7. Riverside
I know, I'm late, but I couldn't find any muse to write. Since last Sunday I'm staying at a friend's house to look after the pets and everything else. For full two days I did nothing other than tidying and cleaning up, it was such a disgusting mess here. You have no idea under which conditions some people use to live. Layers of dust as thick as a finger, cobwebs and chaos wherever you look at, but to an extension that's highly disturbing and definitely not child-friendly, if not even dangerous in some cases. I can't comprehend why people so obviously overstrained with their old house need to bring children into such a pitiful mess.
Just a few highlights for your imagination: From a full baby diaper left on the sink next to an ironing board with dried baby diarrhoea all over the cover and a dripping wet corner bench in the kitchen with fresh child piss, the dogs' hair and paw stains were my smallest problem. At least they'd left some febreze air freshener on the table…
Every surface was sticky with whatever I don't want to think about, there's mold on the window frames of nearly every room. I had to do a basic cleaning due to my heavy allergies. This time it was definitely the last time I did this for her. With every year the messy chaos here has gotten worse.
I'm sorry to chatter on to you guys, but I had to let that out.
Some of you may already know it, I'm starting my own p@treon project soon!
It will contain the full writing process of the novel series and a regular course on BDSM from basic safety instructions, materials and equipment, common practises to how to create full sessions and how it is for both sides. Both will be available in English and German. Also there will be specials for my supporters only. I hope to see you there and you'll enjoy it ;)
SquaMata
7. Riverside
PRESENT:
Naruto comes to a halt at a high branch and so does his female companion. Both ninjas are breathing hard.
"Let's take a break, we have enough time." The blonde young man wipes some sweat pearls off from his forehead.
The pinkette takes a moment to drink in the beautiful area they're rushing through, still at tremendous speed. "Naruto, there's a river not far from here? We could take a small break there."
"Perfect, we need to refill our water supplies anyway." He shakes an empty water canteen to underline the importance of his words.
Sakura smiles at her former teammate and points at the direction of the river.
They jump down to the path in the woods and take the next junction to the right. Then the two shinobi follow a barely visible mud trail, which seems to get reconquered by the surrounding nature over time with lush tree limbs and a colourful mossy pattern.
The last time Sakura has been in this area was when the hokage and his tross were on their way back home from the kage summit in Iwagakure once.
PAST:
On their journey they didn't rush the full way through the branches to save energy and sometimes just to enjoy their surroundings. Due to the current occasion Sakura was talking with Hoshi, Kakashi's favourite night guard. "Have you always been working as a personal guard, Hoshi-san?"
The young man gave her a kind smile and answered, "No, I was a completely normal ninja before, Haruno-san."
The medical kunoichi frowned at the honorific and reminded him that they had already been on a first name basis. Somehow the young man had his issues to call her by her first-name only and Sakura thought it would have something to do with her being in a relationship with the hokage. Of course she couldn't allow herself to talk openly and to go more into details, there were eyes and ears everywhere and they needed to maintain their little secret.
"Although we have never met in the fields before, you seem so familiar."
His proud smile and a finger tipping onto a special area on his left upper arm shielded by his jounin sweater confirmed her that her he had been in ANBU for quite some time. One could never be sure which elite shinobi was hidden underneath the white porcelain mask when an ANBU walked by in the streets.
"But I've also been working as a bartender." He chuckles sheepishly.
"Really? Do you mean as a bartender in disguise?"
"Not really. From time to time I've been mixing drinks at the jounin bar which belongs to my father. You know, similar to the Yamanaka's family business habits I was helping out whenever I was in town and I still do sometimes."
Now with the subtle remark Sakura remembered him all of a sudden. "Of course! The jounin bar!" And with a wicked grin she continued, "Where Ino and you... met."
"Ehrm... We... Yeah, we met a few times indeed, yes." He chuckled with a broad grin.
Both remembered the weird situation when Sakura had interrupted their private talk in the corner of the hallway between the bar, the storage room and the restrooms. The slightly tipsy pinkette had tripped over the door frame and unfortunately she had landed right on his back. That had caused him to close the distance between him and the blonde kunoichi and their lips had met in a forcefully, sloppy and sudden kiss. Apologizing Sakura had made for a quick leave, but the two hadn't seem to care. They had been too engrossed in what she had unintentionally started.
"I still don't get why you two didn't become an item." Ino had dragged her to that bar nearly every week and she could remember them flirting heavily for weeks.
"Well, actually I don't know." Hoshi's amused expression turned into an uneasy look and he shrugged. "I guess as a simple bartender only, I wasn't good enough for her."
Sakura gave him a questioning look. "But haven't you been a high class ninja already then?"
