Unforeseen Consequences

Chapter 9: Confessions

It had been a couple of weeks since Naruto have met up with the girls shopping that day, lately he was getting more confused but not about what was going on with Ino and Sakura. After what he had seen with his clones he had a pretty good idea what was going on. The rest of the time Naruto had met up with Sakura and Ino plenty of times. He continued to train with Ino, as well as hang out with the blonde girl. Naruto also spent time with Sakura just hanging out and having fun. The thing that was really weighing on the boy's mind was his own personal feelings, which was why he was spending his current time sitting on the stone head of the Fourth, in deep thought about his situation.

The thing was he was feeling great that someone actually wanted him romantically. There had been this lingering fear ever since he found out about the demon that he might never find someone. After all, what if he got into a relationship and when they found out they couldn't stand him? Of course over time he pushed that aside but that lingering doubt had always been in the back of his mind somewhere. It was the same reason he never came out and said to his friends about the Fox sealed inside.

But that was just a small issue, the major one was that lately he had started to like both girls. Sure he liked Sakura for the longest time, but it seemed only recently she might have actually return his feelings somewhat. He wasn't sure how much but this was something he had been hoping for, for years ever since he first met the pink haired girl. She was his first love and he had always wanted her to see him as something more.

The problem was that lately he had started to like Ino as well. She was beautiful and talented, she held a different type of beauty than Sakura had. Plus Ino was always so confident and sure of herself. She also was fun to hang out with, something Naruto hadn't known at first as he had only spent small amounts of time with her before. He had gotten to know the girl a lot better in the past week and an half and he found that he started to like her more as a person and a friend. It also didn't help that he had starting to look at Ino as more of a woman than a friend either. All those times they had been pressed up against each other while training informed him of just how female she was. There was the smell of her hair, the soft feel of her chest rubbing up against him, and so many other things that made it hard to him to focus while training with her.

So the problem was who to choose? The girl he had been after for as long as he had known her or the girl that he had started to think about? Plus the other major problem was this, he knew next to nothing about women. It wasn't like he had anyone to tell him stuff growing up, plus anything that came out of Jiraiya's mouth had been too perverted for him to take seriously those years training with him. Naruto knew that he usually did or said the wrong thing, he just acted out without thinking. The times he got Sakura mad was proof of that, but she usually had a point in being mad with him.

So what if he was reading things wrong? It wouldn't be the first time he misread the situation. That thing with Shion was proof of that, he felt himself blushing at that. At the time he had helped the Priestess of Demon Country, she had asked him to help her pass her powers on to the next generation. He had agreed not really thinking on it, he hadn't know what she had implied. It wasn't until on their way back when he noticed the odd looks he kept getting and asked what was up, when Kakashi told him what he had basically agreed to.

Thankfully they had been taking Shion back home at the time, Naruto's reaction had been pretty embarrassing and Shion took pity and told him it had been a joke. Although thinking back, she most likely hadn't been joking. It was that whole thing that was making Naruto run his thoughts in circles. He needed to know what was going on but could he just come out and say it? What if he said the wrong thing or said something stupid again?

So all of this led him to just sitting on the giant stone head trying to come up with a plan.

- Naruto and Ino-

Naruto felt a little nervous as he was with Ino at the moment. She had seemed a bit serious when she asked him to meet with her somewhere private. They were currently in the park just walking but so far she hadn't said much. Ino however looked nervous and with good reason.

Ino had been thinking long and hard on how to get Naruto to notice her, but she wasn't sure if anything had been working. She thought that she noticed some interests in him but it was hard to tell, he had such an innocence about him that he could get embarrassed easily under the right circumstances. For the past few days she thought they had been making progress but still Naruto hadn't made a single move. So it was now time for her to make that move, before Sakura got up the courage to do the same. She knew that if Sakura confessed there was a very good chance that Naruto would take it. Plus Naruto was never one to cheat on a girl, not like she would still go after him if he was taken, she wasn't that kind of girl and there was no way she would throw away her friendship with Sakura like that.

So she decided to lay her cards on the table and let Naruto choose.

She led him through the park, it was a nice sunny day and there was a nice breeze moving in. All in all it would have been the perfect type of day for a real date. Well if she played her hand right maybe they would actually be going on dates soon. She led him to a nice area that was unoccupied at the moment, this was good as she wasn't sure she could do this with an audience, especially if things went bad.

Looking around she noticed that they were totally alone for the moment, so she needed to do this while she had the privacy she needed for what she had planned. Ino stopped a bit as she moved closer to Naruto who looked a little confused at her for a moment.

