There was a terrible storm outside that night.  The rain came down hard with the rushing wind, while thunder and lighting crashed loudly, making all those who heard it cover their ears.  Sakura sat beside Naruto, as he lied in his bed, greatly exhausted from the endeavor.  She soaked a washcloth in cold water and wiped the sweat from his forehead and his cheeks, stroking across his whiskers.  Sakura had a hard time trying to block it out, but it was so horrific, so frightening.

It was before the storm.  A large group of Orochimaru’s ninjas were attacking the Konoha Village.  Kakashi led his team, Naruto and Sakura, in the assault to hold them off, along with a few others.  But as they fought, they got separated.  Sakura chased after a Sound Ninja into the forest, trying to catch up with him.  Suddenly, two shurikens whistled through the air and struck Sakura: one in her leg and in her front right shoulder.  Sakura lost her foot in the trees and fell the ground hard on her side.  

“Damn it” she winced.  Sakura grabbed her leg with her right hand and the shuriken in her left.  After one deep breath, she pulled the shuriken out and threw it aside.  She then climbed to her knees while she held her shoulder, looking at her surroundings, trying to determine where the enemy was.  With the quiet wind blowing from the south, making the leave rustle continuously, it was difficult where the Sound Ninja was.

“Come on” Sakura whispered to herself.  “Where are you?”  A chuckled was heard and Sakura drew her kunai.

“Look at that boys,” said low voice.  “The little ninja has gone to the defense.”

“Well, let’s not end it too soon” said another voice.  “We can at least have a little fun with her.”

“My thoughts exactly” said another voice.  More chuckles were heard and then three Sound Ninja’s appeared from the within the trees, all dressed in black.  One held katana in his left hand, the second had a blade tonfa, and the third wore a pair of metal gloves with three ten-inch claws.

“Well, boys, how should we start?” the first ninja asked.

“I say we make her scream,” said the third ninja, holding his left claw to his face.

“Mind if I have the first go?” asked the second ninja, adjusting his grip on his tonfa.  

“Knock yourself out,” said the first.  The second ninja released a quiet, sinister chuckle.  He twirled his tonfa in front of him as he crept towards Sakura.

“Stay away from me” Sakura warned.  She tried to hide her trembling as she stared into the Sound Ninja’s eyes.

“Come on, girl” he said.  “Scream for us.”  He lunged at Sakura, pulling his tonfa over his shoulder.  As the Sound Ninja swung down at her, Sakura quietly jumped to the side.  The tip of the blade sliced through her jacket and cut across the left side of her chest.

“Ah!”  Sakura held her hand over her wound, as she snared at the ninja who hurt her.

“A yelp,” said the second ninja.  “Well, it’s a start.  We still have a long way to go.”  He lunged at her again; holding his tonfa to the side, ready to make another swing at her.  But then a shuriken shot out from a tree and flew passed the second ninja, cutting the corner of his left eye.  He stopped in his tracks and backed away as he held his wound, groaning through his teeth.

“Where the hell did that come from?” the third ninja asked.  Something was rustling through the trees and then someone jumped out of the leaves and landed in front of Sakura.

“Naruto” she said, relieved.

“Who is this brat?” the first ninja asked.

“You know, you guys left an easy trail to follow,” said Naruto, smiling coyly at them.  “A ninja-in-training could follow it.”

“Humph, you got a smart mouth kid,” said the second ninja, holding his tonfa up.  “I believe its time someone taught you how to keep it shut.”  He charged at Naruto with his tonfa held over his left shoulder.  Just as he swung his tonfa, Naruto swiftly raised his right hand and blocked the ninja’s attack with his kunai.  While their gaze locked in between them, the third ninja took to the air and came down at Naruto, holding his claws level to his eyes.

“Naruto, above you!” Sakura cried.  Naruto saw the third ninja coming down at him.  After he threw the second ninja off him, turned around to his left, as he drew a shuriken, and hurled at it at the third ninja.  The ninja blocked the shuriken, but just as it flew past him, a puff of smoke came from the shuriken, revealing a clone Naruto, and he kicked the third ninja in the back of his neck, throwing him to the ground, and the clone vanished in another puff of smoke.

“The boy has some skill,” said the first ninja.  “Be a shame to kill him, though.”

