Disclaimer: I don't own anything from the Naruto universe

AN: Hey guys. Sorry this took so long. My grandfather died and I'm really busy. I wrote a piece dedicated to him called "Naruto's Legacy". So I ask that you guys please drop by that one and leave a review. Thanks a lot. And on with the show.

Sasuke's chest rose and fell with steady breaths as he slept on his bed. His body was bandaged heavily and bruises still adorned his body, but the Uchiha's condition had clearly improved since his encounter with Naruto. His room was fairly large, yet only the bed and a small bedside table furnished it.

As Sasuke's slumber continued, he was unaware of his door opening and someone entering the room.

The newcomer stood in the doorway for a while and his gaze was searching.

It came to the table, and stopped. His eyes were now fixed on an object on said table. He inhaled deeply. He found what he was searching for.

He strolled towards it casually, but the aura around him betrayed his calm exterior as it radiated with anxiousness. He stopped at the table, and just stared.

There it was. The necklace of the Shodaime.

The lone eye that was visible through the man's mask was locked onto the crystal of said necklace.

Slowly, Madara stretched his hand out and let his finger graze the blue.

He then picked it up and brought it to eye level while scrutinizing it.

'So small…….yet powerful enough to destroy the world……You hid this power well……………….Hirashima………'

He was lost in the lustful feeling of power radiating from the crystal as it shined in his eyes.

"Why do we need it?"

Madara's thoughts were cut as he turned his head around to see Sasuke sitting up and glaring at him.

"Now, now Sasuke. It isn't polite to glare like that."

Sasuke's glare just got more intense as his eyes narrowed even further.

"But then again," Madara continued while putting his attention back to the necklace.



"You never were good with being the subordinate………………. That's why Orochimaru's dead……now isn't it?"

Sasuke just kept his fierce glare at the back of the man's head.

"I nearly died for that crystal………….. I think I've proved myself enough that I could be trusted with whatever your plan is……" said a monotone voiced Sasuke.

Madara turned his head slowly again to look at the younger Uchiha with a serious look. He stared for a while, as though he was contemplating something.

Sasuke realized quite a few seconds passed with the older Nin not moving, until he saw the man slowly nod.

"I'll tell you later………" was all the true Akatsuki leader would say before once again fixing his attention on the crystal.

Sasuke frowned.

Suna

Hospital

Naruto lies on the bed motionless as Sakura moves her hands around his chest while checking his condition. The only reason she wasn't blushing from the topless Naruto whilst running her fingers over his chiseled chest and abs was because of her worry for him.

She looks to the table at her side while searching for some ointment. As she does this, her fingers release the pressure and barely caress the sleeping Nin's chest.

A chuckle reaches her ears.

Her head snaps around and she sees a closed eyed Naruto with a small smile on his face.

"That tickles," he whispers.

A smile automatically graces her face and she leans over him.

She uses one hand to brush the hair away from his face gently.

"You scared me……"

Naruto's eyes were closed, but he could hear the cracking in her voice.

He slowly opened his eyes, and he could see that despite her smiling face, she was near tears.



She was obviously really happy that he was awake. He smiled at the thought. The once scorn of the village was now quite dear to many. He was especially happy that it was Sakura who cared so much about him. As he broke out of his thoughts, his eyes widened.

It was only then did Naruto realize…………how close their faces were to each other.

And from the blush on Sakura's face when his eyes darted to her lips, then back to her eyes, so did she.

"Sorry……" he whispered, too shocked from the closeness to the beautiful Kunoichi.

As for Sakura, she knew her cheeks were starting to burn, but she didn't move from her position. Instead, something pushed her to be bolder than she had been with Naruto. She kept looking at him as she continued to stroke his hair.

Her heart pounded and her pulse raced as she boldly stared at his shocked face. She looked at his lips, and realized how close they were to her. How so temptingly close. She felt as though she could just quickly press hers against his in hope that he would ravish them upon contact.

She licked her lips slightly while thinking about it. Their faces were so close that her desire to kiss Naruto was now the most intense it had ever been.

Her eyes then lit up as she realized Naruto stared at her now slightly wet lips with half lidded eyes and a passion that mirrored her eyes.

She contemplated her next move for a while, but eventually she boldly stopped stroking his hair, and rested her hand on his face.

Naruto, closed his eyes and nuzzled into the caress slightly, before putting his hand over hers. His heart felt like a jackhammer. It was pounding heavily in his chest and he felt more nervous than he ever had in his entire ninja and diplomatic career. He couldn't believe this was happening. He couldn't believe he was sharing such an intimate moment with the girl he had been in love with for over eight years.

He then opened his eyes half lidded again, and stared into her own.

Emerald met blue………. and heaven met earth.

They were both lost in the tumultuous emotions swimming in each other's eyes.

It was as if the other's gaze had cast a spell on them to not look away, to feel everything that was involved.

They stared long and hard, trying to decipher just what those emotions were. Why was the other responding the way they were? Was it love? Was it lust? Was it mistaken and misplaced affection that the other didn't know what they were doing?



They stared, trying to figure it out.

But seeing Naruto stare at her like that, Sakura couldn't help it.

She was already lost in those emotions, whatever they were.

She wanted to do it.

She needed to do it.

She leaned forward………ever so slightly……..ever so slowly…… inching…………..inching…….

As she neared, anxiousness filled her entire body and she could feel goosebumps. She kept looking for any sign that he was going to tell her stop……any sign of regret...

