Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto (either manga or anime!); the wonderful Masashi Kishimoto-sensei owns all rights. However, the plot and Namiko Uzumaki are mine!

Chapter 33: Invitation

"So, they plan on coming back?" Tsunade had her hands folded in front of her face. "Naruto. Hinata. You two were the only ones with contact?"

Both shinobi nodded. They were currently in the Hokage Office, along with the rest of Team Kakashi and Team 8, discussing what happened inside Ancor Vantian. "Did either Sasuke or Namiko give any clue as to their plans or what's going on with Orochimaru?" asked Tsunade and an intense silence followed her question.

Hinata's soft voice cut through. "Namiko just said she wasn't coming home just yet because Sasuke needed her, and that he was taking good care of her and protecting her."

Hinata's last comment caught Kakashi's attention. "He must need her to help track down Itachi. Her chakra sensing would make her ideal. Naruto," began Kakashi, "what was Sasuke's state of mind? You fought the Reibi alongside him, right?"

"He was his usual self. Before he left, I mean. He picked right up on my plan to destroy the Reibi. We didn't really have time to chit-chat though." Naruto crossed his arms over his chest. "Sasuke did say that he's 'got her, no matter what'. Whatever the hell that's supposed to mean."

"You mean he was talking about Namiko? Was she okay? Emotionally? Physically?" Concern threaded through Kurenai's voice and she seemed a bit uncharacteristically anxious. She always worried about her students and treated them as if she were their big sister, but this was more like the worry of a mother.

Hinata smiled softly at her sensei and tried to calm her, "She appeared to be fine. She was all smiles and hugged me. When I had my Byakugan activated after she and Amaru freed us, I didn't see anything wrong with her physically or with her chakra." Kurenai seemed to relax a bit at Hinata's explanation.

"It would seem that if Sasuke and Namiko are planning on returning on their own, then we should hold off on any outright rescue missions for now," suggested Tsunade. "We're stretched thin enough after the Land of Sky's attack. I may assign a team to help them after we've had time to recover, but for now, you all are dismissed."

After they left the Hokage's office, Team 8 walked to a training ground together since Kiba declared that he needed to "burn off some energy" and suggested Hinata join him and Kurenai decided to follow.

"Alright, sensei, what's going on?" demanded Kiba once they got to the heavily wooded area outside the Konoha walls.

Kurenai looked confused. "What are you talking about, Kiba?"

"You've been anxious a lot lately and you…" Kiba took an audible sniff in before continuing, "…smell like Asuma-sensei more than normal."

"I—I…what?" Kurenai furrowed her brow in confusion.

"You always smell a little like him since you two moved in together, but it's really strong the last few days." Kiba shrugged. "It's just weird."

Kurenai leaned against a tree and blew out a breath sharply. "Asuma and I got married and I'm pregnant." Kiba's mouth dropped open as Hinata broke into a bright smile.

"Oh, sensei, that's wonderful! Congratulations!" said Hinata as she ran to hug Kurenai. "How long have you known?"

"We got married last month; we didn't want to make a big deal of things so we didn't announce it or anything. But we found out I was pregnant two days ago." Kurenai blushed lightly. "I didn't know you'd be able to smell the baby, Kiba."

Kiba finally closed his mouth. "I didn't know that's what I was smelling either. Not like anyone else I'm close to has been pregnant. Congratulations sensei," he said with a smile.

"Thank you both. Admittedly, I'm nervous. I was planning on telling you both soon anyway since Tsunade had to take me off the active duty roster. We're waiting for a while to tell others, so please don't say anything to anyone else." Both students nodded in agreement.

Nearly a month had passed since the Land of Sky attacked and Naruto and Namiko's birthday was fast approaching. Things were beginning to get back to normal in Konoha and Team Kakashi had just finished a training session.

"So, Naruto, what are you doing for your birthday?" asked Sakura.

Naruto shrugged; if Namiko were here she probably would've done something special with the two of them. "Probably just going to Ichiraku. Why?"

