Naruto had been staring towards the ten-tailed beast with stunning spectacles. It wasn't until Aoba had thrown his shoe upon his stubborn head to keep his mind standing on the earth.
They were supposed to land on their destination by now; that was what Yamato thought. Thirty-nine days was sure a difficult time to keep up with, but they had a pocket watch and someone to forecast with. Naruto hated cellphones, and if it weren't for Team Sakura's mission of deliberately keeping the old woman posted of their daily actions, he would have gone off to sleep for twelve hours, dreaming to be Hokage.

The mere thought of getting lost in the middle of the ocean was frightful. Yamato's binoculars and Hinata's Byakugan received nothing apart from the dreadful waves, the sea altitude. The tides splashed higher and higher as everyday grew. Whenever Gai went out, he was assuming they were already there, since he and Naruto had such little patience, always asking Are we there yet?Yamato never stopped scratching his head. It appeared as if every time they had taken the wrong course they were one step closer to space, or the seas' mouth.

"This isn't on the map. We're supposed to see an island by now." Yamato said, his hand clutched upon the map that showed the depths of the Land of Lightning. We can't be lost. We can't be.

"Captain, I think it's about to rain." Said Aoba.

"That's it." Naruto said. "We're lost!! We can't even send a message to anyone who's on the island! We're all going to die!"

"Quick! There's a m-massive chakra coming!"

"Everybody get down!" Yamato said, running after Naruto.

Thick clouds of wood grew on the boat before any of them even noticed-the fight to save the Hidden Leaf's Knucklehead was on.

Time went unnoticed to Naruto's body clock. Before he knew it, Hinata was cutting off one of the Squid's slimy hands and was close to being caught thanks to a clever Shadow Clone. Gai took the moment to launch an insulting kick to the sea monster's face, splattering blood and salt. Blood went thick in Yamato's veins. They surrounded Naruto, the three of them, while Hinata screamed as something sharp had slid into her arm. It made Naruto shout her name as well, watching one of his crew fall down on their knees.

Gai had caught her, an old sensei whom Hinata must have reminded of his other student. The blue-haired nin's arm leaked slowly with blood while they continued, Gai carrying Hinata back inside despite her weak demurral. When he returned, the three of them surrounded Naruto like statues. Cold and stoned. It was until buzzes of familiar noise was awoken that birds roamed away from the boat's direction. A Shadowclone popped right next to Naruto, before Yamato had the chance to finish the mission himself, or before a tall dark figure appeared unexpectedly in front of him.

"RASENSHURIKEN!"

"Lightning Release: Lariat!"

The razor sharp of the Rasenshuriken went tumbling mid-air, but it didn't strike the squid. It hit something much more bigger, about a giant size of an animal. A Tailed-beast, Naruto thought. Gyūki had eight tails wiggling due to the wind style that was clashed on him, meanwhile the man known as Killer Bee didn't waver. He had sent back the creature where it came from-down towards the deepest darkest part of the ocean. And he was even proud of it. Naruto gasped, as if with a slight open mouth blood would come out of his teeth. Kurama snickered in caricature.

"Damn you Kurama." On the inside, Naruto felt his stomach twist, which meant that the Beast smirked even wider. "That wasn't funny!" Replied the Octopus.

"Is everyone alright?" Yamato asked, a little portion of blood oozing on his forehead.

"Wait," Naruto objected, referring to the two acquaintances. "You guys can see each other? You can--talk?"

"Who doesn't??" Gyūki said to Kurama. "If I'd known better I'd say you're still a smart asshole."

Naruto laughed. He placed his hands behind his head, the same gesture he did whenever he was feeling lucky. "I like your thinking. Asshole."

"Hmp. You can grovel all you want. Still antagonizing the fact that you're younger and weaker than me? Little crybaby." Kurama inclined, yawning inside his pitch-black cage.

"Did Madara ever get ahold of you?"

"OI!! Notice me!" Naruto said, turning around to Gyūki. "You. Where's your master?"

The Eight-tails jinchūriki had a dark skin and a distinguishably large muscular build, as he was in a picture Tsunade showed. He was younger compared to the Raikage, his hair blended in yellow and white. At first Naruto thought he had seen A. There was so much more rather than a plump-built and an energetic unpredictable attitude that laid within him, the second and last jinchūriki he'd probably meet.

