Title: Love Is More Than You Can Imagine

Summary: SasuNaru. After Uchiha Sasuke has returned Konoha, team 7 was sent on a mission. Then they came back with an unconscious Sasuke and there's only ONE way to wake him up.

Important:
This is a SasuNaru.
A SasuNaru this is.

Chapter 4: Sasuke, I'm Your True Love!
(edited)

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On weekends, Haruno Sakura was not required by Tsunade to be present at the hospital or at her training. Tsunade usually gave her day-offs for herself. After all, being the Hokage's apprentice could be quite exhausting. So, this bright Saturday afternoon, she decided to just stay home and relax. She turned on her television and situated herself on her couch. She placed both of her feet on her coffee table while grabbing the nearby cookie jar. She started switching channels. She would stop once in a while then change channels again, until she finally chose a certain channel. She put down her remote control and settled back on her couch.

"…and that's all for the weekend celebrity news, everyone! But before we go, the Kunoichi Channel just received a rather, interesting and intriguing news." Sakura paused at nibbling a chocolate chip and focused on the female reporter, "This was just confirmed by one of our trustworthy sources: The most beautiful and eligible bachelor in Konoha…"

A headshot picture of Uchiha Sasuke, appeared just on the right side of the reporter.

Sakura almost tossed the cookie jar she was holding as she quickly sat up straighter in surprise. She put her feet on the floor and leaned closer to the screen as the reporter continued, "THE Uchiha Sasuke…who has just been reported unconscious after his return from a mission… oh, you are all going to love this!" the reporter looked positively beaming, "has just been seen running around Konoha this morning!"

"WHAT?" Sakura abruptly stood up and increased the volume of her television. Her hands were gripping the remote control so tightly that she almost broke it in half, with her unconscious strength.

"You know what that means, ladies and gentlemen. Well, for those who don't, which I doubt that there'd be any, we shall explain. During his last mission, dear Sasuke-kun has been cursed with a sleeping spell that could only be broken with his true love's kiss." The female reporter gave a dreamy sigh. A picture with a black female silhouette was placed just beside Sasuke's and a small heart flew in the middle.

Sakura stared owlishly. True love? Riiight. Television glamorized everything.

"Which brings us to our most intriguing question in the history of Konoha," the reporter gave a dramatic pause before continuing. "Who is Sasuke's true love?"

That's what she'd like to find out too. Sakura sat on the edge of her wooden coffee table, lost in thought. The wheels in her mind started turning and eventually she'd find out about it. But Sakura was already having a theory, even before Sasuke was awake. She just didn't want to jump to any conclusions because matters could become worse. Sakura nodded to herself and decided to turn off her television. She grabbed the remote control and noticed that it was slightly bent. Sakura raised an eyebrow then shrugged.

She needed to talk with some blonde fox-boy this afternoon and clear things out.

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Sasuke was quietly sitting under one of the trees that Naruto hadn't destroyed and the blonde was wishing that Sasuke would go away. It was difficult concentrating when you know you're being watched. Okay, he wasn't concentrating. All he had to do was dig and put the stupid tree in. He was suddenly alerted when Sasuke made a little gasp from behind him. He looked back and saw Sasuke get up rather quickly from where he was sitting. "Someone's coming." Sasuke muttered.

Naruto stared at him bewilderedly. He didn't feel any… "Oh… your fan girls. I guess the news is out already."

"You have to hide me, Naruto!" Why was Sasuke terrified of them anyway?

"Go hide yourself, I'm planting trees here."

Sasuke looked like he was about to tear his hair out. He cursed for a moment then leaped up onto the branch of the nearest tree.

Naruto continued with his work, hoping that the girls would go away after they find no signs of their idol here. Naruto ignored the shuffles of several footsteps approaching. "Hey, you!" The annoying tone and the high-pitched voice rang in his ear. Naruto's grip on his shovel tightened and he silently wished that it was the girl's neck instead.

"What do you want?" Naruto asked, a little harsher than he intended to. They really should go away soon, because he knew that his anger was untamed. He didn't want things to get bloody… or anything.

"We want to know where Sasuke-kun is!"

You and the rest of the breathing Sasuke-stalkers out there. "Why the hell should I know? Besides, even if I do, I won't tell you." Crazy bitch. Naruto watched as the girls grew impatient. Why were these girls always seemed to be mean to him? It wasn't as if he stole Sasuke… oh wait, he already did… and Sasuke let me do it. But these girls have no way of knowing that. Probably another reason why these girls were extra impatient today was, the fact that they knew that Sasuke could possibly be in love with somebody… and not anyone of them. He just couldn't imagine their frustration when they realized that they have totally no idea who it was.

