AN: Hello again everyone. Thanks for the reviews. I'm so glad that you guys enjoy this story that I'm writing. We've finally got Sakura and Naruto together. There is a lot to be taken care of still though. There is the rest of Akatsuki, and Naruto has to find a way to stay in Konoha because he made an obligation to Azura. This chapter will also go into depth as to why the Azura won't let Naruto stay in Konoha. Anyways for now, lets have a little fluff and get on with Konoha business.

(End of last chapter)

Naruto fell down on her and had his head in the crook of her neck. He was about to get up so that she could be comfortable, but he was stopped by Sakura's hand wrapping around his shoulders. She wanted his weight to stay on her, to cover her from everything bad in the world. He protected her, and she would also protect him. Naruto started to close his eyes as he was falling asleep in the crook of Sakura's neck. Before he drifted off he whispered, "I love you" against her skin.

Both slept silently and happily that night.

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Naruto woke up to a beautiful morning in his apartment. Sunlight shone in through the window and birds chirped outside. It was a gorgeous Saturday morning and Naruto felt rested and energized. All of his stress was gone. He looked up to see Sakura still sleeping with the sweetest smile he'd ever seen. The smile she wore melted his heard instantly. He nuzzled into her soft skin, because he could never ever get tired of the feeling. As he nuzzled he placed an open mouthed kiss on her neck, loving the sensation it gave his tongue. They were both still naked, and Sakura's soft body was melded perfectly under his. He rolled off onto the side, because he felt guilty about putting all his weight on Sakura, who was smaller then he was.

He positioned himself to the left of Sakura with his cheek resting on his hand (which was supported by his elbow on the bed). He just lay there admiring Sakura's beauty and tranquility as she slept. Then he heard her whisper, "Naruto… stop looking at me like that, you're making me nervous".

Surprised that she was awake, he smiled.

"Hehehe, sorry. I can't help it. You're so beautiful. Time spent looking at you, is time well spent" he chuckled.

"Na-ru-to, stop being so corny. You're making me blush," giggled Sakura innocently as she turned her red face away. "Do you mind if I borrow some of your clothes? I want to stay here with you for a bit before going home today".

Naruto grinned as he replied, "Go ahead, and wear whatever you like, except the Azura cloak. You're only allowed to wear that when it's the only piece of clothing you got on, and we're about to-" BONK!

"Gosh Naruto", sighed Sakura after she hit him on the head "is that all you ever think about?" she finished as she got out of the bed. Her naked body was bathed in the sunlight coming in through the window, making her look divine.

Naruto couldn't help but lean to the edge of the bed and reach out to pinch one of her smooth bum cheeks. Sakura turned around and gave him a glare, which wasn't all anger; part of it was seductive as well.

Naruto grinned, "wasn't me" he spoke as he held his hands up like a soccer player who had just committed a foul but was trying to convince the ref otherwise nonetheless.

"Too bad it wasn't you" replied Sakura with a naughty smile; "because now I don't know whom to punish" she continued to smirk as she walked away slowly while swaying her hips from left to right.

In an instant Naruto embraced her naked body from behind in a tight hug. "Alright, I confess… it was me. The guilt's been tearing away at my heart and I can't make it stop" he spoke light heartedly.

Sakura leaned back and captured his mouth in a deep, soft kiss. "Too bad champ, the case has been closed. You'll have to wait till I decide to reopen it," she said as she disappeared in one of the other rooms to find something to wear.

Naruto sniggered to himself as he put on some underwear. He quickly found a pair of baggy, dark blue sweat pants and a black t-shirt. He snatched a pair of slippers and walked out onto his balcony that gave him a great view of the Hokage monument.

"I hope you weren't watching us all night out there" spoke Naruto leisurely as he leaned against the railing of the balcony looking out over a stunningly snow covered Konoha.

"Yes, because watching you make love to Sakura is the first and most urgent obsession on my list of things to do at one in the morning" replied Gaara as he stood on the top of the building (Naruto's apartment is on the top floor).

"Then what brings you hear on a Saturday morning at-" Naruto paused, looked inside his apartment for a second and came back out before continuing, "11:34 in the morning?".

"I came to talk to you about what you're doing with Sakura. You have to cut this out Naruto. You only have about a month left in Konoha before you have to come back to Iwikagure" spoke Gaara.

"I know Gaara, but… I want to stay. Sakura, she's the most important thing in my life Gaara. Azura will understand that. Most of the members will be happy for me" spoke Naruto as he that fact allowed him to cheer himself up a little bit.

"That's all true. MOST members will be happy for you, but he won't. He doesn't believe in the bonds of love Naruto. You know how he is. He'll be angered that you decided to choose a woman over your fellow Jinchuuriki" countered Gaara.

"Vegito…" Naruto sighed as he thought to himself.

