Disclaimer: Naruto is the property of Masashi Kishimoto and Shonen Jump magazine as well as other license holders of the Naruto series. This chapter was fueled by Snickers and CocaCola.

No Regrets

Chapter three : Confessions

"Meet me tomorrow night before sunset!"

Sakura felt like an idiot. Tomorrow night before sunset? That didn't even make sense! The only reason she had stood up to say anything at all was because of her master's comment towards Hinata. Why had she called out Naruto's name? She new that it wouldn't be fair to the boy if she confessed to him without first resolving her feelings for Sasuke, but she felt that with the sudden new interest of Naruto from the female population in Konoha, she wouldn't get another chance if she didn't. She was such a terrible person.

"Um, ok sakura I'll be there!"

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard Naruto's answer. She wasn't able to out right confess to the boy in front of everyone, but she was able to at least ask him to meet with her alone tomorrow evening. She sat back down as an uncertain anxiety filled her chest. Its just the Sake.

All the other women were staring at her with a wide range of expressions with the exception of Ino, who wasn't looking at her at all.

"Ok Sakura, spill it." TenTen said with a curious smile. "What was that all about."

The attention she was receiving made her blush. There was no way that she was going to tell the truth about her feelings for Naruto, not without having told him first at least. "Oh, it was nothing. I just need to talk with Naruto about reforming team seven is all." she replied trying to cover up. The excuse was poor at best, but it was the only one that she had. She only hoped no one would try to pry any further.

"Oh? I wasn't aware that Sasuke wanted to be reinstated." Tsunade said with a raised brow.

"He hasn't said anything about it officially, but deep down I'm sure he wants to." she laughed nervously.

"Aaaaaaah, ah." someone sighed drunkedly. "Someone's feeding me a whole lot of bullshit and I'm all out of sake to wash it down with. Hey billboard brow, would you mind handing me the bottle next to you?" Ino asked looking towards the pink haired girl, while shaking an emtpy bottle of sake at her tauntingly.

Sakura irked with irritation, that was the second time since yesterday that Ino had tried to provoke her in some way, both times involving Naruto and Sasuke. Was she angry with her about something?

"I think you've had more than enough." came from the Hokage surprisingly.

Ino pouted as she turned away from Sakura once more.

Tsunade tapped one of the dishes with her chopsticks to get everyones attention as she stood up to say something. "Naruto, we're all glad that you are conscious again and out of the hospital." she toasted. "And hopefully you'll stay out for a while this time." everyone cheered. "With that said, I think we should call it a night. I'm going to go pay the tab, those of you that are sober, help the ones that are not make it home."

Everyone seem to look at each other to see who needed help getting home, but it was more than obvious that only one person had more than their share of sake. Shikamaru and Choji volunteered to take Ino home since they all lived near each other.

Sakura thought about faking intoxication herself in hopes to try and get Naruto to take her home, but lost her nerves and dismissed the idea as the boy said his goodbyes to everyone.

"So i guess ill see you tomorrow then?" Naruto inquired as he finally got to her to say goodbye.

"Yeah..." she replied hesitantly. Suddenly she was getting second thoughts about the meeting, now that she was looking at the boy in the face. Ever since she was a child, Sasuke had been her goal in love, always the one that she nor anyone else for that matter couldn't achieve. When team seven formed, she slowly came to realize that Naruto was willing to give everything that she wanted from Sasuke and whether it was conscious or not on her part, he had become a saftey net for her, always at arms length. Is that how she felt about Naruto? Was he the back up plan for when she didn't get Sasuke? No, even with Sasuke back now, I love Naruto! I think...

"Well see ya later Sakura-chan." Naruto said as he turned to leave.

"Naruto wait!" Sakura called out unconciously. She had that anxious feeling again in her chest. Like if she didn't say anything now, she wouldn't get the chance tomorrow.

"Yeah Sakura-chan?" Naruto turn expectantly.

Sakura paused for a moment not sure what she wanted to say. "...Be safe getting home." she finished lamely.

