The NarutoSakura moment got a little bigger and more important than planned, but oh well I like it. It seems no matter how hard I check through the story spelling mistakes slip through, so, sorry guys. Otherwise read and enjoy. Let me know how you think the couples are shaping up, and if anyone falls out of character.
Disclaimer: Do I need to repeat it? Me no ownie Naruto.
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Team bonding how things have changed !
Sakura
Ichiraku Noodle Stand, Konoha
Sakura sat stirring her noodles absently. Beside her Naruto was happily avaling his third bowl.
"Sakura-chan, aren't you hungry?" Naruto asked, after having carefully swallowed all the food in his mouth.
Blinking, Sakura turned her head towards him. It had been seven days since they'd returned from the Rain Country village massacre, and she hadn't seen Sasuke since she'd declared him fit to train the eve of their arrival in the village. Fear and worry was eating her appetite. Smiling gently she shook her head and lifted her chopsticks to her mouth.
"You're worried about Sasuke aren't you?" Naruto asked placing his bowl on the bench top.
Sakura paused in her eating, then continued in silence.
Naruto stared into his almost empty bowl. Truth was he was worried as well, Sakura-chan didn't know it but he and Sasuke had both heard who she and Kakashi thought was behind the killing. Naruto had spent the last week sleeping outside the Uchiha compound hoping he could catch Sasuke before he tried something stupid, like taking on Kabuto all alone. He'd stopped when Tsunade-baba had informed him that she had ANBU watching over him, and could he please get the hell out of the way of her people?
But he didn't like it when Sasuke made Sakura worry like this. She already worked hard enough at the hospital, and now with helping the investigation, and researching the chakra blockers, she barely slept. He took her out to Ichiraku's just to make sure she ate something.
Obessional was not a word applied to only him and Sasuke. He decided a little white lie wouldn't hurt.
"Well y'know, I'm not suprised Sasuke-bastard hasn't been by recently. He's been training full time with Kakashi-sensei." Putting a scowl on his face, Naruto started getting into his story.
"He's scared tha' in our next match I'm gonna kick his whiney butt." Naruto paused to slurp the last of the soup from his bowl. "So he's been buggin' Kakashi-sensei all week for new moves. If ya like, the next time we match up, I'll beat him up so good he'll have to go to the hospital and see you."
Sakura couldn't stop the sinking feeling in her stomach. She'd been afraid that the rematching between Naruto and Sasuke would break apart the team for good. But somehow it was one of the few things that brought Sasuke out of his shell. It seemed the rivalry between them released something inside him, something close to the Sasuke he was before Orochimaru tainted him. But still...
"It's pretty bad to say that the only way I'll get to see him is if you beat him bloody first." Sakura sighed, dropping her chopsticks. "Naruto would you mind going to check up on him? If I go he'll only get sniffy and then I won't find out anything."
Naruto pretended to think about it.
"If I did, would you go home t'night and sleep, rather than tryin' to sleep at the hospital like you've been doin'?"
Sakura looked at him stupidly. How did he know she'd been staying so late at the hospital every night that it was easier to sleep there on an old mattress, than in her own bed?
"Sure, I was planning on going home anyway, seeing Mum for a change." Sakura lied blithely.
After all it didn't matter where she went to sleep, it didn't help. Naruto smiled.
"Y'know, he likes you better than you think. He's just dumb, and an asshole, but he doesn't hate you or anything." Grinning his trademark mad grin Naruto leaned closer to Sakura as if whispering a secret.
"But y'know I'm the one who loves you right?"
Heat flooded Sakura's face. It didn't matter how many times he did that, she still felt like she was unprepared. He deserved better than she gave him and she knew it, bitterly. Softly she smiled at him, wishing she could give him all of herself, like he gave all of himself. But part of her was still tied up with Sasuke.
Naruto watched the smile on Sakura-chan's face. A warm feeling curled in his stomach, and it wasn't the Kyuubi. She was strong his Sakura-chan, and nothing shone like her smile.
"You know Naruto, if you ended up in hospital instead of Sasuke-kun, I'd take care of you just the same." Sakura said feeling her smile grow into a grin.
She hoped it reached her eyes.
"Okay." Naruto said as he stood up slapping down payment for their meals. "An' I think I'll go see if the bastard wants that match now. If he doesn't chicken out, he'll have no choice but to submit to your tender care tonight."
Naruto tightened his forehead protector just thinking about the fight. Giving a cheery wave to Sakura-chan he bounded out the stall on his way to bash Sasuke over the head.
Behind him Sakura sank back into her listlessness, staring at the tabletop she didn't notice Kiba stopping Naruto just outside the stall. She might have found something else to worry about if she'd seen the way Kiba was whispering and the light bulb bursting into life over Naruto's head. As it was she put her head down on the counter and closed her eyes.
LaterHalf an hour later Sakura woke up a little when someone slid into place beside her.
"Two bowls of chicken ramen please, takeaway."
"Ino!" Sakura sat bolt upright. "When did you get back?"
The blond grinned at her dishevled friend.
"This morning, I spent all day at Hokage-sama's office giving reports. I go out again in a few days." Ino flicked her midlength hair over her shoulder, eyes sliding over to the two male jounins sitting a little aside.
Sakura noted dryly that Ino drew as much attention as usual. Well what did she expect when Ino was drop dead gorgeous and knew how to use to her advantage? It was part of what made her such a formidable kunoichi on spying missions. Add that to her abilty to temporarily control others, and to surface read emotions, and you had a powerful mix that kept Ino in hot demand. With or without her male teammates.
