I did my best at catching any errors. Hope you all like it. :)
Nao was sitting at the table with Naruto while he wrote out the questions for the written final exam he was preparing to give to his class at the end of the week. He had taken a job at the Academy as a teacher just after his sixteenth birthday. His area of expertise was advanced jutsus. She smiled as she openly stared at him. He was far too involved in what he was doing to notice her gawking at him. His blond eyebrows were drawn together over his nose while his massive blue eyes moved between the book he was reading from and the paper he was writing on. Her heart swelled with pride. She was so proud of the man he had become. Her eyes slid over every angle of his face, down his neck, and over his wide shoulders. She studied each bulging muscle of his powerful upper arms that were revealed by the black tank top he was wearing. The ropy muscles of his forearms flexed with each small movement of hands and fingers. His hands: large and square and powerful. They were incredible when he would massage her sore shoulders. His fingers were long, elegant, and slightly callused. Those fingers were so long that sometimes they brushed over the topmost part of the swell of her breasts when he grasped her shoulders. Her eyes fixed on his lips, thinking about how soft they were when they pressed against her forehead or cheek. Goosebumps raised on her skin and her belly tightened when her imagination ran free, pondering what it would feel like to have his lips against hers and his hands pressed against her...oh, god. She cleared her throat to banish those salacious thoughts. Holding her book up in front of her face was necessary to hide the crimson blush that had spread from her hairline to the tips of her ears, heating up her cheeks as it rushed over her face and down her neck. Sighing loudly in exasperation, she tried to read her book. Her eyes scanned the paragraph again but the words would not sink into her overactive brain. Her mind was too occupied with trying to figure out what the future could hold for the both of them. The thought of their relationship changing into something different, something unknown, frightened her. She had always been fiercely protective of him and that feeling had only grown as he had. Perhaps it had ventured into being possessive at some point. She wanted him to be hers - always. But her what? Glancing at him again over the top of her book, she could not imagine taking him as a lover. But then again... Holy hell! Maybe she should have given in to Iruka at some point, becoming his girlfriend, so she wouldn't be having these crazy thoughts about Naruto. She could not bring herself to imagine being with anyone else nor could she imagine him being with someone else. Her mother had taught her that there were two meanings to being jealous, one even had a positive connotation. The negative type of jealousy was a self-centered, self-seeking emotion caused by the belief that a person's love interest loves someone else. The other type of jealousy was a good thing in that a person guards with vigilance someone important to them, keeping them from any harm. Naturally, she was that kind of jealous where he was concerned. Of course. That was all it was. She was possessively protective of him and jealous to keep him safe. Putting down her book, she growled and rubbed her eyes that were beginning to burn from exhaustion and her brain was burning from thinking too much.
"Are you all right?" Naruto asked her, dropping his pencil into his book to hold his place.
"I'm just a little tired," Nao responded, yawning for emphasis.
"Do you need a neck or shoulder massage?" he inquired, folding his fingers and cracking his knuckles.
Oh, hell yes, she thought to herself, a shudder of anticipation racing through her body. Then she considered it might not be a good idea at the moment since her imagination was already going wild. "What about a walk?" she suggested, standing up from her chair.
"Sure." He felt as disappointed as he sounded. He liked touching her, the feel of her smooth skin under fingertips. The silky material of one of the many cheongsams she wore was inviting as well and was not much different from her soft skin.
Tonight she was wearing an emerald-green tank top the same color as her eyes and loose black obi pants. Summer was just beginning, and it was already hot as hell. The one good thing about the oppressive heat was that she had a tendency to wear less clothes to cope. The sun was setting so the worst part of the day's heat had subsided. Besides, the sunset would add a decidedly romantic feeling to the simple stroll. However, he knew the amorous ambience would lost on her. As much as he loved her, as much intelligence as she possessed, she could be really stupid about romance - specifically about how he felt toward her. She had taught him a lot about love in their eight years together. Lessons he would never forget. Lessons that enabled him to know what love really meant. Sometimes he wondered if the prospect of romantic love had totally bypassed her, not just regarding him but any man.
