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Disclaimer: Naruto is not mine. Also this story is a lemon fiction therefore is intended for people of a legal age from wherever they come from. So if these type of stories offend then stop reading now. Thanks. Furthermore I’m not making any money from this story.

Author’s Note: The following events take place during chapter 31 of Eroninja.

Eroninja: The Limelight

Chapter 2: Sakura

A Heart No Longer in Autumn


Sakura was sitting under a cherry blossom tree during a warm and sunny summer like day. She was naked as was the man whose head was in her lap. The trees were in full bloom cascading the area in brilliant shades of white and pink. Normally the area would be littered with people to take in the sight. Something which registered in the back of her mind, however she pushed it aside to concentrate on the man using her lap as a pillow. She reached down to gently stroke his cheek and smiled as his blue eyes lit up at her touch. She looked up and in the distance saw a man wearing a white shirt that exposed a good deal of his chest. His dark eyes landed on her and she shivered as they focused on her although they didn’t seem to pay any particular attention to her lack of dress. Suddenly though the warmth of her lover faded so she looked down to see that a large gaping wound had appeared in his chest. The light in his eyes were gone as he stared up at the sky without seeing anything. “Naruto,” she gasped in horror and shock as she reached down to cup his face.

Her gaze was pulled away as she felt the man at the end of the field begin closing with her and the corpse that had been her lover. He rested his hand on the handle of the sword strapped to his back at his hip level. As he approached the trees died around him as the sky grew cloudy as if the summer was giving way to winter. He moved agonizingly slow as he closed the distance between them. Finally he stood over them and Sakura felt as if he was inspecting his handy work. She stared up at him as tears began to leak from her eyes. At the moment all she wanted him to do was finish it and join her lover in death. Yet the man must have sensed as much since he smirked at her in his familiar manner although now it didn’t appear nearly as appealing as she had remembered it.

In an act she could only attribute to cruelty, he turned and began to walk away in order to leave her with the pain. In fury and anger she shouted, “Sasu…”

*****************************

“Sakura!” A voice shouted causing the pink-haired maiden to shoot up in her bed. She held her hand over her heart and could feel it beating madly. She took a few steadying breaths as it calmed down. She placed the hand down and felt something next to her. Picking it up, she stared at it and felt the last vestiges of her nightmare disappear as the daffodil Naruto must have left for her reminded her it was only a dream.

“Sakura!” the voice of her mother shouted again prompting the kunoichi to leave her bed.

“I’m coming,” she shouted back still fully dressed in her full shinobi gear having taken a nap after ending her hospital shift.

Grabbing the pack that she had already prepared, she headed from her room to the kitchen where her mother and father were sitting down to dinner. Her mother, Mebuki, slapped her father’s hand as he tried to grab at a piece of meat on the main dish. He chuckled as he shook it earning him a scowl from his wife. Her father’s face brightened as his daughter giggled at the scene, “Ah, Sakura come join us.”

“Sorry,” Sakura said grabbing the piece of meat her father had tried for faster than her mom could react, “I have to get going if I’m going to make it to the main gate in time.”

Mebuki huffed as she said, “I still can’t understand why they would lead you to the camp in the dead of night.”

Kizashi made another play for some food only to receive another whack on his fingers this time with the spoon his wife had planned to serve it with. Sucking on his knuckles, he said, “Come now Mebuki. It’s probably practice for something like nighttime maneuvers. Since during a battle all fighting is done during the day. Night is supposed to be the time when allies and reinforcements are generally making their moves.”

“I know that,” Mebuki replied placing her hands on her hips, “It’s just that she worked all day in the hospital and now is going to spend a few weeks playing war in the forest. When is she supposed to find time to find a man and settle down?”

“I already found the perfect man,” she thought to herself with a grin.

“What are you smirking at?” her mother asked agitated by the look on her daughters face.

“N-nothing,” Sakura said quickly backing up to escape her mother’s scrutiny. “I have to get going. Don’t worry; I’ll be sure to visit during the weekend passes we get.” Her mother frowned at her, but her father simply waved pleasantly as she left the only home she had ever known.

Out on the street, Sakura wasn’t surprised at how empty it was due to the time and the fact that it was already dark. She jogged quickly to her destination letting her feet carry her to it more from past experience than actually paying attention. As she headed to the main gate she tried to understand what it was her dream had been trying to tell her. For a moment Sakura thought of an old saying her mother would tell her which was that a woman’s heart was as changeable as the autumn sky. In truth though, she didn’t think the dream was some sort of effort by her mind to confuse the matter of to whom it belonged to as it didn’t exactly cast Sasuke in a positive light. No, Sakura believed the reason she was thinking of the saying now had to do with the seasons that had been represented in the dream. Namely, summer, autumn, and winter. It was rather obvious to Sakura that Naruto had represented summer in her dream with Sasuke being winter. She felt it rather apparent since she had always felt like a mixture of the two. After all, Naruto was bright and sunny like the season she had attributed to him, while Sasuke was cold and gloomy. She a balance of the two could be either spring or autumn, and much like those seasons she was situated between the two more extreme ones of the year.

