AAAAH! My Ipod's trying to kill me. The second song that played when on shuffle was Mind Forest! By Gackt! GAH! What the hell am I supposed to write for that? My interpretation of it says it's about death, but there's no way in hell I'm making this sad. Life's already sad enough...oh well...
Disclaimer: Obviously I don't own Naruto or I wouldn't have time to write fanfics...See my logic?
Sakura POV
I woke up slowly which was unusual. Usually I snap awake, afraid of being late for my work at the hospital. And of course the thought of this nearly made me lurch out of bed but...it wasn't my bed. With that last night's activities rushed back and I DID lurch up, sleepy lethargy gone. Me and Naruto had...whoah. I sank back down to the warm spot I had left behind, trying to absorb that information. Equal parts joy and apprehension flooded my soul, had I convinced Naruto I loved him? Or did he think that was just a fling? Well we had seemed passionate enough to me...I blushed at that thought and rolled over to look at his face.
It looked content enough. I guess tranquil would describe it better and I was disappointed to not be able to gaze into his blue eyes. They would most likely be dazed with happiness. I giggled a bit and relaxed into the mattress; there was no telling when he'd wake up but I had to be here for him. I had to show him my love, I had to prove to him Sasuke was nothing in my mind. Of course, after about an hour or two my resolve had melted into a tiny little puddle. It was fun to trace his face and his nicely developed six-pack that I had discovered last night but I hadn't had dinner OR lunch yesterday. Needless to say my stomach was making some very strange sounds and causing me quite alot of discomfort. So I caved in, slid out of the warm bed and padded barefoot to his kitchen.
Naruto really knew how to eat breakfast. There was absolutely nothing as I looked through his cupboards. Oh! But here's a cereal box and in the fridge there is...spoiled milk. I groaned out loud and my stomach echoed my dismay. I needed to eat, I needed to stay for Naruto. Moments of indecision tick by and with a regretful look towards the bedroom I nearly stepped outside. Luckily enough for my dignity I realized I was still naked before I opened the door and was able to scurry back to get my wrinkly and now dry clothes from yesterday. On second thought, I discard those and hunt around for the T-shirt I dropped yesterday. After a couple minutes I leave the apartment properly clothed and throwing a kiss over my shoulder for my love.
It's pretty early in the morning and I marvel at the crisp air that hasn't been touched by the sun yet. My body was so accustomed to waking up before sunrise, but even for me this was rather extreme. Hopefully the store would be open and milk would be there. I really needed to eat, even more so than I needed to stay for Naruto. Instantly I leave my body at the thought of him and zoom back to the experiences of last night. I swear I will remember that night for the rest of my life. It was...indescribable. Seriously. Take the best thing that's ever happened to you and multiply that feeling of joy and satisfaction by one million. Even then you won't understand how good it was. I lick my lips, partially because I can still taste him on them and partially because I'm at the store and there are so many good aromas.
I wander around a bit, examining the fresh baked pastries and smiling at the chef. He smiles back and continues kneading the bread that will soon be enticing all of Konohagakure's residents into the shop. Oh how I wish I could stick around until it's finished but I have to be back for Naruto. Yes, I know perfectly well how he'll react to waking up in an empty bed after a night spent with me. And I don't want to cause him any more pain so I hurriedly buy a milk carton and speed walk towards his apartment. However, it seems Ino is an early riser like me and before I can hide from her, she's waving and calling my name. We were still rivals in her mind I suppose, but now that me and Naruto were together I felt ready to forgive her for every cruel insult she's ever uttered to me.
"Hey Ino! How've ya been?" I smile at her which I think surprises her. Her next comment doesn't even touch my good mood.
"What's with that outfit? You know Sasuke doesn't like whores..." Laughter bubbles out of me at that and she looks at me like I'm insane. Which I might be; insane with giddiness.
"Sorry Ino but my stomach is killing me. I need to eat cereal but we're out of milk so...well I'm all set now." I lift the bag to show her as she falls into step beside me. Her face is skeptical and I soon realize my error in speaking.
"Sakura, are you lost? Your house is that way." Ino points and I struggle not to laugh again. Her face just looks so comical, I can almost imagine a dog pointing the way with his snout. That thought makes me double over in pure undiluted joy with stomach cramps. Of course this display just confuses her further and I think she might've gotten the feeling I was laughing at her. Which I was, but you know. Not the way she was thinking.
