Chapter Fifteen

"Karin, you have to be as quiet as possible." Sasuke whispered to her before he opened his door as he heard Hinata close the bathroom door. "Why? Naruto?" She asked while looking into his onyx eyes, "Hinata is here."

"So?" He could've face palmed, "If she knows, then Sakura will know." "Right, and she hates me." He nodded, "Do you like her?" She asked him, and he just sighed deeply. "Karin." "I'll be as stealthy as I possibly can." She said with a smile, although it annoyed her that they had to be so secretive.

After last night,  she thought that they were now passed the point of acting as if they weren't more than just classmates who had worked on a project together, but Sasuke proved her wrong. He smiled a little, before turning around, and opening the door. He looked down the hallway to see the bathroom door closed, grabbing her hand he walked with her in front of him, until they got to the front door.

"I'll see you later?" She asked him, he nodded with his fingertips on the door knob, ready to close the door shut. A smile came to her lips before she caressed his cheek with a blush on her cheeks, "Thanks for last night, by the way." "It's no problem."

"No really, it was very nice of you." "It's the least I could do." Boldly, with a blush on her face she leaned forward and kissed his cheek. "Bye, Sasuke." Finally leaving, he shut his door and almost let out a sigh of relief, until he turned around to he see Hinata in the hallway, with her toothbrush in her hand.

They looked at each other for a moment, but didn't say a word. Sasuke didn't feel as though he owed her an explanation, while Hinata waited for him to explain what Karin was doing in his apartment. Although Sakura hadn't told him the entire story, Hinata was still annoyed that he was friends with her, let alone spending the night in his place.

Naruto opened his bedroom door, and smiled at the both of them as he approached the bathroom. "Princess, hurry up I have to pee." "I'm sorry I can't find any toothpaste."

She said with a smile before Naruto nodded and walked with her into the bathroom, while Sasuke stood by the door still. She brushed her teeth, as Naruto leaned against the doorframe, waiting to use the toilet. "Why can't I just pee?"

"Because that's disgusting." "It's a natural bodily function." She rolled her eyes, before spitting out the excess toothpaste in her mouth.

"I don't want to see you doing it though." "Then don't look!" "I'm almost done, Naruto." "I'm gonna piss myself, Hinata." She laughed a little, "Wow you just used my real name?" He laughed while shaking his head, "Just finish faster."

"Okay, I'm done." Grabbing her hand, he playfully nudged her out of the door. She laughed as he shut the door, when she walked back to his bedroom she heard her phone ring.

Seeing her best friends name pop across the screen she answered. "Hey, Sakura." "Hey, um I need a huge favor." She said in a hushed tone. "What's up?" "I spent the night at Sasori's, and I need to leave like right now."

"Sakura, I swear to God." She started while sitting down on Naruto's bed, while pulling on her jeans. "I didn't do anything, I don't think, I just feel so bad."

"Why? Are you okay?" "I'm fine, I just feel bad for Sasuke, like we seemed to actually be getting somewhere yesterday, and now I have hickies all over me." Hinata rolled her eyes at the mention of his name, "Don't feel bad, trust me." She said while Naruto walked into his room, "We're on our way, give me like ten." "Okay, I owe you."

"Yeah it's whatever, just tell me everything." Her friend laughed a little, "I will." Hanging up the phone, Hinata smiled at her boyfriend. "Who was that?" He asked, "Sakura, we need to go get her." Hinata answered him while tying her shoes. "From where?"

"Sasori's." He nodded before grabbing his keys, and sliding on his shoes. "Since when are they?" She cut him off, "I couldn't tell you. Did you know about Sasuke and Karin?"

"What about them?" He asked while rummaging through his dresser for a shirt. "He was sneaking her out this morning." He just shook his head, "I doubt that anything happened." She shrugged while throwing her hair into a ponytail, "I don't know, she was all over him."

"That doesn't mean anything, was he all over her too?" Her eyes narrowed while she crossed her arms, knowing that he was right. "Just ask him about it."

"I can't tell you if something did happen."She playfully pouted, "Well why not?" He wrapped his arms around her waist, "You'd tell Sakura, when it's not her business, and she'd hate him." "It is her business." Naruto laughed a little, "How so?"

Ten minutes later, Sakura was tiptoeing through Sasori's apartment in search of her blue bra. He was still asleep, and she knew that he'd be out all morning after reading the bottle of pills that he took, but she still tried to be as quiet as possible.

