Disclaimer: Naruto is owned by Kishimoto Masashi

AN: No Naruto does not bother Sakura about liking her, he's incredibly shy, sensitive and has a rejection anxiety (like shit who doesn't? right? Whatever) so expect a little ooc-ness on Naruto's part.

O o O

"Inooooooo I'm so tired."

"Don't whine at me, this was your idea."

"I'm so hot. The air from that AC is warm and it's doing something to my eyes." Ino turned to her friend and glared at her sceptically.

"I'm sure it is darling." She said sweetly and smacked Sakura around the back of her head.

"What was that for you pig?"

"For being an ass, that's what… Hinata is this ok?" Ino asked, holding up a bag of sponge flour and a basket of raspberries. Hinata glanced over her shoulder to take a look at what Ino was holding up and nodded.

"That should be fine. Sakura-chan, you can go on home if you want. You too Ino I can manage."

"No, it was my idea to shop; I'll see my promise through." Sakura said and smiled. It was true if she went back to her place she'd only go back to sleep. She'd been studying all day the day before for a test she'd had this morning. She'd done well as usual, but the lack of sleep was making her regret suggesting the idea to go out and get fresh fruits for desert. It was like this every week. Hinata would cook and Ino and Sakura would help. They'd chip in for labour and ingredients… but this week Sakura was drained. Even if it did mean she'd learn something useful for daily life. She wouldn't admit it to any of the guys but Sakura admitted to herself that she was probably going to be a terrible housewife. She wasn't particularly great at housework, she couldn't hold a temper with small children and she could not cook to save her life. It was part of the reason she went to help Hinata every week. One, because she felt it would be rude to let her do everything her self. Two, because as part of a deal between herself and the shy Hyuuga girl, Sakura along with Naruto gave Hinata confidence training while Hinata taught her to cook... or tried. Maybe she just didn't have talent in this field. Sakura was clever but being clever didn't mean you could cook…

Sigh…

Sakura felt like her head was hollow and her eyelids weighed down by weights. The heat in the store wasn't helping. The biting cold outside was just as bad. How much she longed for a long nap.

"Erm, I think we have everything now." Hinata said. Ino was peering over Hinata's shoulder at the shopping list with a frown.

"Yep I suppose so… I guess we should get back then."

O o O

If I told you that it was love at first sight then I'd probably be lying. Despite popular belief, my feelings about a person don't go solely on looks. I don't judge people on looks and certainly not on first impressions. Haruno Sakura is loveable because she is a kind person. I admit that when we were kids it annoyed me to no end how every girl that we knew, paid Sasuke so much attention. Then again, when we were kids everyone paid Sasuke loads of attention. Sakura was one of those girls for a while. But unlike the other girls Sakura was smart; she knew how to win his attention and being on his team didn't hurt. Clinging to Sasuke was likely to get you ignored so Sakura gave him his distance. Being clever had its perks, she knew what kind of things to say, what not to say and eventually when she was sixteen she hooked him.

It hurt.

To see them together, but I always kept quiet. I think it hurt more because I thought Sasuke knew how I felt about Sakura. But she was a lot like Sasuke in some ways, as she got older she attracted a lot more attention from the opposite sex. It was odd though, Sasuke tells me everything, and Sakura tells me almost everything too, but when they broke up after six months of dating, they never told me why and when the subject came up they avoided it neatly. I'll bother Sasuke one day about it.

But back to Sakura, wow she's great. There's nothing to hate about her. I mean she has a temper but who doesn't? I never said I wanted a girl without imperfections. The perfect person will always have flaws. Physically though, she's a treasure. Her name matches her well; her hair is the colour of sakura petals. I didn't know it was possible to have pink hair, maybe its white blond with a reddish or pinkie dye job gone wrong. I haven't a frikkin clue. It used to be lighter when she was a kid. Whatever, it looks good. Her eyes are the blue green of the ocean and her figure is great. Just the right curves in all the right places. I shouldn't be talking about her this way, if she ever heard me talk like this I'm sure I'd have a permanent concussion.

She'll go far in the world too. Sakura studies forensic science so she does a bit of medicine too. It's something I have in common with her. It makes me happy to think that we share something in common. Again I'm straying off topic. I hate myself sometimes, for not being able to talk to her in the way I'd really like to. Once I was stupid enough to think she was my soul mate, maybe she is… but the way I'm going she'll never even think about me in any way other than as a good friend or a brother.

Oh that's really bad… a brother yeesh!