"What the hell's wrong with you Sakura? Are you sick or something?" Yes those words sound like she cares, but her intonation says otherwise. I manage to contain myself and look at her pale blue eyes that don't have a pupil. How creepy is that?
"Nah, thanks for asking though. Actually I'm heading over to Naruto-kun's apartment. I slept over there last night." My smile seems to give away what I left unsaid and before I can amend that comment I'm face to face with the blonde.
"Tell me you didn't! Sakura...y-you did, didn't you? Oh Kami! What have you done? Did you use a condom?" Her furious eyes are inches from mine and she punctuates her questions by shaking my shoulders. I don't understand why she's freaking out, I mean it couldn't be like she was still a virgin, was she? Cause if she was that would explain the frantic and defeated look in her eyes; we'd always been competing for things and if I beat her in this...I smile maliciously.
"Of course we did. And only wussies use condoms." Not true, it was just that neither of us had thought of it last night. We had been too...preoccupied. Ino didn't have to know that though.
"Oh Kami..." She sighs dejectedly and drops her hands from my shoulders. I've never seen her look this pathetic in...well, never. Suddenly I feel guilty, she must not have had anyone to go to since we became rivals. I hug her and soothe her and murmur those nonsense words one always mutters when trying to comfort someone. Her body's shaking in my arms and I squeeze her tighter until she tries to speak.
"Sakura, you're squashing me." I let go in embarrassment and watch her eyes. They're happy, which is rather odd because I thought she had just been crying. Or maybe laughing.
"Sorry Ino but why are you laughing? I thought you were mad!" Clearly this reminds her of whatever it was she was laughing about and she bursts into more chuckles, eliciting a groan from me. Ino's acting hysterical and wasting my time when I should be back with Naruto. Which brings me around in a circle: last night, getting milk, meeting Ino, and to the present situation. I waste one more second in indecision and then sidestep her and continue on my way. She doesn't try to follow, just stands doubled over in laughter and I devote one last wish for her: Please let her get out of the street before someone thinks she's deranged.
I'm back at Naruto's before you can say d'accord correctly in french. (A/N It's hard, you're not supposed to pronounce the d at the end.) I use the key I took from the table and step inside. It doesn't look like Naruto's awake yet and now that I don't have anything to distract me, my hunger digs in like a kunai. Thankfully I had set out the cereal, a bowl, and a spoon before I left. A hot breakfast would've been nice, but I have him for warmth. I dig into my bowl of cereal and milk like a wolf, barely chewing it at all. Some milk might have splashed on the shirt I was wearing but I didn't notice because I had better things to think about. Naruto's apartment really needed a good cleaning and since he seemed completely unmotivated I felt that I should take up that task for him. With that in mind I begin to wash his stacks of dishes, performing a cursory search of his apartment for wayward ones while the sink's filling. Poking my head into his bedroom I'm assured that he's still sprawled over his bed fast asleep.
It's about noon and I've finally finished the bathroom. It was hard work to scrub all those questionable liquids off the tiles but it's done now. I sigh and wipe my forehead. My hunger has returned, Naruto's still asleep and I'm very conscious of the fact I haven't showered in a couple of days. Maybe it'd be alright to take one here, but if Naruto woke up and started freaking out during it...well if he hasn't woken up yet he can probably sleep for another fifteen minutes. I close the door and strip off Naruto's shirt before stepping in the clean shower. It's heaven. Just standing and relaxing all your muscles while scalding hot water cascades over you and paints your skin a tender red. Heaven. And then stepping out into a steam filled room and wrapping a towel around yourself while squeezing liquid out of your hair. Heaven. I don't think I've enjoyed a shower that much since way back when my hair used to be long. Now I go days without one and barely even wash my hair. I emerge from that bathroom like a newborn child, floating in the smell of cleanliness. When I reach the bedroom and slip inside my euphoria disappears in a flash.
Upon seeing the room devoid of my favorite blond I rush out to look for him. Of course he's in the kitchen, seeing as he's not in the hallway or bathroom but it's the state I find him in that shocks me the most. He's curled up on the floor, sobbing worse than yesterday. I drop my towel and bolt to his side, murmuring words of love as I pull him into my lap. His eyes seek out mine and I can see happiness in them while tears still run down his cheeks.
"I-I thought y-you were...g-gone." His voice is broken by hiccups but he smiles through his tears just for me. I can feel my heart breaking and I lean down to kiss those pearls of salty liquid from his cheeks. My hands play with his soft hair and then drift down for him to clasp with his own. The strength that he grips them with surprises me but I bear the pain stoically and return his smile.
