#both naruto and sasuke are happy to have such warm welcomes from their children and wife <3< /div> Explore tagged Tumblr posts

[sessakag]

Throuple Snippets #7 -NaruHinaSasu

Haruto (running for the front door as it opened, his siblings running behind him): Daddy's home!

Hinata (pressing a quick kiss to Naruto's lips as he dragged himself through the living room, weighed down by Indra latched onto his right ankle, Boruto on his left ankle, Itachi koala-clinging to his left arm, Hima mirroring on his right arm, and redheaded Haruto riding on his broad shoulders with two fists full of hair, each child asking every question in the world, rambling excitedly about their day, all demanding attention from their blonde father): Welcome home dear.

Later that day...

Hima (running for the front door as it opened, her siblings running behind her): Papa's home!

Hinata (pressing a quick kiss to Sasuke's lips as he dragged himself through the living room, weighed down by Hima latched onto his right ankle, Boruto on his left ankle, Haruto koala-clinging to his left arm, Indra mirroring on his right arm, and Itachi riding on his broad shoulders with his little hands placed cheekily over his father's eyes, each child asking every question in the world, rambling excitedly about their day, all demanding attention from their raven haired father): Welcome home dear.

Throuple Snippets #1-6 -> 1 2 3 4 5 6

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[lumisfiction]

Just For Tonight

Kakashi x Black Reader

Disclaimer: Characters belong to Kishimoto, gif not mine found on the internet.

Warning: Black Reader Insert, fluff

Part 1

****Part Two*****

Y/n’s house was the most enchanting place in all the Hidden Leaf, four miles into a secluded forest lay a stone path with handcrafted lanterns along it. The forest that surrounded it was filled with every color of wild flower that Kakashi had ever seen. It was as if he was no longer in the village, like he’d stepped into another world, y/n’s world. A world of fireflies, sun flowers, moon flowers, roses of every color, and lilies. A pastel painting with a deep green undertone of the entire forest. All around him were arches, tall trees with branches that entwined with evening birds perched on them singing their evening hymn. The dim light of moon peaking through illuminating the walk way. If it hadn't been for Sasuke and Naruto he would have never found this place.

Tugging eagerly at his vest Naruto guided him farther until they came to a large clearing. The moon and stars were brighter as it reflected on the surface of the small pond in front of them. It seemed all matter of creatures came out tonight in celebration of y/n, the sounds around him growing louder. A pleasant loudness that blended with the atmosphere of the pond and on its surface glowing lotuses glided past. Naruto reached down and picked one up, crystal liquid pooling over his small fingers. Kakashi watches as its blue light dimly lights the boy's youthful face. He looked his age then, like a child who held the most precious thing in the world. “These are her favorite” cupping it delicately Naruto presented his hands to him. “I know you came last minute Kakashi sensei, you can bring this as a gift” Naruto grinned a mischievous glint in his eye. “A gift” Kakashi scratched the back of his neck, painfully aware of his unpreparedness. In his haste to cheer Naruto up he’d forgotten that he just returned from a mission. His clothes were dirty and his hair was grimy. “I think a gift is the least of my concern” Kakashi pulled at his filthy pants, he could fill the dirt under his fingernails. He thought about y/n then how pretty she would look and her face when she saw him. It would be their first official meeting and this is what she’ll see. Her first impressions forever skewered by his dirty attire. It made his hands tremble and he felt heat rush throughout his body, a nervousness swelling somewhere deep within him. Nervous to meet y/n, like a school boy who finally gets to spend time with his crush.

Sasuke looked behind him observing a riled up Kakashi. Even in the moonlight and a half exposed face he knew exactly what his tinted cheeks meant. “She shouldn’t be home yet, you can freshen up once we get there” his arms practically spilling over with an assortment of flowers. Kakashi looked over at Sasuke sighing, was he that easy to read? How long has it been since he was social? Was he so out of touch that he couldn't even manage to hide his emotions from a prepubescent boy.

His mind wandered off again as he began to contemplate his decision to attend. It was all too sudden, what if he made of a fool of himself? Or worse what if he isn't welcomed? Thoughts were spinning around and round his head so much so that a scowl returned to his face and his exposed brow scrunched. His inner conflict occupied all of his attention so much so he hadn't noticed Sasuke making kissing noises. Not until the boy began to tease him childishly.

"Kakashi and y/n sitting in a tree k.i.s.s.i.n.g" Sasuke relentlessly teased Kakashi with a child-like twinkle in his eyes. It was perplexing, the cool headed vengeful Sasuke was the polar opposite of his former self. Laughing and smiling as he bent down to pick even more flowers along the water. Stopping to look them over and disregard the flowers he no longer wanted.

It was so out of character for him that Kakashi hadn't noticed he was gawking. “He always brings her freshly picked flowers” Naruto came into view with a smug look on his face. Kakashi hadn’t noticed until tonight how different with her in their life they had become. How both of them practically morphed into children right before his eyes. Naruto was feather light and cheerful while Sasuke was playful, thoughtful, and happy. They look so innocent he almost forgot they were shinobi, genin who’d soon participate in the chunin exams. He recounted to himself a time when he looked like them. When he too was happy and innocent. Just a boy and his father.

All of them fell in a silent stride as they began walking again. Crossing over a small bridge that brought them to their destination at last. Willow trees and what seemed like a thousand fireflies greeted them. There at the foot of the path stood the most beautiful wooden arch with yellow flowers twisting around it's bark. Dangling loosely from it a chipped wooden sign that read "Happy Birthday y/n. “I made that” Naruto’s face gleamed with all the pride of a not so masterful craftsman as he pointed his finger in the direction of if. Sasuke scoffed as he remarked how tacky he thought it looked. With an ego as big as his competition he stated how much better his lanterns were in comparison. Naruto glared at Sasuke, his eyes sharp as he retaliated with an insult of his own. There was no end to it, both of them going on and on about what y/n liked best. It was driving Kakashi a little crazy, having to go on missions with their insistent contest was one thing, but this was a whole other sort of annoying. The kind that made him so irritated that all the cool level headed temperament in the world couldn’t prevent the annoyed look on his face. He thought about home and his warm recliner. The green hardback book that he so often read to indulge his perverted mind. The faint feeling of heat coursing throughout his slightly reddening cheeks. What he wouldn’t give to go back in time and stick to his original plan. A plan that didn't involve two rowdy brats.

The house was a deep oak red with hints of a darker brown. It was large with a stairway above it that led to a smaller house. It had flags and a large telescope pointing toward the eastern sky.

The entire estate was homely and welcoming, the yard embedded with an even more alluring green. Fresh cut grass and lanterns that spread about it illuminating everything in its path. Nothing could make this scene before him more stunning he thought to himself as he looked all around in awe.

She descended from the steps, the most beautiful sight of all, Y/n. Her raven coils shining in the moonlight and her skin glistening like the surface of a smooth diamond. She was most certainly magical, the tail of her white dress flowing behind her when she walked a smooth glide only a goddess would have.

"Y/n" as fast as their feet would carry them Naruto and Sasuke ran to her open arms ruining her pretty dress even though she didn't seem to mind. She embraced them with a hug that only a mother would give her beloved children. When they parted Sasuke was the first to present his gift, a bouquet of wild flowers "Happy Birthday y/n". Her face lit up as she leaned over to kiss his exposed forehead and his face become even more redder than before.

From the distance where Kakashi stood he saw the pearls her pretty teeth, her full lips lifting the bones of her cheeks. The way her breast sat prettily in her clothes and the playful glint in her almond eyes. She seemed to get prettier as he came closer and his eye drifted downward and then up again taking in her full form. All of his former reservations escaped him,his heart thudding in his chest as he made his way closer. Yes, Just for tonight he'll indulge himself.

Author Notes: Trying to decide if this should just be a three part or more series. Next chapter will be released soon and it will contain light smut. Thank you for all your support!

[gaarasgoddess]

Touched

Sakura held her hand to his bare skin and tried to focus on healing him and not how surprised she was that Gaara had a six pack. It really was unfair.

Notes: I decided that there was no Konoha Crush and that there was no tailed beasts. So that it made sense for Gaara and Naruto to be sparring in their late teens and Gaara is not Kazekage. 

.x.

The cloud from the explosion had a distinctly mushroom look to it. Sakura grimaced as two bodies flew through the air, crashing into the ground. Every day they came to this training ground and Gaara and Naruto would beat each other to a pulp. One had the perfect defence (apparently) and the other enough stamina to rage for days. They didn’t look to be stopping any time soon either.

And every day, Sakura would hover around like a mother hen, waiting and worrying about what they were doing to each other. It used to be Naruto and Sasuke back when Team 7 was still a thing but Sasuke had moved on to ANBU and was now preparing for his Uchiha wife-to-be.

Sakura still sighed heavily and wistfully remembering the day he told them in that monotone voice of his that he was getting married to some distant cousin. Naruto told him his clan was “gay and weird” for that and the two had barely spoken since.

Sasuke didn’t have a sense of humour about his family and Naruto had no tact.

A loud war cry broke Sakura’s thoughts and she looked back over the destroyed training field. They were still at it. The mushroom cloud turned to dust and disappeared. But a moment later, it reappeared - this time the colour of chakra.

Naruto had something to prove to the outsider who dared to say that Konoha ninja were children. Gaara had something to prove to the orange clad idiot who retorted that all sand ninja were weak compared to the leaf.

Sakura just hoped they didn’t end up killing each other and causing an inter-village incident. So here she was, loyally waiting for them to finish and not be able to move anymore before heading in to heal them. She always decided who to heal first based on who was being the least rude. It was often a close call.

This had been going on for three weeks leading up to the new Chunin Exams and neither were backing down. And every time she healed him, Sakura developed a new appreciation for Gaara of the Sand. To stand toe to toe with Naruto and sometimes even outlast him was no small feet. Naruto had more power but Gaara had better control and (seemingly) more jutsu up his sleeve.

And his heavy breathing when she healed him was almost too distracting for her to concentrate on her chakra. It was lucky she had perfect control or she’d not be able to heal him. He watched her, too, when he wasn’t too exhausted to. In her peripherals, Gaara’s sweaty, flushed and intense face zeroed in on her calm and focused expression.

Sakura rushed forward when the two landed, a moment of hesitation sending her in Naruto’s direction first. It was a quick heal but he whined the whole time, under his breath, so quietly that she doubted Gaara heard him. Then she moved to Gaara and struggled to push down her blush when his head turned in her direction and his eyes moved to her face. The first time she healed him he was confused why she bothered but she never wavered.

By now he was used to it but still flinched whenever her bare fingers brushed against his bare skin. He could get punched over and over in a fight but the gentle touch of healing hands still unsettled him, she supposed. She had no idea why.

Naruto had a smug grin on his face as he wandered over to them, not noticing how Sakura was trying so hard not to stare back at Gaara, her fingers only trembling slightly every now and then.

And Gaara couldn’t stop the light groan that exited his mouth as Sakura’s hands accidentally brushed his skin at the distraction.

“Don’t be a baby.”

Sakura gave Naruto an irritated look and he obediently shut up.

They all waited in silence but she was having trouble focusing, again. Gaara flinched again and Sakura hesitated. Her chakra flickered and she forced herself to channel it back into her hands and focus on healing the redhead.

Sakura held her hand to his bare skin and tried to focus on healing him and not how surprised she was that Gaara had a six pack. It really was unfair.

.x.

A few months passed and Sakura was beginning to think that she’d imagined that blush on Gaara’s face when her fingers brushed along his skin. She hadn’t seen him much during the exams because he had come to Konoha to help officiate it - they were both Jounin so allowed to. If she’d known she would start to become infatuated with him she’d have signed up for that as well.

So she sat in the audience as the genin fought to impress the judges but she wasn’t watching the battles. Not really. She watched the redhead who’d been pressured into sharing the proctor duties with Naruto. She watched as they gave each other barely concealed glares - but Naruto’s was more obvious; so much so that the Hokage told him to bugger off and let Gaara do it all. Which only aggravated Gaara even more.

It was entertaining to everyone.

Sakura could have sworn that Gaara looked up at her when Naruto yelled at her from the ground to remind him to pummel the redhead later. The glance was so fast she believed she imagined it. But she was surprisingly excited either way. It meant that they were going to fight, giving her the excuse to touch the redhead again. To heal him of course.

She couldn’t wait.

But a few hours later when she went looking for them at the training ground to “accidentally” find them trying to kill each other, Sakura couldn’t find them anywhere. She figured they went to a different training ground so made the rounds between them. Nothing.

Another few hours later she gave up and decided to listen to her stomach. It was close to sunset and she was getting hungry. She stopped suddenly, spotting the familiar blond and red heads standing outside Ichiraku Ramen. They were talking animatedly; Naruto waving his hands around and Gaara’s arms crossed as he tapped his foot on the ground.

Then they made to move away from the shop and she kept watching but Gaara didn’t look in her direction. Something was different.

They weren’t fighting. They started laughing. And heading off toward other shops instead of fighting each other. They weren’t angry. And she wasn’t needed after all.

They were finally getting on?

.x.

Another month passed. Sakura was pining and she didn’t like it. After years of following Sasuke around amounted to nothing and she promised herself she’d never pine for guys again. It was their turn to pine for her! But she missed Gaara. She missed healing him after he and Naruto were done pummeling each other. The two were getting along and she didn’t like it.

She didn’t like that she didn’t like it. It was a good thing for inter-village relations. But Sakura was so useless when it came to guys that she didn’t know any other excuse to get close to Gaara without him knowing she liked him.

She was almost eighteen and she’d never been kissed or been out with anyone other than Ino and that didn’t count because they did it to make Sai drool, and Ino wanted his attention.

It was time to end her abysmal failure love life.

.x.

Sakura was digging through Tsunade’s files looking for missions to Suna. She knew she’d lost the plot. She was desperate. It had been several months since she last saw him and she was going crazy and it was getting painful. No matter what Gaara said when she told him she had to tell him how she felt. Pining for him was unhealthy for her.

Her inner won the fight and she was keeping her promise to herself.

“S Rank, land of lightning.” She mumbled and tossed the file back into its folder. Ten minutes later she found an A Rank for Suna but the people Tsunade had circled for the mission were Neji, Tenten and Naruto. She frowned, reading over the details. It sounded like it could use a medic and she wondered why the Gondaime hadn’t included one.

“Sneaking around I see.”

Startled, Sakura stood up so fast she knocked all the files onto the floor. “Lady Tsunade! You were supposed to be at a meeting.”

“It ended early.” Tsunade pointed at the pile and Sakura obediently bent to fix them up. “What’s this about?”

“I..I just wanted to ask for a mission,” she stuttered.

“Uh-huh.” Tsunade grabbed the files from her. “Suna?”

Sakura blushed. Did she know? She nodded.

“Figures.” Tsunade huffed. “The brat goes and makes friends with the Kazekage’s kid and you’re pining after him.”

Sakura lowered her eyes to the floor.

“Don’t be embarrassed, girl. I’ll add you to the team. Was thinking you might be good for it anyway. They could use a medic.”

Sakura nodded and looked up into the warm smile of her mentor.

Tsunade used the file to slap Sakura on the butt. “Go get him, kiddo!”

.x.

”Yes!” Naruto fist pumped the air as Tenten rolled her eyes and Neji mentally groaned. He was excited that Sakura was joining them.

They met at the front gate of Konoha and started moving out immediately.

“Thank goodness you’re coming,” Tenten said. “I didn’t much fancy being the mediator between Neji and Naruto.”

Sakura understood. But the three days they spent travelling to Suna all she could think of the seafoam eyes that were waiting for her. The nights spent in the tent she was sharing with Tenten and ignoring the arguments coming from the boys, her mind was elsewhere. Her bunkmate noticed but kindly didn’t mention it.

As they approached the walls of Suna, Sakura was so nervous she had to rub her sweaty palms on her clothes. He was waiting for them at the gates, alongside his brother and sister. The Kazekage was nowhere to be seen even though it was typical for him to greet allies.

But Gaara was a welcomed sight; his eyes widened slightly as they landed on Sakura. And a genuine smile was elicited from him. She was happy to see that he was happy to see her.

.x.

After they were given their duties and Sakura discovered this mission was just a cover as it turned out the Kazekage was retiring and Gaara had been named to replace his father.

They were here to get things ready for Tsunade’s official arrival. It all sounded so pompous and unnecessary but that was the nature of politics and inter-village relations.

Sakura worked tirelessly to help and wondered now what a medic could possibly be needed for, on this job. But she didn’t regret coming. At the end of the three days it took for them to set everything up, Gaara came to her and she returned his smiled.

“Naruto and I are going to spar and we could use a medic.”

She grinned. “Okay, let me just grab my pack.”

Whether he was doing this for himself or her she didn’t know. He gave her a knowing look as they walked together to a training ground he’d already arranged for the fight.

He didn’t flinch when she accidentally brushed his fingers, taking a water bottle from him as he got ready to stretch and prepare. In fact, his breath hitched and the blush was back on his cheeks.

She felt suddenly very confident and stepped over to him, kissing his cheek softly. His eyes widened and she blushed.

“For good luck.”

He nodded absently and moved to engage Naruto. Neji and Tenten were also nearby, taking the opportunity to sit in the shade and watch.

Several hours later Gaara and Naruto were both exhausted but neither needed any serious healing. Sakura still placed a hand on Gaara’s skin and healed his minor scratches.

“I like you,” she blurted and they both blushed. “I… wanted to tell you.”

He cleared his throat. “I like you too.”

She nodded, licking her lips and finishing her healing, then dropped her hands by her side as he continued to watch her. He had a thing for watching her.

“So.. uh. What now?”

“Now, I do what I’ve been wanting to do for months.”

Gaara licked his lips and then lowered his mouth to hers. She didn’t mind that he bit her bottom lip. Nor that his fingers found the hem of her clothes and started tugging absentmindedly. They were moving a bit fast but she had time to stop him and would do so if he pissed her off too much.

They kept kissing and kept touching each other even as Naruto’s voice rang nearby; the alarm he was sounding going unnoticed by the newly found lovers. Tenten attempted to shut him up, with Neji’s help, to leave Sakura and Gaara alone.

What was coming next wasn’t for them to see.

Sakura felt Gaara’s sand whipping up and teleporting them. She knew what was coming and though this was indeed fast, she didn’t care, for now.

For now she didn’t want to stop touching him. Or being touched.

.x.

[fiercyy]

Chapters: 14/? Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Team 7 - Relationship, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi/Maito Gai | Might Guy Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Tsunade (Naruto), Orochimaru (Naruto) Additional Tags: AU, Post-Chuunin Exams, post chuunin exams attack, Minor Character Death, Trauma, Team 7 Family bonding, Genin Era, Everybody moves in with Sasuke, he's got room, semi-au, Plot Twists, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Roommates, Friends to Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto) Feels, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), Team as Family, Slow Burn, Post-Naruto Time Skip | Naruto Shippuden, Mutual Pining Series: Part 1 of Post-Chuunin Exam AU Summary:

Sakura always wished she could relate to her teammates better. She wishes she could take it back.

In which Sasuke acquires some unwanted roommates and a team becomes a family.

(Now at Shippuden Era)

.

.

a/n: Anyway, everyone’s bi now.

Chapter 14:

I am compromised.

Safe for now.

Don't think O knows.

Kakashi glances from one scroll to the other. Naruto is back in the village and Sakura is… at least willing to be in the same room as him. Sasuke is in danger. In two years, his family has been flung far and wide, but it seems that now they're destined to be reunited.

He should recall Sasuke. He should report his intel to Tsunade. He should go find Sakura and let her yell at him some more. What would do the most good? Probably the intel, even if seeking out Sakura would feed his masochism streak.

Taking on ANBU missions again has eroded his sense of reality. ANBU allows him to drift, rudderless in a stream that carries him down. He is goalless, living in an eternal period of waiting. Waiting for someone else's mission to end. Waiting for someone to come back. Waiting for someone to forgive him. He has no thought for a life put on pause. He'll continue to hold his breath until it's all over, but it probably won't ever be. So here he'll stay, shallow breath and panicked heart, prematurely gray and sick with grief.

