As usual, Sora woke early the next morning. The sun was filtering into the room with a soft, pleasant glow. She turned over on her bed and faced the window allowing her face to fully capture the sun's rays. It had been a surprisingly relaxing, dreamless sleep which Sora was deeply grateful for. Thoughts of not getting up drifted across her mind as she stared blankly into the light, but with a sigh she forced herself to sit up. She sat in silence for a while staring at the blankets covering her lap then she heard the door open. She looked up. "Naruto?"
"Morning," he said. He entered the room and walked over to the bed. "Surprised to see me up so early?"
Sora blinked in shock but then nodded in response. "Uh, sorry," she mumbled as a blush crept across her face.
Naruto smiled and sat down next to Sora swinging his legs up on the bed. "How was your sleep?"
"Very nice," Sora said regaining her composure. "And yours?"
"I slept like a log!" he said leaning back against the dashboard with his hands behind his head. "This town's actually really quiet if you get away from the main streets."
Sora nodded and sighed. "It is." She automatically remembered the events of the evening before. How she and Naruto had had a wonderful time wandering the streets of the town eating, talking, laughing… It was almost like they were just normal people with a night to relax and nothing to worry about. Sora closed her eyes and a small smile crept across her face.
Naruto looked over at his red-haired teammate and smirked. He sat up a little and wrapped his arms around Sora from behind.
"Naruto-"
"Come on," he said softly as he brought her down so that she was leaning against him. "Let's just relax a little more." He pulled her body closer and leaned his head against the top of hers. Her hair still smelled strongly of the shampoo from the hotel mixed with Sora's naturally sweet scent. He couldn't help but move his hand up to run his fingers through the silky strands.
Sora shivered at his touch but didn't resist. Somehow at that moment it felt right to be held by Naruto. It feels right to be held by Naruto, her mind repeated. It feels… "Naruto-kun?" she whispered softly as if she was afraid to break the serene silence that surrounded them.
"Hm?"
"Shouldn't we be getting up soon?" she asked timidly. She was glad that she was facing away from Naruto because her face had flared up again. Why am I feeling like this? It's just Naruto…
"Aw, Sora-chan," Naruto whined and sunk down bringing Sora with him so that he was lying completely on his back. Then he turned to his side so that he could hold her more tightly. "Just five more minutes," he said as he nuzzled her neck.
Sora became tense. "Naruto," she said. "I don't think that-"
Naruto cut her off by loosening the knot that held her robe on and slipping a hand under the cloth. His fingers ran across her smooth, sensitive stomach causing Sora to unintentionally gasp. He began suckling the skin on her neck tasting the soft sweetness.
"Naruto!" Sora said more commandingly. She turned around so that she could see him eye to eye consequently stopping Naruto's caresses. She gripped the robe closer to her body conscious that she only had her undergarments on underneath the robe. "Are you insane? Is Jiraiya-sensei here? What if he comes-"
"Sora, Sora," Naruto said shaking his head. "You worry too much. He didn't even come back last night." Sora looked shocked so Naruto took the opportunity to move on top of her. He placed one of his hands behind her head and moved his head to the crook of her neck. His tongue slid over the supple skin. He couldn't get enough of her taste.
Sora couldn't deny the fact that her body was enjoying Naruto's gentle attacks of affection. Her mind wanted to push him away but her body pleaded to allow him to stay. "N-Naruto," she stuttered. Her mouth let out a subconscious sigh of pleasure.
The sound made Naruto's body heat up. He stopped kissing her neck and moved up so that their faces were centimeters away from each other. "Sora," he whispered coarsely. His blue eyes locked onto her red ones. He was mesmerized. Gently, he moved a strand of red hair away from her face and leaned his forehead against hers. "I think I'm in love with you."
Sora's eyes widened and she started to say something but his lips came crashing into hers cutting her off. Naruto's lips worked against her own wanting her to open for his tongue to enter. She tried to protest but couldn't pull back since she was against the bed.
Naruto nipped her lip making her moan softly opening her mouth. He took the opportunity to move his tongue in. The taste was addicting. He pushed for more and more while his hands held her head in place. Nothing else in the world mattered to him now. All he cared about was the girl he was kissing right now. Black desires rose up inside of him as he hungrily pushed for more.
After a few more moments of wild ecstasy, they finally had to break for air. Naruto opened his eyes as he panted and saw that Sora's cheeks were flushed and her slightly swollen, crimson lips were parted as she took in and let out the heated air. Naruto felt an aura wash over him as he studied her lips. He felt their softness linger on his own making him desperate for more. He moved in again to kiss her but she turned away. "Sora?"
"I'm sorry," Sora whispered still panting. "We shouldn't…I-we need to get up now. Jiraiya could come back any time now and he'd expect us to be ready to train or to continue with the mission." She pushed the stunned Naruto off of her body and rolled to her side to get off the bed.
Naruto could only stare at her as she stood up. "Sora, I-"
"Naruto-kun," she said retying the knot that held her robe. "Now is not the time." An image of Sasuke flashed across her mind. She shivered at the memory. What's wrong with me? she thought angrily. If I told Sasuke I loved him…why am I feeling like this around Naruto? I'm such a whore.
Now is not the time? Naruto thought. Then she doesn't not love me… "I-I'm sorry if I went too far," he said getting off of the bed as well. "I just got caught up in-"
Sora gently touched his shoulder stopping him. She shook her head. "Let's concentrate on the mission at hand, ok?" she said completely changing her tone. It surprised Naruto as well as herself.
"Uh," he responded automatically. "Uh, well, I made us breakfast!"
Sora smiled. "Really? You cooked?"
Naruto laughed and put a hand behind his head. "Well, I sort of did. Come on." He grabbed her hand and led her out of the bedroom to the main room of the apartment.
The sweet smell of pancakes wafted through the air. The table was set for two, simple yet elegant. "Did you go out and get all this just this morning?" Sora asked.
Naruto nodded. "Yeah," he answered. "I figured we couldn't just live off of the junk food I got yesterday so I got up extra early to get 'real food' as you call it." He smiled broadly.
"Naruto, you shouldn't have gone through all the trouble of-"
"Anything for you," Naruto interrupted. He led her over to a chair. "Let's eat!"
The two sat down and immediately dug into their stacks of pancakes. Naruto, as usual, was extremely hungry and ate six while Sora ate a more realistic two. When they were finished, Naruto insisted on clearing the table so Sora went to wash up. By the time she was dressed in her normal clothes, Naruto was done cleaning.
Then the door to the apartment opened revealing a very disheveled, not-sober-looking Jiraiya. "Goo moring!" he slurred happily as he stumbled in the room. His droopy eyes settled on Sora. "Hey, wut's a sexy babe like you doin' in my apartment?" he asked trying to sound seductive but failing miserably.
Sora's eyebrow twitched. Her newfound respect she had formed for him the day before was now gone. She watched as the white-haired man swaggered over towards her. He was smiling like an idiot.
