Naruto stood there, bent over panting, hands on his knees as he tried to catch his breath. His lungs were burning from all the running, the cool evening air didn't help the sensation.

Football practice was running later than usual, Gai-sensei was not happy with the team's performance so the drills kept coming.

He looked at his teammates surrounding him, Sasuke in particular. Naruto was envious. Sasuke stood there, upright, arms crossed. He didn't even seem tired. It only fueled Naruto's competitive nature, he wanted nothing more than to beat Sasuke. To not be second best. Dead last, as Sasuke would call him.

Sasuke was exhausted, he stood up tall, opening his airways. He closed his eyes, focusing on regulating his breathing. His team wasn't ready for the coming season. They had to work harder. Summer was not a time to take it easy and slack off. No, they had to keep pushing.

Sasuke took a glance at Naruto. They hadn't spoken to each other in several days. Tensions were high. Naruto had put his feelings out there. They were finally out in the open. Sasuke couldn't ignore them anymore. Not that he ever really could to begin with, but now he couldn't pretend to be ignorant.

What really bothered Sasuke, was Naruto's use of the word "too."

"I love her too," he said.

Naruto knew of his feelings. The feelings he tried so hard to suppress and shrug off. His feelings for Sakura. Naruto knew. For how long?

Everyone else felt something was off. Everyone. Neji. Kiba. Suigetsu. Juugo. Lee. Naruto and Sasuke usually argue, non stop at practice. Always trying to outdo one another. They haven't spoken to each other once. They barely even look at each other. But no one dared to comment. They know how these two friends can get.

"Let's go at it again!" Gai yells, blowing his whistle to round the large crowd of men together. Grunts and groans followed in suit.

"Sakura!" Tsunade yelled.

"Hai, Shishou!" Sakura ran right into her office, large piles of paper and folders neatly organized within her small arms.

"Take these with you too." Tsunade said she didn't even look up from her paperwork.

"Hai!" Sakura nodded, scrambling to add another large stack of reports to the ones already in her arms.

"And go home." Tsunade said as she scribbled something down.

Sakura looked puzzled, she was surprised at the least. Tsunade-sama has demanded a lot from her but never to leave. She was interning as her assistant, trying to get a good letter of recommendation from one of the top surgeons in the country. They would work together day and night. Sakura was always by her side, filing paperwork, writing reports, studying up on medical procedures. Tsunade would often quiz her on her knowledge, keeping her on her toes.

"Shishou, I haven't finished looking over those charts, I haven't completed the patient files or inputing the patient records. What about the-" Sakura began.

"Go home, Sakura. You've done more than enough for today." She interrupted her.

Sakura didn't want to leave yet. She didn't feel accomplished for the day. She still had plenty of work to complete.

"Sakura, you've worked thirteen hours every day for the past five days. Take the weekend off, you've more than earned it." Tsunade praised. She still hadn't looked up from her work as she sat there at her desk. Sakura smiled, she was happy to know she was doing well working under the woman running Konoha Hospital.

"Hai, Tsunade-sama. Thank you." Sakura set the papers down in their designated spot and bowed to her mentor. She all but skipped down the hallways of the hospital. She was excited to go home, shower, and relax.

Sakura rummaged through her bag, pulling out her phone. It was Friday night, her boys would most likely be getting home from practice by now, if they weren't already. Ino should be closing up the flower shop soon, Sakura realized. Maybe she should stop by on her way home.

Practice ended. Finally. The team was in the locker room, cleaning up, getting ready to go home.

"So what's up your asses today?" Kiba pointed an accusing finger towards Naruto and Sasuke.

Most of the males glared at the blunt male. He didn't know how to keep his big mouth shut.

"What! We are all thinking about it!" Kiba said, placing both of his hands up as an innocent facade.

"Nothing." Naruto muttered as he dried his hair with his towel.

Naruto wasn't in the mood to deal with Kiba. Or Sasuke. Or anyone really. He just wanted to leave.

