Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, it belongs to Kishimoto-san. Yes, the plot is my own. Believe It! :D

Everything is Alright

By: Kiiki Hayes

Birds chirping, the sound of kids' laughter, the smell of fresh cherry blossoms, the taste of spring in the air, the luxuriating feel of the breeze in the air. The village was bustling, the commotion adding a homely touch to the village.

Several ninjas were lazing around, leaning on benches or lying in the grass and doing nothing but staring at the blue sky. Kakashi could be found leaning against a lamp post, his eyes engrossed in the now blue book, the latest in the Icha Icha series. Naruto was at Ichiraku's, ordering a bowl of ramen. Sasuke was nowhere in sight. Everything was normal; it was just another bright, sunny morning in Konoha, the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

But, as often proved, there is no such thing as a normal morning in Konoha.

And to a certain pinkette, today was anything but normal.

She had woken up in her apartment. She decided to move out from her parents' house as soon as she had received enough money because she returned home at late hours and disturbed her parents. The first thing she saw in the mirror was herself, at which point she had realized which day it was and spent five minutes jumping around the house excitedly like the immature Inner Sakura.

'I AM NOT IMMATURE! SHANNARO!'

Then she freshened up, taking extra care. She wore a light blue tunic over white jeans. She had taken the time to put up her hair in a chignon knot with the ornamental senbon needle her parents had given for her fifteenth birthday. She had carefully done her make-up, and now she was looking into the mirror, a smile curving her lips in anticipation. She had waited for nearly a year for this day.

~.~

She decided to first go to Ichiraku's to see Naruto who was always there, morning, day or night.

'I'M SERIOUS! ONE TIME WE GOT UP AT ONE IN THE MORNING AND HE WAS STILL THERE! SHANNARO!'

'Shut up, you're giving me a headache…and won't you let me finish?'

'NO! SHANNARO!'

'Why can't I have a normal inner…?"

'Hehe…because I'm cool like that! SHANNARO!'

'I give up…'

He, as she had known, was there, gulping down another bowl of ramen. He caught sight of her and beckoned furiously with one hand, inviting her to sit next to him.

Of course, as soon as she was within earshot of the blond, she received the full burnt of his 'I CAN'T STOP TALKING' no jutsu…

"Ne, Sakura-chan, it's nice to see you! You look different today…did you eat too many bowls of ramen? Is today something special? Is today Fire Country Ramen Day? Did oji-san just cheat me out of all these bowls of ramen? ANOTHER RAMEN FAST!"

Sakura twitched as she was forced to sit and endure Naruto's mindless babbling. Out of all people, of course Naruto wouldn't remember…

'HE'S SUCH A BAKA! SHANNARO!'

'Shut up…'

'I WISH SASUKE-KUN WOULD SHOW UP! SHANNARO!'

'He also wouldn't remember…'

'Ne, but he's SASUKE-KUN! SHANNARO!'

'Sasuke-kun wouldn't remember any day unless it's the anniversary of Madara's death…'

'…HAHAHA, THAT'S A GOOD ONE! I NEVER THOUGHT THAT YOU HAD SO MUCH SARCASM! YOU SHOULD TELL SASUKE-KUN THAT ONE! SHANNARO!'

'And risk being under his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and end up for weeks in the hospital? No thanks…'

'Sasuke-kun overreacted that time…'

'OMG I WAS TRYING TO HEAL HIM AND HE WENT ALL PSYCHO ON ME! HE WAS TOTALLY OVERREACTING. HE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO KILL HIM!'

'…You did have black gloves on at that time…'

'Point taken.'

"No, Naruto, nothing special today," Sakura forced out, concealing her disappointment from the blond, "Ne, where's Sasuke-kun?"

"Oh, teme's writing a love song for you-GAH I WAS KIDDING WOMAN! NOT THE BLACK GLOVES! NOT THE BLACK GLOVES!"

