Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, It is owned by Masashi Kishimoto.

Night settled in the quiet streets of Konohagakure. The quiet streets receiving a gentle glow from the moon above, and a gentle breeze from the north. He was glad the streets were quiet, and not bustling with people like they usually were. He wanted the quiet, he craved for it. He stopped, and tugged on the sling that his arm was trapped in, hoping to adjust his arm to a more comfortable position.

I guess the bastard got lucky and hit a tendon on this arm... Guess I'll have to thank the damned fox for this, I wouldn't be able to use this arm anymore if he wasn't in me... Naruto begrudgingly told himself, taking note in why his left arm was healing so much slower than the rest of his limbs, which were now perfectly fine. Bruised, but fine otherwise. He breathed in slowly, taking in the summer air. The temperature dropped, along with the humidity, making his night one of comfort. Life was deciding to give him a break, apparently.

His eyes narrowed as he looked down, his right hand balling up into a fist. Sakura didn't visit me once after that... In the remaining week I was in that damned hospital... He reminded himself bitterly, despite the lack of emotion on his face. He was tired... Tired of her, maybe? He didn't know for certain.

I hope I'm not turning into that bastard... I don't want to be like him... He told himself, his eyes making their way toward Ichiraku's as he walked. He felt his stomach growl, he wanted to satiate his bitter mood with a good meal. So he decided to indulge that feeling. He walked toward the building, and moved one of the curtains aside. "Hey there, old man!" He greeted the owner, smiling brightly, in spite of his mood.

Teuchi looked toward Naruto, laughing loudly as his ever existing smile only grew wider. "Well, if it isn't my favorite customer! I'm glad to see you've recovered safe and sound!" He told the boy, relieved to see him okay.

"Ehh? Naruto's here?" Said a voice from the back, as a young woman walked over to Teuchi. "Hey there, kid!" She greeted, a bright smile forming on her face.

Naruto laughed a bit as he sat down at the stool. "Hi, Ayane-neechan!" He returned her greeting with one of his own, before looking back at Teuchi. "Old man, give me the biggest bowl of pork ramen you can! All I've eaten in the last week is hospital food!" He told him, a mock pout forming on his face.

Teuchi laughed, walking over to prepare the meal. "After hearing that? Of course I will!" He told the boy, starting up the stove again.

*Burp*

Oh god... He thought, rubbing his full stomach as he slowly walked home. "I think I ate too much..." He admitted to himself, his appetite not being all there from how much blood he had lost 2 weeks before. "Maybe I should've listened to Baa-chan..." He muttered quietly, before shaking his head. "No way! Ramen is worth it!" He told himself, the nausea leaving him as his love for the delicious meal returned.

A sudden yawn escaped his mouth, as he made his way up the stairs to his apartment. "Guess I'll just go to bed... Not like I can do much with this busted up arm..." He muttered in annoyance to himself, as he pulled his keys out of his pocket. His body suddenly jolted, as pain shot through his spine. He had forgotten that his back wasn't in great shape either, from when Sasuke slammed him into the cliff side. The sudden jolt made him drop his keys on the ground.

His eyes narrowed as he stared at them. "So much for my nice night..." He muttered bitterly as he tried to reach down for them, only for his pupils to shrink as more pain shot through his back. He yelped as he leaned back, panting heavily as he stared down at the keys. "Aw come on... I can't even pick up a god damn set of keys?!" He yelled in frustration, only to blink when he saw a pale hand grab his keys from off the ground.

He looked up, his eyes widening as he saw Sakura standing in front of him, keys in hand and staring at him with no real emotion on her face. His face formed a grimace as he looked down, slowly walking past her as he took his keys out of her hands. "...Thanks..." He said begrudgingly as he walked to his door, though, limping would be a better way to put it.

Sakura looked back, as sadness washed over her. Seeing Naruto go from such a postive ray of happiness and determination to someone so... Pitiable... Of course, she wasn't thinking this as a way to insult the boy, rather... She was worried. "Naruto..." She called out to him, hoping to get his attention.