The rest of B had a special mark of his own. A white forehead-protector, his village's standard one-strap-over-one-shoulder flak jacket. A red rope was wrapped around his waist. He had a white scarf that brought memories to Naruto's head that it snowed where they resided. There was a curious tattoo laying on his right shoulder, saying, Iron.

"Yahoo! The name's Killer B, yo! If y'all think this is hell then you aren't mistaken, well! Cos we're here to work, we're here to rock and roll! We'll sass the f*ck out of this war and our Naruto boy's gonna come back a man, yo!"

    ✶✶Եհҽ third մϲհíհɑ✶✶LOVERS AGAIN     

"It's me. Open the door."

Sasuke? Sakura wondrously thought, getting up from her comfy bed. The first thing she thought of was her appearance, which looked indecent. She was wearing her short shorts she had never worn outside and only strutted along whenever she was in her own house, and Ino would come over bringing chips and fantastic stories. Her hair was slightly tangled, her bun disarrayed that it let off loose strands of her thick pink hair. Sakura looked like a little girl of fourteen.
The windows were open, the wind banging them as if there was a tornado coming. Everyday was a regular routine in Taki during April: the skies weren't clear; they were gray. Coldness was everywhere in the atmosphere. It made the Akatsuki wear their cloaks more often instead of hanging them.

"Why would I?" Said a bitter Sakura.

"Because I'm telling you to." When she didn't answer, he said, "Sakura, I know you're in there. Open the Godd*mn door. I'll tell you want you want. Just let me in. Please let me in and let me f*cking explain."

I don't know. I don't trust you. Sakura strongly thought, her eyes on the wooden locked door. "Fine. I wanna know why you couldn't just turn out to be like Itachi! I wanna know why you were so different from everything he did!"

Sasuke laughed. An insanely comfortable laughed. "You seriously wanna talk about my brother?"

"No,"

"Gomen. I didn't realize I never really said it out loud. I'm not really good with words because I just don't know how to f*cking use them. I can't imagine how you talk every once in a while."

Sasuke mamaged to smile, lifting himself up somehow. He never administered to talking, as if he were on drugs. The only way he would let people get ahold of his thoughts is if they wanted to hear vulgar words from the alphabet. Uchihas were like that, carping and cynical. Obito was like that. In fact there wasn't much difference from them since Madara's era. As Sasuke had been self-studying their whole life from the Uchiha Stone Table, it turned out that Madara was on the line with one thing alone: love.

How do you undo things? Sasuke used to ask himself. During the good old days, he couldn't care less of people; they were just the same, the usual ordinary creeping monsters. The air he breathed was the only thing he thanked for.

And then a plot twist came-he was willing to give up every inch of what he built. He willed to betray the people who would have harmed him with one move. A choice was all it took for Sasuke to die and to survive. When you're in Akatsuki time never fleeted slowly, it went on and on. He was surprised that he even stayed. His mission was to destroy his former village once and for all, and then travel the world being the most notorious wanted criminal. He didn't have an ambition to rise as a powerful Hokage or something, but he always had a clear vision of himself.

He wanted to be a legend-more than a prodigy. The father of many things. He wanted to create something, to invent an invention that'd awaken the Shinobi world. But he wasn't very genius when it came to those things, especially with his little patience. When he wanted something, he'd take everything in shortcut. That's one thing his uncle must have found him extraordinary-the moment he mentioned he wanted to restore his clan, he said it as if he would make it rain with additional Uchiha members today, tomorrow, or some other day soon.

"Baby I miss you. I did a lot of shitty things. You ever wondered why I raped those women?" He said. "My life was a mess. I wanted to call; I wanted to make sure you were okay. Then I found out you were getting married with that dobe. That f*cking idiot. You seriously think I was going to be okay with that? Screw Politics. I was going to kill them. I wanted to make them suffer and pay. Then I did it differently."

Sakura closed her eyes tightly. This was it. His worst part of the story. Everything she didn't want to hear. She wondered if Obito was somehow listening, if there was a camera hidden along the corners of the room. She promised herself not to be fooled with any of his chicanery-had she forgotten how he deserted her in the first place? How she suffered many weeks that felt like months and years in Blood Prison? Where was Sasuke when the baby had been kicking, always demanding for something she couldn't possibly give?

"I thought I couldn't protect you. I went out of your life to secure you. But things just got worse. The Nations were really targeting me. It's the 'Nations' that did this to us, Sakura. It's what out there that made the prophecy true. I don't know about destiny and shit, but I don't believe it."

