Author notes: I'm apologizing for my lack of updates for most of the month; I've been quite busy, so as a condolence, I've decided to add the two chapters I have written in one update

Quick notes: Alright, so this is the beginning of my companion piece to A Fine Fine Line. Much like there I'm going to follow the story of the manga and keep as close to the cannon as possible. So this Chapter takes place after Chapter 310 in the manga, yet before Chapter 311. Thus all is cannon until 311.

Chapter One: Girl Talk

He wanted to bring back Sauske so badly he ended up like that. He feels so strongly about getting Sauske back for me that he lost control of the monster he holds prison. I lied to him. I stared him right in the face and I lied to my teammate. I lied to my friend. I lied to Naruto. I did the wrong thing for the right reasons, but it kills me to know he believes me. Yamato is right, I do care for Naruto. That crazy hyperactive knucklehead is the only link I have to Sauske. He pledged to me, that come hell or high water, he would bring back the man I love. That first time he failed I realized how much Sauske meant to Naruto. From that moment on I vowed I would help him bring back the missing piece of our hearts. We failed to bring him back again.

Bah, all this self loathing is giving me a headache.

"Hey Naruto! You've been staring at me for five minutes. Is something wrong?" Here he is staring at me. Honestly, what would give him the idea that I want to be leered at like some side of beef.

"Eh?" Wait a minute. Is he blushing at me? Of no, oh god no. He's probably thinking about something perverted. He's probably thinking about me doing something perverted. "Sorry about that Sakura-chan." Oh hell no, there is no way a simple little sorry about that Sakura will help him.

I let him have it. Full force, almost all of my pent of anger and frustrations fueling the punch that sent him flying. Every curse I could think of left my mouth as I stormed away from that Stupid Pervert. Great, I forgot to remind that idiot that he agreed to visit Kakashi with me tomorrow. I guess I'm just going to have to remind him tomorrow when I wake him up.

Why does he have to do stuff like that? I think I might have bruised a finger in that punch. For an idiot, he sure has a hard head. This day is already bad, what else could go wrong?

"Hey Forehead!" Oh great, the Piggy is here, I just had to say it. "Hey Sakura, what's up, I saw you punch Naruto, what did he do this time?"

"Grrr, don't get me started."

"Oh come on Sakura, he must have done something bad. I can't remember the last time you hit him that hard."

"Well, he was giving me this funny look for the longest time. Almost like he was staring at me and through me at the same time. Then, after I asked him why he was staring at me, the pervert blushed. I tell you Ino, I'm not sure what was going on inside that guy head, but I don't want it to be perverted thoughts of me and him doing, uh, stuff together." Do I? No no no, I only want to do those kinds of things with Sauske! But why is it that I don't have dreams of being with him anymore?

"Hey Sakura, you okay?" Whah! What the hell is she doing an inch in front of my face? "You zoned out there for a moment."

"What? Oh sorry about that Ino, I guess I've got a lot on my mind lately."

"I can see that. Okay that's it Sakura, as your oldest and bestest friend, you are going to come with me. You need to talk to someone about whatever problems that you have that seems to be bothering you." I wanted to tell her that there was nothing wrong, but she stopped me with a raised finger. "Don't even try and wiggle out of this, you and I have a date at the bottom of a carton of cherry chocolate swirl. The good stuff too, low fat isn't helpful when solving problems."

Leave it to Ino to know how to solve a problem. "Okay, okay, I'll tell you what's going on up here. No need to go mind sifting, Forehead. I'll come along peacefully."

"I'm glad you chose to listen to reason. Just because you are the only one ever to break free of my jutsu doesn't mean I won't use it again on you."

"I know I know Ino, you still think it was a fluke that I broke free. But come on, I'm looking forward to that ice cream and I know you can't wait to hear what the problem is."

"Damn straight. So let's hurry up, it's just around the corner." She practically dragged me through her door and sat me down at her table. "Stay here, I'll get the goods." There was a gleam in her eye. She reached into the freezer and pulled out the ice cream. "Okay Sakura, start spilling. What was with that punch toady?"

"I don't know-"

"Bull Sakura, that is pure bull and you know it. Now tell me, what cause you to get so pissed at Naruto."

"Well, he was staring at me." She gave me this look that told me that's not what I wanted to hear. "Okay, well he was doing it for like five minutes straight, only looking at me. It creeped me out because, well it felt like he was, like he was looking at something he wanted." I was staring at the spoon Ino had set down in front of me. "Then when I asked him why he was looking at me, well, he blushed. He turned his head away and blushed. I knew at that point all that was going through his head was something perverted. Something that involved me. So yeah, I hit him. I called him every name in the book."

"And you're not sure why it's eating you up so much, aren't you?" I looked up to see Ino stick her spoon in her mouth. "We both know you're feeling guilty, and I know why too. What I'm surprised about is why you can't seem to figure it out." Oh no, please don't tell me Ino's going to say I care for Naruto. "Sakura, it's quite simple. How long have you know Naruto? In all that time has he ever done anything to hurt you? I mean intentionally hurt you. Nope, and that's why I'm fairly certain that even if he had any of those monstrous urges that he would keep them locked up inside him." I know she didn't mean to do it, but her words alluded to the Kyuubi and I couldn't help but think back to that time when he lost control.

"Yeah, I know he wouldn't, but still it just freaked me out and I reacted." Ino passed me the carton of ice cream.

"You need to apologize to him, or at least hear out why he was looking at you like that. I'm sure he has a good reason. Too many people have hit him for no reason, or at least that's why Shikamaru told me. He once told me Naruto had a secret he was keeping from everyone, and because of that secret he was always mistreated. I think you know what that secret is, and if you do then you're going to have to make it up to him."

I looked down into the nearly empty carton. "Yeah, you're right Ino; I do need to make it up to him." I just need to figure out how.

Author notes: Okay people. It is finally here! Chapter one of A Fine Line Between Us. This was much more difficult than I thought it would be. Hopefully I've been able to get deep in the psyche of Sakura and write her truthfully. And hopefully I can continue to do so without loosing myself. I've made a new goal now. I have two ideas for stories that fit in this universe. And when I have the time, i.e. when I'm done these two fics, I'll write them. I'm not going to give away the who's and when's right now, but they will both be fairly short, say about 8-15 chapters each.