AN: I own NOTHING!! So yeah when you read this please review. I was absolutely thrilled with all of the feedback I received. Please share any ideas you have. I do seriously give thought to them when writing, so if you want to see your twist, please review and tell me! Please enjoy!
Intimate Moments
Scattered beams spilled through the thick branches of the trees and continued on to rest and reflect on the glassy surface of the hidden lake. If one was to stumble upon this jewel located deep in the vast forest, one would gape and gasp at the majestic natural glory before them. They might even remark on how "simply magical," the landscape was. But it is almost certain that one would not be aware of the supernatural beings that rested peacefully there.
Pan forward, move swiftly from the shore across the wide expanse of the sparkling body of water towards the steady rage of the massive three story waterfall before you. The wall of water seems impenetrable, and you're right, the sheer force with which the white capped water would crash down continuously, would crush any and all that would come beneath it, thus creating a wall of security that in itself.
A perfect cover.
From above the surface, the wall of white casts the illusion that there is nothing but bare rock behind the curtain of the flowing water. An illusion indeed. In order to see what lay secret, one would have to submerge themselves beneath the crystal clear cool waters and then move beneath the waterfall in order to see and access an opening that lay above the surface but behind the waterfall. The opening is large enough for several people to swim through without being cramped. Cool crisp air flows into the tunnel like opening and continues on until it opens up into a large circular cavern. The cavern itself, is worth mentioning simply for the fact that the walls were covered in scattered aquamarine crystals, almost giving off a soft blue glow. In this cavern, the water had become a lot more shallow the depth only maxing out to six feet in depth.
It is here, in these calm, warm waters where our journey concludes. At the top of the cavern is a small opening that allows small amounts of light to trickle in to sparkle off the crystals and down into the pool. Resting on the makeshift bed of the soft sand laid the couple of star-crossed love. A petite mermaid slumbered, completely still and peaceful. Her waist-length cherry pink tresses splayed on her side almost obscuring her ethereal features. Every part of her was at peace, the only movement the transparent fins moving slowly back and forth with the force of the gentle current. However, she was not the only one inhabiting the small cave. Spooned behind her lay sleeping was the distinctly masculine form of her soon to be naga mate. Even in sleep, he needed her close. A muscled arm draped over her waist as well as the tip of his tail wrapped about her. Even in unconsciousness, he was possessive. Sharp claws lay at ease against the smooth skin of his mate to be's stomach.
Slowly, the prodding insistent rays of light finally reached the slumbering naga prince insisting that he venture back into the world of consciousness. Heavy lids opened half-heartedly revealing glittering onyx. A sleepy yawn was ripped from his mouth and two dangerous poison ready slender fangs were revealed. In this instance, the powerful incisors looked rather cute than formidable.
Blinking several times, Sasuke regained conscious bearings but was still rather surprised as he looked down and was faced with bubblegum pink. But that shock faded and was replaced with a soft smile. Sakura. She was there sleeping soundly in his arms. Mmmm. He couldn't wait for the time when it would be every morning that he found her in his embrace. Despite the fact that they were in a strange place and was in a particularly dangerous situation, what with Orochimaru on the loose and all, he had had one of the best night's sleep that he had had in a long while. A certain beloved princess kunoichi was responsible for that, well…that and the fact that she had tired him out with their activities. Sasuke couldn't help the crimson that stained his cheeks. While they didn't consummate the love they shared for one another, he had been quite satisfied with the night long make out session.
Mental images and phantom sensations reminded him of the euphoria that was last night. He could almost feel her feather light cool touches as her finger tips would brush against his heated skin leaving a trail of sure fire in their path. And for some reason, she had this strange fascination with touching the very sensitive bit of skin that was located where flesh melded with scales. Didn't she know how that affected him? That little vixen was driving his body crazy.
The way that consummation was even possible, was that when the area was stimulated, the scales there would recede revealing the essential parts. On more than one occasion, he had to focus on his iron will of self control so that this particular event did not occur. Apparently her innocence protected her from such an embarrassing feat. Even now, his blood began to stir and he was forced to think on other much less desirable things like…like Neji.
The naga prince's blood ran cold at the mere thought, and subconsciously he gripped his mermaid princess tighter. No one would have her but him. Unfortunately, his possessive action resulted in the awakening of his beloved.
Thick lashes fluttered uncertainly before settling at half-mast revealing apple green. Sasuke couldn't help the half-smile that seemed permanently engraved upon his features. Leaning down, he helped her back into the waking world by softly nuzzling her neck. He had to admit that he did indeed take pleasure in the simple affectionate gesture. Her natural scent appealed to him and he felt like he could lose himself in the fragrance.
