Hey Everyone! Welcome to my first - or second...depends on how you want to look at it - story of Shika/Saku. I love this pair, and I wish there were more stories, but oh well. I've been working on this story for a while now, but I wanted to be ahead before I posted it up - I'm on the fifth chapter!

IMPORTANT NOTE DUE TO STORY: The way I'll go about this story is that I'll update a new chapter every friday. The upcoming one doesn't count, so for Chapter 2, you'll have to wait until next friday. If I miss one week, then I'll put up two chapters in the next. Got it? Great.

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Naruto. I just own one character in this story, but I can't give it away ;)

Enjoy!

She watched as the scenery of green and brown rushed passed her. There she was, in the passenger seat, leaving her home, her childhood; basically her whole life. Does she regret it? Well, she kind of can't. It's not like she had much of a choice in the matter anyway. Oh well. At least she's going somewhere familiar, with someone she absolutely loves. It's not like she's gunna be a moody teenager, who hates the place she's moving to, makes an enemy the second she gets to her new school, and later falls in love with one of her classmates, and completely changes her ways. This isn't a story – its real life. (A/N: I just had to say that X]) Nah, she's been to her new home a few times before, it's just been a while. But thinking about it, and the one person she'll see there, makes her smile. It didn't go unnoticed, at least not by the driver next to her.

"What's with that smile Sakura?" smirked the young man. "Is the scenery getting you emotional?"

"Who are you to call emotional Sai?" said Sakura. The third person in the car, another young man, laughed.

"You're way more emotional than both, me and Sakura combined!"

"Oh shut up Naruto."

"Just let it out Sai," said Naruto. "Scream if you must. Whatever it is you want to do – just let me take a picture of it. That way, we'll always remember that you're human."

Sakura let out a laugh mixed with a scream as Sai let go of the wheel to reach back and give a few playful punches to the third passenger. The car swerved into the opposite lane, but Sai soon quickly took control of the car again. The next fifteen minutes were them yelling at each other, and making fun of each other, until they finally calmed down. Sakura reached over to the back seat and took out a digital camera.

"Smile you guys," she exclaimed. "Or at least, try on your part Sai."

The car swerved again before they heard a click. While Naruto and Sai were having another argument, Sakura took the time to look at the picture. She was the closest – smiling and her jade eyes a little wide due to the car swerving again. Even though she's been used to it from looking in a mirror every day, she couldn't help but let her eyes fall on her pink hair, most of it pulled back by a navy blue headband that Naruto had given her and Sai a few weeks ago. Her hair reached lower than her shoulders, nearly to her mid-back. She had cut it short once, and even though she had liked the new look at the time, she figured it was time to let it grow back; he likes it long anyway. Sakura smiled happily at how smooth and bright her creamy skin looked. The cream she bought was really paying off – her face has never been that smooth. Lying against her chest was a necklace with a small circular mirror that had been engraved. Two birds were on a twig, surrounded by the words, 'Be happy for this moment. This moment is your life.' It was her most prized possession, considering how much he had spent on it. He always did know how to touch her heart…

Looking back at the picture, Sakura almost laughed at Naruto's expression. He had his fingers in his mouth, pulling his cheeks farther to the side, with his tongue sticking out, and his indigo eyes both aimed to look at his nose. His messy, blonde hair was held back by his favorite headband that he's had for as long as they could remember, and his orange shirt had a ketchup stain from the burgers they ate before they got on the road. Sakura has known Naruto for many years. He had always been isolated from all the other kids, for reasons unknown to them at the time, but Naruto made sure he was known in their small town, even if it was as the jokester, or the clown. Sakura had unfortunately been the victim of one of his pranks that ended up with her suffering from a concussion, a broken leg, bruised ribs and burnt hair. After a few weeks of healing, and hours of apologizing, Sakura and Naruto became inseparable.

Sai was on the far right of the picture, smirking with his arms crossed over his chest – well, that explains the car swerving. His jet black hair was short from the back, but the front would have covered his eyes if not for the headband on his forehead, just like Naruto's. He had on a tight, black muscle shirt that gave a pretty good idea of how nicely built his abs were. His skin was a pale color, almost as if it were gray. His eyes matched the color of his hair, like two endless pools of black. Sai had always been a mystery, and he definitely let that show. Sai was never really a social person; he was always by himself, making abstract drawings, putting on a fake smile at random times – almost as if he was devoid of human emotions. Sakura and Naruto were in a depression at that time, until Sai got into their conversation, and rather rudely made them realize that it wasn't the end of the world. It took some getting used to, but they both began to accept Sai for who he was: an indifferent, blunt artist. The pinkette and the blonde became an important part of his life, that they had been his first human subjects for his drawings.

