All is well in the great Village Hidden in the Leaves: also known as Konoha! The sun is shinning, the birds are singing, and everyone is having a fun time in the sun. All Konoha ninjas were granted the day off, making everyone in the village happy…well, almost everyone…
Uzumaki Naruto straightened up the zipper on his orange jumpsuit while not daring to take his deep blue eyes off the mirror in front of him. He ruffled his blonde hair one last time, glanced back in the mirror, then sped off. This is it! Today is the day I finally ask Sakura-chan out! Today is the day where I find out if after all these years, maybe she's fallen in love with me as well and has the same feelings! Naruto couldn't stand another minute. He had to find out!
Naruto ran as fast as his legs would run to the spot where he had agreed to meet once a week: the old bridge. As he ran closer, he saw that the now 15-year-old Uchiha Sasuke was waiting there. Naruto remembered bringing him back from Orochimaru's clutches. It had taken a while for Sasuke to get used to being back in Konoha, let alone talk to anyone. Sasuke had been back for some time now, although he still doesn't seem to talk that much. Naruto shrugged it off his shoulders and started to slow down to a halt when he saw the person beside Sasuke.
Haruno Sakura stood there, staring down at the river running below the bridge. Naruto tried to keep his mouth from gapping open. She's so beautiful! Sakura's pink hair swayed with the wind, as her jade eyes shimmered from the reflection of the river. She stood there for a while, until finally noticing another presence. Sakura twirled around to find Naruto holding a big grin on his face, starring at her.
"Hey, Sakura-chan!" Naruto ran over to greet her. She smiled back. Sakura and Naruto's friendship had grown over the years, making them both feel more comfortable in each other's presence.
"Hi Naruto!" Sakura called back. "Kakashi is still nowhere in sight. Feel free to take a nap anytime! I already did!" Naruto laughed at this. "Nah! I don't want to be asleep when I can nag at him about coming here on time…for once!" This time, it was Sakura's turn to laugh. When she looked back up, Sakura noticed Naruto's face had become serious. "Is there something wrong?" Sakura's eyes looked concerned, making Naruto mentally slap himself for making her worry. "Actually…"
"I'm here!" Kakashi appeared on top of the bridge. Naruto and Sakura glared up at him, while Sasuke just shrugged. "Now before everyone gets all fussy, I just want to say what I have to say while I'm here. I'm on my way to a mission, so I don't have much time to explain. You three haven't been on a mission outside of the village since Sasuke has come back, so the Hokage has decided to give it a try. You all will go to the Village Hidden in the Trees. As you can guess, the village is in a forest. It shall be your mission to go there and stay for a week to gather data on the village. It is a new village and we want peace with it while we can, so this is why you all are being sent there. Go to the Hokage right away for more details." After that, he vanished in a poof of smoke.
"Why on earth are we getting a minor mission?!" Naruto's complaints could be heard throughout the entire Hokage Tower. "Settle down!" Tsunade's scream was even louder than Naruto's. "As you all know, you're going on a mission. We have made it a minor mission because, as Kakashi had explained, you all haven't been out of Konoha in a while, so we just wanted to make it easier on you. Don't worry, we have already told them you are coming and have booked you at a hotel. Now go! You are leaving immediately!" After dismissed, the three ran toward their separate houses to gather their things.
Pacing around in circles, Naruto yelled out loud, "Where is she? How can it take someone so long to pack their stuff, huh?" "Shut up, idiot." Naruto glared at Sasuke. "How come you can never call me by my real name?"
"That is your real name."
"What'd you say?!"
"Unless you can prove me wrong."
"May I remind you who kicked your butt and dragged you back to Konoha?"
"I've gotten stronger since then!"
"So have I!"
"So then prove it!"
"Maybe I will!"
Just as they both were giving each other dagger eyes, Sakura came up. "Sorry it took so long!" Naruto sighed with relief, not really feeling to fight Sasuke. "Ok then! Let's go!"
Naruto dragged his feet further and further. "I can't…keep up…much longer…going on…5 hours straight…" "Look! There it is!" Sakura pointed toward the entrance to the village. Naruto and Sakura bounced up and down with joy, while Sasuke just stood there.
After being introduced, the three went through the gates, where they then set off towards their hotel. Their room was the last room on the top floor. Easy enough to remember, Naruto thought. Everyone let out a big sigh when they walked in the room. Naruto went to go check out the bathroom while Sasuke just stood in the doorway, looking at all the space. "Guys, we may have a problem!" Both boys walked in the room to see what their female teammate was talking about. Sakura pointed towards the beds, saying, "There's only 2."
