Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto

Chapter 29: A Beautiful Illusion

A small mouth opened to let out a big yawn before his hazel eyes hid behind the folds of his eyelids. He settled into the arms of his mother who gazed at him lovingly. Her breakfast remained untouched by her bed. Sakura could not help but smile softly as she watched Juna and her baby - Koji - share a tender moment. She would have felt as if she was imposing on such a moment but all she had to do was remind herself that Juna insisted that she stay and have her breakfast with her before going out about her day. It was the only way they saw each other lately.

Sakura's jade-colored eyes scanned the room that was filled with towels, blankets, and cloth diapers. There was little else visible. It was so different from the first time she entered the space. Just a little under a month ago. Juna tracked the movements of her eyes. She did not stop rocking the newborn in her arms.

"We must be getting close," Sakura said in a low tone woven with bittersweetness.

"Hm," Juna's smile did not waver in the slightest. "We're sticking around longer than expected. The roads back home are not in the best condition right now on account of all the rain. We don't want to get stranded out there with little, Ko-chan." She cooed at the sleeping baby. "Thankfully, Ambe-san is very understanding of the whole situation."

"What a relief," the grittiness in her own voice caught Sakura off guard. She blinked back the sudden moisture. Sakura cleared her throat roughly, dipping her head to hide her eyes.

"Sakura-chan?" The concern bleeding into Juna's voice was easily detectable. "Are you alright?"

Sakura nodded her head. "Just really happy for you," her eyes glistened with tears that she stubbornly did not give permission to fall.

"Sakura-chan," Juna's expression was kind, patient, understanding, and entirely too much.

Sakura bit her bottom lip to keep it from trembling. "And more than a little sad." Sakura chuckled. "You're my first friend, Juna-san." Her first human friend, that was.

"What an honor to be your first friend at the compound. Not that I gave you much of a choice." Juna said with a quiet laugh. Koji was now resting on his back on the futon mattress. Juna reached for her plate.

"No," Sakura shook her head. Her hands were gripping her knees tightly. She took in a deep breath. "You're my first friend ever." She stressed the last word of her statement. Her jade eyes rose hesitantly to Juna's wide eyes of surprise.

"That can't be right…" Juna searched her face with skepticism and perhaps a bit of desperation.

"You were the first person to call me pretty too." A bashful look crossed Sakura's face. Naruto did not really count in her book. He was a child. He did not have the comprehension to fully understand what he was saying. While technically he was her first friend, at his own insistence, Juna was the first person around her own age group to befriend her. "You were the first to accept me."

"Sakura-chan…," Juna swallowed painfully. Like a broken record, she was incapable of doing much other than uttering the woman's name and gawking in shock.

"I'm going to miss you so much," a tear broke free from the barrier comprised of her will. "But," she sniffled. "I'm so thankful that we got to meet, Juna-san. And even more thankful that we are friends." Sakura beamed at her.

Koji stirred. It gave Juna the perfect excuse to tear her eyes away from Sakura's too-vulnerable, too-honest, and too-grateful face. It was more than she could handle so early in the morning without any food in her.

"Hold him," Juna all but roughly shoved the newborn in Sakura's arms. The pinkette fumbled and she hastily gripped him before Juna retracted her arms.

"You're sure?" Sakura asked her in shock. She looked down at the baby that was staring at her with big, big eyes. "I'm bad luck."

"After all that?" Juna snorted. "Of course." She said gruffly to cover for the guilt churning in her. "And stop with the superstitious nonsense! It's so old-fashioned of you," she said in an exasperated huff. "You were in the room when he was born, it is about damn time you held him." Her eyes softened as she watched Sakura's trepidation melt into fondness as she gazed upon Koji. "A baby looks good in your arms. When are you having one?"

Sakura made adoring faces at the newborn that was still looking at her intently. She was so engrossed that she did not react too strongly to the statement.

"Never," Sakura answered without having to think about it. She held out her hand. Koji curled his hand around her index finger. Sakura all but melted.

"What your lips are saying and what your face is saying are two very different things," Juna brought a spoonful of breakfast to her mouth. She chewed thoughtfully. "I don't know what's wrong with the people of Tonika, maybe it's something in the water but they all need to get their eyes checked. And their heads, quite frankly." Her voice twisted in anger born from the injustice of it. "A village full of idiots!"

Sakura giggled. "So I take it you're not going to be visiting it any time soon?"

Juna ignored the question in favor of continuing her tirade.

"You're beautiful, Sakura-chan. Even with that ugly thing on your head. Inside and out. Any man would be lucky to have you. You just have to know your worth and not settle. It's a huge big world out there, Sakura-chan, with all kinds of people. Not everyone is going to look at you the way they did in Tonkia, the way you see yourself. There's someone out there that will treat you right and he's not in Konoha. He's not in the walls of this compound but he's out there. Just waiting for you."

Juna paused. She weighed the rapidly forming thought in her mind. "Come with us, come with me and Kai-kun. We can't pay you but you'll be fed and you'll have a roof over your head. And once the store is up and running, you'll have money. You have savings right? To hold you over until then?" Her eyes glittered with excitement. "Come with us!" She said almost desperately.

"I can't leave, Juna-san. Even if I wanted to. I can't leave Naruto-kun," Sakura said in a sad voice. "It means the world that you offered. I won't forget that."

Juna's stomach clenched. "You can't put your whole life on hold indefinitely because of one kid. For a kid that's not even yours." She said almost harshly. "What happens when his father remarries, hm? Because you know it's going to happen. It's only a matter of when. Men have all the time in the world. We do not."

Sakura's silence and lack of fight only seemed to enrage Juna further. The Haruno simply was listless. Completely too passive with her future. Juna needed her to see that she was the only one who could fight for the life she wanted. The one she deserved. The one she was too scared to pursue. Meekness did not benefit women in their world. Sakura had to take control instead of having it be exerted on her. Juna was frustrated enough to shake Sakura by the shoulders. She would have done it too if she was not holding Koji.

"What happens when Naruto-sama is all grown and he doesn't need you anymore? Or want you anymore because he has a new pretty, little, young thing of a mother. What happens when they kick you to the curb and you've given your best child-bearing years to this house? What then, Sakura-chan? I'll tell you what. You'll be all alone with nothing but regret!" Juna supplied the hypothetical rather brutally.

"Believe me, the life that Ambe-san lives is not something to aspire to. You can be so much more. You deserve so much more." Her eyes blazed with indignation. "Sakura, you need to get out of here. Leave this place behind. Forget about it."

"The rest of your life could be waiting for you in Tanzaku! A man even better than the ones in your nonexistent dreams. You could start over. Have as many kids as you want. You like kids. Kids like you. Why do you keep fighting it?" Her voice had taken a desperate edge to it. "You can be happy."

Sakura did not look away from the baby. She did not need to turn her head to know that Juna was frowning at her. The woman did not agree with Sakura's philosophy. They did not see eye to eye but that was okay. It did not make Sakura cherish her any less.

"I am happy," Sakura said firmly. "I like my life. I never pictured a life with a husband or kids." It was not even a remote possibility. It still is not. "It's different, I get that. But it's mine. I'm content." Sakura said firmly. "This is all I need."

"Well," Juna ran her hands through the hair, taking out the knots as she worked. She blew out the air in her lungs slowly. There was only so much she could do before it went from being the voice of reason to just being a bully.

