A/N This is a story about love, friendship, and drama. Of course, it revolves around my favorite character Haruno Sakura. Since I'm almost done with Anata Wa, this popped in my head. I'm really proud of it so I hope everyone here likes it too.
Italics: Thoughts or song lyrics
Pairings: NaruHina, implied NaruSaku strong family/ friendship, implied ShikaIno and NejiTenten. Saku/Mystery man.
Summary: One mission, Sakura died. Naruto dedicated a special day for her. But as the story unfolds, drama, friendship and romance develop in the never-ending story of the murder of Haruno Sakura.
Sakura Day
"MOMMY!!!!"
A woman in about her late twenties blew a strand of platinum blond hair out of her eyes. Smiling at her customer, she handed him the bouquet of roses he had just bought. He left the flower shop with a smirk as the little tink of the silver bells chimed. "Goodbye Neji-kun" she said sarcastically.
"MOMMY!!"
She turned around to see three young kids. "Mommy, can you please tell us a story?" a little girl asked. Ino smiled. "Sure" she whispered as she arranged some purple lilies into a vase.
She sat on the stool while the three kids sat on a bench. The little girl had dark brown hair with shining blue eyes. Next to her sat a confident young girl with her hair up in a singe bun, her light lavender eyes looking straight at her. Lastly was a young boy with flaming blond hair and whiskers. He had the exact blue eyes as his father but if you looked closely, you could see little specks of milky white.
The woman smiled as she looked at the kids. A new generation was already arising.
'I'm getting old….'
"Kids, what story do you want to hear?" she asked, smiling.
"Tell us the one about Sakura Day okaasan!" the little girl urged.
"It's in two days!!"
The boy's blue eyes lit up. "YEAH, SAKURA DAY!" "I LOVE SAKURA DAY, PLEASE TELL US THE STORY!"
The girl next to him winced. "Shut up Toyo-niisan!" she yelled at him.
Ino's smile faded.
Going unnoticed by the children, they began to talk. "Do you know that all over the Hyuga manor, there are pictures of the woman that Sakura Day is named after?" the young girl said.
Her cousin thought for a moment "That's her?" "I don't know anything about her!" he pouted.
Ino's daughter nodded "yeah, there's even a picture of her and okaasan in here" she said, pointing at a frame that had a picture of her young mother and a mysterious other teenage girl. She had beautiful luscious pink locks and wide playful eyes. Her smile was bright and it looked as if tears were in her eyes.
She noticed that her mother had zoned out and looked sad. "Okaasan!" "Please tell us about Sakura Day!" she bouncing in excitement. "Hai, auntie Ino, I wanna know!!!" the young boy said.
Ino nodded "alright…" The kids looked at her eagerly as her mouth opened and began to talk.
"It was only four days after Naruto became Hokage-sama…"
Naruto growled. "So..much…damn….paperwork!" he yelled, frustrated. Hinata smiled and patted him on his back. "You know that paperwork is a major part of being a legendary Hokage, right Naruto-kun?" she teased. Naruto reddened and grumbled while signing a peace treaty between Konoha and Hoshigakure. For a moment, his eyes flickered to a picture on his desk.
It was a picture of the Konoha Eleven after Naruto had been crowned Rokudaime. He smiled at the thought. Naruto remembered that day. The whole Konoha applauded as he was declared the Sixth. He remembered Sakura's happy tears, and all the drinking Genma and the boys had done.
He was a legend. He had finally achieved his dream. And he had family-like friends, an amazing wife with a baby boy on the way, and a great teammate.
Hinata placed a kiss on his cheek, snapping him out of his blurred thoughts. She looked up as she heard feet running straight towards the door.
The wooden door was literally kicked off its hinges. Naruto looked up. Neji, Kakashi, and Lee were all standing there, grim expressions on their faces. Naruto noticed Kakashi didn't have his usual porn book in his hands and Lee looked almost…defeated? It even looked as if the great almighty Hyuga Neji's eyes were glassy.
