AN: Happy Birthday to me! Thanks for sticking with me for another chapter. This one is longer, my apologies.

I'm trying to update every two days or so, but that might change a bit from here on out as I am taking more creative liberties in the story.

The support has been unreal. Please keep any reviews or follows coming. Everyone's notes about my writing have been incredibly helpful. It makes continuing that much easier.

As always, Enjoy!

Chapter 4

"Sakura-chan...I am going to be Hokage!"

Sakura blinked three times as she started into her blonde friend's cerulean eyes. She was happy to see him, yet at the same time annoyed that he chose late at night after one of her long shifts to do pop in. Her trademark vein appears on her temple and she closed her eyes in frustration.

"Naruto, we all know you're going to be Hokage one day, you don't need to bang my door down just to tell me that again."

Naruto didn't break his eye contact with her and his expression turned incredibly serious. It got Sakura's full attention and she couldn't help but notice the small butterflies that fluttered in her chest.

"No... Sakura-Chan, I am going to be the Hokage. As in, officially. Like the next one. I just met Kakashi Sensei and he gave me the news. It was decided on last week but I just found out." He watched as her eyes widened and the gears began to turn in her head. She took a small sharp breath before putting on the warmest smile Naruto had ever seen her give him. It melted his heart on the spot.

"NARUTO!" She shouted in sheer excitement. Before she realized what she was doing she jumped onto her blonde friend, wrapping her arms around his neck. The force was enough to knock them both off their feet. Naruto landed on his back with Sakura on top of him, straddling him with her arms still locked around him.

It only took a few seconds for both of them to realize the position they were in. Sakura was on top of him, their faces just inches apart. The butterflies in her stomach exploded. Both shinobi blushed a dark shade of red and Sakura quickly got off of him. She shook the snow off her pants and tried to compose herself as best she could.

"Oh my god, I'm so sorry" She said as she offered her hand to help Naruto up. He just laid there, his mind fried at the sudden closeness he had shared with her before he too brushed it off and accepted her hand. "No worries."

Sakura couldn't stop grinning his way as she shouted again. "YOU'RE GOING TO BE HO" In a blur of orange and yellow Naruto quickly placed his hand over her mouth as she screamed into his palm. She froze and he eyes shot open at the sudden contact. In the last two minutes they had been physically closer than she ever remembered them being.

He pulled away when she finished making sound. "Sorry Sakura-Chan, it's still classified and no one is supposed to know" he pointed a finger towards Ino's bedroom in what he thought was a sly manner. "I'm not supposed to tell anyone yet but..." his voice trailed off as if he was thinking if he wanted to continue speaking. "My body just took over and I came here. You were the only person I had to tell."

Sakura mouthed a silent "oh" before turning her head towards Ino's room. She knew that there was no way in hell the pig would hear anything as she was far too preoccupied, but decided Naruto didn't need to know that. Instead, she turned back to him. "Give me five minutes. We're going for a walk." Naruto was about to tell her they didn't have to before she shut the door in his face, leaving him no choice but to wait for her.

While he waited, he touched the back of his neck. He could still feel where she had wrapped her arms around him. 'She's never done that before.' He thought as a blushed covered his face. He chalked it up to her being excited and decided to let it go. After a few minutes of waiting Sakura reemerged in her usual attire, and her red coat and winter boots. She looked adorable, he thought, before Sakura stepped outside and locked the door behind her.

"So, uh, where do you wanna go?" He asked. She shrugged and passed him as she made her way to the street.

"Let's just see where the wind takes us?" She turned to face him and he chuckled before joining her at her side. The pair began to walk north from Sakura's apartment.

It had gotten colder since Sakura got home, but the snow had let up a bit. What was originally a powerful storm had turned into a picturesque light shower of white. The street lights reflected on the falling flakes as the two ninja walked in comfortable silence for a few blocks. Sakura looked over at the blonde boy beside her. She knew he was waiting until they found a quiet place to stop before sharing all the details of his Hokage appointment, but that didn't mean she couldn't talk to her friend.

"Hey Naruto, I've never seen you wear that before." She nodded to his new scarf. "It suites you."

Naruto beamed in her direction as he softly touched the fabric with his un-bandaged hand. "It was my mom's Sakura-Chan."