Sakura stopped and felt a cold chill pass through her as she briefly wondered if she had experienced a premonition of some sort. She shook it off as foolish, but for some reason couldn’t quite escape the chill that had nothing to do with the night air. But pushing past it she started moving again so that she could help Naruto in his endeavor to defeat those trying to pull Suna and Konoha apart.

*****************************

Sakura could tell Naruto was bristling as their squad closed in on the objective of their practice mission. Sakura couldn’t blame him though since his concerns were falling on deaf ears. The two of them were the only Leaf shinobi that were a part of the exercise on their side and free.

The night before, they had joined up with the likes of Kiba and Shikamaru in meeting at the gate. Ino had been there as well and it was rather apparent to the pink-haired kunoichi that her friend was rather anxious from Naruto’s presence. However it alleviated somewhat when he took a spot away from her among the ranks of the assembled Konoha-nin, instead of his using the opportunity his joining the Training Force presented to healing his relationship with her. Asuma had then filled the Leaf shinobi in on what he hoped they would accomplish making a point of telling them that it was likely they would feel pressure from members of both villages to remember the old hatreds between them. However, he encouraged the gathered shinobi to remember that what they had before them was an opportunity to get past those old grievances in order to build a lasting friendship with those they called allies.

It was proving to be rather more difficult than Asuma had made it sound as the current exercise was showing. After arriving in the middle of the night, they had been assigned an area to set up their tents and had been promptly thrown into the mix the next morning. Temari and Asuma had pulled out a sealed envelope which contained a scenario dreamed up by one of the two village leaders. They decided to change things up for the exercise by having members of each village split among the two teams.

Sakura had giggled as Naruto obviously expecting to go in the first round of picks had ended up close to last. Finally, Temari did pick him much to Asuma’s chagrin, since it was apparent the two co-leaders of the Training Force had been trying to underplay his skill and power, while at the same time they gobbled up shinobi they thought would best fit into the units they were trying to build. However, the teams did still end up rather unbalanced as Asuma and Temari had gone with people they had worked with in order to win over trying to actually have an even split of members from the other village. Sakura had just been glad she ended up with Naruto and felt it was rather sad that it appeared Ino was just as glad to be on the opposite.

Things had promptly turned against Temari though, when upon opening the envelope they learned the scenario was one in which one force had been decimated by the other while trying to complete an objective. Temari had lost the coin toss to decide whose force would be the destroyed one and so needed to watch as her force had picked wooden sticks marked with a square, a circle, or an X. Those that pulled an X were dismissed from the exercise as killed in action. The circles were considered captured and would be held in a mocked up prison camp while the Squares were considered alive. The Squares’ task was to complete the mission despite their weakened force.

Sakura and Naruto were the only two Leaf Shinobi to remain in the alive category, and both doubted there would be much cooperation as Temari ended up in the captured. Their fears became true as the only ranking Jounin that remained was a Suna-nin named Komaza who came complete with a less than stellar opinion of Konoha. Sakura remembered the young man from her first go around in the Chunin Exams. He had been one of the genin to be eliminated for cheating during the first test and had even made a stink about it before being forcibly ejected by one of the proctors. He wasn’t one of the Hardliners that followed Joseki, but she figured he was harboring some negative feelings to the village that had held back his rise in the ranks if only temporarily. She figured that was also why he had regulated both Naruto and her to the rare of the squad as they closed in on their target.

“Screw this,” Naruto said suddenly coming to a stop on a branch.

Komaza stopped immediately as well to glare at the jinchuriki before saying harshly, “You want to repeat that genin?”

Naruto was about to reply as bluntly as his sudden outburst, but Sakura clamped her hand over his mouth to say, “He was just voicing his disagreement with our current strategy.” She gave him a look to remain calm. She felt Naruto relax so trying to get the jounin to see his concern said, “Sir, with all due respect. We think you are seriously underestimating the opposition.”

“Now look, I don’t know how you do things in the Leaf.”

“That’s right you don’t,” Naruto said.

However Komaza spoke over the blond saying, “But in Suna when a superior gives an order he expects it to be followed.”

Naruto rubbed his hand through his hair in frustration before countering, “You’re completely disregarding what we are saying. You plan to attack the main camp because you believe it’s undermanned since you think Asuma has sent out hunter-killer forces to find and engage us.”