"Hey!" Naruto yelled and moved so that he was in between his perverted sensei and Sora. "Don't talk like that to Sora!"
"S…or…a?" the drunk Sannin asked stupidly. Then something looked like it clicked in his dense mind. "OOOOH!" he exclaimed loudly. He smiled and closed his eyes. "I remember you!" He pointed a finger at Sora and nodded with his eyes still shut. Then he tipped to the side and fell to the ground with a thud.
Both of the Genins sweat-dropped.
Jiraiya was now snoring peacefully on the floor. "Uh, should we try to wake him up?" Sora asked shakily.
Naruto sighed. "I knew he'd end up like this," he said. He walked over to his sleeping sensei and found his wallet. "Yup, it's empty…"
Sora's eyes widened. And he's a Sannin?
"But that's ok cuz he's going to pay me back when we get back to the village! Plus interest," Naruto said tucking his now empty wallet away in his pocket. "Let's drag him to the bathroom."
"Uh, ok," Sora said. The two hulled Jiraiya's limp body to the bathroom and they placed him in the tub. "Uh, Naruto?" she said after a while.
"Yeah?"
"How exactly do you think this is going to help him wake up?"
Naruto smiled mischievously. "Well," he said. Then he turned on the faucet. Freezing cold water came shooting out of the showerhead directly onto the unsuspecting Jiraiya. "AHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed and jumped up. He was now completely sober. "NARUTO!"
Naruto laughed slightly and backed behind Sora. "Hey, I just helped you, ya know?" he said.
Jiraiya turned off the water and stepped out of the tub completely soaked. He was about to say something but then he stopped himself and shook his head. "Just get out…"
The two Genins didn't need to be told twice. They got out of the bathroom as quickly as they could and shut the door. "He's scary when he's mad," Sora said shuddering.
Naruto nodded. "And when he's drunk."
"I can't believe he would spend all of your money on sake!"
"Probably not only on sake," Naruto said.
Sora knew what Naruto meant and frowned. "Naruto, are you sure this guy's a Sannin like he says he is?"
"Of course I am!" Naruto said. "He taught me how to summon the Frog Boss, didn't he?"
Sora nodded thoughtfully. "Oh yeah," she said. "But he just seems so-"
"Unorthodox?" Naruto finished.
"Yeah," Sora said. Then she cocked an eyebrow. "When did you learn such a big word?" She smiled teasingly.
Naruto grunted. "What? You think I'm not smart enough to know big words?"
Sora grinned and
patted his head. "I was just surprised that's all."
Naruto
couldn't help but smile back. He felt the sudden urge to grab her
and was about to when the door to the bathroom opened. Out came
Jiraiya and he looked absolutely miserable. "Ok," he grumbled.
"Let's get going." He walked over to the door and opened it.
The Genins hadn't moved. He noticed this and turned his head.
"Are you guys coming or what?"
They looked a little confused. "Uh, where exactly are we going?" Naruto asked walking up to him pulling Sora along behind him.
Jiraiya frowned. "Don't you want to learn that new technique anymore?" he asked.
Naruto's expression changed from confusion to utter joy. "REALLY?" he shouted excitedly. "ALL RIGHT! THEN LET'S GET GOING!"
"Uh, but what exactly am I supposed to do while you guys are training?" Sora asked.
Jiraiya looked almost
thoughtful for a minute and then an idea pinged off in his head.
"Well, since I didn't have much luck in finding Tsunade
yesterday, why don't you try finding her today? I'm pretty sure
she's still in this town somewhere."
Well of course he
didn't find Tsunade yesterday, Sora thought slightly angrily.
She frowned. "Fine. What does she look like?"
"She has long blonde hair…hm, I bet even though she's my age, she still looks very young. She's always liked the look of youth. She has golden eyes to match her hair and a purple diamond on her forehead," Jiraiya said looking pleased with himself. "And she has a very well formed bust I might add."
Naruto's and Sora's eyebrows twitched. PERVERT! both thought simultaneously.
"Ok then. We'll meet back here at around, oh, 7 in the evening," Jiraiya finished.
"It'll take that long to learn just one technique?" Naruto asked.
Both Sora and Jiraiya sighed. "It'll take much longer than that, Naruto," Jiraiya said. "So we'd better get started."
The three went out of the apartment building and then the two guys went towards the outskirts of the town while Sora was left to roam around. Great, she thought once they disappeared from sight. Where to start? The town was just beginning to wake up since it was still early morning. Many people were opening their shops while some children were happily walking down the streets to their school. Sora smiled at the young ones and some of them waved to her. She waved back. They're so innocent looking, she thought as she remembered her childhood. Was I ever that carefree?
She continued walking down the streets towards the center of the town where most of the bustle of the day would be. It took quite a while since they had chosen a hotel close to the outskirts of the town. She had her eyes open for casinos or any type of gambling hut. She had already formulated some plans on how to get into these places. I look older than my age, she thought. At least that's what people tell me. She finally saw a humongous building as she neared the main streets. Sure enough it was a fancy casino. Although it was day time, the place was alive and busy with people entering and exiting. The lights flashed overhead advertising: "YOU could be the lucky one today!"
Sora saw that the doors were being guarded by two guards each. She knew that they would be at liberty to check anyone over if they wanted to. Shoot, I either need to look like I'm a gambler…eh, no. So I have to look like I'm meeting some hotshot boyfriend of mine or something.
She entered a small shop across the street from the casino and asked the woman at the counter where the restrooms were. Once she locked herself in, she fixed her hair and tried to make herself look as glamorous as possible without the use of any makeup, combs, or jewelry. After a few minutes, she frowned at what she saw in the mirror. She looked basically like she normally did. Oh well, she thought. If it doesn't work, I can just sneak in.
She exited the bathroom and into the shop. The woman from before was gone and a younger man had now taken over the counter. He was reading the paper but when Sora passed in front of him, his head shot up. Sora felt his eyes follow her all the way to the door of the shop. She paused and decided to test if anything she did in the restroom had an affect. She smiled and gave the young man a short wave as she pushed open the door. He almost fainted.
Sora smiled to herself as she walked across the street to the casino. Maybe this'll be easier than I thought, she said to herself. Once she was closer, she could feel the eyes of the young security guards watching her. She scanned them one by one to see which one might be the easiest to get past. Finally she spotted her target. She smiled confidently and walked up to the door.
"Uh, excuse me miss but I'm going to have to see your identification," a young guard said with an even voice but Sora could tell that he was having a hard time keeping it under control.
Sora looked at him questioningly. "Oh," she said sounding like she was surprised. She worriedly looked him in the eyes. "I'm sorry but I didn't know I needed to bring identification."
The guard was melting underneath her stare. "Oh, well, I, uh," he began stuttering.
Sora sighed cutely and tucked some hair behind her ear. Then she slipped her hand down on her neck and tilted her head slightly sideways. "I'm really sorry but could you please just let this one go?" she asked coming a little closer and smiling. "I promise I won't cause any trouble." She put a hand on his arm. I can't believe I'm doing this… she thought.
