The Truth in Dreams

Chapter III: Spilled Milk



Sakura let out a sigh as she crouched down to take another one of Naruto’s rags to continue to clean herself off. Naruto winced when she made the motion, expecting her to smack him. When she didn’t, his face fell and he seemed uncomfortable. His fist clenched a bit on the rag in his hand and he started to press harder on the spots on the floor--scrubbing like it might yield gold.

“What’s wrong Sakura-Chan? You worrying about him again?” Naruto squinted at the rising sun through the open-air walls of the apartment complex’s hallway and cast his eyes back down continuing to scrub the floor.

For the first time, Sakura really watched Naruto’s face and saw the determination and focus in the wrinkle on the bridge of nose and the stubborn fearlessness in the way he set his jaw as he scrubbed the floor. She marveled at the loyalty in his eyes and the little fox whiskers on his cheeks. She couldn’t believe she had never noticed how incredibly handsome he was. When did the goofy kid turn into this? Hell, he was still goofy--but something about his childish idiocy just made him even more attractive. Not to mention, she was one to talk as she was still childish in many ways too. How had she not noticed him?

When she didn’t say anything right away, Sakura noticed the blue of his eyes turn a bit gray and she saw a heavy sadness welling up from deep within them. Naruto seemed to shove the sadness back down as he looked up her and smiled that toothy grin of his.

“Don’t worry Sakura-Chan, we’ll all be a team again some day!” He was pretty convincing too, if she hadn’t been staring at him, she might not have seen that pain in his eyes. Was it pain for missing Sasuke? Did he actually care about her that much that he was willing to bear the pain of his feelings for her and deny himself in order to make her happy by bringing Sasuke home?

If so, he is so wrong. Sasuke isn’t the one who can make me happy. Gah! What is wrong with me! Besides, there is no way Naruto could be that complicated. He’s just a simple-minded goof. Man Sakura you are really full of it today! Even Sakura’s own mind was rebelling against her attempt to ignore what she just saw in Naruto’s eyes and, furthermore, that she never wanted to see any pain dull the blue of his eyes again.

Giving in to the truth of her feelings and wanting to tease him and perhaps make him feel better--just a tiny bit--Sakura got up from her crouched position and onto all fours. She reached to her and Naruto’s right for one of the clean rags he had left in a pile on the floor. She tried to time it so that Naruto would at least see her move in this vulnerable position. She reached and arched her back a bit more than necessary during the reach so her butt perked up in the general direction of Naruto’s face where he was sitting not four feet to her left scrubbing the floor.

It was at this inopportune moment that Naruto decided to toss the now used rag he had in his hand toward the pile.

It landed with a wet splat in Sakura’s hair.

“. . . . .”

Sakura could feel the sour milk dripping into her eyes from the soiled rag.

Naruto turned his head in the direction of the impact and saw Sakura quivering on all fours with the dirty rag in her hair. He was pretty sure she was shaking from pure rage. Why is Sakura-Chan on all fours? Gah! Don’t look at her ass...don’t look at her ass! It sure was nice and round and firm. SNAP OUT OF IT!

“Dahhh! Sa-Sakur-Chan! Your Hair! It’s. . .”

“. . .”

It was at this point that Naruto realized the incredible danger he was in given the silence from Sakura. He tried to scamper back a bit on the floor like a crab.

Too slow.

“NAAAAAARUUUTO!” Without turning to face him, Sakura coiled one of her legs back in her position on all fours and kicked with her foot square into Naruto’s dumbfounded face. He was sent sprawling down the other end of the hallway and hit his head on the concrete wall. He lay there dazed and just barely conscious.  

Luckily, with the healing power of the nine-tails, Naruto could withstand such a blow from Sakura; still, as Naruto thought--with a rainbow of colors in the shape of stars moving across his eyes as he stared at the ceiling--this one really hurt. Sakura-Chan does not like it when someone messes with her hair. Man am I lucky she didn’t catch me staring at her ass!

Naruto’s sensitive ears were still ringing from the kick and the incredible volume of her yell when he thought he heard her growl? Not over yet. Her temper was something to be feared. But man it was so hot! GAH! I SOUND LIKE PERVY SAGE!

“ARRRRGGHHHH NARUUUUTOOOOO!!!! MY NEW SHORTS!” With that Sakura picked up the metal waste basket happily stationed in the hallway with one palm and chucked it one-handed straight down the hallway toward Naruto’s face.

This time, Naruto was down for the count.

…........

