Title: Heartbeat
Summary: Sakura's mother told her a story of how her soul mate's heartbeat would match hers. Now at age 17, Sakura is looking for her soul mate. Various couples, check warning inside.
Pairing: NejiSaku; little bit of NaruSaku, LeeSaku, SaiSaku, KibaSaku, SasuSaku, KakaSaku, ShikaSaku, KankSaku, GaaSaku, NaruHina, ShikaTema, KankTen
Hey, my username is Shining Through, and this is my third fanfic!
Please read and review, and flames are allowed.
Except for the flames saying 'Ew! I hate NejiSaku!' because if you hate it so much, why did you read this story if the couple says 'Neji and Sakura'?
Enjoy!
When she was a little girl, her mother had told her a story.
"When you grow up and start dating," she had said, "wait for the right guy. Find a guy, who when he kisses you, you feel electrified, like fireworks are going off in the background. If your heartbeats beat as one, then he is your soul mate."
And so, when her mother passed away, Sakura remembered the words she had said when Sakura was a little girl.
When Naruto had asked her out, Sakura told him 'yes'. After all of these years of pinning after her, and enduring every insult and hit, she decided that he was worthwhile and allowed him to take her on that one date.
Of course, he took her to Ichiruka's for ramen.
When he had leaned over to kiss her, she allowed a peck on the lips, and the two soon realized that the two only loved each other as a sibling. So with another peck on the lips, the two departed ways. He had told her a few weeks later that he was now dating Hinata-chan.
When Lee asked her out, she accepted after a long pause. The boy had fallen in love with her, the minute he saw her. He had never wavered, and so Sakura new that he was worth a chance. They walked on the forest trail during the night, the moonlight guiding their way. They ended up on the Hokage Mountain, where he kissed her softly. She kissed him back eagerly, but she told him that he needed someone who was not as hesitant as her. He accepted her idle break up with a smile and peck on the cheek. He soon left with Neji on a 6 month mission.
When Sai asked her out, she was beyond shocked. Sakura decided to go out with him, to teach him to love and appreciate. He took her to the library, where they could have a study date. She taught him many emotions, and he allowed himself to smile at her.
When he walked her home, she turned around to thank him for the date, where he captured her lips with his. He had read, he said, that at the end of a date, the boy was supposed to kiss the girl. Sakura smiled and kissed him, murmuring against his lips 'Thank you.'
She and Sai went on a couple of more dates, when they realized that they weren't meant to be together. Sai and Sakura soon went looking for their soul mates.
When Kiba asked her out, she had agreed without any hesitation. She knew that he was a strong ninja, who had been in love with her ever since she had started tutoring Hinata. They went for a walk through the park, where Kiba and Akamaru entertained her to no ends.
They had rolled down a hill, ending up with Kiba on top of her. They gazed into each other's eyes for what seemed eternity, when Kiba leaned in, and kissed her slowly. Sakura could see that they had natural chemistry, but she knew that there was someone else out there for her. One that made her heart stop, even with just a brush of the lips.
Sasuke returned a month after she had broken up with Kiba. He immediately began to court her, taking her to a fancy restaurant where she dressed up in an emerald kimono, and he in a dark blue one. Sakura soon learned that he had a teammate who was head over heels for him, when the red-head stalked him back to Konoha, and tried to kill Sakura.
She easily beat her with just a flick on the forehead, sending her into the wall, crashing it efficiently.
Sasuke was so amused, that he had kissed her passionately, his arms around her waist, hers around his neck, his tongue sneakily allowing itself into Sakura's mouth.
Although the kiss was amazing, it wasn't the one that she had always dreamed of. She let him down gently, where he tried to find another girl to help rebuild the Uchiha clan.
When Kakashi asked her out on a sunny day, she almost died in shock. Her genin teacher, 14 years senior, asking her out on a date? Well, she mused, if Sai could ask her on a date, anything was possible.