When will it be enough? When will kids stop having to give up their lives in senseless, ceaseless war?

He thought that time was over. He thought that his generation would be the last. But then again, he supposes all generations fight to be the last. Everyone fights for their children to live better, don't they?

Kakashi doesn't have any children, but he has Team 7. A tragedy as old as the world, yet still in the making.

It's over. He's calling it. He'll go to Tsunade, give her the intel and demand they bring Sasuke home. It just isn't worth the risk to keep him in the field. Sure Sakura and Naruto will be a little confused when he tells them the truth, but they'll be happy in the end, won't they?

He slips his shoes on and is about the poof across town, when he's enveloped in someone else's smoke.

"Welcome back, Rival!" Gai exclaims with his usual excess of enthusiasm. "Got a minute?" he winks. Because of course he does. The man has no shame.

He sighs very deeply. Gai is yet another thing that he long ago tried to put on pause, but the man is by no means cooperative. "If I must."

Gai grins. "I insist."

.

.

There are days when focus is difficult, anxiety's high and Sakura has to run away from her own spiralling thoughts.

She goes to the hospital first, but Hatsune turns her away. "It's your day off." she says, "you deserve a break!" she exclaims. "Leave or I'll tell Tsunade," she threatens.

Fair enough.

Without permission, her feet carry her to the bridge where Team 7 used to meet. It doesn't matter how many years have passed, she can't forget it. Whenever she's lost in thought and wandering, she always finds herself here.

She hoists herself up on the bannister and twists so she's straddling it. Then she lays back and stares at the perfect, blue sky. Below, the stream rushes by. In the distance, birds chirp. A gentle breeze stirs her hair—it tickles her nose. Sakura can breathe here. And think.

She wonders what her parents would think of her life. The only thing they'd ever asked her for was her share of the chores and good grades. They never told her what future they wanted for her. Sometimes she wishes for a roadmap; she's not lost, but there's too many directions to choose from.

Would they understand her, as she is now? Is she doing enough to make them proud? Would her parents tell her to work things out with her team?

Mebuki made them change grocers once because Urashi-san gave her incorrect change and refused to correct the mistake. She never spoke to him again. She could be petty like that. She demanded her due and accepted no less. Sakura tries to take that lesson from her. When she's put on missions with sexist jerks or an older doctor doesn't listen to her because of her age, she fights back.

So she thinks Mebuki would understand why she's mad.

She thinks about them all the time; what they would say. She wishes they could have met her team, wonders why they never did.

Nothing to be done about it now.

.

.

Gai is a good listener, but the best thing about him is that he's perfectly able to fill a silence all on his own.

Kakashi pours tea and Gai talks.

"-It was an innocent misunderstanding. Everything could have been avoided if Neji hadn't skipped the sharing circle."

In the choice between snorting and rolling his eyes, Kakashi does both. "Sharing circle, huh?"

"It prevents all manner of misunderstandings!"

All teams have lots of those to go around.

"It's always best to know peoples intentions," Kakashi concedes. "Wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea."

Gai's foot, which has mysteriously found a resting place against Kakashi's ankle, jerks back. "No," he clears his throat. "I'd much rather know where I stand."

He avoids looking at Gai's face, though he knows he'll find no disappointment there. He stands up anyway, taking the still warm teacups and placing them delicately in the sink.

"I have to go." Which is the truth. "I owe Lady Hokage a debriefing."

Gai's empty hands fist against the table as he pulls them back. He awkwardly knocks on the wood and laughs to himself. "Of course. I won't keep you."

.

.

The purpose of not speaking to Gai was, in its own way, self-flagellation. When Sasuke's life was put on pause. Kakashi's was as well. Most waking moments, when not on a task, have been absorbed by worrying about his wayward student's wellbeing. It wouldn't be right or fair to anyone…

So they leave the apartment together and part at the foot of the stairs. He feels Gai's eyes on his back until he turns the corner.

.

.

Tsunade reads the scroll Kakashi has handed to her and bites her thumbnail while she thinks.

"He has not asked for an extraction."

Kakashi's eyes narrow. "I'm asking for one anyway."

"He clearly does not feel that it is appropriate at this time."

"He's a child!" he shouts, which takes her aback.

Tsunade rolls up the scroll and carefully places it on the corner of her desk. He's too close to this, she knows she must be delicate. "He's a leaf nin, same as you. He knew the risks." And worst of all. "You're in constant contact. If he feels he's in danger, he will let you know. In the meantime, I'm sending you and your team to follow up on his intel on Orochimaru's base in the Land of Waves."

He shuts that idea down too. "They're not ready. We haven't functioned as a team in two years, we're unfamiliar with each other's skillsets and we're a man down. I need more time."

"Kakashi," Tsunade sighs, "Make up your mind. Do you want to extract our operative in Sound or do you want to keep the rest of your team in the village forever? Because these are conflicting points."

"Godaime-"

"Shut up," she lazily waves him off. "You're like a protective mama bear. My word on this matter, is final."

But of course he doesn't shut up. Why would anyone around here make her job easy?

"Let me take my team on a retrieval mission to the Kusagakure base. Under the guise of recapturing a missing nin. This way we preserve his cover, but provide an escape route if necessary." He takes a deep breath, "And we can confirm that Sasuke's intel is good."

This gives her pause. "Is there reason to believe it isn't?"

He shakes his head, but now that the doubt is in her head, the suspicion won't leave. "Only that they might be feeding him false information as a test."

Sasuke has successfully passed along dozens of tips over the past year, all of them have been good. There's no reason to suspect that will change, but she doesn't say it. She weights her peace of mind against Kakashi's proposition. What could it hurt?

Sakura, for one.

"Fine," she agrees. She's so tired of this. "But an additional team member will be selected to fill out your ranks."

"Fine," he replies in that false cheery tone that she hates so much. Now that he's gotten his way, he wants to be downright delightful. Well, if she can't relax no one else is allowed to pretend. "Will that be all ma'am?"

"What will you tell them?" Sakura and Naruto think the brat's a traitor. How's he going to stop them from accidentally killing him? Then again, she's not sure either of them have that in them. Sakura doesn't talk about it much, but they must have loved the kid. He loved them a lot anyway, enough to fight that hard for a goodbye.

"That they're finally getting what they want."

.

.

"This isn't where I wanted to be either," Sakura growls, arms stiffly crossed in front of her chest. "Waiting around for Kakashi again… I could kill him."

"Ne Sakura, maybe calm down a little, uhn? Sensei's consistent at least. Consistently inconsiderate of other people's time is what he is!" He starts out trying to defend him but midway through, his own annoyance pushes forward.

She punches his arm, but it doesn't bruise so he knows it's a friendly jab. She's so different. He notices more and more, but at least she'll never stop hitting him. That's kind of comforting, right?

One of the first lessons Kakashi taught Team 7 was to expect the unexpected. The unexpected arrives with paintbrush in hand, insults on his tongue and blank, blank eyes.

.

.

Kakashi's arrival is overshadowed by the intense shouting match already taking place on the bridge. This day is turning out no better than yesterday, that's for sure.

"Children," he greets from his crouched position on the bridge railing. Sakura decides she's standing too close and takes three long steps to the left. This puts her within kicking range of the squabble between Naruto and a stranger.

Naruto's big toe nicks her ear, which zaps her of any patience she possessed. Sakura shrieks and punches the ground. Earth rockets up around her, like a meteor falling to earth. Naruto and the stranger fly apart, rolling into the river with a splash and a tree with a thud. Both boys seem stunned. He doesn't blame them, he's only ever seen Sakura's destructive potential once in person. That little girl is scary.

The stranger looks familiar, now that he can get a better look at him. Could be he's seen him around. Maybe ANBU? Or maybe just on the street. Kakashi's got good recall, but he's struggling to place him. Which is strange, because he's very distinctive looking. Pale as a blank page and just as unreadable, inky black hair and eyes and fashion choices that would make even Gai incredulous. Seems like no one follows regulation these days; everyone wants to show their midriff.

"I don't understand why you are so upset, Uzumaki." He doesn't ask why; he just expresses confusion with an eerie smile.

"Don't talk about my penis!" Naruto shrieks and cups his hands protectively in front of the appendage, like the other boy's going to lunge for it.

"Alright, I didn't mean to offend you, Dickless. I can do that."

Naruto groans and covers his ears. "Don't you see how that's worse?! Don't call me that!"

"But everything I've read about team building indicates that nicknames and jokes facilitate trust between teammates."

Ah. I see.

"Children," Kakashi tries again and three sets of eyes fly to him as they remember his existence. "I see you've already become acquainted." To the stranger in the crop top: "You must be the fourth member of our team."

He uses the tree to push himself to his feet and bows slightly at the hips. The back of his head is matted in blood but he doesn't so much as flinch. "I am Sai."

"Him?!" Naruto demands, running up the riverbank. Kakashi wonders if Jiraiya has robbed him of all critical thinking skills with his indolence. Genius and dissolution so often go hand in hand when it comes to great artists.

"Shouldn't you have figured that out by now?"

"Hello to you too," Naruto grumbles and wrings out his jacket.

Kakashi smiles beneath his mask, "It's good to see you Naruto." He reaches out to ruffle his hair and it strikes him that he's so much taller than he was when he left. He reaches his chin. Sasuke is a little taller and when they hugged, his hair tickled his nose. This is a thing he knows now and they do not.

The boy beams up at him and Kakashi feels a little less like a failure.

"If we're all going to be on this team, we need to learn to work together," Kakashi proclaims, "And what better way than a test?"

He produces two bells from the breast pocket of his jounin vest, makes eye contact with Sakura and smiles so big his eyes crinkle at the corners.

.

.

Turns out, Kakashi has not in fact seen the extent of Sakura's potential. And Team Kakashi is mission ready.

.

.

Gai's mind is still on his not-talk with Kakashi when he reports for duty alongside his team. He's unhappy and Gai understands this. If something bad were to happen to Lee or Tenten stopped speaking to him or Neji betrayed them all, he would be a wreck. He cannot blame Kakashi for his pain, but wishes that he would share it. A burden is lighter, carried by two. He supposes this liminal space is better than a definitive 'no'. They've spent so many years as rivals. When the possibility of more came into view, it was a wonderful surprise. Maybe is better.

"Sunagakure's emissary, Temari of the Sand requires an escort to return to her village," Lady Tsunade doesn't have a scroll to hand him. It's a simple mission, requiring no further details than the prescribed task. "You may remain a day before returning. When would you like to leave?" This, she directs at Temari.

The girl shrugs, "Now's good."

It's been a while since Gai has travelled to Suna. He likes the food, it's spicy enough that it helps with the heat. This will be fun!

.

.

"Maintain cover, expect us."

Generally, Sasuke and Kakashi communicate by written letters because it is the quickest and most accurate way to communicate information. It ensures that Pakkun does not remain in enemy territory overlong and his chakra isn't likely to be sensed. When he delivers messages by word of mouth is means that Kakashi was in a rush or he expected follow up questions.

Pakkun's face is always grim, but he has an air of resignation as he tells him that two years of work are crumbling.

"He's overruling me?"

Pakkun hesitates. "More like checking up on you. It's up to you how you receive them."

Sasuke understands, "So I have not been ordered to return."

"They're coming under the guise of a retrieval mission. You can use this as an opportunity to stage a capture or earn more trust by fighting back. In the meantime, try and find out who's discovered you."

Wait. Does this mean-? "A retrieval mission. So it's Team 7 coming."

He and Kakashi discussed them when they met covertly. Naruto hasn't been in the village for a while, but he was due back soon. And Sakura's doing well, according to their teacher. She's a chunin now.

"Yes."

Team 7 on a mission without him. To come get him.

"…Do the others know?"

Pakkun is not a very demonstrative dog. But he puts a paw on Sasuke's knee as he tells him, "No."

a/n: You may notice that I'm doing this thing where I skip over scenes from canon. This is because I don't want to rewrite scenes from canon, that's no fun to write or read. Instead, I'm letting you infer stuff, if it's confusing at any part, please let me know!

I've also moved around the Akatsuki stuff. It never made sense to me that they basically delayed their plans for 3 years for no reason? So I'm choosing to stretch out the Akatsuki arc so we can deal with Orochimaru properly first. This means that YES, we are headed to Suna for the Gaara/Akatsuki plotline, but other Akatsuki things are getting pushed back.

RE: KakaGai. Why? Dunno. My hand slipped and I love it./p

I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thank you so much for sticking with me through this very weird journey. I love knowing what y'all think, don't be shy!

[faintblueivy]

Querencia - BoruSara Royal AU

Written for lovely @miratriarch! It was my secret santa gift for her! I did not have enough time on my hand to post it earlier but here it is now! Hopefully you all will enjoy it!

Genre: Fluff and a little of everything

words: 8k

Ao3 link

Querencia

 The place where one’s strength is drawn from; where one feels at home; the place where you are your most authentic self.

"Have you heard?" 

Normally, Sarada considered herself above doing undignified acts like eavesdropping, but right now, in this tea party she had no other work to do. Suffering from the epitome of boredom, Sarada's ears picked up the talk of some daughters of some lower lords. And despite not wanting to, she found herself unable to tear away from their conversation. 

"Prince Boruto! He's coming back from the front lines. I’ve heard that the King and Queen are celebrating his arrival with a ball arranged in his honour!" 

Of course. They would be talking about him. 

Boruto Uzumaki, the son of King Naruto Uzumaki and Queen Hinata Uzumaki, the heir to the throne of the kingdom of Wind was returning back. After spending two years on the front lines, and four before for his education, trying to suppress violence and protect the citizens of the Alliance, he was coming back Home. Of course, a grand cause of celebration and joy for both - the common citizens and the royal family. One had their Prince coming back, and the other had their son returning home. And obviously, also a blessed occasion for power and prestige hungry lords who were desperately hatching plans to make the young crown prince marry one of their daughters. 

Sarada sighed. It was a sad scenario for their society that everything around them was supposed to be about power, prestige and money. But unfortunately, as much as she loathed to admit it, she was a part of that vicious circle. 

She remembered the wave of happiness that swept over her father’s court when the letter from King Naruto had arrived a week ago. As her father read the invitation himself, she had watched a tiny smile grace his lips. He passed over the letter to her mother and she too, could hardly hold her spirits and bright smile on her face spoke of her joy over the matter. Unaware of the contents of the letter, she had been inquisitive of it. The letter was then brought to her. 

She admitted she had to read the letter twice before forcing herself to believe that this was true because the letter not only had King Naruto’s signature but also the royal insignia. The first half of the letter was the official information but the second part was written in a weird messy scrawl that she immediately recognized as the King’s. It read:

Dear bastard, I’m letting you know this information in advance because I want you, Sakura and Sarada here at least a week before Boruto returns. I won’t take no for an answer. The invitation to the ball will come a week later. Come as soon as you can, Sasuke. Hoping to see you soon!  

Sarada understood the reason her parents were smiling. Both her father and King Naruto had been best friends since their childhoods. The two of them have seen the worst of each other but still remained together through the years of conflict and war, and their bond was one of the most heartwarming things that she had ever seen. 

…

She was back from her low tea, responding to the letters that the citizens of the Fire kingdom had written to their dear crown princess when the news of the arrival of the invitation was conveyed to her. She rushed to her father's chambers, only to find her parents laughing at something. 

"Oh, Sarada!" Her mother exclaimed seeing her. "Come here!" The queen gestured for her to sit and her father immediately slid to a side to give her some space. As soon as she was seated, the invitation was thrust into her hands. And as King Naruto had promised, the invitation was for the Ball - arranged around a month later from the date.  Below, there was personal note of invitation written by both King and Queen, inviting her parents to help arrange the festivity.  

This is how two weeks later, Sarada found herself in premisses of the Wind Castle. The winter was in full swing and even though it was not as cold as her kingdom, but as namesake, the wind castle was windy. Sarada watched the tiny snowflakes dance around, the snow had just begun precipitating. They had arrived yesterday, with a large ensemblement of gifts and presents and were greeted by a warm welcome by the King and the Queen and their daughter - Princess Himawari. The ball was a matter of great importance, so all of the necessary tasks were divided among the supervision of all the royals present. 

Her father and the King were busy sending invitations and scouting for the safety and security of their guests. With a ball this grand, it was obvious that all of the important people of The Great Alliance will be present. Her mother had taken the charge of decorations and arrangements, while the Queen was arranging for food and beverages and, she was tasked with boarding arrangements for the invitees.

The preparations were being made on a massive scale and it was pure coincidence when the queen walked with her party across the room that Sarada had been preparing.

“Princess Sarada?” 

She called out. Her voice was soft, but held enough authority for the maids to bow and leave the room to give them privacy.

“Good morning, your majesty.”

Sarada courtesized to the Queen gracefully and the older woman smiled. “I’m honestly immensely grateful for your help. And undoubtedly,” she turned around to take a look of the entire room, “You are doing amazing.”

“Thank you for your kind words, majesty.”

Hinata nodded and sat on one of the large ornate chairs, and patted the space beside her in a gesture to make her sit. Who was she to deny the royal matriarch so Sarada took the place offered. 

“I think we are above such formalities Sarada. I want you to understand that we see you as a part of our family and I want you to think of us the same way, child. So please, be as free and comfortable as you want.”

Sarada nodded, overwhelmed by the loving gestures of the Queen. If her mother was a bright and encouraging woman, the Queen was a kind, empathetic and loving person. They were vastly different in their codes of conduct, but both of them shined in their respective roles as the Queens of their respective Kingdoms. When Sarada thought about the kind of Queen she wished to become , these two women were her greatest inspirations. 

And Sarada had to admit, having spent a lot of her childhood running through these halls, this place definitely felt like home. 

…

The entire castle is thrust into chaos when the news of Prince's arrival in a few hours is circulated. All the preparations are done haphazardly and the entire castle is ordered to assemble at the east entrance. 

"Wasn't he supposed to arrive tomorrow?" Sarada asked the maid helping her dress up. 

"Yes, your highness, Prince Boruto was scheduled to arrive tomorrow. But the news of his arrival is absolutely true." The maid replied, sorting out her skirts. 

Sarada sighed and stared at her reflection in the mirror as the maids around her flitted, some of them dressing her and others plaiting her hair in an elegant braid. She noticed how sharp her face appeared and how taller she looked. 

Would he notice too?

Last time they had met, she was ten and he was eleven. He was a loud, rambunctious kid with a big grin and bright blue eyes. Had he changed too? It was hard to envision him differently. 

She was dressed up with finesse and up and about and exited her room only to meet a swarm of servants rushing out to welcome their Prince. She had always known how much the people in this castle adored him. The older servants wanted to see their young troublemaking Prince and the younger ones wanted to catch a glimpse of their young handsome future monarch. 

Sarada came to stand with her parents, not close and not too far from them either. The King and Queen of Wind, and Princess Himawari were standing the farthest down the massive stairs, eager to welcome their son with loving arms and it took only a few moments, but Prince's procession was visible. And even from this far Sarada could see him riding at the front, his horse was the fastest as approached the castle gate with a big smile. 

He reined in the horse just a few feet away from the stairs and jumped down. 

"Brother!" The little princess screamed and rushed to her brother who gathered her in a large embrace and the sight was so pure that even Himawari's strict governess did not seem to have the heart to reprimand. Both Naruto and Hinata approached their children and it was honestly, a heartwarming reunion. 

It was then he noticed the presence of her parents, and an elated smile came over his face. He stepped near her parents and greeted them properly with a respectful bow and Sarada giggled as her mother squealed and pulled him in a tight embrace. Sarada had a personal experience with those hugs and was impressed when Boruto did not ask to be released even after a few seconds. Her father said something to him but she couldn't hear, due to the distance and the noise. He replied something smiling and suddenly his gaze flicked up, straight towards her. 

The moment their eyes met, something inside her stomach flipped. She watched as the recognition lit up in his eyes, and he almost stepped forward as if to approach her but the sudden wave of cheer from the castle staff broke them out of their trance. Sarada smiled when the old maids of the castle greeted him with tearful eyes but he was loving in the way he wiped off their tears and talked to them with all the excitement he could spare. And she watched the respect and adoration in their eyes grow for their Prince by leaps and bounds. But what she didn't know was that every time he could, the Prince would definitely steal a glance in her direction. 

