AN: Oh my gosh I'm finally continuing this story! Once again I apologize for the long wait, but I've been busy (it seems like I'm busy all the time these days!) but here it is! As an apology I've written a super-chapter that is twice as long as all the previous chapters! Thanks for waiting, I hope everyone likes it!
Tsunade smiled as she poured two glasses of sake, "He really has grown a lot over the last few years hasn't he?"
Jiraiya turned to his former teammate and accepted the glass that she held out to him, "Sure has. It happened so fast though. One day he was just this silly hyperactive brat following me around, but almost without me noticing he grew into a very promising young ninja."
The Hokage leaned on the railing beside her companion, "He'll be a great Hokage one day," she smiled, "Once he calms down a bit more. His parents would be proud."
"Yeah," Jiraiya sipped his drink, "I'm proud of him too. He may as well be my own grandson."
"He practically is anyway," Tsunade laughed, "I can see the resemblance!"
Jiraiya gulped down his sake and she refilled the cup, "He's like you in a lot of ways." she smirked, "aside from the fact that he's not a complete pervert."
The Toad Sage snorted, "It's RESEARCH you old hag." Tsunade glared at him threateningly and he quickly changed the subject, "What about your student? She's taken after you as well. She's an excellent medic, pretty, smart, determined..... and violent as hell."
She smiled, "Yes, I'm so proud of her."
Jiraiya reached for the bottle and refilled her drink, "I am sort of surprised though..."
"hmm?"
"You let them out of the village without an escort." he smiled and winked at her, "Don't get me wrong, I have faith in Naruto's ability to hold his own, and Sakura isn't the type to let him fight alone, but you're going to hear about this from those obnoxious elders."
Tsunade smiled mischievously, "I will if they ever hear anything about it. Besides, who said I let them go out alone?"
"You sent a team to keep an eye on them?"
She laughed, "Not exactly." the white-haired sannin tilted his head at her so she continued, "I'm not as worried about them getting attacked as I am about making sure they behave themselves; after all it's not as though they're going very far." she smiled at him, "I merely told Ino and Tenten what was going on. They love to be in on all the latest gossip, but unfortunately all I could tell them was where our darling students were headed...."
Jiraiya laughed, "That's very sneaky of you Godaime-sama, so when Naruto figures out what's going on you can claim that you had nothing to do with it huh?"
Tsunade downed her sake, her cheeks flushing with the alcohol in her system, "Something like that. Of course it only matters if he notices, and he'll be distracting Sakura so much that she probably won't notice either."
Jiraiya laid his arm across her shoulders, "Oh trust me, he'll notice. He's improved more than you know while we were away." he gave her a sly look, "I know you trained her well, do you really think Sakura will be that distracted by him?"
The blond nodded, "She lets her guard down when she's around him; I think it's because she feels safer with him nearby. I don't know if she'll ever admit it; well I don't know if she even realizes it herself, but Sakura loves him. Even if she never says it, it's true."
They stood in a companionable silence for several long moments, but she looked up into the face of her lifelong friend when he squeezed her shoulders.
He was looking up at the clouds drifting overhead and when he spoke his voice was almost a whisper, "It's almost scary how much they act like us isn't it?"
Tsunade's eyes widened a bit, then her expression softened and she smiled as she looked out over the city, "Yes."
She leaned into Jiraiya's side and he looked down at her, "That's why we have to keep them from making the same mistakes that we did. I don't ever want to see those kids sad."
"Yeah."
Ino tried to suppress the grin that was spreading across her face as she watched Naruto kiss Sakura's forehead before sending her off to the hot spring.
She had been watching from a distance as her friends interacted, and thanks to years of developing her senses she had heard most of the conversation.
The blond looked back at her companions hoping that they would share her enthusiasm; Sai was scribbling notes on a scroll with one hand and flipping through the pages of a book with the other while he muttered to himself.
Chouji was watching the situation unfold with mild interest, and Shikamaru was busy digging a cigarette out of his pocket, seemingly unaware of what had happened.
He flicked his lighter and held the small flame up to his face, but before he could light the cigarette Ino snatched the lighter from his hand and shoved it into his vest pocket.
Shikamaru grunted in annoyance as Ino tugged on his arm, pulling him deeper into the bushes where they were hiding.
