Naruto 1. PROLOGUE

**A/N: I'd be the queen of wishful thinking if I declared right now to y'all that I owned Naruto. Because really, I dont.**

**Phew! For someone who loves cracktastic fics, I never thought I'd decide to throw myself in drama! :))) Anyway, I'm so excited for how this story will turn out and well, I'm just having fun writing really... Hope you guys have as much fun reading as I did writing!**

**Sorry if you find any errors on grammar or something. :)) Did this myself and I don't have anyone who can proof read it for me before I post it. Anyway, to the story~! :"))**

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I could never remember a time when I wanted to slap my best friend so hard, I was sure if I did, all his teeth would fall off and his skull would shatter into tiny tidbits of used-to-be-pretty. I can't, for the love of him, even remember a time — any time — when I wanted to slap him, AT ALL, period! Even given every single shitty thing I'd had to do for him; forced or half-hearted — him who was often inconsiderate to my opinions, forever blind to my feelings, and characteristically selfish… Him who would often end us both in huge trouble…

I had never once thought about raising a hand against him. Sure, there were probably times when he made me so agitated, I'd wanted nothing more but to scream bloody hell right at his face — niceties and all that bull-crap be damned.

But. It. Was. Never. Like. This.

I genuinely loved spending time with him; wouldn't ever get tired of it — wouldn't even get close to ever dreaming of getting tired of it! I could handle him when he was stressed, when he got so annoyed with his fangirls, or when he got depressed over mean things his father would occasionally throw at him… Hell, I could even deal with him — on the condition that I don't end up deranged even when the only thing keeping me from insanity was the thought of my poor, unfortunate hair when I opt to tear it all out and plug it to my ears so I wouldn't ever hear another word from him when I finally snapped — when he constantly bitched about his overly demanding girlfriend — who, by the way, I strongly dislike!

But this… I couldn't handle this!

I mean… even if I could, I wouldn't — not in a million years, at the very least, — know how to deal with a… A heartbroken Sasuke.

He was whinier, bitchier, more stubborn and reckless, and rude, and more inconsiderate, not to mention uncaring and pissy, and just… just so goddamn absorbed in his little emo, self-destructive world, he wouldn't listen to anyone! I couldn't get a point past that thick — pretty — skull of his to get him to understand that maybe this was for the best… that maybe… maybe this means that God had something more in store for him.

I wanted to tell him he was being inconceivable, extremely stupid and undeniably unreasonable. I wanted to tell him that it wasn't the end of the world — that it would never be the end of the world just because he got his heart broken. I'd wanted to scream that the world didn't revolve around him, or her, or him and her — that he was being silly and childish. I wanted to cry in front of him, wanted to just let go off all my shambled feelings and bawl out at the top of my lungs. But I knew it would never reach him.

No matter how hard I try, no matter what I do... It would never reach him because I'm not her.

It hadn't even occurred to me that I'd started crying until I had to struggle for my breath when snot prevented me from inhaling. I wipe my tears noiselessly without taking my eyes off my best friend, crutching at his elbows and curled down on the floor, glaring down at nothing but the floor.

I didn't wanna leave him alone, not when he was in such a vulnerable state, but I didn't wanna stay around him either. Looking at him and seeing him so… so sad and broken… it makes me feel so useless and defeated.

_'Shouldn't be too hard,'_ I thought to myself. I was supposed to be numb to the pain by now. I thought I would be… I know I should be…

All those times I'd been secretly watching Sasuke — while he's thinking about her, hurting because of her, smiling for or because of her, loving her — they should have given me plenty of chances to get used to the pain.

I knew the pain should come by lesser… Truthfully, I'd expected it to come by lesser… But it doesn't. It never does.

It hurt all the same every freaking time I see him. It hurt all the more when he made me help him do things he knew would make her smile…

I did all of them anyway. I helped him get her, helped make her fall in love with him more, helped make their relationship tighter… I did all of those, wouldn't hesitate for a second to do it all again if it meant bringing back the smile on his face at the cost of my own happiness. If that is what it takes to make him happy, I'd do it even if it kills me inside.

