Work Text:
She couldn't take it anymore.
Neither could he.
They were both in a very dangerous game - where the slightest spark could set fire to an entire forest. She avoided being close as they walked, and he avoided facing her rear. He, always at the back, but lately it had become impossible for him not to notice her curves. She, impossible not to feel his gaze on her, and even from the front, it seemed that his woody scent penetrated her nostrils - making her completely ecstatic at the thought of licking the scented spot.
Not that Sasuke Uchiha wore perfume, of course. But his natural scent was reminiscent of fresh wood, and under the influence of his sweat, the smell was even stronger.
Completely inviting.
They were both crossing the great bamboo forest in the far west of the Land of Water, and the small village they had just rid of the local thieves was about to receive some good news.
It was nothing major and nothing alarming enough to notify the Mizukage, but even so, Sakura had sent Naruto a scroll, asking him to use his influence - alongside Kakashi, the sixth Hokage - to encourage Mei Terumi to pay more attention to those small villages.
The mission.
That blessed mission was the thorn in Sakura's side.
Whether it was Sasuke's or not, she couldn't know.
The Uchiha remained as taciturn as ever. Quiet. Serious. Composed and very handsome .
Sakura, you're an adult! Control yourself! , the pink-haired girl scolded herself.
But little did she know that yes, the Uchiha was acting as if the mission was the most important thing at the moment. But all with a lot of effort.
Little did she know that he was using his privileged angle to stare at her curves from behind, the perfect opportunity for him to observe her without having to worry about her facial expression - when she wasn't looking at him.
Otherwise she'd think he was a pervert.
And Sasuke Uchiha wouldn't accept that.
Am I a pervert? , he had asked himself several times when he found himself staring at his girlfriend's huge buttocks - and imagining himself touching her in any number of ways, perhaps pressing her against a tree...
Stop!, he scolded himself. I'm not going to disrespect her like that. She deserves so much more. What am I thinking?
“Sasuke-kun?” he almost jumped - almost - when she turned back slightly, and he could only mentally thank her for breaking through his completely impure thoughts.
“Hm?” was the most he could reply. His efforts were completely focused on disguising his facial expression so that she wouldn't notice anything at all.
“Shall we leave them here? I can go and call the village leader, they'll sort out the bureaucracy regarding these evildoers.”
“You can call him, I'll take care of the perimeter,” he managed to disguise his voice better this time. It would be safe for him to stay just a little away from Sakura.
Watching her gracefully make her way down the valley to the small village just a few meters from the forest, Sasuke then tied the three bandits to the nearest tree, but before he moved away to lean against the neighboring tree, one of them spoke in a mocking tone.
“Man... it's a good thing she didn't see anything. When are you going to say you're interested?”.
At this, the other two laughed - apparently, watching the black-haired young man staring unscrupulously at the entire back of the pink-haired young kunoichi amused them greatly - even though they were about to answer for their crimes.
“Shut up, or I'll kill you.”
His voice made it clear that he wasn't bluffing.
The bandits shut up immediately.
___*___
“I don't know how to thank you. I'll be eternally grateful for you both,” the leader of the small village, Hori Matsuma, had thanked them immensely. Hori was a middle-aged man, about one and a half meters tall. Despite his gentle face, it was possible to see stern features in his eyes, revealing that he was a man who had been through a lot in life.
“It was a pleasure, Hori-san,” Sakura answered for both of them - she was always the one who did the social part of the meetings, sparing Sasuke the embarrassment. The young man still had difficulty interacting with people, even though he did things with a good heart, he still didn't know how to act or speak. Sakura, of course, had noticed a great improvement in his social interaction since she had agreed to travel with him through the ninja world. But she still spared him the final words. She liked interacting with people and didn't mind helping him with that, “Please wait for signals from the Mizukage or his subordinates, I'm sure he'll pay due attention to your village, I guarantee it.”
The gentleman nodded, a sincere smile on his face, while several villagers behind him also offered their words of thanks. That was their cue. They both turned their backs on the villagers - nodding at first - and then walked back into the bamboo forest.
Logically, they didn't walk very far, as it was past dusk and they both needed to rest. Even though it had been easy to catch the bandits in the village, they were tired from the chase through the forest.
And also...
They were tired of pretending.
