READER INFO:
Hello again everyone! A huge thanks to all of you for sticking with this story up until this point! I do believe it is now complete. It wasn't too long of a story, but a nice little sweet thing for NaruSaku fans. That being said, I enjoyed writing it, and I hope it brings enjoyment to all who come across it. Alright, y'all enjoy now.
What Comes Next?
The noonday sun sat proudly in the sky, rays of bright yellow touching the sand-ridden land from north to south and east to west. The familiar blue eyes rested on the expanse of open blue sky and sunshiney rays, the tendrils of a smile tugging at one corner of his lips.
"Hey," came the familiar voice, the soft intonation and subtle bass sounding from the voice he knew so well.
Turning around, he saw her, and for a moment, crystal blue met darkened jade. The pink hair sat a bit below shoulder length and jostled as she walked, the deep green of her eyes clashing sharply with it and contrasting well with the light pink chapstick that added a shimmer to her lips. Her smile was soft as she approached, a light tinge of pink coloring her fair-toned cheeks. He stood where he was silent, taking in the sight of her as she neared.
She had almost reached him when she paused, the scratchy footsteps coming to a halt as her lips parted slightly, something wild and unsure lingering in the eyes that sparkled like emerald. Finally, she exhaled, and stepped into the great unknown.
"Hey," he finally greeted, a gentle hug shared between them. "You good?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
Inhaling a bit and rubbing her back, he broke away. "Sleep good?"
She looked away with a slanted grin, her lips letting go of a faint chuckle. "Yeah, something like that…"
His grin was much the same as he eyed her, her gaze turned away and apparently focusing on the sandy path they would soon be walking, her smile soft, the pink strands tossing lightly in the wind. What was on her mind he wondered. The same things that whirled around in his? Adventure and Joy? Love and Passion? Faith and Trust? Hope that endured all things?…
"Yo," came the familiar voice of their sensei, and the admiring gaze was broken. Turning to said sensei, he saw him walking up to them with Gaara at his side.
"What's up, guys," Naruto said.
"Hi, sensei," Sakura added softly. Turning slightly, she added, "Gaara."
All he did in response was smile. "It would appear our time together is at an end," he began, looking to the three of them. "The Sand thanks you once again. We're very glad to have allies such as yourselves in our corner, and I'm sure you all know we have your backs just the same."
Naruto nodded. "Anytime, Gaara."
"I am aware, my friend."
Grinning a bit, he reached out and grabbed the extended hand. "Til next time."
Gaara nodded through his grin. "Next time."
...
Observance skills were indispensable as a ninja, Kakashi had learned this very long ago, and at a pretty young age if he was honest. The jist of what he'd been taught was to see the meaning beneath the meaning, and also to learn to perceive hidden signs of something deeper. Despite his apparently lazy attitude, he'd gotten pretty good at both over the years, which is why despite their best efforts, Naruto and Sakura couldn't hide from him the fact that something was...off.
They hadn't talked much on their journey home, which was a sharp contrast to their overly talkative natures just a day before. Now they only said little whispers and quiet mumblings, each string of thought so frighteningly low that he couldn't make out even half of what they were saying.
"What's up with you two?" he said casually. Nothing like blunt force honesty to coax the truth from an unsuspecting person...or persons.
"Uhhh, huh?" Naruto questioned; Sakura sent him a questioning glance and said nothing. Ah, the innocent act.
"Sounds like you all are whispering more than anything. I would think you all would be arguing like an old married couple like yesterday." The single gray eye looked at him from the side.
"Uh…we were just talking about your date last night," Naruto grinned.
A small smile turned up both sides of Kakashi's mask. Ah, it would seem that Naruto, like any proper ninja, had a deflection ready. Despite Kakashi's annoyance at the subtle change of subject, he felt a mild sense of comfort that Naruto was indeed embodying some of the more necessary ninja skills. Heck, he may even be a little proud.
"If you must know," Kakashi answered. "We danced the night away, shared a good night kiss, then kayaked together on a river bank."
"Seriously?!" Naruto screeched, an exclamation mark nearly breaking out above Sakura's head as her head jolted sideways.
"Not a chance," Kakashi grinned. "We talked a bit and went our separate ways."
"Aw, come on, sensei! You never have any fun."
"Should've known it was a trick when he said there was a river bank in Suna," Sakura grinned.
"Sorry, Naruto, but we can't all be as blissfully in love as you and Sakura."
And there it was, and by it, Kakashi meant the subtle shade of red that was currently breaking out all across Sakura's face. Ninja or not, stopping your body's natural response to things was a bit trickier than throwing a kunai. If you were a blusher, well, too bad. You should probably stay out of espionage unless absolutely necessary too, but that was another topic. For now, Sakura's pinkish face and stuttering unwillingness to deny anything was all the confirmation he needed. Add to that the fact that he hadn't sensed their chakras in their rooms when he got back to his suite, and even the lousiest detective could put 2 and 2 together.
"Blissfully in love?" Naruto said as Sakura's fingers fiddled with her backpack straps, brows furrowed funnily as if that would push the pink from her cheeks.
Kakashi eyed her from the side with a small smile stretching his mask, then gave a mild shrug. "Maybe my senses are off or something," he said. "Guess I'll just leave it alone."