Still smiling from the picture, Sakura started singing "The song that gets on everybody's nerves". Sai of course joined in, leaving Naruto confused by the song unknown to him. Little did he know that he would rather jump out of a plane, thousands of miles from the ground, without a parachute. He actually almost jumped out of the car. Almost 45 minutes passed before he wanted to rip his hair off.

"…song that gets on everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves, everybody's nerves…"

"Come on guys, stop."

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves, and this is how it goes…"

"That's enough."

Quiet.

"I mean it…"

Quiet.

"…don't do it…"

"…I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"OH COME ON!"

"– and this is how it goes..."

"STOP IT!"

Quiet.

"I MEAN IT!"

Quiet.

"Are you guys gunna stop?"

Quiet.

"…you are gunna stop right…?"

Quiet.

"….guys?"

From then on, the ride was completely silent, at least other than Naruto trying to make the others talk. Even though he didn't see it, Sakura was trying her best not to burst out laughing at Naruto's random outbursts. Even Sai was having trouble to not show any emotion on his face. Naruto on the other hand had gone from angry, to tearful, to annoyed, and back to tearful. After two hours, they decided to give him a break.

"…please guys? I can't take it anym –"

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"FINALLY! Wait – aw man!"

"…and this is how it goes…"

"Really..?"

Seeing Naruto's desperate eyes tearing up made the two people in front laugh until they felt a pain on their sides. Sai even had to stop the car from laughing so much. Naruto was so surprised by this, and would've been angrier, but just hearing them laughing so hard made him want to join in. When the laughter died down, the three of them just sat there, cheeks hurting from all the smiling. After a while, Sakura started laughing softly that soon became mixed with a few sobs. Naruto and Sai's smiles soon faded as tears ran down their friend's cheeks as she slowly started to break down. With a lump in his throat, Sai reached to grab Sakura's hand and held it up to his lips, placing small kiss on her knuckles before placing it on his cheek. Naruto put a hand on her arm and rested his chin on her shoulder, gently leaving a kiss on her temple. Wiping away her tears, Sakura gave a broken laugh at the boys' actions.

"Y-you guys are such idiots," cried Sakura. "Heh, I love you guys…"

"Will you be alright Sakura?" asked Sai. Though his voice didn't express anything, the other two passengers knew he was worried.

"Y-yeah," replied Sakura. "Or at least, I-I will be. Sorry, I guess I'm just-"

"We know," said Naruto, giving her a small smile. "Don't worry about it." Sakura nodded gratefully and quickly fixed herself up. When she was done, Sai got back on the road and drove to their destination.

"You guys won't replace me will you?" said Sakura, a smile tugging her lips. "'Cause if you do, I'll have to come back and beat you guys to a pulp."

"Sakura," said Sai, his voice deep and an eyebrow raised, "the three of us have been together for almost 5 years -"

"And you're the only person we know with legit pink hair," Naruto put in before Sai continued.

"And you have strength that could match 10 men on steroids. How can we possibly replace you?"

Naruto put a hand on Sakura's shoulder, beaming at her. "You're our Sakura."

Sakura grinned at their words. The rest of the car ride was in a comfortable silence, with some jokes and banters here and there. Another hour passed before they reached their destination: Konoha. Even though the three of them had been born there, they had all been raised somewhere else. After moving a few times for each of them, they found each other. Now, it was a rather bittersweet feeling as they passed the border onto their homeland. Sakura had of course been here many times before, so it was good to see how not much had changed since her last visit. For Naruto and Sai though, it was like they knew where they were, and were familiar with most of what they saw, but it was still so different to them. Compared to where they lived now, which was surrounded by trees, no people walking around, and open land, Konoha was quiet, with two story houses, people walking all over the place, and – well, quiet. This made Sakura sigh. As much as she loved having some peace and quiet, it's gunna be hard living without Naruto's yelling from miles away.

After another few minutes of driving, Sai parked the car in the driveway in front of a white, two stories house. The house was very nice and simple. It had two large windows in the bottom on each side, with the door in between. The top had three windows: two squared ones on each side, both having rails on them, with a circular one in the middle. The roof was a dark brown, really making the white stand out. Nicely cut rose bushes surrounded the front of the house, and the lawn smelled as if it had been mowed recently. The door step was white wood, leading up to a dark brown, wooden door. It was simple and Sakura new that the inside wasn't exactly fancy as one might expect, but she loved the house. It was a good thing too because she'll have to live here from now on.

