Sorry this chapter is later than normal; I am getting married in May, so I'm usually always busy. And we're making new cosplays on top of everything. I really need more free time.

Disclaimer: Nothing.

-=Chapter 5 – The delusion of comfort=-

So much for sleep, Sasuke groaned, as the alarm on his cellphone rang loudly in the darkness of his bedroom. On his dresser. Across the room. He knew it was five already. The night swept past him – how could he sleep after their first date? His mind raced for hours with every possible thought. So much had happened – he laid it all on the line for Naruto.

Sasuke repeated every question that Naruto asked and dissected each answer he gave. Yet, his most prominent thought was of their kiss. The brief feeling of his soft lips. The warm rushing sensation that overwhelmed his body. Sasuke would never forget it. It was exactly as he had imagined it would be, even if it was staged. He noticed that in the mirror, as he brushed his unruly hair, his exhausted face was still smiling.

The confession was liberating and revitalizing, like a breath of fresh air. He wanted to indulge in some of his confidence from the night before. Today, he would finally be able to focus on his lessons and sink back into the comfort of his own skin. The date was encouraging; he could only hope that Naruto felt the same way. Was it enough? Would their feelings mesh together after all? Would he be at least willing to try?

By five thirty, after his morning routine, Sasuke headed into the kitchen, where he found his parents drinking their morning coffee. He was surprised – this was unusual.

''Good morning sweetheart,'' his mother said, ''what would you like for breakfast?''

Sasuke shook his head, ''No thanks mom, I'm meeting with my lab partner Karin for breakfast at school, so we can finish our project.''

His father's voice, even so early in the morning, sounded ever gruff and irritated, ''You will miss practice, Sasuke.''

''I did my practice with Naruto after school yesterday at the Hatake Dojo because Karin was no longer available to meet, as was originally planned. After school, I scheduled an hour of personal training at the gym, since my school work will be completed before class.'' He answered Fugaku methodically, which allowed for the lie to slip by undetected.

''Very good then.''

But his mother seemed disappointed, ''Oh no, you shouldn't practice tonight son. I wanted to give you our tickets to the Matsuri festival that starts this evening, since your father is leaving this morning for London and will not be back until very early Saturday morning, with Itachi.''

Sasuke understood immediately why his mother was sullen. However, he also surmised that for his father to cancel his weekly night out with their mother, his departure was not scheduled, perhaps even very urgent. He knew that his mother looked forward to their weekly date and therapy session, both of which were canceled that week.

''I can go with you instead, mom.''

Mikoto smiled happily at Sasuke. ''Of course not, silly. I was implying that you could take the tickets for yourself and invite that adorable lab partner of yours.''

Her declaration made Fugaku smile for the first time that morning and unbeknownst to his mother, Sasuke instantly knew what he really wanted to do with the tickets. He smiled as well. ''Thank you mother, I'll see what I can do with these.'' He kissed her goodbye and left with tonight's date idea in hand.

Although it made him nervous again to make the first move, Sasuke hoped to catch Naruto before morning class and hand him a note with the ticket. They would be an hour away from Kyoto, at a prestigious and expensive festival, where no one would recognize or pay them any attention. It sounded perfect. His driver, Hidan, was ready with the car and as Sasuke opened the passenger door, the smell of coffee delighted his senses.

''Thank you, Hidan, you are a lifesaver.''

''I figured as much,'' came the snarky retort and both of them laughed quietly. There was a third coffee for himself as well.

''I owe my lab partner breakfast and this place is her favorite.'' The Uchiha looked into the bag of food to confirm the contents.

Hidan was paid well for his perfection. Sasuke had asked him to stop, the night before, during the ride home from Naruto's place.

''Also, I may be going to Yokohama's Matsuri festival after school. No guarantees. I may just sell the tickets if no one wants to go.'' He began searching the information on his phone. It seemed interesting. The event was to celebrate the fine foods and delicacies of that region. This was sure to please Naruto – there would even be a ramen stand.

As they arrived in the parking lot of the school, another vehicle pulled up alongside them and Karin appeared from within. Her eyes instantly widened in utter joy and she rushed the Uchiha, holding a tray of drinks, and a bag of food, defenseless to her embrace.

''Thank you so much Sasuke, you're wonderful.'' She beamed happily as her hands wrapped around her hot coffee cup.

Sasuke sighed as she began her usual pleasantries with him. ''Did your evening with your brother go well, Sasuke?'' she asked, as they wandered the empty hallways to the science laboratories.

