Chapter Eight

Rising Emotion

"Find some time alone with him. Remember all the great things he has done for you... and compare them with the things Sasuke has done..."

--

"Sasuke-kun, thank you for that time you saved me from the grip of the sand."

"... no."

"What?"

"... The one who saved you was Naruto."

"No way. You're just being modest. Sure, Naruto is getting stronger, but that sand guy..."

"It's the truth... To save you, that guy risked death. Up until now, you haven't really seen him, so you haven't seen his strength either."

Though at first unbelieving of this information, a part of her knew it was true.

A sweet, gentle smile aimed at her newfound savior.

--

"Naruto! I beg you!!"

"Please... Please bring sasuke back!"

"Don't worry! I'll bring him back! That's a promise of a lifetime!"

--

"Nnn..."

Kakashi, who was standing by the window in the hospital room, managed to break his eye away from his Icha Icha Paradise book to look up at the noise.

The Jounin watched as the kunoichi shifted in her sleep, a large improvement in her responses since she arrived. Naruto was sleeping in a chair next to her bed, bent over her sleeping form.

"Nnn..." It came again followed by a change in her breathing style that signified her turn from unconsciousness to consciousness.

With a slow deep breath intake, she started to open her eyes. "Wh-Where... am I?" She asked groggily with a yawn.

"Home, in a manor of speaking," he told her. "More specifically, the hospital."

Sakura shifted her gaze towards the window. Sunlight was creeping through closed blinds. Though her vision was still a bit hazy, she could distinguish her sensei putting away that book.

"H-How?" She asked, more concerned with the manner of her survival rather than the scowl she would normally give him for reading such perverse book.

"He hardly left your side," Kakashi replied, nodding his head in the direction of the sleeping Gennin. "Not even for ramen. He ate 'hospital food' for you."

Looking down the length of her body, she expected to see herself in bandages but instead, saw a piecefully sleeping blond instead. With a furrowed brow and a grim line set across her lips, she looked troubled... confused as the events of the fight replayed in her head. Her eyes widened in bewilderment as a few of the facts dawned on her.

"Genjutsu. A pretty powerful one at that. It even fooled you." He paused a moment to get his thoughts in order.

"If he hadn't kept talking to you while you were out... your brain might have even been fooled into thinking you were actually dead before shutting down your internal systems," the Jounin revealed, with a slight hint of concern on his otherwise, expressionless face. "That was, of course, on the way here. Tsunade took a look at you the moment she was informed of your condition, but in no way did that shut his yap. Not one bit..." He let out a soft chuckle at the remembrance.

An awkward silence went by as Sakura broke her gaze to let her eyes wonder briefly around the room. It wasn't long before her eyes settled on a calendar hanging on the wall to the right of her bed, next to the window. It certainly did not help her any seeing how the calendar still read September instead of October.

Seeing her intent gaze on the calendar, the perceptive Jounin knew what she must have been thinking.

"You have been out cold for four days, almost five," he answered her unspoken question, causing her to return her gaze upon her sensei. "

Naruto turned the two day journey into just six hours. He would not rest until we re-entered the Fire Country. After that, it was nonstop until he got you to the hospital... Thank Kami for food pills or else neither one of us would have made it back so quickly, at least not without collapsing along the way," he finished at last, though silently thinking about his student's extraordinary stamina, he was mainly referring to himself. Kakashi's visible eye took on a glazed effect as his mind wondered off somewhere else.

Sakura merely stared, awestruck by Naruto's iron will, intent on getting her medical treatment. Her eyes slowly wondered from Naruto to Kakashi and back again. She suddenly remembered her 'last moment' with Naruto and wondered if he would remember it too. Those last words she couldn't voice...

Kakashi looked at his pink haired student curiously as she turned a light shade of pink for apparently no reason. She was clearly zoning out. Whatever it was going through her mind had her acting almost like Hinata. It looked a bit unnatural as she smiled sweetly down on Naruto with the softest expression in her eyes, but at the same time... it suited her just fine.

As the blond suddenly stirred in his sleep, Sakura was practically forced out of her daydream to refocuse her thoughts.

"Seems that's my cue," the Jounin said as the boy was waking up. "Give Naruto my regards and tell him to come find me when he has the chance."