“So what, the more screams, the merrier” said the second ninja.  “Besides, I’m just getting started.”

“Hey, Sakura, can you get up?” Naruto asked, whispering to her.

“Yeah, I think so,” said Sakura.

“I want you to get out of here.  I’ll take care of these guys.”

“I’m not leaving you here alone, Naruto.”

“Sakura, just trust me, all right.”

“You should be paying attention, boy!”  Naruto turned his gaze from Sakura as the third ninja charged at him again.  Naruto charged the ninja head on, and his kunai met with the ninja’s tonfa.  As he pushed the ninja back, he pulled his left fist back and delivered and powerful uppercut to the ninja’s chin, hurling him into the trees.

Naruto saw the first ninja coming at him with his katana held in front of him.  He jumped over his lunge and landed behind him, crouching down.  The first then came at Naruto with a swift back swing, but Naruto ducked under the blade, spreading his legs out to help get closer to the ground.   He swept back to his feet as the blade swooped over his head, turned to his left as came up, and swung his kunai at the ninja’s face, giving him a clean cut then kicked him in his stomach, throwing him hard against the side of tree.

“Ha, no one can touch me,” said Naruto, smiling with his fox-like smile.

“Think again, kid.”  Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw the third charging him, his claws held out.  Naruto quickly drew his other kunai and blocked both of the ninja’s claws, but it didn’t stop there.  The third ninja kept swing at him from all direction; his speed was incredible.  Sparks flew out each time their blades came into contact, like a hammer striking red-hot steel.  Naruto barely managed to keep up.  The ninja stopped his attack, forcing his claws against Naruto’s kunai while he held him back.

“Gotcha” the second ninja shouted.  He came down from the sky, his tonfa pulled back.  Naruto jumped to the side, dodging the second ninja’s strike, then both he and the third charged at him again.  As Naruto blocked their strike, struggling to push them back, the first ninja held his katana with both hands, and prepared to strike Naruto from behind, and lunged right at him.

“Naruto, behind you,” Sakura cried.  Naruto looked over his shoulder and saw the first ninja coming at him.  As he prepared to strike, Sakura pulled the shuriken out from her shoulder and threw it at the first ninja.  It turned vertical as it twirled through the air, and then it sliced the back of the ninja’s wrist, swooped around him as it dived down, and sliced the tendon of his ankle.  The ninja let out a powerful yell as he dropped to one knee, holding his wrist.  His cold gaze then shot at Sakura, like snake striking its prey.

“Now you die, you little…” the ninja growled, and then he lunged at her.

“Sakura, run!” Naruto shouted, but she didn’t.  She only trembled as the ninja came at her, staring into his cold eyes.  He pulled his katana back, aiming at her heart.

“Die!” he shouted.  He threw his katana in front of him and pierced through flesh as splattered a bit of blood on Sakura’s face as she gasped.  “What the hell?”

To his surprise, he saw that Naruto had taken the sword into his chest, holding it tightly in his hands, as if he was trying to stop it.  His blood ran down his jacket and down the edge of the sword as he held his head down, taking deep breaths.

“You… will not… harm her,” Naruto growled.  Then he raised his head and returned the ninja’s gaze, but this time, the ninja was one trembling.  Naruto’s eyes burned scarlet red, his fangs bared, and his body began to glow with red chakra.

“What the hell are you?” the ninja gasped.  Naruto pushed the blade out of his chest, overcoming the ninja’s strength.  He pulled back his right claw and swiped at the ninja’s neck.  He moved so fast that it seemed that he felt no pain as he fell to the ground.  The others gasped in surprise what Naruto had done, as did Sakura.  

“Damn you” the third ninja growled.  Naruto turned his gaze to them as he lowered himself to all fours and his chakra took the shape of some kind of animal with long ears and tail.

This is it.  Sakura thought.  This is the same chakra as before.

The last two ninjas took their stance, trying not to be intimidated by Naruto’s gaze.  Both of them charged at him, their blades held out while Naruto held his ground, his claws ready to strike.  As they drew close, Naruto lunged at them.  He dodged their attacks, jumping over them, but he didn’t take the chance to strike at them.  He landed on all fours, his chakra still flowing.  As the third ninja turned around, he threw his right fist in front of him, shooting his three claws at Naruto.  The blades swept across Naruto’s arm, cutting through the sleeve of his jacket and gouge his flesh.