"If you were someone else who was not horribly unlucky, would you want that? I'm not saying you will have kids but would you want them?" Her hazel eyes locked onto Sakura's contemplative expression.

"Under any other circumstances, yes. It's a nice idea." Sakura admitted with a sigh.

"Sometimes we just have to make the right circumstances," Juna said softly as she watched her friend interact with her son. The warmth in her heart was starting to numb away the guilt in her gut.

"Maybe," she answered noncommittally. She really did not want to get into an argument with someone like Juna. The woman would not rest until she wore her down. And Sakura already felt like she was grated down to the nerve. Koji yawned. Sakura smiled. Her eyes softened in a way that said what she would never let her mouth admit.

She wrung the white sheet in her hands. The water dripped off it splashing down into the bucket below. She was just about to straighten and put the sheet on the line when she saw someone coming towards her at a fast pace in her peripherals. The sheet sank into the bucket.

"Uka-san?" The pinkette regarded the out-of-breath woman. Her frizzy curly brown hair had escaped her usual updo. The woman was in her forties. One of the newest students to the steadily growing night school.

"Ambe-san is looking for you," Uka spat out the words quickly as if time were of the essence. "Hurry!" She urged Sakura to get up from her squatted position. "She's in the main house kitchen. You know where that is right?"

"No?" Sakura answered truthfully, bewildered at what was happening. "Is Naruto-kun okay?" Panic leaked into her question.

"He's fine," Uka said testily. "Go, go. Before she comes to get you herself, then it will be both our necks."

Sakura felt herself being roughly pulled to her feet from her arm. "But the laundry," she muttered looking over her shoulder.

"I'll do it. Just go already!" The woman shoved her squarely in the back. Sakura stumbled but she remained on her feet. "Walk towards the main house, you'll see the kitchen first. Big white building. Hard to miss!" The woman shouted through cupped hands.

"What in the world?" Sakura muttered to herself as her feet carried her to the hallways of the main house.

She registered the sounds of children playing. She turned her head to the left. She saw a splash of yellow in a sea of dark hair. She smiled despite herself. Naruto was having a blast. His eyes were just as wide as his mouth. The boisterous sound of his laughter consumed the confusion that was swirling in her. There was a new face in the group. A pale-skinned boy with raven hair and eyes. He was beautiful. He caught her gaze and gave her a glare that was magnitudes beyond what she thought a child could manage. She turned her head away just out of instinct.

'Mean mugged by a toddler, great.'

She did not have to sit with that for long. The door was thrown open just as soon as she brought her fist to the wooden surface. Before she could even utter a word in greeting, Sakura felt herself being pulled inside by a pair of hands on her arm. She blinked at the two faces looking at her, waiting expectantly. Something smelled delicious.

"Close your mouth, girl," Tomoha ordered curtly.

Sakura obliged, not realizing she had it open. Could anyone really blame her? The kitchen was massive. It was half the size of her parent's home. And it was neat and kept meticulously clean. It was a sight to behold.

'Can I live here?'

"Sakura," Tomoha's voice hit her like a whip. Miharu did not bother to hide her snickers at the yelp that left Sakura's mouth as she jerked ramrod-straight at the sound of her own name. "We're short on staff with Juna having her baby so I had to move some things around. You'll be serving our guest their tea." Tomoha said with a straight face.

Sakura's eyes darted to Miharu who was of no help. She was putting the finishing touches on the wooden tray continuing fine china in a blue and white pattern that probably cost more money than she could ever hope to earn in her life. Her dread only grew.

"Why can't you do it?" She squeezed her eyes closed and covered her mouth with her hands in mortification. And inside thought made it to the outside through her treacherous lips.

"Because I can make you do it," Tomoha clicked her tongue in annoyance. It surprised Sakura that was the extent of Tomoha's reaction to her out-of-pocket comment. From a quick glance at Miharu's face, the woman was equally as surprised.

"I'm nervous." She was an idiot for not quitting while she was ahead.

"Get over it," Tomoha all but pushed the tray containing the teapot, two cups, two saucers, and a plethora of sweet snacks and cakes in her hands but not before covering it. It was only the grace of Kami that she managed to not spill or drop anything. Her reflexes and her nerves were being put to the test today.

'First a baby and now this.' It was hard to say which one left her more wrecked.

"Follow me," Tomoha said unforgivingly. She held open the door.

Sakura shot a distressed look at Miharu only for the woman to smile and wave at her with an unreadable gleam in her eyes. She looked almost smug. Like she knew something that Sakura did not.

"Sakura," Tomoha ground out each syllable of her name through clenched teeth. "Now!"

"Yes! Coming." Sakura answered nervously. She struggled to keep pace with the woman who was leading her down unfamiliar hallways while not allowing anything to rattle or jostle too much in the journey. She was sweating by the time Tomoha stopped at a set of shoji doors. Sakura without prompt followed Tomoha's lead and left her shoes at the door before they entered.

Sakura kept her gaze trained on the tray in her hands, covered by a beautifully ornate silk cloth all the while stepping into the room. Her jade orbs did not stray far from the food. The familiar sound of the door being slid closed filled her ears. The beautiful dark wooden floors were polished so well that she could almost see her reflection. Her head bowed slightly more forward as she waited for her next set of orders. She never felt so woefully out of place.

'At least your socks are hole-free.'

"Ah, tea." a voice she did not recognize exclaimed softly. It was gentle and kind. Almost melodic. Sakura would have found it soothing if she was not so focused on not drawing attention to herself.

"Put it on the table," Tomoha's low voice was behind her ear.

Sakura walked with careful, measured, balanced steps to the large table in the middle of the room. It was surrounded by comfortable-looking cushions. Enough to seat eight. She set down the wooden tray on the wooden table. She flinched when the louder-than-necessary click reached her ears. Her only saving grace was that nothing had fallen. Sakura removed the dark navy, silk cloth lined with triskeles before she clasped her hands and took as many steps back as she had forward all without looking up.

"Everything looks so lovely," the soothing voice said. Sakura heard the soft clapping of hands once. "You've really outdone yourself this time, Ambe-san."

"You're too kind, Mikoto-sama," Tomoha's voice sounded so foreign to Sakura's ears. There was warmth and patience in there. It was a little unsettling as was the knowledge that Tomoha apparently could cook such delicate desserts and cakes.

"Is this her?"

Everything inside Sakura seemed to freeze. Time stopped at the three words uttered.

"It is," Tomoha said with a nod. Sakura felt something - Tomoha's elbow - nudge her in the back. It was about as subtle as a bull. Sakura took three steps forward. She was seconds removed from wringing her hands.

"No need to look away," Mikoto's voice was gentle but it was as good as an order no matter how it was delivered.

Sakura slowly raised her eyes to the woman's face. Her breath hitched. The dark-haired beauty was clad in a fabric of rich burgundy. Her raven locks were pinned on her head in intricate twists. Gold hairpins adorned her tresses. Her eyes, despite being as black as the night sky, held a warmth that rivaled the rays of the sun. She was beautiful. Quite possibly the most beautiful woman Sakura had ever seen.

"My name is Mikoto, and you are?" Her lips which were painted in a soft pink pulled into an inviting, disarming smile.

Sakura stood there tongue-tied and empty-headed. She turned her head to look at Tomoha who was regarding her with a less than impressed expression.

"Speak," she mouthed the words, again not so subtly.

"Sa-," she cleared her throat feeling her cheeks heat up in a mix of embarrassment and a state of being starstruck. "Sakura."

