Author: Amaya
Editor: Aiko
Characters/Pairings: [Shisui x Sakura]; mentions of [Genma x Sakura] and other minor Sakura-centric pairings.
Categories: Romance, Drama, Action
Rating: Mature/Explicit [See Warnings Below]
Warnings: This story contains strong language, depictions of violence and mature sexual content, including, but not limited to: breath play, superior/subordinate kinks, rough body play, power kinks and so on. You have been warned.
Full Summary: As the most elite of the elite shinobi to ever grace the village, Anbu operatives were easily some of the most frightening and striking characters one could come across. The way they protected the village while cloaked in shadows, appearing like some God-appointed deities when they were needed most and forgoing honor in exchange for anonymity—was as seductive as one could get. But to Sakura, the real allure lied in the deceptive red smiles painted on their masks, and in figuring out who was behind them. ["Don't start things you can't finish, Haruno."]
Chapter Seventeen
Sakura awoke to sunlight pressing against her eyelids and voices in her kitchen.
Her body ached all over, weighed down with the type of fatigue that demanded five more minutes, but it was a pleasant feeling. So she laid there for a while with her cheek burrowed into her pillow and her legs curled , recalling the feel of Okami's hands smoothing over every inch of flesh that they could reach, and his lips suckling at rosy smudges.
His fingers plucked at her nipple, rolling it in time with the rutting of his hips. He teased the other with his mouth, his teeth grazing the sensitive bud and the heat of his breath against the wet print on her skin sending a chill between her shoulders. Sakura shifted so she leant back on her left palm, gripping his shoulder with the other and let her head drop back. She moaned, loud and unhindered.
"Oh Kami you feel so good," Okami groaned. "You're so hot. So tight. Fuck."
Her skin burned, blood and chakra boiling like liquid fire in her veins as each wild thrust imprinted against the bundle of nerves within her. It made her throat itch, almost as if she could feel him that deeply, made her swear and scream and writhe until her thighs spasmed and her nails were carving into his skin. Sakura sucked in a broken gasp, tensing as wave after wave of ecstasy washed down her spine. Her knees tightened around Okami's hips in an attempt at making him still, and he did.
He remained flush against her, rolling his hips slowly, carefully, nicking at that spot that made her whimper with delirium. She could feel him trembling, could feel him twitch inside of her, either with the approaching of his own orgasm or with the strain of his restraint, she wasn't sure. But she loved it.
"So good," She heard, when she pivoted her hips to meet his slow thrust. Okami gripped her waist, tightening once before dragging his nails up her back. "Fuck you're so good."
Stretching her legs, Sakura hissed as the lines drawn into her skin smoldered in protest. She could feel the faint burn of ravaged skin, winding from her lower thighs to the top of her spine; could recall the ache of purple fingerprints and the lingering tickle of impish nibbles—all acting as bold reminders of her previous night.
Her back hit the door with a sharp thump, making her moan morph into a pleased growl. Okami hiked her right knee up, hooking his left arm beneath it and pinning it high against his chest. The position forced her onto her toes, made her hold onto his shoulders for purchase — made her take him so deeply, she saw stars. He was so deep, the slight curve of his cock and the arching of her back allowing him to stroke a part of her in a way that no one else had. Okami roughly adjusted their position, jostling her in a way that made her clit rub against him just right.
She gasped with a jolt, leaning back against the door to balance herself, tightening around him so abruptly, he froze .
"A-ah," Okami breathed out, almost like a crumpled version of a chuckle. The arm encircling her waist tightened, fingers tracing circles on her hip. His brow rested on her collarbone. "You're getting so tight. Is this how you like it, Haruno?"
She raked her nails across his shoulder blade in response, too dazed to trust her vocal cords to form anything more than a whimper. Okami pulled back, slowly, then snapped his hips forward so sharply, her lips twisted into an almost pained grimace. He moved faster, harder, reaching up to hook his left hand upon her shoulder and lock her into place — and oh fuck he was so deep ! She grasped at him, tugging at his wild locks and brushing the underside of his mask, then trailed downwards to tangle her fingers into the cord around his neck.
She wound it around her knuckles in a way similar to how he held her hair, carefully pulling on it with a mirthful huff. "Make it hurt."
Her nails caught a tear in the bedsheets, likely a result of the grip she had on them just hours ago, and if she looked up, Sakura didn't doubt she'd find a five-fingered indentation in her headboard. Her lips curved into a smile and she curled further into the embrace of her blankets, ignoring the pain bleeding into her muscles. She wanted to lay there for the rest of the day, basking in the glow of last night's— and this morning's —passion, recalling every debauched moment, but the voices outside her door had a different idea.
She wasn't sure what exactly Naruto was complaining about—"Ugh, what even is this?"—or why he was slamming her cabinets, nor did she particularly care enough to pitch a fit, but if she didn't get up now, who knew what the idiot would do? So, with a long, drawn-out sigh, Sakura reluctantly detangled herself from her bedsheets and eased onto her feet.
"Oh shit ," She hissed. Standing made the dull ache between her legs sharpen, made her stomach drop and her knees lock, so Sakura leaned forward, propping herself up with her palms on her mattress. The movement stretched the marks on her back and tugged on her bruises in a way that made her lightheaded . And now that she was vertical, the remnant slickness between her legs grew ever prominent, threatening to drip down her thighs.
And some perverted part of her preened at both the imagery and the sensation.
Taking a moment to compose herself, Sakura looked around her bedroom to survey the aftermath of last night's romp. Half of her sheets were on the floor, wrinkled up and tangled with a few pillows, while a pile of books made a haphazard home at the foot of her bookshelf. Her desk, once littered with papers and unraveled scrolls, had been jostled a foot to the right with nothing but a glass of water and her clothes from the night before folded neatly on top.
