First of all, I want to apologize for the late update of today. I was planning on updating last week, but my examns got delayed and the cahpters I wrote were deleted by my brother... Until now I am wondering if it was on purpose. ._. And I'm thinking of changing the title of this story...any ideas?

So well, I have to re-write everything, thank you for waiting. And special thanks to Naruto's Vixen for her review. Here it is... :)

P.D.: I will take my time with the other chapter because I have to think well what is going to happen next.


I just had to act like I heard nothing... So...

I heard nothing.

I just happened to see Neji-san accuse Naruto to have certain feelings over my friend? Maybe is best if I play deaf and blind. Just for now.

It doesn't worth to be angry at this point. The date is near. The anniversary will be soon. I can't...

"Watch it, Sakura-chan!" His voice wakes her up from her thoughts.

"Oh sorry, sweetie..." Ok, now she is embarrassed! She was about to put an alcohol-wet cotton into her boyfriend's eye. She was so out of herself! And all of this why? Because of a single reason: Hinata Hyuga, one of her closest friends and now one more cause of her growing stress. "...I'm worried. If you could just tell me why Neji-san and you were fighting for I wouldn't be distracted in thinking of how to kill him." Naruto's mouth dropped.

Now Naruto is embarrassed! He would never let his girlfriend defend him against another guy. And he wouldn't tell her about the reason why, even though her smart girlfriend knew. She would feel hurt! That wasn't in the promise he made her. But ever since Sakura took him to his apartment to heal him, the blond couldn't stop thinking about Hinata and he could not ignore this... Feeling. This in his chest. What is it?

"It's ok Sakura-chan, you know of all people that when someone punches me, I deserve it." He smiled.

"I wish I knew the reason, though." Sakura hates playing dumb. But she can't be mad. She needs to hear Hinata's point of view too, what if the blond did have feelings for Hinata? Since she found out that they were spending a lot of time together, she felt like...

"Don't worry, it was just about a mission. You know how he becomes when he is name the leader! I just wanted to remove that stick out of his ass..." Naruto faked a laugh as Sakura did the same. Why everything did suddenly went fake and cold between them? She hates it. He does, too.

"Okay. Just rest, Neji left you a little dizzy, huh?" Naruto nodded while inspecting the damage of his cuts. When Neji punched him, he luckily landed in some broken bottles.

"I have to go..." Sakura said gathering her stuff. Naruto grabbed her wrist and make her shiver to the sound of the sentence he uses when she leaves...'I love you'. She wanted to smile.

"Tell Teme I'll visit him as soon as I can." Wait, what?

"I'm not going to Sasuke's..." She looked at him strangely. Why he on earth think that she was going to Sasuke's? And...why he didn't said that phrase that she was starting to like a lot? Now she was depressed and angry! But not to him...Maybe to Hinata? No she couldn't, not to her.

"Just saying...if you go there tell him I'll be visiting him tomorrow."

"Yes, I'll tell him! Damn!" She was so annoyed! Every time anyone brings Sasuke...just ugh!

"Don't be mad Sakura-chan. He's sorry, you know?" Why she felt she was being judge? Naruto thinks she's a monster for not forgiving Sasuke...oh... It's because he never had his heart broken like that before! Stupid men...

"Stop pushing me! You need to know just because someone is sorry doesn't mean you have to actually forgive him or that he actually feels regret!" She hardened her eyes on him as he did the same too. Why all of the suddenly all this glares? She wants to apologize but no! Again, if this is about Sasuke-kun, the one that should be apologizing is Naruto.

"Fine, but you just promise me we will be united again. Like we were before and you haven't made that promise come true, you don't want to even try. And by the way, he's sorry, you can tell."

"No, actually I can't because he never had told you or me he is sorry and he never shows regret. He's an ass, Naruto and you are idiot for believing in him." She said in almost a growl. Naruto felt threatened by Sakura but at the same time sympathy for Sasuke. After all, he is his best friend and he wants the old team 7 back.

"Sakura-chan, we must forgive even though the ones that hurt us do it again in the future. That's how love works." He said wisely. He remembered of how many times he was hurt by Sakura and how many times he might have hurt Hinata and she is just still around. Maybe that's true love. He remembered then, and for the fourth time since the discussion with Neji that he really… reallyneeds to talk to the Hyuga heiress.

Now what? He is preaching to me? Hell no.