She leaned towards him and whispered harshly in his ear, "Shikamaru, could you at least try to conceal yourself? At this rate even Naruto will notice you!"
Chouji leaned between them and shoved a chip into his mouth, "Actually he's gotten pretty good, the only reason they haven't noticed is because--."
Ino glared at him out of the corner of her eye, "Whatever, that's not the point. You're going to ruin everything if you get us caught."
Sai carefully tucked his book and his scroll back into his backpack, "So Ino-san, does this mean that Naruto and Sakura are lovers now?"
The blond gaped at the young anbu, "Sai-kun you...." she sighed and rubbed her temples, "It's really not that simple. I'll try to explain it to you later."
"But the kiss--"
Ino cut him off before he could get started with his awkward theories on human behavior, "Later Sai-kun."
Sai started to protest, but Ino silenced him with a look, so he retrieved another book from his backpack and began scanning the pages.
The blond rolled her eyes as she turned back to her teammates, "Sheesh that guy..." she looked back in the direction of the baths, "Hmm, I can't see them anymore."
Shikamaru waved her off, "Of course not, they were going into the bath remember?"
Chouji grinned, "Mmm, I want to try the baths too, this resort is really nice."
They heard a rustling overhead and they looked up to see Tenten waving for them to join her; Ino grinned and jumped to the older girl's side with Sai close on her heels.
Shikamaru looked at Chouji, but he just shrugged so they reluctantly joined the girls.
Tenten grabbed Ino's hands excitedly, "I got us a couple of rooms and I stole a glance at the hotel sign-in sheet, our rooms are right across from theirs! So what'd I miss? Anything good?"
Shikamaru groaned, "Only two? You mean I have to share a room with these two?" he rolled his eyes, "Just great, Chouji snores so loud it makes my teeth rattle and that guy" he gestured towards Sai, "he's just too troublesome."
Ino waved off her teammate's protests and turned her attention back to the older kunoichi at her side.
She grinned mischievously as she told Tenten what had happened while she had been away, "I wish we had brought a camera, this I had no idea that Naruto was so...so adorable!"
The dark-haired girl pouted, "No way! I can't believe I missed it! That would have been perfect blackmail material."
Ino nodded, "I know, I wish we had sent Shikamaru or Chouji to get our rooms. You would have loved it. I never knew he was such a big softie."
Shikamaru reached for his lighter again and this time Ino did nothing to stop him; he inhaled deeply and let it out with a sigh, "This is such a pain." he tilted his head toward Chouji, "How the hell did we get dragged into this?"
"Beats me, do you really want to argue with them though?" Chouji stuffed his snacks back into his pocket, "So why are we here anyway Ino? You keep saying that this is a mission, but what's the point in spying on Naruto and Sakura?"
The blond scoffed, "I said it would be like a mission. Besides isn't it obvious? If we didn't follow them then we'd probably never know what went on here, and where's the fun in that?" she grinned, "Anyway, someone has to make sure they behave themselves."
Tenten nodded enthusiastically, "Right! Think of us as chaperons."
Sai smiled at the girls, "It is also an excellent opportunity for me to observe the personal interactions of my teammates."
There was a low chuckle from below them and they all looked down to see Naruto leaning against the base of the tree with his arms crossed, "So should I plan on you guys joining us for dinner or would you rather just spy on us while we eat?"
Sai and Shikamaru seemed unsurprised by their friend's sudden appearance but Ino sputtered incoherently as he joined them in the tree, "Wh-when did you..?"
Naruto smiled at his fellow blond, "I suspected someone was following us as we left Konoha, but I wasn't sure until we were a few miles out." his eyes lit up with the grin spreading across is face, "At first I thought it might be an enemy, but Shikamaru tipped me off."
The young genius smiled and took another drag of his cigarette, "It'd be too much trouble if you decided to confront us. You have a habit of attacking first and asking questions later."
Naruto laughed and shrugged, "Well I can't argue with that."
Ino and Tenten glared at the offending shinobi and Chouji put a hand over his mouth to stifle a laugh.
The blue eyed ninja turned to Ino and moved closer to her, "So you really think I'm adorable huh Ino-chan?" He shot her a foxy grin causing the shorter blond to back away from him slightly.
"I think you said I was a 'big softie' too."
It took Ino a moment to recover from the effects of his fathomless sapphire eyes and the suggestive way that he was looking at her, but she soon regained her composure and went on the offensive.
