A/N: Jello! Okay, peeps, I'm expirimenting on working on my comedy (which is NOT going so well) and one-shots (which this SHOULD be) and non-OC ficlets. So... this is a response to .003 of the .100 themes challenge. I know what you are thinking, but challenges can actually help me alot, especially when it's only one word, so yay! And, by the way, this isn't supposed to be comedy, whatsoever, 'cause it's actually tradgedy. Most of my one-shots are.

I claim no ownership to the Naruto industry, but I would very much love to own the Naruto when he shows his true colors.

Light

Sakura always watched from afar, but when Sasuke left, there was only one person she could go to. She stood in front of the hospital, her cherry-pink locks waving in the wind, the red stripes she had put in as a memorial, allready starting to fade. Her green eyes watered, she was nearing the end of her current emotional reserve.

It was almost comical, though. Before, when she wasn't so tied up in all of this, she always thought that her life was so horrible, and she wore her emotions on her sleeve. She knew people could still see them easily, but it helped console her that she thought she was hiding them. After all, she couldn't bare to see the hurt that blossomed in Naruto's eyes when he saw her heartbroken state the first time. For now, if she was only a good enough liar to hide from Naruto, she would. The rest of the world can go suck themselves. Right now, she had to help her friend...

Taking a deep breath and holding her head high, her face lightly twisted in an angry scowl that always seemed to accompany her nowadays, she marched into the hospital. Shizune looked up from her desk, but when she saw who it was, she just gave a sad wave.

"Good morning Sakura-chan... How are you?" She asked, genuinely concerned.

"Fine. You?" Sakura replied smoothly, her voice as even as she could handle, though it wavered lightly. She was normally cooped up in her apartment, holding her chest in one peice as she cried incessantly. She couldn't last this facade much longer.

"I... I'm good. Naruto just woke up, Tsunade isn't in there so it'll just be you two." Without any farewell, or further aknowledgement, Sakura continued walking through the bright white hospital, which smelled of fowls and cleaning supplies, as well as latex and antiseptic.

She stopped in front of the door, her hand lingering on the handle. She bit her lower lip, feeling the tears arriving, and one rolled down her cheek, slowly, as if teasing the skin. A sob was about to break through, and Sakura bit her lower lip until it bled, forcing all her emotions into that pain, and savored it. Everything dulled to the point where she could behave as normally as she could, and slid the door open.

She smiled softly down at Naruto. He was asleep, smooth, bandaged chest and abs rising up and down slowly with his steady breathing. His features were relaxed in a childish way, that showed an innocence normally not related to Naruto, but it also showed the daily pain he went through. Sasuke's headband was clutched in his hand, knuckles white against it even in sleep. It seemed he would never let go of it.

Sakura moved to pull a chair up beside his bed and sat, crossing her arms beside his limp, sleeping body, and resting her chin on her forearms. She watched him, not really thinking about much, reminiscing of all the time they had spent together, good and bad, but completely nuetral and loving about it all. She wasn't quite sure when she fell asleep.

Suddenly, a hand was going through her cherry locks, sifting through the hair, lightly snagging on tangles and gently sifting through them. She kept her eyes closed, enjoying the feeling of the hands playing with her hair, leaning into the touch. She mumbled in a contented sound, unable to resist it. It seemed the only time she could relax was around...

"Naruto?" She whispered, looking up into the aquamarine eyes. They swam boyishly, sparkling with a smile to match his own soft, gentle one that rested on his lips.

"Good morning beautiful..." He murmured. She smiled softly. Naruto, when they were alone, had taken to giving her petnames and complimenting her, trying to make her smile, cheer her up. It was nice, nothing more than a best friend with a best friend, innocent flirting.

"Mnm... I don't think beautiful cuts it, but you're pretty handsome yourself..." She murmured. Naruto nodded, still sifting through her hair, twirling it mindlessly between his calloused fingers. Sakura normally would have stopped him, but it felt nice, and it didn't make her uncomfortable, atleast, not anymore.

"Sakura-chan... Can I ask you something?" Naruto asked.

"Yeah, what is it?" She replied. They sat in his hospital room, one of the first times they had spent alone. Tsunade had given her a funny look when Sakura asked her to leave.

"Can I... play with your hair?" The expression was sheepish and innocent, as he blushed at the question. Sakura grinned, blushing her self, and akwardly leaned her head against the side of the bed.

"Why do you do that?" Naruto asked after a moment, looking out the window but still fooling around with her pink hair. Sakura blinked, knocked from her memories by the sudden question. Naruto was nibbling on his lower lip, brow creased in thought, voice completely serious. It was very unlike him.

"Do... what?" She questioned carefully.

"I compliment you, or call you something nice, and you swing it back at me as if I had insulted you, or disagree..."

"Because, Naruto, I don't like being lied to." Sakura replied softly, not meeting his eyes. How had he noticed that? It didn't seem like Naruto...

"But I'm not." He glanced at her, eyes wide and completely honest. "Kura-chan, you're one of my best friends. I love you as a best friend, and I never lie." Sakura's heart skipped a beat at the bold statement, flushing slightly, but her body warmed.

"Allright, but that doesn't mean I have to agree."

"Why not? Do you not see yourself as beautiful, sweet and gentle? Or all those other things I compliment on?"

"Naruto-kun, my world is a dark place. I see almost nothing like that, especially not myself." Sakura stated, wording it carefully.

"Then what do you see like that? Sasuke?" He whispered, voice rough, but not with anger, with dissapointment. Sakura trembled, she wouldn't, couldn't dissapoint him... but she also couldn't lie. Naruto turned to face her, feeling her tremble beneath his hand, but she schooled her expression perfectly. "Sakura, I'm no fool. I may act stupid, but I ain't a fool. You're hiding from me, so either confirm or deny."

"I... yes, he was like that for me, Naruto-kun." Sakura looked away. She knew she would break down sobbing if she had to say this to his face. "But... I was never good enough, nothing was... there was always something that could be better... He only shoved me farther back in the darkness, like the ocean washing me away from a buoy... Naruto, I have a new light." The last part she whispered, not quite sure if she wanted him to hear or not. Naruto took her face in his other hand, still holding the back of her head, hand in her hair, and turned her to face him.

"And who is it?"

Sakura looked away, unable to escape from him. Naruto sighed. She wouldn't admit to something like that, especially since she wasn't quite sure herself... Naruto's fingers brushed her bleeding lip wound, bringing his hand back and licking the blood away. Sakura looked up at him, wide eyes about ready to overflow with hidden tears that burned her.

"How did this happen...?" He mumbled behind a finger.

"I... I tripped on my way here..."

"If I won't lie to you, Sakura, don't you dare lie to me." The words were soft, but his hands and entire body were tense, warning but also fearing.

"I only lie when it protects you!" Sakura argued, feeling scolded.

"Protects me, or just yourself, Sakura?" He growled, taking his hands away and fisting them in his lap. He took deep breaths, not facing her, angry eyes closed as he calmed himself down.

"Get out." Sakura blinked up at him in surprise.

"Get out before I hurt you..." The line was strained, voice thick with anger, and chakra radiated around him. Sakura got to her feet, and walked to the door, when she opened it, she glanced once over her shoulder, but Naruto didn't look back.

"When you do this, Naruto, protect me because you know what I can and can't do, that's what makes you my light. Naruto Uzumaki, don't push me farther in the darkness..." She whispered before walking out of the room.