Hey guys this is a oneshot on my favorite Naruto pairing, it follows the story loosely so bear with me, and let me know what you think I'd really appreciate it as I'm trying new things, thanks :)
"Hinata, you can't get discouraged, you've got to fight for him. If he's your one true love, then go get him," Sakura warmly smiled as she encouraged Hinata.
"But Sakura, why are you telling me this? Don't you know that he's in love with you? He has been ever since we were kids. You can't really be encouraging me to confess my love to someone who does not know that I exist," Hinata sadly finished as she looked down at her feet.
"Hinata, you're wrong. Naruto doesn't love me. He never has. It was just a stupid competition to him, it was all about the rivalry, you know? The classic get the girl that's in love with your rival," Sakura sighed as she finished.
"I guess you could be right," Hinata quickly cheered up, "Should I go tell him now?"
"Yes go Hinata! I wish you all the luck in the world but I know you won't need it, Naruto does love you." Sakura cheered Hinata on as she watched her go and then sighed.
What Hinata had said really did hit a nerve, Sakura just hoped that she was wrong and Hinata wasn't confessing her love blindly as she had done to Sasuke twice already.
"It was really great what you did for Hinata you know, you really encouraged her," Nao, a shinobi that Sakura had healed during the fourth ninja war told Sakura as he warmly smiled at her.
"I know, I hope everything went well, Naruto can really be an idiot you know?" Sakura chuckled as she picked up her food with her chopsticks.
"Well I wouldn't know but seeing as you always say it, it must be true. It also makes me wonder how someone you categorize as an idiot could be qualified to be the next Hokage," Nao joked.
"You're right what in the world was Kakashi-sensei thinking" She grinned as Nao reached for her hand.
Sakura blushed as she felt him reach for her hand. "Sakura, it really means a lot that you reached out to me, despite turning me down at first."
"It means a lot that you agreed to start out with friendship first, I don't want to lead you on if I'm not ready, and as you know, I'm trying but it isn't easy," Sakura faked a smile as she reminisced about the last letter she received from Sasuke.
"Hey Sakura, Sasuke sent this for you, he told me to hand it to you." Naruto warmly smiled as he handed Sakura the letter.
"Sasuke really sent me something?" Sakura grinned as she pulled the letter out of Naruto's hands and opened it.
Dear Sakura,
Naruto has told me that you've been asking about me very often. Just so you know I'm fine, and you shouldn't be worrying about me. I don't need you to do so. Please, continue on with your life and try to forget about me. I don't think I'll be back anytime soon if ever. Give your love to someone who deserves it, and take care of Naruto when he becomes Hokage because we both know he was the idiot of Team 7.
Thank you for everything,
Sasuke.
Sakura sighed, it still hurt just as it did that first day, in fact, it hurt even more than it once did because she just could not let him go completely.
"Hey Sakura!" Naruto shouted as he landed in front of her.
"Hey there, what's going on?" Sakura asked her excited friend.
"I've got great news from Sasuke, he just stopped some very wanted criminals and somehow ended up convincing them to change their ways," Naruto grinned as he waited for a reaction from Sakura.
"Funny," Sakura warmly smiled, "It reminds me of when we were asked to write down our dreams on a sheet of paper as children, and he wrote down that he wanted to join the Konoha police force. Looks like he's finally doing it."
Naruto smiled warmly at Sakura's words, he couldn't help but feel that Sakura really was meant to be Sasuke's light.
"Where will you go next?" The shinobi who had helped Sasuke in capturing the criminals asked.
"I'm not sure, I don't know if I should even bother to go home, or just continue on the path of helping those who need it the most," Sasuke sighed.
Just as he was about to leave a messenger bird gave him a letter. "From Naruto, must be important," Sasuke mumbled to himself as he opened the letter.
Dear Sasuke,
We are all really happy here at the Leaf that you are atoning for your sins. We all think you've been doing a great job. Where will you go now? You want to know something funny? I told Sakura about your recent accomplishment and she told me it reminded her of your childhood dream of joining the Konoha police force. She thinks you're doing just that and that you've accomplished a goal in some way or another. I don't know what your last letter said to her but I think it's really something special that she'd remember something from so long ago. Anyway don't forget you're free to come back whenever you'd like.
Naruto.
Sasuke smiled at the letter and suddenly he knew exactly what he had to do.
Sakura smiled at herself in the mirror as she combed her hair. She'd kept it short ever since she cut it off with her kunai. She decided she liked herself much better this way.
"Hey," Ino smiled as she climbed in through Sakura's window.
Sakura screamed and began to scold Ino, "How many times have I told you not to do that! You scare me Ino pig."
"Hey watch it, I'm actually not here to fight," Ino smiled as she made her way to Sakura's bed.
"Then what is it? Exciting news about your recent relationship with Sai?" Sakura asked to which Ino stuck her tongue out.
"No, it's actually about your relationship. You hear that Sasuke's supposed to arrive any time now?"
"Actually no, I didn't and I'll be busy tonight anyway, I have another date with Nao tonight," Sakura faked a smile as she finished.
"Well in case you change your mind, Naruto's already at the gate, he didn't want to upset you by inviting you to greet him but I don't mind upsetting you because well, I'm a good friend," Ino smiled as she took off.
Sakura sighed, maybe it wouldn't be a bad idea to at least greet him.
"I knew you'd come," Naruto smiled as he saw Sakura arrive.
"Yeah, I figured we should both welcome our old teammate," Sakura smiled as she stood at the gate.
