Last chapter! Thanks to everyone who reviewed/read!

Not The Point

Ino walked into Ichiraku and sighed. It had been three days since the breakup, and she was going to meet up with her friends for dinner. The blonde trudged to a seat and slumped into it. She wondered if her heartbroken friend was okay.

Stupid question. Who would be "okay" after that?

Her hand ran over the cool, smooth counter, and she sighed again.

"Hey Ino!"

Tenten popped into the ramen stand and plopped down next to Ino. She noticed that her friend was desperately worried about Sakura, and frowned.

"Ino, at least put on a brave face when Sakura gets here. She's the one who needs help, not you."

"Yeah, uh, sorry, I will. It's just so difficult though."

"I know how you feel, Sakura is my friend too. Still, we need to…..oh!"

Both girls gasped as they felt a light touch on their arms.

"Sorry for scaring you guys. What's going on?"

"It's alright Hinata, Ino and I were just talking about Sakura."

"Oh."

Hinata deepened her touch on the girls. They both enjoyed the slight warmth that came from her.

"I feel that this whole thing is so wrong. Just thinking about it makes me tired and sad."

"Yeah, Sakura…."

"Shh! She's coming!"

All three girls put on huge grins and started chattering about how green the grass was today. Sakura drifted into the stand, a dazed look in her eyes. Tenten turned to look at her.

"Sakura! You're here! Sit down! We haven't ordered yet, we were waiting for you. What do you want to eat?"

Sakura shifted nervously and gently lowered herself onto a seat.

"Erm, I really don't feel hungry."

"Oh come on, the food is good! It'll make you feel better."

"I don't know guys……"

Tenten sighed. This was not going well. They were going to have to be tough.

"Sakura, we seriously realize that you are not doing well, but you have to tell us what's going on or we can't help you. You know that. So tell us what's on your mind, because you should be happy right now."

Tenten received a sharp jab in the ribs.

"What? She won't tell us otherwise."

Sakura ran her hands through her hair and sighed.

"No, it's okay. Um, well, I'm not doing so well because…. I love Sasuke, honestly. But, I don't know if I want him back or not. I'm scared that…..he'll hurt me again, and I don't think I can take a third hit. And I'm not sure if I'm ready to forgive him. But I think I want to be with him."

All three girls stared at her dumbfounded. Ino finally found her voice.

"WHAAAAT?!? I don't think so Sakura! Do you even realize what he did to you? He doesn't deserve you! You know those little doubts you're having right now? Well, take them as red flags! Don't go back to him, and don't take him back. He will probably hurt you again!"

"You know how he is!" Hinata piped.

Tenten added, "Fool me once, shame on you, fool me twice, shame on me. Don't let there be a third time, Sakura."

"But guys, I…."

Ino interrupted her. This was not good.

"No. Sakura, you don't completely understand what everything means. Let me lay it out for you. Okay, first, this shows that if the temptation is great enough, he's going to abandon you. If he loved you, he would always choose you, no matter what. Second, he betrayed you twice. Twice! So who's to say he won't do it again? Third, he decided to sleep with a woman ten minutes after meeting her, but almost never shows you affection when you've known each other for years! What does that say to you? Do you understand me?"

Sakura pondered on Ino's words for a minute, and stood.

"You're right. All of you guys are. Sasuke is no good. I am never going to get back with him. He's just been playing with me all these years. It's not going to happen again, so…….let's eat some ramen."

"We're cool with that."

"Dobe, are you sure this is going to work?"

"How many times do I have to say it? Yes! It works all the time in the movies!"

"That's comforting."

"Shut up."

Naruto and Sasuke were currently hiding in a bush along the side of a road. It was rather cramped, and Sasuke was getting seriously annoyed.

"Okay, teme. Here is your one and only chance to get Sakura back. Understand? Don't blow it. I have learned from one of my sources…"

"Hinata?"

"How did you know? Wait, shut up, that's not the point. Anyway, Sakura is eating dinner with her friends. She is going to come out and walk home on this road. So, you're going get into position, and then we'll put the plan in action. Get it?!"

