#early shippuden sasusaku

[hana-akari]

In the year of our lord 2024, I can officially say I am no longer a Sasuke hater. In fact, he's starting to become a fave.

Judge me as you will.

I think a lot of his actions are super misinterpreted, and at the end of the day, the poor guy is like hella traumatized. He needs some heckin therapy. It's unfair to hate on him for him being the way he is. So many adults in his life just failed him. He probably wouldn't have gone as cray cray if he had therapy early on and had better role models.

I ALSO-- Love the SasuSaku ship. I think they're adorable together. I even like canon SasuSaku even if I admit it could have been written much better. But the cute moments are just SO GOOD!! This ship has been such a huge comfort for me while I've been dealing with cancer. The fact that they've loved and cared about each other from the very beginning just makes me aaaa. And I just love after everything, Sasuke finally gets a family again that loves him. He's just-- Allowed to heal from the past and know there's always a home waiting for him filled with people that love him. Thats just some good shit. Again, I acknowledge it could have been written better. At least its not nearly as bad as NaruHina.

Before anyone brings up Shippuden, brah, Sasuke wanted to kill everyone. He repeatedly wanted to kill Naruto but people still ship him with Naruto. He wanted to kill Kakashi too and anyone that got in his way! Home boy was having a meltdown!

I'd like to point out, at the end of everything, he only apologized to Sakura.

I still want to strangle him sometimes though. Lmao.

Blame all the wonderful Sasuke rpers that have changed my viewpoint on him. Bless.

[uchiha-saradas]

lowkey wanna write a sasusaku fic featuring hebi sasuke bc early shippuden sasuke will always have me in a chokehold

[narhinafan]

saw this reply

"And please for the love of god don't make one character horrifically abusive and then have them say "sorry" and oh they're dating now"

on this post

https://www.tumblr.com/writing-with-sophia/727173758642765824/how-to-develop-the-enemies-to-lovers-trope?source=shares post

and i am like...it's okay buddy! you can say SasuSaku lmao! honestly Kishimoto was the worse with developing them and SasuSaku fans calling them Enemies to Lovers is just a cheap excuse because the ship is just not that good at all. Especially now that i am rewatching Naruto/Naruto Shippuden. No hon there are AMAZING enemies to lovers pairs, this one just sucks af.

they want examples of GOOD Enemies to Lovers? here's some!

Shikatema

Kazujun

Vegeta and Bulma

Ishinn and Masaki

Zutara ( non canon but anyway fits the trope )

Armin and Annie

Belle and Adam

like i am sorry hon but SasuSucku ain't shit and a huge bs pairing that has many negative interactions, only in Boruto they have good ones, and that's VERY limited and still kinda stiff. if Kishimoto wanted to, he couldn't wrote them great, but he failed. He's doing better now in Boruto in terms of writing but honestly? he screwed up by making SS canon, they both deserved better partners. Sasuke should've ended single or someone else if Kishi wanted a new Uchiha and Sakura with someone who never hurt her.

I know like SasuSaku did have the potential for development in early part 1, but after through out the series its quite clear it was never going to work out. SasuSaku only got together in the end to make Sakura's goal come true and for a next gen Uchiha. The ship itself is a disaster where if the series was a bit more mature would likely have them divorce or somehow make Karin Sarada's mother.

Agreed Sasuke would have been better off single honestly I feel Karin would have been a good alternative since she actually has a reason to like Sasuke and would have been a good way to have Sasuke become more like his old self.

[madelinesnarutoblog]

What are your thoughts on the official photo of Sasuke and Sakura that just came out?. I’m thoughts of it is confusing I know the Sasuke Restden isn’t cannon but how is the ring cannon but not that manga ?

Hey! Do you have a link to this?

Maybe it is a continuity mistake? Or I mean, wedding rings are canon in Naruto and they are married in this dystopic fanfiction that people call Boruto.

It was just the point of delusional SasuSaku shippers that Sakura was the first woman with a wedding ring in Konoha, which is not true at all as we can see with Kurenai in early Shippuden.

[sea-owl]

The door opened and someone was in his room. Orochimaru's henchmen knew better. This person was either very new, or extremely stupid.

Sasuke was gonna go with extremely stupid since even in his half awake state their chakra felt familiar.

Well since Orchimaru won't teach his henchmen Sasuke supposes he has too.

Silently summoning one of his snakes Sasuke commanded it to incapacitate them. The snake nodded and slithered towards the door.

A feminine gasp rang through Sasuke's ears as he sits up. He swears to all that is holy if that is Karin-

Sasuke paused when pink hair enters his vision instead of red. What was Sakura doing here? How did she find this place?

Sasuke's snake had successfully wrapped itself around Sakura, imbolizing her. Though he could tell it was stuggling to keep her in place. Her body is half turned away, like she was hidding behind the door. Her head facing the crack in the door, most likely waiting for the person or thing she was hidding from to pass.

"Sakura."

Sakura flinches, slowly turning her head. "Sasuke."

Sasuke caged Sakura against the wall with his own body. His lips a breath away from kissing her ear. "It's been a long time, Sa-ku-ra."

[madara-fate]

I just had a discussion with the honestly..Worst Sakura/SasuSaku hater I've ever seen. Truly.

They insisted on how Sakura only fell in love with Sasuke due to his looks (which truthfully, was never stated in the Manga) and that her love for Sasuke was always all about his looks - even in Shippuden.

So I told them that while YES her crush in the Academy isn't any different from the other girls, her crush developed into real love as seen with how she worried about his well being and how easily she picked up on his next steps or why he did certain things - like when she told him to disqualify from the Chunin exam because he was hurting and because she knew he was hungry for power because of his revenge (Sasuke recognized that was her reason too, which is a way to tell the readers what the meaning of this situation is). This kind of emotional intelligence and worry isn't typical if you're only crushing on someone due to their looks.

Yet, after all that they insisted she only loved him for his looks and they don't believe anyone could fall in love at first sight - despite me telling them that the love developed. So not only do they not believe in love at first sight (which is valid, I don't too) but also..deny the possibility of true love developing from a crush (Hilarious really. Sometimes I wonder if haters even read or think about what they write because denying BOTH means love doesn't exist at all).

There's so much more but honestly, most of it was just them spewing whatever nonsense to hate on Sakura (you know, the usual) but what really took the icing on the cake was how the person denied Sakura being bullied ("some students only insulted her in one scene because of her forehead"). THAT was nasty..Hating a character doesn't mean you should step down that much and be an asshole, dismissing certain type of bullying while calling other more extreme cases "real bullying" (they said she didn't have it as hard as Gaara and Naruto..Yuck.)

We saw the effect bullying had on Sakura: she cried, was insecure and scared of her bullies. We even saw her with wounds in the Manga when we got the first flashback of her and Ino. Just..incredible to see how people dismiss the type of bullying most common in our world in order to invalidate a character they hate. That stuff happens in our world too and it only invalidates those peoples mental scars. It's so gross.

But back to the point.

It's really illogical to claim Sakura only loved him for his looks because she still loved him even after not seeing his beautiful face for 3 years and when she wanted to kill him to free him from darkness, she couldn't do it because she remembered the old Sasuke. The Sasuke who was on her team. Not the "smoking hot" 16 years old Sasuke who tried to kill her. She loved him for his true self that she TRULY fell in love with in their genin days, not for who he was in Shippuden.

She proved her love to be real love with her wish for him to be happy. THAT started when she first saw his darkness in the forest of death.

Like Kakashi said, the only time you need a reason is to hate someone. You can't explain why you truly started to love someone, you may love certain traits but all that love really is, is the want to see the person you love happy & that's precisely how Sakura's feelings for Sasuke were portrayed which I find to be beautiful because the message of love healing mental wounds was something established in Naruto early on. Heck, that's what turned Naruto into the person he is.

It really isn't some hard to comprehend writing it's just that people hate a character so much that they fail to see such simple things as that despite it aligning with the message Kishimoto wanted to give. It's honestly sad because while I do think people can consume whatever media for their own reasons, it really denies Kishimotos abilities as a writer and IF someone watched/read Naruto for other reasons than character writing, then I honestly don't think they are in a position to make such assumptions about characters. Because of course people will not see Sakura's real love for Sasuke if all they ever did was hate on her and view her scenes the way they want to, not in the way the author intended them to be perceived.

This is a very long ask, but yes I agree with you.

[moonofiron]

Ok I just wanted to write a really short and sweet smutty piece for ShikaTema. But I have failed miserably. I am too attached to Naruto-verse and all the characters in general. (Like, I'm so attached that I can't even read or watch most of NaruHina/SasuSaku smut - it feels WRONG).

There are a few after thoughts regarding this piece, too. I really enjoyed writing this. I really love ShikaTema and they were my first OTP. Hell, I didn't even know that the terms OTP or shipping existed when I started rooting for them. So, this is super close to my heart ❤️ and ✨unedited✨. I legit wrote 8.4k words on my phone and my eyes are rolling on the ground right now.

Anime: Naruto Shippuden (Set in post-Shippuden and pre-Boruto-verse.)

Characters: Shikamaru Nara x Temari Scenes with Ino, Sasuke, Naruto, Hinata, Sakura, Sai. Passing mention of Choji.

Genre: Fluff, angst, flirting, explicit sexual content 🥵, slight voyeurism, oral, raw sex

Word Count: 8.4k (yikes!)

Synopsis: Shikamaru has finally had enough of Temari’s incessant flirting

Rating: M

Minors, dni

Friends and family from all five villages had been invited to the annual Hanami Matsuri in Konoha. Hinata had invited some of Naruto's closest to their house for a brunch party before the matsuri started full swing. Hinata had cooked everything from scratch and Sakura and Ino had helped decorate her backyard with streamers and flowers. Everything looked immaculate and lovely. The boys were all specially thrilled to be getting together after such a long time.

