Hello lovelies! :) I'm finally giving in (perhaps against my better judgement...) and presenting you lovely people with the first chapter of my new NaruSaku fic! (Yes, the one I've been hinting at for at least two months, but had yet to provide.)

A note of forewarning, I'm not sure yet how often I'll be updating new Chapters; typically I try to update relatively often and regularly, since I know how it feels to have to wait on an uncompleted fic, however since I've yet to actually finish this fic, I don't want to get ahead of myself and find that you've caught up to me and have to put this fic on a hiatus. I know that's what happened to my last SasuSaku fic and I hate that I'm still leaving readers of "I Just Can't Live A Lie" hanging. . As of the moment, I have ideas brewing for where I want this fic to go; it's simply finding the time (and inspiration) between college and homework to work on it.

Also, another quick note: the title of this fic, as you can see, is currently "Kintsukuroi". I bring this up because the title may be subject to change...I hadn't thought in depth about what I wanted to call this fic (plus I'm horrid with titles) but in order to submit it here, it needed a name. As the story progresses, I may consider re-titling it based on wherever the plot takes us.
Also, if you're curious, Kintsukuroi is Japanese; it means ""to repair with gold"; the art of repairing pottery with gold or silver lacquer and understanding that the piece is more beautiful for having been broken". Hopefully that's a bit of foreshadowing as to where this fic may take us... ;)
Oh, and one more thing: I'm going to begin this fic as Rated T, however, it will very likely be changed to Rated M once the story progresses into much later chapters.

Disclaimer: I do not own "Naruto" or any affiliated characters; all such belong to Masashi Kishimoto. :)

Well, without further ado, I present to you:
Kintsukuroi

Chapter One

"Baka! You're supposed to avoid the attack!"

"Ne, Sakura-chan?! Really?!"

Haruno Sakura smirked at the sarcasm dripping from Uzumaki Naruto's words as he pulled himself from the newly formed crater on Training Area 3's landscape. His blonde hair was dusty from the debris that still lingered in the air around him, cerulean eyes blinking rapidly to remove the offensive particles in order to watch for Sakura's next attack. He grunted, finally removing himself fully from the crater before turning to sit at the edge of it, legs dangling. Blowing out a breath of relief, he opened his eyes to give his pink-haired kunoichi teammate an amused grin, leaning back on his hands to show his relaxedness. Sakura's smirk deepened.

"You really shouldn't be so at ease; we're still fighting you know." she murmured in his ear from behind. From her position she could witness his grin slowly grow broader and he chuckled lowly. Glancing at her from over his shoulder, his eyes twinkled merrily as he disappeared into a cloud of smoke. Grinning, Sakura jumped away from the crater, holding a defensive position as she waited for a sign of the blonde's upcoming attack, jade eyes quickly assessing the grounds.

For a few moments, the grounds were silent but for Sakura's steady breathing as she focused on locating her sparring partner. She and Naruto had agreed some time ago to spar with one another on a regular basis in order to keep themselves in shape as well as to help and encourage each other with their fighting style and skills. Every now and then, when he was home from missions, they convinced Hatake Kakashi to train with them, especially since he held the Sharingan that would only help them in the long run.

Closing her eyes, Sakura focused on her chakra, mentally measuring the amount she had left as well as the tendrils that stretched out in various locations throughout the crater she had previously created. Knowing she had watched Naruto fall into the depths, she guessed he was likely still down there, plotting some scheme in order to surprise-attack her. Her lips turned upward in a smirk as she mentally followed the line of one of her chakra tendrils that overlapped with a small excess amount of Naruto's. Following the trail, she outlined the direction in her head, trying to find out where it would end and where she could then find Naruto hiding.

'Ah-ha! There you are—!' Her eyes opened with a snap and she quickly jumped into the air, focusing chakra into her feet to give her a push, seconds before Naruto's fist punctured the earth where she had previously stood. Sakura's eyes widened at the blatant attack, though she guessed it wasn't necessarily surprising; after all, the knucklehead was known for his headfirst style of fighting.

"Gotcha, Sakura-chan!" Naruto grinned, grabbing hold of her ankle. Sakura cursed, kicking her free foot down onto his wrist before remembering the amount of chakra she still had flowing from her jump. She quickly dissipated the chakra, though her foot still connected harshly with his wrist, bone cracking under the force. Naruto gasped, releasing her out of reaction and the two allowed themselves to fall back to the ground, standing only a few feet from one another.

"Damn, Naruto, gomen nasai!" Sakura exclaimed, rushing to check on him. Naruto laughed lightly, and waved her apology away before cradling his wrist.

"No big deal, Sakura-chan. You know I've endured worse than this!" he teased as she gently took his injured arm in her hands.

Sakura shrugged and replied, "Maybe so, but—."

Naruto leaned in close, grinning at her before interrupting, "It was pure reaction; don't sweat it! We are training, after all. At least your reflex defenses are good!"

