Chapter Five: Wish


'Oh wow,' Ino gasped as they rolled up the expansive lawn of the comically misnamed Deer Cottage. Given how what had used to be an old hunting lodge was now a multileveled mansion that was on the edge of the Nara Forest. 'I always forget how gorgeous this place is Shika.'

The lazy man, smiling lightly, peered forward through the front seats and laughed. 'Yeah, it's a nice hotel. And given how we let them build on the edge of the family forest … they don't charge us to stay here. Lucky Temari fell in love with it the first time we stayed here.'

Naruto chuckled. 'Yeah luck. It had nothing to do with the giant forest that she could lose days in after growing up in a city by a desert.'

Sakura flicked him in the ear and Naruto chuckled again. 'Don't listen to him Shikamaru, I think it's a really romantic place for a wedding.'

The lazy man waved absently as he stared fondly out the passenger window. 'It's fine, I'm just hoping we got here before the parents. My mother is going to be such a drag about the decorations and I haven't got the energy to get between her and Temari's dad if he's here too.'

Naruto shared a look with Sakura, they'd barely spent much time in Rasa Subaku's company but they knew enough about the mayor of Suna through his kids that … well Naruto was just glad he didn't have to deal with the jackass often.

Hopefully he wouldn't be around until the day of the actual wedding. Shikamaru and Temari had only wanted the wedding party to be around before and while Rasa was the father of the bride … well there was a reason Temari's brother Kankuro was walking her down the aisle.

Weddings man, they could be all kinds of problematic. And with Yoshino Nara and Rasa Subaku being major parts of this one … this wedding was going to need a lot of alcohol. And possibly Naruto having to be Detective Uzumaki more than once this weekend.

But those were only possibilities and right now Naruto preferred to take in the facts.

Like the carefully mown lawns that looked picturesque in the early afternoon sunlight shining welcomingly over the hills that led down to the edge of Shikamaru's family's forest, the carefully managed treeline blocked with tall deer fences.

There'd been more than one drunken escapade when they were in high school that had proven the need of the fences to be that tall.

The deer in that forest did not care for drunk kids running around their home like it was a playground.

They'd probably disapprove of a bunch of drunk twenty-somethings doing the same thing even more but with it being a wedding weekend and there being a well-stocked bar on the premises …

'Well hopefully everyone will be on their best behaviour and your mom and father-in-law will remember it's not about them?' Sakura chipped in as she leant round the front seat. 'I mean, it's your and Temari's weekend not theirs right?'

Shikamaru shrugged and reclined back into his usual half-lain over position. 'We can but hope. If it's too stressful, maybe Temari will let me smoke.'

'Shikamaru …' Ino and Sakura said in unison, a long disapproving whine that only came from medical professionals.

The black haired man just waved his hands at them dismissively and Naruto was saved from being dragged into the argument by them pulling up on the gravel path that led up to the manor house.

Which was lucky, because Naruto knew Chouji had gotten in some nice cigars for all the men to smoke the night before the wedding. Not to mention the pack Naruto had picked up before they'd gone to get the girls this morning.

Sakura had flat out insisted he quit smoking when she'd found out he'd started, it had been scary and he'd instantly regretted every cigarette he'd ever had. If she asked him if he had any cigarettes on him for Shikamaru … he didn't think he could lie convincingly to her right now.

And Shikamaru wasn't the only one who needed a smoke.

He didn't know why but since yesterday morning, he'd had an especially difficult time trying to focus on anything, other than the countless times he and Sakura had almost hooked up over the years. And how those times had happened when they weren't on a platonic date. Which they were now on for essentially the whole weekend.

The fact that every time he even thought of the word platonic he was reminded of Sakura's swaying hips wasn't helping either. This weekend was gonna be … he didn't know but it was going to be whatever it was.

And he was equal parts curious and terrified to find out what. So yeah, he might be sneaking off later to find somewhere to smoke where Sakura wouldn't find him.

Naruto parked up, already eyeing up places he could sneak off to, and the second the engine was off the four of them poured out of the car.

