"The Sparkling Blossom" (A NaruSaku short story)
Disclaimer: Naruto is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. Shadow Wolf (author of this fanfic AKA: me) does not own Naruto. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
Notes: As a fanfiction based on the Naruto series, it contain spoilers regarding the story.
The war was over…
The results were not what everyone expected. Many lives were lost, bonds were broken and friends became enemies…
Despite all of this, every nation cooperated in stopping a thread that would change the course of mankind: the moon's eye plan.
Not only did the Allied Nations have to deal with the man who called himself "Uchiha Madara", they also had to fight yet another cunning and mysterious enemy: a man named Kabuto. If it wasn't for the help of Uchiha Itachi, the shinobi would have lost many lives trying to find a way to defeat this mysterious enemy.
The shinobi also had another menace in a man named Zetsu: one who could combine itself with nature and make identical replicas of any person in the world. Shizune, Sakura, and the medical team in the alliance discovered the key to defeating this threatening foe.
But the fight which was the hardest to witness by everyone was the fight between Konoha's new hero and Konoha's ex-shinobi: Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke. Not only did Naruto manage to defeat the man who called himself "Madara", but with no time to rest, he had to fight his former friend and rival. This was, without a doubt, one of the greatest challenge in his life. The only way to defeat Sasuke and survive was the act of selflessness made by Kurama. Yes, Kurama offered his chance to prove that he was now Konoha's ally by taking Sasuke with him. It was thanks to the Nine-Tailed Fox and the souls of the other Jinchuurikis that Naruto was finally able to put an end to Sasuke's darkness.
It was a hard price to pay for peace, but Naruto understood that this was necessary to protect not only Konoha, but the whole world.
It was a scene to behold… every nation celebrating…
Ninjas who were once enemies were now hugging each other in celebration, other were dropping tears of happiness, and others with a bit of difficulty expressing themselves, had their eyes focused on the happiness surrounding the battlefield with a smile on their face.
But now it was time to go express their happiness to the one who decided to eradicate the hatred of the world…
Uzumaki Naruto!
However, before they could even begin to celebrate with him, Naruto collapsed due to exhaustion.
...
Naruto was now in the Konoha hospital. It has already been a week, and even though his physical recovery is almost complete, his emotions were still crushed. He lost his master and godfather Jiraiya, his two best friends "Sasuke and Kurama", and when he looked at the past, he realize that he also lost many people who could have been close friends with him…
But even though he should be happy for finally bringing peace to Konoha, he still felt sad inside. In fact, not even Hinata's confession affected him. Naruto gave her his thanks but encouraged her to improve by her own will and to find someone who could love her like she deserved.
She was rejected…
There was a gap in his heart, and almost no one could fill it. Sure, he had many friends in the village, but they were only that… just friends… except one person… the girl who always made sure Naruto did not do anything stupid…
"Sakura-Chan…" the name was whispered in the echo of the room.
Naruto knew that, if there was someone who could understand his suffering and probably feel the same way –or even worse– than him, that person would be Sakura. She loved Sasuke more than anyone else. Sasuke may have been Naruto's best friend, but he was Sakura's first love.
Naruto may have lost his family and his friends, but he has never lost a romantic loved one, so he did not know Sakura's pain.
"Wherever you are, I hope you are ok Sakura-chan. I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise. I wanted to do this one thing, just to make you smile…"
Naruto sank his head between his knees and the blanket covering him. He wanted to save Sasuke as a friend, but he also wanted to do so for Sakura's sake. Bringing him back would've been the greatest gift he could've done to her, even greater than those he made for her on Valentine's Day.
For five consecutive years, ever since he met her at the academy, he prepared a gift for her in Valentine's Day. It was one of the moments where Naruto did something not for getting the attention to himself, but for her.
However, he always saw her giving Sasuke a gift. This would leave him in pain, but when he noticed that she would always end up fighting with Ino and Sasuke would just leave them both behind, he would quickly brush the feelings away.
By that time, he had no friends, and Valentine's Day was the loneliest day for him. With no friends, an unrequited love and no parents, he had no one else to give gifts. It wasn't until the 5th year (when he was 12 years old and was enlisted in Team 7) that he finally received a gift: a free treat of Ramen from his teacher Iruka.
For those 5 years, he came back home and placed the gift he prepared for Sakura in a box. The box was a symbol of both his dedication to Sakura and his strong determination to never give up hopes when it came to her. It was a beautiful gift box, decorated with an artificial flower at the top, and covered with scribbles done by Naruto as a memory of his thoughts about Sakura. People usually have a box with treasures to remember the past, but Naruto's box was a reminder of the present and about his vow to like no other girl than her.
