"All men dream, but not equally. Those who dream by night in the dusty recesses of their minds, wake in the day to find that it was vanity: but the dreamers of the day are dangerous men, for they may act on their dreams with open eyes, to make them possible. This...I did."

"What's it supposed to mean?" Naruto asked.

"It means, becareful what you wish for," Shikamaru answered. "You just might get it."

Naruto: Chronicles of the Seventh: Curse of the Namikaze

Returns Sunday, August 7th

WELCOME

Welcome back to chapter two of this short story. I really hope you enjoy this as much as I enjoyed writing it. As always I like to state that I do not own Naruto.

THANK YOU

A special thanks to those who reviewed the previous chapter: happy everyday life; PrinceOfTennisHimeChan; nikki1314; LovelySheree; SuperKirschbluete; The FlashPirates; Maria; Konoha's Crimson Fox; narp73; Kodav; sasori521 & Sensuto.

RESPONSES

happy everyday life - Thank you. Did things work out for you in your situation? Lol!

PrinceOfTennisHimeChan - Thank you so much!

nikki1314 - Thank you

LovelySheree - "What da poooop?!" LMAO! I don't think I've written anything that got that reaction. Thanks for reading.

SuperKirschbluete - Thank you so much for enjoying the story so far.

The Flash Pirates - Well, here's your next fix of word crack. Lol! That made no sense. Seven Sins will return shortly. I think you'll find some of the twists in that story very interesting.

Maria - Thank you. I'm glad you liked it.

Konoha's Crimson Fox - Yeah. I've decided to toy around with a few things. I hope you enjoy this take on the characters.

narp73 - Actually, Sasuke's position will never be mentioned. But I'd think he'd be a shortstop. He feels like a shortstop. Thank you for reading and I'm glad you're enjoying the story.

Kodav - Yeah, I had to toy a little with Sasuke's character for it to fit in this story. And like you said, with his parents alive, Sasuke wouldn't be so emo. Thank you for reading.

sasori521 - Thank you so much my friend.

Sensuto - Thank you

MESSAGE FROM THE AUTHOR

Ok, so here is chapter two in this three part story. Hope you enjoy and please remember to leave a little review. Thanks!

-Chapter Two-

Sakura took a sip of her coffee that was now closing in on room temperature. No matter how much she drank her throat felt dry and her anxiety grew with every passing minute. Part of her was happy he was running late. Maybe, just maybe, he wouldn't show up at all. Maybe he would disappear and she could avoid this all together. The moment the thought entered her mind, she banished it back to the dark recessed from whence it came and hated herself for even thinking it. The idea of him disappearing was not something she could accept. He was one of her best friends. He was also someone who knew her better than most. They were close. Very close. She wanted him in her life. She needed him. It was a realization that hit her like a truck. It also reminded her of the night when she knew things would never be the same again. Because she herself had changed.

-Saturday June 14th-

-8:14PM-

"C'mon baby." Sasuke purred in his most seductive voice in between nibbling on Sakura's neck and ear. The two had spent the last few hours with Ino and Neji on a double date.

Sakura had sat through another action movie that she couldn't stand while her boyfriend happily watched every explosion and bullet fired with unbridled glee. It was the only time, outside of being on the field, or drunkenly partying with friends, where she ever saw Sasuke express any real tangible emotion. It was a fact that never seemed to bother her before recently.

While sitting in the half full theatre she would randomly glance over at her friend Ino, whose face at some point, had seemingly fused onto Neji's, as the two slobbered away, completely ignoring the action on the screen. The sounds of their heavy breathing fought for dominance over the sounds of screams and gunfire. Sakura couldn't help but sigh in annoyance.

Several times since the party weeks ago, Ino had tried to continue the conversation from that night. But Sakura dodged her attempts each time. Realizing it was fruitless to push the subject, Ino instead decided to help Sakura with her relationship with Sasuke.

She suggested that they both go on a double date. She'd be her wingman and help reignite the spark between them. Desperate to fix things, Sakura said yes. But instead of getting the help she needed, Sakura found herself subjected to being the witness to Ino and Neji making out like they were in some porn video.

The few times, Sasuke could tear his eyes off the screen he would look to the couple beside them and then stroke Sakura's leg lightly which for some reason made her abnormally anxious. And each time he tried to lean in for a kiss, she would suddenly find herself pulling back and eating popcorn or needing a sip of her soda.

Now, several hours later and after leaving Ino and Neji to finish their date, Sakura found herself alone with Sasuke in her room while her parents were out for the evening. As Sasuke leaned in and kissed her deeply, he expertly began to unbutton her top. The house was dark and quiet and all Sakura could hear was the sounds of their kissing and her own heartbeat that seemed to be beating faster than normal.

This wasn't the first time she'd found herself in this position with Sasuke. They'd been dating for nearly six months already, and it had been nearly three since she allowed him to take her virginity. She was nervous that night too. But tonight, it felt different, almost dirty to have him on top of her, as he undid her bra. "W-Wait Sasuke." She muttered lowly as she pulled her lips from his. Sasuke continued to kiss her forcefully as he undid her bra and massaged her now bare breast. "N-No. Stop, Sasuke." She said louder as she tried to push him off. Still Sasuke continued undeterred as he reached for her pants. "Sasuke, no!" Sakura yelled as she pushed him back.

"W-What the hell?!" Sasuke yelled, bewildered. "What's wrong?"

