Sasuke still had his back to her, his voice muffled and tinged with barely perceptible awkwardness.
"Hmph. So you're just like those boring girls at school. You only like this face."
No sooner had he spoken than he felt an irresistible force descend on him.
Naruko reached out, grabbed his shoulders, and rather roughly rolled him back over, forcing him to face her.
Naruko knelt beside him on the bed, her hands planted on either side of his body as she looked down at him. Her blue eyes were startlingly bright, free of their usual teasing or mischief, filled instead with an almost stubborn seriousness.
She stared at Sasuke's still-swollen face, its original handsome contours just barely visible, and spoke clearly, emphasizing every word.
"Of. Course. I. Do! Stupid Sasuke, you listen to me!"
Her voice wasn't loud, but it carried an unmistakable finality.
"The man I marry has to be the most handsome guy in the Shinobi World! That's the absolute minimum!"
She lifted her chin slightly, wearing that familiar, faintly proud expression. "If you dare ruin that face of yours, or stop being handsome..."
"Hmph, then I'll... I'll never speak to you again! And I mean it!"
Without waiting for Sasuke's reaction, she opened the ointment container and scooped out a small dab of jade-green ointment, fragrant with a cool medicinal scent. Her movements weren't especially gentle, but she was exceptionally careful as she applied it little by little to the bruised and swollen areas of his face.
Her fingertips brushed softly over his skin, carrying the faint chill of the ointment and the soft warmth of a girl's touch.
Sasuke lay there utterly stunned, letting Naruko do as she pleased.
He watched her lips, so close to him, pressed slightly together in concentration. He watched the strands