Chapter Ten

'Nineteen,' Sakura hummed her mind still hazy from sleep. She peeked out of her closed eyes and saw the sun was shining brightly through the window. She closed her eyes and moved further into the warmth that was encasing her. Today would be the Nineteenth time she woke up in heaven. She was used to counting her days in captivity; she thought it might help to count the days of bliss. Maybe then the nagging doubtful thoughts would stop lingering in her mind. She took in a deep breath and smiled to herself. After a bit of awkward first couple days they fell into a comfortable pattern.

Kakashi had just left and Sakura was helping Naruto with the dishes. She offered to wash them where Naruto did most of the cooking while Sakura sat on the counter and just watched content. He surprised her by making sweet bean dumplings and jasmine rice, one of her favorites. She finished washing the last plate and handed it over to Naruto to dry and put away. She grabbed a towel and dried her hands before turning to face Naruto ready to compliment his meal again.

Her words got in her throat and she lost all her coherent thoughts. There was her hero leaning back on the counter looking at her with the same look that made her lose all train of thought. Her eyes roamed over his form. He stood there in his orange pants that would look ridiculous on anyone else. He wore a black t-shirt that was tight around his arms and chest, his arms were crossed over his chest and her eyes traced over his muscles before she looked up at his face. His eyes were shining with amusement and something else she had yet to determine and he had what appeared to be a small satisfied smile on his face. She knew she was caught ogling him and felt the rush of heat to her cheeks. This only caused his smile to grow larger. She cleared her throat lightly trying to find her voice.

"Thank you again Naruto-kun. You are always so full of surprises," she laughed lightly. She looked over and smiled at him gently, "Unfortunately for you I'm probably going to ask for them quite frequently."

Naruto beamed at her like she just told him he was being appointed as the hokage tomorrow. "I'm glad you liked them Sakura-chan, I was a little nervous. I've never made them before but I even surprised myself," he laughed rubbing the back of his head. "I'd be more than happy to make you them every day if that's what you want," He pushed himself off the counter and stretched his arms over his head. A long silence fell over the two, neither really knowing what to do next.

"You want a cup of tea," Naruto's asked, moving the kettle over to the sink to fill it. Sakura nodded her head, sitting down at the table as she watched Naruto grab the tea and two cups. Sakura looked out the window and saw it was now dark. Kakashi had come over and stayed for a few hours, they just had light conversation. Filling Sakura in on somethings that had been going to while she wasn't here. Like the fact that Naruto was told he was going to be the next hokage. Not like there was ever a doubt in her mind, now it was just set in stone.

The pot whistled bringing her out of her thoughts, she looked over to see Naruto pour the steaming water into their cups. He brought them over and sat a cup in front of Sakura before sitting across from her. "Thank you," she said softly, closing her hands around the warm cup. The cup was hot, really hot but it didn't hurt or make her move her hands away. She heard Naruto's voice but he sounded so far away. She just focused on her hands. She could feel the warmth but that's it, just a dull heat. She frowned, pressing her hands firmly against the thin cup just enough not to shatter it and she couldn't feel any pain or burning. She heard Naruto hiss in pain and felt his hand on her wrist tugging on it slightly.

He moved her cup to the side and said something to her that Sakura couldn't quite make out everything seemed to have a static to it. She looked and saw a look of discomfort on Naruto's face and he shook his hands while staring at her with a concerned gaze.

"Huh," was all she could manage.

"Sakura-chan, geez what are you doing," his voice had a slight twinge of pain in it.

Sakura immediately came back to reality. She got up and moved to Naruto's side, "Naruto-kun are you okay," she asked, taking his hands in her lightly. She turned his palms upward and saw the angry burn on both his hands. "What were you doing," She asked harshly before looking back up at him. His eyes were clouded with many emotions it was hard to pinpoint them all.

