Every Step I Take
By: sleepingbunny
Disclaimer: SB no ownee.
Present: "normal"
Thoughts: 'italics'
Seeing You Again
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A stunning pink-haired goddess was currently roaming the streets looking for one place in particular. A wide grin was plastered on her face; she couldn't help but feel somewhat happy. She was currently skipping her way through a horde of people, though not literally of course, that would just be too weird.
Today was a very special day, no…it wasn't her birthday, nope…it's wasn't someone else, nope…no anniversary…she's not married…yet…
Wink-wink-nudge-nudge!
It was. It was…
LUNCH TIME!
(Laugh out loud. No really, it was.)
The divine beauty jumped in joy when she saw her final destination coming into view. Her stomach was doing little back flips so to speak.
THE RAMEN SHACK!
(Again. Not kidding.)
They were all supposed to be meeting there today; this was going to be the first time in years that the rookie nine and team 10 have been together for a long time.
They were all 22, minus team 10 who were 23 and at the height of their careers; their skills ranged from chunnin and above, in fact, most made it into Anbu.
Naruto was well on his way to becoming the next Hokage. He was just about done his training with one of the legendary sannin, Jiraiya. Over the years he has grown into a well… a ladies man, probably learning the 'playboy' ways from his pervert of a teacher. He was no longer the shortest out of team 7, now the tallest. 6 feet, lean, muscular, golden blond hunk, as all the village girls liked to put it.
Who knows who was getting more attention these days, Naruto or Sasuke?
Yes, they managed to retrieve him back from the creepy snake guy, you would think that he would be grateful for it but nooo…he was probably even colder than before, never speaking anymore than 3 words to anybody, which were basically, "Shut-up Dope."
He didn't really change much, in both appearance and emotions. Sasuke's hairstyle was the same but shorter at the back and his face unlike Naruto lost all of its former childhood looks. Naruto still kept his adorable baby face. He was taller though…but the fact of the matter was that he was still shorter than Naruto. In fact, when Naruto noticed this and tried to hold it against him…it wasn't all too pretty. The bump on his head never did go down…
All in all he was hot and everyone knew it.
Sakura had changed the most out of all of them. She was no longer the weak little girl everyone portrayed her as. Stripped of the little naïve twelve-year-old, she worked her ass off, striving to become stronger when "he" left, and successfully is now one of the leading kunoichi of Konoha.
Hell Ya!
It was even rumored that she was the nurse most perverts…um patients…yea…asked for when injured.
Stupid pervs.
Her exquisiteness, beauty, happy-go-lucky ways and scrumptiousness made her quite the catch…but if only all the male dummies in her life would actually take notice of all this.
No, they refused to actually see her as who she was. Images of a pretty little "damsel in distress" still swam in their minds. Although yes, there were times in which she was flirty and maybe a tad bit clingy, and hell, she could be really naggy at times – but hey! She was only female.
AND THANK GOD SHE WAS FEMALE!
Haruno Sakura had proved herself a changed woman. She was a jounin. Having passed her test 3 years ago, and when I mean passed – I mean passed with flying colors. She learned from the best of course – look at her teacher, the beautiful, and deadly, Tsunade-sama. She would have been a disgrace if she couldn't follow her footsteps – although the women did have a very big shadow that she was always casting around Sakura.
She would eventually grow out from it.
Through it all, she still was able to keep her elegant and carefree personality. She wore the same sweet smile on her face, and same innocent. Her slick and shiny pressed pink tresses fell across her face and down to her shoulders with poise. Her color had faded a bit, all those hours training in the heat and sun bathing must have taken its toil.
Her outfit also had change – to go along with her new personality of course! Baggy black pants with a shoulder-cut white top fit nicely on her. She liked to mix and match, occasionally changing her shirt to a blue t-shirt or pink top that showed off her features very nicely. She wore different pairs of high heels – having own a large collection, but usually wore white sandals. Her nails were French-manicured, sometimes painted a pale pink to match her fair skin, her hair pulled back in little clips and brushed out. All of the accessories just seem to add to her beauty.
Unique and shy, she was considered one of the most sought out women in Konoha, having a massive fan club rivaling Sasuke's and even Neji's, which is saying quite a lot.
Most men tried to court her, but she turned down every one, always telling the same excuse, "I just don't have time, sorry." Many still believed that she had a crush on a certain Anbu captain, but no one has ever confirmed it…yet.
