Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4

She waited a few days before coming to his office. She had to build up the courage and certainty to follow through.

She ventured all the way to the Hokage's office, each step sent a terrified chill down her spine. She couldn't back out now. After a few knocks on the door, she entered.

He seemed surprised to see her there. She hadn't come to see him since the day his divorce was finalized.

"Naruto."

"Eh?"

She scrutinized him.

"I need to see the REAL Naruto." The clone thought about her request before it grinned.

"Sure thing, Sakura-chan!"

Sakura crossed her arms and waited for the smoke to dissipate and for Naruto to appear. When the smoke cleared, Naruto sat in the seat his clone once occupied. He looked just as bewildered as his clone.

"What's wrong, Sakura-chan?" Or concerned and confused.

"I want to take you up on your bet." She had to be forward and straight to the point or she'd chicken out.

"What bet?" Now he looked genuinely confused.

Sakura tightened her crossed arms, focusing on something in the ceiling. She hoped she wouldn't have to revisit their conversation. Some relief washed over her when he seemed to realize what she referenced. He became more concerned.

"Sakura-chan… that wasn't a bet. It was… it was a thought-ttebayo. I didn't suggest you actually do that."

"Well, now it's a bet."

"But Saku-"

"I've filled out the divorce forms and we will send them to Sasuke on your hawk. If Sasuke returns them and signs them… I'll accept it and divorce him. But if he doesn't return them or make any indication he wants to divorce me… then you can't come my home and act like you do any longer."

"Act like what?" He become defensive; she didn't want this to devolve into a debate. She walked closer to the desk and put down the divorce papers. She already filled out her portion of it.

"Send these to him. Today."

Naruto's eyes practically bulged out of his head. Had he not expected this to happen at some point?

"Sakura-chan… I can't send him your divorce paper-"

"Let me use your hawk."

He glanced at the papers nervously. Was he nervous that Sasuke would sign them, or she would win the bet.

"Sakura… if you don't want me to come to your house, you can just say so. You don't need to do all this."

He avoided her eyes, but she knew how he felt by just a glance. He wore his heart on his sleeve for her. She could order him to stay away and not to return to her house… but it wasn't that simple. She didn't WANT Naruto to stay away, and therein lied the problem. She couldn't work up the nerve to tell him to leave. She wanted him to come over, to chat with her, to do stupid things that would give her a reason to scold him. She missed being around him more than she realized.

She had to stop it now, before it went too far.

"Naruto, send it." She pushed the papers forward, but Naruto leaned away from the desk. "Naruto!"

"Sakura, I wasn't being serious! You… you don't have to send him divorce papers!"

"I'm not going to play this game anymore!" Her volume overpowered his. He shut his mouth. "Isn't it time we stopped playing cupid for each other? Look at where it has gotten us… I stopped trying to convince you to stay with your wife. It's time for you to stop … supporting me."

'Support'? Every time she gave up, Naruto stopped her. Naruto assured her that Sasuke would return. He assured her that her love was just. No matter how bad it had gotten… he never admitted how selfish she is. All because he assumed it would make her happy.

"The deal is… if he signs these papers… I will submit them. We will get divorced. But if he doesn't… then…"

She didn't finish her sentence. Distancing herself from Naruto again made her anxious. Things had gone too far.

Naruto listened to her words. Instead of responding, he heaved a long sigh, opened a drawer on his desk, and pulled out a container. He took the papers on his desk and rolled them up. He glanced at her, but Sakura remained firm. He slid the papers into the container and stood.

He led her out of his office to a balcony. Much of the office staff already went home for the day, leaving them alone with the birds. Many birds waited there, eating, sleeping, or taking in the view. Naruto walked over to a specific one perched in a corner. If Sakura had to guess, the hawk belonged to Sasuke's, not the village.

"Sakura… are you sure about this?"

She refused to look at him and focused on the view of the village below.

"Send it." From the corner of her eye, she saw him stand there hesitantly for a moment before he moved over to the bird, attaching the container to it. He didn't need to give the bird any instructions as it flew off on its own, heading to Sasuke no doubt. Even a bird knew Sasuke's location, but she didn't.

The bird flew until she couldn't see it any longer. Anxiety ripped into her like a knife. What would the result be? Surely Sasuke would… sign them with little hesitation. He would sign them and send them back as soon as possible. He didn't need her for anything other than to care for his daughter. But maybe… something would hold him back. Maybe he wouldn't sign them and he'd come rushing back and give her everything she ever wished for.

She gasped when a warm hand covered her cold one. She had been ripping the bar on the balcony so tightly that her hands imprinted on it. She glanced up and met his eyes, she nearly gasped again.

Rarely did she catch him like this. He gazed at her with concern… and with love. He admitted once or twice that he loved her, but he never told her directly. He never looked her in the eye and said 'I love you', but he didn't need to. She always saw it, and she always ignored it. Why would he love her? What did she offer other than complete and utter selfishness?