'Do you wanna go inside and get checked in Shika?' Naruto said as they approached the trunk. 'I'm sure the girls can bring in your suitcase?'

Shikamaru shook his head and grimaced. 'Not particularly, the longer I'm out here the less time I have to spend with my mother breathing down my neck.'

'She's not that bad Shikamaru,' Ino said with a huff. Taking the handle of her suitcase from Naruto with a smile. 'Besides, the quicker you get inside the quicker you get to see Temari again too.'

A small smile peeked onto the grumpy man's face and he took his suitcase from Naruto with a smile. 'Fine, fine.'

Naruto and Sakura smiled at each other. 'Think that might be the happiest I've seen him all week,' Naruto said once Ino and Shikamaru were out of earshot.

'He's missed Temari, even his usual grumpy self can't pretend he hasn't.' Sakura leant against the Jeep and smiled. Watching their friends walk up the picturesque staircase chatting away. 'I can relate.'

'Oh?' Naruto asked as he pulled out her suitcase and turned it so the extendable handle was upright towards Sakura's hand.

'Yeah,' she turned and smiled at him fondly. 'I'm apparently really bitchy when I've not seen you for a couple days.'

Naruto blushed, scratching the back of his neck to hide just how happy that made him. The rush of joy that had fizzed up in him like an opened bottle of Coke after it had been shaken up.

Because he'd been told something like that when he hadn't seen Sakura for a couple days too. There'd been a case when he'd just made detective that had meant he couldn't see Sakura all week. Shikamaru had made more than a couple digs at how shitty he was to be around during that period.

'I know what you mean,' Naruto said, trying desperately not to trip over his words. 'Shikamaru's said something similar about me.'

Their hands brushed as she reached out for her suitcase as he finally pulled away from it and life itself shocked up from his fingers to the back of his brain.

'When'd he say that?' Sakura asked, her own cheeks a little pink as their fingers stayed touching.

'During one of my first cases as detective. He saw me around work and apparently I was miserable and snappy each time. It was the one …' Naruto started.

'Where we couldn't talk all week because you were either working the case or sleeping, yeah. You wouldn't rest until you solved that murder.' Sakura finished with a frown. Like it had happened yesterday and not a year ago. 'It sucked so hard I more or less moved into your apartment for a month after that.'

He remembered that, it had been lovely. Sakura had been there most nights when he'd got home and when she hadn't been, she'd normally left him some food in the fridge. And the days where they'd both been off and just hung around the apartment and made the whole place feel more like a home. It had been like living with a … well. It had been nice.

They shared a smile, looking down at their linked fingers, which he hadn't realised had wrapped around each other and their hands came apart. A pair of bashful smiles flitted between them as Naruto cleared his throat and lifted his own suitcase out onto the gravel.

'You remembered that huh?' Naruto shut the trunk a little too exuberantly, the clunk of the latch making them both wince.

'Course,' Sakura said, her cheeks getting pinker. 'I missed you so much, it was awful.'

'Well good thing we don't go more than a day or two without seeing each other anymore,' Naruto said, locking his car with a push on the key fob. 'I think we'd probably feed the rumour that we're secretly a couple even more if we let them see how much we hate being apart again.'

'Yeah,' Sakura said with a bit of an awkward laugh. She pulled on her suitcase and fell in step with him. 'They're going to be bad enough this weekend as is, let's not let them know we nearly considered moving in together for real then.'

His mom still bemoaned that they hadn't, but Naruto didn't tell Sakura that. She'd already been rather pointed about how good looking her grandbabies would be with Sakura as their mother.

He also didn't tell Sakura that he one hundred percent agreed with her.

They walked up the steps to the lodge, which was just as impressive up close as it was from a distance, in comfortable silence. Once they'd gotten inside Naruto was struck by how rustic and homey the entrance hall to the hotel was.

It always was of course, it just never failed to get him. The familiar long oak front desk, the same two men, Izumo and Kotetsu, manning it as always. Naruto didn't know their surnames but the amount of time they'd spent here in the summers during school … well he didn't feel the need to ask anymore.

