Disclaimer : Nah, I don't any of them.

Four Friends, Two Couples

A/N This chapter will involve other characters. There'll be abit of InoChouji. NejiTenten.

Chapter 2

Sakura woke up beside Naruto, her back flushed against his toned body. His arms were around her waist. She had to get up and collect the herbs and she slowly pulled away from him. He stirred and mumbled incoherently. She smiled. That was so typical of him. "Sakura-chan" He whined. His eyes still closed. She giggled, looking at his comical face. How many times have she heard him calling out her name since they were in Team 7. Back then, she would find it annoying thinking that he was probably having some kind of erotic dreams about her. But it had stopped when Naruto and Hinata were dating. Hinata. How could she done this to the girl. It was so unfair for the innocent girl. She stood up and put on her clothes. She had to gather the herbs and clear her mind.

She opened the door of the hut and found Ino and Chouji outside

Naruto woke up to find himself alone. "Sakura" he called her, only to be answered by a different person.

"Sakura went out to gather some herbs. Chouji and I are here to assist both of your injury and escort you back home safely." Ino said. Naruto just nodded and went back to sleep, to dream of Sakura in his arms again.

Hinata was awake, lying on the bed looking up the ceiling of the cave. Sasuke was next to her, hands on top of her body, his palms on one of her breast. She reflected upon what happened few hours ago. It had felt surreal and wondered if she was dreaming but feeling his breath against the bare skin of her shoulders, she knew she wasn't. It felt good. It felt right. But was just so wrong. Because this is not how she is suppose to be. She is suppose to be a loyal girlfriend, to Naruto - the man she loves. She wasn't suppose to be tempted to lust, she knew she was capable than to succumb to lust and sins. She had to get out before he woke up. She could never be able to face Sasuke. She slid of him, put on her clothes and head back home in the still heavy rain.

Sasuke woke up when he couldn't feel Hinata's body beside his. "Hinata" he called. Silence. He sat up. He looked around, his clothes were on top of the table but hers were missing. "Hinata?" He called her again. Was he dreaming? He wondered. He looked at the blood-stained sheet on the floor. It wasn't a dream. It was real. She was real. And it meant that she had left him.

..-..

Naruto and Sakura were not being themselves. Chouji and Ino could see that. Naruto hardly cracked stupid nor would not eat as much as he was capable off and would go back to bed right after, excusing himself for being to sleepy and tired. All he ever does was to look at Sakura longingly, when he thought others would not notice.

Sakura would not talk much. She did her task roboticly. She would give Ino and Chouji one or two short answers to the questions they asked. She would eat in silence and asked Ino to help give Naruto his medicine or change his bandages. It almost look like she didn't care. But when Sakura thought nobody was looking, she would look sadly at Naruto when he was sleeping.

Sasuke had not seen Hinata for few days since that day. When he visited her at her home, Hyugaa mansion. He was denied.

"Hinata-sama is not feeling well." The suffix Neji would use when he's around the Hyugaa household. "She is down with high fever and did not want to have any of her friends visiting her." Sasuke nodded. "She came back soaked the other day and looking very..." Neji looked at the Uchiha boy. "...confused. Do you know what happened? Or where she went?" Neji questioned him.

"Iie." He lied. "Perhaps, she was worried about Naruto."

Neji gave a nod. "When Hinata-sama is better, you can come visit her." Sasuke nodded and he left.

The moment Hinata felt better, she went to the Hokage's office and requested for a solo out-of-Konoha mission. She wanted to do something so that she would get her worrying mind off Naruto - the reason she gave to the Hokage. Tsunade looked at her skeptically but she gave Hinata a mission that would take about two weeks. She said her thanks, went back home to pack her things and left for her mission.

"You just missed her Uchiha." Neji told him. "She went out on a mission yesterday."

"When will she be back?" he asked. He hated her for avoiding him. He hated her for making him needing her. He hated her knowing that he was in love with her. And he hated it more realizing that she doesn't belong to him, neither him to her.

"Two weeks." There was a moment of silence. "Did something happened between the two of you?" Neji asked.

"Nothing happened." he turned back, heading for home.

