[Sakura]

When Ayame was informed she was going to be assigned as Sakura's head nurse, she was so thrilled.

To have a front row seat in daily patient rounds, operations, and lectures of Sakura is truly a dream come true for someone like her in the medical field.

But what she didn't expect to have a front row seat too, was Sakura's heart break.

Right now, she could hear Sakura crying inside her office as Ayame stands outside her door.

It's the kind of crying that every one of us who have gone through a bad heartbreak is familiar with. The one that you can physically feel the emotional pain, so much so, that your body tries to flush it out with your tears.

She felt for Sakura so much but... she also knew Sakura was a fighter, and that her patients are her number one priority.

And so Ayame knocked at the door.

It went quiet inside for a second, then there were some shuffling sounds before Sakura called for her to enter.

"Oh... Ayame! Is it time for my rounds already? Time goes by so fast, I hadn't even noticed." Sakura chirped enthusiastically. You would've believed she was indeed happy if it weren't for her flushed face and swollen eyes.

Sakura stood up and went over to the sink to quickly splash cold water on her face.

"Yes, unfortunately," Ayame chuckled, "I have all the patients' charts here but if you need more time…"

"No, no," Sakura waved one hand while the other, she used to wipe her face with a towel, "I'm good to go."

It breaks Ayame's heart that this has been a recurring theme for months now.

But as always, she's amazed by Sakura's dedication to her work despite what she's going through. And that is why Ayame decided that she would assist Sakura as best as she can.

Once Sakura was finished drying her face and was already wearing her lab coat, Ayame proceeded to discuss patient charts to Sakura as they walked out of her office and began their rounds.

Twenty seven patients, and one emergency surgery later, Sakura was now signing some discharge papers at the nurse's station.

As she signed the last chart, a carton of juice boxes was placed in front of her.

"We restocked these because we know it's your favorite." Ayame said with a smile.

This small gesture touched Sakura greatly, she pushed out her lower lip and furrowed her brows, "You guys are so sweet." Sakura said, genuinely touched, "Thank you for this!"

Ayame smiled and shrugged, "It's the least we could do."

Sakura smiled back.

Then, she gave Ayame her final instructions before she placed the carton in her arm so she could bring it back to her office.

As she was about to walk away, Ayame called out, "Sakura-san!"

Sakura turned and asked, "Hmm?"

"I'll keep an eye out for Naruto-san. I'll get you as soon as I see him."

Sakura's eyes widened and then it watered slightly, understanding what Ayame meant. She smiled and nodded, "I would greatly appreciate that." and then proceeded to walk again.

Happy with her loot and excited to drink one of the juice boxes, and maybe a little distracted again because of what Ayame mentioned, she didn't notice that someone was inside her office until she held the door knob.

Once she felt the chakra inside her office she let go of the doorknob quickly like it was molten hot, and her demeanor quickly changed to one poised to fight.

"It's me, Sakura." Came from inside the office.

"Kakashi-sensei?" Senses already sharp, she didn't trust the voice immediately. She opened the door from a distance using her chakra and the room did reveal Kakashi lounging on her sofa.

Sakura let out a sigh.

"I'm glad to see you still never let your guard down." Kakashi said.

Sakura walked inside the office and went to store the carton in the refrigerator but took two for her and Kakashi to drink. "Like you've ever let down yours." She countered.

"Good point." Kakashi took the offered juice and began to drink while Sakura removed her lab coat and settled on the chair directly in front of him.

"So, what brought you here today… Hokage-sama." Sakura said mischief in her eyes.

Kakashi rolled his eyes, "Stop that." he said but there was clearly a hint of smile on his lips.

He then took a folder that Sakura didn't notice was beside him, and gave it to her, "I wanted to be the one to ask you to do this special assignment."

Sakura made curious noises and took the folder with one hand. Once she opened the folder though, her eyes widened slightly in surprise and she placed her juice box down the table and began using both her hands in scanning the contents of the folder.

As she read page after page, her eyes widened more and more. Then finally, she looked at Kakashi, delight and excitement in her eyes and said, "Is this real? Free reign? Unlimited budget?"

Kakashi smiled and nodded, "Yes. And specifically requested and signed by the Kazekage, and his right hand advisor, Kankuro. They've seen how extraordinary you are, Sakura. And they've also realized that they are somewhat lacking in their medical department… but... keep reading." So she did.

