In episode 208 of Shippuden when Sasuke wakes up while Karin is healing him, the first thing he did was sit up and close his shirt and that MEANS SM TO ME!!! Because Sasuke isn't one for vulnerability or exposure. Not at all. But when he was with Orochimaru he wore that low V neck shirt. And right after he fought Orochimaru he changed ONLY his shirt. Everything else was the same and that's so ARGGGG /pos yknow???
Like it's such a subtle detail but I feel like it just once again solidifies the fact that Sasuke wasn't a person to Orochimaru. He was a vessel who would need to be regularly inspected, to ensure he was developing properly. His comfort and preferences meant nothing to him, because eventually he wouldn't have any anyways.
Naruto cleared his throat and stood. He didn’t think he could sleep anymore. He had ruined it. He had destroyed the day. Sasuke was hiding in his room, and he could feel the pain coming off of Itachi in waves. On the way back to the hotel his cough had come back in ten fold. His throat was raw and his head was starting to hurt. He made his way to the kitchen and fixed himself a glass of water. After a few moments Itachi joined him.
“Is there anything I can do?”
Naruto laughed bitterly. “No. There really is nothing.”
'If he only knew.'
Itachi was silent for a few moments. He was debating on what to say next. He didn’t want to trouble Naruto anymore than he already was. “What will happen next?”
Naruto looked at him in confusion. He wasn’t the one that planned the trip, so he couldn’t be talking about that. The only thing he could be referring to was the impending death. “I uh – I don’t really know.”
Itachi looked up at him. ‘How could he not know.’ Itachi rubbed his temple trying to deter a headache. “What do you know? I need to know what to expect.” Itachi knew he probably didn’t want to talk about it, but he needed to know. He needed to prepare.
“Well with dad it started like the flu.” Naruto shrugged looking down at his hands. “You know coughing, sneezing, a fever. I’m not really sure of all the symptoms. He never really talked about it.”
“What kind of illness is it?”
“It’s kind of tricky.” Naruto set his glass down and sighed in frustration. “It’s a family thing. No one else in the world has it.” Naruto stopped and thought about it. “Well not that I know of. It's like a mass failure of your body unless you comply with it’s demands.” He didn’t like that wording. “Well not demands really more like-”
“Like Naruto is too good,” Sasuke spit with venom “of a person to set a bomb off in someone else’s life, so he has to pay the consequences.” He was back, and he was angry. “Saint Naruto would rather leave us behind so he doesn’t ruin his true love’s life, you see.”
“Sasuke-"
“No. Don’t start that. I know that you’ve made your decision, but I’ve decided that I’m not going to be happy about it.”
“So, whatever it is, it is curable?" Itachi cut in. He looked hopeful and Naruto had to look away.
Sasuke scoffed. “No because Naruto would rather die than ruin his soulmates current relationship.”
“Soulmate?” Itachi didn’t like being confused. “Naruto, what does he mean?”
Naruto plopped down in a chair. “Have a seat.” He looked at Sasuke. “Both of you.” He would have to explain it the best he could. “Around WWII I had some family captured by Nazi’s. I’m not sure of what they did or what the experiments were, but it changed our DNA. For whatever reason we have soulmates.” Naruto suddenly found his fingers interesting. He started rubbing them together, and he would not look up. “I’m not sure how my body knows who my soulmate is or why that person is chosen, but I have one.” Naruto started scratching at his skin, he almost hoped it would start to bleed. “After my 25th birthday, my heart stopped. It doesn’t have it’s own beat anymore. I’m in sync with this person, and if I don’t start and keep a loving relationship with them my body starts to die.”
Itachi reached out and grabbed his hands, stopping the movement before he drew blood. “So, you need your soulmate?”
Sasuke huffed out a dry laugh. “Tell him Naruto. Tell him why you have to die.”
Naruto looked up and stared into Itachi’s eyes. He was dreading this part. “My soulmate already has the love of his life.”
Itachi looked down at their intertwined fingers. He could feel Naruto itching to get away. In all his years he had never heard anything like it. He wanted to break things. He wanted to rant and rave, but he knew Naruto was hurting as well. Sasuke was right, Naruto was just to nice for this world. He had half a mind to make that other person disappear. He could end that relationship with one phone call, but he knew it would upset Naruto. He felt tears burning his eyes. It was something he hadn’t experienced in over 12 years. He couldn’t cry here. Not with people watching him.
“Itachi.” He jumped when Naruto whispered his name. He hadn’t realized he had zoned out. He could feel a traitorous tear working it’s way down the side of his nose with more following. Naruto attempted to move his fingers, but they would not budge. Itachi hadn’t realized he had started to crush his fingers. He dropped Naruto’s hands and quickly stood. ‘Fuck.’ He wasn’t ready to talk about it. He couldn’t get his emotions in check. They were all over his face. He looked to his brother who was watching him with wide confused eyes. He took a deep breathe trying to gather himself. He closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. Without saying anything he turned and walked away. The door slamming echoed through the rooms.
