I do not own Naruto or any other characters from the series.

Chapter 2: Oops part II

Naruto unlocked his door and threw his keys onto the table at the entrance. He stripped off his cloak and jacket and put them on the hook above the side table in the manner in which he was accustomed. Sakura entered quietly and began observing the apartment that was Naruto's home for the first time. It was on the small side, but it was probably because it was how Naruto was used to living. The contemporary design of the newly refurbished home definitely made Sakura feel at ease.

"Bathroom's upstairs, first door on your right If you need it." Naruto said as he began to take off his pants.

"Naruto-kun what in the hell are you doing!" Sakura screamed.

He looked down then back up at her. "Sorry Sakura-chan I'm just used to stripping when I come home."

"Well thats fine and all, but I really dont wanna see your junk right now."

"Oh ok. Later then?" he chuckled

"Shut it Naruto-kun or you wont get children."

Naruto defensively turned to the side and put his hands over his balls.

"Relax Skaura-chan It was only my boxers, nothing you havent seen before." he was too tired to care. At least he didnt lie to her entirely.

By now Sakura's eyes were glued to his crotch. It's not that she wanted to, it was just instinct.

"Just pull them up please!" She implored, hoping he hadnt noticed her staring. Nartuo just shrugged and pulled the pants up from his ankles. Regaining her composure and moving the blood away from her face, she moved towards the kitchen.

"So Naruto-kun what do you have for cooking materials?"

"Um, some noodles, like a kilogram of pork, broth, veggies..."

"So stuff to make Ramen." se said dejectedly.

"Well you know me." Naruto said trying to hide the resentmaent in his voice at her tone as he laid down on the couch.

"Then itll be like 30 minutes for me to cook everything."

"That's fine Sakura-chan." He said as he sighed, relaxing from his day.

"Um, Naruto-kun?"

"Why do you only have alcohol to drink?"

Shit! I hadnt' thought about how to explain that to her... she can't know I drink every night she'd kill me!...got it!

"I just usually drink water at home and buy other stuff when im out. The sake is for guests and parties and stuff." Can't let her in my room then, too many bottles.

"Oh ok then." Sakura said in a content tone.

"Youre welcome to have some if you like though."Naruto stated simply.

"I will with dinner."

"Dinner?"

"Yea? Im making a meal for us?"

"Oh... I thought you were gonna make it and go, youre usually busy."

"I promised I would eat with you silly and I will. Like a certain amazing ninja, I also keep my promises." She smiled at him from behind the kitchen counter.

Naruto smiled back at her, but didnt reply. It hurt him. He didnt keep his promise. He didnt bring Sasuke back. He came back on his own, and for what? Sakura was still just as obsessed with him as ever. It didnt change anything like he had hoped. Naruto didnt say anything for the rest of the half hour besides an occasional 'yes' or 'no' and stared up at the infinitely interesting ceiling.

He jumped when Sakura put her hand on his shoulder and looked in his eyes.

"Didnt you hear me? I said dinner's ready." she repeated with a worried look

"Oh. Yea." he stated and got up to sit across from her at the table in the kitchen.

Sakura opened the bottle of sake and poured for both of them, Naruto downing his cup in all of one second, much to the suprise of Sakura. As If knowing her question, Naruto stated. "Kyuubi makes it like 50 times harder for me to get drunk, so im used to the stuff. You know my stamina." Sakura nodded. He was lying to her all over the place tonight. Kyuubi did nothing in the area of alcohol, he was just used to it. He spaced out for quite a while.

"Naruto-kun are you alright?" Sakura asked.

"Huh? Yea. Im just tired from today I had to set up a lot of things for tomorrow."

"Yea I understand, you have been busy."

An eerie silence hung in the apartment while the two ate. Naruto desperately tried to find something to talk about.

"So what did you and Sasuke talk about after I left?"

"Oh. That."

Awesome. One of three options. a) I just made her feel like shit because she confessed her love to him for like the 20th time this month and `he of course, being all kinds of douche-baggery that he is rejected her. b) she shared something with Sasuke that I'm not supposed to know, and will either stop talking to me or hit me. Or c) how sasuke is executioner now, and I havent informed her of it yet.

"We talked about you mostly." she said with semi-forced neutrality.

"Oh about how sasuke's executioner tomorrow and the massive amounts of work I had to put in to get it to happen?"

"You WHAT!" Sakura stood up quickly which knocked her chair over and threw Naruto out of his.

Naruto's face was still however passive, despite being knocked over. He had no energy to fake his usual emotions. "Sakura-chan its the last thing he has to do to be at peace with his past, and the least I could do its give him the opportunity."

Sakura was standing over him now, glaring down at him, legs on both sides of his torso. Naruto's eyes drifted down to the wonderful veiw of her crotch and inwardly smiled to himself. Naruto prayed she didnt notice him.

"You really are the best friend somebody could ask for you know that? When are you gonna put yourself first for a change?" She smiled and his eyes traveled back up to her face. He grinned his fox grin and picked himself off the floor and resumed his meal. Its continued on like that for the next few hours, long after the meal was over. They sat there finishing the bottle of sake, talking about everything and anything. The thought that Sakura still had not answered his question laid in the back of his mind however, but he didnt want to dampen the mood.

Sakura looked at the clock. "11 already? Geez Naruto-kun you sure can keep a girl busy."

He laughed at the inuendo. "I suppose you gotta get home then?"

"If I must" she said playfully.

"Alright let me get my cloak and we can go."

Sakura pouted. "Naruto-kun I'm 20 not 5, I can walk myself home."

Naruto gave a chuckle at her comment. "Sakura-chan, you're strong, but not invincible. There are a lot of creeps out at this time of night, and it doesn't help that you're drunk."

"I am not drunk." Sakura moved towards the door.

"Sakura-chan thats the door to the pool area, out is over here."

Naruto doubled over in laughter as his teamate lit up red, and she quickly turned and began pacing.

"I knew that, I'm just pacing waiting for you."

"Sure Sakura-chan, sure."

Naruto snickered at he held the door for his teamate.

Minutes later they were at Sakura's apartment door, saying their goodbyes.

"Remember to be at the Hokage tower for 8 Sakura-chan, we have papers to collect before heading off to the execution grounds so that it may begin on schedule." Naruto was showing his business side.

Sakura sighed at him. "Honestly Naruto-kun I'm more worried about you being there on time. In fact I'll beat you there."

"Is that so? Then if I win next time we have dinner here."

"And if I win?"

"Then I'll do anything you want for a week!" he smiled his fox grin.

"Deal!" She turned to put the key in her door and Naruto knew their time was over.

"Good night then Sakura-chan! See you bright and early tomorrow! I love you."

His eyes widened in recognition of what had just come out of his mouth as he stared at her back. He didnt even mean to say it, he just did. She turned and said the same to him, but not in they way he wanted it to sound.

"Love you too Naruto-kun!" she smiled "see you in the morning, If this hangover im gonna have doesnt kill me first!"

She had made a joke out of it. Well thats all his feelings were anyways, right? A terrible joke. She had even laughed. Naruto went to go home a blank and depressed look on his face, hurt and more confused as ever.

Well! I was certainly surprised to get positive reviews so early! I actually have quite a bit of this story written on paper, and am transferring it to documents, so i should have a lot of updates in this first week, then regular updates from there. I have like 2 and 1/2 chapters on paper. 'Oops' was originally one chapter, but I split it up into 2 since it was so long. Chapter 2 should be about the same length tho.

Next time: Severance of life and heart