#saw the dress thought of Ino and this song~

[kankuroplease]

Touch Tank

[cmdrfupa]

Kento Nanami, His Royal Highness, has found himself curious about you. He refuses to call it infatuation because that's for people with no self control, something he has loads of. But social media is becoming increasingly less effective. He wants to experience you in the flesh and the perfect opportunity to meet you has landed in his lap. Now if you could always stay this close to him.

ModernRoyal!Nanami x PlusSize!Reader (black/woc coded but all can read and enjoy obvs 😗)

a/n: Congrats on 3k and Thank you @ayyy-pee for letting me participate the jujutsu journal event! I got carried away sksksksks. But I was inspired by this song . Idk what it was but it felt right. Anywho, I hope you enjoy!

WC: 3.4K

MDNI

c/w: partial smau, jealousy, sexual/provocative thoughts, stalker behavior, unhealthy infatuation and obsession, sexual acts, mentions of sex, italics aboose, internal dialogue, smut (vaginal fingering)

      He'd seen you in more and more of Gojos' IG posts over the last year, untagged. Assuming you were just a Gojo girl who wanted to be around for the perks of a wealthy socialite, He never asked to be introduced. But he did ask your name.

  A simple "Her face looks familiar" was all it took for Gojo to share not only your name and social media but also your profession, the university you were attending to get your degree, marital status, the name of your cat, and the fact that you lived in the US. Satoru loved to talk, thank goodness.

'Is that a Zenin? Tch'. A picture of you sitting in Naoya's lap, hand gripping your under thigh, sat on his dimmed screen. Maybe you had a reason for being seen with scumlike Naoya, but it wasn't a reason Kento wanted to know about. The following post was a brunch photo. A group of ladies with Gojo in the center. 'Keeping better friends. Smart girl.'. You were an enigma that brought him closer to the brink every time he saw your million-dollar smile.

His thoughts always started so pure before he thought about you in his bed, the strapless dress you wore in a photo captioned "Shawty got that dress on so the block is hot again" on his floor while at the same time, giving you the meanest strokes for teasing him this way. Thank heavens for the photos. Kento decided a throwaway Instagram account to like the posts and to look at your story would be brighter. Admiring more stealthily, he can at least fantasize about a life with you now that 'RateUp7_3' exists.

So put together. Every story or post included a bright smile or smolder in clothing that made him envy how they hugged your shape. Hair is always in its perfect, coiled natural state while you sit between Gojo and Geto or sit in their lap like some trophy. Satoru hugged you differently. Well. You were the only woman he seemed to hug in these photos. "Interesting," Nanami noted, something he should reanalyze when he has more time.

He pocketed his phone, realizing he had made it to his destination.

A small welcoming committee stood with broad smiles as they greeted HRH Crown Prince Kento. Bowing his head, taking the little book that was handed to him and began to look over the itinerary. "Busy week ahead! Your grandfather is waiting for you in Minato City." With that, his courtier, Ino, began to give him details for the coming week.

      Thanks to Gojo's extraordinary +1 privileges, you found yourself amid a private Gala he was obligated to attend. The champagne-colored satin gown, a cascade of elegance, draped your figure, accentuating the rich hues of your skin. A sight that could only be described as divine.

He broke off after briefly greeting Gojo, Geto, and others you weren't familiar with. He made his way to you near the bar, Easily making it seem like he was making his rounds to guests.

  "Good evening"

"Hello! You're Satoru and Suguru's' friend, right?" you inquired.

"I wouldn't say friend to Gojo. He's more like a gift with a purchase. But yes, I'm Ken."

  Giggles turned into a laugh once you both looked back over at Gojo, eating mini cupcakes, and Geto looking at him with concern.

Your laugh. It was the sounds of the heavens welcoming him to the golden throne. You snorted, and the resolve Kento had was officially withering.

"He's an interesting guy. I met him at a show I walked in a little over a year ago. Before that, he slid into my DMs and even sent me a pie to get my attention."

Kento didn’t think he could be jealous. That's for people who weren't self-assured. And he was very, very sure. Yeah, he's a man, but he's very strong-willed. No no. Not jealous. But this whole pie thing-

"Did it work?" Abruptly speaking. "The pie, I mean."

"Well, I'm talking to you right now. So what do you think?"

Kento exhaled a laugh, pushing back a strand of hair before looking over to you.

"He is a friend. A very good one. Always reliable"

"I've seen him in his element. He is indeed." sipping your cocktail, looking at him as you do.

"You mentioned walking in a show. Are you a model?" if you wanted to lie, it would've been a shame. He's already gone to see that your latest Savage Fenty ambassador collab dropped two days before you arrived in Japan. You looked ravishing in that fervently floral number.

"I am. I primarily work with small houses and on-the-rise designers. But that's how Satoru and I met. He was a guest model for FroviàGalón last season. It was a big hit. We've been working most shows together ever since."

This man could have any woman he wanted; He was Nanami family royalty. Handsome, smooth without even trying. He could buy a country with the proper connection if it mattered. But Gojo sending you a pie and practically being your purse dog makes him feel something. He was feeling jealous over a stupid pie and that white-haired imbecile. The slow unraveling because you snorted and the image of you spreading to show your glistening, plump, wet-

"The boy just loves to be in people's faces. He's one of the girls when we're out, so it's always a good time". Jealousy piques his nerves, and he notices your eyes trailing back to Gojo and Geto.

"He does enjoy good times."

"Speaking of, you plan on going to his after-party?" Innocence in your tone.

"After party? Of course, he finds that fitting for after a Gala."

His gaze lingered on your mouth, licking the remnants of the salted rim as you held the glass close to your body. The perfect honey-hued gloss with a hint of a shimmer. ’Her lips trailing down my chest, tongue lightly leaving a wet trail before swirling over my nip-‘

"You should come! I don't do parties, but since I'm on holiday, why not enjoy it?" the silky pep in your voice was going to be the death of him.

"I will consider it."

Get it together, Nanami.

Before he could offer to get you a drink, an older gentleman who looked very similar to Kento waved in his direction.

"I have to get going, unfortunately. But it was a pleasure meeting you. I.. don't know your name."

You tell him, smiling and holding your hand out.

"It was a pleasure to meet you as well, Ken. Hope to see you later tonight." He kissed your hand before walking off.

"Oh! And Bavarian cream."

"I'm sorry?" Confused, Kento turned back to you slightly.

"For the pie. I like Bavarian cream pie."

He smiled, turning away. "Fucks sake." He huffed, and his waistband was doing more work than anticipated tonight.

You made your way to the elevators, Gojo and Geto catching up as Geto wrapped his arm around your waist, pecking your cheek.

Kento watched you intently as he stood with his family. Saying goodbye to other guests was the least of his concerns when the swaying of your body had his mind completely occupied. Getos arm causing a severe problem for him as it sat right at your ass.

5… 4… 3… breathe Kento

He continued to make small talk with the guest, smiling as you three got into the elevator, doors closing, and his heart racing.

  It was like Gojo needed to learn how to have a small party. His penthouse, one of many, was now an entire club. A spacious dance floor, an open bar, and a dessert bar because that man wasn't touching a drop of alcohol. But a slice of Black Forest cake? Different story.

With an area roped off, you headed through the crowded floor in that direction.

  "There's my girl!" Shoko stood first, taking the cigarette out of her mouth before hugging you tightly. "How are you, doll face?"

"Better now that I've seen you, babe."

“I'm glad you decided to show up over an hour late." Gojo chimed in, an overdramatized look of annoyance on his face while pulling you to sit beside him.

"Toru. You know me. I'm not wearing the same fit to an after-party, bookie. Your girl had to get cute and comfortable."

"And a pair of Versace platforms is comfortable?" Geto questioned, sass embedded in his tone with a smirk.

"Exactly. I knew you'd get it, SuguPoo." the group laughed.

"Suguru, she's a Versace and Moschino model now. Those platforms are nothing", Satoru closed in, a cheeky smile spreading across his face as he handed you a drink.

Your cheeks got warmer as he mentioned your latest gig. You had officially made your mark. You were now standing as one of the few black curve models to walk one of the major fashion houses, getting the gig with pure talent. "Oh, baby. The way I wasn't expecting to hear back after my little rant about fashion house politics. But who could say no to this body?" You ran your hands down your hips and lightly smacked your rear, pulling playful howls from Shoko and Gojo while Geto laughed, shaking his head at your antics.

"Come on, let's give our faves show. I've missed you!" Gojo grabbed your hand, leading you to the dance floor. Shoko and Geto sat back to watch with their drinks in hand.

Kento watched and waited until you left the area, hands finally relieved of the clammy feeling they had for the last hour. Trying to restrain the hard-on you gave him once he saw the tight dress you changed into, he slipped into the bathroom to wait you out.

Nanami joined them the moment you left the section.

"Where've you been?" Shoko questioned harmlessly.

"Was just talking with some old acquaintances. I was trying to get back to you guys."

"Your detail giving you some breathing room tonight?" Geto pointed with his chin to the security guard he was used to seeing with Nanami, in far less inconspicuous attire than usual.

"You could say that. Didn't want to kill the mood."

    It was as if the music slowed when Kento's gaze approached you. The dance floor was packed, but he knew where you were—dancing with Satoru, who he wished to flick away so you could be all over him instead.

The way your body was swaying, generous ass moving against Gojo to a very poor mix of Pour It Up by Rihanna. You made it worth sitting through an awful set if it meant seeing how you grind on literally anything. The short, amber-colored dress showed the ample flesh he felt so desperate to grip onto. ' If you could just sit in my lap so I could hold you up as I give you every fucking inch of me.’

"I'm gonna step out for some air." Kento stood up, grabbing his gin and tonic, not looking back to see if Geto or Shoko heard him.

  Outside, he leaned against the railing. The late-night weather was welcoming. The faint almond scent from the trees wafted past his nostrils pleasantly. Closing his eyes, he sighed deeply, leaning into the comfortable breeze against his skin.

Every bit of contact he'd had with you that day felt like a tiny gesture of sweet love. How your supple skin felt under his lips when he kissed your hand. Your laughter was a healing potion. He left the comfort of his estate to see a woman who made him weak just by snorting. You were the beautiful, intelligent woman who was friends with Gojo and Geto. Under 6 hours of finally experiencing your perfection in person without a barrier and he couldn't fucking breathe without his constricted dick throbbing. So many people had access to you and he wanted to know you better than they did. He wanted to be to only one with that access. You were a need. Needing you beside him, on top of him, under him, “I want to hear you same my name while I sing yours like a praise to the heavens. My angel. My everything”

    He brings the glass to his mouth, finishing the watered-down gin drink.

The sound of heels approaching brought him back to earth. "Having fun?" His angel came into view as he opened his eyes.

"More or less. It seems like you're having a blast." The shimmer of your lip gloss kept his eyes on your lips longer than he intended.

"For sure. Satoru is always my dance partner when we're out together."

"That happens often?"

"Eh. When I'm visiting here, only when Suguru doesn't feel like it. So very often."

Kento offered the space next to him as you both snickered. Standing by him, he finally saw your beauty under the moonlight. Everything about you was like an awakening. Flawless, gentle, soft.

A few moments of silence passed before you spoke. "You know, you should do a better job of staring from across the room if you were trying to be lowkey."

Your words stun him, a nervous laugh leaving his mouth as he stands up straight.

"Sorry. I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable by any means."

"I'm not uncomfortable. I wouldn't have come out here if I was."

Relief shows as the wrinkles in his forehead relax. "Was it really that obvious?"

"Maybe I'm delusional, but your eyes followed me most of the night."

"Not delusional. But, to be clear. I find you incredibly attractive."

Your cheeks were now warming as his brown eyes looked for yours. "I'm flattered.”

"Can I buy you a drink? Preferably at a quieter locale?"

"Are you asking me out, Ken?"

"I wouldn't subject you to a drink as a first date."

Your smile glowed a bit more as he placed his hand on your lower back, making your way to the closest exit with him.

"We can discuss a proper date during the drinks. I am a gentleman, after all."

"Show me the way then, Ken."

"So hotel stays are your usual choice when you're here?"

Trying to keep your balance, you wrapped yourself around Kento's arm while you walked down the corridor from the bar.

“50/50. I grab a hotel if I get in too late or stay at one of Toru's places if I tell him in time. I'll be doing that in the morning once I check out."

'Toru? We will have to talk about these nicknames.'

"Well, I hope I was pleasant enough company this evening."

"You're fun, Ken," your voice echoed as you approached the elevators. "You are quite the man, and I had a great time getting to know you."

"It's been my pleasure. You are captivating and have my attention." The energy was refreshing for you both. He wasn't another menace from your DMs. A philanthropist finance guy was rare—a gentleman with a gentle disposition.

You stopped, going to balance against the wall, bending over to take off your heels.

"Here, let me."

"It's alright, I got it." you persisted, with no progress.

"Darling, you're missing the strap of the heel. I insist." You giggled and watched as he bent down on one knee to unfasten the dainty strap, removing the heels from your feet as you held onto his shoulders for support. A heat rushed to your ears as you felt how delicate he was being with you.

"Ken, you are indeed a godsend."

Nanami carried your shoes as he led you into the elevator, holding it open. "Which floor are you on?"

“30th,”

He hit the floor number and went to lean against the back wall. You stood in front of him, eyes on his exposed collarbone.

Noticing your unsteadiness, he stepped forward and carefully placed his hands above your waist.

"Easy. You okay?"

With your heart racing at 1000 miles an hour, you could only nod.

* Floor 4*

You leaned forward, placing your hand on his chest to steady yourself. Cedarwood and alcohol on his breath. Your eyes met his with a shared feverish desire as you peered up. You were buzzing now from the proximity.

*Floor 9*

You don't know how your hand went from his chest to gripping his neck, nails running through his undercut, but it happened before you got to floor 20, where he stopped the elevator.

"Ken.. please,"

His large hands gripped your thighs, lifting one of your legs to wrap around him. Your dress was already short, now hiking up as he pressed his thick bulge into your inner thighs.

"Please.. please say my name again." He grinds himself into you, pang of desire in his voice, breath tickling your ear as you wriggle your hand between you both to unbutton his shirt from the top.

"Ken. Nngh, shit. Ken.. I need you."

Lips finding purchase on your neck, nipping at any skin he could sink his teeth into. The pads of his fingers run down your panty-covered slit. A shiver went through you as he circled at your throbbing bundle of nerves.

"Fuck! Please, Ken."

"Please, what, darling? Use your words for me." His voice grew gruff as he felt you trying to grind against him.

"Please make me cum for you,"

“You want to make a mess for me. You want to be a slut in this elevator?” The patronizing voice made you whimper as the sound of Kento ripping your thin panties jilted you, his middle finger sinking into you deeply. A deep moan was all you could muster as his thick digit pumped into you, nails leaving crescents on his shoulders as he kept you pressed against the elevator wall. "Keeennnn. Fuck”

"All that for me, princess? Your cunt this wet all for me?" He curled his thick finger inside, finding that soft, sweet spot that made your knees buckle. "Looking at my hands while I drove. Playing innocently with them while you sat beside me in the booth." Talking through his teeth, he brought his weight against you, keeping you up as he aimed to make you beg before the elevator automatically began to move again. "beautiful, plump cunt was begging to have my fingers fill you. Is this it? Hm? Is this what my princess needed?"

"Oh fuck, oh fuck, yes! P-please don’t stop." You were desperate for release. The sloppy noises of your wet cunt filled the elevator as he relished in the slippery sensation. Brushing his lips to yours, Kento languidly slid his tongue inside your mouth, rolling them his tongue over yours while his grunts grew louder—a string of saliva connected you, a shared fervid look as the elevator dinged.

His hand was soaked, but he couldn't let this be where he gave you an orgasm for the first time. Letting your leg down, he brought his hand to your mouth, running his fingers covered in your essence on your lips.

"When we get to your room, you are mine. All of you." The hungry determination in his eye didn’t leave room for question; you were to be devoured.

The sun was like a death ray as the bright rays and the constant buzzing nearby awakened you.

"Ken," you rolled over to see him lying on his back, bite marks and glitter across his chest.

"Mm," his groggy tone, letting you know he was only halfway listening.

"Ken. Please get your phone. That shit is going nonstop."

"Sorry, angel"

He groaned as he moved, kissing your shoulder gently. You kissed his lips as he reached over you to the bedside table. The vibrations didn't seem to have an end in sight.

"No one should need me this early. I should have an open schedule."

Opening the first text in his sights, he begins to read, stomach sinking as he clicks the link Gojo sent.

"Ken, you okay? "

Nanami sat his phone down, trying to keep his composure. He knew he had to prepare you for the whirlwind of a nightmare that was to come. For you, at least. He didn't have to take the drastic measures he originally planned to have you, at least.

This may be good. No more admiring outside of your photo shoots. No more trips with just Satoru and Suguru to islands. He would be your comfort; you'd be by his side only. This incident could be the beginning of a whirlwind romance. That is different from how he would've done things. But he could soothe this over eventually.

"Before I say anything, just know I will do everything possible to keep you comfortable. Okay?" the sincerity in his eyes had you. You nodded as you looked down at his phone, eyes widening as you read the now-trending story.

“Kento? What the fuck is this? Prince!?”

thanks to the lovely @/saradika for the dividers <3

banner featuring art from @/narutoss_ramen! please go check them out!

Thank you for reading! <3

[assam-calico]

Ino and Nanami in south/east LA street wear

.

when i saw all the theme songs for characters and Ino getting associated with Tupac, I immediately thought “he would totally think 2 of amerikaz most wanted is his and nanamis theme.” also as a southeast LA girlie, i always love drawing characters in fashion similar to how i dress haha

[kishillaa]

SSM21 Day 24: Fairytale

"I really don't think I should go, Ino." Sakura, sprawling on her bed, before her was her revision book she more often than not study at when she's not busy running around the hospital for her seemingly never ending shift.

Ino is sitting on the chair of her study, wearing a camisole and short pants. Her baby blue eyes are thick with pleading emotion, "You don't have to be there long. Just until you have to go for your shift. You know I need you there. And plus, you have to go out once in a while. Till when are you planning to only stay indoor during your free time, which is rarely I might add."

"This isn't a fairytale for me to be leisurely go around and enjoy parties, Ino. I would really like the comfort of our home. My room." She said, gesturing to her room.

Ino crossed her hands over her chest and look pointedly at her bestfriend, "This isn't about a fairytale or not. You've gotta get out of this confined place once in a while. What comfort are you looking for over your books?"

Sakura push her book away a little and turn around to look at her bestfriend slash housemate. She and Ino has been bestfriends since kindergarten, while she pursue her study in medical school, Ino went on to take a major on psychology, and when she finished her study, she decided that modelling is her thing.

She's tried to be at every of her show for support but lately, she noticed that Ino has something up her sleeve. After her show that Sakura attend, she will introduce a fine young man and ditch her with him.

Sakura sighs, it might be a huge coincident that there's always a guy to introduce. Tonight though, she really couldn't go. She has a midnight shift, which started at 11. Ino's show starts at 8 and end around midnight. She has to prepare to work at least an hour prior so she could be there on time.

Mentally do the math, she thought maybe she can go home early, 9 something or 10 maybe. So she heaves another defeated sigh as Ino squeals, running towards her wardrobe to retrieve a dress for Sakura to wear.

3 hours later, Sakura found herself seated on a fancy chair facing the stage for a fashion show. It was a party like fashion show, where the show will be held during a formal dinner party.

Ino was flawless and beautiful as always, walking on the stage, styling her modelling dress and poses for pictures.

"That was great, Ino!" She exclaimed as her bestfriend approached her, "I don't understand why you were so nervous. You were perfect earlier, like you always did."

Ino giggles as she spoke, "Thanks, Sakura. But Mikoto Uchiha is my idol. To modelling her own collection she designed herself is an honor, and I was afraid I messed it up. You know how I am when I got nervous."

Sakura put her hand on Ino's shoulder in reassuring manner, "You worried for nothing, then."

Ino beamed at her, "You're the best! Anyway, I met this guy before I came here. His name is Sai and he asked if I want a drink. Do you mind if I–" She pause to smile sheepishly at her pink haired bestfriend.

Sakura rolls her eyes. Well, at least she isn't trying to hook her up with someone, "Alright, I need to head home soon, anyway."

Ino scoffs and shakes her pointing finger in Sakura's face, "Live up a little, will you? It's still early, why don't you court a few beautiful men here before you go back to that dreaded real life of yours. I'll suggest you live this great and amazing fairytale just for a moment." Ino walks away with one hand raises up for a goodbye.

Sakura lets out a snort at her bestfriend. "Fairytale my ass." She murmurs and glances at her wrist watch which she didn't often wear because of her job and decide that she'll kill a little of her time here before make her way home.

As she put the elegant cup on the tip of her mouth, her eyes caught a sight of a man, looking rather ravishingly good, standing, leaning against the wall, away from other people. His eyes train upon his iPhone, and as if sensing her eyeing him from afar, he lifts up his head and their eyes met.

Sakura feels like her breath stuck in her throat as she stares at that man's eyes himself, so devilishly handsome. She almost satisfy as his eyes moves to roam over her body – thank Ino for styling her in this pretty long dress that hug her body perfectly – and grateful that he looks up at her with a look that only meant he's interested.

Without further ado, Sakura place the glass in her hold on the table, rise herself up her seat and slowly, walk over his direction.

As she reaches him, she stopped a few steps away. Sakura tilted her head to the side. "Want a company?" And to that, ladies and gentlemen, Sakura hope the ground swallow her whole. What a lame thing to say for a good looking guy.

She almost stunt when the devil himself look amused before he nodded, "Sure."

Sakura grins up at him and move to stand beside him, leaning together against the wall as she cross her hands over her chest, "This kind of thing aren't really my forte." She told.

"That makes the two of us." She heard him mutters.

She looks at him, "Why come here then?"

"Mikoto is my mother."

Sakura's eyes almost bulged from its socket, "Mikoto? Like Mikoto Uchiha, the one hosting this party and designed those dresses?"

The guy, the handsome handsome guy lift up one eyebrow, "Yes. In fact, I wonder why you didn't recognise me yet."

Sakura chuckles lightly, "I'm sorry, Mr. Uchiha. But I don't know anything about you, or your mother, or your family. I heard my bestfriend talked about it, but never really care to know more. I came because she was one of your mother's model."

From her peripheral view, she saw him nodded, "I'm Sasuke, by the way." He said, as if detest the way she addressed him as Mr. Uchiha.

Sakura turns her body to face him, and pull out her hand, "Sakura. Sakura Haruno."

Her smiles, wide, bright and beautiful display before him and Sasuke couldn't help but hold her delicate hand in his, firmly shake it once, "It's a pleasure meeting you, Sasuke–kun." She was hesitant, as she add the honorific.

"The pleasure is all mine, Sakura."

Her name that roll out of his mouth molded through his tongue makes Sakura's heart skip a beat. Never has she ever heard her name sounded so sinfully good.

They didn't spoke after that, watching over people dancing through the ball room with the slow dance song. "You know," Sasuke heard Sakura spoke, gaining his attention to look over her, "I don't usually do this, but let's dance."

She thought he's going to decline her right away, but didn't startle when his hand is offered before her. Smiling up at him, Sakura slid her hand over his. He grips it with such gentleness and he leads them to the dance floor.

As they dance follow the tune of the song, he spoke. "You're not bad."

Sakura lets out a shy giggle and murmurs her thanks before she responded, "I was a cheerleader back in high school."

"I see."

"How about you? Do you do any sport?"

"I was in football team."

"That makes sense. What do you do now?"

He has the amused smile on his face that makes Sakura tilted her head to the side, "What?"

"You really don't know me."

"Should I?"

There is a light rise and fall of his shoulder, "I guess you don't really have to. My father own a law firm. I worked under him?"

"A lawyer then?"

A nod, "How about you?"

"Guess." She said, cheekily grins at him.

He do a once over at Sakura before he said, "A model."

That makes her snort, "Thank you for finding me that appealing. But no, I am not."

"A hint?"

"That will be too easy."

"Alright, I'll guess randomly. A teacher?"

A head shake from Sakura.

"Another lawyer?"

She chuckles, "I was interested in that when I was in school, but I found it too intense."

"A no then. I really think you'd make a nice model."

"I'm not really interested in those. I'm a residence in Konoha Hospital."

A surprise raised eyebrow, "A doctor. Surgeon?"

"Right." Sakura turn the hand that's over his neck to look at her watch. She sighs when it shows its a little over 10.

"In fact, I need to go now. My shift starts in an hour."

"Really?" That was definitely a disappointment in his tone.

Sakura let our a giggle and poke her finger on his chest, "I have a day off two days from now. Around seven in the evening at The Yakiniku?"

Sasuke lift an eyebrow teasingly, "Is it a date?"

"It's definitely a date. I need to go now. See you in two days." She pat a hand on his chest, and walk away.

That man, that beautiful, handsome and angelic face man, is probably the closest fairytale she has ever indulged herself in.

[tinywriter2018]

Evermore Part 1: Breakaway

Breakaway 

Sakura wiped her palms against her dress, the mic in her grip kept slipping. Sweaty palms were not going to get her down.  Even her nerves weren’t going to stop her from steeping out on stage.  Sakura Haruno, intended to sing her heart out and make it on the live shows.  This is something she wanted to do, not what others wanted of her.  It is her dream, no one else is going to claim it.  

“They are ready for you.”  The stage manager motioned for her to step out onto the stage.  “The camera’s are slightly frightening the first time, but just breathe.  It’s just judges right now and the camera crew.”  He gave her a smile trying to calm down her racing heart.  A nervous singer is something he is very use to.    

“Thank you.”  She choked out, brushing her short hair behind her ear.  The bad hair cut Ino had given her a month ago still hadn’t grown out enough for her liking.  Her eyes trained on the red taped ‘X’ on the floor.  Refusing to look up until she made it perfectly in the middle. Her gaze lifting to the three judges sitting at a wooden table draped over theater seats.  

All three were the industries finest.  The ones who knew talent from a mile away.  Tsunade, sitting in middle, the ballad singer.  Over her 30 year career she had been number one on the charts and on every list since her first single.  

To her left sat Jiarya, head of Sage Entertainment, he is the owner and ceo of one of the most profitable entertainment companies.  The home to some of the most legendary boy & girl groups to date. 

On the right sat the biggest and most respected music critic.  Orochimaru, the song writer whom can predicted a career path before it even begins.  People he says will be number one, even if people laugh at his suggestion, he eventually gets proven right.  

“Hello.”  Tsunade started out, her smile trying to coax the girl from fainting.  

“Hello.” Sakura whispered into the mic, slightly started by the playback.  It took her a second to reorganize her thoughts.  The blood rushing through her brain made her more dizzy then she wanted to be.  Her eyes darted to a couple of camera’s before landing back on the judges.  

“What’s your name and where are you from?”  Tsunade questioned, the usual introduction.  

“Sakura Haruno, from Konoha Village.”

“Another one of you.” Orochimaru gazed over at the white haired record owner.

“Hey now, it’s not my fault we tend to have talent.”  Jiarya joked.  Tsunade ignored them, her eyes on the pink haired girl.

“Sakura, are you nervous?”  

“A little bit.”  She nodded a natural smile coming out.  

“Don’t be.  We want you to succeed.”  Orochimaru rolled his eyes, leaning back in his chair.  Not everyone wanted her to.  The Snake of Music certainly wasn’t one to route for anyone before they opened their mouth.  

“What will you be singing today?”  He wanted this to be over and moved on to the next person. 

“Breakaway by Konan.”  She watched the judges raise their eyebrows a little.  

“Big song.”  Jiaraya got ready to hear her crack at the belting notes.  Konan, signed under his label and knew her voice quite well.  The first time she sang it, she cracked too.  Took months of training to get it right.  

“Whenever you are ready.  Good luck.” Tsunade encouraged.  

“She’s so nervous-”  Orochimaru whispered to the other judges and for the cameras.  Closing her eyes, she took in a deep breath feeling the tension in her wrist slowly leave.  Her heart was still racing, but this was something she could do in her sleep.  Opening her eyes at the first chord, Tsunade sat up right catching something the others didn’t notice. She saw exactly what she sees in the mirror every day.  

Determination.  

‘Grew up in a small town 

And when the rain would fall down 

I’d just stare out my window 

Dreaming of what could be 

And If i’d end up happy 

I would pray’

Orochimaru sat up straight, his hands clasping together on the table.  Jiarya who had been bouncing his knee paused and went rigged.  Tsunade smiled behind her clasped hands.  Her voice was deep and even.  The pitch was perfect, everything about her voice hadn’t been something they had heard before, at least not in a while.  It was unique to the current pop scene.  It added depth and passion to a song that had been sung by a more lyrical voice.    

Trying hard to reach out 

But when I tired to speak out 

Felt like no one could hear me 

Wanted to belong here 

But something felt so wrong her 

So I prayed 

I could breakaway 

Sakura felt the tension from the judges build as she came to the chorus.  An image of her family back at home not knowing she was here.  Her mother is probably calling or texting her phone wondering why she missed her study session with the tutor.  They had wanted her to go to college and be a doctor.  Doing something for herself instead of other people, it was her chance.  

I’ll spread my wings and I’ll learn how to fly

I’ll do what it takes til’ I touch the sky 

And I’ll make a wish, take a chance, make a change

And breakaway 

Her friend Ino helped pick out the right dress for today, yet she knew Ino felt her own reservation about letting her come.  She remembered Sakura as this shy girl who could barely speak to anyone.  Naruto and Hinata sitting in the waiting room.  They both came to support her through both the good or bad tears she may shed today.    

