AN: I'm really not feeling the happy ending ness, though one of them will definitely not have a happy ending so perhaps my wrath will have sufficed by the time I write the ending. I'll leave this a cliffhanger until I figure out exactly what I'm doing with the next chapter. Sorry folks the plot well has run dry, leaving me with no other options.
Naruto sighed, scratching his head. He had to find Teme. Rising to his feet he opened his door and low and behold the proud Uchiha stood outside of it, his arm raised in a knocking gesture.
"Teme" Naruto spat out.
"Dobe" Sasuke replied, blinking.
"I'm still angry with you." Naruto said, turning his back on him, leaving the door open. Sasuke took the hint.
"I know" He replied, following after him and shutting the door. "I thought this apartment was condemned." He asked.
"It's not like you to make small talk" Naruto replied gruffly, huffing as he had a seat on his couch with his ramen.
"I…" Sasuke paused searching for words.
"Ever the talkative one" Naruto jabbed, slirping.
"This isn't easy." Sasuke replied.
"When is it ever easy, Teme? You messed up. Big time." Naruto retorted with a snort. His focus went back to his ramen.
"I'm sorry." He managed finally.
"You even managed to sound sincere, Teme. I suppose the hokage will give you a gold star or whatever she gives her top anbu members"
"I'm serious" Sasuke replied frankly.
"I know." Naruto replied equally frank.
Sasuke sighed. "I didn't expect you to make this easy on me. I know I don't deserve it." Sasuke rumbled.
"You're damn right you don't deserve it, Teme. You've taken the one thing that meant everything to me."
"You'll still be Hokage, Naruto." Sasuke replied.
"And that's supposed to make me feel better, Teme? What a lovely consolation prize. I suppose that's meant to soothe my ruffled feathers?"
"How about your wounded pride?" Sasuke retorted eyes narrowing.
"Get out." Naruto snarled. "I knew this was impossible. She's the only thing that keeps us together and now the only thing that will drive us apart"
"Shit…here we go again, starting a fight. She'd be beating us senseless if she was here." Sasuke growled, frustrated with himself.
"Good thing she's not" Naruto replied flatly, hurt.
"It was my fault, okay. Whatever anger or rage you've got you better damn well take it out on me, because she's innocent. She tried to avoid me, begged for me to leave her alone. Damn it, she loves you, Naruto."
"Yeah and that makes what you did even worse" Naruto replied.
"We never did what you're thinking. I never slept with her, Naruto. Even if you've lost your faith in me you should know better. She would never do that to you. The most we did was kiss and I always initiated that. This only happened 2 days ago, Naruto and she and I were both going to tell you this morning and sit down about it."
"Why couldn't you have told me before?" Naruto asked throat hoarse with emotion.
He kept the tears at bay but his whiskered cheeks quivered.
"You told me when you came back that it was fine? You pretended like things were alright between all of us. Gods Sasuke you've lied from the very did you pick now of all times to do this?" He asked, swallowing tightly.
And then Sasuke saw it. The small square box that was lined in velvet that sat on his coffee table.
"Naruto…" Sasuke swallowed painfully. The kyuubi bearer shook his head not wanting to hear it.
"You love her." Naruto said.
"You love her" Sasuke replied, sinking to the floor as he sat, resting his head on his knees. "I had no idea…"
"The hell you didn't. I've been saying I was going to marry her since we were kids." Naruto snarled.
"Naruto, you were three." Sasuke replied with a roll of his eyes
"It doesn't matter. I meant every word" Naruto snapped.
"It does matter. Sakura was in love with me. She's always been in love with me. And…I've always been in love with her" Sasuke replied, heavily.
"W-what?" Naruto asked, eyes wide.
Sasuke nodded.
"When we were Geinin? Chunin?" Naruto asked.
Sasuke nodded. "Then why the hell did you treat her like shit?" Naruto rose to his feet, grasping Sasuke's shirt in his clenched fists as he raised the teme to look at him.
