Peace for Traitors

In my own country, there is considerable strife between demons and humans as they attempt, and fail, to coexist. Such discord should come as no surprise as both races must, by necessity, compete for space and resources and so it is only natural that we be at odds. Most of my fellow scholars have become inured to the pain and death innate in this conflict, but I still privately pray for a naïve form of peace that does not involve the total extermination of one or the other species. Though strange, and artificial, Jinchuuriki represent a merger of the two species far more powerful and harmonious than has ever been achieved by a natural mating between men and demons. The creatures are a distinct species, unlike either race, fully possessed of their own behaviors and traits. The Jinchuuriki survive and often thrive among their weaker human counterparts, while still living in accord with their kindred demon brethren, achieving an understanding of both great powers in the world. Many discount the creatures as an oddity of the east, even a kind of perversion, but one must note the tremendous capacity for affection and altruism possessed by the Jinchuuriki. I confess that this trait amongst them gives me great solace, for the unimaginable power that the beings possess would be a tremendous force for destruction without this uncanny kindness to lend it temperance. There is very little true evidence to suggest that the ancient shamans who first forged the vessels had any motivation beyond harnessing the might of the elemental demons to serve man. Yet, perhaps in doing so, they also achieved a kind of balance. As humankind penetrates the natural world and re-makes it to fit our own needs the great spirits of the land and the water fall before us one by one. The demons, despite their power, have no reprieve against our numbers. What will happen, I wonder, when there are no longer demons of light or rain or fire or wood? I fear that the elements of our world will fail and grow lifeless without the demons that share familiarity with them and leave our home barren. If such spirits can continue to exist in the heart and mind and chakra of the Jinchuuriki, this is a boon to us all.
-Koumyuo Sanzo, Lives and Habits of Far Eastern Demons
Sai knew, even before Naruto gasped and cried out, that Sakura's heart had failed. The knowledge was inexplicable, like knowing that lightning is about to strike or that a grenade was about to explode, and Sai was already up and moving before the jinchuuriki collapsed. He grabbed the field medical kit from the floor where he had set it in advance, fumbling only a moment in the sudden darkness. Tsunade had told him to be prepared. He had set aside everything that they might need if the procedure failed or if Sakura's body collapsed due to the stress, everything he could think of to save her if it were up to him alone. Tearing the kit open as he went, Sai ran towards Sakura, trying to shut out the sound of Sasuke screaming. Sasuke's voice was like a kind of pain in itself, horrible to listen to and even worse to ignore. The raven screamed and thrashed against the floor, body thumping sickeningly against the wood as he fought not to die along with her. Naruto however, was almost totally silent and that worried Sai far more. Neji screamed as well, but the sound ended in a breathless wail and Sai wondered if the chakra backlash had somehow injured him. Whatever the reason, Neji had been hurt badly and the Hyuuga would be incapable of helping him as well. The artist shut his eyes and promptly tripped over something in the darkness. Sasuke screamed again, the sound filled with agony and also horrible grief. Sai wanted to run to him, to hold him and make the pain go away, but doing so would only kill them all. Acting ruthlessly, without hesitation was harder, he noted, when the people in question were ones that he cared about. Still, Sai shut it out, shut out the sound of Sasuke screaming, carefully not looking at where Neji was gasping for air as he slid to his knees. The array had been so bright that no one thought to light the house's lamps even though darkness had come again. The artist's own eyes had been shocked into uselessness by the light of Sasuke and Neji's jutsu and Sai was forced to find Sakura's body by touch alone. He fumbled roughly with the silk around her, shocked by the chilly, lifeless feel of her flesh.
Sakura was still, her limbs limp, and when he felt for her pulse there was no movement beneath his fingers. Sai swallowed and tried to remind himself that he had already expected such a situation. He needed to focus. Her heart was still in her chest and he knew that there was only a small window of time before…He refused to think about it. Sai swallowed around the hard lump of panic forming in his chest and pulled the small, portable cardiac defribrillator from the kit, tearing the equipment from its plastic wrapping with his teeth. Even as compact as the med-kit was, he still felt that there were far too many pieces, things rolling away in the darkness that he could neither recognize nor snatch back. Sai hoped desperately that none of the small plastic things dropping through his fingers were vitally important.
His knowledge of field medicine was limited at best. Danzo did not believe in wasting resources on saving injured soldiers unless they could be made fit to fight quickly and so Sai had only been taught the most basic protocols. Trying to save a comrade on the field was an excellent way to be killed yourself and Root did not believe in acts of heroism. Danzo had taught him that a person was only worth something so long as they could get up, but Sai no longer believed in the doctrine that he was raised with. Sai decided that Danzo must have never understood what it felt like to love someone, or perhaps he had and feared the terrible power of the feeling. Regardless, he was wrong…so wrong…Sakura was worth everything.
Sai penned a quick light jutsu, reading the directions on the de-fribrillator in the weak blue glow as quickly as possible and then reading them again just to be sure. Sai forced a hissing breath through his nostrils and finally managed to connect the cords of paddles to the defribrillator in the correct configuration. There was a diagram on the machine and Sai set the electrical pads in place where the drawing indicated on Sakura's chest. The drawing was male and Sakura's breasts made the placement of the pads difficult, but Sai inferred as best he could, remembering that exact placement was not as important as the fact that her heart was between the leads. He tore the backings off of the adhesive surfaces of the electrical paddles as he went. The machine was awkward and Sai was forced to read the diagram upside down, but he was finally able to secure the sticky electrical pads to her chest properly. Each second felt like an eternity, too long, too impossibly long to still save her. His hands were still and sure despite the broiling typhoon in his mind and Sai was grateful Danzo had trained him so well even if he would have been very angry about, well, everything. Sai had never learned how to secure a tourniquet or how to treat someone with shrapnel injuries or shock, but even Danzo had deemed it appropriate to teach them basic cardiac first aid. The artist was grateful he at least knew that the best way to save someone whose heart had stopped was with a directed electrical shock.
He remembered to shock first and shock fast, but every second felt like too long. Sai flipped the defribrillator on, hand hovering nervously over the shock button, but the light to indicate full charge was not green. The light had to be green of the defribrillator would not shock. Sai's eyes widened. He had forgotten that most models required a few moments to prime up to full charge. Sakura would have to wait and for the first time Sai felt his fingers begin to shake. How many minutes had it been? He didn't know. Grunting, Sai placed his palms one over the other and began chest compressions. He did not bother with rescue breathing, knowing that it only really worked if there were two people. Rescue breathing took time, too much time, and her heart had been still for too many precious seconds already.
Chest compressions were the most important, they were what would save her heart, but he knew they had to be hard. Sai leaned his weight into Sakura's chest, pumping her ribcage with all the force he could muster. Her body moved beneath his hands, her chest elastic, but the movement still required tremendous effort. He felt like screaming when one of her ribs broke against his palm, but kept moving anyway. The pace was frantic, but Sai forced himself to push her chest deep and allow enough time for recoil before pushing again. He counted, because he had been taught to, but the numbers made no difference. The artist's eyes were locked on the defribrillator, on the dim light that should be green.
