Longest chapter yet! Ah! I'm so proud. I think my writing skills have really improved over the years. I seem to be able to write much more in a smaller amount of time. Anyway, here's the next chapter! I hope you all enjoy it. I certainly think it's a chapter you've all been looking forward to (I know I have). Also a special thanks to everyone still supporting this fanfic. It makes it easier to write knowing people are looking forward to my content!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When morning came, the woodland creatures made their presence known, through their vivacious chirping, scratching, and scuttling in the forest near the edge of the Uchiha mansion. Sasuke woke as the morning light began to stream into his bedroom. He moaned, feeling the stress of the last three years melt away from a deep sleep in his former bed. Pale eyelids blinked open, and for the first time in a long while Sasuke felt his alert senses dulled.

At first this realization was indeed a troubling one. He couldn't remember the last time he let his guard down, even for a second. But he quickly realized there was a reason for his abnormal behavior and that reason lay a few inches away from his body.

Obsidian eyes warmed at the sight of the young woman, curled onto the mattress beside him. He watched Naruko's gentle breath pulse lightly out her lips and enjoyed the soft, peaceful face that held no stress in her beautifully tanned skin. Blonde hair splayed out gracefully from the top of her head. He felt his breath slip away, until of course, he focused his eyes.

As the bleariness of the morning became clearer the girl laying beside him seemed to transform. Her face still held in a deep peaceful slumber, but he clearly looked past Naruko's true sleeping form. Her mouth was open, long lines of drool escaped from the corner of her lips forming a disturbingly large puddle on the blue bedsheets. Her soft breaths changed into loud snores that served only to wake him up more than he already was. Naruko's hair spilled outward in nearly every direction. Then her still form changed with a lightning quick twitch that kicked her leg out suddenly and Sasuke grunted as the limb impacted against his own body.

Naruko was hardly graceful as she slept, and yet, Sasuke couldn't stop the smile that formed on his lips. He couldn't stop the giddy chuckle that barely made a sound above a whisper as he shook he head, wondering how he had been so mistakenly wrong in his analysis of the girl a few moments ago. It was funny to him that he forgot how Naruko often slept. He thought back to his genin days, before the two ninja were even friends, and remembered his intense irritation hearing Naruko snore through her tent, often keeping him awake longer than he wanted.

There was no irritation anymore.

He made an attempt to get up, digging his elbows into the mattress and pushing upwards. The mattress dipped under the force of his body and he watched as Naruko's body seemed to slide closer. Her forearm brushed against his, and Sasuke took a moment to relish the contact. Being this close to Naruko, he wondered if he really had the willpower to leave again. It's a thought that plagued his mind since his decision to visit. It seemed more enticing with each moment he spent with the girl.

Sasuke tried once more to get up, easily folding his upper body upright. He sat for a moment, trying to figure a way around Naruko without waking her, but his thoughts halted when an arm swung loosely in the air, slamming into the center of his chest and knocking his back onto the mattress once more. He groaned, wondering how Naruko was so unknowingly dangerous while sleeping. The Uchiha could feel her body move once more, using the arm that lay over his chest as leverage.

He paused, feeling her blonde hair brush over his arm and the warm weight of her head placed gently down over his chest. Sasuke's eyes widened, wondering if the girl had woken up, but her snores remained, and he could feel a slight wetness as her drool begin to dampen his shirt.

"Stubborn girl." He smiled, accepting his defeat at the hands of an unconscious young woman.

He figured laying down for a few more minutes wouldn't be so bad.

XXXXX

Naruko could feel the blurry fog of sleep begin to slowly disappear before she even opened her eyes. She felt a great warmth that seemed to cover most of her body and felt a weight in her arms. In her half-conscious state, she wondered if she had grabbed her large 'kaka-sensei' plush from her closet before drifting off to bed. She enjoyed the doll, its presence often making her slumber heavier and fulfilling. She squeezed her arms around the plush tightly, noticing it didn't quite cave under her strength as it normally did.

"Naru, I can't breathe." A voice disturbed her thoughts.

Her ocean blue eyes snapped open, instantly noticing that her arms were not laced around a doll, but rather a person. She skipped over the initial thoughts of panic in her mind as her senses returned to her conscious self. Immediately taking in the scent of someone precious to her. She drifted her head that rest on this person's chest and stared into the amused charcoal eyes of Sasuke Uchiha. Relief flooded her body, and her tensed muscles relaxed.