I freaking love him.

And if loving him meant being his best friend forever, providing him with all the support and care he needs... Then so be it.

I'm happy just to be by his side every single day.

_**~so, everything that makes me whole**_  
_**ima kimi ni sasageyou**_  
_**I'm yours~**_

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**ASININENEE23's CORNER! ^_^**

Oh, hello hello. :))) I'm surprised you actually made it this far.

**IMPORTANT: **Well, since you're still reading this, do you think you could do me a favor and leave me a review? Please do comment on my writing style, like, if it's good or not. ANDandAND tell me what you think of the story. :)) I won't get mad if you decided to throw in some violent reactions. We learn through mistakes, that's something I can't ever deny. And good reviews are probably where I'll get my encouragement from for the next chapter so let's all do our best! xDD

Thanks in advanced to all who would grant me my request! Rest assured, you all have been such great help.

Chapters after this should be longer and have more dialogues so stay tuned!

The bold lines up there, just before Asininenee23's corner are the lyrics to _My Dearest by Supercell_. It's a great song! Be sure to check it out if you've never heard it before. \m/


	2. Home Is Where Your Homies Are

**A/N: I'm so sorry this took so loooong~! TT^TT I had several ideas on how to start off from where I left the prologue but it took me quite a while to decide on which one I should go with. So sorry~~~ -.-""" But anyway, it's here now and that's all that matters right?… Right?**

**Who wants some cookies? I don't know how to bake or cook so they're probably poisoned. Wanna taste them anyway? xD**

**But then - GASP! - who will read my story and leave me some (utterly yearned for) reviews?**

**NOOOOOOOO~! *takes all the cookies and shoves them in my mouth***

**So, I'm dead. And since dead people have nothing to say since, well, they can't speak cause they're, what? Yeah, DEAD. You just scroll down and let's get oooooooon with the story!**

**Have fun reading! AND SO SORRY FOR ANY ERRORS! :D**

**^that's my ghost, by the way. Since I'm dead. XD**

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Don't stray, _don't ever go away_

_I should be much too smart for this,_

y'know _it gets the better of me_

Sometimes, when you and I collide

_I fall into an ocean of you_

_pull me out_ in time

_don't let me drown_, let me down

I'll say _it's __**all because of you**_

"And you're completely, absolutely sure that it's safe to be around him now?" Naruto asked (for the nth time today), scared witless that Sasuke might once again beat the living daylights out of him.

...Not that he couldn't fend for himself. You see, Naruto was the type of person who, when he knows you're at your worst, will do anything and everything to help and make you feel better. Even if it meant constantly getting hit in the head, if he knew it was somehow helping, he'd let you get away with it.

This, however, didn't mean that he liked it.

Under normal circumstances, if Sasuke had hit Naruto for the sheer sake of starting a fight with him, there was no doubt in my mind that Naruto wouldn't be so hesitant to retaliate. Nevertheless, the beating didn't take place under said circumstances and therefore, Naruto — poor, poor Naruto, — being the kind, caring, thoughtful and compassionate (everything related to the word) friend that he was, couldn't find it in himself to fight his brother figure.

Needless to say, he endured getting hit without fighting back.

He and Sasuke never really got into a serious brawl before. They'd argue at times about the smallest, most mundane things in the world but that was normal since that was how they usually worked.

They were in good terms — great, even! And even though Naruto was the type of person Sasuke hated the most, he could actually 'tolerate (Sasuke's words, not mine) the idiot'. Of course, we all know that Naruto was far, far more than tolerable to Sasuke and wether he liked it or not, the Uchiha had grown to care about the blond no matter how meager he made his feelings seem to be.

It was only a little while back, when Sasuke; after his break up with Karin, became too crotchety (far worse than normal) and couldn't stand being around too much people...or just people, in general — me and Naruto included. So he, with his new-found sense of violence and lack of temper, just smacked the remaining brain cells out of Naruto without the slightest warning.

Apparently, it was because he couldn't stand that, 'the dobe breathed the same air as him.'

...

