Sakura smiled bravely, as she watched her two team mates slowly walk home together. They were far away now, but if she listened hard enough, she could still hear Naruto's loud laugh and Sasuke's 'Usuratonkachi!' She sighed, sitting down on the swing she remembered Naruto had always sat on when he was little.
Naruto had been a very lonely child. He had had no-one to talk to, no shoulder to cry on. Sakura felt so ashamed when she thought of how she had treated him when they were younger. It's his turn now, to feel a little love. He deserves it. Sasuke too, needed to feel love. Real love. He had also been alone before; his hate for Itachi had made him shut off any other emotions completely. Until Team 7 was created, she thought, and smiled at the nostalgia she felt thinking about those innocent days.
They had been so young, and so oblivious in the beginning, never knowing exactly how cruel the world really was. But we all paid the price for that knowledge, whether we wanted to or not. She didn't know if she regretted anything though. Sure, she had had her weak moments, days when she didn't know if she had the strength to carry on; to keep on fighting. Naruto and Sasuke had probably had their fair share of moments like that too. Yes, more than most, she knew, and her heart beat almost painfully when she remembered how genuinely sad and hurt the both of them had felt, once upon a time. But it's all better now.
Sakura only wished, as she slowly stood up and began to walk to her own empty apartment, that she hadn't felt quite so lonely and sad now instead.
A/N: Just a little something I wrote unusually quickly. My other fic, Ending, can be seen as a prequel to this, I guess. I don't have a beta, since I don't really write that often, so if you feel like pointing out any mistakes, go ahead. I'm sure there's plenty, seeing as I'm not a native speaker. Reviews are very much appreciated.