Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Daisuki ❯ Taken Aback ( Chapter 12 )
[ Y - Young Adult: Not suitable for readers under 16 ]
By: DisturbedUsagi 
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst / Shoujo | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.14.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 205 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: Naruto Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Drama / Romance / Angst / Shoujo | Type: Other | Uploaded On: 11.14.2007 | Pages: 3 | Words: 2.7K | Visits: 205 | Status: Work In Progress
Author’s Notes//So uh, chapter 12. Great. Haha, Phishouttawatta, I can understand why you’d want Lee. I want him too. AHHAHA. And yea, Sasuke can be a jerk, but he’s a good kid, I guess. REVIEW THIS AS IF YOUR LIFE DEPENDED ON IT/dances/
Disclaimer:Damn you, Kishimoto!
~~~~~~
Small town, we just ride
Holding onto what we had inside
But now it’s never there
So should I admit
Do I believe I too am the culprit?
Cause now in your eyes I can’t find you.
So, sorry that I’m taken aback.
~~~~~~
Daisuki; Chapter 12
Taken Aback
“Haruno san,” a nurse came into Lee’s hospital room, bowing her head slightly, “Hokage sama has passed on that you should take your leave now.”
Sakura dragged her attention away from the lilies she was arranging in the bedside vase to reply with a perplexed expression.
“Take my leave, but, why?” The kunoichi crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to the opposite leg.
The young medic nin fidgeted uneasily, “She said that she understands your concern for the patient, but you should take a day of rest. Lee san has yet to have any other visitors besides you, and he also needs alone time.”
The pink haired girl looked over her shoulder at the raven haired boy, who at the moment was fast asleep just after finishing his brunch. The last thing she wanted to do was leave his side, but on the other hand the last thing she needed was Tsunade nagging her to no end. Turning towards the boy in the bed, she reached out to sweep the bangs from his slumbering eyes; she’d be okay if it was just a day away from him. Maybe she could sneak back in at night…
“Sakura san, still here I see.”
The kunoichi quickly spun around, cheeks flushed instantaneously. A slightly somber Gai Sensei had replaced the young nurse in the doorway.
“I was, um, just leaving actually.” She replied sheepishly, grabbing her white coat from the bedside chair and swinging it over her shoulder.
A tiny smile claimed his lips. “You’ll be returning soon I hope.”
“Ah,” her eyes darted to the side, reaching up to twirl a pick strand, “Tomorrow morning at the earliest…”
“Plenty of time to get some rest then.” That tiny smile turned into a grin.
Why does everyone keep saying that?
Sakura nodded, shuffling past Gai to make a quick exit, “Nice seeing you,” she mumbled and then promptly shut the door behind her.
The hospital hallways weren’t as busy as the day before and this was something the kunoichi was happy about. Less traffic meant less people bothering her. It wasn’t that she had become somewhat antisocial; she just wasn’t in any mood to care for a patient that didn’t happen to be Lee. Alright, so maybe she did need a break.
“Sakura, you look like you’ve gotten less sleep than I have,” a familiar lazy tone interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to find Shikamaru staring back at her.
“Oh, it’s you,” she replied nonchalantly, raising her hand in a mimicked Kakashi greeting.
“Thanks,” his shoulders rose and fell, the two of them looking awkward as they faced each other in the hallway.
“I know I’ve only visited Lee, but how is Kiba doing?” She asked in a rushed tone, hoping to avoid a conversation that was mostly clearing of throats and heavy sighs.
“Oh, he’s got another day in here and then he should be alright.” His hands slid into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Lee most likely has another week, maybe shorter if you’re staying with him every day.”
Sakura couldn’t help but react to that comment with a smile, holding back from giving him a playful shove. “Temari has been softening you up…” she added with a slight grin.
Nara cleared his throat, offering the kunoichi a wave as he turned on his heel. “If you’re going home, I’d make sure to look for Naruto. He’s been moping around the village since the briefing this morning.”
