DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

Chapter Twenty-Three:
Overcompensating?

Stay in shadow
I'll run this world out
Stay in shadow
It's running out of time
~Finger Eleven~

Naruto and Sakura stepped into the lobby with their bags slung over their shoulders. Sakura murmured, "I suppose we should go meet up with Lord Kumosaki and his bodyguards."

Turning, Naruto took her hands and lifted them to his lips. "Sakura…"

"What?"

"About you and Yukiko… promise me you won't do anything stupid."

Sakura's muscles clenched, her eyes slowly narrowing. There might have even been a bit of steam escaping from her ears. "Stupid?" She jerked her hands from his grasp. "Why… ass!" As if she were the one who constantly speaks before she thinks and is always unpredictable.

Stupid indeed!

"Excuse me?"

He almost missed the edge of danger in her voice. The Jinchuriki might be a cunning, lethal shinobi who was considered to be the savior of the world, but he was still a man.

Clueless.

Naruto grimaced at her cold tone and then held his hands up in mock surrender. "Maybe I could have phrased that better."

"You think?"

"What I mean to say is that I don't want you saying anything you might regret because god only knows what she might say or do in return."

"I can handle her and besides, I refuse to let her bother me." Sakura meant what she said. Yukiko was nothing to her… despite the fact that the terrifying power of the human sex drive was horrifically demonstrated in that someone was willing to father her.

Yeah, she could handle her.

"Just don't do anything I wouldn't do."

Sakura opened and closed her mouth. Finally with a wry shrug, she said, "I have no idea how to respond to that." She wondered again what the woman could have done to gain such hostility from Naruto. She was about to forget her vow to not question his past partners when he spoke.

"We can always return to the inn," he whispered suggestively against her ear as he wrapped his arms around her waist and drew her to his chest. "There are lots of other things we can do instead… things that are a lot more fun."

His exotic, male scent teased her nose and the heat of his hands pressed on her lower back seared her. She reveled in the solid thud of his heart.

He was all man. And he made her glad that she was all woman.

For a moment she allowed herself to savor the strength of his arms as they held her as if he would never, ever going to let her go. God above, but it would be wonderful to simply hide behind Naruto and pretend that they were alone in the world and had no responsibilities. It'd been so damn long since she had been able to depend on anyone but herself.

Then she was firmly pulling away.

No. She was no weakling to have to cling to another. Geez the day she became so spineless she would toss herself off the nearest cliff. Sakura released a small sigh.

"No, it's time to complete this mission and return to our home." Her gaze hardened as she saw Yukiko walking in their direction. "At some point we have to go on. It might as well be now."

He studied her for a long moment as if he could sense for pulling back behind her shields. The determination in her voice and defiant jut of her chin left Naruto with little doubt she meant what she said. At last he offered a wry smile and opened the doors.

~o~O~o~

Naruto's thoughts took flight when he spotted the powder blue coach coming down the street in their direction surrounded by the three guards they met earlier and another half-dozen mounted, armed riders. It was followed by another coach, not quite as large, and then still another. Bringing up the rear were three large wagons piled high with baggage and supplies.

"What in the hell…?"

Naruto only vaguely heard Sakura's question. It had to be the same question running through everyone else's mind too. All along the street villagers stopped to point and stare, or were coming out of their shops for a better look or leaning out of their windows. Half the children in town were trotting beside the procession, as if it were a circus come to town and they didn't want to miss a moment of the excitement.

Naruto let out a chuckle as he studied the huge carriage and asked, "Do you think he's overcompensating for something?"

"Hush," chided Sakura as she turned to him with a smile, "He is a very important man. He is one of the Daimyo's top advisors and his brother-in-law. It stands to reason that he would want to travel in comfort."

"Yeah, but it'll take us forever to get to Konoha with such a large group."

Most people wouldn't have noticed the change in the air. The switch from comfortable comradely to barely contained anger. But Sakura felt it as sure as she felt the weight of her bag hanging on her shoulders. She didn't have to turn around to know who had walked up behind them.

"Naruto-kun," Yukiko began, running the tip of her tongue over her pale pink lip as she ran her eyes over him, "I just wanted to say that I am so sorry. There is no excuse for my behavior this morning. You have every right to be angry with me. I know things didn't end so well with us and I was just so surprised and pleased to see you. Please tell me what I can do to help you feel better. I am willing to do whatever you say."

Completely ignoring the way Sakura rolled her eyes, she stepped closer to the blond and lowered her head in attempt to hide the tears shimmering in her eyes. "I understand how much I hurt you. I don't deserve your forgiveness. I promise to work really hard at earning your trust again, and maybe someday you'll be able to forgive me."