"Sakura," Mikoto said her name softly, thoughtfully as if hearing it for the first time in her life. "It's a beautiful name."

The heat rose to her cheeks even faster now at the woman's genuine-sounding compliment.

"Please sit down, Sakura-san," Mikoto gestured to the seat closest to her on the other side of the corner of the table. "I really do not like to take my tea alone."

"I'll be taking my leave then, Mikoto-sama. I will see you later." Tomoha bowed her head and made her way to the exit of the room. Not before shooting Sakura a sharp look that killed the pinkette's words of protest in her throat instantly.

"I don't bite, Sakura-san. Please sit down." Minkoto repeated in the same kind and patient tone that made it seem like Sakura had a choice in the matter. A beautiful illusion.

Her movements were rigid and awkward as she sat down. She did not know what to do with herself. It was not until Mikoto had poured herself tea that Sakura realized that should have been her job.

'Baka! Do something!'

"I'm so sorry!" She uttered in extreme mortification at the fact that a guest of the house did so. It was literally her one job. Serve tea. That was the beginning and the end of the list.

"It's quite alright," Mikoto said with a laugh. It sounded like music to Sakura's ears. "Despite what you saw, there really are no formalities between me and this house anymore. I've been coming here for years." Her smile faltered some. "Less so since Kushina-chan's passing." Mikoto set a cup containing steaming tea in front of Sakura.

"You were friends," Sakura smiled at her in thanks. The mortification was slowly receding. Something about Mikoto just put her at ease. The air around her was so welcoming.

"Hm," Mikoto hummed in agreement almost sadly. "She was my closest friend."

Sakura helped her transfer the small plates containing the deserts to the table from the tray before she moved the tray off the table entirely.

"We used to do this at least once a week when she was still alive," Mikoto smiled as her eyes held a hundred-yard stare. "The frequency now has reduced to once a year at most, usually Tomoha-san would sit with me but it appears she is quite busy today."

Sakura said nothing. She kept her gaze on the cup in front of her. She heard the clinking of spoons against the china. She willed her stomach to not grumble audibly. She was not hungry but her stomach was having a very real reaction to sweets in front of her. It wanted to devour them.

"Sakura-san," Mikoto tapped the table with her fingers. "Please, you have to help me eat some of this. I won't be able to stop myself unless you do."

Sakura giggled. She covered her mouth. "Sorry."

"The only one that will be sorry is me when I leave here a pound heavier and with a stomach ache. Eat up!" Mikoto's eyes sparkled with mirth. She laughed good-naturedly. "When Kushina-chan was around, the desserts did not stand a chance. I had to grab what I wanted in under five seconds otherwise it would be in her stomach!"

Sakura found herself joining in with Mikoto's laughter. She could almost picture it. A faceless head with long red hair destroying everything in her path. It did not take long for her to become somber. Sakura quickly followed suit. Mikoto brought the white and blue cup to her lips.

"Naruto-kun looks really happy. I've never seen him so happy."

Sakura swallowed the sweet bite of pastry. She nearly choked because she did not chew enough. She forced it down with a gulp of tea. Burning her tongue. Her eyes watered. Mikoto seemed to find the whole thing endearing judging by the way she was looking at Sakura.

"Naruto-kun spent time with his Otosama. That's why he's so happy," Sakura stammered when she finally realized that Mikoto was expecting a response.

"Hm, I see," Mikoto hid her smile behind her cup.

Sakura eyed the half-eaten wagashi on her plate. The green flower with a pink center stared at her.

"Do you have a question?" Mikoto asked her knowingly.

Sakura gapped at her, startled that the woman seemingly read her mind.

"Tomoha-san told - well warned - me that you're a curious one," Mikoto said good-naturedly.

"Oh," Sakura said lamely. She rubbed her wrists together under the table. She wished her sleeves were long and graceful like Mikoto's. She wanted to hide her hands which were rough and calloused. So unlike the hands of the woman sitting in front of her. The fine china and fancy spoons looked ridiculous in Sakura's grasp.

"It's just that," her eyes moved from side to side and she thought through her words. "Earlier you said 'Is that her?' What did you mean by that?" Her meek, timid voice was just barely loud enough to reach Mikoto's ears.

"Oh," Mikoto dabbed the corners of her mouth with a silk handkerchief that disappeared into her sleeve. "Tomoha-san was upfront that she did not have time and that Naruto-kun's Sensei would be having tea with me. You see, Naruto-kun would not stop going on and on about how great his Sensei is at the Nara Compound so I just had to meet you. It's serendipity that things worked out the way they did today." Mikoto smiled warmly.

"I see," Sakura fiddled with her sleeves. "I had no idea." Her face was hot enough to steam dumplings on. She was sure of it.

"Don't be embarrassed. It's a good thing. Not all children - especially little boys - are so excited to learn. You've become somewhat of an urban legend among the clans. I know that the Uchiha Clan can certainly use your skill set."

"I'm not formally trained!" Sakura held up her hands and waved them nervously. The half of the wagashi she had was threatening to come back up. That was how tumultuous her insides were.

"Relax, Sakura-san!" Mikoto's melodic laughter rang out. "I'm not trying to poach you. I'm just trying to pay you a compliment." She smiled sincerely.

"Oh," Sakura's cheeks and ears were bright red which solicited a giggle or two from Mikoto.

"I have a feeling I'm going to like you, Sakura-chan," Mikoto said in a tone that was not quite teasing. "As much as I love Tomoha-san, there's just something else about speaking with someone around your own age."

Sakura nodded her head. "I was just thinking the same thing." She held the cup in both her hands, suddenly feeling less self-conscious.

"Good. Because we still have a lot of sweets to get through," Mikoto smiled at her.

Sakura matched the expression. The dread was all but forgotten.

"How did it go?" Tomoha came to stand shoulder to shoulder with her as they waved off the raven-haired woman.

"She's amazing. So kind. Smart. Funny. Compassionate. She's perfect." Sakura mumbled not quite all there. Caught somewhere between her head and the world her feet were planted in.

"She'd be perfect for Naruto-kun. The Master should look for someone like her." She did not realize what she had just uttered. She was still riding the high of being in the woman's presence, the influx of sugar, and all the laughter. Her stomach still hurt from it all. The promise of doing this again soon warmed her heart.

"She's married with two sons," Tomoha rolled her eyes.

"I know. It's too bad," Sakura sighed almost longingly. "Maybe she has a sister?" She asked almost hopefully. "She looks so young."

"The Uchiha marry earlier. Even earlier than most. Having servants waiting on your hand and foot is a great way to retain youth," Tomoha answered blandly. "And she doesn't," Tomoha added as an afterthought.

"You're right," Sakura smiled distractedly. The woman and her son were gone. She readjusted the sleeping boy on her shoulder. The rate at which he blew out air from his slightly parted mouth did not change. He was heavier than a stack of potatoes, completely dead weight.

"Besides, the Master already has his eye on someone," Tomoha said with an upturned lip and haughty brow.

"Really?" Sakura's hand on Naruto's back twitched slightly. She tried not to think about how the bleak image that Juna painted may be closer to becoming her reality than she would ever care to admit. The sense of restlessness was back with an abandon. "Who?" She could not help but ask.

Tomoha shot her a dry look. Withering. "Stop being such a gossip." She chided Sakura like she was a child caught misbehaving. "Come follow me. Let's get the Young Master in his bed."