"I'm just not in the mood okay." Sakura replied as she threw her shirt back on.

"Not in the mood?" Sasuke asked. "Tch! It's been three weeks! What the hell. Are you on your..?"

"No!" Sakura yelled as she scooted away from him. "I-I'm just not feeling it tonight. I've got a lot on my mind."

Sasuke chuckled. "A lot on your mind?"

Picking up on his sarcasm Sakura, glared at him. "Yeah, believe it or not I have some stuff going in on. I got a lot of shit to deal with, okay! I'm stressed out!"

"Oh please!" Sasuke replied. "You think it's easy having to juggle being the best player on the team and keeping an A average? You don't know anything about stress."

"Wow." Sakura answered. "Why am I not surprised that this conversation automatically reverted to you?"

"What the hell do you want from me?!" Sasuke replied as he threw his shirt back on.

"I don't know. How about a conversation that doesn't revolve around your life? How about a moment in your life where you actually ask me how I'm doing?"

"How you're doing?" Sasuke asked as he cocked his head to the side. "Okay Sakura, how are you? How's your perfect parents? How's this perfect little fucking house of yours?! And your stupid, perfect little dog?! How are your perfect little friends that love to hang out and giggle like little idiots over every damned thing, because you don't have to worry about your grades, while I'm busting my ass off because my parents might disown me if ever bring home a B or if I don't perform well on the field, while still finding the time to put a fucking smile on your face! So please Sakura, tell me what is so wrong with your perfect fucking life?!"

Sakura merely glared at Sasuke for a moment before getting to her feet. "Get out." She said surprisingly calm.

All of Sasuke's anger seemed to drain away as he looked at her with remorse. "Look, Sakura I'm sorry."

"Get out asshole!" Sakura yelled as she pushed him back. "Get the fuck out!"

Realizing that he was not going to get anywhere, Sasuke quickly put on his sneakers and walked out of her room with Sakura behind him. The pair walked downstairs down the hallway to the front door in tense silence. Sasuke opened the door and walked out. As he walked through the door he turned to face Sakura who had a look of anger tinged with grief. "Babe, I'm sorry. I've just been under a ton of stress lately. I was just hoping you could help me out with that."

"Sure, I can still help." Sakura replied. "You don't have to try so hard to be the best on the team anymore Sasuke. Because Naruto is. Hope that helps." Sakura then slammed the door. She immediately ran upstairs to her room and threw herself into her sheets. Surrounded by the stuffed animals she kept on her bed, remnants of a more innocent time in her life, Sakura cried. She cried for hating Sasuke. And cried for how she'd treated him.

Time passed, she wasn't sure how much, when she heard the front door open followed by the merry sounds of her parents returning home from their date night. She heard her father call up to her and a sudden urge to be alone swelled up in her. I can't deal with them now. She thought. The questions they'd ask about her tear streaked face. Sakura quickly threw on her sneakers, grabbed a light jacket and flew out of her room.

Just then, her mother was walking up the stairs as Sakura walked down so fast she was almost running. "Sakura." Her mother said with a smile which quickly faded once she caught a glimpse of the overwhelming grief etched in her daughters face. "Baby, what's wrong?" She asked as she tried to grab her arm. But Sakura was moving too fast and she was able to get by her and fly towards the door. "Sakura! Get back here!" Her mother yelled as she turned to give chase.

Sakura threw her jacket on as she reached the exit. She quickly opened the door and ran down the steps as her mother yelled behind her. Moments later she was gone, melding into the darkness. "Sakura!" Mebuki yelled into the street as she looked around in vain for her daughter. Her face was flushed with anger and confusion along with the lingering effects of the liquor she'd consumed.

"What's going on?" Kizashi asked calmly as walked up behind his wife while nonchalantly eating grapes.

"I'll tell you what's going on! My child has lost her damned mind, that's what!"

Kizashi chuckled. "Calm down Mebuki, you're acting crazy."

"I'm not crazy!" Mebuki fumed. "We should have had a boy! Then I wouldn't have to deal with this bullshit!" Mebuki then looked back into the streets. "You should have been a boy! We wouldn't be worrying right now!"

Kizashi chuckled some more. "You're drunk." Mebuki immediately punched him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?!" He asked as he rubbed his arm.

"That's for making me have a girl who stresses me!"

"You kinda had something to do with that too, ya know!"

"Shut up!" Mebuki replied before once again looking out into the street. "You should have been a boy!" She raged before marching back inside.

Kizashi looked at his wife and then back out into night streets. "Does this mean we're not going to have sex tonight?" He asked before closing the door behind him.

"Shut up!"

Sakura walked the streets of her suburban neighborhood lost in thought for nearly an hour. She eventually dipped her hand into her back pocket and pulled out her cell. There were several missed calls. Three were from Sasuke and two from her parents. Sakura sighed. It was just after eleven. Going over to Ino's was not an option at this point.

Sakura looked up from her phone and was surprised to see her neighborhood park across the street. Which meant she'd already walked at least a mile while in her daze. Oh well. She thought as she jogged across the street and walked into the park. For a while she just walked around until she heard a strange cracking sound coming from the distance. The sound grew louder as she walked closer and would happen every few moments. As Sakura drew closer she recognized the sound. She'd been to enough baseball games to know the sound of a bat striking a ball anywhere.

Who the hell would be playing this late? She wondered as she walked closer. There was the bright glow of lights emanating over the canopy of trees as she stepped off the path and walked through the small thicket.