"Sakura-chan I should be asking you that," he almost yelled. "You were holding that cup way longer than I was. I knew it was hot so I decided maybe it might have felt nice but holy hell did that burn after a while. What were you doing," he questioned moving her hand so he could study them. Sure enough there were two burns even harsher on Sakura's hands. She just frowned, moving her hand back over to his gathering her chakra to heal his burns.

She just shook her head, "I just.. I don't know. I couldn't feel the burn. I thought maybe if I held it there long enough I could feel something again," Sakura whispered. She looked over his now healed hand to make sure she was satisfied with her work. "There," She said standing. Naruto's gaze was pinned on her with a deep look of concern she could tell he was wrestling with himself trying to figure out what to say to her. "I'm fine. I promise I won't do it again, I just zoned out a little," Naruto looked at her a bit skeptical. "It won't happen again," she assured in a tone that said to drop it.

Naruto nodded and stood up so he was not looking down at her. "Okay Sakura-chan," he kissed the top of her head before wrapping his arms around her hugging her gently. Sakura let out a content sigh, moments like these made her feel like she was alive. She felt the sleepiness creep up on her as she tried to stifle her yawn. Naruto pulled away so he could look down at his tired girl.

"Ready for bed," Naruto asked. He too was tired and ready to finally sleep in his own bed again. Sakura nodded before yawning again. Naruto took her hand and led her out of the kitchen and up the stairs. When they got to the top of the stairs Sakura started to look around and admire his big bedroom. The whole top floor was one room. It had a large window that gave a view of the hokage monument, he had a wardrobe in the corner and a nice long dresser. She looked around and saw a couple more pictures one being of his parents the other being old team seven. He had a few antique weapons hanging on the wall and a few things he was given throughout his many missions.

Sakura finally looked over and noticed his big bed. It could easily fit four people and was covered by a soft looking red blanket and half a dozen pillows. She blushed and thought of sharing a bed with Naruto. They had been sharing a bed for the past week at the hospital but this was different. This was Naruto's bed and seemed a lot more intimate. She looked out of the corner of her eye and could see a fidgeting Naruto. He must have caught onto her nervousness; he smiled and coughed lightly.

"You can have the bed and I can sleep on the floor," Naruto said moving over to a chest in the corner and getting out a couple of extra blankets. He started walking back over near the bed.

Sakura shook her head, "Naruto don't be silly it's your bed if anything I should be the one sleeping on the floor." Naruto opened his mouth to argue with her but Sakura cut him off. "I mean we've been sharing a bed for the past week anyway we could both just sleep in your bed," Sakura suggested looking down at her sandals.

"You sure Sakura-chan," Naruto asked, walking closer to her. "I just want you to feel comfortable." Sakura looked up at him and nodded. She watched as he walked back over to the chest putting the blankets away. He walked over to his dresser and pulled out a shirt and a pair of boxers. He turned back to Sakura, "Here you can sleep in these. We can go get you some more clothes tomorrow," he tossed her the clothes and turned around so she could get dressed in privacy. She walked over closer to the bed and put the clothes on a small table not too far from his bed. She quickly slipped out of her clothes before slipping on Naruto's t-shirt that covered her like a baggy dress. It smelt just like Naruto she smiled shimming the boxers up her legs letting the shirt cover them. She ran her hand through her hair a few times and watched as Naruto stripped down to just his boxer. His muscles on his back on full display for her.

"All set," she managed to get out a little louder than a whisper. He turned around and all the air left his lungs. There was the girl of his dreams in his clothes getting ready to lay in his bed. He smiled at her bashfully. "Thanks for the clothes," she squeaked out trying not to stare at his muscular chest. Naruto could see the effect he was having on here and smiled widely.

"No problem. I could never make them look that good," he watched her blush and chew on her lip lightly before walking over to his bed and crawling on before wiggling her way under the covers. Naruto just stood there and took the moment in, never in his life did he think this would actually be happening. She patted the spot next to her and Naruto smiled brightly before running over and jumping on the bed. Sakura giggled, rolling her eyes and his childishness. She felt him get under the covers and a bit of awkwardness settled over them. Sakura turned on her side to face Naruto and saw that he was struggling to figure out how to treat the situation. She just smiled at him burrowing further into the pillows with a content sigh.

