tampered | RP Log: Ongoing

"Eh? Well, there better be at least one ramen shop!"

Naruto sighed despairingly after his quick surveying of the square turned up nothing. All he could see were numbered buildings, an odd backdrop set against the plethora of people that looked just as strange. He hadn't taken much time to really look around and let it all sink in before meeting up with Sakura. Inexorably, his gaze fell on the carousel. After a few silent moments of staring at it, he decided he'd spent enough time observing. That thing was just damned creepy.

"Man. What is UP with this place?! And any idea where Sasuke might be? Or... anyone? Is anyone else here besides us?"

"No one really knows, I guess," she shrugged, looking up at the carousel with him, eyeing it warily. Sakura looked back at Naruto again and nodded.

"Sasuke-kun said he was near the cafe. As far as I know, he, Kiba, Hinata and Kakashi-sensei are all here somewhere. And that Chuunin exam judge, the one who died. He's here too," she explained, looking thoughtful and still a little surprised by that.

"I haven't run into any of them, though," she added. "And as far as I know... they're all from where I came from. But I could be wrong. I assumed you were the same Naruto I knew before I actually saw you face to face," she smiled, shrugging again. It was still all more than a little confusing.

"Exam judge?" The Chuunin exams were a while ago for him, and leave it to Naruto to forget little details like the identities of their examiners anyway. He blinked and scratched his chin as he tried to put a face to the title. "Exam judge, exam judge... exam judge?

"OH! The coughing guy? He's here? Alive? How's that?" Beyond perplexed by that, Naruto rubbed at his head. It was beginning to hurt. First the field of candy flowers, then the carousel, then finding Sakura two years younger than him, and now the dead were coming back to life?

Unless, of course, the exam judge came from a different point in time, but thinking of all the possibile reasons why made his head throb. All that mattered was that he was alive, he supposed.

Whatever the guy's name was. Naruto made a mental note to ask.

Naruto looked more than a little confused, and Sakura rolled her eyes in amusement and nodded. "Yes, him. His name is Hayate, I think," she replied, folding her arms again and absently drumming her fingers.

"It's probably connected to the same reason that you're older than me, and we're stuck in this strange city with no exits," she shrugged, glancing around them again. "Whatever that may be. Like I said, no one seems to know. Maybe we're supposed to figure it out."

"I've been staying with some friends that I made, but I was thinking," Sakura continued, switching subjects. "When we find Sasuke-kun, we should get a place to stay together, don't you think?" she raised her eyebrows inquisitively. "The three of us? And then we could try to find the rest of us who are here and get back..."

Sakura paused again and frowned. "If we find a way back, you'll go back to wherever it is you came from, and I'll go back to where I came from, but that won't be the same place..." Now Sakura's head was starting to hurt.

Feeling very much like his head would explode trying to figure it all out, Naruto shrugged his shoulders and dismissed it all with a carefree laugh. "Well, whatever! Things'll work out, somehow! I think you're right, now we should find a place to stay! We'll drag Sasuke on over and make him stay with u--"

Naruto stopped abruptly. Someone was saying something. He tilted his head back and looked towards the sky, as if the speaker would pop out of the clouds. Cocking an eyebrow, he listened hard so that he might figure out what it was saying. He remembered that voice; it was the same voice he heard when he arrived in the city.

It promised destruction. It promised to stroke his massive hero-complex. It promised both the end and the beginning and was laced with something that grabbed at him and pulled him in. The look in his eyes became distant and his head felt light.

"Hey... hey, Sakura-chyan..." His voice was so detached, it felt like it hadn't even come from his own body. "Do you hear voices?"

Blinking as Naruto stopped short and started looking up at the sky, Sakura felt a shiver run down her spine, sending goosebumps along her bare arms and legs. Shuddering a little, she looked up with him, but didn't see anything. For a moment, she thought she caught a whisper, faint and fleeting, but it passed quickly, and she didn't hear anything above the murmurs of conversation as people walked by them.

