Chapter 9: Reality

Chapter 9: Reality

I don't own Naruto

Some of this is from the show, only like a 2 second part, but I made it totally different.

"Why are you holding my hand? "Sakura asked.

Sasuke stood dumbfounded, releasing Sakura's hand quickly, her gaze still lingering upon him. He didn't say anything, to surprised to speak.

Sasuke saw Sakura walk quickly away, say a few quick words to Naruto, then proceeded to Kakashi, who had a gash on his knee, a swelling bump on his head, and his arm in a funny angle.

Naruto watched him carefully, Sasuke still staring at Sakura. But it came back to him, all back. It had been a dream.

They had arrived in the clearing, Sakura walking to the opposite side of the field. She got to the edge, and stood in a fighting stance, ready to pull up her defenses at any moment.

Sasuke wasn't being normal, his movements where lazy, and he couldn't signal the Chidori right, and while trying to activate the Sharingan, he couldn't seem to do it, his head wasn't in the fight.

Sakura found this weak, and struck him with the hardest of blows that she could, throwing any weapon at him. Even while he was in this lazy, out-of-the-head moment, he still managed to dodge all the sharp objects thrown at him.

He then to mutter little words under his breath, but they where to low that the wind carried them away before they reached the ear drum of Sakura's ear. His eyelids drooped, but he then threw a kunai at Sasuke, piercing the skin by her elbow. He grabbed her shoulders, and threw her back, bruising her back. Being a medic, she quickly healed her injuries.

She knew this had to stop, and she quickly made a deep pit in the ground, making Sasuke fall in. She smirked, seeing him fall. She dropped herself into the pit, and quickly hit him in the stomach. He fell, and he just climbed out of the hole. Sakura took this as default.

Naruto came, and hurriedly saw Sakura win a long awaited match between the two.

That had been real, it flooded back to him. The words he had said in his mind, he wanted to say to Sakura, but knew he couldn't with Naruto, standing all smug. So his day dream had been fake, and so had the actions in his mind.

He looked at Naruto, and ran back away from course, needing to be in the privacy of his own home, to remind him of the ONLY two missions that where laid before him, rebuild his clan, and beat Uchiha Itachi.

With Hinata…

Hinata sat in the only piece of furniture that lay unbroken in her room, the bed. The splinters of chairs littered the room's carpet and floor, most of it around the door. She had tried to break out, but a jutsu had been placed upon the door to keep her inside at all costs.

She hadn't shed a tear, no, not yet. She didn't know what had happened with Naruto, but knew if she was cooped up in here for another second…

She heard a knock on the door, and quickly sensed whose chakra was behind the door that should have been busted, but still remained an off-white color. It was Neji.

She heard a click, and Neji came in, seeing the busted furniture.

"What the hell happened?" he asked quickly.

"The room? Well-I-I," Hinata started.

"No, with Hiashi?"

"He-He saw me-me and N-Naruto-Kun together," she said. She quickly summed up the rest of the story.

"Uzumaki is off training, and Hiashi is going to speak to the Hokage about him. Hokage Tsunade is fair, but my uncle holds a great place. I take it a happy ending will become long sought," Neji said.

"So?! What the heck am I to do? Wait here, let my muscles fade, and come out to see everyone has surpassed me?"

"No, you are gonna go see Uzumaki, and if you care enough to give up your place as the next heir of the Hyuga clan, you will stay with him," Neji said quietly.

"Where is everyone?" Hinata asked her voice being firm. She quickly ran to her drawers and threw into a pack whatever clothes she saw first.

"Sakura is dealing with issues, Lee is with Gai, and Nara is out training," Neji summed up quickly.

"Okay, Hiashi is gone though, right?" she asked nervously.

"Yeah, and Hinabi is with him. For she is a pet," he said, spitting out the word.

"I'm leaving," Hinata said.

"Good, go straight to his house, lock up, and wait for Naruto. Best speak to no one, except one of the little frilly girls you hang with. I know Naruto's training area, not far, I will have you meet him," Neji said, leaving after Hinata out the door.

Hinata walked quickly to Naruto's house, and found a key hidden in the bushes, quickly opening the door. She was startled by the mess of his house, knowing that only a guy would live here. She didn't care though; this was her safe haven, away from Hiashi.

