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The Cure Within

narusaku fanfiction fanfiction

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#1 Candleguy

Candleguy

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Posted 06 August 2015 - 02:52 AM

K

 

So the last time I was on tumblr for more then a minute in the last few weeks, there were gender bender NaruSaku fanart going around. Some of them were pretty nice and surprisingly while I was away from tumblr I couldn’t escape my narusaku-ness and was struck by inspiration. And this is the by product of such inspiration.  

 

I ran into trouble with this one in the sense that yes there is Naruko for the female version of Naruto in fanon and canon. To my knowledge there wasn’t any name for make Sakura. Someone suggested Sakurai and so I went with that. I didn’t change anyone else’s name though (besides Sasuke-Sasuko) but you assume they are gender flipped.

 

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Sakurai rediscovered "himself" in the cafeteria of the Konoha hospital. For someone who had imagined that he was at peace with himself this discovery came as a complete shock. To be fair to Sakurai he had not been in the right state of mind at the time. This unexpected moment of judicious awareness had come on the heels of a rather tense series of events. Naruko had returned to the village drenched in her own blood.  In the heat of battle she'd been hit by a blow that not only wounded her but disrupted her chakra thereby severely limiting her healing abilities.  It had been a injury grievous enough to deeply concern Tsunade and Sakurai had gotten the news of it while  he was in bed. Hinata was the one who had woken him up with the news; and the two made for quite the sight, shoulder to shoulder at the break of dawn, sprinting towards the hospital.

 

Without much help from  Naruko's innate healing abilities or the healing powers of sage arts it took ten hours of intensive care to save Naruko's life. Sakurai who had been exhausted by the end of the procedure promptly sprawled himself on the floor of his office and  fell asleep. Sai had shaken him awake the next day and declared, with a tone as flat as the floor Sakurai was sleeping on, "She's gone." 

 

It had taken an unfortunate amount of time for Sai to clarify his statement as one meaning "she has gone missing from her room." After giving Sai a tongue lashing that would have flayed a softer women's skin, Sakurai had then gone on the hunt for the missing heroine.

 

He found her in the cafeteria. She was instructing the staff like a head chef-no like wise old master dictating to his pupils the finer points in the art of cooking ramen. Naruko was apparently so enthralled in her task that she failed to register Sakurai's presence until he slapped the back of her head.

 

"What are you doing?!" Sakurai asked. 

 

Naruko grabbed the back of her head and groaned. "I was hungry" 

 

"I am running around the hospital looking for you and you're in here making lunch?"

 

Naruko turned to face him. 'Would you rather I had left the hospital and gone to the ramen stand?"

 

"That's not the point!"

 

"I know how it looks" Naruko announced.  "But I didn't order anyone to make me ramen, the staff offered to hel---"

 

"Idiot! You just had major surgery! You are supposed to be in bed!"

 

She smiled brightly, then grinned, "I feel fine, I am pretty sure my healing abilities are back--"

 

At that point Naruko had lost Sakurai. His reflection in a large stainless steel pan that hung from the ceiling now commanded his attention. Through the corner of his eyes Sakurai saw "himself" smiling fondly at Naruko, the relief on "his" face was raw and real. The startling thing was that this reflection did not reflect how he thought he should have been feeling. He was annoyed wasn't he? Frustrated with his friend. Where was the tension in his jaw? The throbbing vein clearly visible in the middle of his forehead?

 

"I woke up this morning feeling-"

 

Sakurai turned his attention back to Naruko. He remembered his teammates covered in blood, sucking in tiny gulps of air. He remembered the chill that had gripped him when he first saw Naruko's wound. He remembered the way his throat had clenched like a fist this very morning, when Sai had made that mind blowing breach of common sense.  

 

He sighed. "Listen, if you go back to bed and allow your body to recover normally, like a sane person, I will personally go to ichiraku and get you lunch and dinner every day until you are discharged." 

 

 

Delight sparked in Naruko's eyes, "seriously?" 

 

 

Sakurai nodded "Yeah, seriously." 

 

 

Naruko bit her bottom lip. "I can eat a lot of ramen y'know."

 

 

"I've known you long enough to get a good sense of how much ramen you can hold down. I'll eat the bill, if you go back to bed."  