The guard's face flushed at her touch. He didn't want to see her unhappy, no, he wouldn't stand to see her unhappy. He lowered his head slightly. "Ok, just this once," he said in a low voice.
Sora's eyes brightened up as he opened the door. "Thank you so much," she said and gave him an inconspicuous wink.
The guard couldn't stand it anymore. He just wanted to grab her and go but she was gone in an instant.
Once inside the gigantic casino, Sora gasped in amazement at the luxuriance of the decorations. There was a huge chandelier in the center of the high ceiling made of crystals and a real waterfall was flowing in between the escalators that led to the upper floors. Hundreds of rich looking people were talking, laughing, and drinking in the lobby making Sora feel really out of place. Maybe this wasn't such a good idea, she thought. But she swallowed her doubts and started keeping an eye out for blonde women with a purple diamond on her forehead. She casually walked over to the counter of a bar and leaned against it to look around.
"What can I get you?" a voice said from behind her.
Sora jumped in surprise and turned around. She saw a young man looking at her with a smile. She smiled back. "Uh, I'll just have water please."
The man nodded with a small laugh. "Sure thing." He expertly grabbed a fancy glass from behind him and filled it with water. He set it down in front of her.
"Thank you," Sora said and turned back around to scan the ever moving crowd in front of her. She took a sip of the water. It was the cleanest water she had ever tasted in her life. I hope this doesn't cost anything… she thought. She walked towards the crowd of people trying to look casual. She turned her gaze to the right where she saw a number of scantily dressed girls entertaining some older men. She shuddered at the sight.
"What's a fine young lady like yourself standing here all alone?" a masculine voice said from seemingly nowhere. She turned around and saw a very handsome man in an incredibly expensive looking suit. He had clean-cut brown hair and chocolate eyes to go with it.
Sora immediately blushed. "Oh, uh, I was, uh…" she stuttered.
The man laughed. "Hey, relax," he said with a friendly smile. "My name's Hitori Yukio." He took Sora's hand in his and brought it to his lips. "What might your name be?"
Sora's face turned redder at his actions. "Uh, Sora…Kousetsu Sora," she stammered out.
Yukio smiled. "Sky, huh? A very beautiful name," he said. "Are you waiting for someone?"
"Uh, well, I…I was actually looking for someone," Sora said timidly conscious of the fact that he hadn't let go of her hand.
"Maybe I could be of assistance?" Yukio asked.
I guess it couldn't hurt to ask, Sora thought. "Well, I'm looking for a woman, middle aged, uh, blonde hair and a purple diamond on her forehead."
Yukio looked like he was thinking and stood silent for a few seconds. "I think I remember someone of that description," he said elegantly. "She came in yesterday and went straight to the 17th floor."
Sora looked confused.
"You must be new here," Yukio said noticing.
She nodded.
"The 17th floor is where the invited guests go to have special treatment," he explained.
What? So she was invited here? Sora thought. Is she famous outside of Konoha too?
"She hasn't come down yet," he continued. "I would've noticed. Hard to miss with her assistant following her around with a pig in her arms."
"Pig?"
Yukio nodded. "I'm afraid we can't go up to the 17th floor though until their session is done."
"Oh," Sora said. "But if it's only for invited guests, I don't think I'll be allowed to go-"
"Don't worry about it," Yukio interrupted. He placed her arm around his own. "I'll tell them you're with me."
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Uh-"
"My father is one of the co-owners of this casino," he explained.
Sora gasped. "Oh, uh, I'm sorry to have been so rude in taking all of your time!" she said.
"Please, if you are waiting for your friend to come down, will you honor me with your company for lunch? My treat of course," Yukio asked. He smoothly took the glass that Sora was holding from her and passed it off to a man in a uniform who was passing by. He never took his eyes off of Sora the whole time.
Sora blushed slightly and looked down. He really does "own" the place, she thought. She felt his hand lift her chin so that she was looking at him again. He smiled showing his perfectly shaped, white teeth.
If Sora had been any normal girl, she would have melted right there but she kept her smile even though she felt uncomfortable. Well, if Tsunade is here then I'll have to wait until she comes down or until the session thing is done anyway…which is I don't know how long. And I don't want to look like a fool wandering aimlessly around for hours. She quickly glanced around the room and noted that some men were eyeing her body even as she stood talking to Yukio. He seems decent enough. I don't want to get caught by one of those guys… "Ok," Sora finally said.
Yukio led Sora across the lobby towards the escalators. "Anything you particularly like?" he asked as they ascended.
"Uh, anything is fine," she responded. Then she realized that she was pretty hungry and she didn't have any money to get food with. I should've asked Jiraiya-sensei to let me borrow some, she thought. Or maybe he spent all of his own money last night too.
"All right then," he said. They stepped off of the escalator in front of an extremely fancy restaurant.
"Ah, Yukio-sama," a waiter said. "Table for two?"
Yukio nodded and the waiter rushed off to get things ready.
Sora saw that inside was a numerous amount of people sitting in very comfortable looking chairs around tables steaming with delicious smelling food. The entire back wall was made of tinted glass and Sora could see all the way to the edge of the town. There was live traditional Japanese music being played in the background. The sound of the flute was especially captivating to Sora's ears. "Wow," she whispered.
Yukio smiled. "Do you like music?" he asked.
Sora nodded. "Yes, but I rarely have time to enjoy it," she said without thinking. The music of the flute drifted through her mind relaxing every tension in her body.
"Your room is ready, sir," the waiter said reappearing. He led them to a small balcony overlooking the rest of the restaurant through tinted windows. The room was elegance to the maximum with at least five waiters waiting to take their orders.
Sora felt extremely out of place now. She gulped and tensed subconsciously.
Yukio felt the pressure on his arm and led Sora over to the chair. She sat down. "We'll have my usual," he said to the waiters, "but bring us the second special for drinks."
The waiters bowed their heads and left Sora and Yukio alone.
"This place is amazing," Sora said looking up at Yukio shyly.
Yukio laughed. "Thank you," he said and sat down across from her. The drinks came in an instant and a waiter placed them down, one in front of each of the two. "Please," Yukio said motioning for her to drink.
Sora picked up the drink and sniffed it inconspicuously. It doesn't seem to have any alcohol or drugs in it, she thought. She took a sip. The flavor was incredible. It was a sort of mix of fruits and crème. "Wow, this is wonderful," she said unaware that her mind was wandering.
"I'm glad you like it," Yukio answered and took a sip of his own drink. "So where are you from?"
Sora was beginning to feel very comfortable. "Konoha," she said taking another sip.
"Ah yes, I've been to the village," he said. "Our country's stronghold of ninjas. Are you a ninja then?"
Sora paused. "You could say that," she answered slowly.
Yukio leaned forward. "You look so delicately beautiful though," he said.
Sora blushed. "Looks can be deceiving," she said. Suddenly her head felt very light and her vision swayed. What…what's going on? she thought. She stood up. "Uh, I'm sorry. I need to be excused for a second," she said trying to walk towards the door, but she stumbled.