Naruto paced around the room, hands in his 'locomotive thinking position,' — as he would like to call it — which meant one hand was tucked under his axilla and was being used to prop the other up which supported his chin.

I rolled my eyes.

_'Trust Naruto to think it cool to baptize a pose he does so very frequently.'_

Two weeks into our month-long summer break found Naruto and I constantly together. Sometimes at his house, sometimes here in my room, sometimes in the basement playing a tune and messing with a beat, twice at my backyard... playing by the pool. It wasn't always just the two of us. Some friends would hang out with us occasionally, and Sasuke had always spent summer breaks with us in the past. It's really just the break up that's keeping him locked up in his room.

Unfortunately, this also meant that he and Naruto hadn't spoken for two whole weeks seeing as, 'the breakup' happened the day before summer break started. A real torpedo for our summer plans, if you ask me.

"SAKURA-CHAAAAAAAN~!" Naruto whined.

What was he saying again? Oh- The whole hitting issue.

I sighed, not bothering to reply. How many times do I have to repeat myself for him to get over it, anyway?

Keeping my attention on the screen of my laptop, I skimmed through Karin's profile for any news; A potential suitor maybe… a dramatic status 'bout how bad the summer was for her hair… anything! Just… anything that would suggest that she was still alive and didn't commit a dire suicide after Sasuke and her broke up.

...Still, I couldn't keep the selfish part of me from being happy that things turned out the way they did.

"How exactly did you get that bastard to lighten up anyway, Sakura-chan?" Naruto flopped down on my bed, head turned cutely at me as he waited for an answer.

His eyes sparkled in anticipation and I hate that I knew when he found out the answer, the sparkle would be gone.

So I mumbled the answer fast and low, hoping to all gods who were listening and probably watching my life unfold like some kind of teen drama, that Naruto would be satisfied with that, not comment and if possible, straight-out brush it off and go back to thinking things that didn't matter.

Unfortunately for me, the gods weren't on my side today — which really doesn't surprise me since they haven't been on my side for most of my life. Not that I let that get the best of me.

"Come again?" Naruto asserted.

God, was I sooo getting an earful.

"I — I kinda, um," I felt as stupid as I know I would sound. So I let my gaze drift away from those brilliant cerulean eyes and stared instead at the pillow right beside me to keep myself from chickening out. "I agreed to help him get Karin back."

I choked on the words. I knew it was the most logical thing for a best friend to do but the idea just sounded so insane — so wrong when said out loud.

I didn't dare look at Naruto. Rather, I turned back to what I was previously doing, like I didn't say anything at all and resumed, well, — stalking Karin. _Ew, that sounded sooooo wrong._

Just when I was starting to get comfortable with the silence…

"Sakura, freaking, Haruno! What the hell did you just say?" He shrieked, sitting up.

I frowned at his loudness before deliberately choosing to ignore him and his antics.

He promptly snatched my laptop and gaped at the screen. "Saku - dafuq are you- You're stalking Karin?"

"I am not!" I screamed, feeling the tips of my ears turn red in annoyance and embarrassment but then remembered what I was doing and thought that from an observer's point of view, yes, yes that was exactly what I'd been doing. I sighed, looking away from Naruto.

Laying down, I buried my face to the closest pillow.

"Maybe a little," I mumbled.

"That's stupid," pointing out the obvious, he unceremoniously flopped down beside me.

I thought he was gonna scold me and tell me of all the ways he thought why 'that's stupid' ...but he didn't. Instead, he just lay down next to me and continued my earlier work. He scrolled down Karin's profile page as we lapse into a comfortable silence.

"...It is, isn't it?"

"What?"

"Stupid. It's stupid... what i did..."

And it was at times like these when my tears would threaten to fall. "Ino called on it too when she found out. Said something about stupidity being different from martyrdom. And I was being more of the former."

"Seconded!" Naruto bellowed, "Strongly seconded."

I bite my lips and concentrate on not crying, taking uneven breaths in the process. Thankfully, Naruto didn't seem to notice.

"What does he see in her anyway?" he questioned, looking sincerely perplexed. "She looks like a freaken tart!"