Sasuke was starting to become concerned with Naruto's demeanor. He's shutting himself out, pushing everyone away. The last time Naruto did this was when his parents died in high school. It took forever to get Naruto back to his boisterous, annoying self. But Sasuke couldn't make the first move to mend the rift in their bond. He didn't know how.

"If you guys don't wanna share, fine, but just kiss and make up already." Kiba teased.

"Why don't you just mind your own business, Inuzuka?" Sasuke spat out.

Kiba smirked and blew a kiss his way playfully. It only made Sasuke angrier. Kiba really knew how to push his buttons.

Before Sasuke could report, Suigetsu butted his way between the two, wrapping his arms around each of their shoulders and pulling them to his sides.

"How about we all go get a couple drinks?" He threw out a suggestive smile. His purple eyes roaming over his peers, searching for approval.

"Do you really think drinking is the solution?" Neji quipped.

"I'm in." Naruto said, uninterested, as he finished getting dressed.

"Hn." Sasuke replied, struggling Suigetsu off of him.

"Forehead, you look disgusting." Ino gave Sakura a quick side eye, as she prepared an arrangement.

"Thanks, Ino-Pig." Sakura said sarcastically. Though looking at herself in the reflection of the shop windows, she had to agree.

Her hair was greasy and disheveled. Her scrubs were stained and dirty. Her face was pale and had large bags under her eyes. Her hands were dry from constant sanitizing and cut from flipping papers after papers.

"What are we doing tonight?" Ino asked.

"What?" Sakura asked, eyes wide with confusion.

"Come on, Sakura." Ino put her hands on her hips, "We haven't hung out in weeks because you're so busy. You have tonight off. So again, what are we doing?"

Sakura laughed, "We'll go home and shower."

"And after?" Ino stressed her words, waiting on Sakura to agree to going out tonight.

"Ino, I'm tired, can't we just stay in tonight?" Sakura ran a hand through her hair.

Just as Ino was about to say something, her attention changed to the door as it opened.

"Shikamaru! Tell Sakura we are going out tonight!" She shouted, her focus switching between the two of us.

"Don't get me involved." He said, waving his hand around lazily.

"Shika-kun!" Ino pushed him lightly as he came closer, but leaned into him and allowed him to drape his arm around her shoulder.

"Well apparently the guys are going out for drinks after practice tonight" Shikamaru said.

"Is that an invitation?" Ino asked excitedly.

"No, I'm just stating some information relayed to me." Shikamaru shrugged.

"Were you planning to join them?" Into turned towards him, placing her hands on her hips.

"No, too troublesome." He replied.

"Well you are now. We all are." Ino perked. Her smile grew wide and her eyes started to sparkle. She was planning, Sakura knew it.

Ino turned to Sakura, her eyes gleaming, "Okay go to my place, shower, get all dolled up, I'm gonna call the girls too, close up shop and then we'll all meet up at my place."

Ino practically pushed Sakura out of the building at that moment.

Sakura exhaled deeply, guess she was going out tonight. If she went home, Ino would show up at her door and drag her out regardless of whether she was dressed or not.

Naruto sat there, drink in hand, debating what to do from there. About Sasuke. About Sakura.

The guys sat around the table, chatting it up, drinking and just having a fun time. The bar wasn't too busy but it was still early.

He didn't want to talk to Sasuke, he was upset and wasn't ready. He couldn't talk to Sakura about his problems like he normally would. Not without admitting to her that both of her housemates have feelings for her.

Naruto's doing his best to avoid both of them. Sasuke is nearly impossible to avoid since they share a room, a friend group, and practice schedule. Sakura, on the other hand, was easy. Her work keeps her so busy, he doesn't even catch a glimpse of her for days at a time sometimes.

He worries for her still, though. He wonders if she's eating enough, sleeping enough, wondering if she's taking care of herself like she should.

Sasuke sits at the opposite end of the table from Naruto but can't help but notice how the blonde is so lost in thought, his drink sitting untouched between his fingers.

