A/N: Hiya guys! :D So I enjoyed writing this chapter :3 If you squint hard enough, I put in a little metaphor that kind of says the gist of the ending to this installment. :DD I'm so proud of it too! Hehe.

I can't say thank you enough to everyone for reading this story :D Again, thank you to those who followed, favourite-d, and reviewed. To the recent reviewers : Thank you for the continual support ^_^ It's great that you guys let me know what you think every so often. :D I appreciate it

Please wish me luck as I go through my last month of the term. I'm still struggling a bit with my subjects. Hopefully, I can still try to up my grades a bit. FIGGGGGHT!

*DISCLAIMER APPLIES*

BEFORE THE WORST

If Somebody Doesn't Get Hurt

Part I

Naruto slumped right outside Kakashi's porch when after the tenth ring of the doorbell, both inhabitants of the home failed to answer the door. She then proceeded to growl at the offensive surface as if it had done the biggest crime known to man. She plucked out her phone from her pockets before taking a seat on the steps of the Hatake residence.

Where are you? I've been standing in front of Kakashi's porch for the last hundred years!

She pressed 'Send' and impatiently waited for the Uchiha douche's reply. The nerve of Sasuke to not tell her he was going somewhere today when they usually spent Saturday afternoons together after he was finished with his company thingy. He should've at least called or texted to say that he'd be gone so situations such as these wouldn't happen. Not ten seconds later, she felt the gadget vibrate in her hand. Naruto gritted her teeth at the phone screen. That inconsiderate asshole better have a damn good excuse, she bitterly thought as she opened his message.

I'm with Sakura at the mall. She asked me to come with her so she could get a few things.

Wow.

Naruto didn't think something that should have been perfectly fine with her could shatter her heart into a million pieces. She continued to stare at the screen. Maybe she was jumping to conclusions. Maybe there were other people with them.

Oh cool. You two alone?

She waited with bated breath for the reply. Ha! She was sure they weren't alone! Look, she would be laughing at her paranoia any second now. Another set of vibrations from her mobile jostled her.

Yes.

... yup. She would be laughing any second now. Aaaaaany second now. Ha. Haha. Ha.

A date? ;D

Huh. Weird. She wasn't even remotely humoured by the given information. In fact, the constricting feeling in her chest she was attempting to ignore just became a whole lot more noticeable.

Hn. Who knows.

Tch. Trust Sasuke to take this so nonchalantly. Naruto was a hundred percent sure that Sakura treated this as a date. Otherwise, she would have texted Naruto to join them. Although Naruto chose not to respond any longer to her and Sasuke's text conversation, another message was sent her way.

Did she not invite you? Come here. I'm bored out of my mind. There's only so much of Sakura I can take.

Naruto wanted to. God knows she wanted to be wherever the two were so she could keep tabs on them. But that was the selfishness talking again. Sakura deserved a shot with Sasuke.

Naaaah. I'll pass. You go spend time with Sakura. :) She's been wanting to hang with you one-on-one for a while now.

It was true though. Sakura would rant to her every now and then about how Sasuke wasn't responding to her advances. How she wanted a date with him. And so on and so forth. It was great that she finally got some alone time with the jerk.

Hn. Fine. Some best friend you are. Kakashi should be home in a few. Go eat some of that junk you eat while you wait. Promise I'll be there soon.

Really. Sasuke was a bastard for texting someone else while he was clearly on a date (albeit a one-sided date) with such a great girl. On the other hand, Naruto thought it was sweet that he was fretting over the fact that she was waiting for him and how he was promising to make it home soon.

Yeah. See you, Sasuke-bastard.

"You must be some kind of a masochist." Naruto almost literally jumped out of her skin as the voice of Kakashi came from just beside her right ear.

"God damn hell! Kakashi!" She placed her hand over her chest to try and calm her fast beating heart. "How flipping long have you been there for?!" It exceedingly irritated her that Kakashi was simply looking amused over the fact that she was halfway scared to death.

"Long enough to know that you were encouraging Sasuke's 'date'." That... that asshole. He was looking over her shoulder all that time?!

"You gotta be some kind of pervert! Do you usually invade people's privacy like that?! Besides, how did you even get to the other side of the porch without me seeing you!?" Naruto accusingly pointed her finger at the teacher.

