DISCLAIMER: No matter how much I want it, I do not own Naruto. I am still only borrowing the characters and promise to return them in good condition – well, maybe slightly battered...

Warning -

So in celebration of Halloween yesterday - my favorite holiday - this chapter contains character death... kinda... Oh yes, I am a cruel, cruel woman!

Chapter Thirteen:
One Huge Problem

I am a crooked soul trying to stay up straight
Dry eyes in the pouring rain
Where the shadow proves the sunshine
~Switchfoot~

"Um, what about your place?" asked Naruto hopefully.

"I guess we can go to my place, but what about Hachiko?"

"Hachiko?"

"My cat."

"Oh right… actually I already figured that out."

"What?"

"Yeah well, I was hoping that I would be able to spend more time with you so I looked into it. Kurama told me that if I repress him, you cat wouldn't sense him. I wasn't doing that before, which was why he attacked me. Plus, I got something else that will help."

Sakura couldn't help but melt a little - that he thought so much of her, he tried to find a way to get along with her cat. It was so sweet. She asked, "So what did you get that would prevent Hachiko from using his natural instincts?"

Naruto lead her into the living room. He searched through a cabinet and pulled out a small baggy filled with dried, green leaves. "Kiba told me to get him high!"

Eyes narrowed and an angry frown crossed her face. "What?! You are not giving my cat drugs!"

"It's catnip, Sakura-chan. It makes cats happy."

Mollified and yet still a little uneasy at her cat's potential reaction to him, Sakura exited the apartment, walked across the hallway and opened her door. "Do you want something to drink while we wait? I have water, tea, juice, and wine." She had grabbed a bottle of it on her way home from the hospital the other night on impulse for the next girl's night.

"Wine sounds good. Just tell me where your corkscrew is and I'll open it up."

She saw Hachiko lazily saunter past her and head towards Naruto. "I'll get it." She pointed at the cat and added, "Why don't you give him that cap nip before he does anything."

"Good idea." He opened the baggy and spread some of the green leaves on the rug next to him. "Here kitty-kitty. Gooood kitty…"

Naruto held his breath as Hachiko slid underneath the couch. A paw came out and swiped at the little pile.

"Well, so far so good." Elaborately casual, Naruto leaned over and rubbed the top of the cat's head when he poked out to roll in the leaves.

"I'm so relieved. I was really worried that he would do something again," Sakura said as she turned her back, opened the drawer next to the refrigerator and pulled out the corkscrew. "I would hate for our date to end with you in the hospital."

Equally casual, Hachiko sank his claws into Naruto's hand.

Naruto wrenched his hand away and spilled the contents of the bag in his lap. The long scratches oozed blood.

Hachiko smirked and licked his paw as if to rid himself of Naruto's flesh.

Stupid cat.

She found her wine glasses and set them on the counter and poured each of them a glass. She brought them to the couch and handed him his. Hiding the scratch, he stood and held his up in a toasting salute.

"To a sweet, sexy, beautiful woman: thank you for making me a very happy man and giving me a chance." Sakura clinked her glass to Naruto's.

"You're welcome. I'm glad you convinced me to." They each took a sip of their wine. "So what movies did you bring?"

Naruto looked down at the movies in his hand almost sheepishly. "I brought four because I couldn't decide. I have two comedies, a drama, and an action." Sakura moved closer to him so she could see them and each title she read made her laugh.

"Did you do this on accident or did Ino tell you what my favorites were."

"I wanted to pick something you would like, but wasn't really sure." It was kind of odd to see the usually confident Naruto all flustered, but Sakura had to admit to herself that she kind of liked it.

"Why didn't you ask me? It's not like I wouldn't have told you my favorite movie."

"I don't know. I thought that maybe it was a test or something when you told me to pick the movie; like you wanted to see if I would choose a bunch of guy ones." Pink dotted both of his gorgeously sculpted cheeks, and Sakura was glad she wasn't the only one who was nervous. Taking pity on him, she grabbed her favorite of all four and showed him.

