DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

Chapter Twenty-Four:
Chasing After Shadows

Here in the shadows, I'm safe, I'm free
I've nowhere else to go
But I cannot stay where I don't belong
~Evanescence~

With her own mouth poised so close to his, she said the only thing that came to her mind "So, what's stopping you from doing all that?" Certainly not her.

"At the moment, not a damn thing," he said gruffly, and took her mouth with his own.

The tips of her fingers tentatively skimmed over his bare chest. Naruto groaned as his entire body clenched in reaction leaving him hard and aching.

"Don't stop," he pleaded softly.

"We should. This isn't the right time or place…"

Pressing hot, wet kisses down to the curve of her neck, Naruto shuddered as her palms slowly pressed more firmly to his skin, roaming over his chest until she came to his sensitive nipple.

He made a sound deep in his body at the jolt of excitement. Easily sensing his pleasure, Sakura teasingly circled it until it was as hard as the rest of his body.

His fingers entangled in her hair, urging her to continue with her heavenly strokes.

She did.

Even as his heavy lids shut, her delicate trailed a blazing path down to his clenched stomach to toy with the edge of his pants. He jerked in response, a growl coming from his throat.

"Oh, yes."

"Yes, what?" she whispered, clearly taking perverse enjoyment in driving him to the point of madness.

He spread heated kisses over her face as he shifted to jerk down the offending pants.

"Are you deliberately trying to torture me?" he rasped, his hand moving to cover hers so that he could urge it towards his straining erection. "Or are you wanting me to beg?"

"Torture and begging? I think I like the sound of both," she retorted.

Naruto laughed softly only for it to end in a broken moan as her fingers tentatively stroked the throbbing length of him from tip to base and back again.

There was nothing experienced in her touch. It was more as if she was discovering for herself the best way to bring the low groans to his throat. He tried to be quiet though. There were people about and he knew she would stop if she thought about that fact.

He wanted nothing to ruin this perfect moment between them.

Nothing was going to spoil the mood.

Nothing but the muffled sound of footsteps coming to a halt in front of the tent.

"Naruto?" The cheerful, irritating, and totally unwelcome voice of Shinya floated through the air. "Daylight is breaking. Are you going to spend the whole day in bed, lazy-ass? It's time to break camp."

Naruto froze, but Sakura bolted from the bed as though set on fire. Hastily she threw on more clothes and gave him a dark look.

The mood was definitely broken. And if her embarrassed expression was anything to go by, it wasn't going to be rekindled anytime soon.

With clenched fists and a deep, weary sigh, Naruto tossed himself on his back and threw his hands over his face as Sakura darted out of the tent.

"I… will… kill… him…."

~o~O~o~

Sakura was rounding the corner of one of the many tents set up in the camp site when she spotted Yukiko and one of the bodyguards taking one down. Not wanting another unpleasant confrontation that early in the morning, she was about to quietly go in another direction when she heard her name. She debated for a second about the ethics of listening in on another's private conversation.

Okay, so maybe it was only half a second… Sakura took a step closer.

Yukiko scoffed at Genjiro. "Please—as if I'm worried about anything Sakura has to say. What's she going to do, give me a little pissed-off hair flip?" She flung imaginary long hair off her shoulders, exaggerating. "I'll tell you, one of these days I'm going to grab her by that atrocious pink hair and . . ." She gestured as if throttling someone.

Without breaking stride, Sakura continued walking towards them. She was about to pass by the two when she stopped and interjected, "While I can say with absolute certainty that I can't return this creepy obsession you seem to have with me, I have to know… Is violence always part of your sexual fantasies?"

Yukiko whipped around—

"Sexual—?"

—and got hit smack in the face with a tent peg that flew up. She toppled back and sprawled ungracefully on the ground.

Sakura stepped over her dazed body and smugly twirled a kunai in her fingers. "This is nice. We should talk like this more often."

She didn't go that far when she heard, "Yeah, well at least I'm being a professional on her mission unlike you…"

At the sound of Yukiko's catty comment, Sakura turned to look at the medic. She ignored the triumphant gleam in the woman's eyes and shook her head sadly. "I don't know what you're talking about now and I don't care."

"Oh really… then you might want to do something about that hickey on your neck."

Sakura made a conscious effort not to reach up to where she could almost swear she could still feel his mouth.

The two of them had been nothing but professional during their travels. What happened that morning while they were not on duty was nothing to be ashamed of. She gave Yukiko an uncaring shrug and turned away.

"You think you and Naruto are such a good match. What a laugh," she said venomously. The truth is, you're all wrong for him in so many ways, and as soon as he figures that out, you'll be dumped just like all the other girls he's dated."

"What, like you?" snorted Sakura. "I would be stupid to believe anything you said."

