A Soul's Salvation

A/N: This chapter will cover this weekend. I've got to work on a few other fics, but this chapter came to me last night, and I couldn't ignore it.

I'm sure you are looking for it, but I'm not going to tell you when the lemon comes. Just know that it isn't too far away. So, please forgive me and my muse for taunting you, and please review.

Thanks for the inspiration, guys. I love to read all of your kinds words, and appreciate every single one of them. Thanks for supporting this fic.

~!~

Sasuke stared up into the night's sky and wondered what Sakura was doing at that moment. He had gone over to her place, earlier in the day, but to his dismay, he found that she and the idiot left for valley earlier and that they wouldn't be back for a few days.

Now, as he sat on the roof of his house, he pondered his situation and what he could do to make it better. Naruto was a huge problem. The fool thought himself to be better than him, just because he was able to manipulate Sakura's emotions enough to make her feel badly for hitting him.

Well, to be honest, he actually found the times that Sakura did hit Naruto, funny. Of course, he wouldn't tell either of his teammates that, but whenever her fist did fly, he silently chuckled, knowing full well that the blonde deserved it.

However, he was also faced with another problem. It seemed, to him, that too many people were sticking their noses into his business with Sakura and that just wouldn't do. He could handle the Hyuuga and the dog ninja, but now he had to worry about Shikamaru, as well as their girlfriends.

That entire group was getting on his fucking nerves, and to top it all off.....now he had Suna's kazekage warning him away from Sakura, too. Now it was getting serious.

When would the people in this village learn that Naruto was nothing more than a loser? He was a screw-up, and would never change. Hell, even the blonde's dream of becoming hokage was nothing more than a fantasy, mainly because no one in their right minds would ever want someone who was and is currently called 'dead last' as their leader.

When Sakura returned, he would make sure that she understood that she shouldn't feel badly for hitting Naruto, nor should she have to defend the ass to anyone, especially him. She was no longer a commoner, and must take her rightful place in society.

At his side.

Of course, he would have to deal with her feelings of loyalty. It didn't surprise him that Sakura could be so fierce for those she cared about. She was loyal when they were kids, but he had just been too blind by the need for revenge and hate for his brother to notice.

That was something that he regretted the most. He should have paid more attention to her, and not chased her away and towards Naruto. Now, he was more than willing to make up for his neglect, and he wasn't about to let anyone, kazekage or fellow shinobi stop him.

He was an Uchiha. The last Uchiha, in fact, and it was his job and duty to honor his bloodline by being with Sakura, a woman who matched him in every single way.

He could almost bet that she'd be a tiger in bed, just as she was on the battlefield. He knew that she was probably very experienced, but that wasn't surprising considering how beautiful she was. He couldn't understand why she wasn't married, except that perhaps, deep in her mind, she knew that he would return to her.

He always did.

It was because he knew that he wouldn't be shunned by his former teammates that he came back to Konoha. He knew that both would stand up for him, and Sakura made sure to care for him during the first few days of his return.

However, he allowed himself to be swayed by the need to reproduce, and when he knew that he could not get the Hyuuga heiress, he turned to the only other female whose family held some power within the village. He turned to Ino.

That was probably the biggest mistake he had ever made, save for overlooking Sakura. Ino never attracted him. In fact, he had already picked out the room within the Uchiha estate that was to be her room, and he made sure that it was far away from his own.

Of course, he didn't inform the blond female of his plans. In fact, once they were married, he was going to inform her that he considered their marriage to be in name only and that she could do whatever she wanted, as long as she was discreet, and he would do the same.

But, thankfully he came to his senses and called off the wedding, and wasn't too surprised to find that she wasn't upset. He'd known that she and Nara Shikamaru had fucked. It was clear in the way they acted together, and he was glad to have disposed of the bitch.

However, when he and Sakura married, he planned on having his pink-haired female by his side all night long. He would make love to her for hours before they slept, and then would have her again before they got up in the morning.

Though he could spend hours thinking how just how good the sex in their marriage was going to be, he still needed to figure out a way to get Naruto out of the picture, and him in it. He just didn't know how to do it....yet.

But, he wasn't too worried. If he knew the village's idiot, he wouldn't have to wait long until the blonde did something to anger the woman. Then, he'd just have to make sure that he was around to sooth that savage beauty.