She felt the hardwood vibrate beneath her feet as they stumbled against her desk. Okami grunted as he backed into it, muttering a curse as a scroll rolled off its surface, but Sakura didn't care enough to stop. She reached out for him, smoothing her fingertips over his pectorals and the dips of his abdomen; his muscles contracted at her delicate touch. With the door shut and the curtains drawn, the room was dark—darker than the kitchen and her living room — so she had to rely on touch, and somehow, the absolute darkness only made the embers of her arousal burn brighter.
She smoothed her palms over his chest and shoulders, tasted the salt on his skin with playful licks before nibbling the cowl of his neck; then she followed the cuts of his pelvis down with a teasing breath of chakra. His sharp inhale pulled a husky chuckle from Sakura's lips. Trailing kisses down Okami's torso, Sakura pressed her lips against the crease of his hip, then dragged her tongue along the length of his cock. His hands jerked, sending whatever else was on the desk tumbling over the edge. She didn't linger, however, rising to her feet and murmuring a halfhearted apology into the underside of his jaw. Then, before the operative could emit more than a breath of warning, Sakura propped one leg up onto the desk and eased onto him.
Okami's hands flew to her hips, fingers sinking into the curve of her ass, accompanied by an elongated curse and the dropping of his head. Sakura laughed as she pried his hands away, taking note of his hitched breath as she pinned them down to the desk. "Ah, I didn't say you could touch me," She teased. Satisfied when he didn't immediately move, she nuzzled the back of his ear with her nose, traced the shell of it with her tongue while her nails flicked over one of his perked nipples, "Your hands stay right here, Taichou . So if you want me to take every single inch of you, don't. Fucking. Move."
Her fingers slowly threaded into his hair one at a time, each finger ebbing at the moan restrained in his chest until finally, Okami's breath shattered with a whined, "Please."
The roses splayed across her inner thighs tingled at the memory, making Sakura huff a laugh and shift on her feet until her hips popped. The flushed patches of skin were already beginning to darken into vibrant smudges of indigo, and even though it had been hours since he had been in her bed, she could still feel the sharpness of his teeth against her clavicle and the delicious twitch of his cock inside of her.
Finally feeling the smoldering pain pass, Sakura pushed aside the igniting embers of her thoughts and carefully limped her way to her desk. She downed the water in one breath, muttering a grateful "thank you," to Okami for being so considerate, then, with her hands braced against her desk, she faced her mirror.
She had expected the bites imprinted into her trapezius and the reddish splotches sketched along the column of her neck. She just hadn't expected the sheer amount of them. They peppered her chest like constellations, some bright red and others already a shade of blue, stretching from the swell of her breasts down to just above her knee. Finger shaped marks encircled her biceps where he held her, matching the ones stained just above her hips and between her thighs—all caused when she got a little too lippy. Canting her head back, Sakura reached for one particularly vicious love bite branded into the base of her neck, smiling almost haughtily as she recalled the satisfied growl Okami had blessed it with. Then she turned away from the mirror, twisting so she could survey the scarlet wings his fingernails etched into her back.
And knowing that he bore a matching set carved into his own flesh, made Sakura preen.
Deciding it would be best to heal the most noticeable ones, like the one at the center of her throat and the ones on her arms, Sakura pressed chakra-dusted fingers against anything her usual outfits wouldn't cover or that she couldn't play off as battle-related. But she didn't let them disappear completely. She lightened them just enough that no one else could see them unless they got close enough.
The rest of them, however, she kept just as vibrant as they were.
Kamen
Entering her living room, Sakura casted a quick glance around, taking note of the silver-haired man splayed across her couch and the bloodied clothes thrown onto the floor. His travel pack and weapons pouches were slumped against the couch while his favorite orange book was carelessly discarded atop her coffee table, face down so the prohibition symbol faced up — a sign that he wasn't injured. Kakashi didn't so much as stir as she passed, his eyes hidden beneath the arm he draped over himself, but she had no doubt he was aware of her appearance.
She let him be, opting to figure out what the hell Naruto was up to, only to find him waist deep in her fridge, with an amused Sai perched atop her counter. The blond's outfit was as garish as usual, not a thread out of place while Sai's was scuffed, speckled with blood but otherwise unbothered, leaving her to believe no one needed any medical care. Folding her arms across her chest, Sakura leant against the doorway. "What the hell are you doing?"
Startled, Naruto flinched, making the back of his head smack into the underside of the freezer. He snarled a few curses, throwing an apple from her fridge at Sai before the ex-Root-nin could so much as open his mouth, then turned to face Sakura whilst rubbing at his scalp. "Kami Sakura-chan, don't do that!"
Quirking a brow, Sakura canted her head to the side. "Do what? Walk around my own house?" Pushing away from the door frame, Sakura silently praised herself for withholding the falter in her steps. She came to a stop beside Sai, leaning against the counter with only a faint wince. "What are you guys doing here?"
"I was just coming back from an assignment, when Dickless suggested lunch," Sai said, biting into the apple he had caught. "However, I was under the impression we would be going for actual food."
Sakura rolled her eyes, playfully shoving at Sai's side with her shoulder, then gestured towards their former sensei with the tilt of her head. "And Kaka-sensei?"
Sai offered her the apple in his hand, tightening his grip on it when Sakura sank her teeth into its side. "He was already here when we arrived."