''Yes, it did.'' He answered indifferently. It ended that conversation – and his lie – swiftly.

Karin tried a different approach, ''So Sasuke, how are you feeling about the first tournament next weekend? I've been meaning to ask.'' She turned on the lights for the big empty classroom and they strolled over to their usual seats at the far right of the room.

''Fine,'' he replied simply, ''Anxious to win.'' This was the same response he gave everyone. He seemed fierce and focused on his victory, in their eyes. That was the impression he wished to instill upon his father most of all. Karin believed everything he said. She idolized and adored him for it – his ardor and passion to become the next great winner.

''Awesome. You should be eager to kick some butt, I just know you'll win.''

Before she could continue down her chosen course, Sasuke stopped that conversation as well by presenting her with breakfast. It smelled delicious enough to silence Karin for several minutes, as she devoured her meal. The coffee washed it all down nicely. Sasuke had retrieved their coursework from his folders and began proofreading it as he finished eating as well.

He made sure that her chitchat remained minimal, or they would never finish punctually, but there was no way he could have anticipated that Sakura and Lee, her lab partner, would walk into the classroom at exactly six thirty, with the same intent as them.

''Good morning everyone!'' Lee's cheery voice rang out into the stillness of the room.

''What are you doing here, huh, just couldn't let me have some time alone with Sasuke, right?'' Karin's words were frosty and her glare absolutely frigid.

Instantly, any good mood that could be salvaged disintegrated into the now subzero temperature of arctic hatred that these women shared for one another. Sakura's eyes narrowed, as if to freeze the redhead to death and even Lee became fearful of his partner. He chuckled uneasily.

''I'm sorry if we're interrupting,'' Lee said meekly and it scared him now that Sakura had yet to speak a single word but seethed visibly instead.

Sasuke broke the silence, with his calm and stern voice, ''Not at all, you guys aren't interrupting anything. We're doing our science project for Friday.''

''So are we.'' Lee replied and his cheerful demeanor slowly returned. ''How about we split the room then.'' He suggested so he and Sakura headed to the back left corner and started their work.

Sasuke's annoyed stare caused Karin to make an obnoxious face at him and she became less and less cooperative. Her temperament always stiffened around Sakura. He wanted to snap at Karin but it would only result in her revenge, which would be cruel and merciless once again, that he knew for certain.

Her ignorance and jealousy, however, made her needlessly problematic. He never understood Karin or her zealous devotion to him. When they first met, he found her attractive and mature but her mood always changed at the drop of a dime. It was overwhelming for him – how could he ever date someone like that? Sakura was the real epitome of maturity and intelligence and all those reasons helped him decide to ask her out instead of Karin, back then.

Now, all he wanted to do was finish his morning punishment sentence with Karin and find Naruto before their classes began. Karin also seemed eager to leave the room but the conclusion she composed for their thesis was choppy and vague. He corrected several of her mistakes, which angered her to the point of obstinate silence again.

''Karin!'' He sighed in frustration and only after a pointed glare at him in return, did she finish her part of the assignment.

Their projects always ended up like this. Sasuke could never have satisfied Karin and that was very clear to him. He hated arguing with her petty attitude problems. She only ever complained about random things she disliked. Her personality was dreary to him and irritating, even completely chaotic at times. He wanted vibrancy and enthusiasm, not anger and disdain. Nothing made him happier than leaving Karin that morning; she finally acted normal once the assignment was complete. She became casual again and friendly.

The Uchiha could not help but wonder if she herself noticed these vicious swings in her mood.

Yet, Sasuke's sudden relief was short lived, for as he turned down the first hallway, his eyes settled upon the sight of Hinata Hyuuga hugging Naruto Uzumaki. He watched her smile and laugh, as she ran up to Naruto and threw herself at him without any hesitation. He looked away though, as Naruto accepted the embrace with open arms and a greeting.

It was as if he stopped breathing again and the world was slowly disappearing around him with every step away from that scene he walked. His ears were deaf and his hands were shaking. His legs were numb but still moving of their own accord. After a minute, he finally dared to breathe.

What…had…just…happened…

Even in his dreams now, there was Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto woke up several times during the night, almost embarrassed to be dreaming about his best friend. They were talking in that surreal moment but the words, as he awoke, vanished from his mind and he could only remember seeing Sasuke smile at him.

That face was so…handsome.

