Blind To It Before
folder
Naruto › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,570
Reviews:
52
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Category:
Naruto › Het - Male/Female
Rating:
Adult +
Chapters:
8
Views:
1,570
Reviews:
52
Recommended:
0
Currently Reading:
0
Disclaimer:
I do not own Naruto, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.
Daybreak
Title: Blind To It Before
Rating: R (for now)
Warnings: None yet
Notes: Here ends the revision. From here on out, those of you who previously supported this story will find nothing but fresh, new material! Thanks for sticking around! For those of you just joining us, thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy the rest of the show!
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 7 – Daybreak
They entered the village with little fanfare; it was a quiet town, devoid of anything outstanding to make it any sort of target for hostility, which was why it was a perfect venue for a hermit such as Saizuchi. Sakura made quick work of establishing them in the area, finding an inn that would accept them for an extended stay. Their room was small but adequate, and the innkeeper, although quick to assure them he knew no one in the area fitting Saizuchi's credentials, was helpful and friendly to the young couple.
Their first day was spent getting to know the lay of the land. There were the usual small stores, the open market area, the residential area, and a small town square. Medical care was a touchy subject in the village, as they relied on traveling doctors to help their sick and injured, much to the delight of Sakura who could put her medic-nin skills to use, saying she was a nurse-in-training back in her home village. This simple offering of services to the villagers was more than enough to earn the pair a status of exalted guests in the eyes of the locals, and they found it much easier to ask questions once Sakura began her work.
The second day, after having treated several ailing villagers, Sakura collapsed on their small bed, too exhausted at first to realize Naruto scowling at the small table in the corner. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Sakura turned to her companion, "You're bored, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm bored!" Naruto yelled, almost angry at the blatantly obvious statement. "I sit here all day unable to train or anything to keep our cover, while you're out there healing people and at least doing SOMETHING useful."
She sighed, knowing full well that this was another battle with a 6-year-old she was entering. "Naruto, I already explained that you have to lay low while we're here. You're supposed to be injured, and letting you out into the village alone with your enhanced senses will only make the villagers suspicious. No ordinary person has the ability to adapt as well as you do, thanks to Kyuubi...they'll see that we're not normal civilians in no time. You just have to be patient, I think I have an old woman who knows where to find Saizuchi. I was treating her arthritis today and spoke to her about you, when I visit tomorrow I'll try to get more information out of her."
His head slumped in defeat. As usual, Sakura was right about everything, and she WAS trying to help him out. Before the conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door and the innkeeper's wife entered with a tray of food.
"I heard some yelling, I hope you two aren't having a lovers' quarrel," she chuckled, setting the tray down at the table Naruto was sitting at. He sniffed the air and grinned, grabbing the chopsticks and digging into the bowl of rice and pork cutlet that had been placed before him. The woman looked a little shocked at his effortless handling of the dishes given the boy had claimed to be blind.
Sakura immediately picked up on the innkeeper's wife's concern and spoke up, "He's gotten really good at eating since that's one of his favorite pastimes."
The woman chuckled and picked the empty tray back up, "I know how they get at that age. I had a son just like him, almost ate me out of house and home. I'll be back later to see if you need seconds."
When the door was secure, Sakura threw a pillow at his head, effectively hitting him mid-bite. "You idiot!" she screamed, "At least try and act the part of a blind civilian when others are around!"
He grumbled and picked up the bowl of miso soup, slurping it down in one gulp. "I'll start acting like the poor disabled boyfriend when you start acting like a concerned girlfriend," he grumbled.
Sakura sat there in utter shock. Had Naruto just talked back to her? Normally he would just take it in stride, either acting like a kicked puppy or just grinning it off. But apparently nearly three years with Jiraiya had earned him a sharper tongue, a likely trait the older Sennin learned from his own interactions with Tsunade. She couldn't help but notice the tinge of sadness in his voice at the mention of their cover story.
Her musing was cut short as the innkeeper's wife knocked again, letting herself in with another bowl of rice and some pickled vegetables. "I forgot my manners earlier, my name is Kaiede. If the two of you need anything else, please let me know."
Sakura stood and thanked her profusely for her hospitality and took the dishes from her hands, placing them on the table with her own meal and seating herself across from Naruto. Before he could reach for the bowl of rice, she slapped his hands lightly and took the chopsticks from them, "Here darling, let me feed you," she said, the words laced with sincerity but a hint of spite. He grinned and excitedly opened his mouth as she roughly shoved a pickled radish in. Kaiede smiled, obviously pleased with the couple's display, and left them alone.
The door shut once more, Sakura sighed in relief that their story was still kept intact. "That was close. We're going to have to be careful around nosy-types like her."
Naruto just sat there chewing, the biggest smirk ever plastered across his face, "Now this I could get used to. Can I have a piece of carrot next, DARLING?"
Sakura nearly threw the chopsticks like a pair of senbon at him, but just shoved them back into his hands. "Since you're apparently skilled enough to grab and eat when our hostess is in the room, keep at it," she retorted, picking into her own dinner as Naruto dejectedly continued with his own food.
