Disclaimer: I do not and probably will never own Naruto.

Thank you to all of those who have been following this story and those who have been reviewing. I know that sometimes my thoughts aren't always written down as I want them to be but thanks for having the patience to read them.

Please feel free to point out anything that either annoys, bothers or scares you and I would be happy to improve on it on my next story. Also apologise for the funky seperations of view points on earlier chapters, I only just figured out how to insert seperations.

"You mean . . . ?" It was a gasp of desperation, verbally flailing out to grab hold of any form of stability.

Her dark emerald eyes light up with reassurance and I could not stop the ear to ear smile that covered my face as I held onto her for dear life, head now buried in pink comfort.

"Yes, Naruto" She whispered "I love you."

He held me there in the downpour with such a determined grip that I did not doubt that my words had finally gotten through to that battered heart of his, the very same one that now calmly beat so near to my own.

It seemed that the rain had stopped falling to me, intently focused as I was on returning the contact we shared. Minutes passed by and he didn't say anything, which I understood perfectly. He had said more to me his entire life with words and actions than I could even comprehend.

Doubts flicker through my mind, spawning hesitation for just a second. A hesitation that was telling me that I could never return the lifetime of experience he had given me, teaching me the lesson of love with difficulty. Very similar to the way I had tried to push him away and told him to give up on me.

I'm grateful now that he is as stubborn as he is, as loving and selfless as he is, because I know that otherwise I would not be where I was right now, held tightly against him hoping to never have to move again even if it meant defying the heavens that beat adamantly down upon us.

The stubborn grip on my waist loosened and I looked up into the brilliant blue eyes of my hearts keeper. It was a weird thought but I liked the idea because I knew no safer place for it to be. His eyes echoed the sentiments of my last statement, almost glowing with the shear intensity of the emotion that where held behind that deceivingly joyous blue.

"I love you Sakura-chan."

It was said in a deep tone that broke no arguments, the words held more power that any single devastating ninjutsu ever had or would. The words vibrated through her body setting her soul alight and her blood on fire, they had her shutting her eyes tight and burning the feeling into her memory.

It had been to long since she heard that. Looking down back down at him I joined his words with my own once more.
"I love you too, Naruto. I Love you too."

It sounded like music.

Music that flowed and danced in the rain, it made him feel alive! It left a lingering feeling of great accomplishment and he knew the lyrics meant that he had won and the tune said he deserved it.

He still wondered if this would turn out to be a dream of temptation that he would awake from any minute, hoping desperately that the Sandman was not so cruel a being.

His fears vanished when he felt smooth skin run over his cheeks, looking up at her he thanked whoever was responsible for this, higher being or not. Her vivid emerald eyes caught his attention and again he was immediately aware of how close she was and he savoured the feeling.

"I think we should get out of the rain." It sounded really observational and he then noticed how their cloths hung from them and clung to them all over. She was right.

"I know you won't get sick, but I don't think I would be so lucky." She sounded amused to him.

He gave her the cheekiest grin he could manage without swallowing a mouth full of rain and rolled over pinning her to the ground. She looked up bewildered at his actions but her breathe caught when he caught her yelp of protest in a heart stopping kiss.

It took her a second to understand what was going on but when she did her arms encircled his neck and he felt her pull herself up towards him. He felt her body shiver and slowly retreated to see her reaction. What he saw made his pride soar.

She looked absolutely dazed with green eyes lidded and gazing at him from above tinted cheeks as if he was an interesting puzzle, he had enjoyed the kiss immensely but it seems not as much as she did. Soon her dazed expression left her beautiful features and she gifted him with a dazzling smile, making his own grin expand almost painfully.

She tightened her hold around his neck again and nodded towards the clouded night sky, realizing what she meant he held one arm tightly around her back and lifted both of them up using the other.
When both of them where finally standing, bodies still pressed closely together, she loosened her hold on him and slowly slid a few inches to the ground reminding them how far they both came from their Gennin days.

"Can I walk you home?" It had slipped out before he could think, but she seemed to notice the stupidity he felt the question carried for she only smiled and nodded her head.

"I would like that Naruto."

Leaving him where he stood, with an acute feeling of loss at the vanishing contact, she went to collect the inconspicuous blue umbrella that was lying in the rain still open. She closed it and to his relief returned and, while standing on the tip of her toes, planted a brief kiss on his warm lips.

She then grabbed his hand and tugged on his arm, "Come on Naruto the quicker we get there the quicker we can get out the rain."

She turned and I followed but unable to resist the urge for more than a few feet I spun her around picked her up and kissed her with every ounce of emotion that I could pull from the depths of my soul.