He smiled a little wider, with a mischievous glint in his eyes; Ino tilted her head and smiled right back at him, no longer fazed by the taller ninja's behavior.
She reached up and placed one slender hand on his chest; and he stared at her in confusion as her other hand came up to squeeze his arm.
Ino took a step forward and winked at him, "Well when you say it that way..."
Naruto backed away from her, a light blush coming to his cheeks; but she kept moving closer until his back was pressed against the tree, "Ino I..."
She put a finger to her lips and traced his jaw line with one finger; then she leaned in close to him and whispered in his ear.
He fidgeted uncomfortably as her warm breath tickled the sensitive skin, "You know, if things don't work out with Sakura there's always me Naruto."
Naruto's face flushed scarlet and Ino pulled away with a laugh, "That's how it's done. You've got a lot to learn if you think you can beat me like that!"
The taller ninja slumped with relief when she backed away from him, but the blush lingered on his cheeks, "No fair...if I had gone that far you would have punched me in the face!"
Ino smiled and gave him a thumbs-up, "That's why it's better to be a girl."
Tenten laughed, "She's got a point, it does give us the advantage."
Sai stared at them, fascinated by the exchange, "Being a girl creates some sort of advantage?" he held is chin in his hand as he thought, "But being male acts as a handicap, allowing the female to punch the offending male if he trespasses on some unknown physical boundary?"
Chouji sighed and quickly changed the subject before Sai could continue, "So Naruto, if you knew you were being followed why didn't you say anything to Sakura?"
The blond shrugged, "I was going to, but after I realized who you were I decided it was better to not say anything. If she knew our friends were spying on us she would be angry," he shuddered at the thought, "You all know how she gets when she's angry, and she wouldn't hold back on any of you, that's for sure."
Chouji nodded seriously, "I think it was for the best. I really don't want to get on her bad side."
Shikamaru grinned as he put out his cigarette, "Oh? And what were you planning to do if she noticed us on her own and you hadn't said anything?"
"Play dumb, of course!" he laughed, "She'd believe it, and as much as I like you guys, if you piss off Sakura-chan I'm not getting in the middle. I've already been on the receiving end of those punches way too many times to risk it."
He tilted his head at Shikamaru, "Y'know, I'm not too surprised to see Sai here, but I'm impressed that Ino got you guys to go along with this."
The dark haired ninja shrugged, "When Ino wants something, she's a lot like Sakura, nothing can deter her. She's not the kind of girl who'll take no for an answer. Besides, with Tenten backing her up it was easier to just go along with it."
Naruto frowned, Damn he's lazy! he looked back at the girls who were trying to explain what had happened to Sai; both kunoichi appeared frustrated, but Naruto was grateful for the distraction; he turned back to Chouji and Shikamaru and spoke to them in hushed tones.
He sighed, "Isn't there anything you can do? I was kind of hoping for some time alone with Sakura-chan."
Shikamaru frowned, "Just what am I supposed to do?"
Naruto rolled his eyes, "You're a genius. Think of something."
Ino smiled as she leaned over Naruto's shoulder, "There's nothing he can do about it. We're here because we're supposed to be."
The taller blond raised an eyebrow at her, "What are you talking about?" his eyes widened, "Wait, how did you even know where to find us?"
Tenten smiled and leaned on his other shoulder, "That's just it. Godaime-sama is the one who told us where you were going."
"Huh? Baa-chan sent you? Why would she do that?" he blinked and put his chin in his hand, "and how the hell did she know about this? We decided without telling anyone..."
Shikamaru sighed, "She apparently overheard you two talking in front of the hospital." he shot the shorter ninja a meaningful look, "Godaime mentioned that she didn't think it was a good idea for you and Sakura to be out of the village by yourselves."
Naruto's shoulders drooped at the subtle mention of the constant danger that followed him everywhere he went, but Shikamaru ignored it and forged ahead with his explanation, "She didn't specifically tell us to follow you, she manipulated the girls into doing it on their own."
Ino frowned, "I wouldn't put it that way!" she shrugged at Naruto, "She just told us what was going on."
"Yeah, she did it knowing that after hearing something like that the two of you wouldn't let them out of your sight!" Chouji laughed at the annoyed looks the girls sent his way, "Face it, she used your own nosy nature against you."