Sasuke stood there stunned while Naruto curled up both his fists. Kakashi did this to us on purpose! Does he like tormenting us this much? Naruto was brought back to life when Sakura asked, "What do we do?" "We could take turns…maybe," Naruto suggested. Sasuke looked disgusted while Sakura nodded her head. "Your right. It's the only fair way." Sakura thought for a moment on how that would work out and started blushing a deep red, realizing what that meant. "Ok!" Naruto piped up. "So how are we going to figure out tonight?"
Naruto handed Sakura and Sasuke each a slip of paper. "Ok, here's how it's going to work! I mixed up 2 papers with green and 1 of red. Whenever you flip over your slip of paper, I want you to show it. Whoever gets the two greens out of the three of us sleeps in one bed, while the person who got the red slip gets their own bed. Any questions?" Sasuke spoke up, "Since when have you been the boss?" "Since now, so suck it up!" Sakura giggled, making Naruto grow a confident smirk on his face while Sasuke pouted. "Ok! Ready, set, flip!"
Everyone stared down at the results of the papers. Sasuke had a red slip, while Naruto and Sakura both held a green. They both blushed ten shades of red. Wow! How lucky is this? I get to be with Sakura right off the bat! Maybe this will give me an advantage! Naruto silently cheered in his head. Sakura, too, was thinking about something…something very similar to Naruto's thoughts…maybe the exact same!
Sasuke looked at the two blushers and smirked. He knew that they both obviously cared for each other, but who said he would let them. A frown curved over his face as the thought of them two sleeping together came into his mind. He was not going to let Naruto win. Sasuke always thought that Naruto got the better things then Sasuke did, and that was about to change! An evil grin grew on Sasuke, as he came up with a plan.
Naruto and Sakura finally stopped blushing and turned back around. "Ok! Let's unpack!" The two headed off towards their room while Sasuke walked to his. Naruto opened the door and gestured Sakura, saying, "Ladies first." Sakura bowed, replying, "Why, thank you." Naruto heard Sakura gasp inside and ran in to see for himself. The room was a great size room for a hotel! And the bed looked fabulous! Naruto couldn't wait!
After eating dinner, the three decided it was getting late and went to their rooms. Naruto and Sakura started the famous Truth or Dare game. Going on for a while now, Naruto finally got up the courage to ask his real question, once Sakura said "Truth!" He gulped, deciding to spit it out.
"Well, ok. But you can only tell the truth remember?"
"Got it!"
"Ok then…"
"Go on."
"Ok…"
"Naruto!"
"Heh, heh! Ok, here it is: do you still like Sasuke?"
"…"
"Sakura-chan?"
"…"
Naruto looked at Sakura nervously. She wasn't paying attention to him; Sakura stared down at her hands, making her bangs cover her face. They both sat on top of the bed, Indian style, for a while until Naruto started to catch the drift.
"Oh, I get it now…you still love him, don't you?"
-Sniff-
"Sakura-chan, are you ok?"
Sakura finally looked up, her eyes dripping down her tears.
"Naruto, how could you even ask something like that?"
"I'm sorry! I didn't know he was that important to you…"
"THAT'S NOT IT!"
Naruto looked up, confused. Tears still poured out of her eyes as she spoke.
"What I meant was that how could you possibly think that of me?"
"Huh?"
"Do you really think I'm that shallow?"
"What are you talking about, Sakura-chan?"
"No, Naruto…of coarse I don't like him anymore…"
"Oh!"
"Yeah, he's been so harsh in the past…making me hurt so much…"
Naruto looked at Sakura in pity. He had never seen her so upset. Did Sasuke really hurt her that much? If he did, I'll make sure he'll pay! How could he do something so awful to upset his own teammate so much that truly used to care for him? I'm not even sure if I recognize Sasuke now. Sasuke…you'll pay…
He was snapped out of his thoughts by all the little sniffles he heard. Sakura continued, "But I have moved on It's just that the pain still hurts sometimes. I've realized someone that's always been there for me. Someone that always has, and always will. I know that I can trust him, which is why he is the one I'm in love with, not just some silly, little crush…" Naruto's body tensed up. "Can you tell me who it is you're in love with?" Sakura smiled, tear stains on her face. "No, but I do think you will find out very soon…hopefully…" Naruto couldn't stand much more of Sakura's crying. He couldn't stand to see her so hurt. Naruto took a deep breath, stretched out his arms, and started hugging her.