Naruto looked concerned. He placed down a scroll and looked at his friends. "Guys….?" His voice trailed off. Kakashi looked like he was debating whether or not to tell him. Hinata looked at her usually stoic cousin. "N-Neji-niisan is something wrong?" she asked gently.
"She's gone" Kakashi whispered. Naruto's head snapped up as Hinata's eyes widened. She put a hand under her stomach. Lee automatically got a chair for her. Tears began to pour from her eyes. Naruto was dead silent. He shook.
"S-Sakura-chan?" he stuttered. Kakashi's head drooped. "Hai" he murmured.
"She was KIA on her latest mission" Neji stated. "Kiba had just informed us" he said.
"And where is Inuzuka?!" Naruto yelled angrily. As if on cue, Kiba walked in, an injured Akamaru in his hands. Blood was on his tattered clothes. He had a huge gash on his left cheek. Naruto watched his fresh tears mix with his blood.
"I-It's all my f-fault" he choked. Akamaru whimpered.
Naruto breathed heavily and raked a hand through he tangled blond hair. Hinata's sobs grew louder. Naruto snaked his hands around her waist and hugged her. He knew ever since they had begun dating that the two kunoichi had become like sisters. Sakura had already said yes to be his son's godmother.
He shut his eyes and forced his away his tears even though he could feel the salt stinging in his eyes.
'Sakura-chan is…gone?'
He couldn't believe it. He really couldn't. It was like he was in a never-ending dream, or nightmare to be more specific.
Raising his head, his eyes hardened. "Alert everyone" he stated coldly.
"Konoha has just lost a legend"
It was like the whole village went into massive shock. Gossip was spreading faster than wildfire. Yamanaka Ino couldn't believe it. She forced the gory thoughts about Sakura's mission and last breath out there. And she tried to ignore all the looks people were giving her and the talk that was floating right behind her back.
'Tsunade-hime is going to be devastated'
'That weak little kunoichi bloomed into something amazing and yet has faced the most dreadful thing yet…death'
'Look!' 'Yamanaka-sama, I've heard that they were very close, poor thing'
'The Rokudaime must be going crazy'
The official Haruno Sakura fan club was crying. Elders were speaking sadly. Even the Ichiraku ramen bar was quiet.
Ino dragged her now sad and alert boyfriend into the Hokage's office.
'No' 'NO!' 'This is all some big prank, forehead's girl fine' she thought to herself as she pulled herself out of the crowd. She put a hand to her sweaty forehead and prayed to Kami that she wasn't going to have a heart attack.
They ran down the corridor and noticed that Kakashi, Kiba, Neji, and Lee were already there. Ino sighed as she saw the broken door off its hinges. She also noticed the tears on everyone's faces. She gasped and shut her eyes.
'So it's true…forehead…she dead'
"Tell me this is just a lie" she croaked hoarsely. Shikamaru wrapped an arm around his shuddering girlfriend. Naruto didn't say anything as Ino's voice grew louder…more desperate. She burst into tears.
"T-This…is..i-impossible!!" she screamed tearfully.
The rest of the day had been just a daze for the Sixth. Tsunade was messed up…it was like her daughter had died. Everyone, everything was so was quiet.
'Sakura-chan has no family' 'This village is, that's why she'd always wanted to become strong…she'd want to be remembered'
'She will'
Naruto sat quietly with the elder council. He shuffled through some papers. The elders noticed that they all had to do with the one and only Haruno Sakura. "It's a shame to lose someone so amazing" one elder spoke softly.
Homura nodded. Koharu tugged at the end of her yukata. "I watched her always train with the Fifth, such determination and beauty I have never seen before except in the Godaime herself" she said gently.
Naruto smiled, confidence shining in his blue orbs. "I know what I will do for my first rule as Rokudaime" "I will make a day especially devoted for Sakura-chan" he spoke proudly. The elders perked up in curiosity.
Naruto placed his palms on the oval-shaped exquisite tabletop. "Sakura-chan has done so much for Konoha" "She deserves a day to herself" He grinned cheekily.
