Hide and Seek, a naruto fanfic

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto.

Summary: As she escaped and hid along the countryside, he relentlessly pursued her. Protest or not, he was assigned as her protector. Fluff.

This is written as a fluff submission for SasuSaku Month on LJ! ^_^ Be sure to check it out!

Theme: Special Occasion
Prompt: Protect(or)

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Traditionally and practically speaking, all medical personnel should perform a post treatment check-up. Haruno Sakura held onto this ideal, especially considering the recent epidemic she had been hired to cure months earlier. The source of the disease was water born, but she could not determine if its spread was coincidental or intentional. Regardless, its spread had been overwhelming for her to travel and treat at the time of its outbreak.

She believed she should revisit the country side to check up on those villages from the few months prior.

The current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, however, did not approve of the self-appointed mission initially.

"You can't assign yourself a mission because you see it fit," he teased her, his one exposed eye crinkling as he leaned back in his chair. "Besides, Sasuke and Naruto are both gone on a mission. If you leave, who will I rely on?"

Sakura remembered responding with a snort and rolling her eyes.

"If that the poison in the water source was intentional, for whatever reason," Kakashi drawled lowly. "It would not be wise to send you alone. Someone may be seeking revenge."

"This would run more efficiently if I were alone," Sakura countered. "I'll have to cover quite a bit of territory."

However, Kakashi still had his doubts. He attempted to reason with her, asking her to wait until Sasuke or Naruto returned from their missions. As soon as either one arrived, she could drag them out to wherever she pleased. But his suggestion only enraged her.

After all, he had sent both of her male teammates on solo missions. Weren't they all the same rank? Didn't all three of them have similar accomplishments? If the boys could venture off into danger alone, why couldn't she simply travel on her own? Didn't she act as an equal beside the demon fox vessel and the infamous fire clan descendant?

Sensing his former student's rapidly growing rage, Kakashi gave a submissive sigh and granted Sakura's mission request. Pleased, she gave her thanks and quickly set off for the first village on her list. Haruno Sakura assumed her medical nin identity and merrily went to work alone.

That is, until she realized she wasn't alone at all. A few days after she had left Konoha, Kakashi had managed to send a well placed ninja to watch over Sakura.

As soon as she realized what was going on, Sakura was enraged. She confronted her assigned protector, but he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"You know I am not allowed to refuse a mission," he answered, his low baritone voice making her heart race, despite her anger. "Take it up with Kakashi."

And so his familiar presence continued to shadow her movements. Over fields, through rivers, between forests and mountains, she travelled attempting to let her follower lose her. She flew as fast as her feet would carry her—but he always kept up with her. If she hid herself, then he would always manage to find her. Inside crowded city streets, she would attempt to shake him of his near constant, steady gaze over her. Through abandoned wilderness she would grow silent, even erasing the sound of her own breath. Occasionally, she would be lucky enough to give him the slip.

However, the muted presence would always return eventually. For as skilled as she was at evasion, he was twice as good at hunting.

"I was sent to protect you," he huffed once he found her again. "I'm not going to play hide and seek with you across the country side. Quit being stubborn."

"I meant you no offense personally, but I'm not going to have a designated guard," She answered with a small smile. His frustration gave her a bizarre sense of entertainment. "Forgive me, Sasuke-kun."

Running away from him gave her a strange thrill. For every time that Sasuke found her, her heart would leap. Maybe her attempts to out run and outwit him were vague reactions of revenge. Her way of making him feel the pang of abandonment and the overwhelming need to reunite.

Or maybe this was a bizarre way of treating herself. She loved the thrill of knowing that he was chasing after her. Instinctively relying on the fact that he would undoubtedly return to her time and time again.

Thus, the game of 'hide and seek' continued between two people who knew each other very intimately—despite a painful past.

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Sasuke wasn't sure why he liked spending time with Sakura . Or why he kept hopefully waiting that she would finish her work.

Leaning back in his chair, Sasuke's gaze flicked over to his teammate. Sitting at a desk, her pen was rapidly flicking across the paper. In their current village, she had been given a temporary space for work. Thankful for a more office like environment to work in, Sakura had been translating her brief notes into a longer report. All the while he watched her—while she remained oblivious to his gaze.