There was an open checking in book to one side of the large desk by a stand for pamphlets on local attractions and a list of events happening at the hotel during the week.

The stained wood floor was so well cared for you'd never think the wood had been harvested from the very forest it was on the border of. The darkness of the panelled walls giving the room a feel of being part of an old stately home added to the whole effect and Naruto almost forgot they were only an hour or two away from the hustle and bustle of Konoha City proper.

Ino and Shikamaru were nowhere to be found in the lobby so Naruto guessed they'd got checked in and gone up to find their significant others. Sai was apparently already here going over some artwork he'd designed for the reception. Ino had whined about it a couple of times on the way up here.

'Ah,' one of the men behind the desk said as he spotted them. 'There you guys are, good, your room is being prepared for you. We had to do some quick minute moving around but it's okay. We're sorry for the delay guys, but we figured you wouldn't mind given how all the rooms are being taken by the wedding guests. If you leave your suitcases here, we can move them up there for you when it's ready.'

'That's fine guys,' Sakura said, placing both of their suitcases neatly by the desk, next to the growing collection of luggage. 'Have we really got the whole hotel? I know you've not got that many rooms but seriously?'

'Mhmm, it's why we've got a book especially for you to tick off when you arrive.' Kotetsu smiled as he gestured at the book, names all neatly handwritten. Naruto wondered who'd written them in, the handwriting was way too neat for what he'd expect from either man.

'Yeah, Mrs Nara booked out the whole hotel weeks ago. So just tick yourselves off and you can go to the bar. I think that's where the rest of your friends are. Please try to keep dog boy out of the forest this time yeah?'

Naruto and Sakura laughed and moved over to the book.

'You know we can't promise that right? Just be thankful he's stopped bringing Akamaru everywhere with him,' Sakura said conversationally. 'Are you guys coming to the wedding?'

'Nah, we'll be at the reception though. We've known you kids for so long now, we'd have shown up even if we hadn't been invited.' The two men smirked to each other and Kotetsu pointed at the pair of them. 'And we're seriously glad you two pulled your heads out of your asses. We were rooting for you.'

'Guys,' Naruto said with a sigh, trailing his finger down the list of the book. People sharing rooms, like the couples and family were grouped together. Kiba and Hinata, Gaara and Kankuro, Neji and Tenten, but he couldn't seem to find his name. 'Not you too, come on.'

'If you'd just gotten together earlier you wouldn't have to put up with so much teasing,' Izumo said idly. 'Ah here we go, got your room.'

Naruto paused as his finger finally found his name.

'Wait,' Sakura said confusedly. 'Room?'

'Yeah?' Izumo replied with a raised eyebrow. 'Room three on the fourth floor.'

'Ooo that's a nice one,' Kotetsu said with a grin. 'You guys are lucky.'

'Hold on,' Sakura said frowning. She leant over the desk to peer at the computer. 'Why do you guys keeping saying room? Is it one big suite or something? Cus we definitely put ourselves down for separate rooms …'

'Um guys?' Naruto said as he looked up from the book. His finger still poked into the page where it had stopped. 'You sure this book is right?'

The two men looked as equally confused as they must do and Kotetsu nodded slowly. 'Yeah … why?'

'Then why are Sakura and me put down in the same room?' Naruto tapped the book. Stabbed it more like.

'We're what?!' Sakura said quickly. Nudging Naruto out of the way to look at the book. 'The hell?'

The two men stared at them, completely bamboozled and Kotetsu scratched his chin idly. 'Well yeah? You guys are together now right? Sakura called up to change your two rooms into one this morning. It's why your room isn't ready yet, we had to move some stuff around. It worked out quite well actually, there were some people who had been forced to share who now don't have to.'

'But I didn't call you this morning …' Sakura said hotly, looking from Naruto to Kotetsu and Izumo, confusion abound. 'And we aren't a couple …'

What the hell? He'd definitely booked his own room. He'd rung up weeks ago.