That was tiring too.
A lot.
“Sasuke-kun?” Sakura called out to him when she noticed that he was restless in front of the log where he had been sitting. She had quickly called him over to light the fire, but seeing him still standing, looking at something beyond his head confused her.
“Can you manage on your own for now?” he asked, too quickly. But she couldn't even answer. Just as quickly as he had asked the question, he had disappeared.
What's wrong with him?
She had known there was something wrong with him from the start of that short, quick mission. Sasuke wasn't acting in an ordinary way, and she feared it had something to do with her.
Everything was perfect between them. They had been together for almost seven months, wandering the great nations, helping in any way they could. Sasuke liked to focus on small villages, claiming that they were the least privileged, and Sakura, of course, would never object. She was too proud of the man Sasuke had become. She loved how kind he was to people - even with his quiet, shameful and dry manner, she knew that what he did was purely because he wanted to help people. His will was genuine, and it filled her heart. She hadn't imagined that it would be possible to fall in love so many times with the same man.
However.
She didn't know it was mutual until weeks ago.
It all started with innocent touches and intense looks.
At first, it was just something innocent and without malice.
Without meaning to, she would fall asleep while they were talking by the fire, and then wake up with her head resting on his shoulder. Whether he thought it was bad or not, he never revealed, but she was absolutely sure that he didn't mind when she noticed that he always wrapped her in his cloak to keep her warm.
If he didn't like it, why bother keeping her warm, right?
That was the excuse Sakura had created in her mind. He was a good friend.
That was it.
But then days passed, and the touches became more intimate.
As she leaned against his shoulder, light asleep, but completely able to feel his hand in her hair. It was subtle, she could sense a lock on her face, and then she felt him gently pull it away and tuck it behind her ear.
Whether he had noticed her face heating up, she could never tell. But that didn't stop him, because just two days later, he had made the gesture again, this time with her fully awake, when she was crouched in the middle of a sparsely wooded forest, taking advantage of the sunlight coming through the canopy to look at a small map in her hands, and he, several times, removing the hair from her face so that she could see precisely.
Sasuke Uchiha definitely felt comfortable touching her.
And she would never complain about that, but deep down she kept telling herself over and over again.
We're just friends. He's just being nice.
She couldn't fool herself. Not anymore.
But then, something she had never imagined happened.
He grabbed her hand.
She couldn't say for sure how it came about, because her heart was burning and she couldn't think. Her heart and mind seemed to be merging.
His hand was warm, warmer than she had imagined in her dreams. And it was rough, but still gentle.
They walked all the way down the grassy path to a village in the Land of Water, holding hands. All the way.
Friends walked hand in hand? , she had asked herself the whole way as she looked at their entwined hands. She saw a small smile appear on Sasuke's face when she caught a glimpse of him, as if he was enjoying the contact.
But she wasn't enjoying it at all.
And it wasn't as if she didn't want to touch him.
Not at all.
She feared that he was being kind and gentle, and she was getting things all wrong. She could face anything in that world. She could face thousands of armies for days and still stand up to save as many lives as she could with her jutsu.
She could even face an entire war again. Those things might not kill her, but the hope in her heart would.
A damned hope that she dearly wished didn't exist.
But her disturbing daydreams soon ceased.
The day before their arrival in the village of the Land of Water, they both decided to rest on a large redwood tree trunk, and it was that day that her hopes returned with everything.
Sasuke kissed her.
And she wasn't ready for it.
Friends... don't kiss, do they?
“You think too much ”, she had heard him say as soon as he had moved his face a little away from hers. Opening her eyes slightly, she noticed his penetrating gaze on hers, and feeling embarrassed for holding that intimate gaze, she lowered her eyes to his lips, slightly red from the recent kiss. Sasuke held her chin tightly with one hand, and in a hoarse voice pleaded, “Look at me” . She looked at him immediately. His voice was like a magnet, there was no way she wouldn't follow his command. It was... vibrant.
“I know I don't have the right to want that... but it's up to you,” he gave her a taciturn smile, but he continued to keep his penetrating gaze on her, “Sakura, do you still love me? ” he didn't wait for her to answer, “If your answer is yes, I swear I'll try to be the best man I can to deserve you, I swear I'll be better... because honestly...” he seemed to dread his next words, “I... don't know... how to live without you anymore,” his eyes were red. In the middle of his sentence, without realizing it, the Sharingan flashed in the completely dark night.
