This chapter came out sooner than I expected! I can't promise when the next one will come out, but I will say that the next chapter will be out. Perhaps some reviews might help - those usually work to keep me motivated. Don't get me wrong, the Story Alerts and the Favorite Author's messages are great, but I would also like to hear what you guys think of the story. Leave some reviews people!

Disclaimer: I own nothing of Naruto, I only own this plot and Baba.

This chapter has more Naruto and Sai, some drama, and even some fatherly advice on girl stuff! ;)

Enjoy!

A few more weeks past, and Sakura was once again with her large group of friends at the field across from her house. School had just finished for the first semester, and all the students were out for winter break, something they were all grateful for. The pinkette was currently leaning back to back with Kankuro, as Shikamaru was with his head on her lap. She noticed Lee shooting glares at both of the boys, but luckily for all of them, his obsessive behavior for the pinkette seemed to start calming down. It was probably because he started seeing someone else as more than just a female friend; Tenten was sitting next to him, cross-legged, as she tried to show him something her dad had gotten her. Even though Lee didn't really give her all of his attention, at least he was noticing her more. Ino and Kiba were across from them, talking about a new trick the latter taught Akamaru. Ino was smiling and laughing, something she hasn't been doing much lately. Gaara, currently in conversation with Neji and Shino, turned his gaze to something on the opposite side of the field.

"Well, isn't that a surprise," he said, getting everyone's attention. Nodding over to Sakura's house, he continued, "Sakura, it looks like you have visitors." Sakura looked over to her house and immediately, her face brightened.

"Isn't that the same car you came in?" asked Shino. "When you first got here, I mean."

Before Shino even finished his sentence, Sakura jumped up, subconsciously pushing Shikamaru to the ground, and making Kankuro fall flat on the grass. The pinkette ran across the field in a speed that put Lee to shame, her now mid-back, long hair flying behind her. The black Escalade was parked proudly in front of her house, and her heart nearly skipped a beat as she saw the driver's door open up. Coming out of the car, Sai had a small smile as he noticed his friend running towards them. Naruto, walking around the car, smiled broadly as he saw Sakura, waving his hands over his head. "Naruto!" called out Sakura, "Sai!" Just as she reached the street, Sakura witnessed Naruto run over to Sai, punching the pale boy right on his face, knocking him down, and catching her as she leapt into his arms.

"I can't believe you're here!" cried Sakura, taking a step back. "It's so great to see you!"

"It's great to see you too!" said Naruto, his fox-grin still on his face.

"What are you guys doing here?"

"We came to surprise you," grumbled Sai as he got up from the ground. "We got out from break about a week ago, so we convinced Jiraiya to let us come here and be with you and Baba for the holiday."

Nodding in agreement, Naruto added, "Pervy Sage is coming here too. He'll probably be here in two days or so. And before you ask, we already talked to Baba, and he already gave us the ok." Squealing with excitement, Sakura wrapped her arms around Sai as he picked her up and started twirling her in circles.

"This is going to be great!" exclaimed Sakura as her friend put her down. "C'mon, I was hanging out with everyone before you guys got here. It's the perfect chance for you guys to meet everyone." Sakura pulled them along, smiling the entire walk across the field, knowing that her friends were just as curious to meeting her "brothers" as they were to meeting her friends. As they got there, everyone was introduced, and all the people on the grass made enough space for the newcomers. Before they sat down though, Sai took that chance to punch Naruto right between the eyes, knocking him back, and making him land on a blushing Hinata's lap.

"That's payback," said Sai, smirking. Everyone laughed at Naruto's bewildered expression; Sakura had to wipe a tear away from her eye from being so happy at having all the people she cared about right there with her. It took a while before Naruto finally came to his senses and realize that he was practically sitting on a girl. Taking a look, he noticed how strikingly beautiful the girl was, and the red on her cheeks just made her look even more gorgeous. Then he noticed the guy next to her, having the exact same eyes, was deadly glaring at him, making Naruto jump back and chuckle awkwardly.

"So," said Kiba, "how long are you guys planning on staying here?"

Shrugging, Sai said, "Probably for two weeks or so. We'll leave maybe four days before the break is over."

"It's great to finally meet you guys," said Choji. "Sakura told us a lot about you. Once she got started, she wouldn't shut up. Sorry, but it actually got annoying after a while." Sakura blushed at the statement, but punched him in the arm nonetheless.