Sakura pressed her lips together thoughtfully. "Why don't we make it a team thing? We could all go to Ichiraku with you."

"Yeah, that sounds like a great idea. I'd love that!" Naruto knew this was Sakura's way of trying to make up for the fact that Namiko wasn't home, but he appreciated the gesture.

"Perhaps you should invite the Hyuuga girl," suggested Sai. "She stares at you quite often, which according to a book I was reading on body language, implies that she has some sort of attraction to you."

Naruto just blinked at the artist. "…what?"

Sai opened his mouth to speak but Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth. "It's not a bad idea, Naruto. She's a good friend of both you and Namiko. When you were traveling with Jiraiya-sensei, she would always celebrate your birthday with Namiko so she wouldn't be alone."

"Okay, I'll ask her then."

"Ugh, I'm so thankful to get out of that stuffy hideout!" exclaimed Namiko as she took a deep breath of the mountain air. "Especially getting to spend it alone with you."

Sasuke hid his smile at seeing her finally relax a bit. The last couple of weeks had been challenging for them both, but especially for him. Orochimaru had Kabuto test him several times, a sign that they were getting closer to the time of the body transfer. He was feeling constantly on edge when they were inside the bases.

So, when Kabuto needed several ingredients for an elixir to help Orochimaru, but couldn't go himself, he decided to send Sasuke and Namiko, and they jumped at the chance. They had to travel to a small village near the Land of Wind, which was thankfully nowhere near the hidden village of Suna so they ran a low risk of being recognized.

The whole trip was estimated to take around five days to complete. Two days travel from the current base, approximately a day to find everything, and two days travel to return. They had already been traveling for a full day and were about to make camp along the border of the Land of Fire.

"Let's go ahead and stop here for the time being," Sasuke said as they came into a small clearing. "Do you sense anyone nearby?"

Namiko sat down on a log and started looking through her backpack. "There's what appears to be a large farm of some sort about six kilometers east of us, but nothing other than that. Lots of civilians and animals."

"I'm going to get some water for us. Where's your bottle?" She handed him her bottle before he even finished his sentence. Sasuke shook his head in amusement as he walked toward a nearby creek.

Namiko pulled out the scroll that contained her sleeping bag and set it up. Sunset was starting, so she gathered some twigs and small branches to set up a fire. "Ouch!" She quickly dropped the branch she just picked up.

"What happened?" asked Sasuke as he returned to their campsite.

She stared at her palm. "I'm honestly not sure. I thought it was a splinter but I don't see anything at all. It feels like there's a needle in my hand."

"Let me see." He grabbed her hand and activated his Sharingan to take a closer look. "It's tiny and nearly the same color as your skin; there's no way you'd be able to see it. Can you hand me a senbon?"

With her other hand, Namiko dug a senbon out of her holster and passed it to him. He took the tip of the senbon and used it to work out the splinter. He glanced up at her and saw her look away as he worked out the splinter. He scoffed at her behavior. "Hn. You've been cut by kunai and had worse injuries, but you flinch at a tiny splinter."

"I don't like things poking me. A cut is one thing, but a constant stabbing pain is different." She stuck out her tongue at him. "Meanie."

"How old are you? Six?" he teased as he pulled out the splinter and held it up. "Got it."

"If I'm six, then this relationship is creepy," she teased back.

Sasuke shook his head. "I'm aware you turn sixteen in two days."

Namiko's head snapped to face him. "You actually know when my birthday is?"

"It's not hard to remember. It's October 10th, so ten-ten." He began setting up the fire. "What do you want to do for your birthday? We should be in the village by then."

"I…" she sat back down on the log, contemplative. "I honestly hadn't thought about it. Naruto and I always did things together, and when he was with Jiraiya-ji-chan, Hinata would go with me to get mochi or dango at the very least."

"Well, if we see a stand that sells anything like that, we'll get some."

She smiled sweetly at him. "I'd like that." Her face suddenly turned a deep pink.