This was the best thing that had happened to me my entire life and I was intending to take full advantage of it.

The walk home had been short and I found myself wishing that I had lived further and further away, I did not want to leave Naruto any time soon. The feeling that I got from being near him was bliss and the countless times he had stopped only to catch me in mind blowing kisses were near euphoric.

Just as we neared my apartment my mind snapped to something that I had forgotten about through all the revelations and wild emotion running around.

"Naruto?"

He turned to me with Cheshire grin still not having left his sharp features and tugged lightly on me with the arm that he had placed around my back and rested lightly on my hip.

"What is it Sakura-chan?"

I didn't want to ruin this moment together with him, he looked absolutely innocent and childishly happy with the rain that plastered his dusty blonde locks to his head, covering those beautifully expressive eyes that I had only recently came to appreciate.

"Where are you going to sleep tonight?"

She also knew that, despite her thoughts, if she did not than the idiot wouldn't find a place to stay and would probably stay up all night in the rain. He was too selfless to wake his friends this late, even if it was because he had no home or bed of his own to go back too.

His smile slowly faded until all that was left was a tentative expression that failed to tell her anything, he did not answer for two minutes while they carried on walking only to let his grip on my waist slack and embrace me in a firm hug.

I returned it with equal fervour, glad to give him as much contact as he craved remembering it had been denied to him in his youth.

"I don't know yet, but don't worry 'bout it Sakura-chan." It had been mumbled against her cheek and her heart clenched, she wasn't going to let him suffer the cruelty of the ignorant for crimes he did not commit. Leaning back but leaving her arms to linger around his neck, to show him she was not yet finished with him, she looked up into apologetic eyes that were telling her not to worry but made her both more sombre and angrier at the fact that this man did not even know how to worry or care for himself.

Lifting her hand she gently traced the whisker marks that lined his cheeks, running over the slight stubble that grew there.

"Why not stay here for tonight Naruto?" Gentle voice coaxing a response from the shinobi "You can have the couch in the living room, I'm sure you would be comfortable on it."

His eyes widened, hiding the argument that raged in his mind, it was true his plan was to maybe just stay up till tomorrow and then go see Baa-Chan about it but he really did not want to disturb her. He was the reason she was out this late and as soaked as she was.

"No, that's sounds great!" Came the rushed reply, confusing her "It's just . . . You must be tired Sakura-chan, I wouldn't want to cause you any more hassle tonight." The honesty that accompanied his statement pulled at her heart, he truly thought that he was just getting in her way.

Her eyes locked onto his for a second before, without warning, she grabbed his hand and pulled him with her towards her apartment building.

"You're not causing anyone trouble Naruto. Least of all me, so just come in so we can dry off." They got up the stair case and to her apartments varnished wooden door when she let go of his hand to search for her keys.

He stood there slightly bewildered and seemed about to protest when she turned to him, eyes glistening in the dim hallway lighting.

"Please, Naruto? For once I want to do something for you." To his credit he remained still. "I can't let you stay out there all night and I would feel much better knowing your somewhere dry and safe."

His eyes seemed to host a war flickering between bright blue and stormy cobalt, stopping her threatening tears when he gave in to her wishes. Nodding his head and softly smiling he ushered her on. Turning around she put the key into the lock and turned it twice, twisting the handle after hearing a click.

They shed their ninja boots at the door, Naruto taking his of slowly giving Sakura a chance to go and find them some towels. She returned brandishing a singular white and fluffy object; it looked like she had already used it. Her hair was messy and her face was dry, leaving only her cloths soaked.

She passed him the towel and pointed to the bath room. "You can go dry off and change in there. I'll go change and get you some pillows and a blanket so long."

Nodding he headed towards the white door she had pointed at.

The bathroom wasn't what he expected it to be, it was very simple. It contained all the necessities of hygiene but very few luxuries. Its white interior was also home to a washing machine and a tumble dryer, both barely fitting between the shower and sink. After shutting the door behind him Naruto quickly stripped off before hanging his ANBU vest in the shower and proceeded to throw the rest of his cloths into the tumble dryer hoping Sakura wouldn't mind.

It had come as a bit of a surprise that Sakura had practically forced him to stay the night, but he was grateful to her for it. As much as he hated getting in his friends way it was nice to be reminded that you had someone you could turn to.

He wasn't sure if she knew it yet but what she was doing for him now meant more to him than she could ever imagine. He never liked asking friends to put up with him if they didn't have to, the only time that he had ever asked someone for a place to stay for the night was two years back.

