Chapter 8: The Secret behind Her Secret

The trio find themselves in the land of waves, Naruto walks ahead of the two to check out if things had changed around this small, poor, isolated nation. As Naruto walked ahead he found that the bridge still remained as it did seven years ago. It has been awhile since he and Sakura had returned to this nation.

Since then they've heard that the land of waves was prospering and its economy finally improving all thanks to the Naruto Ōhashi, named in honor of Uzumaki Naruto cause of his great deed long ago. Sakura and Sai finally caught up to Naruto finding him standing at the ledge looking at a nice view of Land of Waves. From the distance stood the great bridge as it did the last time they were here.

"It's beautiful isn't it? It's been very long since I've been back here." The excited Naruto claimed. "There it is, Naruto Ōhashi right where we left it." he said taking a deep breath. "So, when was the last time you were here? Eh! Sakura-san?" Naruto asked.

For some reason Sakura stayed silent and ignored Naruto at the moment. Sai then stepped forward and asked Naruto information about The land of waves.

"Naruto-san, so we are in the land of waves? Correct?" he asked.

"Yes"

"So what is the matter with this country?" he continued.

"Well the land of waves is a poor nation and does not have a working hidden village cause of this. It's an isolated island, but was prosperous until the country was taken over by Gato, who monopolized the economy. But Gato was an evil person. During our last mission here we took him out with the help of a few friends." he thought of Haku and Zabuza . An image of them appeared on his mind, "I Never got to thank you for the things you've taught me about true strength. Never got to thank the both of you."

"Naruto-san? You seem to be spacing out there for a moment." Sai said.

"Hai!, sorry Sai." he responded. he then continued with more of information he knew. "Gato tried to prevent the building of this bridge cause it got in the way of his business, but with the encouragement we gave the townspeople they easily drove out Gato's men and the people learned how to protect themselves."

"I see, so is there anything else I should know about this country?" he asked.

"Not really, well that bridge was built so the country could be saved from the criminal Gato. Tazuna an old friend of ours built it, and named it Naruto Ōhashi." he added.

"Naruto Ōhashi? hmmmm isn't that your name?" he curiously asked.

"Well, let's just say I did some things here and the people decided to name it Naruto Ōhashi in my honor." He bragged.

"Well I find that a bit unusual?" he said.

"What do you mean?" wondering what Sai had meant.

"I mean, who would name a bridge after a numbskull like you? That's just ridiculous." Sai claimed.

Naruto's eye stuttered and grabbed Sai shirt again threatening to punch him. Sai just smiled trying to calm him down saying he was only joking. While Naruto was threatening Sai, he couldnt help but notice that Sakura had gone silent. He let go of Sai to see what was wrong with their companion.

"Sakura-ch- cough! I mean san. What's the matter?" asked Naruto. "You've been quiet since we got here. Is something wrong?" he asked worried.

"Nothing..." she said.

"Hmmmmmmmm, i think i might have an idea of what's bothering her. Not sure but it is a pretty good guess." he thought. "Sasuke...I know it, it's got to be. She never got a chance to tell me about her problem that time we were at the hospital." he added talking in his head. "Huhh, like always...I'm going to have to cheer her up as she talks about her precious Sasuke-kun." he sighed.

"You can tell me about it when we go to the nearby hotel, alright Sakura-san?" he asked nicely.

"I'm fine Naruto, but thank you." she replied.

"Where going to a hotel? Really?" asked Sai

"Your not fine, I know your not..." he thought.

"Are we? Naruto-san? Sakura? hello?" he said confused.

Naruto, Sakura, and Sai kept walking to the little town looking for a hotel to stay in for the night. At night the land of snow was filled with huge amounts people, from the young and to the old, especially the old. And today at the Land of the Waves is a special night, the celebration and memorial of the construction of Naruto Ōhashi.

The town was well lit, the streets filled with many lights. The stores all had different types of things to buy, making most sections of every street a mini shopping mall. Not only that but each section of the town had a food stand, filled with many different types of food from around the world.

As the trio walked, Naruto bumped into a boy that seemed to be in his young teenager years. The boy caught Naruto's attention not cause of the child bumping into him, but with the familiarity of his face.

"Na-Na-Naruto?" the boy wondered if it was the same Naruto from years ago. Naruto finally realized who it was, it was young Inari, Tazuna's grandson all grownup.

"Naruto, so great to see you!, how's everybody? Sakura-san you are here as well. Where's Kakashi-sensei and ummmm the black haired, emo guy, was it ummmm Sasuke" He added, as he greeted the two with open arms.

Sakura kept silent for a bit showing signs to Naruto that Sasuke's name was taboo, but she didn't want to be rude so she answered the young one back politely.

