Building Fences



See, it goes somehow like this:



Sakura just pulled two shifts at the hospital. Two seemingly endless, gruesome shifts, coupled with a very, very hungover Tsunade watching her every move like a vengeful hawk. Now, upon arriving home, she would like nothing more than a shower and a good twelve-plus hours of glorious sleep - in her own bed for once, thank you.

You see her point, right, Dear Reader? It is really not that much to ask for.



Now enter Naruto into the story.

A very muddy, very sweaty, very dirty Naruto, who also just arrived home after a week-long mission to - of all places - Rain Country. (It is quite possible that you, Dear Reader, have never had the joy to visit Rain Country before. Since our story is of little educational value, let it be enough to say that - as the name so pointedly suggests - it is a place known for its merciless downpours. Said downpours - due to their extreme frequency - tend to leave the ground unable to absorb excess water, creating extreme - and according to one tactical genius; troublesome - road conditions.)

Now, Dear Reader, if you are of the sensible kind, you might ask what Sakura's problem is - rightfully so. After all, her boyfriend of several years she all but cherishes has once again returned from death's door - safe and sound from the looks of it - and she's finally, finally home to be able to appreciate that. By all means, sparks should fly, desperate, joyful kisses should be exchanged, wild I'm So Glad You Returned Home Safely sex should ensue.

Right?

Well, apparently not.

See, it's not that somewhere deep inside, Sakura isn't happy. Because, stripping the situation to the core, it is very much a joyful one. But God she's missed him and now he's finally very much here and, at this very moment in life, Sakura couldn't possibly ask for more.

Save for one thing, that is, and that brings us back to the problem at hand.

We just established that Sakura is positively giddy to have her one and only back. That, however, doesn't change the fact that she's also nothing short of livid and ready to rip her darling a new one.

-

Naruto wakes to a godawful screech. (Of course he's been technically alert since the moment Sakura touched the gate, but alert does not always equal awake. Not when you are a highly skilled, highly sleep-deprived shinobi, that is.) So now Naruto's more or less awake, but he doesn't bother to open his eyes, not just yet.

A few minutes tick by in which Naruto's ancestors, masculinity and general bedroom performance are all thoroughly (and loudly) insulted. For his part, Naruto continues lying - face-down - on the bed, letting his Sakura-chan's dearly missed voice wash over him. (Actually, assault his eardrums is probably a more accurate term for it, but Naruto's not quite awake enough yet to let such details bother him.)

It is, after all, just the good ol' story. Not a life-changing argument, not a fight that would lead to a breakup or any sort of melodrama like that.

It's just them; Sakura venting, winding down and Naruto, well, enduring it.

It's just them, the two of them, finally alone and allowed to let their guards down, some of their frustration to escape.

The little episode ends when - about another five minutes later, now probably run out of things to shriek at him - Sakura throws him clear through the (thankfully open) front door, garden and fence. Naruto goes with it - or perhaps flies with it is a more suitable term for it - not because he couldn't dodge, of course, but because this is the neatest, quickest way of ending the fight for good.

"And you better fix the fence in the afternoon!" Sakura shouts after him from the doorway, then she huffs, crossing her arms over her chest in a very satisfied manner. "Idiot."

Naruto lies amongst the sad remains of the fence in question - their fifth this year - staring at the clear morning sky in sleepy-thoughtful wonder. "Y'know, you could have just asked me to take a bath. With you," he adds with a tired leer as Sakura stops by his prone body, looking down at him with cheerfully glinting eyes. He has a nice view up her skirt.

"I could have done that, yes," Sakura admits, tapping a finger against her suspiciously twitching lips. "But you already got mud all over the sheets. And also, it wouldn't have been nearly this satisfying."



See, it goes somehow like this:



When Sakura is angry, she breaks things.

When Sakura is angry and breaks things, Naruto is there to fix them.

Naruto is an expert of building fences by now.

He never builds them too strong; it's not like he expects them to last.

But he'll always be there to build a new one when needed.



As far as Sakura and Naruto are concerned, that's all that matters.



(As for the wild I'm So Glad You Returned Home Safely sex, you ask?

They've never had better.

But that is another story.)