Naruto 1. Chapter 1

**Author's Notes: Hi everyone! This is my second NaruSaku fanfic. However, this one takes place after my first one The Exchange. It's okay if you don't read it, but there are some references to it. I wanted to continue to write an alternative path from the original story, so I present to you this fanfic. However, I don't own Naruto. I hope you all enjoy. Please rate and reviews, as I appreciate any feed back I receive :) Happy reading!**

* * *

Gazing up towards the night sky, Naruto admired the stars with his blue shimmering eyes. The cool breezy air brushed along his skin, sending shivers of excitement down his spine. In his hand, he gripped his loved one's hand tighter and turned to give her a cheeky smile. Sakura snickered and looked back towards the Konoha gate behind them.

"Well, this is it. Let's slip away while we have the chance!" Whispering into his ear, she playfully tugged on him.

"Right!" He snickered in response as they made their way down the path before them.

"You did leave the note like I asked, right?" in a hushed voice, she quickly asked.

A slight frown settled on his face, pouting at Sakura's faith in him."Of course, I don't want them to send ANBU after us." He mumbled.

The frown was short lived as he perked up at the thought they were reaching farther into the path. Spring had arrived and Naruto had been dating Sakura since their Christmas Eve date. Lately, the both of them have been getting a meager amount of missions, which caused them to feel confined in the village. Naruto had finished his physical therapy sessions within a year and a half; it was an amazing feat. This didn't stop Naruto from seeing Sakura like he had feared. To his surprise, Sakura was even willing to slip away on a vacation trip with him. Chuckling, he wiped his nose as he replayed their convo from this morning back in his mind.

_"Sakura-chan!"_

_"How many times do I have to tell you? Don't jump in here through the window!"_

_"Ah right sorry… Well Sakura-chan, let's go on a trip. I'm tired of being stuck here in the village. Kakashi said there aren't any missions for me." _

_"Sure! Though I need to finish up here for today, but then I'll come with you. I've been feeling cramped here at the hospital myself. Tsunade and Shizune should be fine without me for a while."_

_"Really? Sweet! Looks like you're starting to think like me!"_

_"Baka! I-I-I'm just feeling cramped… that's all. Now, go gather supplies. I'll meet you at your place tonight."_

_"Okay, sweet!"_

Even though Sakura wouldn't admit it, she was starting to come around. He loved making her smile and ever since Christmas, she had started being more cheerful. Even though he fell in love with her smile and attitude at a young age, he had never seen this side of her. It made him want to see more.

Fidgeting with the straps on his bags, he thought up different ideas to break the silence. Turning his eyes towards her pink illuminating hair, he drifted his gaze slowly to her face.

"Sakura, what are you thinking?" In a soft tone, he leaned and whispered in her ear.

Slightly laughing, Sakura returned his gaze and replied "Oh nothing, why so curious?"

She smiled and her eyes teased him playfully. Naruto's face turned slightly red and he returned her facial with a cheeky smile. "I was curious. You had such a serious, yet charming face."

Shaking her head, she cocked a brow and huffed out. "Right. Well, if you must know…I was just admiring the stars. It's nice out here. I never get to go out unless it's for a mission or work."

Looking back up to the stars, Naruto's smile grew as he listened to her voice. Even though his speech wasn't nearly as complex as hers, he felt a connection to her words and her feelings. While her hand was in his, he stroked it softly with his thumb and leaned in close to her. "Well, I promise you it'll be a blast!"

Feeling flushed in the face, Sakura nudged him. "Thanks. You know, you have a strange thing with promises" muttering out, she looked back towards the road.

"Of course! My nindo is never going back on my words, remember?" He cheered out.

Taking her free hand, she brought it to his lips and shushed him. "Yes, I know. You remind me of it often." She explained in a firm voice.

Letting out an awkward laugh, he scratched the back of his head with his bandaged hand. "I guess I do." He couldn't deny, after all he did boast about it a lot lately.

Sighing out, he focused his attention back on the road. They had left the gates far behind them and neither of them had a real plan on what they would do. Back at his house they decided to just wander for a few weeks and do whatever they felt like. It would be more adventurous like that.

"Hey, I was thinking we could find a nice area to camp at for the night. It would be awesome to cuddle and watch the stars." With a voice full of wonder, he stared up at the stars once more.

Liking the idea, she let go of his hand and stretched. "Sure, but we might want to add some more distance first." And without waiting for a reply, she dashed off.

"No fair!" calling out after her, Naruto pumped chakra throughout his body and added "No way are you gonna get ahead of me!" He dashed forward, creating a streak of golden light and then caught her before she could get a head start.

A yelp escaped from her as he wrapped his arms around her waist. She then turned her head up at him in frustration. "Really? You are seriously going to use your power?"

Naruto gripped on to his girlfriend as she squirmed, making sure she couldn't get away. Chuckling, he swept her off her feet and dashed off. "Heck yeah! You started it. I'll use what I've got!" he teased her as the yellow chakra emitted off him.

**_"Naruto, I don't appreciate you using our power this way."_**

**_"Aw, I know. But come on, she started it. Besides, I rarely ever use it."_**

**_"I know that brat. However, the war still took a toll on the both of us. It was only recently I awoke back up. It was nice to learn that you weren't so pitiful after all when it comes to women, but don't use me as a way to win them over."_**

**_"Aw come on, let me have some fun. Please, buddy?"_**

**_"Hpmh, brat."_**

**"Thanks Kurama!"**

Snapping back into focus, he looked back down at Sakura's face. She held a scowl and her arms were folded. Giving up on squirming, she decided that she would get him back later. "I'll just have to think of something funny" still miffed that he cheated, she mused to herself.

