(A/N) Warning! Warning! Warning! Please just in case you didn't read the last part of the first chap that I posted then go back and read it. This is for the people who read only half the chap. I know, I'm stupid.

Chapter 2: The Future Holds The truth

"AHHH! What the hell?" someone yelled from the couch.

"Naruto?!"

Sakura turned on the lights to find her teammate lying on the couch with the sleeve of his jacket pinned to the couch by a kunai.

"What the hell are you doing here?" she asked, taking the kunai out of her couch and sitting next to the pale Naruto.

He just sat there, rubbing his arm, "A centimeter. A centimeter Sakura-chan! That's all that was between you attaching my arm to your couch!" he whined.

"Oh stop complaining Naruto."

"Hmph. If I were the one to almost stab your arm, I would get my ass kicked- Ow!"

Sakura watched him as he rubbed the side of his head where she just punched him.

"Now will you please tell me why you are sleeping on my couch?" she asked.

Naruto's face fell and his brows furrowed, "Someone ransacked my apartment again. I just needed somewhere to sleep for tonight, then tomorrow I'll clean everything up." He said in a low, pained voice.

Sakura took his hand in hers, "Oh Naruto. Of course you can sleep here. Your always welcome to stay here as long as you like." She said tenderly.

Naruto gave her a wistful smile, "Thanks Sakura-chan."

"Tomorrow I'll help you clean up, okay?"

Sakura was surprised to see worry cross his features.

"No Sakura-chan. I can handle it myself." He mumbled.

"What, why?"

"There are… I just don't want you to see. I-I can do it myself, but thank you for offering." Naruto looked away in shame at the whole situation.

"Okay Naruto. But is there anything more I can do to help?" she asked, feeling completely helpless.

Naruto turned and slapped on one of his fake, reassuring smiles, "No, believe me, your doing plenty letting me stay here for tonight."

Sakura looked down at their entwined hands, "If you say so…"

"Sakura-chan, you looked more troubled by this than I am."

Tears leaked from her closed eyes, "Why do they have to be so cruel? You've done more for this village that all of them combined! And they still treat you like your- you're a…"

Naruto pulled her into a tight embrace and let her cry on his shoulder while he stroked her back.

"Please don't cry for me Sakura-chan. Trust me, one day they will all respect me when I become Hokage. But for mnow I have to be patient with them and wait till that day comes." He told her gently, trying to calm her down.

"I know Naruto, but you're my best friend and I can't stand seeing things like this happen to you. You're the last person in all of Konoha that deserves this type of treatment." She cried, holding him tighter.

Naruto smirked, "I hate it when you cry fro me, but I love that you care."

Sakura gave a small laugh before she sat up and started to wipe her tear streaked face.

It's late Naruto. We should get some sleep." She said, standing up.

"Right." He mumbled, and began to lay down on the small couch again.

"Naruto, you've grown too tall to sleep on my couch now. Look, you feet are hanging off. Come on, you can sleep in my bed." She smirked.

Naruto's face grew red, "But where are you gonna sleep?" he asked innocently.

"Baka! In my bed. But I'll only allow this if you keep your hands to yourself."

Naruto stood up and rubbed the back of his head with a stupid grin.

"I'll try Sakura-chan, but I can't control it if I'm sleep groping- OW!"

"Pervert." She mumbled as she stomped towards her bedroom. "Get in here before I make you sleep on the floor instead."

Once they were in bed, Sakura turned on her side to face Naruto who was lying on his back, staring up at the ceiling.

"So why didn't you go to Hinata's?" she asked.

"Two reasons." He said, without looking away from the ceiling. "One: I don't think either Hiashi or Neji would appreciate me sleeping there during the night. Alone. And two: I didn't want her to know about this. I don't want her to worry about me."

"Hm… do you think she would mind you staying with me tonight?" Sakura asked, feeling a pang of guilt.

"Not at all. She knows our relationship and would understand." He answered with a smirk. "So, what about you?"

"What about me?"

"You and teme. You stayed with him for a long time tonight."

"I was asleep most of the time."

"Most of the time?" he repeated with a mischievous smirk. "What did you do the time you were awake?"

