Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

:

Season of the Sakura

Chapter 1

The Late Bloomer

"Alright, that'll do it for today," said Iruka-sensei. "Class dismissed."

The small children of the class responded gleefully by quickly gathering their belongings and hurrying outside. Only a handful of students stayed behind, including a slight, pink haired girl.

Keeping to herself, Sakura cleared her desk methodically. Her seat was in the back row, allowing her to blend behind everyone else.

Just like a wallflower, Sakura thought to herself.

Standing up, Sakura noticed a pair of eyes staring at her. They were painted the color of the summer sky and belonged to Naruto Uzamaki. The boy gave Sakura a large but bashful grin.

Due to her timid nature, Sakura managed to only smile back shyly. Quickly, she exited the classroom, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway. When Sakura reached the doors leading outside, she hesitated. Her large emerald eyes scanned the vicinity, spotting a few children.

There was Ino Yamanaka, her blonde hair shining as she waited beside Shikamaru. Pausing, Sakura openly admired, longing for her own hair to look that way. Having bright pink colored hair made Sakura an easy target for teasing and many times it brought her to tears. It was already bad enough that she was made of because of her forehead. . . .

Sakura adjusted the straps of her backpack, took a deep breath, and stepped out. With her head bowed and eyes glue to her feet, Sakura took her usual route home walking slowly but steady. It was always an internal struggle with Sakura; when she was at school she wanted to be at home and when she was at home she wanted to be at school. Neither place was comforting or bearable.

Today while Sakura was in the restroom, she overheard a pair of girls talking about her battered shoes and how ugly they were. Rather than stick up for herself, Sakura pretended not to hear them and left in a rush, red in the face.

Sakura sighed and then went rigid.

The sounds of high-pitched giggling reached Sakura's ears; she lifted her head and spotted Ami and her group of friends walking ahead of her. So engrossed in her own thoughts, Sakura hadn't realized their presence.

For a moment, Sakura worried they were going to torment her but they didn't even seem to notice her. All of them were huddled together, laughing and staring at something.

Sakura found it strange that she ran into them. None of the girls shared the same path home as her, Sakura made sure of that. Unless . . .

There was a shrill squeal. "Oh, there he goes!"

As expected by Sakura, Ami and her friends were following Sasuke Uchiha. The dark haired boy cast a glance over his shoulder, the corners of his mouth pulling downward.

His brother didn't come today, thought Sakura.

Since Sakura made sure to leave school when the rest of the students left, she'd wait in the shadows and watch. It came to Sakura's attention when she stared in veneration at Sasuke that his older brother would pick him up almost daily. But whenever Sasuke's brother didn't come, he'd take different routes to avoid pestering girls.

"Sasuke!" Ami called out. "Wanna walk home together?"

Sakura had to hold back her own laughter when Sasuke automatically shook his head.

"What about me?" another girl asked. "My house is near yours—hey!"

Sasuke had broken into a fast sprint down the pathway. Instinctively, the girls chased after him, calling his name.

The direction they seemed to be headed was toward Sakura's house and she didn't want to get spotted. Deciding it would be for the best, Sakura tried finding a different way. There was a large park nearby that wasn't too far from her house, and it was only a little ways off.

Sakura reached the park that was well-cared for with its groomed and clean trails that were intricately designed. A lot of plants and different types of trees were grown, covering the plot of land. There was a special spot hidden in the center behind branches and bushes that contained a small patch of flowers that Sakura loved and tended to.

All in all, Sakura found refuge in the warmth and beauty of the park. She felt herself relax when she walked in, no longer anxious. Feeling much better, Sakura went ahead to stop by and check on the flowers.

Without any trouble, Sakura squirmed her way through some thickets and brush to the secluded area. Her eyes sparkled in awe as she gazed at the plant life. Each flower stood erect and was vibrant in color. They were obviously taken good care of by Sakura who made it a priority to water them and trim any unwanted weeds.