Shikamaru nodded, "There's no one better to keep track of someone than a curious female."
Naruto laughed, "I see, so that's how it was." he tilted his head at them, "But still, I'm surprised that you guys got involved."
Chouji shrugged, "We were in the wrong place at the wrong time."
Ino rolled her eyes, but Naruto ignored her, "Well, I'm heading off to enjoy my bath while I still have time. You guys are welcome to join me if you want." he looked warily at Sai, "Except you. You can't come because you're a pain in the ass. Always saying freaky things..."
Sai smiled pleasantly at his teammate, "That's alright I would rather go do some reading, you and Sakura have given me quite a bit of material to study, besides, I've already seen your--"
He was cut off as a Naruto clone popped into existence and tackled him, covering his mouth and knocking the other ninja out of the tree.
The remaining ninja looked over at Naruto; he was glaring at the place where Sai and his clone had disappeared in the bushes and his cheeks were tinged with pink, "That guy just doesn't know when to shut the hell up!"
Naruto took a deep breath then he turned back to the girls, "I don't see any reason why you can't go, but you'll have to think of a good excuse to tell Sakura-chan," he grinned, "Or use a henge, just promise to leave me out of it!"
Tenten started to respond but he dropped out of the tree and began walking back towards the baths; Shikamaru and Chouji shrugged then jumped down and jogged to their friend's side.
The girls were left alone frowning at their backs; after a moment of silence Tenten turned to the blond girl at her side, "I want a bath too. So, what do you think we should tell her?"
Ino frowned, "Are you crazy? I'm not telling her we're here!" she crossed her arms over her chest, "We'll use a henge."
Naruto sighed in contentment as he lowered himself into the hot spring beside Shikamaru; Chouji leaned forward so he could see past the young genius and smiled at the blond, "You know, this makes all the trouble with the girls worth it; and it's great that we've got it all to ourselves."
Shikamaru smiled and leaned back against the wall of the bath, "I think you're right. We may have gotten dragged here against our will, but this really wasn't such a bad idea."
Naruto grinned and stretched his arms out over the water, "This is a really nice hot spring, and I have to admit, it's more fun having someone to talk to than hanging out in here by myself."
The blond leaned his head back and closed his eyes, with a chuckle, "Even if you're only here to spy on us."
He heard his friends shift beside him and he opened one eye; Shikamaru was watching him with a mildly irritated expression, "What's the matter?"
Chouji sighed, "We didn't come just because the girls dragged us here."
The blond laughed, "Let me guess, you used this as an excuse to take some time off. You guys are so lazy!"
"Naruto, that's not what this is about." Shikamaru stretched his arms above his head, then fixed his friend with a stern look, "We didn't think it was a good idea for you to be wandering around outside of Konoha without backup."
Naruto smiled reluctantly, "Come on what are you talking about?"
Chouji splashed his friend and Shikamaru grumbled a protest as he was caught in the attack, "Naruto, don't play dumb, we already figured out what's been going on; we've been in the loop for awhile. Shikamaru's even been helping predict the Atkatsuki's movement."
Naruto looked startled so the large ninja smiled reassuringly, "You don't have to try to explain, it doesn't matter. We're your friends; you always try to look out for us, we're just returning the favor." he shrugged, "Besides, by now most of us know about It. It's not a big deal for us."
"Naruto, I know you like to be impulsive, but next time let someone in on your plans," Shikamaru smirked at the shocked blond, "I know you're a student of one of the Legendary Sannin, and I know that you're really strong, but you don't have to fight by yourself. You and Sakura are our comrades, the two of you can't handle everything alone."
Chouji grinned and gave him a thumbs up, "Yeah, we may not be students of the Sannin, but our teacher was pretty famous too. You can count on us."
The normally hyperactive blond stared at them as he ran through everything they had said over and over again, trying to decide what to say.
Shikamaru put his hand on his friend's shoulder, "We're not the only ones who know about this. It's alright, no one cares. You're one of us; that's what's important."
Chouji nodded, "That's right, we'll stick with you!"
After a moment of silence Naruto grinned at them, "Thanks guys," he let himself sink a littler lower into the bath as he rested his head against the edge of the hot spring, "It's nice to know you've got my back." he sighed, "Still, I was hoping for some....alone time with Sakura-chan."
