Naruto let his head hang low, and his eyes were lowered to the ground as he walked along the streets. It was a sharp contrast to his normal outgoing behavior, and everyone sure as hell noticed. They just didn't do anything about it. Not that he could blame them. Humans tended to that, he had concluded in the past. When something is weird or out of place they just ignore it, and move on. Hoping that it would go away. Kind of a depressing thought.
His blue eyes slowly started to look up as he approached the outskirts of town. Now there was no one of the streets. Now it was just him. Well him and his shadow. Come to think of it, his shadow was probably his most faithful companion. The one that was always there. But that was another really depressing thought.
'Wow' He thought to himself. 'I need some anti-depressants or something.'
To Naruto, it wasn't important how he felt. Most of the times it was how other people felt. But today it was his selfish day. The day he decided to throw himself a pity party, and ignore everyone else like they used to do to him.
Nothing really brought it on. It was just the kind of day someone with a big bright smile needed every once in a while. So as Naruto approached his tree, he silently thought to himself about all the things that were wrong with his life. And one aspect of it stood out more than the others.
His love life.
Or his lack of one for that matter.
He knew he wasn't that ugly. He had seen the way most girls fawned over him, when he went on missions in foreign lands. But they didn't know his past, and all they cared about was that he was a ninja, with muscles.
There was one girl he had liked. But he had learned how to move on from her, rather painfully if he did say so himself.
He sat in his tree, hidden from view as he thought back to all the memories he had attached to that girl.
A year ago she had left for another country, to work on research. She was supposed to be back soon. He wondered if his resolve would stay, or if he would succumb to desire and retrogress to his previous self.
He probably would. With her he always did.
It was just…She was special. She was feisty, and different, and out spoken, and she sure had learned to how make enemies, but she also learned how to deal with them. And despite her hard exterior she was a softy on the inside.
Like when it came to kids.
He thought back to the day when they had decided to keep her neighbors baby for a week. He had been happy to help out. And her way with that little baby made his heart flutter. And he couldn't help but think what an amazing mother she would be.
A sigh escaped his lips, and a cool breeze grazed his neck.
He noticed that the last rays of the sun were starting to fade, and soon It would just be him. Him and the moon, he could say.
Normally he would head home, but today was not normal. Today he wanted to stay out.
So he sat in his tree.
And he watched the stars.
And wondered if where ever she was, if she was watching them too.
As Naruto looked away into the distance, he could only imagine what the reunion between the two would be like.
Full of hugs?
Awkwardness?
Would it be like before, or would she have changed?
Would she have found someone else, and if she had should he find someone else as well?
A million questions circled his head, and he had to physically shake it to get rid of them.
It was then that a breathless "hey" reached his ears.
That voice. He knew it. He cherished it. He loved it.
His eyes widened, and his lips formed a perfect circle as he looked down.
And he saw her there.
Standing with her hands on her hips, slightly bent over panting. Her hair stuck to her face, and her eyes were closed, as she concentrated on breathing.
He could hardly believe his eyes, but his body acted before he could, and led him down the tree.
HE landed with a silent thump next to her.
"Hey."
"I came back today. Thought you would be here when I couldn't find you anywhere else."
"You didn't write back." Smooth Naruto. Smooth.
"I….I…I didn't have time…" Way to be a bitch Sakura.
"Its okay, I understand." No I don't. How could you not have time for me?
"I'm really sorry." I didn't mean to do this…
"…So how have you been?" Have you found someone else?
"Fine, but I missed home a lot. What about you?" Not at all. Have you?
"Fine, as always." Not at all.
This was how they spoke. It was silent understanding between the two. The learned to read between the lines as they had been taught many years ago.
Sakura lowered her eyes, and looked down to the ground, And Naruto looked up at the sky.
It wasn't an awkward silence. It was comfortable. But different.
She was hiding something.
He knew it.
He knew her, better than anyone, even himself.
"Want to sit down and catch up?" Tell me what's going on.
"Yeah, sure."
They climbed up his tree and sat on the branch he was on before.
He looked at her expectantly and she took a deep breath before her rambling began.
"I love someone, but I don't know if he loves me back, and I didn't know I loved him before or I would have told him, but if I do it might ruin our friendship, because I just figured it out this year, and I cant believe I am this confused."
His heart sank.
She met someone this year.
And this dumb ass might not like her back.
"Who is he?"
"You know him, really well, and I don't want to make it awkward…"
"Tell me, I swear it wont be. He would be an idiot for not liking you back anyway."
She looked away.
And all Naruto could think was how amazing her clear emerald eyes looked mixing with the milky light of the moon, that illuminated her porcelain face as well.
She turned around, and looked him in the eye.
And before he could comprehend a thing, she leaned in and grabbed him by the shoulders, and smashed her lips on his. It was a passionate, but gentle movement. And before he knew it he was leaning into the kiss too, dominating, and taking over.
As she leaned back, panting slightly she looked him in the eye once again.
"Actions speak louder than words."
And this time there was no hidden meaning.
So they sat there.
For the rest of the night, hugging, and talking, and kissing.
Making up for all the lost time.
And by the crack of dawn his tree, had become there tree.