That was the answer her hope needed.
She wasn't creating fantasies in her head.
Sasuke loved her. And she was just too foolish to admit that all the time, he was getting closer to her, in an interested party. He was getting closer to probe - to see if she still wanted him. And his delay was obviously because he wanted to make sure she wanted it too.
He was afraid of being hurt.
Did he really think it was an option for her not to love him anymore?
The absurd idea had made her laugh, left him completely confused, and without thinking, she had kissed him again that night.
Logically, the kiss and the intensity of their feelings ended up taking them a step that neither of them had planned.
Remembering that night made her feel completely feverish. It was exactly eight days ago that they had kissed and made love for the first time. The next day had almost been perfect, if it hadn't been for thieves waking them up from their fantasies by entering the cave where they were - hiding from the angry citizens of the nearby village.
And now, he was acting strangely. Running away when he could, distancing himself all the time - as if she were a plague, a contagious disease.
The evening had been perfect, so what was wrong with the - boyfriend - if she could call him that.
Feeling the need to get her thoughts out, Sakura got up from the mini camp they had made and followed the dark-haired man's chakra. They had come this far. They couldn't let a silly problem stand in their way. They had exchanged vows of love, they had touched each other in a completely intimate way. They had loved each other as man and woman.
They had come so far. If Sasuke didn't talk about the real problem, Sakura was going to make him.
Getting closer and closer to the known chakra, Sakura finally heard the faint sound of falling water. She could tell that she was near a spring, and the smell of water and damp plants permeated her nostrils.
Slowing her pace, she slowly approached the small waterfall, which had a slight glow due to small openings in the treetops - allowing the moonlight to slightly clear the darkness caused by the trees. And then she saw him. She knew he had noticed her because she could feel the muscles in his trapezius tensing up.
Sakura didn't let her physical reaction faze her. Completely ignoring the fact that he was probably naked in the stream, she approached him and then sat down on a large rock right next to him. Not knowing how to broach the subject, her courage beginning to wane, she crossed her legs and looked up, focusing on one particular star that shone brighter than all the others in the sky above.
“Are you all right?” she asked him. Sasuke continued to stand with his back to her, but answered nothing. He looked like a statue, and that worried her, “Sasuke-kun... Did I do something wrong?” The question hit the right note, she noticed his body relax slightly, and his face turn slightly towards her, so that she couldn't see any of his eyes, "Why do you ask that?".
“You've... been weird with me since—”
“I'm not weird,” he answered promptly, cutting her off. He had realized what she was talking about, but he didn't feel ready to share his thoughts, if ever. What would he say? That he was a complete pervert? That he wanted her all to himself? That he spent day and night thinking about touching her in places he hadn't had the chance to on their first night together? That he imagined her thick thighs squeezing him? That he imagined her lips trailing down his neck? No. She wouldn't know about his impure thoughts. It was totally disrespectful to her. She was a woman of respect. He couldn't have those kinds of thoughts. It was wrong. It was vulgar.
Sakura lowered her face again to stare at him, or rather, to stare at his hair. She tried not to think about the fact that she was invading his personal space - wanting to talk to him while he was trying to take a shower - but at the same time, she felt that if that barrier was broken, a lot in their future relationship would be resolved right there.
She decided to be bold. Without thinking to stop herself, she quickly took off her clothes, leaving them on the rock, and then jumped into the running water. The icy water somehow managed to calm her nerves, making her even braver. Sakura had never taken the initiative since she had agreed to travel with Sasuke months ago. It was he who called her to accompany him. It was he who invaded her personal space. It was he who held her hand. It was him who kissed her. It was him who took her into a cave - in the heat of the moment - where they gave themselves to each other in every way possible. It had all been him. Giving him space had done him good, but this time, she felt that it was she who needed to be first in something.
As she approached him, she could see that his jaw was tense, completely unlike his always composed and inexpressive face. It seemed that his face was no longer disguised. He was clearly trying futilely to disguise something - and she was going to find out what. Taking his one hand and squeezing it tightly, she could see all his muscles relax again. She noticed him staring at her from behind a large wet strand of hair that completely covered his onyx eye, and with her other hand, she pulled the strand away so that she could look at him clearly.