"Funny," said Naruto, smirking. "She wouldn't shut up when she talked about you guys either. Especial -"

"Shut up Naruto," said Sakura in a dangerously sweet voice, making the boy immediately shut his mouth. The group spent the rest of the time laughing and sharing stories. It went from the trio's life back in Jomae, to stories from the large group before Sakura was there, and after the latter moved to Konoha. Sai and Naruto knew that Sakura still hasn't told her friends about Sasuke, and they were confused about that, but decided to steer clear of that subject for the time being. Instead, the conversation turned into another topic that Sakura didn't want to be brought up.

"Sakura," said Naruto, his face in complete shock. "I can't believe you haven't sung for these guys!"

"We heard her once," said Hinata, trying to stand up for the pinkette, but blushing furiously as the new blonde in the group turned his attention to her. "M-me a-and Ino. But that – that was a long time ago. I don't even re-remember how she sounds anymore."

"Me neither," commented Ino. "I do remember she was amazing, and the song that she sang was great as well, but other than that, I can't really remember what she sounds like."

Shikamaru smirked, knowing that the pinkette was getting agitated. "She's really stubborn when it comes to that," he said. "We all tried to convince her, but she just…keeps being troublesome."

"Oh, come off it," huffed Sakura. "I'll sing when I want." That made Sai raise a brow. He glanced at Naruto with a thought in mind, and saw that the blonde had the same idea. They nodded in agreement and smirked at the pinkette.

"Oh no you don't Sakura," said Sai. "You're singing right now." He pulled out his phone and played a ringtone on his phone. Soft violin music started playing, followed by a guitar. Sakura's eyes widened, trying to stop the smile that wanted to show.

"But -"

Naruto beat her to it, "Just sing Sakura."

The group was surprised how assertive the boys were and how Sakura just gave in after just a few words. At first they didn't know if that was a good thing, but they saw the girl chuckle at the boys' actions. That's when they all realized what it was: Sakura was with the people that knew absolutely everything about her. They knew which buttons not to push; they knew how to make her talk or do something that she would usually talk herself out of, no matter how close it would make them; they knew Sakura. Silently and curiously, they all turned their attention to Sakura, who took in a breath and closed her eyes as she prepared to sing for them. (A/N: Listen to the song I'll Stand by You, sung by Pia Toscano – she is amazing! XD)

"Oh, why you look so sad?

Tears are in your eyes.

Come on, and come to me now.

Don't – be ashamed to cry.

Let me see you through,

'Cause I've seen the dark side too."

"When the night falls on you,

You don't know what to do –

Nothing you confess,

Could make me love you less.

I'll stand by you.

I'll stand by you.

Won't let nobody hurt you;

I'll stand by you."

Naruto and Sai smiled softly as they heard their sister sing. It's been a while since they've done so, and thought she sounded even more beautiful than they remembered. The boys looked around the group and were happy with what they saw. Ino and Hinata were beaming at hearing their friend sing again, finally being able listen to her again. The rest of the group was wide-eyed, clearly speechless from the sound. What made Naruto and Sai smirk was the expression on Shikamaru's face. He was gazing at the pinkette, his eyebrows raised slightly, and his mouth somewhat open. If anything, he seemed as though he had just seen an angel.

"And when, -

When the night falls on you, Baby,

You feeling all alone,

You won't be on your own."

"I'll stand by you.

I'll stand- by you.

Won't let nobody hurt you;

I'll stand by you…

I'll stand…..by you…."

When she was done singing, Sakura finally opened her eyes to find Naruto and Sai smiling proudly at her. Scared to look at the others, the pinkette found the grass completely interesting, so she picked at it and inspected it for a few seconds before she heard clapping. Finally looking up, Sakura saw all of her friends smiling and clapping loudly, with a few added whistles from Kiba, Kankuro and Temari. Naruto put his arm around the newly flushed girl, giving her a small squeeze. As they all quieted down, Sakura couldn't help but wonder what they would say, but she already felt good about it. It was Gaara who was the first to speak, a small smile on his lips.

"That was unbelievable Sakura," said Gaara. "It was definitely worth the wait." Everyone nodded in agreement.

"We would like to hear more," remarked Neji. "Someday soon – if you don't mind."

"Sakura would love to," stated Sai before she had the chance. "In fact, I'm sure she would be more than happy to throw you guys a short, somewhat, concert one day."

As she heard what Sai said, Sakura felt her mouth go dry. "I-I don't know about that," stuttered the girl. "I mean, I'd want to do it for you guys, but…I've never actually been up on stage or anything. The closest I've been to doing a concert was singing 'I'm a Little Teapot' for a school play when I was like…six."

