It felt like she had been struck by lightning. Lightning that had just drunk its third pot of lacing with crack, soldier pills, and enough sugar to rot a tooth in three points two seconds. It hit her in the middle of the night, interrupting a pleasant dream that involved foot massages, a Hokage's hat, and lots of giggling.

Sakura shot out of her bed, tripping on the covers as she made her way to the bathroom, her brain registered that as the closest mirror even as she sped past the mirror that was attached to her door.

Slipping onto the slip rug of her bathroom, Sakura turned the light on and scrambled up onto her feet. She could feel it, it was there. It was done. After nearly two years of gathering chakra, the seal was complete. She had to see it.

For a moment she stared at the hair that covered her forehead like a present wrapped at Christmas. Biting her lip she swept the hair out of the way, catching just a glimpse of the diamond that now rests on her forehead, like a brilliant green island filled with life. She let her hair fall back over it.

"I did it!" Sakura let out a squeal as she stomped her feet in rapid succession. She couldn't believe it, even if it was thanks to her clone and Naruto, she had still managed to do the impossible. She let out another squeal, flipping her hair back again. "Maybe it'll give Naruto a target to kiss."

A yawn that sounded more like a wounded bear than a human signaled her father dragging his feet to the bathroom door. He gave a squinting blink as he stared at her, the bathroom light shining against his slightly pink hair. "Sakura, sweetie, it's two in the morning…. The fuck?"

"Dad look!" Sakura pointed towards her forehead. "It finally formed this is the happiest I've ever been!"

Kizashi looked at her like he was too old for this shit and let out another massive yawn. "Mebuki!" He was silent for a moment as he waited for her mother to wake up, or respond. "It's puberty related you're up!"

Her father's complete lack of excitement, attention to detail, and understand did not come as a surprise to Sakura. "Dad, it's a ninja thing, I just completed the Strength of a hundred seal."

"At Two in the morning?" Her father rested against the door frame in extreme lethargy. For as energetic as her father was during the day when the night hit he was completely dead on his feet. "You couldn't like to complete it during an epic battle or something?"

"It doesn't work like that dad." Sakura rolled her eyes and attempted to part her hair so as to properly show off her seal. It was odd how she had spent much of your youth trying to hide her forehead, with Naruto's words she had started to show it off more, with her new seal she wanted the entire world to see her giant forehead! It stood as a testament to the world that she was going to surpass Tsunade before they even knew what hit them!

She gave another squeal and smiled in the mirror.

"Why's your daughter freaking out tonight?" Mebuki shoved past her husband, looking much more put together than her father, as she often did. She gave her daughter a quick look up and down before she elbowed Kizashi hard in the side.

"Ow hey, what did I do!?" Kizashi groaned rubbing his side.

"We said no tattoos why does our daughter have a tattoo? Why'd you let our daughter get a tattoo?" Her mother had the ability to go from nothing to shouting in a heartbeat.

Kizashi laughed and backed away from his wife. "Look it's not what you think, it's a seal or something? Sakura, what is it again?"

"Why can't I get a tattoo?" Sakura asked, adding another item to the list of rules she had no idea of. "And don't worry it's just a seal."

While her father had managed to maintain a healthy career as a genin (he lacked any form of leadership ability), her mother's bout as a ninja lasted two years into the academy where she decided that being a ninja wasn't her thing. Which made her a little ignorant about shinobi stuff.

"A seal?" Mebuki took a step behind her husband glaring at the diamond on her daughter's head. "Why do you have a seal? Why's it sealed inside of you? What's sealed inside of you?"

"Umm… Chakra, and it's something that Tsunade taught me how to do. It'll help me out in a fight, or when I need to heal a bunch of people." Sakura tried her best to explain as calmly as she could. She had a feeling where her mother's dislike of seals came from. The woman was cursed with just enough information to draw her own conclusions.

"I thought you became a medical ninja so you wouldn't have to fight!" Mebuki stepped away from her husband and marched up to her daughter. She placed a hand on both shoulders. "I was so grateful that my daughter was going to become a successful doctor! But now I find out that you still intend on fighting."

Sakura gave her mother an unapologetic smile. "I never wanted to stop fighting, not if I want to be the Hokage some day."

Sakura paused as a look of horror spread across her parents face. Though likely for different reasons. Her father's face mirrored the one when she told him she was going to participate in the chunin exams. Her mothers was one of pure terror.

"Oh did I say that out loud?" She knew she did.

Kizashi acted first, bolting towards his bedroom like he had just consumed an entire pot of coffee.

