A/N: Hello again! I usually prefer to do my author notes at the end of my chapters but because of an incredibly grotesque review I've received on my last chapter, I would like to put yet another reminder of the nature of this fic, it IS Naruto x Sasuke, there will be a lot of homo in this fic and if you don't like it, please do not proceed! Because there will be a lot more! But thank you to those of you who are posting your lovely reviews, they are very encouraging and I hope you continue enjoying this fic! Thanks for reading :)
Chapter Four
The Night Shift
Team seven ran in silence as they jumped from tree to tree throughout a forest not far off from Amegakure. "Kakashi sensei" Naruto called "how long have we been traveling? This is taking forever!"
"Impatient as usual" the silver haired man mused "it's been four hours" he addressed to everyone "we should be arriving in another three or four hours from now."
A groan escaped from the blondes throat "can't we move a bit faster?"
"Naruto, you may be able to move faster but some of us don't have your stamina. We're going to set up camp once we arrive on the outskirts of Amegakure anyway, we have until the day after tomorrow to come back with Itachi."
Kakashi stole a quick glance in Sasuke's direction, he was glad the raven haired boy returned to their team but part of his mission was also to the evaluate him, including his emotional stability towards Itachi. As squad leader, he refused to endanger this mission and his comrades. Despite this, the older shinobi's still resolved to try and assist Sasuke in any way he could. He couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for the raven haired boys betrayal.
"Day after tomorrow!?" Naruto continued "come on Kakashi sensei, we could do this in one night! Now that we have a five man team—"
"Naruto" Sasuke interjected "don't rush this mission."
"Huh?" Naruto glanced at the young Uchiha, noting the edge in his tone. "That's right…" thought the blonde "this is Sasuke's brother we're talking about." A bite of guilt nipped at his stomach, if Sasuke didn't know Naruto that personally, it would've probably seemed quite insensitive to suggest hurrying the mission.
"A lot could've changed since Yamato investigated Amegakure. One false move and you could easily be done for." Sasuke glanced at the blonde who returned his gaze with uncertainty. "You're the Kyuubi's Jinchuuriki, they will be looking for you."
Naruto casted his gaze downward as they fell silent. Earlier, Tsunade assured them that Pain's presence in Amegakure was currently missing and it would been that way for awhile. Whatever the Akatsuki was planning, she was sure it had something to do with Konoha. Being in the village or not, he was at risk. "This is what I've been training for" Naruto began as his brows furrowed "a lot has happened since you left, don't underestimate me."
The raven haired boy scoffed as he shot the blonde a sidelong glance "hn."
The five forms fell silent as they continued speeding through the forest until they reached the other side. The atmosphere became colder the more they progressed until the sky became overcast. "It looks like we're almost there" Sai speculated.
Kakashi leapt to the ground and waited for the others to catch up. In an instant, four other figures appeared alongside him. "Why'd you stop Kakashi?" Sasuke questioned.
The older Shinobi's dark orb curved into a smile "I think it's time for a break" he spoke as he threw his bag down to lean against a tree.
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed "but we're so close!"
"Taking a break is a good idea Naruto" Sai interjected "if we were to be attacked by an enemy, it'd be best to be in good shape, not physically worn."
"But we haven't got time to rest!" the blonde felt a sharp smack on the back of his head and turned to see green orbs glaring at him.
"Just listen to Kakashi sensei. Anyway, Sai is right. It's better to be in good health then over exerted if we do run into trouble. We are in enemy territory now you know?" The pink haired girl lectured the blonde before throwing her bag next to Kakashi's and pulling out a water bottle.
Kakashi proceeded to take out his novel out of his pants pocket and sit down so his back was comfortably leaning against the tree, "it won't be a long break. So just take ten minutes to rest yourselves and we'll be on our way," he added.
"Alright" Naruto huffed before whipping his bag off of his back and pulling out a cup of ramen, staring at it for a moment before shaking his head "I wouldn't have enough time for this" he thought sadly before placing it back into his bag and pulled out a few tomatoes. The blonde stole a quick glance at the raven haired boy who was taking a few moments to stretch before leaning onto a tree, behind the rest of the team.