She called out before Sakura could rightfully point out that Tomoha had willingly shared the last tidbit of the Master thus being the one who was a gossip. So Sakura followed her. The presence of the boy felt as natural as it was to draw breath. She cradled his head in her hand. Subtly inhaling his sweet scent only just managing to catch herself before she touched her lips to his temple. If Tomoha noticed, she did not give any indication of such.

Sakura tucked him into his bed. He muttered in his sleep unintelligibly.

'I hope whoever your Tochan picks is good for you, Naruto-kun. With all my heart.'

She reached out to brush his soft, silky yellow strands from his forehead. She drank in his sleeping face suddenly feeling as if there was an hourglass somewhere counting down the seconds to when none of this would no longer be possible. She did not want to think about it much for the fear that every moment would be tainted by sadness. But at the same time, it was in the back of her mind. Juna was right, she could not aspire to be Tomoha. Tomoha was the exception to the rule. Sakura's luck was not on her side. It never was before and she saw no reason for it to be now.

She missed the feel of his heart against her as she walked out of his room. No sooner had she rounded the corner did she find herself eye-level with a green kimono and maroon haori. She took half a step back out of pure instinct.

"You," his voice seemed to boom off of both walls of the hallway. "Follow me."

Sakura gulped audibly. Her legs felt like jelly as she tried to keep up with his impossibly long strides. Her heart slammed against her ribs and the need to throw up grew with each and every heavy breath that she took.

'What did I do now?'

She for the life of her could not figure it out. She had just put the boy down. She did not have an opportunity to make a mistake. Unless it went back further. She racked her brain for what she could have possibly done to warrant the Master of the house to single her out like this.

They were outside. The birds chanted overhead as she marched towards her demise. Sakura kept her eyes squarely on his back. She could not afford to set him off any more than he currently was. He was livid. And she was completely at a loss as to why.

"Did you do the laundry?" He looked over his shoulder, not breaking his brisk pace, to pin her with a stern look.

She could only nod. Her kimono was beginning to cling to her perspiring back. She nearly jumped out of her skin as he yanked open a set of doors. Her eyes darted to her feet. She tried to count her breath. She locked onto the 'X' stitch that kept her one sandal together. Maybe she had even less time than she had originally thought. The tension in his shoulders said everything.

She grabbed the object being thrown at her on pure reflex. A white bundled-up sheet slapped her across the face. Her vision was surrounded by the cotton blend. She could still smell the soap. She was thankful. She would have gagged if it smelled like his person or worse. She tried not to shudder and forced her brain to not think about all the possible things that could be on his sheets. Her blood pumped in her ears. She wondered briefly if it would be more merciful to be struck by lightning then and there.

Jiraiya emerged from the room with a severe glower on his face. "Keep up," he turned on his heel. Sakura gathered the sheet, fisting it down enough so that she could see, and followed after him like a puppy. Escape was not an option.

"Sit," he ordered when they had come to a spot surrounded by the main house to the back and another building she did not recognize in front of her. She did, however, recognize a hand pump and a stool. She sat. The bed sheet was still in her arms.

"I'm very particular," he bent down to look her in the eye. His hands were on his hips.

'Yeah, I got that part.'

"Does this sheet look clean to you?" His dark eyes searched her face aggressively. It was then she realized she had broken the first rule: not to make eye contact with members of the main house. She hastily lowered her eyes to the white fabric.

"Clean it."

Sakura lowered it into the wooden tub that was conveniently right there. She looked around and found the soap without much trouble. She began to pump the water to fill the tub. She felt his eyes.

"I'm staying right here to make sure you do it right this time," he explained his continued watchful presence. "No less than one hundred times will you scrub."

Sakura kept her head down. Her hands would be stripped raw by the harsh soap at half the number of scrubs but she said nothing. Instead, she started to count. She reached up to fifteen when his voice broke the uneasy silence. Her whole body stiffened in response.

"Where's the Gaki?" Jiraiya asked her in a light tone. A complete 180 from just moments earlier.

She resumed scrubbing as well as her count.

"I know you're capable of speaking," Jiraiya regarded her in a bored manner. He leaned against the wall of the bath. "Answer the question, Sakura."

"Naruto-sama is sleeping." She did not look up. She was up to twenty-three.

"Hm, running around with the Uchiha brat took it out of him." The very tall man yawned into his hand. He crossed his ankles, his head rested against his interlaced fingers. "What was Mikoto wearing?"

'What the hell did he just ask me?'

The soap suds nearly coated her elbows. Sakura leaned back and gave him a long hard look. It earned her a grin in response.

"What is happening here? Namikaze-sama?" She asked him coolly.

"Isn't it obvious? We're having a conversation." His grin grew in size. "And don't call me Namikaze-sama. That's only for my Oniisama and my Oi."

She dipped her head to hide the fact that she was rolling her eyes.

"I'm sorry I missed her. I would have said hello if I had known," he flicked earwax off his pinky. "The sound of children frocking gives me a migraine." He made a face of displeasure.

It took all her self-control not to throw the brick of soap at him. With her strength and its weight, she reckoned it would hurt quite a bit.

"You can stop rubbing so hard. The sheets are fine. I just needed an excuse to get you alone." He said dismissively as if doing her a huge favor.

Sakura rested her arms on her bent knees. Anger was the reason she clenched her teeth together. Her mother and aunt were right. The man was awful.

"I figured this was the best way to keep from raising too many questions. Certainly, you coming into my bedroom alone would impact your reputation more inversely than this. You probably rather be known for being bad at doing laundry than a woman with loose morals." Jiraiya sighed dramatically. "Such a close-minded society we live in, where a man and woman cannot even share an enclosed space for something as innocent as one conversation without everyone assuming the worst."

She clenched her teeth even harder. She would start seeing spots soon if she kept this up. Something told her it was not up to her but rather how much Jiraiya's mouth moved. She had lost count. She started back at one.

"I blame the fact that we made something so natural, something that had to take place for every single one of us to exist, taboo. If simply everyone shared my mindset, we could have had this conversation in my room without all this terrible roleplay. A waste of time if you ask me."

'I didn't.'

"This particular act, while tedious, also provided the benefit of being repeatable without raising suspicions. We'll just claim that you're a slow learner. I'm sure they'll buy it since you're a woman and all. It can't be helped. It's simply biology. Smaller skull equals a smaller brain, which means overall less intelligence."

Her left eye twitched exactly three times. She attacked the fabric with renewed fervor when she imagined it to be his face.

"Can never be too careful. The walls have ears around here. Nothing is what it seems. The tricky part is to know when to dig deeper and when to leave it alone. That's what makes it so fun. That's what's keeping me entertained while I wait for my wings to grow back out." He smiled up at the cloudy sky. "It's going to rain tonight. You better finish up soon so my sheets can dry."

'Or you could just sleep on the floor like the dog you are.'

"Aren't you going to ask why I went through all this trouble, Sakura-chan?" His eyebrows wiggled in a teasing manner.

'Nope don't care. Go to hell, you old pervert.'

How this man could be the younger brother of someone like the Master was beyond her comprehension. They could not be more different.

"I wanted to see how you were settling in. Hear it from you." He scratched his face idly as he watched her scrub with a ferocity that could easily tear the fabric in her tiny hands. "You are my first and only hire, after all. What kind of person would I be if I didn't follow up?"

