The world's biggest flower

*****

Date: March 28, ****

Time: 4:30pm

Place: Haruno household

Event: Sakura's 8th birthday

*****

Spring season always makes little girls smiling and bubbly. It's the time of the year where their mommies would dress them up with nicely printed kimonos and walk them around the parks with the flowing petals of Sakura trees.

For a petite girl, having the exact color of the fascinating flower, bearing its name as hers and having the light of the world at the very time that flower blooms, is an honor which she hold very dearly to her heart. It's quite peculiar as to many would think of. There aren't much of people who have a natural hue of faded scarlet for their tresses. The tiny little, now, 8 years old, emanates an exotic look yet somehow Caucasian features. A milky fair complexion, a soft apple-green pair of eyes, carnation tresses, and pink, thin yet pouty lips brings together a charming little child. She is very gifted indeed, being born from the Haruno's.

And today is when she turns to a year older than her yesterday's self.

The Haruno's gave her a simple celebration at their garden beside their wooden Japanese house. In the middle of the garden was a pond, decorated minimally with sweet lily flowers. There were many Sakura trees surrounding the whole garden and they are blooming beautifully. Sakura was fortunate to have the week of the trees to bloom at her very own day because, sadly enough, Sakura flowers only last a week or two making it a fateful symbol of the loathsome death. Either way, its time of blooming discerns them very special; people cherish their short-spanned moment just to witness their ethereal beauty. That is the Sakura blossoms true magnificence.

"Happy birthday, my little Sakura." Her father greeted his lone daughter so fondly while giving her a kiss to her exposed forehead. Her mother had clipped her bangs aside and left long coral-locks flowing at her back.

"Arigatou, tou-san!!" little Sakura exclaimed cheerfully, bear-hugging him before smiling sweetly at her loving father.

The girl's mother bent down to her crouching husband and cute little daughter, with an outstretched arm offering a black box painted with sakura petal's. "Here you go my dear, It's a present from me and your father."

Two delicate hands reached for the box. Sakura was stunned and wide eyed with sheer happiness. And then, the big calloused hands opened it, revealing a silver chain. At the center of the silver, shinning necklace lays a single petal of a sakura flower. Her father honoring himself, laced the necklace to his daughter's neck. He turned it at the back where cursive letter's where engraved.

***_Sakura_***

"Whoa! It's wonderful kaa-san! Tou-san!" Sakura exclaim again in bliss.

"Only the best for our only daughter." Her mother smiled at her and hugged her.

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap..

Tap, tap, tap, tap, tap..

Came loudly several footsteps of assumingly, playful children of her own age. Hence, today, she is older a year to them.

"Oh, you're friends have arrived now, Sakura. They've come to greet you too. Go and celebrate them now dear." Her mother hushed.

"Hi, Okaa-san!!" The little girl smiled and welcomed her friends as they stepped foot upon the beautiful Haruno Garden.

A sun kissed boy with a blond unruly hair run up to her first and shouted, "Happy Birthday, Saakuraa-chaan!!!!!!!!!"

"Dobe, you're going to blast our ears." Deadpanned a little Sasuke came walking second.

"You're just grumpy co'z I greeted her first, teme. Hmpft!!"

Naruto took his gift from his bag and handed it to Sakura. She unwrap the thinpresent carefully and Naruto can't stop jumping around and giggling with excitement. "Common' Sakura, faster! You'd really love my gift!" He announced rather confidently, and grinned toothily like an…. idiot. When the wrappers fell down, it left Naruto's present at the girl's hands. It was a painting, Naruto's vary own painting of her which looked like doodles of pink and red with uneven green spirals, probably the eyes, and a convex curve, indicating a big, big smile of the Sakura painting.

"Is that even a painting?" the reven-haired boy insulted. "Temeeee!!!!" Naruto, offended at Sasuke's statement, jumped right at him and began tackling the said arrogant little boy.

The little girl giggled at her bestest friends gestures and mutter a "thank you." To the hyper-active Naruto. Sakura averted her gaze to the quiet Sasuke beneath the angry Naruto, catching him looking at her, made the little Uchiha surprised.

"Thank you to you too, Sasuke-kun." She said smiling. This made dark-headed boy blushing and a little bit of guilty for not giving her his present.

..And he hasn't greeted the birthday girl too.

The trio then heard audible steps from the hallway which indicated that the other girls had arrived. Tenten, a brunette with two buns wearing a green Chinese dress came first giving Sakura her present which consist of shurikens and kunai's dyed pink.