"Because I didn't know how." Sasuke admitted looking Naruto straight in the eyes. Naruto's eyes widened by the depth of sincerity echoing in Sasuke's.
"I couldn't deal with my parents death, the death of my entire clan. I was so angry because I was so torn up I ended up pushing both of you away. I couldn't bear the thought of loosing anybody else. I didn't want to loose anything anymore. I didn't want anything to begin with after that. I wasn't strong enough…" Sasuke said, hanging his head.
Naruto released him, raking hands through his hair frustrated. He knew what he had to do. The knowledge left a bitter aftertaste in his mouth. His heart shattered and Naruto knew. He had given up everything for the man in front of him, would give up everything he amended as he clenched his fists before calmly releasing them.
"She knows?" He asked, eyes startling calm and clear, though dark as a storm.
He nodded. "She knows that I love her. She knows that you love her. She loves us both." Sasuke replied.
"Then there's only one thing left to do" Naruto said with an air of resignation. He looked at Sasuke with forlorn eyes, though he was determined. Sasuke sighed, shaking his head in dissaproval.
"You want her to choose, don't you?" Sasuke asked.
Naruto nodded. "I think she needs to." He replied.
"It'll break her." Sasuke replied.
"Maybe she needs to be broken some" Naruto replied. "Whoever she chooses will take a year long mission." Naruto said.
"Hokage sama will agree?" Sasuke asked eyebrow arched. "What about your team?"
Naruto's jaw clenched. "I suppose you're pretty confident, aren't you?" He replied with a scowl.
"You know I didn't mean it like that" Sasuke said, hurt.
"I know you didn't." Naruto replied. "and to answer your question, I don't know. But if I have to, I will take my team with me to sand for that year." Naruto replied.
Sasuke nodded. "If she chooses you, I will remove myself from Sakura's squad, and see if I can sign on to the hunter nin" Sasuke said.
Naruto nodded. "I think we both need some time alone to think" He replied.
Sasuke nodded. "I'm sorry, Naruto." Sasuke repeated as he left.
Naruto sighed. Teme had apologized not once but twice. Surely something had changed in his stone hearted friend.
…………………………………………….
Sakura knelt by his graveside with her single lily. She placed it by the headstone of one Yamato Taichou, and sighed taking a seat in the grass as she stared at the sun and the golden purpled colors fading across the sky. She felt his presence and relaxed closing her eyes in the light breeze as she smiled softly.
Sai landed, walking and taking a seat next to her, elbows resting on his knees as he watched the sunset with her.
"What is it about you and this place, Taishou-Hag?" Sai shook his head disapprovingly, pulling out his sketchbook. "Between you and Kakashi senpai I might as well roll out my bed roll and make camp here"
"It's peaceful. The only place I can get away to think sometimes. Besides I hadn't visited Yamato Taichou in a while." She said, with a sad smile.
"You? thinking?" He asked. Sakura swatted him.
"You know… if you had chosen him, you wouldn't have been in this mess in the first place" Sai said, pointing to the grave.
"Thanks, Sai. I'm so glad you approve of my choices in life" Sakura rolled her eyes, though the pout stayed on her lips.
"I'm just saying you could have done better than Dickless or Fake. Yamato Taichou actually had a brain as well as a large penis" Sai replied.
She eyed the headstone with the picture. He had died protecting her from Orochimaru/Kabuto's last spiteful attack. The snake sannin had said he would die inflicting the most damage on team seven he could and dove after Sakura with his dying breathe. Yamato Taichou had stopped him with his very body ensuring that Sakura would come to no harm. Damn it. He was always protecting her until the very end. He had confessed his love for her with his dying breathe. It had ripped Sakura apart.
"If you hadn't been there for me, I wouldn't even be here" She remarked softly, sadly.
