This has be edited for the millionth time, if you see any mistakes, do not hesitate to send me a pm. That goes for my other stories as well.

One sunny summer day, Sasuke sat under a tree in a forest. Thinking to himself away from his new and annoying team. Today he wanted to relax for some reason.

'July 23. My birthday. Another birthday alone. Without my family and without the rest of team seven.

Seven? Seven.

That's how old I was when I met that strange girl.

She didn't tell me who she was; she just gave me a cherry blossom.

I tried to figure it out but failed.

What did the cherry blossom mean?

Cherry blossom…Sakura.'

"Sakura? No, why am I thinking of her?" Sasuke shook his head. "She's annoying and stubborn and… she's all I can think of when I think of that strange little girl."

'Plus she's all I can think of when that damn Suigetsu asks if I ever had a girl back at the village or a crush…her face flashes before me. Maybe it's because she's the only girl out of all the other ones that I've ever really got to know.' Sasuke was relieved that no one was around to witness him blush.

Sasuke stood up and was about to head back when he heard humming. It was a familiar tune. And the voice was familiar too.

Sasuke moved deeper into the forest as quiet as a cat on a carpet. He stopped and peeked into a small clearing. He saw the figure of a woman gathering herbs, But she was turned the other way, so he couldn't see her face. She hummed louder and started to sing.

"Heart don't fail me now, courage don't desert me, don't turn back now that we're here…"

Sasuke's eyes widened. He knew the words and the voice. He turned to leave but he stepped on a twig. And the next second a kunai was thrown his direction.

"Who's there!?" Sasuke knew and he couldn't bear it. Sakura was here and at a time where he was off his guard. "Come out or I'll force you out."

Sasuke then steped out into the clearing. He could see Sakura's eyes widened. She stepped back and accidentally tripped over a rock. Without even thinking, Sasuke caught her before she hit the ground.

"You need to watch where you're walking." He said casually.

Sakura blushed furiously, "Sasuke...I can't believe it."

Sasuke sighed. "Then don't." He was about to leave when she embraced him from the back.

Sakura was shaking a bit. She was so happy, she didn't want him to go. "Don't go...please."

Sasuke's heart felt heavier and heavier as it throbbed uneasily. All these emotions filled him. Sadness, anger, frustration, pity, shame, happiness. He lowered his head in shame. He should've just walked away.

'And break her heart again...? Ah! All, I wanted was a peaceful day out of this whole year! And I'm stuck in a fight of emotions!' Sasuke thought.

Sasuke couldn't bear not showing her that he could feel her there and that he was sorry he came. He knew she must be in a lot of pain right now, to just hear him, see him, touch him. So much pain. He grabbed Sakura's hand and squeezed it gently at his chest. She could feel how hard his heart was beating.

"Sasuke...?" Sakura asked with a soft voice.

Sasuke forced himself to look at her face.

Sakura smiled the most kind and gentle smile. It looked like a smile of forgiveness, even. That relieved Sasuke.

"Happy birthday!" She buried her face into his back and embraced him tighter.

Sasuke's eyes held a light for the first time in a life time. He felt a new feeling...the only word that could be suitable was...love...

"Sakura..." Sasuke turned and stood in front of her. She had tears in her eyes. He lost it like the last time.

He pulled her in and embraced her...he held her tightly, something he wasn't able to do the last times. Sakura embraced him too.

"Sakura..." Sasuke said in a soft voice. "Do you still love me...? As you said you did before?"

Sakura's eyes widened to the question. She pulled her face from his chest and gazed at him. "You're birthday gift will tell you..."

She rapped her arms around his neck and gave him a birthday kiss on the lips. Sasuke's eyes widened then closed to as he kissed Sakura back and rapped his arms around her waist. Sasuke deepened the kiss more and more. He wanted this to last forever. Sakura wished that too, of coarse.

A perfect moment in between the two.

"Sasuke!!! Where are you!!!???" the ugly voice of Karin was heard. (No offense to the voice actor, i just really hate karin...)

They immediately stopped. Sakura backed away a bit, her head low trying to cover her ashamed and sad expression. Sasuke turned to Sakura quickly.