"Mmm Sasuke?' Even the uncertainty in her sleepy one, he found to be adorable.
"Hn." In her semi-conscious state she could hear the clear amusement in his tone. Inwardly, she was rolling her eyes at his male satisfaction. But as she rolled over to face him that same sheer male cockiness stole her breath with his sexy smirk. Did he always have to be so darn hott? Wasn't he supposed to look as bad as she did in the morning? One quick glance over at his body did confirm her agitation in the fact that, yes, he still retained perfection while she probably was reminiscent of the crypt keeper. Life was so unfair.
So why it was that now he was leaning in to capture a good morning kiss when she looked so sleep haggard?
So maybe life wasn't so bad…
No…not bad at all if she got to keep tasting those delicious lips of his. There would always be a fiery chemistry between them and so the close proximity and the beginning of delicate caresses, initiated fevered kisses. Losing themselves in the throws of passion, Sasuke shifted their position so that he was gently pinning her with his weight as his attentions drew to her neck. Sakura welcomed the weight and felt all the more feminine and wanted because of it. Wrapping her arms around him, they snaked up to caress his back. Ooh, she did so love his back. Beneath the soft spotless pale skin lay strong muscle that was easily distinguishable when he flexed.
It was just another one of his masculine attributes that made him absolutely irresistible to her. And that's why when he began to suck gently at the juncture where the neck and shoulder met, Sakura found herself being lost to the haze of his ministrations. Oh, his lips just had to be divine, that and when his fangs would graze her skin, shivers of pleasure ran throughout her entire body.
Meanwhile, Sasuke was lost to his own pleasures. Sakura's skin was the most addicting substance he had come across in his entire life. He had to taste more and touch more so his fingers ran feverishly up and down her back. He was thoroughly enjoying himself, nothing could ruin this perfect moment, not now that he could hear the soft mewls of pleasure that escaped Sakura's lips.
"Sasuke! Sasuke, I know you're in there! You had better not be doing anything indecent to our Sakura!" Again, it felt like he had been doused with frigid water. A low growl erupted from the extremely perturbed Uchiha. Even Sakura was shaken from her daze due to the vibrations coming from Sasuke's chest.
"Dobe…" It would be Naruto, wouldn't it? Didn't that loser know what he was interrupting? Yes…he did, and that's what really got to him all the more.
"Naruto?" Sakura exclaimed confused.
"If you don't come out, I'm coming in after you!" Naruto's exaggerated shouts came from the opening overhead. At this point, realization dawn on the mermaid princess and in response a facial muscle twitched in annoyance. She was sure her other self, who was currently dormant within in her would have used her ninja acquired super strength and pounded the blonde to oblivion.
Covering her more with his body, Sasuke called out, "Do it, and see what happens loser." Sakura could practically envision the outrage as it erupted on the ramen lover's features.
"Is that supposed to be a threat?"
"What do you think it is dobe?" And just like that, the romantic atmosphere had ended. Sakura sighed in obvious disappointment. When they got married, she would have to make sure that their honeymoon was spent far away from Naruto. No offense to Hinata, but sometimes she thought that maybe Sasuke and Naruto enjoyed fighting with each other more than spending time with their respective girlfriends.
So, with a well placed shove Sakura pushed her bickering mate to be off a baffled Sasuke.
"Sakura? Sakura?" With a single "hmph" she turned up her nose and left. If he wanted to fight with Naruto so bad then let him, but she, she would have no part of their foolishness. If Sasuke wanted to be with her, then he could come to her on his own time. Until then, she could go talk to Hinata. Now Sasuke was even more ticked. Naruto would pay! He had waited for so long to touch Sakura again, and now here he was not touching her because of NarutoSasuke's fingers flexed and cracked with the intention of using his claws on a particular blonde idiot best friend of his.
Purposefully, he left the sanctuary of his new found temporary haven and proceeded to swim along the sandy bed of the cave until the cave opened up into the massive lake. Even now, looking down at his own shadow it was a bit of an oddity for him to see his true form. For so long, he had been locked inside the body of a human and now as the current ran swiftly against his scales as his tail swished back and forth, he felt…free.
Granted, he was still very much aware of the fact that his other self was now laying dormant in his mind very much like he had been for so long. Selfconsciously, he fingered the curse mark on his neck. Only, he was unaware of the fact that that very same curse mark was fading.