Opening the door for her, Naruto waited while she and Keitaro walked outside. He looked her up and down from head to toe. She was shorter than him now. He had never noticed just how small and fragile she seemed. Perhaps because until recent years he had been the small and fragile one. Through the years, he had grown powerful and steadfast in both mind and body not on with her assistance but with that of Kakashi and Iruka along with a few others in the village like his loyal friends. Sometimes it really did take a village to raise a child. Each person had taught him something different, useful, and necessary. Because of Nao, he learned that he could become a great man, capable of more than he ever imagined. His mentors, Kakashi and Iruka, had not only taught him amazing ninja skills and extensive book knowledge, but they had equipped him to master the fox demon within. During his school days, he had become obsessed with making the lives of his female classmates miserable by directing his perverted tendencies toward them. They taught him how to move fast to dodge their fists or objects thrown at him in addition to plain self-control. Thankfully, with the help of his two somewhat demented mentors, he was able to keep his lascivious activities secret from Nao. He was pretty sure she would have killed him had she known. But his death would have been merciful after the guilt inducing harangue she would have subjected to before killing him. Kiba taught him how to care for and train Keitaro which was a lesson in caring for those in need who could not care for themselves. He learned to think logically and strategically from Shikamaru. And on and on the list of life lessons went.
"Hey,"Nao said, reaching out to touch his hand. "What are you thinking about so hard?"
"A lot of things," he answered vaguely, grasping her hand before she could move it away.
"If there's anything you want to talk about - " Her words ceased to flow when he tightened his hand around hers.
"No. There's not. I just want to enjoy this moment." He raised his eyes to the sunset that had turned the sky into a full spectrum of colors.
They continued to walk, hand in hand, without a word being exchanged between them. Naruto was pleased that she moved closer to him, her arm pressing against his as they strolled leisurely with no real destination in mind. They wandered aimlessly in silence until they reached the edge of the village and the forest dominated the landscape.
"Naruto," Nao said, sitting down in the tall soft grass at the edge of the treeline. She tugged on his hand in a wordless request for him to sit next to her. Keitaro sat down on her other side, stretching out to take a nap. As soon as Naruto was seated she continued speaking. "Are you happy here?"
"Of course I am." Once again, he took her hand in his. "There's no place I'd rather be."
"But I always thought you were meant for so much more...for bigger things...better things." She stared down at his hand, tracing the veins across the back with the forefinger of her free hand.
"Like what?" He was confused. What was wrong with his life? Their life?
"I don't know. I...never mind." She patted his hand, raising her eyes to look into his.
"I like my life. I think it's perfect. I enjoy teaching. I understand your desire to pass on knowledge. That look on their face," he murmured, squeezing her hand.
Nao could see the excitement building in his eyes. She knew exactly how he felt. To see that expression of understanding, the 'ah-ha' moment when the knowledge sinks in, when the lightbulb goes on, was so gratifying.
"I've got a good life here. No, a great life," he corrected himself, cupping her jaw with his hand. "With you."
"With me," she mumbled, contemplating to what extent he meant that exactly.
The darkness closed in on them as night fell. Crickets chirped and frogs croaked creating a natural symphony which helped to dispel the quietness that would have otherwise been extremely uncomfortable .
"You think too much," he chastised her, standing up. He took both of her hands in his, effortlessly raising her to her feet to stand in front of him. Looking down at her briefly, he enclosed her body with his arms to hug her. After releasing her, he gave her one of his most charming grins to put her at ease. Saying 'I love you...really love you, stupid' would without a doubt ruin the overall sweetness of this moment with her.
They began to make their way back home through the village since the darkness was coming to its fullness.
"School is almost done for this year, right?" Nao asked, the back of her hand brushing across the back of his.
"Yes, why?" He ran his finger across the back of her hand, around her wrist, then across her palm. He almost laughed when she blushed so brightly he could see the red coloring in the light of the full moon.
"I need to take a trip...to the trading village at the seaport to buy a few things that I can't get delivered," she explained, her fingers entwining themselves with his. "Want to go with me?"
"Well, yeah. How could I say no?" How could time alone with her in a totally different village be a bad thing?
~...~
After the final tests were administered and graded, they began preparing for their journey. Keitaro was taken to Kiba's so he could tend to the dog in their absence. The customers were given double their normal orders to hold them over until Nao returned. A whole day was spent packing for their trip. They planned to leave the next day.