With Neji…

Neji quickly found Naruto, and pulled him by his shoulders away from Sakura and his sensei.

"What the heck Hyuga?" Naruto yelled, seeing it was Neji who had pulled him from behind.

"Hinata, you idiot. Your house," was all Neji said, before leaving. Naruto caught the meaning.

Neji went back home, to watch the frantic rage of his uncle once he found out his daughter was gonna be missing.

With Naruto…

Naruto ran home, taking all the short cuts that where possible, leaving behind his injured sensei and Sakura.

He saw that Hinata had been indeed trampled into his home, for he saw a mark in the bushes that she had pried the bush apart to get the small key.

He opened the door, even though Hinata was supposed to lock it, and Hinata quickly embraced him, stuffing her head into the crook of his neck.

"Naruto-"she said into his shoulder, tears falling now.

"Shush," Naruto told her. He held her, wrapping his arms around her small frame, keeping her safe to him.

Hinata cried silently into Naruto's shoulder, happy to be back in his arms.

"Hiashi?" Naruto asked, sitting them both on the cluttered couch, knowing he would have to clean the place up soon.

"I love you, and staying with him to be heir doesn't seem like a good enough reason to be torn away from you," she said, her voice unusually steady.

"Thank you, Hinata, thank you," Naruto said, putting his face in her soft hair.

They both soon fell asleep, cradled in one another's arms.

With Shikamaru…

Shikamaru stared at the cloudless day's sky, seeing nothing but the empty blue. That was his life now, empty. He would train, die in combat, and become nothing to an extend to pleasure a woman or show how he loves the one that he wishes he could.

"Nothing," he whispered under his breath. He started to make a list of good reasons to not be in love Ino.

Not good to have relationships, for shinobi can have short lives.

Ino was loud a crazy, never taking time to sit and think about her options.

His options is what he was thinking about, and all included taking action about to get the truth to Ino that Sasuke is a nobody in her life. Measly a morsel that has lips that can unfortunately talk. And a brain that can cause emotional pain upon any living person around him.

"Shika?" Shikamaru heard a voice say. He twisted his head that had been on his hands, and saw the platinum blond.

"What? To lazy to say my full name, Yamanaka?" Shikamaru asked, for he wasn't even that lazy. A small smile twisted on Ino's lips, but saw Shikamaru was serious.

"I'm sorry," she said, sitting down beside him, tucking her legs under her body.

"How can you be sorry? Your mind is set on something that doesn't even think you are worth time or yen? Yes you can be sorry, but how can really mean it? All you do is talk, not think, like yesterday," he said, sitting back down to look at the empty sky.

"For my actions and words. I get what you say, and I shouldn't think that I have any chance with Sasuke," Ino said quietly, playing with a kunai, twisting it around hr fingers.

"Ino," Shikamaru said, getting up to rest on his elbow. "I don't want you to apologize, just learn."

"Yeah, I figured you would say that, and so I am here to correct my idiotic mind," Ino said. Before Shikamaru could configure a response, Ino pressed her soft lips against Shikamaru's.

He was shocked, but was still quick in responding to Ino's apology kiss.

He quickly got up, and sat with Ino in his lap, her arms wrapped around his neck. Her fingers started to twiddle around with the band keep his hair up. Shikamaru knew what she wanted, and backed away a few inches, to allow his lungs to replenish his oxygen.

"Ino," Shika started, putting one hand on her face and smoothing back her bangs.

"What, Shika-baby?" She said, putting her head on his shoulder, rubbing the top part of his back with her long fingers.

"We can't DO this, not now. I love you, and want to show you that I do, to show that it is only I that loves you, not Sasuke."

"So?"

"Not the time, look, we are in a clearing behind my house, Asuma could come any moment," he started, feeling Ino wrap her legs around his waist.

"So, let's go to your house."

"Ino, we need to wait, please," he said. She then put her lips near enough to barely brush his.

"Please, I need to know that someone loves me," Ino said. Shikamaru pressed his lips onto Ino's and could feel her trembling. He knew that Sasuke never loved her, it was easy to see, and she wanted someone to love her, and the only person that did, was himself.