"These seem to make Sasuke strong" Naruto speculated, watching the young Uchiha. "Alright!" He exclaimed and proceeded to whip out a tomato, taking a bite bigger than his mouth. Immediately his blue orbs widened before spitting out the red fruit, his taste buds tingled with distaste "how does Sasuke eat these by themselves" he wondered before stealing a glance at the raven haired boy and back to the remaining tomatoes.
Naruto strolled up to the young Uchiha, stopping only an arms length away before holding out the fruit to him. "Here" he began hesitantly "I don't know how you eat these things," The blonde lifted his empty hand up behind his head, nervously scratching at his temple as his lips twitched into a grin.
Sasuke raised one slim brow as his gaze traveled from Naruto's smile to the bag of tomatoes in his grasp. "You think I want them?"
The blonde scowled before he stole back the red fruit "what?! If you don't want them, I'll find someone who does. Sai!" He called.
Sasuke's onyx orbs narrowed dangerously before swiping the bag from Naruto's grasp and snatching one of the red fruits. "I'll take one" he said nonchalantly before throwing the last one back to Naruto.
The blonde clumsily caught it before it fell to the ground. "You don't have to be such a jerk ab—"
Suddenly, Sasuke disappeared and Naruto's blue orbs widened before he heard the violent clash of metal behind him, he spun on his heel to see Sasuke deflecting a kunai with his sword. "Sasuke!?" He called before reaching for his leg holster, pulling out two Shurikens.
"Everyone!" Kakashi called, appearing by Naruto's side as Sakura and Sai followed to regroup. "It looks like we've been tailed since we reached the boarder of Amegakure." Swiftly, he pulled a kunai from his leg holster.
"Is that why you decided to take a break Kakashi sensei? To test that theory?" Sai interrogated.
Sakura's green orbs widened "does that mean this is an ambush?"
"Possibly" Kakashi admitted, flipping his forehead protector up to reveal the rare Sharingan.
"Heh" Naruto scoffed "if they think it's gonna be that easy then they've got it wrong."
As if on cue, several senbon needles flew at the five figures. Sai and Sakura effectively counteracted each senbon with their blades as Naruto and Kakashi leapt into a safer distance, searching for the Amegakure Shinobi. One needle scratched passed Sakura's cheek and drew blood, earning Naruto and Kakashi's attention. Sai narrowed his dark orbs "they keep coming."
"Sakura!" Naruto called before forming a hand sign "shadow clone jutsu!" Several blondes appeared through thick clouds as they began fending off the needles with kunai's. "Kakashi sensei, it's never ending!" He exclaimed in frustration. "How're we supposed to find them when we're too busy doing this!?"
Before Kakashi could answer, he heard a palm smack the ground. The older shinobi turned to see Sasuke touching the earth as black etchings circled his hand "summoning jutsu."
A puff of smoke enveloped the atmosphere as white snakes slithered around the four forms until they were completely enveloped inside a dome of white scales slithering around them. "Sasuke!?" Naruto called, unable to sense his chakra signature. "Where's Sasuke!?"
"Don't panic Naruto" Kakashi comforted.
"What is he planning?" the pink haired girl interjected, whipping her head toward the older shinobi.
All of a sudden, their snake barrier went up in smoke and several senbon needles fell to the ground around them. Four forms silhouetted through the grime, three of the figures were on the ground and one towered over them. Sai narrowed his orbs at the standing form before making out blood red eyes staring back at him. "It's Sasuke" the pale boy stated before the smoke began to clear to reveal the raven haired boy standing over the three rain ninja.
"Sasuke…" Kakashi appeared beside the raven haired boy in a flash as his eyes searched the rain ninja. "Did you use a genjutsu on these three?"
Red orbs pierced Kakashi "Yeah, they won't wake up for awhile."
"Sasuke, I'm glad you're okay" Sakura interjected as a big breath escaped from her lungs.
"What's the big deal?!" Naruto bulldozed his way through to the raven haired boy but never received even a glance as Sasuke's gaze remained on their former teacher. "Why would you try to do that by you—"
"That was a test for me wasn't it Kakashi?" interrogated the young Uchiha. "You could've taken care of them but you wanted me to handle it."
Kakashi lifted his hands up in his defence "the word 'test' is kind of an overstatement" he began "I just trust you as a member of team seven to assist us. I'm glad I made the right choice. I certainly wasn't expecting any snakes though" he ended as his eyes curved into a smile. Pulling his forehead protector down to cover his red orb he added, "your skills with the Sharingan have grown. They're probably more advanced than my own."
