Hit the Floor Running
Rated: M, to be on the safe side
Pairings: SasuSaku, SasuHina
Disclaimer: Naruto (c) Masashi Kishimoto

Hit 10:

Naruto slipped inside the train once the conductor passed and made his way to the compartments. He felt a stinging in his neck and felt the pointy senbon sticking out. He made a face before rolling his eyes. He pulled the thin needle out and tossed it aside before rubbing his neck. Finally he found Sakura sitting in a compartment, looking out the window. Naruto plopped himself in the bench opposite her; disturbing her.

"So I ask myself, what can I possibly do to make it up to you" Said Naruto, continuing the conversation as if he never left.

"So I buy this ticket…" He said patting his pocket, although there was no ticket inside. "And presto, I am here"

"Quiet" Said Sakura in a soft voice.

Naruto raised his eyebrows as he watched Sakura stare out the window. He sat back and studied her as she gazed out the window. Naruto scratched his head. Sakura was actually pretty when she wasn't yelling at him. Then suddenly, the scene changed as they passed under a tunnel.

Sakura turned to Naruto, bemused. "You talk a lot Naruto, so why should I believe anything you say?"

"Because I have no reason to lie to you" Said Naruto grinning.

Sakura crossed her arms and raised her eyebrows. "I hardly know you"

"Exactly" Said Naruto as he extracted a pack of cigarettes and a lighter from his pocket.

He put one in his mouth and lit it.

"Hey" Complained Sakura. "I am not breathing in your second hand smoke. Put the cancer sticks away"

Naruto opened his mouth to protest but then closed it and put out the cigarette. "Ok, see? I will stop smoking just for you! I'm changing" Naruto smiled serenely.

Sakura rolled her eyes. "Give me the cigarettes"

"What?" Asked Naruto confused as he reluctantly handed over the pack.

Sakura stomped over to the bathroom across the hall and Naruto watched horrified as she doused them in water.

"Here ya go" She said, returning to her seat as she slammed the ruined pack back in Naruto's hand.

"What the hell?" He complained. "These were like 5 dollars"

"Exactly" Said Sakura. "I'm doing you a favor. You may have a fancy phone, but you don't need to waste money buying 5 dollar cigarettes everyday. Besides, what do you smoke…like 10 a day?"

Naruto grumbled and tossed the ruined pack aside, aggravated.

"Besides, you told me you were going to stop"

"Right" He grumbled. "We help each other"

"I don't need your help" Said Sakura.

Naruto leaned forward, momentarily forgetting the cigarettes. "So what's your plan for getting Sasuke back?"

"I don't need a plan" Sakura replied, looking away.

"No?" Asked Naruto surprised. "Your going to ride into battle with no strategy, no bullshit?"

"I don't need bullshit to get Sasuke back" Deadpanned Sakura as she glared at Naruto.

"Heh" Said Naruto leaning back. "I tell myself that everyday honey and it never gets me anywhere"

"Guess that's the difference between you and me" Said Sakura.

"Nah" Said Naruto. "For me, bullshit is like breathing. But don't worry, I'll stay and help you ok? I promise" Said Naruto smiling once more and sticking out his pinky.

"Your promises are bullshit" Said Sakura.

But she still wrapped her pinky around Naruto's.

"So, where we headed anyway?" Asked Naruto, breaking their hold.

Sakura looked at him confused. 'He did buy a ticket didn't he...' She wondered.

"Rome" She replied, casting that thought aside.

Naruto did a double take. "For real?!"

"Yes" Said Sakura, looking out the window.

Naruto leaned back and shut his eyes. 'Fuck'

"How did you meet Sasuke?" Naruto asked.

Sakura got a dreamy look on her face.

The day had turned to night outside their window and Naruto was leaning back against the window while Sakura was sitting on the other side of him, facing the opposite. She had her legs laid across Naruto's lap.

"Last year, I just moved from Michigan to New York" Sakura recounted.

"Big city" Mused Naruto. "Did you get lost?"

Sakura kicked Naruto's leg with her foot. "Actually, you are right" She confessed sheepishly. "I was trying to find my way to this party that my friend Ino invited me to. She moved to New York the year before. I was wandering around and that's where I ran into Sasuke. Turns out he was headed to the same party"

"How lucky" Commented Naruto.

"Sure was" Agreed Sakura.

"So tell me" Said Naruto, scooting up a little. "What is it about Sasuke that you just can't let go of?" Naruto was a little confused about this part. Any girls that he had been with he certainly had no problem letting go of later.

Sakura frowned. "Well, he is incredibly good looking"

Naruto scoffed. "Of course he is. I knew all girls were shallow"

"I'm not shallow! But if you saw him, I bet you would want to do him too, I mean he's a total sex god" Said Sakura.

Naruto raised his eyebrows. "Thanks for the offer, but sorry, I don't swing that way"

Then something occurred to Naruto. "If he's such a sex god, what was he doing proposing to someone who looks like you?" Naruto joked.

Sakura glared at him. "When we get off this train I swear…"

Naruto held his hand up. "Kidding! But please continue your description of the god called Sasuke"

Sakura chuckled. "He's also really smart and talented. People always used to make fun of me because I was such a dork. I never thought I would meet anyone would could meet my intellect"

"Well aren't you smug" Commented Naruto.