Yukio reacted quickly and caught her before she fell. "Are you all right?" he asked.
"Mm…" Sora moaned closing her eyes.
A wicked smile crept across Yukio's face. He slowly picked the unstable girl up and brought her back over to the couch that was lining the wall of the room. "I'll just let you lie here until you're better, ok?" he said to her.
Sora let out a small groan as she felt herself being placed on something soft. What the hell? I didn't sense anything in that drink…what's he going to do?
Yukio quickly got on top of Sora and covered her with his body. He started suckling her neck hard leaving dark bruises behind.
Sora was in no state to fight back. She weakly put a hand on his shoulder in protest but couldn't push him away. Oh god…is he going to rape me? she thought in alarm.
Yukio unbuttoned Sora's dress allowing him to slip his hand underneath the cloth onto Sora's smooth skin. He ran his fingers up her stomach and finally found her covered breasts. He began to roughly massage them through her bindings.
"S-stop…" Sora protested weakly.
Yukio then stopped kissing her neck and smashed his lips against hers. Sora's mouth was already open so he immediately thrust his tongue into her mouth.
Sora tried to scream but nothing came out as he pushed harder and harder against her mouth. This wasn't love or even passion. It was pure lust as Yukio ran one of his hands down the back of her leg.
Yukio finally released Sora's mouth for air. "You're so innocent," he said as he panted while his hands never ceased to wander her body. "You put your trust in people too easily."
Sora shook her head weakly as she filled her lungs with air as well. She tried to get out from under him but to no avail.
Yukio laughed cruelly at her weak attempt to escape. "Oh, I'm not done with you yet," he growled viciously. "How could I let a sexy bitch like you walk out of here without making love to me first?" He grabbed a hold of her dress intending to rip it off when a loud crash was heard coming from the hallway. "What the-?"
The door flung open letting a mess of tablecloth, food, and dishes pile into the room. A number of men came running in after the mess shouting. "Get him!" "Where is he?" "Damn animal! Who brought it in here in the first place?"
Yukio quickly got off of Sora and stood in front of her. "What's the meaning of this?" he demanded.
Then out from under the pile of tablecloth, food, and shattered porcelain, a flash of pink jumped right into Yukio's side causing him to fall to the floor. Then he felt four tiny spikes sticking into his stomach. "Huh?" A squeal answered his question and he felt the thing on his stomach leap off of him sending jabs of pain into his abs.
"There he is!" "GET HIM!" The men jumped for the animal.
"TONTON!" a female voice cried. The owner of the voice entered the room and saw a mess of not only the food and broken dishes but of a bunch of men struggling to get at some unseen object. Oh, no, she thought as she ran towards the men. She pushed them to the side one by one and finally found the thing she was looking for. "TONTON!" she shouted as she scooped up the small pig in her arms. "You're going to get a big punishment for this!" The men looked up at the woman in a daze. "Oh, hehe, sorry about that," she said laughing nervously. She backed up until her legs hit the couch. "Huh?" She turned her head and saw Sora lying barely conscious on the couch with her dress unbuttoned almost all the way. "WHAT?"
"Shizune," another female voice called. "Have you found Tonton yet?"
Tonton squealed at Shizune and tried to tell her that the girl on the couch was the reason he had run off.
Sora tried to ask for help from the dark haired woman in front of her but words couldn't form in her mouth. All she could do was plead with her half-open eyes.
"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON HERE?" Yukio roared once he shoved some disheveled men off of him. He saw Shizune staring at Sora. "GET OUT OF HERE!"
"What exactly were you doing to this young girl?" Shizune asked.
"That's none of your damn business," Yukio spat as he got up.
"Shizune," the other female called again. She entered the room. Her golden eyes scanned the scene of chaos in front of her. "What happened here?"
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune said still trying to hold the small pig in her arms still. "I believe this man is trying to rape this girl!"
"Huh?" Tsunade looked over at Yukio then over to Sora.
"THAT'S NONE OF YOUR DAMN BUSINESS!" Yukio repeated as he ran at Shizune.
Tsunade reacted quickly and punched him square in the jaw sending him flying to the side. She picked Sora up and turned to her assistant. "Let's get out of here," she said. Shizune nodded and Tonton grunted with triumph. Then the two women and the pig along with Sora disappeared in a puff of smoke.
Sora didn't know how long she slept but when she woke up, she was lying in a different hotel. She looked around and saw the dark haired woman she had heard being called Shizune back in the casino. She groaned softly as she propped herself up on the bed.
"Oh, you're awake," Shizune said coming over to the bed. "How're you feeling?"
Sora shook her head to clear her vision and looked at Shizune. "I-I'm fine…thank you," she stammered. "Where am I?"
Shizune smiled. "You're safe now," she answered kindly. "We brought you to our hotel room from that casino you were in where that man was trying to harm you."
Sora winced slightly from the memory. Yukio's words came rushing back to her mind. I was too innocent? Too trusting? That bastard… she thought. "Uh, thank you so much for saving me," she said softly turning red. "How can I repay you?"
Shizune shook her head. "No need," she said. Then a squeal was heard coming from next to the bed. Shizune laughed at Sora's surprised expression. "Oh, my name's Shizune by the way and this is Tonton." She picked up the pig and placed him on the bed. Tonton immediately went up to Sora and nuzzled her hand.
Sora stared in shock at the little pig. Pig…pig…where have I heard…O YEAH! "Is there by any chance a woman named Tsunade with you?" Sora asked.
Shizune nodded. "Why yes," she answered. "She was just here a minute ago…"
"Is the girl awake yet, Shizune?" a voice called from the other room.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama," Shizune replied.
Then Tsunade entered the room. She was indeed a very good-looking woman with nice features that would attract any man but she also had a sort of expression that told that she was not one to mess with. "So how are you feeling?"
"M-much better, thank you," Sora said nervously. This is Tsunade, the woman we were looking for! she thought happily. "Uh-"
"Good," Tsunade said not noticing that Sora had begun to speak again. "I bet that bastard put some kind of drug in your drink to make you temporarily helpless, but I drained all the poison from your body so you should feel almost back to normal now."
Sora nodded blankly. How am I going to say this? she thought as Tsunade walked over to the dresser.
"Shizune," Tsunade said.
"Yes, Tsunade-sama?"
"I'm going to go out to the bar for a while but I want you to stay here with this girl…" She paused as if she had forgotten something. "Oh, yes, and what was your name, dear?" she asked Sora.
"Uh, Sora. Kousetsu Sora."
"Well, you've probably figured out that I'm Tsunade and this is Shizune, my assistant," Tsunade said with a kind smile. "Please rest here as long as you like."
"Uh, Tsunade-sama," Shizune said nervously. "I don't think it's a good idea to go off on your-"
Tsunade held up a hand stopping Shizune. "I'm a full grown woman perfectly capable of handling things myself Shizune," she said with a little annoyance.