In fact, Naruto was probably ticking her off about now, anyways.

~!~

He was ticking her off. He kept teasing her with the creamy treat in his hand, but each time he would bring it near for her to try, he'd yank it away and laugh. But, it was hard to stay upset for too long, especially after the way he'd escorted her to all of the booths, and would talk animatedly to the villagers who would come up and engage them in a conversation.

She never knew just how diplomatic he could be. On the outside, Naruto was brash, loud, and sometimes, unthinking when he spoke. But, there were times when he could take a conversation and surprise her with his intelligent and thoughtful replies, then would turn around and ask some very pointed questions and make some insightful remarks.

It was clear that she had horribly misjudged Naruto, and to her, that was almost, if not more, unforgivable than her hitting him. She doubted his intelligence, and for that, she was ashamed.

However, he took great delight in being playful with her, and would often crack jokes that made her laugh. Then, once she started to laugh, his own eyes would twinkle and he would join her, his deep voice rumbling over hers, and soothing her poor nerves to the point where she actually felt relaxed.

As they walked, he made sure that her arm was looped around his, and he took great pains to see to her comfort. In her opinion, she thought that he was taking the bodyguard business a bit too seriously, but he seemed to enjoy his station, and she would not take that away from him.

Now, as they sat listening to the cheerful music, and watching the people dance, Naruto leaned over and said, “I'm really glad that we were invited to the festival. I'm having a really good time.”

“Me, too.” Sakura agreed, and smiled over at him. For a moment, both stared at each other, but was interrupted when a soft voice asked, “Will you dance with me?”

Looking up, Naruto and Sakura saw a young girl, probably around fifteen, standing before them, her hands twisting nervously. Naruto cracked a grin, and glanced over at Sakura.

“Will you be okay by yourself for a few minutes?” He asked, his eyes dancing. When he received a nod, he stood up and offered the girl his arm, ignoring the girl's friends gasps of shock as he led the girl to where the other villagers were dancing.

Sakura laughed as Naruto and the young girl danced and shook her head as Naruto laughed. She never knew he liked to dance. Hell, she didn't even know that he knew how to dance, but there he was, and he was wonderful.

But, then again, what did she expect? Whenever Naruto wanted to learn something, he put his whole heart into it, and didn't stop until he was great at it. From the looks of things, his young partner thought that he was great, too.

When the song ended, the young lady thanked him, and ran back to her friends, who all giggled and sighed as they looked over towards Naruto. He was about to walk back over to her, but an elderly lady asked him to dance, and so, he found himself dancing to another song.

Sakura quickly found herself being escorted to the make-shift dance floor by one of the village's noblemen, and so, she danced.

It had been so long since she had let go and just danced. In fact, if memory served her right, the last time she danced had been two months prior to Sasuke leaving the village, and Naruto leaving to train with his perverted new sensei.

This was what life was about. Having fun and enjoying what life had to offer.

After dancing with one man after another, Sakura was beginning to feel slightly tired and was about to walk over to sit down, but a large hand prevented her from doing so. Looking up, she found herself staring into Naruto's eyes and she nodded when he softly asked her to dance.

The music had switched from an upbeat song, to a much slower, more romantic melody. Couples were snuggled together, and swaying to the music as fireflies floated around them, creating a relaxing and soothing atmosphere.

Naruto's face lost all hint of humor as he pulled Sakura into his arms. Her eyes were shyly looking everywhere but at his, and he found that he just couldn't let her look anywhere else, but at him.

Slowly, he pulled her arms until they were wrapped around his neck, then allowed his own arms to encircle her waist, pulling her closer to his warmth.

When her surprised eyes met his, he began to sway, gently leading her to the beat of the music. Sakura had to remind herself to breath, but the way he kept looking at her, it was nearly impossible to remember.

She could remember what it felt like to have a crush on a favored boy, and how it felt when that boy's eyes turned to you, or an approval passed his lips at an action pleased him, but she could also remember how it felt to hear that boy's scathing words and rejection, but how she felt in Naruto's arms made that crush seem like nothing, not even worth even a memory.