At that, the rosette's brows knitted with concern. It wasn't at all unusual to find her sofas commandeered by one or more of her teammates, just like it wasn't unusual to wake up to them rummaging through her kitchen or showering in her bathroom. She knew that they all had their own stress and issues to deal with, and that sometimes, hiding in her little loft was the best thing for them to do, whether it be to clear their minds or to hide away from their problems. So she didn't mind that they took up on her couch after a long mission or stole a plate of whatever she was working on—she encouraged it, actually, by stocking the bathroom with extra toiletries and filling a drawer with spare clothes. All she asked was that they cleaned up after themselves.
However, as she tossed another wayward glance towards her living room, Sakura knew something was different.
Kakashi had always been a solitary person. Sure, he spent time with the team every chance he got and spent days off at the bar with the shinobi from his year, but Sakura recognized his loneliness for what it was. However recently, Sakura couldn't shake the feeling that something was bothering her former sensei. There was a sluggishness about him lately, a layer of fatigue in his lone gray eye. It worried her, but the fact that he saw her home as a place of sanctuary comforted her enough to bite her tongue.
Deciding against commenting on it, Sakura moved to sit on top of the counter, watching as Naruto finally removed a pot from a lower cabinet and set it on the stove. "Oi, Sakura-chan, how come there's no ramen?" He asked, his expression twisting into one of distaste as he began measuring out the rice.
Sakura rolled her eyes and shook her head. "Naruto, I've been gone for about three weeks. If there's no more ramen, it's because you ate it all and didn't restock."
"We need to buy some," He said, more to himself than her. He filled the pot with water before pulling out the carton of eggs from the fridge. "Actually," He began, double backing to peer back into the fridge with a frown. "We need a lot of things."
"We can go to the market after breakfast."
"Is it wise to let Dickless cook?" Sai cut in, before taking another bite of his apple.
Naruto whipped around with an indignant look on his face and his finger rudely pointed at the dark haired man. "Oi! I can cook more than just ramen, ya know!"
Sai's lips quirked into an amused smile. "I recall a time when you were asked to cook and—"
Naruto's cheeks burned with mortification; he threw the closest thing he had, which was a kitchen towel that was draped over the oven handle, but Sai merely caught it, mid-bite. "OI! We promised never to talk about that!"
Snorting at the pair, Sakura asked, "And what are you cooking, Naruto?"
He huffed, throwing her a bland look before turning back to the stove. "I mean, all you have are eggs and rice, Sakura."
"So either shoyu tamago, onigiri tamago, onsen tamago—"
Naruto cut off Sai's listing with a huff. "Onsen tamago. Now let me work, will ya?"
"Sorry chef," Sakura teased, leaning towards Sai to take one last bite of the fruit loosely cradled in his hand. "I just hope you're making some for all of us." The blond began to grumble a soft "yeah, yeah," under his breath, but went on to prepare the rest of lunch, so Sakura turned to Sai. "How've you been Sai? You haven't come by here in a while. You're doing alright?"
He leant back onto the counter, depositing the leftover apple core into the bin to his right. "I've been well. Hokage-sama has been very," He paused, searching for the right word to use, given his teammate's relationship with his Kage. The last thing he wanted was a swollen lip this early into the day. "Generous with her missions lately."
A pink eyebrow lifted curiously at his wording, but Sakura shrugged it off; she placed a hand on his shoulder and squeezed affectionately. "Alright. Just remember that you're welcome to stay here whenever you want to."
His smile returned, easy and brimming with sincerity. "I will keep that in mind." But then his eyes took on a hint of mischief, and before she could stop him, he pressed his fingers against the faded yellow splotch on the side of her thigh. "Hopefully I will come at a time when you are not so preoccupied."
Slapping his pale hand away, Sakura inwardly cursed Ino for spending so much time with Sai. But, she supposed she should also thank the blonde; Sai had come a long way from the impassive shell that he once was, nearly ten years ago.
A smile tugged at her lips as she recalled the day they met. It was shortly after her battle against Akasuna no Sasori; Sasuke was still training outside of the village and Naruto had just gotten back from his travels around the world, Kakashi was still recovering and Obito had his hands full with the Academy. She needed a team, and Sai and Yamato needed a teammate. So they met up.
And oh man , was it a meeting.
She had broken his jaw within half an hour of introducing themselves and he had scared up her left arm. Yamato had barely managed to pull them apart when Naruto showed up to her defense. And of course that led to disaster. Ultimately, it took nine missions, a Kyuubi sealing, the appearance of Sasuke and a Bell Test that absolutely obliterated training grounds seven, eight and nine, to finally find that common ground. The rest was history.
"Hey Sakura-chan?" Naruto's voice, which had softened into something akin to nervousness, pulled her from her thoughts. He even shuffled around on his feet, looking like the little Gennin that used to follow her around like a lost puppy. "Are you busy today?"
Sakura considered him for a moment, rifling through her mind for any plans she may have had, before she shook her head. "Nope. What's up?"
If it were possible, Naruto's expression brightened and he straightened up considerably. "My dad and I are gonna do some more training with the Hiraishin, but I can't see the difference in our techniques. Would you help?"
Sakura furrowed her brows and tilted her head. "What do you mean you can't see the difference?"
"Well, when I'm training with my dad, we're moving at the same speed. And we have the same fighting style and techniques so I'm not," He paused, searching for the right word with a scrunched nose and tight lips. "Challenged? I don't know. I just know that I'm missing something because he keeps knocking me on my ass, and you're good at noticing stuff like that."
Flattered at the compliment (because hearing any of her teammates admit that she was better than them at something always plucked a pleasant cord), Sakura squared her shoulders and beamed. "Sure! It'll give me a chance to figure out formations and battle combinations. Maybe if we have time before dinner, and if Kaka-sensei and Obito-senpai aren't too late, we can do a few drills." Sakura turned to Sai. "Are you gonna join us?"