"How's it going?" Ino asked casually using the position of the men to subtily watch Sakura's face without being noticed. She saw the way Sakura's eyes dipped and her mouth turned down, then how her face changed like a switch had been flicked. A grin lit up Sakura's face and her eyes crinkled at the corners.
Not bad forehead-girl, but you'll have to act better than that around me!
"Oh you know, same ol', same ol'. Lots of work at the hospital, keeping busy. Got some new research to do." Sakura said glossing over details.
Ino noted the lack of details and politely stopped the conversation, nobody pressed others for certain details.
"How's it going for you?" Sakura asked.
"Good, Neji's a pain in the ass, but I can't top him as back up." Ino said glossing over her mission.
Sakura grinned a little at the exasperation in her voice. It was well know that Ino and Neji got on like oil and water. Neji didn't enjoy the kunoichi's flirtateous nature, and Ino didn't like being ignored. It had been tough getting Ino to agree to do a long term mission with Neji, but finally it was an order and for all her stubborn nature, even Ino didn't disobey orders. Neji had simply accepted as everyone knew he would.
"One of these days I'm gonna crack that icy exterior." Ino promised a glint in her eye.
"And you'll probably find an even icier interior." Sakura warned.
Ino shrugged as she paid for the ramen;
"Doesn't matter he's Tenten's problem not mine!" Regarding her friend slyly Ino hooked an arm through hers.
"As for you, you look like crap girlfriend." Ino said critically.
"Hey!" Sakura complained. "Three months with Neji and you lose all your manners!"
Sakura fidgited under her friend's cutting gaze. Ino looked her up and down.
"When's the last time you washed your hair? Do you call this a manicure? I hope you haven't let your skin care slip! You know you get pimples when you don't cleanse twice a day." Ino badgered her.
Sakura felt her temper start to simmer. It was better than the black sludge she'd been trudging through all week. She let herself slide into it like a warm bath.
"Oi! Ino-pig who d'you think you are to talk like that, your job maybe to be Miss Perfectly Groomed, but my job involves blood and gruesume things, and long hours.."
Ino 'piffed' and waved away Sakura's protests with her ramen holding hand.
"None of that allows a kunoichi to forget to take care of herself. Life's tough being a woman, that's why men don't do it." Ino cocked her head slightly. "Well, most."
"Come on, I'll treat you to a work over at the Green Pine bathhouse. I just have to drop this ramen off to Dad, he'll be a little sore that I'm going out tonight, but I'm here for a while so I'll make it up to him." Ino smiled cheerfully.
"Won't your Mum be upset too?" Sakura asked unsure.
"She's visiting family, this trip home was unexpected so she's gonna catch a night train back." Ino said tugging her friend out into the fading sunlight.
Sakura gave up and let her friend drag her down the street.
Yamanaka Flower Shop, Konoha.
Waving a last goodbye to the grumbling Mr Yamanaka, Ino caught up with Sakura who was already walking away.
"Ino, I can't believe you behave like that, you shamelessly played on his emotions." Sakura scolded, embarrassed even if her friend wasn't.
"Nah, we're always like that, he's such a big crybaby. Honestly he wants to keep me a little kid for the rest of my life. Mum says it's just our way of getting through the rough years of adolesence." Humming happily Ino started sing under her breath.
As expected she had a very good singing voice too. Deep and a little husky. Sakura knew her own voice was kinda high and not at all the kind of voice that turned men weak-kneed. Sakura shifted her basin of bath products against her side.
"I forgot your Mum's a Psychologist." Sakura mumbled.
"Hey, Hinata, Tenten!" Ino called out suddenly.
Sure enough there were the two girls walking side by side. Looking at them Sakura thought how odd they looked side by side. One short and round, the other tall and thin. Hinata was petite and curved were a woman should be curved. Sakura often compared her own lack of curves to Hinata's obviously female body. Hinata's face was soft and her voice gentle, when people thought feminine they thought Hinata. When they thought effective they thought Tenten. Tenten was the tallest Kunoichi in Konoha, and one of the best known for her combat abilities. Not surprising given her teammates, and the fact that she was trained by Gai Mato himself. Her training schedule made other shinobi feel like crawling into their graves and dying quietly.
Over the years Tenten and Hinata had become friends, mostly through Neji's insistance, and afterwards through their own choice.
Sakura said 'hi' shyly. She always felt a slight chill from Hinata, she figured it must've been because she was freaked out by the Hyuuga families reputation. She just didn't know how Tenten did it to feel so at ease around that clan. Immediately Tenten and Hinata started pumping Ino for information about Neji.
"Whoa, sorry there girls, but Sakura and I are heading off to the Green Pine, I'll have time tommorrow morning to tell you everything if you want." Ino said laughing at their eager faces.
Tenten's face fell ever so slightly, she turned a pleading look on Hinata who hesitated before speaking softly.
"If you would like, we could go to my house, we have a private bathing facility. The maids there are really good."
Ino perked up.
"Oooo, I've always wanted to see the inside of your house!" Ino squealed.
Sakura looked at Ino surprised by her reaction.
"What?" Ino asked shrugging her shoulders. "I always wondered what it was like inside one of the main clan complexes."
"B-but the Yamanaka's were- I mean are- a major clan." Hinata blushed at her mistake, hands gripping each other tightly.