"Naruto, you pervert! I finished healing him. Now he should be able to leave the hospital tomorrow."

"Mmhm. And how'd he thank you?"

"Naruto!"

"I saw the way he looked at you when you were asleep and I know the way you still feel about him."

"Good night Naruto." She said sternly and rolled over on her other side with her back towards Naruto.

He gave a knowing smile, "Good night Sakura-chan."

In the morning Naruto woke up sprawled across half the bed with the blanket tangled around himself. Noticing he had stolen all the blankets, he rolled over to place them back on Sakura, but was met with drenched sheets. He looked up at Sakura and saw her shivering but was also emitting pools of sweat.

Naruto covered her back up with the blanket and moved a few strands of pink hair plastered to her face. When his fingers brushed her forehead, he was surprised to find her skin to be so cold. The blonds concern increased grew as he heard her take a deep rattling breath.

Naruto quickly walked around and shook her moist shoulder.

"Sakura-chaaan." He whispered. "Sakura-chan, wake up."

Sakura quenched her eyes and turned her head away.

"Naruto?"

"Sakura-chan, please wake up."

Her eyes opened and when she saw the worried look on his features she sat straight up and frowned.

"What is it Naruto?"

"Sakura-chan, are you alright?" he asked quizzically.

"…Yes, why?"

"Are you hot?"

Sakura then noticed the damp sheets under her and felt her wet forehead.

"No actually I'm freezing." She said more to herself than to Naruto.

"Maybe you should take a shower." He told her.

"Yeah, I probably stink."

Sakura got up and made her way to the bathroom. Naruto watched her leave, confused. Maybe she was just getting a cold?

He shook himself out of his musings and began to pull off the sheets and pillow cases to throw them in the wash. He then went to the kitchen to make their breakfast. Sakura's apartment has always been like a second home to Naruto- even having his own key- so he had no problem helping himself to her kitchen.

After he ate a plate for himself, he fixed one for Sakura and store it in the microwave to keep the food warm. Naruto cleaned his mess then wrote a note to Sakura telling her about her breakfast in the microwave, her sheets in the wash, and that he left to go clean his apartment. He knew how much she hated when he would just up and leave without saying good buy, so the note was necessary.

Naruto walked out of Sakura's apartment, making sure to lock the door behind himself, and made his way to his own home. On his way down the streets of Konoha, Naruto got looks of hate and disgust, but also friendly waves and nods of recognition and respect, mostly from his fellow shinobi.

Patience. One day they'll all respect me. He thought, smiling at the people who glared.

Naruto slowly walked up the stairs of his apartment complex and made his way to the door with different profanities written on the wood. With a heavy sigh he pushed the broken door open. Naruto stopped when he saw a man standing with his back to the door, looking at the opposite wall that had many different offensive messages on it.

"Sasuke, what are you doing here?" Naruto asked, walking up to his friend to read the messages.

'Monster.' 'Go back to hell.' 'This village is better off with you dead!' 'You killed my family.' 'I'll rejoice the day you die!'

Naruto looked away, the pain was too much for him to handle. He sat down on his ripped bed and laid his head in his hands.

"Why would they say such things?" Sasuke asked, completely appalled by what these people wrote about his friend. He looked over at Naruto with crimson eyes, "How many times have they done this?"

The blond shook his head, "I don't know. I've lost count. But they started this when I was only five. Wrecking everything, writing thins like this on the walls…"

"And you still wish to protect them?"

"They're a part of Konohagakure, and even though they do this, I will still protect them, yes. In a way I kinda understand why they hate me so much. I harbor inside me the very thing that caused them so much pain and loss."

Sasuke shook his head, "You're too forgiving Naruto. I don't understand you."

"Either do I sometimes."

Sasuke placed a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I'll help you clean this up."

After half a day and ten clones' worth of cleaning, repairing, and scrubbing Naruto stood in the middle of the apartment, admiring their handiwork. He was pulled out of his inner joy when he saw Sasuke staring at something on his dresser.

"You've become close to Sakura?" Sasuke asked in his normal monotonous, emotionless voice.