It had been the year of the Atkatsuki's defeat and the villagers were overjoyed, it was also then that they realised that without outside threat from missing ninja that they would no longer need me. Even though my part in the victory was not acknowledged the villagers still knew that they needed every shinobi available, but when they weren't the villagers immediately began protesting at my presence in Konoha.

A month after the successful mission I had taken another solo A rank mission, to clear my mind and escape the villagers avarice for my pain. On my return I reported to the Hokage, only to find her looking angry and pained when I walked in. I soon found out that my apartment had been vandalised by a group of villagers who had seen me leaving on the mission.

I was disappointed but not entirely surprised by the discovery, I was then told that I was dismissed and that she would find those who did it and have them punished. I quietly asked her not to, it would only turn them against her, when I left the anger in her eyes were gone but the sadness remained. I asked Shizune if I could take residence of the couch in her smaller office for the night and having heard the news obliged with a sad smile of her own.

That day had been harder than most, the news of what happened spread through the village and of course was eventually heard by all the rookie nine. I had been cornered by everyone and asked if I was alright and if I had a place to stay till mine was repaired. I had reassured everyone that it was alright and I had a place to stay, everyone seemed to accept the news, except Sakura.

She had nagged him for an hour asking if he was actually going to do something stupid like stay up and wonder the village till his place was done, or if he was going camp in the training ground just because he didn't want help.

I eventually convinced her I would be fine and let her go, but she turned back and gave me a reassuring hug and said that if anything comes up that I just need ask her. I had returned that hug fiercely, savouring it and that had only convinced me more so that I could not love anyone but her.

A loud beep made me lift my head to look at the tumble drier, it had pulled me out of my memories to tell me my clothes were dry. Deciding that I didn't want Sakura knocking on the door because I was spacing out I dried my hair and pulled open the tumble drier door and put on the warm cloths.

Leaving my vest hanging in the shower I opened the door and started towards the living room.
Sakura's apartment was by no means small, most probably double the size of his, but it was homey. The living room had a comfortable three seated couch and a reasonably big TV sitting on a stand not too far away.

Taking a seat on the couch a spread my arms across the back of the couch and tilted my head back and closed my eyes. I haven't had much sleep this week I guess, the mission was more draining than I first thought. Slowly my conscious drifted away from me, only staying long enough for me to wonder what was taking Sakura so long.

"Where in the world did I put them?"

I had dried myself of and changed into a comfortable pair of sleeping shorts and short sleeve shirt, but now I was looking for a spare pillow and blanket for Naruto and had no idea where they were. They had been on the top shelve of my cupboard when I last remembered.

Searching hurriedly I was pushing everything out the way before remembering that I had stashed them under my bed after using them last winter, so crawling under the bed I grabbed hold of the elusive things and marched out to see if Naruto was done yet.

He was done but it seems he had fallen asleep from the way his closed eye stared up at the ceiling and his arms rested heavily on the back of the couch. He looked at peace and thinking about it I can't even remember ever seeing him this calm and relaxed ever since I've known him, maybe I didn't know him well enough.

Quietly walking over, so as not to wake him, I placed the pillow against one of the arm rests and was about to place the blanket over Naruto when I was stopped by a sleepy mumble.

"What you doing Sakura-chan?"

I turned and watched as blue steel pinned me in position, he looked down right sexy with eyes half open and mouth twisted in a sleepy smile. Blonde hair setting his head aglow in the dim lighting of the room, making him look angelic.

"Sakura-chan?"

Shaking myself out of my short daze and answered hastily trying to hide the blush that accompanied my thoughts of the blonde.

"N-n-nothing, just getting you some blankets and pillows. Can't let you sleep on the couch with some sort of cover and . . ." My words slowly petered out when he lifted a hand towards me palm facing the ceiling.

Confused at his actions I took his hand, than gave a cry of surprise as he pulled me down onto the couch pillows and blankets forgotten. His arms wrapped around me as he turned and buried his head in my neck, I could feel the warm breathe on my sensitive skin and shivered not fighting the feeling it gave me.

"Thank you." He said it so quietly that it nearly didn't reach me, but I heard and could feel him slightly shaking. Concerned I pulled away from him to look at him, immediately missing the feeling of his breath tickling my neck. He was smiling at me and was about to ask what he meant but he beat me to it.

"Thank you for letting me stay here Sakura-chan, it means allot to me." Truly surprised I studied his face; it portrayed nothing but honesty and gratitude. "You don't have to thank me, anyone would do it Naruto, after everything you've done for the village it's the least anyone could do."

