tracks:

just a little bit of your heart – ariana grande
lust for life – lana del rey ft. the weeknd
still got time – zayn ft. partynextdoor
dancing on my own – calum scott cover

genre: romance/drama/angst

disclaimer – I don't own Naruto.

chapter four: "i don't ever tell you how i really feel, 'cause i can't find the words to say what i mean"– ariana grande
June 29, 2017

"It's really good, you're going to love it!"

"I can't wait to try it," she said. She sighed, shaking her head when she noticed Naruto trying to do two things at once. His arm was still giving him trouble, but he was trying his best not to show it. She watched him as he tried to prepare the fish. It was easier, but now, as he moved the pain in one hand and tried to chop vegetables in the other (he can be ridiculous at times), it became clear that he was going to need help. She snorted, rolling her eyes before she moved to the counter, standing next to him. She grabbed his hand with the knife, hoping he would stop desecrating the vegetables. He stopped all movement, watching Sakura's smile that sent tingles up his spine. She only shook her head, took the knife out of his hand, and started to chop the vegetables with ease.

Naruto was full of surprises tonight.

"You were supposed to relax while I cook, Sakura-chan," he said, his eyes still focused on the sizzling fish in front of him, soon flipping the two fishes on the pan. He looked next to him where Sakura stood, glancing from the corner of his eye. He noticed the brilliant smile that rested on her face while she carefully took the time to chop green peppers with great precision and care, her eyes on her work.

The steady cuts of the pepper some how made him feel at ease, the chopping sounds sometimes in sync with his heart (slow at first, but faster as she got further into the onions and tomatoes), before she stopped all together to move them aside. Her clear voice was like the melody, laughing and cheerful as she made conversation. It made him feel better about their whole situation, about his previous qualms in the past week, wondering if he had done something wrong. Agonizing over the fact that kissing her may have been a mistake, which was something he didn't like the idea of believing.

However, tonight, she was with him, and she was smiling, so it made him feel a little better about their relationship too. The fact that she even agreed help ease his worry about whether or not she had been avoiding him. Which he convinced himself, was the case.

"Like if I can just sit here while you drop everything. You need to remember that you can't do everything on your own while your arm is still recovering. Sometimes, you're going to need help, especially with tedious tasks like this," Sakura warned. He tried to play it off, tried to pretend that he was more than a man and could do anything, to which she rolled her eyes, getting back to chopping the different vegetables for the salad: cabbage, lettuce, carrots, cucumbers, etc. She glanced up to his pouting face when she thought he wasn't looking, before she looked back down to the task at hand. "Remind me to look over your arm after dinner."

"It's fine, Sakura-chan." He hoped to convince her otherwise, but she shook her head, already making up her mind.

"No ifs ands or buts... I told you, I want to make sure you're fine myself. When it comes to your health, I can't trust you," she teased, rummaging through Naruto's cabinets to find a salad bowl, before placing the cabbage and lettuce into the bowl. She added all the diced vegetables after. Sakura looked to the stove, noticing the rice boiling on the other side.

"It's okay, Sakura-chan. I can handle this much," he tried to persuade. He watched her look over to the rice, knowing exactly what she was thinking. He sent her a pearly white grin her way, his smile calming her worries only a little.

"If you say so. But first thing after dinner, I'm going to rebandage your arm. It's been over a week," she reminded, finding oil and placing that and other sauces in the salad. Naruto only nodded, focusing on flipping the fish with his left hand. He was anxious about what Sakura might think about his arm if she examined it, but hoped he could find a way to talk her out of that, knowing that wasn't the most ideal date.

"Okay, everything's ready. I have the salad here. All we need is the fish and the rice - is the rice ready?" she asked, walking over and looking at the steaming rice. She smiled, seeing the water evaporated. Sakura moved it to a different bowl and soon placed it on the table.

"Fish is almost done," Naruto announced, taking the pan and sliding the fish over to a different plate. He went over to the dining area where the plates were set thanks to Sakura's handy work. Naruto sat down, Sakura already seated adjacent to him.