"Sure thing." he replied with a little less oomph and continued on his way.

She watched him disappear down the road. It's ok, there is still tomorrow. I'll definately tell him tomorrow. Tomorrow...

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Shikamaru, a ninja of Konoha, most known for his kagemane no jutsu, and his brilliant strategic mind with an IQ of over two hundered. Many ninja have come to him for assistance when faced with a tough problem, including the Fifth Hokage on a few occasions, but the predicament of the girl he was carrying on his back seemed unreasonably too troublesome for him to get involved with this time.

"So let me get this strait, You are in love with Naruto, who you have yet to confess to, which in turn is in love with Sakura, who you have suspicions that is also in love with Naruto, but has feelings for Sasuke as well? And you think that Sakura is going to confess to Naruto tomorrow?" he summed up from the girl's drunken rant. How troublesome.

"You're sho shmart Shikaaa-chan." Ino slurred drunkedly with a smile, as she poked her index finger into Shikamaru's cheek.

Shikamaru gave an annoyed look. "You shouldn't do anything if you ask me."

Ino bonked him on the head with a fist. "Howwz zat shupposh to heelp mee!" she spat.

"Well, you confessing to Naruto doesn't change the fact that he has feelings for Sakura, and if she does confess to him tomorrow, you would just be the third wheel." Shikamaru stated. "It's better that you say nothing, at least until you know for sure how Sakura feels." Shikamaru felt a bit ashamed. The advice he gave only reflected his own lack of action and insecurities with Temari.

"Thats not necessarily the best option either." said the chubby boy next to them. Choji was walking beside them while holding onto a large togo container of left over barbecue from the restaurant, still eating as they walked. "Ever since I was little, my favorite food has been fried chicken and no one could tell me differently. There was no way I would ever like anything better than it, until the day my dad took me to try barbecue pork. The heavenly taste of fresh barbecue right off the grill, there is nothing more delicious in the world. Had my father never taken me to try it for the first time, fried chicken might still be my favorite. Who knows Ino, Sakura may be Naruto's fried chicken, but you could be his barbecue pork."

Shikamaru sweatdropped at Choji's analogy. As terrible of one as it was, in a weird way, it somehow made a little sense.

"You're shooo shweeeet Chozi." Ino smiled as she akwardly reached over and pet Choji on the head.

"We're here Ino." Shikamaru said as they arrived at her house and knocked on the door. "Even though I think its troublesome, you should do what your heart tells you to do. That's probably your best option" he advised her, even though the girl would porbably forget the entire converstion by morning.

The door opened to the figure of Yamanaka Inoichi.

"Hieee daddy!" Ino waved. "I'm hoooome."

"She's had a bit to drink, Yamanaka-san. The Hokage insisted so go easy on her." Shikamaru explained.

The man sighed and picked the girl up into his arms. "Thanks for looking after her, Shikamaru and Choji." he thanked as he turned to go back inside. "I'll see you boys the day after tomorrow." he said as he closed the door.

Choji seem to realize something and shouted with excitment. "I almost forgot, its your birthday the day after tomorrow and Ino's the day after that! That means more food! YES!"

Shikamaru just shook his head at his best friend. They had just gotten done with a feast and the boy was getting excited for another one. "Don't you ever stop thinking about food?"

Choji seem to actually contemplate for an answer. "Mmmmm...yeah when I sleep." he stated. "Just kidding! I dream about it when i sleep too!" he chuckled sheepishly.

Shikamaru couldn't help but laugh along with his friend.

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The overcast in the sky didn't bode well for the day's weather. From her experience, a sky like that in Konoha, almost always equated to rain. However, the weather was the last thing on Ino's mind, the splitting headache from the hangover she had made sure of that.

The blonde straitened her hair, which was back down in its normal fasion, and smoothed out her smock as she entered the building. With the lack of missions recently, Ino spent most of her time either at the interrogation unit or assisting at the hospital, today she was at the latter. Although she may not be as skilled as Sakura, she was still one of the better medic-nins in Konoha, and her services were always appreciated when she was there.

