Adult-FanFiction.org : Naruto

People who are Important: Book Two	By : Morales89 Category: Naruto > General Views: 1260 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Tv tokyo. This is a purely fanwritten work, with which I make no money, and write only for the pleasure of myself and my readers.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
...
Chapter 13
...
Akito Tadashi and the rest of the council stood before the traitor with their Head Couple not too far behind them. They'd found him. The man who'd consulted with the Akatsuki to abduct the Kazekage and lure the Kyuubi-jinchuuriki out of the village. Gaara could feel his wife simmering in her silent rage. He placed a hand over hers and squeezed in a comforting manner. Tadashi moved forward to pull the hood off of the Akito Traitor's face. Their leader gasped.
"Akito Junichi do you understand the charges which are being brought against you?" the Head of the Akito Council asked.
Shia watched in pained anger as the boy she'd grown up with sneered at her in disgust. They weren't really close anymore. In fact they rarely talked to each other since they both graduated the ninja academy. Ever since Shia became friends with Sakura and later on Naruto….Junichi just seemed to distance himself further and further from her. After she married Gaara…he didn't talk to her at all. They weren't close anymore, no…but she'd never have thought in a million years he would betray Akito House…or Konohagakure for that matter.
"Hai Tadashi-dono," Junichi scoffed breaking Shia out of her thoughts..
"How do you plead?" Tadashi asked.
"Guilty on all charges sir. You and I both know that is the truth and I won't waste my time trying to convince you otherwise," Junichi said.
"Junichi-san you do realize what this means? The penalty for treason is death," Tsunade said from her spot next to Tadashi. Junichi smirked.
"Yes I've seen the way you treat traitors in this village Tsunade-sama. But I guess Uchihas are a whole different matter all together," he said. The Hokage glared at him heatedly.
"You will hold your tongue Junichi! Uchiha Sasuke had his reasons for doing what he did…he never compromised Konoha despite his position as Orochimaru's student. He never killed a Konoha citizen! He would never have sold out his own Clan…his family! You and Sasuke-san are two very different people Junichi, do not compare your situation to his," Shia said in a cold, but angry voice just above her usual volume of speaking. Gaara's hand squeezed hers again. Junichi's dark eyes turned on her with mirth dancing in their depths.
"Oh I'm sorry Shia-sama! Did I offend you?" he asked. Shia glared.
"I accept my fate Shia-sama. No need to worry about poor Juni-kun…if you even remember the times when you called me that. After you befriended that monster you rarely bothered with me anymore," he said. The Akito Head opened her mouth to say something, but was interrupted.
"No Shia-sama no need to apologize. I'd rather die than be part of this disgraceful Clan! This disgraceful Clan with its selfish teenage leader, her monster of a husband and her abomination of a s..."
CRACK!sizzle..sizzle…
The room was in a state of shocked silence save for the quiet bubbling, crackling sound of burning flesh. Akito Junichi was on the far side of the room, sprawled in a broken position against the wall; half his face mangled and charred. Instead of looking shocked he was smirking, if laughing a little. Shia was shaking in her fury about ten feet in front of him flaming fist still cocked in his direction.
"Take him to Ibiki and make sure he gets every bit of information he can from this traitor before they end his pitiful life!" Shia said. Two ANBU appeared next to Junichi and hauled him to his feet. Before they took him away, Shia leaned close so that only the bound traitor could hear.
"Gaara is not a monster….and Senji is NOT an abomination…have fun in hell Junichi…" she growled. He snickered ruefully.
"Meet ya there Shia-sama…" he said. Then they took him away.
Shia stared after the boy she used to be friends with as he was taken to be interrogated by Morino Ibiki. She felt like crying. Her own blood. Her family had plotted to harm her husband and her best friend. The shinobi world was changing. It was becoming more dangerous….less honest. She feared slightly for the future. Family betraying family; ninja killing innocent but unfortunate people to gain some power that was still unknown to those outside of the Akatsuki organization. She was suddenly swept out of her worrisome thoughts when a pair of strong arms wrapped around her from behind. The palm rubbing soft circles over her swollen belly calmed her slightly.
