by Thunder. Lightning. The soft pitter patter of
the rain on the window sill. As soothing as it was, it failed to lull
Sakura into slumber. She pulled the sheets off her, and placed her feet
on the floor. The wood floor was cold, but she didn't mind it. She was
a bit hot under the covers. Repeated dreams of Sasuke haunted her out
of her sleep every time she fell into it. Why... She pondered,
grabbing a picture off of her bed-side table. She stared into the
picture, the very one that each of team 7 had in their dorms. Naruto
smiled his normal toothy grin, Sakura smiled cutely, and Sasuke had a
sour look on his face. He clearly didn't want to be there. Sakura
stared at it, and placed it back on her table. Why would he run off with Orochimaru? She
slid off the bed, and made her way through the darkness, and to her
window. Moonlight poured into the room as she pulled the blinds up. The
stars shined brightly over Konoha. She glanced at the clock on the wall
that seperated her from her kitchen.
2:45 AM
She
sighed, and flicked on a light. Immediately shielding her eyes from the
blinding light, she leaned against the wall, and heaved a sigh. Letting
her eyes adjust to the light, she opened her cabinet, and reached for a
can of soup, when her hand was stopped by something else. She wrapped
her hands around it, and removed it from it's place. A pack of
microwavable Ramen sat in her hand. Chicken Flavor as the package read. She smiled, and sat down at her table. I remember... Naruto gave this to me on our last date... She chuckled a bit. Naruto never knows the right gift to give a woman... that guy... She
placed the package down, and walked towards the door. She opened it,
and stepped out into the stormy night. Her dorm was on the second story. She
lived nearest to Kiba and Naruto. She glanced down the walkway, and
noticed something peculiar. There was a light on in Naruto's dorm.
Sakura returned to her room, pulled on some clothes, and began the
short walk to Naruto's dorm in the light drizzle. She finally arrived at the door, and
knocked. No answer. She knocked again, and finally, the locks on the
door slid loose, and the door opened, spilling light upon Sakura's
form.
Naruto was surprisingly, fully clothed just as Sakura
was. The smell of Ramen flooded Sakura's senses, and she immediately
knew that the Jinchuriki was up for a late night snack. Naruto smiled.
"Sakura-chan!" He said, with a tone of surprise. She smiled sweetly.
"Hey Naruto. Up late? Mind if I come in?" Naruto stepped aside. "Not at
all, come in!" She stepped inside, and noticed a small dog curled up on
the couch. She turned her head to see Kiba sitting at the table. He was
also fully dressed, and was sitting in front of a steaming bowl of
Ramen, along with some playing cards. "Hey Sakura. Up late?" Sakura
smiled and looked back to Naruto. "What is this, a party?" Naruto
scratched his head. "Well, I couldn't sleep, and neither could Kiba.
Have a seat, I'll cook up another bowl of Ramen!" For some reason that
sounded wonderful. I really do feel like a good bowl of Ramen. "Sounds
wonderful!" she finally replied, taking a seat at the dinner table.
Kiba held card. "Want to play some poker?" Sakura waved a hand. "No
thanks. I never really learned how to play that anyways."
Kiba
placed two cards near Naruto's bowl of Ramen. "Suit yourself. We got
money on this." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Men..." she muttered, as the
'DING' sound of a finished bowl of Ramen rang out through the room.
Naruto grabbed a dish-cloth, and carefully picked up the bowl of
noodles. Placing it in front of Sakura, he slid into his seat, and
placed a pair of chopsticks into his bowl, and smiled brightly. The
room was silent, as all three of them alurped down the Ramen. Naruto
was of course the first to finish, and he stood up, and walked across
the room, fiddling with some things in the cupboard. "Kiba, you want
another round?" He asked, holding another package. Kiba shook his head.
"Nah, I should actually be heading home. I have to get at least some
sleep tonight." Naruto nodded. "Alright then, see you tomorrow." Kiba
nodded. "Kikara! Lets go!" The puppy lifted it's head from the couch,
and yawned. Kiba had been taking care of his little cousin's dog while
she was away. The puppy dropped to the floor, and pranced out the door,
as Kiba held it open. "Akamaru was never this obediant as a puppy..."
he mumbled, as he closed the door behind him, and darted back to his dorm in the stormy night.
Sakura finished
her Ramen, and leaned back in her chair. "Why does Ramen always taste
better in your dorm Naruto?" Naruto smiled, and picked up her bowl. "I
guess Ramen loves me as much as I love it!" Sakura laughed, and
stood up. "You guys made a mess!" She said, looking over the table.