"So Shikamaru just messaged me and he's on his way. He also warned me that Ino is tagging along and she invited the girls." Neji said to no one in particular.

Sasuke's ears perked up at the mention of the girls joining. Was Sakura coming? No, probably not, he told himself. She's been working so much that he's hardly seen her.

Sasuke noticed that the new information has also brought Naruto out of his trance. He probably had the same thoughts. Sasuke couldn't help but frown at the unsettling feelings.

He now hoped that she wouldn't come, as much as he wanted to see her, her presence would only make the rising tension between the two males increase. Drinking also wouldn't help, he thought as he stared at the empty glass in front of him. Alcohol results in a lack of impulse control and he's never been impulsive but Naruto sure can be. He didn't need an eruption from the blonde occurring in front of everyone else, especially not Sakura.

But Sasuke wasn't exactly in a position to help Naruto keep track of his drinks, or cut him off when needed. No. If he were to interfere, Naruto would surely go off.

"Ino! Are none of your clothes normal?" Sakura shrieked as she rummaged through Ino's closet.

Everything Ino was handing her was cropped, see through, low cut, or all of the above. Sakura wasn't comfortable in the clothing Ino was offering.

Their hair was done, their makeup was done, all that was left was to get dressed.

Sakura sighed and turned to Ino, who was currently putting on a really tight and really short dress. It fit her perfectly, accentuating her chest and the drop in her waist.

Sakura was a bit envious of Ino's appearance. She was beautiful, tall with long blonde hair, an above average size chest (but still not comparable to Hinata-chan's), she was thin with long slender legs.

Herself, on the other hand, was petite with short, choppy hair, a barely average sized chest, her waist was small but her hips were wider giving her a subtle pear-esque shape.

Ino says she was jealous of her hourglass figure but Sakura was really the jealous one.

"Forehead, you need to show off what you got for once. Get out of those frumpy scrubs and put something sexy on." Ino demanded.

"Hinata! You look great!" Ino shouted as said girl emerged from the bathroom. Hinata was embarrassed, her face burning red. She, like Sakura, was not used to the way Ino dresses. Ino dressed her in a form-fitted and very low cut tank top and distressed jeans. Sakura could tell Hinata was uncomfortable, her hands were tightly wrapped around her exposed chest rather than fidgeting in front of her stomach.

"Ino, it might get cold give her a jacket or something." Sakura said, giving Hinata a smile.

Ino groaned but complied and Hinata immediately used to cover herself.

Sakura shuffled through Ino's wardrobe a bit longer before deciding on a cropped black top with a black leather skirt and matching boots. It was a little edgy and she liked it.

Ino sized Sakura up quickly, "it'll do." Was all she said.

"Tenten's here! Let's go!" Ino all but screamed when she received a text message.

"Shikamaru!" Kiba stood up from his seat when he saw the lazy friend enter the bar.

Said man headed right over when he heard his name called.

Naruto scouted the area at the announced arrival of his friend. He expected Ino had come along with him and just maybe, Sakura.

But with no luck, he saw neither of the two women trailing behind the man.

Shikamaru stopped, said his hellos before heading straight to the bar.

"Maybe the girls aren't coming," Kiba said, his eyes roaming the bar searching for any familiar faces.

Sasuke had noticed the same thing. None of the girls have shown up. Maybe they changed their mind.

"Hey, where's Ino?" Suigetsu asked Shikamaru as he approached the table.

"Her place, getting ready still probably." He replied nonchalantly.

"So the girls are coming?" Neji asked. Neji had a soft spot for Tenten, Sasuke noticed. He was also very protective of his cousin.

"Ino wanted to come." Shikamaru said.

That's all they needed to know. If Ino wanted something, she was getting it. And that meant she was forcing her friends to come with.

"Is Sakura coming?" Naruto asked, his eyes made a quick glance to Sasuke after he asked. They made the slightest eye contact, before both of them forced themselves to look elsewhere.