Sakura paused as she made her way through and came to a large open space. It was a baseball field that was open for public use. The field was in desperate need of maintenance with overgrown grass and the infield dirt was littered with uneven mounds that needed smoothening, but it was still good enough to use. What surprised her was the sole person using it. He was standing at home plate, under a single, bright florescent light shining down from high above him. Next to him was a large canvass bag which contained what Sakura assumed were baseballs. Which was confirmed when he reached in and pulled one out. He then threw it up in the air and hit the ball with such force it traveled high into the sky before vanishing into the night.

Sakura saw his rippling muscles as he tensed to hit another ball; the laser like focus as his blue eyes fixated on the ball as though it were the sole object in all existence and is thick, blonde hair that waved through the air as he swung his bat. "Of course." She muttered to herself in exasperation as her familiar friend continued his solitary training. He hit another ball and then another. His single minded focus never swayed or dissipated even the tiniest bit.

Sakura sighed after watching him for a few minutes. I better get out of here. She thought as she turned to leave. I definitely don't need this shit right now.

"Sakura-chan? Sakura-chan is that you over there?!"

Sakura froze in her tracks. She caught her breath as he called out for her. Damn it! Did he see me? She had to will herself to peek behind her and she saw Naruto straining to see into the distance. Despite the fact that she was partially obscured by the shadows half way across the field, he seemed to be staring right at her. What do I do? She thought as every urge in her body told her to run.

"I know that's you over there Sakura-chan! I don't think there are that many girls with pink hair around here!"

Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Why the hell did he of all people have to be here! Sakura prepared to sprint away as fast as she could. This is the last thing I need!

"You going to run away from me again?! Don't worry, I'm getting used to you avoiding me!"

Sakura paused. Those words seemed to strike her down to the very core of her soul. Despite the fact that Naruto sounded so chipper, even laughing a bit as he said them, she could sense a tinge of biting sadness in his voice. Sakura turned and faced Naruto who stood rooted by home plate, staring in her direction. "H-Hey." Sakura uttered as she walked towards him, with the brightest smile she could muster. Her voice sounded surprisingly hoarse. "Hey Naruto! Sorry, I didn't think that was you!"

"Yo!" Naruto said as he waited for her to get closer. "What the hell are you doing out here?"

"I could ask you the same thing." Sakura replied as she walked up to him. She looked around at the bag of half empty baseballs and the two bats lying haphazardly at Naruto's feet. "I know you love training, but isn't this a bit much? Do you have any idea how late it is?"

"Hmm," Naruto said as he stroked his chin. "It's only about ten, right?"

"Try almost midnight."

"What?!" Naruto yelled in shock as he reached in his pocket and pulled out his phone. The look of fear was illuminated by the light of his phone has he confirmed the time. "Shit! Mom is gonna kill me!" He said as he put his phone away. "I just got so lost in my training that I didn't know what time it was! I'm friendly with the guys who work in the park so they let me stay here late so long as I shut off the lights. Looks like time got away from me again."

Naruto suddenly laughed in his usual, deep throated way as he threw his hands behind his head. It was if he hadn't a care in the world. It was that ability to never let stress get to him that Sakura loved about him. Love? Sakura's heart suddenly felt like it was pounding so hard it would burst. Love? She thought.

"Well, I might as well take my time." Naruto continued as he gathered everything up. "No point in rushing home to get my ass kicked by my mom. Come here for a sec." Naruto waved at Sakura to follow him to the nearby bleachers. He walked over and motioned for her to sit. After she did, he followed suit. He then pulled a black duffle bag that was sitting nearby between his feet and dug inside, pulling out two bottles of water. "Want one?"

Sakura took the bottle gratefully. After a long drink she looked around. "You know, if you spent a little less time training you might have time to study and finish your homework assignments on time. Your brain is a muscle too, you know."

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah." He said before once again falling quiet.

Damn this is awkward. Sakura thought as the pair sat in silence.

"So what are you doing out here this late?" Naruto asked.

"Pft! My parents were getting on my nerves and I just wanted to take a walk. No big deal."

Naruto stopped drinking his water and stared directly at Sakura. She noticed and quickly looked away. He smiled. "You're such a bad liar. I can always tell when you're full of shit. You had a fight with Sasuke again, didn't you?"

"What?!" Sakura yelled as she jumped to her feet. "How the hell did you..?!" Sakura paused as she realized how she was acting. She composed herself and returned to her seat. "I mean, what makes you think that?"

Naruto cocked his head with a smug smirk on his face. "Well, first off I know that you and Sasuke had a double date with Neji and Ino tonight."

"How?"

"Ino told me, yesterday." Naruto paused and looked up at the stars. "But she was acting kind of weird when she did. It was almost like she was trying to tease me. Asking me what I thought about it? It was really strange."

Damn that Ino! Sakura thought as she looked away from Naruto. Her fist was clenched as a large vein in her forehead throbbed. Even after that bitch confronted me about Naruto after the party and I admitted it I begged her to help me! She was the one who came up with the plan to keep avoiding Naruto and to go on this date! She said she would be there to help me get my relationship with Sasuke-kun back on track! And what does she do?! That gossipy slut tells the one person I didn't want to know about the date about it?! And then spends the whole date sucking face with that pretty boy! I'll kill that bitch when I see her!
"Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked.

"H-Huh?" Sakura responded as she turned around with a smile.

