A/N: OHMYGOD SORRY. SCHOOL AND EVERYTHING. AND UM WELL YEAH SCHOOL. THAT'S ABOUT MY LIFE NOW. WITH A FEW MOMENT OF MY TIME SPENT WITH WEBCOMICS. IISSOSORRY. Here is update. Good and bad news to be covered at the end. Read and review. Disclaimed: Don't own Naruto.

I watched from above as all of his friends came to see him.

After being here just a few days, word had gotten out that Shikamaru was safe and staying at my uncle's house, and so they came. His parents, his grandparents, his band friends, Ino, Chouji, Kiba… They all came to see him.

I was more or less just a side attraction to the main event; the opening act to a great show, but I didn't mind.

"So, school is starting soon."

"Yeah."

"Have you made a decision?"

Sai stood next to me, peering down into the crowd from the balcony above. We both leaned on the railing, side by side, watching.

I sighed, closing my eyes for a second. Sai was about the only person here who just came to see me; that was something I could count on him to do. He didn't really like Shikamaru very much, he never had, and so I could just talk to him without being ignored for the disappearing Nara.

"No. not yet. I mean, I want to stay here with you and Naruto, I love you guys. But I don't want to be away from him. It's hard." I looked down, my vision being drawn to a certain spiky haired boy who was being yelled at, simultaneously, but his mother and Ino. I felt sorry for him.

Sai frowned, and looked at me. "It is really that hard? He can come and visit."

To Sai, the world was simple; he had two friends. He wanted to stay with those two friends. And no one, especially someone he didn't like even before he and I were friends, was going to come between that. My eyes became unfocused as I zoned out into nothingness, thinking.

Could I leave him behind again? Could I really say that I wanted to stay with Uncle Jiraiya, Naruto, and Sai? After being so far away, and then coming back to him…?

But then again, could I leave my two friends behind? Naruto and Sai have become like brothers to me; I don't think I could just leave them behind.

"I could always come and visit you guys…"

"It wouldn't be the same and you know it."

Silence ensued. I couldn't completely fathom why I was having this conversation with Sai; I knew I said I hadn't made up my mind, but that didn't mean I couldn't lean in a certain direction, and right now, I was leaning. I was the Leaning Tower of Pisa before all the countermeasures were taken to keep it from tipping.

And I was definitely leaning in the direction of Shikamaru.

As if he had heard my thoughts, the black haired boy turned away from Chouji and looked me directly in the eyes, and smiled.

My heart melted and the gooey mess started beating so fast that I thought it would leak out of my pores. The grin stayed on his face, and his white teeth shone in the light. I couldn't stop looking at him, but I didn't smile back. I just stared in awe of him.

I felt silly doing it, but hey. He was just so hot. Insert girlish scream and fainting here.

A look of worry creased his face, and he turned to Chouji. Chouji looked at me, and I had this feeling that Shikamaru was taking my ogling to mean I was upset, but it was too late; Shikamaru was on his way up the stairs, ignoring the conversation his mother was trying to have with him, and heading toward me.

"Your boyfriend is coming."

"Oh gee, really? I hadn't noticed," I replied to the ever obvious Sai, watching Shikamaru stride over to me with his hands in his pockets. In a matter of seconds, Shikamaru was leaning on the banister right next to me, frowning.

"You okay?" he asked, sounding somewhat worried.

I smiled at him. "Perfectly fine. I was just talking to Sai about what I was going to do for the next school year. About whether I was staying here or going back home."

"Well, wouldn't it be obvious that you're going home? I mean, you only came here to escape Sasuke, and home is well… home."

"Not necessarily. Her home could be here. She might want to stay with her best male friends," Sai said with his fake smile, and I knew this was going to turn out bad.

Like Sai calling Shikamaru gay or insinuating he had a small penis bad.

"I am her best male friend, so therefore, you're right. She'd want to come home with me."

Ughhhh romance novel drama.

" You're her boyfriend. Maybe she wants space from you, so that way you won't rape her or something."

Gahhhh, bad romance novel drama!

"Are you seriously saying that I'd rape her? Who are you to say something like that, some gay artist?"

Paperback, cheap romance novel!

"I am not gay, you blue-balls Nara."

Oh, Jesus, they've moved into bad shoujo manga now. Cue the thousands of fangirls with hearts in their eyes, ready to kill me because their two sexy princes are fighting over me.

"Why do you care so much, anyway?" Shikamaru asked, letting the first dose of suspicious boyfriend seep into the conversation. My heart swelled a little more, letting that term roll around in my head. Suspicious boyfriend. Mhmmmm.