Noticing he had a smirk on his face, she huffed out "What's so funny?"

"Ah nothing, just had a talk with Kurama." He replied with an awkward smile.

She cocked an eyebrow, and hummed out. " I see, he's been talking to you more. What did he have to say?"

"Uhhh, nothing worth mentioning"

Not buying it, Sakura pouted her lips and said "Right. Okay."

Wanting to change the subject, Naruto laughed out a little and looked upwards. "I'm gonna take us up a little higher, hold on!"

"Wait!"

Ignoring her protest, he picked up speed and darted towards the top of the trees. Practically flying, the air tugged at them and view of the forest opened up to them. Sakura stopped protesting and awed in wonder. "How beautiful."

Gazing down towards his girlfriend, his eyes trailed along her smooth skin. He realized how much smaller she was than him, and it made him want to hold her even tighter. Her bright green eyes captivated him, as they sparkled with wonder.

"It's beautiful, alright." He softly whispered in her ear.

Sakura hadn't noticed that he was actually staring at her. Her eyes were focused on the way the moon illuminated everything it could reach. The river that was a good distance ahead, looked as if ran sapphires through its current. "It is."

"Nothing could be more beautiful. Sakura, I love-"

Before he could finish his sentence, his foot got caught by a branch sticking upwards. The sudden jerk of his leg caused him to trip and then Sakura jerked out of his arms from the loosened grip.

"NA-RU-TO!"

"Ah crap! I'm coming!" he yelled out as he dived.

Quickly catching her, he landed onto a tree and set her down. Seeing fumes shooting out of her ears, he quickly stepped back and released the chakra. "N-n-now, Sakura-chan….that was an accident." Trying to save himself, he failed as he was punched in the gut. The impact sent him flying to crash into a nearby tree.

"Ow…" he muttered, as he rubbed his stomach.

"Oops! I didn't mean to hit you that hard! Are you okay?" Quickly leaping over to his side, Sakura checked to see if he was injured.

"Eh heh, yeah…I'm ok" Huffing, Naruto regained his composure and shook it off.

**_"That's why you shouldn't abuse my chakra, kid."_**

**_"Awww, not now Kurama…"_**

**_"Hmph!"_**

Ignoring Kurama's smug laughter echoing through his mind, he focused on his girlfriend. Even though she packs a punch, he knew he deserved the one he just got. But, it made him feel a lot better seeing her get flustered over what had just happened.

"It's honestly okay, Sakura. I should have paid more attention instead of staring at you." Placing his hands on her shoulders, he reassured her.

A smile broke out on her face, when she saw that he was completely fine. Then her face began to match the color of her hair when she noticed the look in his eyes. "Right, well see that you do next time. Or it might be more than just a punch." Crossing her arms, she darted her eyes in the direction of the river. "Let's go camp over by the river somewhere. That would be a perfect stop, but this time no cheating!"

A confident grin broke out on his face. "I don't need to cheat to win. I have an advantage, remember?"

Placing her hands on her hips, she heaved out a heavy sigh. "And what would that be, besides that chakra you have? That still counts as cheating."

Taking his bandaged hand, he pointed down towards his legs. "I've got longer legs." He jokingly replied.

Sakura burrowed her face into her hand and rolled her eyes. "Of course you do."

"Yup!" and then Naruto leapt off.

"Hey!"

Naruto couldn't help but laugh when Sakura sounded frustrated. "I wonder how many more expressions she'll show me?" he wondered. Each jump he made from branch to branch was carefully calculated. He still wanted to win, however he didn't want to get too far ahead.

Once they made it to the river, he skidded to a stop and then turned around to wrap his arms around his girlfriend. A defeated moan escaped from her throat and Naruto couldn't help but chuckle. "So where did you want to set up camp?" bending his head down, he brushed his lips against her ear. Her sweet scent drifted into his nose as he waited for a reply.

"Over there looks like a good spot. It's not too dense, close by the river and a nice view of the sky." With a cheerful voice, Sakura lifted her arm to point over towards a small clearing.

Instead of letting her go, he again lifted her up. She didn't protest this time and instead huddled up against him. Warmth spread throughout his body, as he made his way over to where she had pointed out. He darted his head side to side, deciding on where he wanted to sit down with her. An oak tree with wide spread roots, looked comfortable. Adjusting his hold on her, Naruto leaned up against the tree and lifted her up as he slid down. Once he was comfortable with his sitting position, he lowered her back down on top of him.

"Wow, look at the sky." She murmured as she nestled up against him.

His blue eyes shifted upwards to share her view. The dark blue sky, shimmered with stars that filled it's distance. "Yeah, it's pretty alright. But your eyes shine even brighter than any star up there, that's for sure!"

At his comment, Sakura became flushed in the face and she burrowed her face into his chest in embarrassment. "I can't believe you just said that!" she said, with her voice muffled.

"Of course! It's true though. Look at me." With a gentle voice, he took his bandaged hand and placed her hand in his.

Complying with his request, she lifted her head up to meet his. Once more their eyes met, and she felt herself swimming in emotions, lost in the blue depths. "This is a whole new side of him. He's not just the cheeky brat that I grew up with. Lately, he's been showing how mature he's becoming." She thought to herself in awe.