Sadly, he did not respond as he unlocked the door to his house and started to walk inside. Determined to talk to the boy, Sakura rushed over, and held the door open right as he was about to close it. Naruto's eyes glanced up from the ground, to look at hers. He tried to push back, but his weakened state wouldn't allow him to fight back. "...What do you want?..." He gave in, asking her as he let go of the door.

Sakura stepped inside, closing the door behind her. "I wanted to talk to you." She told him, looking at his hallway. "May I come in?" She asked, hoping at this point he would say yes. All she got was a silent nod. She kicked off her shoes and stepped into his house, and... It wasn't that clean. It was alright, sure, but... It could've looked a hell of a lot better. She looked back at Naruto, who was slowly making his way into the living room. Sakura bit her lower lip at the sight, before smiling softly. "Do you want me to get you anything?... You look like you still need time to heal..." She asked, hoping he would accept her offer.

"I'm fine..." He told her, before sitting down on his sofa. Sakura pulled up a chair, and sat down in front of him. This way she could get a better look at him. His eyes were tired, void of emotion, rather than being full of life and bright. He had bags under his eyes, showing a lack of sleep, and his lips were dry. He was dehydrated.

"I'm going to get you water." Sakura told him, getting up and walking toward his kitchen. She opened up a couple of his cabinets before finding a glass. She then walked over and started filling it up with water.

"S-Sakura-chan, you don't have to..." He started, only to see her give him a hard stare.

That hard stare turned into a friendly smile, as she gripped the glass tighter. "You haven't been keeping yourself hydrated, which means your body is recovering slower than usual..." She told him, as she finished filling the glass. She brought it over to him, putting his hand on the glass. "I'm not going to let you handle your body irresponsibly... Even if you do heal fast..." She told him, keeping her arms folded.

Naruto stared down at the water, his eyes narrowing before he took a sip. "Is that care that I hear in your voice?..." He asked her, his voice not showing any emotion in particular.

Sakura huffed, her eyes never leaving his. "Of course I care." She told him, blinking as she heard a snort from the blonde.

Naruto chuckled, almost pathetically as a hollow of a smirk appeared on his face. "That's a first..." He told her, his eyes meeting hers. He saw a look of surprise on her face. "Hell, I'm surprised you haven't taken a shot at my skull. Go for it, I want my concussion to get worse..." He goaded her, his eyes still void of emotion.

Sakura's pupils shrunk as she her mouth somewhat fell open. "W-What?... Naruto, I wouldn't do that!" She told him, her eyes still widened, only widening more as the blonde laughed again.

"YOU wouldn't do that?..." He asked rhetorically, slamming his glass down on the table next to the arm of the couch. "Don't give me that shit... And all of this... This act? I want none of it..." He told her, his face slowly forming a scowl as he glared at her.

The pink haired girl slowly started to grit her teeth. "Act?..." Her eyebrows furrowed as she glared at him. "You think that I'm pretending to care about you?" She hissed through her teeth, offended by Naruto's words. Where was all of this coming from?

Naruto stood up, and started to walk away, before getting grabbed by the forearm. "Hold on! I want you to answer my question, Naruto!" She ordered him, now standing and glaring at him. Her pupils slowly began to shrink as he started to look back at her, the first time he showed emotion to her that night... And it was a look of rage, and sadness.

Naruto gritted his teeth, while his eyes pierced through hers. "Of course I think that! Of course I think you're lying to me! I'm guessing Kakashi-Sensei sent you, that's the only explanation as to why you suddenly give two fucks about me!" He concluded, his pupils slowly shrinking as his rage slowly started to wash over him. It made sense, right? Sakura could never care about him. Sasuke was her only prerogative.

His jaw tensed as his eyes narrowed. "I know you haven't suddenly changed. What you said to Baa-chan is confirmation enough... Coming to the scene of the fight between me and Sasuke, not out of concern for my safety, but to see if I actually held up to my promise! The fact that you doubted me... That alone is more than enough proof that you don't care... That you don't know me..." He told her, watching as she began to hang her head.

