The years were unfriendly to the young man, now twenty-two years old, Naruto had matured a lot, having experiencing many ups and downs, but through the many deaths of his comrades. His comrades, his friends, those who ventured with him towards the darkness, the path they had to walk to take down Akatsuki, but today, Naruto did not return alone, carrying on his shoulder was a prisoner he intended to turn over to the Hokage. Naruto mused over how Shikamaru had been since he started on his training under the old hag, and palely smiled at the thought of seeing everyone again, or rather what was left of his friends.
Having lost the shine and spikiness in his hair, his long dark blonde hair now resembled more like layers of hay reaching down to the back, tied together by a little pink ribbon. At where he last wore his hitai-ate, Naruto replaced it with a simple dirt-brown bandanna, which he used to keep his messy hair out of his eyes. What remained of his broken hitai-ate was left hanging around his neck by a string through a punctured hole in a corner. Wearing his tattered dirty beige-coloured overcoat, Naruto walked home slowly and wearily.
He did not see the need to announce his return to the guards, carefully treading past without being noticed, Naruto made his way to his final destination, realising that perhaps that he would probably had time to see only one person. Haruno Sakura came to his mind, or rather she had always been on her mind, five years since he last saw her, five years since he remade his promise towards her.
Knocking once, knocking twice, and waiting seemed like an eternity for him, his heart started to pound harder and faster as footsteps came from the other side of the door. Naruto forced on a smile onto his face on seeing the door creeping open, opened by a slender hand. The door opened to reveal a face as if halted by time, her youthful face remained even as her body grew more attractive, while losing her childish charms, Sakura gained maturity and beauty. Layers of blades tied around her waist in descending length, Sakura wore her weapons proudly as a skirt, disguising it as part of her uniform, along with the Jounin vest over the black skin-tight bodysuit. Smiling while running through his messy hair with his free hand, Naruto suddenly recalled that he was still a Genin, he never did get another shot at the exam since his schedule was packed so tight.
Sakura gasped at the sight of Naruto's return, covering her mouth with one hand, while the other remained on the doorframe, supporting her weakening knees. Losing the ability to think straight, Sakura immediately tumbled forward with warm tears leaving streaks down her cheeks. Half wiping the tears away, allowing herself to be hugged by Naruto's arms. Dropping the prisoner with a heavy thump onto the concrete floor, Naruto embraced Sakura without hesitation.
"Sakura, I'm home," Naruto whispered into Sakura's ear. Half crying, half smiling, Naruto could only wish that he could hold on to her longer.
The two of them remained in that position for some time, until remembering the fleeing time, Naruto removed Sakura's hands from around his neck. Smiling as best as he could, putting on a false appearance of happiness, Naruto kneeled down before Sakura, while pulling the hooded prisoner close to him. Pulling the hood off the head, Naruto wanted to see the surprise on Sakura's face, of the return of their friend, Uchiha Sasuke.
x
Putting the prisoner on a spare bed in Sakura's house, Naruto pulled the blanket over Sasuke's body before sitting down on a wooden chair beside the bed. Looking up, Naruto observed Sakura's frightened face, he did not realise how bringing Sasuke along would have shaken her so, but he could still remembering the short brief moment of relief and tears of joy when he revealed Sasuke's face, upon that, Naruto cried in his wounded heart.
Her hands still over her mouth, trying to comprehend what was happening. "Naruto, he's… he's… alive, is he?" Sakura stuttered on seeing Sasuke's unearthly pale complexion.
Naruto nodded once with a gentle smile. "I brought him back, Sakura, I fulfilled my promise to you. He's a little rugged after what I did to him, but it was necessary."
Suddenly, Sakura turned angry, her fists put close to her chest, she shouted at Naruto, "Idiot!"
Surprised, Naruto almost wanted to cry, but managed to put up a brave face instead.
"Naruto is an idiot!" Sakura continued, pulling on Naruto's hands, she pulled him up into a standing position, and wrapped her hands around Naruto's waist. "Do you know how worried I was when the seven of you left Konohagakure? Can you understand how I feel? Losing all of you all at once?"
Feeling tears falling onto his neck once again, Naruto kept quiet, the pain in his heart almost subsided with what she said. Taking Sakura hands, Naruto slowly led her out of the room. "Hush, Sakura, you don't want to wake Sasuke up, he's tired."