Once she had read through the file, Sakura closed the folder and placed it on the table between them.

"Twelve months…" Sakura said.

"That is why I wanted to come to you personally with this." Kakashi placed his elbows on his knees as he looked at Sakura, "You have been doing so great, Sakura. A pillar to Konoha if I can say so myself. And going away, from the job you love, from people you love, it may be something that's a little jarring."

Sakura's heart was beating so much from all this information. She was an emotional roller coaster inside. She would love to do this, she wanted to do this.

Freedom to restructure a whole medical department and conduct medical research to her heart's content at Suna with unlimited budget but... but bonded for twelve months. It meant…

Twelve months of possibly not seeing or talking to Naruto.

It's not like I've been seeing him for months anyway, She thought to herself.

But even so, to be that far away for so long from someone you have always had by your side...

"Sensei… can I get back to you tomorrow? Let me sleep on it for now? This… this is huge."

Kakashi expected as much. He also expects that Sakura will realize that, if this is going to be successful, the other villages will also ask the same of her. She really did have a huge decision to make.

"Of course." he straightened in his seat again and he cleared his throat, "And Sakura… I wanted to also say… that I am very proud of you."

This surprised Sakura and he looked at Kakashi with wide eyes. "I know I've been unfair to you. Focusing only on Sasuke then, and then Naruto afterwards. I'm sorry about that."

"Sensei, you don't have to… I understand."

"I could've been better, Sakura. But despite all that, you still became the great woman you are now. And I'm so proud of you."

Sakura's lower lip quivered and her eyes watered. "Thank you, Kakashi-sensei." she managed to say.

They talked for a while more about other things and then Sakura, with her hands folded to fists in her lap, asked Kakashi, "Have you spoken to Naruto today?"

Kakashi looked at Sakura curiously, "Yes. Didn't you come to my office yesterday to ask the same thing?"

Sakura chuckled but looked extremely embarrassed, "Uh… did I? I might've forgotten. It's just that… I went to his house yesterday and he wasn't there. I kind of waited for a long time."

Kakashi searched Sakura's eyes. And when he got his answer, he sighed, "Maybe he had plans with one of your friends?"

Sakura just nodded. Not wanting to prolong the topic anymore, Sakura announced that it was time for her to go home and possibly talk to her parents about the news.

Sakura asked Kakashi to wait while she grabbed her things so they could walk out of the hospital together.

At the front of the hospital, they said their goodbyes. And with the promise that Sakura would get back to him for an answer tomorrow, they went their separate ways.

Sakura then went to the direction, not of her house, but of Naruto's, as she has been doing for the past months whenever she got wind that he was back home again from a mission.

When she reached his doorstep, she found the untouched food and bottle of sake that she had brought yesterday to give to him.

She stared at it for a while before she knocked on his door. She knew he wasn't inside because she would have detected his chakra a mile away, but she wanted to try anyway.

And when minutes passed and no one answered, she finally grabbed the bottle of sake and threw the food in a nearby trash can before she jumped to go buy some food that will be perfect for the sake she has now.

"You know, one day you're going to walk-in on me having sex in the living room if you keep coming here unannounced." Ino said as she came out of her room and saw Sakura already sitting on the floor of her living room, fried foods spread on the table, and already downing a shot of sake.

"That's only possible if you have a boyfriend."

Ino let out a sound that said she was offended but she sat down across Sakura and started eating the fried foods she had laid out. "You are ruining my diet, forehead." But she proceeded to pour herself sake as well.

"I slept outside his house last night. At his doorstep." Sakura said out of nowhere.

Ino's hand froze midway to her lips. She took one look at Sakura and she continued to down the shot.

After the burning in her throat passed, Ino licked her lips, "Sakura…"

Sakura, looking away in the distance, interrupted her and said, "I checked with every single one of our friends that they didn't have plans with him yesterday. I checked with Kakashi that he didn't have any mission and that yes, he just arrived in the village. Sasuke came by too you know… he clearly knew Naruto was supposed to be home.

He… Sasuke even knew that I was coming to Naruto's house every single time Naruto was thought to be here in the village. And he asked if we were doing something illicit, implying that we were sleeping together."

Sakura laughed but then... tears started to flow in her eyes.

She reached over to get the bottle of sake, "I'm really pathetic."