…

Dripping with sweat, Boruto was having the time of his life. Battling his old instructor in a swordfight and overpowering the old guy was satisfactory in ways he could not describe. It reflected his improvement and passion for an activity that was not only enjoyable to him but also as a necessary as the royal heir. 

He stepped forward and swung his blade in an arc and the old man used his sword to block it, but Boruto was swift, he slid the sword underneath his master's and tugged it away with strength. A loud clang reverberated throughout the practice grounds as his opponent's sword was out of bounds. 

His master had a delightful smile on his face. He raised his hands and clapped for the Prince and Boruto smiled in return. 

"You did well, your highness. I'm impressed! You've turned into a fine swords master." The man praised him.

"Thank you, Master. Your words mean a lot to me." Boruto bowed, expressing his gratitude to man who taught him this skill. 

"Oh, it looks like it's over! Prince Boruto is unoccupied now!" 

Boruto felt the hair on the back of his neck stand at the distant scream. His body froze and he did not dare to turn back, even for a glance. His teacher was kind enough to understand his predicament, but evil enough to enjoy it to the fullest. He teased, "If I were you, your highness, I would have sprinted away and never looked back." 

Boruto gave him a nod before doing exactly as what he was told to. He sheathed his sword back and broke into full speed. Panic jumped up his throat when he heard a cacophony of shrill voices and pitter-patter of feet following him at a speed they shouldn't. 

It had been the same scene since the day he had returned and got even more out of hand when the guests for the Ball started arriving one by one. After the lords of different states began offering their daughters to his parents and listed off their qualities as if they were livestock and even hinted at the amount of dowry that may be sent, his parents had put their foot down and announced that his wife was going to be the woman he chose for himself. It seemed to calm down the situation a little for a few days only to get worsened when the daughters realised that they could woo him themselves. 

Who knew that the desperation of an unmarried lady was more fearsome than the sword of an enemy soldier on the battlefield. Boruto 

Uzumaki had made the mistake of underestimating these dainty young women. And he was going to pay for it dearly. 

Though, only if they manage to catch him. He smirked. This was his castle. The place he had spent his entire childhood and he was aware of every nook and corner of their estate. He swiftly turned around a corner and grinned. The old oak tree still stood tall. Of course, he knew gardens here like the back of his hand. 

He climbed the tree barely breaking a sweat and praised his luck when the window directly in front of the tree, which led to a secluded room was opened. He walked on a sturdy branch and grabbed the upper one before swinging himself inside the chamber. 

"Oooof!" 

Unfortunately his landing was not as graceful as he expected because the moment he landed, the carpet beneath his boots slid away, forcing him to land straight on his bottom. 

"I had my doubts, but today, you've done nothing but confirmed them." 

He froze up, hearing a feminine voice so close in his vicinity. He gathered a lot of courage and dared to turn in the direction where he assumed the speaker was. 

She was sitting there, on a chair, dressed in plain white and maroon robes, dark hair held in a low bun without any accessories to decorate them. He noticed that she had a book in her hand, the cover definitely written in a forgein language. 

"Sarada? Is...that you? This is your room?" He asked, standing up and dusting himself off as he sauntered over to her. 

She had grown up, even beautifully, if he might add. Her slender figure and dark piercing eyes were noticeable in ways he should not think of, as a gentleman, but he couldn't help himself from the pink blush tinting his cheeks. 

"Yes. You might have noticed had you entered like any sane human does, my prince. A path of entrance called door exists." 

Oh. That sharp tongue did not grow away. A part of him was happy about it. Sarada would not be the Sarada he knew if not for her quick witted sarcastic remarks. But she was not wrong though. Like at all. 

"I'm sorry! My sincere apologies! I didn't know this." 

He bowed to her deeply to emphasize his regret over causing her trouble but she waved him off. 

"Please calm down now. What's done is done." She said calmly, not at all panicky the way a woman should be if a man bursts into her room like he had done. He deduced the reason behind this was the small dagger resting beside her cushion. 

"No! No. This is highly inappropriate. I shouldn't have done this. I'm a grown man now. I should behave like one." He buried his face into his palm and Sarada bit back how he was just proving his own point. 

"Yes, you probably should. But if you don't mind letting me know, what happened? Hope you did not break a vase today." 

She smirked and gestured for him to take the chair beside her. 

"Hey! I did that when I was...six!" He yelled, placing himself on the seat. 

"And how does that help you?" 

"What? Sarada!" 

His petulant expression made Sarada finally break her facade she burst into giggles. 

"Yes, you are still the same old Boruto." 

He paused, eyes wide,"Is that a good thing?" 

"Hmmm...maybe." She gave him a tiny smile. "How was your training, if you don't mind telling me?"  

"Eh? Of course, I don't! It was…" he stopped for a moment, trying to find the right words to describe,"-exhilarating. And exhausting. We learned something new everyday. It was informative... and, uh, fun? I was allowed to meet all kinds of people and understand their ways of living. I liked it there." He muttered the last line with a sense of nostalgia. 

"Oh, you did not wish to come home?" She unconsciously fisted the silk of her robes.

"No! No! Home is Home, Sarada. I longed to see Mother, Father and Hima everyday." He admitted, giving her a small smile. 

Did you think of me too? 

Sarada had the question on the tip of her tongue but decided not to let it out. 

"Enough about me! What about you? As the Crown Princess of Fire, you must have had your fair share of endeavours." 

Almost surprised at his interest for her life, she nodded. "That, I had. I have been trained in several arts of weapons and battlefields alongside music, art and other required assets. But…" 

Boruto tilted his head to a side, a questioning look present on his face. 

"Most people believe that...I'll marry an appropriate suitor and give the Kingdom it's much needed King." 

Boruto felt his brows shot up in immense surprise. 

"Marry and give someone else the crown that is rightfully yours? What kind of dirty politics is that? Are you okay with that?" He asked, clenching his fist and expressing righteous indignation over the matter. 

"Of course not!" She exclaimed, her mouth set in a firm line, "I do not wish to be rude, but I've spent my blood, sweat and tears to become a worthy Queen." 

He relaxed, as if it was the only answer he wanted to hear. "That is a relief to hear. Because I would hate to be partnered with some unworthy misogynistic scoundrel to keep the alliance." 

"Partnered?" She questioned. 

"Yes! After all, I've always imagined you to be one of the heads of the alliance in the future." He said that with so much nonchalance that it made Sarada aware of the amount of the faith he had in her as a capable future ruler. And it made her wanting to be nothing but honest with him. So, she confessed, "I'm not opposed...to marriage though." 

"Huh?" He looked stunned. 

"I do not mind marrying an appropriate match if they are kind to my people and respectful to my parents. I would not mind sharing my throne or my crown if they prove themselves worthy of it. " she said firmly, putting forth her views.

"I see." Boruto nodded in acknowledgement. 

They settled into a comfortable silence and Sarada had to admit that it was not as awkward she expected. She had believed that with how busy his schedule appeared, the only time they might have met would have been the Ball. It was an absolute surprise when he had burst through her window, albeit, not a bad one per say, but she would not tell him that. Her heart felt so warm and full knowing how much he trusted her that she could not stop herself from telling him. He was examining the books she had on her table when she spoke up.

"Thank you, Boruto." 

He blinked. "Is there any reason you wish to thank me for?" 

She gave him a thankful smile. "I'm simply glad to know that you believe that... I'm worthy of my Kingdom's crown." 

He shook his head and returned her smile. 

"Sarada...do not ever let anyone make you believe that you are in the wrong. Because you are not. I have faith in you."

He stood up, and bowed to her grandly, even dipping on one knee as he continued," Your future Majesty, Sarada Uchiha, Queen of the great Kingdom of Fire." 

She laughed at his grandiose gesture, even a palm on her mouth failed to muffle her sounds. And Boruto had to admit, that coy expression on her face was making his heart pound and leave him breathless. 

And the sudden force of his feelings slamming into his conscience made him realise that if he had been standing, his knees surely would have given out. And just a genuine smile from her was enough for the ugly maelstrom of wretched feelings to arise again from the deep corners of his mind. 

As a young child, he had been of a carefree attitude. It was only after he was sent out that he understood the warmth of Home and care of Family. He missed his parents and his sister. But they we're not the only ones. He also missed the cook who would secretly bake him treats. He missed his tutor and his master. 

And he also missed Sarada.

He does not have a memory of the first time they met, but for as long as he can remember, they were together. But stepping away from the safe confines of his parents' sanctuary introduced him to the harshness of life. 

Things changed when he learned that the companions around him had their sisters and friends and acquaintances were getting engaged or married. The realisation was hard to accept. To believe that one day, Sarada and Himawari would be married to men suitable for them and he'd be left alone with a wife he probably wouldn't want. 

It was cruel. It was cruel in ways he did not wish to think of. 

"Are you certain that you're not in love with her?" 

A friend, his senior, had asked him after listening to his jumbled up feelings. And Boruto had spent countless sleepless nights wondering the answer to that question. 

When the news of her debut ball had reached his ears, his selfishness knew no bounds. The entire scenario had simply made him realise how hard it would be to see Sarada with another person. He hoped desperately that the Uchiha Princess had yet to meet any man that she would end up desiring. Atleast not before, he manages to express his own feelings to her. 

And a part of him loathed himself for this selfishness. 

He was deep in his labyrinth of thoughts when a loud knock pushed him out of his musings. 

"Hide!" Sarada whispered furiously, pushing him inside one of the largest almirahs present in her room. 

"Wha-" Before he could even finish his word, the door was slammed shut on his face. He carefully and silently slid the door, only a tiny bit to see the chaos happening. 

"Your highness!" He immediately recognized the shrill voice af Miss Jane, the daughter of one of the Northern lords of Wind. 

"Yes? How may I help you?" 

"I hope we did not disturb you, your highness, but we just wanted to ask if you knew where Prince Boruto is?" 

Sarada made an act of looking surprised, before giving them a smile. And Boruto had to bite back a laugh at how fake it looked. 

"I'm sorry to disappoint you, ladies, but I’m afraid that I don't know where the Prince is." 

She craftily engaged the young women in a conversation and signalled him to escape out of the back door of her room. It was only after Boruto was in the safe confines of his room that it hit him that the gestures and hand signals she had made when letting him know how to escape were the same ones they used when they used to play around as children. 

…

Boruto sighed in relief. After an entire day of dealing with diplomats from all over the alliance, meeting the important lords, reading about the newly signed treaties and laws, he was finally spared. More often than not he had the urge to ditch all these things and run away but that was allowed when he was a child. But now, as a young adult and a future monarch, it would be utterly disgraceful on his part. And especially after making a fool out of himself in front of Sarada yesterday, he had to prove to both her and himself that he has changed. And for the better.

She had been working tirelessly to make the people of her country and the members of the alliance to acknowledge her as the heiress to the throne of Uchihas. And if he slacked up here, it would be a shame for her. 

They were rivals. For as long as he can think off. In studies, literature, music and diplomacy. But the list did not end there. They were opponents in fencing, fishing, horse riding and all the possible sphere of lives he could think of. He could not bring himself to think the way these people do because time and time again Sarada has proved herself to be his equal. She was someone he admired deeply, no questions asked. So, yesterday's conservation had been ingrained in his brain. It irked him to no end. He personally wanted to meet all of these people who ever made her feel inadequate and challenge them for a duel and defeat them so bad that they don’t ever dare to raise their heads again in front of her. 

He huffed. Mood ruined, he walked to the fencing practice grounds, ready to unload himself by swinging his sword around a little bit. It was after he entered through the gate, he heard the tell tale swish of a sword swinging. As experienced as he was, he could tell that the person’s moves were coordinated and contained and even powerful. Entranced, he moved towards the sounds and felt his jaw slack at the sight.  

There she was, Uchiha Sarada, in all her glory. 

Dressed in a plain tunic and dark slacks and hair held in a high ponytail, she had sweat dripping down her chin. She was swinging her sword around and Boruto was mind-boggled over how smooth her moves appeared, how fluid the transition between her moves looked. Entranced, he stood there for god knows how long before her voice breaks through the silence of the training grounds. 

“How long do you plan on standing there?”

He almost jumps and blushes hard in embarrassment and darts his gaze away. After a few seconds of silence, he catches her staring at him from the side of his eyes and she is smiling knowingly, her sword dangling limp on her side.

“I was here to blow some steam off. Would you like to have a spar with me?” He asked, examining a nearby sword.

“I would be honoured to.” 

Boruto grinned at her response. Shedding off his coat and rolling up the sleeves of his dress shirt, he could not hide the glee in his actions. As well as he knew Sarada, she was going to give him a run for his money. She was strong, he knew that. But he wasn’t planning on losing either. He entered the battle space, jumped around a little to warm himself up and then took a stance. Sarada followed his suit and both of them were smirking. 

“Ready?” He raised a brow smugly. 

“Yes!”

“Then here I come!” 

That was all he said before the loud clangs of metal striking reverberated through the entire area and if you ask him, it was music to his ears. To any untrained eyes it would seem as if they were dancing around each other, moving in sync. But Boruto could not hold back his mad smile. Missing each other by hair breadth and revelling in the intensity of the moment was spine tingling. The adrenaline coursed through his veins and oh lord, he was enjoying every second of it. And he was sure that Sarada felt the same way if the smirk on her lips and the feral look in her eyes was anything to go by. 

It was only when the hush of whispers increased to a level where they couldn’t be ignored was when he realised that they were surrounded by people. Mostly peers of their age. Men and women alike. He guessed that ladies might have followed him like they had done a few days before and men might have been interested to do some training themselves.

“I didn’t know princess Uchiha could use a sword!” someone exclaimed from the crowd. The comment would have been fine if Boruto had not sensed a condescending tone speaking it. 

“Poor girl. It’s such a shame that her parents could not produce a male heir. It is just causing her grievances of learning activities that a man should.”

Boruto felt his blood boil at those words. And he was sure that Sarada had heard it as well. The widening of her eyes and clenching her fist was enough of a reaction for him to know. 

“Absolutely true. Ladies look better with fans in their hands, not swords.”

Sarada faltered for a second there and Boruto felt a rush of horror when his sword almost grazed her side. He heard gasps at the almost injury that she might have obtained but it only took people only a moment to start with their gossiping again.

“I wonder if she is trying to score Prince’s affection like this.”

“It is possible. She always pretends as if she does not care about the Prince but we know better. She is as cunning as they come.”

God, what the heck these people are spouting nonsense about? 

Can they not see it for themselves? Or were they being deliberately blind to Sarada’s prowess as a warrior?

He knew he could not allow them to continue this any longer. This was getting absolutely out of hand and he could sense agitation in Sarada’s strikes. He had to protect her honour. This was not only about Sarada’s status as the Uchiha heiress, but also as a woman and a daughter. And his friend. 

And the woman he loved.

Another sharp call for Sarada and he heard someone again and this time he knew what he had to do. 

“There is no way she can beat Prince Boruto. He defeated me in the academy. Any amaetuer Princess running around with a sword is no match for him-AAAAAAHHHH!” The boy was cut off by his own scream of terror as he fell on his butt, a sword lodged in earth less than an inch away from where he stood. Everyone whirled around towards the sparring field and to their immense shock, the Prince of the wind was standing there. 

Swordless.  

But Princess Sarada still had her sword in her hand. It took a few whole moments for the gathered crowd to register what exactly happened. Even Sarada looked stunned. 

Boruto smirked. One wrong move from him was all he needed for Sarada to disarm him and that is exactly what he did. And of course, she was never one to disappoint. 

A combination of a minute mistake from him and a small demonstration of her fine skills.

He lost.

She won.

She whipped her stunned gaze at him and he gave her a knowing wink in return and then stepped forward, casually suntering towards his sword. 

“I always knew you were an amazing swordsman, your highness.” He claimed, voice loud enough for everyone to hear. Grabbing the hilt of his sword,he set his eyes straight towards the perpetrators, as if challenging them to refute his argument, as he pulled it out. “I’m honoured to have battled you.”

The strength in his gaze and conviction in his voice forced heads to bow down. 

“Thank you for being such lovely spectators to our spar.” He announced to the crowd, “You all may leave now.”

Nobody questioned his authority as they began to file and leave one by one, leaving him and his friend the only people last standing.

“Why did you do that?” 

It was the first thing she asked after being left alone.

“What are you talking about? I made a mistake and you exploited it to defeat me. That’s it.”

“No, it’s not!” She raised her voice, anger seeping into her features. “You were defeated by a woman. Boruto, do you not understand how horribly this will damage your reputation?”

They were barely a foot away from one another, the air around them was charged with tension but Boruto was not backing down from this.  

“Does it look like I care? You know it as well as I do, if the match was fair then we both had equal chances of coming out on top.” He argued and sighed,”-And let them talk. I am confident in my abilities enough to defeat each and every single one of the warriors who were present here. In Fact, I am certain you could have defeated them all with only one arm if you wanted.”

Sarada stood their dumbfounded as he proceeded to clean his sword, ready to sheath it back. 

His utmost confidence in her abilities and his adamancy to consider her and value her as an equal made her tremble on inside. He was so stubborn, but in a way where he did things right. His refusal to accept the wrongs happening around him and trying his best to change them made him endearing in ways she could not hope to describe. She admired him. His courage. His righteousness in accepting every individual as his equal irrespective of their status or gender was incredible. 

Lost in her thoughts, she was startled when Boruto waved an arm in front of her face. 

“Uh?”

“I was saying, since you won, I would like to treat you. Say, would you care for some of Robert's lemon tarts?"

Oh, when it came to Mr. Robert, the infamous cook of wind castle and his delicious lemon tarts, then who was she to decline. 

…

“Let me ask again. Why are we, responsible adults, are sneaking around like thieves, in your castle for a tray of lemon tarts that your benevolent cook would gladly offer to his prince.”

She asked acidly, crouching down in the corridors to avoid any mindful eyes, and glared the back of Boruto’s head. 

He turned to her, eyes bright and gave a grin. 

“For old times’ sake Sarada.”

The sound of approaching footsteps made him turn his head back and Sarada could not refrain herself from rolling her eyes. But then again, she didn’t need to follow him around like this, though she was still doing it.

For old times’ sake indeed.   

A few minutes later they were sitting beneath the oak tree in front of her window with a tray full of lemon tarts. She bit into one and almost moaned at the mixture of the sour and sweet flavor of the delicacy blended in such a way that left nothing but more craving on your tongue.

“It’s good? Isn’t it?” Boruto asked, already on his second one.

Sarada hummed in approval, finishing off her first. This moment mirrored the memories of their childhood together when they would sneak around the palace, steal as many lemon tarts as their small hands would allow and run here hoping that their hideout and deed would not be discovered. Because the Queen could be scary when she wanted to be. Maybe nostalgia was the reason that she had requested the queen to allow her this room which was in an entirely opposite wing of the castle.

But she wouldn’t tell anyone that. 

“You know,” she spoke, when on her third tart, “That was quite reckless of you.”

“Hm?” 

“One mistake could have cost you your life.”

He munched on his fifth one and gave her a carefree grin. “Nah, you would have not hurt me. You are too good for that. And even if something happened, it would have just left another scar, nothing much.”

Scar.

Another scar.

Her gaze flicked towards the one plain in view. Over his right eye. It extended from over his eyebrow to the near edge of his nose. She had heard of it. He had gained the injury in a rebellion against the alliance last year. But she never knew how he had gotten injured in the first place. 

Sensing the question in her gaze he gave her a wry smile. 

“The rebels had a group of children as hostages. I infiltrated their hideout and fought a few of them. One was cunning enough to rush to injure kids. I shielded them with my body. That is how I got it.” 

Sarada stared up at him in awe. This man risked his life, so stupidly, to save some little kids.

“Are you insane? Why did you not wait for more people to arrive?”

“Ehhh! One of the kids they took as hostage was very sick. He could have died in that damp and dark place due to his breathing problems. I didn’t have enough time." He explained, his eyes staring at the far away sky "-But it was insane alright." 

