Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Midnight Lust ❯ Midnight Lust ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Wow, my second Naruto fic, incredible. Anyway, this was written for Halloween, and the pairing is not the obvious pairing that you would think it would be if you only scanned it with your eyes, so please read, and leave a review, I appreciate all feedback I get, and critics are most welcome to flame me for whatever errors they may find, whether be it OOCness, bad grammar/spelling, anything really, but please leave a comment, it's very discouraging to a writer when a lot of people read their story, but don't leave a review.

 

Midnight Lust

 

The sun was beginning to set in the village of Konoha.  All around, children began to emerge from their homes dressed in various costumes.  Some were fairies, others ghosts, but most younglings had chosen to dress up as their favorite ninja.

Sakura smiled as several girls passed her, dolled up as the Fifth Hokage.  She looked in amusement at Konohamaru dressed up as his grandfather.  So far, among the many Tsunadaes that littered the place, she had found a Fourth, a First, and another Third.  She had yet to find a Second to complete the set of Hokage's the village had had.

Music wafted through the air, a sweet, haunting melody.  Though everyone was happy and enjoying themselves, the Godaime had worried that some enemy might try and sneak into the village dressed up.  She had therefore taken precaution, and ordered that all Chuunin from her year be placed on guard duty.  The Genin were too inexperienced, and the Jounin and ANBU deserved a break.

She laughed to herself, distinctly remembering the way Naruto had grumbled out loud about this, and the insults that were exchanged, until finally Tsunadae mentioned she wouldn't mind lending him a costume to dress up as the Hokage for the night.

Really, she thought to herself, as she spotted the blond in the distance, arguing with Konohamaru as to who would be first to fulfill their dream.  He was just too easy some times.

Her eyes searched for the third member of their team, Sai.  She had agreed to go around with him, since he wasn't all too certain what the expectations were from this holiday.

She lifted the ANBU mask for a moment, letting a refreshing breeze play on her face.  All Chuunins had been given the option of dressing up as the elite ninjas, to compensate for the fact they would be patrolling the area for the night.  She felt excitement at wearing the uniform, remembering the thrill that went through her when she received the mask.  It made her feel stronger somehow, and gave her a taste of what was waiting for her when she passed the tests.

But…ANBU or not, Sakura was still Sakura, and she started getting impatient as she looked around for her friend.  Where was he? It wasn't like him to be late, and he'd certainly never kept her waiting this long before.  She searched the crowd to see if she could spot him, but no such luck.  Everyone was dressed up as one thing or the other, and she hadn't the faintest inkling what kind of costume he would choose, let alone if he would wear one at all.

She sighed.  She remembered coming across him one day in the library, reading a book about Halloween.  When she asked him what he was doing, he explained that he was trying to get an understanding of what the holiday was about, and what he should do on it.   She offered to explain it to him, saying part of the day was to dress up.

“Dress up? As what? And for what purpose?”

“You dress up as whatever you want, and there isn't any real purpose, it's for fun!”

“…”

“Let me explain.  Some people dress up as someone they admire, like the Hokage for example.  Some dress up as someone they want to be, like I want to be part of ANBU, so I'm going to dress up as an ANBU member.  Others dress up as a character they find would entertain other people, or scary, or even pretty.”

“What's the point in that?”

“Uh…I guess it's to give you a chance to be someone else for the day, you know, try out someone else's life for a little bit, or a different personality.  Like, if you're always serious, you would dress up as someone funny to try it out, and no one would think you're weird or anything.”

“…Oh, I think I get it.  So if someone would want to be beautiful, they'd dress up as Ino, and if someone wanted to be ugly, they'd dress up as you.”

“Yep! That's exactly-WHAT DID YOU SAY?!”

Well, that had been the general way the conversation had gone.  She replaced the mask nervously as she thought of the black eye she'd given him.  Well, it had probably healed by now, right?

Someone in an ANBU mask and uniform approached her.  Sakura felt her optimism die.  Apparently it hadn't.

“Uh, hey Sai,” she said nervously, raising her hand in greeting.  “Listen, sorry about that black eye, I can fix it for you now, if you want.”

He said nothing, staring at her through darkened eyeholes in a painted mask.

“It isn't that bad, is it? You can still talk to me, right?”

Still he said nothing.  Sakura sighed, the silent treatment.  Evidently, he was planning on punishing her for the night.

“Alright, well, if you're going to ignore me, then at least let me see if I deserve it.”  She reached out a hand to remove the mask, but he caught her wrist before she'd taken it off completely.  It slipped halfway down his forehead.  Using his other hand, he pushed it back into place.

Sakura stared as he let her hand go.  She looked from her wrist, to him, and back again several times, before turning around and saying they should start patrolling in that direction.

He walked behind her, silent as a grave, as she stole a glance or two over her shoulder.  That action, the way he had caught her hand, why did it feel so…familiar, like he'd done it once before? It was a ridiculous notion, Sai had never done something like that, it was usually she who did the grabbing…

After a while, the spookiness wore off, and she reverted back into her usual, cheerful, talkative self.  Having dismissed the matter from her mind as one of those weird things between friends, she began pointing to some of the children dressed up as famous nin, laughing at how different the original looked.

