Just a quick note. Thanks to those who have read the last chapter and I am sorry about the wait...you see I was on holidays up in Byron Bay (really nice place to go if you want to see the eastern most part of Australia) and I didn't have access to internet.

HAS ANYONE READ THE LATEST NARUTO CHAPTER! *MAJOR SPOILER ALERT - DON'T READ NEXT COMMENT IF YOU HAVEN'T READ THIS PART!* This chapter is dedicated to the late Neji Hyuga...Your actions were heroic and may you rest in peace (rather than turn into a mindless zombi like all my other favorite characters were by that darn Kabuto...).

This is the Last Chapter before Christmas...HAVE A HAPPY HOLIDAY AND I'll write some more on boxing day...(a chill day for us Australians where we lie in hammocks, read books, get our butts handed to us...um I mean...watch test cricket and cheer on our favorite yachts in the Sydney to Hobart race)

WE DON'T OWN NARUTO! ENJOY

"Get Up...Too weak...I can't believe I agreed to this."

Sasuke and Sakura stood in the middle of the training ground, with contrasting conditions; Sakura swimming in her sweat while Sasuke stood there impatiently tapping his foot waiting for her to get up from her position on the ground. Sakura wondered how on earth she had managed to end up in this predicament...oh that's right...that idiotic blond.

FLASHBACK

"SAKURA! WATCH THIS!"

"Naruto be careful." Sakura called out as Naruto proceeded to try and climb a near by gum tree.

"I'll be fine Sakura!"

"Dope...you'd better get down from there. I don't want an incapacitated bushranger on my team." Sasuke called out from his position on the balcony polishing his gun.

"You are just jealous that I can do this!" Naruto yelled while dangling from the lower branch of the tree.

A creek was heard, coming from where the blond boy was. Naruto gave a small yelp as the branch gave way to his weight, leaving him on the ground and nursing a bruised backside.

"I warned you, Idiot." Naruto glared at his friend, before standing up and sending puppy dog eyes towards the only female.

"No way..." Sakura said, slowly backing away while waving her hands in front of her face as if to put a barrier between herself and a smirking Naruto.

"Sakura..." Naruto spoke calmly.

He pounced as the pinkette made a mad dash for the house. Unfortunately, she didn't make it quite far enough, when the bushranger's body collided with her's, sending them tumbling to the ground.

"Hinata's not here and that Bastard never does it, so you're going to have to rub it better." Naruto stated triumphantly as he held down Sakura, who was clawing at the ground. She rolled over onto her stomach before trying to continue her escape.

"LET GO, YOU BIG RAMEN FILLED MORON!" She twisted wildly in his grip but there was no use, Naruto was determined to have the female pamper him.

"You're the only one who can do it." He pleaded, his eyes misting up. "Everyone says no to me...except hinata...and I don't want another experience with Sasuke."

Sakura stopped her squirming...did she hear right... 'I don't want another experience with Sasuke'...She burst out laughing at the thought.

"OH WOW! I DIDN'T KNOW YOU HAD A THING FOR DUCK-BUTT OVER THERE!" Sakura was now roaring with laughter, tears streaming down her face... "I..I..It Hurts HAHAHAHAHA!"

"I am glad you find your daily amusement from us." Sasuke muttered

"IT'S NOT LIKE THAT!" Naruto defended...his pride slowly slipping into oblivion. "WE WEREN'T DOING ANYTHING!"

Kakashi wandered out of the house to find his three companions creating a fuss; Sakura was laughing like a maniac, clutching her sides, Naruto was trying to strangle Sasuke who in turn was trying to keep the offending appendages away from touching him.

"GET OFF ME DOPE!"

"TAKE THAT BACK, TEME! LIKE HELL I AM AS USLESS AS A WOMBAT! INFACT, WOMBATS ARE THE BEST AT RUNNING AND BITTING!...at times..."

"He knows something, I applaud you. Fine...I take that back. You're just generally useless."

"F*** YOU! If YOUR SO HIGH AND MIGHTY, THEN USE YOUR AMAZING POWERS OF YOURS AND TEACH THAT GIRL TO FIGHT!" Naruto yelled, waving an arm in Sakura's general direction, not caring that he almost slapped Sasuke in the process.

"No." Sasuke grunted as he lifted himself of the ground. He cast a sideways glance at Sakura before walking towards the house, dusting off the wet grass attached to his black pants.

"YOU'RE JUST SCARED! THE SURVIVOR, THE UCHIHA IS SCARED OF TEACHING A GIRL TO FIGHT! I BET YOU WOULDN'T EVEN BE ABLE TO GET HER TO DOGE A BULLET!" Naruto taunted. The male stopped in his tracks...an evil aura was being emitted from around him. Everyone took a step back, trying to distance themselves from the unavoidable punishment.