Why didn't Sasuke look at her this way?

"Don't look at me like that." She turned away and moved her hand from his. Normally he would apologize or make some kind of joke, but he remained silent.

Sakura didn't know how long they waited there, but it felt like an eternity. Sakura thought that Sasuke threw the papers away with disgust, or he was rushing to the village to ask her what happened and why she wanted a divorce. She wished for anything but the sight of the hawk returning from its journey.

It flew towards them menacingly, but landed with grace. Her heart thudded in her ears as Naruto reached over and unlatched the container from the bird. Naruto turned to her again, his expression still held concern. His concerned wasn't aimed at the container and its contents. He was concerned about her.

She shakily reached for the container. Her hand brushed over Naruto's as she tried to remove it from his grip. He didn't let go.

"Sakura-chan… you don't have to do this."

She stared at the container. Yes, she could back out now and pretend everything was fine. She could live out the rest of her days, married, yet lonelier than ever. She could continue pretending to be an Uchiha and desperately trying to be someone else. She could keep her friends and family at a distance, daydreaming about a day when Sasuke would come live with them and where she would have a real family.

She glanced up, meeting Naruto's eyes again.

She didn't want that. She told Naruto to grow up, yet she still acted like a child, clinging onto an old childhood fantasy. If she tried hard enough, if she believed enough, if she held on for a little longer… things would change… She would be happy. Her dreams come true.

That's all they were, dreams, dreams that she let go too far. She had to rein them in, and get her life together.

"Yes, I do, Naruto. If you truly care about me… let me stop pretending and accept the truth. Don't stop what you started." Her voice was quieter than she was aiming for.

At last, Naruto released the container. Sakura gulped and opened it, removing the rolled papers with care. Her hands shook as she unraveled them. His signature was at the bottom. She flipped the page, another signature. She flipped through more, he signed every single one. He could be a thorough fellow when he wanted to be.

She hadn't realized that she fell to the floor until Naruto held her in his arms and brought her to a seat nearby. Despite how tightly she held the papers, Naruto pried them out intact and replace them with a handkerchief.

He sat next to her and rubbed her back. The gentle gesture felt like a boulder ramming into a dam. She felt like she cried years worth of tears, tears she refused to shed because she had nothing to be sad about. If she admitted her unhappiness, she had no one to blame but herself. She wanted this, even if she knew it wouldn't be like she imagined, she wanted it anyway.

She tried, and she failed.

She failed hard.

Failure...

"Naruto!"

Sakura jolted up in bed. She didn't remember laying down. A warm blanket was wrapped around her. It smelled of Naruto. Somehow, she ended up in the back room of the Hokage's office. She had been here many times when Tsunade was Hokage. Tsunade installed a small cot to rest on long days. When Naruto first became Hokage, she caught him slacking off here more often than not. She didn't know whether the habit continued or not after she quit her position at the hospital.

"I can't believe you let her do it that way! What were you thinking?!"

The loud voice that woke her up continued to rant on. It was Ino. Her voice was unforgettable. She heard Naruto mumble a few words, but Ino still seemed displeased.

"You'd better not have talked her into this or I swe-"

"I wouldn't do that! I tried to stop her… but it's not my decision either way-ttebayo."

"You're gonna let her go through with this?"

"You're sounding a lot like she did when I was going through my divorce." Some papers rustled before Naruto spoke again. "The papers haven't been processed yet… she can always rip them up or throw them away if she doesn't want to go through with it.

".. And what about Sasuke?"

There was a long pause before either of them spoke again.

"I'm… I'm trying not to butt in. It's something he and Sakura have to talk about… I shouldn't be a middle man anymore."

"After all these years, you're stopping now? What good is that gonna do?"

"I don't know, Ino. But… it's as good of a time as ever."

"Naruto… why are you really doing this? Did you think if you both got a divorce you could have a chance?"

Sakura flinched when something slam into the desk.

"Of course not Ino!"

"Tell me why. Sakura is my best friend… almost like my sister. I admit... I haven't been there for her as much as I could be. I moved on, but I let her stay in place. And I let you lead her along into the possibility of Sasuke being anything other than a dark broody mysterious man. Who happens to still be very handsome after all these years."

Naruto groaned.

"If you did this as some sort of prank or if you're trying to hurt her to swoop in and get on her good side… I'll never forgive you."

It had become quiet again. Sakura felt strange eavesdropping on them, but they were talking about her after all.

"Fine I get it. You don't have to give me that look, sheesh. You're really hopeless… You could have done and said so many things to make her return your feelings, yet you always sell yourself short."

"Ino, it doesn't matter." He sounded exasperated.

"Anyway, bring Sakura to my house when she wakes up. The boys are out of town for training, they won't be back tonight. It'll be me and her. Her daughter went to Chouji's."

