OMG! I'M ALIVE! And have posted the much awaited chapter. Yes, I know I took forever to update this story. I'm very sorry for the delay! I know it's frustrating when a story isn't updated frequently. Most of the time it results in: "WHY DO I LIKE WHAT YOU WRITE SO MUCH!?" (sigh) Anyway, I really did lose interest in continuing this story for a while. I was unable to work on it for a couple weeks, and when I went back to it...I just didn't feel like writing, and swim season began so I didn't have spare time. I have no idea how many people are even still interested in this story either.
Onto the story aspect: Time hasn't past between this chapter and the previous one. Remember, Sakura knocked out Naruto with a punch that sent him into her room after they accidentally kissed. This is where it was left off. The beginning overlaps with the end of the previous one. Oh, and last but not least: This somewhat ties back into the manga, but more or less my version. XD
Okay, moving along. New Philosophy acquired with other short story: Don't like my story? Then don't read it. I think that's pretty simple and easy to follow.
Another nice announcement: I have no idea where the FUK (misspelled for a reason) I'm going with this story anymore. It is most likely going to be different than the summary most of you read in the very beginning if you remember it. So if you're sitting there thinking, "Wow…this is different than what she said when I first started reading this story..." then yes, you are correct.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. I'm not paid to do this, so don't sue. You will get everything a poor college student has to offer...which are these pieces of lint and dust bunnies I found under my bed. I own this story's plot/storyline. Not the characters, or some of the ideas…THE PLOT WHICH IS STILL WORTH NOTHING!! ONTO THE STORY!!
Gratification
Chapter 5 – Stepping Back
Something was touching his head, and he instinctively leaned towards the touch.
"Naruto..."
The world was black and unchanging, but he slowly felt the cold floor against his back, and his cheek throbbing more and more from pain. The touch on his head also became much clearer. Even under these circumstances, he restrained himself from moving, thinking it would be best to keep his eyes closed, and play possum until he knew what was happening. He could feel her fingers playing with his hair as she spoke, and couldn't help but think, 'We...We kissed...' this one thought made it much harder for him to hold his unchanging position.
"What am I going to do with you now?"
Those words were filled with unexplainable warmth that tickled his whiskers. There was a brief pause before she continued.
"You always understood me...Maybe...Maybe one day I can tell you-"
Unfortunately, the next words never came. From Naruto's spot on the ground, he could hear loud thuds coming from outside the room, but inside the house. Though the sounds were muffled, they became louder and louder with each silent moment.
"Sakura!" came a voice that was just as far away as the thuds.
"Shannaro..."
'NOOO! FINISH WHAT YOU WERE SAYING!' Naruto's mind screamed. Before he could figure out what was happening, he was being shoved somewhere, then finally rolled. He could feel his body rub against the ground, something feathery graze his skin, and dust float into his nose. A swoosh sound was heard, a scramble of feet, and the amount of space for Naruto became smaller as something pressed against his back from above. Naruto tried as hard as he could to not sneeze or flinch from the irritation by bringing a free hand up to his nose. His eyes opened, and he could see the back of Sakura's feet from where he was.
'Thanks Sakura-chan,' he thought sarcastically, 'You couldn't think of a better place to hide me?!' he grumbled, and then thought for a moment about what she had said, 'I always understood her...She said maybe one day...DAMN IT! I WANT TO KNOW NOW!'
The door, which had been partially open, nailed the wall behind it as a person skidded in. Naruto shifted his head to look at the intruder, but realized sheets obscured his view so only their feet were visible. The dust had been lifted again from the entrance of the person, and caused more irritation for Naruto.
"Is everything alright?! I left to go get food for this week, and as soon as I was close to home, people outside were saying there was a loud crash that came from our house. I rushed back as quick as I could. I thought something happened to you," came the worried, womanly voice. It sounded similar to Sakura's, but much older.
"Y-Yeah, everything is alright. I was just...studying, and when I went to put the book back...the shelf broke, and a couple heavier books Tsunade-sama lent me fell. I fixed the shelf, and cleaned everything up," Sakura reassured, though there was a hint of anxiousness in her voice.
