"And it will be worse one time when you aren't with me." He said firmly as he guided her out of the store with his calloused hand at the small of her back. She could only gape soundlessly at him in response to that statement, and the fact that he said it with such truth and conviction it really couldn't be taken as a joke.

And how she so wanted to take it as a joke.

Sakura had never been one to think of Naruto as one of those smart young men that had graced the halls of the academy; he had not been one to the cool collected orphans that were so because they had to grow up too fast (if anything Naruto was the opposite), and he had not been one of those she considered would be so mature and responsible and independent and in control…

Now here she was staring at her teammate as he led her onto the geometric and rigid form of the konoha streets and held his grocery bag swinging in his other hand- whistling as he steered her through the crowds.

She gaped.

And she couldn't help it.

Here was the boy who was so loud you could hear him clear across konohagakure, here was the boy who you couldn't help but notice with his sunny personality and absolutely attention grabbing antics, here as the boy branded trouble maker and vengeful little brat…

And - and – she couldn't help but wonder if this was the real little boy, the one she hadn't bothered to get to know.

Guiltily she knew the only reason she had been with him to see the atrocious behavior of the vendor was because she had ran into him while he was doing his shopping (something she thought he wouldn't do himself anyway) and she had only stayed because she was bored and Naruto always happened to shed some insight into Sasuke's personality. He always seemed to know something about Sasuke that she would find helpful, and she guessed the only time she ever saw Naruto was during missions or a team meeting or when she glimpsed him in the streets.

She never knew that he did his own errands, she never thought that he knew how to bargain and meddle and shop efficiently (scary how he could find the best deal- something she hadn't even mastered yet). Of course, that wasn't saying much considering she knew mostly nothing of her blonde haired team mate. Then again, no one else really knew anything about him either.

She nodded her head decisively at this fact - it was enough to assuage her guilt ridden mind – and then Naruto paused and left her to help up a child from the road where he had fallen, his candies spread about in the dust to disappear under others feet.

She stopped to watch in detached wonder and some incomprehension as the now gentle male helped up the child no one else was aiding, and he reached into his just bought groceries to hand the child a chocolate with a wink and small smile.

And the guilt came back.

She had run into him purely by coincidence, hadn't even bothered to greet him properly before launching into a conversation about Sasuke (granted that was where they had left off last time they were talking- being mutually worried about their reclusive teammate for two entirely different reasons) and inviting herself to join him in his excursion.

He didn't say anything.

Naruto was like that she supposed. Surprising you all the time like that…

But then he hadn't said anything when the vendor had sneered at him and purposefully given him the almost sour milk and the rotting fruit and, and, and …just treated him so Horribly!!

And he had walked away with that damnably new and calm look on his face and stopped her from snarling at the vendor and she couldn't help but- ARGHHHH!

Her day had just gotten worse.

She did not need to gain a new perspective on her team member (But damn her curiosity). So she continued walking with him and couldn't help but send furtive glances at him from his side. He had grown in the time she had known him, and had become a very good friend to most all the rookies- and a very honorable rival to the rest. There was just something about Naruto (the normal one, she wasn't sure how people would react to this one) that you liked, admired, or envied.

That was just the way it went.

And now, Sakura thought with a sad face as she glanced a parent shepherding her child away from Naruto while smiling at Sakura, she found another way it simply 'went' for the sunny blonde.

And they arrived at his apartment with nothing different happening- but now she took the effort to simply notice everything that she had seen as normal when she was around the blonde bundle of sunshine and pep.

There wasn't the standard call of greetings the civilians gave to the ninjas who protected them, and there weren't any of his neighbors offering him a welcoming smile or waving out endearments and shouting greetings…

None of that.

But there were cold glares and slamming doors and glaring eyes between blinds that quickly snapped shut- and through it all he walked straight and swung his bags and whistled.

She knew this was just another facet of his person, for Naruto was too guileless to keep up a mask. In fact, she thought as she quickened her steps to keep up with her enthusiastic partner, Naruto was never one to talk about himself much- just exclaim loudly of his dream to be hokage and yell at someone when he disagreed and felt the need to argue his point. That was when the Naruto she knew was revealed.

The only reason she even knew he was an orphan was because Iruka had briefly mentioned it in the academy days…and then nothing, she knew nothing about him.

Sure she had been to his apartment once, but he had surprised her with the seemingly bare place, empty and hollow and bereft of any semblance of his presence except the food left on the counter and a few potted plants scattered amongst the scrolls that littered the wooden floor.

