Chapter Two: Already Stronger.

The insistent buzzing went unnoticed by the blond haired teenager possibly because of the loud snoring he emitted. Naruto slept on his side with his pillow tucked securely under one arm and the bed's sheets entangled messily around his legs. A few moments later he groaned and bashed the perky clock's head immediately stopping it. He pulled himself up and yawning loudly he outstretched his arms before jumping out of bed.

"Yoush! First a good breakfast and then- early morning training!" He liked those the best, and that was why he had set his alarm clock to an unusually early hour- it was just dawn, the sky still recovering from the dark night.

After washing up in the bathroom he started to make his way to the little kitchen in his apartment, but was prevented from doing so as his feet got caught up in a random article of clothing left on the ground. He cursed as he crashed into the carpeted floor.

He squirmed around trying to free himself, once succeeding he pulled up the responsible clothing to his squinting face. Instantly recognizing it, he smiled unashamedly, and getting up he hung the jacket on the back of a chair.

He would surely tell Hinata that she shouldn't leave her clothes lying around other people's places; maybe he'd even exaggerate his rough morning to watch her as she blushes at his words and mutters quiet apologies.

As Naruto procured the milk carton from the refrigerator he knew that Hinata wasn't the only one to blame for her clothes being there. He blushed thinking about the night before. Eating his breakfast alone he suddenly realized that his girlfriend would have had to make her way home through the winter night without her jacket, worry creased his tanned face- just how cold was it the night before?

He sighed to himself. He probably should have noticed the condition she was in before she left hurriedly. But Naruto was notorious for not noticing Hinata, he mused over the reactions of his friends when he conveyed to them that he had asked the shy Huygga out, he was quite sure that they all used the word 'finally' in their responses.

"Was it really that obvious?" he recalled asking Sakura once.

"Yes. That and then some." She had smiled wistfully. "I was worried that even Sai would pick up on it before you did," She added with a deliberate small chuckle.

But he had noticed the slightly sullen response his teammate had given him. It plunged him into a very awkward position.

He struggled for the appropriate words. "Uh... Sakura-chan... There isn't anything that's... well, upsetting you is there?"

She had brushed him off then, telling him sincerely that she was truly happy for him, and that he should treat Hinata well or else she'd make sure he was appropriately punished for the mistakes he made. He knew then that her sad smile wasn't at all because of him.

But he wouldn't let his mind dwell over that matter so early in the morning, not that he experienced much trouble blotting out those thoughts, for the images of a certain pink faced girl were still floating around in his mind.

"What are you doing here, crazy?" she asked him seriously as he made his way through the bedroom window that she had just opened for him. "You're really tempting my father to take his promise to shove a sword into the back of your head seriously."

He chuckled at her and then abruptly grasped both her hands in his. "It's just that I missed you." He smiled while saying this- he really meant it too.

She beamed back at him. "Me too, especially that smile of yours."

She always told him that she loved his smile and every time she did he responded in the same way: his smile widened.

"Besides I have something I wanted to give you," he added, releasing her hands and turning to lean out of the ground-floor window.

"Really?"

He turned around cradling a bouquet of oriental lilies whose petals were a deep pinkish-red, smiling, he handed them carefully over to her. He then touched her face so that he could gently pull her head upwards meeting her mystified eyes with his.

"Ino says they represent sweetness." She blushed as he touched his nose with hers. "I think they look like you when you blush."

To this she got redder.

He smiled thinking about that night while washing some dishes in the sink. He had, out of courtesy for his frequent house guest, adopted a habit of picking up after himself. Even if Sakura feigned exaggerated shock and teased him about his new habit.

Once he finished with the dishes he began to get dressed. Looking for his forehead protector in order to complete his outfit he frowned upon realizing it wasn't on his nightstand and began to search for it.

He was completely amazed at how he had managed to lose it even though he was being so neat lately. After getting on his knees and looking for it on the ground and beneath the bed he sighed and turned his attention to the stack of drawers that were his dresser.

He rummaged through each drawer fruitlessly before becoming impatient and throwing out all undesired articles that got in his way. His search was abruptly halted when a loud crash was heard from the opposite wall of the small apartment; he turned to survey the damage he had caused.

Besides the numerous clothing now carpeting the floor, what had obviously been his forehead protector had crashed into a kitchen shelf housing a tower of instant ramen cups. He mumbled a little grouchily to himself as he searched through the now distorted plastic cups to come up with the forehead protector. He spotted it protruding from a cup of instant ramen; it had crashed a hole into the cup causing it to spill out its crunchy insides.

He sighed sadly at the wasted ramen before retrieving the forehead protector.

"Huh?" The protector had received a rough scratch over its centre; directly on the emblem of Konoha. Had he thrown it that hard? Realization suddenly washed over him and he got up to carefully wrap Sasuke's forehead protector in a stretch of cloth and then securely replace it in the bottom of a drawer.

This time he could not force away the memories that had scratched their way into his mind, of that battle in the Valley of the End. He remembered clearly the promise he had made to his distressed teammate three years ago; to bring back their friend- he had succeeded in only returning with his discarded forehead protector.

It had been a long time since they had been with Sasuke. And he was completely aware of how some of Konoha's shinobi didn't understand why he and Sakura held on so tightly to one of the village's traitors- such as the newly appointed Hokage, Danzo, who had recently ordered for the capture of Sasuke.

He frowned angrily at this and even began to mutter some curse words at the strict Hokage, who had forbidden him from leaving the village stubbing any of Naruto's plans to warn Sasuke.

The upset look on Naruto's face gradually turned into a determined one. He had to train hard; he could in no way become satisfied because he had managed to defeat Pein. He had a promise to keep; he only needed to think about Sakura to remember how important his promise was.

Even though the kunoichi did a good job of masking her pain whenever Sasuke was brought up- he knew she was still hurt by it all. The way she worked so hard was proof enough to support this; he knew it was her own resolve never to be useless to the team again. He was going to bring Sasuke back, and then he was going to break his ribs for all the pain he had caused the gentle girl to go through.

Determined he yelled to himself, "And I'll do it right!" Then he marched out his apartment's door resolutely. Naruto abruptly backtracked and grumbled to the room, "Where the hell is it?"

Suddenly he knew exactly where it was and shaking his head at himself he went to the bathroom to pick up the forehead protector from the sink's sill. He wrapped it around his head and took a good look at himself in the mirror, as if promising his reflection that he would surely return stronger, then he darted out of his house.

A/N: Thanks Lutrashinobi for your lovely editing