Sakura, a little shocked, stood still for a while before wrapping her arms around him as well. Sobbing on his shoulder was no longer tears of sadness, but of joy. Naruto was happy that he could be there for Sakura in her time of need. He was even more happy to find out she doesn't like Sasuke anymore! This gives him a chance! Releasing her, creating disappointment for them both, he asked softly, "Are you going to be ok, Sakura-chan?" Sakura smiled up at him. "Yeah, I'm fine now." Naruto grinned back. "Good! Well we should get some sleep!" All of a sudden, both of them gulped and looked at the bed.
In the middle of the night, Sasuke got up to get a drink. Walking back to his room, he decided how fun it'd be to drop in on the two lovebirds. Creeping down the hallway, he slipped himself in their room. When he glanced up, Sasuke wasn't very happy. More like angry. Sasuke glared as he saw that Naruto and Sakura had actually went along with the plan. They were both fast asleep; Naruto's arms were around Sakura's waist protectively holding her against his chest while Sakura's hands held Naruto's. They not only both looked as if they were happy, but also as a couple. Sasuke marched out of the room, angered that Naruto would ever do something like that. Sasuke planned on really getting him back by taking away the thing most precious to Naruto at the moment.
Sakura's eyes fluttered open slowly as she started regaining consciousness. She looked around her surroundings, remembering where she was. Door, window, lamp, bed, Naruto, table. Sakura's eyes got twice as big as she realized where she really was. Glancing down, she saw Naruto sleeping peacefully right next to her. She released a smile and ruffled up his hair a bit. Then realizing what she was doing, her hand quickly shot up as she ran out of the room.
"Breakfast!" Sakura's voice was heard throughout the hotel room, waking both her teammates. Naruto slugged out of the room, his hair surprisingly not too messy (from what Sakura had done earlier). Sasuke came out as well, his eyes looking death tired. Everyone finally got the chance to see what each other had worn last night.
Naruto had been wearing his black undershirt and some orange shorts. Sakura blushed, thinking of how Naruto's muscles were showing off. Sakura wore a light pink nightgown that flowed down towards her knees. Naruto stared at her for a while, admiring how beautiful she looked when he was forced to tear his eyes off her when she glanced up. Sasuke was only wearing black boxers. Both his teammates looked at him funny.
"What?" Sasuke asked, although it was more of a demand rather a question. Naruto sighed. "Couldn't you at least have some dignity?"
"What? What's wrong?"
"Gee, let me think…how about the fact that you're half in the nude in front of a girl!"
"She
doesn't seem to mind…maybe she likes it…"
"Are you
crazy? She's freaked out!"
"Then
why isn't she saying anything?"
"She's still in shock,
that's all!"
"Or maybe she just thinks you're a complete babbling idiot."
"What'd you say?"
"Care for me to repeat?"
They both glared at each other for the longest time until Sakura finally spoke up. "Breakfast!" They looked up and nodded. Naruto noticed something funny about Sasuke today. He was still acting quiet, but nice around Sakura. He had helped her bring the food to the table and even pulled out her chair for her. Naruto didn't know what was going on, but knew he didn't like it.
How can Sasuke go on and do all those nice things to my Sakura-chan!
Your Sakura-chan?
Not now, Kyubi!
So, you've finally admitted your feelings. Not that I didn't know. Frankly, I actually think it's quite obvious and find it disappointing that the girl hasn't realized it yet.
Don't talk about Sakura-chan like that! She's more wonderful than you'll ever know!
Actually, I've been watching her as well. Good choice, kit! She'd be an excellent mate! You do know I need children, right?
Hey! Don't you let your mind go all perverted AGAIN!
You say that, yet you and I both know that you have thought the exact same thing.
…
Admit it!
Ok, fine! So what's your point?
You really are and idiot! If you ever plan on being close to her, tell her your freakin' feelings already! But first, you must eliminate your competition.
Sasuke?
Bingo.
But Sasuke doesn't care for her! In fact, he's hurt her!
I know that idiot! But now it seems he has started a craving for her, and if you do nothing, you will miss your chance!
Sasuke…why is he doing this all of a sudden…God! You're so dramatic! He's doing it because he's jealous!
Jealous?Yes! I believe that he's jealous of you two being so close together with your great bond. However, I also think another reason is his bloodline.