:)(:

Across the street, a bit far off from Sakura and the guys, but still in clear view, was a field. It didn't seem very lively, except with a few kids that seemed their age that were running around and hanging out. Among them was a girl with a long, blonde, almost white, ponytail. She was the first to notice an unfamiliar black truck pull up in front of a house. From what she could see, she was able to make out the car to be a black 2011 Cadillac Escalade EXT, and there were two people in the front. It was hard to know for sure, but it made clear that there were more people when a girl and boy both stepped out from the other side of the truck.

"You know Ino, it's not polite to stare," said a brown haired boy next to her, smirking. Ino stuck out her tongue at him before looking back at the three strangers. One was a girl with a modest shade of pink hair, wearing a red halter top with some jeans that fit perfectly around her legs. The other was a blonde boy with an orange shirt and black pants. Were those…whiskers? On his face? And the last was another boy with black hair and really pale skin, wearing a black muscle shirt and black jeans.

"Who are they?" asked the Ino girl to the boy next to her. The boy shrugged as the subjects of their conversation went to the trunk of the car.

"Uh, people who are moving into the neighborhood?"

"Wow Kiba, I didn't know you smart enough to state the obvious," said Ino sarcastically. The boy bumped shoulders with her, a playful smile on his face. They didn't even notice one of their friends run to their side in a matter of seconds, a look of awe on his face.

"Who is that glorious looking female?" exclaimed the boy. The other two raised their eyebrows in surprise at the boy with a bowl cut now next to them.

"Lee?" asked Kiba. "How did you get here so fast? You were on the other side of the field with Choji and Kankuro!"

"What's going on?" demanded another female voice. A girl with blonde hair put up in four ponytails walked up to them, rolling her eyes at Lee's amazed face expression.

"Some new kids in the neighborhood," replied Kiba with a shrug. "Huh, I've never seen anyone with pink hair before. What about you Temari?" The girl shook her head and laughed at Lee's loving gaze.

"No to the pink hair," said Temari. "But wow. I wouldn't mind a car like that."

"I must know her name!" exclaimed Lee, clearly not listening to the other three. "I am sure it is as beautiful as her youthful face!" The second they heard the word 'youthful', the other three just rolled their eyes.

:)(:

Sakura had noticed a group of kids on the far side of the field. Some of them seemed to be staring at her and the guys. Or maybe at Sai's Escalade? She had to admit, it was a really nice car. Without being aware of what she was doing, Sakura started running her hands on her hair, flatting it down, and untangling a few strands. Naruto, who had been taking out a few boxes and suitcases, noticed his friend's behavior and laughed.

"Who are you trying to look pretty for Sakura?" said the fox-like boy. Sakura lower her hands and smacked his arm.

"Shut up Naruto," she said. "I was just -"

"You look fine Sakura," stated Sai, allowing a small smile to touch his lips. "You know he'll think you look beautiful no matter what." Sakura blushed, and opened her mouth to speak, but didn't get the chance before a voice rang out from behind her.

"Is that who I think it is? Is that my sweet Sakura?"

Sakura spun around at the sound of his voice. Her heart nearly stopped as her eyes fell on the most wonderful person she has ever seen. Tears threatened to fall from the happiness she felt at the sight of him. Slowly, a smile started placing itself on her face as he opened his arms wide, reaching out to her. He looked just as he had over a year ago. His hair white as snow with a bold spot on the top of his head, a smile, nearly covered by a white mustache, gracing his amicable face, his jade eyes shining at the sight of the of the lovely young woman standing a few feet away from him. There he was. Yasuo Haruno. Before Naruto or Sai could even put down the boxes to wave at the elder man, Sakura threw herself into her grandfather's arms.

"Baba!"