Naruto sounded really strange, and Sakura lowered her gaze back down to him, looking at him oddly. "No... nothing unusual," she replied slowly. He still wasn't looking at her, and sounded distracted and far away, as if he was daydreaming about ramen or kicking Sasuke's ass. Except that usually when Naruto daydreamed, he had a stupid smile on his face and muttered nonsense. It was different this time. And a little unnerving.

"Naruto?" she said softly, stepping closer and resting her hand on his arm carefully, still watching his face warily. "Are you in there?" she added, waving her hand in front of his face.

Snapping out of it with a sharp intake of breath, Naruto shot around to look at Sakura. His hand covered her own, and there was an edge to his voice that wasn't there before. "Okay, this place is officially weird! You didn't hear any of that? I heard it when I first got here, too! It's like something's calling to me every now and then. I can't really explain it, but I don't think it wants us to leave. Whatever it is."

Grumbling something out of frustration, Naruto shook his head to clear his mind, hoping the bad vibes would take a hint and follow suit. He had enough of being freaked out for one day. As if the carousel and living dead weren't enough!

Jolting in surprise along with him as Naruto spun around to look at her, Sakura continued looking at him with mild concern on her face. Any other time, she probably would have brushed it all off as the product of Naruto's over active imagination or something along those lines, but he looked and sounded genuinely anxious, which was starting to rub off on her.

Glancing around warily a few times, she looked back at him and shook her head. "I felt something," she admitted, chewing on her bottom lip. Seeing Naruto bothered like that was unnerving, and she squeezed his arm gently, and attempted to lighten the mood.

"Hey, nothing horrible's happened yet, right? It's been weird, but not bad," she remarked thoughtfully, but this time, with a hesitant smile.

The blond-haired shinobi wiped the sweat from his brow and smiled at her. "Of course! Everything will be okay. We should go find Sasuke now!"

Each moment Sasuke wasn't being watched by them like a hawk was one more moment that history could potentially repeat itself. Naruto wasn't keen on the idea of that happening. Even if Orochimaru hadn't shown his face yet, Naruto was sure the slimy bastard would follow them to the city eventually.

Without giving Sakura time to protest, Naruto grabbed her by the hand and took off into the air, leaping onto the top of the carousel for a better view of the place. He remembered Sasuke mentioning something about a cafe...

He had no idea where to start.

"Do you know where this cafe is Sasuke was talking about?"

It was a good thing Sakura had shinobi reflexes, as she definitely wasn't ready for Naruto to grab her hand and yank her up atop of the carousel. Regardless of any quick reflexes, she skidded to a halt beside him, grabbing onto his arm to keep from falling over. A nasty remark was about to come out of her mouth, accompanied with a sharp smack over the head or a punch to the jaw, but something stopped her from letting it out.

Instead, she focused on the question Naruto had just asked. "Oh, yeah. The cafe Juliet, it's called, and it's over there," she pointed in the direction of the cafe, and then glanced down at the carousel beneath their feet. It really was odd, and she could only barely hear that obnoxious ticking.

"What're you going to say when you see him?" she asked softly, looking back up at Naruto curiously. "It's been awhile since you've seen him, right?" she added, and then seemed to realize that she was still clinging to his arm. Blushing, she quickly let go and clasped her hands behind her back, glancing away again towards the cafe.

Squinting into the distance, Naruto thought he saw the cafe Sakura was talking about and nodded. "Okay! Sounds good! We'll head there now!"

But he hesitated because Sakura was blushing and it wasn't often she blushed around him, because of him, and when she had in the past it usually had something to do with Sasuke. Confused, he tensed up just a bit. This Sakura sure was weird.

"I'm not sure," he began in answer to her question. "I don't think it'd be fair to totally ream this Sasuke if he hasn't done anything yet... he seemed pretty ignorant of... stuff... when I spoke to him. As much as I'd like to tear him a new one, it just wouldn't be fair. Haha, but I can't wait to see what he has to say if he's the same age as you! His reaction is going to be priceless!"