"Three people, only two of which carry the Yamanaka blood limit doesn't really equal a major clan anymore." Ino said dryly. "Besides we never really took part in the clan council. You try convincing people we're not mind controlling them during voting."
"But the Yamanaka complex, I'd heard it was the jewel of Konoha." Hinata said.
Looking up at the stars Ino grew pensive.
"Dad had already moved out of the Yamanaka complex when he was young. By the time he inherited the old place after his last cousin died, he'd met Mum. They sold the complex to buy the flower shop to give Dad something to do between missions, and now we live very comfortably off the interest. But Dad has never been one to hang on the past too hard, so I guess if I want to live in a fancy house I'll have to marry someone rich and influential." Sighing she turned on her usual smile.
"So do you really have gold bath taps?" She asked looping her arm through Hinata's.
Hyuuga complex, Main House Bathing.
"I want to be rich." Ino sighed as she submitted to the back rub being offered by yet another Hyuuga maid.
Beside her Sakura and Tenten sighed in agreement. Having already talked out the subject of Neji the four girls had given themselves over the bliss of luxury. Hinata sat still as a maid worked yet more straightening lotion into her hair.
"Now I know why Neji has such flat, dead straight hair." Ino said, opening one eye watching the proceedings. "And it's not just from of his lack of personality."
"Oh no." Tenten said. "His is completely natural, just like Hiashi-san. Hinata's hair takes after her mother's. That's why Hinata's the only Hyuuga who doesn't resemble a phantom."
"It doesn't do any good. It still stands out too much." Hinata said. "I keep asking them to stop, but father says I have to keep my hair under control."
"I've never met your mother, Hinata, do you look like her?" Sakura asked, eyes closed not noticing Tenten's frown of warning.
"Mother died when I was young." Hinata smiled softly. "But father says I take after her alot."
Silence lengthened in the room, Hinata blushed thinking she'd accidentally embarrased her friends.
"That must be hard for you and Hanabi-chan." Ino said to fill the silence.
"My father married again, Hanabi is the daughter of his second wife. A Hyuuga cousin."
"Oh." Ino said dumbly.
Tenten sighed.
"Hinata's mother was Hiashi-san's choice, he married her against his clan's wishes. She wasn't a Hyuuga, but I guess Hiashi-san figured his blood would be enough. After she died, they forced him to take a second wife, this time of their choice." Tenten's eyes grew hard. "He disobeyed his clan once, but the second? Folded like cheap paper."
"Tenten!" Hinata whispered shocked.
"Sorry Hinata. It just makes me burn up to think about how unfair it all is." Tenten said clenching her fists.
Hinata smiled gently, understanding in her eyes.
"I know, but he is my father. And Hanabi is my sister. And Yoko-san is very good to me." Hinata finished softly.
To the astonishment of Sakura and Ino, the normally stubborn Tenten, blushed and nodded. Throughly ashamed of herself Sakura wished the ground would open up and swallow her.
"Shall we go soak?" Hinata asked standing up, her rinsed hair dripping.
Accepting the gracefully offered forgiveness the three other girls climbed off their tables.
Later"So the bath taps aren't gold." Ino said.
"Actually it's a natural hot spring, no taps at all." Tenten replied
Ino sank lower into the hot steaming water sighing with pleasure. Sakura's mind spun at the implied richness of the place. Who had a natural hot spring as a bathroom for crying out loud? The Haruno family was so not on the same level as the Hyuugas. How did Tenten stay so calm surrounded by all this? Sitting in one corner Sakura had never felt so out of place.
"Of course they're not gold, that's just a story some girls started in school." Hinata said. "I think they were annoyed I hadn't invited them to my birthday."
"Did you ever have birthday parties?" Ino asked, splashing the water a little.
"Only within the family." Hinata replied a light blush rising on her cheeks.
"Speaking of family," Tenten began, "what d'ya reckon we intiate the girls into our little game?"
Hinata turned her head quickly towards Tenten, her eyes wide, and then looked down blushing into the water.
"I don't know if that would be proper, Tenten. And don't you think Neji-niisan might get really mad?" She whispered.
"Neji? Mad?" Ino asked perking up, a truely evil gleam in her eye. "I'm so there, Hinata if ever there was solidarity between women it's now!"
Ino and Tenten advanced on the helpless Hinata the way starving wolves advance on little frightened deer.
"O-okay! Okay. I guess as long as Neji-niisan never finds out." Hinata stammered.
"That's the idea of the game Hinata." Tenten said grinning.
Turning to Sakura and Ino she explained.
"See, whenever Neji goes on mission without the team, Hinata and I sneak into his room and move things, not alot, just a little." Turning slowly on the spot Tenten looked at all of the girls one at a time.
"The man can be completely impossible. And he's completely anal about somethings. So we play with his mind." Tenten smiled to herself. "My dearest wish is to see his face once, when he gets back and enters his room. I can just see him frowning trying to put his finger on why things don't feel juuust right. Walking in circles touching things, wondering, going slowly insane..."
Tenten continued muttering to herself. Ino moved over to Hinata, for saftey Sakura followed.
"So she still hasn't admitted her feelings?" Ino asked Hinata under her breath.
"No, and Neji?" Hinata asked sighing.
"Nadda, the man's as thick as a board. Doesn't even know why he does half the things he does." Ino complained.
"Isn't it a little wrong to do this?" Sakura asked hesitating, why did she have to be the wet blanket?
Ino looked at her eyebrows raised. Turning her head towards Tenten she said nonchantly.
"Sakura wants to know if doing that is wrong."