"Ah, Ino-san, I'm really glad you're here. Uchiha-san's release has been expedited for later today, but his form has yet to be filled. Would it be possible if you could take it to him and help him fill it out? I would do it myself, but I still have my rounds to do and he certainly couldn't do it himself, you know, with his condition and all." asked one of the nurses.

"Where is Sakura?" Ino inquired.

"Haruno-san isn't scheduled today." replied the nurse. "She hasn't come in for her usual visit either..." she added hesitantly.

She whispered Shikamaru's trademark quote "How troublesome." under her breath as she grabbed the clipboard and made her way to Sasuke's room.

When she arrived, the raven haired boy was stoically facing the window while sitting on the bed and with an arm propped up on one knee. She felt a little disgusted at how she once use to fall prey to similar scenes, along with many of Sasuke's fangirl followers. Does he practice poses like that when he's alone?

"So it seems your release has been bumped up for later today. Well aren't you lucky." she said a bit too sarcastically.

"Where is Sakura?" he inquired without expression.

"I don't know and frankly I don't give two shits where forehead is. I'm just here to help you fill out your release form." she said bitterly as she scribbled on the clipboard she held. Ino's headache continued to pound at her from the back of her mind and everything annoyed her at the moment.

Sasuke turned to her with that eyeless stare of his and even though Naruto assured everyone that Sasuke was no longer out to detroy Konoha, he still made her a little uncomfortable. "I'm sorry Ino for how everything has turned out, but please do not talk about Sakura in an ill manner because she is with me."

Ino snapped the pen in her hand as she grinded her teeth. Was the bastard actually conceited enough to think that she was jealous of Sakura? Over him? She had half a mind to say where Sakura was going to be this evening and with whom, but she didn't. The blonde just clicked her tongue in annoyance and took out another pen from the pocket of her smock.

"I've completed all of the generic information for you, I just need to fill out if you're experiencing any side effects from the surgery or having any difficulties from your rehabilitation." Ino stated.

Sasuke just turned back to the window without a word.

"I'll take that as a no." she marked accordingly on his form.

"Ino? What are you doing here?" said the girl that walked into the room.

Ino turned and was a bit surprised to see Sakura standing at the doorway. "Well if it isn't billboard brow herself." she quipped. "Good, now that you're here, you can finish this." the blonde instructed as she passed the clipboard off to other girl and made her exit.

"Wait! Ino, I have something to ask you." the pink haired girl pleaded.

"Sasuke is being released today. You should hurry and get all the necessary forms filled and filed so it doesn't take all day." Ino instructed, not letting Sakura ask her question. "You have somewhere to be later." she saddly added under her breath as she left.

Sakura never came looking for her as her day went on. Most of her tasks were trivial so it went by slowly for her. Sometime after noon, Ino sat in the staff breakroom staring at the ceiling instead of eating lunch. Her headache had subsided but her stomach was still not ready to eat anything heavy, so she just drank a bottle of water during her break. Her thoughts kept drifting off to about Naruto and Sakura. Was she really ok with not doing anything about her feelings for the boy and let Sakura take him? No, reguardless of what happens with Naruto and Sakura, Ino knew that she would regret not telling him how she felt for him.

"With the way you're staring at that ceiling, I could swear there is a picture of Naruto up there somewhere." came from a feminine voice.

Ino nearly slipped and fell from the chair she was leaning back on as she heard the Hokage. "I'm sorry Tsunade-sama, I didn't hear you come in." she apologized as she tried to hide her startled expression.

"Its quite alright, no need to apologize." the woman said as she took a seat next to Ino. "So you were thinking about him I take it."

"I'm not sure what you mean." She replied nervously.

"I may be old, but I am a woman too Ino. I've seen the way you look at Naruto, its not hard to see how you feel about him." she stated.

"Is it that obvious?" Ino asked.

"About as obvious as Naruto's outfit in lineup of Konoha's shinobi." Tsunade joked.

"I wish that it was obvious for Naruto." Ino sighed disheartened. As sharp of a fighter Naruto had become, he was still oblivious to alot of things when it came to the opposite gender.