Ino placed her hands on his shoulders as she looked up at him, she hadn't noticed but she kind of liked how much taller he was now. "You know Naruto I don't know if you noticed but we've been getting kind of close right?"

"W-well yeah," Naruto said looking down at her trying not to blush as how close they were physically at the moment.

She gave a small smile looking at him he was kind of cute when he was like this. She reached up gently with one hand and lightly ran her ringers over the black whisker marks on the side of his cheek. It was something she had always wanted to do lately. She wasn't sure why, she thought she might feel some difference but it was like running a hand over a tattoo.

"Well I think it's time I tell you something," Ino blushed a bit feeling her heart racing. This was the moment of truth, there was no backing down now. "Lately...I started to really like you Naruto."

"W-well I like you too we're really good friends now," Naruto told her not sure what to say.

"No not like that, I do like you as a friend but...well let me show you," Ino knew that Naruto was more of an actions speak louder than words type. So she reached up a little and gave him a small kiss to his lips. It wasn't anything passionate that you'd write about in books, but it wasn't too timid. She wanted to let him know where she stood with him, to open his eyes to what was before him. She did lose track of time for a moment, his lips as she would later think back, were very kissable.

She pulled back as both teens were blushing full red now, Naruto couldn't even speak at the moment. That had been his first real kiss, well with a girl at least. That other one was a memory he would repress and bury as long as he lived. But still, his mind was still processing what had just happened. Although the fact that the kiss had been very nice to him had managed to get through. He had never kissed a girl and their lips were very soft, at least Ino's were.

Ino smirked at the reaction of the boy in front of her, that had been her first kiss and she was glad that it was at least with Naruto. He wouldn't take advantage of situation, one of the many reasons she had started to become attracted to him.

"Now do you understand?" Ino asked him softly to which he nodded his head.

He wasn't sure what he could say or should say to something like that. He still cared for Sakura, but that kiss, that kiss for the first time in his life he felt a small doubt showing up where there had been none before. Sure he asked out Sakura all the time but nothing serious came from it, was he to chase a girl that might not return his feelings for his entire life? Now he had a very nice girl in front of him that did like him, that wanted to be something more with him.

He was so confused he didn't know what to think or feel now.

Ino had figured that this would be his reaction, after all Naruto was always a bit slow on the uptake and she also wanted to give him time to process things. She wouldn't push him for an answer right away, pressuring him would be unfair and she wanted this to be totally his choice. So she backed away a bit and smiled at him a little.

"Don't worry you don't have to say anything yet, just let your heart tell you what you want and I'll be there. I can wait for you to make up your mind, I know you still got a thing for Sakura so until you make a choice we'll end it there for now. But I hope that you consider moving on, I may not be Sakura but I can be just as good to you if you give me a chance." She said softly as she turned and walked away.

A part of her hoped that she would hear him coming after her, but she knew that was a long shot. No this was a better way, she and Sakura could dance around this for a long time. Maybe it wasn't fair to put Naruto in the middle for so long, he needed to make a choice. She only hoped that over the past few weeks she had made enough progress with him to have him consider choosing her over Sakura.

Well only time will tell, she figured.

- Naruto and Sakura-

Naruto wished he could focus on the time with Sakura, he really did but that thing with Ino had been making it hard to focus. Currently the two of them were just going for a walk, nothing special but it was for him in a way. When he normally was with Sakura the time with her was always special in his heart, because this was time with Sakura and only just them. He just wished he could enjoy the time they were having together a lot more without his mind being all occupied.

Sakura however did notice that Naruto's mind was elsewhere, she had known him long enough to know that. Mainly it was just because of how quiet he was, Naruto was only quiet when his mind was too busy to think of something else. She was kind of worried actually, whatever it was had to be major and she had a sinking feeling she might know what it was. For the past week she and Ino had been trying to gain Naruto's attention, but so far the boy hadn't shown any new interests. Then again she knew how thick he could be to the obvious at times but at other times he could also surprise you. Maybe now was the time to finally stop with the games and just get to the heart of the matter.

She would have told him sooner but she wanted to make sure of her own feelings before confession them to him. In the past week she knew that the feelings she had were of no mere crush or infatuation. She did have feelings for Naruto, because honestly who wouldn't if they got to know the boy. Sure he had his faults but everyone did, it was what lay beyond the faults that were amazing. She was pulled out of her thoughts as she realized where they had walked without even noticing it. She saw the three stumps where it all began, where Team 7 had been born.

