Disclaimer: I do not own NARUTO. I do not take part of the creation, production and distribution of the said anime. The characters belong to Kishimoto Masashi. This fic is written for pure enjoyment and is highly fictional. If such occurrences happen to the original plot, then it is a case of pure coincidence.

Chapter VI

"A broken arm and some minor bruising. Thankfully your neck wasn't broken, Hokage-sama," Godaime Hokage-sama, Tsunade-hime informed the blond.

Naruto laughed nervously. "My foot kinda slipped off the railing, Tsunade-baasan…"

"Is that so?" The former San-nin appeared to be unimpressed. "You're lucky Kazekage-sama was around. That 'Desert Hand Technique' sure did save you."

The Rokudaime continued to laugh, scratching his head at the same time. "Yah! I overheard some of the nurses say that I fell seventy feet above the ground."

"I see. And did you overheard that it was supposed to be a hundred and fifty?" she questioned his consistency.

"Really? It was that high?" He laughed out loud. Naruto thanked the day Gaara was saved from death.

The medic-nin sighed and pressed on, "Rokudaime-"

"I appreciate it if you wouldn't add the title, baachan…" the younger blond snorted.

"Alright, Naruto." The older woman gave emphasis to his name. "I, as the Godaime Hokage, am requesting you to stop acting like an idiot in front of the general public. I did not give up my title just so you could throw your life so easily-" she was cut off.

"I would never do that, Tsunade-baasan. You know me better," he said reassuringly.

"Well, I don't know you any better if you deliberately slip on the railing!" she retorted.

He flinched. "How did you know?"

"I'm a medic-nin, remember?" she replied with much sarcasm.

"You are?" he asked inoffensively and earned a pinch. "Okay! Fine! You are!"

After a while she asked. "So?"

"So what?" he asked back.

"Why did you accidentally slip off the railing?"

He smiled a gentle smile at that and stared out of the window. The sky was blue. "I wanted to have her smile if I can't have her heart."

For the first time since his fight with Gaara, Rock Lee experienced terror. Silently, he read the sign up ahead: Yamanaka Flower. The taijutsu expert swallowed a big lump in his throat. This is it. This is what he came for so why did several butterflies have taken residence in his stomach?

'Ah… butterflies,' he thought wishfully. Just thinking of those delicate winged creatures made him think of his Sakura-chan. Sakura-chan, running across the meadows of flowers to him, arms wide open. But though the body was clad in green jumpsuit, it was not his hair, his eyes and definitely not his eyebrows that he saw.

It was Uchiha Sasuke's.

No! His Sakura-chan would never betray him! She's too faithful and loving to replace him for Sasuke-kun! The images in his mind though were so intimately close.

"Sakura-chan, will you leave Lee for me?"

"Of course not!" Lee sighed with relief. "

"No! SAKURA-CHAN IS MINE!" screamed Lee.

"Lee-san?" A soft feminine voice whispered behind him. He whirled about to see the intruder of his daydreams. It was none other than Yamanaka Ino, sprinkler in hand, wearing an apron.

"So what are you doing here?" Ino said to Lee over her shoulder. She was watering some plants: irises to be exact. Their violet petals glowed healthily under the rain of fresh liquid.

Lee, on the other hand, was studying the arrays of roses. Every color, every variety was there but the one, which he studied for the long time, was the white one. It's the purity that awestruck him calming his raging mind. The knowledge of Sasuke being assigned to get information from his Sakura-chan scared the nuts inside him. He knew he shouldn't be angry, or even jealous, but he's only human. He is prone to such things, such as be absent-minded when a girl is talking to you.

A light tap on his shoulder woke him from his reverie. He quickly looked over his shoulder. "Are you okay?"

"Umm… Yeah. I was just studying the ah… um…" he lost words.

She looked around him. "White roses," she said. "One of the oldest varieties, very common during Whites' day. Do you want to buy one?"

He shook his head. "Thanks, but I'm not here to buy flowers."

She sighed in dismay. It was hard to be in one room with a person who refused to speak with you. The blond wracked her brain to find something to talk about. "Did you know that Rokudaime-sama had an accident this morning?"

Lee snapped his head, gaining attention. "Really? How?"