And Naruto knew Sakura hadn't done this. They'd only decided to even go as each other's platonic date yesterday morning and even then … Sakura and Naruto never got a room together unless it was a twin room and they had their own beds.

Which this hotel didn't have. And unless the hotel suddenly had some spare beds knocking around they weren't about to make this apparently shared room into a twin room.

He didn't think Sakura would have done this, hell he knew she wouldn't even if the roasting glare she was giving the other two men hadn't given it away.

But he knew who would. Fucking hell, he knew exactly who would and he knew who could do a pretty spot on Sakura impression. And only one other person knew they were going as each other's date.

He was gonna kill her.

'Sakura,' Naruto said slowly. 'Was there any point today when Ino was out of earshot?'

Sakura froze, he could feel the anger build and thrum out of her as she growled out: 'Yes.'

'Son of a bitch,' Naruto snarled.

Kotetsu glanced between the two of them and his face went ashen. 'Wait … you guys aren't? You didn't? Oh shit. Guys I'm so sorry I just thought …'

He pointed between the two of them, his hand going to his mouth as he slumped down into his waiting chair.

'We haven't got any spare rooms either have we?' he asked Izumo who was already running through the listed rooms. Izumo had moved the screen so they could all see.

'It's fine,' Sakura said evenly, she turned to Naruto with a frown. 'It's not their fault, right Naruto?'

No, it wasn't. It was Ino's and as much as he'd normally just suck it up and share a room with Sakura, hell they'd shared beds before it wasn't the end of the world. It had been fine.

This weekend was different though.

He'd called her Sakura-chan, they still hadn't talked about that. And his complicated feelings for her had come back to the front of his mind ever since and he really, really couldn't stop noticing how jaw-droppingly gorgeous Sakura was. Even right now, when she was white hot with rage, she was sexy as hell.

Share a bed with her all weekend? With alcohol thrown in?

Well he guessed Ino had finally had enough and acted on her threat.

He and Sakura were gonna be locked in a room together and if the blonde's plan worked as she hoped …

'I'm gonna kill her,' Sakura murmured under her breath as she signed her name into the book and handed Naruto the pen, he face red from anger. 'Sorry for this Naruto. She's crossed a line. I shouldn't have told her about the plan.'

She had though and it had the potential to ruin the whole weekend for both of them. But … what if this was just another opportunity. Like the one on his birthday all those years ago.

Yeah, Ino had forced the situation. Yeah, he wasn't happy with her at all but … but it could be salvaged right?

'Well, I mean, I could always just sleep on the sofa in the room? These rooms still have sofas in them right?' He turned to Kotetsu who was desperately looking at Izumo. Who was just shaking his head and not meeting Naruto and Sakura's gaze. 'Fuck.'

Ino was certainly hoping they would.

'We'll deal,' Naruto said to Sakura quickly. Her fist tightening around the pencil until it nearly snapped. 'She wants a reaction, let's not give her one okay?' he said quietly, wrapping his hand around Sakura's.

He watched her temper soothe quickly, her cheeks were still red though.

'Yeah,' Sakura said quietly, her grip on the pencil loosening from splintering intensity. 'Yeah, we're adults and we can deal with it. Not like we've not shared a bed before.'

And wasn't that a glorious memory lane to walk down. His brain adding all the new, much steamier locations they could add to that lane this weekend.

'Exactly,' Naruto said, smiling reassuringly. 'Her prank doesn't have to change what we wanted out of this weekend. We'll have fun and not give her the satisfaction of knowing she riled us.'

'Then when the weekend is over … we kill Ino?' Sakura said hopefully.

'I know a brilliant place to bury her body,' Naruto whispered and squeezed her fingers.

'Okay.' Sakura smiled and passed him the pencil. 'Sign in.'

And with that, after another apology from Kotetsu and Izumo, Sakura left him at the desk and made her way towards the bar.

Which was good, because as Naruto was leaning down to sign his own name he was bombarded with all the possibilities of the weekend now he and Sakura were going to be sharing a room … and a bed.

