Disclaimer- I do NOT own Naruto or characters, they all belong to the rightful owner, besides Amaye and Akira

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"Sasuke-teme," Naruto growled as he stomped over towards the boy, who happened to be plucking a hangnail carelessly from his finger. Sasuke blinked, turning to face the blonde, startled with his sudden anger. What did Sasuke do this time?

"What?"

"What? You know what! You made Sakura dissolve into tears again because of another heartless comment.," Naruto shot back his blue eyes narrowed venomously.

"So what? I'm just giving you more of an opportunity for her to fall in love with you. That's what you want, right?"

Naruto rolled his eyes and shook his head, frustrated with the way Sasuke had been acting all day. He was acting like he had a stick shoved up his butt, not that that was particularly abnormal, but it seemed worse today. Naruto chose to respond as calmly as possible anyway, and decided not to pester Sasuke on the matter.

"Yeah, but not this way. If you keep doing this she'll only choose me as a second choice." Sasuke's eye twitched. How naïve could the blonde dobe get?

"Naruto, open your eyes! She'll choose you as a second choice even if I don't help you out because she's been caught up on me for six years. She won't get over it, and you're the only one, besides Lee, who likes her."

Naruto blinked, hurt, and gazed at his moving feet. Sasuke was right, he would always be everyone's second choice, but Sasuke didn't need to rub it shamelessly in his face. How much of a jerk could he be? It wasn't Naruto's fault he wasn't as popular as Sasuke.

Sasuke sighed tiredly at catching the upset look on Naruto's face. "Sorry, Naruto. It's just the way the girl is, she's selfish and can't open her eyes and see how much of a great guy you are. She's missing her chance."

Naruto's eyes snapped open wide at Sasuke's words. "...How much of a great guy you are, she's missing her chance." What did Sasuke mean by that? Why was he so set on getting him with Sakura anyway? Was he suddenly a match-maker or something? Plus, what was with that compliment?!

"W-what the hell is wrong with you, Sasuke-teme? You gave me a creepy compliment! Y-you baka!" Sasuke's lips twitched from Naruto's cute stuttering, but quickly morphed it back to his usual frown. He couldn't believe he let that slip.

"I'm just saying, usuratonkachi. No need to panic over it, it was just a simple compliment."

Pink dusted itself over Naruto's tan cheeks while he pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke, "A compliment from you is scary! What did you take this morning?"

Sasuke shook his head, waving his hand in dismissal of the question, what Naruto didn't know wouldn't kill him. In fact, it was best for him. He couldn't know about Sasuke's crush on him, he would panic and send Sasuke from his life forever. Punch him a few times too, probably.

Naruto puffed out his cheeks and pouted childishly, why couldn't Sasuke tell him? Was he in love with him or something? The mere thought made Naruto chuckle to himself. Sasuke, gay? As if. He had the whole population of females in Konoha kissing the ground he walked on, including the occasional male. He could have any good looking babe he wanted, why would he throw that away and be gay? Plus, he had an entire clan to restore.

"Whatever. I still think you need to apologize to Sakura-chan though. She's still crying her eyes out for your information."

"She'll get over it, she's a big girl. Almost nineteen right?"

"You inconsiderate jerk! Do you have any feelings at all?! A gorgeous girl is sobbing for you and you feel nothing?"

"I have feelings, just not for her. And, Sakura gorgeous? She's pretty, but not anywhere near gorgeous."

"Fine! I'll calm her myself and swoop her off her feet! You'll see, we'll be the best couple of all in Konoha!"

"I doubt that."

Naruto screeched, and stalked off leaving a fuming Sasuke in his wake. Naruto had complimented the girl so passionately. Not to mention stood up for her and said he would swoop her off her feet. Sasuke, just for a moment wished that he and Sakura switched places. If he were her, he'd leap into Naruto's welcoming arms and let him love him. But that would never happen.

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"Sasuke-san, how's your day been going so far?" Amaye asked cheerfully as she bounded next to the still brooding Uchiha.

"Crappy," Sasuke answered bluntly, not planning to elaborate or he would go and punch a tree... again. He had already done that twice today.

"Well, obviously. You have punched a tree more than once," Amaye said a bit distantly as she glanced behind her, scanning for any eavesdroppers. She didn't want Sasuke's pride and secret to be destroyed just yet.

