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Despite experiencing lust for the goddess, the god chose to reject the persuasion of bodily desire. To prove his seriousness on the matter, he killed the god of desire with a burning inferno.
He inhaled sharply. The sudden icy rush of night air burned his lungs, but he was hardly aware of the sensation. He barely knew where he even stood. Instinctively, he had stormed out of bed in frustration. Despite his firm choice to avoid her, his desire hadn't left him. Instead, he lay awake tortured with want. Unable to lie still a moment longer, he rose from his bed. If he trained, he wouldn't break under his physical desire. His now-constant want for her company.
When he left his house, he travelled, as if guided by instinct, toward their usual training spot. The sudden, sick realization that he was heading straight back to her struck him, and he immediately turned toward the other edge of the village. As far away as possible from their spot.
His rage made him disoriented. Fury burned within him, tightening his muscles, longing to scream from him. He hated his newfound desire. How it split him into two individuals, unable to cooperate with one another. One half demanded supreme detachment, the other longing shamelessly for her.
And he loathed that.
A steady grimace remained on his face as he inhaled sharply a second time.
He spun a kunai idly in his fingers as he wondered if he could ever possibly soothe himself. Carelessly, he flung the kunai. It pierced the flesh of a nearby tree, landing with a satisfying thunk.
Unsheathing his katana, he decided to obey to his anger. Slowly, rhythmically, he struck the landscape surrounding him. The more he gave in, the more rapidly he moved. His anger grew quicker and stronger, making his movements of destruction savage.
He moved more hastily, slashing and hacking at all his eyes landed upon. The trees circling him were fresh with scars, bark flying through the air. His breath became less controlled, falling into rapid pants. Yet, the more he moved, the more violence he craved.
He moved instinctively, his muscles tightening and coiling painfully within him. He was so inflamed, his eyes glared red. His fingers forcefully moved into the familiar signs of his clan's signature jutsu. He felt the pull of chakra gathering in his abdomen. Screaming his exhalation, fire released from deep within, burning and demolishing all he had struck before.
His eyes flicked across his surroundings, watching as green, lush life burned into dead ashes.
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Night had arrived, but Sasuke had not.
Sakura sat waiting, her back against the tree. A kunai twirled slowly in her fingers. He should have arrived over two hours ago, but he had yet to show. It didn't take a genius to deduce why he hadn't arrived—why he wasn't going to arrive.
He had reconsidered the kiss. She didn't know what moved him to kiss her, but she sensed it wouldn't move him again.
For whatever reason he had found, she knew he would not be returning on future nights. He would not be spending time alone with her.
He certainly would not be touching her again.
The detached god refused to acknowledge any emotion toward the goddess. She mourned the death of the god of desire, for without his works, how could love survive? Nevertheless, the goddess remained true in her devotion to the hurtful, detached god.
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The goddess grew enraged and tired of striving for the god's attention. She decided to assert her strength to prove her equal worth. She lay on a bed of four fires in the summer. She exposed herself to the elements. Her body was put to the test, proving her worth to the god. Time continued forward without cease. He remained cold and disciplined in his withdrawal. But the goddess of the mountains would not be swayed.
The mountain is unmoving in its pursuit of heaven.
Months had passed since her nightly training sessions with Sasuke. Months since he'd kissed her, only to abandon her the next night.
She should have been counting the days, but it was too painful. She comforted herself by remembering harsher times when she was forced to cope without him.
Nevertheless, she maintained her training. She didn't return to the spot where she met up with Sasuke. Instead, she trained at different times, in different places, but never alone with another man—not even a close friend like Naruto.
In fact, the only person she cared to train with alone was Ino. The blonde proved to be an exceptional yoga teacher and, in exchange, Sakura would tutor her in medical jutsu.
"Okay, let's start," Ino began to chatter. An additional benefit to training with Ino was her ability to interrupt any thoughts Sakura gathered. Suddenly pulled to attention, Sakura eyed her friend. Ino stood, balancing on one foot. Sakura quickly mirrored her position.
"Good," Ino nodded. "Now pull your foot upward toward the back of your neck. Hands together."
Ino's hands arched above her head and back. The tips of her fingers held onto the tips of her toes. Abruptly, Sakura realized her friend looked like a backwards P.