"Hn."

"Teme."

"See you later!" Sakura called cheerfully as she left the ramen stand. She felt relieved, and ready to face the world.

It's good to have friends who care about you…..

She traveled on the road home, noticing how beautiful the flowers were. She saw a little boy run after his younger sister and laughed when he finally caught her.

She found a small frog in the middle of the road and moved him to a nearby pond. Benevolence was in her nature, but today especially. After taking care of the frog, she continued home, walking on that certain road…….

"Teme, she's coming! Get ready!"

"Shut up, dobe, I've been ready."

Naruto peered out of the bush with binoculars. Everything was going according to plan, until…

"HEY SAKURAAAA!!"

Crap.

Ino, Tenten, and Hinata, came skipping down the road, holding a small amount of money.

"Sakura, you forgot your change!" Tenten chirped.

"Oh, thanks! You guys always take care of me. Do you want to come to my house? We're almost there, anyway."

Meanwhile, Naruto and Sasuke were still in that bush.

"They're not supposed to be here, are they?" Sasuke asked, a little panic in his usually cool demeanor.

"No, they're not! Argh! I'll distract them or something. Just hurry up and get to your position!"

Sasuke was gone with a poof.

Naruto popped out of the bush.

"SURPRISE, EVERYONE!!!"

A shriek resounded throughout the village.

"Holy crap! Naruto, what are you doing?" Ino cried.

"Um, Don't you guys know? It's uh, HIDE IN A BUSH DAY!!! Happy Hide in a Bush Day, guys!"

"Naruto, what are you doing now?"

"Eh, ah, you guys are supposed to hide in a bush! It's a national holiday! Let's celebrate!"

He was met with blank stares. Hinata giggled softly.

"Okay, Naruto, we'll 'celebrate' with you. Come on guys!"

"Hinata, are you okay? Have you been drinking?"

"No, I'm just bored. Come on, it'll be fun! Well, more fun than going home and watching television."

"Fine."

Naruto and Hinata climbed into a nearby bush first, and Ino and Tenten followed. Sakura started to climb in, but was stopped by Naruto.

"Sorry, pink-haired people aren't allowed to celebrate."

Sakura stared for a moment, and then smiled, going along with his "silly joke."

He probably has a gift or something for me. He's so thoughtful.

"Okaay, Naruto, I see. Well, this pink hair is going to go home to a nice bubble bath. Have fun in the bush!" She began to walk briskly back on the road, totally unprepared for what exactly Naruto had in store for her.

"Okay Naruto, what's really going on?" Ino questioned, "This bush is a little cramped, and as much as I like your butt in my face, I'm going to have to leave unless something interesting happens."

"Okay, okay. What we're going to do is get Sasuke back together with Sakura!"

Shouts of protest were heard inside the bush.

"Yeah, okay, but guys, they love each other! The planets have aligned, the stars are shining! It's meant to be!"

"Naruto, you've been watching way too many romantic comedies, and there aren't even any stars out."

"Not the point. Anyway, we need them alone, so that's why I had to get you guys out of the way."

"I have half a mind to go out there and tell her your stupid idea right now."

"Don't! Come on. Maybe if you know what the plan is, you'll agree with me."

"What is it?"

Naruto whispered the plan in each girl's ear.

"Wow! So cute and romantic!"

"That's adorable, I love it! Just like the movies!"

"I wanna watch! I'll definitely let him try to get her back if that's the plan."

"Okay, okay, you guys can watch, but you have to promise not to interfere."

The three girls nodded in agreement.

"Then let's go."

Sasuke was sweating in another bush a little further down the road. Looking sexy was tough work, supposedly. He began to sweat even more when he saw Sakura approach. He went through the plan one more time in his head, and then stepped out of the bush.

Sakura had been making her way back home. She found herself looking at the sky, at the sun that was slowly setting. When she turned her attention back to the road, there he was.