He raised a brow at her blush. "What are you thinking?"

Namiko's blush deepened. They were truly alone for the next four to five days. No Orochimaru. No Kabuto. No other shinobi or slaves. Just the two of them. "I'd also like to maybe find everything quickly so maybe we can enjoy our alone time?" she suggested, her voice getting a little higher and quieter at the end, revealing her nervousness.

Sasuke felt the back of his neck heat up. They hadn't exactly been able to be physically affectionate with one another since they came back from their mission to find Shinnou. And the last time they were physical with each other had been intense.

He wasn't naïve, and neither was she. As shinobi, they were taught in the academy about sex and sexual relationships in detail. Kunoichi were frequently sent on seduction missions, and even some of the men were as well. But it was one thing to do it as "part of the job" and entirely another thing to do it with someone you cared about.

And despite his attempts at trying to keep her at a distance since she showed up, Namiko had plunged deep into his life, both heart and soul, and rebuilt the bridge he'd thought he'd blown to pieces. He would do anything for her. He wanted every part of her.

Sasuke cleared his throat to try and make sure his voice was even before responding. "Aa. I'd like that."

She looked up at him with wide eyes, her blush gone. She hadn't expected that to be his response. She loved him. She knew that for sure. She had no idea when their friendship turned into more but she hadn't been happier in her life than when she was with him.

They ate around the fire as the sun went down and got ready to settle down for the night. Namiko spread her sleeping bag on the ground and sat down on top of it. "Where's yours?"

"I don't normally use one when I'm on a mission. I'm either in smaller hideouts like the one a couple of weeks ago or I will sit up with my back to a tree, sometimes even in the tree."

She unzipped her bag and crawled inside before making herself as small as possible, sliding to one side and patting the space beside her. "Come on, I'm tiny and there's room."

"I'll be okay, I'm used to it." Sasuke paused at the pouting look she gave him before sighing. "…fine, you win." He set his sword next to her in case he needed to grab it and removed the thick purple rope belt and blue fabric before slipping in next to her. It was a tight fit, but it worked.

Namiko squirmed a little to get comfortable, and Sasuke pulled her close, letting her head fall on his shoulder as she gripped his shirt. "You'll give me fair warning if you sense anyone, right? Shinobi or civilian."

"Of course. You act like I'm new at this." She tucked her head into his chest and let out a giggle. "Kiba and Shikamaru love it when I've been assigned on a mission with them because they can sleep the whole night."

Namiko's tone suddenly changed and became somber, "It was how I knew you left the village. That was before I could sense in my sleep, but I remember waking up in the early hours of the morning and realizing I couldn't feel your chakra. Then Shikamaru showed up at our door and confirmed it…"

"I'm sorry." Sasuke kissed the top of her head. "I was selfish. I should have never left you."

"I wish you hadn't either, but sometimes Fate has a different road planned for us to get us to our destination."

"You sound like a fortune cookie again." She shot him a half-hearted glare and he ignored it before continuing, "But I'm glad you're by my side. I will never willingly leave you again."

"You better not," said Namiko as she leaned up to press a light kiss to his lips.

He wrapped his arms around her to deepen their kiss briefly. "Namiko, I'm serious, I promise I won't leave you willingly ever again."

A sincere smile spread across her lips. "I'll hold you to that promise."

Hinata wasn't quite sure why on earth Kiba demanded that they train at Training Ground Three. It wasn't exactly suited for their skillset but maybe that was his intention. As they neared the training ground, she heard a familiar voice.

"Sai! You asshole! Say that again to my face!"

"All I said was that you have a tiny— "

"Oh! Hi Hinata, Kiba! Nice to see you," called Sakura loudly, effectively cutting off Sai's insult.

Naruto paled for a moment. 'For the love of God, I hope Hinata didn't hear him…' He fell in line beside Sakura as Kiba and Hinata entered the training ground. "Hey Hinata, good to see you! What brings you this way?"

"Kiba suggested we come here to train today," she replied quietly. "We didn't mean to disturb your training."

