"Wanna go out?"

"Don't be silly. We're friends."

"So?"

"I'm not ready to lose a friend by dating him. Ask me again in a few years."

"In a few years, you could be married and have a family! I'm not going to wait for that to happen!"

"Relax. If we're meant to be together instead of friends, then I'm not going to marry someone else."

"So you're telling me to wait for you."

"No, I'm telling you to give it time. Don't wait for me. But if we're still close in a few years, and neither of us has anyone else, then you can ask me."

"And if you're not seeing anyone, then it must be because we're meant to be together?"

"Must be."

--

Lee walked Sakura out later that day. "Are you sure you want to do this?" he asked her nervously.

She nodded. "Positive. Just…let's not mention it to anyone else, okay?"

Lee sighed. "It seems dishonest, but I'll do it for you."

Impulsively, Sakura gave him a big bear hug. "You're really great, you know that?"

Lee grinned like an idiot. "Let's go, then!"

They left the school and made a right, walking along the small path that served as a shortcut to another neighborhood in town. It was only a fifteen-minute walk to Oto High, and the two got there just as the dismissal bell rang.

"Ready?" Lee squeezed her hand.

Sakura nodded, taking a deep breath. "Let's try not to be seen by anyone else, okay?"

They waited until Sasuke emerged from the school. He was accompanied by the infamous Yakushi Kabuto, principal and founder Orochimaru's favorite student council president. When the two began walking together, Sakura sighed. "We're not going to get him alone."

"Allow me," Lee said chivalrously.

"Lee!" But he was already walking toward Kabuto, his head held high.

"Yakushi Kabuto, I am Rock Lee of Konoha High! I wish to speak with you!"

Kabuto stared at the younger boy, puzzled. Finally, he smirked. "Sasuke, wait here. This shouldn't take long."

Sakura bit her lip, but headed to Sasuke.

His eyes widened when he saw her. "Sakura? What are you doing here? Do you know how dangerous this is?" He sounded angry. "Some of these guys won't care if you're a girl! Others will prefer it!" He pulled her into the shadows.

"I missed you," she said simply, and buried her face in his shoulder.

To her surprise, he didn't push her away. Instead, he wrapped his arms around her protectively. "Naruto's taking care of you?"

"As much as he can," she murmured, smiling a bit. "But it's not the same. I was so worried about you…why'd you leave Konoha High?"

"I had to." Sasuke stroked her hair. "The rivalry between Oto and Akatsuki is much more active than the one between Konoha and Akatsuki. Konoha frowns on the fighting. And if I'm ever going to avenge my family, I'm going to need to be in a school that'll let me fight."

"But Sasuke-"

Sasuke held her tightly for another minute. "Stay here. I'm going to get Lee from Kabuto."

Lee returned, looking shaken. "That boy has no youthful energy!"

"I figured," Sakura said dryly. She smiled at him. "Thank you so much."

Sasuke watched them go. Take care of yourself, Sakura.

--

Kurenai leaned against her bed's headboard. "Yes, what is it, Anko?"

The other woman laughed on the phone. "I heard Asuma ask you out today. How many times are you going to turn him down? You've been rejecting him since high school."

Kurenai sighed. "Anko, I don't need that kind of drama. Asuma is a dependable, sweet, strong friend. I need a friend, not a lover."

"Well, someday, he's gonna get sick of being played all the time and stop asking. What'll you do then?"

"Anko, I don't have time for this," Kurenai said irritably. "Good night."

"Kurenai?" The voice came from just outside her room. "Is everything okay?"

"It's nothing, Rin," Kurenai sighed. The nurse was staying at her house while she tried out working at Konoha High. "Can I ask you something?"

"Sure." The other woman joined her in her room.

Kurenai stared at the ceiling. "When did you know that you wanted to be more than friends with Kakashi?"

Rin laughed. "I'm not the right person to ask about that. I've wanted to be more than friends with Kakashi since before we even became friends. And he has yet to even care about me as a friend."

"Have you spoken to him yet?" Kurenai asked curiously. Back in high school, she hadn't really known Rin. Her sole contact in the clique of kids now running the school had been Asuma. But after Rin had left, she remembered Asuma telling her that Kakashi had become quieter, more reserved. "Maybe all that time away…"

"Yes, and nothing. I can still read him like a book." Rin shrugged. "It's awful, you know, to be totally dedicated to someone who won't give you the time of day. I don't know how long I'm going to be able to handle working with him with all these emotions running deep."

"Do you really feel like that?" Kurenai asked, astonished. "Is it really such a blow for him not to love you back?"

Rin gave her a look. "Anko told me about Asuma and you. Yes, it's really tough."

--

"Go on, Hinata!" Ino urged the shorter girl. "You can do this!"

Hinata flushed, but timidly knocked on Naruto's door.

Naruto flung it open. "Sakura? Am I late? I-" He caught sight of Hinata. "Oh. Good morning, Hinata!"

"M-Morning, Naruto." Hinata held out a basket. "I…I made you breakfast."

Naruto peeked inside, and his face split in a broad grin. "Wow, Hinata! This is great! Thanks!"

Hinata tried to smile.

Ino chose that moment to appear. "Oh, good, Hinata!" she said breezily. "You and Naruto should be done with breakfast by the time Sakura comes to pick you up. Shika and I are going to school early, kay?"

Hinata nodded, her eyes wide.

Naruto wrinkled his brow. "Are you going home now to eat breakfast, Hinata? That's completely out of your way. Hey!" His eyes lit up. "Why don't you stay here and eat breakfast with me?"

Ino rolled her eyes. "He is such an idiot. Come on, let's go."

"Why did I have to wake up early?" Shikamaru muttered.

"Because you're my boyfriend," Ino explained. "And you're not going to let me walk past Suna High alone." She was very pleased with herself. There was that ugly girl from Suna who was always picking on her when she walked alone, but this time, she had a boyfriend handy.

As luck would have it, the girl was walking with her brothers at the same time as Ino and Shikamaru walked past. "Well, well, well, the Konoha brat finally found some company- Pineapple Head," she sneered.

"Defend me," Ino ordered.

Shikamaru stared at the girl. "Troublesome…what's your name?" He vaguely remembered her from the big sports competition last year. They had gone head-to-head and he had given up.

She smirked. "Temari. Shouldn't you be sticking up for your girlfriend?"

"It's too troublesome," Shikamaru announced. "Women are such pains…"

"HEY!" both Ino and Temari snapped simultaneously. The taller of Temari's brothers took a step back.

Shikamaru just kept walking.

"Wait up!" Ino called after him, jogging away.

A smile curled up Temari's lips as she watched him go. "Kankuro, Gaara, that Konoha boy is mine."

Her brothers wisely chose not to answer.