AN: Hey everyone! 60 people are following this story. That is INSANE to me! Thank you guys so much for reading and following along.

I wanted to take this time to answer a few questions I've been getting asked a lot.

-I don't know how long I will keep the story going, I am torn. I have it planned out till the end of this "arc" but don't know if I want to keep it going after that, or maybe make a separate fic continuing the story. Would love to hear your opinions on this

-I started writing this now because A.) Quarantine and B.) After finally finishing the anime, I have been really bummed this pairing isn't canon. I finished the manga when it came out, but finishing the show really brought it back to the surface. Writing has helped a lot though, I understand why so many people do it now!

This chapter is the longest yet. I would love to hear if you guys prefer chapters this length or a little shorter. I could have split this into two chapters, but I thought it flowed better as one.

Anyway, that's enough out of me. Review if you can and as always, enjoy!

Chapter 6

Naruto looked on in horror as he listened to the screams and witnessed the chaos that was unfolding around him. His blood boiled with rage and he felt could feel Kurama's anger begin to flow through him. Someone was threatening the peace they had worked so hard for yet again, and he was tired of it. He ground his teeth together as his pupils flashed red for a brief second. He let out a low growl.

Quickly he glanced towards Sakura. She was safe, he had acted in time. At the sight of her, his eyes returned to their usual ocean blue, and he could feel his anger dissipate slightly. He silently thanked God for his enhanced senses. If anything had happened to her, especially on his watch, he didn't know what he would do. The thought was both motivating and terrifying at the same time.

He didn't have much time to think however, as a blur of blue-green chakra landed in the middle of the group. Sasuke was the first to react, unsheathing his katana and swinging it at the intruder. The blue entity dodged it effortlessly before jumping up to knee Sasuke in the jaw. Before he could regain his footing, Sasuke received a powerful kick to his stomach, knocking him back over what remained of the ramen bar. The unknown assailant ducked to avoid one of Naruto's punches, before grabbing Hinata by the arm.

In one swift motion, he knocked her out and lifted her over his shoulder. It happened so fast that she had no hope of keeping up. Just as quickly as the mystery figure had appeared, he jumped to the rooftops and made his getaway, carrying Hinata with him.

"Hinata!" Naruto yelled in panic as he watched his friend get lifted away by the unknown man.

He stopped himself before he blindly took off after her. Looking around at his surroundings again, he closed his eyes tight. The edges of his eyes became surrounded in a dark red color. Sakura instantly recognized his Sage mode. When his eyes shot open his usual blue was replaced again, but this time with bright yellow.

"Ninety-seven" he said more to himself than anybody else.

Sakura looked confused before he made a familiar hand seal, and ninety-seven identical copies of the blonde hero flooded the now destroyed ramen shop and out onto the street. Sasuke recovered from the blow that landed on him and took a stand beside Sakura. Naruto turned around to face them.

"There are ninety-seven people trapped. The explosion hit everything in a two-block radius from here from what I can tell. I have to go after Hinata. Sakura, I'm leaving the injured to you. My clones can find everyone with sage mode. Just tell them what you need them to do and they'll do it."

Sakura nodded. She knew it wasn't what she should be focused on, but she couldn't help but admire the man before her as his leadership qualities shone through.

"Sasuke, I need you to contain the fire, it's spreading way too fast. When you are done, help Sakura with whatever she needs."

"Hmf" Sasuke nodded. He hated to take orders from his rival but also knew the village would be further damaged if he didn't follow the blondes plan. He jumped into the air and summoned a large hawk that carried him to the outskirts of the fire.

"Naruto…" Sakura got his attention, worry evident in her voice. "Be careful."

It took Naruto off guard, but he broke out his signature grin and gave her a thumbs up. "Promise. If you need me, destroy one of my clones and I'll come running. I'm counting on you Sakura, they all are."

"Just watch me," Sakura said, chakra beginning to flow her.

Naruto smiled at her again, before jumping onto the roof and disappearing after Hinata. Sakura felt a pang in her chest watching him disappear, but shook her head and slapped herself on both cheeks before entering medic mode.

She bit the end of her thumb and slammed her palm on the ground. Instantly, one hundred identical slugs appeared, all awaiting Sakura's orders.