"Do it, Forehead," Ino ordered. Sakura immediately mirrored her, struggling with balance slightly. With each stretch, her balanced greatly improved.
"What's with this sudden effort to get so strong?" Ino tried to pry from her. "Do you have to act so much like Sasuke and Naruto? Ya know, other teams don't behave like you freaks."
Sakura laughed at Ino's friendly dig, but never directly answered her. She couldn't bear to explain to her best friend what her new goal was—she couldn't explain it to anyone just yet. It was so ludicrous that she loathed even inventing it.
Her goal was simple. She was going to spar with Sasuke again someday. She was going to prove she was not inferior to him, but his equal.
Then, she was going to pound his flawless face in with a variety of punches and punish him.
Whether this was inspired by the eerie folktale always on repeat in her mind, or her rage toward his hot-then-cold behavior, the goal was something she was more than determined to follow through with. Even if it took her entire lifetime to accomplish, she would assert herself.
With her fiery temper, one would assume she would've had at least one intense fight with Sasuke by now. Yet, she hadn't.
She was too angry to even speak to him.
Ironically, the only person who observed this abnormality was Naruto. Fearful for Sakura's answer if he asked, he had never addressed the issue. Naruto knew they wouldn't keep up this silent act with each other for much longer.
"Wanna learn a new stretch?" Ino asked playfully, jarring Sakura from her thoughts. "This one is tricky!"
"Yeah," Sakura murmured softly. Passionate about her position of authority over Sakura, Ino was an assertive teacher. Ino absolutely loved knowing something Sakura did not. Having a best friend who was so knowledgeable was a little irksome, so any opportunity to demonstrate mastery was welcomed.
Ino let her feet fall to the ground and rolled her shoulders. Then she placed her hands on the ground before her.
"You're not doing it right if your ass doesn't stick out," she explained. Sakura smirked at Ino's informal teaching style.
Slowly, Ino's left foot rose back toward her neck. She held the arching foot for a moment.
"Then you can use this move for a circus trick!" Ino continued to explain. The second foot slowly rose, while her hands held her torso at a forty-five degree angle to the ground. She balanced her weight accordingly using her feet, not allowing herself not to fall. Suddenly, Ino's legs lunged towards a spot by her head. Her body flipped and she landed on her feet.
"Ta da!" Ino sang playfully.
Sakura frowned in response. Ino's face fell. Yet another attempt to make her friend sunny had failed.
"So, you're leaving on a mission tomorrow?" Ino rapidly changed the subject as she ushered Sakura into the downward position. Sakura nodded absently in response.
"Checking on a mountain range. Just a surveillance mission," Sakura answered tonelessly. Her face darkened, dreading spending any time around her Uchiha teammate. Thankfully, Naruto's babbling eased some of the sharp edges between them.
"Well, I think an easy mission will do you some good!" Ino beamed as she observed Sakura's stance. She took hold of Sakura's ankle, easing it towards her neck. "You spend too much time in that gloomy hospital! You're wasting away. Soon, you won't have any tits, skinny girl."
Sakura rolled her eyes. Ino was constantly exaggerating the effects of too much work on Sakura's body. She had not lost any weight, but Ino liked to pretend she was fragile or something.
"You're just jealous because mine are bigger," Sakura teased her. A wide smile spread across Ino's face. Finally, a non-moody Sakura!
"Pft…lots of your stuff is bigger. Like your forehead," Ino bantered in response.
Sakura stuck out her tongue as she raised her legs into the air. It was mysterious how Ino's insults could comfort her.
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The mission had not been so simple after all. There was an ambush.
Her mind was foggy on the details. They had settled into a cave for the night. One moment, Naruto was beside her babbling and eating ramen. Then, there was a snap. She watched as blood sprayed across his shirt. Vaguely, she wondered where it had come from since she hadn't seen a kunai land on him.
Then, a searing pain across her shoulder alerted her that she had been the one who was hit.
In the battle that followed, a particularly strong punch to an opponent missed. She struck the side of the cave instead, causing a cave in. She was cut off from her team. She was not, however, cut off from her enemy.
