A/N: Yo, back again like I promised. As I'm uploading this chapter I'm working on the next one too, so hopefully in another week you'll have an update again. I have a mission for you, my loyal and lovely readers. If anyone can find any fan art that seems related to this story let me know. I'd like to put a more accurate picture up as the cover for this story. Also, if you are a graphic master of sort and want to make a cover I'd be more than happy to use it. Maybe we can work out some kind of reward or something. Like exclusive previews to the chapters? Dunno, leavin up in the air but you're help would be appreciated.
A lot of the reviews were the same. Sai is a comical gold nugget, the Night Angels are like Ichigo's hollow powers (which is what I was shooting for ), and when the FUCK are Hinata and Naruto going to kiss? (soon…very soon).
Dksamuri: It's really irritating to hear that there are still mistakes like that after I've posted. I always read through at least 3 times and that crap still gets through. Thanks for letting me know.
Hektols: I know what you mean but Naruto isn't exactly your normal genin. I might do an omake to show the kind of D-ranks he'll get, but they won't be your typical ones. Much more humiliating.
FlameDragon14: I am trying to distribute the characterization evenly, so Shino will probably get the spot light here soon for a bit.
***IMPORTANT MESSAGE!***
The following chapter is not necessary for the progression of the story. While it does show some character development it can be passed. This chapter is a Lemon, if you do not wish to read this, then don't. If you are too young to read this don't. If you're too young to read this and do and then go ask your parents about it—please reply with a picture of your parents' faces so that I can appreciate their looks of horror before this story gets removed.
Now for the rest of you—my smut loving little closet pervs—know that this is the first lemon I've done, so bare with me.
Chapter 32: Stress Relief
It had been three days since the meeting, and with each passing day he'd gotten less sleep. The bags under his eyes were deepening and dark rings were forming under his eyes. But whenever he tried to sleep at night he found no relief. All he could do was stare at the ceiling, or the wall, tossing back and forth as his mind wandered—wondering what would happen when the battle finally took place. He needed to get sleep. If he didn't, then they'd most likely fail. The odds weren't exactly in their favor to begin with.
Rolling over and glancing at the alarm clock, Sasuke let out a frustrated sigh when it flashed 11:45 at him. Sitting up, he tossed the covers to the side and got out of bed. Maybe Sakura had something for insomnia? He glanced at the clock again and then unconsciously rubbed his jaw. Then again, maybe waking her up this late wouldn't be in his best interest. She had made it abundantly clear that she wouldn't put up with his shit anymore.
Heaving a sigh, Sasuke got up and turned to his bathroom instead. He turned the sink on and waited for the warm water to pool in the basin. After splashing the water on his face he glanced at the mirror and saw his pale reflection stare back at him, his eyes accented by the dark rings.
"Fuck it," Sasuke said throwing the towel down, "I want sleep, she can hit me afterwards."
Before he could think twice about his decision, Sasuke was out of his room and walking down the hall towards his teammate. Tired and focused on sleep, he never even noticed what he was wearing—or lack thereof.
Sakura glanced at the clock one more time—11:45. It was time. Getting up from her bed she made her way to the bathroom, shut the door, locked it, and turned the shower on. She then pulled a tiny scroll from her pocket and set it on the sink before looking at her reflection in the mirror.
She was a wreck. She was pale, her hands were shaking, and her heart was racing. She paced back and forth in the small space and every couple of steps she would glance at the sink. Any moment now a slug would show up to take her information, but playing the waiting game was destroying her. This was the most crucial part of her entire mission—hundreds of thousands of lives depended on her—if she could stop the initial invasion, they could very well stop the entire war. She couldn't fail. She wouldn't fail. But this entire operation hinged on her not getting caught.
The knock at her door nearly caused Sakura to scream in terror. Her eyes widened and her stomach knotted as she stared at the door. Had they figured it out? Was her cover blown? She felt like she was going to vomit and her heart was nearly beating out of her chest, but she refused to go down without a fight. Gathering chakra, she prepared to prematurely summon Katsuya and pass of the scroll before bursting through the door in a desperate attempt to buy time.
