Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, I am merely a fan of the work and a dreamer.

Author's Note: Thank you all for your posts to the last chapter. I have had the most viewings on that one than any other! Clearly I did something right, which is nice to know. Please keep the feedback coming though as it is very rewarding to read! I also accept constructive feedback as I know I can make errors and it is good to try to get rid of bad habits.

I hope this next instalment suffices for now. I can't believe the actual Manga will be nearing its end soon! What will I do every week?! – If any of you have suggestions of alternative manga I could start taking an interest in please recommend some to me!

From the Heart

Chapter 10

How long had they been standing there? Kiba thought as he glanced up at the sky. The sun had been hidden by a vast cloud formation and the air had suddenly changed in humidity. As he breathed in his keen senses immediately identified that the rain was due to start again and it would soon be dusk. He glanced down at his team mate who had sobbed her heart out until there were no more tears left to shed. The sight had torn him in half. Part of him wanted to hold her and part wanted to go and beat the crap out of the guy that made her feel this way, but he knew that neither action would remove her pain and would only give him a small amount of satisfaction. Instead he had to wait, wait and watch.

Hinata's breathing was beginning to become more steady and she had been silent for a while now.

Shino had left them at least a couple of hours ago. He said he would try to get a head start on the mission on his own and clear the way. Kiba had promised that they would follow suit as soon as they could, though he knew it would take some time to catch up. He wondered if Hinata had even noticed that they were now alone. Sighing he knelt down beside her and placed a hesitating hand on her shoulder.

"Hinata, we should go now, the wind is picking up" he spoke gently.

Hinata moved away from the patient and wet Akamaru and nodded her head. Akamaru whined and licked her face to try to cheer her up. His kind action helped form a little smile at the corner of her mouth, she truly was grateful to him for putting up with her sorrow. She stroked him fondly behind the ears, "Thank you Akamaru" she whispered. He nodded as if he understood and looked at his master for further guidance.

Kiba smiled at his best friend and reached out to stroke being his left ear as Hinata stroked his right. Akamaru melted into their touch, clearly enjoying the massage, before stepping away and shaking his aching limbs out. Hinata looked down at the ground and focussed on the warmth of her friend kneeling beside her, his hand still on her shoulder.

"Thank you Kiba-kun" she spoke softly.

Kiba studied the pale and clammy face of his friend that looked like all her energy had been drained from her. He gritted his teeth, seeing her like this infuriated him. "Hinata, you always worry about everyone else and put them first. I wouldn't be much of a friend if I can't be by your side at times like this" he stated clearly.

Hinata was taken aback by his sudden kind words and felt warmth fill her cheeks as she watched him rise and look down at her. He reached a hand out to her and said, "We should go, Shino will be waiting". She glanced at his hand for a moment and hesitated, wiping her face of the dampness with her sleeve, she slowly reached out and put her small hand into his. Kiba's hand was different from Naruto's. It was a little cold from being out side for so long and a little rough from his hands on fighting style, but somehow it felt bigger as he wrapped his fingers around hers. His nails were a lot longer than the average persons but she didn't mind. His hand made her feel safe and she was grateful to him.

He gave her a tug and helped to pull her up onto her feet. The sudden action mixed with the stabbing pain of pins and needles caused her to become a little light headed and she stumbled forward into him.

"Are you okay Hinata?" Kiba asked as he reached out to catch her, placing a hand around her waist to support her. His grip was strong and surprisingly reassuring.

"Yes" she said softly, a little embarrassed, "T…thank you Kiba-kun" she almost struggled to get the words out as she caught his intense gaze upon her. He suddenly sighed and pulled back a little, allowing her to hold onto his arms for support. When she felt steady enough she let go and took a couple of steps away from him. She couldn't get the feeling that there was something different about him.

"You alright?" he asked, breaking her thoughts. She shook her head to help herself focus and nodded.

Brushing herself down she gained the confidence to look from Kiba to Akamaru and back again, "I am sorry to have kept you both waiting, shall we go?"

Akamaru barked in appreciation.

Kiba frowned, "Hinata, you don't have to push yourself for our sake. If you don't feel up to it that's fine, Shino and I can handle it ourselves". Hinata studied him for a moment and was surprised he was being so considerate towards her. Then again, hadn't he always?

