A/N: So for those of you who haven't read Opportune Circumstance, you may be confused a little at the beginning setting, but this one shot between Naruto and Sakura would take place between chapters 10 and 11. Know that outside of the dream world, Naruto has been on his training with Jiraiya, and events such as Gaara's death/retrieval and some of his elemental training has already taken place, giving Naruto a more thoughtful character than he perhaps otherwise would be straight from the canon.

Summary: Sakura is forced to experience a dream where she is merely an observer. Naruto's confession softens the wall she's put up between them and makes her question her feelings for him. NxS One Shot Lemon.

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Unrequited Love?

Sakura was putting away medical supplies in a hospital storage room when suddenly a bright white light flooded her vision. She lost control of her body as it curled up of it's own accord into a fetal position while she began to float in the air. Unable to move or hear anything, she lost sense of direction. That's when she spoke.

- "Fear not. The cleansing ritual has begun and you have been found tainted. You find yourself in a place of sanctuary, both for yourself, and those around you. Whether this becomes a pleasant or painful experience for us all depends upon the actions of a boy you know by the name of Naruto." -

'Tainted? How am I- Naruto?! What does he have to do with this? You know about him? Who are you?'

The voice would not speak back for it had moved on to attend to other matters, there were a great many preparations to be made.

'Figures Naruto would have done something that would involve me somehow. He always gets me in trouble. I hope whatever this is that it's not serious. Wh-What is that?!'

Small bubbles of a sinister red chakra began to enter her field of vision and the once field of white she saw was quickly replaced with dark red and black miasma.

"Oh ho, it seems that I have another puppet under my control. You're the second female too, he wasn't really popular with the ladies, was he?"

'Huh? Another voice? This one is deeper and doesn't sound trustworthy... Is he talking about Naruto?'

"How perceptive! I don't think he realized how smart you were when he tried to go after you, hehe. It seems like I may just have to fulfill his wish for him, or rather, you will." A sinister chuckle deepened Sakura's suspicions and raised some fear of this unknown voice.

"I suppose that proper introductions are in order, though I know much more about you, Haruna Sakura, than you know of me. You may not recognize me, but I've been around you for quite some time, for as long as Naruto has been, though I'm much more noticeable of things than he is... Well, I suppose my name doesn't matter that much anyway, as you won't see me regardless. Just know that you'll be in for a real treat. Do try and listen, he's changed in more ways than you'd think."

'Hehe, THAT should get my little péché curious and thinking. My power will grow and I'll break free with the anguish Hinata will go through as she watches her beloved fall for another woman. First to prepare my péché with a little dream to start things along.'

'I'm not sure I like where this is going...' Sakura began to get worried when colors began to swirl past her field of vision and more and more pink was put in. She was spinning in place very fast, or maybe she was stationary but her environment spun at an insane speed.

After a little bit, the colors began to slow to a stop and Sakura realized she was on her bed at her house in one of her favorite pink nightshirts. Her bed was a queen-size with pink sheets and pillows. The frame was made of dark cherry and the duo tone color scheme was echoed throughout the room. Her vanity set was made of cherry, along with her dresser. There was a small closet that held more clothes and a ceiling fan. There wasn't much else to the room itself. The ceiling, walls, and drapes were all pink and there was just enough light filtering through the blinds to cast sun rays upon the pink carpet. It was one of those nice bright and sunny midmornings where you know all you want to do is go outside and bathe in the sun.

Of course, not having control of her body, Sakura didn't get the completely refreshing sensation she might otherwise have from the environment. '-sigh- It's nice being home. I wonder what all that other commotion was earlier with those voices... whatever, at least here I have peace and quiet.'

A knock at her bedroom door brought Sakura out of her musings. "Sakura-chan?"

"Oh! Naruto! Just a moment, let me get changed." Sakura's body spoke of it's own accord, and the real Sakura was confused. 'What!? Naruto's here at my house- no in my house?!'

Sakura's body quickly changed into a fresh pair of panties, 'Hey! Not those, I was saving those,' and replaced her nightshirt with a body-hugging pink top and matching shorts. "Okay, come in when you're ready. You wanted to talk?" Sakura's body moved back to her bed and sat on top of the covers, her back resting on the headboard, supported by the pillows, scooting to the side making room,

'Wait! What? Isn't this a little too revealing? And this is my room, damn it... I don't want an annoying pervert like Naruto in here!! Definitely not sitting on my bed!'

