Never Leave Me Chapter 9
Chapter 9
Sasuke dodged another swinging fist from the blond. He’d picked up Naruto again and headed a bit into the woods to have a private chat, Naruto was upset about being carried everywhere, but it wasn’t Sasuke’s fault the idiot couldn’t walk.
Naruto glared as he was unceremoniously sat on a fallen tree log. He shifted to make himself more comfortable, wishing he could yell at the raven haired boy about treating him so roughly in his ‘condition’, but knew he couldn’t. “I’m tired and cranky, teme, what do you want?”
He crossed his arms over his chest and took a step back, out of swinging range, Naruto noticed. “I want to talk about my last night in Konoha, and us.”
Naruto wished he could knock the boy down and make a run for it; instead he just turned his head away stubbornly.
“Naruto, we have to talk about this eventually, you might as well get it over with.”
“What’s there to talk about? It happened.”
“But why did it happen, dobe?”
Naruto snorted. “You’re asking me? You started it!”
“You were there too, usuratonkachi. Don’t place all the blame on me.” Sasuke glared down at him.
“I’m completely aware of my own involvement; you kind of left a lasting impression, teme.” Naruto made sure to place his hand on his lower back instead of his stomach, blushing lightly.
Sasuke’s jaw shifted, and Naruto wondered if that was his replacement eye-roll. “Naruto…”
“You tell me what it meant, Sasuke.”
Naruto kept his head turned away during the stretching silence, not wanting to see the emotionless mask on the other boy’s face. He heard leaves shift and Sasuke’s sandals shifting in the dirt, and glanced up to see him standing over him.
A hand settled on his left shoulder and the black haired boy leaned in close enough that Naruto could feel his breath on his face. “Naruto…”
As Sasuke leaned in a little closer Naruto found his lips parting a bit, but whether it was to say something or some other unconscious action he wasn’t sure. A passing thought wondered if Sasuke was about to kiss him.
“Sasuke!”
Naruto blinked, and it was as if he’d imagined the older boy leaning so close over him.
They watched together as Karin burst through the foliage, looking upset and a little panicked. “There’s a group of chakra signatures headed right for us.” Karin panted.
“How many?” Sasuke asked as he shifted forward to pick Naruto up again.
“Six, but they aren’t Akatsuki. I don’t recognize them.” The redhead shook her head, starting to lead the way back toward their camp.
“With Naruto we don’t have enough time to pack up and lose them. We’ll stay and fight them off if we have to.” Sasuke announced as they entered the small clearing where Juugo and Suigetsu waited. “Juugo, Karin, I want you two to protect Naruto.”
The two nodded their consent as Sasuke settled the blond back in his sleeping bag. Naruto was indignant about having to be protected, but knew he couldn’t do much to protect himself other than throw a few kunai or shuriken. Sasuke zipped him up into the sleeping bag so nothing showed and told him to keep quiet.
Sasuke and Suigetsu tensely watched the trees as the chakra signatures drew closer and closer.
“Sasuke-kun!” Ino practically fell out of the tree tops and pounced on the Uchiha, wrapping her arms around his neck and letting out a tiny squeal. “I can’t believe we finally caught up with you!”
Sasuke let it happen for two reasons; he knew Ino wouldn’t attack him due to her fan-girl approach, and he was in slight shock over the unexpected visitor. He watched as Kakashi, Sakura, and Shikamaru followed Ino to the ground, as well as Anko from their Chuunin exams and his grinning replacement for team seven. He quirked an eyebrow at the slightly odd combination of people as well as their number; weren’t ninja supposed to travel in as small groups as possible?
Sasuke heard Suigetsu chuckling beside him and turned to see the white haired boy looking at Karin, who was gritting her teeth and clenching her fist with the rest of her body stiff and prepared to attack. He resisted the urge to roll his eyes because Uchiha’s didn’t do that. “Ino, release me.”
The blonde girl dropped to her feet from where she’d been dangling off his neck like a piece of jewelry and grinned up at him. “I’m glad you’re still in one piece, Sasuke-kun.” She told him sincerely.
“Why wouldn’t I be?”
At this point Anko approached the duo, and with a large manic grin on her face she slapped Sasuke on the back, or maybe the more appropriate word would be ‘pounded’. “I can’t thank you enough for finally getting rid of the slimy bastard. I’d show my appreciation but…”
“It would be illegal.” Kakashi finished, mumbling into his book.
“I like the new outfit, by the way.” Ino winked at him.
This seemed to be the final straw as Karin marched forward and promptly shoved Ino back several paces. Ino stumbled into Shikamaru who caught her easily and helped her right herself.
“Hey!” Sakura marched forward at this point, glaring pretty pale green eyes at the redhead and standing in between the two.
“Karin.” Sasuke’s voice was low and held a dangerous edge to it. He didn’t like how childish she was acting over Ino’s teasing, because he knew by the look in the blonde’s eyes when she’d said it that she had in fact been teasing him and not flirting, not that Karin had any right to get so angry even if she had been flirting.