Sakura nodded in response and Kakashi proceeded across the room and out the door. Her eyes followed him in a scowl as his hand reach to his pouch to pull out a certain book.

"Oh, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura called out as softly as she could without further disturbing her sleeping friend.

Kakashi poked his head back into the doorway to let her know he was there.

"What day is it?" She asked simply.

With a knowing smile creasing his eyes, he answered, "October 10th." He waited a moment to see if there was anything else. He noted her stunned silence as that was all she wanted and took his leave.

"October 10th?" She repeated in her mind, slighty taken aback and watching him once more. "But that's his-"

"Uhhh-yagh," the boy yawned oddly, signalling him awake. "Hmm...?" He sounded off sleepily. His eyes slowly wondered to meet the gazing green orbs of his teammate. Seeing as she was finally conscious, he himself suddenly became very awake.

"S-Sakura-chan! You're awake!" Making no effort to hide his happiness nor his relief, he sprang up and embraced the unsuspecting girl in a tight hug. Normally what would have been a near fatal mistake on his part in the past, was only met with complete surprise. Before she could figure out whether or not she wanted to hit him or hug him back, he had already released her and was practically bouncing around the room with joy.

She couldn't help but smile at his childish, yet cute reaction. Waiting for him to make it back to her side once more, she spoke. "Happy Birthday, Naruto-kun."

Naruto was stunned silent as his yelps for joy were suddenly halted by his teammate's gentle words. Through wide blue orbs, he stared slack-jawed as his friend. He had no idea that she even knew when his birthday was. To make things worse for him, his brain felt like it stopped functioning as a strange feeling overwhelmed him. A gentle electrifying sensation shot through his cheek. He was utterly stunned as her soft lips met his strangely smooth cheek. A kiss?

She quickly pulled away shyly, looking away from his wide cerulean blue eyes and with a sweet smile, directed her gaze at her shaky nervous hands upon her bedsheets.

There was a strangely passionate look in her eyes, even though they were no longer directed at him. Without thinking, as usual, he slowly leaned in for another moment of bliss.

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"Now where is that kid? Don't tell me he's still there," a tall busty blond woman said to herself after checking a vacant Ichiraku stand. "I didn't remember his birthday for nothing. And I sure as hell didn't go through all the trouble for nothing to get this, either," she contined ranting to herself, holding up a small blue box with an odd looking ribbon wrapped around it.

"It's almost Noon too. I'm sure Naruto is dying for some ramen by now. Maybe I'll be nice and get something for him." Tsunade stepped under the paper flaps and took a seat at one the bar stools.

"Oh! Hokage-sama. To what do I owe the pleasure?" Asked Teuchi, the ramen chef.

"Naruto..." She replied wearily.

"Ah, that explains it," he chuckled.

"How is Naruto doing? We haven't seen him in awhile," Ayame asked, stirring up some noodles, looking mildly interested.

"Hospital," Tsunade simply replied.

"Oh no, what happened?" Ayame sounded off, worry in her tone.

"Oh, nothing happened to him. He's just visiting the hospital, and not as a patient this time," Tsunade was the one to chuckle this time.

"Well that's good. So what can I getcha' today?" Teuchi asked, relieved at knowing his best costumer was well.

"Good question, hmmm... Two bowls of... Naruto's favorite?" She answered innocently, not actually knowing what his favorite was, "To go," she added.

Teuchi chuckled once more, "Right away!"

Five minutes later and Tsunade was saying her goodbyes and proceeding down the street on her way to the hospital with two steaming styrofoam bowls of ramen in a bag that was conveniently labeled after the shop. About eight minutes later, she was coming up on the giant white building when she recognized a figure just standing outside the hospital building, just staring at it.

OoOoOoOoOoOoOoOoO

"N-Naruto's been back for three days and he still hasn't even come to see me," she said to herself sadly, her index index fingers doing their usual dance in front of her chest.

"That is because he hasn't left the hospital since they got back," informed a voice out of nowhere.

"Eep!" The startled Hinata let out, unaware that there was someone standing behind her. Whirling around, she was face to... breast with... Looking up, she peered into the honey brown eyes of the big busted blond, though she was not looking at her, but at the hospital instead.

