Sometimes he acted like that twelve year old knucklehead again. "As much as the ramen is growing on me," she laughed at his goofy grin. "A home cooked meal sounds amazing, maybe I could even help," she offered.

"Whatever you want," he kissed the top of her head. He stood up and stretched his hands over his head before walking to the kitchen. Sakura got up and followed closely behind.

She took a moment to finally inspect his apartment. It was bigger than the one he had when they were kids. He had a couch and a couple chairs in the living room, there was a desk in the corner next to a bookshelf littered with keepsakes. Down the hall that led to his bathroom pictures lined the walls. She noticed aside from the two of him and Jiraiya she was in every picture, she smiled to herself. He either made sure to tidy up before she came over or his cleaning skills had improved. There was a set of stairs before the kitchen, she assumed it led to his bedroom. They walked into his kitchen. It was a decent size with black countertops and wooden cabinets. In the middle of the room was a circle table with four chairs.

"I moved out of my old place a year or two ago, it's more roomy here," Naruto said, grabbing a couple things out of the cabinet.

"I like it," Sakura said, still looking around. "Not a slob anymore I can see," she joked.

Naruto laughed and shook his head. "I'm a man now Sakura-chan. Can't be living to clutter. Besides the shadow clones are useful for more than just fighting," he laughed, grabbing a picture of juice from out of the fridge pouring them both a glass.

Sakura took the glass from him, smiling at him in thanks. She took a tiny sip and looked out the kitchen window. The sky was really blue today and there wasn't a cloud in the sky. "Would you mind if we invited Kakashi over for dinner? I feel like we've made it a sort of ritual to have dinner together. I would feel bad just ditching him."

Naruto looked at her a bit stunned before nodding his head. She had grown more and more comfortable around their old sensei each day. He was glad that she was regaining her trust with them. Naruto knew that Kakashi would do anything for either of them. "Of course. You don't have to ask. This is your home now for as long as you want it to be."

She smiled at him walking over to stand in front of him. She studied him for a minute before giving him one her breathtaking smiles. She leaned up on her tip-toes and kissed his cheek letting her lips linger longer this time. She stepped closer wrapping her arms around his torso and hugged him lightly resting her head on this shoulder. Naruto was stiff with shock before he felt himself melt into Sakura's embrace wrapping both arms around her waist. He kissed the top of her head and heard her whisper.

"What would I do without you?"