'Whew...Nice one, Sakura-chan,' Naruto thought to himself. There was a moment of silence, 'Damn this dust...its too much...don't you ever clean under your bed?!' Naruto knew he had to hold out for a few more seconds, but the fight with dust was becoming intolerable.
"Okay," came the cheery voice, "I wanted to make sure you were alright. Some of the neighbors were saying you must have knocked out a person or something, but I wouldn't know since I didn't hear it."
Sakura let out a nervous laugh, sounding as if the comment were absurd, "No, no. Everything is fine. I'm the only one here."
"That's what I told them. Good night," there was a light shuffle of feet, and the sound of the door slowly closing.
Naruto couldn't hold it anymore, and sneezed loudly. The bed went up slightly from Sakura jumping, and the door reopened immediately.
"Blush you...Are you feeling alright? You look a bit pale from a few moments ago..."
"Wha?! I'm fine. Its nothing to worry about. Just a little dust from when I cleaned up." She said surprised, but Naruto could hear the panic emitted in her response.
After a few moments of silence, and probably inspection by the woman, the cheery voice came once again, "Okay, get a good night's rest."
"Good night."
Naruto heard the door click, and footsteps disappear into the distance. Sakura's body slid off the bed into a sitting position on the ground a foot or two away from the bed. She clutched her chest with one hand, and let out the air she had been holding in.
"That was too close..."
Naruto watched her body for a moment, trying to deem whether it was safe to come out or not. He gulped as he grabbed the sheet and lifted it up. The movement caught her attention.
"Nice save, Sakura-chan..." he said with his classic smirk.
"Thank you."
"NARUTO, YOU IDIOT! YOU COULDN'T HOLD THE SNEEZE FOR ANOTHER FEW SECONDS?" her inner self screamed.
Realizing he wasn't moving, she added, "You can come out now. She isn't going to come back tonight."
"That's a relief," Naruto said as he slid his body out from under the bed, and sat in front of her.
The whole situation with Sakura's mother had caused them to forget about the accidental kiss, but once their eyes connected they reacted the same. Both blushed furiously, and looked the opposite way.
"So..." Sakura started off, unsure about how to react. "Um...when...when d-did you regain consciousness?" she stammered.
Naruto felt himself blush more, and his heart beat faster, "Just now...while I was under your bed," he lied. He did not want her to be angry that he had heard part of what she said. Out of the corner of his eye, he could tell she looked slightly more relieved than before.
"That was when you sneezed?"
"Y-Yeah..." Naruto scratched the back of his head, unable to think of what to say. Finally something came to mind, and without another thought he turned to face Sakura who had finally gotten the courage to look back.
"You've developed a super strength reflex punch haven't you?"
Sakura glared at him as her eyebrow twitched from anger, "That's because you shock me!"
"EH?! Konohamaru was the one who shocked you earlier! I've only surprised you once today."
She turned tomatoe red from the misunderstanding earlier, "If it wasn't for your perverted habits, I would have never assumed you might have done something like going into the female hot springs."
"But I didn't do it! Konohamaru is the reason you were shocked then launched me-" Naruto stopped talking immediately, 'SHIT! I can't say she launched me there!' he realized a second too late what he had just said.
"Naruto..." she stared at him insensitively, "Where exactly did you land?"
"Uhh...hehe...no need to worry about that, Sakura-chan...it's not like-"
"Where?"
"...The female section of the hot springs..."
Sakura's eyes popped out of her head, and she raised her fist parallel with her body. He could see her veins protruding as well.
"EHHHHH?! YOU SAID YOU NEVER WENT TO THE HOT SPRINGS!"
'Shit...' "Yeah...and that was true...I didn't go in there in the morning...but you never asked where I landed..." He was slowly backing away.
Sakura leaned forward and grabbed the collar of his jacket, "That's besides the point!" she said through gritted teeth. Naruto quickly prepared himself for one of her punches, and closed his eyes.
"Easy Sakura-chan...it wasn't my choice..."
It wasn't until he felt her release him suddenly, pull back and exhale that he finally opened his eyes. He tilted his head confused as he looked at her.