Out of the darkness and into the sun 

I won’t forget all the ones that I love 

I gotta take a risk, take a chance, make a change

And breakaway 

The music switched the bridge.  She only had a few more lines left to show what she was worth.  Her heart began to hurt when she thought of Sasuke, sitting next to Naruto out in the waiting room.  He knew she need to do this but both knew his future was in Konoha village.  Following in his families footsteps in taking over the museum.  Both of them knew that doing this, would cause a future distance between them.  If she succeeded it meant loosing him in the future.   Sasuke knew if she got on the live shows there was no way she wouldn’t walk away with grand prize.  

Buildings with a hundred floors

Swinging around revolving doors

Maybe I don’t know where they’ll take me, but 

Gotta keep moving on, moving on 

Fly away, breakaway 

She let her emotions come out as she belted her heart out repeating the chorus one more time.  Her eyes were misty, emotions laid out there for everyone to see both in person and in their homes.  With a final last note, Sakura dropped the mic in one hand, clearing her eyes with the other.  Tsunade leaned back, tears of her own coming out.  Jiraiya smiled looking over at the stone faced Orochimaru.  Everyone sat with their feelings for a few seconds passed by.   

“I didn’t know I needed to hear a voice like that until today.”  Jiraiya smiled.  “There must be something in the water in that village.”  he shook his head looking at Tsunade.  She dabbed a tissue at her eyes.   

 “Damn it Sakura!”  She laughed, shaking her head.  “Your emotion throughout the song reminded me of when I first started.  The drive, the need.”  

“You’re just a big old softy aren’t you.”  Jiaraya teased the singer.  She slapped his arm, earning a laugh from him.  

“Shut up!  I just…Even when you were clearly emotional your voice never wavered, it only seemed to empower it. If this is your first song I can’t wait to hear the rest you have for us.”    

Orochimaru took a few seconds of silence, while everyone waited on what he would say.  Cameras trained on both him and Sakura.  

“It’s been a while since I said this, but if you continue on the path and growth you need.  You’ll be a bigger star than any of us have ever seen before.  You just made the biggest star in the Land of Fire’s iconic song your own and nailed it on all levels.”  Sakura smiled wide, trying to keep herself from crying more.  

“I think you need to clear out your plans.  Looks like you're upgrading to Konoha City!”  Jirarya finished.  Both him and Tsunade broke out into wide grins.  

With finally thank you and bows Sakura walked out finally allowing herself to cry.  Naruto and Hinata were the first ones to run over and hug her.  Once Sakura broke free from their holds she walked into Sasuke's arms.  He kissed the top of her head, smiling down at her.

“I knew you could do it.”  He whispered while she cried.  They walked away with her train ticket to the big city in her hands.  Unknowingly in a month when the show would air she would also be walking away with the nation’s hearts.  

———

Sakura sat on the train going back to her hometown.  A very different ride home then she had left 10 years ago. 

Pulling out her phone, she texted Ino saying she would be arriving in an hour.  Sending another one to Hinata to let her know she was okay.  Scrolling through the list of names on her phone she paused at his name.  They had recently talked, just to catch up, but he didn’t know she was coming home for the holidays.  She had lied last year to keep from seeing him, and this year she didn’t know if she could face him.  

“Um..excuse me?”  Sakura turned to look at a girl in her early teens.  She had her hair short like how Sakura used to wear it and a school uniform from Konoha Village.  “Sorry to bother...can I have your autograph?”  She held out Sakura’s latest CD.  Pulling a sharpie from her bag, she smiled at the girl. 

“What’s your name?” 

“Ayame.”  

“Well Ayame, your one of the few people I know who still carry physical CD’s around.”  She teased the young girl.  

“I was visiting my grandmother and I always have them on me...In case my phone dies and I can listen to them on a CD player… I never miss a release!”  Sakura signed her name on the inside cover.  It was a picture of her lying in a meadow.  Her pink hair longer then it now.  

“Can’t wait for you to hear the new one coming out in a few months.”  

“Really?  Another one already?!”  Sakura held up a finger.  

“Our little secret okay?”

“Okay!”  

“Do you go to Konoha High in the village?”  

“Yep, I just started.  My parents just moved her from the city.  I stayed with my Grandmother until today.  I was afraid I wouldn’t make it home in time to change.” 

“It’s a good school, but tough on grades.  Study hard and you’ll get into any college of your dreams.”  

“Thank you Sakura!”  She handed back the CD and watched her hug it close to her chest before darting back into the back car.  Sakura chuckled to herself, writing a quick note in her phone to remember to send a signed CD & merchandise to Ayame before the new album drops.  She had taken the 1 AM train to avoid crowds and people.  The train ride gave her enough time to breath before being thrown back into her old life or returning to her new one.  She wondered which one of her old friends would pick her up.  Naruto or Ino, Hinata would be asleep.  

When the train finally arrived at the station, Sakura stood on the platform with her bags looking for a blonde.  

“Why are the blonde ones always late?”  She wrapped her coat around her tighter, wishing she had just asked Sai or Hinata instead.  

“Sakura.”  His voice still sent her heart racing.  She made eye contact with Sasuke.  Glasses rested on the bridge of his nose, black hair a mess.  He held a coffee cup in his hand.   

“Sasuke?”  She expected to run into him, just not this soon.  He walked over handing her a cup. She took it eagerly, while he grabbed her bag.  “What are you doing?  How did you know-”

“Naruto asked me to pick you up.”  The silent judgment of her not asking him for a ride.    

“But-” 

“Sakura, it’s cold.  We can talk in the car.  Drink your hot chocolate.”  He started to walk towards the parking lot leaving her there for a few seconds.  She caught up and walking next to him.  

“Are there marshmallows?”   

“And whip cream.  Though it’s probably melted with how long it took the train to get here.”  His face still the unreadable as it had been in the past.  Sasuke reached out threading his fingers through her hand.  

Masterlist 

[thefangirlslair]

Free At Last (A Sasusaku One-Shot Fanfiction) x Purple Love VI

Note: Okay, okay. I know it’s been a while. I’ve been busy not being completely mental because of some stuff, and then this corona virus comes up and just messes up with my head furthermore. Ugh! Well, I hope you’re all safe and doing well. And of course, enjoy Sakura Day! It is our queen’s birthday, and I know i’ll never forgive myself if i don’t participate on her special day. So i hope you appreciate this one because i took a break from angst and tried a light and fluffy one. I am sO NERVOUS OMG thanks so much to everyone who keeps on reading these fics i have. Thank u thank u!!!

PS. This is also up on my ffnet! Let me know your thoughts! Again, Happy Birthday Uchiha Sakura!!!!!!!!!! MY QUEEN I LOB U

-

Excerpt:  This might be her second birthday since he knew her, first as her boyfriend, but he feels like he’s known her for a long time. He wants to be there on her birthday every year, forever, as long as she’ll have him.

--

SasuSaku Pairing (2,578 words)

A Poor Attempt at Writing Fics

Sasusaku Edition XXV

Free At Last

Not even grainy resolutions of webcam cameras and shitty internet connections can ever hide her wide-blown grin. May it be over a monitor, your smartphone or in person, Haruno Sakura’s smile will always be as beautiful as its owner. And it’s even much brighter now that her team is singing her happy birthday through her computer screen.

Boisterous laughter followed after all the singing because was that Lee-san who croaked that last note?

“That was awful, Eyebrows!”, laughed Naruto, some dramatic tears leaking from the corners of his happy blue eyes and his tongue slipping the familiar nickname outside work. “Was that you or you have a pet frog?” The addressed man cannot be seen beyond his webcam because he was busy lying under his desk because Sakura-san! I have failed to sing the best happy birthday song! Shame on me!

Almost choking on her drink, Tenten interrupted, “Hey Naruto, we’re still technically at work even though we’re working from home. Stop with the nicknames until later!”

“C’mon, buns! It’s not as if Boss is here to murder us with his glare! And it’s just another 10 minutes before our shift ends; we need to celebrate Sakura-chan's birthday at least!”, the blond whined as an answer.

“Aww, thanks so much guys!”, Sakura smiled. “Naruto, stop teasing Lee-san. And listen to Tenten, we still need to be professional while we’re still at work. I wish we are together at the office though! I would’ve loved to celebrate with you all, too.”

Another blue-eyed, blonde person answered. “Ugh, tell me about it. I’d rather be at the office right now and listen to Naruto’s obnoxious voice than be with a lazy ass and be bored out of my mind like someone over here..” Ino’s annoyed face and an even more annoyed voice rang through their earphones and speakers, noting the emphasis on some words about her boyfriend who rolled his eyes. In the background, you can hear Tenten’s Language!

They can all see Shikamaru, the boyfriend, who simply smirked, looked sideways at his workmate/girlfriend and lazily drawled, “You love this lazy ass.”

Series of ‘OHHHHHH’ can be heard from Kiba, Tenten and Naruto while Lee choked some more and laid again under his desk. Sakura just laughed at her best friend’s face because Ino was trying so hard not to blush that she covered her almost-red face and slapped Shikamaru’s arm at reach. Sakura even heard the man chuckled under his breath.

“Shika, you smooth fucker,” Kiba teased. “Teach us your ways!”

Tenten growled, “Inuzuka, if you don’t shut the fuck u-”

“Weren’t you the one who said to remain professional and mind our language while at work, Tenten-san?”, Lee’s head came up to peek onto the camera and asked his innocent question. He ducked again when the brunette’s eyes flashed for a second and escaped before she unleashes her rage on him.

Sakura’s laughter was light and happy, her green eyes sparkling with mirth. These people’s faces on her screen belong to not just her team at work but her friends. Her second family. Or maybe third? she thought.

They spend more than 40 hours a week together whether it be stressing over clients at work, drinking coffee at the pantry, pizza parlor visits after shift, and ice creams every payday. And now that she realized that it has been two long months since they worked from home, now at their last day of quarantine, let alone on her birthday, she misses them. Terribly so.

“I miss you guys. Really,” she said, her voice a bit lower than usual, which means she’s serious. Her friends saw it and immediately stopped their bickering. “I didn't have anyone before until Naruto and Ino came along. Then came Tenten, then Shikamaru... until Kiba and then lastly, Lee-san. It’s been 10 years since my first celebration with the blonds, but I feel like I’ve been celebrating it with all 7 of you ever since.” She smiled again, “Thank you for always being with me on my day.”

A few moments passed and finally, a chorus of incomprehensible words were heard through Sakura’s speakers because they all reacted at the same time:

“Sakura-chaaan! Don’t be sad! I’ll be sad too!”

“Cut... hik... cut the drama f-forehead! I d-.. I don’t want it!... hik...”

“Ah... now you want me to fall for you now, huh? Stop, damn it Sakura..”

“Girl, don’t touch my fucking heart like that. You already know we got you always.”

“SAKURA-SAAAAAAAAAN!!!”

Sakura watched it all with glowing eyes and a full heart. She looked one by one on their blurry little faces and she felt love just seep through her pores. She’s finally seeing them next week since the quarantine is finally over and there will be no need to hide from the pandemic that affected the rest of the world.

They’re still busy reeling over Sakura’s mini birthday speech and the rosette is overwhelmed with emotions when they heard Shikamaru asked, “Seven?”

“Huh?”, Sakura confusedly asked back.

“We’re only six here, excluding you, but you said ���all 7 of you’ earlier.”

All eyes turned to her and she felt nervous. Crap, I slipped!

“Oh,” she started, nervously added an awkward laugh. “I meant six! I might be more tired than usual then. We had to talk to a lot of clients today anyway, right?”

She knew she didn’t convince Shikamaru and the rest of her friends, so she thanked all the deities she knew when her phone rang and Kakashi’s name flashed on her screen. She took it as an opportunity to escape more questions from them and so she said, “I gotta take this call, it’s my old high school teacher.”

She muted their audio of their conference call and opened the window of her emails instead to hide her screen and chat box. Sakura went to the balcony to answer the call.

Little did she know that she forgot to turn off her camera.

--

“Did you notice she was acting weird?”

“She absolutely did, right? She looked nervous earlier. Do you know something about this, Naruto?”

“No! She tells us everything but for the past few months, she’s been a little secretive, I think. It also doesn’t help that we’ve been in quarantine for 2 months! Is she still my best friend, Ino-chan?”

“First of all, I am her best friend and not you. And second, I agree. Ugh, this Forehead is making my head hurt!”

“Don’t judge Sakura-san! She’s a good friend! If she wants to tell us something, she will!”

“I don’t care about her secret or whatever, all I want to know where her house is because look at her room. So fucking huge!”

“That’s not her house, Kiba. Forehead said she’s staying at her mom’s friend because she’s alone at her apartment.”

“Yeah, Sakura-chan's room is much brighter and full of flowers! The room they gave her now is so boring, look! It’s either black or gray!”

“I wouldn’t mind. The size of that room is almost as big as my entire apartment. That bed looks something I want to break with Neji.”

“Tenten-san!! Control yourself!!!”

“Y’all are so noisy even in chat.”

“Shut up, ponytail!”

A movement from Sakura’s camera caught everyone’s attention. Her computer is located at the corner of the room so they could see a part of the queen size bed and has a direct view of the bedroom door. The knob turned and someone entered the room.

“WHO’S THAT?!!!”

“SOMEONE ENTERED SAKURA-SAN'S ROOM!!”

“Is that her mom’s friend?”

“Stop panicking idiots!”

“THEY BETTER LEAVE SAKURA-CHAN ALONE!!!”

“Wait...”

“Is that....?”

“OHMYFGOFDD”

“IS THAT BOSS TEME???!”

“Holy shit..”

“Damn he’s so fucking hot in sweatpants...”

“Why is he there??????”

“UCHIHA-SAN IS IN SAKURA-SAN'S ROOM!!!!!”

“I see... this could be why Sakura said 7.”

“NOOOO! THIS CAN’T BE! SAKURA-CHAN WON’T DATE THAT ASSHOLE! SHE CAN’T!!”

Stood inside the room is no other than their young CEO, Uchiha Sasuke, dressed in casual gray sweatpants and thin white t-shirt. If not because of his wild black hair and intimidating aura, they wouldn’t even know it’s him. They have always seen him in crisp suits and perfect posture, maybe once in a bomber jacket and ripped jeans, but this is the first time they’ve seen him in comfortable clothes with his usual stiff shoulders a bit relaxed and his hands casually tucked in his pockets.

Another movement from the other corner of the room, and Sakura came into view. They didn’t know she was only wearing a big shirt that barely covered her thighs, and the chat room exploded again.

“Sakura’s so hot, damn..”

“HOY DOG-BREATH, LOOK AWAY!!! STOP HOUNDING SAKURA-CHAN!!”

“YAAAS GET THAT ASS GIRL!!”

“I CAN’T BELIEVE THIS! FOREHEAD IS BANGING OUR BOSS! THAT’S SO HOT”

They watched in awe when the two met in the middle of the room and Sakura tiptoed and wrapped her arms around Sasuke’s neck. Their boss leaned down and held her hips, his face hidden within her pink locks.

The scene didn’t have any audio for their mini audience but even without it, they know the two are speaking in whispers, with Sakura’s head nodding and Sasuke’s hands running over her waist and back as indications. They felt like intruders and most of them almost blushed because of the affection and intimacy, excluding one who definitely passed out under his desk, so they decided to leave the two.

“Let’s leave them alone now, things might get pretty hot. I don’t wanna see my best friend shagging my boss, no matter how proud I am of her.”

“INO-CHAN! WE GOTTA HELP SAKURA-CHAN ESCAPE! WHAT IF HE’S HOLDING HER HOSTAGE???”

“Idiot..”

“Sakura can take me hostage any time though..”

“Wait, I just want to see Boss Uchiha topless before we go!”

--

Sasuke pulled away for a bit to look at Sakura, his birthday girl, and poked her forehead with his two fingers. His two arms wrapped around her waist again after the gesture, “Are you done for today?”

She nodded in affirmative as her hands roam around his shoulders and looped around his neck, “I almost slipped earlier though. They almost knew I have a b-..boyf-”

He smirked. They have been secretly dating for almost 4 months now but she still blushes more than usual when she tries to address him as her boyfriend. He remembered the time he introduced her to his parents as his girlfriend and she was redder than his favorite fruit the entire dinner. That was fun.

She’s his employee, he knows. Sakura’s been working for his company for more than a year now and ever since he laid his eyes on her and saw her potential, wit and charm—he knows she’s his endgame.

It’s been a long pursuit for him, being her boss and all, and her righteous perspective about everything. So when she finally gave in to her own feelings and decided to say yes to being his, he decided to never let Haruno Sakura go. Even if she decides to fight tooth and nail for her freedom from him, he will do the same to keep her. Maybe not as an employee, because that would mean he will be free to take her on lunch dates, but as his lover.

I like that, he thought. Lover.

Sasuke peered at her blushing face, her emerald eyes downcast because of embarassment, her enticing full pink lips on display that she keeps on licking and biting. Sasuke’s eyes twitched because of the sight.

“Annoying,” he almost growled under his breath. Is she aware of her effect on him?

Before she could even ask, Sasuke ducked his head down to press his mouth on hers. His hand went to the back of her head to tilt it a little upwards so he could taste deeper and he was rewarded by the opening of her mouth and the quiet moan that he drank greedily from her.

As much as he wants to call it a night and just bury himself with her and in her, she hasn’t eaten yet because his hard-headed and annoying employee still worked at home on her birthday. He baked a strawberry cake downstairs while she thought he’s busy working with investors on his office. He spent the entire day in his kitchen Facetiming with his mother to guide his baking. He’s never seen his mother so ecstatic because of him.

He came back to his senses when he felt slightly cold hands under his shirt and he fought the urge to throw her onto the bed they have been occupying for the past 2 months of quarantine and just ravish her all night. Sasuke moved both his hands and held her face as he savored more of her lips by a few flicks of his tongue before he gently pulled away.

This might be her second birthday since he knew her, first as her boyfriend, but he feels like he’s known her for a long time. He wants to be there on her birthday every year, forever, as long as she’ll have him. “Happy birthday,” he simply said, tenderly looking at her gorgeous face.

Her smile was blinding and her green irises glimmer against the setting sun. “Thank you, Sasuke-kun,” Sakura softly answered. “I love you so much.”

He pecked her lips again, lingering a bit more, and murmured against her mouth. “Love you.” He felt her smile, and he smiled back.

A small blink from the corner of his eyes got his attention and he noticed the tops of her laptop’s screen with a little light, indicating that the camera is on. Sasuke turned to Sakura, “Go downstairs and wait for me. Let’s eat dinner. I’ll just take a shower.”

Sakura nodded and happily skipped across the room and slipped outside the bedroom to wait for him downstairs. Sasuke stood for a moment looking at the door and slowly walked toward his, their, dresser. He took off his t-shirt and tossed it carelessly on the floor. He took a deep breath and finally approached Sakura’s computer on the side.

He clicked the program that runs the conference call and was greeted by her team’s shocked faces. He saw one window where Rock Lee was supposed to be but he didn’t see anyone aside from the crooked angle of the camera and are those his feet under the table? He scoffed inwardly. Guess you’ll give up pursuing her now. She’s mine.

He did a lazy sweep of his dark eyes one by one on their faces and remembered them in the future if they decide to blame Sakura for not telling this secret. Of course, they both wanted to show the world that they’re together but they still need to be a little cautious. Yes, they’re her friends and her team, but he’s not gonna be lenient especially when it comes to Sakura.

Sasuke thought the look in his eyes were effective because they all sat a little straighter. His job is now done, and now it’s time to shower so he could celebrate the entire night with Sakura. His spine tingled in anticipation.

He looked directly at the little camera above and gave his signature smirk before he logged out her account and closed Sakura’s laptop. He stretched like a feline and his grin went wider as he stripped for his shower.

Let’s just say it was an interesting first day back at the office the following Monday.

--

~fin~

[christiana-s-random-thoughts]

If I told you

Okay, before you begin reading, I’d like to say I wrote this about 5-6 years ago and later published it on ffnet.

While talking with some friends, I decided to post it here as well after I took care of some typos (there might still be some mistakes I missed, though).

It’s a songfic, using the Naruto universe and the song “If I told you” from the wedding singer.

Anyway, I hope you like it :)

oOo

Pairing: SasuHina

 Italics: Thoughts

 “Word “: Talks

 **Word**: Lyrics

 Disclaimer: I don’t own Naruto and If I told you is from “The wedding singer”.

OoooO

 If someone ever told him that, he, Uchiha Sasuke, would be hopelessly in love with a girl one day, he would have laughed at that person’s face, after punching the daylights out of him, of course. He never believed in love, never believed someone would ever capture his heart – supposing he has one – and would melt it.

Like everyone in Konoha, he thought that he would always be that cold, ruthless and lonely soul. Guess he was wrong, like every damn villager, because she came along. She, who he now is watching from a tree outside her family house. The crabapple tree she used to escape home, a little underneath her window and with many branches heading out of the fence was now his observation place…

 **Standing here underneath your window,

Searching for some kind of sign**

 He wanted her to turn around, wanted her to just approach her window and see him. Then she would climb on the tree too, and flee with him. Unfortunately, that won’t be the case.

 She was in front of her mirror, a blissful grin adorning her angelic face. And why wouldn’t she be smiling? After all, she is trying “that” dress… Her wedding dress…

 The white garment, which was contrasting beautifully with her long raven locks, made her look like an angel.

 Pale lavender eyes that he would never gaze at again; long raven locks in which he won’t run his fingers ever again, nor smell her sweet shampoo – apple scented, he recalled fondly – , a cute button nose that he liked to flick – to her great annoyance – , cute pink lips that he oh so wanted to kiss, cheeks that are always adorned with that adorable blush – even though it wasn’t caused by him at the moment – that he found really endearing, a heart-shaped face, a petite but curvaceous body… That all add to make her, Hyuuga Hinata, his best friend, the love of his life… and his guy best friend’s fiancée.

 **Every move, every tiny gesture

 Only proves you’re not mine**

 And she’ll be married in a few days… No longer would she be Hyuuga Hinata, she will be Uzumaki Hinata. If only he just realized his feelings earlier. But if he did, what would he have done? Take her out on dates? Shower her with gifts? Buy her flowers? Pick her up from work? Be with her when she’s sick? Support her ideas no matter how crazy they are? Comfort her when she is sad? Share her happiness? Go on wild trips once in a while?

 He already did all of that!! So what? Should he have told her how he felt if he knew sooner? But now, it’s too late… But God knows he would do anything for her, to have her return his love. He would go as far as stealing the moon for her – maybe like Groo did, because even though it is just a movie, miniaturizing the moon was a good idea – or buy her an island – after all, he has enough money to – but he knows she’s not someone you can buy with money, and she liked simple things.

 “Oh, Hina-chan, what wouldn’t I do if only you asked me to?” he thought desperately.

 **I could write you a thousand love songs,

Search the world for the perfect tune and rhyme.

But what good would it do if it seems I’m out of time**

 Or maybe it’s not too late? Maybe he can still tell her? But would it change anything? After all, her wedding is in two days! And what if she hates him for that? And the dobe? He would never forgive him. And he can’t stand the idea of hurting the two people who ever loved him, accepted him, the rich orphan no one would dare approach.

 No, he won’t tell her. He would keep his feelings to himself. No one would have to know. After all, he is the Uchiha Sasuke, believed to finish his life as a lonely old man. He’d just stick to everyone’s expectations.

 That decided, he climbed down the tree and proceeded to go home. Maybe he’d lock himself in his house until the wedding – with beers – because, well, he is the best man, and even though it pained him to attend that fateful day, he must.

 He was so absorbed in his thought that he didn’t notice the agitation around him… But then, a piercing scream snapped him to reality. He saw a kid, maybe ten years old, frozen in the middle of the road, a van way past the speed limit coming his way, and a woman – his mom maybe – rooted and screaming on the sidewalk.

 Without a second thought, he rushed to the kid and pushed him out of the way; fearing the kid would knock himself on the concrete, hit his head or something. He forgot that he now is in the kid’s place. Suddenly, pain ripped through his right side, and he found himself flying. Then, his head met the solid concrete and felt numb. His vision was filled with black dots and the sound around him seemed like a low buzz.

 “Am I going to die?” he mused. Then, another thought crossed his mind. “Should I have told her?” … Her, Hinata… Hinata… Hinata…

 **If I told you all the words I’ve yet to say,

Would they matter or would you simply turn and walk away?**

 OoooO

 “Sa…suke”

 “That voice!”

 “Sa…suke!” the voice called again.

 That soft voice! He knew it! He knew it, he was sure! But whose?

 “Sasuke!!” the voice softly cried.

 “Hinata!! Hinata is calling me!!” . He forced his eyes open and saw her… Still clad in her wedding dress. So beautiful and… Is that blood? Is she hurt? Why is she crying?

 He tried to stand up but found out he couldn’t. Then, he remembered the van, the kid, flying…

 “Hi…hinata” he whispered feebly.

 “Sasuke! Sasuke! Don’t you dare die on me! An ambulance is on its way!” she exclaimed.

 “Hina…” he attempted again. If it was his last day, his last time on earth, he would tell her… Even if it would mean he was giving his last breath.

 Gathering his strength, he whispered “I… I… love… you”. He saw her eyes widen and then, he was engulfed in a total darkness, not knowing what she thinks of his last sentence.

 **If I hold you, will you tell me I should go?

 Do I chance it or would it just be better not to know**

 OoooO

 Hinata was in front of her mirror, admiring her beautiful dress. It had taken her, Sakura, Ino, Tenten and Hanabi four days to find it. The perfect dress. The top is constituted of spaghetti straps, a sweetheart neckline and a figure hugging tube top. The bottom blooms like a princess ball gown, puffy and adorned with lace.

 She couldn’t help but feel gorgeous. After all, it was what she wanted since she was barely a kindergartener! She was so dazzled by the blond, energetic and sunny kid that was Uzumaki Naruto. He was outspoken, loud and determined to become something great, all that she was not. So she had been easily pulled by his bubbly personality. And in just two days, she’ll rightfully be his wife, like she’d dreamed all along.

 **Who’s that girl with a perfect future?

 Her reflection says it all**

 Yeah, Uzumaki Hinata. That sounds right, ne? She’d be with him for the rest of her life. She can already see it from here. Every day would be filled with laughter, hope and sunshine. And the kids! Will they be as energetic as him? Or as calm as her? She doesn’t know… and she kind of didn’t want to know that yet.

 Just like she hoped the wedding day wouldn’t approach that fast. Because she was scared! But what bride-to-be wouldn’t? A marriage is a drastic change, and Hinata doesn’t really like change. Is she ready for that? Is she capable of handling her own family? What if she doesn’t make a good wife? Is it too soon? And what if something doesn’t go well? Like the band canceling last minute, the rain suddenly falling when they planned for an outdoor wedding, the flowers attracting bees and all?

 **Trying hard to pretend she’s eager,

 Searching for some way to stall**

 But… Is she really scared of the change? Or was it the fact that it’s not him? Him, her best friend since middle school. No! What is she thinking? Of course she loves Naruto and is just afraid of something not going as planned on the wedding. That’s it!

 “Yeah, keep telling that to yourself” her conscience said to her. “He’s not the one you’re in love with. You really love him, that’s for sure, but just in a brotherly way”

 But the wedding is only in two days! She can’t get cold feet now, right? Even though she loved Sasuke… Him and no one else. She did for the longest time but she just ignored that feeling, fearing what he would do if he ever found out she is just another fangirl… Well, she’s not a fan but she has feelings for him so that makes her a fangirl by his standard. That’s why she stuck as his best friend… Even though she took every time they hang out as dates, cherished all the little gifts he gave her since middle high, pressed every flower he gave her and kept them in her diary, let him pick her from work, she always kept her feelings from him… And everyone else, for that matter. He always was there for her, in sickness, in health, in sadness and in happiness, making her love him even more…

 **So unsure of the road she’s chosen,

 Faced with feelings her heart should not allow**

 But she’s getting married. Everything was already organized and ready. The dress, the venue, the guests, the caterer, the food, and even the honeymoon were already set. She just can’t turn back now, right? Everyone would be disappointed in her… Her dad, her sister, Naruto… But she can’t… She doesn’t have enough courage to go through it…

 **One thing’s certain it seems that she just can’t turn back now.

 If she can, tell her how**

 Suddenly, her door flew open and Hanabi rushed in, panicked and panting heavily.

 “Hinata!” She took a huge breath. “It’s Sasuke”.

 “What? Here?”

 Hanabi took one more deep breath before blurting “He got hit by a van down the street! He’s calling you.”

 Hinata’s blood turned cold and her face became livid.

 “Hinata! Hurry!”

 Hanabi’s voice shook her out of her stupor and she dashed outside, her little sister hot on her heels.

She just can’t believe it! What if he …? No! She can’t think like that! She can’t!

 She ran to the gathering and saw him there, lying on the concrete, in a pool of blood. She made her way through the throng of people, ignoring their bewildered look upon seeing her dress and kneeled beside him.  He seemed like he was dead but she heard his slow breathing, becoming more and more light every second.

 “Sasuke!”

 Nothing.

 “Sasuke!”

 Still nothing.

 “Sasuke!”

 Still no response.

 “Please, please, wake up! I need to tell you something!”

 She decided then and there that if he ever woke up, she would tell him how she feels. But what if he rejects her? Could she live with that?

 “Idiot! Now is not the time to think of that!” she admonished herself.

 “Sasuke!”

 Her tears finally began to pour down her face like a waterfall.

 His eyes fluttered open.

 “Hi…Hinata”

 Even though it was just a whisper, she heard him and was a little relieved.

 “Sasuke! Sasuke! Don’t you dare die on me!”

 A siren blared from some blocks down, causing her to feel even more relieved.

 “An ambulance is on its way!”

 “ Hina”  he whispered again, causing her to look at him. He closed his eyes, making her panic raise to full level again. “I… I…”

 Why is he still trying to talk?! He’ll only weaken himself!! But she didn’t have the force to speak.

 “…love… you.”

 What?! Her eyes widened! Did she hear him right? She was too stunned to say anything. But then, his eyes closed.

