A/N: This is the chapter that would not end. So rambling, more fluffy than funny. Eventually there will be a proper plot, but I'm having so much fun hashing out the new Team Seven dynamics.

X.

Her days quickly fell into a routine of sorts, though she had never felt so busy or challenged in her life.

In the early morning, she would wake early and prepare bento's for her team. When Choji had heard her cooking regime, he had lent her some of his bento cook books. Sakura had paged through them and been shocked when she saw the level of preparation needed for each meal. Apples cut to look like bunnies she could do. Carrots carved into elaborate roses was too much.

By midmorning she had met up with Naruto and Sasuke at the bridge. They helped her prep for whatever upcoming debate with Team 10 she had. Some subjects like medicine, clan systems, and shinobi values, Sasuke would participate in- going so far as to even lecture. In others, such as history, geo-political developments, and technology, he was as ignorant as Naruto.

After they had finished their bentos, Kakashi-sensei would appear and they would complete a mission. She, Naruto, and occasionally Sasuke, had started a game to see how many different ninja skills they could fit into each mission. Were they shopping? Well, could they shop invisibly? Could clones shop for them? Could they use interrogation techniques to charm the shop owners into giving them better prices? Were they clearing a field or digging a ditch? What if they only used Jutsu to get rid of weeds? Or only their left hands? Or- The games continued.

Evenings were spent debating with Team 10, spending time with her parents if they were in town or the Yamanaka's, or going on dates with Naruto.

Dates with Naruto, she quickly realized, were really just excuses to hang out. When she put her foot down at going to ramen AGAIN, Naruto decided to show her all his favorite places in Konoha. They watched the sun set from the top of the Hokages monument. They wandered the city for hours, people watching and chatting. They went swimming in the Eastern river in the forest and caught frogs.

It was, Sakura mused nibbling on the last of her dango, more like spending time with a friend or a brother than a date. Naruto never tried to be romantic. Outside of the bouquets he brought when she was studying flowers, he never brought her presents- no chocolates or stuffed animals though her romance books insisted those were necessary gifts. He didn't even try to kiss her!

Actually, she realized, he didn't try to do anything. Not a kiss, not hand holding, not even a hug. For such an affectionate boy- and he was- he was very hands off.

Sakura scratched her nose, frowning as she tried to remember Asuma-sensei's comments on childhood psychological development and how that might affect the lessons at the Academy. Something about internalizing neglect?

"Naruto," She finally asked, "You grew up in an orphanage, right?"

"Right!" Naruto beamed at her, "But then Grandpa Hokage got me my own apartment. It's awesome. I have my own fridge, my own stove, my own-"

"What was the orphanage like?" Naruto didn't mind interruptions. It was the act of talking more than any particular subject that he enjoyed.

"Ummm… it was sort of cramped. There were a lot of kids- more than any other time before, I remember the nurses saying. The food was super boring- no ramen! Why Sakura-chan?"

"Did-" She hesitated. It seemed awkward to come right out and ask if he had ever been hugged by any of the caretakers, "Did you have any friends."

Naruto gave an awkward chuckle which meant he was hiding some emotion, "Eh… not really. I pulled a lot of pranks- you remember the one with the newts and the milk I told you about- and yeah. The caretakers didn't like me much and…" He sort of trailed off, but then beamed at her, "It doesn't matter now though! Because I've got you and Iruka-sensei and even the Teme isn't bad all the time! Hey- hey- what sort of mission do you think we'll do tomorrow?"

Sakura wasn't about to be put off so easily. "Naruto, why did you pull pranks though?" The more she knew of Naruto, the more she wondered. It was true he had a mischievous nature, but he had treated her with nothing but sweetness. She hadn't once found a frog in her bag or her water bottle poured over her or even been teased for her forehead. And she didn't understand why what sounded like innocent and simple pranks would have Naruto barred from certain shops. Surely someone had seen the real Naruto.

"Ummm…" Naruto looked like he was considering the question with great concentration. Maybe he was trying to employ some of the Shinobi mental tricks Sakura had been teaching him about knowing your own mind. A clear mind was an intangible target, as the teachings went. "I guess… because people noticed me? After they pranks, they looked at me."

"Huh." Sakura commented stupidly, "Do you want my last dango? I'm full."

Naruto looked relieved that the conversation had moved on, but Sakura's mind still gnawed at the problem. So it wasn't that Naruto played a prank and then people were mad at him. It was that people ignored him, he acted out to gain attention, people were angry, he had attention- and the vicious cycle continued. But what could cause a caretaker to ignore a little kid. A little orphan kid?

Sakura didn't know, but it made her angry and that anger prompted her to try something she normally would have laughed off, friends or no that she was with Naruto.

As they came to the intersection where they parted ways- Naruto to his apartment and Sakura to her home, she paused and looked at him. She could just turn and walk back. Wave him a goodbye as normal. No one would blame her.

"Sakura?"

Oh Hokage, why was this so difficult?