"Itadakimasu!"

Naruto immediately went for the chopsticks, or at least tried to.

"Here, let me do this part, Naruto." Naruto was stubborn, dismissing her words and concentrating on grabbing food with his chopsticks with his left hand. His eyebrow twitched, frustration evident.

"No, no, I got it. I can do this much, really," he persuaded, or at least attempted to. Slowly and a little sloppily, Naruto placed the fish on Sakura's plate, before moving to his own and carefully placing it on his plate. Sakura smirked, adding over a cup full of salad on his plate. Naruto pouted, his brows creasing together at the sight of his plate.

"Neh, Sakura-chan, why would you put so much of that?"

"It's going to help your arm, trust me," she reassured. Naruto's pout deepened, his lips puckered, but he didn't question her any longer.

"Whatever you say. Hey, try the fish, tell me what you think!" he said excitedly, inwardly praying to all the gods she would like it. Sakura nodded and took a bite. As soon as her tongue felt the crispiness of the skin and seasoning, her face lit up, savoring the flavor.

"Wow, this is actually really good! I didn't think you would ever learn how to cook this good," Sakura complimented, trying to decipher some of the ingredients to the seasoning. "Hinata did really well teaching you," she added, a little less enthusiastic. Thoughts of how she taught him formulated in the depths of her mind. She had to shake them out of her head, concentrating on her meal. Naruto didn't notice this, leaning back and grinning as he always did.

"I know right? There will be a lot more where that came from! Can I cook for you again some time? I need someone to try these dishes out!" he asked hopefully, but casually at the same time. He didn't want a repeat of last time – he didn't want to label it a date, just in case. Sakura merely nodded, not even thinking of the implications of his question.

"Sure. Wow, this is delicious." Naruto's grin could only widen by her numerous compliments. Sakura wasn't the type to hand compliments out so easily, so the fact that she was meant she was true. Sakura was busy with her own meal, that when she looked over to Naruto's plate, she raised a questionable brow, her eyes baring suspicion. His plate was noticeably untouched.

"You haven't even tried your own food," she realized. He only offered an awkward smile, dropping his chopsticks to rub the tiny hairs on the back of his neck.

"I will in a bit," he reassured. Sakura frowned.

"It's your arm, isn't it." It was a statement. She already knew the answer, even if he didn't want to admit it. She promptly stood, taking her chair with her. She moved closer to him, now sitting at the corner of the table.

"S-Sakura-chan?" She merely smirked by his shock and the light gawking noises he made.

"I refuse to be the last one to finish my food," she declared before taking his chopsticks. She plucked a piece of fish from his plate, before moving it close to his mouth, asking for access. A deep blush ran across Naruto's face, completely stunned by this turn of events, and certainly not prepared for this again. She tapped his chopsticks together, hoping to break him out of his initial shock.

"Well, aren't you going to try some of your own food?" Sakura asked, eyeing him thoughtfully. Naruto dumbly nodded, moving closer to the chopsticks, hesitantly opening his mouth and waiting.

She was so close, this feeling far too intimate. It scared but excited him. There was this look in her eyes, watching him intently, like she knew something he didn't. He wondered if it was so obvious that she knew how she made him feel, her being so close, their arms touching at certain points. There were only a few occasions where he was this close to her.

He felt weird, his stomach moving and fluttering at unreadable speeds, but not due to hunger. It was in a good way, little birds and butterflies alike flapping their wings to and fro. There were only two other times that she did this (once almost if it weren't for Sai). The first time she fed him, it was more innocent with Sasuke there, offering his food as well. For Sakura, he was sure it was more out of obligation than anything, knowing Sasuke wouldn't actually feed him like that. The second time, it was different, of course, Sakura looking as though she wanted to do so, until Sai interrupted. This time, however, felt more intimate since no one else was around. It was just the two of them, alone in his apartment, the look in her eyes knowing that this was something he dreamed of for so long.