Chouji laughed, "We hear you. Don't worry, we'll make sure the girls 'lose track' of you for awhile."
Shikamaru groaned, "Ah what a pain! We'll do it, but you're buying us dinner!"
"Fine, fine!" he eyed Chouji, "That's really gonna cost me but it'll be worth it."
The three ninja sat in companionable silence as they soaked in the steaming bath; suddenly there was a shout from the other side of the wall that separated the men's bath from the women's followed by a loud splash.
Chouji chuckled, "Sounds like Sakura just discovered the other girls."
"You know, you would think that they would be a little more subtle than that," Shikamaru smirked, "I wonder what Ino is going her as an excuse."
Naruto stared wide-eyed in the direction of the women's bath, "Whatever they tell her I really hope that they leave me out of it."
Naruto stretched, enjoying the way the hot spring had loosened his muscles, as he followed Chouji and Shikamaru out of the bath, "Mmm that felt really good." he looked around, scanning the area, "Looks like Sakura-chan isn't out here yet. I think we still have a few more minutes."
Chouji nodded, "So how do you want to do this? Should we leave then come back and pretend to find you again?"
Shikamaru shook his head, "That won't work. Sakura has already seen Ino and Tenten. If it was just Tenten that would work, but Ino is our teammate; she'll be suspicious if we have different explanations as to why we're here."
"So what should we do?"
"We should just wait here with Naruto; the girls will probably come out together, and Ino will find a way to tell us whatever she told Sakura. I think that's the safest bet."
Naruto crossed his arms, "Hmmm, I think we're forgetting something..." he trailed off, lost in his own thoughts.
Suddenly he snapped his fingers and turned to Shikamaru, "I know! What about Sai? What are we gonna do about that guy?"
Shikamaru groaned and put one hand to his forehead, "I almost forgot that he came here with us, he's gonna be a problem. He's not only out of place just hanging out with us, but he has no idea when to stop talking."
"There's not much we can do about that at this point," Chouji shrugged, "We'll just have to cover for him as best we can. How about I go find him and see if I can get him to understand."
Naruto nodded, "Please take care of it for me Chouji, I have to stay here for Sakura-chan."
The larger ninja nodded, "I understand."
He stopped when Shikamaru put his hand on his friend's arm, "Too late. Look."
He nodded in the direction of the women's bath; both Naruto and Chouji turned to follow the young genius' gaze.
Naruto groaned, "Crap it's the girls, we don't have time to find Sai. This could get ugly."
Shikamaru patted the blond on the shoulder, "Don't worry so much, this is some time off not a mission."
Naruto turned and looked at his friend, "Have you ever been punched by Sakura-chan?"
Both of his companions shook their heads, and Naruto shuddered, "Believe me, she can be scarier than anything a mission can dish out. Given the choice between an S-rank and facing Sakura-chan when she's mad...I'll take the S-rank anytime, it's less dangerous!"
Naruto suppressed another shudder as his gaze wandered back towards the approaching kunoichi; he froze and his eyes widened in horror.
Chouji placed one large hand on his friend's shoulder, "Naruto? What's wrong now?"
The blond continued to stare as he pointed towards the girls, "We are so screwed." his friends looked at him in confusion, then back towards the bath, "Sai is already with the girls..."
Shikamaru grimaced, "Ah crap! He's gonna give us away for sure! Damn, why did I let Ino and Tenten drag me out here?"
Sakura's eyes lit up as she spotted them, "Naruto!"
Ino, Tenten, and Sai followed her as she jogged up to her teammate, "There you are!" she smiled, "I see you met up with Shikamaru and Chouji, I was surprised when Sai told me that they were on a training mission, but this should be fun."
Naruto blinked at her in confusion, "Huh? Training mission?"
The pink-haired kunoichi nodded enthusiastically, "Yes, Sai was just telling me that they are spending some time together to improve their team work. Our teams work together fairly frequently because we're familiar with one another's style, but Sai is still so new to our team that he's at a disadvantage."
Shikamaru smiled at the small group standing behind Sakura; Ino and Tenten just shrugged and Sai smiled back at him.
Chouji grinned and gave the pale anbu a thumbs-up; Sai tilted his head at the gesture then copied it and stared at his own thumb. The large chunnin tried to suppress a laugh and shook his head as Sai turned to Ino with a questioning look.
