Chanced Meeting
By: Youkai Ryuu
Summary: NaruSaku; what if on that day Sakura never met Ino, instead she met Naruto. A friendship that never was is. How can this effect everyone else?
Disclaimer: Don't own, never will.
Ch 1: Daijoubu desu ka
The sun hung high in the afternoon sky. It was summer and the temperature was the coolest in the week. The children of the academy were off and hung around the playground. But hiding behind the jungle gym was a pink haired six year old girl crying. She was hiding from the other students; her eyes were covered by her pink bangs while tears streamed down her small delicate face. She was trying to hush her sobs, but miserably failing. After few more minutes her crying still continued, but the other children decided to leave.
The girl briefly looked up, her eyes still clouded with unshed tears. The voices of her classmates were fading and secretly she wished that they hadn't heard her crying or she would be picked on more the next day. Silence hung around the new empty playground, sometimes broken by her sobs.
Finally when the sun reached its peek a boy entered the playground. His messy blonde hair looked unkempt as always and his eyes were as blue as the sky above. His shirt was a bit dirty, but not as much as his face. On his cheeks were whisker marks and a small bleeding scratch.
He walked further into the playground heading for the swings. It was then he spotted pink among the green grass. His step faltered, in his mind he was debating whether to continue or to leave. But after hearing the person sobbing he made up his mind, hesitantly he continued.
He walked up to the still crying girl and squatted down till they were eye level.
"Ano sa… Daijoubu desu ka?" – Are you alright?- The boy asked. The girl hiccupped and tensed up. She slowly raised her head making sure that the boy could only see her eyes. But she didn't answer.
"Daijoubue desu ka? What are you crying for?" he asked again, his blue eyes wide with concern and curiosity.
She looked at him for a while more, trying tot think of something to say. She had only seen him once or twice around school and all those times he was alone. He seemed nice enough and she thought that he would've already knew of her defect.
"My forehead." She mumbled.
"Huh?"
"My forehead." She said louder, and tears began to fall from her eyes.
"Sorry, I'm sorry! Please stop crying!" The boy said in a panic. He looked around the park for other people. If they saw him right there and then they would've thought that he made her cry. He didn't need the adults to yell at him, along with their ice cold glares.
The girl quieted after a moment watching the little boy panic. She giggled as she watched him do foolish things to get her to stop.
He grinned. "You're cute when you laugh." The girl blushed. "And whatcha mean your forehead? I can't see it. Your hair is covering it." He stretched his hand trying to brush the bangs away. She immediately pulled back her small arm flung to shield her face. "What? I'm sorry!" the boy said his eyes filled with confusion and in a second he took her hand that blocked her face, and pulled her back in a sitting position. "Daijoubu?"
The little girl's lip quivered before speaking. "Everyone makes fun of my forehead." The boy cocked an eyebrow still confused. "Don't you see how big it is?" she finally said angrily pushing her bangs up.
"But I don't see anything. But why would you cry for that?"
"Because the other kids pick on me." The little boy didn't respond, replacing the confusing expression with surprise. Why would anyone want to pick on her? They were usually picking on him. But the little girl mistook the silence, thinking that he was going to start making fun of her too and she began to cry.
"I'm sorry! But why would they? They pick on me." He said trying to quiet her again.
The girl stopped. Just this mourning she saw one of the boys in her class trip him for no reason. She didn't tell the teacher incase they went after her next.
"Daijoubu?" The boy asked again, he was a bit nervous now. It seemed every time there's a silence she'll start to cry.
"Hai," the girl said smiling shyly up at him. It made him blush.
"I'm Uzumaki, Naruto. What's your name." he finally introduced. He gave her a grin like nothing happened.
"Haruno…" The little girl trailed off.
"Something wrong?" He asked cocking an eyebrow at her.
"Mommy doesn't like it when I say Haruno." She said uncertainly.
"I don't have a mommy so I don't know. What's your name?"
"Sakura?" she spoke, still uncertain.
After a moment Naruto spoke again. "Wanna play with me?"
"Okay." Sakura agreed. She qiped the remaining tears from her eyes and when she finished she saw Naruto offering his hand. Smiling she took it.
"C'mon!" Naruto ran dragging Sakura to the swings. Sakura sat down and Naruto began to push her with all his strength. She started to laugh as the wind blew on her face making her forget her troubles. Naruto stopped and hurriedly sat in the swing next to her and began propelling himself. They played till sunset, raiding the still empty playground. After climbing the monkey bars Sakura looked up at the sky.
"I have to go!" She said abruptly from their laughter.
"Huh?" Naruto broke off. He blinked wide eyed at his playmate.
"My mommy's gonna be mad."
"Oh." Naruto spoke softly. He looked down dejected as Sakura began to leave.
She turned around, smiling she asked "Wanna play again tomarrow?"
"Yea! Same time?" Naruto grinned at her.
"Sure. Ja ne tomadachi!" –See you, friend- Sakura called waving. Turning around she smiled not looking back.
Both knew that they had made a true friend that day. And before sleeping they both silently thanked the forces for their good luck.
"Sakura!" A voice shouted in her ear.
"Huh?" the pink haired twelve year old girl eyes shot opened. She was still a little bit dazed.
"Daijoubu ka?" Naruto asked sitting in the swing next to hers.
She was silent before answering "Hai."
"Itachi-nii-san said to meet him at the main house today." Naruto said looking at his friend.
Sakura pushed the ground with her feet and began to swing slightly. "I know, but later." Naruto began to swing. "Remember what today is?"
"The first day we've met. How long has it been?"
"Six years."
"Oh…" Naruto dug into his kunai pouch, bringing out a crudely wrapped gift.
Sakura did the same. They both stopped swinging by then, staring at each other and the gifts in their hands they laughed. They quickly exchanged gifts and stuffed it into their kunai pouches.
"Do we have any missions today?" Naruto asked turning his attention to the sky.
Sakura raised an eyebrow at him.
"What, do I have something on my face?" Naruto began wiping his cheeks with the backside of his hand.
"Don't you remember we've been practically banned from missions till we actually take the genin exams." Sakura said exasperate.
"WHA! But how am I gonna get any good money? My rent's due next week!"
"Hey we'll still get something. We'll just be doing D and C missions…" Sakura trailed off. But those missions usually pay a lot less than the missions they normally do.
'What am I gonna do for money? Haruno-san won't give me an advance on my pay…' Sakura thought looking at the ground.
"After a while, when we get a break from genin duties, wanna ask Hokage-jiji for something higher?" She asked looking at her friend. Naruto nodded, they really did need the money.
"Wanna stay at Itachi-nii-san's tonight?" Naruto asked. "I'm gonna."
"No, Haruno-san wants me to clean the living room and kitchen, she's having some of her friends over."
"How bout dinner?"
"Need to leave earlier. But knowing Uchiha-san she'll make me a bento."
"Ano sa…." Naruto finally looked at Sakura. He would've continued, but stopped when he saw her green eyes downcast.
A moment of silence passed by, until Sakura finally noticed. Looking up she blinked at Naruto's passive face. "Somethin' wrong?"
Naruto trying to cover up grinned widely "Hell no! Let's get goin'!" He shouted pumping his fist and jumping off the swing. Sakura smiled a bit and followed him off to the section of the village for the Uchiha clan.
End of Ch: 1
My first Naruto fic. Please be nice and review. I hope you like this chapter and thanks for reading! If you have time, please read my Inu-yasha fic: A Cursed Kagome and review. Thanks.