"Later," He replied, softly. "I want to shower. Then I have to work on my mission report. I'll come as soon as possible, though." Then he brushed his shoulder against hers, mirroring her light teasing from earlier. "Someone needs to keep an eye on senpai, after all."
Accepting that, Sakura returned her attention to Naruto, only for her eyes to widen upon seeing the pot boiling over. "Naruto! Pay attention to your cooking, you idiot!"
He paled, whirling around to adjust the heat. "I'm sorry Sakura! OI! Don't throw shit at—ITAI!"
Kamen
Everyone knew that Training Ground Three was specifically reserved for Team Seven.
Not just because it was where they mostly met, even as far back as their Gennin days, but because it was the largest and the furthest away from the hubbub of the village. Here, the seven powerhouses could battle and let loose without worrying about their destruction spilling out into the streets or rattling any windows, or about bumping into other trainees. Naruto perfected all his Rasen-jutsu there, learned to befriend the Kyuubi there, while Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei honed their lightning jutsu and Sakura created earthquakes; and Yamato and Sai could let their techniques run wild.
Because everyone knew that sometimes Team Seven got a little carried away when it came to training.
After demolishing three training grounds in that overly competitive bout of Capture the Bell, it was unanimously agreed that Training Ground Three was the only place they, or anyone who could match their destruction, were allowed to train.
Which also meant that if anyone ever needed to find any of them, they didn't need to look far.
After breakfast and a quick trip through the market for some groceries, Sakura and Naruto found themselves working through a series of stretches at their usual spot. They were discussing the extent of Naruto's new training regiment and the theoretical execution of his techniques, hoping to figure out whether or not there was something there that needed work, when Naruto paused mid-sentence.
Waving, Naruto yelled out, "Oi! Teme! What're you doing here?"
Turning around, Sakura waved as well. "Hey Sasuke!" Only to tilt her head curiously upon seeing who was walking beside him—his father.
Growing up beside Sasuke and having worked alongside him in the Hokage's office, Sakura had met Uchiha Fugaku enough times to recognize him from a mile away, but few enough times to feel a bit put off when they ran into each other outside of the compound. He was usually busy whenever she'd been at the Uchiha compound, either working or reading through reports. He was a stoic man with a seemingly cold demeanor if one didn't know him well enough. She used to be scared of him—Naruto, too—but years of adolescent shenanigans and scolding albeit amused glares from said man quickly brushed aside all apprehension.
And honestly, Fugaku was a pretty interesting man when you got over the permanent scowl and shared a drink with him.
Upon hearing his name, Sasuke glanced their way. Then after sharing a word to one another, the two Uchiha diverged from their initial path and made their way over. Sasuke acknowledged them with a grunt. "Sakura. Dobe."
Immediately, Sakura dipped into a polite but casual bow, tugging on the front of Naruto's shirt to make him do the same. "Hello Fugaku-sama!"
The older man gave a nod. "Sakura. Naruto."
The neverending similarities between the father and son duo never failed to crack a smile from the rosette, especially when it was as obvious as it was now. Sakura released Naruto, letting the blond bombard his best friend with excited spouts of who knows what, while she focused all her attention on the Police Chief. "How's Mikoto-sama?"
Fugaku waved his hand. "You know she hates it when you call her that," He chided, though not unkindly. "She's doing well, wondering when you'll come by to teach her that soldier pill recipe."
Sakura chuckled softly before reaching into her pouch. "I haven't forgotten! I was going to wait until next time Sasuke hosted a team dinner but here's the ingredient list," She said, handing him a slip of paper. "I hope she'll figure out a way to make it taste better."
Dark eyes scanned over the contents neatly scrawled along the parchment, flickering with approval before Fugaku carefully deposited the list into his own weapon's pouch. "I'll be sure to give her this after Sasuke and I finish here."
Naruto piped up at that, "Are you guys training here?"
With a minute twitch of his lips at Sakura and Sasuke's shared mumble— "Obviously, idiot." —Fugaku nodded. "Yes. Normally we would use the private training grounds at the compound, but the technique Sasuke is working on is too wide-scale for our space."
Sakura's eyes sparkled with amusement, darting over towards her dark haired teammate who stuffed his hands into his pockets and huffed to himself. Despite the well feigned indifference, Sakura easily caught the pinkness on the tips of his ears—almost as if he were flustered at the attention being drawn to him. She wanted to tease him, call out the way his gaze remained drawn to the grass, but decided against it upon noticing the appraising glance his father tossed his way.
Part of her couldn't imagine what kind of jutsu Sasuke could possibly be working on that it was too large for any part of the Uchiha training grounds, but then again, it didn't surprise her in the slightest considering her squad's unique skill set.
While Team Eight was born to track and Team Ten was best at stalling and intelligence gathering, Team Seven was built to destroy.
"Hey Sakura-chan, is that your dad?"
At Naruto's sudden question, Sakura turned around, squinting and placing a hand above her brow to block out the glare of the afternoon sun, only to perk up upon recognizing the shock of pink hair cutting across the field. "Papa!"
Kizashi waved at Sakura's surprised shout, smiling then setting his hands on his hips expectantly. He was dressed in his fatigues, his vest unfastened and his hair a mess—just back from his mission most likely—which only piqued Sakura's already existing curiosity.
"Pebble! Come and give your old man a hug!"
The rosette threw a glance at Fugaku, as if politely asking if he would mind her darting across the field. His mouth was set in a firm line—firmer than usual if that was even possible—and his arms returned to their position folded against his chest, but he nodded. At his nod, Sakura sprinted forward, throwing herself into her father's awaiting arms with a laugh. He caught her, squeezing so tightly, Sakura grimaced, then set her down just as Naruto appeared at their side.
