Love Fool

Author’s Notes: I normally have lyrics in my opening, but in this chapter I’ve sprinkled them in between paragraphs as sort of a…background. If you care to look up the song it’s Aqualung’s “Strange and Beautiful” which is also in the summary of this story. It just all ties together!

EDIT!: After reading a few reviews about things I was already feeling, I extended the ending scene and gave a bit more detail to what was going on before it. I hope you enjoy the reread.

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Love Fool
Chapter Five; Eclipsed

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He had settled against the base of a nearby tree, longing for isolation from the rest of the group while his mind drifted to thoughts of the girl he was vexed about. The Uchiha had begun to nod off, but the crunching of grass from approaching footsteps made his head snap up; his sharingan had yet to fade to black. The red gaze caught Hinata off guard and she stood still as they stared at each other.

“I did not mean to wake you up.” She said quietly, already turning to leave. “I’m sure you want to be alone.”

“What did you want?”

The Hyuuga turned back to him, apprehensive to start a conversation with an already touchy subject. Sasuke gave a heavy sigh, straightening up against the trunk until he was comfortable. When he looked back towards her, his eyes were the color of coal.

“Are you worried?” Hinata remained standing, her expression somewhat sheepish.

“What would I have to be worried about?” He knew her thoughts had been elsewhere the entire mission, just as his had. Though Sasuke was better at masking it, he cursed himself mentally for allowing her to pick up on it just as easily as if he hadn’t.

“Naruto kun doesn’t talk about it, but I know the two of you--”

“Do you love him?” The seriousness of his tone cut through her statement but his apathetic stare contradicted its meaning.

Her confusion showed on her face. The other’s question was blunt and as her cheeks grew hot she stuttered in response, “I…w-well, of course, of course I l-love him.”

“Then do you trust him?” He started to stand.

“Well, I--”

“Do you think Sakura would stray from me?” The Uchiha kept up his emotionless mask, watching her stumble with her words while his demeanor continued to confuse her.

“I don’t really k-know her that--”

“I would never let her.” He was walking toward her, then paused at Hinata’s side. A sad expression flickered across the boy’s face, one that the girl could not see, and for that he was thankful. “She isn’t a threat to you, I would never let her be.”

His footsteps faded away and the Hyuuga stood there, unable to shove the paranoia from her thoughts despite Sasuke’s parting words. Yes, she loved Naruto, and yes, she trusted him, but what could she do if he did not love her back?

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The best word to describe Sakura’s outfit and hair was disheveled. Although, Naruto noticed, she did seem to have a wonderful glow on her face as she talked and laughed while she found clothes to wear. The blonde smirked.

“Why can’t I come with you?” He whined, grabbing her wrist and pulling the girl towards him.

She grinned, a playful glint in her eye, “Because, you know what’s going to happen if people see us out together.”

“Sakuraaaa…” he hugged her around the waist and buried his face against her stomach.

“I’m not going to disappear.” She said tenderly, running her fingers through his soft golden spikes, “I’ll come home, and I’ll be all yours…”

As he inhaled, the flowery scent of her wafted through his nostrils. Naruto caught a hint of his musk and a territorial sense of pleasure washed over him.

“All mine.” He repeated, rising up to give her a parting kiss.

Reluctantly she pulled away, unable to keep from throwing looks over her shoulder as she neared the front door. Fumbling with the handle it was finally open and shut. For the first time in those few days, Naruto felt cold.

It was a short walk from the apartment to the market, but Sakura found she was walking quickly anyway; she was in a hurry to get back to the boy waiting for her. Ignoring the odd looks from the shop keepers, the kunoichi picked out everything the two had a taste for, throwing everything into the basket at her side. Just as she was finishing out the list, she caught sight of a familiar face in the next stall over. It was a face that had already noticed her.

“Sakura, evening,” Yamato allowed a tiny smile creep onto his face as he walked towards her.

“I didn’t expect to run into you here,” Sakura replied back with a smile. “How are you?”

“Oh, I’m fine, everything’s fine.” He nodded, his eyes running over her and taking in the messy appearance. His lips parted to add something else, but she interrupted him.

“My memory from that party is a little fuzzy, but I’m sorry if I was rude to you. I wasn’t exactly having a great night and maybe had a little too much…”

“Where have you been?” He interjected suddenly. Sakura’s brows raised.

“Excuse me?” They were both observing each other now, and the kunoichi had a feeling the conversation was taking an unexpected turn for the worse.

“No one has seen you since Sasuke left.” His eyes were serious now. “Where have you been?”

“Where I’ve been is none of your business,” she was jumping to the defensive, her expression stern. “Well, have a good night Yamato.”

Sakura turned to walk away from him, her mood sour as she mumbled incoherent curses. Yamato went after her, clasping her wrist with his hand and pulling her back. She swung around, ready to kick hairs until the latter beat her to the punch.

“I warned you,” his expression was grim and his tone was dangerous. “I told you to not to get near him, Sakura.”

“Let go of me,” she hissed, trying to wrench her arm from his grasp.

“His inside is twisted. Once he’s got you, he won’t let you go.”

“I don’t know what the hell you’re talking about! Yamato, let go of me!”

“Sakura, you have to listen to me!”