The two of them descended the stairs together, hands in hands, and upon insisting of taking a stroll outside, the two of them decided to walk to the park together. The two of them stopped and rested on a bench, now surrounded by trees, cut off from the electrical lights of street lamps and night-lights, with only heavenly stars above them watching.
"What happened, Naruto? Where are the others?" Sakura asked silently while leaning her body a little to the right, resting her head against his shoulder. Looking up, she realised that he had growth even taller since they parted, but upon seeing Naruto's pained expression on his face, Sakura quickly diverted her eyes, casting them down at Naruto's left hand, which she continued to hold in her tiny hands. Sakura chose to grip onto his hand even harder, afraid that he would leave her any moment.
"They are watching," Naruto whispered very softly, pointing one free hand up towards the starry night sky.
Realising his meaning, Sakura buried her face deeper into his deep and warm clothing, digging her fingers into his sleeve, pulling him closer. In an instant, she lost six of her friends, friends that grew up together, friends that chose to go with Naruto together to hunt down Akatsuki who killed their friends and families. Whispering the names of each and one of them, she prayed for their safe passage into the next world.
"Are you all right, Naruto? You look rather pale," Sakura asked as she looked up, his face shrouded by shadow, and his blue eyes reflecting the moonlight, and for a flicker of a second, the lights in him dimmed for a while.
"I'm okay, just a little tired, I walked all the way back after all, didn't get much sleep in the end," Naruto reassured her by putting his left arm over her shoulders.
"You will stay, right?" Sakura asked. "With us, and it will be like it used to be."
"Nah, probably not, there's a place I need to go, and people I need to follow," Naruto answered quietly, feeling her body jerked at his reply. Looking at Sakura's surprised facial expression, Naruto continued before the girl could say another word, "Sasuke, he needs you now, as much as you need him."
Sakura widened her eyes in shock and anger. "What are you trying to say, Naruto?" Sakura questioned frowning.
Diverting his glances to a far corner of the park, Naruto whispered, "Sakura, you love Sasuke."
The girl gasped, hurt by his comment, yet finding that deep down, Naruto knew her the best. Her feelings for Sasuke never left even when he was no longer with them. Deep down, she knew that Naruto and Sasuke each had their own place in her heart. Turning her back against Naruto, Sakura hid her face from him. Her voice trembling slightly, she was confused with her feelings, "It's true, that while we were young, I wanted to be with Sasuke so much. After waiting for so long…"
Naruto's face remained emotionless, refusing to reveal his weakness. Naruto's body swayed to the left, gently resting his head on Sakura's thighs, watching the darkening dancing shadows around them.
"Then, I'm glad that I made the right choice…" Naruto murmured with his eyes closed as his words went unnoticed by Sakura.
"But how could you have forgotten about the time we spent together? When Sasuke left us, we were there for one another, supporting each other! How could you have forgotten all of these? Even as we know that there's always a place for Sasuke in my heart, you should know as well, that I love you more than I ever did with Sasuke. I love you, Naruto," Sakura confessed. Her hands that were previously resting on Naruto's cold and messy hair started moving on their own, combing through his hair, trying to untangle various knots.
Her hands tracing the flow of his hair, found a small pink ribbon tying the loose ends together. Smiling, Sakura spoke, feeling tears rolling down her cheeks, "You kept the ribbon I gave you, much like I still have the ring you gave me." Her left thumb unconsciously went fondle the ring resting on her ring finger, a perfect fit that matched her tiny hand.
Wiping the tears away with the tips of her fingers, Sakura smiled as she recalled the time they spent together, the two short years before he left. "Naruto? I'm so glad that you returned home, I want you to understand that I really do love you more than anything else in the world. When you told me that you were leaving, I was so angry, how could you even think about abandoning me? I wanted us to be together forever," Sakura said while holding onto his cold hand, entangling her fingers with his.
Sakura combed through Naruto's rugged hair with her fingers, brushing away the few loose strands fallen over Naruto's sleeping face. A cool breeze blew by, sending shivers down Sakura's back.
"Naruto? Let's head back, I will brew some tea for you, just the way you like it… Naruto? Are you asleep? Naruto? Please wake up…"