"Anything with Princess Gale in it. I've always loved her since we met her in that mission to the Land of Snow. Now you won't have to ask Ino next time you have a movie question about me."

Naruto's eyes brightened and a wide grin split his face as he visibly relaxed. "So you're saying there will be a next time?"

Not wanting to answer a question like that until later in the night, Sakura handed him the DVD and gave him a shove toward the TV. "Shut up and go put the movie in."

Naruto was still laughing as he opened up the DVD player and put in The Princess and the Samurai, and then came to sit on the couch. "Do you want me to start it now?"

Sakura took a seat on the far end of the couch and folded one leg under her. "Why don't we wait for the food? I hate stopping a movie in the middle."

Naruto sat down at the other end of the couch, and copied her pose. He was turned toward her with his arm casually laid across the top of the sofa. Neither one of them said anything for several moments, and Sakura couldn't take the silence anymore, so she went for something generic. "How's work?"

Naruto's sinfully gorgeous lips pulled up into a heart-stopping smile. "Good. I got some pretty great news today, actually. Lord Kumosaki started his tour of the villages. We can leave the day after tomorrow for the Firefly mission."

"That is great news. I have been looking forward to it for a while now." Sakura beamed as she thought of the beautiful spa and inn. Even the tiny village where it was located nestled in the mountains had a reputation for its charm. "You know, I was training with Lady Tsunade the other day. She mentioned something about this mission helping me to improve my stamina."

"Huh… Maybe she wants you to practice your stamina with me?"

Sakura blushed at his comment and choked on her wine. She hastily set down her glass and said, "What?!"

Naruto gave her an innocent look and replied, "Well, Kakashi Sensei said that they have a huge open field for shinobi to use…"

Thankfully, there was the sound of footsteps in the hallway outside and then a knock on his door that saved her from having to say anything. Naruto stood and walked toward the door, pulling his wallet out on the way. She smiled at the silly green frog that he still carried. While he paid for the food, Sakura tried to pull herself back together as she went to the kitchen to get plates and chopsticks out.

Naruto came in and put the bag of food on the counter, and started opening the containers. "This smells so good. Have you ever had Asanebo's?"

"Yes I have, but it's been a long time since I've been there. Whenever I eat out, I usually grab something on the way home. They do make the best sushi though."

Sakura handed him a plate and a pair of chopsticks, as they worked around each other getting food. Making their way to the living room, Sakura grabbed a pillow and sat it on the floor in front of the coffee table, and Naruto did the same. He reached for the remote and pushed play as they began eating and watching the movie in silence.

Hachiko, lured by the strong scent of cap nip all over the blond shinobi, crawled into his lap and fell asleep while Naruto pet him with his free hand.

~o~O~o~

"I'm so full." Naruto rubbed his hands over his stomach and moaned. "While nothing beats Ichiraku's ramen, this was really good."

"It really was." Sakura stood and tried to pick up his plate but he moved it out of her reach. He picked up the limp, still sleeping cat in one hand, cradled him in his arms and then got up and took her plate.

"Hey!"

"You said you don't like being interrupted during a movie. I'll take the plates in the kitchen and rinse them off while you sit back down and watch the movie."

Sakura made one more attempt to snatch the plates back, but their height difference made it easy for him to hold them high above her. With a cute little scowl, Sakura plopped down on the couch and resumed watching the movie.

While Naruto was in the kitchen, he thought about how the evening had gone so far. They were both nervous in the beginning, but that was to be expected. Now that they were done eating, Naruto wanted nothing more than to sit on the couch, with Sakura curled up next to him, and watch the movie. But there was one huge problem… and it was laid out on the counter.

Hachiko was dead.