It brought Sakura happiness that she could sustain such beauty through the flowers, especially when she felt herself to be the complete opposite. She was of course, named after the lovely spring flower but Sakura never actually felt worthy of the name her mother gave her.

Taking a moment for herself, Sakura sat down.

Although, she never liked to draw attention to herself, Sakura felt rather lonely. Being by her self had made her weary; solitude was a draining matter.

At the snap of a twig, Sakura turned her head.

Something shifted in the bushes, making Sakura hop onto her feet.

"Please, don't," said a voice. "They'll find me if you make noise."

Sakura watched in surprise as Sasuke crawled out from under a bush, with scratches adorning his face and some leaves stuck in his hair. He appeared very annoyed about his situation.

"W-what are you doing here?" stammered out Sakura.

Sasuke stood up, brushing dirt off of his shirt. "Hiding from those crazy girls." He peered at her and his irritation melted away instantly. "You're Sakura, right?"

Unable to speak, Sakura nodded once.

Sasuke opened his mouth to say something else but then stopped.

"Ami, he's not here," said a girl walking on a nearby trail. "Let's just go."

"No," protested Ami. "I'm sure I saw him come over here."

"Well, I'm going home," someone snickered. "I'm tired."

Sakura and Sasuke stared at each other, both wanting nothing more than for the girls to leave already. The sound of footsteps retreating made Sakura exhale gratefully.

"Is it okay if I hide here?" asked Sasuke. "I don't think Ami will give up that easily."

"O-okay . . ."

Sakura's stomach felt strange when Sasuke smile slightly at her. Part of her wished to leave but another part of her longed to stay. Sakura fidgeted with her hands and then sat back down.

Across from Sakura, Sasuke sat cross-legged. His interest flickered over to the flowers. "Are those yours?"

It took Sakura a few seconds to find her voice again. "Sorda."

Sasuke looked at Sakura, questioning. "What do you mean?"

"They're not mine," clarified Sakura, picking at a blade of grass to avoid eye contact. "I only take care of them."

"You do a good job."

Sakura made the mistake of peeking up at Sasuke; immediately, her face grew warm from his compliment. A silence fell over the two of them that did not break until Sakura's stomach grumbled in hunger.

"Sorry," she murmured. In truth, Sakura had not eaten since the morning; she had not prepared herself lunch.

Chuckling, Sasuke dismissed it and rummaged through his satchel before asking Sakura, "Want half a sandwich?"

"Uh—no, it's—"

Sasuke pushed the sandwich into Sakura's possession. "My brother told me that girls always say no whenever people offer food, so it's best to just give it to them anyway."

Sakura smiled softly and took a small bite.

"I hope you like tomatoes," said Sasuke, busy with his own half, "because I ask my mom to put them on my sandwich. They're my favorite."

Sakura tucked away that piece of information. "It's delicious."

After they finished their meal, Sasuke handed Sakura his canteen to drink from. Instead of rejecting the offer, Sakura took a sip and thanked him.

"Do you think Ami's gone?" Sasuke wondered aloud, squinting towards the sky.

Sakura shrugged. "I think so."

Sasuke turned and stared at Sakura for a long moment before saying, "I need to get going, my mom wants me home early to help with dinner."

Sakura tried her best not to look disappointed. "Oh, okay."

Sasuke got on his feet. "It was nice meeting you Sakura; you don't talk a lot like everybody else."

Unsure of what to make of Sasuke's words, Sakura stayed silent.

With a kind farewell, Sasuke slipped into the bushes and departed. Alone once more, Sakura smiled, feeling content and very pleased.

. . .

Sakura didn't drag her feet as she walked to the academy the next day. It didn't matter much to her that her dad scolded her for coming home late; she had been able to spend some time with Sasuke. With just the memory, Sakura found herself smiling unconsciously.

At the entrance, Sasuke saw Sakura and waved. Still too withdrawn to boldly say hi back, Sakura merely gave a jerky nod of the head.