He grabbed his arm as he shot his head, growling more ferociously, and he charged at him.  The third ninja threw his left fist in front of him and show his other three blades.  They swept past his left cheek, not even scratching him.  Then Naruto jumped from the ground, his right claw pulled back, and with one swing, he silenced the third ninja for all time.  The second ninja gasped in fear, terrified how he killed his comrade like he was nothing.  Before Naruto could make his move, his tonfa blade slashed open Naruto’s back, cutting him deeply.

Naruto yelled at the sudden pain, grabbing the ground in his hands.  He looked over his shoulder, and his gaze paralyzed the second ninja, making him tremble.  Naruto could sense his fear and he enjoyed it, but the wound given to him would not go unpunished.  The moment the second ninja dropped his blade, Naruto’s right claw rose from beneath him and drove into the darkness of the second ninja’s cloak, but came out crimson red as the ninja fell to the ground, releasing his final breath.  Naruto stared down at his hands, seeing how they both wore the same color.

Thunder was heard in the distance as the starry skies were engulfed in the storm’s coming darkness, but rain was not the first drop the fell to his hands, but tears from his own eyes as he trembled, realizing what he had done.  His fists clenched and he raised his head, yelling and roaring at the same time: a cry of anguish.  His cry settled as the charka’s shaped diminished to a simple glow, settling down.  He turned his head and looked over his shoulder, looking at Sakura.  A small grin grew on his face, relieved that she was all right.

“Sakura” he whispered, and then he passed out as he fell to the ground.  Sakura gasped as she jumped to her feet and ran to Naruto, catching him in her arms.  She lowered him to the ground and rested his head on her legs.

“Naruto” Sakura whispered, brushing his hair from over his eyes.  “Naruto, wake up.  Please, don’t die on me.”

“Sakura,” a voice shouted.  Sakura raised her head and saw Kakashi appear from the trees and knelt beside her.  “Tell me what happened?”

Sakura explained to Kakashi what had happened, the ambush and Naruto’s transformation.  He helped her carry Naruto to his apartment and left him in her care after he gave her the necessities to help Naruto.  Sakura has been with him since.  It was a quarter past midnight and Sakura was beginning to feel tired.  She got from her seat and walked to the bathroom, turning on the faucet, and splashed cold water on her face.  After she turned the water off and dried her face, she looked into the mirror and saw how heavy her eyes were.

“Maybe some tea would help,” she said.  She walked into the kitchen and filled a small teapot with water.  Before she could turn on the stove, she heard Naruto groaning.  She walked in his room and saw that he was tossing and turning in his bed, wincing through his teeth, baring his fangs, trembling uncontrollably.  

“No” Naruto moaned.  “No, I won’t…”  Sakura figured that he was having some kind of nightmare.

“Naruto?  Naruto, wake up” said Sakura, shaking Naruto a little.  “Naruto.”  But he didn’t wake up.  In his mind, he ran through a shadowy realm.  He came to a stop as the corpses of the ninjas he killed appeared in midair, laughing at him.

“You killed us, you demon,” said the first ninja.  His voice was rasp and high.  “Now she… will die.”  Sakura appeared in front of them, her hands tied behind her back, beaten and bruised, her clothes torn, and her hair covered in sweat and blood.  She raised her head as a small trail of blood leaked from the corner of her mouth.

“Na… ru… to.”  Sakura voice was so weak; she could barely talk.  The emerald glean in her eyes had almost faded away.  The three ninjas held their blades to Sakura, chuckling evilly.  

“No, Sakura” Naruto cried.  “Let her go, you bastards!”  The three ninja’s raised their blades over their head as chains shot up from the ground and wrapped themselves around Naruto, just as he was bout to strike.  He could break free from their hold, and they only tightened as he struggled.

“Die” they said, and their blades swung down.

“Sakura!” Naruto cried, and his eyes shot open.  Sakura quickly backed as Naruto immediately raised his chest, taking a deep gasp of air, but that wasn’t what frightened her.  When he opened his eyes, Sakura didn’t see Naruto’s ocean blue eyes, but those that gleamed with scarlet red.  Naruto dropped his chest and tossed him out of his bed to the floor as he grabbed his chest, growling fiercely through his sharp fangs.

