A/N: Hey, sorry for any delays! There's a lot that goes on in this chapter, and I just wanted to make sure that everything was in tip-top shape. Now, without further ado... on with the story!

Winner Takes All

Chapter 3: Golden Rays

You are like the sun.

You blind me.

And yet you are warm and charming.

How can I deny you?

Sakura had made many tough decisions before in her life. Tough decisions that involved the success of a mission, or the life of a patient, or that involved her own safety—especially when waking up a disgruntled Tsunade from her desk in the morning—but this time around Sakura found herself especially puzzled and uncertain.

Sakura held the white shirt out at arm's length, treating the piece of clothing as if it were the most toxic of poisons. It was a shirt made out smooth material and fine threading, with the symbol of a red fan emblazoned on the back. In a way, she supposed that it was toxic, especially considering the fact that it had touched his skin at one point. How disgusting. How unfortunate! To think that little items like this still remained in her house. Sakura tossed the shirt into the small pile she had collected in the middle of room. So far, the pile contained several shirts, pants, scrolls, old wrappings, and an extra pair of sandals. All of them held the mark of the Uchiha in some way or form. Remnants of his fingerprints and chakra remained all over.

How disgusting.

Thus came Sakura's dilemma. Would it be better to burn these items in a giant flame? Or would it be more satisfying to throw them out to the curve and watch them sink into the mud? Either way, there was no way in hell that he would ever get these items back. Just the very thought of seeing Sasuke again brought a feeling of revulsion to her stomach. A faint thrum of anger pulsed through veins, and Sakura was forced to pause and take in a deep breath to calm her spirit. It was getting harder to control her temper of late. She was filled with a strange sort of energy that, unless she was doing something productive, often left her pacing around the room aimlessly—jaws tense and with a strange twitch in her left eye. Ever resourceful, Sakura channeled this restlessness and need for distraction into other activities, such as cleaning her house. Two days had gone by as Sakura worked in this odd sort of frenzy. The place was a mess. She never realized how far she had let the place go—or rather, she never realized how far Sasuke had taken over. Sakura herself was a fairly conscientious person, and found it difficult to consider the fact that she might have also contributed to the bad state of affairs. She spent the past two days sweeping, dusting, washing, and finally gathering and purging the house of her former lover's possessions. In truth, Sakura considered this last part to be the real treat and reward to all of her hard work.

Sakura weighed her options carefully. She did not want this last moment to go to waste. Both options had their good sides, but they also had their downsides. If she burned the items then the smell would linger for days and she would have to deal with the messy aftermath. She regretted the thought of soot marring her now spotless home. However, if she simply threw the items out, then they would remain on her front yard until the day of trash pick-up. Three days away… three days too long in Sakura's opinion.

She glanced outside, seeing the bright rays of the sun. The tall trees in the neighborhood that stood between the houses stirred gently in the breeze. The shady leaves moved across the sky like dark fingers, the shadow of each individual leaf danced and flickered in the light and played across the beaten path. Puddles remained on the side of the road from the storm a few nights before, but the ground for the most part had dried out. There was no more mud.

Well, that solved that issue. There would be a nice bonfire in her neighborhood tonight. Sakura wiped the sweat from her brow with the back of her hand, fighting off the urge to sit down. It was as if all of her energy from before had finally been sapped away and she was winding down to some semblance of normality. She turned towards the pile… just this one last task. She would put everything in the front yard for later and then she could rest. She scooped everything up, fighting the utter feeling of revulsion that threatened to climb up the back of her throat. The thrum of anger was returning with growing intensity. The sooner she got rid of everything, the better.

At this point Sakura was feeling out-of-sorts, and maybe even a tad bit cranky. She opened the front door with a forceful bang.

A loud crash sounded on the other side of the door.

Sakura let out a soft groan, none too eager to find out what she just hit. She edged her way out of the door, feeling the warm rays of the sun touch her bare shoulders as she looked down.

The flowerpot that shared the front step lay in pieces. The ceramic shards were now scattered on the cement step, and the contents that once were in the pot now covered ground. The yellow weed-like flowers looked absolutely mangled—which actually wasn't much different from when they were in the pot. It was hideous sort of plant that didn't bring much beauty or add to the aesthetics of the house, but it was the only thing that Sakura could convince to grow in her flowerpot. Through the rains or winds this little plant managed to survive it all. It was tough, just like her.