Mebuki was less composed as she broke out in tiers. "Sakura you can't become the Hokage! None of them have ever retired! I forbid you from becoming the Hokage it's not allowed!"

Sakura could do nothing but bite her lip and try to hold her tongue against her mother. "Mom, I'm sorry but I don't think you can stop me,

"But, I…" Mebuki wiped her head around to see her husband trying to run while putting his pants. "Kizashi where are you going? Get back here and help me!"

"I'm going to go train if our daughters going to become Hokage I need to at least be a jonin!" Kizashi shouted as he either ran down the stairs loudly or fell down them.

"What? I thought we agreed you'd stay a" she was interrupted by the front door slamming.

Sakura just gave her mother a warm smile. It would appear that she was now a carrier of Naruto's infection dream that seemed to make everybody want to become stronger.

XXXX

"What do you think Sakura?"

There were many things that Sakura thought. Mostly, about how she and Naruto were unofficially official a couple. They were official in that they went on dates all the time, they cuddled together and did various couple things.

But they still hadn't kissed! Sure she gave Naruto kisses on the cheek whenever she good (Even sneaking a bit of side lip action in there when she could), and Naruto's forehead kisses made her heart dance. But it wasn't the same!

She wanted Naruto to press her against the wall while they made out, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his greasy blonde hair, his knee between her legs, keeping her pinned as his hand roamed along the underside of her shirt caressing her soft skin with his calloused fingers sending shivers along her entire body.

She let out a wistful sigh and looked Naruto up and down, it was a simple outfit similar enough to his old one that it was an upgrade in style without redefining who he was. But that wasn't all, she simply liked to look at him. He was so… he was just so Naruto and that was the most amazing thing in the world to her.

It hit her then with the full weight of the world. Her crush on Naruto had developed to something truly amazing. It was what she had once felt for Sasuke, or at least what she had thought she felt. Sure she still loved Sasuke, the same as she loved her parents or Kakashi. But she was in love with Naruto, she was head over heels in love with him.

In two years they had gone from barely friends to being in love. And it was amazing.

"Sakura? Are you okay?" Naruto asked he hadn't moved from where he stood to pose for her in his new outfit. But there was a look of concern on his face.

With her elbow on her knee and cheek in her hand, Sakura smiled up at him. "I love it Naruto."

Unlike with Sasuke she wasn't just going to blurt it out every time she saw him. No Naruto was an idiot, he'd probably think that she was lying if she told him right now. Besides she was only slightly above telling him that she loved him inside of a clothing store.

She didn't want it to be a surprise either, by the time she told Naruto she loved him, it wouldn't come as a surprise or any kind of revelation, just a confirmation. She stood up and fixed the collar of his jacket. "I can't wait to steal it from you."

"Oh well, you can have this one if you want." She stopped his hand from unzipping it.

"Naruto you're missing the point, I want to wear that jacket because it's yours," She said in her best flirting voice.

"But then can't you wear the one you appear with?"

He was so lucky he was cute. "But then I wouldn't be wearing your jacket, just a copy of your jacket. Honestly, Naruto, have a bit of class, don't you think I'm cute when I wear your jacket?"

Naruto froze, a blush spreading across his face. "I umm, well I always think Sakura is cute and stuff."

"Good, now get the jacket and…"

"Sir?" A voice from the door sounded. "Is there someone else in there with you? Need I remind you that changing rooms are one per customer?" The handle was turning.

"I umm I'm not quite dressed." Naruto shouted trying to make it sound like he was getting dressed in a hurry.

"All you brought in there was a jacket sir, I certainly hope you're still decent." The door was opening.

Sakura shrugged and dismissed herself. The benefit of being a clone is that she can follow her boyfriend in anywhere.

XXXX

"Earth to Sakura are you there?" Ino bopped her on the head with that infernal note book that she could have sworn she burned at least three times by now. Ino's face then lit up like a light bulb and she opened the notebook, scribbling with a pen that the blond always seemed to carry with her. "Oh, I know you just got some new memories right? well, what are they!?"

"Really Ino? You want to do a session while we're on the way to the chunin exams?" Sakura glared at her friend as they walked along the dirt road that led towards the village hidden in the grass. The city was already visible to them, with its towering modern buildings. Even the tallest building in Konoha the Hokage building was tiny compared to them.

"Hey now, you're the one that came begging me and Choji to be your team in the chunin exams because. The least you could do is indulge me!" An excited Ino was nearly as unbearable as an excited Naruto. Sure Naruto was more energetic and louder, but Ino was manipulative and had questionable morals to get what she wanted. "I'm afraid without that information I might just not feel up to doing the exams ya know?"