"But," Shizune started but then stopped herself remembering Sora was in the room. She could only express her disapproval silently.
"Shizune, Shizune," Tsunade sighed. "Fine. Sora?"
"Yes?"
"Would
you mind if both of us went out for a while? I trust that you won't
cause trouble," Tsunade said.
"Uh, of course not, but what town are we in?" Sora asked. She had glanced out the window and didn't recognize the area.
"Oh, we're in Tanzaku City," Tsunade replied. "I'm sorry, but we had to travel over the course of time you were out and we didn't know where to leave you."
"How long have I been out?" Sora asked fearfully.
"Several days," Shizune said quietly.
"What?"
Tsunade nodded. "If you need to get back, we can have that arranged," she said kindly.
Several days? Sora repeated in her mind. Then Jiraiya-sensei and Naruto must've already left the other place by now. If they were following Tsunade at all, it should lead them right here…unless they stayed and tried to look for me… She felt a pang of guilt wash over her. I was so stupid back there, she thought bitterly.
"Sora?" Tsunade asked interrupting her thoughts.
"Uh," Sora said coming back to reality. "I was traveling with a man named Jiraiya and boy named Naruto and we were actually looking for you."
Tsunade looked shocked. "Jiraiya?" she asked softly.
Sora nodded. "Yes," she said. "We came to ask you to come back to Konoha so that-"
"No," Tsunade said curtly. "I don't want to go back to that god-forsaken place." She turned towards the door.
What? Sora thought. What's with her and Konoha? "But-"
"I knew you were a ninja from Konoha by your forehead protector so I suspected as much," Tsunade said with out turning around. "I have no wish to see that village ever again."
Sora tried to get out of the bed but felt her head spin and stayed still. "But at least talk to Jiraiya-sensei!" she pleaded. "He-"
"I have no desire to see that man again either," Tsunade said softly. "Now, I'll be going. Are you coming, Shizune?"
Shizune looked from Tsunade to Sora and back again. "Uh, yes, Tsunade-sama," she said. She picked up a briefcase and followed Tsunade to the door.
Sora saw the door close and she flopped back down on the bed. Dammit, she thought. I finally find her and then I completely fail to get her to come back with me. She stared at the ceiling. I wonder how Naruto's doing. I hope he's not too worried.
After a few minutes of staring at the ceiling, Sora decided it was time to try and get up again. She rolled to her side and slowly pushed herself up. Her head didn't spin yet so she moved her legs off of the bed and stood up. She held onto the bed post for support but then let go. After she could stand without feeling wobbly, she sighed and started walking slowly around the room.
As she passed the mirror on the dresser, something dark on her neck caught her eye. What? She stopped and looked closely at the mirror. There were multiple, purple and black bruises lining the side of her neck where Yukio had kissed her. She scrunched her nose in disgust. Crap, now I have these on my neck? They won't go away for a few more days, she thought miserably. If I see Naruto again before then, I won't be able to hide it. Sora gingerly touched the sensitive blemishes and winced at the painful memory that came with them. Stupid… she said to herself. I should have never gone with him…but he seemed so genuine and safe…but he wasn't. You were a fool. How could I be such a naïve fool?
She tightened her fist on the dresser. "Ok," she said out loud. "I have to find Jiraiya and Naruto. They can persuade Tsunade-sama better than I can." She went to the bathroom and quickly washed her face then she went out of the apartment building and onto the streets of Tanzaku City. It was indeed a city and a pretty large one at that. "Shoot," Sora muttered under her breath. "How am I supposed to find Jiraiya and Naruto without my Chakra in this place?"
It seemed like thousands of people were everywhere walking rapidly down the windy streets of the city. There were street venders everywhere trying to sell their goods to the hurried-looking people. As Sora walked down the streets just to look around, she was nearly grabbed by a few venders that shoved products into her face. She got away with some effort and soon found herself walking in a less crowded area.
Ok, she thought now that she was away from the noise. Where to start? She decided that she should try and get higher up. She found an alleyway and readied herself to jump from wall to wall to get to the roof tops. She jumped but almost immediately fell back down landing on her back. What the hell? she cursed silently. Her head felt like it was on air reminding her again of Yukio. She gritted her teeth in frustration. I hate that bastard! she thought with malice. She rolled to her side and slowly got up again. "All right, focus, Sora, focus!" she growled at herself. She put her hands in a focusing position and closed her eyes. Her brows furrowed in deep concentration. Then slowly but surely, she felt her body energy come back. She opened her eyes and leaped from the ground.
She jumped back and forth from the walls of the buildings until she reached the roof top. Her head felt like it was going to float away but she shook her head and forced herself back down to earth. That wasn't so bad, she thought sarcastically. She scanned the area for any sign of Naruto or Jiraiya. Nothing. Dammit… Then something caught her eye. A cloud of smoke had formed near the outskirts of the city. Hm, something must be wrong, she thought.
She raced from roof to roof towards the cloud of smoke to see what was going on. It only took her a few minutes to get there even though it was a long way off. Surprisingly, the wind and fast movement cleared her head. When she arrived, she saw that the place was actually a historical site of some kind of ruins. She slowed her pace and entered cautiously ready for anything. She walked down the stone path that led right beside the walls of the ruins and as she turned the corner, she heard voices. She stopped immediately and hid behind the wall. She strained her ears to hear what was going on.
"What? Then we've got to find Orochimaru as soon as possible!" she heard a younger masculine voice shout.
"Patience!" an older man's voice barked at the younger one. "Our top priority is finding Tsunade and Sora."
Sora's eyes widened. How could I get so lucky? she thought. She rushed around the corner and to her relief she saw Naruto and Jiraiya inspecting a pile of rubble. "Naruto-kun! Jiraiya-sensei!" she called as she ran down the path towards them.
"Huh? Sora-chan?" Naruto asked upon hearing a familiar voice. He turned his head and saw the redhead running towards him. "Sora!" he exclaimed and ran towards her. The two teammates met in a tight embrace. "Sora-chan! Oh my god…I was so worried when you didn't meet us and then Sensei said that we had to leave the town! I thought we had left you behind!" he said still not letting go of Sora.
Sora almost cried from happiness and didn't mind that they were still embracing. "I was worried too," she almost whispered.
"Well, well, well," Jiraiya chuckled as he approached the two embracing Genins. "It looks like we've finally had some stroke of luck, eh?"
Sora and Naruto finally pulled apart but Naruto kept his arms around her. "You could say that," Sora said with a smile.
"What happened to you?" Naruto asked.
Sora paused for a minute but then regained her composure. "I…I was in a casino looking for Tsunade and then this guy tried to…" She trailed off looking away embarrassed.
"What?" Naruto said with rising concern. "He tried to what? Make a move on you? Kidnap you?"
Sora trembled slightly. "He drugged me and tried to rape me," she said biting her lower lip.
"WHAT?" Naruto shouted.
Sora looked down in frustration and embarrassment.