She shook her head, "No, I want to, I need to keep my mind on something else"

Kiba looked at her with concern evident on his face, but knew that there was no way to convince her not to. Right now it would probably be good for her to get away from Konoha for a while. It might help to clear her thoughts and move on.

"Fine" he spoke up, picking up their belongings and distributing them, "Don't get distracted cause if we end up in a fight it could be a problem" he warned.

Hinata nodded. She was some what relieved that Kiba was treating her in his usual manner and was not going to give her special treatment. "If you get tired let me know, I can carry you" he added. She looked at him a little stunned, the thought of being carried made her heart jump with embarrassment.

"Come Akamaru!" the wolf man called, walking off ahead. It took all his might to hide his anger and his desires.

Hinata stood studying the broad back of her friend and let out a sigh of relief. She was so grateful to have friends like him who cared and supported her. He stopped in his tracks and turned around, "Hey you coming or what?!" he snapped.

Hinata's back straightened immediately at his tone and she nodded, "hai" then ran to catch up to him.

….

"Good evening!" Ino's chirpy voice forced shivers down Shikamaru's spine. She was one of the few women that had a way of doing that to him. He grimaced and closed his eyes, placing his drink back down onto the table. They had only just finished their rounds and gave the baby back to Kurenai sensei. Temari had asked where would be a good place to get something to eat and it turned out this was the only place he could think off. Yet, it was also one of the few places that everyone else ate at too.

"Ino" he spoke her name with little emotion. She had a tone to her voice which women tended to have when they walked in on something and read too much into a situation. It was a drag.

"What are you guys up to?" she asked, looking from her team mate to his companion and back again. The grin on her face indicated she was having fun with her imagination.

"Sorry for the intrusion" a male voice spoke up from behind the blonde. Temari recognised the cool faced Sai and ANBU member. She couldn't help but think he seemed pretty cool, almost like that Sasuke did, yet in a different way. Unlike Sasuke, Sai had innocence about him.

"Shikamaru! Why are you are having barbeque without me?!" Choji's voice appeared from the window and sounded upset. They all looked up to see a salivating brown haired shinobi with Kankuro and Gaara standing behind him looking a little bemused.

Shikamaru had to admit he was glad to see his friend and immediately felt less tense, "Relax Choji, I ordered extra just in case" he reassured the larger man. Besides, he didn't have to do much calculation to know this scenario was likely to occur, they always ate here together.

When the others entered the restaurant and joined them Choji immediately ordered more meat and got started on the barbeque on his own. Their guests could not help but wonder where the hell the guy put it all. Yet they had also seen him on the battle field so knew how slim he could become too, a factor that the women at the table were suddenly envious of.

"How did your talk with the Hokage go?" Kankuro asked their Kazekage, his brother.

Gaara studied those around him and silently sipped at his drink, "It was fine". The siblings immediately knew that he had no intention to talk about it in front of the others and so they asked no further questions.

Kankuro instead turned to look at Shikamaru, "Hey where is Naruto?" he asked, a little curious that the loud mouth had not yet made an appearance.

"He is home with Sakura" Sai cut in, paying no attention to the looks he suddenly got, although the feeling of deathly fire coming from the woman opposite him made him flinch a little, have I said something wrong? He wondered.

"Well, well, well, there's a surprise" Kankuro smiled to himself, leaning back in his seat.

"It isn't what you think!" Ino tried to defend the reputation of her arc rival and friend, "Sakura fell sick"

"And that idiot is taking care of her?" Temari asked, feeling sorry for the pink haired woman. He didn't seem like the brightest spark when it came to that sort of thing.

"There is more to Naruto than you think" Choji defended after swallowing down a lump of meat. "He will make sure she is okay"

"Hmmm" Shikamaru muttered to himself.

"What's wrong?" Temari asked him, reading that something was bothering him.

"I just hope that idiot knows what he is doing and doesn't get himself hurt" he stated. Everyone in the room knew what he meant. It was obvious to them all that Naruto was in love with Sakura.

"Doesn't she like that Sasuke guy?" Temari asked, daring to say in the open what others were thinking.

"You guys, I don't think it is fair on Sakura that we are talking about her like this" Ino jumped in.

"Says the person that was spying on her not long ago" Sai slipped out, a little irritated still at the fact she dragged him out and forced his hand.