Inside the classroom, Sakura put in some effort to pay attention to the lesson. Still, it was a hard for her to stay on task when her mind had the tendency to wander. Most of the time, Sakura relived her encounter, glad to have had some company. It was also wonderful because it had become another one of Sakura's special secrets.

What was even better was that when Ami made a snide comment about Sakura's forehead, Sakura was too absorbed in her own thoughts that she didn't hear.

When the bell rang for break, Sakura went ahead to the edge of the playground and sat on one of the swings. Digging her toes in the sand, Sakura hummed one of her mom's melodies.

Beside her, Naruto showed up and occupied the other swing. "Hi, Sakura."

Sakura was momentarily blinded by Naruto's smile. "H-hello."

Naruto watched Sakura, his gaze hopeful. The two peeked at each other from the corner of their eyes. Looking past the blonde haired boy, Sakura spotted Hinata Hyuga stealing glances at Naruto with deep longing from behind a tree.

"Look, Ami! There's Forehead Girl and that Beast Boy!"

Both Sakura and Naruto jolted.

A group of children were pointing at them, laughing openly. "I think they're together," someone proclaimed.

"Eew, that's gross!"

Sakura felt her entire face and neck grow warm in embarrassment. Trying to ignore the cruel jeers she was receiving, Sakura pretended she was in a far away place.

"You're so weird," Ami sneered at Sakura. "You're only friend is this freak."

Sakura focused on memorizing the alphabet backwards. Z, Y, X, W . . . .

"Not only that," Ami went on. "Your forehead is deformed."

"Leave her alone!" snapped Naruto. "Sakura is pretty—and way prettier than you!"

"She's the most ugliest thing here," said Ami, glaring at Sakura. "And she knows it."

"Don't listen to her, Sakura," said Naruto. "You're pretty—really, really pretty. She's just jealous of you."

"You're ugly, Sakura," said Ami, louder when Sakura continued looked like she wasn't paying attention. "You're ugly and so are your stupid flowers!"

F, E, D— Sakura stiffened, her eyes wide. How'd she know about my flowers? Sakura thought in a panic. She became overwhelmed, scared that something bad had happened to her precious flowers. The mere idea made Sakura's bottom lip tremble.

"Aww, are you gonna cry like a baby, Forehead Girl?" mocked Ami, a satisfied smirk plastered on her face.

Sakura's eyes went hard and her hands balled into fists, determined to not to give in to her intense urge to cry. Sakura stood up and walked away with what little nerve she had left.

. . .

Sasuke lingered in front of the academy at the end of class, hoping to find Sakura. He pocketed his hands, trying to stay out of sight from giggling girls. Sasuke was prepared to wait for a while; he noticed Sakura had the tendency to hide from people.

Sasuke glanced out toward the pathways; Itachi was going to walk him home but he hadn't showed up yet.

There was a flash of pink and Sasuke barely realized it was Sakura running out, looking extremely upset.

"Sakura!" Sasuke called out. "Wait—!"

Sakura did not falter and was soon out of sight.

Without a second-thought, Sasuke sprinted after her, surprised by how fast Sakura actually was. He followed her into the park from the day before and nearly lost her. It took Sasuke a while to find the same secluded place; he only found it because he heard sniffling.

Sasuke squeezed through bushes, seeing Sakura curled up and hugging her knees, tears trickling down her face beside the patch of flowers. Sasuke did a double take, shocked. The flowers were demolishes and yanked apart, as though someone purposely stomped all over them.

Cautiously, Sasuke approached Sakura. "What happened?"

"Ami," sobbed Sakura. "Ami ruined my flowers!"

"But how did—?" Sasuke stopped short. Ami knew I was hiding here, realized Sasuke, so she did this to hurt Sakura.

Sakura cried silently, never seeming to run out of tears. Sasuke watched helplessly, feeling awful and responsible for her pain. He hated it when girls cried. . . "Sakura," he said. "I'm so sorry."

"It's not your fault," whimpered Sakura. "You didn't do this."

