Small author's comments...
'Ello. Ilyce here. Yeah, this is actually an editted version of this story (not much though, so if you already read it, you didn't miss much, just an extra strip of humor at the end). I just always tend to re-edit stuff...
As for my other works (namely Kingdom for a Princess, and the VG one I promised), they are coming, as I've mentioned on my profile - school's simply sapped me of my creative juice...
Enjoy!
Bold stands for recollections, things that happened in the past.
(I've tried to offset these with line breaks...)
Italics stand for thought, from Sakura's point of view.
Regular font is everything happening in the present.
Being Found
"Naruto" characters, story, and plot are (c) Kishimoto Masashi.
This FanFic, however, is (c) Ilyce V. MairenneFanFiction
"Hah. That'll teach you to mess around with Konoha's ninja." The kunoichi brushes off the dirt and dust from her red top, stepping over the fallen ninja around her. The battleground is a mess of fallen trees and cracks in the earth from her strikes, decorated with the kunais and shurikens of both sides. Luckily, the mercenary party were mainly genjutsu users and physically weak and fairly easy to deal with. Still, they were strong, and there were attacks that she hadn't been able to dodge.
Leaning against the trunk of a rather large oak tree, the pink-haired shinobi examines the wounds collected, assessing the damage done by each and considering whether or not it would be worth the risks to use up chakra on healing.
"A few cuts and bruises mainly, from when I was in the genjustu." Sakura mutters softly to herself, keeping alert of the surroundings in case back-up came. "And..." She winces at slight movement of her left arm. "...a kunai wound just below my left shoulder." Bracing herself against the tree, she quickly takes out the weapon with her other hand, quickly tearing a small strip of gauze and wrapping it tightly around the wound to stop the blood flow as she rests. I won't use up all of it, just in case the others are hurt.
Glancing around at the unfamiliar territory around her, Sakura listened carefully, finetuning her senses to seek out the nearest living thing, whether friend or foe. I wonder where Kakashi-sensei, Sai, and Naruto are. If the entire mercenary troup is made up completely of genjutsu users...
Naruto...
Holding two kunai in her right hand behind her back, she treads stealthily through the forest, glancing around carefully for any traps that had not been activated or deactivated in the onslaught. Green eyes search also for clues regarding her teammates and the point of original contact with the enemy.
A chill wind rustles leaves across her forehead protector, sending the smaller ones to tangle in the already messy pink strands, and reminding the shinobi of the soon-to-come autumn. Using her left hand to free the browning leaves, a memory arises of a very similar forest closer to Konoha, and a childhood game that would often take place in that forest...
A simple game called hide-and-seek.
Sasuke-kun would never play. She smiles slightly at the memory, continuing to walk forward, listening for sounds of conflict. But Naruto always would. I would too, sometimes, but I was always afraid of getting lost, wasn't I? The images are so clear in her mind. Of whoever was selected as 'it' counting to 20, and the giggles as everyone ran off...
Ino had been sick that day, she remembered. It was the first time she'd had to hide alone, without her best friend beside her, and Sakura had been a bit worried. A bit frightened too. The weather was grey and stormy and the trees looked intimidating without the cheerful blossoms of summer and spring. As everyone else ran into the woods, the pink-haired little girl hesitated, going in only as the numbers got higher.
"...11...12..."
That was the time she got lost. A loose branch caught her foot and she tumbled down a hill towards a grove she hadn't been in before. Ino knew the woods, so there had never been need to worry before, but by herself, Sakura panicked.
The pretty red ribbon Ino had given her as a token of friendship had been torn out by the trees too. She felt utterly alone and deserted.
The wind grabbed at her hair and whistled tauntily. The branches of the trees threatened and laughed with raspy voices. The sun ducked behind the clouds to let the shadows take over, and the leaves surrounded her on the breeze. There was no path out and everywhere looked the same. She had no idea where she was or how to find her way back.
She was scared.
The older kids always told ghost stories about the woods
Unsure of what to do, and too afraid to do anything, Sakura sat down at the nearest tree and wrapped her arms around her legs, tucking her head in.
Please, someone find me... was the one wish she had. Please, someone - anyone - please find me!
"I was really weak back then, wasn't I?" The kunoichi scolds herself gently, talking to keep up her spirits, her smile turning wry with a hint of laughter. "But now it's my turn to find everyone. This time, I'll-"
"Sakura-chan!"
The footsteps sound close, and the appellation and voice can only mean... "Naruto!" The blond ninja rushes into the clearing, orange jacket ripped, hair disarranged, with a streak of blood on his face.
"Sakura-chan!" The worried look - Since when did he know how to worry? - breaks into a smile and he runs towards her. "I found you."
"Naruto..." He... He... Even though it's been still long - why do I still feel like...
"Oy, Sakura-chan! What's wrong? Did something get in your eyes? Why are you crying?"
"Baka! Who's crying?" She smacks his hands away from her face and waves for him to back away a bit and give her some space. "I'm rubbing my eyes to make sure it's not genjutsu!"
"But that's not how you dispel- Ow!" A hand rubs the new injury, courtesy of the pink-haired shinobi that was his teammate.
"It's your own fault for acting like that - rushing in like an idiot! Did you think about the possibility that there are others from the enemy still waiting around that might possibly ambush us? This is their territory - we're at a disadvantage, so think a little bit, baka!" Turning away from his pout - How old does he think he is anyway? - to keep from laughing, she suggests, "Come on, let's find the others - with less noise, please."
"Alright, I heard them over in this direction earlier..." He trails off, grabbing her hand and pulling her along without much thought.
Behind, the kunoichi smiles, not bothering to pull away for once from the now bigger and calloused hand of her teammate. Naruto... It's been so long. We've both grown and changed so much, yet... You still somehow manage to always find me... I'm glad.
"Hey," a voice called out, causing her to look up into blue eyes framed by wild blond hair and matched in vibrance by the gigantic smile. "I found you."
And for some reason - maybe relief or something - Sakura felt like crying.
"Oh, I almost forgot too." The boy reached into a pocket and fished around before drawing out something. "Is this ribbon yours?" In his outstretched hand was the red ribbon Ino had given her.
"Yes," she replied, shyly standing and taking it from him. "Thank you."
"You're welcome - it was actually this ribbon that helped me find you anyway." He grabbed her hand and pulled her along. "Come on, let's find everyone else!"
She smiled at his back and followed, whispering again, "Thank you..."
For finding me...
"Hey, Naruto..."
"Yeah?"
"Do you remember when we used to play hide and seek as kids?"
"Hah? Sakura-chan, what are you talking about?"
"..."
Kakashi glanced up from his book (the as of yet untitled, unreleased newest addition to the Icha Icha Tactics series) along with Sai as a resounding smack could be heard not far off, followed by an obstinate and well known voice.
"Ow! Sakura-chan! What was that for? What did I say?"
Baka.