Smoke rose from the ground, the surrounding area singed from the fierce battle that had raged on mere moments ago. Ancient trees lay uprooted on their sides, having been used as clubs by the tailed beasts or just been in the way of their attacks. Various shinobi from all across the land were seen scampering across the landscape, carrying the wounded or dead back to the medical tents. In the center of the field lying on their backs lay Naruto and Killer B, both exhausted and battered badly.

"I wish…someone would get us back to camp…already." Naruto mumbled drowsily, eyes staring up at the sky.

"Not their fault, they're low on man power," Killer B replied, "But don't be upset, we'll be picked up in an hour~"

"I can barely think, and yet you're rapping." Naruto grinned, looking over at him. "You're something else Uncle B."

"Oh, he's something else alright," Gyuki, the eight tails, grumbled. Kurama chuckled, his head resting on his paws as he silently agreed with him. Killer B frowned and for a second Naruto believed he was about to retort to Gyuki's comment; however, the words he spoke were utterly different from what he thought they would be.

"Don't look now, but here comes trouble; and in our state now, it might as well be double."

Naruto immediately sat up, kunai raised to defend against attack, looking wildly around the battle field. His eyes locked onto a familiar face, his spiked hair blowing gently in the breeze that began to blow as he looked into Naruto's blue eyes with his own onyx eyes. Naruto slowly lowered the kunai as he stared in disbelief at the man standing so close, yet so far away from him.

"Sasuke…"

He smirked. "It's been a while…Naruto."

"So," Tsunade said, pouring herself another cup of sake, "Tell me this story again. I couldn't quite hear you over the bullshit you were spewing before."

Sasuke was tempted to roll his eyes; instead he refrained and gave his story again. "Hn, I've told you; I ran into Kabuto with Itachi, I helped to defeat him and release the Edo Tensei, I revived Orochimaru to learn the truth about everything, and I killed him and decided not to raze Konoha to the ground."

"Heh, Pein kinda beat you to that one," Naruto said sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. Both Tsunade and Sasuke sent him a glare, causing him to cower behind Shizune as she held Tonton. "I'll be quiet now."

Tsunade sighed, sipping from her sake cup. "You do realize that I don't believe a word you're saying, right? I know Itachi was willing to help stop the war, being a pacifist, but you were on the other side trying to kill us all."

"Itachi was my brother," Sasuke said coolly, "I wanted answers and the only way to get them was to squash that worm Kabuto into the ground."

"And reviving Orochimaru?"

"He was vital in learning the truth; I made sure to dispose of him again."

"Tch, why do I find that hard to believe," Tsunade said as she leaned back in her chair, "You're an S-class criminal, wanted dead by all five countries, and an allegedly former member of Akatsuki. You've committed various crimes, tried to kill my best shinobi twice, attempted to kill the Jinchuuriki of Kumogakure, and you expect me to believe that you revived Orochimaru only for answers to your question of 'To destroy or not destroy'?"

Naruto frowned, peeking out from behind Shizune's back; the way that she put it, his whole story did seem a little implausible. After all, it only seemed like yesterday-or maybe it was yesterday, he wondered, he did lose track of time during the war-when Sasuke had tried to murder Sakura and made a pledge to kill him.

"Yeah, but you really think he's playing that game right now?" Kurama asked, head tilted to the side.

"No…yes…maybe?" Naruto replied, eyebrows furrowed in concentration, "I don't know! I want to believe and accept him, but he tried to kill us!"

"Tch, you are a hopeless idiot," Kurama snorted, "I can tell that he's not lying."

"Really? But…he could just be really good at masking it!"

"I can sense negative emotions," Kurama growled as he rolled his eyes, "That boy is being as blunt and honest as you are obnoxious."

"Hey," Naruto shouted aloud, glaring down at his stomach. Everyone in the room turned to stare at him, causing Kurama to chuckle as he settled back.

"Nice going kid."

"Something you'd like to share Naruto," Tsunade asked, raising her eyebrow. Naruto laughed nervously, rubbing the back of his neck as he looked around the room.

"Uh, well you see, Kurama and I were just talking and he can tell that teme's not lying," Naruto said, pointing at where the seal was on his stomach. "I mean, he can sense negative emotions and he says that Sasuke's not really giving anything off. Except for, you know, being a bastard and all."

"Don't add your feelings into my words," Kurama growled, eyes narrowed in annoyance.

"Heh, serves you right for calling me obnoxious."

Tsunade laced her hands together, forming a bridge for her to hide the small smile she sported behind. "Well, if that's the case, then I guess you're not getting an immediate death penalty today."