When Naruto came to, he was laying on top of his hastily and poorly made bed in his own one-room studio. This was the first occasion that Naruto had ever attempted to make said bed and it was this same cleaning mood that caused him to run full force into Sakura and spill rotten milk on both of them. He was trying to impress her--though obviously he could do without the whole rotten-milk-in-her-hair part.

He gazed at the frog-shaped clock on his nightstand and noticed it was 6:00am. Ichiraku Ramen would be opening in thirty minutes. After drooling over the thought of fresh miso ramen for his grumbling stomach, Naruto realized he must have lost track of time. I guess I was knocked out by Sakura when she threw that trashcan. Rubbing a bump that wasn’t there on his forehead, he gazed down at himself and noticed he wasn’t wearing a shirt, though still wearing his outrageously orange pants.

“GAH! Clothes thief!” Sitting up alert, he heard rummaging in his only bathroom and running water. Someone broke into my apartment and kidnapped Sakura-Chan!

“Kage Bunshin no Jutsu!” Naruto created two shadow clones to help catch this robber and kidnapper in the act. One clone checked that all the locks on the doors were still intact and noted that Sakura’s pack was leaning neatly against the wall nearby. The second clone took a quick peek at his super gold ramen that he was saving for a special occasion. Everything seemed to be in order. All that’s left to check is his bathroom and save Sakura-Chan!

The two clones and the original Naruto tip-toed their way to the partially ajar bathroom door. Naruto could hear the shower running. Is Sakura in there? Is she taking a shower? Realizing that with the door to his apartment locked neatly from the inside and that nothing seemed to be missing in his room there probably wasn’t a thief on the loose. Naruto dispersed his two clones. They vanished with a poof.

Guess I got a little carried away because I thought Sakura-Chan might be in danger. Naruto blushed briefly and continued inching his way to the bathroom door. As he got closer he could just barely see through the opening. As he leaned against the wall next to the door and craned his neck so he could see through the opening, he caught a flash of pink and green.

Well, the pink is definitely Sakura’s hair. He squinted and saw the curve of her bare back. Naruto sucked in a breath. He gripped the doorframe as though he might fall over. Her alabaster skin, the curve of her hip, the way her long legs met with her ass to form this perfect cleft, her graceful but strong shoulders--I can’t look away!

Naruto’s eyes widened. She was naked except for green striped underwear. Well, that was definitely the green I saw. He could feel himself getting hard at the sight of her. Sa-ku-ra-Chan. . .

He closed his eyes and saw a flash of him bending her over the tub. He pinched himself before the thoughts overtook him.

Naruto noticed that her shorts and top seemed to be hang-drying next to his heat lamp on the shower curtain rod. Her hair was damp and Naruto’s sensitive nose picked up the scent of his Men’s Konoha musk shampoo on her skin. Did she use my shampoo to wash her hair?!  He remembered just the other week she was complaining about how awful he smelled. Why would she use my shampoo if she hates the way I smell? Naruto rubbed his eyes to make sure he wasn’t imagining what he was seeing. Sakura--in my bathroom, using my things--and almost entirely naked. This has to be a dream. He heard a scratching noise.

Is she scrubbing something? She was crouched over the side of the tub and it looked like she was cleaning--his shirt!? Naruto’s heart was pounding and he could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks and between his legs. Now that I think about it--my hair and face were still covered with sour milk. He ran his hands through his hair and face and smelled them. He smelled like soap. Did Sakura-Chan clean me?!

Naruto reached out for the door with his right hand with the intention of pushing it open and taking Sakura into his arms. His heart was about to burst. He was overwhelmed with desire for her; he took a deep breath and drew in the smell of her skin beneath the scent of his shampoo on her. She smells delicious. Naruto wanted to bury his face in her smell and make her scream. Again the image of bending her over the tub flashed into his mind; then the image of picking her up so faced him, wrapping her legs around him while he sheathed himself inside her. Naruto was so overcome with his thoughts of Sakura that he could feel some of his Chakra start to leech out. Then he thought of whether it might hurt her and the image was shattered.

I can’t. This is wrong, I shouldn’t be watching her like this. Whether she left the door open or not, Sakura doesn’t have feelings that way for me. She probably just forgot to shut the door and figured I’d be unconscious much longer. He took another glimpse at her body and took a deep breath and turned his back. It took all of Naruto’s strength to will his body away from the door and back to his bed. He needed and wanted her so desperately. But, he cared about her feelings much, much more than his own.

God, I am such a fool.

….....

Sakura felt so much better after washing all of that nastiness out of her hair. Not to mention, she absolutely loved the way Naruto’s shampoo smelled and how it merged with the natural smell of his skin to create this potent aphrodisiac for her.

