Chapter Three - New Acquaintances
Tsunade stared at her wet and bedraggled apprentice standing before her desk. Her clothes stuck to skin and her pale pastel hair dripped with rainwater. Tsunade, although the Hokage, didn't have it in her heart to keep the kunoichi, even if she did really need a mission report right then and there, especially in regards to the captive the team had carted back with them. She already knew how it had gone in Sunagakure after all.
"Go home, Sakura; get some rest while you can; you're going to have a full day tomorrow here at the hospital. Another team's returning tonight, Kakashi's team in fact. Apparently they had an encounter with a rather large group of missing nin," Tsunade paused there, seeing Sakura's wide-eyed expression. She opened her mouth to say something, but seemed to stagger backwards, weariness overcoming even her pertinent thoughts.
"Don't worry about it, Sakura; I'll ask Genma. Go home, the boys will be glad to see that you're alright, I'm sure," Tsunade said, eyes softening. She'd had a soft spot for the girl ever since taking her under her wing and training her. Sakura had been one of her best apprentices, better than Shizune even. Not that Tsunade was about to share that information with anyone, but it was the truth either way.
Now was not the time to worry about Sakura, however. As the Godaime she had many things to attend to. Firstly, she had to take care of this captive. Good thing Ibiki damn near lived at the jounin headquarters. Quickly calling a messenger to her, she sent for the head of interrogations, and then decided that it would be a good time for a strong drink. Sometimes… Ibiki did things that made even her flinch.
As much as Sakura wanted to get home quickly, her body wouldn't allow it. All of her energy seemed to have flushed out of her when the rain hit, soaking her and her teammates, washing her strength away. It was then that she really felt sick. She wanted Naruto and Sasuke, even Kakashi-sensei. They had always been her support, even when she didn't want it, they had cared for her.
It made her remember Sasuke's absence, the pain she'd felt with that gaping hole in her heart. They were her family, more than her actual family had ever been. She knew what Naruto would have done had he seen her slumped and stumbling along. He'd have snatched her up and carried her and laughter would have ensued. Naruto could always make her smile.
Sasuke would have told her to stop being so weak. And she would have. Somehow the thought of disappointing him, after he'd come back to them, finally deemed them worthy was terrifying. What if he changed his mind? Sure, he'd been back for a few years now, but… there was always that chance. A chance she wasn't about to give.
And Kakashi-sensei, well, she never knew what he'd do. Either one of many things. He might tell her that endurance is all a part of being a shinobi, or he might just ignore her and read his Icha Icha. On a rare occasion, when he knew he'd been too rough or that she was beyond exhaustion from over exerting herself in healing some wound, he'd settle her against his back and carry her. The man was a paradox, always a different reaction and action to everything.
Sakura halted in her wobbly meander, staring at the slightly peaked roofs of the Uchiha compound. The rain was still pouring down, spilling over gutters on the rooftops of the building and streaming down her face. Clicking her tongue against her cheek she pulled her pack's shoulder straps up a little higher and made her way through the streets towards her home.
She entered through the side door, slipping her sandals off before stepping onto the well-worn, yet well-tended tatami covered flooring. Then realizing the uselessness of doing so, she shrugged her pack off, placing it beside her shoes. Next, she slipped the khaki medic skirt off, hanging it on a wall hook. She watched idly as drops of rainwater splattered on unconcealed wooden slates, then proceeded to remove her soaked vest and top.
Wearing only her shorts, binding and, gloves, she wandered down the hallway, stepping quietly over the squeaky floorboard as she went, hands on the walls, navigating her way around furniture.
Her door swung open silently, she always kept the hinges well oiled. She couldn't stand being woken early merely because Naruto decided to look in on her in the mornings she had off from missions or hospital duty.
With only the thought of removing the rest of her sodden clothes and sliding under warm covers and cuddling up with a fluffy pillow, she loosened the knot in the strips fastened tightly about her chest, then removed her shorts and underwear after ripping off her gloves. As soon as her bare and still damp back landed on the futon she could have promptly and happily punched a hole through the wall beside her.
Her bedding was missing. Much to her chagrin, she realized she was to blame for that inconvenience. She'd foregone doing her laundry the day before she'd left for Sunagakure for a few more hours of sleep.
And, right now, she simply didn't have the energy to go find clean sheets in the linen closet, nor deal with tucking them around the fluffy futon mattress.
Of course, this had happened to Sakura a couple of times before, and while she loved her bed more than anything, she'd found that living in the Uchiha household had its benefits. There were two other spare bedrooms right along her hallway.
Naruto used one of the rooms at the far back of the house as he had the tendency to snore quite obnoxiously, so much that he could keep both Sakura and Sasuke awake at night. And Sasuke himself slept on the second floor, more for privacy's sake than anything, Sakura believed. She could easily slip into one of the other rooms and sleep peacefully. And they were sure to have bedding, as Sasuke was quite anal-retentive when it came to neatness in the house.
Sakura snatched a short robe from her closet and threw it over her shoulders, clasping it with her hand in front before peeking her head around the doorframe. Not that Sasuke or Naruto would be around, but more from habit. Too often she'd almost been caught darting from her bedroom to the bathroom more than half naked.
No one stood in the hallway, she had known as much, and so she crossed the hall to a spare bedroom and opened the door slowly. She didn't keep these hinges oiled at all, and, while both Sasuke and Naruto slept in separate parts of the residence, noise still carried easily through the open and airy building.