Sasuke gave a sigh, twirling a kunai lazily into his hands. He'd just have to wait for her to finish her work. Heavens only knew how long that would take.

He considered telling her to quit for the night, but he knew how much she prioritized her work. Since the conversation would be futile, he continued to wait patiently. He'd grown used to waiting for her to finish working. Leaving her, even to take a walk, was definitely unwise. She might try to escape from him once again.

Such a mischievous woman.

A small smile flickered across her face as she continued to write across the page. She noticed her teammate growing restless as he readjusted in his chair.

"You don't have to stay, Sasuke-kun," she assured him softly. He shook his head, dismissing her comment.

"I have a mission."

"You already violated your mission terms. You were supposed to trail me, not get caught by me."

"I wasn't going to hide from you," he responded lazily. "There's no need for secrecy from you."

"And there's no need for me to have an escort," she responded in turn. Her pen never stopped flicking across the page. "Of course, I know this isn't your fault."

He watched her, waiting for her to say something else. He knew she'd continue to talk, spilling all of her thoughts. Her tendency to start chatting in abundance to him was one of the few leftover behaviors from her excitable childhood character. Whenever she began to babble to him, he felt an odd sense of relief. He didn't know why.

"It's just as well that you're here, even if you aren't needed," she began. "You needed some time to relax and let your ribs heal."

He raised an eyebrow at her, a gesture that asked his question for him. He had never mentioned the injury from his last mission.

"I have an eye for these things," she said with a wink. "I am your primary medical provider after all."

The corner of his mouth upturned slightly.

"You get restless at home, especially without Naruto and me. It'd be just you and the old ladies in your apartment building."

The corner of his mouth fell.

"Then, sent to a mission in worse shape than when you came home. So," her eyes darted up to him. "I'm glad you're here."

He gave her a blank stare.

"I'm right, aren't I?" she teased, resuming her work once again.

"Mostly. Except Naruto returned from his mission before I did," he drawled, his eyes drilling into her.

"He did? I wonder why Kakashi didn't send him first."

"I'm better. Clearly."

She gave a soft giggle at him, without looking up from her work.

"Read something to occupy yourself," she murmured. "I can't concentrate if you keep staring at me."

Because his steady gaze drove her attention to him. And once her attention was on Sasuke, she found it extremely difficult to care about her work. Her thoughts would begin to dote on him. If she doted too long, she would give into whatever he wanted. Give him her undivided attention.

He leaned for a medical scroll that rested on the floor and began unravel it. Once again, she smiled. Even if she needed to focus on her work, it was nice to have him in the same room with her. Spending time with her.

She wondered briefly if that was Kakashi's intention for sending Sasuke instead of Naruto. Either one of them would have been adept as acting as a protector. Logically, he should have sent the first one who returned after her. Briefly, she wondered if he had an ulterior motive.

Then she remembered how poor Naruto was at acting discretely. She dismissed the thought and continued to pour herself into her work. Her pen began running across the page but sluggishly. Thoughts kept nagging at her. Ideas tugged at her, removing her from her focus entirely. She couldn't stop questioning her former sensei's actions.

Kakashi should have known Sakura would discover either one of them eventually. Furthermore, why didn't he send the two of them together? Naruto and Sasuke always worked best as a team.

She shook her head to herself slightly. Sending one ninja after her was enough of a resource waste. Sending two would have been twice as much of a mistake.

Still…. Was the current Hokage setting her up for something? Was he trying to get her alone with Sasuke?

"The average adult female requires seven to eight hours of sleep," Sasuke read aloud suddenly. Sakura jumped slightly, jarred from her pondering. "Researchers have found that a lack of sleep doubles risk for cardiovascular disease. Sleep also provides for brain and immune restoration."

Sakura stared at him, blinking. Obviously, this was Sasuke speak for, 'We should go to bed.'

Sakura heaved a sigh, eyeing all the paper work she still needed to finish for proper documentation. Sasuke caught her eye and gave her a pointed look.

"When was the last time you slept, Medic Nin Haruno? The duration of that sleep?"

His emphasis on her medical expertise made her wince. He continued to hold her gaze with his strong, disapproving look.