Tenten created waves as she charged towards Sakura. Picking the younger girl up by the shoulders Tenten said through gritted teeth.
"Wrong? Wrong? You haven't heard the man's views on kunoichi fighting skills. He's impossible I tell you,impossible! He deserves to have his head broken open and his pea sized brain scooped out and mashed up. D'ya want to know what he says about medic nins? That all the girls should be trained as medics seeing as they're useless fighters anyway."
Sakura felt something snap inside her head.
"ARRRGH! I'm sick of people thinking that! I didn't choose to be medic nin because my fighting skills sucked. If they think they could walk all over me just because I'm a medic nin, grrrrrrrr, I'll show them!"
Beside the two steaming kunoichi, Ino and Hinata looked on amused.
"They really are too funny. Which do you think is worse for repressed emotions? Sakura or Tenten?"
Hinata dipped lower into the water, her cheeks growing slightly pinker.
"Ah." Ino said slapping her own forehead. "I so need to make new friends. This kind of behavoir can't be good for a healthy, growing young woman."
Standing up in the waist high water Ino unwound the towel modestly covering her body. Balling it up and taking aim she threw it hard against Sakura's head. Not waiting to hear Sakura's outburst Ino turned and started climbing out.
"I don't know about you guys but just thinking of screwing around with Neji's mind is making me too hyper to stay in the bath." Taking another towel to dry herself with Ino turned to see Sakura, her skin as pink as her hair, advancing slowly Ino's old towel twisted in her hands.
"Good, now that you're out we can go play evil mind games on the idiot."
The towel whipped forward seeking flesh.
"Ouch!"
Later, Neji's bedroom, Hyuuga Branch house.
Sakura rubbed her upper arm where Ino had snapped her with the towel. Grumbling a little under her breath she tried to decide what she would move on Neji's organised desk. Tenten had been right, the guy was anal about organisation. She'd never seen a guy's bedroom so tidy. It put her own efforts to death. Tenten had given the orders, each of the girls was given an area and the right to move, just a little, one object. Tenten, Sakura reflected, had given waaay too much thought to this. It had to be love, or insanity. With a start, Sakura realised she hadn't thought about Sasuke and her worries, or Naruto and her shame, all night now.
I guess I have to thank Ino for that.
A sharp burning sensation on her leg reminded her of a particularly viscious strike from the blonde.
Like hell.
Deciding on the colour coded pushpins in a little round compartementalised dish she wondered if mixing them was allowed. Deciding it was not, and thinking subtle Sakura, subtle, she decided if she changed the order of the arrangement, just one colour with another.
"Do you really think he'll notice such little things?" Sakura asked, changing the blue pins with the green pins.
"Oh yes." Tenten said with relish. "You have no idea how controling he can be. He'll notice that his little world is slowly crumbling around his perfect little ears."
"Neji-niisan isn't controling." Hinata corrected her tall friend. "He's just had a very strict upbringing."
"Yep," Ino said, turning one or two of the scrolls on the bookcase just slightly so they weren't perfectly facing the front. "Somebody really took that stick and shoved it right up..."
"Anyway! I'm done." Hinata injected quickly. Dusting her hands off Hinata crawled backward out of the closet.
Sakura tried to notice what had been changed but honestly she saw nothing.
"So what did you do?" She asked politely.
"Oh," Hinata pinked slightly at the thought of what she doing to her own cousin, "I changed the order of the shoes. See he hangs each day's outfit over that day's shoes."
Sakura blinked, she would've sworn that each of the outfits in the closet, along with the shoes was exactly the same.
"See, I took the right shoe of each pair and put it with the left shoe of another pair." Hinata said a little proudly.
Sakura shook her head she wasn't sure if this was really going to do anything to Neji, but it seemed to make Ino and Tenten happy. Shrugging she glanced around curiously. Comparing it to what she knew of other male bedrooms, she had to think it did show signs of a mania for tidiness.
The bed was made to military standards, there was no clutter, only one photo of his team taken the day they were made genins, sitting on his night stand. Otherwise he had framed his certificate for genin, chunin, and jounin status hanging them in a straight line above the head of his bed. In his room he had one desk neatly organised, one rubbish bin (empty), one book shelf with all scrolls carefully arranged, one closet with everything hung or folded, and one locked cupboard.
Even Tenten had respected the silent command of that lock. It wasn't as if any of them couldn't have opened the lock if they'd wanted to, but that seemed like pushing their little game too far. This was meant to irritate Neji, not spark a homicidal rage. Declaring herself statisfied Tenten turned around to survey the damage. Under her critical eye the three girls straightened up. Nodding once she led her troops out of the bedroom and down the hall.
Evading being noticed on the way out was harder than getting in. Sakura was sure everyone else was insane. What was she thinking trying to sneak around the Hyuuga complex? Everyone here had the Byuukagan ability. They were probably watching them right now, letting them make fools of themselves. On the point of cracking under the stress, Sakura saw they were now walking more or less normally around the main family side of the garden.
Suddenly Hinata stopped. A tall woman was walking towards them, her eerie pale eyes staring right through them.
"Yoko-san." Hinata said bowing before her step-mother. A brief smile touched the lips of Yoko before years of training wiped all expression from her face.
"Hinata-chan, you're late for your preparations." Smiling briefly at each of the other girls Yoko continued serenely on her way.
Hinata covered her mouth.
"I forgot about tonight's dinner." Turning to the other three girls she apologised. "I'm so sorry, I have to go and prepare, they're always so formal."