Naruto reached over and switched off the light before turning back to face Sakura. The room was dark but a slight glow from the moon added a dim light to the room. Naruto didn't want to do anything to make her uncomfortable so he gave her some space. His bed wasn't like a hospital bed. They didn't have to be pressed up against each other. He laid on his back and put his arms behind his head. He closed his eyes and tried to get his mind to stop racing. He felt Sakura's side of the bed shift a bit, He figured she was getting more comfortable. He jumped when she felt her hair tickle his chest before she laid her head on his chest and threw her arm over his stomach. Naruto tensed for a second before bringing his arms down and wrapping them around her shoulders. He leaned forward and kissed the top of her head.

"Is this okay," Sakura whispered. Naruto nodded his head eagerly giving Sakura a light squeeze. "Goodnight Naruto-kun," she said before lightly kissing his chest and drifting off to sleep. Naruto fell asleep with a content smile on his face.

Sakura took another deep breath. She knew she could stay there forever but she wanted to get up and make them breakfast. Today was a big day. Her first day back to training. Naruto promised to take her to the training ground and let her train with Kakashi and while he trained with Jirayia. She had just been going and watching while he trained but she was tired of just sitting around. She thought it was time for her to get back to her life. She kissed his chest lightly before pushing herself up lightly into sitting position. She swung her legs over the side of the bed and went to slip out of bed as quietly as possible.

Her feet were just about to touch the ground when she felt two arms wrap around her waist yanking her back into the bed. Sakura let out a tiny yelp then immediately started laughing when she felt Naruto pressing her against him. He buried his head in her hair and groaned. "Just a few more minutes Sakura-chan," Naruto whined. She shifted and turned so she was facing him. He peeked his eyes open to look at her and smiled widely. "Morning," he sighed sleepily, closing his eyes with his smile still lingering on his lips. Sakura studied his face, he had grown into a handsome man, it was impossible to ignore. Over the past few weeks her feelings just grew stronger for her best friend and they made her want to scream at times. She didn't know what possessed her at that moment. She felt like someone else was controlling her body.

"Naruto-kun," she whispered. He peeked at her curiously, she propped herself on her elbow. She used her free hand to bring it up to his cheek; she let her fingers trace his whisker. She leaned forward and pressed her lips into his. She kissed him for a few seconds while Naruto laid there completely frozen. Sakura was just about to pull away when every cell of Naruto's caught on fire. He reached his arms up and cupped her face kissing her back. They kissed for several moments before Sakura pulled away resting her head on his shoulder. Naruto laid there in shock. He couldn't believe he had finally kissed the girl he loved, or rather she kissed him. Naruto smiled idiotically. He was suddenly full of energy and wide awake. Sakura kissed his shoulder and quickly rose from the bed.

Naruto propped himself up watching her intently. She still slept in his clothes, they both took great pleasure in it even though neither would admit to it. She walked over to the wardrobe they now shared and got out one of her red vest, her white shirt and biker shorts. She took off Naruto's shirt revealing her bare back. Naruto quickly laid back down and put a pillow over his face. Everyday it got harder not to basically drool over Sakura. Now that she kissed him he was determined to never let her get away. He vowed to himself to make her his no matter the cost.

Sakura couldn't get the blush to leave her face the whole time she was dressing. She was mortified when she kissed him and he just laid there like one of those dead fish Tsunade used to train her when she was a girl. She was ready to go and hide under a rock until she felt Naruto kiss her back with a passion she didn't know existed in real life. She felt a rush of excitement as she pulled on her boots and fixed her gloves. She looked over to see Naruto clutching a pillow against his face. She chuckled to herself before walking over to the bed.