His dark eyes with their penetrating gaze made her heart beat faster. In a precisely sharp moment, she just stared at him. She admired the way his hair fell against one of his eyes. The way his lips remained sturdy, motionless. As he waited for her response, she remained completely transfixed by him.

Shaking her head softly, she suddenly lowered her eyes to the page.

"Soon, Sasuke," she murmured softly. "Head back to the inn without me if you like."

"You'll just run off without me," he answered with a snort. "I have to keep my eye on you."

"Soon," she assured him again, a blush slowly crawled up her cheeks.

He leaned back in his chair, grunting softly to acknowledge he heard what she said. He crossed his arms across his chest, as his eyes began to close. She'd be done soon enough, so he may as well relax as he waited.

He listened to her working, the passionate swipes her pen made across the page. Her passion for her work was captivating him momentarily. She was so loyal to everything she prioritized in her life. Her work.. her friends… her family…

Him.

When he returned to Konoha, he expected her to be bitter. She should have been.

Angry. Hateful. Judgemental.

But that wasn't who she was. She was loyal. She may have matured and grown more open about expressing herself, but who she was at the core was always steady.

Clever. Caring. Loyal.

Even to him. And for that fact alone, Sasuke found a sense of peace as he waited in the office. The mere sensation of safety with her made his breathing even. His muscles relaxed. His head slowly began to droop. His heart slowed to a steady, rhythmic pound. And as he waited for the medic nin he valued to finish her work, Uchiha Sasuke fell into sleep.

The minutes ticked by, allowing him to fall into the even deeper stages of sleep. All the while, Sakura's pen moved furiously across the page. She finished eventually, her eyes flicking up to Sasuke.

Before she spoke to him, she realized the quiet man had dozed off in the chair. A small smile flickered across her face. She watched him for a tender moment, considering getting up and gently shaking him.

Slowly, she rose from her chair and gathered her papers. With the finesse of a seasoned ninja, she padded her way over to Sasuke. There, she looked down at him for a moment.

She noticed how his eye lashes lay upon his cheeks. How he looked so warm and inviting in his contented state of sleep. His mouth twitched slightly, dropping her gaze to his lips.

She wondered for a moment what it'd be like to kiss him. If his lips would be warm. If they were soft or rough.

Instantly shocked by her rebellious thoughts, Sakura lay her fingers across her lips.

If she were to kiss him…. Would he mind?

She could wake him up, and they'd walk back to the inn. They'd sleep in their separate beds, but she knew she'd roll over in the night and look at him. She couldn't help herself lately. Maybe it was because of all of their time alone together.

Or maybe it was the fact he had been actively pursuing her in the past weeks.

"We still have a game to play, don't we?" she murmured softly to him, even though he couldn't hear her. "You're very funny when you find me, and you're so frustrated."

He didn't stir even in the slightest.

She gave a small giggle before tiptoeing her way out of the office.

When Sasuke woke up, he was annoyed. Not only had she run away again, but he found a new agitation. Ironically, he was excited to give chase.

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Sasuke wasn't sure why he cared about Sakura so much.

If he had to guess, it was because of how good of a partner she was. His time spent with her was the most honest and natural compared to others. He spoke more freely with her than with any other. In turn, she seemed to understand his motivation more than others.

That isn't to say he didn't argue with her. To be honest, when they clashed, the arguments were passionate and untamed. While Naruto could make him crazy with antics, Sasuke never fought with anyone harder than when he fought with Sakura.

But he never felt more at peace with anyone than with her. If it weren't for that fact alone, he wouldn't have fallen asleep in that office. He wouldn't have woken up without her. And he wouldn't have spent the last three days desperately hunting for her.

As he made his way through a bustling market, his eyes darted from side to side. Her trail had gone completely cold in the past two days. He searched for her in a panicked state, uncertain if she were safe. Usually she was out of his sight for an hour or two. To have her missing for more than three days…

His heart started to beat more rapidly at the thought.

He assured himself that the clever and resourceful medic nin was not in any sort of trouble. He told himself that he must have gone the opposite direction she had, thus, allowing him to lose her trail.

Usually, gathering evidence for her location was easy. The years that they had spent working together gave him a natural sense for seeking her. He knew how she favored to strategize, even in regards to travel. As a last resort, he could always count on someone seeing her. Most people tended to take notice her unusual hair color and unusually kind personality.