"The dates also plan out perfectly, today is March twenty fourth"
"Sakura-chan's birthday is on the twenty eighth"
Elders nodded in agreement. A day for Haruno Sakura. It wouldn't be bad. This kunoichi owed almost all of Konoha their lives. And even if your weren't a shinobi, Sakura volunteered at the academy, the animal shelter and usually helped genin do little jobs around the town. Everyone knew her.
Homura leaned closer to the table after writing something down on a pad. "So Hokage-sama, what is the official plan?" he asked.
Naruto wiped his eyes. "Tonight at seven thirty, I will make a speech and explain Sakura Day to everyone"
"The day after tomorrow will be the funeral" His shoulders drooped. A tear rolled down his cheek.
"And then finally, on the twenty-eighth will be the first ever Haruno Sakura Day" Naruto smiled sadly as the words left his mouth.
Ino unzipped her ANBU vest as she made herself a cup of steaming tea. The ANBU headquarters were quiet today. She could only watch as one shinobi after another just snapped and broke into tears. The Konoha Eleven…Ten was receiving lots of sympathetic words.
'That won't bring her back' she thought bitterly.
She didn't want to switch on the TV because she knew that Sakura would be the topic. She didn't want to turn on the radio because she knew that they would be talking about her, maybe even playing her favorite songs. Ino smiled at the thoughts, thinking a long list of J-Pop, Hip-hop, Rap, and Soul songs that would be on the air now.
She lifted the porcelain teacup to her mouth and savored the taste of the warm liquid in her mouth and running down her lower lip.
Ino sighed and massaged her throbbing forehead. She would feel eyes on her. Whenever she walked and people bowed, her knew they were staring at her puffy eyes threw their masks. She loved the limelight, but this situation was simply horrible.
Ino sauntered over to a computer and clicked on the ANBU database. Without even taking a peek, her fingers quickly ran over the keys as she typed Haruno Sakura in and clicked search.
One profile popped up with a "This Document Contains a Current Event, Information Will Change Rapidly as Even Progresses" sign on the top of the profile. Ignoring it, her eyes wandered to the right corner where Sakura's information was neatly boxed.
HARUNO SAKURA
Name: Haruno Mise Sakura
Age: Twenty two
Birthday: March 28
Current Rank: ANBU Captain, Leader of Konoha Hospital
Current Affiliation: Konohagakure
Current Team: Uzumaki Naruto
Previous Team: Team 7, Hatake Kakashi, Uzumaki Naruto, Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura
Ino's eyes hardened at the name of the "avenger"
'Bastard' 'Probably doesn't even know that she's gone'
Ino looked at her picture of when she was being declared as ANBU captain. Yes, Haruno Sakura had beaten Hyuga Neji and also ran the whole headquarters.
She scrolled down her personality, background and abilities.
"Haruno Sakura's parents are deceased and have no other family members"
Her lower lip quavered at the DEATH section of her profile.
"It's very sad to announce that Haruno Sakura was killed on her last S-rank mission" "Details of this mission and how she was killed are highly classified and will be released later on" "The reading of Sakura-sama's will is unannounced"
"ANBU does know that now Hyuga Neji is the leader and Nara Shikamaru is second-in-command"
"Further information will be released with available"
Ino stared at the screen. She felts hot tears running down her cheeks again.
'No, Ino stop it' 'No more crying'
"Ino-sama!"
Ino looked up to find two ANBU members standing behind her. She straightened up and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Yes?" she asked her voice high of authority as the ANBU bowed. "The Rokudaime is giving a speech about the current death of Sakura-sama" one spoke
"Everyone is needed in five minutes in the center of town" Ino nodded as she took one last gulp of her warm drink.
"Let's go"
Everyone chattered and looked up at the Hokage tower sadly and quietly. Tsunade and the council were staring down from the balcony. Her eyes we're red and swollen. Shizune stood behind her shisou, occasionally hiccupping with Tonton perched on her slender shoulder.
"Do the other countries know about Haruno-sama's death?" Shizune asked Homura.
