Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, everything belongs to Masashi Kishimoto. I also don't own any of the songs mentioned in this chapter - it's all for fun.

This chapter is dedicated to kittychic0895, my 100th reviewer!

Enjoy!

Chapter 10

..~**~..

..~**~..

Sakura looked long and hard at herself in Ino's full-length mirror and smirked.

The pair of black shorts she wore with a black, red and blue kimono-style top went perfectly with the Prada peep toe ankle boots Ino had lent her for the night.

Sakura wasn't used to such high heels, almost 4-inch, but even she had to admit the boots made her legs look stunning.

"You look gorgeous," Ino stated from behind, looking satisfied with her work since she had helped Sakura pick an outfit. "Now quit looking at yourself and tell me exactly what you said to Naruto."

Sakura looked over her shoulder, frowning at her new friend. "I didn't say anything," she retorted, watching as her blonde friend was busy applying the final touches of her make-up. "I told him we were staying here for the night and he seemed to believe me, although I really hate having to lie to him."

"It's for the best," Ino assured her, also checking her appearance in the mirror. "Naruto can't keep a secret and would eventually have told Neji, who would then kill me or Dei… or both."

"Because of Hinata?" Sakura asked.

"And Tenten," Ino added, standing up, a wicked smile on her lips as she smoothed out her tight silver party dress. "That idiot may be stubborn as hell when it comes to dating her, but he still cares about her and if he ever saw her with someone else, he would freak."

Sakura tried to picture in her mind what Neji freaking out would look like and failed. "But that's hardly fair," she pointed out, taking a seat on the blonde's bed. "If Neji won't date her, he can't expect her not to see other guys."

"That's not how the guys see it," Ino told her with a sigh, shaking her head. "See in their minds, Tenten is Neji's girl and no other guy is allowed near her. That's why they're always pissed off when we flirt on the bench every morning."

Huh, but it's not just Tenten, it's also Ino, Sakura thought to herself, choosing not to voice her thoughts to her friend yet. Does that mean they think Ino belongs with Shikamaru? Did something happen between the two of them in the past?

"Don't worry about it too much," Ino continued, stuffing her purse and phone in a small deep purple clutch bag. "The guys are a little over-protective like that but in the end they're just looking out for us. They don't want us to get hurt."

Sakura was surprised to hear a touch of sadness in Ino's voice and remembered something Hinata had said during their Chemistry class. The Hyuuga heiress had pointed out a strange boy with jet-black hair and pale skin and for a moment Sakura thought it was Sasuke until she saw his face. Hinata had briefly mentioned that he was Ino's ex-boyfriend but he wasn't very nice and it was best to stay away from him. Sakura quickly realised it had been Hinata's polite way of telling her that the guy was a jerk.

It seemed he had hurt Ino pretty badly.

"So you and Naruto are talking again then?"

Sakura froze. She knew her friends had noticed that she had been purposely ignoring Naruto the past couple of days but they hadn't questioned her about it. Until now.

"Er… yeah, I guess."

Ino's blue eyes scanned her face closely. "Did you two have a fight or something?"

When Sakura didn't answer immediately, she quickly added. "I'm sorry, I don't mean to pry, it's just that you guys are pretty close and we were worried you might have fallen out. Naruto can be a dense idiot at times."

Sakura chuckled in return. "No, actually I was the idiot this time," she said honestly and gradually opened up to Ino, telling her everything that had happened after leaving the Yamanaka compound with Naruto.

"I completely misread the whole situation and pretty much ran," Sakura admitted, looking down at her hands. "And instead of talking things through, I've been ignoring him since. I don't really know what to say."

Ino listened carefully, before turning to open a small cabinet door in her desk and retrieving a bottle along with two shot glasses.

Sakura burst out laughing as she recognised the bottle of tequila clasped in the blonde's hand.

"Oh God, don't tell me my story is that bad!" she exclaimed.

Ino smiled in return. "No, this is just to get us started as the others will be here in a few minutes," she explained, opening the bottle and filling the two glasses.

"What happened with Naruto actually doesn't surprise me at all," she continued, handing Sakura a glass. "You two have known each other for ages and become pretty attached so it's only natural that one of you would develop stronger feelings at some point. Maybe seeing all those girls flirting with him or hearing him talking about his dates made you jealous not because you like him in a romantic sense but because you're used to him giving you all his attention. Suddenly you realise that you're not the only girl in his life and so your attachment to him became stronger. And when he saw you with Dei the other night, he probably felt the same way."

