CHAPTER 3

"Ne, Sakura-chan . . ?" He whispered his hand tracing down her jaw. "How long do you plan on sleeping?"

Naruto smiled to himself as he tucked a stray lock of pink hair away from her sleeping face.

"Today in class, Kakashi-sensei asked me to answer a problem on the board." He started. "Of course I didn't know the answer."

He chuckled as he played with her delicate fingers.

"So I decided to question his sexuality instead."

He grinned.

"Kakashi-sensei was so mad that he actually dropped his Icha Icha paradise!"

He laughed.

"You know the book right? The ones that Jiraiya jiji rights." He brushed her bangs away. "Jiraiya, the one who has a total crush on your mom, that perverted old hermit remember?"

Silence

"Yeah, he's really funny." He whispered.

Naruto eyed the sleeping girl ignoring the pang in his chest he glanced over to her dresser which held precious memories of their childhood. His gaze lingered on one photo though. It was Him, Sasuke and Sakura at the cherry blossom viewing festival, all of them was seated on a big red blanket food surrounding them, smiles forever frozen on their faces.

He smiled.

"I remember this day . . ." He glanced over to the sleeping girl. "You kept on bugging us about the Hanami festival. . . Sasuke wanted to come but Itachi-nii didn't let him, remember?" He asked tracing their faces within the photo.

"And I was grounded for painting the school founder's statue."

He laughed.

"Old man Hiruzen was really pissed! He made me clean the statue and his office."

He smirked.

"Not that I did." He chuckled. "Instead I snuck Sasuke out of the Uchiha compound and we all met up at the park, in the end we all had fun didn't we?"

He spent the whole afternoon talking to the sleeping girl hoping that she would react at some point, after all Tsunade baa-chan did say, even if they're sleeping there's a chance that they might hear you. He never stopped trying, everyday afterschool he spent all his time at the hospital talking to her, nurses found it sweet that he had never stopped holding her hand all this time.

"Naruto-kun?" it was Shizune.

"Almost time for visiting hours to be finished, time to say goodbye." She smiled softly at him.

"Hai, arigato Shizu-nee." He sent a small smile before she disappeared.

"Ne, Sakura-chan, I have to go now." He placed a soft kiss on her forehead before standing up.

"Naruto."

"Baa-chan?" He turned to see a smirking Tsunade, leaning by the door frame.

"You know . . . you don't have to visit every single day after school." Her smirk dropped and was replaced by a small frown

"Surely you of all people have better things to do."

"It's not like I'm being forced or anything." He shrugged. "Besides, it's my choice . . . right?"

A twitch.

"I guess so, well you got five minutes." She said with a small wave before closing the door behind her.

"I'll see you around Sakura-chan," He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'll come by again tomorrow."

He bent down to grab his bag then turned to leave, only to find a small hand clutching at the back of his shirt softly.

"S-Sakura . . . chan?"

Her hand fell limp to her side, though her eyes twitched trying to open.

"S-Sakura-chan!-?"

Another twitch

"S-Sakura-chan!-?" He made his way over to the girl who was slowly trying to open her eyes. "Y-You're a-awake!-!" he quickly reached over to the top of the bed and pressed the button.

"B-Baa-chan! S-Shizune-neechan!-!" He spoke through the speaker.

"Oi! Brat didn't I tell you to get your ass out of my hospital!-?"

"S-Sakura!-! S-She's, I think she's w-waking up!"

As soon as he finished that sentence the door slammed open Tsunade came in followed by Shizune and two other nurses. They quickly rushed over to her sides checking her vitals and other important details. Naruto could only watch by the sidelines anxious to what may happen next.

"Shizune! Blood pressure?"

"120/80 mm Hg."

"Masako! Pulse rate?"

"60 - 80 beat per minute."

"Breathing?"

"Stable."

Tsunade breathed a sigh out in relief as she wiped the sweat off her forehead, she turned towards Naruto with a big grin. "Nice job Gaki! You saved us a lot of trouble by calling out immediately." She ruffled his blonde "guess you're not such an idiot after all!" she laughed out loud throwing an arm around his shoulder.

"BAA-CHAN!" Naruto yelled out pushing her arm away and running over to the motionless girl on the bed. "Is –is sakura-chan alright?" He looked at her tears forming in his eyes.

"Calm down Naruto-kun!" Shizune placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Sakura-chan is just fine." She gave him a warm smile.

"B-but w-why is she still sleeping!-? Wasn't she just waking up awhile ago!-? Why aren't you guys doing anything!-? Why aren't you telling me anything!-? Why—"

!BAM!

"SHUT UP YOU LITTLE PIECE OF SHIT!"

Ahh yes, Tsunade had successfully hit the blonde teen over the head effectively almost knocking him out, but enough for him to decipher what she was about to say.

"Listen here Gaki," She started rubbing her temples in an attempt to calm herself down. "Sakura is perfectly fine. No health complications. No brain damages. No deadly disease. No nothing. Okay?"

"So y-you mean . . ?"

"Yup."

Shizune smiled as she looked over to the sleeping girl. "Sakura-chan is waking up."

"Y-You mean it!-?" He jumped up and grasps Shizune by the shoulders shaking her. "D-Do you really mean it!-?"

"Y-Yes!" Shizune stuttered out from all the shaking. "N-NOW S-STOP S-SHAKING M-ME!-!-!"

"Gomen, Shizune-nee" He smiled and gave her a big bear hug. "Ne, do you think I could stay here for the night?"

"Well . . ." She looked at his pleading face then to her mentor's amused one. One nod was the answer she got.

"Alright Naruto-kun, since it's not a school night." She smiled and patted him on the head. "I'll get some pillows and an extra blanket for you, okay?"

"YATTA!" he cheered before running over to the bed. "Did you hear that Sakura-chan? We'll get to have a sleep over!" He smiled and took the girl's hand in his.

"So when you wake up, I'll be the first one to greet you."

re-written: 10/31/11