"Not at all! We were just wrapping up," quipped Sakura. She nudged Naruto's arm subtly and in a growling whisper said to him, "Ask her about tomorrow."

"Actually," Naruto paused to swallow the saliva building in his mouth from nervousness. "I know it's kinda last minute, Hinata, but I was wondering if you were free to join me—us—I mean us, at Ichiraku tomorrow night. Oh, Kiba, you too…"

Kiba patted Akamaru's head. "Nah, I gotta pass. Hana needs my help with some stuff tomorrow at her clinic. Hinata?"

Hinata nervously pressed her fingers together. "I'd love to. What time?"

"Seven o'clock!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly with a bright grin.

"I'll see you then, Naruto-kun," she replied sweetly, blush tinting her cheeks.

Sai and Sakura had already started to walk off and Naruto followed after them, turning to shout, "Great! See you tomorrow, Hinata!"

The moment Naruto left her sight, her hands went to her red cheeks. 'Naruto-kun actually asked me to come to dinner with him!' she thought…right before she fainted.

Sasuke and Namiko arrived early afternoon at the tiny village two days after they left Orochimaru's base, which was Namiko's birthday. There wasn't much in the village, just a few market stalls with goods and food, an herbalist, and a small inn.

"Let's go ahead and check in with the herbalist first to get everything we need, then we can get food," decided Sasuke, and Namiko nodded in agreement.

They were greeted by an older woman with long brown hair braided to the side. "Welcome! My name is Misa, how can I help you?"

Sasuke passed the woman a list of things. "How long will it take to get everything?"

Misa scanned over the list. "This is quite a list." She made a humming sound as she folded the paper. "It'll be at least tomorrow morning before I'll be able to finish the compounds and it'll be quite pricey. Do you have enough money to pay for this?"

Sasuke plopped a bag of coins on her counter. "This should cover it."

Misa opened the bag briefly before nodding. "That's more than enough. Are you staying in the village?" At Sasuke's brusque nod, she continued. I'll have everything ready by nine o'clock tomorrow morning."

Sasuke started to leave and Namiko followed him, calling over her shoulder. "Thank you for your help!"

Once the door closed behind them, she smacked his forearm lightly, earning a puzzled look from Sasuke. "What?"

"You could at least pretend to be friendly and polite!" Namiko fussed at him.

"Why bother? It's not we'll see these people again after this."

Namiko rolled her eyes. "Let me do the talking from now on." She reached for her water bottle to take a sip.

He leaned over to whisper in her ear, "Have I told you before that it's kind of sexy when you take charge?"

Namiko promptly spit out her water causing several people to look at them. Sasuke smirked in satisfaction as her face turned so red she resembled a strawberry. "Sasuke! You can't just say things like that in public!"

"No one heard me. Calm down," he said nonchalantly.

"Let's just find something to eat," she grumbled, fanning her face in hopes the redness would fade, as Sasuke smirked in satisfaction.

Hinata arrived at Ichiraku fifteen minutes early and waited patiently for someone else to show up. At seven o'clock, no one else had shown. 'I got the time and day correct, right?' She glanced at the digital clock behind Ayame. 'Today is October 10th, which is Naruto and Namiko's birthday. I'll stay a little while more.'

At 7:05, Naruto pushed up the curtain with a nervous smile on his face. "Sorry, I made you wait, Hinata."

"It's no problem!" She said as she held up her hands in front of her defensively. "Honestly, I was just enjoying the smells and the cool weather."

She paused for a moment. "Do you know where Sakura and Sai are? It's unlike Sakura to be late for anything."

"They're not coming. Sai said he was working on a painting, which is a crap excuse, and Sakura got called into the hospital. Kakashi-sensei will probably show up after we leave." Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously. "So, it's just…us."

Hinata paled instead of blushing. 'Me alone with Naruto? This is like a date…oh my…' She tried to refocus on Naruto. "Oh! Naruto-kun, happy birthday!" She grabbed an orange package sitting on the stool beside her and passed it to him.

