A/N - AHHHH! I've had this chapter done for, like, EVER! I never posted it though! I'm so sorry! Please forgive! ...otherwise I will not right one more word in this story...BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Anyway, after this chapter is posted for ONE WEEK my name will be changing from Sasukegirl to Soul Of Manga.

Do As You're Told

Chapter Seven: Going Camping

"Sakura," Kakashi said, "Why don't we go find Naruto, and then go see the Hokage?"

"I not telling the Hokage," Sakura said flatly.

"I know, I know, though I don't know why you won't," Kakashi said, "But I was thinking that we should take Tsunade-sama up on the vacation she'd offered us a few weeks back."

Sakura stopped and looked up at Kakashi, "...yeah, I think we could all use a vacation."

"I couldn't agree with you more, Sakura," Kakashi said, "So, shall we go and get Naruto?"

"But, Kakashi Sensei? It's three o'clock in the morning," Sakura pointed out, "...and I still haven't gone home yet."

"Good!" Sasuke spat, "Sakura, the fact that you actually asked someone what a mother is, means you know what your mother is doing isn't what a mother is suppose to do!"

Sakura looked away, and Sasuke stepped closed to her. He'd tried to stay silent as long as he could, but this whole thing with Sakura's mother and Iyashii was really starting to piss him off.

"Okay, enough you two," Kakashi said, taking hold of Sasuke's shoulder to stop him, "I have a feeling Naruto's wide wake, so how about we pay him a visit, and see?"

The two students looked at each other then nodded to Kakashi.

Kakashi, Sasuke, and Sakura reached Naruto's in due time and they walked up to his apartment door, and Kakashi knocked. After about fifteen minutes of waiting they heard Naruto say he was coming, the door then opened to reveal a half naked Naruto, his waist down covered by only a pale yellow towel.

"Eeeek!" Sakura screeched, quickly turning and hiding herself in Sasuke's shirt.

"Ahh, Sakura!" Sasuke said, surprised by her sudden lunge at him, he recovered and turned on Naruto, "GET SOME FUCKIN' CLOTHES ON YOU IDIOT!"

"Jeez, pardon me," Naruto said in annoyance, walking away from the door, and down the hall, "No one usually visits me this late, so, I thought it was an emergency."

"Whatever," Sasuke said walking inside, with Sakura glued to his chest; Kakashi followed, closing the door behind him.

Once Naruto changed into some clothes, Sakura detatched herself from Sasuke and looked around, and the first thing her emerald eyes fell on was Naruto's old boombox. Her eyes stayed locked on it, and everyone in the room soon noticed that fact.

"Want some music on?" Naruto asked, "I can put the radio on, I don't have any good Cd's."

"Can I play one of mine?" Sakura asked, her eyes not leaving the boombox.

"You have Cd's with you?" Naruto asked; Sakura nodded, and so Naruto told her to go ahead and play it.

Sakura dived at the boom box, and her eyes, for the first time, in a long time, sparkled with happiness. From her pocket she pulled out a Cd that Tenten had burned for her. She popped it in, as Naruto talked with Kakashi, and Sasuke, about what was going on.

"Naruto, it's not working!" Sakura cried, picking up the boombox from the table.

"It's old, so it takes a while to come on," Naruto said, apologetically.

Sakura placed the boombox on the table it had been on, and waited anxiously for it to start up.

"So, you want to cash in the offer the Hokage gave us, for a vacation, so that Sakura, can get her eye healed up, without getting found out by her Mom, or Iyashii?"

"Yeah," Sasuke said.

"That's the plan," Kakashi confirmed.

"And a good plan at that." Naruto said, "So, where the heck is she going to go tonight?"

"One of our places, I suppose," Sasuke said, as much as he had already prepared to take Sakura in for the night, he had things that were making him hope someone else would offer to take her instead.

Music suddenly filled the room, and everyone turned to look as Sakura rocked her body to the beat of it, but they quickly fell into talk once more.

"What the hell kind of song is that?" Sasuke asked, who had never held an interest for music.

"I think it's Iris," Naruto said, "By the Goo Goo Dolls, I've heard it on the radio a few times."

"What kind of song is-"

And I'd give up forever to touch you,

Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi looked at each other, as Sakura's voice sang along with the Cd.

Cause I know that you feel me somehow

Your the closest to heaven that I'll ever be,

And I don't want to go home right now.

Everyone's expression saddened significantly at the line just sung.