“It wasn't so bad, was it?” she murmured quietly, but even with the loud sound of the falling water, Sasuke had heard very well and quickly turned his face to look at her. He didn't look happy, but his placement left his expression confused, and he seemed uncomfortable about something.
“I'm the one who should be asking you this, not the other way around.”
“But—”
“What do you think I'm thinking?” he challenged her. What if she guessed what he was thinking? Would he admit it or pretend she was imagining things?
“I don't know... you... seem reluctant to touch me,” she opened up slightly.
“We were chasing thieves,” was her quick reply. He was determined to get her out of his thoughts.
“But we were alone at least twice,” she pointed out of the two nights in Kuruigakure. Two days after their first night in the cave. Sasuke had made the excuse of looking for clues at dawn, and claimed that Sakura needed to rest at night, in case he needed to rest during the day. Not that Sasuke never looked for clues, but it was the first time he hadn't included her in his investigations - and he always, always included her in his nighttime investigations.
What the sole survivor of the Uchiha clan hadn't thought of: looking for what clues if they already knew where the thieves' hideout was? Weren't they taken by surprise the next morning when they heard anxious footsteps throughout that cave?
Sakura dropped her hand and raised it to touch his face, her thumb close to his right eyelid. “Sasuke-kun, you know you can tell me anything, don't you?” she said, not failing to notice their bodies approaching. Sasuke had closed his eye tightly, as if he wanted to concentrate on something else, but it was when Sakura noticed something on his right thigh that she finally realized what her grumpy almost-boyfriend had been avoiding.
“Sakura...”.
“I want you too,” her words had no malice, just a realization, “Maybe I don't have any experience yet, but—”.
“What are you talking about?” The moment he spoke, she felt his one arm wrap around her, pulling her closer.
“We haven't had a chance to talk about it,” she didn't want to use the word 'sex' in her vocabulary. Even though she was a medical ninja, and even though she had seen naked men many times, the little word still had a high shameful content to it.
“Maybe it wasn't what you expected?”, even she couldn't tell if it was a question or a statement, “You must have had several—”.
But Sasuke's low, hoarse laugh caught her off guard. It wasn't just his face that seemed to have finally lost the scowl it had been wearing for the past few days, but the air suddenly seemed lighter. Before she could ask him anything else, he kissed her, and that was all it took to completely erase all the daydreams in her mind. Like the first time, the kiss began slowly, gently, warmly. He was in no hurry, just like the first time. He touched her tongue lightly, but didn't penetrate her yet. He opened her mouth slightly with his, as if teasing her, as if asking permission to deepen the kiss. They continued like that for several minutes, and before she knew it, her back was against the stone she had sat on earlier. Despite the thermal shock - the coldness of the rock - her body soon warmed up, as Sasuke's body was completely glued to hers. Even with their bodies completely glued together, the kiss was still slow, and he gradually began to dare to use his tongue.
Sakura then decided that she would be daring. Taking advantage of the fact that they were in the water, she easily lifted their bodies - previously slightly lowered to protect them from the freezing night wind - and crossed her legs around his waist, bringing their bodies even closer together. Despite the cold wind on her torso, she soon felt a burning sensation, soon she felt the warmth of Sasuke's body on hers again.
Not long after they had been kissing for several minutes, he tilted his head, and she felt his mouth move down the length of her neck, kissing all the way with his tongue - automatically, she stretched her neck to give him more access. Not long after, she felt his mouth on her breasts, kissing one nipple and then the other, sucking lightly on the whole structure and kissing the nipple whenever he switched between them. Taking advantage of their close bodies, he lowered his right arm to her buttocks and squeezed her even harder - the pink-haired woman could feel his fury, his passion in that grip. It was as if he wanted to melt into her body, and she knew that feeling very well, because she wanted that too.
Feeling that burning between her legs, that yearning that something was missing, left her completely at the mercy of his desires. She was completely at the mercy of what her body needed at that moment, and she wouldn't deny her desires - or his - anymore. She quickly pushed him a little, lowering her legs. She had something in mind, and if the courage was overwhelming her, she would go with it. Despite the confusion on his face, she quickly pulled him out of the stream. He just followed her.