This time all eyes were on the blond and she kicked the ninja like man hard in the shin, forcing him to almost collapse. It made him wonder why in the world he ever called her beautiful, she was more of a witch than Sakura was.

"That isn't cool you know" Kankuro spoke up, judging the girl before she had chance to defend herself. Ino couldn't help but blush, he was right, but she couldn't help it.

"I was just worried about her that's all. She hasn't been the same since the war" she defended herself. Silence then filled the room, well except for the chomping sound of Choji eating.

This time it was Gaara's turn to break the silence, "I believe in Naruto. He will reach his dream." The Kazekage thought back to all the times Naruto and he fought and how the man he once considered an enemy had managed to break through his defences and teach him how to love again. The power of friendship was strong between them. Naruto was the man who changed the world and could change destiny, the hero and saviour of the 5 great nations. If he could not change a woman's heart then no one could.

…..

"Lee what are you doing out here at this time?" Tenten asked her team mate, whom she had been searching for a while now. Lee was covered in sweat.

"Training" He said between heavy breathing, sending a couple more kicks and punches to the narrowing stump in front of him.

"But the war is over, surely now is the time to relax?" she asked, stepping closer and passing him a towel.

Lee paused in his movements and accepted the material, wiping his brow, "for a Taijutsu master it is never over Tenten. If I don't keep training I will lose my ability as a ninja"

Tenten suddenly realised what it was he was saying, "I see" she replied with a sigh. He was right off course. The war might be over but if Lee wanted to be the best and surpass Guy sensei and their treasured team mate, then he couldn't stop.

"Would you like me to help you practice?" she asked him suddenly. Lee looked at his friend as he drank from a bottle of water. He was stunned and some water missed his mouth. They had trained as a team many times but Tenten usually practiced with Neji whereas he would usually be with Guy sensei.

"What are you looking at me like that for?" she asked, a little hurt by his shocked expression, as if she had never cared before.

Lee shook his head, "sorry Tenten, I would love to train with you" he replied. She couldn't help but blush in response to his statement. However, his comment was soon followed by a heavy groan in his stomach. He clutched at the body part and went red in embarrassment. His female team mate sighed and smiled.

"Maybe we should get something to eat and try again tomorrow?" she asked. Lee raised his head and grinned at her in gratitude, his eyes gleaming in the moonlight.

…

Sakura could feel her mind slowly coming in and out of consciousness. Her body felt warm, yet heavy at the same time. She could already tell with only a little movement that her muscles ached from lying in one position for too long and tried to adjust herself. Yet her sudden movement resulted in an unexpected response. She suddenly felt arms tighten around her and a hand glide down her body, stroking her lower back in a caressing manner.

Her eyes shot open and she was instantly met with the face of a sleeping Naruto. The sudden shock made her stay as motionless as a statue in fear of waking him up. She watched him for a few seconds as he breathed in and out, a little drool forming in the corner of his mouth. He looked peaceful and content and caused her to smile softly to herself. As she slowly recalled their embrace before she passed out she realised that he must have fallen asleep, not wanting to wake her or disturb her. The thought made her heart flutter a little and she couldn't help but whisper, "idiot" in an affectionate undertone.

Yet her sudden sound gained another response from the sleeping ninja and he groaned, "Sakura-ch..An, please, a little more." It was not the first time the pink konoichi had heard him speaking her name in his sleep in a conspicuous way, but it was the first time she had been so close to him when he said it and the first time his groan was followed by him squeezing her closer, nuzzling his head into her chest and cupping her buttocks, all at the same time.

The vein in Sakura's forehead threatened to burst and she gritted her teeth, "NARUTO!" she bellowed, her voice becoming deeper in pitch. She tried to pull her arms out from his chest but he had her pinned.

Naruto's eyelids began to flicker in response to his name, or rather his instinct slowly began to kick in and warn him of impending danger. Slowly, blue eyes met green with a hazy glaze. It took several blinks for Naruto to rid any water from his eyes as a result of him yawning. In the mean time Sakura waited as patiently as she could for him to realise their predicament and let her go.

"Morning Sakura-chan" he said in his sleep like state, slowly moving his head away from her without realising how close he had been in the first place. He could feel Sakura's grip on his top and immediately studied her, wondering why she seemed so tense. Her expression sent him a warning glare that confused him a little. "Is everything okay Sakura-chan?" he asked hesitantly.