"She's my friend."

"She's my girlfriend."

"She's been my friend longer than she's been your girlfriend."

My Naruto sensor went off, and suddenly I was sending out psychic signals. Help. Me. Please, help me. Save me. NARUTO YOU IDIOT.

SAAAAAAVE MEEEEEE.

"I've liked her longer than you've known her, so I fail to see your point."

Sai opened his mouth while I was still mentally screaming for a savior. Suddenly, the blonde headed boy I was thinking loudly for appeared out of thin air.

He's good at this ESP thing.

"On that note, Sai, you have to come down and um… look at this new painting Jiraiya bought," Naruto said, thinking on his feet.

"I don't want to," Sai replied bluntly.

"I don't care," Saruto said, grabbing the artist by the shoulders and steering him away from Shikamaru and I. Naruto winked at me, and suddenly I got the creepy feeling he could read my mind.

Suddenly, Shikamaru sighed, and all of that suspicion was drawn back into his face. His strong, lovely face. His eyes were downcast, looking away from me, and he was still leaning on the banister.

"I thought it was all settled. I thought you were coming home."

I leaned next to him, letting my head rest on his shoulder. The people below us seemed to have small, awkward conversations going on, and I realized they had probably heard part of the conversation going on, and were trying to cover that up. Pretend they hadn't heard. It wasn't that big of a deal, but still.

"I-I'm not… It's a tough decision. I really, really want to come home, I do, but I'm so used to it here, Shikamaru. I like living with Jiraiya. I see my parents a couple times a month, and I get more freedom here. I'm doing better in school and everything, but-"

"It sounds like you've made quite a good life for yourself without me."

"Stop sounding like a depressed asshole, please? Like I was saying, I'm doing well her and everything, but there's one problem. I really, really miss seeing you every day of my life. I mean, really, really miss you."

"So basically, you're the traveler on the road that breaks off into two paths; the only problem is… neither of them is less travelled by, so basically you're stuck."

"A strange way to use that poem, but okay, I'll take it. Yes. I'm stuck. If it helps, though, I'm leaning toward one side."

"Mmm, really?"

"Yep."

We sat in silence, watching the people below us try not to let their eyes drift in our general direction while they talked.

"Which way do you lean?"

"Toward a place with blonde haired person and a black haired person."

"To Naruto and- Hey, wait… both places have a blonde haired person and a black haired person." I smiled as he made the realization that I could mean either, and I pushed myself away from him, still grinning. "Sakura, which place are you leaning toward? Sakura!"

But I was already down halfway to my room, leaving him to sigh and mutter troublesome on his own.

I walked into the space I called my own, and shut the door, frowning.

I wanted to be with Shikamaru, I really did.

But I loved it here.

The door behind me vibrated slightly at a knock came from my door. Thinking it was Shikamaru, I just let the door remain closed.

"Sakura, can I come in?"

"Oh, yeah, Uncle Jiraiya," I replied quickly, opening the door as fast as possible. He walked into my room, and sat down on my reading chair.

I sat down on my bed, and watched him.

He looked at me.

I waited.

The suspense builds.

"I heard the conversation you had with your little boyfriend," he said, eyes glinting with that mocking happiness he had when talking to Naruto. "Seems like you've run into to quite a problem."

I nodded. "I want to go home, I really do, but I love it here. And I don't think I could just leave Naruto and Sai here by themselves… Plus things could be really awkward at school if I went back…"

"Well that settles it, then," he said, folding his arms over his chest and nodding. "I'm kicking you and Naruto out."

"WHAT?"

"Like I said, I'm kicking you out. You two have been freeloading off me for way too long. I want both of you out."

I stared at him, mouth slightly agape. "But… Naruto has nowhere else…"

"He's going to live in my Konoha house."

"But you're kicking him out…" My mind slowed down with the weight of confusion taking over. Jiraiya had a house in Konoha? Whaaaat? And wasn't he kicking Naruto out of his care for good for being a free loader? Right?

"No, I'm kicking him out of this house. I like it here and all, but it's way too out in the middle of nowhere for him. So I decided to put that extra house to use. He's going to stay there with the person currently living there, Tsunade."

"You let Tsunade freeload off you and I can't stay here any longer? I'm family!"

"She's got huge hoo- I mean, lovely eyes, and I just can't say no to her." He grinned sheepishly, and I mentally face palmed.

Oh no, wait, I really did face palm.

"So you better be getting packed up; I'm sure your boyfriend would be glad to help you. I've got the boxes and everything, and the movers will be coming tomorrow, so you better get a move on. Hurry up now." Jiraiya, in one strangely graceful movement, stood up, walked over, and pulled me up. Using the arm his hand was attached to, he pushed me out of the door.