The blond kunoichi just smiled and waved him off then dragged him closer to the small gathering of ninja, "Hey there Naruto," she winked, "How's it going?"
Naruto looked at her over Sakura's head and forced a smile, "Hi girls, Sai, good to see you."
Sakura tugged on the sleeve of his guest robe so he looked down at her, "I hope you don't mind Naruto, but I invited them to join us for dinner, it is my birthday after all and I thought it would be nice to spend it with all of my friends."
Naruto beamed at her, "Of course I don't mind Sakura-chan! You can invite whoever you want, we'll make a party of it."
Sakura smiled up at her teammate, "Thanks Naruto! I'm really happy"
She turned back to the others; Naruto's expression softened as Chouji slung an arm over the small woman's shoulders and wished her a happy birthday.
He felt himself smiling as he watched her chatting happily with their friends as they walked towards the main resort building, I'm really glad you're happy Sakura-chan.
He was startled out of his thoughts as Shikamaru leaned on his shoulder, "You really do love her don't you Naruto?"
"Yeah," his gaze fell to his feet, "I just wish I knew how to make her see me as more than a friend."
Shikamaru nudged him with his elbow, "I think she already does." he turned and looked into Nauto's sapphire eyes, "I just don't think she realizes it herself yet." he smiled, "Keep being yourself and make sure to tell her exactly how you feel. You have to be serious with her, she won't know what to do with you if you goof around."
Naruto closed his eyes, "Thanks Shikamaru, but I already know who she likes," he sighed, "but if she'll let me take his place.....even if it's only for a little while, I'll be happy."
The blond grimaced as Shikamaru slapped the back of his head then slung his arm across Naruto's shoulders, "Don't be an idiot Naruto."
He smiled encouragingly, "Don't give up so easily; it goes against your nature. You're not a substitute for that selfish bastard, you're way too good for that. We all know it even if you don't, Sakura knows it too. She's not comparing you to him anymore, you've earned her respect and she sees you for who you are."
Naruto smiled, "You think?"
The dark-haired ninja nodded and patted Nauto's shoulder, "Of course, and I can guarantee that given the choice, anyone in Konoha would chose you over that guy every time."
Naruto started to respond, but he was cut off as their friends called to them; they looked up to see Tenten waving at them, "Shikmaru, Naruto hurry up! We're hungry!"
Shikamaru released his hold on Naruto and started towards the small group; Naruto jogged to catch up, then fell in step with the taller ninja, "Thanks Shikamaru."
"Anytime."
Sakura grabbed Naruto's arm and pulled him to her side, "Sheesh, we almost left you two behind!" she looked up at him, "What were you guys talking about anyway? You looked so serious..."
Naruto bit his lip as he looked down into her emerald eyes, trying to decide what to tell her, "Uh, ah well he was asking if I was alright, because I was feeling a little dizzy."
She tightened her grip on his arm,"Naruto!"
He blushed and tried to reassure her with a light-hearted smile, "I'll be fine Sakura-chan! I think I was just in the hot spring a little too long..."
His pink-haired teammate looked up at him with worried eyes, "I think you're right Naruto, your face is flushed! Idiot, you shouldn't have stayed in for so long!"
She tugged on his arm, pulling him to a halt, "Hey everyone!"
Naruto groaned inwardly as their friends turned back to them with quizzical looks; Sakura waved them over, "Naruto has a bit of a fever from being in the hot spring for too long so I'm going to take him back to our room so he can rest for a bit."
Ino eyed the other blond, "Hmm, his face is kind of red." she turned to Sakura, "Well while you take care of him how about the rest of us go get some takeout and bring it to your room?"
Sakura narrowed her eyes at the other girl, "That would be great, thanks Ino. It's the first room on the second floor."
Tenten gave her a thumbs-up, "Leave it to us. We'll be back before you know it."
Shikamaru looked at Naruto with one eyebrow raised and Naruto shrugged; Ino looked from one boy to the other, then shrugged and grabbed her teammate's hand, pulling him along behind her.
Naruto scrambled in his pocket for his wallet, "Wait, hold on a sec!"
Ino turned back to him, "Yeah?"
He tossed his wallet to Shikamaru, but the other ninja shook his head and tossed it back, "Don't worry about it. You can get it next time."