He pumped her chest for what seemed like an eternity, trying not to think about how still and cold she was. Naruto groaned a little, the tiny sound filled with terrible effort and Sai almost cried out in relief that the jinchuuriki was even still alive. Sai had forgotten to blink and his eyes were dry, blurring the still darkened indicator on the defribrillator. Seconds passed, too many, too many…
Suddenly, the light brightened green and Sai slammed his hand against the shock button almost by reflex. The defribrillator beeped and Sai only managed to remove his limbs from Sakura's body by sheer luck, moving no more than a second before the shock jerked her. Her torso arched and convulsed with the electrical charge, straining the angle of her neck. As soon as her body thumped back against the floor Sai pressed his hand against her throat, searching for her carotid pulse, for the sign that her heart had started again, but Sakura's body was still and empty beneath his fingers. Somewhere in the darkness Sasuke was no longer moving. Sai began pumping her chest again, waiting for the machine to re-charge, counting from the beginning once again. Sakura's body flopped under his hands, heavy and dead, like meat. Sai shut his eyes. Sasuke had stopped screaming too. A sharp bolt of terror surged through Sai's chest at the thought and for a single awful moment he wondered if all of them were dead…
Another rib cracked under his fingers and Sai did scream, but never stopped moving. He had to keep going, he had to keep her from dying. The light turned green once more and Sai pressed the shock button, holding his own body up and away from Sakura's flesh. The machine beeped and shocked her. Her body arched grotesquely up into an unnatural curve and then thumped back to the floor. Sai pressed his fingers to her neck, moving roughly, searching. There was rhythm, but he could not tell if the flutter was merely his own heartbeat pounding through his fingers. The artist pressed his ear between her breasts, wishing for the first time that he could hear like Kiba's big dog. He listened, holding his breath and wondering uselessly if he should move Sakura's breast in order to hear more clearly. There was a moment of awful silence and his own hitched breathing….and finally he heard it.
A bare whisper of sound, but it was there. He could not shock her again, not if her heart was moving, but it might still be too late. Movement did not mean that the organ was pumping, but it was enough to send another heave of pure adrenaline through Sai's body. The artist moved quickly, hooking his fingers under Sakura's jaw bones and pulling forward to open her airway. He arched her head back, fingers tight against where her carotid pulse should be, would be soon if only her heart would beat! He pressed his lips against the girl's cool mouth, exhaling deeply into her lungs. The air filled her, expanding her chest and Sai worried about the ribs he had broken before. He worried, but not enough to stop. The ink nin gave her another breath and then another, desperately feeling for the pulse in her neck.
Suddenly, the steady thrum of Sakura's blood beat against his hand, her pulse strong and steady. It was there, her pulse, really there and not just a figment of his own panicked body! Feeling giddy and light-headed from both oxygen deprivation and sheer terror, Sai gave her another breath. The girl's chest expanded deeply and the pulse remained so he gave her another. The girl coughed violently against his lips, gasping. The air being returned to him was ticklish and Sai laughed madly to feel it. Sai sat back, his left hand moving automatically to rest between her breasts, feeling her heart pound resonantly against his fingers. She was alive, she was breathing. The girl coughed again and groaned, sounding breathless. Sai felt his entire body tremble at the sound, teeth chattering with elation and panic and adrenaline…too much, too much feeling…
"Sakura?" He asked and his voice was much hoarser than he had thought it would be.
She blinked, gasping and wincing in pain as her lungs pressed against her broken ribs. For what seemed like an eternity the girl breathed, inhaling and exhaling harshly in the darkness, and Sai waited. Sakura shut her eyes and swallowed, groaning a little, her face wet with sweat and still the most beautiful thing he had ever seen. Sakura's hand moved to cover his own against her chest and Sai remembered to breathe again. He gathered her into his arms, kissing her face desperately, heedless of the whistling air of her breathing or her broken bones. She was alive. Sakura had survived, just as she promised him. She was with them, she had not left them, the girl was alive.
"Sakura…?" Sai choked, feeling his eyes fill with moisture again.
"I'm here baby." She croaked.
"I…I thought…Sakura…I thought…" Sai sobbed, pressing his face into her hair.
"It's okay. We're okay." The girl soothed him in a dry whisper.
"Naruto and Sasuke…Sasuke was screaming…"
"It's okay."
"But they were screaming…" Sai whispered, terrified.
"They are safe. They are here, with me." The girl managed with a cough, gesturing weakly to her chest.
"You keep them… in your heart?" Sai asked, cocking his head and still crying.
"I keep you there too." Sakura whispered and smiled.
OoOoOoO
Neji awoke slowly, his entire being surrounded by warmth and his head aching badly. There was light behind his eyelids, bright like sunlight and warm too. The heat spread over the skin of his face and belly, radiant and almost too hot, penetrating his body to soothe the aching muscles within. Someone's heartbeat beat was steadily thumping against his ear and the sound was so viscerally comforting that the Hyuuga almost forgot about his headache and fell asleep again. Neji opened his eyes, hissing softly in pain as the bright sunlight invaded his sleep weakened corneas, and tried to remember what he had been doing before. His mind felt muzzy, memories indistinct, but he knew he had been doing something important…
"Sakura!" Neji gasped, bolting up and awake.
"Shhh, I'm here." Came a playful voice to his left.
Neji turned abruptly, breathing hard, to see Sakura seated comfortably on a cushion only a few feet from where he lay. She smiled at him, just a bit mischievously, fanning herself lightly with a large sandalwood fan. Neji stared and rubbed his eyes, tried to remember how to breathe, and then stared some more. He was dreaming. She had to be a dream because Neji clearly remembered that he and Sasuke had failed, that Sakura had died there in the darkness. Sakura met his eyes and laughed softly, her face even more beautiful than he remembered, the entire room fully and heady with her presence. He looked at her again, unwilling to use the Byukugan in case the gorgeous apparition faded and he was left alone in the blackness once more. The girl's face was rosy with health and she was smiling radiantly, dressed in a kimono of the deepest red, decorated with sparkling pink damask depicting the fragile blossoms of her own namesake. The heat, the color, her smile was almost overwhelming after so many days in the dingy twilight of a house slowly dying. Nothing seemed real and yet the fiction was better, too lovely to forsake. The sunlight filling the room made her long pink hair sparkle like water in a bubbling stream and Neji was certain for a moment if she was merely an illusion. Nothing real could be so beautiful.
"Sakura? Are we dead?" He asked helplessly.
"No. We're all alive, thanks to you." She said, smiling and bowing low on her knees before him, forehead pressed to the tatami in the deepest expression of respect.
"Ah! No! Please…please don't…" Neji fumbled helplessly, moving to stop her only to discover that he was hopelessly pinned.
Neji finally managed to tear his eyes away from Sakura long enough to notice the comfortable tangle of limbs he was currently lying amongst. Naruto's whisker-marked face, only a few bare inches from his own twitched a bit as he slept. The Hyuuga's own head had been pillowed against Naruto's waist even as the blond slept half wrapped around Sasuke. Sai was there as well, sleeping tight and small against Naruto's back with one hand wrapped possessively around Sasuke's ankle and the other looped around the blond's chest. The others were still deeply asleep, though Naruto did stir and mumble a bit at the unexpected movement. Neji blushed darkly.
"Why…"
"Tsunade thought it would be best if we let you guys sleep for a while. She must have figured you were already, well, acquainted and I didn't see any reason to move you." Sakura laughed softly, blushing a little.
"Oh, um, yes…" Neji mumbled, trying delicately to move out of the warm heap of bodies without waking anyone.
"Shhh, no need for that." Sakura whispered kindly, standing and moving to sit on the edge of the futon.