"I was wondering about that." Tenten admited. "It is clan meeting night. That means all non-Hyuuga's must be shown the door." She explained to Ino and Sakura.
Hinata smiled weakly at Tenten's joke. Tenten made ushering motions.
"Get going young lady, I'll show these two out."
"I'm really sorry that I can't see you to the door, but I really have absolutely no time..."
"Hinata-nichan!" Hanabi's voice called as the owner rounded the corner running. A young girl of eleven now, Hanabi looked more and more like Neji everyday, especially as she never removed her forehead protector either. "Yoko-san is looking for you, you're late for preparations!"
Looking at the flushed face of Hanabi and the dissarray of her hair, Hinata clucked her tongue.
"And you? Look at you, I hope Ama-san hasn't already done your hair. Aren't you late for preparations too?" Hinata asked, brushing a tender hand through Hanabi's hair.
Hanabi grinned, an expression which never crossed the face of her elder cousin, or big brother as she called him.
"I'm not clan successor, noone worries about me getting ready before you're ready." She said waving at Tenten.
Noticing Ino, Hanabi jumped on the older Kunoichi.
"Ino-san! Have you got any news from Neji-niisan!"
Faking despair, Ino removed Hanabi's clinging hands.
"Child, until you stop dressing like that ice cube you call a cousin, do not touch me. You know he has no fashion sense. Have you no feminine pride?"
Hanabi blinked.
"Sometimes I dress like Tenten-nichan." She offered.
Ino barely restrained rolling her eyeballs. The child had serious idol problems. Still, now that her father had the willing subject of Neji to project all his insane needs for perfection onto, Hanabi had become much more like a normal girl and not simply an outlet for Hiashi's wounded pride. Of course being raised to believe that emulating someone else was normal had left her wide open to developing idol adoration problems, Ino concluded.
Left alone Sakura marvelled at the change from the dour, stone faced little girl walking everywhere in her father's shadow. Here was a bright, lively young girl, who had an emormous responsibility, despite her claims to the contary, and yet never seemed to feel the weight. Sakura watched Hanabi's bright eyes, eager laugh, her eyes strayed to the shiny new forehead protector.
I remember being that young, that happy, that carefree.
Before Sakura could sink any lower into her contemplation, Ino was pulling on her wrist towing her in Tenten's wake. Crossing the path of various Hyuuga clan members, Sakura was impressed again by the polite head nods that Tenten received and gave. Finally finding herself outside the closed Hyuuga main gate Sakura gave a sigh of relief.
"Wooo, I don't know if I could live there." Sakura said.
"Yeah, it's pretty intense." Ino agreed.
"Really? People keep saying that, but I just don't get it." Tenten said absently twirling a kunai.
Ino and Sakura shared a look.
"That's probably a good thing." Ino said nonchantly. "Just think, if you ever fell in love with Neji, you might end up living there."
"Love? Neji? That control freak? HAH! Don't make me laugh." Tenten scoffed her cheeks turning pink. "We're just teammates, afterall who'd want someone who thinks that fun is training 12 hours a days. Not to mention the fact that he thinks he's the greatest thing to have ever happened to the Shinobi world since ever..."
Tenten fell into her grumbling again, cheeks getting pinker and pinker.
"Love! HAH!" Tenten finished triumphantly, claiming she had training to do she waved a curt goodbye.
"Well I'll go see what I kind of an evening I can salvage with my Dad. Toodles!" Ino skipped away leaving Sakura to trail away home in the late night.
She almost turned towards the hospital, but suddenly the promise to Naruto sprang into mind. With the promise came the memory of him leaning close, blue eyes shining blonde hair falling just so. Feeling her cheeks heat in the night air, Sakura shook her head trying to dispel the feeling of culpability and the embarrassment she always felt when she started to feel that way about Naruto.
Sighing, she felt the blood slip from her cheeks leaving them their normal colour. Slowly as easily as a nightbreeze, as soon as the thoughts of Naruto cooled, Sakura's mind turned towards Sasuke. When she was younger he was all she thought about, then she'd seen the pain that Naruto lived with always trying to give her what she sought with Sasuke, and she felt gratitude. And Sasuke who had run away, who had chosen his own revenge, who had slipped into the fierce darkness that she'd watched eat him away. A darkness fed and empoisoned by Orochimaru, and she'd felt despair. She'd learnt about the Kyuubi locked away in Naruto, his childhood, and her culpability grew. She'd almost lost both of them in that war and she thought she'd die.
That was her problem she mused. She knew she still loved Sasuke, she supposed she always would, he was too much a part of her. But Naruto, ah Naruto, when had her feelings changed towards him? Lingering on a bridge not far from her home she stared into the water. A long, long time ago she supposed. At first he become her valuable team member, and then a reliable friend, and then when he'd left she'd realised he'd become as needful as air, as needful as Sasuke. But it hadn't been sexual, she hadn't wanted to taste his lips, touch his skin the way she wanted to with Sasuke. He'd been a part of her, of her life that she didn't want to lose. And then, he'd grown and suddenly he was a man. A very young one at sixteen, but then Shinobi grew up fast.
But now, she couldn't stop blushing when he came too close with that special look in his eye, that soft smile that he kept just for her. She couldn't control the way her heart started to skip in a way that once, only Sasuke could produce whenever Naruto did one of the hundred things he did to make her smile. She knew she should just set Sasuke aside, like he seemed to want to her to do, and throw herself into Naruto's arms. If she'd been any less honest she would've, but she knew Naruto's childhood, his pain, his need. She would not go to him unless she felt sure she could give him everything he deserved. All of her, undivided.