"You know what I mean" Snapped Sakura.

Naruto shrugged. "I guess…"

"He kind of seems snobby, but believe once you get to know him, he's so sweet"

Then Sakura jumped up, pulling her legs off of Naruto. "I have a picture of him! Let me show you!"

Sakura picked her purse up and dug through it. She held up a picture of her and Sasuke together. Naruto almost gagged when he saw it.

He quickly grasped the picture from her hands. "This is Sasuke? The Sasuke that is your fiancée?"

Sakura smirked. "See? He really is soo good looking that…"

"Sasuke Uchiha?" Naruto choked.

Sakura stopped and looked at him surprised. "Yea, how did you know?"

"I er…saw his picture in a magazine" Naruto mumbled.

He could feel the heat creeping up in the back of his neck. He had been correct in his assumption that Sasuke was a bastard. Just when Naruto thought his day couldn't be worse, he found out that he had unknowingly put himself in the grasps of Sasuke Uchiha.

"Your right Sakura, Sasuke definitely looks like a sweet cuddly teddy bear" Naruto joked, in attempt to cover up his fear.

Sakura snapped out of the confusion she had been in when Naruto said Sasuke's full name. "Ha ha" She said.

Naruto squinted at the picture. "There's something in his eyes"

"His eyes are beautiful…" Sighed Sakura.

"He's conceited" Said Naruto. "He knows it too, you can see it in his smile…" Said Naruto tapping the picture. Some Sasuke bashing might do him good.

Sakura grabbed the picture back.

"Its actually not a smile" Naruto continued. "Its like a…smirk…that's a word right?" He asked.

"Shut up, is that a word?" Growled Sakura.

"Actually, its two" Said Naruto proudly. "Now explain to me this, if he hurt you so badly, why do you want him back? Why are you still chasing him? He obviously doesn't give a rats ass"

"I love him" Protested Sakura. "And….if I don't get him back, I'm afraid I'll never be able to love again" She hung her head.

Naruto was caught off guard by her sincerity. He placed his hand over her's on the seat.

"You would eventually forget" He said softly. "First it would be his eyes, then his mouth and after a while, you would struggle to remember what his voice sounded like when he said your name. Then one day you would wake up and he would be gone"

Sakura shook his head. "Do you speak from experience?" She asked, creasing her eyebrows as she looked at him.

"Do I speak…no!" Exclaimed Naruto. "No way! I mean….do I look capable of love?"

"Everyone is capable of love" Replied Sakura.

"Not me" Murmured Naruto.

Sakura didn't hear his remark as she laid down on the bench once again and placed her head against Naruto's leg. Naruto folded his arms behind his head and kicked his legs up on the bench under the window.

"So what's your story?" Asked Sakura. "Why is your life full of bullshit, why haven't you found love yet?"

Naruto blew out a sigh. "Well, I guess my parents died when I was younger…either that or they didn't want me" Said Naruto truthfully. "I lived at an…orphanage for my whole life"

"I'm sorry" Sakura whispered.

"Eh, whatever" Shrugged Naruto with indifference. "It's no big deal. Its in the past…its like…no use crying over spilled milk you know?"

When Naruto said that, it was the first time that Sakura really felt for the first time Naruto's true sense of character. There was a hidden level of maturity buried under his sometimes idiotic demeanor.

"The…orphanage I was at…" Naruto continued, "Wasn't the best"

Sakura's breath hitched. "Did something bad happen?" She asked, almost fearful of the response.

"No" Naruto replied.

Sakura let out a breath of relief.

"There was this one uhh…caretaker there," Said Naruto, smiling fondly at the memory. "His name was Iruka. He really cared for me, you know?"

Then the smile on Naruto's face frowned. "But when things got really bad, he told me to leave, to escape. He told me 'Get as far away from here as you can kid, just get out of here. Trash your name so bad that they won't even think twice about going out to look for you'. So I left, I never saw him again"

Sakura furrowed her eyebrows. Naruto always seemed like such a cheerful person. Now when she glanced up at his face, it was full of pain.

"Naruto Uzumaki" She said.

"Yea?" Naruto snapped out of his trance to look down at her.

"I've never heard of you before. Looks like you didn't really do a good job of creating that famous name"

Naruto grinned. "Oh believe me, I did" He answered cryptically.

Naruto was positioned awkwardly against Sakura. He was half sitting half lying on the bench while Sakura was sleeping, her head resting on the side of his chest. Naruto looked over to see that Sakura's purse was half tucked under her arm.

'Bingo' Thought Naruto.

If he could shuffle over just a bit without waking Sakura, he could get his arm over her and grab the purse. Then the necklace would be in his possession again and he wouldn't be on edge all the time.

Naruto scooted over the slightest bit when Sakura suddenly moved. Naruto froze, with his arm in midair and looked at her.

"Mmm...Sasuke" She mumbled.

Then, unexpectedly, she inched herself higher up and placed her lips on Naruto's.

Naruto was still frozen as her lips moved against him. Naruto's mind was blank and the only thing he could think of was how nice it felt her have her lips on his. His eyes slowly closed when Sakura pulled away, her eyes still closed and she snuggled back down to continue sleeping.

Naruto dropped his arm as he opened his eyes.

Suddenly, getting the necklace right now wasn't so important.