But apparently it was no match for the door.

Well, to be honest, it wasn't much of a loss.

"Sorry," Sakura muttered to the plant, as she kicked everything into a neat pile. She moved to the middle of the yard and carelessly dropped her items from her arms. They were going to be burned anyway, so there was no use of being careful. After completing the task, she circled back to the house, pausing for a moment as she reconsidered the mangled flowers.

Perhaps it was time to visit one of her favorite flower shops.

The door chime went off overhead.

Sakura was instantly hit by the color and cheerfulness of the shop. The words Yamanaka's Flower Boutique arched over the window in broad letters. The white window paint was worn and chipped from years of exposure. Sunlight poured through the glass, and shadows of the words spelled out across the tiled floor. The strong light gently touched upon the various plants that crowded the front of the boutique, each plant twisted up towards the light, reaching and straining towards the sun. As Sakura stood there, the deep heady fragrance of flowers began to overpower her senses and she tried her best to distinguish each scent to regain a sense of order.

There were bright flowers on all sides. Every part of the shop was put to use, and plants were crammed in every available space on the shelves, racks, tables, and floor. Colorful roses and vivid orchids filled her view. There were lilies and chrysanthemums, tulips and daffodils. Small trees and green vines twisted up into fantastical shapes. A stock of flower pots filled the opposite wall – stacked up high to a level that seemed almost hazardous. There were all shapes and sizes, glazed and unglazed, and made of stone, and clay, and terracotta. Sakura's shifted her attention to the back of the shop.

Behind the counter, cool blue eyes appraised her. Sakura could feel her blonde friend slowly taking in her appearance.

"You look filthy," Ino said finally, in a matter-of-fact way. The blonde girl was leaning forward against the counter and resting her head in her palms. It appeared as if she had been in that position all day. A few paper cranes, folded flowers, and other odd creations made from scrap paper and ribbons surrounded her on the counter—a testament to the day's boredom.

"I've been working," Sakura said simply, unfazed by the statement. It had become Ino's habit to greet her by way of some observation or judgment. These greetings could range anywhere from a simple observation of Sakura's new kunai pouch, or a critical assessment of the way Sakura brushed her hair that day. Sometimes they could be especially harsh, but they were never mean-spirited. Ino merely had keen eyes and a big mouth, and Sakura learned long ago to stop arguing back with every word that ever left Ino's mouth. She would only wear herself down from the battle. Besides, it was Ino's own strange way of looking out for Sakura.

Ino's nose wrinkled in distaste. "Tsunade-sama is making you dig trenches?"

Sakura shook her head. "I was cleaning my house," she corrected.

Sakura moved towards the counter. Her shoes squeaked across the tile floor with every step. A myriad of fragrances brushed past her senses. She plopped down in one of the green vinyl chairs beside the counter. It was the spot she often occupied whenever she visited her blonde friend.

"I don't believe you," Ino said flatly.

Sakura shot her a glare. "What's not to believe? I've been cleaning, Pig."

From Ino's higher position on the counter, she was like a queen peering down at her not-so-loyal subject. Her nose wrinkled again in distaste.

"What's really going on?" she asked. Her voice almost sounded bored. "Why are you here?"

"I just wanted to visit one of my best friends."

"Liar!" Ino snapped. "You never stop by for friendly visits."

"Okay, fine. I was going to buy a flower for my door-step."

"Liar!" Ino said again. "You don't even like flowers."

Sakura was slightly insulted. Just because all of her flowers died on her didn't mean that she hated them…

Suddenly, Ino's eyes went wide and she lifted her head from her hand. "Oh, god. That's the second time you lied just now. It must be something really bad." A small smile flitted across her face and she leaned forward. "Tell me everything."