Tsunade took a sip of the tea she had been holding onto. "Naruto aside, I'm surprised you have yet to voice your opinion. Of all my subordinates, I'd say you are the most open with your feelings."

"Thats just it, when it comes to him I loose track of myself and become insecure. I do things I normally wouldn't and don't do things I normally would." she sighed again.

The older woman seem to contemplate Ino's words. "I suppose that only confirms just how deeply you have let Naruto into your heart. It's ok to be insecure Ino, everyone feels that way at times, even myself. The important thing is that you follow what your heart tells you to do. Just look at Naruto, every decision he makes comes from his heart and I don't think he has ever strayed from it, whether its in battle, in friendship, or in love"

"I think thats what I love most about him." Ino smiled.

"That goes for the both of us." Tsunade agreed.

"But Naruto is going to meet Sakura tonight and I'm sure that she is going to confess to him." she said dejectedly.

"Just like you, Sakura needs to follow her heart as well, but I think shes more conflicted about her feelings more than anything and tonight I think she will have to make a choice." the woman said as she took another sip of her tea.

Ino looked at her leader in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"Who do you think approved Sasuke's early release?" Tsunade said as more of a statment than a question. "Of course I wouldn't have released him if I didn't think he was healthy enough to leave here, but Sakura's request to Naruto last night did influence my decision slightly."

Ino stared at the woman in shock, the Hokage was more cunning than Ino gave her credit for.

"Sakura's going to have to grow up, emotionally that is. As much as I respect her as my apprentice, I will not let her be so indecisive about Naruto and Sasuke, it isn't fair for the either of them." she stated flatly.

The girl sat there silently with the Hokage for a few minutes before standing up. "I should get back to work." she stated.

"Just remember Ino, reguardless of what happens or what anyone says, just follow what your heart tells you." the woman reiterated.

Ino didn't reply, she just bowed politely and left to go back to her duties.

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Getting all the paper work filled, filed, and authorized for Sasuke's release took longer than she had expected. Sakura looked at the clock on the wall. Good, still plenty of time left to get to the monument. "Ok Sasuke-kun, you're all set."

Sasuke stood up from the chair he sat in as he grabbed his bag, no longer in the hospital pajamas, but in a gray hakama and navy blue top that had the Uchiha crest on the back. "Sakura, would you mind helping me get back home?"

Sakura hesitated. With his skill level, Sasuke was more than capable of getting around on his own and there will be two Anbu surveillancing him at all times, at least. She glanced at the clock once more. There should be enough time.

"Uh, sure Sasuke-kun."

Sakura walked over and took Sasuke's hand as she led him out of the hospital, but slowly it became less apparent as to who was leading whom.

It started to rain when they got about half way to Sasuke's home and by the time they reached it, the both of them were soaked thoroughly. Dusk was approaching and the heavy rain clouds only amplified the darkness of the room the two stood in.

"I'm sure the power to your place will come back soon, most likely tomorrow because of the rain." Sakura assured the boy, not knowing what else to say. Everything in the house had been left the way it was ever since Sasuke left the village and care takers provided by the village council periodically came by to upkeep it. However, the power had been turned off.

"Let me get you a towel so you can dry off." the raven haired boy offered.

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'll just end up getting wet again going back home." Naruto wouldn't continue to wait in this weather would he? Sakura wished she had a watch. She didn't know what time it was exactly, but if it wasn't for the rain, she would guess that the sun would be setting right about now. Meet me before sunset. She flinched inwardly as she recalled what she had told Naruto last night.

Sasuke walked over to her through the dark and placed a hand on the nape of her neck. "Sakura, there is something I've wanted to tell you ever since I came back to the village...No, I wanted to tell you this that night, the night I left."

Sakura was shivering. It was because of the lack of heat in the house and her clothes soaked from the rain, not because of what she thought Sasuke was about to say. Its just cold.