Being in his arms made her want to weep with joy, and the words she desperately wanted to say to him were right there on the tip of her tongue, but she just couldn't form the words necessary. It was as if he was holding her prisoner with his gentle touches and soft eyes, and she was helpless to do anything about it.

But, then again, she didn't want to do anything about it. If she had her way, she'd stay in his arms for as long as he would have her. For her, it was enough just to be here with him, like this.

Just then, the dancers were startled when a loud 'boom' was heard, followed by a beautiful array of colors in the dark sky. The fireworks were now starting, adding to the romantic atmosphere.

Sakura laughed at all of the pretty colors, as she enjoyed the show, along with being held by Naruto, and she turned her eyes back to his, only to find him staring down at her, a soft smile upon his own lips.

Before she could form a coherent thought, to ask him what he thought of the fireworks, she watched as his head dropped down to hers, slowly. She watched as he paused, his lips right above hers, and then, he pressed his soft, warm lips against hers, brushing them tenderly.

He didn't know if he had overstepped his boundaries, mainly because she had gone stiff when he kissed her, but when she softly moaned and began to copy his movements, his eyes closed and he lost himself in their very first kiss.

Sakura could feel her tears welling up in her eyes. Was he really kissing her? Was this something that he wanted, or was he simply caught up in the excitement of the festival? Would he regret his actions when he pulled away and would their fragile companionship be destroyed?

He could smell her tears as well as her sadness, and very slowly, he broke the kiss. Lifting his eyes to hers, he could see twin tears, coursing down her cheeks. Using his thumbs, he gently brushed them away, and softly said, “I know, Sakura. I know, and we'll work it all out together, ok?”

He watched as Sakura nodded, and he slowly brought her even closer to him, hugging her into his body, as her body shuddered with sobs that she was unable to stop. It was at that moment that he finally knew and understood what she had been doing to herself. Sakura had been tormenting herself all this time, perhaps even since that day in the training fields when she apologized, and he never noticed. Now, with those words of hope, he had freed her from the prison she had created for herself. He unlocked the doors to the hell she had sentenced herself to, as a way of punishing herself for what she had done to him.

He had taken it too far. No one deserved to suffer like this. No one deserved to rip themselves apart from the inside out in an attempt to atone for stupid mistakes done in an attempt to sooth an angry and hurt soul.

He knew that someone as proud as Sakura would not want others to see her in this emotional state. Looking up, he noticed that everyone else's attention was on the show that was in the sky, and he knew that this would be the best time to take her away from prying eyes.

Rearranging her in his arms and slightly tightening his embrace, he began to lead her away, and back towards their room. He wanted to spare her from embarrassing questions, and he knew that she needed to speak the words to him that he knew she had been trying to say with her actions.

Now he could give the total forgiveness that he had denied her that day, so long ago. But, he needed her forgiveness, as well. He had been too obsessed with competing with Sasuke, that he failed to see that she needed someone to help her through the deaths of her parents. What she had needed was an open ear, and a shoulder to cry on.

Well, she'd never have to look for another shoulder again. His was open to her, and he'd never leave her.

His words to her that day on the training grounds had been true. He'd never be a fool for her again. This time, he'd see her with his eyes wide open, and he'd give her what she needed. He would show her that she'd never be lonely or have to look elsewhere for love.

She had his, completely.

~!~

The room was dark, and slightly cool when they entered. He walked her over to the bed, and motioned for her to sit down, while he warmed the room up by starting a fire. Once the fire was lit, he removed his shoes, and socks, then moved back over to the bed, and found that she, too, had taken off her shoes, and was blindly staring out the window.

Kneeling down in front of her, he gently grasped her chin and turned her face so that she were looking straight at him. With his other hand, he smoothed back her hair, that had fallen into her face, and then quietly said, “That day, in the field, I was too angry to listen to your words. I should not have said what I said, especially in the manner that I said them, and for that, I am sorry.”

He watched as her eyes widened, and then said, “I am ready to listen to you, now. If you will tell me.”

Sakura bit her lip, and could feel her tears spring back into her eyes. She had wronged him, but he was apologizing to her. It wasn't right. He didn't do anything wrong.

Taking in a deep breath, as yet again, he brushed away her tears, she closed her eyes and softly said, “I don't want you to apologize to me. You didn't do anything wrong, and I deserved everything that you said.”