“Oh my gosh, I swear that's Kakashi-sensei dressed up as a wizard!”

Indeed, when the copy-nin drew level with them, he greeted them cheerfully.  “Sakura, who's your traveling partner?” He asked, after they exchanged pleasantries.

“It's Sai,” the pink haired girl replied, gesturing to her companion.  He was staring intently at Kakashi, as though he'd never seen him before.  “Well, it's the quiet, reserved Sai,” she amended.  Leaning in closer she whispered, “really, I think some thing's up with him, he hasn't said a single word all night.”

“I see.” Kakashi said, eyes narrowing as he matching the boy's intense gaze.

They stared at each other for a good few minutes, as though they were having a heated, yet completely silent conversation.  Finally, Kakashi nodded his head.  “Alright, but I warn you, you do anything, and it will be on your head.”

Sakura looked between the two of them.  “Kakashi-sensei…what's going on? How come you and Sai were looking at each other like that?”

“We were having a staring contest, that's all,” he answered with a smile.  “I have to go now, don't forget, your shift ends at midnight Sai…Sakura.”

With a wave, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“That liar!” Sakura exclaimed.  She turned to look at her partner who hadn't said a word.  Well, there was no point in asking; she knew he wouldn't tell her.

“C'mon, let's keep going, we still have a few more blocks.”

They continued walking around.  At first, Sakura talked, trying in vain to catch him in a conversation.  They watched for a few minutes as several children knocked on a door, and opened their bags to receive the candy that was given to them.  She sighed in reminiscence, and shared with him a few anecdotes from her childhood.

He never laughed once.

When they met some of the other Chuunin a little while later, she almost fell over from laughing at Shikamaru's choice of clothes.

“Sh…Shikamaru, I hate to say it, but you look quite attractive in long blond hair and a mini-skirt!”

The said boy cursed.  “Stop laughing! This was all Ino's idea, she forced us into it!”

Indeed, the blonde girl walked over to them wearing Chouji's clothing, which were draping over her like elephant skin.  Chouji, who had donned Shikamaru's clothing for the night, was barely managing in the restricting uniform.  Sakura wondered if he wasn't wearing a girdle underneath it all to keep his stomach from popping out.

“Dang it, why do I always get the girls?” The lazy nin grumbled.

“Cause you're the only one who fits into my clothes, that's why,” Ino answered.  “Now shut up and get moving, we still have to finish area C!”

With a few complaints and a wave, the trio left.  Sakura was still laughing a few minutes later.  “Shikamaru in a tank top, I never thought I'd see the day!” She giggled.

Sai had remained silent throughout the entire exchange, and didn't join in her laughter at all.  The kunoichi sighed.

“Are you still mad at me?” She asked, after they had done their second round of patrol.  He said nothing.  “Please, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to lose my temper at you, I just get very sensitive when it comes to how I look.  I know it may sound silly to you, but girls care a lot about the opinions of other people.  I guess that's just how it is with us…” she trailed off, looking at him.

His head was turned the other way, as though what she had said wasn't even worth listening to.  She bit her lip, feeling tears sting her eyes.

“Please don't ignore me!” She cried, as he continued walking.  “I'm sorry, I really am! But please, don't treat me like I don't exist, I'm here aren't I? I'm talking, breathing; don't I mean anything to you? Don't you care? I thought…I thought we were friends…” she finished, looking down at the ground, the tears spilling down her cheeks.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw him stopping.  Was he waiting for her? Dispiritedly, she walked over, and this time, he was the one leading the way, and she trailing behind.

She felt horrible.  It looked like she'd just lost one of her best friends, and what was worse; she knew there was no one to blame but herself.  If only she had let that comment slide, if only she hadn't gotten so angry, she didn't know friendships could be broken over something so silly such as a bruised eye.  She hit Naruto all the time, and their friendship never suffered, in fact, they only became closer.

Then again, Naruto wasn't like most people, and not everyone forgave so easily.  She learnt this now, the hard way.

Deep in thought as she was, it was some time before she noticed anything strange.  She looked around her, and then it hit her.  The silence.  The sounds of music, laughter and chatter were missing all around her.  Sai had strayed off the path and into the forest, and she hadn't even noticed.

“Sai?” She asked, catching up to him.

No response.

“Um, do you know where you're going?”

Silence.

Timidity began to replace itself with annoyance.  “Listen, you may be mad and not want to talk to me, but you're the one who asked me in the first place to come with you to patrol the area, and now you're going off the path? Either you tell me what's going on or-“

She stopped talking as he disappeared into a dense cluster of trees.

Sakura huffed in irritation.  There was no way he was running off without giving her an explanation! With determined steps she chased after him, but her eyes lost track of the ANBU uniform as soon as she stepped into the clearing.  It was dark, and clouds were blocking out the sliver of the moon that could be seen.