He chuckled then suddenly grew silent. He tilted his head towards her apprehensively. 

"Uh...does it look ugly?" 

Sarada blinked twice. The man who is almost always brimming with confidence for almost everything he did was self conscious? About a scar? 

Sarada felt her fingers brushing the bangs over his forehead gently. She knew it was inappropriate for her to touch him like this, but the genuine anxiety in his eyes made her want to convince him in any possible way that it was not a bad thing. 

"No." She whispered, her thumb tracing the scar tenderly "-I like it." 

And how could she not? The scar was a testimony of his kindness and spirit. Something that she cannot help but appreciate as a woman and as a future monarch. 

He is staring at her with wide blue eyes, looking shell-shocked. And Sarada immediately pulled her hand to her chest, face red. A part of her mentally curses herself for her audacity as she is unable to lift up her head. The green of the grass at her feet was much more interesting. 

She does not witnessed the softening of his gaze. He slowly stood up, his sword resting on his hip and the empty tray of tarts in his left hand. He bent

 a little and offered her his hand. Her gaze immediately flickered up to him and he was standing right in front of her with the gentlest expression she has ever seen a man direct at her. It was the same way her father looked at her mother. 

She hesitated for a second but Boruto waited for her patiently, the smile on his face never faltering and his eyes never straying away from hers. She felt her heart hammering in her ears as she placed her small hand into his. And his smile widened at her gesture, his eyes displaying an array of emotions that she could not bring herself to decipher at the moment. 

"Thank you, Sarada." 

He uttered these words with gratitude and Sarada felt her heart swell with feeling that she was too scared to name. Everytime he smiled like that, a swarm of butterflies fluttering inside her stomach seemed to expand upto her throat.

She was not stupid. 

She knew what it meant. Her feelings for him had already surpassed admiration and respect. What she felt now...was a much more intimate feeling. A realisation precious enough that she desperately wanted to hold on to. 

He helped her up but did not let go as they walked down together towards the castle, fingers still entwined. And for the first time in a long while...she did not care about people's opinions anymore. The gentle squeeze of his hand reminded her that he appreciated it. 

Then and there, she made a promise to herself that she will stay by his side as long as he wanted.

…

The ball was the grandest of the grandeur and Sarada had to accept that her mother had done nothing but a fabulous job with the arrangements and decorations. The ballroom was ornamented with a myriad of flowers of white, lavender. The silk curtains in a shade of rich purple enhanced the scene. Anyone who entered the room was left in awe of the colours beautifying it.

The uncountable number of dishes adorned the tables - breads, meats, salads, cakes, tarts, pastries - you name it. Everything tasty enough to be addicting. The wines were of the finest quality in existance and it just showed that the Queen had outdone herself again. 

Sarada tittered around, greeting, meeting and dancing with people. As the future Ruler of the Kingdom of Fire, she had to be in good graces of all of these important people. Dressed in a splendidly beautiful gown in shades of blue, navy and white with golden and silver lacework decorating the bodice and the hem of her skirt, and hair twisted up in an elaborate updo with gorgeous ornaments adorning her and the crown over her head represented her as the heiress of the great kingdom of fire very much.  

She had just been out of her twelfth dance of the night when she felt a sudden tap on her shoulder. She whirled around only to come face to face with the person in whose honour this Ball was arranged. 

He was dressed in a dark cloak in a shade of blue that accentuated his eyes, tunic in stark white with gold lacework and embroidery, and his hair slicked back in a fashionable hairstyle made him look gorgeous in ways she would not dare to describe. 

All she could think was that Boruto looked magnificent. Befitting of the Prince of the Wind.

He smiled and gave her a graceful bow and stretched out a hand, "May I have this dance?" 

"Of course, your highness." She smiled and slipped her hand into his. 

The music started in a slow tempo, and he gently pulled her onto the floor, leading the dance with a confident temperament. Nevertheless, their presence alone on the dance floor together attracted a lot of attention. Sarada wondered if she wanted to be bothered by it but before she could come to any conclusion Boruto leaned in, and whispered gently in her ear, “You look beautiful tonight.” 

Sarada smiled. “If I may say, you look handsome yourself, my prince.”

Boruto chuckled and started a little faster as the pace of the music increased. And Sarada giggled to herself knowing that it was futile to worry about what others thought of when she knew what she desired.

"It was such a shame that I didn't get to attend your debut ball."

He lamented, adjusting their movements in accordance with the music and enjoyed swirling her around the dance floor. His steps were flawless and contained and his grip was steady. He guided her through the crowd smoothly, never misstepping. 

"Oh, is that disappointment I hear, your highness?" Sarada smiled mischievously, dark eyes glinting. 

"Maybe." He grinned, pulling her closer to him. 

"Well, to ease you a little, my first dance was with my father and the last one was with my teacher." She leaned into him a little, aware that the distance between them was less than proprietary accepted. But she couldn't care less at the moment. 

"No random suitors?" He asked with wide eyes. 

"No one was significant enough." Sarada claimed, her grip on his shoulder tightened a little. 

"Oh, are you aiming a little high, Princess?" Boruto laughed, blue eyes boring into hers. She felt a pleasant tingling down her spine. His gaze was soft, but expressing a whirlwind of emotions that she could not distinguish in the moment alone. 

Warmth, affection, tenderness and so much more. She breathed deeply, eyes coming to rest on the sapphire jewel on the centre of his chest. She couldn't look him in the eyes, not with what she was about to do. 

"Well, I'm aiming for a young man with blonde hair and blue eyes." 

Then what followed was silence. They swayed to the beat of instruments floating in the air, but all Sarada could hear was the thundering of her heart. She had been so forward, vulgar if people might say. She could not dare to meet his eyes. If she saw haze of rejection swimming in them, she might break. With every passing second, her fear was spreading through her limbs, the chill of a nightmare that you wish to escape but are not allowed to. 

"I love you. Marry me." 

His words are sudden, crystal clear and Sarada whipped her head up to look at him. He was smiling at her softly, and his eyes looked glossy. 

"Marry me and claim me as yours. And let me claim you as mine." 

He tugged her into his warmth, cradling her gently. "You can answer whenever you wish. I don't mind waiting."

As the music stopped, they separated, but Boruto didn't let go of her hand. He guided her to side, her hand still clasped in his. He turned to her, bending a little and brushing his lips over her gloved hand, his eyes never leaving hers. 

Boruto is then summoned to his father's side to attend some of the guests. He lingered a little but left reluctantly anyway and it allowed Sarada to breathe and contemplate over the recent developments. 

Why hadn't she answered him? When she knew what she wanted, why didn't she accept his proposal? 

Maybe it was because how surreal all of this felt. How the person she had been in love with for so long, loved her back? It was mind boggling. But offered it himself. He offered to hold her hand and stay by her side forever. What more she could ask for? 

She loved him. 

She loved him, oh so much. 

Just then she knew that waiting more was foolish. Seeking him out was not difficult. He was the heart of any show with his handsome grin and welcoming aura. But it's not easy, because every step she took towards him was harder, with more and more people approaching them, it felt as if the Universe itself was pulling them apart. Every new second felt like an eon. 

She did not know if he heard her or felt her longing, but it was a surprise when he suddenly turned to her and their eyes met. looking concerned, he instantly moved towards her, worry wrinkling the edges of skin on the corner of his eyes. 

It took him only a few seconds to reach her but Sarada felt like days passing in between. 

 "Is everything alright?" 

"Yes, but...may we talk?" She gave a glance to the balcony, "Outside?" 

He nodded, and guided her through the crowd of merry people. As soon as they stepped into the fresh air of the night, Sarada whispered, "I do not wish to wait anymore." 

He whirled around, surprised and exclaimed, "What?" 

"I said, I do not wish to wait anymore." 

He was still looking at her as if she was a wonder of the moon but she leaned in and gently grasped his hand into hers. The warmth of his skin seeped through her glove and he looked him straight in the eyes, not scared of niceties of society imposed on them anymore.   

"Claim me as yours, and let me claim you as mine."

The smile that broke on his lips was brilliant than the stars above. Sarada felt her heart skip a beat, and a flutter of untamed feelings rising up at the light shining in his eyes. He did not kiss her or held her close, he simply smiled, and tightened his clasp on her hand. 

And at that moment, Sarada knew, this was what happiness felt like. 

...

I'm, tbh, quite proud of how things turned out for this fic. I loved how they managed to find their homes in each other! They are both precious! haha! Please let me know if you enjoyed this fic! And lots of love for reading it!

[darquedeath4444]

The Deity of Spring

Chapter FIVE

From the moment he had been conscious, Naruto knew he had one purpose in life. He hadn't known what exactly this purpose was, but he had always somehow known that the empty feeling within him was a calling towards it. He grew up in an isolated village located near the edge of Land of Fire, yearning for the day he could venture out into the world so that he could fill the void in his chest.

Back then, even though the fighting within the Land of Fire caused by small groups and factions vying for control had been ended by Senju Hashirama uniting the lands, many still suffered from the occasional attack lead by the surviving groups that had mostly been crushed by Hashirama and his men.

Still, his early life was not necessarily bad. Some, in fact, would even call it full of happiness. His parents had been nice and kind, and his fellow villagers all knew each other and were always willing to help. There had been times when food and other resources were a little scarce, but no one was truly unhappy. The tug in his chest grew every day, but he forced himself to ignore it because he would not leave behind his family and friends for a gut feeling.

Then one day, when he was eighteen, a huge earthquake hit his village. Everything was destroyed without a trace and he ended up being the only survivor. The empty feeling within him almost consumed him, and it felt as though the world was punishing him for ignoring it. Left without a choice and nothing left to live for, he had left the lands where his village had once been and listlessly followed the tug.

After days of travel, he found himself at the edge of a forest and almost as though welcoming him, the branches and parted and the sun had shone through the trees, lighting a path for him to follow.

What he found on the other side made him freeze.

There was a small house in the clearing, and in front of the door sat a raven-haired male who looked barely older than him. The teen was breathing heavily and Naruto could see the blood pooling around him. In one hand he gripped a crimson drenched sword and the other was clutching his stomach. He could see blood seeping through his fingers.

A little away lay a long-haired man who looked slightly older. He could see the faint rise and fall of this chest but judging from all his injuries, Naruto knew the man would not make it.

Around the pair lay a countless number of men dressed in similar dark clothing. They were all dead and badly mutilated, and Naruto felt the sudden urge to throw up. The raven teen looked up as he stopped by the trees and his eyes narrowed dangerously. He clutched at the door behind him and slowly dragged himself to his feet. "Another, huh?" He muttered, and his eyes flashed.

Naruto opened his mouth to deny whatever the teen was accusing him of when a quiet voice made them both freeze.

"Sasuke?"

Naruto saw the door behind the teen opening, and it appeared he did too. The raven threw himself backward, slamming the door shut. "Do not come out," he hissed, eyes still fixed on Naruto. "Not until I tell you you can."

Naruto heard quiet footsteps falter before they vanished as the owner of the voice hurried away from the door. "I-"

"Are you here for her too?" The teen snarled. He raised his sword and remained standing despite how blood continued to flow from his wounds.

"Who?" Naruto asked.

"Do not play dumb," the raven snapped. "Why else would you be here?"

Naruto then watched in fascination as something like black smoke seemed to gather behind him, and soon began to take the form of wings. However, he then doubled over and spat out a mouthful of blood, and the smoke disapitated. He took a step forward in worry and the teen instantly had his sword pointed at him.

"Do not come any closer," he snarled. "Do not-"

A soft groan cut off whatever he had been about to say, and both teens turned towards the long-haired young man. "Sasuke, you've got it all wrong," he whispered, and for a moment, the raven looked torn between going to his side and continuing to hold his position of guard in front of the door, before he glared at him one more time and hurried over towards the dying man.

"He's here for me," the man whispered. "Just like you came for Madara years ago."

The raven, Sasuke, froze before slowly looking up and giving Naruto a once over. "So he is…."

The man nodded, then slowly raised a hand and made a 'come here' gesture in his direction. Naruto hesitated but the pull in his chest seemed to intensify, and he slowly made his way towards his side. The man reached out towards him and Naruto warily took his hand.

Instantly he felt a rush, and suddenly he felt alive. He instinctively tried to pull back his hand but the man kept a tight grip on it, not allowing him to. "You protect her," he whispered, pleadingly. "You look after her, and keep her safe."

Before Naruto could ask what was going on, the man turned to dust before his very eyes. He breathed in sharply and, for a second, it felt as though there was something in his throat and he couldn't breathe. Then the moment was gone and something warm appeared in his chest, and soon spread through his entire body.

"What-" Naruto choked out. "What is going on?" If this was how being alive truly felt, he could only describe life until this moment being half dead.

Sasuke slumped backward, breathing heavily. The door once again opened and this time, the raven did not complain. A head full of pink hair and green, green eyes peeked out from the house before the door was completely thrown open and a girl darted out. "Sasuke!" She cried. "Are you okay? Are you-" she cut herself as she caught sight of him and froze. "Hashirama?" She called out hesitantly, but Sasuke chose that moment to collapse forwards and the pinkette rushed to his side, Naruto forgotten for the moment.

"Sasuke?" The girl prodded, eyes wide. "Sasuke, are you dying?"

The raven let out a weak scoff. "No," he said. "I...would not mind some help to bed though."

The girl instantly grabbed his arm, then dropped it when he let out a groan of pain. "Sorry-"

"Um," Naruto called, and the girl turned towards him, eyes wide. "I could help?"

The pinkette's eyes brightened and she nodded. "Yes please," she said softly.

Naruto carried over to Sasuke's side and this time, the raven did not complain. He grunted as he lifted the teen onto his back and turned to the girl, who was hovering beside him. "Where do I take him?" He asked.

The girl led the way into the house and up a set of stairs. "This room," she said, pushing the door open, and Naruto lay the now unconscious raven onto the neatly made bed. The pinkette gestured for him to step out. "That one is yours," she added, pointing to the door to the left.

Naruto froze. "What?"

"Hashirama usually cooked, but since he is gone I am afraid we will not be eating anything too grand for a while," the girl continued. "There is not much here, but it is not inconvenient. We grow things around the back and sometimes we have meat. There is a river close by and we can catch fish there."

"Wait, no, that's not what I meant," Naruto said, and the girl turned to face him. However, instead of answering his question, the girl simply smiled.

"What is your name?" She asked, and before he could stop himself, Naruto was answering.

"Naruto," he said.

The girl nodded. "My name is Sakura," she told him. "Welcome home, Naruto."

Sakura had then vanished into Sasuke's room for the rest of the day and when the raven stepped out with a sleeping pinkette in his arms just as the sun was setting, he looked as good as new.

The other teen nodded in greeting before entering another room. When he came back the girl was nowhere to be seen and Naruto watched as the raven took a seat at the table opposite him. "You must be wondering what is going on," he said, and Naruto slammed his fists the table.

"Damn right I am," he snapped.

Sasuke eyed the table, then the door to Sakura's room, then shrug. "That is expected," he said. "I was like that when I first came here."

"That-that man earlier?" Naruto said. "You guys said Hashirama. Hashirama, as in Senju Hashirama?"

It was only two years before he had been born when Senju Hashirama, the man that united the Land of Fire, had gone missing. Apparently, search parties from the capital had come even to his village looking for any signs of the Hokage. It had been the first time most of the villagers had ever seen people from the capital, a place that lay too far for any of them to hope to ever visit, and so many remembered it well and the tale was often told to the children.

Sasuke nodded once, confirming it. "Where should I start?" He asked.

"The beginning would be nice," Naruto replied blankly.

Sasuke smirked. "Are you sure?" He asked. "Because this tale spans over course of thousands of years and we only have a little time until sundown." Still, he shifted so he was comfortable. "How much do you know about the story of the Creation of the World?"

While briefly, Sasuke told him a tale from Naruto's childhood. How, millennia ago, the Gods created the human world. How Kaguya had given them forms and Sakura had given them life. How Kaguya had years later turned against her own creations and how Sakura, and the rest of the Gods, had stood up to her. How the Gods finally managed to seal Kaguya after a huge war and how they decided that they needed to leave the world in order to allow mankind to live for themselves. How, as a result of the war, Sakura had become unable to return to the realm of the gods and how she decided to remain here to watch over mankind. How Kaguya's two sons had been ridden with guilt for their mother's actions and how they decided to stay with Sakura to take care of her and protect her. How they retreated to the Forest of Death to stay out human attention and how they had passed this role to their descendants...

"Hang on" Naruto said, eyes wide. "Are you saying I'm a descendant of Kaguya?" He asked.

Sasuke nodded. "We all are, in a way, because the Otsutsuki, the first humans, were once Gods, and a part of them are still with us. Still, we are direct descendants, somehow," he explained. "When the replacement Guardian is born, the current Guardian begins to lose their powers. Then, when the two meet and make contact, the last of the Guardian's powers are passed from the predecessor to the next Guardian."

Thoughts ran through Naruto's mind, threatening to overwhelm him. "So what? Naruto asked. "That Hashirama guy looked like he was twenty, maybe twenty-five. Am I going to die in less than ten years? Because some other kid who's going to replace me is born?"

"Believe it or not, Hashirama was forty-six," Sasuke said, then raised a hand when Naruto opened his mouth to deny it. "Really. He left Konoha more than twenty years ago, it makes sense. He was twenty-six when he became a Guardian. Once you take up the role, you do not age, and you cannot die unless you fall in battle."

"Wait, so-" Naruto tried to put his words together. "So Hashirama didn't die because I touched him?"

"No," Sasuke replied. "He was dying, but he couldn't truly die until he passed his powers onto you."

"But-but-how?"

Sasuke shrugged. "Sakura is a Goddess," he reminded him softly. "Everything is so that she always has two Guardians with her. It could be fate, it could be destiny, it could even be some unknown Deity of luck. Whatever it is, everything happens so that when one Guardian falls, the next is already there."

Naruto thought of this reason he had left his village. "My home was destroyed in an earthquake," he whispered, rage slowly filling him. "Did the Gods cause it so that I arrived here at the perfect time? Did Sakura have it so that I would be here to look after her after her previous servant died?" He got to his feet, knocking back his chair as he did so, and he felt a sudden, unknown feeling deep within him.

Sasuke followed suit, his onyx eyes now a bright red with black markings in them. The black smoke was back and Naruto watched, momentarily forgetting his anger, as huge, black wings sprouted from the raven's back. They threateningly fanned out behind him and Naruto felt something within him roaring in response.

"Do you think any of us asked for this?" Sasuke snarled. "Do you think Hashirama wanted to leave the nation he fought so hard to pull together? Or that any of our predecessors asked for the lives they were forced to live, that I asked to be born the way I did?"

Naruto heard shuffling, and Sakura slowly stepped out of her room. "Sasuke?" She called, and the raven seemed to calm down a little.

He raised his hands in her direction and the pinkette hurried over to his side, burying her face into his feathers. "Sorry," he said. "Did I wake you?"

Sakura slowly shook her head, then turned towards Naruto. "Are you angry?" She asked softly. "You must be, and I am sorry about that."

"You have nothing to be sorry about," Sasuke quickly said. "Go back to sleep, okay? You have yet to fully recover."

Sakura sadly glanced up at him, before she ran her fingers gently over his wings. The feathers shivered in reaction to her touch and she nodded. "Okay."

The two of them waited for the pinkette to leave the room before they sat down again. There was a certain tenseness in the air, but Naruto found himself unwilling to wake the Goddess again. He bitterly wondered if his status as her guardian was forcing him to feel things.

"No one asked for this," Sasuke said after a while. "Not even her."

"She seems pretty fine to me," Naruto muttered. "Even when you and Hashirama were fighting. You were half dead and Hashirama died. She looks perfectly clean."

"Sakura is no longer the Goddess she once was. During the war, she gave a part of herself to stop Kaguya. That is why she could not return to the Realm of the Gods with the others."

"And who were those people in black?"

Sasuke shrugged. "I do not know," he said. "There are always people after her. Look hard enough and no matter how well the Gods hide, humans can find them. Sakura cannot protect herself; that is why we are here."

