The NaruSaku Collection

Story One: Awkward Friendship

Summary: Sakura and Naruto are at the training grounds, just the two of them. He falls asleep...on her. It only gets worse when Tsunade comes over, sees them and starts dissecting their relationship.

Naruto and Sakura strolled onto the grassy fields. The sun was shining and there was a gentle breeze - it was perfect for training, although perhaps a little too clammy in the heat.

"Ready to train?" She smiled at her friend walking beside her.

"Not really, Sakura-chan, it's too hot, want to relax instead?" he suggested with a grin.

Now that didn't seem like a bad idea. They had been together a lot recently but they were always doing something important. They deserved a break.

"Sure."

They walked up to a large tree at the edge of the training grounds. It sheltered them from the sun, but it was still fairly warm to sit underneath it. Naruto sat down against the bark and Sakura did the same, a little bit around the corner from where he sat. Pulling out her medical book, she began to read it.

Naruto chuckled and stated, "We're taking it easy, Sakura, don't you ever stop working?"

"I am taking it easy," she replied, smiling, but not taking her eyes away from her reading material, she turned over the page.

Naruto closed his eyes, exhaling deeply in a calming manner.

This was nice. It had been a while since she just stopped. Relaxing with Naruto was something she enjoyed. Continuing to read in silence, she hummed quietly to herself.

All of a sudden, his head was on her shoulder and her eyes widened a little. She glanced at him to see him sleeping and smiled. She was tempted to punch him, or just push him off a bit, she wouldn't usually let him do that but... His sleeping face was quite cute. Deciding to let it slide, she went back to reading.

"It's nice to see you train hard on your days off."

Sakura looked up to see Tsunade approaching, before glancing quickly at Naruto. He was still sleeping. Maybe she should have pushed him off - her mentor was bound to say something embarrassing.

"I'm catching up on my medical reading, Shishou," she mumbled, completely ignoring the fact that her best friend was currently sleeping on her shoulder, something she wouldn't usually let him do knowingly.

Tsunade smirked. "I'm surprised you've not hit Naruto."

Of course her mentor had to go straight to that fact.

Sakura smiled slightly. "Same."

The sannin sat down on the other side of Sakura.

"Shouldn't you be working, Shishou?" Sakura grinned.

"I told Shizune I was coming to train you." The blonde smiled.

"On my day off?" Sakura raised an eyebrow.

"Mmhmm." The sannin got comfortable beside her student.

Sakura closed her book and asked, "You want to train then?"

"Nope," Tsunade replied smugly.

"You're just using me as an excuse to get out of work?" Sakura frowned.

"Don't give me that look, you use me as an excuse all the time." Tsunade shrugged.

"Telling Ino I can't go to a party because I have work in the morning is not an excuse, it's the truth," she grumbled and crossed her arms.

When Naruto shuffled, she thought she had woke him up, however his head slid. Sakura blushed as his head ended up leaning on her thigh, his face looking towards her, whilst he was still deeply asleep.

"Don't hit him." Tsunade smirked.

Sakura tensed. "Why?"

"Because that's cute." Her mentor's smirk widened.

That's it, she was definitely moving.

"You're friends."

Sakura frowned. "So?"

"So that shouldn't be awkward."

Well it was awkward for her.

"Unless you like him," Tsunade added with a grin.

Sakura sighed and shook her head. "You hit him all the time."

"Not in his sleep."

"Neither do I-" Sakura paused... She did hit him in his sleep sometimes, only when he said embarrassing things in front of company. She'd hoped to God he didn't start mumbling in his sleep like he had done in the past.

"Just look at him, why would you hit him like that?" Tsunade asked.

She looked at him, her gaze softening a little when it landed on his face. Okay, he wasn't cute... He was adorable. She had the urge to run a hand through his hair.

"I guess," she replied with a smile.

"You do like him," Tsunade concluded.

"Because I've not hit him?" Sakura frowned.

"Because your face is the colour of your hair," Tsunade answered, her smile widening.

Sakura pouted slightly. "It's just hot..."

"Yes, the heat has risen since his head landed on your leg."

Her pout increased, ignoring her mentor, she got out her book again.

"Seriously when do you stop working?" The sannin mumbled and closed her eyes.

"I like reading," she stated blankly.

"Medical textbooks?"