"I guess I can let it slide this time since I caused it...It's not like you had a choice..." She looked away, closed her eyes, crossed her arms, and stuck up her nose as she said it so as to give the impression she was unwillingly letting him go.
Naruto could only stare at her flabbergasted, 'Whoa Sakura-chan just...spared me...'
Sakura turned her head back to look at him, and noticed his mouth was slightly ajar, "What?"
"Nothing," he said quickly, "I better get going. I rather not stick around for round two with your mother."
Naruto stood up, and brushed the dust off himself. He was about to take a step forward until he heard Sakura's voice.
"Wait, we're not done." Naruto tilted his head as she looked up at him. "Sit," she stated firmly. Naruto lowered his body to the ground, and back into a sitting position as if he were a trained dog.
"Listen. I-I...Um...I didn't mean to...to um..." Her heart was suddenly beating harder in her chest. 'Damn it! Why can't I talk all of a sudden?' She wanted to talk about what had happened. It was her first official kiss after all, but where was her voice?
"The kiss?" Naruto suggested. He blushed slightly as his eyes trailed down to her lips.
"Yeah, I-"
"It's alright, Sakura-chan," came his positive voice, "It was an accident."
They had temporarily been able to avoid the topic, but she felt it was now or never. "Y-yeah...but I didn't mean to-"
"We turned towards each other at the same time. It's not like it meant anything," Naruto gave a large, fake, toothy smile. He was lying to himself with that statement, but could feel the butterflies zooming around in his stomach.
Sakura felt her pounding heart lurch backwards into her chest. "Right...It's not like it meant anything..."
"LIAR, LIAR! PANTS ON FIRE!" Inner Sakura yelled, leaving a ringing sound in Sakura's ears.
"Besides, we'll be getting Sasuke-kun back soon...Just like you said: We'll do it together."
Sakura suddenly felt like she wanted to yell, scream, chuck books at him, kick him into the ground, or drill it into his head that she needed her turn to speak. Fortunately, something clicked within that moment which changed her perspective.
'I don't go back on my words...it's a promise of a lifetime...'
Naruto was reacting this way, because he wanted to fulfill his promise. He didn't want anything to stop them. He needed to pursue Sasuke, his own 'adopted,' traitor of a brother.
"I did, didn't I?"
He nodded, "I better get going...You need to go to sleep anyway."
Naruto stood up once again, and this time Sakura react.
"I gotta train tomorrow morning," he lied again as he began to walk towards the balcony so as to leave, "Cya, Sakura-chan."
In a single second, it was as if two other conclusions finally hit Sakura's head: She really did like him. Just the words of him saying that the kiss meant nothing had hurt significantly more than anything else. Also, it was the same reaction he had had whenever she wanted to tell him she cared about him. He always had to be the tough guy when it came to things like this.
"You IDIOT! What are you doing sitting there?!" yelled her inner self again, snapping her back to life.
"Wait, Naruto!" Sakura had finally found her voice, and stood up intuitively, 'Shannaro! Think of something to say!'
"I LOVE YOU! YOU FREAKING IDIOT!"
'SHUT UP!'
Naruto looked over his shoulder baffled, "Eh?"
"You hit your head pretty hard, and it's not a good idea to move around by yourself. It's better to stay in one place with someone else around to look after you."
He couldn't resist. Giving her a sly smile, "Don't worry Sakura-chan. I'm one of the strongest guys in Konoha, and one of the few that can take your punches. You got nothing to worry about."
Within a split second, Sakura had moved around him to be between his body and the exit. He turned his head to look at her.
"You're staying here," were the only words to come. It was as if she rammed it down his throat.
Naruto was taken aback by her words. He had expected to be let go, or asked to leave after such an incident, but here she was doing the exact opposite. He wasn't dumb enough to go against her though.
"A-Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm telling you it's fine. You can sleep in my bed."
"EH?! Don't you think you're moving a bit fast?!"
"NOT TOGETHER DUMBASS!" she bonked him on the head before calmly continuing, "I'll be sleeping on the ground, and you in my bed. We're in separate locations!" She made sure to emphasize the word 'separate.' She turned to leave.
'Damn it!' "Okay," then came the general human response he couldn't prevent himself from mumbling, "But I wanted to share..."