His eyes flicked around the market once more. The sun was slowly dipping into the horizon, making a cast of orange fill the landscape. For a moment, he was reminded of his energetic and annoying friend back home. To even think of Naruto reminded Sasuke of dinner at ramen stands, which made his stomach growl in dissatisfaction. Sasuke hadn't eaten consistently in the past few days. Not on purpose, but he had been rather preoccupied by his mission.

Nevertheless, the nagging of his stomach was enough for him to briefly walk to the edge of the busy street to look around for a place to eat. Apparently, everyone was finished working and rushing home to their loved ones and family. His eyes lowered to his feet briefly—he was lost on choosing an action to pursue.

He was lifted from his thoughts when a hand gently rested on his arm. In the briefest of moments, he assumed the gentle touch was from Sakura. When his eyes flicked upwards, however, he was disappointed with the sight of a different woman looking at him. Instantly, he tucked his arm away.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked, not the least bit deterred by the antisocial look he was giving her. The woman found Sasuke too handsome to be chased away by a single glare. "You look like you're looking for something. I'd love to help you."

His brow raised slightly.

"I'm looking for my partner. Medic. Pink Hair. "

"A woman partner? Or a work partner?" She asked, hopeful he'd pick that later option.

"Both."

"Is she pretty?" She instinctively asked.

"Yes. Have you seen her or not?" Sasuke answered shortly. He took a slight step backward, put off by the woman's strange questions.

"No," the woman trailed softly, her eyes lifting upward in thought. She paused for a moment, vaguely remembering something of use. However, by the time she had a concrete fact to tell Sasuke, he was missing from her line of vision. Looking around, she couldn't see where the handsome man from earlier had disappeared to.

From a rooftop, Sasuke surveyed the village. There was no hospital within its limits, only a doctor who tended to patients within his home. When Sasuke dropped by, the man claimed he had never met Sakura.

A frown plagued his lips. Temporarily, he was distracted with longing. He wanted to know for certain where that troublesome, stubborn woman had run off to. He wondered if she was traveling in a bizarre pattern to throw him off. With any luck, he could find her soon and scold her to express his displeasure.

And she'd probably fight dirty to calm him down. She'd wrap her arms around his torso, babbling to him, and hug his midsection. She'd do that strange thing where she'd tuck her head under his chin, and his whole jaw line would tickle from wisps of pink hair. Then, his heart rate would slow, and he would forget he was angry.

He shook his head at himself. Until then, he needed to focus. As he repressed pleasant thoughts of his teammate, he wondered briefly why he was thinking them in the first place.

If she did travel this direction, which he instinctively believed she did, her only practical place to be would be an inn. She was between two larger villages. Perhaps she had hid out in the small village for some rest?

He eyed the people in the streets. For such a small town, he found it odd so many were traveling through. Regardless, he shook his head and made his way to the only inn. Surely, that was her most logical location. If she weren't staying at the inn, Sasuke would have to pull out a map and reevaluate the whole situation.

Jumping from roof to roof, he rushed to the inn. Impatiently, he failed to even look at the building too closely. He burst through the front doors, startling the woman sitting behind a desk.

"H-hello sir!" She babbled in shock.

"Is my teammate here?" he interrogated, giving the woman a demanding and intense gaze. Instantly the woman's face turned red. She fumbled over her words, unable to handle the intense pressure that accompanied Sasuke's gaze.

"I-I.. Who?"

"Sakura. Pink. Medic Nin."

"Y-yes! Yes. Yes. She said to expect you!" The woman murmured and fumbled for the extra key to Sakura's room. With a bow, she handed Sasuke the key and hoped he'd immediately leave. Much to her relief, he was quick to escape from view.

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Sakura gave Sasuke her third weak smile for the night. In response, he gave her his third glare. Apparently, he was extremely displeased with her, but he wasn't willing to talk about it. Instead, he was giving her the glare/silent treatment.

Sakura tapped her chopstick on the edge of her plate. When Sasuke had burst into her room, she expected him to throw a little temper tantrum. Instead, he looked her up and down. He watched her, apparently waiting for something, then gave her the first glare of the evening. She immediately tried to smooth things over with him. She said things like:

"I'm sorry, Sasuke. I was running errands between the two cities on either side of this village."

