Here's the next chapter! I know I haven't updated in awhile, but I've been too busy with school starting back up again. *sigh* I can't wait until I graduate... I think you guys will enjoy this chapter. Just read and you'll see why! Oh and please review. I would greatly appreciate it!

-SakuraUchiha4Eternity

Naruto Uzumaki walked proudly through Konoha's hospital and made his way towards his best friend's room. As he started to do just that, he could hear whispering coming from the nurses. He heard his two teammate's names quite frequently and then proceeded to tune in.

"When I went in to check up on Uchiha-san, Haruno-san was…they were sleeping in the bed together…"

"What?!" another nurse asked completely surprised.

"Yeah! I was so surprised! They looked so cute together though…"

"You don't think…?"

"Yeah, I totally think they're a couple."

"That's impossible though!" the nurse replied with a little bit of jealousy in her voice.

"No, it really isn't. They both looked so peaceful and he was holding onto her protectively. They're so together!" the other nurse protested.

"Whatever! I don't believe it!"

"Thirty bucks says they are!"

"Fifty says they aren't!"

Naruto tuned out of the conversation and continued to make his way to Sasuke's room. He had a big grin on his face. He felt so proud that he had accomplished his goal. It sounded like he had successfully gotten his two best friends together finally. He felt so proud of himself.

He didn't bother to knock on Sasuke's door, and just barged right in. Sasuke just merely glanced at him as he marched in the room with bubbles of happiness and pride rolling off of him. Sasuke looked at him curiously.

"Dobe-."

Naruto clapped him on the shoulder and said, "Finally, Teme! It took long enough!"

Sasuke furrowed his brow and cringed from Naruto's shoulder pat. Kami he hurt everywhere. "What are you-?"

Naruto completely ignore him and interrupted, "But if you ever hurt Sakura-chan then I will have to kill you-."

Now it was Sasuke's turn to interrupt. "What are you talking about, you idiot?"

Naruto chuckled and said, "It's okay Sasuke-teme, I know that you and Sakura-chan are an item now."

Naruto only further confused him, and Sasuke hated to be confused. Where in the hell did Naruto get the idea that he and Sakura were together? They barely even talked last night because she had been so tired and she had to leave quickly the next morning because of an emergency surgery. They weren't together by any means….even if he wished it.

Sasuke messaged his temples and said, "We're not together."

Now it was Naruto's turn to be confused.

"What?"

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose and repeated, "We. Are. Not. Together."

"WHAT?!" Naruto yelled.

Sasuke's headache pounded tenfold. Why was Naruto so fucking loud, Sasuke thought. Sasuke watched as Naruto satisfied expression turned to one of anger and confusion. He inwardly groaned because he knew that his headache was just about to get even worse.

"Why haven't you told her how you felt, Teme? I practically dragged her to your room last night so that you two could make up and fucking talk! You were supposed to confess, but I guess you were too much of a pussy to!" Naruto yelled.

"You were the reason that Sakura came to my room?"

Naruto instantly regretted his choice of words when he saw the hurt expression cross the dark haired male's face. Naruto face palmed and cursed to himself.

"Well…she kept on making excuses and I knew that she wanted to see you so I made her…" Naruto tried to recover.

Sasuke wasn't really listening to him anymore. Sakura had not even come on her own free will. Was he really that repulsive? Something inside of him hurt. It took him a few moments to realize that it was his heart. His life was so ironic. When they were younger Sakura had showered him with affection, and now….well now she didn't. She had confessed to him that night and all he gave her was a thank you and knocked her out. He had pushed her love away for so long, and now that he actually wanted it, she didn't return it anymore. Even though it hurt, he knew that it was what he deserved.

Naruto's hand slapping his face broke him from his thoughts. His onyx eyes met cerulean blue. He could feel the shock form out across his features.

"I want you to listen to me Sasuke, and listen well," Naruto said seriously.

Naruto had his rare and undivided attention.

"Yes I did drag Sakura here, but she could have easily refused to go in your room and with her superhuman strength, she could have resisted me and pummeled me. But she didn't. She went even though I could tell it caused her pain.

"Ever since day one, I knew how she felt about you. Sakura has always belonged to you whether you claimed her or not. You have hurt her in the past, yet she has always stayed loyal to you no matter what.

"I know her like the back of my hand, and I have never been more sure than anything that she loves you. I know that for a fact, Sasuke."

Naruto watched as Sasuke gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. He needed to understand.

"Sasuke, you have to tell her how you feel. I know that she won't ever tell you how she feels because she doesn't think that you have any feelings other than friendship towards her. She is too afraid of rejection from you. If you don't tell her and make the first move, then she will never know. She will not believe anyone except for you!" Naruto explained.

Sasuke let Naruto's words soak into him and he felt a little bit of hope come back inside of him. That's how Naruto is. He can make anyone have hope with just one of his speeches. Even though he can be an idiot, he sure is damn inspirational.

Sasuke now had a resolve set in his mind. He is going to tell Sakura how he feels. He wants to have a life with her. He can see himself growing old with her and having many children with her to restore his clan. He hoped they received her eyes and strong determination. He knows that he does not deserve her, but he needs her anyways. He has always needed her. She is the one who filled his lonely existence, and it is about time that he let her in.

Naruto was met with Sasuke's strong gaze. He could feel the determination seeping out of the dark male's pores. A grin made its way to Naruto's face.

"We have to climb a tree?" Emiko asked.