"I asked if you know what that's about." Naruto asked.

"Ah! You know Ino! She's just a gossip who loves to tease people when she knows something others don't! Anyway, even if you knew we went out, how do you know Sasuke-kun and I fought?"

"You have that look on your face."

"Look? What look?"

"That one." Naruto said with a smile as he pointed at her. "You can try to put that fake smile on, all you want. But even though you're lips have a smile on it, the rest of your face looks like someone jammed a gerbil up your ass. You always look like that after you fight with him or your parents but you don't want people to know about it."

"Tch!" Sakura exclaimed as she folded her arms and looked away.

"Plus when you lie you do that thing with your nose."

"I do not!" Sakua yelled as she faced Naruto, her face a deep red.

"Yeah you do!" Naruto replied, laughing hysterically "It starts to twitch! It's a dead give away."

"Whatever!" Sakura replied as she looked away with her arms folded, visibly annoyed and embarrassed.

A moment passed while Naruto composed himself. "Ok, so what happened? What did you guys fight about now?"

Sakura looked at Naruto for moment then turned her gaze up to the stars. "Honestly, I don't really know. I…probably just overreacted about something. I can be a real pain to deal with."

"Don't I know it?" Naruto responded sarcastically.

"Hey!" Sakura yelled as she punched his arm playfully. "You don't have to agree so readily!"

Naruto chuckled. "Whatever. So what did you fight about?"

Sakura glanced at Naruto before looking back at the stars. "Girl stuff I guess." Once again there was an awkward silence between the two. Damn. She thought. It's never been this hard to talk to Naruto before. Things feel so…strange now.

"Hey, Sakura-chan." Naruto asked as he looked at Sakura directly, which made her nervous. "You've been acting really weird lately. I mean, even for you. Everything okay?"

"Just got a lot on my mind I guess." Sakura replied. "We're seniors now. So thinking about my future, what university I'm going to go too and that kinda stuff, has been on my mind."

"You sure that's all?" Naruto asked. Sakura glanced at him and saw the dubious look on his face. It was clear to her that he wasn't fully buying her excuse.

"Can I ask you a question Naruto?" Sakura asked.

"Sure."

"How come you've never had a girlfriend?"

"Hmm?" Naruto looked at her quizzically with his eyebrows raised. "Since when have you ever been interested in my love life?"

"I-I'm not!" Sakura fired back. "J-Just answer the damned question!"

"Okay. Okay." Naruto replied with a smile while waving her off. "I hate when you get all emotional like that." He looked up at the stars for a while as he thought about the answer. "Well, I do go on dates you know. I was on one last Friday actually."

"W-What?!" Sakura yelled in shock. Her heart began beating hard once again. "With who?!"

"She's a junior from our school. Amaru. You know her right?"

Sakura forced a smile on her face. "Sure." Didn't know she was such a slut though! She thought.

"It was fun." Naruto said. "I might ask her out again."

"How come you didn't tell me?" Sakura asked.

"Well, you were kind of not around for the last few weeks remember. What was up with that by the way?"

"Oh no! Don't go changing the subject! You still haven't told me why you've never had a steady girlfriend. I mean I know there are a bunch of girls interested in you."

Naruto smiled in his usual goofy way whenever she asked him a question he clearly didn't want to answer and scratched the back of his head. He always acts like that when he's nervous, Sakura thought.

Naruto calmed down when he noticed how serious Sakura was as she stared at him intently. It was like the next words he was about to say was all that mattered in the world to her. He quickly looked back up at the stars. "All the girls I've been around are nice. But I don't know, I guess…I guess I'm just…waiting."

Sakura cocked her head as she looked at him. "Waiting for what?"

Naruto took a deep breath and looked at her with the most sincere smile. "For the one that makes my heart stop."

Sakura's eyes widened and she immediately looked down to her feet. She couldn't let Naruto see her face anymore than she could bear to look at his now. Once again there was an uneasy silence between them. Sakura glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Naruto drinking his water as he looked out at the quiet field. There was a slight hint of sadness to his expression. "You know, even if you found that one, there's no guarantee that she'd love you back." Her voice was trembling a little. She prayed that he wouldn't notice.

Naruto chuckled. "Yeah. That's true."

"Then how…um…how would you convince that person to love you?"

"You serious?" Naruto asked.

"Yes!" Sakura replied as she finally locked eyes with Naruto. "You're a clumsy idiot you know! As your best female friend it's my job to make sure you know how to talk to women!"

Naruto laughed as he shook his head. You're serious about this, aren't you?" He glanced at the stars as though he was gathering his thoughts. "What would I say?" He then looked back at Sakura who seemed to anxiously await his response. "I guess I'd say, that I would cherish every second we'd have together. Every happy moment. Every sad one. Even every fight. Because it would be a moment we made together. I would tell her that I can't promise that you won't be mad at me sometimes. All I can promise is that I'll always be there until you smile. Because seeing you smile makes everything else worth it. I'll always ask you about you're day, because hearing your voice makes mine. I'll dry your eyes when you're sad, hug you when you're scared, laugh with you when you're happy and be your strength when you're weak."

Naruto cleared his throat and tore his gaze from Sakura's. "Well, I'd say something like that I guess. I don't know. I'm not really good with that kind of emotional, touchy-feely crap." He said with a smile before finishing off his water.

