A thick silence permeated the very air in the room towering over a bustling village. Tempers flared as the strong willed women stared each other down, neither willing to give on their positions. The ANBU guard usually positioned within the Hokage's office were long gone, the silent order to leave sent through a pointed look by Tsunade gave no room for arguments.
"I will be included in this mission."
An elegant eyebrow arched over narrowed eyes. "Excuse me?" The chill in her voice appeared not to phase the much younger woman.
"I will not be left behind as my comrades walk into..."
"Enough!" The deafening cry thundered over the sound of a heavy fist cracking against the polished surface of a sturdy mahogany desk. The sudden burst of violence encased in anger was enough to silence Sakura, though her face showed the immense displeasure at having to bite her tongue.
Tsunade released a weighted sigh, settling back into her chair and fixing a pointed gaze on her pupil. "Sit back down, Sakura." Her jaw clenched with the anger showing on the pinkette's face, but the Hokage held back the fierce words that threatened to fly forth. She had known this would be a difficult order for her protege to swallow, but she'd underestimated the vehemence with which the young woman would refuse it. Keeping a check on her own short temper was also proving to be a challenge. Tsunade rested her head in her palm, hiding the smirk tugging the corners of her mouth in the process. The fireball of a young woman staring her down was a product of her own doings. The groundwork lay in place within Sakura's own personality, but this shinobi fighting her tooth and nail was a far cry from the sweetly acquiescing student she once had. Bit by bit over the years, her own stubborn nature had passed on to her student.
Not that Tsunade was displeased. The knowledge that her strong will would continue on through her brilliant pupil helped satisfy the deeply buried wish she once had to bring Dan's child into the world. Sakura had given her back what fate snatched from her wanting fingers. Perhaps one day she would share that comforting thought with the girl; for now, she let a frown settle back in place before she continued their rather heated discussion. Sakura held an important place in her heart, but at the moment her protege's insubordination was pissing her off.
"Tsunade-sama,..."
"Silence!" she ordered, only half surprised when the command worked. "You seem to have forgotten your place, Sakura." There was a barely perceptible hunch of her shoulders and dip of her head, but Tsunade could easily see the shame that crept over the young woman's being. "Do you no longer see the need to follow my orders?"
"Of course I do, Tsunad..."
"Are you calling my judgment into question?"
"Of course not, Tsuna..."
"Do you feel you have nothing left to learn from your teacher?"
"Of course not! Tsunade-sama, I just..."
"Then please, enlighten me as to why you would storm into my office demanding me to change orders I've already given?"
Sakura took several deep breaths, attempting to calm her nerves and stave off the frustrated tears now building behind her eyes. She felt so strongly about this, but having her shishou so angry at her, sounding so disappointed at her outbursts, pierced through the fury she felt only moments before. "Tsunade-sama," she began respectively, "I simply do not understand why I would not be primary medic on this mission." She rushed to continue lest her words be perceived as disobedient once more. "I have worked on this formula since the moment it was placed in my hands. I have spent countless hours and many sleepless nights in order to have a prototype ready for use. Why would you not send me?"
"Shizune has spent the same amount of time as you have on this project. Do you think your knowledge of the drug is more detailed than hers?"
The question was not condescending in nature, but the truth held in those words had her averting her eyes in annoyance. " No ma'am. We collaborated on this project and shared all information equally."
"Then you can not deny she has the same familiarity with the drug as you. You've disproved your own reasoning."
Sakura sat forward, pleading with not only her words, but the unconscious actions of her body. "You know this will be a dangerous mission. Though the medic's role is to stay out of battle and ensure they are able to tend to the wounded, there is a great possibility that the medic will have to engage the enemy. I am stronger than Shizune-senpai. You know that to be true, Tsunade-sama."
A wry chuckle passed her mentor's lips. "Perhaps all the time you've spent with Sasuke lately has caused a bit of his immense ego to rub off on you."