"Hey, Papa Haruno!"
Kizashi looped an arm around Naruto's shoulders, pulling him in for a hug with a grin that could put the blond's to shame. "And the son I never had! Today really is my lucky day," He laughed as he ruffled Naruto's hair. Then, after Naruto had pressed his brow against his, Kizashi turned towards his daughter with a more scolding tone. "I knew I'd find you here. You know your mother says you spend more time here than at home, Pebble."
"You're back early," Sakura easily deflected as she set a hand on his arm. She coursed her chakra into him, encouraging it to follow his bloodstream in search of any abnormalities—just in case. "Mama said you wouldn't be back for at least another day."
"Ah, well you know me—always eager to get home," Kizashi replied with a chuckle. "Everything went much smoother than expected."
Interested, as always, Naruto's impossibly blue eyes took on an almost comically hungry glimmer. "What'd you do? Did you escort some beautiful princess to meet with her suitor? Did you rescue a princess? Or what about—ITAI!"
As Naruto rubbed at the sore spot sprouting from where Sakura whacked him, the medic huffed. "You've been reading too many of Jiraiya-sama's novels, you idiot. Besides, just because you like to gossip mission details, doesn't mean everyone else does."
FinallyFinally noticing the pair of Uchiha standing a little ways away, Kizashi grinned and made his way towards them. "Ah Fugaku! Aren't you a sight for sore eyes! I didn't see you sulking all the way over there! Hello Sasuke!"
Both Uchiha bore a flat expression at Kizashi's greeting, with Fugaku's brow twitching out of annoyance at being overlooked while Sakura placed a hand over her face in embarrassment. She loved her dad, she really did, but he was known for his terrible—and she meant terrible—jokes. And no one appreciated them quite like the Uchiha Patriarch. The two went to the Academy together and were even placed on the same Genin team for a while, which meant Fugaku had spent years listening to each and every ridiculous pun as they appeared.
But rather than hissing out his disapproval as he usually did, Fugaku sighed, and rubbed at his tired eyes. "Kizashi. As oblivious as always, I see."
Kizashi clapped at Fugaku's shoulder with a bellowing laugh, gripping his belly at the slight stumble his old friend made. "It's been too long! How are you?"
Recovering from the ridiculously powerful slap to his back, Fugaku grunted. "I'm fine. And yourself?"
Waving a hand dismissively, Kizashi hummed. "Oh well, I've been busy with missions and whatnot, but I think I'm all right. "
It was hardly noticeable—the break in Fugaku's composure, the furious darkening of his eyes, the tension in his shoulders—but a decade with Sasuke taught Sakura all the cues of a ruffled Uchiha. And Fugaku's feathers were decidedly ruffled. Kizashi seemed to notice too, because his mouth curved into the same mischievous grin Naruto had whenever he got a rise out of Sasuke.
Kizashi set his hand upon Fugaku's shoulder. "Oh come on, Fugaku! Don't tell me you're still sore about that. It's been over thirty years!"
Fugaku huffed, shrugging the hand away and plucking it from his shoulder, looking as if he'd been personally offended. "It was a terrible joke."
"What was the joke?" Naruto asked.
Amusement colored Kizashi's gaze at the question, and he turned to Naruto to explain, but was cut off by Fugaku's growled, "Not. Another. Word."
Unaffected by his former teammate's tone, the older Haruno took on a more teasing stance, crossing his arms and upturning his chin. "It may not have been my best," he admitted, lips curling into a smirk that made Sakura grin. "But it was good enough to take you down."
Fugaku's eyes slid back over to his childhood teammate, narrowing in that same way Sasuke's did when he was ready to pounce. "A fluke," He grunted.
Feeling the anticipation draping over her shoulders, Sakura let her lips curl up into a gleeful smile and shared a look with her teammates, just to find them bearing grins just as feral.
Kizashi hummed, flashing pearly teeth and a sly wink towards Sakura. "You sound so sure of that. Perhaps a rematch is in order?"
Excitedly, Sakura rolled her shoulders, tilting her head left then right, before lowering into a defensive stance. Naruto and Sasuke mirrored her, waiting for Fugaku's familiar, "Hn," before leaping away from one another.
Kamen
Sakura hated fire users.
Her resentment for them had taken root in her Genin years, back when she came to realize that the sparkling beauty of untamed flame simply wasn't worth the destruction in the end. Sasuke had burned a bit of his mouth and a section of her hair, left a scar on the front of Naruto's chest where the button to his jacket burned too hot, all because he couldn't control his fire.
He wanted to show off, because that was something that men— especially Uchiha men—liked to do. And he, along with the rest of the team, got burned.
It was really as simple as that.
But if she really wanted to delve into the specifics of her love-hate relationship with fire, she could use this moment as an example.
Flames latched onto the surrounding trees, gold and red and blue knotting together to devour the greens and browns of the training grounds. They spread wildly, licking at branches until the wood creaked and curled into itself. Smoke blew into Sakura's eyes, forcing her to squint against the floating swirls that reached out for her. She couldn't see anything more than the darting silhouettes or the sparks of clashing metal, and the thickness of it forced its way down her throat until she was left sputtering for air, which meant her best hope at victory was for Naruto's predictable use of his Rasengan.
A shift in the wind acted as the only warning of the fist coming her way, so Sakura ducked back, her spine curving so far back, so abruptly, that she nearly toppled over. Instinctively, her left hand flew up to lock around the wrist flying over her shoulder, and once her grip was sure, Sakura flung her opponent over her and into the trunk of a nearby tree. Leaves rained down and a grunt rang out at the impact, but whoever was facing her didn't let it bother them, using the blinding smoke as cover to rush her and tackle her at the waist.