Everyone was silent for a moment. "Sora," Naruto finally said. He put his hands on her shoulders and made her look him squarely in the eye. "He…he didn't did he?"
Sora shook her head. "No," she said with false strength in her voice. Deep down, she felt completely vulnerable.
Naruto breathed a sigh of relief and moved his hands down Sora's arms to catch her hands. He smiled gently. "Thank God," he nearly whispered.
"But I got rescued…by Tsunade," Sora said trying to change the subject.
"Really?" Jiraiya said. "And she brought you here with her. That makes sense."
"Then you know where to find her?" Naruto asked Sora.
"Kind of," Sora said. "She said that she was going to a bar…if that helps any."
Jiraiya looked thoughtful. "It does as a matter of fact," he said. "She obviously came here first for some reason but if she was going to go to a bar I think I know where she is. We can fill you in on what's happened as we walk."
The two Genins nodded and the three set out towards the inner city.
"All right," Jiraiya said. "We think that Tsunade and Orochimaru met at the ruins not too long ago and there was some sort of conflict because obviously the wall was completely destroyed."
Sora nodded her head.
"I figure he came to see her about her healing powers as well," Jiraiya continued. "The Third, before he died, was able to seal his arms and thus his techniques away inside of his last move and I bet Orochimaru wanted Tsunade to heal his arms."
Sora was curious to know how the Third was able to seal Orochimaru's arms away and Naruto noticed her look of curiosity. "He won't tell how," Naruto whispered in her ear. "I don't know why. But I've already tried to ask."
Sora nodded.
"I'm betting Orochimaru gave Tsunade a deal of some sort," Jiraiya continued without noticing the Genins' whisperings. "Tsunade might not have such a hard time complying to Orochimaru's offer since she left Konoha…as I did." He kept his gaze forward but paused to reflect.
I wonder why all the Sannin left Konoha, Sora thought.
The trio walked through the streets and as it was getting darker, since it wasn't a short walk back to the inner city, they were getting less crowded. It was a quiet walk with Jiraiya in the lead leaving the two Genins to themselves.
There're marks on her neck, Naruto thought as he stole a glance at Sora. That bastard… "Sora-chan," Naruto finally said.
"Hm?"
"Uh, I was just thinking…"
"Yes, Naruto-kun?"
Naruto grasped Sora's hand making her jump a bit in surprise. "I just…I never want to lose you like that again," he mumbled as a blush crept across his face.
Sora looked at Naruto. "Please don't feel bad for what happened to me. It was my own fault," she said.
"No it wasn't!" Naruto said. "What was I thinking letting you go to casinos by yourself? If I hadn't been so full of myself in learning that stupid technique-"
"Naruto," Sora interrupted. "Training is important. Don't forget that I'm a ninja too. It's not your fault. I should be able to take care of myself in any situation."
"But…I…" Naruto stammered. "I mean, I know you are strong and a great ninja but you're also a girl and…and I'm not saying that in a bad way!"
Sora raised an eyebrow. "Then what do you mean?"
"It's just…you're so beautiful and perfect and…and any guy would be attracted to you. There're some real bastards out there that want a piece of you like that guy in the casino and…it doesn't matter how good a ninja you are in those situations. If they could get you to trust them…Don't you see? It's dangerous!"
Sora began to feel angry. She narrowed her eyes and pulled her hand away. "Because I'm a girl that automatically makes me weaker because I'm more susceptible?" she asked.
"No, I'm not saying-"
"Then what do you mean? That I can't differentiate between the good guys and the bad? That I'm too trusting?" She stopped herself from speaking further. She had said the "trusting" part to spite herself and Yukio and realized that she was overreacting. She clenched her teeth. "I-I'm sorry, Naruto," she said in a subdued voice.
Naruto couldn't speak. He had never seen Sora angry before and he felt horrible that he had made her feel that way.
Sora sighed when she didn't hear Naruto speak. "It's all in the past now. I know that I should be more careful and that you were just worried for me. I'm sorry for losing my temper."
Jiraiya who hadn't been listening to their conversation suddenly stopped. "Here's the place," he said turning to face a small restaurant. "If I know Tsunade, she's probably had enough of the bars around here and just wants a nice quiet drink." He turned to face his companions and was a bit surprised at their expressions. Sora was looking down while Naruto was quiet and looked like he was thinking. "All right then," Jiraiya said raising his eyebrows. "Shall we?"
"Huh? Oh, sorry, Sensei," Naruto said snapping out of his trance. He followed Jiraiya to the door. He looked back to see Sora still standing in the same place. "Sora-chan?"
Sora swallowed. He's still calling me Sora-chan after I blew up at him? she thought. She nodded her head and joined the two guys in the restaurant.
It was indeed a quiet restaurant and there weren't that many people there but Jiraiya, being tall, looked over the sea of booths and immediately spotted the blonde he was looking for. They made eye contact but only briefly. Tsunade had quickly looked down again. Jiraiya smirked slightly and casually walked over to where Tsunade and her assistant were sitting.
"It's been a while, hasn't it, Tsunade?" Jiraiya said as he took a seat across from Tsunade without permission.
Shizune held her breath and looked over at Jiraiya, then at the two Genins who were now standing near the table.
Tsunade took a sip of her sake and set the small cup down heavily on the table. "What do you want with me?" she asked in a non-caring voice.
Jiraiya was unfazed. "Listen, I know that you have your reason for leaving Konoha. I do too, but now is the time to forget the past and look towards Konoha's future. You must've heard about the attack by Orochimaru," he said looking straight at her face.
Tsunade leaned her head on her hand and looked to the side. "Yeah, so?" she said lazily.
She's not going to come so easily, Sora thought as she glanced at Jiraiya.
Who the hell does she think she is? Naruto thought as he clenched his fist. "HEY!" he nearly shouted. Everyone in the restaurant flinched at the sudden loudness but Naruto didn't care. He slammed his hands on the table and leaned towards Tsunade. "Aren't you supposed to be this awesome Sannin or something? The Sannin of Konoha for that matter and you don't want to help? What's wrong with you?"
"Naruto," Jiraiya said sternly.
"No, no," Tsunade surprisingly interrupted. "Let's see what this kid's got to say."
Naruto's eye twitched at the mention of the word "kid" from her mouth. "Don't look down on me just cuz I seem so young. At least I'm trying to help the village I grew up in! At least I'm trying to protect the ones I love."
Tsunade sighed and brought the cup of sake to her lips again. "Love…" she muttered before she took a sip.
The action made Naruto even angrier. "Are you listening?" he shouted and reached for the cup but Sora stopped his arm. "Huh?"
"Please, Tsunade-sama," she said quietly. "Our village needs you right now. So many people are in need of your medical assistance." Sora paused slightly to take a breath. "Our teammate and sensei are in critical condition right now as are a few of our friends and you're the only one who can help them." Sora fought back tears as she remembered Kakashi lying helpless in the hospital bed and Sasuke's broken state after his fight with Itachi.
"That's right!" Naruto confirmed. "The whole village needs your help and you don't even seem to care."