Naruto walked over to Sasuke to see he was looking at the picture of Sakura and himself. In the photo, they were smiling and hugging each other. Anyone who didn't know the two friends would have thought them to be lovers by the intimate connection illuminating from the picture.

"Er, yeah we have. After I came back from training with Ero-sennin we became much closer."

"I see."

Naruto looked at his friend confused, "You don't think we're together, do you?"

"Your not?"

Naruto's hand went to the back of his head and began to grin, "Well, no. we gave it a try when we were sixteen , but we ultimately agreed that we were better off as best friends… No, I love Sakura-chan just as fiercely now as I ever did, just in a brotherly way."

Naruto saw the breath of relief escape from Sasuke and smirked, "Why do you ask teme?"

"No reason." He answered stoically.

"Hm, well you mind telling me what you two did last night?"

Sasuke shot a glare at his friend, "What are you talking about?"

"Oh nothing, nothing. I just wanted to see if what Sakura-chan said was true." He answered, looking away with guilty-innocence.

"And what did Sakura say?"

"Nothing."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed to slits, "Hn."

There was a long silence between the two before Naruto looked up at Sasuke with a saddened look on his face.

"Sakura-chan's been acting weird lately. Almost distant. So if you feel she's pushing you away, it's not only you. She's been keeping almost everyone at arms length lately." Naruto told him, gazing at the picture they were just looking at.

"She's been pushing everyone away despite her feelings?" Sasuke asked."

"It's the people she cares fro the most that she's pushing away." Naruto said quietly.

"Hn."

So I was right. Sasuke thought.

"Though it may be because she has a cold. She's been really tired lately and last night..." Naruto's voice trailed off.

"What happened last night?"

"Well I slept over her house last night and she said I could sleep in her bed. So when I woke up she was drenched in sweat and shivering. When I touched her forehead, it was cold. It was weird." Naruto finished.

"… I'm sure she'll be fine." Sasuke said more out of routine rather than sincere reassurance.

Three months later…

The room was silent. The four shinobi continued to stare at the blond woman in front of them. Though all showed different emotions, none dared utter a word. It simply wasn't their place, except for one.

"Well, what do you say Sakura?" the Hokage asked.

The three men in the room turned to Sakura for her answer. One was completely stoic, the other worried, and the last looked as if he were about to burst if he didn't say something soon.

The rosette haired kunoichi continued to stare down at her feet. She brought her hand up to cover her mouth as she gave a few wheezing coughs, but still did not give an answer.

"Sakura, if your not up to full health-"

"No, I'm fine" she said suddenly.

"Well… I would honestly prefer you, for you have succeeded in many of these typed of missions before." Tsunade said, earning three glares from the other occupants of the room, but ignored them. "But if you refuse, I could always get another kunoichi. Ino, maybe-"

Sakura's head jerked up at the sound of her best friends' name.

"No, not Ino."

"Who then? I need someone your age and is skilled and practiced in these types of missions." Tsunade told her. "Who else is there to send if you refuse and won't want me to sent Ino? TenTen? Hinata?"

"Like hell!" Naruto yelled.

"Naruto calm down. I know perfectly well Hinata's not the type to go on these types of missions. And neither is TenTen."

"And Sakura-chan is?!?!" Naruto argued.

"She's done these missions before Naruto. And to be quite honest, is one of the best."

Naruto's face turned red as he faced Sakura. She was looking away from everyone and was coughing again.

"Look, she won't be able to go. She's sick!" he tried.

Sakura's head shot up and glared at Naruto.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, then looked over to Tsunade. "I accept the mission Tsunade-sama."

"What?!"

"Very well. You'll be leaving the day after tomorrow. Your all dismissed."

"Hai."

Kakashi disappeared in a puff of smoke while the others turned to leave out the door. Once they were walking down the circular hallway together, Naruto turned to Sakura.

"How come you didn't tell me you did those types of missions Sakura-chan?" he asked, looking betrayed.

"For a lot of reasons, Naruto. I just didn't want you to think any less of me."

"I could never think any less of you." He whispered.

"These types of missions are common for kunoichi's, and we are all trained in the art of seduction."

