Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Past Midnight ❯ Home ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: NejiSaku, ItaSaku and SasuSaku will be mentioned more once the story gets moving. Although NejiSaku will not be focused as much as the other two coupling.

 

Warnings: Mentions of violence, sex and rape

 

Enjoy!

 

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How long had it been, seven or eight years since he'd been gone?

 

He couldn't recall, but he was certain it felt like an eternity. He was going on twenty-five, nothing compared to the age at the time when he left everything behind with his comrades, everything and everyone.

 

He briefly wondered if she changed from the person he left behind. A small, fragile girl whose once bright emerald eyes and cheeky smiles could almost make him purge out of disgust.

 

Yet, at the same time he found himself not being able to live without them, without her.

 

“LOOK, LOOK!”

 

A blur of sun kissed hair came into his view from the corner of his eyes, disturbing his peaceful daze from the blue and white smudges in the morning sky. His companion bounced up and down, finger steadily pointing to the view up ahead.

 

Powerful, rusty gates stood before them, welcoming home three ninjas that left many years before to defend and protect their beautiful village.

 

The man behind them sighed at the blond's eagerness, orange book slowly slipping into his pant's side pocket.

 

“No need to get overly excited, Naruto.”

 

He patted the blond on the back, eye crinkling into a smile at the small frown he received. Naruto pouted childishly before running up ahead, away from his teammates, happily laughing at the thought about almost being home after being gone for so long.

 

“First thing I'm gonna do is go see Sakura-chan and then eat ramen!”

 

Sakura.

 

A bitter thought ran through his mind, savagely breaking his peaceful thoughts about home, about her, about her very presence.

 

Dull, lifeless green eyes haunted him at night, gone were those piercing blood-red eyes of his brother's, comas that swirled dangerously upon him as a child and in his dreams.

 

She stopped smiling after the incident in the forest, silently blaming himself for letting his anger get the best of him. But hadn't he been doing that lately? Blaming himself for his parent's death for not being strong enough, for not having enough power to kill his older brother, for not being able to avenge his clan, and for hurting her when she only cared.

 

She had been unusually quiet, he noticed, the knit of her brows at times and the way her eyes flickered between interested in her surroundings and not caring. When the team went their separate way after coming back from a C-ranked mission, she didn't even bother to say goodbye or even ask him out on a date. She hurriedly went home not even looking back at her teammates.

 

He didn't see her until late that very afternoon when she quietly came up from behind him and watched him train. He chose to ignore her, like he did everyday, but something about the aura she was emitting was a bit unsettling.

 

He turned around to face her; his best glare and frown set in place, the one she knew very well when he wanted to be left alone to train no matter what.

 

Her eyes were staring at the green grass below; she fidgeted when she opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She tried again, mouth gaping open and then closing, she almost seemed like a gaping fish.

 

“What?” he spat, yet she didn't even budge from the spot where she stood.

 

“Could…could you help me with something Sasuke-kun?”

 

He gave her the cold shoulder and went back to training, sending powerful blows to the tree stump in front of him.

 

“No,” he grunted.

 

Her head whipped up, eyes pleading with so many emotions. She wringed her small hands in front of her nervously, clasping and unclasping her delicate fingers.

 

“Please?” she choked, unconsciously wiping away tears that had yet to fall.

 

He faced her again, obviously annoyed that he was being disturbed from his training.

 

“I said no, Sakura. Go home. I want to be left alone.”

 

The instance he felt her soft hands tugging on his arm his blood began to boil, especially when it seemed she was about to go off with the water-works. Sixteen and still crying like a baby, he scoffed at her.

 

“But-but, please? Sasuke-kun I-“

 

She didn't even get to finish her sentence, fear gripping her and making her forget the reason why she chose him out all the people she knew for help and advice. Rough hands painfully grasping her shoulders, shaking her out of her skin.

 

“Damn it, Sakura! Don't you understand the meaning of leave me the fuck alone?!”

 

She whimpered softly, lip quivering, eyes glazed with unshed tears. She nodded slowly. Hands leaving her shoulders she immediately rubbed them, wincing when she felt bruising starting to form and she stood rooted to the spot, almost frozen like a statue.

 

Sasuke turned around and began punching the tree with all his might, blow after blow of frustration and maybe guilt. He never yelled at her, even when she was at her best at annoying him, but today something inside of him just exploded. Patience was something he had difficulty at obtaining especially when she was around.