 

 

Naruko faced him head-on, eyebrows furrowed "I want to agree, but I don't want to cheat you Sakurai-chan, there's really no reason for me to go back to bed because I feel fine."

 

 

"You are not fine!" Sakurai snapped.

 

 

"But I am."

 

           

 

"You're just too audacious to realize that it's miracle for you to be even standing upright this soon." 

 

 

"Sakurai you-" 

 

 

Unfortunately Naruko's thought was interrupted by the large quantity of greenish fluid being ejected from her mouth with considerable force onto the floor and Sakurai's boots.

 

 

"I might not be as fine as a I thought I was" Naruko wheezed eventually, her face taking on a sudden shade of pale.

 

 

Sakurai took a half second to mourn his newly bought boots before willing professionalism to take over.  "Your immune system has been weakened and as expected this has enabled toxins to come in and disturb your constitution." 

 

 

"Uh-huh, hey I think you might have to carry me back to my room," Naruko said as she wobbled on her feet. 

 

 

"Carry you?"

 

 

Naruko took a step and tipped forward. Moving swiftly Sakurai reached over hooking his arms under her armpits and catching her.  

 

 

She rested her head against his shoulder,  "Sorry about the boots, I'll buy you a new pair I promise."

 

 

Quietly Sakurai picked her up in his arms and  glanced over at the pan. He saw "himself" again. This time he was red-faced, flustered and visibly confused. 

 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Sakurai walked into Naruko's hospital room at just about dawn the next morning. As he had figured Naruko was fast asleep. He had gotten no sleep, as a 80/20 split of worrying about Naruko and being puzzled over the sudden appearance of a distinct "self"  respectively had keep him up all night. Still he was a professional shinobi and a medic trained by the legendary Tsunade, he could go two or three days without sleep and still perform complex surgeries. 

 

So he felt perfectly professional and steely rational as he swept her blonde wet hair from her forehead and laid his palm against her clammy skin. She didn't feel hot. The fever may have already broken. He caressed her pallid cheek with his fingertips.  Yes the fever had indeed broken. Naruko was clearly on the road to recovery he mused while tucking a few more loose strands of hair behind her ears. 

 

And then, without warning, Naruko inhaled sharply, like a sigh going in reverse, and her eyes fluttered open. Caught off guard Sakurai stared down into light blue eyes so shiny he could see himself reflected in their depths. 

 

His first instinct was to scold "himself"

 

Wha...Don't look at her look like that people will get the wrong idea!

 

But he opted for taking two stumbling steps away from the bed instead.  

 

"Good morning," He said, as a preemptive strike against the awkward silence he felt incoming.

 

"Morning" Naruko replied in a hoarse voice so low she could barely be heard.  She smiled at Sakurai "You can say it now."

 

"Say what?'

 

"I told you so."

 

Sakurai grinned. "Why would I say that?"

 

"Because you have a thing about being right."                                              

 

"I definitely don't have a thing about being right" Sakurai shot back. 

 

"I guess you're right about that."

 

Sakurai nodded in acknowledgment of the concession but realized quickly that he'd been tricked when snorts of laughter forced themselves out from between Naruko's lips. Indignant Sakurai rushed back towards the bed and took Naruko's right cheek between his thumb and pointer finger.

 

He squeezed and said, "I see how it is, first you throw up on me then you mock me."

 

"I was kidding, I'm sorry!" Naruko cried out.                         

 

Sakurai released Naruko and she immedly caressed her pinched cheek and pouted. 

 

"I thought medics were supposed to heal their patients not harm them."

 

"I can do whatever I want as long as you I heal you back to full health afterwards."

 

Naruko shook her head. "Sakurai-chan when you say things like that it makes you sound evil." 

 

"If I was so evil I would not have saved your life" Sakurai said with a harumph. 

 

"Ah yeah, I haven't thanked you for that yet."

 

"Please it's only fair. You're always running around playing hero saving the village-the world, it's about time you gave someone else the chance to save the day."

 

Naruko laughed. "Maybe I have been selfish."

 

"Yes, yes you have, very very selfish."

 

Naruko bowed her head. "Alright then, my health is in your hands. Please take care of me."