Cards were strewn about, and there were a few noodles on the table. She
grabbed a cloth, and wet it under the sink water. She wiped it over the
table, scooping the cards up as she went. "No, Sakura-chan, I'll clean
it!" She finished wiping down the table, and placed the cloth on the
counter. "Don't worry about it. Call it a thanks for the Ramen." She
smiled, and lifted herself up to sit on the counter. "Why couldn't you
sleep?" She asked, looking out the Window. Naruto took a seat on the
counter next to Sakura. "Well... Kikara wouldn't stop howling until
Kiba got up and walked her. Thats when he realized that I was still
up." Naruto tilted his head back, until it rested on the top cabinets.
"... And I couldn't stop wondering about when we'll find Sasuke again."
Sakura's eyes widened. She turned her head, and looked at Naruto, who turned his eyes to meet her's. "Thats exactly why I
couldn't sleep!" She cried out. Naruto slid off the counter, and
disappeared into the next room. He returned with a familiar framed
photo of when they had started out as a team. Naruto took his place on
the counter-top yet again. He held out the photo. "Remember that?... We
were just kids. We had no idea." Sakura took the photo, and held it in
her hands. Naruto had bought a nicer frame for it than she did. She
stared out the window. "...Do you think Sasuke ever thinks about us?"
Naruto looked down at the floor. ". . . Sasuke. . ." he muttered, as he
looked back to Sakura. "Just don't you go anywhere Sakura-chan." She
placed an arm around him, and they shared a soft kiss. "I'll see you
tomorrow Naruto." Naruto ruffled her hair, and smiled. "Sure thing."
Sakura made her way to the door, and closed it behind her. Naruto slid
off the counter, got back into his boxers, slid into bed, and turned
out the light.
"Whats
happening!?" Shino glanced around. "Calm down, calm down!" Bugs swarmed
everywhere. They buzzed around noisily, and were batting at the window
pane. "Stop it this isntant!" The bugs ignored his orders, and
continued to swarm. ". . . something isn't right." Shino muttered, as
he stared out at the moon. Tomrrow night would be a full moon...
the rain on the window sill. As soothing as it was, it failed to lull
Sakura into slumber. She pulled the sheets off her, and placed her feet
on the floor. The wood floor was cold, but she didn't mind it. She was
a bit hot under the covers. Repeated dreams of Sasuke haunted her out
of her sleep every time she fell into it. Why... She pondered,
grabbing a picture off of her bed-side table. She stared into the
picture, the very one that each of team 7 had in their dorms. Naruto
smiled his normal toothy grin, Sakura smiled cutely, and Sasuke had a
sour look on his face. He clearly didn't want to be there. Sakura
stared at it, and placed it back on her table. Why would he run off with Orochimaru? She
slid off the bed, and made her way through the darkness, and to her
window. Moonlight poured into the room as she pulled the blinds up. The
stars shined brightly over Konoha. She glanced at the clock on the wall
that seperated her from her kitchen.
2:45 AM
She
sighed, and flicked on a light. Immediately shielding her eyes from the
blinding light, she leaned against the wall, and heaved a sigh. Letting
her eyes adjust to the light, she opened her cabinet, and reached for a
can of soup, when her hand was stopped by something else. She wrapped
her hands around it, and removed it from it's place. A pack of
microwavable Ramen sat in her hand. Chicken Flavor as the package read. She smiled, and sat down at her table. I remember... Naruto gave this to me on our last date... She chuckled a bit. Naruto never knows the right gift to give a woman... that guy... She
placed the package down, and walked towards the door. She opened it,
and stepped out into the stormy night. Her dorm was on the second story. She
lived nearest to Kiba and Naruto. She glanced down the walkway, and
noticed something peculiar. There was a light on in Naruto's dorm.
Sakura returned to her room, pulled on some clothes, and began the
short walk to Naruto's dorm in the light drizzle. She finally arrived at the door, and
knocked. No answer. She knocked again, and finally, the locks on the
door slid loose, and the door opened, spilling light upon Sakura's
form.
Naruto was surprisingly, fully clothed just as Sakura
was. The smell of Ramen flooded Sakura's senses, and she immediately
knew that the Jinchuriki was up for a late night snack. Naruto smiled.
"Sakura-chan!" He said, with a tone of surprise. She smiled sweetly.