Sakura reluctantly sat back down, pulling her gloves off as Naruto took a seat a meter away from her and replied, "Hmm…Sasuke-teme…is at Yamanaka flo- WAIT NO! I REMEMBERED! HE'S…UH…SPARRING! WITH…UM…NEJI!"

Sakura raised her eyebrows at Naruto's flustered behavior; usually he didn't act like this. Sakura briefly entertained the notion that Naruto was planning a surprise, but then stifled a giggle about Naruto keeping a secret.

But why would Sasuke go to all the trouble of provoking Neji into a spar when he had his all-too-willing older brother, Itachi? After defeating Madara, Sasuke had made a stop at a nearby village for what he thought was just a simple lunch. Imagine his surprise when he saw his older brother, alive and cured of his disease, with a girlfriend.

Itachi was the one who made Sasuke come back to Konoha and realize revenge isn't the answer to everything. He also frequently helped Sasuke in training, if he wasn't spending time with the girlfriend he brought from the village, an orphan named Katsumi, now his fiancée.

Sometimes…no wait, ALL THE TIME, Haruno Sakura didn't understand boys and their 'I wanna be the number one ninja' attitude…

"Arigato, Naruto…" Sakura sighed and went to look for her best friend.

~.~

She finally found Ino after two hours of clambering over Konoha.

'They should really make a map for this place…'

'At least you lost some weight…SHANNARO!'

'Do you think I'm fat?'

'…'

'Cuz you know, Naruto said I look like I ate too many bowls of ramen…'

'…'

'Hello? Inner Sakura?'

'Inner Sakura is unavailable to take the call at the current moment. Please leave a message after the tone…SHANNARO!'

'…'

'Beep…beep…beep…'

'Coward…'

Ino was, as usual, talking on the phone. And she was, as usual, pissed off with the person on the other line.

She was screaming into her BlackBerry so loud that Sakura bet that even Sunagakure could hear her.

"WHAT DO YOU FUCKING MEAN YOU CAN'T GIVE THEM TODAY? DO YOU KNOW WHOSE BIR-"

Ino froze as she caught sight of a familiar shade of hair.

Sakura came closer towards her and smiled, certain that her best friend would not forget this day, "Whose birds were you talking about?"

"Ah, Sakura, um…you know, I like birds…except I'm kinda phobic…they scare the shit outta me…"

Sakura deflated inwardly…Ino hadn't remembered…

'DAMN THAT INO-PIG TO HELL! SHANNARO!'

'It isn't her fault…'

'WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT? IT TOTALLY IS! SHANNARO!'

'…Do you know any word to use besides Shannaro?'

'NO! SHANNARO! AND STOP CHANGING THE SUBJECT!'

'You're just like Sasuke-kun and his Hns…'

'YOU CANNOT FOOL ME WITH YOUR MIND PLAY TACTICS! SHANNARO!'

'…Inner Sakura…you ARE my mind…'

'You know what I meant…'

Sakura tuned out her inner and noticed that Ino was still blabbering on and on about something related to Shikamaru and how he kinda went on a date with her but was too lazy to pay…

Ino finally drew a breath, looking at the puzzled kunoichi, "Um…I think Naruto's looking for you…UM BYE, FOREHEAD GIRL!"

'Weird…'

'…'

'I've just met Naruto…'

'AND HE CALLED US FAT! SHANNARO!'

'So why would Ino lie to me?'

'CUZ THAT'S WHAT PIGS DO AND INO IS A PIG! SHANNARO!'

'She's supposed to have remembered…'

'Are you paying attention to me? SHANNARO!'

'Sasuke-kun obviously won't care…'

'THAT'S IT, I'M LEAVING!'

'Bye…'

~.~

"HINATA!" A familiar loud-mouthed blond idiot was yelling. Said Hyuuga heiress blushed and almost dropped the heavy box she was holding at the sight of the approaching whirlwind.