 

His movements slowed down and before he knew what he was doing he put his pride to the side and turned around to apologize, but an empty field greeted his apology instead.

 

He didn't' think twice about seeking her and actually apologizing, he just ignored the unpleasant feeling he had in my stomach and continued his training, she could wait until tomorrow morning.

 

Although the next day proved to be equally worse, his stomach twisting in ways he only felt during battle when adrenalin would kick in and save his sorry ass from being killed.

 

She was late for the morning meeting, unusually late because Kakashi had showed up before she did. When she finally did show up she was weary, dark circles staining the bottom of her dull green eyes, and she seemed paler than usual.

 

She quietly came into their view as they were leaving to train. Small hands bandaged, smooth skin burned by chemicals, dried blood smeared to the pink fingertips. She seemed distracted, somewhat depressed or in pain from her hands, he couldn't tell.

 

She walked past them heading towards the forest, although a warm hand on her shoulder brought her back from her reverie.

 

“Sakura, you're late.”

 

She turned around and smiled a little, yet it seemed forced even if it was a small smile. Timidly she offered an apology to her teacher and once again began her way to the forest.

 

Kakashi watched his student with worry, confused that he couldn't make any sense of her strange behavior. She was usually a happy go lucky teenage girl, laughing and singing, always getting into trouble with Naruto for playing silly pranks around the village, but today she was different. If anything he was sure that Sasuke had something to do with her melancholy mood.

 

All three males trailed behind her, making sure she would be all right. The uncomfortable silence irked Sasuke to the bone; Sakura was usually the only person, with the help of Naruto of course, that would do most of the talking in the group. Since Sakura wasn't in the mood and seemingly it somehow affected Naruto the quiet atmosphere stretched amongst them.

 

Sasuke, himself not being a talker, but a listener, did love to listen to her speak. Voice so sweet and angelic, yet fiery and annoying when she wanted. And silence from her was in no means any good, since it affected the whole team, especially Sasuke.

 

So before thinking anything over in his head, his mouth seemed to have a mind of its own as it coldly blurted out the question that was plaguing all three of the males, “What happened to your hands?”

 

She stopped abruptly and turned around to face them. She brought her hands up to her chest and looked up towards the sky. A sad little smile edged her features, eyes not really focusing on the clouds just dull and lifeless, fingers grasping onto her red shirt.

 

“Oh…this,” she dropped her hands to her sides, “Water and soap doesn't really clean blood stains from the floors and walls, I had to use something much stronger.”

 

Blood?!

 

“Blood, Sakura-chan?” choked Naruto.

 

She nodded and began walking once again. All three males were shocked as they watched her disappear into the green vast.

 

A powerful punch to the gut was what he felt that day.

 

It had resulted that her parents were brutally killed in their home while she was away on the C-rank mission with her teammates the day before. Like the daughter of Mr. And Mrs. Haruno she had an awful feeling that a part of her was ripped away and knew that to whatever she was coming home to that day was not going to be pretty. And what was even worse was that she had sought help from her teammate only to be shunned away.

 

She had spent the whole night and early morning cleaning up their blood, scrubbing walls and floors until they become somewhat more presentable. Her hands had bleed with all the cleaning materials she used, porcelain hands bleached and burned, green nail polish cracked and dissolved with her parents blood.

 

It took two weeks for her hands to heal properly even with Tsunade's help, but an empty house did nothing but break her slowly.

 

“Sasuke,” a soft voice said from behind, a gentle pat on his shoulder broke him away from his unpleasant thoughts.

 

“We're home.”

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

Perched against the wooden windowsill, the small figure sat motionless in the dark room staring intently at the bright morning sky. Lost in her thoughts she failed to notice the door opening slowly as a man walked in and frowned at her, watching her sulk in the corner of their stuffy little room.

 

A soft click from the door made her shift on her seat nervously. She had known him for a little more than a year, and yet she still became nervous in his very presence even after sharing some intimate nights together. She wasn't sure what made her hesitant, whether if it was of fear for her life or the fact the he resembled someone she held very close to her heart when she was a child.

 

Even if her back was facing him she didn't need to see him moving towards her, she could feel him. Each step was calculated, he knew the steps from the door to the window. He had walked them every single day for the past year since she started living with him. The closer he came the faster he bridged the small distance between them.

 

His warm hands slide around her waist, bringing her closer to his muscular body, engulfing her in a tight embrace. He gripped her body gently before loosening his grip and bringing his hands up to her pink curls.