"What was that?" she asked sternly, giving him a death glare again.
"N-Nothing." He jumped slightly since he hadn't expected her to hear him. It surprised him how much control she had sometimes by just being scary.
"That's what I thought you said. I'll go get blankets for a makeshift bed. You just get comfortable." Sakura left the room without any further statements.
For some reason, the situation wasn't as awkward as Naruto thought it would be. Sure it was her room, which didn't help any, but at the same time it didn't matter. He was so used to being around her from missions and daily life it felt okay. He removed his shoes and jacket, and lay in her bed under the covers.
'She is my friend...only a friend...Sakura-chan wouldn't like someone like me...that's why I'm trying to not go after her now...the kiss was an accident, she doesn't mean it,' he reminded himself, 'I did the right thing. I understand her.'
Sakura returned, and made the bed on the ground. After grabbing some nightclothes, she walked out of the room once again; this time to change.
Naruto mumbled to himself again, "Not fair..."
'Maybe if I join her on the ground during the middle of the night...hmm...so much for not going after her...'
Sakura returned quickly, dressed in her nightwear, and lay down on the makeshift bed. She covered her head with the blanket, but peaked out to look over at where Naruto was.
"Naruto?"
"Yes?"
"If you try anything during the middle of the night...I'll kick you so hard you'll have a sex change."
It took a few moments for Naruto to comprehend what she had just said, but soon gulped and began to sweat slightly as he covered his manhood with his hand. Though the message was rather vague, it made perfect sense to him. What befuddled him was whether she actually heard him again, or if she knew what he was thinking.
"Anyway, good night Naruto."
"Night...Sakura-chan..."
She groaned at the sound of the voice. Her body was warm, and refreshed. She could feel something pressing down on her left shoulder, but was unaware of where she was, or how she had gotten there. After a few moments, she understood she was in her bed, which greatly confused her since she thought she had fallen asleep on the floor.
"Sakura-chan," the voice was louder than before, and her vision was slightly fuzzy. She slowly popped her head out from under the covers so only her eyes came out.
"Nar…uto..."
Her blond-haired companion smiled down upon her, and lifted his hand off her shoulder while waving the other.
"Morning, Sakura-chan," he said softly, causing a small blush to make its way into Sakura's cheeks.
"Good morning," she returned the greeting, "H-How did I..." She stopped when she heard his uneasy giggles. "Huh? What's so funny?"
"Hehe, Don't get too mad Sakura-chan..." he said with a hint of seriousness in his voice.
"W-what...Why? What's going on?"
"I told your mom the good news, and she sort of reacted as you did...maybe even had a heart attack at this rate..."
"Wait…" Sakura began as she thought about the night before. What good news was he talking about? The accidental kiss topic which they avoided somewhat?
Naruto nodded with an even bigger smile on his face, "Yep! I told her we were getting married."
"WHAT?!" Sakura turned every shade of red possible, and shot out of bed so fast she nearly hit the ceiling on the way up, "WHY DID YOU SAY SOMETHING LIKE THAT?! WE'RE NOT GETTING MARRIED! SHE HAS NEVER MET YOU BEFORE NOW! YOU IDIOT! SHANNARO!"
Sakura didn't realize she had grabbed the collar of his shirt, was shaking him forcefully, and holding him at least a good foot off the ground. Her hair had become pointed, and her eyes grew large and white.
Naruto felt she was going to suffocate him, and grabbed onto her arms in an attempt to loosen her grip, "It's...okay...Sakura-chan," each word was it's own separate breath, "I was...joking…" It was all he could say since his face was slowly turning blue.
Naruto immediately felt the grip around his neck decrease tenfold, and fell to the ground with a thud.
"Naruto..." came Sakura's icy cold voice, "Don't do that again..."
Naruto grinned and nodded as he scratched the back of his head, "Okay, but I couldn't think of a better way of waking you up. Oh, what would you like for breakfast?"
Sakura blinked as she looked down at him since she hadn't anticipated the question after choking him, and he rarely cooked anything besides ramen. "B-Breakfast?"
"Yeah, what would you like for breakfast?" Naruto repeated. His lips curved upward in a happy, cat-like smile as he sat cross-legged on the ground.
