Let’s Try This Again

“Come on!” Naruto charged at him without another thought and flew a punch in his direction. Sasuke pushed away his fist and landed one on the side of the blonde’s face sending him across the training field.

Sitting up against the tree bark, Naruto wiped at his chin to see blood covering his hand. “I thought you said this was training!” yelled the sitting idiot glaring at his opponent/koi.

Sasuke only smirked at him and dashed behind him before whispering, “It doesn’t mean I can’t make you bleed.” He wrapped an arm around his neck and pulled out a kunai. Naruto rested his hands on Sasuke’s shoulder and lifted himself. Now he was hovering over the Uchiha before pushing off of his shoulders and kicking him down on the back of his head sending him to the ground.

Again, they were the same distance from each other from when they started both desperately trying to fill their lungs with much needed oxygen.

It’s been three weeks ever since the incident of Naruto learning Sasuke cut his arms because of his devastation of Naruto turning him down twice. It’s been a content relationship but there was currently no sexual activity between the two. Understanding the pain Naruto must still be in, he didn’t rush into them taking care of that business for a while.

Sasuke relaxed his shoulders feeling like it’s time they ended the fight. “Let’s go back, dobe. I’ll treat you to ramen. This time you earned it.”

Naruto rested his hands back down to his sides and grinned, “Okay!”

The pink haired kunoichi tightly gripped the basket she held in her right hand as she dragged her feet across the dusty road that led to Sasuke’s mansion. ‘I haven’t heard from Sasuke lately. Now that I think of it, I haven’t seen Naruto either.’

She walked up the steps that led to the entrance and knocked on the wooden door. Sakura waited for a response for about two more minutes before she knocked again hoping that he only didn’t hear it instead of him just ignoring the sound. Still no reply. ‘What...?’

“Sakura?” She turned around a bit shocked not because she heard Sasuke’s voice because she didn’t. It was the blonde kitsune that stood behind her alone with a silver key in hand ready to open the door.

“Sakura, what’re you doing here?” he questioned a bit curious of her presence. She relaxed her shoulders and held the basket out so that he could see.

“I came to give these to Sasuke-kun. I guess he’s just not here.” She noticed the key he had in hand as he came closer to the door.

“Well, he’s not here. I just dropped by to get something I left here.” Sakura’s hopes dropped to the floor. She hasn’t seen Sasuke for weeks and she was hoping that they’d be able to have a little conversation.

‘On top of that, I wanted to ask him about this girl he wants to marry.’

Rumors were already spreading through the village about Sasuke going to the jewelry twice over the past three months. She hoped so deeply in her heart that he didn’t mean to ask someone to marry him. Sakura believed that if anyone were to marry Sasuke, it would be her.

‘I’m the closest female to him. I should be first in line.’ But she didn’t want to get her hopes up.

“Well Naruto, where is Sasuke?” Naruto turned to look at her after he had opened the door to the mansion. He got saddened at the depressed look on her face. ‘Sakura, I can’t believe I forgot about you.’

“Uh...last I saw him, he was on the training ground.” He lied through his teeth. Naruto wasn’t the best liar in the world but he prayed that Sakura believed him.

She looked like she was on the verge of tears and turned to leave the doorstep. “Okay...bye Naruto.” When she felt that Naruto didn’t have his gaze on her any longer, she allowed the tears to pour through her eyelids. ‘What’s going on? I’m so lost here.’

Her footsteps eventually led her to Ino’s parents flower shop. She opened the door to allow the resounding bell ring across the walls of the small shop signaling Ino to come through the back door. The platinum blonde was ready to make a smart remark until she noticed the sad expression on her best friend’s face.

“What’s wrong, Sakura?” She stepped away from behind the counter and directed her friend to sit on the bench inside of the store.

“Ino...have you heard any rumors about Sasuke-kun getting married?”

Ino’s face twisted in confusion. “Who hasn’t heard that rumor? It bothers you?” She was answered by a hesitant nod. The platinum blonde kunoichi sighed and began to rub circles in Sakura’s bed through the red tunic.

“Sakura, it shouldn’t bother you. You care about him right?”

The pink haired female turned to her with a burst of anger. “Of course I do! Would I be this broken down if I didn’t?!”

“Calm down, billboard brow! I’m just asking!” Sakura exhaled her breath and looked down to the basket in her lap. She knew she had no right to yell at Ino.

Ino ceased rubbing Sakura’s back and rested her hand on her shoulder. “If you care about him, as cheesy as this may sound, but don’t you just want him to be happy?”

“Of course I do, Ino. I was just...I was...”

“Hoping he could be happy with you.” Sakura slowly nodded her head again to confirm what Ino had finished.

Ino got up from her seat and went over to one of the baskets that held sky blue daffodils. She picked up one of them and held it behind her back, out of view of the other kunoichi.

“Think about it for a second, Sakura. Which would you choose? For Sasuke to be happy with someone else, or for him to be miserable with you.”

Sakura clenched her fists into the front of her tunic on her lap. “No one knows if he’d feel miserable with me.”

“But we can all see he wouldn’t be happy,” Ino reasoned.

