Last Chance

This was written to be two small chapters. But I felt nice so here it is as one.

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Sakura trudged home with her mind racing. Sasuke had finally turned her down flat with no chance of hope left. So why didn’t it hurt more? She hadn’t even shed one tear. Had she been disillusioned by his cruel behavior? Or was he right, did she only really want him because he was unattainable?

What really did hurt was his comment about her treating her friends like shit. She had always thought of herself as a good friend. And she had always been closer to the boys than she had even been to Ino. Had she really treated Naruto so bad over the years? She brought an image of him during their fight today to her mind.

Sasuke had given her about the same treatment today as she had given Naruto but what she felt didn’t hurt as much as she had hurt Naruto. She could see the pain in his face before he turned and fled. Did he have tears in his eyes? Gods, she had been such a bitch.

If Sasuke had been right about one thing maybe he was right about the other. Maybe she should give Naruto a chance before she lost her best friend, she had a feeling she might have already lost Sasuke’s friendship. She would go see Naruto first thing tomorrow after everyone had had a chance to cool down. She hoped he would accept her apology. Then she would apologize to Sasuke.

The next morning she started her search at his apartment, no Naruto. When he was upset he liked to eat, maybe he was at Ichiraku. That turned up blank too. No one there had seen him since yesterday and the looks she received there were none to kind, she figured she better take her search elsewhere.

Where else could he be? There was one last place. When Sasuke had taken off, when they were kids, Naruto would sometimes get really depressed. Sakura often found him thinking on Hokage Mountain. She must have really screwed up if that’s where he was.

She climbed up the mountain and sure enough, sitting on the edge over looking Konoha, there he was. He had such a forlorn look on his face that she felt like a complete ass. Sasuke was right, some friend she was. Well, she could try to make it right now. She cleared her throat and walked up to him.

Naruto looked up and saw Sakura walking to him with a shy smile. It was just like all the times she had come to comfort him when Sasuke had left them. He could always depend on Sakura to raise his spirits, but what about now. He thought he was the last person she would be looking for.

“Naruto, I wanted to come and apologize for the way I treated you yesterday. I was angry and…”

“No Sakura,” he cut her off, “it was my fault. I shouldn’t have tried to trick you to get you to like me. You’ve told me for years I was just a friend. You love Sasuke and I’m going to stop bothering you,” he finished looking down dejected.

She sat down next to him on the rock and brought her knees up to her chest. “Well, it was your fault for trying to trick me,” she said looking out over the village. She began nervously playing with her toes as she looked down ashamed, “but I had no excuse to act the way I did. You’re my friend and I should treat you right. And I’ve given up on Sasuke as of yesterday. Friends?” she asked looking up with a smile.

Naruto stared dumbly at her extended hand. He was still in complete shock hearing her say she had given up on Sasuke, she had been chasing him before they had even joined the academy.

“Come on, friends?” she edge holding her hand out further.

Naruto snapped back to reality and saw Sakura holding out her hand to him. Her smile was a bit strained and she looked uncertain, as if he might not accept her friendship. Well hadn’t he told Sasuke he didn’t want to just be friends with her? But friends were better than nothing right. “Oh, uh, yeah,” he said as he took her hand.

“Good, now take me to eat at Ichiraku!” she said as she jumped up all signs of awkwardness gone.

“Huh, what?”

“Come on,” she said grabbing his still outstretched arm and pulling him to his feet, “I’m hungry!”

Naruto walked back to town with Sakura chatting happily beside him. He really hadn’t heard a word she said, he was too confused by the turn of events. This week was just getting weirder by the hour. How did she go from being royally pissed at him to happy and chipper. And had she really given up on Sasuke? He looked up and noticed they were walking by the Hokage’s mansion. Speaking of Sasuke he thought as his lips twitched.

“Sakura-chan, wait,” he called stopping in front of the mansion. He gestured to the door as he spoke. “I need to see Baa-chan for a second. Can you wait for me at Ichiraku?”

“Sure, “ she beamed, “Don’t take too long.”

Naruto froze and just stared at the pink-haired girl. She had never directed a smile like that at him before, it was the one she usually gave Sasuke! His heart slammed furiously against his chest as he turned to enter the building.

“Uh, oka...,” SMACK! He missed the door and ran into the wall.

“Naruto!” she cried lurching toward him.

“I’m okay,” he said turning bright red, rubbing his face, and waving her off. He turn and hurrying in the door. “I’ll be right there Sakura-chan.”

Sakura chuckled to herself as he darted off.

