The Princess Bride

-NaruSaku style.

Based on the original screenplay by William Goldman and movie directed by Rob Reiner

subs(This story is only to pay homage to one of my absolute favorite stories and my favorite pairing. No harm is meant.)sub/s

Prologue

iThe young girl was sick, dreadfully sick. The worst sickness she'd ever had. Sure she would live. Her sickness wasn't life-threatening; more annoying than anything. She was bored. Her mother wouldn't let her do anything, much less get out of bed. All her food was brought to her on a tray, and all she had to look forward to was her favorite program on TV that unfortunately didn't come on till later that night. Her father had come to visit her in her room periodically to see if she was feeling any better, but after nearly three days she wasn't showing much improvement. On the fourth day, her father came in holding a book.

"Feeling any better, darling?" he asked.

"Not really," answered the bedridden blonde. "What do you have their, Daddy?"

"Well, I found this book and it looked like something you might like," he said, showing her the beautifully bound book. "I know you've been really bored lately, so I thought maybe this would pass the time quickly. I would let you read it, since I'm not to fond of reading, but since your throat hurts and all…/i

"The Princess Bride?" ishe asked. "Looks boring."

"Let's give it a shot," said her father, sitting down in the chair beside her bed.

The girl shrugged. "Ok."

Her father opened the book and cleared his throat.

"Chapter One, The Bride…"/i

Ch. 1: The Bride

Sakura was raised on a small farm in the country of Konoha. By the time she was fifteen, Sakura knew nothing of being the most beautiful woman in all the world. And if she had, she would have found it totally unfathomable. How could someone care if she were the most beautiful woman? What difference could it have made to her if she was the sixth or the third. She hated to wash her face, the area behind her ears and loathed combing her long hair and did so as little as possible. Her favorite pastimes were riding her horse and tormenting the farm boy who worked on her farm. His name was Naruto, but she never called him that. The horse's name was "Horse" and it came when she called it, went where she steered it, did what she told it. The farm boy did what she told him too. Actually, he was more of a young man now, but he had been a farm boy when, orphaned, he had come to work for her father, and Sakura referred to him that way still.

"Farm Boy, fetch me this"; "Get me that, Farm Boy-quickly, lazy thing, trot now or I'll tell Father."

"As you wish."

That was all he ever answered. "As you wish." Fetch that, Farm Boy. "As you wish." Dry this, Farm Boy. "As you wish." He lived in a hovel out near the animals, and according to Sakura's mother, he kept it clean. He even read when he had candles.

One day, Sakura approached the farm boy.

"Farm Boy, fill these with water," she said. He stared at her a moment. "Please?"

"As you wish," he finally said, smiling. Sakura turned away. That day she was amazed to discover that when he said 'As you wish', what he meant was, 'I love you'. And even more amazing was the day she realized she truly loved him back.

One day while kneading dough for some bread, the farm boy brought in her firewood for the day. Sakura watched him as he did so, noticing how his messy blonde hair blew in the wind and his blue eyes sparkled in the sunlight. Just before he walked out the door, she called out to him.

"Farm Boy." He turned to her and just watched her. Sakura looked around for anything that he could get for her. Her eyes spotted the pitcher just above her head. "Fetch me that pitcher."

Naruto walked up to her slowly, staring directly into her eyes.

"As you wish," he all but whispered, taking the down the pitcher and handing it to her.

Sakura smiled.

By sunset, they were in each other's arms.

A few days later, Naruto approached Sakura with the news that he was leaving. You see, Naruto had no money for marriage, so he packed a few belongings and left the farm to seek his fortune across the sea. It was a very emotional time for Sakura.

"I fear I'll never see you again," she said, trying very hard not to cry.

"Of course you will," said Naruto, smiling and wiping a tear from her cheek with his finger.

"But what if something happens to you?" she asked.

"Here this now: I will always come for you," he said with conviction. Sakura couldn't help but doubt a little.

"But how can you be sure?" she said.

"This is True Love. You think this happens every day?" Naruto kissed her passionately and hugged her. He then grabbed his bags, and with one last look at Sakura, Naruto set off.

Naruto didn't reach his destination. His ship was attacked by the dread Pirate Roberts, who never left captives alive. When Sakura got the news that Naruto was murdered, she went into her room and shut the door, and for days she neither slept nor ate. She never cried, but promised herself one thing.

"I will never love again."