"Oh! Don't go talk-no-jutsu on me. It doesn't work anymore." Naruto smiled thinking that maybe Sakura-chan was playing a joke on him. After all, talk-no-jutsu was their private joke, a one created by Sakura to mock how Naruto have super conviction powers.

"I'll go talk-no-jutsu on you whenever I want to!" He demanded playfully hoping to light up her face and get her beautiful smile. She on the other hand is so stressed and hurt to keep up with him. She took this simple sentence as an order. How she hated to be commanded by a man.

"You just think everything's a joke, don't you? I'm not in the mood." She snapped angrily rolling eyes. Now Naruto was annoyed.

"Could you just stop being so defensive towards me? Stop that really! I just want to make you smile, something that you haven't done in a while." He was now standing looking at her directly in the eyes. Sakura saddened. She does not want to become so bitter inside; she's making him miserable too. But pride was something that Shisho taught her well.

"If I'm being defensive that is a clue for you to begin using your brain a little more. Maybe you are doing something wrong." She crossed her arms in discomfort and anger. She closed her eyes, for not seeing his hurtful expression.

Something wrong...

"Sakura-chan, all I've ever wanted was for you to look at me. And you finally do, but not in all ways. You don't see how many times I try. It takes me a lot of effort to see you since I'm on missions and you in the hospital, but I'm always there. Late...but there just to make you feel like before, like when you were twelve. I try so hard to make you happy and to see you smile again, I just..."

"Yes, you try but you don't succeed."

And that was it.

"Maybe we need a break." Her eyes opened as he snapped bitterly. He was serious about this.

"What? No, come on Naruto. Don't leave me." Her face felt. Not again! Why every man she cares about abandons her? Why she can't be happy? Why every man she loves runs away from her? She just wants him to try a little more. They can be happy.

Naruto was just surprised at her sudden vulnerability. He wanted to see her eyes so bad; those green orbs were always giving him a hint about what was going on in Sakura-chan's mind. He felt miserable for making her friend so sad.

"Sakura-chan, I'm not saying I'll leave you. It's just I need to think. Please..." Her lower lip was trembling from sadness and disappointment. For many of the times Naruto saw her tears fall, this was one of those times he wouldn't be able to comfort her, because she knew that maybe he was thinking about Hinata.

"Sakura-chan..." He extended his arms to hug her. But she snapped his action with anger. She was so hurt. Why? Why is this hurting? I promise myself that I wouldn't let anyone in again.But she was as clueless as him; she didn't realize Naruto was already part of heart. A feeling that she knows well is starting to rise again, her heart is sinking like when Sasuke-kun left.

"No! Once you take a break, you would be away from me, you would never want to come back. Just like Sasuke-kun. I'm not stupid, Naruto." Her eyes were angry, her soul was sad. She was hurt. Every single part of her fragile heart was starting to shake just like a building before collapsing. She started to cry uncontrollably at the realization of what she just said.

"You'll just leave. Like Sasuke-kun!" She hit his chest with force while Naruto grabbed her shoulders. "I know...I just know." She repeated in whispers as he lays his arms to cover her in a warm embrace. No, there was definitely no love in that hug. It was plain comfort. What had happened to her joyful friend? Her happy girlfriend, where was her? She was only now a ghost. Who would say that Sasuke damage her so badly.

"No, I won't leave. I'm sorry." He said defeated, because he didn't want to cause more hurt.

"You promise?" She says hugging him back. He immediately regrets it. Biting his lip he begins to wonder.

Why that flame...that passion we used to have for each other, was disappearing? Maybe I'm crazy! She's the girl of my dreams, I want to heal her but I don't know how. Why my love isn't enough for her?

All those questions, but not sure answers. Maybe, long time ago, that flame was blown by the wind.

He feels numb. Incapable of feeling the same way he used to feel for her. What if those butterflies in his stomach had died? He wasn't sure, for the first time he was wondering if he really loves her.

Naruto sighed. He should say no, but he couldn't.

"I..." He doubts. She tightened the hug. "Yes, I promise." He's trapped.

"I love you." She said not looking at him, because if she did, she would see the regret and discomfort pouring from his eyes. So she chose to fool herself, to ignore what she had heard of Neji, to be blind to Naruto's subconscious ways on escaping her, to be deaf to her boyfriend's unhappy reclaims about their failing relationship and she decided that playing dumb was necessary for her happiness. All because she hated loneliness and she hated herself somehow for needing a man to be there for her.

"Hm..." He plainly replied, trying to ignore her last comment. "By the way, where are you going?" She separated to see him.