“We’ve already been over the plan. Plus what do you call all those tracks of the teams looking for us. Not to mention, we found the path the main force took to protecting supply depot that is our target. We’ll attack their main camp throwing them into chaos and to pull their forces back. While they are in disarray we’ll hit our target.”

“That’s what we’re trying to tell you,” Naruto said frustratedly. “Everything is too neat and tidy for either Asuma or Shikamaru to be calling the shots. We’re going to hit their camp and get slaughtered.”

“Give me a break. You think you can do better than go on and do it.” Komaza turned to the rest of his squad asking, “Anyone else think the genin here is going to lead us to victory. If you do, then feel free to go with him.”

Sakura looked around and saw that most of the Sand-nin present were of the same opinion as the jounin. Stepping up to her lover, she said, “Let’s go Naruto.” But the Sand-nin didn’t give them a chance to leave as all of them took off after the Jounin, who had already dismissed the Leaf-nin as useless. Truthfully though, Sakura could think of few things better than being alone with her lover in the woods so was glad with the current situation.

****************************

Sakura snuggled deeper into her lover as she sat back against him so they could share a blanket while hiding in a small cavity at the base of a tree. Naruto’s body stiffened due to his clone dispelling which had been following the rest of the squad. When he relaxed she asked, “Well?”

“It’s just you and me now.”

“And, all the shinobi that are going to target us now.”

She could hear the smile in Naruto’s voice as he said, “Well them too, I suppose.”

“We probably should have headed to the supply depot we needed to take out instead of settling in for the night then.”

Naruto rested his chin on her shoulder as he said, “I don’t think that would have worked either. I think Asuma split his forces evenly between the three locations that he figured we may have been interested in.”

“How? Guarding the prison camp, our target, and his camp coupled with all the patrols looking for us would have forced him to leave something under-defended. Unless…”

“The tracks of the patrols were faked. We never actually saw any other signs of them and just figured we had snuck past the patrols at some point due to the foot prints we found.”

Sakura pulled Naruto’s arms and by extension the blanket they shared tighter around her as she said, “We have to figure that by now they know that they haven’t wiped us out. Plus after a round of interrogations they’re probably going to know what our target is for sure.”

“Huh, how are they going to be able to interrogate anyone? It’s not like they are going to break or anything. They aren’t going to get tortured are they?”

Sakura shook her head in amusement as she said, “Didn’t you do any of the reading in regards to the rules?”

“That packet was like fifty pages long.” Naruto pulled her tighter against him as he said sweetly, “Plus, I knew you’d tell me anything I needed to know.”

Sakura turned her head to frown at him, but seeing his blue-eyes staring at her so innocently she sighed as she said, “You never studied. But basically for these games, interrogation is conducted via a dice game. The prisoner gets three and the interrogator gets two. They then roll the dice every fifteen minutes to see who comes up with the highest sum total. If the prisoner’s dice add up to be greater than he has successful resisted and doesn’t need to answer any questions. But if the interrogator’s do, then he gets one of his questions answered. It’s skewered in the prisoner’s favor since they would be expected to resist, but with enough time and effort eventually people break.”

Naruto nodded in agreement and then said, “Taking the supply depot with just the two of us is going to be a pretty tall order.” Sakura giggled prompting Naruto to ask, “What’s so funny?”

Turning to face him, she said, “I’m just so used to you disregarding the odds, that hearing you admit something is going to be difficult is hard to believe. I half expected you to say, “Don’t worry Sakura. The depot won’t know what hit it, believe it.”

Naruto chuckled at her jest. Shrugging, he said, “Sure that’s what I’d be saying if we could go full out tomorrow. But we won’t even be able to use any of our really destructive jutsu so we’re kind of hampered by that.”

Sakura nodded and placed her head against Naruto’s chest as she rested her body along his. She sighed contently as he placed one a hand on her hip near her fox mark. “I suppose this situation does favor thinkers like Shikamaru as opposed to us who get by with brute force.”

“Hey, we’re thinkers too,” Naruto said indignantly. But she heard a smile in his voice as he added, “It’s just easier to smash things.”

Sakura felt herself being lulled to sleep by Naruto’s heartbeat, but asked, “So do you have a plan?”

“Right now the plan is, Naruto and Sakura smash.” She laughed lightly at his joke after he said, “Admittedly, it could use some more work.”

“Admittedly…” she said with a yawn before slipping into slumber.

*****************************

Sakura was in the basement of Konoha hospital. Her heart was heavy as she walked the familiar halls before coming to the morgue. Stepping inside the room she saw Tsunade standing in front of one of the freezer units where the bodies were stored. The older woman turned to her with eyes that showed the indescribable sadness that she was feeling. Yet, Sakura didn’t need a description as she was feeling the same thing due to what had brought them both to that spot.