Sakura was impressed by how much Ino understood. "Wow, I'm glad I talked to you. It's easier to realise these things when someone else explains them to you," she said, fiddling with her shot glass. "I just hope I haven't ruined our friendship. Things always get weird between friends once someone expresses feelings."

Ino leaned closer, a look of concern in her eyes. "Ruin your friendship with Naruto, are you kidding me? Naruto's the most loyal friend I know, you'll never be able to get rid of him no matter what you do."

A giggle escaped Sakura's lips as she thought of her boisterous blond friend, who had always been there for her no matter what.

"Besides, you guys are practically family," Ino continued, just as numerous voices and laughter were heard downstairs. "Come on, the girls are here."

She quickly lifted her shot glass up for a toast.

"Now here's to my new awesome friend, Sakura, and our first night out."

Sakura grinned, toasting Ino in return before both girls downed their shots in one go.

..~**~..

By the time Chiaki finally showed up at Ino's, Okyo had already organised a few drinking games to get everyone in the right mood and chatty. Sakura had spent the half-hour drinking and chatting with Tenten and Kagura, who turned out to be a lot of fun.

Apparently only twelve girls could make it that night. Nanako along with another senior hadn't been allowed to go and as for Karin, it seemed the redhead had flatly declined Okyo's invitation.

Once it was time to leave, Sakura could already feel the effects of alcohol getting to her head. She checked up on her make-up once more in the mirror. She usually didn't like wearing lots of make-up and mostly wore mascara and a few times eyeliner to school, but when clubbing she nearly always went with smouldering smoky eyes to make her eyes pop in the dim lighting. Tonight, she'd gone for her classic bronze and gold eye shadow duo which, along with black mascara and eyeliner, complimented her bright green eyes the best. Satisfied nothing had smeared, she finally headed outside following Hinata and Tenten inside a car.

It turned out that Deidara had thought of everything for their night out and had ensured three cars including chauffeurs would take them to the club and then come fetch them whenever needed so they wouldn't have to spend money on taxis.

The ride to the club went by in a blur as the three girls, along with Ino in the front seat, chatted and joked with each other. It was the most fun Sakura had had in weeks and she hadn't even reached the club yet. For the first time that week she finally felt part of the small group and couldn't thank her lucky stars enough to have found such awesome girls.

As they reached the club and the car slowed down, Sakura's excitement died as she spotted the long queue leading to the club. She then suddenly remembered they were supposed to be on the VIP list.

"Hey, Ino?" she asked, continuing to stare out the window. "Since Dei got us into VIP, does that mean we get to skip the queue?"

Sakura turned to find Ino smiling brightly back at her. "You betcha."

The car stopped right in front of the club entrance and Ino leapt out, motioning to the others to follow her. As Sakura stepped out of the car, she could hear the loud music emanating from the entrance. Jealous stares were thrown the girls' way as they were ushered past the bouncers and into the club.

Akon's Smack That was playing as Sakura and the girls entered, causing some squeals from Kaori and Kagura trailing behind. Sakura followed Ino through the crowd and was immediately impressed by the size of the club, which had a large central dance floor with bars on all four sides and an upper mezzanine VIP floor, which looked down directly on the crowd. The girls were settled at their table where cocktails and champagne bottles were waiting for them and as soon as everyone was gathered, Okyo proposed a toast to Ino and Deidara for organising everything.

"You and your cousin rock!" Sakura told her blonde friend, sipping her cocktail. "Now let's go dance, I love this song!"

..~**~..

A few hours later, Sakura walked out from the girl's bathroom and looked around. She wasn't sure how long she'd been in the club or where her friends were currently at but she knew for sure that she was having the best night she'd had in a very long time. She'd spent most of the night dancing among the crowd with Ino and Tenten and sometimes in a big group with all the girls. The DJ had played some of her favourite club songs and she'd had a blast drinking and dancing all evening and forgetting about everything else. She'd even moved towards a couple of hot college guys who'd caught her eye at some point and danced with them. One of them she was sure was an Inuzuka.

Moving back to the VIP space, Sakura walked past Okyo, Hinata and Fuki sitting at the table and chatting amongst themselves. She smiled at them before looking down at the dance floor from the balcony hoping to spot Ino or Tenten among the crowd. She briefly considered texting them but figured they'd never hear their phones inside the club and besides, she doubted she was sober enough to write a coherent text message.

