"...Can I lose my need to impress?

If you want the truth, I need to confess…"

I'm Not Alright – Sanctus Real

The Beginning of the End

Today was one of those perfect days that only comes on rare occasions. Those days where the sun rises to a place high in the sky, thin cirrus clouds litter the atmosphere, and the serene skyscape is topped off by a cool breeze that sends the trees into a gentle sway. The small group of birds flying in V formation only added to the peaceful setting as they slowly flapped their way through the sky. Watching the steady flapping of their wings was relaxing. At least as relaxing as possible with the state of mind Naruto was currently in. How could such a beautiful day go so wrong? He struggled to make sense of it.

What was meant to be a simple visit to a friend in the hospital, had turned into an all-out brawl on the hospital rooftops. It was no secret that he and Sasuke didn't exactly get along, but what happened on that hospital rooftop was still a shock to him. He had conjured up this image of his perfect family with Team 7, but it was all falling apart before his eyes. Looking back, he supposed that he could see it coming. The truth was he didn't want to. He wanted this to be the perfect family he never had…but it wasn't. Denying that was the same as denying reality.

To top it all off, Sakura almost got caught in the middle of their little scuffle. Fortunately, Kakashi was there to stop the two before any serious damage could be done, at least physically; no one had arrived soon enough to stop the emotional damage. And so, Naruto was left to walk the rooftops of Konoha, alone, as usual. One foot crossed in front of the other in what felt like an unending loop. One step. Two-step. Three-step. The only differences came when there was an obstacle in the way. A foot would lift slightly higher to step over a pipe, or the two would work in tandem to balance on a thin beamlike structure, and every now and then, one would kick out violently at a random piece of trash, sending it careening into the village below with a barely audible thud.

He used one arm to vault off the rooftop he had been walking on then dropped down onto a not so crowded alleyway as silent as a mouse. The wind rushed against his whiskers as he fell to the ground. It was a feeling that would normally be exhilarating, but not today. As his feet fell back into a steady rhythm, he noticed Jiraiya standing on the side of the road. Naruto didn't slow his movements, but at that moment, there was a part of him that was hopeful. For what, he wasn't quite sure. But when Jiraiya kept silent as he walked by, he knew he hadn't found it.

As his trek through the alleyways of Konoha continued, he eventually stumbled onto Sakura leaning against a wall. Her usually bright features had dimmed considerably, and her slim arms wrapped her body uncomfortably. The guilt gnawing at his conscience was his first indication that he couldn't leave things the way they were. When he was a few feet away, he simply settled for saying her name. "Sakura-chan…"

She glanced at him while keeping her head bowed and silently said, "There's something I need to tell you. We'll make it a date, so walk with me for a bit."

The quick lurch in Naruto's movements was more than enough to convey his confusion. Sakura-chan wanted to go on a date with him? But why now? She'd never seriously considered the idea before.

"You coming?" Sakura called over her shoulder, her thin frame already a couple of steps ahead. Her question was answered when she heard the pit-pat of Naruto's sandals jogging up to her side.

A scaly, tan-colored lizard scurried away, its color nearly matching the dirt road it had come from. Naruto watched as it ran into a small hole under one of the food shops lining the streets then peeked its head back out to observe the surroundings.

After walking in awkward silence for a bit longer, Naruto decided he should be the first to speak. "I should apologize." His tone was serious, not anything like his usual joking demeanor.

He waited for a reply but heard nothing except food stand workers sharpening their knives in the background. It didn't take long for him to notice that Sakura was staring at the ground blankly, clearly in a world of her own. "Sakura-chan?"

Sakura was knocked out of her trance and finally lifted her head to turn to him. "Oh, sorry." she said while shaking her head. "Guess I spaced out."

"It's ok," he replied, turning away. "I don't blame you with everything that happened today. That's actually what I was gonna talk to you about."

"It's alright, Naruto," she replied, both hands now meekly folded over her stomach.

