AND BACK AGAIN [ NARUTO ]

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previously. . .

Sakura hoped he couldn't hear her heart, pounding furiously against her ribcage. She moved next to him, taking a deep breath to calm herself. You've always done so much, Naruto. . .just one more thing, please.

"Sasuke," she whispered. "Please tell me about Sasuke."

///\

Naruto closed his eyes. The light breeze danced across his eyelids, tickling his exposed skin. He sighed.

"Do you ever get sick of worrying over Sasuke?" The blond shoved his hands into his pockets, thinking over the last few years of his life. "'Cuz I do. Doesn't mean I'm going to stop, or anything. . .just tired of looking after his stubborn behind."

Sakura gripped the railing. "Isn't that what you're supposed to do when you care about somebody?"

"Of course. Just wish that somebody wasn't always Uchiha Sasuke." Naruto grinned. "You wanna know about the future? All you really need to know is that Sasuke is a real handful."

She released a pent up breath, sending a silent thank you his way for breaking the tense atmosphere--even if his words most likely rang with truth. She and Naruto were sharing an awfully bittersweet moment.

"Are you two close in the future?"

Naruto's grin faded gradually. Close? Physically, or figuratively? Because most of the time the Uchiha hadn't been anywhere near him. "He's my best friend," he decided to tell her. "He knows it, too, he just wouldn't admit it."

Sakura let a smile touch her rosy lips. "Does 'best friend' mean constantly fighting and picking on each other? You two aren't much more than that, I'm afraid."

"Friends fight," Naruto said. "Like you and Ino. Sasuke just--he just takes things really far, y'know? Sometimes too far."

"He's lost," Sakura whispered, finally speaking her true thoughts. "And confused. I don't know how to help him. And with that nasty mark--he's not thinking straight most of the time; I'm so scared he's going to do something stupid. . .Naruto. Please tell me he's going to be okay."

She looked away to blink the moistness from her eyes. It only stuck to her eyelashes. She wanted to take back the words, swallow them and never let them see the light of day. Naruto didn't deserve to deal with all of her concerns on top of everything else--but he was just so easy to talk to. The words spilled out before she could stop them.

Naruto looked at his young friend. Sakura had always had some of the best intuition on Team 7. Especially with someone like Sasuke; she'd probably seen his departure coming long before it had.

Do the right thing.

It was different now. The things he could say without breaking a delicate balance had grown tenfold. But what to say? What did Sakura need to hear?

She spoke before he could. "He's been different ever since Orochimaru came to the village. He--He lost control before. I know he'll do something he would regret if we don't help him. I just--Sasuke doesn't let anyone in anymore. I don't know what to say to get him to listen."

An uneasy silence stretched between them. Sakura sniffled a couple of times, trying to compose herself.

"Sakura-chan?"

Her pink locks swayed as her gaze shot up to meet his.

"It does seem scary right now, doesn't it?" Naruto looked out over the sleeping village. "Our timelines may be a little different, but I get it because I've lived this. He's been acting strange and keeping to himself--though that's nothing new--but it's worrying, isn't it? You might not believe it, but even Little Me knows. I think I was just as scared as you."