Ino seemed just a little too eager at the prospect of misfortune, Sakura thought. She leaned back for a moment, feeling the hard plastic of the green vinyl chair dig into her back. Her fingers played with the hem of her skirt. Her eyes narrowed slightly and her mouth slanted down into a frown. What was this strange feeling building up from her stomach? This feeling that burned her chest and clawed at her throat? So far, she hadn't told a soul about the incident between herself and Sasuke. She kept all of her emotions bottled up, barely even willing to acknowledge them. Perhaps, it would be good to talk. Perhaps, on some greater sub-conscious level she felt the need to spill her guts and thus made her way to the flower shop. After all, she could honestly see no other reason for visiting the shop, or for putting herself under Ino's close scrutiny.

Ino could see her friend weakening. Leaning forward, she was like a cat ready to pounce.

Sakura sighed. "I broke up with Sasuke," she finally admitted.

Ino made a noise that was somewhere between a gasp and a scream.

"I knew it! I knew there was something wrong!" she said gleefully.

"You don't have to sound so happy about it!" Sakura snapped, suddenly feeling a twinge of irritation.

Ino's gleeful smile turned into a cruel smirk. "He lost interest in screwing you. Does that mean he's up for grabs?"

"You can try, but I think he's only interested in screwing Hinata now."

There was a loud commotion as Ino nearly fell out of her chair. She gripped on to the counter and pulled herself back up.

"What?" she asked.

"Well… maybe he's not screwing her yet, but they're getting married soon."

There was a beat of silence as Ino stared at her wide-eyed. Then she opened her mouth again.

"What?"

That was exactly how Sakura reacted when she found out, too. The shock and jolting panic. The feeling that nothing made sense and that her world had been shaken and flipped around. She remembered sitting across from Sasuke on the bed not too long ago, feeling the same confusion. A depressive fog covered her mind at the thought, and suddenly all Sakura could see was the memory of a room filled with the green light of chakra.

Ino must have sensed her friend's sudden change in mood. Even if she may have appeared petty or shallow at times, she did have a heart. Especially when it concerned her friends—or one bitter pink-haired rival in particular. She did her best to contain the excitement building through her chest and held down the thousands of questions that threatened to burst forth. She wasn't kidding when she said that Sakura did not visit the flower shop often. Seeing her now in her depressed state—pale, hair disarrayed, and covered in filth—it was clear that Sakura was in need of some encouragement.

"Forget him," Ino said suddenly, in an almost ruthless manner. "You deserve so much better. There are tons of other hot guys out there that—"

"I'm not looking for a guy," Sakura cut in.

Ino stumbled.

"Umm…err… then I'm sure there a plenty of hot girls out there that—"

"No!" Sakura cried. "You don't understand! I'm not giving myself away again."

Ino was not impressed. "Don't be stupid," she said. "There's going to be someone that you like in the future."

"Not me," Sakura said, pointing to her chest. "This heart is guarded."

"Just because you lose out to one guy, you never want to date again? That sounds pathetic...and waaay over-the-top."

Sakura nearly fumed in her seat. "I was hoping for some support."

"Ha. The only support you'll get from me is the advice to move on. Trust me, Forehead, you can do better. There are guys out there just dying to get their hands on you. In fact, by next week, I bet you'll be with someone new."

Sakura stood up with a snort. "We'll see about that."

Suddenly, she didn't feel like talking. Coming here had been a mistake.

Her shoes squeaked across the tile floor. Her actions clearly said end of conversation. Ino let out a soft sigh, drumming her fingers on the counter, clearly annoyed by Sakura's stubbornness, but there was something in her eye that suggested she was far from giving up. There would be many days in the future when Ino would have to chance to wear down her cloistered friend.

"Bye, Forehead," Ino said, sounding just a little too sweet. She was already calculating the possibilities.

"See you, Pig."

Unaware of her friend's scheming intentions, Sakura pushed on the glass door and walked out. The door chime went off overhead. The warm rays of the sun fell across her shoulders, just beckoning her outside. To Sakura, Ino's happy prediction sounded more like a dark omen. An unpleasant shiver ran down her spine at the prospect and Sakura fought off the feeling of dread that threatened to take over her thoughts.

She never realized that she forgot to buy a flower.

