Perfectly Imperfect Love

Forgetting Sakura Haruno

Naruto awoke once more, feeling groggy. His face was numb, and the hangover was still present.

The blonde picked up the crumpled note that Sakura wrote him, and reread it over and over. She thinks we can't be friends anymore...we haven't been friends for years.

He groaned, and got out of bed before shuffling to the bathroom.

One look in the mirror disgusted him. I look like shit...and feel like it too.

He took a quick shower, washed his face and brushed his teeth a couple of times. Satisfied with his cleanliness, he walked out of the bathroom, and padded down the hallway to the kitchen.

After delving through Kakashi's surprisingly well-stocked fridge, he made a giant feast, consisting of bacon, eggs, toast, ramen, ice cream and brownies.

Well, might as well eat my sorrows away. He thought, before digging into the food.

A good half hour later, he was stuffed and lying in bed again, staring at the ceiling. Naruto was never good at keeping his emotions under wraps while alone, and he started to feel the now-familiar ball of jealousy, sadness and a bit of anger well up within him.

He felt discarded, useless and lonely.

Kakashi walked into the room to see Naruto staring blankly at the roof with his arm draped over his head. The copy-nin frowned at his old student. He's...not taking this well.

"You alright?" He asked. Naruto merely grunted in reply, not shifting his gaze.

Kakashi sighed and walked back out. He needs a distraction... He thought, before poofing away to parts unknown.

Kurama frowned at his vessel from within his mind. "Kit, come into the seal. I want to talk with you."

Naruto obliged, closing his eyes, and reappearing inside his mindscape. Thanks to their new bond as friends, it was no longer a dreary sewer and jailed cage. It was now a sunny, blue skied green meadow.

The Kyuubi was transformed into a small version of himself as Naruto lied down in the middle of the meadow. He curled up beside his vessel, his nine tails swishing silently behind him.

"What did you want to talk about, Kurama?" Naruto asked quietly as he watched the 'clouds' roll by.

"Naruto, forget about the Haruno. You're starting to make my own existence unpleasant. If not for me, then for yourself."The demon fox said, resting a paw on his partner's shoulder. Naruto looked into his crimson eyes, sighing.

"I can't. I've loved her for...how long now? I can't just up and forget everything...everything we've been through. What we've said, done...just..." The blonde trailed off sadly.

"Have you ever tried?"The Kyuubi asked, and Naruto froze.

It then hit him; not once in his life had he ever tried to get over Sakura. There were many reasons; one was he never gave up. But now that wasn't an option. She was married; they would never be.

"I...haven't."

He saw the Kyuubi grin. "Well, then, why don't you? I'm not concerned nor familiar with the mating rituals of humans, but why don't you spend your week off going on 'dates' or what have you? Perhaps you can find someone more suited to your desires."

The blonde sighed. "But Sakura-chan is Sakura-chan...angry as her actions make me, I love her...and probably will forever. I don't want to live a life of lies and say I love another when I don't. That's the whole reason it will never work with me and Hinata. I can't give her the love she wants to give me."