"Thank you, Sakura-chan," he thanked, grateful but incredibly flustered all the same.

He continued to watch where her hands met the chopsticks, to the small piece of fish attached. He was grateful, but still flustered all the same, his cheeks painted a light pink. His mind seemed to stop working, while his heart started to race.

"It can't be helped. Don't thank me just yet," Sakura said, grabbing vegetables this time and offering it to him. He made a face, however, still took it in his mouth, lingering to remove the chopsticks between his teeth for a few seconds, before he finally released. There eyes would lock for brief seconds, and it made Naruto want to stop all together, but he powered through, not sure his heart could handle such a gesture.

He happily took more food.

"Geez, Naruto," Sakura sighed after a while, trying her best to keep up with his pace.

"Sakura-chan. Thank you so much for your help, but you should finish your food. I can handle it from here," Naruto said, wanting Sakura to eat the food he made. Sakura smiled, nodding and scooting away.

"Okay, but that's the last time this is happening, so don't expect it again," Sakura teased, seeming like she was in a much better mood. Naruto chuckled nervously before nodding hesitantly. His cheeks were still rosy from the previous encounter. It was practically a dream come true for this to happen.

She gave him a smile, tapping her chopsticks together before she grabbed a piece of fish and tried more.

"This really is good. Again, thank you. I would have never guessed you could cook something so good."

"You need to have more faith in me," he laughed, awkwardly taking some rice in his mouth. Sakura smiled, watching him try to eat on his own, which was now highly amusing, since he tried to make it seem like he was more than capable of doing it. She looked down to her own half-eaten plate. She would grumble, asking why he was being so stubborn.

She was almost finished with her plate, but Naruto noticed that Sakura stopped eating after while, her eyes far off. Naruto paused his struggle in attempting to get rice in his mouth, his lips together and the same sinking feeling, the same fear as last time, formulating in the pit of his stomach. He gulped, hoping she was alright.

"Are you okay, Sakura-chan?" he asked. Sakura blinked, before her lips curved up into a smile, hoping that was convincing enough.

"I'm fine. I'm having a great time," she reassured.

"Good, because if you're going to be healing my arm too, then you're going to have to stay for a movie or something," Naruto tried to sway. Sakura thought for a moment, her eyebrows moving together as she contemplated the suggestion, wondering if that was a good idea to stay longer than needed. But she smiled regardless, relenting to his request.

"Sure, why not." She was a little tired, but it wouldn't hurt to stay.

She frowned, the back of her mind screaming that she had already given him a chance with this date, that dinner would have been good enough, that she shouldn't, otherwise Sasuke-kun...

Sakura's lips formed a line, hoping she could take her mind away from him (for at least one day). She prayed to get him out of her mind if she were to give Naruto a real chance. If he was going to put so much effort, then she should too.

The other side of her mind, the part that was enjoying her time with Naruto, didn't want to leave at all. She wanted to say she had to leave early, she was tired, she wanted to get to bed because she knew she had to wake up early.

But she couldn't bring herself to do so.

She didn't want to leave.

It took her a while to realize that.

Sakura shook her head, trying to concentrate on her food, it being too good for her to pass up.

Once she finished, she leaned into her chair and contently exhaled, surprised she actually finished it all. She hadn't realized how hungry she was.

"That good?" Naruto smirked, happy with his work. Sakura nodded. "I'm going to have to cook for you more now, so then maybe you'll like other stuff. Tell me all your favorite food and I'll cook it." Sakura laughed before she shook her head.

"It's okay, Naruto, really. And how about next time, I cook?" Sakura smiled politely. "It's only fair." Naruto nervously laughed, vigorously shaking his head.

"Um, it's okay, Sakura-chan. I know cooking isn't your strong suit." Sakura gripped the chopsticks a little too hard, said chopsticks chopping in two. Sakura slammed her fist over the table, causing the plates to shake with fear.