Sakura stopped walking and looked at him. "Wait wha.." Naruto answered before she had time to finish.

"Konohamaru found a box of stuff that my parents left for me. It was supposed to be for when I was born I guess, but he just found it today. There was some really incredible stuff in there." She studied her friend as he continued on to tell her the contents of the box, as well as of the box left to him by the Third Hokage.

"I can't believe that had been there all this time. Well, I'm happy it finally surfaced." She looked away from him and said a little quieter than she meant too, "Plus…you look good in it." The compliment took Naruto off guard, but after a moment he smiled for the umpteenth time that night.

"Thanks Sakura-Chan. Its nice to have an actual gift from my parents." A thought crossed his mind as he realized he should return the compliment. "You um...look nice too." He said before turning away from her so she couldn't see his facial expression. Sakura in turn followed his lead to look away. "Idiot..." She said under her breath as she smiled, but he winced a bit when he heard it.

They continued to walk in silence until they found themselves in front of Hokage Mansion. Sakura smirked at Naruto. "This private enough?" She asked as she walked to the open area right outside the ninja academy portion of the building. She hadn't meant anything by her words, but they were enough to fill Naruto's head with a couple different scenarios he would rather she be asking him that question in. Regardless, he followed her lead.

"This really takes me back" Sakura said as they entered the courtyard of the Ninja Academy. Naruto walked behind her and looked around, feeling incredibly nostalgic. The old academy had been destroyed in Pein's attack on the village, but because it was attached to Hokage Mansion the new one built in its place was almost identical. He noticed a single swing, hanging by two pieces of rope from a nearby tree. It was his swing, and the only thing to miraculously survive the decamation.

He remembered all the misery he had to endure on that swing, watching his classmates play and make friends while he was ostracized and ignored. None of that mattered now, he thought. He was broken out of his thought when his pink haired companion brushed off the swing in question and sat down. She began to sway gently, and when she made eye contact with him his breath caught in his throat.

"Okay, spill." He found a place beside her and put his hands in his pockets. He didn't like talking about his achievements, even if this one was the biggest one of his life to date.

"Well, um, after the kid gave me the gifts from my parents, I met up with Kakashi Sensei. He had mentioned he had something important to talk to me about, but I just assumed is was another mission. But when I walked into his office he was there, and so was Baa-chan, and Shizune and Shikamaru, and the village elders. Sakura nodded her head as she intently listened to hear him. "I was confused at first, but Kakashi told me to sit down. He told me that it had been in the works for a while, but as of today I was officially approved as the Seventh Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village. He smiled sheepishly down at her and rubbed the back of his head. "But its far from happening. I still have to reach Jounin rank, which will probably take another year, then I have to train under Kakashi Sensei for at least a few months, probably longer. But the old man isn't exactly trying to hold on to the position. So when he retires in the next few years, then its my turn."

Sakura just starred at the face of the boy she had known most of her life. An influx of emotions ran through her body all at the same time. This man had fought so hard for everything that he had achieved, and finally his biggest dream was coming true. She tried to say something but couldn't do anything but look at him. Something in her was screaming, but she didn't know what it was or what it wanted her to do. So she just kept looking at him.

Naruto on the other hand looked back, a little concerned for his now mute teammate. He was about to break the silence when Sakura got up from the swing and extended her hand out in the most formal manner she could.

"Congratulations, Lord Hokage." She said as she softly smiled at her best friend. Naruto looked down at her, as his emotions tried to get the better of him. He wanted nothing more than to be with her, alone, like this, for all of time. He took her hand and held it as tight as he could.

"Thank you very much, Lady Sakura." To his surprise, she didn't let go. She just kept looking into his eyes. He could feel his heart rate speed up as his lips suddenly dry out.

"I'm so incredibly proud of you Naruto." She finally managed to get out. Her heart was beating just as fast as his. "Nobody deserves this more than you do."

She was about to let go, when something inside her decided she wasn't ready for the contact to be over. So instead, she dragged him with her as she sat back down on the swing. He asked her what she was doing as he landed behind her, catching his balance. Sakura didn't know what had come over her, but she wasn't in control over her actions any more. So she did the first thing that came to mind.