Frankly, over the past month or so, the smell of him had been driving her insane. She had even told the baka that she hated his smell in the hopes that he would stop using this damn shampoo that somehow magnified how wonderful his sweat and skin smelled and switch to some brand that didn’t go as well with his natural scents. That dream last night had only made matters worse. Not to mention, she didn’t know why she hadn’t immediately realized that her casanova in the dream was Naruto after she smelled him. It’s almost like her mind was putting together the pieces of how powerful an effect he has on her. Like she was finally starting to realize how desperately she needs him. All that complication aside, Sakura was just happy to clean up the mess he had made. God what am I thinking! I actually like cleaning him up and taking care of him. What the hell is going on with me!?

She had carried him into his apartment after she calmed down from the rage caused by him throwing the dirty rag on her hair. She did feel a little bad for throwing the waste basket at him after she had already kicked him square in the jaw. With her incredible strength it wasn’t so hard to half carry-half drag Naruto back into his apartment, especially because he had left the door ajar in the chaos after the spilled milk.

After collecting their things and shutting and locking the door, she leaned him against the wall first while she used a clean washcloth she found in his bathroom to clean the gunk from the spoiled milk out of his face and hair. Then she took his fairly soiled shirt off of him and laid him gently on his bed. Sakura blushed as she remembered how sculpted his chest and abs were when she removed his shirt. She even stopped to press her nose to his shoulder and draw in his scent like some sort of drug addict. She also couldn’t resist running her hands lightly over his pectorals and abs. After which she would swear that she heard Naruto moan in his unconscious state. That moan made her haul ass in embarrassment into his bathroom to clean her clothes, her hair and his dirty shirt.

I must have it bad if I was sniffing him. Did he really moan in his sleep? She blushed again thinking about it. It also occurred to her that she had left the bathroom door ajar without giving it a second thought as she showered and as she now stands half-naked bent over the tub scrubbing their clothes.

Funny thing is, I don’t feel worried like I need to shut the door or anything. I think I want him to see me. Sakura could feel a surge of heat between her thighs as she imagined Naruto outside the door watching her. Should I go check on him? No, I should let him rest, besides, I’m almost done scrubbing his shirt.

As Sakura finished scrubbing Naruto’s shirt, she found her own clothes to be nice and dry and slipped back into them as she set Naruto’s still damp shirt to dry near the heat lamp. He should be awake by now right--although I did hit him pretty hard. Sakura came out of the bathroom and around the slight corner created by Naruto’s nearby closet to find him sitting upright on his bed wearing a deep red t-shirt with the Konoha village symbol on it and looking rather disheveled. He jumped at the sight of her.

“Sa-Sakura-Chan.” He gazed up at her with unreadable eyes. Is he upset? Is he still in pain?

“Hi. . .Naruto-Kun.” Naruto’s eyes widened at the addition of “Kun” at the end of his name. Sakura has never called me that before. Does she feel sorry for me? The last thing I need is pity from her. She loves Sasuke--the icing on the cake would be her feeling sorry for me. Naruto gazed into Sakura’s eyes for a long moment.

“Naruto? Are you ok?” I can’t believe I’m asking him this.

Naruto buried his thoughts deeper. He didn’t want her to see him sad it would only make this harder.

“Of course Sa-ku-ra- Channnn.” Naruto forced a laugh. Looks like she fell for that laugh.

“Alright, well let’s get some ramen! I’ll treat because I used some of your shampoo.” Sakura blushed a little and smiled.

“Thanks Sakura-Chan, but I really don’t mind if you use it. But, I will also never turn down someone offering to treat me to ramen.” Naruto smiled bigger, this time it was genuine. How can I not be happy when I’m with her, even if it will never be more than it is now. It’s alright; she is still in my life, that’s what matters.

“Great! Let’s go! It’s 6:30 they should just be opening and it should be nice and fresh! Then we really should get going to the bathhouse so we will be there by sundown. It isn’t a very far walk, but still , we don’t want to have to run the whole way there.” Sakura turned and headed for the door.

“mmmmhhhmm!” Naruto agreed as he followed her. Sakura grabbed her bag and turned her head to Naruto. She said in an almost inaudible voice, one that she knew only someone like Naruto would hear: “and for the record, I happen to love the way your shampoo smells. The only thing that smells better is you.” With that she strode out into the hallway and down the stairs of the building.

Naruto stood there in the doorway like he had been hit by lightening, his jaw on the floor. He retraced all her recent behaviors in his mind and found himself turning bright red. This can’t be . . . .