Pulling him close again I enjoyed the warmth he radiated as I listened to him inhale deeply, and then froze when his next whispered words reached my ears.

"It's just nice not to be alone this week for once." What did he mean by 'alone this week'?
Searching my memory for any idea of anything from past years I found nothing. Curiosity now peaked as his arms held me tighter still I asked him what he meant

He hesitated as if debating whether or not to say what he was about to, and then with a deep breath that raised the hair on my neck he told me.

"It's . . . . I. . . . It's just that during the festival I usually don't have anyone to spend time with, everyone is with their family celebrating." He paused as if he was considering the rest of his answer before continuing. "You know the festival is in celebration of the Kyuubi's Defeat?" I nodded into his shoulder. "Well I guess I just don't have much to celebrate," Came the whispered reply. "It's just after so many years I wish that maybe someone would give me something to celebrate."

My mind raced and I struggled to find what he was getting at, 'What did the festival have to do with. . .' When it hit me I stopped breathing.

"No. . ." I whispered, it couldn't be, I would have noticed or at least thought of it.

But it was true and the story slowly returned to me. A village attacked by the nine tailed demon, the last stand of the Fourth Hokage, the sealing of the Kyuubi into a new born child at the cost of the Fourths life and finally the name of the child who the demon had been sealed in.

". . . . . happy to finally have someone to spend it with." My breathing started again but now I felt heaviness on my heart that I though left when I told him I loved him.

"Oh Naruto, I'm so sorry." Tears fought their way free of my eyes and I hugged him fiercely.

He must have realised that I figured it out because next thing I knew I was sat on his lap legs supporting me on either side of him. "It's ok Sakura-chan; I've learned to live with it. It isn't that important."

His hushed consolations only made me sob louder, 'How did I not think of his birthday?'
It made me feel worse than I had ever felt before, how could I have not given a though for Naruto's birthday when he had given me the best presents I would receive every year.

Last year he hadn't bought me anything but somehow managed to let Tsunade-shisou give me, Ino and Hinata a month vacation from the hospital. He then gave us each an all expense paid three week pass to the Hot Spring Spa in the Wave, giving one to Ino and Hinata so that I would have someone to go with.

I had been so excited that I had not even thanked him properly for the gift before we were off to the wave to enjoy it, the day we got back I had asked Tsunade if she had seen Naruto and she had. He had been on non-stop A-rank missions the entire month and wouldn't return for another week. I didn't need to ask why he suddenly started taking more missions, and it humbled me to know that he had loved me so much that he had spent his own month holiday doing missions to pay for the gift he had given me.

Thinking back now I despise myself, for always taking him for granted and now finding that I have not even given him a simple greeting on his birthday because I was too busy celebrating the defeat of a demon that had and still did ruin his life.

"Sakura-chan . . ."

I didn't want to face him, face the one who had given so selflessly even when all he got in return was tolerance of his presence. I moved my arms and gripped the front of his black shirt, trying to find strength to face him and a hold to pull me as close to him as possible.

"Sakura, look at me."

I shut my eyes tightly as he slowly pushed me forward and away from him, I felt something rough, gently brush away the tears that stained my cheeks and I dared to open my eyes. He was smiling at me, a smile that I had come to know as meaning that he would not let anything get to him and I closed my eyes again and wrapped my arms around his neck and kissed him.

He kissed all my regret and sorrow away, lips that claimed his title as the Hokage so passionately seemed to erase and forgive all my wrong doings whether against him or not. They moved as if he knew exactly where to sooth and excite and the sleep that had threatened to claim me when I had walked in vanished into a euphoric wave of pleasure.

When we couldn't deny air to our lungs any longer be broke apart, my arms still draped around his neck and our faces still mere centimetres apart.

I wished that I could have done more for him, and looking back I will always wonder how it would have been if I stared paying attention to him earlier. I know now that there is more to this man that held me captive with glowing blue emotion.

I've only started giving back to him a life time of love and assurance, and now that I've took the first step I'm going to start running. Running till I catch up with all the time I missed chasing disappointment, till I have finally paid back all the time he has given me.

My eyes still glittered with tears met the depths of raging waters and I knew. Knew that I would be giving back for a long time and I smiled at the thought, seeing my reflection surprisingly clearly on the surface of those waters.

Leaning forward I kissed him again and watched his eyes slowly light up from words that I owed him more than twenty times over.

"Happy birthday Naruto, happy birthday."

This is the end of Born of a Broken Man and I'm glad it's finally done since I've been itching to write some more stories but couldn't bring myself to stop half way through.

Please leave a review if you would be so kind.