Turning towards the VIP bar, she suddenly noticed one of the cute college boys she'd been dancing with earlier standing beside it, a beer in hand.

As soon as he spotted her, he winked.

She smiled in return and approached him slowly, careful not to stumble in her high heels.

"What's your poison?" he asked her with a wolfish smile, tilting his head towards the bar. He was tall and had a rather large build. His skin was tanned and his eyes were dark brown along with his short hair.

Definitely an Inuzuka, Sakura thought to herself. The guy's resemblance to Kiba was uncanny.

"Tequila," she answered and he gave her a surprised look but ordered them a couple of shots nonetheless.

"So how is it that a girl like you is up here by herself?" he asked, his dark eyes watching her closely.

She laughed lightly and held his gaze. "I'm here with my friends actually, but I seem to have lost most of them to the dance floor."

Once the shots were poured, Sakura downed hers and then smiled knowingly at the older guy beside her. He was hot as hell.

"You're an Inuzuka, right?" she asked him, feeling the heat rise to her cheeks from the alcohol.

He shot her a curious look. "That easy to spot, huh?"

"I just happen to know Kiba from school and you look just like him," she admitted, ordering another drink for herself.

The Inuzuka looked stunned. "You're in high school? Fuck, I thought you were a freshman at KU. No wonder I've never seen you around before. What's your name?"

"Sakura."

He held out his hand, which Sakura took.

"It's nice to meet you, Sakura." The Inuzuka brought her hand to his lips causing Sakura to blush. "I'm Kouta. Kiba's actually my cousin. You guys hang out?"

Sakua noticed he kept her hand in his own but didn't mind at all. "Yeah, I guess, although my friends know him a lot better. I'm new to Konoha High."

"I'm surprised Kiba isn't out here tonight," Kouta added, looking around. "He and his basketball buddies don't usually let their girls go out clubbing by themselves. You never know who they could meet."

Feeling the alcohol's strong effect, Sakura shot him her brightest smile in return.

"Yeah this whole girls' night out thing is pretty much a secret," Sakura explained, taking a sip of the pink cocktail the bartender placed in front of her. "Apparently the guys would flip if they knew we were out here even though they're not our boyfriends. That's crazy, right?"

She didn't notice Kouta remain silent and finished her drink instead, looking back over at her friends.

"I'm going to head back to the dance floor. Maybe I'll see you there?"

She shot him what she hoped was her best seductive smile and walked away before he could answer, hoping to find her friends once more in the crowd.

She never noticed Kouta's stare following her as she walked away or the phone he fished out from the back pocket of his jeans.

..~**~..

Across town, Naruto kept a sharp eye on Shikamaru as he stared intently at the pool table before him. A few seconds later, the Nara heir dropped in with his cue and perfectly nailed the stripe ball in the pocket. To Naruto's despair, the cue ball then neatly rolled back towards his lazy friend allowing him a perfect shot for the 8 ball.

Naruto sighed in frustration, digging his hand into his back pocket before slamming down his money on the table.

"Remind me never to go up against you again," he grumbled, handing his cue to Sasuke, who shook his head in return.

Kiba laughed as he hit Naruto on the back in a sympathetic gesture and offered him a beer. "Hey, we did warn you, man."

They had been hogging the pool table for the last hour at the downtown bar, Jutsu, a favourite among high school students since the staff rarely asked for ID.

As Shikamaru rolled the rack of balls back and forth, preparing the table for the next game against Sasuke, Naruto watched Kiba walk away to answer his phone. Sitting back down next to Neji, Naruto silently drank his beer, briefly wondering what the girls could be upto at Ino's. His thoughts were quickly dismissed as a large group of students suddenly entered the bar, including a tall redhead with glasses tucked under Suigetsu's arm.

The whole swim team had just arrived.

Shit!

Fortunately, the group headed straight for the bar to order drinks and away from Naruto and his friends, who had also caught sight of the team's arrival.

"What's Karin doing here?" Naruto asked, voicing his thoughts. "Shouldn't she be at Ino's?"

Shikamaru barely looked up from the pool table and shrugged, whilst Sasuke remained passive. Only Neji seemed to share the same concerns as Naruto as he glared at the couple, who were smugly making their way towards the pool table.

"Well, lookey here," Suigetsu called out as he reached them, his arm still firmly wrapped around Karin's shoulders. "Didn't think I'd be seeing you boys here tonight."