 

“I'll take care of you,” Sakurai whispered. He then reconsidered his words. “I mean, I'll make sure you're taken care of.” 

 

Naruko smiled at him. “Good.”  

 

"Okay," Sakurai felt another wave of awkwardness coming on so he knew he needed to make a quick exit.  "I'll be back later-to check on you later."

 

Sakuraiiavoided her gaze as he hurried out. He couldn't risk see "himself" again in her eyes since he wasn't sure how he would react to such weirdness. He had an early diagnosis for the problem however, clearly he was still feeling residual effects of the stress and shock of the previous day.   It was a bit of a jab to his pride as a medic to have his composure so thoroughly rattled, but it was understandable, he had to pull his dear friend back from the brink of death. Such an incident had occurred before but it wasn't exactly an experience that was suddenly easier to manage the second time around.  Things would be easier now once he had the diagnosis because Sakurai knew the treatment, he just needed some rest. 

 

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The medic's nap as it was so called had been a wartime invention but it immediately became an invaluable tool for any dedicated medic. It was Sakurai's go-to technique during any busy period. Whenever he needed a quick nap he would go to sleep at his desk with his head resting on his wrist until his hand fell asleep and the tingling woke him up, usually around fifteen or so minutes after the nap started.  It was in essence a natural alarm clock without the tempting snooze button. 

 

Sakurai had cleared the surface of his desk and was moments away from shutting his eyes when someone knocked on his door.

 

"Come in" he called out blinking sleep from his eyes. 

 

A dark-haired young man entered the room. When he saw Sakurai, he smiled warmly. "Hey, sorry to interrupt."

 

It took Sakurai a few more blinks to recognize Hinata. Sakurai stood up from his desk, greeted the Huyga and offered him a seat. 

 

As Hinata sat down across from Sakurai, he said, “You look exhausted. Maybe you should go home and get some sleep?” 

 

“I'm fine. There's still a long way to go until I am comfortable with Naruko's recovery."

 

Hinata raised his eyebrows. "Is there a problem?"

 

"No, she-I am just being cautious" Sakurai sighed.   

 

And just like an awkward silence flooded the room as they both started at each other. Sakurai's fingers tapped a soft rhythm against the shiny surface of his desk.  Hinata swayed back and forth in his seat as he were being rocked by a gentle breeze. 

 

Eventually Hinata said, "For a moment there I thought...it was over."

 

Sakurai nodded, "I know, I felt the same way when I first saw the wound."

 

Hinata chuckled, "That's funny, we were both worried, but you know when she saw the wound it didn't shake her all. She wasn't worried a bit." 

 

Sakurai laughed, "well I think we can both agree that she is a...unique kunoichi."

 

"She knew you'd save her" Hinata said with whimsical tone.  "She literally said 'get me back to Sakurai-chan and he'll save me."

 

"Oh really?" 

 

Sakurai looked down, his reflection on the wooden desk scratched at the back of "his" head awkwardly.  A prideful grin was plastered on "his" face and blotches of red bloomed all along his cheeks.

 

"That was sweet of her to say" Sakurai continued. 

 

"She has complete and total confidence in you and your skills. I have to admit I was a little envious of that."

 

Hinata's words had inadvertently triggered Sakurai's memory. In the excitement and anxiety swirling around Naruko's injury Sakurai had forgotten why Naruko had been away. Hinata had invited Naruko to join his team on mission. Sakurai distinctly recalled hoping the mission would bring those two closer together. Sakurai turned his attention back to Hinata. Had they gotten closer, were they in the process of getting closer?

 

Awkward silence ensued, and persisted until Hinata made an uncomfortable throat-clearing sound.

 

"Anyway I just wanted to personally thank you."

 

"For what?" Sakurai asked.

 

"For saving Naruko's life."

 

"Ah yes well. It's my job I am a medic ." 

 

Hinata rose his arm outstretched, "an excellent medic."

 

Sakurai rose as well and took the hand that reached for him, "thank you."