(Sakura/Karin) Since the death of her mother when she was just a child, Karin hadn't felt like she was home. When an unexpected situation brings Sakura into her life, Karin finds herself coming closer and closer to what she once lost.
Sakura Week 2018, Day 6: Acknowledgements
[AO3]
For day six of Sakura Week, I wanted to give another one of my obscure yet much loved pairings a try. I always felt as if Karin was such an underappreciated character. She is always looked down upon for being so enamored with Sasuke (he’s like the second person, after Orochimaru, to ever show her kindness, why wouldn’t she be so drawn to him after a life of abuse?) but that doesn’t take away from her character. I believe she deserved a much happier ending that the one she was given in Boruto. So I gave her one with Sakura and Sarada. With a bonus asexual uncle Sasuke on the side. Enjoy! <3
Asexual Sasuke and Divorced Naruto starring in “The Long Awaited ‘Sex’ Scene”.
Works as a standalone, or read the previous parts here.
We stared at each other from across the room.
Naruto was sitting stiffly on the futon, seiza-style with his hands clenched into fists as they rested on his knees. The bulge was unmistakable.
“You look stupid,” I informed him as I peeled an orange.
“Rude.”
I shrugged and took a bite. “Isn’t that what you want me to do? Belittle you while you belittle yourself?”
“B-b-belittle myself?!” he sputtered. “That’s the worst euphemism I’ve ever heard!”
I shrugged again. I took another bite and tried to hide the shaking of my hand.
Naruto started chewing on his bottom lip.
“This is a terrible idea,” I finally said.
“It was your idea!” Naruto cried, flailing his arms around.
“Was it?” I asked, tilting my head to the side.
“Bastard! Yes! I would never… Take some damn responsibility for your own actions!”
I shrugged, and he just about lost it. I looked away so he couldn’t see my smile.
“Fine, I get it!” he sulked. “I’ll go take a long, cold shower. Alone.” He stood up dramatically.
“Sit down,” I said evenly.
He paused.
I looked to him, raising an eyebrow.
He sat down slowly, finally taking on a more relaxed posture.
I took a bite of my orange. A little bit of juice dripped down the curve of my thumb. I frowned and caught it with my tongue.
Naruto let out a strangled breath.
I didn’t even have to try with him, I just had to exist and he was putty in my hands.
Or putty across the room, as the case may be.
“Well?” I said.
“W-w-well what?” he stammered.
“Are you going to get on with it?”
He was blushing so hard that the tips of his ears had gone red.
I couldn’t help the softening of my smile.
He smiled, too. “This is kinda harder than I thought.”
“Is that supposed to be a double entendre?” I asked, leaning on the table. I rested my chin on my hand and watched him.
“No, I think it’s the opposite,” he said, looking down at his crotch. “The corporal needs a little encouragement.”
“You can do it, little corporal,” I encouraged.
“Why are you so horrible to me?!” he complained, but he squirmed and readjusted himself.
“Little is a term of endearment,” I said, keeping my eyes on him. I felt more comfortable than I’d thought I would. Naruto’s embarrassment helped.
“Big is a better term of endearment,” he suggested.
“Are you my big boy?” I scoffed.
“Yes,” he said, sticking out his lip in a pout.
I sniffed at that. “You are an overgrown child, that’s for sure.”
His hand settled on his thigh. He rubbed his leg absently.
“You can touch it,” I said.
He retracted his hand, looking startled.
“Do you not want to?” I asked.
He licked his lips nervously. “No, I want to, I just… You’re sure?”
“I’ll tell you when to stop,” I said. Because it had been my idea, and we were going to do this. We were going to have sex.
From across the room, obviously.
“Okay,” Naruto said, taking a deep breath. He moved his hand back to his thigh and hesitated.
“Are you always this bad at jerking off?” I asked. “Is that why you’re so sexually frustrated?”
“I’m awesome at jerking off!” he snapped back at me.
“Is that something to be proud of?” I asked with a laugh, even as he started rubbing himself vigorously.
“I’m very manly and virile,” he asserted.
I leaned back on my arm and watched him. I didn’t feel disgusted like I used to, mostly just amused. It was such a base, animal state that Naruto was in, and I was the one who had reduced him to it. “How long is this going to take?” I complained.
“You know these things take time!”
“No, no idea,” I said.
“You’ve really never jerked off?” he asked, eyeing me suspiciously even as his hand kept moving. “You’ve just never had an erection in your entire life?”
“I ignore them until they go away,” I said with a shrug.
Naruto looked at me aghast. “That’s not how it works!”
