I do not own Naruto Shippuden or any of the characters.

Down Time

Ryuu watched as the clouds passed overhead. Fu lay on his chest, hand combing through his hair, but he barely noticed. His mind was fixed solely on his nightmare. And she knew it, too. She had done everything in her power to try to distract him from it, but it refused to leave his mind.

"Let's go out to eat," Fu said after a while. "We haven't gotten to go to Ichiraku's for a while, so let's go there."

Ryuu looked down at her and smiled, nodding. "Sure."

She smiled, pulling him up, then slipped her hand into his. They waked through the streets together, reaching Ichiraku's in a few minutes, both ordering the usual. As they waited, Naruto sat beside them, grinning widely as Ichiraku set a bowl down for him at the same time as Ryuu and Fu.

"I hear yours is pretty hungry," Naruto said, smirking as Fu grinned knowingly.

"I bet I can eat more," Fu grinned.

"Loser pays for all three," Ryuu said. "But, for the record, I'm not competing."

Naruto and Fu both grinned and nodded.

"This aught to be good," Ryuu sighed. "Teuchi, you better get ready to run out of food."

Teuchi chuckled, starting more noodles as Naruto and Fu began to eat rapidly. Ryuu sighed, eating his at a normal pace, watching as the bowls began to pile up around Fu and Naruto. Finally, they both stopped, Naruto having eaten a single bowl more than Fu.

"Damn," Ryuu said, looking at the two towers of dishes. "You two are unreal."

Fu shrugged, smiling, and payed for their food. "That was fun, Naruto. Now, you're going to come with us to burn all of that off."

Naruto paled and Ryuu grinned widely.

"It's been a while," Ryuu mused. "How's your swordplay been coming Naruto?"

"Um...it's...coming," Naruto said.

Ryuu laughed. "We'll see."

The three of them headed to the Third Training Ground and Ryuu unsealed a ninjato from a scroll and placed a seal on it to dull the blade. Then, he turned, tossing it to Naruto, who caught it and swallowed hard. As he did, Ryuu turned toward him, drawing his tanto and placing the same seal on it.

"Ready?" Ryuu asked.

"No," Naruto said.

Ryuu smirked, exhaling a Vacuum Blade onto his tanto, keeping it dull as well, then stepped forward, slashing at Naruto. Naruto blocked the blade and shoved it aside, slashing back at Ryuu. Ryuu stepped out of range, then stepped forward again, stabbing at Naruto. Naruto stepped to the side, batting the blade aside with his own, eyes wide as he prepared himself again. Ryuu raised an eyebrow. For having clearly not practiced with a sword since the last time Ryuu had trained him, he seemed to have retained the training well. Ryuu stepped forward, attacking Naruto faster, Naruto struggling to fend him of for a moment before beginning to pick back up on what he was doing, his muscles seeming to remember what Ryuu had taught him. Finally, Naruto stepped past a stab and slashed at Ryuu, who flipped backward, barely avoiding the slash and landing on his feet beside Fu, smirking.

"Good," Ryuu smiled. "You retain training well. How's your Taijutsu?"

Naruto stabbed the sword into the ground and Ryuu let his vacuum Blade fade, sheathing his tanto as Fu stepped forward, grinning. Both charged and began to fight, Fu rapidly beating Naruto into the ground. He pushed himself up, trying again and again proving himself to be horrendously under trained at Taijutsu. Finally, Fu sighed, letting him up and beginning to train him, Naruto picking it up quickly. After a while of her teaching Naruto, Ryuu walked over, replacing Fu and beginning to spar with Naruto. Naruto was much better this time, but was still unable to land a hit on Ryuu. Finally, Ryuu let him stop, Naruto coated in sweat and panting. Ryuu smiled.

"You did well," Ryuu nodded. "You're a quick study."

"Th...Thanks," Naruto panted. "You're...a good...teacher."

Ryuu smiled and nodded, turning back to Fu, who was lounging on a branch. He jumped up in front of her, landing in a crouch and raising an eyebrow. "Comfortable?"

"Very," Fu smiled. "Would you care to join me?"

Ryuu smiled and shook his head. Fu sighed, then hurled a kunai at Ryuu, who flipped off the branch, landing on his feet before leaping away from the tree, Fu crashing down where he had been, cratering the ground. Ryuu grinned, readying himself before Fu shot forward, drilling a punch at him, only for Ryuu to block it, activating his Sharingan before the two began to trade blows, both blocking or dodging everything the other threw at them. It had been a long time since they had trained. Ryuu had missed it. The part he hadn't missed came about five minutes later when she suddenly sidestepped a punch and began to beat him senseless. Finally, she jumped, kicking him away and he crashed into a tree, groaning.