"And you were amazing," pointed out Naruto, his fox-like grin once again on his face. "Come on Sakura. Here, I'll make you a deal. You'll do a concert, and Sai and I will be right there, playing drums and guitar. You won't be alone, and it'll just be all of us who are sitting here right now – with the exception of Baba, Pervy Sage, and whoever else you want to invite – and no one else. Whatcha say?"

"I'm not sure…"

"It doesn't even have to be this week," said Kankuro. "You'll need to prepare and rehearse anyway."

Ino squealed and said, "We'll also find a place for you to perform, and we can decorate. All you'll have to focus on is the music – we'll take care of everything else."

Still unsure, Sakura shook her head, trying to clear her mind. "I-I don't think I'm ready for that," she said. "Don't get me wrong, it sounds incredible; even I'm getting excited for it. But it would take weeks for Naruto and Sai to learn to play my songs, especially the ones I haven't even written yet. Plus, it would mean using up a lot of money, not just for decorations, but getting a place, food, drinks, and all the equipment is going to be really expensive."

"Then we shall raise the money!" declared Lee, thrusting his fist in the air. "We shall raise enough money for you to have a night in the spotlight, and there is no doubt you will be tremendous."

"That's sweet Lee, but still. It would take time -"

"Then we'll do it for the summer," interrupted Shikamaru. His eyes were fixed on the pinkette's, making the girl quiver. Sakura felt her heart beat faster as Shikamaru wouldn't take his eyes off her, knowing that her brothers were keeping a close eye on him…and her. But wow, he's really going to make it complicated huh. Taking her silence as a chance to continue, Shikamaru said, "We can start raising the money now, and you can write as many songs as you want, practicing with Naruto and Sai whenever you get the chance, and then during the summer you can have your concert. It doesn't even have to be at the beginning of summer either. Summer vacation is three months, so we can set it up for late August of next year. End our last days of freedom with a bang."

Everyone loved the idea, throwing out ideas on how to make enough money, and places that weren't expensive but still great. In the end, they all looked at Sakura expectantly, practically begging her with their eyes to agree to the plan. Sakura skimmed all of her friends' faces; the ones whom she stayed fixated on longer were those of Naruto, Sai, Gaara, Ino, and Shikamaru. The first four smiled or nodded, silently telling her that she should agree to the idea, while the last kept glimpsing at her lips, making her blush. The group stayed silent as Sakura thought it through, mainly just to mess with their minds, wishing that she would hurry up and make her decision. Sakura, after letting out a long breath, nodded, causing a loud cheer to erupt from all of the teens. Immediately, they all started talking about dates for car washes, bake sales, shopping, and so on. The pinkette couldn't help but giggle at their excitement, but at the same time, she was dreading letting them down. 'I guess,' thought Sakura, 'I'll have to give this concert my all.'

Walking across the field, arm-in-arm with Naruto and Sai, Sakura beamed as the boys told her how her group of friends was great and funny and so on. She was able to notice how they would bring up Shikamaru at times only to see if she would go red in the face whenever he was mentioned, which she did, every single time. But then, she would also be able to notice how Naruto would bring up Hinata a few times, smiling without even realizing it. 'Aw,' thought Sakura, 'Naruto has a crush on our little Hinata. Hmm, I wonder…They would be cute together…but they're complete opposites. Eh, let's just go with the flow for now shall we.' They reached the house, and Baba greeted the boys whole-heartedly, taking them up to one of the guest bedrooms that they would be sharing. The three teenagers stayed up late, talking and laughing, trying to not be loud enough that Baba would hear them from across the hall. It was nearly midnight before Sakura went to her own room. She was basically done with her night routine when she heard the soft music of her phone.

"Hello?" she answered.

"Sakura?" said a quivering voice. "H-hey Sakura. It's Ino."

Frowning as she heard her friend sob on the other line, Sakura said, "Hey Ino. What's wrong?"

"N-nothing -"

"Bullshit," interrupted Sakura. "Why are you crying Ino? Is it Yukiko again?"

"Can-can you come over?" asked Ino, practically pleading. "I know it's late, but I just really -"

Sakura didn't even let her finish before saying, "Don't worry about it. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

Right after hanging up the phone, Sakura put on some shoes, not even bothering changing from her night clothes - which were black shorts and a grey t-shirt – and grabbed her small green flashlight. Stepping out into the hallway, Sakura listened closely to the sounds in the house; Baba was snoring softly, in contrast to Naruto's deafening snores. Sai didn't snore in his sleep, but he did grumble; Sakura was able to hear a few mumbling sounds from their room and knew that everyone in the house was fast asleep. Making her way silently out of the house, the pinkette left the key under the mat so she wouldn't be locked out and dashed across the field – thanks to Guy-sensei's gym class, Sakura was in the best shape of her life.