 “NO! no no no, please, please, don’t die…”

 Suddenly, medics circled his body and she felt someone trying to make her stand up. They rushed him inside the ambulance and she escaped whoever it was helping her up to join him.

 “Are you a family member?” A medic asked.

 “I’m his fiancée” she lied.

 A look of pity crossed the medic’s face as he said “Ok, hop in.”

 **If I told you all the words I’ve yet to say,

 Would they matter or would you simply turn and walk away?**

 OoooO

 Four hours later, she was still in the lobby, near the ER. People gave her pitiful looks – assuming from her red stained wedding dress that it was her husband who was being operated – but she paid it no heed. Hanabi had been there to comfort her but gave up after getting no reaction whatsoever from her sister who was frozen on a seat.

 “Hinata!” Naruto exclaimed as he ran to her, forgetting he should keep his volume low. He hugged her and she finally woke up from her trance.

 “He…He…” she said between tears.

 “He’s gonna be okay Hina” he tried to reassure her. He then looked at her clothes and was shocked. She was wearing her wedding dress! And she was so beautiful!

 But it was stained with huge, red splotches of blood. His eyes widened as his gaze took in her entire appearance.

 Hinata saw him watch her and followed his gaze.

 “Oh my God! Naruto! I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed when she finally registered the fact that she ruined her dress.

 “Don’t worry Hina! It’s just a dress. You can have a new one,” he said. He looked her straight in the eyes, blue eyes so intense she could swear he saw right into her soul. Then, he sighed. “But you won’t need it right?” he continued sadly.

 “Wh-what do you mean?” she confusedly asked.

 “You do love him Hina…”

 “How?”

 “I guess I knew it all along but I selfishly ignored it.” His tone was so sad her heart broke for him. “He does love you too, you know? But you guys were never doing anything about it so I took my chance… I was kinda worried that if you two ever hooked up, you would forget about me.”

 She hugged him as hard as she could, as if her life depended on it, as if she could take all his pain if she held him strong enough.

 “I’m going to cancel the wedding” he finally said after a long time, “and then, I’ll come back here. Hana-chan is already getting you some clothes.”

 He got up. “I’ll be back soon, Hina! And don’t worry! That teme is a fighter! He won’t die that easily, believe it!”

 He gave her one of his trademark grin and she found herself more hopeful.

 OoooO

 Seventeen months later.

 It was now seventeen months since that fateful night. Seventeen months during which Sasuke had been in coma. Seventeen months Hinata came in the hospital daily. Seventeen months since she lived on autopilot: getting up, getting ready and heading for the hospital, staying with Sasuke till the visiting hours were over, going home and sleeping.

 These seventeen months had been hell for her, beginning with her family’s disappointed remarks – silenced by Hanabi and Naruto – due to the canceling of her wedding, to hoping every day that he would wake up and finding him still unconscious, and ending with the doctors trying to convince her to debranch him since the last two months.

 But she refused and still got to his room because she had faith in him. She knew he would someday wake up.

 “Sasuke” she began, like every day. “ Why didn’t I tell you sooner?”

 She took his hand.

 “Now, I feel guilty for hiding that from you…”

 Silence.

 “Please, wake up”

 Still nothing.

 “Well, Tenten-chan and Neji-niichan are heading home today with little Haruka. The doctor said she and the baby are well and strong enough now… Hana-chan and Naruto-kun are on their first date too today. I’m really happy for them. They really deserve each other.” She told his unmoving form, smiling slightly.

 “Oh Sasuke! Can you please wake up?” she pleaded, her hands clasping his, her eyes tearing. “I… I need you… I love you! I love you Sasuke!”

 She cried some more and fell asleep.

 OoooO

 She was suddenly woken up by nurses and doctors barging into his room.

 “Uh? What…?” she began to ask but was ushered outside by a nurse before she could form a coherent sentence.

 “Stay there dear” she said firmly and closed the door.

 Hinata sat herself on a nearby chair and waited. “What just happened? Is he okay? Is he waking up? Or is he… Is he…?  No! I can’t think that way! I have to stay positive! Positive, girl!”

 OoooO

 After nearly an hour, all the nurses and the two doctors came out. One of them walked to her.

 “Miss Hyuuga? He’s stable and conscious.”

 “He woke up?” she asked hopefully.

 “Yes, he did. You can see him if you want but don’t let him tire himself. Also, we still have to run some tests to see if his cerebral activities are okay or if he has amnesia, like many people undergoing such long coma do.”

 “You mean, he can forget everything?”

 “Not entirely everything. Maybe some period of his life, some people or some feelings… but for now, we’re not sure as he seems to remember his identity. Now, I won’t take more of your time because you must be dying to see him. But please, be cautious.”

 And then, the doctor was gone.

 She entered his room.

 “Hey” she hesitantly said. Will he recognize her?

 “Hey Hina” he replied, smiling slightly.

 It was all she needed to run and hug him, as much as she could with all the wires still attached to him.

 “Oh Sasuke! You don’t know how much I’ve wanted to see you awake again!”

 Her tears began to flood again.

 “Hina! Don’t – don’t cry! I’m alright! See?” he reassured her while returning her hug.

 After a long – really really long – hug, he asked “So, where’s the dobe?”

 “Uh, he’s on a date…”

 “A date?” he interrupted her. “That idiot is on a date when he has an adorable and loving wife like you?! That idiot! I’m going to kill him!!”

 He was already beginning to plan many ways to torture then kill that blonde friend of his when he heard her crystalline laughter. She was… laughing?

 “Uh? What did I miss?” he asked her.

 “Sasuke, Naruto-kun and I are not married. We canceled the wedding.”

 “But… But you love each other!”

 Then, a huge blank followed.

 Hinata’s heart thumped loudly. Should she tell him? Of course she should! But what if he doesn’t return her feelings?

 “He already confessed, right?” her conscience reminded her.

 “Yeah, but what if he forgot about it? Something to do with post-traumatic stress or something like that?” she argued back.

 “Idiot! Just tell him you love him! After all, you wanted to. You promised yourself you would confess when he woke up. Now, he did so woman up and do it!”

 “No, Sasuke. Actually, I…”

 **If I hold you, will you tell me I should go?

 Do I chance it or would it just be better not to know?**

 OoooO

 “She doesn’t love the dobe anymore? Wow, does it mean I still have a chance? Or does it mean she already has someone else?”

 “Do you have someone else Hina?”

 “How would I say it? I don’t know?”

 “You don’t know?” He asked, clearly confused.

 “No, I don’t have anyone else… but…”

 “Yes, oh God, thank you! Thank you! I can tell her freely now!” he thought.

 “I love you” they both blurted at the same time.

 Huuuge blank.

 Then, when they realized what they heard, they both chuckled and resumed their hug.

 “Hey, Hime” Sasuke called.

 “Yes?” she looked up.

 Then he kissed her. Hinata immediately returned his kiss, barely registering the sound of the heart rate monitor becoming louder.

 “I’ve been wanting to do that for a very long time.” He said when they finally broke the kiss to take a breath.

 “Well, you then have a long time to make up for.” She teasingly replied before they kissed again, catching up the lost time.

 **Would it just be better not to know?**

[a-damson-in-distress]

The Protégé 5

Pairing: MadaSaku

Plot: In search of a new cellist for his prestigious orchestra, an infamously feared maestro stumbles upon a young rising star.

The Protégé 1 | The Protégé 2 |  The Protégé 3 |  The Protégé 4

Note: I don't even know what to say at this point, I mean I'm such an unreliable fanfic writer that you guys have probably forgotten this here thing even exists but ANYWHORE the saga continues. As with every chapter so far, here's the song recommendation for the Beijing concert, the one with the jazz theme and Mei's vocals: Hooverphonic - 2 Wicky (Live at Koningin Elisabethzaal 2012) as well as Hooverphonic - Mad About You (also the live version). 

I suggest you listen to the entire concert and all the songs, because the band is just great, though not all of their songs have that slow, seductive James-Bond-like sound I was imagining for that particular concert. Some of them are more happy-go-lucky pop songs, so Madara wouldn't have picked them for the concert. But just imagine that the entire programme would have consisted of songs like 2 Wicky and Mad About You. I chose the songs based on the singer mentioned in this chapter, because I think that's the type of music that would best fit an alluring and seductive woman like Mei Terumi.

Anyway, have fun reading and please let me know what you think! I'm dying to get some feedback, because things are finally kicking off in this chapter and it was so much fun to write and I'm really looking forward to your opinion.

                                                        ---------- 

Sakura Haruno stunned Tokyo with her first solo performance in Maestro Uchiha’s ensemble with the grace and elegance of a musician far more experienced than what can usually be expected of a twenty-year old. Demonstrating her mastery of the cello with Camille Saint-Saëns’ Cello Concerto number 1 in A minor, the young Ms Haruno proved once again that she was worthy of her nickname. Imperatrix Furiosa is what the press are calling her, though the talented cellist seems to be only channelling that alter ego on stage. At the afterparty, Ms Haruno was less a furious empress and more a down-to-earth, if not timid, girl-next-door type, prompting criticism by some that Maestro Uchiha signed her on at too young an age and that the shy cellist may have bitten off more than she can chew with her world-famous globetrotting new conductor (Madara Uchiha pictured here with Sakura Haruno during the afterparty at the Sky Lounge Stellar Garden Bar).

Sakura’s eyes travelled from the article to the photo right next to it, depicting her maestro and herself. While Mr Uchiha was his usual suave self in a black-lined burgundy-coloured velvet suit jacket and his signature barely-there-but-still-somehow-visible smirk, Sakura stuck out like a sore thumb. Not only because of her hair colour and her height – she was sure Mr Uchiha would dwarf her even if she wore Ino’s tallest high heels. It was this whole timid and immature little girl vibe she was giving off with her floral collar dress, her pastel pink ballet flats and her shy and unsure smile.

Having read the review of their Tokyo concert, Sakura was now worried whether or not the critics were right. Was she really too young to join such a prestigious orchestra? Was she too immature and inexperienced to have so much pressure and responsibility thrust upon her as a principal cellist? Despite feeling comfortable and self-assured during a concert, there were moments where she did feel somewhat out of place amidst her older and more experienced colleagues. Like during that afterparty two days ago, where everyone showed up all dressed up and fancy and confidently rubbing elbows with Tokyo’s music high society, while Sakura felt like a farm girl who wouldn’t have been able to tell the difference between a Virgin Mary and a Bloody Mary if it bit her in the ass.

Gnawing on her bottom lip, the young cellist let her gaze wander through the airplane interior. They were currently on a flight to Seoul for their first international concert. Her worried gaze landed on her conductor sitting two rows in front of her to her right, currently busy with adding notes to the sheet music on his tablet.

How she wished she could confide in him now.

Sakura recalled the feeling of euphoria when he had called her his protégé in the dressing room while fixing her bow tie. She never felt so incredibly confident while playing a concert on stage as she did during those 30 minutes following his compliment. Sakura almost couldn’t believe that her maestro had said that to her in the first place, so she decided to ask him about it during the afterparty.

Sakura remembered how nervous she had been the entire evening. The pink-haired cellist thought about a hundred different ways how she could ask Mr Uchiha about his declaration without coming off as the attention-seeking and completely love-sick puppy that she really was. It took her more than an hour to build up the courage to approach him when he was alone at the bar.

“Um… I-I’m sorry, Mr Uchiha? Do you have a second?”

When her conductor turned around, he actually had to look down to meet her gaze. Her maestro really was ridiculously tall. He turned his body to face her, left hand casually in his pocket, right arm leaning on the bar with a drink in hand.

“Yes, Ms Haruno?”

“Um…,” she ran both hands down her dress to smooth out the non-existent wrinkles, “I-I wanted to ask you… something.”

When she dared to lift her gaze to look at him, she was met with a raised eyebrow and an expectant grin.

“Go on, Ms Haruno. I’m not going to bite,” her maestro added with a widening smirk.

Hoping the blush colouring her cheeks at his remark would cool down soon, the pink-haired cellist gathered her courage, cleared her throat and spoke, “Sir, it’s about what you said to me in the dressing room, when you- when you fixed my bow tie? Um, you see I was really nervous, and I wasn’t really thinking straight, I mean I’m never really thinking straight around you,” heat crept up her face again and her eyes widened as she realised what she had just said, “I mean- I didn’t mean… it’s just, you make me… a little nervous, is all. And anyway, I probably wasn’t even hearing right, but for some reason my muddled brain seems to think that I heard you say… that…,” at this point her courage started fading away. Sakura started playing with the hem of her dress while thinking of a way to continue without sounding desperate for his approval.

“Heard me say what, Ms Haruno?”

Her eyes snapped up to meet his intense gaze staring at her expectantly.

“I think I heard you say that- that I was your…,” she leaned a bit closer to him and whispered, “protégé.”

And now that the word was finally out in the open, Sakura couldn’t stop herself.

“And I just wanted to ask you if that really was what you said. Because even though every fibre of my being wants it to be true, there’s still a part of me who just wouldn’t believe that you- the Maestro Uchiha would have said that to me of all people. I mean you’ve never publicly acknowledged anyone as your protégé before, and I- I’m so young. You see, I just didn’t want to get my hopes up in case it was just a misunderstanding and I didn’t hear it right. So please just be honest with me. You can tell me if I was wrong, it’ll crush me for a day or two, but I can take it.”

She stared up at him with a look of what she hoped would even remotely resemble determination, though that look started to falter when she was met with her conductor’s amused grin.

“I heard wrong, didn’t I? Ok, well… Sorry for wasting your time, Sir.”

Sakura was just about to turn around, when she felt his warm hands circle around her biceps, holding her in place. She saw his mouth open to say something just as they were interrupted by a photographer asking for a picture of the two of them. After posing for a few seconds and waiting for the photographer to leave, her maestro turned around and finally spoke, “Ms Haruno, that day you were in my office, what did I tell you about the difference between you and all my other musicians?”

“That I was the only one who didn’t have to audition?”

“Correct. I didn’t want the other musicians, I simply needed them to fill my ensemble. But you – you, I wanted. There were hundreds of suitable musicians for every other role in my orchestra, and they all had to audition, but there was only one suitable musician for your particular position. You, Ms Haruno, were the exception from the start.”

“So… does that mean that you really did say what I think you said?”

“Would you like it to be true?”

“More than anything in the world.”

“Good,” Mr Uchiha said before taking a sip of his drink.

And then he said something that made Sakura’s insides tingle with excitement even two days later.

In that case, you’re mine now.

                                                           ----------

“We’re done for today. You’ve all got the rest of the evening off. Do not overdo it, though, I expect all of you to be in top shape for our next rehearsal tomorrow at 10 a.m.”

Madara watched his musicians hastily pack their things and stow away their instruments. He was aware that they were eager to get back to the hotel and relax for a few hours; after all, they landed in Seoul only this morning and already had to endure a four-hour rehearsal. They deserved a break.

Madara, however, wasn’t done yet. And neither was his protégé.

“Ms Haruno.”

He would never tire of the way she immediately sprung to attention whenever he called her name and how she would fix her huge doe-like eyes on him, like a puppy in training expectantly waiting for its master’s orders and determined to use every opportunity to impress him.

“Yes, Maestro?”

“I hope you haven’t got any plans for this evening.”

Madara didn’t want it to come out so suggestive but seeing that adorable blush spread across the young cellist’s cheeks was worth it.

“Um… No, Sir, I- I don’t, actually. W-Why are you asking?”

“I want you to go through your parts again, on your own.”

“Why, Sir? Was I not good enough? I’ll do better, I promise,” she said with a pleading look on her face.

Her dedication to her craft was inspiring. And her constant need to please him was an incredible turn-on.

“Let’s start with Bergersen’s Sun,” Madara ordered while watching the last of his ensemble leave the stage. When he heard a nervous sigh escape her lips, his gaze was immediately drawn back to her teeth chewing on her bottom lip. Madara allowed himself to be transfixed by the sight for a few seconds, fully aware that this indulgence would just lead to more wet dreams. Like the one he had last night about her kneeling in front of him and nervously chewing on her bottom lip as he gives her a step-by-step instruction on how to suck his cock.

“Am I doing it right?” she asks after having released him from her mouth with a loud plop. She stares up at him with her big, innocent eyes, desperately needing his approval and his praise.

“Just like that, keep going little one,” he orders while tugging a strand of hair behind her ear and watching her lips close around him again.

“That’s a good girl.”

Madara was torn from his short daydream when he realised the young cellist had stopped playing. His gaze focused on Sakura’s face and he felt his cock immediately stiffen when he saw the expression she was wearing. It was the same as in his dream, right when she asked him if she was doing it right – all innocent and hopeful eyes, silently begging him to praise her.

“Am I doing it right, Maestro?”

Gods damn it, of course she had to go ahead and say the same words, too.

Despite the inappropriate nature of his current train of thought, the reminder of his last wet dream gave the conductor an idea. The Sakura in his dreams would always light up like a Christmas tree and her eyes would sparkle with adoration whenever Madara called her a good girl. And now it was time for the conductor to test how close real-life Sakura was to her dream persona.

He came to a halt directly in front of her and looked into her wide, expectant eyes.

“Good girl.”

The megawatt smile she gave him as a response was enough to prove his theory. Madara would be damned if he didn’t use every opportunity to praise her like that from now on. Much like she seemed to crave his approval and appreciation, Madara, too, found himself enjoying the looks of pure and unadulterated worship and reverence he was met with whenever he deemed her worthy of his attention.

“That was well done, Ms Haruno. Now why couldn’t you deliver the same performance during rehearsal? I had the feeling you were distracted by something.”

He watched her shoulders slump and her face fall as she leaned back into her seat. “I know, Sir. But it’s nothing, really, just… just something silly. I won’t happen again, I promise.”

Madara would murder that something silly if the mere mention of it was enough to dim her smile.

“What’s going on?”

“You don’t need to worry about it, really. I’m sure you have much more important things to do than listen to me whine about my trivial issues.” Sakura tried her best to give him a reassuring smile but judging by the way she was nervously playing with the strings of her cello, that particular issue seemed to really eat away at her.

“Ms Haruno, part of being your mentor also involves making sure you feel confident and good about yourself on a personal level as well, not just on a professional one. If something is bothering you and you don’t deal with it properly, it might turn into a bigger issue someday, which could in turn affect your performance. Now, out with it.”

Sakura looked at him hesitantly, before sighing and opening her mouth, “It’s this review of our first concert that was published in The Japan Times. They said you made a mistake with me, that you signed me on too early and that I’m too young for you and too inexperienced and too shy and that I’m basically just not good enough for you.”

Madara had read the article himself, and he had already thought that his protégé would be bothered by the criticism. He grabbed one of the many chairs on stage and took a seat right in front of his principal cellist. “Is that why you’ve been distracted today? You think you’re not good enough?”

“It’s not just that. Or actually it’s not that at all, because I know I’m a damn good cellist, and I don’t think I’m lacking anything in the talent department. What bothered me most is that they kept mentioning my age and how young and inexperienced I am. They made me look like some naïve little farm girl who doesn’t know what she’s doing with all those big shot musicians who are just going to eat her up and spit her out.”

“Ms Haruno, I’ve been in this business for two decades now, and I was responsible for enough auditions to be able to tell which musician has got what it takes. Trust me when I tell you I would not have picked you if I didn’t have absolute faith in your ability to keep up with the rest of my orchestra. In fact, part of the reason I chose you was precisely because you were so young, so don’t ever let anybody make you feel like that is a disadvantage, because it’s not.”

Madara could see that his words had a calming effect on her. His reassurance resulted in a timid smile tugging at her lips as she tentatively asked, “Do you really mean that? That you picked me because I’m so young? Because you’ve never worked with anyone my age before. You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”

“The last thing anybody would accuse me of is sugarcoating my opinion and buttering someone up. Trust me, I never lie to my musicians, least of all to my protégé.”

“But why? Why was my age so decisive when you thought about signing me on?”

Well, I didn’t know it back then, but as it turns out I have a thing for little girls with a Daddy complex and a desperate need to please.

Naturally, Madara couldn’t give that particular explanation, so he went for the next best thing, “For the same reason an artist would never paint on an already used canvas. You’re easier to mould now. You’re my blank canvas.”

And he was going to paint her in all of his colours. Especially in all sorts of red hues, like the ones adorning her cheeks at the moment.

“You want to mould me?”

Among many other, much much naughtier things.

“I am your mentor, after all, and that’s what’s expected of me. We mould our protégés into their best possible selves.”

He gave her a tiny reassuring smile and stood up from his chair.

“Now let’s continue. Richter’s Infra 5. I want the mezzo-staccato more pronounced this time.”

                                                        ----------

Her maestro’s encouraging words should have been enough to dispel any worries she had about her age and the question of whether or not she was too young and inexperienced to be part of his orchestra. And yet, here she was, five days after their concert in Seoul, sitting on stage in the Beijing Concert Hall, feeling all kinds of inadequate and wishing she had half the cup size of their singer.

Mei Terumi. Half Chinese, half Japanese opera diva par excellence and a proud E cup. She had the voice of an angel, the curves of Aphrodite, and all the grace, elegance and finesse of a mature woman who – contrary to Sakura – can not only walk in high heels, but actually stand around in them and sing her heart out for four hours straight without breaking a sweat or ruining her perfect hairdo. She was Maestro Uchiha’s special guest for their Beijing concert tomorrow; they were the musical accompaniment while Ms Terumi would beguile the audience with seductive jazz songs.

While Sakura loved the pieces her maestro chose for the concert, she was glad that particular programme wasn’t planned for every performance and that the opera singer wouldn’t accompany them for the entire tour. Because their conductor chose different pieces for every other city they would perform in, the jazz theme with Mei Terumi’s vocals was only planned this once for Beijing.

And judging by that weird feeling of inadequateness Sakura got every time she even so much as looked at the singer, one performance with her is more than enough to dampen her spirits.

“Do you think the two of them are doing it?”

Her head whipped to her right where she was met with the sight of their principal percussionist twirling his drumsticks. They were currently on a short break during their rehearsal, so Naruto came to join them in the string section.

“What do you mean ‘doing it’?” Sakura asked while trying to avoid getting the pointy end of his drumsticks stuck in her eye.

“You know, it.” The blonde musician suggestively wiggled with his eyebrows, but his expectant look was met with only more confusion, and Sakura shrugged her shoulders.

“Give it up, Naruto. Forehead is way too innocent to even think about such things. Isn’t that right,” Ino asked with a teasing grin, leaning closer to Sakura before whispering, “little Miss virgin?”

Sakura didn’t even have time to cover her blushing face when she heard Naruto snicker right next to her. “Oh my God, you are so adorable. You seriously didn’t know that doing it means having sex? You are such a pure, innocent little flower, and I shall shield you from being corrupted by this evil, sex-obsessed witch.”

“This evil, sex-obsessed witch will visit your hotel room tonight and shove her clarinet up your ass if you don’t shut your cakehole soon. But seriously though, the two of them are totally doing it. I mean look at her, who wouldn’t wanna do her? Plus, she’s totally Mr Uchiha’s type, you know mature, sophisticated, can probably tell the difference between Scotch and Bourbon. Hell, I’d do her, and she is so far out of my league she might as well live on Proxima Centauri.”

Sakura followed Ino’s gaze and let her eyes rest on the singer standing next to their conductor, currently busy with discussing a particularly complex piece. There was nothing overtly flirtatious about her behaviour, not now and not during the previous handful of rehearsals they had over the past two days. Both her and Mr Uchiha were always extremely professional, never getting too close or touching each other inappropriately. Though Sakura had to agree with Ino: Mei Terumi was so incredibly attractive that it probably wouldn’t even take that much flirting to wrap any guy around her finger. But weirdly enough Sakura wasn’t bothered so much by the idea of her conductor and the singer being intimate with each other. Sure, Maestro Uchiha was a god to her and she revered him as such, but never in her wildest dreams would she dare to think of herself as an object of his romantic or sexual desires. She was used to competing with others for his professional attention, but the thought of competing with women like Mei Terumi for his romantic attention had never crossed her mind, because Sakura believed him to be very much out of her league. And since intimacy wasn’t something she aimed for or even associated with her relationship with Mr Uchiha, her feeling of unease didn’t stem from romantic jealousy.

Mei Terumi was more of a reminder of Sakura’s lack of experience. The singer was basically oozing confidence and maturity with her flirtatious smiles, the way she held herself around big shot conductors like Madara Uchiha, and the way she knew exactly what to wear to accentuate her killer curves. In comparison to her, the young cellist felt all kinds of inadequate with her frilly little dresses and the fact that she didn’t even know that doing it meant having sex.

Mei Terumi and everything she embodied made Sakura feel too young, too inexperienced, as if she could never be up to par with the grown-ups if she kept sticking to her little girl persona.  And she desperately wanted to prove to her maestro that there was more to her than floral dresses and Hello Kitty stuffed toys.

Having made up her mind, the young cellist turned to her blonde friend.

“Ino, do you think I could borrow one of your dresses tomorrow?”

                                                         ----------

Madara nearly spat out his drink when he saw the outfit his principal cellist chose for the afterparty.

He was always the last to arrive at such events, and as soon he entered the lounge his eyes automatically scanned the crowd for a mop of pink hair. Sure enough, he found her, but unlike most times when he set his eyes on her, he didn’t like what he was seeing.  

She was dressed in a little black neckholder dress that hugged her petite figure and exposed just the right amount of cleavage to be alluring without coming across as slutty. Madara watched her nervously run her fingers through her long silky hair which was pulled into a tight high ponytail, and when her lips closed around the straw in her drink he noticed they were painted a provocative burgundy. His eyes travelled down the shape of her slender legs and landed on the dark red stilettos she was very obviously wearing for the first time, judging by the way she kept awkwardly twirling her foot on the heel of her shoe.

There was absolutely nothing slutty or inappropriate about her outfit. In fact, this was the way most of his female musicians dressed for events like these, and usually he couldn’t care less.

But little Ms Haruno once again proved to be the exception to each and every one of his rules.

Because even though he wouldn’t bat an eye whenever he saw Yamanaka, Sabakuno or Hyuuga in such outfits, because they were all older, seeing his protégé pretend to be someone she’s not dressed up in something so wildly unlike her made his hand tingle with the need to spank some sense into her.

As if she could sense his glare, the pink-haired cellist turned her head and let her eyes rest on him. For a second, Madara could have sworn she looked like a child who got caught with her hands in the cookie jar. He raised his hand and beckoned her to him. Like the good little girl that she was, she immediately left everything and everyone behind and made her way to him.

“Mr Uchiha, I’m glad you could – “

“What are you wearing?”

Madara watched as her hands immediately flew to the hem of her dress in an attempt to pull it down and cover a bit more skin she was suddenly and very obviously self-conscious about.

“You don’t like it?” she asked nervously as she looked up at him with huge, doubtful eyes.

“I think you already knew that I wouldn’t like it when you asked Ms Sabakuno to lend it to you. Or was it Ms Yamanaka?”

“But Sir, my outfit doesn’t violate the dress code, I even asked Deidara. Plus, Ino said she wore that dress a hundred times and nobody ever said it was inappropriate.”

“Do you feel comfortable in it, Ms Haruno?”

She lowered her gaze in defeat and instead absent-mindedly let it rest on his tie as she shook her head.

“Then why are you wearing it?”

Madara watched his young protégé shrug her shoulders and turn her head as a blush crept up her face. With a tiny, shy voice she added, “I just wanted to show everybody that I’m not just some young inexperienced rookie. That I can hang with the big kids, you know?”

“Wearing clothes you’re clearly uncomfortable in isn’t going to help with that. If you want to show them that you’re someone worthy of respect, you need to do it with merit and not by pretending to be someone you’re not. Now I’m going to take you back to your hotel room and you’re going to change, is that clear?”

Madara’s hand found the small of her back as he guided her to the lounge’s exit.

“Sir, is that really necessary? I mean sure, the shoes hurt, but I was only going to stay for another hour or so anyway. I can make that without changing.”

When they exited the building, the brisk night air made the young cellist shiver, so Madara wordlessly took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders before hailing a taxi. As he opened the door for her and helped her get in, he fixed her with another glare and said, “The hotel is only a five minute ride away from here, so that should be enough time for you to think about why I’m disappointed in you. We’ll talk about this when we’re in your room, so I’ll expect an answer from you, young lady.”

He closed the door and got into the taxi on the other side. It was a tense five minutes, though probably more so for the pink-haired musician than for Madara. He could practically hear the wheels turning inside her head as he silently let her mull over his accusation. But he believed that giving her the time and opportunity to self-reflect was going to prove a valuable lesson for her. Not least because Madara knew she was always desperate to fix the mistakes he pointed out.

After arriving at their hotel, the conductor helped Sakura out of the car and told her to go ahead so he could pay the driver. Leaning closer to the man’s front seat window, he heard him say, “You have a lovely daughter, Sir. With a firm daddy such as yourself, I’m sure she’ll turn out just fine, so don’t be too harsh on her. I’m a father too, you know, and I’m very proud of my little princess.”

Great. The universe was clearly torturing him. Madara knew he had to keep his lewd fantasies regarding his pretty little protégé in check, and yet some greater force deemed it necessary to dangle them in front of him every chance it got.

But he couldn’t give in.

He really shouldn’t.

“What were you and the driver talking about?” Madara heard a shy voice next to him ask.

As they entered the hotel’s lobby, the maestro steeled his resolve to not overstep any lines while they were alone in her room. He reminded himself this was purely for the image of the orchestra. He was just going to make sure that his protégé wouldn’t embarrass herself and his ensemble by wearing clothes unfit for such a young woman. Right, there was nothing more to it.

Nothing inappropriate was going to happen.

Getting into the lift, he pressed the button that would lead them to her room as she asked again, “Sir, what did the driver have to say?”

“You’re a nosey little one, aren’t you? If you really must know, he didn’t say anything that would concern you.”

