Mind Games

(Notes : No, I’m not dead or have forgotten about this fic. I’ve just been really, really busy. I’m so sorry this has taken so long to get back to but, please injoy this chappy)

Laundromat Confessional:


Sakura awoke to the annoyance of the morning light shining in her eyes, shielding her eyes from the ray's gleam like a bad hangover; she managed to find the energy to pry her body from the bed. In getting up the picture she held in her hands all night slipped from its resting place on the pillow nearly crashing to the floor. Sakura caught the frame just seconds before it shattered to the floor.
Last night ...?
The memories of the evening felt like such a blur. She had received a phone call from Tsunade about her leaving for some Medic Convention in a far off land called Los Vegas. However, in the back ground all she could here was some drunken old man yelling about gambling and giant titties. Sakura squinted her eyes wile glancing over her ramshackle reflection in the bedroom mirror. “Medic Convention? Really, she should have come up with a better excuse for running off for a wild weekend with Jiraiya.”
Last night indeed was too much of a blur. All her thoughts tumbled towards Hinata and her "mission". Sakura fround deeply as she picked up a hair brush from the dresser and pushed it though her tangled pink locks.
Taking a shot of sake' later that eveing she lay with her head burred in the pillow, her thoughts drifted towards him. She hadn't run into Kakashi for at least two days now. Ever since the day she nearly made love to him in his dreams, how would she act, what could she say to him if they were to meet again? A shot or four more of sake' and all she could do all night was stair at his picture in a frame, the one from years ago when her team was first formed. Sakura smiled inwardly as she placed the brush back down on the dresser's surface. Funny how things work out, who would have thought her heart would turn towards the direction of an older man. Things back then were so much easier.
Walking into the kitchen, Sakura poured herself a cup of the blackest coffee she could make. Her mind still pried though the burning thoughts churning since the night before.
Once every so often the phone rang disturbing her daydream thoughts, but she refused to get up to answer it. Why, there wasn't any point. All she wanted at the time was to be alone with her “...Kakashi.”
Sakura groaned in annoyance as she retrieved her cell phone vibrating excessively across the kitchen table. Flipping it open, it still felt like it was too early in the morning to hear from anyone.
" ..Helllllooooo .." Sakura droned in a tired out monotone sort of voice.
"Sakura ?" The voice on the other end of the line sounded unusually perky, almost refreshed. “..This is Hinata, I've found out everything you needed to know. Meet me over at the Laundromat and I'll explain everything"
The phone clicked dead and Sakura could feel the brightness of a new day wash over her.
" Woo HOOO!!!! " She slammed her cell phone in her purse and hurried to finish getting ready. One thought crossed her mind in her disbelief; it was really un - like Hinata to be straight to the point like that. Did she ...? Sakura shook her head " Nah ... As shy as Hinata was, it was highly unlikely she's go "all out wild” over her “Foxy boy”. ...or was it?"