"Shia…I love you…" was all Gaara said before he claimed her lips in a passionate kiss. She returned ardently. 'I love you too Gaara…I love you too…never leave me…' she thought.
...
Hyuuga House
...
Naruto stood outside his girlfriend's door nervously as he waited for her to come out for their training session. Why was he nervous? Well…let's see…he was slowly falling face first for the Hyuuga Heiress and he still hadn't let her know he was holding a monster inside of his body. Yes, he had decided he was going to tell her about Kyuubi…but every time he tried the image of her kind smile fading into a look of utter disgust made him chicken out. Was he a coward? Maybe…but why don't you tell the girl you might very well be in love with that you have a dangerous demon inhabiting your body that could possibly harm her if you lost control.
He really cared about Hinata, and he didn't want to lose her love now that he'd discovered it. He knew, however, that he had to do it. No more stalling…he would do it after their training. Naruto's stomach twisted and writhed inside of him in his anxiety, but he forcefully ignored it. Because…Hinata loved him….and she had the right to know 'what' exactly she was in love with. Though the idea of her rejection caused his heart to tighten painfully inside his chest before becoming hollow…he had to take this chance and tell her himself. If he didn't…and she learned from somebody else…somebody who hated him..not only will he have lied to her, but she would not have gotten the truth.
(It'll be okay Kit…I've a feeling about this one.) Kyuubi consoled in his mind. The blond would have been shocked at the attempt from the demon fox if he weren't so mind numbingly nervous at the moment. He was snapped out of his thoughts when the door to Hyuuga House opened revealing the subject of his troubling thoughts. She was dressed in her usual fishnet/cotton black t-shirt and baggy black training pants. She'd swept her hair up into a haphazard ponytail that hung a little more to the right side of her head with a few stray strands dancing in the light breeze. Her face, devoid of any makeup, wore a tiny smile and that dust of natural blush that Naruto never got sick of seeing.
"Ohayo Naruto-kun!" Hinata said brightly, placing a gentle kiss on his cheek as she moved to stand next to him.
"Ohayo Hina-chan!" he said back with a wide smile. 'Please accept me…' he thought before weaving his fingers into hers and leading them both towards the training grounds.
...
Nara Complex
...
"Baka!...THWAK!"
The sound of Temari winning yet another Nara-Sabaku argument reached the Kazekage Family's ears through the front door. Shia laughed while Gaara just smirked. Honestly, no one knew how to rile Temari up like Shikamaru did. They'd be good for each other. Shia lifted her hand to rap on the door a little louder than she usually would have just in case the couple on the other side were still bickering. The door opened to reveal Temari's anger reddened face.
"Oh, hi Shia-chan! Shortcake! Come on in," the blond said. Shia smiled at her friend, and Gaara flinched at the stupid nickname. He hated that nickname with a passion, but Temari refused to stop calling him by it.
"Oi Shia-chan! Look at you!" Temari said rubbing a hand over the Akito leader's round tummy. The brunette girl pouted, though silently sighed in relief. Visiting Temari, her sister, always made her feel better. After the meeting this morning…she really needed to calm down.
"Tch…" was her answer. Temari giggled.
"Don't be so down Shia, you're beautiful," Gaara said resting a hand at the base of her spine. He held back a chuckle at her muttered 'liar' and more exaggerated pout. He knew bringing her to see their family would cheer her up. It was then that a lumpy headed Shikamaru decided to make his appearance.
"Geez you troublesome woman…do you have to hit so hard.." he drawled, lazy brown eyes glaring lethargically at his fiancé.
"Well if you wouldn't be such an utter BAKAYARO! We wouldn't have that problem now would we?" Temari answered smoothly. Shikamaru sighed.