The subject of men was something that Sakura never shied away from in the past. She would gladly discuss any matter concerning boys and crushes to any person willing to listen. However, there was only one boy in particular that Sakura's conversations would focus around, and though it was not an obsession, it was pretty damn close. Like any girl with a crush, Sakura spent her days dreaming of the perfect future. Her fantasies went along the lines of Sasuke's tender embraces and her soft sighs. They would become elite ninjas, with elite ninja babies, and then they would grow old together and die. They would be well-respected and loved, and their legacy would carry on through the revival of the Uchiha clan. This was Sakura's dream. There was no higher ambition.

Sasuke was right that night when he said those stinging words. Sakura had became so blinded by her fantasies that she could no longer see the truth. Like grasping at smoke and missing the flame. They experienced the most intimate act two individuals could possibly share physically, and yet their minds had always been far apart. Their motives were completely different. It was now that Sakura realized that they had never been equal in the relationship. He always had the upper-hand.

It burned Sakura to just think about it. She was nearly fuming as she stormed down the streets. People shot her strange looks as she passed by, and more than a couple people lunged out of the way. Emotional control was never Sakura's strong point. She always expressed exactly what she felt, and it always showed in her body language and on her face. She supposed that it was nature's way of compensating for her monstrous strength. It served as a warning sign for those nearby to take cover before Sakura went out on a rampage. Which was good for saving innocent bystanders, but severely handicapped Sakura on missions. It was never good when enemies could predict your next move.

This was why Sakura needed to guard her heart so closely, because every slip-up and outburst of emotion weakened her as a person and brought harm to others. She felt like it was a form of abuse whenever she lashed out in anger. Heart-breaks and break-ups would only serve to aggravate the problem of her tenuous control. She was not about to pretend that she was over her hurt feelings just to please Ino. If there was anything that Sakura learned in the past few days, it was that she despised other people who were deceptive, or lorded any extra skill or knowledge over any other person. Sakura was a person who was easily put-off by those who considered themselves stronger or better, which unfortunately was very common in her line of work.

Besides the fact that Sakura hated losing control of her emotions, she also hated the process of cleaning up afterwards – both physically and emotionally. Sakura did not want to fall in love, or seek out another crush. She was in no state of mind to start a new relationship. At the moment she only wanted to recover from the last crushing blow. There was a reason why she clung to one boy in her life so resolutely, and no other. She had been so careful to protect her fragile emotions. Yet, in the end, this one relationship with this one person had nearly destroyed her. Could she ever go through something like that again? Could she every make herself so vulnerable?

The answer was a resounding no.

It would be impossible to follow through with Ino's suggestions. Going on dates would no doubt chip away at Sakura's already wounded heart. There was nothing in heaven or earth that could move Sakura from her stance. Once determined, she never turned away from a decision. The only thing that could possible convince Sakura otherwise was perhaps the influence of some greater cosmic power.

A loud shout and clang of metal caught Sakura's attention.

She paused, discovering that she had made her way near the training fields. Just two fields away through wired fence she could see ten bright orange figures darting and bobbing about. Naruto was battling against his shadow clones, and engaging in a fierce battle by the looks of it.

Sakura approached the field and stood by idly, watching as Naruto tried to out-fool himself. She scanned the clearing, looking for the real Naruto, but that effort turned out to be fruitless as Sakura could never tell him apart from his clones. Shouting and more clanging metal filled the air. Clouds of dust stirred around from forceful attacks.

Suddenly all nine clones disappeared in a poof of smoke and Naruto stumbled around – one hand thrown out as he fought for balance.

"Sakura!" he called. Naruto caught a hold of the ground and stopped himself from falling forward. A wide smile spread across his face. "What are you doing here?"

For a moment, Sakura admired his fox-like grin. The sun glinted off of his golden hair and his smile gleamed with force of his emotions – the force of his happiness. It there was anyone in the world Sakura could rely on for a smile… it was Naruto. Apparently, he hadn't noticed her own stormy mood yet.

"I could see you from a distance," Sakura offered vaguely.

Naruto seemed thrilled by the fact that Sakura would notice him on the training field. And approach him, too!

"Want to train?" he asked eagerly.

Sakura cracked her knuckles.

"Sure," she said. Her stance was tense and green eyes were brimming with emotion. "I could just kill something right now."