Minutes passed as they admired each other. Naruto's heart beat inside his chest, pumping faster and faster. His fingers stroked her hands, teasing her fingers playfully. Not wanting to wait any longer, he slid his hands up her arm and pulled her closer into him. Then he lowered his head, matching her level before leaning in to steal her lips. She gripped his jacket in response, locking his lower lip in between hers. His heart wanted to burst from his chest, as he struggled to control his desires.

Taking his hand, he brought it up to her face and carefully brushed her cheek as he slowly eased away. Her skin felt warm and soft to the touch. He wanted this moment to last forever, as he felt the love pour out from her eyes.

Leaning his head forward, he brought his forehead up against hers. "Sakura, I love you." In a low voice, he said while giving her a loving look.

"I love you too, Naruto," she responded and then nuzzled him.

A soft chuckle passed his lips. "I'm the luckiest guy ever!" he thought to himself in triumph. Sakura then lowered herself back down and leaned her head against his chest. His heart was still beating fast, but her's matched it. However the sound was reassuring to her ears, and beat began to calm hers. Her eyes began to droop as fatigue began to take over. Naruto noticed this, but instead chose to remain quiet. Once she was fast asleep, he held her tightly to keep her warm.

"This will be an amazing trip."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author's Notes: Hey everyone! Sorry for the delay for this chapter. I'm working on multiple stories at once. I pretty much write whatever comes to mind and if I'm not at a computer I jot down things into a notebook ^.^ So I write for multiple fandoms, one being TMNT and Back into the City takes most of my writing time. However, here it is: Chapter 2 for this little vacation fic. Enjoy!  
**

* * *

Feeling something tickling against his chin, Naruto eased his eyes open. "Ugh, why do my legs feel so numb?" he groaned as the blurriness faded from his eyes. He shifted, and realized that Sakura was still sleeping. "Oh." In soft voice, he whispered. The rays of the sun came down on them through the leaves of the oak tree, illuminating her pink hair. Taking his bandaged hand, he stroked her hair lightly.

As he shifted his weight a little, he noticed that she had drooled on him while she slept. Using his free hand, Naruto clapped it over his mouth to contain his laughter. Failing, Sakura stirred awake.

"Ugh, why are you trembling? I'm trying to sleep…" she moaned as she leaned upwards. Realizing that her chin was wet, she quickly became flustered. Immediately she wiped it away and stood up, wanting to hide her blushing face.

Not holding himself back any longer, he busted out in full laughter. Embarrassment took ahold of her and she folded her arms and glared down at him. "Stop laughing at me!"

"I'm not trying to make fun of you! I thought you looked really cute." Wiping a tear from his eye, he continued to laugh. " and funny."

She gritted her teeth and turned away. "Well, he does have right to laugh…I suppose…" she thought to herself. "I mean, I did drool all over him." Placing her fingers onto her chin, she grimaced. "Yuck, I need to wash my face."

Leaving Naruto in his fit of laughter, she walked over towards the river. Stiffness held her muscles as she noticed she still had her backpack on. "Ugh, I fell asleep with my bag on." She grumbled to herself. Relieving the weight off her back, she did a series of stretching.

Naruto's laughter died down and he leaned back against the tree. His eyes gazed over Sakura. The light hit each of her contours perfectly and his blue eyes trailed along the curves. When she bent down to get a handful of water, they proceeded to soaked up the view in front of him. "Wow…" awe stricken, he stared at her with his mouth hanging open. She wiped her face off and stood up straight, however Naruto's eyes did not budge.

Turning to face his direction, her face held a refreshing smile. "The water is nice and cool. You should probably come over here and wash up as well." She was about to lift her hand to beckon him, however she noticed the look on his face.

With a cocked eyebrow, she wondered what it was about. "Why does he have that sheepish grin on his face? It's also not that hot out, so he shouldn't be red…" As she thought about it a little more, she realized that she seen that look before.

Going instantly red in the face, she stomped her foot. "Naruto, stop being a perv and get over here!" Then pointing at the river, she released a heavy breath.

Now that he knew he was caught, he shook his head violently and slapped his forehead. "Crap…she saw." Admitting defeat, he pushed himself up onto his feet and trudged over to the river. Instead of going to a straight line there, he made sure to get some distance between of the two of them. He had a feeling that she would try something.

This did not go unnoticed as Sakura placed her hands on her hips and watched. "Hmmm…now would be the perfect time to get him back." Contemplating different ideas, she stared at him as he knelt down beside the water.

An idea settled into her mind, so she leaned forward and dashed towards him. Going at her top speed, she prepared herself. Naruto saw her coming out of the corner of his eye and instantly reacted by jumping to his feet. He tried to dodge her; however, she managed to lay a flat palm onto his chest. The force caused him to fall backwards and he grasped her arm, dragging her into the river with him.

"Woah!"

Water came splashing out of the running river from their impact. Gaining his footing in the water, he stepped out of the river. His clothes were sopping and his bandages were sopping wet. "What the heck was that for?" He cried, as he turned to face her. "I wanted to get you back, baka!" she snapped back as she tried to get to her feet.

After he thought about it for a moment, he found the situation quite funny. Both of them were soaking wet and trying to play little games. Her face looked incredibly cute to him as she pouted. Reaching his hand out to help her, a mischievous idea crossed his mind.

However, she had the same idea and grabbed his hand. Instead of letting him pull her out, she used her strength to pull him back in. Another large splash erupted from the river. "Hey!" He protested and then retaliated with a splash of his own.