"Ino, if you're gonna make fun of her…"

"Don't even start. She's been my friend way before you even knew her. I can take care of her. So bring her to my house. And don't let her get away, even if you have to drag her there."

Naruto sighed. She could imagine him rolling his eyes discreetly at Ino's statements.

"Fine. I will. When she wakes up."

"Good." A door creaked. "And… thanks for calling me over Naruto. It's nice calling you by your name again, 'Seventh' is pretty lame."

A door shut and the office beyond the door became quiet. She assumed Ino came by herself. She was always so nosy about what Sakura was doing… but Naruto called her. Had he been that worried? Did she pass out from crying so much? She couldn't remember.

The knob of the door rattled and she quickly settled back into bed, pretending to be asleep. She didn't know how to face Naruto or what to say. This was the second time she fell asleep or passed out in his presence.

The door opened and closed, Naruto was trying to be as quiet as he could. The warmth of his hand petting her head nearly made her jump. He gently rubbed her head for what felt like forever. The gesture calmed her beyond belief. She pretended that she wasn't anxious and depressed over the events of the day.

Naruto's hand left her head and suddenly she cold. She heard him walk away before she cracked open her eye.

"I know you're awake-ttebayo."

It took Sakura a moment realize that Naruto hadn't walked away at all. He was inches away from her face. He grinned, as if he played the most devilish prank. She glared and turned away. She didn't want him to see her embarrassment.

"Sakura-chan~, don't be mad." He sat at the edge of her cot. She turned slightly to meet his eyes and continued to scowl. His grin turned into a soft smile. "Not sure if you heard, but Ino wants you to stay at her house tonight."

"I want to stay here." To make a point, she pulled the thin blanket closer.

"No can do, Sakura-chan. You can't spend the night in the Hokage's office."

"Then, I'm going home."

"Sakura." He sounded more serious that time.

She sat up, avoiding meeting his eyes. She probably looked like a mess, no doubt her eyes and face were red if she cried as much as she assumed. She didn't want him to see her this way but… at the same time, he was one of the few people she'd allow to see her this way.

"Naruto… I just want to go home. Everything is going wrong and I just… need time to think."

He reached over and gently rubbed her back again. The gentle motions were nice. It calmed her never. Naruto's neverending consideration and understanding filled her wit-

"You can do that, at Ino's house."

She grunted in annoyance and pushed him away. A dizzy haze wash over when she stood up so quickly. She pushed past it and stormed out of the office. He called her name and tried to talk to her, but she ignored him.

She wanted to go home. The home Sasuke never visited.

She wanted to lie in her own bed. A bed fit for two that only ever contained one.

If she went home, she could pretend that Sasuke ever cared about her or her home.

Sakura gasped when she was lifted in the air. Everything turned upside down and sideways before she felt right side up again.

"Sakura."

Naruto held her firmly to his body. He had swept her off her feet, preventing her journey home.

Sakura opened her mouth to yell at him, to insist that she be put down. She wanted to scream, to tell him to just leave her be. She choked. Her face was wet with tears she hadn't realized she shed. Her throat was so tight, she must have been sobbing.

He put her down, but still held her closely in case she lost her balance.

"Sakura-chan, listen to me…"

"Why do you keep doing this to me?" Sakura held her face and focused on the floor between them. There was very little of it.

"Doing what?"

"Right when I think I have everything together, you just show up and just… change everything." She sniffed and sighed. She didn't look up at his face, but she heard his nervous chuckle.

"Well… that's not always a bad thing, right?" She sniffed again, trying to clear her throat and her nose. When finally glanced up at him, she didn't look like a snotty mess at least.

"Naruto, what do you want? What do you want from me?" His playful demeanor faded. "You keep coming back and forth, dancing around the issue, never saying anything directly. You're always so direct with everything else, but with this one thing," She raised a finger for emphasis. "Your direct stubborn attitude suddenly disappears.

"I can just tell by how you look at, but you won't ever tell me. What do you expect me to think? What do you expect me to do?!" She wanted to sound stronger and more firm, but her voice came off as confused and pleading.

"Sakura, I don't expect anything from you." He met her eyes as he spoke. He didn't have the face of a liar.

"Then what is it? Why do we keep going through this cycle over and over? I'm tired of it. Yeah, you're right. I'm not happy. I… I know exactly what Sasuke thinks. And now here I am, sobbing on a roof in front of you. Is this what you were aiming for?"

She looked away again as tears threatened to fall again. She felt pathetic. The only thing that could make it worse is if it rained. He had no intention of making her sad or hurting her, but it felt good to get the idea out in the open and off her chest.

Naruto didn't answer her for a long silent moment. He dropped his hands from her shoulders, taking her hands in his as he knelt down on his knees. Instead of gazing at the floor, she gazed at Naruto's face.