"Yes."

"Nerd."

"You gave me this book you know," Sakura shot back.

"Sakura-chan..." Naruto murmured.

Great.

Sakura didn't need to look at her mentor to tell she was smirking. "Shut up, Shishou."

"I didn't say anything." The Hokage laughed.

"Well... Go away!" She frowned.

Tsunade smirked. "It's okay, Sakura, no need to be embarrassed."

"I'm not-"

"Sakura-chan," Naruto murmured again.

"God damn it, Naruto," she cursed quietly.

The sannin laughed again.

"Well what if he was talking about you in his sleep?" Sakura asked.

"Then I know it would be a nightmare." Tsunade smirked.

That helped, assuming she was in Naruto's nightmare... Maybe she was hitting him, or turning him down to work a shift at the hospital, or-

"But that is obviously not a nightmare, look at his face." Her mentor smiled.

Sakura looked down at her friend. He had a big smile across his face. She couldn't get over how cute he looked and that was a problem - he was sleeping on her, which warranted some sort of punishment, right?

"Sakura-"

Sakura quickly silenced Naruto, placing her left hand over his mouth and shooting him a death glare despite him not being able to see her.

Tsunade smirked.

"Can I hit him now?" Sakura asked.

"Why?"

"Because," she began with a frown, "He's being inappropriate."

"He's your friendly friend." Tsunade shrugged. "Why would you hit your friend?"

"He's sleeping on me," Sakura stressed.

"You've slept against me before," the Hokage pointed out.

"You're my mentor, he's my-"

"Friend."

"Yes."

There was a small silence. Tsunade smiled to herself whilst Sakura looked straight ahead, a frown still present on her face. When Sakura felt something wet, she pulled her hand away quickly and looked at it. "I think he just dribbled on me..."

"You can't hold him accountable for something he does in his sleep," Tsunade mumbled.

Sakura took the opportunity to wipe her hand through his hair, she ran her hand through his blond locks, twice for good measure. She smiled slightly. He really was adorable... He was her friend, she was allowed to think that.

Naruto shuffled slightly before sighing happily and murmuring, "I love-"

Sakura covered his mouth quickly before finishing off his sentence for him, "Ramen."

"If I wasn't here you, would have listened to that." Tsunade shook her head.

That was true. Whilst Naruto had often attempted to get her to date him, he had never told her he loved her. Maybe his feelings were just a long-lasting... Several years... crush. If Tsunade hadn't been there she would have listened, she found herself a little torn, perhaps she should have waited for her teammate to finish his sentence. Then again, if he did say her name, Tsunade would have teased her. Though this was Naruto, it was very likely he could have said ramen. She then found herself wondering if she would have hit Naruto yet if Tsunade wasn't here... If nobody was there to see his head on her leg, or hear him murmur her name.

Naruto was cute when he slept like this, not so much when he moved about restlessly and drooled, but this kind of made her want to smile. Okay, she was smiling. "He sleeps like a rock."

"I guess when he feels that safe and comfortable, he would do," Tsunade shrugged. "You are his friend."

Sakura raised an eyebrow at her mentor and asked, "Why do you keep calling Naruto my friend?"

"Is he not your friend?" The Hokage asked, keeping a straight face.

"Of course."

"Then why can't I call him your friend?"

"You can," Sakura shrugged. "But why so much emphasis on the word?"

"What word?" Tsunade asked blankly.

"Friend."

"He is your friend."

"Shishou!" Sakura shot her mentor an annoyed look. "You're just winding me up."

"Yes," the sannin said with a grin. "Because you obviously like him as more than a friend. Y ou just get embarrassed over your feelings."

"No," Sakura denied it, frowning.

"I've known you for years, Sakura. I know when you're embarrassed and I know when you lie, you cover it up with a short temper and random outbursts of aggression." Tsunade smiled.

"I do have a short temper," Sakura shrugged. "I am completely calm now though."

"Calm or not, you still blush like mad, Naruto's the only one who doesn't see it," Tsunade shook her head. "Honestly... You two..."

"There's nothing going on between us," Sakura looked at her sleeping teammate. "As you say, we're just friends."

