Hi readers, after a long time… I'm back:) I came up with this story during some lessons at school or something, but I just didn't have time to work on it -.- School really sucks right now because I'm terrified that I'm going to have to repeat my year after summer vacation… My grades are just… Terrible. But I wrote this, so I hope you like it. Have fun reading!
Lots of love, Tearsbehindthemask

Rain fell from sad-looking grey clouds and created small pools of glistering water on the ground.
Naruto and Sasuke were standing amidst a large group of people, they were all soaked but that wasn't important.
"My daughter… Was a beautiful girl… A beautiful woman." the woman that was talking took a deep breath to gather courage to speak further, "And she wasn't only beautiful. She was also kind… and brave. She was a woman to be proud of. My little girl…"
The woman that just talked started to cry again. Her husband put an arm around her and guided her back to the crowd.
Naruto felt tears welling up but he couldn't cry. He was a ninja. He should control his feelings.
It was now his turn to say something.
"Sadness… Is something that's left in our hearts right now." he started, "But we remember all the good moments. Everything that she was and she did in life… She was brave, kind and beautiful. A ninja, a teammate, but above all a friend… We'll miss you Sakura. "
Naruto dropped a white rose on the grave of his teammate and walked back towards the crowd.
Sasuke put a hand on his shoulder to support Naruto.
Naruto looked up at his friend and smiled. They were going through the same pain now.

A few minutes later it was silent on the graveyard. Most of the people had returned home, only Naruto and Sasuke were left.
"What will we do now?" Naruto asked, staring at Sakura's grave with tears in his eyes, "We lost… our teammate…"
Sasuke kept looking at the grave in silence, he looked at Naruto's white rose.
"We should… move on." he said, swallowing his grief. "She died… as a ninja. She wouldn't want us to give up being ninjas…"
"You're right."Naruto whispered, "Sakura wouldn't have wanted that for us…"
Tears were flowing from Naruto's bright blue eyes.
"Don't cry now, baka." Sasuke said, punching Naruto, "We have to be men. We have to be ninjas. For ourselves, and for Sakura."
"Yes…"
"Let's get something to eat now." Sasuke said, looking up at the sky, "I'm not in the mood for cooking right now."

A few minutes later, Sasuke and Naruto arrived at Ichiraku ramen.
"Two large bowls of ramen, please." Sasuke said to the old man, sitting down at the bar with Naruto.
Naruto didn't say anything and played with his chopsticks. Sasuke stared at it, waiting for the ramen to arrive so he could do something a bit more useful.
"Hey, Sasuke…"
"What is it?" Sasuke asked, looking up at Naruto's face.
"Well… Sakura… She liked you…"
Sasuke stayed silent for a while.
"Yes, she did." he then said, "What do you want to say?"
"… Did you like her too?"
Sasuke stared at Naruto, surprised by his question.
"Why do you ask?"
"Well… I liked her." Naruto whispered.
Sasuke looked at Naruto and sighed.
"Well… Yeah… Maybe I liked her… somewhat."
"But now she's gone. Now neither of us will be with her." Naruto said, fighting against some tears again.
"No. We won't."
"The ramen is ready boys." the old man said, placing two large bowls in front of Naruto and Sasuke. "It's on the house today. Medicine to heal the heart."
"Thanks, old man." Naruto said, with a little smile.
In silence the two ate their ramen.
When Naruto finished his ramen, he didn't ask for seconds like he usually did.
Sasuke noticed it but didn't say anything about it. It would probably be better if he didn't.
When Sasuke finished his own ramen, he looked at Naruto, who was staring at his empty bowl.
"I'll take you home." Sasuke said, noticing the tired expression on Naruto's face.
"You don't need to walk me home." Naruto said, looking up at Sasuke in confusion, "I'm not a girl, you know…"
"Of course you're not a girl." Sasuke said, on his usual, annoyed tone, "I would've chosen a prettier girl to walk home if you were a girl…"
"Sasuke!"
For a moment, it seemed like everything was normal. Like they hadn't been to a funeral this afternoon and like nobody died. But soon, Naruto's face turned sad again, and the sadness came back.
Naruto and Sasuke thanked the old man and headed towards Naruto's home. Naruto didn't say anything while they were walking so Sasuke kept quiet too.

When they arrived, Naruto put his key in the door and turned it. Sasuke waited while Naruto opened the door and turned on his lights.
"Well… eh… Would you like something to drink before you leave?" Naruto asked, feeling a bit uncomfortable.
His original plan was actually to go home after the funeral, eat some instant ramen at home and cry until he would fall asleep.
Now… Things didn't all go as planned.
"Yeah. Yeah, I would like something to drink." Sasuke said, and he stepped inside.
Naruto disappeared to get something to drink and Sasuke sat down on a chair that was besides the small dinner table.
After a while, Naruto returned with drinks and sat down on a chair on the other side of the table.
"Thanks." Sasuke said, and then there was silence again.
Sasuke looked around and saw that it was quite a mess in Naruto's apartment.
"You never clean up, don't you?" he asked smirking.
"What did you say…?!"
Naruto turned red and looked around and saw the mess all around him.
"Okay… You're right. I never clean up, don't have the time for it anyway. Last time Sakura was here she nearly fainted when she saw the mess…."
Naruto's voice faded away and he felt the burning of tears in his eyes again.
"No, baka, don't cry now…" Sasuke began, but Naruto started sobbing again.
Naruto felt miserable. He didn't want to cry in front of Sasuke. He would never be taken serious again, like this.
A soft touch wiped away Naruto's tears.
Naruto opened his eyes in surprise and saw Sasuke, leaning over the table with a worried look on his face.
"Are you okay?" Sasuke asked, wiping the tears of Naruto's cheeks now.
Naruto couldn't say anything because his breath was taken away. He just nodded.
Sasuke was so close…
"That's good." Sasuke said, smiling a bit. "You shouldn't cry so much."
The rain was getting worse outside.
"Please… Don't cry anymore."
Sasuke leaned forward and Naruto's eyes widened when Sasuke's soft lips brushed his.
Then Sasuke backed off.
"Are you angry with me now?" he asked Naruto, who had stopped crying at once.
"… No." he whispered.
"That's good." Sasuke said smiling, and he kissed Naruto again.
This time, Naruto felt Sasuke's lips touching his own and Sasuke's tongue teasing his lips.
Naruto, in all his innocence, didn't know what this sign meant and after a while the sweet kiss ended.
There was a silence and Naruto blinked his eyes a few times.
"So… What does this mean…?" he asked, looking up at Sasuke, with a different feeling than usual.
"It's up to you to decide that." Sasuke said simply. "I should be going now."
He walked towards Naruto and placed a kiss on his cheek.
"Bye, Naruto."
Sasuke walked away and left an astonished Naruto alone in the apartment.
After a while, Naruto came to his senses and he walked towards the window. He saw Sasuke walking on the street in the rain.
"Sasuke…" he whispered, "I think… I love you."
Then, Naruto saw the picture of team seven and he saw Sakura. He started to cry again…