Opening her eyes, she found that his eyes were sympathetic, but she knew that he was listening very carefully, and would not interrupt her as she spoke. Taking in another deep breath, she looked him straight in the eye, and softly said, “I'm sorry, Naruto. I'm sorry for hitting you, and belittling you, and everything else. I'm just.....sorry.”

“I know.” He whispered, and he moved to sit beside her on the bed. Wrapping his arms around her shoulders, he pulled her so that her head was against his shoulder, and he murmured, “You made some pretty bad mistakes, but so did I. And, I do need to apologize to you. If I had seen just how much you needed a friend, and have paid more attention to you instead of Sasuke, especially after your parents died, I don't think that we'd be in this situation.”

When he felt her nod, indicating that she understood what he was saying, he glanced down to find that her hands were tightly clenched in her lap. Reaching down, he gently pried her left hand away from its abused partner, and brought it to rest on his chest, right above his heart.

“It's no longer important what has taken us this long to get to this point.” He said, looking down into her green eyes. “What is important is that we are here, now. I am not willing to waste what chances I am given with you. Do you understand?”

Sakura studied his bright, blue eyes, and then slowly nodded. When his lips came down to brush against her forehead, she softly asked, “Does this mean that you are my friend, again?”

“I never stopped.”

~!~

The morning rays peeked into the darkened room, to find Naruto sitting against the headboard of the bed, with Sakura against his chest and nestled between his legs, covered by the blanket that had been placed upon the edge of their bed.

After she asked him if he was her friend, again, he noticed that her entire body sagged with relief at his response, and then he could see the dark circles underneath her eyes. He mentally berated himself for not noticing them before, but once he focused on her features, he knew that she hadn't just mentally punished herself.

Her body was thinner than he could ever remember it being. It was true that her strength was something to fear, just as baa-chan's, but from the looks of things, she had just given up on taking care of herself, in favor of training and being the best ambassador she could be in order to not have to deal with the pain of losing him as a friend.

Now he felt like an even bigger bastard. Even bigger than that asshole, Sasuke, and that was saying something.

So, when she tried to continue her apology, he merely shook his head and moved around so that he was sitting against the headboard, and pulled her down and into his arms, so that her ear was right above his heart.

Reaching over, he turned off the lamp, and together, they watched the fire as it crackled and danced in the small fireplace. Neither said a word, and he was simply content to stroke her soft hair and rub her back, soothing her into sleep.

It didn't take very long for her breathing to even out, and he frowned. Sakura was one of the strongest people he knew. For her to be so broken, he realized that the only reason why she would fall so far was because, just as Kiba said, she loved him.

She loved him. Not Uchiha Sasuke, but Uzamaki Naruto. She didn't see the kyuubi within him, but she saw the man, and hated herself for hurting him.

That thought was certainly humbling. It would be a long road, but he believed that with a bit of work, they could have a long, beautiful life together.

When he felt her stir, he looked down and watched as she lifted her head a bit, and blinked up at him sleepily. He smiled at how disoriented she was and when she asked what time it was, he softly whispered, “It's very early. Go back to sleep, Sakura. I'll be here when you wake up.”

Yawning, she shook her head and then asked, “Have you been sitting up all night?”

Nodding, he grinned and said, “Someone's got to take care of you, and I take my job seriously.”

In the old days, she would have become offended and snapped that she could take care of herself, but this Sakura simply moved over a bit so that he could lay down and said, “It can't be too comfortable.”

Actually, no it wasn't. So, he slipped down beside her and watched as she turned her back on him. Without thinking, and feeling as if it was the most natural thing to do, he reached out and looped his arm around her waist, pulling her back against his warm chest.

Now that they were finally heading in the right direction, he wasn't ready to give up any physical contact he had with her. When she snuggled into him, he smirked. Clearly, she wasn't ready to give it up, either.

As he heard her breathing even out, once again, his own eyes closed he allowed her sweet scent to fill his senses, soothing his troubled mind. Now that they had laid to rest the demons that had been keeping them apart, he was determined to move forward.

It would be a slow process, but he was committed, as he knew she would be, and together they'd heal each other's wounds.

Even the kyuubi seemed to agree that it was about time.

As sleep claimed him, his dreams were filled with a home filled with laughter and a lot of love. He dreamed of his and Sakura's future, and he couldn't wait to get started on it.

