Section 22: Is This A Dream?

Sakura whispers, "Shut up Naruto! Do you want to be caught or something."

"Eh! eh! I am quiet already, relax!" Naruto climbed up Sakura's bedroom balcony, and fell to the floor on his face, upon jumping over the rail.

"You loud idiot! You're going to get us caught! I should have never let you come up here!"

"...but you asked me to come up with you, Sakura-chan..."

Sakura realized he was right and grew angry, "So?! Just shut up and be quiet!"

Sakura's mom's voice bellows from behind the door, "Sakura-chan? Are you home yet?"

Sakura panicked, "Ahh!" She whispered in a frantic fashion, "You've got to hide now!" She grabbed Naruto, who was very confused into why she was so worried.

Keeping his voice down, "Sa...! Sakura-chan! Wait!" She shoved him into her closet, where all of her red outfits hung, and shut the door quickly, clipping Naruto's nose in the process.

Naruto screamed from inside the closet, "Ahh! What the hell!" Sakura raced over to her bedroom door, and flung it open. "Mom! Hi, I'm back home, alone, yes, heh!" He mom silently walked in with a curious look on her face.

"Alone, eh?" Sakura recoiled in horror from her mother's suspicious tone. Her mom's eyes turned towards the closet Naruto was nestled in.

Sakura began to panic, "No, I'm alone! Heh!" Sakura's mother then reacted by lashing around and tearing open the closet door. Sakura gasped, knowing Naruto was in there. Sakura's mom looked into the closet, and just saw a rack full of Sakura's red dresses.

"Hmm... alright." She closed the door and looked back at Sakura. "I'm sorry I didn't trust you honey, have a good night alright? And don't forget to wash up!"

"I won't, Mom... Where the hell did Naruto go...?"

"Goodnight Sakura!" she said as she left down the hall.

Sakura shut the door defensively, and shot over to the closet, jerking it open. "Naruto?!" She stuck her head around through the opening, and slid her clothes back and forth frantically. She then noticed one of her dresses in the back corner. It was darker than the rest, so her eyes narrowed at the realization. "...Naruto..."

In a poof of smoke, Sakura's darker outfit turned back into Naruto, who was rubbing his head modestly. "Pretty good, huh?"

Sakura smiled and blushed, "Awesome Naruto." She turned away coyly, twisting her foot nervously. "So I've got my mom off my back now."

Naruto steps out of the closet and by Sakura, sitting down on here bed. "This is the first time I've been here! Oooo, your bed is better than mine." Sakura maneuvered her way over to the edge of the bed, and sat down very close to Naruto. He looked over to her nervously, with a severely reddened face. "S...Sakura-chan? What are you doing? Oh no... what's going on?!"

Sakura leaned towards Naruto with a large, flirtatious smile on her face. She sat there blushing with her lips puckered, waiting for Naruto's reaction. He sat there frozen solid, with sweat running down his face. "Uh... Sakura-chan...? I'm not... a good kisser."

Sakura opened her eyes, and grinned, "It's ok..." She leaned against Naruto's shoulder, still flushed and smiling.

Naruto looked down at her, seeing the top of her pink hair, with a panicked look on his face. "Now that this has happened, I don't know what to do!" He did the only thing he could think of at the time, he wrapped his arm around her and held her without saying anything.

Sakura sighed happily, "Naruto... do you think its ok for me to be confused..."

He looked down questionably, "What do you mean?"

"I... don't know...You and me, what are we, what will we be?" She curled up sadly. "...Do you know Naruto?"

Naruto looked away with thought, "Hmm... she likes Sasuke though... she has for the longest time. What right do I have... to make her change her mind. Why do you like me anyways... you never used to."

Sakura sat up with malcontent, "I know already... I... don't know how to explain it. When you saved me from the sand, helped me with Sasuke... I don't know... I fell for you."

Naruto had an idiot's face on him, "...You knew about the sand?"

"Yes. Sasuke told me everything..." Sakura shot up happily, "I may not know much about myself, or anyone around me.... But I...I love you now. That's something I do know."

Naruto looked back at her, frightened at the thought of finally getting the attention of the girl he's liked. Then he smiled happily, "Thank you, I've always loved you, and still love you too." Naruto rubbed the back of his head uneasily, laughing to try to hide his apprehension. "Is this really happening, or am I just dreaming again as usual?"