The water droplets landing on her skin felt refreshing and a slight chuckle escaped her throat. "Oh, so you want a war now?" she teasingly asked. Gathering up some chakra in her hand, she stroked the water so that a wave crashed into him.

Shaking the wave off, he decided that he was going to use his size to his advantage; he lunged towards her. It wasn't so easy though, since the current pushed against him. Once he had his arms around her, he drew her in and tickled her. She attempted to make him let go by splashing him, but it was futile. They sat there for minutes, playing around.

Eventually, they calmed down and resided to laughter. Sakura's face was brimming with joy, as it had been awhile since she goofed around like that. Naruto looked equally as happy and hugged her tighter. Noticing that her clothes clung to her as he held her, his face became red. His eyes began to trail the details in her figure. Silence filled the air and Sakura eventually noticed her clothes as well.

"Uhh…We should probably get out now and dry off…before we catch a cold." With a flustered voice, she lifted his arms off her and got up.

At the sound of her voice, he snapped back into focus. "Uhm , right!"

He climbed out of the water and then lifted her up. Her soaked body clung to his, as he trotted over towards the tree. "I can walk, you know…" she grumbled softly.

"Ah, right." Giving her an awkward smile, he set her down. "Ugh, I need to get out of these clothes." As he pulled on the collar of his jacket he noticed Sakura snickering slightly.

"Oh what? You're soaked too." He cut her laughter off to tease her.

With slight smirk, she flicked water droplets at him. "Hush, I know that. Look, I'm going to go behind the tree and change, so don't you peep." Her green eyes pierced him, showing that she meant business.

Rubbing his head, he replied "Alright."

Sakura retrieved her bag by the water and went behind the oak tree. She fished out her casual clothing and set them down beside her. "I know he's going to try and peep." As she stripped down, she thought to herself. Removing every soaked item from her body, she brushed off the remaining water on her skin.

Suddenly, curiosity hit her. "Naruto is being awfully quiet…" Pressing up against the oak tree, she peered around it to see what he was up too. He stood with his back facing away from the tree and he had already removed his jacket and shirt. Sakura traced his backside with her eyes. Her face went slightly pink, as he unbuttoned his orange pants and slid them down his legs. Now, he was only in his black boxers and was about to remove them as well.

"Hmm…Wait, what am I doing?" feeling the heat rush to her face, she quickly turned around and pressed her back against the tree. A faint gasp escaped from her lips. "I was just peeping!" Her eyes went wide and her face reddened even more.

Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Naruto pop his head into view. "Are you alright? I heard-" His face became fifty shades of red in an instant when he saw her and his nose gushed with blood. Before Sakura could react, he quickly fled.

"Baka! You just removed your pants! Why did you feel the need to come over here?" She fumed.

Trying to contain his nosebleed, Naruto explained from the other side of the tree. "I heard you cry out, so I wanted to make sure you were okay." Then suddenly her words clicked in his head. "How did you know I had just taken my pants off?" his face broke out into a sheepish grin and his blue eyes glimmered devilishly.

"Uh…" quickly, she put her top on and tried to figure out an excuse. "Well, you're in your boxers…so…." Fumbling with her explanation, she then put her bottoms on. "So I only assumed you had just taken them off."

Finally, she was fully covered except for her feet. She came out from behind the tree and saw Naruto mischievously eyeing her.

"Riiigggghhht." He crossed his arms over his bare chest.

Sakura shifted her gaze elsewhere. "Naruto, just drop it. You peeped on me."

A snicker escaped from him. "I think you peeped on me as well. I know you're secretly a pervert."

Then she broke out into laughter. Clutching her stomach, she heaved out her words. "That's absurd. You're the pervert here. There's not an ounce of that in my body."

"You sure about that?"

"Yeah."

Immediately after her reply, Naruto brought his fingers up and created a seal. "Taju Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!" A bunch of clones of him surrounded her and she slapped her forehead. She knew what he was about to do. "Henge!" and suddenly different nude versions of himself crowded her. Blood spurted from her nose as her jaw dropped from the sight.

Inside his mind, he could hear Kurama groan with annoyance. **_"Stupid."_**

However, Naruto shrugged it off. **_"Hey, this is just to prove her wrong."_**

A deep throaty chuckle echoed into his mind. **_"I think you did a good job there, kid."_**

Knowing that he made his point, he released the technique and fell to the ground laughing. Sakura stood there dumbfounded and wiped the blood away. "Baka!" She shouted before marching back to her bag. Naruto finally regained his composure and then finished changing.

* * *

Once they were both calm, the both of them hung their drenched clothing up to dry. Sakura felt her stomach growl and Naruto heard it. "Hungry?"

"Yeah." She replied as she placed her hand on her stomach.

Naruto dipped his head in response and fumbled with his bags. Bringing out two things of instant ramen, he set them down and piled some sticks together.

"Really? Ramen?" Sakura groaned in protest.

"Yeah! Look, after we dry off and get warmed up we can go to the nearest town for a day or two. We can get something there." He replied, knowing his girlfriend was sick of eating ramen all the time when she was with him.

"Fine." Folding her arms, she stood there and watched as he started a fire.

After the fire was going, she plopped down next to him. His hair was still damp, like hers; however, his white tee and black shorts were dry. She leaned her weight up against him, wanting to feel his warmth. He grinned at her, and wiped her hair behind her ear. "The water's almost boiling." He murmured to break the silence.

"Mhm."

