How could we be so wrong?

II

Naruto felt someone tap on his shoulder and he slowly opened his eyes. He had fallen asleep on the paperwork piled on his desk. When he first saw Shikamaru standing there, he was a bit confused because he was having a dream about being on a mission with Team Seven.

"You should be home by now. It's late," Shikamaru said, bringing Naruto fully back to reality.

Naruto looked over at the clock. It read 9:47. He jumped up, "Oh you're right! Hinata must be worried!"

Naruto ran so fast out of the office that Shikamaru swore he saw dust. He just stood there for a second staring at the doorway the Hokage just bolted through. After a minute, he just smiled and laughed to himself. "Better pack everything up for the night."

Naruto decided he would stop at Ichiraku before heading home. He liked Hinata's cooking and all but he doesn't like eating in that much. And it's felt like years since he's had some good ole ramen.

He sat down in his favorite seat, right in the middle and looked to his right to see a familiar face. "Oh! Hey Sakura-chan!" He never dropped the "chan" even though they're both married and sort of drifted away in the last year. Naruto and Sakura have been friends for years and grew so close. Hinata should know not to get jealous.

"Hey Naruto," Sakura said as cheerfully as she could. There was a trail of sadness left in her voice that most people wouldn't be able to detect but Naruto knew her better than anyone else in the entire Fire Nation.

"What's wrong?"

"What? I'm fine," she tried to play off a laugh that Naruto quickly dismissed.

"I know something is wrong. And now that I think about it, something's been wrong for a while..." There was an evident sadness in his voice and hearing it made Sakura want to open up to him. And so she did.

She told him everything from being stressed and busy to Sasuke's coldness and hostility. She ranted on about everything that's bothered her for the last year.

"Wow. I just realized how little we've talked lately..." Naruto said suddenly. The air turned solemn and cold with that statement. It wasn't until he pointed it out that they both realized how true it was. Sakura was overcome with sadness after the realization. Naruto and her were so close. How could she let such a good friend drift away so easily?

Naruto blamed himself. It was his fault for getting caught up in work and his marriage. But who could blame him for something like that? The truth of the matter is that it's no ones fault. They're both adults with important jobs and needy spouses. Both of their home life's are pretty exhausting in all honesty.

"I know... I shouldn't have let my new life get in the way of friends..." Sakura mumbled, almost as if just to herself.

"Hey! How about tomorrow we go to the training fields and do a little sparring or we could go out of the village?!" Naruto suggested excitedly.

"That sounds lovely except you're the Hokage and you're uber busy," She replied lightheartedly but there was a trace of sadness in that.

"I'm always at the office and Shikamaru is always complaining that I need a break. I'm sure he wouldn't mind covering for me tomorrow," He explained. He was right Shikamaru is always badgering him to take some time out. He expected Naruto to slack off and joke around all of the time but Naruto takes Hokage very seriously. No one has ever seen him take anything so seriously before.

"Are you sure? Tomorrow is my day off so that actually works pretty well," Sakura thought about the idea. She was actually excited.

"Okay! It's a plan!!" Naruto giggled as he slurped up his ramen that was just finished cooking.

Sakura smiled at him as she got up. "Well, I should be getting home soon. I'll see you tomorrow, Naruto."

She left the ramen stand holding her purse close to her. She looked up at the night sky that was filled with tons of stars and sighed. There is hope. Sakura went home that night with a giddy feeling that she hasn't felt in a long time. She was just excited to get in touch with old friends. Maybe she'd try to get close to Kakashi again. The thought of reuniting with her friends made her happy. And she actually went to sleep that night with a smile on her face.
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Chapter two is out. I'm not completely sure where I'm going with this story. But thank you for reading, nonetheless.