Cunt.

"Fine, I'll tell you," Sakura grumbled as she took a step closer to Ino so as the rest of their company couldn't hear them. It was fine for Ino to hear, but the others - especially Rock Lee and her Father - did not need to know anything.

It still amazed her that her father was participating in a Chunin exam, his first one since she was born. He even got a bunch of other repeated failures to join him. As bad as it was to say Sakura didn't think they had the chance to pass.

The Third team from Konoha to join them was Lee, Tenten, and Neji.

"Naruto was finally getting a replacement to his jacket, and wanted my Clones advice if it looked good on him." Sakura eyed around to make certain no one was actually listening. So far she had managed to successfully keep her parents from finding out about everything including her crush on Naruto. Though she couldn't call it a crush anymore.

"Oh, got a reverse strip show from your boyfriend now did you?" Ino said almost too loudly.

"Shhh, if you want to know keep it down." Sakura waved her hands in front of Ino's mouth to try and catch the extra noise. "And he's not my boyfriend, he's my clones boyfriend."

Ino rolled her eyes and let out a long exaggerated sigh that stretched on for longer than necessary. "Fine fine, well how did Naruto look then?"

"Like, Naruto," Sakura said, feeling as though she was on cloud nine as she remembered seeing the feelings were all there in crystalline clarity. "But that's how what's important, he did look good in the jacket. But my clone realized that she's in love with Naruto"

"And what about you?" Ino asked.

"What about me?" Sakura retorted, folding her arms in defense.

"Do you love Naruto?" Ino said in that way she had like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Yea." The word didn't surprise her, the revelation that she was in love with Naruto didn't surprise her. It was how easy it was to admit it that surprised her. The word just flew from her mouth as easy as a breath. There was no hesitation, no embarrassment, not pinning. Just a warmth that spread through her entire body. "I kind of do love him."

"But why do you love him?" Ino asked, scribbling nonsense into that stupid notebook. "You haven't even seen him in what is it now? Two years? Hell, you don't even write each other, so how can you fall in love with him?"

"I…" Why did she love Naruto? Well, he was Naruto, he was sweet, kind, loyal, infatuated with her, always treated her like she was the most important person in the world. And there was just the way he looked at her. It was how she wanted to be looked at. "Well I see him every day, and."

"You see him or your clone does?" Ino's words cut like a scalp, dismantling what little reasoning Sakura had.

Sakura bit her lip, she had only just realized that she was in love with him. How on earth was she supposed to defend that idea? She had so many memories of him being sweet and taking her out on random dates, he made her laugh without thinking, he made her feel special, he made her fall in love. That's all there was to it. "What does it matter I still get the memories. That's how I fell in love with him my memories."

With an exaggerated motion, Ino placed her hand her forehead. "Finally we get to the point, honestly I thought you were smarter than that."

"What are you talking about now?"

"What we've been talking about!" Ino's voice was at a whispered yell. The two locked eyes for a moment. "You know, you, yourself, and your boyfriend."

"As much as I want him to be he's not my..." Sakura was interrupted as Ino grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her violently bringing them to a dead halt.

"Yes, he is! I've been trying to beat this into you for like a year!" Ino was shouting now. "Honestly I thought that this would be easy, hell you even said it yourself when you dragged me to the Hokage. Your clone doesn't think she's you, but she is a part of you. So yes, Naruto is your boyfriend!"

It… it made sense, more sense than she was willing to admit. If she thought of her clone as her well a part of herself then that would mean she actually did all those things. It was her that was dating Naruto, it was her that had spent so much time with him, it had always been her.

But would it really be that easy to simply remove that festering ball of jealousy she had been following her around for these past months? To her delight, those feelings melted away into nothing making way for joy and happiness.

"Naruto's my boyfriend." the words tasted sweet, of honey and oranges, leaving a tingling on her lips as though she had just kissed a fairy, that spread through her entire body, warming her entire body like she was being held. It was addicting. "Naruto is my boyfriend!"

"I'm sorry," Her father's voice echoed from behind them. "What's this about a boyfriend?"

Crap. So much for keeping this a secret from her parents.

XXXX

Blood was on her hands.

The Chunin exam had gone relatively well, they had managed to decipher the riddle in the first round, survived the Maze of Grass. But it was the final tournament round where things went downhill for Sakura.

"You know you missed your match right?" A woman's voice sounded from the entry way, Sakura had all but taken over this room of the infirmary.

Not because of a dislike of the Grass ninja medical skills, It was mostly because the leech summons they relied on creeped her out.

