This is short, but I know you all love me enough to let that slip ;D. Once again, thank you guys so much for your support! Uber love~ That's why I updated so early. I don't think I've even seen so much hate towards a towel though.. mwahaha, I AM twisted! Oh, and on behalf of my lovely anon-reviewer puzzleshipper here's how Sasuke completed the promise: He pretty much gave Naruto a feeling of worth. If you reread the interaction between those two from the last chapter, during soccer practice, I think you should pick up on it. Now, if any of you guys had a different interpretation, then do share ;o! I make Sasuke subtle and Sakura more... obnoxiously coincidental for a reason ;D. No worries, Naruto shall learn the truth eventually...

Warning: Uhhh, Naruto gets a little heartbroken D:

Disclaimer: I love you Naruto, but I do not own you... :/

Enjoy c:

Chapter Four: What's Not There

Naruto awoke to the fresh smell of flowers blended in with citrus—Sakura's signature smell. Eyelashes slowly fluttered. Blue eyes crept open to see the world. A smile danced on his lips.

'This is such a cool way to wake up,' he thought as he stretched out like a cat. Today he felt like doing nothing more than doing nothing but lay in bed, smelling Sakura's towel. 'I'd probably end up high or something.'

Sadly, Iruka walked in with a huge smile on his face. The air around him screamed, "I'm so happy! And you're going to join me!"

"Join what?"

"My breakfast extravaganza! That's what!"

Naruto begrudgingly got out of bed, being pulled all the way by an enthusiastic Iruka. "Why are you always so damn happy in the morning? Who died?"

Iruka was offended, and made it known by gasping—loudly. "What makes you think someone has to die for me to be happy?"

"I dunno. You just seem like that type of person."

Choosing to ignore his ward's stupid comments—Naruto babbled a lot in the morning, mostly nonsensical things—and forced him down into a chair. Happy tunes escaped in whistles as he flitted around the kitchen, grabbing plates and setting them on the table. He smacked Naruto's hand away from the steaming plate a few times.

"Don't touch or you'll lose your fingers."

"It's creepy how you say that all with a smile," Naruto shivered.

Iruka's smile increased. As he finally sat down to dig into his own breakfast he said, "You know how I went out last night…?"

"And then came home and crashed on the couch, drunk?" The blonde shoved down another morsel of his cheesesteak omelet.

The brunette waved his hand at the matter, "I wasn't drunk, Naruto. Just really tired! Anyway, I met someone."

"Guy or girl?"

"Hmm…"

"Wait… does that 'hmm' mean don't know his gender?"

"No. It just means I'm debating whether or not I should tell you who it is." He pondered on the thought for a moment, tapping his finger against his chin before a wicked grin crawled onto his face. "I think I'll keep you in suspense. Only until tonight, of course."

"Aww," Naruto pouted, "Why can't you tell me now?"

Iruka wagged his finger, "Now, Naruto. Where would the fun be if I told you so soon?"

The blonde sighed and pushed his food around the plate. "I swear. You get in these moods just to annoy me."

Iruka's smile spoke volumes. "You wouldn't be too far off."

+I Promise+

Towel—newly washed—stuffed snuggly into the confines of his book bag, Naruto bounded into school with a skip in his step.

"Seeing him this happy scares me," Gaara said as Naruto skipped right up to his locker and began fiddling with the locks.

"I dunnoo…" Kiba drawled. "Seeing a depressed blondie isn't fun, either."

As always, Naruto ignored his two best friends with a goofy smile painted on his face. He turned the lock, his hands magically moving it to where it needed to go, and unlocked it. His heart thumped and trashed loudly against his ribcage as he slowly opened his locker…

And saw nothing.

Kiba and Gaara could literally hear Naruto's heart breaking.

"Hey…" Kiba placed a comforting hand on Naruto's shoulder, "Maybe she's sick or something?"

"Maybe…" the blonde muttered as he closed the door shut.

Somehow, he didn't believe those words.

+I Promise+

It was the end of the day, finally, and Naruto's heart had finally reached its end. Sakura was there, at school, and she sat in art class giggling like nothing was amiss. For the first time in sixteen years Naruto wanted to snap at the girl for mistreating his heart like that. He sighed, though; realizing such an outbreak would probably get him nowhere…

Mulling around the soccer field, Naruto half-heartedly passed the ball to Kiba.

Kiba trapped the ball and planted two hands firmly on his hips. "Now, that was a loser pass. Where's the spirit?"

"Down the crapper," Naruto shot back. "Along with my day."

"So she missed one day?" Kiba passed the ball. "You're not going to commit suicide or something, are yah?"

"Well…" the ball rolled a little ways from Naruto

"Dude!"

"I was kidding… Jeesh!" the blonde jogged for the ball, used a cut, and then passed it to the brunette. A little fancy trick he learned from the Uchiha.

"You better have been, or else I'll kick your ass so hard, you'll never be able to sit down again!"