"Where is it? My God." She groaned, as her phone dinged from Hinata texting her that she was outside. Deciding to give up on it, she grabbed all of her other belongings and left the apartment.

"You're a lifesaver." She said to her best friend, "It's okay, you'd do the same. Now, what happened?" Hinata asked while turning around in her seat. Sakura just buckled her seatbelt while glancing at Naruto who just kept driving. "I promise you he doesn't care."

Looking in his rear view mirror he said, "Yeah I don't, I'm glad that you're safe though." "Are you gonna tell Sasuke?" She asked him, "Is there a reason to?" He asked, and she shrugged while answering him, "I don't know, I kind of think he likes me."

"He does, but he's Sasuke. He'll never tell you." She laughed a little, "No, I know." Hinata rolled her eyes, "That's so annoying."

"What's your problem with him?" Sakura asked her friend, "I don't have one, I just don't think he's the best for you." She only thought that because of what she saw that morning, and Naruto knew that as he said, "Princess." She shrugged her shoulders, "This is an argument for another time, Sakura, tell the story."

"It's not an argument, Sasuke and Sakura would be cute, you know?" Naruto said, while Sakura just sat there quietly. "And he likes you a lot, just don't tell him I told you that."

"He could act like it." Hinata said making Naruto laugh a little. "Definitely."

"I think we could both do a better job at it honestly." They all nodded in agreement, "For sure." Placing his hand on his girlfriends thigh, he looked at her as they stopped at a red light, while she glanced at her friend who sat behind her. "But yeah, after you both left I went with him back to his place."

"And I really don't remember much, because I was super drunk, but I just remember us about to like do it, and I looked down and he just passed out." Hinata had a concerned look on her face, "You barely remember anything?" "It's just a little foggy." Naruto himself was a little worried, while Hinata asked, "Was he okay?"

Sakura nodded,"Yeah, whatever he took just knocked him out cold." Hinata shook her head, "Well if nothing happened, you definitely shouldn't feel bad." She shrugged, "He like seen me naked though." Naruto shrugged his shoulders, "Who hasn't?" Sakura gasped before hitting him in the back of his head.

"You're a dick." Hinata just side eyed him for a moment, "You've seen my best friend naked?" Sakura shook her head, knowing where this was going, while Naruto remained oblivious.

"It was an accident." Naruto just laughed nonchalantly while clarifying, "Yeah, I didn't knock before walking into the bathroom at Sasuke and I's last apartment."

Hinata nodded before letting out the fakest laugh either one of them had ever heard, making Sakura and Naruto glance at each other through the rear view mirror. "That's funny."

  "Come on, Princess." He said with a sigh, making Hinata roll her eyes while saying,"What? I said it was funny. People laugh when things are funny." Sakura just sat there quietly while shaking he head. "I mean yeah, but if you're bothered by it then say it."

"Why would I be bothered about it?" "I mean, I don't really know." He said while rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Exactly." Sakura just shook her head while saying, "Anyways, you can drop me off at my place."

"Mine too." Hinata said, while keeping her eyes on her phone screen as she scrolled through her apps aimlessly. Naruto just nodded, and tried not to piss his girlfriend off anymore than she already was.

Moving her leg, so that his hand was no longer on top of it, she scooted over in her seat to sit closer to the door. Reaching for the dial of his car stereo, he turned up the radio to alleviate the silence.

In twenty minutes he was in front of Sakura's home, dropping her off. "Thanks again, Guys." Hinata smiled at her friend, "It's no problem."

She smiled back at her, "Text me when you're home?" Hinata nodded before Sakura opened the door and walked up her driveway and into her home.

"Are you sure you want to go home? We could grab lunch." He asked while reaching for her hand, and backing out of Sakura's driveway.

When he grabbed her hand, he heard her sniffle, making his head turn away from his mirror to see her crying with her head down. "What's going on, Hinata?" He asked her while stopping the car at the end of Sakura's street.

"Nothing." She answered without looking up at him, and removing his hand from hers. "Come on, look at me." He said while cupping her face, seeing tears in her beautiful eyes.

"Tell me why you're crying, and how I can make it stop." She shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know."