Sasuke must have sensed the impending doom because his voice suddenly called through the door causing Sakura to pause.
"Sakura it's me! I know it's late but I need your help."
Sakura felt her control over her chakra slip as she eased up. What if it was a trap? It could be just to catch her off guard. But the tone of his voice was what caused her to pause and slowly open the door just a crack.
"What do you want Sasuke, I'm about to get a shower." Sakura asked.
Sasuke shifted side to side struggling for words. "I…I can't sleep."
"And so you came to me?"
"I figured you could help somehow." Sasuke replied with a scowl.
Sakura's lip drew tight and she gave a sigh as she closed her eyes. "Give me a minute."
Closing the door, Sakura turned the shower off and then moved the tiny scroll back behind the faucet of the sink. Hopefully the small slug would spot it when it appeared.
Leaving the bathroom and closing the door behind her, Sakura spoke, "Okay Sasuke-kun, what is the prob—"
The rest of her sentence was caught in her throat when she found Sasuke sitting on her bed in nothing more than his boxers. Her face turned a fierce red as she averted her eyes and began to sputter.
"S-S-Sas-uke! Wh-Why aren't y-you wearing a-a-anything!"
Sasuke's face contorted in confusion as he looked down and realized he really was wearing nothing. In his sleep deprived state he had forgotten to put anything on. His face turned a faint pink in embarrassment but he shook it off.
"You've seen me like this before when you did my physical. It's nothing you haven't seen before." he replied calmly.
"Th-That was d-different!"
"How?" Sasuke asked.
"I-It just is!" Sakura said throwing her bathrobe at him. "Make yourself decent!"
"As if I don't already have enough on my mind!" Sakura thought as her eyes slowly drifted over his well toned body, taut and radiating power just beneath the surface. She could already tell her dreams would be plagued with images of him for the next few weeks.
Sasuke slipped the robe on and then looked at her. "Is there anything you can do to help me sleep?"
Sakura sighed and pulled her desk chair over and sat down across from him. Giving him a quick check up, she asked him standard questions about his sleeping pattern. When she was done she sat back with another tired sigh and glanced at the clock. Only five minutes had passed since she had tried to get a shower, but to her it had seemed like an eternity.
"It sounds like you just have a lot on your mind Sasuke-kun." Sakura said finally.
"Isn't there something you can do?" he asked in annoyance.
"I'm a doctor, not a psychologist." she said folding her arms.
"What about medicine for sleep? Isn't there something I could take?"
"Yes," Sakura said, "but not here."
Sasuke let out a groan and rubbed his exhausted eyes. At this rate he wouldn't be coherent for the invasion, let alone ready to lead to take on the entire village. His mind was starting to go numb, but his head throbbed with exhaustion. The exhaustion added to his stress and fed the throbbing in a vicious cycle.
Sakura sat across from Sasuke and felt a pang of helplessness shoot through her. She wanted to help but she had no idea how. Her eyes slowly drank in the form across from her, the robes opening revealing the tense muscles hidden by the layer of cotton. She could feel her face heating up again and the images of what she would love to do with him flashed through her mind. Her body stiffened for a moment before she shook her head in an attempt to clear her mind and she felt her own tense muscles ache from the movement. God she was going to need a serious massage after this mission was over. She smiled helplessly at her predicament before her eyes bulged at her realization.
Getting up, Sakura moved over and sat back down next to Sasuke. He was so engrossed in his thoughts that he never even noticed her movements until she placed a hand gently on his leg.
"Sasuke-kun," she said softly, "I want you to take the robe off."
"W-What?!" Sasuke asked as his head jerked towards her. His face started to turn pink again seeing Sakura's own blush wasn't helping. "I just put it on!"
"Just…trust me, ok?"
Sasuke hesitated for a moment but finally conceded. Slipping the robe off, he let it fall to the floor and sat there next to his pink haired teammate waiting for what was to come. It was already weird enough, but when she placed her hand lightly on his chest and pushed him back onto the bed things started to get out of control and his eyes widened.
"What are you doing Sakura?" Sasuke asked, his voice a mixture of embarrassment and surprise.
"Roll over."
"What?"
"Roll over on your stomach." she explained. "I'm going to give you a massage, you're too tense."