Sakura nodded several times as she looked down at her hands that rested on her lap. They were shaking as she played with her fingers. "Yep. I'm convinced. Saying something like that could really convince a girl."

Naruto laughed. "You think so?" Sakura merely nodded as she willed herself not to cry. "Anyway, Sakura-chan. We should get going. It's late." Naruto quickly packed his gear up as Sakura remained sitting, lost in thought. A few moments passed before she saw his shadow, looming over her. Looking up, she saw him smiling and illuminated be the light of the moon. "Let's get going. I need to get you home." His hand was out for her.

Sakura grabbed his hand and got to her feet. "You don't need to walk me home Naruto. I'll be fine. Besides you live in the opposite direction."

"No way!" Naruto protested. "There's no way I'd let you walk these streets in the middle of the night! It's stupid enough that you were walking alone in the park as it is!"
"These streets?' Sakura giggled. "We live in the suburbs. The only crime that happens around here is when someone forgets to clean up after their dog."

"Nevertheless…" Naruto said as he puffed out his chest and pointed his chin high. "…it is my duty as a man to see you home safely!"

Seeing his over exaggerated reaction made her laugh along with Naruto. "Fine." She said. "But don't blame me when you get home at two in the mourning."

The pair walked out of the park in relative silence, only talking about things at school here and there. As they exited the park Sakura saw her fathers' car pull up. "There you are!" He said as he hopped out calmly. "You're mother sent me out to look for you. You really pissed her off, you know."

"Yeah, sorry about that." Sakura answered.

"Everything okay?" Kizashi asked.

"Yup."

"Good night Haruno-san." Naruto said with a bow.

"Ah! Naruto-kun, what are you doing out so late?" Kizashi asked.

"I was out here training when I ran into Sakura-chan." Naruto replied. "I was about to escort her home. But since you're here I should get going. Good night."

"Wait, Naruto." Sakura said. "My dad could drop you off!"

"It's cool." Naruto replied with a smile. "It's not far."

"Are you sure?" Kizashi asked. "It wouldn't be a problem."

"It's okay sir." Naruto answered. "I'll be fine."

"Thanks Naruto-kun." Kizashi answered. "Tell your father give me a call. We need to get together for golf again."

"I will." Naruto replied before looking to Sakura. "Hey Sakura." He whispered so only she could hear. "Don't be too mad with Sasuke, okay. He can be an ass sometimes but I know he cares about you." Sakura merely nodded. "Well, I'm off!"

"Naruto." Sakura called. He stopped when he heard her call him and turned to face her. "Promise me something. When you meet that girl who makes your heart stop. Make sure you tell her what you told me, okay."

Naruto tried to smile. But he couldn't hide the melancholy in his eyes. "No worries." He said. "I will."

Sakura shook her head. "You're lying. You never will."

"Why would you say that?" Naruto asked. Sakura merely grinned turned and walked away joining her father who was waiting by the car.

Kizashi opened the passenger side door and as she was about to get in when he stopped her. "Just tell me one thing. You're not…pregnant are you?"

"What?!" Sakura yelled in disbelief and horror. "No way!"

"Whew!" Kizashi exclaimed gratefully as she got in the car and he closed the door. "Thank god! I'm way to drunk right now to have to go kick that kids' ass! Plus that Sasuke guy works out. Honestly, I'm not sure I could take him."

"Dad!" Sakura yelled in embarrassment.

Kizashi jumped in the car and pulled off. For a short while there was silence between them as Kizashi drove. Every so often he would take furtive glances at his daughter who was leaning on her hand and staring out the window. A few more minutes passed before Kizashi spoke up. "Ino's not pregnant is she?"

"Dad! Oh my god!" Sakura yelled in horror. "No one's pregnant!"

"Okay. Okay." Kizashi replied with an awkward smile.

-Now-

Sakura stared at her now half eaten cake as she thought of that last time she'd spoken to Naruto which was already two weeks ago. The emotions she knew she was starting to feel for him sent her into a deeper panic. Desperate to try and get past this, her only choice was to try even harder to avoid him. Every time he tried to talk to her she would come up with some excuse as to why she had to leave. Whenever her friends went somewhere she knew he would be, she would always come up with a reason why she needed to go home.

Meanwhile it felt as though her relationship with Sasuke was only getting worse. Her patience seemed to be getting shorter and little things he did, that never seemed to bother her before, angered her easily. The pair began to bicker constantly usually ending with Sasuke walking away and her feeling terrible for her part in it.

It was only recently, after she came to the realization that this was something she could no longer ignore, did she find the courage to do what she knew in her heart was the right decision. Just then she heard tapping on the window next to her. Startled out of her thoughts, Sakura jumped back slightly as she looked up to see Naruto smiling on the other side of the glass. He waved happily while sporting his bright, trademark smile before quickly walking into the café.

"Hey there Sakura-chan!" He said excitedly. "I'll be there in a sec." He then immediately made a beeline directly to the counter where Chiyo stood and greeted her. "Hey Granny, I'd like…" Before he could finish, Chiyo placed a slice of chocolate cake with vanilla icing and cup of his favorite flavored coffee on the counter. "Eh! How did you..?! Are you some kind of psychic or something?"

Chiyo chuckled and glanced over at Sakura and gave her a quick wink. "You could say that." She said.