Despite the fallen stone around her and her shoulder injury, she managed to defeat her opponent and escape. Unfortunately, she had to make her way through the other side of the mountain to get out. She couldn't risk pounding the rockslide in the cave to get back—she wouldn't endanger her teammates that way. When she emerged from the other side, she found herself far from her team.
It took her five days to find them. The path had been long…frightening. Once she finally did find them, she was tackled into a hug from Naruto.
Uchiha Sasuke's eyes flicked across her form. Despite surviving in the mountain range for days alone, she did not have a scratch. Even more impressive was her ability to take down an extremely powerful enemy without the aid of a teammate.
As she proved herself time and time again, prestige collected around her. This attracted the god's attention, but he hesitated coming forth.
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The goddess would not be deterred by nature. Her love existed beyond the realm of the earth, which powered her into braving the elements as she performed her austere rituals.
Thunder cracked across the sky, accompanied shortly after by a flash of lighting. Had he been sleeping, surely the rumble would have woken Sasuke.
Rolling over, he tried to stop his mind from racing. He had already tried for hours now to repress his thoughts of Sakura, but as always, he was failing. A low rumble of thunder made him flick his eyes open.
He had a hunch. He knew that Sakura trained nightly without him. He could see clearly how much stronger she was becoming. He knew she was beyond determined to maintain her schedule, but he could not gather why. When thunder cracked a third time, he sat up in bed.
He wondered if she was training outside right now. Rising from the bed, he padded to the window to look outside. Sheets of rain soaked the grass, making it look as flooded as a rice paddy. The wind howled, rippling the rapidly rising mass of water.
Surely, she wasn't training outside tonight. She knew better…right?
His lips set into a grimace. He wasn't sure. Sakura could be twice as stubborn as him. He wondered if she remained rigidly determined to keep training. If she was outside, she'd surely fall ill from this stunt.
He huffed a sigh.
He couldn't sleep because of it. Because he didn't think she should be outside, cold and wet late into the night. Because he absolutely hated any harm that might come her way. Despite himself, he couldn't control his urge to shield her from harm.
He knew he wouldn't have any rest until he checked up on her. With a self-assuring nod, he began to dress for the elements. He was going to check up on her, and she had better not be stupid enough to be outside training in the usual spot.
Their usual spot—or what had once been theirs, he thought with a pang of guilt. Immediately, he repressed the pang from his consciousness.
Before he rushed out his front door, he braced himself for the wet and cold. With a sharp inhalation of air, he ran as quickly as possible. His vision was blurred from heavy rain and his speed, but he didn't need to see to find her. His feet seemed to trace a path directly to her, as if following some magnetic pull. Once he made his way to the clearing, he slowed. If she was out, he did not want to alert her to his presence.
Despite the sheen of rain and the sinister black of the night, he could see her clearly. Her wet, pink hair, falling in tangled chunks, practically glowed in the miserable, gloomy night. His breath caught, transfixed by her. He watched her hold a pose despite the elements attacking her viciously.
She stood on one foot, perfectly balanced. Her fingers arched backward behind her body while her unused foot arched back to her fingers. The wind howled around her, but she did not shiver. Clearly, she warmed herself continuously with chakra. Rain poured over her body, making her clothes cling to her tightly.
Despite his initial concerns about her training in the elements, all thoughts were temporarily placed on hold as he stared in awe. No amount of self control could repress his sudden desire for her. Her determination—her stance. The way the sinister dark of night gave her a mystifying, ethereal glow. The way the arch of her back presented her breasts so appealingly. He stared for a moment, his heart stirring as he watched her.
A clap of lightning illuminated her starkly and his protective instinct suddenly struck him, overriding his desire to merely watch her.
"Sakura!" he called, alerting her to his presence. Her eyes flicked open, watching him rapidly approach her. She eased herself to standing on her two feet. He stood before her, attempting to intimidate her by standing close. He stared down at her, his gaze hard and unforgiving.
"What the hell are you doing?" he seethed over the sound of the rain.
"Training! A discipline exercise!" she answered, unable to suppress her pride and dedication. "I've been in that pose since before the rain!"
He gave her a fierce glare.
"You'll get yourself sick," he scolded, but she didn't seem threatened.