"You know, just tell me. I don't want to make you cry, Princess." "Ugh, I just wish you hadn't told me that." She said while laughing a little, wiping her teary eyes. "I'm sorry, it was a dumb joke. You don't have to worry, it was a complete accident."

Hinata nodded, "Yeah I know, it's just that all of my friends are so beautiful, you know? And like Sakura's so hot."

"You're just as beautiful." He said while looking into her eyes as they started to weld with more tears. "And like our bodies are so different, you can't tell me you didn't think she was hot."

"I mean yeah she's hot." He started, making the tears fall from her eyes and a sigh leave her lips, "Exactly!"

"B-but you're beautiful, Hinata. Like I've never met anyone as beautiful as you in my entire life. Besides, Sakura is like a sister to me."

"And what does that make me?" It was almost as if she had selective hearing as Naruto said, "You're my girlfriend." "Do you think I'm hot?" He could've laughed at that question. "Of course I do."

"Then why are you so passive?""What do you mean?" He asked her, "I always have to initiate everything, and I don't mind, it's just that-" Cutting her off with a kiss to the lips, he gently grabbed the back of her neck, bringing her face closer to his as their lips moved in perfect sync. His teeth gently nibbled her bottom lip, drawing a moan from her lips.

Pulling away slightly, he watched her tear stained eyes flutter open. "I think you're beautiful. I think you're hot. I think you're sexy, all of it, and I'm sorry for making you feel as if you're anything less. I take my time with you because you're precious to me, and I want to respect you and your boundaries, Princess."

"I don't want you to think I only want you for your perfect body, because although it's definitely a perk, I love you for everything else that you are." Her bottom lip pouted at his affirmation, "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize. I love you the most when you tell me how you feel, because I know how hard that is for you. Cry, scream, do whatever you need to get your feelings across, okay? I'll always listen."

She nodded, "You promise?" He smiled and nodded, "I promise."Holding up her pinky finger she waited for him to do the same, he smiled at her before interlocking his finger with her's.

"I love you, so much." He spoke while smiling at her cuteness with a certain look that gave her butterflies. Her mouth parted as if she wanted to say something, Naruto's heartbeat faster as he anticipated for her to say those three seemingly important words back to him, only for her phone to ring. "I'm sorry, it's Hanabi."

Down the street at Sakura's home, she stepped out of the shower and onto her bathroom rug. With her music blasting from the speaker she looked at herself in the fogged up mirror, where she noticed the bruise on her neck.

Sighing she bit her bottom lip, hoping she wouldn't have to explain it to Sasuke. A part of her felt like he'd be nonchalant like he usually was, but the other half thought he'd actually care. She had to remind herself that they weren't dating, so they had no real obligation to each other as she daydreamed about how she wanted him to care.

A knock to her bathroom door interrupted her thoughts, followed by her mother's radiant smile. "Hey, are you doing anything tonight? The Yamanaka's invited us over for dinner."

Sakura smiled back at her, "Sounds good, what time are we heading over?" "Around six." She nodded, "Alright." Smiling at each other one last time, she closed the bathroom door, before leaving her daughters room.

Sakura wondered how her mom really was as she wrapped a towel around her wet hair. She knew that she struggled when her father died, she also knew how she had started to work longer shifts, and it definitely wasn't for the money, but probably to take her mind off of the fact that she had to come home to an empty bed every night.

For a while, Sakura could hear her mother weep at night, and it broke her heart. Her parents were truly in love, and she couldn't imagine what that was like, let alone fathom how it felt to have them die so unexpectedly. Smiling at herself in the mirror, trying to keep her welding tears at bay, she tried to push all the negative thoughts away, and think positively.

Walking away and into her bedroom, she grabbed her phone to see a missed call from Sasori. Choosing to ignore him, she got dressed and prepared for her date with Sasuke. She rummaged through her closet to find a shirt that would hide her bruised neck, before she decided to wear a mock turtleneck that exposed her toned stomach, and clung to her chest.

As she styled her hair in a low messy bun, and threw on her favorite pair of ripped high waisted boyfriend jeans, she heard a knock at her door. "Come in." Her mom walked in with a smile, "Sasuke is down stairs." She smiled back at her, "Will you tell him that I will be right down?"

Hinata hurried into her home to find her sister, while Naruto trailed behind her. "Hanabi?" She called out, "Upstairs!" Looking back at her boyfriend she said, "I'll be right back," He nodded, watching her jog up her stairs, before knocking on her father's office door. "What's the emergency?"