"Everything is great, Jiraiya-sama. Thank you so much for this opportunity." She meant the words but somehow they ended up sounding very sarcastic and biting.

"You're feisty, aren't you? Under the act." His tone gave the impression that he was intrigued by the revelation.

She simply continued to scrub harder. It was more a statement than a question. Her jaw was starting to hurt from being clenched so hard for so long.

"How's Tsunade doing?"

She lowered the sheets into the tub. The pressure on her teeth lessened. Her jade eyes rose to his face. For the first time, she saw genuineness in his expression. It caused her to hesitate.

"She's the same," was what she ultimately settled on.

"Did she ever remarry?" He asked in a tone that was trying so hard to be nonchalant that the only thing it was was uncomfortable. Uncomfortable to have to listen to.

"Jiraiya-sama," her eyes softened. "I can't answer that." If her aunt wanted him to know, she would have told him. She had over seventeen years to do so.

"I know," he lowered his eyes. "Do you write to her?"

"I do." Sakura said in a quiet voice in anticipation for where this was clearly going.

"Does she ask about me?" He asked like the glutton for punishment he was.

She shook her head and made a sympathetic sound with her mouth. "Thank you, Jiraiya-sama. I meant it, you know. I am incredibly thankful to you. This opportunity did change my life." She felt the need to soften the blow she had dealt him both with what was said and unsaid. Leecher or not, he was still clearly heartbroken. She had seen that same look on Minori's face whenever Kushina was mentioned or brought up. Jiraiya loved Tsunade. In that painful unrequited love kind of way. Her heart went out to him.

Jiraiya nodded his head. "Think nothing of it, kid," he said gruffly but his eyes held a softness to them. "All I can say is that I hope it's for the better."

She rinsed off the sheet in the hand pump. The sound of the running water consumed the not-so-uncomfortable silence.

He handed her the sheet after much deliberation. His face was pinched together in concentration. She counted to three slowly in her head giving him additional time to think it over once more. Just as her fingers touched the paper, he jerked it back.

"Wait!" Naruto exclaimed. He picked up the brush and crossed out the third answer he had. He used the fingers of his left hand to count before he made his correction. He handed it back to her.

"Final answers?" Sakura asked with a raised brow and an expression that did not lean one way or the other.

She saw the doubt flicker across his face. It lasted only a second. "Final answers," Naruto said with a definitive nod.

A slow grin broke across her face. "Atta boy! You got them all right."

"Really?" His eyes glowed with pride.

"Really," Sakura reached over and ruffled his hair. "You did so good!"

"I like math!" Naruto kicked his legs in excitement. "It's easy."

"That just means you've been working really hard on practicing." Sakura lowered the paper down to the table. The sunniness of her expression dimmed slightly. "Naruto-kun, there's something we need to talk about."

"Okay," Naruto looked up at her with the full weight of his attention. "I'm ready." His sparking eyes corroborated his statement.

"Do you remember Chinen-san?" Sakura asked him patiently.

Naruto scrunched his face together as he tried to place the name. "Who?" He said after some time.

"Your old Sensei. Chinen-san, he was helping you learn how to read and do math, remember?"

"Oh yeah," recognition flitted across his eyes. "Mean Man," he declared with a scowl.

'We're off to a promising start.'

It was a real test of patience and will that she did not smack her forehead then and there. "Naruto-kun," she tilted her head from side to side as she picked her words, "Chinen-san will be here in a few weeks. He wants to see how far you've progressed in your reading, writing, and math."

Naruto frowned. "Sounds like a test." It did not take long for him to start to fidget.

"We'll be practicing together to get ready for his visit," Sakura put her hand over his. He stilled immediately.

His bottom lip jutted out past his top in a pout of concern. "If I do bad will I have to learn from him again? I don't like him!"

Sakura bit back a sigh. Naruto was perceptive and right now it was not ideal. "It will be no different than the things we learned in the games we played. We've been reading every night and during the day. It's all things you already know, Naruto-kun. Do your best, okay? No need to worry about anything."

She continued at the less-than-convinced look on his face. "Just like I'll do my best to make sure we're ready okay? Leave it to me." She smiled in a reassuring manner at the boy.

"Okay." Naruto's determined face looked back at her. "I can do it."

"Good boy," she beamed at him, causing him to smile at her in return.

"Ambe-san!" Naruto greeted the new arrival with exuberance. "Is it time for dinner already?"

Sakura turned to look over her shoulder at the woman. Her features were pulled into lines of curiosity as she regarded the sudden appearance of Tomoha.

"No, Naruto-sama," Tomoha held out two brown envelopes. "Something came for you."

"What is it?" Naruto asked her excitedly, halfway out of his chair.

Her whole body stilled as she read the characters addressed to Naruto in neat penmanship. Her eyes moved from the letter up to Tomoha's face but Tomoha's stony visage did not bend. The stoic mask gave her next to nothing to work with.

"Should I come back?" Sakura asked, masking the desperation she felt. She bit the inside of her cheek.

"What for?" Tomoha blinked at her slowly. "You helped him write it, you can help him read it."

"I wanna read it! Is it from Tochan?!" Naruto asked excitedly. He was standing in his chair but neither Sakura nor Tomoha chided him for it.

Sakura waited on pins and needles for the answer.

"Yes. And one from your Ojichan too."

Naruto's face brightened just as Sakura's hopes were reduced to dust. Both letters in her hand were now accounted for. They were both for Naruto.

"Can we read them now, Sakura?" He asked with nearly uncontainable excitement.

Somehow she was able to force a smile onto her face for the boy. "Of course," Sakura answered breathlessly. She gently took the letters wordlessly from Tomoha. "Which one do you want to read first?"

"Tochan's!" Naruto answered without hesitation.

"Okay," she opened the first letter with deliberate movements. She smoothed it out and passed it to the boy. She watched his lips move but her ears could not quite make out the sounds. They were too busy ringing.

Her day raced by her. She smiled and conversed as she worked. She went through the motions. All the while a weight was pressed on her chest.

'I should have burned the letter.'

Over and over that sentiment blared in her head. Taunting her. Ridiculing her split-second decision to save the letter from becoming ash. He did not write back. Why should he? She had said it herself in her jumbled stream of consciousness. What did she expect? He probably thought she was drunk or out of her mind or both when she wrote that letter. He was not too far off. While she was sober in the textbook definition of the term, she was delirious in her delusions. She had told herself over and over again that he was only doing it for attention. Attention because he was bored. Boredom was not something to combat in the war. He did not need attention. He was too busy trying to stay alive.

The Master's and the Hatake's letters to Naruto had been sanitized and tame. They read in a similar manner. They told the boy they were fine. They told the boy they missed him. They told the boy that they rode horses and trained and were doing well. That was the long and short of it. The letters were proof that they were alive and thinking about the boy. As they should be. The smile on Naruto's face after reading the letters was so bright that if it was harnessed properly they would not need to use lanterns for two days at least. She wholeheartedly believed that.

The letters to the boy did not paint the true picture. War was not stories about heroes riding on horses to fight the bad guys. Nothing was that black and white. Who was good and who was bad was a matter of perspective. It depended on what side of the line you were born on. That was it. It depended on fate. Sheer luck.

He was not bored. He had no use for her now.

She should have burned the letter. Not only did she embarrass herself she could have potentially embarrassed him. Who did she think she was?

'I should have set myself on fire instead.'

