Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ All In Time ❯ Chapter Five: Here's My Jacket (part 2) ( Chapter 5 )

[ P - Pre-Teen ]
Author's Notes:

Okay, I really should get back into the story considering that I finally let off my chest that short (personally, I believe, poignant) chapter.

DISCLAIMER:

It's a whole load of pig's wallop (is that how the way that is phrased? if not tell me), but I do not own Naruto.

All In Time

by Boyarina

Chapter Five: Here's My Jacket (part 2)

Sakura fingered the jacket, savoring the feel of cotton in her hands. For some reason, it smells spicy, minty even. Is Naruto actually wearing a cologne?

She doesn't know that he actually cares about vanity considering the hideous color of his clothing. He looks better now, with just a black sleeveless shirt on. If only his pants are colored black too...

Sakura quickly chucked the jacket to her lap when she saw Sasuke walk up to her. A blush crept up to her when he quirked his eyebrows at her--telling her he definitely has witnessed what occurred earlier.

"You can hug it, I'll cover you."

A huge sweatdrop formed at the base of her neck as she picked up Sasuke's teasing statement, delivered in a conspirational whisper and a lopsided grin.

"What's that, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura stammered as a nervous giggle escaped her. "Hug what?"

Sasuke, eyebrows still raised at an impossbile height on his forehead, snorted. "Naruto's jacket of course."

Panicked, Sakura flew to her feet and used the orange jacket to effectively gag that Uchiha mouth.

"Could you please lower it down?" Sakura wailed in a hushed voiced.

Sasuke swiped off the offending garment together with the demented pink-haired girl who was holding it.

"So, are you gonna hug it or what?" Sasuke persisted, a bit irritated by the fact that something of Naruto's has been shoved down his throat. He spat a couple of times too to make sure any Naruto germs wouldn't get any ideas harming the delicate balance of his physical health.

"Of course not!" Sakura vehemently said, glaring at the orange jacket as though it was the one who asked the question.

Sauke exhaled loudly at her reply. "Suit yourself."

"Why would I even think of hugging his jacket?" Sakura snorted not caring if she sounded like a boar in the process. "I wouldn't do that, no sirrreeee, not in a million years!"

"You know, you don't have anyone here worth convincing. Since one, I am never fooled by any ruse from you, two Naruto is taking a bath in a stream about a 100 meters away from here and therefore could not hear you, and three, with the gazillion slip ups that you committed yesterday and today, even your mind would not be convinced by whatever you might want yourself to believe." Sasuke ticked these off one by one using his fingers, eyes closed and his nose upturned in the air to affect an attitude of righteousness.

He, however, did not miss the bell going off Sakura's head and the way her ears perked up when he finished saying reason number two. He would even go as far as to say that the girl's eye glinted in the mid-morning sun when he mentioned the kitsune's name.

"How long do you think Naruto's gonna be there?" Sakura demanded.

Sauke would have taken his time in answering her, but that stupid kitsune stole his thunder. In a puff of smoke, he appeared there in front of Sasuke and Sakura in his boxer shorts glory, in a rage fit for a queen.

"Sasuke-teme! Where did you hide my clothes!" Naruto bellowed, his fists raised into the air in an attempt to micmic an avenging angel which he completely fails at, of course.

His rage died down when he finally realized Sasuke is not the only one who has a full frontal view. Sakura, being one of the two persons he is flashing right now, is looking at him as though she wanted to skewer him this very second like she threatened before... or just simply use her hands to tear him from limb to limb. From the guttural sound that she emitted from her throat, Naruto concluded that she probably wanted to do both.

"Hentai!" Sakura screamed, omnimous puffs of smoke coming from her nose.

Naruto winced. Pointing a shaking finger at Sasuke, he stuttered out; "This teme said you were picking fruits for breakfast. I didn't know you're yere, dattebayou..."

Naruto's eyes widened when Sakura did not take heed, but rather, cocked her hand, ready to make a missile out of his jacket balled in her hands.