"Uhh—" Naruto paled, sensing Sakura's pent up rage, and immediately backed away. "Wait a minute!" he said, throwing both hands up and then wiping his forehead. "Whew! Wait a minute…! Don't you feel that heat? I could really use a break right now."

He laughed nervously and wiped the sweat from brow.

"It's okay. You can take a break while I stretch." Sakura offered as she stretched out her arms. She paused, cracked her knuckles, and then bent down to stretch out her legs. The look of determination was clear on her face. Naruto could see that Sakura was eager for battle by the way she rushed through her stretches. Past experience told him that if things continued, Sakura's eagerness would lead to four broken ribs by the end of training – and not necessarily her own.

He gulped audibly.

Of course, Sakura would heal him afterwards, but if possible… he wanted to avoid the process all together. In a rare moment, Naruto was suddenly struck by a brilliant idea. He would later attribute this to the fact that he had reasons to be highly motivated.

"Oh, wait… I know!" Naruto shouted. "I know! We can meditate instead!"

Sakura paused in mid-stretch – her body bent down in a jack-knife form as she leaned down to reach behind her left ankle.

"Yeah…!" Naruto finished. "Some meditation would be really good right now."

"Meditation?" Sakura stood up, now. For some reason she had a hard time imaging Naruto doing such a peaceful and quiet activity. Sakura tilted her head to the head slightly as she considered her energetic team-mate. A warm breeze stirred strands of pink hair across her face.

"Yeah," Naruto grinned. "Old man Jiraiya taught me some mediation techniques. He said it was to keep my emotions in check."

"Ha." Sakura scoffed. "I wouldn't believe anything that old pervert taught you…"

Naruto was taken aback. "Oh, yeah! Well, I don't that Tsunade teaching you any techniques for self-control."

Tsunade not teach her self-control? Was he out of his mind? Sakura spent years training under Tsunade's tutelage so that she could gain some control over her healing abilities.

"I have plenty of control!"Sakura snapped, contradicting her own statement. "Just look at my chakra-technique!"

"That's not what I'm talking about." Naruto said bluntly.

"Are you saying that Jiraiya's teachings are better than Tsunade's?"

"I didn't mean that either…"

They never spoke of it before, but the tension was there. Naruto and Sakura both trained under two of the great Sannins. There was no doubt that Jiraiya and Tsunade were both powerful and respectable in their own ways, but the fact remained that they were radically different in their teaching styles. Jiraiya believed in the rougher method of field training and hands-on experience, while Tsunade stayed true to the more traditional methods of learning things by the book. Sakura had been schooled in the many styles and techniques of chakra-usage, and knew many jutsus that were well beyond the scope of material that Naruto ever learned, but the fact remained that Naruto had more experience and usage of the skills taught to him by Jiraiya. In truth, Sakura had never used more than a fifth of the numerous techniques taught to her by Tsunade, and a majority of her skills still remained theoretical. They were like heaven and earth. Sakura may have had the knowledge, but Naruto maintained the experience.

Sakura felt a small prick of irritation. "You think you have better control than me, don't you?"

Naruto's grin fell off his face, and his expression became strangely serious.

"To be honest," he said quietly. "I can't afford to lose control."

There was something very foreboding about his tone. Sakura immediately shut her mouth, feeling her mouth go dry. She could feel the crackle as her thoughts leaped into motion. Of course, Naruto could never lose control. He contained the Nine-tailed Demon fox! If Naruto ever lost his temper… there would be pure chaos and destruction. While it seemed disastrous whenever Sakura exploded… this would be something entirely different. It would be more than just punching a hole in the ground and breaking a few bones. There was a lot more at stake for Naruto—a heavy burden on his shoulders. Sakura often severely underestimated her cheerful team-mate. As she looked as his serious expression now, her breath hitched and she caught sight of something barely beyond her comprehension—a window into the distant past—lonely days full of sorrow and grief. Abandonment and rejection. Sakura didn't fully understand the meaning of these forceful feelings, but it was at that moment that she decided Naruto deserved more credit than attributed to him at times. Unlike Sakura, Naruto at least exercised a tremendous amount of self-control over the one thing that he thought mattered in life.