The girl cupped Neji's cheek fondly, her fingers hot and strong against his face, and then pressed him back into the bed gently with a slow push against his chest. Astounded and still not entirely convinced that he was awake, Neji allowed her to move him, settling again against the muscular warmth of Naruto's side.
"But, when they wake up…" Neji argued softly, blushing terribly.
"You are where you are supposed to be. Go back to sleep." Sakura said softly, smiling lovingly at him.
"Sakura?" Neji whispered, once again cuddled against the blond jinchuuriki despite his best intentions.
"Yes?"
"Are you… are you both okay?" Neji asked feeling his eyes burn and threaten tears as he looked at her.
"Yes. You saved us. You and Sasuke saved us all." Sakura said, laying her hand affectionately against her own swollen belly.
"Good, I'm glad." Neji finished, fighting back the tears and managing a placid smile for her.
"Don't do that. Trying so hard not to cry just on principle is dumb. Tears are good for you, you know, they are one of the ways that the body releases stress." Sakura chided, stroking his cheek.
"Right." Neji laughed bitterly.
"Silly, just let them come…" She whispered.
Despite his sarcasm, Neji's body obeyed her, the salty water dripping from his eyes in torrents to land against Naruto's feverish skin and to wet his own hair. Sakura brushed the moisture from his face, running her fingers through the tears as if the action was just what somebody did when a strange man in their bed suddenly started weeping. The thought made Neji cry even harder. Sakura smiled and stroked his face until he could breathe again, gently wiping the water away with the silken edge of her kimono. The silk smelled like flowers and the sandalwood of her fan.
"You would make me weak, woman." Neji whispered, smiling a little.
"Nothing can make you weak, Neji, nothing." She replied softly, but with far more conviction than he had expected.
"Do you really believe that?"
"Yes, I do." She said, smiling again.
"If I were stronger, perhaps you wouldn't be able to make me feel this way." Neji breathed.
"Oh?"
"Like I can't wait to see you, like maybe I'm addicted to talking with you, looking at you…" Neji said softly.
"That is sort of a strange way to feel…" Sakura acceded, looking a little concerned.
"I…I need to speak with you, there is something that I have to say and I don't want to wait any longer." Neji whispered, suddenly afraid.
"Tell me." She replied, but her hand never moved from his skin.
Neji took a breath and tried to order his thoughts. Truly, simple words should never have been so difficult, but his belly was tight with fear. After all, he hadn't even been sure that he was in love with her until she was almost gone. Now, seeing her alive, Neji did not want to lose his chance again, but there was no language to describe how he felt about her. The feeling was complicated, subtle, and the best way he could describe it would be to liken the emotion to the affection someone had for their homeland combined with the fierceness of raw desire. He was attracted to her, but he was also strangely patriotic for her as well. Neji shut his eyes and moved to take Sakura's hand where it still rested against his cheek. The girl squeezed his fingers gently. She accepted him; looking past his talent to the tempestuous mess of his own personality and not looking away in disgust or fear. He had never known anyone before who could make him feel so soft without any hint of humiliation or challenge. Sakura valued him and made him feel like he could stop fighting without the act being a kind of surrender, in her presence it was like his spirit was finally granted reprieve to rest.
He had loved a woman before, he was not some silly virgin in the throes of his first crush, but loving Sakura was so different than loving Anko had been. He could not love her with pretense or instinct and hope the appropriate sentiments just kind of sorted themselves out. Anko had allowed him to be ugly, to be emotional, selfish and violent without judgment. His sensei understood anger, perhaps better than anyone else alive, but even Neji could not deny that it was only the very worst part of his spirit that she really loved. She loved the darkness and the pride, which only fed his own vanity, without ever acknowledging his sincerity or honor. Anko had allowed him to be a person for the first time in his life, imperfect and furious, but Sakura inspired him. Sakura made him want to be more, to be better and not because she was demanding him to be. Sakura had seen his rage, he was convinced she saw everything, but she had seen his fervor and insecurities as well and treated every aspect of his personality as equally valuable. No one had simply accepted him that way before, no one knew him well enough to even try.
With Anko he had said that he dreamed about her, that she turned his blood to fire, that she was intoxicating. While all those sentiments were still true of Sakura, such shallow protestations seemed cheap. Neji had never actually told Anko that he loved her and she would have laughed at him even if he had. The nature of their relationship left no room for vulnerability and a confession of love was worse than baring your throat. With Sakura, there was so much more to say. He wanted to tell her that a future without her seemed impossible, that the world was colorless without her. Neji wanted to express to her that, for the first time, he wanted to live and grow old because she made looking toward tomorrow okay and before he had never even thought past surviving one day to the next. He was, of course, tempted to abandon the idea and say nothing at all, but Sasuke had already pulled the truth out of him and so had Naruto. She deserved to know. Neji winced and licked his lips, trying to find a way to tell the woman who already had three men that he loved her as well.
She sat beside him, green eyes watching him lazily, waiting patiently for him to speak as if she already knew exactly what he would say. Perhaps she did. Perhaps she knew everything. Naruto stirred against him and a deep well of emotion expanded within Neji's chest until he could barely breathe. Loving her was not just loving her after all, was it? To love her meant coming to grips with the strange, exotic,terrifying way that Naruto made him feel whenever he held him or touched him or even looked at him in a certain way. It meant trying to understand the dangerous, seductive power of Sasuke's beauty and the even more daunting intricacy of his mind, while at least attempting some kind of peace with Sai. Peace, he had come here for peace, and loving Sakura was nothing less than a lifelong commitment to spiritual peace with every member of her family. To love her, he had to love all of them and the worst part was that the Hyuuga knew there was an undeniable possibility that he already did…
"I think I love you." Neji said at last.
It was quite possibly the least romantic thing he had ever said to a prospective lover, but it was only the truth. Sakura's eyes widened and the perfumed breeze of the sandalwood fan ceased. Neji was suddenly far too hot and wondered if it was because the air was too still or because his blood vessels had stopped working. Sai whimpered in his sleep and Neji jumped a little. He could not have managed a worse moment really, but the girl smiled at him anyway and let the suddenly motionless sandalwood fan settle into her lap. For a long moment Neji merely lay against Naruto, listening to the jinchuuriki's steady breathing and watching her. Sakura looked at her hands, lips pressed tight together as she kept her own counsel for one of Naruto's heartbeats and then another. Neji wondered, far too late, if any of the others were awake and secretly listening. He hoped not.
"I…I don't really know what to say." Sakura whispered at last.
"You don't have to say anything, I just…I had to tell you." Neji finished lamely, closing his eyes and cursing his own stupidity.
"I…I'm so honored that you…I mean, I so wanted but…I never thought that…I'm not making any sense." Sakura said with a sigh, biting her lip.
"Are you…angry?" Neji asked, feeling suddenly very awkward.
"No! No, I'm…I'm not at all! It…it's just different…very hard to describe."
"I don't expect anything from you…"
"With Naruto and Sasuke, even Sai, well, we have known each other for so long and… I really think that maybe I always loved them. I've been in love with them in one way or another since we were still kids and so…It's a little shocking I guess." Sakura said her green eyes full and a little nervous.
"It's true you don't know me very well." Neji acceded, looking away and feeling foolish.
"No, not really, but I think I might be in love with you anyway..." Sakura whispered, blushing darkly and hiding behind her fan.