"Hi Inari, it's nice to see you again..." Sakura giving him a weak smile, but Inari bought it anyway.

"Huh? Who is this boy?" Sai asked, curious to know.

"It's young Inari, Tazuna's grandson the one that built and designed the Naruto Ōhashi." he explained.

"Yeah, grandpa was very proud of finishing that bridge. And as promised I would protect and serve this nation. Like my father did, and of course you Naruto-san" He smiled looking at his idol.

Naruto gave him a smile in return. "Oh look at the time, Mom needs me home, ahaha! I was only here for the food and some groceries she wanted me to get. It was nice seeing you guys again, please I would like you to come visit us at home. I hope you didnt forget where we lived." he said as he walked and vanished into the crowd.

"You can count on it." Naruto thought. The trio then continued walking still trying to look for a suitable hotel.

Taking too long to find a hotel, Naruto then creates a shadow clone to help them. "Kage Bunshin No Jutsu" a clone appeared right in front of the trio. "Naruto, i need you to get to higher ground and scout for any nearby hotels, try to ask the townspeople as well for information. and when you've found something well...you know." he told the clone.

"You can count on me" the clone smiled giving the original one a thumbs up.

A few minutes passed and as the trio walked Naruto shook his head as if he recieved a small but not painful heachache. "Must be from the clone" he thought. he then recieved all the clones information and seemed to have found a hotel called Yasumi Ryokan. "AHA! I've found one!" Naruto told his teamates.

As the trio kept walking they finally found the nice, decent looking hotel to stay in. The Yasumi Ryokan, assuming from the information that Naruto's clone got from the townspeople, this is one the best hotels in town.

"Yasumi Ryokan, huh interesting name for a hotel." Naruto said.

The two followed him behind to the front desk so they can get rooms. Naruto made reservations of two rooms, for he is using his own money. "Tsunade forgot to give me some mission money...i can't believe i have use my own to survive ourselves in this mission" he thought. He didnt tell Sakura and Sai yet for he wanted the team to enjoy themselves at the moment at the festival outside while he thinks of something to explain about the rooms.

"So Sakura-san? what do you think of Naruto?" the pale ANBU captain said.

Sakura looked at Sai with a weak smile, she didnt want to think of Naruto right now, she had enough problems at the moment. And that problem was getting over Sasuke.

Naruto ran out of the hotel finally figured out a way to make the rooms comfortable for both his teammates and to do that he decided to sacrifice his own room for Sakura's sake, he knew she needed her privacy. He and Sai will share a room with two separate beds, as far away as possible. Quick, simple, and affordable.

"Well, see you two seem to be having fun at the festival." Naruto said.

"We haven't even stepped that far from the hotel, Naruto-san" Sai replied.

"Well anyway I figured how how to make our rooms work, Sakura will get her own room, and apparently I'm stuck with you Sai." Naruto said, hanging his head looking down. "And don't worry I made sure our beds are way, way apart." he added.

"What? couldn't you at least get us three separate rooms, why can't you sleep with Sakura huh?" Sai claimed.

Sakura heard the remark coming from Sai, and it made her blush a bit. "Sleep in the same room with Naruto...no stop, i can't think like this." she thought. The same happened with Naruto, he knew he can't be in the same room with Sakura.

"Is he insane! of course i can't be in the same room with her, she's not even mine. She belongs to him, only him that's final." Naruto told himself, talking down on himself. "Look a girl needs her privacy, you know." the blonde said. "Right Sakura-chan?"

"Did he say Sakura-chan?" she thought. "Naruto I appreciate you giving me my own room..." she said, as she entered the hotel to grab her keys from the front desk.

"Youcough, your welcome." he replied clearing his throat. "I hope you like the room I got" he then thought. "C'mon Sai we have a lot to do in the morning, we'll need all the rest we can get." he added.

"Agreed."

Both Naruto and Sai then followed behind and took their room key from the front desk as Sakura did. Both entering their room, they were surprised of how nicely designed and cozy it was.

Sakura's point of view-

"Whoa, this room is nice." she said as she entered the room. "Everything's so neatly placed and these furnitures look new." she said intruiged. she then approached one of the glass bowls and the glass tea cup collections that was on top of a nicely carved table made form mahogany. Then entering and opening a door not knowing on the other side is a finely made bathroom with beautiful shiny white tiles, with a nice jacuzzi. The bathroom had it all, nice toilet seat, faucet made from white marble, anything a rich person would want in his or her bathroom. "Wow, I wonder if Naruto planned all this." she wondered.

Naruto and Sai's point of view-

As the two entered their room, they were surprised of what they saw. The room was'nt as nice like they had expected, but the furniture was acceptable and the beds as well. The beds were at least 5 feet apart from each other with a small lamp table between them. And a descent bathroom.