Tsunade put the cup down and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry to hear about your sensei and teammate. I'm sure with time they will eventually heal." She stood up to leave. "Shizune?"
Shizune reluctantly got up as well.
"Tsunade," Jiraiya said quickly as he stood with them. "Please consider just coming back for-"
"You of all people should know why I don't ever want to see Konoha again!" Tsunade lashed out. "Now if you'll excuse me, it's getting quite late."
Jiraiya snorted in
disgust. "I know you've been through tough times, Tsunade, but
you need to leave them behind. You know I left Konoha as well but I
came back when they needed me. I came back when Sensei needed
me."
The mention of the Third Hokage seemed to strike a chord
in Tsunade's heart.
"You know that he's dead," Jiraiya said softly. "Orochimaru killed him."
Tsunade shook slightly. "I know," she said surprisingly evenly.
Naruto was about to blurt something out but Sora clamped her hand over his mouth. "Naruto," whispered in his ear. "Let Jiraiya-sensei handle this."
Naruto struggled to get free but Sora held fast.
"That means the village needs a new Hokage and they've chosen you," Jiraiya said.
"WHAT?" Naruto exploded after finally getting free from Sora. "HER?"
Sora was too surprised to hold Naruto back now. Her? she thought. Isn't she a gambler and a drinker? It might be risky to have someone like her in such a powerful position.
Tsunade laughed bitterly. "You're joking right?" she asked and sat back down to reach for the bottle of sake to refill her empty cup. Shizune also sat back down as a spark of hope fluttered across her face but she didn't dare speak.
Jiraiya kept his straight face. "I wouldn't joke about something like this. They asked me to be the Hokage but I couldn't. I don't have any qualifications. You on the other hand…Your grandfather was the First Hokage, your uncle was the Second, and your medical skills are unsurpassed by anyone in this day and age."
Naruto couldn't believe what he was hearing. Her granddad and uncle were both Hokages?
"Will you take the position?" Jiraiya asked.
Tsunade's expression changed from mocking to a frown. "Why should I?" she said after taking another drink. "All the Hokages wasted their lives for the sake of the village. Only an idiot becomes Hokage."
"Shut up!" Naruto snarled. "You don't know what you're talking about! How can you say that risking your life for people you care about is idiotic? Your granddad was the freakin' First! You of all people should know that to be the Hokage is the dream of every ninja!" His anger was rising.
"Naruto," Sora said softly and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"I don't care if you're a girl," Naruto went on. "You deserve a punch in the face!" He pulled back his fist.
"Naruto!" both Sora and Jiraiya exclaimed as Sora grabbed his arm.
"Hm," Tsunade said calmly. "You've got guts to say that to me, kid. How about we step outside, huh?" She got up and made her way to the exit.
"Tsunade-sama," Shizune said and quickly followed.
"Fine!" Naruto said hotly and marched out after the two women.
Sora glanced at Jiraiya who seemed to be thinking something over. "Jiraiya-sensei," she said causing him to open his eyes. "Aren't you going to stop this?" she pleaded.
Jiraiya sighed and got up. "No," he said. "I don't think I could if I wanted to." He left the table and went towards the exit.
Sora looked at his retreating figure in disbelief. What's wrong with all of them? They shouldn't fight! Naruto must be crazy! she thought and sprinted out to join the rest of the group. Once she got outside, she saw that Tsunade and Naruto were facing off.
"I'll only need one finger to beat you," Tsunade said with a jeering smile.
"Shut up!" Naruto spat and he ran towards her. He threw kunais and shuriken at her with amazing speeds.
"Naruto!" Sora yelled and made a move to go forward but she was stopped by Jiraiya. "What?" She turned to face him.
Tsunade easily blocked and dodged every single weapon thrown at her even though they were pretty strong attacks. Then as Naruto aimed a punch straight for her face, she flicked her finger at his forehead and sent him flying backwards.
Naruto hit the ground but didn't stop until he had made a small furrow in the sidewalk. "What?" he panted as he struggled to get up. His forehead protector had fallen off.
Tsunade walked towards him with a sneer on her face. "Why do you care so much about the title of Hokage?" she asked.
Naruto narrowed his eyes and pushed himself to his feet. "Because it's my dream to become the Hokage someday. If I was offered the position, I would take it no questions asked. Unlike you who seems to be so full of yourself that you don't see the meaning of protecting others!" He made a replica of himself and held out his palm. "Rasengan!"
"What?" Tsunade gasped as she began to see the swirls of air form in Naruto's palm. The Fourth's technique?
"AHHH!" Naruto shouted as he ran towards Tsunade with his newly formed attack. His clone disappeared as he charged.
Sora gasped in amazement. He learned it already? Impossible!
Naruto thrust his hand forward to attack Tsunade but she caught his wrist and the attack was shoved into the ground creating a large swirl pattern in the concrete where it had hit.
It's much weaker but it's definitely the Fourth's attack, Tsunade thought. She glanced at Jiraiya. His expression was unreadable. She let go of Naruto's arm and let him fall to the ground. "You're not ready to use that attack," she stated coldly.
Naruto was panting but he looked up at Tsunade. "Just wait," he said. "I'll master it in three days tops!"
Tsunade snorted. "Fine," she said keeping her amazement hidden from her voice. "I'll make a bet with you. If you can master the Rasengan by the end of this week, I'll not only acknowledge that you can become Hokage, but I'll give you this necklace." She pulled it out from beneath her shirt to show it to Naruto.
"What?" Shizune gasped. She's gone mad!
"Fine," Naruto said with a confident smile. "It's as good as mine!" He slowly got up.
Tsunade turned away from Naruto and signaled to Shizune. "Let's go," she said. The two women disappeared into the night.
A silence filled the streets once the three were left alone. No one moved until finally Jiraiya sighed. "We should get some rest," he said. He turned in the opposite direction of where Tsunade had gone and began walking.
Sora looked from Jiraiya's retreating figure to Naruto who hadn't moved yet. "Naruto-kun?" she said softly.
Naruto looked over at Sora with a smirk on his face. "Yeah, let's get some rest," he said. He walked up to her and took her hand.
Sora raised an eyebrow. This is not normal, she thought as she walked with Naruto in silence. He's gotten much more powerful than even last time but he's too overconfident now. While it was impressive that Naruto could even perform the Rasengan, Sora still couldn't believe that he'd be able to master it in a week. He's going to end up almost killing himself again, Sora thought miserably.
The three checked into a small inn with two beds and a couch but not much else. Naruto washed first, then Sora. Jiraiya went last leaving Sora and Naruto alone. Once Sora heard the water running in the bathroom she took a deep breath and walked over to Naruto who was lying on the couch looking blankly up at the ceiling. "Naruto," she said softly and laid a hand on his shoulder.
"Hm?" Naruto said looking at her.
"Don't you think this, uh, bet is a little unreasonable?" she asked nervously. She didn't want to anger him in any way so she tried to make her tone extremely humble.
