Authors Note; I just received my FIRST EVER REVIEW from a lovely "icecreamsweet 123". It really made my day and I thought I'd give you a mention because you've convinced me to continue the story (and it's nice to know that you read my authors note at the end of chapter 1). I'd also like to mention "Psycho G". I loved your review. Constructive and detailed.

Oh, and one more thing. A guest reviewer raised a good point about the way Sakura addresses Naruto. I may have made a mistake in adding the "kun" part as she rarely addresses him as "Naruto-kun" but for the purposes of my story I figured that if she was going to say something quite personal and touching, she would use the honorific suffix. I'm not really an expert with the use of Japanese suffixes so help like that is appreciated. Thank you.

I do not own Naruto or Naruto Shipudden. All rights belong to Masashi Kishimoto.

ON WITH THE STORY!

After hearing Sakura knock at his door Naruto slowly walked towards the door…

Naruto opened the door of his apartment and saw his long time team 7 member, Sakura Haruno, at his door. She wore an unusual expression on her face. Something he had never seen before. He felt it was an expression that he felt she would reserve for someone very dear to her – yet... it was being used on him… It was almost as if ,for the first time, she saw him as someone important. The expression on her face was seemed to be tainted slightly by anger – at the fact she had to wait so long for him to open the door - but it still possesed the genuine affection. He couldn't help but always be a bit awkward in her presence and this was clearly shown in the goofy and leering grin he made at her.

From Sakura's view point, Naruto looked different. He no longer looked like the blond goofball who was incapable of being the man she longed for… he looked like the man who could give her everything she wanted. He looked like someone who could fill the Sasuke shaped hole within her…

"NO!" Inner Sakura said. "That's not fair! Naruto can't just be your second choice. He can't be seen as a REPLACEMENT for Sasuke. Think about it Sakura… after all these years of ignoring him you suddenly see how great he has become AFTER he has beaten Pein... don't you think it would send a bad kind of message not only to the village… but to Naruto. You can't just suddenly acknowledge him now he's respected." Inner Sakura said with venom.

"Remember how you treated him before, when no one would care for him? You too were part of the bodiless mob that caused Naruto such pain." Inner Sakura continued, "You can't suddenly pander to him after all of the grief you let him suffer alone!" Inner Sakura concluded, readying herself for another line of speech.

Sakura was truly shocked by Inner Sakura's words, but she didn't let it show.

"Besides…" Inner Sakura continued "That's not the real reason we're here…" She finished with what sounded like a tinge of regret.

Sakura couldn't help but agree with her inner voice. The truth that resonated from her inner voice really threw her… but she still couldn't stop the cauldron of emotion - for Naruto - within her brewing.

It was truly ironic that the only reason she came to his apartment was to admit her love for Naruto in order to get him to give up his mission on saving Sasuke Uchiha. But she she knew in her heart that she did actually have genuine feelings for him...

Snapping out of her thought process, she noticed that she was wearing a smile.

A smile aimed at… NARUTO?! She couldn't believe that she had unconsciously let Naruto see her appreciation of him.

She immediately became annoyed at herself. She then also noticed that Naruto had a slightly perverted look on his face… and it was aimed at her.

Soon, the next thing Naruto remembered was Sakura pulling out her fist and cocking it backwards (like an archer pulling back a bow) before unleashing her charged punch at Naruto's head. As usual, Naruto cowered and tried to move out of the way but unusually…

There was no connection with his head. Instead, he looked up and saw her fist inches away from his skull… completely still… but what was more shocking was the slightly pained expression that flickered over her face for an instant… before disappearing as if it was never even there.

"Sakura-chan... You… stopped…?" Naruto said in clear shock.

Sakura drew her fist back and said "You're a hero, to the village… and to me…" whilst lightly blushing. "I don't want to hit you. I want to talk to you. Can I come inside Naruto?" Sakura said faintly.

Visibly shocked, Naruto just nodded his head. He stepped out of the way and allowed her to enter his domain.

As soon as Sakura stepped into his small apartment, she noticed the mountain of ramen cups in his sink, clothes over the floor and a pack of cards on his small coffee table. She thought to herself;

"A hero shouldn't have to live like this… All of his life he's been stuck alone in these conditions… Naruto deserves better… I want to giv-"

"SO!" Naruto exclaimed with his ever goofy grin - interrupting Sakura's thought process "What can I do for you?" He grinned.

"IDIOT!" Sakura exclaimed! "You interrupted my thoughts! …Anyway, those don't matter now. The reason I came here Naruto is because I want to get something off of my chest."

From the expression on her face, Naruto knew that it was something serious so he motioned to the two chairs around the coffee table.

"We've been teammates for a long time Naruto… a very long time. Sasuke's gone now and I'm honestly not sure when he will come back…" Sakura said in a grim voice.

They both fell silent at this point as the memories of Sasuke hurt them more than Pein, the Akatsuki or Orochimaru ever could.

For Naruto, it was his first true bond with someone who was his peer. They were not only rivals, Sasuke was like his brother his best friend. To have finally made a bond after years of searching and then to have had it cruelly ripped away from him hurt more than anything.