The redhead gave them all a superior look before adding. "I guess they still haven't figured it out yet, Sui."

Suigetsu's pointy smile grew even larger. "No shit."

"What the hell are you talking about?" Naruto growled, fed up of their act.

"Well I'm not supposed to tell, you know," Karin explained in a mock tone. "It's all supposed to be a secret after all. Okyo was very specific about not telling the boys anything."

Seeing realisation dawn upon their faces, Karin gave a fake gasp. "Oh no, have I said too much and ruined the squad's night out?"

Neji was immediately up on his feet. "Where are they?"

Karin sneered in return. "Now that would really be telling. It's more fun if you have to guess. Have a good evening, boys!"

And with that she turned on her heel and pulled Suigetsu away with her towards the bar.

"Damn, I can't believe that bitch is related to the Uzumaki clan," Naruto growled before turning to face Sasuke. "What now?"

It seemed Neji already had his phone in his hand probably trying to contact Hinata while Naruto had half a mind to grab his phone as well and try calling Sakura.

Before Sasuke could answer, however, Kiba showed up again.

"They're at Amnesia," he announced, downing the rest of his beer before grabbing his leather jacket. "I just heard from Kouta. He's out clubbing and met a pink-haired girl named Sakura, who said she knew me."

"You're sure?" Neji asked gravely.

Kiba nodded. "She told him she was out clubbing with her friends in secret."

Shikamaru chuckled beside him. "Well that was pretty dumb of her."

"Well apparently she's pretty drunk," Kiba explained to them.

A deep frown immediately took over the Hyuuga's features. Naruto groaned and turned to pick up his jacket. He knew exactly how this was going to end.

"Let's go," Sasuke ordered, his voice clearly leaving no room for discussion.

They quickly left the bar, heading for their cars.

Kiba and Naruto hopped inside Sasuke's car as Shikamaru left with Neji.

"I hope the girls haven't done anything stupid," Naruto muttered under his breath as the engine started.

Sasuke merely gave him a sideways glance as Kiba sighed from the backseat. "Man, if anything's happened to Hinata or Tenten, Neji's definitely going to kill Ino for this."

..~**~..

Some time later, Sakura managed to find Ino and Kagura again amongst the crowd. Ino looked wasted and Kagura didn't seem any better. Sakura laughed as they stumbled around, dancing with each other, twisting their hips, arms in the air. Sakura spotted Tenten at some point throughout the crowd dancing intimately with a slender, blond guy and pointed them out to Ino, who grinned in return. Kagura then pointed out Kaori making out with a guy in a dark corner of the club and the girls laughed before being approached by a group of college guys again, who Ino had winked at.

The three girls decided to give the guys a show as they danced together, moving their bodies to the rhythm as a new song came on.

A cute brunette stepped up behind Sakura, wrapping his arms around her waist. She tossed her head to the side, giving him her best smile as she danced with him. By the end of the song, Kagura was heatedly making out with another guy.

Matsumi, another senior who spotted for Fuki, arrived to dance with them and Sakura decided to head to the bar and grab another drink. She found Fuki standing awkwardly beside the bar, a glass of clear liquid, probably water, in one hand.

"Fuki! What are you doing by yourself?" Sakura exclaimed loudly over the music.

The small junior smiled brightly at Sakura, looking grateful to have been found. "I was waiting for Tenten to return but I guess she's still in there dancing."

"Yeah, forget Tenten, she's busy," Sakura told her, thinking about the good-looking blond dancing with her. "Let's head back to the table."

Unfortunately, as she finished talking, the first beats to Flo Rida's Club can't handle me started, making her squeal and want to head towards the dance floor again.

"Fuki, I fucking love this song, come on, let's go dan -"

However, the shocked look on Fuki's face gave Sakura pause. Following the girl's stare, Sakura looked over her shoulder and froze at the sight before her.

Naruto, Sasuke, Neji, Shikamaru and Kiba stood up on the mezzanine, staring down at the crowd below.

Fuck! They're like the mafia or something… How did they find out?

With the fitting background song, their imposing stance and the serious look on their faces, they looked so devastatingly handsome, it was almost criminal. Coming back to her senses, Sakura turned back to face an anxious Fuki again.

"Where's Hinata?" Sakura asked quickly, not able to see their table from where she was standing.

"Last time I checked she was still with Okyo," Fuki informed her before her eyes went wide. "Sakura, they're headed our way!"