He turned the faucet on high, hoping the sound of the water would mask his panic. "Okay, get a grip Uzumaki," he told himself, "This isn't your fault. Oh god, oh god, oh god! You didn't cause him to overdose. He just died… He was old… Oh god, oh god, oh god! It chose you to be its final resting place, Uzumaki. That cat chose to die on you. Oh god, oh god, oh god! She's never going to believe that! I killed her cat! Sakura's going to kill me!"

Naruto turned off the water, shoved the dead cat into his shirt, and edged over to the front door. With his back to Sakura, he said, "I'll be right back. I forgot the dessert at my place."

He opened the door and was halfway out when she said, "Come back, it's right there on the table."

"Oh… okay… great!" he said with a slightly sick smile.

~o~O~o~

He went back to the living room, and she was once again on the opposite end of the couch. He didn't want to make her uncomfortable in anyway, so Naruto sat where he was before and watched the movie all by his lonesome, still petting the dead cat. When the credits started rolling, he hoped Sakura would agree to watch another one, but he was torn. He knew he should tell her about Hachiko, but he didn't want the evening to come to such an abrupt halt.

A part of his brain kept telling him that it didn't really matter when he told her. The cat would still be as dead at the end of the evening as it was now. Naruto was trying to think of a clever way to ask her when Sakura surprised him.

"Do you want to watch one of the other ones?"

Pure happiness coursed through him. "I'd love to. Which one?"

"How much would you hate me if I said the romantic one with Princess Gale? I haven't seen it in years." Naruto groaned on the inside, but thought it was the perfect opportunity to bargain for what he wanted.

"Okay, but on one condition."

Sakura eyed him suspiciously. "And what would that be?"

"You have to come snuggle with me during the movie," he said with a serious face. "I may need you to hold my hand so I don't cry."

Sakura rolled her eyes at his humor, giggled and then walked out of the room, telling him, "I'm just going to get a blanket."

Naruto gently set the cat down beside him at stared at him. He was about to put it in the bed he had spotted in the corner of the room, but just couldn't do it. With the most miserable expression on his face, he put his head in his hands and leaned forward to rest his elbows on his knees. The sound of footsteps coming from the hallway made him tense up. Sakura was probably going to throw him out when he told her the news.

Or kill him…

"Are you okay?" There was clear confusion in her voice and he slowly removed his face from behind his hands. Sakura was standing in front of him holding a big blanket and looking at him in puzzlement.

"Sakura-chan… I… um…" Naruto gulped nervously and said, "I have to tell you something."

"Is something wrong?" Sakura's eyebrows were drawn together and she looked anxious. Naruto hated to see her look that way, but he knew he had to be truthful. It was who he was.

He shifted his body so that she could see what he had been hiding. "I'm so sorry, Sakura-chan… your cat…" He paused and took a deep breath. "Hachiko is dead."

Sakura's expression changed from a frown to downright furious in two seconds flat just as he thought. "That isn't funny."

"I know. I would never tease you about something like that," he said softly. "I'm so sorry, but he is dead."

A small sob escaped her lips and Naruto shoulders slumped. He suddenly felt as low and inadequate as a Sound shinobi must feel every time he looked in the mirror. "I… I think I might have killed him with the cat nip."

Sakura sat down next to her pet and hesitantly put her hands on his rough fur. Green, healing chakra flowed from her fingertips even though she quickly realized it was useless. There was a hitch in her voice when she said, "Too much cat nip can make them sick, but won't kill them. Hachiko died of old age." Her eyes grew watery and her lip quivered a second before she burst into tears.

He didn't think as he stood up and wrapped his arms around her.

She was still holding the blanket, so Naruto let go of her with one hand and threw the blanket on the floor beside them. She threw her arms around him with her head tucked under his chin, crying without restraint until she's soaked his shirt. She muttered incoherent phrases between her sobs, but he couldn't make any sense out of what she was saying to him.

Small hiccups and sniffles were vibrating against his chest, and he held on tighter. "Take deep breaths, Sakura," he instructed.

"Just leave me alone."