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair. "So, how old are you?" He asked, changing the subject; he needed time to think.

Fortunately, Sasuke seemed to understand and he went along with it. "Twenty one," he said. "Though I was eighteen when I took up the role."

"Where did you come from?"

Sasuke's eyes darkened at that, and Naruto decided not to press. "And-and your wings?" He asked. "I've got to say, those were pretty cool."

The raven smirked. "Guardians are passed down power that once belonged to Hagoromo and Hamura," he explained, "though these powers tend to manifest within every individual in a different way."

"Do you know what mine is?" Naruto asked, glancing down at himself. Nothing seemed to be different, but Sasuke had looked normal until he had sprouted wings, so he guessed it wasn't an obvious change.

Sasuke shrugged again. "You will have plenty of time to find out."

Naruto glanced down at his hands again. His village was gone, and the only people he had ever known had died with it. He had nowhere to go, and nothing to do. "I….guess." He closed his eyes. "Though first thing first, we're going to have to do something about your stiff way of speaking."

Sasuke's eyes flashed dangerously at this. "I will never allow myself to talk in an unsophisticated manner like you."

"Did you just call me unsofisti-you bastard!"

"You are loud, idiot!"

Suddenly, the trees outside seemed to go quiet and Naruto was dragged out of his memories. He could feel the faintest vibrations of footsteps treading carefully through the woods.

These humans had actually managed to navigate through the forest, where everything that existed within the trees were engineered to kill outsiders. He had to admit, he was a little impressed.

"They're here," Sakura said, and he nodded.

"I'll be stepping out for a while and I'll be right back," he said reassuringly. "Don't leave the house and if someone actually manages to get past me, wake up the Teme, okay? The sun might be up, but he'll be able to function for a little bit."

Sakura nodded slowly, eyes wide. "I would like to talk to them, Naruto," she said. "They coming here is inevitable."

Naruto felt something grip his chest. Everyone who had ever ventured into the forest looking for the Goddess always wanted something. They wanted to use her, hurt her, take advantage of her. No many had gotten as far as even catching a glimpse of her, however, and if he had anything to say about it, these 'humans of war' would not be getting anywhere near her either. Sakura had never spoken up for any of the trespassers, though, and he feared that their quiet days in the Forest of Death might just be coming to an end.

"I'll go ahead, then, and make sure they're not evil idiots, then," he told her gently, hoping against hope that Sasuke would be able to say no to her, to keep her here while they killed off the intruders.

Sakura nodded. "Be careful," she said.

Naruto grinned and called upon the power that lay deep within him. He felt a roar echo through his body and when he glanced down, his entire body was surrounded in an aura of bright orange fire. "I will."

Chapter SIX>

<Chapter FOUR

Chapter List

[kusunogatari-a]

[ SasuHinaMonth Day Two: Yin and Yang ] [ @sasuhinamonth ] [ Uchiha Sasuke, Hyūga Hinata ] [ SasuHina ] [ Verse: Healing Waters and Scorching Flames ]

Ten years. Ten years since they’ve all had the time to meet. Their duties to their nations have kept them busy and apart...but with a decade of peace to celebrate, there are no more excuses to avoid one another.

The celebration is held in the Earth Kingdom. Ba Sing Se plays host, the liberated city dressed for the occasion. Benders of all elements gather in the streets to give thanks for the first ten years of harmony after a hundred of war and hatred.

Naruto greets all with wide smiles and warm embraces. Kiba howls hellos alongside an aging Akamaru, the polar bear dog. Sakura, vivacious as ever, gives claps on shoulders that stagger the most solid of men.

And as Sasuke and his brother approach, Hinata offers polite bows and soft salutations.

He almost has to do a double take.

They saw each other last several years ago when trades were finally fully opened to the Fire Nation again. Still a teenager growing into herself then, Hinata had hidden mostly in the background as those older than her handled the talking. But now...now she’s come into her own.

Garbed in a sapphire dress that glitters like a moon-drenched ocean, she holds herself with poise and grace. Last Sasuke heard, she’s become matriarch over all of the Southern Water Tribes. Clearly having learned how to handle such a title, the welcome she gives them is genuine, yet well-mannered.

“Fire Lord Itachi. Prince Sasuke. It’s been so long.”

“Too long,” the elder brother agrees, matching her bow. “You look stunning, Hinata.”

She laughs politely into a hand. “You flatter me. And you both look well - have your treatments been holding up?”

“They have. And anymore are few and far between. A full recovery may yet be out of reach, but I am simply thankful for what I have.”

A knowing glint shines in the waterbender’s eyes. “Well then, don’t let me keep you. I’m sure the others are eager to say hello.”

Nodding, Itachi takes his leave, and Sasuke gives a small scoff. “Is there anyone who won’t tease him about that?”

“Do you not?” Hinata asks, still smiling coyly.

“I’m the worst of them. Mostly I’m just glad to think of Father’s face when he hears his heir is sweet on a waterbender. You’d think by now they’d both stop denying it.”

“Perhaps your brother merely wishes to be cautious. Such a transition may still be...difficult for some of your people.”

“They’ve endured bigger changes since the war’s end. All that matters to me is that he ends up happy.”

There’s a soft hum of agreement. “...yin and yang, hm? Fire and water.”

“The sun and the moon,” Sasuke muses, mostly meant to be to himself.

“So...it doesn’t bother you?”

“Hm?”

“That she’s a waterbender?”

Sasuke can’t help a slight pause. “...if you’d asked me that ten years ago, I’d laugh in your face. But times have changed...so have we. There’s still a chance for a firebending heir. I’m not worried.”

“I suppose there’s always your offspring to consider.”

He can’t help a barking laugh. “Yeah...sure.”

Hinata’s head tilts. “...have you no thoughts to start a family?”

A long moment of silence passes, Sasuke’s brow furrowed and slightly dark with thought. “...I’m not sure. I…” He hesitates. “...I spent several years of my life being a horrible person. I nearly threw my brother aside for power. I treated his healer like dirt beneath my heel. I hunted you and your friends like animals, all to prove my worth to a man who was more monster. A monster I nearly became. I’m not sure I’m suited to having a wife or children.”

Expression somber, Hinata glances aside. “...and yet you’ve changed. You said it yourself: none of us are who we were as children. War did terrible things to us all. But you put that aside: your pride, your lust for power. You helped us. We’d not have won the war without you.”

“And yet it would have been far less terrible without me and my prior deeds in it.”

“Sasuke...we all have good and evil inside us. In the end, you chose good. And you continue to choose it, every day. Do you think you might someday change your mind?”

“...I don’t know. And that scares me.”

Silence falls between them again, each lost in their own thoughts.

“...I know...I distrusted you at first. It was hard not to. But eventually you proved me wrong. Proved all of us wrong. If you could bring yourself out of that hole of anger and jealousy you were in, then...you’re stronger than you give yourself credit for, Sasuke.” Lifting a hand, Hinata lets it rest gently against his cheek, feeling him stiffen but guiding his gaze back around. “...I trust you now. We all do. Why can’t you trust yourself…?”

Staring down at her, flickering his gaze between her eyes, Sasuke tries to think of an answer. “...no one knows me like I know myself.”

“...then maybe you just need to let someone in so they can.”

Her calm logic against the coals of his self-deprecation douse them like icy waters.

...how had she put it? Yin and yang?

“...I don’t know who would want to take that risk,” he murmurs, her palm still cool against his skin.

“...well, I -”

“Everyone!”

Jolting, the pair of them stagger apart as Naruto’s voice booms over the gathered crowd. Arms lift as he smiles like a sunrise. “The banquet is about to begin! Please, take your seats and join us for just the first phase of this celebration of a whole decade of peace!”

As his speech concludes and the crowds begin to murmur and shift, Hinata and Sasuke give one another a glance, a bit sheepish at the broken atmosphere. “...I’ll...see you after the feast,” Hinata offers, stammering slightly as she once did when younger.

“...right.” Giving a stiff bow, Sasuke seeks out his brother, taking the seat at his side.

“Where have you been, little brother? Did Hinata keep you occupied so long?”

Mind still jumbled, the prince flickers his gaze over. A few seats away, on the other side of the table, his brother’s healer engages the other waterbender in smiling conversation. Ah...he didn’t know they were friends.

“...yeah. Guess she did.”

     Word count: 1074      Cumulative: 2003      Golly this took several tries to get right, and even now dunno if I 100% like it, but it’s late...again...so we’ll call this good lol      I love this verse and need to write more of it. It’s an awesome crossover and the fact that SasuHina thus parallels Zu///tara makes me a happy camper lol - it started mostly from an RP with an Itachi blog, but branching it out into other characters is so much fun!      Just a heads up, irl is hoppin’ for me lately, so I might be late on the next few entries of this, possibly more. But I’ll do my best to keep at them until either we finish, or Life just get too outta hand!      Day two, check!

[kuriquinn]

The Second Time Around [prompt]

Blanket Fic Disclaimer

Original Prompt by: @krizydrewables

“How do you think would Sasuke react when Naruto sends him a message that Sakura is pregnant with their second child? And Naruto would request sasuke to take a “leave” because the Uchiha Fam is gonna need some back-up. ٩(๑❛ᴗ❛๑)۶ HC! HC!! Haha”

Author’s Note: This is not affiliated with any of my headcanon ‘verses at the moment and can be enjoyed as a standalone.They meet in the usual spot, the giant tree on the outskirts of nowhere in particular.

Beta Reader: None but me and my editing software :)

“What…is with you…and this damn…tree?” Naruto’s clone demands, huffing and puffing as he drags himself up on the giant, moss-covered branch.

“Convenience,” Sasuke says, though if he’s being honest, he’s taking a peevish bit of joy seeing Naruto staggering about like he used to when they were kids. It serves him right for demanding this meeting so soon, and so out of the blue.

“Bastard,” the blond grumbles and straightens. He shoves a finger in Sasuke’s face. “I’ll have you know I’m risking certain death to be here, so there’s no need for you to be so smug!”

“You’re a clone,” Sasuke reminds him in a flat tone.

“Not me-me. The real me. I’ll just disappear when this is done. He’s the one she’s going to murder.”

Sasuke raises an eyebrow, trying to decide if that’s hyperbole or an actual worry. The clone looks spooked enough for it to be the latter, but if it was something serious, he wouldn’t have made such a big show of meeting here.

“Murder?” he prompts.

“Well, maybe not murder. But beat bloody at the very least,” the clone goes on, and crosses his arms. “I’m counting on you to be a decent friend for once in your life and not tell her I was the one who told you.”

“Told me what?” Sasuke asks, narrowing his eyes as a suspicion forms.

“Just make it seem like you were on your way back. And that you, you know, happened to notice something about her and asked about it,” the clone continues to ramble. “I’m not saying tell her she looks fat or anything, not unless you want to die, but… Well, it’s not like she’ll lie to you once you’re there. Not like she’s lying now, or anything! She’s just doing that whole, dutiful-wife-suffering-in-silence thing she’s so good at because she doesn’t want to bug you while you’re working. Which is also your fault, by the way.”

At this, Sasuke tenses, because there’s only one person to whom Naruto can be referring.

“You Uchiha and your damn martyr complex,” the clone ignores the dangerous gleam in Sasuke’s eye, and adopts an irritating falsetto. “Oooh, look at me, I have to suffer all alone so the people I love don’t!” He straightens up, speaking in his normal pitch now, but still with the hint of a sulk in his words. “Right, because that worked so well in the past—”

“Naruto,” Sasuke interrupts. “Shut. Up.”

The clone’s mouth closes with an audible snap, and when he sees the clench of Sasuke’s jaw, he sobers.

“Whoa, hold on now, Sasuke, don’t give me that face!” the clone of his best friend yelps, reaching out his bandaged hand in a placating gesture; the other reaches into his pockets. “There’s nothing wrong with Sakura or Sarada!”

Sasuke’s eyes narrow further, a reprimand at Naruto burying the lead. “Explain.”

“I will, just as soon as—ah! Got it!—here. Look at this.”

The clone hands him an envelope.

Sasuke is confused because under normal circumstance, whatever Naruto’s clone brings him is sealed into a scroll or at least encrypted in a way to disguise the information. Clearly whatever prompted this meeting has nothing to do with the village, or any of the top secret work he’s been assigned.

So why the hell did he insist on me making the trip here?

And what does it have to do with his family?

Deciding not to waste time on Naruto’s predisposition to melodrama, Sasuke rips open the top of the envelope with his teeth and shuffles out a single paper. It’s on a generic white sheet, a little waxy, from an office printer, and not even warded with seals.

The first thing to jump out at him is Sakura’s name, of course, and a series of numbers and abbreviations which mean nothing to him. The next is the image beneath this, coalescing out of the dark and too grainy for him to make out without activating the Sharingan. Once he does, though, he is struck by the familiarity of the image. He’s seen something like this, once before, in a nameless small town over a decade ago—

Sasuke stops breathing for at least thirty seconds.

Naruto is thankfully silent during that time, and it’s not even a smug silence. Waves of happiness radiate off his friend while Sasuke runs his fingers over the image in disbelief.

How…when…?

But he knows the answer to both, of course, because there are only a handful of times it could have been. Even though he is home more often these days, with Sarada in the next room there are few opportunities for intimacy with his wife. He can remember in vivid detail each instance where Sarada happened to be on an overnight mission or staying over at her friend’s house. Based on the size of the little figure in the sonogram and the date on it—

It shouldn’t be possible though. We’ve always been careful.

Then again, that’s what they thought about Sarada.

Sasuke feels as if somehow, this has to do with the Uchiha. He’s not sure exactly how it could be. Given how the entire world was thrown into disarray from his ancestor’s beyond-the-grave meddling, though, he wouldn’t be surprised.

In fact, it seems like something his brother would concoct; possibly even his mother.

“Congratulations,” Naruto tells him at last, warmth and pride suffusing the word.

Sasuke blinks, still stunned, and can only mumble, “Thanks.”

He never believed there would be more children, never thought he deserved it, never thought they would have the chance, given the nature of his mission.

And yet…

Something warm brews within him, like a Katon only infinitely more familiar. A growing swell of emotion he first experienced the day Sakura put his hand across her belly and told him he would be a father.  

It’s followed by the same, sharp twist of terror.

I screwed up the first time. What’s stopping me from doing it again?

He tries to fight down the thought, chase it away with something practical, something on which he can focus.

Still keeping his tone level, businesslike, he asks, “Sakura told you?”

“Well…no, not exactly,” the clone looks sheepish. “I had to ask her something and bumped into her as she was coming out of her office. She had a bunch of files and folders in her hands, and they went flying, so I helped her pick them up and then I saw this.” He scratches his ear. “She told me not to tell you ‘til you got back, because she didn’t want to interfere with your mission. But then I got that message from your hawk, you know, the one about extending your current mission another two months? And I decided, ‘fuck that’.”

“This doesn’t change things,” Sasuke points out absently, almost too punch-drunk to even pay attention to what he’s saying. “I still need to—”

“Go home and be with your family,” Naruto interrupts. “Hokage’s orders. And this time, I’m not taking no for an answer. So help me, I’ll take the other arm if you fight me on this.”

“I—”

“From now on, you’re on home missions,” the blond man tells him bluntly. “No, don’t even argue! The last time you had a reason to be away. You don’t anymore. Nothing you’re doing out here is more important than getting to watch your kid grow up.”

Sasuke glares at that, because his friend knows the exact spot to twist the knife, doesn’t he?

“You missed a lot with Sarada, and I’ve been kicking myself for years because I let your stubborn ass talk me into it,” the clone continues, merciless. “And in the end, there was no point to it. Someone else will do recon for the village for a while. And if there is anything out there…well, at least you’ll be home to protect the village yourself instead of who knows where in the world or beyond it.”

He juts his chin out at Sasuke as if daring him to argue or throw a punch at him in protest.

As if he would, knowing what he does now.

Sasuke exhales through his nose, glances down at the sonogram in his hand once more. The warm, sweeping sensation is back.

He gazes at the facsimile of his friend, then he nods. “Naruto…thank you.”

And there’s the grin again. “Anytime.”

It seems the future will be a little different than what he expected.

I should be used to that happening by now.

“So…” Naruto begins then. “This means you’ll cover me, right? With Sakura?”

“No,” Sasuke replies, turning away.

His best friend sputters, and Sasuke smirks.

While he appreciates Naruto’s gesture and wish for him to get a second chance with his family, Naruto ignored Sakura’s wishes. That deserves whatever retribution she chooses to mete out; Sasuke intends to be there to see it.

This time, he intends to be there for everything,

終わり

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, but if you feel like keeping me caffeinated out of the goodness of your heart, it certainly would be appreciated! I’m also starting to post original works to my patreon.

I’m only able to keep writing as I do thanks to the support of readers like you, so every bit helps!

栗

[behindheremeraldeyes]

SasuSaku Month 2017

Day - Heartbreak Hotel

Title: Check Out

Summary: Modern AU/ Inspired by Elvis’ Heartbreak Hotel. Their lives followed different directions, and yet, they try their best to hold on to whatever is left of their love. . A/N: Okay, first of all, I AM SO SO SORRY!! This story was supposed to have been posted 2 weeks ago, but honestly, guys… These past few weeks have been the most rushed of my life, and I’m just glad they’re over. I won’t take that long to post the next one, I promise. Now, enough with my babbling! I hope you all enjoy this one, and please, leave me your… Honest thoughts regarding this one. Have fun! . . . It was a good night for heartbreak.

As expected from mid November, a cold drizzle hit the windows’ glasses around the town, spreading a melancholic feeling everywhere. Curtains were closed, families were already resting in the safety of their homes, and normal people were getting ready for a new, ordinary day that would follow.

Normal, intelligent people that knew loneliness could not be cured with a dose of whiskey.

The hotel’s bar was rather quiet that Wednesday evening. A calm, background music enveloped the entire room, creating the perfect mood for those who just wanted to enjoy their drinks and forget about their days. The bartender— a man whose white locks were already covering half of his head— was listening to the guests’ stories, nodding while filling their cups with whatever flavor of alcohol they had asked him to. Those people had tales to tell, and even if he couldn’t care less about them, Uchiha Sasuke couldn’t help but listen to the tragic stories of hearts that were once loved.

Those were lost people, he learned while sitting on the bar’s stool. Lost and broken people who used to be complete until they lost their significant ones. All the stories were all so sad and dramatic, and some even ended with people claiming their lives had lost their meaning now that they were alone. That was certainly an extreme feeling he could not relate to, yet, if there was one thing he shared with all those people, was the loneliness brought by a wounded heart.

Yes, he knew how that felt very well. He knew how it felt to look around and find no one standing by his side, and he knew how terrible it was to wait up for those who would never come back home. It was a desperate, empty feeling that had been eating him alive for years now, and even if he was supposed to be used to that already, being alone and deprived of love will never stop causing him pain. Those things will sting him until the day he dies, and for as funny as that could be, Sasuke only had himself to blame for his actual condition.

As he took a sip from his Jack Daniel’s, his dark orbs fell on the mahogany bar stained by water marks left by the glasses. At that moment, if he were to be honest, the alcohol had already anesthetized his senses, but not enough to make him forget the very reason why— after so many years— he was drinking at that mediocre place located down at the end of what should be called Lonely Street. Even if he had told himself many times that he would never set foot on that place again, and that he would get a grip on his life, in the end, all his efforts had been useless when he answered his phone earlier that day.

She had called him, after all.

She had called him that very morning and all it took him was the sound of her soft, apprehensive voice saying his name and asking him if they could meet. He was surprised, at first, and even worried for her voice basically screamed for help while she whispered calmly through the phone. Sasuke should’ve known by then that whenever that girl was involved, the best thing to be done is to stay as far away as possible from her in order to prevent yet another month of sleepless nights and unexplained solitude.

He should’ve known better.

But better than that, he knew he couldn’t just not allow her ruin the temporary peace he had found in his life. That was how she acted. That was how she made him feel alive, and both his heart and soul were always up for a night of forbidden and intense passion that would end as soon as he felt her warm lips against his cheeks before leaving.

