Author's Note: Just so there's no confusion, this story takes place in the last year of the 2 year timeskip just before Shippuuden.
Basically, Sakura's last birthday before Naruto comes back to Konoha after 2 years.
If that makes sense xD
LAME TITLE IS LAME XD
Developing Negatives
"Sakura…are you sure you don't want me to stay over tonight? I mean…I really wouldn't mind. I'm not doing anything tonight and…"
"No, Ino. It's all right. I mean, I had a great time with all of you tonight but…I do this every year on my birthday since they've left."
"I know…and that's what worries me. Sakura…It's been 2 years. And I'm not saying that they're never coming back but…your birthday is about YOU. You have the other 264 days to reminisce about Team 7."
"No, tonight is special. We…always used to make a big deal out of each other's birthdays and do fun…crazy stuff for each other. And now that we're not together anymore…it still makes me feel like I'm a part of them when I carry on the tradition. It makes me feel like…they're actually here with me. Like we're a team again."
Ino softly laughed and shook her head.
"Whatever, forehead. It's your birthday, and you can cry if you want to."
Sakura and Ino both laughed at her expense, and then Ino leaned forward and grabbed Sakura's hand.
"I'm only a phone call away if you need me."
"Yeah, I know. Thanks, Ino." Sakura squeezed the blonde's hand and gave her a thankful grin.
Ino smiled back and adjusted her purse on her shoulder. "Happy birthday, Sakura."
"Thank you, Ino."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
The evening was nearly perfect.
It had been a day of beautiful weather and sunny skies and now the night sky had the stars glimmering so bright they were like shards of the sun that had refused to die out.
"Sakura-chan! C'mon! Smile big for the cameraaa!"
"Narutooo! Get that camera out of my face, I told you!"
"Oh, c'mon! It's my birthday! If you won't give me a kiss, the least you can do is give me a smile!"
"The only reason I'm NOT hitting right now is because it's your birthday! If it were any other day I'd break that camera into so many pieces that no one would be able to put it together!"
"Aw, don't be so harsh, Sakura. Have some cake. Try to lighten up."
"Kakashi-sensei! How can you say that when birthday boy over here comes intruding into my room at 7:30 a.m. shoving his camera in my face and scaring me half to death!"
"Ha ha! Won't it be a shame when your beloved Sasuke-kun finds out that his darling princess drools in her sleep?"
"ARGH! THAT IS IT!"
Sakura laughed as she watched the scene from Naruto's birthday almost 3 years ago play out on her TV screen. She remembers that day almost more vividly than Naruto's camcorder.
They had all woken up early that day because, even though it was Naruto's birthday, they were assigned a mission to go on a mission the day before.
Naruto was bummed but Sakura had the idea of celebrating early in the morning so it still felt like his birthday. Sakura brought the cake and plates, Kakashi brought the punch, and Sasuke brought the cups.
They all gathered in the training field that morning and brought presents and tried to enjoy themselves as much as possible that early.
Though, Naruto seemed to be having the best time of all of them.
He was really excited and would go on and on, shoving cake in his mouth and chattering about the mission and how he couldn't wait to try out this new jutsu he'd been working on.
Naruto was so touched that his friends would go to such lengths to make his birthday special, and he never forgot it.
Neither did she.
Remembering the sparkle in his impossibly blue eyes and the way his smile seemed to spread from ear to ear.
They were happy then.
They were family.
"Is this a bad time?"
Sakura nearly jumped out of her skin as she shot the remote in her hand toward the intruder's voice in the window.
"Kakashi-sensei!" she blushed furiously as the silver-haired jounin easily caught the device in one hand.
"Sorry about the intrusion." He apologized. "I know I'm late as usual, but there was a kind young woman on the street who lost her money so I had to help her track down the thief or else she'd lose her rent for the week."
"Don't worry about it, Kakashi-sensei." Sakura said as the jounin climbed inside her room and set the remote on the table.
"Was I interrupting something?" he glanced at the TV.
"What? OH! That? No! It's…nothing! I was just…looking for a different tape and this obviously wasn't it so uh...heh…" Sakura quickly stopped the tape and turned her TV off.
"Right. Well, if that's the case then I came by just in time to bring you this." Out of his jounin vest pocket, Kakashi pulled out a square-shaped present that was wrapped in newspaper and had a red bow taped on top.
