He knocked on the door, only to find it swing slightly ajar. "Sakura?" Naruto called. "Sakura, are you here?" Slowly, he made his way into the empty house, tip-toeing lightly as not to disturb anything. He spotted her on the couch. A half-empty bottle of sake sat on the coffee table. She was curled up into the cushions, facing away from him. "Sakura, that is you, isn't it?" The tired kunoichi sluggishly nodded her head. She grasped to her glass tighter, and sank further into herself. The house was filled with uneasiness; a ripple of sadness lingered in the air. He slowly made his way to her. "Sakura," he whispered, "What are you doing? Are you drunk?" She held her glass even tighter, feeling the disappointment in his voice. He approached the couch to get a better look at her. It was worse than he thought.

"W-what is this? What if Sarada were to see you like this?"

"She's staying the night at Chouchou's," Sakura replied bluntly. She raised her glass to force down another sip. "She's not here."

Naruto carefully lowered himself down next to her. This wasn't Sakura as he usually saw her: energetic, bubbly, kind. Her energy was dark. Cold. It worried him very much.

"What's the matter? What's going on?"

Sakura remained silent. She stared blankly into her glass, trying desperately to avoid Naruto's questioning. But he was persistent. He gingerly rubbed her back, attempting to comfort her. He hoped that his warmth could help her to open up. It had always pained Naruto more than anything to see Sakura in distress. "W-w…" Sakura softly whimpered. Naruto gave her his ear. "Hm? What was that?"

"W-would… you just… sit here with me… for a while?"

"Of course."

"….Thank you."

…..

Twenty minutes had passed since Naruto found Sakura. He continued to rub her back, stroke her hair. Periodically he would hear her sipping. Suddenly, he felt her body begin to shimmer, which quickly gave way to dramatic convulsions.

"Sakura, are y—"

"I just can't stand being so alone all the time!" Sakura cried. Naruto jolted his hand back as Sakura shrunk even further into herself. The tears stung her eyes, and steadily flowed down her cheeks, pitter-pattering onto her shirt. Moans and wails clung to the back of her throat, desperate to be let out, and held back only by her frantic attempts to suppress her sadness. He repositioned himself on the couch and swiftly held her arms in his hands. Sakura lifted her head to glance at him; his eyes were filled with an immense amount of concern. He struggled to find words to say. Her tears kept coming, but had calmed enough to speak.

"He's been gone for so long, Naruto…"

"Oh…" Naruto whispered. "You mean Sasuke…"

Sakura's face contorted at the very mention of his name, the tears lingering in her eyes dripped onto him. Naruto let go of her arms, and held his open. He gestured to her if it was all right if he hugged her. She wiped her eyes with her knuckles, and gently reached for Naruto.

"Take a deep breath. Just breathe. It's okay… I've got you."

She caressed her head in the nook of his neck, calming down. She blinked the last of her tears from her eyes and allowed her breathing to return to a steady pace, with an occasional hiccup and sniffle. He again rubbed her back quietly, and delicately held a hand to the back of her head. Between her strands of hair, she felt his fingers gently massage her scalp. Muffled by his shirt, Sakura faintly whispered.

"She's getting so big now."

"Who, Sarada?"

"Yes… she asks about him constantly. 'Papa' this, 'papa' that. I think she worries that he doesn't love us."

Naruto pulled her in a little tighter. Chest to chest, she felt their hearts beating together. A constant and connected thump, thump between them.

"Sometimes… I worry he doesn't love us."

"Of course he does. Just because he's not here now, doesn't mean he won't be soon. Besides…" he began, "Your hearts are connected, aren't they? Your emotions, your feelings?" She went silent again. There was an ache in her heart that she had not felt in quite some time. Thinking quietly about it, Naruto began to feel panicked. He was afraid of what she might say.

"I think we're connected," she mumbled. "But… now, I feel connected to him like… the wind. It changes day by day. Sometimes it's there, and sometimes it isn't. Sometimes it's as strong, and sometimes it isn't" She pulled away from Naruto, meeting his gaze and putting her hands in his.

Her eyes were swollen and bloodshot; a cloud of red encapsulating her perfect emerald eyes. Her cheeks were stained with salty tears, and her nose as red as her dress. Her smile was halfway between euphoria and misery. He couldn't look away from her, and softly cupped her cheek in his hand.

"But," she breathed, "My love for you is like the earth beneath my feet. It's strong, and unshakable." She paused to blink away oncoming tears. "It's always there when I need it."

The two friends stared into each other. They had become such different people than when they were genin fresh out of the academy. They were adults now. Both promised to another, with children of their own. A pang of melancholy cut through the air.

"It took me a long time to realize what my love for you meant, Naruto."

The room was cast in darkness. The only light in the room was the glimmer of moonlight that shone through the window. Sakura and Naruto bowed their heads, hands gripped to the others' shoulders, foreheads resting on each other.

"I'll always love you, Sakura." Naruto's voice wavered with remorse .

"I love you too, Naruto."

Naruto lightly smiled.

"But I'm so glad that you're my friend."