And despite my current dilemma, I actually chuckled. Yep, that was the effect Naruto had on people. I was seriously tempted to ask him what flavor the tart was even though I knew perfectly well that, that was not what he meant.

"I mean," he continued, "she hates us, we hate her. We can't be more at odds than we already are! Seriously, couldn't the bastard do better than-"

"Better than what?"

Shocked, Naruto and I turned our attentions toward the door where we were quite surprised to see a frowning Sasuke.

I couldn't help the small flutter my heart gave out as the fangirl within me squealed in utter surprise and total delight to find the Uchiha in my room, looking like nothing happened, like everything was normal, like he hadn't just gone AWOL on us for half the summer break, like the man I'd fallen in love with and especially NOT like the huge mess he was just a few days ago.

"TEME!"

That would be Naruto.

Sasuke took his shoes off and flopped down with us on my other side.

Leaning his head closer to mine, Sasuke peered over to what Naruto and I had been looking at.

I would have immediately blushed at the contact if I wasn't so used to having Sasuke at such close proximity. My heart didn't flutter as much as it did before, and I was just so thankful that I'd mastered how to handle my feelings in front of him.

...

Sasuke glared at the screen upon seeing what it was that we had been looking at. He leaned completely, making it impossible for me to breathe, think, move, as the lower part of his left cheek pressed on my right cheek bone in his attempt to snatch my laptop from Naruto.

When he finally got a hold of it, he sat up and looked back down at me, brows knitted together. "Have you been crying?"

_'Crying?'_

I instantly drew my fingers to my cheeks, feeling my tears almost completely dry but still there and wiped the liquid off with the back of my palm. I had totally forgotten! It was probably when I chuckled at Naruto calling Karin a tart when my tears came out. Not that there was a lot; pro'lly just a drop or two.

"Bastard, you were probably too heavy and squished Sakura-chan!" Naruto shrieked, wrapping an arm around my shoulders, bringing his face closer to mine as he glared at Sasuke who glared back a hundred times more ferocious.

"All that ramen's probably finally gotten to your head and made you delusional. Since when was I such a fatass like yourself?"

"You say that again, you bastard!" Naruto sat up in a bolt and started bickering with Sasuke.

I sighed and closed my eyes, acting all annoyed that they were bickering again when deep inside, I felt nothing but happiness that they were finally, FINALLY, on speaking terms again after two weeks.

It was as if nothing ever happened.

They were at each other's throats again — in a friendly... maybe... well, not really fashion — like normal.

They both looked irritated, like how they always looked like at these moments, though I couldn't help but notice Naruto looking a bit happier than usual. He was enjoying fighting with Sasuke and I could tell how much he'd missed these moments.

I looked at Sasuke and found the similar aura emanating from him. He'd probably missed Naruto too though he's too much of an ass to show it.

Letting out a huge breath in content and satisfaction, I let my gaze linger longer than what was necessary on Sasuke's face and remembered how he looked like the last time I saw him — when he wouldn't eat, talk to anyone, when he wouldn't leave his room and neglect to check his appearance at all.

I reach my hand out and poke the side of his lips gingerly, letting my finger drag down the skin of his jaw.

He and Naruto quieted, looking at me clearly startled, and I smiled cheekily at them before turning to Naruto, finger still on Sasuke's jaw. "Did you know that he looked like a java man when I visited him two days ago? Unshaved and smelly and all…"

I crinkled my nose to tease Sasuke a little more, earning a growl from him and a laughing fit from Naruto. My grin grew wider.

But then Sasuke did something really surprising which made Naruto double over and off the bed.

Uchiha Sasuke had bitten me.

He had actually gone and bit me! My finger, to be exact. And I pull out in utter surprise, holding my finger with my other hand, cheeks feeling hot.

"Whoah, no!" I shriek, eyes going really wide. "No, just-just, no 'kay? No biting!"

My cheeks were now practically burning and I just knew they were so red! That's why I looked down, making sure my hair covered my face as I pretend to nurse my 'aching' finger which really didn't hurt.

