Chapter Text
Since Sakura Haruno realized that the relationship between a boy and a girl might include physical contact, she couldn’t stop herself from wondering how it feels. After all, she was turning into a teenager and despite being a kunoichi and training hard to become better version of herself, Sakura was just a girl.
The first time her curiosity got into the shape of a tall dark-haired boy, whom she had been loving for ages at that point, young Haruno just turned sixteen. Some might say that it was pretty late age for a sexual awakening but for a shinobi it was just average timing. They had to train exhaustively, study nonstop and develop different skills just to survive in their chosen career. In addition to that, team Seven was on a mission of bringing their teammate home, with no time for romantic endeavours.
So, when her innocent thoughts about Sasuke changed into a physical longing, Sakura didn’t know what to think of that. She spent years craving his love and attention, but she never really wanted him as a man. Her childish fantasies were about his warm smile or protection. In the wildest moments she was thinking about their wedding ceremony or just waking up together in the morning. But never what might happen in between.
Out of nowhere she started having dreams about his lips lingering on her neck or other parts of the body, causing her to wake up in the middle of the night with a shiver. Sinking into madness, her brain couldn’t stop there adding more and more provocative images. Another night it was his strong hands, tightly holding her waist, while she was pressed to the floor by his lean body. In the cruelest dreams, they were kissing fiercely, his black eyes both scaring and attracting her with the raw desire in them, and she no longer knew if it was reality or just an illusion.
And when they finally reunited during the war, Sakura was fully aware of the physical hunger she’s been experiencing for some time now. It was neither time nor place for her awakened feelings, but each time he was grasping a sword, she was recalling the feeling of his fingers on her thighs. Which never really happened, making the situation even more awkward. So, as a solution to the disturbing thoughts, she turned herself into full shinobi mode.
Only once, after saving him from another dimension and collapsing from exhaustion, Sakura let her tired brain wander in this dangerous area. Feeling his supporting touch on her wounded arm and staring at mismatched eyes, her heart for the first time was hoping that maybe he could feel the same. Her gaze slipped to his tightly pressed lips and unexplainable heat filled the chest. She needed to taste them. Right now. To hell with war and the end of the world, no one and nothing existed for a couple of seconds except these lips she craved so much.
But as if he read her thoughts, Sasuke moved abruptly away, turning to Obito and letting her heal herself with the remaining chakra. Sakura was convinced it was just a post shock effect, but she could swear that his cheeks turned into slightly visible shade of pink.
When he put her into genjutsu, breaking the thin layer between real world and illusion, she almost hated him for that. Almost. Somehow the blend of pure love and sinful desire made her forgive him for this cruel act. The foolishness which she was calling love was steadily progressing. And when he finally said long-awaited ‘sorry’ after the battle with Naruto, she didn’t find any reasons not to accept it.
And from that moment the lust for the last Uchiha started uncontrollably blooming in her heart, ruining an ultimate decision to stay friends. Yes, as smart as Sakura was, just for a brief minute, she persuaded herself that they can start where they left many years ago – being teammates and … friends.
But this deception didn’t last long, as soon as they were escorted to the nearest tent and Sasuke removed his fully ruined shirt, something dropped inside her chest. And stayed at the bottom of the belly causing sweet aching pain. Seductive desire to touch each centimeter of exposed skin and to examine what is left under the remaining clothes washed over her like a wave. And to stop rolling in the deep, she ran away from the scene, asking other medics to check her teammates.
A young girl could deal with unrequited love. But a developing woman didn’t have strength to resist the power of his body. Thankfully, for the next six months they didn’t have a chance to spend time alone - Sasuke was in prison and each time she was visiting him, there was either always yelling Naruto or someone from ANBU. Otherwise, Haruno couldn’t swear she could hold herself.
But it didn’t stop her from losing common sense completely, each spare moment she could find, whether it was a break from work or just wandering in the street, her thoughts were coming back to a specific dark-haired boy. She was thinking about his health and missing arm (and how stupidly he refused to get a new one) of course but that's not what she truly wanted.
They talked a lot, sharing memories and building new bonds, Naruto being a buffer between them, but there was something else in the air. Each time her green eyes were staying a little bit longer than appropriate on his bare chest (she was lucky to be his only medic, since this stubborn boy refused from other doctors) or her fingers touching his skin in places where he was not so injured, she felt the silent response from his side. His mismatched eyes were staring back at her, asking, probing something. Did he feel same hunger as she did?
When Sasuke asked her to cut his quite long hair, she didn’t believe her ears at first. But the slightly arched eyebrow and undisguised impatience on the face made her heart beats faster, agreeing with everything he wanted. She couldn’t sleep that night at all, waiting the next day, her head overflowed with different disturbing pictures. But nothing could prepare her for reality. An image of completely relaxed (as much as possible in prison) and gullible Sasuke sitting in front of her, giving her total control, was too much. And the polite ANBU guard, who for the first time in months, was standing quite away from them and looking at the corridor, didn’t help her with self-control either.
With the spinning head, she approached Sasuke, her wide eyes glued to his mismatched ones. The air, hot and electrified, was as intoxicating as sake, as both of them refused to break the contact. Realization hit Sakura suddenly, not only she’s grown up, but he has also changed. There was no childish naivety in those eyes, and typical Uchiha’s shyness was long gone. His glance was challenging, demanding something from her.