Yes, she did like Sasuke, but her past infatuation, 'it was just a crush!' her inner self screamed at her, had long passed…or so she thought anyways…
She really was a sight to see.
She had it all; she was talented, intelligent, and well, hot. She was easily any man's dream girl, and wife, all except one…
"The one that matters," Sakura muttered darkly to herself giving a sneering smile. She just hated knowing it.
He never took a second glance at her. When he came back, she had laid off all the annoying squealing and unwanted asking out of dates. All she wanted was for the prodigy to notice her, and maybe to acknowledge her as his friend, to trust her, but he acted like he always did, pushing her away and putting her down. It made her sad, but she never once showed a tear.
Eventually, she gave up and treated him like everyone else, yet secretly pining for him, wanting for him to notice her. Maybe she was fooling herself; maybe she still loved him… Yupp, she was lying to herself, she did still love him, she just couldn't help it, he would always own a special part of her heart, maybe not her whole heart, but he will still be there… haunting her…she just couldn't let go.
So, there they all are, crammed into a small ramen bar, happily chatting away. She was the first to arrive, and the first to wait patiently for the others. Oh, how she wished she could see them again. Her thoughts somehow trailed to her ex-best friend, the pig.
Ino, the nerve of her, still tried to get Sasuke, but from what Sakura knew, he still turned her down. The two were reunited best friends, after Ino, seeing how Sakura stopped chasing after the Uchiha all those years ago.
You see, Sakura left the village for 3 years on a mission, to help out Mist, since Konoha just made a new alliance with them and everything. There she found out many strange things…things that changed her, but more about that later. She just returned a month ago and hasn't seen anyone since.
Sakura was part of the Maizuki clan. Her mother was actually the heir, but fell in love with Fay Haruno, her father, and ran away to live an exiled life here in Konoha. She had a distinct feeling that Tsunade-sama knew about this, and sent her away to Mist because of this, but she would never ask her why. To her, the matter just didn't concern her any longer, she never wanted to step foot back in Mist again.
"Sakura-Chan," a loud and obnoxious voice snapped her out of her pondering. "It's been so long," Sakura turned her head and smiled at the Anbu captain who had her in a bone-crushing hug.
"Naruto, you haven't changed at all," she laughed, "now put me down, idiot, I can't breathe."
"Umm… Ahaha," Naruto chuckled nervously, letting her go and allowing her some space. "So…how has it been, Sakura-Chan?" He sat down in the empty seat next to her.
"Good," she stated, and the two were left chatting for what seemed like hours while one by one more old faces started to enter the ramen stand, greeting each other and welcoming Sakura back from her successful mission.
At last everyone was there, except Ino and Sasuke.
'Where is he? I thought we all agreed that we were supposed to meet here at 2?' Sakura checked her watch; it was now 2:30. Sasuke was not one to be late.
Sakura was getting anxious, I mean who wouldn't be? She hasn't seen him for years. She just couldn't wait to see her Sasuke again, even if she wasn't going to pounce on him and scream 'I love you with all my heart' again. Oh… how that incident still brought tears to her eyes. She just tried to forget about that. 'It never happened' she tells herself. Whenever he says means things to her, it always reminds of that faithful night.
"Ahahaha…oh…Sasuke-kun, you're so silly!"
Sakura looked up with hopeful eyes when she heard his name being spoken.
"Ah"
She smiled when she heard his response. 'He hasn't changed a bit…'
"Sasuke-kun let go. Stop it. Sasuke-kun," a very feminine voice called out playfully, like she was getting teased or something. "You are so weird Sasuke-kun."
Sakura's brow twitched, 'she called him…Sasuke-kun…' Sakura was brought out of her thoughts when Ino and Sasuke entered the ramen stand.
Something was wrong, Sakura could tell from the moment they walked in.
What was it though?
'Wait a minute did Ino and Sasuke just walk in together? Why are they holding hands? What's going on here?'
Everyone was probably thinking the same thing as well, since they all stood staring opened mouthed at the two - everyone except Neji of course, who was too cool to show emotions, especially the element of surprise. He merely passed them a glance.
Naruto opened his mouth to probably welcome the pair when Ino's voice interrupted him.
"We're getting married!" She announced gleefully, showing off her large diamond ring, but rather yet staring at Sakura all at the same time.
Almost as if she wanted to shove it in her face.
There was silence and yet again, for the hundredth time, Sakura heard her already fragile heart breaking in two.
(Y) ? (Y) ? (Y)
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C ((")(") C ((")(") C ((")(")
Bunny POWER!