A rosy blush immediately blossomed across the young woman's face. She wasn't sure what embarrassed her more, having the mentor she respected accuse her of having a big ego, or the thinly veiled comment about her relationship with Sasuke. The urge to hide her face was nearly overwhelming. "Ts-Tsunade-sama, I didn't mean to..."
"Oh you did," she interrupted. "You meant every word that came out of your mouth." A flash of pain and shame pulled at the delicate features on her student's face and Tsunade decided she'd chastised her enough. "Sakura," she began, her soft tone attempting to cajole the young woman into meeting her eyes. "I am not trying to say that I don't want you to be proud of your strength, or your accomplishments." The pinkette's head lifted a bit higher at these words. "You have come so very far from the little girl who begged me to teach her medical ninjutsu. You've worked damn hard and you have every right to be proud of yourself."
"Then why would you pull me from this mission?"
"Because even though you may be stronger than Shizune physically, you don't have the years of battle experience that she has. Because there is still a viable threat to this village, even with Kabuto under watch two days travel from here. Because I have a hospital full of people that need caring for...and because I don't think you can stand back and watch the two men you care most for in this world face off against this bastard without joining the fight."
Those words hurt and Sakura wasn't able to hide the pain from her eyes. In order to banish the tears that began to form, she held tight to the indignant anger that had her perched on the edge of the chair. "If you don't think I can do my job why don't you just say so."
"Dammit, Sakura, don't put words in my mouth."
"You just said..."
"I know what I just said!" Tsunade screamed, heedless of the way her voice bounced off the office walls. "And I didn't imply you can't do your fucking job! I wouldn't have you running the hospital if I felt that way. I am thinking about what's best for everyone on this mission and Shizune's years of experience, advanced skills, and quick thinking are what make her the better choice to accompany the mission team as their medic."
"If you would just think about this a little further..."
"I'm done talking about this." Her voice fell from the loud screams of before to a low, tightly controlled tone that carried every ounce of power bestowed upon her position. "You will heed my orders without further question. Do I make myself perfectly clear?"
Furious emerald and hazel eyes locked, the depth of anger matching in each gaze. For a moment, it seemed neither would give their ground, but with a sardonic twist of her lips, Sakura gave a curt nod of her head. "Crystal clear, Hokage-sama."
The loud boot steps and swift exit were expected, but the extra care her student took to softly close the door behind her had Tsunade letting loose a heavy sigh. Sakura's displeasure with her orders was great and the older woman knew this argument would linger between them for several days - if not longer. Usually, a good shouting match or spar would be enough for them to move past whatever the affected party was feeling, but this would be different.
Tsunade poured herself a healthy shot of sake and watched the warm glow of the sun fade beyond the horizon. The image of her apprentice storming down the busy streets was easy to spot from her position. The busty blond merely chuckled at the sight and let the cool evening wind start the process of soothing her mind. The scents of her villagers evening meals met her nose, but another dose of sake was her solution to an empty stomach. When the alcohol brought the familiar warmth to her limbs the Hokage left the confines of her office, the bottle safely in her grasp. The few employees left at work gave her nervous smiles and hesitated to meet her eyes when she passed them in the hallway; no doubt they'd overheard much of the loud conversation she'd had with Sakura. She mentally rolled her eyes in anticipation of the gossip that would no doubt be spreading the next day, regardless of the situation they faced. She didn't pause when she arrived at her room; instead, she accessed the hidden staircase next to her bureau and slipped from the building - a single destination in mind.
The night was quickly approaching. The team would leave in a few hours on one of the most dangerous missions they'd faced. Tsunade ignored the melancholy attempting to settle into her bones as she knocked on Shizune's door.
"Should we intervene, Taicho?"