"Such rudeness… and in front of Sasuke's true love." One of the fan girls replied. Okay, maybe not so frustrated. The news has made them delusional. She crossed her arms in front of her chest and tried to look down on Naruto. Naruto wanted to laugh. Even if he was hated by most of the townsfolk, none of them could ever try to look down on him now. Literally speaking, Naruto has grown tall and the girls were actually looking up at him as they talk to him.

"Hey! I'm the true love!"

"Will you all shut it? Please." His own noise, he could deal with. But not this. Also, it was exasperating already to see Sasuke getting chased everywhere he went. Not that he was jealous, of either party… it was just annoying that nobody could grab the reality that Sasuke was sick and tired of this, even before he had left Konoha. "Give Sasuke a break. He doesn't like being chased around, you know."

"Oh yeah? Why are you assuming that? Any guy wants to be chased after!"

"Maybe some other guy! But not Sasuke!" It was true that some guys wanted to be sought after, but he knew that Sasuke was not that type of man. Sasuke looked like the type that could not give a damn to the rest of the world as long as the one who really mattered to him was the one going after him.

"Will you stop talking as if you knew Sasuke that well. I hate you and I don't care if you're team mates!"

"And besides, Sasuke is too good to be your team mate. You don't deserve to have a friend like him."

Sasuke was the first person to ever recognize him as an equal. He was the reason why he had struggled so hard in his trainings every single day for three years. Every night, the thought of seeing him again has been his driving force that's why he was able to master his wind techniques. Now, here come persons who blindingly accused him of not deserving someone that he valued even more than his own life. This was foul.

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"And besides, Sasuke is too good to be your team mate. You don't deserve to have a friend like him."

A sudden wave of alarm hit Sasuke as he saw something red flashed in Naruto's eyes. Not good. "Yeah, and you think you do?"

Sasuke watched from up a tree as Naruto put down his shovel and stared at the group of girls. "Ignore them, dobe." Sasuke whispered as he mentally slapped himself. He should have had run and had the girls tailing after him, instead of having them tormenting Naruto with harsh words like this. As much as Sasuke would like to see them annihilated, he couldn't harm them in any way.

While Sasuke was brooding for a quick plan, his attention was caught by a leaf falling from one of the trees near him. It headed to land on Naruto's head, when Sasuke noticed that the leaf didn't even get near the blonde. He blinked again and realized that the leaf was incinerated as it got within a few inches from Naruto. What the…? And then he felt a hint of Naruto's chakra in the air. It was humming steadily like the way it did every time Naruto's anger was starting to build up. Sasuke looked at the girls who were staring back with wide eyes and saw that they were rooted to the ground. Fear could do that to you.

Even if Sasuke was sure that Naruto would not hurt them, he still decided to reveal himself and come out of his hiding place. Just then, a new presence made itself known. "Sasuke's not here. He was seen headed to the training grounds." Sakura said as she stepped beside Naruto.

"Okay. Let's get out of here." One of the girls squeaked. They fumbled collectively away from the blonde boy.

Sasuke focused his attention back to Naruto and Sakura. Sakura was starting to learn to approach quietely, he didn't even sense her approaching nearby. He crouched on the branch that he was standing on and continued observing. Sakura must still not be aware of him. "Naruto, chakra's leaking." Sakura put her hands on her hips. It reminded Sasuke of their childhood days when Sakura would scold Naruto. Then she was staring at Naruto, a little too hard for Sasuke's liking. But he couldn't blame her. Naruto did look … something today.

Sakura now stared up at the trees, and seemed to be looking for something. Only, she didn't know what she was exactly looking for. Next thing Sasuke knew, Sakura was clinging to Naruto's arm just the way his fan girls did when they catch up to Sasuke. "Naruto!" She screamed … He thought Sakura had lost that fan-girl personality of hers. Alright, she should let go of Naruto now. "I thought you were being attacked!" What's she doing? Nobody got too close to Naruto like that.

"Eh? Sakura-chan? I'm okay, see?" The dobe was unbelievably dense sometimes. Sasuke knew that the gesture meant nothing to Naruto, but still he couldn't shake the feeling of irritation of having anyone touch Naruto intimately… even if it was Sakura.

Sasuke stepped down from the branch and landed gracefully in front of Naruto and Sakura, "Oi, Sakura. What are you doing…" to Naruto, he added mentally. "…here?"