"I don't know what to wear tonight."Hinata laughed while shaking her head, "You said it was an emergency!" "It is! I'm leaving to get brunch soon with Moegi, and then we're going shopping before the bonfire tonight."

Her sister just nodded, "Well why are you nervous if you're not seeing Konohamaru until tonight?" "Because Moegi's brother is hot." "Isn't he like my age?"

"He's in college actually." "My God, Hanabi." She said while laughing, and plopping down on her bed. "You can't tell me he isn't hot." Hanabi said while standing in the doorway of her walk in closet. Ignoring her, Hinata said, "Just wear jeans."

"Are you sure that's what you heard?" Naruto nodded, "I am certain, that's why I dropped everything to make sure that she was okay." Hiashi nodded, "I will handle it. Thank you for your help last night.""No problem, Mr. Hyuga."

"Here's a little payment for your hard work, it doesn't go unnoticed, Naruto." Hiashi said while sliding him an envelope. Out of respect for him, he didn't open it right there, instead he said, "You allowing me to date your daughter is enough, Sir."

"I wouldn't be able to just let you work with me for no compensation, please." Taking it from his hand, "Thank you so much, Sir." "No, thank you, Naruto." ~ "I see you had a lot of fun last night." Sasuke said to her as she sat at brunch with her designer sunglasses covering her emerald eyes. She laughed a little, "Definitely. What did you end up doing last night?"

"Nothing really, just business like usual.""Anything new on your brother?" He shook his head, "Nothing at all." She placed her hand on his, "You'll find something soon, Sasuke. I just know it."

"I sure hope so." He said while looking into her eyes. Strangely her presence gave him hope, and although he'd never admit it, he really appreciated her. As his eyes stared into her's, she felt her cheeks flush red.

Clearing her throat, and straightening her posture, she unintentionally exposed the red bruise to her neck. "Are you trying to hide it?" He asked her, making her look at him with a confused look on her face. "What?" She asked while titling her head, and smiling at him nicely.

"That hickey." He saw the blush rush to her cheeks, and it made him laugh a little. "N-no, I just didn't want to have that conversation." Sasuke nodded, and Sakura could've rolled her eyes at what he said next. "Is there that much to discuss? We aren't really obligated to tell each other stuff like that."

"Well I don't know about you, but I'd love to know if you're sleeping with other people. Especially since we don't exactly use protection." She said before taking a sip of her water, "There's no one else." He said truthfully, although he was sure that her friend had told her otherwise.

Unaware of what Hinata knew, Sakura still shrugged while saying, "I find that hard to believe." Before giving himself up Sasuke asked, "And why is that?" She shrugged, "You seem to be spending a lot with Karin lately, and she obviously likes you."

Sasuke shrugged his shoulders, "Well we're not sleeping together." Sakura nodded, deciding to trust him. "Although the hickey on my neck may say otherwise, there also is no one else."

It surprised him that she didn't ask about Karin leaving his apartment, but he didn't question it; Instead, he decided to trust her when she said that there was no one else, even though he knew about her leaving with Sasori.

If there was someone else it wouldn't of bothered him, because he knew that he was the one that she actually liked. He knew that he would always have one up with any guy that momentarily had her interest, because Sakura wore her feelings on her sleeve when it came to Sasuke.

"Can I ask who gave you that then?"Her eyes narrowed as she smirked and asked, "Are you jealous?" He laughed a little while a cute blush rushed to his cheeks, "No, just curious."

"Well you don't know him." He nodded, "Is there history?" A blush came to her cheeks,"A long one." "Should I be jealous?" She winked at him playfully, "Maybe."

As their date went on, they did nothing, except enjoy each other's company. By the time they got up from their seats and walked back to Sasuke's sports car, three seemingly short hours had passed. "Well what are your plans for the rest of today?" Sakura asked him as they sat at a red light. "Nothing really, just some typical business stuff." She nodded, trying not to ask the questions that she wanted to.

Sakura knew that if she wanted to know things, she would have to wait for him to start the conversation, and although it was annoying, even unhealthy, she did it. "Well dinner should be boring as usual.""Try and have fun." He said before leaning over the console to kiss her lips. ~ "Why does he keep making us work with him?" Sasuke complained to Naruto as the pair drove to a warehouse that Danzo owned. "Because you almost shot Sasori, you know how Danzo gets when we all aren't getting along." He just rolled his eyes, "If I wanted to shoot him, I would have done it."

