Section 15: Sakura Is Torn

Sakura and Naruto were sitting on her bed next to each other. He was holding the note she found on the ground earlier that night. She was leaned towards him awaiting a reaction from the message written on it.

Naruto had his eyes squinted with a baffled facial expression. "Hmm..."

Sakura looked at him strangely, "What? Did you read it?"

He looked over to her with a smirk on his face. "Nope! I just love the picture of this heart, it's cool!"

Sakura's jaw dropped, "You mean you've been looking at just that heart for 15 minutes...?"

Naruto turned his head back in astonishment, "...You didn't?"

Sakura just gritted her teeth and shook her fist, "Just read the letter, Naruto..." He smiled and looked back down to the letter. His face went from a bubbly to confused gaze as his eyes scanned down the body of the letter. His eyes suddenly widened, and his mouth arched downward. Sakura looked at him alarmed, "Naruto? Are you ok?"

Without looking up to Sakura, Naruto held the letter back up to her face. In a serious and dark tone, "What is this about...?"

She looked towards him with a startled appearance, "I... I found it on the ground and thought you'd want to..."

Naruto lashed his head towards Sakura, "Well I don't want to know ok?!" He throws the note to the floor angrily, "This isn't funny at all!" He stormed out of the room quickly in rage.

"Naruto! Don't go!"

Naruto lashed around, "Look, I know I'm a girl's worst nightmare for a guy, but you don't have to go writing fake letters just to mock me!"

Sakura leans forward in shock, "No! No! It's real it's not a fake!" She then frowned, "...and why do you think I feel that way about you..."

Naruto looked down at the ground, "C'mon Sakura-chan, I know that girls don't like me at all. They like guys like Sasuke. Heh, even thick brows has my number when it comes to girls. I'm not that stupid!"

Sakura looks down to the ground desolately, "No... that's..." She looks up to his damaged expression, "...that's not true!" Naruto looked back up at her, with wonder of what she meant. "I..." She shyly looks away from Naruto, and blushes trying to force out her words. "...I... I like you Naruto."

He looked at her unenthusiastically, "Right. I'll see you tomorrow, ok?"

"No! I mean that! Believe me!"

Naruto began to walk away, "No."

"Stop him... Don't let him go!" She ran up and pulled on the drawstring of his jacket.

"What the hell, Sakura?!" he exclaimed being lashed back around towards her. "Let g..." She launched towards him suddenly, and pressed her lips against his, without warning.

Sakura pulled away from him after the brief kiss and saw his stunned face, realizing what she just did. "Oh no... what'd you just do?! You KISSED HIM?!" She felt limp due to her actions. She looked at Naruto silently, and couldn't think of anything to say to him.

He turns away from her, "...Why'd you do that."

"Because... I meant what I said... I guess."

Naruto looked away, humiliated at what he had just done. "So... that letter was...?"

"...Yea..." Naruto walked past Sakura and bent down to pick up the note. He held it in front of him silently.

"Well... I guess that explains why she always acts weird around me. Am I really that stupid...?" He dropped his head in shame. "I'm sorry Sakura-chan, this... this just never happened before."

She looked at him uncomfortably, "I understand... buy I'm sorry too." He looked up questionably. "I shouldn't have..." She looked away from him in shame, "...kissed you."

He looked at her expressionless, and realized the need for the mood to change. He stood up straight and smiled, "Don't worry Sakura-chan! You're a really good kisser anyways!" He began to blush and laugh nervously, while rubbing the back of his head.

Sakura blushed as well, and looked away shyly. "Th...Thank you Naruto."

Naruto leaned forward, and straightened her out towards him. "So, do you want me to keep this a secret for you?" Sakura shot back with shock.

"Why... would I want to do that?"

Naruto laughed confidently, "Well it'd be embarrassing if people knew you kissed me. So... it'd be ok if you didn't want anyone to know." Sakura at first felt guilty for making him get those kinds of ideas. Then her expression got real angry, real fast.

Bashing him over his skull, "Do you seriously think I'd make you do something like that you idiot?!!?"

Naruto rubbed his wound and smirked back to Sakura, "I'm sorry, heh! I'm just thinking of what's best for you."

Sakura smiles back bashfully, "Well, if you were... You'd let me brag about it..." She looked towards him coyly, with her cheeks flushed.

"Thanks Sakura-chan!" He grinned momentarily, "...but it'd be better if no one knew, so you could still try with Sasuke!" Sakura's expression dissolved into a look of astonishment.

"Sasuke-kun..." She looked down to the ground shamefully. "How could I get so confused between these two..."

Naruto put his hand on her shoulder, and then jerked her into his arms. He put his mouth next to her ear and whispered, "I know how much you care about him, and I'd want to see you happy with him." Her mouth dropped open, then she nestled herself into his embrace.

"Naruto..." Her eyes ran with tears of happiness, "Thank you... I really do love you... Thank you for understanding."