"Shikamaru?!" came a loud voice behind Shikamaru. He sighed into the kiss, and looked around, seeing a surprised Asuma. He had known it wa shim, the voice was noticeable, and Ino sighed too, knowing they wouldn't hear the end of this.

"Nara, follow," Asuma said to him, looking somewhat disgusted with Shikamaru.

Ino got off his lap, and whispered to Shika about meeting him sometime later for ramen.

Shika kissed her bye quickly, and went off into the direction of where Asuma had taken off in. He saw Asuma leaning against a tree with his head in his hands.

"Sensei?" Shikamaru asked nervously.

"What would have happened if I wouldn't have some up, Nara?" Asuma asked, looking up with a disappointed look on his face.

"Asuma, I know what you are thinking-"Shikamaru started, but Asuma cut him off.

"You would have slept with her, probably gotten her pregnant, and Ino's ninja life would be ruined for a few years, if not her life. You got tied down to someone that could die as fast as you."

"Asuma-"Shikamaru said quickly, trying to get his say in.

"What if Ino got pregnant and you died in a battle?" Asuma asked angrily, his voice getting louder.

"Sensei- why are you getting worked up about this, now?! You have known my interest in Ino, yet know you warn me about getting screwed with her?!" Shikamaru asked, getting angry with his sensei.

"Because Kurenai is pregnant," Asuma said, his voice lower and filled with disappointment. Shikamaru knew of the couple, even though they both denied it quickly when anyone asked.

"How long has she-" he started to ask.

"Only about a week since she found out. She thinks though about a month pregnant. If something happens to me-" Asuma started, not being able to finish. He stuffed his head in his hands.

"What is she gonna do?" Shikamaru asked, wondering if she will be able to keep training her three students, Shino, Hinata and Kiba.

"See what Tsunade has to say. But I don't want Ino pregnant, for you are going on more dangerous missions, and could die at any moment. To many risks. I never meant to do this to her," Asuma said.

"Asuma-Sensei, if anything shall happen to you in the future, I swear I will protect your child and Kurenai," Shikamaru said, looking at Asuma as his head was lifted from his hands.

"Thank you Shikamaru," Asuma said. "Please don't hurt Ino at all. If she can't train anymore and she has to sit for nine months waiting for a baby to be born, then having to take care of it while you are out. If you do anything, be sensible and marry her," Asuma said.

"Are you and Kurenai gonna…?" Shikamaru started to ask.

"Yeah, I was gonna ask her soon anyway, but this is one reason then to rush it," Asuma said smiling.

"She'll be happy," Shikamaru said. He had every wish to never get Ino pregnant, for it would ruin her ninja life, knowing that she had a child that was always waiting for her. He had wanted to become a top shinobi, then start a family, but if Ino was willing to take a short part of her life, then maybe he could be with her forever, knowing that he loved her if he died.

"Kurenai is with the Hokage, and I was going to meet her," Asuma said.

"Go, please. I need to talk to Ino. Choji off training, or eating?" Shikamaru asked.

"Take a guess," Asuma said, a small smile showing onto his lips.

"Of course, I am really happy for you sensei, you are making a right choice."

"You just make the same. If you really love Ino, then you better promise me know that you will marry her if she…" Asuma started.

"My intentions where that," Shikamaru said, quickly bowing his head, then moving back towards his house. But first he took a side turn to the middle of the village, knowing that a kunoichi would want a small ring, not something bulky and big, weighing back attacks.

He made his way home soon, opening the door and seeing Ino asleep on the couch. He went and shook her awake, her eyelids fluttering open.

"Ino?"

"Yeah?" she said, knowing that something was going on.

"Asuma is getting married with Kurenai, for she is pregnant. I don't want to make a choice like that, having to get married for you getting pregnant then marriage. So, will you marry me?" he asked, opening the small black box, which held a white gold ring.

"Shika-"Ino started

.

A/N: Sorry that took so long to update. You will get more info later. R&R please, I beg of you. It was kinda short, but I have had no time, trust me. Love you all. I dedicate this chapter to my friend who has CF and is always sick, but knowing everything will be okay in the end.