Sakura's grandfather wrapped his arms around tightly around his granddaughter, picking her up and swinging her around. Sakura finally released the tears in her eyes as she felt the warmth of her grandfather's arms surround her. Sai leaned back on his car, crossing his arms over his chest, with a soft expression on his face. Even though he wasn't exactly the best at expressing himself and showing emotion, he knew that there was something in the scene before him. He knew that what Sakura felt for the elder man was strong – almost as strong as the bond between them and Naruto: he was not good at expressing emotions, but he wasn't devoid of them. Turning his head to the side, he saw Naruto smiling proudly. Naruto had only met the man once, but in that one meeting, he knew that the guy lived up to his name. Yasuo Haruno made them feel at peace and happy. He had more life than the three of them combined, and that was saying something, especially because Naruto was one of the liveliest persons ever. Seeing those two together made him happy…

But it also made both boys sad. Seeing Sakura with her grandfather, happy and smiling, made them realize that she is going to be just fine without them. She didn't need them to make her feel better when she had a rough day; she didn't need them to make her laugh when she was mad; she had what she needed right where she was standing. Seeing her there…smiling…Only one thought ran through both of their heads: 'If only she knew…'

After finishing up taking the boxes into the room that would be occupied by Sakura, the three teenagers stood next to the black truck. It was already dark out, and the field that had been previously occupied was now empty. The boys had already said their goodbyes to Baba (A/N: I'm just gunna call him that from now on.), promising to visit as soon as possible, and making him promise in return to take care of their best friend. Baba agreed of course, but not before he had a twinkle in his eyes and gave them a knowing look. Now, they stood out by the car, waiting for someone to break the silence. It was Naruto who decided to speak.

"Will you miss us Sakura?" he asked her in a quiet voice. Sakura smiled softly, a tear running down her cheek.

"Of course I will," replied the pinkette. "How could I not?"

"We're only a call away Sakura," said Sai. "Whenever you need us, we'll come back."

Sakura lowered her head as more tears ran down her face. "I know," she muttered. Sai sighed as he looked at her. Feeling a nudge on his shoulder, he turned to see Naruto, his eyes seeming a bit distant. Knowing what that look meant, but he just shook his head. Naruto frowned slightly, the determination never leaving his face.

"Sakura," whispered Naruto. As the pinkette slowly raised her head to look at him, Naruto's expression soften, "We- um…" No. He couldn't do it. Sighing, he shrugged. "We're really gunna miss you…" Nodding, and not trusting her voice to speak, Sakura mouthed the words, 'I'll miss you too.'

Sai took in a breath before he wrapped his arms around the girl in front of him. Sakura returned the embrace, allowing a few tears to fall into the black shirt. Sai felt the softness of her hair against his face. Closing his eyes, he held on to the moment as long as he could, before grudgingly letting go. Wiping a tear from the girl's cheek, Sai placed a kiss on her temple, smiling softly before walking to the other side of the car and climbing into his seat. Naruto had been looking away from them while they had their moment, just as he was sure Sai will do for them. Sakura smiled sadly at the blonde before she flung her arms around his neck. Naruto wrapped his arms around her, one hand on her mid-back and the other under the back of her neck. He tightened his hold on her as she started shaking, a few sobs coming out of her mouth, and tears falling from her eyes and onto his neck. He, too, allowed a few tears to fall into her pink hair. Standing there with her in his arms, Naruto couldn't help himself.

"I love you Sakura," he whispered in her ear.

Sobbing silently, she said, "I love you guys too."

He knew she wouldn't understand what he meant. He knew he would get disappointed. But she was there. And he needed to tell her. He didn't get the response he wanted, but just knowing she was still there was enough for him to eventually pull through. Pulling away, Naruto placed a kiss on Sakura's forehead and climbed into the passenger seat.

They drove off in silence, knowing fully well that Sakura would stand outside until they got out of sight. Neither wanted to speak, but there was nothing else to do, and there was no way they would go 4 hours without a word. So it was Sai who decided to break the silence.

"Did you tell her?" he asked. Naruto nodded. "And?" The blonde sighed, closing his eyes.

"It's what you would have expected," replied the blonde. "She loves us…"

"But not the way we love her," finished Sai. Naruto nodded again. "We wouldn't be considered for or by her." Another nod. "She loves us just as she loves her Baba." Another. "We are her family."

"That's a wrong way to think about it," chuckled Naruto rather darkly, causing Sai to smirk.

"True, but it's the only way to accept it. We have to let her go."

Naruto sighed. "We have to let her go." Now it was Sai's turn to nod. From then on, the ride was quiet. Or at least, it was until –

"I know a song that gets on everybody's nerves -"

"I hate you Sai."

:)(:

That's the end of Chapter 1, and I hope you all liked it - Stay tuned next week for Chapter 2! Send me some reviews people! Let me know what you think - flames go somewhere else, helpful tips/suggestions, and criticism is welcomed =D Until next week!