Naruto was about to cheer before Tsunade raised her hand. "However, I will have to consult with the other hidden villages on what to do about you. I'll try to make sure you don't get yourself killed, but whatever happens won't be pretty. In the meantime, Naruto will be your escort around the encampment; also, just for shits and giggles, he's the boss of you."

Sasuke's eye twitched in annoyance as he heard Naruto burst out into laughter behind him. "Hn."

She waved her hand in dismissal. "Alright, get out of my sights. And Shizune, why not take them to see Sakura?"

"Of course Tsunade-sama," Shizune said, heading out of the tent. Sasuke raised an eyebrow as Naruto slapped his forehead.

"Ah! I forgot all about Sakura-chan!" Naruto said, grabbing Sasuke's wrist and dragging him out of the tent. "Come on teme, let's see how she is!"

"Stop dragging me," Sasuke growled, yanking his wrist from Naruto's grip. Naruto grinned apologetically as they fell into step behind Shizune. Various people milled throughout the camp, waiting until their comrades were deemed fit for the long journey back to their various homes. Sasuke watched the eyes track his every movement; hands were placed on weapons pouches just to be sure, with some even having the seals of a jutsu ready if need be. Naruto noticed the surrounding hostilities, swinging his arm around Sasuke's shoulders.

"Don't worry; we're all just amped up from the war," Naruto reassured him, "When it's time to come home, nobody will even care anymore! Plus when Sakura-chan sees you and gets all happy, everybody will trust you again!"

"She has that much standing here," He asked nonchalantly, although inwardly he was surprised people would care what she thinks.

"Of course," Naruto nodded, grinning, "She saved a lot of lives out there; she even figured out that a White Zetsu clone had infiltrated the camp and tried to kill her! And that's not to even mention how many guys have given her love letters after being cared by her."

"Hn; they should've been focusing on their battle tactics instead of trying to bed a medic." Sasuke grunted, rolling his eyes. Naruto glared at him, smacking him lightly in the back of his head; Sasuke glared back at him, half-tempted to strike him back.

"She turned them all down stupid! She's been totally focused on this war and saving lives, not trying to find a nice guy to settle down with." Naruto said, defending her.

"Obviously she failed somewhere along the line if she was injured." Sasuke pointed out, turning back to stare straight ahead. Naruto sighed, looking down at the ground as he unwrapped his arm from Sasuke's shoulders.

"Well practically getting your skull bashed open is something that happens when you're helping to defeat that crazed psycho." Naruto muttered quietly; Sasuke chose to instead keep looking ahead as they reached the tent. Shizune turned around to them, her hand on the tent flap.

"Now I have to warn you," She began, catching both their attention, "She took a lot of head trauma from the fight. So far she…she hasn't recognized anyone."

"You mean she doesn't know who we are?" Naruto exclaimed, eyes wide with disbelief. Shizune shushed Naruto, glaring slightly at him. Naruto quieted down as Sasuke gave a slight grunt in amusement at him being scolded.

"It's more complicated than that," Shizune said, "We believe that she's recognizing us based upon her feelings towards us."

Naruto's eyes suddenly sparkled with hope, his hands clasped together. "Recognizing…on emotion?" He asked dreamily, suddenly beginning to play out a fantasy within his head.

"Sakura-chan, I'm here to visit you," Naruto called out cheerfully. Sakura turned to look at him, smiling brightly from her bed.

"Naruto-kun, I'm glad you could make it," She said, "My day's been so dull without you by my side."

"Well never fear my love, for I'm here to rescue you from deadly boredom!" He said, taking her hand and kissing it. She giggled, a light blush adorning her cheeks.

"Oh you…" She sighed happily, kissing his cheek. "What did I ever do to deserve someone as wonderful as you?"

"By merely being the most beautiful angel in the world," He said lovingly, caressing her cheek. She sighed, leaning into his touch.

"Naruto-kun…" She said, leaning towards him, eyes closed. He leaned towards her slowly, eyes sliding shut.

"Sakura-chan…"

"Oi, if you get any closer to Shizune, you'll freak her out," Kurama growled, smirking. Naruto's eyes popped open, locking directly onto Shizune's as she stared at him with concern.

"Are…are you alright Naruto?" She asked, leaning as far back from him as she could. Naruto immediately straightened up, slightly blushing as he grinned.

"Never better," He said cheerfully, "Now then, let's visit Sakura-chan!" He cheered, rushing towards the tent as he pushed both flaps open. Sasuke rolled his eyes at his antics, watching from outside since Naruto blocked the entrance to the tent as he made his announcement.