Less than half an hour later, Sakura was jumping over Ino's fence, making her way to the big tree on the side of the house. After pulling her hair up into a ponytail and reaching up for a branch, the pinkette pulled herself up and climbed the tree until she reached a window with amethyst-colored curtains. She knocked a few times on the glass and waited until the window was open, allowing her the chance to enter the room. The second she had both her feet on the floor, Sakura was enveloped in a tight and trembling embrace. Ino was silently crying; the only sounds that came from her were a few choked sobs. Sakura managed to pick up the sobbing blonde and carry her over the bed, allowing the girl to put her head on the pinkette's shoulders.

Sakura knew that it would be best to let the girl have her cry. If she were to say anything right now, Ino would just weep even harder and maybe even kick her out. It's happened a few times too. Lately, ever since Ino told her friends about her new boyfriend, Ino would have emotional breakdowns and be sad and ashamed. She would call Sakura almost every night, asking her to come over in the middle of the night, just to have someone to hold her and someone to talk to. Each time, Ino would tell her friend about an argument she had with her boyfriend and how she would blame herself for not being the girl that he expected and wanted her to be, and each time, Sakura would try to convince her that there was nothing wrong with her, and that the guy was just being an ass, a bitch, a bastard, and every other cursed name she could think of. But it was like everything the pinkette said just went into one ear, and out through the other. Ino would call Yukiko and apologize for how she was 'acting' and that she was going to try to do better to make him happy; that was not the Ino she knew. When Ino finally calmed down a bit, Sakura heard her apologizing to her for calling her so late, and that she was sorry for crying, bewildering and enraging the pinkette, just like all the other times.

"Will you stop apologizing Ino?" said the pinkette, trying to keep her voice down, but still trying to put some irritation in her tone. "Just calm down, and tell me what happened." Just as she expected, Ino was distraught by another argument with Yukiko. Usually, Sakura would sigh and try to make the girl feel better, but this time was different; by the end of the story, Sakura was pissed off.

"Are you kidding me?" growled the pinkette. "I can't believe he had the nerve to do that!"

"Me neither," murmured Ino, still letting out a few sniffles. "I just stayed quiet for the rest of the ride. I'll talk to him about it tomorrow or something -"

Sakura cut her off. "Ino, no. Listen to me – you need to stop running back to him. For the love of god Ino! You were crying in the seat next to him, and all he did was ignore you and turn up the damn music! Why do you keep doing this Ino? Why do you keep going back to him?"

"I don't know okay!" snapped Ino, sitting up and pushing away from the pinkette. "I have no idea! But….I just….I don't know."

The pinkette sighed, knowing that her friend was confused. "Listen," she said, her voice calmer now. "I've only met the guy, like, twice. I've seen the way you act around him. It's like you can't talk to anyone but him; you can't hug anyone but him, not even the girls; you can't laugh or smile with the guys, unless it's him. It's like he has you on a leash – a short one at that."

"But Sakura," said Ino, once again laying her head on her friend's shoulder. "He's the first serious boyfriend I've had. And besides, he's not always like this. Remember I told you when he took me to Tori no Kuni?" (A/N: Land of Birds.)

"That was over a month ago," countered Sakura. "You're trying to hold on to how it used to be Ino. But it's not like that anymore. You need to focus on what's going on now, and the way he's treating you now, rather than the memory of him that you're trying to hold on to." There was a rapping sound on the window from the branches of the tree hitting the glass, and Sakura knew that there would be some rain later on. 'Baba's gunna give me hell tomorrow if I catch a cold again,' thought Sakura. 'Well, it's not like I can leave Ino like this.'

"You're right," whispered Ino. "But I just…I can't let him go Sakura. I mean, if I break up with him now, what will I do? I doubt I'll get over him quick -"

"But you will get over him," said Sakura. "And we'll all be here to help you get through it. Me, Hinata, Shikamaru, Choji….Kiba…"

Ino sighed, once again pulling away from her friend. "I know where you're getting at," she said, "but it's not going to happen."

"Why not?"

"You already know what happened Sakura," mumbled Ino, finding her hands extremely interesting for some reason. "No doubt you already asked Hinata about it. Back in November, I told Kiba that we needed space from each other. We had a small spat, and I apologized the next day, but I still made it clear that he just thought he liked me – most likely he'll find someone else."

