"Sasuke!" Sakura shouted after her teammate. "Wait up! I need to ask you something!" She ran up to Sasuke.

"What is it?" asked Sasuke.

"Are you going to the Shinobi prom?" asked Sakura shyly.

"What do you mean? It is a must-attend for all Chunin and Genin of 12 to 17 to go, date or no," he said. "Of course I am going."

"Oh," said Sakura. She felt stupid after saying what she said. "Well, d-do you want to go w-with... I-I mean, do you want to go t-together?"

"Together?" repeated Sasuke. He looked at her coldly. "I'd rather go alone, Sakura."

"A-alone?" asked Sakura. "A-alright then. See y-you later, Sasuke." She walked away from Sasuke and her eyes filled up with tears. She quickly wiped them, though, as her old friend and rival, Ino, approached her.

"What's wrong Sakura, get shot down by Sasuke?" Ino flipped her short blonde hair over her shoulder as she teased Sakura. "Watch me! I garuntee I'll come back with a date for the prom." Sakura watched her go.

"Hey Sasuke!" shouted Ino as she ran toward him. She saw Ino smiled brightly and toss her hair a few times and bat her eyelashes. Sasuke's mouth moved, and Ino appeared to be argueing. Sasuke spoke again and Ino walked back to Sakura, clearly angry and sad.

"Couldn't get a date?" asked Sakura sticking out her tongue. Ino growled, and she shook her head. Then she smiled.

"He'll come around," said Ino calmly. Sakura walked away from Ino. Then she bumped into Naruto as she neared her house.

"Sakura! I was hoping I'd catch you," he said. "I wanted to ask you something, do you have a date to the prom yet?"

"N-no, why?" asked Sakura nervously. She raised her eyebrow.

"Want to go with me?" asked Naruto. He looked at her hopefully.

Sakura sighed, and said, "Why are you asking me? Hinata told me she wanted to go with you. Why not ask her?"

"Hinata?" asked Naruto. "She wanted to go with me? Sure, I guess I could ask her, if it would make her happy." Naruto looked disappointed, but soon perked up and went to find Hinata.

"I didn't want to hurt Naruto's feelings," said Sakura. "So I turned him onto someone else, instead of me." Sakura slumped her way into the house, and turned on the light in her room. She made her bed and pulled back its covers.

"I'm so tired," she said. She shut off her light and went to bed.

In the morning, she glanced at her calendar on the wall. It was the day of the prom. It would be held in the evening. Until then, she was to go on a mission with her teammates. When she walked out the door, she saw Naruto saying goodbye to Hinata and walking off.

"Hi Sakura!" he said as he came up to her. "I'm going to the prom with Hinata tonight. Are you still looking for someone?"

"Um... yeah," said Sakura. "Why?"

"I talked to Rock Lee and..." started Naruto, but he was interrupted by Sakura.

"Lee?" asked Sakura.

"Yeah, anyways, he said he'd go with you," said Naruto.

"Go with Lee, huh?" said Sakura. "I mean, I suppose I could. I need a date, and Lee is nice enough... sure. Tell him to come to my house around 6:30, okay?"

"Fine, okay," said Naruto. He ran off somewhere.

"So I'm going with Lee," said Sakura. "I guess that won't be so bad. He's... nice. I'll live."

Later that evening...

Knock, knock! A knock on Sakura's door made her jump. "Come in!" she said with a little sqeak in her voice. The door opened and to Sakura's surprise, Sasuke stood in the doorway.

"Want to go with me to the prom?" he asked.

Sakura's eyes widened. "W-with you?" she asked. "Like, a date?"

"A date?" he repeated.

"O-oh... no," said Sakura. "Sorry Sasuke. I'd like to, but... I have to say no. You see, Naruto got me a date with Lee, and I can't cancel on him last minute."

"I see," said Sasuke, walking out the door. Then Rock Lee entered her house.

"What was that all about?" he asked.

"O-oh... nothing... let's get going," said Sakura.

"You look truly beautiful," said Lee. Sakura was wearing a pink skirt and a purple tank top. She had her hair in a teal headband. "That headband brings out your eyes," Lee added.

"Th-thank you," said Sakura. She liked getting attention from a boy, the attention she never got from Sasuke, but wanted.

"Sakura, I am honored that you would even consider going to the prom with someone of the likes of me!" said Lee modestly.

"Lee, you are so sweet," said Sakura. She smiled and they started walking to the Academy, where the prom would be held.

"Welcome," said Kurenai, who was standing at the door. Anko was at the other door welcoming guests. Sakura and Lee entered the gym of the Academy, and Sakura gaped at the couples.

"Oh my gosh, Lee," said Sakura. "Look who went with who!" Lee peered around as well and saw Ino and Shikamaru getting punch, Hinata and Naruto getting their picture taken, and Neji and Tenten dancing. She then saw Sasuke enter from another door.

"Hide me!" Sakura said quickly, running behind Lee. "L-let's go into the picture booth!" They rushed into the picture booth and closed the curtain.

"Why are you hiding from Sasuke?" asked Lee.

"Because right before you picked me up, Sasuke asked me if I wanted to go," said Sakura. "And I turned him down to go with you, because I..." She was cut off by Lee who, to Sakura's surprise, pulled her in for a kiss! At first Sakura tried to resist but then kissed him back. Suddenly...

"Sakura?!" said a hurt and angry voice coming from the entrance/exit of the picture booth. Sakura looked up and saw Sasuke. She pulled away from Lee and gasped.

"Sasuke!" she said. "I... this... I mean..." she was interrupted by Rock Lee.

"Uchiha, haven't you heard of privacy?" Lee then turned to Sakura. "And you, Sakura, why did you turn him down? I know you love him, not me, and yet you refused to go with him. Why? Just go ahead, Sakura, go dance with him if you'd like."

"Lee, I am your date. I can't just do that!" Sakura almost shouted.

"Go, Sakura!" said Lee. Sasuke looked at Sakura with begging eyes.

"Fine," said Sakura. "But Lee, I owe you one." She kissed him on the cheek, making him blush wildly. She crawled out of the piture booth and took hold of Sasuke's hand.

"Sakura, why did you turn me down before?" Sasuke asked.

"Because I didn't want to hurt Lee's feelings, the feelings he's got for me," said Sakura. "Kind of like the feelings I have for you." She looked deep into his eyes as he thought about her words.

"Sakura, listen," he said. "Follow me." He led her outside the door of the gym and out back, near some beautiful cherry blossom trees. He continued, "You mean more to me than you've always thought." He stroked her short pink hair, then leaned in, expecting a kiss; the one he got.

A/N: More from the Shinobi Prom, coming soon!