Nao could barely sleep because she could not stop thinking. Thoughts tumbled over and over in her mind. She went through mental checklists a dozen times to make sure every thing was taken care of that needed to be before they left. Then her musings would turn to how the trip would go. It was a two-day journey to the seaside trading village. She had sent letters ahead to reserve rooms at inns at the halfway point of their trip and also at their destination. After going over the arrangements mentally a half-dozen times, she resorted to mentally reading over her list of items that she wanted to buy. At least three times she got up to check her written list to make sure she had not forgotten to write down anything.
Naruto could hear her stirring in her room next door for the fourth time that night. He guessed this time she was repacking her bag. The thought had come to him to give up on sleep and ask her if she wanted to leave now. However, it was still hours away from dawn, and it would dangerous traveling in the darkness. If they left now though, the temperature would be cooler, and they could get a head start so it would be permissible to sleep during the hottest hours of the day without putting them behind schedule. The shade of large tree would be perfect for a nap when it was too hot to continue walking. He waited until the next time he heard her moving around, rechecking everything once again, to get up. It was only an hour before dawn so they would not be in the dark for long.
Nao jumped when she heard a knock on her door. Quickly pulling the white cotton dress over her head, she went to open it. Seeing Naruto standing there in nothing but a pair of royal blue boxer shorts caught her off guard. He never traipsed around the house half-naked. And she was glad he didn't. Her whole body warmed as her gaze swiftly moved from his bare feet to his sleep tousled, messier than usual, blond hair. She could feel the color of embarrassment and desire swamp her body from head to toe. What the hell was wrong with her? Had she forgotten who he was?
"Do want to leave? It seems like neither of us is getting any sleep anyway," Naruto said, his voice deeper than normal since he was still slightly groggy from her waking him.
"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to wake you up. I'm not sure if I'm looking forward to this trip or dreading it," she admitted, running her shaking fingers through her hair.
"It's okay if you feel both. Sometimes you dread even the good things in life," he rejoined, finishing off the sentence with a yawn.
"You're right," she sighed, reaching out to pat his cheek. She had to reach up, way up, to be able to touch his face. His eyes were half closed, his hair a terrible mess, and his cheeks warm and slightly blushed from sleep. Seeing him like this reminded her of the little boy he used to be. She kept her eyes on his face to keep from looking at him from the neck down which instantly reminded her of the man he had become. The man she felt herself disturbingly attracted to. "I'll cook us a quick breakfast while you get ready."
"Okay," he yawned again, turning to go to his room.
At least cooking would take her mind off of things temporarily.
...
Hours later, around midday, they found themselves between villages, thirsty, exhausted, and practically melting from the heat. Naruto had taken off his shirt in an attempt to combat the sweltering temperatures. Nao had worn a white, sleeveless dress that was slit on both sides up to her waist. She had worn skin-tight shorts underneath that were lightest shade of pink so it appeared she was wearing nothing at all. Where the sweat had soaked her dress, mainly at the small of her back and between her breasts, the thin fabric had turned transparent. They stubbornly continued on until they heard running water. Located not too far from the road was a small waterfall that fed into a placid blue pool among the trees. What a glorious discovery!
"Woohoo!" Naruto yelled as he jumped in boldly. He was ready to cool off.
Nao on the other hand, apprehensively approached the side of the pool. She knelt down beside it, leaning over to scoop up the water between her hands. Cold, very cold; and it felt great! It looked clean and clear, no parasites or small fish swam in it, so she cautiously took a sip. It tasted better than the finest sake she had ever drank. Judging by the frigid temperature and clarity of the water, she would guess this little pool was the product of the melted snow running off of the nearby mountain. She leaned forward to gather more water, this time splashing it on her hot face. Patting her cool hands over her sweaty neck, she tried to bring down her body temperature before she spontaneously combusted. Then he swam by. Tanned and toned, long limbed and surprisingly graceful, she watched his arms easily slice through the water to propel his body forward.
Naruto turned and swam back to her. There was no bottom beneath his feet so he tread water in front of her, bobbing up and down like a cork.