A heavy sigh emitted from him. He hoped that she wasn't angry at him for seeing her naked. At the thought of memory, his face flushed. Looking back at her, he imagined the little he saw through her clothes. Her smooth pale-

"Naruto, pay attention to the food!" she huffed out.

"Crap." he bit out as he darted towards the kettle. Water was over flowing from it, and he quickly pulled it out without getting any of it on him. Then with a fluid motion he filled both ramen cups with the scalding hot water.

"Geeze, you'll always be a klutz." She noted.

Naruto gave her a weak smile of agreement. "Looks like she's not angry still." Silently, he noted to himself.

Once the noodles were cooked, they sat there and ate in silence. Her hunger was sedated and she handed him the cup when she was finished. He quickly put them in his bag, so that he could discard them when they got into town.

"Well, our clothes should dry in a bit. So after they finish, we should head out. I don't want to stay here forever." Leaning against him, she murmured.

"Alright." Nodding, he agreed. He then wrapped his bandaged arm around her and drew her closer to him as they waited.

* * *

**Author's Note: Well, I hope you all enjoyed this little development ;) Sakura has always been a little perv at heart and Naruto picked up some habits as well :P Hopefully I'll have the next update out soon! Thanks for reading!**


	3. Chapter 3

**Author's Notes: Hi guys! I decided to change the pace a bit and I hope that you enjoy this chapter. It's been sort of a hectic week and I've been working on multiple things at a time. So if they updates are taking a little longer, then I apologize. Also, I would like to thank you all for the favorites and the reviews. Y'all make me very happy with the support you've given me. Happy reading!  
**

* * *

A light breeze picked up in the late afternoon; it tugged on their loose casual clothing as they the two of them walked along the path. The path was lined with a dense amount of trees, blocking out the light from the setting sun. Naruto and Sakura had been walking for a few hours, heading their way to the nearest town.

"We should be almost there." Naruto said lightly, while admiring the scenery.

"Yeah." Sakura replied softly.

As time inched on, their eyes had to adjust to the transitioning darkness. The air felt cooler, causing Sakura to press against him. He gave her a light smile and let go of her hand. Then taking the free hand, he placed it around her shoulder, pressing her tightly against him.

Soon enough, there was faint light ahead. With each step, the light grew larger. It expanded and spread out into their view, lined with small buildings. "Looks like we are almost there. I'm so tired and I'm starting to get hungry again." Sakura muttered quietly in a weary voice.

Feeling his own stomach rumble, he placed his bandaged arm on it. "Well as soon as we get there we can grab something to eat."

"Okay."

Quickening their pace to a casual stroll to a speedy walk, they made it to the town in no time. Small wooden buildings lined the streets and very little people were out. "It's late, so hopefully nothing has closed yet." Noticing the small amount of activity, Sakura said.

However, Naruto held a confused face. "That's weird, when I stopped here with Ero-Sennin in the past, this place was so lively." He scratched his head a looked around. The citizens looked at them, with wide eyes. To them, it had obviously been awhile since they've had tourists.

Yet again, Naruto felt his stomach protest in hunger. "Well, might as well get something to eat."

Sakura sighed. "Yeah. Anything but ramen though." She reminded him gently.

"Don't worry, I haven't forgotten. There's a place a few shops ahead that serves really good barbeque." Pointing up ahead, Naruto lead the way.

The place looked worn, obviously in the need of a paint job, from what she could tell from the faded red color. She wondered if the place was still open, since there was hardly anyone around. He opened the door and motioned her to follow.

"Wow, it looks better in here than it does outside." She quietly thought to herself as she looked around. It was pretty clean and the furniture looked like it had been kept well. Naruto folded his arms and glanced around as well.

"Hello?" He called out.

In no time, a short lady appeared from a back room. Her brown eyes lit up with delight when she saw them, and the few creases on her face deepened from her smile.

"Welcome! Are you here to eat?" Her voice perked up and cheery.

"Uh. Yeah…we haven't eaten in hours." Leaning back, he felt the older lady's eagerness to be overwhelming.

"Great! We have some of the best food around! Sit down anywhere you want." Motioning for them to get comfortable, she followed them to a cooking table in the back corner of the well lit room. They noticed that there were the only ones there.

"It must be later than I thought." Sakura quietly noted to herself, with concern.

Once the two of them were comfortable on each sides of the table, the lady clasped her hands together. "So what would the lovely couple like?" Beaming down at them, she was eager to get their order.

Sakura had no idea and cocked a brow towards Naruto. She planned to have him order, since he had been here before. Folding her arms, she started at him. He had picked up her cue and decided to just make it simple. "A platter of your special would be good. Double that, though." He gave her smile.

"Alright, and would you like me to bring some tea?" With a pleasant smile, she asked.

Nodding, Naruto said "Yeah, sure!"

"Alright, I'll be right back with that. Also my name is Misaki in case you need anything else." Without moment's hesitation she walked away to fetch their tea.

Sakura shifted uncomfortably in her seat. "Are you sure about this Naruto? The place is awfully empty."

Cocking his head to the side, he didn't understand why she was so worried. "Yeah, this is fine. I'm not sure why it's empty, but I remember that the food was good. Ero-Sennin brought me here a lot when we stayed in this town." With the mention of his deceased sensei, Naruto's face softened. Memories flashed in his mind on how Jiraiya would flirt with the staff as he ate the delicious meat.

Sakura watched his face, and she felt a stab in her heart. "Alright, I believe you. I'm sure the food will taste great if you say it will." Reaching her hand across the table, she grabbed his and stroked his fingers with her thumb.