"What?" Neji was not sure he had heard her properly.
"You saved me and, well…Sasuke would say that feeling that way makes me very stupid." The girl sighed.
"That doesn't mean it's true." Neji said, feeling suddenly giddy.
"Well, Neji Hyuuga, am I stupid for loving you?" Sakura asked, one eyebrow raised playfully as she curled a finger around a strand of his hair.
"Kami…I hope not." He breathed and wondered what in the hell he was supposed to do now.
OoOoOoO
Hiashi Hyuuga passed Kiba Inuzuka in the outer walkway of the garden and barely restrained himself from sneering at him as the insipid brat fearlessly met his eyes and smiled. Well, less a smile and more of a smirk. Bit by bit Hinata's pet Inuzuka nuisance had grown accustomed to the Hyuuga way of life and he could now say as much with a glance or an expression as he could with twenty minutes of speech. The look, brief and only in passing, implied that the boy knew something important, something damning, and that he had already set events in motion to use the information to his best advantage. The little mongrel was sneakier than Hiashi had originally given him credit for.
The Hyuuga clan leader had no idea what Kiba had done to save the child, Toki, but he was privately relieved that the little boy had survived and regained his health. Still, the fact that the child lived cast even greater doubt upon the nature of the mysterious illness and, further, put his own position at risk. He was seriously beginning to question Suki's reasoning in the poisoning, but perhaps his assassin had done as she originally planned and removed any evidence of foul play. It was true that, as she promised, Toki's illness had effectively shifted Kiba's focus away from the main house and outward towards the threat of possible foreign killers who did not, in fact, exist. There was an equal possibility that the boy's recovery indicated that Kiba already knew what was going on and had effectively countered the ploy. Such a possibility was irksome indeed.
Hiashi schooled his face and walked purposefully across the complex, determined not to let his inner concerns show. Hinata seemed as poised and pitifully unobtrusive as ever and Hiashi did not think that his daughter had any notion of his plans, but the girl was also notoriously inscrutable. Hinata could keep secrets, of that he had no doubt, and Hiashi wondered what his daughter would choose to do with what she thought she knew. His instincts told him that something important had changed and also that Kiba's popularity with the rabble of the Hyuuga family was only growing, but Hiashi still lacked the perspective to fully understand what such a development might mean. His daughter and her wretched puppy were not the type to delve too deeply into intrigue, but that did not mean they were unaware of it.
The day was still new and the hour early, but he already had far more problems to deal with than would have been ideal. Hiashi scowled and moved towards his private bathes. He usually bathed in the evening, but the Hyuuga clan leader was eager to have the private space to meditate on the tasks at hand without the chance of interruptions. There was much to consider and not all of it exclusive to his own family. A rumor was circulating that the Uzumaki matriarch had fallen deathly ill, but no one could substantiate the claim and Neji was still being held strictly in the Oni's own complex. If true, Sakura's illness may provide the opening he had been hoping for, but the rumor was vague and difficult to verify. There was simply no way to know the truth of the situation without speaking to Neji. True, his nephew had not really been with the demon very long, but Hiashi was still terribly eager to receive whatever information Neji might have gleaned. As usual, his brilliant nephew was one consolation that could always be counted upon to perform effectively and knowing that he already had a capable spy placed in the enemy's stronghold soothed his mind greatly. Soon, the little blond Oni and all his pack of monsters would be nothing more than an unpleasant memory and another captured banner hung on his wall.
The bathing chamber was startlingly dark after walking through the sunlit garden and Hiashi allowed a few moments for his eyes to adjust before fully stepping into the space. A delicate aroma of incense filled the misty air and Hiashi enjoyed the tasteful glow of the few lamps set around the tub. The space had been designed with Hyuuga aesthetics in mind and so the tile and bathing fixtures were all brutally simple and elegant, soft grays and dark wood. The room was a soothing space and Hiashi knew as soon as he entered that, firstly, he was not alone and also that the company would be enjoyable. Smiling a bit at the thought, Hiashi stripped out of his formal robes and stepped into the steaming waters of the bath. He relaxed into the heat and waited patiently for Suki to cease her stalking. She did not make him wait long. The lithe form of the woman's body rose slowly out of the steaming water, fully nude and lovely as she bowed low before him. Hiashi smiled and gestured for her to come closer, appreciating that even in the water the assassin's movements made no sound.
"Forgive my intrusion, my lord." Suki said, kneeling before him just as she would in any other room, heedless of the water lapping at her shoulders.
"Luckily it is most welcome, so long as you bring relevant information." Hiashi replied. She nodded.
"Your nephew, Neji, was seen outside the Uzumaki compound at the Konoha library two days ago. Forgive the late nature of the information, but I have been posted outside the Uchiha estate waiting to see if he might re-emerge again. Obviously, he was sent on some sort of directed errand with little opportunity for deviation." Suki reported.
"That is not unexpected. They are testing his loyalty and it is likely that he was followed. You did well not to attempt contact with him."
"Hai. Further, the Uzumaki matriarch was not as ill as some would claim. I saw her with the Hokage early this morning as Tsunade left the compound and she looked more than healthy and very pregnant. Perhaps another member of the family was ill, likely Sasuke since Sai has been seen recently as well." Suki said.
"Interesting…If Sasuke is truly incapacitated, we may be provided a rare and valuable opportunity..." Hiashi mused.
"Indeed, though nothing of that nature has been confirmed."
"Regardless, I believe it will be prudent to wait. No need to sacrifice the integrity of our plan for the sake of mere impatience." Hiashi decided finally, reclining a bit.
"I would agree, my lord. With his subordinate ill, the demon is likely even more vigilant than usual and twice as aggressive. The element of surprise will be very important to the success of our strategy." Suki said.
"True. Information is the key in this and without reliable intelligence the endeavor will be difficult, if not impossible. If Neji is being allowed out of the complex, it will be appropriate to send for him now." Hiashi ordered.
"My lord?"
"When we have finished speaking, request for him to meet with me in two days' time. It is traditional to at least inquire about the well-being of a family member recently married in such a way. I doubt even Naruto's pet killer will be able to find grounds to refuse me." Hiashi explained.
"The Uchiha will never allow him to come unescorted." Suki worried.
"No matter. It is simple enough to separate Neji from an escort once he is within our walls. Judicious use of the appropriate forms of shadow clones and even Sasuke himself won't be able to tell the difference." Hiashi said, smiling darkly.
"My lord is endlessly clever." Suki smiled.
"One must be with so many threats at hand." Hiashi whispered lazily, twining his fingers into the woman's long hair.
Just a shade or two lighter and the color would almost be like the radiant autumn crimson that still haunted his dreams on chilly nights. Suki's features where nowhere near to fine as Kushina's had been and her eyes were both the wrong shape and color, but if her hair were just the slightest bit more red he might have been able to pretend. The color had been what first caught his eye when Kushina Uzumaki came to Konoha, like a waterfall made of fire…
"I will kill any who threaten you, my lord." Suki snarled, her silver eyes shining in the low light like an animal's.
"The Oni is a formidable opponent and to defeat him will require careful planning and thorough execution. For now I can be patient, but soon we will not have the luxury of time." Hiashi murmured, lost in old memories.
