It was the little things, the lingering and longing glance at a family walking past, the momentary softening of his eyes into something that wasn t his usual mask, the tightness of his lips that would give him away. Sakura watched her teammate, and knew that he was hurting, but also that she couldn't do anything about it. No, he would keep her out of his pain and misery, just like he kept everyone out, and it would eat him up inside, always gnawing at the one spot he couldn't defend, his heart.

It was these thoughts that got her wondering what she could do, but she knew it was too late, too much time had passed, too much was said that couldn't be taken back. He was in pain, and she was part of the cause, she just wished he'd let her be part of the cure.

"Hey Sakura-chan!" Naruto called out as he pulled her from her thoughts. "Let's go, ne? We're going to be late for training!"

Smiling she pushed herself up, and began following him, watching him turn his head slightly to watch a family across the street. Yes, most knew about Sasuke's pain and loneliness, but he was an open book compared to Naruto. They saw his smile and stopped there. Naruto's mask had fooled so many, but she knew better. She knew, and couldn't do anything about it.

"Ne, Sakura-chan? Maybe we could get Kakashi-sensei to show us under his mask today," Naruto joked, his eyes closing in that painfully bright smile of his, hiding his eyes that threated to show through the masks of smiles and overdone emotions. He wanted to see his sensei's true face so badly, but wouldn't show his own, so hypocritical...

But... what if he was saying something else with his request, what if he was asking to know that it would be okay to drop his own mask? What if he just wanted someone to let him in, so he could let them in. Maybe this was the first step he needed. Smiling she laughed at his joke and nodded.

"Maybe," she countered thoughtfully before watching him run off ahead. "And maybe we could show what's under our own masks... ne Naruto?"