Suddenly a soft "Aww" broke the silence and Sakura whipped her head up to see that the lady brought back the tea. "What a cute couple. It's nice to get customers and it's even better when they are so sweet." Setting down their cups she filled them swiftly and delicately.

Instantly, she let go of his hand as her face turned slightly pink. Then something clicked in her head. Catching the phrase about customers, Sakura used that to her advantage to ask about the emptiness. "Ah, I'm guessing you don't get a lot of customers then?" with a peaked interest, she asked.

The smile their server had quickly was replaced with a pressing frown. "I'm afraid not. Ever since the war business has been slow. In fact, I'm not the only one who was affected by this. Most of the shops here and other towns took a major hit in the economy... I used to have a packed house every night. Now I only get a few regulars." In a heavy voice, she explained to them with a solemn expression.

After listening to her explanation, Naruto dipped his head and folded his arms. He became lost in a train of thought and Sakura's face changed to an unreadable expression. Indeed the war had impacted more than just the great ninja villages.

Wanting to change the mood Sakura looked up and gave her a smile. "Well, I can't wait to try the food." To emphasize her eagerness, she clasped her hands together and sat up.

Misaki's frown was immediately lifted and her eyes brightened. "Good, dear. I'll bring it out shortly."

Sakura watched as their server whisked away. Once she was out of sight, she slumped back down in her spot. Naruto's face still looked troubled as she noticed that his bottom lip stuck out in his frown. "Naruto?"

Hearing her voice, Naruto shook his head and cleared his mind. "Yeah?"

"Nothing." Her expression was bleak. She then felt the urge to know what he was contemplating. "So what were you thinking? It's been awhile since I've seen you make that face." Scratching her cheek, she asked.

"Well…I was thinking that these people who aren't even ninjas were so affected by our system. I mean…it's great we managed to get the villages to get along, but I guess we still have yet to help out the small towns." Slouching even more, his facials became more unsettled.

Her eyes grew wide in shock at his response. She had never expected to see him mature so much. In the past she had always assumed he was in his own little bubble and never had any thoughts about the world beyond his reach. "He's grown up so much."

Sakura was about to open her mouth, when Misaki returned with a large platter of varied meats. Each piece was beautifully cut. It looked extremely tender, with little fat on them. Her mouth watered at the sight of the food and couldn't wait to begin grilling them. She also noticed that they had just the right amount of seasoning on them. "This is so awesome. I'm so glad we aren't eating ramen tonight!" with her mouth gaped open, she thought cheerily to herself.

Naruto looked equally as happy. He squirmed in delight as they set up the grilling and placed each chunk down to cook. The sizzles and pops echoed in his ears. Once more, his stomach gave a cry of protest as his mouth watered.

Once he was able to eat some, he quickly downed a few pieces within a few bites. "Man, this would taste awesome in ramen!" he spitted out with a mouth full of food.

"Naruto! Don't talk with your mouth full." Pointing her chopsticks at him, she lectured.

With his cheeks crammed with food, he gave her a cheeky grin in reply. All Sakura did was shake her head in disappointment and continued eating. He had been right after all about the place having great food. It was the best she's eaten in a long time. Most of her meals were store bought, since her own cooking was pretty lousy.

When their stomachs were full and they felt satisfied, the both of them stared at each other. They knew it had already been late when they arrived and the effects of fatigues were already hitting them. The feeling was only enhanced by their little food coma.

"Ugh, I guess we should find a place to stay for tonight." Throwing his head back, Naruto said in an exhausted tone.

"Mhm." Was all Sakura could manage.

They slowly eased themselves up. Misaki took their payments, and the two of them were surprised by how inexpensive it was for all that food. "Don't worry dears, it was pleasant having the both of you. Come back soon, okay?"

In unison, they took a bow and thanked taking his arm, Naruto wrapped it around her shoulders as they exited the building. A huge grin was spread across their faces as they looked at each other. "There's a place we can stay close by." Leading the way, he took her farther down the road in the direction of the inn he remembered.

His eyes carefully shifted left to right as he noticed that the town had dwindled in the amount of people out and about. "The town must have taken a big hit." With solemn eyes, he silently thought to himself. Last time he was here, he had only been thirteen. He could barely make his way through the crowds of people that hoarded the streets. Most of the people he would have to push through were drunks and party goers. "The things he used to make me do." Hanging his head, he shifted through the memories he had.

A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he drew himself closer to Sakura. He could feel her warmth press up against him, calming him. As the two of them passed what he remembered to be a large bar, he noticed a group of kids huddling in the alley way. They were small and frail looking with hardly any meat on them. Each of their clothes were ragged and torn. His interest peaked as he glanced over his girlfriend's head.

The kids caught him staring and they threw a threatening glare at him. In an instant, the glare struck a nerve and Naruto whipped his head back forward with a pouting expression. If he hadn't been with Sakura, he probably would have gone over there to give them a talk.

Within a few steps, Naruto felt his skin tingle. A survival instinct he developed during his travels with Jiraiya kicked in. "Oh no." Within seconds, Naruto turned but it had been too late. A dark flash passed his eye and his pocket became substantially lighter.

Furrowing his face, angry thoughts came to mind."Crap! He stole my money!"

Letting go of Sakura, she cried out in protest from not knowing what happening. "Hey!" Then a gasp escaped her lips once she glanced at kid up ahead. He was carrying a bright green item in his hands as he sped out of sight. "Uh oh." shifting her head back at Naruto, she had never seen the expression he held before. It was mix of determination and anger. Fire burned in his eyes and she noticed his muscles were tensing up as if he was about to enter a great challenge.