"All of you?" Naruto asked, curiously.

"Yes all of us. It's a standard class we have to take once we become chunin."

"So… Hinata's taken seduction classes?"

Sakura smirked at the memory, "Yes, but she kept fainting in the middle of class."

"Hehe, seems like something she would do. Well, I promised to meet her at Ichiraku's, you two want to come?"

"No thank you Naruto."

"Hn."

"Alright then, suit yourselves. See ya!" he yelled as he ran off into the crowded streets.

Sasuke and Sakura continued to walk together side by side in an awkward silence, with no destination. They both just followed wherever their feet took them. Then surprisingly, it was Sasuke who broke the silence first.

"Do you do these missions often?" he asked, coolly.

"No, not often. Maybe two every five months."

"Hn."

"Why?"

"… You don't seem the type of person to seduce a man." He answered.

"I'm a kunoichi. It doesn't matter what type of person I am."

"Hn… So how far do you go?" the question was burning his mind.

"Not as far as you think! It really all depends on the situation and the target."

"Hn."

"Why are you asking me all these questions?"

"…"

"Oh so you don't feel like talking now?"

Sasuke said nothing, just continued to walk, looking straight ahead with a smirk on his face. They has somehow managed to find their way to the training grounds.

Once they were in a fairly secluded area, Sasuke stopped, causing Sakura to turn around in confusion.

"Sasuke? What are you-"

She was interrupted as she felt his lips crash against hers in a fevered kiss. Her hands came up to fend him off, but ended up clutching his shoulders.

Sasuke's lips were warm, firm, confident, but soft all the while. They slanted over her mouth, moving in such a way, Sakura never knew the precise instant her lips opened to the light pressure of his tongue. She heard a moan of satisfaction as he took complete possession, but didn't realize that she had made the sound.

His tongue rubbed along hers, exploring her with meticulous care, penetrating as far as he could to leave nothing undiscovered.

Sakura's hands went to the back of his neck to finger his raven hair. Years and years of longing and fantasies went into this kiss. Her heart expanded to the bursting point with the rush of pent-up emotions.

"Sakura, why do you push me away?" he whispered against her mouth. His tongue delved into her sweet mouth again, greedier this time. It was met with equal fever.

He released her jaw, lowered his arm and encircled her waist. His other hand slid down her spine to the small of her back, pressing, urging her closer. With such an intimate positioning of their bodies, she knew at once that the hard evidence of his manhood and was shocked.

The feel of it startled her back into consciousness. The stark reality of their situation broke through the passion that had robbed her of rational thinking. She pushed against his chest and jerked her head backward.

"Let me go, please." she said in a panic.

Sasuke released her immediately and took a step back to give her the space she obviously needed. Sakura's fingers were shaking as she massaged her forehead with them. The tortured expression on her face and the agitated way she shook her head plainly indicated her distress.

"Sasuke… why do you keep doing this?" she asked, painfully.

"What?"

"This! Kissing me whenever were alone!"

"To prove to you that you want this just as much as I do. You need to stop playing these games Sakura, I don't appreciate it." He answered coolly.

"I'm not playing games. We just can't be together…"

"You have yet to give me a plausible answer for that."

Sasuke shoved his hands into his pockets and turned away to leave, "Every time, your kiss says one thing, but your words say another. Choose one, and stick with it Sakura."

Sakura stood there watching Sasuke walk away, his words still ringing in her head.

'Choose one, and stick with it Sakura."

I would but I can't Sasuke. I'm trying to push you away, but you're just too damn persistent. I just don't want you to get hurt more than you already will… I love you too much to do that to you. She thought.

Maybe you should just tell him and see what he say's about it and go on from there. Inner Sakura suggested.

No, not yet.

Sakura then fell into a fit of coughs again. Looking down at her hand, she was surprised to find it was sprayed with blood. Sakura closed the said hand and looked down.

"Though I do have a feeling it's going to be soon." She said to herself.

(A/N) hope you enjoyed this chap. And sorry it took so long to repost. I've been wrapped up with school

Chap 3: Sakura's Mission

PLEASE REVIEW!!! It makes me happy