"Whatever…"
"Where's Senji-chan?" the eldest Sabaku asked having suddenly realized the child was not with his parents. Gaara's lip jutted out a little bit in what would have been a pout, but we all know it's physically impossible for Gaara to pout…right?
"We left him at the hospital with Sakura-chan and Sasuke-san…he just didn't want to leave," the Kazehime said. Shikamaru and his fiancé exchanged odd looks.
"Since when did you trust Uchiha, Shortcake?" Temari asked. Gaara shrugged.
"We have more in common than I thought," the redhead said blankly. Shia giggled.
"Correct! And besides I think Senji-chan is the perfect catalyst for some Sasuke-san/Sakura-chan bonding," the Akito chirped. The soon-to-be married couple just stared at the Leaders of Wind Country. 'Since when does Gaara play matchmaker?' they thought simultaneously.
...
Konohagakure Hospital
...
Sasuke lay on his stomach as Sakura finished up his healing session for the morning. Little Senji-chan was not far away, over in the corner playing with those little marionettes again. When the child noticed that 'Suke' was looking at him he waved his tiny hand enthusiastically until the Uchiha twitched some fingers his way. The beaming smile warmed him slowly, and he felt his lips tilting upwards in a way that was becoming less and less unfamiliar every time it happened. Apparently he was remembering how to smile. He couldn't remember smiling fully since he'd been a small child…before the massacre…before walking the path of vengeance. However, there'd been times when he was with Team 7 that he'd cracked a small smile…and perhaps it was being around those people again that was making him remember the feeling.
He turned his head the medi-nin who smiled at him with that warm, happy smile. Ever since he'd started opening up to Sakura….it seemed like she'd been lowering her own defenses against him too. Sasuke liked the way their relationship was slowly becoming open. He liked having someone who listened to the memories and feelings he'd tried so hard to lock away for the past ten years after the Massacre. He liked having someone there when he remembered one of those confusing memories from and after his fight with Itachi. Sakura always was, and when he was done, she would always talk about their friends to calm him down. Apparently quite a lot had happened when he was gone.
...
(Flashback)
"Well you know that Gaara-kun and Shia-chan got married. It was a pretty big shocker to us when Shia came back from her supposed mission pregnant. None of us had thought they were THAT close. As she probably told you she almost miscarried twice…it was a pretty difficult time then. The mission to save Gaara-kun hadn't gone well and she arrived to see him dead….she got sick and passed out…but after Chiyo-baasama healed him, he sent a letter of request to Akito House and they got married," Sakura said.
"I see…" Sasuke said. Sakura smiled at him, reaching a hand out to brush his bangs back out of his face.
"Yea…after they got married Shia-chan moved to Sunagakure and she usually comes back once every month for a week. If he can, Gaara-kun accompanies her. They don't like to be without one another…it's really sweet when you think about it," the medic sighed. Sasuke nearly smiled at the dreamy look on his teammate's face. It just reminded him so much of a happier time….a time when Team 7 was still together. 'We'll be together again I hope…no…I know you'll heal me Sakura,' Sasuke thought.
"Oh! Did I tell you that Temari-chan and Shikamaru-kun are engaged?" Sakura chirped breaking him out of his thoughts. His black eyes widened slightly.
"No…"
"Oh yea! Well they started dating around about the time Senji-chan was born. Shikamaru-kun proposed at the kid's first birthday. It was funny actually. 'will you be the most troublesome woman in my life?'" Sakura mimicked and then giggled. Sasuke smirked in amusement. That did sound like something the lazy genius would say.
"What did she say?" he asked. More giggles.
" 'Only if you'll be my Lazyass baka of a husband,'" she managed through her laughter.