Bloodline?Mhmm. Yes, his Uchiha bloodline is finally starting to activate. As you know, the Uchihas are known for their power and dominance. Since his is starting to activate, he might be looking for a mate as well. Your mate…
What? He can't just take Sakura-chan because he wants…um…you know…Ha, ha! Your so funny when your embarrassed, kit! Tell you what, you just focus right now ok? And stop bugging me, I'm trying to sleep…
But you started all this!…
Kyubi?…(snore)…
Ugg! You're a pain…Naruto snapped back to the real world when a plate was laid out in front of him. "I'm not that good of a cook," Sakura started. "but I hope you like it." He glanced down at the plate in front of him, trying to restrain himself from drooling. There, on his plate, sat a variety of different foods. The main course, Naruto guessed, was the giant pancakes. They laid one on top of the other, flooded with syrup. In less than 10 seconds, the entire plate was gone…literally!
"Thanks Sakura-chan!" Naruto burped. Sakura sighed. Sasuke glared. Then, Sasuke thought of an evil idea. "Hey Sakura."
"Yeah?"
"You want to go look around the village, since it is our mission?"
"Hey! What about me?"
"You can't go Naruto."
"Why not?"
"Because, idiot, you should fill out the paperwork."
"WHAT?!"
"So Sakura?"
"Um…"
"Sakura-chan
doesn't have to go with you!"
"She wants to though."
"No she doesn't!"
"Yes she does!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Yes!"
"No!"
"Ye.."
"STOP!"
Both boys looked at Sakura. She relaxed herself, then sighed. "I'll do the paperwork since we all know Naruto can't do it. That would be foolish. So you two go on around the village; I'll be here if you need me." They both started making protests until Sakura shoved them out of the hotel room and locked the door. "Great, I have to be with an idiot now…" Sasuke sighed. Naruto grinned at him. "If I'm an idiot, then you're a guy that got his butt kicked by an idiot!"
It had been a while since they left the hotel, so Naruto decided to start a conversation since they would be stuck with each other for a while. "So Sasuke…" "Hm?" "Why are you getting so close to Sakura all of a sudden?" Naruto didn't mean to do this, but he started glaring at Sasuke.
"Is that any of your business?"
"Any business of Sakura-chan's is mine too!"
"Isn't that cute?"
"I'm serious!"
"Well, let's just say I'm not going to let you win this time."
"Huh?"
"You've seemed to beat me at almost everything lately, I will admit. So this is one opportunity I'm not going to miss!"
"Wait? So you're trying to get Sakura-chan to…"
"That's right."
"You can't do that!"
"And why not?"
"Because that's wrong!"
"Oh please, Naruto. You don't know the meaning of the word 'wrong'!"
"Sasuke! Would you just listen to m…"
"No! I'm not going to let you have everything!"
"Everything? Is that what you think I have?"
"…"
"Let me tell you something Sasuke. I have worked my butt off for everything I have, and let me tell you, it's not that much! I barely have enough money to keep my apartment!"
"…"
"Don't you '…' me! You want to know who gets everything he wants? You Sasuke. You have always been spoon-fed everything because you're some great prodigy that everyone looks up to! So don't you tell me that I don't deserve anything, because I worked for all that I've got."
"No Naruto! You're the one that doesn't understand! Don't you see? Everyone is starting to recognize you from all your work while I just sit and watch! They don't even pay attention to me anymore!"
"That's because you're not doing anything! Plus, if you gain everyone's trust back, I'm sure they'll respect you just like they used to!"
"Well I'm not waiting that long!"
"What does that mean?"
"That means I'm taking revenge out on you for taking my spot!"
"WHAT?!"
"You heard me!"
"I didn't do anything to you Sasuke! What do you have against me?"
"Everything! Which is why you're not going to get what your goal is right now! I'll make sure of it!"
"We'll see about that!"
Later that night, the team of ninjas laid down in the hotel room, exhausted of the work of the day. Naruto and Sasuke had been bitter to each other all day while walking through the entire village while Sakura sat in the room all day doing the team's paperwork. Everyone let out a big sigh. The team sat back up, Naruto and Sasuke giving each other a glare. Sakura caught this, asking, "What is wrong with you two? You've been like this ever since you got here!"
"Sorry Sakura-chan."
"Yeah the idiot's sorry."
"Hey!"
"Quit it you two!"
"Sasuke started it!"
"You wish!"
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah!"
"STOP IT RIGHT NOW!"
Sakura screamed as loud as she could, which turned out pretty loud as the scream almost made Naruto and Sasuke become deaf. They still held their ears after a while, trying to get the scream out of their heads. Sakura glared at them both. "If you two can't agree, than you two can't work together, and we need to work as a team on this mission!"
Naruto sighed. He knew there was no point in arguing with Sakura. This is going to be a long night…
Suddenly, a thought had occurred to Naruto. "Hey guys! Who's going to sleep with who?!"