“Naruto?” Sakura asked, quietly, trying to reach out to him.  When she held her hand to him, Naruto sharply raised his head, and growled at her.  To him, he didn’t see Sakura, but the first ninja who stabbed him in the chest with his katana.  He crouched down all on fours, like a predator ready to strike at its prey.  “Naruto, what are you doing?”  Then he lunged at her.  Sakura jumped to the side as Naruto swiped his left claw at her, striking the wall.  He turned his gaze at Sakura as she crawled back from him.

“Naruto, it’s me,” she said, frantically.  “You don’t want to do this.”  Naruto jumped at her again, grabbed her right shoulder, and held her to the floor, snaring at her with his blood-red eyes.  Sakura trembled, afraid of what Naruto may do.

No, he wouldn’t do this.  This isn’t Naruto.  I know he wouldn’t hurt me.  I know he won’t hurt me.

Then he raised his right hand, his claws bared and gleamed from the light of the thunder that crashed outside.  “Naruto, please, stop.  Please.  Naruto!”

“Stop!” said a deep and low voice.   Just as he was about to strike, something held him back, something stronger than him.  He didn’t know what it was.  “Do you really want to kill her, boy?  Can you live with her blood stained on your hands?”

What? Naruto thought.  Sakura wasn’t sure what was happening.  She didn’t turn away from his eyes.  She didn’t want to.  She knew that Naruto was in there somewhere.  She let her left hand go from Naruto’s and placed her palm against his cheek, brushing her thumb across his top whisker.

“Naruto, it’s me,” she said softly.  “It’s me.”  The image of the first ninja, who he thought he was holding down, vanished and realized that he was holding down Sakura.  He gasped in fear, and started to tremble.

“Sakura” he whimpered.  He let go of Sakura and backed away from her as he whimpered, until the side of the bed stopped him.  His eyes returned to their original color and his whiskers settled, as he buried his face in his hands.  Sakura got up from the floor and sat in front of Naruto, placing her hand on his shoulder.  

“Naruto,” Sakura whispered.

“I’m sorry, Sakura” Naruto whimpered.  “I’m… so sorry.  I didn’t…”  Sakura knew of the Demon Fox within Naruto, and that he was able to merge his chakra with his, but sometimes, when his feral side becomes dominant, he had a hard time to controlling himself.

“It’s okay, Naruto” said Sakura, gently rubbing his shoulder, trying to comfort him.  “I know you didn’t mean to.  It’s not your fault.  I’m just glad… you’re all right.”  Then Sakura wrapped her arms under his, falling into his legs, holding him as if she was afraid that he would vanish or something.  Looking back at all the times she had seen Naruto in such a state, from when she first saw him in his one-tail form, using the Nine-Tailed Fox’s chakra, she realized why everyone hated him so, why, in truth, he was so sad and alone, when she saw him carefree and humorous.  How he used it to hide his true feelings.  Naruto was forced to lower his hands as Sakura took hold of him.  He felt tears drop to his skin run down his shirt as Sakura started to cry.  Naruto wrapped his arms around Sakura and returned her embrace, trying not to tremble, blocking out what he almost did.

“Sakura, can I… can I ask you something?”  Naruto whispered it in her ear like a secret.

“Yes,” Sakura replied, in the same tone as Naruto.

“Why didn’t you run away, when I… attacked you?”

“Because I couldn’t leave you alone.”  Sakura’s crying stopped.  “I’ve seen the way you look after you regain control, after you realized what you done.  You always look so sad, so alone.  I couldn’t… I didn’t want to let you go through that alone again.”

“Why?  I have always been a fool.  That’s what you referred to me as.”

“True, but that was before I discovered the truth about you.  To go through all that, to be all alone, under the gaze of those who would only be cruel to you, and that all you could do was hide it, no matter what you had to do.  To do something like that… must have taken great courage to do so.”

“I suppose.  But it doesn’t matter anymore.”

“It does.  All my life, I wanted to be strong, to prove that I was strong as everyone else.  In the past, whenever I saw Sasuke fight, I was inspired to follow in his footsteps, to become like him, I thought I could win his heart in doing so, but he never acknowledged my progress, but you did.  You cheered me on, believing I could become stronger, that I could be like everyone else.  That’s when I realized; it wasn’t Sasuke I was following, but yours.  You were willing to succeed your own limits, to earn everyone’s respect, to see you as an equal.  I realized that I love you, Naruto.”  His heart fluttered and warmed in his chest.  She didn’t hesitate nor stutter.  She said it clear as day, to let him know that what she said is true.

