Chapter 4.
Naruto Uzumaki could never get used to the fame that came with being a hero. People now seemed to care about him, talking to him about things instead of yelling at him to leave or drop dead. Of course, there was one thing that Sakura hated about her boyfriend's new found fame, fan girls. They seemed to be everywhere. They couldn't even go to Ramen without running into at least a small army of them. And the last time he walked her to the hospital for her shift, she started getting looks, and she heard them whispering about him and her. Needless to say the fan girl thing was annoying to say the least.
So the fact that she was now running through the trees on her way to rescue her boyfriend, who had come up missing while he attended a party thrown by a female noble that had a reputation of being attracted to powerful and famous men shouldn't have been a huge surprise. Kakashi, Sai, and Yamoto gave her a wide berth, they also knew that if anyone could find Naruto quickly it would be Sakura.
Two blue eyes snapped open. The last thing he remembered was talking to the hostess about the Pien invasion and his part in it. She seemed to be overly friendly, which he wasn't as oblivious to as people thought he was. Being with Sakura had opened his eyes to many things. Plus, what was the point of being rude. Anyway he woke up to the sounds of battle, he quickly checked himself over. Clothes still on, no weapons, he had been at a party in the home of a noble that had guards so.. That is when his head started hurting. He hadn't drank anything other than water or tea the whole time. Must have been something in them.
The door opened, Lady Mia came in and quickly shut the door behind her.
"Ah. Naruto. You're awake." Her voice was sweet and disarming, but there was a hint of panic in it. He could hear guards moving outside, orders being shouted out.
"Lady Mai. What is going on?" He asked. She smiled and started moving toward him.
" Nothing you should concern yourself with. Why don't we just relax and talk a bit." She told him. She moved over to a table and poured a glass of water.
"Are you sure? It sounds pretty serious." He said trying to get up as she pushed him back into the bed he was laying in.
"No, no. My guards will handle it. Why don't we just relax and…." About that time the door and part of the wall exploded into the room. Standing there, dragging one of the guards by the front of his armor stood Sakura Haruno, and she was anything, but happy.
"Bitch! He's Mine!" There was malice dripping from every word. She dropped the guard and started walking towards the noble in the loss sense of the word. She was planning on making sure that she understood that Naruto was taken and if she ever tried again what would happen.
Naruto had seen that look before, and he knew what came next. Mai jumped up and tried to brow beat Sakura down. Big mistake.
"Now she here you common ninja trash." That was about as far as she got before Sakura's fist met her face sending her spinning away into the corner of the room. It was pretty much a love tap by most standards. She grabbed Naruto, tossing him over her shoulder and kicked the wall where the window was out and jumped out into the night using the confusion she had created to cover her exit.
When they made it back to the village. Tsunade wasn't happy that one of her Ninja had been drugged and held captive. Jiriaya was trying to not laugh. Kakashi, Yamato and Sai are going to get a lot of mileage out of this as far as teasing Naruto and Sakura. Sakura had checked Naruto over. He was fine with the after effects of the drug Mai had used on him. He might be sluggish for a bit, but that would be it. They were dismissed and told to go home and rest.
When they made it back home, Naruto figured he would get an earful from his girlfriend about being more careful and not trusting things given to him. He got that for about a minute or two before she kissed him and started pushing him into their bed. She pulled on his clothing. They were in the way.
Light filtered in through the window by the bed. Naruto starts to stir. He opens his eyes looking around, he feels something warm, soft on top of him. He looked down at a mop of pink hair. He smiled as what happened the night before came to his clouded mind. He kissed the top of her head, which caused her to stir a little.
"Mmm.. No…" She mumbles in her sleep. Sakura was a lot of things, an early riser was not one of them.
"Blossom. I need to get up. Need to get breakfast started." After the events of the last couple of days Tsunade had given them both the day off. She looked up at him. She had that annoyed, half asleep look in her green eyes.
"You're not moving, mister. I think after last night I should get to sleep in longer. Besides I'm comfortable" She told him with a bit of a pout. He smiled at her antics.
"Ok. If my blossom wishes to be spoiled, then I will do so." He kissed her forehead, much to her delight as she settled back in to sleep a bit more.
Later that morning.
Part of Sakura spoiling was whatever she wanted for breakfast. Which was waffles with strawberries. Ofcourse Naruto would make whatever she wanted, he sent a clone in to get the stuff he needed that he already didn't have on hand. Tazuna had done a good job of turning the Hideaway into a proper home. It had a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom and a main area. This area also doubled as the place where they ate as well. The table had more than enough room for four people, it was still the same style that Naruto had in his old apartment. Of course Sakura was now living with him full time. There were signs of her everywhere now. Book self with medical books and scrolls, some of the books she read for enjoyment, most of those were trashy romance novels. Most of the decerateing was done by her as well, Naruto had little sense when it came to that stuff. She made it into a home for them both.
Sakura was enjoying her late breakfast when there was a knock at the door. Naruto finished up what he was doing and went to answer it.
"Oh hey Sis, Granny Tsunade. What's up?" He asked.
"Got a mission for you and your team." Tsunade told him and laughed a little at the deflated look she got.
"Don't worry brat. You guys don't leave until tomorrow."
Naruto turned and waved for them to come in. They followed him into the main room and sat at the table with Sakura.
"Shizune, Lady Tsunade. What brings you guys here?" She asked after taking a drink of her coffee.
"As I told the brat spoiling you, I have a mission request for your team. " She turned her head towards the kitchen.
"Hey Brat. Bring me some coffee." She ordered. She turned back to her student.
"So, I take everything is fine with you two."
A few days later.