A few minutes of silence passed "then I'll leave the rest to you" Sasuke concluded before walking back over to the tree to collect his bag.
"What!?" Naruto exclaimed "Kakashi sensei, I could've easily taken those guys down."
"I'm sure you could but we have to get back in the swing of working with Sasuke, don't you agree?" The older shinobi retorted. Kakashi's dark orb narrowed, concealing any trace of thought. "Just how much did Orochimaru teach you, Sasuke?" He pondered. Kakashi couldn't help but feel somewhat uneasy seeing one of Orochimaru's summoning techniques being used by his former protégé.
The blonde folded his arms across his chest before watching Sai's inked snakes tie themselves into knots around the rain Shinobi's wrists before he finished it off by tying them tightly around the trees surrounding them. "Dammit" Naruto exclaimed "why can everyone summon snakes?! Hey Sai! Do you reckon you could teach me how to do that?"
"Sorry Naruto but you're not much of an artist" the pale boy joked, earning a giggle from Sakura.
"He's got that right" she agreed.
Sasuke averted his gaze from his bag to the three forms jeering at Naruto as he flared his arms, defending himself against their accusations. A pang of jealousy struck his core once again and his brows furrowed. No matter how distant or close he got to the blonde, the fangs of envy refused to let go of him. He wanted to push their bond into oblivion at times like this, it was too overwhelming. Taking a deep breath, he threw his bag over his shoulder.
"What's the matter Sasuke?" Kakashi asked, noticing his jaded expression. His dark orb followed Sasuke's line of vision to the three forms. "He doesn't care any less about you, you know. A lot of people have come and gone since you left but it's always just been about you with him." The older shinobi didn't miss the flash of confusion that ran through Sasuke's onyx globes before they hardened again.
Sasuke simply shot the older Shinobi a slight glare "we should go if we have any hope of getting to Amegakure before dawn. It's been over ten minutes already" he seethed.
"Oh," Kakashi said "looks like you're right. We better get going then."
The five forms began gathering their things before setting out to their campsite. The majority of the trip was made in silence excluding the occasional groans and complaints from Naruto. The rain began to become heavier as nightfall welcomed itself.
"Kakashi sensei?" Naruto huffed "are we—"
"We're here" the older shinobi leapt from a branch to the ground gracefully as the blonde clumsily followed.
"Finally" Naruto exclaimed as the others jumped down behind them seconds after. "It's about time."
There wasn't much to set up as the five forms rolled out sleeping bags in a secluded area near the main centre of the village. Sakura and Sai began gathering fire wood as it started to become darker. "Sakura, Sai," Kakashi called "we're going to go over our plan of action for tomorrow. Leave the wood for now."
The two younger shinobi's exchanged a glance as they made their way over to the fire to sit with Naruto, Sasuke and their former teacher. "So what's the plan?" Naruto started.
The older shinobi pulled out a scroll from his vest pocket and rolled it open on the ground so the fire light reflected over it for everyone to see. "This," Kakashi began, pointing to a small cross on the map "is where we are right now." Moving his pointer finger to the other side of the paper he added, "this is where Itachi is located." His dark orb stole a glance at Sasuke, not missing the threatening glint in his eye.
The silver haired man moved his finger to rest on a point in the middle of the map. "This is Pain's tower. Our goal is to avoid this at all costs, whether he's there or not we don't want to chance a run in with Pain or any existing Akatsuki memebers."
"So our only chance is to go through the lake surrounding all three areas" Sai mumbled as he rested his pointer finger on his chin in deep thought.
Sakura whipped her head to Sai and back to Kakashi, mulling over the pale boys words "through the lake? You mean like swimming?!" she exclaimed.
"How else?" Sasuke contributed "it's harder to sense chakra signatures amidst water, it's the safest alternative."
Kakashi humourlessly chuckled "you're as sharp as ever Sasuke" he mused before noticing the piercing stare Naruto was giving the raven haired boy. "And he's as competitive as ever" the older shinobi thought in mock humour.
"Don't worry Sakura" Kakashi continued "we won't be swimming the whole way, in fact we won't be doing much swimming at all. We'll be travelling along the waterline, our goal here is to retrieve Itachi Uchiha, not engage with Amegakure Shinobi. We'll only go under if it's absolutely necessary."