Madara turned his head to face her and was met with the same look of absolute reverence and adoration she always had reserved only for him. In that moment, he knew he just lost the most decisive battle of his life.

And he couldn’t care less.

With a devilish grin tugging on the corner of his lips, he leaned a bit closer to her and whispered, “At least it doesn’t concern you … yet.”

“What is that supposed to mean?”

His grin widened at the sight of her adorably confused face before he exited the lift and headed for her room. The driver did say something that concerned Sakura, but Madara meant what he said – it didn’t concern her yet. Because she sure as hell was his little princess and he sure as hell would be the firm daddy doling out spankings left right and centre – she just didn’t know it yet. Now that he threw caution to the wind and decided to give into his desires, Madara couldn’t wait to implement some changes in their relationship: The maestro would slowly and subtly introduce her to some of the things he had been craving to do to her since the day he met the little cellist, and if she responded to them willingly Madara would make her his for good. Though judging by the way she was already staring up at him with hearts in her eyes and a look that said please love me, daddy, Madara was sure she would jump at the chance of being nurtured and disciplined by him in more ways than a professional one.

Closing the door to her hotel room, Madara had to force down his devious grin and instead pretend to be angry. He turned around and fixed her with a glare. “Go into the bathroom, remove all of that make-up and change into something more comfortable.”

“Yes, Sir,” she mumbled with a pout before turning on her heel and disappearing into the bathroom.

When she got out, Madara had to stifle a groan at the sight of her new outfit: She was wearing pastel pink flannel pyjama bottoms with unicorns on them and a snug white shirt with a picture of her instrument and the words Cello: Everyone Else Is Accompaniment below it. She couldn’t possibly be any cuter if she tried.

Madara motioned her to sit on the bed while he crossed his arms in front of his chest and positioned himself in front of her in his most authentic imitation of an angry dad posture.

“Now, Ms Haruno, can you tell me why I’m disappointed in you?”

Tucking her chin into her chest, Sakura mumbled something incoherent in that tiny unsure voice she always used whenever she thought she did something wrong.

“Speak up, little one, I can’t hear you.”

“Because I pretended to be someone I’m not?”

“And why do you think that upset me?”

She started chewing on her bottom lip which drove Madara absolutely mad for 5 hellishly long seconds before answering, “Because you told me once already that I shouldn’t worry about my age or how experienced I seem to others, and that you picked me because I’m so young, and that I should be proud of it and not try to hide it, but I did that anyway and now you’re mad at me.” The pinkette was now nervously tugging on the ends the blanket she was sitting on while looking up at him with a pleading look in her eyes, silently begging him to forgive her.

Madara knew he was being cold when he didn’t answer immediately, instead fixing his glare on her for a few more seconds and allowing himself to enjoy her display of absolute submissiveness.

“Please, Sir, I can’t stand the thought of you being disappointed in me. Please, just tell me what I can do to make it up to you. I’ll follow all of your rules. I’ll be good, Sir, I promise.”

Gods have mercy on him, she was the perfect little girl. All submissive, obedient, and desperate to please him. And the best thing was, she wasn’t even faking her little persona. She didn’t just wear frilly dresses or unicorn pyjama bottoms to impress someone, she didn’t just braid her hair into pigtails because she wanted to look younger, she didn’t just pretend to constantly crave his guidance and approval because she thought that’s what turned him on – she just really was genuinely little.

And also in desperate need of some punishment.

“It seems like you’re no longer able to decide which clothes are appropriate for your age. In order to prevent you from embarrassing yourself and our entire orchestra, I will decide what you wear to formal events. We start right now, I’ll find something more suitable for tonight’s party. You’re going to change and we’re going to go back, so you can prove to whomever you want to prove that neither your age nor your clothes define how good and how experienced a musician you are.”

Madara opened her closet where she had hung a couple of dresses, skirts, and blouses and started going through her clothes when he heard her protest behind him.

“But Sir, is that really necessary? It was a one-time thing, I promise it won’t happen again.”

He handed her a simple white blouse and a floral skirt he had often seen her wear and sternly added, “I’m giving you the opportunity to comply with my rules willingly. If you keep misbehaving and disobeying me, I can always just spank some sense into you.”

Judging by her scared wide eyes and the deep blush spreading across her cheeks, that threat was enough to get her moving. With a nervous little Yes, Sir, Sakura disappeared into the bathroom to change into her new outfit. When she got out, he beckoned her to get closer to where he was leaning against a desk.

“Now isn’t that more comfortable?”

Madara watched his pretty little protégé twirl in front of a mirror before she nodded her head in confirmation. “This is actually one of my favourite skirts. Though I rarely wear it to formal events.”

“Why is that?”

“Well … it’s silly, but … I rarely wear skirts and dresses without thigh high socks, because I just think it looks so cute.”

Oh, he noticed.

“And even though I admittedly don’t have the fanciest fashion sense, even I know you don’t wear thigh high socks to an after party. So I usually just choose an outfit where I wouldn’t have worn socks anyway. Even though I’ve got the prettiest and cutest socks ever that just go perfectly with this skirt.”

Madara noticed the way her eyes started to sparkle as soon as she got out of the bathroom. She obviously felt much more comfortable now, and she even seemed to enjoy playing dress-up for him. So he decided he would indulge her.

“Well if you really think that outfit is incomplete without your socks, why don’t you put them on and show me?”

“Really?” Her eyes lit up like a Christmas tree, and she immediately dashed to her suitcase where she rummaged around in search of her socks. Taking a seat on the bed, she quickly rolled them over each leg, stepped in front of the mirror to Madara’s left and twirled around all happy and cute. Then she turned towards him and extended her left leg to show him her socks. “See, they’ve got cute little kitty faces on the upper part here, and they’ve even got cat ears sticking out of the hem, and I use them to pull up the socks.”

“That’s adorable, little one.”

She blushed and shyly bit her bottom lip before whispering a tiny Thank you, Sir.

“There’s only one problem. You got changed so quickly that you look all dishevelled now. Your blouse isn’t neatly tucked into your skirt and your socks aren’t pulled up to the same height. I can’t let you go to a fancy afterparty like this, now, can I? Come here, princess,” he spread his legs and gently pulled her closer to him, so she was now standing between them, “let me fix this for you.”

While Madara was busy fixing her outfit – smoothing out wrinkles, tucking in her blouse, neatly rolling up her sleeves, and taking his sweet time doing it – Sakura was busy trying to stand still and not sway back and forth from the constant pushing and pulling. “Little one, you’ll need to stop fidgeting if you want me to fix your outfit. Hold on to me, so you can keep still.”

Gingerly, his little protégé placed her tiny little hands on his shoulders and used them to push back against his pulling and prodding.

“Sir, is this an outfit you would deem appropriate for me to wear to formal events?”

“Absolutely. Why?”

“Good. Because in that case, I don’t think I have a problem with you choosing my outfits from now on. I’m glad you seem to know what I like.”

Madara was met with a shy sincere smile from the pink-haired girl standing between his legs, and he was once again reminded of the fact of how adorably innocent she was, because no other woman – or even girl for that matter – would say I’m glad you seem to know what I like without being aware of the sexual innuendo of such a statement. But Sakura was so incredibly pure and chaste that Madara would bet his left testicle that she could suck on a popsicle in a room full of men and still be surprised that every single one of them was sporting a giant hard-on.

He took in her appearance and noted that the only thing still in need of fixing were her socks, which he purposefully saved for last. Now was the time to see if she would stop him from really overstepping the mark. Though, granted, fixing one of his musician’s outfit in such an intimate manner was already inappropriate, Madara still would have found a way to somehow talk his way out of it and make it seem like a halfway reasonable thing to do for an image-conscious conductor. But putting his hands underneath her skirt and pretending to pull up her socks under the thinly veiled guise of fixing her outfit – that was a completely different kettle of fish altogether.

“Are you going to do my socks, too, Sir?”

When Madara looked into her face, he immediately had an answer to his question of whether or not she would allow him to go this far. Because there was no insecurity or hesitance in her eyes, there wasn’t even the tell-tale blush or the flirtatious smile of someone who understood the intimacy of a man about to put his hands on a woman’s bare upper thigh. She looked at him expectantly as if it were the most natural thing in the world for a conductor to pull up the thigh high socks of his musician beneath her skirt.  

And so that was exactly what he did.

“Of course, little one. We want your two little kitties to be at eye level with each other, don’t we?”

That remark got him the cutest little giggle as Madara hooked his fingers into the hem of her left sock and slowly pulled it up her slender thigh.  

“Sir, you can’t forget to put the faces in the middle. It will look weird if the two kitties don’t face the same direction.”

“You’re right, princess. We don’t want somebody thinking your two kittens aren’t getting along with each other, now, do we?”

He could hear another giggle as he enveloped her left thigh with both his hands and rotated the sock so that the kitten face was in the middle. He allowed his thumb to slowly brush the back of her thigh before he willed both his hands to let go of her. Madara gave the two cat ears another tug and turned his attention to her right leg.

Again, he hooked his fingers into the hem of her sock and very slowly pulled it up, until it was the same height as the left one. Then he put his hand on the back of her knee and let it wander upwards to smooth out any wrinkles until his hand almost touched her ass. Using both hands again, he enveloped her upper thigh and gave the sock a few twists until the kitten face was in the middle. While his right hand was busy fixing the cat ears, Madara’s left hand was stroking up and down her inner thigh and came dangerously close to her panty line. He allowed himself to enjoy the feel of her soft flesh beneath his fingers for a few more seconds before lowering his hands to the slightly more respectable area of her knee caps.

“All done now.”

A shaky breath escaped her lips before she shot him a grateful smile. “Thank you, Sir. But I can’t see anything. The skirt is too long, it’s covering the kitties.”

“Pull it up, then.”

“Oh… right, of course.” Sakura shot him a bashful look, bit her lip, and then grabbed the hem of her skirt to pull it up a bit.

“See how pretty your legs look?” Madara asked while stroking the back of her thighs beneath her skirt.

“Mhm. I love these socks, they make me feel so pretty. I’m glad you made me change, Sir, I feel so much more comfortable now.”

“I’m glad you didn’t make a fuss. See how easy everything can be when you’re a good girl who listens and does as she’s told.”

“Um, Sir … about that.” Madara watched the young cellist start nervously playing with the end of his tie. While she was lost in thought, he took the opportunity to slowly move his hands upwards until his fingers were barely brushing the underside of her cheeks.

“Were you, um … were you really going to – I mean, if I had put up a fight, would you really have … you know?”

When she raised her head to peek up at him, Madara was met with the usual combination of a bashful look, a tell-tale blush and her signature circuit-frying lip bite. But she wasn’t the only one capable of rattling the other, he thought. After all, his hands were still very much beneath her skirt all but groping her ass.

“Would I have done … what, Sakura?” he prompted teasingly while giving the back of her thighs a firm squeeze.

She closed her eyes for a second and sighed quietly, before looking at him again.

“You know, Sir. Would you … Would you have,” she leaned in closer and whispered, “sp-spanked me?”

“Of course, I would have.”

Her blush turned an even deeper shade of red, and Madara could hear her breath quickening. If he didn’t know any better, he’d say she was intrigued by the thought of his hands leaving bright red imprints on her ass.

“Don’t worry, little one, I’m not going to spank you now for what you did tonight, because we didn’t set any rules for that and you didn’t know that punishment was even involved. But you do know now, so I suggest you try your best to be a really good little girl from now on.”

She eagerly nodded her head and added a nervous little Yes, Sir before she went back to playing with the end of his tie.

“But um, when you,” Madara watched her tongue dart out to wet her lips, “spank me … what does that feel like? Does it hurt?”

“Now why would you want to know that? As long as you don’t do anything wrong, you have nothing to worry about on that front.”

“I just don’t think that I can sleep tonight knowing that there’s a possibility of me getting punished and I don’t even know what that form of punishment looks or feels like.”

Oh, she was intrigued alright. Madara couldn’t shake the feeling that he just broke a dam. For both of them.

“Well, I wouldn’t want my protégé to lose sleep over anything.”

He grabbed the back side of her skirt, pulled it up above her ass and gave her right cheek a sound smack.

And Gods have mercy on him, in that exact moment he heard the most delicious moan he ever elicited from a woman. If Madara hadn’t already thought that this innocent young cellist was the perfect little girl for him to nurture and to discipline, hearing her moan after being spanked for the first time would have given him the last proof he needed to know that she craved his dominance as much as he craved her submissiveness.

“This is what a spanking feels like. A very, very nice spanking, mind you. It’s going to hurt a lot more when I’m angry with you.”

“Yes, Sir. Thank you, Sir.” She nodded her head in understanding while rubbing soothing circles on her backside.

Madara was enjoying this way too much, so he had to bring this to an end soon before he completely lost control of his senses. If he were to see her bite her lip one more time, Madara swore his dick would explode.

“Now that we’ve cleared up a few things, I suggest you return to the party. There are a lot of people there eager to meet you. And remember,” he grabbed her chin between his fingers and leaned closer, “be a good little girl for me.”

Madara watched her blush deepen as she stared into his eyes with a dreamy look and moaned a tiny little Yes, Sir.

After she had gathered her things and grabbed her purse, they both left her hotel room. Sakura headed towards the lift when she noticed Madara wasn’t following.

“Aren’t you coming, too?”

“You go ahead, I’ll join you in a bit. I just need to take care of something first.”

My rock hard dick.

The conductor watched his protégé step into the lift and wave goodbye. “Ok then, see you in a bit, Mr Uchiha. And um … thanks.” Sakura shot him a bashful smile before the doors closed.

Madara released a sigh of relief before focusing his gaze on his hard-on.

“You’re going to both hate me and love me for what I did tonight.”

[sariasprincy-writes]

Hollow Point 24

One // Two // Three // Four // Five // Six // Seven // Eight // Nine // Ten // Eleven // Twelve // Thirteen // Fourteen // Fifteen // Sixteen // Seventeen // Eighteen // Nineteen // Twenty // Twenty-One // Twenty-Two // Twenty-Three // Twenty-Four (here) 

Chapter Twenty-Four Can we just pretend?

They didn’t talk. Even after they returned to the parking garage where Itachi had left his car. He simply killed the engine and slipped out of the little Honda, the keys still in the ignition. Sakura went without resistance when he opened her door for her and led her over to his Lexus.

She didn’t know where they were going and she didn’t ask, even as the world outside sped by. She simply sat, watching each streetlight as it came and went out the window if only to distract herself from the reality that she had just thrown herself at Itachi. She didn’t know if she was more humiliated by that or by the fact he had stopped them.

Silently, Sakura snuck a peek in his direction, only to find his attention was focused solely on the road. He kept both hands on the wheel, his gaze flickering from the pavement ahead to the rearview mirror and back again. Itachi hadn’t bothered to put his jacket back on, instead leaving it abandoned in the backseat. Without it, she could clearly see his shoulder holster now, his gun tucked just under his arm.

Her eyes continued to wander. Over his shoulders where his grey shirt fit comfortably, not too tight nor too loose, and up to his face. She couldn’t read anything in his profile but that didn’t stop her from trying.

At some point, they pulled into a residential neighborhood. It was then that she realized they were heading towards his townhouse. The very one she had gone to that early morning the day after Ino’s parents had been murdered.

Itachi pulled into a small driveway beside the house and parked the car before he led her around the side to the front door. She followed after him silently, slipping her boots off in the entryway as he headed further inside, switching on lights as he went.

The last time Sakura has been here, she hadn’t ventured inside very far. She had simply gathered the information she had wanted and disappeared back out into the dark. This time, she made her way in slowly, eyeing the craftsmanship of the crystal light fixture above and the beautiful, dark wood floors.

At the end of the hall was a staircase that led to the top floor and just before that was a set of wooden, double doors that led to the rest of the home. They were open now and Sakura headed towards them, not entirely sure where Itachi had disappeared to. Not entirely sure what she was doing there.  

He wasn’t in the living room, but she stood near the entrance anyway and gazed around. There was a rustic but modern feel to the place. She had half-expected Itachi’s house to be decorated in monotone greys but it wasn’t. All the furniture and cabinets were trimmed with wood of deep browns and auburns. The couch and large, floor rug under the coffee table were a matching off-white.

But it was the upright piano in the corner of the room that made her take a double-take. This one was tall and narrow, nothing like the baby grand piano in Tobirama’s condo. She barely saw it at all under all the piles of paperwork and miscellaneous items. More of a second table than a musical instrument.

Sakura had barely begun to study it when Itachi entered the room behind her and asked, “Do you want to shower?”

She pulled her attention away from the piano to look at him. In his hands he held a towel with a shirt and pair of sweats on top, both obviously his. She almost shook her head ‘no’ but thought better of it.

Under the spray of the water, it occurred to her that this wasn’t the first time she had showered under Itachi’s roof with nothing but his clothes to change into. Only this time it felt more intimate. Like things between them had shifted. Although, for better or for worse, she wasn’t yet sure.

Even after taking her time, Sakura’s head still wasn’t totally clear, but she couldn’t justify standing under the spray any longer after having washed her hair twice.

Itachi was in the kitchen when she finally wandered back downstairs. She paused in the doorway to watch him as he moved a kettle of hot water off the stove before he shut off the burner. It felt a little odd, not bad but odd, to be standing there in such a domestic setting.

“I know tequila is your favorite, but would you like some tea?” he asked with a quick glance in her direction before he opened a cabinet.

Sakura shot him a look. “You make me sound like I’m an alcoholic. I drink more than just tequila, you know.”

An amused smile crossed his face as he pulled out two mugs and filled them with water. The delicious scent of orange and cinnamon reached her nose as she approached the counter to accept the drink from him. On one side, the mug read: “Coffee, cause adulting is hard.”

She hid her smile as she sipped slowly. She could only agree with that.

The tea helped fight off the cold from her wet hair. It warmed her hands and her chest as she sipped, settling low in her stomach, but it was nothing compared to when she looked up and found Itachi already watching her.

He gazed at her over the top of his own mug. Just the two of them standing there quietly in his kitchen. Her wearing his clothes. Just being with him for no other purpose than company. They really didn’t have anything more to discuss and yet she found herself not having any desire to leave. Somewhere far in the back of her mind – or perhaps not even that far – she knew this was dangerous.

Not knowing what to say, Sakura chewed the inside of her lip. Fortunately, Itachi broke the silence, but it wasn’t exactly what she was expecting him to say.

“I’m going to shower. Make yourself at home.”

Alone again, Sakura didn’t really know what to do with herself. Her gaze wandered back over to the piano, but rather than making her way towards it, she eyed the rest of the room, giving pause when she saw a handful of photos on the mantelpiece above the fireplace. They were the only photos in sight.

With her mug in hand, Sakura wandered towards them. Immediately she recognized Shisui beside Itachi in almost all of them. Together, just doing ordinary things: riding dirt bikes on an unpaved road, playing soccer in high school or college, posing together in their nice button-down shirts at what appeared to be a wedding.

The last photo had Shisui in it as well, but between the two of them was another woman. They were all wearing matching team, baseball shirts with a field behind them. Likely at the local stadium. She was wedged in the middle of the pair, her arms thrown around their shoulders and a wide smile on her pretty face. She looked about their age, and with the same eyes and nose. Definitely a family member. Another cousin or perhaps a sister?

Sakura didn’t know. And an uncomfortable feeling began to grow in her chest, knowing she didn’t know because she had never asked. She thought back to all the times Itachi had ever asked her about herself. Perhaps back then she had thought he was prying, but now...now she wondered if he was just genuinely curious about her.

Turning away, Sakura passed the bookshelf and she paused to read a couple of titles there if only to distract herself. There was a mix of everything. From World War Two history to travel guides on places all around the world to poetry.

Still, she found her eyes wandering back to that piano in the corner. Glancing back towards the doorway, she listened to the quiet. She could just make out the muffled rush of water from the shower. Itachi wouldn’t be down for at least another few minutes.

Setting her mug on a coaster on the coffee table, Sakura wandered towards the instrument, her fingers skimming over the side in a featherlight touch before she lowered herself down onto the bench before it. She lifted the soundboard gingerly before she played a few slow keys, listening for their sound. The notes fell in tune, but she didn’t immediately continue. Instead she listened for the shower one floor above.

Only when it reached her ears did she finally raise both hands, her fingers falling on those familiar keys. Playing the song that had been buried so deep in her soul for so long, she no longer knew the name or if it even had one.

That was how Itachi found Sakura sometime later. He had heard the music from upstairs the moment he shut off the water for the shower, but had assumed she had found the radio. Only now did he realize how wrong he was.

Frozen in the doorway, Itachi simply stared, the hand towel-drying his hair stopped mid-motion. She was seated across the room, behind the instrument pushed into the corner. It had been there for so long he had nearly forgotten it was there. Her fingers moved over the keys so easily, so seamlessly. Like she wasn't playing a piece she had memorized, but instead playing a thought, a feeling. Just lost in the gentle sound her own hands were creating.

There were no words to describe the melody. It made him feel a little hopeful, a little sad and full of such a longing he couldn't quite remember the last time such an emptiness had settled so heavily in his chest.

With her back to him, she hadn’t yet seen him. And though he couldn’t see her face, she had never looked more stunning in that moment. Dressed in his shirt and sweats, her feet bare and her hair still wet and drying around her shoulders. Something that had nothing to do with the music rose up in his chest.

Without daring to make a sound, Itachi crossed the room towards her. He left his towel on the counter, his own bare feet not making a noise against the wooden floors. He stopped some paces behind her, waiting to speak until the song had passed its crescendo and had slowed into something softer and more drawn out.

“Where did you learn that song?” he asked. And he immediately regretted it when her fingers paused over the keys.

She frowned, seeming to seriously consider his question. “I don’t remember,” she murmured, briefly glancing at him over her shoulder. “It’s just always been there.”

Her fingers returned to the keys as Itachi lowered himself down into the seat beside her. Only this time she played softer. More like background music. He simply watched her play, unable to draw his eyes from her fingers as they danced so effortlessly across the keys.

Then she stopped again. “Do you have a sister?”

Blinking, Itachi lifted his head to meet her gaze. A little confused. Wondering where that question had suddenly come from. Still, he shook his head. “I have a brother.”

“And he's CIA?”

“No, he’s a helicopter pilot in the Army.”

She didn’t seem to know what to say after that and so resumed her song. Only this time she played slower like she was thinking less about the music and more about something else. Eventually she said, “You don’t talk about yourself very much.”

Neither did she, but he didn’t point that out. Merely canted his head. “What do you want to know?”

Sakura opened her mouth only to close it again. Like she couldn’t decide what she wanted to ask. Her uncharacteristic shyness was so charming, Itachi couldn’t resist smiling.

Then he pursed his lips, thinking what to tell her.

“My birthday is June 9th,” he finally began slowly. “I was born in Maryland but moved to New York at ten when my parents got stationed here. I have three Bachelor’s degrees.”

Sakura's brow rose. She looked like she was going to ask one question but changed it mid-thought. “What else?”

Itachi hummed thoughtfully. “I can speak Hebrew and enough Arabic to get by. In the morning, I need at least three cups of coffee to function, and you…” he started, his voice trailing off for a moment. “You have the most beautiful emerald eyes I have ever seen.”

Sakura’s fingers faltered on the piano. She stilled before she turned her head to look at him. He met her gaze unabashedly, a small smile pulling on the corner of his lips. She seemed like she didn’t know what to say, but her gaze dropped down to his mouth as she worried her own bottom lip between her teeth. Like she knew what she wanted to do but wasn’t sure she should do it.

Itachi made the decision for her. Ducking his head, he pressed his mouth to hers, starting where they had left off less than an hour before. Sakura responded without pause, shifting on the bench to better reach him. Her fingers wrapped around his wrist as he slid his hand across her jaw to angle her face towards his.

This time, there was no rush. No adrenaline to cloud their judgement. No worry or concern. It was simply them and all the emotion that had been building since longer than either of them were aware. He kissed her slow, taking his time to familiarize himself with her. Her taste, her feel, her scent. Only now he could only smell his own shampoo in her hair and his body wash on her skin.

Something primal reared in his chest. Adjusting his grip, Itachi pulled her closer until her legs were on either side of his hips. In one movement, he stood with her in his arms, her thighs secured around his waist. They only made it as far as the couch, his mouth never leaving hers as he lowered them both down.

There, they spent most of the night. With only soft moans and sighs to fill the quiet. His hands and lips traced every inch of skin, paying particular attention to the bruises still on her wrists, her stomach and her hips. Where the memory of her attackers would soon fade. His touch left her breathless and yet he gave her everything she wanted. When he finally pushed inside her, their bodies moved as one. Working together to find that release that made the rest of the world and all its problems fall away.

Itachi brought them to climax there and then again some time later after their hearts had settled to something less frantic before he brought her upstairs to his bedroom. Then they did it all again.

It was only much later when the horizon began to lighten did they lay still. Sakura rested half-across his chest, her head on his shoulder with her breath ghosting across his neck. Itachi dragged his fingers through her hair in lazy strokes, the action lulling him to sleep as much as her.

“This complicates things,” Sakura murmured into his skin after the silence had stretched on for several minutes.

Itachi frowned but didn’t stop the gentle motion of his hand. He liked the way her silky strands fell through his fingers. “I know.” Then he added, “I still do not regret it.”

“Neither do I,” she murmured. “But we both know this can't end well.”

Itachi’s grip around her tightened minutely. “Says who?”

“Itachi…”

He didn't answer her right away. He tried to remember the last time he had felt this content. He knew Sakura was right. Those very same words had been in the back of his mind, just waiting to spring forward. But he didn't want to talk about it right now. Right now, he just wanted one night.

Rolling them over into their sides, Itachi pulled her flush against him, until their breath matched every inhale and exhale, and their hearts found rhythm together. “We have plenty of other issues to concern ourselves with,” he told her. “Just for tonight, can we pretend this isn't one?”

Sakura didn’t respond, but after a moment, he felt her nodded against his chest. Itachi smiled against the crown of her head before he finally let his eyes slip closed. The warmth of her heat and the softness of her skin lulling him to sleep.

xx

When Sakura awoke in the morning, it was to a muffled shuffling somewhere nearby. She forced her eyes open abruptly, her mind already racing for where she had left her gun. Only to relax when she spotted Itachi across the room. The events from last night flooded her memory but there were no feelings of regret or embarrassment. Only a fullness she couldn't quite explain. It was still there when Itachi finished buttoning his jeans and turned to see she was awake.

“Hey,” he said with a soft, albeit apologetic smile. “Sorry, did I wake you?”

“No,” she lied, dragging a hand down her face. Then she glanced out the window. The sun was still out. “What time is it?”

“Almost three in the afternoon,” he told her as he grabbed a shirt and pulled it down over his head.

Which wasn’t surprising. They hadn’t fallen asleep until sunrise.

“I wish I could stay but my work called. I have to go.”

Sakura was surprised to see real guilt on his face. As if he honestly felt bad for leaving her there. She was just as surprised to feel disappointment rise in her chest. But she hid it behind a teasing smile.

“Or you could stay. Tell them you broke your phone,” she offered.

The guilt vanished to be replaced with amusement as he approached the bed to sit on the edge at her hip. “Unfortunately, it is important. But stay as long as you’d like. There is coffee already made and food in the cabinets.”

Sakura cocked her brow. “You tell me that like I actually know how to cook.”

“Surely even you can boil water for instant noodles.”

“I think you have more faith in me than you ought to.”

Itachi laughed – a true, honest laugh – before he leaned down to kiss her. He lingered for a moment before he pulled away and stood. “I have to go. I’ll leave a key on the counter.”

Then he was out the door.

Sakura laid there for a few minutes, just listening to the silence of the townhouse echoing back at her and her own breathing. It was this quiet she was used to waking up to. This stillness that echoed back at her. But never did she feel lonely. Not until now.

A long, heavy breath passed between her lips. She raised both hands to her face, her palms digging into her eyes. What did she just do? She had told herself only yesterday morning that she couldn’t get involved with Itachi and then the very same night she had jumped into bed with him.

She didn’t regret sleeping with him – Gods no. But she did regret sleeping with a CIA Agent. Kakashi had been annoyed when he had found out she had shared a bed with Tobirama. He would lose it when he found out she had done the very same thing with Itachi.

There were no outcomes of this that she could think of that would end well. The CIA didn’t exactly operate completely within the bounds of the law but they were still a government entity and she was an international criminal.

Dropping her arms back against the pillow, Sakura stared at the ceiling. Itachi hadn’t seemed too concerned about it. But then again, he had more to gain from this arrangement. Though she didn’t think he was using her. She had been manipulated enough times in the past to recognize it. Rather, she and Itachi were just strangely drawn towards one another. Like magnets, it had only been a matter of time before that invisible pull snapped them together.

But just as Itachi had said, there were plenty of other things to worry about. This one fell somewhere near the bottom of the list. At least for now.

That was enough to draw Sakura out of bed. She showered again, cleansing the stink of sweat and sex from her skin and replacing it with Itachi’s clean scent before she dressed herself in her clothes from yesterday. She grabbed her gun from under the mattress where she had stored it the previous night before retrieved her phone from the nightstand and headed downstairs.

Sure enough, there was a key sitting on the island counter. She pocketed it and took a sip of coffee from Itachi’s unfinished cup. Only to freeze as something caught her eye.

The piano, the one that had been so full and cluttered last night, lay bare. All the books and old mail that had been laid abandoned upon it were gone. There wasn’t even a trace of dust left. It had been wiped completely clean. Spotless.

Sakura knew without a shred of doubt Itachi had done it for her. Something settled in her chest. So heavy and full, that it felt both like happiness and sorrow. Her fingers itched for those keys. To feel their weight under her fingertips. To touch it and caress it as Itachi had done to her last night.

Sakura took one purposeful step back. Then she turned and made her way out the door.

to be continued…

[nimbus-cloud]

Ken-Chan’s Fan Event!!!