She frowned. "Um… I really don't know how. You see after the ceremony there was the pictorial. Then after the pictorial, Jiraiya-sama came and…"

"Ero-senin!" The Sixth exclaimed, staring at the jovial face aged by mischief and experience.

The older man grimaced at the nickname. "How many times do I have to tell you not to call me that in public?"

"Don't get too proper in public, Ero-sennin!" The Sixth brushed the topic aside. "So what good wind drove you here?"

"Uh?" the older man's face suddenly turned serious. "Well, you see, I traveled far but to no avail. I could not find the inspiration in creating it…"

"It?" One golden eyebrow arched.

"Yes, my ultimate creation!" he promoted. "A thing so cool, so powerful would end up a man's life!"

Everyone was amazed except the Sixth.

"Hmm… Could it be… the fourth installment of your book?" The Hokage presumed.

"Shhh!" The san-nin covered his mouth and whispered to his ear, "Don't talk too loud… It's a secret."

"Mphh… Mphh mpmph mpph…" Two sapphires glared at him.

"Huh?" The younger took the hand from his mouth.

"Man… you never change…"

Jiraiya grinned at his former apprentice. "You want to read the first chapter?" He rummaged his pocket and produced a small thick blue book.

Naruto took the book, eyeing at it before opening it. He gasped.

"A little too intense for the Rokudaime Hokage-sama? It's only the first sentence, Rokudaime-sama."

"Ero-senin…" his voice trailed off. "It's empty."

"Eh?" The older man took the book back and scanned the pages. "NO! I must have left it on that bar!" With that, he ran away leaving a giggling Naruto behind.

"He didn't even noticed that I used a jutsu on that book…" He chuckled. "Yamanaka! Fall out. Follow that perverted hermit for me please."

"Yes, sir." The blond disappeared.

"Naruto…" Gaara called out to him.

"Hmm?"

The red-haired threw out a telescope. "Your master left this."

"After that he stood at the railing and well… proclaimed that the peace treaty was a success. Unfortunately, he slipped and fell off the Hokage building," she continued her tale.

"He slipped?"

She nodded. "Good thing Gaara-sama was there! He used his Desert Hand Technique and saved our Kage!"

Lee sighed with relief. "Thank Kami-sama… So where's the Hokage?"

"He's hospitalized now."

"Hospitalized?" he inquired.

"Yah," she verified. "Well, you see, even though Kazekage-sama was the first to react, he cannot control the force of gravity. The Rokudaime fell seventy feet above the ground before the sand reached him. According to the medic-nins, he suffered from some minor bruising and a broken arm."

"I better tell Shikamaru, then." He picked up his cellular telephone and punched some numbers.

"Speaking of Shikamaru, where was that lazy bum? Temari was looking mad as hell during the ceremony," she asked out of curiosity.

He paused. Shikamaru made it very clear that the girls should not know where they are or what they are doing. If he tells Ino where their leader is, she'll know what they are doing. "Umm… Shikamaru? Who's that?"

"Nara Shikamaru!" she replied sardonically. "That lazy jounin of a ninja with an IQ over 200 your currently texting!"

Silence.

"Pineapple-haired jounin who's always complaining about how troublesome everything in the world is?" she continued dramatically.

"…"

Ino eyed warily at him. It was unusual from Lee to act like he had amnesia. What was weirder was that he kept avoiding her eyes every time she asked him a question. Unless…

"You're hiding something from me, aren't you?" she concluded, arms folded.

"No…" he lied, though it wasn't very convincing. Beads of sweat began to form on his forehead.

"You are lying…" she said in a singsong voice and backed him up in a corner. "You boys have been acting strangely these past 2 days. Hinata is being observed by her teammates, Shikamaru completely missed the ceremony even though he knows that Temari will skin him alive, Chouji hasn't done any form of communication to contact me about his blind date and was eavesdropping on Tenten's conversation with Hinata this morning, you're avoiding my questions and I haven't seen Sasuke for the whole day!" Lee hit the wall. "What the heck is wrong?"

"Please don't kill me," he pleaded. "I have sworn to secrecy!"

Ino stared at him as though he lost his mind. "What's happening?"

"That's the point! I can't tell you!" He looked as if he was going to cry.

"Why can't you tell me?"

"Because I have sworn to secrecy!"

