Summary: She was the new, shy and insecure girl. He was the hot, emotionless and reserved guy. He found out her hidden strength, she found out his hidden secret. Only he could break her barrier, only she could touch his heart. What happens next?

Main pairings: SasuSaku, NejiTen, NaruHina, ShikaIno

A/N: Thank you once again for the reviews and please enjoy this chapter as well and don't forget to review.

Disclaimer: So far all my attempts have failed therefore I do not own Naruto…yet!

Previously

"Kiba asked me to go to the dance with him" she replied as Naruto felt a weird sensation curse through his body and for the first time in ages had to actually force a grin on his face.

"That's great" he told her but it didn't feel great. If anything he felt his happiness drain away at this news.

"Yeah it is" she said with a smile as she started taking out her books. Naruto started at her and wondered what this sudden feeling was. He wasn't sure why but the news of Hinata going to the dance with someone else angered him and the fact that it was Kiba made him want to punch him in the face.

'What's wrong with me, what's this sudden feeling' Naruto asked himself as he tried to think on it.

'Wait a minute I know what it is, its jealousy. I'm jealous of Kiba' he realized as he frowned. But why would he be jealous of Kiba, just because he was taking Hinata to a dance. Or was it that he could make Hinata look so happy, something Naruto use to do. Then it clicked, if he was jealous it could only mean one thing. He finally understood why he looked forward to seeing her everyday, why he didn't mind the tutoring sessions and was starting to enjoy chemistry classes.

'I like Hinata'

-

-

Chapter ten

-

-

Naruto sighed as he sat on the stool and absent mindedly stirred his ramen. He couldn't get his mind off Hinata and the fact that she agreed to go to the dance with dog boy. He gritted his teeth as he thought up of an image of them together, laughing and joking around. How dare he try and do that with Hinata and where the hell was Neji when you needed him. Surely Neji would prefer him to Kiba, but this wasn't what Neji wanted was it. It was what Hinata wanted, it was her choice and she had chosen Kiba. But then again she didn't know that she could choose himself.

"Naruto" a voice spoke as he turned around to see Sakura and Sasuke. They had been walking home when they had spotted Naruto and decide to stop for a snack. After all due to the tutoring lessons they hadn't had much of a chance to hang with Naruto, even if it was a Thursday afternoon.

"Oh hi guys" Naruto said as he turned back to his bowel and Sakura sat next to him with Sasuke next to her. Sakura frowned at Naruto's lack of energy and turned to Sasuke as she mouthed 'is he ok?' Sasuke looked at her and shrugged as Sakura turned to Naruto.

"Do you mind if we join you?" she asked as he shook his head. Sakura smiled as she ordered two bowels for her and Sasuke while keeping an eye on Naruto. He defiantly was not himself and she was concerned.

"Naruto are you ok?" she asked a she looked up at her and smiled weakly.

"Yeah I'm fine Sakura" he replied as she frowned.

"Are you sure, you seem out of it?"

"Nah I'm fine" Naruto laughed but Sasuke could tell Naruto was putting it on. He wasn't his best friend for nothing.

"Dobe you're lying"

"Huh how did you…I mean what makes you think that teme?"

"Hn"

"Naruto we are only concerned about you, we know something is up so why don't you tell us. We may be able to help and we wont tell no body." Sakura said. "Right Sasuke?"

"Hn"

"Sasuke"

"Fine" Sasuke grumbled and Naruto couldn't help but smile, Sakura certainly had an effect on Sasuke. She was the only one who stood up for herself in front of him and acted more like a friend than a fan girl or someone who was scared or unsure of him because of his cold attitude.

"See now please tell us Naruto?" Sakura begged as Naruto sighed.

"Fine its Hinata"

"Hinata" Sakura exclaimed started. "Did she stop offering to tutor you or something?"

"No nothing like that's its just…" he sighed as she started at him.

"It's just what Naruto?"

"She is going to the dance with Kiba" Naruto muttered as both Sakura and Sasuke looked at him in disbelief. It wasn't that Hinata was going with Kiba that came as a surprise, since they had been friends since childhood, but the fact that this was upsetting Naruto so much and the way he said Kiba's name was like he was jealous of him.

"What's wrong with that?" Sakura asked as Naruto looked down.