“N-no,” she said weakly.

Tsunade broke down crying as she sunk to the floor and wrapped her arms around her shoulders as if to keep warm. With the Hokage no longer blocking the freezer she had been standing in front of Sakura could read the name of the person whose corpse resided inside, “Naruto Uzumaki.” With her worse fears confirmed, she felt the warmth that had been a part of her life ever since becoming one of his lovers leave her.

Her strength left her as well and she only remained on her feet due to an autopsy table that she leaned against. Tsunade paused in her sobbing only long enough to inform her, “They say it was Sasuke.”

**************************

Sakura shot awake to find a part of the reason she felt so chilled was she was no longer resting against Naruto. She panicked for a moment, fearing that her dream had been a memory and that she was living in a world where the man she loved was gone. She quickly crawled from the lair they had used to sleep and immediately calmed upon seeing him standing next to a simmering fire. Her thoughts went from concerned to a more perverted nature as he was wearing only his boxers, which were dripping wet as he watched a pair of fish cooking. Spotting her, he gave her a bright smile as he said, “Morning sleepyhead.”

Sakura shook off her lustful thoughts before joining him by the fire as she said, “Morning. Why the show with breakfast, we had rations we could eat?”

Naruto realized she was referring to his state of dress so chuckled and replied, “Is someone finding it hard to concentrate due to how little I’m wearing?”

Sakura blushed, but countered, “No…I just was wondering if you look for any excuse to strip out of your clothes.”

Naruto laughed as he said, “Sometimes, but today it’s so we could have a good meal. I thought up a plan last night and you’re going to need your strength, especially for later tonight after it works and we celebrate.”

Sakura blushed as she imagined how they would be celebrating. But focusing on the task they would need to complete first said, “Tell me more?”

*****************************

Sakura still had trouble shaking the chill her dream had left her with. The only reason she felt it had faded to any extent was because she was being warmed up through her clinging to Naruto’s back as they traveled through the woods. It was a slow going process since they were traveling along the forest floor in part due to their need to avoid the few enemy patrols moving around them. Already the two had needed to avoid several patrols. But, luckily for them. Their enemies expected them to be moving through the trees or running along the forest quickly. Not slowly trudging along while trying to leave no hint behind as to where they were going.

Sakura was pretty sure she was close to chakra exhaustion and simply had to marvel at Naruto’s strength since she had only made a single clone with the jutsu Naruto had been using from the time he was a genin. That he could make a hundred and still effortlessly carry her was an impressive feat.

With Naruto doing the driving as it were, it had left Sakura with time to come up with a way to broach the subject she figured her dreams were demanding her too. Still after nearly an hour she was no closer to finding a way to bring it up gently so blurted, “I want you to give up on Sasuke.”

Naruto came to a stop. To Sakura the background noise of the forest was deafening as she waited for him to say something. Finally after an eternity he said, “I can’t.”

“Why,” Sakura said angrily, “If it’s because of that stupid promise I made you give me then I recall my request. Kiyomi’s told me just how hard you fought to keep it and what it nearly cost. Don’t you understand if it wasn’t for her you would be dead?” Sakura’s eyes began to fill with tears and she rubbed her face against his back before tightening her grip on his jacket as she added, “It would have been my fault.”

She sobbed lightly against him until Naruto said, “Sakura, no it wouldn’t have been. Do you remember the day of team assignments?”

Sakura had an idea of what he was going to bring up so said, “I remember you pretended to be Sasuke to find out what I thought of you.” Naruto looked over his shoulder in surprise prompting her to admit, “I only recently realized that. But what does that have to do with…”

“It was the day that I finally understood why I cared for you so much. But I also think I came to understand that I could never make you love me. Therefore, when you asked me to bring him back although it did hurt… I had no problem promising you that I would because your being happy was all that mattered.”

“Naruto…”

“But, it also sort of worked out that it made me look selfless because truthfully I would have done it even if you hadn’t of asked. He was my friend as well, and I didn’t want to lose the bond we shared.”

“Bond,” Sakura said heatedly, “He put a Chidori through your chest and tried to break your neck. Also, why didn’t you ever tell anyone what happened between you two.”

Naruto began walking again causing Sakura to fear he was going to try and drop the matter. But after a minute he said, “At the time… it was because I wanted everything to go back to how they were before. If I had told everyone that Sasuke had tried to kill me… well… that probably wasn’t going to happen. I still thought that all I would need to do was drag him back. After pounding some sense into him and Team Seven would be reunited.”