And all I can taste is this moment,

And all I can breathe is your life,

And sooner or later it's over,

I just don't want to miss you tonight.

The three males walked over to stand closer to Sakura, who saw them and paused the song, "Too loud?"

Naruto shook his head, "No, it's just very...you have a very nice voice, Sakura. Please, keep going."

Sakura blushed slightly at the comment, and she slowly flicked the song back on, and began to sing once more.

And I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand,

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

Naruto quietly sat down beside Sakura on the ground, and closed his eyes to her voice, mixing with the Cd. Sasuke, and Kakashi, took a seat on the sofa.

And you can't fight the tears that ain't coming,

Or the moment of truth in your lies,

When everything feels like the movies,

Yeah, you'd bleed just to know your alive.

Naruto opened one eye to look over at Sakura, he was a bit worried that that last line held something behind it.

And I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand,

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

As the long intro started, Naruto could see tears slipping from Sakura eyes, and he could hear them in her voice, but they made her voice seem real. It made it seem like she was talking about her very own life. Naruto had a feeling she was escaping, she was running, far far away. By means of the lyrics in the song. That's why she seemed so oblivious to her own tears, that she just let fall freely down her cheeks, and fall off with sad elegance.

Naruto glanced over to the two on the couch, and they seemed to have noticed her tears as well. They all sighed as they realized how much Sakura was needing help, and how much she wanted the situation to come to an end. The one other thing that her voice told them as she sang, was the reason she woudn't tell anyone why she was being treated in the way that she was.

She doesn't think they'll, understand, The three thought in unison, she thinks that no one, will be, on her side.

"Man, this is weird," Sakura laughed, still unaware of the tears on her cheeks, she smiled to Naruto and asked, "Naruto, sing the rest with me, pretty please?"

Naruto stared.

"Come on, it'll be fun!" Sakura's eyes sparkled more and more, as her excitment grew.

Naruto sighed, and he closed his eyes, and gave a small nod to Sakura, "Okay, you win, Sakura."

Sakura giggled, "Ready?"

Naruto took a breath, and nodded once more, "Yup."

Sakura tapped her foot, and counted down the beats to when the words started again, "3-2-1."

I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand,

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

Sakura laughed, and so did Naruto. Naruto was beginning to understand why Sakura found such an escape in music. It was so full of emotion, no matter what the lyrics were, the power behind them could draw on any emotion that the singer was enveloped by. Sakura's saddness, Naruto's loneliness.

I don't want the world to see me,

Cause I don't think that they'd understand,

When everything's made to be broken,

I just want you to know who I am.

I just want you to know who I am.

I just want you to know who I am.

I just want you to know who I am.

Naruto stopped, and let Sakura sing the last line alone.

I just want you to know who I am.

Sakura quietly fade her voice to nothing, and sighed as the feeling of the song lingered in her mind. She wished she could just live where there was no one around. Not her mother, Iyashii, she didn't even want Sasuke, Naruto, or Kakashi around her. She wanted to be alone, because if she was alone, no one could ever hurt her. No could ever make her feel so helpless, and unloved, unwanted.

"Sakura," Naruto's voice spoke to her, "Are you alright?"

Sakura looked over at him, "What do you mean?"

"Oh, I don't know," Naruto said, and he brushed his finger against Sakura's tear streaked cheek, "Maybe I'm talking about those tears."

"Oh!" Sakura placed her hand to her cheek and felt the tears, "I'm sorry."

"You don't need to apologize for it," Naruto laughed, trying raise Sakura's spirits.

Sakura smiled, and gave a half-hearted laugh, "Yeah."

For the next half an hour, they all discussed the plan of going on vacation.

"Where should we go!?" Naruto exclaimed in excitment.

"I want to swim!" Sakura giggled, her mind forgetting why she was wanting to go on this vacation.

"Then, how about the beach?" Kakashi put forth a suggestion.

"No, there's nothing BUT swiming at the beach..." Naruto protested, and then an idea struck him, "Hey! How about camping? We can go where there's a lake, so Sakura can swim, but there's a bizillion other things to do on a camping trip, so Sasuke and I can find something to do, too!"

"Camping, huh?" Kakashi asked quietly, as he thought over the idea, and then he looked around at his students, "What do you guys think?"

Sakura's eyes sparkled, "Yeah, camping would be so fun!"

Sasuke shrugged, "Whatever."

Kakashi laughed a little at Sasuke predictable reaction, and he then annouced, "Camping it is."