She wanted to groan into her hands but that would only draw attention and unwanted questions. Today had taken its toll on her. So much was bouncing off the walls of her brain that she did not know what to do with herself. Overwhelmed did not even begin to describe it. The thought of collapsing onto her mattress was all that kept her going. No one would see her shame in the dark.

She had nearly burned the skin right off her bones with the scalding water in her absentmindedness. Thankfully no one was around to witness her boneheaded mistake. Sakura pulled the neck of her olive green kimono closer to her body, desperately trying to retain some of her rapidly escaping body heat. The heavy, dreary clouds overhead smelled of rain and sorrow. Or maybe she was just smelling the aroma coming off of her person. No sooner had she stepped into her quarters, closed the door, taken off her head covering, slipped into her covers, and said her nightly prayer for safety, did she register the faintest of knocks. Before she could rise to her feet, the sound of footsteps moving away could be heard.

'I wonder who that was.' She thought to herself with a frown with every intention of opening the door and peering into what was most likely an empty hallway. Something crunched underfoot right in front of the door. She looked down with the frown still affixed to her lips and furrowed brow. She felt around with her fingers. The all-too-familiar feeling of paper under her fingertips had her heart freezing. She took a step back and lifted the rectangle. It was roughly the same size as the letters Naruto received.

'Ambe-san!'

Who else could it have been? All thoughts not related to what was in her hands were expunged from her mind.

She ran to her bed. Her bare feet slipped on the hardwood floor nearly sending her straight into the far wall. She managed to catch herself and correct her course. She landed on her knees on her mattress. Her hair fanned around her but she did not care. With her back to the door and her shoulders hunched. Sakura tore open the envelope with such force that she ripped the corner of the paper contained inside. She cursed her impatience. She held up the letter as close as she could to the lantern.

"Kami," she said under her breath. The letters were messy, sloppy, and downright atrocious. His penmanship was worse than Naruto's. It took her way longer than it should have to make the characters. She had to read the letter no less than three times just to get a gist of what it said. By the fourth read, she was about eight percent sure she had all the correct characters down. She took a breath and began to read it for the fifth time now focusing on understanding what was being said and not actually what was written.

Sakura,

I would like to start off by saying that I can in fact read, just to eliminate all doubt.

"If only you could write," Sakura noted dryly. She squinted as her eyes darted from top to bottom. Her lips moved slightly as she mouthed the words.

Now this might not be a surprise, but your letter certainly was. I'm glad you decided to not burn it. Although, I would be lying if I told you it was the best letter I've ever received. It made me pause and think about what you write to your parents. Your poor Okaasan trying to make sense of your rambling, I feel for her. We are two people in the same boat set adrift in what is the ocean of your words. Please tell me that this letter was a first draft. Because if it wasn't Kami…have mercy on us all.

"Rude," Sakura said with an emphatic snort. "This is how he thanks me for writing to him?" She angrily turned back to the letter.

I was feeling left out. Letter day has always been really hard for me for a while now. Words cannot express how grateful I am. But I can try. Thank you for thinking of me. Thank you for writing to me. Thank you for making my day.

"You made mine." She pressed the letter to her heart. "You're welcome," she whispered.

Kaminari is fine as is Chidori. The Master is fine. Oh, I'm fine too…not that you asked. It's okay for you to ask about me. It's in line with what friends do. And in that spirit, how are you? How are things at the compound? Do let me know if there is anything I can do for you. See how easy that was?

She could not stop her eyes from rolling. How this man could make her go from angry, to nearly swooning, to annoyed all within three paragraphs was a testament to his talent.

I have a favor to ask. A couple actually. The first is if you choose to write to me again (and I hope you do) please address the letter to the Master i.e. Namikaze Minato U.M.. The chances of my letter being read by someone else will be reduced to near zero if it ends up in the General's queue. The second is can you tell the stars in the Konoha night sky that I look forward to counting them again? The mountains are so tall here they nearly obscure the stars. The sky seems smaller. It's not the same as home.

"Sap," she muttered under her breath in judgment in complete contradiction to the smile blooming on her face.

Feel free to answer what you want. But I do hope you tell me how you are. And maybe next time you can ask me how I am. Take care of yourself, Sakura. I know that I am.

Sincerely,

M.

She smiled as a wave of giddiness filled her, rising all the way up from her toes to her head. Sakura grabbed her pillow hastily. She covered her mouth and muffled a squeal before it left her. "He's okay." She beamed into the still. "He's okay." She held the pillow to her chest. Rocking back and forth slowly. "He's okay." The giddiness gave way to profound relief. "He's okay." Her voice was barely above a whisper. It took everything to not jump up and draft a response. But she held back. His joking aside he had a point. She needed to be more deliberate. She only had one sheet of paper to convey what she needed to as they had to keep the load light for the bird. He had said so much with so little. She needed to try to do the same.

"Tomorrow," she vowed. "I'll write back tomorrow." Right after she helped Naruto write his response to his father and uncle. Sakura laid back on her mattress still clutching her pillow to her chest. She reached for the letter. She folded it carefully before she tucked it into her pillowcase. It did not take her long to drift to sleep with the pillow over her chest and the same smile on her lips. It was the first good night's sleep she had in quite a while.

He felt as light as a feather. In fact, the warm spring breeze seemed strong enough to carry him up, up and away. There was nothing tethering him down anymore to his troubles. He had very little troubles to think of. The smell of day-old hay tickled his nose. He inhaled deeply, filling his lungs with the familiar scents of Konoha, of home. Her footfalls were light but steady. He turned his head, a large smile already gracing his lips. His eyes captured the face that had never strayed too far from his thoughts. Her hands were clasped behind her back as she walked leisurely to him, swaying slightly as if keeping pace with the wind.

"Good morning," she smiled prettily. It made his knees go weak momentarily. "How did you sleep?"

"Like the dead," he answered easily, jovially, freely. Kaminari poked his head out of the stall at the sound of her voice. He nickered for her attention.

"Must have felt so good to sleep in your own bed after all these months away," she mused almost distractedly as she came to stand next to him. Her shoulder brushed against his arm while she scratched under the white horse's chin.

"There are no words to describe the feeling," he nodded his head in agreement. He could just make her out from the corner of his eye but that was not enough. He turned his body so that it was facing her. His elbow rested on the top of the door. Her eyes flickered from the horse to his arm and finally came to rest on his face.

"So what now?" She looked at him expectantly with a half-smile on her face. Her eyes glittered with something he had not seen before. "You just manage the horse?"

He scoffed feigning offense at her dismissal of his job. He found himself wishing it was his chin her hand was touching. "Yes, amongst other things."

"Other things?" Her pink brows disappeared behind her head covering making him want to rip it off her head to see where they settled. But his hand remained still at his sides. The grit to her voice made something shoot up from his belly button up his neck. It was as if no time had passed.

"I thought I could teach you a few things," he began casually, smoothly.

Her hand dropped down. Kaminari let out a breath of angry air before stalking back to the back of the stall, agitated at his neglect. Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, he had no choice but to follow her movements. He noted that she had put on some weight. Her kimono was no longer wearing her, she was filling it in quite nicely from the curves he could see. He swallowed thickly.

"Whatever did you have in mind?" She looked at him through her lashes.

"I…" he coughed into his hand to cover for the sudden bout of stammering. "I thought I could teach you a few things for self-defense." He recovered quickly.