Those lips have always been his weakness, and as long as he had them pressed against his, Sasuke was ready to face the lonely consequences that would, eventually, follow.

Just like many other nights, he was ready to drown his misery life in shots of whiskey and meaningless sex with the only girl who has ever held his heart. His manly, possessive pride would be happy to have her in his arms for a night even if he knew she would end up returning to that bastard as soon as the sun welcomed a new day.

It would be a useless night that would never have a happy ending, he knew.

Yet, even with no promises of a bright future ahead of them, he would rather answer her call than losing that last, thin connection they shared. He would do anything not to serve that line.

Hn, What a time to be alive, he thought, lifting his glass in front of himself before taking a long, sip. A slightly inebriated smirk played on his lips, and after what felt like hours of waiting, a bell rang across the room and a cold breeze invaded the saloon, indicating that a new loner had entered the bar. His curiosity got the best of him, and from the corner of his eyes, the Uchiha watched as that small figure dressed in black looked around the room with her big, emerald eyes.

So she had arrived, at last.

Their eyes met briefly before she started to make her way towards him, and as her heels clicked against the harsh, wooden floor; Sasuke observed how her pink hair was still kept untouched above her shoulders. She was wearing a dark-green coat over what was probably a black dress, and the pearls decorating her neck matched her perfectly elegant outfit.

Haruno Sakura was as beautiful as the last time he saw her.

But unlike then, she didn’t seem happy to see him.

Sakura didn’t seem happy at all.

It didn’t take long for her to get to his side, her gloved hands resting on top of the bar. His eyes turned left to watch her closely, and it didn’t take him much effort to see behind that fake smile of hers as she ordered herself a drink. Her hands were moving nervously, her teeth were trapping her lower lip in between them, and it was only after she took a deep breath that her emeralds finally turned to face him. “ Long time no see, Sasuke-kun…”

Her voice was soft even if it held a bit of concern, and he couldn’t help but notice the way her eyes shone as soon as they met his. Sasuke made sure to keep his face as stoic as ever, even if his slightly drunken state was making it hard for him to prevent his lips from turning upwards. He was certainly happy to see her— of course he was— but there was just no way he would let her have it against him.

“ Aah… It’s been a while since you last called me.”

“ How have you been?” She forced another smile, accepting the drink given to her by the barman. " Naruto only tells me you’re alive.”

“ I guess I am alive.” He started, taking another sip of his drink and feeling poison linger over his tongue. “ What about your boyfriend? Is he still alive?”

He watched as her eyes went down, a bitter smile taking over her lips. Sasuke knew she didn’t deserve those harsh words coming from him, but at that moment, he was too drunk to hold them back. His week hadn't been the best, and he wasn't sure if seeing her would make it better or not.

Probably not.

“ Yeah… He’s alive.”

“ Hn… And does he know you’re here?”

“ … No. I didn’t tell him.”

“ As expected from you.”

If he were to be honest, Sasuke was trying his best to make her walk away from him at that moment. He wanted her to regret calling him and lying to her boyfriend, even if that could probably cost him his night.

Sasuke wanted her to move away from that childish love she has always nourished for him, for he knew it would take her nowhere. Better than anyone, he knows how messed up he is, and the last thing he wanted was to drag her down with him. He wanted her to have a good life, and he wanted her to be with someone who can be good to her, even if she would never truly love this person.

The Uchiha knew he was not what she deserved. Even if no one would ever love her as much as he does, he wanted her to learn that love isn’t the most important thing in the world. There’s also commitment, trust, stability, and she would never find any of that in him.

At least not yet. At least not while there was so much going on in his life.

Such thoughts had never bothered him while they were younger, but now— now that his parents are dead and now that the ghost of his brother haunts him every single night of his life, Sasuke didn’t have it in himself to worry about his heart’s needs. He had been clear to her about that years before, and even if she protested and told him she would do her best to help him, the Uchiha managed to shut her out for a while.

They didn’t see each other for three years after that, and when they met again, their forbidden story began, as both of them agreed to follow their lives until the time came for them to be together. Sakura would make a fool of an innocent man, and even if she knew how wrong that was, she couldn’t stop. Not when that was her only chance of being with her true love.

That was her own way of waiting for him, and that was his way of always having her for himself. Even if there was another man in her life, he knew he meant nothing to her— he never would. It was just a matter of time until his life got back into the tracks again.

And until he could finally put his shit together, he had to make sure the pinkette would keep that idiot as her boyfriend. Sasori might never be the right guy for her, but at least, thanks to his family’s successful business, he’s able to provide for her and for the children clinic she founded after graduating med school.

He would take care of her until Sasuke could finally be the man she deserves.

Just a little longer, he would tell her, as they would lie naked in bed, wrapped around each other’s arms.

But— Oh it had already been too long.

“ I need to talk to you about something, Sasuke-kun… It’s important.”

“ Hn, what is it? What could be so important for you to sneak out and lie to your perfect boyfri—“

“ Sasori asked me to marry him.”

His dark eyes widened, his throat went dry, and suddenly, the taste of his whiskey became as bitter as it could be. The shock caused by her comment was clear in his body language, and it was as if the Uchiha was suddenly frozen in spot.

Marriage? That was not a part of his plan for their lives. They were supposed to have a stable relationship, of course, but that bastard was never supposed to propose to Sakura. No, she was not supposed to become his wife, and she was never supposed to change her last name to Sasori’s.

Sakura was never supposed to belong to someone else.

She could not accept that request.

“ What? When…?”

“ This morning… He showed up with the ring and—“

“ That bastard! He’s not allowed to propose to you and he’s not— And what did you tell him, Sakura?“

“ I told him I would think, of course. I told him that—“

“ Think!? You should’ve told him no!” He started, fists clenching and eyes glaring at his glass of whiskey. “ Who the hell does he think he is?! Even if you were really together, it’s too soon for any commit—“

“ It’s been 10 years, Sasuke-kun!”

Her voice startled him, again, as realization hit him.

10 years. Ten years of their stupid, little game, and nothing had changed ever since.

Anger started taking over his senses, and Sakura could feel her chest tightening at the scene in front of her. Her eyes were widened in a mix of fear and hope, and instinctively, she reached for his face. The pinkette cupped his cheeks, turning him to face her, and caressing his cheeks with her thumbs. Sadness was taking over her senses, and still, she found it in herself to smile at him. “ Sasuke-kun… Let’s get out of here. Just the two of us… “

“ …What?”

“Let’s leave everything and every one behind… Together. It’s been already too long and… This is our chance to be happy! Please, Sasuke-kun… Let’s get out of here.”

Tears were almost streaming down her eyes, and he could see how desperate she was. Of course she didn’t want to marry Sasori. That was never a part of her plan either, and more than he could ever be, Sakura was frustrated and even tired to be played around by his choices.

She was tired of waiting for something she wasn’t sure would ever belong to her.

He never doubted her love for him, and he was sure she knew how much he loves her. Yet, even answered feelings can wither if they aren’t fed with enough hope.

And perhaps, after 10 long years, there was really no hope left for their story.

Even if Sakura wanted to believe there was still a chance, and even if she wanted to keep fighting for his doomed soul, Sasuke knew better than to let her waste another second of her life with him. He couldn’t let her destroy her life because of love, and even if he wanted her— and even needed her— by his side, he loved her too much to let her give up on a chance to change her life forever.

He loves her too much, and that love would be their ruin.

“ Sasuke-kun, we could—“

“ Enough…”

“ What?”

“ That’s enough, Sakura… You and me. It’s enough.”

“ S-Sasuke-kun… What are you talking about?”

“ Hn, isn’t it clear? You’re going to get married, Sakura. We can’t keep seeing each other anymore. It wouldn’t be fair for your husband.”

“ My husband? I’m not marrying Sasori! You know that I don’t love him! He’s just— He’s just a—“

“ A way to kill time? I thought I was the one you ran to whenever you wanted to escape life.”

“ This isn’t true and you know it! I wish I could have you in my life all the time!”

“ Aa… But you have him instead, right? You have that bastard and… How am I supposed to know you don’t tell him the same things you tell me?”

“ W-What are you talking about? You’re not making any sense! You know that I love you! I’ve always loved you and I always will!”

“ And what about him?”

“ What about him?”

“ Don’t you love him, too? I mean…” He started, smirking bitterly. “ If you truly loved me, you would’ve stayed single for all these years, right? We wouldn’t need to sneak out whenever we wanted to meet, and life would be a lot easier.”

“ What?! You know Sasori and I started out because he invested in the clinic! You were the one who told me to be with him!”

“ But that was only during the first years of the clinic, right? What made you continue, Sakura? Tell me… Was it really just the clinic?”

“ Of course it was! You know that—“

“ Or was it the way he made in bed while you two fu—“

The Uchiha was never able to finish that line. A dry, sharp sound echoed around the bar, and all the eyes were suddenly set on the pair. Tears were streaming down her face, while a red, hand-snapped mark rested painfully against his cheek. Silence enveloped the entire place, and before he knew it, the pinkette slammed her hand against the bar and left everything behind.

She exited the bar without saying a single word, leaving behind not only a broken boy, but also the only, concrete symbol of their love: his mother’s ring.

Sakura slammed it against the bar, leaving behind all the promises and all the love that existed in between them. He had given her that ring years before, telling her that the day would come when he would finally be able to make her his wife. They had exchanged vows and dreams while that ring was perfectly wrapped around her delicate finger, and right now, as she walked away from it— from him, the Uchiha knew it was truly the end of everything.

“ Fuck!”

His voice left his throat with all the anger he could build inside of him, and he didn’t need to think twice before using the glass in front of him to unleash his feelings. His fingers wrapped around the thin, object and in a blink of an eye, Sasuke threw it on the floor, breaking it and spreading dangerously sharp shards everywhere. His fists were turning white, his jaw was clenched and his dark orbs were still looking at the cold ring in front of him.

On that cold, November night, not only one, but two hearts ended up broken by the harsh words that escaped his lips. After 10 years, both Sasuke and Sakura were forced to take a step towards a new direction that would only separate them even more. She would be heading towards a new, unhappy future; and he would be forever stuck in that miserable past of his.

At last, he drove her away.

At last, he set her free.

And for nights to come, the raven haired man would be returning to that same bar in order to drink his pain away, and to tell the tale of the one heart he was forced to break.

[ramennoodlesandnarusasu]

A kiss never forgotten

*Chap 1: A drunken night*

*Chap 2: A blurred night*

*Chap 3: The bath house*

*Chap 4: A Thousand pieces*

*Chap 5: Heart beat*

*Chap 6: Surprise*

*Chap 7: Sunsets, trees and you*

*Chap 8: What now?*

*Chap 9: Healing the unfixable*

*Chap 10: So, this is it?*

*Chap 11: What now?*

*Chap 12: Kids and kisses*

*Chap 13: Its time*

*Chap 14: Tears*

*Chap 15: Somethings different?*

Chap 16: Its time 

Sasuke walked in first to the bar, going straight up the one of the waiters.

“Do you think you can fit in… uhh, like 50 people, because I think the whole town has followed us here?”

The waiter looked over Sasuke’s shoulder and saw a line of people that went out the door, they were all chatting and laughing and ready to spend a night celebrating with Naruto.

“Well you are in luck, we are very empty tonight so there is only 3 people in at the moment. We were expecting it to get much busier later on, but seeming as its for Naruto I will just shut the bar from the outside and you can have the whole place to yourselves… sound good?”

Sasuke looked at her with deep gratitude.

“Thank you so much, apparently dinner turned out to be a party with basically everyone Naruto knows.”

The waiter laughed, raising her hands to her lips shyly.

“Anything for the Hokage and the Hokage’s advisor.”

Sasuke smirked and called Naruto over with one hand.

“So, they are kind enough to give us the whole place and they are going to shut it off for anyone else.”

Naruto smiled widely, “Oh they don’t need to shut the whole place, tell them to leave it open, the more the merrier.”

Naruto went back to talking to a couple of villagers, who were fawning over his large muscles. Sasuke chuckled lightly looking at him shining brightly in the midst of gushing women, he was obviously loving all the attention he was receiving and it was so amusing seeing him so giggly.

Sasuke turned around to find the waiter, he waved her over and notified her to leave the place open and to alert anyone who came into the bar that they were welcome to join Naruto’s celebrations.

She smiled and waved everyone through, getting everyone seated and comfortable. She then proceeded to take orders and in a few minutes, she was back with trays full of beers, wines, cocktails and shots.

-

*30 minutes after arriving into the bar*

Sasuke was seated right next to Naruto, whilst Kakashi sat on the other side of Sasuke. The rest of the table was made up of long-time friends from all over the village. Soon enough word of their ‘tiny party’ in the bar was circulating all over town and the bar started to get busier and busier with everyone who wanted to come celebrate with their Hokage.

After an hour close friends started arriving, first Kiba then Shikamaru closely followed by Ino and Lee.

-

Kiba tapped Sasuke on the shoulder, “hey Sasuke so why weren’t we initially invited to the party huh?”

“Don’t blame me, this was meant to be a small celebratory dinner with just me, Naruto and Kakashi.”

“What was the initial celebration for?”

“Naruto finally got through all the paper work, so I guess he wanted to celebrate being paper free.” Sasuke raised his shoulder in an expression that signified he basically had nothing to do with it and that it was all Naruto’s crazy idea.

“Shame we don’t have the whole crew here, we could announce some special news” Kiba said whilst winking and nudging Sasuke.

Sasuke gave him a death stare that could literally cause him to turn into stone, like his eyes magically just turned into medusa’s.

“Okay, okay, I won’t say anything.” Kiba put his hands up in defense to Sasuke intense death stare, he slowly backed away and ran over to talk to Shikamaru before he was actually disintegrated on the spot.

As much as Sasuke and Naruto were becoming public with their relationship, only a few people knew about them which at this point was about 10 people. Recently Sasuke had heard a couple of rumours of them being gay, so it defiantly was started to get out there, but nobody dared to ask Sasuke, mostly because he was scary as shit to talk to. And nobody had asked Naruto because he was always super busy and nobody wanted to distract his Hokage duties to ask a stupid question.

Most of the villagers who heard about Sasuke and Naruto through others thought it was just rumours, even though many of them said they wouldn’t be shocked because they were always together.

Due to the rumours and speculations about their relationship Sasuke decided to not say anything to anyone, not only because it was non-off their business, but mostly because he thought they should hear it from Naruto. He is the one with more responsibility on his shoulders and Sasuke wasn’t sure if Naruto was ready to fully come out to everyone. He believed it wasn’t his place to tell people so he decided to stay quit and say nothing.

-

*1 hour later*

Most of the villagers and elders had left at this point, most were either too tired to stay out late or had to go and take care of children. But every single one of them had congratulated Naruto on his achievements and wished him luck with further Hokage duties.  The bar was now only filled with close friends, Ino, Sai, Lee, Sakura, Tamaki and Kiba sat opposite to Nauto whilst Kakashi, Sasuke, Iruka and Tsunade sat on his side. Shikamaru, Choji, tenten, Temari, Karui and Shino were standing near the bar talking and ordering new drinks. The only one missing was Hinata.

Naruto looked around at his long-time friends, he felt as though every single one of them was family to him, but it just felt wrong not having Hinata. She was always a part of the group and to not have her there celebrating felt wrong to him.

“Hey Sasuke… Ille be back soon okay?”

Sasuke looked at Naruto with questioning eyes. He placed a hand on his shoulder quickly to stop him from leaving.

“Naruto where are you going?”

He looked at Sasuke lovingly, “I think it’s time we tell the rest of this bunch about us, but… I don’t want to do it without Hinata being here, so I’m going to go get her.”

Sasuke let go of Naruto, he looked down towards the table unsure what to say.

“Are you sure you’re ready?” Sasuke had no idea why he was so scared to ask, Naruto wasn’t going to abandon him now, regret this life with him and leave?

“I’m sure. Also, I want to tell my children Sasuke, but I think its best that you’re not there for that, just in case they need some space to think about it.”

“I understand. Don’t take too long, if you’re not back in an hour and a half I will start hunting your ass down.”

Naruto chuckled lightly whilst messing around with Sasuke’s hair. “You will be fine, you have Kakashi to keep you company.”

“Oh great” Sasuke said with the least amount of energy humanly possible.

Kakashi raised his middle finger to Sasuke’s face and drunkenly blurted curse words to him.

“My tab is open Sasuke don’t abuse it, actually let me be clearer make sure Kakashi doesn’t abuse it.”

Sasuke smiled evilly “oh don’t worry Ille watch over him.”

-

Naruto walked out of the bar and was hit with chilling winds, he left his jacket in his office and was too lazy to get it, so he started walking towards his old house in the cold. He started shivering a little bit from the piercing winds so he decided to get on top of one of the roofs and quickly jump over to his old place.

He was there in a few minutes, and was beating down the door so he could escape the cold.

The door opened quickly. Hinata stood on the other side in her warm pajamas.

“Naruto? Come in, get out of that cold.”

Naruto shivered frantically whilst walking inside and shook off the rain from his hair, he placed his shoes near the entrance and walked into a warm and welcoming house.

“What are you doing here?”

“Did you not hear that everyone was at the bar tonight?”

“Oh... I did hear, but I didn’t think you were ready to see me, and to be honest I’m still really embarrassed to see Sasuke and Sakura after that flop of a night we all had together.”

“But Hinata it’s not the same without you, I can’t… I won’t stand not being close to you. Just because we are divorced doesn’t mean I don’t value our friendship. You mean a lot to me and I really want you to come, plus.. I am finally ready to tell everyone about me and Sasuke and that’s including the kids.”

Hinata’s eyes widened, she was clearly shocked and processing this large amount of information. She attempted to speak but no words seemed to come out.

“That’s why I really want you to come, because I can’t do it without your support… I need you Hinata. As a friend.”

“You need me?” Hinata’s eyes softened as she smiled lightly at Naruto. Their eyes connected and they both felt a warm feeling bubble within themselves.

“Of course, Naruto I told you I would support you and I meant it. But what are you going to say to the kids, will you tell them now? And also, I have no one to look after the kids if I go with you to the bar.”

“That’s okay I talked to Sakura before leaving she has a baby sitter taking care of Sarada whilst she’s out with us, she told me she was fine with us bringing Boruto and Himawari over as well. And if it’s okay with you I would like to tell them tonight, I am just so sick of hiding it, I want everyone to know, because, well…I love him.”

Hinata came forward and gave Naruto a tight hug, “I am so happy for you Naruto, now let’s go do this.”

Naruto smiled brightly at Hinata looking down at her whilst he hugged her back. He had never felt so at peace, hugging Hinata now in this moment had more feeling and emotion in it than it ever did when they were together as a couple. Because this time he knew all she wanted was for him to be happy, truly happy.

“Okay let’s go.”

-

Hinata knocked on Boruto’s door to see if he was awake, she walked in to see him playing with Himawari on his bed. They both smiled when Naruto walked in, running over and jumping on him to bear hug him.

“Daddy! You aren’t meant to come for another 2 days, what are you doing here?”

Naruto smiled at Himawari whilst brushing the top of her hair. “Questions already?” Naruto proclaimed whilst laughing.

“Dad can we spar this weekend? I have been practicing a lot and I think my clone jutsu is better than yours now!”

“Of course we can Boruto, but if you say your that good I won’t go easy on you.”

“Even if you went all out I will still beat you!”

Hinata chuckled, “I don’t think you will be beating your dad anytime soon.” Hinata walked over and picked up Himawari into a big kiss whilst cradling her on her hip.

“Alright you two enough attacking your dad with questions we have something very serious to talk to you about and this might be very difficult for you to understand but your father wants you to know so, sit down and listen to what he has to say, okay?”

Himawari and Boruto could sense the change in mood and immediately went to sit down on the edge of the bed, both of them looked at Naruto with concerned eyes.

Naruto stood up and coughed loudly, he couldn’t mentally comprehend where the hell he should start with this conversion. He walked over to the chair which was placed in the corner of Boruto’s room, he offered it first to Hinata, but as soon as she declined he sat down.

“Well kids, okay…”

He was breathing heavily and sweating from the amount of stress he felt to make sure they understand what he was trying to say, also the anticipation of their reactions was causing him to over worry once again.