Sasuke stared at her for a moment debating on whether or not it would be a good idea. Seeing his indecision Sakura added, "It will help you relax and fall asleep."
Those were the magic words. Almost in an instant he was on his stomach, arms down at his sides and ready to go. Going over to her dresser, Sakura pulled out one of the few commodities she allowed herself to bring—cherry blossom scented lotion.
Walking back to Sasuke, she could have sworn she saw something flash through his eyes and in that instant she felt hot excitement shoot through her body. A small burst of adrenalin jump started her heart and she could feel her breath quicken slightly. In the spur of the moment, she reached up and she pulled the bandanna she was wearing off and allowed her hair to fall. At the same time, her hips swayed just a little more as she closed the distance between them. Something in her was beginning to stir, a tingling sensation that started in her stomach and began working its ways to her extremities. It was intoxicating and Sakura couldn't help it as her tongue darted out and she licked her lips in anticipation.
And through it all Sasuke's eyes never left her, every movement she made he followed, drinking in the way her body flowed gracefully.
"I hope you don't mind the smell." Sakura said softly as she opened the bottle and squeezed some of the lotion out. Rubbing it on her hands to warm it, she then began to spread it out over his back.
"Always liked the smell of sakura," Sasuke muttered as his eyes started to drift close. "Reminds me of spring when I was young; when I used to go on picnics with my mother and brother."
"Sounds nice," Sakura said with a small smile.
"Mmm," he responded half in acknowledgment to what she said and half in bliss as her hands worked over his muscles.
"Sasuke-kun, you're so tense. Do you ever relax?"
A sigh escaped from the Uchiha but it wasn't one of relaxation. Instead, it sounded heavy. Tired. Burdened beyond belief. It caused Sakura to frown a little and before she knew what she was doing she acted. Throwing her leg over Sasuke, she straddled him and allowed her hands to glide gently across his skin.
"S-Sakura?" Sasuke said in surprise as he looked up at her out of the corner of his eye.
"Relax," she cooed with a warm smile, "I can get a better angle like this."
Before he could say anything, she pressed down with her thumbs and a groan escaped his lips. It made her happy to see how much he melted in her hands. He needed this; and with each passing movement of her hand it became more and more apparent. Pausing to get more lotion, she was unprepared when Sasuke spoke.
"Why did you abandon the village?"
Rubbing some lotion through her hands, she returned to his back and focused more on his spine. "Because I wanted to be with you."
"Why?"
The question caused her to stop and her brow furrowed. "What do you mean?"
"Why do you want to be with me so badly?" Sasuke asked looking up at her again from the corner of his eye.
"I told you already." Sakura said with a huff, her already present blush darkening. "It's because I love you."
"But why do you love me?" Sasuke asked his voice sounding a little strained. "What did I ever do to deserve your love? What did I do to deserve anyone's love?"
Sakura sat there with her hands resting against his back, shocked at what she had just heard.
"Sasuke-kun…"
"I don't deserve love." he said quietly. "Not yours…Not Itachi's… Not anyone's."
A frown appeared on Sakura's face, and it only deepened as Sasuke spoke. Normally she would have yelled at him and then smacked him for acting so moody. But not this time. This time she just listened, because the slight shaking of shoulders told her just how vulnerable he was truly feeling.
"What's wrong, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura asked tenderly caressing his back.
"I'm tired Sakura. So tired of all of this. Tired of who I am…Of what I've become…Of this life! I'm just so fucking tired of it all!" Silence fell between them as he took a moment to steady his breathing before continuing. "I'm a traitor to the village that raised me. I grew up hating the man that took everything from me, and when I finally killed him I found out it was all to protect me. I nearly killed my best friend, and I forced you to abandon your home…So tell me. What makes me so deserving of your love? What makes me deserving of anything remotely pertaining to that emotion?"
His voice echoed off the walls of her room, the anger reverberating back at them as he waited for a reply. He wasn't angry at her, how could he be? After everything she had done for him he owed his life to her. But he was so furious with how his life had played out, like some sick story filled with tragedy and doomed romance. He didn't want that, he didn't want any part of it. He was brought out of his thoughts though when he felt something warm and wet dripping onto his back.