The blond looked at him with wide eyes, "But you said--"
Shikamaru interrupted him with a wave of his hand, "I changed my mind."
Before Naruto could protest, his friends turned and walked away; Sakura put one hand on her hip as she looked up at her teammate, "What was all that about?"
Naruto's blush deepened as he thought about his recent conversation with the dark-haired genius, "Ah, well, just something from when we were talking earlier...."
Without warning Sakura grabbed his wrist and pulled his arm across her shoulders then wrapped her other arm around his torso, "Explanations can wait. Your face is really red now, we need to get you cooled off." she clutched the back of his robe, "Hold onto me so you don't get dizzy and fall while we're going up the stairs."
The blond felt more heat rising to his cheeks, "Really I'm okay Sakura-chan."
He grimaced as she pinched the sensitive skin on the underside of his wrist and started walking towards their hotel room, "No arguments."
Naruto sighed as he allowed her to lead him up the stairs, "Alright, alright, sorry!"
They climbed the stairs in silence; it took them only a minute to reach the door of their room, but it seemed much longer to Naruto, who was acutely aware of Sakura's lithe frame pressed close against his side.
They stopped in front of their door and Sakura fished in the pockets of her robe for the key, "Hmm, I know it's here somewhere..." she paused in thought, "Damn! I think I left it in the room with my forehead protector!"
She turned to her flushed companion, "You have yours right Naruto?"
"Yeah," he tried to pull his hand away from her to reach into the pocket that was currently flattened between their hips, "I'll get it."
Sakura tightened her grip on his wrist then reached into his pocket with her free hand, "I'm not letting go of you until you're sitting down. The last thing I need is you falling down the stairs and breaking your neck."
Naruto's face glowed red as she wormed her fingers into the pocket that was pressed between them; he averted his eyes and tried very hard to focus elsewhere as her groping fingers fluttered against his side, "S-sakura-chan...."
"Aha!" the pink-haired kunoichi held the key up in satisfaction, "Good thing you didn't forget your key too."
He slumped against her, relieved that she had found the key so quickly, "Yeah, really good..."
"Naruto, hang in there!"
She quickly unlocked the door and pushed it open with her foot, dragging her teammate into the room with her.
He shuffled along at her side as she led him to the couch and pushed him onto it, "Wait here, I'll get some ice to put on your head," she fixed him with a stern look, "Got that? Stay put."
"No problem Sakura-chan"
She nodded in satisfaction and crossed the room to close the door and retrieve the key, then disappeared around a corner and into the small kitchenette.
Naruto slumped back against the soft cushions and sighed heavily, "Man this is getting out of hand, she's touched me before, why the hell am I being so sensitive now...?"
Sakura re-appeared a moment later with a glass of water in one hand and an ice pack in the other; in an instant she was at his side pressing the glass into his hand, "Here drink this."
Naruto flinched away as her fingers brushed against his; he nearly dropped the cup, but Sakura placed her fingers over his to steady his hand, "Geeze Naruto. I guess it can't be helped..."
She kept her hand on his as she guided the glass to his lips, "Drink."
The blond did as he was told, inhaling deeply through his nose and gulping down the cool liquid.
Once the cup was empty Sakura nodded in satisfaction and held the ice out to him, "Put this on your head."
Naruto held up his hands and shook his head, "I'm all better now Sakura-chan. That water was just what I needed, so you don't need to worry about me any more."
The ice crunched between her fingers as Sakura tightened her grip on the ice pack, "Naruto, you idiot, your face is still all red so quit arguing with me!"
He didn't have time to respond because she plopped onto the other end of the couch; in one smooth movement she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him over until his head was resting in her lap, then unceremoniously dropped the ice pack on top of his head.
Naruto stuttered incoherently as he looked up at her; from his position on her lap, the curves of her figure appeared very prominently and he was suddenly grateful for the ice that was cooling the heat that was rising to his cheeks once more.
Damn it! I need to get a hold of myself!
He tried to sit up, but Sakura placed one slender hand on his chest and pushed him back down, "You're not going anywhere until I'm sure you're alright, so you might as well get comfortable."
The blond sighed in resignation, Ah what the hell? I might as well enjoy this while I have the opportunity.
He squirmed his shoulders into a more comfortable position and pressed the side of his head against her belly as he took a deep breath; relishing her familiar scent.
