Here's an add-on chapter that I was thinking about releasing on its own. But I present it to you all as a bonus to Cherry Blossoms in the Wind.

I pulled this out of one of the darker corners of my mind. (As always, nothing forced nothing non-consensual, no violence…etc…Just a little hesitation….But I've written that way before.)

Just like Chapter 27, "Dearly Missed", this is a one-shot; anything that happened in the last 42 chapters has no presence here.

As a "good-bye for now" I leave you with this Side-Scenario.

This is the longest Lemon Chapter I have ever written.

So…Uh…I guess…Enjoy? Ha ha! :)

And I'll see you next time.

-WanderingRurouni

Chapter 43: SIDE-SCENARIO - "A Night in the Rain"

It was an uncharacteristically gloomy night in Konoha, the usual dark blue sky, littered with stars, was obscured by the dull concrete grey veil of storm clouds. An occasional thunderous boom echoed through the forest, shaking every tree with an intensity that could strip the leaves clean off of their branches. In the darkness, the occasional lightning bolt would strike, splitting the sky in half, lighting the world for a single millisecond in time. A million small steps echoed through the dirt streets as the rain fell; in a dark room, only lit by the static of a television, Naruto sat on his couch, dressed in a black T-shirt, and light blue boxer shorts, blankly staring out of the window at the clouds that hovered over Konoha.

And here, I was hoping to go training with…

He heard a knock.

Naruto stood up sluggishly and made his way to the door. The sound of thunder seemed to stop mid-roar when he saw who was on the other side of the door.

"Sakura-chan…?"

Sakura stood in front of him, under the roof of the building he lived in. Her clothes were soaking wet, the hues, darkened from the pouring rain. She shivered with desperation before him.

"N-Naruto…" She stuttered through chattering teeth. "C-Can I come I-"

His eyes widened with an obvious revelation.

"Y-Yeah! Come in, Sakura-chan!" He stepped into the house while inviting her in. Sakura gratefully stepped into the structure, and removed her zip-up boots. Naruto, seeing how she was obviously suffering from the cold, figured he should offer something to warm her up, and decided to speak.

"Sakura-chan…uh…Do you want to take a shower…maybe…?" He asked with utter uncertainty, his voice shrinking towards the end of the sentence. He ducked out of her reach, covering his face with his hands, expecting her wrath to fall down upon him at any moment.

He waited.

And nothing happened.

He peaked through his fingers and saw her expression. Sakura's face was flushed with red, in utter confusion and embarrassment.

"I-I mean! It looks like you spent a lot of time in that rain…A shower would warm you up!"

Some time passed before she answered him, but as the time pressed on, her expression softened.

"I swear that I won't look, I'll go sit in the kitchen, and anyway, we need to dry your-"His words were merging into slurs at his panicked reaction.

Sakura offered him an understanding smile.

"You promise not to look?" She asked quietly.

He replied by nervously turning away, and entering the kitchen.

"Is it okay if I change in your room?"

"Y-Yeah. Go ahead."

The sounds of Sakura's clothes slapping the floor of his bedroom echoed through his house as she took off her black shorts, and red top.

"Naruto? Do you have a towel I could use?"

"T-There's one hanging on the closet door."

Sakura looked over, and removed a white towel from where it hung.

"Uh…Sakura-chan, you can leave your clothes there…I can wash them for you."

"Oh, can I take some of your clothes then?"

Silence. His eyes widened, and his mouth hung open.

"…Naruto?"

"…Y-Yeah, go ahead." He stuttered.

The bathroom door closed with a thud. Naruto stuck his head out, and when the coast was clear, he walked into his room, following the trail of water droplets that dripped off of Sakura's clothes. He looked down, and lying before him in a pile of water-drenched fabric, was her red top, her black shorts, her bra, and her panties.

RELAX! There's nothing wrong with doing this, I need to wash Sakura-chan's clothes…There's nothing wrong with washing clothes...There's NOTHING wrong with washing clothes. He reiterated to himself.

With a deep breath he picked up her clothes with both arms and walked over to his laundry room, dropping her clothes into the washer, and setting the machine to work while on his way out.