It was a ridiculous order, considering that she had a death grip on his shirt. Naruto rested his chin on the top of her head and tightened his hold on her.

"No," he whispered, "I'm never going to leave you alone."

Odd, but that denial made her feel a little better.

"I'm really am sorry, Sakura-chan," he said. "I know you really loved him a lot. He may have been small in size, but he was huge in spirit. He was a fighter and you were lucky to have him even if only for a little while."

She had stopped crying, but still hadn't said anything. Naruto pulled back a little and placed a finger under her chin to tilt her head back. He wiped a tear off her damp cheek and kissed the tip of her nose. "Do you want me to take care of him for you? I know a beautiful spot where he can be buried."

Sakura shook her head and murmured in a hollow voice, "No, I need to do it. I'm used to it. Everything I love..."

"Everything you love what?"

"Breaks my heart," she whispered. She looked up at Naruto with pain filled eyes and pushed him away. "You need to leave. I shouldn't have done this. You'll break my heart too." She hated that her vulnerability had picked this moment to emerge, but that's what it all boiled down to; not wanting to put herself out there and be hurt. The simple fact was - Naruto was becoming known as a player. She didn't want to be hurt again. It had taken years to overcome the insecurities Sasuke caused in her when he told her she was useless and left.

"No, Sakura. I will never do anything to hurt you. I won't leave you."

"Yes you will. That's what you do. You move from woman to woman. If something like that happened, I wouldn't survive it."

Sakura ran into her bedroom and slammed the door. She sat on the edge of her bed and let the tears fall. Before she knew it, it had turned into a full body sob. She didn't know how long she sat there crying, but when warm arms wrapped around her and pulled her down on to the bed, she cried harder.

"It's ok, Sakura-chan. Let it go. I've got you." Naruto's sweet words set off a another round of tears. He was being so nice to her even though she knew she hurt him with her fears.

"I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. I understand." Naruto was rubbing up and down her back in a soothing motion. Sakura sat up, wanting him to listen. "Don't do that. It's not ok. I shouldn't have reacted that way. You deserve someone better."

Naruto sat up and was once again holding her. "I'm not Sasuke. I would never betray you like he did. If I could erase those memories for you I would. I would do anything for you, Sakura. Please trust in me. You are not just any woman. I would never do that to you. I know you're hurting right now. Please let me be here with you tonight."

"I know you're not him. I just can't help but feel like one day you'll wake up and realize I'm not a girly girl or one of those perfect girls like you're used to." Naruto let her go and stood up. She instantly missed his warmth.

"Damn it, Sakura. I want you. I want YOU! I don't know how many ways I can say that to you before it pierces that incredibly thick skull of yours." Naruto sounded sincere, but her pain was still too fresh.

"You know what; some of us have issues. Not all of us can deal with things as easily as you. And if you can't handle that some of mine may come up every now and then, then this," she gestured between them, "doesn't need to happen."

Sakura started to head to her bathroom, but strong arms grabbed her before she could make her escape. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled. I know that I've done a whole lot of stupid things in my life." Naruto placed a kiss to the back of her neck. "But the stupidest would be to ignore what we could have between us."

"You are going to have to be patient with me, Naruto. I'm trying here, but I can't change overnight."

"I know. And just remember who you're talking to here… I will screw up. You just have to put me in my place." He turned her in his arms and looked her in the eyes. "But Sakura, please don't give up on us."

Sakura inhaled deeply and blew it out, letting the tension go and melting into Naruto as his plea swayed her. "You're right. Please stay. I know I'm not really fit company right now, but I would feel so much better with you here with me."

Naruto nodded and gave her the space she needed as she searched her apartment for the things she needed to take care of the cat. With tears filling her eyes again, she gathered Hachiko in her arms, wrapped him up and placed him in a box.

After it was done, she sat on the other end of the couch and took a deep, shaky breath.

The small distance between them felt like a mile and Naruto wanted to hold her, so he held his arms open and Sakura crawled onto his lap. He draped his arms loosely around her waist as she got comfortable.