Sakura nodded.

"Well, what's the point in climbing a tree?" Hisoka asked arrogantly.

Sakura grinned and answered, "You are not just climbing a tree. You are going to climb without using your hands. The point is that you will improve on your chakra controlling abilities."

They all watched her with curious and awe filled expressions as she focused her chakra with ease to the soles of her feet. She planted her foot on the trunk of a tree and easily walked up it and on the branches and even walked upside down on a branch. She felt a triumphant grin make its way to her sweet face as she watched her students' awestruck faces. That is exactly how she had reacted when Kakashi taught her and her teammates this.

Sakura threw a kunai at each of their feet and said, "Whenever you're about to fall, mark it in the tree and the next time try to get past that point."

"This should be easy," Emiko and Hisoka said at the same time. They each gave each other weird looks and Akira giggled sweetly.

Sakura watched each of them focus their chakra to the soles of their feet and run towards a tree of their own. She almost laughed when Emiko pulled a Naruto and fell quickly and hit her head. Hisoka only got a little bit farther before he marked a spot on the tree.

"If you focus more chakra, Emiko-chan, then you will get farther," Akira said from a branch.

Sakura, Hisoka, and Emiko all looked to her in shock. Sakura felt a bubble of pride fill the inside of her. She remembered doing just that her first time. Akira would make a fine medical ninja someday, if she wished to.

"H-How did you do that!?"Emiko asked.

Akira blushed and Sakura said, "Well done, Akira. You have very good chakra control."

Akira's face became even redder from all of the attention that she was not used to. She gulped when she saw Hisoka's glare on her small form. She did not want her teammates to dislike her. She felt some pale blonde hair fall into her sky blue eyes and she pushed it away but it was to no avail. Her hair always was in her eyes.

"Good job, Akira-chan! And thanks for the advice!" Emiko yelled from below on the forest floor.

Emiko focused her chakra and ran at the tree again. She got as far as Hisoka when she had to mark the tree and fall back to the ground. She grinned and Hisoka glared at her.

Sakura grinned at her pupils and continued to watch them. The rivalry between Hisoka and Emiko was quite amusing and it also fueled them to do better. She knew that they would become even stronger because of it.

It wasn't until sundown that she dismissed them for their training. She walked leisurely to her apartment. She decided that she wouldn't mind taking the long way. Memories of her genin days had been all she could think about because of the training she had given her students. It brought back a lot of memories and she wanted to walk past the bench.

As she started to approach it, she was surprised to see Sasuke Uchiha sitting on it looking deep in thought. Seeing him there made that old pain flare up. Memories of that night welled up to the front of her mind where she preferred they would never return.

His dark eyes met her green ones and she saw something in them. She made her way to the bench and sat down beside him. She could not believe that she was actually doing this.

"We always seem to meet here," Sasuke's velvet voice broke through the silence.

Sakura looked over at him. Something seemed off about him and she could not place it. He seemed more vulnerable than usual.

"Why are you here, Sasuke-kun?" she asked quietly.

He shrugged and said, "For some reason I knew you would be here."

She let out a chuckle because that is what she had felt that night when he had left. Something inside her had told her to go to that spot. She didn't know who, what, how or why. She was just thankful.

He looked over at her and emerald clashed with onyx. They were both mesmerized with each other. They seemed to drown in each other's pools.

Sakura's heart was about to pound out of her chest so she quickly stood up and said, "I don't really like to stay here for very long."

"Ah," Sasuke said in understanding.

He noticed that she was now avoiding his gaze and he did not like that.

"Sakura."

She still would not look to him, so he decided to take matters into his own hands. He appeared in front of her and lifted her chin up so that she would have to meet his strong gaze. Her eyes were wide with surprise.

"Do you still love me, Sakura?"

Sasuke could feel her whole body tense and she gulped. He saw her eyes dart around, looking for an escape.

"Do you?" he prompted.

She bit her lip and he was instantly drawn to them. They were pink and full and just perfect. He wanted to feel them against his own. He wanted to be the one to take her first kiss and make it him her last.

"W-Why are you asking me this?" she mumbled quietly.

If he hadn't been standing so close, he would not have heard her desperate question.

He smirked at her and let all of his walls down as he dipped his head down to her level and crashed his lips onto hers. Damn, they were as soft as they looked, maybe even more so. She was in too much shock to even respond to him. He released her lips and rested his forehead against hers.

Her face was a shade darker than her hair and her eyes grew darker in want and longing. In that moment, he knew how she felt. He could see it all inside those deep green pools of hers. She loved him; she loved him more than anything.

She brought her lips to his this time with a searing kiss. He kissed her back with fervor and everything that he had. He put everything into that kiss. He wanted to show her everything that he felt because he was always better with actions than he was with words.

When they broke for air the second time, his hands were resting on her small waist and she was gripping the front of his shirt.

"You can't be with anyone else," Sasuke said while never breaking her gaze.

"W-What?" she asked. She was surprised, confused, happy, and nervous all at the same time.

"Only me."

A beautiful smile broke out across her face as realization hit her. Sasuke loved her and he wanted to be with her. How was this actually possible? If this was a dream, then she would really hate to wake up from it.

"Only you," she agreed.

A foreign, crooked grin graced his perfect lips at her words. He had never been happier than he was at this exact moment. She wrapped her small arms around his neck and embraced him. For the first time in his life, he returned it. He let her in.

"Sometimes the things we can't change end up changing us."