"What a rowdy bunch," said Ino with a wide grin, a look of pride plastered on her face. Sakura grinned, too.

"Judgemental as always, Ino, I'll be joining em soon, ya know? Do you think I'm rowdy too, love? You're breaking my heart here." Shikamaru moved uncomfortably close to Ino's ear, making her squirm under his presence. He loved to lightly flirt with Ino and see her all flustered.

"Baaka janaai no? Take your charm elsewhere. Or I'm going to get Sai to beat you up one day."

"Hai hai, Ino Sensei," he winked at her and made his way to the bar to grab a beer and light a cigarette.

Sakura, visibly shaken by Shikamaru’s loose and flirtatious behaviour, grabbed Ino’s arm.

"What the hell was that, Ino?! Do...do you think he likes you?"

"What? No way. It's just an inside joke. He was the one who helped me get together with Sai, you know?"

After a long moment of admirinng the friendship she shared with Shikamaru, Ino spoke up.

"I just wish that someday he'll do something in his own i nterests, too."

"What do you mean?"

“There's someone. Loves her like a fucking dog. Like weak-in-the-knees-slash-worship-her kinda love, you know?"

"I just can’t imagine Shikamaru in the way you're describing him."

"Yeah, I get that. He really is tough to break into. Anyway, this isn't for me to share, Sakura. Let's have some of those karaage Hinata has prepared. I can't get enough of them."

Shikamaru leaned against the bar, craving a minute to himself. He wished Choji could have been there but he was away on a mission. Everyone was at the other end of the backyard or inside the house. He looked up at the sky, admiring the clouds slowly moving towards nowhere in particular. Before he could pop open the beer bottle, he noticed Temari entering with Kankuro and Gaara.

"Tsk, mendukse," he muttered under his breath.

He wasn't expecting to see Temari today. He really wasn't in the mood to be on his best behavior. The last mission had taken away a lot from him. He hadn't slept properly and he was tired. He wanted to just have a good time with the gang, maybe play some cards and get drunk out of his mind. But there she was, bright and beautiful in her stubbornness as always, making Shikamaru's heart sink and flutter all at the same time. He felt himself tighten up when she caught him looking at her.

"Hey! Shikamaru! How've you been?" she waved and shouted from across Naruto's backyard.

He waved back and put on an awkward smile.

She was walking towards him slowly. He noticed the slightly exaggerated sway in her hips and felt himself steadily losing breath. He kept his beer bottle on the table beside him and put his hands in his pockets as he waited for her to reach him.

”Hello, Temari. Wasn't expecting to see you here."

"Oh..? Why not?"

"I don't know. I thought only Kankuro would be here for the Matsuri," he inhaled the smoke from his cigarette deeply before tapping it.

"Well, I am here. And you'll show me around, yes?"

He stayed silent for a moment too long and his eyes pierced into hers. He finally broke her gaze and moved his head to the side to blow out the smoke.

"If I'm free, I'll grab ya."

"What do you mean if you're free? Is that how you treat your guests, Shikamaru-kun?" Temari tugged at his t-shirt and teased slightly, pouting at him, never leaving his gaze. She loved to see Shikamaru get awkward around her. The green of her eyes had him weak in his knees again.

Shikamaru looked down at his t-shirt bunched up in her delicate hands. She was mindlessly moving her thumb in circles against his chest. He felt a flash of an indescribable feeling and something inside him broke loose.

He held her arm and pulled her dangerously close. Temari's eyes widened and she let out an audible gasp.

"I know how to treat a guest like you very well, Temari," he spoke in a low, hoarse voice, his lips barely inches away from hers.

"I... I ...Shikamaru... What..what are you doing Everyone... someone could be watching. What would they think?"

"Hmm ..what would they think, Temari?" Shikamaru spoke in a tone so cold that Temari felt a shiver go down her spine.

"Let me go, you idiot."

He gripped her arm harder, grit his teeth, and shoved his thigh between her legs. She let out a soft moan and he felt her back arch ever so slightly.

"Shik.." He suddenly let her go, leaving her too flustered to collect herself. He picked up his beer and grabbed another another one before walking towards everyone else.

"What's up, Kankuro?" he said loudly.

"Same old, genius," Kankuro patted him on the back as he took the beer bottle from him.

When Shikamaru reached the others gathered around the table, he noticed that Temari was still standing at the bar. Her hands were balled into tight fists, and from the rise and dip of her shoulders he could tell she was breathing deeply. He looked away and stopped paying attention to her for fear that he'll start coming to terms with what he had just done. And, he wasn't looking forward to that.

Shikamaru avoided Temari throughout the brunch but always caught her stealing glances at him. He could see the smirk on her face everytime she got a chance to be near him. He was losing his patience with the woman. She was deliberately brushing her hands against his. She was finding ways of leaning over him to grab food or drinks, brushing her hair against his face. Everytime she got up from the table they were all huddled around, playing poker, she made sure she lightly brushed his groin with her ass. Getting through the brunch proved to be frustrating at worst and left him breathless at best.

Everyone started leaving slowly, like people often do. They said their goodbyes and hugged and promised to do this again sometime soon. When Temari and her brothers left, Shikamaru let out a sigh of relief. Everyone had left except him and Sasuke.

"I see something's brewing in your pants, ahem, I mean your brain, you bastard," Naruto joked out loud.

"Hai hai, she's going to be the death of me." Shikamaru leaned his head back on the chair. His eyes followed a lone cloud.

"Well, then, you shouldn't have given her a taste of you like that at the bar, ya know?" Sasuke smirked.

"I'm sick of your eyes seeing everything everywhere. Mendukse ne. Tsk." Shikamaru let out a puff of smoke.

"Don't worry, no one noticed you both doing whatever the fuck you were doing throughout. They were all drunk, anyway."

"Yeah, not worried. Alright, gotta do some stuff before the matsuri starts, boys. Jaana!"

Shikamaru walked out of Naruto’s and clutched the green clip he'd bought for Temari long back. He carried it everywhere in order to be prepared to give it to her should the occasion arise. Perhaps it was his way of having a little control over this situation. He started to make his way to his home but thought better of it and walked towards the inn he knew Temari was staying at. She always stayed there because of how pretty and secluded it was. It gave her a chance to be away from her two brothers.

When he reached, he paced back and forth. His nerves were catching up to him.

"What if she gets angry? What if she never talks to me again?" His mind was over-flowing with questions he had no answers to. Questions he didn’t want answers to.

He got tired of thinking through the details and just went ahead, fully aware that his actions didn't align with the kind of man he was. But, over the years he'd realised that this was one matter he couldn't rationalise. He couldn't plan or predict this. He couldn't fit it into a strategy or logic. All he knew for certain was that he came undone everytime Temari so much as looked at him. He found himself perched on the balcony of her room.

She was going for a bath. Once she entered the bath, Shikamaru jumped inside the room and made himself comfortable as he leaned against the shelf on the wall infront of the washroom. He blended in with the room, completely still and quiet, as he waited for Temari to come out. He just wanted to talk. Just wanted to see her again. Be near her, again.

He waited for about 20 minutes, his mind a wilderness amd tangle of multiple ways he would explain what he was doing in her room, before she stepped out. When she did, she was naked and drenched in water, a scenario he hadn’t thought through. The water droplets made her body glitter in the soft early-evening sunlight. Shikamaru involuntarily gasped and bit his lip. Despite himself, he scanned her top to bottom as she mumbled something to herself. She looked absolutely stunning. He wanted nothing more than to love her with his entire being. Something tugged hard at his insides, he felt a drunkenness swallow him whole.

"Ugh, I don't know why I always forget to take my towel in the bath, it's so cold, fuck" mumbled Temari to herself as she looked around for the towel. She had goosebumps all over her body from the cool air. She was running late for the Matsuri, too. Her yukata was not ironed yet. Her phone kept buzzing and all of it was driving her up the wall. To top it all, she couldn't stop thinking about how Shikamaru had shoved his thigh between her legs earlier. How less it had taken for her to just yield. In the chaos, she completely missed Shikamaru, comfortable beside the shelf, quietly admiring her.

She bent down to pick up the towel on wooden stool right next to the washroom door. "I can't believe the towel was here all along, tsk. Where is my mind today?"

As she started getting up, she found herself unable to move. Terror painted her face. Back muscle? Slipped disc? A hundred explanations ran through her head before something made her unclench her hand around the towel, making it fall on the floor. A force made her sit still on the stool. It made her spread her legs and move her hands to her nipples, pulling them, all against her will. She gasped at her own touch, bewildered. She struggled to break out of whatever the fuck was happening but her limbs wouldn't listen to her.

Shikamaru quitely walked towards her and stroked her face gently. He bent down, his lips just a hair's length from Temari's ears.

"Kaagemane no jutsu, sekko," whispered Shikamaru hoarsely.

"Sh..shikamaru..wha...what's the meaning of..." she felt a darkness shove itself down her throat. Shikamaru had used his shadows to bind her throat as well as stop her from speaking.

"You're going to sit tight and do exactly what I want you to." He knew Temari was utterly baffled and terrified. Her face made it very clear.

"I won't take you to the matsuri otherwise, Temari," smirked Shikamaru.

He could feel the heat from her body. He moved back, his eyes tracing each and every part of it.

"You're gorgeous, you know?" he said as he settled in a chair in front of her. Shikamaru noticed that Temari's soft breasts perked up involuntarily at his words. He spread his legs to mirror her. He wanted to appear collected and he lit a cigarette to calm himself down. His insides felt gooey. He slowly pulled out the shadow from her mouth so she could breathe.

"Feel better?"

Temari gagged and panted and slowly nodded, her chin was covered with her own drool. She looked like a dream, she looked absolutely unreal to Shikamaru. His hands itched, his breath faltered, and he could feel the hair on his neck stand up.