Sakura relaxed her hands and wiped away the still wet tear trails that were on her cheeks. “I guess your right.”

Ino walked up to her to stand exactly in front of her having all of her attention. “Which would you choose?”

The pink haired kunoichi got up with the basket clenched tightly in her hand. “If I were to tell the first option, I’d be lying.” Without another word she left the shop.

Ino looked down at the lone sky blue daffodil in her hand. ‘Be smart, forehead.’

She held onto her legs tightly inside of her lonely bedroom. Her thoughts were plagued with images of Sasuke being with another person. “Why can’t he be happy with me?” Her grip on her legs tightened even further. “But I know he wouldn’t be...” she concluded.

“Every smile he ever had on his face, it was because of either the team...or just Naruto.” Her eyelids began to feel heavy the second time that day with the tears waiting to fall. ‘Why couldn’t I be in Naruto’s place?”

But then again, she had to understand that Naruto was the closest person to Sasuke. He probably knew so much more about him than she could possibly learn in her lifetime. ‘What was Naruto’s approach?’

She looked back to the time when Team seven first joined to the present. Naruto didn’t want to be close to him. Sasuke’s the one that made them close. ‘But why...?’

That’s when she came to a conclusion. “I need to talk to Naruto.” Sakura got up from her bed and left the apartment she lived in with her parents.

She had already went to see if he was at his apartment but the land lord told her he had moved out. Curiosity on where he lived know sparked through her mind but she pushed it aside as she went to the training grounds where she thought she’d find him. Still to no avail.

‘I wonder if he’s still at Sasuke’s place.’ Sakura chose to just try it out since she felt desperate to talk to Naruto. He probably knew something about what’s going on that she was currently unaware of.

When she arrived the Uchiha mansion she knocked on the door frantically hoping desperately that someone would answer.

A grunt of frustration was heard on the other side before the door was opened after he third attempt at knocking. A sigh of relief passed the kunoichi’s lips when someone answer. Before her stood a sweating Sasuke in a black wife beater and white shorts that reached just below his knees.

“What is it, Sakura?”

Sakura breathed in and out slowly to calm her nerves. “Hi Sasuke-kun. I-I wanted to speak with Naruto for a second.”

He reluctantly allowed her pass the door way to see Naruto rubbing at his shoulder. The blonde looked up to see the pink haired kunoichi standing not to far away from him. He blinked a bit surprised that Sasuke even allowed her into the house “Sakura-chan? What’s up?”

She clasped her hands and rested them on top of her chest before stating, “I need to talk to you. Do you want to step outside for a second?”

Naruto passed a quick glance over at Sasuke who just stood leaning against the wall next to the doorway listening to the exchange. Sasuke shrugged and looked away. If it didn’t concern him, it didn’t really matter. As long as Sakura didn’t have anything to harm Naruto, he was fine with it.

The blonde got up from the black couch and followed her out the door. Sasuke shut the door and replaced Naruto’s seat on the couch and waited.

“Naruto,” she started, “Have you been hearing the rumors?”

The blonde’s sky blue eyes widened. He hasn’t exactly been outdoors much for the past three months so he was unaware of any rumors going around. “No, what is it?”

Sakura began to twirl her fingers, a habit that started when she hung out with Hinata a bit too much. “Well, people are saying that Sasuke’s going to ask someone to marry him. Do you...”

“Sakura, if you knew, you’d hate...someone.” She looked up at him with shock in her eyes from his sudden statement.

“Who would I hate? I’m just really curious.” She turned completely to him to give him full attention. “Naruto, I’m just sick of being held out of the loop. I just want to know.”

He didn’t believe the words that came out of her mouth. How could she seriously not freak if Sasuke wanted to marry him instead of having a ‘bride’ per say?

“Sakura, I don’t think you’d be able to handle me telling you.”

“Naruto please!” She cried. She couldn’t hold it in any longer. What had happened to Naruto telling her everything, even the things she thought were seriously petty. “I want to know! Just tell me!” She had taken a hold of his shoulders during her cry of desperation.

Naruto felt completely hopeless. “Promise you won’t hate me but...”

Her eyes widened wanting to finally hear what was going on. “Sasuke and I...are...together. He asked me to marry him but I refu...!” His cheek stung by the slap she had given to him.

Sakura’s face was red from her anger, and wet from the tears that drenched her face. Sasuke had been watching the exchange from the doorway and walked up to Sakura and grabbed a hold of her wrist that was still in the air ever since she hit Naruto.

The blonde was still in shock at what had happened. He knew Sakura would be mad but she was so desperate to know, he thought it would be easier if he told her.

“Now we need to talk.” Sasuke stated behind gritted teeth. He had to hold back the urge to hurt her ten times over she had just hurt Naruto but decided against it since the blonde wouldn’t have agreed.

He pulled her to the back of the mansion and let go of the tight hold he’d had on her wrist moments ago. Sakura desperately tried to fill her lungs since she felt light headed from the information Naruto had given her.

“So he told you the truth. Why’d you hurt him?” He stood firmly with his eyes seeming to pierce into her soul daring her to lie to him.

“Tell me...” she squeaked out, “tell me it’s not true.” He looked over to the lake that was to the left of them that shimmered in the orange and yellow lighting coming from the setting sun.