"Oh Sakura-chan, your wonderful Naruto-kun is here to see you," He sang out, eyes closed as he continued to imagine his dream scenario. He could hear her giggle from the bed; he could imagine her smile and a slight blush on her perfect face.

"Onii-chan, you're so silly," Sakura said, smiling at him. Naruto's eyes popped open as his jaw fell to the ground, staring at her in disbelief.

"O-O-Onii-chan," He exclaimed in his thoughts, feeling as though he had turned into ashes and was being blown away in the wind. Kurama laughter came in an uproar, not even bothering to try and hide his amusement at the situation.

"Kid, I think you've just been friendzoned," Kurama chuckled from within his mind. Naruto groaned, stumbling to the side of the entrance and falling to a heap on the ground.

"She might as well have called me Oni-chan!" He wailed within his mind. Sakura looked at him, eyebrow raised as Shizune stepped into the tent. She looked towards Shizune, still puzzled by Naruto's behavior.

"Onee-chan, is onii-chan okay," She asked, looking over at Naruto. Shizune sighed, giving her an apologetic smile.

"He's alright Sakura-chan," She said, "More importantly, how are you feeling? Do you remember anyone yet?"

Sakura frowned, her eyebrows furrowing together. "Well…I saw otou-san a while ago. And…oh! I saw Tonton today too!"

"You mean you remember that pig but not me?" Naruto wailed, pointing at Tonton as she sat beside Shizune's feet. Sakura glared at him, leaning down in bed to pick her up and place her in her lap.

"Hey! It's not nice to compare Tonton to Ino," She said, petting the pig's head, "I mean Tonton looks and acts nothing like a pig! Right Ino," She asked the real Tonton, picking up the pig.

"Wait…So she thinks…But it's really…Argh," Naruto cried out, clutching his head, "I'm so confused here!"

Shizune sighed as Sakura looked on in confusion. "Don't mind him Sakura; he's just getting used to things again. Anyway, we have someone we'd like you to meet."

"Really," Sakura asked happily, looking towards the tent flap. Shizune nodded, turning towards the entrance.

"Come on in now," She called. Sasuke slowly walked in, pushing past the tent flaps as he came in. Sakura gasped, eyes widening as she stared at him. Shizune and Naruto looked at her hopefully, thinking she might have reached a breakthrough.

"Sakura, do you recognize him," Shizune asked excitedly, watching her reaction. She frowned though, as she saw not love or even a spark of recognition as she expected flare up in Sakura's eyes; instead, she saw pure fear as she stared open mouthed at Sasuke.

And that was when Sakura screamed loud enough to wake the dead.

"Damn, I thought mine was bad," Naruto said, grinning, "She actually did call you an oni."

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, his back facing Naruto as he lay on the bed. Naruto sighed, lying back on his own bed within the tent.

"She's going to remember us eventually," Naruto said, trying to comfort him. Sasuke didn't reply, causing Naruto to sigh once again as he recalled her reaction.

"Monster," She screamed, pointing a finger at him. They all stared at her, confusion and shock written across their faces.

"Sakura-chan, it's just-" Naruto was interrupted as Sakura began throwing whatever was near her bedside at Sasuke; which also unfortunately included Tonton.

"Enemy! Demon! Oni! Bad guy, bad guy, bad guy!" She screamed, almost similar to a child throwing a temper tantrum. Shizune grabbed her wrists, trying to soothe her thrashings as she glanced over her shoulder at Naruto. Naruto nodded, grabbing Sasuke's shoulder and steering him outside of the tent. As they left the tent Sasuke could hear Sakura's sobbing into Shizune's chest as Shizune stroked her hair, trying to placate her.

"It's okay Sakura, the bad man went away."

"He's upset," Kurama muttered from within. Naruto rolled his eyes as he stared up at the ceiling.

"No shit, what was your first clue?"

"Idiot, you know what I mean," He growled from within, "He's feeling guilty right now. And definitely about twenty times as worse as you felt when finding out what you were to her."

"Well he did try to kill her twice in one day," Naruto pointed out.

"He was blinded by hatred and vengeance at the time," Kurama countered, "I know you've gone through the same things when I used to take over you."

An image of Sakura in pain after Naruto had attacked her in his four tailed form flashed through Naruto's mind. "I guess you have a point. So how do we fix this?"

"We do nothing," Kurama said, "Only Sasuke can unbury those feelings of love that she has for him."

"You mean I have to let him get the girl?!"

