Author notes: I'm apologizing for my lack of updates for most of the month; I've been quite busy, so as a condolence, I've decided to add the two chapters I have written in one update

Quick notes: I've decided to change my format a bit, any author notes I might have will now reside at the bottom of future chapters, whereas in the new quick notes section you will find spoiler information and warnings about the upcoming chapter. As well at the beginning of each chapter if I have them, I will place responses to reviews.

Chapter Nine: Morning Advice

Sleep is heavenly when you have a good woman in your arms. Jiraiya once told me that. At the time I thought he was insane. Well that and trying to spout his perverted ways. But he was right. With Sakura in my arms sleep is heavenly. I don't want to get out of bed. She's so soft and comfortable in my arms, I'm not going to move until she wakes up. The world can end and I won't care, I am not getting out of this bed with out my pink haired angel. Not even that pressing feeling I have. The one that sort of feels like a full bladder. Oh man, it is a full bladder, I got to pee! Alright, I'll just get up, go pee then slide back in bed and wait for Sakura to get up.

I opened my eyes to look down on Sakura, and saw orange. A fat orange lump is sitting in my arms. What is my pillow doing in my arms? And why is there a drool stain on it that looks to be six hours old? Wait, what time is it? Seven AM! Where's Sakura? Why is my pillow in my arms? I didn't move in my sleep, and I know Sakura was in my arms when I went to bed, so where is she?

Alright think Uzumaki think! Sakura came over here around 3 in the morning. She kissed me and confessed she loved me. Then she jumped me and we started making out. That felt really good, hanging in mid air suspended off my bed, making out with the girl of my dreams. Then she dropped on top of me with her knee landing in my groin. Then those magical fingers of hers massaged and healed me. Those fingers, rubbing and kneading my hard- No! If I'm going to figure out what the hell happened, then I need to focus. Okay so after she stopped those wonderful actions with those amazing hands of hers.

Damnit man, stop it. After that, stuff, we went to bed. I know we both got in this bed. And I know I had my arms around her when we went to sleep. So somehow she got out of my arms and left my apartment before I woke up. I can understand how she woke up before me and why she would too. Her shift at work started at six, so she'd have to be up early any way. But whenever I've fallen asleep with something in my arms I've never let it go during my sleep, no matter what. So how did she get away? It couldn't have been a substitution jutsu, because she would have had to have used it before we got in bed, and she was happy I asked her to stay. So she either got out of my arms and put a pillow in her place or she was never here and I dreamed the whole thing. That would explain why I was holding a pillow with a large drool stain. I grabbed it, kissed it and made out with it all in my sleep. Wait I made out with my pillow! I've never done that when dreaming of Sakura.

Just great, the best night of my life and it was all a dream. A very pleasant dream but a dream nonetheless. This is quickly becoming a bad day. Bah, screw if it was a dream or not, if I don't get to a bathroom quick I'll wet my bed. That would certainly put this day in the running for worse day ever, and it has barely even started yet. Guess I'll get up and relieve myself then.

Walking out of the bathroom, I couldn't help but wonder what to do for the day. And then my answer came flying through the window. Literally.

"Yo Naruto!" And then promptly collided with the far wall. I have to say this for the man; he certainly can make an interesting entrance.

"What happened Pervy-Sage, did old lady Tsunade punch you for hitting on her again?" Jiraiya seemed to sour over this and grumbled something about her asking for it or something.

"She and I didn't see eye to eye on something, and she reacted violently." His tone meant drop it, which means I'll ask Sakura about it later. She knows everything that goes on in that office. "So I heard from Kakashi about your new training. You're starting when he get's out of the hospital, right?" I nodded as I searched my room for a clean pair of pants. "Well, that's good to hear."

This is getting hopeless; I can't find any clean pants. I couldn't help but sigh. "Hey brat, what's wrong?" I looked up at him ready to tell the old pervert that it wasn't any of his business, when I saw the caring look on his face.