The Uchiha's smirk widened a little bit, bordering a smile but not quite getting there. Sakura's laughter was infectious. He loved to see her giggle like that. Her green eyes glowing with glee and her arms crossed over her middle as she tried to breathe. She was quite cute, and he no longer found it confusing for him to think so. Slowly he was realizing how he felt for her, and though he wasn't exactly there yet…he was trying.
(End Flashback)
...
Sakura finally took her hands off his shoulder after an unusually long healing session. She looked confused.
"sigh…I'd better get Tsunade-sama in here," she said. Black eyes widened.
"What's wrong?"
"Nothing…and that's the problem…"
"Nani?"
...
Hokage Monument
...
Hinata stared off into the bright afternoon sky as she sat cuddled in Naruto's arms on top of the Fourth Hokage's head. She felt so warm and comfortable. They'd only been exclusively dating for about a week, but she knew she wanted it to last forever. This particular day she was feeling a little bit anxious. About what she didn't know…but Naruto seemed really tense and nervous. She was worried about him. What if he was having second thoughts about her? If he broke up with her she'd be devastated. Or…what if there was something else wrong? Sasuke was still alive right? 'Oh no! What if Sasuke-san died? No wonder he's so upset!' she thought. She acted quickly to try and comfort him.
"You know Naruto-kun…whatever it is that's bothering you…you can tell me. I'll understand," Hinata said, turning her head so she could look into his eyes. The apprehension in those blue eyes made her heart clench. She hated it when he was anything but happy.
"Hina-chan…I…"
"Take your time Naruto-kun. Tell me when you're ready," she said quietly, turning in his arms so that her head lie against his chest.
Naruto's fists clenched at his sides. She was worried about him. Who knew what kind of things her worried little mind was coming up with as reasons for his anxiety? He didn't want her to worry about him. He wanted to just come out and tell her…but…he knew he had to choose his words wisely this time. Kyuubi was a pretty taboo subject in Konoha. He didn't know how she felt about the fox-demon, or how her family felt. No doubt her father had been around during the time of the attack. Naruto only knew that she loved him, courtesy of her father and cousin both coming to him to make sure he watches his step with her heart.
(Kit…go ahead and tell her. She will not shun you.) Kyuubi said in his mind.
Naruto squeezed the girl in his arms tighter to him possessively. It could very well be the last time they could be together like this. He didn't think that she would abandon him simply because Hinata didn't seem like that kind of person. However, you can never be too cautious. You never truly know what is going on inside another person's mind. Who knew…even if she did miraculously accept him…would her family be okay with the fact that she was dating the Kyuubi-vessel? A soft pair of lips came in contact with the base of his throat in a soothing manner. He looked down into those pale white eyes that only ever looked at him with the utmost admiration and love. 'Please let this be okay…anyone…whoever's watching over me…please let Hina-chan still love me after this,' he thought.
"Hina-chan…I have something really important I need to talk to you about," he started.
She smiled at him, that beautiful sweet smile that lit up her pearly eyes with tenderness. The one she only ever directed at him. A brief flash of that expression contorting into disgust and those eyes growing cold with hatred caused his heart to palpitate painfully. He blinked, shaking his head a little bit, and when he opened his eyes again she was looking at him with concern.
"Naruto-kun?" she questioned raising a delicate, slender hand up to brush the three whisker-like scars on his right cheek. He leaned into the contact, enjoying the warmth of her palm against his face.
"Hina-chan…I really like you. I can't believe I never saw that this amazing, beautiful, strong and super smart girl was in love with me. I feel like an idiot for all the time I've wasted chasing Sakura-chan when I could've had this…" he said placing his larger, rougher hand over her small smooth one.
"But…"
'Oh no! But what? Naruto-kun are you breaking up with me?' Hinata thought frantically. She made sure to keep her inner turmoil away from her outward appearance and out of her eyes.
"….I'm not what you think I am…" he faltered here seemingly unsure of how to word his next sentence.
'What is he talking about? What's going on?' the Heiress thought.
