Leaving Her Alone

*Chapter 10*

Naruto's disgruntled expression faltered then, the change almost too slight – and almost too short-lived – for the raven-haired boy to pick up on. Almost.

"And what exactly is it to you if my stomach turns out to be more important this time around?" the blonde retorted a little too sharply.

Sasuke's brows raised at that response, disbelief slowly leaking into his own expression. "That just wouldn't be possible unless...wait...it's Sakura? She's your problem?!"

Naruto's entire body tensed up almost immediately, and suddenly Sasuke felt as if he'd just fallen through a door that he should've been running the hell away from.

"...Well this is awkward...dammit..." he muttered under his breath, subconsciously pulling his arms tighter across his chest as he shifted his gaze to the road in front of them.

A short, dry laugh escaped the blonde. "Yeah? Well, serves you right for being so damn nosy."

Sasuke's eyes snapped back up toward Naruto in a fiery glare, but it quickly fizzled out at the sight of the blonde's earlier tension suddenly giving way to drooping shoulders. Looking away again, he released a quiet sigh as his arms fell away from his chest, his hands instead coming to rest in his pockets.

"...So, um, what happened?"

Naruto shrugged slightly, a faint, defeated smile tugging at the corners of his mouth. "The same thing that always happens – I try, she rejects. Only difference is, this time...I took the hint."

Sasuke's jaw slackened as his disbelief rapidly transformed into utter shock. No way...there's no way he's actually being serious right now...

"Nope. I'm totally being serious. Believe it."

His eyes snapped up again and widened slightly at what he was looking at now. The barely-there smile had fallen away from Naruto's expression, and was replaced by a look of resolute determination that -

Wait a minute...

"Huh?!"

"You just said that there's no way I'm actually being serious right now. Well I am."

"Y-yeah but...but I didn't...h-how did -"

Naruto snorted. "You said your thoughts out loud, ya weirdo."

Sasuke's shocked gaze immediately shifted into a sharp glare. "Shut up, dumbass. At any rate, you don't honestly expect me to believe that you've completely given up that hopeless little crush you have on her, do you?"

"I don't remember ever saying I gave up, idiot."

"Then elaborate, moron." Sasuke half-snarled through clenched teeth. "What the hell else could "I took the hint" possibly mean?!"

Naruto huffed an exaggerated sigh. "It means I'm backing off and leaving her alone...just like she wants me to."

A few beats of tense silence passed between them then, Sasuke's glare regressing back to an even gaze. He watched Naruto for a few more moments before shifting his attention forward again, just in time to see them approaching the road that housed the inn. Subtlety clearing his throat, he opened his mouth to respond, but shut it back when Naruto began to speak once more.

"She doesn't like me - not the way that I like her or...or at all really. So I figured the best way to make peace is to just...leave her be, ya know."

Sasuke's eyes narrowed thoughtfully. "And you're...ok with that?"

Naruto exhaled deeply. "Yeah." he answered after only a moment's pause; he stretched briefly, bringing his hands up and lacing them behind his head. "It's definitely not been easy to do, but I'm managing just fine I think. Plus, our team will be much more awesome now that I'm not turning to mush every time Sakura just, like...breathes in my direction."