The late morning sun hung lazily above the lethargic ninja village nestled deep in the forest. It was a morning much like that of any other day, with few people up and about other than those ninja for whom Konoha was so greatly feared and respected. Here and there they walked, quietly going about their normal morning businesses, while enjoying the beauty and serenity that permeated the Hidden Village. Here the strength and confidence, not to mention the passion, for the village was seen in every direction; an ANBU member stood stock-still on the roof of one of the taller buildings and casually observed the passers-by with what seemed to be a nonchalant attitude, though few were fooled. Any ninja competent could tell that his vigilance could not have been less than if the village had been in the middle of a hard-fought war. The subjects of his scrutiny were hardly offended, however. Indeed, they were honored and overjoyed that they could belong to such a familial and yet powerful community.
One kunoichi in particular, an attractive young pink-haired girl, saw the elite shinobi and smiled, reminded of the security and happiness that was brought to all non-ninjas who inhabited the village. She walked aimlessly in her bliss, rejecting any particular destination, and only reveled in the tranquility of her home. Peace was something valued by all Leaf Village residents, regarding it as a commodity rather than an absolute. Wandering further through the streets, she allowed the summer sunlight to bathe her in warmth and comfort, sinking into some girlish fantasy of lying in a field of flowers or strolling along some wave-lapped shore.
Her daydream was so entrancing that she considered for a moment casting a genjutsu over herself to make it seem more real, but her silent debate was interrupted by a voice calling her name.
"Sakura! Sakura! SAKURA! Oi, its me! Can't you hear me? Turn around and talk to me, billboard brow!"
The last statement caused her to whirl around and glare hatefully in the direction of the offending voice.
"What? I don't have time to talk to you, Ino-pig! I have a very important task to complete for Tsunade-sensei! Now, if you'll excuse me, Porky, I'll be on my way."
Ino grinned smugly at her arch-rival. "Ha! Hokage-sama hasn't even woken up yet. Besides, I've been watching you for a whole minute now, and you weren't doing anything at all. Just. Daydreaming." The blonde was proud of her verbal jab, and savored the sweet moment of superiority over her "friend/enemy." For a moment the two girls were content to send death-looks at each other, as if striving to conquer each other in a deadly duel of the eyes, but just before any real violence broke out between the female ninjas the moment of tension suddenly melted away, leaving them as cordial as if there had never been any cause for contention in the first place. Sakura continued her roving walk about the village and Ino fell into step just beside her, chatting candidly.
"Sakura-san, there's this really interesting flower that my mother just managed to get a hold of, and I was just wondering if you would like to see it." The blue-eyed girl swung her blond hair cavalierly over her shoulder with the flick of a deceptively fragile-looking hand. "my kaa-san's making lunch, too, if that interests you at all. Of course, you won't want to make that terrible figure any worse, now, would you?" Instead of becoming enraged at the barbed comment, Sakura turned with with a big smile on her face and grabbed Ino's hands.
"Okay! I'd been meaning to thank her for that book on medical plants she gave me earlier, anyway." Suddenly inspired, the two began running off through the streets, racing each other and laughing like little kids.
At that exact moment, at the main gate of Konoha, two figures appeared. While neither of these individuals would have been considered remarkable in an ordinary setting, here in the Village Hidden in the Leaves they were unavoidably noticeable. Master and student, the duo walked with a confidence reserved for the men of legends. They cared not who watched their forward progress; their eyes seemed to be searching eagerly about the village, looking that way and then this, this way and then that. Oblivious to their observers, neither were aware of the whispers directed toward their sudden and impressive appearance.
"Well, well. If it isn't Konoha's 'knuckle headed ninja.' Hehe! That really brings back some memories, doesn't it?"
"I know that's right. You know, that kid once destroyed an entire shed I had built with my own hands? Hahaha! I could have murdered him, i swear!
"Yeah, but do you see who he's been training with? That's no pushover walking next to him there. Maybe he was a good influence on the boy..."
"If you believe that then you know less than I thought you did! Even as an adult that man gets into more trouble than most people would think humanly possible."