Sakura hit the ground hard , gasping and wheezing as the breath flooded from her lungs and back arching, her face snapping to the side as knuckles came down harshly on her cheek. She brushed aside the spots in her vision, fighting to squeeze a leg out from under him while using her arm to guard her face from any more hits; but he wouldn't relent. So Sakura jabbed a green-glowing hand into his gut, fingers stiff. The effect was instantaneous. He rolled off of her, wheezing and coughing until he retched— "Not cool, Sakura-chan!"
Maneuvering onto her knees, Sakura harrumphed, "Sorry Naruto!"
The wind shifted again, this time from behind and to the right, so Sakura threw herself to the left, only to curse as wire wrapped around her arm and neck, pulling at her until blood seeped from her skin. She let herself be tugged back, hands flailing to find the wire, and once they did, she curled them around her fists and yanked, hoping to take Sasuke (because who else used wire like that?) down. The air sparked, taking on a charcoal-like scent, and then a line of flames spread along the wire towards her like a rabid beast.
"D...amn it…!" Sakura pulled on the wire with chakra-infused hands, bucking Sasuke out of the tree he had been in. But he stood tall, tugging back on the wire so Sakura stumbled closer; she huffed, twirling and twisting so the fire wavered and the wire tangled, and Sasuke's presence stood out amongst the smoke.
She smirked.
With him connected to her, she could pinpoint his movements, could feel every little shift in his footing— control him . Jerking him towards her again, Sakura wrapped the slack of the wire around his wrists as much and as quickly as she could. Then, once he was close enough, Sakura kicked at his knee, threw her elbow at his face, slammed a fist into his abdomen until he curled over and the wire was released.
The moment the threads floated away, Sakura put as much distance from him as possible, just as a mighty ball of fire broke through the trees.
"Shit!" She heard Naruto shout, followed by the roar of the fireball.
She didn't get far, however, before Fugaku was on her, his sword swiping at her belly and coming for her neck. Sakura evaded well, weaving between downstrokes and uplifts, even managing to land a series of jabs to the older Uchiha's chest so he stumbled back. Unfortunately, Sasuke was quick to join his father, his own sword appearing and nicking at her arm. The two Uchiha were quick, moving as one body, as if they were extensions of one another. They mirrored one another seamlessly, moving in and out of each other's strikes without fear of catching the other, so precise that Sakura actually found herself backed into a tree.
"Pebble!"
The two Uchiha tensed, both ducking down as the blade of an axe cut through the air above them. The wide movement distorted the smoke, thinning it out just enough to see her father shielding himself from Fugaku's sword with the flat of his axe.
"Fugaku! Don't go running away! I've got an axe to grind with you!"
She snorted at the pun, twisting back to avoid the swing from Sasuke's katana, then launching up to catch a branch just as Naruto darted by from behind with a small Rasengan.
"Stop that," Fugaku scolded, twisting to the side to avoid the large blade. "Get serious, Kizashi!"
Kizashi let out a laugh, adjusting his grip so the axe's head locked around Fugaku's ankle. "Oh come on now, don't lose your head! Take a moment to rel-axe!" He pulled, taking Fugaku's leg out from under him, but the Uchiha's body disintegrated into a mess of feathers and shrieking trills.
Fugaku reappeared behind him, the tip of his katana positioned at the nape of Kizashi's skull. "You're as ridiculous as ever."
"I think you mean, as sharp as ever."
Kizashi bowed forward, acting as a springboard for Sakura, who planted her hand on his back and swept a kick at Fugaku, forcing him to jump back to avoid her strike. She followed up with a wild combination, stringing along a jab to his ribs, a haymaker to the left, a kick to the hip. He blocked them all, missing only the flick of chakra that cut into his jaw, and catching her leg from beneath the knee, intending on tossing her aside, but forced to release her when Kizashi threw his own son at him. Fugaku skidded back with the impact, setting Sasuke down just to flicker away as a Naruto clone wrapped its arms around his waist from behind and manicured fingers broke through the ground, yanking Sasuke down in his place.
Reappearing on a branch above Kizashi, Fugaku huffed. "Throwing children? Isn't that beneath you?"
Kizashi guffawed in response, maneuvering his axe to block the barrage of kicks Sasuke and Naruto doubled on him. "That was a good one!"
The Uchiha's expression pinched in slight confusion. "What?"
"Your joke!" Kizashi twirls his axe, using it's long handle to deflect Sasuke's sword and it's blade to swipe at Naruto's chest all in one movement. He hooked the handle around Naruto's torso, locking his arms into place with it then swung the blond around so his foot caught Sasuke's jaw. "Although," Kizashi spun on his heel, shoving Naruto into a tree with a sharp push-kick to the back and slicing through the trunk of Fugaku's tree with his axe. "The delivery could've been better."
The wind picked up then, tearing apart the last of the smoke that remained, and seemingly out of nowhere, an electric blue light exploded through the trees.
"Is that—"
"Dad!"
Immediately, Sasuke and Fugaku disappeared in swirls of feathers, while Sakura and Kizashi leapt back, narrowly avoiding the following explosion that clawed at the ground just moments later. Chaos surrounds them as branches rip apart and rocks scatter, forcing everyone into higher ground until the whirling wind finally dies down, revealing Namikaze Minato in all his glory.
"Minato!" Kizashi cheers, digging his axe into the ground. "I was wondering if you'd be making an appearance!"
"Sorry I'm late," He greets, canting his head to the side with a smile. "Kushina asked that I buy some shoyu and you know how strange things can get in the Market. I ended up buying too much groceries again."