"Really? For me?" Sakura took the gift from her sensei and looked at it with slight surprise. "Hmm. It's book-shaped. This isn't going to be what I think it is, is it?" she looked at Kakashi with amused suspicion.
"No, no. It's nothing like that." Kakashi's single, exposed eye wrinkled in a smile. "I would never give one of those novels to a minor. Not unless I had a death wish, of course."
Sakura smiled brightly as she looked down at her gift once again and began to tear the paper off of this mystery present.
"What is it? A…picture book?" she held it up and looked at the cover and the backside. "Kakashi-sensei…I don't know what to say…" her cheerful smile faltered slightly.
"It's…not like that." He sighed wearily. "Open it."
And she did, and gasped once she saw what was inside.
Pictures.
Beautiful pictures of their team arranged on a colored piece of paper, some with captions beside them.
Older pictures of Naruto, Sasuke, Kakashi, and even some of the other rookie nine were present.
Hinata's birthday.
Rock Lee and Tenten's celebration on becoming chuunin.
Jiraiya and Tsunade actually getting along and having drinks together at a seedy tavern.
"Sensei!" her eyes filled up with tears as she moved through each page. Each picture a different memory, a different time.
A different place of happiness.
Her feet carried her across the room fast than Kakashi had ever seen as she wrapped her arms about him in a tight hug.
She didn't say anything, just held onto him tightly and buried her face into his warm chest.
Slightly startled, the silver-haired jounin gently wrapped an arm around Sakura's form.
"Heh, now I feel bad for making you cry on your birthday."
Sakura giggled and pulled away, wiping the tears away with the back of her hand, the other hand still clutching the book.
"You idiot! What did you think that this would do? These…are tears of happiness." she smiled up at him, exceedingly thankful that she had such a thoughtful teacher.
Even from underneath his dark mask, Sakura could make out a soft blush on his cheeks.
"Well, then I guess it served its purpose."
She stood and admired him for awhile, before taking his hand and leading him to her couch.
"Um…Sakura?"
"Come watch with me!"
She set him on the couch as she once again set up the video she had been viewing before.
"Watch? Watch what? Are you sure that it's entirely appropriate for me to…"
"Shh!" Sakura hit play and took her seat beside him. "It's starting."
~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~ * ~
Almost an hour and a half passed before Sakura fell asleep during the video.
It was over nearly fifteen minutes ago, but Sakura had fallen asleep against his shoulder before that.
While watching the video with her was enjoyable, one thing Kakashi didn't enjoy was reminiscing about the past.
He only did it for her sake, because it was her birthday.
His gift made her smile in a way he hadn't seen in a very long time, and she was all too eager to watch their past play out like a storybook on the small screen and laugh and comment on small things she'd remember.
It was her birthday, and she deserved this small happiness.
Kakashi was more than happy to give it to her.
"Kakashi-sensei, do you think…it'll ever be like that again? Do you think that…we'll ever be happy again? Like we were?"
Kakashi thought carefully before answering her.
"Sasuke and Naruto are both strong shinobi and they are only getting stronger. They found their strength in each other, but you have found strength in yourself, the strongest kind there is. Once, you were the weakest part of this team, but now you have grown and changed. Your inner strength will be the rock of this team, and with that, anything can happen."
She stared at him for awhile, her eyes swelling up with tears, before she wiped them away and sat closer to him, leaning her head on his shoulder.
"But you can never go back…isn't that right?"
"No, you can't. But, the great thing about finding true friendship is that you grow separately, without growing apart."
"…Thank you, sensei."
She didn't say anything more after that, but he assumed that she was satisfied with the answer because she fell asleep not long after her question.
Slowly slipping away, he laid her down on the couch, and stood up to shut off the tape and T.V.
He walked over toward the window, ready to take his leave, when he heard Sakura make a small noise.
Kakashi turned his head and looked back at her.
Something inside him urged him that he couldn't leave her there after how emotional she got and the way that she smiled at him, so he turned around and picked her up off of the couch and took her to her room.
Placing her in bed and covering her up, Kakashi stood and watched for a moment.
'Isn't it funny weak little you became the strongest of them all? Hold on to them Sakura, never let them go.'
Before disappearing into the night, he whispered "Happy birthday, Sakura."