Sakura snorted and didn't bother to hide it. Shinya, the bodyguard who joined them in time to hear Yukiko's apology, smiled at Sakura's expression and winked roguishly at her.

Naruto shifted uncomfortably. Yukiko seemed so sincere in her apology and he had to admit to himself that he had never been the type of person to hold a grudge. Still… this was Yukiko and he would probably be a fool to believe her.

As his silence lengthened and grew uncomfortable, Shinya stepped forward and said jokingly, "You know in the movies when there's one of those awkward, shocking moments and all you hear are the crickets in the background?" He looked back and forth between the two Konoha shinobi and Yukiko and then added, "Well chirp freaking chirp...this is one of those moments."

With a deep sigh, Naruto grudgingly offered, "There isn't anything you need to do, Yukiko. Let's just keep the past in the past and move on from there. I think that Sakura is the one you owe an apology to though."

She looked up, smiled slightly, and nodded quickly. "Oh yes, Naruto, you have every right to demand that of me as I behaved unforgivably in making a spectacle of myself and offending the sensibilities of your teammate. My humor was ill timed and inappropriate."

Sakura instantly caught on to Yukiko's lies even without any subtle tells. Tells that most people couldn't hide or master. The darting of the eyes away during a lie, the look of the eyes while explaining herself. Many guilty people, when pressed, expressed a load of bodily ticks. A twitching foot, twitching hands and fingers, sagging shoulders with guilt. Yukiko expressed none of those tells. And why should she - she was a trained kunoichi.

She held her shoulders high, her chin up, and kept on smiling. Her legs didn't bounce or fidget as she talked. But what Yukiko didn't realize was that by not showing any of those tells, she still expressed one in great abundance—confidence. Arrogance. Sakura's eyes narrowed.

Naruto opened his mouth to say something but was interrupted as Shinya slapped him on the back and said, "Come on, Lord Kumosaki wants to speak with you before we head out."

"You going to be alright, Sakura-chan?"

Her magnificent eyes flashed with stubborn independence. "I'm fine. Go see Lord Kumosaki."

What exactly does 'fine' mean - Yukiko not coughing up arterial blood?

~o~O~o~

Yukiko hid a frown as Naruto walked off. She waited until the blond was far enough away to not hear her and then a calculating expression hardened her delicate features as she studied Sakura. She slid forward, the scent of expensive perfume and cold malice wrapping around the pink haired medic. "So listen… I am sorry if I inadvertently offended you with my unintentional remarks. Obviously you just don't get my sense of humor."

"IF?" chocked out Sakura. "A tip for you - the Little Miss Innocent routine only works when there's a credible belief that innocence is possible."

Frigid hatred hung in the air. Yukiko ignored everything around her, her dark eyes boring into Sakura with a flat, soulless gaze of a snake. "I said I was sorry. Maybe you should take that stick out of your ass."

Sakura forced a smile and then; although she knew she shouldn't, she deliberately taunted, "Why, you wanna play fetch?"

Yukiko's lips twisted with fury. "You need to back off. Naruto was mine once and he will be mine again. I know all about you, Sakura Haruno. You are completely wrong for Naruto Uzumaki and you know it. You two are like oil and water."

"Naruto's a big boy," snapped Sakura. "If he wanted to be with you than he would."

"Oh he will…" She intentionally paused, her gaze lowering to Sakura's breasts. "God only knows what he sees in you. Do you just screw on missions or do you do blowjobs as well?"

Sakura held up her chin and put her hand to her heart. "And steal all of your business?" She took the time to enjoy Yukiko's dumbstruck look before she twisted on her heel and walked away, oddly satisfied by having the last word with the flaming narcissist.

~o~O~o~

Naruto understood her need to appear strong. It was a part of who she was. He didn't want to leave her alone with Yukiko, but he knew better than to stay. With an uneasy sigh, he turned and walked away with Shinya.

"Fine's a funny word, don't you think? I don't think there's another like it in a woman's repertoire that says so much while actually saying so little."

"Yeah, tell me about it. She makes me want to kiss her and strangle her at the same time. I've never been into S&M. But I'm beginning to see its benefits."

Shinya laughed good-naturedly. They reached Lord Kumosaki's coach and, seeing he was busy with the village leader, waited for him to conclude his business. The bodyguard looked back at the two women and commented wryly, "I can't believe that you actually dated Yukiko. Now don't get me wrong, she's incredibly hot. It's just that she has never really discussed her past in a lot of detail, but the few tidbits she's dropped here and there over the last few months since she's joined us has convinced me that the woman hasn't merely lived in crazy town, but instead owned prime real estate there."