Sakura nodded, encouraging Kakashi to proceed with the mission details "Itachi is currently being held in one of the many caves along that waterline, Yamato reported that the Akatsuki memeber, Tobi, will most likely be there when we arrive, it seems that he's been assigned to look after his body. This is where we'll need you, Sai" he turned to the pale boy, who curiously returned his stare "our first priority is retrieving Itachi as soon as possible. If we have a run in with Tobi, it's up to you to recover Itachi and immediately set out for Konoha. Only you can do this with your super beast scroll jutsu."
All eyes were on the pale boy as he simply nodded, "understood" he confirmed.
"Naruto and Sasuke, you will be defending Sai along with me and Sakura while Sai confiscates Itachi," he turned to face the pink haired girl "your role is very important on this mission. We are still very unaware of what other abilities Tobi possesses, your medical ninjutsu will be necessary if anyone was to be injured, do you understand?"
"Yes Kakashi sensei" she nodded, feeling a little guilty she couldn't stand side by side with them and help her team mates against Tobi. "It's a medical ninja's duty to stay out of harms way for the good of the other shinobi on the front lines," she reminded herself, vanquishing some of the dismay that struck her before.
"Does everybody understand?" he addressed to his other comrades.
"Loud and clear Kakashi sensei" Naruto announced, raising his thumb in the air as a grin spread across his face. Sai simply nodded before Kakashi turned to the raven haired boy.
"Sasuke?" Kakashi asked.
The young Uchiha's gaze was downcast before his knuckles began whitening as he clenched his fist. "Kakashi" Sasuke seethed, his voice was low and barely contained "you expect me to stand by while he recovers Itachi?" The raven haired boy whipped his head up to glare directly at Sai who simply stared back with his usual nonchalant facade.
The older shinobi's brows furrowed "Sasuke," he began "I've said this before, this missions top priority is about retrieving Itachi's body. Everyones part in this is equally important in successfully doing that. Without you, our chances wouldn't be as high."
"That has to be some kind of joke" Sasuke hissed "if I'm not here to retrieve Itachi myself then why am I here? To stay on team seven?" Naruto's orbs narrowed at Sasuke's words.
"Sasuke" Kakashi's voice hardened, challenging the young Uchiha "there's more than retrieving Itachi or remaining on team seven. You possess the Sharingan, you are the last of the Uchiha bloodline and Tobi is no ordinary shinobi. He casts very rare jutsu's that even I can't quite pick up. If you can catch even the faintest hint of his technique, it'd be important intel to bring back to the village. You're needed on the front lines of this mission."
Sasuke's onyx orbs narrowed dangerously before casting his gaze to the ground. "Fine" Sasuke said, his usual tone returning "but I don't trust Sai" he ended as he got up and walked over to sit on his sleeping bag, far from where the light of the fire could reach him.
"Sasuke!?" Naruto bolted upright with rage, ready to follow the young Uchiha before a hand tightly gripped his wrist. His blue orbs trailed down to see Sai release his grip on Naruto before shaking his head slightly. The blonde looked back to where the raven haired disappeared through the darkness before returning to his spot.
A moment of silence ensued over the remaining forms by the fire. "He just doesn't know you yet Sai" Kakashi spoke "I remember when I first met team seven." Sakura and Naruto's gazes met before they looked to their former teacher curiously. "Sasuke didn't trust anybody, even me. But if I'm not mistaken, he was the first one who suggested working in a team in order to snag a bell from me." His dark orbs curved into a smile as Sakura felt her lips twitch upwards.
"That's right" Sakuras voice was soft as she spoke "I remember that."
"I could've done it myself, you know?" Naruto folded his arms across his chest, "easily!" He gazed down as a smile played on his lips. He now knew team work was the answer but he'd never admit Sasuke was the one who really pulled through for them that day. "Yeah, don't worry about it Sai" Naruto looked up to the pale boy "Sasuke is a jerk but he'll get over it."
"You're a member of team seven now too" Kakashi ended.
The older Shinobi's last words caused Sai's orbs to widened "a member of team seven now too?" he repeated to himself before plastering a smile onto his face. "I'm sure Sasuke and I can learn to be friends one day too" he said before rising from his spot. "I might go to sleep now too for our mission tomorrow." With that, he walked over to his sleeping bag, disappearing from any traces of light.
The pale boy lied on his side before his stomach began twisting and turning.