"C-chotto matte Sak--ack!"

Tonk! (or should we say 'wham!'?) The impact of the jacket on Naruto's head was so great it actually made a sound when it hit him. Sasuke grimaced for the benefit of his friend.

Really. Naruto's timing is really and truly lousy. Here he was trying to help them out, but Naruto would just have to go out of his way to ruin it.

If Naruto had walked in a few minutes later and used the towel which Sasuke left, by the way, on the exact same spot where he took Naruto's clothes from when he barged into their campsite, this would have been a whole different scenario all together. If everything had went according to his plan, Naruto would have seen Sakura hugging his jacket and inhaling its scent for all that it is worth.

"S-sakura-chan," Naruto groaned, "Why did you have to put a stone in my jacket? Itaii..."

"That explained the plonk," Sasuke murmurred as he eyed the heap that was NAruto's jacket with a new level of understanding. Turning to Sakura to congratulate her for her ingenuity, he found her rummaging through her pack.

With a triumphant "aha!" she pulled out a towel. She stomped to where Naruto is sprawled eagle-like on the ground, then halted, her arms akimbo.

"You deserve that pebble on you forehead," She stated matter-of-factly.

"It...was a boulder, Sakura-chan..."

Tickled by his funny reaply, Sakura's lips quirked up a bit.

"Acutally..It's more like a a meteorite," Sasuke dryly provided. He too approached the hapless form of his teammate, then scooted down and proceeded on poking the side of Naruto's whiskered face.

Sakura couldn't help the bubble of laughter that swelled from her this time.

"Okay, so maybe I was a tad too harsh. But you deserve it, Uzumaki Naruto," She glared down at him, but a trace of humour is still in her eyes. "Now, will you get dressed?" After saying so, she unceremoniously dropped the towel on his bare belly.

She had wanted to appear noncholant, but she ended up blushing anyway as her wandering eye caught the full affect of an almost naked Naruto on the ground.

"I-i..." Sakura coughed, cutting herself short when she realized with a start that she was stuttering. She cleared her throat and started all over again.

"By the time I return, you better be ready. Or else," She turned and swiftly strode away. Naruto's eyes followed her until her figure disappeared amongst the trees.

"Sasuke-teme...would you quit that!" Unable to stand the pokings Sasuke is doing to him, Naruto swung his arms around like a mad man and jumped to his feet.

"And could you please give me my clothes back?"

Sasuke gave a cursory glance at Naruto's outstretched hand before replying with his usual grunt.He stuck his hand behind his back, rummaged though it for a while or two then pulled out a pair of orange pants and black shirt.

Disgust is etched all over Naruto's face as he imagined just where Sasuke could have placed his garments. He has no choice but to wear it though as he has only one spare clothing and this particular pair is scheduled to be worn up until the next day.

Having no other option, Naruto deftly caught the bundle of clothing when Sasuke tossed it to him.

"Ewww, where did you exactly placed this?" Naruto asked, wrinkiling his nose in the process. Braving what foul odor he mgiht encounter, Naruto held his shirt a few inches from his nose and took a whiff.

Stangely enough, it doesn't smell bad.

Sasuke rolled his eyes at Naruto's antics, thinking of saying something sarcastic about it but then decided he has a bigger fish to fry than that.

"You know, all of Konoha and probably some neighboring villages as well are aware of your crush on Sakura. And, if your thick head hadn't yet realized it, Sakura too has pretty much a good idea that you like her."

Naruto stopped tugging his shirt down over his head when Sasuke's words struck home. Not bothering to finish the task at hand (his shirt is now between his eyes and the bridge of his nose), he let out a muffled yell.

"What in Kami-sama's name are you getting at?"

Sasuke sighed. Threading his fingers through his hair, he replied in an exasperated voice: "Betsune. Hayakun, Sakura will be getting back here any minute now."

Fortunately for Naruto, he had everything in place when their pink-haired comrade appeared and told them to hurry up.

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Comments:

none for now...typing for chapters in a row kinda does that to you...