Out in the open waters, he could see Sakura's form become smaller and smaller as she neared the surface. The handsome naga prince paused in his ascent and just watched as Sakura swam. Truly, she was a sight, an ethereal goddess in her element. Her transparent fins cast a prism like effect on the waters around her. She looked like some kind of aquatic angel. Her lithe toned body seemed to flow gracefully upwards, her hair floating about her in a bubblegum cloud.
Darn…He was so madly in love with that girl. Even if she wasn't the princess of the mermaid kingdom, even though she wasn't a naga, if they had remained human, he still would have fallen in love with her no matter the circumstances. And now… she was his. He wasn't going to hide it from anyone either, not Kakashi and certainly not that arrogant merman, Neji.
By now, Sakura had reached the surface and appeared to be making her way towards the shore. Eagerly, he put his own tail to use and tried to catch up to her. It seemed that he would always be chasing her. A small smile graced his features. Well, that was more than ok with him. He would gladly chase her for the rest of eternity. In mere seconds, he rocketed through the waters closing the distance and breaking the surface next to his love.
Cool air assaulted his face and bare upper body as he bobbed on the surface. Water sprayed about as his head broke the water. The droplets shimmered like diamonds as they flew about. Amusedly, it took only a few seconds for his water heavy locks to defy gravity and spike up once more. Upon reaching the surface, he was met with several familiar faces on the shore. There was the knowing smile of Kakashi, the ever timid Hinata, and certainly never least, loudmouth knuckleheaded ninja, Naruto.
His soft amused foxy grin clearly told the couple that he was glad they were "back" and that they were together. The naga prince could almost swear that his best friend's cheer was infectious and so he was hard pressed not to grin like an idiot himself. Like Sakura, he had truly missed his best friend. Even though they had still become best friends, their friendship was so much deeper in their true lives than in this façade of a human existence. It was funny that their human friendship very much was a reflection of how it actually happened, though the circumstances had shifted drastically.
It was reassuring to know that Naruto was not his friend simply because he was crowned prince and that it was his job as his "guardian." It only took a moment for Sasuke to inwardly scoff. Naruto couldn't fake a friendship if he wanted to. He had countless memories of the loudmouthed ninja giving some kind of disrespect or varying challenge to a superior. Secretly, he always respected Naruto for this crazy behavior. Personally, he would rather die a painful tortured death before he would admit that secret though. Along with the fact that many times those same outbursts were often the exact thought he was thinking. His actions consistently had to reflect diplomacy so as to not cause war or disruption of any kind.
"So we're here dobe, what did you want?" Sasuke called in his cocky arrogant tone, as he swam forward until his serpentine half was revealed. The look of pure shock on Naruto's features was fuel for Sasuke's smug smirk to grow.
"How…I mean…it makes sense now, but how, I mean…"
"You mean you don't know how?" The naga prince's obviously patronizing tone earned an agitated look from one other than the insulted blonde.
"Really? Because I can recall last night another naga who didn't know how to revert back, if my memory serves me correctly." Naruto regained his impish grin at the cheeky admission from Sakura, who earned herself a glare. Sakura easily disregarded it. Sometimes, even her lover needed to be put in his place.
"Here Naruto, Hinata, come in, we'll help you if you like." Sakura's cheerful disposition clearly overshadowed the putting of her mate to be. Naruto, in his over eagerness, grabbed Hinata and pulled her without thought into the shallows of the lake. Sakura watched, her smile dimming at the sight. Her female best friend sure had to have a mountain's worth of patience, to deal with Naruto's spontaneous antics. But the smile and light blush told her that Hinata was completely oblivious to what could've been a completely thoughtless action.
The pink haired med-nin's jade eyes softened at the sight. Hinata was so in love with that boy and the mere thought that Hinata had finally found someone who made her truly happy, brought joy to Sakura's heart. Hinata more than deserved all of the adoration that the future Hokage showered her with.
"Alright Sakura, show us what to do!" Apparently, the hyperactive ninja was anxious to return to his true form. Probably just doing it to spite Sasuke, she thought dryly. But no matter, it was their happiness after all.
"It's simple really, just remember what it was like to be in your true form and I guess just will it to happen."
"Just…will it to happen?" Naruto's puzzled expression mirrored Hinata's.
"Yup, that's about it…" Sasuke returned to his mate to be's side and casually slipped an around her waist. With the presence of his best, a fierce look of determination rose from Naruto.
"Alright! Let's do this Hinata!" Naruto exclaimed pumping his arm in the air.