Hinata walked over and placed a loving hand on his shoulder, “don’t worry Naruto, take your time.”

“Thank you Hinata, didn’t think it would be this hard to say… Kids do you remember when we went into town once during the summer festival and you saw two girls kissing and you asked me why they were kissing?” Both of them nodded their heads in remembrance.

“Well do you remember what I said?”

Himawari looked at Naruto with confusion as to where this conversation was going.

“Didn’t you say they were lesbian dad? And that they loved each other just like you did mum… well used to at least.”

Naruto chuckled due to Bourto’s sass, “your right Boruto, and very funny.”

“Well in fact there is more than just lesbians.”

“Oh, I know I know!” Himawari proclaimed proudly. “One of my friends said she has a cousin in the sand village with two gay dads, that’s when two daddy’s love each other right daddy?”

Naruto smiled widely “yes Himawari that’s exactly right.” He was feeling a little bit less stress now that he knew both of them at least knew the term ‘gay’.

“Well guys me and your mum want you to know that you will met many people in your life some will be from a different place than you, they may like the same gender as themselves or they might have different skin colours but you should never ever judge someone for that okay?”

“Dad we know, what the hell is the point of this lecture, you have already given it to us like 3 years ago?”

“Language Boruto”, Hinata said angrily.

“Sorry mum.”

Naruto looked at his hands which were held in a tight fist due to being extremely nervous.

“Well there is one more which you may not have heard off, bisexuality.”

“Oh, what’s that daddy?” Himawari asked in confusion whilst reaching for her teddy bear.

Boruto looked over to Himawari and got her teddy which was a bit far for her to reach, he passed her the teddy and started explaining. “Himawari that’s when a person likes the same gender as them self and also the gender opposite to themselves, so for example if teddy is a boy and if he was bisexual he will like boy and girl teddys.”

“Oh” Himawari said with wide eyes.

“That’s exactly right Boruto” Naruto said whilst smiling at his son. “How do you know so much already?”

“Dad I’m not a kid anymore, I go to school, you hear a lot of things.”

“Sadly, you are growing up” Naruto said whilst nodded his head in agreement to Boruto’s statement.

“So, what’s the point of this conversation again?” Boruto asked for the second time.

“Well, it turns out that I am bisexuality.”

Both of the kids looked at him with wide eyes, Himawari more so.

“Do you kids care?” Naruto asked whilst also frantically looking at both of them for any reaction.

Boruto shook his head left and right but didn’t say anything for a couple of minutes, whilst Himawari looked like she was having an outer body experience.

“So, so, so… daddy likes other daddys and mummys?”

Hinata chuckled behind Naruto, “he likes girls and boys Himawari not just mummys and daddys.”

Himawari looked so confused. She raised her teddy and looked at it as if this teddy had all the answers.

“So, kids… I know it’s a lot to take in, but what do you think?”

“Dad I don’t really care, I mean if you still going to spar with me and go full out then I am okay.”

“I am fine daddy you can date whoever you want, teddy and I approve. But adults only kiss, right? Because I don’t think I want to be bisexual like you daddy because I don’t want to kiss anyone, I don’t have to go kiss anyone do I daddy?”

Naruto and Hinata both started laughing loudly, trying there absolute hardest to not start crying from how hilarious Himawari was being. Naruto whipped away a tear from laughter, “no Himawari you don’t need to kiss anyone, and yes only kissing young lady.”

Boruto stood up and gave his dad a hug and then started heading back to the bed, before he jumped up he looked at Naruto

“So, dad you finally going to tell us who you are dating?”

Naruto looked at him with a shocked expression, he looked at Hinata who also had the same look on her face.

“How did you…”

“Well you wouldn’t have started giving us a sexuality speech if you weren’t dating a guy, so I know that at least, now all I have to guess is who.”  

“Boruto have I ever said you are getting way too smart for your age?”

“You may have mentioned it. Now stop delaying and tell us.”

“Is there more news daddy?” Himawari questioned with innocent loving eyes.

“Yes, I am dating someone, I know all of this is new and whenever you are ready I would love for you guys to hang out with me and my new partner…”

“Go on dad its fine.”

Naruto looked at Boruto with thankful eyes, he breathed slowly.

“I am now living with and dating your uncle Sasuke.”

-silence-

Naruto couldn’t look up he just stared at the wooden floor, breathing slowly. He started to look up at his children who both had the same faces as they did two seconds before.

“You aren’t shocked?”

“Nope, to be honest that’s exactly who I thought it was going to be, you guys are always together and now I know why, ew.”

“Boruto be nicer this is really hard for your dad.”

“Okay mum, sorry dad, I meant… no ew?”

Naruto laughed and walked over and punched his son lightly on the shoulder, “gosh you are going to be one of those annoying teen kids, aren’t you? I would say you are a smart a… but I can’t because your sister is here.”

Boruto laughed back at Naruto whilst getting up and hugging him. “I am glad its uncle Sasuke, he is really tough and is the only person who actually spars with me properly.”

Naruto kissed Boruto on the head whilst he squirmed to get out of his hugs and kisses. He then went to see how much damage control he had to do with Himawari.

“What about you princess, what do you think about me and Uncle Sasuke being together?”

Himawari looked at him like she saw a ghost “daddy, I don’t get it? So, you like Uncle Sasuke?”

“Yep”

“And you live with him?”

“Yep”

“Does that mean I can’t see you anymore?”

“No sweaty, nothing is going to change, it just means when you come to my new house uncle Sasuke will always be there.

“Can I stay with you forever?”

“Haha, you can stay with me as long as you want, but don’t forget mummy will want to see you too.”

Himawari looked at Naruto still confused.

“So, do you kiss Uncle Sasuke?”

“Yes, is that okay with you?”

“Kisses… but daddy kissing is gross why would you do that, you will get cooties?”

“Because if you love someone and they love you back you kiss them.”

“Is that why you give me kisses?”

“Yes, because I love you, don’t you love me as well?”

“Yes Daddy.” Himawari stood up and gave Naruto 3 kisses on the forehead, she jumped into his arms and didn’t let go, hanging from his neck like a monkey.

“So, everyone is happy?”

Everyone in the room yelled yes and started laughing.

“Alright everyone, you two are off to a sleep over with Sarada” Hinata said whilst hurrying them to out the room to start packing bags.

“Talking about Sarada Boruto, do you want to kiss her?” Naruto winked at him

“Dad don’t start or I will kill you, we are just friends.”

Hinata yelled from the other side of the house whilst packing Himawari’s bag, “SURE JUST FRIENDS” she coughed sarcastically in the background.

“This house used to be normal.”

“Yer, yer, now get your bag so we can take you to your girlfriends.”

“Oh my gowsh, dad!”

*Chap 17: At peace*

[lavendersakurasasuke]

Welcome Home (Ch 2)

Hello! This is the second chapter to Welcome Home, the prequel to All Shapes and Sizes. It’s about the way Sasuke and Sakura came together, and the ways they fell in love with each other. The link to the fanfic.net story is: https://www.fanfiction.net/s/12393719/1/Welcome-Home . Please enjoy!

“SHANNAROOOOO!”

Naruto dodged Sakura’s fist just in time to keep her from sending him plummeting into the nearest tree. He turned immediately to his left, preparing a Rasengan in his hand. They had been sparring for over an hour, and it was time to finish the match. What he did not anticipate, however, was the punch Sakura place to the ground, causing the earth beneath him to quake and shatter until he lost his balance. Taking advantage of his state, Sakura landed a punch to Naruto’s stomach, sending him flying to the edge of the training grounds. The jinchuriki had lost the match to his teammate.

Sakura rushed to Naruto, the adrenaline from the match propelling her forward.

“Are you okay, Naruto?” She asked as she kneeled next to him. Naruto was comically spread out on the ground, his eyes closed. He whined a low “dattebayo” before nodding and letting out a moan. Holding back laughter at her baby-like teammate, she began to check him for major injuries. Satisfied that other than a few bruises he would be fine, she helped him into a sitting position.

“It’s been a long time since we’ve sparred, Sakura-chan.” Naruto declared as he rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, you’ve been pretty busy lately.” Sakura offered Naruto water from her bottle. “With you and Hinata settling into married life and all the work you’ve been doing with Kakashi, you haven’t really been available.”

“You’re right,” Naruto said, looking off to the fields. “I guess we’ve all been kind of busy lately. You’ve been at the hospital, Sai has been with Ino or doing missions, and Kakashi is the hokage. But hey! We still always have time for Ramen! That’s something!”

Sakura laughed at her teammate. “Speaking of Ramen, I’m starving. Do you want to go get some food?”

Naruto looked at her sheepishly. “As much as I’d like to say yes, I should get home. I don’t know when Hinata will be back and I want to be waiting for her.”

“Ah, I understand.” Sakura gave him a smile as she stood up. “Don’t worry about it! I have to meet Kakashi-sensei soon anyways. Go ahead home and shower before Hinata has to smell you.”

Naruto stood up, lifted his armpit and gave a small sniff, his face contorting with disgust. “You’re right, Sakura-chan.”

“I’m always right,” Sakura told him as they began to walk towards the main part of the village. After telling Naruto goodbye, Sakura made her way back to her own quiet apartment. She took her time in the shower, lathering in her cherry blossom shampoo and letting the hot water soothe her sore muscles before dressing in her normal shinobi wear. She took the time to style her hair as usual, and then proceeded to put on her normal cherry blossom perfume. Looking in the mirror, Sakura gave herself a small smile of approval before her stomach rumbled. Knowing there were minimal groceries in the house, the pinkette decided she would treat herself to some dango after the excellent training session with Naruto.

She walked through the streets of Konoha, embracing the sunshine. Summer was in full swing in Konoha. Only just reaching July, it was hot and sweet outside. Sakura watched as children ran through the streets, vendors offered refreshing sweets, and the older folk sought out the best deals they could find. The home she loved so much was bustling and busy as always. She approached her favorite shop and bought two orders of dango and black tea to share with her sensei.

Sakura felt in her bones that today would be a good day. Whether it was the weather, the morning training session, or the sticky sweet dango she was going to eat, she didn’t know. All she knew was that the day seemed different, and Sakura welcomed it. The walk to the Hokage’s office was peaceful; for once, Sakura’s worry about the hospital, her team, and even Sasuke drifted away. She knew the hospital was improving day by day. Her teammates were happy and healthy. And Sasuke…well, she liked to think that he was somewhere that brought him peace. She felt that same familiar longing for him to come home, but pushed it away to think of happier thoughts.

She arrived at the Hokage’s office and knocked before opening the door. Her former sensei immediately stopped signing the paperwork in front of him and gave her a warm smile that was hidden under his mask. His eyes were twinkling mischievously, although he said nothing out of the ordinary.

“Good morning, Sakura,” He got up from his chair and stretched.

“Good morning Kaka-sensei,” she smiled at him and handed him a stick of dango and his tea. “I brought you a treat!”

“How thoughtful,” Kakashi took the treats gladly. “Now, Sakura, I know we need to discuss some things concerning the children’s hospital, but why don’t we take a walk while we do so? I haven’t made rounds around Konoha in a while.”

Sakura smiled cheerfully and nodded. “That sounds wonderful!”

She did not notice the small scroll that was laying in the corner of Kakashi’s desk with handwriting that was all too familiar to both of them.

Sasuke had awoken that morning to the sound of birds chirping and Hinata packing her bag. “Good morning Sasuke-kun,” she told him serenely when she realized he had awoken. With a nod back and a mumbled “Morning”, Sasuke quickly got up and got his own items ready. He took a small scroll and summoned his faithful hawk before sending him off with a missive for Kakashi, warning him that he would be returning that day before lunchtime with Hinata.

The two shinobi ate a quick breakfast before starting back up on their travels. They both moved quickly, each with different motives. Hinata was ready to see her husband while Sasuke was ready to see the way his village had changed in the last few years. As the trees flew by and the land became more and more familiar, Sasuke couldn’t help but think about his team, his family, and everything he’d been doing over the last few years. It was strange to think that he was coming home with no intention to leave immediately. He was instead coming home to work for Konoha, the way his father, mother and brother had. He was coming back as the last Uchiha to give everything he could to the village his brother had died for.

It took Hinata and Sasuke roughly three hours to reach the gates of Konoha. As he approached the gates, he felt a wave of nostalgia wash over him, something that almost never happened. He was happy to be coming home.

“Sasuke-kun?” He heard Hinata’s gentle voice rouse him from his musings. The two stopped just past the guard’s stand where Kotetsu and Izumo were staring at him open mouthed. “I’m going to the Hokage’s tower to turn in my mission report. Will you be going there as well?”

Sasuke was prevented answering by the loud gasp he heard. Turning from Hinata, he was greeted by the sight of Sakura and Kakashi standing about 10 feet in front of him. Sakura was gasping with her hand covering her mouth. She stared at him for a few moments, her green eyes wide with disbelief before her lips formed the most dazzling smile she had ever given him. Her entire face alighted with joy as she made her way towards him. Stopping right in front of him, she tucked a piece of her rose-pink hair behind her ear. She held her breath, waiting for him to speak.

“Tadaima, Sakura,” He told her quietly, not being able to control the gentle smile that his lips formed.

“Okaeri, Sasuke-kun,” Her smile widened and she stared up at him with more affection than Sasuke had ever seen. He couldn’t help but lift his fingers and poke her in the middle of her forehead the same way his brother used to do to him. He watched as a warm blush spread over her porcelain cheeks and he felt a warmth inside that he wasn’t familiar with. He heard someone clearing their throat, and he turned to see Kakashi watching him warily.

“Yo,” His former sensei said to him. “Long time no see, Sasuke. And welcome back, Hinata.”

“Aa,” Sasuke replied.

“I have the report here for you, Hokage-sama.” Hinata handed him a scroll. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I’d like to get home to Naruto.” She turned to Sasuke. “I’ll tell him you’re home and that you’ll all be over for dinner tonight. I’ll send word to Sai. No excuses!” The byakugen princess smiled at all of them before turning to hurry home to her husband.

“Come with us, Sasuke,” Kakashi turned and began walking. “We must discuss your return.” Sakura and Sasuke followed closely behind Kakashi as he made his way towards the Hokage tower.

“Why were you with Hinata, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked him, curious about his return.

“We met up around the edge of the Land of Fire by chance. We decided to travel the rest of the way together.” Sasuke watched her face carefully as she took in the information. Her eyebrows were furrowed in thought, but about what, he had no idea. Sakura had indeed changed in the last few years since he’d seen her. She had grown a few inches and her hips had rounded out, giving her a womanly figure. Her face had slimmed even more into a sweet heart-shape that balanced out her once large forehead. Her green eyes had become even brighter and lovelier, openly displaying her feelings to the world. Her lips were plump and rosy, set over a set of perfect teeth. Her hair was as shiny and pink as ever, cropped into a new style that Sasuke favored over any other she’d had. The blunt cut fit her face and personality so well. Sasuke had never been blind to Sakura’s delicate loveliness when they were young. Anyone who didn’t see it would have to be blind; but now, she had truly blossomed into an alluring beauty.

The trio of ninja arrived at the Hokage’s office rather quickly. Kakashi sat behind his desk while Sasuke and Sakura stood facing him.

“Now,” the Hokage began as he searched through his desk for something. “First things first: Sasuke, how were your travels?” Kakashi pulled out a lone piece of paper that looked like a checklist and wrote Sasuke’s name at the top.

“I discovered many things during my journey,” Sasuke began. Sakura was turned to him, breathless as she waited to hear about the travels that had kept him away for so long. “I have wandered across all the lands, learning about the people and the cultures surrounding us. I have walked with them and learned from them. I have seen signs in many places of strange things occurring. I have found many anomalies, but I have not been able to piece them together. That is part of the reason I have come back to Konoha. I would have been back sooner had I not been distracted with studying and observing.”

“For that, I will have you speak to Shikamaru when he returns from a mission.” Kakashi put his hands behind his head. “We will have to discuss these anomalies, and if necessary, begin research on them immediately. In the meantime, I’d like to formally welcome you back to Konoha. While here, I expect you to resume your ninja duties and take part in the community.” He waited for a response from Sasuke, who simply nodded. “Though you are technically still ranked as a genin, I believe we will be able to send you on higher caliber missions due to your abilities and history. However, given the fact that you have been away from the village for almost three years, there is some protocol that we must follow.”

Sasuke again nodded, while Sakura turned to look at Kakashi, wondering what exactly Sasuke would need to do. Kakashi held up the paper he had written Sasuke’s name on. “This is a checklist that you must complete by the end of the week in order to continue performing ninja duties. You must get a hospital checkup, maintain a permanent residence, complete training with a group that contains at least one jonin, write a report of what you found during your absence, and sign a list of paperwork in my office.”

Sakura’s eyes widened. She had never heard of this intense protocol before, but then again, Sasuke was probably the first shinobi who required it in years.

“Now, I have a few recommendations for where you can live,” Kakashi continued on. “While much of the Uchiha district was decimated during Pain’s attack on Konoha, the north and west sides are almost completely unscathed. I believe it would be for the best if you moved into one of those homes, or if you chose to build a new house there. As the last of the Uchiha, you should reclaim that district and keep it maintained.” Sasuke nodded at Kakashi. That was exactly where he had planned to live anyways. “As far as your hospital checkup, you should be able to walk in at any time. I’m sure Sakura can let you know when the best time to come in is.”

Sakura smiled and turned to Sasuke. “I can help you with whatever you need, Sasuke-kun.”

“For training, there are two options: I can randomly assign you to shadow and train with a genin team this week, or Sakura can oversee your training, with Naruto and Sai helping. She is a qualified jonin. If you agree to have Sakura help you, you will have to work around her hospital schedule.” Kakashi paused.

“I would rather work with Sakura and Naruto.” Sasuke told them. “I can fit around her schedule.”

“Excellent,” Kakashi told him. “You can sign the rest of the paperwork when you’ve completed everything else on the list. Now, let’s go pick out a house for you, shall we?”

Sasuke nodded and turned to walk towards the door. Kakashi moved behind him, but Sakura did not. “Are you coming, Sakura?” Sasuke found himself stopping to ask.

Her eyes widened as she stammered “D-do you want me to?” When Sasuke simply nodded, she picked up her feet and followed him out the door. Her heart was racing, and she kept her hands behind her back to keep from fidgeting. She followed the two men out the door to the Uchiha district, where very few people ever stepped foot near. She didn’t know what to think of Sasuke being back. The fact that he was going to be living in the Uchiha district again hinted at the fact that he was here to stay with permanent intentions, which both frightened and delighted her.

Sasuke was slightly in shock once he was finally in the Uchiha district. It’s true that certain areas had been decimated from Pain’s battle. The shock, however, came from how well maintained the area was. Where the old buildings had been torn down, they had been replaced with cherry blossom tree groves and green grass. The rest of the buildings had been fixed up and cleaned as though Kakashi had known Sasuke would come back to live there.

“We’ve had many improvement projects going on over the last few years,” Kakashi told him. “One of those projects was proposed by Naruto and Sakura. They decided that it was very important that the Uchiha district be cleaned and attended to in your absence.”

Sasuke turned to look at Sakura, who was blushing again. “We thought it would make you happy, Sasuke-kun.” Sakura told him softly. “And after everything Itachi went through for Konoha, it only seemed respectful to fix up this old district.”

Sasuke nodded, at a loss for words other than the simple thank you that escaped his lips. He moved farther in, looking at the houses that had made up his childhood. He stopped when he reached a smaller one at the edge of the district by the new cherry blossom grove. It looked as though it had been completely rebuilt, with a small garden outside. It seemed simple and inviting. Sasuke stepped up to the house. He could not remember anyone ever living in this house. It must have been built right before the Uchiha massacre.

“Do you like this one, Sasuke-kun?” Sakura asked him gently, carefully putting her hand on his good arm. He turned to nod at her.

“This will do,” He murmured. It was an interesting feeling for him, being back in his childhood neighborhood. He could almost see members of his clan smiling at him, welcoming the Uchiha heir back to his rightful place.