As Naruto slumped down onto his couch, his mind trailed off, hanging onto thoughts…perhaps some rather…morally questionable thoughts, about the woman who was currently in his house.

In his house…And taking a shower.

…

About thirty minutes later…

The bathroom door opened, bringing him back to reality. He felt is blood pumping in his veins, and when he looked down, he panicked. Immediately, he reached over and snatched a blanket and placed it over his lap. Sakura wore one of Naruto's own black T-shirts, as well as a pair of his light blue boxer shorts.

However; she wasn't wearing anything under that, the T-shirt seemed a little too large for her, it slacked behind her figure and pushed up against it, leaving very little to the imagination. Such circumstances added more to his own thoughts than he could handle right now. She looked away briefly while drying her hair, and realizing the predicament he was in, Naruto looked around again, and swiftly grabbed a pillow, stacking it on top of the blanket that already sat on his lap. His heart pumped torrents of blood throughout his entire being…and into that one area in particular as Sakura walked closer to him.

She sat down next to him, still casually drying her hair.

"S-Sakura-chan, what happened? Why did you come here tonight?" He tried to start up a conversation, taking in slow, controlled breaths.

"Sorry to bother you tonight, Naruto. But I locked myself out of the house. There's nobody home, and I lost my keys."

"Your parents aren't home? Where are they?"

"They left for a mission a few days ago."

"O-Oh, well, I'm glad that I could be here for you."

"I'm…I'm glad too."

Sakura moved closer to Naruto and placed her head on his shoulder. She took a few deep breaths; neither of them spoke for some time, but he could hear her breath, rhythmically moving at its calm and steady pace. After what seemed like hours of waiting, even if it was realistically, only minutes, he decided to speak up.

"Sakura-chan?" he whispered. "Sakura-chan, are you asleep?" When she didn't respond, he reached for another pillow and placed it down beside him; gently, he stood up from the couch, placed her head onto the pillow, and walked to his room. Looking over his shoulder briefly, what he had assumed was correct. She was fast asleep.

Taking a deep breath, he laid on his bed, and stared out of the window, the raining had stopped, but the grey clouds still lingered; closing his eyes, he decided that this night would pass without any incident.

Only today, he wasn't the one making the decisions.

The sound of footsteps and creaking floorboards woke him just a few minutes later.

He gazed to his left. There she stood, in a loose fitting T-shirt, light-blue boxer shorts, and messy pink hair, leaning up against his door frame.

This was the last thing he expected to see. Naruto closed his eyes in disbelief, counted to ten, and opened them again. When he saw that she had moved closer to him, he immediately shot up into a sitting position.

"All of those times that you childishly asked me out on a date…And here, you've acted like an adult, not trying anything at all. There was a helpless woman before you, and you didn't do anything." She said in a sly voice.

"I would NEVER do anything like that!" He retorted, almost offended by her accusation.

"I knew you wouldn't. I just had to test you…Don't you think you deserve a…reward?" Sakura moved closer to him

There's no way this is happening. I've got to be dreaming.

He shot up to his feet just as she sat down.

"S-Sakura-chan, are you feeling well? I think you must be hallucinating…You were out in that cold for a long time." He nervously laughed.

"What's wrong?" She giggled lightly.

"WHAT'S WRONG?! This…This isn't something that Sakura-chan would do! Who the hell are you?!" He reached over to his desk and grabbed a kunai. "Don't come any closer! I'm warning you!"

She smiled with a hint of mischief, and began to advance towards him. For every step forward she took, he took a step back.

Until he found his back against the frigid wall; with nowhere else to go, nervously wondering what would happen next. The resolve that he thought he possessed, the ability to resort to violence, disappeared; he had no intention-or desire to harm the woman that he had loved since childhood.

"I-I mean it!" he bluffed.

"Naruto…You told me that you would never hurt me…It's me, Sakura…Don't you believe me?"

His grip loosened, the kunai fell, piercing the wooden floorboards.