Sakura looked over her shoulder again and sure enough, Naruto and Neji were headed down the stairs towards her.

"Fuki, I think you'd better go find Ino or Okyo," Sakura told her and the other girl nodded before disappearing towards the dance floor.

Sakura winced as she watched Naruto and a very pissed off Neji head straight for her. She glanced upwards again towards the balcony and noticed Sasuke casually leaning against the metal rail, a smug look on his face. His dark eyes, dancing with amusement, fixed her face.

Sakura tried her best to glare at him in return, whilst Inner Sakura was yelling a string of colourful curses inside her head. The intense glaring contest was broken as her name was called out.

"Sakura-chan!"

She turned to see Naruto standing before her and smiled brightly in return.

"Naruto!" she exclaimed, trying to sound mildly surprised by his presence. Beside him stood Neji and Kiba. "Oh, hey guys! What are you doing here?"

"That's what we wanted to ask you," Naruto retorted, watching her closely.

Sakura turned away from his scrutinising gaze and noticed Neji's death glare beside him instead. Her smile faltered.

"Well… er… a sleepover sounded boring so we thought we'd come out here instead."

Wow, as if they'd believe that one, Inner Sakura taunted her.

"Where's Hinata?" Neji asked coldly, pushing past Naruto.

"She's fine," Sakura reassured him quickly, trying not to seem intimidated by the tall Hyuuga. She was about to tell him where to find his cousin when Naruto suddenly put a hand on Neji's shoulder.

"Neji," he cut in, looking pointedly up towards the balcony.

Sakura turned to see Shikamaru appear beside Sasuke at the balcony rail with Hinata and Okyo in tow. Shikamaru looked down towards Neji and nodded.

Sakura breathed a small sigh of relief but it was short-lived as Ino suddenly stumbled away from the dance floor and appeared before them, drink in hand. She seemed completely wasted.

"Yamanaka," Neji growled through gritted teeth taking a step towards her. However, he stopped short when, to everyone's shock, Tenten also emerged from the crowd followed by her hot, blond dance partner.

The dancing couple didn't notice the rest of the group and headed straight for the bar instead. For several seconds, no one moved or dared to make a sound as they all waited for Neji's reaction. Naruto and Kiba exchanged glances. Sakura stared wide-eyed at Ino, who looked just as shocked.

And then, Neji shot forward towards the bar.

"No, Neji, wait!" Ino exclaimed, running after him as best she could. She grabbed his arm and he stopped, turning his head slightly to one side.

"Let go of me," he snapped coldly, his white eyes narrowed. The vibe of anger surrounding him stunned Sakura into silence. Even Naruto and Kiba seemed hesitant to approach their friend.

This isn't at all how the girl's night out was supposed to go!

"Why? What exactly are you planning on doing, Neji?" Ino bit back fiercely and Sakura winced. Clearly the alcohol had hyped Ino's boldness. "You made it perfectly clear nothing would happen between you and Tenten. She's not your girl. So if she wants to move on and see other guys, that's her choice and you have to respect that."

The dangerous look on Neji's face made it perfectly clear what he thought of Tenten's choice but all the same, when Ino released her grip on him, he remained still.

"There you are!" Okyo's voice interrupted them and Sakura was relieved to see her, along with Shikamaru and Hinata show up.

"Neji nii-san," Hinata began, standing before her cousin. "I'm so sorry if I made you worry. Okyo was with me at all times tonight and I didn't drink any alcohol, I promise. I just – I just wanted to have fun with the girls."

Neji's expression turned to stone. "Hinata, we'll talk about this at home."

Hinata nodded, slightly taken aback by Neji's sharp tone, and looked down at her feet in shame.

Sakura immediately wanted to stick up for her, but she felt Naruto grasp her shoulder and decided to remain quiet.

"Hyuuga-san," Okyo intervened, standing beside Hinata. "Tonight was my idea. I wanted the girls to get to know each other better and suggested we go out together. Please do not be angry with Hinata, I take full responsibility for the evening."

Ino huffed beside her. "Jeez, way to ruin the evening boys," she slurred, taking another sip from the drink. "Thanks for showing up where you're not invited!"

"Ino," Okyo warned her but Shikamaru was by the drunken girl's side in an instant, plucking the glass out of her hand.

"I think that's enough," he said softly, before turning to face Neji. "There are three cars waiting for them outside. I'll take these three with me in one of the cars and make sure they get back safely to the Yamanaka compound."

