Chapter 18
Chapter Eighteen:
As the morning light begins to filter through the curtains, Naruto stirs from his slumber. His eyelashes flutter, and he opens his eyes, greeted by the familiar sight of an aged wooden ceiling adorned with patches of mould. He blinks slowly, still feeling the remnants of tiredness clinging to him. In the dimly lit room, his teammates and sensei remain deep in their sleep, their soft snores and slow heartbeats a common occurrence he's slowly starting to get used to.
Rather than immediately rising from his futon, Naruto chooses to stay on his back, sprawled across the uneven surface. He gazes up at the ceiling, lost in his thoughts of Konoha. He yearns for the wave mission to reach its conclusion, longing to return home to his own territory. The anticipation of reuniting with Iruka-sensei, the staff at Ichiraku Ramen, and Konohamaru with his mischievous friends fills his mind.
Naruto exhales softly, closing his eyes and letting the gentle sounds of the morning envelop him. He remains aware of his surroundings, attuned to the subtle movements and stirring of his teammates. It's not long before he hears someone shifting and slowly waking up. By the yawn, Naruto can tell it's Sakura. He listens to her moving around their shared room, the sound of her footfalls quiet as she rummages through her travel bag, no doubt pulling out her usual set of clothes and toiletries. Naruto expects her to head towards the door as usual, but instead, he hears her tentative steps approaching his futon, and feels the weight of her presence kneeling beside him.
"What do you need?" Naruto asks, opening his eyes. He turns his head to face Sakura, only to find her hands empty, devoid of clothing, as she anxiously worries her bottom lip between her teeth. Her dishevelled pink hair adds to the image, sticking out at odd angles. A strange, warm sensation spreads throughout Naruto's chest at the sight of Sakura nervously fidgeting with the hem of her sleep shirt.
"I'm going to prepare breakfast," Sakura murmurs. "Can you... eat with me?" She asks. Her words are soft, almost hesitant, as if she's unsure of how he will respond.
Naruto doesn't bother replying; instead, he rises from the futon, stifles a yawn into his hand, and exits the shared room. Sakura follows suit, trailing behind him, until they reach the compact bathroom. Naruto watches as Sakura places her toiletry bag on the corner of the sink. She takes her turn to wash her face, and then they swap positions.
In complete silence, Sakura hands him a red coloured toothbrush from within her toiletry bag, a small smudge of toothpaste adorning it. Her own toothbrush is a deep, leafy green. Naruto settles himself on the edge of the bathtub, leaning slightly, and begins to brush his teeth. As he goes through the motions, his blue gaze occasionally strays towards Sakura's figure, observing her quietly.
She’s painfully thin. Naruto recalls how she complained about developing muscles in unconventional places, but now, as he observes Sakura in her loose sleep shirt and worn-out shorts, he can't discern a single trace of muscle. All he sees is a delicate frame of skin and bones.
As the toothbrush rests between his clenched teeth, Naruto extends his left hand, wrapping it around Sakura's hip, causing her to yelp in surprise. The touch reveals the prominence of her hip bone, pressing sharply against the inside of his palm like the edge of a kunai. Quickly retracting his hand, Naruto pays no heed to Sakura's bewildered gaze. He rises to his feet, rinses his mouth with tap water, and cleans the toothbrush under the running water, returning it back into Sakura's toiletry bag.
Leaving the small bathroom behind, Naruto makes his way downstairs. The old house remains hushed, most of its occupants still lost in slumber. He stretches, raising his arms overhead and exhales softly, contemplating the prospect of breakfast.
Soon, Sakura joins him, her pink hair brushed back and secured in a ponytail. Naruto blinks at the sight, having grown accustomed to her flowing pink locks framing her face and cascading down her back. He finds himself pleasantly surprised by how lovely Sakura looks with her hair tied back.
"Let's go," Sakura says, heading towards the genkan.
Naruto follows, a slight furrow forming between his brows. The Land of Waves lacks breakfast establishments or convenient food kiosks. "Where are we going?" he asks.
"To catch some fish," Sakura replies, slipping into her sandals. Peering up at Naruto from her crouched position, she continues, "Since you don't like the food here, let's catch our own."
"...Right," Naruto responds, slipping on his own sandals. It's no secret that he avoids Tsunami's cooking like the plague. This alternative might be somewhat better — at least he won't have to eat alone by the marshland, hyper aware of the surrounding sounds and scents, constantly on guard for danger.
Sakura opens the door, stepping out into the chill of the morning, the sun veiled by a thick stream of clouds. Naruto notices her shivering in her sleeping clothes. "You'll catch a cold," he mutters, grabbing his orange jacket from the coat hanger by the door. Following his teammate outside, he gently places the jacket over Sakura's shoulders, observing her expression shift once again into one of confusion.