"What's that supposed to mean?" she snapped, eyeing him with a deadly stare he was sure could kill him. Naruto shook, his heart pounding for an entirely different reason. He nervously laughed.

"Nothing, I mean nothing! I meant that you don't have to cook for me. I want to cook for you, Sakura-chan, so you can see how well my lessons are going." He continued to nervously laugh. "I want to make all your favorites."

"I'm a little surprised you don't already know," she teased, a sly smile forming.

"Well, I know you like a lot of sweet things," he said. "Usually you just go with me to Ichiraku's."

"Good point. And they're dangos." She took that moment to wipe her mouth with a napkin.

"Really? That's super easy... so I've been told."

"If you're going to try to make dangos, just so you know, it will take a lot to impress me." Sakura continued, "No one can the taste of the dangos beat from the Dango shop by the weaponry shop. Nothing can match."

"Well, you're not talking to the most unpredictable ninja for nothing! You'll see," he said. He offered a wink, which made Sakura stop her train of thought, a little lost before shaking that weird feeling, that swelling in her chest, out.

"We'll just see about that. Now, are you done so I can patch up your arm?" she asked. Naruto looked down to his plate before slowly nodding.

"You don't have to, Sakura-chan. Really you don't. This is supposed to be our date."

"It's fine. That's what I'm here for," she said. She stood from her seat, wiping away at her clothes, before her eyes moved to him expectantly. Naruto frowned, trying to hide his arm, hoping she wouldn't see it. But it was ridiculous to try and do so, knowing Sakura wouldn't let this slide. When they sat on his couch in the living room, she grabbed his arm firmly, glancing up to him in order to raise a brow. He could merely chuckle puckishly.

"Sakura-chan, how did our date turn into you taking care of my arm?" he questioned. He tugged at his arm, more reluctant to show her, but knew her firm grip on his forearm wouldn't let him go so easily.

"Well, you're going to have to get used to it."

Naruto paused for a moment, watching her and trying to dissect what exactly she meant.

He didn't have enough time to process her words, because the look on her face when she started to remove his bandages made his stomach churn, the food he just ate feeling like it was about to push up through his throat. His jaw tensed, his mouth a tight line just in case that happened.

Sakura grimaced, looking at the skin that was peeled and red. It looked horrendous.

"Naruto!" she said his name, laced with concern. She was speechless, gawking at the horrific sight, lightly grazing his arm, cringing at the peeled skin that reminded her what the kyuubi's chakra cloak can do to his body if he lost control in the past. Too much chakra must have flowed through his arm in an accelerated pace. She frowned, wondering what caused this. "Naruto, I told you to come to me whenever you need help with your arm. It was acting up again, wasn't it?" She already knew the answer and he knew it too, but still, he slowly nodded to confirm her suspicions. Her hands immediately felt the creases of his muscles, her green chakra transferring to him and immediately alleviating the skin.

He still tried to mask the seriousness of the situation, saying, "Sorry, Sakura-chan. I didn't get a chance to go to the hospital." She was too busy healing his arm to glare or reprimand him for not going to her earlier.

"It's not as bad as it looks, I promise!"

"I think I should be the judge of that. You're lucky I checked it when I did, otherwise your arm could have been rejected, and you might have needed a new one. You're lucky that didn't happen. You can't be this reckless. Why didn't you come to me sooner?" Sakura lectured and scolded, her eyes finally looking up to him so she could effectively glare and look accusingly towards him. He smiled awkwardly, reeling for a better response.

"I-I just... I didn't think it was that bad, I thought I could handle it."

Sakura sighed.

"What did I tell you before?"

"It's not that big of a deal anymore. I heal fast, remember?"

"Still." He stopped trying to minimize his injuries, knowing she was not having any of that tonight.

"You seemed busy, Sakura-chan. I thought you could use some space," he finally said. Sakura halted her ministrations for a moment, her eyes glancing up from her work to stare at his awkward smile he tried to present to her. Her eyes widened for a brief second before they once again concentrated on the task at hand. He wasn't fooling her. She frowned.