“But you understand that isn’t possible anymore, right? Sasuke isn’t who we remember. So, just give up on him.”

“I can’t Sakura. Now, more than ever.”

“Why,” she said angrily no longer caring about the game or if she was heard. “He’s already given up on you. I’m afraid that if you fight him again…” She paused until Naruto looked back at her causing her to say in a weak voice, “That I’ll lose you.”

“And that’s why I can’t give up Sakura, because I know exactly how you are feeling. But, the thing is I know exactly what Sasuke is feeling as well.”

“What do you mean?”

“Do you remember the day everyone passed the exam to graduate from the academy?” Sakura nodded so Naruto said, “You looked so happy as your parents congratulated you. Your parents looked so proud and you laughed at something your father had said. Although you probably didn’t even know I was there that laugh almost sounded mocking to me.” Sakura figured that he must have felt her tense to say that she didn’t mean any harm, but he beat her to the punch as he said, “Don’t worry, I wasn’t implying that you were. I was just saying that was how it felt… to be me. Watching everyone laugh and beam as their parents showed how proud they were. It was like everyone else’s joy was just to show what I lacked. To make a mockery of my existence.”

“Naruto….”

“Now I understand though that Sasuke must have felt the same thing that day. That the sounds of everyone’s laughter must have cut him as deeply as it did me. To be honest Sasuke and I have walked the same path, and that’s why I know how you feel also. I know how you feel because I’m afraid I could lose you or any of my precious family. Sasuke has chosen to follow a dark path, but it was a path that was open to me as well. If I hadn’t come to value the bonds that I formed or you and the others hadn’t come to accept me, then I would be just like Sasuke is now. But just because I chose not to follow the same path doesn’t mean I don’t know what I would be capable of if I did.”

Sakura felt chilled again despite the warmth coming from Naruto as she asked, “You believe he’s not just going to disappear now that he’s killed his brother.”

Naruto shook his head sadly as he answered, “No, there is literally nowhere he can go to escape reminders of what he has lost. His very memories of his life before Itachi killed his clan are probably almost mocking to him now. To be honest, the one thing I think that did save me before you and the others was that I had no memories of a happy home life. It is one thing to know such a thing is missing, but it’s quite another to have it ripped from you. That’s why whether or not he learns the truth about the Uchiha massacre. It almost doesn’t matter.”

“Why?”

Naruto looked at her over his shoulder and she could see the concern he felt about what lay in store for him and Sasuke. But his voice was strong and determined as he said, “When all the laughter you hear sounds like it is mocking you. All you want to do is silence it, and if that is the path Sasuke takes then all I can do as his friend is face him head on when he directs his hatred at those I care about.”

Sakura placed a hand over his back where Kiyomi had told her that the Chidori had pierced his body. Still fearing what a confrontation between the teammates would bring she said, “Just remember that there are those of us that you need to return to.”

“Don’t worry Sakura,” Naruto said confidently, “If Sasuke does one day direct his anger at Konoha then I won’t hold anything back. It’s the least I can do for him as a friend.”

“It’s not you not holding back that worries me,” she thought but kept her further worries to herself.

Not because she wanted to let the matter drop, but because a voice called out, “Sakura Haruno, Naruto Uzumaki, we have you surrounded. How about you two just quit so we can all go back to camp for a hot meal?”

Sakura couldn’t help but smile as Naruto said, “Sorry, but I don’t know the meaning of the word quit.”

“He isn’t joking,” Sakura quipped, “If you don’t want any trouble you might want to explain it to him.”

“Sakura, that’s not funny,” Naruto said, but his tone was amused especially as it looked like one of the Suna-nin was about to actually give him the definition. He quickly created a clone that grabbed her and took off running as Naruto leapt to the trees to attack the patrol.

****************************

Sakura felt great as she watched the opposition’s supply depot. Looking behind her, she took in the hundred or so copies of her lover. Looking back, she leapt confident that the clones were right behind her. Landing at the entrance, she slammed her fist in the surprised guard’s stomach and although normally that would mean the shinobi would probably no longer be in the same country. This time he just grunted before lying on the ground with a paint mark of her fist on his stomach signaling he was dead. Sakura next hit the wooden fence blowing it off its hinges although not as far as she could so no one was hurt by it.

The clones quickly swarmed in going around her while attacking the reacting defenders with blunted kunai and shuriken. A few though suddenly stopped as they were hit with paint from exploding tags that had been planted on the ground. Recognizing that meant they were dead, they dispelled themselves as more charged forward to take their place. Sakura spotted Shikamaru, Chouji, and Ino coming out of what she suspected was the commander’s tent. She heard Shikamaru say, “Looks like you were wrong Ino. I told you that Naruto would try and take out the target by himself.”