In the next instant, the serious look was gone and Naruto was grinning again. Free and easy as if nothing had occurred at all. He was relieved that Sakura would choose meditation over punching his face and shattering his bones. Sakura on the other hand was completely puzzled. How could he smile so easily after bringing up such a serious topic?

"Alright!" Naruto said. "First we need to sit-down."

He sat on the ground and patted the spot next to him. Sakura complied, feeling the cool damp earth as she sank down into the green grass. Another warm breeze stirred by and Sakura could smell the damp soil and the fragrance of wild-flowers. A lone yellow butterfly fluttered off in the distance. The training fields were especially full of life this time of year.

Naruto closed his eyes and took a deep breath, holding it for a few moments before letting go. He opened his eyes again and Sakura noticed their dark blue tint. For some reason, they seemed deeper than usual and Sakura was reminded of the ocean. Dark waves that moved beneath a gently rocking boat.

"Okay, Sakura! You try…! Just take a deep breath – pull it down into your stomach."

Sakura obeyed, breathing in the balmy air and feeling her lungs expand with the motion. She pulled it deep down into her stomach, feeling the tug. It was the same way she would take in a breath before focusing her mind for a complex jutsu. She closed her eyes, hearing the rustle of trees in the wind. The distant buzz of cicadas. The sound of croaking frogs somewhere far off, and the rushing sound of the stream. These sounds would break in and out through the intermittent breeze.

Naruto encouraged her on. "Just hold it… hold it… now let go!"

Sakura released her breath, feeling the muscles around her chest relax pleasantly as the air left her mouth with a whoosh. She could feel the strain against her body as she expended effort to complete this simple action.

She opened her eyes. Naruto was watching her expectantly. "Well? Do you feel better…?"

Was she supposed to feel better? To be honest, she still felt like killing something. Her shoulders and back felt incredibly tense.

"Uhh—" Sakura said.

"It's fine if you don't! That was just the warm up…!" Naruto reassured. "Old man Jiraiya says warm-ups are important for mental preparation."

He suddenly flopped down into the grass, spreading his arms and legs out spread-eagle. He closed his eyes again. The sun reflected brightly off of Naruto's orange clothes. Sakura could see every crease, wrinkle, and dirt-stain from her spot. She was barely just an arm-length away. The creases and rugged edges of the orange material ran down the planes of his stomach and down the hem-lines of his pants. It was especially patched up around his knees and elbows. Sakura could almost see each individual thread that formed the tattered clothing – worn down from many days of rough training. His chest slowly rose and fell with each measured breath – Sakura could see how he drew each one done to his stomach, and then released them again. The lines of his face had certainly matured, Sakura thought, as she freely looked at his unguarded face. The soft boyish face he once possessed had hardened into something more defined. She noticed how his blonde eye-lashes fanned out, casting small delicate shadows against his cheeks. The sun gleamed off of his head-protector and the black material held back the rest of his golden hair.

Naruto seemed completely at ease as he prepared himself for the next stage of meditation. The green grass seemed to cradle his body in a comfortable way that reminded Sakura of a bed. Another warm breeze went through, stirring the blades. Sakura felt something akin to affection as she watched her team-mate give way to complete abandonment. Did he even realize that she was still around? A long silence had gone by and Sakura thought that perhaps Naruto had fallen asleep. She considered nudging him awake when he opened his mouth to speak.

"Okay…" he said, his lips barely moving with the words. "For this next part you need to completely relax. Don't think about your problems. Just forget it all. Try focusing on your surroundings instead."

Sakura settled down against the cool damp earth, feeling the soft grass cushion her back. The rays of the sun was warm against her skin and seemed to soak down into her very bones. She looked up, watching the puffy white clouds roll across the blue sky. After a moment, she folded her hands over her stomach. Her smooth skin contrasted against her bright red color of her clothes, and she could feel the rough zipper of her shirt press against the soft under-parts of her arms. Sakura's hair was spread out around her head like a halo and tangled with the grass. The pink strands lay just atop the springy blades.

"I do this whenever I need to calm down…" Naruto added softly. The sound of his voice just barely drifted past her ears. It was the last thing he said before his voice faded completely away into the background – the echoes became lost in the intricacy of the world around them.