"I expect you to inform me of any suspicious activity you speculate from Sasuke Uchiha."
Danzo's words echoed in Sai's mind and his stomach became all the more unsettled. "I don't trust Sai." The pale boy cringed slightly as a feeling he couldn't place washed over him. Whatever it was, he didn't like it.
"I read in a book that tightness in the stomach over situations like these could be signs of guilt" he thought to himself as his dark orbs opened slightly to see the remaining three forms by the fire.
"You're a member of team seven now too"
Kakashi's words resounded in the back of his mind, making his stomach twist uncomfortably. He allowed his hooded eyes to fall shut. "Kakashi sensei, Sakura, Naruto and… Sasuke. I'm sorry." Sai drifted into sleep quickly before he realised the feeling in his stomach was indeed guilt.
Naruto sat in a tree over the four forms below him with his arms folded over his chest as he looked out for any Amegakure shinobi. The blonde wasn't too thrilled about being chosen to guard over them that night but it was either him or Sakura and he figured she needed a good sleep after their journey.
The blonde looked to his lap at the last tomato that rested on his thigh. "I thought I could stomach this while I'm staying up all night but they taste so bad," he cringed at the last time he ate the red fruit before a raven haired boy came to the forefront of his mind. "Why does he have to be such a jerk all the time," The blonde wondered, thinking back to just a few hours ago.
An image of porcelain lips intrusively flashed through his minds eye before his blue orbs widened slightly. He furrowed his brows and rested his head in his hand before cringing at the memory of what happened only yesterday in his kitchen. "If Sasuke wasn't sick then why was he red like that?" The blonde pondered. His stomach twisted slightly at the memory of their close proximity, "I gotta stop thinking about this" he decided before shoving all thoughts from his mind.
Naruto's blue orbs felt heavy as they slowly became lidded, "dammit" he thought before almost falling out of his tree. "Gotta stay awake" he willed himself but his eyes began closing again.
"You've left yourself open."
Naruto's eyes shot open as he saw two blood red orbs piercing into his blue globes. Taken by shock, he threw his fist at the figure in front of him but his wrist got caught in an iron grip. "Calm down, loser" spoke a deep silky voice.
The blonde blinked a few times, trying to distinguish his features in the dark. "Sasuke?" Naruto rubbed his eyes "why're you awake?" he asked huskily, before his brows furrowed "and why are you using your Sharingan?"
Sasuke released his grip on Naruto, "I thought I heard something but it was just you falling out of your post," the raven haired boy teased with a slight smirk on his lips.
Naruto's eyes adjusted to the light, the moon illuminated the raven haired boys features and the blonde was yet again admiring him, making his eyes widened slightly. He had to admit, Sasuke was captivating. He wasn't the type of pretty he found Sakura to be, she was soft and her green orbs were always warm and welcoming. Sasuke was the complete opposite. Blue-black hair framed his perfectly sculpted face. His onyx globes were always hard and icy yet it accented his porcelain complexion alluringly. It was as if his very self was cut from a diamond, unbreakable but beautiful. Naruto caught himself admiring the raven haired boy and backed himself up against the tree trunk awkwardly.
"What's wrong with you?" Sasuke raised one slim brow as his red orbs returned to their natural shade of onyx. "Why would anyone trust an idiot like you to guard them overnight?"
Naruto folded his arms over his chest "Sasuke!?" He exclaimed in frustration "did you come up here just to tell me that?! If you think you could do a better job than be my guest!"
"Tch" Sasuke sat down a few feet away from the blonde.
Frustration bubbled within Naruto's chest as his brows furrowed. "So you don't trust me either?"
The young Uchiha whipped his head to Naruto, slightly taken aback. Was that because of what he said about Sai? What was it about that boy that Naruto cared about so much? And there it was again. Jealousy bit at him as his dark orbs narrowed into slits "what do you care?" he hissed as his voice dripped with venom.
"What?!" Naruto exclaimed "of course I care! If we're gonna be on the same team then—"
"Not about you, idiot. Why do you care whether I trust Sai or not?" The raven haired boy questioned before looking down to see a green leaf resting on the trunk before the wind carried it to the ground, ensuing silence over the two boys.
Naruto furrowed his brows. "I care because Sai is part of our team now, I know we can tru—"
"What does he mean to you?" Sasuke avoided eye contact but his voice didn't waver.