I tiptoed toward the living room, expecting to still see a crowd there, talking amongst themselves, but when I got there, it was empty. I hid behind the corner, able to see the back of someone's head and the face of another, but no one else.

Well, save for Shikamaru and Naruto, it was empty.

"Where did everyone…?"

"I told them to go out to eat and offered to pay. Only these two wanted to stay behind and wait for you. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to find what restaurant they all went to and then proceed to cry my eyes out at the bill." My eyes trailed him as he talked to Naruto, and then left the house. Naruto's blue eyes followed Jiraiya out of the door, and then to my hiding spot. Shikamaru, his back to me, took no notice of the blonde's smile.

I waved slightly, but motioned with my hand to keep my position a secret, and then I winked. Naruto winked back, a grin forming on his face.

In customary Sakura and Naruto style, we were about to play a game with our guest. It was the first time since Shikamaru had come that I felt up to it, and Naruto had been waiting for this to happen. I treaded softly down the stairs, holding my breath in, walking toward Shikamaru.

I could almost feel the smirk forming on his face.

"Sakura, I can hear-"

"Hey, Naru-chan!" I exclaimed, running toward the couch. At the last second, I jumped on the back, and then leapt into Naruto's outstretched arms. He pulled me close, and I leaned my head on his shoulder. "Naru-chan, please, I have something to show you. Let's go to my room," I said deeply in a seductive tone.

I could hear Naruto gulp, as if he were saying What is she doing? But he played along. "Of course, my blossom. For you, a thousand times over." He began carrying me toward the stairs. I leaned back far enough where he could switch his hand to a position under my knees, and he carried me bridal style up the sturdy stairs.

I felt Naruto's arms tense around me, and I knew that Shikamaru was glaring a hole through his head. I peeked over at the Nara, and he was watching us, muscles tensing. Oh geeze, muscles. Crapppp. I had forgotten Shikamaru could probably kick Naruto's ass for doing this.

Oh well. Naruto was fast.

"Sakura," Naruto whispered in my ear, "what are we doing?"

"Well," I responded, "we're going to pack up my room. I'm going back to Konoha."

A shocked look crossed his face. "But weren't you still debating…?"

"I had the decision made for me, actually," I said, my voice betraying a small bit of passive aggressive anger.

"Really? Was it Shikamaru? Because if he's forcing you to do something you don't want to do, I'll beat him up for you. Even if he does look stronger than me, I will never lose!"

A small chuckle escaped my lips. "No, Jiraiya is kicking me out."

"THE OLD MAN IS DOING WHAT?!"

"Shh! He's kicking me out!" I said again. We were outside of my room by now, and Naruto was setting me down. I opened the door, and we walked inside. I shut it softly. "He told me that both you and I had been freeloading off of him for too long, so he was kicking us out."

The look on Naruto's face went from curiosity to surprise to horror. "Where am I supposed to live?"

"With Tsunade. In Jiraiya's Konoha home."

We both sat in silence for a minute, and then Naruto smiled again. "What about Sai? He'll be lonely without us."

I thought of the generally unchanging Sai, and smiled sadly. "Maybe he'll come back to school with us if he misses us that badly."

"I'll see if I can't talk it into him. Art school is good for him and all, but I have a bad feeling he's going to turn back into the creepy robot if we're not there."

I laughed, thinking of all the fun times Sai, Naruto and I had had together. We were a good team, we really were. "Maybe we've had a good effect on him. Maybe he'll open up to people more easily now!"

The quickly exchanged glances and burst of laughter told me that Naruto agreed with me: fat chance of that.

"I've got to go pack I guess. I'll leave you-"

A knock. An angry knock.

"Shikamaru," Naruto whispered, letting the terror seep into his voice. "Sakura-chan, help me get out the window! Quick!"

"But Naruto, we're on the third story! You can't just go sky diving from a window!" We were both whispering frantically, trying to figure out something to do before Shikamaru came in, used those amazing muscles, and ripped my friend apart.

He was already at the window, opening it, and I ran up to him, and wrapped my arms around his waist. "No, dummy! Get back in here! Stop it!"

"Let me be free. Please. Let me be freeeeeeee!"

The door opened, and Shikamaru walked in, witnessing me with my arms wrapped around Naruto and said boy about to jump out of the window. We both turned to face the newcomer, our eyes huge and scared. Naruto slowly stepped back into the room, and I released my arms.

"What are you two doing?"

"Well see, it all started with the joke-" I began.