"Sakura, I told you this when I started this mess. I want you to be happy... I want it more than anything right now. I was distracted before. I ignored how much it pained me to see you living as you were. I won't sit around and let that happen any longer.

"Maybe it's selfish of me… but I want to tell you my feelings when I know you feel the same." His voice was heavy with emotion and anxiety.

"I tol- I told you I did!"

Sakura recalled the confession she gave to him all those years ago. At that time… what she felt was love. It was there before she confessed, and it never went away afterwards. She felt it even as she stared into his eyes. It was overwhelming, strong, unrelenting. No matter how hard she fought, it came back and sent her heart into turmoil.

"Sakura… we both know what a relationship can become if one of us is pushed into it do to dire circumstance."

"I meant it!" She tried to pull her hands away from his, but he held them tighter. He loved her, and she loved him, but he never seemed to believe her.

"I don't deny that! But… that's not how people who love each other should come together, right?"

She paused.

"What was the difference between your confession to me, and my confession to Hinata?"

The difference?

"We were both trying to protect someone… whether we loved them or not. While I saw the confusion and distress of your heart… Hinata did not see mine. If she did… she didn't care. I said no... she said yes."

Sakura sank to floor in front of him. It made sense, it made a lot of sense.

"My heart has settled now… I know how I feel... I feel it more strongly than ever."

He gave her that look again. 'I love you,' his eyes told her. He held her hands. 'Stay strong,' his hands told her. His mouth opened and shut again, he was going to tell her, 'I love you.'

"I understand." She said, interrupting him before he even began. He was wrong. She understood what he meant, but he was wrong. If Naruto confessed because he felt what she felt... he wouldn't be divorced now. Despite that, she tried to smile, it was a sad excuse for one. He returned the smile anyway.

He leaned forward suddenly and pressed his lips against her forehead. He mostly kissed her fallen bangs, but his soft lips still touched her skin. Naruto was the only person she's touched so intimately, even if the previous encounter involved keeping his dying body alive.

Before she knew it, she was in his arms and headed toward Ino's house. She would have rolled her eyes if she didn't have a roaring headache from crying. Even in the heat of 'battle', he never forgot his mission. Or at least, not this one.

He landed in front of Ino's door and let her on her feet. They looked at each other for another moment before Sakura turned away and took a few steps toward the door.

"Sakura-chan." She turned back to him as he sheepishly rubbed his head and cleared his throat.

"I'll always be here-ttebayo. Even if… things stay the way they are now… I'll always be by your side." He shuffled on his feet. "I admit, there are plenty of things that I want but… I won't do it unless… unless you're standing beside me. I don't expect anything from you… I… want to be your equal."

She remembered his arguments about his divorce. Hinata wasn't with him. He felt alone even though they were married. She acted more like a distant friend than his wife.

It wasn't very different from her. Sasuke didn't want to be her partner or her equal. She took one step forward and he took ten steps back. They weren't partners or husband and wife. At the most, they were... distant friends.

Naruto wanted a partner… and so did she. She always did. She daydreamed about how and her future husband would be. Having fun, traveling together, joking around, kissing... touching... making love... raising children together... The opposite of her current marriage.

How much more obvious could it be? Admitting it hadn't been easy before… but now the skies finally cleared . Like a new path opened, a path she ignored before.

She smiled. This smile felt real.

"Sorry Naruto, but I think I'm out of your league." He looked shocked before he snorted and laughed.

He laughed loud enough for Ino to hear him inside of the house. She opened the door and lead Sakura inside. Ino threw some complaints at Naruto for taking his time, but she thanked him and she was left alone with Ino.

She and Ino talked for hours. She decided to go through with the divorce. It's what Sasuke wanted. She wanted to fulfill his desires for once.

She bathed and sat with Ino until the both fell asleep watching comedy movies. For once, she didn't mind the silly romance that they often contained. It reminded her of Naruto.

She expected to have nightmares that night, but they were surprisingly pleasant. She wore a lab cloak as she approached a cozy home somewhere in town. She opened the door with the Haruno symbol painted on it. Strangely enough, her symbol held an Uzumaki insignia inside. A sweet aroma waft through the open door, it smelled like home. Her daughter sat comfortably on the floor with a book and smiled at her when she noticed her entry.

She greeted her daughter and walked further into the home until she arrived into the kitchen. Naruto stood in front of the oven. He turned and greeted her with his usual wide smile. She smiled back, his sunny demeanor was irresistible.

An excited squeal took her attention away from him. Seated in a high chair was a child with blond hair. She couldn't see his face as the child's back faced her.

The closer she got to the child, the more her dream faded away into the warm embrace to darkness.

A dream.

For now.

The End.

Thanks for reading "Why are you ok with this?"! If you have any questions, leave a comment or send a message and I will answer.