"Your first act of service to the public is to push this helpless Kunoichi on this swing." She gave him a smirk and wiggled her eyebrows before she turned away from him. It was a good thing too, because otherwise she would have seen his jaw drop. He wasn't used to Sakura being this...playful, he thought. He couldn't help but want to see more of it. He did what he was asked, and softly placed his palms on her back. He had to stop himself from breathing heavy when he felt her slender form in his hands. He gently pushed and watched as she swung up and right back down into his palm.

"I know you can do better than that." She teased. Not being one to back down from a challenge, Naruto pushed her significantly harder and watched as she swung fast several feet in the air. She laughed, and Naruto swore he could die happy. He had just been told he was fulfilling his lifelong dream, but he was afraid this might be the best part of his day.

Sakura let Naruto push her for a few more minutes, or maybe it was a few more hours. If she was being honest, she had completely lost track of time. When he gave her an extra hard push she jumped off the swing as it reached its highest point, and landed gracefully on the ground a few feet away.

She turned to face him and grinned before walking in his direction. "Your turn." Naruto froze and avoided her gaze. She picked up on the subtle change and continued to walk toward him. "Naruto, is everything okay?"

"Everything is fine Sakura-chan." He finally looked back at her. "It's just that, well, no ones ever pushed me on a swing before." He let out an awkward laugh when he saw Sakura's eyes widen. She was in shock. She knew he had a rough childhood, but she sometimes forgot just how bad he had it. 'Just how much did he have to endure,' she thought before looking back at him and motioning for him to sit.

She walked behind him and put her hands on his upper back. The butterflies in her stomach returned, much to her dismay, when she felt the hard muscles of his shoulders against her palm. 'Relax, this is Naruto, its just Naruto.' He turned back at her and grinned his signature grin, and she immediately felt at ease.

She pushed her friend and watched as joy filled his eyes when he swung up and back down. He let out a deep laugh, and she smiled at his reaction. It was nice to know even though he had changed so much, the hyperactive child was still hiding beneath the surface. She decided to up the game a bit, and focused chakra into her hands.

The next push sent him flying as his eyes opened wide. The swing went flying through the air, and Naruto lost his grip on it as the top. He was sent tumbling into the fresh snow a few feet away from her, and landed flat on his face. The snow was deep enough that his head and neck were submerged entirely, and the image made Sakura cackle like a mad man.

Naruto removed himself from the snow, and shook his head in order to get the remaining liquid off his hair. He saw Sakura wiping a tear from her eye and he joined in her laughter. The two stood there, laughing hysterically, until eventually they managed to calmed down. Silence filled the air, and Naruto picked up on a tension that hadn't been there before.

"Naruto?" He heard her ask softly, as if the words she were about to say would break her. "Why have you been ignoring me?"

Time stood still for him, as the joy from the last hour was replaced by panic and guilt. He didn't mean to lie to her, but the words came out before he could stop himself.

"Sakura-Chan what are you talking about? I haven't been ignoring you. I've just been so busy the last few weeks what with helping Sasuke move back and get settled, plus my missions, and I had to clean my house so that took longer than I thou..."

"Naruto, don't lie to me." She cut him off. "I already talked to Sasuke-ku...I already talked to Sasuke, and he told me you two had barely spent anytime together. He assumed you were with me. And when I saw you at the hospital last week you acted like I didn't exist." She paused and looked at the ground as her palms grabbed the bottom of her coat. "If I did something wrong just tell me so I can apologize."

"NO!"

The tone and volume of Naruto's voice startled her and she looked up to see him looking at her with an intense focus she rarely saw when he wasn't on the battlefield. He took a few steps closer to her, until he was right in front of her looking down.

"Sakura-chan. I am really sorry. The truth is I was avoiding you. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just..." He looked away and she saw the determination in his eyes shift to weakness and vulnerability. "It's just I was trying to give you and Sasuke space. I thought now that he's back you two would, y'know, want time to yourselves. I didn't want to get in the way." His fists clenched at his side and he continued to avoid her gaze

Sakura was stunned. It had never occurred to her that he could be avoiding her for such a selfless reason. It also never occurred to her that she had never talked to her best friend about where she stood with their third teammate. She stood silent for a moment. What would he think if he knew she was over the man they had spent the better part of their ninja careers pursuing? Regardless, she had to get it out. Now. This was Naruto. For better or worse, he wouldn't hold a grudge against her.