He smiled both sad and what could be described as proud. "Some things are better kept hidden."
Ino can be such a superficial bitch sometimes!
Sometimes you say?
She has finally found true love.
Always blended by rank and appearance.
Sai...
A former ANBU-ne nin, now an elite shinobi and by puuure chance an Uchiha look-alike.
A few weeks after the first more intimate contacts with Hoshi Ino had told her about her new fling with an older ANBU on one of their girl's nights, right at the bar and within the obviously unknowing bartender's earshot.
That was definitely not a sensitive way to end a fling, relationship or whatever the two of them might call their affiliation.
Bitch. Remember to smack her again for that!
I will! Hoshi's such a nice man, he deserves better. I still prey she won't break Sai's resurfaced heart.
It's her longest relationship yet, she seems to have changed and matured a lot, but a harsh smack couldn't hurt to keep her brain cells in place.
Time for a change of topics!
Definitely!
Her giggles and the questioning look on the personal guard's face completely unaware of her funny conversation with her inner-self, returned her back to reality.
"Did you introduce her to smurf suicide then?" The pinkette said laughingly to lighten up the tense mood.
"Sakura-san, are you crazy? NOOO, of course not!"
A funny looking Hoshi waved his hands in defence. "I may be perfectly capable of creating strong drinks, but that shot is too deadly, even for me. It stings and burns, it smells and tastes like hospital disinfectants mixed with something like petroleum."
"I wouldn't be surprised if these were the actual ingredients." Sakura responded snickering.
"I swear she has punched that thing together all by her glorious self! I have nothing to do with that thing!" Hoshi grinned broadely.
"Rumour has it she wanted to forget someone or something, that's why she made that mind erasing shot in particular. "
"I bet it works!" He shook and contorted his face of the unpleasant memory.
"Probably!"
"That thing can etch your eyebrows off, so I wouldn't be surprised if memories would follow suit all too naturally."
They broke out into cheerful laughter about smurf suicide and gumming gummy bear cocktails. "Well, her taste in drinks is pretty weird indeed."
"Yeah, I would even go that far and say that her taste in drinks is absolutely disgusting."
"Did you know that our dear hokage has a fine taste in drinks?" Hoshi seemed to have noticed the silverhead witnessing their relaxed conversation from a few metres distance. Kakashi had even given him an appreciative look.
"Yes." The pink-haired kunoichi smiled into the direction of said village leader, who welcomed the short eye-contact with a lovely eye crinkle that made her heart skip a beat so easily with just one simple look.
Impossible man!
PRESENT:
Sakura and Naruto still their thirst with the cool water of the clear river. Satisfied she keeps kneeling on the riverside a little longer and studies her reflection on the bright surface of the water.
In a few more hours I'll be home.
Home… We're almost there.
Please, wait for me.
Just a little longer.
It irritates her to no end that she can't reach him. Is he blocking her already?
Her eyes stay fixed on her mirrored image for a few minutes until it suddenly changes to the last time when she was standing right there.
PAST:
The travel back from Iwa was pretty uneventful. Shikamaru and Hoshi were walking in front, Naruto and Genma at the end of the tross and the two youngsters flanked the hokage and the precious medical kunoichi. The Konoha-nin were joking about the weird food and the Spartan housing there compared to other villages.
Eventually Shikamaru stated with a chuckle, "Fortunately next time the summit would be in Kumo."
"Is it more hostile?" Hideo asked curiously.
Before the hokage's official assistant could answer, Naruto responded eagerly, "Yes, it's amazing!" Then he told them a bit about the raikage's village.
The other young ANBU turned to Sakura, "Have you been to Kumogakure before, Haruno-san?"
"Unfortunately no, Jino. I've been in the area around Kumo before, but never inside of the village." Then she sharpened her voice a tiny bit. "And it's Sakura for you, too."
With wide hopeful eyes Hideo looked at the legendary copy-nin. "Hokage-sama, will Haruno-san accompany you?"
The silverhead gave him a stern response, "I hope so", before his lone charcoal eye looked into her direction and presented her one of his heart-warming eye-crinkles.
She returned his smile. "Yeah, maybe. We will see."
Both youngsters blurted out, "Great! We're in!"
Kakashi answered in typical business manner, "We'll talk about that later."
"But if Haruno-san goes with you, we want to be your escort guards", Jino said.
"Jino and Hideo, how many times have I already told you to call me Sakura?!" She snarled fumingly and reminded them all too much of a certain former hokage in a rage. Without being obvious they all took a step away from her to get some distance, all except for an amused hokage.
"I'm sorry, Sakura-senpai. It feels still weird to do so. I mean, you're hokage-sama's companion."