Sakura sat up and said, "But he hasn't. Ino – Kiba hasn't dated anyone since…well I don't even know since when because I've known him to be single ever since I moved here. If you just gave him a chance -"

"It's not going to work!" snapped Ino. "I know you want it to, but it won't. I mean, even Yukiko said that Kiba could do so much better. He said that Kiba would be better off if he had a girl that can tell jokes and made sure she looked good when he saw her -"

"You know Kiba isn't like that," retorted the pinkette. "Kiba likes you because you speak your mind and because you don't judge him like other girls would. And everyone already knows that Kiba thinks you look beautiful no matter what; whether you're having a bad hair day, or have no makeup on, he likes you for you."

"Yukiko said -"

"I don't give a damn about what Yukiko said!" barked Sakura. "I want to know what you have to say! I want to know what Ino has to say! Damnit Ino, you're acting like a damn dog!"

Ino's eyes snapped wide at the comparison and stood up from the bed, her hands balled into fists. "How dare you say that Sakura!? That is the meanest thing you have ever said to me!"

"Well I'm sorry," said Sakura spitefully. "I'm sorry that I have no idea what else to say to you! But Ino, everything I say, no matter how good it is for you, just gets ignored. You don't listen to what I say, or anyone else. All you do is depend on what Yukiko says, no matter how stupid and irrelevant it is. I know it was nasty for me to call you a dog, but what else can I do to get a reaction out of you other than tears? I need to see you angry, just to know that the old Ino, our Ino, my Ino, is still in there somewhere. I hate that you'll be mad at me and that it'll take a while for you to warm up to me again, if at all, but I just need to know that my best friend is still there. I need to know that I didn't lose you. Damnit Ino…. you're clinging too much onto that guy, and I'm scared that you'll end up hurting yourself."

After being silent for a moment, Ino turned her back on Sakura before saying, "I think you should leave Sakura."

"Ino -"

"I said leave!" Sakura stood there shock for a moment, not knowing what to say. Then, the blonde turned around to face her, and Sakura couldn't help but feel her chest tighten at the emptiness of her eyes. "I needed you to be here for me Sakura. I needed to know that you would be on my side no matter what. I see now that it was a mistake. Clearly, you're more into helping out Kiba than you are into helping me."

"This isn't about Kiba!" cried Sakura. "This is about you and Yukiko! He's doing something to you Ino, and I'm scared that it might end up damaging you! And I am here for you, I am. If I wasn't, I wouldn't be here almost every night at like one in the morning, holding you until you stopped crying. But I can't keep being quiet, and I most definitely can't keep telling you that it'll be ok. I know it'll work out, but maybe just not in the way that you want it to. I can't keep trying to make you feel better, no matter how much I want to, if the next day you're just going to run back to the guy that made you feel bad in the first place."

"I told you to leave."

"Don't do this Ino, please."

"Get out."

"Ino…"

"I said, get out!"

Both girls just stood in the middle of the room, frozen in place. Ino was breathing heavily, and her face was tear stained. Sakura just stood there, taken aback on how far this situation has gotten. How can she just pick a guy over her friend? Her shoulder slumped as she came to the realization, but nodded, holding back the tears that threatened to fall out. She felt a lump in her throat as she walked over to the window, pulling it open. When she had her feet out the window, she sat on the edge for a second, trying to find her voice back. Sakura didn't want to look at Ino at the moment, so she settled for turning her head slightly and staring at the hand that was still on the window's edge.

"I was wrong," said Sakura, only loud enough for the blonde to hear her. "Yukiko doesn't have you on a leash. The way you are now, he doesn't need to. He has you under his thumb, and I'm really sad that you're the way you are now. I know what you're going through, believe me, I do. Which is why I'm telling you that you can be stronger than this; you can be stronger than I was, if you would just let yourself be." Finally turning to look at Ino in the eyes, Sakura decided to finish what she wanted to say. "I won't give up on you Ino. I think that you're being stupid and an idiot for letting him treat you this way, and I hate that you would believe that you're not good enough for something better. But no matter how angry or upset I am with you, I won't give up on you…I won't allow myself to."