Naruto smiled as he handed the old woman several bills and then gathered his food. Sakura watched him intently as he came over and placed his food down on the table and, as he always did, he grabbed the chair and spun it around so that back of the chair was facing forward as he sat. "Hey Sakura-chan." He said happily as he immediately took a bite, savoring it. "How you been? I know you've been pretty busy lately. Thanks for inviting me down here. It's been a while since we both hung out here."

"No problem." Sakura replied with a nervous smile. I should just do it. Yeah! No need to drag this out girl. It's like a Band-Aid. Just pull it off in one go! Sakura cleared her throat as she kept ringing her hands under the table. Calm down. Just talk to him. He'll understand. Nervously, she took up her cup of coffee that was now cold and took a sip.

"I already know why you called me down here Sakura-chan." Naruto said, breaking the silence which caused Sakura to nearly spit up the little bit of liquid she had in her mouth. "Whoa." Naruto uttered with surprise.

"Y-You do?!" Sakura asked as she coughed.

"Yeah. This is about Sasuke, right? He told me yesterday."

"Yesterday? W-What did he say?"

"Well, Sasuke was talking to Lee and Choji when I showed up. He was really hostile with me for some reason. When I asked what was wrong, he just…told me to find you. I tried looking for you but you'd already left."

"Hmm." Sakura said.

"So what's the deal?" Naruto asked.

Sakura closed her eyes for a moment and took a deep breath before looking into Naruto's eyes as he stared back her with a plastic fork hanging loosely out the corner of his mouth. "Naruto, Sasuke-kun and I broke up."

"What?!" Naruto yelled in shock as the fork went flying out of his mouth and bounced on the table. He was so loud that all of the patrons in the café glanced over at them. "What do you mean?! Why?! When?!"

"Would you quiet down?" Sakura said in a hushed tone as she looked around. "You're embarrassing me."

"Yeah. Yeah." Naruto replied in a normal tone. "So when did you..?"

Sakura sighed. "Two days ago. No one knows yet."

"Two days ago?" Naruto was bewildered. "But I don't understand. You've had a crush on him since freshman year. I remember how happy you were when he asked you out back in November! Why would you end it in less than a year?"

Sakura kept wringing her hands nervously "Why? I'll tell you why. But first you should know something. You should know the reason that I've been…avoiding you for the past couple of months." Naruto's face became grim as he continued to listen. "I heard you Naruto. It was back in May, you and Shikamaru were talking after class." At first Naruto was looking at her with confusion. But as she talked, Sakura could see his face slowly turn to shock as he realized what she was talking about. "I heard…what you said…about me. About your feelings…for me."

"Y-You…" Naruto stuttered. His ability to form sentences seemed to escape him.

"I didn't mean to listen in." Sakura replied. "I was just…passing by. And I heard you both talking and…well…"

"I-I see." Naruto replied as his head hung low. "Sakura-chan, I-I'm sorry. I…didn't mean to…I didn't mean for this to…"

"It's okay Naruto."

"No! It's not! We're friends! I know that! Just like I know that you'll never see me in…that way. I've caused problems for you and it clearly messed with your relationship." Naruto placed both hands on the table and bowed his head. "I'm sorry. I'll do anything to help you fix things with Sasuke. I'll talk to him and get him to understand that this was my fault. That you broke things off with him because you thought it was hurting me."

"You're wrong Naruto." Sakura answered. "I didn't end things with him because of that. I did it…because…I think…I feel…the same…for you."

Naruto's eyes popped open as he slowly looked up at Sakura's face. Tears were welling in her eyes and she looked so nervous she was visibly shaking. "You…what?"

This time Sakura was the one to bow her head. "I'm sorry. I know this is selfish of me. But after I heard what you said I thought the best thing to do was to just avoid you for a while. But when I did that, all I could think of was you. These last few weeks, all I could think about was how you were doing. If you were eating right, or studying or getting enough sleep or worrying about the next game. I was so used to being by your side for all of that, since we were kids. Even when I was with Sasuke-kun, all I thought about was you."

Naruto looked down at his meal as Sakura continued to talk. "No one knows me better than you Naruto. No one knows you better than me. That's why…I think…that I lo…"

Naruto suddenly smacked the table with enough force to rattle the dishes and cause some of his drink to spill. It startled Sakura and the patrons around her as everyone fell silent and fixed their eyes on the boy. "Now?" Naruto muttered. "You say this to me now? You figure this out now? Why didn't you figure this out a year ago? Or five? Why now? You…already chose Sasuke. You're supposed to be with Sasuke."

"I just…I know this is…selfish of me."

"Selfish?!" Naruto screamed as he jumped to his feet. "That's not even the start of it! This is just cruel! You spend all this time throwing your relationship with Sasuke in my face!"

"Naruto, I never..!"

"And now because you spied on me and heard what I said you want to act like you're in love with me now?! You don't love me! You're just confused!"

"I am not..!"

"And now you ruined your relationship with Sasuke and probably my friendship with him?! Why?! Because you think you want me now?! What the hell is wrong with you?! What are you thinking?!"

"I don't know what to think anymore!" Sakura yelled angrily. "All I know is what I want! That's you! I love you! I…love…you." As Sakura said those three words she felt as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. She'd finally admitted it fully. Not just to him, but to herself.

Naruto merely glared at her angrily. "Well, congratulations. I guess you'll want me for a while until you decide you want him back, right?" Sakura felt a pang of guilt in her gut as he said that to her. Every nerve in her body screamed for her to run out of the café. But she didn't. She couldn't. She resolved herself to see this through no matter what.