Too embarrassed and shocked and scared and aroused all at once, Temari looked away from Shikamaru's piercing eyes.

"Shi...Shikamaru..ple..please. What do you think you're doing? This is..." she spoke in a strong voice but Shikamaru could hear the slight tremble.

He lost his patience and cut her off meanly.

"What do you think you were doing at the brunch? Strutting around all pretty for me like that. Hmm?"

"For you?" Temari mustered the courage to bite back, her eyebrows rose.

Temari felt a deep blush rising in her cheeks when Shikamaru didn't move or say anything. He usually couldn't bear to look at her in the eyes for more than half a minute. But today, his gaze was unwavering.

After a momemt, Shikamaru took a deep breath and spoke in a low voice, a baritone she'd never heard escape his soft lips.

"You think I'm blind? You think I wouldn't notice, hmm? All that unintentional brushing against me? All that pouting and tugging at my t-shirt? Your ass grinding my cock everytime we squeezed through that corridoor? Your tits in my fucking face infront of everyone?"

He tried to calm himself down. He was aware he was going a bit too far.

"The way you leaned into me when I grabbed your arm? The way your nipples hardened underneath your thin dress? Your little moan, the subtle arch in your back when I shoved my thigh between your legs? The way your lips parted? The way your wet tongue almost darted out?"

Temari's cheeks were a burning red now. So, clearly, he had noticed. She was never sure with him. She knew he was perceptive but she'd been hinting since years now, and he had never ever made a move. Even though she'd caught a kind of hunger in his face a million times, she always thought she was making it up in her own head. Of course, she'd never been this explicit with her hints, but she only got the courage because of the way Shikamaru had handled her at the bar. A little teasing as revenge for getting a woman like her so flustered wouldn't hurt, she'd thought.

But, she also hadn't expected this kind of a reaction from Shikamaru. She really thought he would just be his usual awkward self. Shikamaru taking charge of the situation woke in her something that she didn’t understand . She was steadily growing moist under his watch, her thighs were slippery, and she was throbbing for his touch.

Was he doing this just to get back at her for all of her friendly flirting? Or was there something else she was missing? Had she really fallen for someone she didn't know at all?

She felt her head snap in Shikamaru's direction.

"Look at me," he grit his teeth.

She felt her left hand moving to her growing wetness and her right tugging at her own nipple. Shikamaru's small smile told her he was helplessly enjoying himself. She gasped and moaned uncontrollably as he made her rub her clit against her will.

"That's it, love, let me watch you rub yourself," he bit his lip. His eyes were filled with the same hunger she'd witnessed so many times before. So it was real. It had always been real. He sucked in a breath through his teeth.

It took Shikamaru every ounce of strength and control to keep himself from just taking her right there and then. He was suppressing years of pent up frustration and desire. He was very hot and very bothered and his joggers were getting way too tight for him.

His jutsu made Temari touch herself exactly like how he'd imagined so many times before. He made her rub herself agonizingly slow, pinch her nipples hard, and then suddenly made her right hand drop to her throbbing cunt, too. He made her decrease the pressure on her clit and shove two fingers inside of herself.

Her moans filled the room and Shikamaru felt his face burn. She looked like a goddess. He wanted, so badly, to get on his knees and just lick her, feel the warmth of her thighs around his face, feel her gushing in his mouth. He wanted nothing but to love this woman with the entirety of his being. He ran his hands through his hair to focus himself and catch his breath.

Her eyes, a mixture of anger and love and arousal, hadn’t left his since he’d made her snap her head in his direction. He loved that she was standing up to him in her own way. His eyes hadn't left her body, her face, her fingers working in and around her cunt. His mouth watered and cock twitched at the sloppy noises her fingers and wetness made.

She begged for release. It took her a while but her arousal made her shed all fear or embarrassment. She'd found the comfort his presence always gave her, the usual sense of security she felt around him was back. His greed and hunger for her was painted on his face, clear as day.

"Fas...faster, ple...please Shika..I can't.." she breathed helplessly, her sentence punctuated by moans.

"Time for another finger, love," Shikamaru sucked in his lower lip as her finger moved at his will.

Temari felt a heat bloom in her core and her legs shivered from the intensity of it all.

As he made her fuck herself with three fingers, she suddenly felt her left hand move away from her clit and then come down crashing. She realised Shikamaru was making her slap her clit, not once, not twice, but repeatedly and in quick successions. She moaned out his name out of habit.

"Fuck, look at you moaning my name, you look so beautiful, Temari. My name on your lips like that, it's making me harder." He teased her in a silky voice.

Temari had lost all control by now. She was writhing as much as Shikamaru allowed her to, the stool under her was about give away, and her wrists ached from all the work Shikamaru was making her do.

"Shika...Shikamaru, I'm gonna.. I'm gonna..."

She suddenly felt her hands move away from her swollen cunt. She clenched around emptiness and throbbed for him, realising that he'd denied her any kind of release.

"Shikamaru, please, please... please..." she panted, sweaty and messy.

"Please what?"

"Pl...please let me..," she gulped. She was so embarrassed she was saying this out loud. Infront of him.

"Let you what?"

"Please, let me cum," she mumbled.

"Yeah? Look at the mess you've made, love. Do you want me to help you clean up?" His shadow made her head bend down to look at the pool she'd given birth to. Temari nodded lightly and that's all it took for Shikamaru to get on his knees and bring his mouth to her soft cunt. He kept her bound by his shadows so she couldn't move. He rested his calloused hands on her inner thighs and gave her a long lick all the way from her moist and throbbing opening to her cute little button of a clit. The voice that escaped her throat gave Shikamaru goosebumps.

"I love you," moaned Temari in a whisper.

Shikamaru's ears were now warm and beet red, his face buried harder between her thighs and his fingers dug into her skin. He loved her. God, he loved her so much. He loved every little thing she did, every noise that escaped her lips. Every time her body jerked from his touch, it sent his mind in a frenzy.

The cold metal of his earrings against her inner thighs made her shiver. His sharp hair tickled her. She moaned out his name again as he moved his tongue in and out of her quickly. He felt her clench around his tongue. He brought his thumb to her clit and rubbed it in quick and dirty circles, the metal of his rings cool and electrifying. He looked up at her face with the same hunger in his eyes that always made Temari skip a beat.

"Say, how many times have you moaned out my name like this, Temari?" he whispered and went back to giving her soft, gentle licks.

Temari blushed a beautiful pink again and bit her lip. She found it extremely hard to form a coherent sentence, the way his mouth and hands were handling her was perfect.

"I..I've ...I've lost...co..unfff..count."

He smiled against her skin and showered her wetness with kisses and nibbles. He inserted a finger as he lapped up her clit and felt her clench again, this time around his finger. He curled his finger and Temari let out a small whimper. He moved his finger in and out and slowly inserted a second and third one till she was panting, his thin and long tongue never ceasing to flutter around her clit.

"Shika...Shika I'm gonna..I'm gonna cum. Do...don't stop"

At this, Shikamaru ceased all movement. It took him immense control to leave her wanting like that, again. But, it had to be done. He didn’t understand why but he wanted her to beg, not hint anymore. He'd had enough of her innocent flirting and teasing and it was his turn to have her writhing before him.

"Are...are you serious!?" shouted Temari.

A loud gutteral sound escaped Temari's lips. She'd been edged twice in the last half an hour and she hated it. She hated that Shikamaru won't let her cum. But it felt so good. The way he looked at her, talked to her, touched her, it was all unbearable.

Shikamaru lightly traced her lips with his fingers and then shoved them in her mouth. She licked herself off his fingers hungrily and Shikamaru's cock rose, eliciting a small playful chuckle from Temari. He smiled back at her. His lips and chin glistened with Temari's slick. He licked it clean and then walked back to the chair. She throbbed for release but she could see Shikamaru had other plans.

Without further delay, Shikamaru picked up her towel and dried her hair as she sat still, bound by his jutsu. He dressed her up in her dark blue Yukata.

"Shikmaru, please, I won't be able to bear it," Temari said as Shikamaru tied her obi.

"Bear what?" he cooed in her ear and cocked his head innocently.

"You're a fucking bastard. How are you planning to do my hair? Obviously I can't step out like this." Temari fumed.

Shikamaru moved behind her as his shadows made her sit in front of the mirror. Her entire body ached from being controlled like a puppet for so long. She felt Shikamaru's fingers comb through her hair and her eyes closed.

When she opened her eyes finally, she gasped in surprise at how beautiful she looked. Shikamaru had perfectly done up her hair.

She also noticed a green clip he'd slid in one of her pony tails. It was a delicate branch of leaves, studded with small embralds. She was standing in front of him now, her body pressed against his.

"Where and when did you learn to do a girl's hair?"

"Oh, I have a few daughters spread around town. Why? Jealous?" mocked Shikamaru.

Temari glared at him.

"The clip is beautiful. Thank you."

"It suits you. Brings out your eyes." He murmured, unable to stop himself from kissing her jaw. He mentally kicked himself for saying something so cheesy instead of a simple welcome.

"Let's go, I've to show you around the Hanabi Matsuri, no?"

"B..but, Shikamaru?"

"Hmm?" he asked as he trailed his fingers along her long neck.

"My..my panties...?" Temari was blushing so hard that Shikamaru couldn't help but raise his eyebrows. He loved being cocky with her.

"No panties today," he whispered and spanked her ass loudly, making her jump as much as she could while being bound with his jutsu.

Only when they reached the Matsuri did Shikamaru free her of his jutsu. Finally free of him, she could do whatever she wanted to. She wanted him right then and there. But, there were so many people around, it was as good as being tied up.

"I'll be right behind you, Temari," whispered Shikamaru as he lightly squeezed her ass in the crowd. She could feel her thighs slipping against each other as she walked uncomfortably. She was still a slobbering mess and all of this teasing wasn't helping. Shikamaru was his usual self, not a hint of discomfort in his voice.