"F-fruit...w-whatever is in the kitchen will be fine," she stuttered.
"Good, I'll cut it up. It will be in a bowl at the kitchen table. I'm waiting for you there," the clone then vanished in a puff of smoke.
"Hump, that coward sent a clone..." 'It must have been because of the marriage comment.'
Sakura smiled at the thought before pushing it away. She then changed into her mission clothes remembering that she was suppose to see Tsunade today with Naruto. Her master would probably send them on some sort of mission, or expect her to go fulfill some other menial task. It would be best to be suited for any occasion. She brushed out her hair, and put on her forehead protector before leaving her room.
The blond headed being, sitting at the table, eating a cup of ramen, turned around to greet the person walking down the stairs.
He swallowed the noodles which were leaking out of his mouth before saying, "Good morning, Sakura-chan!"
"N-Naruto...how can you eat something so heavy for breakfast?"
Naruto merely shrugged before remembering his accomplishment.
"You said you wanted fruit," he motioned towards the bowl of nicely cut fruit on the table waiting for her.
"W-wait...My mother…" she whispered slowly, "She isn't still here? It was a joke...right?"
"Its okay, Sakura-chan," he responded with the same goofy smile.
That was the last thing she wanted to hear, 'IT WASN'T A JOKE! IT'S PROBABLY WHAT INSPIRED IT! SHANNARO!!' she mentally yelled at herself.
Confused by the expression on her face, Naruto scratched his cheek, "I didn't see her at all."
"...Oh..." Sakura felt her brain was moving extremely slow this morning. Most of the time she was pretty sharp, and much more relaxed. However, this whole situation seemed to cause her to blow up at every slight thing. It reminded her of Naruto.
"I made a clone to stay with you, and went to your front door from the balcony. I knocked, but no one answered, so I assumed she left. That's when I chose to stay in the kitchen until I woke you up."
"I should give him more credit once in a while before jumping to conclusions," she could hear her inner self say.
"I see..."
Another moment passed, and a random question came to her head, "Naruto, I fell asleep on the ground. Why did I wake up in my bed?"
"Heh, I thought it would be better for you, so I moved you there." He was smiling like he was thirteen again.
Sakura's expression softened even though she wanted to beat him into a pulp for disobeying her. She tilted her head as she smiled. Sakura then walked around the table, and sat down in front of the bowl of fruit. She began to take a few bites before she asked another question.
"When did you get up anyway?"
"About a few hours ago, but I didn't go training like I wanted to."
"Why is that?"
Naruto flashed a smirk; "I thought it would be better to see you in the morning instead of leaving. Besides, you said we had to see Granny Tsunade today too."
Sakura took another bite of fruit, "Yeah, she prefers to be visited in the morning."
"Really?"
It suddenly dawned on Sakura that she hadn't even checked any of her clocks that entire morning. She looked over at the clock in the kitchen to see it reading one thirty in the afternoon.
"SHANNARO!!" she jumped out of her chair, ran around the table, and grabbed the back of Naruto's collar. She then proceeded to drag him behind her as she dashed out the door. The ramen Naruto had been eating spilled on the ground, and all that was left was the chopsticks in his bandaged hand.
"What's...going...on?..." Naruto asked between bumps.
"YOU WOKE ME UP SO LATE! SHE'S GONNA KILL US!"
"That old granny...wouldn't do...anything to us!"
'YOU DON'T KNOW HER WRATH! SHANNARO!' Inner Sakura yelled.
"We're still running there!"
Sakura swerved through the crowd at a lightning pace, and didn't stop until she reached the entrance of the Hokage building. She let go of Naruto's collar so he fell to the ground, then waited until he was on his feet before she moved forward.
They walked through the building together, and were very close to reaching the Hokage office when they heard muffled yells which sounded like an angry female. They followed the sound to the Hokage office. When they came within a few feet of the entrance, the door burst open, popping out 3 genin.
"YOU HAVE UNTIL THE END OF THE FESTIVAL TO FIX THIS!" the fifth yelled.
"YOU CRAZY OLD GRANNY!" Konohamaru yelled back as he stood up.