Naruto and Sakura looked around to see everyone staring at them. Lady Chiyo was standing nearby with a look of concern. Even her husband was awake and watching from behind the counter. Embarrassed and unsure what to say, Naruto looked at Lady Chiyo. "Your cake was as delicious as usual, Chiyo-baasama. Thank you." He gave a quick bow. "I apologize for the scene." He quickly left the store without looking back.

Sakura slumped back in her chair. Tears ran down her cheeks as she looked stunned. How could this have happened? Why? Why?

"Sakura-chan." Chiyo said as she walked up to her.

Sakura looked up at her with vacant eyes as tears began to flow more profusely. She looked around at the awkward stares of all of the people in the shop. "I-I'm sorry Chiyo-sama!" She yelled as she grabbed her jacket and ran out of the shop as Chiyo called behind her.

-Sunday June 29th-

-2:08PM-

Sakura sat on a street bench alone as people walked by. For over an hour she walked the streets, lost in thought. Randomly, tears would well in her eyes as she thought about everything that happened in her life recently. Sakura looked up and saw the mountainous region that loomed over the western side of the city. It was about eight blocks before she would reach the path that would take her up to the park at the top.

Sakura got to her feet, her legs felt like lead as she walked towards her destination. As she did, another memory, perhaps what was the harbinger of this day, played in her mind.

-Thursday June 26th-

-4:27PM-

"What?" Sasuke asked in disbelief as he stood under an oak tree in a secluded spot behind the school. Standing across from him was Sakura. She had come to him earlier and asked to see him after school in private.

"I-I said, that I…want to…break up." Sakura stuttered.

"Tch." Sasuke replied as he shook his head. "Sakura I know things have been weird with us lately but whatever I did…"

"It wasn't you." Sakura answered. "It's me. You…deserve a better girlfriend than me."

"What the hell are you talking about?!" Sasuke yelled as his eyebrows furrowed in anger. "Why would I deserve a better girlfriend?! You're great!"

"No…I'm not." Sakura replied as she began to cry. "I'm not. Sasuke…I think…that I've fallen for someone else."

"What?! Who?!" Sakura hesitated. Sasuke took a step towards her. "Who?!"

"N-Naruto."

Sasuke paused as the shock of her words struck him like cold water in the face. He took several almost stumbling steps away from her and leaned his back against the tree. Then to Sakura's surprise, he buried his face in his hand and began to laugh bitterly. "So…he finally did it. He finally won your heart."

"You knew?" She asked. "About how he felt?"

"Of course. A lot of us guys did. And I've been his friend since freshman year."

"And you still asked me out?"

"What's wrong with that? Naruto is too much of a chicken shit to make a move. I started to like you. So I did what he couldn't. Besides, it's not like I owed him anything. And he even said it was okay when I did." Sasuke moved his hand and glared at Sakura with scorn. "So what did he do? Did he actually grow some balls and confess?"

Sakura shook her head. It was hard to look at Sasuke while he looked at her with such obvious hate. "He doesn't even know how I feel yet. This wasn't something that happened overnight, you know. I tried to pretend that I wasn't feeling this way. I wanted to be loyal to you."

"That's supposed to make me feel better?!" Sasuke yelled so loud Sakura jumped back instinctively. She'd never seen him so mad. "So what's supposed to happen to me, now?! You want me to be happy for you both?! Give you my blessing?! Huh?!"

"I don't…I don't know."

Sasuke smirked. "Of course you don't. So fucking pathetic. Just get the fuck out of my sight. Go run to him if you want."

Sakura turned to leave. "I'm sorry." She said; her voice cracking.

"You should know one thing though." Sasuke added. "You shouldn't be so sure that things will go the way you want. Unlike you, Naruto actually knows something about loyalty. It may not turn out to be the happy ending you think it'll be."

"I'm…willing to take that chance." Sakura replied before walking away. Sakura walked a few feet before she stopped and turned to face Sasuke who was still leaning against the tree. His arms were folded as he stared vacantly at the leaves swaying above his head. "Sasuke, please don't be mad at Naruto. This isn't his fault."

Sasuke chuckled derisively. "You aren't in a position to ask me to do something that's impossible. Now, get the fuck away from me." Sakura merely nodded and walked away.

-Now-

Sakura walked up the path in the park. Just ahead she could see the large clearing where you could sit and look over much of the city. Sakura's hair billowed in the wind as she ascended to the top. She moved some of the strands of hair that was getting in her eyes as she walked. I should cut my hair. She thought. Why the hell did I grow it so damned long anyway. A moment later she frowned. That's right. Sasuke-kun preferred long hair.

Sakura walked up to the railing and looked out at the bustling city below. The muffled sounds of the traffic and the people below acted as a soundtrack to the scene before her. Standing far above the world below, Sakura found a pleasurable serenity away from the chaotic world below. It was no wonder she loved to come here when she had the energy to make the trek. It was a great place to think. But this wasn't the café. This wasn't her favorite spot. No. It was his.

Sakura looked behind her, and saw Naruto sitting on a park bench under a copse of trees slowly pulling on a cigarette. He was partially obscured in their shadow as he leaned back on the bench with one arm thrown over the back. His solemn face however, betrayed his casual demeanor as he sat staring out at the blue sky, not even acknowledging her presence.