Oh shit, I told him I would meet him at the apartment…
She did a mental face palm, quickly thanked the shadow genius before rushing off down the hallway towards the stairwell. It didn’t take long for her to reach the main lobby, a few of the medics shouting the obligatory, “Haruno san, there’s no running in the hospital!” Ignoring them effortlessly she was out on the street, unable to decide which way to go until a thought hit her. The weekend, the Academy would be empty, and Shikamaru had mentioned the jinchuuriki was moping. If he was somewhere sulking, he would no doubt be on his trademark swing.
The hospital wasn’t too far from the Academy, but it wouldn’t hurt to jog the short distance in case he ended up not being where she thought he would be. Picking up the pace, she waved to the few people who called out to her, glad that none of them were Ino since Sakura had no time to waste. The Academy was coming into her sight and she slowed her pace, quirking a brow when she noticed the back gate was unexpectedly closed. The kunoichi undid the latch, swinging it open and scanning the small training area.
Ah, there you are, just how I knew you’d be…
“Naruto, what are you doing hanging around here by yourself?” She asked the other softly, walking towards him and reaching out to grab a rope of the swing.
“Just taking some alone time,” he kept from looking at her, face downcast to the side.
Her brows scrunched together in confusion, “Well, is it anything you want to talk about?”
Silence fell upon them, the blonde’s feet pushing the swing back and forth. Sakura was drawing a blank on the entire situation. There was something bothering Naruto and it didn’t seem that he was going to tell her willingly, which contradicted his usual loud-mouth manner. The medic pursed her lips, racking her mind for anything that might trigger the answer she was looking for.
“Naruto, if you’re mad about me not meeting you at the apartment I’m sor--”
“I’m not mad about that. I’m not a little kid, Sakura.” He nearly growled his reply.
“I wasn’t saying that you were, Naruto.” Sakura huffed back, brows lowering. “It’s kind of hard to have a conversation when the other person isn’t talking.”
“You want me to talk, huh?” His head picked up slowly. From what the kunoichi could see, his jaw was rigid.
“That would be nice, yes.” She answered, taking a step back with her arms folded.
The blonde rose from his childhood swing, all the repressed words he’d wanted to say since he had left on that godforsaken mission bubbling up to the surface dangerously. The rigidness of his jaw had spread to his entire body, Sakura noticed, and the girl cautiously took another step back.
“Naruto…”
“Were you even worried about anyone else?” He asked quickly.
“What?” That confusion spread across her face once more.
“When you heard about what happened to the group, who were you worried about?”
Sakura scoffed, exhaling dramatically as she shook her head. “One moment you say you’re not a child and then you go ask some childish question…”
“Who were you worried about!?” The jinchuuriki spun around to face her, those ocean blue eyes that had witnessed so much pain in such a short amount of time revealing the hurt he was feeling now.
His pained gaze knocked her annoyance down a few notches but her anger instantly regained its footing.
“WHAT ANSWER DO YOU WANT?!!” She yelled in return, fists clenched at her sides.
“I WANT YOU TO SAY IT WASN’T LEE!” The blonde roared back.
The kunoichi stared at her former teammate as her hands relaxed, the two of them both having everything and nothing to say. She swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a step towards him. Naruto took a step back.
“Naruto, what’s really going on?” Sakura asked carefully, already fearing his answer.
His fists clenched again, eyes searching the ground for the reply he so desperately needed at that moment.
“Why…why after all this time?”
It was her turn to collapse onto the swing, the turn this conversation was taking was overwhelming for the kunoichi, gripping the ropes tightly.
“After Sasuke…after I was there for you, for all that time…”
“Naruto--”
“The moment Lee comes back it’s as if none of it ever happened.”
“That’s not how it is--”
“I stood by your side; I didn’t give up on you.”
“Just because you took care of me, it doesn’t mean I’m obligated to fall in love with you!”
She regretted it the moment it left her mouth, fingers pressed to her lips in hopes it would erase the fact the damage was already done. Naruto began to nod slowly, his expression dark.
“I suppose you’re right, Sakura. You’re not obligated to fall in love with anyone. I’m just happy you found your new Sasuke.”
Ouch. She let him have that one, maybe because she thought she deserved it.
“This is nothing like Sasuke. You don’t know half of what I went through with him.” Sakura hissed.