"Yeah, the joke. And then she jumped…"

"And the jumping lead to the catching and then the sexy voices…"

"But you looked like you were going to kill me and…"

"Your muscles were tensing and it was so sexy but I thought you were going to kill Naruto…"

"And then were came here, and talked about stuff…"

"Like Sai!"

"Yeah, Sai! And then we heard you-"

"Naruto tried to jump out a window-"

"Well he scared me!"

"So I was just trying to stop him and that's what you saw…."

"When you walked in," Naruto finished. We both stood with our hands behind our backs, fiddling nervously with our fingers and staring at the ground. I peeked upward, and saw Shikamaru with his arms crossed, looking imposing and scary.

"Uh, so, um, I'm just going to, um, go." Naruto sped toward the door, too scared to look at either of us. I watched him leave, and then looked at Shikamaru, expecting to see cold boyfriend jealousy all over his face. But instead he was…

Grinning. Laughing, even. He broke the imposing stance to put a hand to his forehead and laugh.

"Ahahahaha, the two of you thought I was mad?! Hahahaha," he laughed, his smile illuminating the room.

"You looked livid!"

"Well I did walk in on my girlfriend with her arms wrapped around her best friend's torso, and if there's anything I know about you, it's you have a habit of falling for your friends." But the smile was still there, the laughter hanging in the back of his throat.

"Haha," I said sheepishly, falling back onto my bed.

Shikamaru stood there, watching me. "So, what were you going to tell him, anyway?"

"We were talking about where I was going to live next year."

"Seems to be a popular subject with people today," he commented, sitting on the foot of my bed.

"I came to a decision. Or, rather, had a decision shoved in my face."

"And?"

"I'm going to live in the same town with Naruto still," I answered, staring at the ceiling. I could feel Shikamaru's body slump, and he let out a small, dejected, 'Oh.' The weight from the foot of my bed disappeared, and suddenly, Shikamaru was walking toward the door. "Hey!" I said, sitting up suddenly. "Where do you think you're going?"

"Out to eat with my parents, I guess. And then home. I don't live here, so I can't stay any longer than tonight."

"But who is going to help me pack? I hate doing these things by myself," I said, frowning. He turned to me, looking confused. I tried to keep myself from smiling.

"You said you were going to stay in the same town as Naruto, right? He lives here."

"Coincidentally, Naruto's moving back to Konoha."

I let the news that I was coming back to Konoha, that I was going home, sink in.

A smile erupted on his face once more. "You're coming… back? You're coming back with your parents? Coming back to school?"

"Yep."

He walked over to me as I stood up, and he lifted me off my feet and twirled me around once. "Coming home with me?"

"Unless you don't want me anymore, in which case I'd just have to hook up with Naruto. You know how I am with my guy friends."

He laughed again, setting me down on my feet. "I guess we should get to packing, huh."

"Scientists have shown that will help me get my crap moved out of here, yes."

A maid came by with boxes, and Shikamaru and I began pulling things out of drawers and packing up my room.

"You know, the last time I was doing this, you were mad at me," I said, packing away books.

"I tend to get that way sometimes."

More silence.

"Hey Sakura-" Shikamaru said at the same time I started with "Shikamaru, I…" we both stopped, waiting for the other to continue. I felt like a giant cliché, waiting for him to talk.

"You go first," he said.

"I just wanted to say, I'm glad I'm coming back home."

He looked over at me, eyes shining. "I'm glad you're coming back, too."

A/N: SO YEAH. I have good news, and I've got bad news. First of all, I want to let everyone know my sister has a story on here, Been a While. It's a really cute NejiTen story that she's been working on. She actually asked to redo a story of mine in her own way, so I did, and it's AMAZING. People say we write similarly, but GOD she writes so much better than me and I hate it, aha. SO GO READ IT PLEASE? Her penname is LadyNichole. Now, onto business: This story is ending soon, as in, next chapter is it, folks. It's been fun. *lovelove* So I guess that's the bad news. The good news is that I've got other stories in the works. A ShikaSaku one, two NejiTen ones, and maybe a NaruIno one, if I can pull the stories off my old computer. Oh yeah... my old computer DIED. Like, the charger BURNED on the inside and MELTED so I couldn't use it anymore. I've pulled the hard drive out of it, and my brother has a caddy for it (I think that's what they're called?) so hopefully I'll be able to get my work off of it soon. I really want to cotinue with my stories guys! And I had an Avatar one and another Ouran one and I want to write a DNAngel one or a Fruits Basket one.

To leave on a good note for me, NEW FMA SERIES STARTING SOON. *swoon* I'M SO EXCITED!

Love, Rai.