The whispered question should have brought an instant reprimand during a period of radio silence, but the leader of the multi village ANBU squadron understood the necessity of the act. For several days their routine remained the same - conceal themselves and collect intel on the S-class fugitive they managed to locate. It had taken months of searching and cost the lives of many brave shinobi to finally obtain Kabuto's location. To give away their position now would negate the many sacrifices given for this day. However...
"Stop running you bastard!"
An explosion bombarded the area, pelting the quiet surroundings with rocks and debris only moments after the enraged cry was heard. The deserted back country they found themselves in was slowly being pummeled to a barren wasteland under the destructive forces meeting upon it. While it was imperative they remained undetected, keeping a visual on the enemy was also vital. Four members of his platoon joined him during this reconnaissance. With their chakra completely masked, pinpointing the location of his own men was difficult - even knowing where they were stationed as he did. A glint in the trees alerted him to the presence of a member of his squadron, who was also directly in the path of the battle. The captain watched with momentary worry as the fight grew closer. As their weapons clashed, muting all other sounds in the forest under the deafening clang of metal meeting, the hidden shinobi took advantage of the moment to flee his post in favor of a safer distance. The relief settling in the captain's gut was fleeting as a water jutsu dosed the forest floor, pushing the fight to the trees.
Grinding his teeth against the turn of events, the Taicho pressed the microphone against his throat. "Hold your positions for now. Do not engage the enemy."
No response came through the speakers, but a confirmation wasn't necessary. He knew his men would follow his directives.
A tortured cry filled the air.
Having lost visual on the enemy, the squad leader was filled with anxiety as he watched blood tinge the water rushing beneath his feet. Soon enough, the fear for his men safety was relieved as a limp body fell from the dense thicket of trees to land heavily on a series of rocks barely visible over the flooded forest floor, but that relief was dripping with remorse. Frustration welled inside the Konoha shinobi as he looked down on the young, white haired man. There were numerous reasons to justify not intervening in this fight - without even taking into account their orders not to engage the enemy - yet, watching the slaughter before him irritated the core of his soul.
"You...you're gonna pay," the young man huffed, pressing his hand against the growing stain of blood on his side. "I'm not gonna let you...get away with the...uhh...shit you put me through!" The Mist shinobi, using his massive sword as a crutch of sorts, managed to pull himself to his feet. With an angered cry, Suigetsu poured chakra into his limbs, increasing their size as he gripped the famous sword of Zabuza and ran at Kabuto.
Though Suigetsu was a missing-nin charged with murder in several countries, the squad leader recalled the part he played in the war. He'd been skeptical when Kakashi-taicho announced Suigetsu and his large companion would join the battle, but the young white haired man proved himself time and again. He could remember that day clearly, as Suigetsu's actions shocked him so at the time. To see the face of a man noted in every country's Bingo books step in front of an injured shinobi and draw the fight away was something he could never forget. The former Mist-nin had fought with the strength of a dozen shinobi, cutting down wave after wave of Zetsu's replicas, saving many lives in the process. In fact, several of his own men were spared by the unlikely savior.
That alone was reason enough to cause the shame he felt at watching Kabuto parry every attack from the young fighter. Another tortured cry was wrenched from Suigetsu as Orochimaru's former assistant scorched his sword arm with a massive katon jutsu. His body liquefied, the large puddle flowing backward quickly before reforming near a large rock. Unfortunately, his arm still bore the painful wounds from the fire. The young man flexed his fingers around the hilt of Kubikiribocho while the blade rest against the ground. His body was positioned in front of the massive sword, so Suigetsu took the risk of testing its weight against his injured arm. The missing-nin could only hope Kabuto failed to see how badly he now struggled to raise it with his dominant arm.
"I wonder if you'd indulge a question of mine, Suigetsu," Kabuto said, a wicked grin tilting his lips. "Do you fight only for yourself?"
Suigetsu simply stared back in confusion as he gasped for much needed air. His wary eyes took note of Kabuto's slow, measured steps toward his position. Numbing fingers tightened around the hilt of his sword as he fought the grimace of pain desperate to show on his face. The blood still flowing from his side now trickled a path down his leg. He'd lost too much already; that much was certain.
