Sitting alone with her lunch, Sakura watched as the other children ate. Some ate in pairs, others in large circular groups. She ate alone. It was her first day and the school portion had gone wonderfully; it was the social aspect that was less than spectacular. She had been pushed to the dirt, teased until tears fell from her emerald eyes and she had finally covered her forehead in shame and walked away. She was alone.
As she poked her bento, she scanned the mass of children. Some laughed, some shouted, others whispered but it was obvious that they were enjoying themselves. Eyes widened when she saw another alone. A sunny topped boy with grubby clothing and overwhelming feeling of dejection radiating from his slouched posture. She couldn't help the smile that lit up her features. She wasn't alone! Quickly, she stuffed all her food back in her lunch box and ran over to him. Eyes following her widening in shock at her intended target: didn't she know he was bad?
"Hi!" Sakura smiled, cheerfully giving a wave to accentuate the greeting. Blue eyes blinked up at her, trying to distinguish if she was genuine or merely playing her part in a cruel prank. Scuffing her foot in the dirt nervously she shyly continued, "I was just wondering if it would be alright if I…" She turned her hair nimbly between her fingers as she plowed ahead asking, "could eat lunch with you?"
No response, he was still looking up at her, head cocked slightly to the side. The slow widening of his grin was lost to her nervousness. "It's just that everyone is sitting with someone and I was sitting alone and you…"
"Course you can sit with me!" The boy shouted exuberantly before jumping up and giving her a twirling hug. Arms sandwiched to her sides, she held on to her lunch as best she could, lest it fly away. The hug stopped a moment later but left them both with silly grins stretching across their faces. "I'm Uzumaki Naruto!" He gave a thumbs up as he introduced himself.
"Nice to meet you Naruto, I'm Haruno Sakura."
Naruto launched himself at the pink haired girl capturing her in another hug while shouting, "Sakura-chan!"
"Can't breathe," Sakura wheezed out. He chuckled bashfully as he let her go. Plopping down on the ground she opened her lunch and started eating. Naruto sat down by her, eying her food hungrily. Sensing his looks of longing she offered up half her meal, "want some?"
"Yay, Sakura-chan!" Taking the food, which he promptly wolfed down, Naruto couldn't help but feel elated beyond happiness. Someone was eating with him and had even given him food, something that no one save the Hokage did.
"Naruto?" Drawn out of his musing Naruto looked up quizzically. "Can we be friends?" Her hair curtained her face as she stared at her food, absently prodding it with her chop sticks.
Naruto was shocked to a stupor, someone wanted to be his friend? This was new territory. Confusing his silence as rejection she willed the tears that were gathering at the edge of her vision away.
"Best friends," Naruto offered softly. Jerking her head upward to look him in the eye she couldn't contain the happiness. She pounced on him in a hug that left the boy light headed and he wasn't sure it was just from the formidable strength she exerted.
All in all it was the beginning of many things.
Meh, I wanted to try my hand at the chibi angle of NarutoxSakura. I'll probably revise this, more detail. Today has been a good day for inspiration, two one shots in one day! Well at least people know I'm not dead. Reviews are appreciated and the reviewers are loved more than words can express! Remember children hug a stranger! –Cloey Marie-