To this, Naruto continued, after a bit of baiting. The silence was excruciatingly long for Naruto. He could handle Sakura's anger, but not her silence and disappointment. "You acted weird after we - after we kissed. I thought you needed time to yourself," Naruto finally admitted, his eyes dull and his heart numb. Sakura didn't look up to him this time, continuing her work.

"Well... you're wrong," she said, but Naruto could see through her lie. The falter in her voice, the lack of conviction, the hesitation, said it all. He knew she was distancing herself before, absolutely confused from it all. She didn't know what to do, so she avoided him at all cost. He must have seen right through her and distanced himself too, knowing she needed time to think and evaluate their previous conversation.

"Naruto... even if you think I need space, if your arm is acting up, you have to come to me, or at least Tsunade-sama or Shizune-san. I'm a medical ninja, this is what I'm here for. Even if I did need space, no matter what, come to me when you need help, baka." Naruto nodded.

"Yeah," he simply said, the numbness in his heart beginning to spread. He wasn't used to this feeling, but he was sure he noted it was the same feeling he felt standing under the fallen snow, his feet submerged in the white frost. He tried his best to move that feeling away, however, feeling as though the circumstances are completely different. But the feeling was still there, slowly creeping through his body. Sakura sighed, shaking her head at the trouble caused.

"Geez, you're so reckless. I'm serious. Don't worry."

"Are you sure... I don't have to worry, Sakura-chan? You've been acting strange lately," he said, not sure what else to do but look concerned. Sakura smiled, a similar fake smile evident as the green light emitting from her hands continued to mend and heal his broken skin. Usually, the kyuubi's chakra would heal him easily. However, since it was a replacement arm, the chakra that would usually heal him was destroying the new arm. this was why it was necessary to control his chakra.

"Yeah, Naruto, there's nothing you have to worry about." Sakura smiled, her eyes squinting in order to hide away from his questioning gaze. She couldn't bear to look at him, not then.

"Sakura-chan..." he hesitated, before moving closer.

"Hold still."

"You look tired, Sakura-chan." He figured it was best to change the subject, less he wanted to feel completely apprehensive.

"Maybe a little," she yawned. "I'm almost done with your arm. Just give me a few more minutes," she said. Naruto nodded.

Naruto closed his eyes for a moment, hoping to submerge the numbing feeling and enjoy the feeling of Sakura's green chakra. His lips formed a warm smile. Her chakra somehow sent tingles up his arm. He enjoyed the feeling. He loved when she touched him, their skin against each other's. Her hands over his arm, albeit it was just to heal him, but it felt so incredibly nice. It felt great against the hot skin of his arm.

"Sakura-chan, you're amazing. It always feels nice when you heal me like this," he complimented, his voice so low it was barely a whisper. Sakura wore a tight smile. She took that time to look at his eyes, completely surprised by his words. Their eyes locked for what felt like a century, before she quickly looked away completely flustered by the situation.

"Thank you," Sakura said. She looked down, frowning at the sight of his arm. She usually would have something more witty to say, but their previous conversation was still on her mind. Her confusion was still clouding her judgement.

"Sakura-chan, since this is still a date, let's talk about other stuff besides my dumb arm," Naruto tried to persuade. Sakura stopped, raising an eyebrow and eyeing him carefully.

"What do you want to talk about?" she wondered. He grinned like a mischievous fox to her, his teeth visible and his lips spread; it was a grin she found too incredibly endearing for her own good.

"We haven't really been talking like how we used to," Naruto explained, feeling pretty embarrassed by that fact.

"We've both been busy," she reminded, her focus too busy on his arm to look at the expression on his face.

"I know, I know. Trust me, I know. But, my point is... well, how have you been, Sakura-chan?" he asked, his mouth moving into a grin as a way to stop the lump in his throat from moving any higher. Sakura stopped her work before looking up to him and smiling.

"I've been good."