"To see Hinata-chan, it's been a while since I saw her." Sakura said sadly by the way Naruto's eyes brightened to the said name.

"Tell her I said hi." He replied with the same amount of emotion. She knows that her relationship is in danger, she knows that maybe he wants Hinata like Hinata wants him. It's reciprocated. It's love. That is why she felt like the other one.Now she was angry, jealous and sad. Again.

"Yes, I'll tell her." Not looking back, she decided to leave it there. To wait more, until Naruto understands that she is the only one for him. She can't give up on him.

All because he's the only part of her heart that remains the same. The one that can only help her to overcome her emptiness.


When the door closed, he waited for her to be as far as possible. Then he let it out…

A growl of discomfort bouncing trough the naked walls of his new apartment. Immediately grabbing his head, revolving those golden locks to make himself think of a solution. To figure out a better way to delete this feeling. This necessity of being with her...with Hinata; also, this instant curiosity of knowing the nature of this feeling needs to go away. He felt like crap because he made Sakura-chan cry, but on top of that the feeling of knowing that he hurt Hinata during all this time he spent with her was simply awful. He needs to see her, now!

He didn't knows if it was Neji's fist or the fight with Sakura-chan. But he was looking his relationship from all the possible angles. Sakura-chan had a problem, she hates to let go. She hates loneliness, even though she says that a woman is better by herself and priorities are priorities, this means that he would like to have a word with Sasuke and another one with Tsunade-baa-chan. Maybe he can obligate Teme to apologize with her. Yeah that would be fine! And then! Speak with Tsunade-baa-chan to talk to her, after all she's is like a second mom for Sakura. And all the pink-haired girl do is listen to her Shisho.

Did he just think of a solution by himself? Wow! Maybe he is growing up! Finally.

Now he can finally relax. But then directing his eyes to the orange skies of Konoha, he saw something strange the moon and the sun in the same space! Definitely that was strange. Sai says that happens a couple of weeks in a year because of some changing season thing...whatever...not that he pays attention or anything. But he just couldn't help that, even thought that happens every year, it was a very strange and yet beautiful event. The moon is just glorious, silver, pretty and round like...like Hinata-chan's eyes!

Did he just refer to Hinata with -chan? He didn't notice, thinking of how lovely those eyes are and the way her hair falls long and dark like the night's sky. She was so lovely and sweet without a doubt. His eyes widened.

"I really need to talk to her!"

But why? And what was he going to say? He didn't really knew, this necessity again begins to build up in him. Confusion again, filling his mind with anxious thoughts. What are the odds of seeing her again? Yes, they have been getting together almost every day, but it's because Hiashi won't let her go into missions. And he, well, every time he was free he had search for her. And that's why he felt bad for Sakura-chan because it's cheating, right? His mind made a shift into Hinata again. What if they were like the sun and the moon today? What if the chances of seeing each other again were a couple of weeks per year? He collapses in his bed hoping to get relieve to this major headache!

It was crystal clear to him. He was curious and overwhelm by this new sensation, and yet at the same time, scared and repentant because he had a girlfriend. But he could not deny the recently discovered attraction he felt towards Hinata. She was so kind, so lovely and sweet. Let's not forget about her stuttering and shyness, qualities that made her more attractive into his eyes. Many people said that she is boring. But to hell with people. He thought.

That lead him to think, whether it was just plain physical attraction. He swears that in his life he had been this confuse and the growing head ache was getting it worse.

'It is a problem for you to think that much, Dobe. Even a simple two plus two makes your head blow up.' He damns Sasuke for that.

Please, please, please! Please Naruto sleep.

But he couldn't as he found himself thinking of an excuse to see Hinata. Since when I need an excuse to see her? If I want to, I'll do it! But the simple idea, made his knees tremble. Since when he is nervous of something, by the way? I got it. I'll use the ramen excuse! She still owes me!But he couldn't the simple idea of making Sakura feel bad saddened him and the plain thought of getting away from Hinata as a solution to his dizzy mind, is ripping his heart apart. After all Hinata is an special and now a growing part of his heart. He couldn't just give his back to his special people, not to Hinata but neither to Sakura-chan.

He growled again. Back to the beginning point. He swore he heard the kyubii laughing at him.

He then curled into a ball to sleep. Hoping that this feeling goes away because he needed to kept his promise, make happy the girl of his dreams. His first love, Sakura Haruno. All to the cause of never going back his words. That is his nindo.


Please, review... :)