"How did we get here?" Sakura muttered, she thought she had been following Naruto or had he been following her? She wasn't too sure which one but while she had been deep in thought they had come across the old training field.

Naruto looked up at her voice and noticed where they were as well. A small smile got on his face remembering their younger days here and the first time they had been formed into a team. "I still can't believe you all left me tied to the stump."

Sakura couldn't help but let out a giggle at that memory, "We did untie you before we got too far."

Naruto pouted at her, "Hey that wasn't funny, why did you guys walk off so far?"

"Well Kakashi-sensei said he heard how you got out of ropes before and wanted to see if you could get out before we got out of sight. I guess you couldn't." Sakura grinned trying to fight back the laugh at his face. She couldn't help it, he looked so cute when he pouted like a kid.

"That's not when most of my body is tied up," Naruto informed her while he made plans to deal with Kakashi later on. He had always wondered and now he had a reason for a little revenge. Although he could get out or robes, it wasn't until later when he learned how to get out of his hold body being tied up. His escapes from the hospital sure were good ninja training for him.

Naruto looked back at the field remembering training here, the two bells tests and everything else they had been through. They had a lot of happy times here, although it was kind of sad now. There was a missing member of the team, sure Sai fit in really well but he couldn't replace Sasuke. Sakura saw the look on his face and knew where his thoughts were going, she reached down and held his hand. This surprised the boy as he looked at her and she only smiled back.

"I know, we'll save him even if we have to beat the sense into him," Sakura told him making him smile a bit more. "And I hit a lot harder when he knew me so maybe my fists can scramble his brains back into line."

Naruto knew just how hard she could hit and for a moment he pitied Sasuke if he ever got hit by her. Knowing him he might just dismiss Sakura as the same girl she had been when he left. That would prove to be a major mistake by him.

Sakura looked back to the field and smiled, "It seems so long ago since when we first started and we've come a long way. I still remember that bell test and how you used shadow clones, I was honestly surprised and secretly impressed that you used that."

"Really?" Naruto liked hearing about this.

Sakura nodded, "I didn't say anything, so sorry for that."

"I thought I said that-"

"I know, I know you forgave me but I have to forgive myself first you know," Sakura told him. "I'm not sure I'll ever will really but I decided to learn from the past mistakes. Plus that wasn't the only time I've been impressed by you. The fight with Kiba and then with Neji, I bet most thought you would fail but for some reason I wasn't so sure. I just had this feeling that you had a chance and when the fight started to go in your favour I was so excited for you. When you won I was happy for you, I think I was standing on my feet clapping for you."

Naruto wished he could have seen that, that moment in his life had been one of the greatest moments of his life but to hear this from Sakura, it made it seem even better.

"Then there was that time you stopped me from making the biggest mistake of my life," Sakura said a little sadly. "I can't believe I was so stupid to think I could just leave the village going after him. I'm lucky you caught me and went with me, although I don't think I'll ever see Jiraiya in the same light ever again because of it."

Naruto chuckled remembering that impromptu mission to Rice looking for the Sound Village. He had warned her of what Jiraiya was like but you had to experience yourself to really believe it. They had met the Fuma clan there, and Sasame. He wondered how she was doing now? He tried not to blush remembering the first time seeing the pretty red head, or how he had accidentally felt her up while saving her. That was the first time he touched a girls…well he better not think about it or else he might get a nose bleed.

"It was that mission that you really impressed me Naruto," Sakura said remembering that time in one of Orochimaru's lairs. How she had nearly given up and had died but he had saved her, yet again too. He always saved her it seemed and she wished she could have done more back then. "In fact you kind of inspired me to become a better ninja that day." She blushed a bit at her little confession but it was true, all during that mission he never gave up. Even when things were at their darkest he never gave up and fought on. It was that mission that made her realize that was what Naruto was, he never gave up. He always looked forward and moved on, never looking back, never with regrets.

Naruto felt a bit embarrassed at this, he scratched the back of his head but it felt nice that Sakura was saying these things to him. She turned away for a moment almost as thought she was getting herself ready for something. He wasn't sure what it was but when she turned to face him her face was more serious now. Something was going on and he wasn't sure what it was.

"There is something else I wanted to say to you," Sakura said as she tried to ignore the pounding of her heart. She was nervous and she put all her focus into this, she had practiced this so many times in her head, so many different ways. She wanted to get everything out without missing a detail and let him know everything. "I know that life has been hard for you, and I know the reason why. I wish I had known about your burden a lot sooner, I would have wanted to help you a lot more with it. I just wish I could have done a lot more…"

"Sakura-chan…" Naruto knew that she knew part of his secret, he spoke out about how he and Gaara were the same and had said the word 'Jinchuriki'. Plus given that he had hurt her on the bridge when he battle Orochimaru, well he wasn't sure what she saw but he had a feeling that she knew enough.