"I can do this," she answered him surely, trying to cool him from growing too angry. He could barely hear her above the rumble of the storm. Something agitated him—he was discomforted by her determination. They stared at each other intently for a moment, neither willing to back down. As he looked into her gaze, his anger quelled somewhat. It was almost as if he had decided to trust her judgment—or, perhaps, he did not have the will to crudely force her away. He had done equally impulsive and irrational things in the pursuit of strength. He was aware that he had no right to dissuade her.
"You're being foolish. You'll get inside, if you know what's good for you," he warned before appearing to leave.
However, he did not leave her entirely. She could sense his presence nearby, despite his attempt to mask himself. She smiled ever so softly.
It was nice to have him watch over her.
Meanwhile, he stared in awe. He admired her determination and devotion—even if it was at the risk of her health.
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The goddess continued training herself, spinning energy all around. Heat collected from her energy. Fueling the heat even further was her anger from being neglected. The other gods soon grew hot and begged the detached god to relieve them. They begged that he answer her request, whatever it may be.
Naruto tapped his fingers anxiously on the table. His ramen, surprisingly, lay ignored. The young man pursued a singular train of thought.
He was counting.
When was the last time he saw Sasuke speak to Sakura? When was the last time Sakura talked to Sasuke?
He couldn't remember exactly. Over three months perhaps?
He scratched his head. He had given them the opportunity to play nice and make up. In the past, Sakura and Sasuke rarely, if ever, came into conflict. Usually, the two would be united on any issue, whether it was because of their similar tendency to follow logic or Sakura's tendency to always agree with Sasuke. Lately, they agreed on nothing.
Hell, lately, they didn't even speak enough to disagree!
Naruto hated it. He loathed the tension so intensely. Their recent distance from one another made him feel like a child torn between two feuding parents. He didn't much care for the origin of their fight, only that peace be restored in their makeshift family.
Clicking his chopsticks together, he slowly began to eat and ponder.
He couldn't address the issue head on. If he asked Sakura what had happened, she would roll her eyes and brush him off. She'd probably make a snide comment about how she and Sasuke never really spoke to one another. She'd claim they had nothing to say, but that didn't mean there was tension.
Bullshit.
He sure as hell wasn't going to ask Sasuke what was wrong. That would be twice as pointless as asking Sakura.
Therefore, he had to resolve the issue without actually knowing the origin of the issue.
He tapped the chopsticks against his chin.
Sasuke would never ask for forgiveness…whatever he had done. Hell, Sasuke had tried to murder Naruto more than once and had never so much as said sorry! A solution between the pair would require Sakura accepting Sasuke and all the flaws that followed with having a friendship with him. Surely, she had decided long ago that his value far outweighed his angry tendencies and lack of obvious kindness.
He brought more noodles to his lips.
He'd have to exploit Sakura's nurturing side—the part of her that tried to soothe Sasuke, despite his faults. The part of her that could never do him harm, but would always, always try to heal him.
A small smirk formed on his lips.
He'd just have to send Sasuke to the hospital for his and Sakura's own good.
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Sakura rubbed her forehead in frustration. Sometimes, she couldn't even begin to grasp what the hell happened between her teammates when she was absent. Although Naruto tried to explain everything to her more than once, she simply didn't get it.
"Let me get this straight," she drawled out. Naruto knew her slow pace meant hell was forming inside her. He knew his punishment was rapidly approaching, but he didn't care—anything to restore balance.
"You ambushed Sasuke," she continued.
"Yep!"
"And then you knocked him out."
"Yep!"
"And threw in a few extra punches for the hell of it?"
"Uh…"
Well, he had to make sure Sasuke wouldn't wake up before he brought him to the hospital! Sakura gave him a warning huff.
"Then," she hissed, continuing her summary. "You brought him in so I'd have more work? You think it's funny to knock people out for no reason?"
Uh, oh.
"Get out, you moron," she snarled.
Thankful he'd managed to narrowly escape punishment, Naruto immediately flash-stepped out of the room.
Had she not been so flustered with anger, annoyance, and a little hint of nervousness, she probably would have realized Naruto never acted randomly. This event was out of character for him entirely. If she were more aware, she would have realized something was up. Instead, she turned on her heel and walked into Sasuke's hospital room.