Sakura was pretty confused herself, and her embarrassment grew as Naruto actually caught her blushing. Whoops. Stupid, Sakura! She'd never done anything like that around Naruto before. Then again, this Naruto was different. Older. But still the same, in a lot of ways. Confusing.

Shaking it off and pretending like nothing happened, she nodded in response. He was actually making a lot of sense. "Alright. We'll just see what happens, hmm?" she smiled hopefully.

"And if you two decide to fight to see whose stronger than the other, I'll kick both of your asses. Got it?" she added threateningly, raising her eyebrows and giving him a look. Sakura hated when the two of them fought. "It's crazy enough here without fifty million Naruto replications or Chidori's flying every which way," she muttered.

Eyes as wide as saucers, Naruto knew that Sakura did not hand out idle threats. Her beatings were worse than any of those he'd encountered by his enemies. Ever. He became so tiny and insignificant around her when she was like this, shrinking and making sure he put enough distance between them so that his bones remained in tact.

"I promise! I'm not gonna do anything! Honest!"

A dumb idea dawned on him then and he couldn't resist the urge to poke at her. "You were just blushing!" He pointed out, leaning in and grinning wide, almost lecherously, really. "You crushing on me like this, Sakura-chyaaaaan~?"

About to reply with one last (and mostly idle) threat, complete with waving a clenched fist around for emphasis, Sakura froze before the words could come out of her mouth. Crap, how did Naruto get so smart? Crush? No, no, no. That was ridiculous? Her, having a crush on this older, smarter and good looking version of Naruto? No way. Right?

Still, that wave of panic that washed over her was coupled with her now natural instinct to wallop the blonde idiot for teasing her like that. It looked like that raised hand was going to come in handy after all.

Not wanting to completely knock him off the carousel, she smacked him upside the head, HARD. So hard it stung her hand a bit, and she rubbed it grumpily when she finished. "Shut up, Naruto! I don't... have a crush on you!" she snapped, blushing even brighter now.

Naruto screeched in pain and surprise, though he really should have expected as much out of Sakura. Flinching away while cradling his injured head - God, did that sting! - he offered her a sheepish grin.

"Well, you're acting so weird around me, I couldn't help but jump to conclusions! Besides..."

Sombering up, Naruto straightened himself and looked down at the crowd below them. Not really seeing them, but it felt more comfortable than looking at Sakura at that point. "You asked me before, and I didn't really answer... I've always liked you. Just... one of those crazy things I've always been stubborn about, I guess. Even if it's futile, even if it's not meant to be... it's how I feel. But we're from different times and so much has happened, and I don't want to monopolize on anything or make things feel weird. I think I finally came to realize long ago that you liked Saskue..."

Besides that, her comment about not having a crush on him, as if it were the most dispicable thing in the world, hit a soft spot. He shot a thumbs-up and weak smile in her direction, nonetheless. "As long as Team Seven stays together, I don't really care what happens!"

Sakura had long since lost track of how many times she had found herself gaping at Naruto since they had first met up again. This one topped the cake. To know that someone had feelings like that for you was one thing. To hear them outloud, and from that person, was a completely different story. Sakura's hand was still stinging from whacking Naruto over the head, and for once, she actually felt guilty.

The look on his face was like a slap in itself. Words were stronger than physical blows sometimes, and all of her indignant anger from only seconds before deflated as fast as it had come. The fake smile and thumbs-up weren't helping, and neither was Naruto's obvious willingness to put his own feelings aside for her happiness. How many people were willing to do that for her? Not many.

Her stomach twisted in anxious knots while she nervously fiddled absently with her hands. "Right. As long as the team stays together," she replied, chewing on her bottom lip. "Though you know, Naruto. Things may not always be as futile as they seem...?" she trailed off, cheeks rosey pink again as she looked away, out over the crowd of people below them. Sakura still loved Sasuke of course, but these weird feelings... as unexplainable as they were, were there.

Maybe it had something to do with the crazy city they were in. Those drinks at that club? The carousel? So confusing. She looked back at Naruto, wondering if the idiot had caught on to what she had meant.