"You're probably gonna hate me for the rest of your life. God, I lied to you many times and it's okay if you couldn't forgive me. I will walk away if you just say it. Say you don't want me anymore." Sasuke said, his head leaning on the door with his right fist pinned against it. "But I want to thank you. Thank you for everything. I didn't get to say a proper good bye the first time I carried you, I saw you cry. And I'm so sorry if I'm always the reason for your sorrow even if I don't want it to happen again, as long as I'm here, I know I'll always be the root of your suffering. I want to love you, but, things have changed. A lot of things. Whenever I'm with you, I know that I've moved on with my brother. Or destroying Konoha. I almost feel like I can go home." Sakura cried in the shadows. "But that's impossible now. They can never open their doors to a man of disgrace again. I'm not even a boy anymore, Sakura. I've seen it all. I've seen fires and chaos. I know war. I know the people who can control it and the people who'll eventually become victims. Itachi and Ino already became a part of it when it hadn't even started. Sakura, get out of here so you can still save your friends. I'll take care of Kakashi's daughter. I'll book you a train pass to the Fire and Taka will go with you. If I can't save Wakana, I can still save you."

Sakura didn't want to hear it. She had opened the door, looked closely at Sasuke Uchiha's handsome bewitching face. He was wearing his usual white long sleeve shirt, cut in front that reminded her of the first time she'd seen him in three years, arm protectors, and there wasn't any weapon attached to his scarred body.

Sakura wanted to shake her head. He walked into the corridors barefoot, and the floors were freezing.

"The windows were open. Why didn't you go there?"

"You wanted me to climb to your bed and you remotely kicking and punching?"

"I'm really not used at you knocking."

Sasuke smirked. "Are we good now?"

"Just promise me no more lies."

"I'm going to say something I've always wanted to. Then you." Sasuke said, doing what he did back: him taking steps closer, Sakura backing away slowly until he had pinned her against the wall. "I love you, Sakura. I always did."

Sakura smirked. Tell me something I don't know, she thought. She was already melting, though she was able to stand at least for her head to reach his nose. He'd never stopped getting taller.

"Your turn."

"I don't want to be saved. I want to be with you."

At first, Sasuke wiped Sakura's tears with his blood-stained fingers. Then, fast as an impure, the pinkette and the raven seized each other like crazy youngsters on a book: one dizzy night after a wild party where in they were soaked with water, sweat and the taste of alcohol. Sakura and Sasuke both loved Sake, they were addicted to anything that made them feel more alive then before. It didn't make much sense to what would happen sooner or later; Sasuke's mother had a saying that in life, it had been about loving and being loved. What was wrong with wanting something badly now that you've had it?

The tears on Sakura's face went try. Her hands were on his cheeks while Sasuke's were on her waist, remembering how he would carry her on Oto whenever she'd actually fallen asleep. Sasuke let her bite his lip, as if they were sucking the pulse of one another. She licked his own blood and kissed again, hardly, like two poisonous vines with thorns, mixing and hallowing. After that she kept kissing him when his hands were moving around her body-her stomach, smoothly, her thighs, her own blemished skin.

Harder. Kiss me harder. Sasuke moved his lips to her neck that made the pinkette scream-he was leaving hickeys! But the pain was good, in fact Sasuke even covered Sakura's mouth with a 'Shhh' signal. Obito and Kabuto might still be awake. Sakura nodded her head patiently, a baby girl, always a devil-may-care. Sasuke was not done with her yet.

There was one thing Sasuke did that touched her, though. Sasuke went down and kissed her stomach. For the first time, she felt her guilt driven away. She didn't think she was doing the right thing when she was making out with Sasuke, or other things beyond that-she always felt betrayed at the end of the night, hugging the blanket sheets to her chest, over thinking that a lot of people looked up to her. Tsunade, Ino, even Konohamaru...

Love makes us do foolish things, She could still hear Obito's words even when she slept. But sometimes, when in doubt, it may be the most beautiful thing indeed, in a world so wretched and cold. Senju Tobirama once mentioned that the Uchihas were the people who were most rich in love. I couldn't agree more.

**********************************
8.8.15
Off to Zedd's concert in a bit omg
Belated Happy Birthday, Tsunade! (Aug 2)
Finally they're together again. Who's ready for NaruHina?