"You have to get out of here! Karin will probably sense you if you don't and that'll be trouble." Sasuke said.

Sakura looked at him with eyes that seemed to hold all the pain of love in the world. "No...I don't want to...."

Sakura walked into his chest with her hand at his heart. She buried her face into his chest. She looked like a little child to him right now. "I really don't want to, but I have to right? So I will, for you though."

Sasuke embraced her, feeling her pain. Sakura separated from the embrace. She placed something in his hand, something soft and delicate. Sasuke opened his hand to reveal a perfect cherry blossom.

"I hope I get to see you again, Sasuke Uchiha!" Sakura said turning to leave. "Oh, and have a happy birthday!"

Sasuke's eyes widened. The strange girl from his past did the exact same thing. "Sakura, you're the girl I met when I was seven in the forest aren't you? You sang that song from before too."

Sakura smiled and giggled a bit. "It took you ten years to figure that out?" She left leaving Sasuke a little amazed.

She was gone, she moved really fast now, as though she had training from Lee or Guy. He looked at the cherry blossom in his hand. His mind left his body as he walked back to HQ.

'Ten years ago...

I met a strange girl....

Before today I couldn't remember her face...only what she did.

I walked in the forest to kill time and I heard a pretty voice singing a song.

I peeked through a clearing and saw a girl about my age picking flowers.

She knew that I was there because I stepped on a twig, she was about to run away so I stepped out saying

"I'm not going to hurt you!"

She looked into my eyes and trusted me.

I mentioned to her that day was my birthday when I helped pick flowers because she asked nicely.

She gave me a hug from behind and said:

"Happy birthday!"

With such a happy face, that I think I remember the sun shine brighter.

When the sun was starting to set, she decided she'd better go home.

She admitted though that she didn't really want to leave because she was having do much fun, I didn't want her to leave either.

She gave me another hug before she left and I gave her a hug back.

She placed something soft and delicate in my hand and said:

"I hope I see you again! Oh, and have a very happy birthday!"

I smiled and nodded, my cheeks felt a little warm, maybe I blushed. Then she left to go home.

When I walked home I opened my hand to see she gave me a cherry blossom, it was beautiful.

When I finally came home, my mother noticed the flower and asked me how I got it.

I told her a girl gave to me as a birthday present, when actually I didn't know why she gave it to me.

My mother asked what her name was.

Then it hit me; I didn't even know what her name was.

Ever since then I prayed that I'd see her again.

But turns out I met her a million times and didn't even know it.

I was on the same team with her and didn't even know it!'

Sasuke made it to base to find a lazy Suigetsu on the floor drinking water.

"Ay, Sasuke, Karin's lookin' for ya. Should I tell her to come back?" Suigetsu suggested.

Jugo chuckled. "The forest animals have been telling me they heard a rampaging monster yelling woods. Isn't that a mean thing to say?"

"Yeah but its pretty accurate!" Suigetsu laughed.

Sasuke went inside. "I'm going to sleep, no one bother me."

Jugo and Suigetsu looked at each other, but they shrugged it off. They didn't really care.

Sasuke entered his room and locked the door. He just wanted a moment to figure out the emotions he felt today with Sakura. Sadness, shame, pain, relief, happiness, and...the only word that could possibly describe the feeling he felt towards her; Love.

He looked at the cherry blossom, and smiled a little. He sighed and layed on his bed. Sakura made him realized so many things today. But two of them were the most important of all;

'Ten years ago I met a strange girl. That strange girl was Sakura, the girl who always loved me and had faith in me no matter what. She was my teammate, she is one of my close friends,' Sasuke thought when he opened the container that had preserved Sakura's first cherry blossom.

He placed gently the other right next to it. 'And she is the girl that I love more then anything. One day I will tell her that.'

He closed the container and took it with him to bed. He laid down on his stomach and placed it next to him. He smiled. "What a birthday...huh, Sakura?"

Natsu-chan would like to say that this is dedicated to sasusaku, b-ball-chan (Basketballangel27), all of my readers and reviewers, and Masashi Kishimoto even if he's the one causing our headaches. AND OF COARSE EVERY SASUSAKU FAN IN THE FREAKIN' WORLD!!!!!