She quickly ordered the slugs onto the clone's shoulders. She told them that Naruto's clones would take them to the injured. They were to use her chakra to heal anyone whose life wasn't in immediate danger. They would bring anyone who could be moved to the hospital and would report back anyone who needed her to treat them on site. The slugs instantly obeyed her, impressed by her calm and cool demeanor. They did as instructed, and in a flash of yellow and orange Naruto's clones fanned out to search for the injured. Sakura began to mold more chakra as she prepared for what would surely be an exhausting few hours.

—

Naruto's feet pounded against the shingles as he jumped from roof to roof. He couldn't utilize Kurama's chakra mode and maintain control over his clones at the same time, so he was forced to remain in Sage form. He was still plenty fast, however, and soon was only a few rooftops behind the mysterious kidnapper.

Just as he was preparing to jump at him, a cloud of smoke appeared around him, reveling around thirty enemies. They were all identical, wrapped from head to toe in bandages and wearing a mask with an odd symbol over their faces. He could tell they were rather weak, probably either a clone or puppet justu of some kind. As his foot connected with one of them, he figured the later to be true.

The puppets tried to use their numbers to their advantage but were quickly outmatched. Naruto jumped over the head of one enemy before kicking two more with his outstretched legs. He landed on his hands and spun around, knocking out a few more with a helicopter kick. Before the next strike could come he jumped to a higher vantage and faced the remaining group.

Chakra began to condense in his palm, before spreading out in the shape of a giant shuriken. He threw his justu at the group, and jumped to continue his pursuit. He didn't even look back as his Rasenshuriken expanded behind him, as he knew he had eliminated them all.

Sasuke sensed a familiar chakra signature approaching, and he turned to see his team seven replacement and his former sensei fly up next to him. They mounted their own hawk, although this one was made of ink, not flesh.

He welcomed the support. He had circled the flame-engulfed section of the village three times and was beginning to get frustrated. No matter how many times he converted the white flames into his black ones, they just kept coming. Basic water style was failing as well, and at this rate he knew the damage to the village would be catastrophic.

What's the situation?" Kakashi asked. He then explained that Sai had been in his office when the explosion happened, and they had rushed over as fast as they could.

Sasuke recalled what had happened to the best of his abilities, and concluded with the issues he was having with stopping the spread of the flames. Sai nodded, and Kakashi looked down in terror at the scene before him.

"Okay. We'll leave Hinata's rescue to Naruto. Sasuke, circle again, but this time focus on creating a barrier with your flames, don't attempt to put them out."

Sasuke nodded at his old teacher, and a smirk appeared his lips. Kakashi may have lost a lot of his power after the war, but his battle instinct remained as sharp as ever. The Uchiha was a little shocked he hadn't thought of the idea himself but ignored it as his hawk began its next lap around the disaster.

Sai and Kakashi let out a breath they didn't realize they were holding when they saw the Uchiha's black flames form a giant circle extending high into the air around the burning segment of the village. The plan had worked for now, but things were far from over.

Kakashi ordered Sai to return to Hokage tower and help Shikamaru gather reinforcements, before jumping off of the hawk to aid in the rescue effort below.

—

Sakura could feel the exhaustion hitting her. More than half of the victims caught in the attack were stable and en route to the hospital for treatment. The people who remained however, were in far greater danger. She had set up a makeshift treatment area in front of the demolished Ichiraku, and was currently healing a particularly bad burn on a man Naruto's clone had brought to her. Kastyuyu, her slug, had divided herself further and was channeling Sakura's chakra into three villagers who laid still a few feet behind her.

She was trying her best to push through, but the emotions of the situation were beginning to take there toll.

Two people had already died, and she knew that she wouldn't be able to save everyone that remained. Tears formed in her eyes and she pumped more chakra into the burn victim in front of her. Despite her feelings, she had to keep going. Getting distracted only meant a higher body count and she had far too much experience to make that mistake now.

Naruto's words echoed in her head, and her mouth pulled into a small smile when his grinning face popped into her mind. Her resolve steeled even further, and dark black lines began to expand out of the purple diamond on her forehead. An insane amount of chakra flowed to every part of her body, and she felt her energy return.

"I'm counting on you. They all are." She whispered to herself and she sent more chakra to her patient, until she felt him stir slightly and open his eyes for the first time. Her satisfaction was short-lived, as two more of Naruto's clones landed beside her with two more injured villagers.

