Disclaimer: As always i don't own naruto...(cries)
Origonal Character: I've added more to the list (grin) tee hee!
Jin, Mai, Asuka, Athena and Shinji
are my own creations (grin)
ENJOY!
Act 15: Mission Escort (Part 3)- bathing in moonlight
Naruto poked at the fire. "Do you think they're ok?"
"They're fine Naruto; Sakura is with Mai-san so I'm not worried." Jin answered.
"It's been a while though… they just went to take a bath, what's taking so long?"
"They're women… they like to be clean."
"It's been like an hour!" Naruto screamed. His stomach was growling. "Sakura-chan said she's cook when she gets back. I'm so hungry."
"Naruto shut up." Sasuke was sitting on a low tree branch above Naruto.
"Bah! I'm hungry Sasuke-bastard!"
"Sakura said she'd cook and she will"
"But it's been an hour!"
"You're such a kid." Sasuke scolded.
"Damnit Sasuke!"
"You both are children"
"Shut up Jin!"
"Don't tell me to shut up Uchiha."
"Shut up!"
"YOU SHUT UP!"
"Aiya! I'm gone for an hour and you guys are at each other's throats." Sakura stood there in a new outfit that none of them have seen before. She was wearing black jounin capris and a tight black mid-drift sleeveless-army shirt with a wide collar. For once her hair was all the way down; none of the men (except Sasuke on a fluke earlier experience) had seen her hair at its full length. It had grown even longer; it was down to almost her knees.
"Sakura-onee-chan," a shy 12-year old Mai peeked out from behind Sakura's thin form. "Do they always fight like this?"
"Unfortunately." Sakura rolled her eyes.
Sakura began to start cooking. She fried the fish with the small amounts of spices she brought with her. When she was done, they started to eat. All of them sat around the camp fire silently, Jin decided to break the silence with the chance to show Sakura how good he was with kids.
"Hey Mai-san."
"Yes?"
"How do you like traveling with us?"
"Umm… it's fun, I learned a lot today." She answered popping more fish into her mouth.
"Oh? Like what?"
"Like how Sakura-onee-san really feels."
Sakura's head perked up, her eyes wide with worry of what the young one will say about her confessions earlier on that day. The men were actually quite interested in what the little one had to say.
"How Sakura-san feels eh?" Jin pressed on. "About what exactly?"
"About certain people." She replied innocently.
Sakura tensed up and tired to ignore it looking only at her food and no one else. Sasuke glanced at her shortly before looking back at his own food, carefully listening to Mai and Jin's conversation.
"And what would that be? If you don't mind me asking."
"I learned who her most precious people are, and that she would do anything to protect them."
"Mai-san…" Sakura coaxed shyly.
"What would Sakura do for these people?" Jin was intrigued. Sakura never opened up to him much, to him that was her character.
"Sakura-onee-san said she would die for them. Even if she doesn't mean anything to them. She said that because they mean a lot to her, so it doesn't matter if she was nothing to them. She said she would die for them."
"Really now?"
"Yep, in a heartbeat."
"Mai-san…" Sakura coaxed again… quietly.
"Did she mention any specific names?" Jin pressed on.
Sakura fumed red. She couldn't remember whose names she said except Sasuke's. She threw a dead piece of log at Jin's head.
"Jin! It's none of your business!"
"Ouch... Sakura-san!" Jin whined as he rubbed the back of his head.
Sakura pouted.
"Ahh… Sakura-san is very pretty when she pouts." Jin Winked at her. "It reminds me of the first time we…"
WACK!
Sakura knocked him across the head blushing slightly. Sasuke felt his heart ache with jealousy. He did is best to deny this feeling dwelling inside of him and actually cringed at Jin's words.
"I wasn't going to tell them what you said about… err…" Mai cut herself off, but Sakura knew what she meant.
"I know that Mai-san, but Jin needs to learn how to shut his trap." Sakura scolded with emphasis on the last part of her sentence,
The night progressed on and Mai settle into the smallest tent. They decided that two should stand guard at a time, and the other two would sleep in the bigger tent. Sakura volunteered for the first shift and the men drew straws. Jin drew the shortest one and served the first shift with Sakura.
Sakura went into Mai's tent because Mai wanted to be tucked in by her new found role model. Sakura didn't mind so much. The brat kind of grew on her, so she went in anyway.
--
"Don't do anything perverted." Sasuke warned Jin with onyx narrowed eyes.
"I won't. Besides it's not like it would be our first time." Jin grinned mischeviously. They hadn't done anything, he's kissed her before. At first she resisted him, but then she stopped putting up a fight.
Jin chuckled a bit when Sasuke's face twisted into an unproven frown.
"Bastard…" Sasuke muttered as he went into the bigger tent.
"You really have to stop pissing him off…" Naruto cautioned. "He might actually kill you."
"You think he would?" Jin asked half intimidated half enticed to provoke him further.
"When he does, I'm not going to get in the way; and i won't help you. Frankly, I don't want to die for your stupid mistake." Naruto waved him off and followed Sasuke's lead into the bigger tent.