Is she perplexed because Naruto is displaying a moment of kindness, or is there something more to her bewildered demeanour? Naruto would ask, but that would give away his lack of understanding emotions. He let his mask slip around her during the fight with Zabuza, and isn't currently wearing it now, but the notion of Sakura possibly being afraid of him makes him… uncomfortable.
If it's true what Sasuke said about Naruto's seal creating a tangible connection, then Sakura likely already knows that Naruto is hollow inside. Nevertheless, he offers her a smile and patiently waits for her to properly don his jacket, assisting her in sliding her arms through the sleeves.
Naruto quickly concludes that Sakura looks ridiculous in orange. Just as he is about to slide his hands into the pockets of his black shorts, Sakura reaches out and delicately intertwines her pale hand with his tanned one. Naruto doesn't know what to say or how to even react, so he stays quiet and lets Sakura lead him toward the marshland.
It's a fifteen minute walk through the barren village. Gradually, the clouds disperse, allowing warm sunshine to grace their path. Sakura hums softly under her breath as she guides Naruto into the forest, their footsteps crunching on leaves and dried grass. The air carries a hint of moss, refreshing and cool, while a gentle breeze rustles Naruto's orange shirt.
As they reach the halfway point towards the marsh, Sakura breaks the silence with a quiet question, her voice barely audible, "Why don't you eat Tsunami's food?"
Naruto keeps his gaze fixed ahead, allowing Sakura to swing their joined hands back and forth. How should he respond? After a brief pause, he settles on a simple answer, "I just don't trust her."
Sakura emits a thoughtful sound, contemplating his words. They come across a fallen tree, its bark and branches charred, evidence of Sasuke's training session with Kakashi. Naruto idly wonders what their sensei is even teaching him. Shifting his attention, he observes Sakura stepping onto the fallen tree, walking along its length. Naruto holds her hand, guiding her carefully, and assists her as she jumps down.
Upon reaching the marsh, Naruto pauses in his footsteps, causing Sakura to stumble in hers. They face each other, and Naruto's free hand reaches into the pocket of her borrowed orange jacket, extracting an old rope.
Sakura's expression twists into something complex. "What are you doing?" She asks. Her green eyes follow Naruto's hand, watching as he pockets the rope into his shorts.
"What are you doing?" Naruto counters, tilting his head slightly to the side, his gaze locking with Sakura's. With how close they're standing, Naruto can see tiny, little freckles dotting the bridge of the girl's nose. Her scent stays sweet, plum-like and fresh, letting Naruto know she's not upset with him.
"Trying to get closer to you," Sakura responds, unable to hold back a teasing grin.
Suppressing the urge to roll his eyes, Naruto groans inwardly and pulls away from Sakura, having had enough of touching for the next few days. He steps out onto the water and keeps to himself. Why would Sakura want to get close to him? Naruto doesn't understand. Isn't it enough that they're already on the same team?
He clears his thoughts and concentrates on catching fish. It's not until he's caught three of them and stepping back onto land that he notices Sakura patiently waiting for him, a single fish caught between her hands.
"I tried really hard," Sakura says, extending the fish towards Naruto. He releases a long, tired sigh and accepts it, hanging it onto the rope in his hand, next to the other fish..
"Can I hold your hand again?" Sakura asks, wiping her hands on the side of her sleeping shorts. She gazes at Naruto with hopefulness, much like a puppy begging for treats.
Oddly enough, Naruto finds himself unable to deny her. He wipes his hand on the side of his shirt and silently offers it to Sakura, allowing her to slip her hand into his own. Together, they retrace their steps, walking back along the same path they came from; out of the marsh, through the forest and in-between the slumbering village, until they finally reach Tazuna's house.
Breakfast is a quiet affair. Sakura makes plain white rice and fish soup with dried seaweed, offering the best meal they can manage in the poverty-stricken Land of Waves. The taste is bland as it travels down Naruto's throat, but it fills him up all the same. As Naruto and Sakura are halfway through their meal, Sasuke joins them with a subdued grumble, already dressed and ready for the day ahead.
Gradually, the rest of the house begins to stir. Kakashi is the first to appear, followed by Tsunami, who gazes at the spread of breakfast with a hint of confusion. Nonetheless, she thanks Sakura for her help. Soon after, Tazuna descends the stairs, accompanied by his grandson, Inari.
Naruto tunes out the kid, who, as usual, spouts derogatory comments about him and his kind — whatever the hell that means. If Naruto can handle Konohamaru, of all people, he can surely dismiss this brat's futile attempts to provoke him. Is it Naruto's fault that he simply doesn't care? No. To him, civilians are inconsequential, occupying the bottom rung of the societal ladder, like insignificant bugs. He acknowledges their importance in maintaining the population of villages after shinobi keep dropping like flies, but it's not his responsibility to concern himself with them.
