Despite the chill in the air, Konoha's streets are bustling with people this evening. I wrap myself in my heavy sweater, wondering where Naruto is. He invited me to go out with him to Ichiraku's for ramen. I needed a distraction, a few hours of getting away from everything and recharge my batteries before the new semester starts. I'm six months away from becoming a full-fledged medic-nin.
"Sakura-chan!"
I look up and see Naruto making his way through the torrent of people, waving at me. Leaves fall from the trees as a breeze blows through their branches, sending down a flurry of red and yellow. Dressed in orange, Naruto fits right in that picture. When he stops, he's panting. I smile.
"Forgot your wallet home again?"
He looks embarrassed, but laughs. "Something like that. You know me, dattebayo!"
That, I do. "Happy birthday, Naruto," I say, handing him a small, wrapped box.
A welcoming warmth envelops us as we enter Ichiraku's and I'm glad to finally be rid of the cumbersome weight of my autumn cardigan. As we wait for our order, I listen to Naruto tell me about everything he's been up to nowadays. It's been almost two weeks since we've seen each other. We've both been busy with our exploits – him, training and me, studying.
"Kakashi-sensei is on a mission with Gai-sensei," he tells me, by means of justifying our sensei's absence. However, I suspect Kakashi may have had an ulterior motive. He's been avoiding me since I returned to Konoha.
There's a pause in our conversation. Naruto looks at me, hesitating, then asks, in a small voice: "How's Itachi?"
My stomach twists in a knot. I don't know. Tsunade hasn't allowed me to see Itachi a second time. It's been a month since I saw him in prison, a month since I gave her my report on what happened in the three weeks I was gone from Konoha. Everytime I asked her about it or Itachi, Tsunade brushed me off.
I've been accumulating frustration over it to the point where sometimes I feel like bursting. It doesn't matter how hard I try to push things from my mind and swallow the pain when I fail to do that. My fists clench just thinking about it now. Does Tsunade really care so little? Did she ask me to write that report just to shut me up?
I realize Naruto looks worried as he takes in my reaction. Of all my friends, Naruto is the only one who asks me how Itachi is, every time he sees me. It means a lot more to me than I let show. Everyone else just wants to know why Itachi is in Konoha and what I had to do with that.
I shake my head, the same thing I did last time Naruto asked. I can't put it in words. I don't want to make a scene. I keep my emotions bottled up, even knowing it will do me more harm than good. Today is Naruto's birthday – I will not ruin it for him, shannarou!
The evening wears on. We talk about silly things, petty things, and I'm having fun. I've missed that. Naruto always knows how to take your mind off things and put you in a good mood. I almost can't believe it when I look at the clock and see it's almost midnight.
"I'm sorry, Naruto," I say, "I should get going. My parents are going to throw a fit." They still don't trust me after the stunt I pulled. I can almost hear my mother wail about my "leaving like that!". Not to mention coming back with a wanted criminal in tow.
"I'll take you home, Sakura-chan," Naruto offers as we step out of Ichiraku's. I huddle in my sweater, noting the mist forming as I breathe out. It's gotten considerably colder and the streets have gone quiet.
"It's alright," I say. "I don't live that far from here."
"I know, dattebayo, but I was hoping…" he trails off, blushing.
I giggle and slap his shoulder. "Naruto, you baka."
It's getting old, this little game of hours, yet no less amusing. I know Naruto doesn't have a crush on me anymore, but we both pretend he still does. It's a thing we do, for old times' sake. I suppose the two of us just want to hold on to whatever is left of our childhood. Of the time Sasuke was around.
"Well, ja ne!" Naruto says with a grin, shoving his hands in his pockets.
"Happy birthday again, Naruto," I say, smiling. I watch him walk down the street. Right before he turns a corner, he looks back and waves. I wave back and in a moment, he's gone.
I turn on my heels and start walking in the opposite direction. The cold is getting through my clothes, so I pick up the pace to keep warm. The sky is full of stars, sprinkled around a sliver of the pale moon. It's a beautiful night for a lonely walk, I think. I wish Itachi were here, though. He can't see these stars from his cell, nor the streets dappled with crimson and crysanthemum yellow.
My pace slows until I stop in the middle of the street, looking up. My eyes fill with tears as I stand there, looking up, until the sky is blurred and all I see are a million lights flickering and dying. I cover my mouth to stifle a sob. It's so quiet at this hour, it would surely produce an echo.
I have gotten used to going through the whole day like I don't have a care in the world, only to cry myself to sleep every night. It's not that Itachi is imprisoned, it's that I've done everything I could to change that and he's still there. I've come to loathe feeling powerless. My whole life I've been haunted by it.
A sudden chill goes through me. My muscles tense, my senses flare. Danger, my instinct tells me. I blink away the tears and take a look around. The street is well lit and I'm all alone – or so it seems. Over the years, I've learned that a shinobi's instinct is often his first line of defense, that gut feelings should always be minded. Right now, my gut feeling is telling me I'm being watched.
Be careful out there, Itachi told me.
I fretted over his words for a while after he said them to me, but up until this moment, I've had no reason to perceive them as an actual warning. Who would be watching me and why? I'm aware it must have something to do with Itachi, but I haven't seen him in a month.
I decide to play dumb, though looking around earlier might not help my cause. I take one step, then another. As I walk, I pace my breathing. No one would dare attack me on the streets, I say to myself. Not even at this hour.
But there's a thorn in my heart as I walk home.
Never before have I felt unsafe on the streets of Konoha.