"Yeah, Ino practically pushed her all the way to her apartment to get ready." Shikamaru said, sipping his drink.

Sasuke's jaw clenched tightly. He didn't want her to be there tonight. Things were still too tense. He didn't know how to act around her now that Naruto knows about his feelings for her. He doesn't know how to act around Naruto either. Sakura will pick up on it. She won't drop it like the guys have. She will keep pressing it until she gets every single piece of information she can.

He looks over at Naruto and sees that he's lost in thought once again. Probably thinking similar thoughts.

The guys' chatter and all the background noise is drowned out by all the potential ways this night can go. It can break out into a fight between him and Naruto. Sakura could find out everything. Or not. The tension could get ten times worse and Naruto and himself could avoid each other all night. Sakura could get too drunk and never find out.

"Hey ladies!" Kiba shouted.

Naruto looked up right away. His eyes scanned for that familiar pink head of hair. And there it was. Sakura. She was laughing, her arms linked with Ino and Tenten's as they fought their way through the growing crowd.

She was beautiful. Her bubble gum hair was straightened to perfection, flowing free just above her shoulders. Her top was short sleeved and cut off a few inches above her belly button, where a shiny jewel lay, reflecting the bars lights. Her skirt was sitting right on top of the curve of her hips and ended at her upper thighs. A lot of her creamy skin was exposed for his bright blue eyes to see. But it wasn't only for his eyes to see.

He looked over and saw Sasuke taking in the exact same sight. It ruined everything. That he and his best friend fell for the same pink haired workaholic, who they happen to live with.

Sasuke notices the way her eyes sparkled when she laughed. He was taken back by her darker attire, Sakura always complained to him that he wore too much black and that he needed to add color to his wardrobe. She was always bright and had pops of color, but he had to admit he wanted to see her in black more often. It made her ivory skin look that more appealing, her hair stood out that much more against the dark colors.

"Hey" Sakura said as she reached the table. All the girls followed in suit, saying their greetings. She smiled at both Naruto and I, a little bigger than everyone else. It didn't take too long before Ino whisked her away to the bar to grab a drink. His dark eyes turned to watch Naruto stare longingly after her. He needed another drink. But much to his luck, the glass in front of him was empty. Glancing around the table to see that everyone else, except Naruto, had an empty glass as well.

Sasuke stood and was about to make his way to the bar.

"Hey, where are you going?" Kiba shouted from across the table.

He held the empty glass up for everyone to see.

"Another round." He answered.

The music was getting louder as the bar got fuller. The noise level was going to cause him a headache by the end of the night and he knew it.

Sasuke fought his way through the thick crowd to the bar in the center of the building, he found himself right next to Sakura and Ino.

"So you're a student? What are you studying?" The bartender asked.

"Yes I am." Sakura said proudly, "I'm pre-med actually."

Sasuke didn't like this random guy taking an interest in his housemate.

"Wow, beautiful and smart." He smiled at her as he continued to pour her drink.

Sakura and Ino giggled lightly to themselves and he didn't like the suggestive wink that Ino gave Sakura.

"Thank you." She said as he handed her some fruity pink cocktail.

Sakura turned away from the bar in a swift motion, not prepared to meet the firm chest standing right behind her.

"Oof." She said on impact, the glass in her hand falling onto the floor by her feet and shattering.

"Sasuke?" She looked up at him, confused. When did he get there?

"Hn." He bent down and picked up the shattered glass chunks beneath her and set them on the counter. "She'll take another one and I'll take a beer."

"What?" She said again, still trying to register when he got there and what just happened.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke, waiting for some sort of response. She was getting irritated that he refused to talk to her directly or even look at her.

Sasuke was looking straight ahead at the bartender she had just been talking to as he opened up a bottle for him and then proceeded to make another drink.

"Hello?" Sakura waved a hand in his face, losing her patience and testing his all the while.

"Here you go." The bartender said, offering another smile to her.

