"Well, you seem in good spirits," Sakura said plainly as he finally reunited with her. "Your quest was a success I take it?"

"Uh, sort of, the situation wasn't quite what we thought but uh, we're welcome to use Tsunade's house!"

"The hag?"

"Yeah uh, that's her name, she's actually super nice! She cooked us a great breakfast and.…" he trailed off on that last thought, remembering that he didn't know the last time this giant woman ate. "I brought you some food," he deflected, turning to show the large sack of grains roped to his back.

She wasted no time pulling it off of him, ripping the burlap with her bare hands and pouring it like some delicious cracker mix into her gullet. Only when her mouth was full and cheeks bulging did she pull it away and take a great swig from her enormous water skin.

It took half a minute for her to swallow, and she wasted no time pouring more down her gullet. Just standing and watching this quickly became awkward, you might imagine. So immediately after the second swallow, Naruto spoke up again.

"Does that taste good to you?"

"No," she said flatly, not slowing down in another 'drink' from the bag. It was already half empty. More than half empty she quickly revealed as she began crushing it to get the last morsels out. For a few more breaths that heavy crunching noise emanated, then one more drink, then she looked back to him. "Is there any more?"

"Sorry no, we're kind of out of money. Look though, I got you bandages!"

"Bandages?" she began tersely. "How many bags of grain could you have bought for the money you wasted on bandages?" she demanded, seething as she looked down at him.

"It's not a waste, if we wrap up your leg I can heal you right now, and nobody will notice. We can get you back on your feet so you can hunt or work on your house or whatever asap," he defended. Sakura blinked. Then she looked almost confused, but the words that followed seemed genuine.

"That's…kind of you. That would be helpful,"

"Right? You probably want to sit or something though, it'll be at least a couple of hours," he continued, keeping his grin as she indulged him. On her rear, the giant was almost at eye level with him. Those enormous, piercing green eyes bore into him, staring expectantly as he followed her down.

Naruto sat beside her trunk-like leg, resting an arm on her, just above that jagged reg line Sasuki made. Her skin was surprisingly soft, the thigh brushing his ribs even had enough fat to rest comfortably on. He was still trying to get comfortable without being too bold in the contact when Sakura spoke up.

"Where is mistress Sasuki right now?"

Naruto sighed.

"She's on an expedition, went out with a few of the folks in town to hunt,"

"Trustworthy folk?" she asked, her interest clearly peaked.

"Strangers," he corrected bluntly. "She said it'd be fine, that none of them were particularly dangerous and she was only going a couple of days out,"

Sakura only made a displeased noise, and silence fell over the pair again. Naruto couldn't stop thinking about what happened in the woods. He couldn't stop grinning ear to ear. Sasuki and him had sex! It was unbelievable, it was the most pronounced accomplishment of his life! Thankfully he was facing away from his patient, letting him wear his emotions plainly as he strolled through those wonderful memories again.

"My leg feels better, I'm going hunting," Sakura said bluntly, rising to her feet after about an hour. Naruto shook back to reality, looking back at her and especially at the injury dominating her limb. It had taken a more pinkish color, and it didn't look like it was in danger of bursting open anymore, but it was still a long and pronounced injury.

"I don't mind going a little longer," he offered.

"I'm hungry," she replied simply, grabbing at the long cloth roll that was so small in her hands. Still, she managed to tape herself up and cover the wound without much time or effort. When she began trekking off to the north he followed after, earning a curious glance as he did.

"I might as well help, I have nothing else to do,"

"Have you ever hunted?"

"No, but at least I'll be there if you run into a bear or something," he elaborated. She only hummed at that. Still, there was no further protest as he fell into step behind her, having no trouble keeping up as she weaved through the various trees and foliage that were so dense out here.

It's a good thing too because they traveled a good six hours. Six hours over uneven terrain, of squeezing and contorting and hopping. His legs groaned, his hair dripped with sweat, and his mind became a muddled mess. So much so that he jerked when Sakura suddenly clasped a hand over the back of his neck, gripping him tightly to cease his movement.

"Quiet, it's just a few yards ahead," she said, staring at a pair of thick bushes sitting motionless with all the others. Naruto just stared as slowly, fluidly, the pink-haired giant reached back, gripped the long wooden pole on her back, and slowly poised to throw it.

He sucked in a breath when she went still, afraid to breathe and acutely aware of his own heartbeat.

The wooden spear flew like a fucking ballista shot, leaving a hole clean through the bushes ahead! Naruto sucked in an excited breath. Sakura remained poised and still as a statue, like she really was some kind of siege engine.

He was just beginning to admire this view when the bush exploded inward toward them! Bramble and leaves created a blast that blocked their vision and instinctively made Naruto look away.

The half second that he did so, and the 1.5 it took him to draw his sword proved quite costly.

He might have died if the moose had him in its sights.

The massive beast rammed firmly at Sakura, each antler gripped by one massive hand as it tried to collide with her collarbone. She gasped and grunted to hold position, to keep her footing and halt this charge! Naruto lay on the forest floor, wondering in some distant part of his brain why he couldn't move his left arm. Stretching his cloak to take a peak showed a massive purple hoof print throbbing over the dented joint bone.

He grit his teeth and tried to stand, but only managed a situp in the time it took Sakura to act.

She moved one leg, huffed, and heaved the beast clear off its feat! It flew a foot back and hit the ground hard! Before the bleeding panicked beast could pull itself upright her cudgel slammed right into the middle of its torso, shattering ribs and crushing innards in a gruesome blow.

Naruto found himself looking with pity at the weak, dazed face of the beast as the warrior finished the job decisively, splattering the beast's skull and ending its, no doubt significant, pain.

"Ohhh fuck," he muttered, averting his eyes and once again trying to stand. "You might have to carry me back too Sa-" his words cut off as he saw how gnarled and bloody her hands were, "… after I heal that," he offered with a nervous laugh.

She only gave him a tired look.

X

X

X

Thanks for reading!

Check my if you want input on what I write next, or if you'd like to see fanart of my stories. Or search Macko Bole on the kindle store if you want more by me.