I basically died and ascended so I’m writing this from beyond this world.

Have a peek under the Read More if you guys are interested in hearing about this fan event!  Unlike the Donut Conferences, I don’t think he’s making a DVD of this one.

OK so ken-chan's event was in this little basement cafe with like... 60 people max. Super close quarters, and I saw him and Hiroki and Justin closer than when we were second row at Takato's event. UGHHHHH HE'S SOOOOOO CUUUUUTE They all were, but obviously Ken-chan in particular.  Especially with his current longer hair, he looks especially boyish.  

At first he just like quietly appeared out of nowhere from the back and everyone was like wait, what? what?? lololol Then he made his way over to the "stage" area and took the microphone to say hi to us, make sure that we grabbed food from the buffet, etc...  He actually started the event with circling around the tables and taking photos with everyone (which I think took everyone by surprise because that's usually done last). So he took photos with everyone and was restricted to 20 seconds at each table to chat lol.  The staff kept him on-time otherwise I think he would’ve definitely gone over.

I told him it was my first time at one of his events, which made him happy and then he asked me how I got to know about him, so I said Engeki, and then I told him I came from America to watch it and to come to this event and he was happily surprised. He was gonna ask me another thing but time was up!  Not much anyone can say in 20 seconds if you’re trying for an actual conversation lol.

For the guest corner he kept giving us clues and I think we all knew who they'd be but everyone was shy so nobody spoke up to guess who. And then Justin and Hiroki came out and there was cheering and clapping~♡♡♡  (There’s a part of me that is deeply amused to have seen Hiroki twice in three days and both times at some other actor’s event where he was a ‘secret guest’ LOL.  For not going to an Ino Hiroki event, I’ve seen him quite a bit lately lol)  Instead of going to Ken-chan first, Hiroki decided to be a little shit (like always) and he went for the buffet table instead and Ken-chan was like, “Later!  You can eat later!”

Ahhhhhh seeing the three of them together like old times was sooo -clutches heart- And they were really happy about it too. Hiroki and Justin hung out just yesterday with Kage-chan to watch the World Cup, and Ken-chan knew about that but he doesn't know anything about soccer.  But he actually decided to watch some yesterday and thought Senegal's coach was really cool, and then he said the Japanese goalkeeper was cool and the other two were just like, “yeah.... no comment.”  I also don’t know anything about soccer, but my twitter timeline seems to have mixed feelings about the Japanese goalkeeper and I’m assuming Justin and Hiroki don’t really like him lol.   Justin had been a guest at a previous donut conference, and Hiroki has gone to one before, and he asked, “How is this any different from a donut conference?” Since this particular fan event is named differently and stuff lol.  But the whole theme of this one is to just “relax” so for example, there’s no Kenko appearance, and based on the DVDs I’ve seen, the donut conferences tend to be a little bit more elaborate in content.  More like Takato’s event that I saw probably.  But this one was meant to be smaller, more easygoing, more intimate.

If there was ever any doubt that the "Today's Third Years" videos were ken-chan's idea, no more reason to doubt lol. The other two were whining about being tired after Engeki performances but Ken-chan would always come up to them with, "So for today's theme!!"  Justin pointed out how much thought Ken-chan put into those themes all the time.  Hiroki apparently wasn't overly fond of the one where he was the boy catching bugs and Ken-chan was the cicada and Justin was the mantis. Which cracked me up because that's probably one of my favorites and also Hiroki arguably got the best part since he wasn't a bug lol  But Hiroki likes to complain tho lol. And still he admitted that because Ken-chan was always so excited about them he'd get into them too, and Justin agreed to that.

Keeping with the Engeki stories: Apparently one time in the dressing rooms, Justin's personal makeup mirror was missing, but his and only his, and he was confused and wondering, “...are they telling me not to wear makeup??” And Ken-chan said, “You could just go on stage without makeup, you look good enough to not need it.” But Justin replied, "Ok but like, Asahi is Japanese. And I have this foreigner face. And I have to try and make my eyes look smaller." So then Ken-chan asked the crowd, “Who does their make-up in the mornings and tries to make their eyes look smaller?”  Obviously nobody raised their hand and Justin answered, “Pretty sure it’s just me.  Just me.”  

English became a topic at one point and Justin admitted he's stopped taking English lessons because he’s gotten too busy to go. That and, "I also realized I could just practice by talking to my family." And Hiroki was like YOU SHOULD'VE REALIZED THAT FROM THE START!  Hiroki also wanted to brush up so he recently bought a textbook for self-study, but he said it was too hard.  Lots of unknown vocabulary. Then Ken-chan said he actually remembers the first English word he ever learned, which was "sacrifice" and the others were like WHAT A WEIRD FIRST WORD??? But it's because a friend of his from grade school used it kind of weirdly and after he asked the teacher what it meant, he realized better what his friend was talking about, thought it was profound and then remembered it forever.

Hiroki was like, "I kind of understand how you could be friends.  He sounds weird like you." Actually Justin and Hiroki called Ken-chan "weird" a number of times lol, like it's his defining feature or something. That and he texts them in their three-person group chat like a “girlfriend.”

He’ll send them selfies and go, "Here's today's Akisawa Kentarou!" and Hiroki is always like dude, what? Or out of nowhere he’ll tell them, "It's cold out so take care and don't catch a cold ok!" And Justin was like, “It's kind of like having a girlfriend.”

For a little question corner someone wanted Justin and Hiroki to say something they liked about Ken-chan and also one thing they disliked. Justin loves ken-chan's bright and warm personality. He feels like Ken-chan gives him extra energy and strength and that he always gets caught up in Ken-chan’s pace.   Hiroki loves that when it comes to Ken-chan he can really feel like he cares for each individual in their own unique way.  Like Ken-chan is mindful of different people and holds a different kind of love for everyone. WHICH I THOUGHT WAS KIND OF DEEP I DUNNO I GOT EMOTIONAL.  Justin agreed and Ken-chan said how happy he was to hear that.  

Another question was, if the three of them could appear together in a play again, what kind of roles would Ken-chan imagine for everyone?  And honestly it got kind of weird and convoluted, but he assigned Justin to be a monk, and for Hiroki to be someone completely plain and normal.  Because Hiroki’s done a lot of different types of roles as an actor and since his normal personality is kind of out there, he thought it would be a challenge for Hiroki to be as plain and as normal as possible.  And Ken-chan himself would be like... the bad guy running an evil organization, but then he found religion and converted... but it was a trick... it got weird.  Justin was nodding his head and kind of getting into it, but Hiroki’s face just kept getting more and more confused LOL.  And at the end he was just like, “What is this?!  This would definitely have a bad ending!”  ( 絶対バッドエンド！) Justin just went, “Yeah this just all reminded me of how amazing Ken-chan is.  He just comes up with stuff like this.”  Hiroki was just giving these super doubtful looks, oh my god, he looked so funny honestly.  

When the guest corner wrapped up and Ken-chan said goodbye to them, he tried to kiss Hiroki’s hand as he shook it, and Hiroki was just giving him the funniest stink-eye for the next two whole minutes as he slowly, slowly backed off from the stage area lololol.  (Again, HIROKI IT’S NOT LIKE YOU DON’T TRY TO SNEAK SMOOCHES FROM PEOPLE, I JUST SAW YOU TRY TO SMOOCH TAKATO TWO NIGHTS AGO; HE’S SUCH A LITTLE SHIT I LOVE HIM).

After that, Ken-chan treated us to a song, and my heart was soaring because I love his singing, and he picked such a sweet song with sweet lyrics, and UGH.  I need to see him live in a musical someday.  He was all nervous before he started too, saying that he was bad at singing and everyone in the room just VEHEMENTLY shook their heads like WHAT ARE YOU EVEN TALKING ABOUT?!?!  But the space was small and he wasn’t on an elevated stage at all, so I’m sure the intimacy of the setting made it a little more nerve-wracking singing a solo song in front of 60 people.  

Then for his good-bye message he thanked us all for supporting him and for making events like this possible.  He even gestured to me where I was sitting and said, “Even coming all the way from America!  She’s here from America, everyone!” and the other girls did the “Ehhh???” thing at me and OMG I just kind of bowed meekly.  But then another girl in the front raised her hand and said she was from China studying abroad, and Ken-chan was all, “I’m global!  Global Kentarou!”

Then for the send-off, he would shake our hands and try to spend at least another 20 seconds talking to each of us as he gave us our individual good-byes.  If you ordered his donut conference DVD, there was the option to have him give you your copy at the end of the event, so obviously I did that lol.

He also prepared these little handwritten cards for everyone with small felt roses attached, so I now have a handwritten card from Ken-chan~

When it was my turn, he took my hands and shook them and thanked me for coming all the way from America to see him.  He asked me how long the trip takes, and I told him that from Seattle to Narita is about a 10-hr flight, and he was like, “That’s so far!”   And then I showed him the donut earrings I wore for his event, and he poked one gently and pointed them out to his friend who was assisting at the event (It was Shouma, who helps him at every event I think) and was just like, “Look at her donut earrings!  They’re so cute!”  And then he complimented my Japanese, wished me a safe trip home, and held my hands again (how do I ever wash these hands again?) and said, “Have a nice day!!” and I dunno.  My heart just like... melted.  Also my gift for him this time was a black shirt that has “have a nice day” embroidered on it so it was also a bit... not deja vu, but ANYWAYS.  I’m so proud of myself for not tripping up the stairs as I left because oh my god the euphoriaaaaa~

My photo with him is going to be one of my most prized possessions forever probably.  

----

Oh!  Also the three of them made a video after the event (x) but since Ken-chan and Hiroki are “graduated” from being Karasuno third-years, it’s not titled the usual “Today’s Third-Years.”  Now it’s “Today’s Adults... or wannabe adults anyway” 

[vanilluhbeaux]

stability

vanilluhbeaux (distinque)

Summary:

"This is a Catholic nut-house, Doctor. Everyone's mad here and I wouldn't trust what anyone say. Not the patients and not the clergymen."

x

The first time Sasuke came was in March. March 17, 1962, to be exact. It was a rainy, stormy day and he approached the brick building with extra caution, just as his boss told him. A liscensed therapist, he had no idea why he was sent to a mental institution, but didn't voice his frustrations. He kept them inside, bit his tongue, and straightened his tie. He remembered his boss telling him that keeping his mouth shut was the reason people went off the deep end, but he paid no heed. For all he could tell, his boss was bat-shit insane. The old geezer never did anything but obsess over his dead parents, as if they were gods or something. Sasuke wasn't too interested in Orochimaru, but what the old man could do for him. He might've been crazy, but the man was a genius. Working with him could help him advance his PHD, and that's what Sasuke needed. He needed an adnvancement, and he needed one fast. Staring up at the big, brick building, he knew that this would be an interesting experience to say the least.

When he walked into the building, a shock of pink hair greeted him. She was dressed in a bright blue dress, the middle sinched together with a brown belt, showing off a tiny waist. On her feet were white tennis shoes, ones meant for runnning. She was helping up a blonde-haired girl, the same age as she. "There you go, Ino-pig," she said, putting the girl in a chair. "Be good," she said, pointing to the girl. Her tone was serious, but gentle, the same tone he used when talking to his patients. If he hadn't known better, he would've thought that she was the same as he, a doctor tending to a patient. He would've liked to believe it, but the ink on the back of her neck told him different. She was a patient herself, a patient of this facility. She'd obviously had extensive education – or natural skill – in comforting and easing pains, for he felt his own self being swayed by her short words.

He never expected her to turn around so quickly, and he never expected for her to have the brightest eyes he's ever seen. They shone like emeralds, and reflected promise – of what, he wasn't sure. Sasuke could tell that this girl had potential to be something like him. What is she doing here? he thought, giving her a soft smile. "You must be the doctor," she said, her voice still soft. "Doctor Uchiha, if I'm correct."

"You are," he answered back smoothly. "You wouldn't happen to know where Father Kakashi is, do you?" he asked her, watching her smile. The twist of her pink lips made her whole face light up, and Sasuke noticed, but refused to be moved by it. Crazy girls are still crazy, even if they are pretty, he said in his head, watching her with a careful eye.

"Father Kakashi is the room in the back and towards the left," she said, pointing in the direction. Sasuke began to excuse himself when she grabbed his sleeve and added, "But I wouldn't trust him." Sasuke opened his mouth in confusion, but she spoke quickly and quietly. "This is a Catholic nut-house, Doctor. Everyone's mad here and I wouldn't trust what anyone says. Not the clergymen and not the patients." With that, she let him go and walked in the opposite direction, towards the blond girl sitting in the chair. "Be on your way," she said to him, not looking his way.

Following the girl's orders, Sasuke walked towards the back. He could vaguely hear a light hum to a song he'd almost forgotten. Throwing a longing, worn look towards the pair of women, he turned and walked where she'd told him, fighting her to be right.

.

.

.

repetition

It was during his first session that he learned the pink haired girl's name. The blond she was helping when he'd first arrived, Yamanaka Ino, spoke highly of her as she laid on the little black couch. With her dull blue eyes shining and white hands in the air, she said smiling, "I was a little bit lonely here, all by myself. I know that what I see isn't real, but really bad nightmares, thanks to Sakura. They aren't really there, you know. They're just night terrors you have when you're awake. I get really lonely, all by myself." While Sasuke jotted this down, she stopped smiling and cackled, before setlling her face into a light smile. Her laugh was loud and echoed through the makeshift office, repeating itself to itself. Ino seemed to take bright delight in this, for she did it three more times. "Sakura's really great, you know. She's smart and she's pretty and she's great. I used to be really lonely, all by myself, but Sakura makes sure that I'm never lonely. She's really pretty. She told me that man in green andthe woman in pink weren't going to hurt me. They're not real, Ino-pig. You can rest now, Ino-pig. Don't fret, Ino-pig. Be good, Ino-pig."

"So Sakura helped erase the people you see?" Sasuke asked, which made Ino shoot up from her seat. She stared at him with big, blue eyes, and narrowed them at him. With flared nostrils, she snorted at him.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she asked him, suspiciously. She eye'd him up and down before leaping in front of his seat, grabbing onto the sides of his chair. "You're trying to take Sakura away from me, aren't you?!" she accused. "You can't take her away from me," she growled. "You can't make me lonely any more! You're not leaving me! She's not leaving me! YOU CAN'T TAKE HER AWAY FROM ME! SHE'S MINE! SHE'S MINE! SHE LOVES ME VERY MUCH! YOU CAN'T DO THIS TO ME!" she screamed. She pointed a finger towards his chest and screamed at him, "DO YOU FUCKING UNDERSTAND, INO?!"

The next moment, her eyelids started drooping. She tried to give him one more menacing stare, but collapsed into Sasuke's lap, her head landing on his thikgh heavily. Begfore Sasuke could look up, a voice cut in, "I am so sorry for her behavior." Sasuke averted his deep brown eyes to look at the girl with pink hair and green eyes, and offered her a small smile. He took notice of her floral white dress and white gym shoes, not usual attire for anyone in a mental asylum. He also noticed the syringe in her hand – not that he commented on it. "She gets defensive when someone so much as mentions me. I guess you could call it jealousy, but she's confident that I love her," she said, bending down to pick the larger blonde up.

"She's afraid you'll leave her one day," Sasuke said, jotting what she said in his notebook. His voice was even and clear, even as he struggled to keep his eyes off of her. "She's obsessed with you," he said, licking his pen, "She thinks you're her savior or something like that." The pink haired woman giggled at this.

"I don't think it's wrong to like someone else, Doctor," she said, lying the woman on the couch and sitting next to her. She spoke easily and freely, as if the walls weren't meant to confine them to the room, to confidentiality. Conversation came easily with her, he noticed, and wrote that down on a seperate sheet of apaper, which he quickly labeled 'Sakura.' "We've all developed a crush on someone else at one point." She crossed one leg over the other and laughed through her pink lips. Her white teeth made Sasuke smile, but the scar under her neck made him shiver.

"This is more than a simple crush, Sakura," he warned, reclining in his chair. "She's here for a reason – Ino's dangerous. Crushes can be dangerous, you should keep yourself alert around her." Sakura cocked an eyebrow, and placed her elbows on her knee. He noticed the way her dress rode up a teensy bit, revealing more of her creamy thighs. A light smile graced her pink lips and she said something with her eyes, though Sasuke wasn''t good at non-verbal communication.

"Is that so?"

"It has to be," he responded quickly, causing her sit back. "Are you a doctor or a patient, Sakura?" he asked. Judging from the slight widening of the greenest eyes he'd ever seen, he caught her off-gaurd. He wasn't sure if this was a good thing, considering she could be completely insane. He wasn't sure what he was doing with her, but before he lets himself progress any further, he'd have to know.

"Would you believe me –" she'd started, but an opening of the heavy metal door scared her into silence. From that door emerged Father Kakashi, the head of the asylum. His silver hair stuck out at odd ends and his visable eye was lonesome, but Sasuke was sure that he had never met a more rightous man.

Sakura, on the other hand, was not so sure. His lone eye wandered across the room and settled on the pinkette, a small smile crossing his covered lips. "Well, if it isn't Little Lizzie!" he exclaimed, clapping a hand on Sakura's bare shoulder. The girl visably grimanced, and threw his hand off of her. Glancing around at Sasuke, he said, "I see you've done your duty and came for your own evaluation. It may do you some good, love."

"My name is not Lizzie," the girl growled under her breath, glaring at the man. "I was entertaining the company, t'is all. I don't need an 'evaluation', Father," she sneered at the man, huffing slightly. "I have all my senses, but I believe that you don't have yours." Sasuke looked over at the man, who remained impassive, yet amused.

"Your record says otherwise, Lizzie," he continued, much to Sasuke's confusion. Kakashi saw this, and chuckled at him. You poor, poor fool, he thought, looking at Sasuke with a slight sense of pity. Leaning against the doorframe, he continued, "You haven't read, Doctor?"

"This is a Catholic nut-house, Doctor! Everyone's mad here and I wouldn't trust what anyone says. Not the clergymen and not the patients!" Sakura yelled, her voice strained and angry. Her fingers clenched and unclenched, forming fists and open palms. Her floral dress seemed like more of an obstacle than a bright distraction and she was seeing the world in black and white – Doctor Uchiha was white and Father Kakashi was black.

"Sakura murdered her parents with an axe when she was thirteen. She's been stuck here since," Kakashi spoke evenly, sending a warning look to Sasuke. "Sakura's dangerous, Sasuke. She may seem sweet and cute, but it's an act. She's not stable and she's not reliable. Don't get attatched to a pretty face," he said, walking out.

Sakura sat still on the couch, playing with the hem of her dress. "I'm stable," she muttered, fiddling with it. "I'm stable." She closed her eyes and inhaled a breath and said it again, "I'm stable." She peeled her eyes open and looked into Sasuke's dark brown orbs. "I'm stable," she spoke, clearly. It was a promise, but to whom, she wasn't sure. Sasuke, on the other hand, wasn't as convinced.

"You're a patient?" he asked, slowly, tenatively.

"Yes," she said, only her lips moving. Her eyes were still locked with his, and every tilt of his head, she followed.

"Did you murder your parents?" he asked, equally as slow and equally as timid. Her green eyes followed him, and were still the greenest he'd ever seen. She licked her pink lips, prompting him to do the same. Her pink hair settled on her shoulder as she contemplated the right answer to his loaded question.

"No," she'd settled on. Sasuke released a breath he didn't know he was holding, and moved closer to her. She smiled at this action, all pink and white. "You're very beautiful, Doctor."

"As are you," he responded, his face a mere inch from hers. Her cheeks grew rosy as her eyelids closed.

"I've got a crush on you," she said, closing the distance between them briefly. It was a simple, quick gesture, a peck between two pairs of lips. Sweet and soft, but lacking in an aspect they both did not know. There weren't sparks, but she did feel a magnetic closeness between the two that they did feel. Green eyes looked into brown, but only saw her reflection staring back at her. She placed a small, tender hand on his chest and pushed him back, only slightly. "I'm stable," se whispered. "You're afraid," she swore.

"Should I be?" he asked, taking her hand in his, but not holding it. Sakura was a dangerous woman, according to Kakashi. She'd admitted to being a patient, and he knew that becoming attatched to someone who could have committed two acts of murder was certain death. Sakura was death, beautiful but quiet death. A poison or drug, something that chilled his nerves and made his heart beat just a little faster. Gorgeous, but deadly.

Femme fatale.

"I can't tell you that, Doctor," she said, smoothing her dress.

"And why not?" Sasuke demanded. He put his hands on her shoulders, watching her flinch ever so slightly. "You're an enigma."

"I wouldn't trust what anyone says. Not the clergymen and not the patients," she said, trailing softly. She stood and walked towards the door, smiling softly at him. "I'm a patient. Crushes can be dangerous, you should keep yourself alert around her," she said, with a light sniff.

"Wait—let me have three more words!" he said, grabbing her wrist. Sakura shook violently, but shook her head softly at him. I love you was all she heard when he opened his mouth. She turned and pressed another quick kiss to his lips, leaving him breathless.

"I'll wait for you. I'm stable."

[wolvesandfoxes25]

What we want: Ch.1

Sakura fiddled with the neck of her beer, chancing a glance up at the snickering blonde in front of her.

The Hokage.

He was a little intoxicated.

Well, why not?

The kids were on missions, and work had dwindled a bit.

So, some of the old group, and most of the older Sensei’s, had decided to venture out into one of the bars.

Sakura turned her focus to Kakashi, who was now talking to a random civilian woman at the bar, laughing at something.

She could tell though…she could tell that he was scouting. She noticed how his eyes trailed over the figure of the woman when she wasn’t looking.

Pervert.

But, why not? She seemed interested.

Sighing, she looked back across the booth at Naruto, who was chuckling at something Choji said, his fox like grin taking over his features.

Hinata wasn’t there, she had opted to stay home with Himawari.

Bolt and Sarada were on a week long mission themselves, leaving Sakura completely open to do whatever in that time span.

And of course Sasuke was not in the village.

Closing her eyes in pain, Sakura suddenly felt a shove at her shin, and she looked up quickly into the eyes of her former teammate.

Oh Gods.

He was giving her that look.

The heated, intense look he kept throwing her way everytime she saw him now.

Swallowing her lone shot of sake, she got up from the table, and brushed off her skirt, turning to go into the one stall woman’s bathroom.

Sighing soundly, she stood in front of the mirror, looking herself over.

God, when had she aged to her thirties? When had she gotten married and had a child? She felt like her life had slipped away before she realized what was happening.

Sarada.

That was the one thing she wouldn’t change for the entire world. Her child was everything to her, even if the child’s father in question was almost never in the picture.

In the midst of her thoughts, she heard the door open, then shut, the lock latching in place, the music from the bar beating hard against the walls of the bathroom, almost matching the rhythm her heart was going.

Naruto.

In the mirror, their eyes met, and she felt herself be pulled in to those intense blue eyes, narrowed into slits at her obvious unhappiness.

“Sakura.” He called out huskily, cheeks flushed, his Hokage robes discarded at the table, leaving him in his orange outfit.

Swallowing, Sakura felt her legs tremble.

It had been this way for a month now. There was strange tension between the two of them that had reared its head after a heated meeting in Naruto’s office about their children.

Bolt had been calling Sarada ugly names, and Sarada had been beating Bolt’s head in for it. Naruto, true to form, had no censor, so he told Sakura exactly what he thought about it.

Due to being on the receiving end of Sarada’s mothers tantrums himself. He knew all too well how painful they could be.

Sakura had scolded Naruto for allowing his son to speak to a girl in that way. And that…well, that pissed Naruto off.

Not only that, but he had a lot of other stressors that could contribute to the horrendous fight that they had gotten into.

But, said fight was laced in something Sakura couldn’t name, and was honestly too afraid to.

Being around Naruto from that point forward set her skin alight with an unknown flame that she had never felt before. His scent made her senses swim with longing, and lust.

Oh God.

What was happening to her?

A growl brought her out of her thoughts, and she glanced up, watching as Naruto made his way to her, fox like eyes setting their sights on the target.

Her.

Reaching out, he grabbed her bicep and pulled her against his chest.

No time was wasted as hands fiddled with each others lower garments, pants hitting the floor, Sakura’s skirt following suite. Naruto grabbed her underwear and ripped them downwards, seeing them pool around her ankles.

Sakura huffed as he gripped the underside of her ass, and hoisted her up, slamming her against the adjacent wall, lips and teeth attacking her neck, mouth uttering filthy words that would make even Kakashi blush.

Maybe.

Sakura was lost in the heat that he placed her in.

Naruto sank his teeth into her pulse point, and gripped his dick, aligning it with her wet entrance, shoving forward, burrowing home within her.

The two of them groaned, the walls reverberating with the techno beat of the music.

And that’s how they fucked. And man, were they fucking.

There was nothing gentle about the way Naruto grabbed her hair, exposing her pale flesh to him, his canines finding solace in her silky skin, ripping a low moan from her throat.

Sakura wound her legs around his hips, thrusting her womanhood against his thrusting manhood, her loud moans drowned out because of the song.

It was brutal….what he was doing to her.

But Gods, she didn’t care.

She needed this.

Sakura threw her head back, gasping sharply at the angle his hips were moving, the little knot of pleasure unfurling, promising a strong orgasm.

She needed more of him though, she wanted him deeper.

Arching her back smoothly, Sakura shoved at his shoulders, falling to her feet, watching as his face went from rapture to confusion.

Sakura stepped over to the sink and bent over, exposing her wet pussy to him, the wet juices gliding down her inner labia, making the pink haired Kuniochi bite her lip.

“N-Naruto. Fuck me like this. Please.” She almost begged, wiggling her hips in circles until she felt strong fingers clutch her hips and his cock push its way inside of her, all the way to where his balls were slapping against her clit.

Sakura squeaked from the sensation, never feeling this horny before.

She needed to come. She desperately needed to come.

The music was louder now, pulsing in rhythm to her and Naruto’s fucking, harsh panting reaching across the bathroom, the two of them sweating, watching the other in the mirror.

Sakura was so close she had to grit her teeth in order to stay standing. Naruto himself was huskily breathing heavily, his hips slanting against hers so strongly, Sakura could feel her breasts bounce beneath her dress.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a hand weave itself into her hair, gripping it tightly, forcing her head back, the ends of the strands screaming, making her breath rush out hotly.

Naruto bit her neck, his nose scraping against her ear lobe, blue eyes watching her intently in the mirror.

“Come for me, Sakura.” He commanded, sinking his teeth into her flesh again.

And she did, her mouth falling open in a silent scream as her lower abdominal muscles clenched so hard, she thought she’d fall to her knees from the intensity.

A growl could be heard behind her, and she felt his hips slant in a sloppy rhythm, signaling he was coming to.

They both bucked together, fingers tensing, jabbing harshly into the flesh they could find.

Then, the song abruptly ended.

Naruto released her after a few seconds, and Sakura fell forwards, his seed dripping down her thighs, legs trembling.

Oh fuck.

Silence.

Sakura herself gripped her underwear and pulled them up quickly, shaking so hard, she thought she’d topple over.

After fixing her hair, she made her way to the door, but a hand halted her, the blond haired man dragging her against him, blue eyes searching, shooting unanswered questions at her, cheeks tinged red due to the alcohol he had consumed.

Green eyes searched blue. But, neither of them said anything.

There was nothing to be said.

What had just happened was horrible.

Terrible.

Their spouses didn’t deserve it, that was for sure.

Sakura felt tears building, much to the dismay of the young Hokage, who sighed and let her go, watching her scramble out of the bathroom.

Sakura noticed all her friends on the dance floor, Sai and Ino dirty dancing to a particularly vulgar song that had just started playing. Kakashi was still conversing with the civilian woman at the bar, the two of them a little closer now, the tension palpable between the two, the woman’s hands on his bicep. Sakura didn’t notice too many others before she was grabbing her sweater and bolting out the door, throwing some money on the table.

She needed to get the hell out of there.

Arriving at her house, she went directly to her room and flung off her clothing, dragging a hand through her hair, smelling Naruto all over her.

Whimpering, she stripped all the way down, hearing the squelching between her thighs, knowing his seed was still there, branding her with the sin she had just committed.

Rushing towards the shower, she turned on the hot tap and stood there for a few seconds, for as long as she could bare.

Wincing at the now scolding temperature, feeling no better, Sakura reached for the cold water and turned it on, adjusting the two taps to a comfortable setting before grabbing the bar of lavender soap, and suddsing her skin, rubbing away the nights events, wanting to forget them altogether.

Why had that happened?

Well, the alcohol was a good factor. No, Sakura wasn’t drunk, but she had a good buzz going. And Naruto, well, he was right there with her. And the heat in the bathroom had just caused a stir in both of them apparently, especially due to that fierce fight the two of them had shared.

Sakura couldn’t help the thoughts that surfaced. She couldn’t help but think about his big hands running up her thighs, his hot mouth latching onto her neck, or his thick manhood parting her lower lips to wedge inside of her.

At that thought, she felt her own womanhood pulse, and she cursed herself, shaking her head free of those thoughts.

That could never happen again.

They were married, and had children.

Sniffling, Sakura cupped her hand and gathered some water, parting her legs, washing off the leftover semen, feeling tears pool in her eyes, shame coursing through her.

Oh God.

Oh God.

The rest of the night, Sakura was restless, completely exhausted she sat up and wiped the tears that were pooling out of her eyes.

She needed to speak to someone.

And who better than talk to the person that never slept?

It was 8 a.m. when Sakura knocked on his door, looking around to see if anyone was in the vicinity.

No answer.

Sakura knocked again, wondering if maybe he was asleep?

No answer.

Once more she knocked again and then she heard swearing on the other side of the wooden door.

“Just hang the hell on. Damn it.” He swore, unlatching the lock and swinging the door open, glaring at the early intruder.

“What?” He snapped, onyx eyes suddenly softening when they saw her.

Oh God.