Sakura felt tears shiver on her eyelashes. Why was a heart so uncontrollable, why couldn't she just tell it to go to Naruto completely? Why was there always that part that would sing only for Sasuke, why did she feel so confused? Dashing her hands against her eyes Sakura firmly decided not to cry. She'd spent her childhood crying and it'd gotten her nowhere, it wouldn't help her now. She had to get her heart under control that was all. Taking a deep breath, her hand placed over her treacherous heart Sakura looked calmly out over the water.
"Yo." Kakashi's voice sounded just behind her ear his hand coming down on her shoulder.
"YAAAAAAAAAHHH!" Sakura screamed almost jumping into the river below, her heart beating wildly under her hand.
Eyes wide she stared at her erstwhile teacher. He had the grace to look a little embrassed. At least his cheeks grew ever so slightly pink.
"Eh, caught you off your guard huh?" Kakashi guessed.
Sakura settled for glaring at him, her breathing ragged.
"Ah, I just wanted to make sure you knew about Naruto and Sasuke."
Sakura scrambled to her feet.
"What?" She said fear mounting in her.
"They've been called in to see Hokage-sama tommorrow, a little matter about some stolen beer, and an underage drinking party that was held at the Uchiha complex earlier this evening."
Sakura tilted her head trying to make the connections.
"Drinking party? Weren't Naruto and Sasuke-kun supposed to be fighting?" She asked blinking slowly.
"Well, they were drinking, alot." Kakashi smiled. "In fact they drank so much that by tomorrow morning they should be very glad to see a certain medic nin. Especially if she came carrying hangover relief."
Things ticked over slowly in Sakura's head.
"STOLEN!" Sakura screeched. "They were drinking, and it was stolen? What were they thinking? I'll kill them both, I'll flay them alive, I can do that now, and then I'll tack their skins to a wall and sing while I kick them black and blue!"
"Uh." Kakashi stammered, raising his eyebrows. He'd assumed he'd done a good thing when he told Sakura there was a chance to spend time with Naruto and Sasuke. Now it looked like maybe he'd just handed his team over to the wolves.
"Where are they?" Sakura growled bunching her fist into the front of Kakashi's jacket.
"Uh, at home." Kakashi said slowly. "But Iruka-san is with Naruto, so you can trust him to do the punishing for you. As for Sasuke, he's in no condition to hear you yell at him."
Sakura felt the emotions that had twisted and turned in her all day rising inside her like a hot wave. Again tears pricked her eyes, all she seemed to do was cry!
"Sakura, this is a good thing. Sasuke held a party tonight." Kakashi's normal eye crinkled with his invisible smile. "There was Shikamaru, Choji, Kiba and Shino along with Naruto. They seemed to be getting along just fine."
"Oh," Sakura said surprise making her eyes round. "Oh!"
Sakura felt tears reforming on the edges of her eyes. This time she didn't stop them slipping over the edge. Even if she hadn't been invited, Sasuke had held a party. She released Kakashi's jacket and grasped her hands behind her back, swinging around in joy. Life was good.
Kakashi smiled to see her happy for once. She'd been far too serious of late. Well since the last three years actually.
"Do you think this means he's found it?" Sakura asked, eyes shining.
Kakashi found himself staring at her eyes. Controlling himself he cleared his throat self consciously.
"Found what Sakura?"
"His reason to stay."
Uchiha Compound, KonohaSlipping in through the front door, Sakura padded silently through the halls. Finding the door to Sasuke's room she hesitated.
Maybe I should just leave it here outside his door. If he sees that I went into his room without his permission and while he was sleeping, he'll get really mad.
Again Sakura found herself walking that thin line. How could she show him she was there for him, without pushing him into running away?
"Y'know, he likes you better than you think. He's just dumb, and an asshole, but he doesn't hate you or anything."
Naruto's words floated back to her. Hugging the brown paper bag to her chest she silently thanked Naruto.
"But y'know I'm the one who loves you right?"
Yes, she knew, with all her traitorous heart she knew he loved her, with all his generous heart.
Noiselessly she slid open the door. It was dark inside, the moon poured through the uncurtained window, half-lighting the sleeping boy. His hair was bed-spiked and his mouth hung a little open, the sound of a light snore filled the room. Sakura fought the insane desire to giggle.
Drunk as a skunk. She thought gleefully.
Slipping over to the window she opened it a small way to let fresh air into the over heated room. Opening the sack as quietly as possible she positioned a large bottle of water and a smaller bag of pills beside it. Against the bottle she propped the little card with the required dosages for the pills written on it. Along with her name. Nothing else, no flowery declarations of love or undying loyalty. No pushing, just there. A helping hand from your friendly, neighbourhood medic nin.
Glancing over at Sasuke's sleeping face, she noted tear marks on his cheeks. Instantaneously her hand was hovering over his cheek ready to brush them away with her warm palm. But she hesitated. She didn't want to wake him, but the desire to touch him was strong, it always was. She mastered herself and withdrew, she left him to his privacy and disappeared heart pounding into the night.
In the semi dark two sets of eyes watched her. Those belonging to Sasuke frowned, slowly he extended his hand towards the little card and pulled it closer to his aching eyes. In the moonlight the simple white card seemed to glow.
2 pills morning, noon, and night with water.
Sakura.