They sat there in silence, Sakura in deep thought, thinking about Naruto always made her brain hurt a little. Truthfully, he just confused her, she didn't understand her feelings for him - they changed in all sorts of ways, never in a bad way, just a strange way. Taking a deep breath, she tried to calm her mind. Tucking her book by her side, she closed her eyes, leaning her head on her mentor's shoulder. It would probably be a nice picture, the three of them sitting under the tree like this.

"If you fall asleep on me, am I allowed to hit you?" Tsunade questioned.

Sakura sighed and mumbled, "Way to ruin a peaceful moment, Shishou."

"But seriously," the sannin smiled. "You talk in your sleep all the time."

"What?" Sakura lifted her head and opened her eyes. There had been a few instances in which she had fallen asleep at her desk, after taking an extra shift on top of a long day at the hospital, or the occasional injury leaving her hospitalised for a little while. But Tsunade never told her that she talked in her sleep.

"And snore."

"Shishou!" Sakura thumped the blonde on the arm. "I do not."

"Okay," Tsunade laughed. "But you do talk sometimes."

"Really?" Sakura mumbled. "What do I say?"

"All sorts of nonsense." Tsunade smiled.

"Like?"

"Mystical Palm Technique."

Sakura laughed lightly.

"You think about work too much," Tsunade sighed. "You're healing people even in your sleep."

"I'm a great medic in the dream world." Sakura smiled.

"I think you're married to Naruto in the dream world too."

"...Huh?" Sakura looked at her mentor, her eyes widening in surprise.

"You've said his name in your sleep before," Tsunade smiled. "Followed by the words: ring, dress and cake."

"That could be anything," Sakura mumbled.

"Sounds like a wedding to me."

"Maybe someone else's wedding."

"Perhaps you took him as your date to the wedding then." Tsunade smiled.

"You're making this up, aren't you, Shishou?" Sakura frowned.

"No... You talked in your sleep and it sounded like you were dreaming of marrying Naruto, at the least you said his name, and yet you'd hit him if he did the same thing."

Sakura pouted and suggested, "Maybe it was a nightmare."

"Believe me, it wasn't."

"...Why didn't you tell me when I woke up?" Sakura asked.

The Hokage shrugged. "Would you have denied it?"

"Yes."

"Then I didn't see much point."

"I've not thought about marriage in years," Sakura admitted. "Especially me getting married."

"Well then at least you've admitted to your feelings for Naruto, on an unconscious level," Tsunade smiled.

"I've not."

"There's no point in you denying your feelings to me, Sakura, I know you too well."

"Better than myself apparently," Sakura shook her head.

"Probably," Tsunade smiled. "Everyone reads you when it comes to Naruto."

Sakura didn't answer. Ino had said that to her before.

"Ever thought about accepting one of his date proposals?"

Sakura frowned. "When did this become a conversation about my personal life?"

"Defensive now?" Tsunade smiled. "And since he fell asleep on you."

"He's not asked me on a date in a while anyway," Sakura mumbled.

"And that annoys you?" The sannin raised an eyebrow.

"Of course not."

"Mmhmm."

Sakura looked down at Naruto again. He really did sleep like a rock... It calmed her, she rested her hands on his chest, feeling his steady heartbeat beneath her open palm.

"You two really do have the most awkward friendship ever." Tsunade smiled at them.

"Why's that?" Sakura creased her eyebrows in thought.

"You both like each other, he openly admits it, you consciously deny it, he tries to show it, you both get embarrassed, he covers it up with stupidity, you cover it up with anger."

A smile formed on Sakura's face, she hated to say it, but that happened all the time.

"You put him in hospital, and then stay with him the whole time whilst he's unconscious."

Sakura laughed. "Only when he does something stupid."

"You're admitting all this now huh?" Tsunade closed her eyes, relaxing against the tree trunk.

"Yep," Sakura replied seriously.

Tsunade raised an eyebrow.

Sakura ran her hand through Naruto's hair and smiled to herself. "But he'll never know."

Tsunade opened her eyes again and studied her apprentice. "Well I'd never thought you'd admit to it, I've been trying for years."

"I did confess to him," Sakura mumbled. "At our wedding."

Tsunade smirked. "Joking or not, I'm taking this as a real confession of your feelings."

"Take it as you will," Sakura smiled. "You can tell anyone and they won't believe you anyway."

"Well I think you should be the one to tell Naruto you love him."

Sakura's smile weakened.