"O…ok Naruto," Hinata agreed. Almost simultaneously, both of their eyelids slid shut like gravity alone was pulling them down. It was odd for Sakura to watch this event happen a second time, but each time indeed was unique and fascinating to watch. And just like before with Sasuke, there was a shifting in the energies in the air around them. Then suddenly the two seemed to "lose balance" as they dropped abruptly beneath the surface. Taking a glance out of her peripheral vision, she could tell that Sasuke was entranced as well by the sight…
It was odd in the moment, as she focused on what her true form looked and felt like. But even more than that, it was strangely disconcerting waking up and realizing that she was no longer trapped within the confines of her "outer's" mind and was now free to express herself. In one moment, she was trying to help her outer and therefore Naruto in the fight against Haku.
Truth be told, before that, she had never been in a life threatening fight before. Yes, she had been trained in the deadly fighting arts native to her clan; the same deadly fighting style that her cousin was so infamous for perfecting. Ever since she was young, she had been trained so that she could better protect the princess. However, she was often doubted, whether it be her protective abilities, to even her fighting spirit. By nature she was soft spoken and gentle. Ferocity could almost be her antonym.
But then she had met Naruto on that fateful day. Sakura had been miserable that day wanting nothing more than to be free of her binding betrothal. Trying to comfort her, she had accompanied her downtrodden friend to the market in hopes of lifting her spirits.
And then… Lee happened. Absently, she wondered how he was. At first, she had been slightly amused by the annoying intensity with which Lee pursued Sakura. His unwavering adoration was absolutely humorous. But then something unexpected occurred. That adoration had mutated into something dark and possessive. And in that instant, when he breached the line of amorous affection to harassment, she found herself ashamed to admit that, in that time frame, she froze. Yes, Sakura was clearly in danger, but Lee was a formidable opponent to even other mermen, so how in the world was she supposed to free her best friend from his vice-like grip. Her cousin would surely fume when he found out about this.
Both of the girls' prayers had been answered when Sasuke appeared obviously challenging and winning the skirmish against Lee. But again, like a bad recurring cold the same situation occurred again and sky rocketed when he proceeded to "kidnap" her. She recalled uncomfortably how a scream was involuntarily ripped from her throat. It was a cry of desperation and panic. She had failed again. Was she really that deficient? However, that time of utter hopelessness, had brought her Naruto seconds later.
Even now, in this split moment in which she was shifting back into her birth form, a feeling of warmth filled her. Naruto was her sun. He was unchanging in nature, bright and warm. He brought light and growth to her life. But most of all, he gave her love. He cherished her with the same fierce passion that he had for all things he held precious. On that day when he looked and spoke to her like no other man had, she knew she had found the one who was made just for her. That is why, in the fight against Haku, she was more than happy to protect him from the certain death she faced. That's what love was after all, caring about someone so much that you would be willing to give up your own life so that theirs could prosper. He gave her the drive and bravery to be fierce, and the courage to overcome certain defeat.
Light lavender eyes fluttered open to find the vision of Naruto shifting into his true form. The glow was dimming from the magic but still, he shone. The light from the sun made his naturally burnt orange scales glitter. His short spiky sun kissed locks floated lazily about him. His long orange and black tail coiled loosely about him.
It was amusing and at the same time distressing to know that the bottom half of their clothes had been ripped with the transformation. Thank goodness they had packed another set of clothes! She couldn't help the bright red that covered her cheeks like wildfire as she watched the destroyed clothing float down to the lake bottom.
Her deviated attention did not alert her to a certain naga who had returned to consciousness. But he wasn't trying to inform her of his attentions. He just wanted to observe her in her element for a while. For once, the knuckleheaded ninja would say that he was content to just stop, be still, and stare. He found her to be exquisite. While others would scoff and say that, oh she was too shy and timid, or oh, those eyes of hers were unnatural looking or she was odd being trained to be a lady with the basic knowledge of a ninja.
But Naruto wasn't deterred by any of that. Yes, she was a mermaid and he was a naga. They were both native to famous ninja clans. His father was the current Hokage after all, and he was sure that Neji would probably never let him forget that Hinata was of noble birth till the day he died. Really, Neji wasn't such a bad guy, he just was a little misguided and he loved Sakura to a fault. It wasn't necessarily a fault, but he had to back up his best friend no matter what.
A slight change in current, and the long midnight locks were flowing about her causing Naruto to become enraptured once more. He loved all of her feature. Her pale eyes that matched her long matching lavender tail and the way she chewed on her lower lip when she was nervous. But most of all he was enamored with the bright blush that would cover her features whenever she saw him. This was going to be his mate. His partner for life and beyond. Unable to hold back any longer, he sprung toward her enveloping her in his embrace. Startled, she struggled in his arms until he whispered gently in her ear, "I love you…"