Sasuke grabbed the drink before she could, laying cash on the counter in its place and started making his way back to the table.

"Let's go." Was all he said.

"I can hold my own drink, Sasuke." Sakura tried reaching for it. She was getting a little annoyed at his sour attitude. This guy didn't even say hi to her when she got here, he spilled her drink, got her another but is now holding it hostage.

"Tch. Yea because you held onto the first one so well." He retorted.

"I could've held onto it better but I wasn't expecting a big brute to be standing right behind me without saying anything." She bit out. She was struggling to keep up with him, as a large male he could fight through all these bodies easier than she could. But she was forcing her way through.

"Maybe you would've noticed me sooner had you not been busy flirting."

Sakura's eyes went wide at his comment. Flirting? She was not flirting. Sakura tried so hard to get a glimpse at Sasuke's expression but it was no use, he was too far in front of her and she couldn't get an angle in this crowd.

"I was not flirting with anyone!" She defended.

"Hn." He finally gave her her drink when they reached the table and then went to take his seat.

In a huff, Sakura sat down at the opposite end. She was mad. Flirting. Tch. She was not flirting with him. How dare he accuse her of that.

"Flirting huh?" Ino teased.

"I was not flirting." Sakura defended again, taking a swig of the cocktail.

Ino was smiling annoyingly at her. It was only fueling Sakura's temper.

"What?" She snapped.

"Oh nothing." Ino's smile only grew.

"Spit it out Pig."

"Nothing, it just seemed to me like Sasuke-kun was a little jealous you were flirting with the cute guy behind the bar." Ino said nonchalantly.

"I was not flirting! And please, Sasuke wouldn't be jealous even if I was." Sakura rolled her eyes.

Please. Sasuke jealous? Because of her? Yea right. Sasuke and her are just friends. He doesn't think of her that way. She tells herself.

Naruto couldn't help but overhear Sakura and Ino's brief conversation from a couple seats over. Sasuke got jealous? Sakura was flirting with some guy?

He had noticed Sakura seemed upset when they came back from the bar. When he noticed Sasuke following her over there, he had thought maybe Sasuke was gonna take a chance and make his move. Take her away for himself. But he was surprised to see a pissed off Sakura and a tense Sasuke return.

What did Sasuke say to her to make her upset? What happened? Naruto was not on speaking terms with Sasuke but he could damn well say a thing or two if Sasuke was being an asshole to Sakura. Not that Sakura couldn't handle herself, but he was always protective of her.

Sakura was already done with her drink and she had just sat down no more than a couple minutes, he noticed. So when he saw her stand, he assumed it was for another drink.

He didn't like this. She was angry, she was tired. He could see her purple circles under her eyes even under the makeup she wore. He doesn't know how work has been for her but drinking away any frustrations wasn't the solution he wanted for her. And what upset him most was that Sasuke had started this. She was fine and happy when she first came in. All it took was one interaction from the jackass for her mood to flip.

Naruto stood abruptly and followed her. He needed to make sure she was okay.

"Sakura?" He said when he finally made it to her.

"Hi Naruto." She offered him a fake smile, he knew those smiles all too well.

"What's wrong?" He asked.

"Nothing. Everything's fine." She shook her head, her smile stretching a bit too much for his liking.

He sighed and simply wrapped his arms around her, comforting her. She wrapped her arms right back.

"I'm fine Naruto. Sasuke just got on my nerves, nothing new." Sakura said. Her voice was softer and he was glad he could relieve some of her anger with such a simple gesture.

"I'm here for you." He managed to say with the smallest whisper. He hoped she would hear the sincerity in his voice even through all the background noise.

When they separated, she took him by surprise by kissing his cheek. Her smile was soft and small as she gave him a thank you.

He knew right then and there that he had to fight for her. He couldn't let Sasuke win this time. He didn't deserve her. Hell, Naruto wasn't even sure he did either but he would do everything in his power to convince her that he does.