NaruSaku A-Z

B: Books

"Don't...get it!"

"Naruto...it's simple."

"I don't understand it though. And when will I have to use all this stuff anyway? Not when I'm Hokage!"

"A hokage needs smarts, Naruto."

"Aww Sakura-chan, why do you always insult my intelligence?"

The boy, clad in a black t-shirt and his usual orange trousers slumped in his chair. His female companion, wearing a white t-shirt under a long, zipped and read top, linked her hands and rested her chin on them, regarding her friend with weary eyes.

He always reacted like this. Usually when someone tried to tutor him, he'd get away before they could start reading any wretched writing and try to teach him about Hokage politics and whatnot.

However, when Sakura-chan had first been sent, he found he couldn't say no looking into her determined gaze.

The fist she'd threatened to force down his throat was also persuasive.

But he either took ages to understand it or gave up trying, like now. He'd thrown a tantrum when the librarian had asked him to be quiet, so Sakura dragged him away, mortified at the looks the duo received. If she wasn't attempting to be civil, she would have shoved a book down Naruto's mouth and perhaps in another places.

He'd gotten calmer now, but he was still finding it hard and irritating.

Currently, he was glaring at the source of his misfortune, blue eyes narrowed.

Sakura, deep in thought, looked on over his mass of blond spikes and to a collection of books, her mind trying to sort out a plan.

Tsunade, after many failed attempts, had asked her favourite pupil to teach Naruto, as Sakura was the only one he'd sit through it for in normal circumstances. Sakura herself was meant to be revising for a medical test which would allow her to become leading nurse at the hospital.

However, she'd lied about having already done it when Tsunade had asked, scared of what the Godaime would do if she found out Sakura had spent the week conspiring with Ino to get Shikamaru and Temari together.

It had only meant to be one day, but six days on it had become 'matchmake everyone in Konoha, yes Sakura, including that aggressive old man, or I'll tell Naruto about that dream you had about him when you were staying at my house'.

Naruto is not dreamy, Sakura's mind had denied on queue. He is a loud, silly, obnoxious and ramen loving friend who cares for me.

Naruto.

Ino proceeded to ask Sakura what the 'deal with that weird smile on her face,' was, after Sakura's thoughts.

So, she was trying to help him when she was meant to be doing something else...and it was going nowhere.

Just because she couldn't tell him she'd dreamt about him a bit.

Every night for a while now.

To her chagrin.

It was not a friendly thing to do, and she would not pass that line. Even if Naruto limboed under it over to her whenever possible.

Sakura, noticing she was too distracted by her musings, directed her gaze over to the subject of her ailment. He was still pouting and glowering at the pen, hoping to burn it with ocean coloured eyes.

Sakura relaxed her arms, dropping them onto the table. She grasped her arm loosely with one hand, and continued to watch him. A smile settled on her lips.

'Look at you, pouting like a child. Adorable idiot.'

"I think this is just-S-Sakura-chan? Why are you all red? A-are you sick? Why didn't you tell me?!"

The librarian sent him a sharp glare he paid no heed to.

Sakura leant back, having transferred her hand to her face. She felt the heat on it and, horrified, scampered to her feet. She'd not just thought Naruto was adorable while getting a weird feeling in her chest, but he'd damn well noticed her blush.

And assumed it was an illness, concerned over her to the point he was shouting.

'Ah, that weird feeling again...I'm sure that's no illness,' she moaned inwardly.

She nearly died when Naruto had the audacity to stretch his arm right over the table and clap his hand to her forehead.

It was even warmer than her face, and she knew subconsciously that if she had not been too hot already, she would have leaned into his touch.

"Sakura-chan, want me to take you home? I...I'm so sorry..."

Sakura blinked.

What?

"What?" she voiced her thoughts.

Naruto opened his mouth to reply and then closed it, diverting his gaze. He eventually reddened a bit when Sakura's fingertips hovered over the hand he had attached to her forehead and gave her a disheartened face.

"You've been sick...but have still bothered to try...and I've been an arse."

"Oh Naruto," she laughed, grabbing his larger hand with both of her slim ones and away from her forehead. "It's fine, really."

His response was him going even redder than her.

Before Sakura could tease him about being 'sick', a loud cough interrupted their moment.

Bemused and even angry, to her surprise, Sakura turned to the noise. Naruto mimicked her, though a more irritated expression was planted on his features.

The librarian stared them down, intent on tearing both asunder with her thunderous look. When it had no apparent affect, she yelled at them.

"Take your lovey dovey stuff outside before you nasueate both the other people here and my books," she demanded.

She merely kept on glaring as the two burst into a vibrant red.

Naruto chose not to reply and decided to rub the back of his head, while Sakura spluttered and protested their innocence. A thin brow rose in doubt. "Your handholding oozes 'denial love'," she muttered.

"I don't deny any love," Naruto murmured.

Sakura flushed harder at his comment, before dropping his hands and walking away. "Sakura-chan? Where are you going?"

She paused mid-step and then turned back to him, a weak smile on her face.

"Go sit back down Naruto. I'll come back after I get some fresh air," she replied.

He nodded and sat down, ignoring the librarian who was cursing to hell and back and their rudeness.

Sakura, out on the step, sighed heavily and sat down at a near bench.

'Maybe all these weird thoughts...maybe it's because I'm repressing whatever I have towards Naruto? But...what is...no. Naruto, me and mutual that is...odd. I...well, it doesn't feel odd. It feels natural...Urh...my head...all these emotions...this was what Yamato-taichou was going on about, I bet...'

Due to the shameless amount of rambling in her head, Sakura failed to notice the looming presence of her raven headed team mate. He stuided her for a bit, before she awoke from thinking too hard and was face to face with closed eyes and a smile.

"Hello Sakura. How's my favourite dog today?" Sai asked cheerily.

She deadpanned and batted him away with her hand.

"I didn't know you had a dog. As for me, I'm knackered," she said.

"I see. Too knackered for me to show you something?" he said in the same joyous tone.

"As long as I see no leash," she muttered.

Sai began rummaging for something in a bag. Sakura, interest peeked, inched forward, back arching, to get a closer look at it.

When Sai looked up again with the object in his hands she immediately lurched back, feigning disinterest.

"Here," he said simply, tossing her a book.

Blinking, she caught it.

And her anger spiked.

"IchaIcha tactics volume eight? Why are you giving me this?!" she growled.

"The Main character...he's madly in love with a girl who loves another boy. He's an idiot but he'd do anything for her. Eventually, she sees his kindess and falls in love with him, even though she's a tempermental dog. You'd think it'd be an awkward match, a dog and a someone dickless, but it works."

"I...see," Sakura blurted out, unsure whether to be uneasy the story resembled Team 7's or at the fact Sai called the fictional characters 'dog' and 'dickless'.

He tilted his head to the side and beamed.

"I wanted to show it to you...I thought you'd like to read it...because it's the very book I saw your feelings for Naruto in."