Disclaimer: Naruto is mine!
Actually it isn't,
But I can dream, right?
I'm motivated right now to write another chapter of Consequences. But first, I must address the numerous reviews I received, burning me for allowing Sasuke to use the Rasengan. Like I had written, if you'd cared to pay attention, Sasuke was UNABLE to copy it with his Sharingan eye. What maybe wasn't clear was that he had spent the better part of two years studying the Rasengan and training from dawn to dusk in an attempt to duplicate the technique. In the purest sense, it's not really the Rasengan, but Sasuke's own technique based off the theory. As far as the incident with Naruto went, and Sasuke finally achieving his goal, it wasn't because he copied Naruto's attack. What I meant to portray, and obviously failed to, was that it was the intense emotions brought on by their conflict that finally allowed Sasuke to succeed. One more thing; I'm not too fond of Sasuke. I agree entirely that most people put way too much stock in his strength. This was merely part of the characterization, and important to my story. He was corrupted by Orochimaru, and it fed his lust for power. That sort of thing doesn't just go away, no matter what you want to think. I would elaborate more, but I can't without giving away key storyline points. I hope that sheds some light on the situation. So if I've lost readers, that's just too damn bad. To all of you who have stuck with me, I appreciate it.
Again, Sasuke DIDN'T copy the Rasengan with his Sharingan eye. DIDN'T. DID NOT. And, just for good measure, SASUKE DIDN'T COPY THE RASENGAN WITH HIS SHARINGAN!
Anyway, here comes Chapter 13 for your enjoyment. I hope I haven't alienated everyone... I really hoped I'd manage to break 200 reviews... Sigh.
To Hell With The Consequences
by PHreek-Boi!
Chapter Thirteen - Obligatory Narusaku Fluff Chapter
"Is that everything, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked, looking pleadingly at his love. "I feel like I've been hauling boxes up and down stairs all day."
"Yeah, that's it," Sakura smiled, planting a gentle kiss on his cheek. "I really appreciate you helping me move, Naruto. It was very sweet of you."
"Hey, at least I only had to carry your stuff up one flight of stairs. It was kind of surprising to find all your stuff sitting on your front porch. Your dad must really be pissed off, huh?" Naruto's normally bright expression sobered slightly. "You still think it's worth it, right? I mean, you don't regret being with me?"
Sakura looked horrified at the question. "Of course I don't regret it, Naruto! I love you, with every ounce of my being. So what if Daddy threw me out? If I were in the same situation again, I'd pick you without a second thought." Her vision was blurred by unshed tears, and she sprung forward to bury her face in Naruto's broad chest. "You don't regret it, do you?"
"Never," Naruto replied without hesitation. He pressed his lips to the top of Sakura's head, stroking her hair lovingly. "You're the only good thing about my life, Sakura-chan. I could never in a million years regret being with you." Sakura looked up meet his eyes, a shy smile on her face. The next thing she knew, Naruto had captured her lips, a show of affection that quickly bloomed into a wonderfully intense expression of their love for one another. After a very long minute, Sakura broke the contact, her cheeks flushing slightly.
"There'll be plenty of time for that sort of stuff later, Naruto," Sakura said breathlessly. "Right now, I need to unpack, and change my clothes. I've been dressing in your cast-offs for the past three days. Not that that's a problem, mind you. They smell like you."
"No need to justify yourself, Sakura," Naruto replied, grinning widely. "To be honest, I think your clothes suit you a lot better then mine do. Orange really isn't your color." Sakura looked back at Naruto with a quirked eyebrow and a mischievous smirk.
"It doesn't suit you too well, either," she said playfully. She stalked forward, making sure to sway her hips seductively as she sidled up close to the blond, leaning in close enough that her lips were almost touching his earlobe. "I think flesh suits you so much better." She bit down on his earlobe gently before pulling away, leaving the blond boy flushed with mouth agape. "Come on, Naruto! We have unpacking to do!" Sakura grinned to herself, still swaying her hips seductively as she walked down the short hall to the bedroom.
"I... but... Sakura-chan!" Naruto pouted, following after her. "That's not fair!"