----------------------------------
Later that night, they lay back to back in the small bed, Naruto softly snoring away while Sakura laid there contemplating their situation. She had a good lead, and was starting to be well-trusted by the villagers, so getting information shouldn't be an issue. But why was she so worried? Naruto mumbled in his sleep and wiggled a bit before settling back down. It was then that she realized that he was her worry. First there was his perfect navigation of the dishes and chopsticks on the table, and then his snappy display before and after Kaiede's second visit. The latter she could definitely chalk up to spending too much time with Jiraiya, but the former still had her perplexed. Even with his heightened senses, he should have fumbled around for things just a bit more. This WAS Naruto, who had all the table manners of an elephant, yet he was able to pick up his chopsticks and bowl without knocking over any other items in the process.
His earlier expression of disappointment at her lack of "girlfriend-like" behavior had her vexed as well. She knew this was going to be difficult, taking up such a cover story given his prior affections toward her. Shinobi were always trained to handle this sort of cover mission, and of course when they were on duty, they were compliant with their guise, acting just as boyfriend and girlfriend would. However, in their private quarters, such as that evening when the pretense could be dropped, that was when issues arose. There was always the danger of taking your role too serious, and she feared Naruto was doing just that.
It was then that a part of her mind that had lain dormant for quite some time spoke up. What was so bad about having Naruto as your boyfriend anyway? His training with Jiraiya, as well as the obvious few years he had gained, had done wonders for him both physically and mentally. He had certainly matured from the bratty prankster he once was, and had toned down that whiny voice of his...well, at least since the accident. But she figured that having your sight taken away with only a chance at restoration would make anyone cranky. The Naruto that laid next to her now was more focused on reality, even as he held on to his aspirations of becoming Hokage one day. The loss of his best friend and rival had somehow ironically improved his behavior. Instead of focusing on the Hokage ideal, which was pretty ambiguous as to how one went about doing so, his focus was solely on the retrieval of Sasuke, which was a much smaller series of paths to take. It was a pity that he had to divert his attentions now to restoring his damaged sight before resuming the search.
Her musings ran rampant in her head, analyzing the young man that now slept soundly beside her, until her brain finally tired itself and gave way to slumber. Finally, she had concluded that she was definitely being too harsh on her partner, and perhaps another shot was in order. The Uchiha was obviously not going to come back without a fight, and she was certain that even if they got him back in the condition he left them, he was certainly not going to extend open arms to her and begin talks of restoring his clan. It was time she gave Naruto a chance for real.
Rating: R (for now)
Warnings: None yet
Notes: Here ends the revision. From here on out, those of you who previously supported this story will find nothing but fresh, new material! Thanks for sticking around! For those of you just joining us, thank you for coming and I hope you enjoy the rest of the show!
---------------------------------------------
Chapter 7 – Daybreak
They entered the village with little fanfare; it was a quiet town, devoid of anything outstanding to make it any sort of target for hostility, which was why it was a perfect venue for a hermit such as Saizuchi. Sakura made quick work of establishing them in the area, finding an inn that would accept them for an extended stay. Their room was small but adequate, and the innkeeper, although quick to assure them he knew no one in the area fitting Saizuchi's credentials, was helpful and friendly to the young couple.
Their first day was spent getting to know the lay of the land. There were the usual small stores, the open market area, the residential area, and a small town square. Medical care was a touchy subject in the village, as they relied on traveling doctors to help their sick and injured, much to the delight of Sakura who could put her medic-nin skills to use, saying she was a nurse-in-training back in her home village. This simple offering of services to the villagers was more than enough to earn the pair a status of exalted guests in the eyes of the locals, and they found it much easier to ask questions once Sakura began her work.
The second day, after having treated several ailing villagers, Sakura collapsed on their small bed, too exhausted at first to realize Naruto scowling at the small table in the corner. After a few minutes of blissful silence, Sakura turned to her companion, "You're bored, aren't you?"
"Of course I'm bored!" Naruto yelled, almost angry at the blatantly obvious statement. "I sit here all day unable to train or anything to keep our cover, while you're out there healing people and at least doing SOMETHING useful."
She sighed, knowing full well that this was another battle with a 6-year-old she was entering. "Naruto, I already explained that you have to lay low while we're here. You're supposed to be injured, and letting you out into the village alone with your enhanced senses will only make the villagers suspicious. No ordinary person has the ability to adapt as well as you do, thanks to Kyuubi...they'll see that we're not normal civilians in no time. You just have to be patient, I think I have an old woman who knows where to find Saizuchi. I was treating her arthritis today and spoke to her about you, when I visit tomorrow I'll try to get more information out of her."
His head slumped in defeat. As usual, Sakura was right about everything, and she WAS trying to help him out. Before the conversation could continue, there was a knock at the door and the innkeeper's wife entered with a tray of food.