Naruto felt her hand fist in his shirt. He could feel the unease radiating off of her…the concern and doubt. He didn't want her to feel that way. He didn't want her to doubt him…but it was getting difficult to breathe. His tongue felt heavy in his mouth and his lungs seemed to be constricting with his moot attempts at breathing. At some point during his internal breakdown, Hinata had taken his hand and started brush feather light kisses over his knuckles, palm, and each of his fingers. Naruto closed his eyes and allowed the caring touches of her lips to calm him.
"Hina-chan…when I tell you this…it's okay if you don't want to see me anymore. I'll understand.." he said. She merely buried her face into his shoulder and kissed at his collar bone.
"Never…I could never leave you…" she whispered softly. His arms tightened once again.
"In my body…I have something terrible locked inside…I…sixteen years ago a terrible demon attacked our village and killed many people," he started. 'The Kyuubi attack?' Hinata wondered silently.
"The Yondaime Hokage could not kill the nine-tailed demon fox, so instead he sealed the Kyuubi into a newborn baby…"
"Naruto-kun?"
"That baby was me Hina-chan…"
...
Konohagakure Hospital
...
To say Shia had been confused when she was called to the hospital before her shift would be the correct assumption. Sakura had told her she probably wouldn't be needed until around three or four in the afternoon, so to be called in at one was a little worrisome. At first she'd worried that Senji-chan had gotten hurt or something, but he was playing joyfully in the corner without a clue as to what was going on. As she gazed down at the medical charts for her patient…and then to her own notes after examining him herself she sighed in exasperation.
"I don't understand," Shia said in a confused tone as she read over the newest medical records on her patient. Sakura sighed.
"It doesn't make any sense. How could this be right?" the Akito Head said, turning to her pink haired friend.
"I don't know Shia-chan…I came in this morning to do his healing session…but it had already been healed…. His paralysis seems to be completely gone. There's no pain, no damage….nothing. It looks like everything has gone back to normal," Sakura explained. Shia rose a hand to her temple and growled.
"That can't possibly be right. We need to run some tests…get the Hokage in here we nee…"
"It's all been done already Shia-chan. Sasuke-kun is perfectly healthy. Tsunade-sama didn't find anything out of the ordinary," the pinkette interrupted.
"Nothing out of the ordinary except the fact that our patient who has been dying for the past five weeks is suddenly healthy as a horse!" Shia snapped.
"It doesn't make any sense. According to my research he should be terminal," the girl said. Sakura placed a hand on her arm.
"I know you're confused. We all are, but right now it seems he's fine. Tsunade-sama thought it'd be a good idea to get him out into the village for a little while for some fresh air," the Hokage's apprentice said. Shia sighed and relaxed a little.
"Fine….you do that. I'll keep running tests on his blood to see if I can find anything," the Akito said.
Sakura smiled as Sasuke came back into the room fully clothed. He didn't show it, but he was excited as well. It seemed like forever since he'd been outside. He wondered if Sakura would take him to see Naruto. It'd been ages since they were together as a trio. He wasn't sure how it'd happened, but for some reason the Cursed Seal had stopped poisoning him and everything had healed up. He ignored the voice in the back of his mind that said it was all too simple in favor of standing next to Sakura. She looked up at him…he was tall…taller than Naruto and much taller than her.
"Only for a little while though. A couple of hours at most Sakura-chan…I'll be waiting for you both here at three," Shia said as she gathered up all of her notes to search for anything she may have missed.
"Hai!" Sakura chirped happily, grasping Sasuke by the wrist and dragging him out of the door. Shia noted the faint dusting of red over the boy's cheeks.
They stopped at the front desk to show the clearance for the Uchiha to go out and then headed outside. The first breath of fresh air that entered Sasuke's lungs was like heaven for him. It made his body feel refreshed, not as tired or weak. He looked around the village he'd left four years ago. It was bustling with life. The market was alive with business. The people hurried to their jobs, shopping, or other destinations with barely a glance his way. That made it easier. The less attention he got the better. He knew that the village was not too fond of him, and he deserved that animosity. A tug on his sleeve caused him to look down at his companion. She smiled that heart fluttering smile at him before pointing over to a familiar looking ramen shop.