Sasuke spoke once more.

"Good morning."

Naruko couldn't stop staring at the gentle smile that graced his beautiful face. His adoring gaze melted her on the spot. Seeing him here, keeping his promise that he made last night, almost brought tears to her eyes. Luckily, Naruko felt that she really had no tears left to shed after last night.

"You're still here." Her voice croaked from her long period of slumber.

"Of course." He spoke gently.

Naruko closed her eyes once more, digging her cheek into his chest. The pressure sent warm tingles through her body and she took a long breath, filling her lungs and releasing the air slowly. Was there ever a time in her life that she felt more content?

"…'m glad." She mumbled into his shirt, wondering if she could simply lay here for all of eternity.

"Do you want to keep sleeping?" She heard Sasuke whisper, offering her a genuine choice.

"Just wanna lay here…for a moment." Naruko responded, unable to keep the slight tiredness out of her voice.

Naruko couldn't tell if Sasuke responded verbally or not. He was being quiet, and her hearing hadn't fully returned to a conscious state. However, she felt his back ease itself deeper into the mattress, and his hands placed loosely around her waist. A few moments passed and Naruko wondered if Sasuke could feel just how happy she was. Naruko thought she could feel his own happiness, as well as his gentle, soothing heartbeat that thudded against her head and the calming rise and fall of his chest as he breathed.

The two lay quietly for a while, no words being shared, but after a long period of time Naruko could no longer keep the restlessness out of her muscles. Her closed eyes twitched, wishing to be open and alert. Her back began aching, pleading to be stretched. Lastly, and perhaps most importantly, her stomach groaned, a sound that rattled the soft silence of the room.

Naruko couldn't help the blood rushing to her cheeks, especially knowing Sasuke was staring at her with an amused smirk. She didn't need eyes to tell her that was the truth. She lifted her head off Sasuke's chest and sat upwards, opening her eyes to stare at her most precious person.

Of course, she was right. He was smirking, his black eyes twinkling in amusement.

"Hungry?" He questioned.

Naruko nodded her head and shifted her body to step off the mattress. As her feet touched the wooden floorboards Naruko stretched her body out, reaching toward the ceiling and lightly moaning at the feeling. Everything in her body from her calves to her neck pulsed with an indescribable satisfaction. Naruko never heard Sasuke get up, but she felt Sasuke's arms wrap lightly around her, resting his palms on the flat of her stomach, and his chin placed over her shoulder.

"You're so beautiful." He whispered into her ear, his breath tickling her.

She shivered and squirmed out of his hold. Naruko couldn't tell when Sasuke had become so forward with his actions and she couldn't tell if she was uncomfortable because of him, or because of the lightning fast pulse of her heart that felt ready to explode from her chest.

"D-don't." She pleaded with no real conviction.

"I couldn't help myself." Sasuke smiled, brushing his palm against her bare arm.

Naruko could only smile lightly at the man before him. She wondered just how many women in the village wished Sasuke would treat them this way. How extraordinarily lucky she must be.

"I'm sorry" Sasuke spoke with atonement, unsure if he really had the right to treat Naruko this way. After all, he had been away for so long.

He knew of her feelings for him and knew of her happiness at his return. Perhaps his actions had been a little too forward though. Sasuke could only imagine the whiplash of emotions that Naruko might be feeling from his return. Maybe she wasn't ready for him to act so suddenly. Just seeing her stretch with her black tank top and orange pants, watching the tanned muscles of her back and shoulders define themselves so clearly under her unkempt blonde hair, while her bottom arched from the extension of her legs. It sent his mind into a frenzy. He'd have to control himself more.

Naruko glanced away from him, unable to keep eye contact. "It's okay…I kinda liked it." She mumbled, truly hoping that Sasuke had gone deaf in that moment.

'Well, maybe control is over-rated' Sasuke thought.

"C'mon, I'll make breakfast." Sasuke said, leading the way out of the bedroom.

He could hear the light, graceful sound of Naruko's feet against the floorboards as she eagerly followed behind him. His eyes scanned the hallway, and eventually the living and dining area. Naruko had kept the place mostly intact, aside from the few cups of instant ramen that littered the countertop.

