It still belongs to you...
It was a hot afternoon in Konoha. An average heighted guy with blonde spiky hairs wearing an orange full shirt sat on the Hokage's chair glancing outside the window having a view of Konoha.
"The village...it indeed has changed" said the guy clad in a white cloak with the word 'Hokage' printed on its back.
Yes! It was Naruto, now the seventh Hokage of Konoha. It had been three years after he took over the seat of Hokage after his own sensei Kakashi Hatake. Kakashi now was enjoying a happy retired life having to teach Bolt some ninjutsu at times on Naruto's special request.
While looking outside the window, Naruto saw a certain pinkette walking besides a small girl having jet black hairs and arched spectacles latched onto her nose. She seemed to be of the same age as his own son. Sakura did not seem to be in the best of the moods. Naruto quickly picked that vibe of hers. He knew Sakura far too well. Probably even more than himself. He knew that Sakura had been blue over something. She was not even looking at Sarada. With her vision fixated down on the ground, she just kept on walking...aimlessly. He had been observing her for quite a few weeks now. He just sighed and immediately engrossed himself in his work.
It was about 8:30 at night. Naruto quickly finished the pending work, stretched his arms, locked the office and set out for a stroll.
"Hokage sama, done already?" said someone from the hallway.
"Shikamaru...how many times do I have to tell you? Call me Naruto. Nothing's changed between us. We still are Konoha 11 and those mischievous last benchers. Me being a Hokage now changes nothing" said Naruto with a grin on his face.
"But Hokage sama..."
"SHIKAMARU! These are my orders" said Naruto sternly.
"Ha..hai...Hok..err Naruto" said Shikamaru. He couldn't argue much.
"That's better!" said Naruto with a foxy grin plastered on his face again. "Anyways, I am closing my office early today. I've got some work to do. Probably need to spend some time with myself. I'll be leaving now. Even you should go home now. Its getting late"
"Hai...Naruto" said Shikamaru having a puzzled look on his face. After being with Naruto for several years and working with him since their academy days, he did not have to be told when Naruto was upset. He just understood it. And probably, he knew the reason as well. He found it appropriate to give Naruto some lone time and therefore obeyed his orders promptly.
Wearing his Hokage cloak, out was Naruto, walking on the Konoha streets. He felt happy to see that everyone was doing fine and Konoha flourishing like anything. Even the people of Konoha loved their Hokage's company. People smiled and wished him good evening, some shop keepers gave him fruits and gifts and then...there were some girls following him and begging for his autograph which obviously made Naruto a bit awkward. He still wasn't used to getting so much attention, especially from girls. The whole village seemed happy and most of all, they were happy because they had someone like Naruto to lead and guide them. He was an instant hit among children. He always loved children and never forgot to give them candies whenever he was out for a stroll. He was so kind and gentle! The children of Konoha absolutely loved and adored him. "Like father, like son" the people of Konoha used to say. They were reminded of Minato and Jiraiya when they saw Naruto.
He saw Tsunade's home and immediately went over to enquire about her. They had a nice chat over her house. He left after an hour or so.
Glancing at Naruto from her window, some thoughts came flooding in.
"Jiraiya...are you watching over him? Our Naruto has indeed grown to bep a handsome, young and caring man. You indeed raised a splendid student. If only you were here to watch this. You are missed badly...Jiraiya, especially now when Naruto is our Hokage. Naruto is the only bet I have won uptil now, Jiraiya. If only you were here...right now" thought Tsunade.
"Sure he is as a good a pervert as you. You passed on your nindo pretty well. But don't worry, I am here to put him on line if he does something like that. Everytime he reminds me of you and Minato. I really wish you both were here today...to watch him" Tsunade said to herself often, after Naruto used to visit her.
As Naruto, was walking on the streets he came across his favourite destination, the Ichiraku Ramen shop!