I’m such a dumb ass he berated himself as he walked up the steps to Tsunade’s office. She smiles at me and I run into a wall?! Well, at lest this is going to make me feel better he thought as he knocked on the door to Tsunade’s office.

“I’m busy, come back later!” the Hokage’s voice rang from the other side of the door.

“Ah, come on Baa-chan, open the door.”

“Naruto!” she greeted happily, opening the door. She gave the other blonde a tight hug and he returned it with a sigh. She stepped aside so she could close and lock the door. Then she walked back to her desk to sit down and retrieved the bottle of sake she had stashed when she heard the knock. “Would you like some?” she asked holding out the bottle.

“No thanks,” he said shaking his head, “I have to make this quick, I’m meeting someone.”

Tsunade shrugged and poured herself a glass. “What can I do for you gaki?” she asked after she took a drink.

“It’s about the Uchiha,” he stated, getting her full attention.

She put the bottle down and sat up straight, “Did something happen?”

“He just needs some humbling,” he stated flatly. “Some D-rank missions for a while should do.”

“Does this have something to do with the broken nose he had yesterday?” she inquired getting curious.

“I broke his nose?!” the shocked blonde gasped out, then recovered. “Well, he deserved it.”

“If I knew that was the case I wouldn’t have fixed it,” she stated and got a fuming look for her trouble. “Don’t glare at me, you’re the one who broke it!” she scolded him. She shook her head as he huffed and turned away. He was so protective of the boy.

“Well, he’s under your charge. So if you want him on D-rank missions, no problem.”

“But he doesn’t know that,” he said turning back around to face her. “So you’ll have to give him the assignments.”

“I know, I know.”

Everyone thought Naruto’s mission to watch Sasuke had ended six months after his return. Only Tsunade, Naruto, and the council knew the truth; it had never ended. Sasuke was allowed to stay in the village and be reinstated as a shinobi but Naruto took full responsibility for the Uchiha and his actions. He was Sasuke’s custodian and as such, he had a say in Sasuke’s assignments and privileges. Naruto could never get Tsunade to let the man promote above chunin and the council commanded that Naruto be assigned to every mission that Sasuke made outside of the village.

One thing the three parties did agree upon was Sasuke could not find out about the arrangement. He just had too much pride to know he had a keeper.

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“Sakura-chan?” Naruto called happily as he bounded toward Ichiraku.

His little talk with Tsunade had put him a much better mood. He paused and looked around, where was Sakura? This was where the agreed to meet, right? He scanned Ichiraku then the shops nearby, no pink hair. His shoulders sagged; she had probably stood him up, not that he had thought this was a date.

He jumped as he felt a hand grab his own. Naruto’s surprised eyes turned to greet Sakura. She had decided to come to Ichiraku because it was Naruto’s favorite shop. But after yesterday’s spectacle, and this morning’s glares, she knew she would not have been welcome without the blonde so she had waited around the corner. She smiled and pulled him to the counter.

“Welcome Naruto,” the proprietor greeted him with a smile.

“Good morning Uncle!” Naruto returned his smile as he pulled himself up on the stool.

Teuchi turned to Sakura. His eyes betrayed his uncertainty but he greeted her as she was with his favorite customer.

Sakura returned the greeting awkwardly then turned to Naruto. “What would you like Naruto?” Sakura asked with a smile.

“Huh?” Naruto stared confused at the konoichi.

“Come on, whatever you want,” she encouraged.

“Sakura, I can’t let you pay for me,” he protested.

“Sure you can. It’s part of my apology.”

“In that case,” interjected Ayame, “he wants this!”

She sat down the biggest bowl of ramen Sakura had ever seen. It was filled with so much seafood that is must be the most expensive thing on the menu! Ayame had planned on treating the boy herself but this was better. The one responsible for his distress should be the one to treat him.

Sakura almost choked when she checked out the menu for the item, but she had said anything. She forced a smile then ordered the cheapest, plainest, ramen for herself.

Naruto was happily munching his food as he looked over at the girl. He could almost trick himself this was a date; he smiled to himself. He watched Sakura brought the chopsticks to her mouth and slurped down the noodles. He watched the sticks go back down to grab more and he frowned at the plain ramen then looked at his own. She had said it was an apology but he felt bad to have all that good seafood while she had plain miso.

“Sakura?” he inquired, “Would you like some of my shrimp?” he offered holding one out with his chopsticks.

“Sure.”