"Hinata, you didn't have to get me anything. I'm just glad you're here," said Naruto as he accepted the gift.

"I'm glad I'm here too." Hinata smiled sweetly at him. "You can open it now if you would like."

Naruto nodded and began to open the present. He pulled out an orange bowl and a pair of hand-painted chopsticks. The chopsticks were orange with a black stripe along the top and the Uzumaki clan crest on the wide end. "Hinata, did you paint these?"

She nodded timidly. "Just the chopsticks though. If you don't like it—"

"I love it!" he exclaimed, smiling genuinely at her.

Ayame came up to the two. "Are you both ready to order?"

"I'll take my usual!"

"I'll take the same please."

The pair ate together relatively quietly, both sharing things that had happened in the last few weeks. After they ate their ramen, Ayame turned to Hinata. "Would you like your usual zenzai?"

"Yes please, Ayame-san."

Naruto tilted his head toward her curiously. "Wait, you like zenzai too? Can I get some too, Ayame?"

"It's one of my favorite foods. I love cinnamon rolls and ramen too, but I don't get them very often because my father insists we all eat together unless someone is on a mission," explained Hinata as Ayame set down the bowls in front of them.

"No offense, but your dad can be a real stick in the mud."

"He's…got a lot on him as clan head. I'm honestly grateful I no longer have to deal with the clan politics."

They finished everything and Naruto paid for their meals, much to Hinata's disapproval. As they exited Ichiraku, Naruto laid a hand on her forearm to stop her. "Can I walk you home? At least part of the way?"

Hinata's cheeks flushed and she nodded. "I'd like that."

They walked in companionable silence, which was rare for Naruto. As they came to the wall's edge of the Hyuuga compound he grabbed her wrist to pull her to a stop, moving it to gently stroke the back of her hand with his thumb as he spoke, "I'm going to head back, but…I'm really glad you came tonight to celebrate my birthday, Hinata. It means a lot to me and I'm thankful to have you in my life."

Before she could respond, he hugged her, still holding the present from her under one arm. After a few moments, he pulled back reluctantly, their faces only a few centimeters apart. His eyes flickered down to her lips. 'I wonder what it would be like to kiss her…wait. What am I thinking?! She's Namiko's best friend and we're not even dating or anything. I don't even know if she likes me like that!'

'Naruto-kun…just hugged me. Again. Though last time he was half-naked and wet and…' Her face flushed red at the memory. 'I wish I could just get the courage to tell him how I feel already.' Hinata noticed him glance at her lips as he pulled back and she did the same.

Naruto leaned toward her again ever so slightly and Hinata held her breath. 'Is he going to kiss me?!'

"Nee-san, where were you? Otou-sama was looking for you…oh hi, Naruto-san," A small voice cut in, making them spring apart as if they'd been burned. Hanabi stood with her arms crossed over her chest and a knowing smirk on her face.

"Uh, hey Hanabi…" Naruto rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Thank you for letting me know. I'll go see otou-sama now." Hinata wrung her hands nervously. "I'll see you later, Naruto-kun. Happy birthday again."

He dropped his hand and smiled at her. "Thanks, Hinata. See ya!" Hinata gave a small wave before turning and walking into the compound.

He turned to leave and Hanabi called out to him, "Don't worry, I won't say anything to our father." She gave him a sly smile and waved as she turned and ran after her sister.

After Namiko and Sasuke ate, they decided to get a room at the inn for the night, so they didn't have to camp in the woods again. The inn was small but was nice and homey. They entered their room to see a large futon with a dark blue blanket sitting on a tatami mat floor.

"An actual bathtub!" exclaimed Namiko as she poked her head in the attached bathroom. "I've only had showers since I went on the mission before I followed you. It'll be nice to soak again."

"If you want to go ahead and take a bath, you can. It's not like we're going anywhere else tonight. I can always grab food for us later this evening and bring it back."