Neji knew "nothing" was an understatement. Something had happened. He just didn't know what ... yet.

..-..

Hinata came back from her mission after two weeks. She walked slowly towards the gates of Konoha. She pass the guards and said her greetings. Her mission went well, but she had restless nights thinking, not about Naruto but the only surviving Uchiha. She walked, looking down at the scroll on her hands when she felt his eyes on her. She looked up and found him looking at her, twenty five meters away, eyes not backing away. What was it that she saw in his eyes? Longing, sadness and love. She found herself looking back at him

Sasuke waited for two weeks for her to come back and he finally saw her walked through the gates as she gave her greetings to the guards with her beautiful smile. He dared not approach her. All he could do was look at her, hoping she would look back at him and she did. Her eyes - regret, shame and confusion. He did that to her. He didn't mean too but it happened and he would take full responsibility of that, not because it was the right thing to do after bedded her but because he wanted too. He decided upon this while she was away. He hoped she would have the same feelings he held for her. All he needed was confirmation.

"Hey! Naruto and Sakura are back!" The guards yelled. Their gazes were broken to the four people walking towards the gate. Naruto and Sakura had insisted to head home as soon as they are not in critical condition. Naruto was beside Chouji, his hands around Chouji's shoulder for support. Sakura and Ino were behind, walking beside each other keeping unusually quiet.

Hinata ran towards Naruto. She held him tightly around his waist and and cried into his chest. She cried, partly because he was alive and safe but also because of what she had done. She couldn't forgive herself and she was afraid. Afraid of what the future would hold but his soothing words calmed her. Once she had stopped crying, she looked up at him and led him to the hospital before giving a glance back to where Sakura and Sasuke stood.

Naruto held the girl crying onto his chest and he wrapped his arms around her petite figure. He felt guilty but he whispered soothing words nonetheless. She must have been worried, he thought and what he did was unforgivable on his part. She led him towards the hospital, his hands around her shoulders, her hands around his waist. He glanced back to meet Sakura's sad emerald eyes and understood what it meant.

Sakura looked at the couple. How silly of her to think that she could have Naruto back. Hinata will always be there for him. Even thou Naruto and herself recently realized they are in love both knew they could never hurt Hinata in anyway. She couldn't bring herself to confront the girl with the truth and she knew neither could Naruto. She gave a bitter smile at the irony of things - realization that is too late. Fate twisted in uncanny ways - as she watched the pair walked away.

Sasuke looked at the two couple. Arms around each other. He and Hinata might have looked like that during those nights during their wait. Only this time it wasn't him embracing her. He walked towards Sakura and asked if she was hurt, in his usual manner. She simply nod. Only now he noticed, the difference he treated both women. With Sakura he acted most of the time indifferently, since the time they were only Genin and she accepted him just the way he is - assuming that he is just being Sasuke. Hinata on the other hand, stirred emotions he had never felt before and he inclined to show her how much he cared - through his words and gestures. He watched as the couple walked away and he had his confirmation. As much as he wished it wasn't true, how he wished she would feel the way he did for her, still seeing is believing. He is after all a Sharingan user.

The rest of the Rookie Nine, Team Gai and their sensei were at the gates of Konoha once they received news of Naruto and Sakura safe arrival. The four never noticed that their friends were around, preoccupied with their own thoughts. Not much words were exchanged between the four and none between Sasuke and Naruto. Their friends looked at the four, sensing something just wasn't right. They may have a straight face but their eyes betrayed themselves. But no one spoke of it.

..-..

Hinata had to kiss Naruto in front of her friends and sensei. She could only blushed to their tease. The girls pushed her towards Naruto and they both stood in the center of the crowd. "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!" they cheered. She and Naruto doesn't have much choice and so she stood in front of him tiptoed towards him, hands placed on his chest, eyes closed. He leaned towards her and their lips met. It was soft, warm and innocent but it felt different. No longer she felt her toes curled like she used too when he kissed her. Her heart no longer beat so fast when he neared her. The kiss, it felt platonic. Her eyes wondered around after they broke the kiss looking for a certain onyx eyed man. He was looking straight at her, expression unreadable but his eyes betrayed everything.

