A NaruSaku as well, this one is a lot longer than the one before it and it was a challenge ineed. I, with the exception of 'Never; have not written about characters that are not my own. Crit. is a good thing, I ASK for it, please give me improvement tips! I'm resisting the urge to say that this is bad; I've been told I shouldnt do that.

DISCLAIMER: I do not own Naruto or any of its characters...Damn you Kishi .

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Always

- Blu

"Sakura-Chan!" He was there, waiting for her, he was always there when she arrived, secretly dying to simply see her face whether she enjoyed seeing him or not. He had for years been there, waiting for her everyday on the bridge Team Seven used to gather on, back when there was a Team Seven. Even on days without training, days that they had 'off', he'd always somehow find his way back there, to that bridge, perhaps hoping to see that she was there, however, this was never a reality.

And she never liked seeing him there, not in the beginning at least, for Sasuke was there too, and he was all that had mattered. Day after day he alone greeted her and yet she hardly even looked his way. That changed. As the months flew by, she would look forward to his voice upon her arrival, his attention, even when she continued to have eyes only for the Uchiha, she looked forward to hearing him.

And then Sasuke wasn't there anymore. The blonde remained, always giving a small cheerful greeting, but the one who had stolen all her affection over the years was gone. There were even times when Sakura avoided the bridge completely, not wanting to run into Naruto and his always happy-to-see her 'hello's. Even then, even when she tired so hard to avoid it, she somehow found her way to that bridge to see Naruto leaning lightly on the rail, staring quietly into the water below. He left eventually, Sakura discovered after forcing herself to watch one afternoon, hidden, until he left. It was always after many hours had passed, in which he'd go off to train or eat.

So when he and Jiraiya set off for their own long journey and she started hers, Sakura had a tendency to lean on the rail to that old bridge and stare quietly into the water, for hours it seemed. In fact, she seemed to desire being on that bridge so much that most knew exactly where to find her on her days off.

And as weeks turned to months she always stood in the same place, staring at the same spot in the crystal water, water, she knew, his eyes could easily compare to in blue. She found that, every time she visited that old bridge, she could hear him, calling to her, like before Sasuke left and before the hurt began. It was true that he still greeted her after the Raven-Haired boy was gone, but he was always in pain it seemed. Partially she blamed herself, the promise he had made to her she had asked for. Guilty though she was, she wanted Naruto to succeeded, to bring Sasuke back; she couldn't know it would hurt him so much to see her eyes light up when she finally saw him again.

The Months ticked by, she still wished for Sasuke yet still heard the Blonde's voice vibrant and clear in the back of her mind. It was his face she often saw in the steam when she got lost in her thoughts, but the other's name she whispered in her sleep, the other she longed to see.

Finally, the first year was over and done. While the others celebrated the New Year with fireworks and other celebratory gestures, Sakura remained on the bridge, lonely for, who she thought was, Sasuke. It wasn't long before she was joined by a familiar black-haired Ninja. "Hello, Sakura-San." He spoke quietly as he leaned his back against the same rail her arms were folded across; however, his eyes were on the sky. She jumped at his sudden appearance, lost in thought. This apparently went unnoticed by Lee, and she turned to look at the boy who also seemed to care so much about her. "Hello, Lee-San" she said with a small smile. Silence followed, a long deafening silence, before it was finally broken by Lee who turned to Sakura with a questioning look. "Why are you not celebrating?" To this, Sakura had no answer. She shrugged her shoulders and her gaze found the stone floor of the bridge. This did not go unnoticed by Lee. She's hurting… he mused silently.

Another awkward silence formed between them and at this, Lee decided it was time he left. "Goodnight, Sakura-San. Please be safe on your way home." He left her, but paused for a moment, turning back with a small warm smile. "He'll be back, Sakura-San, I know it." He hesitated, unsure whether or not such a thing was appropriate to say "and then he'll bring you back Sasuke" And before Naruto's name passed Sakura's lips, Lee was gone. She stared for a long time, confused, after him, before deciding it was time for her, too, to go home.

That night her dreams were filled with a loud Blonde-haired Ninja as they were equally of Sasuke.

Again, time passed and again Sakura visited the bridge, her studies coming along and she herself growing older and more mature by the day. It had become a habit by now, that she whisper a quiet "Hello, Naruto" every time she set foot upon the bridge; it was her way of making up for having ignored him for so long. Thoughts of Sasuke had lessened and with them, her pain. She still hurt, but she felt some secret comfort in her thoughts of Naruto. There were times even, while she stared into the stream, that she'd imagine conversations with Naruto, the ones she had refused to have. Why had she ignored him so much? Why did she claim to hate him like she did?

Because he wasn't Sasuke. Because he was always the stupid one, the loud one, the obnoxious one. He was the one that was still there after Sasuke left, the one that always cared despite how she felt about him, the one that had promised her the one thing she truly wanted. At this, Sakura began to wonder, it was hard to remember the beginning, but he was always there, wasn't he? In fact, she couldn't remember him ever not being there, ever…

She began to count the days, she saw him in the water, in her dreams, and when she looked really fast, she could just see him standing on the bridge. She would zone out and wake up to find herself talking to him and still, everyday, she would greet his voice, burned into her memory, with her own.

Lee and Ino suspected it, but neither said anything to her when they invited her for training or Lunch and watched as she was always reluctant to let her hand leave the rail. She no longer missed him, it wasn't him she longed for, and it wasn't him that was brightest in her memory, not anymore.

And then, finally, he returned. She knew he had come back, however, she didn't go to meet him. No, instead, she stayed rooted to her usual spot on the bridge, staring blankly into the cool blue water below. That was until she heard the noise she had been desperate to hear for nearly three years; his approaching footsteps. As those steps ceased, Sakura's gaze rose from the stream of blue and into an equally yet more vibrant blue. He was looking at her with concern, taller, his hair longer, yet still the boy she had remembered.

She straightened up, hands remaining lightly on the rail. Then, a smile, genuine, graced her lips "Hello, Naruto." He hesitated, as if searching for something else in her eyes, before his expression too melted into a smile. "Hello, Sakura-Chan."

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I know this isn't how they meet after the Time-Skip, however, I couldn't help myself creating this. Pretend you don't know how they meet again xD