It didn't take long for Sasuke to cook up a balanced meal, and he was genuinely pleased that the pantry and fridge seemed to be stocked full of fresh ingredients. Naruko had definitely changed up her eating habits, something he was grateful for.

Within minutes the two sat on the couch in the living area. Plates, almost completely devoid of the breakfast they had, were resting on a coffee table in front of them. Naruko sighed contently after a pleasant meal.

"Feels good, not having to cook." She said, before falling silent.

Sasuke smirked, leaning back into the couch and enjoying the relaxed nature in the room. He remembered how awkward they had been around each other in the past. How silence always felt like an uncomfortable cage that needed to be broken. He didn't know when Naruko had become so comfortable around him, nor when he became so relaxed around her. It just happened.

"Was there anything you wanted to do today?" Sasuke asked.

Naruko shook her head. No, she had no plans today. Even if she did, nothing would keep her from leaving this home right now.

"I just wanna be here."

Sasuke nodded.

A sudden shift in the couch caused Sasuke to turn. He saw Naruko twisting her body, sitting cross-legged while facing him, an excited bounce in her movements. Uh oh…she was excited.

"So," She started with a giddy smile. "Where did you go? Anywhere cool? Meet anyone interesting? You know, that wasn't trying to kill you. What about new Jutsu? I bet you learned some crazy stuff!"

Sasuke faked is exasperation, placing his fingers tightly over his eyes.

"That's a lot of questions."

"Tell me, tell me!"

Sasuke smiled. It seemed he was doing that a lot more often recently. He couldn't really remember the last time he smiled over the last three years. Naruko naturally brought it out of him.

"There isn't much to tell." Sasuke replied, keeping his voice cool and collected. "I moved around a lot, visited some interesting places, didn't spend much time sight seeing though."

Naruko frowned. "You're being boring." She groaned.

Sasuke shrugged.

"It's the truth. As for the people I met, I think everyone wanted to kill me, so there's that." He didn't want to talk about the hundreds of times he spent on the brink of death after some large battles, nor the amounts of people he slew to achieve his power. Naruko didn't need to know about those things.

Naruko leaned forward enthusiastically.

"At least tell me you learned some really strong jutsu."

Sasuke chuckled and Naruko pointed her finger at him accusingly.

"You did, didn't you!"

Sasuke leaned forward, his face mere inches from Naruko's face. He could tell the sudden closed distance immediately impacted the blonde as her cheeks warmed.

"Maybe we can spar later, and you'll see." He whispered, loving the reaction he was drawing out of the girl.

"Y-yeah." Naruko said, eager for the opportunity, but unable to react properly to Sasuke's close proximity.

Sasuke leaned back, content with himself. It seemed he was pretty good at teasing Naruko. His mind quickly went elsewhere. He was less interested by his own travels and vastly more intrigued by Naruko. How had she been? Was she still happy here in Konoha? What did she learn?

As if reading his mind Naruko began to talk about herself and Konoha.

"Kaka-sensei is still the same old lazy pervert. He trained me exclusively over the past few years though. Says I've really improved. I bet I can still take you on!" She exclaimed.

"Oh?" Sasuke raised his eyebrow. "You say that like you could have taken me on before." He teased.

Naruko sent a mild glare towards the Uchiha.

"Of course, I could."

"I don't remember you winning ever."

"That's just because you got lucky!"

The two stared at each other, Naruko clearly more intense, trying to send sparks of electricity through her glare while Sasuke smugly stared back. A low growl came from Naruko as she stared, reminding Sasuke just how competitive the girl could be. However, it only took a few seconds for Naruko to lean backwards and release a tinkling laugh that sent flutters through Sasuke's heart. He decided to join her. A minute later the laughter slowed to a halt

"I missed you." Naruko smiled gently, remembering the last time she was able to spend time with Sasuke like this.

"I know."

There was another silence. Sasuke decided to continue the conversation.

"How's Sakura?" He asked.

Naruko's eyes lit up at the mention of her friend.

"Oh yeah! Sakura-chan spent time training with the Old Hag! She's really strong now. You should see the strength she can put behind a punch." Naruko shivered. "Scary."

Sasuke nodded, not sure if he could completely comprehend Sakura being so strong. However, the girl was trained by a Sanin, maybe that meant much more than he thought.

"Oh! Sakura-chan!" Naruko yelped, realizing the girl wanted to spend time with her today.