"I love you Sasuke…" Sakura whispered, "…because I choose to."
"But why?" Sasuke asked, his voice nearly breaking from the strain as he fought to stay composed. "Why do you love me when I'm such a terrible person?"
She slid off of his back and sat down next to him on the edge of the bed—hands balled into fists in her lap. She was silent and all Sasuke could do was stare at her as he waited for a question. Finally, after a deafening silence, she spoke.
"Do you remember what you told Kakashi-sensei when we first became a team? About what your goals were as a ninja?" She didn't wait for a response. "You said that you didn't have a dream, but an ambition. You wanted to kill Itachi and restore your clan. It was those words, Sasuke, which made me fall for you. They were the words of someone who would see that justice was served, but also of someone who would move on afterwards. You wanted to move on back then."
Turning to look him in the eyes, green met black onyx, both holding tears of pain and sorrow. "You've completed your first goal…so why can't you move on to your second?"
"I can't forgive the village for what it did to my clan and brother." Sasuke said with quiet conviction, but his tone held weariness.
"The blame doesn't fall to the village, Sasuke-kun." Sakura said as tears rolled down her cheeks. "Of the five responsible for the massacre, three of them are already dead. Why can't we just go back? Why can't we go back and properly convict the last two? We could start over…we could all start over."
"You and I both know it wouldn't happen like that."
"We could still try." Sakura choked out. Standing up, she walked a few steps away and stood there with her head tilted down and her arms wrapped around herself.
Sasuke lay there staring after her for moment before silently getting up and walking to her. Stopping just short, he stood there fighting for words but none came out. After a few minutes Sakura finally broke the silence.
"No matter what they say…No matter what anyone says…I will always love you." Turning to him with tear stains on her cheeks she said, "I will always love the boy who wanted justice and a life afterwards."
"Sakura…" Sasuke said quietly as his hand came up and cupped her cheek. She leaned into it and closed her eyes, her hand coming up and covering his while her other came to a rest on his bare chest. She could feel his strong, steady heart beating just beneath his warm skin.
"I want you to love me Sasuke-kun…I want you to love me as much as I love you…but if you don't think that's possible then I'll leave you be." Opening her eyes, her sad smile grew as she radiated a pure accepting love. "If you really think that killing everyone in the Hidden Leaf Village will atone for what happened to your clan then I will help you. But afterwards…you have to promise me that you'll kill me too."
Sasuke's eyes widened and his throat tightened, but before he could say anything Sakura took his hand in both of hers and continued.
"I'll do it, but I won't be able to live with myself afterwards. I can't have their deaths on my hands and still never be acknowledged by you. So when you're done, and you finally feel that you've served your justice, take my life too." Looking down she squeezed her eyes shut as more tears slipped out. "Promise me."
Sasuke could only stand there in shock as he stared at the woman across from him. She would do what was necessary, even if she didn't agree with it, for the one she loved. But afterwards she would seek death to atone for it. She sounded just like Itachi.
Suddenly a rush came over Sasuke and his hand started to slip from Sakura's. Just like Itachi. She would sacrifice herself for him, just like Itachi. He finally understood how much he meant to her, and how far she was willing to go. And just like with Itachi, when he finally understood she would be gone—departed from this plane of existence. Like everything else, she would be taken from him. Like his family. Like his brother. Like his life. She would be torn away from him.
A sudden tightness seized his chest as her hand finally slipped from his grasp.
"Promise me." she whispered again.
"No."
"What?" she asked looking up quickly.
"No!" Sasuke repeated, this time louder. Grabbing her by the shoulders he stared her in the eyes with such ferocity it almost scared her. "I won't lose you too! I refuse to lose you!"
"Sasuke-kun…" Sakura tried to say more but her voice betrayed her. Her head tilted up to his as she hung on to every word he said.
"You're all I have left Sakura-chan." Sasuke said.
Before she knew what was happening, Sasuke had closed the short distance between them and pressed his lips against hers. And as soon as the initial shock wore off her mind was overloaded with an explosion of different stimuli. His warm lips, his hot body, his strong arms, all of it touching, pressing, and holding her and sending her mind through loops of pure bliss.
