There was something bugging Sakura. She looked at her teammate Sasuke and waited for the rush of emotion that usually came over her when she thought of him. Nothing happened. Sakura frowned and looked away. Ever since Sasuke had come back to the village they could be seen together as Group 7. Naruto included.
Sure she still loved Sasuke, but... Not as she had before he left. This feeling, this love was more like what she had felt for Naruto or Ino. Friendly, no more, no less. Sakura closed her eyes and sighed. Now what was she going to do?
Perhaps she'd wind up like Tsunade-sensei. Alone. Drunk. Sakura wrinkled her nose at the thought. There was always Rock Lee, but Sakura couldn't do that to Tenten, who always watched the taijutsu ninja with adoration. Besides he didn't exactly kick up any attraction either.
"Let's go get some Ichiraku Ramen, guys!" Naruto suddenly jumped up.
"Sure," Sasuke said, "Not doing anything else right now."
"Sakura?" Naruto asked and she opened her eyes to look at them. She smiled as she saw them standing in such familiar stances. Sasuke arms crossed, arrogant, smirking and Naruto with one arm behind his head, eyes closed with a cheesy smile. She didn't know what possessed her to lie to her teammates.
"You guys go on ahead. Mom asked me to come home early today to help her around the house."
"Alright then. Say hello to Mrs. Haruno. See ya around, Sakura," Naruto said and nearly dragged Sasuke behind him. Sakura laughed a little and sighed contentedly.
She continued to sit there watching the sun begin its descent behind the trees and mountains, casting an orange glow over everything. Looking around she noticed she was really by herself. Something that hadn't happened in quite awhile. Slowly she rose and began to hum. At first she just walked around the field but as the music inside of her head took over she began to dance. For all Sakura had grown, she was still a dreamer and still a child at heart. If she had known someone was watching her she would have died of embarrassment. As it was she closed her eyes and ears to everything around her and just relaxed letting her body move of its own accord.
Slowly, butterflies began to accumulate around her as she jumped and twirled. They seemed to flow with her as she danced. As she opened her eyes she spun, watching with delight as the ring of butterflies did the same. As the music came to a crescendo inside of her she laughed and began twirling faster and faster before lifting her arms to the sky and falling backwards to land in the grass. The butterflies floated in an outline around her. She smiled at them and lifted one hand out above her. A beautiful blue and yellow butterfly landed on her outstretched finger and she brought it slowly closer admiring the beauty of the creature.
"It's been a while," she whispered, "since I was able to dance in the field of dreams with you. I had forgotten what it felt like."
The butterfly flitted its wings a moment and then rejoined the others before they dispersed among the field. Twilight was rapidly approaching and Sakura looked up at the stars before suddenly jumping to her feet.
"I really am going to be late," she said and ran off towards home as a dark haired man watched from the treeline.
"Interesting," he said as a butterfly flew lazily by him, "Very interesting."
The next day Sakura woke and smiled as two butterflies floated about in her room. She twirled once as she stood before getting dressed for the patrol mission with her team mates. Six hours later they strolled back through the town gates laughing at Naruto who was covered in mud.
"I've got to report to the hokage but you guys have the rest of the day off. Meet at the training grounds tomorrow morning and we will do some sparring," Kakashi said smiling at his team. The weight he had felt on his shoulders the day they "lost" Sasuke had lifted. Sasuke had returned on his own after realizing the loss of his friends was too great of a sacrifice for revenge. Though anger still burned within the boy, he seemed to have found some peace. He refused to talk about what had happened with Orochimaru but when he had returned the curse seal upon him was gone. Kakashi smiled as Sakura stuck her tongue out at Naruto. There was something different about Sakura but he didn't quite know what it was or if it was the result of her training under the hokage as a medic nin.
"Okay, Kakashi-sensei," the three agreed and Kakashi left to report to Tsunade.
"So what do you guys want to do today?" Sakura asked as they walked towards town together.
"Well," Naruto began, "I'm supposed to meet up with Konohamaru."
"Are you going to go play ninja?" Sakura teased.
Naruto turned red, "It's not playing ninja. I'm helping train him!"
"Sure, idiot," Sasuke said with a half smile.
"Hey, what are you planning to do Sasuke?"
"I've got a few errands to run in town then I plan to do some training at the training grounds."
Naruto piped up, "Hey, after I'm done with Konohamaru I'll meet you there. What about you Sakura? Want to come watch me kick Sasuke's but?"
"I'm sure it will be the other way around," she said as she laughed, "but I think I'm going to head home and catch up on some of that reading Tsunade-sensei gave me."
"Hey! We're pretty evenly matched, right Sasuke?"
"Idiot," Sasuke said affectionately, "Be prepared to eat dirt, Naruto."
"In your dreams!" Naruto called after Sasuke and the two of them split in different directions.
Sakura shook her head and smiled. She headed towards her house. As she entered her room and stared at the tall stack of books waiting for her she suddenly didn't want to catch up on her reading. Sakura sighed and flopped herself back on her bed. She really didn't want to go watch Sasuke mop the floor with Naruto again though seeing him covered in mud had been worth it.
Tapping her fingers together in front of her, Sakura debated on what she wanted to do when a single butterfly landed on her nose. Sakura laughed as it tickled.
"Hey, little guy, what are you doing in here?" Sakura asked as she blew a breath gently sending the butterfly into the air. It flitted around her head before landing on her nose again. Sakura repeated the action sending the butterfly back into the air. Sitting up Sakura suddenly knew what she wanted to do. Looking around her room she grabbed her boom box and ran out the door.
Author's note: Mwahahahaha. Unknown to our two fast track lovers I have been watching on the sidelines doing research and am currently working to put the story into my new book. Research. Haha... Yes, well, feel free to review and comment. For now, I'm off to the hotsprings to watch... I mean continue my research in a relaxing environment and will post another chapter soon.