Therefore, it should come as no surprise to Inari that Naruto continues to ignore him. Finishing the remainder of his meal, Naruto disregards Kakashi's amused gaze and ascends the stairs to change into his regular attire. Sakura scurries after him like a devoted puppy following its owner. Naruto brushes his thumb over his eyebrow, pondering how and why his teammate has latched onto him, akin to a parasitic leech.
Naruto gave once, and now Sakura keeps taking, always asking for more.
It's truly unbelievable.
Doesn't Naruto already have enough on his plate, defending himself against Sasuke's suspicious looks and his delusional attitude? There's only so many times Naruto can dismiss Sasuke’s angry, pleading voice, demanding to have his seal returned, as if it belongs to him, before he inevitably caves in.
The nerve.
"I'm just going to change," Naruto states, standing in the shared bedroom with Sakura.
"Okay," Sakura nods. "Me too."
Naruto wonders if Sakura bumped her head in her sleep. She seems to be operating with fewer brain cells than she had yesterday. "No," Naruto interjects, snatching Sakura's travel pack from the floorboards. He guides her towards the door and gently places the bag in her hands. "You're going to change in the bathroom," Naruto instructs, nudging her out of the room and closing the door behind her.
He swears he can hear Sakura pouting.
With a sigh, Naruto dons his usual orange pants and white shirt. After all, Sakura still has his jacket. After double-checking his weapon pouches, he fastens his headband around his forehead and exits the room, only to find Sakura waiting for him at the top of the stairs. She's dressed in her usual red dress, her untied pink hair cascading down her back. She offers Naruto his jacket, returning it to him.
Naruto takes it, purposely avoiding Sakura's hand and puts on the orange jacket, heading down the stairs with his teammate at his heels. He feels as though he's taken in a stray and now his only job is to take care of it. Naruto internally mulls over this ridiculous situation. He'd rather Sakura grow a backbone, or two.
"We'll be back soon!" Sakura calls out as they step outside.
"Be careful!" Tsunami responds as Sakura closes the door.
It's warm. Warmer than it was earlier this morning. The sun is high up in the sky, shining brightly down at the rundown village, and Naruto tilts his head back, momentarily basking in the soft warmth.
Kakashi along with Sasuke and the old man Tazuna are waiting for him and Sakura just up ahead. Today, there's no training. Their task is to escort Tazuna to his unfinished bridge and remain vigilant for any sign of Gato and his men. While Kakashi deems Team Seven capable enough for the mission, Naruto knows better. They are merely three fresh-out-of-the-academy genin, armed with basic skills. If things go awry, Naruto can always resort to his father's technique to transport his sensei and teammates back to Konoha.
“Took you long enough,” Sasuke mutters, sending Naruto an unimpressed stare.
"Sorry for enjoying my time away from you," Naruto retorts, falling into step beside Sasuke. The two of them lead the group, with Tazuna in the middle and Sakura with Kakashi at the rear.
"Hn," Sasuke responds with his trademark indifference. He glances over his shoulder before leaning closer to Naruto's side, creating a suffocating sensation akin to being trapped inside a can of sardines. What is everyone's problem today? Can't they all just mind their own business?
"Did you kiss Sakura?" Sasuke asks in a low voice.
"Whoa," Naruto deadpans, "your delusions are getting worse."
For his comment, Naruto receives a push to the side. He simply readjusts himself, smoothing out the imaginary wrinkles in his orange jacket.
"Jerk," Naruto snidely remarks.
"Dead last," Sasuke retorts sharply.
They glare at each other, reminiscent of their childhood days, constantly bickering like unruly academy students. It appears they have yet to outgrow this behaviour. Naruto doubts they ever will, particularly with Sasuke's penchant for confrontation and his inclination to challenge anyone strong.
Sasuke's lips turn downward, his scowl deepening. "Well?" he demands. "Did you or didn't you?"
"No," Naruto replies, shifting his focus to the road ahead. "Why would I kiss Sakura?"
Sasuke shrugs. "Tazuna mentioned that you two seem close," he says, "like lovebirds."
"Tazuna's an alcoholic," Naruto points out. "You can't trust anything he says." He pauses, recognizing that whiny, sour undertone in Sasuke's voice and scent. "Seriously," Naruto continues, his eyebrow twitching, "are you jealous?"
Sasuke bristles like an agitated cat. "I'm not jealous!" he denies, raising his voice slightly, undoubtedly capturing the attention of the rest of their group. He quickly lowers his voice. "Why the fuck would I be jealous?"
Naruto would genuinely like to know the answer to that question as well. He responds, "Don't ask me questions I don't have the answers to," and receives another irritated push to his side for his efforts.
Hopefully, he's irritated Sasuke enough to keep him stewing in silence.
Unfortunately, the world is against Naruto.