"Let's see...I haven't been here in looonnnggg time. A bowl of Ichiraku ramen is all I need" said Naruto with a childish smile on his face and approached it.
He was just about to enter it when Sakura saw him.
"Narutooooooo!" She yelled from a far calling out to him running towards him.
"Long time Naruto! Its difficult to catch up with you these days. Of course! You are the hokage now. Do I have the privilege of having some Ramen with the Hokage? Oh! Sorry...you are a big shot now. Why would you bother with the likes of someone like me!" said Sakura kidding him.
"Saaakura chan! Nothing like that. We can still eat ramen" said Naruto with a puffed up face.
Sakura laughed hard over this and both of them entered the shop.
"Ahoy! What brings the Hokage here today! Greetings sir! What'd you like to have? Its all free for you today"
"Hey Ramen guy! Long time. And no nothing like that. I am still the same old Naruto who used to come here and of course I'd pay for the meal. Nothing changes just cuz I am the Hokage" The ramen guy insisted a bit...but...Naruto was...Naruto. He didn't listen one bit.
"As down to earth and humble as ever eh, Naruto? Somethings never change I guess.." said Sakura to herself when she saw this scene.
They sat down on the chairs placing their orders. Their meals were made available to them within minutes!
"As fast as ever eh? Ramen guy?" said Naruto chuckling a bit.
"Enjoy your meal, Hokage sama!" said the ramen guy and went inside the kitchen leaving them alone.
Naruto and Sakura soon started having their dinner. They started refreshing their old memories about team 7 and laughed a lot remembering the funny times they shared. They were having the time of their life. They were so loud that the whole shop echoed with their laughter.
Suddenly by mistake, Naruto broke his chopsticks. Unfortunately, since it was late in the night, no more chopsticks were available at the Ichiraku's.
'Say Naruto! There's no option now. Here! I'll feed you" She rolled some ramen on her chopsticks and lifted her hand to feed Naruto. For some reason, their was a speck of a delicate tear in Sakura's emerald green eyes while she said this. Sure she was smiling...but her eyes were telling a different story. Naruto was a bit astonished by this. As always...there was no way in hell he'd not know something was wrong with Sakura. He knew something was not okay with her. Probably he knew the reason as well...
Brushing that look off his face and sporting a false grin he said, "Ah! Arigato Sakura chan but my ramen's over already. All that's left is to drink the remaining soup" and he immediately put the bowl to his mouth and started slurping it.
"O...okay, Naruto!" said Sakura getting blue again and looking down in her bowl" It was easy to miss her sad look but Naruto didn't.
"You remember Naruto? The Heaven and the Earth bridge? That was one of the times when I was scared shitless. You transformed into four tails and...and lost control of yourself. I was so terrified! I thought I lost you" Her voice started breaking up now. "I was so terrified, so worried. I...just couldn't take it. I just couldn't see you that way. I felt a sudden twitch in my heart. It pained me. It gave me a heart ache! The cheerful Naruto that I knew was flashing before my eyes and...and I just moved on my own. I...I ran...towards you. I had nothing but you on my mind. I wanted the real Naruto back and it killed me to see you in that state" about to say something more she now was at her brink and it seemed that she'd burst into tears anytime. Naruto quickly got up from his seat, left some money on the table, grabbed hold of Sakura and just...vanished!
The room suddenly felt silent. Being worried, Ramen guy rushed out to see what was wrong.
"Ho...kage sama?" said the Ramen guy with his gaze wondering about the restaurant. He was still puzzled over the orange Hokage's sudden disappearance. He saw some money on the table where they ate...
Naruto zapped on top of the Hokage mountain with Sakura.
"And...and...I ran towards you and..." and she burst into tears. She had lost control of her emotions. It was too much. Suddenly, she felt cold air on her face and glanced over to see where she was. She noticed they were on top of the Hokage mountain; their favorite spot to hang out after a tiring mission.
"Naruto?" said Sakura giving a puzzled look to Naruto.