"I'll go find Fuki," Okyo added quickly. "She'll probably want to leave as well."

Neji nodded and the girls set off, Shikamaru steering a drunk and protesting Ino through the crowd, his arm wrapped tightly around her waist.

Neji stared back towards the bar, looking once more at Tenten, his jaw clenched tight. Suddenly, he turned to face Kiba.

"I need a drink," he told his friend as he headed back to the mezzanine.

"Totally with you, man," Kiba added, following after him.

Sakura glanced back at Naruto and let out an audible sigh of relief.

"Sooo…" she began, not quite sure what to think of everything that had just happened. "That was intense."

..~**~..

Sasuke stood outside by himself, appreciating one of the last summer nights of Konoha, lazily smoking a cigarette.

He had watched from his spot up on the mezzanine the scene between Ino and Neji unfold before him and already knew where the evening was headed. Years of friendship with the clan heirs meant that he could almost read their minds and predict their actions. The moment Sasuke spotted Tenten from afar in another guy's company, he knew the Hyuuga would not leave the club until he had made sure that she had gone home safely with the girls. He was now perched up on the mezzanine drinking with Kiba and keeping an eye on his girl from afar. Sasuke had joined them for a while before stepping outside for a smoke and enjoying the peace and quiet of the night.

He had purposely chosen a dark corner not too far from the backdoor exit to remain unseen from the other smokers, who milled in and out, and from the drunken girls, who were certain to come bother him otherwise.

He had not expected, however, to spot a drunken Sakura stumbling outside and giggling loudly, as Naruto followed behind, leading her to the safety of the small brick wall, several feet away from Sasuke.

"I'm fine!" Sakura insisted as Naruto helped her sit down and asked her again if she wanted him to fetch her a glass of water. "I didn't have that much to drink."

Sasuke silently disagreed and as the pink-haired girl stretched out her shapely legs before her, he allowed his gaze to travel over her body. His eyes remained fixed appreciatively on the pair of shorts and ankle boots she wore and briefly wondered if Ino had had any hand in the way she was dressed that night.

"Come sit next to me," she invited Naruto, patting the stretch of wall beside her.

Sasuke watched as his best friend did so and inhaled from his cigarette once more as he looked on from the shadows. For some reason he couldn't yet understand, he didn't want to interrupt the intimate moment between the two, but couldn't bring himself to leave either.

His eyes were drawn like a magnet to the way Sakura's head naturally came to rest upon Naruto's shoulder and how his arm instinctively wrapped around her waist.

"I'm sorry," she said softly, after a long moment of silence. "I was an idiot for running away the other night. I wasn't thinking."

"Sakura -"

"No wait, just let me finish," she continued, lifting her head up to face him. "I spoke to Ino earlier about it and she helped me understand some things."

She paused and Sasuke could sense the hesitation within her before she spoke.

"I thought… God, I thought maybe I was falling for you or something. I thought all this jealousy I was feeling towards other girls, I thought it meant that perhaps my feelings for you were deeper than before, but that wasn't it."

She paused before laughing softly. "We've always been together, you know? And we've always been so protective of one another that seeing you with other people – girls – seemed weird. Suddenly all your attention wasn't on me anymore and the other day in the car, when you said you weren't jealous, you sounded so sure… so adamant about it, that it hurt, you know? But I was mistaken and confused, Naruto, which is why I avoided you after, I didn't know what it was I was feeling."

She shifted, facing him fully as she spoke again. "I love you, Naruto, but I'm not in love with you… I know that now. You're one of the most important people in my life. You're not only my best friend, you're my family and I wanted you to know that. I just hope I didn't make things weird between us when I thought there was something more."

The ghost of a smile played on Sasuke's lips as he took a last drag from his cigarette before flicking it away.

"Sakura-chan," Naruto finally spoke up and Sasuke felt the slightest twinge of guilt towards his best friend as he continued to listen. "I had a massive crush on you for the past three years."

The shock on Sakura's face mirrored Sasuke's.

"I'm completely over it now!" he added quickly, seeing her reaction. "But yeah, I was completely infatuated the summer before high school so I more than understand what it was you were feeling. I mean it nearly killed me when I heard you started dating Kankuro."

Decided he had heard enough, Sasuke waited for another wave of smokers to exit the club before quietly slipping from his hiding place back into the inferno inside.

..~**~..

Sakura stared after the club's backdoor incredulously as it shut behind the retreating Uchiha's back.