Pulling back after a few seconds they stared at each other wide eyed and still clinging to one another.
"Sorry," Sasuke said, "I—"
The rest was cut off when Sakura threw her arms around his neck and closed the distance again. Lips smashed against his hungrily, and Sasuke stared at her in shock before his eyes slowly closed as the kiss deepened. The rush he felt was overpowering and his hands moved shakily on their own: one going to the small of her back and pulling her into him more while the other ran through her hair. His heart was practically pounding out of his chest, and deep within him he felt a primal hunger awaken full force. His breathing became erratic as his excitement rose and the smell of Sakura filled his nose. His mind became drunk on the intoxicating scents he inhaled with each hot breath. Loosing himself, his hand tightened and he gave a soft unintentional tug on her hair.
The reaction was instantaneous as a slow, sensual moan escaped her lips and reverberated against Sasuke's. She could feel her face heating up: partly because of what she just did, but mostly because how badly she wanted him. It wasn't just her face though; she could feel it in her entire body. Her stomach tingled with anticipated excitement as it made its way down between her legs where the warm arousal was begin to turn into red hot lust. Unable to control herself anymore, she pushed against him and they both tumbled onto her bed.
They broke apart and stared at each other briefly, their ragged feverish breath tickling each other's exposed skin. Their eyes searching one another's faces before both settling on their lips and in an instant they hungrily recaptured them.
Sakura was losing whatever inhibitions she previously held with each passing second the kiss continued. Another moan escaped her as she ground her hips against Sasuke's. Her hands ran over his naked torso and basked in power she felt at her fingertips. His muscles rippled with each breath, every jerk, every caress of his body. And as she continued to explore Sasuke's body eagerly, a bulge began to grow in his boxers which only served to encourage her more as another wave of lust overwhelmed her. The arousal was causing her to lose her mind and without even thinking she reached up and grabbed two handfuls of his hair and gave a quick tug. Just like her, the sudden jolt caused Sasuke to give a quiet moan of pleasure and before he could close his mouth she slipped her tongue in.
They both froze at the foreign feeling, but only for a moment. They recovered at the same time, both slowly and awkwardly getting used to the new kiss. But before long the alien feeling vanished and they found themselves in a fierce tongue war over territory. A hot, passion filled battle played out in their mouths as they wrestled for dominance.
After what seemed like an eternity they finally broke apart and gasping for air. Glancing down at her still covered chest, Sasuke's hands came up and tugged up on the ends of her shirt. Before she could even think, she was helping him remove the obstruction and tossing it to the floor. She leaned in to capture his lips again but suddenly found herself changing positions as Sasuke flipped her over and propped himself up above her. His eyes bore into hers possessively as his lips parted and his husky voice whispered one word that sent goose bumps rushing over her skin in excitement.
"Mine."
Sakura lay there in shock for a moment before a coy smile crept across her face and her eyes slowly closed.
"Yours." she purred back and reclaimed his lips.
The shiver of excitement that ran through Sasuke was something he'd never experienced before in his life. His body moved on its' own as he hungrily pulled the woman below him closer—his hands roaming over her body, testing and rubbing her, basking in the sounds she made. The scent of sweat and something else he had never smelled before reached his nose and quickly pushed him into an erotic frenzy—his body quivering in anticipation at what was to come.
He didn't remember it happening, or even how, but he suddenly realized they were both naked. In the blur of adrenalin, lust, and passion he found himself propped above the pinkette, staring at her in shock and feverish ardor, waiting to see what she said. She seemed to be just as surprised at first, coming to the same realization he just had. But then a enticing smile tugged at her lips.
"Yours," she said giving a little thrust against his now fully engorged member. "All yours. Just be gentle."
She could tell that he wanted to take her then and there. Drive into her hard and fast, but a flash of concern flitted across his face before he leaned in and gave her a steamy kiss. Their hands intertwined and Sasuke slowly slid in little by little. At first she had been worried it would hurt, but that was quickly put to rest when she realized just how wet she really was. She could feel the sheets beneath her already soaked from her excitement. It still hurt a little, but before she knew it Sasuke had completely filled her and was staring at her with a confused look on his face. Looking up at him with just as much confusion, it clicked just as he opened his mouth and she cut him off.
