Hello! Another chapter with Sakura! But she won't be annoying (much) in this one. Instead, she's actually gonna offer some (you decide you or bad) advices! The story is getting close to the end. Enjoy!

Disclaimer : I don't own anything; except for the computer I use to write this xP

Chapter 10: Confession

After the talk with Sasuke, Sakura decided to go talk to Naruto before her former object-of-obsession talks to him. From the look on Sasuke's face, the pink-haired girl wasn't sure if it's a good thing for them to talk. She knew that Naruto loves Sasuke, but she's not sure if he had realized his own feelings yet.

"Grr…why am I butting in on their business!" questioned inner Sakura, who grew quite irritated from all the rushing and planning.

"We need to help them. Naruto is our good friend and Sasuke is our idol. It's only right to help them," explained outer Sakura. Then she added, "Besides, I love being a matchmaker."

The pink-head reached Sasuke's house and bumped right into the person she was looking for.

"Hi Naruto! Where are you going?"

"Oh hi Sakura-chan! I was just leaving to get some ramen at Ichikaru. Wanna come with me?" the blond offered cheerfully.

"Sure! I feel kinda hungry anyways," Sakura agreed and walked with Naruto to the ramen stand.

Naruto hummed, with his arms raised and hands placed on the back of his head, while his blue eyes looked up to the sky. Sakura maintained her usual posture as well, but her mind is racing through all the things she needed to talk to the blond about.

Sasuke's walk home was quiet because he gave off a warning aura that dares anyone to disturb him to risk losing their life. The whole time, he thought about what Sakura said. For once in all their time spent together, the girl had managed to say something valuable and memorable. Some part of him wanted to believe in the girl's words, wanted them to be true. But the other part of him, however, wanted her to be wrong, wanted those things to be false. The struggle between the two sides can't erase the fact that Sakura is always right when she gets serious.

A relationship will get in the way of avenging my clan.

The boy entered the house, only to find it empty. He felt relieved that he didn't have to face the blond right now, because he wouldn't know how to act around Naruto in this state. Sasuke went straight upstairs to the study and listened to his iTunes while playing Solitaire.

"I'm glad you feel much better now, Naruto," Sakura said in a soft tone, which broke the silence that settled ever since they got to Ichikaru.

"Hm?" Naruto slurped up the noodles in his mouth and continued, "What are you talking about?" the blond asked even though he had a good idea of what she means.

"Well, you still remember our conversation at the bridge several days ago. I was fooled by your smile back then, and thought you were fine. But I finally realized that you weren't, that you were only faking it so that I wouldn't have to worry," Sakura paused for a moment to eat some more ramen before continuing, "Sasuke must have helped you out a lot ne?"

"D- don't get any wrong idea, Sakura-chan. We live in the same house after all, and I guess he gets annoyed seeing a gloomy person all the time," Naruto defended, afraid that Sakura might dislike him because she was jealous.

"Don't worry, Naruto. I'm not going to yell at you or something out of jealousy," Sakura reassured the slightly frightened blond when she sensed his fear. "I've moved on…from Sasuke. Now, he's only a friend and a teammate, nothing more to me."

"Oh, I see," Naruto said with sympathy in his voice. He continued chowing down on his ramen.

"But you know what irritates me? It's when two people who are obviously in love with each other are either too afraid or in denial to accept each other. That's what I'm seeing with you and Sasuke."

At that, Naruto choked on the noodle he was slurping on. It took him quite a while to recover and when he did, he asked, "Nani? Are you out of your mind, Sakura? Sasuke and I? That's impossible!"

"Right. You guys can face Haku and life-threatening things but you just can't accept each other's love?"

"I don't feel that way toward him! Sasuke is my friend, rival, and teammate. That's all he'll ever be!" the blond retorted.

"Don't deny your own feelings, Naruto. It's okay to lie to others about it but you can't lie to yourself."

"But even if I do love him, then what?" Naruto wondered in a whisper, his eyes hazy. "It's not like some fairy tale where we'd live happily ever after. He still has to avenge and revive his clan. Even if we become a couple, it'll only be a temporary thing. Eventually, he'll have to marry someone who could help him revive his clan. If that's what's gonna happen, then I'd rather feel the pain now than to feel tremendous heartbreak later."

Sakura sympathized with Naruto on his perspective. Everything he said was true, and there was nothing they can do to change that. The only person who could change those things would be Sasuke, but the girl knew he'd be too stubborn to let go of his vengeance and goal in life.

"But you should tell him your feelings. There might be a chance for the two of you. I think it's better to have experienced love and being loved than living a dull life just because I'm too afraid of getting hurt by love."

Naruto considered the girl's words for a while, and then decided to push it off. He finished his ramen and paid for both of them. He bid goodbye with Sakura and headed home.

The music played was so loud that Naruto could hear even when the study's door was closed. He guessed Sasuke was already home. The blond didn't want to bother the other boy and he wanted some time alone, so he went to the living room and watched TV on low volume. Although he was looking at the TV, he wasn't really paying attention. Sakura's words started coming back to his mind.

"There might be a chance for the two of you."

"I think it's better to have experienced love and being loved than living a dull life just because I'm too afraid of getting hurt by love."

"…tell him your feelings."

Should I tell him my feelings? Experience a short-lived happiness and then risk having a heartbreak afterwards.

Or should I stay this way? Protecting myself and live a dull life.

What should I do?

Naruto was interrupted from his thoughts when Sasuke sat down next to him on the couch. A moment of awkward silence passed by before the two boys break it.

"I wanna talk to you," they both said in unison. Naruto laughed nervously while Sasuke chuckled inwardly. He simply looked at the blond but his eyes told the other boy that he got his full undivided attention.

"Well, I-I wanna thank you for…you know…being there for me for the past few days," Naruto said nervously, using every ounce of energy to force the words out. His mind cursed himself for being able to fight in life-threatening battles but couldn't handle confessing love.

"No problem."

Naruto glanced at Sasuke's solemn face for a quick second before looking away and continued, "I-I wanna tell you s-something t-that…"

Sasuke widened his eyes in disbelief. Is he gonna ... confess? He didn't want the blond to confess so he started to say something when his lips were suddenly attacked by…yep, none other than our Naruto's. The blond, too nervous to say the three words he wanted to say, ended up kissing the other boy.

Naruto's sudden 'attack' caused Sasuke to lose balance, which resulted in having the raven-haired boy laying face up on the couch while the blond's body pressed firmly on top of Sasuke's. Caught in such a compromising situation, Sasuke's mind couldn't manage his body to do anything but allow the blond's tongue to enter his mouth. They kissed for what seemed to be like forever before the blond lifted his head gasping for air.

Sasuke regained consciousness in mere seconds and sat up. He stood up and looked at the blond for a few seconds, then said, "I'm sorry, Naruto. I can't love you." After that was said, he rushed out the door, leaving behind a still dazed blond.

Author: I'm not sure if I should just leave the story like this and have a sad ending or add another chapter and make a happy ending. Personally, I like sad endings but you guys get to decide. Just tell me if I should have a happy ending or a sad one in your reviews. Ja!