“You and Naruto...you guys aren’t really...”

“We are.”

Her heart sank to her stomach and she suddenly felt like she wanted to puke out everything that was inside of her. “Sasuke-kun, why? You’ve rejected me all of these years. Was it because you liked Naruto?”

“No.” She looked up at him knowing that wasn’t all he would say. She was right. “I rejected you because you were annoying. In Naruto’s case, he didn’t want to have anything to do with me. That’s what drew me to him.”

She decided to listen to how they became so close when she was right there to witness the signs and not notice any of them. “We became close friends after that and we had tried dating before but he broke up with me after six weeks.”

He paused debating whether he should tell her about the prostitution Naruto had went through and chose against it. “Soon after, I asked him if we could get back together and he said yes. This was after I had asked him the second time if he would marry me. Again, he refused.” He looked down at the grass in front of his feet with anger apparent in his cobalt eyes.

Sakura decided to understand the pain he went through the rejection and felt like she could relate. The years of rejection she got from Sasuke, it hurt her emotionally. Sasuke wasn’t even able to hide the hint of hurt in that expression of anger.

Maybe it would be better if one of them had a chance. She choose for Sasuke to have that chance. ‘So maybe I should...’

“You love him a lot don’t you?” She questioned after she calmed down. He looked back over to the shimmering lake reflecting the colors that clearly represented Naruto. “Yes,” he stated with hesitation.

“Ok,” she accepted. The two stood in silence as the watched the reflecting colors off of the lake which reminded Sakura of Naruto who was still on the front porch. “Well, I’m going to apologize to Naruto.” She decided to dismiss herself but was held back by Sasuke’s arm on her retreating shoulder.

“Let’s try something else.”

Naruto had already run off to the training grounds. He felt completely crushed at how he had upset Sakura. ‘She was my first crush but...Sasuke’s my first love.’ He had the right to tell her. Sakura made it her right to know. The blonde had felt so comfortable with telling her the truth after seeing her lose control of herself with the desperation to learn what was going on.

“I wasn’t expecting a slap in my face.” He let out a punch to pierce a deep hole into one of the wooden poles that stood in the center of the field. Naruto pulled his fist away from the damaged piece of wood and observed the bloodied clenched fist from the impact.

He felt completely satisfied and turned to head back to the mansion and turn in for the night with the hope that he’d be able to get the regret out of his mind.

When he arrived at the front door, it was strangely silent when he knew Sasuke would have at least some noise indicating that he was even present. He pulled out the silver key and unlocked the door. When he stepped inside the entire house was in darkness. ‘The bastard can’t have at least one light on.’

“Sasuke!” he flipped on the light switch next to the door and was shocked to see his comrades standing in front of him in a semi circular. This audience included Tsunade and Jiraiya, Kakashi and Sakura, and the rest of Rookie Nine.

“Wha...?” Sasuke stood exactly in front of him with a smirk pleasantly resting on his face.

“Are you surprised?”

Sakura walked up to stand a little behind Sasuke and announced, “I’m sorry Naruto.” The blonde took his direction away from his lover for a moment when he heard the apology.

“I was wrong to react like that. I’ve learned better and now, I understand.” She looked over to Sasuke who had never left his gaze away from Naruto’s form.

He closed his eyes and dug through his back pocket and shook his head as he searched for the small lone object.

“Naruto, this is the last god damn time I’m going to ask you this.” Naruto’s eyes widened as Sasuke slowly crept down to a stand on one knee. The blonde looked up and watched the approving eyes of his closest friends. They all seemed to know what was going on. ‘Do they all know?’

The sky blue eyes went from Tsunade who had a smug expression on her face to Hinata’s pale form who had a tight hold on Kiba’s hand with a soft smile on her face. ‘They all approve of this.’

“Will you…marry me?”

Naruto looked back down to Sasuke and the expensive ring that was held out to him. The blonde dropped to his knees and wrapped his arms around Sasuke’s pale neck as he hid his tears from everyone else so they wouldn’t see. Slowly, he nodded into Sasuke’s shoulder and looked up at him and started laughing to lighten up the mode. He held out his shivering left finger for Sasuke to slip on the perfect fitting ring making it official.

The single applause that had started from Sakura broke out to reach to Hinata and slowly spread across the room to Ino and so on.

Jiraiya, however, kept his arms folded. “I still don’t believe you two are together.” His statement was ignored when Sasuke’s and Naruto’s lips connected in a truthful and loving kiss promising each other to make it last.

The toad sage looked away, a bit flustered in the face. “Okay, okay, now I believe.”

The slightly scratchy voice of Tsunade’s was heard next to him. “I have a good feeling about those two. I may not like Sasuke so much but...look at Naruto’s face.”

Jiraiya unfolded his arms as a small smile crossed his face, “Yeah, I see that.”

“As long as Sasuke doesn’t hurt him again like last time when he left the village, everything will be fine.”

“Trust me,” Tsunade looked up at the toad sage when he started, “This seems...real.”

“It is.” Sakura concluded as she held back the tears that wanted to escape, from sorrow and complete happiness.