He dropped down to a knee to catch several clones by their shadow and when he did Sakura struck using one as a springboard to launch herself at Shikamaru. However, he was pushed to the side by Chouji who took the punch in his friends place. The sudden jolt to his stance also caused him to lose control of his jutsu allowing the clones to move in to attack him. Before Sakura could join them though, she was forced to deal with Ino as she tried to land a kick to her face.

Sakura ducked it though before swinging at the kunoichi, but Ino gracefully leapt away as she back flipped several times before landing and assuming a fighting stance. Sakura ran up to her friend and seeing they were alone said, “That’s not fair Ino using your mark to spy on us.”

“I wasn’t cheating forehead,” the blonde replied annoyed, “I’ve purposefully not tried to sense his location. It’s just obvious that Naruto’s real goal is going to be to free all the prisoners.”

“Obvious to you maybe,” Sakura said with a smirk.

Ino didn’t rise to the bait instead asking, “Why is he here?”

Aware that Ino had stopped appearing at the gatherings the other Harem members held now that Naruto had recaptured his mojo she said, “He’s here to try and stop Joseki’s men from spreading their hatred among the ranks. Why? Were you hoping he’s here to convince you to come back to him?”

“N-no,” Ino said quickly although Sakura did detect a little wavering in her friend’s voice.

Although she didn’t take it to mean she had guessed Ino’s intentions, she did figure the thought had occurred to her. “You need to stop lying to yourself Ino. You know where you want to be.”

“And what good will that be if he recklessly spends his life,” Ino yelled ending the discussion by charging her friend.

When Ino got within striking distance, Sakura threw a punch but the blonde slid beneath it. She spun to sweep at the pink-haired girl’s legs. But Sakura leap forward into a roll that ended with her crouching. She spun around in time to catch Ino’s foot with both of her hands. She pushed the blonde back, but Ino simply allowed herself to fall backwards into a backflip that had her back on her feet. Sakura sighed as she felt her energy being used up. Getting back to her feet, she could really see the fruits of Ino’s training since Naruto had taken her as a lover.

Sakura thought back to when Ino had first decided to follow her into Medical-ninjutsu. She had stuck with a rigorous training regime that Tsunade had laid out. But she had for only around a month before she would give excuses such as her needing to attend her family’s shop. Sakura had suspected it was because of how hard the training had been, but also because it had become apparent that Ino wouldn’t measure up to her, at least not without twice as much effort. Sakura also had thought about giving up at times. But every time she had, she would think of Naruto as he was bandaged in a hospital bed and telling her that he would get stronger to bring back who he thought would make her happy. Sakura supposed that when Ino had begun to show up to the more advanced medical classes after Naruto’s return to the village, she should have suspected something. It hadn’t been that Ino had suddenly become more focused, she had just tapped into the same source of inspiration that Sakura had.

Sakura charged forward to connect with a jab, but Ino bent backwards to avoid it. She then reached up to grab Sakura’s wrist and then using it for leverage brought her legs up, wrapping them around Sakura’s head. Due to Ino’s weight, Sakura fell to her knees as the Yamanaka kept her arm straight. “Not bad Ino-pig,” Sakura said getting Ino back for calling her by her old nickname.

“Thanks, and for the record I’m here because Asuma-sensei asked me.”

Sakura smiled and replied, “You could have said no, especially since you knew it was a place he would likely show up,” and then burst into smoke.

****************************

Sakura held a piece of paper in her hand as she followed the crudely drawn map Naruto had handed her after the exercise. She smiled as she remembered the look on some of the Suna-nin’s faces as they had hit the prison camp. After regrouping upon taking out the defenders, Temari had said, “Took you two long enough. Did you stop to smell the roses or something?”

Before either of them could respond Komaza who had been taken captive stepped forward asking, “I don’t get it. If you could handle this camp by yourselves why bother rescuing us?”

Naruto answered saying, “We’re supposed to act how we would out in the real world, right? No way I’d leave my friends behind and truthfully we sent a bunch of clones against the supply depot but were repelled. Besides now with all of us working together taking our target out will be a snap.”

It hadn’t gone as easy as Naruto promised, but in the end they did win. It was after she had taken a shower that Naruto had appeared by her tent handing her the piece of paper she now held. He told her to meet him at the location it marked before telling her that he was going to get some ramen and clean up before joining her. Figuring they were going to enjoy their own celebration for the days victory she felt her body grow a little hot as she let her imagination go wild. She put the daydream on hold as she stepped out of the forest to see the ruins of a building. It looked like it had collapsed at some point and from the signs that she could see not due to old age.