“Works fine for me.”
“I would never ignore you, Corporal,” he murmured soothingly to his penis.
“Get on with it,” I groaned, sitting up and taking another orange from the bowl.
“It takes time,” he said, gritting his teeth at me. “And it takes even more time when he’s nervous.”
“I’m sorry, love, do I make you nervous?” I asked with a snort. I hated that Naruto made me laugh in such an undignified way, but it was derisive enough that I could ignore the indignity of it.
The color red that he turned was pleasing. “You know, I’ve had just about enough of you!” he cried, turning his back to me and taking something out from under his pillow.
I waited.
And waited.
He moaned softly and the sound of a zipper opening sliced through the air.
“What are you looking at?” I ventured, feeling ignored and a little sour about it.
“The real Sasuke,” he murmured distractedly.
“The real Sasuke is right here,” I said with a glare.
“You just don’t understand me like he does,” he said, waving the signed photo of me that I’d given him to keep him company.
“Oh my god you’re such a loser,” I groaned. “Look at me.”
“No way.”
“Why the hell not?”
“It’s embarrassing!”
“So you look at a picture of me instead?!”
“It’s my comfort zone.”
“Look at me, you usuratonkachi.”
Naruto glanced at me over his shoulder, chewing on his bottom lip.
I stared at him and ate my orange.
“Saaaaasuke,” he whined. His breath had gotten shuddery.
“Yes?”
“Why do you make everything you do so erotic?” he complained, eyes glued to my fingers as they moved from the table to raise a piece of orange to my lips.
“I think you’re just a pervert,” I said, taking a bite.
His eyes followed every movement of my lips. He suddenly shook his head, like he was breaking a genjutsu. “No, absolutely not, it’s not normal! A normal human isn’t that damn sensual!”
“So you’re saying I’m not a normal human?” I asked.
He finally turned his whole body back towards me, pointing an accusing finger in my direction. “Yes, that’s exactly what I’m saying, you erotic nightmare!”
I blinked slowly.
Naruto suddenly seemed to realize that his dick was flopping out of his pants for all the world to see, and quickly covered it with both hands.
“I have seen it before,” I said, finishing the orange and licking the tip of my thumb clean.
“I… this is different!” he said, turning back around abruptly.
I hadn’t really thought that I would get much out of having “sex”, but apparently I’d been missing out on a very vital activity for my life. “Naruto.”
“…what?”
“I’m enjoying this.”
“Enjoying my misery?”
I smiled. “Yes.”
He looked at me over his shoulder.
“Are you almost done?” I asked.
“If you keep looking at me like that, yeah.”
“Looking at you like what?”
“…like you love me.”
“I do love you, stupid,” I said, unable to keep the fondness out of my voice.
Naruto whimpered.
“Just like that,” I encouraged him.
“Sas’…”
I watched him unravel, and it felt good. I made him like this. He was arguably the most powerful man in the world, and he came apart at my whim.
“Sasuke… Sasuke…” he panted, his eyes fixed on me as he pleaded.
“You’re okay,” I said. “Finish up.”
He closed his eyes when he did, and I wished he’d kept them open. I thought that one day I might like to touch his face while he did, thumbing along his permanent five o’clock shadow and holding him patiently until he was done.
Not today, though. He still had his back to me, and I didn’t want him to turn around, didn’t want to see that sticky disgusting mess. For the first time since we’d started I got that uncomfortable feeling again in the pit of my stomach.
Then Naruto opened his eyes and smiled so gently at me. “You good?” he asked.
“Yeah,” I said, because I was. “Clean yourself up.”
“I don’t get to bask a little?”
“Don’t be disgusting,” I said.
“How is that disgusting?!”
“Because I was thinking that maybe we could… sit close together… in a lying position… for a while…” I trailed off.
“We get to cuddle?!” he asked, getting excited.
“Not if you’re going to be gross.”
“I’m very not gross!” he said, pulling a wad of tissues from the box next to the futon and wiping vigorously.
I decided I didn’t want to watch the cleanup and went to the kitchen to make some tea.
Naruto joined me, all put back together, though a little sweaty. He took his tea and added sugar. His cheeks were still flushed, and he kept looking at me shyly.
The look wasn’t sexual at all. It was just contented and loving, and he didn’t make me regret what we’d done.
I leaned in and kissed his temple.
His eyes got a little misty.
“Come on,” I said, putting down my empty teacup and taking his hand.
We lay together on the futon, Naruto tucked in my arm, and we just talked as the sun slowly rose in the sky.
At some point Naruto had to make the stupid comment of, “hey, now you can count the number of times you’ve had sex on two hands!” I shoved him away, but somehow I wasn’t mad at all and we ended up drifting back together, enjoying the rest of our lazy Sunday morning.