"Well it's not that bad." Naruto said.

"Yea, as long as we get to rest." Sai replied.

I wonder how Sakura reacted with her room? Can't be worse than ours." he added as he took off his backpack and unpacking his things.

"You have no idea." Naruto thought.

Sakura's point of view-

"Ahhhhhhhhhh, this feels so nice" she thought as she relaxed her whole body under the jacuzzi. "This is so relaxing, I've never felt so relaxed in my life. This, this makes all my problems...just flow away..." she added sinking her body even deeper in the nice hot water in the jacuzzi. She then turned on the jet's to make her experience even more relaxing. "Ahhhhhhh..." The kunoichi thought as she relaxed. "Now i really have to thank Naruto cause of this."

Back at Naruto and Sai's -

Sai had neatly unpacked his things, had taken the bed to the left and turned on the lamp in the middle of the room. After turning on the dimmed lamp shade, he then pulled out his sketch book from his backpack to continue one of his unfinished drawings. While Naruto was in the bathroom taking a nice long shower.

Naruto in the shower-

"Today certainly was weird for me, especially around Sakura-chan." he paused. "Still I wonder if I helped her with the room I had ordered. She needed it, I know...hopefully it'll help her cope with what's going on in her head." he added as he turned off the shower. He then stepped out of the tub and used one of the hotel towels to dry himself off. he then put on shorts and a nice black shirt and exited the bathroom.

Exiting the bathroom he finds Sai still awake drawing in his sketchbook minding his own business.

"I thought you were sleeping, still not tired?" he asked.

"No not really, but just before I go to sleep I just have the draw something in this sketchbook. Somehow...for me, it helps me sleep." he answered smiling as he kept drawing in his sketchbook.

"Why?"

"I dont really know, but as long as I still hold this book, I will never be sad about anything. Cause whenever I draw in here, all my problems just seem to slip away and I feel free." he claimed.

Naruto took this at heart, this is the first time Sai ever opened up to him before, and had a positive vibe that this was his way of giving advice.

"You know what I mean?, it's similar...to how you feel towards Sakura-san. Am I correct?" he asked the spiky haired blonde.

"I dont understand..." Naruto asking Sai, curious at what he's trying to say.

"What I'm saying is you need to talk to her, I can tell she needs you Naruto-san. You may have already noticed, something happened between her and Sasuke that time we were at the hospital" he paused to be sure what he's saying is right. "And its up to you to make sure she's alright, no matter what situation she's in right now, even if she's going out with Sasuke, you are still her friend and im sure your as much an important part of her life as much as she's a part of yours. And as a friend you need to be there for her."

Naruto thought about what Sai said, and this advice would probably go around his head for hours. "Think about it" Sai said as he put his sketchbook away and turning of the lamp shade.

"Goodnight Naruto-san" he added, he then turned and face the other way and began to fall asleep.

Sakura's room-

Sakura had finished taking her nice, long, relaxing bath. Unloading her things neatly putitng them on the table next to her bed, she sat down on her bed and pulled out a picture of team 7, the only difference is that only two people remained in the picture, the picture was torn Sasuke and Kakashi was not in the picture. She took her time and looked at it for a few minutes. Within a few seconds a tear had dropped from Sakura's eyes. "Naruto...sniff...I need your help...Sasuke...sniff...he, sniff...he broke my heart." she paused, with even more tears dripping from her glossy green eyes. "I can't tell you myself, I'm just to scared to tell you...I, sniff I need you right now." she thought while she cried holding tighter to the picture.

Back at Naruto and Sai-

He kept thinking about it, trying to find out what to do with this problem. Did Sai mean that he needed to suck it up, take it like a man that Sakura is with Sasuke.

"Sai...?"

"Yes?"

"Do you think...just wondering you know." he paused. "Do you think she ever thinks about me same way she thinks about Sasuke...?" he asked.

"Who knows." he said. "But in my opinion, and by the way she looks at you, she probably does. From what I've heard about this Sasuke, i think your a way better person than he is." Sai added.

"Hope you're right." Naruto said, as he finally closed his eyes and began falling asleep. Sai falling asleep as well.

Back at Sakura's room-

Like her other teammates she is also on her bed beginning to fall asleep cause of all the crying she did tonight. Before falling asleep she thought of one thing.

"Naruto...Naruto...Naruto..." she muttered repeatedly in her head as tears falling from her eyes.

Author's Note-

haha, hey guys i took some of your advice and took this story slow. As you know i have been rushing a bit and it might affect the story, but i took some of your advice and took my time on this chapter, i hope it interests you guys. Ill update it soon, not as soon lol