Suddenly there he was, as tall dark and handsome as always.
"Hey, Sasuke!" Naruto shouted.
Much to both Naruto and Sakura's surprise however, Sasuke completely ignored Naruto and walked straight towards Sakura. He stopped right in front of her and warmly smiled.
"I'm home, Sakura."
"Welcome home, Sasuke." Sakura warmly smiled.
Naruto couldn't help but smile as well, he could see it in both their eyes, that special bond that only they shared.
Sakura finally broke away from Sasuke's gaze and smiled. "Well I've got to get going now, I'm glad you were able to visit Sasuke, I guess you did see me later."
"Where is she going?" Sasuke asked, confused at the cold reception.
"She's going on a date," Naruto sadly replied, he knew it'd hurt him.
"Well, that's, great for her," Sasuke answered faking a smile.
"Yeah," Naruto quickly answered.
Sakura was walking to meet Nao when she suddenly ran into Hinata. She couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following her, maybe it was Hinata?
"Hey Sakura, you see Sasuke today?"
"Yeah, I greeted him along with Naruto at the entrance."
"So then why are you going on another date with Nao?" Hinata curiously asked.
"Because I like Nao, and because I've spent all my life chasing after Sasuke, chasing after someone who doesn't know I exist as you said it earlier. I think it's time I move on with my life and time for me to allow my life to revolve around myself, not Sasuke," Sakura faked a smile as she waved goodbye to Hinata.
"Weird how you convinced me to confess my love to Naruto, and it worked, but now you won't do the same. I know he still has your heart Sakura," Hinata sadly replied as she too waved goodbye. Sakura simply ignored the comment and kept walking.
"You know it's my friend's fault we always end up eating ramen," Sakura smiled as she faced Nao.
"You mean the Hokage's fault?" Nao quickly replied smiling back at her.
"Yeah, you know it's crazy, I always knew he'd make it but I can't believe this really happened, it feels like just yesterday we were introduced as Team 7," Sakura smiled, she held those memories fondly despite it being so long ago. Sakura still couldn't shake the feeling that someone was watching them, and just as she suspected out of the corner of her eye she spotted Sasuke. However, when she finally turned completely he was gone.
"I really like you Sakura and, I'd like to know if you'd be willing to start an actual relationship with me?"
Sakura sighed, she couldn't help but blush. However, she knew she just couldn't do it. "Listen Nao, I really like you too but, I've realized that the only thing I can give you is friendship. I'm still in love with the man I told you about years ago. I would never be able to lead you on like that, you mean too much. Your friendship does," Sakura sadly sighed as she realized she had just broken his heart a second time.
Nao gently reached for her hand and stood her up. "Listen, Sakura, don't worry about, I'm happy to have your friendship and again, he must be a good man to have someone like you."
Sakura tearfully sighed as she sat on the floor staring at the crescent moon. "Sasuke you can come out now, I know you've been here all night long. You think just because you've been gone I can't sense you anymore?"
Sasuke blushed as he sat on the ledge the balcony outside her room. "What' wrong?"
"Nothing, I just feel, idiotic," Sakura sadly responded as she stood up to walk to her balcony. She stopped as soon as she reached Sasuke's side.
"Why is that?" Sasuke calmly asked.
"Because I'm out here on a date, trying to pretend that your arrival has no effect on me when in reality it's-" Sasuke stopped Sakura by placing his hand on her mouth.
"Sakura stop, I've got something to tell you. All this time you've been confessing your feelings for me here and there, well I don't want that," Sasuke finished and glanced at Sakura's broken face.
"Oh, sorry," Sakura apologized.
"No, don't apologize, just listen, please. I don't want that because it's my turn to show my own strength and confess to you that I've always loved you. I was just blinded, blinded by my goal to be an avenger, I was so focused on my path to darkness that I forgot I had my light next to me this entire time," Sasuke smiled as he grabbed both Sakura's hands and looked her straight in the eyes. Sakura couldn't help but blush, however, she continued looking into Sasuke's eyes anyway.
"Sakura, I love you, and if I could do anything over in life it'd be to listen to you that night, and stay here in Konoha with you. To let you love me and allow myself to show the feelings for you that I turned away from. Being on these missions, I now know that vengeance brings you no happiness, being so far away from you, the light in my dark path, I've realized that you are my home. Not Konoha, you, it has always been you, and if you give me the chance, I promise I'll repay you but nothing with days of happiness for all the suffering I have put you through," A tear rolled down Sasuke's face much to Sakura's surprise who was already in tears to begin with.
"Sasuke I, I, can't, how long will it be that you're here? I'm going to run back to you for how long a day? You're always going to be gone, you're always going to be running further and further away, while I'm forced to wait here and hold on to some fairytale dream that one day you'll be happy staying here with me forever," Sakura sadly finished as she let go of Sasuke's hands.
Sasuke quickly grabbed her hands in his once more, "Sakura, yes I won't be able to stay here for long, or all the time, but if you still care, if you still love me even a little then marry me. You can join me on all of my trips all of my missions, you can be with me all the time, forever."
"I'll just be a burden to you."
"No you won't, you're strong, you're amazing, please marry me."
Sakura couldn't help but be in awe, she finally had everything she'd ever wanted. "Okay, I'll marry you, on one condition."
"Name it, anything," Sasuke quickly replied.
"You have to get on one knee and ask me again," Sakura giggled.
"You're annoying," Sasuke smirked as he gently pulled Sakura in for a kiss.
"I love you too Sasuke," Sakura warmly smiled.