"N-Naruto-kun…"

"Hey girl…WHOA WHAT IS IN THE BOX?"

"N-N-Naruto-kun…y-y-you know what it is…"

"OH RIGHT I FORGOT SORRY!"

"Um…p-p-please d-d-don't s-s-shout…"

"AH GO-men Hinata…I'm just really happy today…"

"Ah, matte, N-Naruto-kun…a-aren't you supposed to be with Sakura-san according to S-Sasuke-san…?"

"Oh…RIGHT! OOPS! I FORGOT!" Naruto rubbed the back of his head sheepishly.

Hinata just shook her head tolerantly, smiling at the hyperactive blond.

~.~

It was near afternoon when Sakura found another of her friends. Tenten was in a shop, examining the merchandise.

Sakura went inside, curious as to what the brunette was doing. She stopped dead when she noticed it was a dress shop.

'Wait…Tenten…in a dress shop?'

'Since when does Tenten wear dresses?'

'Since when does Tenten shop?'

'She's so much of a tomboy…SHANNARO!'

'And here I thought I could get a moment's rest…'

'From what? SHANNARO!'

'…'

'SHANNARO!'

'Bye.'

She walked towards her fellow kunoichi, looking at the dress she was currently holding up. It was jade green, form-fitting, strapless, and fell to about mid thigh. There was a small daring slit up the right side. It was clearly made of silk, and the sash that was tied around the waist was made of satin. It was THE dress.

'THE dress?'

'The one dress that would look perfect on me…according to Ino…'

'YOU LISTEN TO WHAT THAT PIG SAYS? SHANNARO!'

'It's just the perfect color…'

'…I have to agree with you…'

'And it would look so good on me…'

'Wishing that Sasuke-kun would buy it for you?'

'No. He's a douchebag.'

'…He's Uchiha Sasuke.'

"Hey, Tenten, what's up?" Tenten looked like a deer in headlights when she turned around to find Sakura looking at her.

"S-S-Sakura…Um…nothing," Tenten fake laughed but Sakura could see her tension.

"Are you buying that?" Sakura motioned to THE dress.

Tenten started stammering, "I… uh… well… um… I… you know… just wanted to do some shopping… I'm… uh… tired of wearing my ninja clothes… Besides," Tenten suddenly blushed, "Neji… uh… likes me… in dresses…"

Sakura just nodded, and smiled at the brunette before leaving the shop.

~.~

It was nearly twilight when Sakura made her way home. Her face was heartbroken, saddened and disappointed that none of her friends had remembered. As she walked, moisture filled those jade eyes of hers. One traitorous drop slid down her cheek, marking a wet trail down her face. Soon it was followed by another, then another.

Sakura sat down on her steps and sobbed. After a few minutes, the tears subsided and she got up, wiping them with her hand.

'What am I, a baby? Ninjas do not show emotion no matter what the situation!'

'You're right! Shannaro!'

'Anyway, today wasn't that special…I shouldn't be crying about it…'

'YOU GO GIRL! SHANNARO!'

'Besides, I want to see Naruto's expression when I tell him tomorrow.'

'HEHE! REVENGE! SHANNARO!'

Sakura smiled despite the looming sadness, and went inside. As soon as she got in, and flickered on the lights, she saw a big white bag.

Suspicious, she cautiously walked over to the bag. Her hands hesitated before touching it.

When she opened it, she screamed.

Inside…was THE dress.

And a note.

'But that's not really important! SHANNARO!'

'How 'bout you read the note before you decide?'

'IT DOESN'T MATTER! SHANNARO!'

'I bet it matters.'

'Ten bucks? Shannaro!'

'You're on.'

'AND YOU ARE GOING TO LOSE! PREPARE TO LOSE TEN BUCKS! SHANNARO!'

'Inner…how in hell will I pay you ten bucks?'

'Shannaro?'

'OMG! IT'S THE DRESS!'

'Ha! Told you it wasn't important!'