 

She sighed against his inviting touch, gentle yet forceful at the same time.

 

“You should be resting,” his husky voice echoed, causing delightful shivers running up and down her small body.

 

She hummed at his concern, large hands feverishly exploring her body, fiery mouth tasting her exposed skin making her unintentionally moan and lean into his touch, while her mind wandered elsewhere. Memories of her past flashed before her eyes, sad, happy, painful, and lonesome memories.

 

“I…I'm sorry Sakura I…” he gripped his hair tightly, obscuring his dark, charcoal eyes. He tried his best to hold back his tears, eyes filled with so much raw emotions.

 

“I didn't mean to hurt you, I swear…I didn't mean to, it was the seal. I would never hurt you like this…Sakura I'm so sorry...”

 

He couldn't hold back his tears any longer when he noticed her bruised back facing him, tangled in his bed sheets as she greedily wrapped herself trying to prevent any more humiliation.

 

He shakily held her close throughout the night and whispered constantly into her ear his regrets, his condolences, and his confessions about how much he cared about her.

 

That night they both cried themselves to sleep.

Gripping her shoulders non-to gently he forced her up onto her feet and slammed her against the wall. Taking the opportunity of her parting lips as she gasped at his forcefulness he slipped his tongue into her mouth, savoring her sweet taste. She didn't respond to his rough kiss until she felt her bottom lip chewed upon.

 

Too soon! I'm not ready for this…

 

Grabbing him by his shirt she pushed him away slightly, gasping for air as she whispered what he knew all along she would say.

 

She said the same thing every morning. He would have to wait until night would come when she would loose herself to the dark and forget about her pain.

 

“No…it's too soon.”

 

“Ah.”

 

Slowly she turned around and sat against the window to once again stare at the morning sky.

 

- - - - - - - - - - - - -

 

The three lone ninjas walked peacefully towards the Hokage's building. The feeling was pleasant, like a heavy burden was lifted off their shoulders. Now that everything was done, wars were finished, and peace was amongst the counties, they were able to return home.

 

Home, the word almost sounded awkward to Sasuke.

 

Years of brutal fighting and nonstop wars had eventually led them to become very homesick. Free moments, which were rare and very precious to them, were spent on re-reading letters from loved-ones and recalling all the fun times back at home.

 

From the corner of his eye, Sasuke spotted Naruto flirting with a random village girl who happily giggled and blushed prettily at him.

 

Moron…

 

He shook his head while Kakashi quietly chuckled beside him.

 

“It seems as though Naruto is a lady's man. If I were you Sasuke I would watch out, wouldn't want him taking your fan girls away.”

 

“Shut up Kakashi,” shoving his hand in his pockets he quickened his pace to the Hokage's building. He also tried to ignore the ongoing whispers from the villagers.

 

“Wow, is that the rest of team seven?”

 

“Yeah it looks like it, I was really hoping it would be her…”

 

“You're a married man and not to mention you're a merchant. Why would she want you, when she could get herself a great and respected ninja, like Hyuuga Neji?”

 

“Idiot! Don't you remember she broke up with him right after having the miscarriage?”

 

“Oh…that's right. It's shame she isn't here, Godaime-sama would have probably made her the next Hokage. And I bet she would be the best Hokage ever, she has some nice legs…”

 

Next Hokage?!

 

The last part of the men's conversation certainly peeked the three ninja's interest. Upon hearing this, Naruto marched up to the men and grabbed both of them by their collars.

 

“Tell me who the fuck Baa-chan was going to make Hokage?!”

 

Both men startled by the blond's strength and glowing eyes became too scared to answer him. But before any kind of interrogation, mostly consisting of beating them to a bloody pulp, could commence a sympathetic Kakashi freed the men from the angry blond.

 

“Naruto please calm do—”

 

“NO! I will not calm down! I have been working super hard for the Hokage title for the past years and some unknown hussy comes in and…and practically takes my place!!”

 

“She didn't take your place, she was a backup just in case something might have happened to you while you were away…”

 

Three heads whipped towards the sultry voice and her trusty companion.

 

“Tsunade-no-baachan?”

 

“Come, we have lots to talk about, especially about your new mission I'm assigning you and Sasuke.”

 

A distinctive groan was heard amongst the villagers passing by.

 

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A/N: Hope you liked it! ^_^

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. ::sobs::