"No one said growing up was easy kid. Besides," Kurama smirked, "I'm sure you can find some way to embarrass him. After all, this is his fault; we're merely the matchmakers."

"…You're basically saying I give him advice to make her fall in love with him that makes him act so out of character that the rest of us get a good hoot out of it?"

"More or less, yes."

Naruto grinned evilly. "Kurama, you and I could've done great things when I was pranking everyone."

"Alright teme, listen up!" Naruto said, pointing his finger at Sasuke, "I'm going to help you win Sakura-chan over!"

Sasuke raised an eyebrow. "Why would you help me?"

"Because I'm your best friend in the whole world, duh," Naruto said, grinning. He added in his mind that this was sweet delicious payback for all the hell that Sasuke had put them through. "Now then, we're going to need to change your image."

"What's wrong with it," He growled, glaring at Naruto. Naruto gulped, feeling the temperature in the tent drop fifteen degrees as an aura of dread spread throughout the room.

"Th-That," Naruto said, waving his arms around, "You're giving off a doom and gloom aura! No wonder Sakura-chan thinks you're a bad guy!"

"Hn," Sasuke merely grunted as the scenario from yesterday played through his mind. Naruto grinned, knowing that he had him where he wanted him.

"Now, I asked all the females around the encampment-"

"You let other people in on this," Sasuke practically seethed; another ten degrees dropped from the air.

"Hush, the guru is speaking," Naruto said, flipping through his notes, "Let's see…All the girls said that to make you seem friendlier, you'd have to change your style! Wear something more…civilian looking, so to speak. They said looking at you now reminds them of the man you used to be; they think that maybe if you change your style, Sakura will take you for someone else!"

"I highly doubt that's going to happen."

"You got any better ideas," Naruto asked, hands on his hips. He grinned in triumph as he was met by silence, "Good! Now then, I've dug around a bit, asked everyone for their fashion advice, and have developed something for you!"

"If it's orange I'm not wearing it."

"God damn it Sasuke, give the color a chance," Naruto shouted, grabbing the blanket that hid the ensemble from view, "But it's not orange, so stop throwing a hissy fit, and say hello to your new outfit!"

He threw back the blanket, allowing Sasuke to look over and observe it. It was a black wife beater underneath a purple shirt that was meant to stay open, paired with green pants. What caught his eye, however, were the various pieces of jewelry that he was expected to wear.

"Hell. No," Sasuke stated blandly. Naruto smacked his forehead, running his hand down his face as he fixed Sasuke with a glare.

"You haven't even tried it! Besides, it's not that bad; I made sure everything was clan related! See, the necklace has your Uchiha fan, and the ring is white and red; hell, even the bracelet has Uchiha carved on it!" He shouted, shoving it into Sasuke's face. Sasuke glared at it, hoping that by staring at it long enough it could suddenly spontaneously combust.

"I refuse."

"Oh come on! Please," Naruto whined, "You've gotta do something to convince her you're a good guy now! I mean, it is your fault she's afraid of you; you tried to kill her for God's sake!"

Sasuke gave him a death glare, causing Naruto to gulp and wish he had something to cower behind. "Too far?"

"No, I thought it was perfectly acceptable." Kurama said sarcastically.

"Hey, I'm about to die and all you can do is-"

"Fine."

"What," Naruto blinked, thinking that he had misheard. Sasuke glared slightly, hating to repeat himself again.

"I said fine, I'll wear the stupid clothes."

Naruto's face slowly broke out into a grin. "Alright then! Now, let's talk about your attitude…"

"This better work dobe or your hide is mine." Sasuke grumbled, running a hand through his hair as they stood outside Sakura's tent.

"Don't worry, I'm totally sure that this will work," Naruto said, grinning, "Now, take this rose and put on some of that Uchiha charm you've got inside you." He said, shoving a rose into Sasuke's hands. Sasuke raised an eyebrow, looking at the rose and then at Naruto.

"Why the hell am I giving her a rose?"

"Because girls like flowers," Naruto exclaimed, "Now stop asking questions and get in there!" He said, shoving him through the tent flap. Sasuke stumbled slightly inside, catching his balance as he stood at the entrance. He looked over at Sakura, noticing that she was currently reading a book, completely oblivious to his presence. He cleared his throat slightly, making sure that his presence was known; she jumped, looking up from her book to look at him.

"Wh-What do you want," She asked timidly, fear evident in her eyes. Sasuke mentally cursed, guilt coursing through him at her reaction. He calmed himself, trying his best to put on a charming smile as he hid the rose behind his back.