Sakura didn't have much choice, however, as her body would not listen to her pleas.

"Okay, I'm coming in." The doorknob turned and in he walked...

'that's Naruto?!'

He had one of his famous goofy grins plastered on his face with one hand on the doorknob and the other behind his head. His hair was slightly longer, but much more wild and his shining blue eyes and telltale whisker marks made it obvious that this was indeed Naruto. His outfit was completely different from when he left, however. The orange jumpsuit was replaced with a black high-collar stealth outfit. The fabric folded upon itself and had hidden compartments making it very easy to stash documents and materials. There were a few very thin red stripes that spanned the width of his outfit, accenting his waist and at the edges of the material.

"Wow, Naruto, you sure have changed. I hardly recognize you anymore." Sakura's opinion of Naruto went up a bit. "Why didn't you dress like that before?"

"Heh, well you see, it's kind of embarrassing. Let's just say that there were people who know I'm a Jinchūriki and didn't want me around. Besides, I kind of got used to that silly old thing. When I left for training, I had to think a lot more about survivability, and since people didn't mind or know whom I was, they were fine with me getting what I wanted. It turned out for the best, eh?"

Sakura thought about this for a bit and realized that it was true that not a whole lot of people looked up to him. She remembered seeing the faces people made at them as they walked through the village as Team 7 in the beginning. At first she thought it was that people were looking down at her being with Sasuke, which she then ignored. After the Uchiha massacre was brought up a few times, she thought they were looks at Sasuke, but afterwards she realized that people didn't act that way when Naruto was with her.

'At the time I thought that Naruto pulled way too many pranks and that everyone was mad at him... why wouldn't I try to stay away from him. But it does make sense... even I'm a little uncomfortable with the fact that Naruto's the jailer for something like that. I can't imagine what it must have been like for him, with everyone looking down on him all the time. Maybe if we hadn't gone to rescue Gaara, I may still not have known.'

"So, what's it that you wanted to talk about, Naruto?" Sakura's body motioned to the empty spot on the bed next to her for him to sit.

Naruto looked a little relieved as he shut the door, came closer and sat down where she had indicated. "Well, you see... I've been thinking for a while now and I realized that there's something I've got to tell you, so please hear me out. It's a bit of a story, so bear with me, but please listen to all of it and tell me what you think at the end, okay?"

'Naruto...' Sakura was genuinely touched... this wasn't like him... no, this Naruto has matured quite a bit, 'He's grown up to be a fine man with good tastes. Tsunade was right, if he's made this much progress, he could definitely make it to become Hokage. He could definitely achieve his dream.'

Sakura's body smiled and nodded, "Of course, feel free."

Naruto took a deep breath and let it out. He looked at the ceiling and began his confession, "Sakura, I know I've been annoying and a bit of a pest in the past. I liked you... and when I saw your reaction around Sasuke, I guess I got jealous. I always saw him brooding and the way he treated people was really bad. He'd look down on a lot of people."

"Of course he came from the Uchiha clan, but after the massacre... I don't think anyone would be the same after that. After we went and got Gaara... I keep on thinking about that old lady and Gaara's limp body... and I thought about how Sasuke probably went through something like that only worse. He was still just in the academy... and they say his brother... well... I realized all this and I just suppose I didn't want him to rub off on you."

"I suppose it was a bit selfish of me, but I didn't want you to like Sasuke. I liked you; I wanted you to like ME. After we became Team 7 I began to see how happy you were around him and eventually I gave up. I realized that when I'd try to interfere I'd be annoying and you wouldn't be smiling anymore. If you were with Sasuke, you were smiling. That's probably the biggest reason why I went after Sasuke when he left. I didn't care if he left voluntarily or not, he made you cry, he was my best friend, like a brother, and I didn't care if I beat sense into him, I wanted to bring him back here so you would smile again."

"Naruto..." Sakura had a newfound respect for Naruto. 'So he's been going through this all along? After all those times I punched and kicked him... I practically sent him to the hospital each time, yet he always seemed to get better and he always kept at it...' A tear began to roll down her face as she took everything in.

