Oops, this chapter is even shorter than the last, sorry bout that. I couldn't make it longer without giving away too much from the next chapter. Hope u enjoy. Read and Review!

Chapter 2

Conflict

The next day Sakura woke up and good ready in a flash. She was going to train with Sasuke today. Sakura was smiling as she thought. 'Training with Sasuke-kun, and no Naruto, no…' She looked down as she thought about the guy she was just so happy not to be with him. 'Damn it Naruto, why can't I just stop thinking of you.'

Meanwhile Naruto was at the ramen bar when Sasuke showed up. Naruto turned, mouth full, and said. "Hey Sasuke, aren't you training with Sakura?" Sasuke looked at him and said. "I am, I just thought she was here with you, I better go to her house." Sasuke turned and was about to leave when Naruto said. "Hey Uchiha."

"Yeah Uzumaki."

"She… she cares a lot about you. Don't hurt her feelings. Got that." Naruto glared at him as he just smiled, slightly. "Don't worry about that, I'm not as idiotic as you are." With that Sasuke turned and left, not even allowing Naruto to answer.

Sasuke walked from the ramen bar to Sakura's house. He walked up to her door and knocked. The door quickly swung open and Sakura came out in her usual training clothes. "Sasuke-kun, I'm ready. Let's go."

As Sakura and Sasuke walked to their usual training ground, Sakura couldn't stop thinking of a certain blond Shinobi. 'Why do I keep thinking about him?'

For their 'date' Sasuke trained in various forms of ninjutzu, and true he was more easy going now, he was still brutal. Sakura had trouble keeping up and even had to stop to catch her breath. Sasuke used almost all of his jutzus, except he didn't use the Sharingan, he knew that would be unfair. Sakura had a different idea in mind for that 'date', but she was ok with the brutal training.

Meanwhile, Naruto had ordered his fifth ramen bowl when he felt a pat on the back. He looked behind and saw Ino. Ino sat next to him and said. "What's up Naruto, why are you here all alone?"

Naruto just signed. "Sakura and Sasuke are training, and everybody else is busy."

Ino smiled. "I don't think you care to much about everybody else, do you?"

Naruto blushed. "I guess. It just hurts when ever Sakura talks about him, especially when she goes out with him. I can't compete against that."

Ino smiled. She had grown quite fond of Naruto, as a little bro or something. "I wouldn't say that, besides, I've also been rejected, it doesn't hurt too bad."

Naruto looked at her. "It doesn't hurt too bad when it's a crush, not love."

Ino just looked at him. "Can you tell the difference?"

Naruto signed. "A crush is when you like a person, a girl in my case, because of her looks, the way she acts, or something else. You probably look at her and even defend her in an argument. But…"

"But?"

"…Love is when you like that girl for everything she is. The real her. A girl you'd give your life to protect, a girl you gladly sacrifice yourself just for her to smile. To bring back a person she loves, knowing if you'd bring him back, she would never be yours. But, you bring him back just to make her happy. Your ready to die for her to be happy with someone else. That Ino, is love."

Ino was baffled. The always idiotic Naruto had just spoken maturely. "I… Naruto… I didn't know you felt so strong about For… Sakura."

Naruto smiled. "She doesn't either, she thinks it's just a crush."

Ino just looked at him with a little sadness, Sakura had hurt him over the years a lot. Thought, there was not much she could do.

"Hey Naruto, don't we have our training due today. Shikamaru reminded me yesterday." Naruto's eyes widened.

"Oh crap, you're right, but I told Sakura I would do something with her later today." Ino, shocked at Naruto's sudden change in language stayed quiet. "But who am I kidding, she probably did it out of pity. She'll be happier if I do something else." Ino smiled. 'Even still, he's thinking about her happiness.' she thought.

Sakura had finished her training with Sasuke and was pretty beat. She and Sasuke walked to the ramen bar, but ran into Naruto and Ino.

"Hey Forehead Girl." Ino said with a smile.

"Hey Ino-pig." Sakura said with the same smile.

"Uchiha." Naruto said.

"Uzumaki." Sasuke said.

Ino grabbed Sakura by the arm and pulled her aside from Naruto and Sasuke. "What's the deal Ino?"

"Sakura, there's something I have to tell you about Naruto." Sakura's eyes opened widely. "Naruto, I almost forgot our date, I mean get together. Excuse me." Sakura walked towards Naruto as Ino tried to call her back, but she didn't listen.

"Hey Naruto, ready to go." Naruto just looked down and thought. 'She acts happy, but she's just doing it out of pity.' Naruto sign and said. "No need to worry about me Sakura-chan, I forgot I had made plans with Ino to go training. You can spend more time with Sasuke." That last word was nearly impossible to spit out. As he felt a huge pain in his chest for saying so, but he had to let go of her, even if it would kill him. Sakura was shocked. Sasuke also stared at them, he was also surprised.

Ino tried to signaled Naruto to shut up and go with her, but he didn't even look at her. "Oh… ok Naruto." Naruto walked towards Ino. "Let's go Ino." Naruto and Ino walked off as Sakura was left deep in thought. 'He said no. To me? Sasuke has rejected me many times, and it hurts. But…' She took a deep breath and finished. '…Naruto never rejects me, why… does it hurt so much?'

Making this fic is hard for me. No matter the outcome someone might dislike it. Naru/Saku fans if it ends in Sasu/Saku and viceversa. Either way, hope u enjoy. R&R!

PS. I already know how it will end, but that's a long way from now.