Disclaimer: All characters belong to Masashi Kishimoto! Also, I do support this couple, but I also support NaruHina and ChoIno. No flames please!

The light eyed blonde couldn't understand why her best friend/rival had to out-do her in everything. Whether it was grades, missions, exams, or medical training, Sakura always managed to do better than her. Now, she had won the heart of their childhood crush. It isn't fair! Why should she get everything she wants? What about me? She thought grumpily.

Her stomach decided that her complaints weren't more important than feeding it. She held her stomach, suddenly remembering that she hadn't eaten all day. Her diet kept her hungry a good percentage of the day. She needed something quick, so she decided to walk over to Ichiraku's Ramen Shop for some weight-loss ramen. It really did work wonders. I guess that's the only thing I'm better than her at, starving myself. She took a seat on one of the worn booths and old man Ichiraku started cooking her usual.

She heard loud slurping coming from the spiky haired blonde next to her. "Naruto, don't you think you could eat that any quieter?" He shrugged and continued slurping, but just barely. She smiled and he grinned back, ramen slipping out of his mouth. She giggled and then turned to the small bowl that had appeared in front of her. "That's all you're eatin'?" Naruto had stopped eating. "Yep. I'm on a diet." He grumbled. "You've been dietin' for 3 years now. Don't you think you're skinny enough yet?" She frowned, starting to eat her small portion of a meal.

He ate slowly watching her gulp down her food like she'd never eaten before. They finished at the same time. "Why do you care?" He was a little taken aback by the tone of her question. "Care about your dieting?"

"Yes. Why do you care if I diet or not. It doesn't affect you." He didn't look her in the eyes, but stared at his sandals. "Why do you diet so much?" She hadn't expected his reply to be a question. The truth was, she didn't really know. She couldn't answer. At first, it was to impress Sasuke. Now what was her excuse? "I guess I just want to be beautiful. I want to be perfect." His face became extremely serious. She had never seen him so serious before. In fact, it was a little unnerving. "Ino…." He mumbled still looking away from her. She looked at him, concerned. Before she could ask what he was going to say, he snapped back to life. "It's late. I'll walk you home." He stood up and she mimicked him. She nodded still wondering what he was going to say before. They placed the money on the counter and left. After a while, she gave up trying to figure out his question and resolved to let it go.

The walk to the Yamanaka residence was silent except for the shuffling of their feet. "Thanks Naruto-kun." He looked into her eyes. His blue eyes shined sincerely. She had never noticed what a beautiful color they were before. She walked towards the gate to her home, surrounded by a large garden of exquisite flowers. As she waved goodbye, he grasped her hand and held it, bringing it down slowly as if they were holding hands. "Ino… if it helps… I think you're beautiful the way you are."

Say something! Do something! Anything! Her head screamed at her furiously. She was too speechless. "Th-th-thank…"

"You don't have to thank me. It's not a compliment; it's a fact." She blushed. No! You don't need anymore disappointment! A voice overcame the other voice challenging her to kiss him. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun… I…" He stopped her with a kiss. She went weak at the knees and let herself be held up solely by his muscular arms.

He broke their kiss. She touched her lips softly, wondering if she was dreaming. "Why do you have to try so hard to do everything? You're just one person…You can't be good at everything."

"Why not?!" Naruto was shocked by her sudden outburst. He let go of her. Right now, she didn't really care, but she knew that her body missed his warm touch. "Sakura gets everything she wants! She's flawless at everything she does! Why is it that I can't do anything? Why don't I get what I want? Why?!" Tears poured down her cheeks. He pulled her into back into himself and let her bury her face in his chest. He stroked her long, silky blonde hair. "Forget about Sakura…The only thing that matters.... is you." Her sobs stopped abruptly. "H-h-how? W-wh-why?"

"Because I love you." He bent his head down and kissed her lightly again. Maybe there is something I have that Sakura doesn't…Naruto.