Sakura released a breath she hadn't realized she was holding as the door opened with only a slight whine. Silence was something she'd learned to love, and breaking it with a loud creak or sharp twang of noise was not something she particularly enjoyed. She ducked into the room, walking softly to the bed, eyes already drifting closed in anticipation of the soft bed's comfort and sleep.
The bed was big, big enough for two people, Sakura had sardonically noted before. She'd never need it, that was for sure, but at that moment, she wasn't so sure. She might just need it, or that could have just been her body screaming at her to hurry her ass up and lie down.
Sakura slid under the comforter, already rumpled and untucked. Normally, Sakura would have taken some notice of this small fact, but her uncharacteristically vague thoughts overlooked it as she settled onto the soft futon languorously. Somewhere in the back of her mind, it registered with her that something had made it awfully warm under the covers before she'd climbed in. Her exhausted body however deigned that unimportant, as well as the solid mass lying on the far side of the bed, huddled near the wall. She was asleep before she could even protest that fact, besides; it was probably just Naruto trying to sleep close by for her return. And she had to admit, Naruto wasn't all that bad to cuddle up to on the rare occasion she felt so glum.
Idate awoke with the sun, rays of light slanting through the window blinds and filtering through his eyelids. It wasn't the best way to wake up, but nor was it the worst. Especially when he'd had such an exceptional dream; he'd actually seen an aged Sakura, not the twelve year old child, but the adult woman. She'd been gorgeous, if not a little scandalous, crawling into his bed at night, barely clothed.
And it had been such an absolutely tangible dream. He'd felt the warmth of her skin, smelled the sweet scent of her hair, even felt the soft puffs of breath on his back as he slept. He wished this unadulterated longing would go away.
Sometimes Idate would swear she was haunting him, that she'd cast some Genjutsu on him when they were younger to pay him back for embarrassing her by asking that stupid question when he first met her, and only after he'd basically insulted the fact that she was a kunoichi. A very good kunoichi apparently if she was one of the head medics at the hospital, had been the Godaime's apprentice, and was part of ANBU.
So, when Idate rolled over, pulling the covers more wholly around himself, he could only think that he'd finally completely lost his mind. It was obvious, since there, in his bed, just like in his dream, was a scantily-clad Sakura, pink hair tangled, knees tucked in towards her flat stomach, and hands fisted against her breasts. One of which Idate's wide eyes could see, at least as well as one could see a hallucination anyways.
However, his confounded gaze was drawn to her face, so soft and calm, yet so very poignant. This illusion, she looked weary and vulnerable, as if there was something missing in her that only in sleep was it visible, unhidden by laughter and smiles. Of course, that was ridiculous, she was only a figment of his imagination, a sought after phantasm in his thoughts.
And then she shifted, falling towards him and settling against his flesh. And her skin, it felt. Felt so pleasant and smooth against his own body. But that was impossible, Idate reminded himself once again. Reminded himself again and again, even as his hand found its way to her cheek, caressing, soothing. And again as that same hand slid into her silken locks, fingers losing themselves in the soft waves.
That was all he needed, all he'd ever need; and had it been real, he could have died then and there happily. But it wasn't, which meant it must be a dream, in which case he didn't want to wake up. I can just close my eyes and keep dreaming… with her here.
Idate's lids drooped, settling shut as he relaxed, Sakura's envisioned and dreamt body still pressed to his side.
He'd heard her creep inside, feet shuffling against the tatami mats and gloved hands brushing against the walls and shoji screens of their home. It had surprised him to learn Naruto never heard her return from all those late night missions and extra hours at the hospital. But he heard, he always heard; part of the reason he chose to sleep upstairs in his parent's old room.
From her movements he could tell she was exhausted; she drug her feet when she was worn out. He could tell she was wet; he heard her wet clothes fall from the hook she usually hung them on and land on the wooden floor with a slap. Sasuke knew, however, that he wouldn't hear her door open. Sakura was so anal about her door hinges it was odd. Of course, he wasn't about to complain, not when it didn't wake him, if he managed to sleep through the other noises she made.
And, just as Sasuke thought he might be able to get to sleep again, since she wasn't making too much noise, he heard her scattered footsteps again.
Bathroom, he thought to himself... only, her footsteps didn't last long enough, about ten steps short actually. And then, like an alarm to his sharpened hearing, a squeaky door hinge. Sasuke's brow arched speculatively. Where exactly did she think she was going? Or doing for that matter? If he was correct in his thinking, which was more often than not the case, she was going into one of the guest bedrooms- more specifically Idate Morino's guestroom.
The fact that he didn't hear her leave the bedroom only caused his scowl to deepen, brow wrinkling with its ferocity. Damn, damn, damn. What the hell was going on?
Now, of course, Sasuke was regretting letting Idate stay; after all, what the hell did they know of the guy now? For all they knew, he could be a spy. He'd betrayed Konoha once, albeit unknowingly, but at the time, he'd had a connection with the village. Now, well, now he hadn't lived there for numerous years. No bonds would be damaged if he deceived them now.
Had Sakura or Naruto been listening in on his thoughts, let alone awake, they would have had an opinion or two to share with Sasuke, who had, very knowingly betrayed Konoha. But, they weren't.
It was then that Sasuke decided that it was his duty to keep a close eye on Idate, even if honestly the guy seemed harmless. But, one thing was certain, even if puzzling to him; he didn't like the idea of Sakura being involved with this stranger.
New chappie, obviously... and I still love this couple... it's too cute... and I need to rewatch these episodes, I miss Idate ;; As always, enjoy, and let me know what you think... especially with such a rare pairing. I can't find them anywhere! -wants fanart badly-