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"Sasuke's not here. He was seen headed to the training grounds." Sakura was thankful that she arrived just in time. After watching the news about Sasuke, she knew she was not getting filled in on all of the information. She head out of her house to locate Naruto. Along the way, she sensed that familiar chakra of her friend and realized that there might be something wrong going on. Naruto's chakra never proclaimed itself like this unless he was provoked. And so, she arrived at this scene and confirmed her thoughts. Naruto looked like a tiger hissing at his attackers. For the sake of those girls, she had to make up something to get them away from Naruto. Their insensitivity was endangering their own lives.

"Okay. Let's get out of here." She saw one of the girl tell her friends then they hurriedly fled from the scene. Sakura sighed and turned to Naruto. What was he doing letting himself go like that? She put her arms on her hips unconsciously every time she would start that 'mother' tone of hers. "Naruto, chakra's leaking."

Naruto stared at the ground and breathed deeply a few times, calming himself. Sakura watched him as he tried to calm himself, his chest rising every time he took in a deep breath. Her gaze rested there involuntarily then she shook her head and looked away. She looked up at the trees instead and felt another familiar presence. It was a quiet one, obviously hiding.

Ahh. Sasuke is here. Sakura was about to call Sasuke to come out, but to just prove a theory, Sakura couldn't resist doing something fun. "Naruto!" She tried to recall her fan-girl days and she clung to one of Naruto's arms, "I thought you were being attacked" she exclaimed, deliberately exaggerating.

"Eh? Sakura-chan? I'm okay, see?" Naruto was blissfully oblivious of Sakura's idea. He tried to wave his arms around to show that he was indeed all right.

"Oi, Sakura. What are you doing……here?" An obviously pissed Sasuke landed right in front of them and asked.

"Glad to see you're finally awake, Sasuke-kun." Inner Sakura was cheering: SHANNARO! Sakura counted a few seconds before releasing Naruto's arm. As much as she liked to see the rest of Sasuke's reaction, she didn't fancy the idea of getting glared to death. I knew it. Why Sasuke-kun? Can't get this close to Naruto? Sakura wanted to smirk at the confirmation of her theory.

If it was possible, Sasuke frowned deeper. He grabbed Naruto's shirt from where it was hanging on the cart and threw it at Naruto's face.

"WAA! Oi! What are you doing, temee!" Naruto sputtered as he took his shirt off his face.

"Put that shirt on, usuratonkachi." Sasuke muttered.

"Eh? Why?"

Sakura smiled, Naruto was so naïve. Even now at his age, he was still oblivious. Sakura found out that it was actually fun tormenting Sasuke and those hidden feelings. She decided to answer Naruto's question instead. "You don't really have to, Naruto. It's not like I mind."

"Put. It. On." Sasuke said through gritted teeth.

Naruto stared back and forth at Sasuke and Sakura then gave them both a weird look.

"Alright, alright. Sheesh, what a grouch. It's not like Sakura-chan hasn't seen me shirtless yet." Both Sakura and Sasuke stared at Naruto as the blonde ignored them both and tried putting on his shirt. Sakura noticed how Naruto had changed, even if she had been constantly around him. She caught herself staring at Naruto and smiled a little, but when she realized that she wasn't the only one staring, Sakura gave a full grin. Sasuke's stare at Naruto was really sticky.

When Naruto had put his shirt on, he started putting back his planting tools in the cart. "I'm through for the day." He announced. Sakura watched as he grabbed his jacket and hung it on his shoulder. She looked on her other side and saw Sasuke taking his stare away from Naruto.

"I'm going home too. See you two around." Sasuke said. Then he looked at Naruto for a brief moment before leaping up onto a tree and vanishing.

Sakura focused her attention on the blonde boy. Naruto started pushing the cart away from the clearing and Sakura walked beside him silently. They have walked a few feet until Sakura couldn't contain her curiosity anymore. She coughed a little and asked, "So, why doesn't he know that it was you?"

"It was me, what?" Naruto asked back.

"It was you who kissed him."

Naruto was instantly on a defensive mode. "What? No, I didn't! It wasn't me! What made you… eheheh… think that? That's so funny, Sakura-chan! Ehehehe!" He stopped pushing his cart and scratch behind his head. He was laughing uneasily until Sakura raised an eyebrow and it made Naruto stop chuckling completely. Sakura watched as the blonde's shoulders sagged as if in defeat. "Yeah, I still haven't told him."