"I don't know everything but I wish you would tell me, I want to know everything Naruto. I want to know more about you, the real you because…because…" Sakura felt the tears forming and she hated herself for it. She hated how she cried too easily, she was always too emotional but the thought of him being alone all those years, of the burden inside of him, it was painful to think of it. "I care for you Naruto, I care for you more than just a friend. You mean so much to me, more than I can tell you and I want you to know how I feel."

Sakura reached up to cup his face as both teens blushed, Sakura needed to do one more thing, if she didn't do this she would never forgive herself. She leaned up and gently pressed her lips to Naruto as she tasted his lips, the first kiss of her life. Naruto was too shocked to really do anything, this was one of his dreams come true for him, he nearly forgot to kiss her back but he did. That kiss with Ino had helped him know what to do a bit more. It was short and gentle but both of them were blushing a lot after it.

Sakura placed a hand on his chest, "I know I haven't been always good to you in the past, but I've been better and I don't' know if you still want me. But I just wanted you to know what I felt so take your time and think on it, I can wait."

Sakura slowly took a few steps back as she turned to walk home, "When you're ready to make a decision no matter what, I'll still always be there for you."

Naruto didn't know what to say or think, his mind was still thinking that he had actually gotten a kiss from Sakura of all people. His heart wouldn't stop pounding in his ears and before he pulled himself out of it, she was gone. He wanted to run after her but then he remembered Ino and the kiss she gave him. He stood there for awhile before he muttered the first words that came to him.

"What the hell am I going to do now?!"

-Fourth's Head-

So here he was again, Naruto sitting back on the stone head of the Fourth Hokage only now his problems were both simplified and yet even weight more on him. It was confirmed, both girls liked him, both girls had confessed to him and yet what was he to do? Ino knew more about him than anyone and she didn't shy away from it. She had embraced it and him, he never felt like that since Iruka had proclaimed that Naruto wasn't the demon, all those years ago in the forest with Mizuki. To know that a girl liked him knowing all those dark secrets and cared for him touched his heart. He felt a warmth in his chest knowing someone could care about him knowing all that stuff.

Then there was Sakura, the girl he had wanted since before he knew what love really was. She knew enough of his secret that she didn't care about it either. In fact like the medic she was, she wanted to heal the damage done to him from carrying his burden. The thought that the girl he cared for since childhood now cared for him back, well he was happier than words could describe.

He liked both girls but what would he do now? How could he pick just one of them over the other? He had remembered how hard Sakura took it when Sasuke left. She had been so hurt and depressed, he had never seen her like that. Although he did try to help her out nothing had really worked, it was true that she eventually got over it but he still hated Sasuke for doing that to her. He couldn't bring himself to hurt someone like that, which was where the problem was now. If he picked Ino, Sakura would be hurt and the thought of him hurting Sakura made him feel lower than dirt. How could he do something that he knew would hurt that girl?

But what if he chose Sakura then? He had become close to Ino lately and he really didn't want to mess that up, he didn't think he could hurt his friends and Ino had recently become a very good friend. Hell who was he kidding, she had become maybe something more than just a friend. It just wasn't fair, why after a life time of being alone and dateless did this come into play and now of all times? Now he had two really cute girls after him, both were good friends and he didn't want to hurt either of them. He felt like he wanted to bang his head against something, but that wouldn't work.

He sighed as he fell onto his back staring up at the sky, the sun was starting to fade as the land entered the twilight hour. Normally he would enjoy the view but he just had too much on his mind. He thought of going for advice but had anyone actually been in this type of relationship before? He couldn't think of any, hell most people he knew were single.

-Hokage Tower-

Tsunade hummed to herself as she went though the reports, normally she would hate doing this but her mood had been much better lately. Of course there was a reason for that, not that she was telling anyone. Although Shizune of course knew, after she returned after a week's vacation she had come into their home to see Tsunade on Jiraiya's lap in a deep kiss. That had been a bit embarrassing but the young woman seemed fine with it. Almost as if she had seen worse in her time, true as a medic they had seemed some horrible things, but Shizune usually was very easily embarrassed.