The good possibilities, the catastrophic ones and … as much as he tried to ignore his perverted brain … the very, very raunchy ones.

God give him strength, he wasn't sure if by the end of the weekend if he was going to be killing Ino or thanking her.

'Naruto,' Kotetsu said apprehensively. 'We really are sorry man.'

He smiled at them and waved dismissively. 'It happens. Don't be sorry.'

Because despite Naruto's reservations he was shocked to realise …

He wasn't.


Ino Yamanaka was a dead woman.

She was. Ino was a dead woman. Because Sakura was going to fucking kill her.

'Okay,' Sakura muttered to herself as she waited just round the corner from the bar. 'Okay, I'm gonna kill her. That's what's gonna happen. After the wedding. Get through the wedding, have the platonic date with Naruto, see where that goes and regardless of the result … kill Ino.'

Because even if the furthest, desperate, most wanted result of this whole platonic date happened … well Naruto being her new boyfriend would just make him more inclined to help her hide Ino's body.

But first, Shikamaru and Temari's big weekend. That came first before anything else. She wasn't going to make a scene and take any of the focus off the couple on their weekend.

She was a better friend than that. So she could wait to murder Ino by the time the new Mr and Mrs Nara were on their honeymoon.

She drew herself back up, taking a deep breath and, after patting away imaginary dust from her jeans, Sakura strolled into the bar to cheers and greetings from her friends that had already gathered.

They were sat in their couples mostly. Hinata and Kiba, the lavender haired woman wrapped up in Kiba's arm, beaming happily. Her hands settled around her growing baby bump. Neji and Tenten sat on Hinata's other side, on the receiving end of an energetic conversation with Lee, who was so loud Sakura could hear him from the doorway. The couple were wincing from the volume and desperately trying to quiet the exuberant man.

Shino was on Kiba's other side, having a polite conversation with Sai as Ino leant into her boyfriend's side. The pale man dressed in his customary dark clothes, he looked every bit the stereotypical artist he was, and would be the most hipster looking man in the room if Shino wasn't still wearing his sunglasses inside. Chouji and Karui were next, chatting with Shikamaru about something that was firing up Chouji's much less laid back wife.

It sapped away some of Sakura's anger to see most of her friends gathered in one place. It was hard to stay angry in front of all this happy and when Temari's eyes lit up, the sandy blonde already halfway across the floor to meet her, Sakura's anger all but dissipated.

'Sakura!' Temari beamed as she wrapped the shorter woman in a strong hug. 'I'm so glad you made it! Let's get you a drink! Where's Naruto?'

She tried not to bristle at that. Temari didn't know about Ino's prank. And it wasn't like everyone here didn't know Naruto had been her lift to the lodge.

'He's just at the desk, there was a mix up with our rooms.' Sakura did her best not to shoot a dirty look at Ino, who was doing a terrible job at hiding her shit eating grin in Sai's shoulder. 'Apparently when we booked our rooms they thought we were doubling up.'

The sandy haired woman nodded and gestured at the barwoman to come over. Sakura placed her drink order and sighed.

'I saw that yeah,' Temari said simply, not looking back over at their group of friends. 'Should I read too much into that or is someone playing a prank?'

Sakura grumbled into her drink as it was placed in front of her and also kept looking forward.

'Ino?' Temari whispered just as the uproar of noise went up again with Naruto's name this time. He waved over at Sakura when she turned instinctively and he smiled when she motioned at the bar.

Temari's amused eyes were on her when Sakura turned back and ordered Naruto's pint.

'Do you want me to get your rooms changed back?' the Suna native whispered. 'I could just make a stink as the bride?'

She shook her head. 'No, it's too much hassle for the staff and besides …'

Naruto was grinning and shaking hands with each of the men round the table, laughing at something Kiba said and flipping him off at the same time.

'And you're not entirely against the idea huh?' Temari finished knowingly as she followed Sakura's gaze. 'You're not gonna upstage me on my wedding weekend with finally getting with him are you?'

