Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 2: Tell her

Sasuke looked up and saw Naruto standing besides him.

"Mind your own business!"

"I am, Sakura is my business, she's my friend and I can't allow you to treat her this way anymore. Admit it. You love her."

Sasuke quickly stood up and grabbed the demon boy by his jacket. With an angry face he told Naruto to mind his own business again.

"According to your reaction, I'm right." Naruto said calmly.

Sasuke let go of him and sat down on his spot, ignoring Naruto.

"Come on Sasuke, you can't keep doing this to her. Not to mention to yourself."

Sasuke didn't answered. He just sat there, quietly, staring. Naruto started to get angry.

"You can't ignore me forever! If you don't tell her, I will!"

This caught Sasuke's attention again. "If you do, I'll kill you..."

"I don't think Sakura would like that." he said with his normal goofy smile and his hands behind his back. "But it just proves I'm right. Sasuke..." Naruto was serious this time. You have to tell her, she loves you. I mean... what do you have to lose? It's a win-win situation. She loves you, you love her. You could be very happy toge..."

"Naruto shut up. You don't understand."

"Understand what, tell me. I mean, I'm your friend too you know, kinda. You could talk to me."

"Fine I'll tell you."

"On one condition, once we get back to the village, you have to buy me some ramen."

"Fine."

"Yeah! Yeah! Ramen!" Naruto jumped on Sasuke.

"Shh, you'll wake up Sakura and get off of me." He pushed Naruto aside and sat down again.

Naruto got up and went to sit next to Sasuke. "Now tell me. Why can't you tell Sakura?"

"Because I'm... afraid."

"Afraid? There is nothing to be afraid of, she love you doesn't she? All you have to do is spit it out and you'll live happily ever after. End of story." "Naruto?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up... I'm afraid of losing her, like I lost my family. I don't want to go through that again. Right now I am no match for guys like Itachi and Orochimaru. I need to train more, get stronger. And I don't want to risk her getting kidnapped or something to get to me."

Naruto stared at Sasuke, this is the first time that he opened up to someone. He let out his fears and pains and it was a bit strange to hear that coming out of Sasuke. Naruto didn't know how to react.

Sasuke just stared at the ground. Knowing that unless Orochimaru and Itachi were dead he would never find peace and he could never tell Sakura.

"Sasuke?"

Sasuke looked up with his normal emotionless face.

"You have to tell her. You see her as your weakness right now, but has it ever occurred to you that she is your strength. I saw you fight those ninja's these days. If even one of them tried to harm Sakura, you did everything to protect her. And you were quite successful at it. You need her. She is your reason for living."

Sasuke thought about Naruto's words for a moment. "No. I'm an avenger. My only reason for living is to avenge my family's death." His face was now completely emotionless.

Naruto was shocked to hear those words. But he felt angry at the same time. "Yeah, you keep believing that! I still think you have to tell her! Every idiot can eventually figure out that you love her, so everyone can use her to get to you. What then? Will you avenge her death then too?!"

Naruto stood up and walked to his sleeping bag. "You don't mind if I don't wake up Sakura do you. It will only hurt her more if she's awake and stares at you while you're sleeping, knowing that you 'supposedly' don't love her." He zipped himself up and said angrily goodnight and that he will regret it if he doesn't tell her.

Sasuke looked at Naruto, starting to feel sorry and angry about the fact that he opened up to him. "He's wrong, I'm doing the right thing, aren't I?