Chapter 10

A/N: I've been putting Hinata in the spotlight for quite a while now and maybe people aren't too happy about it. I understand, but don't worry Sakura fans. I will give Sakura her time in the spotlight. The reason why I'm not so willing to do so is because I created this particular story to challenge me in my weakness as a romantic writer. I'm not good with the whole 'strong male lead/ weak female lead' thing and I'm trying to see if it could work. I will devote this chapter to Sakura and I'll give it my best.

Chapter 10:

The cold winter breeze gently touching the skin of Naruto Uzumaki. He's in his room, but his heater's down since he lives in a crummy apartment. It's not the best, but it's home. He sneezes before dragging his blanket over him, desperately trying to keep the cold away.

"I hate winter..." he bitterly mumbles, sniffing up the line of snot riding down his nose.

Today is the day the original 11 would gather and have a small winter party. He couldn't make it this winter because it wasn't this cold last winter and he wonders if anyone would notice. He doesn't know, but he does know there's someone there waiting for him. He sits up, trying to muster up the strength to stand, but it was no use. He wasn't getting anywhere.

He looks outside his window at the nearby ramen bar filled with lights and some traditional Japanese music playing. "Sakura..." he said, breathing heavily. His tired eyes and worn out physique suddenly changes and he tries again to stand up.

His body shaking rapidly as he finally muster his last amount of strength to stand. He could still feel the unbalance and pain spreading throughout his body, but he finally did it. He smirks, thinking he's unstoppable now, but he's left with one more problem.

"Now I got to find a way to walk there..." he whimpers, almost finding it comedic that his hope raised for a second when he stood up. He could barely move his legs. That's when his cellphone rang from the other side of the room and his heart leaps a mile.

"Sakura!" he yells, almost falling down from the sudden movement of his body, but managing to keep his footing. He wanted to run straight to phone once it rang. He didn't notice he was in a weak position. He knows there's going to be pain creeping up on him tomorrow, but that can wait. He has to get to that cell phone.

Naruto watches it ring three times and thought vastly of how he could make it, but every time it rings he felt like the other person in the other side would eventually give up. He doesn't have a lot of time left and could only come to one conclusion. He has to leap for it.

The only reason why he hasn't tried it yet is because it could end either two ways. He could get the phone with this leap and find himself in a bad position, or he could miss the leap and fall face first on the floor, finding himself in the worse position possible.

If this was a normal day. He wouldn't even try, but knowing that the person on the other line could be Sakura...

He glares at the phone with determination and leaps for it, reaching his hand further than he ever reached before, praying that he will grab the phone. He misses and lands face first on the ground, eyes slightly open.

He didn't make it, but he saw the name and it wasn't Sakura, instead, it was that worthless excuse of a man, Sasuke. Naruto sighs, looking at the cabinet that held his phone on top of it and realize that this could be his chance. The phone is still irritatingly ringing as he hits the cabinet, causing the phone to rattle and fall on the floor.

He grabs it and flips it over, "Hello?" immediately after he said hello, he could hear music playing in the background. The same music playing in the ramen bar.

"I didn't want to call you, but Hinata asked me to check on you." The cold bastard said, sounding uninterested. Naruto couldn't help but feel a little happy that Hinata was worried about him.

"Tell her I-" Naruto get's cut off by a female voice who's talking to Sasuke.

"Sasuke-kun..." The voice was more of a whisper, but considering you can hear it in the background. That person was weirdly close to Sasuke. "You promised we'll go dancing..."

Naruto bites his lips, trembling as his thoughts rush inside his head.

Sakura...

Is that Sakura...It can't be...I thought that...she doesn't like Sasuke anymore...

"Sasuke..." Naruto said, his voice calm and smooth, but his heart is still shaking, just not shaking because it's cold anymore, but because of something more colder than this winter breeze.

"Are you back with her?" Naruto asked and Sasuke doesn't respond. There is a slightly long pause and then the next sound Naruto heard wasn't a voice. It was the sound of the phone call being cut off.

"Sakura..." Naruto said, turning on his back and felt the gaping hole in his chest re-opening. He rests his arms on his forehead and turns his phone off. He didn't feel like he could do anything. He didn't feel like he could breath. He didn't feel like he could talk...he didn't feel anything, but the one thing that's surrounding his heart quickly.

He felt pain.

"Sakura..." Naruto moan, pushing his hands on his eyes as tears slide down his cheeks. He couldn't pick up the pieces of his broken heart. It was too microscopic to work. "Maybe it's me...maybe I didn't fill up to her desires...maybe I'm not good enough. I wasn't ever good enough."

Naruto said, downplaying himself. Ever since he was young, people would look at him like he's a monster, but can he blame them? Naruto is a delinquent with no parents, hence he had no respect for anyone. He didn't have respect for his teachers, he didn't have the interest in school and he didn't...he didn't have the love for Sakura. That's why Sakura chose someone who could fill that love she needed.

"I'm useless once again..." Naruto scoffs and tries desperately to climb up his bed, but the try was useless. He'll just lay here in his own waste because that's all he's good for. The cold winter breeze has nothing compared to the way he's heart is right now.