"Or will that take another ten years?"

"Maybe thirty," Sakura hummed in thought, her smile increased again.

"And then you'll wish you didn't spend forty years denying him," Tsunade replied. "But he'll still be there for you anyway."

"Of course he will, he's my friend." Sakura smiled.

"Now that term is annoying me." The Hokage sighed.

"You started it." Sakura laughed.

When she felt Naruto's breathing change, she removed her hands from his chest and picked up her book. Turning it to her current page, she ignored her waking friend.

"Morning, Sakura-chan." Naruto smiled up at her.

"Afternoon," Sakura replied nonchalantly.

"Afternoon already?" He mumbled sleepily.

"You've only been asleep for about half an hour, Naruto, it was already afternoon when we got here."

Naruto sighed contently. "Best nap ever."

Sakura twitched when he made no attempt to move from her lap. She waited for him to get up, but he only closed his eyes and snuggled further down, getting comfortable. Frowning, she swatted him over the head with her book, before pushing him away. Naruto rolled on the floor, before sitting up, rubbing his head and pouting at her.

"I'm not a pillow," she grumbled.

Naruto grinned.

"You seemed comfortable with him on your lap before," Tsunade commented.

Sakura shot her mentor a warning glance and the blonde smiled back.

"Granny!" Naruto grinned. "When did you get here?"

"I've been here ages," the sannin replied. "Talking with my apprentice, about you."

Naruto smiled but didn't really react.

"You know you talk in your sleep?" Tsunade asked.

Naruto looked at himself before asking, "I'm dead aren't I? I've been a jerk in my sleep and Sakura-chan's killed me!"

Tsunade laughed but Sakura looked unamused.

"You're not real!" He pointed at Sakura. "Sakura-chan wouldn't have let me sleep on her!"

"You're not dead, Naruto." Sakura put down her book, reached into her medical pouch, took out her black training gloves and pulled them on tightly. "But you will be."

Naruto's eyes widened and he panicked. "What did I do?!"

"You're an idiot," Sakura replied, standing up.

"Embarrassed her," Tsunade translated, she then watched in amusement as her apprentice chased Naruto around until she caught him and delivered a satisfying punch to his arm, sending him flying across the field.

Happy, Sakura returned to her spot, she removed her gloves and placed them back in her pouch before opening her book again. Naruto hobbled back a minute later, holding his arm and pouting considerably. "I think you broke my arm, Sakura-chan."

Sakura held her book higher up to block out his convincing pout and big puppy dog eyes, because that got her every time.

"Can you heal it please? It hurts," he begged.

"Want me to look at it?" Tsunade smirked.

Naruto looked at the Hokage before sitting the other side of Sakura and answering, "No thanks, Granny."

Tsunade's smirk widened, whilst Sakura frowned at him as he sat rather close to her. Sakura went to move up the other side but Tsunade was just as close on her left. "Budge up, Naruto," she mumbled.

"If I moved up any more, I'll be around the other side of the tree." He pouted.

"That's fine," Sakura replied.

He moved up the tiniest bit before settling down again and holding his nerve. Sakura placed down her book and took a deep breath, tapping her finger on her leg whilst waiting for him to move further away. After an awkward silence, Sakura raised her fist.

"Not the arm, Sakura-chan!" Naruto cowered.

Sakura lowered her hand and sighed. "It's not even that bad, Naruto."

He pouted and reached for the zipper of his jacket before pulling it off. His short black sleeved T-shirt underneath revealed a nasty looking bruise on his arm, where she had hit him.

"You go through worse," she stated.

He continued to pout and she gave up, bringing her healing hand to his arm, she began to undo the damage she had done when she hit him. Naruto then grinned at her, she glanced up to see this and held back her own smile.

"Well," Tsunade began and stood up. "As much as I'd like to sit here and observe your awkward relationship, I think I'll need a new hiding spot now."

Sakura shook her head at her mentor's antics.

"If Shizune comes by, tell her I wasn't here, I've gone to do work and I've taken it with me, tell her I went the other way," Tsunade ordered.

"Sure thing, Shishou." Sakura nodded.

"Okay then, have fun, lovebirds." Tsunade winked at her before turning and walking off the training fields, going the opposite way to which she originally came from.

"Lovebirds?" Naruto repeated.

