Butterflies and Hurricanes

Sakura laced her fingers with those of the unconscious Uchiha. The skin was so roughened into callouses that it was more akin to leather than flesh. But it was warm, which brought the weary medical ninja some relief. That blow to head had not killed him. Would it have? Not likely; Sasuke wasn't that weak. Still, she felt guilty. Sakura turned to Tsunade, eyes wide and fearful.

"How long...will he stay like this?" The blonde examined her papers on her clip board pertaining to her new patient. Not too bad.

"Not TOO long. I'd say about two days. He's pretty lucky; the cranial fracture was easy to repair."

"Will he ever...?" Tsunade smiled reassuringly and laid a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"He'll be just fine, Sakura-chan. Sasuke'll be back to verbally abusing everyone and being nasty as soon as you know it."

Sakura's frown faded into a slight smile as her eyes averted over to her sleeping lover. She brushed the heavy bangs out of his eyes. The Uchiha's hair had gotten so long. It looked like an ebony waterfall. But that was Sasuke: dark, cold, a devilish little fiend who bent his knee to no person, regardless of rank. Sakura was the personification of the goodness inside Sasuke, his humanity, so it speak. That's why they were devoted to eachother.

Without one, the other felt incomplete. He or she would be a husk with a soul.

....

Yamanaka Flowers recieved an order for a dozen black-eyed Susans: the Uchiha's favorite plant, if there even was such a thing. Delicately arranging the yellow beauties, Naruto felt very much tempted to stick on one of the flowers a card that said: "Why can't you just die already? Dattebayo, Naruto." He probably would have gone through with that plan had it not been for Ino inspecting every order that the Kitsune created.

Appearantly, he was too inept for her to trust. Not that such an attitude was unexpected; Naruto had gone through the same bullshit with whatever job he was hired for. Ichiraku's was the worst...no need to explain what happened there. The Kitsune's current place of employment wasn't too bad; the pay was nice, the jobs were easy enough. The only drawback was Ino being his boss and Sasuke being the manager. He didn't like either of 'em, but the Uchiha was the one who recieved the brunt of his wrath.

The black-eyed Susans being arranged as elegantly as Naruto could hope to accomplish, he was ready to deliver them. As soon as the Kitsune was half-way out the door, Ino roughly pulled him back inside, giving her employee a dirty look.

"You don't plan on doing anything stupid, do you?" A wide (but fake) fox-grin spread across Naruto's whiskered face as he set the plant down on the counter. Ino never resisted a chance to grill him. What was she, ANBU? Wait, don't answer that. She WAS.

"What? ME do something stupid, Ino-chan? I'm only doing a favor for my good friend, Sasuke..." Bitch, please. Who, aside from Sakura, even wanted to be seen in public with that asshole? He was a disease. The female mushroom-sighed.

"Just...don't say anything to or about him. Behave yourself, Naruto."

"Whatever you say." And with the conversation over, Naruto exited the flower shop to deliver the Uchiha his flowers. The Kitsune pouted; the one day he didn't have to deal with that asshole and here he was doing him a favor. He'd rather eat his own shoes. No! Ryuu's shoes. They didn't exist, seeing as how he went around in his Demon form all the time. Speaking of whom, the Dragon suddenly appeared at his side in a coppery shroud of dried blood. That Diabolus freaked him out sometimes...

"Hey, how the hell are you, man?" Ryuu smirked, looking pleased at how disgruntled his fellow Jinchuuriki was. Naruto could acknowlege the Dragon's sadistic nature, bit didn't like it neverless.

"Fine. Fucking Sasuke's in the hospital and Sakura's making me bring him flowers..."

Ryuu lit a cigarette and tore that green ribbon from his long, bushy, black hair, shaking it out like the mane of a lion. Lee made him tie it back, threatening to give his lover a salad-bowl haircut if he didn't. Such threats gave the Dragon nightmares.

"That sucks, man. At least you don't have to listen to 'im." Ryuu's smile grew wide. "Did he really get knocked out when Lee threw that boulder at him?" Oh, Kami. That elicited a grin from his companion.

"Yup! My plan worked, Ryuu-chan!"

"I actually didn't think it would; it was about the dumbest thing I'd ever heard of. Distracting him with you Hengeing as Sakura, then Lee throwing the boulder..." He took another drag, silver plumes of smoke swirling around his head like some travesty of a halo. "And then me just watching the whole thing take place while laughing my ass off."

Naruto's pranks usually failed. Ryuu liked to watch them unfurl and then bust his ass about it later. Marvelous relationship the two had...After about one or two minutes of silence, Naruto began to speak.

"Lee doing alright? I expect Gai wasn't too pleased about the whole thing..."

"Nah, he's fine. I told Dad I did it instead."

"Why?"

"Most of the punishments the old man imposes on him are pretty fucking harsh." Ryuu took another drag. "I don't like for him to be in any pain. He is my best friend, after all..."

"Yeah. By the way, you and the Bitchin' Brows still together?"

The Dragon nodded. Most of Konoha recognized that Ryuu was gay at an early age. Not that they weren't shocked, of course. Women just viewed him...to be blunt, as another woman. None of them had any desire to pursue the Diabolus freak romantically because...he was far too creepy for them, anyway. Four years ago, Naruto and Sakura had been stunned to see Ryuu snuggling with a blushing Lee under the umbrage of a tree. The rest was history.

They'd arrived at their destination, hospital looming over the pair of shinobi like a sentinel. A question was itching inside of Naruto's brain. He turned to the Dragon.

"Hey, umm..."

"Hm?"

"What's it like..." The Kitsune blushed. "To be with another boy?" Ryuu smiled good-naturedly and put out the cigarette.

"It's wonderful." The Dragon bid his companion farewell and went on his way.

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