Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto! D:

Chapter 14: Naruto

When the door clicked open, Naruto ran from the kitchen and stumbled out to the front door.

"SAKURA-CHAN!" His arms shot in the air to embrace the pink kunoichi, but he immediately stiffened upon seeing her company.

"Sasuke."

Naruto's voice turned grave, but his face broke out into a grin anyway.

"I knew you'd be back."

Meanwhile, Sakura curiously peered over and asked, "Uhm… Who are you?"

Naruto froze, and all the cheerfulness he conjured up dissipated again. He had heard both facts that Sasuke was back and that Sakura had lost her memories. He couldn't believe the latter – he simply couldn't imagine a Sakura without her memories. That was, until he saw the clueless kunoichi standing before him.

"Hehe. I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" The blonde forced out an uneasy laugh.

"Ah! So you're Naruto-kun!" Sakura brightened, "I heard you're my teammate!"

'Naruto-kun? Did Sakura-chan just called me that?!' Naruto inwardly jumped up and down in joy and he quickly enveloped the pink-haired girl for a hug. The blonde had been so accustomed to Sakura's punches that when she silently received his hug, Naruto suddenly became uneasy.

"SA-SAKURA-CHAN, HAHA! YOU CAN JUST CALL ME NARUTO!" Scratching the back of his head, the blonde heartily laughed away.

"Naruto, your face is red." Mebuki observed in amusement, while Sasuke narrowed his eyes curiously at the blushing blonde.

"Ahaha…" Suddenly, Naruto's face brightened as he thought of a way to escape this embarrassment.

"Sakura-chan, Sakura-chan!" Naruto eagerly pulled her inside, and shut the front door. "I have something to show you!"

Mebuki watched silently as she anticipated with hope. 'Could that brat finally have learned to properly court a woman?'

Naruto's hands moved swiftly into different signs, and Sasuke instantly tensed, ready to brace whatever would come. By the time Naruto called out the name of this mysterious jutsu, it turned too late and proved not to be so mysterious, after all.

"SEXY-JUTSU!"

Both Sasuke and Mebuki face-palmed as they watched Sakura's immediate reaction.

"YOU PERVERT! There is NO way in hell you're my teammate!"

After a storm of shrieks and punches, Naruto ended up in a corner with multiple bruises.

"Wuht-dyid-I-do-wrung?"

'Still an idiot, I see.' Sasuke smirked as he watched Sakura fume with anger and embarrassment.

"Hm? What's this smell?" A burning scent drifted from the kitchen, and Mebuki's face paled with horror.

"Oh no! The rice! I completely forgot!" She then proceeded to drag the two boys in a hurry as she mumbled, "You guys help with dinner, too!"

The dinner was a storm of chaos, but currently, the peaceful silence replaced the Haruno household. The two Harunos were washing the dishes while quietly chatting away.

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke stepped outside onto the nearest training ground.

"Sasuke."

The blonde sat down to lean against a giant tree trunk. Sasuke quietly sat down next to him. Naruto eyed the chakra-restraining accessories on Sasuke, then concluded, "We can still practice taijutsu."

"Hn."

Naruto let out a loud yawn. "But let's leave that for later. I need time to digest my dinner, you know? Besides, it's dark."

It was a stupid excuse, but Sasuke was curious to hear what Naruto had to say, so he sat patiently. Surely, if not for the sake of training, Naruto wouldn't have dragged him out here, would he?

"Sasuke… There's a lot I want to ask you." Naruto smiled sadly. "There's too many questions, but I realized they don't matter as much as the fact that you're finally back."

There was a momentary pause as the two friends absorbed each others' presence.

"Sasuke. Welcome back."

Naruto's blue eyes twinkled under the pale moonlight, but Sasuke detected a continuing insecurity behind the blonde's smile.

Tentatively, Sasuke asked, "What… Naruto?"

Abruptly, the blonde stood up, his back facing the brilliant moon. A heavy shadow delicately masked Naruto's face.

"Sasuke… I've finally found one answer… and I've reached this decision."

Sasuke, too, stood up, not preferring to have a shadow towering over him. When their gazes were met at eye-level, even the shadow couldn't hide the burning lights in Naruto's blue eyes – burning with determination and absolute certainty.

"I'm never going to let Sakura-chan fall in love with you again."

'What?!' This was obviously least expected, and the two forms stayed frozen in the dark.

Suddenly, Sasuke became much conscious of the small note in his pocket. His hands itched to submerge into the depths of his clothes and bring it out, but what would that serve? Prove Naruto wrong? Prove Naruto as well as Sasuke's own doubts that Sakura had promised to love him forever, no matter what happened?

Slowly, Sasuke formulated the right words to reply to Naruto's declaration, but it came out as a statement.

"You love Sakura."

"I'm not the only one who suffered a heartbreak when you left, teme!" Naruto laughed in an attempt to lift up the mood, and Sasuke realized for the first time how twisted this whole thing was.

Yet… How right it was for Naruto.

Without her memories, Sakura no longer loved Sasuke, and Naruto could use this to his opportunity. And… What had Mebuki said?

"… as long as he loves you back."

It didn't matter if Naruto was a jinchuuriki or an idiot as long as he loved Sakura. And Sasuke, on that black night where darkness was pushed down by the bright moon, realized that everything was in Naruto's favour.

Naruto had suffered terribly from seeing his love despair over the traitor – yet his best friend all the same – and it was like Fate was finally giving Naruto his deserved bliss. And… and Sasuke – where did he fit in all this?

Nothing.

He was nothing but a dark intruder to this potent happiness soon approaching.

a/n: Ah! I feel terrible for such a late update.. and I'm really sorry! (especially if it's inconsistent, too):) Hm... As I wrote this chapter, I got the feeling that Naruto was OOC... I like Naruto when he's serious! I do, but... Sigh. Sasuke. Thou shalt suffer. Mhahaha