"Can't I visit a…beautiful…angel whenever I please?" He asked, almost gritting out the compliment to her as he spoke. He inwardly kissed his pride good-bye, knowing that she and Naruto would forever taunt him about this moment for the rest of his life.

"B-Beautiful angel," She asked, slightly blushing. He couldn't believe that Naruto's plan was working; so far she hadn't screamed, and she seemed to be reacting positively to his attitude.

"Of course," He said, slowly sauntering over to her. She moved slightly away from him, eyeing him warily as he approached. "After all your…radiance is…a signal of…hope to my…wandering soul."

"I will kill Naruto the moment this is done," Sasuke thought angrily as he kept up the sweet façade on the outside. Sakura still watched him warily, knowing that he was hiding something from her. He stopped his walk about a foot away from her bed before revealing the rose from behind his back, holding it out to her.

"A reminder that I will always be by your side," He said, gauging her reaction as she stared at it, "Although I apologize that it doesn't match your…beauty or…elegance."

Sakura's eyes darted from the rose to his face, searching for any sign of anything being amiss. He prayed that she didn't think the slight twitching of his cheek or eye was a sign of anything suspicious; otherwise, the entire plan would be ruined.

Unfortunately for him, no one was available to answer his prayers as she screamed again.

"S-So tell me what she said again," Naruto chuckled, sitting up the bed after he had gotten over his previous laughing fit. Sasuke glared at him, arms crossed over his chest as he recounted the story.

"She called me a hentai, an incubus, a stalker, a pervert, a playboy, and why am I telling you this," He spat out, "You were there to hear it all!"

"I know, but it's just so damn funny!" Naruto fell back on the bed, laughing hysterically. "She even whacked you in the face with her book!"

"I'm glad you're taking such enjoyment out of this," Sasuke growled angrily, his hand holding his bruised cheek. Naruto calmed down some more, wiping the tears from his eyes as he sat up.

"Alright alright, I'll be serious now, promise." He said, crossing his heart. Sasuke merely growled again, glaring at him. Naruto leaned back in the bed, arms crossed behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling of the tent.

"So, since being nice to her didn't work, I say we go with the second option!"

"Which is?"

Naruto made the hand sign for his trademark jutsu that he had invented when he was younger. "Orioke no Jutsu!" He disappeared in a puff of smoke, only to be replaced by a voluptuous young woman clothed in his original garments.

Sasuke's eye twitched as he watched Naruto transform. "No way in hell."

"Aw, don't be so mean Sasuke," Naruto whined, pouting cutely, "Besides, what better way to win her trust than by being one of the girls?"

"I believe I would be breaking her trust by pretending to be a girl."

"Aw come on, just give it a try," Naruto said, walking over to him, his hips swinging seductively. "Please Sasuke? For me," He purred, resting his head on his shoulder. Sasuke raised his arm before slamming his elbow into Naruto's head, causing the transformation to disappear as he fell to the floor in pain.

"If you promise not to do that again, then fine." Sasuke said, still staring ahead. Naruto writhed in pain on the floor, his head clutched in his hands.

"You'll pay for that damn it!"

"Hn, this isn't going to work." Sasuke said, crossing his arms over his newly achieved feminine chest. His hair was long and in a ponytail, still spiked in the back though as it flowed down his back. He wore a blue top and a white skirt with blue trim, with the Uchiha fan on the back of the top.

"With that attitude, of course it won't!" Naruto said, rolling his eyes. "Now go in there and make friends Sasuko." Naruto chuckled as he put emphasis on the 'ko'. Sasuke growled, shoving him out of the way as he entered the tent again. He was immediately met with Sakura staring at the entrance, confusion evident on her face.

"Who are you," She asked. Sasuke relaxed, knowing that she wouldn't recognize him since he had changed his form.

"My name is Sasu...ko." He said, hesitating on the last part. She tilted her head to the side, still unsure of who he was.

"Sasuko," She repeated, "Do I know a Sasuko?"

"Yeah," He replied, trying to be cheerful, "We're…friends! From our academy days?"

Sakura thought for a moment, thinking about what he said. "…Come closer."

"Sure…" He said hesitantly, moving towards her. He eventually made it to her bedside, sitting down on the chair beside her. She leaned close to his face, examining him carefully; Sasuke felt as though she could somehow see past the transformation, although he knew that it was absolutely flawless.

"So Sasuko," She began, "What team were you assigned to?"

"Team 9," He said, knowing that somewhere along the team assignments, there had been a ninth one. She smiled cheerfully up at him, and for a moment he felt as though things were going according to plan.

