She was there when a loud noise was heard. She tried to see what had happened only to be greated by smoke. She looked to the Huyga next to her who replied, byakugan activated, that Naruto had returned. The look on her face was pricless. To her, her teamate/brotherly figure had arived. Well that is what she had thought at the time though everyone knew it was much more by the signs she reflected on an everyday basis. That was, everyone except her and Naruto.
"Yes, Naruto has returned to fight Pein!" The Huyga exclaimed.
"But Naruto is just one Man!" Sakura exclaimed (The word man ringing in her head). "How could he defeat someone who had destroyed the whole village!
Countless lives have been loss and now he's at the center of it..." She sighed with enough care in her voice for even a stranger to see the love that she had for Naruto.
"So is it that you don't believe he can defeat him?"
"Ofcource he can!" She screamed. A blush consumed her. "I just don't want to see him hurt..." She now blushed harder than ever. Even she had to acknowledge that one. "I have to go help him!" she said now standing and about to jump into the battle.
"No! If anything happened to you he'd kill me."
"What do you mean by that?" She was the only one who hadn't noticed the level of concern that Naruto carried in his heart for her.
"Naruto treasures your life far more than his own." He stated simply not even looking to see her reaction to the statment and returned his gaze back to the battle. Sakura just stood there contemplating what the man had told her. Could It be true? She began thinking of all the times that he had put her life before his own. That not so silly crush he held for her, the one that she had always asumed that he would grow out of, was much more. She dropped to the ground and stared at it. Now she had feared him getting hurt more than anything. A sudden explosion snapped her out of her trance.
"What happened!" She yelled louder than she had wanted to but felt no need to correct herself. "Is Naruto ok!?"
"Simple, he has already defeated one of the peins with one hit." Sakura then snapped her head up and gazed into the smokescreen.
"Naruto..." She alllowed a tear to roll down her cheek. 'We're saved' she thought. Suddenly a noise from above caused Sakura to look up. It was One of Naruto's toad summons who's name excaped her at the moment. "What is wrong! Is Naruto ok!"
"Stop worrying," Gamakichi replied as he hit the ground, "I was sent here to put the Hokage in your care." She was handed Tsunade.
"My lady!"
"I'm fine just drained of chakra."
"Then why would he send Gamakichi to bring you to me."
"Because he wanted a reason for me to come and keep an eye on you." He remarked, the anoyance heard in his voice.
"That baka." Sakura now had tears streaming down her face.
"It's going to be fine now Sakura. Naruto's here." Tsunade reached up to brush the tears from Sakura's face. As her hand got closer it grew frail from the loss of chakra. She was now beginning to look her age.
"I know my lady. Naruto-kun's back. He will save me. He always have. And always will..." She turned to look at the battle. She hadn't noticed it but she had called him Naruto-kun. Also as aposed to saying "He has always saved 'us'" she made it personal by saying 'me'. She hadn't noticed either of hints towards her own feelings towards Naruto but the three in her company had noticed and were glaring at her and she hadn't appeared to notice the slightest. She was just looking out into the creater faintly aware of what was going on, hopeing to catch a glimpse of the man of topic. With a sigh Gamakichi no longer complained about having to be her babysitter. He remembered back to is first time meeting naruto in the fight with Garaa. Even then she had been his only worry.
"Naruto has defeated all but one of the peins." The Huyga stated now returning his view back to the battle. Tsunade could feel the stress that Sakura released at the sound of this.
"Is he hurt," She asked but by the tone she used they could all tell now that she was asking out of habit but not because she was worried about him.
"No, he is fine," The man said turning to Sakura, "He appears to have mastered sage jutsu." The look on her face was of pure delight. Naruto just kept getting stronger, how would she ever keep up with him. But then a thought invaded her mind. What if she didn't wan't to catch up with him? What if she wanted to let him protect her for the rest of her life? Maybe even settle down and have a family. She quickly swatted the thoughts away. Firstly she was a shinobi and would always seek to hone her skills. Secondly these feelings for Naruto were too new to her for here to be thinking such fantasies.