"A-A-Ano... how l-long have you b-been there?" She implored, flushed and embarrassed.

"...Not long. Just came to visit ... Sakura... and well, Naruto too, I guess," she replied as she lifted a lazy hand to draw attention to the bag. Hinata could tell what it was as the tasty aroma drifted to her nose.

"O-Oh..." She said in return, focusing her own gaze back towards the building behind her.

"Don't forget about the ring..." she reminded nonchalantly. "Perhaps you should wait in my office. If you go to see him without a gift, he might think you forgot," she added with a wink.

"Hai!" She replied enthusiatically.

"I'll cya around."

"Hai."

Her gaze followed the back of the retreating Hokage, who lifted her hand in a sort of backward wave towards the girl. Moments later, she disappeared through the hospital doors with that bag of ramen in her other hand. And surely after that, she was traversing the hallways looking for her student and little brother figure. Moments later, Team Seven's Kakashi Hatake was seen walking out of the very same doors.

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Startled, but subconsciously accepting, their lips were just mere inches apart when...

"Hey! I brought ramen... huh? Ohhh." Tsunade's face changed from a cheery visage to that of a sadistic sneer as the two shinobi tore their faces away from each other. Unable to hold back the brilliant hue shinning from their cheeks, Sakura tried hiding under her pillow as Naruto simply looked out the window behind him, or at least he tried to, seeing as the blinds were still shut. He then made an effort to keep his eyes on the floor.

"Ohhh, did I interrupt something?" With blunt sarcasm sounding in her voice, the sneer on her face became even more evident.

"Of-Of course not!" Sakura panicked, muffled behind the pillow. Naruto stayed silent, though by now probably yelling obscenities in his head at the woman.

Tsunade walked to Naruto's side and nudged him in the shoulder with the bag of ramen.

Smelling the beautful aroma, he shyly turned his head in its direction. Tsunade started to wave it in his face so the ramen depraved boy snatched it from her hands and took the two bowls from its bag. Having reluctantly come out of hiding, Sakura, whose cheeks still matched her hair, found herself with a bowl of ramen slipped into her hands.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow at his ramen sacrifice but decided to keep the sarcastic remarks at bay this time... barely.

She smiled at the two love-birds but then frowned as Hinata's image somehow poked its way into her mind. She sighed inwardly.

"Happy Birthday, Naruto," Tsunade said at last.

"Hehe, thanks," he sputtered with ramen noodles hanging from his lips. He scratched his head with his chopstick-free hand and let loose his usual goofy grin, loosing a noodle back into his bowl in the process.

"Here, before I forget," she offered. She tossed him the small white-ribboned blue box, not much unlike Hinata's black box with its future red ribbon.

After finishing his food, he pushed his bowl aside to open his gift. He tried and tried to open it, but to no avail. "What gives?" He asked at last, only slightly aggitated with ramen still on the brain.

"It's sealed. It will not open until midnight," she answered.

"What?! Why?" He exclaimed.

"Because I don't wanna be here when you open it," she answered a bit reluctantly. "So be happy you even got anything."

Surprsingly, that shut Naruto up as words that were about to shoot from his mouth got caught in his throat and left him gaping like a fish. Finally, he returned her thoughts to the box as he wondered what could be inside it. Excitedly, he shook it close to his ear but frowned when it gave no noise. Amazingly, at this point, his eyes caught hold of the odd ribbon. After closer inspection, he noticed that the white ribbon he had tried pulling on also doubled as the seal.

"Tsunade-sama," Sakura broke in, still slightly flustered.

Tsunade looked at her questioningly.

"Can I get out of here?" She asked pleadingly.

"Hmm, I don't see why not... just make sure to wash up before you go," she generously advised and with a cynical thought, she added, "I don't think the spongebath Naruto gave you was good enough."

Sakura's gentle face became one of uncontrollable embarrassment mixed mith unimaginable rage.

"WHAT?!" Sakura shot Naruto an ominous death glare that made one of Tsunade's look like a lost puppy dog on a rainy day.

Naruto was shocked speechless by the accusation. All he could manage was, "Uh-Uh-Uh-I-I-I-" Unbeknownst to them, Tsunade's slightly frightned countenance had contorted to a desperate look of holding back tremendous laughter.