Sakura's lips thinned, before she began to speak. "You're right... I had doubts... I was so worried that you couldn't do it, that I had to go, to ease my worries..." She admitted, biting her lower lip as the truth slipped out of her so easily. She took a deep breath, while slowly letting go of his arm.

What is wrong with me?... She asked herself, her lip quivering. How can I know so little about someone I've spent so much time with?... She asked again, hearing a snort from her inner self.

Because you spent so much time ogling Sasuke-kun. Wanting nothing more than to be with him, and being content with only that. She said to her outer self, scoffing all the while. Besides, giving a thought to Naruto doesn't mean much, when you were bawling your eyes out about Sasuke-kun these last two weeks! She shouted at herself, growling all the while.

Sakura bit the inside of her cheek, as every word her inner self said rung too true. She hated how true it was. But... I do care about Naruto... She said to herself.

Then prove it! Because all I've seen so far, is someone who's only guilty because Naruto almost DIED for your promise! Inner shouted, finishing her point.

Sakura was about to say something, but heard Naruto scoff, before taking a step away from her. "You know... I bet that if Sasuke was there, and we were both a bloody mess, and only inches away from death... You would've gone to his side, disregarding me completely..." He spoke out, glaring down at her. "So long as he was by your side, my death wouldn't matter to you, would it?..." He asked her, his eyes slowly turning red and gaining a canine-like appearance.

Sakura's eyes widened as she stared at the ground, as her mind tried to process what he just said to her. Her pupils shook as all the light left them, leaving her in a daze. What... Did he... She asked herself, as her vision began to blur. It was like a rug was swiped from beneath her feet, as the realization of what he said hit her like a ton of bricks. The fact that this was Naruto was truly thinking, and that he decided that's how SHE thought...

Naruto's whiskers slowly began to thicken as he growled lowly. "I'm right, aren't I?!" He shouted at her.

Sakura's pupils shrunk as anger surged through her being like a bolt of lightning. Her body started to move before she even knew what was happening. In the blink of an eye, she swung her hand out.

*SLAP!*

Naruto's eyes widened greatly, as they returned back to their blue color. The slap echoed throughout the apartment, as his eyes looked down toward her. His pupils shrunk further at what he saw.

Sakura was panting heavily, as a scowl formed on her face. Tears were running down her cheeks and her face was a faint tint of red. "You... You shut your mouth this instant..." She told him, as she gritted her teeth. Her pupils were still shrunk as she walked over to him slowly, grabbing him by the collar of his shirt. "You're a real son of a bitch, if you think that I don't care! Not after everything that's happened!" She shouted at him, her voice peaking as she shouted. She had had enough. Enough of Naruto's inane behavior, enough of him assuming how she felt about him. Everything.

Her tears fell at a further rate, as she hiccuped, her scowl never fading. "Yeah! I went to the battlefield to find Sasuke-kun! You know what I did find?" She asked rhetorically, her face moving closer to his. "YOU! I found you hanging against the wall, on the edge of death!" She shouted further, as her eyebrows creased upwards, and her eyes welling up further. "Seeing what Sasuke-kun did to you... How he treated you, after all that you two went through... I didn't care that he wasn't there anymore, dammit!" She screamed, as even more tears flowed from her eyes. "I was so scared that you were dead! I was so scared that I had lost you! That our promise was your death sentence!" She cried out, letting go of him as she put a hand over her eyes.

Naruto was stunned at this sight, his mouth open slightly as he stared at her crying heavily. Sakura wept in her hand, before looking up at him. "Yeah... I treated you like shit, not even 3 weeks ago... But did it ever occur to you in all that god damn brooding, that I had changed?..." She asked him, as she sniffled.

The blonde grimaced, looking down before shaking his head. A scoff escaped Sakura's lips, as she looked at him in almost disbelief. "Wow..." She uttered in surprise, wiping her eyes as the tears kept flowing. "You always talk about how people can change... You always find a way to see the good in people... But you lost that faith in me?... Because of one thing I said?..." She asked him, but before he could answer, she started to walk to the door. "Then forget about that promise... Forget about me... I won't get in your way anymore..." She told him sadly, as she slowly walked to the door.