'Let's read it first…'

'SHANNARO!'

Sakura opened the note. Inside were only eight words.

Put the dress on and follow the arrows.

Sakura narrowed her eyes. It reeked of a trap. No name, no indication of who sent it. Said person had entered her house without tripping any of her alarms. And that little nagging voice in the back of her head said it was a bad idea…

'IT'S A BAD IDEA! SHANNARO!'

'Can't I have peace and quiet for once in my lifetime?'

'…NO! SHANNARO!'

'Thought so.'

But Sakura was feeling a little adventurous tonight, and she wanted revenge on Naruto and Ino. This was the perfect way. She pulled on the jade dress, the material silky against her skin. Besides, she was curious.

'Curiosity killed the cat. SHANNARO!'

'And satisfaction brought it back.'

'…'

'HA!'

She walked to her room, and stood in front of the mirror. Pinning back her pink hair, she then brushed silver eyeshadow on, dabbed some pale pink lip gloss and eyeliner and rummaged in her closet for the perfect silver heels that would go with the outfit. As soon as she slipped on the heels, she surveyed herself. She looked drop dead gorgeous, even if she had to say so herself.

'I think it looks good also…Shannaro…'

'Yeah, but since when does your opinion count?'

~.~

Doing a pirouette, she noticed a small red arrow in her periphery. Stopping her twirling, Sakura turned around and saw a red arrow that pointed to her window. A growing smirk on her face, Sakura opened her window and jumped out, landing safely on the ground, ninja-style, careful not to break her heels.

As soon as she landed she saw another arrow, luminous in the dark. Then another and another. Still on her guard, she cautiously began following the arrows into the night.

About fifteen minutes later, she was wishing she hadn't worn heels. Also, the path she was taking led through the woods, nowhere near a proper road. If she wasn't a kunoichi, she would've had a twisted ankle by now. Strangely, her destination seemed familiar.

'Hey, isn't this – '

'- the Uchiha estate?'

Sure enough, when Sakura broke through a couple of bushes, she was standing in the vast training grounds in the Uchiha estate. And another shadowy figure was standing in the middle of the unlit lawn.

Onyx met emerald.

Sakura didn't move forward, surveying the oh-so-familiar raven spiked hair and pale face as onyx eyes surveyed the dress with an appreciative glint. She watched the figure as he drew his midnight eyes back to hers, smoldering with lust.

Sakura didn't realize she was running until she had already flung herself in the man's embrace.

He chuckled, low and dark, "Hello, Sa-ku-ra." Without another moment's hesitation, he claimed her lips.

Sakura wound her hands around his neck pressing herself against him, tongues battling each other for dominance. The kiss grew heated and fierce, and his hands started to move down from her waist when there was a loud cough.

"I know you want to revive the Uchiha clan, but can you wait till there's no one watching?"

Sakura and Sasuke broke apart gasping for air. Sakura flushed bright red when she realized that there were other people there. Sasuke just glared at his older brother, his ears turning pink, "Fuck off." He wasted no time in whipping around and kissing Sakura breathless, backing her up against a tree.

"Oi, Uchiha, we get that all you want to do is get in her pants, but some of us here have a birthday to celebrate!" They broke apart again, Sasuke glaring at Tenten who responded with an amused smirk.

Sakura, however, was thinking about something else, "Birthday?"

"Yeah, Forehead, it's your birthday today," Ino scoffed, "Or did all those hospital shifts finally turn you insane?"

"B-But – I – You," Sakura couldn't find the words to express the shock, "I thought you forgot about it!"

"What kind of boyfriend forgets his own girlfriend's birthday?" Sasuke rolled his eyes and turned on her with a predatory smirk. Before he could kiss her again, another annoyed shout came.

"OI TEME STOP BEFORE YOU MAKE HINATA FAINT AGAIN!" Naruto glowered, one hand wrapped around Hinata's waist, she was bright red, looking like she was about to fall over.

