The Ties That Bind
Actions hold consequences. But consequences can be mixed blessings
A scorned Sakura has found comfort in Naruto's arms after Sasuke leaves Konoha for a second time. Complications arise when Sasuke returns years later ready to resume the relationship he and Sakura shared before he left. Over time, friends and lovers find their actions have consequences. However, those consequences will bring them together in ways they never thought possible.[Adulthood Naruto]
Submitter Notes: This is the story born out of my one-shot, "Love, Lust and Lies: The Ties That Bind". This is meant to be a shorter story than what I usually write, so my goal is to have it completed fairly quickly. I am currently working on the second chapter and hope to have it posted soon. A special thanks to Shilom and Marylee for reading over my work and providing feedback. Please Enjoy.
The Ties That Bind
Chapter One: Is Someone Getting The Best Of You?
"I hope you realize how much I will be counting on you two."
"Yes, Hokage-sama," the two teammates said in unison.
"Sakura, as my apprentice, you will be my eyes and ears, I expect you to be the one who does the majority of the speaking."
"Yes, Hokage-sensei," The girl never once looked at her teacher. Instead she found herself getting lost in the cerulean gaze of the yellow-haired boy at her side.
"And as for you, Naruto," Tsunade continued. "I expect you to be on your best behavior. This is your first ambassador's mission and your role is just as important as Sakura's."
"Yes, Hokage-sama." If the Fox container had been paying attention he would have realized he didn't bother calling Tsunade by his usual nickname for her. He was too focused on the impish smile that adorned Sakura's supple lips. He took a second to make sure the village leader's back was turned before he reached to take her hand. He felt her initial hesitation when she tried to pull away, but a heartbeat later he felt her fingers intertwine with his own. The girl turned and faced away from him, but her emerald orbs continued to stare at him out of the corners of her eyes.
"I will be ranking this mission as A Rank. However, I don't expect you to see combat."
Before Tsunade turned around, her two subordinates had already separated their hands. If the Hokage had bothered to look up from her paperwork she would have seen the identical looks of mischief on both their faces. "I am classifying this mission so high because of the importance it has on relations with our border countries. This could be the first step towards peace with our enemies."
They waited until she turned around before they reached out for one another again. Instead of grasping her hand this time, Naruto lightly and deliberately walked his fingers up the side of her slender arm. He could see her shiver slightly before she turned her head to glare at him. He met her gaze, expecting to see anger but was instead greeted by an expression of desire. He raised his brow and grinned at her, catching the meaning in her eyes loud and clear, 'I want you.'
He chanced another glance to see if Tsunade was still occupied. The woman he affectionately referred to as "Baa-chan" was still rambling about the details of their upcoming mission. Without taking his eyes off the back of his Hokage, the young jounin boldly slid his arm around the waist of his life-long teammate. With a quickness that surprised Sakura, he slid his hand down from her waist and let it rest on her backside. He then took a handful of flesh and squeezed firmly enough to startle the kunoichi.
"Eep!"
The little noise came out a bit louder than she intended. The small outburst was more than enough to catch the attention of their mentor. The female Hokage stopped mid-sentence and turned to face them. By the time Tsunade turned around, Naruto had already pulled his hands away and Sakura was praying the warmth creeping over her cheeks wasn't too visible.
"Something wrong, Sakura?"
"Oh no, Hokage-sama." She said. "I'll think I'm just c-coming down with something."
The blonde Hokage eyed her apprentice for a moment with a questioning glance. After a moment she shrugged and glanced back down at her paperwork.
"I only hope whatever you come down with doesn't interfere with your work."
"No Hokage-sama," Sakura said as she stared at Naruto with a look of annoyance. This time he avoided her gaze and tried desperately to suppress the smirk on his face.
It was another ten minutes before the Hokage dismissed the two jounin teammates. When they exited the office, Sakura purposely rushed ahead of Naruto. Predictably, the blonde jounin sped up until he was walking beside her in the hallway. The girl tried not to smile at the gullibility of her teammate, but she ended up turning away to hide her amusement. Still, she got what she wanted; Naruto was following her and she wouldn't complain. She reached into her pocket for a pen, trying to pretend she didn't notice his presence.
"She acts like we haven't been briefed for this mission," He said, trying to strike up a conversation as he slid up next to her. "We have only been going over every detail for the last two weeks. We've spent six years as shinobi, the last two as jounin. You would think by now she would trust us a little more."
"I'm not speaking to you," Sakura said with a tone of mock annoyance. The young medic began to wrap her long hair around the pen in her hand until her rose-colored locks were pulled up in a make-shift bun on the top of her head. She pretended to ignore Naruto and tilted her head away from him with her nose up in the air.
"Hey, what did I do?" He tried to play hurt, but she could tell by the tone in his voice that it was just an act.
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