Suki, sensing his mood as always, moved into his lap and began to stroke the sensitive flesh stirring beneath the water. Hiashi sighed and relaxed into his assassin's touch, letting the pleasure seep into his body along with the heat from the bath. Her hands were clever and calloused, stimulating. Though Suki was certainly not a beauty of the caliber that Kushina had been, her body was just as lithe and graceful, certainly more so than his wife's. Hiashi brushed a hand lazily over her nipples, enjoying the softness of the supple flesh, still firm with youth. She had lovely breasts, large enough to comfortably hold, but not so big as to flop unattractively when she moved. He pinched her right nipple, rolling the sensitive flesh between his fingers. Hiashi smiled. Suki was more than two decades his junior and he had to confess that he appreciated the vigor of her body. Age had been unkind to his wife and even in her youth Yukamiyu had been plain, blandly pretty at best. His wife's body, if it had ever pleased him, held no appeal now. Suki at least shared his vision and understood his needs, something Yukamiyu had never had the capacity to do, and she fucked him with enthusiasm when he desired it. She was a remarkable ninja as well as a handsome woman in her own right and Yukamiyu was too stupid to realize that he was being unfaithful anyway. The Hyuuga lord had enjoyed having his assassin before and would do so again as long as she pleased him.
Suki took a deep breath and bent low into the bath to run her tongue over his penis beneath the water. She licked the hardened flesh eagerly, lubricating him as best as possible before the water washed the fluids away. The sensation was erotic, almost ticklish, and Hiashi held her beneath the water another moment just to feel it again. If the assassin feared drowning, she gave no sign, and took him fully into her throat, moving her mouth up and down until he was forced to tug her up or cum prematurely. Her face was flushed from the heat and her silver Hyuuga eyes luminous with desire. She too was a cousin, he supposed, but the young killer was far more distantly related than even his own wife and it showed in the slight strangeness of her ruddy hair and high cheekbones. As the clan went, Suki could almost be considered exotic, if not quite exotic enough for his tastes.
Hiashi grunted and gripped her hips, tiring quickly of the teasing. Suki licked her lips and mounted him, wincing just a little as she took his entire length in a single stroke as Hiashi preferred. The tight embrace of the girl's body was delightful and he could already feel his arousal build into a tight, erotic knot in his groin. Her hair was a sad kind of auburn, but all Hyuuga were born with darksome coloring anyway and the room was dark enough that the color was not too vexing. The assassin moved a hand behind her back and low to cup his testicles, sending a startling flash of heat up through his spine. Suki groaned and threw her head back, her dull reddish hair hanging in a sensuous wet curtain against her skin, perfectly rounded breasts thrust out enticingly for his hands. Hiashi squeezed the soft flesh and gripped her hip, pinching the nipple again roughly and rocking into her with as much force as the water would allow.
Suki's belly clenched as she rode him, moving quickly enough to bring him to the edge and yet not quite with the right rhythm to make him cum. Hiashi smiled and lifted her more firmly against his body, spreading her legs wide and adjusting the angle to penetrate her more fully. Her hips were firm and rounded in his hands, just the shape he had always most admired, and if he closed his eyes he could almost imagine that the pouting mouth as Kushina's. Suki bit her lip as she came in utter silence, quivering in his arms, fearful to make a noise and shame him within hearing of his wife. Hiashi would have liked to hear her scream, but such wishes were only fleeting fantasies brought on by vanity. Appearances, of course, had to be maintained.
Not that his wife would even know what an orgasm sounded like. Yukamiyu was well born and marrying her had pleased his parents, but she had never aroused his desire. The woman was as weak and stupid as Kushina had been powerful and brilliant, but Hiashi had no choice except to tolerate her. Some said his wife was beautiful and Hiashi had told her so as often enough to do his duty as a husband, but the fact remained that she was both quite homely and uninteresting. By marrying Yukamiyu he had secured his power over the clan, essential given the presence of his twin brother, and gained a wife whom he never wanted. How he had dreamed as a boy of laying with Kushina, of spreading her magnificent, fiery, hair across Hyuuga silk. Hiashi moaned and increased the pace of his thrusts, moving deeply into Suki, crushing her body against him. In another life, Kushina would have watched him in that peculiar way she had, only her eyes moving, as he ravished every inch of her beautiful body and claimed her as his own. The mere thought nearly brought him to climax. Suki whispered his name, her voice urgent and also pleading, but Hiashi was too caught up in the vision to care. He imagined Naruto's mother as she had been more than two decades ago, whiskered face playful and almost heart shaped, crimson hair wagging past her hips as she walked. He envisioned her trapped in his arms, struggling, and being overcome as her body opened to receive him…The image ignited the tightening ball of heat in his pelvis and the pressure was too great. Hiashi ejaculated with a sigh, pumping his essence deeply into Suki's willing body, closing his eyes to hold onto the fantasy for a moment longer.
Madara, vile creature that he was, had at least been mostly right about the true source of Hiashi's hatred for Naruto. Even now, just looking at the young jinchuuriki, who was the very picture of his commoner father and yet still had the audacity to wear Kushina's smile, filled his belly with rage. Every time Naruto excelled, every time the blond won a match or completed an important mission, Hiashi felt deeply cheated. It was Kushina's blood in Naruto that gave the boy his abilities, despite his resemblance to Minato. It was her strength that gave the miserable little Oni the talent to overcome every obstacle Hiashi threw in his way, power of blood that should have been passed to his children, that should have brought him sons. Hiashi was clan head, the de facto leader of Konohakagure and one of the most powerful, feared ninja lords alive, but he had no male children. Siring a true heir to his house was the one accomplishment he had never been able to achieve and he had always privately wondered if it was because he had married the wrong woman. Years passed and still Yukamiyu had only given him two weak girls. He knew, in a private place in his heart, that Kushina should have been his woman and Naruto should have been his son, not the bastard spawn of a yellow haired butcher's brat. Minato had never deserved her and yet Kushina had loved him so…
"I love you, my lord." Suki panted softly, nuzzling his jaw.
"You are a singular pleasure, my Suki. You excel in everything." Hiashi replied, kissing her hair.
Suki smiled at the compliment and moved to clean herself of the evidence of his passion. Without fail, his favorite assassin had managed to turn an irritating morning into an enjoyable experience as well as bring valuable reconnaissance. Even if they had kept Neji locked in a room, his nephew was as resourceful as he was brilliant and Hiashi had no doubt that the boy had succeeded in obtaining the information as required. Neji never failed his mission. Uzumaki had powerful friends and his little raven haired fiend was not an opponent to be trifled with, but he would fall regardless. With the information Neji had obtained, they could wipe Naruto and the Fox demon he carried within from the world forever. Hiashi finished his bath, allowing Suki to wash his hair, in silence as he mused. The difficulty would be timing. If they attacked too soon, strategy would suffer and the jinchuuriki might manage to survive, but if they moved too late the consequences would be even worse.
"We have little time, my Suki." Hiashi murmured, almost to himself.
"Hai, the child will be born soon." The assassin agreed as she rinsed his hair.
"We have three months at best to act before the creature spawns and once it is born, Uzumaki's position will be far more stable and difficult to topple."
"Perhaps the baby may serve us as a distraction or a hostage?" Suki offered. Hiashi shook his head.
"No, it must be done before the birth. With an heir, the creature can form true alliances through marriage with the other houses or with Gaara. Even we could not afford to attack an opponent backed by the full might of Suna. We must eliminate him, Suki, or Naruto will rule Konoha as Gaara does Sand." Hiashi growled.
"As you command." She whispered darkly and his knew it was a promise.