'No!' Sakura gasped, nearly dropping her drink as Temari laughed good-naturedly. 'I wouldn't – Temari we're not –'

Temari laughed some more and took the offered cloth from the surprisingly diligent barwoman. 'Relax Sakura, if my wedding is what finally tips you two into each other's arms, I'm more than okay with that. Besides, I'll win the pool.'

'That's still going?' Sakura grumbled as she sipped down more of her wine.

She'd first learned about the pool their friends had about when she and Naruto would get together on the first night the girls had taken Temari out on the town.

It had been running since school apparently. It had started with everyone but her and Naruto knowing about it. She wasn't sure if Sasuke had been involved but knowing how little her douche ex had liked any of her friends she doubted it.

He'd never really clicked with the rest of the Konoha Eleven as they jokingly referred to themselves in the group chat on WhatsApp.

It apparently hadn't gone away even when Sakura had started dating Sasuke and Naruto dated Hinata. It had just shrunk down to Ino and Tenten. Everyone else either didn't care, took the fact that there were both in relationships as reason to call time on the idea or were too invested in other things.

Then Naruto and Sakura were single again and the pool had sprung back to life. And everyone had come back to it. Even Hinata eventually apparently.

And by the time university had rolled round and Temari had started appearing on their nights out, she'd been added to it too.

'Course, one might even suggest that knowing my slot was coming up, I chose this exact weekend, with this romantic venue that is so dear to both of you and thought … yes, this will be my wedding weekend.' Temari smirked as Sakura gave her a dirty look that reluctantly morphed into a smile. 'Or it was all coincidence and I'm just lucky.'

Temari's gaze moved over to Shikamaru and she smiled fondly at her husband-to-be as she said the word lucky. It was very sweet.

Sakura smiled and not for the first time, she wondered what it would be like to have a relationship like that. Where just the sight of the one you love enjoying himself would make you look as at peace as Temari did now.

And why whenever she started to think like that her gaze always turned towards Naruto.

Ugh, she needed alcohol.

The barwoman brought over Naruto's beer and went back to cleaning glasses.

'Seriously though Sakura,' Temari said, her tone kept low. Her eyes piercing Sakura where she stood. 'If something were to happen between you two this weekend … I wouldn't feel upstaged. Do you understand?'

Sakura blushed but didn't have time to answer her friend's question as Naruto, perfect timing as always, bounded up to the bar to hug Temari in his usual enthusiastic fashion.

'Hiya Temari!' he said happily as the tall woman hugged him back. 'How are you doing? All excited for the big day?'

Temari chuckled. 'I'm wonderful thank you Naruto, how was living with Shikamaru for the last week? I got some interesting phone calls off him over the past couple days. I trust he wasn't that bad?'

Naruto's grin shrunk slightly but it didn't go entirely, only got more surreptitious. It was kinda hot?

She'd always quite liked the coyer side of him, it didn't show up very often and it always gave hints to the more devious side of his personality and Sakura had always had a bit of a thing for bad boys … especially bad boys who actually weren't bad boys and had abs like that.

Look … she was still reeling over sharing a bed with the man all weekend. Give her a break.

'I have no idea what you mean,' Naruto said with a completely straight face this time. Which was not stopping the hotness of him. Inconsiderate hunk. 'I'm totally only excited for the wedding weekend because it's gonna be a great time. Not because he'll be out of my apartment again and I don't have to clean up after him like I'm his mother.'

Temari let out a bark of a laugh and handed Naruto his beer. 'Understood, thank you for keeping him alive. Your beers are on me okay?'

'Isn't it an open bar?' Naruto asked with that stupid sexy smirk.

'Ah,' the sandy blonde replied, tipping her own drink at him. 'Then it's all on my father. Drink as much as you want.'

The three of them laughed and they clinked their drinks together.

'So … where's Gaara?' Naruto asked, glancing around the room. 'I saw he'd checked in but …'

Temari snorted. 'What? Are we not enough?' The tall woman gestured … mostly at Sakura, making the pinkette blush into her emptying wine glass as Naruto's eyes ran the entire length of her in that warm and loving way he did. Annoying babe. 'Honestly, you're as bad as each other. The first thing he did was ask when you were getting here.'