"Hey! You are not! Don't say that about yourself!" Ino forcibly took the bottle out of Sakura's hand and began pouring it for Sakura and herself.

"Then tell me why, Ino! Why isn't he talking to me anymore!?" She angrily wiped her eyes, "Why did he just suddenly doesn't want anything to do with me anymore?!" Sakura screamed. She took a shot and slammed her fist on the table.

Ino didn't have the answer to those questions, nor did she want to make assumptions because in truth, she was as confused as Sakura is.

Ino knew, hell everyone in the village knew about Naruto and Sakura's relationship.

They knew, of course, that Naruto was in love with Sakura. He was always vocal about it.

And everyone could see that Sakura was in love with Naruto.

But nobody said anything since they had Sasuke to worry about, and then a war loomed above their heads.

But now, now that the dust has already settled, and the world already started to make progress, they expected for the two to stop tiptoeing around their feelings and start to address their feelings for each other.

Sakura was certainly ready.

And then that idiot Naruto started to avoid Sakura very actively without any explanation.

That's why Ino can almost understand how painful this must be for Sakura. Ino has never experienced it, but it probably feels like getting a limb cut off.

Having someone by your side every single day of your life, them telling and making you feel loved and then suddenly they're just... gone.

It must hurt… a lot.

If I could, I would knock the shit out of him. Ino thought.

But right now, all Ino can do is to provide a safe space for Sakura. Drink with her - a habit she's afraid Sakura has gotten from her master - let her cry her eyes out, and let her fall asleep on her lap just like what she has been doing for these past few months.

And that's exactly what they did tonight.

Ino was already cleaning up the table when she felt Shikamaru by the door.

He opened the door, as he had his own spare key, and saw Sakura sprawled on the floor, knocked out, and was clearly crying.

"You could've knocked, you know!" Ino whispered harshly. She took Shikamaru by the arm and dragged him out the door then she closed the door as gently as she could.

Shikamaru sighed, "Now I know why Naruto crashed at our house last night."

Ino placed her hands on her hips, "Then have you gotten any answer as to why she's torturing Sakura like this?"

"No… and to be honest, I don't think he knows the effect he has on Sakura."

"Don't you dare defend him!"

Shikamaru sighed again, he pushed a paper bag that he was holding to Ino, "It's from my mom. She made too much and is forcing me to give some away." Ino took the paper bag with thanks.

"Look, Ino. I'm not defending Naruto. You know I'm just as confused as you are. But for now all I know is Naruto's been taking any type of mission non-stop and he's avoiding Sakura like she's a deadly virus but won't tell me why. And..." Shikamaru scratched his chin suddenly unsure.

"Just literally minutes ago, Kakashi asked him to escort Sakura on some long-term assignment to Suna that'll take months to accomplish, but... he declined…"

Ino's eyes widened. "Months?! And he declined?! Did he say why he declined?"

"No, but he did suggest Sasuke accompany Sakura. I'm really trying my best to get an answer out of him. I promise to tell you whenever I do get one."

Ino nodded slowly, she really can't demand any better deal than that for now.

They talked some more about an upcoming mission they had before Shikamaru left.

Once Ino opened the door to go inside, Sakura was already sitting, her back pressed against the sofa.

"How long have you been awake?"

"Long enough to hear Shikamaru say that Naruto's avoiding me like I'm a virus… and then the rest of it." Sakura gave a weak smile.

Ino sighed. She walked towards Sakura and sat next to her. She pulled out the container of mochi Shikamaru's mother gave and placed it on the table. She poked Sakura's side and gestured for her to eat.

"Tell me about your assignment to Suna." Ino said. And so Sakura did. She gave all the details and the possible future doors the assignment could open as well.

"I'm so proud of you, Sakura. I'm going to miss you when you go."

Sakura looked at Ino, "I haven't…" she was about to protest but stopped when she realized that she did know her decision.

Deep inside she knew that she did want to go… needed to go. And that delaying answering Kakashi was just so she could go to Naruto's house for the last time before she commits to this decision.

Ino took the silence as confirmation as well. "Will you be asking Sasuke to go with you?"

Sakura rolled her eyes which made her dizzy, so she massaged her temples. "Hell no! I'm going by myself." she shouted.

"That's my strong independent girl." Ino said while she patted Sakura's head.