 

They shared a stiff an awkward man–hug, and then another awkward moment of sharing clumsy but sincere smiles until Hinata found the courage to leave. When the Huyga was gone it occurred too Sakurai, not for the first time, that hinata was a good man. Indeed Naruko should be delighted to have such a devoted and amiable man infatuated with her. Certainly they would make a fine and adorable couple, and he would look forward to watching their progress.                                                        

 

Lost in thought Sakurai made the mistake of looking back down at his desk. There was jealousy on "his" face, jealousy mixed with regret. 

 

It was clear now that a simple nap wouldn't be enough 

 

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When Naruko slurped that first mouthful of the day, she broke into one of the biggest smiles Sakurai had ever seen. Sakurai sat on the chair beside the hospital bed and watched Naruko enjoying her lunch. Sakurai had been a witness to similar scenes many times before yet this had been the first time that he had been aware of the absurdity of it. This person in the hospital bed before him was one of the most-if not outright the most powerful person living today. And here she was being thoroughly satisfied by wet noodles.

 

Naruko caught him looking at her and an embarrassed smile flashed on her face. When she returned to her ramen she began slurping as daintily as she could. The gesture was so innocent that Sakurai couldn't help but laugh. And he kept laughing, until a tear slid from one eye.

 

"What's so funny?"

 

"Nothing" Sakurai coughed. "Finish your lunch. You have to get your strength up.” 

 

When it came to finishing ramen Naruko didn't need to be told twice. 

 

Sakurai watched Naruko take in a couple more mouthfuls before curiosity possessed him. "You never told me the story of how you got hurt in the first place. I mean how did someone as fast as you get hit?" 

 

She considered Sakurai's statement for a moment then waved her hand in the air dismissively.

 

"Well you are right  I am pretty fast. But it's not much of story to be honest. It was a battle and I just got hit."

 

Sakurai rolled his eyes. "Alright now that we've gotten the modesty out of the way. You can tell me whose life you were saving?"

 

That got a smirk out of Naruko.

 

"So....?" Sakurai asked.

 

"Well the battle was in a populated area. Eventually I was in the situation where I had to decide between dodging an attack and letting a family behind me get hit or deflecting the attack and saving them." 

 

Naruko shrugged and laughed, "turns out it wasn't a deflectable kind of attack."

 

Sakurai snorted, "well it all worked out in the end I guess."

 

"It did" Naruko said digging into her lunch. "The family was saved plus I'm not dead so I can keep enjoying ramen." 

 

Sakurai returned to his thoughts, every now and again stealing a glance at Naruko as she slurped loudly-having at last given up on decorum-the last of her lunch and leaned back, satisfied and refreshed.

 

"Sakurai-chan can I ask you question?" She asked, while putting her bowl to the side.

 

"Sure."

 

"How is that while I am getting better you are looking worse?"

 

Sakurai sat up straight in his seat. "What?"

 

"It's like your head is sinking into your body way past your shoulders and your forehead is as tense as I have ever seen it." 

 

Sakurai's jaw clenched. "Okay I admit over these last few days I've been looking a little ragged but there's no need to exaggerate."

 

"I am not exaggerating, you look like you've been run over by a parade of tailed beast."

 

"See right there, that's an extreme exaggeration!" Sakurai shouted with indignation. 

 

"Do you even sleep?" Naruko asked. 

 

Sakurai averted his gaze. "I've had a lot on my mind lately. Anyway a medic is trained specifically to function very well without much sleep. So you don't have to worry about your treatment."

 

"I am not worried about me," Naruko studied Sakurai curiously for some time before she disappeared in a flash of yellow and appeared suddenly behind Sakurai's chair.  "I owe you so let me help."

 

"Wait, what are you doing?" Sakurai cried.

 

"Just give me five minutes' Naruko said putting her hands on Sakurai's shoulders.

 

"Woah wait, I don't think--"

 

"It's okay, it's just a massage." 

 

With Sakurai's reluctant approval Naruko gingerly started kneading pressing her thumbs between his shoulder blades. He let out a sound low groan in his throat as Naruko moved her thumbs down his upper spine, finding the tight knots and working them loose.  

 

"Let me know if I hurt you." 

 

"Your hands are surprisingly...gentle for someone who might be the strongest person in the world" Sakurai sighed.  

 

When his body began to relax, Naruko said, "I think I know what your problem is."