He nodded, pushing up his green-framed glasses. Shizune winced. They reminded her of Sakura's eyes.
Those eyes that was full of weakness and melancholy as she asked Tsunade to train her.
Homura sighed. "Suna and other countries must already know, word travels very fast nowadays"
Shizune bit her lip. "People must be grieving", thinking of the state the Kazekage must be in right know. He nodded. "Yes, Sakura was very high in rank among officials of different countries"
"She is extremely close to the Suna siblings, including the Kazekage"
"She is also affiliated closely with the royals in the Moon and Snow country"
Shizune nodded. "Hai, most of her missions usually had high people in them" she replied.
Suddenly, Konoha grew quiet as all the whispering stopped. A drum beat once, and then twice.
Naruto walked out on the balcony, wiping the tears from his eyes and straightening his robe. Hinata was right behind him, followed by the entire Rookie nine.
Kakashi, Gai and the others had front row seats and were looking up sadly.
Naruto gulped and cleared his throat. Blue eyes wandered down at Konoha. Some kids were crying while others just had tears in their eyes or water silently rolling down their cheeks.
"We have just been informed that, Haruno Sakura has been killed" His voice was low and full of grief. Hinata looked at her husband as he struggled to find the right words. Naruto took a breath and felt a hand on his tense shoulder.
"Many people disliked her when she was young, and many people thought of her as a nuisance from the beginning, as a weakling" His voice was steady, remorse in every slow word. It was like his heart was decreasing in every second. His eyes pounded at all the sniffles and the sobs.
From the crowd, Kakashi stiffened.
Up above, Ino caught some of the now grown up girls that had always been teasing and bashing her best friend. Her eyes narrowed at Ami who was pure white.
Naruto mentally scolded at himself.
"And I admit I was one of those people" he confessed. Gasps echoed threw out Konoha. Tsunade clenched her fists.
Naruto bit his lip. "I was always protecting her, thinking that she couldn't protect herself" he said ashamed, chuckling at his own stupidity.
"I wanted to be her hero" he whispered though everyone could hear him.
Hinata began to sob. Kiba and Shino walked over and gave her a "team hug". Ino wailed on Shikamaru's shoulder.
"She is a true legend…" He continued.
"…and is probably the most influential and inspirational person in this town" his voice cracked at this point.
He looked down to see little cliques and groups of academy students and older teenagers. Tsunade stepped up and licked her lips. "I know that she probably inspired a lot of young kunoichi's" she said.
Naruto nodded. "Hai, it shows that if you keep it up, you will fulfill your dreams"
He smirked. "I'm a living example of that" he said proudly.
The ends of Ino's mouth curved into a small smile.
Naruto clapped his hands. "So, that's why on March Twenty Eight, every year there will be a "Sakura Day"
Smiles and small cheers erupted from the crowd.
"This will honor her, because someone needs to" he finished quietly.
Neji nodded and squeezed Tenten's hand. Next to them stood Lee, who looked very proud.
"….and that's who Konoha's Sakura Day is named after" Ino finished quietly.
The children's eyes were wide and everything was silent. "So, Haruno Sakura was a legend-your friend?" her daughter asked nervously. Ino nodded.
She glanced over at Naruto and Hinata's child. "I never knew she was loved so much" he mumbled.
Ino nodded.
"She is, more than you can ever imagine sweetie"
Today was March Twenty Sixth. Two more days until Sakura Day.
A young girl with short pink hair dyed black at the ends sat down. She stared at the endless amounts of sand. In the background, she could hear Temari-sama barking orders at the Godaime Kazekage himself.
The wind blew, sending her pink hair across her face. She frowned.
'Sakura Day is two days away…'
'Maybe at last I could learn about my mother…and my father'
Tsuzuku.
Oh dear, I have no idea what I got myself into writing! Well, I hoped you liked it, reviews are greatly appreciated! Just so you know Homura and Koharu are those elders and the Sandaime's teammates.
Peace out!
Shadowsakura321