Briefly his hand brushed against his cheek trying to feel the trace of warmth her closeness had left. His skin was so cold to touch. Crumpling the card in his fist he curled around it like a child. Maybe with this he could sleep tonight, maybe if he hung on hard enough to just this little bit, he could feel warmer but not hurt them in the process. Maybe then he wouldn't have to believe in the dreams.
The other set of eyes glowed with the moon and settled back to watching the young man drift into sleep.
Naruto's bedroom, Throwing Star Apartments, Konoha.
Sakura walked up the outside wall of the apartment building. She avoided making noise in case Iruka-sensei was still there. Naruto lay mouth wide open, snoring loudly. Rolling her eyes Sakura set to work on the simple window clasp.
This seems to be my night for men's bedrooms. She said to herself pulling the window open.
Once inside she tiptoed around the random piles of rubbish, clothes, shoes, and scrolls. Approaching the bedside table she froze as she heard someone move in the other room. As footsteps came towards the door to Naruto's room, panic gripped Sakura. If Iruka-sensei found her here, who knew what would happen, at the least he'd yell at her and maybe punish Naruto more. At the worst her mother would find out she'd been clambering into Naruto's window in the dead of night.
Before she could decide a plan of action, Naruto opened his eyes blearily. Freezing like a criminal caught in the act, Sakura heard the door handle turn. Making frantic shushing motions to Naruto who lay there mouth open in shock, she leapt behind the slowly opening door.
Irkua carefully poked his head into the room trying not to wake Naruto for what was probably an attack of paranoia. Once inside the room Iruka's natural sense of suspicion, honed by years in a classroom, raised a few notches. But he put that down to the obviously faked sleep that Naruto was trying on. Iruka noted the telltale signs of forced deep breathing, and the way Naruto seemed to tense in his bed as Iruka drew closer and closer.
"Naruto." Iruka called. "Wake up Naruto."
Frowning as Naruto continued his more and more pathetically obvious attempt to fake sleep Iruka leaned closer to Naruto's ear.
"NARUTO QUIT FOOLING AROUND AND GO TO SLEEP!"
"GAAAAH!" Naruto yelled sitting up in his bed rubbing his ear.
Iruka smirked as Naruto changed to holding his head in both hands.
"It feels like I've taken more of those chakra blockers." He moaned trying to fight down the desire to vomit.
"Why inn't the Kyuubi helpin' with this?" He complained; "Shino had his bugs, I thought f'r sure the Kyuubi would even things out."
"The Kyuubi may give you amazing healing abilities and vast amounts of Chakra to call on, but it won't stop you getting stupidly drunk." Iruka recited smugly.
"Maybe," Naruto conceeded grudgingly, "but I'll still get over this quick."
"Yes." Iruka said looking less than pleased. "I'd rather you felt the full effects of your behaviour tonight, but as the Kyuubi is ruining that I'll just have to make sure you feel the full effects in another way."
Naruto sat tensely on the bed eyes locked on Iruka, or was that just over his shoulder towards the door? Feeling a smile tugging at his lips, Iruka cleared his throat loudly.
"For the moment I want you to go back to sleep. I'm going to go out to the all night supermarket and pick up some real food for tomorrow morning. I'll probably take about half hour. I don't want you to move from this bed young man." Iruka warned.
A frown passed over Naruto's face at the overly complete news. Iruka looked up and seemed to notice the open window for the first time.
"I'll just close the window I wouldn't want you getting a chill." So saying Iruka stood walked over to the window and started fiddling with the catch. "Hmmm this is a little tricky, I may need to get this thing fixed."
Naruto and Sakura stared at each other, if Iruka-sensei turned around now she was caught red-handed. Or faced in this matter. Sakura started looking for a better hiding place. Naruto pointed at his bed. Shaking her fist at him, Sakura mastered a strong desire to punch Naruto's head in. His face turning red Naruto, realised what it looked like, he changed his position and pointed more clearly under the bed. Only there was nowhere to hide there either. Desperate, Sakura spotted the slightly open closet.
With a loud click Iruka slid the bolt back into place.
"Well the window's closed you don't have to worry about a chill now Naruto." He said loudly. Counting to three he turned slowly, there was no sign of the intruder, whom he assumed to be female from the smell of perfumed shampoo, and probably Sakura from the red shades of Naruto's face.
At least he hoped it was Sakura, Naruto still seemed very smitten with the girl, and he seemed serious about it, if he was entertaining other females in his room at night Iruka would have to have words to him about his ungentlemanly behaviour.
The girl had been famously in love with Sasuke, and terribly dissapointed in it. If Naruto dissapointed her as well. Teams had been broken apart by things like this, look at Kakashi's own team, after the death of Orbito and then the fiasco of the relationship between Rin and Kakashi.
From what he remembered of Sakura she was an earnest, shy girl, with little self confidence around the other girls, except Ino. They were best friends he remembered. Not surprising as Sakura had been assigned to Ino's mother for conseling at a very young age. She certainly deserved better than to be so extremely unlucky in love twice in a row. Having done all he could, he withdrew leaving the young couple to be alone. At least for the allotted half hour, starting from the moment he loudly slammed the front door.
Her heart slowing, Sakura eased open the closet door. Naruto stood just on the other side his hand on the door handle. The first thing Sakura noticed was that he wore his pyjama jacket open, it looked as if he'd hastily thrown it on to cover his upper body. Hastily raising her eyes from staring at his chest, the second thing she noticed was the ridiculous dog hat he wore. It was black with a white rim and two big teeth on either side of his forehead. If she wore something like that her forehead would only look wider, on Naruto it only made him look younger.
