AN: Here once again I think I'm doing three chapters this week. Sorry for the weird posting. I just do it when I can. I also try to give more so you'll have something to read until I post again. In this chapter a little NaruSaku. Sorry if you don't like that couple (to be honest, I'm not to fond of it either) but it had to be done. Also just a little Kiba bashing, as mentioned below, nothing personal (I love Kiba 3) he was just easy to pick on. (Sorry Kiba!) Anyway... gotta stop babbling... on with the chapter!

Alone

Sakura stood in front of the chaotic hospital lobby as the light of a new day shined just behind her. Damn, she was only off for one day (so she could nurse that hangover from that party) and now her hospital was a complete wreck. Emergency patients were being treated in the hallway when there were clearly empty rooms, children were playing doctor with real medical equipment, and let's not even talk about the nin-ken that were running all over the place. Oooh Sakura was going to kill someone today.

"Inuzuka! What did I say about having your dogs here," Sakura yelled as she snatched medical equipment from little unskilled hands.

"They followed me," Kiba whined hissing a bit as a bandage was being wrapped around an injured leg, "They're just pups and they were scared."Sakura eyes just narrowed and Kiba knew that wasn't a good enough excuse. "Sakura-san, c'mon! I'm sorry."

"Hurry up with his leg so he can get the hell out of here," Sakura said. The nurse wrapped the bandage faster almost causing Kiba to lash out against the harsh treatment. Again Sakura glared at him, almost daring him to complain. The dog lover bit his lip and took it like any AMBU agent would. "That's what I thought."

"Sakura-chan, can you not harass Kiba, he is a very important asset to the village."

"Oh, please he's just a knock off version of Kakashi-sensei." (The author does not feel this way, I personally love Kiba)

"Sakura-chan," the man whined behind her, "Don't say that about Kiba! We all know that he's way more fun than Kakashi-sensei. And at least he's not a perv." (Again the author does not feel this way and also loves Kakashi)

"That's not what your mama said," Kiba comment from the background.

"Shut up Kiba, I'm tryna stick up for you!"

Sakura turned around ready to put this nonsense to rest when she came face to face with her new Hokage. Of course she has seen Naruto before but this Naruto was not the knucklehead she had become accustom to seeing. He wasn't even the maturing Naruto that she's seen in recent years. No, this Naruto was a fully grown man. His shoulders were broad and his sculpted arms showed clearly from under his new Hokage robes. The flamed rim of the robe matched his orange jumpsuit perfectly and flowed eloquently behind him giving him an air of authority. Though wearing one of his goofy smiles, his face still looked mature. His strong jaw line complimented his gentle blue eyes, making him look even more powerful, yet still approachable. Looking at him now, she felt like she missed him grow up, and maybe she did. She was always in the hospital and she never got the chance to really see him anymore. Maybe just a wave of a hand or a quick hello, but now that she stopped and actually looked at him she regretted all those years she told him no.

"Haruno-sama, Inuzuka-sama's treatment is done."

Sakura looked at the nurse, her words shocking her from her thoughts, "Good, now get you and your mutt out of here."

"Hey," Kiba said looking quite insulted, "I don't appreciate you calling my nin-ken mutts."

"I wasn't referring to the ken."

"Ooooo, harsh Sakura-chan," Naruto teased. "Don't worry I'll do something Hokage-y to her," he said as Kiba left. Kiba just snorted and limped out of the hospital. He's going to make damn sure he doesn't get injured on his next mission.

"Really Sakura-chan," Naruto said a little more seriously, "You have to be nicer to our patients. They serve our village."

Sakura looked at Naruto with a raised eyebrow, "That's what you came here for?"

"No, not really," he said completely serious now, "I need to talk to you. Can you meet me at the old training grounds?" He scratched his head sheepishly and took a look around the chaotic hospital, "You know, after you're finished with this."

"Sure," Sakura said a little worried, "Is there something wrong?"

"I'll tell you later," he then pause and put on yet another goofy grin, "I'll bring some Ramen!" With that Naruto left, leaving Sakura with her mess to clean.

'So much yelling,' Sakura thought as she forced her legs to bring her to the old training grounds, 'I think my throat's dry.' After dragging her tired body a few more feet she finally made it.

"Hey Sakura-chan, thanks for coming," Sakura looked up to find her Hokage sitting on the middle post that he was once tied to as a genin, "I know you must be tired."

"My friend needed me, of course I would come." Naruto gave Sakura a small smile. He knew that she would always be there for him when he needed her. She was a great friend, even if they did drift apart over the years. "How's being Hokage going," she asked with a smile.

"So… much… paperwork…," Naruto muttered shivering a little. After seeing Sakura's amused looked he raised his head and gave a fake smile, "It's great!"

"Right Naruto," she said laughing at his childish antics, "I saw firsthand all of the crap Tsunade had to go through, no need to lie."

"I guess you got me," he said, "But things just got a whole lot worse."

"What do you mean?"

"Sasuke was here yesterday."

"What," Sakura eyes widen in shock, "Sasuke was here?"

"Yeah," Naruto said as he lowered his eyes from hers.