I've loved her for about eight years now, since I was eleven. Yes eleven. And not once have I ever indicated that I think of her that way. Why? Because I don't want to ruin a good friendship. What a lame excuse! Cliché too. Sasuke says I'm stupid and should try my hand. You can't win a game if you don't even play but this is Sasuke we're talking about. He's the one who tells me I'm stupid for all sorts of reasons and sometimes no reason at all.

Plus it feels kind of lame, Sasuke –repeat this anywhere else and I will release deadly mosquitoes in your bed at night- is my best friend. Going out with his ex seems kind of… tacky, bad, mean, and lame. Take your pick. But I still can't help the way I feel. So yes back to square one. This is why I hate myself, I feel like a puppy chasing its tail. Going round and round, I'm finally getting too dizzy.

Sasuke still tells me that he doesn't mind, that he feels bad that I should have had the chance in the first place. Stupid Sasuke, why did he go out with her then? Duh Naruto that was your fault, you didn't tell him you liked her. No wonder he always calls you a dope.

Aiii my head spins

So here I am sitting at the dining table in Hinata's flat, having eaten more than I thought was humanely possible whilst looking at Sakura laughing happily with Ino across the table. This is making me feel somewhat sick. As delicious as it is, Hinata's cooking is climbing up my throat but despite this sick feeling, my stomach demanding a sacrifice of dessert to the Giant Void. I kinda feel like Chouji.

Sakura's laughter fills the room and my smile falters. I know Sasuke is watching me, he knows exactly what's going through my head because he's getting ready to hit me over the head with the book in his hands.

That cake Hinata has baked looks good

I force a grin on my face and smile at Sakura who's noticed my eyes on her. She asks if anything is wrong with a quizzical expression on her face. Sasuke lowers the book and sighs as I assure her that I'm fine.

That cake smells really good

"Naruto-kun, would you like something to drink? You look a little flustered…" Hinata asks politely. I wouldn't have realised she'd spoken to me if Sasuke hadn't kicked me under the table.

"Oh, no thank you Hinata. Thank you for everything, it was great." I smile, I'm thankful. She blushes slightly, but she always seems to do that. She makes me laugh; Hinata is such a sweet person.

Kiba is talking to me, his mouth is moving and I can hear him. The words just won't register. Strange.

Is that raspberry filling?

Oh gross! Shino's brought one of his biology projects into the kitchen. Some jar with a whole bunch of bugs in it. Good thing it never affected my appetite. Only girls seem to do that.

Haruno Sakura, if only she knew how much she means to me…

I'm afraid that I'll live this one sided love all my life…

Fuck it I'm having cake

Sakura lay on her bed staring up at the ceiling. She was bored. Bored with her assignments, bored with her part time job and bored with her life. She needed excitement. She needed an adventure. Fat chance. Life was far too normal to bring adventures and a knight in shining armour. Her thoughts were interrupted as a loud knock sounded at her door.

"Saaaaakura-chan!" Sakura got up and headed for her door tiredly. Naruto was stood outside wearing a baggy white t-shirt, faded jeans and a face splitting grin. "Hey there." She cursed him silently. She was supposed to be depressed and his smile was contagious. "Me and Sasuke are bored, wanna come out? We were thinking of paying sensei a visit." He said with a mischievous grin. Sakura brightened up at the thought. She'd not seen Kakashi sensei in a good three months. Plus she was curious as to why Naruto was wearing such a cheeky smile.

"Sure, why not."

"Great!" his eyes glittered at her reply.

"Alright you wanna get changed or something? I'll go drag pretty boy out and we'll hit the road." He said and disappeared off to Sasuke's room with a heart-warming smile.

Naruto had such a sweet smile. As he'd grown older he'd lost the baby fat, who knew that under it all there was such a knock out? But gorgeous or not, Naruto had traces of chubbiness left on his cheeks and it made him look adorable when he smiled. His eyes scrunched up into thin crescent slits. Damn that toothy grin. Sakura caught herself staring into space and looked away blushing slightly. She was accustomed to being around two of the most gorgeous guys in the world (her own observation of course) but she didn't think she could have fallen for them both…

Her crush on Sasuke had passed but she never predicted that she could think about Naruto that way.

Whoa where did that come from? I'm not thinking about him in any way other than a friend.

How cliché.

Still, it wasn't right to think of your friend that way, especially when said friend was your ex's best friend. Going out with friends did not always work; she'd learnt that the hard way. She didn't want that to happen again. Plus it didn't seem as though Naruto would ever see her that way anyway. Naruto didn't date; he insisted that there was someone he was in love with, though he'd never told Sakura who she was. She suspected Hinata though. Hinata was obviously head over heels for Naruto and they spent a good amount of time together.