"What does Sai mean to me?" The blonde's blue orbs widened in confusion. What did that question have anything to do with this conversation?
In an instant, onyx orbs were once again piercing into Naruto's blue globes as Sasuke backed the blonde against the tree again, resting his palm on the trunk beside the blondes head. "Was I that easily replaceable to you, Naruto?" he voiced just above a whisper.
Naruto sucked in a sharp breath of air as Sasuke's voice rolled back and fourth through his mind. Something about the way he said his name sent shivers down the blondes spine. There was a tone resounding in it that he couldn't place but he knew the young Uchiha was being serious. A slight irritation bubbled in Naruto's chest before it turned into full blown anger. Did Sasuke really think that he could replace him that easily? That their bond was just something he could just find under a rock? How many times did they need to go through this before Sasuke understood how much he meant to him?
Tightly grabbing the raven haired boy by the shirt, Naruto pulled him closer and their foreheads brushed against each other. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly, unable to predict what was going to happen next but he made no move to stop it. "Sasuke," Naruto whispered as he tightly shut his eyes, biting the inside of his lip.
"What can I do" Naruto thought desperately, his eyes shot open as his gaze rested on porcelain lips "how can I show you how much I…" Frustration bit at the blonde and familiar knots tightened in his stomach. "...How much I care about you," Naruto shut his eyes as he drew a quick breath in before briskly closing the distance between them, smashing his lips against Sasuke's.
The raven haired boy's orbs widened, feeling chapped yet soft lips against his own. The hand that rested on the bark beside Naruto's form clenched into a fist. Every ounce of jealousy was forgotten and replaced with an emotion Sasuke couldn't place but he knew that whatever started as a spark between them had just flared into a fire. His entire being tensed under the warmth of the blondes lips before Naruto slowly pulled away.
Blue orbs opened to see Sasuke's onyx globes staring back at him wide eyed, an emotion swelled up in them that almost mirrored his own. The sun began rising over the canyons of Amegakure, showering light across the water ridden landscape and the two forms. The blonde loosened his grip on Sasuke's shirt and the raven haired boy distanced himself, drawing back his warmth.
Naruto felt heat rush to his cheeks as Sasuke's piercing gaze bore into him, waiting for an explanation. "Sasuke…" he began, his voice was soft yet unyielding "there is nothing replaceable about you. I—"
"Sasuke! Naruto!" a voice called to their two forms from below, earning a jolt from the blonde. The two forms looked down to find Sakura groggily looking up to the two boys. "Why're you both up there? We've gotta leave soon." With that, she began rolling up her sleeping bag as Sai and Kakashi sat up, woken up by the pink haired girl.
Naruto's blood ran cold "Sakura… It doesn't look like she saw anything" he speculated. Whatever had just transpired between the two forms was something he wasn't ready for anyone to know about just yet if not ever. Turning to Sasuke, he could tell the raven haired boy was thinking the same thing. The young Uchiha composed himself as he slowly rose to his feet before looking down at the blonde.
"Naruto," he began "there is no place in this Shinobi world for what you're feeling." Sasuke's brows furrowed as he averted his gaze downward. "Let go of it. It'll make you weak." The raven haired boy then gracefully leapt from the branch to the ground as the blonde watched him swiftly gather his weapons.
Rejection struck Naruto at his core as he mulled over Sasuke's words. Whatever he was feeling, he was sure Sasuke felt it too at some point. He still felt it was hard to answer a lot of the questions he was beginning to ask himself but there was more truth in a fleeting kiss with Sasuke then anything he could come up with himself.
He raised a finger to his lips as confusion washed over him like a Tsunami, "I didn't have to kiss him" he almost berated himself for a moment before a small smile plastered itself onto his face "but why did it feel so natural? I'm sorry Sasuke but I won't let it go." The blonde looked to the raven haired boy to see his stare was returned as their gazes met.
"Naruto!?" Sakura called, grabbing his attention "did you hear me? We've got a mission to do, stop slacking off!" Naruto turned away to watch the sun rise over the canyons of Amegakure once more as he thought over his resolve.
The blonde took a deep breath before thinking, "Right now I've gotta focus," shaking off any thoughts of the raven haired boy, he leapt from the trunk to the earth, landing near his sleeping bag "right" he said as Sakura raised one brow, sensing a change in the blonde. "Let's get going then!"