Her storming was halted when a dark gaze met hers. Apparently, he had awoken on his own. She inhaled sharply.
All she could remember was the delightful pressure of his body on hers. His lips…
Her face instantly went red. All the horrid trauma he brought upon her and now this, too!
"Are you hurting?" she babbled, averting her eyes. She desperately wished they weren't alone. If only she'd hadn't frightened Naruto away. His bright, obnoxious presence would have acted as a nice buffer between their inevitably awkward interactions to come.
Sasuke wondered briefly why Sakura's blushing was alluring, but managed to squash down the thought. If he dwelled on her too long, he'd feel guilt. Too many nights, guilt kept him from sleeping. He'd lay awake cognizant of the fact that she was training without him.
After their last mission, he was more than aware that she'd progressed rapidly without him. She didn't need him at all. After the night in the rain, he knew her devotion and dedication to perfection outweighed her desire to please him.
Like flexing a muscle, he repressed the thought from his consciousness.
"Neck," he answered her briefly.
With a nod, she began to soothe the pain in his neck.
Her fingers rubbed along his hairline, checking the sides of his face and skull for other possible wounds. Hadn't Naruto said, during one of his many explanations, that he'd hit Sasuke in the head more than once?
Eying Sasuke's scalp, she noticed a small bump hidden beneath his hair. Using her hand to hold down his feathery spikes, she identified a lump born of Naruto's successful attempt at giving Sasuke a concussion. He twitched apprehensively when she lightly ran her hand through his hair, and then smoothed his hair down a second time to confirm the size of the wound. She watched his eyes fall half-lidded, lost in the thought.
When he was a child, Sasuke's mother liked play with the natural spikes of his hair. She'd chatter to him pleasantly, remarking how both his father and brother had the hairline trait. They, however, grew their hair long to hide the spikes. She constantly encouraged Sasuke to keep his hair short, enjoying the hereditary trait. She always touched him with maternal affection, especially when his father was not around to deter her. His father believed that too much coddling and fussing would spoil Sasuke, making him a less focused shinobi...less like Itachi.
"After all," she'd coo in his ear. "It's one of the few looks you inherited from your father."
Then she'd pinch his cheeks.
"Oh, you're so cute! Look how handsome you are with my cheeks!" she'd whisper in soft amusement. Sasuke didn't much care for being played with in this manner, but his love and respect for his mother kept him from trying to escape her grasp. Besides, he would tell himself, she probably would have been able to catch him anyway.
The buzz on his scalp alerted him that Sakura had found a spot to heal. Suddenly, a strange thought came to him. What would his mother have thought of Sakura?
They were similar in ways—their gentle mannerisms and nurturing tones. Both exhibited unconditional, unwavering love. Despite Sakura's infamous temper, it was oh so rarely directed toward him. Even when he deserved it, Sakura always remained willing to comfort him. Sometimes, her attempts at comfort actually worked. Much like his mother was before her, Sakura was the primary source of affection and security in his life.
Undeniably, he knew the answer to his ponderings. His mother would have adored Sakura.
He could imagine how his mother would nudge him toward Sakura without any attempt at being subtle. How she'd ask about her, telling Sasuke that he should be spending time with her. He could almost hear her voice in his head.
How sorely disappointed would his mother be with his behavior toward Sakura?
A knot began to form within him. Why did he torture himself by thinking this way?
His mother was consumed by the fire clan and its sins. She and the rest of his family did not even remain as ashes...there was nothing left. Imagining his family's reaction now was pointless.
"How are you feeling? Does it still hurt?" a gentle voice asked, pulling him from his torment. He blinked up at her and shook his head. Even if he did have any pain, he would have lied. He needed to leave now before his mind punished him further.
His eyes flicked to Sakura, observing her concerned eyes. Despite the blatantly obvious tension between them, she still looked at him with as much care as ever. She brushed the back of her hand across his forehead.
Again, he let his mind wander to thoughts of having her around every day. What would it be like to share a home with her? Would it feel like he had a family again?
For the briefest of moments, he thought to himself how nice that would be as his hand came up to reach out to her. But he remembered how tainted he was and how being with Sakura would never work…so he snatched his hand back and repressed such thoughts from his mind by standing up abruptly.
