A/N: Sorry for the late update! I know it's been a month now, but now that school's back, I can't find much time to write with all the AP homework and all! I hope this chapter is as good as the last!

Chapter Ten: Can't Run Forever

By the time Sasuke finally broke free from his thoughts, he'd noticed Lee was gone, and Naruto was now heading in his direction, back to the Ichiraku. Trying to look busy, Sasuke quickly grabbed the white cloth and resumed wiping the counters.

Once Naruto arrived, he noticed Sasuke with the cloth in his hand. He scowled. "Aw, man!" he whined. "You've already finished the dishes?"

It took a moment for Naruto's words to sink in, but when they did, Sasuke glanced up at him, a triumphant smile etched on his face. "Yeah, I finished them a long time ago," he replied, "But maybe you would have managed to finish scrubbing half the floors if you hadn't spent so long in the restroom, idiot."

Naruto raised a fist at Sasuke. "Oh yeah? You want to know who's the idiot?!" he challenged, the anger rising in his voice. Naruto got a hold of the bucket full of water on the ground, and was about to hurl it at Sasuke… That is…until Sasuke suddenly appeared out of nowhere to grab his wrist and prevent him from throwing the bucket.

Naruto could only gape at Sasuke in shocked silence. W-when did Sasuke get this fast? I didn't even see him move!

Sasuke paid no mind to Naruto's shock, and instead asked him in a low, serious voice, "Hey, um, do you know what's been going on…between Sakura and Lee?" He had to force the words out of his mouth, and even then, it was still extremely difficult. Yet he felt an even stronger urge to know the details. I just have to know!

Naruto snapped back into reality, and briskly shook his arm free from Sasuke's strong grasp. "Do I know?!" he repeated incredulously. "Of course I do! Who doesn't?!" Naruto then glanced at Sasuke. "Oh! That's right! I almost forgot! You don't!" He suddenly burst out laughing hysterically.

Sasuke just glared at Naruto. Shut up already!

Once Naruto finally managed to calm himself, he answered Sasuke, "They've been going out for two weeks now, haven't you heard? I thought everyone in Konoha knew, but I guess you didn't!" Ha! This is great! Naruto thought, feeling an air of superiority for once. Finally! Something I know that Sasuke doesn't!

While Naruto relished in his pride, Sasuke was deep in thought: Two weeks? Two weeks ago was when I told Sakura off… She's been going out with Lee for two whole weeks now? Wow…she got over me quickly… Though he couldn't quite explain it, Sasuke found himself bothered by that.

"But, hey, why do you want to know?" Naruto asked abruptly, interrupting Sasuke's thoughts.

Sasuke was taken aback by his question, but still remained indifferent. "No reason…" And before Naruto could continue to question him, Sasuke fired off a question of his own, "So…why isn't Sakura here right now?" Though he already suspected the answer, Sasuke also thought that Sakura might have offered a different excuse to Naruto.

Naruto scowled. "I wish I knew!" he confessed, "She wouldn't tell me anything! Well, other than she'd pound me if I didn't come back here!" Naruto thought for a moment. "Hmm. If only I knew what was bothering her. Sakura's been acting funny ever since…" He gasped, the answer finally having registered in his mind.

Naruto shot an icy glare at Sasuke. "…Sasuke, what did you do this time?!" he demanded.

"Tch. Nothing, dobe."

"That's a lie!" Naruto countered, "'Cause just this morning, when I asked Sakura about whether or not you were going to show up for today's mission, she mentioned something about you having…I don't know—'gone too far'! Yeah, that's right!"

"So tell me, you jerk, what did you do to Sakura now?" Naruto's voice was now bitter cold, and Sasuke could hardly recognize it from the high and mighty one of just minutes ago.

However, it was the persistent guilt that bothered Sasuke the most. He stared hard at the ground. "I didn't do anything," he countered, his voice growing with impatience.

Naruto found himself just plain fed-up with Sasuke. "You know, I don't know what's happened between you and Sakura, but I know one thing: yeah, Sakura's got her new boyfriend now, but I can tell that something's still bothering her…" Naruto said in a low voice, "And I know you know better than I as to why she's so upset."