"How do I always let you talk me into these things, Naruto?" Sakura wondered, her naked body still damp with sweat. Her head rested comfortably on the blond's chest, and her left hand was absently tracing a continuous circle on the taut muscles of his stomach.
"You've never been able to say no to me," Naruto replied, one hand tucked behind his head, and his other rested on the small of the pink-haired girl's back. "Well, except for all those times I asked you out when we were younger. But ever since I came back from my training with Pervert-sennin, you haven't said no to me. I'm still not quite sure why."
"It's hard to explain," Sakura said, shifting her position so she could look into Naruto's cerulean eyes. "Ever since you came back to Konoha, I've been drawn to you, you know? You were always there to pick up the pieces of my heart after Sasuke crushed it, no matter how many times it happened. And even though you had feelings for me, you were willing to put those feelings aside to help me."
"Eh, it was always worth it," Naruto murmured, a smile coming to grace his lips. "I could never imagine you not being a part of my life, Sakura-chan. I always figured that if we couldn't be a couple, then we'd always be friends. And besides, I always kinda hoped you'd realize you were wasting your time with Sasuke."
"I really was wasting my time, wasn't I?" Sakura sighed, a frown pulling at her lips. "I wasted five years pining over that asshole, and what did I get out of it? Constant misery. Did we ever have even one conversation that didn't end in heartbreak?"
"Not about your feelings," Naruto admitted, his expression darkening. "Look, I have never in my life told anyone this, but when we were fresh out of the academy, when you were throwing yourself at Sasuke whenever the chance arose, I tried to talk him into going with you. It killed me seeing you so upset all the time, and I really wanted to beat the fuck out of him, but I knew if I did, you'd probably end up actually hating me. So I did what I thought was best; I begged and pleaded with him to take you out on a date. And, believe it or not, that was when I learned about the first of his redeeming qualities. He told me he wouldn't do it, because he knew you weren't really in love with him, and anything the two of you did together would be hollow and meaningless. He also told me that his taking you out would be unfair to you, because you could never be the most important part of his life." Naruto sighed, a thin smile coming to his lips. "It was the first time he ever treated me like his equal. For all his shitty interpersonal skills, and his brooding avenger trip, deep, deep, deep down, beneath all the emotionally-crippled assholishness, there's a halfway decent guy."
Sakura was silent, unsure what to say. She felt sick; there had been Naruto, trying his hardest to make sure that she was happy, even trying to unite her with the man she had never really loved, despite how he himself felt. It broke her heart to think of the dejected face of a twelve-year-old blond boy, when his pink-haired teammate had said she hated him, or ditched him to run after the enigmatic black-haired boy. She could imagine his disappointment the day she had begged him to bring Sasuke back to her, and the feeling of remorse when he had returned without Sasuke and disappointed her. A thousand other similar events ran through her mind, leaving her speechless, with tears falling from her emerald eyes. "Oh, Naruto," she whimpered, wrapping her arms around his neck. "What on Earth did I ever do to deserve you?"
"Simple, Sakura-chan," Naruto replied, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "You were always you." Sakura smiled, positioning herself so she could plant a passionate kiss on his parted lips. Her tongue probed the inside of his mouth, taking note of the flavor that was distinctly Naruto.
"I love you, Uzumaki Naruto,": Sakura mumbled against his lips, before returning to her explorations. After a moment, and much to her chagrin, Naruto broke away from her, his dazzling cerulean eyes sparkling as they observed her vibrant emerald ones.
"I love you too, Haruno Sakura," Naruto said, before tilting his head to claim her lips once again, though only briefly. "Now, I hate to ruin the moment, but we have unpacking to do, right? We should probably get to that, otherwise the whole day will be gone."
Sakura grinned mischievously, wriggling her hips against his and enticing a very pleasing reaction. "Fuck it," she said off-handedly. "We can unpack later." Before Naruto could protest, Sakura's lips had captured his, and suddenly, nothing else seemed to matter.
A/N: And there is chapter 13. A little shorter then the last one, but whatever. I hope you all enjoy it. I know I liked writing it. Although, I really think I'm pushing the bounds of the rating... Oh well. Read and review! Be nice! Next chapter will come soon!