It was entirely unhelpful in discovering Naruto's personality (not that she had been very much bothered with this side of Naruto's personality at the time- she thought with a rather guilty look at the now grinning blonde as he walked beside her). They encountered the door to his apartment.

And she entered his domain for only the second time in their entire stint as teammates. Sure she had been one to wake him when he was late for a meeting- but it only took her calling through the wall for him to come to his senses and meet her at the door all ready to go; and that other time she had been there, was when she had needed help with Sasuke, she had rushed into his apartment and gabbed and whined and cried about the problems with the stoic and handsome Uchiha.

And Naruto had helped.

But now as she watched him take the groceries out of their bag and settle them down on the counter she had to look once again on the evidence of the Naruto she didn't know. The milk flashed mockingly at her the expiry date, set for few days soon to come, and the fruit lay limp and pathetic as Naruto set it about his counter space and they seemed to glare lazily at her from their positions.

And the only thing that looked even remotely edible was the packaged ramen Naruto placed aside on the table, near the chair she sat in as he set about now putting away the perishables in the fridge (and she cringed as she realized that it wouldn't do much good for the food now).

Sakura sighed and Naruto turned to her with a smile, lighting up the rather dreary apartment and making her frown at him.

He blinked in confusion at her, tilting his head to one side like this little lost kitten she had once found…

"Why are you acting so stupid?"

His brows crinkled and his head tilted in that damnably hurt and confused puppy look that had never really affected her before… "Sakura-chan, I don't know what you are talking about."

Sakura growled. "I am talking about that sour milk! And that rotting fruit! Don't you know how to pick out the right stuff? Can't you stick up for yourself!"

And she stopped ranting as he gave her that little smile, closed his eyes softly, and tilted his head down; a rather un-Naruto like picture.

"Sa, Sakura-chan. That's just the way it goes."

Sakura sat back, a soft sound of shock and disbelief escaping her unnoticed as she simply stared at her blonde teammate; a teammate who was by far the sunniest of all four that made team seven, who didn't seem to be brought down by anything…a teammate who was always alone.

Sakura's eyes softened and her head tilted slightly of its own volition- and Naruto tensed up. "Don't!" His voice rang through the otherwise silent apartment with strength and steel. And Sakura drew back with wide eyes. His expression clouded and he turned himself away from her, leaning heavily against the counter and sighed. "Don't look at me like that; I don't want your pity."

Sakura opened her mouth to say something, reaching out a hand to backtrack and deny or apologize or argue…she didn't really know.

A sigh; "Just leave okay?" he turned around to face her with a rueful smile that gradually was forced into his usual expression of brightness. "I promise I'll be normal tomorrow."

And she left.

But as she walked through the halls of his apartment, with the inhabitants smiling or waving or calling out a cheerful greeting; and along the symmetrical streets of Konoha to her house, lined with stands full of wares and merchants calling out praises, happily enticing her to buy from their stock; she found she had a new perspective on the blonde.

He hadn't scowled in reply to the cold and harsh behavior of the villagers – so opposite to what she was receiving now - even going so far as to smile at the woman who had given him the perishing groceries…He had not reacted the way any normal person would- because then he wouldn't be Naruto.

She smiled ruefully, and couldn't help but close her eyes and change her smile to a bursting grin not unlike the one her teammate usually gave.

Because Naruto was like that.

And she walked and greeted and waved with a smug smile; after all, all these people were going to realize something really soon- and really fast.

Uzumaki Naruto was a great person, she realized that. Now all that was needed was the villagers to notice as well.

She laughed and threw her head back, letting her hair swing around her shoulders as she squinted at the sun light sky- the blue reminding her of his proud eyes. She couldn't help it after all; some things about Naruto were just contagious.

She even went so far as to pass the stupefied bishounen named Uchiha Sasuke, she had after all spotted a gaggle of females she knew to be very good gossips and even better vengeful chits.

It was time to boycott a certain vendor.

And that was that.

.xX.x

YAY! Woot…I don't really like this one like my others…but I guess posting it is okay. I LOVE MY REVIEWERS! lOl. I hope that you enjoy this rather questionable piece, I feel I didn't get the emotional grasp on this one as well as the others…but you'll forgive me ne?

OH YEAH! SUGGESTIONS? What do you remember about childhood? Any specific games or moments that would make a great one shot for this are helpful so review and comments are great! Actually…I looooove reviews…lol.