Happy Valentine's Day
rated T mostly for language.
alright, so this is my very first fanfic! yay. i finally finished. so i really hope you enjoy.
Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any of the other naruto characters.
(but if i did, sasuke would be dead, cause i hate him. hehe..ahem, sorry, back to the story)
Thinking
Inner Sakura talking
"talking"
Sakura Haruno slowly opened her eyes, blinked a couple times, then closed them again, planning on sleeping some more. Suddenly, she sat up in bed, eyes wide open. She turned her head to look at the clock, and then gasped at the time.
Shit! I'm late! Ino's gonna kill me! She jumped out of bed and raced into the bathroom.
Well it's about time you woke up!
Shut up. Inner Sakura stuck her tongue out, and then receded back into somewhere in Sakura's mind.
15 minutes later
Sakura quickly pulled on her clothes before heading downstairs.
C'mon, faster, faster. Gotta hurry.
Inner Sakura just rolled her eyes, but decided to stay quiet.
3 blocks away
Lee happily walked over to Sakura's apartment, holding a plate of cupcakes in his arms.
"My youthful cherry-blossom will surely enjoy my homemade cupcakes!" He cried happily, as he walked up the steps. He lifted one hand to knock, then,
BAM!
The door slammed open, smushing the cupcakes in his face, and threw him against the wall. Sakura ran out the door, just barely locking it, before gathering chakra into her feet and sprinting away. Lee stood there. Frosting covered the tip of his nose, his chin, and all around his mouth.A couple of kids walked by, but stopped and stared closely at him.
Suddenly one kid shouted, "Hey! It's Santa Claus!"
"Ya! It is!" Another cried, as they all started moving in on Lee.
Unfortunately, Lee had decided to wear a red jumpsuit today to celebrate Valentine's Day, so along with the frosting on his face, he could pass as a skinny, blacked-haired Santa. Lee started running away, the kids right on his heels.
"AAH! I am not Santa Claus!" He declared, but his cry fell upon deaf ears as they kept chasing after him.
Back to Sakura
Sakura slowed down as she spotted the other girls already sitting at a table, talking away. Ino looked up and spotted Sakura approaching, "Hey Forehead! We thought you weren't gonna show up!"
Sakura jumped and landed in the empty seat next the Hinata. She looked at Ino, and then stuck out her tongue, "Well I'm here now Ino-pig!" The two girls laughed at the old nicknames. After Sakura calmed down, she turned towards Hinata and Tenten.
"Hey," She said, smiling at them. The girls smiled back.
"Hello Sakura-chan."
Tenten just nodded her head in greeting.
After Naruto had returned from his training with Jiraiya 2 years ago, he recognized his feelings for Hinata, and asked her out. They have been dating ever since, and Hinata improved on trying not to stutter. The girls started talking but stopped when Lee ran past them, followed by a mob of kids chasing after him. The girls sweat-dropped.
"Was that Lee?" Ino asked.
"Yep." Tenten nodded.
"And was he dressed up as Santa?" Sakura asked.
Tenten nodded again. "Yep."
"Why?" Hinata questioned.
Tenten shrugged. "No idea."
The girls all turned back to the table.
"So girls, who are you thinking of as a Valentine?" Ino asked. She looked over at Tenten. Tenten blushed and looked down at the table, mumbling something under her breath.
"Sorry Tenten, couldn't hear you. What was that?"
"I said Neji," Tenten repeated, her voice louder than before. The other girls smiled and nodded their heads.
Sakura turned to face Hinata. "I'm guessing Naruto for you, right?" Hinata nodded, smiling.
Before Sakura could ask Ino, the wind picked up and another blonde-haired girl dropped into the last empty seat at the table. The tardy girl looked up and grinned, "Sup?" The others grinned as well.
"You're late." Ino commented.
"Sorry, had to make a pit stop. So what'd I miss?" Temari asked, leaning her elbows on the table, and resting her head on her hands.
"Well, Tenten wants Neji to be her valentine, Naruto is Hinata's," Sakura started.
Temari grinned. "Obviously." Sakura nodded and continued, "I was just about to ask Ino till you came…Oh! And Lee ran past us dressed as Santa Claus." It was silent for a moment, before Temari burst out laughing, clutching her sides as she did. Once her laughter had subsided down to a chuckle, she turned to Ino.
"So who's your lover gonna be?"
"Choji." The girls looked shocked.
"You mean the chubby kid with swirls on his cheeks and never stops eating?" Temari asked.
"Hey! He's not fat, he's just big boned! And he eats all the time because it's part of his jutsu!" Ino replied defensively. Temari held her hands up in a calm down manner.
"Sorry."
Ino huffed, "Well, how bout you?"
Temari grinned before answering. "Lazy-ass."
The other kunoichi nodded. It was true that Shikamaru was Konoha's # 1 genius, but he could mostly be described as a lazy ass.
Tenten suddenly turned to Sakura, "Hey Sakura, we still haven't found out who you want as a valentine." The others stared at Sakura intently. She blushed and looked away.
"Aww! C'mon forehead, the rest of us told, so you gotta too!" Ino whined.