Her brows knitted together in confusion and maybe even traces of disappointment. He could not be sure. It was gone as quickly as it had come. "Why would I need self-defense?" She asked with her head tilted to the side and a couple of well-timed blinks.

"Even if the war is over," Minato rubbed the back of his neck. He could feel the heat from his belly rising. He could only pray that he was not as red as he felt. "It's still not completely safe for wo-"

He was prevented from uttering the rest of his sentence. Sakura's finger against his lips stopped him cold. He had to bite down on his tongue because he did not trust it to not lick her appendage.

"What I meant was," Sakura breathed in a low voice. A voice that had his insides shuddering. "Why do I need self-defense when I have you?" Her finger moved from his lips to tracing his jaw. "For defense, my defense?" She batted her impossibly long lashes at him.

"Huh?" It sounded every bit as stupid to his ears as it did when it was but a thought in his simple-minded head. The way her hands were moving up and down his arms was distracting. In his defense.

"You smell incredible," his mouth and brain were not done embarrassing him yet. His eyes widened. Sakura threw her head back and laughed to his dread or relief he was not sure yet. The sound reverberated off the stalls. It was a warm, joyful, sound born out of pure happiness. He found himself relaxing. He liked the way it sounded and if making a tiny fool of himself was what it took for her to react the way she was, he did not mind.

"Thank you," she said between heaves of her chest. His eyes were mesmerized by the way it moved up and down. So much so that he could not react when she pushed up onto her toes and leaned forward until they were pressed up against each other. He could feel the contours of her breasts against his chest.

"Do you want to take another sniff?" Her breath was hot and low against the shell of his ear. Her words were as ridiculous as they sounded but he found himself wanting nothing more than what she so kindly offered. Her fingers dug into his shoulders for balance.

Yes. Yes, he wanted to take another sniff. More than he wanted to do anything since…well, he could not exactly remember. But his whole body froze. He did not know what to do with his hands. Afraid that if he made a move, she would coil back and break all contact despite him desperately wanting to grow the area where their bodies touched not reduce. Doing nothing seemed like the safest option.

"Minori-san," she rolled off each syllable slowly, deliberately, tantalizingly, sensing his internal conflict and deciding she would take the decision out of his hands. His unmoving hands. "Take your time," she said in a voice so welcoming and reassuring that Minato felt brave enough to lower his hands to either side of her waist, to help support her as she stood on her toes and dipped his head towards where her jaw met her neck, right under her ear. He inhaled her scent. He breathed her in. His eyes closed as his lungs expanded. The fingers around her waist twitched as a jolt raced down his spine. He did not pull back. He was being intoxicated by her aroma. He was intoxicated.

"Minori-san," she whispered. He could feel each breath she took. Each rise and fall of her chest against his own.

"Hm?" His cheek pressed against the side of her head. His brain was mush. He could not string together two words. Just like the first time he had gotten drunk off of Miharu's moonshine. He was done. It really had been too long. If Kakashi or Jiraiya got wind of this, they would never let him live it down. He pushed the thoughts of them away. Because right now all he wanted to think about was how he was holding a woman - Sakura - in his arms. They swayed with the warm breeze. Slightly, lightly, back and forth. Not breaking the union of their chests. She was pressing even further against him and he did not mind in the slightest. In fact, the hand - his hand - on the small of her back was dutifully encouraging it.

Sakura's laughter brought him down some. "Minori-san," she teased. "Focus," Sakura clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"Sorry," he muttered. His senses were still completely submerged in all that was Sakura. Well, most. Taste was being neglected but he was not about to lose out on four that he had for the one he did not not. He could live without being greedy.

"It's okay," she said kindly. "I wanted to ask you a question." Her chin poked his shoulder.

"Anything."

"How would I get out of this hold?" Her voice was sultry as she breathed each world like a promise.

"You would get out of this hold…" he blinked his eyes. The heaviness from the lust started to fade from his cobalt eyes when his brain finally caught up with his lips. Minato eased centimeters between them so that he could look her in the eye. His hands were on her shoulders as he regarded her with a confused expression. Did he do something wrong? Did he misread the situation?

Sakura grinned devilishly at him. "For self-defense," it was her only warning. She lunged forward at him before going completely deadweight. He was not expecting it. He grabbed her waist, anchoring her to him. They both tumbled to the ground. His back took the brunt of the fall.

He stared up at her dazed. His head was spinning and his lungs were without air. He blinked slowly, completely and utterly stunned. Hay mixed into his hair. He was unaware that she was straddling him. Her hands were on his shoulders pinning him in place as if he was much of a threat to do anything really.

Her lips were at his ear. His breath that he so desperately needed hitched before reversing leaving his lungs still starved.

"For instance," she whispered huskily. The world was just starting to stop spinning only for her voice to send it rotating in the opposite direction. "How would you get out of this hold? If you were me." He was not too disoriented to feel wetness on his earlobe. Just as he was getting used to the sensation and enjoying it, her lips had moved higher. "Care to demonstrate?"

Something pushed forth in him. His hands grabbed her hips and before she and even he knew it, he had her flat on her back breathless and dizzy. Her jade-colored eyes were unfocused and her lips parted as she tried to soundlessly barter for breath.

"Like that," his voice strained, caught somewhere between his iron-clad discipline and his primal need.

"Again," she breathed. "Show me again."

Minato shook his head. "If someone," he pressed his legs against hers causing her to grunt in surprise, "does this," he grabbed her wrists in one of his large hands and pinned them over her head. "How would you get out of it?"

Sakura arched her back off the ground. Her face contorted into a look of pure aggression as she tried to push him off her. Her hips wiggled futilely against his weight. He watched with obsessive interest as all the struggling she did, caused her bun to come undone. Her pink hair trembled down her shoulders like a waterfall. His breath hitched.

"You're so beautiful," he said without thinking. Without hesitation. He reached out to touch it with his free hand, his left. It was so smooth under his fingertips. The sight and feel of her hair completely consumed him so much so that he failed to realize she was no longer pushing against him, trying to fight his body off of hers. A sharp pain jolted him back to his senses. First in his hand then between his legs.

She rolled, pinning him to the ground, face first. "Like that," she grinned triumphantly.

He turned his head to look back at her with wide, angry eyes. "You bit me and you kicked me!" He spat out the dirt clinging to his lip.

"I kneed you," she corrected him as she applied steady weight to the small of his back with her knee. "I was gentle, don't worry. I just needed the leverage."

"That was dirty." Minato ground out through clenched teeth. He could feel stands of her silky hair on the sides of his face. It was obscuring his vision much like how it had completely obscured his senses enough for her to bite his hand and knee him in the groin. Which despite her words, was throbbing painfully.

"You're a bad guy." Sakura's voice was almost giddy. "There is no line I will not cross when my honor is on the line."

Minato rolled his eyes. "I wouldn't have hurt you." His stomach tightened. "I would never hurt you."

Sakura laughed almost bitterly. "I'm sure that is what they all say." Her expression became thoughtful. "Does this conclude our lesson?"

Minato pressed his palms flat on the ground. He pushed up with all the strength held in his shoulders, back, and arms. Sakura landed on her backside. He did not give her a chance to get up on her feet or the offensive. He grabbed her roughly by the hair and lifted her up. Disgruntled sounds left her throat as she tried to kick and claw her way to freedom.

"Omph!" She uttered through her lips as her body came into contact with a wooden beam. Minato's weight kept her pressed up against it. "That hurt!" Sakura whined with a pout that he could only hear.