"Even so, I can't help but think that three years of being trained by him would make the boy more mature. Who knows, maybe he'll be quieter than he used to be."
As if in answer, the boy suddenly parted from his mentor, racing swiftly down the street and then leaping up onto the rooftops. from there he made his way to the highest point he could find: a light pole that towered above the rest of the buildings. The whisperers, now silent, watched intently as the young ninja stood silently for a moment, surveying the village. Then, as if satisfied with what he saw, he took a slow, deep breath in through his nose... and yelled at the top of his voice.
"I am Naruto Uzumaki! And I... AM BACK HOME!"
"Hehe. Well so much for that, huh? Still, it's kind of refreshing, isn't it? I've gotta say, I kinda missed him."
Sakura and Ino had slowed from a run to a jog, and then from a jog to a walk. They were walking along and talking animatedly, and Sakura suggested they stop off at a sweet shop before continuing on to Ino's house. Ino agreed, and they broke off their path slightly and ordered sweet buns and tea from a vendor with a cart of goodies. Together they sat on the ground, backs against the wall of a building. For a moment neither of them spoke, mouths stuffed full of sweet sugary goodness, until Sakura swallowed and spoke up.
"You, know, the village has been really quiet. It's really nice, but..."
"I am Naruto Uzumaki! And I... AM BACK HOME!"
Sakura's voice caught in her throat. Trembling, she turned to Ino, who was wide-eyed, and they both jumped up, forgetting their food entirely, and raced off in the direction of the voice.
Forsaking the conventional streets, the two leaped up onto the roofs, hurtling from one to the next with ease. Sakura, spurred on by impatience, flew ahead of Ino and flung herself across the slates recklessly. Ino cried out to the pink-haired ninja in an attempt to slow her down.
"Sakura! Sakura, wait! Wait for me, please!"
But she didn't wait. She vaulted to the next rooftop and, unable to catch any foothold, she slipped,tumbling forward. She managed to gain traction in mid-roll, and bounded forward without the slightest pause. Blood trickled from a cut on her right calf, but she ignored it, pressing on with some sort of demonic fervency. Leaving behind her friend, she kept running, slipping again here and now, but never stopping, never pausing. Always heading to the one whose promises might as well be nature's law. The memory of his last words echoed in her heart, and even now she knew the truth of them.
"Sakura. I promise that if it takes me my whole life i will bring Sasuke back... because that is my ninja way: I never, ever, go back on my word!"
A tear tugged at the corner of her eye, and it was only through sheer willpower that she kept from shedding it. It was the same tear that she had rejected every day for the past three years: though the time had passed and the memory faded somewhat, the pain was as fresh as it was that night. even now, hiseyes, his Oh-so-dark eyes, flashed in her mind (once again), causing her to slip and fall (once again.) This time, however, as she tried to rise she found herself unable, the weight of her heartbreak seeming to hold her down like a backpack filled with heavy stones. She lay for a moment, too exhausted to fight the despair and hopelessness that engulfed her. As she gave in to three-years-worth of loneliness, her vision faded. First to gray, and then to black, until her entire world became a starless night sky- except for a tiny, distant flame of orange. She craned her neck, trying to gain a better view of this lone light. Suddenly, as she focused on it, the flame burst into a bonfire, and then to a wildfire, chasing every trace of darkness away.
There, amidst a once-more bright and sunny day, stood Naruto Uzumaki like a sentinel against hoplessness. He was looking off in another direction, with his signature smile spread wide across his face and a carefree attitude in his posture. Inspired with new confidence and hope, Sakura stood unhindered and called out to the heroic-looking figure with everything she had.
"NARUTOOOOO!"
AN: first off, no, this is not a naruto/sakura story, i'm just trying to center the entire story around naruto's heroic qualities. yes, naruto will still be an idiot, but he's still going to be cool. very cool. secondly, this is a naruto/hinata story. if you don't like that, i'm sorry. try and read it anyway, i think it'll be good. finally, i dont do polls, so this story will be an "original fanfic." or something like that. thank you and review. of course, please no flames.
TO GOD BE THE GLORY.