"That's funny," She said; suddenly he knew the plan was falling through, "Because I don't even remember there being a team nine!"

Sasuke suddenly jumped away from her bed as she lunged at him, taking a fighting stance as she got out of bed. "What the hell do you remember anyway?!" He shouted, dodging her attacks as she tried to land a hit to dispel the transformation.

"I remember team eight, consisting of Hanabi, Mushi, Akamaru and his dog Kiba! I remember team ten, consisting of Tonton, Shikaku, and Choza! I remember team Bushy Brows with Bruce Lee, Nejia, and Bunbun! And I remember my family, okaa-san, otou-san, onii-chan, and onee-chan!"

Sasuke stared at her, disturbed by how she remembered her comrades. "You're a little off the mark you know."

"Well you're not even on my mark!" She shouted, lunging at him. He cursed silently as he grabbed her wrists, stopping her attack as he threw her onto one of the beds. As she hit the mattress he appeared above her, pinning her down. She glared up at him, eyes fiery with determination as she fought against his hold.

"Let me go damn it," She shouted, thrashing in his grip. He had her hands pinned, so he began to try and keep her legs from kicking him off her. He effectively got her legs to stop moving, only for her to wrench one of her hands free and punch him in the face.

"God damn it," He shouted, grabbing her wrists again and pinning her down more forcefully. She gasped as she looked up at him, and he knew that from the force of her hit that she had caused the transformation to dispel.

"I-It's you," She breathed, her eyes shining with fear, "D-Don't hurt me! Just let me go and leave me alone already!"

He sighed, wishing he could run his fingers through his hair but knew he needed to keep her down. "I'm not going to hurt you Sakura."

Her eyes widened. "H-How do you know my name?"

"We were…" He stopped, having to think for a moment. What had they been before he left? Teammates surely, but from what she remembered she wouldn't buy it. Should he say they were friends? No, because he hadn't been able to begin a friendship with her; he couldn't deny to himself that there was something that tethered him to her, something that definitely ran deeper than just mere camaraderie.

"We were what?" She asked, looking up at him. He met her eyes, no longer seeing fear but instead an intense curiosity. She obviously wanted to know; but should she know? He had only caused her pain, and it had obviously had a negative impact on her if she reacted in such fear the first time she saw him despite not knowing him.

"We were…something I can't describe," He said, deciding that it was better than blurting out they had been teammates when in truth he really couldn't put a finger on what they had been.

"Can't describe," She asked, forehead creased in confusion, "But you can always describe something."

"Our relationship is a lot more complicated than that," He said. He watched as she blushed slightly, and suddenly he realized what kind of message he might be sending by having her pinned to the bed and using such language.

"So…were we…" She looked down and away from him, and for a moment he was reminded of when they were genin and she was an innocent, weak girl instead of a strong, respected kunoichi, "Together?"

He opened his mouth to speak when suddenly the tent flap was opened, Naruto poking his head into the tent.

"Hey teme, I heard all this commotion and you didn't come out, so I thought you were de-" He stopped right in his tracks as he saw the position that Sasuke and Sakura were in. "What the hell are you doing you God damn horny bastard?!"

Sasuke mentally slapped himself as Sakura screamed again, although this time from embarrassment instead of fear as Naruto dragged him out of the tent.

Sasuke watched as Naruto paced in front of him, his arms behind his back as he ranted and raved.

"I leave you two alone-"

"It's not what it looked like."

"-And you try to take advantage of her-"

"I had to stop her from killing me."

"-I mean for God's sake Sasuke, she has amnesia right now!"

"I know that damn it,"Sasuke growled, rubbing his temples.

"And people call me a pervert-"

"It's not what it looked like damn it!"

"-I'll bet you even put the moves on her that first time-"

"I only said what you told me to say!"

"-I mean, no wonder she thought you were a pervert or something-"

"Will you shut up and listen?" Sasuke shouted, grabbing Naruto by the collar of his jacket. Naruto looked at the hand before glaring at Sasuke.

"Now is that anyway to treat your boss?"

Sasuke groaned, shoving him away as he stalked over to his bed, lying down with his back facing Naruto again. Naruto sighed, sitting on the edge of his bed as he watched Sasuke's back. "Déjà vu."

"Hmph, and the kid is still a swirl of emotions as well." Kurama noted, yawning slightly.

"Really? Nothing different at all?"

Kurama shrugged. "Eh, anger at himself, you, everything; upset at you, himself, everything; and of course, the ever present guilt."

"So we fixed nothing!"

