Disclaimer: I do no own Naruto.

7 Days, Come What May

Chapter XXIII: To Convince

Hinata lightly kicked the stone in front of her. It went rolling a few feet, then stopped. She sighed, her face in a worry.

'M-My cousin's got together with Ten Ten-chan, Shikamaru and Temari are more or less together…I don't know about Sakura and Sasuke…b-but…I-I…have got to tell Naruto that I like him…I-I already promised myself…but how?'

The white-eyed girl let out another hopeless sigh, walked over to the stone that she just kicked, and kicked it again. Then, from around the corner, she heard two voices talking. When the people turned around the corner, she saw that it was Sakura and Ino.

"Hey, girl!" Ino greeted to her.

"Hi, Hinata-chan!" Sakura walked up to her, then stopped, staring at her face. "…You look sad, Hinata-chan, what's wrong?"

"H-Hi, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan…" the Hyuuga answered. "…I-I look sad?"

"Uhmm…Now that I look at you more closely, yea," Ino leaned over to observe the girl.

"What's wrong, Hinata-chan? Tell us, we'll help you!" Sakura smiled encouragingly at Hinata.

Hinata hesitated. She didn't know if she should tell that she had a 'confessing problem' with Naruto.

'B-But maybe I really should tell…t-they might have more experience in this stuff than I do…' So, with that, the Hyuuga heir made up her mind.

"Ino-chan, Sakura-chan…I-I have this problem…b-but don't tell anybody, okay?" Hinata started timidly.

"Sure thing, girl!" Ino said.

"I promise!" Sakura smiled again. "Let's sit on this bench and talk, there's no use standing and talking!"

So, the three girls went and sat on the bench. Before Hinata even started, Sakura had already guessed what this talk was about.

"Hinata-chan…is this about Naruto-kun?" the pink-haired girl was intuitive.

The Hyuuga heir's cheeks immediately reddened.

"H-How did you know?"

Ino giggled. "It's kinda obvious…"

"…Well, Hinata, I kind of noticed you were always looking over at Naruto…" Sakura explained. "….So what is it about Naruto?"

"W-Well…." Hinata gulped, determining herself to be brave about this. "…I-I…w-want…to tell Naruto-kun…t-that…"

"…That you like him?" Ino as-a-matter-of-factly finished for her.

Hinata nodded, finding it even too embarrassing to say the words aloud.

"…Ohhh, but you're too shy to, right?" Sakura assumed.

Again, Hinata nodded. Sakura and Ino sat in silence for a while, trying to think up a solution for the Hyuuga.

"Hey, Hinata-chan?" Sakura addressed, making the Hyuuga look up at her. "…May I ask you something?"

"Y-yes..."

"…Have you….and Naruto-kun, done anything…like, as lovers before?" Sakura asked.

"W-What do you mean!" Hinata's cheeks couldn't get any hotter.

"Sakura means, like, kissing and such," Ino explained.

"W-Well…y-you know the n-night of Naruto-kun's birthday party?"

Sakura and Ino nodded.

"…I…I….I-I…kissed him."

Sakura and Ino stared.

"…You, kissed him?" Ino couldn't believe her ears. "…You mean, you were the one that started it?"

'Wow, someone as shy as Hinata-chan!' thought Sakura.

Hinata nodded. "Y-Yes…I-I don't know what came over me…"

"…So, Hinata-chan…you made-out but didn't even tell him that you like him?" Sakura wanted to get the situation clear.

"Y-Yes…"

This time, a long silence followed, while the two girls tried to think of ways to help Hinata. Finally, it was Ino who broke the silence.

"…Hey, Hinata, really…there's no trick to it. You just tell him, that's all…all you need is a little encouragement and a lot of bravery."

"Yea, Hinata-chan!...And I'm sure Naruto wouldn't reject you! As a matter of fact, I even think he likes you!" Sakura said. "…And if he hurts you, I'll kick his ass for you!"

"…A-Actually…Sakura-chan…Naruto-kun…a-already…once told me…t-that h-he like me…" Hinata's voice was barely audible.

"Oooh, really! ….Then what's the hesitation for, then?" Ino asked.

"She's probably just shy, Ino," Sakura said.

"Y-Yes…"

"Come on, Hinata-chan!" Sakura tried her best to encourage the shy girl. "…You've already heard about Neji and Ten Ten, haven't you? They're so cute together!"

"…And Shikamaru and Temari too!" Ino added supportively.