She grinned as she took the pillow away bringing it above her head. Naruto squinted at her from the sudden onslaught of light. His face was pouting slightly and Sakura thought it was one of the cutest things she'd ever seen. She smirked at him and watched his eyes widen a bit as she brought the pillow one with slamming it against Naruto's Head. Feathers flew everywhere and Naruto sat up quickly looking stunned as Sakura laughed loudly. Naruto lunged for Sakura. She tried to evade his hands but he caught her arm and pulled her on the bed. Sakura squealed and tried to escape but Naruto had her pinned underneath him.

"I let you stay here and this is the thanks I get? You're destroying my things," he joked. "You owe me a new pillow."

"I think you could spare one ," Sakura teased, moving her head to look at the other five or so pillows. "Maybe if you would get your lazy ass out of bed I could have spared your pillow," Sakura stuck out her chin defiantly.

"Maybe," he pretended to ponder. "Or maybe I should throw you out on your butt," he flicked her nose gently. He let go over her arms but continued to hover over her. Sakura gasped in fake hurt, punching his chest lightly. "Now you're abusing me? What to do with you Ms. Haruno," he asked, brushing some hair out of her face.

Sakura shrugged her shoulders, biting her lip gently. Naruto moved his hand down her face and traced her bottom lip. He heard Sakura's breathing pick up. He moved his eyes back up to meet hers and saw the same intense look she was giving him before she kissed him the first time.

"Sakura-chan? Can I-" Naruto's sentence was cut off by Sakura's lips. He kissed back immediately this time. He pushed her further into the bed tangling his fingers in her hair. He heard her gasp and had to use everything in himself to control himself. She knew she was inexperienced and was self conscious that Naruto wouldn't be happy with her lack of experience. She moved her hands burying them in Naruto's soft wild hair tugging it slightly. Naurto growled lightly in response and Sakura felt every part of her body ignite. It was too much too fast though. She pulled away, her eyes still closed.

Naruto was panting heavily as he rested his head against Sakura's. He could feel himself losing control. It was a good thing Sakura stopped when she did. He opened his eyes just as she was opening hers. She smiled at him shyly before clearing her throat and wiggling out from underneath him. Naruto rolled over on his back with a goofy grin on his face.

"Um, I'm going to go make us breakfast," Sakura said quietly, smoothing out her clothes. She looked at him and saw his smile putting her worries at ease. She smiled back at him. "Hurry up and get dressed, we can't be late to meet Jiraiya and Kakashi," she heard Naruto mumbling as she retreated down to the kitchen.

Naruto could feel the sweat dripping down his body. It was a hot day in the leaf, one of the hottest of the year so far. Jiraiya and he had been going at it for a few hours and he was definitely ready to call it a day.

"Good progress today Naruto! Maybe one of these days you'll stand a chance against me," Jiraiya laughed smacking his back.

"Yeah right Pervy-sage I could take you anytime anywhere," Naruto boasted puffing out his chest.

"How many times do I have to tell you to stop calling me that," Jiraiya sighed. They sat under the shade of the tree and took a break to hydrate. "It sure is hot today. Maybe we can call it a day and go at it harder tomorrow," Jiraiya stood stretching his back.

"Sounds good. Feels like the sand village out here," Naruto said panting. HE unzipped his jacket and jumped some of the cold water on his head. Jiraiya offered Naruto his hand and hoisted him up to his feet.

Jiraiya leaned against the tree as his student stretched. Naruto's mood and demeanor had changed drastically in the past few weeks. He was happy for him, today he seemed more happy than he remembered seeing him even before Sakura was taken, Jiraiya studied him for a few moments more before speaking, "So how's things with Sakura going?"