"Let's get something to eat first, ne Sasuke-kun?" she said, green eyes shining with happiness.
Suddenly he was thrown back into the past. He was tossed into the time when they were mere children. A time that he had always denied her advances. Today however…whether she was trying to get him on a date or not didn't matter. He didn't think he'd be too opposed to going on a date with Sakura. Maybe he shouldn't have been back then…after spending so much time with her the past few weeks…he was baffled at the idea that he had ever managed to leave her. He wasn't exactly sure why he felt that way, but he knew that if he had to make the decision again now that he would choose to stay.
"Alright…" he answered flatly. Her eyes lit up with excitement before she grabbed him again and tugged him towards the shop. He vaguely wondered what kind of reception he'd get there.
...
Hokage Monument
...
'Naruto-kun…has the Kyuubi inside of him…it all makes sense now..' Hinata thought.
All her life she'd been told not to talk to him, or look at him…or be anywhere near him. Whether it'd been her own family, or the kids at school she was always told that Naruto was not someone to be friendly with. People called him a monster…a demon…and she never even knew why. Now she did. Naruto harbored the terrible demon that had killed so many innocent people all those years ago. It wasn't what she was expecting him to say. It was surprising and a little bit scary to think about but…if it was scary for her then she couldn't imagine what it was like to be him. All those years he carried such a terrible burden alone. She lost herself in her pity for her boyfriend.
Hinata had been silent for a long time since he had told her the news. He could see the emotions flitting through those ivory pools. He could see them moving over her features, but there were just so many of them all happening at once that he couldn't differentiate any of them. Naruto was nervous. His girlfriend hadn't said anything when he told her of the Kyuubi. She'd merely become silent and lost in thought. He would give anything to know what she was thinking. 'Do you hate me now Hinata? Will you leave me now that you know what I am?' he thought miserably in his mind. Of course she would. How could she be happy with a monster…a demon? She didn't deserve that. A girl like Hinata deserved better than him.
"Hinata…I understand if you don't want to see me anymore. It's okay," he said, cursing himself because his voice had broken towards the end.
His heart clenched in a reminder of how NOT okay it would be if the Hyuuga Heiress decided to leave him now. Those pretty white eyes seemed to sharpen as they locked with his and the girl in his arms resurfaced from her thoughts. She regarded him with an unreadable expression for a few seconds and then the tears started to fall. Naruto quickly retracted his arms from her body and scooted away. Shit he'd made her cry! She was so frightened of him she was crying. He cursed himself, hated himself for being a monster. For making that beautiful, pure, and loving person cry.
"I'm sorry…I'll leave…I'm so sorry Hinata-chan…" he said, feeling that familiar burning sensation at the back of his eyelids.
He stood, prepared to leap off into the forest and back home where he could cry for the loss of such a perfect love. It would have been great. He'd ruined it, but it had to be done. Hinata deserved to be happy and if that happiness did not include him then he was more than willing to stand aside. As he made a move to run, a small hand shot out to clasp his wrist. He turned only to be faced with that beautiful, heart-wrenching sight of Hyuuga Hinata's tear streaked face. Those eyes stared up at him with so much emotion, but he was not in the proper state of mind to decipher it.
"Matte….matte kudasai…Naruto-kun," she managed through her shuddering breath.
Blue eyes stared at her in blatant confusion and obvious hurt. He thought…he thought that she didn't want him anymore. He thought because now that she knew what was inside of him, that she didn't want to be with him anymore. How many people had done that to him? She felt the sudden urge to search them out and disembowel them. A very un-Hinata-like urge, but still present all the same. She could feel his pain inside of her own heart like it was her own, and she continued to cry for him. The fact that he thought her tears were out of fear only made it worse. Again, she tried to speak as she pulled him to his knees in front of her.
