I decided on a third Naruto/Sakura fanfic. Don't hit me with a flyswatter!
Anyway, I can't get enough of NaruSaku so I want to write another fanfic! See if it's any better than my previous ones.
Side Note: This takes place when the trio is around 15-16 years old.
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Chapter 1
It was a very warm early summer's day. The village of Konoha didn't make a sound, except for the usual swish of the wind dancing through the trees.
Sakura had to wake up early that day, as Kakashi requested they come before eight.
She got out of bed and went into the bathroom to wash up. As she looked into the mirror, she realized how much she grew over the past few years.
In her appearance, Sakura only looked older. Her hairstyle didn't change much, except it was now a bit longer.
But her clothes' style has definitely changed. She stopped wearing the red dress with white lining a long time ago. Now she started wearing tank tops and capri pants.
Sakura's mind wandered over to Orochimaru's defeat and how from that point on, everything seemed to take a different turn and Sakura still didn't figure out if for the good or for the bad.
After finishing up in the bathroom, Sakura took out her usual wearing garments and changed from her pajamas. Taking a brush, she ran it quickly through her soft, pink hair and raced out of her room, grabbing a rice ball as she passed through the kitchen.
Sakura took in a deep breath of fresh air and continued down the road towards the group's meeting place.
As she was looking around the village, her memory was stirred once again.
She remembered their many missions and how they always seemed to get out of them safely. The wind ruffled Sakura's hair out of her face. She lightly touched the head protector on top of her head. It felt scratched and bumped in a few places.
Yes, they've gone through many missions.
I got stronger between now and Orochimaru's defeat. I've always felt that I was in Naruto's and Sasuke's shadow but now it seems that I'm becoming significant through my own success. I've been training very hard to achieve such a level.
Sakura looked up into the sky and saw the clouds lazily making their progress, moving towards the outside of the village. She let out a small sigh and kept on walking.
When she reached the bridge, Sakura noticed that she was earlier than the rest of her teammates.
She leaned on the ramp and looked down onto the water underneath the bridge. It looked crystal clear and the view was amazing.
I've never actually taken into account of how beautiful our village is. I'll have to take some lessons from Shikamaru on how to be able to appreciate the small things in life.
"Heh," said Sakura out loud. "I still feel like sleeping a bit longer."
She rubbed one of her eyes and turned her gaze towards the road. She noticed a dark haired boy approaching her.
"Good morning, Sasuke-kun," said Sakura.
"Morning," answered Sasuke. He didn't look remotely excited about being woken up so early.
Sakura had long forgotten about the time she was chasing the Uchiha boy like crazy. Whenever she stopped to think about those times, she would get embarrassed at how stupid she was acting.
Sasuke and Naruto both became a great deal stronger and it still amazed Sakura that they kept improving each day.
Sasuke's appearance was still dark and mysterious and even his style of clothes didn't change. He looked more like his brother at this age.
Sakura stopped observing Sasuke and turned her attention to the water again.
It didn't bother her one bit that Sasuke paid almost no attention to her and that they were killing time by staying silent. These days, Sakura loved to be let alone with her thoughts. She's been trying to get them organized but each day, another thing came up and her mind was left untidy.
Sakura started humming a tune under her breath, but low enough so only she could hear it.
"Good morning, Sakura-chan," said someone behind Sakura.
She turned around and her eyes met Naruto's face.
"Good morning, Naruto," answered Sakura. Then, something clicked in her unorganized mind. She came to have a deep respect for Naruto, but even after so many years, she still called him just by his name, like he was nothing to her.
I was probably so used to it, I didn't even notice it.
Sakura smiled at Naruto and looked down on the ground.
He looks more like the 4th Hokage with each new day. It's extraordinary of their similar resemblance.
Naruto leaned with his back on the ramp opposite Sakura and Sasuke. He started looking around, probably trying to know why Kakashi didn't arrive yet.
Sakura stole a few glimpses at Naruto, making sure than neither of the boys noticed her unusual behavior.
The blonde-haired, blue-eyed ninja was still his old self. Only, he got taller than Sakura and was catching up to Sasuke, who was the tallest of the three.
Naruto was wearing an orange suit that greatly resembled his old suit, but looked more sporty, and easier to move around in. It didn't have a furry collar but it had dark orange pockets on the sides of the jacket.
In all honesty, Sakura thought he turned out great. Even though he was kind of a screw-up when he was younger, he now looked like a worthy ninja, and Sakura's mind again wandered over to the Hokage resemblance.
At that moment, Sakura realized that she'd been staring at Naruto's face the whole time she was pondering with her thoughts. This, of course, didn't go unnoticed. Naruto looked over at her with a quizzical expression. Sasuke was also taking into account Sakura's actions.
Sakura blushed furiously and turned her back to Naruto.
Well, this is a fine mess. And where is Kakashi-sensei anyway?
As if on cue, the silver-haired ninja made a dramatic entrance.
But, neither Naruto nor Sakura made so much as a little complaint about Kakashi's lateness. Either they both got tired of it, or they got used to it. Maybe, perhaps, they were both maturing.
"Hey, guys," said Kakashi. "Glad you're all here. I've got some news."
Naruto slowly walked over to Sakura's side and Sasuke tilted his head upward to look at Kakashi, who was standing on the bridge railing.
"What is it?" asked Sasuke. He looked almost bored.
"Well," answered Kakashi. "You guys are my proud team, and you know it too well. Something big came up and since you're all Chuunin level, I hope to entrust it in you."
Naruto tensed his face. Sakura smiled to herself. Naruto loved going on dangerous missions.
"Yes," continued Kakashi. "But even though you're officially Chuunins, I'd think that the better half of you would be able to pull off Jonin level."
"What are you getting at?" asked Sasuke impatiently.
"Team seven," said Kakashi proudly. "Is ready for an A-Rank Mission."
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Yey, cliffhanger!! Oki, I'll update the next chapter as soon as I make up what the A-Rank Mission will require. I'm no ahead planner, gotta tell ya, I do everything as I go. *sigh*