 

 

"Yeah?" Sakurai said giving in to the wonderful chills rolling up and down his back.

 

 

"You miss Sasuko."

 

 

Sakurai squirmed under Naruko's touch but said nothing more.

 

 

"She'll be back soon, I'm sure of it" Naruko said reassuringly.

 

That was likely true Sakurai thought. She should be back eventually, right? 

 

 

"I'll wait as long as it takes." Sakurai blurted out, his voice far more defensive than he had intended to make it. 

 

 

'I know" Naruko said in the most neutral tone Sakurai had ever heard come from his teammate. 

 

 

For a while, they said nothing, but it was a strangely comfortable silence. 

 

 

"Hinata loves you" Sakurai said breaking the gentle quiet.                         

 

 

"I know" Naruko repeated.  Her voice betraying nothing. 

 

 

"What-are you going to do about that?" Sakurai asked. 

 

 

"Something, one day-I guess-when I'm ready."

 

 

Sakurai swallowed the lump in his throat. "You're not ready now?"

 

 

"Not as ready as I should be."

 

 

Sakurai scrutinized his sense of ease from hearing her words and when he considered the implications of it he barred it from his mind. Another thought took its place and it was no less distressing.

 

"What the hell!" Sakurai said springing out of his chair.  Then he pointed at the bed "you're still in recovery you are supposed to be in bed!" 

 

The initial shock written on Naruko's face from witnessing Sakurai's volcanic eruption from the chair faded easily into mirth. 

 

"I'm fine, Sakurai-chan."

 

"There's a recovery schedule for a reason. You promised you'd follow my instructions."

 

"Okay calm down," Naruko started to do a jig, swinging her hips from side to side and snapping her fingers with delight, "See." 

 

Sakurai wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, not allowing her to move, "Stop that don't over-exert yourself!" 

 

 

"You are medically obsessed you know that?" Naruko said softly. 

 

 

"That's what makes me good at it what I do. Now let me take care of you, like I promised." 

 

Slowly Naruko placed her cheek against his shoulders and she melted into his arms. He couldn't blame her for that, it had suddenly gotten so warm in the room.  Sakurai could not ignore the heat radiating between them, and the obvious fact that it had nothing to do with either of them suffering from a fever. He had no clue what was going to happen next. He wasn't even sure what was happening in the present. He was of the mind to leave it to the hands of fate when he felt Naruko stiffen like petrified wood in his grasp. 

 

"Something wrong?" Sakurai asked. 

 

"I just um-I'm sorry I just remembered that I'm not wearing anything but the hospital gown."

 

And just like that Sakurai became conscious of something he had only been dimly aware of.  The contours of her shape were fitted into his and he was cognizant of her softness now, the unyielding flesh. He could feel now without looking the shapeliness of her female frame.

 

Sakurai sprang backwards as if having touched a hot stove. "I'm sorry!"

 

Her face fiery red Naruko dove back into the hospital bed and beneath covers. 

 

"I'm sorry!" Sakurai blurted out again. 

 

"No it's my fault! I shouldn't have gotten out of bed like that!" Naruko cried.

 

They punched and counterpunched with hurried and sincere apologies until Sakurai managed to stumble out of the room into the hallway. Sakurai floundered and lurched through the halls of the hospital like a drunkard. Fortunately he managed to stop his forward momentum before anyone had taken notice of his unraveling state.  Unfortunately he stopped right in front of a mirror.  

 

And to Sakurai's great stupification "he" greeted him with a perverted grin and a thumbs up

 

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The sun woke Sakurai up at dawn, but he was in no rush to get out of bed. There had been a lot on his mind over the last week and as he had expected the situation wasn't much different this morning.  A week of thought hadn't given him any answers, so it seemed at last that perhaps he wasn't asking the right questions, he wasn't confronting the actual elephant in the room.  So rubbing his eyes Sakurai climbed out of bed and waddled over to the full-length mirror covering his bedroom wall. He massaged the base of his forehead, drew in a deep breath,  examined the bags under his eyes, and let the breath out slowly. 