He studied Naruto closely. His smile widened to the point where it looked like it hurt. He shifted his weight back and forth and rubbed that back of his neck and chuckled nervously. "She adjusted to everything just as well as I thought she would, she's tough and smart," he bragged. "She's been happier too. Her nightmares are less frequent and she hasn't zoned out in a few days. To be honest today is the first time I've not been with her since that night she had to be sedated. I trust Kakashi with her, and more importantly she trusts him" Naruto's mind was beginning to wander to Sakura. He wondered how her first day back of training was going. He wanted to be the one to ease her back into it but Kakashi argued that he would baby her too much and she deserved to be treated like the shinobi she is. Sakura had agreed with Kakashi much to his displeasure. She assured him they could train together once she was back up to speed.

Jiraiya noticed Naruto was lost in thoughts about the girl. He decided to tease him a bit, "So are you and the girl getting along?" Naruto's face turned bright red and his nervousness returned. Naruto nodded his head quickly looking everywhere but him. "So how far'd you make it? Need some pointers," Jiraiya asked, wiggling his eyebrows.

Naruto scoffed, "I don't need any help from a pervert like you and that's none of your business." Naruto glared at him. He was getting ready to tell Jiraiya to get lost when a huge explosion came from one of the training grounds. Naruto was gone in an instant, an extreme need to make for Sakura was okay.

When he got to their training ground there was a massive crater in the ground. Earth all around it was jutting out of the ground. He looked around but couldn't see either Kakashi or Sakura. Another explosion came from the trees followed by Kakashi jumping into the clearing followed by a blur of pink. Kakashi jumped just out of the way as Sakura fist met the ground creating another massive creator. Kakashi threw a few kunai at Sakura just to find it was a substitution. Sakura appeared above him and reached for his waist. Kakashi spun and landed a kick right to Sakura's temple, sending her crashing against the ground.

Naruto was by her side in a flash. He tried helping her up but she just shoved him away, stumbling back to her feet on her own. He couldn't help the proud feeling that spread over his chest. She got in stance to attack again when Kakashi called out, "That will be enough for today."

"I can still keep going," Sakura panted. She was tired but she had more in her.

"I know you can but I'm getting old. You did great today Sakura. We'll pick up again tomorrow and we'll see if you can manage to get one of these," he said jingling the bells on his belt.

Sakura nodded her head, "Alright Kakashi-sensei. I will get them one of these days."

"I bet you will," Kakashi said, smiling under his mask slightly. He spun on his heels and started to walk off the training grounds. "See you later," he called back holding one of his hands in the air before stuffing it in his pocket.

Sakura was still panting as she looked over and gave Naruto a small smile. He smiled back at her brightly. He was enjoying seeing her like that again. Her cheeks flush from the heat, her body just seemed to glow with power. She smiled at him wickedly before Naruto could react, she was in front of him fist inches away from his face. She jumped up in time to miss the blow, he landed ten or so feet away. Naruto couldn't help the smile that came over his face.

"You sure you want to do this Sakura-chan? I won't go easy on you," he hollered, summoning a couple clones. Sakura just smiled before charging forward.

Naruto was hidden in the coverage of leaves on a branch. He was doing his best to catch his breath. Him and Sakura had been going at it for about an hour. She had him on the run. As exciting and fun as this was it was time to put this to an end. He jumped out of his hiding spot and into the cleaning that was now just craters and fallen trees. He was looking around when he heard Sakura quiet steps approaching quickly from behind him. He threw a couple of kunai, one sinking right into the flesh above Sakura's knee. She fell to the ground with a thud. Naruto felt sick to his stomach as he rushed forward. She disappeared in a puff of smoke and Naruto froze as he felt the blade of a kunai against his neck.

"I win," she gloated in his ear. Naruto smiled widely, turning her head to look at her. She stared at him proudly and he really hated to do it but the Naruto she had disappeared. She turned quickly but Naruto caught her wrist and grabbed her other arm. Before she even had time to think Naruto crashed his lips into hers kissing her hard. She barely had any time to respond before he pulled away. Sakura stared at him before a slow pout came over her face. Naruto may have just kissed her and softened the blow but she lost.

"Maybe next time Sakura-chan," he chuckled.