Sasuke just sighed in exasperation, putting an arm around Sakura's waist, and snapping his fingers. In an instant, the entire grounds were lit up, showcasing the long table stacked high with presents, the cake and snacks. It also showed all the people who came, the Konoha Twelve were all there, as well as Kakashi, Asuma, Kurenai, Gai, Tsunade, Jiraiya, Itachi and Katsumi.

"Happy birthday Sakura!" Katsumi gave a sadistic smile, "You're finally 18!"

Itachi mumbled something under his breath about his sadistic fiancée and how he hoped his kids wouldn't inherit that.

"Thanks, Katsumi-nee-chan," Sakura said suspiciously.

'She's definitely planning something…'

'Yeah…she looks way too happy…'

'The happier Katsumi is, the sadder we'll be. Shannaro!'

'She and Itachi are perfect for each other…'

~.~

A couple of hours later, the party was in full swing. Naruto and Hinata were dancing, Hinata blushing beet red. Sakura was opening presents, punctuated with kisses from Sasuke who seemed to grow more and more light-headed. Sakura had a slight suspicion it was from the punch. Jiraiya had his head stuck through the bushes that Tenten and Neji disappeared into, mumbling something about inspiration. A very drunk Ino (where the hell did the alcohol come from?) was yelling at poor Shikamaru who looked ready to gag her to get her to shut up.

Tsunade kept going back to get more punch (at this point, Sakura was almost certain that the punch was spiked) and Katsumi was dancing on the table. Itachi, instead of stopping his fiancée from making a fool of herself, was videotaping the whole thing, with a dark smirk that just screamed blackmail. Shino and Kiba were doing a good job of holding an overenthusiastic Lee from getting more 'punch'. Gai was drunk and was challenging an equally drunk Kakashi to run around Konoha ten times naked. Surprisingly, Kakashi agreed. Kurenai, seeming to have figured out that the party was going to dissolve into a drunken free-for-all even before it started, had left as soon as she wished Sakura, dragging a reluctant Asuma with her.

~.~

Later on…

"Sasuke-kun! Where are you taking me?"

"You'll see Sakura."

"But I wanna know!"

"It's a surprise."

"But you already gave me one!"

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kuuuuuuun! Pweeeez?"

"We are here."

"Sasuke-kun! This is so beautiful!"

It indeed was. They both had walked to the Konoha Lake. The colossal moon was high up in the starry sky, gazing upon the love birds. The Lake shimmering under the moonlight. The chilly night did not seem to affect the chatty pinkette. The raven haired boy sighed in peace.

"Ne Sasuke-kun? Why take me here?"

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kuuuun!"

"Get on the boat Sakura."

"Huh? Boat?"

"Put me down now! Sasuke-kun.. I'll..I'll.. put on my black gloves now!"

"And where are they?"

"Ha..ha.. At home..?"

"Hn."

The teenagers set off in the boat with the raven haired boy rowing and the pinkette smiling.

"Sakura?"

"Hm?"

"Thank you."

"For what?"

"For giving me a chance."

"Everyone deserves a second chance Sasuke-kun."

"Hn."

"Sasuke-kun?"

"Hn?"

"I'm here always."

"I know."

She knew that he understood her as she understood him. This was just the beginning. They may face many tribulations ahead in their life. But they will overcome all of the problems together. Everyone hoped that they sailed towards their happiness.

~.~

Fin

~.~

A/N: Happy Birthday Haruno Sakura!

I had planned this one-shot for Sakura's birthday.

Thank you amijustinvisibleorisitjustme(also called NaCl),my bestie. Without you this one-shot wouldn't exist. Thanks a ton girl. You readers should totally check out her stories. They are Awesome! This is my first writing on fan fiction as you all can see. Don't be hard on me okay? :P Well don't look at the screen blankly! Press the blue option below this note and leave your snippets of appreciation or criticism!