Sakura took a deep breath, and forced the corners of her mouth up to a plastic smile before she emerged behind Hinata. The girl jumped at the sound of her footsteps, and whirled around, her white eyes widening in alarm - only to see Sakura smiling and holding a mug, walking towards her. Hinata knew the smile was absolutely fake, but she appreciated Sakura's gesture all the same as she accepted the mug of warm tea.

Hands cupping around the ceramic, she took her swollen lips to the edge of the mug and took a sip of the warmth.

Naruto had been warm, too.

Finding it difficult to swallow, Hinata grimaced and forced the drink down. Then she started to cough. Her pink-haired companion gently patted her back, her smile unglued now and looking genuinely concerned.

"Hinata?"

"I'm okay,"

She mumbled, and set the mug to her lap. Her eyes unwillingly filled again, and she turned her head away from Sakura. Taking the hint, Sakura stood up, giving the dark-haired girl a soothing rub on the shoulder before turning and walking away to leave her alone.

Hinata waited till Sakura's presence could no longer be felt before she set the mug onto the bench aside her and pulled down the cuffs of her sleeves. Her wrists, where Naruto had gripped them, were still blotched white and red in finger-shaped marks.

What had happened? Hinata wondered. She knew all guys had 'urges', but they would never enforce themselves onto another girl that way - especially not Naruto. Remembering his painful grip, his violent kisses and invading tongue, his lustful gaze with his purs and growls, his hot skin pressing onto her pale skin - Hinata felt her stomach churn, and clamped a hand over her mouth, trying to keep from vomiting.

It wasn't that she wasn't aware of sex. But the fact was that they were both still in shy stages in their relationship - especially Hinata. Hinata knew Naruto would never do anything he'd be afraid of hurting her with. She knew it. Yet he had still-- his hungry eyes, his burning desire still lingering on her lips -- Hinata felt the urge to hurl again.

She tried to picture Naruto as she knew him. His sky-blue eyes, a mischievous smile he had never been able to rid himself of, soft lines sketched across his cheeks, and an indescribable warmth overflowing as he smiled and offered to water her plants or find medicinal roots for her. She mouth curved to just the tiniest smile at the sweet memories.

Suddenly, his blue eyes narrowed and flashed in fearful and physical passion, his mouth twisting to a disturbingly delighted smile, and his hands groping at her clothes to press his heat against her skin -- Hinata's eyes widened before she stood up, stumbling as she did so, the mug knocked off the bench causing tea to splatter onto the dirt path before she turned to the long grass behind the bench.

Dropping hard onto her knees, Hinata felt the burning fluid in her throat rise before she began to vomit violently into the grass. Hot tears and fluid scalded her throat as she choked out her confusion and fear. She hated herself for fearing him. She hated herself for feeling so uncertain and so insecure. And because of the fact the boy she had brought herself to love had betrayed her affection in such a way, she hated herself for losing trust in him. Her hatred built and her eyes and throat filled again.

Behind her, the ceramic mug seemed intact save for the handle. The smooth, glazed curve appeared to have a small crack with so many fine lines splintering out in so many different directions it was impossible to count how many.





Sakura found Sasuke standing near the training area. She walked towards him, and made sure to approach in a way he wouldn't get startled and stab her with fifteen kunais. However, as she drew closer, Sasuke said monotonously,

"You don't need to be so careful. I know it's you anyhow."

"Oh... I'm sorry."

"Why are you apologising?"

He said, sounding absent-minded. Sakura stopped a step behind his back. She didn't want to see the one of the strongest people she admired the most have the same expression she currently had on.

"...Hinata said he had a fever,"

Sakura said, her voice quiet and hesitant,

"Said he was burning before he... you know. Maybe he--"

"He wasn't delirious,"

Sasuke interrupted,

"He didn't look delirious. Delirious people don't go around trying to rape people, Sakura."

His words make her wince visibly.

"I wasn't implying that."

She said softly, but her voice was deflated somewhat.

"Well, what were you saying then?"

"I meant... I mean, I didn't really..."

She faltered, and decided to stop trying to fool Sasuke - and herself.

"I was just trying to think of a reason Naruto would do that. For goodness' sake, Sasuke-kun, this is Naruto we're talking about. We know how much he likes Hinata."

"But do we really know him?"

Sasuke muttered. Sakura blinked in surprise at the disturbed tone Sasuke's voice held.

"You saw his eyes, right? It was like that day. That day he was stronger than he usually was back in the test. And that time he gave you that-- that look."

She shuddered at the memory.

"It... it was like that time..."