"I don't know" Naruto mumbled as Sasuke looked at him.

"You're jealous" he said.

"What I am not teme"

"Hn dobe you're jealous because he is taking Hinata and not you" Sasuke pointed out as Naruto opened and closed his mouth at his friend.

"You want to go with her" Sakura added as Naruto switched to looking at her instead.

"Fine yes I did" he replied as Sakura smiled.

"You like her don't you?"

"Yeah I think I do" he told her.

"How long have you liked her for?" Sakura asked.

"I don't know I just realized it when I heard she was going with dog boy" Naruto explained as Sakura nodded.

"Yeah I thought as much, sometimes it takes a person a while to realize what they feel and usual don't until they start to loose it or in this case until she moves on"

"So what do I do?" Naruto asked her and Sakura saw the desperation in his eyes and heard the pleading in his voice. But she didn't know how to respond to him. She had never been in this situation before and she didn't know Hinata well enough to know if she liked Kiba in that way or not. She knew that Hinata liked Naruto but how would she react to Naruto confessing it. Luckily she was saved from having to answer by Sasuke.

"You be her friend" Sasuke said as Naruto turned to him but Sasuke, who was not use to giving advice to people, avoided eye contact.

"If you be her friend then she will come to you when she needs and that's what she needs, a friend. Then maybe one day your efforts will be rewarded. But if you like her then the best thing you can do is give her space to come to her own decision and just support her so that she knows you are there"

"Wow teme where the hell did that come from?"

"Hn"

"I for one think it's a good idea or at least a good starting point" Sakura said as Naruto grinned.

"Yeah it was, thanks teme"

"Hn"

"Anyway I better go, I have a tutoring lesson to get to" he told the two as he waved and departed.

"Poor Naruto" Sakura sighed as Sasuke looked at her.

"He will be fine"

"You think so?' she asked.

"Hn Hinata likes Naruto and Naruto likes Hinata. Kiba may like Hinata but he will want to make sure she is happy and when he sees that she is happy with Naruto then who knows"

"Yeah but what if Hinata never sees that, what if she gets over Naruto" Sakura pointed out.

"Don't concern yourself with things like that" Sasuke told her gently. "Things have a way of working themselves out and it would be best if we don't get in the way. Just go with the flow and who knows what will happen. The best thing we can do is support our friends and that's all they will ask" Sakura smiled and looked at him.

"That's two pieces of good advice you have given in one day, what happened to the cold distant Uchiha who didn't give a damm about anyone" she teased as he smirked.

"His taking a day off" he replied.

-

-

Neji was smiling as he sat under the tree in the courtyard while Shikamaru couldn't help but look at his friend in curiosity as he sat next to him.

"What are you so happy about " Shikamaru asked as he shrugged.

"Nothing"

"Troublesome it wouldn't happen to do with meeting Tenten in the gym after school would it?" his friend asked as Neji frowned.

"Why and how did you know about that?"

"Lee mentioned something about it, how he is glad Tenten has Neji to keep her company while he trains with Gai every friday afternoon and even some others"

"Yeah well don't make anything out of it, its just two friends training after school"

"Troublesome but since when have you two been friends?" he asked.

"We were once"

"Yeah I know but didn't you fight or something"

"I don't know, yeah I guess we did" Neji replied. "But that doesn't mean I didn't I miss her friendship"

"I see"

"And now we are friends again, and training partners"

"So basically by training with her you have realized that you missed not being her friend and at the same time you have developed feelings for her"

"Yeah and wait what?"

"Troublesome" Shikamaru muttered, "I thought as much"

"Thought what?"

"You like her don't you?" Shikamaru said as Neji frowned. He knew it was useless to deny it seeing as his friend was smarter than the average person but he felt no need to admit it so he remained silent which he assumed Shikamaru would take as a yes. Which of course he did, but at least Neji did not fear Shikamaru telling anyone.

"So my question is did you just start having feelings for her now or did you use to when you were friends back when you were younger?" Shikamaru asked him.

"I don't know, I could never make sense of my feelings back then" Neji admitted as Shikamaru nodded.

"Understandable"

"What about you?" Neji asked.

"What about me what?"