The blonde rolled his eyes, “Sure, it’s hard to understand how it feels to be treated like sh--”
The kunoichi shot up from the swing, stepping towards the boy and giving him a hard shove to his chest.
“Don’t stand there and claim to be in love with me and then turn around and criticize who I choose to give my heart to! You don’t know anything about love, Naruto! How can you even possibly comprehend the feeling?!” She seethed, giving him another shove. “Is this what you want?? Do you want me to hate you?!”
His hands shot out and gripped her upper arms tightly, stilling her from pushing him any farther. Those sapphire pools were narrowed as far as they would go, teeth bared and jaw taught. Sakura shivered from the fierce closeness.
“Sakura chan…” His fingers began to relax, but he kept his hold on her, gaze softening. “Just tell me who you’re in love with…”
She looked back and forth between the rich blue of his eyes, acutely aware of the warm breath against her face and the smell of summer entering her nose. Boys were a dangerous opponent.
“Even if Lee asked me the same question,” she began in a whisper, “I wouldn’t be able to answer it.”
Sakura felt the fingers slip from her arms, the warmth retreat her face, and finally saw him start to turn. The tails of his forehead protector swayed in the breeze as he walked away from her, not even uttering a goodbye. Inwardly she cursed, feet unconsciously rushing forward until the kunoichi was pressed against his back, arms wrapping tightly around his waist.
“I love you, Naruto, I do.” She confessed into the fabric of his Halloween-colored jacket. “You mean the world to me, I worry about you whenever you go on missions, and it scares me to think you may not come back one day.”
Sakura felt his hands slip over hers and squeeze.
“You’re my family, the older brother I never had…”
He squeezed her hands once more, “Younger.”
“What?” Her head picked up from his back.
“Younger brother…your birthday is before mine.” Naruto answered, the tone in his voice revealing the slight smile on his lips, albeit somewhat sad.
The kunoichi’s forehead fell back against his jacket, unable to repress the laughter bubbling up in her throat. The blonde stood still while she clung to him, giggling, and the warmth of her amusement spread over his body, reminding him just how deeply he felt about her.
“I love you, Sakura…” he whispered as her laughter died down. Naruto felt her fingers tug at the front of his jacket, pressing tighter into his back.
“Naruto kun…”
“But as long as I can keep seeing your smiles, I’ll be happy.” His head lowered, eyes drifting to their clasped hands. “I’ll be happy.” The blonde repeated softly.
Sakura didn’t know how or when her life had become a tangled web of everyone else’s feelings. Here she was, having given away her heart to a boy who didn’t want her love, and now that two other boys had confessed their feelings, she had nothing back to give. The kunoichi’s arms slipped away from her former teammate, unable to bear the heartbreak he was miserably failing at masking. She wanted to say something, anything that would make the situation better than it was at that moment; the latter decided to make the move for her.
Warm lips captured hers, strong hands cupping her jaw while the intensity of the action made the girl dizzy. The tip of his tongue touched her lower lip and then the blonde began to pull away, pausing just above her mouth.
“Gomen, Sakura chan…” the jinchuuriki’s words ghosted across Sakura’s parted lips, emerald eyes meeting sapphire.
His hands left the sides of her face, and with that Cheshire grin he straightened back up, beaming down at her. Sakura blinked slowly and her expression remained dumbfounded.
“I’m glad,” he began, throwing her a wink, “that you didn’t decide to punch me this time, Sakura.”
As she watched him move to run from her, the kunoichi’s hand tightened into a fist, contemplating just what her reaction should be. Before rushing after the blonde, Sakura called out to him, the boy pleading his apologies while the threat of her fist licked at his heels. The two had come to the crossroads of their relationship, but together, they were taking that first step forward.
Author’s Notes//Alright soooo, if any of you are unhappy with this chapter, I’m sorry, but, it needed to happen. It was inevitable. And although I loooove Lee, I have a supreme soft spot for Naruto, and I really want him to have whatever he wants, I think he deserves it. Unfortunately I can’t give him Sakura, so he’ll have to settle for a wonderful little kiss. For any NaruSaku fans reading this, I hope I met your expectations for the interaction between these two characters. If I didn’t, ohhh well, I’ll try my hardest when I’m writing my NaruSaku fiction.