Hearing all this, Hinata was starting to have a little, tiny bit more of self-confidence.

"…I-I guess so…S-Sakura-chan, Ino-chan…T-Thank you very much…"

"No problem, girl!" Ino said, and then whispered something in Sakura's ear.

Hinata watched, confused, as Sakura's eyes lightened up.

"Hey, Hinata-chan! Me and Ino have found the perfect place for you too confess to Naruto!" Sakura exclaimed.

"…R-R-Really?"

"Yea! …And a very romantic place too!" Ino added excitedly.

"Just come down here at 3 o' clock, afternoon, by the lake, okay?" Sakura winked at her. "…We got to go now! We're going to go make preparations for you!"

The two stood up and began to hurriedly walk away.

"…W-Wait, Sakura-chan, Ino-chan!" Hinata suddenly called.

"Yes, girl?" Ino turned around and asked.

"…A-Are you…s-sure about this…"

Sakura and Ino nodded.

"Sure as ever!" Sakura gave Hinata an encouraging smile and continued to walk.

Then, Hinata stopped them the second time. "…W-Wait!"

The pink-haired girl and the blonde-haired girl halted again, and turned around to look at the Hyuuga, confused.

"…S-Sakura-chan…m-may I ask you something?"

"Sure!"

"…A-Are…y-you…and S-Sasuke-kun…t-together? …I-I was just c-curious…"

Sakura was silent. She hasn't really thought about the answer to this question just yet.

'What should I say? Sometimes, we get along…other times, we don't…Sometimes, I think he's adorable…and other times, I want to strangle the arrogant guy…and then sometimes he's annoyed at me, and sometimes he's paranoid over me…this is really weird…hmm…is this what they call 'together'!'

"Well…" Sakura started. "…I guess…well…"

"Yea, Hinata-chan, they're together," Ino answered for her.

"O-Oh, okay…" Hinata was now satisfied with the answer.

Before Sakura could say anything more to this, Ino had dragged her off to make 'preparations' for Hinata.

O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.

Sasuke was sitting on the grass, staring listlessly into the lake. He'd just finish his daily training, and there was nothing else to do. The Uchiha wondered why he even agreed to come to Naruto's birthday party. Sighing, he lay down, his position very similar to Shikamaru's lazy stance.

"Hey, Sasuke-kun!"

The Uchiha glanced up, seeing Sakura standing over him.

'Aa…A break from the boredom at last,' he thought, smirking.

"What," he replied.

"…Um…Sasuke-kun…" she started.

Sasuke didn't even try to cover up his smirk.

'…Shy over me, again, aren't ya?' was the first thought that came to the Uchiha's head.

"Yeah?" Sasuke gave her a totally careless reply.

But, what the pink-haired girl said next was totally unexpected for Sasuke.

"…Could you please…get out of here?"

Sasuke stared. Sakura looked down at the Uchiha's face, confused at why he was looking at her like that. Then, he sat up, all trace of his shock gone.

"…And why should I get out of here, Sakura?"

"Well…you see…I need to reserve this place for someone…." Sakura couldn't tell Sasuke that it was for Naruto and Hinata, because Hinata had told her not to tell anyone.

The Uchiha now stood up. "…For who?"

"I can't tell you…but will you please go somewhere else?"

Sasuke was getting suspicious, but he wasn't going to force Sakura into telling him what she didn't want to. He figured that it must be something very important that she had to keep it a secret from him.

'Might as well take advantage of the situation then,' he thought. '…Besides, I'm bored…'

"Well then, Sakura," the Uchiha started. "…What will you give me if I go somewhere else?"

Now, it was Sakura's turn to stare.

'What! He NEEDS something in return for just shoving his ass out of this place!' Inner Sakura thought, exasperated.

"I…I don't have anything to give, Sasuke! Just walk out of here, okay? I don't think it's that hard!"

"Oh, it isn't?"

"No, it isn't!"

"…But what if I don't want to?" he was finding it very amusing.

"…"

"What?"

"Then…Then! I'm going to drag your ass outta here!" was her solution.

"Oh, really?"

Sakura didn't answer to his arrogantly smirking face. She just grabbed his wrist and tried to drag him out. Unfortunately, the Uchiha didn't even budge. Just as Sakura was about to give up and beg her supposed-boyfriend to be a little bit more cooperative, they heard voices in the distance. Moments later, it turned out to be Ino and Naruto.

