Hung-over's a bitch.

God, I sound like a sissy!

But yes, the effect of drinking like there was no tomorrow is a real bitch. That throbbing pain in your heard—really painful, is the price paid for drinking too much. There's this basic medical jutsu that can make the pain go away, but I have yet to master the technique. Whenever I try, the pain only increases. Though despite having a nasty migraine, I went to the training grounds our family—team 7 meets up every day. I was nowhere near in a good shape, but I came.

When I arrived, the place was as clean as flat cold ice. Nobody was there. This was odd. Sasuke-teme and Sakura-chan, being the early birds that they are, should have been there first before me. And even though they had major hung-over's, they still, should have been there before me. They have mastered that basic medical jutsu years ago. Years ago! So there was totally no way in hell their excuse could be acceptable!

I started thinking, maybe, they were really lost or just plain being tardy. Sakura-chan can get pretty cranky when she wakes up really, really early. And Sasuke-teme is a real grouch when waking on the wrong side of the bed, just like all AB blood type people, I think. (Sorry AB blood cariers out there if you get offended. I mean, your blood type is rare! Come on, what am I supposed to think? You ought to have special habits, you know. Right?) But then, Sasuke-teme is the only one I know who is an AB blood. But hey, everyone have those times too. Even shinobis are no exemptions.

Maybe, if I just waited, they would turn up, smiling widely at me as if nothing happened last night which would totally be awesome because I needed to bury the image of Sasuke-teme's lips engulfing Sakura-chan's!

With a migraine that felt like a hundred needles stabbing my brain, I waited.

And waited.

And waited.

And fell asleep under the shade of a tree.

02

When I woke up, I felt a whole lot better, my hung-over fading.

And there was a note glued at my forehead written in a very familiar writing style that said:

Had fun last night? I bet you did.

I snorted at this. Had fun? Is he kidding me? I was hallucinating that night! I entertained myself by calling an empty bottle of Sake 'baby' (I even kept hitting on it! God, that is disturbing!) and talked to the fourth Hokage! Who is dead! And I saw things that my eyes shouldn't have seen! I saw Teme squeeze and knead Sakura-chan's round breasts! (This got me aroused, mind you. It was a very hot live show!) And Kakashi-sensei's asking me if I had fun!? Well, screw him!

I have an A-class mission today and—

I stopped reading. His stupid excuse might have been a lie anyway. Besides, I don't have time for his immature antics. The man has gray hair for crying out loud! Why can't he just grow up?

I wrinkled my nose and smelled dog pee! Fuck! Dog Pee!? There, right beside me and probably some ON me! I growled as I had no doubt it was that mutt—Kiba and his monster-dog Akamaru's doing! I'll get him for this!

It might be understandable for Kakashi-sensei to ditch me. But what about Teme and Sakura-chan? What didn't they leave a note? I mean, I could have forgiven them if they had scribbled their excuse on my face. But they didn't leave any note. I decided that I had to seek out the truth. I had to know the bottom line of what happened last night with regards to the kissing and groping and the public indecency. I really had to know. Even if it killed me. (Which it almost did when I knew)

But first things first.

"Kibaaaa!! You mutt!!"

Getting in that brawl with Kiba and his huge doggy, I think was fated.

(Now, I talk like Neji! What's wrong with me!?)

I mean, because of that, I had real grounds to go to the hospital. I had a reason to go and see Sakura-chan as if it was a total coincidence. It's not that I wouldn't go to Sasuke-teme and bluntly ask him: "Why did you kiss her, you son of a bitch?" No. I could have done that. I should have done that. Men talk things out when in a rift, right? But hey, he kissed her! And he perfectly knew that I was still attracted to Sakura-chan that way!

So simply put, going to him and asking for his defense is a big no-no. I had a hidden grudge at him. He kissed her! Damnit! After I took a piss!? Real smooth, Teme. I thought I'll never be able to look at him the same way again. You know that look—I'm your freaking rival but I'm still ironically your best friend, you smart-ass!—that look. Well, not at least a month or so, I thought.

"Sakura-chan," I called as I approached her. She had worn that long doctor robe, underneath was her red Chinese-zipper style top and a flesh colored knee-length skirt. She wore her black leather boots. She turned and saw me. I remember that time, I shall never forget, because that time, my heart sank the moment I saw her face. She looked distressed and… sad.

Sad after her birthday? This is bad!