“I love you, too, Sakura,” said Naruto.  The surface of his lips brushed across the tip of Sakura’s ears, along with his warm breath.  Sakura felt more comforted with his words and his touch.  She raised her head and looked into Naruto’s eyes, and Naruto into hers.  In their gaze, Sakura felt that she was swimming an in the sea, next to a warm, golden beach.  She swam her way to shore and lay on the warm sand, letting the sun dry off her smooth, wet skin.  Naruto felt that he was lost in a breeze of soft, waving flying petals of cherry blossoms on the first morning of spring.  Their scent filled his nose, easing his mind.

Then their lips met in between them as their eyes closed.  Naruto began to give in as Sakura strengthen their kiss, letting her take over.  Her hands moved down his back and under his shirt; his warm skin sweeping across her cool palms.  Naruto’s shirt moved up with her hands and their lips parted as Sakura removed his shirt, and then Naruto kissed her again, and Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck, wanting the same thing.  Naruto held the zipper of Sakura’s jacket, guided it down to the bottom, as Sakura lowered her arms, and slid her jacket down her arms, as he felt her soft, smooth skin sweep across his hands.

His lips parted from hers then he kissed the base of her neck, nibbling at her skin with his fangs.  Sakura let out a quiet moan as her cheeks turn red and felt Naruto’s hands undo her bra and set it aside.  Her arms became weak with Naruto’s touch and she lied on the blankets and pillow on the floor.  His lips left her neck and move across her collarbone, her chest and down her stomach, kissing her belly button as it rose and settle.  She shivered a little as Naruto’s nails gently scraped across her skin, giving it a light, pink tone.  

“Naruto” Sakura whispered.  Their clothes were set-aside on the floor, gathered in a small pile, as it were.  Naruto held one hand over her head, his finger intertwined with hers.  Sakura moved along with Naruto’s gentle, rhythmic motion, combing her fingers through his wild, blonde locks, as his tongue licked across the wound on her chest.  She couldn’t feel it, but with each stroke, the cut began to close until it fully healed, not leaving a scar.  His other hand moved across the skin of her legs, as they brushed along his sides, unable to get enough of her touch.  His palm swept across her rising and settling stomach with each soft breath Sakura took.

He raised his head and looked into Sakura’s eyes.  She placed her right hand against his cheek and kissed his whiskers on his right cheek, from the bottom up, and then she pressed her lips against his.  Her left hand reached around his back, her fingers stroking down the warm cuts on his back as they were healing themselves.  Naruto trembled at her delicate touch, giving in to her, wanting more.   Sakura’s lips parted from Naruto’s, her head arched back, and Naruto kissed down her throat, nibbling at her skin while she moaned softly.

Sakura raised her head up and pressed her forehead to Naruto’s, their moans increasing, taking deep breaths.  Sweat ran down their bodies in the cold air, glistened in the light of thunder and lightning.  Their hearts skipped a beat and everything settled to an easing halt, while they were catching their breath.  Naruto lowered Sakura softly to the floor, on the spread-out blanket, resting her head on the pillow.  She opened her eyes and met his gaze, giving him a small smile.  Sakura brought his head down and kissed him, making him lay beside her.  His arms wrapped around her as she snuggled close to him, her heavy eyes closed, releasing a relaxed breath through her lips.  Naruto kissed her forehead, while taking in the sweet scent of her cherry–blossom hair.

As a crash of thunder came, a shadowy figure appeared on the other side of the room, sitting peacefully.  Naruto looked to the figure and saw a dim, scarlet glow, with its nine-tails resting at its feet.  He could sense that it was neither dangerous nor intended any kind of harm.

“Thank you” Naruto whispered.  The Kitsune winked at Naruto with his right eye and vanished upon the next crash of thunder and lightning.  Naruto lowered his head and looked at Sakura, how calm and peaceful she slept.  “And thank you, Sakura.”

His eyes closed, and both he and the girl he loved were alone, as he realized that he no longer was.