Sasuke couldn't help but feel like he did; he did invade Sakura's spot in the first place. "Don't cry," said Sasuke. "My brother says girls shouldn't cry because they're princesses, that they're most beautiful smiling."

Sakura wiped away her eyes. "Your brother knows a lot about girls."

"He knows a lot about everything," said Sasuke with pride. "I wanna be just like him."

"He sounds nice."

"He's the best," said Sasuke, distracted by Sakura's eyes; they were twinkling because of the onslaught of recent tears.

"Sasuke?" a new voice said.

From the shadows of the trees, Itachi Uchiha stepped forward. "What are you doing here? You weren't at the academy."

Sasuke smiled widely at his brother. He wasn't surprised that Itachi easily tracked him down. "My friend's flowers got ruined."

Itachi's dark eyes glimpsed first at Sakura and lingered there with interest before turning to the flowers. "By who?"

"An annoying girl," answered Sasuke. "We have to help."

Itachi addressed Sakura. "What's your name?"

Sasuke noted the soft tone in Itachi's voice that he rarely demonstrated. Sasuke looked to Sakura, who was watching Itachi warily.

"S-Sakura Haruno," she said.

"That's a beautiful name you got there, Sakura." Itachi got closer and kneeled before her. "I'm Itachi Uchiha."

Sasuke stared the blossoming rosy color on Sakura's cheeks, fascinated and drawn to it.

"Well," started Itachi. "I'm very sorry about your flowers but my brother and I would be glad to help you re-grow them."

Sakura gaped at him. "You would?"

Itachi nodded. "Isn't that right, Sasuke?"

Sasuke smiled. "Yeah."

Itachi helped Sakura up and handed her a handkerchief with the Uchiha symbol to dry her eyes. "Would you like to join us for dinner?"

. . .

"Aren't they adorable?" Mikado Uchiha squealed happily to her eldest son. The two of them were in the lounge room, where they had a nice view of the backyard.

Itachi was subtly observing Sasuke and Sakura. The two children were outside together, sitting side-by-side. Like his mother, Itachi was amused by Sasuke's concern for the little girl.

"I find that girl very lovely," said Mikado. "She reminds me of an old friend of mine with her pink hair."

Itachi raised a brow. "Really?"

A reminiscent gleam covered Mikado's eyes. "Yes, but my friend had red hair . . ."

The sound of a laugh echoed over. Itachi identified it as Sakura's and found it rather musical, like a wind chime.

"I hope Sasuke takes a liking to this girl," said Mikato. "She's unique."

Itachi silently agreed with his mother, believing there was something special about Sakura. Her pure innocence and enticing emerald eyes enticed him, making it impossible for Itachi to deny her. He had encountered many women and none of them had the same effect on him.

Itachi's gaze was stuck on Sakura. "That flower hasn't blossomed yet but when she does, she'll be most beautiful."

Mikato gave Itachi a knowing look. "Make up your mind now, my son. Either take her as your own now or leave her to your brother."

. . .

"I'll ask my mom to buy flower seeds," said Sasuke, animatedly. His head was tilted slightly to the side, openly staring at Sakura.

Unaccustomed to attention, Sakura continued to look down. "You don't have to."

Sasuke shook his head firmly. "No, I promised to fix your flowers."

"Thank you, Sasuke."

Sakura spoke very quietly, forcing Sasuke to listen carefully. Regardless, his lips twisted upward at her sincere words of appreciation. A strange feeling formed in Sasuke's stomach, the same sensation he got whenever he tried to show his father a mastered attack move or jutsu. Sasuke did not comprehend why simply being with Sakura made him feel that way.

Itachi joined them a little later, affectionately patting Sakura's head with a large hand. "I think it's time for Sakura to go home."

Both Uchiha brothers accompanied Sakura home, each unaware of how deeply they were falling for her. Neither would be prepared for Sakura's intensity when she finally bloomed from a cute bud to a breathtaking flower.

:

A/N: Oh, I hope you all enjoyed this. It's a new project I've started and I hope to finish if enough people like it.

Please review.