"…And I have something to tell you." She inched closer to him, and looked into his eyes, filled with confusion. "I love you."

Words were escaping him, blood rushing to his face, his arms and legs becoming numb. Warmth wrapped around his hands as Sakura grasped them, brought them up, and gently pushed him against the wall.

"These last few years, I've always wondered…And now I'm sure."

She moved closer to him, and in a single breath, whispered warmly into his ear. "Don't you feel the same way?"

"…" His lips moved, but not a single sound came forth.

Their eyes closed in unison. Her soft, warm lips caressed his, her tongue pushing itself, and wrapping it around his own. His arms glided down to his sides, as she loosened her grip.

"You spent years with that perverted hermit…" She whispered. "…Show me what you learned…And I'll show you what I learned."

He gazed blankly at her in for a few seconds, his mouth hung open. He answered her with another warm kiss. Sakura moaned softly as his hand caressed her body, and nimbly slid into the boxer shorts she wore.

Heat emanated from her core as he continued. Sakura's moans grew louder when she felt his touch; her nerves tingling with ecstasy with his gentle shifting fingers. Her moans sent vibrations through him; her muscles strained with pleasure as slowly took hold of his hand, brought it to her lips, and licked the liquid from his fingertips.

He just stared at her. Blank.

"Don't you notice anything different about me?" She whispered with a gentle bite on his ear.

Naruto's eyes shot open when he remembered something that he had failed to notice before.

He looked down.

Sakura's bust size had increased.

"Aren't you lonely?" She whispered again.

He froze for a moment, only staring deeply into her eyes with uncertainty and skepticism.

"Didn't you once tell me that you'd do anything that I'd ask, anywhere, anytime?"

"I…I would do anything for you, Sakura-chan…."

"…Then do this for me."

He embraced her lips with his own again, rubbing against her smooth, ivory skin, his hand slid into the T-shirt that she wore. Sakura's voice crackled softly under her breath when Naruto's hand began to caress her breasts. His hands gently felt her body; he began losing himself in the sensation.

Naruto's warm breath sent chills down Sakura's spine as it reached her neck. Her heart was beating like a drum, the blood flowing through her body, causing it to feel as if it was engulfed in flames. Her arms wrapped around his neck, weakening slightly with every second that Naruto fondled her with his firm grasp.

He planted his feet deeply into the floor and brought his hands down to her hips, with his sharply toned arms, Naruto picked Sakura up, and pushed her against the wall; with her legs suspended in the air, Sakura let in a single deep gasp with his sudden action to lift her into the air, and let out muffled cries of pleasure as Naruto moved his hips against her own, fabric brushing against fabric.

A flame was building within her; Naruto was almost tearing through the boxers that he wore. Sliding down his chest, Sakura's right hand floated down to his core and slid into his stiffening boxers. Her hand wrapped around him; systematically and deliberately, Sakura took hold of him, her fingers resting upon him one at a time. Naruto's muscles tightened as he felt every single one of them.

He flinched away with pleasure, and stopped as Sakura's hold slightly tightened around him; with deep breaths, he paused and looked towards her.

"Not yet, Naruto." She said in a tone that captivated him; figuratively, and for that matter, literally, she held him in the palm of her hand, ready to follow any instruction that followed. With her breath on his neck, she continued. "Sit down on the bed, and I'll show you the second secret that Tsunade-sama showed me." Her eyes had him in a trance; his hands relaxed, and gently released her to her feet. Sakura urged him backwards; he followed with no protest, and fell onto the bed.

Sakura shifted the fabric with one finger, Naruto's erection exited through the small opening in the boxers, revealing how truly aroused he was. Their cheeks turned scarlet with the reveal. For a moment, neither of them made a move, nor a sound. Then, Sakura's expression shifted again, taking on the mischievous eyes that were the signature of her Master.

"Naruto. I'll let you in on a secret." She whispered with those eyes. "Tsunade-sama didn't actually get her name by sucking at gambling."

His jaw dropped. And if it wasn't for the one particularly important appendage in his lap, it would have collided with the floor.