Silence.

"You didn't mind whenever I left before, right? And you've been able to find me every time."

Silence.

"I assumed you could find me no matter what."

Second glare of the evening.

In attempt to pacify him, she suggested that they go to dinner. However, his bitter attitude continued to persist.

"You can't be that upset," she began to babble. Why did she always talk all the time when he was around? Why did Sasuke always lure her into speaking everything on her mind? "I know you love a challenge. You like to hunt things down."

"You aren't a challenge. You're a pain in the ass," he snapped.

Sakura huffed a sigh and crossed her arms. She feared there was no cure for his irritability tonight. Slowly, anger for his frustrating nature began to bubble inside her.

"Also," he hissed, lowering his voice. "I'm here to protect you. Not to hunt after you."

Instantly, the bubble of anger growing within her had waned. She finally realized the true source of Sasuke's agitation. He wasn't annoyed that she ran off.

He was worried.

A small ticklish thrill burst through her. Sasuke had been worried about her. It may have been cruel to do so, but a true, soft smile spread across her lips.

"I'm sorry for worrying you," She murmured softly, her voice now demure. "Sasuke-kun."

From across the table, her slender hand lay upon his. At the sound of the affectionate suffix, Sasuke's mouth suddenly grew dry. Her gentle touch then lured him into an attentive state, his eyes never leaving her. His heart rate had increased, and he felt as though he shouldn't move a muscle. He gave her a nod of acceptance, all the while making sure not to move his hand from hers.

The restaurant they were eating at was one of those bustling places over flowing with people. Sasuke had overheard a couple talking about a festival as he entered with Sakura. Certainly, this explained the population surge. Knowing Sasuke's dislike for crowds, Sakura asked that they sit outside. Service was slower for customers outdoors, but she was hardly in any hurry.

Her fingers gently moved against his arm as she thought.

He watched her closely, curious about her touch. How she always touched him, but rarely anyone else. His eyes moving across her, he noticed how she looked different during nighttime. More serene.

His eyes lowered in thought. From the corner of his eye, he noticed a pink flush swoop across Sakura's face.

At the exact same moment, both of them wondered if this was how couples ate meals together.

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Sakura lay still, alone in her bed. To be more specific, the bed at an inn. A light patter of rain fell against the windows. The gloomy weather made the natural darkness of the night into an abyss.

Rolling onto her stomach, she anxiously hoped Sasuke would be joining her. She had slipped away from his line of sight some two hours ago, but he was getting remarkably talented at finding her. She knew it was a matter of time before he let himself into the room.

It had been two weeks since their shared meal—their 'somewhat date' as Sakura had decided to label it. And in that time, the nature of her ongoing game with Sasuke had changed.

"You run away to flirt with me, don't you?" he boldly accused her as he walked with her to the next town. They walked side by side, with him closer to her than usual. As they walked, his shoulder would occasionally brush hers.

To even think of the statement made her blush furiously. Unable to think of how to respond to him, she merely babbled nonsensical phrases. This, of course, made him smirk.

At that moment, she learned that his relentless pursuit of her was not born just of dedication to a mission—he was flirting with her in return. If he weren't flirting in return, he wouldn't have such a smug smirk on his face.

Sakura rolled onto her side, her toes curling as she continued to think to herself. Her awareness grew fuzzy as sleep slowly washed upon her. The beginning stages of sleep hazed her awareness, making her remember Sasuke's actions of the last two weeks.

When he walked beside her, he started resting the palm of his hand on the small of her back. His hand always felt warm, like she was being subtly branded.

In her dozing and hazy state, Sakura rolled over onto her stomach. Her arms wrapped around a nearby pillow, as she pressed her cheek against it.

He was always a subtle person. Unless provoked into anger, he spoke softly and with half sentences. He relied on gestures. He assumed that anyone who mattered could decipher his communication code—and he was right. From the very beginning, Sakura was always sensitive to every subtle word and gesture he made. How his face would move in even the slightest.

Because, he could appear so emotionless and blank. He could repress himself from expression so expertly that each and every movement he made had a contrived meaning.

He stood closer to her—always closer. He'd brush against her constantly, and she knew it was no mistake.