Naruto just shrugged, "Yeah alright. I don't like him just as much as you, but we both need to fake it." When they both walked into the building, they saw Sasori with a man that neither Naruto or Sasuke recognized. They both casually, but purposefully placed their hands on their gun holsters that sat on their right and left hips.

"What's up? Naruto and Sasuke, this is a friend of mine, he just helped me get it all here." They just nodded, "Well you know what we're here to do." Sasuke said before opening one of the big duffle bags.

"You look familiar. Don't I know you, Dude?" The random man said to Sasuke as he looked at him closely. "No, you don't."

He answered without even looking up from the bag as he counted the money within it. "Oh that's right! You're Itachi's little brother." He said, making him and Naruto look up from their task. "You know my brother?" "I did. I haven't seen him in a few months actually. He talked about you a lot."

Sasuke just nodded, before going back to his money, while Naruto's scrunched his eyebrows. Though he wondered why his friend didn't ask any follow up questions, he asked his own."Well do you have his number or something?"

"I do, but I doubt that it's his current one. That man is a rolling stone." Naruto nodded, "Well can we have it anyways?"

"And what am I getting out of that?" Naruto just rolled his eyes, "You can have half of my share." The guy yawned, "Just half?"

"Stop being so greedy, Kisume." Sasori said to his friend, while Sasuke drowned them out. He already didn't want to be there, and although he appreciated his friends for his efforts, he wanted to be anywhere else. "Sasuke, can you do me a favor?"

"No." He answered Sasori abruptly, without looking up from the machine that calculated the total amount of the duffle bags. "Sakura's not returning my calls, and I thought she'd want this back." At just the mention of her name, Sasuke glanced up at Sasori, to see him holding her light blue bra, one he definitely had seen before. He laughed a little, "It's like you want a reaction out of me."

"No, I just figured you'd be seeing her soon." Naruto just eyed his friend as he started to roll up his sleeves. "What did I tell you before about our relationship being strictly professional, Sasori?"

When he asked him that question, he stood up from his seat and walked steadily toward him. "Sasuke, come on." Naruto said, trying to stop his friend from doing something stupid.

"No, what did I tell you, Sasori?" He asked him again, making him laugh.

"Do you think you scare me? You're a fucking kid, Sasuke. Take the bra, and sit the fuck down." Sasori said while tossing the garment at him, before Sasuke grabbed him by his shirt, and forced him against the table, where he punched him harshly in his handsome face.

"Alright, Man. Come on." Naruto said pulling his friend off of Sasori, while Kisume pulled his friend away before he could hit Sasuke back.

"Here they go." Kisume muttered, as Sasori laughed though his nose bled profusely. "You're being such a simp over a bitch that isn't even into you, come on, Sasuke." He just rolled his eyes, "Next time I'm doing more than just giving you a nose bleed. Keep fucking testing my patience, Sasori."

"Chill the hell out, Sasuke." Naruto scolded his friend while still trying to hold him back, "Fuck that. He's fucking stupid."

"I'm fucking stupid? You're the idiot fighting over an easy bitch. Did she tell you how she was all over me the other night? How I had her on top of m-" "That's it." Sasuke broke free from his friends grip, making Kisume let go of Sasori, before they both started to fight each other.

Naruto tried to intervene, only he was stopped by Sasori's friend. "What the fuck? Are we just going to let them fight?" He shrugged, "Are you kidding? Get out of my way." The two young men delivered harsh blows to each other's faces, while Naruto punched Kisume across his snark face after he pushed him.

The both of them stupidly fought the two men until they were on the ground bleeding with busted lips, and bruised knuckles. Looking over their shoulders, Sasuke's eyes made eye contact with his friends blue one's, and they both stopped abruptly.

"That wasn't a good idea." Naruto said quietly, while making sure that the both of them were relatively okay, before leaving with their portion of the money, and exiting the warehouse. Once they got to his car, they looked at each other, and laughed while shaking their heads.

"Takes you back, doesn't it?" Sasuke nodded in agreement, "The only difference now is that you start fights over a girl, who you claim is only a friend." He shrugged, "I don't know why she would associate with a guy like him."