"I'm fine," he snapped, before rushing to leave.
On the surface, the detached god refused temptation. From beneath, his stoic facade faltered.
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Despite himself, the god would devote time to the goddess. This time, the god of lust was not inspiring him. This time, his longing was born of emotional rebirth.
In the evening that followed, she was shocked to see him emerge from the shadows. Despite her continued annoyance with him, she felt a small smile tease her lips.
"I've been thinking," she remarked, a hint of playfulness in her tone. "Naruto snuck up on you today."
He raised a single brow at her.
"You should always have your guard up," she mock-lectured, her eyes glimmering with mischief. To her amusement, he almost looked a little put off by the comment. Almost.
"Ready?" he asked, trying to stop her teasing. She gave him a small nod, taking a defensive stance.
Their fighting was divided…distant…and far different from before. When she moved toward him, he moved backwards. He avoided close contact entirely, keeping her at bay with kunai and ninjutsu.
He wasn't rushing her at all. He wasn't coming close to attack her. Instead, he moved mostly to defend himself and maintain the distance.
Before, their bodies would come close to one another. There was an openness to their battles—a purity in their aggressive expressions. They'd wrestle. He'd get on top of her. She would tackle him. There was always painful, but close, contact.
Now, they stayed at least three feet away from each other at all times, inflicting damage at a distance.
Observing the difference in his battle technique, Sakura used his hesitation to come close to her advantage. Forcing strength into her fists, she lunged and tried to beat him with several chakra-filled punches. Eventually, he escaped the tirade of pain and tackled her. He held her down forcefully, more brutally than he ever had before.
On the earth, Sakura twisted, but could not escape. Disappointment rained heavily upon her. She had been so dramatically close to victory…and she still came up short.
Her hair mussed in the wet grass, she looked up at Sasuke to cast a glare. Two Sharingan eyes spun cyclically above her. She stopped struggling, feeling a sudden thrill of excitement.
He had activated his bloodline trait in battle against her. Finally, she was enough of a threat.
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The goddess so loved the god that time spent separated from him emotionally, spiritually, and physically enraged her. She pushed her body to ruin, caring not about the consequences.
Sometimes, Sakura considered the ramifications of setting Sasuke on fire.
Sure, she'd feel horrible. Maybe. His absence from her life would inevitably lead to depression and loneliness of the highest degree. No matter how quiet his company was, his presence was highly desirable to her.
Nevertheless, he was the most frustrating individual alive. Watching him go ablaze might be really satisfying! Not to mention, his behavior was beginning to make her wonder if he was bipolar.
First, he had to go and kiss her. Then, he had to go and ignore her. Now, he had developed an even more irritating manner of behavior. He tried to control her training schedule. If she worked at the hospital in the evening, she was not allowed to train into the wee hours of the morning that followed.
Not that he was willing to discuss his reasoning with her. Or talk to her at all. They rarely spoke, and if they did, there was an underlying animosity on both ends. He'd be standing outside her apartment when she went home to change. Then, he'd tell her to stay in. She'd say no. They'd battle to settle the deal.
He'd win by knocking her out, and she'd wake up two hours later on her couch.
She was definitely going to set him on fire. She was beyond pissed with her predicament. If she didn't know better, she'd be touched by the subtle gesture of care for her wellbeing. She did know better, however. She knew he was being stubborn—the only reason he had given her for this rule had been completely ridiculous. He vaguely mentioned once that he didn't want to work with other people if she took sick leave. Heaven forbid.
Who could really understand what went on in his mind? All she had determined was that a blazing inferno would help calm her rage toward him. Additionally, the irony of watching the infamous fire jutsu heir go ablaze could possibly make her chuckle with sadistic pleasure.
But, inevitably, she could not set Sasuke on fire. He'd probably have enough skill in bending the flame so that she would end up being burned.
Then, Sakura considered the ramifications of setting herself on fire.
She sniffled, sneezing into her tissue.