For Sakura, years of admiration and infatuation directed at the young prodigy were simply dismissed and that hurt a lot as well.

It always made the world feel slightly colder and emptier for them whenever Sasuke was mentioned; the silence was a physical representation of that pain.

Sakura - in an attempt to fill the empty void – continued with her speech.

"… but the way I see things Naruto, we need to look forward to the future." At this point, she decided to place her hands over Naruto's.

"… and if we're talking about the future then I know one thing. You'll be a part of it; as you have always been a part of everything else".

Naruto could not speak. His silence was as much of a surprise to him as it was to Sakura.

"Naruto…"she continued, ignoring his shocked silence "Sasuke has never acknowledged me in the past… but you have… In fact you have done more than acknowledge me, you've put your life on the line for me countless times… but Sasuke couldn't even be bothered to look at me. You've been my rock and without you I would probably be dead by now. During the Chuunin exams, Gaara would have killed me if you hadn't appeared. Sasuke just stood there – frozen – but you… you saved me… in so many more ways than you'll ever know…

Naruto…

I think I may love you…

So you don't need to go after Sasuke anymore for me..." she continued "… because I don't want him anymore, I want you…" She finished, smiling at him, putting as much emotion into the smile as she could.

She looked at Naruto expectantly, waiting for a response. When he finally gathered his thoughts enough to process that Sakura just confessed her love for him he stuttered…

"W-w-wait a minute… YOU LOVE ME?!" Naruto exclaimed.

"IDIOT! Didn't you hear me clearly?! Weren't you listening?!" Sakura cried with obvious anger on her face.

"N-no! I heard you clearly… but I can't believe that you really meant that. How can you stop loving Sasuke after all you have said and done over the years?! How can you give up just like that?!" Naruto said, with piercing conviction.

Sakura froze. She did not expect Naruto to react like that. She assumed that after all these years of him loving her, he would just run over to her and hug her… or maybe more... but the next thing she heard was…

"Sakura-chan… I hate people who lie to themselves."

Those words pierced harder than Sasuke's abandonment ever could. The intense look Naruto was giving her made her knees weak and her heart palpitate. She knew herself that she didn't truly love Naruto the way she loved Sasuke, but she was extremely fond of him – almost close to falling for him – and if Sasuke did not exist…

Who knows…

She may have truly meant her previous words.

But she didn't want him to hurt anymore due to Sasuke and so, she came to the conclusion that this lie would be the perfect way to prevent anymore suffering. However, she did not expect Naruto to see through her deception.

If Sakura was going to be brutally honest with herself, she was not sure who she was deceiving anymore. Ever since Naruto came back to the village she had been feeling something slightly stronger than friendship for him... but she also knew that she still truly desired Sasuke.

Regardless, Naruto was here now and she did not want to see him go away from her permanently... she knew - deep down - that she would do whatever was necessary to keep him here with her.

"Are you saying that I'm… lying to myself?" She replied, clearly taken aback.

"Well…" she continued "If you don't care about me the way I finally care about you then just say so." She said looking at him with genuine confusion and hurt.

"It's not that Sakura-chan." Naruto said "It's just that Konoha is in the middle of recovery from Pein's attack and a skilled medical ninja like you – who is most needed by the village right now – has decided to leave your duties and jobs as a medical ninja… just to tell me that you love me?" He finished.

Sakura was seething at this point as somewhere inside her, she was deeply hurt. Although she didn't want to acknowledge it, there was some truth to her words to Naruto. In a voice shaking with anger she repeated Naruto's words.

"… 'JUST to tell you'…?" Sakura screamed.

"DO YOU KNOW HOW MUCH IT TOOK FOR ME TO COME HERE AND TELL YOU THAT?!" She continued.

OF COURSE I'D COME HERE TO TELL YOU THAT" She roared "So many people are after you and you're putting yourself in harm's way just to save Sasuke… who couldn't care less about you or I right now…" Sakura continued to scream, fighting the tears that were threatening to pour down her face.

"Look, I know you may be taken back by my 'sudden' change, but… YOU CAN'T TELL ME WHAT I'M FEELING! She cried.

Naruto shocked by these words was just about to reply when a soft knock came from the door; interrupting the conversation. Sakura looked at Naruto before he went to open the door.

As soon as he opened the door a pair of pupil-less, lavender eyes - filled with anxiety - met his…

"Hello Naruto-kun!" Hinata Hyuga smiled nervously…


Author's note: Final notice of this chapter. I'm DESPERATELY TRYING TO GET THE PERMISSIONS FOR A COVER PICTURE THAT WOULD BE PERFECT FOR THIS STORY. It's a picture of Naruto at Ichiraku's eating whilst Sakura and Hinata are both present watching him. (you can see it if you type in NaruSaku Vs NaruHina on Google). If anyone knows how I can get the permissions for this picture... PLEASE inbox me or leave the details in a review.

Like, favourite (if you think its good enough), put this on your alert list. Whatever helps get the word out.

Again, THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE SUPPORT! :D

P.s. Over 100 hits... YAAAY! Aha!

See you in Chapter 3!