"There's nothing ok about what happened today, Sakura-chan. I wanted to say I'm sorry. I know when I told you not to interfere earlier, it might've sounded harsh. But one of the main reasons I said that is because I don't ever want to see you get hurt. If Kakashi hadn't stopped me and Sasuke, that could've been you caught in the middle of those attacks. I don't know what I would do if I ever hurt you." The last part came out as a whisper, although Sakura had just managed to hear it.

Sakura gave a silent nod to show that she understood, then smiled, and whispered, "Apology accepted."

"Thanks," Naruto replied, wearing his first smile since the incident. It was a small smile, but there, nonetheless. "So, what were you gonna tell me?"

Sakura walked a little farther before the question registered with her. All at once, her eyes dropped a bit and what seemed to be a wave of sadness washed over her visage. After a while, the first words she spoke were his name. "Sasuke-kun."

"Ah," Naruto said, sighing a bit. "Him."

"I'm sorry," she said dropping her head. "I didn't mean to-"

"It's ok." Naruto replied, but if he was honest with himself, it really wasn't. When she had invited him on this date, he thought that maybe she was pitying him. Sasuke was the one who started the hospital fight, after all. While it wasn't really how he would have wanted to get his first date, he would've taken it, and, if he was honest, it might've actually brightened up his day some. Unfortunately, it looked like he wasn't even that lucky.

"So, what is it?" he finally asked, both hands stuffed deep in his pockets as they walked.

She paused briefly then said, "He didn't want me to tell you this…It's Orochimaru's fault."

"What's Orochimaru's fault?"

Sakura went on to explain how Sasuke now had some type of curse mark and how it was affecting his mind, making him lash out in anger at random. Apparently, Orochimaru had given it to him and offered him power if he would join him. She explained that she and Kakashi were on a short list of people who knew about it and that Kakashi had tried to reassure her that everything would be ok. Naruto could see that she wasn't convinced. She was worried. Deeply worried. Probably even more so after seeing Sasuke lash out again today.

After a moment of silence, Naruto looked ahead and said, "Orochimaru, huh?"

Sakura's response was a dejected but clear nod.

"I saw him."

Sakura's head swiveled towards him, her pink hair swaying from the sudden jerk of movement as emerald green eyes came to rest on Naruto's face. "Orochimaru?"

"Yeah," Naruto replied. "He fought Granny Tsunade and Pervy Sage." After thinking back to the adrenaline pumping encounter for a bit, he whispered, "He's really strong."

Sakura turned away slowly, choosing to refocus her attention on the ground in front of her toes. "So, it is true," she whispered. "Orochimaru does have a lot to offer."

One glance at her face was all Naruto needed to see that she was more bothered than she was letting on. The pale face, the nearly lifeless green eyes, the persistent self-hug she had started giving herself. Her face betrayed her and screamed everything she was trying to hide. From how she had spoken about things, she made it sound like she was just worried about Sasuke, but it wasn't just worry, it was fear. She was scared. Scared that Sasuke would take up Orochimaru on his offer – that she'd lose him.

After a while, Naruto let out a small smile, deciding to do the only thing he felt he could do.

"Cheer up, Sakura-chan!" he said, gently nudging her side with his elbow and grinning a sort of cheesy grin. "Sasuke would never join that creep."

"You really think so?" she asked, now turning to face him with skeptical eyes.

"Yeah." Naruto shrugged. "I mean, Sasuke's plenty strong. He doesn't need to go to some weird snake guy to try to get stronger. Don't let it worry you, ok?"

At first, she didn't seem convinced, but Naruto could see the cogs turning in her mind as she stared up into the faintly orange sky. She was obviously engaging in some Shikamaru level thinking, but despite the mental hoops her mind was going through, she managed a silent, "Thank you." It was the first time he saw her smile since the hospital. It was nice.

Allowing himself a faint smile of his own, he softly replied, "Don't mention it."

…

Sakura watched as the top half of the sun peered from behind the Hokage monument and painted the village in a brilliant yellow hue. The sky was a fading orange color now, although a small part of it had already transitioned into a deep blue, signaling the coming night. A wonderful sunset always made her feel a sense of serenity and calm but seeing the state Naruto was in had the opposite effect. His usually vibrant blue eyes had taken on an icy shade of blue, and he was much quieter than usual. Every now and then, she would say something to try to make conversation, but all she got from him were a few words here or a small smile there. Eventually, the two of them fell into a sort of agreed-upon silence.