Sakura and Sasuke catch each other's eye then, sharing their own smirks before launching towards the eldest blond with fist and sword ready. Minato ducked back, avoiding both attacks, and planted a hand into the ground to flip back, only to disappear before even Sasuke's Sharingan could track him.
"Did you buy pork?" Naruto asked, surging towards Kizashi. The large man chuckled and easily wove out of Naruto's punch, landing a swift uppercut that sent him reeling back.
While flickering in and out of Sakura's combination, Minato hummed. "I did! How could I forget when that's all you eat?"
"But did you buy the shoyu?" The rosette asked, growling in frustration when Minato disappeared again and her knuckles dug into the earth so deeply, they nearly got stuck.
With a frown, Minato skidded to an abrupt stop, dust rising to reveal the near-invisible threads of wire he nearly ran right into, then dropped low to get under Sasuke's high kick. He caught the Uchiha's ankle, stood straight and pulled , forcing Sasuke to strain his muscles for balance, letting go only when Sasuke grunted. "Oh."
Naruto whirled around, mouth agape as his father sheepishly scratched at the back of his neck. "You forgot the shoyu?!"
Sakura, now standing beside her father, snickered with amusement at the way the former Hokage's shoulders slumped. "Kushina-oba is going to wring your neck ."
Kizashi affectionately punched his daughter's arm, but leaned towards her to not-so-quietly say, "Sakura, don't Kikkoman while he's down!"
The joke—while well-timed—wasn't actually very funny. It was the matching looks of disgust that Sasuke and Fugaku made that forced out the ugliest snort Sakura had ever made in her life. She tried to hold it in, but seeing just how red Naruto's cheeks had gotten, and how twisted his lips were in his attempt at holding in his own laugh, she couldn't. She folded over, clutching at her stomach and slapping at Naruto's side as she cackled . He laughed with her, wiping at tears and leaning against her for support.
Fugaku sighed, rubbing at his brow as if to ease away his growing headache. "Can't you take anything seriously?"
"I always take everything with a grain of salt."
"Oi, Jiji," Naruto managed to say between fits of laughter. "Quit stirring the pot! "
Sakura put a hand to her lips, biting at her knuckle in an attempt at silencing her laugh as Sasuke's pale skin took on a hue of nausea.
Unamused, Fugaku sighed, "Kizashi, I swear—"
Minato let out a weak laugh, his hands up and waving in a placating way. "Alright, let's calm down now, everyone. Perhaps it's best if we just break for a few minutes and..." The former Hokage paused, cerulean eyes downcast and lips fighting against a grin. "... wok it all out?
Sakura cackled.
Kamen
It was well into the evening when Obito and Kakashi arrived at Training Ground Three. The place is a disaster, with columns of black smoke and electric blue sparks thrumming from the snapped necks of smoldered trees, and wolfish divots carved into the earth. Chakra scented the air, creating a thin drapery that smoothed against Kakashi's skin in greeting, and snapped when he walked through.
All signs of a good training session, Kakshi knew.
"Remember when we used to be the unruly ones?" Obito chuckled, waving his free hand towards the void where trees once were. His other hand clutched a basket tight.
Kakashi snorted softly, peering at the Uchiha from over his orange book. "We still are. Now we've just got a little more out of hand." His smirk remained in place. "And older."
Obito kicked him. "Don't call me old."
He and Obito shared a chuckle as they walked through the trees and across the brook, reminiscing over their own days of reckless youth. How many times had they slept here, bundled up in their sensei's jacket? Shared meals under summer stars? Traded pain with bloodied knuckles?
The two came across the rest of Team Seven quickly. Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura were basking in the remnant sunlight and bantering over the rim of their water bottles. They looked like hell, covered in bruises and their clothes a tattered, bloody mess. But surprisingly, the Uchiha and Haruno patriarchs and the Fourth Hokage were there as well, chatting easily amongst themselves not too far away.
Sakura noticed them first, of course, perking up and waving in a way reminiscent to her Genin days. "Senpai!"
Jokingly, Kakashi let his shoulders slump. He set a hand to his chest in mock agony. "My favorite student, not even noticing me!"
She rolled her eyes, easing back to lean against Sasuke's chest. "Senpai has food."
Obito lifted the basket higher, snickering. "Of course I do," He said. "I'd never let you guys starve after a workout like that."
"You only brought the food because Rin told you to," Kakashi pointed out.
"He still brought food," Naruto said.
"But I'm the one who suggested Hiyashi Chūka," The Copy-Nin reminded, winking at the straightening Sasuke. Then, he pulled out—from seemingly out of nowhere—a bottle of sake and lightly shook it from the neck. "And the sake."
"Okay, okay, you're both pretty," Sakura teased, reaching out for the bottle like a child.
Kakashi dangled it just out of her reach, instead opting to greet his squad's parents. "Sensei, Fugaku-sama, Kizashi-senpai. What brings you three out here on a night like this?" He gestured towards their scuffed clothing and disheveled hair. "And looking like this?"
"Oh you know—just reliving our youth," Kizashi mused. He draped an arm around the surprisingly lax appearing Uchiha, who didn't immediately shove the larger man away, much to the Jonin's surprise. "Right, Fugaku?"
The Uchiha crossed his arms and turned his head away. "Hn." Then, after a moment, he flicked Kizashi's arm off of him. "I was just helping Sasuke perfect his jutsu."
"Oh?" Obito, having abandoned his basket in Sakura's care, came to stand beside Minato. "The big one, right? Oi, Sasuke." He looked back to his relative, who was attempting to keep a bowl up and away from both Naruto and Sakura, glared back at him. "Did you name it, yet?"
"No," He grunted, his free hand shoving Naruto's face back. Then, his expression twisted into one of annoyance as he flinched away. "Did you just lick me!?"