He shrugged and calmly answered the flustered blonde. "Stealth is a ninja's most prized skill, kid." Kakashi then turned, picked up a couple of plastic bags on the floor, and opened the front door. "Come on. I'll make you some instant ramen while you wait for Sasuke." At the mention of ramen, Naruto was quick to forgive Kakashi's transgression. "You're the man, Kakashi-pervert!"

Once inside, Kakashi went straight to the kitchen to drop what Naruto assumed were a few groceries. He then put on the kettle which was necessary to make Naruto's food. The sole reason there was instant ramen in the Hatake household was because Naruto spent way too much time there. Not keeping ramen in the house was an act of stupidity in it of itself. While the water was boiling, Naruto decided to help Kakashi put away the grocery purchases.

"I doubt you're okay with Sakura going out with Sasuke." It would seem that they were back on the topic again. Shucks. And Naruto thought she could get away with avoiding the subject.

" 'Course I am. They're my friends. Why wouldn't I be happy if they ended up together?" Now, any one in their right mind could see that Naruto was bluffing her ass off. Heck, a person would have to be simpleton to even consider buying the bullshit Naruto was spewing. Kakashi was no simpleton.

"You love Sasuke, Naruto." Kakashi went and outright said it. This was no time to be vague and hesitant. Naruto needed to hear it as it was. "If you don't do something about it, you'll lose him. If that happens, I doubt you'll be able to keep such a happy facade forever. Would you actually really be able shrug it off if you saw Sasuke with someone else? If he was in love with someone else?" Kakashi was hitting where it hurt; and with each word he was saying, Naruto winced.

"You know, he won't be yours to keep anymore. He'll have another person to call his best friend. Another person to confide in. Another person to cherish. Things will change to some degree, Naruto. So are you absolutely sure you want that? You sure you want to let that happen knowing you did nothing to see if you could've had a shot." Naruto refused to answer. She kept her head low and stared at a litre of milk like it was the most interesting thing in the world.

"It won't be just Sasuke and Naruto anymore."

The kettle was lightly whistling.

"What's stopping you from creating something more with him?"

The water should be done now, right? She could make her ramen now. What flavour should she have? Beef maybe?

"He's well within your reach. What's holding you back?"

Seriously, the shrill sound of the kettle was getting really annoying. It was starting to hurt her ears.

"Naruto?"

Holy hell! The kettle! Someone needed to turn the damn stove off and take the kettle!

"Naruto, stop ignoring me and answer!"

"ARGH!" Naruto loudly growled out from frustration. She went to the stove and switched it off. "I don't want to hurt, Sakura, okay! I tried to tell Sasuke how I felt but then Sakura came along and... and ... I don't want her to hate me! She's my friend, Kakashi. I'll be betraying her if I confess to Sasuke." Despite her anger, she felt a huge weight was lifted off her chest. She actually admitted to wanting to confess to Sasuke... and it felt wonderful. "Besides, what if Sasuke doesn't feel the same way? I'm risking a lot here. He's my best friend first, Kakashi. Plus, Sakura's friendship means a lot to me too. I don't want ruin two of my closest bonds because of a petty crush."

After a few more seconds, the kettle had finally quieted down and now the room was shrouded in a stifling silence. Kakashi moved toward one of the cupboards and opened it. Inside was a vast selection of cup noodles. "What flavour?" He asked, suddenly out of context.

"Not hungry anymore." Naruto answered without a beat.

Kakashi sighed then pulled out the beef flavoured ramen. Figured Kakashi would've known what to get. He noiselessly prepared the food article and poured the hot water into the cup. The three-minute wait for the plastic noodles to cook would be the most awkward three minutes in Naruto's life so far.

"You and I both know Sasuke wouldn't do something like that." Kakashi broke the silence. "Sasuke's a jerk but he's not the type of jerk who would abandon you like that. Naruto, it's painfully obvious that Sasuke holds you in high regard. He cares very much about you. The last thing he'd do would be to drop you just because of your feelings." Naruto kept silent throughout Kakashi's monologue. The man then opened the fridge to take out the last carton of milk. "Now Sakura is a more difficult matter altogether." He took out two glasses and poured beverages for the both of them. "If you don't want Sakura to hate you, I suggest you tell her about your feelings for Sasuke rather than letting her find out all on her own. It's going to be hard. I can't guarantee that she won't be angry with you; but Sakura is a sensible girl. If you talk her through it nicely enough, she'll understand." Kakashi transferred the cooked noodles into a clean bowl and gave the blonde a pair of chopsticks. "There's that famous saying with you kids these days. How does it go again? Bros before hoes, chicks before dicks?" The man then smiled at the teen.

