Chapter 1

"What did you say you needed again?"

"Do I have to need something to visit my teammate?" Naruto's laugh echoed from behind the open fridge door. His rummaging put a smile on Sakura's face as she sat at her kitchen table. He stood up, arms full of fruits and her favorite custard, before kicking the fridge closed and depositing his goods on the table. He plopped down in the seat across from her with a grin.

"Seems more like you just got home and didn't have any food in your fridge,'' she teased, plucking a jar of custard out of the pile and moving to grab a spoon.

"That could also be true" His grin was contagious, she couldn't help but smile back. "Did anything happen while I was gone?"

She hummed in thought, pulling the aluminum seal from her treat. "There was an outbreak of chicken pox at the academy," She laughed at his scrunched up face. "It was horrible, they took all my lollipops too."

"What a tragedy"

"I know right?"

They snickered together.

She missed this. Him. He'd been gone for a whole two weeks this time. Off on a diplomatic mission to Rain with no word in between. It had felt empty without him here. Her kitchen felt like it was missing warmth without him lazing around in one of her chairs. She smiled around her spoon at the sight of him munching on an apple.

"Did the mission go smoothly?"

"Yep! Though I could've done without all the rain." He groaned at the thought of it. "If I see another rain cloud I think I'll just die. People tell you it rains constantly there but you don't really get what constantly means until you're on day 8 of no sun!" He popped another piece of apple in his mouth.

Sakura laughed softly. "Well it is called The village Hidden in the Rain for a reason."

Naruto huffed, "Yeah, yeah, I guess you're right. I'm just glad I had Hinata there or I really would've been bored out of my mind."

Sakura's smile froze at the mention of the Hyuuga Heiress. She had thought Naruto was on this mission alone to help build diplomatic skills for when he became the future Hokage. She didn't know he was paired off with Hinata. She could think of no reason why she would be on the mission in the first place.

"Oh? I didn't know Hinata went with you." Sakura innocently said.

Naruto smiled warmly and Sakura's heart ached. "Yeah I was supposed to head out there alone but truthfully I didn't really want to travel all that way by myself. I asked Baa-chan if I could make it a two man mission and take Hinata with me."

Sakura began to rip little pieces of the aluminum seal. "Seems a little random. Why didn't you ask me?"

She saw Naruto shift out of the corner of her eye. She turned her gaze to him only to have him quickly avert his eyes. "I just happened to pass her by in the Hokage tower after being assigned the mission." He began. "She was there on some head clan business so we chatted for a bit and I offered her to accompany me to get her out the Hyuuga compound for a bit. I thought of you, but I know you've been super busy at the Hospital and all so…."

She tried not to think of the two of them together. Alone. For two weeks. How he offered Hinata a duo mission with him before her. She pushed down the sinking feeling in her gut as she looked up at his nervous eyes.

"I'm glad you weren't alone then."

He seemed to deflate at her answer. "You know you're always my first pick right, Sakura-chan?"

She gave him a long look before leaning forward to place her hand on his knee.

"I know, and just for the record, I missed you."

She made sure not to show the hurt on her face when he moved his knee away.

"Yeah, I missed you too."

Who even am I? Updating twice in less the a month? Wild. I crave a good narusaku. I need it. so i'll write it myself, my drive for this is so high rn so ill be popping this out pretty fast.

Hopefully.