Naruto knew he should be focusing on his friend, but instead of doing that he was checking out the pink-haired medic's backside and wondering how loud he could make her scream his name. He licked his lips at the image of her in nothing but pink skin and almost groaned.

He felt the lower half of his body harden a little. Damn, but this was all her fault. He hadn't been a hormonal disaster before. Now that he'd felt her body on his, been on hers, felt pleasure warm her skin. There was no forgetting it. Ever. The woman would haunt him for the rest of his days.

"Hello there, anybody home?" Shinya waved his hand in front of Naruto's face and repeated, "I said that little pink haired girl is definitely an improvement." Shinya nudged Naruto when he didn't reply. "Well, you're seeing her, right?"

Naruto nodded eagerly, "Yeah I'm seeing her alright…" Finally dragging his eyes away from Sakura, he forcibly recalled himself and said, "God, she's just so beautiful. I mean, look at her. She's like a volcano going off—fierce and fiery and breathtaking. If she doesn't find a way to ugly herself down, I'm going to be spending an awful lot of time pissing her off."

"I can agree that women are like volcanoes… in that they both stay calm for extended periods of time before exploding and killing everything. Then, there's calm again."

Naruto watched Sakura gracefully walk away from Yukiko with a wary gaze.

Actually it hadn't gone as bad as he feared. No death or mutilation. Not even a maiming.

Always a plus.

"Sakura's not like that," murmured the blond dreamily. "She's… different. There's nothing better than to just hold her in my arms and listen to her heart."

"Cuddling?" sputtered Shinya in disbelief, "You know, you might want to pick up your balls… I think they just fell right off when you said that."

Naruto gave a sour look earning a chuckle from the cheerful bodyguard.

~o~O~o~

The light of the waning moon lent enough light for Naruto to admire his surroundings once again. He had never traveled in such comfort before and to be honest - it felt a little surreal. When they departed the village, Lord Kumosaki had insisted that he ride with him so that they could become better acquainted and get to know what type of leader he would become. It didn't take long for the advisor and the young shinobi to become impressed with each other. Both held an obvious love for the people in the Land of Fire and wanted only the best for them.

He shifted to a more comfortable position on the futon that consumed a large portion of the tent. Beside him Sakura was sprawled in a restless slumber, her beautiful pink locks spread across the dark pillows Lord Kumosaki thoughtfully provided.

Unable to resist temptation he allowed his fingers to lightly stroke the silky tresses.

Although Lord Kumosaki insisted that his people were adequate enough to keep watch, Naruto made several shadow clones to help patrol the perimeter. It was only when he was confidant he had done everything in his power to ensure the safety of the caravan that he joined her in the tent and allowed himself the luxury of sleep. A sleep that had been disturbed far too early by the feel of a warm body entangled with his own and a heady female scent filling the air.

He knew he should be resting, but his mind just wouldn't let him. Well hell, sleep was overrated anyways, he acknowledged as he popped himself on his elbow to study Sakura's delicate profile.

He knew she had a rough day. Yukiko was a complication neither one of them needed. He wished he could explain to Sakura what happened between the two of them, but he had sworn not to.

Savoring the feel of her satin hair as it trailed over his fingers Naruto hid a smile as her lashes fluttered upward.

God, but she was magnificent.

Smiling, he held her chin and leaned in to kiss her tenderly. He nibbled on her bottom lip, then her top. Trying to show her how much she meant to him as a woman, Naruto held himself in check. As much as he wanted to plunder her mouth and crush her body to his, he wanted her to see the gentle side he possessed too.

He gathered her in his arms and rolled enough to rest her head on the pillow, but not so far as to rest his weight on top of her. As he'd hoped, she responded in kind. She ran her fingers through his hair and loosely cupped the back of his head while welcoming his kisses with her soft lips.

Naruto hadn't felt like taking a woman in his arms and only kissing her for a very long time. When making out was all he could get, he settled for it. But this wasn't settling. This was wanting.

Naruto was thrilled to feel her probe his mouth with her tongue. He pulled her closer as he opened to her and their tongues danced while their bodies melded together. Fervently kissing and holding each other close not only aroused him but was fulfilling in another way. A slight head-rush invaded his senses. He leaned back and focused on her face.

Her eyelids drifted halfway open, as if too heavy to open all the way, but Sakura held his gaze. She took in a deep breath. "I feel punch drunk. I've never been kissed like that before."

"I don't remember kissing anyone like that before, either." He resumed their lip lock and thoroughly enjoyed her warm mouth on his. After what seemed like the best kiss he could hope to have without giving her beard burn, he pulled away reluctantly.