"hm?"

"She said she wanted to come over around noon today. I completely forgot." Naruko said while hoping off the couch and pacing through the living room.

"Oh man, what should I do?" Naruko halted, turning to face the seated Uchiha, concern marring the features of her face.

Sasuke sighed.

"Do you trust her not to tell anyone I'm here?"

Naruko paused for a moment. She thought about her pink-haired teammate and asked herself that same question. Could she trust Sakura? Naruko thought back to when Sakura had first learned that Sasuke left, she was sad at the time, but also stayed with Naruko for the rest of the day comforting her while she struggled to move on.

"I think so." Naruko said.

She couldn't tell for certain, but Sakura had always had the best intentions. It's what made her a good friend. If Sakura learned that Sasuke was back…Naruko was almost positive that she wouldn't say anything.

A sudden uncontrollable thought pierced through Naruko's mind. A type of thought that made Naruko's heart drop at her own ideas. Would it be such a bad thing if Sakura told someone? What if she did and Tsunade forced Sasuke to stay in the village. It was selfish, Naruko knew. She hated herself for thinking of something so terrible but couldn't deny her want for him to permanently stay.

Naruko shook her head, she wouldn't let these thoughts be known. She couldn't. She didn't know, maybe Sasuke was planning on staying anyway, and just wasn't ready to announce his presence…She dared not ask.

Sasuke's voice broke Naruko from her thoughts.

"It'll be fine then." Sasuke said.

Naruko stared at the man, wondering how he could sound so calm and collected. Sasuke's mind clearly worked more efficiently than hers. That, or he really wasn't too worried.

XXXXX

Sakura Haruno couldn't stop the smile that spread on her face as she walked through the Uchiha grounds. There was a light pep in her step, and a happy little muffled hum that escaped from her lips. It wasn't everyday that she was able to skip training and meet up with her friend. Most of the time their schedules conflicted too often. That was all about to change. Sakura had planned an entire list of questions for her teammate last night, and ways they could spend the day together.

As she hopped up the stairs of the beautiful Uchiha estate, a nervous tingle took hold in her stomach. It was the type of fluttering that had the girl trembling in anxious, yet excited fervor. She raised her pale knuckles up to the large oak door and tapped them against the wood.

It took a few moments before Sakura could hear the mechanical shifting of locks, and the door opened slowly. Sakura put on her friendliest smile, catching sight of blonde hair and blue eyes through the gap in the door way.

"Hi Naruko!" She exclaimed excitedly.

Naruko didn't respond, nor did she look as happy as Sakura would have expected. The blonde girl's brow was furrowed in a manor that spoke of nervousness and uncertainty. It didn't help that Naruko had only opened the door enough to fit her little face into the crack, not open wide enough to be an invitation into the home.

Blue eyes glanced towards bright green ones.

"Hi Sakura-chan."

Sakura felt her expression fall slightly at the young girl's tone. The upward curve of her smile lowering with each passing second. Was there something wrong with Naruko? Sakura's first thought was to ask, but Naruko began speaking before she had the opportunity.

"Listen, um. Don't freak out." Naruko began. "And please don't tell anyone."

Sakura could hear the underlying tones of desperation in Naruko's voice. She could feel the atmosphere of what was intended to be a friendly meeting turn into something much more akin to strangers meeting for the first time.

"Is everything okay?" Sakura questioned, genuine concern laced through her gentle voice.

"Great! Great." Naruko assured quickly, her eyes purposefully not directly looking towards Sakura's. "It's just…well…I um…"

A moment of silence passed, and it seemed that Naruko was struggling to come up with the right words. Sakura shifted on the balls of her feet, trying her best to let Naruko say what she wanted.

Then Sakura heard his voice. A smooth, velvety, familiar voice that groaned with irritation.

"Just open the door already."

Sakura's emerald eyes widened, her brain quickly determining the owner of the voice. She hadn't heard that voice in years. Sakura almost doubted her own conclusions, but Naruko swung the door completely open, letting the pink-haired girl see into the house completely. Right by Naruko's side, her former teammate stood with a confidence only reserved for the most competent ninja. His pale angular features, and dark mysterious eyes held a new air of confidence that only strength could provide.

"Sasuke?" Sakura barely whispered between her lips.

"Hn. Sakura." He replied in a fashion that undoubtedly reminded Sakura of her genin years.