'Damn Shikamaru and his brain cells,' Ino silently swore her teammate. He knew Lee would never back down on his word. He was too much of a man for that. Then, an idea popped in her head. "So, you're here because Shikamaru sent you?"

"Yes," he answered quickly. "He said I should ask you something."

"I see… What is it then?"

Lee debated with himself before he asked, "Do you know who is Hinata-san's Anonymous genin # 1683?"

She stared at him. "Who's that?"

"He's the guy Hinata-san likes. We wanted to know who he is so…"

"You went here to find out." Ino finished his statement. Her companion nodded. "Wait. You said she likes a genin, right?"

"Right."

"And you're searching for him?"

"Yes."

"And the guy's a genin?"

He reluctantly nodded. I hope she doesn't figure it out.

She burst out laughing. "Oh my God! I told her to tell him directly… I didn't know she would use… oh my God!" Her laughter filled the room. "That was so funny! Hahah!"

It was Lee's turn to look at her oddly. Sure the idea of Hinata falling in love with some genin was funny but wasn't Ino taking it a little too hard?

When she calmed herself, she grinned up at him. "Tell you what. I'll give you the guy's registration number."

"You will?" Lee brightened up.

She nodded. "On one condition though."

"What?"

"Help me carry these…" She pointed to the irises lying beside her.

"Arigatou, Sasuke-kun," Haruno Sakura said to her companion. She and Sasuke were walking towards the Konoha General Hospital after having their grocery. The medic-nin was carrying a plastic bag whilst the Chidori-user was carrying two.

Sasuke nodded in response. Although he did not like it, he had to get the information to Sakura. He stole a glance at her. Clearly she was smiling. When's the right time?

They reached the intersection of the park. The road they came from was the road to the supermarket. The one at their left leads to the hospital while the right trails to the village gate. A bench was at the center. "Let's rest for a while," she offered and sat down.

Sasuke carefully laid the bags between them before he seated himself. In silence, they watched how the leaves gently fall from the trees, dancing their grace along the gentle blow of the wind. A mocking bird, perched high the tree, twittered her song, bestowing the atmosphere with serenity. The sky was blue. The earth was peaceful. What more could you ask for?

"Ne, Sasuke-kun…" she broke the silence. His onyx eyes turned to her. "Do you remember this place?"

He shook his head.

"This is the place where I found you… before you left Konoha," she said.

The memory dawned to him. It was on that fateful night she told him she loved him. She was crying back then, begging for him not to leave, promising that if he'd stay, she'd make sure he'd be happy. Well, he refused.

He smiled at himself. "Back then… it was a long time ago."

"I see…" She lowered her head. "Well… everything is still too clear for me. I remembered everything I said. I still remember the promise that I-''

"Forget it," he countered.

"Demo, Sasuke-kun-''

"It doesn't matter anymore."

"Please don't say that. Please don't act as if you're okay… Ever time I'm with you I see those eyes. That they hate you and I wished… I wished I should have stop you-"

"Sakura, you're too annoying," he cut her off. "Although I am in my lowest now, and majority of the villagers find it hard to accept me, I don't regret everything that I had ever done. My leaving Konoha, falling to the darkness, almost being Orochimaru's ultimate container, all of the things that happened five years ago, I don't regret them. They made me see what's important and what's now. They made me want to stay here and be contented of what I have. They taught me that being above others is not my goal in life. They taught me that the future is more important than the past; that dreams are meaningful if what's important is by your side.

"Back then, I didn't care whether I'd die or not. What mattered to me is to become stronger so I could have my revenge. I thought that was my purpose in life. Demo, I now realize that even if I kill Onii-san, Otou-san, Okaa-san and my clan's men won't come back to the living. There are many things I should turn my attention to. And that… My future is brighter than my past."

"Sasuke-kun…"

"Thank you," he smiled. "Thank youSakura for not stopping me. Thank you for letting me go…"

"Shino, what kind of Kage would slip off the railing and fall seventy feet above the ground?" Kiba annoyingly asked while picking up a red apple across the display of fruits.

Shino sighed and inspected the apple Kiba was holding. "That's worm infested and I don't want to answer."

The dog master pouted then placed back the apple. "You're so mean." Together they pushed the cart and strolled all the way to the vegetable section. "Think he eats turnips?"

