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The cold punished the skin of the two genins.
On the mission in the Land of Waves, Sakura and Naruto lost sight of Sasuke and Kakashi-sensei; one second they were together, and the next, they were lost. Snow fell on their heads in the forest that looked like a desert.
— "I don't believe it! I don't believe it!" — Sakura exclaimed irritably, teeth chattering from the cold as she tried to conserve heat in her arms — "How could we have lost sight of Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun? Everyone was right there!"
Naruto, who was a step ahead, turned his face to her — "Calm down, Sakura-chan" — he tried to smile, attempting to convey confidence — "Kakashi-sensei is an elite ninja, remember? They must be looking for us right now."
— "Calm down!? Naruto, we're in the middle of nowhere and the temperature is dropping... don't ask me for calm!" — She kicked as she walked, only making her feet colder — "It's all your fault for getting distracted by that rabbit hole!"
Naruto scratched the back of his neck, trying to hide his embarrassment; he even opened his mouth to retort when his blue eyes spotted a dark rectangular shape right there in the mist.
He focused his eyes, narrowing them — "Sakura-chan! Look there!" — he pointed — "It looks like a little house! Let's go there, ttebayo!"
— "We shouldn't leave the spot where we got lost," — she said, trying to be rational, but actually feeling quite frightened.
But Naruto was already heading there, and she found herself forced to follow. It was an abandoned cabin; there was nothing inside; it was a humble shelter. Naruto pushed the door, which creaked with age.
Sakura sighed, vapor rising, and followed her teammate inside. The two sat in a corner and curled up into their own bodies, trying to preserve as much heat as they could, side by side.
It helped, but it wasn't enough. — "It's so cold, Naruto," — Sakura said as her teeth chattered; she looked at him, his head bowed and shivering just like her.
He nodded. He thought about making a joke to lighten the situation; however, the cold was slowly stealing his energy, and he felt his chest tighten.
An absurd idea crossed Sakura's mind.
"It might work."
"Ugh! I can't believe I'm going to do this."
Naruto felt a sudden movement beside him. Suddenly, before he could process it, Sakura wrapped her arms around his neck.
He went into shock, his heart hammering against his ribs, hands frozen in the air as warmth invaded him at the touch, eyes wide and a red flush creeping up his face — "Sa-Sakura-chan! What are you do—" he was interrupted.
— "Shut up, Naruto!" — her voice muffled against his shoulder, with her characteristic irritation — "Human heat can be used in situations like this, get it? That's all."
Naruto remained like a statue, not knowing what to say or do. The girl he was in love with was sharing the same space with him, hugging him. He thought about returning the hug, but he didn't know how she would react. Until he began to close his arms around her back.
— "Hey!" — Sakura snapped as she felt the movement — "I said we were going to share heat, you can stop right there with those arms... stay quiet and don't move," — she said irritably with a furious look that Naruto was afraid of and couldn't see.
— "Okay, okay," — he said, startled, stopping the movement and returning to his motionless position, his voice nervous.
He closed his eyes, hoping she wouldn't feel his racing heart; despite the prohibition of contact, he felt comforted.
After two minutes in that stiff position, trying to avoid contact while he remained still, Sakura sighed, which made Naruto shudder in the dark room. She settled in better, resting her face on his jacket, and adjusted her spine and legs; tucked on the floor, they drew closer to use his body as an anchor.
As for Naruto, he had an internal conflict.
"What do I do?! What do I do?! Sakura-chan is in my arms right now! Is this a genjutsu? Am I dreaming?"
He could smell her shampoo, her pink hair dangerously close to his nose; it was too good. He wanted to hug her back. He felt her warmth against him; her theory worked perfectly, and he could only squeeze his eyes shut, sigh, and blush. Every move she made caused him to break into a cold sweat and tremble; at this point, he had already forgotten about the cold.
"I can't move, or she'll hit me."
His arms were cramping. Her breathing was so calming.
"She's so close!"
Her breathing was becoming rhythmic; he felt her relax against him, slowing down.
A smile appeared on his face despite the internal conflict.
It didn't take five minutes; Sakura fell asleep, signaling that she felt confident enough. Naruto, on the other hand, did not. He was completely awake; it was impossible to sleep.
"She fell asleep... she really fell asleep," he thought.
"SAKURA-CHAN IS SLEEPING ON MY CHEST! THIS IS INCREDIBLE!"
He looked at his own hands, hesitant, thinking about what to do with them. He felt her curl up more, and he felt her muffled breath on his neck, which gave him chills all over — and not from the cold.
Little by little, he began to lower his hands with a gentleness that contrasted with his noisy nature. The Uzumaki circled her waist with one arm and her shoulders with the other; he closed his legs around her, creating a cocoon of heat. Still blushing and feeling the shape of her body, he hugged her tightly, as if she were going to be taken away from him.
The sensory impact was devastating for him: the smell, the warmth, everything.
"She's so fragile."
A tenderness emerged, mixed with his pre-teen hormones and his long-standing crush on her.
"I promise, it doesn't matter if Kakashi-sensei or that Sasuke-teme aren't here. I won't let you be cold, ever."
He rested his chin on her shoulder, relaxing, enjoying the moment while it lasted, knowing that if she were awake, she would never allow so much contact. He tightened the embrace, his heart and face exploding with happiness, trying to memorize every detail.
"If only time could stop right now."
He breathed in her scent deeply; she smelled good, as much as she was beautiful and brave, and as much as he loved her. He rubbed his cheek against the whiskers on her shoulder and her pink hair. "I love her so much."
He would protect her, no matter how much she looked at Sasuke. He hoped that one day, she would choose on her own, of her own free will, to hug him like this; nothing would make him happier.
.............
They spent some time together — Naruto didn't know how long; his eyes were heavy, totally relaxed with a silly little smile, and Sakura let out occasional sighs. Naruto forgot the cold and felt everything warm.
Until the peace was broken.
The sound of footsteps and a voice Naruto had learned to know well:
— "Naruto? Sakura? Are you there?" — The relaxed voice of someone who had searched for his students through the snow; Naruto could even hear the irritated huff of his rival in power.
"It's Kakashi-sensei."
His heart sank, knowing the peaceful moment was ruined.
The noise of the door made Sakura wake up with a start, still confused, her face creased by the irregular marks of his gaudy orange jacket, until she noticed she was being hugged; she pulled away quickly, and focusing entirely on the door, reality hit her.
— "Kakashi-sensei! Sasuke-kun!" — she exclaimed with satisfaction, a mix of relief and embarrassment.
She stood up abruptly, smoothing her long hair and disheveled clothes — "I'm so glad you found us, it was hard out here."
Sasuke looked inside with his usual indifference, though he was relaxed to see them — "You two are idiots... how could you get lost on such a simple trail?"
Naruto sat on the cold floor, arms empty, and the cold hit him again. He stood up slowly, staring at his blue sandals.
— "My bad, Kakashi-sensei," — he said without his usual spark.
Naruto walked to the door, listening as Sakura stood beside Sasuke and Kakashi; she rambled about how hard it was to wait and how cold it was, but she said nothing about the hug, Naruto's warmth, or how he had welcomed and protected her. For her, the whole moment was forgotten as soon as Sasuke returned.
He adjusted his forehead protector, head down, feeling a lump in his throat.
For a few hours, he hadn't been alone.
Team 7 moved on.