As far as dates went, this one was going pretty rough, although she did suppose part of it was her fault. Bringing up Sasuke in such a straightforward way was a bonehead move given what had happened earlier and any sensible person would've probably used a different approach, but once again, she had let her emotions get the best of her. She was wondering what she could do to cheer him up when she spotted Ichiraku's looming in the distance, its red and white drapes flapping in the wind. Aha! If she didn't know anything about Naruto Uzumaki, she knew he was a ramen loving fool!

Smiling, she turned towards him and said, "Hey, wanna grab some Ichiraku's? I did say it was a date, after all."

The question lingered in the air for a few seconds before Naruto's head jolted up, recognizing that he had been spoken to. "Huh?"

"You're not a very good dating partner." she said, crossing her arms teasingly.

A soft smile graced Naruto's lips as he scratched the back of his neck nervously. "Sorry, Sakura-chan. Just had a lot on my mind with everything that's happened today."

She uncrossed her arms, dropping her feigned anger. "You sure you're ok?" she asked.

Naruto wore a small smile as his eyes settled on the ground. A few steps later, he looked forward and said, "Yeah yeah, I'm fine Sakura-chan."

Sakura examined him for a bit then decided not to push things any further than that. It had been a rough day, so it made sense for him to still be reeling. Maybe he just needed some time to bounce back. They all did.

"So," she said, nudging him a bit. "I was actually asking you if you wanted to get some ramen. I know I had kinda said this was a date, so it only seems fair."

Teuchi and Ayame were already waving at the two to come on over and Sakura could even see a small cat that had started hanging around the ramen shop a few weeks ago. It came and curled between Naruto's legs affectionately as if to extend her invitation as well. She had a gray and black striped pattern coating her fur and looked to be pretty well fed by the looks of it. She looked like she was in between being a cat and a kitten. A true kitty-cat.

"You greedy furball." Naruto whispered, picking her up gently. "You just want me to drop you some food, don't you?"

Sakura giggled at that. "Well," she prodded. "What do you say? Even the cat wants you to stay."

She watched him eye the half cat, half kitten affectionately as his hand softly stroked the coarse fur. The thought of staying seemed to cross his mind, but not for very long. He gave the ramen shop one last look over, then gently set down the kitten and said, "Uh, nah, not today."

Sakura propped both hands on her hips and half-yelled, "You don't want ramen?!" The way she said it made it sound more like a surprised accusation than a question.

"Not today, Sakura-chan."

Sakura was not buying it. With an accusing eyebrow raised high, she said, "Come on Naruto. You can't tell me you're seriously considering leaving with ramen in the equation?"

"Sorry, Sakura-chan. I just…don't feel like eating right now."

"But what about the date?" she asked, confident that her little reminder would make him stay.

She could tell that Naruto had tried to force a smile, but it was even less convincing than the ones he tried before. "Don't take it personally Sakura-chan. It's been a long day. I just want to go home."

"Oh…" Sakura replied, blinking back her shock at his statement. She was sure that her reminder of this being a date would make him stay, but it hadn't even fazed him. This side of him was so uncommon. Usually, he was so full of energy, but now, he just looked so…drained.

After a drawn-out silence between the two, an awkward smile settled on Sakura's lips as she half-raised her hand to wave goodbye. "Ok. I guess I'll see you around then."

"Yeah," Naruto replied, nodding slightly. He then gave Teuchi and Ayame a small wave as he turned to leave. The kitten tried to follow him, curling around his legs once more, but he just patted her head smoothly before motioning for her to go back to the ramen shop. Instead, she sat in place for what seemed like an eternity, watching him walk away through the thin black slits in her yellow eyes.

"What happened?" asked Teuchi as he, Sakura, and Ayame watched Naruto's back disappear into the bustling afternoon crowd. Sakura's elbow came to rest on the ramen bar as she placed her head in the palm of her hand and barely breathed, "A lot..."