She must have been expecting me to come and talk to her because she ushered me to the cafeteria. If she hadn't pointed out or if my stomach hadn't growled in hunger, I wouldn't have noticed it was already lunch. Something was amiss here. She didn't ramble. Instead, she gave me that sad, sad and distraught face and heavy sighs. And then she, all of a sudden pays for my lunch! She didn't even violently react when I bluntly said: "You look like a wreck, Sakura-chan!"

I hoped and expected the feel of her heavy hand making contact with my face and she back sassing me. And then, she'll smile and laugh and everything will be alright again. But her hand didn't collide with my face. She only nodded in agreement. Oh no! Sakura-chan never agrees that she looked horrible! Never! Who was this woman I sat across with and what have she done with my happy yet ill-tempered Sakura-chan?

I poked the carrot on my plate. "So," I started, thinking carefully on how to put my questions in an arranged and tension-less manner. "So," how did the macking session with Sasuke-teme go? Was it fun? Ask it like that? Are you happy now that Teme groped you hard last night? Did he fulfill your wet dreams? Or like that? She looked at me, waiting for a question. "You want to tell me something?" I resorted on playing safe. I won't force her. She had to be willing to tell me.

She slumped on her chair and gazed at the people around us. "I don't want to love him anymore." She said.

I decided to go with the flow. "Who?"

Her green mesmerizing eyes were still focused somewhere distant, avoiding my stare. "Sasuke-kun. I don't want to love him anymore."

Bu she does, very much.

I was about to ask 'why' because she never gave any sign of stopping on loving him last month or last year. So why start now?

"This one-sided love business," She said, disrupting my train of thoughts. "It's too tiring. Too much waiting. Too much disappointment. Too much sacrifice. Too much hope. Too much of everything. And it's awfully painful. Too painful."

I nodded. I understood. I did have a fair share of unrequited love too. Love towards her as she loved somebody else. Painful? Yes. And the pain can eat you alive if you don't know how to handle it.

"So that's why, I want to end it now. I was not blind, Naruto. I knew everything was futile. A dead end. But I pretended. I pretended that I can make him fall for me. Love me. Make him love everything in me. I pretended and hoped for a chance. For something. For anything." She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath. "But it has to stop now. I can't endure the pain anymore. So—"

"You don't want to love Teme anymore." I finished for her, drowning in the moment.

She nodded. "No more."

The ambiance was just too sad. It's like I couldn't breathe properly.

"How," I furrowed my eyebrows, sucking in the information she gave. "would you do that?" I had never been more proud of myself after I asked her that question. It's like I was hitting the main point here or something like that. But then, the feeling was cut short when I added: "I mean, why? He kissed you, didn't he?"

I should have just shut up. I should have. Because after hearing those words of mine, she started crying.

After sobbing to her hearts content and two boxes of tissues, Sakura-chan told me the whole story on how and why she and Teme ended up kissing. At first though she said she hadn't realized that I might have seen the whole thing. Which I did and not to mention, the whole Sake bar! Okay, fine. So maybe she hadn't saw me ogling at her and Teme while they committed public indecency because she had her eyes closed and she was too focused on the feel of her mouth and Teme's tongue inside. But hell! How could she forget that they were in a public place? How could she have forgotten about the fact that I was with them!?

Was Sasuke-teme's kiss that good to make her forget all the small yet important details in her life? Good enough to focus on just his mouth and his hands roaming all over her? That good-good? Because I had kissed him you know, once. In episode 3 of the anime series and it didn't give me any other feeling aside from disgust and trauma. But hey, it was chaste and he didn't have the chance to dart out his tongue on my mouth. So how the hell should I know?

Oh. My. God! Did I just say that?

I'm starting to go homo! No way! Must wash my brain! Must wash my brain! Must bury the memory of me and Teme accidentally kissing into the depths of Atlantic! Must flood it with reading Icha! Icha! Paradise, Super Duper Special Hot Edition! Damn you, Masashi Kishimoto! You have forever tainted my masculinity and awesomeness!

(SLAP!)

There. I'm all better now.

"Naruto, you have to fully understand and keep in mind that I was under the influence of alcohol while this happened. Since I said and did things…inappropriate, and such." She blushed. "I was drunk, damnit! Are we clear!?"

"Hai, Hai! Sakura-chan!" I grinned. I knew this would be juicy.