 

"Okay why not when we were training together? Why not when she saved me from Gaara, why not when she came back after training with her godmother, why not when she saved the village from Nagato, why not when she saved me from Sasuko, why not when I held her heart in my hand during the war-why not after she saved the world-why not anytime in the last eight years-why now?"

 

He looked up and at his reflection in the mirror. His reflection stared back. Sakurai felt suddenly embarrassed. He stepped back from the mirror and stared down at his shaking hands. He looked up at the mirror and saw "himself" looking not at him but off to the side, somewhere past him. Sakurai followed "his" gaze to the bedroom window where sunlight streamed into the room 

 

Curious Sakurai eased his way to the window. He held out his hand, palm up, and when the sunlight struck his skin, he was assailed by two memories. They seemed to come to him simultaneously but intuitively Sakurai felt that the first triggered the second. The first thought that had come to mind was how he'd woken up this very morning with the sun streaming light through his eyes lids. Then he recalled storming into the cafeteria-flush with anger and lingering fear-he berated Naruko venting his frustration at her but then she simply smiled at him. That smile that had dawned on her face had filled the room with its radiance breaking through the clouds of his fear and anger and waking him up

 

Sakurai placed a palm against his forehead, "oh no, no, no."

 

He whirled towards the mirror. "If Sasuko were here, if Sasuko was right here in front of me I'd prove my love, I'd declare my love from the mountain-top so the whole world could hear!"

 

Sakurai's eyes darted across the room, looking for a picture of his love, a substitute upon to project his affection. He paused, no more substitutes, he needed to find Sasuko. He needed to go out into the world and find Sasuko and prove how much he loved her. 

 

He paused for a second time. He had no idea where she was. She hadn't contacted him in two years. Sakurai glanced around his room, it was suddenly empty yet somehow stifling, it was to his eyes in reality the loneliest room in the whole world. 

 

"I know what being in love feels like, I've been in love for years, I know what love is," he muttered softly to "himself."

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

Sakurai's main objective for the next day was to discharge Naruko without looking her in the face. If he managed to accomplish such a feat with adequate success then the next step would be to extend the objective to the rest of his natural life. 

 

"You've still got small traces of the chakra poisoning in your system. So you chakra won't be functioning at optimal levels, your healing will still be somewhat limited but nowhere near as bad as it was before. You can for example, definitely take one or two more stabs wounds, than you could have the day after your surgery.  Just don't over do it, try to avoid getting hit-like most people have to do. Also your immune system is very vulnerable so you'll have to avoid germs, bacteria and poisons just like everyone else. At least for a little while, by the end of the month you'll be back to being a beast." 

 

"I'm a beast eh?" Naruko chuckled, as she held up her hair tying it into her trademark twin  ponytail. 

 

Sakurai turned away quickly and edged towards the window in Naruko's hospital room.  He started into the village scanning for something to focus on. He settled on the graying clouds in the sky. 

 

"Well you and Sasuko are the closest things I know to beasts without you know being actual beasts. But right now you are just a mini beast so I'd recommend you avoid missions for a week or two at least." 

 

"I can keep eating ramen right?"

 

"Yeah, but you know it might be a little bit healthier to break the pattern with a bowl of salad every now and then."

 

"There are vegetables in ramen" Naruko replied.

 

"Right" Sakurai sighed. "It looks like its going to rain so you should try and get home as quickly as possible."

 

"Getting home quick won't be much of a problem" Naruko said with a yawn. "Hey turn around."

 

Biting his lips Sakurai turned sharply on his heels and faced Naruko

 

"Ta-da!" She shouted pushing a brown paper bag into his arms. 

 

"What is this?" Sakurai asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice. 

 

"Your new boots, I promised to get you new ones remember?"

 

"When did you...Did you sneak out to get these?"

 

Naruko shook her head. "I have other friends Sakurai-chan, friends who visit me and get me things from outside."

 

Ignoring her obvious logic Sakurai reached inside the bag and pulled out a pair of boots. He eyed them with thinly veiled admiration and he caught himself hoping they fit. 

 

"They're nice-" He meant it too-well they more than nice, but to his mind saying so would further complicate the issue at hand. "-But I can't take this."

 

"Why not?"

 

Dropping the boots back into the bag Sakurai pushed the bag back towards Naruko, "The boots you barfed all over are fine, all they needed was a little cleaning." 