Sasuke stood there silent as lighting crackled in the sky, lighting up the room for a brief moment. His eyeless stare was more imposing than the one he had with his eyes. The only thing that crossed Sakura's mind as she watched Sasuke lean closer was what it would be like if her first kiss was with Naruto.

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A distant rumble in the sky promised lightning for later as a single droplet of rain fell every so often, enough to know that the rain was there, but not enough to actually get anything wet. Ino walked over and stared out the window of the staff room as she grabbed the last of her belongings. She would definately need an umbrella. Luckily there were a few here for the staff to use on such occasions.

The blonde saw two familiar figures walking below, arms linked, as they exited the hospital grounds. She frowned with disappointment. Its none of your business

Her walk home was uneventful as rain fell down from the sky. It wasn't the stormy type, just a melancholy downpour that could drench your clothes in a matter of seconds from being in it. She continuously thought about what she saw before she left the hospital. Wasn't Sakura suppose to meet with Naruto? Why was she with Sasuke? She wouldn't stand him up would she? No, Naruto wouldn't even be waiting for her outside in this kind of weather.

Somehow she had made her way to the base of the Hokage monument without even realizing it. "He's not up there." she repeated to herself, even though she continued to make her way up. "Even if he is, what are you going to say to him?"

She tried to come up with something witty to say if she found him waiting up there, maybe a joke to ease the tension that she new would be there. When the girl finally reached the top she sighed at the sight she saw. Unoccupied. Your such an idiot, what did you expect.

Ino turned to make her way down the monument feeling a little bit stupid for coming up in the first place, but stopped when she caught a hint of orange from the corner of her eye. There sitting at the edge of the Fourth Hokage's head was Naruto, slumped foward as rain poured down on him. He seemed to be looking down at the village, his hair matted from the rain without his hitaiate. Unexpectedly, instead of feeling sorry for the boy, Ino felt a little peeved at the whole situation. What were you expecting Naruto? Sakura coming up here and confessing her undying love for you and the both up you living happily ever after? No...thats just my own stupid fantasy!

Ino cleared her selfish thoughts and walked over to the boy. She had rehearsed several lines she could use if she found him up here, but she didn't say a word to him, only stood there behind him with the umbrella covering the both of them.

Several minutes went by with the two like that until Naruto finally spoke up. "You wanna know something funny? I prepared myself, I was ready the day I made that promise to bring Sasuke back. I knew what the outcome would be, even so, there was this small part of me deep down that asked, why sasuke and not me?" he said in a melancholy tone.

She sat down next to Naruto still holding onto the umbrella, sheltering them from the rain and leaned her head onto Naruto's shoulder. "If I had to compare you and Sasuke I would say you are the sun and Sasuke is the moon. You brighten everyones day and your presence warms our hearts. Sasuke is cool and mysterious, shrouded by darkenss, but sometimes he shows all of himself."

"And Sakura, she's the ocean. Calm one moment, and violent the next, but ultimately only moves for the moon." Naruto finished.

They sat for a few moments in silence. Even though the boy was wet from the rain, Ino still felt warmth from his body as she leaned against him. He suddenly bursted out in a fit of laughter startling her.

"Do, you know how corny that just sounded?." he asked as he turned his face to her.

Ino blushed slightly at the closeness of their faces, his gaze making her heart beat quickly. Naruto leaned his face foward, their lips not quite touching, but the warmth coming from him was enough to send shivers down her back. His eyes were glazed half shut, as he brought his lips to hers. It was only a brief kiss, but it was her first and she would never forget it.

The next kiss came much faster and much more passionately. Time seem to stop for her and she wanted this moment to last forever. She moaned into the kiss and dropped the umbrella as the rain showered down over the two.

When Naruto finally pulled away, she saw a blush on his face and she hoped that hers wasn't as visible as his. Then his eyes widened and he suddenly scooted away from her as if he had just done something terrible to her. Did he regret kissing her?

"Ino...I..." he stuttered.

Naruto gave Ino an almost frightened look as he quickly got up and ran away. She only sat there in bewilderment, too stunned to chase after the boy. Why did you run Naruto?

To be continued...