"Sorry about this Sakura-chan."
She pushed the ice pack lower over his face so it was covering his eyes, then smiled fondly at the young man, "You're such an idiot Naruto, if you hadn't stayed in the bath so long we wouldn't be in this position in the first place."
"Sorry..."
The pink-haired medic brushed his hair back from his face, letting her fingers linger in the golden spikes, "I really wish you would take better care of yourself you know, and part of that is listening to me when I tell you to do something."
She tapped his forehead with the tip of her finger, "I'm trained for this sort of thing, I know what I'm talking about Naruto."
She paused waiting for a response, but the room was silent except for the sound of his breathing, "Naruto?"
He emitted a soft snore as he nuzzled into her; she stared down at him for a moment, then slowly lifted the ice pack so she could see his face.
She blinked at him, "He's asleep." his face was still a bit flushed, but whether it was from the ice or the hot spring she couldn't say.
Sakura sighed and covered his eyes with the ice again, "Sheesh you idiot! Really, who falls asleep in the middle of a conversation!" she fought the urge to push him off the couch, "I can't believe you."
The young medic absently toyed with his hair as she settled herself back against the couch, I guess this isn't so bad, she lifted the ice again and settled it higher so she could examine his face.
She smiled, He is so cute when he's asleep.
Sakura sighed as her thoughts drifted to the conversation that she'd had with the Hokage earlier.
The door to Sakura's office swung open on well-oiled hinges and Tsunade walked into the room with Shizune close at her heels.
Sakura dropped the paper she had been reading and immediately got to her feet, "Good afternoon Tsunade-sama."
The Hokage smiled at her student, "Good morning, we came to wish you a happy birthday Sakura."
The young kunoichi inclined her head, "Thank you very much."
Tsunde smiled mischievously at her, "So Sakura, any plans for tonight? Perhaps you're doing something with Naruto?"
Sakura blushed lightly, "Ah, yes. He asked if he could pick me up from work; I think he has something planned..."
The two older women exchanged a knowing look, "I see, well you'd better work hard and be finished on time, you don't want to keep him waiting."
"Y-yes, I'm almost finished here unless you need me for something."
The Godaime nodded in approval, "Good we're fine here, so why don't you take tomorrow off? Shizune can cover your shift." she winked, "Consider it our gift to you. You'll be able to stay out as late as you like."
Sakura bowed, "Thank you Tsunade-sama, Shizune-san."
"My pleasure Sakura."
The two older kunoichi turned to leave, but Tsunade paused in the doorway, "Sakura."
"Yes?"
The older woman smiled, "Try to make sure that Naruto has a good time too. He'll do anything to make you happy, but he never really gets to celebrate anything, so I think he's really looking forward to this. I know he's precious to you, so you should try to make him smile too don't you think?"
Tsunade walked out of the room and closed the door behind her without waiting for an answer.
Sakura stared at the place where her teacher had stood, mulling over her words, "He's looking forward to this too huh?"
Her thoughts were interrupted when she felt Naruto shift against her; he snored loudly as one of his legs slipped off the side of the couch and he threw one arm over his head so it was resting across the armrest.
Sakura rolled her eyes as the blond continued to snore and mutter incoherently in his sleep; once again she found herself caught between admiring him and the urge to hit him.
The pink haired kunoichi sighed and leaned her head back, "Naruto you idiot, what am I supposed to do with you?"
She continued to twist his hair in her fingers; with a smile she realized that he must have washed it recently, his hair was even brighter and softer than it usually was; she realized that he must have done it for her since he had a tenancy to be unaware of his appearance.
Whenever she had complained to him about it, he had always smiled and told her that he didn't need to be clean to train or go on missions because he was only going to get dirty again anyway.
Sakura smiled, But he felt he had to wash up for me huh?
"Mmmmm Sakura.....chan..."
The young medic smiled fondly at her teammate, "You think about me a lot don't you Naruto?" she watched him with a thoughtful expression on her face, "I've been thinking about you more too. What should I do?"
AN: BTW Has anyone read last weeks Naruto chapter yet? Ch 445? Like seriously? The dog? REALLY? The hell Kishi? -_- I don't even know what to say. Damn character origin flashbacks...Naru-kun you should kill them both now just for having a crappy, generic back-story.