Noticing the direction of her eyes, Naruto remembered his old sleeping hat. Quickly he ripped it off and tossed it into a corner. Trying to lean casually on the open door Naruto stumbled when Sakura gave it a shove. Head high, cheeks pink she marched over the bed and deposited her gift unceremonisly on the little table. It pushed aside another empty noodle pot.
"I brought you medicine." She informed him, looking at him severely while her heart pounded.
Naruto shifted uneasily, he'd imagined her many times in his room at night. Though generally she hadn't crept through his window, he'd have to add that option in, and she wasn't scowling at him.
"Uh, what for?" He asked warily.
Sakura narrowed her eyes at him.
"For your hangover." She said evenly.
"Ah." Was all Naruto could think of to say.
When Naruto didn't offer anything else, Sakura let out a high pitched squeak of indignation.
"How could you drink stolen beer Naruto? And how could you drag Sasuke-kun into it?"
Naruto slumped a little.
"Oh," Naruto said in a dull voice. "If you're worried about Sasuke he's still at home if Kakashi-sensei isn't busy giving him punishments."
Sakura's heart squeezed.
"Don't try and change the subject! You were drinking stolen beer tonight, and you got drunk and now my team is probably covered in shame because of you!"
"And what about Sasuke? He was drinking too! I bet you won't yell at him!"
"Of course not, he didn't start this thing! It was you, you and Kiba! It's always you Naruto!"
"Oh yeah, 'cause you're precious little Sasuke-kun would never do somethin' like this! But guess what he did, and noone forced him. He screwed up, your precious, perfect Sasuke got drunk tonight, and..." Naruto noticed the tears shining in her eyes, and his voice trailed off to nothing.
Hanging his head in defeat, Naruto felt the last of his euphoria over Sakura sneaking into his bedroom dying away.
"I'm sorry Sakura-chan. I didn't mean the night to end like this, I thought it was a good idea. A chance to get Sasuke out 'n' about. Meetin' people, hangin' with the ol' crowd."
Sakura's nails cut into her palms, she tried gulping back the tears but they still trailed hot on her cheeks. She wanted more than anything for everything to just go away. The cold hurting look in Sasuke's eyes, the apologetic hurting look in Naruto's, the need to choose between them.
She didn't even realise she was sobbing 'I'm sorry, I'm sorry.' Over and over until she felt Naruto's arms carefully slide around her.
"Shush, it's alright, it's alright. I didn't mean it." H patted her head trying to think of something to do calm her down, in his fantasies the only crying she ever did was for happiness! Ero-senin's books never talked about this! Why were women so complicated?
Sakura tried to talk around the huge burning lump in her throat, all she could make were ugly little 'guhhing' sounds. But she wrapped her arms her arms around him and hung on for dear life, hoping that for now, this would in some way repay him for all the things he did for her. Things she didn't deserve. She felt him lean into the hug, felt his breath sigh out over her hair. She felt him place his warm cheek on the top of her head, settle himself against her more fully.
Eventually her crying turned into hiccoughing, her hiccoughing into ragged breaths, her ragged breaths into silence. But her arms never slackened and Naruto never moved a muscle. Until they heard the front door slam loudly. Guilty they almost jumped apart but Naruto kept hold of Sakura's hands. Sakura's face turned bright red, her eyes staring up his.
"I have to go." She whispered hoarsely.
"I know." Naruto whispered back.
Footsteps stomped their way to the little kitchen.
"I-I'm sorry for what I said, about you and Sasuke-kun. It's not true Naruto."
Naruto shushed her, pain forgotton in the wonder of holding her. The wonder of her crying for having hurt him.
"I'll wait for you Sakura-chan, I know you still love Sasuke, but you love me too right? I can wait until you're sure."
Cupboard doors opened and slammed shut.
Sakura stared up at Naruto's face aware their precious moment was slipping away. Not slowly, not quickly she moved her face towards his. His eyes widened as he picked up on her intent.
It was too brief, Sakura thought, all of eternity would have been too brief at that point. She knew that for that instant, that precise moment in time, she loved Naruto completely. Too soon she pulled back, the moment of decision passing, the old split swinging back into balance. She tried to push back the guilt over kissing someone other than Sasuke. She didn't want to ruin this instant which was Naruto's and her's.
Footsteps made their way towards Naruto's bedroom.
Quickly she moved towards the window opening it and climbing out. Like a sleepwalker Naruto followed her, leaning out of the window to say goodnight.
"Goodnight Sakura-chan."
She hesitated a second before saying as naturally as she could with her heart still pounding in her throat.
"Goodnight, Naruto-kun."
And she was gone. Naruto wasn't even yelled at by Iruka sensei for not being in bed sleeping and his punishments were lessened aswell, but it didn't matter. Naruto was no longer living in the same world, and punishments were nothing next to the feeling that had exploded in his chest.
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Well it turned out longer than the others, but hey don't go thinking the pair is concrete just yet, I've got things in mind!. Next chapter, a date! And what ever happened to Hinata's crush on Naruto? That's right, I'm not just going to sweep it under the 'it gets in the way of my story' mat, I'm going to write it in!
Side note, we see a little more of Chôji! I have a side chapter with Lee coming out in the nearish future as well, the Green Beast of Konoha will find love, because damn it, with that muscluation he deserves a little admiration. Yosh! Lee-san!