Naruto buried his face in his pillow but the dark blush on his cheeks would not fade away into the softness. He regretted not talking to either of his uncles after they returned; he feigned sleep, fearful of them now that he felt so confused. Without any hesitation, he had kissed Sasuke, half expecting it to be awkward and unpleasant because they were both males. But it really wasn't.

What now?

Naruto laid awake for over an hour, contemplating the night's events. He inhaled deeply, placed a hand on his chest, and clutched the necklace he always wore – a pendant from his grandmother – their family's heirloom. A part of him wished that he could speak with his grandparents; they always gave him sound advice. He felt alone, stilled in the darkness by his own overly anxious heart.

What if they decided to be a couple? There was no denying that his best friend possessed all the attributes and qualities that interested him for a partner – Hinata Hyuga did as well. Although Iruka warned Naruto not to compare both dates, he could not help from analyzing each scenario that way. He also realized, however, that Sakura Haruno was the only other person he ever loved. Only now, as he was fully open to his own heart, did he see her face there as well. It was almost too much to think about. She was also his best friend. Could the same thing happen for them?

His date with Sasuke went extremely well; he knew this, deep down inside of him, which is why his thoughts always returned to the Uchiha. Sasuke's answers to his questions made him understand how easy it would be to fall for him. Even in the midst of their awkward silences and painful questions, Sasuke always tried to reason out a comfortable solution for both of them. He opened Naruto's blue eyes to the idea of being together with someone.

What would that be like, he wondered to himself.

Sasuke made him feel secure, despite how much this decision would change their lives. Was he willing to do this? Could he do this? He had only ever seen Sasuke act that way with him. His mind always returned to this thought.

He is willing to do all of this…for me.

Even though their conversation was insanely difficult and agonizingly honest, they both managed to understand one another better, in the end. Naruto had not felt this connection with Hinata. Yet, the thought of Hinata was always followed by the memory of her lips against his and her smiling face. She was beautiful. Sasuke had not kissed Naruto with the same fervor of careless fear and innocence. He hesitated. He reasoned out the situation. But the spark that ignited earlier in Naruto's chest made it extremely hard not to think about kissing his best friend again. That could only happen though, with the promise of a commitment.

Naruto admitted to himself, in the middle of the night, that he could possibly be interested in Sasuke. But he needed to resolve one last issue first – Sakura. She would always be dear to both teenagers and Naruto did not want to jeopardize his chances or his relationship with Sakura. If she would only look at him just like Hinata had. Or would they always just be friends? He felt like he knew the answer but for the sake of Sakura's heart, it was worth trying one last time.

Too many decisions, Naruto sighed and curled up beneath his comforter again. Was he even ready for a relationship? He fell asleep anew with many unanswered questions but the morning greeted him with a positive outlook and determination. Today would bring understanding and order to the chaos of his emotions.

At least he hoped for something close to that.

Iruka had breakfast set on the table for all three occupants and as Naruto entered the kitchen he sported his usual cheery demeanor and lazy morning grin. No practice that morning but still not enough sleep. It showed on his features.

''Good morning!''

Naruto was greeted with smiles and left to eat in peace. He occasionally glanced up from his plate and was not surprised to see them both inspecting him regardless. Kakashi nursed his coffee in anticipation. Iruka sighed in defeat. The smile on Kakashi's face said it all; Iruka began the conversation slowly, before his lover could start asking his absurd questions.

''Naruto , you are a young adult now and we – yes, we – respect your privacy here in this house. So we are not going to pry in your business.'' There was a pointed glare directed at Kakashi during that sentence. It made Naruto feel at ease. He wanted to laugh at the sullen expression of his instructor. Iruka was always so thoughtful.

''Thanks. It's okay – I'm good. I didn't exactly sleep on it per say, but I did decide about a lot of things.''

''I'm happy to hear that Naruto. You look tired but at least you look content. Did it go well?'' Just like Naruto, sometimes Kakashi really could not help himself.

''It did.'' Naruto answered without any hesitance. ''We talked about everything but I still haven't decided on Sasuke yet. I know that Hinata and I will not work but… but I always liked Sakura, even before Sasuke shared his feelings for me. So I want to talk to her.''

Both men sat quietly in the wake of Naruto's response. Iruka had not expected him to bring up Sakura. He was also suddenly curious, ''Will your answer to Sasuke be contingent on your talk with Sakura?''

Naruto took a moment, visibly contemplating the inquiry. The profound depth of that question made him understand that his answer would be questionable.