"Yeah, you can thank the she-demon for that," Sasuke bit out, a sour coating over his sharp words.

Amaye kicked a pebble with the toe of her sandal before answered amusingly, "So Sakura, huh? What did she do this time?"

"Just blubbering about something I did as usual, and Naruto comforting her, as usual."

Amaye nodded, suddenly thinking about how badly Sasuke needed a therapist of some kind. The boy had so many issues she couldn't keep count, and she had only known him for four days.

"Plus, Naruto made some comment about how he would sweep her off her feet and that they would become the cutest couple in all of Konoha," Sasuke growled, suddenly feeling a sharp wave of sadness overwhelming his senses. He really needed his journal, he hadn't written in it in three days.

"Let me guess, now your thinking about how much you wish you and Sakura switched places. Am I right?" Sasuke looked up at the tall girl shocked with how accurate she was. Was she a mind-reader or what? She was really starting to make him nervous.

"Exactly," he managed to croak feeling his throat constrict and his eyes sting. He quickly rubbed them furiously. What was he, a girl? If he started crying over this he would be no better than Sakura. Amaye furrowed her trimmed eyebrows and wrapped an arm around Sasuke comfortingly.

"Don't worry, he'll come around."

"Amaye... you managed to tell my feelings straight from the start, so tell me, do you think Naruto feels the same way?"

Amaye sighed, she wanted to lie and say that Naruto did, but that would be giving Sasuke false hope and something else to cling onto so he wouldn't feel so heartbroken. "I-, No he doesn't Sasuke-san, I'm sorry."

Sasuke weakly nodded and avoided the concerned girls gaze. He couldn't look at her directly knowing she was giving him a look of pity. He couldn't stand pity. Besides, it was better to know the truth so he could get over the blonde without clinging helplessly to a thin string of fake hope. No matter how much the truth hurt, the last thing he wanted was to hang on to Naruto like that.

"Amaye," Sasuke began, his voice thin. "Do you think you could just give me a second?" He knew it was girly and pathetic to ask for something like that, but knowing the fact that Naruto never did, and never would, feel the same way wanted to sink in painfully and slowly. Amaye only nodded, released her gentle hold on the boy and walked backwards to join her sister who was walking alone.

Sasuke kept walking, slowly and breathed in plentiful puffs of air. He suddenly felt like he was suffocating, and he chocked somewhat, shocked to find the lump that was raising in his throat. Why? Why did it hurt like this, he knew right from the beginning that Naruto never liked him. So, why did the spoken truth hurt so much?

Was it because it being spoken aloud make it so much more real? So much more painful? He screwed his eyes shut and desperately tried to swallow the lump down his throat. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry. He wouldn't cry! He shook his head, his hands trembled wanting to write down his feelings down on paper. Begging relentlessly for it.

Tonight, he promised himself. The first thing he was going to do when he got to wherever they were to be sleeping, he was going to dig out his journal and write down every feeling that he was experiencing. Every thought that was racing through his mind. But he would not allow himself to shed one tear, no matter how much they stung behind his eyes, no matter how large the lump grew, he wouldn't cry.

That was what weak people did; people like Sakura. People who don't want to except the truth. Those who let emotions get the better of them. He wouldn't be that weak. Once he had everything written down, that was it. He would be done, it would be over.

He would stop clutching to the thinning string of hope and finally let himself fall, no matter how much it hurt. He would sit back and watch Naruto give his heart to someone else that deserved it. To someone who never left him, lied to him, and nearly killed him.

This was all for Naruto. It was for his happiness. Sasuke had to stop being so selfish and let the blonde kitsune go with no regrets. No feeling of betrayal. Or abandonment. It was for his happiness. It was for the one who deserved to be happy after so many years of being hurt. It was Naruto's turn to glow with joy. Sasuke couldn't hold him down like that, even if it was unknown to the blonde. He just had to let go.

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Short chapter, but full of important stuff. I'm not sure if it will make much sense, inform me if it doesn't. I have to go to bed, it's twelve at night and a school night. Stupid school!

Anyway, please review and tell me what you think! Thank you to anyone who has reviewed and/or followed!

Ja ne!