"That's right" nodded Gaara, "and his opinion is the one that really matters. You know he won't stand for it, especially after we've all made a commitment to the organization Naruto. He won't just up and let you leave"

"He isn't a bad guy though, he's just… cold" murmured Naruto with a sad look on his face. "He's afraid of emotions that are more intimate then friendship. He's afraid of love, he's afraid that it will hurt his friends in the same way it torments him"

"That's not hard to expect after what he's been through Naruto. You should know. The events that occurred during the first day of his life were unbelievable. He is lucky his mind was strong enough to stay stable at such a young age, it just goes to show how powerful he is" finished Gaara.

"I know," replied Naruto, "he's felt pain equivalent to ours and them some"

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What Gaara meant when he said "The events that occurred during the first days of his life were unbelievable" referred to the day when the three Winged Gods attacked the village hidden in steel and completely destroyed it before it was rebuilt as Meterokagure (check chapter 3 if you decided to skip it because of its boringness). Vegito had been the final of the three children to have his inner deity sealed inside of him. After Oneiga was sealed in Vegito, the Yondaime Dakukage (Vegito's father) was so tired that he only had a tiny little bit of chakra left (to barley stay alive). Vegito's birthing had been done in a rush so that he could be used for the sealing, and therefore didn't have enough energy to stay alive for much longer. His father, knowing this, pumped the last of his energy into his little child to save him. Vegito sapped his father's strength away in order to survive. In the process, he killed his father. Here is where everything went wrong. Due to the extreme shock and chaos Vegito's bloodline limit was activated the day he was born. He was a Xhejshu, and their limit was the Kutkogan. If you read back to chapter 3 the Kutkogan's most amazing ability was that it could gain the experience of the foe the user had just killed.

That was where the problems started. At the ripe young age of one day old, Vegito was exposed to countless deaths at the hands of a Kage as revered as the Yondaime Hokage, and the Sandaime Kazekage. That wasn't the worst bit. Vegito felt all the pain that his father felt when he found out that his wife died during the birthing of their son. Furthermore the pain he felt knowing that he would never see his beloved son grow up. He in addition felt the pain of watching his companions all sacrifice their lives for the sealing techniques he used on the three children (this was because he was only one man, the Yondaime had trouble enough with the Kyuubi, and that was only one deity, the Yondaime Dakukage had to seal three away, he was only human, and his companions offered their souls to save the village along side him). Yet the worst pain Vegito could remember his father feeling was the pain of knowing that he had willingly placed an insurmountable burden on his only son. All of this psychological stress at his young age had caused Vegito to stay away from love. It was a known fact that Kiara (of the Azura) loved Vegito since their days as genin (being in the same squad along with him and Raiden). Vegito also felt emotion for Kiara as well but he was reminded the pain his father felt due to loved ones he lost and decided not to act on his emotions for Kiara. This had also caused him to want to look out for his friends. He didn't want his friends to feel the pain he felt.

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It was in this quality so as to Naruto knew that Vegito would not let him stay in Konoha. Vegito knew that the villagers would detest him, and force him away again. That meant leaving Sakura and having his heart break all over.

"Poor guy, he has no idea when it comes to things like this" spoke Naruto more to himself then to Gaara who just nodded. "What about you Gaara, how do you feel on the topic of love?"

"ME? I don't know, I feel it unnecessary in all truth" he spoke with a sigh. "I've been so fucked up for most of my life I'm having trouble coming to terms with the fact that people accept me, let alone the thought of love. There is no one out there for me Naruto; I can't get along with normal girls. They bicker, they want to talk and express themselves with words and vibrant emotion. Me I've always been a fan of silence. I don't know if I can find anyone for me"

"There's always someone for everyone Gaara, its just a matter of time" Naruto answered back

"Hmm, well maybe we'll see," said Gaara as he was about to leave

"Hey Gaara, Sakura and I, we're going to go to the park in about 40 minutes, you can come along if you'd like" offered Naruto.

Gaara just smiled, "I'd like that"

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As Naruto, Sakura, and Gaara walked through the breathtaking park, which was covered in a layer of bright, white snow they all laughed with one another as they talked.

"So Gaara, has Naruto gone after any of the fan-girls that followed him around in Iwikagure?" implied Sakura in a deadly voice as she turned to Naruto (on her left) and gave him a demanding look which had one of her eyebrows arched while the other dipped a little bit.

"Haha… Sakura-chan, come on you know I wouldn't" spoke Naruto as he carefully chose his words. Sakura was VERY jealous when it came to these matters.

"Actually he's telling the truth Sakura. He never did follow up on the 'more then reasonable' offers those women made him" Gaara paused for a second to think back, "come to think of it he was always too busy reading his books"

"Really!" exclaimed Sakura, obviously proud that Naruto had started reading on his own behalf and increasing his intellect, "what was he reading?"