Sakura kept her eyes focused intently on one cloud before it rolled out of her field of vision. She then closed her eyes, listening to the rustling leaves of distant trees, and the closer rustling of grass. The songs of the cicadas and croaking frogs cut in and out with the breeze. The sun was warm, and the grass soft, and there was a strong, comfortable presence beside her. Against this calm flow, her whirling thoughts slowed down to a calming lull. With each breath she surrendered the stress and grief that had clutched at her heart these past few days. The bad feelings left her body with each steady release of her lungs. She gave it all away with complete and utter abandonment. For the first time, in a long time, Sakura gave herself permission to be still.

Sakura let out another breath that sounded more like a choking sob. It quaked and shuddered as it rose up, before disappearing with the breeze. Then she released another breath that was much smoother and calmer, but just as liberating. For some reason there was a strange twinge in the center of her chest.

Unknowingly, another small crack had appeared around the shell of her heart.

She let out another soft sigh.

Sakura surprised Naruto by letting him take her out for dinner.

"R-really?" Naruto shouted.

Sakura just laughed and gave him one her cocky, reassuring smiles. Her green eyes glowed and her mouth twitched up in such a way that suggested she was feeling much better than she had felt in days. Their deep meditation exercises actually led them to falling asleep in the middle of the training field – and napping for several hours. Which, in truth, Sakura should have expected from the very first moment she laid down in the soft grass and felt the warm rays. When Sakura woke up the sun was low on the horizon, and she had tan-lines marking her skin. Naruto was in such deep sleep that she almost had to kick him to wake him up. It was a perfectly wasted day.

But a completely refreshing one, too.

Sakura stood in her usual, relaxed stance. All tenseness from before was gone. "As long as it's not ramen," she told him.

Surprisingly, Naruto was eager to comply. Although he often asked, Sakura never accepted his offers for dinner. First, he had spent the whole day with Sakura, and now this… perhaps fortune was beginning to take a better turn. Maybe she would even see how fantastic he was and abandon that bastard Sasuke. Just the very thought made him smile. It was all like a dream! Wait a minute… he wasn't still sleeping, was he? Naruto pinched his arm just to make sure, and Sakura just gave him a strange look.

"Hehehe. Maybe you'll abandon that bastard Sasuke," Naruto said, voicing thoughts.

"I already did," Sakura said.

Naruto gaped at her for a moment before shutting his mouth. Discreetly as possible, he let Sakura walk ahead before doing a small victory dance, pumping his fist in the air and grinning broadly.

"Hey, hey!" Naruto said, catching back up. "Do you want to go on a date?"

Sakura's face remained impassive.

"Too fast, Naruto…" Sakura muttered, slightly irked by his lack of tact.

"What?" he asked, not hearing what she said. He leaned in closer.

"Never mind, let's just start with a dinner first," Sakura said, for some reason she refused to look at him in the face.

Well, at least it was a start, Naruto thought happily.

They ended up going to a tea-house downtown and sitting outside on the terrace as they waited for their meal. The delicious fumes wafted out and teased their already grumbling stomachs. Sakura sat delicately at the edge of her seat with her legs crossed and Naruto slouched down against the wooden table. The terrace was high up and they could see the rooftops of the village and the gently turning colors of the sky. Directly across their view were the terraces from rivaling restaurants. Sakura could see each one clearly, whereas Naruto – who was directly opposite of Sakura – had his back turned. Besides the dull outer walls of the tea-house, the only thing he could focus on was Sakura herself. Which wasn't a bad thing at all, in his opinion.

Things were going very well, Naruto decided. When their food arrived they both immediately dug-in, tantalized too long by the delicious smells that wafted over from other the tables. Naruto was very generous and bought two plates of tempura instead of just one. He even ordered tea for the both of them instead of water, and then a side of dango for dessert. They were both smiling and chatting happily away over the great food when Sakura suddenly brought a cup of tea to her lips and froze.