Kakashi was a total mood killer. No wonder he didn't have a girlfriend.

Naruto couldn't stifle the snort that came forth from her mouth. It was nice to see Naruto laughing after that display of humourlessness. "Read the atmosphere, Kakashi!" Though it was meant to reprimand the older individual, it was said in a chortling manner. As she was still trying to get over what Kakashi said, Naruto took the prepared meal and took a spot on the breakfast counter. She said her thanks and began to eat her extremely delicious meal.

It was pleasing to see that Naruto had finally loosened up. However, the matter being discussed at hand was far from over. "I'm serious though, Naruto. All is fair in love and war; and pursuing and having a relationship should never ruin a good friendship. I say you both should try your luck and see what happens."

The blonde took a swig at her drink. Who knew confrontation made people extremely thirsty? After finishing the glass, she wiped her mouth with a napkin. She looked at the silver-haired teacher and smiled. "Thanks, Kakashi."

"No problem, kid."

The touching moment was short-lived. Suddenly the sound of keys being inserted into the lock and the click that signalled the door was unlocked meant one thing. The door whooshed open and closed then a voice called out. "Naruto? Kakashi?"

"In the kitchen." Kakashi answered.

The sound of steps was fast approaching and finally in came Sasuke, stunningly attractive as ever. "Hey.", he greeted. Despite his arrival, none of the two addressed him and simply opted to stare at the raven- haired teenager. Finding the lack of usual chitchat that came with Naruto unusual, Sasuke curiously eyed his ward and his best friend, noting the small humoured smile on their respective faces. "Did I miss something?"

The question brought a round of chuckles, the cause of which Sasuke was completely oblivious about.

"Tell you all about it soon, S'uke." Naruto supplied then continued to happily consume the delectable meal that was given to her.

llllllllllllllllllll

"So what were you two laughing about earlier today?" Sasuke asked Naruto while the latter paced around the balcony of Kakashi's home. The two had decided to talk outside seeing as it was such a nice day. The orange sky that accentuated the redness of the sunset brought such a calming peace to Naruto that the matters that had first been so daunting to her seemed insignificant now.

"Hm? Oh, Kakashi and I just had a talk." She vaguely answered. If it was one thing Sasuke disliked, it was vague answers.

"About?" He probed further, letting his eye involuntarily twitch at the withheld information.

"Can't tell you." She winked at him teasingly. "I need to talk to Sakura about it first." She giggled when she saw the look Sasuke was shooting her. It was a good thing that that glare of his didn't work on her anymore; otherwise, she'd probably have broken into cold sweat.

When the glaring didn't stop, she stood next to Sasuke and leaned her elbows onto the fencing in the same way Sasuke was. "No can do, Sasuke-bastard. You'll just hafta wait for it." She grinned lopsidedly to add to Sasuke's frustration.

"Che. Be that way then."He turned and leaned his back against the metal bars of the balcony and rested both his elbows onto the hedges for added support. He had his back towards the brilliant setting sun which was good since the bright light was starting to hurt his eyes.

A comfortable silence fell between the two of them. Naruto took this time to enjoy the view of the magnificent sky while Sasuke gazed out at the slow formation of pinks and purples of the heavens that heralded the coming of night. This portion of the vast sky, although beautiful, was still undoubtedly inferior to the visual of the sun just behind him. It was just a shame that his eyes grew physically weary of the brightness; although, had he been given a choice, he would have loved to continue to look upon such luminous beauty for all eternity.

"Sasuke, how do you feel about... being in a relationship with someone?" Naruto asked the question out of nowhere which startled Sasuke. What brought this about?

"Why are you asking?"

"Just... answer the question." Blue eyes chose to avert themselves from the other individual.