Whatever the reason, though Naruto could be pretty dense at times, he was not unable to pick up on what she meant. His eyes widened yet again and he kneeled down so that he could look at her face-to-face.

It was still so odd, being so much taller than her.

"What are you talking about?"

His tone was gentle, assuring her that no mockery whatsoever was implied behind it at all. He honestly wanted to know what she had meant by that. It wasn't all futile? Did Sakura harbor feelings of her own, for himself, and he just hadn't been aware of it?

"You can tell me the truth. Anything. I don't care, whatever you have to say. You'll always be my special girl, Sakura-chyan."

Thank god for an older, smarter Naruto, and damn him both at the same! Light colored eyelashes rested on blushing cheeks as Sakura looked down at him, her mouth suddenly very dry. She hadn't really expected him to catch on, or react this way, for that matter.

Why was he being so perfect? Stupid Naruto! Getting under her skin like that in every good and bad way possible, looking up at her with those gentle, warm blue eyes that were about to make her spill her guts out to him. Not to mention him callign her special. Crap.

Taking a deep shuddering breath, Sakura met his gaze firmly, regardless of the embarrassed flush on her cheeks and her trembling hands. "I just meant... that maybe your crush on me isn't as hopeless as you assume. Maybe I feel something for... you... too," she replied slowly, wanting to tell him and wanting to run away at the same time. This was Naruto, for goodness' sake! What the hell was she doing?

Fairly certain that it all might have been a dream - for that would explain a whole hell of a lot - Naruto resisted the urge to pinch himself after her bashful confession. It was the twist of all twists, the childhood crush that hated him witha passion in the beginning ultimately reciprocating his feelings.

It had to be a dream. His face grew hot with blushing and his heart skipped a beat or three. It was all he could do, just standing there, not to do or say something incredibly stupid to ruin the moment.

One question still remained, though, and he had to ask.

"What about Sasuke?"

"Sasuke-kun..." Sakura sighed heavily, tearing her eyes away from Naruto's flushed face. "You know I'll always like him, Naruto. I always have, ever since I was a little girl," she replied. It was honest, and she wasn't afraid to admit it. Sasuke was her dream come true, her biggest fantasy, her childhood love. But when had he ever reciprocated, or even shown the slightest interest? Never.

Realizing how she must have looked and sounded, Sakura's gaze darted back up to Naruto's. "That doesn't mean you're second choice or anything!" she amended, shaking her head vigorously. "It's just... seeing you here like this has put things more into perspective, I suppose. You've done so much for me, Naruto," she smiled shyly, twisting her nervous hands behind her back.

"I was horrible to you and you were still always there for me," she added. "And regardless of all the times I yell and punch you for being the idiot that you are, I-- I care about you," she flushed again, looking down at her feet.

Sakura successfully mangaged to assuage any and all inadequacy Naruto might have had between himself and Sasuke where she was concerned. That he might have been second choice to her, it was a very real worry.

"Horrible to me?" Naruto's lips curled into a grin, remembering back to those lonely days when everyone and their uncle seemed to hate him. It was no skin off his nose; his goal never wavered and their dislike never once stopped him from sticking up for his village. It was that stubbornness that earned him so many precious friends, too. "Yeah, a lot of people might have been? Whatever, it doesn't matter."

Hesitantly, Naruto reached out to playfully tug on a lock of bubblegum-pink hair. "I care about you both. But where Sasuke felt like a brother... I had always hoped that maybe someday you and I could be something deeper."

He paused and blushed harder.

"Ahh! Look what you're doing to me, Sakura-chan! Making me say such embarrassing things!"

Sakura wasn't exactly sure she should be so easily forgiven for the way she had treated him in the past. The way Naruto overlooked it all was heartbreaking, but a part of her was glad that he didn't hold a grudge against her.

While the both of them were blushing idiots now, Sakura couldn't help but smile teasingly at Naruto and further his embarrassment. "Something deeper, hmm? Well, Naruto. You've already held my hand at least five times today," she commented, raising an eyebrow and sounding much more confident than she actually felt. Her cheeks were still pink and she was breathing shallow, nervous breaths.