Well, according to Sakura-chan, this was how it happened:

"Sasuke-kun," she purred. Yes, I definitely heard that before I went to the bathroom. She purred his name! She purred! "Sasuke-kun," she purred again. She touched Teme's chest. He grunted in annoyance. She sat closer, pushing her full breasts to his arm. "Sa-su-ke-kun," she called him again, a little seductively though.

Teme snapped and glared at her, "What?"

She giggled, "Wanna hear a secret?"

"No."

"Okay, wanna hear my secret?"

"Tch." Annoyed, Sasuke-teme tried to pry her arm off Sakura-chan. "Let go, woman. Even though today is your birthday, I will not tolerate you—"

"I don't love you anymore."

Teme froze in spot, unresponsive like a fish. Wait, do fishes have fish language or do they have telepathy? Because who can talk underwater? Can you?

"Huh?" God, Teme sounded like the real genius that he is.

"No, wait," Sakura-chan smiled. "I still do!"

Teme glared. Oh, relieved, is he?

"But I don't want to anymore!" She happily chirped.

"Huh!?" And intelligent. Teme sounded very intelligent!

Her breasts still pressed on his arm, she said: "So, kiss me!" she started leaning her face closer to his. "I deserve at least a kiss!"

Teme was confused. Which I totally would be if I were in his shoes! Because if I were, which I really didn't want to, I would have knocked Sakura-chan out. She was drunk! And flirty and totally, totally confusing! Why the heck would she say that she doesn't wasn't to love him no more when in reality, she really does! And then bluntly ask for a kiss? Just like that? She even wore a stupid smile on her face. How twisted is she?

"You think because it's your birthday you get to have anything you want?" Teme retorted.

"Well, chyeah! I'm a good daughter. Am an obedient Konoha shinobi and citizen! Plus, it's my birthday! So I deserve a kiss!" she pressed on. "Kiss me!" she made a smoochy noise. "Kiss me, damnit!"

Teme looked around, "Where the hell is Naruto when you need him?" Well, for your information Mr. Macho, I was talking the freaking piss of my life that time, thank you very much!

"To hell with Naruto!" Sakura-chan said. To hell with me? why, Sakura-chan, oh, why!? "All you need to concentrate on is me! No one else! And your lips on mine! And everything will be over!"

Teme raised an eyebrow at her. "Over? You mean?"

"I told you already! I don't want to love you anymore! So kiss me as a closure! I deserve at least a kiss from you! From all the love and devotion you received from me, I deserve a kiss! Or maybe two. Or three. Or more! But since I'm such a generous woman, I'd only ask for one. A kiss is still a kiss! And I earned that kiss!"

Teme was about to say something equally sarcastic and hurtful. But Sakura-chan, being the major talker that she is, beat him to it.

"You're too painful to love, Sasuke-kun. No, no, wait. I should call you by your surname now. I have to start practicing anytime soon, right? So, dear Uchiha-san, yes, no more endearment for you too! Say hello to plain formality. As I was saying, you're too painful to love, Sasu-Uchiha-san. And I have grown tired and weary. You know, this whole 'annoying' thing is really getting old now. I don't want to wake up and feel the coldness of a freaking bench! I don't want to be bitched about me being fucking 'weak' as well. And I definitely don't want to see your godamn sexy face anymore!

"You know why? Because when I do see that pretty poker face of yours, my knees grow weak like jellies! You give me the tingles inside and butterflies in my stomach! You give me false hope and I become vulnerable again. I don't want to chase after your heart anymore. Literally. Ish. Because I don't think you do have one. But at least. A kiss. I deserve a kiss after all that I've done, Sa-Uchiha-san. Damnit! Calling you by surname would probably take weeks to get used to. So there. I earned it! So, kiss me, fuck you! Or I will do it myself and I assure you that I will not only steal a kiss but I'll also—"

Teme dipped in and smacked his lips on hers, shutting her up.

And thus started the French kissing and groping session.

That was all she explained to me. The kissing part. Because when I tried to ask her about what happened after that, she instantly remembered something and excused herself saying that she had to be somewhere and blah, blah, blah. You know that lame and unbelievable excuse you give when you want to get way from something? That was what she did.

With the talk Sakura-chan and I had that lunch; I sat on my chair in the comfy perimeters of my apartment, slurping down my seventh cup of ramen and started thinking.

Yes, I can think! So too!

Ahem. Where was I? Ah, me thinking. I thought, no, I knew that she was hiding something from me. Something connected to Teme. Something big that have caused her to act and shy away like that. Not that I was nosy or anything, I decided that I really, really, really wanted to find out!