He was shirtless!

“K-Kakashi-Sensei!” Sakura blushed, turning her back to him.

“Well, what did you expect? I just woke up…and my night, well, it didn’t consist of much clothing.” He said, humor in his voice.

Sakura blushed even harder at that comment, turning back around but keeping a hand over her eyes.

“I-Is she still here?” She questioned him.

“Nah. Left early. Want to come in?”

Sakura nodded, but still kept her eyes averted, feeling slightly uncomfortable.

Kakashi smirked, and pulled her inside, walking back to his room and shrugging a black tank top on, yawning.

Sakura sat down on the couch, fiddling with the hem of her dress, watching as Kakashi put on a pot of tea.

“So. What’s going on, Sakura?” He asked her, stepping into the living room, sitting in the chair across from hers.

Sakura squeaked, lost in her thoughts, a particular vulgar image popping up from last nights events.

“O-Oh, I-I, u-um, well, that is…”

Kakashi raised a brow at her nervous bumbling.

“Sakura? What is it?” He pushed lightly, “You can tell m-”

“Naruto and I fucked at the bar last night!” She shrieked, clapping a hand over her mouth, watching as his eyes widened considerably.

Oh boy.

“Well. I wasn’t expecting that.” Kakashi responded, rubbing the back of his neck.

Sakura bit her lip, still clutching her dress forcefully.

“In the bathroom, I take it?” He questioned, and Sakura nodded.

Silence.

“I’m a horrible person.” She whimpered, pushing her face into her palms, letting out a loose sob, shoulders shaking.

Kakashi looked at her sadly and stood up, sitting beside her on the couch now, putting his hand on her shoulder.

“Come now, Sakura. You were both intoxicated, and accidents happen. The bar kind of got to everyone last night, let me tell you. Ino and Sai were practically fucking on the dance floor. Even Yamato went home with a woman! I may have accidentally caught him and his one night stand fooling around outside the bar before they finally decided to leave.”

Sakura sniffled and gave him a little smile at that.

“I-Is it rare for you to go home with a woman from the bar?” She asked him, knowing the question was very personal.

“Eh. Depends on the woman. I try not to, I’ve had some pretty horrific experiences before. Last night was so so. She was kind of boring.”

Sakura smirked.

Silence.

“About a month ago, me and Naruto got into a very bad verbal disagreement regarding our children. Bolt seems to pick on Sarada a lot, and Sarada likes to handle their disagreements with her fists instead of her words. And I think we both were having a bad day, and things…just kind of escalated. I’ve never seen Naruto so furious, he got in my face, and I pushed him. It ended to where I was backed into a wall, and we were both so…winded…and the room just was filled with this odd tension that was never there before.” Sakura finished, running a hand through her pink hair.

Kakashi listened, trying to find the right words to comfort her.

Maybe she needed the truth.

Yeah. That would help.

Or, probably make her even more depressed. Either way, she needed the truth.

“Sakura. I want you to listen to me. Okay?” He told her, patting her head.

The female looked down and nodded, looking so much like the student that he taught so many years before.

“You and Naruto have a special bond. I used to think it was just a friendly bond, like a sibling bond. However, after your experiences with the infinite tsukuyomi, I began noticing something…different.”

Sakura glanced up.

“The two of you bounced around the tension, but there were some nights where you both would argue, and Yamato and I would just look at each other and quietly move away from you two, just waiting to wake up to the two of you… doing something.”

Sakura gasped and blushed, hiding her face.

“Now. That carried on a for awhile, well into the war. Then when the war was over, and you shoved Hinata and him together, I just figured the tension would taper off. But, it never did. It just laid dormant until the two of you shoved it back forwards.”

Sakura knew it was true.

Damn it.

“Sakura. I’ve seen with my own eyes the way Naruto looks at you. Even while he’s married. I’ve seen the angry expressions he gets when Sarada talks to you about Sasuke. His passion for you hasn’t left him, and I think that frightens him, the same way it frightens you.”

Sakura bit her lip and nodded.

“It’s all my fault, Sensei. I shoved him towards Hinata, because he deserved a woman that would love him for his good side and for his faults. All I’ve ever done is talk down to him it seems. Or nag him. Why would he feel anything but anger for me?”

Kakashi smirked.

“Because you don’t take his shit, Sakura. And I thought you and I established that Naruto is nothing short of a masochist.”

Sakura snickered at that.

True.

Then, the guilt rushed back.

“B-But, last night. It could wreck both of our marriages, Kakashi-Sensei. Sasuke would be furious if he found out. And Hinata….Oh Kami, she’d never forgive me.” Sakura finished, feeling the tears overlap her eyes once again.

Kakashi sighed and sat back, rubbing his thighs, mulling over his thoughts.

“Well, Sakura. You don’t have to tell anybody. And you know I would never say anything to break your trust.”

Sakura nodded, sniffling.

Silence.

Kakashi looked at the Uchiha symbol on his previous students back and he narrowed his eyes at it, a question popping up in his head.

“Sakura? May I ask you something?”

The pink haired woman turned towards him, nodding softly.

“Did you enjoy it?” He asked raising an a silver brow at her reddened expression, wanting to smirk, but decided not to.

“Um, er. That is…I, I can’t answer that, Sensei.” She finished, closing her eyes due to embarrassment.

Hm.

He really wanted to know.

Maybe he could bribe her?

“Tell you what. You answer that question, and I’ll take off my mask.” He promised, making a peace sign with his fingers, doing his infamous eye smile.

Sakura looked dumbfounded at him, glaring slightly.

T-That…jerk! He knew she would talk if that was at stake.

“Ok. I will. But you have to take the mask off first.” She said, crossing her arms.

Kakashi just shrugged, reached up and pulled the mask off, watching shock cross the younger woman’s face.

Sakura paled considerably, feeling a little light headed.

She knew it…

She knew it!

“I win!” She squealed, jumping up and fist bumping the air, squealing like a little school girl.

Kakashi watched in humor.

“You win?” He asked, chuckling a little bit.

“Yes! Years ago, Sasuke, Naruto and I had a bet going to what you looked like under your mask! Sasuke thought you had tiny lips, Naruto thought you had fish lips, and I assumed you were decent looking. They both thought I was nuts, cause why would a good looking man hide his facial features? And I was RIGHT!” She yelled again, doing a little happy dance now.

Kakashi just smiled, shaking his head at her childlike display of winning.

Sakura laughed and sat down again, looking at him again.

“Jeez Sensei, you really are handsome. Oh my gosh!” She squealed again, leaning towards him, eyes on his chin.

“You have a beauty mark!” She laughed, falling back against the sofa cushions.

Kakashi rolled his eyes at that, grabbing his mask again, but Sakura’s hand stopped him from pulling it up.

“No! I’m sorry. I wasn’t trying to make you self conscious. Sorry. Sorry. It’s nice, it’s cute, attractive.”

“Yes. Just what a ninja wishes to be.” He sarcastically answered.

Sakura snickered at that.

“Is that why you hide your face?” She questioned him, honestly bewildered at his reasoning now.

“Hmph. When I was a kid, everyone would always talk about how cute I was. Women would pinch my cheeks, and if they saw that mole, that was it. They would just fawn over me. And…I decided to wear a mask from then on.”

“Surely your boyish features went away after awhile. I mean…why did you decide to continue to wear it?” Sakura asked.

Kakashi waved a hand, rubbing his eyebrow.

“Sakura. I’m no stranger to fangirls, believe me. They’re bothersome. And distracting.”

The kuniochi looked down at that statement, a little embarrassed.

Kakashi noticed.

“Hey. That was a long time ago, you’ve changed drastically since then. You are definitely no longer that ‘fan girl,’ Sakura.” He smiled, patting her hair again, giving her a crinkly eye smile.

She smiled at him, nodding.

“Now! I did what you asked of me, your turn.” He smirked.

Sakura nodded, sighing, leaning back against the cushions, looking out the window into the cloudy sky.

“I did enjoy it, yes.” She murmured, shame rising within her at that omission.

The older ninja just stared at her, knowing the answer from the get go.

Sakura herself stood up, all joking aside, and stood by his window, watching the rain clouds roll in.

Her fingers were trembling, her lips as well.

She was so stupid.

So fucking stupid.

“I should have married him.” She murmured, feeling the tears fall out of her eyes now, remembering back to the day she watched him marry Hinata.

She had shoved the feeling back, down…down…down. But, was fully aware that it burned to see them kiss each other at that altar.

To watch him be taken from her in one fell swoop.

Kakashi watched his ex-student sadly, he hadn’t seen her breakdown in a very long time, and he had hoped to never see it again. He didn’t like to see others cry.

Especially not those he considered his family.

“Sakura.” He started, getting up, wrapping his arms around her shaking form, her tears wetting the front of his tank top.

Kakashi closed his eyes, patting her hair, listening to her wrenching sobs fill his room.

Naruto himself groggily sat up in his bed, rubbing his forehead, grunting at the headache that shot across his temples.

He had gotten drunk last night.

Last night.

Fuck.

That wasn’t supposed to happen, it wasn’t…wasn’t…but it did.

Naruto knew exactly when the buried tension had resurfaced, and that was when he and Sakura had gotten into the altercation about Bolt and Sarada.

And…from then, the both of them felt a sort of electricity take hold of them, never letting them go, or ebbing, but growing greater and greater everytime they saw each other.

And last night…when he saw how sad she was because of that…teme…Naruto had nudged her under the table, getting her attention, making her flustered due to how he was looking at her.

He couldn’t help but stare at her…

Sakura was beautiful, any man with eyes could see it. Could drown in those emerald eyes of hers.

Shaking his head clear of last nights events, of her face when she climaxed, of how she felt wrapped around him…of the noises she made.

Gritting his teeth, he felt a stirring in his lower extrimety.

Damn it all.

Ignoring the rush of hormones, Naruto looked to the left side of him, noticing the vacant side of the bed.

Hinata must have gone out with Himawari.

Was she frustrated that he had come home drunk?

Should he tell her? Could he just…not tell her? And live with the guilt?

Hinata didn’t deserve to be lied to. Nor did she deserve to be cheated on. But, would it do to throw everything off balance over a drunken mistake?

Naruto wasn’t sure.

Damn it all.

Sakura had managed to pull herself together, Kakashi releasing her, silence enveloping them.

“Sensei? What am I going to do?” She asked him, her voice coming out squeaky, so much so, that it threw him back to her genin days.

Kakashi shook his head at those happy yet sad memories, and rubbed his chin.

“Well. There are several options here, Sakura.” He started, pulling his best ‘most understanding’ voice.

She looked at him, waiting on his advice.

“One: You could just keep this to yourself. It happened on a drunken whim, and I’m fairly sure the bar back was spiking our drinks anyway. Everybody’s drinks.” He chuckled, but it didn’t earn anything from her.

Clearing his throat, he tried again. “Two: You could talk to Naruto about what happened, and you both could discern where to go from there.”

Sakura nodded, listening still.

“Three: You could tell Hinata yourself, and Sasuke as well, and…see what happens? But honestly, I would stray from that path, if Hinata is going to hear it, it needs to come from Naruto.”

Sakura closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around her shoulders.

“W-Well. I guess, talking to Naruto, and asking his opinion would be the best, responsible course of action. Ignoring what happened is…unhealthy, and leaves more tension.”

Kakashi nodded.

“Good choice. Now…if you get a move on, Naruto will be the only one in his office in ten minutes. I would suggest to do it somewhere public, but also private. Not anywhere near your house. Or that bar.” He said, smirking, wincing lightly when she hit his arm.

“Thank you, Kakashi-sensei.” She said, hugging him lightly, and leaving.

Kakashi waved goodbye as she shut the door, and slumped on the couch when she left.

Oh man. He had a feeling this whole scenario was going to get a lot more interesting.

This will also be Archiveofourown! Chapter 2 is up on my page!

@mrhunhun

[ramennoodlesandnarusasu]

A kiss never forgotten

*Chap 1: A drunken night*

*Chap 2: A blurred night*

*Chap 3: The bath house*

*Chap 4: A Thousand pieces*

*Chap 5: Heart beat*

*Chap 6: Surprise*

*Chap 7: Sunsets, trees and you*

*Chap 8: What now?*

*Chap 9: Healing the unfixable*

*Chap 10: So, this is it?*

*Chap 11: What now?*

*Chap 12: Kids and kisses*

*Chap 13: Its time*

*Chap 14: Tears*

*Chap 15: Somethings different?*

*Chap 16: Its time*

*Chap 17: At peace*

*Chap 18: Pancakes, kids and headaches*

*Chap 19: Will you stay or will you go?*

Chap 20: The end of the Aisle- FINAL CHAPTER

Naruto stared at the white tiles, shaking, almost hyperventilating. The tiles were a shinny white colour and Naruto meet his own eyes on the shiny reflection. He looked at himself also dressed in white and started re-stressing about today so he got up and started to look around for any form of distraction.

“Oh, look what pretty white curtains…”

Naruto started to concentrating on his breathing, he couldn’t tell why was he so nervous? He known this day was coming for 12 months. Then why was he freaking out so much right now?

He started circling the room, admiring the beautiful features of the of the room. There was ancient Japanese scripture around the walls and photos of the shrine when it was constructed many years ago. Golden flower embellishments almost vined around the room, soft golden flowers dripping into the white soft features of the room.

He smiled thinking too himself; he never thought he would be here again, this time with someone he was hundred times more excited about. He vaguely remembered the day he was here with Hinata, on that day he didn’t felt stressed, he didn’t really feel anything. He was extremely relaxed, he chuckled under his breath looking back now the signs were so obvious from the beginning.

Naruto heard the soft clink of a Japanese bamboo shot, water flowing softly and birds chirping in unison. He was so excited but at the same time so nervous, it had been a bumpy road leading to this day, but it was finally here.

Naruto’s thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a soft knock at the door.

“Naruto are you ready?” Kakashi asked as he closed the door behind him.

Naruto turned around with small tears forming in the corners in his eyes,  a wide smile that just wouldn't disappear from his face

“More than I will ever be Kakashi.”

Kakashi came forward,  he himself was feeling a bit  emotional since  he had considered himself  Naruto’s  father.

“My god Naruto, I must say you look amazing.”

Naruto spun around to face the mirror, looking at himself in all white. He wore a modern white tuxedo with a crème top underneath. He accompanied the entire look with the Hokage cloak hanging off both his shoulders, he was truly a sight.

“If only your parents could see you.”

Naruto started to tear up even more, “oh no! No crying on your big day  Naruto.”

“Well stop saying emotional shit that’s going to make me cry.”

Kakashi came forward to embrace Naruto, he didn’t care how mushy he was acting, today he was basically filling in for Minato, he had seen this boy grow up from a tiny little kid, abandoned, alone, craving attention, to this man. A man who had conquered so much in his lifetime, a man worthy of the title  Hokage.

“I am so proud of you Naruto, I know it wasn’t easy for you and Sasuke to get married, but it was all worth it in the end.”

“Hmph” Naruto mumbled quietly under his breath as he let his tears start fall down his cheeks and onto Kakashi’s shoulder.

“Okay before we  both start bawling our eyes out, let’s get you down this alter.”

Naruto nodded, wiping his tears away in the process. He looked around for his bouquet, he found it next to the seat he was using before. He picked up the beautiful bouquet which held white roses and lilies. He started following Kakashi to the door, as Kakashi went to open it, Naruto lingered for just two more seconds.

“You coming Naruto?”

Naruto looked back into the white washed room, as though waiting for answers. And it was in that second that the almost clear white curtains brushed upwards from the wind that he saw his mum and dad standing behind it,  clear as day.

They smiled as they stared at their son, and as quick as the curtain went up the curtain would soon fall down. It was as the curtain started floating down, that Naruto heard the soft voice of Kushina in the air, telling him she loved him. And then they were gone, the room looked the same, and Naruto knew it was time. He turned around to face Kakashi and smiled, the most confident smile he had ever produced in his lifetime.

“Yep! Let’s do this.”

-

Naruto and Sasuke had agreed on a modern slash traditional wedding, so the venue was still held in one of the most spiritually old shrines in Konoha;but Naruto wanted to add a modern influences to the wedding, which Sasuke didn’t go extremely against. This meant that there was a band to coordinate the music for the evening, which had been playing typical wedding songs all day long.

Naruto had heard them from his room, but as he walked closer and closer to where everyone was sitting, he started to hear the music getting louder and louder. The soft tunes of a piano and harp started coursing into Naruto’s body, he was starting to get more flustered the louder the music.

As if the music was exciting every cell in his body, the soft tunes pulled him forward to his new life.

Naruto slowly followed Kakashi who lead him to the main event, soon they both reached a golden door. Naruto was fully aware that behind this golden door was an exquisite garden. A garden which currently had over one hundred people sitting down in chairs waiting for Naruto to appear, and a man, so special, so beautiful, waiting for him at the end of the aisle.

Naruto started to hyperventilate properly this time, feeling like his heart was just short of collapsing. His face was going all red and the sound of the band intruding Naruto was literally pulsating in his skin.

“Naruto, breathe, you will be fine.” Kakashi said whilst taking Naruto’s arm to assume the father position.

Naruto nodded, feeling one million emotions at that very second.

But as the  doors started opening, allowing the bright light from the sun to enter Naruto’s eyes something in Naruto’s body changed, he started to calm, his lungs relaxed and he un-clenched his nervous fist. His heart stopped in pure awe. He didn’t see the gardens which had been so beautifully decorated with white silk ribbons, he didn’t see the guest all standing up for him and smiling. He only saw one thing that shined  brighter than the ten  suns combined.

Sasuke.

There he was smiling at Naruto, a genuinely large smile, which he couldn’t wipe off his face. Dressed in a gorgeous deep black. He was looking at Naruto like he was the only one in the entire garden and Naruto looked at him in the exact same way.

As the band starting playing Bridal March from the opera Lohengrin, Naruto started to slowly walk forwards, one foot after another, slowly walking over white petals that were scattered all over the floor. He started to think to himself as he stepped forwards towards his future, how much he had  struggle to get here and how  it was all worth it in then end. If he knew back then what his future held, he would hug everyone around him and say thank you, because for every argument, for every single late night, for every emotional grieve, he is able to stand where he is today.

Naruto started to remines of that day, that horrible yet beautiful day he got proposed too.

-

*1 year before*

“So, Naruto will you marry me?” Sasuke looked at him, whilst starting to get a worried expression  on his face.

Naruto looked down in shock, not knowing what to do. His anger and worry had completely slipped away, Sasuke was right here, safe from harm and asking for his hand in marriage. What was he meant to do?

Naruto heard Kurama's voice in his head., “say yes you fool!”

“YES!” Naruto said whilst still in a state of shook.

Sasuke let out a breath and relaxed his whole body, “oh thank god.” He got up and placed a silver ring on Naruto’s left hand, he threw the box over his shoulder not caring where it landed. He took Naruto into a deep long and passionate kiss, a kiss attempting to make up for  being away for nearly 2 months.

Naruto started to cry whilst aggressively kissing him back, he missed him so much, he couldn’t believe that Sasuke was in his arms. He had been so worried for so long, not knowing if he would return had been killing him, but finally all that stress and worry could finally float away.

It was as though somehow Naruto found peace in that kiss, like the stress and anger which had piled up had been burnt away slowly by the soft touch of Sasuke’s kiss.

Naruto pulled away, looking into Sasuke’s eyes longingly. He saw that he had a few cuts on his face, which had left their damage on Sasuke’s porcelain perfect skin. Naruto started to trace them with his fingers, as though attempting his best to clear them away from his skin.

“I’ve missed you Sasuke… I thought you were leaving me. You don’t understand what I went through these past two  months, I was going crazy.”

Sasuke looked down to the ground as though he was guilty, he back away slowly from Naruto, as though preparing for something.

“What are you doing?”

Sasuke bit his lip and looked at Naruto with the purest puppy dog eyes he could summon, “well, would you kill me if I said I planned it to be like that?”

Naruto’s eyebrow started twitching,   his fist starting to clench so hard that his knuckles all simultaneously cracked.

“What do you mean Sasuke?” Naruto said in an increasingly aggressive voice.

Sasuke started running for the door, “it wasn’t my idea it was Kakashi’s.”

Naruto started chasing him outside, ready to attack Sasuke with everything he got, but then he stopped right in his tracks. As he stepped outside his house, he was struck with another round of shock.

“CONGRATULATIONS!”

Naruto could see everyone he knew, Ino, Sai, Kiba, Kakashi and Iruka, Lady Tsunade, and    basically the entire village.

Naruto’s mouth was on the ground. “What the hell? I LITERALLY JUST WALKED PAST HERE? AND NONE-OF THIS WAS HERE.”

“What do you expect from Konoha’s best trained Ninjas?” Konohamaru said in a confident tone.

“Oh my gosh Naruto! You're engaged!” Everyone started running towards him to see the ring and Naruto just stood there as still as a statue in shock.

Everyone started surrounding him to have a view of the new shiny silver ring on his left hand which bonded him to Sasuke.

Naruto smiled at everyone who came to look at his ring ;thanking them as they congratulated him on his new engagement. Until sooner or later it was Sakura’s and Hinata’s turn to come and congratulate him

He looked at them with worry but gratitude that they even came, “guys, you didn’t have to come, I would have understood.” Hinata looked at him with tears nearly falling from her eyes.Sakura gave him a warm smile to ease his concerned. .

“Naruto, I am happy for you, if you are happy, so am I. I just I really want you to live the life you have always wanted and I hope Sasuke helps you fulfil that.” Hinata came in and hugged Naruto so aggressively as though trying to find some security in Naruto’s arms.

Naruto let go off Hinata and wiped away a tear that escaped the corner of her eye. “Thank you, to the both of you…truly, thank you.”

Sakura and Hinata looked at each other and smiled and then looked back at Naruto with the same warm expression.

“But are you guys as shocked as I am? Because I did not see this coming.” Naruto said whilst looking at his new shiny band on his finger.

Sakura started laughing and Hinata followed, “not really, I am pretty sure everyone in the village knew besides you Naruto.” Naruto looked at them like he was desperate for answers, “If you want the mastermind behind this go ask our crazy sensei.” Sakura said as she pointed to Kakashi which had overheard and was already scurrying away in fear.

Naruto walked over to Kakashi with such a large pout on his face, “so... oh wise teacher, please tell me how making me think Sasuke was leaving me, leads to a good engagement story, huh?”

Kakashi chuckled like he was in trouble, “well... you see, I thought if we made you think he was leaving for good that the engagement would be more of a surprise and it was, was it not?”

Naruto gave Kakashi an angered look , but he was right, he didn’t see this coming in a million years.

“ Why is everything so complicated with you Kakashi?”

Kakashi just smiled innocently. “Hey, Sasuke was totally on board, I didn’t even have to convince him, he thought it was hilarious.”

Sasuke had overheard their conversation and also started to bolt away.

“Oh no you don’t mister come back here right now!” Naruto pointed Sasuke forward. And grudgingly like a kid in trouble Sasuke obeyed.

Naruto crossed his arms like he was a disappointed parent “so, care to tell me the whole story?”

“Fine… you know how we had that big fight before I left?”

Naruto nodded, pursing his lips like it still hurt to think about it.

“Well when we were over there in the Mist, I saw a lot of shit Naruto, families torn apart, people taken from their love ones forever and in the haze of blood shed I realized I couldn’t afford to lose you. I decided then and there that when I came back I wanted to marry you. It was only after the immediate threat had passed  and we started the evacuations and rebuilding  the city did I told Kakashi  about my plans about wanting to send you a message that I wanted to marry you. He told me no, instead to seem like I was still angry and make you believe I was leaving, so when I actually asked for your hand in marriage it would come as a giant surprise. . I thought it was kind of cruel at first but after a few drinks I thought it was hilarious and went along with Kakashi’s plans.”

Naruto looked at him with disbelief, “you two are basically children.  What am I going to do with you guys?”

Both Kakashi and Sasuke started to chuckle, “it was evil, but it did its job, you did not see it coming.”

Naruto smiled, “that’s true, but it doesn’t mean I still won’t  kill you both.”

Kakashi’s eyes widened, “well I didn’t account for that, so I will be running now, good luck Sasuke, you can’t run away you live here.” Kakashi quickly bolted to the trees and away from Naruto.

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a scared smile, “have sympathy oh lord Hokage.”

Naruto came forward seductively and pulled Sasuke in close by the waist, “there will be no sympathy, Naruto leaned in to capture Sasuke in a deep kiss, suddenly craving something much more, something he hadn't had in so long.

“Can you guys not.” Konohamaru said behind them, “gross”.

Naruto laughed as he let go off Sasuke, “your face is gross.”

“Well let’s fight this out then old man.”

Naruto proceeded to pretend he was throwing shuriken at Konohamaru, making weird ninja swishing noises as he did so. Konohamaru pretended to dodge and flip around the attacks, “you will never catch me, ass wipe.”

Naruto smiled at Konohamaru who still acted like a kid even though he was an adult now.

He saw Himawari and Boruto run up to him, “dad!” Himawari screamed as she tackled her dad to the ground. , “congratulations papa!”

Naruto smiled and  smothered Himawari in kisses, “thank you my angel.” He  looked at Boruto who had his arms crossed. Boruto looked at his father with a struggling expression on his face as though attempting to say something. Naruto reached t out his hand to request Boruto to bump  fist with him.

He waited for a second and Boruto grudgingly replied back by bumping his fist in return, “congrats dad.” Naruto felt like a huge wave of happiness past through him, “thank you son, it really means a lot.”

“Hmph.” Boruto turned around not wanting to act all mushy, but Naruto was able to catch a glimpse of the small smile he allowed to surface on his face.

 In  the midst of being attacked by a giant bear  hug by Himawari, Naruto  saw Sasuke walk away towards someone, he couldn’t see who. Himawari kept getting in the way.

“Sweety do you want to go play with Akamaru?”

“Yes, let’s go daddy, can I ride on your back?”

“Sure, hop on the train express.”

As Naruto chugged forward pretending to be a train, he tried to eye Sasuke from a far, seeing him speak to someone. He crept forwards towards Kiba and Akamaru  who thankfully were near Sasuke anyways.

As he got closer and closer, Sasuke started to get down in his knees..  It was there in that moment that Naruto’s heart completely paused. That solid few seconds would be engraved in his mind for the rest of his life.

It was there in the woods, under the moon and the stars that he saw Sasuke, softly crying as he hugged his daughter Sarada. He could see Sasuke mouth the words, thank you.

If Naruto could love this man even more, then today, this moment would make him fall completely head over heels for him.

Naruto started to tear up slightly, he smiling and stared at  the floor, hoping no one would see him.

“Daddy why are you crying?”

“No Himawari, these are happy tears.”

“Oh, do you want teddy to wipe them off?”

Naruto chuckled lightly, “yes please.” Naruto turned his head, so Himawari could reach over and wipe Naruto’s tears away with her teddy.

-

Naruto would remember that  night for the rest of his life, he would remember sharing drinks, laughter and joy with his friends and family over the unison of him and Sasuke. Everything would have been perfect from now on till the wedding he hoped.

But unfortunately, the year to follow would not be an easy one, for changing the system in Konoha to allow for Gay marriage was going to be tougher than Naruto had anticipated. .

-

*6 months before the wedding*

Naruto was pacing back and forth, going from one end of the room to the next.

He was beyond fuming and he could see Kakashi in the corner of his eye telling him to calm down, but simmering down at this point would be null, he was already on his breaking point.

“I don’t understand your backwards way of thinking. Can you for once give me a good  fucking reason why we cannot legalize it? Because all the reasons I’m hearing right now are absolute bullshit.”

One of the male elders aggressively stood up, “that is no way to speak to the panel of elders, Naruto. I would watch your language if I were  you.”

“What for? If you are going to consider me scum of the society, then I shall do the same for you.”

Naruto could see Kakashi palm his head in response to the way he  was acting.

“Naruto, I have already explained, we do not approve because it goes against tradition, and what  kind of advisors would we be if we did not protect ancient tradition?”

Naruto started steaming from his ears, his blood pumping at a rapid rate, “you mean the traditions that allowed young ninjas to be treated as test subjects? Do you mean the traditions that allowed the segregation of an entire clan? Is this the traditions you so wish to keep?”

The elders  looked baffled, as though they were stuck in his own mind trying to figure out how to respond.

“Tell me elders!”

“No.” The main elder said whilst sitting down in defeat.

“Exactly, the old traditions are outdated.  I was appointed Hokage because the people trust my judgement, can’t you see that this is for all of Konoha, not just me. Don’t you think it’s unfair to all those who can’t marry because of stupid tradition?”

“But it’s just not pure, it’s a sin and a monstrosity.”

Naruto started to look at the elder who said that with such hurt in his eyes, he wasn’t even angry but sorry for them all. How they could be so stuck in traditions that they didn’t look at human value. “Look elder Mai, if I were to tell you that your grandson was gay and he was in love with another boy, what would you do?”

She looked at Naruto and couldn’t say a word, she just had her mouth open, unable to produce any form of sound.

“Everyone in this room, think about your grandkids, your daughters, sons, neighbours and friends, someone is gay. Just imagine saying to someone you love that they are not allowed to marry someone they cherish because of some old tradition that should have been taken down a long time ago.”

Naruto took a long breath   to calm himself, “really think about it, imagine yourself saying the words, you are a monster to your grandchild, imagine the look of hurt, pain and sadness on their faces.”

The elders looked at each other with concerned faces, they looked like they were experiencing the pain themselves.

Naruto pushed his chest forward and walked confidently forward to the front of the conference room, “we have been debating this issue for nearly 3 months now and I say this as Hokage, I am not afraid of change and I will not stand here waiting patiently for you to finally realize you are wrong, so either you are willing to except the future or you can stay behind.”