Sakura cleared her throat but didn't reply. They sat there in silence for a few minutes, Sakura forgetting how close to him she was, he wasn't going to point it out, he smiled to himself. She was in deep thought, when Shizune walked towards them.

"Ah, Sakura, there you are, you haven't happened to see your mentor anywhere have you?" Shizune asked.

The Hokage's apprentice looked up at the older medic, who was chugging around a hefty pile of paperwork that was likely the Hokage's. Sakura pointed in the direction the sannin had gone and replied, "She went that way, she's avoiding you, Shizune-san."

Naruto laughed and added, "Yeah, she's not doing any work and moving hiding spots every now and again."

Sakura grinned at her teammate and he grinned back. Tsunade might kill her later, but it served the woman right for teasing her, anyway, she could just blame Naruto.

"Thanks, you two." Shizune smiled and headed in the direction they had told her, adding, "That would make a cute picture, you both sat there."

Sakura blushed slightly and moved further away now that she had more room.

"Aww," Naruto huffed under his breath.

Sakura smiled to herself before stealing a glance at the disappointed male. Maybe Tsunade was right, maybe she felt some kind of attraction to her best friend and that ten years was way too long of a time period before she should let him know.

Five years sounded better.

"Want to go for ramen, Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked her.

Sakura stood up and replied, "Sure."

As she began walking, Naruto followed her, he added, "Since it's just the two of us... Is it a date?"

She smiled at him over her shoulder, but didn't reply.

Five years seemed a bit too long also.

Four years would do.

Author Notes:

This is really random :D. I wanted to write something happy XD. I started this a while back, left it halfway through... Finished it last night. Made the cover today and decided to upload it.

Thanks for reading :).

This has now been turned into a NaruSaku Collection, each chapter is a different short story:

Chapter 2: When Did You

Summary: When Did You...Get so beautiful? Sakura tries to figure out when her best friend turned into so much more. To Naruto, she had already been much more to him for a long, long time.

Chapter 3: The Friend Zone

Summary: Naruto joins a therapy group regarding his relationship with Sakura, they encourage him to be more confident and offer to help him confess his feelings. They're a little crazy though.

Chapter 4: The Reality of Sakura

Summary: Tsunade and Ino question Naruto about just what Sakura is like as a girlfriend.

Chapter 5: Why?

Summary: During their lunch break, Ino brings up the sensitive topic of the status of Sakura's feelings for Sasuke. Why does she wait for him? Is there not another option when it comes to romance? A certain someone picks a good time to overhear the medics' conversation.

Chapter 6: An Acceptation of Feelings

Summary: The near death of Naruto gets Sakura to do some serious thinking about their relationship. Things between them begin to develop at a faster rate than ever before.

Chapter 7: The Choice of Hokage

Summary: Slight 631 spoilers (too late if you've read this summary, that's the spoiler). Naruto questions Sakura about his rivalry with Sasuke to become Hokage, after he witnesses her wish his best friend luck. Who does she want to see become Hokage?

Chapter 8: When to Say I Love You

Summary: He had said it several times to her, yet she had yet to return the gesture. People begin to wonder if and when Sakura will ever say the phrase and just why she hasn't already.

Chapter 9: Being a Man

Summary: Sakura's the 'man' of their relationship apparently. Naruto doesn't quite understand. He was a manly boyfriend - right? He would ask Sakura when she picked him up for their date.

Chapter 10: Drunken Comfort

Summary: Naruto takes a drunken Sakura home. Sakura had a tough week, Ino tells him, and that the drunken night out was the first opportunity for her to let out her feelings. He takes it upon himself get to the bottom of her depression and make her happy again.

Chapter 11: Carefree

Summary: Written for the Heaven & Earth 10th Anniversary Contest. The relationship between Sakura and Naruto could not be more carefree... until Sakura gets home one evening to find Naruto is acting nervously. What's he managed to do in the short time she was at work?

Chapter 12: Cake

Summary: Sakura gets it in her head that she's going to make Naruto a birthday cake. She would admit that the idea was a momentary lapse of judgement. She can't bake, but that's not going to stop her trying... again and again and again. Naruto's worth it. What is her boyfriend going to think of the result?

Feel free to pick and choose depending on your mood... I'll keep on adding more if you want me to :D.