"Hn."

"Bastard," Naruto said in between breaths, a tear actually came rolling down his cheek, "That's rich! HAHAHAHAHAHA~" He hollered on the floor. "Biting? That's so lame, asshole!"

Sasuke glared at him before looking back at my laptop, scrolling down his ex's profile, very much like what Naruto and I had been doing before he arrived.

"Hn. I haven't viewed her profile for far too long."

...

Naruto scowled before climbing back up the bed. "It's been what? Two weeks? What's 'far too' long about that?"

Sasuke only glared at him before going back to swooping in his ex's profile account. He pressed the 'Photos' button and Naruto groaned. "As if you don't see her enough!"

I wanted to smile at Naruto and give him my hundred percent agreement but I knew how even that simple gesture would leave Sasuke so I didn't comment and just settled to watch their rising argument.

Sasuke abruptly shut my laptop and delivered a punch to Naruto's head. "Mind your own business, idiot."

"WHAT DID YOU SAY!"

I rolled my eyes and shifted to my belly, burying my face on one of my pillows. '_Boy, this was going to be a loooooooong day.'_

"Welcome home, Sasuke" I whispered to my pillow, thinking they wouldn't hear me.

"What did you say?"

"..."

"She said, 'WELCOME HOME,' teme!"

And I could practically see in my mind Naruto's huge grin as he said those words and Sasuke's smirk when he replied, "Hn, its good to be back."

And I couldn't help but smile into my pillow even when they started their pointless banter once again.

And here _I go, losing my control_

_**I'm practicing your name so I can say it to your face**_

it doesn't seem right to look you in the eye

and _all the things you mean to me_

_come tumbling out my mouth_

Indeed, its time to tell you I,

I say it's infinitely true

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_**Next chapter:**_

"Forehead! Damn it!" I heard a small voice shriek from somewhere, almost drowning from all the noise Naruto and Sasuke were making from babbling.

Getting up from my position on the bed, I pad bare-footed out of my room and down the stairs.

"FOREHEAD!"

"Ino," I greeted as I opened the door. "Where are your keys?"

Ino, my other blonde and blue-eyed best friend, threw herself at me the moment the door was widely opened.

"I forgot them! Geez~ I've been screaming for 5 minutes now! What were you doing that you couldn't hear me immediately? I swear the whole block could hear me wail profanities!"

She clung to me longer and tighter than usual and I found it weird but decided against commenting on it even after she let go.

"Sorry, Naruto and Sasuke were bickering like a married couple upstairs" I explained as she entered, closing the door behind me.

"Sasuke's here?" She asked, turning around with wide eyes.

"Yuh, upstairs" I started walking up the stairs but abruptly stopped when I noticed Ino wasn't following me. "Aren't you coming?"

When she didn't respond, I immediately knew that something was wrong.

Ino was never silent. She was always happy and always had something to say, much like Naruto.

"Something's bothering you," I said as I went to where she was standing. So that's what's with the unusual hug.

I gently led her to the sofa and waited for her to tell me what happened.

"Saki," She choked, sounding so vulnerable... so on the verge of breaking... so not-Ino. "I got rejected."

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**ASININENEE23's CORNER! ^_^**

hey there! ^_^ so its done (finally! iknorayt? xDD)

again, so sorry for the long wait. :3

**BTW, this is also a friendship-genre fic so it revolves around everyone. Mostly Sakura and Sasuke but everyone has a major role to play. They all have their own stories but don't worry~ It won't take up too much of the plot of the story. It is still a SASUSAKU-centric story after all. ALSO! For other pairing... fuuuuuu~ I won't tell you! So you'll just have to wait and see who i'll pair with whooooo~ xDD**

**hmmm... not much happened in this chapter but it's still only the beginning! I can't throw in everything at once! X))**

the lyrics at the start and the end of the chapter are from "Stay." Listen to it if you guys want! there are a lot of versions. personally, i like MYMP's best. :3

anyways, **care to gift me a review?** **?**:"*

thanks!

peace out and rock on

\m/


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Naruto, Friendship, Romance