--
"Sakura-onee-san?" A fragile voice poked out of a mass of blankets.
"Yes Mai-san?" Sakura continued tucking Mai in.
"Do you want children?"
"Huh?" Sakura looked at Mai stunned by such a question. "Err… umm… yes, sometime, but not right now."
"Who do you want to have children with?"
"Err…" Sakura blushed embarrassed by this question. "I don't know… I haven't thought that far ahead."
"Do you want to have children with Jin-san?" Mai asked, her voice concerned.
"Uh… well, Jin is a good guy, but I don't think I would… to be honest."
"Good I don't like him." Mai stuck her tongue out and giggled. Sakura giggled as well. "What about Sasuke-kun?" Sakura paused.
"I think that's enough questions for one night Mai-san… Tomorrow will be a long day, so get some rest ok? I'm sure none of the guys like the idea of carrying you on their backs tomorrow." Sakura teased. She brushed away some stray strands of Mai's bangs away from her eyes and kissed the girl gently on the forehead. "Goodnight Mai-san, sweet dreams."
"Good night Sakura-onee-san" Mai replied with a gentle smile on her face as she closed her heavy eyelids and drifted off into a sea of dreams. Sakura blew out the candle and made her way outside to the campfire.
"Is the brat asleep?" Jin asked watching the object of his affection gracefully walk from the tent to a tree and propping her fitted thin frame up against its trunk.
"She's not a brat, and yes she's asleep." Sakura closed her eyes and crossed her arms across her chest gripping the handle of her katana in her right hand. She bent one leg for extra support against the tree. Jin loved her stance, on and off the battle field. The way she carried herself greatly intrigued him.
Time passed without either of them carrying on a decent conversation. Jin always found it difficult communicating with the pink haired Nin. He had managed to her talking from time to time but none of their conversations had lasted more than 5 minutes tops. He finally decided to break the silence one last time and ask the question he's asked her many times before.
"Sakura?"
"Hun?"
"Why won't you marry me?"
Sakura remained silent for a bit and refused to answer the question.
"I'm not going to drop this topic this time Sakura. Please answer me, why won't you accept my proposal?"
"You want the honest truth?" Sakura asked softly after a long moment of awkward silence.
"Yes… I do."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes."
"Ok…" Sakura paused again. Jin hated when she did that. "I'm not ready." She answered. Plain and simple. Haruno Sakura, voted most likely to be the first one walking down the aisle when she graduated at the academy, was not ready to be married.
"Why not?" Jin looked up at her, his eyes filled with hurt.
"It's not the right time for me…" She said softly avoiding all eye contact. "There's so many things I wanted to do, so many places I want to go, so many people I want to meet. I'm too fickle minded at the moment to settle down!"
"We can do all of those things together!" Jin pushed. He walked towards her standing so close she could feel the head emitting off of him. "Sakura if you just let me—"
"I can't!" She cried pushing him away. "I'm not fit to be your wife!"
Jin looked at her, his honest violet eyes tugged at her, coaxing her to let him into her life, but she would not allow it.
"Oi." Naruto stood there rubbing his eyes.
"Perfect timing" Sakura thought to herself.
"Shift's over Sakura, get some shut eye." Naruto commanded.
Sakura glanced at Jin before walking away from him and disappearing into the bigger tent. He looked so hurt… and she had hurt him again. Just like he used to hurt her… she understood that feeling all too well.
"Damn that Jin." She thought. His eyes haunted her. It was those velvety violet eyes that cause her to fall for him the first time. But alas, feelings do not just vanish nor can they be replaced, instead, they just go dormant until something wakes it up. News of the Uchiha brought her back to Konoha, and seeing him again made her question her relationship with Jin. "Damn Uchiha! Why do you still haunt me!"
"Sakura?"
"Eh…" Sakura glanced at Sasuke who was pretending he was asleep. Sasuke pushed his head up to see that it was her.
"Just making sure it's you and not Naruto trying to sneak in more nap time."
"Yeah it's me…" She whispered as if she was afraid to wake him up, even though he was already awake. She took the spot next to him. "Goodnight, Sasuke."
He could feel the warmth of her body as her back softly pressed against his. A few strands of her loose pastel hair tickled his neck and cheeks and ears. He could smell the unique cologne of strawberries and open meadows with a hint of vanilla that tainted the air around her. He wanted to turn around and stroke her hair and her rosy cheeks. Wait a second. Sasuke mentally kicked himself again. "What am I thinking about! I don't' do that kind of stuff. This is Sakura we're talking about! I don't feel anything! NOTHING! She doesn't even love me the same way anymore…. She doesn't LOVE me anymore." He told himself over and over and over again.
"She doesn't love me…" he repeated in his mind as he fell back into a dreamy strawberry scented sleep.
Lady Rine: As promised, i've updated as soon as i got back! (Which was actually last night but i fell asleep) I hope you enjoyed this chapter (grin). Hee hee the next few chapters are much much much! more interesting, and fast paced so yeah... i hope you like them too! I will update again soon!
(Does the Rine version of the cool guy pose!) YEAH! lol! i'm such a neeeerrrd!
