chapter 12: the lion cupboard

title: the lion cupboard

word count: 1685

disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

note: The Lion Cupboard is by niche house 4160 Tuesdays. I think it may have been originally inspired by Narnia? (I'm not sure, please don't kill me...). It's a spicy scent (and 'kara' is 'spicy' in Japanese).

Subsequent to Tamaki moving in with Kiba, Sakura had taken it as a personal mission to see the Sora-ku cats being well looked after. While Sasuke was infinitely grateful that his betrothed was so willing give up her time for something as important to him as Nekobaa's cats, it also worried him just how much time she was spending with them.

Particularly with Denka and Hina's kits.

He saw two of one of them walk up to Sakura before burrowing themselves onto her kneeling lap, snuggling into the warmth of her belly as she stroked their own. As three others settled beside her knees and and legs. Circling her in fluff.

Definitely with Denka and Hina's kits.

To be fair, he knew that he had no one but himself to blame. He had let his weakness be known, and now it was used against him.

Nekobaa was a formidable opponent.

When he had re-introduced the two after he proposed, in attempt to have someone manage the newborns despite her own aptitude Nekobaa had appealed to Sakura's medic instincts. She feigned to be suffering from osteoporosis due to old age (he knew that she must have be faking it, she has always been old!) and asked Sakura and him to babysit the kits.

If he had to quote, it would be 'Because, little kitten; this old feline isn't as nimble as she was once and the kits need someone powerful to keep them in check. Unless, of course, you don't think you can handle them.'

Strike one.

Nekobaa only called him 'little kitten' back when he visited her with Itachi. She knew he would do anything if it meant that he was doing it for his brother, no matter how far-fetched and unrelated the task may seem.

Strike two.

Implying that Uchiha Sasuke wasn't powerful? No way. Tora had got on their nerves enough as a young Team 7. They would not be defeated by mere kittens.

Strike three.

She made him seem less able in front of Sakura. That was the last straw. He accepted Nekobaa's 'request' without a second thought.

Still. He had definitely suffered from a tactical misstep from thinking that nothing would go wrong from leaving the most perfect women in the world - obviously, because he chose her - with baby cats of all things. A closer look confirmed his suspicions as he saw the kitten - Kara - lovingly lick at his fiancee's face as she fiddled with a piece of catmint, dangling it in front of Ama, Kara's sister. Indulging them in incoherent coos.

'Sakura-nee! Sakura-nee!'

'What's wrong Kara?' Her fingers working behind his ears.

'When I grow up...' He wriggled his way into her arms, head poking out. 'Will you marry me?'

Sakura laughed, stroking the tom's head and scratching it's chin, enjoying it's baby softness. As she looked over at Sasuke. She could tell that he was trying to control his facial expression to maintain it's trained apathy, only to result in a scowl that she would normally deem inappropriate to show in front of children... even if they weren't human.

'Sasuke-kun?' The hilarity of the situation was not lost to her, especially when she saw how disturbed Sasuke looked. He was probably thinking about how difficult it had been for him to propose to her. It had taken him so long to stop talking in metaphors that day that she may as well have had been the one that ended up asking the question. Thinking back, she might actually have been the one to the word 'marry' first.

'She already engaged.'

'What's engaged?' And Sasuke saw Sakura explain the concept to Kara and Ama and Suppa and Shoppa and Ni- well, the kits - in an animated flurry of jazz hands.

'Oh.' Kara looked crestfallen and the kunoichi couldn't keep the 'aww' that escaped her as she rubbed his belly as his still-clawless paws scrabble at her fingers.

'But doesn't it mean that you two still aren't married yet?' Ama cut in. Interested in the weird mating habits that humans exhibited. Courting was... Dating? Then engagement? But before engagements you needed to 'propose'? Didn't you just marry and mate with the one you liked? Ama had thought marriage was a concept that was confusing enough. Humans needed to be more straightforward.

Kara little ears piqued up and he began sniffing Sakura up and down as his expression notably brightened.

'But he has not marked you yet? And you two are not married yet?'