"Don't go Naruto-kun…" she said, pulling him closer and leaning her forehead against his. He was confused…he remained silent; trying to figure out what was going on.
"I…I'm sorry Naruto-kun…" she faltered a bit as more tears escaped her. Naruto misinterpreted.
"It's okay Hina-chan…I'll go away…you never have to see me again…" he said trying to pull away. Her fists tightened in his shirt.
"NO!" She cried out. Her slender, but strong arms wound around him and held him tight to a quivering, sobbing body.
"I never want to be without Naruto-kun!...Naruto-kun is still Naruto-kun no matter what…I don't care what people think you are…" she murmured into his shirt as she kissed his neck tenderly. Naruto just sat there wondering if this could really be happening. Did she really just accept him?
"To me…you're the strongest, kindest, most amazing person I've ever met. I don't care what's inside of you…" she said. Her whole body shuddered in another suppressed sob.
"…I love you…"
Naruto felt his heart hammering inside his chest in utter elation. This girl that he knew he had fallen headfirst for had just accepted the fact that he was a jinchuuriki. He wrapped his arms around the sobbing girl, reveling in the light touches of her lips against his skin. A series of soft butterfly kisses fluttered over the length of his neck, up over his cheek and ended in the sweetest, most tender kiss he'd ever received in his life. Hinata's arm hands slid up his chest and she wound her arms around his neck, nipping at his bottom lip before opening her mouth in a deliberate invitation.
Naruto hesitated only slightly before plunging his tongue into the sweet, hot cavern of the Heiress's mouth. She tasted like candy, or at least he thought so. Suddenly ramen was his second favorite flavor. The way she kissed him was both confident, and shy. It was something he'd only ever seen Hinata capable of doing. He wove his fingers through that thick mass of ebony silk as he slanted his lips over hers, devouring her hungrily. He broke away only to tilt her head back and trail fire down her neck, to her collar and back up to her lips again. Hinata shifted closer, her smooth thighs parting on either side of his waist as she straddled him. Unconsciously Naruto's arms clasped at the small of her back to hold her tighter.
Hinata felt herself heating to an almost unbearable point as his lips tried to score every inch of her skin available to him. It felt almost desperate, the way he kissed her, yet extremely joyful at the same time. She was happy that he was happy. It overjoyed her to see how cheerful she'd made him. His hands were wandering over her back, hesitating at the hem of her shirt where she knew he wanted to go under. She stiffened, but quickly regained herself when he disengaged the kiss to glance worriedly up at her. Hinata just smiled at him and kissed him softly on the lips again before nestling her head against his chest and snuggling into his arms.
"I'm sorry Naruto-kun…" she said feeling the slight protrusion in his pants against her side. She flushed slightly at the thought of it.
"Don't be…whenever you're ready. I'll wait a year…two years…however long it takes," he assured her. She threaded her fingers through his and squeezed fondly.
"I love you," she said quietly, feeling the need to say it more so than ever.
"I think I might love you too…" he said, and her heart leapt happily against her chest. He kissed her forehead.
"Can we stay like this a little longer Hina-chan?" he asked, combing his fingers through her soft hair fondly. She sighed against him.
"As long as you want Naruto-kun…forever," she answered. Suddenly he wanted to cry again. This time from happiness. He thanked whatever God was out there for sending him this amazing person.
"You're way too good for me Hina-chan…it's almost unfair," Naruto murmured into her hair as he took in the soft, flowery scent of it. Her hand squeezed his again.
"Nothing is too good for you…" was her answer.
...
Ramen Shop
...