''No – at least, I don't want it to be. That's not my intention, not matter how it may sound... That would just hurt both of them if they knew. No matter what happens, I wasn't really going to tell her anything; I just wanted to see if she was at all attracted to me. Sasuke said several things to me that make me want to see for myself if something is there. If we're compatible. If maybe she's ready to date again.''

His justification was simple. If Sakura could see past the layers of their friendship, would she decide to finally choose him as her next partner?

But the notion of hurting Sasuke was also there – what if she said yes to him. What then. Naruto could see that Iruka was frowning but Kakashi accepted his nephew's decision.

''I agree with Naruto, you need to be certain first when it comes to the matters of the heart.''

''That sounds like a line from one of gramps' book, Kakashi.''

Laughter, they all agreed, created a sense of harmony in the room and helped shed away any remnant tension. It was comfortable and pleasant now. Naruto was able to smile genuinely before leaving for school that morning. He left early, hoping to meet Hinata at her locker. His first intention was to settle the matter between them. This would be the first time he broke someone's heart.

Hinata shared Naruto's decision to arrive early and she found him instead, at his locker. The moment amused Naruto greatly, as he turned around and saw her standing there, but he had not expected her to run into his arms. Within the seconds it took him to blink, Hinata was pressed into his chest and her hair tickled his chin. He instantly began to awkwardly laugh as he untangled himself from her soft body and flushed face.

''Good morning, Naruto.'' Hinata said delicately and smiled so beautifully that Naruto felt pieces of his own heart crumbling, before he could even speak.

''Hinata, hi… I wanted to talk to you, so I'm glad that you're here.''

She realized that his expression was hurt and his brow line was furrowed. Her head could only nod as her eyes clouded with sudden confusion and panic. What was going on?

Naruto looks like he…

''I'm sorry Hinata, I don't want to lead you on in any way because I still want to be your friend, just not your boyfriend.''

Hinata stood before Naruto and resisted every urge in her body to cry but the sorrowful look etched into his features caused several tears to fall. She wanted to hate him for hugging her again, as she cried and yet his words helped console her the most.

''Hinata, it's not you, really. It's me. I'm not in a clear state of mind right now. I don't know what I want. And there's a lot of pressure on my shoulders now that I don't want to burden anyone else with. Maybe when this is all over, if I don't ruin things now, who knows how we'll feel then…''

He gave her hope and although he felt guilty, he too felt strangely reassured by the uncertainty of the future. Hinata kept herself composed, as she nodded to Naruto, and promptly excused herself before the start of class. His sullen face remained in place until the end of his first break. Shikamaru noted that he was acting unlike himself, aloof and defensive. Kiba immediately mentioned Hinata's name; he saw her crying over Naruto and bitterly remarked that he wasted his best opportunity.

Naruto saw Hinata again in mathematics; she was Sakura's partner. It only took one glance from Sakura to know that she wanted to speak with him. She did not seem pleased. He could only imagine what thoughts were going through her mind and what information was told to her. Some were clear on her face and so he shamefacedly looked away from both women.

After class, as expected, Sakura's distinctive voice echoed in his ears, no sooner did he exit the classroom.

''Naruto.'' She said it strictly and the taut line across her mouth, from which his name resonated, was not a welcome sight.

He instantly recognized her tone, authoritative and dissecting. However, Naruto simply offered her his usual lopsided grin. His mind was set on a clearer objective. He could endure Sakura's probing questions, and her derisive remarks, in order to show her his feelings.

''Hey Sakura,'' Naruto eased into the conversation. ''Have lunch with me?''

His sheepish smile was enough to soften her stern stare and she accepted the invitation, with a sigh of frustration.

In the end, she simply asked, ''What happened?'' and Naruto explained to his best friend the series of events that unfolded. There was so much more he wanted to tell her, as he looked into her memorizing green eyes but the truth about Sasuke would hurt her too much. It was easy talking to Sakura. Naruto sat comfortably in her presence, discussing how his heart felt. She knew he was under great pressure but had not realized that it would affect his romantic life, in such a way.

Sakura was empathetic; she offered kind words to him, trying to cheer him up.

''You know, sometimes in life, it's better to stay single and face things on your own, to make you stronger.'' Those were the words her mother proudly spoke to her, when she came home heartbroken for the first time in her life. They gave her strength to rely on herself. She smiled at Naruto but realized that he was not paying attention to her words. He was staring oddly at her and she could see the hesitance in his eyes.

''Sakura, just look at me. Really look at me. I know I'm one of your best friends but try and see past those notions between us. Can you feel a spark between us?''