"Naruto as long as you'll have me, no...as long as I can think I will be here with you. Creating beautiful memories." He quiets and listens like a little puppy to my calming words; eyes never leaving mine to assure authenticity.
"My heart is yours, now and forever and I truly love you and only you. Sasuke's just a speck of dust next to you, the great mountain. And you're mine now, as long as it brings you happiness." Naruto's crying again and sits up to crush me to his chest. I think it really means something to him to have his love say that he's better than his eternal rival and friend. This feels like one of those endings in romantic movies where everything's solved and nothing bad will ever happen again. However the knock at his door interrupts our moment and it's yet another memory in my mind now. Gone...just like Naruto would be in a couple hours. Gone like the water in a river running to the ocean.
As I find out later he's going to some special island for protection with the other Jinchuuriki, as arranged by the 'kages. But none of this I was to find out until after my breakdown which was surprisingly spent with Ino. But let me return to that knock on the door; it was one of the Anbu coming to tell Naruto to pack his bags. He was going on a mission somewhere and had to pack all the essentials. I just stood by and watched him scurry around. His laundry had been done this morning during my cleaning frenzy, and I help direct him to some of his things that used to be lying around but were now organized neatly. Naruto was leaving me...I felt like it was the end of the world. Like he was dying and I'd never be able to see him again. Right before he steps out the door he stoops down to whisper in my ear,
"Don't worry. I'm not the kind of pet that runs away from it's master." He smiles and leaves an empty void in my chest when he departs. I hold out just long enough to run through Konohagakure and find Ino before I cry. She watches me shake and tries to understand my blubbered explanation.
"So...he left on a trip? But you'll see him again Sakura and why just now? You've never had a problem with being away from him before." Her words make me angry. How can she not understand what I'm going through? He's GONE! Do I have to spell it out for her? I suppose someone who still has a childish crush on Sasuke wouldn't understand, who still flirts with Sai even though it's hopeless. There's no way she can understand my sorrow at having my true love ripped away from me. I stand up abruptly and fling off her restrictive hands.
"I'll just have to go beat Tsunade up until she tells me where he is!" I don't know what I'm doing anymore as I stomp towards Konohagakure's hospital but luckily Ino's there to prevent me from doing anything rash. Sure enough, she tries to hold me around the waist but I just shove her off and keep walking. Walking until she turns me around and makes the appropriate hand signs for Shintensin. I'm too shocked to react and avert my gaze and so she invades my mind. It's supposed to be friendly but I push against her because no matter how you look at it she's usurping my control. And Haruno Sakura does NOT like to lose control of her mind.
Wow it's a mess in here. Lemme tidy up a few things before I go...WOW. You guys did THAT? And I thought I was the dirty one. Her thoughts float to me and I blush furiously at her discovery of my memories of last night. She's in my mind and she's not leaving until I'm calm so I might as well get this "tidied up" as she put it.
Ino...how can I explain this? it's so hard to put into words. I let my thoughts reach out to her and she takes them in and smiles.
Then show me, dummy! I blink as this slowly comes back from her and then suddenly I'm pouring all my troubled thoughts into her, not needing any words. I don't want to be left behind with only his bright memories to comfort me. I don't want to watch him be taken away from me to a place I know nothing about. I just want him here beside me, ready to love me and receive my love in return. The sheer mass of all these desires hits Ino hard and I feel her mentally recoil before taking up the task of sorting through the confusion. When she's done, she sends my thoughts back to me with answers of her own in the form of comforting pictures. Though she tries to hide it, I get a hint of her awe of my pure undiluted love for Naruto. It makes me feel better and just like that, we're friends again. Yeah, after then chuunin exam we were closer than normal but now...it's just like it was before I declared her my rival.
Ino pulls out of my mind and I gladly retake control of my body. There's just something wrong about taking over someone's body but I'd never tell her so. I'm just too relieved and I walk over with her to Naruto's favorite restaurant, Ichiraku with her to grab a bowl of delicious ramen. The day's bright and sunny and nothing could possibly go wrong now.
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Right...Well here's the chapter one story continued! Yeah and it will continue on every ODD page from now on. In between I'll have some crazy random ones so if you're in the mood for those see the EVEN chapters! And if it's too confusing for you, go read something else! Mm-hm that's right. I don't care if I get reviews! (Prove that reverse psychology works please!)