They sparred for the morning, and then he took her to lunch where they ran into Naruto and Hinata. Naruto accused Kakashi of being a pedophile, which ended the date quickly. Kakashi had walked her home, and kissed her on her doorstep like Sai had done. He was a great kisser like Sasuke, but this could only last a few days, a week at the most.
In two weeks, they had broken up, finding that the only attraction the two saw in each other, was physical.
Shikamaru asked her out the minute she broke up with Kakashi. She accepted, assuring him that he wasn't the rebound guy. They sat on top of his favorite hill from sunrise to sunset. Shikamaru and Sakura watched the sunrise together, the clouds, sunset, and finally stars until the sun rose again. At the second sunrise, Sakura leaned over and kissed him softly on the lips. Shikamaru kissed back eagerly, but the two were interrupted with a gasp of pain.
The two opened their eyes to a tearing Temari, who ran away quickly from the caught couple. Sakura sighed and shooed Shikamaru away, telling him to chase after Temari.
He was hesitant, before kissing her deeply again and chasing after Temari.
Apparently, with Temari, Gaara as the Kazekage came to have an official meeting with Tsunade. Kankuro had come along because he didn't want to be left alone.
Kankuro asked Sakura out without a second glance, and the two went to the annual Konoha play. Sakura enjoyed the way Kankuro mimicked it afterwards, using his miniature puppets.
She watched Kankuro make two new puppets, one having vibrant pink hair and green, emerald eyes, and the other with brown spiky hair and purple 'war' paint.
She watched in amusement as Kankuro used his chakara strings to move the dolls closer and closer, until their wooden lips meant awkwardly. Sakura laughed in amusement and leaned over and kissed him as her doll did, but with more passion.
The next few days, as they walked around Konoha together, Sakura could see the weary glances Tenten sent her. She would look at Kankuro with longing eyes, and look at Sakura with envious, angry glares.
'Go to her,' Sakura had told Kankuro, nudging her head in Tenten's direction.
'Why, I want to be with you,' he responded, grasping her hands.
'You can do better than me, you and Tenten were meant to be soul mates,' Sakura told him softly.
He had nodded, kissing her farewell before starting his wonderful life with Tenten.
Gaara caught her on the rebound. He had held her while she vented all of her feelings out to him. How she was afraid that she would never find the one, how all of her friends could find love in their lives, while she could not yet. He cradled her, resting his chin on her head. She looked up at him, with misty eyes, and slowly craned her neck.
She kissed him softly, and the two spent a night of passion together. She awoke with his head in her arms, feeling his heartbeat against her own.
Could he be the one? Sakura asked herself, biting her lip. She and Gaara held hands in public, he actually opening up to her and kissing and hugging her briefly in public. It was a step forward for him.
But, as soon as Sakura thought that she could move to Suna with him, give up her life in Konoha for him, he returned.
Neji, Lee, Shino, and Choji returned from a mission from the Village Hidden in the Mist to protect the prince of the country.
At first glance, Sakura fell in love with the cold, indifferent Hyuuga.
Gaara saw that there was a change in their relationship, and he loved her enough to let her go… to not make her go through with the painful decision she was contemplating.
Sakura cried for days after the separation, and this time, the Hyuuga was there to comfort her. She sat in his lap, while he stroked her hair and wiped her tears away.
"Will I ever find love?" she asked.
"Will you ever love me back?" Neji asked quietly.
Sakura's eyes widened, more tears spilling out.
She wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her head on his chest. She could feel his heartbeat… it matched her own.
Finally now…in Neji's arms, as she leaned up and brushed her lips against his, she felt their heartbeats speed up together, and felt the fireworks exploding in the background.
"I love you," she whispered against his lips. He deepened the kiss, running his tongue against her bottom lip, demanding entry. Sakura opened her mouth, allowing him to explore her mouth.
Their kiss felt electrifying, their heartbeats beat as one, and the two spent the rest of their lives in each other's arms.
I'm not that good at endings, so I hope that you guys found it all right. If you guys have any criticism, don't hold back. I want all the help I can get.
If you guys have any requests as a story, I wouldn't mind trying my best to fulfill them.
Hope that you guys enjoyed the story – Shining Through