He flinched backwards in pleasure with her hand taking hold of him again, just as she had earlier; Sakura laid her fingers upon him one at a time. Naruto let out a gasp for breath when her cold grip wrapped around him, his face, expressing blissful innocence.

Sakura began to move her hand smoothly, feeling every pulse that shouted from him, like her own heart, the drums of his heart beat began echoing through her very grasp. Her tongue ran across his length, teasing him, and doubling his pulse. She moved to his tip, and continued; gradually taking him in with small segments at a time, the next movement deeper than the last. His mind began to numb. The feeling of Sakura's warm, wet mouth, smoothly closing around and squeezing him was pushing him towards the edge of climax.

And if he was being pushed towards an edge…what she did next launched him off of the damn cliff.

Sakura's tongue began to move around him, slowly at first, but then accelerated with increasing speed and pressure. It moved around and against him just as it had with his tongue. It pushed him towards that edge, urging him closer and closer.

"Sakura-chan-" He spoke with frailty. "I'm at my limit."

Immediately as he murmured his warning, Sakura whipped her head back, kept her hand in a steady motion, and expressed approval with his climax. Naruto took several deep breaths, his legs twitching from his straining muscles. She looked at him with a playful smile, stood up, and placed her hands on the hemline of the boxers that she wore.

"I'll show you what I learned." He spoke with a newly acquired acceptance.

Sakura's smile persisted, and with the grip she held on the boxers, she pulled them down, revealing her toned, ivory-pearled legs, without pausing, she stood back up, and elegantly removed the shirt that she wore. Sakura kicked away the articles of clothing, and slowly sat on the bed while Naruto jumped up to his feet. Sakura sunk even further into the bed by lying on her elbows, letting them dig a comfortable position into the fabric. She uncrossed her legs and invited him over with a smile, and a slight shifting of her eyes. He took her invitation with enthusiasm, and lowered himself onto his knees.

Heat radiated from her core, and only intensified as Naruto slowly approached. With his deep, slow breaths, Sakura's skin started to tingle with anticipation. He began slowly, returning the favor for how she had teased him earlier; with each breath he exhaled, she felt her body becoming hotter and hotter, just aching in anticipation, aching for him to satisfy her.

A shock ran down her spine when he finally made contact. Naruto gently moved his tongue, caressing her with swift movements coupled with contrasting sensations of light and heavy pressure. Sakura found her mind going blank, just as his had; any coherent thoughts that she had becoming scattered, forcing her to focus solely on the moment at hand. As waves of ecstasy washed over her, she moved purely on instinct, brought her hand up, and started to fondle her own breasts. With light moans, and subtle cries of pleasure, she encouraged him on.

Naruto retracted his tongue, and slowly licked his lips; He solidified them by forming them around his teeth. Sakura nearly yelped in surprise when she felt his lips surrounding her, and pushing down against her. Fires raged across her skin, and flames raged on through her body while he moved his lips, caressing her continuously.

"N-Naruto…!" She cried desperately with a gasp for air, and with a tightly-balled fist, gathered a mess of fabric in her palm before her muscles collapsed, forcing her to fall back, feeling as if she had fully sunk into the mattress. She let out a breath, and paused for a breather during her release.

Then she felt his breath push against her again.

"Sakura-chan. This is what I learned: Never stop after the first time."

Sakura let out a deep breath in surprise when Naruto descended upon her again with his lips. Her legs curled, clinging to the bed, her fists clenching at the sheets when she felt his fingers touching her. Naruto grasped her again with his lips, compounding her bliss by gently massaging her with his tongue at the same time; His fingers gently pushed into her, pulsing, eagerly feeling, and taking in her beauty with nimble fingers, increasingly becoming soaked with every movement. Sakura rested her hand on his crown, pushing him closer with a firm, yet weakened force.

He began pushing her to climax again, with no time to recover, with a blank state of mind, and a softened expression, she felt her breaths become erratic, and her body was flooded with a sensation, as if she was floating on a cloud with his constant stimulation.