Before Naruto could shoot his own retort, Deidara along with his "fuck-mate", as he called it, Sasori jogged up to him with a bag of soccer balls and cones.

"Hey Sempais. What's up?"

"Training, that's what!" Deidara beamed proudly, though Naruto could see a little sadistic twinkle in his visible blue eye… "Little Raven isn't here today, so we'll be your trainers for the day."

"The bastard's not here? That's new."

"It's an Uchiha thing," the normally silent Sasori said. When he failed to elaborate on anything Naruto knew he wasn't going to get anything else from the redhead.

Kiba clutched his "aching" heart and moaned, "Oh no! Don't take my Naruto away! My heart can't handle the separation!"

"Grow a pair, Inuzaka!" Deidara barked. He grabbed onto the smaller blonde and started to yank him away. "I made sure you wouldn't be too lonely, though! Suigetsu promised to practice with yah." He called over his shoulder before he, Naruto, and Sasori disappeared over the hill.

"Oh Inuzaaaka~ Come get in the net! I'm feeling feisty!"

Kiba gulped, 'Oh FML…'

+I Promise+

It was a hellish practice. Sasori was secretly a devil in disguise and Deidara apparently had a thing for lacing the cones with mild explosives. So if Naruto were to say, dribble the ball accidently into the cone, not only would the ball be hit—and on some occasions explode—Naruto's leg would end up with either a nasty sting or bruise. And that was only the first half of practice.

"You people are evil!" Naruto yelled, thoroughly exhausted. He was spread on the ground, lying on his belly, and hoping an angel would come and whisk away his breaking soul. He didn't think he ever be the same after that work out.

Deidara smirked, "We know."

Sasori simply shrugged, but a smirk was on his face too. "Next time don't run into the cones. We don't want your leg blowing off."

"I'm not the one who said: 'Oh hey! Let's rig the cones with explosions! It'll be fun!'."

"And it was fun." Deidara said. "Well, for us anyways." He checked his watch. "Oops, looks like practice is already over. You did good today, kid. Though Sasuke's probably going to bitch about the lack of cones…"

"Again," Naruto cried, "not my fault!"

After Sasori and Deidara managed to peel Naruto's half-dead body from the ground, all three soccer players trudged down the hill. Jokes were thrown here and there. A few sexual comments had to be tossed in the air, too. And for a while, Naruto had finally forgotten about the little cracks that appeared in his heart from his disappointment.

And then he saw Sakura again and the cracks grew deeper and longer.

"The bitcheth comeths!" Deidara stage-whispered.

Sasori simply snorted.

"Fuck…" Naruto muttered, vaguely remembering he had Sakura's towel still in his bag and that the pink-haired field hockey player was coming right towards him. The blonde just wanted to spontaneously combust.

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura said after finally catching up to them.

"Gotta jet, Naruto! We'll see yah tomorrow!" Deidara sang as he grabbed Sasori's hand and pulled him towards his black jeep—probably to get fucked… but that's life.

'Ditchers!' his mind silently screamed. His heart was just pleading for the pain to be over with so it could crawl into the depths of his body and hopefully disintegrate in his stomach acid. Okay, yeah, that's not possible of ever happening. He clutched onto the strap of his duffle bag—a present from Sasuke. A smile failed to wiggle on his face, so it was more of an upturned lip than anything else.

"Hey…"

"I was just wondering if I could have my towel?"

"Sure." He dug into his bag, reluctantly gripping onto the towel and handing it over to Sakura.

"Thanks!" she beamed, but then the light died in her eyes. "Isn't Sasuke-kun here? I haven't seen him all day."

Naruto shrugged, "It's family stuff. Itachi's not here either."

"Oh…" she nodded slowly before she pointed something out. "Hey, you look a little sad. Something wrong?"

'Oh, I don't know. Maybe it's because I like you so much but you've just stabbed my knife with your long, pink nails.' Naruto thought sarcastically. His dark thoughts were clouds warring over his body. He tried to calm himself down. To put on a happy disposition and just bear through this conversation, but nothing was working. He inwardly sighed and mentally slapped a fake smile on his face. "Nope. Everything's A-Okay!"

She stared at him for what seemed to be hours. Naruto fidgeted. He felt like he was being placed underneath a microscope. Finally, Sakura smiled and patted Naruto's arm. "If you say so. I'll see you later, then?"

Naruto nodded, watching Sakura's form disappear from sight. He ignored the burning sensation that tore at his skin from where Sakura touched him.

We all know Iruka's lover is Kakashi ;). I don't know when I'll bring him into the story though. I'll see if I can wiggle him into the plotline. Anywho, as always, keep the reviews coming c:! We're saving baby pandas! Since this was so short, I'll probably update again tomorrow... but who knows ;).

Till next time :,D! Oh yeah.. by the way... SHINEE IS THE BEST. AND ALICE NINE. (: That is all. -insert humongous heart right huuurr-