What She Means to Him

It was a beautiful summer day in the Hidden Village of the Leaf, Konoha. The Academy had just let out for summer break and there was no one more excited about not having to go to the academy every day than Naruto Uzumaki. As he walked down the busy halls of Konoha Academy for the Secret Arts, or The Ninja Academy as the students would refer to it, he could overhear his friends discussing their various plans for the summer.

"Hey Neji!" shouted Ten-Ten from down the hall.

A surprised and slightly annoyed Neji jumped at his locker and bump his head. "Ahhh." Neji swears under his breath. "Hi Ten-Ten." Neji greets her as she nears him.

"What are you doing this summer?" she asked blissfully unaware of the annoyed look on his face. Why would she pay it any attention? After all, he had always looked that way.

"I don't know what my family has planned. I haven't gone home yet." Was his slightly annoyed reply. And with that he left.

Naruto continued down the hallway. He passes his friends Kiba, Chouji, and Shikamaru. He stops to talk to them.

"Hey Guys!" He exclaimed with a smile. "What are you guys planning to do all summer?"

"My family is traveling to all of the different villages." Replied Chouji with a smile. "They are going for business reasons. I decided to go so I can taste all of foods from the different villages." Chouji's mouth started to water a little bit just thinking about it.

"That sounds like the dream Chouji." Said Shikamaru in his monotonous voice. "Well I don't know what I'll do this summer." He had turned his attention to Naruto. "I don't really wanna do anything. However, knowing my parents, my mom will probably make me do something, and I probably won't wanna do it. Women are so Troublesome." Shikamaru sticks his hands in his pockets. He closes his eyes and lets out a long sigh. "it's all very troublesome."

The enthusiasm seemed to be sucked from everyone except Naruto and Kiba.

"So Kiba," says Naruto trying to resume the conversation "Watcha got planned."

"Well…" Kiba glances over at Hinata and blushes a little. Naruto doesn't notice because of the red marks on Kiba's face. He turns back toward his group and notices Shikamaru and Chouji grinning at him. He also notices Naruto staring at him with a confused look on his face. Kiba tries to quickly change the topic he sees Sakura coming down the hall. He shoots a sly grin at Naruto "So, how are you gonna spend your summer?"

Naruto thinks a bit and looks around for some reason. He sees Sakura at her locker and all of a sudden the goofy grin leaves his face. He thinks back to that day; the day he failed for the very first time; the day he shed tears for his lost brother. 'I'll bring you back Sasuke, even if I have to break every bone in your body.' Those words still rang in his mind. He looks at Sakura who had just walked up to the group of boys. "Hi Sakura-chan." His mind then drifts to later that day. The day he put his personal dream aside for someone else's dream; her dream. 'I'll get stronger Sakura-chan. I'll bring Sasuke back' Those words still rest in his heart as true to him now as they were the day he proclaimed them 'This is the promise of a lifetime. Believe it!!' He snaps out of his trance and looks around at the concerned faces and then he looks at Kiba again then he turns to Sakura.

"So…" Kiba continues, "what are you gonna do this summer?"

He plasters a smile of determination on his face and utters the words that gave not only himself, but everyone confidence that every thing would return to the way it used to be. He answers, "I never go back on my word. That's my way of the ninja." He accompanies his determined smile with the 'nice guy' pose.

Every one was confused except Sakura and Shikamaru. They just smile.

As the group disperses Naruto and Sakura stay behind. No words are exchanged they just look at each other and neither of them feels the need to say anything. Naruto starts to blush and breaks the silence "So, Sakura-chan, what are you gonna do all summer long?"

"I'm gonna try to train to be a medical-nin. Kakashi says that I could become really good at it." Sakura fights back a few tears

Naruto notices the change in her voice and the look on her face. "What's wrong Sakura-chan?" He asks as a few tears fall from her eyes.

"I'm tired of being useless. I'm tired of watching my friends get hurt because of my uselessness in a battle." She thinks back to the day she saw Naruto in the hospital covered in bandages. Her tears start to flow. "I'm tired of being the reason for so much pain."

She didn't say whose pain but Naruto knew. He grabs her wrist and tries to look into her eyes. She stubbornly turns her head avoiding his penetrating blue eyes that she knew were fixed on her. Naruto hugs her, ignoring the fear of getting punched in the face. To Naruto's surprise, however, no retaliation came.

To Sakura's surprise she had no desire to be released. She had no desire to be any where else. For that moment everything felt that it was the way it was supposed to be. That moment lasted for what seemed like forever. No, this didn't feel like forever, it felt as if time had stopped just to let her revel in this moment.

Much to Naruto's dismay, however, Sakura realized what she was doing and broke away from Naruto's grasp. But their eyes met and Naruto's goal was accomplished.

"Sakura-chan, you were never useless." He tries to reassure his friend. "Whenever a situation got dire all I had to do was think of you. When it looked like I would die I kept on living just to see you smile again." Sakura stops crying and keeps her emerald eyes locked with his. "You were my motivation to keep going, to keep fighting, to keep living." Sakura's eyes widen "You weren't ever useless. To me, you were the most important person on the battlefield." Saying this Naruto looked into Sakura's eyes there was something else that he wanted to say but he could tell by Sakura's eyes that it was best not to say it.

Sakura knew that there was something else that he wanted to say and was glad when he didn't say it. All he said was, "Good luck… Sakura-chan." He turns to leave and Sakura heads to the Hokage to request training in medical ninjutsu.

She thinks of the way she felt before Naruto's encouraging words. A tear falls again and she starts to think of the way she feels now. She no longer felt useless. She felt that she was going to improve her worth instead of gain it. She felt needed and it was a good feeling. She tries to see if Naruto is still around but he is at the end of the hallway. With one final tear she smiles and says.

"Thank you." She reaches the door of the Hokage's office and says once again "Thank you… Naruto."