"I heard some yelling, I hope you two aren't having a lovers' quarrel," she chuckled, setting the tray down at the table Naruto was sitting at. He sniffed the air and grinned, grabbing the chopsticks and digging into the bowl of rice and pork cutlet that had been placed before him. The woman looked a little shocked at his effortless handling of the dishes given the boy had claimed to be blind.
Sakura immediately picked up on the innkeeper's wife's concern and spoke up, "He's gotten really good at eating since that's one of his favorite pastimes."
The woman chuckled and picked the empty tray back up, "I know how they get at that age. I had a son just like him, almost ate me out of house and home. I'll be back later to see if you need seconds."
When the door was secure, Sakura threw a pillow at his head, effectively hitting him mid-bite. "You idiot!" she screamed, "At least try and act the part of a blind civilian when others are around!"
He grumbled and picked up the bowl of miso soup, slurping it down in one gulp. "I'll start acting like the poor disabled boyfriend when you start acting like a concerned girlfriend," he grumbled.
Sakura sat there in utter shock. Had Naruto just talked back to her? Normally he would just take it in stride, either acting like a kicked puppy or just grinning it off. But apparently nearly three years with Jiraiya had earned him a sharper tongue, a likely trait the older Sennin learned from his own interactions with Tsunade. She couldn't help but notice the tinge of sadness in his voice at the mention of their cover story.
Her musing was cut short as the innkeeper's wife knocked again, letting herself in with another bowl of rice and some pickled vegetables. "I forgot my manners earlier, my name is Kaiede. If the two of you need anything else, please let me know."
Sakura stood and thanked her profusely for her hospitality and took the dishes from her hands, placing them on the table with her own meal and seating herself across from Naruto. Before he could reach for the bowl of rice, she slapped his hands lightly and took the chopsticks from them, "Here darling, let me feed you," she said, the words laced with sincerity but a hint of spite. He grinned and excitedly opened his mouth as she roughly shoved a pickled radish in. Kaiede smiled, obviously pleased with the couple's display, and left them alone.
The door shut once more, Sakura sighed in relief that their story was still kept intact. "That was close. We're going to have to be careful around nosy-types like her."
Naruto just sat there chewing, the biggest smirk ever plastered across his face, "Now this I could get used to. Can I have a piece of carrot next, DARLING?"
Sakura nearly threw the chopsticks like a pair of senbon at him, but just shoved them back into his hands. "Since you're apparently skilled enough to grab and eat when our hostess is in the room, keep at it," she retorted, picking into her own dinner as Naruto dejectedly continued with his own food.
----------------------------------
Later that night, they lay back to back in the small bed, Naruto softly snoring away while Sakura laid there contemplating their situation. She had a good lead, and was starting to be well-trusted by the villagers, so getting information shouldn't be an issue. But why was she so worried? Naruto mumbled in his sleep and wiggled a bit before settling back down. It was then that she realized that he was her worry. First there was his perfect navigation of the dishes and chopsticks on the table, and then his snappy display before and after Kaiede's second visit. The latter she could definitely chalk up to spending too much time with Jiraiya, but the former still had her perplexed. Even with his heightened senses, he should have fumbled around for things just a bit more. This WAS Naruto, who had all the table manners of an elephant, yet he was able to pick up his chopsticks and bowl without knocking over any other items in the process.
His earlier expression of disappointment at her lack of "girlfriend-like" behavior had her vexed as well. She knew this was going to be difficult, taking up such a cover story given his prior affections toward her. Shinobi were always trained to handle this sort of cover mission, and of course when they were on duty, they were compliant with their guise, acting just as boyfriend and girlfriend would. However, in their private quarters, such as that evening when the pretense could be dropped, that was when issues arose. There was always the danger of taking your role too serious, and she feared Naruto was doing just that.
It was then that a part of her mind that had lain dormant for quite some time spoke up. What was so bad about having Naruto as your boyfriend anyway? His training with Jiraiya, as well as the obvious few years he had gained, had done wonders for him both physically and mentally. He had certainly matured from the bratty prankster he once was, and had toned down that whiny voice of his...well, at least since the accident. But she figured that having your sight taken away with only a chance at restoration would make anyone cranky. The Naruto that laid next to her now was more focused on reality, even as he held on to his aspirations of becoming Hokage one day. The loss of his best friend and rival had somehow ironically improved his behavior. Instead of focusing on the Hokage ideal, which was pretty ambiguous as to how one went about doing so, his focus was solely on the retrieval of Sasuke, which was a much smaller series of paths to take. It was a pity that he had to divert his attentions now to restoring his damaged sight before resuming the search.
Her musings ran rampant in her head, analyzing the young man that now slept soundly beside her, until her brain finally tired itself and gave way to slumber. Finally, she had concluded that she was definitely being too harsh on her partner, and perhaps another shot was in order. The Uchiha was obviously not going to come back without a fight, and she was certain that even if they got him back in the condition he left them, he was certainly not going to extend open arms to her and begin talks of restoring his clan. It was time she gave Naruto a chance for real.