"Hey Naruto. Up late? Mind if I come in?" Naruto stepped aside. "Not at
all, come in!" She stepped inside, and noticed a small dog curled up on
the couch. She turned her head to see Kiba sitting at the table. He was
also fully dressed, and was sitting in front of a steaming bowl of
Ramen, along with some playing cards. "Hey Sakura. Up late?" Sakura
smiled and looked back to Naruto. "What is this, a party?" Naruto
scratched his head. "Well, I couldn't sleep, and neither could Kiba.
Have a seat, I'll cook up another bowl of Ramen!" For some reason that
sounded wonderful. I really do feel like a good bowl of Ramen. "Sounds
wonderful!" she finally replied, taking a seat at the dinner table.
Kiba held card. "Want to play some poker?" Sakura waved a hand. "No
thanks. I never really learned how to play that anyways."
Kiba
placed two cards near Naruto's bowl of Ramen. "Suit yourself. We got
money on this." Sakura rolled her eyes. "Men..." she muttered, as the
'DING' sound of a finished bowl of Ramen rang out through the room.
Naruto grabbed a dish-cloth, and carefully picked up the bowl of
noodles. Placing it in front of Sakura, he slid into his seat, and
placed a pair of chopsticks into his bowl, and smiled brightly. The
room was silent, as all three of them alurped down the Ramen. Naruto
was of course the first to finish, and he stood up, and walked across
the room, fiddling with some things in the cupboard. "Kiba, you want
another round?" He asked, holding another package. Kiba shook his head.
"Nah, I should actually be heading home. I have to get at least some
sleep tonight." Naruto nodded. "Alright then, see you tomorrow." Kiba
nodded. "Kikara! Lets go!" The puppy lifted it's head from the couch,
and yawned. Kiba had been taking care of his little cousin's dog while
she was away. The puppy dropped to the floor, and pranced out the door,
as Kiba held it open. "Akamaru was never this obediant as a puppy..."
he mumbled, as he closed the door behind him, and darted back to his dorm in the stormy night.
Sakura finished
her Ramen, and leaned back in her chair. "Why does Ramen always taste
better in your dorm Naruto?" Naruto smiled, and picked up her bowl. "I
guess Ramen loves me as much as I love it!" Sakura laughed, and
stood up. "You guys made a mess!" She said, looking over the table.
Cards were strewn about, and there were a few noodles on the table. She
grabbed a cloth, and wet it under the sink water. She wiped it over the
table, scooping the cards up as she went. "No, Sakura-chan, I'll clean
it!" She finished wiping down the table, and placed the cloth on the
counter. "Don't worry about it. Call it a thanks for the Ramen." She
smiled, and lifted herself up to sit on the counter. "Why couldn't you
sleep?" She asked, looking out the Window. Naruto took a seat on the
counter next to Sakura. "Well... Kikara wouldn't stop howling until
Kiba got up and walked her. Thats when he realized that I was still
up." Naruto tilted his head back, until it rested on the top cabinets.
"... And I couldn't stop wondering about when we'll find Sasuke again."
Sakura's eyes widened. She turned her head, and looked at Naruto, who turned his eyes to meet her's. "Thats exactly why I
couldn't sleep!" She cried out. Naruto slid off the counter, and
disappeared into the next room. He returned with a familiar framed
photo of when they had started out as a team. Naruto took his place on
the counter-top yet again. He held out the photo. "Remember that?... We
were just kids. We had no idea." Sakura took the photo, and held it in
her hands. Naruto had bought a nicer frame for it than she did. She
stared out the window. "...Do you think Sasuke ever thinks about us?"
Naruto looked down at the floor. ". . . Sasuke. . ." he muttered, as he
looked back to Sakura. "Just don't you go anywhere Sakura-chan." She
placed an arm around him, and they shared a soft kiss. "I'll see you
tomorrow Naruto." Naruto ruffled her hair, and smiled. "Sure thing."
Sakura made her way to the door, and closed it behind her. Naruto slid
off the counter, got back into his boxers, slid into bed, and turned
out the light.
- - - - - ]* * * X * * *[- - - - -
"Whats
happening!?" Shino glanced around. "Calm down, calm down!" Bugs swarmed
everywhere. They buzzed around noisily, and were batting at the window
pane. "Stop it this isntant!" The bugs ignored his orders, and
continued to swarm. ". . . something isn't right." Shino muttered, as
he stared out at the moon. Tomrrow night would be a full moon...