Because, despite his overbearing gestures, two hours after she woke up, she'd go train alone. The action was against his wishes, but she didn't really give a damn anymore. In fact, she got a rush from spiting the controlling Uchiha. As long as he didn't wait around to enforce his new rule, she would do as she pleased. She couldn't stop if she wanted to anyway. She was so close to her goal. Less than three weeks ago, he had begun to actively use his Sharingan every time they battled. Surely, in the time that followed, she would finally win.
She coughed into her tissue, shivering from the ache that came with it.
Of course, he had to be right. She inevitably grew ill from exhaustion, complete with symptoms like a runny rose, raging cough, and spiking fever. In addition to these lovely symptoms, she received a long lecture from Tsunade on the dangers of overexertion.
A knock reverberated through her door. Then, a second. Then, a third.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" Naruto called, his voice muffled by the door.
Placing her throbbing head into her hand, she grumbled something to herself about her horrid luck.
"Sakura-chan! Sakura-chan!" he continued to yell. "You aren't sleeping are you? Sakura-chan!"
She whimpered softly to herself before calling that he could come in. As much as she did not want to see a soul in her condition, she knew he would keep pounding on the door in concern if she did not answer.
He burst through her door, leaping over the couch and landing directly beside her.
"Hiya," he greeted with a mischievous, wide grin.
She heard the additional muted shuffle of another entering her apartment. Looking over her shoulder, she watched as Sasuke entered somewhat hesitantly. He closed the door behind him, but made no move toward her or Naruto.
"So, I was coming back from a late-night ramen snack," he began to babble. "And I happened to see Sasuke taking a walk! I was thinking it'd be extra fun to practice in the night. You in? Puhhhllleeeeeease, Sakura-chan?"
"I can't," she began to answer.
"Why not?" Naruto interrupted in frustration. "It'll be fun! Come on!"
Her eyebrows drew together, but before she could answer, a quiet voice rumbled from the corner.
"She's sick. Let her go to bed."
She felt his heavy gaze upon her—Sasuke's usual piercing analysis whenever he looked at her.
Naruto's expression faltered as he searched her face intently. The corners of his mouth turned down slightly in disappointment, but he gave a nod of affirmation. Before he could open his mouth to babble more, Sasuke interrupted him.
"Let's go," he ordered softly. Naruto gave a sigh and shook his head.
"Maybe next time, Sakura-chan?" he asked. She gave him a small smile and nodded. "Anything you need? I don't know how to make soup, but I'm sure Sasuke and I could figure it out."
She vaguely heard a scoff in the corner. Apparently, Sasuke wasn't pleased with the implication that he didn't know how to cook.
"Nah," she shook her head.
Despite herself, there was an intense twinge of jealousy within her. Training alone one on one into the night with Sasuke had been so personal. And now he was going with Naruto?
Didn't he interrogate her once about training alone with other partners? Wasn't he suspicious and jealous once over this same issue?
Her logical half knew that Sasuke was merely training with Naruto. The pair trained together almost every day. A good portion of the time, Sasuke would train alone with Naruto. This was nothing new, except for the time of day. However, her logical side wasn't speaking loud enough.
Her emotional side felt like she was being cheated on. She felt betrayed. She knew her feelings were particularly irrational, but she couldn't help herself. Despite Naruto being their best friend, she felt like the nighttime belonged solely to her and Sasuke. She kept their time together separated from the rest of the world…because it was too precious to share.
And here he was bringing someone new into it? She huffed in particular displeasure.
"Are you sure you don't need anything?" Naruto prodded, noticing her growing agitation.
"I'm sure," she answered him with a falsely pleasant tone. Her gaze flicked back to eye up Sasuke.
"Are you planning on doing this every night?" she snapped, hinting at her annoyance. Sasuke shook his head knowingly.
"Just tonight," he answered her lowly. With a particularly strong look, she understood that he had no intention of allowing Naruto into their nighttime world. Tonight was a onetime exception. She snapped her gaze away from him and settled it back on Naruto.
"Have fun," she ordered him, her tone still deceivingly pleasant. Naruto's eyes flicked from Sasuke to Sakura. He wondered briefly what had just transpired, but Sasuke's low rumble of a voice roused him from his thoughts.
"Let's go." He ushered Naruto out the door.
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Thank you, Thank you, Thank you to everyone who reviewed the first two parts! ^_^
And a very big thank you to Sakura's Indecision!