Had it not been for Naruto, Kakashi and Sai who had taken routine shifts to 'babysit' her she wouldn't have existed. It was how she and Sai had truly bonded. She had been so ready to give up. It was supremely selfish, but she had cherished those times, as she had never been alone, always in the company of one, or the entire team seven that was left. Granted her small apartment hadn't housed them all well, but it was family in truest sense of the terms, albeit one missing member. Sasuke hadn't returned during those times. He had only met Yamato Taichou once and it was to stab him with his sword whilst under the guise of Orochimaru's tutelage. Sakura scowled as she thought of the dark haired Uchiha.
"Thinking about Fake? Tsk. Tsk. Taishou-Hag. He's troublesome"
"Yes, he is" She agreed eyebrows drawn.
"You know you still have two other members of team seven to go through before you've dated and enamored the entire team. You could choose Kakashi or Me and leave the both of them in the dust. It would almost be worth dating someone so ugly to see the look on Dickless and Fake's faces." He told her with a grin as he got comfortable lying on the grass as he sketched.
"Kakashi is a pervert through and through and we would kill each other first." She said, matter of fact. "Kakashi was my sensei…And you're my co captain. Mixing business and pleasure…That's just wrong" She said with a sigh.
"That's right you only go for your low ranking subordinates" He grinned.
"Shuddup" She growled, knowing Sai was teasing her.
"What? It's certainly easier to control a subordinate, and we all knew Naruto was how they say 'whipped'." Sai grinned.
"Jerk" She muttered, and lay beneath the fading sun next to Sai.
"I'll take it that you're not quitting Team seven then?" Sai asked her.
"No…damn it." Sakura scowled. "Kakashi talked me out of it." She replied sullenly.
"Good, because I wasn't about to stay with Fake and Dickless" Sai replied.
"Sai!" Sakura scowled.
"They're idiots of the highest caliber, Taishou- Hag" Sai replied simply.
"Sai, Team seven is family!" She growled. "Besides… And I'm not?" Sakura asked, feeling touched that he had finally said something nice about her
"No, you're my dog ugly Taishou-Hag." Sai replied. "Bastard" Sakura glared.
Sai's eyes caught hers and swept meaningfully towards the forest. Sakura nodded. She wasn't a complete idiot so as not to notice their presence.
Kakashi poofed into existence with his typical "Yo" greeting. He proceeded to bury his face in his Icha Icha. Sakura supposed she should be grateful. At least he had come and bothered to sit with them. Naruto was still hanging back in the trees apparently observing.
"Naruto, stop being creepy and get your ass over here" Sakura scowled.
Naruto knew better than to argue when Sakura had that sort of tone. He made his way hesitantly to the group eyes filled with trepidation. In his hand he held a dozen daisy's tied together with string "Sakura chan, I-"
"Don't you dare, Uzumaki Naruto. We both know you're not sorry for what you did. However I know you are sorry that you hurt me right?" She asked, pink eye brow arching.
Naruto had opened his mouth only to close it and nod. Sakura nodded in return.
"I'm still mad at you. But…. I won't leave the team for something so petty either." Sakura replied.
"SAKURA CHAN!" Naruto wailed, launching himself at her in a hug as he sniveled. Sakura sighed and petted his blonde hair absently.
"And we still need to talk, the three of us…whenever… he shows up" Sakura replied bristling.
Naruto nodded, eyes sad, but he forced a smile to his face. He handed her the flowers which she thanked him for and set aside lest she want to pick the petals off of them like she had in her youth. She supposed she was too old to play that game any longer. Her situation was not a game. They enjoyed the setting sun and weren't disappointed as the stars winked into existence under the purple night's sky.
"Stupid Teme…never shows up when you need him OW-" Sakura's poke to his stomach halted his interjection of her peaceful state.
They felt his presence. Naruto eyed Sakura wondering how she wanted to approach the situation. Sakura sighed.
"We should head to my house" She said, as she got up dusting the grass and dirt off of her. Naruto followed her as they walked to Sasuke.
"We'll continue this at my house" Sakura told him, eying both him and Naruto as the two took off.