Please review! And if you’re a fan of LeeSaku and talented writing, please read “Late Bloomer” by NegativeCapability on ff.net. He’s amazing!
Much love, Usagi.
Disclaimer:Damn you, Kishimoto!
~~~~~~
Small town, we just ride
Holding onto what we had inside
But now it’s never there
So should I admit
Do I believe I too am the culprit?
Cause now in your eyes I can’t find you.
So, sorry that I’m taken aback.
~~~~~~
Daisuki; Chapter 12
Taken Aback
“Haruno san,” a nurse came into Lee’s hospital room, bowing her head slightly, “Hokage sama has passed on that you should take your leave now.”
Sakura dragged her attention away from the lilies she was arranging in the bedside vase to reply with a perplexed expression.
“Take my leave, but, why?” The kunoichi crossed her arms over her chest, shifting her weight to the opposite leg.
The young medic nin fidgeted uneasily, “She said that she understands your concern for the patient, but you should take a day of rest. Lee san has yet to have any other visitors besides you, and he also needs alone time.”
The pink haired girl looked over her shoulder at the raven haired boy, who at the moment was fast asleep just after finishing his brunch. The last thing she wanted to do was leave his side, but on the other hand the last thing she needed was Tsunade nagging her to no end. Turning towards the boy in the bed, she reached out to sweep the bangs from his slumbering eyes; she’d be okay if it was just a day away from him. Maybe she could sneak back in at night…
“Sakura san, still here I see.”
The kunoichi quickly spun around, cheeks flushed instantaneously. A slightly somber Gai Sensei had replaced the young nurse in the doorway.
“I was, um, just leaving actually.” She replied sheepishly, grabbing her white coat from the bedside chair and swinging it over her shoulder.
A tiny smile claimed his lips. “You’ll be returning soon I hope.”
“Ah,” her eyes darted to the side, reaching up to twirl a pick strand, “Tomorrow morning at the earliest…”
“Plenty of time to get some rest then.” That tiny smile turned into a grin.
Why does everyone keep saying that?
Sakura nodded, shuffling past Gai to make a quick exit, “Nice seeing you,” she mumbled and then promptly shut the door behind her.
The hospital hallways weren’t as busy as the day before and this was something the kunoichi was happy about. Less traffic meant less people bothering her. It wasn’t that she had become somewhat antisocial; she just wasn’t in any mood to care for a patient that didn’t happen to be Lee. Alright, so maybe she did need a break.
“Sakura, you look like you’ve gotten less sleep than I have,” a familiar lazy tone interrupted her thoughts and she looked up to find Shikamaru staring back at her.
“Oh, it’s you,” she replied nonchalantly, raising her hand in a mimicked Kakashi greeting.
“Thanks,” his shoulders rose and fell, the two of them looking awkward as they faced each other in the hallway.
“I know I’ve only visited Lee, but how is Kiba doing?” She asked in a rushed tone, hoping to avoid a conversation that was mostly clearing of throats and heavy sighs.
“Oh, he’s got another day in here and then he should be alright.” His hands slid into his pockets, rocking back on his heels. “Lee most likely has another week, maybe shorter if you’re staying with him every day.”
Sakura couldn’t help but react to that comment with a smile, holding back from giving him a playful shove. “Temari has been softening you up…” she added with a slight grin.
Nara cleared his throat, offering the kunoichi a wave as he turned on his heel. “If you’re going home, I’d make sure to look for Naruto. He’s been moping around the village since the briefing this morning.”
Oh shit, I told him I would meet him at the apartment…
She did a mental face palm, quickly thanked the shadow genius before rushing off down the hallway towards the stairwell. It didn’t take long for her to reach the main lobby, a few of the medics shouting the obligatory, “Haruno san, there’s no running in the hospital!” Ignoring them effortlessly she was out on the street, unable to decide which way to go until a thought hit her. The weekend, the Academy would be empty, and Shikamaru had mentioned the jinchuuriki was moping. If he was somewhere sulking, he would no doubt be on his trademark swing.