"Naruto. Sit." She commanded and he appeared startled, before following her order and switching spots with her to sit back down on the swing.

"I need to tell you something. And I'm sorry I didn't tell you sooner, but you should know." She took a deep breath and steadied her resolve.

"There isn't anything between Sasuke and I. He was my first love, and I still consider him a precious comrade, but after everything we went through to bring him back, I am not capable of being with him, even if he wanted too. Which, by the way, he very clearly does not." Sakura felt hidden emotions bubbling to surface as she realized she had never actually said the next part out loud.

"I saw how much he hurt people. How willing he was to hurt me, and how capable he was of hurting you. I know that isn't who he is, and I have forgiven him for all those things but…" She paused and looked into Naruto's ocean blue eyes again.

"I realized he isn't the man for me."

When she was finished she took a step back, and wiped away a tear she didn't realize was falling from her eye. "I'm sorry I made you carry the weight of bringing him home just for me, but I'm just not as strong as you. I can't just pretend things are the same and I can't be with someone I don't love anymore. I am so sorry." By the time she was finished tears were freely falling down her cheek.

Naruto sat on the swing, a million different emotions and thoughts were running through his mind. He couldn't stop the river of questions flowing. 'She doesn't love him anymore? How can that be? We worked so hard for so long, how can she cast everything aside just like that? Wait, why am I angry, I shouldn't be angry, this is great. This is the best news I have heard all day, well besides becoming Hokage and everything. No, calm down Naruto, just because she doesn't love him doesn't mean she can love you, don't let your mind go there it will only be more painful, but oh my god I thi.."

His mile a minute-thought process was interrupted when he saw she was crying. As if on instinct, he stood up from his swing and used his thumb to wipe away one of her tears.

Sakura froze when she felt the contact, and looked up to not anger, but care and concern in his blue eyes.

"Don't cry Sakura-Chan, please don't cry. It's okay. I…didn't know you felt that way. I'm so sorry I ignored you, I should have just talked to you like an adult. But I'm an idiot, remember?" he smiled down and the pinkette couldn't help but laugh.

"You're not mad?" She asked, regaining some of her composure.

"I'll admit I'm surprised, but no, I'm not mad." He smiled down at her. "If anything, I'm relieved. I really didn't want to have a pink-haired Uchiha running around the village for the rest of my life."

She laughed and wiped some more tears from her eyes before he continued.

"Besides, I didn't just bring him back for you, you know that. He's my brother, I wasn't planning on letting him go that easy." She knew it was true, but hearing it from his mouth she felt a wave of relief wash over her. This man could find the bright side of any situation. Despite how dense he was at times, right now he had said exactly what she needed to hear. She found herself at a loss for words for what felt like the hundredth time that night, so she said nothing. Instead, she continued to stare deep into Naruto's. They were having a conversation, but neither knew what they needed to say. All they did know was they didn't want to look away.

Sakura was about to say something, but a loud shrill voice suddenly screamed inside her head.

"SAKURA HARUNO WHERE THE HELL ARE YOU? ARE YOU OKAY? I'VE BEEN WORRIED SICK!" Sakura flinched put her hands on her temples as she heard her blonde roommate and rival screaming in her head with her Mind Transfer Jutsu. She turned her head back to a confused Naruto who cocked his head and looked at her.

"Sorry Naruto, that's Ino. It's getting late, and the snow is picking up again. I should probably get home." She said before internally screaming at Ino that she would be back soon.

"Um. Right. No problem Sakura-Chan. Thanks for letting me interrupt your night." He said sheepishly and rubbed the back of his neck. Sakura smiled and gave him a soft punch on the shoulder.

"Congratulations on your appointment Naruto. I really am proud of you." Naruto blushed and gave Sakura one last grin before he watched her head out towards the gate. Right before she disappeared from sight, he remembered something and yelled after her.

"Sakura-chan wait! Can we...can we still get lunch tomorrow?" It surprised him how nervous he was to ask that question. However, as soon as she smiled back his anxiety vanished. She nodded her head before jumping onto the rooftops, leaving the blonde Ninja alone in the courtyard with his thoughts.