"Wha...what do you mean?" He despised the weakness leaking into his voice.
"You did travel with Sasuke-kun for a period of time," Kabuto commented, shedding his robe as he closed the distance separating them. The snake attached to his body unwound his coils and towered over his master - the hiss coming from it seeming to convey his distaste for their prey. "I was wondering if his renewed loyalty to his teammates had transferred to you."
Suigetsu pressed against the seeping wound in his side, praying to stem the flow of blood before he lost consciousness. If he could keep Kabuto talking for a bit longer, perhaps he could find a way to escape and recuperate before taking the bastard down. "Are you an idiot? I was only with Sasuke to get to my own goal. I don't give a shit about a team. That's for those Konoha weaklings."
The throaty laugh that escaped the medic triggered warning bells with Suigetsu. "Well that's a comfort. I'd almost feel sorry for killing you over a woman as pathetic as Karin was."
He stared into the twisted face of his former tormentor, searching for the twitch that would expose his words as a lie, but could find none. "What are you talking about?"
"Hmm? You haven't heard?" The scaly grin covering his face stretched wider. "I left her body at Konoha's borders. Sort of a present for Sasuke-kun. "
The young Mist-nin tried to hide it, but Kabuto easily saw his knuckles turn white and his jaw clench from the short distance between them. Suigetsu's chest heaved for a moment as he drew in a deep breath, probably in a feeble attempt to calm his anger. Kabuto found himself fighting the urge to chuckle in the young man's face.
"You killed her?"
The poorly disguised rage in his voice almost destroyed the self restraint Kabuto was employing, but he managed to hide his amusement at the bleeding boy in his response. "Well, after I was done with her, of course. The fact that she thought the end of our agreement would be any different kept a smile on my face for many months."
As he knew he would, Suigetsu launched at the medic, wildly swinging his deadly sword in blind anger. No matter what farce the nukenin tried to spin, Kabuto knew the girls death would anger him. In fact, he was certain that was the reason Suigetsu had sought him out. To think his anger stemmed from a few minor experiments he conducted back in Orochimaru's lab was ludicrous.
Kabuto leapt back as Suigetsu's sword came down in a swift arc, though he wasn't fast enough. Even in his angered state, he was a skilled opponent. Sasuke-kun specifically chose him for a reason, but the minor wound across his chest was of little importance. As they fought his rapid cell regeneration closed the wound in only a few minutes. Kabuto rolled under the next swing aimed for his head, quickly weaving the seals that wound bring an end to this battle. The medic jumped atop a nearby boulder and blew across the water logged ground.
Ice crystals spread rapidly across every surface touched by the earlier water jutsu. Though Suigetsu saw it reaching his position, he could not move fast enough to escape it's grip. As his foot left the ground, the jutsu followed the trail of water left in his wake. The young man struggled against the crystalline prison, but to no avail. His sword dropped to the ground uselessly. Suigetsu found himself trapped in an unbreakable hold.
Kabuto stopped just before the trapped shinobi. Should Suigetsu been able to move his arms, he could have touched the cold, reptilian skin before him. Instead, he was unable to move away from the spiteful eyes boring into him. Despite his long standing resolve, the twisted depths in those orbs lit a spark of fear he would deny even to himself.
"What!" He screamed at the motionless man when he could take no more of the silence.
"Do you know the only real pleasure I'll get out of this, Suigetsu?" Kabuto stepped close - until his lips fell just shy of the nukenin's ear. His hushed words chilling Suigetsu even further. "Knowing the men you once fought beside have watched your death without ever lifting a finger to help you."
Startled eyes shot to the trees, frantically searching the dense foliage for any sign of life. He wanted to, at the least, know Kabuto was lying to him, torturing him further with his painful words, but sunlight reflected off something tucked high in the branches. Suigetsu would have no chance to discover what it was, would have no time to scream his curses at the men the snake claimed were watching him bleed.