It turned out that the mission request had come from Lady Koyuki. She was headed to the Crescent Moon Kingdom for a trade meeting. Her ship was waiting at a port in the Land of Waves, and they were to meet it there and act as part of her security detail. But, mostly they would be her guests as well. It had been awhile since Naruto and Sakura had been to the island kingdom that they had saved. Team Seven always got the plum assignments. That leads to where they are now. On the ship of the ruler of the now called Land of Spring. It was kind of like having a vacation with in a mission. At least for Sakura it was. Today she was going to enjoy the sun and ocean with Koyuki while Naruto and the others patrolled the ship. Which meant she had to go shopping for a new swimsuit. The one she picked out was sure to make Naruto go wild when he saw it. It was a two piece, and red. The one color he loved seeing her in. They shared a cabin, she was finishing getting ready in the bathroom, and stepped out into the main part of the cabin.
"Man I wish I could be out with….." Looking over at his girlfriend, his brain froze. Now he really wanted to be on the main deck with her looking like that.
She slowly walked up to him making sure his full attention was her. She loved doing this to him.
"I take it you like, my new suit?" She asked seductively.
He just nodded, unable to form words. To him she was the most beautiful woman that walked the earth. Sure there were others that some considered better looking than her, but he never noticed. She was it for him.
She smiled, looping her arms around his neck. "I am glad you like it. Now here is your reward silly boy." The searing kiss she gave him really made him want to not leave the cabin, but.
She broke the kiss and giggled at him. "Love you." She told him.
He smiled. It was a smile that only she got to see. The one that usually leads to other things.
There was a knock at the cabin door. "You go play with the boys and maybe if you're good, later you can see what else I packed for the trip. He closed his eyes, and calmed himself.
"You're not playing fair. How am I supposed to do my job with you looking like that?" She just giggled and put on one of his white button up shirts, and grabbed her waist pack and her towel.
With one hand she turned him towards the door.
"Yep. You have to wait until tonight buster. Now go make sure our client stays safe while I go and enjoy the sun and the ocean air." The door opened, Kakashi was on the other side. "Take him. Make sure he stays out of trouble." She pushed Naruto into their sensei then walked past them making sure Naruto got an eyeful as she left.
Kakashi just shook his head and grabbed Naruto by his caler and drugged him away. "Come on lover boy, you can play with your girlfriend later."
With Sakura and Lady Koyuki.
"So I heard about what happened with Lady Mia." Koyuki told her, and giggled a little as Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Ya, not my proudest moment. But I got my point across."
"Oh I would say you did." Koyuki said, still smiling. "She complained endlessly about the cost of the repair work to her compound. Pretty sure most of her guards quit after that as well."
Sakura just kind of shrugged. Lady Mai had moved in on what was hers, most of the girls in Konoha knew better than to even try. Koyuki took a drink of the iced tea next to her.
"So. How did things happen between you and Naruto?" brunette asked her friend and guard.
Taking a drink of her own tea, Sakura sighed. " It was after a mission where I thought I had lost him…"
Things on board the ship went well. There were no emergencies, or intruders to deal with. They soon docked at the main island of the Crescent Moon Kingdom. They were met by the Royal Guard and escorted to the palace.
"Hello my friends." King Michiru greeted them. "Naruto, Sakura. You two have grown." Koyuki was starting to think that she was missing something. Naruto and Sakura just kind of took everything in stride, while the rest of the introductions were made.
Their time in the Crescent Moon kingdom was uneventful. Prince Hikaru was studying out of the country. Sai and Yamato knew of the mission from the reports they had read when they had been assigned to Team Seven, but seeing the effect that Naruto and Sakura had on people here was interesting to say the least.
"So, are there any other places or countries that you and Naruto have saved?" Koyuki asked Sakura as they walked along the beach headed to a place where Naruto had a surprise planned for Sakura.
"No, not really. Just here, the Land of Spring, the Hidden Leaf And Wave Country. Our missions always turned out far more interesting than they were supposed to." She said with a smile.
She seemed a little distant at the moment. They chatted some more like two old friends. Then they stopped in front of a two room building on the beach that people stayed in when they wanted to be on the beach. The waves washing up on the beach had a calming effect, she had not seen much of Naruto today and her mind was wondering what that might mean.
"Well here we are. I hope you have a great time, he has been working on this all day." Koyuki told her as she turned to leave. Sakura looked at the door, she exhaled a breath that she was holding then opened the door.
Inside she found a table set for two. There was her favorite, sushi. The room was candle lit, giving a romantic feel to the room. And there standing beside the table was the man she had fallen in love with. Naruto was dressed in tan slacks, black dress shirt and orange tie. His hair was the unruly mess it always was. She could help but smile when she saw him.
For Naruto, he saw perfection, as he always did. She was prefect to him. She was wearing a red sundress the stopped at her knees, she had her hair loose, her bangs clipped back on her right side. She used the hair clip he had gotten her.
"What is all this?" She asked. Not that she was complaining. He always did things for her, a meal, drew a bath for her, having her clothes ready for her when she got home from a long shift at the hospital.
His hand went to the back of his head, a nervous tic he had. "Well, I figured that we don't get to do this a lot. Have a quiet dinner together someplace other than at Ichiraku's, or that place you like. So I set this up." He looked over at the table. "I also have something I want to ask you. It is something I have been thinking about for a bit now." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a small black box. Tears started down her cheeks. She knew what the question was.
He got down on one knee, opening the box, presenting it to her. "Sakura, will you marry me?"
She closed the distance with him kneeling down. Her hands cupped both of his cheeks, she pulled him into a kiss. When she broke the kiss. "Yes, my noisy baka. I will marry you."