Well, it was no matter for Tsunade. It wasn't like she could keep that secret from her, not that it was really a 'secret', it was just easier to not be so open about things. Well that and for her and Jiraiya it was kind of fun as they 'snuck' around the village. People seeing them eating or drinking together would assume they were just two old friends hanging out. They did that all the time before she opened her heart to him. Plus it made them feel young again, like a couple of teens dating behind the backs of their parents. Of course if they had tried that back when they were genin they might have had to date behind their parent's backs.

At least she would have, her mother and father when alive most likely wouldn't have approved of Jiraiya. Not that they really got a chance to meet him, both had died soon after her little brother had been born so she had to raise him on her own for a long time.

She cast a small look to the few photos on her desk, of her brother was for one, another of a young Naruto who had taken over that place in her heart. She had placed that on her desk the first day Naruto had left for his training, she just never got it in her heart to put it somewhere in her home. Just something about his smiling face made her stress lessen a bit. It was too bad that the real one usually gave her stress in person.

She sighed as she got back to the reports, she was just glancing at them only reading if they were important. If she had to read every line of every report she would never get through them. Plus she was nearly done for the night, then she would go home and relax. Maybe a nice hot bubble bath would be in order for the night. That sounded good to her.

Tsunade jumped when suddenly she felt a kiss on the back of her neck. She turned around to see a grinning Jiraiya.

"Jiraiya! Damn it how many times do I have to tell you to not surprise me at the office like that?" She demanded. Although angry on the outside she felt the opposite on the inside. But she was Hokage so she had to put up a face.

"Oh please you don't think I never caught Minato with Kushina in here?" Jiraiya giggled remembering that. "I think it was soon after he was Hokage that I caught them in here, hell I think the boy might have been conceived on that desk."

Tsunade looked at the desk she had worked years on, that had been the most disturbing thing she had ever known. She glared at her teammate and now she supposed boyfriend. "I hate you sometimes, now I have to get a new desk."

He got that look she knew all too well in his eyes as he leaned down with an arm drabbed over her. "Well...we could maybe break it in ourselves."

She had to repress that urge, after decades of no sex she had forgotten how good it had been. The fact that Jiraiya still had the sex drive of a teenager was both a medical miracle and very useful. The medic in her had been tempted to study what allowed him to stay like this in his advanced age. But it might turn every male into a pervert as bad as him, that would doom the human species as women wouldn't let most males close to them.

Still, that bath was starting to take second place for a moment but she couldn't allow any urges to let him turn her into a pervert. She wouldn't be caught doing anything like that in here, they weren't teenagers. She picked up his arm and flung it back with a smirk, "Nice try but no."

He sighed as he sat on her desk, "oh well maybe another time."

"So you've been hanging around a lot more recently," she smirked as if she didn't know the reason. "Thought you wanted to keep the spy network up."

"Trying to get rid of me already?" She smiled at her but then shrugged. "Had something else on my mind, plus I keep in touch. Although I'm thinking of passing on the torch, I'm not getting any younger and I've been training a possible new recruit."

This surprised Tsunade, she never thought that Jiraiya of all people would leave his spy network in the hands of anyone. Then she thought of something that actually concerned her, "You're not teaching Naruto are you?"

Jiraiya laughed, "Oh hell no. I may love the boy and he's my finest apprentice but the boy has about the same talent for spy work as he does for genjutsu. He's just too honest and open for the job. No I found someone that can be deceptive, emotionless when he needs to be, and is already got some spy training."

She blinked trying to think of who this was, "Okay I give up, who?"

"That new teammate of Naruto's, Sai."

"Sai!?" Tsunade yelled out. "Okay I admit that he's come a long way but aren't you concerned about his ties to Danzo still?"

"Yeah but I think Naruto has been a good influence on the boy," Jiraiya had planned to test the boy out a bit more to see where his loyalties laid in the village. But the boy had a good skills for this and he wasn't well known outside of the village, or even in it. The perfect spy was someone that could blend into the crowd and not stand out. The only reason he never bothered was because of how so many knew his face it was kind of pointless.

"Well it is your spy ring so you'll know best, but what are you training him on? There isn't much that goes on in the village is there?" She asked.

He chuckled as he pulled a few sheets of paper and silently passed them to her. She raised an eyebrow wondering what he was getting at. She glanced at the papers and then she got a lot more interested in them. "These are..."

"Play by play reports on Naruto's little adventures with those two girls." He smirked seeing her read them with interests. He already had copies of these as he was using them as the plot for his next book. That boy would help him make his next novel next year at this rate.

"Well maybe there is something going on," Tsunade chuckled as she leaned back in her chair reading on. She never thought of the advantages to having a boyfriend who was a spy master before now.

Next up Chapter 10: Battle of the Heart