“Gah!” Naruto suddenly popped out of his sleeping bag panting heavily. “I can’t breathe in there, teme! I can’t really hear anything either, how am I supposed to know if you’re getting killed or some-“
“Naruto!” Sakura flew past both Sasuke and Juugo and practically collapsed on top of the blond boy, hugging him around the neck. A sniffle alerted Sasuke and the rest of them that she was crying into the blonde’s shoulder. “You’re OK.”
Naruto smiled softly and wrapped his arms around the pink haired girl, pulling her closer until she collapsed into his lap, her arms still wrapped tightly around his neck. He rubbed soothing circles over her back and made a few hushing noises. “I’m fine, Sakura-chan. I wasn’t with the Akatsuki long, Sasuke-teme found me after a week and I’ve been with him since. I’m fine.”
“How are you doing, Naruto?” Kakashi asked, slipping his reading material into a weapons pouch and approaching the two slowly as not to incur an attack from one of Sasuke’s companions.
“I’m still in one piece, nothing’s missing.”
Kakashi nodded at the information, glad to hear that not only was the boy OK but the Akatsuki hadn’t gotten their hands on the Kyuubi.
“Dobe, tell them about your legs.” Sasuke murmured as he approached them as well, Anko and Sai following him.
“What’s wrong with your legs?” Sakura quickly sat back and wiped her face clear of the evidence of her crying before putting on her doctor face.
“The Akatsuki gave me this shot in the thighs every day; it numbs my legs so I couldn’t try to escape. It hasn’t worn off yet.”
“Lie back.” Sakura ordered even as she pushed him down herself. She threw open the sleeping bag with a quick flick of the wrist and started at his feet. A green glow hovered between her hands and the blond boy’s tan skin as she slowly inched her way up his body. She paused as she reached his lower abdomen and her eyes widened, and without moving her head she shot her eyes up at her best male friend.
Naruto gave her a look that was both pleading and demanding.
Sakura forced herself to finish the exam, slowly moving up until she finished with his head. She finally sat back on her heels and bit her lip, cocking her head to one side with a wrinkle in her brow. “Everything seems fine; I’d say you’re even still pumping chakra throughout your entire system. We should get you to Tsunade-sama, though; she’d hopefully know more about it.”
“No.”
Sakura whipped around at the simple word and hard emerald-green eyes focused deftly on the Uchiha towering over her with his arms crossed over his chest. Somewhere behind her Naruto rolled his eyes and sat up on his elbows.
“Um, ‘no’?” Ino chirped, leaning forward a bit and blinking widely at the growing situation.
“If he isn’t in mortal danger he’s not going anywhere.”
Sakura slowly rose to her feet and faced off with her old teammate, holding his stare in a way she’d never been able to in the past. “Why not?”
“I’m using him as bait to lure Itachi to me.”
Sakura’s head dropped to her chest with her teeth clenched, her delicate hands balling into fists so tight her nails broke the skin of her palms. She took one deep breath and slowly let it out. Her head lifted up again and she leveled Sasuke with an exclusive Haruno glare. “You,” she breathed out slowly again. “Are the most insensitive jerk I’ve ever laid eyes on, Uchiha Sasuke.” With lightening quick reflexes she reared back and delivered a solid punch to the center of the Uchiha’s chest.
Sasuke, either not expecting the punch or at the very least, the power behind it, flew back into the forest; his body slammed through several trees before one finally stopped him and he slid limply to the ground.
Not wasting any time, and seeing as Sasuke’s team was distracted running to his rescue, Kakashi pulled Naruto onto his back with the help of Shikamaru and Sai and dove into the woods in the direction of Konoha.
“No stopping kids, we can’t risk them catching up with us.” Kakashi announced as the others caught up with him.
“Sakura-chan, I can’t believe you punched him.” Naruto chirped from where he clung to his Genin teacher’s neck.
The pink haired kunoichi ran along beside the two, her fists and teeth still clenched. “He deserved it. I can’t believe he was using you as bait! He is so…”
“Still the father of my kids, jerk or not.” One side of his mouth quirked up in an ironic sort of smile.
Sakura’s entire body relaxed as if by magic and she turned sad eyes on her teammate. “I’m sorry Naruto.”
Naruto’s look turned thoughtful as he watched the forest ahead of them. “You sound like you’re apologizing for everything bad that’s ever happened to me, Sakura-chan. Don’t put that kind of weight on your shoulders; I don’t care how strong you are, you’ll break under that kind of pressure.”
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“Sasuke!” Karin collapsed beside the black haired boy and automatically began checking him over as he grunted in slight pain.
“Should we go after them?” Suigetsu asked, a wide grin still on his face as if he found the entire situation highly amusing.
“No.” Sasuke gasped as he tried to sit up.
“No, no! Lay back, Sasuke-kun.” Karin waved her hands in front of him as if to warn him off. “That bitch, she broke a handful of your ribs, if you twist around too much one may puncture a lung. Hold still.”
The Uchiha finally consented, easing back into the position he’d landed in with barely a wince.
“Should I track them?” Juugo asked as he looked up into the trees at a pair of birds watching them.
“No; they’re headed towards Konoha.”
“So what do we do?” Suigetsu turned to glance over his shoulder, looking in the direction the group had gone.
“We’ll stake out the outer boundaries of Konoha; no doubt Itachi will show up sometime.”