—

Hinata's kidnapper slammed into the ground with such force that it splintered and cracked underneath him. He rolled out of the way just in time to avoid an angry Naruto's Rasengan. Said Naruto disappeared in a puff of smoke as the real Naruto landed several yards behind him, carrying an unconscious Hinata in his arms.

"Who the hell are you?" Naruto screamed. His determination and anger were momentarily replaced with shock when he finally got a look at his enemy.

The teal chakra form before him slowly faded away, and in its place stood a man. He had snow-white skin and matching hair. He was about as tall as Naruto but significantly skinnier. His outfit consisted of a beige toga over his white kimono. 6 tomoe tattoos adorned his neck, and Naruto shivered as he focused on the man's chakra for the first time. It reminded him of Sasuke's when he had been at his darkest point, but this man's anger seemed to run even deeper. He also noticed that the man was wearing a blindfold across his eyes.

'Wait... don't tell me he fought me this whole time with that on.' He thought, before the man's shrill, deep voice broke him out of his trance.

"You have to let her go eventually."

That was all the man said before a pillar of blinding blue light erupted beneath him. Naruto had to shield his eyes, and when he opened them the mysterious entity had vanished, leaving only scorched earth where he once stood.

He looked down at the unconscious woman in his arms. She looked unharmed, but he had to get her to the hospital before rejoining his team. He took a deep breath before jumping back onto the rooftops and towards the hospital.

He looked towards the direction of the original attack and saw Sasuke's black flames shoot into the sky and form what looked like a giant barrier. He felt a bit of relief wash over him. He knew he had the most capable shinobi team imaginable, but that didn't stop him from worrying about them. Especially about a certain pink-haired woman who he desperately hoped was okay.

—

It was well past midnight when Sakura finally left Konoha Hospital. She was utterly defeated, and felt like she could pass out at any moment. She had drastically underestimated how many people needed intensive treatment, and had spent the last seven hours since the attack jumping between surgeries with no breaks in between. In addition, many of the victims were trapped under a powerful Genjustu. Many had to be sedated before she could properly operate. She was running on soldier pills and will power, and could feel that both were about to run out.

She hadn't seen her team since the attack, but Shizune kept her updated in between surgeries. Naruto had successfully managed to rescue Hinata, and she was currently resting at her clans compound. Sasuke and Kakashi had sealed off the flames, but much to her surprise they couldn't put them out. The result was the total destruction of the area as they had no choice but to let the flames burn out on there own, taking the buildings with them. The entire radius around Ichiraku's was totally flat, and while the flames had mostly gone out by now there was still a pillar of smoke extending into the air. It had been a devastating blow to the Leaf Village.

After taking a few more steps she felt her legs give way. Even though she knew she was falling, she couldn't find the strength to move. Her body didn't listen to her and her vision blurred as she prepared herself for the hard fall that was to come.

It never came. Instead, she felt a strong arm wrap around her shoulder. Her head gently fell into the soft crook of a person's neck. Startled, she took a deep breath in and recognized the scent instantly. She knew she should protest, but she didn't. She knew that she should say something, but she couldn't. She knew she shouldn't be happy it was him, but she was.

Her eyes flickered open and saw the most intense and beautiful Saphire eyes staring down at her. They were full of concern, relief, and something she couldn't place, but didn't have the energy to dwell on.

Naruto didn't say anything. He had seen the girl before him at her worst, but it had been a long time since she had looked this...beaten. Any thoughts of the day's tragic events were pushed from his mind. They would have time to discuss it later. Right now all he knew was that she needed him, and he wasn't about to disappoint.

"Naruto...what are you..." Sakura didn't have time to finish before he spun around and let her fall onto his back before he locked her legs around his waist. Her arms automatically found his neck, and she clung on as tight as she could. His hair was disheveled and his clothes were covered in dirt.

'He's probably had just as long a day as I have' She thought to herself, as Naruto jumped to the rooftops of a nearby shop.

"Can I take you home?" He looked back over his shoulder and softly smiled in her direction.

She closed her eyes and rested her chin over his shoulder. She knew he was talking about his home, and she didn't have the strength to protest. She didn't want to be alone right now, and more importantly she didn't want to be without him. Ino's words echoed in her head again, but the fatigue served as a lovely barrier for any embarrassment or anxiety.