But instead, the opposite happened. Naruto raised his head off the bed slowly……….inching as well, and she steeled her resolve.

'Is this really happening?' they asked themselves.

The space between their faces was disappearing…….. and their eyes started to close as well.

'Oh Kami…….'

'Naruto…..'

……………………………………

"OI! Forehead!"

Sakura flew back into the chair and stared in wide eyed horror as Ino barged through the door.

The pink haired apprentice of Tsunade quickly put her hands over her cheeks to cover the new shade of red that she just invented.

Ino, opened the door in time to see Sakura almost sitting up already but DID notice that she was in motion at the time. She wondered what her friend was doing that made her jump like that……… but she had an idea.

She raised an eyebrow at the other Kunoichi as though asking a silent question. Sakura's eyes just widened even further upon this action and she turned away from Ino's gaze while avoiding Naruto's as well. She kept her hands on her cheeks and stared into the nothingness in front of her.

Ino, seeing this reaction, felt as though the tension in the room was bad enough without teasing her thoroughly embarrassed best friend, so she let it slide.



Naruto on the other hand, looked from Sakura…..to Ino….. to Sakura……to Ino, with huge, disbelieving eyes.

He then dropped back on the bed and stared at the ceiling….

'Damn it Ino!! Sakura-chan and I were going to kiss!! I can't believe this!'

He continued his inner rant with a lot more colorful words before he barely registered the sound of footsteps. Naruto then stopped his cursing as he heard Ino step next to the bed.

He moved his gaze from the ceiling to the other blond and immediately his anger melted.

Because her face said it all. Her eyes were filled with relief and genuine concern. And again, Naruto couldn't have been happier that he was important to so many people now.

……………………. That was before he saw anger.

Whack!

"Bakaa!"

Naruto rubbed his head.

"Itai! What the fuck Ino?! Can't you see how beat up I am?!"

He opened his eye that he closed from the pain and saw a little playfulness in Ino's eyes.

"That's exactly why you needed to be hit. Damn Baka……..always getting yourself beaten to a half dead state………when will you learn that you're just not that good of a ninja……." She said casually while looking at her nails.

Naruto stuck his bottom lip and pouted a bit. "Awww………….That was mean……" he whined.

Ino then dropped her hand and beamed at him. She then leant over and kissed his cheek and lightly wrapped an arm around him.

He smiled softly, and returned the embrace.

"I'm really happy you're okay," she said while closing her eyes.

Naruto's smile grew even bigger and he closed his eyes as well.

"Arigato…."

She squeezed him a little tighter and then she slowly let go and opened her eyes as she stood up.



She then looked at Sakura, who had remained silent and looking to the floor with now only slightly tinted cheeks. Ino quickly grabbed the pink haired girl's hand, which caused Sakura to jump a bit and her face to fill with shock. The blonde then looked back to Naruto.

"As happy as I am that you're awake, I really came here with the intention of getting Sakura's help with Kiba in the other room. So I'm going to steal her away from you for a bit."

Naruto smiled and looked at Sakura and kept his gaze on her. His smile however, was just a mask for the nervousness he felt. They had their moment, but what now.

He kept looking at her because he wanted her to look at him to see what her reaction would be.

After a while of staring at Sakura, the medical ninja eventually turned her attention from Ino, to Naruto.

He saw the shock that was still in her face from Ino grabbing her hand and shaking her out of her thoughts, but realized that as she looked at him, her face softened.

She then smiled a small smile that he had never seen before.

Her eyes were different too. It had…………something…………..something that made his heart pound.

And for some reason, this made Naruto feel happy.

"I'll rest," he said with a smile, assuring her that he would take it easy.

Sakura smiled even wider. But it was still her eyes that Naruto was drawn into. Because after he said that, they changed to something different.

It was still an emotion he couldn't describe……. but he saw………that her eyes were giving him a look so soft……..and so caring…….that he could feel her arms around his body hugging him as she smiled.

"Ok…." She said softly, as they kept their eyes locked. After a couple of seconds, she pulled her gaze away and she looked at Ino almost glowing.

Ino smiled and led Sakura out of the room while turning back and giving a small wave to Naruto.

Naruto waved as the two left the room, and dropped his head back onto his pillow.

He stared at the ceiling, with the biggest grin possible on his face.

'Sakura-chan…………tried to kiss me……..not the other way around……..'

He couldn't keep his happiness in him and he laughed softly.



He was in a great mood now, especially when he thought that maybe his dream of a future with Sakura was finally becoming reality.

'Maybe……….she's starting to feel what I feel…….."

He was so happy that he just wanted to tell someone of what happened. ANYone. He started running off the people he was closest to in his mind to see who he could talk to about it.

But it was when he was running through those people that he remembered something and his eyes widened as he got slightly panicked.

'Hinata!………….I wonder if they brought her back??………..'

With that, Naruto ripped off the sheet that was over his legs and jumped off the bed.

'If they brought her back then Sakura-chan would have made sure she stayed in the hospital for observation.'

And with that, he set off in search of the Hyuuga.

AN: Again. I'm sorry for the mediocrity and the lateness. It was a really busy week. In any case. To all the people who read this fic. Please read and review "Naruto's Legacy", the tribute one shot I made to my grandfather. I wrote it the night he died and it's very personal to me even though slightly rushed. I'm only asking you to do this in this story's AN because there wasn't many hits so I figured reader traffic was slow that night and as much as i dedicated it to him i didn't want to see it not read. Please drop by. Also. Chapter 8 should be up soon. Oh and don't forget the review for this fic as well.