Sasuke ignored Naruto, "Enough with the small talk. Let's get back to work. We'll finish this with or without Sakura, got that?" He turned his back on Naruto, and resumed cleaning.

Naruto stared at Sasuke's back for a second, shaking his head in dismay. Yet he didn't say anything, and simply resumed his task, as well.

The remainder of the afternoon was silent that day, but Sasuke kept his mind on one thing: that Naruto was right, and that no matter how much Sasuke tried to ignore it, the more it bothered him.

By the time Naruto and Sasuke finished cleaning up the Ichiraku, it was early evening, and the sun had now just dipped below the horizon, casting a blend of vibrant oranges and yellows in the sky.

"Well, that took forever!" Naruto proclaimed, seeming to have lost all anger towards Sasuke, as he leaned the broom against the back wall. "Lucky for Sakura she didn't have to do much! It's not fair! I just hope the old man treats us to free ramen for a job well done!"

As Naruto went on with his raves, Sasuke paid him no mind. He just glanced out at the campus bench…only to find it empty. I wonder where she went off to…

Naruto finally looked in Sasuke's direction, and was surprised to find him gazing outside. "Hey, are you even listening to me?!" he demanded.

Naruto's loud voice intruded Sasuke's thoughts. "Huh? You say something?"

"Argh! See? I knew you weren't listening! You never listen to me!" Naruto insisted obstinately, "Quit acting like you're better than everyone else—'cause you're not!"

Sasuke grinned. "Heh. We'll just have to wait and see at the Chunin Exams…" He stepped past Naruto and rounded the back counter. "But in the meantime…I'm going home."

As Sasuke headed off, he could hear Naruto's voice in the background, "Yeah! Yeah! That's right! You better head home!" Yet all Sasuke thought about was what he had said earlier: "…Sakura's got her new boyfriend now, but I can tell that something's bothering her… And I know you know better than I as to why she's so upset."

As for Sakura…

After spending all of the afternoon eating alone at an udon restaurant to gather her thoughts, Sakura walked home, her eyes concentrated on the dirt ground below her. Naruto and Sasuke are probably finished cleaning the Ichiraku by now… I feel awful about bailing on the mission, but it's not like I had much of a choice… Hopefully, Kakashi-sensei didn't pay the boys a surprise visit, and if he didn't, I certainly hope neither of them rat on my not being there.

Sakura shook her head. No, it's not like Naruto to rat on me, and as for that jerk Sasuke… Well, he never says anything… As she turned a street corner, her apartment came into view. Yet by the time she was about to climb the stairs, a voice called out to her.

"Sakura…"

Sakura's eyes dilated. She hadn't expected to hear that voice ever again in her life…at least, not after what happened earlier. He's probably here to "so kindly remind me" that I should get over the incident, Sakura thought bitterly. Well, I've already heard enough of it—can't he just give me a break?! She chose to ignore the voice, and began to climb the stairs.

"Sakura, I need to talk to you." There was a sense of urgency in Sasuke's voice, and Sakura paused briefly in mid-step.

"If it's about what happened two weeks ago…I don't want to hear it," she told him sternly.

"Well, I think you should hear it—"

Sakura turned around to face him, and shot him a death glare. "Save it, Sasuke! I already told you, I don't want to hear it! Is that so hard to understand?!" She felt a crack in her voice, and then instantly turned away. "Just forget it, okay?!" She hurried up the stairs without another word.

"Sakura! Just let me talk to you!" Sasuke started to chase after her, but stopped as soon as he reached the stairs. Pretty soon, all he could hear were her fleeting footsteps, each of them growing fainter as she grew further away. "Sakura…"

The next thing he heard was the soft shut of a distant door overhead, which seemed to reflect how distant Sakura was right now. Dejected, Sasuke hung his head I defeat, but maintained a straight face. Why? …Why do I care so much? Why does it bother me every time when she runs away from me? I should be glad she's finally out of my life, but I'm not…

Why?