Just before poor Naruto was struck down by an angry yet still embarrassed Sakura, Tsunade's iron will had given in as she let out an uncontrollable fit of laughter which actually managed to stop Sakura as she had a hold of Naruto's collar with her fist drawn back ready to give him the need to be in the hospital for three more days instead of her.

"HA HA HA HA HA HA HA HA!!" After about a minute of tremendous laughing, Tsunade showed to be having signs of troubled breathing as she still could not stop herself from going into silent fits of laughter; since she no longer had the air supply in her lungs to keep laughing out loud.

Realizing the reason which brought on the spontanious laughing, Sakura pushed Naruto over in his chair in her effort to get close enough to her medical sensei. Merely a second later, Tsunade found herself on the floor with a bloody broken nose and a still enraged Sakura standing over her.

"It was so worth it..." Tsunade wheezed through pained words as she brought a hand to her face glowing with green chakra.

Feeling a little better with her 'excercise,' she now had enough mind to feel the slight breeze through the open back flap of her hospital gown. Flush with her heart thudding against her chest like crazy, she whirled around with her fist raised fully prepared to knock Naruto back out of his seat. Surprised that he turned his head away from the much desired sight out of respect for her, she slowly lowered her fist. She had even surprised herself, but only slightly, that she even took the time to check if he was looking or not.

"What a gentleman," Tsunade teased, now talking normally with her cleared nasal passage.

Sakura whirled around yet again with another right punch thrown out at her face.

This time, she saw it coming and easily dodged it by simply moving her head to the side. What the over confident medical genius did not expect was Sakura's knee making full contact to her abdomen.

Cough. "Okay... You gotta... stop doing that," she commanded through her gasps for air.

"Hmph," she complied and walked to the restroom, this time with her hand holding her back flap firmly closed.

With Sakura out of the room, Naruto got over his new found fear of his teammate and alittle too soon, he commented, "You're getting slow, Baa-chan..."

To contradict his remark, she flash stepped the short ten feet between them and kicked his chair out from under him.

"I am not slow... and quit calling me that!" She added.

Fifteen minutes later, Naruto heard the shower stop and watched as Sakura came out of the restroom another five minutes later. Her pink hair was still damp as it was just towel dried, but it was combed neatly. She wore a casual white t-shirt and short blue jeans that came half way down her thighs.

Naruto blushed and couldn't help but smile. "You look great."

"Uh... Thank you," she replied, not expecting his compliment. "Where'd my clothes come from?"

"Oh... I got them from your house. After coming back from your room, your mom handed me those clothes... just how you saw them in there on the counter," he informed.

She was at first embarrassed but then relieved because her undergarments we hidden between her shirt on top and her shorts underneath. She wondered whether or not they had actually came that way.

"I also gave her the clothes you were wearing before, so she could wash em for ya," he added with a small smile.

"Thanks..." She said, unsure if she should be embarrassed or not, but at the same time, she was thankful to Naruto for doing so much for her while she was out.

"You ready?" He asked.

"Yeah... I should get you a birthday present, especially since you've done so much for me these past few days," she answered, shyly at the last part.

"Nah, that's ok... You already did..." He replied, thinking back less than thirty minutes ago with a slight blush.

Sakura made a blush to match his and looked at the floor. Noticing the lack of sarcastic comments, she looked up again, "Where's Tsunade-sama?"

"Oh, she had to go. Something about 'meeting someone' back at the Hokage tower," he told her.

"Good," she whispered to herself.

Naruto then put the small blue box in his pocket and with his jacket thrown over his shoulder, they both headed out of the room and a few minutes later, out of the hospital.


A/N: Well, I hope you guys liked this chapter. I did a lot of revising to make sure the facts were straight.

By the way, the next chapter should decide the pairings so who do you think it should it be? Personally, I think Sakura and Naruto share a deeper bond now so I believe it should go that way, but who knows. I wanna know what you guys think, so tell me. Short notice? Yes, I know. But I completely forgot, lol. Sorry. If I get enough reviews, I just might do a one-shot alternate pairing so everybody is happy...

Until Next Time...