With that said, Sakura pushed herself off the edge of the window, onto the tree branch. Climbing down the tree, she couldn't help but notice how Ino didn't immediately run to slam the window shut. Sakura couldn't help but wonder if that was her way of silently asking her to go back. As much as the pinkette wanted to climb back up the tree and enter the room, she knew that Ino needed to realize that she can't just push people away and expect them to come back every single time. There was a limit. Luckily, Sakura hasn't reached that limit just yet, but she needed her friend to come to that realization. For now though, Sakura was out, walking through the driveway, in the middle of the night, holding out her flashlight to light the way, with light droplets of rain falling on her head. Soon, the rain started to pick up and there was no point to the flashlight since she couldn't even see what was right in front of her.

Nearly two minutes into her long walk home, Sakura froze on the spot. 'I can't be mad at Ino,' thought Sakura. 'I can't. I know what she's going through, and I know how it sucks to be in this position. If I say that I can't believe how someone would pick a boy over their friend, then I would be a damn hypocrite. Ino is stronger now than I was back then. She'll make it through. I know she will.' It took Sakura two steps to realize that, even though it was still raining, none of the droplets were landing on her. Looking up, she noticed a black umbrella hovering over her. Once she turned around, she saw a figure standing behind her, and after a squinting her eyes a bit, she noticed it was someone she hadn't expected to see for another two weeks.

"Yo," said Kakashi, giving her a lopsided smile.

"Kakashi-sensei," greeted Sakura. "What are you doing here?"

"I can ask you the same question," he replied. "But since you asked first, I might as well tell you: I couldn't sleep. For some reason, I've been restless all night. My mind is too much in full gear to let me have some rest. What about you?"

Sakura sighed, "It's a long story."

Her answer made the man chuckle. "Is that your reply for everything?" he said. "If I recall correctly, you told me the exact same thing when I asked about Sasuke." Sakura winced slightly at the mention of his name.

"Well, you recall incorrectly," countered Sakura. "I told you about him, I just decided to summarize it a bit."

"Nonetheless, you're being vague again."

"I know," said Sakura. "I'm sorry. It's just…this isn't exactly the best place to talk about it."

Kakashi nodded, and after thinking it through a bit, he asked, "How long can you stay out? Does your grandfather even know you're out this late?" Sakura shook her head.

"That's actually part of the explanation."

"Then come with me," replied Kakashi, holding out his arm. "If you're out now, I'm sure it won't be so bad if you stayed out a little longer."

Smiling softly, Sakura took his arm and started to walk alongside him. Throughout the past four months, Sakura developed a nice relationship with her teacher. In class, he would treat her like everyone else, but there were times out of the classroom when Kakashi would hold small conversation with her, and they got along great. Sakura even put it in her head that the grey-haired man next to her was like a substitute father to her. She never mentioned this to him of course, but it was still a nice thought, and it allowed her to feel more comfortable around him. For example, right now, she wasn't walking with her teacher; she was hanging out with a good friend. The rain finally stopped when they got to their destination. To Sakura's surprise, it was the same park she visited with her Baba a few weeks ago. She was about to run to the swing as she did back then, but Kakashi tightened his grip on the pinkette's arm, and pulled her along to a bench on the opposite side. They sat there for a while until Sakura decided to break the silence.

"How did you know about this place Kakashi-sensei?" she asked. "Ever since I was little, this park would usually be isolated."

"Which is why I like to come here quite often," was his reply. Kakashi leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees and turned his gaze to the sky. "I like to come here at night when I have something running through my mind. This is a great place to think. Not to mention, the scenery is great." Sakura turned her attention to the sky as well, noticing how the clouds were clearing, allowing the stars to shine brightly. It was indeed a great scenery; she noted how the stars on her ceiling were nothing compared to the real thing.

"It's beautiful."

"Yeah, it is," said Kakashi, not taking his gaze from the sky. "So, why don't you go on and tell me why you're out walking in the middle of the night all by yourself."

They sat there for over half an hour as Sakura explained to him what was going on. She started from Ino announcing she had a boyfriend, all the way to the argument they had just a little over an hour ago. 'Was it just a while ago?' thought the pinkette. 'Wow, time is going slow today. It felt like it was hours ago.' By the end of the tale, Sakura had her elbows on her knees like the man next to her, and her face was covered by her hands, her hair hanging down in front of her.

"I don't know what to do anymore for her," continued Sakura. "I want her to know that I'm here for her, but at the same time, I want her to know what I think about the situation. Was I wrong for telling her what I did Kakashi-sensei? I know it was mean, but I couldn't help it. It's been like this for weeks, and this was the first time I actually expressed, not only how I felt about her boyfriend, but how I felt about the way she's been acting. Was I wrong for that?"