"Um. Naruto. Do you want a… hug?" she extended her arms halfheartedly in invitation, a flush hot on her cheeks. What was with her? She hugged Ino all the time. Her parents whenever she saw them. She had no reason to feel embarrassed for asking for a hug from her team mate. He could always say no-

"Ooof-" The air rushed out her lungs in a gust as Naruto all but threw himself at her. His arms wrapped around her so tightly that she thought her ribs were going to crack and- was he crying!

"Naruto-" Has she hurt him? Had one of her kunai escaped her pouch and he accidentally impaled himself on it?

"Sakura, you're so nice." Oh. He was fine. Just emotional. Sakura let out what little breath she had and then patted him on the back. He hadn't relaxed his grip at all. "When I am hokage, you are going to be my chief diplomat and talk to all the other nations and make them love you and then we won't ever have a war again!"

"Um. Ok?" Sakura hadn't thought about careers that far ahead. But she suspected that if Naruto ever became Hokage, they would have a chance to discuss it then.

"Hey, but Sakura?" He straightened and then rubbed his cheeks roughly. Sakura's ribs creaked as she took a discreet breath, "You don't need to worry about me!"

"Eh?" Sakura looked up quickly, but Naruto wasn't looking at her. His head was tilted back like he was looking at the stars.

"I know I didn't have friends growing up or a family or anything, but I'm good now. Like I said, I've got you and Teme as friends, Iruka-sensei as family. I'm really happy!"

He turned to beam at her and Sakura was struck by his insight. Naruto really did surprise her.

"Yeah. Ok." She agreed.

"See you tomorrow?" He asked, and she agreed, though the worry about why Naruto had been so abandoned still niggled at the back of her mind.

0X0X0X0X0

Knock, knock, knock

"Sakura, honey?"

Mmmm… so warm. So comfortable. She had been up too late reading up on history and now was so pleasantly comfortable in her bed. With the sun warm on her face.

Wait a minute.

The sun?

"Sakura, did you get a day off of training?"

Her father rapped on the door again, but Sakura's eyes were already wide with horror. Late! She was late! She was really, really late!

"No-no-no-no!" she muttered. Never had she flown out of bed so quickly, thrown on her dress so quickly, rushed passed her dad so quickly-

"I'll take that as a no," He laughed and followed her to the bathroom. "Sakura, will you be alright if I'm away for a few days?"

Sakura, trying to brush her teeth and her hair at the same time gave him a confused look. "Mrghs?" She asked.

"It's… Yoko." Her father admitted. "It's almost that day and... well, she isn't doing so well. And with Toru sent on the body guard mission." His voice trailed off. Yoko and Toru were her father's genin teammates and practically her aunt and uncle. When she was younger, she was confused at how her father could be married to her mother but devoted to these two other people. But now? She spat out a mouthful of toothpaste and thought about Naruto and Sasuke. How would it feel in five, ten years, not to spend time with them?

"It's fine," She told her father with real sincerity, "Take as much time as you need. You can bring Yoko over?" She offered. Though there was something about the green eyed woman and her obsessive checking of her senbon that put Sakura on edge.

Her father shook her head, "It's better if Yoko stays in familiar surroundings. You remember where her apartment is? If you need me, for anything, I'm still in Konoha."

She gave her father a quick hug and then saw the clock from behind his shoulder. Late!

"I'll see you later! Say goodbye before you're sent back to the hatchery!" She called back to him as she raced for the door. No time to make bentos. She would just have to apologize and offer to buy lunch or something.

Naruto was waiting at the bridge with Sasuke nowhere in sight.

"Sakura-chan!" His normally happy face was pulled into a grave expression as he ran towards her. "Are you ok?"

"Huh?" She frowned at him. "Yes? Oh- I forgot to set my alarm. Sorry I'm late."

Naruto let out a noticeable sigh of relief, then brightened. "I knew you would be ok. But then Sasuke-teme started freaking out because you were five minutes late and wouldn't calm down."

"What?" Sakura might have been flattered if she wasn't so confused. "I was at home. Where is he now?"

"Out looking for you."

"And he didn't check my house?"

Naruto shrugged, then brightened. "Hey! Sakura chan, I was thinking about last night and-" Sakura immediately regretted everything that happened last night- "do you think, you could-" He held out his arms and grinned embarrassedly- "Could I have another hug?"

Sakura melted. "Naruto, you don't need to ask for a hug." She wrapped her arms around his shoulders and squeezed, "We're friends now, you can just give me a hug whenever." She really, really, really hoped she wouldn't come to regret those words.

"Really!?" Naruto shouted stepping back, "Sakura, you're the-"

"You're late."

Sasuke jumped down out of the tree followed by another Naruto. Sasuke reached out and smacked the Naruto that was following him. It puffed away in a cloud of smoke. A clone.