They went from stall to stall, eating and chatting, meeting up with everyone when Shikamaru caught her looking intently at a pair of kunai. She was caressing the blades and the handle, appreciating the craft.

"I can carve your name on it, too!" said the seller.

"Oh really? That's amazing!"

"What are you looking at?" Shikamaru leaned on the table full of decorative kunai as he popped a handful of peanuts in his mouth.

"Nothing, I really love this pair. It would look spectacular in my collection. I have a decorative pair from wherever I've been. Don't have one from Konoha for some reason."

"Hmm." He frowned. After a pause he said, a bit unsure, "Will you let me get these for you?"

"What? Why? No! I can get them. It's cool."

He took her hands in his and kissed her fingers.

"Yeah, I know. But I want to get these for you."

"I really couldn't. You got me the clip, too!"

"Who said the clip is yours?"

"Uhh... why'd you put it in my hair then?" embarrassed at the assumptions she'd made.

Shikamaru burst out laughing.

"I'm messing with you. I got the clip for you long back. Just...never got a chance to give it to you." A sad smile lingered on his face for a fraction of a seocnd. Temari blushed and looked away from his piercing gaze. What the hell was it with his eyes today. They just wouldn’t let her go.

"Please, let me get the kunai for you. It would mean so much to me." Shikamaru murmured softly against her hands.

"Hmm. Alright, I guess you owe me that much," she winked and gave him a shy smile.

Shikamaru's face lit up and he smiled so brightly that Temari wanted nothing more than to smother him with kissEd. He looked like a child who had just been given a box full of candies.

"I ..want to get today's date carved on it too."

"Yeah? Why?"

"I'd like to remember today."

"Why?" a shy smile spread across Shikamaru's face.

"Stop it."

"Here you go, love." He handed her the bag.

As Temari peeked into the packet, she heard Ino, Sakura, and Hinata coming over to them. When Naruto pulled Shikamaru aside to check out another stall, Ino pounced on the chance.

"How's it going, Temari?" asked Ino.

"Great! I'm just exploring. A little tired, really."

"Hmmmmm. Tired from the journey or....?" Ino teased knowingly and Sakura and Hinata laughed.

"What..what do you mean?" Temari asked, wide-eyed.

"Oh come on! We all know what you've been up to," said Sakura and winked at her.

"I have no idea what you girls are talking about."

"Temari, the three of us had come to pick you up at the inn because you weren't picking up your phone," Hinata jumped in, failing to keep a straight face. Temari's face went pale and she looked the other way.

"We could hear some very interesting noises so we thought we'll leave you be," Sakura giggled.

"Hey, it's alright. This'll stay between us. We're just messing with you." reassured Ino.

"We're happy for you Temari. This was long due. We've been rooting for you both." chimed in Hinata.

"Girls, he's killing me," Temari finally broke down.

"Well, you've been toying with him since years. Let him have some fun."

"I haven't been toying with him. I love him. He's just dense."

"He's anything but dense," Hinata cut Temari off and all three girls looked at her, surprised. "He's..he's not dense. Just really considerate."

"Sooooo, Te-ma-ri chan, is he any good in bed?" snickered Sakura to break the awkward silence.

"We...we haven't...we haven't really done anything yet," stuttered Temari.

"What? What was all that screaming and moaning out his name for?" probed Sakura. The girls couldn't stop giggling.

"Well...we..uh...he just..."

"What are you all gossiping about? Ino, 20 bucks if I win the shooting game." challenged Sai. He was walking over to the girls with Shikamaru, Sasuke, and Naruto.

"Ohhh? Let's see who wins then." Both of them walked to the shooting stall hand in hand. Sasuke noticed Temari blushing and he glanced at Shikamaru, amused.

"Do y'all wanna have Ramen?" asked Naruto. "Sure, let's go!" "Let's wait for Ino and Sai."

Ino returned victorious, mocking Sai. The 4 couples walked towards the ramen stall, bantering and mocking each other about something or the other. The crowd was thinning steadily, the after-hours of the festival full of laughter and chatter. Temari felt Shikamaru's hand snake around her waist.

"I can't wait to take this Yukata off off you, Temari," Shikamaru whispered. They'd fallen a few steps behind.

"You look so beautiful. I bet you're still wet from earlier." He spoke in a silky voice against the sweaty skin of her neck and softly bit her ear. His hand cupped her heat and Temari slapped his hand away, making him chuckle.

Temari stayed absolutely still. When she didn't say anything, Shikamaru frowned.

"What's... what's wrong?" Shikamaru asked, concerned. Back in his senses now, he faltered and blushed at what he'd just said and done.

Temari spoke hurriedly like a quick rainstorm, "Please, can we go back to the inn? Make me yours already. I've been yearning for you since so long. And now I know you have been, too. It's plain as day that we both want eachother, why won't you just take me back? Why subject me to all this waiting? Haven't we waited for so long already? It doesn't make any sense."

Shikamaru felt his knees giving away but he steadied himself and softened his tone. He turned her around and pecked her jaw and the insides of her wrists. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, he said, "Just a little bit longer, love. Let's eat with the gang first. I promise I'll make you feel so good once we get home, princess." "Shikamaru, everyone...everyone knows about us..." "So?" "So? You're okay with that?" "Why wouldn't I be? I would like to make it very clear that you're mine." "Oh..."

"Oi, you two lovebirds. Get here quick. We'll lose our spot otherwise," shouted Naruto.

Shikamru grabbed her hand and walked towards the restaurant. They all settled in on the low outdoor benches and Shikamaru made Temari sit on his thigh, his left hand wrapped around her waist. Temari felt awkward at first but she leaned into him when she saw so many couples around her.

Even Hinata, the shyest of them all, was sitting in Naruto's lap, wrapped around him like a child. She blushed when she noticed Naruto's hand stroking Hinata's waist softly. She caught him whispering sweet nothings in Hinata's ears as Hinata smiled shyly. Sakura, too, was sitting between Sasuke's legs. Sasuke was putting a flower in her hair as he spoke about some mission with all of them. Ino's legs were in Sai's lap as he drew mindless circles on her thighs with his fingers.

The atmosphere was so drunken and happy and full of love that she couldn't help but feel overwhelmed. There were fairy-lights everywhere and red lanterns swayed back and forth in the gentle wind. Flower petals and leaves blew around them. The laughter and cling and clatter of the utensils made her feel alive.

When they had ordered and were mid-conversation, Temari suddenly pecked Shikamaru on his cheek, stopping him mid-sentence. He raised his eyebrows and pecked her nose and continued talking about how he beat Asuma in a training session and everyone listened to him intently. She noticed that his hands never left her. She eased in completely, never having known such familiarity in an unfamiliar place. The sake was rich, the ramen was perfect, and the company was warm.

Late at night when all of them were buzzed and tired, they said their goodbyes. The three girls winked at Temari as she felt Shikamaru squeeze her ass for the tenth time that night. //

"I can't wait for the saucy details. I'm not letting Temari go without telling us everything." Sakura spoke hurriedly to Ino and Hinata.

"Temari is the one I was talking about earlier today, Sakura! I didn't think things would happen so fast! Did you see him, he didn't let her out of his sight or hands for a single second," Ino giggled.

"He's addicted! But, you both should just leave them be now. Don't go around spying on them!" Hinata laughed and blushed at the same time.

"Oh, he's more than addicted, I'm sure of it," said Ino.

"Hina, let's go babygirl," Naruto called out in a hoarse voice. Hinata blushed a deep red, knowing the girls will tease her about her nick-name forever now.

"Haha! Go on babygirl! See you tomorrow!" Ino and Sakura teased her. The girls giggled and hugged before leaving.

//

Temari and Shikamaru walked towards nowhere in particular.

"So, your place or mine?" asked Shikamaru. He chuckled as he stroked her face. He wanted to kiss her lips so much.

"How about yours?" Temari was finally in her element and she fingered is t-shirt like she had at the brunch. She looked at him with her deep green eyes and Shikamaru felt himself losing control.

"God, I want you so bad, Temari. Tsk. You've no idea." He held her hands and kissed her fingers.

They walked quietly, enjoying the cool breeze.

"Shikamaru, why haven't you ever made a move? I don't think that you've only just realised how I feel about you."

Shikamaru took a deep breath but stayed quiet.

"Well?"

He stopped and shoved his hands in his pockets.

"Temari, I am only going to say this once... All these years, I was scared that you were just playing with me. You've had several boyfriends, too. I've literally given you advice on how to make up with them. And so I never knew what to make of all your teasing and flirting. I didn't think you felt for me the way I do for you... In fact, I don't think you can ever feel for me the way I feel for you."

He paused.

"The last mission took a lot away from me, Temari. When I saw you today, toying with me again like that, something snapped in me. I acted on an impulse that I usually keep under control. But, seeing you react the way you did to me today told me more than enough." He gave her a small smile. Temari stood still, her face betrayed nothing.

"Let's go," whispered Shikamaru. "Hmm."

When they reached Shikamaru's flat, Temari spent a minute looking around. Everything was immaculate and in place. She was admiring all the photos on the wall when she felt Shikamaru quickly untie her obi. Her breath hitched in her throat and she softly moaned out his name.

"Hmm?"

"I wasn't toying with you. I never have."

"Yeah?"

"Hmm."

He had her naked and pressed against his body in a matter of seconds. He began to untie her hair but Temari stopped him. "Leave the clip be."

He bit the insides of his cheek to keep himself from smiling like an idiot. His hands roamed around her body hungrily. He kissed and nibbled at her neck and shoulders and she kept her hands on his as he trailed them all over her breasts and stomach, halting at her inner thighs. She moved her hips slowly against him.