To Sora's surprise, Naruto flashed a huge smile and grasped her hand that was on his shoulder. "Worried about me, Sora-chan?" he smirked as he brought her hand to his lips. He kissed the palm of her hand lightly and then leaned his cheek against it.
Sora was slightly flustered by Naruto's action. "No…uh, I mean, yes, but…but, Naruto," Sora stuttered. She wanted to pull her hand away but she forced herself to stay. "Naruto, just think rationally. Why go and make this insane bet with Tsunade-sama anyway? Don't you realize that it took the Fourth Hokage three whole years to learn it? The Fourth!"
"So?" Naruto said closing his eyes enjoying the softness of Sora's hand on his cheek. "I've already grown so much these past few days, I'll get the hang of this technique in no time."
Sora sighed and slightly pulled her hand back. "Why does no one ever listen to me?" she asked herself out loud without meaning to. She slipped her hand away from Naruto's grasp and began walking away from the couch.
Naruto quickly stood up and caught Sora from behind. He nuzzled her neck gently. "I listen," he said softly as he moved one hand to her shoulder crossing her front while keeping his other around her waist. "I might not look like it, but I do. Really." He kissed her neck and then leaned his head beside hers.
"Naruto," Sora said in a slightly warning tone.
But Naruto wasn't listening this time and he gently guided her to one of the beds. "I'm tired, Sora-chan," he said as he turned around so that he could sit on the bed with Sora on his lap. A burning fire began in the pit of his stomach as he gently lay down on his side taking Sora with him. He brought her closer and began kissing her neck again.
Sora squirmed a bit trying to get free. "We really shouldn't be doing this, Naruto," she gasped as she felt his tongue slide over the heated skin on her neck. When she didn't hear a reply she broke free from his grasp and tried to sit up.
"Please, Sora," Naruto said in an unusually deep voice. He grabbed her around the waist before she could get off the bed. "Stay with me."
Something was different in his voice, in his actions that made Sora feel uneasy. What's wrong with him? This isn't the usual Naruto, she thought. She tried to speak but no words came.
Naruto took the opportunity to bring her down so she was lying on her back and he moved on top of her. His breath became ragged as he leaned closer towards her neck. The bruises stood out against her otherwise perfect skin and he felt a rush of anger at the thought that someone else had been kissing Sora, his Sora.
Sora quickly put her hands around her neck trying to cover the marks as her cheeks flared up.
"Sora," Naruto said as he removed her hands. "I already know. It drives me insane thinking that someone violated you the way that bastard did." He leaned to the side and began suckling her ear. Between his gentle caresses he whispered, "I would never do anything to harm you."
Sora's breath quickened but she still kept silent. Why can't I speak? she asked herself. A new feeling washed over her. Something from the inside began taking over her body and mind. She closed her eyes as Naruto moved from her ear to her cheeks inching ever closer to her parted lips. His hands ran up and down her sides sending waves of ecstasy across her entire body. It was almost too much. How can he make me…feel this way? Her arms moved on their own as they wrapped themselves around Naruto's neck.
Naruto took her actions as a sign to go ahead with what he was doing. His lips finally found what they had been looking for as he took over Sora's soft lips. It was gentle at first but then he couldn't hold himself back anymore. He slid his tongue into her mouth and tried to go as deep as he possibly could. His hand moved up to unbutton the collar on Sora's dress. He moved the cloth to the side revealing more of her smooth skin on her collar bone. He finally released Sora's mouth and hungrily began kissing her newly exposed skin.
Sora couldn't help but gasp from pleasure. His hands, his lips, his body being so close to hers was clouding her mind from rational thought. She moved her hands behind Naruto's head and untied his forehead protector that he always wore and dropped it next to them on the bed. His blonde hair now fell messily on his head and she ran her fingers through the spikes. Naruto, she thought. How can you make me feel this way now? It's like you're a different person…It's like I'm a different person. But the thought couldn't stop how she felt and the spreading fire that burned through her body as Naruto moved back up to capture her lips for another session of kissing.
Both felt their body temperatures shoot up as their lips connected again. Naruto couldn't help but rub his body against hers feeling every perfect curve through their clothes. The skirt of Sora's dress had ridden up high enough so that her legs were free to move as she wished. She subconsciously wrapped them around one of Naruto's legs. Their mouths were locked in a ceaseless battle of pushing and slipping. Then the door to the bathroom swung open.
The noise brought both Genins back to their senses and Sora immediately pushed Naruto off of her quite roughly and sat up. She was out of breath and her cheeks were a crimson blush. Her parted lips were now a bit swollen.
Jiraiya stared in amazement at the two Genins as he stood in the bathroom door. The steam was escaping into the room making his figure a bit hazy to the Genins. I would have never thought… Then he smiled. "Ah, Naruto," he said stepping into the room. His smile was one of the sly ones and he saw Sora look down as she swung her legs off the side of the bed. "Do I need to get you guys your own room or should I separate you?" he teased as he walked over to the bed. He crossed his arms with his perverted look on.
Sora shuddered and gripped the blankets. "It's not what you think-"
"It sure as heck looked like it!" Jiraiya burst out with a perverted laugh.
Naruto just smiled in a relaxed manner as he confidently slipped his arms around Sora's waist again. "I wouldn't be the one lecturing if I was you," Naruto joked. He leaned his head against Sora's and smirked at his sensei.
Jiraiya shook his head and sighed. Ah, to be young again, he thought. "We should all get rest tonight, especially you, Naruto," he said trying to sound responsible.
"That's right," Sora said quickly. "I, uh, should probably-"
"But I'll sleep better with you beside me," Naruto said not letting her go.
"What?" Sora said in shock. "You're not serious, are you?"
"I'm serious."
Sora looked at Jiraiya hinting that he should say something.
Jiraiya shrugged his shoulders. "As long as you two don't do anything, eh-herm, inappropriate," he said with another chuckle. Then he went over to the other bed and got in. "Keep noise to a minimum, all right? Night." With that he pulled the blankets over his body, turned out the lights, and then almost immediately fell asleep.
Sora looked in exasperation at the now slumbering figure of the Sannin in front of her in the moonlight that shone through the window. He just took the only other bed…
"I promise I won't touch you in that way. Just please, stay with me tonight," Naruto pleaded as he pulled Sora back onto the bed. "Just tonight."
For some reason, Sora couldn't say no. That feeling inside of her told her that it was all right. As long as they didn't do anything, one night was harmless. She couldn't even hear her conscious screaming at her about a certain raven-haired boy. Sora sighed and allowed Naruto to move them both under the blankets. "Just…just tonight," she stuttered.
Naruto smiled and wrapped his legs around hers pressing her body against his. "Goodnight, Sora-chan," he whispered and kissed her hair.
"G-goodnight, Naruto," she said softly.
As the night wore on, Naruto thought back on their earlier escapade. Feeling Sora's body against his own made him feel safe, loved, wanted. She kissed me back, he thought with a smile on his face. Does that mean she loves me?