OoOoOoO
Naruto sighed as he brushed the damp strands of his wife's glittering pink hair over her shoulder to place a kiss upon her spine. Sakura sighed and trembled against his lips and the jinchuuriki thought he might burst into tears again just to hear it, just to hear the small sound of pleasure and know that she was still alive. Having a bath had seemed like a decent idea, after all no one had bothered to bathe while Sakura was ill and it was better than simply sitting in bed and staring at each other. Neji tried to decline, but Sakura had pulled him along as well and now they all sat in the steaming water of the vast Uchiha family soaking tub, silently trying to come to terms with…everything. The whole situation seemed surreal with the distant sunlight filtering through the cleverly designed, faceted windows and the warm water just misty enough to obscure one another's bodies. He had always thought it sort of weird to have so much natural light in a bathing area, but Sasuke's ancestors had apparently discovered the singular magic of bathing under moonlight and built the place accordingly. The jinchuuriki would have preferred moonlight, the sun seemed abrupt in such an intimate place.
Naruto stole a glance at Neji, noting the way the Hyuuga sat off to the side and deep in the water, as if to make himself as unobtrusive as possible. The silver-eyed nin washed his hair, the motions slow and a bit listless, as if deeply lost in thought. Neji looked gorgeous with his long hair wet and draping sensuously around his body, the forehead protector still firmly tied on his brow. The bandana was going to get wet, Naruto knew, but he decided not to pester Neji about it for now. As it was the Hyuuga seemed separate, isolated, and Naruto did not want to do anything else to drive him away. He might be distant, but Neji was still here, with them, still close enough to run his fingers across Sakura's arm beneath the water, close enough to touch her breasts if he wanted. The jinchuuriki sighed and moved to rinse the jasmine scented body wash off of Sakura's back, reveling in her skin.
He was really happy that Sasuke's parents had decided on a ridiculously huge western style bath for their personal bathroom and still felt mildly awed at the size of the damn thing. All five of them fit comfortably in the tub and there was even a drain for moments like today when they wanted to wash and soak at the same time. The rosy marble of the tub contrasted beautifully with the ancient bamboo of the the walls and the soft beige tiles on the floor. Like every room in the Uchiha manor, the family bath was a work of careful craftsmanship and seamless taste. It was also one of the few rooms left entirely unchanged. Naruto knew that the bath was comforting for Sasuke, still just the way it had been when he was a child, and he was glad some small part of the raven's childhood had managed to survive.
Even now, being in the bath seemed to calm him and Sasuke leaned unconsciously into Sai's clever hands as the artist washed him. Neji brushed his fingers over Sakura's arm again, almost covertly, shivering just a little at the soft sound of contentment that the girl made. All of them touched her, stroked her skin and her hair, silent and fascinated. Sasuke pressed his forehead against Sakura's own, breathing deeply as if he had been running a long distance, hands trembling where they rested on her jaw. Naruto reached over her shoulders to steady Sasuke's palms with his own, leaning his cheek against the smoothness of Sakura's back and enjoying the ruddy flush that the hot water brought to her skin. They stayed that way for a while, perhaps even a very long time, and the only movement was the soft lapping of the water as Sai washed Sasuke's back and Neji moved to comb his own long hair. Slowly, Sakura moved from her seat on Naruto's lap and into Sasuke's arms, reaching past him to pull Sai into the embrace as well. Sai said nothing, but he moved to clutch her hand with white knuckled urgency and Naruto knew that he had been very afraid.
On some level the jinchuuriki was still afraid himself, afraid that all of it might simply vanish, that if he closed his eyes for even a moment he might open them again and find only blackness. Everything had been so dark for so long, with no end in sight and now… The emotion threatened to overwhelm him and Naruto had the unreasonable urge to gather them all into his arms, to pull them close and tight and never let go again. Sasuke's breath hitched a fraction against Sakura's throat, as if mirroring his alpha's thoughts, and Naruto reached out to stroke the raven's cheek and soothe him.
The blond wanted to tell his subordinate that everything was alright now, that they had won, that the awful blackness threatening to swallow them was gone, that they were finally safe. He wanted to tell Sai that no one would leave him alone, that it was not like in Root where people went down and never stood back up again. Naruto wanted to thank Neji and find some way to tell him that he was home, that there was no reason to feel alone anymore. There was far too much to say, so many things had happened and everyone was walking on eggshells, trying not to disturb the fragile peace that they had all awoken to. To Naruto, everything still felt like a dream, a beautiful dream.
He smoothed his thumb along Sasuke's cheekbone, smearing the tears he found there before the raven finally jerked his face away from Naruto's hand and bit the offending fingers, annoyed at his own vulnerability. Naruto smiled. He was reasonably sure that Sasuke would not try to bite him in his dreams and positive that it would not hurt as much. The girl smiled at the blond over her shoulder and leaned back to kiss his mouth, the act both affectionate and teasing.
"Everyone's been so quiet." Sakura whispered and Neji jumped a little where he sat just behind Naruto's left shoulder.
"No one knows what to say." The Hyuuga replied, hiding his eyes a little in the mahogany curtain of his hair.
"I'm okay, I'm fine, Tsunade checked and everything." Sakura laughed.
"You almost died." Neji growled quietly.
"I said I'm okay." Sakura sighed, rolling her eyes.
"You should have told us sooner! Stupid!" Sasuke snarled, swallowing hard, fingers tight on Sakura's shoulders.
"Teme…" Naruto cautioned.
Saving Sakura's life just to shout at her seemed counterproductive, even if he did echo Sasuke's feelings on the matter more than he would have liked to admit. Once again, the girl had been a lot sicker than she let on and this time her silence had almost cost their woman her life. Sasuke glared at him over her shoulder, but the look had far too much pain in it to be really convincing. Sakura dropped her eyes anyway as she held him.
"I didn't think it would get so bad…" She muttered into the skin of Sasuke's jaw.
"Well, it did." Sasuke hissed, still hugging her closely.
"I just didn't want to worry anybody and…"
"Baby, you have to know we were worried anyway." Naruto scolded, running his knuckles over her spine.
"We can't lose you, we can't do it." Sai added, his flat voice barely audible in the damp air.
"We're ninja, sometimes all our lives are in danger and this was no different…" Sakura argued softly.
"I hope you know that if you die, they all die with you." Neji added coldly.
"What?" Sakura asked, eyes suddenly wide and frightened.
"The link you share with Naruto, his chakra is too connected with yours to harmonize properly on his own. His body no longer remembers how to maintain homeostasis without your influence. It's a side effect of your bonding and if he dies everyone under his thrall dies with him." Neji explained, his brows tight and angry.
"Kami…How do you know this?" Sakura breathed.
"He's been studying our energy for weeks now and he's too smart not to have figured it out. The Fox just told me recently and he probably figured it out before I did." Naruto said, watching the Hyuuga steadily.
"Yes." Neji confessed, nodding uncomfortably.
"The Byukugan." Sai said and Neji nodded again.
"Sasuke…I…I thought I could control it. It thought if I just focused enough that I might get better and it did work for a while…" Sakura explained, looking down.
"Don't you EVER dare do something so stupid again! Ever!" Sasuke snapped and pulled her against his chest, muscles tensed as he held her.
"I'm sorry…" Sakura mumbled, obviously upset.
"It's alright, Teme. We're alright." Naruto said softly, his tone the same one would use to soothe a spooked animal.