Naruto turned to face Sakura and speak to her directly, "Sakura, I know that you like Sasuke, maybe you love him, but my selfish feelings haven't gone away. I've locked them in a box and decided that I'd be here for you if you needed me, but I wouldn't try to force you to do anything. I want you to be happy, and I want you to smile again, because you look so pretty when you smile." He took his hand and wiped away her tear and she took his hand in hers as she decided to make a decision at that point.

"Naruto... I've been selfish too. I've felt like I couldn't do anything for the longest time. When we were Team 7, I'd always be in the back needing protection and you and Sasuke would always be there protecting me. Sure your pranks were annoying when we were at the academy, but when we were on missions, I thought the determination you had and the confidence you had was unbelievable. I realized that Sasuke looked cool when he did his things, but it was later that I realized that you were always there in the end."

"You drove him to train and become powerful. If you didn't train with him, he probably wouldn't have looked cool and wouldn't have been able to do much... ...On that night... I tried to stop him... I tried, but he wasn't listening... It's been hard without him, but I realized that even when he left, you were there. I wanted to be happy with Sasuke because I felt that if I was happy around him, he'd smile or become happy. That's why when I saw you two fighting on the rooftop, and it looked like you were going to kill each other, I had to stop you two."

"If either one of you left me, I'd have been heartbroken and start to cry. If both of you left me at that time, I didn't know what I'd do with myself. You're trying all you can to help bring Sasuke back and for that I'm happy. You're out there, putting your life on the line now, because of my selfishness. Naruto, I don't care anymore. I realize now that what I was hoping for with Sasuke will never come true. I realize that all this time you've been there waiting for me, supporting me, even when I pushed you down. Naruto... you've done so much for me, I want to do something for you."

This got Naruto's attention. He looked shocked as he watched Sakura get closer to him and look him straight in the face. "Naruto, close your eyes."

He did this obediently and Sakura took the next move. She closed her eyes and closed the distance and kissed him. As soon as it began he opened his eyes in shock, but seeing all the effort, feeling, and emotion she was putting into it, he decided to give in. He accepted the kiss and Sakura let out a small moan. Sakura brought up her hands and wrapped them under his arms and hugged his back while he deepened the kiss. He brought up his hands in response, bringing his right hand up to hold her head and neck and his left supporting her lower back.

The feeling was intense, hairs stood on end as it seemed like electricity ran up and down their bodies, both completely absorbed in the moment, each one giving and receiving the kiss. This kiss wasn't just a friendly one; it wasn't one that your parents give you or a chaste one a close friend might give. No, this was a deeply passionate kiss. She accepted his past, her realization of all the pain he went through and the regret of being a part of it. Her thanks in his understanding and support of her feelings and his dedication to her, even if it meant being lonely. He accepted her and gave his forgiveness, happy in the fact that they simply were there, happy in the fact that she was happy, blissful that she chose him right here right now. It was a kiss that went on for a little while as pent up feelings and emotions, realizations and understanding of sacrifices made, the whole that made up the relationship between the two of them could be summarized by this kiss.

When they finally parted, Sakura's eyes sparkled with tears of happiness, mirrored by the joy in Naruto's own. For a while they just sat there, together on Sakura's bed, staring at each other, content with each other, happy to be together, the time for words having passed.

Despite the fact that the real Sakura was not in control of her body, it now acted very much like she would. Sakura became grateful that the clothes her body had picked out were what they were. She was caught up in the moment and wanted more.

Making a decision, she closed her eyes and asked him right then and there, "Do you want me?"

The mental reaction on Naruto's end was so strong it showed up as unbelief on his face, causing Sakura to giggle, something that made him smile. This wasn't a goofy smile; this was a proud smile, meant just for her, a childhood dream being fulfilled. He slowly nodded and she returned his smile with her own playful one and pulled him down on the bed so that they were both laying on the bed rather than sitting any longer, allowing for easier access for clothes.

Naruto was acutely aware of her hands when she undid his sash, which was quite well hidden amongst all the folds in the fabric. As she brought his shirt over his head, he helped her to get it off. When she saw his chest she let out a gasp, as his muscles had been well toned through his training and although they weren't chiseled, they were very prominent. She was in awe of his body and he smiled as she ran her fingers over the muscles on his arms and chest.