“Sai!” She called, trying to find him.  “Sai you idiot! If you don't come out right now, I'm so going to kick your-“

She gasped as a pair of strong arms caught her from behind.  Suddenly, Sakura wasn't angry anymore.  Suddenly, she was very, very cold.  “S-Sai,” she whispered.  “Is that you?”

The person pulled her closer against him, bringing his face close to her ear.  She felt the cool plastic from the mask press against her temple.

“You're not Sai,” she said, letting out a shuddering breath.  “Who are you, and what did you do to him?”

An arm slowly crept up to her face, and in one swift motion, grabbed the mask and flung it away.

A sharp wind blew the side of her face, as Sakura tensed.  Was the act of removing her mask a way to make her feel vulnerable, as though to say her strength was nothing but a façade, and behind it she was really weak?

Clenching her fist, she began to gather chakra into it, ready to knock the person into tomorrow, when he whispered her name.

“Sakura…”

She froze, the world starting to spin around her.  It wasn't…it couldn't be…but that voice, she knew that voice.

He let go of her, but she couldn't move.  Walking around until they were face to face, she watched as though in slow motion the hands lowering the hood to reveal spiky, raven black hair; the mask falling off to show her a face, the one she'd dreamed of for years…

Time seemed to have frozen completely, as all sound was drowned out by the beating of her heart.  It had been him all along…he had been the one following her all night, the one who ignored her and hadn't said anything at all.  She took a step back, and another, and another, until she hit a tree, her back flattening out against it.

Why was he here? Hadn't he stated clearly the last time that he had no interest in them, that he wanted to destroy all his bonds? Did he intend to do that now, on All Hallows Eve, when the entire village was celebrating, and they were in this small clearing where no one would hear them?

A long finger traced her jaw line, and she realized with a start he was standing right in front of her.

She had to get away, what if he was here with Orochimaru? What if they were planning a surprise attack on the village while their guard was down? What then?

The finger moved upwards to trace the outline of her lips, and she found thinking had suddenly become very difficult.  I have to…I have to warn…Tsunadae…the village…the village is…in danger…

“Sakura…” he whispered her name again, and her thoughts seemed to jam as she tried to focus.  It was incredible how something so simple as the act of saying her name brought up so many different emotions inside her.  He was her weakness, she knew.  Of all the powerful enemies she had faced, only he held this kind of power over her.

“…Look at me.”

The simple command made her heart clench.  Her mind screamed that she shouldn't listen that he was dangerous; he had hurt her so many times, if she listened to him, it would be like putting herself in a position for a poised cobra to strike.

The finger roved slowly over her lips, then moved back down to turn her head towards him.  She didn't resist, and her eyes locked with his.  She saw the Sharingan activate, and tried to look away but he wouldn't let her.

His hand gently stroked her cheek as the Sharingan began to slowly rotate, spinning faster and faster.  She realized what he was doing, and shut her eyes, though not before her knees buckled and she felt her herself begin to fall.

Strong arms caught her, holding her up against the tree, as she struggled to fight the trance he had started putting her in.  “Sasuke-kun…why? Why are you here, why are you doing-“

She was cut off as a pair of soft lips brushed against hers, and her breath caught sharply in her throat.  It was as though he were teasing her, toying with her to see how much of a sap she really was.  She felt tears rise behind her closed lids, and then spill over as his lips brushed a second time.  She was so weak; she was so infernally weak…

A hand rested on the side of her cheek, the thumb wiping away the tears from her eye.  His face was inches from hers; she could feel the heat coming from him, hair on her forehead, body against hers…

Slowly, he lifted her chin and pressed his lips against hers a third time, except they stayed, locked with hers.

At first she resisted, refusing to play his game, but when his hand began to stroke her hair, she couldn't hold back anymore.  Warmth spread through her body as she leaned in closer, feeling for a moment as though everything around them ceased to exist.

Which was why when he pulled away, her heart clenched.  She opened her eyes, looking at him through hazy vision.

“Sakura,” he whispered, tilting his head to one side, while his body continued to crush her.  “Do you still love me?”

“I'll always love you, Sasuke-kun,” was the honest reply.

He smiled, the first sincere smile Sakura had ever seen him wear.  He stared deeply into her eyes as he said, “my answer is the same to you.”

Her eyes widened, as she opened her mouth to say something, but before she could, the Sharingan began to whirl again, and she found she couldn't break the eye contact.  She fell into a deep sleep, her body falling forward onto his.  He held her, stroking her hair as he watched her breathe in and out in a rhythmic manner.

In the morning, Sakura would remember nothing.  As far as she knew, she'd had a wonderful time, dressed up as an ANBU member with an ANBU Sai.  If she did remember something, it would only be a vague recollection, a pair of strong arms wrapped around her, a voice whispering her name in her ear, a pair of lips pressed gently against her own…

Somewhere in the village, a clock chimed midnight.  Sakura rolled over in her bed as a figure watched her from the window.  By the twelfth chime, he was gone.

A breeze blew the curtains aside, as the wind played with the girl's pink strands, seeming to whisper a message in her ear…

“Happy Halloween.”

Story & Plotline ©Téa2006
Naruto Characters ©Masashi Kishimoto