"Okay," Ryuu sighed. "I give up. I can't fight you."

"That's because you can't fight me with the intent to kill," Fu said.

"What, and you can?" Ryuu asked.

"No," Fu said. "But I know that even if I don't hold back, you can take it."

Ryuu sighed, then pushed himself up, wiping some sweat off of his forehead. "Alright, I need a shower. See you back at the house."

Fu nodded, smiling and gave him a quick kiss before he turned, heading home. When he got there, he headed up to his room, noticing the house was empty, and pulled his shirt off, staring into the room's mirror, left hand reaching up to trail his fingers along the seam running down his torso. Disgust began to well up inside of him. He was a monster. Inhuman. He didn't deserve to be with Fu. He didn't deserve to have survived everything he had. He didn't deserve so many second chances. He had murdered so many people. His hands were stained so red with blood that he should be drowning in it. He should have died so long ago. When he fought Hidan and Kakuzu. When he fought in Orochimaru's arena. When he fought Orochimaru in the Chunin Exams. Hell, if he was being honest, the world would be better off if he had died when Itachi slaughtered the rest of the clan. Finally, Ryuu sighed, walking into the bathroom and getting in the shower, letting the warm water run over him as he stood in silence, staring down at his hands. So inhuman. A freak.

He was pulled out of his thoughts suddenly as a pair of arms wrapped around his abdomen, pulling him back against their owner. Fu placed a gentle kiss on the back of his shoulder.

"You're still you," Fu said. "Just like you've always been. Having this," she slipped her hand into his right one, lacing their fingers, "doesn't make you anything you weren't before. You are what you have always been. And nothing will ever change that."

Ryuu was silent but sighed heavily, leaning back against Fu. He tilted his head against hers as she rested her chin on his shoulder. "I'm sorry. I know it's hard for you to see me this way. I don't mean to worry you."

"Don't worry abut me," Fu said. "As long as you're with me, I'm happy. I promise you, I'll help you feel human again."

Ryuu smiled and nodded, turning around and kissing her. She kissed him back and slipped her hand into his right one again. They remained there for a long while before Ryuu pulled away, resting his forehead against hers. She smiled, closing her eyes and remaining silent. He studied her face, able to see her concern, and her pain, but also able to see her love, even without being able to see her eyes. It was in her posture, the way the skin under her eyes was starting to darken, the slightly pinker skin in two lines leading down her cheeks a couple inches from the outside corners of her eyes.

After another moment, he leaned in again, kissing her. She kidded him back, but then gasped as she felt his tongue trail across her lip. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and her own met it, their tongues beginning to dance. After several more minutes, his hand slipped out of hers and slid up her arm, moving to begin massaging her breast, his other hand moving to her free breast. Fu moaned, then pulled away, catching his hands.

"Wait," she said. "I...I don't want you to feel like you have to."

"I don't," Ryuu said. "I want to do this. I want to be with you."

Fu smiled and nodded, kissing him again, allowing him to continue.

Ryuu gently trailed his right hand up and down Fu's upper arm, staring up at the ceiling. Fu shifted slightly sighing contentedly and gently pressed a kiss to the right side of his chest before setting her chin on his chest, smiling up at him.

"I love you," Fu smiles.

"I love you too," Ryuu smiles. "How do you stay with you?"

Sadness filled Fu's features. "None of that was your fault. And if any of it had never happened, you could never have saved my life when Hidan and Kakuzu caught me. It may not have been good that it happened, and it will always be tragic, but it doesn't make you a bad person, and it made you strong."

Ryuu smiled and nodded, reaching down and kissing her before setting his head back down.

"And for the record, that new hand of yours feels amazing," Fu grinned, Ryuu rolling his eyes.

"You're terrible," Ryuu chuckled. "I think our time off might end soon."

"Really?" Fu asked. "Why?"

"It's just a feeling I'm getting," Ryuu said.

Fu nodded, then sat up, shifting to straddle his waist, letting the blankets fall into a heap behind her. "Then I guess we should make the most of it."

I smile, shaking my head. "You're insatiable."

She smiles, lining my member up with her entrance and lowering herself onto it, moaning. "I'm just doing my part to make sure your body's rehab isn't regressing."

I laugh, then groan as she begins to move.

Leave a review.