The hospital wasn’t too far from the Academy, but it wouldn’t hurt to jog the short distance in case he ended up not being where she thought he would be. Picking up the pace, she waved to the few people who called out to her, glad that none of them were Ino since Sakura had no time to waste. The Academy was coming into her sight and she slowed her pace, quirking a brow when she noticed the back gate was unexpectedly closed. The kunoichi undid the latch, swinging it open and scanning the small training area.
Ah, there you are, just how I knew you’d be…
“Naruto, what are you doing hanging around here by yourself?” She asked the other softly, walking towards him and reaching out to grab a rope of the swing.
“Just taking some alone time,” he kept from looking at her, face downcast to the side.
Her brows scrunched together in confusion, “Well, is it anything you want to talk about?”
Silence fell upon them, the blonde’s feet pushing the swing back and forth. Sakura was drawing a blank on the entire situation. There was something bothering Naruto and it didn’t seem that he was going to tell her willingly, which contradicted his usual loud-mouth manner. The medic pursed her lips, racking her mind for anything that might trigger the answer she was looking for.
“Naruto, if you’re mad about me not meeting you at the apartment I’m sor--”
“I’m not mad about that. I’m not a little kid, Sakura.” He nearly growled his reply.
“I wasn’t saying that you were, Naruto.” Sakura huffed back, brows lowering. “It’s kind of hard to have a conversation when the other person isn’t talking.”
“You want me to talk, huh?” His head picked up slowly. From what the kunoichi could see, his jaw was rigid.
“That would be nice, yes.” She answered, taking a step back with her arms folded.
The blonde rose from his childhood swing, all the repressed words he’d wanted to say since he had left on that godforsaken mission bubbling up to the surface dangerously. The rigidness of his jaw had spread to his entire body, Sakura noticed, and the girl cautiously took another step back.
“Naruto…”
“Were you even worried about anyone else?” He asked quickly.
“What?” That confusion spread across her face once more.
“When you heard about what happened to the group, who were you worried about?”
Sakura scoffed, exhaling dramatically as she shook her head. “One moment you say you’re not a child and then you go ask some childish question…”
“Who were you worried about!?” The jinchuuriki spun around to face her, those ocean blue eyes that had witnessed so much pain in such a short amount of time revealing the hurt he was feeling now.
His pained gaze knocked her annoyance down a few notches but her anger instantly regained its footing.
“WHAT ANSWER DO YOU WANT?!!” She yelled in return, fists clenched at her sides.
“I WANT YOU TO SAY IT WASN’T LEE!” The blonde roared back.
The kunoichi stared at her former teammate as her hands relaxed, the two of them both having everything and nothing to say. She swallowed the lump in her throat, taking a step towards him. Naruto took a step back.
“Naruto, what’s really going on?” Sakura asked carefully, already fearing his answer.
His fists clenched again, eyes searching the ground for the reply he so desperately needed at that moment.
“Why…why after all this time?”
It was her turn to collapse onto the swing, the turn this conversation was taking was overwhelming for the kunoichi, gripping the ropes tightly.
“After Sasuke…after I was there for you, for all that time…”
“Naruto--”
“The moment Lee comes back it’s as if none of it ever happened.”
“That’s not how it is--”
“I stood by your side; I didn’t give up on you.”
“Just because you took care of me, it doesn’t mean I’m obligated to fall in love with you!”
She regretted it the moment it left her mouth, fingers pressed to her lips in hopes it would erase the fact the damage was already done. Naruto began to nod slowly, his expression dark.
“I suppose you’re right, Sakura. You’re not obligated to fall in love with anyone. I’m just happy you found your new Sasuke.”
Ouch. She let him have that one, maybe because she thought she deserved it.
“This is nothing like Sasuke. You don’t know half of what I went through with him.” Sakura hissed.
The blonde rolled his eyes, “Sure, it’s hard to understand how it feels to be treated like sh--”
The kunoichi shot up from the swing, stepping towards the boy and giving him a hard shove to his chest.
