City of Night

Chapter 31

Chapter 31

"Open your eyes."

Sasuke removed his hands and Sakura gasped, stepping backwards and feeling her back meet with Sasuke's solid chest.

"Oh my God." She could find no other words.

Standing before her, down below, was the Hidden Leaf, rebuilt and looking exactly as it had the first time she had ever laid eyes on it. It was like the war hadn't touched it at all; like Deidara had never blown it up with one of his bombs.

Does that mean the Sand is the same?

Sakura instantly regretted thinking of the Sand and flinched at the powerful pang in her chest. The Sand meant one person, and though Sakura found that thinking of him was becoming gradually easier and less painful, memories and dreams of Gaara still haunted her.

She sighed; it would have come down to her making a choice, between him and Sasuke, but Gaara had saved her from having to make that impossible choice in the end, by making the choice for her.

Gaara... Thank you. For everything...

"Sakura?"

Sakura was immediately brought out of her thoughts and turned, forcing a reassuring smile onto her face and quickly pecking Sasuke's lips. She wrapped her arms around his torso and turned back to the Leaf standing in all its glory below them.

"Does that mean we can come back?"

Sakura loved the Mist, but the Leaf was her home and the thought of returning to it ignited something in her veins. She was sure it was anticipation, but it felt like something more, something she couldn't put into words.

Sasuke affectionately nuzzled her hair, his voice muffled. "Yes."

Sakura released him, eyes glinting as her lips curled upwards. Sasuke raised an eyebrow.

"Catch me if you can," she whispered and broke into a run, not slowing down as she reached the familiar balcony's edge and leaping, the wind screaming in her ears before she landed lightly and raced forward down the familiar streets.

She couldn't see Sasuke, but she could hear him behind her and catching up fast. She ran faster, her blood boiling with excitement and adrenaline. She reached the training grounds where Sasuke and Tsunade had first trained her how to fight, where she had exceeded their expectations and where she had drank the Vampire's Blood in order to become stronger.

Sakura ducked behind a large tree and waited, her heart pounding in her ears, listening to the approaching footsteps, before she tackled Sasuke from the side. He yelped with surprise as they both hit the ground, Sasuke on his back and Sakura on top of him.

She laughed breathlessly and squeaked when Sasuke suddenly rolled so that he was on the one hovering above her.

"You're wild," he breathed and Sakura opened her mouth to reply before gasping instead when Sasuke's lips descended upon her neck. She wound her arms around his neck to pull his body closer to hers, feeling her boiling blood replaced with fire as his hands traced the skin just under the hem of her tank top. But it was a good fire.

Her fingers curled into his hair as his lips trailed her collarbones, and she gasped again when they moved further down.

The old Sakura, the human Sakura, would have already pushed Sasuke away by now, would have probably stalked off in embarrassment.

But this Sakura wanted to go further, wanted to explore more and she was not afraid to finally go all the way with Sasuke.

"Sasuke." Her voice was muffled by his mouth finding hers again, as his hands ventured further, to places where Sakura had never been touched before, but found that she thoroughly enjoyed.