"Are you coming in?" he asked hopefully. His hair that was slicked down by the water was already beginning to pop back up into its spikes. Although he had let it grow out some, it still wanted to stand on end and managed to look as if he had always just gotten out of bed.
To Nao, the constant disheveled state of his hair was rather appealing and made for a perpetual temptation for her to brush her fingers through it. Despite its severe appearance, his hair had always been fluffy and smooth, silky to the touch. "No thanks. I'm fine right here," she answered, splashing water at him.
"Suit yourself," he muttered, successfully making her feel as if she were truly missing out on something.
Nao sighed, once again getting handfuls of water to dribble over her burning skin. Closing her eyes, she basked in the cool breeze that blew over her body. She listened to the low whispering sound the wind made as it brushed the leaves of trees surrounding them. The soft sound mixed with the steady and hypnotic rush of the waterfall made her feel sleepy. Opening her eyes and blinking before she succumbed to sleep, she looked around to find Naruto. She was alone. Jumping to her feet, she glanced around uneasily. Where could he have gone?
"Naruto? Naruto, where are you?" she called, hearing the panic in her own voice. Her body began to shake as fear bloomed completely in her heart. "Naruto! This isn't funny! Where are you?"
Nao screamed when something emerged from an explosion of water in front of her. She felt two strong arms encompass her body and drag her into the freezing cold liquid. Kicking and flinging her fists as best as she could under the water, she attempted to fight off her attacker. When an arm circled her waist and pulled her to the surface, she was able to see who assaulted her. She gazed into two huge blue eyes that twinkled merrily with amusement. Her teeth chattered because the cold water had consummately dispelled every ounce of heat from her body.
"N-N-Na-Na-Naruto," she stuttered, her teeth clicking she was shivering so violently. "I'm going to get you for this."
Naruto yelled out in surprise when she pressed her hands on his shoulders, shoving herself upwards and him under the water. He grabbed her around the waist again, pulling her under with him. Simultaneously, they broke through the surface, sputtering and gasping for breath.
Nao wrapped her arms around his neck, clinging to him as they both gasped for air. There were two reason she was hanging on to him so tightly. One reason was because she did not want to go under the water again and if she did she was damn sure going to take him with her. And two because she knew the material of her dress was now completely see through from getting wet. She had really wanted to jump in earlier but her wardrobe choice had prevented that from happening. Then her companion so cleverly took it upon himself to make sure she went in for a dip to get cooled off. "Thanks...thanks a lot," she muttered, her lips close to his ear.
Naruto was too busy keeping them both afloat by using his hands and feet to retaliate. The fact that her hard nipples were poking him in the chest did not help him one bit. He wanted hold her, kiss her, make her his right at this moment. However, that craving was impossible to act on without sinking them both. He swam toward the edge with her stuck to him like a toad sticks to a lilly pad.
"Close your eyes," she ordered before attempting to climb out. With no real hand hold or foothold, she found it difficult to extract herself from the refreshing pool. "Help me."
"Help you what?" he questioned teasingly, popping open one eye to look at her.
"Get out of here," she snapped, attempting to cover her breasts with one arm.
For some reason, Naruto found it particularly arousing that she was holding one breast with her hand while her arm covered the other. He could still see the roundness of them above and below her arm. He gave her his most devilish grin. Since she was angry anyway, he was going to enjoy this. "What do you say?"
"Now." She glared at him as if she wanted to kill him because in fact she did.
"That's not it. Try again."
"Please." She rolled her eyes, huffing with exasperation.
"Please what?"
Nao raised an eyebrow finding it more difficult to be angry with him as he smiled at her like a happy, yet mischievous, fox. The whiskers on his face and the demon inside of him suited his personality well. "Don't push it," she warned him. "Help me out now, please, if you wish to live."
What did she intend to kill him with? Lethal glares and long lectures? Well, just one more thing while I have the opportunity, he thought to himself, grabbing her by the behind to shove her upward onto the grass and out of the water.