She immediately sighed and closed her eyes, she then spoke in an irritated tone with her lips barely parting, "your hands" was all she could force herself to say without losing complete control.

Naruto raised an eyebrow in confusion and subconsciously moved his hands without realising what he was doing. It took a few moments to realise that what he was touching was bare flesh. It then took a moment to realise it was Sakura he was holding. A gentle movement of his thumb on his left hand immediately made him aware that he was touching the rim of some material. As it dawned on him that the said material was Sakura's panties and the soft flesh was her bottom he immediately began to feel his blood rush to his face. Never having been in such a predicament before Naruto suddenly didn't know what to do. He was happy but scared at the same time and didn't know if he would die from a nose bleed or the fist that was most likely going to come his way.

Trying to think quickly he realised he had three choices; let go and run, stay and risk death or ensure Sakura was not able to use her hands. Believing in the depths of his mind that the last option was the best one he instinctively held Sakura tighter to prevent her from getting her hands out from between them.

"Naruto, let go!" she protested, trying to wriggle free from his grasp and finding it harder to breathe.

"I'm sorry Sakura-chan!" he begged, desperate to not let her go. His sudden fear of her made her feel a little agitated and a touch upset. Was she really that much of a monster? She stopped wriggling and sighed heavily.

"I promise I won't hit you" she said honestly. He looked at her hesitantly and she could feel his grip loosen a little. Gently moving a hand up to his face she ran a finger across his chin and smiled cunningly, "you know, there is an advantage to mastering chakra control" she explained, lifting her head towards his slightly and closing the gap between them. She could feel his heart beating and him holding in his breath. "You can channel it to any part of your body" she whispered, and with that she kissed him, pressing her lips hard against his.

At that moment Naruto Uzumaki, the hero of the leaf village, was literally blown away by a kiss.

….

"Where do you want to eat?" Tenten asked her fuzzy eyebrow friend as they walked along the streets of the newly built town.

Lee placed a hand to his chin and looked up at the night sky, thinking to himself. The image of his blond rival came to mind and he suddenly had an urge for some ramen. Looking ahead he saw that the restaurant was near by and pointed to it, "Why don't we go to Ichiraku's?" he said.

Tenten looked at him with a sly smile, he was more like Naruto than he cared to admit, "Okay".

It was at that moment that the two team mates were soon taken by surprise as the sound of a huge explosion shook the ground, causing the people in the streets to stop what they were doing and the two friends to prepare themselves for battle. Standing back to back they studied their environment but did not feel any enemy or threat near by.

"What was that?" Tenten asked, a little surprised.

"It sounded like it came from Naruto's apartment" Lee spoke up, looking at the tower block in the distance. As if to verify his thought a blur of orange landed in front of them and made several roles until the blond head of the village hero laid at their feet.

"Naruto!" Tenten gasped, kneeling down next to their dizzy friend and checking him over for injuries, "what happened to you?" she asked.

"Sa..ku..ra…chan" Naruto's voice spoke out as swirls filled his eyes and love hearts danced around his head.

"Lee help me get him up" Tenten demanded. Lee crouched and between the two of them they placed an arm each over their shoulders and walked Naruto over to Ichiraku's place. They positioned him onto a stool and rested his body onto the counter.

"Hey hey, what's going on?" Ichiraku asked, "Is that Naruto?"

"Yes, can you get us some water please?" Tenten asked kindly. The older man nodded and returned with a bucket.

"Do you think he will be alright?" Lee asked, a little panicked.

Tenten sighed, "I am sure he will be fine" she reached for the bucket and poured it over the young hero. When the water alone failed to wake Naruto out of his stupor Tenten decided to use more drastic measures. Grabbing his collar she slapped him around the face a few times.

"Tenten!" Lee protested, believing that was probably too cruel and he was hurt enough as it was. Yet her plan worked and Naruto slowly came around.

"Hey why am I wet?" he asked looking at his clothes.

"We should be the ones asking the questions!" the weapons master snapped. Naruto looked up at the two friends in front of him.

"Oh, hi Tenten, Lee…are you guys out on a date?" he asked naively.