About half and hour later, Sakura was down at the Laundromat. Shoving a load of laundry in the machine as to not look to obvious, she waited for her informant. It would have been to obvious that she was up to something to just be standing around here with nothing to do. Why in the world would Hinata wanna meet in a place like this ?
Hinata waved her over from the next isle of machines " Sakura ...I ..."
Before Hinata could say anything else Sakura grasped a hold of her hands. Sakura starred her straight in the face with budging desperate eyes, Hinata nearly fell backwards over her own two feet.
" Gahh!!!! Sakura -Chan! ...What did you do ..use some kind of teleportation jutsu to get over here!" Hinata's eyes grew larger that Sakura's in seeing just how desperate this woman really was. Hinata blinked twice, this was truly pathetic.
Clearing her throat, Hinata softly began to speak “Sakura, …”
“Yeah …Yeah …” Sakura still firmly grasping Hinata’s hands looked like a wild dog foaming at the mouth.”
“He …”
Suddenly, the dryer door next to them slammed shut with an echoing Dooon sound. Both girls jumped away from one another as if the other was made of poison.
“WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOIING HERE!!!” Sakura blurted out her finger pointed in his face shaking like a leaf. Hinata squeaked in shock ducked behind her friend for cover.
Naruto’s face turned slightly red as he watch his worn quilt tumble in lost circles though the dryer’s glass window. “Perhaps I like the soft clean sent of Tide in the morning!”
Naruto glared intently at Sakura giving her sort of a “ Nayn- Ha” teaseling look as if they were children all over again.
The moment stood silent in an awkward pause, no one spoke for what seemed like hours. A quite tap of delicate sandals could be heard on the tile that seemed to echo though the room and Hinata appeared from behind Sakura’s back.
“Hin…Hinata …!!”
Just one glance at her made Naruto’s whole body turn hot as if a flash fire started in his heart and rushed though every inch of his body within seconds. Images of her flipped though him mind from his dreams. Holding a bowl of ramen with not much to hide, how she felt straddled over his legs, across the counter, desperate and in need.
Faster the images flipped, hot, moaning, so tight, so soft …
“Um ..Naruto- Kun ..” Hinata’s voice stuttered in what sounded like a distance away. “ Naruto kun”
“ Gunnhhh..” Naruto moaned softly in remembrance, before he was jolted back to the reality that stood before him.
“O, my gods ..” His mind stammered over and over again. His mouth was bone dry gasping for air. Once again, he asked his mind what was happening, but there was no one to answer.
She began to walk towards him, and all he could hear were his own incoherent words coming from his mouth. As if in a trance, he gripped the box of Tide from up top the dryer and held it in front of him, because his throat wasn’t the only place that was holding bones at the moment.
He had to try to keep what ever dignity he had left that the moment, however there seemed to be less left with every step towards him she made.
“Naruto –Kun ..” Hinata was now a step way away from him. “ I wanted to ask you if you …wanted to out for some raman …”
“Naruto’s heart leaped as if it were about to explode ….”O,YES…!!!! God lets’s go.”
Grabbing Hinata by the hand, the two of them were gone like dust in the wind with Sakura standing there blinking wildly like an idiot.
“THAT lil …PIG!!!!” Sakura grit her teeth, as she answered to the cute little ding telling her that her laundry was done. Slamming her laundry back into the basket, she stomped out the door. “They actually DID do it in his sleep!”
Walking down the woodland park path towards home , Sakura’s anger subsided. Letting out a deep sigh, she took in the calmness of her surroundings. She really had no right to stay angry at them, after all Hinata Loved Naruto since grade school, Naruto had only recently caught onto Hinata’s feelings. They really did make a cute pair, and if Hinata hadn’t pressed the point of Naruto seeing anything in the woods that day, then he must have seen nothing.
Sakura sighed and paused along the path, with whatever last bit of frustration left she dug into her purse. “Now where is it …”
Passing by many belonging in her bag she finally came across what she had been searching for and pulled it out of her bag. Tsunade’s incense.
“..And this ..” Sakura waved the bag into the air like a surrendering battle flag. “This nonsense has caused me nothing but mental heartache and problems for days!”
Undoing the tie of the pouch, she whisked open the tiny bag relicing the incense into the wind. “
She would find her own path to the one she loved instead of playing games his mind with those around her.
“Ado, to this mess!! “ Sakura felt relief after days of anxiety as she watched the incense sparkle in the wind like glitters floating in the springtime breezes .
Stretching just a bit more to get the last bit of incense out of the bag, Sakura lost her footing along the pathway. Grasping to catch her footing, Sakura knocked against the clothes basket sending it and her tumbling down the hillside.
“Gahhh…!” Tumbling over and over again the sadness came back to welt in Sakura’s heart. Finally stopping at the edge of the brush, her freshly washed clothes landing stun round her, she covered her hands over her face and began to cry.
“ Why… Why had everything to do with love come so easy to everyone else.” Her mind felt even more scrambled than before, from this Emo Adventure.
In her sobs of frustration, Sakura never noticed the heavy footsteps in the brush coming towards her.
“Sakura ..?” His enchanting voice called out in question and concern.
“Sensei ..!?” Sakura turned towards him keeping her composer as if nothing was the matter. If tears still lay on her face she could blame it on the violent fall. He heart raced with a feeling of sanctuary over the site of him. His stance in the way he stood was always so confidant and though his face was mostly cover it was his eyes that always gave off the impression of a loving smile. His arms, though his body had a very naturally build, she knew he was holding back a powerhouse.
He was more than a wonder to see after not seeing him in days .. After having days filled with hellish mishaps such as she’s had. However, for her mishaps she had no one to blame but herself.
He knelt before her like a prince and her heart began to race with excitement, until she saw what he had been holding.
At least two dozen roses at his side, bundled neatly with shimmering ribbons fresh from Ino’s family shop. Clearly this was a bad sign, clearly this was a sign of another love.
Sakura, wishing that he had never found her in this unstable state, clutched her head at her knees and continued to sob.