At the sound of this Naruto (who was standing to the left of Sakura, because Sakura was in the middle and she was paying attention to Gaara, on the right, while he spoke so she couldn't notice Naruto) started waving his hands all over the place and ran his hand across his neck in an attempt, through sign language, to get Gaara to change the subject.

Gaara didn't see Naruto, as he too was speaking with Sakura and that's when he let it slip, "Well Naruto's addicted to the Icha, Icha series. I don't think there has been one time outside of battle that I haven't seen him without one of those colorful books in his hands... except for today"

Sakura clenched her teeth and barley ushered "bookssss… as in MORE THEN ONE!?"

"Yeah", replied Gaara still oblivious to what was going on, "he's defiantly read the whole series more then three times over"

As soon as Gaara finished, the sight of Naruto running with all the energy he had could be seen and heard from anywhere in the park. "SAKURA I SWEAR THEY WERE JUST FOR RECREATIONAL USE. THAT'S IT!!"

"NARUTO YOU PERVERT, WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU I'M GOING TO TAKE THOSE BOOKS AND SHOVE THEM SOO FAR UP YOU ASS YOU'LL BE COUGHING UP DIALOUGE FOR A WEEK!" roared Sakura as she chased him through the park.

Gaara just put his hand up to his forehead and sighed. Then he heard a soft voice speak

"Some things just never change no?" said a astonishingly beautiful Hinata as she walked up and greeted Gaara with confindence he couldn't remember her having.

"It's been a long time, how've you been?" she continued looking into his soul with those, calm and translucent white-eyes.

"Y-yes, it has been", answered Gaara as he screamed in his mind, 'DID I JUST FUCKING STUTTER!?, god she is so breathtaking'.

"Hmm not very talkative are you? I'm the same way, how about we just enjoy a nice quiet walk through the park today? Would you mind that?" asked Hinata as she tilted her head while she staired into Gaara's eyes.

"Not in the least" Gaara whispered quietly.

Hinata just smiled and laced her fingers through his as she took Gaara's hand in hers. Gaara didn't flinch at the touch. He just squeezed her hand a little tighter to let her know that he wasn't afraid.

They were both so very similar; they enjoyed the quiet serenity of the park as they walked hand in hand, occasionally glancing at one another.

Gaara then broke the silence, "what brought you to do this?"

"I like you" Hinata answered with that ironclad confidence.

"When did this happen? I thought Naruto was the Jinchuuriki for you?" questioned Gaara, caught a little off guard by her honesty.

"I liked Naruto because he inspired me to be stronger, and because of him I did get stronger," retorted Hinata.

"If that's the quality you seek in people, then why me. When I was younger, I was the opposite of Naruto, I was a cold and murderous being", finished Gaara as the memories brought up some suppressed pain. You could tell because he scrunched up his face as she spoke those words.

Then his face turned to one of surprise when she cupped his cheek, "Naruto inspired me to grow strong, but I still hated the emotionally weak person I was. YOU inspired me to CHANGE, for the better. I remember when you came to Konoha one time as the Kazekage. Everyone loved you and cheered for you. I saw the change you went through, and I wanted to change like you. Now I'm just as strong as Neji, if not stronger. Don't tell him I said that though, he gets pretty jealous… I also stopped stuttering... Oh and the fact that you're pretty damn hot doesn't hurt" Hinata finished with a wink.

Then it was Hinata's turn to get caught off guard as Gaara grabbed the hand that cupped his cheek and laced his fingers through it. He then brought the back of her hand to his mouth and kissed it softly, "thank you," he whispered.

"There's no need for thanks" she whispered back as laced her arms around his neck and put her head in the crook of his neck. They hugged tightly for a long time before starting to walk again.

When they finally found Naruto and Sakura they were quite surprised. Instead of finding Naruto's guts plastered all over the park, they found him lying on his back with Sakura straddling him while they made out.

"How the hell did that happen?" asked Gaara, obviously confused.

Sakura broke the kiss, and breathed heavily, "the baka has a way with words" then Naruto pulled her back down and started kissing viciously again.

Gaara and Hinata just smiled at each other. Gaara understood the bond that Naruto wanted to keep by staying here. 'Maybe I'll stay here as well' thought Gaara as he felt Hinata lean her head on his shoulder 'Maybe things will work out with Azura, and Vegito will understand… or then again, maybe not. We'll just have to find out Naruto".

AN: How'd you like that chapter, I got a little GaaHina in there. Bet you didn't see that one coming eh. Sorry for the OC bit in the middle, I know it slowed down this chapter, I just wanted to justify why the Azura will try to force Naruto back. I also didn't want you to hate Vegito, even though he's an OC. I hope you don't have how OC I made Gaara and Hinata. Anyways I was thinking if I should write a lemon for Gaara and Hinata, buhhhhh I dunnno. Anyways hope you like the chapter, till my next update SAYANORA!