Kabuto retrieved his robe, slowly donning the plush fabric while taking care to step away from the ever growing pool of blood just behind him. With the hood of his cloak pulled up, he felt it safe to allow the amused grin tugging at his lips to break free. He kept his back to the trees as he headed for his lab, though he almost felt like pouting like a child. How amusing it would be to see how long the ANBU left the young Mist-nin in that position. Oh he wanted to watch that so badly, but it was best not to be to careless. As long as they believed he was ignorant of their presence, he would continue to have the upper hand in the coming days.
An errant chuckle slipped past his lips as he thought of the surprise he had waiting for Sasuke-kun.
Though her mind wavered as to her destination, her body moved with an instinct she would have been unable to fight had she had the inclination. Her own home wasn't a favorable option; the empty rooms would do nothing for her state of mind. Venting her frustrations on the training ground would have been the best recourse to burn the adrenaline currently pumping through her system, but her legs refused to veer in that direction. Instead, it seemed the most natural action to burst through Sasuke's door, slam the thick wood closed behind her, and - paying no heed to his surprised face and ready-to-fight stance - begin cursing as she stalked about his home.
He watched her for a moment, curious obsidian eyes tracking her furious pace. Though he relaxed his battle ready muscles, he remained standing beside the small table in his living area. Sasuke glanced at the door, half expecting someone to chase in after her with the angry pace and tensed muscles she displayed. Her delicate pink brows were drawn down over narrowed eyes. Her hands gesticulated wildly as she stormed a path across his apartment again and again. The disjointed sentences grumbled under her breath amidst her colorful language did little to give him insight as to what infuriated her. With the seventh pass of her journey around his home, the avenger reclaimed his seat on the couch. He rested his head in his hand while listening to her nonsensical tirade, theorizing what could have sent the medic into such a rage.
It spoke volumes to how much he'd grown - rather, how much they had grown together, that Sasuke felt almost content watching Sakura's tirade. Where he once would have walked away with little concern to her frame of mind, he now sat listening - mostly listening - to her problems. A portion of the time was spent admiring the way her chest heaved during her heated one-sided conversation. He heard his name a few times during the rant, but his continued attention to her seemed to be enough to appease the pinkette; she never paused to await an answer to whatever question she posed. Truthfully, as odd as it was, Sasuke could have watched her display for much longer, but the sudden glistening tears streaking down her face was the call to end her confusing behavior. He waited until she passed the couch and grabbed hold to her wrist. With a gentle pull, Sasuke had her tucked neatly beside him.
"Sakura, what exactly happened?"
For a moment, she stared wide eyed into his face before erupting into anger once more. "Sasuke! Have you not listened to a word I said?"
He resisted the urge to roll his eyes, but couldn't contain a sigh. "Sakura, you haven't been making any sense."
She sputtered for a moment and he feared she would begin her ravings once more, but with a clench of her jaw and a deep breath, she managed to get her sentence out calmly. "Tsunade-sama is putting Shizune on the team leaving tomorrow."
"Okay."
"O...okay? Do you not understand, Sasuke?" she screeched, pulling herself from his side so she could face him fully. "She's not letting me go! I've been ordered to stay in Konoha!"
Ah, there it is. Sasuke now understood the root of her anger, but he was unable to share her feelings on the matter. His own lack of outrage at the revelation was quickly noticed by the furious woman sitting opposite him and only added to fuel to her ever growing fire. "Sakura..."
"Goddammit, Sasuke. Does this not even matter to you?"
He faced her narrowed gaze with a telling look of his own. "You're going to be left in the village instead of facing off against the bastard who has murdered hundreds of people over the five nations. No, that doesn't piss me off, Sakura."