He held it out for her expecting her to hold out her bowl. So he was totally caught off guard when she bit it straight off of his chopsticks. His heart was slamming so hard he thought it might break out of his chest.

He had just fed a girl from his own chopsticks!!!

“Can I have some of that crab too,” she inquired after swallowing the shrimp and looked up at him shyly.

“Uh, um, yeah,” he stuttered. He reached shaky sticks back into his bowl and attempted to pick up the meat.

Sakura watched as he fumbling with the sticks. Why had she never realized how cute he was, especially when he was flustered? She had taken the first bite on impulse but now she wanted to see more of his cute, shy faces.

She opened her mouth when he finally captured the meat and held it out. She put her mouth around the meat and chopsticks and caught him with her eyes.

‘Oh, shit!’ his mind screamed. ‘I’m going to really embarrass myself in a few minutes!’

Naruto was saved by someone loudly clearing his throat behind them. Both nin on the stools jumped and turned bewildered faces around. They were greeted by a very angry looking Uchiha.

Sasuke’s arms were crossed and a pulse was beating from his very purple cheek. “Sakura, may I speak to you?” he gritted out through clenched teeth.

“Sure Sasuke, I needed to talk to you too,” she said rising off the stool.

Naruto looked at his two friends, one seriously perturbed and the other smiling. “Sakura?”

“It’s okay. I’ll be back in a jiffy,” she assured him.

Sakura followed Sasuke as he walk stiffly away from the shop and rounded the corner. He made sure they were out of earshot before he snapped and turn furiously to the girl. “What the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

“Sasuke, what are you talking about?” the confused konoichi asked.

No words came out of the irate man, just a finger jabbing in the general direction of the ramen shop.

“Naruto? “ she asked following his finger with her eyes. She was seriously confused. “We’re on a date, you told me I should give him a chance.”

“I told you to give him a chance, not a heart attack!” he screamed at the girl. The left side of his face had turned red and was contrasting horribly with the purple on the right.

“I was not giving him a heart attack!” she yelled back with her hand tightly fisted to her side.

“ You were eating off his chopsticks and he was looking like he was about to faint!”

“I bought him ramen with everything as an apology for yesterday. All I could afford for myself was plain, so he offered me some of his!”

Sasuke just stood there shaking with anger. If he spoke again just knew he was going to strangle the thickheaded girl.

“Honestly, Sasuke,” she huffed crossing her arms across her chest. “You tell me to date the man then you get mad when I do. I would almost think you’re jealous.”

A trademark Uchia glare countered the comment.

“Well, you can’t change your mind now. I’ve already realized Naruto’s the better catch. He doesn’t glare as much,” she said referring to his current expression. “Now what’s really bothering you? Your not acting at all like yourself.” Sakura couldn’t remember ever getting in a screaming match with the man before. She mental shrugged; maybe she had just been too smitten.

This really was bothering him his mind screamed out. He took a breath and tried to regain his composure, she had just given him a chance to change the subject. So he fought down his anger and regained his usual aloof expression. Might as well move to his other problem.

“Can you let Naruto know I won’t be able to train with him? Tsunade has given me some assignments,” he mumbled the last part.

“Isn’t that good news, you’re getting some of your own assignments?”

“Not really, they’re D-rank,” he continued grumbling, “ I will be staying in the village.”

“Oh, why don’t you tell Naruto yourself?” she asked leaning in curious.

“We had a fight yesterday,” he said looking away.

He had turned to the left giving her a better view of the large bruise. That explains the face she thought, but Naruto did that?! It was still a strange color and a bit swelled. It must have been a bad fight, but Naruto didn’t seem to have a scratch.

“I’m getting the silent treatment,” he continued.

“Oh.” She watched him to see if he would let anything else slip. After a moment of silence she continued. “I’ll let him know. And Sasuke, I’m sorry. About yesterday and everything else,” she said looking expectantly at her moody friend.

Sasuke nodded and walked off without another word. Sakura sighed and returned to her date.

“What did the teme want?” Naruto asked when she sat down.

“He wanted me to let you know he won’t be able to train with you today because Tsunade gave him some assignments,” she explained.

The smile that broke out on the blonde’s face gave her pause. She had feeling Sasuke was getting more than the silent treatment from Naruto.


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- I'm so far behind on my doujinshi, I was wondering if I should stick with my wednesday updates or if I should just give you guys the chapters as I finish them. But if I do, I won't have any reserve chapters if I get writer's block. Let me know and I'll think it over some more.
-And who thinks I should end in cliffies? I always wrap things up before I end a chapter.
-Tereshi