Naruto tried not to kiss Hinata in front of the crowds, not when Sakura is one of them. He knew it would hurt Sakura if he did what was told. If only things were like it were before, he wouldn't mind. He loves Hinata just not that way anymore. He wasn't sure how things went wrong. Was it because Hinata had always been there for him that he felt indebted to her? But he couldn't bear to hurt her either. If only he could ignite some feelings for her again. Perhaps the kiss would just help find it. The girls had pushed her towards him and he caught her in his arms. Looking at each others eyes, they leaned forward to capture each others' lips.

Sakura didn't join in the cheer. She should but she couldn't. It hurts too much to see him with someone else. And she wondered why she is still holding to Sasuke when she knew her heart now is somewhere else. Why does it have to happen now? Why was she so blind not to see her true feelings she had for Naruto years ago. She seems to have lost everything again. She saw them leaned towards each other and she had to look away.

He didn't want to come for the celebration. There really nothing much to rejoice - not for him anyway - seeing Hinata in someone else's arm, his best friend's arms. But he came. Just to be able to see her again. She compels happiness and sadness to his every being at the same time. Nobody had managed to do that to him. Not even Sakura. He saw them lean closer then all he could see was Hinata. That soft hands of hers when she had touched him, that lips that kissed him. It took him all of his will to stop himself from going over and pull her off him and claim her as his.

It was a welcoming celebration, a month after Naruto and Sakura came back alive and safe. They ate, drinks and played games. Naruto is back being himself that is until one of the game was to kiss Hinata on her lips. Their friends cheered them. Hinata could only blush while Naruto tried to get out of the situation. Sakura and Sasuke did not comment on anything. Usually it would be from the two to have said something that would riled Naruto up. When they kissed everyone noticed that the four were far from being themselves. Their eyes said it all. And they knew what happened but they did nothing.

..-..

The four tried to work on their relationship. They try to spend more time with each other hoping to forget the other person that resides in their heart. The hoped that they would fall in love again with the one they were with. Hinata and Naruto were out in the town of Konoha, getting some ice cream. They sat on one of the benches - opposite a jewelery shop - under a tree which provided much shade. They talked much about the weather. Naruto made jokes, Hinata laughed. Sakura and Sasuke were out strolling in the town of Konoha, fingers entwined. They stopped in front of a jewelery shop.

Hinata and Naruto saw the pair from where they were seated. Their jokes stopped. "Are they -" Hinata asked. She couldn't complete the sentence.

"I don't know." Naruto replied. He didn't want to know. "We should go. They probably don't want anybody to know if they have anything plan." Naruto said. Hinata nodded and they both walked away hand in hand. She didn't want to know either.

From where Sakura and Sasuke stood, they could see Naruto and Hinata from the reflection. Sakura pretended to look at the ring on display but she was actually watch the pair talking and laughing. Sasuke, looked to his right away from Sakura and the display, pretending he was not interested in anything, but from the corners of his eyes he saw Hinata and Naruto from the reflection.

"Let's get in the shop. We're suppose to help Asuma-sensei collect the ring he bought for Kurenai-sensei. I think it's the same one on display. Beautiful right?" Sakura pointed to a 2 carat solitaire-cut diamond ring.

When Sasuke turn to look at the jewelery, he saw a pearl ring with two small diamonds on either side of it. He thought it would fit Hinata perfectly.

..-..

Naruto had just came back from his solo mission without any problem. Even the Hokage was surprise at his completed mission. It was not a difficult one but everyone thought of him as someone who would get into trouble before he is able to complete his task. He plopped onto his bed, hands behind his head and stared up the ceiling. He was given another solo mission the next day - another simple one. Still, it would be good to just rest at home - it was already past noon - and try to think of nothing. Not Sakura, Not Hinata and not even Sasuke. He was staring blankly when there was a knock on the door.

Hinata knew he had just completed his mission. She decided to prepare him lunch and visit him at home. She care enough for him, but in a different way. She had been pushing - forcing - herself to try and recover that feeling she once held for Naruto. It never came. How long have this been going on, she wondered. She knocked onto the door and was greeted by Naruto.