A smile crept across her face and she smoothed the hair that had fallen forward away from his face. "You amaze me sometimes."

The nearly silent sound of guards outside had her chuckling. "I completely forgot about where we are."

He ginned, astonished that he'd somehow whisked her away from reality with only a kiss. His own perception, at least of time, must have been altered too. Never had the night passed so quickly.

"What time is it?"

"It's not yet four."

Sakura popped herself on her elbows and glared at him in genuine annoyance. "Four?"

Naruto gave her a smile meant to charm as he slipped his hands upward, beneath the hem of her camisole top. His warm, slightly callused thumbs stroked along her belly, and her nipples tightened into hard points.

"I can't stop thinking about what we just did and how much I want to do it again," whispered Naruto.

"Stop it," she hissed. "We are so not doing this right now."

"I'll take it real slow this time," he explained as he ignored her protests and dragged his hands back out from under her top.

She almost whimpered at the loss of his touch, until he filled both of his palms with her aching breasts and squeezed them through the thin material of her camisole top and sheer bra.

His gaze melded with hers, so hot she felt singed by his sizzling stare. "I'd give more attention to these beautiful breasts and take each one into my mouth so I can memorize the taste. I'd suck on your nipples for a good long time before moving on."

Sakura bit her bottom lip and swallowed back a moan as he closed his thumb and index finger around her stiff, sensitive tips and gave a firm, tantalizing tug on each one, which she felt all the way down to her core. She knew she should stop him, but couldn't find the will to halt his verbal seduction. Gone was his usual carefree boyish charm and in its place, a serious, more intense Naruto. Her body automatically arched into his skillful hands.

The slight, sinful smile that curved his mouth told her that he knew how hot and restless he was making her, and he was enjoying every minute of having the upper hand. "When I finally had my fill of your breasts, I'd kiss your belly and dip my tongue into your navel," he went on as his fingers skimmed downward, mimicking his words. "And then, when you were writhing beneath me and begging for more, I'd go down on you and use my tongue to make you come, no matter how long it took."

This time, she did moan, long and loud, as he slid his long fingers between her thighs and pressed his thumb hard against her cleft.

Her helpless sound of wanting seemed to please him, though the rascal wasn't done tormenting her just yet. "I'd spend hours kissing you here… long, slow, soft kisses. Deep, tongue-swirling kisses. Hard, sucking kisses against your clit, until you finally screamed my name."

She was melting, her body tingling where his fingers were rubbing against her swollen flesh, and she suspected that if anyone could make her have an orgasm that way, it would be Naruto.

It was all she could do to keep herself from ignoring the guards outside, throwing back the covers, crawling on top of him and straddling his waist for a more direct, illicit contact. Instead, she grasped his bare shoulders with her hands and dropped her head closer to his. "And then what?" she dared to ask, even as her breath came in short, anxious pants.

Lifting his free hand up to her face, he gently brushed the backs of his knuckles against her flushed cheek before threading his fingers through her hair and curling them around the nape of her neck. He drew her head down to his, and the last thing she caught was the lust simmering in his eyes, and then she felt his lips graze along her jaw, all the way up to her ear.

He pressed his cheek against hers, the scrape of his stubble on her soft skin an erotic sensation that heightened the sexual tension rising between them. She closed her eyes, pressed more fully into his hard, lean body, anxiously awaiting what he'd say next.

He certainly didn't disappoint her. "And then, when you were wet and soft and ready for me, I'd slide deep, deep inside of you," he murmured, his breath warm and damp against her ear. "I'd make love to you slowly, make it last so I can feel everything, inside and out… how hot and tight you are, the way you moan when I thrust high and hard, and the way your soft breasts and hard nipples feel rubbing against my chest. Then there's the incredible way you feel gripping my cock as I come."

She shivered, and with his fingers tangled through the hair at the back of her neck, he gently tugged her head back so their gazes met once more and their lips were mere inches apart. There was something strangely exciting about being at this man's mercy, as she currently was. God, she wanted him, with a fierce, powerful kind of need she'd only experienced with him.

With her own mouth poised so close to his, she said the only thing that came to her mind "So, what's stopping you from doing all that?" Certainly not her.

"At the moment, not a damn thing," he said gruffly, and took her mouth with his own.

AN:

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter!

My recommendation this week is The Fight For Tomorrow by AxlMaster: In the aftermath of the Fourth Shinobi War, peace reigns supreme. But there is one last enemy left to face, one who could annihilate everything and everyone Naruto has ever fought for. One last battle remains...

AZFAERYDUST