Perfectly Imperfect Love

The Party

Naruto was lying in the middle of the training grounds on the soft, green grass; the sun was shining overhead, and barely any clouds were in sight.

He felt, for the first time in a few years, genuinely at peace with himself. The dull heartache in his chest was still there, and he dreaded the moment his teammates returned from their week off, but he still felt good.

It had been four days since his relationship with Ino had began, and he loved every second of it. She was exactly what he wanted and needed, and she felt the same about him, if he was reading things correctly.

He had split his time between being with her, and training himself to the bone. He would summon no less than five hundred clones, battle them and remake them until he was utterly exhausted, then pull himself together and repeat the process.

The blonde heard footsteps approaching, and glanced over to see his silver-haired sensei walking over. The copy-nin knelt down next to his student, looking at him pensively. Naruto knew that the jounin was aware of his feelings towards their female teammate, and he sighed.

"Hey, Naruto. How's it going?" Kakashi asked. Naruto smiled genuinely, shocking his sensei.

"I'm doing good, sensei. Better then I was before." He replied quietly, shifting his gaze back to the pure, baby blue sky.

"Oh? Why's that?" The jounin asked, deciding to plop down next to the blonde. The cool wind rustled both of their messy, gravity defying hair, creating a calming atmosphere.

"I'm...in a relationship with Ino, I guess. We're mostly just having sex, but we talk a lot too. It's been helping." He admitted bluntly, a slight crimson glow appearing on his cheeks. Kakashi's eye opened wide in shock. My cute little genin...

"You move on fast." He suddenly remarked, but Naruto shook his head, exhaling slowly. "No. I haven't moved on. At all. It's just...she distracts me. I think she's in the same kind of situation, as well. It sounds fucked up, but we're sort of...using each other."

"That kind of relationship could end poorly, Naruto." Kakashi warned, but said jinchuurki shrugged. A flock of birds flew over head, and Naruto watched them fly by as he thought of his next words.

"It's nothing but casual. Like I said, it sounds weird that we're just using each other. Using sounds too harsh...it's more like mutually beneficial, no strings attached sex." He said. By now, Kakashi had a perverted smirk under his face. Naruto, you're pretty lucky.

The blonde pushed himself up with his palms. "Anyways...I still feel terrible because of...you know. I've been training and training...but..." He trailed off, and Kakashi patted his shoulder.

"It's a tough thing to overcome. I...was in love once. But that's a story for another time. Listen, go to the Hokage's office tomorrow morning. We have a little offer for you. I can't say anything now, but you'll find out then." The copy-nin said, running a hand through his hair as he stood up. He nodded his goodbye, before poofing away in a plume of smoke, leaving a very curious Naruto behind.

Near the gates of the village, a young couple walked towards their home slowly, hand in hand.

Sasuke and Sakura Uchiha were returning to the village after their rather eventful honeymoon.

The medic-nin was giddy; it was all she ever dreamed as a little girl. She glanced at her raven-haired lover, and saw that he was still his usual stoic, emotionless self.

But something left a slight pang in her heart; her blonde haired idiot of a teammate. His heartbroken and angry face from their conversation a week prior was burned into her memory. She definitely needed to have that talk with him.