Kakashi stayed silent for a few moments. Eventually, he let out a breath before turning his attention to the confused female. "No, Sakura, I don't think you were wrong for speaking your mind. But I do think that you made the mistake for the past few weeks of trying to comfort her. From the beginning, maybe with a few exceptions from the first few days, you should have told her straightforward what you thought."

"She would've been mad at me though -"

"But she isn't now?" retorted Kakashi. "Let me tell you something Sakura: never let something go on for too long because it will make things harder for you, and the people involved." Sakura looked up at him, her eyes questioning, so her companion continued. "I'm not exactly sure how a girl's mind works, but I think that Ino right now is feeling conflicted on who to trust. The reason why she had the reaction she did tonight was probably due to your opposing views about the situation. Yeah, you might have thought her boyfriend wasn't good for her from the very beginning, but you didn't tell her about it. Instead, you tried to comfort her, giving her hopes that her relationship would work out. Today, she saw another side of you that scared her; she expected you to tell her it was going to be ok, but instead, you told her that you weren't supporting her relationship, which she thought you always have. So now, the only person whom she believes to be straightforward and honest is the one person who hasn't changed for the past month: her boyfriend."

"Oh no," said Sakura with a gasp. "So I pretty much just pushed her even deeper into Yukiko's arms?"

"Not necessarily," replied Kakashi. "It might seem that way at first, but like you said, after you left her house, she left her window open. That means she was still thinking it over. The last few words you told her, about not allowing yourself to give up on her, most likely made a crack in that barrier she was trying to put up."

Rubbing her temples, Sakura leaned back on the bench and let out a groan. "So what do you suggest I do now?"

"Leave her alone," was the simple reply. When he got a questioning gaze from the pinkette, Kakashi continued. "What Ino needs right now is to be left alone. You said you were the only one she told about Yukiko's behavior right?" Sakura nodded. "That's good then, because that means she won't have anyone to turn to for a while. Sure, she'll be calling her boyfriend and cling on to him, maybe even more than before, but whenever she's upset, she'll want to contact you. Ino is a very proud girl, so she'll stop herself from calling you, but at the same time, she'll think back to what you said to her tonight. For now Sakura, you should just leave her be, and when she's ready, she'll come to you."

"I hope you're right Kakashi-sensei," said Sakura with a sigh. Taking one last look at the sky, she smiled. "Thanks Kakashi-sensei."

Kakashi put his arm over the girl's shoulders, as she rested her head on his shoulder. "Anytime Sakura. You know, for some reason, I actually grew fond of you. But if you tell anyone I said that, I'll deny it."

Sakura giggled as she replied, "Don't worry Kakashi-sensei. I won't tell anyone."

"I'll deny it if you do," chuckled the grey-haired man. They stayed there for a while longer, when a thought popped into Kakashi's head. "Sakura? You said that you told Ino that you knew what she was going through. What did you mean by that?" The pinkette felt the blood rush to cheeks as she began to blush.

"Oh, that," she murmured. "It's nothing. It was just something that happened back in Jomae."

"Would a certain Uchiha have something to do with it?" The girl remained silent. "Sakura, you don't have to tell me if you're not ready, but I'd still like somewhat of an explanation for your cold relationship with Sasuke."

"It's a -"

"Long story," finished Kakashi with a chuckle. "Yeah, I've heard that one before."

"I'm sorry," said Sakura. "I want to tell you, and the rest of my friends as well, but it's really hard for me. That was an awful time in my life, and I'm scared of what will happen when you all hear of it."

"Listen to me Sakura," said Kakashi firmly. "No matter what, your friends will love you for who you are. They will not judge you, and you will see that you've been worrying over nothing."

Shaking her head, Sakura pulled away slightly. "You have to say that," she said, "but you don't know what happened…"

"Then why don't you tell me?"

"I will," declared Sakura. "I will tell everyone someday. I just need to find the right moment and time."

Pulling his arm back, and placing it on his knee again, Kakashi said, "Tell me something Sakura."

She knew what he wanted to hear, but she also knew that he just wanted to understand. Kakashi was not one to judge, but that didn't stop her from being scared. It's not like he was asking for the whole story right now; he just wanted to have an idea of what he should brace himself for when Sakura finally decided to tell them. A thought popped into Kakashi's head as he waited for Sakura to say something. The thought of one of his most favored students being taken advantage of by a boy was cringe-worthy, and he did not like it one bit. He hoped he was wrong, but the young girl next to him was not helping with her silence.