Nao squealed, quite sure his grasp on her ass need not be so firm to hoist her out of the water. She found a spot in which to lie down to dry out behind the humongous oak tree where they had propped their backpacks. The sun and shade danced along the ground with the swaying of the branches above. The intermittent light and dark would dry her clothes while keeping her cool. Lying down on her back, she made herself as comfortable as she could despite her present state of virtually being naked. Even though his footsteps were stealthy and perfectly silent, she could feel him coming. The vibrations of his steps had run along the ground and thrummed through her body. She could also detect the energy wafting off of him in waves, surging over her like the ocean. That was how she always knew when he was near her. She was able to distinguish energy patterns and the slightest movements that disturbed the air around her. Ever since being a child she had been able to do this. It enabled her to recognize people without ever seeing them if they were someone known to her. If it was a stranger, she was able to discern ill intent from an inconspicuous passer-by.
"You stay over there," Nao told him, adding,"At least until I'm dry."
"Okay," Naruto mumbled, plopping down on the ground on the other side of the tree. Leaning his back against the relatively smooth bark, he closed his eyes. He might as well snooze a bit while she's keeping her modesty intact.
Nao listened to the tranquil sounds around her. Once she heard the rhythmic, deep breathing of sleep from her companion on the other side of the tree, she allowed herself to drift off. While asleep, she dreamt.
A man appeared in the clearing, standing at the feet of the sleeping woman. He stared at her with his carnivorous red eyes until she awoke. She was a lovely vision with her flowing wavy brown hair that covered her breasts now that it was dry. The fear in her dark green eyes did nothing to detract from their beauty. He knelt down in front of her, extending his hand toward her face.
Nao gasped but was unable to move as the stranger touched her cheek. He did not seem to be a threat, but it was no less disturbing to have nude man she did not know appear out of nowhere. His unbelievably long reddish-orange hair covered most of his nakedness. Thankfully the proof that he was male was hidden by the extensive locks. Elongated white incisors pressed into his full red bottom lip. What was he? Man or animal? Or both? There was something familiar about him yet completely unknown at the same time. She cried out in shock and terror when he straddled her body, the definition of his sexuality pressing into her belly.
"You're mine," he said, his voice hoarse, deep, and pleasing to the ear and the soul.
Nao held her breath as his head dipped toward hers. Her eyelids slowly closed as he sniffed her, his nose moving just above the skin along her neck. She turned her head away in an attempt to distance herself from him, but it only granted him easier access to more of her skin. The short puffs of hot air he released through his nose made her skin prickle, every nerve being ignited with the sensation of longing.
"You're divine," he murmured, his lips drifting across her neck just above her collar bone. "So pure...so innocent..." His tongue flicked out, moving across her skin at the same spot. He chuckled from deep in his throat when her breathing hitched then began to come in short, raspy bursts. "So sweet to the touch and the taste."
Nao bit her lower lip to withhold a moan when his chest vibrated against hers as he made the noise again that was somewhere between sinister and enthralling. She whimpered when his hands cupped her face turning her head toward him.
"Open your eyes and look at me," he commanded her in a gentle voice that contradicted his feral, somewhat vicious, appearance.
Nao obediently did as he requested. Her body quivered as she looked into his crimson eyes with a vertical slit pupil. Fox. A fox in human form? That odd feeling of familiarity swept over her. For an instant, just an instant, she thought she saw his eyes turn blue - the same vivid cerulean blue of Naruto's. This, without a doubt, was the strangest, most profoundly affecting dream she had ever experienced.
"Listen to me carefully and remember," he said, pressing his lips to hers briefly.
Every muscle in her body spasmed from the touch of his silky red lips. The kiss was feather light but hit her like a ton of bricks. When he moved back, her eyes were once again hopelessly locked on his as if he had woven a spell around her and her sensibilities.
"You are mine. You have been mine since the beginning and you will be mine until the end."
Then he disappeared.
Nao awoke with a start, desperately gulping for air as if she had been holding her breath. She lay on the ground shaking, feeling aroused, confused, and somewhat terrified. Her eyes darted around, taking in her surroundings to make sure there was no animalistic man within her midst. A dream. Closing her eyes, she inhaled deep breaths of air to calm herself and steady her nerves. Little did she know on the other side of the tree, Naruto was doing the same thing.
Neither one of them knew that the fox demon had made a psychic link between them through their dreams. Kurama had decided that this was the time to bring them together before either one of them got any ideas of loving another person. Nao and Naruto belonged together. And they both belonged to him.