Within a split second, Naruto picked up his feet and began to chase down the brat who took his wallet. "Get back here and give me my frog, you little thief!"

* * *

**Oh no! Looks like they got a little more excitement than just getting a bite to eat. I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This fic so far as been a good learning experience for me (as well as my other ones) and I've enjoyed trying out different ideas. Again, thank you all so much for reading and leaving me feed back. I appreciate it so much. I'll get the next update out as soon as I can.  
**


	4. Chapter 4

**Author's Notes: Hey everyone! I want to apologize for the delay. I got so caught up with another fanfic, that I slowly worked on this one. However, I managed to get the update done ^.^. Also, I want to thank you all for following the story thus far. To those who left review, I thank you all so much, I appreciate all the support my readers have given me.**

**On another note, I wanted to answer a question about lemon. I'm sure multiple people have the same question. Will this fic contain lemon?**

**For this fic, I originally had mainly just fluff in mind. But as the ideas evolved, they became more true to the characters. I gave this fic a rating of M, because at this point the story can go anywhere. I really value this story of mine and I don't want to write smut or sexual scenes for the just the sake of it. As I continue to write this, the story can pretty much go anywhere, but I'm not going to make promises. Sorry if I dissapointed anyone. Anyways, happy reading!**

* * *

Picking up speed, Naruto was running with ease behind the small boy. Catching up to the kid had been a fairly easy task and with a quick dart of his arm, he grabbed the boy from the back of his shirt. The little thief cried in protest and squirmed in his grasp.

With a scolding look on his face, Naruto yanked his wallet out of the boy's hand. "Man, catching you was cake. I let my guard down, but last time someone stole my money it took me a whole hour to get it back."

After the thief failed to kick Naruto off, he stopped squirming. His girlfriend caught up to them and was carefully watching their movements.

"Naruto, set him down. Let's see what he has to say for himself." In a serious tone, Sakura said as she placed a hand on his back.

This hadn't been the first time Naruto has played this game. He had gained a lot of experience in his years of training with Jiraiya, including how to deal with theft. "If I set him down, he'll just run off. I can sense his intention."

A heavy breath escaped her lips. "Naruto…we can't hold him prisoner, so just set him down. He's probably hungry." Then lifting a finger, she pointed at the limp boy. His brown eyes were dull and his pale face full of dirt. "Look how frail he is and look at his clothes."

Knowing there was no use arguing with his girlfriend, Naruto set the boy down. In an instant, the child ran behind Sakura and clutched onto her. He was less than half her height and looked about ten years-old. Feeling a pang of sympathy, the pinkette patted his head. Dirt crumbled off his messy black hair from her hand petting him. "See, he's just a child."

Then out of nowhere, Sakura's face turned slightly pink. "Why you-"

Before she could finish the sentence, the kid darted off again. Naruto gave a chuckle and said "Told you so." Instead of waiting for her to respond, he went after the kid and scooped him up in his arms.

"You can't get away from me." In a low tone, Naruto grumbled in his ear.

Admitting defeat, the boy went limp in his arms and dropped Sakura's wallet. His eyes were full of water and his mouth formed into a hard line. Sakura noticed this as she collected her item. "Crocodile tears won't work on us kid. Why are you going around thieving?"

After hearing Sakura's question, his face turned sour and fire burned in his eyes. Pure hatred took a hold of his face. Naruto sensed his anger and it caused him to shift uncomfortably. "What's this kid's deal?" he thought to himself.

"I do it so my friends and I can survive…I'm the fastest of us, so I do all the pickpocketing…we don't have homes or families. All of them died when they went off to support the ninjas in the war. Our town was blown up after that. It's because of ninjas like you we have to do this!" Spitting each word out in anger, the boy squirmed once more.

Naruto's heart gave a lurch. "The cycle of hatred continues" taking a deep inhale, he muttered to himself. This time he set the kid down, but kept his hand on his shoulder. Then kneeling down to a knee, he looked him straight in the eye.

"It's our fault that happened to you." Then softening his expressions into a weak smile, he continued "I know how it feels to do what it takes to survive and what it's like to lose family. I lost many people…friends, teachers and even my parents...all because of the old shinobi system."

The little boy's eyes started to water and he looked away from Naruto's blue glittering eyes. He didn't want to hear what he had to say. This didn't stop him from speaking his mind though. "You mentioned that you had friends that take care of each other. Make sure to always cherish those bonds. Don't ever feed into your hatred…it will only cause more pain. Trust me."

Noticing that he was on the verge of bawling, Naruto ruffled his dirty hair. "Don't cry kid. Tell ya what, I'll give you some of the food we have packed in our bags and some of our money. When I return home, I'll talk to someone to come out here and help all the orphans."

Moved by Naruto's generosity and kindness, Sakura knelt down beside them and added "It's the least we can do. But, you need to promise to stop stealing, okay?"

Through hiccuping sobs, the boy furiously nodded his head and said "O-o-okay."

The couple set their bags down and pulled out most of their rations. Making sure that he set out plenty of ramen cups, he watched the kid's eyes stare at the food in awe. "When was the last time he ate?" Noticing how thin he was, he asked himself. Then Sakura divided up some of her money along with Naruto's and handed it to the boy. "Here, this should help you for a couple of weeks. We'll be back home by then and we can send someone out here. Make sure to share, alright?"