"Tenten-chan, these are cute!" Sakura praised.

"Hihi.." two hands at her waist, the brunette grinned widely.

"Wait till you see mine, Sakura!" Ino, the blond, in a light blue kimono rushed after tenten holding a bouquet of finely arranged and combined flowers of cosmos, baby's breath, such.

"Ino, they're beautifull!!"

Lastly, Hinata, the black-haired Hyuuga heiress shyly gave Sakura a medicine box. "The-these a-are f-for you, Sa-kura-chaan.", timidly said the girl in her lavender kimono.

"Arigatou, mina-san." The little coral-haired girl sweetly supplied at her caring friends. Nonetheless, a taciturn grunt came from a brooding little boy with no gifts to give his charming little Sakura… yes, his. Though he would never admit it loudly, he grew fond of this cheerful girl. Against his gloomy self, she was the light and the soft, happy melody. Against his arrogant smirks and mocking laughs, she has her sweet, sweet smile and joyful laughter.

She is the spring and he is the winter…

She is the flower and he's the snow…

The children were having a good time together having picnic at the Haruno Garden. The surrounding trees and flowers made the scenery peaceful and serene with the trance perfection of nature. Naruto, being the clown that he was, made the group laughed hysterically with his simple mind and ehemmildehem idiotism.

Sakura's father came carrying in both of his hands bundles of firecrackers. "Kids, it's time for the fireworks!"

"Yeeey!!!" The children cheered in unison dashing over to the man's side. Each of them was given sparkling firecrackers to light up together. Nigh time already replaced the day and the moon started to shine brilliantly above the delightful little kids. They encircled themselves, crouched like human balls while the firecrackers teasingly spark before their amused adorable eyes.

Unbeknownst to Sakura, a pair of obsidian eyes left his gaze from his sparkles and began to watch her angelic face instead. He was watching her rather absorbedly, while an emotion of gentleness gradually creeping upon his once stoic façade. Realizing what he is doing, Sasuke shrugged of his smitten self and stood up from the circle they have made. He decided to stroll away from them for a while and spend some time alone near the pond.

He sat at the tallest rock around the pond, enjoying the silence all for himself. The moonlit pond glimmers ever so stunning at him, his reflection the only thing blocking the ray of light. Aah, how beautiful… However, another figure spurted beside his… a smaller figure…. pink forms from his peripheral vision.

"Watcha doin' Sasuke-kun?" She innocently asked.

"Watching the moon."

"But you're looking at the pond." She blatantly stated. Confusion striked the littles Sakura, tilting her head, facing the quiet boy.

"…."

"Ne, ne Sasuke-kun, we should go back now. They must be worried."

"…."

"…Sasuke-kun??"

..

..

"Well, I'm going back now, ok?" She said.

"...Sakura." the boy whispered… And the little girl in her red kimono stopped.

"We must hurry Sasuke-kun." she said and continued her way back to her friends.

Suddenly, she felt a hand catch her tiny ones. This made her halt and looked back at her male friend. "… wait… Sakura."

"Sasuke-kun?"

"I…"

"I… really brought a gift for you." The boy quickly stated.

Sakura, amazed at what he said, turned her face to a very thrilled one and smiled charmingly at him. "Really!?" There it is again, the proud Uchiha heir, smitten and humbled by a little helpless girl.

His left hand arose from his pocket holding a somewhat pinkish ornament. He held it out for her to see.

…A sakura flower

Sakura gave him a puzzled look but still accepted the simple gift. It is when she touched it that her eye grew wide in amazement. "Sasuke-kun, this is…"

"It's glass."

Mist forming in her apple-green eyes, Sakura felt warm tears falling to her red tinted cheeks and she didn't know why or how she is overjoyed of his present. Or maybe that it is not the gift she was happy about, but the fact that this ever so stoic boy have spent so much just to give her a glass…

a flower.

"Unlike the rest…" the boy started.

"…unlike the rest, that sakura flower won't wither… so take care of it…

….

…ok?"

A beaming smile formed her gracious face and her eyes started to pour lots and lots of happy tears…

"…Hai."

"I will, Sasuke-kun!" the pink-haired little girl reassured to the now, smiling Uchiha. Both of her hands embraced the glass sakura flower close to her heart with tightly shut, tear-streaming eyes.

"Good…" he silently whispered to himself, contented of her response.

And I will take care of my Sakura…