Companion…
Like a mate, a colleage or like a significant other?
Senpai…
What's wrong with kids those days?
"His what?" Her voice was a tiny pitch too high and she fought hard against blushing, but failed miserably.
"Yeah, you're way older than us, that's why you're our senpai, senpai!" Hideo stated proudly.
Naruto snorted from behind, Genma broke out into laughter while the silverhead next to her chuckled in amusement and gave her his trade-mark eye-crinkle. To calm her down before she would explode he patted her shoulder like he had done so often during their good old days as teammates.
But the youngsters didn't miss his warning look aimed for the two of them.
A slightly pale Jino tried to explain, "What my idiot companion means, is that you have been the infamous Hatake-sama's student and teammate for a long while before he became hokage and our boss, which makes you to our senpai."
"We could also call you Sakura-sama, if you want? For being such a beautiful and exceptionally skilled kunoichi you need to be treated like a lady."
"Shouldn't we call her Sakura-hime? She looks like a princess. Don't you think?"
The vein on Sakura's forehead pulsated heavily and the facial muscles surrounding it started twitching. Kakashi looked like he was about to burst as he fought it back with all his force.
"Stop it!" The pinkette snarled.
"That's enough, boys! Go ahead with Hoshi and look for a place to set camp." The hokage ordered in his ever calm but demanding superior tone.
"Affirmative!" The two youngsters understood the warning and did as they were told.
As they were out of earshot he gave up his fight and started laughing. Her sour face didn't help to ease the urge to let his mirth out. After a few moments of hilarious sounds, he had found back to his ever stoic self.
"They're head over heels for you, you know?"
She frowned at him and he patted her shoulder reassuringly.
"Those two boys are so annoying."
"I know, but at least they are very talented shinobi."
Only for his ears to hear she whispered pleadingly, "Just promise me they will never be your night guards, Kakashi."
"Don't worry." He squeezed her shoulder briefly before he let go to not raise anyone's suspicion, although the others had altered their formation with more space in between. "They're way too far from being that mature enough to bear such responsibility, Sakura-sama."
"Ugh. No, not you too." The annoyed kunoichi shook her head and he couldn't hold back his second burst of laughter anymore.
K: You should better get used to it sooner or later, my Sakura-hime.
Oh, how she missed the warm body next to her. He was so close and yet so far.
Walking next to him was enough to drive her crazy.
About half an hour later they had almost finished to set up their camp for the night.
While the youngsters put up the hokage's tent and the others were all busy, Sakura walked down a small muddy path leading to the river to take a bath. The ever perceptive copy-nin took that chance to follow her discreetly. Before she could step out from the sparse woodland seaming the riverside, strong arms grabbed her from behind and dragged her under a nearby tree. Before she could react otherwise he spun her around and captured her inviting lips in a heated kiss. She responded all too eagerly and pulled him close with one hand at his collar and one ant his belt.
Hell no, she wouldn't be willing to let him go now. Not after the last days of killing distance. Again he had been her forbidden apple and vice versa, which seemed to inflame their hunger even more with every painful minute they had had to stand next to each other.
Looking, but no touching.
Smiling, but hiding.
Talking, but not about without restriction.
Being there together, but not being together.
Those few days had been a test on their patience and strength. It all lessened when they were finally able to touch, to kiss and to give in to their needs of being close. No, as he lifted her up and pressed her against that tree by the riverside to kiss her brains out, she was sure she didn't care anymore if anyone could find out their secret.
Biting sinfully into her lower lip and teasingly sucking on the tender flesh underlined the incredible hunger in his mismatching eyes while sneaky ninja fingers had found under her top to squeeze her smooth breast. Kakashi tilted her head to the side to continue his eager nibbles on her delicate neck and gently held her mouth shut with his warm fingers to prevent too loud moans. Both were instantly reminded of their little hump in the park on Memorial Day. His other hand held her hip in place, Sakura had one leg wrapped around him as he grinded in tantalizing wavy movements against her. Her eyes went huge as she could feel his throbbing erection through their pants pressing in such an erotic way to her core, that she thought she might explode.
"I need you." She breathed softly through his fingers.
The sexy and heated look he gave her confirmed her he was at the same level of arousal. The silverhead smirked at her before he retreated his hand from her mouth and leaned down so painfully slow, that she had to grab him by his tousled mane and pull him close to finally get rid of the unbearable distance between their eager mouths.
Oh, how desperately he wanted to devour her right here, right now.
My friend.
My mate.
My companion.
My woman.
My every…
"Kaka-sensei! Kaka-sensei!"
My forbidden fruit.