That bastard! He was standing in the shadows listening to us the whole time!

"Sakura-chan, are you okay?" Naruto asked, cutting into her thoughts.

Quickly snapping out of it, Sakura's gaze flicked to Naruto again. "Yes, sorry. God, I can't believe you were into me all that time and never said anything about it!"

Naruto rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. "Yeah, well, there never seemed to be a right time and then I guess I got over it. But you're right, it is somewhat weird suddenly being thrown together in the same high school and seeing you hang out with other guys, but me. And I understand what you meant."

A lopsided grin spread over his face. "You're important to me too, Sakura-chan," he told her earnestly. "As an orphan, my life could have been a lot worse if it weren't for Iruka, Baa-chan, Ero-sennin and you. You're my family too and know that whatever happens, you'll never lose me. "

Sakura felt stupid as tears started to prick her eyes.

"And I love you too," Naruto added as an afterthought and she quickly pulled him into a tight hug, laughing and thanking him for his words.

"Alright, that's enough mushy talk for one night," Naruto exclaimed, standing up to his feet as Sakura brushed her tears away with the back of her hand. "Let's head back. I want to keep an eye on Neji. If that college pervert tries to makes a move on Tenten, Neji's gonna lay him out."

..~**~..

Sakura plopped herself down next to Kagura, twirling yet another cocktail in her hand. After a round of shots with Naruto and Kiba, the two guys had headed back to their table where a pissed off Hyuuga and a brooding Uchiha were currently sitting. They seemed intent on staying out of the girls' way although they still kept an eye on them.

Sakura thought the whole thing was stupid but seeing the look of irritation on Neji's face, who had barely taken his eyes off Tenten all night, she decided to keep her thoughts to herself.

The girls, seeing the boys' arrival decided to regroup around their table for a while, all except Tenten and Kaori, who were still out on the dance floor.

"This sucks," Kagura voiced Sakura's thoughts, dumping her empty glass back on the table. "You girls should have warned us your boyfriends were bound to show up and spoil our fun. Now none of the cute college guys will come near us."

The other girls murmured in agreement as Sakura quickly protested. "Hey, I had nothing to do with this! The guys are just being jerks!"

"They're protecting their girls," Chiaki explained to her with a condescending smile. "It's the way they were raised. All clan guys are the same, but surely you know that already."

Sakura bit back a retort, as Matsumi spoke up. "Well I wouldn't mind Sasuke-kun or even Kiba-kun looking after me."

"Yeah, I don't know what you're bitching about Sakura when the five hottest guys in school come after you," added Kagura, staring at the guys' table.

"They came for Hinata and Tenten," Sakura protested weakly, focusing on the drink in her hand instead.

"You're right, Kagura," another senior piped up whose name Sakura had a hard time remembering. "What I wouldn't give for Sasuke-kun to even look at me, let alone try to protect me."

"Karin is such an idiot for letting the most gorgeous guy slip through her fingers," Chiaki stated, her eyes also flicking towards the guys.

And yet he's a complete ice cube and a total ass who eavesdrops on people's private conversations! Sakura wanted to yell at them, but decided it probably wasn't a good idea. However, listening to them fangirl over Sasuke was making her sick - although it also could have been all the alcohol.

"I bet he's got an amazing body," yet another senior commented in a dreamy voice.

"Of course he has!" Matsumi retorted immediately. "Haven't you seen him after games when he takes his shirt off? It's one of the bonuses of being a cheerleader… we get to see that moment up close."

Kagura smirked in turn. "I bet he's amazing in bed as well," she added in a low voice catching all the girls' attention, whilst Sakura felt her patience snap. "Although I've never seen him with any girls since Karin. I wonder why that is."

"Oh I'll tell you why that is," Sakura spoke up harshly before she could stop herself, a twisted idea suddenly forming inside her head.

Oh yes, payback is a bitch! Inner Sakura cackled wickedly.

All eyes turned on her.

"I'm sorry to break it to you ladies, but your precious Sasuke-kun… is gay."

..~**~..

Oh yes, alcohol gives us all silly, silly ideas... I think you can all guess how Sasuke will feel about Sakura's little outburst, hmm :)

Well I'm back! I hope this chapter was a nice surprise to you all and I'd like to thank everyone who continued reading and reviewing this fic even though I'd taken such a long break. Club scenes and the guy's POV was harder to write, so let me know what you guys thought of this one, yeah? Neji too OOC?

sai ninja xxx