Sakura wanted more. She quickly discarded her top and shorts while Naruto took care of his own pants and socks. Naruto was shocked when he realized how large Sakura's breasts were and a blush crept upon his face as he continued to stare. She giggled as she realized what's caught his attention, grabbed his right hand, and brought it to her left breast. She led him initially in a massaging motion, causing her to moan as his touch renewed the electricity running through her.

Naruto decided to take the initiative this time. He kissed her while continuing the massaging motion now with his left hand as he attempted to unhook her bra with his right. His own excitement rose as Sakura moaned into his kissing.

With her bra removed, Naruto released Sakura from the kiss to massage her right breast with his tongue. Wave upon wave of pleasure washed over the two as Naruto's motions sent waves of electricity through Sakura. Sakura moaned as a result, sending a wave of pleasure over Naruto.

Sakura, now helpless in the waves of pleasure that coursed through her body moaned Naruto's name as he continued to massage and lick her breasts, occasionally switching from one to the other. Whenever he would be licking one, he would be massaging the other.

Noticing the building heat below, Sakura took Naruto's right hand and moved it from her right breast to her opening, already seeping with flowing juices. Naruto followed as he began to rub and stretch her folds. Realizing he still had his underwear on, he let off teasing Sakura's breasts to free his member of its restraint.

Sakura was well absorbed into the pleasure now, eliciting small sharp gasps and moans, eyes closed and head thrown back, allowing him to do what he would want. Every action was felt, every move sending a new wave upon her body, a pressure building up below her stomach.

Naruto stopped briefly to carefully remove her panties and blew gently at Sakura's vaginal opening, causing her to shudder in ecstasy as the pleasure receded for a moment. With the respite, Sakura regained her breath a little, "Naruto... ...take me..."

His member was already very hard and he was eager to continue. Without a word he wrapped her legs around his waist and positioned himself. He looked at her before he began, in case she was having any doubts about it, and she nodded briefly, closing her eyes and hardened the look on her face, bracing for the sharp pain that would come. His expression softened as he reached down to lift her up and she wrapped her arms around him forcefully, but was surprised when he pushed into her as he kissed her at the same time. 'Even now, he didn't want me to get hurt or feel the pain.'

She shed a few tears and he paused to allow her time to recover. 'The feeling I'm having right now... it's incredible... having him here with me, as gentle as he is...' She gives out a sigh of relief, '...with this, I'm complete...' She lifted her hands to support his head as she deepened the kiss and the two fell, Naruto on the bed this time.

Gently, slowly, Sakura used her legs as leverage and began the rocking motions. The pleasure was much more than before and soon the two of them were lost in complete bliss as his hips began to move to her rhythm. Each time he drove into her she let out a moan of pleasure and he would give out grunts or groans as the pressure between the two rose considerably with each thrust, threatening to let loose.

Steadily picking up speed, Sakura arched her back slightly, closed her eyes, and focused on keeping the pleasure going for as long as possible before the release. Naruto gripped the sheets, then at his breaking point, "Sakura!" They both released simultaneously and the both of them were filled with a sense of completeness.

Sakura fell forward to land on his chest and she hugged him, "Naruto, you were amazing." She nuzzled his chest and was content to simply lay there with him, her worries and inhibitions long forgotten in the throes of passion. She closed her eyes and let his steady breathing lull her into unconsciousness.

The sound of birds woke her up, or perhaps the wind in the trees blowing in gusts. Regardless, it was beautiful. 'Wait... how'd I turn up here? We were in my bedroom...' She looked at the grass and trees around her and realized she was just outside one of the Konoha training grounds. 'Don't tell me that that was a dream... It was so real... I could feel everything...' Indeed, the blush from the dream carried into her waking moments as she wore a blush that matched her hair.

Movement nearby caught her attention. "So, you're awake now, eh? How was your sleep?" Naruto was right there beside her.

'If I was sleeping, and he was here watching me, he could have heard...' Sakura's body blushed deeper at this and not so shyly got up and wrapped her arms around his waist from behind gently, "It was energizing…" She smiled sweetly as she pecked his neck with a kiss. 'If that was a dream, I don't want it to end.'

A/N: So there you have it. We now see the illusion the Kyuubi placed upon Sakura in preparation for Naruto's trial.