"N-Naru-Naruto." She whimpered in ecstasy. "I-I can't take it anymore." He began to move faster, building her towards her limit until Sakura let out a passionate cry, and exploded with an earth-shattering orgasm that echoed from her very core. Not even the washing machine was able to mask the volume of her voice.

Naruto fell to the ground, surprised and pleased. Sakura's limbs fell down to her sides, limp. Her legs twitched sporadically, the aftershocks of the quake at her core. After some time, Naruto let out a deep breath of his own, and made his way to his feet. He looked over at Sakura, her eyes closed, her breaths heavy.

He looked as if he was going to leave the room, until he heard her voice again.

"We're not done yet, Naruto." Her smooth voice rubbed against his ear drums. "Come here." She slowly opened her legs again, her eyes looked down at him, growing again; his eyes shifted towards her, admiring the small circular spot, tinted a darker indigo in contrast with the lighter blue sheets

"What else did you learn? There has to be more." Sakura urged him to continue. Her sultry voice called to him, almost wrapping itself around him, provoking him with even more stimulation. He approached and nodded. Naruto bent down, and with his strong hands, took hold of Sakura's ankles, and placed them onto his broad shoulders. Holding himself erect, He entered her.

Sakura's eyes shut in pleasure with a cry of bliss. She felt him shifting inside her, slowly moving in, and pushing deeper with every thrust. Taking hold of her legs, Naruto lifted her hips into the air, thrusting ever deeper. Sakura felt her mind go numb, and her senses heighten with him pulsating within her being.

In one swift, gentle motion, Naruto lowered her legs to his sides, leaned over her, and wrapped his arms around her body. Sakura almost appeared to be a ragdoll as he picked her up with his lean, toned arms.

Naruto lifted her into the air, and let her sink down, engulfing him entirely. Deeply she felt him trembling within. Her muscles began to twitch more, and in response, she wrapped her legs tightly around his, and held onto him for dear life. Her breath brushed against his neck, and she felt as if he had grown even larger while still in her. With her breath still on his neck, Sakura kissed Naruto; her tongue played with his, and massaged his mouth with weakening pressure.

"S-Sakura-chan..." He whispered into her ear.

"Naruto..." She whispered back

They let out intense moans, as Naruto felt his release, and Sakura felt it filling her.

His knees buckled, he turned, and fell backwards onto the bed. Sakura landed on top of him, her head rested on his chest like a pillow. She wrapped her arms around him while he held her lovingly.

"I love you, Naruto."

"I love you, Sakura-chan."

...

Sakura's eyes opened a few hours later. She looked to her side, and saw Naruto lying next to her. She leaned over, kissed him, and offered him an unseen smile. She retrieved her clothes from his laundry room, dropping off the clothes that he had offered her, and dropped off a small piece of paper on the desk next to his bed.

Finally, Sakura blew an invisible kiss into his house, before closing the door behind her, and walking into the lantern-lit streets of Konoha.

Just outside of his door, Sakura bent over, and lifted up the rug that lay on his doorstep. She picked up what seemed like a small trinket, and slid it into her back pocket. She descended the stairs, headed for home.

…

Naruto awoke from what seemed like the best fantasy he had ever had. He shook his head, and looked over to his desk. There, he found a piece of paper, written in pen, and sealed with a lipstick-painted kiss: Sakura's note. He scanned it with his eyes, and read it in his mind.

Naruto,

I needed you to comfort me tonight. We'll have to do it again sometime.

…Until then, remember: I love you.

-Sakura

He smiled, still in disbelief, but still hoping to meet with her again in the future.

…

Sakura knocked on the door, which was answered by her mother.

"Where have you been all night?" Her mother asked.

Sakura paused for a second before deciding on her answer.

"I was training with Naruto." She answered back.

"Oh! Well, come eat! I've worked on this meal for the last three hours!"

"No thanks, Mom! I'm not hungry!" She added while unzipping her shoes and heading up the stairs. She burst through her room door, removed the trinket from her back pocket, and held it in her hand. She stared excitedly at it with a comforting and satisfied smile.

And then placed her keys onto the desk next to her bed.

And with that, my faithful audience.

I take my bow.