"Well, there's nothing wrong if you do. Of all people, he must be the first one to know about it, don't you think?." But Sakura strongly felt that Tsunade and Kakashi already knew about this news. Tsunade was all-knowing and Kakashi was amazingly perceptive. She also had a strong hunch that Sasuke might already know it himself. Even if he was a little out of touch with his emotions, Sasuke was not dumb.

"I know. But I'm afraid of how he will react…" Naruto grabbed some of his hair and looked like he wanted to tear them off.

"What are you so scared about? You were able to wake him up! That means that he also felt the same, ne?"

Naruto paused for a while and blinked a few times. He started to push his cart again while he answered Sakura's question, "Yeah, but … it doesn't mean that the bastard will accept the truth! I mean, I almost destroyed half of the damned forest because I found out what I really felt!" Naruto waved his arms animatedly in front of Sakura , "Imagine if he didn't like what happened? He won't just burn the forest with his fireball technique, but the whole village instead!"

Knowing the truth was different from accepting it. Sakura raised her eyebrows in understanding. So that explained the devastation. All around them, the trees were all badly burned and uprooted. Naruto's power plus his stamina, equals destruction.

"What will I tell him, Sakura-chan? He would most likely break my neck and blame me for all that's happening! Man, this just ruined the fate of the future Uchiha Clan."

Sakura wanted nothing but to punch her friend, "Naruto, will you stop saying that?" the blonde was starting to get paranoid. He tended to do that before he could even assess the situation.

"Even if he feels this way, what if he doesn't want it?" The blue eyes looked back at her with fear and worry. She thought that she would remember that look always because there were a few times when you would see defeat in Naruto's eyes. This time, he looked genuinely worried. "Oh god, Sakura-chan! What if I tell him that it was me, and he can't accept it … then he'd reject me and we'd no longer be friends." Naruto smashed his fist against a nearby tree, but this time, he wasn't using any chakra. "ARGH! I will lose my friend, Sakura-chaaan!"

"Naruto, you will lose more than a friend if you do not tell him the truth."

"…huh?"

"Naruto, to break a spell that strong must have taken a feeling that surpasses even doubt." She recalled what Tsunade had told her earlier. The spell was an advanced technique and even she herself had a difficult time trying to understand it, let alone find references to it. Tsunade had said that she only heard of these from a clan of ninja who happened to pass by Konoha on a journey. The clan apparently said that it was only a legend. But now it was proven, and somehow, this little piece of coincidence have helped them solve something. Sakura looked back Naruto and still saw that same look of defeat. This wasn't the Naruto she knew. She closed her fist and decided to talk to him in a manner that he could understand. "I can't believe this, Naruto. I thought you were somebody who doesn't give up easily! You're right, you can't do it, because you're too much of a coward."

"…" Naruto looked puzzled now.

"A real man is someone honest to his feelings!" Then she crashed her fist on Naruto's head. There. Naruto just needed someone to scold him and knock some sense into that thick, blonde head.

Naruto let out a little cry of pain as he rubbed his head. He was silent for a few moments. Sakura assumed that he was thinking over the words that she had just said. True, it wouldn't be good if Naruto hid this truth. Even if Sasuke knew about it, that was not the point. Then Naruto stopped pushing the cart and stared at Sakura. He nodded and gave her a confident grin. "Thank you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura just had the biggest lift in her day today. "Well, what are you waiting for? Go! I'll be the one to return this cart."

Naruto nodded. He closed his fists and started walking, "I'll show you, Sakura-chan. I'll march right up to Sasuke, tell him in his face that it was me and…" then Naruto scampered back beside Sakura.

"What's wrong?"

"Aheheh… could I do it tomorrow?"

"SHANNA--"

"AWK! Alright, alright, I'll go!"

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Sasuke was tired. Dead tired of having these people hound after him. Instead of running away this time, he stopped on his tracks and looked back at them. The persons chasing him apparently, weren't expecting him to suddenly stop. They were also stunned. Sasuke took this time to stare at all of them. "Listen to me. All of you." He noticed there were some boys in the crowd. "Stop chasing me around and pretending that it was you who kissed me."

Good. Let this statement sink into their minds. Some had the decency to look embarrassed, others only continued to stare back. Some of them whispered amongst themselves.

"I DO NOT need anyone telling who my…" what a maudlin word, Sasuke forced it out of his mouth, "…true love is." Sasuke let himself smile a little. "I already know."

I already know how I feel.

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...to be continued.