"Fuck you." Sasuke spat and nuzzled his face closer against Sakura's throat.
Naruto sighed and smiled a little. Definitely not a dream. Dreams did not bite much or tell you to fuck off. Sakura kissed Sasuke's temple and apologized again. After a few tense heartbeats, his arms relaxed around her and the girl sighed in relief, knowing that he was no longer angry. Sai buried his face against Sasuke's shoulder, holding Sakura's hand. For a while the three of them kissed and touched and breathed together, coming down from the days of terror. Gently, almost worshipfully, Naruto moved the sponge over Sakura's back, washing her skin in smooth, sudsy circles. Sakura sighed and arched herself into the attention, all rosy skin and tempting curves, more luscious than anything he could easily imagine. Sasuke still looked a little upset, but he gripped her hips and helped her stretch back, cushioning her swollen belly against his own. Sakura smiled and twisted just a little until her lower back cracked. She sighed in satisfaction. Naruto purred and laid a hand affectionately onto her right breast, enjoying the buoyancy of the soft flesh in the water. Sai moved from Sasuke's back and placed a gentle and extremely intentional kiss against Sakura's belly, almost as if in apology. Naruto raised an eyebrow at the behavior, but Sakura smiled at him reassuringly and ruffled Sai's hair.
Naruto stroked Sai's cheek, surprised when the ink nin took his fingers awkwardly into his mouth and set his teeth against the joints. The action was something he would have expected from Sasuke, something the raven often did when their play was rough, but with Sai it was almost kittenish. Naruto giggled a little and licked his lips, looking over to where Neji watched them reservedly. He caught the Hyuuga's eyes and gave him a wide smile, but Neji just blushed and looked away. Sai released his fingers with a funny little almost-smirk and moved to bite Sasuke roughly on the ear.
"Ow." Sasuke said, slapping Sai gently on the cheek in reproach.
"You do it to Naruto." The artist argued.
"So?"
"So, don't you like it?" Sai asked, blinking.
"I don't like it when you do it. Fucking shark…" Sasuke grumbled.
"Does Naruto like it?" Sai asked.
"Ask him yourself." Sasuke huffed.
"Naruto, do you like it when…"
"Not always. Be gentle." Naruto replied in what he hoped was a stern voice, fighting not to laugh.
"Naruto says you like things a lot more than you say." Sai noted, moving towards Sasuke again.
Sasuke blushed brightly at that and smacked the artist once more, but Sai weathered the blow as if he had been struck with a bit of dandelion down and crept towards Sasuke's ear again. The artist licked his lips and the motion was positively evil. Sasuke scowled and turned so his hand was within easy striking distance of Sai's face. Sakura moved strategically, trying to place herself between them before Sai managed to try Sasuke's patience too much.
"I think you like it." Sai whispered his voice surprisingly husky.
"I think you want to die." Sasuke growled, showing his teeth.
"Naruto says you're not always honest about how you feel." Sai stated, unafraid, and slithered closer.
"Sai, I don't really think that this is one of those times…" Sakura hedged gently, trying to pry the two men apart without looking too obvious.
Naruto laughed and caught Neji's eyes once again. The jinchuuriki beckoned gently, just tipping his head a bit towards where Sakura was trying to keep Sai from biting Sasuke, a small gesture of welcome that Neji could ignore if he so chose. The Hyuuga stiffened, silver eyes uncertain, glancing towards where the others played and back into his own reflection in the water. For a moment the jinchuuriki thought he might simply turn away or even leave the bath entirely, but Neji took a harsh breath through his nose and came towards him. Naruto smiled. The genius moved a little closer and traced his fingers tentatively along Sakura's arm, silver eyes shuttered and inscrutable. Sakura caught his hand and kissed the palm, looking warmly into Neji's eyes before turning back to Sai and yanking the ink nin away from Sasuke once again. Naruto's eyes followed the three of them fondly as the near violence dissolved into frenzied kissing instead, Sasuke holding Sakura in one arm and Sai in the other.
Neji stayed beside him, watching as well and worrying his lower lip with his teeth. Naruto moved a little nearer to him, closing the space inch by inch, giving Neji opportunity to retreat if he wanted without looking weak. Neji met his eyes, the silver both nervous and a bit aggressive.
"May I?" Naruto whispered, holding the Hyuuga's gaze.
"H…Hai." Neji replied, his voice barely audible.
The jinchuuriki grinned and reached towards him to grasp a long strand of mahogany hair, running the silken length through his fingers appreciatively. Neji's expression was surprised and perhaps even a little disappointed, but Naruto restricted the touch to just the one lock of hair, taking his time to enjoy the texture and color.
"Beautiful." The jinchuuriki whispered and Neji swallowed.
"I guess."
"It is, really beautiful. It's like silk…" Naruto replied softly.
He brought the dark brown tress to his lips, kissing it slowly, before releasing the heavy softness back into the water with a sigh. The Hyuuga watched him, eyes large and luminous. The others had moved closer during the exchange, observing nervously, saying nothing. After a few trance-like moments, Sasuke ran a finger through Neji's hair, capturing a strand of it as well. The raven looked at Neji, eyes firm and intense, before kissing the brunette's hair as his alpha had before. Sakura went as far as to press a kiss to Neji's jaw, her full breasts brushing his shoulder deliciously and sending an aching spear of arousal through Naruto's already overheated body. Sai came close as well, stroking his fingers through Neji's hair with the curiosity of a child, savoring the smoothness of it. Neji stared at them like a deer might a pack of wolves, trying not to look as overwhelmed as he clearly felt. Naruto chuckled softly and gestured discretely to Sakura who smiled her understanding and moved to pour shampoo into her hair, making a show of arching her back and rubbing the suds into her scalp.
Naruto moved to help her, tangling his fingers in the soapy rose-colored tresses, and soon Sai followed, holding Sakura close in his arms and kissing her. Sasuke shot one last meaningful look at Neji and began scrubbing Sai's back roughly with one of the natural sponges Naruto had brought back for them from Wave.
"Too rough." Sai complained softly against Sakura's mouth.
"Sai, you're just saying that because he wouldn't let you bite him." Sakura huffed, rolling her eyes and nipping the artist's jaw gently.
"It is." The ink nin argued petulantly.
"Shut up. I can tell from your chakra that you like it anyway." Sasuke sniped.
Sai ignored him, but arched his back up into the scrubbing as Sasuke rolled his eyes and continued washing him. For a while, Naruto washed Sakura's hair in silence and Neji used a small bucket to pour the water over her mane and rinse the soap away. Sakura pressed Sai's knuckles to her lips and pulled back a bit, drifting in the shared embrace, her face serene. Neji leaned forward and brushed a kiss against Sakura's shoulder, a fleeting gesture with barely more pressure than a butterfly's wings. The Hyuuga loved her, it was obvious now, and seeing the affection warmed Naruto deeply. Everything would be alright, they would find balance again and everyone would be happy, he had to believe it.
The blond wanted to reach out to Neji, to touch and stroke him as he would the others, but he didn't trust himself to remain well enough in control with no way to predict how Neji might respond. The Hyuuga had been thrust into this, with even less understanding of their dynamic than Sai, and had a tendency to vacillate between acting like a domineering ass and separating himself entirely. Sasuke watched the interaction, watched Neji kiss Sakura, but said nothing and that was peculiar as well. The raven was being far more tolerant of Neji's inclusion into the pack than Naruto ever would have expected and the jinchuuriki wondered if the behavior was entirely healthy.