Sakura walked over silently and joined him on the bench. Neither seemed to acknowledge the others' existence for a while as they both merely sat, staring at the clouds that slowly danced across the blue sky. Minutes passed before Sakura spoke. "Thought you quit." She said without even looking at him. For some reason she felt calmer than she had all day. Was it because I finally said those words to him? She wondered.

"It's either this or I drink." He said flatly as he took another puff.

"If you start doing that again it will affect your lung capacity and eventually your…"

"Quit it with the medical crap." Naruto threw the remainder of the cigarette at his feet and crushed it. "I'm not going to start up again." Once again the pair fell into silence. Minutes passed. "How'd you find me anyway? I was hoping for some privacy."

"Bull." Sakura replied with a chuckle. "If you didn't want me to find you, then you wouldn't have come here."

Naruto chuckled bitterly. "It wasn't my first choice. At first I thought about going to…"

"The batting cages uptown." Sakura said flatly. Naruto looked at her with a bit of surprise. "Or perhaps you even thought about going to the arcade on Seventh Street." Naruto merely stared at her as she spoke. "But you came here because when you need to really think about something heavy, you prefer a quieter place." Sakura finally glanced at him with a smirk on her face. "Don't look so surprised. I said I knew you, didn't I?"

"Tch!" Naruto responded with a grin. "So…what you said earlier…about how you feel…was that true?"

Sakura blushed and nodded. She made sure to keep her eyes fixed on his. He needs to know I'm serious.

"Man, what a fucked up situation." Naruto replied. "I've been waiting since I was seven to hear you say those words to me. But now, I just feel like a pile of crap."

"I'm sorry for causing you trouble." Sakura said.

Naruto shifted in his seat so that he facing Sakura directly. He kept the same smirk on his face. "You want to make it up to me?" Sakura nodded. "Then you have to agree to make a deal with me."

"A deal?"

"Yup." Naruto scooted just a bit closer that made Sakura tense slightly. She could smell the light fragrance of his cologne. "Here's the deal. You need to prove to me that what you said earlier is true. If not, then we'll know that all you were doing is lying to yourself and you can go back to Sasuke."

"Prove it to you? How?"

Naruto bent a bit forward, leaning in closer. The distance between them was now such he could feel her breath on his face. "Kiss me." He said with a confident smile.

"K-Kiss?" Sakura stuttered. She turned bright red as she thought about it.

"Yup." Naruto said. His smile widened like a cat that just caught a bird. "If you love me like you say then obviously you would be fine with kissing me, right?" Sakura pulled back and looked around. During this time of day it wasn't a surprise that they were the only ones around. Seeing her hesitation, Naruto laughed. "See! I knew it! There's no way you could go through with..!"

Much to Naruto's astonishment, Sakura plunged in and gave him the most passionate kiss she could muster. Her whole body felt hot and her lips burned as she kissed him. Naruto's eyes were wide at first as he sat rigid. It didn't take long however for him to relax and kiss her back. An eternity seemed to pass as the two remained locked in a tender embrace. But finally, Sakura slowly pulled away. She took a deep breath and tried to calm herself as she looked at Naruto who remained leaning forward with his lips puckered and his eyes closed. I-I did it! She thought. Damn, my heart's beating so fast. She looked at Naruto's lips. They're…softer than I thought they would be. "Naruto?" She finally asked. "You okay?"

Naruto blinked several times as he seemed to be in a daze. Sakura kept calling his name but for a brief time it was as though nothing else in the world mattered. Finally he looked at her, coughed to clear his throat and looked away. His cheeks were a blazing hue of red as he fought to regain his composure. "Y-Yeah. I-I'm fine."

"Well?" Sakura asked. "Satisfied?"

Naruto nodded. "Mhmm." His face was still flushed as he looked away.

Once again they were quiet. A little girl came running up the trail with her father in tow. She squealed in excitement as she pulled him along to go see over the edge.

"So what now?" Sakura asked.

Naruto sat back in his seat with both arms hanging over the back. Sakura watched him intently. No matter what decision he came to, for better or worse, she would support it. This was the resolution she'd come to. Whatever path he chose, she would live it.

"I can't." Naruto said. Sakura felt as though she was punched in the gut. She lowered her head so that he couldn't see the look of grief and frustration she knew was plastered all over it. "Not now anyway." Naruto reached under her chin and with his finger gently raised her head up so that he would look at her. "I've loved you all my life. But I can't do this. Not this way. Not until I know Sasuke is okay with it. It's the right thing to do."

Sakura bit her lip gently nodded. "Yeah. You're right. Of course you're right. But Sasuke…he's…"

"Pissed off?" Naruto asked. "Yeah. I bet he is. It could take a while to fix this. Months. Maybe even longer. I guess the only thing to ask you is…can you wait?"

Sakura looked out towards the sky ahead of her for a moment. The sun had begun to lower during the time they had been sitting there and was now gently kissing the horizon. It was at this moment, sitting with him now, that she knew this was the right decision. She had to be by his side. "Whatever it takes." She said as she looked into his eyes. "But, only under one condition."

"Okay."

Sakura curled up under his arm, her hand resting on his chest. She could feel his heart racing. He was just as nervous as she was. Knowing that comforted her. "You have to give me today. We stay like this; just for today."

Naruto smiled and hugged her into his chest. He took a deep breath so he could enjoy the light hint of perfume that enveloped her. "I can do that. No problem at all." And so they remained, well after the sun had set, they stayed there, rarely saying a word to each other. Words were not always needed.

-End of Chapter Two-