Naruto's sudden confession completely surprised her; she assumed that he needed advice, or consoling, but… was his real reason for hesitating with Hinata… her?

Those big blue eyes were innocently asking her for something she could not give. She felt guilty, sitting silently in the midst of those words. Her only wish was for Naruto to experience genuine happiness, which is why she initially gave Hinata her blessing. It made sense to her that Hinata hesitated. Everyone knew that Naruto had publically chased Sakura for a whole year, before she dated Sasuke.

Never again, Sakura swore to herself, would she hurt Naruto in such a horrible way. Explaining this to him was so hard though. He wanted her love and she could only provide the warmth and compassion of a best friend. That bond was important to her – it was severed with Sasuke, lost to her now. Their friendship was unable to return to its prior state and that same chance risked destroying hers with Naruto if they also crossed that line. It was excruciatingly hard to hurt Naruto, when that was the last thing she wanted to do.

Why will he always love me, she thought sadly.

''I am sorry Naruto, but I know that I don't have any romantic feelings for you. I'm really sorry…''

''Don't be, Sakura. I'm not upset. I…I only asked because I needed to make sure.'' Naruto stopped Sakura's apologetic ramblings before the tears that were building up in her eyes threatened to spill over. He almost regretted asking because the sight of her sad face still painfully gripped his heart. But he was ready to let go.

Sakura wanted to ask him why but knew it was not her place to do so. His matters with Hinata were private and she could only hope that eventually everything would return to normal. Naruto walked over to Sakura and hugged her; the tears finally fell from her shimmering emerald orbs. It still felt alright between them, just tense again. Naruto was always so strong. Twice that day, he realized, he made resilient women cry.

Naruto's stomach growled noisily and ended their hug. Sakura tried to laugh uneasily, just like Naruto, and he chuckled as well. It helped them both. They visited a street vendor for lunch but Sakura excused herself shortly after. She wanted to give Naruto his space. His head was swimming again in confusion. He felt dizzy and there was a painful weight in his chest. It was so overwhelming. Sakura said no. She left him there, again. It hurt incredibly to learn that her heart was closed to him, maybe even indefinitely. Her honesty though helped calm his nerves and that was why he admired her. Her words of advice continued to linger in his mind.

Those green eyes of hers never lied, even when her mouth betrayed her at times. Naruto had asked her out casually on several occasions and brushed off her I'm busy rejections like they barely fazed him. Only once before had he poured his heart out to her. He wanted to walk away from her words but they stung too deep and he asked her why. He pushed her for answers. His confession finally opened her eyes to the young man asking her for a chance.

She said, back then, with a soft smile, ''I don't really know what love is…and I understand that you want to find out with me… but with you, Naruto, a girl grows old and settles down to have a family, because she knows that her husband is genuine, brave, reliable, and fearless. That's the type of man that raises children.''

Her reply was beautiful but it also hurt more than any punch he had received to the face. Sakura's blows were always precise, kind, and merciless to him.

''So you…don't want to waste a future with me…now?''

''Saying yes to you, Naruto… that's not fair to ask of me. I don't want to say yes or no, because I don't know…''

Naruto accepted her answer then, just as he processed it now, sitting alone in the field outside of school. Sakura did to him what he did to Hinata. He meditated and contemplated these events, under the sun, absorbing its warmth. He would always be the type of person that smiled through all of his hardships. He could always laugh at himself and let go of the doubt and sadness that troubled him.

That only left him with one decision now – Sasuke's.

After class, an hour of mind numbing physics, Naruto decided to message Sasuke, as he leaned heavily against his locker. They had ten minutes before last period started. Kiba stopped by to chat – two minutes went by without an answer. Then, Shino joined the conversation and confirmed his work plans with Naruto, for Thursday. Half their break had passed and still no reply. He felt irked and kept glancing at the screen but it was useless.

He threw his phone into his bag before his economics class and waited impatiently for the lecture to end. There was no way to focus now. He tried to remain calm and peaceful but the lecture on taxes was not exhilarating enough. The last time he snuck a peak at his phone, during Genma's lesson, the teacher threw his chalk at the blonde's head. He had narrowly dodged.

''Nice reflexes Uzumaki – now turn it off and never touch it again in this classroom.'' Such a backhanded compliment, Naruto thought, as he smiled begrudgingly.

The class itself was a bore but Genma was usually very entertaining. Today was no exception. The antics had just begun. He was scolding Choji for failing their budgeting assignment. Several others were named as pitiful examples as well; Naruto was saved from the list only because the bell rang. He received his paper though, a passing grade overall with a snarky comment about his food expenses – only ramen.