Everything was too delicate and his family needed more time to adjust. Naruto leaned back against the edge of the tub and watched the Hyuuga with slitted eyes, ready to intervene if Sasuke took offense or Sai decided to do something weird. The angle gave him the opportunity to fully appreciate the elegant beauty of his newest subordinate. Neji's body was gorgeous, the line of his arms and thighs long and inhumanly graceful. Naruto's gaze moved languidly to the man's naked back where sleek muscle moved temptingly beneath smooth, creamy skin the tone of which held a hint more gold the Sasuke's. Naruto knew most people would have said that Neji was comely, but not beautiful the way Sasuke was. The Hyuuga was a little too tall, perhaps, his shoulders not quite broad enough to achieve symmetry with the length of his waist, but Naruto found Neji's body almost irresistible.
The Hyuuga's arms were graceful and well defined, his muscles firm and strong. Neji had frightening scars on his right forearm, blanched lines that crossed over and over one another as if from many years of wounds. The jinchuuriki had a niggling suspicion that the scarring was from many years of merciless sparing with a partner who used sharpened weapons even to practice and it was no wonder that the Hyuuga spent most of his time carefully wrapped in bandages to hide the marks. Naruto wondered what the texture of the raised skin would be like against his tongue, if the scars were still sensitive to touch. He hoped so. Sakura moved back into his lap, twisting her clean hair up into a bun and exposing her full breasts above the water. Naruto swallowed and shut his eyes tightly for a moment, struggling for control as his claws lengthened dangerously against her skin. Kami, it would take so little, a single movement and he could be inside her, but doing so might disrupt the delicate balance of her body again. He groaned.
"It makes you sick when you do that, you know." Sakura commented.
"I'm okay." Naruto whispered, removing his hand from her hip with a sigh.
"For a man with so many beautiful subordinates, you are remarkably undersexed." Sakura chuckled.
Neji blushed furiously were he sat beside her and nearly dropped the soap. Naruto almost laughed to see the proud Hyuuga so unguarded, but managed to keep his composure and avoid having to dislodge Neji's fist from his face. Sasuke cocked an eyebrow at the brunette from where he sat on Sakura's other side, his expression both amused and filled with challenge. Something was going on between the two of them and Naruto knew he had better figure out what before the unspoken conversation went much farther. The jinchuuriki glanced at Neji, certain that Sasuke's sarcasm had been directed at him, hoping that the delicate peace of the last few hours would hold. The Hyuuga stiffened, but said nothing and sunk down into the tub until only his eyes were above the surface of the water.
"It's true. You need to sleep with someone." Sasuke said.
"Are you volunteering?" Naruto asked, raising an eyebrow.
"If I must." Sasuke said, looking pointedly at Neji.
Neji coughed a bit, uncomfortable, but kept his silence. Naruto sighed and tried not to think about how beautiful Sasuke and Sai looked together with Sai pressed up against the raven's body, the artist's talented fingers lazily stroking Sakura's breasts. The jinchuuriki was painfully aroused, but the timing just was not right. Sai was still too unfamiliar with his own flesh and Sasuke looked painfully tired and very pale. Even if Sakura seemed to be completely recovered, Naruto knew the raven was not quite up to making love yet. They needed to rest and recover, all of them.
"It's no big deal." Naruto said, shrugging.
"You look awful and I can tell you have a headache." Sakura argued.
"Everyone gets headaches sometimes, woman." Naruto huffed, closing his eyes.
"I want to have sex with you." Sai stated suddenly.
"Shut up. Moron." Sasuke chided, slapping the artist sharply on the chest.
"I do. I want to." He said again.
"No you don't. You want to wait so that when it happens you don't die." Sasuke growled, putting a hand over Sai's mouth.
"So, the heat causes you physical pain?" Neji asked delicately, glancing toward him.
"I just get headaches and stuff, nothing serious." Naruto replied, grinning. Sasuke rolled his eyes.
"Liar. Even now it's making you miserable and there's no point denying it, I already warned him and you do look like shit." Sasuke huffed imperiously.
"Thanks, Teme." Naruto replied sarcastically.
"Well, Sasuke told me a little about your um…sexual needs. I really do want to understand…" Neji said, licking his lips nervously.
"He feels sick if he doesn't get enough sex during a heat. Simple. It's a pain in the ass." Sasuke griped.
"Literally." Sakura snickered.
"Only for me." Sasuke snapped, glaring at her.
"What does that mean?" Sai asked blankly. Naruto groaned.
"This is my point entirely!" Sasuke snapped, pointing at Sai.
The artist had made it perfectly clear ever since waking earlier that morning that he sincerely wanted to sleep with Naruto, but it was equally obvious that he had no idea what such an act would entail. Moreover, Naruto was still unsure whether the ink nin would be able to handle the reactions of his own body in an emotional context as well as a physical one. Sex was an emotional experience for anyone, much less someone who had never even experienced physical affection until a few short weeks ago. Sai knew practically nothing about physical intimacy and Naruto was totally at a loss as to where to start, worried that the ink nin might not survive his claiming he wasn't properly prepared.
"I want to have sex with you. I want to be under the thrall and I'm not afraid." Sai said, shoving Sasuke's hand away from his mouth again.
"I'm not having sex with anybody." Naruto snarled, annoyed.
"It will make you feel better." Sai argued.
"Sai, it's kind of a big deal, okay? It isn't like taking an aspirin or something." Naruto snapped, rubbing the bridge of his nose.
"Sai, baby, I don't think that you know what you're asking for." Sakura said gently.
"I don't care. I want it. I don't want to be left behind." Sai said.
"Sakura…" Naruto groaned, pleading for help.
"I really feel fine, you know, and I certainly wouldn't mind a little intimacy. It's been awhile." Sakura purred, leaning back against his chest.
"Stop it. I'm not sleeping with anyone until things are better sorted out. Believe it." Naruto groaned.
"He's worried about disrupting your chakra, the heat was what threw your system out of balance in the first place." Neji said, stroking her cheek. Sakura rolled her eyes.
"Even Tsunade said it would be fine." She grumbled.
"Well, things are still…I dunno…Time's not right I guess." The jinchuuriki muttered, looking away.
"I want to have sex with you." Sai repeated.
"No one forgot." Sasuke sniped testily.
"Sai, I'm still a little worried about that. I can barely kiss you without it getting all…weird." Naruto argued.
"Weird?" The artist asked blankly.
"Weird as in you always act like you're terrified or about to have a seizure or something..." Sasuke clarified grumpily.
"I just don't want it to break. I think it would be sharp if it does, like shrapnel." Sai explained.
"Break? Does anyone have any idea what he's talking about?" Neji asked, mystified.
"No one asked for your opinion." Sai said icily.
"It was just a question." Neji muttered defensively.
"Enough." Sasuke hissed and the others fell quiet.
"Sai, what are you worried about breaking?" Sakura asked gently.
"I don't know. Something old inside…" He replied vaguely.
Neji raised an eyebrow at that, but said nothing and Sasuke frowned. Sakura looked closely at Sai, as if she could determine the source of his fears just from looking, brushing the damps strands of the artist's hair away from his face. Naruto tried school his expression and disguise the fact that he his headache was getting worse. He knew that Sai was upset, but he really had no idea what the artist was talking about.