"Konohamaru-kun! You shouldn't say-" Moegi attempted to tell him.
"WHAT WAS THAT?!" Tsunade bellowed, causing Konohamaru to fall over from the force of her yell then jump up, slam the door, and run as fast as he could down the hall with Moegi and Udon struggling to keep up behind him.
Something in Naruto's head dug up what he and Sakura had discussed the previous night on the balcony, and remembered he had said he would talk to Konohamaru.
"Hey, Konohamaru! We got something we need to talk to you about-," he said, motioning to him and Sakura when he said 'we.'
"BYE NARUTO NII-CHAN!" Konohamaru waved, and only ran faster.
They watched the group vanish around a corner. Sakura twitched, 'This can't be good...we're late...and those little brats just made it worse...'
Sakura had dealt with Tsunade during times of being angry, drunk, upset, or infuriated...but she still had the utmost respect for her. Tsunade wasn't the person to tick off under any circumstance. Sakura let out a sigh, before walking towards the door with Naruto trailing behind her. They opened the door to see Jiraiya standing off to the side of Tsunade.
"Where the hell were you?"
"Easy Tsunade..."
Sakura and Naruto walked in. Sakura quickly walked to the center and bowed.
"I'm so sorry...Naruto and I were eating lunch...er, breakfast, and-"
"Perverted Hermit's here, too?"
This distracted Jiraiya away from Tsunade, "Hey Naruto! How have you been?"
Sakura looked up from her bow, ignoring the exchange between Naruto and Jiraiya, and focusing her attention to her master, she said, "What did you want to speak to us about?"
Jiraiya looked at Tsunade, and nodded in confirmation, "...Right."
Naruto tilted his head slightly as he looked at the two elders.
"Information has been coming in from the other countries, and I wanted to discuss it with you."
"Info?" Sakura suggested.
"What is it? What is it?"
Jiraiya then continued in place of Tsunade. "I'm sure you two are aware of the festival taking place the day after tomorrow. Also, there are those from Suna who are coming to promote the village's alliance."
Both of the students nodded.
Naruto couldn't help but begin to ask, "Is Gaara-"
"The Kagekaze will not be able to leave..."
Naruto was slightly disappointed, but continued to listen.
"However Temari will be coming as the representative. We need-"
Before Jiraiya could finish, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in!" Tsunade yelled.
The door opened, and Shikamaru entered, "Hey Naruto! Sakura!"
"Hey Shikamaru!" Sakura and Naruto both responded.
Sakura then looked back to her mentor, "So Shikamaru is joining us in the mission?"
"Yes," Tsunade responded, "You three are to be Temari's body guards during the duration of the festival."
Naruto frowned at the outcome, 'Damn...There goes my date with Sakura-chan...'
It was then that Sakura looked around, and noticed one thing missing.
"Wait...What about Sai, Kakashi, and Yamato?"
Tsunade lifted her head to look at her, "As of right now, they are assigned different missions regarding the festival."
Jiraiya faked a cough to get the attention back to him, "As I was saying...Since Temari is one of the three sand children, and the issues with the Kagekaze and Akatsuki not too long ago...it is best to take these precautions in escorting her from one place to the next while she is here. Even though she will have her team of ninjas, one can never be too cautious. There have been rumors of someone attempting to sabotage the festival, and destroy the alliance."
Tsunade also added in, "She has already been informed of this, and is bringing quite a few soldiers from Suna to enjoy the celebration. She is heading here now, and should be here by tomorrow afternoon. Meet her at the gate, and take her and the guests to their specified locations. Shikamaru has already been informed of where they are."
"Are there any questions?"
No one responded.
"You're dismissed."
The three ninjas exited the room without saying another word, leaving Jiraiya and Tsunade to themselves.
"Do you really think Temari can work this one out with Shikamaru, and do as we requested?"
"Even though we thought Konohamaru, Moegi, and Udon messed up the opportunities...it seems it may have actually pushed them somewhat closer."
"I agree...this is probably one of the first times Naruto hasn't complained about being given such a simple mission."
"Precisely."
"However..."
"However?"
"It seems I won a date with you last time since they screwed up the original plan. Care to make another bet?"