Naruto finally reached for his phone, no sooner did he drop the graded work into his bag. His mood instantly soured. No message. He breathed out his frustrations deeply and the voice in the back of his head told him to wait, class had only just ended. At his locker, he saw Kiba again but they simply nodded to one another. Shikamaru ended the awkward silence by conversing with Kiba and Naruto decided to leave another text message.

Hey Sasuke, what's up?

Sasuke did not check his phone again until he arrived at his destination – the rooftop. He spent all day ignoring the world; Suigetsu annoyed him during their first break with his droning about women. He did not say a word during that entire conversation. For lunch, Sasuke escaped to the water fronts and ate in silence; his phone was left behind in his locker. Even the loud music from his earbuds could not quiet the thoughts in his head. He walked with Juugo throughout their afternoon break and he debated internally for those ten minutes whether to answer Naruto or not.

The afternoon breeze steadied his nerves and he finally decided to reply. He was ready to see Naruto.

Time to talk.

He silently watched his comrades all flood from the school and into the surrounding streets. The first line of buses rolled away from the building and several extracurricular activities were beginning on the sports court. He could hear the cheers and protests, a cacophony of chaos from below. His ears almost missed the sound of the rooftop's door opening.

There he was. Naruto.

''There you are, I've only been texting you since last break.'' His dramatic complaint, more than anything, was his way of initiating first contact. He really wanted to know why he was being ignored. The Uchiha's face showed off his own clear annoyance though, regardless of the statement. The blunt attitude suited both of them sometimes.

''Why did I watch Hinata Hyuga throw herself into your arms this morning?'' Sasuke was angrily straightforward. Naruto blinked a few times, taken aback; he understood immediately the distrust he saw in his best friend's eyes.

It all made sense now. At least this he could deal with.

''Seriously, Sasuke. You watched Hinata hug me and walked away without seeing what actually happened next.'' That hug had also taken him by surprise. He could only imagine how that would seem to their peers… let alone him. But he walked away…

Sasuke refused to utter a response; he relied on his glare, because his words would surely betray him.

''I told Hinata that I didn't want to pursue anything with her and she cried in my arms.'' Naruto sighed deeply, as the thought saddened him. He was sure that his revelation would put Sasuke at ease but it also bothered him that his best friend was deliberately avoiding him, based on nothing but his own insecurities. ''Sasuke, look, it's just-'' Naruto began but the Uchiha swiftly cut him off. ''I'm sorry Naruto.'' He paused again, before finally sighing as well, ''I woke up to these festival tickets and I thought of you, but lost my confidence this morning when I saw that.''

Naruto knew that apologizing had never been one of Sasuke's many talents and so he appreciated the sincerity of the sentiment, showing his relief with a smile. It struck his heart directly. He wanted to discuss the matter further but chose to focus on the positive instead. There was undoubtedly more that could be said; Naruto understood though how uneasy and confused Sasuke must also feel constantly around him. Jealousy easily clouded one's mind; it excites your senses with hazy and clouded anxiety.

Sasuke was encouraged by the momentum of the night before and Naruto found that slightly charming, if not very bold for him. The blonde realized that he too wanted to try again, if only to see his best friend relax again and smile. Their situation, however, was extremely delicate. Had they not just resolved to ease into these dates? Still… he could think of nothing holding him back from trying.

Naruto found the same resolve he woke up with that morning and asked, ''So you want to go out with me again tonight?''

''I know that I said I would give you time…my mom gave me tickets to a festival in Yokohama and I figured that we would blend in well there without being noticed.''

It was far away. Somewhere new. A place where they could unwind and cheer themselves up. Sasuke had a good idea.

''Sure, sounds fun.''

Sasuke could not believe how easily Naruto adapted to the situation and to him with such assurance; it seemed almost flawless. He felt utterly foolish for fueling himself with doubt all day because he has always known how understanding Naruto can be. They are best friends, after all.

He shuffled awkwardly, dwelling in his own embarrassment. Naruto tried not to laugh. It was incredibly obvious to him. He could smile through anything though. Only then, did Sasuke finally let himself consider that perhaps Naruto was serious about them too…and smiled confidently.

-=TBC=-

Let me know what you all think, as always. Detailed reviews are my favorites. I rewrote Naruto's conversation with Sakura four times before I was satisfied with it. The last scene too, I redid it three times. I spent way too much time editing this chapter.