She turned the movie on - not really watching it, but needing the noise to distract her. "Thank you for being here for me and thank you for having patience." Sakura laid her cheek against his chest and sighed. "He really was a fighter, wasn't he?"

Naruto ruefully agreed, "He took me down pretty damn quick the other day."

He leaned over, grabbed the blanket from the floor and gently laid Sakura down. He slid behind her, covered the both of them, and said, "So how did you come to find him anyways?"

He let her talk as long as she needed until her eyes grew heavy and she drifted off. The last thing he remembered as he too fell asleep was watching the two main characters on the television slow dancing in the snow.

He fell asleep picturing him and Sakura dancing around his living room, with nothing but the sound of their hearts beating to lead them.

Oh yes - it is Omake time again. Many people asked me - who is the girl? Her name is Kiki and she just wants some lovin'!

Pervert's Paradise - An Omake

The front door opened with a crash and Sai came in looking very disheveled and sporting a black eye. He was carrying something under his arm wrapped in a sheet. He fell back against the door in relief and panted heavily for several seconds. After taking a deep, calming breath, he snuck over to the window and peered out through the curtains while Sasuke gazed at him with a lifted brow.

The Uchiha strode over to Sai and lifted a corner of the sheet. He said, "You know, you were cutting it kind of close. They should be here in about fifteen to twenty minutes."

"It was not my fault. There was quite a diverse selection to select from and you did tell me to choose the best one." Sai removed the sheet and sat the blow-up doll on the couch.

Sasuke's brow was furrowed as he stared at it. "It looks familiar."

"I think it bears a striking resemblance to Ino Yamanaka… except for the surprised expression. I have never seen Ino Yamanaka hold her mouth open like that. All of the models carried the same look. Why is that, do you suppose?"

"Hn." Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and shook his head, refusing to answer the question. More than ready to change the subject, he pointed at Sai's black eye and bloodied nose and asked, "What happened?"

"Actually, I am not quite certain. I chanced upon Ino Yamanaka as I was returning home with my purchases. She strenuously objected to "Kiki" here. When I informed her that she should be flattered due to the fact that I choose this model because of their similarities she was not pleased by my observations and proved it by punching me several times."

Sai looked up at Sasuke, a frown marring his face. "The bag broke open and the industrial sized box of condoms fell out as well as the posters of the naked females. Why did you not inform me that I would be labeled a sexual deviant?"

"Tch, I never told you to blow it up."

"Your instructions were quite explicit. You said to ensure that it had no holes. How else would I accomplish that feat without filling it with air?"

"Tch, you really are an idiot." Sasuke grabbed the blow-up doll and gestured to Sai. "Come on, we need to set up Naruto's room before he gets here."

Ten minutes later, Sasuke and Sai closed the door to Naruto's room and headed to their own. Sasuke's face held a satisfied smirk while Sai's was emotionless as usual. The blow-up doll was lying in a seductive pose on the bed, a video camera on a tripod was aimed at the bed, and some scented candles were lit. On the table beside the bed was a bottle of cheap sake with two cups and a glass bowl filled with condoms… and on the walls… lewd posters of naked women.

"So is this what you would call a prank?" asked Sai.

"I call it revenge for making me babysit those damn brats at the academy."

"You have hostility issues. You do realize that, right?"

AN:

Thanks to everyone that followed/favorited/commented on the last chapter! Please remember - no animal was harmed in the writing of this fic - lol!

This weeks recommendation is Ephemeral Peace by: BelleDayNight: Sasuke has returned to the village to throw a wrench in Naruto's plans to gain Sakura's affections and earn the title of Hokage. There is a new band of mercenaries intent on exploiting the bijuus. Sakura's life hangs in the balance. Just what will Naruto be willing to sacrifice to save her? There are only 5 chapters as of yet, however, I really like this author's writing and I'm sure you will too.

Ja Ne,

AZFAERYDUST