Looking at the back of the map she saw the instructions Naruto had written there which read, “Step into the circle.”

Confused, she walked around the building spotting more evidence that it had been brought down by exploding tags. Wondering how Naruto even knew of the place she recalled the incident just after Sasuke defected where Mizuki had escaped from prison. Guessing that made the building the old Chunin Instructor Proving Grounds where Mizuki had tried to kill Iruka, she said, “Not exactly a romantic sight you’ve chosen for a hook-up Naruto.”

Still that didn’t stop her from looking for the circle she was supposed to find. Finding it towards the back of the ruined building, she wondered what it was her lover was up to. Stepping into the circle which was large enough for her to lay down in. She was shocked as the insides of it were suddenly filled with symbols. A cone of light rose around the perimeter of circle which tapered off around ten feet in the air. Outside the light, the world took on an otherworldly appearance. Figuring that she had activated a barrier of some kind, she reached her hand out and found that she could reach out of it, and as she did so the outside world, which had sounded muted before, suddenly became louder. Smiling at her lover’s foresight, she suddenly sensed his presence behind her but when she spun around to kiss him found that he wasn’t there. Confused, she focused on her fox mark and confirmed that he was right by her.

She was about to call out to him when she felt a feather like pat to her butt like someone was pressing the back of their hand against it. She closed her eyes and could smell her man’s scent so guessing he was playing some sort of game decided to let him have his fun. The pressing became more insistent until it became full on groping causing Sakura to shift a little as her butt was fondled. She leaned back into something solid which caused her to open her eyes, but still she couldn’t see Naruto. Closing them again she decided to just enjoy feeling for a time.

The hand playing with her ass was removed, but it wasn’t idol for long as it began to fondle her breast as the other hand mirrored its actions on her other one. Sakura moaned out loudly as her nipples were pulled on almost painfully until being let go. She looked down to watch as they grew stiff and smiled as her invisible lover slowly pulled the zipper of her shirt down. Watching her skin slowly appear, but not seeing the hands kind of gave Sakura the feeling like a ghost was behind the pleasure she was feeling. When her shirt was opened one of the ghostly hands began fondling her breast again, occasionally rolling her nipple between his fingers. She couldn’t place the other until she felt a pressure against her pussy. She cooed in excitement as she felt her pussy lips being spread apart while what she assumed was his middle finger began rubbing her cloth covered slit.

Sakura felt some embarrassment that after only a handful of minutes the crotch of her shorts was completely soaked through. She began panting heavily and whined as the hand teasing her pussy was pulled away. But she need not have feared as she felt her pink skirt get lifted up and with a sudden motion her shorts were pulled down to her knees. The unseen hand returned to its previous spot but instead of simply rubbing her slit his finger buried itself inside her.

Sakura began moaning louder and louder especially as the one finger was joined by another. Before long the fingers were being worked in and out of her feverishly causing loud squishy sounds to be heard as her pussy got wetter and wetter. Soon though, Sakura couldn’t take it and she panted, “P-please…no more…your cock…I want to feel your cock inside me.”

She felt a weight on her shoulder and received the first confirmation that her ghostly lover was indeed who she had felt it was via her mark, “I never get tired of hearing you ask for it, my cherry blossom.”

Sakura’s right leg was pulled up so that it dangled in the air and spread her pussy for Naruto. Sakura moaned gently as she felt his hard length press against her wet and wanton cunt. Her sighs of pleasure grew as his dick slid along her slit until he pulled back to line it with her entrance. With a sudden thrust Sakura was speared on his fuck stick causing her to shout out in her happiness to once more be connected to the man she loved.

As Naruto began to thrust within her Sakura looked down and although she knew she wouldn’t see anything had to admit there was something pretty strange about feeling so much but not being able to see what was causing it. She briefly wondered if Kiyomi had felt something similar as she had experienced sex vicariously through Naruto’s lovers.

But such thoughts were pushed to the side as Naruto let go of her leg and her torso was tilted forward. Her arms were grabbed around the elbows and where the only thing that prevented her from hitting the ground. Sakura’s moans filled the barrier as she was relentlessly fucked which caused her breasts to swing in the air.

“O-oh god,” he moaned as she squeezed and flexed her cunt muscles around his cock, “your pussy feels so good. It’s coiling around me so tightly.”

“T-that’s because it’s so happy. You’re making me feel so good. Y-you’ve always made me feel good. S-so fucking good… so please d-don’t ever leave me…” Sakura’s eyes bulged slightly as she felt his dick grow bigger inside of her. That coupled with the frantic pace of his thrusts told her that he was nearing his end. Delirious with pleasure and hungry to feel his seed filling her womb again began chanting, “Give it.” Until shouting, “Give me your cum,” which she received in several powerful bursts. Sakura screamed in ecstasy which turned into one of horror as she was pulled up to enjoy a kiss, but instead of Naruto’s handsome face, it looked like it should have belonged to a ghost due to how bruised it was.