"You seem to be keeping a close eye on Ino lately" Neji pointed out as Shikamaru shrugged. He couldn't be bothered lying about it, making excuses was just too troublesome.

"I am concerned about her"

"Really how so?"

"Something is wrong and I'm worried that it's taking its toll on her and the fact that she isn't telling anyone means that she is trying to forget and this can lead to problems." Shikamaru told him.

"I see so you're worried because something is wrong and that's why you're keeping an eye on her"

"I am merely being a friend and making sure when the time comes, if it comes, she doesn't have to go through it alone" Shikamaru informed him as Neji nodded. He had a feeling Shikamaru knew what was wrong with Ino, the secret Ino was hiding but from his friends attitude Neji knew that Ino had no idea he knew and neither did anyone else so he didn't push him to find out.

"So your making sure that your there when she needs a friend" he exclaimed as Shikamaru nodded.

"Yes"

"Hn you know I think you like her"

"Huh"

"You had feelings for her once and I think they have returned" Neji told him, "you like her again." Shikamaru looked at him and sighed in defeat.

"Truth is Neji" he replied. "I never stopped"

-

-

"Sakura" Ino greeted her friend as Sakura arrived at Ino's house on the Saturday night. The girls had decided to have a sleepover and had of course invited Sakura long. Apparently Ino's parents were at a party and wouldn't be back until early in the morning so Ino had taken the chance to invite her friends over. Sakura smiled as Ino lead her to the lunge where Hinata and Tenten were already sitting while munching on some chips. Sakura took her seat next to Tenten, who smiled at her in greeting while Ino brought them all drinks and some more snacks than sat down next to Hinata.

They played a few video games, with Tenten and Sakura winning most of them, then Ino giving up decided to make them play monoply where Hinata succesfully made Tenten go completly bank rupt. After watching two movies, one in which was a more girly one than Tenten liked to the point where she was pretending to be sick and the other which completly terrified both Ino and Hinata at one stage and even had Sakura cringing in her seat, Ino turned to her three guests.

"Ok now before we go to bed its gossip time" Ino declared as Tenten sighed and Hinata grinned.

"Gossip time" Sakura repeated as Ino laughed.

"You know where we talk about how stuff is going, you know in regards to school friends and of course boys" she told her as Tenten sighed.

"Yeah basically the only things that make sense to Ino"

"Hey" Ino cried as Tenten just shrugged.

"Ok then Ino how about you start with telling us about Shikamaru?" Hinata offered as Ino blushed.

"What do you mean?"

"Simple, ever since he has been hanging out with us you have stooped flirting or even mentioning Sasuke as if you no longer have interest in him" Tenten pointed out.

"Yeah and you don't argue with Shikamaru and even occasionally get along" Hinata added.

"And you tend to look at him when no one else is watching" Sakura whispered as Ino frowned.

"How do you know?" she demanded.

"I…uh"

"Hey leave her alone Ino, she stays silent and observes everything so of courser she would notice" Tenten told her as Ino sighed.

"Fine I like him ok, I like him a lot" she shouted as Hinata grinned.

"Yeah I thought you did"

"Like your one to talk" she snickered. "So how are those tutoring lessons with Naruto going huh?"

"Um just fine" Hinata replied as Tenten looked at her.

"Just fine?"

"Yeah"

"So are you going to ask him to the dance then" Ino asked as Hinata blushed.

"No"

"Wait why not" Ino enquired as Hinata went redder.

"I'm already going with someone"

"You are" exclaimed Tenten.

"Who is it?" Sakura asked.

"How and wait you got a date before me" Ino yelled.

"Calm down Ino" Hinata muttered as she turned to the other girls. "Yes Tenten I have, I'm going with Kiba and he was the one who asked me"

"Kiba" Ino said as Hinata nodded.

"Not surprising I mean he does have a crush on you" Tenten pointed out.

"He does?"

"Yeah Hinata he does" Tenten laughed as she smiled.

"What about Naruto, do you still like him?" Ino asked.

"Yes"

"Then do you like Kiba as well" Ino said as Hinata sighed.

"I like Kiba but not as much as Naruto. But I didn't want to hurt Kiba's feelings and I doubt Naruto would have asked me anyway"

"He might have" Sakura said as the girls looked at her.

"Why would you say that?"