He drew light circles around her left nipple and greedily squeezed her right thigh. Temari gasped at the pressure and Shikamaru turned her around. He held her face tenderly, pulled her close, and finally kissed her lips. He came alive under her touch. The greed with which Temari sucked on his lips made him shiver and lose breath. He smiled against her flesh and walked her towards the sofa in his living room, kissing her all the while. He made her sit down, lightly held her chin, and made her look up at him.

"Spread your legs, Temari," his voice hoarse from desire.

He held the backrest of the sofa with his left hand, dug his right knee on the sofa, and bent over her. Temari wrapped her hand around his left hand, and her other stroked his hair. He lightly touched her moist folds with two fingers and let out a small grunt at how wet she was. He lazily rubbed her clit, his eyes never leaving hers. He took in her supple body full of scars from missions. The way she, finally, fully arched her back at his touch, offering herself to him. The way her naked nipples hardened against his moist tongue. The way goosebumps decorated her entire body. Her reaction to his touch sent his mind in a chaos. What happened in the afternoon was nothing compared to how she blossomed under him now.

As soon as she tugged at his t-shirt, he removed his clothes, just his black briefs on him. Temari took him in, he looked like a sculpture. He appeared so lean clothed but his arms were huge and his chest was stunning. The light hair sprinkled all over softened his hard chest and chiselled face. Temari couldn't take her eyes off his torso, she was practically drooling. Shikamaru felt his face heating up at her gaze. He'd never been looked at like that.

"Like what you see, princess?" he spoke when he recovered from all her oggling.

"Hmm," she smiled coyly and bit her lips.

She saw his briefs stretching, the bulge too prominent to miss. She moved her face towards his clothed cock and licked the tip eliciting a groan from him. She moved her face to the side of his waist and tongued the waistband of his briefs. She took the waistband in between her teeth and pulled his briefs down. His cock slapped his stomach as it broke free from being constrained for so long. Shikamaru stayed absolutely still, breathing heavily, his eyes never leaving hers.

Temari gave his cock a slow, wet lick from the base to the tip and he twitched, lightly slapping her cheek. She showered it with moist kisses and fluttered her tongue around his pale pink and warm head.

"Fuck..." Shikamaru suddenly grabbed Temari and flipped her around.

"On your knees, ma'am."

Before Temari could even settle in, she felt his cock rubbing against at her clit. She looked back at him as she moved with him.

"So eager, Shika..ahh fuck,"

Shikamaru thrust three fingers inside her before she could complete her sentence, taking her by surprise. His other hand bunched up her hair. He moved his fingers hard and fast. He noticed Temari's toes curling and her head digging into the backrest. He leaned over her and kissed her back and neck before he spoke.

"You're doing so well baby, let me feel you cumming around my fingers," he spoke in a soft voice.

"I...I'm gonna...cum."

Shikamaru felt his heart beating like a hummingbird as he felt Temari clench around his fingers and he felt a warmth coating his hands and his cock. She whimpered quietly, her voice lost from the powerful orgasm, at finding the release she had been denied all day. Shikamaru pulled out his fingers, positioned his cock at her cunt, and dug his hands in her waist as he slowly began to enter her.

"Shika..Shikmaru, plea.. I can't.." Temari panted, still recovering from her orgasm.

"Shhh, you're taking me so well baby, just a little bit more." He slowed down even more, giving her time to adjust. Her thighs shivered as she eased around him and took him in.

"You're easing around me just fine, princess. I promise I'm gonna be slow." murmured Shikamaru against her flesh.

He slowly started moving and increased his pace, and Temari's moans got louder with each thrust, till she was screaming out his name, till she was babbling nonsense. His hands travelled everywhere across her body hungrily. Shikamaru's face burned, his heart fluttered, and he felt like a million little butterflies had just taken birth in his belly. He never wanted to hear anything else from Temari except whatever escaped her petal-like lips as he fucked her. She held his hand tight.

"Fuck..ahh" He loved the way she cussed in a small voice before he felt her gushing around him again; the profanity morphed into something lovely coming from her wet mouth. He felt himself buckling as he thrust himself inside her hard and pulled out, eliciting an ungodly voice from Temari.

He flipped her around again, and positioned himself between her legs. He entered her again, slowly, and cupped her right breast with his hand and took her left nipple in his mouth. A sigh of relief left Temari's lips as she stroked his hair.

He moved in and out of her gently and his lips made their way up to her neck, nibibling and kissing her chest and shoulders and arms till he buried his face in her neck, settling in.

Temari's hands roamed all over his body and finally came to rest on his shoulders, her legs were hitched around his waist. She could see his back and hips flex with each thrust. It made her clench harder around him and arch her back into him. They moved together, taking each other in as much as they could, Shikamaru nibbled and sucked on her neck and she circled her tongue around his earrings.

He panted and her broken sighs followed with every thrust. They were lost in the way they both came undone with each other, the messy, sloppy sound of his cock moving in and out of her the only thing that pulled them back to reality.

"Shikamaru, I'm gonna.. gonna...unfff."

He could feel her tightening around him like never before before she suddenly loosened up. She came around his cock, growing so wet that he slipped out of her. He pushed himself back inside her, making her bite his neck, and started fucking her relentlessly. Overstimulated, Temari suddenly shivered violently and squirted.

"That's it, love. Such a good girl."

He didn't break his pace and Temari's nails dug into his back, scratching him everywhere. Shikamaru grit his teeth so he wouldn't make a sound as she used his body to calm down. After what seemed like like a blissful eternity of short and quick thrusts, Shikamaru pulled out again and sat up on the sofa, his legs spread open. He kissed the entirety of her legs, waiting for her to recover from her orgasm. When he saw she'd calmed down, he held Temari's waist and brought her on top of him.

"I want to watch you," he murmured against her breasts. The intensity with which he looked at her made Temari uncontrollably shy and she felt a raw heat taking flight in her belly and face.

"Haven't you watched me enough already?" she panted, still out of breath, hinting at what he'd done to her after brunch.

"It's never going to be enough."

She breathed heavily on his skin as she felt his cock twitching against her clit. She involuntarily moved against his hardness, making him grunt.

Shikamaru traced her outline and took her breasts in his mouth, sucking and nibbling at them, as she moved slowly. She took his cock in her hand and positioned it, and then sat on him in one go, making Shikamaru throw his head back and dig his fingers in her hips.

"fuck."

He recovered and watched her slowly grind against him and sucked a breath in through his gritted teeth.

"Fuck, Temari, you're dri... what the hell?" his head suddenly snapped at the windows. He looked pissed, his eyebrows suddenly sharper. Confused, Temari looked at the windows as well.

Shikamaru drew the curtains shut with his shadows. They heard giggles and quick footsteps outside until everything went quiet.

"I bet it's Sakura and Ino," giggled Temari.

He felt her tighten around him.

"Oh, you like that, huh? Being watched like that?"

"N..no! They've been after my life for ‘details’."

"Would you like to put a show on for the girls?" he asked in a small whisper. He felt her clench around him again. He twitched inside her, at the thought of everyone watching him make her his. "I think it's you who'd like to put on a show, no?" challenged Temari.

Shikamaru blushed and then came alive with a child-like laughter. He held her head and brought it to his neck. He kissed her head and then without a warning, he started fucking her hard, and faster, than before. She bit down on his neck, marking him pink and purple, as he fucked her till she lost her voice and came around him in quick successions again. Spent and tired, she clung to him like a child. Shikamaru got up and carried her upstairs to the bedroom, all the while throbbing inside her.

He laid her down on his bed and spooned her. Shikamaru was hard as a rock and ready to go but he knew Temari was too spent. He gave her small nibbles and bites as he traced her body with his hands, fingering all her scars.

"You never said anything, you know?

"What do you mean?"

"When I said I love you."

"Hmm. Should I have said something?"

"Yes," she replied curtly.

"Yeah? Like what?"

"I don't know. Anything."

"Let me say it to you in my way?" he murmured.

"And what way is that?" she turned her head to look at him, frowning.

He made her lick his hands and stroked his cock, wetting it before he entered her ever so slowly. He lifted her leg and hooked it on his arm as they both looked deep into each other's eyes. Both of them gasped as his balls kissed her clit. Temari felt fuller than before and Shikamaru's face felt hot.

"Rub yourself," Shikamaru whispered.

Temari immediately complied and he felt her ass digging into his belly. He moved inside of her in slow and hard thrusts for a while before Temari felt his pace faltering. He looked at her and raised his eyebrows in question. She bit her lip and nodded quickly.

Temari came around him again. She couldn't bear how intimate it all was. The moment she tightened around him, he grunted, hid his face in her hair, and came inside of her, his warmth spreading everywhere inside her.

They both passed out before Shikamaru had a chance to slip out of her.

Right before sunrise, Shikmaru woke up, his limp cock still buried in Temari. He pulled out slowly and Temari stirred. He covered her up with a blanket and went to the washroom to freshen up. Itching for a cigarette, he went downstairs to his balcony. He lightly pinched himself to check if he was in a dream. Then he muttered at his own stupidity. When he made his way upstairs, she was snoring lightly. He sat beside her. After an hour or so of just observing her, he felt himself getting hard. He leaned his head back on the headrest. "Mendukse onna," he muttered under his breath, genuinely tired of his own arousal for her.

He slowly moved between her legs and started to lightly nibble at her clit. He placed small kisses on her mound. When he couldn't control himself, he dove in, lapping up her pussy messily. She sighed and moaned deeply as she rose from her deep sleep. She jerked and came quickly on his tongue.

"Morning, baby," Shikamaru murmured against her spasming thighs. "Morning," Temari whispered, slightly out of breath.

He quickly came up to spoon her again and showered her neck with kisses, making her laugh. That same laugh that had made him realise he'd fallen in love with her. That same laugh that had made him realise that he didn't only appreciate her as a friend, didn't only have immense respect for her, didn't only have this need to be a better person for her, but also wanted her to be entirely his. He kissed her lips deeply, his heart beating so loudly he thought he would faint. They lay there, kissing each other for a long time.