Sakura sighed, "…Gaara." The girls gaped at her, and she blushed more. Suddenly Temari cleared her throat and grinned, leaning back in her chair.
"I approve."
Sakura looked at her. "Approve?"
Temari nodded her head. "Well ya! I don't want just anyone as my baby brothers' valentine," She explained. The other kunoichi sweat-dropped, but nodded anyways.
"Uh, thanks…I think."
The rest of the afternoon the girls spent chatting away about the latest gossip in Suna and Konoha, to which Jonin is the hottest, to the latest fashion trends, and just about anything else going on in their lives. However, their animated discussion was cut short when Ino gasped as she looked at the time. "Sorry girls, but I gotta go get ready for the festival later tonight." The others nodded in agreement and went their separate ways, knowing that they'll meet up at the event later that night.
LATER THAT EVENING
Sakura smiled as she peered at herself in the mirror. Her pink hair was pulled up into a loose bun with some wisps of hair framing her face. She put a pair of senbon in her hair to keep it in place. Her vibrant green eyes sparkled bright, and her soft cheeks had a small tinge of light pink blush. Her luscious lips were covered in shiny, cherry-flavored lip gloss. Her gaze slowly moved down to look at her outfit. She wore a pale pink kimono which ended mid-calf. Pink cherry blossoms were placed here and there on the silky kimono. On her feet was a pair of 2-inch light pink flip-flops. Sakura reached for some kunai, and placed them somewhere in her kimono. You can never be too careful. She gazed at herself once more before leaving, making sure to lock the door behind her.
Sakura walked down the streets of Konoha. Laughter and screams of joy surrounded her as she kept on walking. She paused as a group of genin ran by her and over to one of the booths. She continued her search for her friends until she heard a familiar voice.
"Sakura-chaaan!" Naruto cried as he ran over to Sakura, pulling her into a tight embrace.
"N-Naruto…c-can't breathe...need… air!" Sakura gasped out. Naruto quickly let her go and scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Forehead-girl!"
"Ino-pig!" The two girls called out and hugged. Sakura let go and looked around the table.
There was an empty spot next to Choji where Ino had just been sitting at. Sakura smiled and raised her hand in greeting, receiving a nod in return. Next to Choji sat Shikamaru, and then Temari next to him. Sakura smiled and waved at them. She thought she heard Shikamaru mutter a quiet "troublesome," and raise his hand in greeting. Temari gave him a small glare and smacked his shoulder. "Ow! Damn it!..Troublesome woman," he mumbled. Temari looked back up at Sakura and grinned. Sakura returned it and continued along the table. Across from Temari sat Tenten, who was next to Neji. Tenten smiled at Sakura and Neji just "hn'd" in greeting. Sakura smiled back before turning to the next couple. Next to Neji sat Hinata, and then a grinning Naruto. Sakura smiled again.
"Hey." She said cutely. Temari stood up.
"Sakura, you look gorgeous!"
Tenten nodded. "Ya! You look great!"
Hinata smiled shyly. "Ya Sakura-chan, you look very nice."
Sakura grinned, and said "Thanks," before turning towards Ino. Ino looked back at her.
"What?" Sakura raised an eyebrow. Ino rolled her eyes.
"Ya ya. I agree, you look great!" she said, before smiling. Sakura smiled back.
"Thanks. You girls look wonderful too!" she exclaimed.
Hinata had chosen a light blue kimono covered in light purple flowers that were scattered everywhere on the dress. Her long, dark purple hair shined and fell down her back smoothly. Tenten wore a kimono that started out dark green at the bottom, and faded to white at the top of the kimono. Along the bottom edge, were a couple of white daisies. Her buns were held in place with dark green ribbons, and some strands of hair had fallen out, framing her face on each side. Temari wore a black kimono. At the bottom, were many flowers and a square that looked like one of those square pretzels. The designs were all a light tan color, and some of the larger flowers were outlined in red. The flowers seemed to float up along the kimono, but stopped a little below the bow tied around her torso, right along her ribcage. The same pattern was on the long sleeves of the kimono. Her blonde hair was pulled back into the familiar four ponytails and her headband was tied across her forehead. Ino had on a light purple kimono, with pink flowers scattered everywhere. She had let her long blonde hair down, and it almost reached the back of her knees. To put it bluntly, the girls looked stunning.
Sakura looked around the table once more and realized there were a few shinobi missing. First, was Kiba and his dog Akamaru. The last time she had an encounter with them, he had been in the hospital after receiving crucial wounds across his upper torso and a gash running from his shoulder down to his elbow. That was yesterday. The next person she noticed who wasn't present was Shino. She hadn't really had that much contact with him. Then there was Sai. She mentally sighed. He had become better with emotions, and was slowly increasing in his social skills.
She noticed Lee wasn't present either. As soon as the thought crossed her mind, a flash of red sped by her and her friends and continued to run with a group of kids following after him. All of the kunoichi looked at each other, and then burst into laughter. The red blur had actually been Lee with the same group of kids behind him like earlier in the day. Sakura grinned, and then noticed a few others missing. She turned a questioning glance towards Temari.
"Temari, where are Kankuro and Gaara?"