"I'm a bad guy, remember?" He whispered into her ear. His blood was pounding in his veins.

"You're supposed to be teaching me," fear crept into her voice. Her hands were pinned behind her back, held tight in one of his. "I'll get a splinter if you're not careful."

"I'm demonstrating," his low voice had her shuddering. It sounded dangerous. Almost unhinged. A controlled chaotic aggression. He brushed the pink tresses from the side of her neck. The sweat they had both worked up only heightened their natural smells. He pressed his lips against her neck. "I'll be careful."

"H-how do I get out of this?" Sakura asked him in a voice that was less scared but still unsure. She inhaled a shaky breath.

He could feel the curves of her firm backside against his thighs. It was admittedly very distracting.

"Do you have your dagger?" He felt her skin against his lips as he spoke. He could taste the salt from her sweat.

"I do," Sakura breathed.

"Where is it?"

Her whole body shivered against his. "Hip," she worked out. "Obi," she provided further instruction.

"Can you get to it?"

She shook her head as much as she could. The wood began to eat into her flesh. "My hands," she sounded almost distressed.

"So you have your dagger and you need your hands," he closed his eyes. His grip around her hands tightened. "What should your priority be?"

"G-getting my hands free," she answered timidly.

"Good," he turned his head slightly. Planting a kiss on the side of her neck. Her eyes fluttered closed. "How are you going to get your hands free, Sakura?"

Her fists curled and uncurled as she tried to generate some separation, just enough to slip out. "I can't," she let out a sound of pure frustration.

"Tsk-tsk, Sakura," his lips migrated to her jaw. "I didn't think you were a quitter."

"I'm not!" She glared at him through the corner of her eye.

"Prove it," his lips stretched into a grin.

She struggled in his hold some more. More grunts and curses left her snarling lips.

He sucked on her neck. She gasped, momentarily stilling and leaning back against him. He moved his mouth, leaving a red angry mark on her creamy skin. "Use your head. Don't let panic or emotion dictate your movements and decisions. Stay in control." The irony was not missed on him. He captured her earlobe between his teeth. He nibbled returning the favor. "There's always a weakness, an opening. You just have to keep at it until you find it. Unless you really are a quitter."

"Never!" A low growl erupted from her throat. Sakura's heel came down on his foot, painfully. His nerves burned in pain. She spun around. Her eyes were wild and enraged. Her lips pulled into a snarl. The tip of the dagger poked his Adam's apple.

"How's that, you Bastard?" She asked him with her forearm pressed up against his chest, pinning him in place.

A slow smile broke out. "I think that," he breathed through the pain, "concludes our lesson."

Slowly the lines of her face become less animalistic with the passing of time. But the gleam, the heavy gleam in her emerald eyes did not wane. She did not let up.

"I'm not satisfied," Sakura spat out. She moved her face closer to his. They were breathing the same air. Both their breaths labored from the exertion.

"Can you be more specific?" he did not trust the head with which he was currently thinking. Not with her looking like that and so close to him.

"The lesson," the blade poked his skin as she emphasized her words. "Was not satisfactory," Sakura narrowed her eyes. "You went way too easy on me."

"What would you suggest I do differently?" He asked her in a picture of innocence though his navy eyes regarded her with something much less so.

A blush dusted her cheeks only adding to the whole thing. His eyes tracked a bead of sweat that migrated from her temple down her chin to her neck before it disappeared between the valley of her breasts. Their demonstrations had loosened her obi around her waist. Her kimono was dangerously close to falling off her shoulders. Sakura did not seem concerned at all about that fact if she noticed. But how could he not be? It was additional skin for him to explore and become acquainted with. His half-lidded eyes concentrated. He wondered if she had ever been kissed there before. He did not mind being the first, next, or last explorer on that frontier. If she would be generous enough to allow it.

"I think for the lesson, I would add more repetition. Practice makes perfect," she raked her gaze from his eyes down to his lips before slowly moving it back up. "More examples of pin holds."

"I see," he licked his lips. She probably did not realize the way her mouth parted as she watched him do so. Her hands pressed against his chest. He could feel the warmth through his shirt. It was not enough. He wanted to feel her palms against his skin. He was greedy.

"It's okay not everyone is a natural-born teacher. Don't feel bad. Feedback is a great tool. I'm sure you'll perfect your lesson plan one day." A haughty smirk pulled at Sakura's lips. He was not listening. He was too busy staring at her chest. "Minori-san," she lowered her eyelids along with her voice. She snapped her fingers in front of his face for his attention.

"Minato," he corrected her harshly. "Call me by my name." His adrenaline was still pulsing in his veins.

"Minato," she said his name hesitantly as if not sure she was pronouncing it correctly. "Minato," she repeated with more confidence. "Minato." She looked him in the eyes with her heavy, demanding gaze.

The way she said his name left him yearning. All reason and caution were thrown out the window. All that he wanted now was for her to keep saying his name in that low, husky voice. Nothing else was even a consideration.

"No need for the pretenses," he grinned, recognizing the need in her eyes. It mirrored his own. She tilted her head to the side in confusion. "If you want to wrestle Sakura," he looked at her lips. "All you have to do is ask." His navy eyes met her emerald orbs with the full weight of his smolder.

Her smirk grew darker. Her hand holding the dagger lowered. "And you, Minato," she kissed the base of his throat. Her tongue moved in slow circles. He moaned causing her expression to grow more smug. "Don't even have to ask." She pulled away just enough to give him a look that simultaneously thrilled and scared him. He tried to pull her closer. She resisted.

"Let me take care of you," her hands moved down to undo the buckle of his belt. She lowered onto her knees. He made a sound that he was in no state to identify. "Shh," her lips barely touched him as she hushed. "Leave it to me, Minato." His pants fell around his ankles, his belt hit the ground with a click that was louder than any cannon.

He shot to an upright position. His shoulders moved up and down as he fought to regain control of something, hopefully starting with his breath. He looked around the dark tent. His hand tugged at his blond locks. A layer of sweat had him ripping his blanket and shirt from his frame. He was burning. He was too hot. The dream. The fantasy. Whatever it was left him too hot. It was not the first dream, not even the first one this week he had of her but this was the first one that was of this nature. He was torn, conflicted between being thankful it cut out when and where it did all the while being agitated for the same.

A sex dream. About Sakura. He was disgusted with himself. It did not matter that he had little to no control over his dreams and that he could not realistically be held accountable for what images, sounds, and smells his brain immersed him in. But that was only during. When he was dreaming. He was, could, and should be accountable for everything that preceded it, like now. The discomfort between his legs was a testament to his shame. He had objectified her. He reduced her down to something offensive, horrid, and nearly sub-human: an object of pleasure. He had turned her into something she was not just to rile a reaction. And react he did.

Minato bit back a groan as he pushed up to his feet. He moved to the flap of the military-grade tent, his bare feet freezing as he took ten or so steps to the fresh mound of snow. Goosebumps broke out across his broad chest in response to direct exposure to the conditions. It was his penance for his thoughts, his feelings, and his desire. He bent down and grabbed two handfuls of pure white powder, not caring who was watching. He all but slapped his hands to his face, rubbing the melting ice all over his forehead, cheeks, and chin. Willing everything inside of him to grow as cold and barren as the frigid landscape. He exhaled slowly. His breath danced in the dark night before disappearing entirely. If only the way she said his name would leave just as easily from the walls of his mind.

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