"What was he doing here," Sakura asked voice dripping with hatred as a snake's fangs dripped with venom, "Did you know he was coming?"

"Yeah," Naruto said sighing a little, "I knew." He knew bringing him up would fire Sakura up but she of all people needed to know especially after all the hell they went through to try to bring the man back. She deserved to know what Sasuke did the day before, and the blunder he made by letting it even happen.

"And you still let him in," she said fuming, "Did you capture him?"

Naruto sighed once more, "No I-"

"How could you let him go," Sakura yelled cutting him off, "He's a criminal and a threat to your village!"

"I know Sakura," Naruto said defeat drenched in his voice, "But I-"

"Naruto," she said shaking her head, "You need to get rid of this soft spot you have for him. He's not the twelve-year-old we once knew." Naruto continued to stare at the grass of the field until Sakura grabbed his chin to get him to look up at her, "He's, he's…"

"Alone, Sakura," Naruto said finishing her sentence, "He's alone and you will never understand what that feels like. I can never let go of that soft spot for him because we share something that only we understand." Sakura let go of his chin letting her confusion show on her face, "Loneliness, complete and utter loneliness. The kind of loneliness that makes you feel alone even if you are surrounded in a crowd of people. To know, without a shadow of a doubt, that no one loves you. You don't know how that feels, Sakura!"

She thought she knew what it was like to be alone. The times when she watched them grow and leave her behind, or when Naruto became so obsessed with finding Sasuke that he overlooked her and mostly the utter emptiness she felt when she no longer held the same resolve to do the same, but this that he was describing was something that she never felt before. She never knew that Naruto felt this way, felt like no one loves him. Does he still feel this way? Sakura looked into his bright blue eyes and grabbed his face with both of her hands placing a kiss on his lips. She never wanted him to feel that kind of emptiness ever again.

Naruto eyes widen as he felt the lips one of his closest friends pressed so firmly against his. Slowly his eyes started to close as he wrapped his hands around her slender waist. He knew he shouldn't be doing this. He knew that he had a beautiful woman at home waiting for him. He loved Hinata but she couldn't begin to understand what he was going through. All she ever saw was the hero, his strength. She never saw him weak. She never saw the occasional tears he shed after a Kyuubi induced dream, but Sakura did. Sakura knew how weak he can be. She cradled him when he could no longer stand and walked by his side with her head held high when he could. He would never deny it, he loved Sakura, and to this day he still wishes she had said yes… at least once.

Sakura backed from the kiss with Naruto's arms still around her waist and her hands still cupping his cheeks. "I don't ever want you to feel that kind of loneliness again."

"Then you understand," Naruto said determination laced in his voice, "Why I must help him… on my own." He knew that Sakura would be judgmental and just… well… aggressive with Sasuke and he didn't need that.

Sakura only nodded, she knew that her temper would only hinder his efforts and mostly she understood that this was something that he had to handle on his own, "Yeah I understand."

Naruto leaned his forehead against hers, blue eyes meeting green. "Why Sakura," Naruto asked his voice lowered to a whisper, to only be heard by the two of them, "Why am I not good enough for you?"

Sakura heart sank when she heard the defeat in man's voice. Was she one of the causes for the boy's isolation? "You know," she said, a sad chuckle escaping her lips, "I use to think that I was too good for you. But when you started to grow, I gradually started to see… that you were too good for me, Naruto." Naruto looked at her with shock and mostly denial etched across his face. He would never consider himself better than her. "Wait let me finish. You're Namikaze Naruto, the Rokudaime Hokage of Konoha, the student of the legendary Jiraiya and the son of the Yondaime. You're the boy that rose from nothing and made something of himself while unconsciously carrying the name of your father to sights it had never known. You save this village so many times and laid you life on the line without a second thought all while struggling with your own demons. Naruto, you are incredible. You always were and always will be good enough for me."

Naruto turned his head away as he removed his hands from the pink-headed girl's waist. "Why tell me this now, Sakura-chan?"

"I'm… sorry."

A loud crackling was heard and a barrage of raindrops soon followed. The two just stood in the rain, neither wanting to speak but neither wanting to leave. Naruto was the first to move as he faced the sky to let the droplets fall on his face and down his chiseled chin and neck. It reminded him of the days he sat under waterfalls with Ero-sennin, simpler times.

'His face of serenity… tranquility… it's of a… Hokage.' Sakura thought as she just watched the man, not really caring that she was also wet, 'No his face is the face of someone I don't deserve.'

"We should go," Naruto said breaking the silence.

"Yeah we should," she replied giving a weak smile.

Naruto shook his shaggy hair and looked at Sakura giving a huge smile. He dipped behind the wooden post he was once sitting on and pulled out a soaked paper bag, "Told you I was going to bring Ramen!" Sakura just laughed at him, grabbing her share as they headed their separate ways, knowing full well that large, goofy smile was hiding a deep pain that he would never let show.

AN: Man, I don't even know what to say about that chapter... except I made Sakura a BITCH didn't I? I didn't mean to. I guess I interpet her inner strength as bitchy-ness. Really didn't mean to Sakura fans. But I made up for it with the nice caring Sakura at the end right? Right?