He just had to know.

He can't live without knowing.

He had to know why...

Naruto opens his cellphone and dials Sakura's number and surprisingly. The phone rings quickly and a worried voice comes through, "Naruto!" Sakura said, and Naruto couldn't respond. He looks around his room dumbfounded and just felt tears rushing down his eyes.

The sound of her voice, no matter how worried it sounds. He still felt the love connection between the two and that's why Naruto did the next thing he thought was right.

He closed his phone and throws it harshly against the wall, making it crack into pieces. He has to separate himself from Sakura. It's the only way, but if that's what has to happen. Then he has to make Sakura forget about him. She's much better off with Sasuke anyways.

The feeling of cold doesn't effect him anymore. He stands up effortlessly and stares at the image of him in his mirror. The pain in his heart. The gaping black hole that swallows everything. He just felt broke. He looks out his window and opens it. The sound of ice breaking and the blistering cold wind coming in doesn't make him flinch. There's only one way to end this feeling and he knows what needs to be done.

He looks outside the railing of his apartment, and at the ground below him. There's only one thing that needs to be done.

He swallows the dryness in his mouth and moves his body like a machine, standing on top of the railing. The only thing keeping him in this earth is his grip on the roof. He just has to let go and all the pain will finally disappear.

He smiles, thinking about his life and how incomplete it is. It doesn't matter because without Sakura it will never be complete.

He nods his head confirming this to himself and lets go of the ledge, his body moving forward and just before he could plummet to his death.

His body stops and he is pulled back from his fated death. He is pulled back and falls inside his room looking dumbfounded. He looks around and finds himself tossed all the way to the entrance of his room, even for a man, that's impressive.

He looks at his savior and this savior of his is clenching her fist tightly with her pink hair being shoved around because of the wind, eyes glaring and in front of him. "Sakura...I thought yo-" Naruto gets cut off from the marching terror heading to him, "What the hell were you thinking!" she yelled, looking at him with anger in her eyes. It was similar to the eyes of the people who looked at him like he was a monster, but somewhat different. There was something missing between the two and Naruto couldn't put his tongue on it.

"I waited for you...and that freaking Ino teasing me because she has Sasuke...where were you...?" she said, looking more and more tense every word she said.

"Wait...that was Ino..." Naruto said, stunned he was fooled from himself. He bit his tongue, feeling like a complete idiot. He was seconds from killing himself because of a misunderstanding and even then. He notices how stupid it would be even if he was right all along. He didn't know why, but when he had time to think about it. It all looked ridiculous to him.

He just felt so broken.

"Sakura...I'm sor-"

Naruto tries to apologize but his jaw is met with Sakura fist, hitting him hard. "And when I finally get a call from you...worried like hell...you don't answer back?" Sakura made gangsters from the Mafia looked weak. The way she was pacing from one end of the room to another.

"Sakura...I'm sorr-"

The apology is cut short again and Sakura hammers him on his face once more. It felt somehow weaker than the first though and he could see tears streaming down Sakura's face. Her breathing is rapid and she looked more stress than ever, "Then I come here...and you planned..." It sounded like she was preparing to scream, but the next words that flows out of her lips are something that Naruto never thought he would hear from Sakura.

"You...planned to leave me..." she tries to hit Naruto again, but the punch was too soft and Naruto stands up from where he was sitting, trying to support her. "Sakura..." Sakura shakes her head, punching his again, but it was still weak. Actually it was weaker than that last punch. She moves her head on Naruto's chest, crying, drying all the tears into his heart.

"Sakura..." Naruto said, looking at her. He never seen her like this. He never seen her so...fragile. "I'm sorry..."

Sakura's still crying as she embraces Naruto close to her body. She embraces him so tight it didn't look like she was letting go. "Don't ever do that to me again...don't ever try and leave me all alone."

"I won't..." Naruto assured her, wrapping his arms around her too.

The silence between them grew, but it felt like their souls were mixing with each other. He never felt more connected to Sakura and Sakura's tears soon stop their flow.

It's almost an hour when they embrace and Sakura's not letting go. Naruto worriedly looks another direction and grins, "How about we go to that party and rub our relationship to that bastard Sasuke?" Naruto said, trying to turn the feeling around, but Sakura looked so peaceful in his arms.

She giggles and looks up to him, shaking her head slowly. It seems Naruto's return of his carefree attitude made the situation a whole lot better now, but Naruto is left with one more problem. He looks down at Sakura looking up at him and Sakura finally says. There was a mysterious, evil intent in her eyes and Naruto thought that maybe if he had jumped. He would've been in a better postion. Sakura grips him on his collar, pulling him close to her face and said while licking her lips.

"You really think I'm going to let you off so easy?"

A/N: Oh my god! This was so OOC with these two, trust me, this was definitely a challenge for me. I don't think I performed well and in the end I felt bored and kinda forced it. I still think I could do better than this, but eh, whatever. I hope you guys like it anyways.