"Its okay, Sakura chan" said Naruto sporting his foxy grin. In reality, It pained him as well. He knew why she burst into tears. "Everything's okay now. I used Hiraishin and teleported both of us here. I don't want anyone to see you when you are vulnerable" said Naruto still sporting his foxy grin.
"Naruto..."she burst into tears again. This time she cried even harder. She hugged him tight and cried into his warmth. Naruto wrapped his arms around her and hugged her back, gently.
"And...and you won with Orochimaru but you suffered, for Sasuke, for the promise you made to me. I did lose you there. And while I was healing you, my wounds started creating some problem but yet...I continued. That was when Yamato taicho saw me and told me...
*Flashback*
I can tell just by looking at you. Sakura...in reality...you really l...
Naruto wakes up...
*Flashback ends*
"Told me that I loved you. Why...why did you wake up Naruto? Why at that moment? Why not a bit late? You could've let him complete his sentence. I am an idiot Naruto. But not you. I never understood what I felt for you. Why Naruto, why? We could've been together right now. I could've realised..." she now cried the hardest into his chest.
Now...even Naruto was at his limits and...there he went. Even he broke down into tears. All the bottled up emotions over the past couple of years crashed out all at once. Years had gone by...full of regrets, knowing what it could've been and what it turned out to be. Many things left unsaid...many feelings left to be conveyed, the guilt, the sadness...all out at once. They both let it out.
"Sakura chan...stop it please! You don't deserve this. I am not happy either. Years have gone by carrying regrets. This weight, this burden...its too much! Heavier than anything I've carried uptil now. I cannot carry this. It breaks me whenever I think of us. How it was...how it could've been...I just break everytime, ya know? Years have gone by and I keep myself engrossed in work to avoid breaking up! I am strong...but not strong enough to lose you, Sakura chan. I sold my heart to you. It is still with you and you know what? I don't want to have that back. It has always belonged to you and always will." He said...crying hard.
"Naruto...you too? Still? I am so sorry Naruto. So so sorry. I never understood what I felt for you. My childhood crush blinded me. I never realized that the type of guy I was looking for...was infact present in my life, right from day one. Always there with me, infront of me, ready to support me and hold me when I fell and sacrifice anything...just for my happiness! And yet I was blinded. You are indeed the closest bond I have, Naruto! Even now, back then, and...always will be! We have been together for 18 years now. Somehow, you became the most important person in my life. We laughed, talked, fought, suffered, cared, trained and cried together and yet I...I am so sorry Naruto." she said in her cracked up voice.
He knew it...right from the start. When he watched her from the Hokage mountain and at Ichiraku's...he knew it all. He carried it in his heart as well and today...both of them just vented it out. He knew what was wrong with her, every damn time! They never had to tell each other what they felt or what the other was going through. They just...felt it as well! Their instincts concerning the other never failed them. Not once! They faced it and sometimes, suffered! All together...Not ready to leave the other's side no matter what and how dire the situation! Such was their bond, forged from the hottest of the flames, coldest of all the winds and the most ferocious of all tides. Had it not been this one single time...
Regaining his composure and having his sunshine grin back, Naruto said, "Stop it now, Sakura chan. Sasuke ain't that bad. I am sure he makes a good husband. Though he is out most of the times...but.."
"Shut up, you baka!" she bonked him on the head, still crying and her voice heavy with emotions. "You knew it already. I never had to tell you what's wrong with me. But Sasuke...Sasuke is entirely different from what I expected him to be. What I wanted was someone like you and when I had you with me, I chased the one who didn't give a damn about me. It is all a mess. If only I had realised my feelings a bit earlier...this would not have happened and it'd be us right now, together. I can see nothing but happiness and a lot of fun times had it been us. You'd become all reckless and injure yourself, you baka! Always being careless! And I'd spend days with you in the hospital beside your bed, healing you all the time. I'd pretend I hated it but secretly I'd love it. Then we'd have dates to Ichiraku wherein I'd have to feed you ramen. And..." she said when Naruto interrupted her
"Sakura chan... You are gonna break me again. Not a single day has gone by wherein I haven't regretted this. Sure things are good now. But the only thing they lack is...you! They are just not the same without you. It hurts me too much. I can only think of the good times had it been both of us...walking this path, together. I could become a Hokage just because I had someone like you by my side when I was at my worst, Sakura chan! Its just not the same without you. If only..."