She set down her backpack next to the futon. "I might in a little while. We've been going nonstop for two days, so right now, I want a nap."

"Lie down then. I can wake you in an hour or so," suggested Sasuke as he set his sword on the low table against the wall.

Namiko sat on the edge of the futon and she looked up at him with wide eyes. "Would you lie with me?"

He resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Only because it's you." He laid next to her on the futon and pulled her into his arms.

She laid on her side, gripping his shirt tightly, and laying her head on his chest. "I'm glad you're by my side through all of this."

"To be fair, you kind of did this to yourself because you followed me instead of being a normal person with common sense and going home with your brother." He felt her smile against his chest. "But I'm glad you're with me too."

"I don't regret it. Not for a single moment," she said as she nuzzled closer to his side.

Silence enveloped them for a few moments until Sasuke heard her breathing even out, signaling she was asleep, and he whispered, "…I love you, Namiko." Her body tensed and Sasuke suddenly found himself looking down into her blue-violet eyes. 'I thought she was asleep already…'

Namiko felt like the wind had been knocked out of her as she lay frozen against his chest. "…did you just say…?"

Sasuke sat up, moving her into a sitting position as well so he could look her in the eye. "I love you."

She blinked a couple of times to make sure she wasn't dreaming before a smile spread across her lips. "I love you too, Sasuke."

Sasuke placed his hand on the back of her neck and pulled her forward, kissing her fully and deeply. He let go a moment later, pressing his forehead to hers. "I never thought I could love anyone after what happened to my family, but I guess you were right, Fate had a different road and a different destination."

"I'm glad I was right," she replied as she gently tugged him back into their former position, placing her hand over his heart this time.

A couple of hours later Sasuke woke and gently brushed the hair from Namiko's face, causing her to stir awake. "We should probably wake up or we won't be able to sleep tonight. Why don't you go ahead and take a bath while I grab us some food for the evening?"

"That sounds like a plan." Namiko stretched before she kissed his cheek, grabbed her backpack, and headed toward the bathroom.

Once inside, she showered off before filling up the tub and soaking in the soothing water. 'This is definitely my most unconventional birthday ever. I honestly don't mind everything going on because I have Sasuke with me. Hopefully, soon we'll both be free of Orochimaru and can get home to Konoha.' She sighed as she sank into the water. 'I wonder what Naruto is doing right now.'

Naruto sat at the table in his apartment, staring at the bowl and chopsticks Hinata gave him. 'She really nailed what to get me for my birthday. She definitely didn't have to do anything, just having her there with me was good enough. And the fact that she painted the chopsticks herself and put such care and detail into it. Her kind and thoughtful nature just makes me like her even more.'

He leaned forward in his chair, placing his elbows on the table. 'Like her? Do I like her? I mean, sure as a friend, but the way I almost kissed her tonight was far from a friendly kinda feeling. She sweet, kind, gentle but still badass, and she's beautiful too.' Naruto froze at his thoughts. 'Am starting to fall for Hinata?'

Namiko sensed Sasuke returning and got out of the bath, dressing in a pair of black shorts and a comfy, plain black t-shirt, and twisted her hair back into a bun. Today was her birthday and she wanted to be comfy and enjoy the rest of the evening to the fullest. When she stepped out, she saw Sasuke had laid all the food on the table.

"I got some yakisoba for you. If I remember correctly, that's what you got the night of the festival to celebrate Tsunade becoming Hokage," he explained as she sat next to him.

She stared at him in disbelief. "I can't believe you remembered that. That was three years ago!"

"I also got you some mitarashi dango as a treat." He handed her a container of dango. "They didn't have any mochi or I would've gotten that instead."

She graciously accepted the dango and took a bite. "Thank you so much, but you didn't need to go to the trouble."

"I promised you earlier, plus it's your birthday. I don't exactly have a present for you other than that."

She shook her head, her long locks flowing as she moved. "No, you gave me the best present ever already." At his puzzled look, she continued, "When you told me you loved me, that was the only present I could ever need."