The kunoichi huffed in the face of his reasoning. His feelings on the matter may have been touching had she not already been up in arms over her unwanted exclusion from the mission. She tugged at her hair in frustration. "And what about you? I know you're going to be on that team leaving at dawn. Am I supposed to just sit here while you go fight this murderer?"
"Sakura, just..."
"What if you get hurt? What if something happens? I'm supposed to be there to help you!"
"Would you ju..."
"I have not spent the past five years of my life training in medical ninjutsu to simply sit back and wait to know if you're coming home!" The tears which had momentarily stopped began streaming down her pale cheeks again. Her words were strangled as her cries bubbled over.
Unable to do little else, Sasuke pulled her trembling form into his arms. He tucked the crown of her cotton candy hair under his chin and held her tightly as she sobbed into his chest. He would not tell her everything would be alright; the situation they faced left him unable to do so. He could not even offer her the comfort of agreeing with her words. Truthfully, he was more than pleased with the Hokage's decision to keep her in the village. While he was impressed and pleased with Sakura's skills in battle, he had no desire to see her fighting Kabuto. The former assistant had become ruthless and indifferent to human life. With Kabuto's sadistic actions over the past few months, Sasuke feared the bastard would intentionally target Sakura - or Naruto - just to see how he would react should something happen to them. Sakura was strong, but he was not willing to put her skills to that kind of test.
Her cries began to ease and Sasuke only prayed his question would not cause a relapse. "Can you at least understand why I agree with Tsunade's decision."
She didn't answer right away, but the lack of new tears and her heavy sigh calmed the Uchiha. He held onto his patience and continued rubbing her back, in what he hoped was a soothing fashion.
"I do understand, Sasuke," she finally murmured, trying to be as discreet as possible as she wiped the tear tracks from her cheeks. "But I hope you understand why this upsets me so much."
"I know you're mad about this and if I was in your position I would be as well."
"Maybe...but you'd just ignore her and go," she whispered, though not so low that he didn't hear.
"Perhaps, but you will not be doing that," he said with a note of finality. "Tsunade has her own reasons for giving this order, but I don't want you in this fight. I want you to stay in the village and wait for me to return home."
Being the strong, proud kunoichi that she was, sitting in the village as her comrades went off to battle was something she could hardly understand. The need to be by their side was so strong that the very thought of being absent from it all made her teeth clench. Even so, the young woman could understand her mentor - and Sasuke's - wishes. Placing herself in their positions, she could identify with their desire to keep her loved ones safe. However, that was also part of the reason she wanted to join them on the journey come daylight. The decision had already been made for her, but it continued to weigh heavily on her mind. Accepting an order she disdained so wasn't easy for the pinkette. Knowing she had little choice in the matter, she rested her head against Sasuke's broad chest and held him close as she tried to come to terms with her Hokage's decision.
Though his warm body was pressed so tightly against her own, her heart seized with the absence it would feel in just a few short hours. Sakura prayed for his safety - for the safety of everyone on the team, and soon found herself fighting back a fresh wave of tears. She finally drew back, peeking at him with dewy emerald eyes. "You have to promise you'll come back to me, Sasuke. I don't care how naive that sounds...just promise me you'll come back home."
He cradled her flushed face within his calloused palms, his forehead coming to rest against hers. The avenger had to take a deep breath as he held her close; the words floating through his mind almost spilling out as her shaky voice demanded he return to her side. His lips skimmed across the corners of her eyes, kissing away the few errant tears daring to gather there. "I promise you I will return."
With a weary, accepting sigh Sakura nodded her head, relaxing her body into his embrace. Her eyes were filled with the tumultuous emotions doing battle in her soul, but the words that escaped her were strong and resolute. "I love you, Sasuke." Gentle lips caressed his own. "I love you so much. Please...please come home to me."
Her gentle kiss did little to satisfy his ever growing hunger and he took possession of her lips. Sasuke accepted all the chaotic emotions within her in that kiss. All the anger, sadness, hope, and love...he took them all. He allowed every essence of Sakura to fill the remaining holes in his burdened soul. She was in his veins, firing in every nerve, occupying his very skin.