Naruto's pupils shrunk, as her words knocked the wind out of him. He panted heavily as he looked toward her, as the consequences of his selfishness... It all started to rise to the surface.

He didn't mean for this! He didn't want this! He was just upset... He was hurt. He felt like there was no chance for Sakura to truly care about him, like he cared for her. He yearned for her attention, even just once, and when he finally saw that even after all that he had done for her, her reasons for going to see the fight, were purely for Sasuke. It hurt him...

But does that justify your inane selfishness?... A dark, disturbing voice filled his mind, he knew it too well.

You... He whispered in his mind, he was not happy to hear his voice.

Oh? You don't want to hear what I have to say, brat?... A laugh echoed from the voice, as it continued. You were too selfish... You allowed your feelings to cloud your judgement, and because of that... Look what's happened? You're pushing away the very person who you felt push you away, despite her trying to show how much she cares. The voice pointed out to Naruto, as cackling surged from the being HAHAHAHAA! Oh how I love the sweet irony! The pain your feeling, only comforts me as I rest in this cell... The voice said mockingly to the blonde, as he felt its presence fade.

Naruto hung his head, as a shadow formed over his eyes. The fox was right... He hated to admit it, but it was. He dug his hand into the wall, as he grimaced. He had been so god damn selfish... So petty! It took Sakura trying to cut all ties with him, for her to bawl her eyes out because of him, in order to see how petty he was being.

His eyes narrowed, he could beat himself up later. He had to fix this! "Sakura-chan..." He called out to her, she didn't respond. He then looked at her. "Sakura-chan!" He shouted, causing her to look at him. Her eyes were red and puffy, the crying didn't stop, so they weren't crocodile tears. She was serious. He looked down, his hands balling into fists. "I don't hate you..." He told her quietly, his fists trembling.

Sakura laughed, almost pathetically, before looking down. "Awesome... I'm not hated..." She muttered sadly.

Naruto grimaced as he walked over, grabbing her arm. "No! I just..." He trailed off, he clearly wasn't sure how to say what he wanted to say. "I don't want you to leave my life, Sakura-chan..." He told her, looking her dead in the eye. His mouth trembled, as he feared what he would say next. "I know it doesn't seem like it, but... I was acting that way, because... I thought you hated me... And I couldn't bear that... Not after my friend stabbed me in the back..." He told her, not daring to say Sasuke's name.

Sakura's look softened, as the tears slowed a little. "Naruto... I don't hate you. I know I said that when we first joined team 7, but... I've changed since then!" She told him, trying to put on a smile through her tears.

Naruto nodded, looking down. "It doesn't justify how I acted toward you... I was being rude, stupid, petty... I'm so sorry..." He apologized, his grip on her arm loosening. Sakura took her arm back, rubbing it softly.

The pinkette wiped her eyes, as her tears finally stopped. "I forgive you... I'm sorry I slapped you..." She apologized as well, looking at his slap mark.

Naruto shook his head, rubbing the slap mark. "Don't apologize... I deserved it." He admitted, staring into her eyes. There was a long silence after that, neither of them knowing what to say each other as they stared into each others eyes.

Sakura was now able to see just how blue Naruto's eyes were. They were like the crystal blue waters of the ocean, so serene and full of life... At least, now they were.

After realizing how long she had been staring at him, and that things were starting to get awkward, Sakura looked down. "W-Well... I think I should go now..." She said to him, not really sure what to say anymore... In fact, they pretty much said everything that was needed to be said. She grabbed her shoes, slipping them on and reached for the door. Just as she started to twist the doorknob.

"I love you, Sakura-chan..." He confessed to her, causing Sakura to immediately look back at him.

Her pupils were as tiny as dots, as she stared at him.

"...What?"

WOOOOoooooooo! So who here thinks this confession is actually going to go well?

So while it seems like I got most of the angst out... There will be more. It's not hard, they're teenagers that have had shitty pasts.

Oh! And while Naruto and Sakura are the main characters, Sakura is the main main character. (Would that be the protagonist? I could never remember) Anywho, just thought I'd get that out in the open.

Later!