"Not quite Cupid," Kurama smirked, "I can't sense it since it's not negative, but he's got a powerful emotion brewing in that crockpot of a heart."

"Meaning what?"

"Meaning we should probably get off our ass and go talk with your lovely imouto-chan," Kurama chuckled as Naruto groaned at the term used for Sakura.

Sasuke was barely asleep when the tent flap opened again, signaling the arrival of someone. He opened his eyes, sensing the person's hesitation at coming forward as they saw his back.

"It's fine," He said, still staring at the back of the tent. The person walked carefully towards the bed, their steps unsure as they slowly reached the bed. He felt the mattress shift as more weight was added, signaling that the person had finally reached his bed and chose to sit on it.

"I'm sorry if I disturbed you," The person said quietly. He recognized the voice, shifting in bed so that he could look at them and make sure that he wasn't just hearing things. He saw Sakura sitting on his bed, her eyes looking down at her lap, her fingers laced together.

"It's fine," He reassured her, "I wasn't sleeping anyways."

She nodded, taking a deep breath before beginning. "Onii-chan came to talk to me."

It took Sasuke a moment to register that she meant Naruto. "Ah."

"He…He explained a lot of things. About you…about us…" She looked over at him, "Was it all true?"

"I can't verify something if I don't know what he said," Sasuke replied, still watching her. She blushed, looking down at her hands again.

"Sorry," She apologized before retelling what Naruto had said, "He told me that we were all on the same team together. He said that you two always protected me; that you two never gave me a chance to try and be strong because you coddled me."

"I wouldn't exactly use the term 'coddled'." Sasuke muttered under his breath. Sakura smiled, turning to look at him.

"He said you would say that. He said a lot about you actually; how you wanted to protect what was precious to you, how you…left us for your goal, how you accomplished it and wouldn't come back, and then…then…"

"Then what," He prompted her to go on, but she shook her head.

"That's all he told me. He said…He said that you would have to tell me what happened after that."

Sasuke sighed, running his hand through his hair. "It's not a happy memory to relive."

"I don't care."

"You'll hate me."

"Haven't I spent a good while hating you without even knowing why," She countered, "At least let me hate you with a reason."

"Fine," He sighed, "I tried…I tried to kill you. I almost succeeded to, if it hadn't been for Naru-I mean your onii-chan and Kakashi."

"Kakashi…" She thought for a moment, "You mean otou-san?"

He nods. "Ah."

"But why did you try to kill me?"

"Because I was blinded by everything," Sasuke said, "I wanted revenge for what everyone did to my own nii-san, because he was a good man that didn't deserve what happened to him. But…I met him again, and he somehow got through to me to seek the truth. And that's what I did; I sought it out, and I became someone different from who I was when I attempted to kill you."

"So…you're not a bad guy?" She asked, looking at him quizzically. He smirked, shaking his head.

"No; not anymore."

"Good," She smiled, "Because I would like to try and be together again."

"That idiot didn't let me finish when he dragged me out; I was going to tell you that we were never romantically involved."

"Oh," She said blushing, looking away from him, "I-I just thought that…f-from earlier…"

He shook his head. "No, just the idiot interrupting."

"Oh…" She said quietly, finding her lap very interesting. Silence prevailed for a while as they sat, Sasuke merely observing her as she continued to stare down into her lap. Suddenly she looked at him from the corner of her eye shyly, causing him to raise an eyebrow.

"This may sound strange but…" She fidgeted with her fingers, "But I feel like you're an important person to me. More important than even onii-chan or otou-san, as strange as that sounds."

He suddenly remembered her words from that night so long ago, when she poured her heart out to him to try and convince him to stay.

"I love you with all my heart!"

"It's probably just me, but I feel like I've always wanted you to be…happy."

"We'd be happy I swear!"

Sakura looked back down at her lap, suddenly feeling tears in her eyes. "And…and from what onii-chan said, you've hurt me but…but I don't care. Because I know you were hurting as well, and you wanted others to feel your pain as well. So even though you'll probably hurt me again, you'll always be this important person to me for no reason at all. That's why…"

"So…Please…"

"I hope that you stay with us." She finished, smiling as she closed her eyes, hiding the watery jade as tears began to slip down her cheeks.

"Just stay with me!"

Sasuke reached up slowly, gently brushing the tears from her cheeks. Sakura's eyes opened as she pulled away, furiously rubbing at her eyes.

"Stupid…" She muttered as she ran her palm against her cheeks to wipe away the signs of tears, "Why am I even crying? It's not like I'm sad or anything."