Grunting in annoyance the copy-nin let go of her, she looked at him questioningly and he nodded into the direction from where she could suddenly hear someone shout her name. Then he teleported them down to the riverside to provide some more time to calm down before Naruto approached together with Shikamaru.
The intelligent Nara noticed in an instant their conspicuous position with at least 5 metres in between on the gravelly riverside obviously avoiding to face each other. Sakura's cheeks were bright pink and the zipper of her jounin vest stood open, whereas Kakashi seemed normal except for his straightened forehead protector exposing the sharingan. No doubt whatever they had done before, that was an incomprehensible, awkward and very unusual behaviour.
The two nins walked up to them and the other two stepped near. The blonde smiled at the pinkette and tried hard to fight back a comment about her swollen lips and the slightly visible raging pulse on the side of her neck.
"Oi! Dinner should be ready in half an hour. Hoshi and the two little nutheads are cooking together", Naruto chuckled, "Kaka-sensei, next time you should choose Tatsuo as your guard too. It wouldn't be for Sakura's benefit only, he's a great cook in the fields, you know."
Shikamaru snorted and looked between the two back and forth and smirked. Kakashi rolled his eyes, he and Sakura understood immediately that somehow he knew, but the soft, respectful smile the Nara heir presented them was surprising. It assured them that he would never give their secret away. Even more he seemed to approve instead.
Naruto gave him a disapproving look, "What's so funny about that? Do you like to be separated from your wife?" He had called them on purpose to save their privacy, clearly unaware that Shikamaru had already managed to put the cards together.
Shikamaru looked from an ever stern and aloof Kakashi to a sweaty Naruto with nervousness written all over his face. "You're right. My fault, I shouldn't have laughed. I apologize."
Sakura nodded with a smile of relief. Though she highly doubted the quick-witted shadow wielder wasn't certain that Naruto knew it too, Shikamaru was seemingly discreet enough to keep it all to himself, that was for sure now. It would be too troublesome anyway.
"By the way, Shika: Do you know that you sound like a wild boar when you laugh?" The blonde blurted out.
"I do what?"
One after the other had to laugh.
Again the jinchuuriki had managed to ease up the situation. He filled up the water canteens he and Shikamaru had brought there, before he said highly motivated, "I'll take a bath. Wanna join me?"
"I can really use a dip." The copy-nin smiled and put off his boots.
"Yeah! Epic hokage bath time!" Naruto stripped down in record time.
"You aren't hokage, Naruto!" The hokage discarded his flak-jacket.
"Not yet!" And with that the mirthful blonde jumped into the river, only wearing his orange boxers.
"You should take that opportunity before the youngsters will find out." Kakashi chuckled and winked at her teasingly.
"Ah, nevermind. I'll defang them with my shadow jutsu when they decide to show up." Shikamaru assured her and sat down on a rock while the others went into the river.
Splashing water into his direction Naruto shouted, "Shika-boar, don't be silly and come on in! I've put some clones on watch."
"I'm so going to drown you for your stupid gab!" Smirking devilishly the hokage's assistant undressed too and followed the others into the cooling stream.
While the two young men started to pull each other underwater, all of a sudden a funny, mischievous look on appeared on the legendary sharingan bearer.
"Hell, no!" Sakura tried to swim into the other direction. "Don't even think about it!"
But before she could reach the riverbank he dunked her for one second and she splashed him playfully with water in return. The cold water did wonders to calm the raging hormones of a certain not-as-secret-as-they-thought couple.
PRESENT:
She remembers how smooth his skin felt under her touch in the water, how the water droplets wandered down his marvellous body and how his hair looked when it was wet.
How he said her name.
How he looked at her.
The memory tears heavy on her heart.
Kakashi…
Her eyes begin to fill with tears that scream to fall and a slight tremble makes her very aware of the breakdown she has been trying to avoid since their departure from the sand. A friendly hand gets a hold on her shoulder.
"Don't worry, Sakura-chan. I'll bring you back to him safe and sound. I promise. Everything's gonna be alright."
"But why couldn't I reach him then? I can't feel him anymore, Naruto." The first tear runs down her cheek, only to be followed by a stream of clear salty liquid reflecting the sunlight and dropping down into the glistening river water.
The legendary wannabe-hokage gives her a heart-warming smile at her with his bright blue eyes. "Do you know this river is called the river of hopes?"
The pinkette frowns at him in disbelief and Naruto walks over to the coppice.
"Here." He hands her a pink flower with some leafs he picked from the bush and holds one in his other hand for himself. "They say the streams carry your hopes home if you let them flow." His kind nature reassures her and gives her new energy for the last remaining section of their travel home.
Together they set them carefully into the water and watch them from the riverside slowly getting carried away, dancing on the drift of the mellow waves.