Hey everyone, Akiro Knight again. I've decided to do another one-shot before I added another chapter to Ninja Swap or the Songfic Chronicles. I hope you guys like this one. As always, please R&R.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. Are you happy now?
Chances
Sakura ran through the Forest of Death, looking for a certain blond-haired ninja. She could hardly believe what had just happened.
Flashback
Sakura was walking home from a long day of training with Tsunade and saw Naruto choking the life out of Sasuke. From there, everything happened so quickly.
Naruto was on the ground with Sakura standing over him.
"Sakura-chan, wha…"
"Don't say a word to me! I never want to see you again! I hate you, Naruto-baka!"
Naruto looked down, heartbroken.
Sakura now felt guilty.
"Naruto, I'm sorry. I didn't…"
"Save it Haruno!"
Naruto looked up at her, his eyes full of pain and anger.
"You've made your choice; now I've made mine." He said his voice as cold as ice. "Goodbye Haruno and Uchiha, have a nice life."
With that, he left.
As he walked away, Shikamaru walked up.
"You really screwed up Sakura. You didn't even ask about what had happened. Do you really think that he would just do that for fun? The Uchiha insulted you."
"Shut it, Nara!"
"No Uchiha, you shut it! I've stood by long enough watching you tear my best friend's heart out. Didn't you say that Sakura was easy, a bimbo-slut that you could use for your own pleasure then leave? Isn't that right?"
"And what about it?" Sasuke spat.
Sakura couldn't believe her ears. The man that she was about to give her all to had said that, and she had the nerve to defend him against someone who had only been looking out for her best interests.
"I've been such a fool, listening to you Sasuke. I should've listened to Naruto."
"Look, Sakura-koibito…"
"Don't even say it! We're through teme! You lost your chance with the best thing that you could've had. Suck for you."
End flashback
Sakura ran through the forest, the various plants leaving scratches on her legs and ripping the hem of her skirt. She had been so focused on finding Naruto that she didn't hear the hiss of the 30-foot anaconda above her.
As she ran, she tripped over a rock and landed flat on her face. Pain laced its way up her leg as she tried to move. When she moved to heal her ankle, she felt a weight slither across her back.
The second that realisation hit her; the snake coiled itself around her jugular, slowly squeezing the life out of her.
Blacking out, the last thing she saw was a flash orange.
--
She woke up with a start and found herself next to a fire, a figure sitting next to it, roasting something that resembled a snake.
"So, you're awake, Haruno." The figure said.
Sakura recognised the voice immediately.
"Naruto… is that you?"
"Yeah it is. Why?"
"You… saved me?"
"Yes I did. What the hell were you doing out here anyway?"
"I came to apologise for what I did earlier. It was foolish of me to jump to conclusions like that. I'm really sorry."
"Yeah right, like I am really supposed to believe you now."
"I expected that." She said, flinching. "I wouldn't blame you if you hated the sight of me tight now, but…"
"I don't hate you Sakura. I'm really pissed at you, but I don't think that it's possible for me to ever hate you."
"Thank you, Naruto."
Sakura tried to sit up, but the pain from her injury raced up her leg again, sending her back down, causing her to cry out.
Naruto was at her side immediately and started massaging her ankle.
"I had been hoping that you'd stay still, seeing as you're always telling me that." He said while working on the injury.
"Yeah, I guess I should follow my own advice huh?" she replied, trying to lighten the mood.
It worked, slightly.
Naruto had let a small, content smile slip out of his mask. It wasn't his full foxy grin, but it was a start.
They sat in a comfortable silence, Naruto still massaging her ankle. After a while, Sakura started to feel the tingle of chakra around her ankle.
"Naruto?"
"Yes Sakura?"
"What are you doing?"
"Uh… I'm massaging your ankle?"
"I know that. What I meant was how did you learn how to do this so well?"
He chuckled softly.
"You sound surprised."
"Well… I… ah…"
"It's alright. I learned by teaching myself to care for my own injuries. I always seemed to get hurt for some reason. I'm not talking about a simple muscle cramp. I mean bruises the size of shuriken. I guess you learn tend to learn to care for yourself when you're all alone."
"Oh. But what about…"
"…the villagers? They see me as a monster because of what's inside of me."
"I'm not following Naruto."
He sighed.
"Remember in history class the lesson on the Kyuubi no Kitsune?"
She nodded as he continued.
"It was never really killed. It couldn't be. So, the fourth sealed it into a baby. That baby was me. Had not Sandaime-ojii-san not stepped in and made that up, forbidding anyone over our age from talking about it, I would probably be dead now. It was supposed to give me a chance to make friends my own age."
"Naruto, I…"
"Don't worry about it, Sakura."
Naruto had long finished the massage and was now sitting next to Sakura.
"You're still mad at me, aren't you?"
"And what makes you say that?"
"You haven't called me Sakura-chan this whole time."
"Oh."
"I'm sorry Naruto; I really am."
"I know that, I just can't really trust you right not. You can't just expect me to forgive you on a whim Sakura. After what you did, you have to prove to me that you mean it."
"Does breaking up with Sasuke count?"
He was stunned.
"You broke it off?"
"Yeah I did. Shikamaru told me everything. But I should have realised that something must've happened for you to do that. That made me realise something else. I don't love Sasuke. All his rejections and insults combined couldn't compare with the pain I felt when you left. I felt empty and alone. Even though you haven't forgiven me yet, I feel more complete from just sitting here with you now. What is that feeling?"
"Love."
"It's love?"
"Yes it is."
"How do you know?"
"I've felt the same way about you. I still do."
She scooted closer to him and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders as silence claimed them again.
'Even though I did everything possible to hurt him, even if some of it was unintentional, he still loves me. Why didn't I see it before?'
"You weren't looking." Naruto answered.
Sakura's face drained of all colour.
"Did I just say that out loud?"
He smiled wider now.
"Yes you did, Sakura-chan."
This time, her face lit up.
"So, you're not mad at me anymore?"
"Nah, I forgave you when you came looking for me and I found you and the snake. You had been crying in your sleep, saying that you were sorry. I always knew that you meant it, I just wanted to see if you'd own up to it." He directed his smile to her. "You know that I can't stay mad at you for long."
Tears of joy ran down her face as she leaped into his arms. She was so grateful that he had forgiven her. The weather seemed to share in her joy, adding its tears to her own.
Naruto kissed the top of her forehead and lifted her chin. The rain slicked her pink locks and stuck them to her face.
"You're beautiful, Sakura-chan."
"Yeah right, I still have this huge forehead…"
"I love your forehead; it's so big and wide; it makes me want to kiss it."
Something clicked in Sakura's brain. She remembered Sasuke saying that to her years ago, but it sounded so natural coming from Naruto.
"I know what you're thinking and you're right. I had henged myself into Sasuke because I wanted to be close to you."
"Oh."
She felt a pair of lips on her forehead again. This time they lingered a bit longer.
"I meant what I said."
Naruto tilted her head up again and leaned forward.
The storm couldn't put out the fire of the kiss, as Naruto licked Sakura's lip, begging for entrance, to which she accepted. The need for air caused them to separate.
"I love you, Naruto-kun." She whispered into his ear.
"I love you too, Sakura-hime." He whispered back.
There it is, my second one-shot. Please tell me what you guys thought. The one thing that I ask that you don't do is flame. Thanks y'all.