The moment they were out of the water, he immediately pulled her in with his one arm to cling to her body - her legs wrapped tightly around his waist as he squeezed her even tighter against his body. At no point since coming out of the water did they stop kissing. It felt like a need, like oxygen.
Neither of them noticed when they were lying completely flat on a pile of leaves, just below a cherry tree. Hours could have passed, or just minutes. Neither of them seemed to care about the details.
Sasuke began to move down the length of her body, taking advantage of her position again, he began to move down from her neck to her torso, but was soon stopped by Sakura's arms. Not giving him time to ask what she had planned, the rosy-cheeked girl quickly pushed him aside and immediately climbed on top of his body, taking him completely by surprise. It was she kissing his neck this time, her hands squeezing both sides of his collarbone, as she slowly moved her delicate hands down his chest and then below his stomach.
Her courage was still intact, and taking advantage of this, she took his erect, thick member between her hands - still kissing his neck, she made rhythmic back and forth movements, down the length of his member and up until she touched his glans with both thumbs. While making these movements, she simultaneously placed the tip of his member at her entrance, teasing him, as if at any moment she was going to allow him to penetrate her.
The young man went crazy. Her breathing became more panting, and her arm, which had previously wrapped around his waist, went up to the back of his neck, taking a firm hold of his hair, which fell in light strands across his face.
Feeling completely lubricated, given the intensity of the kiss, the touches and the moment, Sakura gradually placed the tip of his member inside her entrance, not before rubbing it lightly between her large lips, teasing not only him, but herself. Those movements were making her wet, and she finally realized that it wasn't because she was literally wet, but because the lubrication was coming from inside her.
She wanted him. And she wanted him inside her.
Tired of teasing him, she positioned his member at her entrance again and released him. Still standing still, she slowly ran her hands up his body, over his stomach, his chest, his neck and then around his face - each hand on one side. Staring intensely into his eyes, she felt something between her legs as she noticed his only onyx eye was now red - the Sharingan activated. Still staring intensely into his eyes, she lowered herself, using only the muscles of her thigh - he penetrated her, and she moved up and down on his member, in a way that was delicious for both of them.
They didn't stay slow for long, as an urgency soon took over their bodies. The pink-haired woman could no longer control her movements. Before slowly, she was now riding him harder and faster, and he got up quickly, sitting completely on the grass, holding her waist tightly against him, with the intention of going even deeper.
Their bodies slid easily against each other, like two perfect puzzle pieces. With their bodies completely wet, it was impossible to decipher what was sweat and what was remaining water.
“Sa...kura,” his tone was almost pleading. His voice was enough to bring her even closer to the apex of her act of love.
Not long after, they both stopped their movements, pressing against each other, as if they wanted to merge. She couldn't feel her legs anymore, she felt completely wobbly and ecstatic with the wonderful sensations that rose from her belly, while she felt her lover's ragged breathing between her breasts. She knew that he too had reached his peak, she could feel something inside her leaking out - and she knew it wasn't hers. Without the strength to stand up, she just leaned against his shoulder, her eyes closed. Smiling, Sasuke held her tightly with his only arm, and with a small projection of his other arm – with susano`o – he held her over his body as she stood up. Still holding her firmly, he approached the rock where their clothes were, picked them up with his susano`o extension and then, they headed towards his camp.
Looking down at her with his right eye - now onyx again - he smiled.
.
.
.
It was close to 8 o'clock in the morning, and the climate was already hot between the trees.
Waking up to the bright light above the tent, Sakura slowly opened her eyes, getting used to the brightness. It didn't take her long to realize that she was still naked, and in the arms of Sasuke Uchiha.
It felt like that first time all over again.
“Ohayo,” he murmured in her ear - his tone of voice was playful, something she was beginning to get used to. Sasuke wasn't very communicative in the mornings, but the idea of being next to her seemed to improve his mood, and she couldn't help feeling tremendously happy about it.
“We're not in a cave, are we?” she asked as soon as she noticed that not only she, but he too, was still completely naked under the sheet that covered them to the middle of their bellies.
“No, and I've already made sure there's no one around,” he seemed to think before he spoke, but eventually let out, “Aoda is watching the perimeter.”