The question brought a blush to Sakura's face as she deduced what he had possibly meant by 'marked' and Sasuke saw Nekobaa look strangely interested, sending him a disappointed shake of her graying head as she heard what Kara had said from her seat where she sorted through the Paw Encyclopedia that she had brought over to add the sibling's prints to.

He swore that he heard her mutter something along the lines of 'little kitten, you still haven't?' What did she know about human customs anyway?

'We're engaged. I'll be marking her soon.'

'Er. Yeah. That.' Sakura looked over at Sasuke. Surprised at his outburst - at the kittens of all things! 'Are you?'

Kara was unrelenting. Perhaps matching even Rock Lee in his determination.

'But engagements can be broken as long as you are still not married yet. So if you just marry me now, it wouldn't matter.'

'Kara... You can't marry someone else when you're engaged... That's not right. And it wouldn't matter even if I wasn't engaged, I love Sasuke-kun.'

'And- and- you don't love me? And Ama-chan? What about Su-Suppa-nii and Shoppa-kun and- and-' Kara threatened to release his tears and he sniffed them back in.

'No! No! Of course I love you guys! I just love Sasuke in a different way. He walks me back from the hospital even if it's not dark, lets me have the last tomato in the salad when we head out, eats anmitsu with me despite not liking sweets, protects me with his body when we're on missions - and Kara - you know? You can always tell when he loves someone. Sasuke-kun loves like a fire, he consumes you to ashes that he picks up and collects you up for himself. He doesn't share.'

The kitten tilted his head to the side. As if filing away Sakura's words for future reference. Sasuke was sure that he just hadn't understood a word that Sakura had said. Having jumped down from Sakura's embrace, he had begun circling Sasuke as if sizing him up. Which was hilarious given the size difference in between the two.

'You can hug and cuddle me all the time and use me as a pillow?' Kara added after a moments thought. 'I'm fluffy! He's not!' Pointing at Sasuke with his tail. And Sakura looked like she was about the burst from holding in her laughter. Sasuke on the other hand, did not find it amusing at all when he saw her pick Kara back up into her arms to stroke his raised pelt.

'Kara. Sasuke-kun is really strong. We even defeated Nekomata when we were younger. Do you think he'll let you take me without a fight?'

While her fiance had nodded approvingly at her recount of how strong he was - he certainly did not think that the standard they should have measured his strength on should have been Nekomata. They had been kids! However, her words had obviously served their purpose as the litter of kittens set admiring eyes on him.

The only problematic one still seemed dubious though.

'I'll grow up to become a big cat even more powerful than Nekomata-sama! Then I'll get revenge for him and defeat you Uchiha Sasuke!' He attempted to finish with a growl, only for it to come out as a low squeak.

'Aww. Kara, you can challenge Sasuke anytime after you become a big cat. But by then I might be an old woman sweetie. Will you still accept me?'

That makes the kitten pause in thought as he looks at both Sasuke and Sakura, finally settling on Nekobaa's face as she meows something at him.

'If you'll take me, I don't mind joining as a second mate right now... It is normal for cats to have more than one mate!'

'No. She won't take you.'

His arm around her waist. Giggling at the sight that Sasuke made, glaring at a little kitten the size of his hand Sakura mentally gave herself a pat on the back for her good work. She might have forgotten to mention that despite marriage bonding her to Sasuke as 'his', she would still be allowed to meet them whenever they wanted.

But until their next visit, that would go unsaid.

note.

The fact that Denka is voiced by Kakashi's seiyuu and Hina is voiced by Naruto's seiyuu makes me ridiculously really happy. It's like Team 7-inception since Denka and Hina are named after Junko's cat X'D

On another note, a big thank-you to everyone that left me a message on what they think about parfums. I've come to the conclusion that I will definitely be continuing it; albeit, on a much slower/more random schedule (please see profile for update plans).

However, I won't guarantee anything as I want to focus on my new SasuSaku multi-chap fic (Somedays Lover) as I have finished planning it all out and I want to frequently update there.