In response, the child flung himself at them and wrapped his arms around their waists. Nuzzling into Naruto's jacket, he cried out "Thank you." A soft chuckle escaped his lips as he patted the child once more. A few moments passed and the kid gathered himself to his feet and hoisted the food into his arms.

"I'm going to go share this! Thanks again and bye!" He called over his shoulder as he darted into an alley way.

Sakura's face held a sad expression as he left their view. "He was awfully young. I'm not sure how old he is, but he looked younger than us back in our old team seven days." Her voice was heavy with depression.

Naruto dipped his head and put his arm around her. "Yeah…the screwed up things the system has done always affects the kids…" a heavy breath escaped from him once more as he led Sakura to the nearest inn. Instead of taking her to the nice one with the hot springs, all he could afford now was the simple one. He felt like it was well worth it in the end.

Like the restaurant they had eaten at, the inn looked in need of repairs. However, Sakura didn't feel like complaining and knew they were short on cash. As they stepped inside they met a short old man and purchased a room for the night. Naruto would have liked to converse with the innkeeper, but he felt drained and wanted to be alone with his girlfriend.

The news he received weight heavy on his mind and the tension caused Kurama to stir within him.

_**"What's wrong brat?"**_

_**"Nothin' really. Just tired."**_

_**"Hmmm, it's the town that's bothering you is it not?"**_

_**"Yeah…who know the war would hurt so many?"**_

_**"Hatred causes a lot of pain kid. You don't need to put the whole weight of the world on your shoulders."**_

_**"I just wanna make the world a better place, buddy. I don't want anyone to go through what we did."**_

_**"Alright…do what ya want kid."**_

Sakura waved her hand in front of his face. He had sat there in the small room staring off into space. She was used to random occurrences like that, as she learned he often communicates with the beast inside him. His face lit up in response and he gave her a slight grin.

Noticing her green eyes were gazing at him, he leaned in closer. "Whatcha' thinking, Sakura?" he whispered in her ear.

A slight laugh escaped from her throat and she lightly stroked his cheek. "I was thinking about how kind and sweet you are. You handled that kid very well. I'm proud of how mature you've become."

Pressing his bandaged hand against hers as it brushed his cheek, he leaned in even closer and kissed her forehead. "Thanks, Sakura-chan."

Her face became slightly pink in response, but she pressed up against his chest. The sounds of his powerful heartbeat filled her ears as she listened closely. His warmth moved into her, causing her face to heat up. They sat there in the silence for a few moments before she leaned away.

"Let's roll out the mats and get ready for bed." In a hushed voice, she said.

They gathered to their feet and rolled out their mats. Then Sakura left for the restroom to change, leaving Naruto alone. With each step, she replayed the sounds of his heart beating in her mind. Her feet stepped in sync with the tempo she recalled. Once she entered the restroom, she washed her face and changed into a nightgown.

Feeling satisfied, she strolled back to their assigned room. As she eased the door open, Sakura saw that Naruto had stripped himself into a pair of boxers and was putting on a tee. Her eyes trailed along his skin as she saw the slight glow from the candles bounce off it.

Naruto noticed her presence and turned around to face her, with the shirt in hand. "Were you planning on peeping again?" He teased her coyly with a mischievous smile.

In an instant, her face became quickly red. "No, baka!" then she stormed up to him and glared into his eyes.

He stood in front of her shirtless and she craned her neck to meet his eyes from their height difference. "This definitely isn't the brat I knew when I was little." she thought to herself.

"Well, then why were ya just standin' there at the door?"

His voice broke her train of thought and she shook her head violently. "I had no intentions of peeping, besides you're covered." Pointing down at his black boxers, she commented.

Throwing down his shirt, he folded his arms across his bare chest. The candles illuminated her skin and bright pink hair. He noticed the way her dress clung to her, reminding him of earlier events. Memories of her soaked clothing and then her bare skin flashed in his mind, causing him to want to see more. Inching closer to her, he lifted his bandaged arm and stroked her hair.

Instead of backing away from his touch, she pressed into in and drew herself close to him. She wanted to feel his warmth once more. Soon, she had her arms around his waist, feeling his warm skin to her touch. His heart pounded from the contact and she could feel it as she pressed her cheek against his naked chest.

They stood in the embrace for a short time. Naruto couldn't contain his urge to kiss her any longer and he cupped her face to bring it close to his. Her eyes grew wide in shock at his determination and in response, she placed her lips against his. As she pulled away slightly, she could feel his hot breath stroking her cheek, making her face feel heated. Then nibbling slightly on his lips, she teased him ever so slightly. He reacted by grabbing her hands and stroking her fingers with his. An idea came to mind and then he lead her over to the mats; setting her down along side him.

Instead of feeding into his primal desires, he held her gently as he kissed her ever so slightly. His heart felt like it was about to burst from his chest when she nuzzled him and stared into his blue eyes. "I love you, Naruto."

"I love you too, Sakura-chan."

The world seemed to fall away as he felt absorbed in the vast green ocean of her eyes.

* * *

**Author's Notes: I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. This was a slightly different pace, but it was great learning experience for me. One of the main things that made me agitated about the canon ending of the series, was the aftermath of the war. Suddenly Naruto achieves peace and we have no idea how? I feel that fanfics give us writers a chance to expand on that and show that.**

**I can't thank you all enough for the support. I'll get the next update out as soon as I can!**


End file.

Naruto, Adventure, Romance