Her green eyes went wide and Naruto paused from shoving a huge piece fried dough into his mouth. He suddenly felt a flush of embarrassment. He didn't do anything disgusting or spill anything on himself, did he…? Naruto quickly scanned down his clothes, seeing nothing more than the usual crumbs on his lap.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

But Sakura didn't respond. Instead, she stood up, moving so quickly that she nearly knocked the chair over.

"I'm sorry, Naruto, but I have to go…" she quickly. There was a look of panic on her face.

"W-what? Why?"

"I, uhh…" she cast her eyes about everywhere but him. "I… I left my stove on!"

Then without further explanation she ran off. Naruto watched, mesmerized, as Sakura disappeared into the darkness of tea-house and then to the streets. Well… he supposed that forgetting to shut off the oven was a pretty important thing. Thus, it was acceptable that she ran off… from their dinner. He slouched down into his seat looking at the abandoned chair across from him. Most of the food was still untouched. Naruto grumbled for a moment before perking back up. Well, there was no use wasting the food… he picked the food off of Sakura's plate and placed it on his own. Women were such fickle creatures.

She dropped her spoon with a clatter.

"Hinata… is everything all right?" Sasuke asked. His dark eyes seemed to pierce through to her soul.

The Hyuuga heiress picked her spoon back up lightly, flushing with embarrassment.

"Everything is fine…" she reassured quietly, refusing to look up. She studied the decorative gold threading on her sleeves instead.

After a moment, Sasuke returned to his meal, brushing off the incident as nothing more than another sign of nervousness on Hinata's part. She was an extremely self-conscious person prone to dropping things and tripping on her own feet. Sasuke was not sure if this was attributed to her meek and timid spirit, or if it had something to do with his presence specifically. It was difficult to tell as Sasuke rarely saw Hinata with anyone else during his courtly visits. One thing was for certain, she at least wasn't loud or clingy as his last lover had been. Sasuke saw this as a very positive quality for his future bride.

Hinata brought a cup of tea to her lips with trembling hands. She took a long sip before placing the cup back down. She decided to stop picking at her meal and folded her hands politely into her lap. Her long dark hair fell past her shoulders framed her soft, curvy body. Her pearly eyes gazed off into the distance at something Sasuke could not see. Without visible pupils, it was hard to read Hinata's thoughts or gauge her moods. Especially, when she remained so quiet.

Hinata took in several deep breaths, relieved that Sasuke suspected nothing out of the norm. With clear eyes, she gazed at the terrace directly across the street. She could recognize that orange jump-suit and golden hair anywhere. She spent the better part of her youth watching him from the shadows after all, hadn't she? Even from this distance she could tell that, without a doubt, it was the boy of her dreams. The golden ray that broke through her dreamy world.

It was Naruto.

Ah… but he was with Sakura again. Hinata tightened the hands in her lap, somehow wishing that she could switch places with the pink-haired girl. Just for once in her life. But even if by some strange miracle this were to occur, Hinata was certain that she would only blush and stutter before her childhood crush instead of saying anything remotely understandable. Instead of seeing her as a mature, young woman, Naruto would only see her as the strange girl that often trailed after him in the earlier days of their youth.

She sighed miserably. Was this some sort of curse? Some sort of punishment? What had she ever done in life to bring on such misery?

Just then, Sakura looked up. Their eyes made direct contact. The pink-haired girl jumped up and stumbled back in shock. Hinata could see Naruto talking, but Sakura was already backing away. Then the next moment… she was gone.

How strange.

Hinata watched as Naruto stayed behind. She spent the rest of the time watching him eat, feeling oddly comforted by this old habit.

"Hinata… are you ready to leave?" Sasuke asked. It was nearly nightfall.

"Yes…" she said. When in truth, she only wanted to stay behind.

Sasuke placed a hand protectively on Hinata's lower back as he led her out of the tea-house. His touch was light and respectful, but somehow Hinata still felt it was wrong. It was a strange feeling that she could not articulate into words, and though Hinata never felt anger, she did feel great frustration.

Sometimes those who held the most power, were the least empowered of all.

A/N: Oh, dear. It would appear that there is more to the Hyuuga heiress than meets the eye. The next chapter is called... Awkward Glance! Just as a hint, it involves a new character, and some old characters. Have I made things too easy for you...?

Reviews are always appreciated! ;)