Sakura looked towards the boy whose life just moments ago she had saved, he had to be no older than she was during her first chunin exam. She didn't even know his name, but an accident during his match had eviscerated him. "I couldn't just let him die."

He would have been dead too.

Her body acted on its own, expressing all the training and purpose that Tsunade had drilled into her. Before she knew it she was over the railing disqualifying herself as she interfered with a match.

"He's not even from your village."

"He's still an ally," She didn't need the justification. Sakura turned to look at the woman and found her mouth agape.

Dressed in the ninja attire of a grass ninja was Futaki, the girl that had claimed to be the daimyo's daughter from The land of Rivers. Sakura immediately wanted to punch her pretty face. The girl had gotten taller, more womanly as though puberty refused to let go of her.

Futaki smiled at her and gave a small wave. She bounced. Just waving her hand made her bounce. "Long time no see, Sakura right? Is Naruto around?"

"My boyfriend," It felt so good to say that to this stupid hussy was practically throwing herself over Naruto. "Isn't here, right now. And what about you I thought you were the daughter of the Daimyo in the Land of Rivers, not a Grass ninja."

Even her laugh oozed womanly attraction. A broken nose could fix that laugh, make it more a wombat snort. "Oh, no, not from The Land of Rivers, though I suppose I never properly introduced myself to you."

She gave a perfectly practiced bow. "My Name is Futaki Osara, youngest daughter of Lord Ikki Osara Daimyo of the Land of Grass, I'm also a chunin of the Village Hidden in the Grass." She returned from the bow, with that stupid perfect smile of hers that could make any man faint.

"Then what were you doing in The Land of Rivers?" Sakura kept her voice as neutral as possible, which was just shy of growling through her clenched teeth. This woman rubbed her in so many wrong ways.

"Oh, my father sent me there to woe the young Daimyo of the land, and offer me as his trophy wife." There was a hidden malice behind the girls every word. "Needless to say, that plan failed, and now the Lord of the Rivers is betrothed to the love of his life, that just so happened to be a servant girl. I wonder how that happened."

Sakura squared her shoulders, as a bit of female companionship flooded over her. She might hate Futaki. But the idea of being forced into a marriage made her skin crawl. "Is that why you were flirting with Naruto?"

Futaki offered her a simple shrug. "Not really, there were plenty of other boys that were looking for a cute girl like me, but Naruto wasn't like them, I saw him and had to talk to him. I still think about him from time to time."

Diplomatic repercussions or not Sakura it was taking all her energy to not punch the taller woman through the wall. "You only met him for a few minutes."

"Leave a lonely princess to her fantasies of being whisked away by a charming young princess will you?" She grumbled and folded her arms beneath her bosom. "Not like I stood a chance with him, not with you around."

The anger was replaced by curiosity. "What do you mean?"

Futaki snorted and turned so that her profile was towards Sakura. Stupid good looking noble genes. "That boy would do anything for you, I'm honestly a little envious. Though, I'm glad you finally came to your senses and saw his value."

"Thanks, me too." Sakura smiled and brought a hand up to her beating heart. Maybe this woman wasn't the worse person in the world.

"Though, if things don't work out, be sure to send him my way."

Scratch that she was still a giant bitch.

"Or if you ever want a three-way, I'm starting to see what he sees in you, once you get pass all the anger." With that Futaki turned to leave, her hips swaying opposite her hair, in a way that was meant to be provocative. Worse thing was that it worked more than Sakura cared to admit. The woman turned back to catch Sakura staring and smiled. "Oh, I was sent down here to tell you that your Hokage wishes to speak to you."

Stupid sexy bitch. She was already in a three-way with her own mind!

AN: Quick update!... sorry!

Some points of note here. Futaki was an OC I made for a Naruto x OC fic, she was intended to be the daughter of the Fire Daimyo, and is actually part Uzumaki on her mothers side. In the original draft of the story, she was supposed to be the reason that Sakura got curious about the Uzumaki clan, thus leading to her discovering the truth of Naruto's heritage. However that idea got cut when I decided to focus on the relationship between Naruto and Sakura.

Also cut was a fight between Rock Lee and Sakura, where she'd be able to match him in raw strength but he still had the speed advantage, Rock Lee would win, and lose to Neji in the finally.

Kizashi was here because I kind of like his character and wanted to include his reaction to his daughter saying she wanted to be Hokage. He'll probably have more scenes in the future.

Any ways this chapter was short so that I could set up for the next chapter which... well... is going to be pretty special. Heads up, I'm going to skip like... all of canon. Like, just fuck all that noise. It'll still happen, but I won't cover it. This is a story about Naruto and Sakura.