Sasuke took a few seconds to collect his thoughts and to formulate a response. "I think it's a waste of time." Naruto visibly sagged from his answer which did not go unnoticed to the young Uchiha. Suddenly, Sasuke had the strong urge the restate his answer. "It's a waste of time if you're with someone just to be in a relationship. But if someone I really truly cared about felt the same way I did, then I actually wouldn't mind it. Being in a relationship, I mean." Shit. Did he actually just say that? The hell was wrong with him today?

Naruto looked at him with mild surprise. She, herself, couldn't believe that Sasuke could actually say all that crap. The blonde breathily chuckled at the joy she was experiencing from Sasuke's response.

It's painfully obvious that Sasuke holds you in high regard. He cares very much about you. The last thing he'd do would be to drop you just because of your feelings.

Kakashi had said those exact words. Maybe she actually did have a shot.

"W-why'd you ask?" There was cautiousness in Sasuke's query. They were dabbling into unfamiliar territory. Uncharted topics never before tackled as friends. It was natural that Sasuke was treading over this very carefully.

She modestly smiled at him. "I just wanted to know how you felt." The answer had a double meaning that was purposefully done by Naruto's part. But Sasuke was sharp, and he picked up on it.

"You want to know how I feel?" Sasuke turned his head so he could look at her more clearly. The light of the sun hit Naruto's face at such a perfect angle. Never had Naruto looked as ethereally gorgeous at that moment. Her bright blue eyes akin to the most precious of gems were stunningly sparkling. The lines on her cheeks were accentuated by the light but enhanced her features significantly instead of marring it. The gentle breeze delicately blew her tresses of adorable pigtails. The pale tangerine glow of their surroundings seemed like God had created the sunset for Naruto and for Naruto alone.

The sudden shift of her blue eyes from his onyx depths to his thin lips was not overlooked. However the gesture was too abrupt that Sasuke had to doubt himself slightly. Her attention was back to his eyes once more and... was it just him or were they closer now than they had been two seconds ago?

Contrary to what he thought, Naruto actually had not shifted from her position. Rather, it was Sasuke who was instinctively leaning in ever so slowly. Despite being the genius that he was, he was clueless as to what was going on. He was confused why Naruto had looked different at that instance. Why everything else seemed to blur and Naruto was at focus. Why he kept looking at her lips the way he was. Why he was physically closing the gap between her and himself. Surely it was simply because Naruto was his best friend, right

Right?

At that moment, Naruto was utterly incapable of thinking. Her body had gone to autopilot and she was now prey to her emotions. All that mattered was Sasuke.

Before both could get completely lost in each other's gaze, a particular pinkette was just about to round the corner to the Hatake household. As she turned the corner that would lead her to the house, the sight of her two close friends in an intimate moment immediately greeted her.

"S-Sa? Sasuke?" She'd managed to peep out with a tinier voice than her usual tone. Although it was not her name that was called, that small squeak was enough to break the spell Naruto was currently under. Her eyes widened to their fullest as she saw in her periphery the sight of pretty pink hair just below the balcony.

The blonde fully turned her attention to their audience all the while looking mortified."Sakura-chan..." It was then that Sasuke finally snapped out of his daze and followed Naruto's line of sight.

"Sakura? What are you doing here?" Unlike Naruto, Sasuke was unaware of the horrors of the current situation.

"I... I just noticed th-that some of the things I bought for you were still with me... so I decided to come by and ..." She was speaking yet was not looking at the apple of her eye. Sakura kept her stare right at the blonde beside her love. Sasuke caught this and looked to see why the older girl was looking up at Naruto so strangely. To his surprise, Naruto's tan skin had gotten pale. She was horrified over something if the gnawing on her lip was any sure sign.

"I guess I'll ... I'll leave this here." Sakura spoke and gently put down the bag she was carrying onto the cement path. She quickly turned and speedily walked away.

"Sakura-chan!" Naruto screamed out to her yet the other girl refused to halt her departure. Before Sasuke could question further, Naruto was suddenly gone from her place and the sound of the glass door being slammed closed was heard.

"Huh?" Sasuke tried to follow suit but just as he was about to open the same glass door Naruto had carelessly closed, the girl was out the front door and running at top speed.

"Sakura!" She screamed after her.

"Naruto, what's going on?" Sasuke shouted from atop the balcony yet he received no reply as Naruto was gone from the property and had evidently followed Sakura to God knows where.