If she was still at her Academy understanding of Sasuke (the one where he was so cool, so gorgeous, so perfect, so awesome) she would have missed the subtle tightening around his eyes, the hardness at his jaws. But now, after nearly a month of observing him nearly every day, she could see the small emotional tells. He was upset. And… scared? Maybe she was reading that wrong.

"Where were you?" He stalked up to her, eyes still tight.

"Oh- I forgot to set my alarm and woke up late. I'm very sorry to make you worry-"

"I wasn't worried."

Sakura glanced over the tight shoulders, the hands balled in his pants, the look that could burn a hole through a kunai, "Right…." She agreed, "Well, if you're ever worried in the future, you could try checking, oh I don't know, my house first?"

"Tch." Sasuke turned on his heel but didn't quite stalk away. Still watching him out of the corner of her eye, she turned back to Naruto.

"Why did Sasuke have a clone of you with him?"

"Oh!" Naruto quickly made a clone who led her away to the side. Naruto jogged over to where Sasuke was standing. "Tell him something and then disperse him! Ok! This is really neat!"

"Um.." Sakura hesitated and then leaned forward, "I'm really sorry but I forgot lunches as well today. We can get ramen, my treat." She dispersed the clone with a quick punch and heard Naruto whoop.

"Really? Sakura! You're going to buy us ramen for lunch!"

Sakura blinked. Didn't she speak quietly enough to not be overheard?

"Um… What happened?"

Naruto jogged over to her, grinning. "It's cool right! Anything you tell my clone, when it's popped, I can hear! But only if I'm paying really close attention."

"Whoa." Sakura breathed, thinking back over the dinner she spent arguing about shiobi tactics on the battle field. They all agreed, eventually, that lack of communication led to the biggest problems. Ino's family was an important asset, but that level of jutsu was seriously draining. If everyone had a clone, what could that mean.

"Right? But you mean it Sakura? Ramen?"

"Oh- yeah," Sakura snapped out of her planning stage, "It's only fair considering I forgot your lunches today. I'll make some tomorrow-"

"Don't worry about-"

"Don't bother." Sasuke cut in. He was once again standing close enough to actually be considered normal. Sakura felt almost a little crowded.

"What?"

"Don't bother. You clearly can't manage your time well. It makes sense to remove a non-essential task."

"Hey!" Sakura felt a little stung by the accusation. Sure she had been busy juggling her extra studying, bentos, missions, and everything, but still. "If you didn't like them-"

"I'll do it."

"Bwaahahhaha." Naruto burst out laughing. "Sasuke cook? Like a girl!"

"Naruto-"

"At least, I am offering to help, dobe."

"What! I help!"

"Have you considered how busy Sakura is cooking for you, teaching you, wasting her time with you on those-

"Hey-"

"She's not wasting time! She's my friend-"

"What sort of "friend" forces their friend to carry their dead weight-"

"STOP!"

Both boys stopped bickering at her scream. Sakura took a deep breath and resisted the urge punch them both in the face. It would feel so good, Inner Sakura told her, one punch. But it wouldn't help.

"Sasuke." She turned on the dark haired boy and narrowed her eyes, "I. Am. Not. Wasting. My time with Naruto. He's my friend. I like spending time with him-"

"Yeah, teme!" Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sasuke.

"Shut up Nartuo!" He flinched and she turned back to Sasuke, "I am also a ninja. I can decide what to do with my time and who to spend it with and I do not need a minder." A small part of herself protested at this. Of course she needed Sasuke as a minder, someone to protect her and love her and sweep her off her feet. Sakura ignored this part of her firmly.

"But," She drew herself up and took another breath, "You are also right. I… was spreading myself too thin."

"But Sakura-" Naruto protested, looking worried. "You only missed your alarm. That's normal!"

"It was just an alarm this time, Naruto," She replied a little more softly, "But what if the next time I forget to set up detection traps when we are in enemy territory. Or I forget the scroll we are supposed to be transporting? Or forget-" She spread her hands on her dress, "A ninja can't afford to make stupid mistakes."

Naruto and Sasuke were silent at this. The air of tension diminishing a little as they all inspected their shoes, or the clouds, or the trees. Sakura was the first to break the silence.

"So!" she clapped her hands, "I don't mind the teaching, because it's part of my goal to beat stupid Ino-pig and become the best Kunoichi ever! But if we," She hesitated, "If we took turns making lunch. That would help a lot."

"Ok!"

"Hn."

She took that to be two agreements. "And since Sasuke offered, he can make lunch for tomorrow." The tension in his shoulders began to relax and he nodded in agreement. "Ok. Peace?"

She held out the two fingers marking the end of a sparring match. Sasuke peered at them and then, reluctantly, wrapped his two fingers around hers. Peace.

Naruto's hand wrapped around theirs and hoisted their arms to the sky. "Team Seven for the win! Believe it!"

A/N: Hope you all are enjoying october. Let me know if the story amuses you. Also, is Naruto seeming too flat? I sometimes struggle to write him so he's a real character and not a caricature. Let me know if you have any suggestions.