Sakura stared down at the dark haired girl and felt a twinge of pity. She understood what it felt like to be cast off like trash… like Sasuke had done to her. But enough was enough - this was no thirteen year old girl. She reached her hand out to help her up, saying, "I understand your pain, but just because Naruto broke things off with you doesn't mean you have to act this way. Have some pride. You're chasing after a shadow."

Yukiko pushed Sakura's hand away and gritted out, "I don't need your pity." She got to her feet and looked disdainfully down at Sakura. "You're the one chasing after a shadow. You only want Naruto because you couldn't have the other teammate...Sasuke." She gave a delighted look at Sakura's sharp indrawn breath. "Yeah," she said smugly, "I know about him. Just because you didn't know me when I lived in Konoha didn't mean I know you or your team. Face it - you and Naruto are too different to be compatible. He wants you only as another notch in his belt and so that he can one up his rival, Sasuke." With that, she turned away dismissively and continued to take down the tent.

Sakura frowned at the medic, but didn't say another word. Arguing with that woman was pointless.

Yeah, haven't done one of these in a while... really wanted to put it in the story, but it just didn't fit anywhere - so I made it into an Omake!

~Omake~

The caravan made slow, steady progress through the countryside. As they descended the mountains, they left behind the snow and ice. Each village they passed through seemed to be clogged with travelers and villagers leaving wisps of hazy dust over the road like haunted beings, while leaves, colored with the essence of an all-but-forgotten fall, crunched beneath her feet. Sakura took a deep breath in, the winter air carrying a hint of spring as it rushed into her nose and out in white puffs through her mouth. The harsh, bitter cold piercing her lungs like slivers of glass.

She just returned with the advanced scout when Naruto found her. He led her over to a large rock to sit on and handed her a sandwich wrapped in napkins, saying, "I made this for you, Sakura-chan. We still have a long day ahead of us and I know you probably hadn't eaten yet."

"That's very thoughtful of you," she murmured, her lips twitching with amusement as she inspected the sandwich, layer by layer. "Did, um," she said, clearing her throat as she bit back a smile that had his eyes narrowing, "did you make your own sandwich like this?"

"Yes," he answered defensively, wondering what her problem was. Lord Kumosaki's personal chef showed him this wonderful creation of his. This 'sandwich', as he called it, had everything that she liked to eat and would fill her up quickly. It was the perfect meal in his book. It was easy to make, portable and provided everything that she would need; bread, meat and cheese. What more could she ask for?

"I see," she said as a smile broke free before she managed to pull it back. She lightly touched the top of the sandwich which caused an obscene amount of mayonnaise to seep out and pool on the napkin.

Sighing in irritation, he grabbed a kunai from his pouch and grabbed the napkin away from her so that he could fix the sandwich for her. He pulled the top layer of bread off and quickly scraped up the mayonnaise that had escaped and put it back in the sandwich. When he was done, he handed it back to her.

"Um, thank you," she murmured as she looked around the clearing for an escape. "Where's Lord Kumosaki?"

"He should be getting ready to leave now."

"Oh," she said, looking oddly disappointed as she slumped on the rock and focused her attention back on the sandwich where it belonged.

"Oh, you know how he is by now. He likes to sleeps in until the last minute," he explained, frowning when he caught her poking the sandwich and watching with fascination as more mayonnaise poured out. He was just about to demand that she eat the wonderful sandwich that he'd made when he heard her stomach growl, demanding that she eat the sandwich and doing his job for him.

"I should probably go check on him to make sure he is doing well," she said with a sigh as she got to her feet.

"What about your sandwich?" he asked, gesturing to the home cooked meal that he'd slaved over for her. "I made it just for you," he said accusingly as he pushed away from the tree he had been leaning against and blocked her path.

"I know and it was sweet, really, but I really don't think that I could handle something that delicious," she said with a heartfelt sigh even as she did her best to bite back a smile. It really had been a sweet gesture even if it had grossed her out to an unbelievable degree. She'd never in her life seen so much mayonnaise and pepper in one sandwich before. It had oozed out of the sandwich, reminding her of pus and that had pretty much killed any cravings for sandwiches for a while.

AN:

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! I am really sorry that it has taken me so long to update and that this is such a short chapter, but I've been 'forced' to work six days a week since February. It may be a while until my next update, so please bare (or is it bear? LOL) with me. Hopefully the overtime will stop or at least slow down soon and I can have more time to write.

My recommendation this week is : Rebirth of A Sharingan Love by Timberwolfe - A Battle that changes everything; A promise that turns into something else. A love that has been deserved since Childhood. What will Naruto and Sakura do when they face each other in the hardest thing to have come true in life; Love!

AZFAERYDUST