"That's an answer you'd say to an acquaintance, Sakura-chan. Seriously, how have you been?" he clarified. He moved his free arm to wipe the bead of sweat off his neck and then his forehead. He smiled, before giving a short stretch. Sakura exhaled loudly, her eyes closed and trying her best to not lose her concentration.

"Well, I have been good. Like I said, busy. You know what I've been doing, though. The hospital has been pretty good, though. I've been able to do a lot of good work there," she explained, her eyes now focusing on her work at hand – finally. She took a moment to glance over at him. "The kids... I hope it's helping them. That reminds me, I'm thinking it might be cool if there was a way to revamp the orphanage, you know. To make it more like the remodeled hospital wing. That might help; make them feel at least a little more comfortable."

"That's a great idea, Sakura-chan. When it comes to the orphanage, I was thinking something similar, actually." Sakura smiled, glad he felt the same. She knew that was also a concern for Naruto, too.

"But that's how the hospital is running, that's how the kids are... but you, Sakura-chan. How are you doing?" he repeated. Sakura stopped for a moment, averting her eyes. How has she been doing? Besides freaking out over the person in question (a whirlwind of confusing emotions), who is right in front of her?

She was just peachy.

Sakura sighed. She didn't think it would be good to talk about that. Her conflicting feelings. The ones that felt something for both Naruto and Sasuke. It would be weird if she did. Not again. She didn't want to make things awkward between them again. It was enough trouble.

And Naruto doesn't like taking a simple, "good," which sucked too. He was far too attentive to other's emotions. Sakura grumbled lightly.

"I'm okay, really Naruto. I've just had a lot on my mind. Besides the hospital, I've just been resting. I have been pretty tired. Since the war, I haven't really been able to have much of a break," she explained, continuing the flow of her green chakra and letting it run over his arm. He nodded, understanding completely.

"Well, luckily for you, as always, you're healing faster than usual." Sakura observed his arm, still mesmerized over how fast his skin came back after her simple healing jutsu. Her lips furrowed together, realizing it must have been a continuous flow of chakra, finally getting worse today.

"I told you I was fine, Sakura-chan," Naruto said, his lips forming a smile like a devilish cat. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, yeah, I know. Still. Come to me when you can," Sakura repeated.

"Okay."

"You say okay, but you never listen." A period of silence was met between them until Sakura finally broke it. "Okay, you asked about me... how about you? How have you been?"

"I've been fine, just busy like you. I want to help as many people as I can. I'm worried I won't be able to, though. I can only do so much in this state," Naruto explained. He brushed his hair out of his face, his earlier frustrations coming back when he thought about the difficulties of training when his arm was still acting up. He needed to get comfortable with it fast. Sakura frowned.

"You're going to wear yourself out. Especially when you're still trying to get used to your arm. Try to take it easy for a bit. I know you want to help everyone, but take a break from time to time," she advised, rotating and moving his hand up and down. Sakura continued to examine, while Naruto tried to hold back a small tinge of pain, his teeth grinding together.

"It hurts?"

"Just a little bit." Sakura nodded, mentally taking a note.

"Okay, well, let me bandage it up for now, and then stop by the hospital first thing tomorrow morning so I can check it again. I want to see if there are any changes." Naruto nodded, flinching when her thumb pressed against a certain area between his bicep. He stood, heading to his room to grab the bundle of bandages he kept in his closet.

When he came back, he tossed the large bundle of the translucent fabric to her. She easily caught it, motioning him to get back. He extended his arm, giving Sakura access to do what she needed.

"So Sakura-chan, do you think Kakashi-sensei is going to give us a mission anytime soon?" he asked. He mentally winced, wondering why he was asking about missions all of a sudden. He usually wasn't this nervous, but at that moment, he felt nervous, Sakura pulling at his arm, getting ready to wrap it up.

"Who knows. Knowing him, he'll most likely give us one sooner or later. But you are not going on a mission in this state. I'll make sure of that. But that reminds me, did Kakashi-sensei give you more work to do in the office?" Sakura asked, looking up to see Naruto squinting, his eyebrows converging, and his lips pouting. She giggled, knowing that particular topic irritated him.