Sakura Haruno wasn’t an annoying teammate anymore, his enigmatic gaze spoke louder than words. But then who was she to him?
“I will start from your back.”
She whispered in a mysteriously timid voice, heading behind him and trying to breathe calmly.
“Hm.”
He nodded and tilted his head forward, silently inviting her to start.
Sakura didn’t remember how long she had been cutting hair of her teammates, but at this point she had to know the procedure by heart. However, the trembling fingers and halted breathing, made her stop before starting. And when she was about to find an excuse not to do this, her eyes wandered to an exposed male neck.
With a slightly visible trace of sweat.
The sudden desire to taste it was enough to send her spiraling into insanity.
With an unconcealed thirst, she was staring at the wet skin in front of her. Instantly her lungs collapsed, and brain refused to work at all. Sakura slowly raised her hand, clenching the jaw as strong as possible, and thoughtlessly ran the tip of her index finger over the moist skin. Only thanks to years of training and perfect self-control, she could keep herself from bringing it to the lips.
A sharp, deep gasp followed her movement and Sasuke’s body tensed immediately.
“Are you… are you okay?” She asked innocently, knowing already the answer.
Sakura didn’t need to get confirmation to understand the meaning of his reaction.
For many months now they have been playing this calculated game of lingering glances and accidental touches. Being always observed and still not knowing about future of the last Uchiha, they behaved in a friendly way, keeping the civilized distance.
But underneath polite communication, there was an ocean of incomprehensible feelings and opaque desires which both of them couldn’t properly hide.
“Yes.” Sasuke whispered, turning his head slightly to the left and looking at her flushed face with his Rinnegan.
The uncontrolled fire in his eyes burned away Sakura's last rational thoughts. So different from his usual gloomy enraged look, he was staring at her with unconcealed devotion. And the spinning tomoes were bringing her somewhere she had never been before.
Later, thinking about that moment, she convinced herself that he didn’t really realize what he was doing. Otherwise, her heart could stop beating from unbearable emotions.
His gaze was dragging her into a vortex of unexplainable feelings and unsatisfied hunger, making her tremble slightly. Wild raw yearning was spreading through her body like lava, burning in intimate places the most. She should have been embarrassed but somehow it wasn’t the case.
The fragile bond they had been building all this time suddenly grew into something big and irresistible. Sakura couldn’t understand where her desire was ending and his beginning. The last barriers separating them from a shared future broke down during this unspoken dialogue happening in their heads.
It only lasted a moment, the guard didn't even notice anything, but when the Uchiha straightened up, breaking their eye contact, Sakura realized one thing.
It was not just her.
****
Somewhere between Sasuke finally leaving prison and departing from the village, they agreed to keep in touch by exchanging letters as often as possible. There was also another promise, not said out loud but pretty obvious for the two teammates – to wait for one another no matter what.
Unfortunately, they didn’t have time to explore that new connection they had recently created, as the last Uchiha was outspoken with his desire to travel as soon as he could. Before starting from scratch and building new life in Konoha, he needed to spend some time alone far away from the distractions.
Blushing Sakura was hoping that she was the main one. Now, having confirmation that they both wanted something more than just a friendship, her imagination went wild. She spent countless nights turning in her bed and thinking about their interaction in the cell. But when she finally was able to fall asleep, the torture continued – because Sasuke never stopped in her dreams. It was like a nightmare, repeating over and over again with slightly different scenarios, but always ending the same – Sakura waking up with an orgasm.
With her eyes wide open, still catching breath after realistic dream and feeling post-climax pleasure, she was staring at her white ceiling and seeing lazily spinning tomoes of a purple eye. It was a bold assumption, but this experience might have completely changed her perception of Sasuke’s genjutsu. From now on, instead of feeling nauseous with anxiety at the mere thought of it, she felt suffocated by the need to see, touch, smell. Taste.
Her cheeks were turning pink and embarrassed smile was appearing on slightly wet lips, but she couldn’t stop it. And frankly, she didn’t want to. For the first time, since she realized that Sasuke Uchiha was the love of her life, Sakura knew there was hope for their upcoming future. That one day she might kiss those lips and run her fingers through his dark hair, enjoying their intimacy.
Not now, but soon. And with such thoughts she often closed her eyes, allowing her mind to fantasize and her fingers go down the body.
But when the day of departure arrived, all her positive thinking vanished into oblivion. And looking deeply into his eyes, she asked him if she could join. Sakura knew the answer before he even opened his mouth to tell her and Kakashi (who wasn’t impressed with her behaviour) that his redemption path had nothing to do with her.
But before she could start doubting herself and questioning their promises, he stretched out his hand and tapped her forehead. They talked enough in the past for her to understand the meaning of this gesture and how important it was to him.
Her cheeks immediately turned into deep shade of pink matching her hair and the heart started beating so fast she didn’t hear anything else. Сcoincidentally, it was the first time he had touched her outside of prison, and the feeling of his warm skin was sending electric discharges through her body.
A small timid but gentle smile appeared on his lips and with the last ‘thank you’ he turned away, leaving them behind.
With teary eyes she was following his silhouette till it disappeared behind the horizon, telling herself it wasn’t the end. On the contrary, just the beginning.
And when he finally came home, she was there waiting for him with open arms.
And unsatisfied needs they both turned out to have.