"Shikamaru, I want...I want a life with you." "Me too, baby," he whispered against her back. "I want...I want a nice house with you, I want to take care of you, I want to go on missions with you." He stilled. After a brief pause, she mustered the courage to say something she'd only ever dreamed of. "I want... I want a child with you." His eyes widened. It took him a moment to recover but to Temari's surprise he took it quite well. "Yeah? Only if it'll have your eyes." "And your hair," she said way too quick. "But, only after some time. I want to spend time with you first. I want your undivided attention for a while."

He turned her around and kissed her deep again. He then held her waist and made her sit on his face. Temari gasped.

"I can't get enough of you Temari. Stay for a while. Please don't go back just yet." He spoke against her thighs. He lazily licked her swollen clit, taking his sweet time. She rode his face slow and then gradually increased her pace to match the messy and quick way his tongue loved her. She moaned his name hoarsely as she gushed around his mouth again. She felt him smiling against her throbbing wetness.

She moved to sit down on his groin, rubbing his cock against her wetness. Shikamaru folded his hands behind his head as he watched her sleepily. As she took him inside her, he squeezed his eyes shut and bit his lip. She slowly moved on top of him, her breasts hovered over his chest and face.

"Cum for me, Shikamaru," she whispered as she increased her pace. She felt his balls harden and scrunch up against her ass and he shivered and moaned out her name. He thrusted her hard thrice and Temari felt him cumming inside her again. She lied down on top of him and he stroked her hair, her clip shone bright in the soft morning sunlight.

He kissed her forehead. "I love you."

///

Afterthoughts

I think the whole idea of Ino and Sakura being so nosy really fits in well with the whole dynamic. I really enjoyed crafting the dialogue. I think the slightly voyeuristic undertone to this piece has really been derived from Ino and Choji spying on ShikaTema in the anime. A lot of fanart also has Ino and Choji in the background. And so, it isn’t really kinky or dirty sex here, but more about bringing out that old-school friendship that Shikamaru shares with Ino and others.

I have deliberately removed Choji from this piece. I don’t know but I dont think I can ever write Choji well. I also feel that Shikamaru would actually share girl problems with Ino or Naruto. But for all other life stuff, he would actually talk to Choji. I also really enjoyed writing the internal struggle that Shikamaru faced. The hair clip was really only put in the story to bring out his need to plan and prepare for something that he knows is totally out of his control.

I found it tough to write Temari’s strong character at first (specially in the scene where she’s kinda tied up) but I realised that she doesn’t have to be strong with and around Shikamaru. That’s largely what draws me to them. The whole idea of both of these calm and strong characters going batshit crazy for each other is really an HC for me, haha. Both of them are so secure in and sure of each other’s strength - they really don’t have to put up a facade.

The scene where Shikamaru buys the Kunai for Temari is really a manifestation of his respectful love™ for Temari. He wants to buy her the world but he also understands that she’s fully capable of doing that herself. He understands that she has a strong sense of ‘I can get stuff done on my own’ and doesn’t want to step on it. He merely wants to feel included in her life. He wants to get her things that will remind her of him when he’s away. He wants to be in every corner of her life, as he wants her to be in every corner of his life. Idk if I am articulating this well but this is a dynamic I really fkn DIG.

[addawithbalmiki]

Hey! I really like your posts about sasusaku and your interpretation of their relationship, it’s very similar with the way that I understand them, too. I’d like to know what are your thoughts about how their dynamic could have been on shippuden, since we had such few scenes between them, and what kind of scenes you would have added, maybe (aside from the fight scene that we all know should have absolutely happened, but the world was not ready and kishimoto was too much of a coward, I’m never forgiving him for that 😭)

First of all, thank you anon for this great ask! You have great taste ;). All of my ss posts are essentially my sleep-deprived thoughts typed on my tumblr screen because i use this site as my wip list :) It's great to see someone understand my incoherent wordings.

I'll keep the rest under the cut:

The problem with sasusaku is not a problem with the ship, but the deep rooted issue with kishi (derogatory) nerfing his own characters and throwing away their growth. As great of an artist he is, he's awful at execution of anything that requires extensive thinking. Add the underlying sexism (Japanese sexism to be exact) and you get the clusterfuck i.e., sasusaku.

I am a bit harsh on him when I can admit it must have been tiring to continue with this shitshow for ages especially when the publishers catering to the dudebros were pushing for better sales. If you compare early shippuden era to the later one, you'll be surprised at the lack of resemblance between the vibes. It's not easy being a famous manga artist of an anime like Naruto and I do hold some sympathy.

However, kishi is severely at fault over the romances in the manga. For someone boasting about bonds, the bonds between males and females conjured nothing but laughter.

Now, I'll be honest: I like sasuke and sakura before I like sasusaku and that's the entire reason why I started shipping them in the first place. Their characters are so complex and unlike Naruto, they don't shed these complexities in a last bid effort to be some sort of a savior.

I think a lot of people misunderstand both sakura and sasuke mostly because they don't look beneath the fact that she's a healer and he's an avenger. I find that interpretation weak and boring. Sasusaku is interesting to me because it's an unexplored story. Imagine taking a book out of the library, a rusty book with a solid spine, and when you open it, you find a delicious story that captures your heart. You turn it over for more only to find pages ripped off. Not all the pages are gone, but enough that you start finishing that book in your head, a lack of closure haunting you. That, my friend, is Sasusaku at its core.

It's soft yet cruel and we see them succumb to their worst demons and still you don't forget the only heartfelt apology bestowed upon to the person you've tried to kill. It's delicious!

I don't have any complaints about genin!sasusaku. They peaked there as a pairing. It was a perfect ending and while I have loads of thoughts on Sakura's character pre-timeskip, she was painfully human and normal.

Post-timeskip is... tricky. The problem I think resides with the lack of inner monologues given to Sasuke. It's almost like the creator doesn't know what he's thinking. While Sasuke doesn't hide behind lies, he keeps his cards close to his heart. As the story progressed, this got worse and I think this big mistake caused the entire series to suffer.

Dudebros might have been happy with Sasuke, but I wanted more Sasuke himself and less other's interpretations of Sasuke. I think that's why I prefer Sakura's interpretation of Sasuke: there's something honest and open about how she sees him. She loves him yet she doesn't hide him behind fllowery language.

Shippuden could have been a lot better if Sasuke's thoughts were shown. Continuously, I felt like the creator was trying to delude him because Itachi was a monster and he loved Sasuke, and according to the morals of Naruto, those two can't coexist. I would have dropped the entire Kaguya storyline and focused more on Sakura's role in the village.

Okay, okay, another pet peeve of mine: I hate it when Naruto is told to be Sasuke's brother. One of the best things Naruto gave me was the bond these two shared. Assigning labels cheapen them and while assigning labels to Sasuke's relationship with Sakura would have made SS far more exciting, Naruto and his relationship suffered for it. As a result, I also hate the reincarnation as brothers thing.

You know what I would have liked? Sakura taking up the position of a Senju in the story. Naruto doesn't need a half-assed Senju storyline when he already deals with his mom's Uzumaki heritage. Sakura, on the other hand, would have been perfect for it.

Until Itachi's death, there's no change. After, Madara informs Sasuke and starts spewing shit about Senju. Imagine Madara telling him that the current Hokage should be displaced. And then you can have an epic fight between SS (btw Sakura will lose unless Sasuke is at a disadvantage. As much as I love my girl, Sasuke is a better fighter. Sakura's skills are more in the research and healing department and as great as she is, she hasn't trained for revenge.)

I have loads of ideas lmao but a fight and Sakura's involvement with the corruption are two things I think would have made the series much more sensible and better. Oh and I would have removed the second confession scene and the subsequent genjutsu. Like only keep them if you want to show how traumatized Sakura is gonna be after that.

Anyway, sorry for rambling lol. I have a lot of ideas and no control over Naruto so my sadness knows no bounds.

[ridasart]

SasuSaku Canon Divergence Fanfics (Genin era)

I have made a list of some of my favourite SS fanfics that deviate significantly from canon during the genin era. 

** **

Stay by @southsidestory (Complete, M)

Sakura begs him not to go, so Sasuke stays. And year by year he falls a little more in love with the girl he couldn’t leave behind. (AU in which Sasuke never abandons Konoha.)

Five Petals by PrecariousSauce (Complete, T)

Several things happen all at once in less than a minute’s time. Sakura’s elbow slams into Sasuke’s side from an angle he doesn’t anticipate, sending him tumbling end over end off the branch. Sasuke rights himself just a second too late and without checking where he’s going to land– When he does his knee twists, he feels a lightning bolt of pain shoot from his sole to his head, his leg gives out. And Orochimaru’s teeth sink down to the gum in Sakura’s shoulder.

There are two sequels to this work: Intermission and Yamazakura

Intermission (Complete, T)

Nobody can put their life on hold for two years, not even for Naruto. Time skips like a stone over water, making contact every so often and getting a glimpse at what's below the lake before flying further. Sakura conspires deep below the earth and Sasuke lives one day at a time.

Yamazakura (In-progress, T)

Everything Sakura’s been working toward, all her efforts over these two years in the dark will finally bear fruit. She can feel her headband sitting heavy in her weapons’ pouch. She resists it’s call. She can only wear it again when her mission ends, however it ends. Sakura takes a deep breath and opens the door. Time to shed her skin.

if you can't hold on, hold on by Fiercest / @fiercyy (In-progress, T)

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.

Crepuscule by chidorinnn (Complete, Gen)

Sasuke accidentally hits Sakura with his Chidori while fighting Naruto on the hospital rooftop and awakens his Mangekyou Sharingan three years too early. Then it all goes downhill from there.