Naruto cracked his neck for the next words, “but I will not tolerate those who decide to stay behind, so If you wish to get up and leave the panel of advisors, I would do so, if I were you. Because from today onwards, I will not tolerate for this nonsense, you are my advisors because I trust in your judgment, but if your judgement is clouded in hate and wrongfulness then you are no better than Danzo and I will not blink an eye to kick you off the panel. So, choose wisely, those in favour may stay, those who disagree may go.”

Everyone looked around in shock and disbelief as to what they just heard. Naruto was never one to use his position as Hokage, but today he was not going to tolerate it anymore. He was sick of hearing he was disgusting and that what he was doing was wrong for 3 months, today he stood proud. They could either follow him or not, but he wasn’t going to be pushed around anymore.  And if everyone went against him, then he didn’t want to be Hokage anymore, because he refused to be the head of such a rotten system and panel of advisors.

Kakashi was also looking at Naruto in disbelief in the corner of the room, but his eyes also shined with pride for his Hokage, it took guts to do what Naruto just did, because he could be ultimately kicked out of the job if all the elders went against him.

It was undecided, everyone was still murmuring to each other, contemplating what to do.  One of the gentlemen that was going against Naruto quickly got up and stormed out. Before he left the room, he turned to face Naruto, “I cannot support this system Naruto, old tradition will always be better. It’s what binds us to be humble, if we stray from the path we fall into hell.”

“As you wish, Elder Sun Yu.”

Naruto looked at everyone else who seemed to be confused.

“Will the rest of you leave as well or will you make the smart choice and follow me into a brighter future?”

Mai stood up again, “Naruto, I apologies, you are not a monster, I spoke out of anger… you are right, I could never say those words to my grandson, I will follow you.”

Naruto smiled, feeling his heart warm up slightly.

“I too will follow Naruto”

“Me too.”

“May you lead us into the future.”

Naruto’s smile was as wide a beam, he couldn’t believe after so many months of debating, it took one courage’s and job threatening speech to convince them. He was glad that it was Sun Yu who left, he was always against Naruto, never agreeing, stuck in his traditional and out-dated ways.

“May you all continue to guide me in the future.”

Kakashi started applauding in the back and then everyone followed, Naruto looked at the room and smiled. He knew that legalizing gay marriage was only the beginning t so much more needed to be fixed  in Konoha, and he realized he couldn’t be scared anymore, he needed to confront the elders about every issue that stained Konoha and changed the village for the better.

That day he would also remember, because if he didn’t put his job on the line he wouldn’t be standing in this white paradise today walking towards Sasuke.

-

*Wedding day- current time*

Naruto smiled, tears forming in the corners of his eyes as he looked into Sasuke’s black dreamy eyes.

Sasuke had never been one to show emotions, but that day, their wedding day, he had shed the extinct version of himself and just let go. On that day, there were no more walls, there was no reason to hide. The many feelings and emotions he had bottled inside since his early teens were finally are released. . His tears were falling quickly and freely. His smile was bright in the presence of his future. On this day Sasuke found  the peace he had longed for since he feel into darkness. It was in that white washed wedding that the sun and bright shine from Naruto had finally painted over everlast black stain that lingered in Sasuke’s soul. He wasn’t scared anymore, to cry, to laugh and smile, he was truly happy, and it was all due to this blonde headed man which smiled at him so lovingly, blue eyes sparkling with joy, looking at his love.

-FLASHBACK-

*5 months before the wedding*

“Naruto for Christ sake, its just flowers, will you just pick one already?”

Naruto fumbled over a pile of flowers, still unsure which ones he likes the most.

“Sasuke don’t pressure my process.”

Sasuke let out an irritating sigh, “Naruto, I love you. But right now, I also want to chidori your face into the ground, we have been here for over an hour, just pick the roses or something, we still have cakes to go decide, and then go over the decorations with the wedding planner, seriously Naruto.”

Naruto pouted, “fine… I'll have the…hmm, roses and lavender…on second thought no, the roses and the lilies.” Naruto smiled in triumph, “happy, grumpy ass?”

“Delighted. Okay, let’s go it's cake picking time.”

Naruto jumped on the spot, “this is going to be the best, I love cake.”

“I know you do, because you ate the entire sample cake last night.”

“I was stress eating okay! It’s because you are stressing the bride, I blame you.”

“Oh, my god. I am slightly regretting asking you to marry me, is it still too late to run out of the village?”

Naruto shot Sasuke an evil glare, “you are mean to me, I am the Hokage, I’ll just order everyone to go get you.”

Sasuke let out a huff, “just keep walking we are already late.”

“Race you there my dear fiance.” Naruto increased his chakra flow to his legs and feet and quickly bounced off the ground towards the roof tops, with each swift push forwards he could sense the warm and powerful energy of chakra flow in his legs. He thought he had Sasuke, but in a flash, he saw him whiz past with lighting streaks exuding out of his body.

“SHOW OFF!’

“Slow poke!”

-

*Wedding day- current time*

Naruto chuckled under his breath, whilst the Celebrant kept rambling on about loves true power, and how it binds us all.

“What are you laughing about?” Sasuke whispered as to not interrupt the Celebrant.

“Just remembering the day, I made you do two hours of cake sampling and one  hour of floral choices.”

Sasuke looked at Naruto with a very unimpressed face, “yes that was annoying.”

Naruto chuckled whilst smiling at Sasuke, looking at his hair flow slowly with the breeze that rushed by. His lips rose as he smirked back at Naruto, rosy cheeks that softly painted pink tones on such porcelain skin. His deep black eyes looked into blue ones with such love. Those eyes stared into Naruto’s soul, knowing that Naruto was feeling the exact same way.

“And now I will ask for the exchange of vows.”

Naruto nervously scrunched his hands, his throat felt like it was starting to clench in response to his nerves flexing in his entire body. He took a deep breath in and out and closed his eyes for just a moment to calm himself. He felt soft hands wrap around his.

He jolted his eyes up and looked at Sasuke’s hands securing  his, he smiled at Naruto, and in that moment Naruto knew he could do this.

“I Naruto Uzumaki, Lord 7th of Konoha, hereby vow to love and protect Sasuke Uchiha for the rest of my life. , I vow here and now that the Uchiha crest will forever be a symbol associated to Konoha and its strength and unity will shine bright alongside the Uzumaki crest.” Naruto struggled to get the next words out, he forcibly gulped down a ball of anxiety forming in his throat.

“I Naruto Uzumaki believe that Sasuke is worthy of this title because…”

Naruto started to choke on his own words, emotions finally starting to get the best of him, “he has not only been a pivotal point in helping the Hokage get better but he also has been the soul reason the Hokage is standing here today, alive and happy. I Naruto respect, love and find this man more than fit of the title, as Hokage I thank him for the outstanding work he has down for the people in this village, and as his soon to be husband, I want to thank him for bringing color back into my life and helping me stand proud as Hokage. Because behind me, the hokage will always be Sasuke Uchiha and for that I believe his name and his family crest should be as important as mine.” Naruto took a deep breath out and smiled at Sasuke ever so softly, only letting one or two tears fall down before trying to collect himself again.

Sasuke’s eyes widened in disbelief from what he was hearing. He had no idea Naruto was going to say these vows, what did he mean by his family crest being a symbol associated to Konoha?

*FLASH BACK*

*3 months before the wedding*

Naruto looked at the plane white piece of paper in front of him, he just stared at it, like he was at some war with this innocent piece of paper. His forehead was creased  with stress and his constant tapping of his pencil against his desk could be heard from out the street.

“Will you stop fucking tapping that pencil Naruto? You are going to drive me insane.”

“Kakashi, it helps me focus.”

“What the fuck are you working on?” Kakashi grumbled as he stood up to look at what Naruto had on his desk.

“I don’t get it, it’s a blank piece of paper?”

Naruto looked at him with anger in his eyes, “I know that , these are meant to be my vows, I just can’t think of the right thing to say.”

Kakashi looked at him with worrying eyes, “oh, well… uh, tell him you love him and that… uh… he is a good ninja?”

Naruto started to hit his head against the table, “a good ninja? Really? My god, you are one million times worse than me, and that’s saying something.”

Kakashi started to grumpily walk back to his desk which was in the corner of the Hokage’s office now. “Look, I’m not good with mushy stuff Naruto, just make sure it actually comes from your heart, don’t just say typical bullshit, actually write things you mean. When you make a vow, it’s a promise. So, make promises you will keep.”

“Wow, that was actually useful, thanks Kakashi.”

“Glad I could help, now stop with the fucking tapping.”

Naruto got out from behind his desk  and went out the door with an idea in his head.

“Where are you going? We still have this contract to finish.”

Naruto was racing down the corridor as he screamed back at Kakashi in the room, “You gave me an idea, I'll be back later. Finish the contract yourself.”

Kakashi mumbled angrily under his breath, “thinks he can boss me around, hmph, if I stayed Hokage I could boot the little shit out of here.”

“Did you say something?” Naruto said from the far away distance

“Nope.”

-

*Wedding day- Current time*

“Naruto what do you mean about the Uchiha crest what are you talking about?”

Naruto smiled cheekily, “well 3 months ago when I started writing your vows, someone made me realize I should only make promises I could keep.”

Naruto quickly glanced at Kakashi who was chuckling under his breath.

“And so, I basically joined our family trees, it took me a very long time. But I guess being the Hokage has its perks, so you are now officially one of the head leaders in Konoha.  This means the Uchiha crest along side the Uzumaki crest will be symbols of pride, strength, wealth and power within Konoha and thus the entire world.

Sasuke looked at Naruto like he was going crazy, “but Naruto, you’re only doing this because you're marrying me, you have no right to do that. I don’t deserve the title, I…”

“Sasuke calm yourself, just because I am the   Hokage doesn't mean I decided this on my own.   You do realize that becoming a top leader in Konoha means you must have the majority vote from everybody in the village right?”

Sasuke started to look around at all the guest, he couldn’t believe that the village voted him into this position.

Sakura looked at Sasuke with a warm smile and a small tear falling down her face. She stood up and started walking towards Sasuke.

“This was Naruto’s and the whole villages surprise to you. Come out everyone.”

The little kids from the ninja academy started coming out in their ninja uniform. Typical green jackets with the Uzumaki crest on the top right corner of their jackets. Sasuke had no idea what was happening, but his heart was not ready for what he would see next.

“Turn around kids.”

The kids started turning around, and there it was, proudly sitting directly in the centre of the jackets, an Uchiha crest. Burning bright red for the entire world to see.

“Starting  next week these vest will be worn by every shinobi and training ninja. So, when we represent Konoha outside these walls, the Uchiha crest will be as visible as the Uzumaki crest.”

Sasuke looked at Naruto in disbelief, his eyes started burning red, tears forming rapidly in the corner of his eyes.

“Thank you, Naruto.” Sasuke walked forward and took Naruto into a passionate kiss. He didn’t care that they were not up to that part of the ceremony, he needed Naruto to know how much he felt for him. He needed his lips to show Naruto how grateful he was, that he was forever in debt to this man from saving him from darkness, from saving his family name burning into a crisp alongside with Sasuke.

The audience started to applause, and cheers starting beckoning from the crowd.

“Ahem…” The Celebrant cough under his breath.

“Sorry, please continue.” Naruto said whilst laughing under his breath.

“We shall continue then…”-

After continuing with their vowes the Celebrant continued with the rest of the ceremony.

“Do you Naruto take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

“I do.” Naruto said whilst choking up from all the feelings which were swelling up in his throat.

“Do you Sasuke take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, in sickness and in health, till death do you part?”

Sasuke breathed out slowly and smiled softly and looked at Naruto like he was his entire world “I do.”

“With the power vested in me, I now pronounce you, Husband and Husband, you may kiss your groom.”

Naruto smiled so widely, and for the first time in his life, he kissed his Husband. Many kisses would follow after, but that first kiss as newly weds will be the one that both Naruto and Sasuke will remember on their deathbeds. It will be this moment, under the radiating sun, under fire trees and in a sea of applause and cheers that they will remember forever. How it felt to kiss his Husband, how it felt to kiss the man he would spend the rest of his living days with. And by god, was it not the most amazing kiss he had ever had. It was a kiss never forgotten.

Because that kiss would lead him to the next part of his life with Sasuke by his side. Together they will change Konoha for the better, but not only Konoha but  the world too. . Sasuke and Naruto would be considered some of the most influential and powerful ninjas in their world, with their teachings and guidance they would not only change Konoha but many other villages.

Till their dying days, the teachings of Naruto and Sasuke lived on throughout many others, their values of nurturing ninjas and creating a world without war, were peace is achieved by all villages and no child or person is expected to lay down their lives for the betterment of a village. Where people were not shunned or hidden for their differences and everyone was as equal as each other.

But even as bright as the sun may shine, darkness will follow. And with that darkness, light will shine a new.

A balance which is always occurring. But it is with Naruto’s and Sasuke’s teachings and guidance, that a hero will always rise against that darkness and will re-shine light onto the world once again.

-

Naruto and Sasuke spent the rest of their 50 years together, raising Boruto, Himawari and Sarada together, who all now act as main pillars in Konoha. Sasuke’s last words before his untimely death at 82 where proudly beautiful and where carried out perfectly by Naruto, who followed through with every single one of his dyeing wishes.

-

*10 minutes before Sasuke’s death*

“Naruto, my dear, .” Sasuke raised his frail hand to Naruto’s face. Opening his eyes as wide as he could to look into crystal blue eyes, “you look as beautiful as you did on our wedding day.”

Naruto smiled, “I’ve aged a bit since then I think. I could still take you in a match back then.”

Sasuke starting laughing, but his lungs couldn’t keep up, he starting coughing heavily, body slowly starting to shut down.

“Don’t push yourself, Sasuke. Your too ill to be laughing.”

“Listen Naruto, it will be my time to go soon.”

Naruto looked at him with utter pain in his eyes, “no Sasuke please. The doctor will be here soon, you will be fine, you will see.”

Sasuke softly smiled with the little energy he had left, “always optimistic my dear, but please my darling listen, I need you to know that you have made me the happiest man in this world and when I die, I want you to understand that you have given me a life I never knew I could have before. When we were younger, you saved me Naruto, it was you from the beginning, no one else. It was always you. Please continue our alliance and make sure our teachings of a better world are spread Naruto, make sure no child has to suffer the way we did as kids. Please promise me?”

Naruto started to tear up as he held onto Sasuke’s small and nearly lifeless hand. “I will I promise, but that’s no way to speak, you will live my dear, you will.”

Sasuke knew it was time, he could feel it, his lungs started slowing down and his heart beats started decreasing. “You will forever be my sun, thank you Naruto for showing me the light. I love you, I always have, since I was a little boy. I have always loved you.” Sasuke’s eyes started to close, until finally his hand went completely limp.

“Sasuke, no! No! No! No!” Naruto started to cry heavily as he embraced his departed husband. “Please, Sasuke, wake up… I’m not ready… Please.”

-

In the next couple of years after Sasuke’s death, Naruto would spend all his time and energy into making sure he fulfilled Sasuke’s wishes. And it wasn’t till he was 102 did Naruto finally die in his sleep peacefully, dreaming of his husband Sasuke.

The last thing Naruto remembered before blackness took over was when he and Sasuke were young and newly in love. He remembered the slow dance in the bar surrounded by his friends and family, he remembered the first time they kissed as a dare and he remembered the first time he told Sasuke he loved him. It all came back to him that night.

-

And it was Sasuke who was there waiting for him, when he opened his eyes to a white heaven. He was right there in a garden, flowers so colourful, sky shining so brightly,  . He was smiling as bright as the moon on a dark night.

“Naruto I’ve been waiting for you.”

Naruto started to smile, “come here!”

Naruto ran towards Sasuke, realizing he had his old strength back, his fit muscles strode him forward to his youthful partner, he jumped into Sasuke’s arms and leaned in for a deep kiss, a kiss he so longed for.   

“I’ve missed you.”

“I’ve missed you even more.” Sasuke replied softly.

Naruto and Sasuke hugged for what felt like hours, not wanted to let go, hugging each other like it had been years, and for Naruto it had been years. They both cried into each-others strong embrace, letting tears float down softly onto the ground. The sun shined brightly on the scene, and the soft wind whistled past. Finally two men, more like two puzzle pieces re-joined, and everything seemed brighter, and the world once again felt balanced.

Naruto pulled away for only a moment to look at Sasuke as he knew him when he was 28, he couldn’t believe he had him in his arms. He quickly went forward wanted to kiss Sasuke one million times to make up for 20 years of missing half of his heart.

“I love you.” Naruto said.

“I love you more.” Sasuke said.

-

It seemed as though as they kissed the flowers grew and the more they smiled the brighter things got. And it was strange, that even though they were no longer alive, precisely the moment Sasuke and Naruto touched in the afterlife, people on earth could have sworn they saw the sun shine a little brighter, the flowers on earth shine colours so beautifully day and at night, the sky was lit with many more stars and the moon seemed like it was illuminating against the dark sky canvas.

-

The end

I want to thank you for reading and finishing A KISS NEVER FORGOTTEN. 

It was a long wait for this too finish, but i am so glad you stuck it out till the end. 

FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY HEART THANK YOU FOR READING XX

LOTS OF LOVE FROM ME XXX 

I hope you continue to follow my other stories xx

[kuriquinn]

Penthesilea [19/20]

Cover & Disclaimer:

Chapter Summary: No one will notice if he disappears after all of this is writ into law. He is, after all, notorious, and even his own people likely want to forget that he exists. Naruto aside, there’s no one among the Senju forces left to see him as anything but a monster.

Chapter Beta: None beyond my own two eyes and at the moment. Since I’m finishing the fic this week, I’d say all edits will be forthcoming within the next few weeks as my beta has time to look through everything.

AN: Welp. We’re nearing the end. One more chapter and possibly an epilogue to go.

Sasuke wakes to the smell of antiseptic in the air and the sound of hushed voices. Somewhere to his left, Naruto’s chakra is calm and familiar, yet a sense of surprise and dismay washes over him.

“You idiot,” he rasps. His voice is raw and gravelly, and it hurts to talk. “You were supposed to kill me.”

“Well, I gave it my level best,” the other man says dryly, “but a certain healer we both know had a more convincing argument. I happen to like my head where it is.”

Sasuke opens his eyes—and he can see again and inclines his head to the left. It hurts more than he likes but he fixes the blond man with a glare. Naruto sits beside him, face covered in bandages but smirking at him nonetheless. It irritates him.

“I was meant to die,” Sasuke slowly, as if talking to a particularly stupid child. “If I live, it makes it possible for the war to continue. You’ve allowed sentiment to jeopardise that. I thought you understood.”

“Oh, I understood,” Naruto mutters. “I thought it was stupid, but I understood. Everything with you Uchiha is death and sacrifice and drama…” He waves dismissively. “You got what you wanted—the world saw me kick your ass. And then they saw Sakura show up and save it.”

Sasuke can’t find his voice at this, and can only stare at Naruto in surprise.

“Mm-hmm,” the other man nods. “The people were calling for your death, and she stepped in and said that peace should not be begin with the spilling more blood. That you’ll be tried for your crimes, and an appropriate—and useful—punishment will be found for you.”

Sasuke frowns in thought.

Exile or hard labour, most likely.

He stares up at the ceiling of the large tent overhead; in the distance, he can still hear the sound of rushing water. He thinks they must have set the tent up around him, which means his condition was serious if he couldn’t even be moved. And yet…

It doesn’t escape his notice that a certain individual is conspicuously absent. He wonders if he might have dreamed her presence before he passed out for the last time.

He has to stop himself from asking about her. Instead, he wonders, “Why can I see?”

“While she was healing you, Sakura found out you had the same thing as Itachi,” Naruto tells him. “But she knew what to do this time. And she had Tsunade-baachan and Rin helping. I’m still healing so I wasn’t much help.” He indicates the bandages on his face. “It’s a good thing she did heal you, because she found something in the process. Something about the nerves attached to your Sharingan putting pressure on part of your brain. The part that’s responsible for decision-making and rational thought. So basically, you were batshit crazy, but it wasn’t your fault.” He snorts. “Maybe that’s why you came up with such an extreme plan…oi! Sasuke! Are you listening to me at all?”

“Where is she?” Sasuke returns, finally losing the fight against asking.

Naruto’s open expression turns troubled for an instant, and then he beams. “Well, you can’t really expect her to hang around for something stupid like you, right? I mean, eyes aside, you heal pretty fast. And there’s a lot of legal stuff that needs doing that she’s responsible for now. You know she was made Tsunade-baachan’s heir a few weeks after the conclave disaster.”

“Hn.”

He was aware, but the answer doesn’t satisfy him. There is something false in Naruto’s voice that makes Sasuke’s stomach clench in dismay. He can easily interpret the truth.

Clemency aside, Sakura does not want to be around him more than necessary.

There is movement beyond the tent and then a familiar head pokes in through the flap.

“Well, you two have done it now,” Kakashi says dryly. “You know they’ll be talking about your little spat for generations.” The rest of him enters the tent. “I’m pretty sure they’re writing songs about it as we speak.”

“Hah. Just make sure they mention Sasuke’s bad hair,” Naruto quips.

Sasuke ignores him, gazing upon his former teacher. He isn’t sure how to apologise or bring up what as passed between them, and can only manage a flat, “You’ve survived.”

He doesn’t bother hiding the relief in his tone.

“Glad to see you’re feeling better,” Kakashi responds, surveying him with a critical eye.

Sasuke’s heart clenches again as he recognises the gesture as one Itachi used to perform when he thought he couldn’t see. He has forgotten over the course of the past year just how close Kakashi was to Itachi—and how grateful he once was to have the man as a mentor. He expects to face anger and repudiation for his harsh banishment of the man, but instead Kakashi’s eyes soften a little

“It seems you’re a lot more like your brother than any of us ever imagined,” he tells him quietly. “Just do us a favour and don’t try to pull something like that again?”

“I doubt there will be a need,” Sasuke says, lying back on his pallet.

“Well, about that…There’s some, er, unrest out there,” Kakashi says. “Official peace can’t be declared without the presence of the Senju and the Uchiha leaders. Which would be you, since you didn’t die and, apparently, Obito goes by Nohara now?”

He raises an eyebrow at Sasuke, who manages to remain carefully blank-faced this time. Perhaps taking note of this expression, Naruto tries to draw the older man’s attention. “Who’s officiating?”

“An emissary from the Land of Iron,” Kakashi says, naming a country that has been neutral since the first days of the war generations earlier. “Some samurai named Mifune.”

“Guess that means we have to get pretty-boy here ready,” Naruto snorts.

“He’s not the only one,” Kakashi points out. “The Uzumaki and the Hyūga are expected to be present as well.”

“Aw, shit…”

Naruto’s impending whining is interrupted as the tent flap rustles again, and Sai arrives bearing an armful of robes.

“This was the best we could find you both on short notice,” he says blandly. “Some overbearing Yamanaka woman insisted you not show up covered in each other’s blood.”

He sounds as if he doesn’t know why that would be an issue.

“Sounds like Ino,” Naruto snorts as he reaches for one of Sai’s offerings. “I didn’t know she was back.”

“She and an envoy from the Land of Wind arrived the day before yesterday, as soon as they heard the news,” Sai says. “In fact, many of the people from departed clans and from the surrounding villages have gathered.”

“It’s Sasuke’s fault…he’s been out of it for days. If you’d woken up sooner, we wouldn’t have to make such a big deal of this,” Naruto complains, while Sasuke silently accepts his own bundle of robes. He blinks in surprise when he notices that someone has taken the time to sew the Uchiha kamon onto the back and sleeves of the formalwear.

“Today is an historic event, and everyone wants to see it,” Kakashi points out. “You shouldn’t keep them waiting.”

“Yeah, yeah…though someone’s going to have to help me put this stuff on. The last time I wore montuki I was six…”

Sasuke chooses to struggle into his own, trying to ignore stiff limbs and aching bones. He suspects that he will have to get used to dressing by himself for the rest of his days, and so there is no reason to get used to someone else helping.

Sakura’s lack of presence seems even more pronounced just then, but it’s not as if he can blame her. Their last meeting before his battle with Naruto was poisonous. If she can’t forgive him, what hope does he have of the hundreds – maybe thousands – of people who suffered the ravages of this war because of him and his clan?

For the first time in his life, his feet itch to run fast and far away.

戦国時代

The valley down below the ruined waterfall teems with people. Even standing so far above them all, Sasuke finds himself overwhelmed by emotion. People cheer and cry and hold onto each other – friends and family and former enemies, wearing every colour and crest that he’s seen on the battlefield. He hears celebrations and speeches about dreams for the future and all good things to come.

Another tent has been set up on an outcropping above the valley, at the best vantage point for the people below. It is draped in the colours of the main clans and their vassals, and surrounded by representatives from each. When he and Naruto draw near, the excited murmuring goes quiet. Their eyes fly to the leader of the Uzumaki and there is awe; when their attention falls to Sasuke, it is distrust and wariness. Even the gazes of his own former vassals are cold.

He can’t blame them. If not for his grief-fuelled madness and his relentless pursuit of peace on his own terms, they might have had peace for almost a year. The rest of his clan, with the exception of Obito, might still be alive.

Sasuke clenches his fist, trying to fight down the sudden overwhelming desperation to leave. As he sees it, he has done his duty – he has ceded victory to Naruto and everyone knows it. There will be peace between the remnants of the Uchiha allies and those of the Senju, as well as their vassals. It’s a bright future – the one Itachi wanted – but not one Sasuke intends to be a part of.

No one will notice if he disappears after all of this is writ into law. He is, after all, notorious, and even his own people likely want to forget that he exists. Naruto aside, there’s no one among the Senju forces left to see him as anything but a monster.

Not any more at least.

“I know what you’re thinking,” Naruto says quietly, interrupting his thoughts. “And that’s not part of the agreement. Even if you’ve still got to go on trial, you’re supposed to get a second chance at a future, too.”

“There’s nothing left to build a future with.”

“I bet you’re wrong about that,” Naruto smirks. “And I can prove it.”

Sasuke frowns. “Whatever you think you know is wrong.”

“Oh yeah? So, there’s no one alive who you wouldn’t consider staying for?”

Sakura’s face flashes to the forefront of his mind, first the softly-smiling image he always carries close to his heart, and then the one of utter devastation that haunts his nightmares.

Chains from a failed past, he thinks grimly.

“Listen, just do me a favour,” Naruto continues. “Stick around at bit after all of this. Once we sign the treaty, there’s something you need to see. And if after that still decide it’s not enough to stay here, I’ll let you go without a fight.”

Sasuke narrows his eyes, wary, but he nods incrementally. Naruto lets out a triumphant hah, claps him on the back, and jogs ahead.

“No sense of decorum, that one,” Kakashi says appearing beside Sasuke in his usual unexpected fashion. “But he’s got a point.”

Sasuke side-eyes him, taking note of the way the man’s eyes glint in amusement. Not just at Naruto’s antics, it would seem.

“You know what he wants me to see,” he realises.

“Yes.”

“Are you going to tell me?”

“No.”

“You’re maddeningly unhelpful.”

“You deserve to stew for a bit.”

He can’t argue with that.

They cross the rest of the distance to the festive tent, where more and more of the clan representatives gather. Far down below, the crowds of people continue to swell, spreading across the fields of battle that have been littered with the dead and dying since the days of Madara and Hashirama.

“The Valley of the End,” Kakashi reminds him.

“An apt name.”

“It’s like I said. People are already turning you into legends. Are you sure you two didn’t plan this?”

Sasuke sighs and stares up at the sky, counting down the hours until sunset. “This part wasn’t planned.”

The crowd of clan representatives and witnesses part as they come through, and he can see that inside there are several sombre looking individuals. Hyūga Hiashi stands there, with his daughters on either side, and there is a young man – barely old enough to shave – loitering nearby in the colours of the Sarutobi clan. He glares about as if challenging anyone to remark on his presence there. Suigetsu is there as well, dressed in the Hozuki colours, his dead brother’s sword sheathed behind him, while the redheaded Uzumaki woman—Karin, Sasuke supposed—scowls at him across the way.

Sasuke takes up his place beside the Hyūga clan, most of whom glare at him with undisguised dislike, while Naruto stands opposite him. A serious-looking man waves for everyone to quiet down. The vassals and allies of the various clans take their places behind their respective leaders, but Sasuke notices that someone is missing.

“Where is Tsunade?” he asks. The peace cannot happen without agents from both sides.

Naruto looks sheepish. “Yeah, uh…about that…”

And that’s when Sasuke tenses.

He can sense her before she even enters the tent, with that same otherworldly awareness he has always had of her.

“Senju Tsunade has exhausted herself healing this man and is resting,” a familiar, albeit cool, voice says from behind him. “There’s no telling if she will ever wake again. But the fact that her last act was to heal her traditional enemy should tell you where she stands. As it is, before she fell into her sleep, my honourable adopted mother bestowed upon me legal agency. I am to negotiate on her behalf and on behalf of all her vassals.”

Slowly, Sasuke turns to acknowledge the speaker of these words, and when he finally sees her he feels as if he can’t breathe. He has never been one to care overly much about a woman’s looks, even after involving himself with the one facing him. And yet he can’t help be in awe by the sight of her now.

He has never seen Sakura clothed in anything other than her armour or disguised as a common villager. This figure before him is neither the warrior or the healer, but a regal politician. Her pristine white robes bear emblems of the Senju, although the obi she wears has a circle stitched into it – her own clan emblem. Her hair has been pulled back into two twists on the side of her head – not for fashion, he suspects, but to draw attention to the seal on her forehead. Finally, a gold kanzashi sits upon her crown; it’s old, he can tell, and suspects it may have belonged to a distinguished Senju ancestor.

No doubt a reminder to any who might question her status.

“I take it there have been witnesses to this granting of agency?” the samurai from the Land of Iron asks, moustache bristling in annoyance at the change to protocol.