They ate the rest of the mochis in relative silence before Sakura leaned her head on Ino's shoulder. Ino thought that this was just Sakura getting sleepy but then she felt the tears trail down her shoulders, "Will you take care of my plants for me?"

"Of course. You can always, always, count on me, Sakura."

[Naruto]

"I can't wait to finally have a nice, long, bath!" Tenten said gleefully. "The mission wasn't really that hard but the place was so muggy and humid."

Neji, Lee and Naruto nodded in agreement. Especially Lee with his body tight suit.

"Would you like to eat dinner before we go home?" Neji asked her.

Tenten blushed and answered yes, she would like that.

Lee and Naruto looked at each other. And feeling mischievous Naruto said, "What about us Lee? I guess we'll go on a date by ourselves then?"

"Oh, yes Naruto-kun, I think we'll have a grand romantic time together." Lee teasingly responded.

Both Neji and Tenten blushed in embarrassment but it was Tenten who turned around and glared at the both of them, "You could just say you want to come with us you know!"

"Oh no, no, we couldn't get in the way of your date." Naruto wagged his eyebrows.

Neji raised a brow, feeling like teasing Naruto too, "Just say you have a date with your pile of letters from Sakura and that one cute photo of you two together."

Both Tenten and Lee snickered while Naruto screamed, "Hey! Don't you dare tell that to anyone!"

Tenten smiled at Naruto, understanding the romance in those letters, "Bind those in a much secured album you idiot. Just holding those at night could ruin it."

"Better yet, ask Sakura on a date already so you wouldn't have to sleep with those anymore." Neji chimes.

Naruto just gave them a weak smile. "I don't know about that." Then he adjusted the straps of his bag. "Well, I have to go now. Sasuke's coming over to get some things in my apartment."

After saying goodbye Naruto jumped from roof to roof going to his house.

Ask Sakura on a date?

Yeah, right. Like I would take that chance. It could ruin our relationship as friends. Naruto thought.

He would rather just have her letters than not have her at all.

Naruto then realized that it was good that he chose to go home by jumping through roofs. If he hadn't, he wouldn't have been able to see them from a far and stop himself from moving forward.

Sakura-chan… and Sasuke.

They were at his doorstep, presumably looking for him.

Sakura was holding a bottle of some type of beverage and a huge bag of food. And Sasuke… he said something that made Sakura's eyes widen and her face turned so red. She was so beautiful...

Wait… Are they… are they going to tell me they're dating already?

Naruto suddenly couldn't breath and he jumped to a nearby alley to hide himself. He pressed his back to the wall and he clutched at his heart, scrunching his jacket tightly his knuckles went white.

His heart ached so bad.

Inhale, exhale, inhale, exhale. That was all Naruto could think about to stop himself from collapsing.

Finally, after so many intake of breaths, Naruto got a hold of his breathing and it went back to normal. He stared at the wall in front of him for some time.

"You're doing the right thing, Naruto." He said to no one but himself, "You're making Sakura-chan happy. Her happiness is yours." He sniffed as he looked up at the sky to stop the tears from escaping.

"You're doing the right thing." He repeated to himself, maybe if he repeated it enough he could believe it.

Naruto then stood up and started to walk the opposite direction of his house.

"What the hell are you doing in my room, Naruto?!" Screamed Shikamaru, "I could've killed you if I didn't recognize you sooner!"

Naruto chuckled as he sat on Shikamaru's sofa, "I knew you'd recognize me though. Let me crash here for the night and I'll help you out on one of your missions."

Shikamaru's eyes narrowed. He knew there's something more to this. "Are you hiding from someone? From Sakura perhaps?"

Naruto flinched, "No! I'm not! I just… I just don't want to stay at home right now… there's no food!"

Shikamaru tilted his head to the side, not believing his words for one bit. And ignoring him mentioning Sakura's name? Suspicious. "Uh-huh…"

He sighed. Naruto's the most stubborn person he knew and if he wasn't ready to talk about it, he wasn't going to budge so he settled for knowing where he is tonight because surely either Sakura or Ino would ask. "Well my mom's going to be happy to see you. She's been on a roll in her cooking, she'll love to feed just about anyone."

Naruto smiled brightly, "Thanks Shikamaru!"

"Yeah, yeah."

I better talk to Ino as soon as I'm free tomorrow. Shikamaru thought.

A/N: Reviews are greatly appreciated! (ɔ◔‿◔)ɔ