"Whatever it is," Minato began, "I'm sure it'll be fantastic."
A loud frustrated whine came from Naruto, who had slumped down onto the ground with his arms outstretched. "Don't tell me you've seen it, old man! Teme won't let any of us see his technique!"
The Yellow Flash put his hands up in defense, smiling weakly. "I haven't! I've heard about it, and I've felt the remnant chakra so I can only assume."
"Hopefully, no one will ever have to see it," Fugaku mumbled, but it seemed only the adults had caught it. The dark haired man pushed away from the tree he had been leaning on and gave a curt bow and nod to Minato and the others respectively. "It's time I go. It was a...pleasure sparring with you both, today." He turned to Team Seven. "I'll be sure to give Mikoto your note, Sakura. Thank you. Sasuke, I'll see you at home. Naruto." He gave a nod and walked off, disappearing into the trees with the type drama that shadowed men of his breed.
"I should head back, too," Kizashi yawned. "Mebuki is probably going to go on a tangent about both me and Sakura spending too much time here." The Haruno shuffled over towards his daughter and outstretched a fist. "I'll see you back at home, Pebble!"
Sakura stretched over her teammates to bump her own fist with his. "Bye, Papa!"
"Night Papa Haruno!"
Kizashi ruffled both Naruto and Sasuke's hair, laughing at the glare he received. "Boys." And then he disappeared.
"I'll be leaving, as well," Minato announced. "Enjoy your team dinner. Be good, Naruto. No shenanigans, or else your mom will really get upset."
"Don't forget the shoyu," Both Naruto and Sakura shouted, just as Minato disappeared in a flurry of gold.
"Where's Sai?" Obito asked as he came to sit beside his cousin. He reached over, plucking a dumpling from Sakura's plate despite her scowl. He made a show of biting into it and chewing close to her face, jerking back with a laugh when she raised her fist at him.
"Here."
The artist appeared out of ink, apparently summoned by the voicing of his name. He took up a seat beside Naruto, accepting the plate of agedashi tofu immediately offered to him. "Forgive my tardiness. I had to stop by the hospital."
"The hospital? Is everything okay?" Sakura asked, a hand over her mouth to hide her chewing. She swallowed her mouthful quickly.
"Aa. Yamanaka-san came by looking for you," Sai replied. "There was something wrong with her eye."
Though confused, Sakura straightened, lowering her plate to her lap. "Her eye? What happened?"
"She seemed to be having a facial tic as she continuously blinked at an alarmingly rapid pace. I suggested she go visit a physician to deal with that and she became increasingly upset."
Naruto snickered, patting at the ex-anbu's shoulder in a show of camaraderie, while Sakura let out an ungodly snort. Even Sasuke and Kakashi couldn't resist the smirks tugging at their lips. "Sai, you didn't !"
"She refused to see a doctor so I took her myself, out of concern for her well being." He frowned, appearing thoughtful, as if he were filing something away in his mind. "Apparently glitter eyeshadow and false eyelashes are heavy on the eyes, which makes the wearer blink often. I misunderstood."
Obito reached over to pat the pale nin's back next, his head shaking in disbelief and chuckles bubbling from his chest. Sakura, on the other hand, covered her face with her hand and sighed. "Oh Sai...what'd the pig want, anyway?"
"She wished to see you at the Drunken Fist sometime after dinner. All of us, actually."
The conversation picked up after that, moving on from Ino to Sakura's travels into the Land of Earth and her tales of the Tsuchikage infamous apprentice, to Naruto's complains about his Hiraishin and even a demonstration. Yamato appeared by then, scaring the poor blond out of his skin when he appeared behind him after a jump. Sasuke even muttered a bit about his latest mission to Suna and subsequent spar with the red haired Kazekage that ended when a giant scorpion attacked them.
It was nice.
"So? What's going on, Kakashi-sensei?" Naruto asked sometime later when the conversation weaned away, actually setting down his bowl. Sakura did the same, neatly setting her chopsticks over the dish and shifting more comfortably in her seat, while Sasuke leaned back on his hands and Sai canted his head.
"What makes you think something is going on?" Kakashi returned, pushing his mask back up after a sip of sake.
"You bought everyone's favorites," Sasuke pointed out, nodding towards the food. "And that's top shelf sake."
Obito cleared his throat, shifting uncomfortably. "Actually, I bought the food and the sake."
"Senpai?" Yamato's brows knitted in confusion, redwood eyes flickering from Kakashi to Obito then back. "Is something going on? Something we need to be concerned about?"
Obito caught Kakashi's eye then, looking more anxious than anyone was used to, but then he took a breath. "Yes, actually," He began. Kakashi nodded at him, his eyes crinkling with his smile. "There's something I need to tell you guys."
The team remained silent, sharing a look between one another, but Sakura appeared to be fighting off a grin. "Well?" Naruto asked. "You gonna spit it out, or what—itai!"
Obito snorted as Naruto curled his lip at the scolding Yamato, then, with his chest puffed out, he announced, "I've been named the next Hokage!"
Author's Note
OKAY! SO!
I've fallen into a new hell. My Hero Academia. I love it. And you know what else I love?
Bakugou Katsuki x Haruno Sakura.
As a pairing, they're the cutest. And I'm now on a mission with several other talented artists and authors to write 1000 fics/artworks for them! So if you'd like to dip into this explosive pairing, join ny discord: Pop Rocks!
Go to Discord and type this into the end of the link: /AGvtaqjHf9
(We also ship Dabi x Sakura, Kirishima x Sakura and many more !)
But if that's not your cup of yea, but you still wanna see exclusive art and works, join us all in the ShiSaku Cult!!
Type this into the end of the link to join: gg/hSPNkFe