“Aoda?” She knew who Aoda was, but that line left her perplexed. Why had he summoned the snake?
Noticing the confusion on her face, he quickly gave a brief explanation.
“I didn't want us to be... taken by surprise like last time,” Sakura made an `O' with her mouth, fully understanding what he meant.
The day they were almost caught naked in a cave, completely oblivious to the world around them.
“Is that why you've acted strangely over the last few days?” His mood was so high that she felt the courage to say everything that was on her mind, “Why did you lie to avoid being close to me?”.
Receiving only silence in response, she huffed in frustration, not before saying, “At least last night was proof that you really want me,” something that was only supposed to be in thought ended up being verbalized, and the next thing she knew, Sasuke's body was on top of hers again. His only arm rested at his side, his hand supporting him as he tilted his head. His expression was neutral, but it was hard for her to tell if he was calm or just masking his irritation.
“You said something that bothered me,” he murmured, his voice controlled.
“I talk all day. It's better to be frank,” she replied, staring at him with the same intensity as he was staring at her.
“Why do you think we're not a couple?”, the question took her by surprise. When did I say that? I thought it out loud? , Sakura didn't know what to say, because of all the possibilities in her mind, that was the only one she would never have considered. Was that what was bothering him?
“When did I say that?” she couldn't really remember.
“When we arrived in Kuruigakure, when the lady at the inn asked if we were a couple, and you said no,” he overheard our conversation?!
“I thought you'd gone out to get some food,” she replied promptly, not knowing what to say.
“I thought I'd made myself clear,” his reply was enough to leave her speechless again. Thinking back to her awkwardness over the last few days, since their first time, it made sense that Sasuke had treated her in a cold and simplistic way while on a mission.
“...I'm sorry.”
“You don't have to apologize for anything,” he replied as he stood up, his back to her. He picked up a pair of spare pants from beside the futon, but didn't do anything with the pants, just stared at her, “You never have to apologize to me.”
“I don't know how to respond really...”, she decided to explain herself better, “I wanted to respect your space, I didn't want to pressure you into anything... nowadays things are different. We don't have to be together just because we sleep together.”
“I'm not like that, Sakura,” he cut her off, feeling the need to explain himself, “I know I don't deserve any credit, but I wouldn't play with your feelings like that... what I said... it wasn't in the heat of the moment,” he said his words slowly, then turned his face to face her again, “I meant what I said,” he then took her right hand and turned it over in his palm, “I... I've never done that with anyone, because I've never felt like it. With you... it's different,” he gave her a lopsided smile, "With you, I want it all".
He means he never...?
Was it his first time too?
Sakura was speechless.
“I don't want you to respect my space, maybe that's the answer you need to hear,” he said again, “I don't care if you're the one invading my space... I think I've never really cared,” the last sentence sounded like he was saying it to himself.
“You're strangely communicative this morning,” she replied awkwardly, and her response made him give her a smile she'd never seen before.
He was happy.
Do I make him happy?
Could she really make him happy? Reality began to pound in her heart in a strong and urgent way. It felt like she was going to explode.
“You think too much, and I think it's my fault,” he approached her again, brushing away a pink strand that seemed to be bothering her left eye.
“You're unpredictable,” she said sincerely, “and I wish you'd share more of what you think with me too.”
“I say everything I think to you,” his reply caused Sakura to arch an eyebrow at him.
“Even when you're shamelessly flirting blatantly over me from behind?” That paralyzed him. Sasuke stopped the movement he was making with his hand - which was tucking more strands behind his ear. Being face to face with her, he couldn't disguise the look on his face - completely embarrassed. He had never wanted to disappear like he did at that moment.
“...”.
“Sasuke-kun, didn't you tell me you didn't like me not confirming that we're a couple?”.
“...”.
“You can lust after me, that's no... sin,” she said, kissing his eye with the Rinnegan, “But you'd better learn to disguise it when you stare at me, people notice.”
“...?”, he still couldn't say anything.
Laughing at his completely dumbfounded expression, Sakura took his face in both hands and kissed him gently, then said, “I love you, and that's never changed”.
With his eyes still closed, he approached her ear.
“You're...”, but before he could complete the sentence, he felt himself being pulled against her, both of them lying back on the futon.
Annoying.
It was his last thought before letting sleep take him over again.