"So then it's almost over?" She asked hopefully. "He can come back to me?" Once again she hadn't noticed how possesive she had been over Naruto. But The others hadn't cared with the slightest. They were happy for Sakura for her, and for Naruto who's feelings would finally be returned.
"I wouldn't say that," The man replied. Sakura's heart skipped a couple beats. The man saw this with his byakugan "Don't worry he is in no imediate danger. It's just that this one seams to be putting up more of a fight than the others." His sentence was ended with him being hit.
"Don't do that to me! Do you know how worried I was!?" Bothe the man and Tsunade noticed how much Sakura's feelings for Naruto had grown over the passing minutes. But they soon understood that these weren't new rapidly growing feelings. But supressed feelings that were rapidly surfacing.
Everything was smooth for a while until The man dully noted that there was a huge chakra signiture coming from Naruto which Sakura quickly noted as the Nine-tailed chackra and began weeping. The man simply stared at Sakura in amazment that not only had she known about him being the Nine-tails container, but also that she had still found a way to love him (not that the man had a grudge against Naruto). He desided against himself and asked her how she found out. SHe simply told him of there journey to save Garaa and the one to meet Sasori's spy. He was especialy astonished at the part where she mentioned being attacked by Naruto in four-tails mode. He then proceeded to ask how she found a way to love him after that, which recieved some nasty snares from Tsunade, but Sakura simply calmed her ans told him that rest of the village could learn from her. This caused Sakura to stop crying and gaze at the red beam of chakra being emitted from the center of the crator. Tsunade then grasped Sakura's hand and told her to believe in Naruto,s ability to control the demon within him. The mood between the four hadn't really changed until after the man noted that the chackra had retreated, much to Sakura's relief, and then a miracle happened. A strange figure had risen out the center of the crator and opened it's mouth. All that could be seen was a green aroura leave its mouth and circle the village. After a couple moments that very same aroura began to send itself into the bodies of the fallen. One by one the fallen began to rise until the entire village was restored.
"What is this!?" The man questioned, it wasn't any form of chakra he summurized thanks to the use of his byakugan.
"I have no clue..." Replied Tsunade who with the best of her medical knowledge couldn't answer the question.
"Isn't it obvious?" Sakura looked over to the two. There were now tears of joy seen jetting down her face. "It was Naruto." The man then looked to the dirrection he had last seen Naruto.
"He's back," he replied, much to Sakura's joy, "But he is being carried by Kakashi." He then looked over and saw Sakura's face and quickly fixed his error, "But he is fine. He is just exhausted thats all-" But was quickly silenced by Sakura's fist.
"I told you to stop doing that!" She then looked to Gamakichi. "Take me to him." SHe hadn't even awaited his reply and had already gotten on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck. "What are you waiting for!" She was getting slightly impatient.
"Oh sorry," He replied, "I am used to girls running away from giant frogs not wrapping there arms around their necks." But without waiting for a reply he jumped in the direction of Naruto (He wouldn't have gotten a reply any ways because Sakura was thinking about the fact that she was hugging a giant frog to go see Naruto while blushing dangerously). Gamakichi landed in the center of the crowd that had already gathered around Naruto to celebrate his amazing achievment but soon parted ways for Sakura. Naruto was enjoying all the attention and was mildly disapointed when it stoped and looked up to see what had caused the disturbance. He was suprised to see Sakura, his heart skipped a beat, at the sight of Sakura walking towards him. When she had gotten close enough shewrapedher arms around his body and pulled him into an embracing hug. although it was much to Naruto's suprise he waisted no time hugging her back. This supprised even kakashi who had known about her supressed feelings for the longest amount of time. While embrasing Naruto the words thank you could be heard from Sakura but only left Naruto wondering what he had to be thanked for. Sure, he had defeated the asumed leader of the akatsuki, saved the village, and returned those who died in thee battle back to life. But that wasn't something personal to be thanked for on such an intimate level. But in all reality the thank you wasn't meant for Naruto. It was Sakura thanking any god that may be watching over them for returning Naruto back to her.