"Today is not going well at all." At this, his eyebrow raised. "It's a long story, trust me."

"Problems with Pinkie then?" I started to refute him, but before I could utter a word he continued. "Don't bother denying it Naruto. I know you too well, besides you only make out with your pillow that much when you dream of her. Listen Naruto, I'm going to give you some advice the old man gave me. And before you go ignoring me or refuting my great wisdom. I never followed this advice myself, and I've always sort of regretted that. Now the old man, he was smart. And one day when Tsunade turned me down he told me. Well Naruto, he basically told me to stop being an idiot and to stop bothering her."

I was ready to yell. I was ready to scream! Hell I'm going to kick his ass so hard he won't be sitting down for years! And now he has the guts to smile.

"At first I thought he meant that I should give up. Which made me try harder, which made her push me even farther away. The old man was really something. He wanted me to figure out what I should do to get her to see me on my own." Why is he staring off at the wall like that? It's almost like he's watching a movie. "Looking back at it, I was an idiot. And I really did bother her too much. You see Naruto, sensei wasn't telling me to stop going after her. He was saying that I had to stop the way I was going after her, because it would never work. By the time I figured out his true meaning, it was too late. Now Tsunade doesn't want to be with any man. She's afraid, afraid that she'll get them hurt. Basically Naruto, what I am saying is don't stop going after the woman you love because someone tells you you're just bothering her. Change how you go after her." He looked at me, and I guess he must have seen the confusion written across my face. "What I mean Naruto, is you need to grow up." At this he let out a big sigh. "If you really want to be with this woman Naruto, you're going to have to be mature. Now I don't mean you have to change everything about you to be like the guys she seems to like. That would be stupid and wouldn't get you what you want. What you need to do Naruto is to get her to notice you. To get her to think that you are a good catch. If you can get her to do that, then you can easily have her fall in love with you. So basically what the old man had meant was grow up and let her make the first move."

Let her make the first move? I guess that would work. Sakura always did say my constant pleas for dates were annoying. Maybe I should stop asking her out? No I don't think that would be a good idea. Maybe I should change how I ask, and how often. Instead of asking her to dinner right after a long day of training, maybe I should ask if she wants to do something on one of our days off.

"Uh hey, Jiraiya. Well I was wondering. Well seeing as how the old man gave you some advice about women. Well what I mean is that Sakura asked me out on a date tonight, and well I was wondering if you had any advice for me."

He looked at me long and hard. He stared deep into my eyes, so deep into my soul I swear he was talking with that damn fox in his cage. "You lucky bastard. I'm going to tell you on piece if advice that is going to help both you and me. Talk to Tsunade. That woman trained Sakura; she'll know something about her that should help you. Besides that old hag loves you like a son, she'll help you even if it kills her. Oh and Naruto, um is she asks why you're coming to her for advice, well if she does ask tell the truth, I said to do it." He let out a great laugh then. "But if there is one thing I know she's going to tell you, it's no ramen. Oh don't look down, I tell you what, meet me at Ichiraku's at noon and I'll treat you the first 3 bowls of lunch."

I looked up at him, grinned from ear to ear and said to him. "I'll see you there, old man."

As he left I could distinctly hear Jiraiya muttering over his shoulder at me. "At least it's better than Pervy-sage."

Author notes: Well I have some sad but happy news for you people, or at least I would hope you would take it that way. I find it difficult to announce that I will not be updating this story for a while. Now the reason for this is that I have decided to start the companion tale to this one. At the moment I do not have a name in mind for the new tale, but it will be quite similar to this one, just from Sakura's point of view and not Naruto's. for those of you who fear I might abandon this fic. I am not going to do that. As soon as both stories are roughly at the point, i.e. when Sakura wakes up the morning of this chapter, then I will continue to update both fics as events occur. My goal through this is to give everyone a better understanding of Sakura's actions, and at the same time get my reasons for why she does what she does out of my head before I get so far ahead and forget about it.

And on a side note, I apologize for being such a tease.