Sakura stared at him a moment, his face so incredibly close to hers she could make out the fine details of his whiskered cheeks and golden eyelashes. Her gaze flitted downward to his mouth, stretched wide in a classic Naruto grin as he waited for her to relinquish her guilt. Quickly she brought her gaze back up to his eyes, currently closed in amusement. Her stomach flip-flopped and suddenly she was grateful he hadn't noticed her quick assessment of him. Putting on a small smile, she simply replied, "Let me heal it for you, at least."

Naruto began to protest, telling her it was an unnecessary waste of chakra on her part since the Kyuubi would repair the damage anyway. Sakura shushed him as she forced him to sit against one of the few trees untouched by their latest sparring match, kneeling before him as she gathered healing medical chakra into her hand to begin treating the fractured bone.

Naruto watched her as she worked, her jade eyes focused on the task at hand, slightly glowing with the reflection of her chakra. Her medical chakra matched her eyes exactly, he mused thoughtfully, taking the time to study her features more closely. Her pink hair, currently pulled back into a low ponytail, had grown out more than she usually allowed it to, reaching the tops of her shoulder-blades rather than its usual length of right above her shoulders. Her bangs hung flirtatiously around her eyes and cheekbones, caressing her porcelain skin whenever the wind breathed. Her normally full lips were pursed in concentration now, teeth kneading her bottom lip habitually. Swallowing hard, Naruto lifted his gaze to safer areas and studied the clouds instead. He forced his gaze to stay there until she finished her task.

"There we go. Good as new!" she smiled, releasing his hand and placing hers on her lap. Naruto gave her a grin, though it wasn't quite as heartfelt as the others; of course, he was used to practicing it, so Sakura couldn't really tell. She gave a sound of satisfaction and stood, stretching out any kinks in her muscles.

"I guess that ends our session for today, neh?" she looked at him expectantly. Naruto laughed a bit and nodded, getting to his feet and mimicking her actions. Lowering his arms he held out a hand to her and they linked their pointer and middle fingers, creating the symbol of harmony and signifying the end to their match. Their hands lingered a bit longer than necessary, though due to whom neither of them wanted to think about.

"So," Naruto began as they released one another and began walking back to town, "want to grab a bite to eat? We've been at it since lunch." He glanced down at Sakura, a good head or so taller than her now.

Her eyes remained focused ahead of them, though she answered with a sigh, "I would, but I have a ton of paperwork I need to finish at the office tonight. Maybe next time." Naruto grunted softly in response and they continued their walk in comfortable silence, parting to go their separate ways with a wave and light, "Good-night."

Sakura closed herself in her office at the hospital for the next few hours, dutifully going over paperwork and signing release forms for patients able to return home or to the field. It remained quiet throughout the building, as night shifts were usually calm, thus enabling her to concentrate better on her work; day shifts were always more erratic, with nurses calling her in at random to check on patients or help with some other hospital duties. She worked late into the night, knowing she ought to go home and get some rest, as well as food, but was unable to pull herself away from the stacks of paper that only ever seemed to grow. Chewing her bottom lip in concentration, she didn't even look up when a knock sounded on the door.

Only after the third knock did Sakura notice, sparing a glance at her desk clock: 12:17 A.M. Damn. Who the hell would be visiting her at this hour?

"Come in," she answered shortly, diving back into her paperwork. The door opened and shut quietly before the mouthwatering aroma of food drifted through the air and to Sakura's nose. Breathing in deeply, she sighed but looked up again in surprise to find Naruto's grinning face only a short few feet from her desk, a carryout bag clutched in one of his hands while the other rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"Naruto?" she murmured in surprise. Her gaze flitted towards the carryout bag in his hand before quickly coming back to meet his gaze. One pink brow lifted in question and the blonde ninja quickly stepped forward, plopping the bag down on her desk, luckily missing any of her paperwork.

"I figured you must be starving since you haven't had any dinner, so I brought you something from the barbeque shop since you're not as big a fan of Itchiraku's as I am." he explained, now resting both arms behind his head and smiling. Sakura's brows lifted in surprise, peering at the bag curiously.

"You didn't have to do that. I was just about to head home. Besides, I had a snack earlier..." she trailed off as her stomach rumbled loudly at the lie. Sakura felt her cheeks heat and refused to look at Naruto's smug expression, frowning instead at her cranky stomach. Naruto chuckled as he turned towards the door, waving a hand over his shoulder.

"You're welcome, Sakura-chan. Make sure you get some rest." He was out the door before he even finished his sentence. Slightly shocked, Sakura waited a few beats before ripping into the carryout bag to find out what kinds of goodies were emitting such delicious aromas. She breathed in deeply, savoring the smell of barbequed pork before preparing to dig into the much needed meal. Only once she was nearly finished and settling back into her chair with a contented sigh did she question how Naruto had known her usual order from the barbeque shop, as well as exactly where to find her at such a time of night.

Thanks for reading! R&R is always appreciated and loved! :D

~Miah-Chan