 

Naruko pushed the bag back towards him. "Ok well then those are your back-up boots and these are your nice boots."

 

"I can't accept this," Sakurai said pushing the bag back. 

 

Naruko shoved the bag firmly into Sakurai's torso. "Why not?"

 

"Like I said I already have boots!"

 

The bag leapt from Sakuraii's arms into Naruko's.

 

"These boots are better!"

 

And then back again. 

 

"A medic is not supposed to accept favors for treatment!" Sakurai shouted deflecting the back like a ping pong. 

 

Naruko backhanded the ball away from her arms. "This isn't payment this is a gift from a friend!" 

 

Sakurai allowed the bag to hit him in the chest and fall to the ground, "what if I don't want to be just friends?"

 

"What?" Naruko said with wide innocent eyes. 

 

"What?" Sakurai countered. 

 

"Are you saying you don't want to be friends anymore Sakurai-chan?"

 

"I didn’t say that. I did not say that, no, that's not what I said." Sakurai grimaced, "listen I haven’t been sleeping lately and I'm-"

 

Naruko picked the bag off the ground. "If you don't want it. I'll take it back."

 

"No" Sakurai snatched the bag from her arms. "I want the boots."

 

"It's okay, I shouldn't have pushed them on you," Naruko said plucking the back out of Sakurai's arms. 

 

Sakurai seized the bag from her, "no seriously I want the boots, I appreciate this gift."

 

Naruko deftly snagged the bag away from Sakurai, "you don't have to do this, if you don't like the boots-"

 

Sakurai interrupted  her by swiping the bag from her grasp.  "I love these boots alright! I love having you as my best friend! I love--"   Sakurai paused, and a thoughtful expression came over his face as he clenched the bag against his body.  He leaned over to Naruko and gently kissed her on her cheek, just two inches away from her lips. He then pulled away from her and gazed into the beautiful face he'd just kissed.

 

"Thank you for the boots" Sakurai nodded. He then walked away to the door of the room. "You should really get home before it rains.'  

 

Looking for a distraction Sakurai toured the hospital twice and by the time that he wandered back to his office rain was beating at his window.  He pulled his seat into a corner of the room and waited for the rain to stop because he didn't want to go out and get his new boots wet. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

 

When the last lines of raindrops slid down the window pane Sakurai realized he knew for sure what he needed to do next.  First he would go home and get some sleep. Second he would wake up and start proactively living a lie that will last for the rest of his life. The consequence of this lie would mean he and Naruko would never have an honest relationship again. But Naruko wouldn't be aware of this so that problem was really his. Yes he would likely live in misery and sorrow for awhile but it was a price worth paying. A man who made choices lived by the consequences of those choices.

 

For the first time since being trained by Tsunade Sakurai stepped out of the hospital feeling very tired and empty. Outside he was greeting by a fresh wet wind and-to his shock-Naruko who stood waiting by the main entrance of the hospital.  Naruko was drenched to the skin, her jacket soaked through, her hair slicked back. Rain actually poured off every inch of her, dripping off her chin, her nose, and even her ears. It occurred to Sakurai as he looked Naruko over, if he weren't so worried about her health he would have found this to be a very arousing scene. 

 

A mischievous grin spread across Naruko's face upon seeing him. A knot appeared in his throat upon seeing that grin. 

 

"I thought you went home?!"

 

"I started to go home, and then I figured something out and I really needed to come back."

 

"So why are you standing out here?!" 

 

"I was waiting for you."                                                                                                              

 

Sakurai pointed to the entrance, "Why didn’t you wait inside?!"

 

Naruko offered the hospital a quizzical glance. "I- I guess I didn't think about that."

 

"You didn't think about that?!" Sakurai shouted

 

"I had a lot on my mind. I had to really work things out in my mind before-"

 

"Are you an actual idiot?!" Sakurai interrupted. "I told you about your weakened immune system and you stand out in the rain?!"

 

Naruko blinked at the furious medic.  "Did you almost kiss me on the lips in there?"

 

A violent flush swept over Sakurai's face as he stammered for words. "What, I your kiss" Then he resorted to quick angry gestures. "That's what you waited-in the rain-to ask me? Am you crazy?"