She felt as though he knew nothing of sharing affection with someone—he relied on her patience to ease the transition for him. So, she'd take his hand into hers more often. She'd smile at him more frequently and feel less guilty when she babbled to him. In turn, he'd tilt his head and listen to her more attentively. The corners of his lips would rise slightly in response to her beaming smile.

Two nights ago, he had been with her in the hospital again. As she finished some details of her work, he sat beside her. She slowly stopped writing, watching him from the corner of her eye. She secretly hoped he was nodding off again, but he seemed to resist falling asleep in hospitals since her abandonment of him there. His eyes were lowered, hinting at his sleepiness, but flicked back and forth as he read words across the page of his scroll.

In a sleepy moment, she rested her head against his shoulder for comfort. Languidly, he wrapped his arm around her to keep her in place. She remembered pressing her forehead against his warm neck before easing in to sleep. In those moments before she fell into her subconscious, she remembered how his fingers stroked her shoulder.

In her room at the inn, Sakura dreamt of the moment. In her sleep, she could almost feel his gentle touch. Her breath evened and she'd occasionally hum to herself in contentment.

So deep she was into sleep that she didn't notice her bedroom window slide upward with ease, nor the frame of a man slipping in. He turned to face the window, pulling it down as it had been. Droplets of water ran down his skin from the rain, but he paid little heed to the moisture. His eyes were fixed upon the woman asleep in the bed. Her pink hair fell across her face—her arm carelessly thrown over a pillow.

He kicked off his shoes before making his way to her bed. He eased his way slowly, making sure that he didn't awaken her from her sleep. He moved to crawl into bed with her, his knees making the mattress dip.

So unused to the sensation of a man getting into bed with her, Sakura's eyes snapped open immediately. Unaware of the benign presence, her heart jumped when a hand came to rest on her waist. She gasped, immediately twisting from his grip and rolling over.

As her eyes adjusted to the darkness surrounding her, she realized who had the nerve to attempt to lie down beside her. Her glassy, green eyes met with a pair of black ones that glinted curiously at her. A smile trickled across her face.

Sasuke leaned over her, his knees and left hand supporting her weight. All the while, his right hand remained at her waist. His mouth to her ear, he began to murmur to her softly.

"Found you," his low, warm whisper seemed to fill the room. As he spoke, a strand of his hair fell across his face obscuring his eyes from view. She tucked the strand of hair from his face, causing a shiver of pleasure to pass through him from her touch.

He fell into place beside her, resting on his side so that he could face her. In turn she rolled over to face him, easing herself closer to his warm chest. Before she completely let herself get comfortable and fall back into sleep, she tilted her face up to look at him once more. Already comfortable, Sasuke eyes were closed. The angles and contours of his face were relaxed and still. Not a single piece of him looked out of place.

Overwhelmed with warmth for him, she carefully and experimentally laid her lips upon his—she had never kissed him before. To her surprise, he responded immediately by pulling her closer. She felt him press his hands against her back as the tip of his tongue moved against her lips. The warm, close contact sent a shiver through her. His fingers from his other hand reached for her cheek. He gently pulled her away from him, but his fingers kept gently touching her cheek.

"Lie down and go to sleep," he ordered softly. The low rumble of his voice allured her to him again, persuading her into giving him light kisses on his lips.

"More?" she murmured to him softly, between kisses.

"We should sleep," he responded lowly. His eyes were tired, but also content. "I'll be here in the morning."

At his soft assurance, she pressed one last kiss to his lips before settling again against him.

He lay comfortably. The cool night air brushed against his backside, while Sakura's warmth nestled against his chest. She nuzzled him softly, whether she was aware of her actions or not he did not know. He let her lay against him, not minding her close proximity in the slightest. His arm rose and moved to rest against her shoulder. His arm went down lightly against her, and she gave a soft sigh.

"Sasuke-kun?" she hummed quietly. "Will you keep coming with me on missions like this?"

He nodded absent mindedly, pressing his lips against her forehead.

"It's not that I need your protection—I really like to be with you like this," she began to babble softly against him. With her face buried into his chest, he could barely understand her.

"I promise I won't make you chase after me any more though… I suppose it'd be rude now that you're…" she swallowed as she tried to think of the word she wanted. "You're mine."

Against her forehead, she felt his lips curve into a smile.