“That’d be me,” Naruto interjects. “And before any old fogies want to bitch about needing Senju blood present for this, Tsunade-baachan and I are cousins, so kinship-wise I’ve got both the Senju and the Uzumaki covered.”

He grins, utterly irreverent and unrepentant in the face of such a serious occasion. Hinata smiles shyly at him, stars in her eyes, but Sakura’s face remains carved of marble as she stares down Mifune.

“I suppose that’s permissible,” he mutters, clearly uncomfortable.

“Then if you’re not opposed, let’s begin,” Sakura says. “The Senju wish is to sue for peace. Are the representatives of the other honoured clans in agreement with this?”

“The Uzumaki stand with the Senju,” Naruto says.

“As do the Hyūga,” Hiashi declares.

Everyone pauses, staring at Sasuke, but he ignores them. He has no intention of speaking until she looks at him, but she barely inclines her head in his direction. Despite her confident bearing and the set of her jaw, he senses apprehension. It’s clear in the way her fists move beneath her voluminous sleeves – as if they are clenching and unclenching.

“Uchiha-sama,” Mifune interrupts, voice tense. “It may simply be formality at this point, but what is the position of the Uchiha clan?”

Sasuke continues to stare at Sakura, silently requiring some sign of her acknowledgement before anything else happens. She must sense this, because slowly her gaze is drawn to his. At first, she focusses her eyes somewhere to the right of his jaw, but gradually, as if drawn by a magnet, they meet his own.

Everything beyond the two of them fades out, and Sasuke’s lungs feel too tight. The bewitching irises that were burned into his soul the first day he met her arrest him, searching him with something that is wary and tentative and hopeful all at the same time.

For a moment, they appear to find what they seek, but in that same instant she looks away, an angry flush of colour in her cheeks.

“Sasuke?” Naruto prompts.

“The Uchiha clan wishes for harmony,” Sasuke says, turning away from Sakura. “It is desired that there be peace in this land, now and into the future.”

It is as if the entire room breathes a collective sigh of relief.

“I will enter into this agreement under the condition of equal respect and trust with the Senju,” he continues. “Much of the onus falls upon those of my blood…and I will accept the consequences of my actions thereof. But the sins of the past cannot be erased either. There must be full penance from both sides before we move forward. To this end, I wish to convey the contrition of myself and my clan concerning the lives lost and pain caused. The slights we have all endured – both real or imagined – have no place in the future.”

Sakura looks back at him now, eyes calculating.

“Before any amends can be made, I would ask the forgiveness of the honourable representative of the Senju,” he concludes, “for any injuries incurred by the actions of my ancestors or myself.”

Naruto’s jaw actually drops, having not expected this. Sasuke is half in agreement, having not intended to say much today. He tries to blame the fact he is still recovering from his injuries, but when Sakura’s eyes suddenly begin to shine with something like hope, he stops trying.

“The Senju accept the apology of the honourable representative of the Uchiha,” she says quietly. “Though no words can expunge the past, we will do all in our power to build the future you speak of – and let old hatreds be buried with our dead.”

They gaze at each other a beat longer, and he feels an element of the same, unnameable force that has connected them all this time.

“Then we will now discuss the terms of this concord into law,” Mifune interrupts with a clearing of his throat. “It is hoped that from this day forward there will no longer be discord between you, but harmony and –”

A high-pitched, screeching wail interrupts Mifune’s words.

Sakura freezes, and her gaze leaves Sasuke’s faster than he can ever remember it doing. As the people gathered search for the noise – a crying child, it appears – and mumble at the inappropriate interruption, Sakura’s face flickers with a desperation he doesn’t understand.

Naruto is also suddenly uneasy.

“Sakura,” he says cautiously, although his eyes flit to Sasuke.

She doesn’t reply, instead bolting from the gathering of peacemakers.

“Senju-sama!” Mifune calls out in protest, but she ignores him, stumbling to the edges of the tent as quickly as her elaborate robes will allow. Sasuke moves to go after her, but Naruto’s hand stops him.

“It’s not what you think,” the blond man says, and is that amusement in his tone?

Sasuke’s head whips back to observe Sakura, who is reaching desperately into the crowd and – apparently – arguing with someone. He has to strain his ears to hear her.

“ – not the time, my lady –”

“ – don’t care if it’s a serious affair,” she snaps, “hand her over, she needs me!”

“ – Sakura-sama, it’s not decorous to –”

“I don’t care about decorum!”

“You can’t just –”

“I’d give her what she wants,” a blond woman standing beside Sai remarks dryly.

“Shizune, if you don’t hand me my daughter in the next thirty seconds, I guarantee you that peace will be the last thing on my mind!” Sakura growls.

Instantly a swaddled, wriggling and crying bundle is laid in her arms, and she holds it tight, making shushing noises and rocking it back and forth. The entire world has fallen away and she appears to be aware of none of it.

Sasuke can relate.

At that exact moment, everything else seems superfluous in the face of the truth he watches unfold before him.

Sakura has a child.

Sasuke’s heart clenches in his chest, and he has trouble breathing, but this time it isn’t due to awe for the woman before him. The last hopes he had of rekindling what they had dies away.

Because it has been a year, and what did he expect? That she would wait for him to come to his senses after he singlehandedly ripped apart every possible path leading to a future they could share with one another? She had people to heal and lead, and at the end of the day, she deserves to be with a man who can make her happy. He has utterly failed in this, and so he can’t even protest the gutting sensation ravaging him now.

She…deserves to be happy, he tells himself.

Long minutes of awkward whispering follow, with Sakura unable to quiet the fussing child. People are exchanging judgemental glances, and Mifune shifts in annoyance. Eventually, Sakura sets her shoulders, and stalks back to re-join the delegation, still cradling the baby. As she ducks into the tent, she bestows an expression of challenge anyone to criticise the sudden addition of crying child to the proceedings.

Sasuke suspects that it is only a general, healthy respect for what her fists can do which keeps anyone from protesting.

When Sakura’s eyes fall on his, something like dismay and apology enters them, confirming his worst fears. Then her demeanour becomes serious again and she strides forward, eyes on him and still bouncing the crying baby.

Her gaze never wavers, and it feels as if she’s using him as an anchor; he wishes she wouldn’t. The closer she gets, the more he must steel himself, refusing to look down at the child. He doesn’t want to acknowledge it or the idea of Sakura’s features blended with some other man. Instead, he does his best to meet her searching gaze without flinching.

Then she smiles a little, bouncing the infant.

“This isn’t exactly the way I imagined today would go,” she admits to him, as if they aren’t standing in the middle of stalled peace talks or being watched by the representatives of clans from both sides. As if these aren’t the first personal words she’s spoken to him in almost a year.

Or that the heart he spent his life pretending didn’t exist isn’t being shaved into a million tiny slivers as the seconds go by.

“The baby is a surprise,” he replies weakly.

She shoots him an urchin’s grin. “I imagine so.”

“Probably not as much a surprise at the other thing,” Naruto pipes up.

Sakura shoots a side glare at him. “Shut up, Naruto, this isn’t the place!”

“Oh, I don’t think there’s much choice of that right now,” he grins down at the baby. “She’s got a flare for the dramatic.”

“I suspect she comes by it honestly,” Kakashi remarks from several paces away. His visible features show no surprise, and Sasuke feels a sudden burning anger rising within.

Kakashi knew.

He and Naruto both knew about this, and they said nothing to him. And they had the gall to think he would be happy about it? And Sakura –

Sasuke knows that he has a long way to go in earning her forgiveness – perhaps he even deserves some pain for what he did to her – but this? He has never believed she would be the type to rub his face in his mistakes or remind him of that which he will never obtain.

One year can certainly change a lot, he thinks darkly.

“I suppose you’re right,” Sakura sighs now, apparently unaware of his inner turmoil. “It’s not like everyone won’t figure it out eventually.” 

“In case none of you are aware, we’re in the middle of something important,” Mifune bites out.

“You don’t know the half of it,” Naruto snorts, while Sakura bites her lip and the baby fusses louder.

“Shh, Sarada…sweetheart, don’t fuss now,” Sakura murmurs softly. “I think it’s making your father nervous.”

Sasuke instinctively looks to Naruto, expecting him speak up or joke or confirm his relationship to the child, but the blond man simply continues to laugh and shake his head as if the whole situation is highly entertaining. There is no other man around them that looks concerned for the child in the way a parent might – curious, perhaps, and possibly irritated judging from the expressions of the older delegates – but the father of Sakura’s child does not appear to be in the vicinity.

It makes sense, and his frustration must show on his face, because Sakura suddenly laughs.

“Is something about this funny?” he asks her.

“Sasuke-kun…” she sighs, shaking her head like he’s missing something. Maybe he is, because the familiar way she says his name takes his breath away. He barely notices her moving closer, putting herself and the infant into his personal space. “Would you like to hold your daughter?”

There’s an instantaneous collective intake of breath all around them, as the implication of Sakura’s words sets in. Then, everyone is talking at once – exclamations of disbelief and demands for clarification and Sasuke doesn’t hear any of it beyond the first explosion of his noise, because his own brain has stalled.

“Sasuke-kun, would you like the hold your daughter.”

Daughter.

His daughter.

“It’s not…it’s not possible…” he murmurs faintly, staring at Sakura in a silent, desperate request for explanation.

Sakura purses her lips and raises an eyebrow at him in challenge. And he knows exactly what she would say if they weren’t in such esteemed company.

Because the reality is, they were never careful. He always assumed that she was taking some form of preventative measures – after all, the battlefield is a dangerous place, especially for women. Unwanted advances are common, whether from the enemy or even amorous comrades. While it’s highly unlikely anyone could ever force themselves upon someone as strong as Sakura, it would be irresponsible of a female medic to compromise her usefulness by falling pregnant.

And yet…

Even if she was, there’s always a small chance…

In the background, Mifune tries to demand order, while the various clans and their vassals dissolve into confusion. The Hyūga seem apoplectic with shock and indignation (not Hinata, however).

“Uchiha Sasuke,” Naruto snorts. “The dumbest genius in the land—ow!”

He ducks an elbow from his redheaded cousin, who also seems unsurprised by the proceedings.  

Sakura lifts the fussing infant closer, and this time, Sasuke can’t stop himself from gazing down on her. The minute his eyes meet the baby’s, any infinitesimal shred of doubt vanishes as if it never was.

Because they are completely black.

It’s a distinctly Uchiha trait, possibly related to their dōjutsu, but Uchiha babies never have light eyes – even at birth. In addition to the inky black hair, Sasuke can already see smaller versions of his own features – nose, chin and cheekbones – and the way her face scrunches in displeasure at being held away from her mother. She appears to notice him looking down at her because she stills, and then he finds himself the subject of a direct, appraising look.

His heart stutters at the sight, because that look has been levelled at him before – first by his father, and then by his brother – only this time it’s with eyes identical to his own.

Sasuke doesn’t notice much more than that, however, because it is at this point that he promptly passes out.

つづく

Reviews and constructive criticism are much appreciated! Also, if you are in a supportive mood, I have a ko-fi button at the top of the page, or you can find my tip jar here.

Thanks for your interest in my work!

クリ

Next Chapter

[roraewrites]

four

[ sakura’s secret ] rating: m

// you know the drill !

previous | next

Come Monday morning, Sakura felt absolutely restless. She didn’t want to attend school, she didn’t want to go to any classes, she didn’t want to see Karin or even Sasuke.

She just wanted to be left alone in her room.

“Mom, I think I’m coming down with something,” she lied as she walked down the hall slowly.

Mebuki eyed her with a raised eyebrow and the second Sakura was at arm’s length, she put the back of her hand to her forehead.

“You feel fine, dear. Besides, you don’t want to ruin your perfect attendance, right?”

Sakura frowned before groaning and heading back towards her room. She loved that her mom respected her enough to not push a subject further than it needed to go. Especially when Sakura came down stairs Sunday morning with tired eyes and smeared make up. Mebuki didn’t question, only acknowledged her daugher and carried on with cooking breakfast.

Instead of arguing with her mother, she walked back to her room, picked out her uniform for the day and continued with her morning routine. Since she had a late start that morning, she ended up walking alone to school.

It wasn’t sunny that morning, nor warm. It was cloudy with small gusts of wind blowing in from the west and the closer Sakura got to her school, the more she dreaded her actions that past weekend.

She felt her phone buzz from within her bag, and as she pulled it out to look, she was greeted by a pissed redhead by the name of Karin Uzumaki.

“So. Throwing drinks on people, huh?”

Sakura only frowned as she placed her phone back inside her bag. She inhaled deeply before letting it all out.

It was bound to happen sooner or later, she reminded herself.

“I don’t appreciate your rude remarks or your attitude towards me. I’ve never met you, so why start out with being rude?” Sakura found that Karin’s hands had come to rest on her hips while her ruby eyes narrowed into Sakura’s emerald orbs.

“Maybe you shouldn’t be showing skin off in class. It’s unlady-like.”

“And calling someone the class slut for something that happened on accident is lady-like?” Sakura shot right back. She found her blood rushing through her body now.

Karin laughed before taking a step towards Sakura. “You’re damn lucky those cops busted that party or you’d be--”

“Is there a problem here?”

Such a familiar voice both scared and relieved Sakura. When she glanced to her right, she felt her heart rate relax slightly and her eyes soften. There he was, dressed in slacks and a dress shirt, with his hair tossed around in an organized manner while his eyes glanced from Karin to her.

“Of course not, Uchiha-sensei!” Karin answered sweetly. She had stopped in her place, her hands behind her back while she smiled a large smile.

“Then get to class,” Sasuke ordered. Karin turned immediately, not even a glance back as she headed straight for the doors to the school. Sakura stood in the same spot for a moment longer and waited for her body to relax.

When she felt calm enough, she began to take steps towards the doors as well. Until a question that shouldn’t have been asked, was asked.

“You threw a drink on her?”

Sakura grinned on the inside, remembering just how pissed off and shocked Karin had been. Then again, she felt bad for her actions.

Sakura only glanced back to Sasuke and she was surprised at what she saw. That same damn smirk, while he shook his head side to side. “Get to class, I’ll be there in a bit.”

.

.

.

Sakura’s entire day had gone by smoothly. Karin didn’t shoot her any rude glares or have any more confrontations. Ino didn’t try to pry any information from Sakura regarding her ride home with her sensei. Naruto apologized once more, but Sakura insisted that it was still not a problem. Hell, even her test in Sasuke’s class had been a breeze.

She walked home with her friends, ate dinner with her mom -- they both had acknowledged the fact that her father wouldn’t be returning home for another few weeks, and then she went straight to bed.

Unlike her weekend, today had been absolutely uneventful.

.

.

.

“Sakura! Are you coming to my party this weekend?!” Naruto shouted the second she walked out of her house.

It was now Fall, October in full swing and along with it, cool temperatures. She would need to somehow bribe Naruto to start giving the three of them a ride to school in the mornings, only until spring and then they could walk once more.

“Uh, I’m not sure--”

“It’s his birthday on Saturday,” Ino added in quickly.

Sakura bit her lip before apologizing quickly. “I’m sorry, Naruto. I really am. I’ll try to make it! Where at?”

“Not sure yet. Still trying to decide since Shikamaru’s place is being watched a lot more now,” Naruto grunted out.

Sakura laughed, remembering their first week of school and how nervous and excited she had been to attend her first high school party. Now that they had been attending classes for a month, she felt like her life was now on a set schedule.

“Well let me know and we can all go,” Sakura grinned.

Their walk to school was short lived, considering the fact that they had all been walking quickly to escape October’s cool grasp. Inside the common area, they felt their bodies warm up and even some of the sensei’s had taken up putting out a table that offered hot chocolate.

Sakura grabbed a cup before making her way to class with Naruto. She made sure to drink it before entering the room, because she knew how grumpy Sasuke normally got when his students had a beverage other than water in his class.

“Today we’ll be going over chapter four. This will be the final chapter of the section and then we will be taking a test over everything that’s been included. Take notes on everything if you haven’t taken notes already. We’ll lecture tomorrow and test on Wednesday. Any questions?”

No one spoke up, and instead of sitting back in his seat, the Uchiha’s eyes began to scan the room. They landed right on Sakura and she felt an uncomfortable lump in her throat.

“Sakura; would you mind filling me in on what we’ll be going over this chapter?”

Her eyes dropped to the open page in her book, and when she frowned, she slowly looked back up. “Romeo and Juliet?” That sounded wrong, considering they had gone over the tragic love story previous years before.

“Correct. I know you all have read this story before, actually. So this chapter should be a piece of cake. I’ll be expecting perfect scores from everyone.”

A few groans sounded from different parts of the room and Sakura couldn’t help but giggle at Naruto’s familiar grunt.

“You’ll have the rest of class to read over that. Later in the day, you can start early with taking notes so you won’t have too much to do tonight.”

.

.

.

“Could you run to the store for me, dear?” Mebuki asked from between dishes. “I forgot to grab some vegetables for dinner.”

Sakura looked up from her textbook and notes and nodded. She grabbed cash from her mother and began her walk towards the store. While she hadn’t considered that it would be getting darker sooner in the day and weather dropped substantially during the night, she broke out in a sprint.

“It’s not that far,” she huffed in between strides. Her eyes watched carefully for patches of ice along the way, and as she came to a halt at the crosswalk, she looked both ways.

A black car had stopped and the second she noticed it, she instantly smiled. Instead of crossing the street fully, she ran around to the driver’s side and watched the window roll down slowly.

“Hi, Sasuke,” she shivered out. The warmth that flowed from the inside of his car was inviting, but the look in his eyes weren’t.

“What’re you doing out so late?”

“Going to the store for my mom.”

“Don’t you have a car?” His tone changed drastically.

“Well, no. I don’t,” Sakura frowned at him. When another car pulled up behind Sasuke’s, his arm came out from inside of the window and motioned for them to go around.

“Get in.”

Just like that, it was déjà vu all over again. Instead of fighting with him, she strolled around to the other side of the car again and hopped in. He watched her as she buckled her seatbelt and almost immediately, flashed him a smile.

The warmth coming from the vents thawed her cool skin and the second he started to press the gas and release the clutch, they were off.

“Local store, I’m guessing?” He inquired.

“Yep,” Sakura answered cheerfully. She found it funny how tensed and awkward she had been the first time she rode in his car with him. Now here she was, completely sober and hitching a ride to the grocery store.

The music on the radio was low and as much as Sakura wanted to reach for the knob and turn it up, she didn’t. “What’re you listening to?”

“Not sure. Just background noise.”

Sakura smirked to herself as she tuned into the beat of the song and to her surprise, it was slow and soft; beautiful, actually.

“So what’re you doing out tonight, Sasuke?”

“Heading home. I stayed at the school late,” he replied before glancing at her.

She felt stupid for not noticing a couple of buttons undone on his shirt and ruffled hair. Now that she really looked at him, he looked entirely young -- she wouldn’t have thought he was a high school teacher if she saw him out on the streets.

“Why so late?”

“Planning tomorrows curriculum for classes.”

“How’d that go?”

“You ask a lot of questions, don’t you?” He asked suddenly.

Sakura bit down on her lower lip, but when she glanced over at him, he was smirking again. They were now pulling into the parking lot and once Sasuke put the car into neutral and pulled the parking brake up, he sat back in his seat.

“Thanks for the ride! I’ll see you tomorrow morning--”

“Don’t. I’ll give you a ride home. It’s cold and dark out, plus you’ll be carrying bags.”

Sakura’s lips parted before her eyes widened. “I don’t want to keep you waiting…”

“Hn,” he exhaled. “It’s fine.”

Sakura nodded before unbuckling the seat belt and stepping out of his car. She made her way through the store, grabbing the items her mother asked her to grab and quickly made her way to the check stand. The cashier rang her up and handed her the bags and the moment she stepped outside, Sasuke was now pulled up to the front doors of the store.

He was quick to get out of his car and take the items from her and place them in the backseat and flash a smirk her way.

“Well, let’s go.”

.

.

.

Sasuke pulled up in front of her house and unlocked the doors. Sakura didn’t want to get out just yet, she was enjoying the comfortable feeling she had acquired when being around him. When she wasn’t at school and it was just the two of them, there was just something about Sasuke that eased her mind.

“Do you like teaching?” She asked.

Sasuke pursed his lips. “So far. This is my first year teaching and it’s what I went to university for.”

Sakura smiled softly now as she glanced over to her house. The kitchen light was still on and it was only getting later in the night. If she didn’t get inside the house soon, then her mother would have her head.

“Can I ask you something?” Sakura spoke gently. She felt nerves begin to swirl around in her stomach as she thought about whether or not she should ask.

“Hn.”

She wasn’t sure if that was either a yes or no, but instead of waiting to find out, she took the leap. “How old are you?”

Sasuke was now facing her, his eyes narrowed slightly with knitted eyebrows. He didn’t look angry, but he also didn’t look happy. He looked confused and flustered, more so. Sakura could also see the movements in his throat, noting that he had just swallowed hard.

“Take a guess.”

“Wait -- really? Okay.” She thought about it for a moment or two, her eyes glancing back towards the door of her house. “Twenty five.”

“No.”

“Twenty six?”

“Wrong.”

Sakura groaned before she pushed her face into her hand. He smirked softly, the corner of his lip barely rising as he looked forward once more. His hand reached for the knob and he pushed his door open and grabbed her groceries from the back. Sakura got out of his car rather quickly and met him behind the car.

The tail lights colored his face in hues of red and she’d never say it out loud, but if he had red eyes, he’d look even more enticing and mysterious. Maybe it was something she could draw later…

“Twenty two,” he answered softly before handing the bags over.

Now that Sakura stood face to face with him, she saw him more as an individual rather than someone who would be teaching her her senior year. He was tall, almost an entire foot and a half taller than her.

“Thank you,” she responded in an equally soft tone. He didn’t respond, though. Instead, he smirked once more before getting back inside his car and leaving her to stand outside of her house.

When she walked across the lawn, it was entirely all her luck to have the sprinklers turn on and begin to douse her in chilly water.

“Shit!” Her screech was loud and shrill, but her movements became quick and swift and the moment she ran through the front door, she was greeted by her mother.

“Who was that?” Her eyes flashed.

“Where?” Sakura played dumb, but her breath caught in her throat.

“You know exactly who, Sakura.”

“It was no one,” she answered quickly before shoving her mother’s groceries in her hands. “I’m gonna go change! That water is cold.”

Mebuki only nodded as Sakura skipped away. Little did Sakura know that it was her mother who turned the sprinklers on.

[jouissezduprintemps]

Short Attention Span

Rating: T - Swearing Words: 1396 Fandom: Naruto Summary: A fun little drabble in which, at a bar, Hinata takes the advice of her friends and tries to get Naruto’s attention.

Hinata fidgeted with the cuff of her jacket as she looked down at her lap. “I don’t know…” she sighed. “I just get so nervous. I can’t think straight.”

“Naruto’s a nice guy,” Sakura assured her, reaching across the table to touch her hand. “You have nothing to worry about.”

“If you’re direct,” Tenten added. “But that’s the problem.”

“Nothing a little sake can’t help.” Ino filled Hinata’s saucer, a smirk on her lips. “Liquid courage.”

“Please, don’t be too loud. They’re right there.” Hinata nodded to the table across the walkway, where their male companions became increasingly boisterous as the night went on.

“They wouldn’t hear us if the world ended,” Temari remarked, arching an eyebrow when Kiba stood on the booth.

“She’s right.” Ino smiled at Hinata. “So let’s get our girl talk on. What can we do to help?”

“I don’t really know,” Hinata admitted.

“Well,” Sakura began, “Naruto has a short attention span. You’ll have maybe thirty seconds to get him in a conversation. You’ll have to get him interested fast.”

“Why does she have to be the one to start a conversation?” Temari argued. “I mean, look at her.” She gestured to Hinata, who was looking at her with wide eyes.

“Naruto’s… a little oblivious.” Tenten scratched the back of her head.

“But not gay?” Temari asked.

“Not that we know of,” Ino snorted.

Sakura sighed. “Just stupid.”

“It doesn’t matter if they’re an idiot or a genius; a guy’s a guy. Show him something he likes, and he’s gone.” Temari drank from her saucer. “So, you’ve just gotta make him see it.”

Hinata blushed and looked down at her hands. “No, I can’t do that…”

“Temari might have a point,” Tenten added hesitantly. “I mean, how many years has it been? Conversation clearly isn’t working.”

“Maybe you do need a new approach,” Sakura agreed, turning her attention to Hinata.

“Admit it, Hinata. You’re hot.” Ino shrugged, and her companions nodded their agreement. “Make that work for you.”

“I don’t know how.” Hinata sighed. Her friends had a point, but she didn’t feel like she was in their league. Her personality wasn’t nearly as strong as theirs were. “I don’t feel comfortable without my hoodie, and I know it’s baggy… I prefer to dress like this.”

“No one’s saying you have to dress differently,” Ino interjected. “I don’t walk around with my midriff showing for anyone other than myself, you know? I feel confident and comfortable. If you’re confident and comfortable dressed the way you are, you don’t need to change that.”

“Ino’s right.” Sakura gave Hinata a soft smile. “We just have to work on you showing your confidence a little bit more.”

“The first thing you need is a confident walk.” Tenten tapped her cheek as she mused aloud. “You know, shoulders back and chin up.”

“Swaying your hips never hurts,” Temari added, to the agreement of the table.

“Here, watch me.” Sakura slid out of the booth and walked to the bar, no differently than she normally would. Hinata studied her movements and decided that it wouldn’t be too hard to copy. When Sakura returned with a bottle of sake, Hinata was attempting to mimic her friends’ posture by sitting up straight.

“See? You already look so much more confident.” Sakura beamed.

“And your boobs look great!” Ino smiled as she held up an index finger. “It’s easy once you know what to do!”

“Now, come on. Let’s go dance to this song,” Tenten suggested. “Hinata, you follow us last. They won’t pay any attention to what we’re doing unless we catch their eye.”

Hinata had to fight against her self-conscious nature, determined to do as she was told. Her friends were trying to help her; she owed it to them to make an attempt. She did her best to mimic the way Sakura had walked earlier as she brought up the rear. When she stepped onto the dance floor, Temari’s hand wrapped around her wrist and guided her closer.

“Come on. I’m gonna show you how the kunoichi do it in Suna.” Temari grinned her toothy smile. Hinata wasn’t her only eager student, and the female ninja began to dance together. Temari placed her hands on Hinata’s hips and helped guide her to the beat of the music. The movements were rapid yet smooth, and Ino picked it up before anyone else.

Once Hinata discovered that the movement was in the knees rather than the hips, she caught on rather quickly. Tenten hooted in approval, and Hinata smiled. As shy as she was, it was always easier to be outgoing in a group. She was enjoying herself, and, whether it was the sake or her friends, she had begun to think less and less about Naruto.

Ino, however, never lost sight of their plan. Once she saw that Hinata and Tenten had laced their fingers together in front of themselves, dancing together, she took advantage of the distraction to turn and wave to their male counterparts, beckoning them to join.

Lee joined in with his usual speed, snatching Sakura’s hand before she knew what was happening. Good. That removed her as an option. Naruto’s childhood fascination with his teammate annoyed everyone but himself, and he would have gone to her side first.

Ino beckoned again, cursing the oddly-introverted group of ninja. They talked amongst themselves for a moment, and Kiba made a rude gesture at his friends before leaving them behind, going to dance with Hinata.

Hinata happily joined in with her teammate, which, to Ino’s pleasure, made Naruto huff dejectedly. It wasn’t a secret that he was intimidated by Tenten, Ino, and Temari; clearly, he thought he’d missed his chance.

Shikamaru made a prideful show of reluctance, exaggerating his façade to avoid seeming interested or eager. Unexpectedly, Sai followed suit, but with far less dramatics. Ino was surprised when Sai approached her and offered her his hand. She took it with a smile, although she kept an eye on the table.

She saw Shikamaru look back and forth from the floor to the booth, clearly deciding that joining the group was better than being left alone with Naruto. He approached Temari and mumbled a few words, and she responded with what sounded like “Shut up” before placing his hands on her hips, much to his apparent surprise.

Ino drew Sai along with her until she reached Tenten. She whispered something in her ear, and Tenten nodded.

“Can I cut in?” Tenten asked Kiba with a smile. Hinata nodded, letting her friend take her dance partner.

Feeling left out, Naruto had almost resigned himself to leaving when he saw his chance. He tried not to make a big deal out of approaching Hinata.

“Wanna dance?” he asked, and Hinata fought her usual urge to close in upon herself. She nodded, earning a wide grin from her partner.

Ino and Temari reached behind themselves and slapped their palms against the other in a gesture of accomplishment.

“What was that?” Shikamaru asked, suspicion heavy in his voice.

He felt a shiver run down his spine when both blonde kunoichi smiled and chorused “Nothing.” Good lord, they’d begun to synchronize.

Sai smiled knowingly down at Ino, and with a start, she realized that, this time, it was genuine. “You’re a good friend, beautiful.”

“It’s nothing she wouldn’t do for me,” Ino admitted. There was no one out of the five women who wouldn’t kill for the others. It was hard enough being a female ninja; they didn’t need the pettiness of their childhoods standing in their way. With this thought, she glanced over at Sakura, who’d stopped dancing and had a hand on Lee’s shoulder. Clearly, he’d spun her too quickly and made her dizzy. He was apologizing profusely.

The fast pace of the song faded into a more slowly-tempoed instrumental, and Naruto approached the group. “I’m pretty hungry, so Hinata and I are gonna go get some ramen. You guys in?”

Kiba opened his mouth, but Tenten stomped on his foot before he could speak. Naruto’s offer forgotten, he barked at his dancing partner. “The hell?!”

“We’re good,” Ino insisted. “You two have fun.”

Naruto shrugged. “Ok, then. Later!” He walked back over to Hinata and gestured to the door, and the pair left the bar.

Sakura raised her eyes skyward, praying, “God, don’t let him fuck this up.”