TITLE: Cherry Blossom of Konoha: Moving On
SUMMARY: They say first love never dies. Some say it will last till the end of the time. Others say it's hard getting over it. But I say: "It's not hard dealing with first love. It doesn't matter at all in the end. What's hard to endure is the first heartbreak you encountered. You maybe able to meet lots of people after it but no one can make you forget the pain that your young heart first faced. Because the 1st cut will always be the deepest one." (NarutoSakuraSasuke, slight SakuraNeji)
Disclamer: I do not own Naruto!!
Sakura walked through the streets of Konoha in a daze. She cannot seem to forget what Naruto said last week.
"Teme is in love with you Sakura-chan. And he's jealous that I'm close to you & he's not."
She shook her head to clear her thoughts. Impossible! Sasuke falling in love!? Much less with me!? Sakura laughed. If I'm still that 12-year old girl, I would squeal in delight & make Ino-pig jealous. She frowned. But I'm not that 12-year old girl anymore. I'm no longer wishing & chasing after a dream that will never come true.
"Teme is in love with you Sakura-chan. And he's jealous that I'm close to you & he's not."
Gah! That thought again! She felt like ripping her hair out from annoyance. It's all Naruto-kun's fault, making me think like this. She rounded the corner only to run with a hard wall… She doubled over. Wait. Not a wall. She looked up & eyes widened in surprise.
"Neji-san! Gomen!" She bowed, a blush appearing on her face. A deep chuckle made her look at her front. "No worries, Sakura-san. You must be thinking of something… very important to loose your concentration on the road." Her blush deepened even more. He smirked. A twinkle of amusement danced around Neji's eyes. "Well… ummm…" She stuttered. Great! Now she made herself look stupid in front of a Hyuuga. Hyuuga Neji of all people! Her eyes twitched. But Neji didn't make fun of her, only smiling softly. "I'll see you around, Sakura-san." Stepping aside, he continued his way but not before patting her head with his hand.
……………………………
Sakura stalked off towards Ichiraku Ramen with a glare on her face. Seeing Naruto, her glare intensified.
"Sakura-chan, you're la--!" CRASH! "Ow Sakura-chan! What did I do now?" Rubbing his sore jaw, he watched as his lifetime crush took a seat beside his chair. Naruto stood up, Sakura sighed. While walking towards his seat, Sakura faced him. "I'm sorry, Naruto-kun. Here." She held up a hand & placed it in his jaw, healing it in a second.
"It's all right, Sakura-chan." He smiled sheepishly while rubbing the back of his head. He can never be mad or angry at her. It's just not in his heart. After all, Sakura is his weakness. He took a seat beside her & continued eating.
After long silent minutes passed, "So…." Sakura glanced up at him. "What's eating you up?"
"Nothing." "Come on Sakura-chan. Tell me!"
"…" "Is it about Sasuke-teme?" SMASH! Sakura opened her palm & removed the splinters that covered her hand.
"It's kinda obvious, Sakura-chan. Well except for you anyways. You hardly ever see him." Sakura faced Naruto, her glare back again. Naruto backed away in pure instinct. "This is Sasuke we're talking about, Naruto-kun. The same Sasuke who almost killed you! The same emotionless, cold-hearted bastard who left us for Orochimaru!"
Naruto held up his hands in submission but still shrugged. "Sasuke has changed now, Sakura-chan. He's trying to redeem himself, especially to you."
"Then pray tell, tell me why I found your battered & bloodied unconscious body on the ground?" Naruto slurped the last of his ramen. Sakura turned her head away from the disgusting sight.
"Well, just because he's now returning your feelings, doesn't mean I'll just step aside & walk away, right?" Naruto grinned.
Sakura, once again shocked by Naruto's words, only looked at him in surprise. Truly, Naruto seemed to be more mature now. One would be fooled by his childish antics & loud mouth, but Naruto is very sensitive when it comes to other's feelings, especially her own. Sakura blushed & looked away.
When she finally turned, Naruto is still beaming at her. She smiled. "Thank you, Naruto-kun."
……………………………
"So… the question is, are you still in love with Sasuke?" Ino asked. She was busy arranging flowers on her family's shop while speaking to Sakura. She raised her eyebrows to Sakura when she didn't reply.
Sakura sighed. "I honestly don't know Ino-pig." "Well, what exactly do you feel towards him?"
Sakura frowned. "Anger, irritation, annoyance, hate, regret, hurt, fear…" "All negative emotions? Not even one positive?"
She sighed again. "I don't know. I just… when ever I look at him, I see the time when I tried to stop him. I poured my heart to him, Ino. I told him I loved him. But that wasn't enough. It's always not enough!" When Ino opened her mouth to say something, Sakura continued. "My heart hurts when I see him. I'm reminded of the time when he broke my heart. I just can't seem to forget that feeling & forgive him."
Ino placed his hand on her shoulder. "I understand. He was your first love. It's hard to forget that first intense emotion. I should know. I fell for him too. Even now with Chouji-kun… I love him, there's no question in that. But there'll always be that small part of me that longs for Sasuke." Ino continued. "My mother once said to me, it's not hard dealing with first love. It doesn't matter at all in the end. What's hard to endure is the first heartbreak you encountered. I know you really loved him, Sakura. You went thru lengths just to get him back. You maybe able to meet lots of people after it but no one can make you forget the pain that your young heart first faced. Because the 1st cut will always be the deepest one."
A single drop of tear fell from Sakura's eyes. She placed her hand on top of Ino's & leaned her head towards her. They both sighed.
"I just wished I can truly move on. Not stuck half way. Is it hard to be happy for once? To be selfish, even for a while? Sometimes, I wish Sasuke never returned. Seeing him here brought those painful memories. But part of me is glad that he's back. We can be a team again. I just don't understand anything anymore."
"You can do it, Sakura. There are plenty of people who loves you. I know some of the men willing to do anything just to receive attention from you. You've been single long enough. Maybe it's time for you to date someone. You know, divert your attention away from Sasuke."
Sakura chuckled. "Thanks, Ino-pig." "You're welcome, Forehead girl. Just think about it."