"Well," Naruto paused, eyeing Sakura from the side with a low gaze and cheeky smirk that Kakashi knew meant nothing good. Her angry squint in reply was enough to even nearly make him burst out laughing. "Since you really have to know, me and Sakura kissed last night!"
"BAKA!" she screamed, a loud clock sounding in the air as the balled fist went careening into his head with alarming speed. "A gentleman doesn't kiss and tell!"
"Owww," he whined, one hand rubbing the now sore throbbing spot on his head. "That's not fair Sakura-chan…"
"No! What's not fair is you blabbing all over the place about personal things that we should be discussing as a couple!"
"Ok, ok, ok," he said, hands pumping the air as he grinned cheekily. "My bad."
"You're not fooling me with that my bad act again! I've known you for too long! You'll say that now, then get to the village and blab to someone like Sasuke!"
"But Sasuke's not even in the village right now."
The green eyes fixed him with that unwavering stare he had come to know too well. "And if he was?!…" The emerald eyes squinted.
"Well…" the slanted smile started breaking out across his whiskers. "It's Sasuke."
"YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT!"
Chuckling lightly, Kakashi finally broke in. "Alright, alright, let's settle down. I'm sure you all will have time to argue like an old married couple for many more years to come."
Nearly stuttering a reply, but falling short of one, Sakura deflated, her lips falling into a pout, her face still a bit red as her sandals scratched the dusty earth.
Naruto, meanwhile, answered in a chuckle. "Hehe, sure will."
"Hmph!" she exclaimed. "Well, how about you kiss yourself from now on."
"Hehe, you know you love me."
"...That's not the point."
"So," Kakashi broke in. "What comes next for the blissful couple?"
"Apparently, teaching Naruto basic etiquette."
"Hehe," he chuckled. "I know basic etiquette, I just don't care about it." Her low gaze followed him as he continued, "But to answer sensei's question, well, first I've gotta take you out on a proper date, yeah? No Ichiraku's or anything like that. Heck, I might even let you choose where we go."
"Hm," she hummed, the annoyed frown finally making way for a mild smile. "I think I like the sound of that."
"Mhm," he huffed proudly. "Gotta treat my girl right, you know."
"Well...at least you got that right."
Kakashi's single eye watched with amusement as they walked.
"So a few of those," he said, a wide grin nearly splitting his face. "Then one day, outta nowhere, BAM, down on one knee!"
Saying nothing, she kept her head bowed, the deepening red on her cheeks noticeable from a mile away.
"Heh, heh," he chuckled, that bright grin invading her space from one corner of her eye as he leaned down to her eye level and hovered only inches away. "You're blushing, Sakura-chan."
She kept her gaze slightly turned away and her lips puckered shut despite her grin.
"Well, anyway," he said, straightening up and pointing his thumb at his chest. "Since you can't even talk from me being so awesome, I'll just keep going."
Sighing a bit, she said, "Whatever, Naruto," still unable to push the lingering smirk from her lips.
"When you say yes," he grinned. "And you will say yes, I'll pick you up and spin you around til you're so dizzy you can't even think straight."
A small chortle left her throat and was the first in a string of louder chuckles. "Naruto, please stop."
"Then we'll plan the wedding," he continued with a bright grin – it soon faded. "...Aw, who am I kidding. You'll probably do all the planning. Ino too; she likes that type of stuff."
The corner of Sakura's lips lifted, a silent thought never leaving her lips.
"Anyway," he continued. "Then we'll get married, with all our friends watching, of course. Then comes the honeymoon." He sauntered up to her and rubbed shoulders a bit; in response, she let her smirk grow only the slightest, the jade eyes eyeing him with an unfamiliar low gaze. Grinning that same eye closed smile, he finished, "Then come babies!"
"Heh, heh," she chuckled, eyes widening a bit more than usual. "Slooooow your roll, mister."
"Hehe," he chuckled. "I think I'll make the first one have blond hair like me."
Despite her grin, a vein nearly broke out on her forehead. "We won't be able to choose the hair color, Naruto."
"Hehe," he laughed again. "I just made you agree you'll have my babies."
At that Kakashi pulled out his book and started reading, a larger than usual smile stretching his mask at both corners.
Sakura's chuckles only grew louder. "I hate you."
Naruto's response was a down-looking grin.
They didn't tread through the forest much longer before he spoke again, this time with another smile that she knew far too well. It was that subtle slanted grin that said – Naruto Uzuamki, ready for adventure.
"Hey, Sakura?" he said lightly.
"Yeah?" she said, the emerald eyes sparkling in the brilliance of the noonday sun.
"You ready for this?"
Despite her grin, he could see something unsure in her eyes. Finally, she responded. "I hope so, Naruto. I hope so…"
With one fist stretched out to her, he let that familiar grin fully part his lips. "To the future."
Her hand started to lift at the sight, then came a brief pause in her movements. Finally, her grin grew to match his, and her balled fist rushed forward like never before, the two of them colliding like an explosion of something unprecedented in the shady forest and glowing sun. "To the future!"
In the brilliant glare of noonday sun, the grins of two who dared to brave a call danced with flowing strength, and in the peaceful shade of a much large forest, a familiar sensei smiled.
Author's Note:
And that's a wrap folks! Thanks for sticking with this once again! And if the story made you happy, please leave a review! It means a lot! :D Thanks again, and take care.