Naruto looked completely nonplussed as he waited expectantly.

It was cute. He was cute. Everything he did was cute.

She needed more wine.

Temari rolled her eyes. 'He's in his room sleeping, you know what he's like for insomnia, he said to let you know he'd be down in time for the guys' activities later.' Temari turned to Sakura in an exasperated huff. 'I did remind him it was Shikamaru's wedding activities he was invited to but he just stared at me for a long second and said: Just tell Naruto.'

Sakura giggled at the spot on impression Temari did on her brother, Naruto cracking a smile that again was very cute.

To be honest, the way Naruto was with Gaara was so endearing. Gaara had never had any friends as a kid, he'd been bullied something terrible all throughout school apparently. Which she'd never really understood.

She'd met him when he'd come to visit Temari at Konoha U. He was quiet, polite and a little weird but well … most of her friends could be a little weird. So she'd always been friendly to him even if she wasn't sure it was totally returned she got the impression he liked her too.

Naruto though, as was his freaking want, recognised someone in need of a friend and glomped onto him the second he met him. Naruto had shown Gaara the best places in Konoha to hang out, gotten the poor boy exceedingly drunk and opened up a whole new side to Gaara that Sakura didn't think anyone else could have gotten to.

Even Temari and Kankuro had been astounded at the new side to their little brother. They'd apparently barely ever heard him laugh and it seemed to be all he did when he was around Naruto.

And that closeness persisted ever since. Once Naruto became a cop, Gaara would request him to be his escort if he ever had to visit Konoha in an official capacity. And those were most of the times she and Naruto had wound up in some of the ritzier places around Konoha. Because even Gaara knew Naruto would invite her anywhere he went if he could.

She did try to give them just guy time as much as possible though and had lied more than once to make sure Naruto and Gaara got to hang out just the two of them. Something she knew Gaara greatly appreciated. She'd even gotten a hug once or twice because of it and the only person she'd ever seen Gaara actively hug himself was Naruto.

Besides, she always heard about everything the two of them got up to when Naruto told her all about it. It was like they were a couple of little kids who'd made a new best friend at school and wanted to tell everyone about it.

Watching them hang out and just be wholesome best friends was enough to make her melt with the cuteness of it all. And she really couldn't tell you how big the difference between Gaara with Naruto and without him was. You had to see it. She'd never seen so much joy in a man's face than when Gaara and Naruto got to see each other after a long separation.

And now there was going to be a whole weekend of Gaara and Naruto hanging out and being adorable.

How was she going to survive sharing a room with Naruto with all that cuteness around? Let alone share a bed with the gorgeous blond.

She was doomed.

'Okie doke,' Naruto said with a simple smile and another pull on his beer. 'Guess that'll be just in time for when you guys go for your girly day at the spa?'

That was right! Sakura had forgotten all about the spa day. That was going to be amazing. Honestly, she needed it even more after the past couple days. It would probably be the only way she'd get through this weekend without ruining her friendship with Naruto by mounting him.

Had she mentioned how horny the stupid man was making her? The way he breathed honestly!

'Mhmm,' Temari said, draining her wine glass. 'We're just letting everyone get settled and unpacked and then we'll be heading down to the spa until tonight's meal. Speaking of which … Sakura do you need to go get your stuff out of your suitcase or did they say your room would be ready in time?'

The blonde turned to look at Naruto and he frowned a little. 'Yeah, Kotetsu said they'd have our stuff up in our room ASAP. I actually think Izumo had got someone to run our stuff up already. Oh.' He fished around in his pocket and produced an ornate looking silver key, holding it out to Sakura. 'That's your key, apparently the double rooms come with two keys.'

Sakura took the key and tried to not blush again. She was a grown woman, a doctor, she didn't blush like a schoolgirl goddamn it.