"Yeah. I usually have to wake up so early to get started on the paperwork his lazy ass is 'too busy' to do." Naruto sighed, still a little irked, but knew he needed the experience.

"Are you going in tomorrow?"

"Not tomorrow. Another day off, so I was going to use that time to check up on a few people." Naruto closed his eyes tightly for a moment, feeling Sakura's fingertips accidentally dig into his skin before she continued to carefully wrap the bandage around. She had halted her work, her fingers lingering over his skin and her thoughts bringing up the other girl who had recently got closer to him.

"Let me go with you, okay? Someone has to help you out," Sakura civilly said. Naruto's wide eyes watched her tight smile, wondering if she was serious. He knew she usually spent her mornings by herself, relaxing before she had to leave to the hospital.

"Really?"

"Sure. Might as well. Plus, I think it would be great if we can both bring the orphanage idea up to Kakashi-sensei. It's better to act now than later."

Naruto nodded, feeling whatever awkwardness they felt before, was completely gone now. He wasn't sure what was going on, but he felt better about asking Sakura out on this date. She seemed normal again, willing to at least talk to him now.

"That would be amazing, Sakura-chan. Thank you." Sakura focused back on her work, hiding away the way her lips fell immediately.

Again, she felt incredibly conflicted. She wondered why she was having so much trouble with the idea of Naruto getting so close to Hinata. In reality, she knew she should be grateful, knowing that if they got together, there would be no obstacle between Sasuke and herself.

A part of her knew she was being selfish. That thought kept banging inside her skull, over and over again. So much so that she became distant to Naruto's words. Naruto seemed to talk, while thoughts of insecurities rose up to her chest. It was not until she heard her name, that she looked up from her work and realized the man in front of her was addressing her.

"But enough about me, I want to hear more about you, Sakura-chan."

"Me?"

"We talk a lot, but not a lot about you, I realize. I don't even know your deepest darkest secret," he joked. Sakura rolled her eyes.

"That's because I don't have a deepest darkest secret. And even if I did, there is no way in hell I would tell you." Naruto looked like a child at her words, his eyes drooping and his cheeks puffing up.

"Why?"

"I just wouldn't. It's not something I would say. Unless I killed a guy."

"We are ninjas; that would be the lamest secret ever."

"Yeah, that was a joke, baka." She laughed, and Naruto pouted. He later smiled, the cadence in her light chuckles brought the hairs in his arm to stand to attention. His heart skipped a beat when he heard her, knowing she was happy. He smile was beautiful - the prettiest thing he has ever seen. To him, it was perfection, something he wanted to protect most.

Her smile sent him flying across universes. He never thought his heart could beat so fast or stop the way it did when he saw her smile. It was amazing.

"But I did, you know - kill someone. I hesitated, and it was my own fault. I let a shinobi die. That's... that's how I learned to just act. That's why I studied and practiced my ass off after that. I wanted to just act. I didn't want to stop and hesitate, otherwise their life would be on the line. I thought of you and Sasuke-kun then. I wondered, 'what if that was either of you on a mission?' What if I lost either of you like that, and then you were gone? I vowed then to always work hard. I would never let them down. I don't care what I have to do, I'll save you," Sakura declared. Naruto paused, looking at the strong girl before him. He thought of the twelve year old girl who he found cute, who's smile radiated life to the point it made his heart bounce instead of beat, brought so much emotion, it motivated him to be a better ninja, a stronger man.

"You're incredible, Sakura-chan." Sakura began to laugh, shaking her head at his words. "No, really. I mean that whole-heartedly. Neither of us could have asked for a better teammate." Sakura smiled, thankful for his kind words.

"Thanks for that," she said, trying to smile as best as she could.