She said softly,

"But he didn't do anything--"

"He ran away today, just like that time. Sakura, we don't know the dumbass ninja as well as we think we do. He's hiding something..."

There was a silence as he seemed to realise he was revealing too much.

"...I think I know enough of Naruto to know he would never rape anyone."

Sakura retorted boldly. Sasuke remained silent as she continued,

"There has to be a reason for everything. Hinata said his body temperature seemed abnormal."

He still remained silent. Sakura closed the gap to stand beside her friend, and turned to look at him in the eye.

"There's a reason. I'm sure of it."

She said resolutely. Sasuke's eyes were darker than usual, his thoughts and emotions undefinable under many layers of ice. But Sakura had broken the ice before. She grabbed his hand, surprising him, and folding her fingers over his reassuringly.

"I know what you're feeling."

She said softly. He stiffened, but she went on anyway.

"You're shocked, aren't you, Sasuke-kun? Because you respect Naruto. Not just his ninja-skills, but his strength and determination."

She took his other hand, and saw her own green eyes reflected back at her through his dark ones. She took a shaky breath, before carrying on.

"It scared you to see him doing something like that, didn't it? I know because... it scared me too."

Without meaning to, he bit his lip. Sakura's eyes rounded in concern.

"Sasuke-kun?"

He didn't reply.

Instead, he took her hands away from his and gently pulled her into a hug, embracing her waist to press his cheek against her pale-pink hair.

Under normal circumstances, Sakura would have blushed, perhaps Inner-Sakura cheering in her head loudly. After all, Sasuke rarely showed affection for her. But today, even Inner-Sakura was silent, and she could sense from Sasuke a great need of reassurance; a need for something that wouldn't change so suddenly. She had never felt Sasuke have a need for that before.

Bringing her arms to encircle his torso, Sakura let him hold her tightly as he took in her sweet scent and warmth and comfortable familiarity.

Feeling deep down just as stunned and hurt.





The demon had been whirled from intense heat and pleasure to sudden chaos, unable to return to his cage or the boy's conciousness as he was ruthlessly shoved to the very back corners of the boy's mind before he was thrust back to the boy's eyes.

He was not pleased to see, when given back charge of the vessel that carried him, that the boy had escaped to the secluded area once more, completely surrounded by rock and trees.

What was worse, the body was frozen to him, so he couldn't move a muscle. Not even stir the boy's hormones.

***Damn it! We were so close.***

There was a long silence.

***...Boy?***

There was no reply. Nine-Tails was not amused.

***Boy, answer me.***

When there was none, Nine-Tails growled, and turned back to the sub-concious chasm deep within the boy, returning to his prison within cold walls.

Which was strange. The boy had such a vibrant character the walls were usually annoyingly warm. Looking through the bars, Nine-Tails could see the bright walls were now dark and dull, long shadows casting onto the dank water flooding below.

Shifting a little and pressing his snout against the bars, Nine-Tails sniffed. He could smell the boy somewhere, but he was very, very faint.

***You are such a weakling, I don't know why I was sealed inside a boy like you.***

Nine-Tails snarled before slashing against the bars, thrashing wildly and spattering water against the walls of his dark prison. But the seal remained stuck - fast. Panting and growling angrily, Nine-Tails wondered why he couldn't get out with the seal so weak within.

Then the demon saw a sliver of of the boy slumped against the farthest wall.

His eyes were colourless, his body almost translucent and grey in colour. Water dripped off his pale-blond strands. His face held no expression, but Nine-Tails could see the boy suffocating himself with a thick blanket of disguised pain. He was suffering so badly he had lost himself within the confines of his own mind.

Yet his pain built a strong wall between Nine-Tails and himself. It was so strong, Nine-Tails could not escape from it. The demon let out a tremendous roar that rattled the bars and rippled the water below into current, but nothing affected Naruto in the least. On the contrary, Nine-Tails found that the boy had sunk deeper into his stupor. Irked, the demon returned back to the vision of the world through Naruto's eyes.

He was no less excited than before, but yet, the demon felt his anger slowly ebb away. The boy was stronger than he had expected. Rather than grow weaker, the boy had strangely enough grown stronger. That was interestingly new. And if the boy could just now break out of whatever he was spaced out with, Nine-Tails just might consider him a little differently.

But for now, it was no satisfaction and complete disarray of sexual desire as he stared at rocks.

***Damn.***






((A/N:: Ano... ;; I'm really surprised on the responses on this fic... O_O I'm awful at writing this shtuff... this is my first time publishing something like this.... so forgive me. ^^;;))