"Hmm, well I think Kankuro is some where around here, and Gaara…" Temari looked up at the dark sky thoughtfully.
"Actually, I haven't seen him since last night." Sakura nodded her head.
Let's go look for him.
Hmm... fine.
Sakura looked at them. "Well, I think I'll go look for him then." The girls looked at her and grinned.
"Good luck!" They shouted out to her as she started walking away. Sakura looked over her shoulder, smiled, and gave a curt nod before walking off again.
As Sakura strolled through the fair, a certain booth caught her eye. Well, it was more like the prize in the booth. Her eyes landed on a certain stuffed animal. She grinned and walked up to the man in the booth.
"Excuse me, but what do I have to do to win that?" She asked, pointing up at the stuffed animal. The man smiled a toothy grin and explained the game.
"Well miss, you have to throw these senbon needles into all the targets to win that." Sakura nodded her head.
"Ok, may I please try?" She asked politely.
The man nodded his head again and grinned, handing her the 20 senbon and setting up the targets. He stepped back as he watched Sakura hold ten of the senbon in each hand, focusing on the targets. Before he could blink, the pink-haired woman threw her right hand out in front of her and released the senbon, using a similar motion when throwing a Frisbee. Another second passed and she did the same with her left hand. The man looked over to see all the targets with a senbon embedded dead center in each one. He gaped as Sakura smiled at him, before pointing at the prize. The man snapped out of his daze and went to get the animal. He walked over to her, and Sakura took it in her arms, smiling brightly as she walked away from the booth.
As Sakura walked through the crowd of people, she looked down into her hands to inspect the prize she had won. It was a black and white stuffed panda with a heart on its forehead.
It reminds me of Gaara-kun.
Inner Sakura nodded her head in agreement.
Sakura suddenly stiffened and gasped as a cold, grubby hand grasped her shoulder, and around her waist. Before she knew what happened, she was pulled into a dark secluded alley, away from all the crowds of people. She tried to struggle out of their grasp, but her kidnapper only tightened their hold on her. She stiffened when the hand holding her around the waist slowly moved down her body towards her pelvic region. Sakura momentarily forgot about being a strong kunoichi when she realized that they intended on raping her. She heard the gruff man chuckle drunkenly.
"Hehe, I'm gonna have fun with you tonight." He slurred out. Before his hand could move any closer to his intended target, he was suddenly ripped violently away from her body. Sakura turned and look at the man now lying on his back, staring wide-eyed as he watched the moving sand retreat to a shadowed figure. The man snapped out of his stupor and his ugly face twisted in rage.
"WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU THINK YOU'RE DOING?!" He snarled. He heard a deep growl, and was suddenly pinned against the brick wall of the alleyway, a pale hand holding a strong grip on his neck. He tried to claw at the hand to let go, but the pressure around his throat only increased.
"NEVER touch her again." A voice hissed. The man chanced a glance at his captor, and his eyes met with narrowed obsidian green ones. The pure hatred, disgust, and anger in that glare alone made him shiver.
The mysterious man continued to choke his prey until he became unconscious. Sakura's savior looked at the unconscious man one more time, before throwing him across the alley, and turning towards a stupefied Sakura.
Meanwhile, Sakura stood there, dumbfounded, gripping the stuffed animal tightly. She snapped out of her daze as she felt another hand touch her arm lightly. She jerked her head up, only to be met with another pair of green eyes. Before she could do anything, Gaara grabbed her by the waist, pulled her close, and used his sand to transport them onto a rooftop overlooking the festival.
Gaara slowly let the pink-haired medic go as his sand retreated back into his gourd. Sakura looked back up at him with her sparkling emerald eyes.
"Thank you, Gaara-kun." She said, before bowing slightly.
They stood in silence for a while, both staring into each other's eyes. Sakura seemed to remember she was holding the stuffed animal and blushed slightly, looking at the prize she had won. Gaara watched as Sakura looked down, noticing the stuffed animal in her arms.
"Sakura…will you be my Valentine?" Sakura quickly looked up to see that Gaara was looking away with a slight pink tint on his cheeks.
"I'd love to be your valentine Gaara-kun," she said, looking straight at him and smiling big. Gaara looked back down at her, and Sakura gasped at what she saw. On his face was not a grin or a smirk, but a smile. A truly genuine smile just for her. Sakura beamed back at him.
"Oh! I got this for you Gaara. I saw it and it reminded me of you." Sakura said, holding out the little panda in her arms. Gaara looked at it for a second before taking it from her. Suddenly, sand started to swirl in front of her, until it took the shape of a rose. Gaara plucked it from the air and gently held it out to her.
"For you, Sakura-chan." He said, blushing lightly. Sakura took the sandy flower from him and blushed, holding it close.
"Arigato…Happy Valentine's Day panda-chan."
Gaara raised a non-existent eyebrow, but otherwise said nothing. He wrapped his strong arms around her and pulled her close just as the fireworks started.
"Happy Valentine's Day, my cherry blossom."
The End
yay! i finished. please review. i'd really appreciate it. constructive criticism would be wonderful, or any other thoughts and stuff on it. so ya. tell me wat ya think!!
SS