Honestly, talk about random thought processes

"Ready?" the voice interrupted her thoughts for the second time today. She turned to face the older boys and followed them out of the flat, smiling, despite the confusion in her heart.

O o O

It was a nice quite evening; Sakura wouldn't have had it any other way. It was good to be spending some time alone with her team and her old sensei. Not just one, mind you. Along the way Naruto had thought it a good idea to call their first assigned teacher out too, Iruka-sensei and thus they'd gone, on Naruto's insistence to ichiraku's for ramen. It was like old times where they would just sit and talk. It was slightly different now, they were all grown up. Iruka looked over them like a proud parent, something Sakura was sure Naruto and Sasuke appreciated very much. Kakashi was proud too but unlike Iruka he always seemed to play the role of an older brother.

"Ja, I'm off." Kakashi said eventually as the stall keeper started to clean up to close.

"Aw so soon?" Naruto pouted. It made Sakura laugh when he pulled that face; he practically regressed to his twelve year old self when he did that.

"I'm sorry, but I have pressing engagements." He said and wrapped his scarf back around his face with a grin.

It'd taken them five years to see under the cloth obstruction that always seemed to cover his face.

Naruto grinned at his former teacher causing Sakura to frown. Naruto had his mischievous grin on again.

"Oi oi not leaving through the back there are you Ayame-nee-chan." The stall keeper's assistant paused, caught red handed in her escape. Kakashi looked over at Naruto with a surprised stare. "What sensei? Surprised? Just because I used to fall for your tricks when I was young doesn't mean I will now. You can't hide stuff from me." He said in a matter-of-fact manner and continued to slurp his ramen with a perfectly serious expression on his face.

"It's been what? Three months the two of you have been dating, right? Appalling behaviour sneaking around without telling us, sensei, ne-chan."

Sasuke and Iruka sensei were both just as surprised at this new discovery as Sakura was. Kakashi laughed heartily and ruffled Naruto's blonde locks affectionately.

"And I thought Sasuke was the sharp one."

"I resent that…" Sasuke said in mock anger.

"Anyway, it's rude to keep a lady waiting, I'll see you all later." Kakashi said extending his arm out for Ayame to take. Naruto laughed and bade them goodbye.

"Naruto how long have you known? And how?" Sakura demanded.

"Ever since their first date, and how? Come on Sakura, I come here often enough to notice these things." He grinned that toothy grin of his before turning his attention back to his food.

He never did fail to surprise.

One by one they all seemed to leave. Iruka sensei was teaching the next morning. Sasuke seemed to be troubled by a phone call from his father and so he excused himself with a frown. Naruto worried for a while, but the reasons for his anxiety were not only for Sasuke's hasty departure. Being left alone with Sakura made him nervous; he'd been thinking about her more often lately.

"So…" he said quietly.

"It's been a good night ne? Like old times." Sakura smiled.

"Yeah, things sure haven't changed much, have they?"

"Yeah. How's it going with this mystery girl then?" Naruto almost fell off his stool. Interesting, Naruto was number one in surprising people, so when the tables were turned it was always bound to be somewhat interesting.

"I don't know, I suppose I haven't dug up the courage yet." He offered awkwardly.

"Does she know that you like her? Does she like you back?" Sakura didn't know why she was talking about this or why she was leading this course of conversation. Maybe she was trying to make herself feel better for thinking the way she had been a while ago. If he was head over heels for someone else then she could abandon the nagging feeling in her chest.

"Ah- I don't know. I really doubt she realises how I feel about her. I'm sure she wouldn't think of me that way."

"You're too hard on yourself, and you'll never know how she feels about you until you ask her or say something." Naruto seemed to falter at that, maybe he was nervous.

"Maybe, but it could just mean that I'm not ready to let my dream go yet. She's like that, a dream, almost too good to be real." Naruto smiled. Sakura never thought she'd hear words like that pass through his lips.

Naruto never failed to surprise.

Well maybe he deserved to be happy for himself for once. Sakura knew how he'd lived, to impress others; she would make him live his own dream…

…Even if she had to make him do it by force.

O o O

A/N: sorry for taking long, I've been ill and extremely sleepy lately. Plus been distracted by watching full metal alchemist and fruits basket…

Sorry for the crapness of this chapter… I didn't like it much… I got the hang of Naruto but Sakura has gone straight over my head. I promise the next one will be better…

Next: enter the Hyuuga prodigy