His hot breath lingered just beyond her lips, battle hardened hands nearly crushing her smaller frame against his own body. "Stay with me tonight." The request his mouth asked, his body demanded as he slowly walked her down the hallway, never releasing her from his hold. Her reply was muffled against his lips, but the answer was obvious as she clung to his hard frame. The pair stumbled into the door, but it did nothing to deter them from their destination. They tumbled to the bed, limbs tangling as clumsy, eager hands tore at offensive clothing.
Instinct and desire guided their actions as wanting flesh was exposed. Dull nails tugged at his raven hair as Sasuke's hot tongue lead a path down her chest, swirling around her navel. He nipped the tender flesh of her belly, gripped the plump flesh of her ass, and reveled in every surprised gasp and breathy sigh that escaped her lips. His body sang with every sweep of her small hands across his chest, every pinch of blunt nails into his shoulders. Sakura gave as fiercely as she received and soon had him growling against her skin when her legs encircled his lean hips.
Her declaration of love was whispered against his temple as he sank into her body. The sensation of being filled robbed her of breath. She curled around him, holding him close while she sifted through the painful pleasure wracking her body. Obsidian eyes watched her as his hips began a rhythm she'd never known, but one her body was programmed to follow. He rose over her undulating form, never pausing as he burned every inch of her skin to memory. Cries of pleasure tore from her mouth, his name a broken whisper when she gasped for breath. A welcomed heat licked up the avenger's spine, startling him in its intensity. Fingers explored and mouths met as they raced closer to that precipice together.
He breathed deeply, his mind racing as Sakura's unmistakable scent mixed with his own. The potent smell invoking something primal in his soul. The tenuous grip on his control broke and the avenger pinned her hands beside her exotic hair while his hips snapped wildly against her own. His rough, unrestrained movements evoked such deep, ingrained emotions from the young woman that she was nearly frightened from their intensity. Still, she didn't balk against their onslaught. She welcomed them with eager curiosity as her nerve endings poised to explode from Sasuke's touch.
Sakura kissed him with fire and desperation as he stroked that spot deep within her, a sort of madness driving him to watch her come apart in his arms. With a strangled cry of his name her back bowed as white heat shot down her spine, exploding down her limbs and curling her body in its wake. In her new found exhaustion, she could do little more than hold him close as he groaned against her skin and filled her with his heat.
She panted for breath, trapped under his comfortable weight but too lazy to even demand he move. As if sensing her wish, the avenger moved to lay bedside her naked form. He refused to release her entirely but settled for tucking her against his side, his arm locked around her slim waist. The chilly breeze from the open window cooled her sweat slicked skin and lulled the exhausted pair into a dreamless sleep.
()()()()()()()()
Muted colors were just beginning to break the blanket of darkness covering the village as Sasuke stood beside the bed watching Sakura's peaceful sleeping face. She would probably be angry that he'd left without waking her, but he couldn't stomach the thought of her teary eyes being the image he'd carry with him during this battle. He'd much rather hold tight to the memory of her face twisting in pleasure while they were apart.
Sasuke brushed aside a lock of her hair, a small smile tugging at his face as her nose wrinkled with the movement. With the deftness only a trained shinobi could have, he backed out of the room and silently left his apartment - a note on the kitchen table all he would leave in the way of a goodbye. Yet he had no desires to turn his earlier words into a lie. He would return to her side and when he did, Sasuke swore he would give Sakura what she had waited over five years for.
A/N:
I'm not sure if I'm mentally prepared for the end of Naruto. Of course, we've known it was coming but November? I feel a touch faint. Might be having a Scarlet O'hara moment here. :)
Thanks so much to the many reviews/favs you've blessed me with and I only hope to see more from you wonderful readers.
Can you feel the homestretch of the story fast approaching?