"I meant it," Naruto repeated, squeezing her hand again for reassurance. Sakura looked down to their hands, just then realizing that he was holding it after all this time. Sakura felt odd, realizing it just then. A weird feeling in her stomach began to churn. She wasn't sure what that was, but it felt odd to her. She frowned, before awkwardly moving it away.

She only looked up for a brief second, but she immediately regretted it.

For in that brief second, she saw the longing in his eyes, the sadness when her hand pulled away.

She felt that pain too, because she was sure she felt something similar.

Maybe not to the same extent as he did, but she felt melancholic when she removed her hand. Naruto coughed a bit, hoping to break the tension and help them forget about the unspoken gesture.

"Where have you always wanted to go, Sakura-chan?" he asked, back to his old line of questioning. Sakura went back to bandaging his arm.

"Hmmm." She tapped her finger on her chin, agonizingly slow for Naruto's taste. "Well, I always had this fantasy of stumbling across a meadow, and then just falling on the flowers - just laying there. Then have a picnic," Sakura answered. Naruto raised an eyebrow before smiling at the imagery that came to mind.

"Really?" he simply asked.

Sakura shrugged. "I love flowers. I also love trivia games and memorizing all sorts of information too."

Naruto chortled, "You would, Sakura-chan." His knowing smile made her defensive, her face heated a little in embarrassment. She felt suddenly shy at his seeming all knowing look.

"What? There's something wrong with that to you? You better answer right before I end you."

"No, no, there isn't! I was just going to say, that that's very much like you, Sakura-chan. It's great." He was already thinking of what that fantasy would look like for Sakura. He imagined her as a child stumbling upon a meadow of flowers, dancing with the twirling petals. She would laugh and that same smile would resonate throughout the clearing.

Sakura frowned, hoping he wouldn't see it in the dim lighting.

"Yeah..." She didn't tell him the other part of her childhood fantasy. The part where she was holding on to the hand of the stoic boy who seemed to have long forgotten her, his eyes finally interested in the myriads of yellow flowers that would surround them. He would smile at her, taking her hand and pull her to the center of the meadow, before surprising her with her favorite treats, from dangos to all kinds of of sweets.

"But he doesn't like sweets," she thought to herself long ago, knowing that particular fantasy was only a childhood dream. Naruto watched her, watched the frown that happened to form, sadness clouded in her eyes. Naruto's mouth fell into a frown too, wondering what she was thinking about. Knowing, but not wanting to clarify.

"You know, I wish I could memorize things like you do," Naruto said, hoping to break her out of her stupor.

"You can, you know. It just takes a little practice."

Naruto laughed, "Maybe, but it would take me longer than you." She nodded, amused and seeming to be in agreement.

"All better," Sakura finally said, her hand lingering over his arm. She was rather proud of her handy work. She realized how long it took to do this. She would stop and get distracted when she was talking to him. It was hard to focus for most of the time. Naruto grinned, before getting up to turn on his television.

"Good, now we can watch a movie, right?" he asked. Sakura nodded, moving closer. Naruto gulped, taking out his stalk of movies he rented.

He looked back to address her."What are you in the mood for?" he asked. Sakura hummed before shrugging.

"Anything really."

"You usually like those romance ones. Or those funny ones, right?"

"Anything I can laugh at," Sakura added. He was glad for her suggestion, thankful.

"Good, because I have a bunch of those types of movies."

"Surprise me then," Sakura said. Naruto smirked, deciding to place the DVD in the player before starting the movie. Their eyes then turned to the screen, waiting for the opening credits to finish and for the movie to start.

an – i'm not entirely satisfied with the final outcome of this chapter, but the release of this chapter was long overdue, so I apologize. I became extremely ill (pretty serious, but I'm recovering - it was excruciatingly difficult to get to a laptop/type), and I was unable to keep with my schedule. Also, I might add a lemon next chapter if it fits. I will most likely go back to shorter chapters (I feel that's partly why I'm unsatisfied with this current chapter - quality over length). Agree? Oppose? Let me know. Thank you for your continued support, and I hope you continue to do so by reviewing.