Sakura didn't know what to do. When she imagined Sasuke's grand return, she never expected to see him like this. Sasuke's aura glowed with confidence and strength, a quality that reminded Sakura of most jounin in the village, and his features were more angular and defined than before. His dark obsidian eyes still retained that mysterious and mesmerizing quality that sent most women into a spiral of adoration. He had grown up beyond her expectations, easily outclassing the rest of her ninja friends.

Sakura took a step forward, quickly embracing the man in a friendly hug. She felt his arms wrap lightly around her, allowing Sakura to sense his own pleasant feelings at their sudden reunion. Sakura almost blushed at how secure she felt in Sasuke's arms, but the feeling disappeared as Sasuke quickly released his hold.

It took the pink-haired girl a few moments to recover from Sasuke's greeting. If she hadn't been so clearly rejected in her past, she was almost certain his greeting would have kick-started a whole new wave of intense feelings for the man. Thankfully Sakura knew of Sasuke's intentions, helping her cope with her own traitorous teenage body.

Sakura glanced over at her other teammate, smiling excitedly. She could only imagine how ecstatic Naruko must be at Sasuke's return. Her assumptions were correct based off the wide bright smile that shined on Naruko's face.

"When did you come back?" Sakura asked, unable to hold in her questions…and she had many.

"Last night." Sasuke replied.

"I have so many questions." Sakura breathed.

"We have some time." Sasuke responded coolly.

The three ninja wandered into the mansion, Sakura taking a seat in one of the chairs perpendicular to the couch in the center of the room. Sasuke sat down on the edge of the couch, leaning into his palm while his elbow dug into the arm rest. Naruko appeared a few moments later with three glasses of water in her arms and distributed the drinks among everyone. Sakura watched with amused eyes when Naruko sat on the couch next to Sasuke, her entire body leaning into the man. She could tell Naruko had it bad for the Uchiha but watching Sasuke maneuver his body to accommodate Naruko convinced the pink haired girl that Sasuke was just as love-struck. Sakura forced down her own girlish squeal that attempted to escape.

The three spent quite a long time, mostly talking about Sasuke and what he had done over the years, despite his insistence that it wasn't all that interesting. Sakura enjoyed watching Sasuke talk about his adventures, not because of his storytelling but because of the blonde girl leaning into him with every word. Sakura was even sure Naruko had already heard some of the stories and yet her blue eyes never lost the awe-struck admiration in them, or the curiosity behind her pupils.

Sakura continued to ask most of the questions, and Sasuke answered, usually in some short, vague response, and Naruko would whine and complain until he elaborated. Unfortunately, the friendly atmosphere was broken with a single question.

"Are you staying?"

Sakura immediately regretted asking the question. She had rattled off so many that one of the most difficult ones to ask simply slipped past her mind's filter. The question tensed everyone in the room. Its words held more impact than she could have ever imagined. Sakura was about to speak up, let Sasuke know that he didn't need to answer. However, as she took a shaky breath, preparing to break the uncomfortable silence…he answered.

"No."

Sakura let her eyes fall down to her lap. She was enjoying Sasuke being here again. The girl had forgotten the natural atmosphere that the original Team 7 could produce. Even more so, Sakura felt a wave of sadness, not for herself, but for the blonde girl sitting across the room. Sakura had seen Naruko flinch at the question, and her blue eyes now appeared distant. Sakura cursed her own mistake.

Naruko stood up suddenly, her eyes glancing to Sasuke and Sakura. Sakura could see the girl's weak attempt to smile.

"I'm gonna go take a shower." Naruko said. "I think I stink pretty bad."

Sakura flinched at the hollow laughter that Naruko produced at her own self-observation, and watched the girl walk off towards the hallway. Emerald eyes shifted back over to Sasuke and she could tell the young man had known his answer wasn't appealing. His black eyes lowered, unable to look at anything in the room. Sakura at first felt bad for the Uchiha but remembered how depressed Naruko was after his first departure.

Sakura clenched her fist tightly. She was pissed.

XXXXX

Naruko wasn't really sure when she had gotten into the shower. She wasn't sure when she had stripped all her clothes or when she began scrubbing her body with soap. The spray of water was burning hot as it crashed against her skin. She forgot to check the temperature before getting in but that didn't seem to matter because she felt so cold.