He enjoyed doing missions with team 7. Sure, he complained when the missions were of a low ranking, but when they went onto them, he cheered himself up by thinking he had a new chance to spend time with Sakura and to impress her. Of course, most of the time, Sasuke had the best part: a praise from Sakura. But Naruto was still determined to conquer Sakura's heart.
During the time he spent with Sasuke and Sakura doing missions, he began to know more about Sakura. The more he got to know about Sakura, the more he realized that her love for Sasuke was as deep as his love for her. At first, he trained to be better than Sasuke. He thought that if he did this, he would be acknowledged by Sakura one day.
But as the time passed, his view of love also changed. It wasn't about himself anymore… it was about seeing Sakura smile… It was about doing what he could to protect her…
But above everything else, it was about giving himself completely in order to make her life a life full of happiness.
He never gave up hopes on her, but if he had to step aside to help her be happy, he would gladly do so. That's why, when he saw Sakura's tears as she begged him to bring back Sasuke, Naruto, in his chance to prove her that his love for her would go far above any other person who would ever love her, in his desire to never see her cry again, and in his ultimate chance to do anything to make her happy, Naruto took this once-in-a-lifetime request and transformed it into his vow to love Sakura like no one else: the promise of a lifetime.
With this vow, Naruto convinced himself that Sakura would always love Sasuke. But even if he had to live his whole life as the fool with a one-sided crush, he would always remain true to his feelings and his decision to love Sakura.
He may have failed to rescue Sasuke in the final valley, but he never went back on his word. He told Sakura that he was still determined to bring Sasuke back. Who knew that Sakura would be inspired by his words and decide to train with Tsunade to grow stronger. But Naruto convinced himself that she was doing this for Sasuke. And this also inspired him to go train with Jiraiya… to grow stronger for Sakura.
Despite being away from her for almost three years, Naruto's feelings for Sakura remained unchanged. This time however, he had a lot of pressure in his shoulders. He was a target of Akatsuki, he had to fight to control Kurama, and he still hadn't accomplished his promise to Sakura. He desired to spend more time with Sakura, but many things were happening at the same time. This is why he appreciated the few moments he could spend with her. Even if it was to take the bells from Kakashi-sensei, to do a mission or even to receive a punch and a scold for doing stupid things, Naruto was determined to enjoy every second spent with Sakura. He was still convinced that Sakura would always love Sasuke, but he also dreamed of Sakura loving him one day. In fact, in a little corner of his mind, there was a dream… a dream about Sakura noticing that Sasuke would be Naruto's greatest proof of his love for her, and in return, Sakura would finally reciprocate Naruto's feelings.
Speaking of gifts, one thing that also remained unchanged during the years was the fact that Naruto kept preparing gifts for Sakura. He even prepared gifts for Sakura during the following years after joining Team 7. However, he preferred not to do anything, since he convinced himself that she loved Sasuke. Despite this, it didn't matter where he was: either training with Jiraiya-sensei, or in the midst of war, Naruto would always take time to make something for Sakura.
The box at his house was filled with eight gifts for Sakura: which included Love letters, gifts to help her on her medical studies, and even a ticket for a free anmitsu in a restaurant in Konoha.
But the greatest gift Naruto stored in the box was a necklace with the design of a Cherry Blossom flower, which symbolizes the name of Sakura and her growth as a ninja. All of these gifts were carefully prepared for her along with a letter each one.
Naruto's lips began to move as his thoughts were being echoed by his voice…
"*sighs* Sakura-chan, whatever happens from now on, I hope that you can be the happiest woman in the world. You've suffered a lot because of Sasuke and yet you remained strong to help those around you. I don't know if someone noticed to your pain, but I'm sure you're going through a lot. And even though you mean a lot to me, I want to do whatever's necessary to make you smile, even if I have to relinquish my feelings in the process.
I was glad when you embraced me after I went to talk to Pain. I apologize for being rash, but I felt like I had to do something to change Pain's thoughts. You never knew, but when I saw Hinata being stabbed by Pain, I felt like if I didn't do anything to change this, I would also lose you. I… I could not take it… the fear of losing you was just too much…
Your hug caught me off guard if you ask me, but it was really warm Sakura. If your feelings for Sasuke weren't as strong as they are, I could've believe that your hug was finally a glimpse of hope and a chance for me to tell you how much I love you.
Speaking about chances, I was very surprised when you told me that you loved me when we were at the land of iron. I couldn't believe I was hearing those words. I even asked you to repeat them, since I was convinced that I heard wrong. And when you said them again, even if it only lasted a moment… you made me the happiest man in the world.