"No, you're not," Sasuke muttered, causing her attention to turn to him, "But you did something like this when we were younger, and you were sad then."

Sakura looked down. "Onii-chan told me that I was sad…But he didn't tell me that I told you that you were important to me."

"He wouldn't know; it was just between the two of us."

"For some reason that makes me glad," She smiled, "I'm…glad that I had that moment with you alone."

"Hn, we'll most likely have more moments alone." He said, thinking of times in the future when they would be paired on missions and such. Sakura however, thought differently, her face turning bright red.

"W-We w-will," She squeaked out, looking up at him in shock. Sasuke suddenly realized the double meaning of his words, inwardly groaning at his mistake.

"Not like that," He immediately said a bit more harshly then he meant it to be. He cursed himself again as he saw her flinch a little at his tone.

"Look, I…" He sighed, looking down at the ground, "I'm sorry." He muttered, not looking over at her.

Sakura looked over at him, noticing how he seemed to actually feel bad about how he acted towards her. As she saw him, she felt as if she needed to reassure him that it was okay; that she forgave him, for his harsh tone and for everything that had happened that she couldn't recall. She climbed onto the bed, carefully maneuvering behind him as she tried to calm her nerves.

Sasuke felt the bed shift, wondering what Sakura was doing. He glanced over to where she had been sitting before, noticing that she was no longer seated there. He suddenly felt her arms carefully wrap around his neck, her head resting on his back.

"I forgive you…Sasuke-kun," She said, closing her eyes as she rested against him. Sasuke's eyes widened slightly as he heard her speak, before returning to how they were before albeit a bit softer.

He felt her slow breathing on his back, prompting him to turn around slowly in her arms so as not to disturb her. As he came face to face with her, she fell into his chest, her head resting against his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around her carefully. He slowly lay down; bringing her with him as he made sure she was comfortable in his arms and bed before closing his own eyes to join her.

"Sakura…Thank you."

Naruto sighed; standing outside of the tent after Sakura had gone in. He kicked at the ground, knowing that the two of them were probably inside making kissy face while he was standing outside in the cold, alone.

"Stop being so melodramatic," Kurama growled, opening an eye, "She basically just told you that she loved you like a brother today, and yet you still have feelings for her?"

"It's not so easy to get over the crush of a lifetime!"

"Flowers come and go, but sunlight stays forever," He replied, noticing that Hinata was walking close to where the two were standing.

"What the hell does that mean?"

"It means shut up and go profusely thank the Hyuuga girl for saving your ass back when Konoha was being destroyed. Or did you forget about that? Kurama smirked as he felt Naruto flush at the memories.

"I didn't forget! I've just been busy damn it!"

"Well then, hop to it."

"I will," Naruto shouted at him, racing over to where Hinata was. "Hey Hinata, I've been meaning to tell you something!"

Kurama rolled his eyes as he settled in for a nap. "Kids these days."

A/N: I've been in a really huge SasuSaku mood, and this thing hit me like a sack of potatoes while I was playing Pokemon. So it needed to be typed before I lost it. Here's the jokes if you don't get them:

1) Onii-chan/Oni-chan: Onii-chan is Japanese for "big brother", while Oni is Japanese for "demon". Naruto thinks that Sakura calling him big brother is just as bad as being called a demon since he's basically been friendzoned.

2) Tonton as Ino: So you know how Sakura calls Ino "Ino-pig"? Well, I took it a step further and made Sakura recognize Ino as a legit pig, hence her calling Ino "Tonton"

3) Sasuke's change: Just…just look at Road to Ninja if you haven't already. He's basically a player playboy, and it's hysterical.

4) Incubus: Basically they're all about sex; hence why Road to Ninja attitude fits that perfectly.

5) Team eight: Hanabi is Hinata's little sister's name, Mushi is Japanese for "insect", and I just switched Kiba and Akamaru around.

6) Team ten: Already explained Ino, and I just called Shikamaru and Chouji their dad's names

7) Team Guy: Team Bushy Brows for Guy's eyebrows, Lee is based off Bruce Lee, Nejia is actually a Chinese martial art that focuses on developing one's internal chi and has lots of whirling and spinning, and BunBun because Tenten has buns.

8) Kurama's line about flowers and sunlight: Hinata's name means "place in the sun", while Sakura is obviously a type of flower. It's a play on their names

Alright, leave a review and I hope you enjoyed this! Until next time, JAA MATA!

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto. If I did, then I would wrap this shit up already because damn it, apparently it's going on for at least another year and a half! AT LEAST! YOU KNOW HOW HE DOES THESE THINGS!