The white bar of soap in her hand was vigorously dragged across her skin, harshly cleaning the surface of her forearm. Her blonde hair darkened with the with the abundance of water soaking through her strands. Naruko squeezed the soap in her hand tighter and tighter, applying more pressure as she cleaned herself.

A dull 'thud' caught Naruko's attention as the bar of soap slipped from her hands and fell to the bottom of the tub. She wished for her body to make an attempt to crouch down and pick up the bar. She wished that she would continue to clean herself under the shower of water. Instead, her body refused her wishes.

With shaky hands Naruko wrapped her own arms around herself. She knew Sasuke wasn't going to stay. Of course, she had known that! All this time, she spent trying to avoid the question and live in an ignorant bliss. But why? Why couldn't she have expected this awful feeling, braced for it? Why couldn't she just react like anyone else would and wish him safe travels and a hopeful goodbye. She wanted him here! With her! Naruko knew she was being foolish. She knew that Sasuke would never intentionally hurt her. She knew he would come back for her eventually. She just couldn't fight her own feelings. It hurt.

Naruko's blue eyes began to ache and redden. She lowered herself into a crouch, one arm still wrapped tightly around her body, the other pressing her palm into her mouth. She let out a heart-wrenching cry that her hand muffled into a low whine. She could feel the hot water cascading against her back, and although she couldn't see them through the drops of water that surrounded her, Naruko knew her tears were falling silently to the shower floor.

XXXXX

Sasuke stared at the coffee table in front of him, yet his eyes weren't focused in the slightest. He mentally cursed, knowing that Naruko had been upset. In all honesty, he wished he could have explained to her just how much it hurt to leave, how much he wished he could stay and protect her. But he wasn't certain of his strength, at least not against his brother. And as long as that murdering psychopath was still breathing, he could never stop himself from seeking power. He could never let his guard down, and he could never stay here where Itachi could simply wait to strike in the shadows in front of his very eyes.

Sasuke's view was suddenly obstructed by a pair of pale legs and a tan skirt. His eyes drifted upward and saw Sakura standing in front of him with her hands on her hips, fists clenched, and fury in her emerald eyes.

"Get up." Sakura commanded, her tone tight and harsh.

Sasuke stood up, surprised at the sound of Sakura's voice. He couldn't think of a time when he ever spoke in such a way towards him. He could see the rise and fall of her chest, the angry puffs of breath that she took.

"Why come back if you're just going to leave?" She growled.

Sasuke averted his gaze. "I wanted to see her again."

Sakura closed the distance between them and Sasuke flinched backwards, her face marred with anger. The pink-haired ninja raised her fist, jutting out a single finger and poking in harshly into Sasuke's chest. Suddenly, Sasuke was very aware of Sakura's strength that Naruko had mentioned before.

"Did you even think about that would do to her?" Sakura snarled.

She poked him harshly once more and continued.

"Do you even know how lost she was without you?"

Sasuke walked backwards, the center of his chest aching painfully from each jab. However, his heart ached more with each word that slipped from Sakura's mouth. He had been selfish. He hadn't even considered Naruko's feelings in his decision to return, and he definitely didn't consider them on his decision to leave again.

"She isn't someone you can just mess around with!"

Sasuke's back was against the wall of his own home. Sakura never dropped her glare, pinning him to the spot. If not her gaze, her fingertip, painfully digging into his sternum certainly was. There had only been a few moments in Sasuke's life when he had been lost for words.

"You're right." He breathed, a deep sense of anguish and sadness in his voice.

Sakura flinched, having never heard such an emotion from the Uchiha. She stepped back from the man, not at all satisfied with his actions, but also slightly embarrassed by her own. Sakura knew Sasuke cared for Naruko, but he needed to understand what his actions were doing. Sakura knew Naruko would keep silent, it was her nature to avoid conflict, but this couldn't go unspoken.

"Just…" Sakura paused. "Just talk to her. She's clearly upset."

Sasuke nodded his head obediently. His appreciation for Sakura soaring to new heights. Who would have thought that Sakura of all people would assist in his relationship problems? Sakura's sigh caught his attention.

Sakura ran her hand through her short pink locks.

"Listen, I gotta go. Tsunade-sama requested me to her office this evening." Sakura turned around to face the door. "It was good seeing you Sasuke. Please…just make it up to her. She loves you a lot."