"Hinata..." he looked shocked, as if he wasn't expecting her to come. It wasn't his fault, she reasoned. She came without telling.

"Umm...I brought you lunch. I know you just came back." She handed the bento box to him.

"Arigato." He took it and side stepped from the door. "Come in" He closed the door behind once she was in. "I'm having another mission tomorrow."

"So soon?" she question. She stood near to the doorway.

"Hai." He nodded. "But it's just a simple one."

"Oh. Then I guess you should be resting. Since you just came back from one, and now given another for tomorrow." She walked towards the door.

"You are leaving so soon? Aren't you going to accompany me for lunch?" Naruto whined and pouted. Even in his turmoil of emotions, he was able to mask it all. He have always been good at this. Hinata giggled. How sad she may feel, Naruto would always be able to make her laugh.

"Iie. I've got to run some errands anyway. And you do need to have some rest." She opened the door with Naruto behind her. He said his thanks before kissing her on her forehead.

Sasuke was dragging himself back home from his training, with bruises and cuts on his body. He didn't care about the pain. It wasn't that painful compared to what he felt. For the past one month he had been training during his free time. It wasn't his intention to get stronger - it wasn't exactly his priorities. All he wanted to do was to get rid of Hinata in his mind. And he pushed himself but as hard as he tried, she never left him and he wasn't really sure if he wanted too. He cursed as he felt a jolt of pain at the side of his stomach and he almost fell onto the ground when someone caught him. He looked up and saw a familiar pearl orbs, looking at him with a worried expression.

Hinata had gathered the herbs - kept in a bag - which was needed to make her ointment. She was heading back home when she saw a figure stumbling. She rushed towards him before he could fall onto the ground. He looks battered and she wondered what happened to him.

"What happened to you?" she asked in her small voice. He did not answer but push her away and tried to walk before he stumbled again. "Let me help you." She offered and she put her hands around his waist and put one of his hand around her shoulder while his other hand supported against the picket fences. He did not protest when she lead him to his home.

She helped him gently onto the zabuton in the engawa before taking a basin of water and a cloth to cleanse his wounds. She kneeled beside him - who was sitting cross legged - and removed his shirt slowly and gently, afraid that she could hurt him and continued to clean his wounds.

"Were you training?" she asked. He simply nodded. "You should be more careful." The blood on his body were gone only small cuts bruises were seen. She was glad that the cut weren't so deep but even so, he had overused his chakra which ended him in such state. She took her last ointment and applied on him and when her fingers came to a blueblack spot on the side of his stomach, it lingered. She grazed it with her fingers absent mindedly.

He felt her fingers grazing on his skin, soft and warm that it sends shivers down his spine. He looked at her. She seems to be too preoccupied with his bruise that she did not notice him staring intently onto her beautiful face looking slightly downwards, eyes hidden by the soft bangs. He was mesmerized once again. He wanted to touch her again - just once - and he reach out for her. His palms against the silken skin of her cheeks.

She felt something warm against her cheeks and she rubbed against it while she close her eyes. She then felt the other side of her cheeks another similar warmth and her face was pulled up. She opened her eyes facing the man with the onyx eyes. They held each others' gaze for a moment before leaning for a kiss. It started as soft before it became heated.

He lifted himself off from the cross legged position to kneel in front of her so that he could hold her as close as he could. His hands on her back, his fingers in her hair and she likewise. He unzipped her jacket and discarded it off to one side and ran his fingers down her arms. Their breathing ragged. His lips trailed from her lips to her neck then to her ears.

"I love you." he whispered. All that pent up feelings he had for the past months. All that he wanted her to know. It was all too much for him to take and that moment when he said those words to her, he felt like a burden was lifted off his shoulders. Never he felt more relived, happier. He doesn't even care anymore if she felt the same for him, even though he hoped that she does. He just wanted her to know.

She shot her eyes open upon hearing those words. She had succumb to lust - again. And she pushed him off her. She could see the hurt in his eyes, but he said nothing. "I...I-" she couldn't find the words. "I'm sorry." and she ran, from him.