~!~

“So, basically you've been trying to keep Sasuke away from Sakura, and it hasn't been working?” Kakashi asked, wanting to be clear about the situation before he got involved. When he received several nods, he sighed and glanced over at Gai, who looked horrified.

“I can't believe that someone would want to stand in the way of true love!” The bushy-browed man moaned, his face showing his displeasure. “I will not stand by and allow such a travesty to befall our youthful friends.”

Lee stood up and nodded harshly. “We will do whatever it takes to stop Uchiha Sasuke from destroying the love that Naruto and Sakura obviously have for each other.” He agreed, then shot his sensei a large, toothy grin while giving the older man a thumbs up.

“Right you are, Lee.” Gai said, and returned the large smile. “Now, do we have a plan, or will we have to come up with one?”

Tenten giggled, and said, “Well, we might have a plan. Neji said that many of the other ANBU are willing to agree to help us, and that the other jounin have agreed, as well. It seems that Sasuke has really dug himself in deep.”

Kakashi shook his head. “That boy is too blind to see beyond his own needs and desires.” He muttered, and then pulled out his book, which caused an outraged gasp from Gai. “I think that it will take more than just words to put a stop to Sasuke's pursuit.”

“And that is why, we are all going to work together.” A feminine voice said as the door opened. All eyes turned to see Tsunade, along with Shizune, Lord Masahara, and his companions enter the room. “Well, where is Neji so that we may hear of his plan?”

Kiba shook his head. “I don't know.” He replied. “I think that he might be talking to the other ANBU, so that might take a while.”

Lord Masahara sat down in a chair, across from Kakashi, and crossed his legs. “Tell me all that you know about the Uchiha. Leave nothing out.” He said, his tone hard.

“Why?” Kakashi demanded. Though he didn't care for what Sasuke was doing, he wasn't just going to hand the boy's ass over to a total stranger, unless there was a reason for it.

Masahara smirked. “I need to know him in order to play with his mind.” He replied, his cold eyes never leaving Kakashi's. “The boy will be too busy dealing with me to bother Ambassador Haruno.”

Kiba and Hinata glanced at each other in confusion. Wasn't he after Sakura, too? Why was he helping Naruto keep Sakura away from Sasuke.

Clearing her throat, and gaining the lord's attention, Hinata asked, “Didn't you propose to Sakura, too?”

Glaring over at Tsunade, Masaharu snapped, “I told you that this was a stupid idea.”

Flushing slightly, Tsunade huffed and crossed her arms. “Well, at least it worked.” She snapped. “You saw how he acted with your own eyes. From the way I see it, the plan worked better than we could have ever hoped.”

Turning his eyes from Tsunade, Masaharu gave a sharp nod to Hinata. “I mentioned something to that effect, but I have no intentions of following through, unless the boy stupidly throws the girl to the side. If that happens, the girl is fair game, and I won't hold back.” He said.

“You are wasting your time, then.” Neji said, as he walked into the room. His beautiful, pearl-colored eyes stared the lord down and he calmly said, “I know Naruto. He loves her, and won't allow another to approach her, at least romantically. That being said, the members of ANBU are in, and several of them are currently stationed around the Uchiha estate to watch over the insufferable ass.”

Hinata grinned. “So, all we need to do now is keep him away from Sakura so that Naruto can make his move.” She said, clapping her hands excitedly.

Kiba shook his head. “This is Naruto we are talking about, remember? Do you honestly think that he is going to be making any moves on her? Hell, Sakura still thinks that he hates her, you know.”

Tsunade's face took on a thoughtful appearance. “Things can change when people are away from their comfort zone.” She murmured, then her face twisted into a smirk. “Who wants to bet that they come home as a couple?”

The room groaned as their gambling addicted hokage tried to get people to bet her, but with no luck. Until they received word from ANBU, then they would just have to bide their time and wait for Sasuke's next move.

~!~

The theme for this chapter is:

Please forgive me - I know not what I do
Please forgive me - I can't stop lovin' you
Don't deny me this pain I'm going through
Please forgive me - if I need ya like I do
Oh believe me - every word I say is true
Please forgive me - I can't stop lovin' you

Please forgive me by Brian Adams