'Are you guys sure you don't want me to make a big stink about that?' Temari offered, though Sakura felt it was a little half-hearted and she loved and hated her for it in equal measure. 'I'm pretty sure I could get them to. Or I could sic Yoshino on them?'

Naruto and Sakura winced in time and in that moment she knew they were both certain of one thing. They liked Kotetsu and Izumo too much to not just share a room … maybe a bed … rather than loose an irate Yoshino Nara on her son's wedding weekend, on the two innocent men.

'No,' Naruto said quickly, smiling again. 'Don't worry about it Temari, we've shared beds before, I'm sure we'll manage again. Right Sakura?'

He was smiling at her, all lovely warmth and kissable comfort … okay she didn't know what that meant either but she was distracted by sharing a bed with him. Because no matter what either of them said … this time was different.

She could feel the tension between her and Naruto and had been able to the entire drive up. She wasn't sure if it was a bad tension or a good tension. But given how she'd caught his eyes drifting more than once and how he was getting flustered for the first time in a very long time by her flirting … when he'd stumbled over his words earlier she could have punched the air … there was something extra to this tension.

Maybe … maybe this time she wouldn't chicken out on where the tension was pushing her? She could make up for not pushing just a little harder on his twenty-second birthday. Because that's what this tension felt like. It might be years later and they were different from then … older, more settled in their friendship and maybe a little wiser … but that's what it felt like.

They'd never talked about that night. The night where she'd definitely moved in for a kiss and he was coming towards her too and she'd thought, finally, finally they could see what would happen when they stopped circling each other and …

He'd pulled away. Firing a thousand questions through her head and leaving her aching for the reason why he'd done that. She'd lost days wondering about what could have been if she'd pressed him then and there. Or if he hadn't pulled away.

The what ifs drove her crazy.

It was ridiculous to focus on that night though. They'd gotten drunk and kissed dozens of times since then. Even gotten a little handsy without really thinking about it and broken down in giggles and talked it through.

Always deciding it was just because they were drunk and single and both objectively attracted to each other. Of course they'd get a little carried away but they were just friends and they'd move past it and they wouldn't talk about that sort of stuff until it happened again. The circle would continue on and on.

But that didn't stop the questions from piling up for her. The questions she had to try and answer alone. Because if she let him in on those questions it could throw their whole equilibrium out of whack and then … what would she do if her new normal involved a ruined friendship with Naruto or even worse … no Naruto?

And the any time she talked to any of the girls about it … she'd be egged on just to make a damn move. The extremes of going to the nearest liquor store and stripping down to her underwear to surprise Naruto at his apartment not … the only suggestions her drunk friends had advised.

Hell the only person who seemed to offer anything other than a raunchy suggestion to Sakura confessing how she felt to Naruto was Temari. Even Hinata had offered up the suggestion that she just jump the man.

But Ino really was the worst for it. And she really was a bitch for goading her on. She'd never let her know just how close she was to convincing Sakura to just fucking do it. To dare to try for him. Just to know. So she could stop calling her reflection a freaking coward any time her feelings for Naruto resurfaced.

Like right now.

Sakura-chan.

Maybe this time …

'Right,' Sakura said with a smile of her own. 'Besides, it could be worse, at least he doesn't snore.'

The three of them laughed and after grabbing fresh drinks they moved over to the big table their friends had congregated around.

Sakura slipping into the seat next to Naruto and trying her best to not catch Ino's eye as she and Naruto joined a conversation about Shino's latest weird experience in his lab.

Because if she let herself look at Ino properly … the arrogant blonde would know that Sakura had made a possibly fateful decision. And it would make the other woman so smug Sakura would have to back down on principle.

So, at some point this weekend … she was going to make a move on Naruto.

Because that tension really was way too familiar and that extra level on top of it told her that if she didn't go for it this weekend she might never get another chance. She'd never know what could be between her and Naruto.

And that, she had to admit, with all the things stacked up to give her a clean shot at him … was worse than anything she could think of.

So she'd try, and she'd take whatever happened. Because at least then she could tell herself she tried.

God help her.