“Don’t stand there and claim to be in love with me and then turn around and criticize who I choose to give my heart to! You don’t know anything about love, Naruto! How can you even possibly comprehend the feeling?!” She seethed, giving him another shove. “Is this what you want?? Do you want me to hate you?!”
His hands shot out and gripped her upper arms tightly, stilling her from pushing him any farther. Those sapphire pools were narrowed as far as they would go, teeth bared and jaw taught. Sakura shivered from the fierce closeness.
“Sakura chan…” His fingers began to relax, but he kept his hold on her, gaze softening. “Just tell me who you’re in love with…”
She looked back and forth between the rich blue of his eyes, acutely aware of the warm breath against her face and the smell of summer entering her nose. Boys were a dangerous opponent.
“Even if Lee asked me the same question,” she began in a whisper, “I wouldn’t be able to answer it.”
Sakura felt the fingers slip from her arms, the warmth retreat her face, and finally saw him start to turn. The tails of his forehead protector swayed in the breeze as he walked away from her, not even uttering a goodbye. Inwardly she cursed, feet unconsciously rushing forward until the kunoichi was pressed against his back, arms wrapping tightly around his waist.
“I love you, Naruto, I do.” She confessed into the fabric of his Halloween-colored jacket. “You mean the world to me, I worry about you whenever you go on missions, and it scares me to think you may not come back one day.”
Sakura felt his hands slip over hers and squeeze.
“You’re my family, the older brother I never had…”
He squeezed her hands once more, “Younger.”
“What?” Her head picked up from his back.
“Younger brother…your birthday is before mine.” Naruto answered, the tone in his voice revealing the slight smile on his lips, albeit somewhat sad.
The kunoichi’s forehead fell back against his jacket, unable to repress the laughter bubbling up in her throat. The blonde stood still while she clung to him, giggling, and the warmth of her amusement spread over his body, reminding him just how deeply he felt about her.
“I love you, Sakura…” he whispered as her laughter died down. Naruto felt her fingers tug at the front of his jacket, pressing tighter into his back.
“Naruto kun…”
“But as long as I can keep seeing your smiles, I’ll be happy.” His head lowered, eyes drifting to their clasped hands. “I’ll be happy.” The blonde repeated softly.
Sakura didn’t know how or when her life had become a tangled web of everyone else’s feelings. Here she was, having given away her heart to a boy who didn’t want her love, and now that two other boys had confessed their feelings, she had nothing back to give. The kunoichi’s arms slipped away from her former teammate, unable to bear the heartbreak he was miserably failing at masking. She wanted to say something, anything that would make the situation better than it was at that moment; the latter decided to make the move for her.
Warm lips captured hers, strong hands cupping her jaw while the intensity of the action made the girl dizzy. The tip of his tongue touched her lower lip and then the blonde began to pull away, pausing just above her mouth.
“Gomen, Sakura chan…” the jinchuuriki’s words ghosted across Sakura’s parted lips, emerald eyes meeting sapphire.
His hands left the sides of her face, and with that Cheshire grin he straightened back up, beaming down at her. Sakura blinked slowly and her expression remained dumbfounded.
“I’m glad,” he began, throwing her a wink, “that you didn’t decide to punch me this time, Sakura.”
As she watched him move to run from her, the kunoichi’s hand tightened into a fist, contemplating just what her reaction should be. Before rushing after the blonde, Sakura called out to him, the boy pleading his apologies while the threat of her fist licked at his heels. The two had come to the crossroads of their relationship, but together, they were taking that first step forward.
Author’s Notes//Alright soooo, if any of you are unhappy with this chapter, I’m sorry, but, it needed to happen. It was inevitable. And although I loooove Lee, I have a supreme soft spot for Naruto, and I really want him to have whatever he wants, I think he deserves it. Unfortunately I can’t give him Sakura, so he’ll have to settle for a wonderful little kiss. For any NaruSaku fans reading this, I hope I met your expectations for the interaction between these two characters. If I didn’t, ohhh well, I’ll try my hardest when I’m writing my NaruSaku fiction.
Please review! And if you’re a fan of LeeSaku and talented writing, please read “Late Bloomer” by NegativeCapability on ff.net. He’s amazing!
Much love, Usagi.