"I am ashamed of myself," she began. "Even after all the time that passed since Sasuke left Jomae, I think back and…I'm ashamed. It does have something to do with Sasuke. It also has something to do with my friend Naruto, who just today, or rather yesterday I guess, came to visit me for the holiday. Like Ino, I chose the guy over the friend that's always been there. But it was the circumstances that made it worse. Sasuke did something bad to me, but what he did to Naruto…it was terrible. That night was, by far, one of the worst nights of my life. I'm ashamed of what I did, and I can't forgive myself for it. Now, I keep thinking to myself that if I can't forgive myself for what I did, and if I can't get over it, how can anyone else? It's…infuriating."

"You said one of the worst nights of your life," recalled Kakashi. "What do you mean by that?"

"That's a different story," stated Sakura, waving it off. "For now…"

"It's alright Sakura," said Kakashi. "That's enough for tonight. You don't have to tell me everything – not that you would I suppose. But just know one thing: no matter how bad it is, I will not let you undermine yourself. You are stronger than what you give yourself credit for." He gave her a lopsided smile, which she returned half-heartedly.

The pair stayed quietly seated on the bench for a few more minutes before deciding it was time for them to go their homes. Kakashi walked Sakura to her house, thinking over all that she told him. He knew that the whole Ino thing would blow over in a few days, but the whole Sasuke/Naruto thing got him confused. What could have happened between them? The way Sakura explained it, it was more than just a simple love triangle; it was something serious. And though Sakura was beating herself up about the whole ordeal, it seems as though Sasuke was at fault for the most of what happened, whatever it was that did happen. There was a reason that Sakura and that Naruto friend of hers were still friends, leaving Sasuke out of the loop. As they reached the house, Kakashi pulled Sakura's elbow softly, turning her around.

"I want to give you a heads up Sakura," he said. "When school starts again after the holiday, I will assign a special homework on the first day, and it will be due the next class. However, the thing about the first few days of going back to school, not all the students show up. In fact, your friends are the only ones that go back to school on time; the rest always go in a week later." Sakura chuckled, but was still waiting for him to get to the point. "Anyway, the homework I will assign will be to write a confession in a letter form. It can be a confession about anything, and it can be addressed to anyone you like, whether it's just one, or more people."

By the end of his explanation, Sakura felt her eyes widen. "Y-you….you mean...you w-want me t-to -?"

"Only if you'll be ready by that time," stated Kakashi. "Like I said, you can confess about anything, and it can be directed to anyone. Just remember what I said: Never let something go on for too long because it will just make it harder for you and the people involved. Even though your friends weren't involved in whatever it was that happened back in Jomae, but they are involved in your life now. Just think about it."

"I-I'll," stammered Sakura. Letting out a breath, she nodded. "I'll think about it. Thank you, Kakashi-sensei."

The pinkette watched as her teacher walked off across the field, thinking about what he said. 'It would be a good chance to tell everyone,' said Sakura. 'I guess I can try to get started on writing my confession. I just hope that when the time comes, I'll be able to actually confess to it.' With that thought in mind, Sakura silently unlocked the door and entered the house. When she had closed the door, she stood there for a second, listening hard to make sure that the inhabitants of the house were still sound asleep. Sure enough, she heard the soft breathes from her Baba, the small grumbles from Sai, and the boisterous snores from Naruto. She climbed the stairs, inwardly grateful that they weren't screechy like old houses, and made her way to her room. As she closed the door, she noticed that the digital clock next to her bed displayed that it was nearly four o'clock in the morning. 'Luckily Naruto and Sai always sleep in. I won't feel too bad about waking up later than them…I wonder if that's even possible.' Chuckling, Sakura realized how tired she really was; the second she got under the covers, the pinkette was fast asleep, not even caring that she still had her shoes on.

Do you think she'll do it? Do you think Sakura will go through with the confession, or chicken out once again? The only way to find out is to keep reading! I can't say when the next chapter will be out, so keep an eye out - perhaps some reviews might speed up the process (*wink wink*).

Next time on Peaceful One

Old friends are reunited:

"Naruto. Isn't this a treat. I haven't seen you in what? Six years?"

"Sasuke."

Promises are made:

"From now on, we will be on different sides. And if either of you cross that line, I won't hold back."

"The same goes for you. If you ever dare harm Sakura, or any of her friends, I will not take it lightly."

How do you get past the past? Jiraiya gives Sakura his advice on that:

"I know that you and Orochimaru had a past, but I also know that there was a time when you were friends. It must be hard for you knowing that he's gone."

"I still have people that I care about, and most importantly, people that care about me. That'll be enough for me to pull through."

Until Next Time!