** **

I have excluded time travel fanfics from this list, since I have already made a separate list for them here. I might make another list for my favourite Shippuden-era canon divergence fanfics 😊

[ramiel-enthusiast]

I like sasusaku, but understand why others do not, bc I like it in the original series, like when sasuke complimented sakura in the chuunin exams bc he noticed how observant she was,, but shippuden was a disaster. the main problem wasn't sakura chasing after him bc naruto did that, its her forcing herself into a box to please him.

i have friends that loved sasu/saku in the chunin exams but hate it in shippuden too lmao. i was never a huge fan of them but i get why people liked them early on

and her pushing herself in a box is like, the worst part of the couple. i thought sakura was supposed to be this outspoken tsunade-type bad bitch but around sasuke shes really submissive,, shes either mopey or trying to act cutesy which really pisses me off. i prefer her when shes interacting with ino or someone like that

[scatteredfangirling]

hold up -

sakura: being a varsity athlete is a huge time commitment, isn't it?

(sasuke is currently passed out on the sofa at 2 PM in the afternoon)

naruto: for someone who hates waking up early, he surprisingly can manage to get to track practice every morning at 6 AM

sakura: i don't know if you're one to talk

naruto: hey at least if you wake me up early i don't look like i want to bury you alive every minute for a good half of the day

sakura: true

naruto: which makes me wonder - what does sasuke love more, you or track? considering that he hates it when you wake him up at 11 to get brunch on the weekend but he somehow manages his life around his track schedule :^D

sakura: i high key want to strangle you

[narhinafan]

People that say NaruHina has little development do not paid attention to the Naruto manga are the same kind of people that say Sussaku has development even know the development is almost non-existent. Sasuke and Sakura barely interact with each other in part 1 as anything more than teammates the way Sasuke treats Sakura is just like every other person he doesn't treat us anyone special he doesn't treat her in a way that is different. If Sakura was Sasuke's intended love interest he would treat her differently he would hesitate to harm her in his reunion with her in Shippuden he wouldn't constantly treat her as an annoyance or avoid her in the sequel series. Sasuke and Sakura have barely interacted. There's not one on screen kiss not one moment where Sasuke expresses concern or his affection for Sakura physical or with words none so how is their development for them? Almost all their interactions are negative if people think that's development that's good then I question if they understand how romantic interests work.

Naruto and Hinata in contrast have far more development in both part one and part two ever interaction they have is their relationship progressing. Their first interaction we see on screen Naruto thinks Hinata is weird then when he sees her in the tuning exam he sees her in a different light and then her proud failure speech he blushes something he never did around Sakura ever. Also unlike Sasuke Naruto is very careful how he talks to Hinata or how he treats her which is pretty obvious for a main character they would treat their love interest differently than any other person. Yeah the development is subtle that's because Naruto is not a romance manga but if you look at the sequel series there's more interactions with them as well and it's positive and Naruto and Hinata are the only couple that have confessed their feelings for each other and had a kiss on screen people can whine and moan about oh the last should not have needed to exist to resolve their romance but at least it's more than the banshee and Sasuke ever got and they could go suck it.

NaruSaku and SusSaku are garbage ships that needlessly hate on other ships for the most ridiculous reasons I can go on the non-cannon filler ship Narusaku but that would be it making this too long so I'll just ended at that.

The people who say that didn't pay attention NaruHina actually has a lot of subtle development from the start of the exams all the way to the end. Like when he checked on her in the manga Naruto puts his hand over hers its very hard to tell, but it is there. While during the Pain fight Naruto actively protects and avoids Hinata when he loses it and there are many more subtle moments in their interactions during the manga.

SasuSaku though it is one sided Sasuke sees Sakura as annoyance and while he does treat her as a teammate that is where it end nothing more. The reason their interactions are almost always negative is cause Sakura doesn't mean that much to Sasuke, like he has tried to kill Sakura several times in part 2 with no hesitation yet they want us to think he sees her as someone special.

NaruHina you knew it was going to happen, but with SasuSaku there was always that underlying feeling he may never come back or it just won't happen. As early as part 1 it was obvious and only became more so it went on, by the proud failure speech NaruHina was pretty much set in stone as I think that was when Naruto truly fell for Hinata as his face when she calls him a proud failure the slight blush you can tell he is touched then saying he likes girls like her.

What makes it worse is the amount of filler SP pumped for NaruSaku they even ruined several NaruHina scenes by altering them and then films with it like RTN was advertised as NaruHina and SasuSaku film only for it to be filled with NaruSaku rubbish. Like seriously how nice would it have been if they worked harder to make it possible to fit into the canon timeline and showed NaruHina/MenmHina as well as Hinata getting along with Naruto's family and ended it with say they lose their memories of what happened in the genjutsu world. It could have been a perfect film if they made NaruHina a focus.

[borutoxsarada]

Thank you for answering! What I meant in terms of changing ideas, is if they created Sumire to be involved romantically with Boruto by the end of it. The movie novelisation was created much earlier than her characterisation and implementation into the story. So I wondered if the writers would change who Boruto ends up with due Sumire’s rising popularity. I actually get confused on who exactly is the red herring in this scenario, Sumire or Sarada.

You are welcome, Anon!

Coming to the question, it was Sumire who was created to be the red herring to the very much established BoruSara while Sarada remains as the indisputable love interest. Because apparently the writers think that creating a love triangle is the only way to create an obstacle to true love. Sarcasm and genuine annoyance aside, Kodachi, the author of both the Boruto movie novel as well as the Boruto anime and manga, has gone out of his way to establish not only foreshadowing for BoruSara to become endgame as well as numerous shipping moments for them but also to establish them as the alpha couple for the Boruto franchise, even after Sumire was created and her interest in Boruto established. The latest episode does nothing but reinforce BoruSara and if one thing that Naruto franchise has shown is that Kishimoto sticks with his established couples till the very end. He wanted NaruHina and SasuSaku to be endgame right from the very beginning (and informed his voice actors that at the beginning of the Naruto anime in 2002) and despite the pressure from Shounen Jump, Studio Pierrot, his assistants and his own wife (who shipped NaruSaku and apparently according to Eiichiro Oda, the author of One Piece, resembles Sakura) and NaruSaku’s own huge popularity within Japan itself, he stuck to his endgame pairings for over 15 years. In fact, it is believed that the one shot NaruHina first date manga is the author’s reply to a very popular NaruSaku doujinshi regarding their first date. In fact, Kishimoto has outright stated in the interview regarding the making of the Last movie that the inclusion of the scarf knitted by Hinata in the Last movie is based on the scarf knitted by his own wife during their dating phase. BoruSara as a romantic pairing was established in chapter 700 of the Naruto manga by Kishimoto himself, the very chapter which introduced Boruto and Sarada to us, by clearly drawing parallels to NaruHina. I really doubt that BoruSara will not be endgame when the franchise does nothing but reinforce it at each and every step and turn.

Sumire was created to be a character who primarily brings an early (and perhaps a later) connection to the Kara-Jougan-Otsutsuki plot line. Her role as a romantic red herring is secondary. In fact, it is very unclear as to exactly what her role regarding BoruSara is - whether she is a rival to Sarada or a shipper of BoruSara or perhaps an oddly self-aware case of both. Her looks, mannerisms and personality traits which resemble Hinata while being oddly supportive of and curious about Sarada’s concern for and interest in Boruto reminds me of Sakura who was well aware of Hinata’s love for Naruto and supportive of them and yet was used as the red herring for NaruHina thanks to her resemblance to Kushina and the repeated positioning of her as the (initial) love interest in the series thanks to a rather shallow infatuation the protagonist had for her. As such, NaruSaku had much more chances of becoming canon than BoruSumi does. This was inspite of Hinata’s own huge popularity and Sakura’s even greater popularity in Japan. If rising popularity would been a criterion for becoming the love interest to the protagonist, then Chocho would have been the new interest. She is insanely popular in Japan to the point of stores running out of her merchandise on multiple occasions (and Studio Pierrot only cares about the Japanese audiences really, they are the ones they are trying to please). Why do you think she appears even more than Sarada, the deuteragonist of the franchise herself? As such, be assured that Sumire’s relatively rising popularity would, at best, increase the number of her appearances in the anime and, at worst, reduce her to a caricature since most of those appearances mostly involving comic relief (which is what happened to Rock Lee and Might Guy in Shippuden). Thankfully, neither has happened as yet and I have little reason to believe that her popularity, whose rise, to be frank, is really modest as compared to others, would anyway change the already established importance of her character in the storyline. 

[sea-owl]

Soooo, who do I have to sacrifice to get some early shippuden era sasusaku fic recs?

And when I say early I mean Sasuke still got his stripper shirt and is about to or just had his first reunionun with team 7 where he sees his lover Sakura again for the first time in 3 years.

[madara-fate]

I personally think Hinata's character arc would of been far better if she and naruto weren't a thing. Same with if sakura and naruto ended up together given early hints in shippuden. Alas it wasn't meant to be. I have nothing against sasusaku but I ended up really put off by naruhina in the end and Hinata use to be a fave of mine.

I see no reason why Hinata’s character arc would’ve been any better if NH didn’t happen, nor do I see any reason why her character would have gotten worse for you due to NH, because that’s always been a constant for her; The feelings she has for Naruto have been a very prominent part of her character since day one. So why did you even like her in the first place? Why would NH put you off her character at the end of the series but not at the beginning? She only grew into a more confidant woman as the series progressed so I don’t see what else could have put you off, because NH was literally always there.

But oh well, that’s your opinion so I won’t pry any further.

[konyah]

Beginnings

Chapter One - Stars

Hello! This is my second sasusaku fanfic, but my first one that will be a series! If I mapped it out correctly, there will be roughly 10 chapters! This takes place shortly after Naruto and Hinata’s wedding in Shippuden. It’s not happening in this chapter, but this series will have: smut and mentions of PTSD, so tread carefully if that isn’t your thing!