"Well" Sakura told Hinata slowly. She didn't want to break her promise but this was going off her observations so technically she wasn't. "The way Naruto acts and looks at you then compared to his attitude when he found out you were going with Kiba shows that he has feelings for you"

"Really" Hinata exclaimed as Sakura smiled and nodded.

"So what should I do?"

"I think its best if you talk to Kiba about it" Tenten told her. "Honesty is always the best especially when it comes down to friends"

"Thanks" Hinata said as Ino laughed.

"Ok so while we are on the topic of friends you and Sasuke seem to be getting along rather well Sakura"

"Yeah so"

"So what's the story" Ino asked.

"There is none" Sakura replied. "We are just friends"

"Are you sure?"

"Yes"

"Really"

"Yes"

"Are you…"

"Ino" Tenten yelled as Hinata sighed.

"I think what Ino means is well we are all a little curious as to how strong your friendship is I mean you guys practically spend most of your time together" Hinata explained.

"Well we both get bored and lonely and often and since we are neighbors we spend time together. Just mainly to keep one another company"

"And what exactly do you get up to"

"You sound like you interrogating me Ino, we do homework together than either watch movies or play video games" she told her.

"Are you sure that's all?"

"Yes Ino" Sakura cried in annoyance and amusement.

"So there are no other feelings involved" Tenten said as Sakura sighed.

"Finally one of you gets to the point"

"Well answer the question" Ino demanded as Sakura smiled.

"We are friends, that is all we are, close friends"

"Ok" Ino muttered.

"Sakura its just that Sasuke doesn't get close to many people, I mean he isn't even that friendly or close with Neji and Shikamaru and his none them for years. The only person he is close to is Naruto and not only did that takes years to happen but it's because they have a sort of sibling rivalry and are so similar." Hinata told her.

"Basically and I'm not saying this is a bad thing we are just surprised that your new and already Sasuke has opened up to you and not only treats you like a close friend but is nice to you from what you have told me" Tenten explained.

"His treating you like you're a closer friend than Naruto and I guess it comes as a shook to us that he is never mean or distant to you and I anything he seems to actually care about you which is unlike him" Ino added.

"And there is the fact that ever since Sakura came to the school he has been acting a lot less cold and distant to even us. It's like your I don't know somehow your melting the ice that had frozen his heart so now his acting more human. You know actually acting like he has feelings and emotions" Tenten pointed out.

"Which don't get us wrong it's a very good thing, we are just surprised" Ino told her.

"But then again Sakura has made a lot of changes happen, I mean I guess its thanks to her that Shino, Kiba and Lee started hanging with us and then Naruto did and then because she was making friends with Sasuke he and the other guys did as well" Hinata informed them.

"Yeah Sakura was the one who brought us all together again" Tenten laughed as she hugged her friend who had blushed from all this attention.

"Me and Sasuke we are just friends" she repeated as Hinata and Tenten nodded.

"Yeah we know" they both said as Sakura smiled.

"So" Ino began trying to change the topic for Sakura's sake. "How are things with you and Neji these days" she asked and Sakura was surprised to see that Tenten didn't even flinch and actually acted casual like she had expected Ino to ask this. Which from how Ino had asked the other two it probably wasn't very hard to guess.

"We are fine, I'm glad we are friends again. It gives me someone to train with after school while Lee is with Gai and how should I put it a more normal training partner" she laughed.

"Yes but do you have feelings for him though" Ino asked as Tenten sighed. She wasn't about to deny it since all her other friends had been truthful.

"I don't really know, I guess part of me do but part of me is holding back"

"Ok that makes no sense" Ino said as Tenten shrugged.

"I don't like him how I use to" she told them as Ino frowned.

"Wait you use to like him?"

"Yeah"

"She did" Hinata told Ino who looked at Tenten.

"You use to have feelings for him, but then what happened."

"Yes I had feelings for him when we were friends but then he turned cold and I became scared of him."

"So do you still like him like that" Sakura asked as she sighed.

"When he turned cold he hurt me, he hurt me really bad and after all that" she topped to face the girls, "I just don't think I could ever bring myself to have feelings for him again."

A/N: Ok I hoped you enjoyed it and please review. Oh and please check out my new story Outcasts till the end. Thanks