This had to be the craziest situation Sakura had been in. Ever. Forget the Chuunin exam, or almost being crushed to death by Gaara's sand, or fending off Zabuza. Standing in front of Naruto and discussing their feelings for each other topped the list, or at least the list of things Sakura never thought she would ever do.

"So, now what?" she asked softly, looking up at him inquisitively and bravely taking a tiny step forward.

Likewise, the situation was probably one of the toughest Naruto ever had to face. For perhaps the first time in his life, cheesy smiles and overly optimistic adages didn't seem right. He found himself fumbling as to what to say or do next.

"Now...?" Naruto blinked. "Now... now we should go get Sasuke?" He knew that wasn't what she had meant and that she was referring to their relationship, but that didn't stop him from injecting a little bit of stupid into the conversation. A knee-jerk reaction to a new type of situation he hadn't had any experience with.

"Just kidding," he said with a shaky chuckle. There was one thing he could think of doing at that moment, but the innate fear of Sakura installed in him on day one made him apprehensive. He didn't want to make her angry or scare her. Then again, life was a series of risks for Uzumaki Naruto and when did he ever let doubt stand in his way before?

Suck it up, Naruto. The worst she'll do is hit you.

Steeling his guts, Naruto straightened and closed the distance between them. Taking Sakura's chin into his hand, he lifted her face and stared nervously down into her spring green eyes. What she could see in his own eyes, he could only imagine, but the sight he was greeted with made his stomach do cartwheels and his heart do backflips. She had the most beautiful eyes.

Naruto felt his breath catch as he leaned in and brushed his lips across hers. He could have sworn he felt the carousel beneath them stop at that moment.

And then it was over and he wasn't sure if he should start running.

The urge to smack Naruto once more arose again, and Sakura narrowed her eyes at him in slight annoyance. She should have expected that remark. Her hands, however, remained at her sides, fingers only twitching for a moment or two.

Luckily for the blond, he amended his response quickly to show that he was only joking around. Sakura could tell he was nervous, however. There was a slight quiver in his voice and laugh, and his cheeks were still tinted pink. Thank goodness she wasn't the only one unnerved by all of this.

When she had posed the question of "what now?" she had honestly expected more discussion. Likewise, she was surprised when a determined look crossed Naruto's face and he stepped closer to her, taking her chin in his fingers gently. Sakura gasped softly, gazing up at him with wide, wondering eyes, lips barely parted. It was still so odd to have him taller than her. She was sure that she was going to stop breathing and pass out anytime, or that she'd wake up and find herself in her bed at home in Konoha.

And before she could blink an eye, she was being kissed. By Naruto. On the lips. And what the hell? His lips were shockingly soft, and the entire kiss itself was sweet and gentle. How had this happened?!

Somehow, her eyes had fallen shut and when he pulled away, she swayed a little, feeling a little lightheaded. Green eyes fluttered open a moment later and she stared up at Naruto, one hand lifting to touch her lips.

"You kissed me," she whispered, looking awed. Well, no shit, Sakura, she cringed at herself inwardly. Never in her wildest dreams, or even in her darkest nightmares had she imagined that her first kiss would be with Uzumaki Naruto, of all people.

"It was really... nice," she added, still a little dumbfounded, but wanting to say something so he wouldn't get the wrong idea about her reaction.

"Yeah, well..." The hyperactive shinobi felt relieved since Sakura was making no moves to throttle him or beat him within an inch of his life. "It just felt like the right thing to do, you know?"

Naruto beamed his warmest smile, offering his outstretched hand to her once more. He thought that this world must really be a dream because having Sakura's kiss, a kiss with his childhood sweetheart, as his first? That was a dream come true.

Maybe staying in a place like this for a while wouldn't be so bad.

"Let's go get Sasuke, okay?"

[sorry for the double post, i just woke up and failed at teh engrish for a second xO]

RP Log: Ongoing

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