She nodded her head against his neck and felt the wind blow against them as he made his way back to his apartment.

He gracefully landed in front of his door and bent down to let the girl on his back regain her footing. Sakura had managed to get a little strength back on their brief trip and was able to stand on her own, even if she shook slightly. He unlocked his door and held it open, allowing her to enter first.

The first thing she noticed when she stepped into his apartment was how much cleaner it was than the last time she had stayed over. In the two weeks she hadn't been there, Naruto must have given the place a full scrub-down. Even the floors shined in a way she wasn't used to. His shoes were neatly tucked by the door, the dishes were all put away, and she even noticed he had thrown out the empty ramen cups that usually littered the small kitchen table.

"Someone knows how to clean up..." Sakura turned to face her friend, but her breath hitched in her throat when she saw his normal smile replaced with a stern, serious expression. He took a step closer to her.

"How many?"

She broke eye contact with him, suddenly feeling herself come undone. She looked down at the floor.

"Narut..."

"How many?" He asked again. There was no anger in his voice, but it was clear he wasn't going to drop the subject until she answered him. She finally looked back at him.

"Thirteen," she said softly.

"Let it out."

That was all she needed to hear. The tears came on so quick and so hard that she immediately felt light-headed. The events of the day replayed in her mind at a lighting fast pace, and she began to hyperventilate in order to get enough oxygen.

How was he able to tell so easily all the weight she was carrying? When did she come to rely on him to this extent? She tried to hide her face in her arm, but soon felt Naruto's hand softly wrap around her wrist.

He pulled her against his chest, one hand nestling in her tangled pink hair, and the other one finding its way to her back. Electricity shot through her system and he gently led her head to his neck. A fresh round of tears escaped her eyes and she let out a wail into his shoulder. She hated herself at that moment for being so weak but had no way of fighting back. She cried against him for what felt like ages.

The entire time, he said nothing. He didn't need too. Nothing he could say could compare to just letting her release. He had been around her long enough to know that losing a patient was not something words could fix. So he let her cry.

Despite the situation and her distress, Naruto couldn't help himself from gently taking in the smell of her hair. She didn't exactly smell great, but he couldn't care less. It was her, and that was all that mattered.

Eventually, Sakura's crying died down, and the two were left holding on to each other in Naruto's hallway. It suddenly dawned on Sakura just how close they were, and a blush immediately plastered itself on her face. She gently pulled away from him, and noticed what she thought was a small disappointed groan come from behind his lips. She convinced herself it was her imagination, there was no way she could get a reaction like that from Naruto. Ino's words were having more of an effect on her than she thought.

"Um...Naruto...is it okay if I take a shower?" Her blush intensified as she remembered one small problem. "And...maybe borrow something to sleep in? I don't think I left anything here." She looked away from him yet again missing the small blush that crept onto his cheeks.

"Um. Sure thing Sakura Chan. I'll leave it by the door. I hope orange is okay..." she laughed and he felt some joy return to his world from just the sound of it.

"Idiot, pink clashes with orange y'know?" He pouted at her which got another laugh, before she headed down the hall to the bathroom.

He quickly went to his bedroom, and pulled out an old white shirt and a pair of orange boxers. He folded them neatly and went to leave them outside the bathroom. His body froze when he heard the water turn on, and it suddenly hit him. She had stayed the night many times before, but she had never actually showered there. She always either did it at work, or not at all. It shouldn't have been a big deal, but the thought of a naked Sakura behind the door in front of him was enough to send his mind into a tailspin of less than innocent thoughts.

He shook himself out of his stupor and returned to his room. Quickly, he changed into a black t-shirt and orange boxers, and threw his dirty clothing into a hamper in his closet. His bed made a loud squeaking sound when he flopped down onto his back. He began citing ninja history in his head to distract himself from thinking back to a showering Sakura. It seemed to be working, until his door creaked open and the object of his fantasies quietly walked into his room.

He had to stop himself from choking on his own saliva. Not that any existed at that moment; his mouth was as dry as it could possibly be. She avoided his gaze and he saw a small blush appear on his cheeks. She finally looked but up at him and gave him a smile that turned his mind into a puddle. Her hair was wet, and tied back behind her head, and she was wearing the outfit he had laid out for her. She was actually wearing it.