"You're about to say something incredibly stupid." she said before giving him a light smack across the face and then sliding up to get a handful of hair. Pulling him back down to her she said with a smile, "I'm a kunoichi. Things happen. You're still my first."
Sasuke's only reply was a sheepish grin before a strange sensation began to radiate from below and he looked down in panic. Sakura gave a light laugh when she saw his face but to his relief—and astonishment—he saw her using the Mystic Palm on herself.
"It takes away the pain of it being your first time." Sakura explained before he could even ask. "It lets me enjoy it just as much as you do."
"Isn't that cheating?" Sasuke asked with a smirk.
"Wanna know a secret?" she whispered into his ear in a sultry tone. "All the kunoichi know the basic Mystic Palm just for their first time."
Before he could even respond, she gave a buck with her hips and they both tilted their heads back at the wave of pleasure that shot through them. Looking back down at her, Sasuke locked lips with Sakura and began rocking back and forth—each thrust bringing a burst of ecstasy more powerful than the last.
It took a few tries, but eventually Sakura found his rhythm and matched it, her well toned and athletic legs wrapping around his waist and pulling him deeper and deeper into her. It was becoming difficult to breathe as each thrust tightened the knot inside her more and more. Her nails dug into his shoulders greedily and moans escaped her lips in hot, broken, gasps as he kissed up and down her neck—his warm lips tickling and teasing her. His breath sending shivers through her body. A hand found its' way to her chest caressed her mounds, kneading them and sending little jolts of delight ricocheting through her. His fingers gave her hardened nipple a quick pinch and her entire body bucked—her back arching up and her nails raking across his back as a loud gasp escaped her. She wasn't sure how much longer she would last, and to be honest she was pleasantly surprised he'd managed this long.
Suddenly an explosion rocked her body as Sasuke dug his hips into her own. He pushed deeper, rubbing up against her pink nub on the outside and sending a whole new sensation slamming through her. Her head shot back and her hands clasped onto his shoulders in a death grip as an earth shaking moan erupted from her.
"Oh god! Sasuke-kun, right there! Do-on't st-o-op."
Her whole body worked to quicken the pace as she raced towards the climax. She was at the edge. The knot couldn't coil any tighter. All she needed was one little nudge and she would fall off into an endless ocean of ecstasy.
And a nudge was what she got. Over, and over, and over again.
Sasuke ground his hips into hers. The waves of pleasure rolling through her continuously—each time more intense than the last as the tightly bound knot released itself with a mighty burst of sheet clenching pleasure. Her head tilted back but no sound escaped her mouth as her eyes squeezed shut and she rode out the orgasm in blissful paralysis.
And Sasuke followed right behind her, reaching his limit as she tightened and clamped down around him. A moan managed to escape from him before he leaned down and kissed her passionately, slowing and deepening his thrusts as the waves of ecstasy died down until he finally came to a stop. With a heavenly sigh, he rolled over and sprawled out on the bed panting in contentment.
Finally finding her breath again, Sakura glowed with a smile. "That was…amazing…"
Sasuke's only response was a light snore, exhaustion finally catching up to him. Stress gone, his burdens lifted for the night, sleep finally consumed him in a tidal wave of long overdue peace. But even so a small smile still graced his lips.
"Asshole," Sakura said with a smirk as she slapped him lightly across the chest before cuddling up against him, "such a typical guy."
"…Mine…" was all Sasuke responded with as he slipped an arm under her waist and pulled her closer to him.
"That's right…" Sakura said gently with a smile as a tear slid down the side of her face. "All yours…don't ever forget that."
Closing her eyes, Sakura slipped away into a blissful sleep. Content that for the night, she was in the arms of the man she loved.
On the other side of the room, through the bathroom door, Katsuyu had finally managed to make it across the sink and absorb the scroll—the entire time having listened to the none-too-subtle noises. Blushing furiously she disappeared in a small puff of smoke, swearing that she would take what she'd just heard to the grave.
The things summons do for their summoners.