"He likes vegetables as much as you like catnip," his teammate replied plainly.

Kiba growled. "We can't feed him ramen, Shino, unless you find some miraculous way to transform red bean soup to antiseptic."

"Mendoukusai," Shikamaru muttered behind them. "Would you two stop quarreling and let's get this grocery done."

"Hai, hai…" the two reluctantly agreed.

"Explain to me again why we're here," implored Kiba who was staring glum to the world.

"Mendoukusai," Shikamaru said, woodenly selecting onions, fresh broccolis, and bean sprouts. Before their journey to the supermarket, he received a message from Rock Lee. It says that the Hokage was hospitalized so his mother, upon reading the message, requested to do grocery for her as her son. Normally he would have to decline, proclaim how troublesome women were and sleep. Unfortunately, Kiba and Shino were there and they can't just refuse his dear mother. They left Akamaru outside, much to Kiba's dismay, since animals were not allowed inside.

As they reached the cereals display, they met a frowning Hyuuga and a grinning panda. Wait! Panda?

"Neji, what do you think?" Tenten said while waving a box of corn flakes cereals over his nose.

"I hate cereals that crunch."

She raised an eyebrow. "You like your cereals soggy?"

"I prefer rice on my breakfast table," he replied smoothly.

The weapon mistress glared at him before returning the cereal back. "Hyuuga, you're so fun-deficient," she muttered under her breath.

"What did you say?" he snapped.

"Oh, nothing," she retorted in a singsong voice.

"I think someone is doing his homework, Kiba," Shikamaru joked heartedly to their group as they pass by.

"Can you fell the love tonight?" Kiba teased as the three walked pass the two. "The peace the evening brings?"

A senbon wandered near the dog-trainer's head. "Inuzuka Kiba…"

He stopped cold, sensing the dangerous chakra behind him. He turned his head and sweat-dropped. Tenten looked pissed.

"What did you say?"

"Umm…"

Neji cleared his throat. "Wheat cereals are good for your health, rice cooker." With that, he dropped a pack on her basket and dragged her towards the vegetable area.

"I told you I was feeling the love today!" Kiba grinned.

A kunai shot pass him. This time, thrown by Hyuuga Neji.

"A piece of advice Kiba?"

"Sure, Shino…"

"Don't joke about them." Shino patted Kiba's back.

Shikamaru wrestled the cart from the cereals display and the three traveled to the ramen section.

"So, what kind of noodles does our Kage intake?" the genius brood over the rows and columns of noodles.

"Ichiraku's?" the bug collector answered.

"Hinata?" Kiba whispered.

Shikamaru stared at him as though he lost his head. "Kiba, humans are carnivorous but we don't eat our own kind. Besides, Hinata is not a strip of pasta."

"Shikamaru." Shino gripped the back of his head and inclined it to the right. His eyes distinguished the midnight haired, white-eyed Hyuuga heiress frowning at the cup noodles. "That kind of Hinata."

"I didn't know you do shopping, Hinata," Kiba commented on his female teammate, while carrying there purchase.

She mutely nodded. "I was about to visit… R-Ro-kkudaime-sama…"

"I see," Shino stated, his face betraying all signs of comprehension.

Akamaru barked gleefully at Kiba. His master grumbled a "Later!" which became noticed by the girl.

"Eh? Is something wrong with Akamaru, Kiba-kun?"

"No," he shook his head. "He's just happy that we're all gathered once in a while!" The dog reluctantly nodded.

"I agree with you there, Akamaru." She patted the dog's head and smiled.

They have reached the bend to the Konoha General Hospital when Shikamaru called her attention.

"Hmm?"

"There's something I've been meaning to ask."

"Eh? What is it, Shikamaru-san?"

"Well, you see, I have heard you asked Rokudaime-sama how to tell a guy you like him."

Hinata's eyes widened.

"And I'm just curious."

'Kami-sama, who had told them?' she contemplated.

"Who's your-" his voice was cut off by a very loud, "YOU CAN'T ENTER HERE! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU PEOPLE?"

For the first time since I wrote this fic, Shikamaru stopped cold and gaped at the hospital entrance. There stood a big fan held by a Sand kunoichi.

"Temari…"