Sakura on the other hand was just as charged as he was. She had looked in the mirror on her way out of the bathroom. His shirt was too big for her. It slid down just enough to see the slight trace of her collarbone. She hated that she loved seeing herself in his signature color, and hated even more how comfortable she felt in his clothing.

When she locked eyes with him, she had to force herself from not jumping him, just to feel his warmth on her skin again. Instead, she quietly sat on the edge of the bed, and he pushed himself up so that he was sitting next to her. Neither of them said anything for a long time until Naruto's voice pierced the silence.

"I..uh..told you orange would look good on you." he gave her a shy smile and she just chuckled at him.

"Idiot..." she said, before the exhaustion from the day came crashing over her. Naruto noticed and shot up as she found her way under the covers. He smiled down at her again, before making his way towards the door of his room. Something inside Sakura panicked, and she shouted out, a little louder than she meant to.

"Where are you going? She asked, and Naruto froze in his tracks.

"Well, You're uh kinda in my bed Sakura-chan, so I'm gonna go set up the couch." He responded before he noticed Sakura look away and a small blush appear for the thousandth time that night.

'Why does she keep doing that, I hope she isn't sick' he thought to himself before continuing on. A small thought popped into his mind.

"Is that okay?" He asked quietly.

It was wishful thinking, and he was sure it was just their conversation the night before that had him being optimistic. Yet, he desperately wished she would say no. Which is why the next thing he heard nearly made his eyes bulge out of his head.

"No...I mean yea! I mean...you've had a long day too. You shouldn't have to sleep on the couch. Not that I want to either, I mean. What I'm trying to say is..." she was so embarrassed she couldn't find the strength to observe his reaction at the next thing she said.

"We can share. The bed. If you want."

She heard Naruto take a sharp breath in, and immediately went to backtrack on her words.

"But if you try anything I swear to GOD Naruto I will knock you all the way to Suna."

His laughter brought her back to reality and she smiled softly when he walked back to his bed. She made room for him and she slid to the other side. It was a twin bed so she knew it would be a tight fit, but wanted to at least appear to be staying on her own side. Naruto didn't seem to notice however and took up far more room than his side allowed.

"I would argue, but a bed sounds really nice right now. No funny business. I promise" Naruto smirked at her and she felt a shiver run down her spine.

He reached over and turned off the light, and Sakura felt him shift as he got under the blanket. She turned to face the wall so her back was towards him. A soft sigh escaped her mouth as her head hit the pillow.

Every cell in Naruto's body felt like it was vibrating. He had turned the lights out because he knew if Sakura saw the look on his face he was a dead man. He turned his back to her and tried desperately to keep still. If he moved even a little he risked brushing up against her, and the mere thought of feeling her skin was enough to give him goosebumps. He had known since Sasuke had returned that he wasn't over her, but it was in that moment that he realized just how deep his feelings ran.

All of a sudden he felt a weight on his shoulder. Looking down, he was greeted to the sight of a mess of pink hair resting itself on his chest. She was frozen, and he could tell she was holding in her breath. He had no idea what to do. A few days ago he had been ignoring her and prepared to let her go. Now, he would have killed anyone and anything that dared interrupt his moment of bliss.

"I'm sorry. I just don't' wanna be alone tonight. You can push me away if you want." Sakura didn't move, and was thankful her hair was covering her face considering they were currently the exact same color. She didn't know what had come over her. That seemed to be happening a lot around him recently, she thought to herself. When he didn't say anything, she prepared to move back to her side of the bed, until his arm shot out and she was pulled even closer to him. He wrapped her in his embrace and repositioned them so that they were less awkward and more comfortable.

"I never want to be alone, I get it."

She looked up for the first time and saw him giving her his signature toothy grin, and she couldn't stop herself from smiling back at him. She decided she would cut herself some slack tonight. It had been an awful day for both of them, and she would deal with any repercussions in the morning. Tonight, they were finding comfort in each other, and that was enough.

Her head rested on his chest as she listened to his heartbeat. It was incredibly soothing to her, and before long Sakura fell asleep. Naruto noticed as her breath steadied before letting out a breath of his own that he was holding in. He didn't know what to think. Sakura had never acted like this around him, even when she had lost patients in the past. Just like her, tonight he didn't care. He fell asleep with a smile on his face, his favorite pink-haired companion tucked beneath his arm.