Tenten's temperament changed and she almost became as scary as Sakura could. It took most of Lee's might to hold her back and calm her down. Naruto tried to back away from her and Lee managed to get in front of her and sit in between the pair. Tenten sulked, playing with her food and mumbling "moron" under her breath.

"Naruto, what happened? We heard an explosion and you then landed in front of us." Lee asked, with concern. He lifted a hand and pointed to Naruto's mouth, "and who did that to you?"

Naruto realised after swallowing that his mouth was bleeding and swollen as if he had just been punched. He gently traced his lips at the memory of what had transpired and his eyes glistened. The other two noticed he had an unusually happy look on his face.

"I recognise that look" the older man identified as he placed some drinks on the counter. Tenten and Lee looked from him to Naruto and back again. "Something good happened"

"How can it be good, he looks like someone beat him up?" Tenten asked, a little unsure of it all.

"Naruto, who did that to you?" Lee asked again, trying to wave a hand in front of his day dreaming friend to gain his attention.

Naruto blinked and came to his senses, he grinned, "Sakura-chan" he answered.

"She hit you for doing something stupid" Tenten remarked as if it was a statement of truth and no one could deny it.

Naruto shook his head and his grin widened, "she didn't hit me, she kissed me" he stated, surprisingly forgetting the fact it was punishment for man handling her.

It was Lee's turn to be shocked, grabbing hold of his friends top, he began to shake him violently "you lie, Sakura-chan would never …" but he couldn't finish his words and slouched, dropping Naruto again.

Naruto realised the consequence of what he just said and suddenly felt a stab of guilt in his gut. He wanted to reassure his friend that it was nothing, but he couldn't be certain of his words. Sakura may have gotten angry with him and blew him out of a window, but she had kissed him, not once but twice. He couldn't lie either, it felt good. Remembering how she felt in his arms made him look down at his hands. He suddenly realised he was shaking. It felt good but was he getting in too deep? He didn't really know how she felt about him and it could have been her delirium from her fever. It wasn't possible for a person's heart to change so easily, was it? Dread and worry began to fill his heart and he suddenly felt sick.

Tenten studied the blond and noticed the sad expression on his face. She studied the slump shoulders in front of her and concluded that these guys were hopeless. She sighed and placed a hand on Lee's shoulder to try to reassure him, yet Lee jumped up and fist pumped the air, fire burning in his eyes.

"If Sakura's heart has changed for Naruto then it is possible that with hard work and effort she could learn to love me too!" his proclamation caused the whole neighbourhood to stare at him. Tenten and Naruto both had a bead of sweat pouring from their brows.

"You have to give him credit, he has guts" the weapons master sighed, smiling to herself. Naruto looked at her as she watched Lee dancing about in the street and swearing how he would not give up so easily and it was a fight of a lifetime. The look in her eyes seemed a little sad and distant. Funny, but he couldn't help but wonder if she had always looked that way when watching Lee.

A fist landed on the table between them and Lee stared down at their hero, "I swear Naruto, you are my rival and like Kakashi sensei and Guy sensei we will fight every day to decide who is the best!"

Naruto studied bushy brow for a moment, thinking him insane. He didn't want to fight all the time, but at the same time he admired the passion in his friend and didn't want to hurt his feelings. Standing up he took hold of Lee's hand and shook it, "you're on!"

"It doesn't matter how much time passes, you guys will always be loud"

The cold familiar voice brought the trio out of their daze. Naruto looked up as a shadow appeared outside the restaurant and was met with the piercing gaze of his other rival and friend. The dark haired Uchiha ducked under the shop's banner and entered, choosing to take a seat at the end of the stall. He ordered a bowl of ramen and sat patiently with his eyes closed and a small smile on his face.

"What are you doing here?!" Naruto asked.

"What does it look like? I'm hungry" Sasuke spoke back bluntly.

Lee and Tenten could see that Naruto's fists were clenched and he seemed stiff. He grumbled and sat back down in his seat when his own food arrived on scene. The atmosphere had suddenly changed and neither knew if it would be good or bad.

…..

A/N: Well I tried to get in most characters and a snippet of our pair. I couldn't give too much NaruSaku in a row now could I? I hope you like it. Please give feedback.

My next challenge will be writing more of Sasuke…I was told once by a SasuSaku fan that they found it difficult to find fan fics that did Sasuke's character justice. I hope I can make them proud.

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