Sasuke ate quietly as Sakura babbled on about things in Konoha. A long time ago he would have found it annoying, but after being on the receiving end of her rightly deserved cold shoulder, he was just happy she was talking to him. The owner of Ichiraku's Ramen Shop had been nothing but warm and welcoming when they'd arrived. Sasuke wasn't sure if it was an act or not, but he chose to ignore his more paranoid feelings and just accept the old man's friendliness. He was happy to be outside of the hospital, no matter how strange the circumstances. Konoha was just the same as he'd left it, if not a little livelier. It surprised him how good it felt to be here. It surprised him how at home he felt in this village he'd abandoned four years prior.
"…Gaara-kun will stay with you until we return," he'd caught the end of her statement and quirked a brow in question.
"Sasuke-kun have you been listening to anything I've been saying?" Sakura asked with a small pout. His eyes went wide at the fact that he had no clue what she was saying. She laughed. He scowled and she found it oddly cute.
"Of course you weren't…haha…that' okay Sasuke-kun I'd be a liar if I said I wasn't used to you tuning me out," she said with an easy smile.
He read past that. The smile was fake, though to anyone who was less perceptive it would appear real. No one can smile after saying something like that. She'd just admitted she knew he ignored her all the time, which in past years was true, but recently was definitely not. He listened to her more than she knew he did nowadays. He'd only recently realized how intelligent she really was.
"I'm sorry," he said, making eye contact to let her know he was listening now. Shock flashed in her green eyes before a stomach clenching warmth poured out of them. 'Can't blame it on the illness now can you?' an annoying voice in the back of his mind taunted. He ignored it.
"I was saying that Shia-chan and I have another rehearsal tonight so Gaara-kun will be staying with you until we get back," the pinkette repeated.
"Oh…"
"I know that it seems you've healed, but Tsunade-sama doesn't want to take chances. This is Orochimaru-aitsu we're talking about," she explained. He almost choked on his ramen stifling the chuckle from Sakura's strange nickname to his former sensei.
"Besides, the sooner we get that thing off of you, the sooner we can put the past behind us…" Sakura said quietly as she twirled up some noodles and placed them in her mouth. Sasuke stared at her thoughtfully for a moment before returning to his own lunch. Sakura didn't know it, but he was just as eager to get the mark off of him as anyone else.
...
Village Archives
...
Shia poured over her notes and every book she could find on Cursed Seals trying to find an answer to the strange happenings in her patient's health. There was no way in hell that he could be healed. Even with the removal of the Seal it would've taken at least two weeks to heal all the damage that the curse had done to his body. Though it looked like everything was fine, she just couldn't shake the feeling something was off. 'Of course something is off you baka! He's been dying for a month and a half and suddenly he's okay? No, there's more to it than that,' she scolded herself.
Glancing over the notes she'd taken this morning, she thought back to what she'd seen when she looked him over. When she'd left him the night before, the skin over his left shoulder had a purplish/blackish tint to it from bruising. The tissue underneath the skin and around the seal was damaged…degenerating. His entire left side had been paralyzed but not numbed, and she'd had to put him on pretty powerful painkillers to stop him from screaming in agony all day. How could it be possible for that to all have vanished? That's certainly what it looked like upon seeing it today. There wasn't a mark left on him, on the outer skin or in the tissue. Everything seemed to be back to normal, he even regained mobility of his left side.
The Akito Head flipped through yet another decrepit book furiously. It just wasn't possible. There had to be something she missed in her initial research. Some unknown explanation for this strange phenomenon. There had to be a clue somewhere to tell her what the hell was going on. Someone so close to death didn't just magically heal over night. There was something more to it. She read over the paragraph of the book still finding nothing as her mind slowly pieced together everything she'd been thinking for the past few hours. A man dying for weeks under the curse of the ever sick and haunting Orochimaru, suddenly had no signs of illness anywhere in his system. Slowly realization dawned on her…Sasuke wasn't healed…
"This is just the eye of the storm…" she concluded as the book she was holding slid from her grasp and hit the floor with a resounding thud.
...
TBC….
...
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People who are Important: Book Two