But I knew there was something wrong… I'm not sure if your words were true or not, but I knew you were hiding something. You couldn't speak about Sasuke like that out of the blue… you were lying to yourself. I couldn't accept that confession because I know how much you love Sasuke… Your love for him is as big as mine is for you.
But now, Sasuke is gone… forever. Your heart must be in pain right now, and I can't do anything to restore it. I may have faced the pain of unrequited love, but you have the pain of losing the one you loved most. I may not have the power right now, but as soon as I recover completely, I promise to work every day to make you smile. And even if I don't find the guts to tell you someday what I feel for you, I will keep watching over you, protecting you from pain and doing my best to make you the happiest woman in the world.
This is my new promise. I couldn't keep my promise to bring Sasuke back for you, but with this new promise, I plan to do what I decided to do when I promised you to bring Sasuke back, to prove that I love you like no one else.
Sakura… this is my way of the ninja and my vow as a man…. I will always lov…
WHAT THE...?"
Naruto's monologue was interrupted with a loud sound. The objects Naruto placed to block the door were blown away all the way to the other side of the room along with the door, which was shut tight by various mechanisms.
"S-S-S-Sakura-Chan" Naruto was surprised to see Sakura standing at the entrance of his room.
And before he could say anything else… BAM!
…a punch landed on top of his head! It wasn't as hard as the punches Sakura usually give him, but it was enough to make Naruto move his hands into his head in pain.
"YOU IDIOT! Do you know how much time it took me to clean your apartment? One whole day!
"Wait… what? You did what Sakura-Chan?"
"You were this whole time in the hospital… and since you refused to see anyone, I thought of a way to help you, so I went to clean your apartment and to bring you some clothes. Tsunade-sama authorized me to."
"But, you didn't have a key… wait, where's my key?" Naruto just noticed that his key wasn't in the table
"You mean this key!" Sakura toyed with the key in her hands.
"How…"
"It doesn't matter." she showed her tongue at him while she gave him back the key. "But seriously Naruto, do you think a girl would like you if she saw your apartment like it was before I cleaned it up?"
"Sakura-Chan, thank you!" Naruto was clearly grateful for what Sakura just did.
"Are you listening to me?" Sakura demanded.
"Of course! But I just had to say thanks first. It means a lot to me." Naruto's face was now full of emotion.
"D-Don't let it get over your head, though." Sakura was blushing, but did everything she could to hide it.
"I know!" Naruto knew the meaning of those words. He heard them a few times from Sakura, and each time he thought she said this as a clear indication that they were just friends.
"Anyway, as I was saying… do you think a girl would like you if she saw your apartment like it was before I cleaned it up? You have to be more responsible for keeping your apartment clean and tidy. Oh, and be sure to have your food up to date. Or do you want to have more stomach problems after realizing that you drank expired milk?"
"Ah, sorry! It's just that I was away from home for quite a while. Training… the war…"
"Well, I forgive you then, but if I find out that your apartment is a mess again…" Her eyes swiftly changed to a menacing stare.
"OK Sakura-Chan, I'll keep it clean. I promise." Naruto quickly replied with a nervous smile on his face.
Sakura's stare quickly changed to a warm gaze. "OK then" and a smile appeared in her face.
"I wonder what you would do without me. I know: you'd probably be doing that Sexy jutsu and doing ecchi stuff while your apartment was dirty…"
"Sakura…" Naruto was now staring seriously at Sakura. Her face was red, but he didn't seem to notice. "Why are you so worried about me?"
"Baka! Everyone's worried about you. Tsunade-sama, Kakashi-sensei, Sai-san, all our classmates…"
"I know but… I did not expect that you would so much for me…" Naruto's gaze was fixed at Sakura, waiting for an answer.
"You've saved everyone Naruto. It's the least I can do for you." Sakura answered.
Naruto noticed that she wanted to say something else, but he preferred not to insist. "Anyway, here!" Sakura handled Naruto a package. He felt it warm when it was placed in his lap. But the surprise on his face when he opened the package was more warm that the feeling of the package itself.
"This is…" Naruto stared at the bowl while he placed it on his eating table
"You haven't eaten in days, right?" Sakura was right with these words. "What are you waiting for? Go ahead!"
"Wooo, thanks Sakura-Chan! Itadakumasu!" Naruto did not hesitate to take the chopsticks and eat the Ichiraku ramen given to him by Sakura. She sat quietly at his side while placing the second bowl of ramen on the table and taking out some anko dumplings to eat.
"Ah, that hits the spot." Sakura was barely finishing her second anko dumpling while Naruto was already done with his two bowls of ramen. He was indeed hungry, that's for sure.