"Thank you Sakura." Sasuke spoke with pure gratefulness, his eyes filled with determination, and Sakura gave him one last smile before walking out of the Uchiha mansion.

Sasuke took a deep breath, letting his thoughts collect themselves as he paced around the room. He gripped the kitchen countertop and let his mind wander. He really cursed his own ignorance. Sasuke imagined Naruko after his absence and his heart clenched tightly. The sound of the bathroom door opening brought Sasuke back to his senses. He saw Naruko's head pop out from the corner of the hallway. Her eyes scanning the living room and then shifting towards the door.

"Sakura left?" Naruko asked, her voice rugged and tight.

"She had a meeting with Tsunade."

"Oh."

Naruko shuffled out from her corner, her hair still darkened and wet, wearing a large white t-shirt and baggy grey sweatpants. Sasuke immediately made his way over to the girl, identifying the red puffy eyes that she tried to hide with a downcast gaze.

"Naru."

Sasuke pulled the girl into his arms, not at all bothered by her wet hair that began to soak into his shirt. He felt Naruko place her own arms around him tightly squeezing, and her uncontrollable trembling made Sasuke squeeze tighter. A soft whine made Sasuke close his eyes, regretting his stupid decisions. He felt Naruko's lips dig into the fabric of his shirt as she began to speak.

"I shouldn't be acting this way." She cried, on the verge of tears once more.

"You have every right." Sasuke whispered. "I'm so sorry. I keep hurting you."

Naruko shook her head in his arms. "I'm so stupid." She replied, there was an edge to her tone that Sasuke hated.

"You're not." He argued sternly. "If anything, I'm the stupid one."

Naruko looked up at Sasuke. He could see the shining reflection of her watery eyes staring directly into his soul. He watched as her eyelids fell halfway down, and she pushed her body up with the tips of her toes. Sasuke bent down, meeting her lips with his own. He could taste the passion Naruko had for him with a single brush of her soft, plump lips. Sasuke pushed deeper towards Naruko, moving his cool lips against her own. A space between her lips opened and Sasuke could feel Naruko's hot breath against him.

His tongue darted out, finding that open space and plunging deeper into her cavern. Naruko's moan sent thrilling sparks though the Uchiha's core and Sasuke began to move his tongue, first touching her own, then exploring the moist expanse. Naruko's own tongue lightly pushed against his, and Sasuke eased up on his forceful exploration. He slipped his tongue out of her mouth, and instead brushed his lips against Naruko's a few more times before separating.

The two teens stood panting, arms still wrapped tightly around each other. An unbroken bound that secured them both.

There were no words Sasuke could think of in that moment. There was no conversation he could easily start. Luckily Naruko broke the silence with a whispered voice.

"I love you."

Sasuke replied as sincerely as he possibly could.

"I love you too."

Naruko closed her eyes. A relief washed through her body as she finally heard Sasuke say those words back to her. She knew she could never destroy the part of her that wished for Sasuke to stay forever, but with those beautiful words coming from his lips, she could manage. That was all she could want.

"Just, stay for a little longer…" Naruko whispered as she pressed her cheek into his broad chest. "…Please?"

Sasuke let his own cheek fall on top of her head. He rubbed against her soothingly wet hair for only a few moments before responding.

"I will."

XXXXX

Five men leapt silently through the forest. The sun had just slipped past the horizon and nighttime was now sweeping through the village. Four of the men were dressed in identical uniforms, long black cloaks that hid nearly all of their features, and blank white masks that concealed their identity. The furthest back in the group was none other than Danzo Shimura. His face calm and tight as the team leapt sped across the many tree branches.

Danzo looked down at his own bandaged arm with his calculative eyes. He knew the risk of this mission. He knew the chances of his team's entire survival if their target lost control. But he had one advantage. Naruko Uzumaki would not kill. That much he was certain. If his team could take the young woman by surprise, he was sure the battle would be over in minutes.

Everything rode on this mission. The future of ROOT, the future of the Leaf, and the future of the ninja world. He let a small smirk slide across his face. The Kyuubi would surely be his for the taking.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Whew! Done. Next Chapter coming soon. Time to work on my battle writing skills. This was about 6k words and I'm hoping the next chapter will be around the same. We'll see. Don't quote me :P I hope you all have a wonderful day, and I'll see you soon.

Until next time!