Last Chance

Both men walked up to the library: one smiling, one scowling. The large building’s entrance was guarded day and night, as only leaf shinobi could enter. It housed thousands of ninjitsu scrolls that could be dangerous in enemy hands. Sasuke looked around curiously as they approached, he rarely visited as he had a private library in the Uchiha complex. He looked at the two guards and watched as the one on the right broke into a smile when he noticed them approaching.

“Hey, Kome,” Naruto greeted the guard with a wide grin.

“Good morning, Naruto-san. She’s by the medical scrolls,” Kome greeted warmly, stepping back to allow them entrance.

“Of course, thanks Kome,” he said as they entered the building and he waved bye.

“Come here often?” Sasuke inquired as he noted the familiarity of the guard. Also noting that Naruto had never stated who he was looking for or what he planed to study, as was required upon entrance. He really could not picture the blonde studying in a library. He thought of Naruto as more of a hands-on learner.

“Sure,” the blonde shrugged as he walked to the very back of the library, where all the medical research scrolls were stored. “Just wait till you see Sakura-chan, she is so cute when she’s studying. Sakura-chan!!” he cried out when he spotted the pink-haired girl with her face buried in a scroll. The scroll, which was suddenly attached to his face, cut off Naruto’s excited cry.

The pink-hair fury, that had thrown the scroll, wasted no time scolding him, “This is a library baka! What do you think you are doing coming in here and yelling?”

Sasuke shook his head at the familiar antics of his teammates. ‘This is not good at all,’ he thought to himself. ‘And I thought Naruto said we weren’t kids anymore, so why don’t these two ever change?’

Sakura was continuing with her rant at the blonde, who was trying to look apologetic. “How many times do I have to tell you, not to follow me here every…” she stopped mid-sentence when she noticed the other man. “Oh, Sasuke-kun!” she proclaimed rushing to solemn man’s side. “I didn’t see you there. Did you come to see me?” she asked looking coyly through down cast eyes.

“I’m with Naruto,” he stated blandly then pulled her a little bit way, much to her delight. “Couldn’t you be a little nicer to him Sakura? You know how he feels about you.”

Sakura glared at the blonde behind her, “That noisy baka, following me here all the time. Well, I’m glad he brought you.” She was again doing something with her eyes that made the Uchiha’s stomach heave.

Naruto could feel his best friend’s discomfort at the closeness of the konoichi, and thought it best to interrupt at this point. He rushed up grabbing Sasuke’s arm and pulled him toward the exit, out of Sakura’s grasp before she knew what was going on.

“Well, I guess we’ll let you get back to your studying Sakura-chan,” he called looking back at the bewildered girl. “There’s no talking to her when she’s in one of her moods,” he redirected at his friend, as they made their way back out of the building.

-----

The rest of the day was spent in an array of visits, which began with Sakura smacking or throwing something at Naruto and ended with her latched onto Sasuke’s arm.

The sun was setting as the two walked in the direction of the Uchiha complex. Sasuke shook his head as he wondered where to begin. Might as well be blunt.

“Well, here’s the prognosis,” he stated as Naruto eagerly waited. “You’re a pain in the ass,” he condemned flatly.

“Whaa?” the blonde said taken aback.

“Do you do this everyday?” he questioned, wondering why Naruto was not seeing the problem.

“Well, yeah,” the blonde shrugged. “When I’m not on a mission.”

“You’re not giving her any breathing room. Where is the chance for her to miss you?” he questioned his oblivious friend.

Naruto’s face scrunched up, first in confusing and then concern. “I just want to be near her. And what if someone else snatches her up because I’m not there?”

“Naruto, right now you have a good chance of driving her to someone else!” he yelled out, exasperated by the blonde’s logic. “I don’t follow her around, and she still likes me.”

Naruto crossed his arms over his chest and glared at the dark-haired man. “That’s another problem entirely,” he pouted. He was never going to get a chance if Sakura remained obsessed with the Uchiha heir.

“You don’t have to tell me that.” Sasuke groused. You would think after seven years the girl would have taken a hint and given up. Sasuke had about had all he could take from the medical-nin. The only reason he hadn’t taken a piece out of her hide, was the fact he respected her as a teammate. Also, Naruto would be upset if there were a rift between his two closest friends.

They reached the gate of the complex and Naruto plopped down on to the ground, with his arms and legs crossed, to ponder the problem. “Maybe if I were more like you, Sakura-chan would like me,” he was grumbling.

“That might be an idea,” Sasuke remarked with a mischievous smirk gracing the normally stoic face.

Naruto’s head popped up, “Huh?” What in the world could Sasuke be thinking? He looked up at the dark-haired man and wondered if the should be nervous at the fact Sasuke was almost smiling. Sasuke’s smiles had never boded well for the blonde.

“Ignore her, don’t smile so much, and act like you don’t care.”

“Ignore her?” the blonde did not sound convinced. “Do you really think that will work?”

“Sure, go to some of the places she is. BUT NOT ALL,” he rammed that point home shoving a finger into the blonde’s chest. “Don’t go there to see her, find another reason to be there and don’t notice or talk to her.”

“Well, that sure seems to work for you,” Naruto put in bitterly; annoyed the other man could get what Naruto wanted without even trying. He let the idea run a few more times in his head and the more he thought about it, the better it seemed. This might just work! Suddenly he jumped up from his spot on the ground.

“Thanks Sasuke! You’re a great help,” he called running off.

Sasuke watched the exuberant blonde running in the direction of his apartment. ‘I can’t solve the problems of MY love life but I’m going to fix his? Sure. For his sake I hope it works.’