"I know. So much time has gone by regretting many things. I screwed up everything and here I am talking about how it could've been better. I am all a mess, isn't it, Naruto?" said Sakura now regaining her composure.
"Nope...you never were any better" said Naruto chuckling a bit and flashing his signature smile at her.
"YOU BAKA!" shouted Sakura and pinched his cheeks real bad. None of them was bothered by this. Never did! They were like this since the good ol' days. What made them special was this interaction and the special bond they shared.
"Oouuuuccchhh! Sakura chan! It hurts!" said Naruto sheepishly.
"What happens, happens for good I guess. Don't ya agree, Sakura chan? You got to be with Sasuke, your love"
"But..." Sakura was about to say something when Naruto cut her...
"We just found ourselves in the wrong universe, Sakura chan. Maybe...in our next lives.." said Naruto flashing his foxy smile at Sakura. Sakura could feel the pain he was hiding behind that cheerful smile of his. She gave him a tender look too. Even Naruto felt the pain behind that look of hers. They were just perfect for each other! Made for each other! But alas! Fate had different plans for them.
He was about to get up when Sakura caught his hand and pulled him down...
"Sit back here, you baka! I want to spend more time with you. With what little time I have, I want to share it with you. I understand it's all over and useless now but...I want you to know that if you were to love me againn...I'd love you right back...without any hitch. Yeah! We just found each other in the wrong universe!"
Both of them flashed their sporty grins at each other and glanced up at the starry night sky.
"Say Sakura chan, won't you be cheating on Sasuke and I on Hinata right now?" said Naruto chuckling a bit.
"Can't I even spend some lone time with my best friend and fellow teammate? Besides...I have enough regrets already and I don't want some more. I want to spend this time with you." said Sakura puffing up her face.
"Just a couple of moments we have. Sarada is waiting for you and so is Hinata for me. I really wish we'd get together. Seems that destiny had planned a different route for us." said Naruto.
"Yeah, I think. Guess this will be the last time we get to spend time like this. We don't want to cheat on our partners now, do we?" said Sakura laughing a bit.
"Not at all" said Naruto laughing it off.
Both of them spent their last hour with each other for they promised to keep these things between themselves and never keep their love coming in between their respective relationships. Just knowing that they still love each other was enough for them. At the stroke of the last hour...Naruto held Sakura bridal style, one last time and both of them zapped off. He brought her right in front of her house.
"Time to call it a night, Naruto? Good bye. And if possible remove some time for your friends. The Naruto I know isn't workaholic like this. I take your leave now. The feelings are between us now...promise of a lifetime, between us, Naruto!" said Sakura flashing a warm and tender smile at Naruto. He knew that even now, this smile of Sakura was reserved just for him. She waved Naruto a good bye.
"Good night and dream good, Sakura chan! You know right where to come when you need help." said Naruto flashing that foxy, cheerful smile of his, again. Naruto just won't be Naruto without that smile of his and Sakura of all, knew this far too well.
"You have turned into a fine man, Naruto. If only..." said Sakura to herself glancing over at him and sighed deeply.
Naruto waved her a goodbye and teleported to his home and entered his door only to find Hinata sleeping on the table. She fell asleep waiting for him. He gave a warm smile to her, picked her up and layed her on the bed quietly without waking her up.
"Yeah! Promise of a lifetime..." he murmured...
'It is said that some lives are linked across time, connected by an ancient calling that echoes through ages...let's believe in this calling...'