Tsunade twitched and glared at him while he chuckled nervously to himself, waiting for the explosion.
Shikamaru, Sakura, and Naruto discussed the plan of action for the simple mission, and Shikamaru had informed them of everything he had been told. Once the meeting had finished, Sakura and Naruto had set off towards their home, while Shikamaru headed towards his. As they walked down a rather crowded street, many people obstructed their way. It was difficult for them to move together easily without being separated by a kid or adult.
"Naruto, wait up!" Sakura yelled after him. She was a couple yards away, but a group of people had decided to move in front of her at that moment.
Naruto noticed, stopped, and waited for her to catch up, "There has to be a better way than trying to get through this mess."
He turned around to look for a better path to travel, when he felt someone grab his hand. He looked down to see her hand linked with his.
"It'll be easier this way. We won't get separated."
Naruto could feel his cheeks begin to redden as well, but refused to allow it to appear. 'This...this is the first time she's ever suggested something like this...she was willing to feed me at my favorite ramen bar, she didn't mind kissing my cheek, or laying down with me at the training grounds. Sure we accidentally kissed, and she knocked me out...but she...is the one suggesting most of this now...maybe I should-'
"Naruto..." He saw the pink-haired beauty wave her hand in front of his face. "What are you waiting for?"
"Right..." They mingled through the crowd as if they were water passing through cracks in a wall.
It wasn't long until they reached the midpoint between their final destinations, and Sakura released Naruto's hand.
"I'll see you tomorrow," she said with smile.
"Y-yeah...see ya."
Sakura turned to leave, but was stopped in her tracks by his voice.
"Sakura-chan."
"Huh?" she turned around, and felt soft, puckered lips against her forehead. The bottom of Naruto's chin was at her eye level, and she naturally closed her eyes to enjoy the moment. She felt him pull away, and opened her eyes. Naruto was standing in front of her with the largest blush and devious grin displayed on his face.
"You have a large charming forehead...Made me want to kiss it."
Sakura blushed instantly, taken aback by his words. A part of her wanted to hit him for shocking her once again, while the other remained still, and accepted the gesture. However, something began to buzz in her head, and she felt like she had heard those words before.
"I'll catch ya later, Sakura-chan," he smiled back at her and waved as he turned to walk towards his apartment with his heart pounding into his ribs.
Sakura was unable to move. She had heard those words before, though they weren't from Naruto, but Sasuke commenting on Naruto.
The ceiling was rather boring, though he had been staring at it for at least an hour now, remembering everything he had felt and experienced. It was hard to act like the previous night never happened, but he found it seeping through the small openings created.
'We really did kiss...' he repeated for the hundredth time within the hour, 'we held hands, and I kissed her forehead. It felt so...right...'
His heart beat faster at the thoughts, and for some reason he wanted to see her again. He wanted to see her, know how she felt, and what she thought. The one particular thing he wanted was to feel her lips against his again. The one unexpected moment they experienced on her balcony had given him hope that maybe…just maybe they could go beyond dating once they got Sasuke back.
'Sakura-chan...' he felt like a lovesick puppy thinking her name, just like he had been when he was younger. She was everything to him, the person he wanted to hold and protect, and have her love him entirely in return. Though he felt selfish for the thoughts, he wanted her as his, not Sasuke's or Fuzzy-brow's or anyone else's.
He lifted his hand so it was a foot away from his face. Just looking at his hand helped remember what hers felt like. Her hands were soft, but the texture also indicated she had trained hard over the years, and lost some of the soft feminine touch they would have had.
He was completely lost in thought, but was still able to hear the knock on the door, and stood up to answer it, curious as to whom it was this time of day. He cracked open the door slightly to see the guest, and recognizing the face at once he opened the door fully.
"W-What are you doing here?"
Cliff hanger of doom again...couldn't help myself. Who's at the door? I'd like to know myself. Anyway, this is as far as I got before I stopped once again. I do know who is at the door, but started a new chapter for that one. No, I'm not telling anyone - so don't bother asking. I think it's more fun to be surprised. Anyway, no idea when I'm going to update again...hopefully faster than a few months though. Hope everyone enjoyed the chapter.
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