"I mean it." He finished his food and walked toward the bathroom. "Go ahead and finish your food. I'm going to get cleaned up before bed."

About twenty minutes later, Sasuke emerged from the bathroom, his hair still damp, and wearing only his dark blue boxers. Namiko looked up from where she was drawing in her notebook and slowly closed it as she bit her lip anxiously. "Is that what you're sleeping in?"

He raised an eyebrow as he sat next to her and shrugged slightly. "It's warm in here. Is that a problem?"

She cleared her throat and tried to focus on putting up her book. "No, I just wanted to clarify. I mean, you can only take off so many clothes before something happens." A light blush tinted her cheeks.

As she closed her backpack, she turned to face him. She took a deep breath before asking, "There's one other thing I want for my birthday, and it's a huge ask…if you don't want to, I'll understand."

"Which is?"

She threw her leg over his lap and straddled him as she watched his facial expression shift into equal parts surprise and desire. "I want you." She blew out another deep breath. "I want all of you. I'm ready for more…am I wrong in thinking you want that too?"

"No, I want you too." He placed a hand on either side of her thighs and kissed her deeply. "You light a fire in me that I didn't know existed."

She let out a small laugh. "Well, good thing you're a fire nature user." She placed a hand on his cheek and kissed him slowly, taking the time to explore his mouth. "I'm ready to take the risk of getting burned."

Sasuke gripped her waist. "You're sure about this? Because once we do this, we can't go back. It probably will be uncomfortable and maybe painful for you since it's your first time."

She smiled softly at him. "Sasuke, I'm fully aware of what happens during sex, and I don't care about that. I'm one hundred percent sure. All I want is you. I love you…" Namiko scooted back on the futon to give him room.

"I do too." He sat on the side of the futon and placed feather-light kisses on her lips, trailing them down her jaw and neck. His hand skimmed her toned stomach under her shirt, but he never moved his hand higher than her ribs or lower than her hip.

Namiko sighed in frustration and pushed him lightly until he was the one lying on his back. "I told you to stop treating me like I'll break." Her brow furrowed. "I'm a kunoichi and a jinchuriki, you aren't going to hurt me." She leaned down to whisper in his ear. "So, take me already…"

"If you're sure…" Sasuke smirked as his Sharingan flared to life. "Then I want to remember this in detail…"

A shiver flew down Namiko's spine at his words and she let out a surprised laugh as he flipped their positions and straddled her, kissing her deeply as they explored each other to the fullest extent.

Sasuke woke the following morning to find Namiko still sound asleep. Her left leg was thrown over his and her still naked body was pressed against his, the blue blanket covering them both. She stirred and looked up at him. "Good morning, Sasuke."

He kissed her lips softly. "Good morning indeed."

Upon noticing their state of undress, she blushed and yanked the blanket tighter around her. Sasuke let out an amused scoff. "Now you're acting shy? You weren't shy last night at all."

"You were dragging your feet. If I wasn't a little forward, we never would've had sex at all," she said as she sat up, wincing slightly.

"Are you okay?" he asked, genuine concern in his voice.

"I'm fine, just a little sore, but that's a normal thing." She quickly got dressed and her voice turned somber, "I guess once we leave here, it's back to reality and keeping our relationship under wraps. Is it bad I don't want to leave here?"

He approached her from behind and placed a light kiss on her neck. "No, I don't want to either. I'm not looking forward to the next couple of weeks."

A/N: Well, Namiko and Sasuke have taken a pretty massive step in their relationship, and Naruto is finally beginning to realize that he may have feelings for Hinata. We've got some intense chapters coming up soon but for quite different reasons than this chapter.
I apologize for the delay in this chapter. We visited family this weekend and I didn't take my laptop with the assumption that I could post from my iPad or phone, but I couldn't get the formatting correct, so I decided to post when we got home. I should be able to post normally next weekend!
Thanks for reading and remember, comments are my tip jar! (plus I just love hearing theories)

Love,
Eriisu