In the silence, there was only him. He picked up her jacket. The last rays of the sunset settled into the engawa. On other days, it would have looked serene and beautiful, but not today.

..-..

It was past eleven and Sakura couldn't get to sleep. There were too many things on her mind - Naruto, Hinata, Sasuke not forgetting her workload in the hospital. She had been distracted for the past few months and it had been getting worst for the past few days. She needed to clear her mind. She decided to go for a walk and get some fresh air, hoping it would help her collect her thoughts.

It was near midnight, Naruto had finish packing his things for tomorrow's mission and was about to go to bed when there was a knock on the door. He wondered who could it be and opened it to see Sakura.

"Sakura?" he thought he was dreaming. It had been weeks since he last saw her.

"I heard from Shizune that you are having a mission tomorrow." She asked

"Hai." they stood by the doorway in silence for a moment. "Sakura..." He stalled. "Why don't you come in." He put his hands on her back and gave her a light push.

She looked around and found his bag packed. "I'm sorry for coming this late."

"It's near midnight. Is everything alright?" Naruto asked. He was worried about her.

"Naruto..." she called him, her eyes downcast to her right. "Are you happy?"

The question took him by surprise. He wanted to say yes. But he couldn't lie to himself nor to her. "Iie" They were silent again. Too many things happened and he thought of the times he had spent with Hinata and Sakura. He was happy with Hinata, but in a friendly way. But Sakura...She was his light. He was too abstracted that he jolted from his thoughts when Sakura threw herself into him, her arms around his waist.

"I can't do this anymore." She was crying. "I can't pretend that I don't love you and love him instead." He wrapped his arms around her. "I'm not happy - not being with you"

"Sakura..." He kissed her head. "I can't either."

..-..

It has past midnight and Hinata is still not home yet. Neji is worried about her. He reached his destination - the Uchiha's compound - and gave a knock on the door. In a few minutes, it open.

"Have you seen Hi- " Neji saw that the Uchiha boy is holding onto his cousin's jacket. "Is Hinata here?" he asked, changing his sight from the jacket to the boy's eyes.

"Iie" was his simple reply, looking like he did not care. "She was here this afternoon thou." His arms crossed. "Help me clean my wounds." He continued when he saw the infamous 'I don't trust you' glare. "Maybe she's at Naruto's." Sasuke said. It probably make more sense for her to be with her boyfriend than be with him.

"She's not there." Neji had half faced him. "He was asleep when I went to his place. He never open the door so I used my Byakugan and she was not there." He half-lied. Neji had went to Naruto's place, but when he saw Sakura at his doorstep, he knew better. "I went to the training ground too." Neji turn around. "If you see her, bring her home."

Neji left the Uchiha compound and turn to the corner of the street.

"Is she with him?" A girl ask.

"She was." He said.

"So where's next?" The girl ask again.

"I'm sending you home TenTen." Neji said as he held her hands.

"But she's still out there. Shouldn't we go find her Neji?" She ask her boyfriend.

"No. But he will. And he will bring her home." He glanced back with his Byakugan activated to see the Uchiha was already dressed and out of his home, undoubtedly looking for Hinata.

"Shouldn't we just tell them already." Tenten was frustrated.

"No. It is not our place to get involve with their complicated love life. It's something the four need to sort out themselves. Come. Let's go" He tugged her gently.

"Will you be staying for tonight?" she asked as she leaned her head against his arm.

"Not tonight. I have to be there when Hinata get back home." TenTen nodded.

A/N Ok I know i Promise a two-shot. But seriously, it is longer than I thought. Well, the scene and plots are all in the head but when it come to writing it down. It really take so much time. And actually, I have few ways of going around each senario but then I finally penned it down in the way you all have read. I think the third chapter would be the last *twidle fingers* I really hope so too. Because it really is frustrating to be writing chaptered fan fiction and not complete it *Just take a look at the (other)stories i've written. Those chaptered fan fic are not completed*

Oh pls do review. It will just motivate me to write faster!! hehehe...Kidding...reviews make me happy. What makes me write faster depends on my inspiration and the urge to just keep on typing and typing and typing non stop.