I decided that I would do my best on finding out why Sakura-chan wanted to stop loving Teme anymore and what happened after they kissed. What did they talk about afterwards? Did they have a fight? Or anything? Tomorrow, yes, I'll start tomorrow because I'm giving her space, I thought. I told to myself: I shall endeavor on finding out the answers to my questions! If not, I shall run thousands of laps around Konoha!

Ugh. Forgive me, I hang out with Bushy brows and Gai-sensei after Sakura-chan and I talked. Their flaming youth is just so…contagious. And addicting. And admirable! Did you see how rigorous their training is? Man, it would kill Kakashi-sensei to run a hundred lap around a single tree! Come sing with me! Come into the fiery heart of youth and rejoice—

(Pok!)

Ouch! That hurt, you dweeb!

(Pok!)

Right. The story.

I was going to crack Sakura-chan to tell me something if I had too, I thought. And there would be no way in hell would I ask Teme to tell me the real stuff. I'm still pissed at him and his actions that night. He wasn't even drunk! So no way! No way in hell! Even if he would come to my house and beg me to take my friendship with him back because he had realized how important I am! No way!

Never.

You must have figured it out that I always talk and think things exaggeratedly, don't you? And that I always end up, ironically, doing the exact opposite of what I say, right? Because when I opened the door to my apartment and saw Teme standing in front of my doorstep, asking me to go eat with him, I realized that too.

Glancing at the empty cups of ramen that I just ate, I looked at him and said, "Sure." Because, really, didn't I say he was my best friend slash rival? There may be a slash. But still. Note the best friend. "But you pay!"

He only growled in agreement.

"She said she doesn't want to love me anymore."

I looked at Teme who had been staring into time and space for quite a while. He wore his favorite blue shirt and khaki pants. By the way he smelled led me to believe that he had not been training for the past few hours. If he didn't train, what could he, the mission-oriented Sasuke-teme, have done? Ogle at oblivion just like what he did in front of me? Or think things through in despair?

"Uh-huh." I replied while chewing down my second hot bowl of ramen. "Are you going to eat that?" I asked, pertaining to the untouched ramen in front of him. "Can I eat that too?" I pleaded. Because really, why waste those yummilicious noodles when there's an Uzumaki Naruto beside you? "Aw, come on! Pwetty please?"

He pushed the bowl towards me. I grinned happily. I always knew he had a soft spot for me! So sweet of him.

"She said—"

"She doesn't want to love me anymore. Yadda. Yada." I earned a glare from him. He always does that whenever I cut him off. But when he cuts me off, I listen to what he had to say. You're so unfair, Teme! "I heard you the first time! I actually have ears, you know?"

Geez. Who would have thought that the famous—

Yes, famous, he has a fun club, you know! Millions of it! And I don't get it! Why is he more famous than me? I mean, I'm the main character here! My name is the title of the anime series, damnit! Why? Why!?

—Uchiha Sasuke would one day take me out for ramen unconditionally, pay for anything I ate, and pour me the things that trouble him, which is oh, I don't know, something as trivial as love! Who would have thought that there would come a time like this? Heh. That is so ironically funny.

"She asked me to kiss her." He started again, looking distressed just like Sakura-chan. You know, if kissing and a little groping between two people who are not romantically in love with one another would make them unhappy, then why do it? Both Teme and Sakura-chan are geniuses. Didn't this come to their minds? Man, they're killing me here!

"And I... did. I kissed her."

"Uh-huh." I was tempted to add: And not to mention, you groped her too! But I bit my tongue and kept it to myself. I actually pretended to know nothing. So that I could differentiate what he and Sakura-chan said. So that I could easily track down the left parts of the story that Sakura-chan forgot or didn't tell me for her own reason.

Teme gave a deep sigh, his eyebrows meeting one another. When I looked at him, I realized and saw it clearly.

He was utterly and plainly miserable.

Really miserable.

There's this saying: What you don't know can't hurt you. Ever heard of that? I'm sure Sakura-chan did. Maybe this was the reason why she kept it from me. Because it would hurt me. Whatever 'it' was would hurt me deeply. So she shielded me, or probably herself too. But I don't think Sasuke-teme knew that saying. Or if he did, he didn't care enough on how I would react and feel towards it. Because he told me everything Sakura-chan deemed me of knowing.

"We slept together."

Secrets revealed.

"Shit!" Teme growled in realization, banging his head. "We fuckin' slept together!"

I was so sure that I was dead after his words.