"I don't normally do this" Sasuke sighed "..but I accept." Sasuke smirked as Naruto just stood there gob smacked that he accepted his challenge. "She was getting in the way anyway, it would be a good idea to train her."

Sakura gulped from the sidelines. 'Training' ...she thought... 'this could be bad'.

"I accept your challenge Dope on one condition..." It was Naruto's turn to creep away. "You have to give up complaining about Ramen and Hinata OR are you the one who is going to chicken out?"

Naruto walked forward towards Sasuke. He wiped his hands on the orange shirt that he wore and stretched out his arm to meet his friend's own in the middle.

"You're on." The silent deal was made.

END FLASHBACK

Groaning, Sakura picked herself from the ground, almost stumbling over in the process.

"Quit complaining. These are still the basics, and you're already sweating like a pig." Sasuke stated bluntly, not even bothering to try and sympathize with the pinkette.

"Hey! No need to be rude!" Sakura quipped defensively.

"Then prove me wrong," Sasuke challenged.

"Easy for you to say," She muttered. "Just 'cause you- Aahh! What the hell, Sasuke?!"

The latter, who had shot a bullet in her general direction, stared at the girl who was on the ground - again - gaping at him in horror, as she had missed the bullet in just a second's time.

Sasuke had to resist the urge to roll his eyes. "What are you? The floor inspector? Get up."

Sakura who had just recovered from the shock, glared at the said Uchiha. "Well, you can't blame me! You're the one who nearly just killed me!" Then, as an afterthought, she grinned cockily, "But then again, I'm the one who dodged the bullet with my awesome skills!- Oww!" She cried, clutching her head where Sasuke had hit her.

"You idiot," He muttered lazily. "I purposely shot the bullet a centimeter away from your humungous forehead. I have no clue why you ended up on the ground; again."

"Hey! Enough with the insults! You're starting to sound like Ino!"

"And you're starting to sound like Naruto. So I guess we're both disappointed." Sasuke pointed out, twitching slightly at how he had been compared to someone as irritable as Ino. "Now get up."

Sakura huffed in annoyance. "Fine, fine." Grabbing onto the raven headed man's arm for support, she hauled herself up.

"Try taking the offensive side." Sasuke told her. When the girl stared at him blankly, he sighed. "Naruto told me that you practically broke his jaw the day we took you captive."

Sakura raised her eyebrows, then, recalling herself punching the blonde when he had attempted to take her, she grinned sheepishly. "Um, okay, I'll try it."

After both people got into suitable stances, Sakura sent a fist flying towards the Uchiha, ready to hit him, when an "annoying" voice broke out from the sidelines.

"The first shot has been fired!" Naruto declared, as if the two were at war, causing Sakura to lose her focus and face plant onto the gravelly ground.

"She's down again." Sasuke muttered irritatedly to himself. He then turned to glare at the blonde, who stared at the girl on the ground confusedly.

"Has Sakura got some balance issue or something, Teme?" He asked, cluelessly.

"Naruto, you Baka!" Sakura growled, as she once again stood up from the ground.

"I admire her persistence to stand up, despite her stability difficulties," Kakashi, who unknowingly stood beside Naruto, gasped in awe.

And Naruto even mumbling along. "It does give off an air of masculinity."

"I DO NOT HAVE STABILITY ISSUES! AND WHAT THE HELL NARUTO?! I AM NOT A MAN!" Sakura yelled.

"Such is the fate of Tsunade's apprentices," Jiraiya, who had appeared behind Kakashi and Naruto, nodded sagely, completely unaware of the pinkette's growing anger.

Sakura then averted her deadly glare to Sasuke, who began to raise his hands defensively when she swung her leg at him. Sasuke, though shocked, immediately jumped out of the way. Sakura continued sending punches and kicks, almost landing a few in the process, as Sasuke took a defensive side.

"Oohh!" Their 'audience' cheered appreciatively.

Then finally, just as she had Sasuke honed in for an inescapable attack, Sakura raised her fist, ready to finally pummel the man in the face, when she tripped over her own feet, causing the pinkette to go crashing down to the ground, and Sasuke to be dragged down with her.

All of her anger instantly dispersed as Sakura once again found herself in an awkward predicament. Now, lying on top of Sasuke's well-built frame, Sakura, though failing miserably, attempted to stop the blush immediately rushing to her face. Then, she stared around the field, as their little 'cheerleaders' had all fallen silent as they watched the couple on the ground with a 'deer-in-the-headlights' look.

Blushing even harder, Sakura gritted out, "Not. One. Word."

Trying to suppress his own tiny blush, Sasuke muttered out, "You really do have a stability issue."

And that did it.

Naruto burst out laughing, immediately dropping to the ground, clutching his sides for support. Jiraiya and Kakashi, on the other hand, had plastered on a perverted grin. Only the heavens knew what their corrupted minds were thinking up as they stared at the couple still lying on the ground.

And Sasuke and Sakura once again cursed in the heads, wondering why this always happened to them.