I hope you all enjoy!

Read on AO3 | Part of Origins series

-

Sakura found herself treading slightly behind Sasuke as they walked through beautiful greenery. It’s been about half a day since they left Konoha… half a day since she convinced the raven haired man to let her join after a short return home. He stated that his journey had nothing to do with her, but he finally didn’t say no. She was beyond grateful that she could finally get to reconnect with him. After all, Naruto just married Hinata so the two were always together. Ino and Sai’s relationship had become serious, with rumors that he would propose soon. Hell, even Shikamaru found solace with Temari. She honestly was starting to feel lonely.

It’s my turn to get close to someone, Shanna-

Her internal dialogue was interrupted when Sasuke turned around, a few more steps ahead of her, “Should we stop to take a break?” Maybe she’s tired?

Sakura held her hands up defensively, “Ah! No, really, I’m fine, Sasuke-kun. We can keep going if you want to. I was just deep in thought, is all.”

He nodded, looking at the sky, “It’s getting late anyways.” He noted how the sun was starting to set, “We should find a place to set up camp for the night.”

Sakura looked up, forgetting that they left shortly after lunch-time. Now that he mentioned it, she was starting to get a little hungry.

“Okay,” She agreed, looking back at him. The kunoichi silently agreed to let him find a good spot. After all, he had been traveling for years now.

“Ne, I’ll go find sticks for the fire. Do you want to get the other things set up?” She suggested after setting her backpack down. He simply nodded in reply.

With that, she began walking towards a cluster of trees, picking up an abundance of dry sticks. Again, she found herself trapped in her thoughts of how lucky she felt to be traveling with the man she had loved for so many years.

As the sun began to set more, Sasuke became more and more worried. Sakura had been gone for a while now, almost too long. He held an internal battle of “she’s a strong woman who can take care of herself” to “what if something happened?” The latter thought ended up winning, and he stood up with a soft swear.

When he saw her back bent over, picking up a stick, a soft sigh of relief escaped his lips. This woman will be the death of me. He thought as he walked over to her. She was quietly humming a familiar song he couldn't quite put a name to.

“Hey.”

She jumped with her breath hitching and swiftly turned around.

“O-Oh!” She chuckled, relieved it was just Sasuke, “I didn’t notice you were walking up to me.”

He blinked twice, looking at the sticks she accumulated, “That should be enough.” He turned around, walking back towards their campsite.

Sakura pursed her lips a little bit, watching Sasuke walk away from her.

She wasn’t expecting their journey to be like this. Sure, she didn’t expect it to be like when Team 7 went on missions, but this?

I didn’t think this would be so awkward…

She let out a soft sigh, following Sasuke.

Dinner was… quiet. Sakura tried to make a comment on how the stars looked beautiful, with nothing beyond “Hn” for a reply.

She wouldn't give up though. She needed to break the thick layer ice that stood between them.

“Y’know, when I was a kid, I would sneak up to the roof of my house and just watch the stars until late at night. I’ve always had a little bit of a fascination with them.”

Silence.

She looked down at her empty plate of food, feeling completely defeated.

Did I say something wrong? Am I talking too much? Maybe joining Sasuke was a bad idea… He’s probably annoyed with me. Why’d he even let me join him in the first place? If he’s just going to act like thi-

“It’s getting late. We should go to sleep.” He slowly stood up, her gaze following his face, “To make sure we’re safe, you should get sleep first, and I’ll keep watch. Then we’ll switch in the night.”

“You don’t want to sleep first?”

He shrugged, “I prefer to stay up late and sleep in. If I remember right, you’ve always been an early riser.”

She couldn’t help but to smile. Even though their missions as Team 7 felt like ages ago, he still remembered that small detail about her.

Sasuke perched himself in a tree nearby, the moon shining near him, creating a soft silhouette. Sakura found herself smiling at him, before slowly drifting off to sleep.

6 hours later, Sakura woke up. She looked at her mobile phone (which she could really only use as a clock since there wasn't much service where she was at), reading that it was 4 in the morning. The sun was starting to rise. She sat up and stretched, then walked under the tree Sasuke was still under.

“Hey, I’m ready to switch now!” She called up to him.

Sasuke skilfully jumped down from the tree, a slightly puzzled look on his face, “You could’ve slept in a little longer.” He wasn’t expecting her to be up this early.

Sakura giggled, “I’m used to it. I’m usually up in an hour from now anyways to work at the hospital.”

He shrugged, wondering how anyone in their rightful mind could wake up at that time. “Okay,” He walked towards the camp, “Wake me up if you start to get tired.”

She nodded, “Good night, Sasuke-kun.”

Sasuke simply waved his hand as Sakura leapt into the tree.

----

When noon rolled around, Sakura became worried. She glanced over her shoulder to make sure he was still at the campsite. She could barely see him, but he was still in his sleeping bag. Does he always sleep in like this when he travels?

She became curious, and decided to walk up to him. Maybe he would be upset if she didn’t wake him up.

When Sakura’s feet were about twelve inches away from his face, she crouched down. He was softly snoring, eyes moving from whatever he was dreaming about. He looked so damn peaceful. She had a strong urge to touch him.

She decided to be brave, tucking dark bangs behind his ear, and gently moved her fingers along the line of his jaw.

His eyes slowly fluttered open and she jolted her hand back, blushing furiously.

Honestly, Sasuke forgot where he was and who he was with. He also didn’t know why he had been woken up. When his eyes focused on pink hair, he remembered he wasn’t traveling alone.

“What time is it, Sakura?”

The red on her cheeks faded to a soft pink, “It’s almost twelve-thirty.”

“Hn.” He rolled over with a yawn, “Five more minutes.”

What? He had been asleep for over ten hours, and he wanted just five more minutes? She felt like a mother who was trying to wake her child up for school. She sucked her lips in, attempting not to laugh. She failed miserably, however, and burst into a laughing fit.

Sasuke’s shoulders stiffened; he knew he was being laughed at. He slowly sat up, watching her with an unamused expression, “I don’t like being woken up, y’know.”

“I’m sorry…” She didn’t sound sincere, still laughing, “It’s just… so uncool.”

His eyes narrowed, “Why would I care about something stupid like that?”

She sucked her lips in, looking at him innocently. She knew he wasn’t happy.

“You’re annoying.”

“You’re uncool.”

He rolled his eyes, laying back down.

“C’mon, we have to get ready.” She tried to reason with him, “What if I cook breakfast? Then will you get up?”

He simply huffed, “Sure.”

Within an hour, Sakura had breakfast ready. As they ate she noticed his grumpy mood starting to disappear just by how his face softened.

Most probably would’ve seen Sasuke as being rude earlier, but Sakura thought it was absolutely adorable.

Maybe this trip won’t be so awkward after all.

__

They have officially been traveling for a month now, and the awkwardness isn’t nearly as bad as it used to be.

They have both been rediscovering how the other person acts. Sakura learned that Sasuke being quiet isn’t a bad thing – it’s just part of his introverted personality. She learned to accept the quietness as thoughtfulness.

She’s even learned to tap into that thoughtfulness, and learned more about his past. She found that Sasuke is the most talkative right after dinner, and usually answers her questions more in depth then. Over the past month she’s asked him why he’s been traveling, and even gets a few stories out of him sometimes. Or they’ll reminisce about the past with Team 7.

Sasuke learned that he actually missed having someone to talk to. He found himself initiating casual conversations every once in a while. Whether it was about where they were going to next, what they should do for dinner – he even asked if she was homesick once.

She said no, and smiled at him. But what she wouldn’t tell him was that home was with him.

They have even been a little more “physical” with each other. When they’re waling side by side their hands will occasionally brush, causing both of them to blush, but neither of them will pull away. Or when she brings up something slightly embarrassing about him (e.g. Sasuke’s first “kiss” with Naruto), she’ll playfully bump into him and he’ll playfully call her annoying. (She knows it’s playful because she swears she sees a small smile on his face).

Finally, things are starting to become comfortable, almost natural.

But nothing can prepare her for this night.

She suggested setting up camp, as the sun was about to go down, but he insisted that they continue on a little more. Curious, but not arguing, Sakura agreed to.

They were climbing up a hill, and the sun was completely gone, their only lights being from the stars and moon.

“Sasuke-kun, it’s getting really late. Where are we going?”

He ignored her. We’re almost there.

She furrowed her eyebrows, but continued to follow him, “Sasuke-kun… We really shou-“

Sasuke interrupted her, “We’re here.” He stopped at a cliff, and she looked at him questioningly.

Is he smiling?

“I remembered how you said you like stars. I’ve been here before and I think it’s the best view of them. Look.” He pointed up towards the sky.

She blinked a few times looking up, her mouth open in awe. She honestly had never seen the stars like this before – Milky Way in sight. She even saw a shooting star.

“T-This is beautiful…”

But Sasuke wasn’t looking at the stars. The only view he wanted to see was her – she was his stars. The way that the moon reflected off her emerald eyes full of wonder, her creamy skin practically glowing, and her lips… they looked so kissable. He could feel his heartbeat pick up as his stomach did flips.

Sakura could feel his burning gaze on her, it froze her, and she couldn’t look away from the sky. She was suddenly aware just how close they were – their shoulders touching. His right hand slowly weaved around hers as their fingers intertwined.

This was as far as Sasuke intended to go, until she finally turned her head towards him.

“Thank you for showing me this, Sasuke-kun…”

In one swift motion, his body reacted and he bent over to kiss her.

It was quick, and he almost missed. Sakura really didn’t even have time to react to it.

To hide his blush, he turned around and started walking away, “We should set up camp now…”

Again, she was frozen, until he held his hand out to her and looked over his shoulder with a soft smile, “Are you coming?”

She smiled, taking his hand.

Yeah, definitely not awkward.

Chapter Two