Please don't tell me he's in front of me. Please don't tell me he's here to hurt me again.

He just stood there, looking at her with those dark, mysterious eyes. Her legs became wobbly and her heart was pounding out of her chest. He took a step toward her, another, and another. Where had she seen this before? When had she last felt this way? He kept coming closer and closer. He stopped in front of her, his face so close that she could feel his hot breath on her face.

"Hey."

His arms wrapped around her and leaned in next to her ear.

"Hey, I……"

The memory came back in a flash.

"OH NO YOU DON'T!!" She shoved him away, "I am NOT falling for that one. What is this? Please don't tell me that you got this off of some romantic comedy."

In another nearby bush, Naruto stared dejectedly at the ground.

"Because, in case you don't know, stuff that works in movies doesn't necessarily work in real life. And not only that, this is one of the most clichéd ideas of the century!!"

Sasuke stared in disbelief.

"What?"

"You know exactly what. It's the whole 'just-like-the-first-time-you-told-me-you-loved-me' plan. Bastard. I'm not taking you back. Go straight and directly to hell."

"Ooo, she told him," Ino whispered evilly, "This isn't exactly what you told us would happen."

"Shut up, Ino."

Time to go to plan B.

"Sakura, please listen. I love you. If you don't take me back…I'll…I'll kill myself!"

"Do you have a list of clichéd ideas or something?"

Okaaay, plan C…. ugh, screw it, they aren't working. I hate you, Naruto.

"Okay Sakura, no more clichés. Sorry. I just want you to know, that I love you. And that I'm happy that I got to spend so much time with you. And that I really want you to be happy. So if that means taking me out of the picture…then I understand."

Sakura just stared.

"So, I'll…I'll see you later." He turned and started to walk towards his house.

"He's just giving up like that?" Tenten said with disdain, "well, then, he definitely doesn't deserve her."

"Sasuke, wait!" Sakura called. She ran up to him.

"The truth is, I want to be with you. I've chased you for so long, and I know how it feels to be rejected by the one you love. Several times, in fact."

Sasuke winced.

"I know that I've said crazy things like 'I don't need you,' or 'I don't want you,' but they're not true. My friends told me the same thing, encouraged me, but I….. I think I know what I want. I do need and want you. So……you know what they say. Third time's the charm."

"Dang," Ino commented, "she's giving up! This is exactly what we said to watch for."

"Eh, just let her be happy," came Hinata's reply, "we'll kill him if things go wrong again."

"Seriously, Hinata, have you been drinking?"

Their attention turned back to the drama unfolding before them. He had run back to the girl now, and was holding her snug against his chest. She looked up, smirked, and said,

"I need you like the sun needs the moon, like a fish needs water, like plants need sunlight, like a fat boy needs…."

"Okay, okay! I get it about the whole cliché thing. Sorry."

"Whatever."

She looked at him one more time with bright eyes, and pressed her lips to his, to which he responded immediately. Naruto and the others sighed happily and relaxed in the bush, but became alert once again, when they saw their two lip-locked friends. Something was horribly wrong…….

"OH TEME, GROSS!" Naruto screamed as he hopped out of the bush, all the girls following, "YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO KISS HER, NOT EAT HER FACE OFF!!!"

"Oh, to think I ever wanted to kiss Sasuke. Thank goodness I got over him before this…..this… horror could happen to me. How does she deal with it?"

"MY EYES! I AM SCARRED FOREVER!!!"

"I'm afraid to sleep tonight. Um, does someone want to hold me?"

"UGH! HIS MOUTH!!! IT'S JUST ALL OVER!!! WHY MEEEEEEEE?!?!?!"

"Oh hell. Gross."

"Hinata! Was that you?"

"Yeah, what about it?"

"You have been drinking!!"

"…..not the point."

Haha, Sasuke's a bad kisser. Just thought I'd have my fun with him.

Woo! The End! So, since I have so much time this week, I'm working on a couple of oneshots. We'll see how it turns out. Till next time!