Naruto took the time to go and wash his teeth while Sakura finished her second dumpling. He didn't want to look bad in front of Sakura, so he did whatever necessary to look nice. He checked his hair in the mirror; made sure his mouth was clean and double-checked everything in the bathroom to see if it was in order.
...
"Naruto" Sakura's expression surprised Naruto as he got out of the restroom. "Don't feel bad about the promise ok? You did everything you could… and I'm really grateful for that. In fact, I'm sure everyone's grateful for what you've done. But I just wanted to let you know that even though it didn't result as you would dream of, you did keep your promise... So cheer up ok?" Her expression changed along with her tone into a positive one.
"…" Naruto did not know what to say. This speech caught him off guard and even more when it came to Sakura. "But Sakura… Sas…"
"Sasuke had to be stopped. You proved to be the best friend ever, both to him and to me. And I'm sure he knew that. "
Naruto had his gaze fixed at the floor. This however, changed when he noticed what happened next.
Sakura was now enveloping Naruto in a warm hug. He would remember his Mother's hug after pulling out Kurama's chakra.
"Naruto… Thank you!" The words whispered in his ear. This was enough to make him forget everything for a while and focus on the one in front of him.
When the hug ended, Naruto's eyes caught sight of something shiny. Something definitely caught his attention. His eyes went in a hunt to find whatever distracted him for a while… and when he found out what caught his attention, his eyes widened as his mind travelled in a space-time journey, all the way to his house… into his room… to the box he kept in secret through all these years. The Cherry Flower necklace that Naruto bought for Sakura was now embracing Sakura's neck and chest.
Did she found out everything? If she had the necklace, then the answer is yes.
"That's…"
But before Naruto could say another word, his lips were sealed in a sensation he never felt before. Sakura's soft lips were one with Naruto's lips, locked in a warm kiss. Naruto was unsure if this was dream or not, but after remembering the punch from earlier, he realized that this was definitely happening.
"You're a fool for doing all of these gifts for me… But I'm a bigger fool for not noticing you sooner Naruto" Sakura's word expressed sincerity. "Do you remember what I told you when we were in The Land of Iron?"
"Yeah" Naruto was so close to Sakura that he preferred to whisper this. He was just a breath away from her
"At that time, even though it may have been about removing the burden of the promise and about trying to make you forget Sasuke, but what I said weren't lies. You've been there for me Naruto. I've seen the mischievous dummy become a man, and I've been next to him all this time. I've seen his love and his strong desire to never give up in making me happy. And now, I want to be with him and love him with all my heart. " She then looked at his eyes…"Do you believe me now… Naruto?"
"Sakura… I've always wanted to be with you. But ever since school, you were always devoted to Sasuke. I envied Sasuke because of this. Not only he was skilled, but he had the love of the one special to me. And during the years, your love for him only grew stronger, up to the point of doing the best of him. This, and my love for you, only motivated me to help you achieve your dream to be with him. I didn't care about my feelings, or about my pain. As long as I could bring a smile on your face, I would feel OK… with a bit of pain… but OK. That's why I could not bring myself to believe you when you told me this when we were at the land of iron. Plus Sai told me about your decision. You were about to achieve the ultimate act of love for him. That's when I thought that I had no other hope to be with you. Even so, I was determined to make you happy. That is what drove me to stop Sasuke: my desire to prove that I lov…" his lips were stopped by Sakura's finger.
"I know… you don't have to repeat yourself…"
"You mean…"
"Yes, I heard everything."
Naruto didn't know how she heard his monologue, but this wasn't the time to ask about that…
"Sakura, if this is what you truly want… if this is what will make you happy… then I'll be here for you… always have… always will..."
"Oh Naruto… what would you do without me…"
"What I've always done Sakura… love you."
Sakura gave Naruto one last kiss before preparing to leave. "Now it's my turn to give you something. I haven't thought of what exactly to give you yet, but I promise I'll make it up to you for all these Valentines"
"Sakura, you've just given me the greatest gift you can give me. There's nothing else bigger than that."
"Maybe… But I have to repay you for this." She flashed Naruto the ticket for the free dessert (anmitsu). "And no matter what you say this time, I'm going to repay you anyway. Oh… and thanks for calling me Sakura."
He didn't notice that he was referring to her like that already. Nevertheless, Naruto smiled as he knew he will never win that argument.
Just as Sakura was about to close the door, she looked back with an expression which conveys romantic love and said…
"No matter what you say this time, we're going to be together."
Naruto's days were about to change forever… or maybe they've already changed… but as his thoughts we're now on memory lane, his emotions were now on full recovery, and his heart was now pounding with excitement, his mouth muttered the words which began their trust for each other and the vow to love no one else but Sakura…
"…that's the promise of a lifetime."