"…What is it you want to show me! Show me now! I wanna see, Ino-chan!" Naruto was saying.

"Yea, yea…wait! You'll see soon enough," replied Ino, who looked like she was tired from answering all of Naruto's questions.

Naruto and Ino stepped into the clearing to see Sakura pulling on Sasuke's hand, while the Uchiha was trying his best to stand his ground. Naruto immediately misunderstood the scene.

"Awwww, Ino! We came too late!" the fox-boy whined. "…Sakura-chan's already made out with Sasuke!"

"WHAT!" the Uchiha and Sakura shouted in unison.

"No, no, Naruto! That's not it!" Ino tried to explain. "Actually—"

Ino stopped when she saw a person appear behind all of them. Hinata had come.

"H-H-Hi…A-Am I….interrupting something?" the timid Hyuuga heir asked.

"Oh, no, no, not at all, Hinata-chan!" Sakura answered a little too quickly, immediately releasing her grip from Sasuke's wrist.

"Hey, Sakura!" Ino said. "You just take care of Sasuke over there, and quick! I'll take care of Naruto and Hinata!"

Sakura nodded, and then turned to glare at the unmoving Uchiha. "…Sasuke! I said get out of here!"

Sasuke, finding this more fun every minute, pretended not to hear her and just gave her his famous smirk. Sakura fumed.

'I'm not gonna lose to you, Sasuke! …If the tough technique doesn't work, I still have the sweet technique to use on you!'

And, in a split second, Sakura's raged face turned soft and gentle. The pink-haired girl was now smiling her sweetest.

"…Sasuke-kun, you're so sweet! How about we take a trip to the souvenir shop and get some candy?" her voice was laced with the sweetest sugar.

Truth be told, the Uchiha was almost tempted. And no, definitely not because of the candy treat. Unfortunately, he quickly recovered his cold composition.

"No," was his reply.

Again, Sakura's sweet face turned pissed as she racked up another plan in her brain.

'Fine, you asked for it, Uchiha! Plan C, used only for emergencies!'

Then, Sakura's face turned like she didn't care.

"Fine, Sasuke, stay here if you want," Sakura said, beginning to walk away. "…I think I'll just go spend some time flirting with various guys, just 'cause I'm really bored."

"I don't care."

"Good, Sasuke, just stay there then," the pink-haired shinobi replied, and then walked off calmly.

"…"

A few moments of silence passed. Ino, Naruto, and Hinata watched Sasuke, who still stood there, trying to collect what was left of his pride. One could really hear the wind blow.

"Uh…So you really don't care huh, Sasuke?" Naruto finally spoke.

"Yea, I don't, you gotta problem with that, dobe?"

Hinata calmed the fox-boy down before the blonde could offer a retort.

"I'm gonna get outta here…staying with you guys is boring," the Uchiha said after a long silence.

After Sasuke had gone, Ino shoved Naruto and Hinata in a candlelit boat that she had prepared on the lake.

"Have fun!" Ino told the two, and began to walk back to the building.

'Sasuke sure does make up lame excuses for going to find Sakura…' thought Ino.

O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.

Sakura looked cautiously behind her. She could sense that Sasuke was getting closer and closer to her. Inwardly, she gave herself a pat on the back.

'Yes, you rock, girl! You got Sasuke out of there!' Sakura told herself.

A few minutes later, Sakura found herself sitting in the Konoha Hot Springs' library, reading a random book about jutsus. Sakura figured she needed some relax time, since she spent last night being captured and thrown off a cliff…and spent the morning trying to convince a certain stubborn Uchiha to move. The only people in the library were Gaara and her. Sakura didn't mind the redhead much now, for some reason. Besides, he was sitting way in the other corner of the room, reading a book about social customs.

The library door creaked open. Sakura and Gaara glanced up at the intruder. It was Sasuke, casually (or, at least, trying to) strolling in. The Uchiha didn't speak a word to either Sakura or Gaara. He just went to another shelf of books and began browsing. Gaara went back to reading his book. Sakura couldn't go back to reading her book.

The silence was deafening.

O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.O.0.

Joyce: Yea, so here's the next chapter:D I hope you guys like this one…yea, and just for the record, my stalker is still stalking me. :( I hung up tons of times but he still stalks…(sigh)…oh, well…I'll just swear at him again and again and hopefully he gets the message …lol…and THANKS for all the feedback on how to handle the stalker! You guys are so sweet:D Review, Review, Review:D