“Sakura it’s me,” he said as she tried to pull away.

Calming as she took in his injuries even though he had obviously cleaned them up for the most part, she said, “W-what happened?”

“Just a minor disagreement,” Naruto said as she reached up to begin healing them.

Sakura’s voice got low and dangerous as she asked, “With whom?”

Naruto reached up to cover the hand she had over his cheek as he answered, “I’d tell you. But something tells me that you might punch him, and considering just how hard you can hit it would make my taking these bruises meaningless.”

Sakura lapsed into silence as she healed his face but finally said, “You know you’re doing stupid and reckless things like this is what worries me… and is what has driven Ino away.”

Naruto sighed saying, “I know. But hitting him back would have just validated his anger at Konoha. The truth is I would consider it a good thing if all our problems could be solved so easily.”

Sakura nodded, but said, “Well don’t make getting hit in the face a common solution. Some of us have grown rather attached to it.” She leaned forward and kissed him now that it didn’t look like doing so would hurt him. Once it ended she leaned her head against his chest and squeezed her thighs together to keep from losing anymore of his seed. He began gently stroking her hair as they stood holding each other. Curious about why the unique hook-up she asked, “Was what happened to your face why you decided to go the invisible man route?”

“No, Jiraiya sent me a scroll containing that jutsu and said he thought I’d come up with a use for it. I figured I could start a rumor about a perverted ghost that haunts this area. I think I’ll call my jutsu the Invisible Touch.”

Sakura looked up with a disbelieving stare as she asked, “Do you really think something like that would work?”

“Sure,” he replied with a chuckle, “Haven’t you ever looked into a mirror and called out some boogeyman’s name expecting it to show up.”

“Sure as a kid during sleepovers.”

“Well the principle’s the same just the ghost has more grown up tastes. At the very least it might attract someone who’s very lonely.”

Now having an idea of who Naruto was targeting she said, “Ah, you want her to come to you. But why practice on me first?”

Naruto chuckled as he responded, “Because my Sakura can be a bit of a pervert.”

“No I’m not.”

Naruto laughed as he said, “Well then let’s see if I’m wrong. But when you want some more you know where to find me.”

He disappeared in a red flash and Sakura looked down to where her shorts lay on the ground. Figuring that Naruto had tied some sort of alerting seal into the privacy barrier he had drawn on the ground. She stepped out and watched as it deactivated before stepping back in. He reappeared with a huge smile as he said, “That was fast.”

“Oh shut up.” She replied before dropping to her knees to suck some life back into Naruto’s pleasure wand.

****************************

Sakura dropped to the forest floor before entering the clearing of the Training Force Camp. She leaned against a tree as she rubbed her stomach still able to feel the warmth Naruto had deposited there through both sets of lips Entering the camp proper, she spotted the bonfires that the shinobi gathered around as they talked during the night. She imagined she was walking with quite a bit of sway in her hips but found she couldn’t help it due to how great she felt.

Coming to a fire around which sat Temari, Matsuri, Ino, and as well as a few other kunoichi from Suna she took a seat unable to erase the smile from her face. “Where’ve you been,” Temari asked having blown off some steam after witnessing the altercation that had left Naruto’s face bruised.

“Looking into a story I heard,” Sakura replied causing the women that knew she had been with Naruto to arch an eyebrow.

“Really, what kind is it a ghost story. We were just telling a few although none of them were really scary.”

“Yukata, here has a love of such things,” Temari said indicating the long-haired brown eyed girl she was sitting next too.

“Really,” Sakura said with a smile as she looked out the corner of her eye at the Green-haired Suna-nin the story she was about to tell was meant for. “I’m afraid this ghost story isn’t scary as it centers on a man who was quite perverted. Knowing he was dying, he created a seal that trapped his soul in a place between this world and the next in hopes that curious young women would find it so he could show them pleasures unimagined. The first such woman was a beautiful maiden who stumbled on it while…”

Sakura continued with her story throwing in details from her recent time with Naruto. As she watched some of the women present squirm in their seats she admitted to herself, “Okay I’m a pervert. But if you can’t be a pervert with the man you love, then who can you be one with?” Although Sakura still feared what a future confrontation with Sasuke would bring. She vowed that she would be there and if it appeared Naruto was hesitant to deal with him then she would. As she wasn’t willing to give up the summer days her time with Naruto felt like in order to be cast into a winter of Sasuke’s selfish design.

Next Chapter: Ayame