In his loneliness Naruto had begun to wander the apartment in attempt to take his mind off Sakura. He found no trace that Sasuke had ever been there, all of it held a part of her and the blonde eased into a comfortable happiness. The side wall of the living room was covered in framed photographs from over the years and he walked toward it, hoping to find one of himself. His eyes followed them like a time line.

I've been watching your world from afar, I've been trying to be where you are…

“You don’t know him, Yamato, you don--”

“I know him, Sakura, I spent months with him, watching him change. He’ll only hurt you in the end.”

A beach trip with Ino, a party with the old genin squads, a candid shot from the hospital…Naruto couldn’t find any part of him here. A dangerous cocktail of jealousy and anger swelled up inside of him.

To me, you're strange and you're beautiful, you'd be so perfect with me but you just can't see…

“He hasn’t changed, I’ve been with him, I’ve been with him since Sasuke left!”

Tsunade, Kakashi, even Lee and Gai; where was he? And then he found it. Mixed in the middle of all of the frames, a silver one, bordering a photo of Sakura and Sasuke. They both looked blissful.

You turn every head but you don't see me.

Yamato released her, mostly from the shock of hearing what he already knew to be true come from her mouth. Angry tears lined her eyes, unable to find the words to express her upset thoughts. Instead she turned and ran, leaving the latter speechless as he watched the girl go.

The jinchuuriki’s arm pulled back and his fist slammed into the picture, several other ones clattering to the floor while the glass cracked and dug into his knuckles. Blood trickled over his fingers while he took slow, heavy breaths, oblivious to the sound of the front door opening and slamming shut. The kunoichi took in the scene laid out in front her before speaking quietly and carefully.

“What did you do?”

You'll fall asleep and I'll put a spell on you.

Being careful not to step on the shards she came next to him, staring down at the one photo that was evident of the other’s rage. A heavy dose of reality hit her while she lingered on the picture of Sasuke and her, tattered and broken and decorated in droplets of Naruto’s blood.

“Naruto,” she felt as if she was standing in the background, watching all of it unfold while her voice sounded miles away.

“If you tell me it was him,” his voice was husky. “Tell me it was Sasuke that didn’t want any part of me here and I won’t be mad at you.”

A sob gurgled in her throat and she was shaking her head.

“Say it Sakura,” the huskiness had faded to a feral growl.

“I can’t blame him,” she whispered. “It was too hard for me…”

“Why?” He turned to face her, unable to hide the resentment on his face.

The girl turned her sad eyes on him with every hope that he would know what she felt, without having to say it. His gaze was not one she wanted to see. Those irises usually so ocean blue were a deep scarlet, the black lines that marred his cheeks more prominent while his canines resembled what she knew to be fangs. Another sob caught in her throat and she lifted her hands to cup his cheeks.

“Naruto, you don’t have to be upset, please,” her voice was shaky, trying to be strong despite her fear. “Listen to me, please, only listen to me…”

Grabbing either side of her arms he pushed her up against the remaining photos and she squeaked from his unexpected roughness.

And when I wake you, I'll be the first thing you see…

“Tell me you only want me, Sakura,” he hissed. “Tell me I’m the only one.”

“I’m yours,” the kunoichi kept her hands on his face, stroking his whiskers as the tears fell over her cheeks. “Only yours.”

His anger softened with that answer and though his kisses felt hungry and possessive, there was a veiled tenderness. Her heart was reaching out for Naruto, taking care to make him understand she wanted to be there for him, that she accepted him and all of his faults. Pushing her farther up against wall, he was gripping her thighs to the point of bruises until she finally wrapped them around his waist. The jinchuuriki tore away her lower garments and wasted no time; he thrust into her quickly without care to prepare her. Sakura cried out in agony, the girl’s nails digging into his shoulders.

With each thrust her back slammed against the wall, the remaining frames falling to the floor with a tinkle of broken glass. All Sakura could hear were the blonde’s low pants and possessive words. I only want you, Sakura, he would whisper, and I want you to only need me. She knew that this wasn’t him. She knew that deep down inside him, this other being, was bringing every single selfish, possessive thought to the surface just from the sole fear of losing her. Ignoring his brusqueness, the kunoichi gave him her softest kisses. Her fingers were gentle as they fluttered across his skin and through those blonde spikes. Her tongue caressed each fang and tickled his lower lip. And suddenly Naruto went silent.

She could feel him shaking as he came inside her, overwhelmed by his roller coaster of emotions. The boy slumped against her, still catching his breath while the girl stroked his face and purred sweet nothings in his ear. Slowly she peeled away from him and took the majority of his weight as he leaned on her for support. The glass crunched beneath her feet as she stumbled back to her bedroom with the jinchuuriki exhausted at her side. They fell back into the sheets, the blonde on top of her in a deep slumber. Sakura continued on with butterfly kisses and soft whispers until the heart beating rapidly against her chest slowed to a comfortable pace.

Her fear faded away and a warmth washed over her entire body. Only an Uzumaki could make her feel this way.

And you'll realize that you love me.

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Author’s Notes: I hope you’re putting it all together now. You’re crazy, Yamato, just, crazy. By the way, for any Hinatatard reading this, I’m sorry if I uh, got her character wrong? I really just…dislike her, and that sort of gets in the way of analyzing her correctly. Until next time then.

EDIT!: I hope everyone enjoyed this version better, I know I do. It shows a bit more light on what actually is going on.

Much Love,
Usagi