 

"Am I crazy?"

 

Sakurai backed away, a string of lectures about personal responsibility and being mindful of one's health tumbled from his lips, and Naruko followed. He backed a little this way and he backed a little that way. And every step Naruko followed, and followed again.  The dance continued until Sakurai stepped into a large puddle with muck around the edges. Sakurai winced knowing he likely muddied his new boots already, he looked down and noticed his reflection in the disturbed water 

 

Their eyes met, "he" nodded sagely at Sakurai and Sakurai stared at "him" like "he" were nuts. But when he glanced up Naruko he met her expectant eyes and he felt the hammer blow of seven words once said on a snowy afternoon a few years ago.                                   

 

"I've been saying to myself again and again 'this is not what you want.' But I am less and less able to fool myself" Sakurai muttered.

 

"What does that mean?" Naruko asked. 

 

"It means I wanted to kiss you."

 

 

Naruko was quiet for a moment. "So why didn't you?"

 

 

Sakurai rubbed at the back of his neck and sighed, "I think it's too late and I think you deserve better." 

 

 

Naruko snorted. “I thought I was supposed to be the idiot Sakurai-chan.” 

 

Sakurai chuckled, "no, I am the idiot, I've always been the idiot." 

 

 

Naruko grinned, "maybe, but it hasn't stopped me from loving you yet."

 

 

"Oh" Sakurai responded. 

 

 

Naruko's grin faded from her face and her expression became solemn. "You've been in love with Sasuko for years."

 

 

"Sasuko is gone and she's taken my love with her."

 

 

"She'll be back, someday."

 

 

"And I'll welcome her back as a friend."

 

 

"That make me a little sad" Naruko said blinking her misting eyes. "But only just a little sad." 

 

 

Sakurai scanned the immediate area, noting that there wasn't anyone else in listening distance.  "So what happens now?"

 

 

Naruko shrugged, "I don't know, it's been a long time since I thought there would ever be a 'now'."

 

 

"hmmm can I kiss you?" Sakurai asked. 

 

 

Naruko gave him a cooked grin. "Can you?"

 

 

"I think I can" 

 

Sakurai started towards Naruko and she pushed her dripping wet hair back from in front of her face. Sakurai smiled at this as he moved closer, soon enough they were standing in front of each other staring into each other's eyes. He leaned over and kissed her lightly on the mouth then pulled back a bit. He hovered for a moment over her lips before he looked at her. She'd closed her eyes and now she licked her lips, savoring the kiss.  Sakurai laughed and kissed her again and again, each time pushing back every excuse he had ever had that had kept him from kissing her years ago. 

 

Eventually, he felt her frantically tapping against his chest. He let up on the kisses and looked at her. 

 

"What's wrong?"

 

She answered by sneezing in his face.  

 

 

"I'm so sorry" Naruko said wiping at her dribbling nose. "The rain must have..."

 

 

Quietly Sakurai wiped at his face with this tip of his sleeve. Then he draped his right arms around Naruko. 

 

 

"I told you so" he sighed. "Let's get you inside and get things better before it gets worse."

 

 

He directed them towards the hospital. "At least you didn't throw up on me this time."

 

 

"Thank goodness, those boots are expensive" Naruko sniffed loudly before sneezing once again. "Hey Sakurai-chan are you doing anything this Saturday?"

 

 

"Assuming you haven't gotten us  both sick?"

 

 

"Yeah"

 

 

"I don't know, am I doing anything?"

 

 

"We could have dinner or something"

 

 

"Ramen.." Sakurai guessed. 

 

 

"I'd love to," Naruko answered.

 

 

On their way back to the hospital Sakurai glanced deeply at every puddle he could lay his eyes on. He looked in each excited and happy, he grinned and his reflection grinned right back at him. "He" was gone. Which was for the best since he was in love with a girl who hated people who lied to themselves. 

 

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Well I hope you like it, some Wed evening (U.S EST) rom-com for your consideration.

 

As always let me know what you think.


Edited by Candleguy, 06 August 2015 - 02:54 AM.


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Posted 06 August 2015 - 03:22 AM

That was good. Can you do their wedding and baby?

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