“This is the key,” Kakashi reached out to hand it to him. “You still have all the Uchiha funds available to you. Simply visit the bank and give them this note, and you should have access to them immediately.” Kakashi handed him a piece of paper. “It should be more than enough to furnish the house. I would offer my help, but I do need to get back to my office. Sakura, are you capable of helping Sasuke with what he needs?”

Sakura startled immediately. Her? Help Sasuke alone? She nodded, however, not wanting to disappoint Kakashi or leave Sasuke on his own.

“Well then, I will see you two tonight.” Kakashi instantly disappeared in a cloud of smoke, leaving the two shinobi alone with each other.

[5lazarus]

Six Sentences Sunday

more feminist deconstruction of Naruto

the rarest of rarepair: Sakura/Hanabi. I'll be the one writing the first pairing in the tag when I post!

Then she feels someone’s chakra thread through the night air, and she turns as Hanabi lounges against the bridge. She’s looking at the moon, a Hyuuga eye in the sky.

Hanabi says, “Don’t tell my sister this, but I could’ve escape Otsutsuki any time. But it was the only way to get Naruto to get his head out of his ass and kiss her.”

“I retired after that mission,” Sakura says. Shikamaru and Ino had taken her aside and declared an intervention afterward, telling her they were sick of watching her kill herself for men who just wouldn’t learn caution. She listened, but not well.

Sakura walks up to the bridge and sits on its edge with Hanabi. The moon shivers on the river. Sakura watches the breeze ripple through the water and imagines walking back through that portal elsewhere. Hanabi edges closer. She’s warm.

“Why’d you retire?” Hanabi asks. “You’re the premier kunoichi of our generation. What made you return to civilian life?”

Sakura says, “I got tired of nearly dying of chakra exhaustion, bringing Naruto back to life. And I like being alive.”

Hanabi smiles at her. “That’s why I left ANBU.” She edges an arm around her, and Sakura leans into it. Hanabi is just a few inches taller than her, and her daughter’s teacher. She’s made worse work. She’s smiling. It might be cool but Hanabi is glowing like warm embers under her skin, and her eyes are the same shade of gray-lavender as the wide moon. Hanabi looks up. “I don’t want to die another anonymous death, with my body dissected or desecrated. I love the village. I love my clan. I’m proud of what Hinata has done. You know, you should be proud of your daughter too. She’s never going to let her family return to what the Uchiha were—or the Hyuuga, either.”

Sakura pauses. “If she has children.” Let Sarada have that choice, at least.

“Firstborns don’t get to be lesbians,” Hanabi says bracingly. “I got lucky.” Sakura laughs despite herself. Hanabi leans in. “No, I’m serious. Look at my sister’s life—yes, she’s taking over when our father dies, but do you think she’s happy? I don’t pretend to understand straight women and I love Boruto and Himawari, I really do, and I like Naruto—it’s hard not to like him! But I know you saw her crying to herself as she washed the dishes at Himawari’s birthday. The only moment she has alone, to express her own emotions, is in the kitchen. Every time else, she’s either the mother or the Hokage’s wife or the head of the Hyuuga Clan. And sure, the seal’s unpleasant. It’s ugly. But because of this,” she taps her forehead, covered by her headband, “I can roam in the moonlight to my heart’s content.”

Sakura thinks that these kekkei genkai nin pick the weirdest ways to flirt. “I can’t stand that,” she says. “Being trapped. I don’t know how Hinata can stand it.”

“She knows her duty,” Hanabi says. “She was raised in it. Sarada…she’ll be alright. Sasuke asked me to be her sensei for a reason—“

“Sasuke asked you,” Sakura says flatly. “What—“

Hanabi says, “Because we’re both secondborn who watched our siblings fragment under the pressures of the clan, and while I try to stay away from Itachi-Hinata parallels as much as I can,” Sakura starts giggling, because the image of Hinata snapping and slaughtering everyone is actually appealing, she probably wouldn’t even need Danzo to blackmail her into it to start, “I know what Sarada is facing. And it was better than the alternative, which was him taking the team on, or forcing old Kakashi out of retirement.”

Sakura winces. “He was a terrible teacher.”

Hanabi takes a stalk of pampas grass from her and begins flicking it. “Don’t worry, I’ll avoid the Team Seven curse.” She smiles winsomely. “Are you heading anywhere? I can help carry your bags.”

Sakura hefts the plastic bag of beer at her. “You’re welcome to come over. Sit at the window with me, and look at the moon.”

Please, please, please, Sarada, be sound asleep, and don’t wake ’til far past dawn, okay? Not while the moon is up.

[ramennoodlesandnarusasu]

A kiss never forgotten

*Chap 1: A drunken night*

*Chap 2: A blurred night*

*Chap 3: The bath house*

*Chap 4: A Thousand pieces*

*Chap 5: Heart beat*

*Chap 6: Surprise*

*Chap 7: Sunsets, trees and you*

*Chap 8: What now?*

*Chap 9: Healing the unfixable*

*Chap 10: So, this is it?*

*Chap 11: What now?*

*Chap 12: Kids and kisses*

*Chap 13: Its time*

*Chap 14: Tears*

Chap 15: Somethings different?

Naruto looked at his face in the mirror, his face was drained of pigment, eyes strained and heavily blood shot. He hadn’t seen Hinata or his children in over a week, it was killing him to not go over there and literally bash the door down.

It was hurting Naruto, all of this felt like hell to him, not seeing his children, worrying constantly about what Hinata may have said.

Has she said something bad about Naruto? Or worse about Sasuke?

What if they hated him? What if they wanted nothing to do with him now? Did he ruin any chance of having a happy relationship with his children so he could chase his own happiness? How could he be so selfish?

“Naruto your up again? This is not helping, thinking the worst situations. Baby please just give it a week more before you go and talk to her?”

Naruto looked up at Sasuke with deeply heavy eyes, he wanted to hope that he was right that he was only over worrying about the whole situation but in reality, he was crumbling inside, his mind at that moment was his worse enemy.

“Sasuke it’s been a week, she hasn’t come to see me and what if she told the kids some horrible stuff about us?”

Sasuke adjusted his silk night gown whilst keeping constant eye contact with Naruto. He moved forwards slowly. The light bouncing off of Sasuke’s silk gown danced around smoothly creating a midnight sky colour.

Naruto was so mesmerized by his boyfriend, he could not mentally comprehend how he always looked like an angel that collapsed straight from the heavens at all occasions especially considering he just got out of bed.

Sasuke’s hair was loosely dangling in front of his eyes, his long fingers struggled to move some strands which had broken free and started to bother his vision.

Naruto tensed when Sasuke touched his shoulder to comfort him, he slowly came forward and pressed his warm lips on Naruto’s cheek, leaving a trail of butterflies which set Naruto’s skin on fire.

“Naruto, look at yourself.”

Naruto did exactly that, he saw a man drained of sleep. Purple skin deepening under his eyes, golden hair messily tangled in several knots. How has one week of worry turn him into this? How could Hinata do this to him again?

“Can you honestly tell me that worrying is helping? You are running yourself to the ground.”

Naruto was so sleep deprived and swamped with various emotions that the next thing he did he would regret so deeply.

“You would have no idea what I feel Sasuke, you barely see your daughter, I don’t know what kind of family you are trying to hold onto…”

“Fuck I’m sorry, I…”

Sasuke quickly removed his hand from Naruto’s shoulder. “Naruto, don’t treat me like I am your enemy. I am not Hinata, I am not the person who ran you down to the ground. You weren’t yourself for how many fucking years? Your family may have seemed normal from the outside but fuck sake you have been crumbling since the words, I do.”

Naruto was exhausted and mad, he was taking out his pain on Sasuke when all he did was give a shit about him, something he didn’t have with Hinata. How could he be treating Sasuke like this?

“I know I’m sorry Sasuke, I was out of line, forgive me?”

“Hmph”.

Sasuke potted whilst crossing his arms in frustration, but his breathing had seemed to simmer down to normal capacity.

“I just wish I could see my kids again Sasuke.”

“And you will, in time, if you really want you could go barging in right now, it’s your house after all. But wait one more week, I promise it will be okay.”

Naruto looked at crimson eyes which still seemed a tad pissed off and put his faith in them. If those eyes, warm lips and hands would lead him to salvation, he would follow them till the ends of the earth.

“Okay Sasuke.”

“Bed?”

“Hm, yer okay.”

-1 week later-

“I’m nervous Sasuke.”

Sasuke placed a loving hand on Naruto’s shoulder, reassuring him that it will be okay.

“Huh…okay, let’s go.”

Naruto raised his hand, lingering for a few moments in anticipation before knocking three times on the door.

Silence, torturing silence. And then, noise. Food steps coming closer and closer, each creek of the wooden floor becoming louder, echoing in Naruto’s ears. Each creek striking more and more fear into his already flustered heart.

“Naruto, Sasuke… Thank you for coming, we have the house to ourselves so be comfortable.”

Naruto and Sasuke shared a small glance of suspension and fear, but nothing could have prepared them for what they would hear in the next hour. They followed Hinata into the house. They were hit by the scent of fresh baked cookies and rich coffee beans, a welcoming house full of life and colour.

Sasuke wasn’t moved by the homely feel of the place, his defences where still up and ready to jump at any time to protect Naruto from crumbling once again because of this woman.

“Hinata cut to the chase, why did you tell Naruto to come today and pre-warning I’m not afraid to fight a girl.”

Hinata looked up at Sasuke with wide eyes, but in 2 seconds she was laughing hysterically pushing tears aside.

“Sasuke trust me I don’t want to fight you, I actually called you over to apologize, have a seat and I can explain.”

Naruto and Sasuke were hesitant but ultimately complied with her. Once everyone was seated and served cookies and coffee Hinata let out a long sigh.

“So… I wanted to explain what happened to me that night and why I reacted so terribly.” Hinata tossed her dark hair away from her face, she sipped on the coffee slowly as if trying to manifest this conversion in her head, struggling to find a starting point to her plea.

“Look I have nothing against you two, but I was really drunk and I was really upset… after Naruto left, I was so lonely and I realized I had let go of someone really special… I was being selfish.”

Naruto was shocked he didn’t know what to think anymore, last week Hinata was being…well, a bitch.

“But Hinata you said all those things, about me and Sasuke...?”

Hinata stood up angrily.

“You don’t think what I said to you hasn’t haunted my mind this entire week? It took me so long to even get the courage to ask you over.” Tears filled Hinata eyes as she shacked furiously in place.

“Sasuke, I’m sorry, I truly am. I was jealous, I was selfish. Me and Naruto were miserable together, I know that better than anyone else, then why… why did I want him back again?”

Sasuke didn’t looked phased, he just calmly looked at her with a stone-cold expression plastered on his face, whilst Naruto on the other hand seemed like he was about to go into cardiac arrest.

“Hinata, you properly realized what I great human being Naruto is and started freaking out about what you were going to do without him in your life, let me recommend something for you.”

Naruto looked at him with pissed off eyes.

“Sasuke don’t, Hinata has been through a lot as well.”

“Why are you defending her…still? After the shit she pulled last week, after that disaster of a marriage?”

Sasuke stood up from his chair, scraping the wood in the process from sheer force.

Hinata put up her hand towards Naruto to shut him up.

“No, I can take it. What is it Sasuke?”

“Well Hinata you have been a mom for a long time and let’s not sugar coat it… you have been living off Naruto for many years, with him out of the picture you were stressed about who you would be… The wife of the Hokage is no more and let’s not forget if Naruto wasn’t nice enough to let you keep this house you would also be homeless. So, I guess this is why you are stressing out… my advice is to find something your good at and start working again, find a passion or something and stop living in Naruto’s dam shadow, be your own fucking person.”

Sasuke took in a deep breath and glanced over at Naruto who was absolutely shocked. His jaw hitting the floor and eyes widened in disbelief. Hinata was looking down towards her coffee, a face full of sadness and annoyance.

“It pisses me off to say this… but Sasuke is right.”

“Hinata no, don’t say that.”

“Sasuke is right Naruto, you can’t be defending me for the rest of my life, protecting me from every little thing. I guess I needed to hear that… thanks Sasuke.”

“Don’t worry, blatant truths are my specialty.”

Sasuke looked at Naruto and grimaced, Naruto still didn’t know what he was feeling. His face was as white as a ghost and his expression may as well looked like he saw one as well.

Naruto was used to being the one that had to bend, to accommodate. Did Sasuke just make Hinata change…? Did she really just say that… that she was wrong? Nothing was making sense to Naruto’s brain, he was not used to this at all.

“Naruto, we should go soon.”

Sasuke was walking over to Naruto, bringing his slender hands forward to reach for Naruto and pull him up before Hinata stopped Sasuke, laying one defiant hand on Sasuke’s shoulder.

“Please, let me fix this? I feel like Naruto hasn’t forgiven me yet.”

Sasuke’s eyebrow rose in annoyance, his shoulder tensing in frustration.

Naruto got up still in utter confusion.

“Um Hinata, thank you. I promise it will be okay in time okay, when…” Naruto stopped mid-sentence.

“When what Naruto? Tell me!” Hinata’s eyes turned desperate for restitution, for forgiveness. She needed it, she had to hear it if she was going to survive the guilt that was eating her from the inside out.

“When can I tell the kids about me and Sasuke?”

-Silence-

The room rang quiet, the floorboards making more noise than any living creature in the room.

“Oh, well… I guess whenever you’re ready, but…”

Sasuke and Naruto now both tensed with anticipation, what was Hinata going to say? Did they already know…

“Can I please be a part of it, I want to show to you guys I support you two, so can I help as well?”

Naruto looked at Sasuke with absolute shook, a wave of relief washing off his face. Sasuke also had a slight glint of relief in his eyes but he was much harder to read unlike Naruto who was practically crying from happiness.

Naruto moved towards Hinata, taking her into a tight embrace.

“Thank you Hinata.”

-

The two ex-lovers smiled and wiped away tears that escaped their eyes.

Sasuke was happy for Naruto, unbelievably happy for him. And in that moment, it hit him, he had never been so invested and joyous for someone else… he was falling for this man so quickly it was nearly terrifying how Naruto could evoke so much emotion in him, but he knew he would never replace this, never in a million years.

-

Naruto woke up different, much different. He felt as light as air, like he slept on a bed of clouds or something like candy floss. He tugged out of the blankets stretching each muscle whilst nearly melting off the bed and gently landing on the cold floor which was weirdly refreshing. He looked down towards Sasuke who was still peacefully sleeping, his hair falling on his lips, hands softly cupped near his white pillow which cradled like beautiful face, so at peace.

Naruto smiled and walked out, going straight for his daily shower.

The water was gloriously warm it slowly washed away everything that had happened, revealing a different Naruto. He walked out of that shower, changed, lighter and new.

His skin glowed, it radiated like golden sand on an isolated beach, his freckles danced softly across his masculine body, he was more painting than person at this point. The perfection that was the man who walked out the shower was no mere human but more a god finally at peace.

Naruto walked to the kitchen, surprised Sasuke hadn’t woken up yet, his curious mind had him double and triple checking the room to see if he had finally woken up.

He toasted some bread and started to heat up some coffee. He took a bite of his toast and sipped on the steaming coffee, it all went down happily making his stomach dance in joy. Everything was different, for some reason the coffee tasted sweeter, the air sweeter, his body lighter.

Naruto finished his breakfast, leaving the plates in the sink for later. He walked over to the room, slowly looking in to see a sleeping Sasuke. He curiously looked at Sasuke, questioning the absolute impossible.

“Sasuke never sleeps in…”

Naruto started to walk forward ready to wake his boyfriend, but before his fingers could touch warm skin he retracted. He walked out and decided to let him keep sleeping, after all he felt strong enough to walk out that door, into the world alone.

-

Naruto walked out of his new house, a beautiful little brick house on the outer area of the village, near the forest a beautiful little house with many small animals crawling all over. He loved this new area, this new house, this new feeling.

This was one of the first times Naruto was going to work without Sasuke, it was widely strange but he felt strong enough to not need him. He felt for the first time in so long that he could stand on his own two feet and feel strong, secure and happy.

He had never felt so refreshed and alive. He practically skipped to work, smiling at each villager that passed by.

Naruto picked up some apples to nibble on at work, talking a little bit to the merchant, who was widely inquisitive about the new merchants coming in from other villagers.

Naruto reassured him that Konoha Merchants would not be affected by the changes to occur, that they would actually profit from this decision. The merchant sceptically looked at Naruto but took out his hand to shake Naruto’s and told him he believed in Naruto and his choice. The merchant even threw in some extra apples for free as a gift for Naruto.

Naruto happily accepted and was on his way to work.

-

Naruto walked into his room, the paper work seeming less intrusive in his room, the atmosphere clean and welcoming. The sunlight coming in from his window welcomed him in, pulling him forward to his seat.

“No Sasuke?”

“Oh Kakashi, nah I let him sleep in.”

“Tch, why not me too?”

Naruto smiled brightly, chuckling lightly at Kakashi’s comment.

“One-day Kakashi if you work harder then maybe, just maybe, I will give you half a day off.”

“So, either something really good happened or Sasuke is mystical in bed for you to be in such a good mood?”

“Yeah something amazing happened yesterday, but we have work to do Kakashi, don’t think changing the subject will let you off.”

“Dam”

-10.30 am

Sasuke ran into the room bashing down a pile of paper work Naruto had neatly stacked together.

“Your cleaning that up” Naruto said whilst lovingly smiling at Sasuke from his desk.

“I’m so sorry I’m so late, why didn’t you wake me up?”

“Yeah why didn’t you wake him up?” Kakashi said sarcastically from his corner.

“I wanted to let you sleep, plus you looked way too cute to wake up.”

“Pff, I would have woken him up with a brick.”

“Oh, hush sexually frustrated grandpa” Naruto mocked whilst standing up from his chair.

Naruto walked over to Sasuke and took him into a deep kiss, long enough for Kakashi to start making gaging noises in the background.

Sasuke was still a tad flustered from the sprint, but he was soon soothed into Naruto’s embrace. Something about his beating heart, his hugs and his scent just calms Sasuke in seconds. By the time Naruto let go of Sasuke he was fully composed and ready for some paper work.

“As I said Kakashi it was a good day yesterday.”

“Honestly what the fuck happened? Or do you have some magical sexual powers Sasuke?”

Naruto ignored Kakashi by taking Sasuke into another deep kiss.

-

7 pm

The day was drawing to an end, a perfect day for Naruto, work went so well, everything falling into place smoothly. Kakashi, Sasuke and himself had worked throughout the day without a break, but it hadn’t seemed draining to Naruto he was still wide awake filled to the brim with energy, he was so deliriously happy, he had never felt so alive.

Naruto stacked the last papers into their files whilst Sasuke and Kakashi teased each other on the opposite side of the room. Naruto looked at the last piece of paper that was in the room, he packed it away neatly in the file named ‘A’. He closed the cabinet and let out a deep breath and smiled.

He turned around to look at the room, it was empty, actually empty, everything was done. He couldn’t believe it after months of being under so much pressure he was done. Naruto could feel a small tear escapes his eye, which he quickly wiped away.

He let out a happy and accomplished sigh, walking slowly over to Kakashi and Sasuke.

“Hey guys let’s go out to celebrate, we finally after months have finished every paper in this room.”

Kakashi looked at him with questioning eyes.

“Fine…Ille pay.”

“Wahoo!”

“You would think we was broke and homeless” Sasuke said whilst rolling his eyes.

“You would think you had your job because you were talented but in reality, you only got here by sucking dick” Kakashi proclaimed back in annoyance.

“Oh, burn Sasuke, even I can’t save you from that, that was good Kakashi.”

Naruto high fived Kakashi whilst walking out the door, whilst Sasuke stayed behind literally engulfed in flames, preparing to kick both of their asses.

-

Sasuke, Naruto and Kakashi walked out the room laughing and smiling. Joyous and proud energy literally seeped off their bodies like rays of sunshine. There boisterous energy followed them everywhere they went, infecting others as they went along. Soon enough they lead a group of friends to the bar to celebrate a night of drinks and laughs.

*Chap 16: Its time*