Making a Choice

Chapter One:

Is it...?

2 1/2 years...

Had it really been that long already? The one person she once called her friend, her teammate, her...crush. Was gone...though she knew that one day they just had to bring him home, they just had to. By they she meant her and her other teammate whom at one time she found annoying, but as time went on she realized that he was more then a loudmouth idoit, that he was someone that truly understood her, if even he was still an idoit. Though, it had not been that long since she saw him for the 1st time in the 2 1/2 years she spent training with the Hokage, to attain the medical skills and strength that she now possed. This was it, she would help her teammate, with her newly attained skills, and find thier friend and bring him home. Well...once the place that was his home and it was where he belonged. Not somewhere with a "person" that was evil and was only trying to take away his very being in this world. She grabbed her shoulders and looked down, she was not going to cry for that showed weakness and she was not the 12-13 year old girl that she used to be. She was now 15 and had matured greatly. True she would still get upset from time to time and cry alone in her room or training area, but she never let it bring her down. She kept thinking that one day...just one day...just one hope...just one dream...to be made reality would happen someday and he would be there...Uchiha Sasuke.

X-X-X

(Farther into the future)

The Haruno crashed to her feet as she could not believe how much her "friend" had changed. He was about ready to kill Naruto and she was about to give him a piece of her mind, but being stopped only made things worse. She took her delicate hands still in her gloves and held them close to her heart. For the 1st time in a long time she began to cry, but she quickly wiped the tears away...crying was not going to bring the Uchiha home.

X-X-X

(The Present)

The sun was shining brightly that morning it was seeming like it would be a better day then what it had been lately, considering it rained the last three days and walking around the village in the rain tended to get anyone muddy. Sakura walked around the center of the village, taking a nice refreshing walk before heading to Tsunade-samas office. The day was looking great already, hopefully everything would be just fine.

As she continuted her walk she noticed Sai at the libaray once again. She was wondering what he was reading up on this time. What could he possibaly be learning this time? She sliently walked over to the libaray and quietly went over to Sai. Smiling she looked down at the book he was reading. It was talking about mannors at the dinnertable. Sakura gave a odd look and sweatdropped, "Ummm hello Sai." Looking up from his book he gave a slight smile, not to much, after all he rarely showed any emotion even now he rarely ever did. He normally smiled around Naruto, but that was it, "Sakura..." She looked at him, "I see you are reading more up on what you need to do and stuff. I thought you had mannors at the dinnertable though..." Sai gave a periecing look as he spoke, "More things...things have changed since I last actually sat down to eat a meal with someone." Sakura nodded. This was true. She acutally couldn't even image the last time that Sai probally sat down and ate a meal with someone. Oh well. She then walked off and waved, "See ya later, Sai!" Then a bunch of people told her to tone her voice down and she sluched and walked out.

Taking a deep breath Sakura put her head up and walked towards the Hokages office. It was time to get ready for the days work. She figured that she would have something to do with possibly going to help out at the Hospital. Lately there had been a lot more people injured then normal, almost as many as when the village had the war with the Sand and Sound villages about 3 years ago. She gave a slight shake, she didn't even want to think of the village going into another war, the fact that Sasuke was still gone was enough, but adding a war to the village would be enough to severly leave her frusted and paranoid. Taking a deep breath, she knocked on the door of the Hokages office. She figured she would get a little yelled at considering that now looking at the time she was about 15 mintues late.

"Come in!"

Sakura opened the door to see, Tsunade, Shizune, Naruto, and Jiraiya all standing in a somewhat circle as if they had been talking on a HUGE seroius level. Sakura walked over nonchalantly and looked at them. Nodding her head as a response of saying she was sorry she was late. Hopefully she would not get her head chewed off after all, she was never really late for anything and espically now. She in truth felt like an idiot for being late in the first place. Turning around Tsunade gave a slight glare, "Sakura...WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?!" Sakura flinched, but regained herself and looked at her superoir, "I was taking a walk and got psytracted I will not allow it to happen again, I promise!" Sakura nodded her head as her pink-colored hair fell down a bit in front of her face and her headband slipped from its position on the top of her head. Tsunade leaned back, "Alright, but next time watch your time I would have expected better from you of all people Haruno Sakura." Nodding once more Sakura spoke, "Sorry to upset you Tsunade-sama. Never again will let it happen." She quickly fixed her headband and hair and looked back at the Hokage. Complelely sitting in her chair Tsunade looked at everyone that was in the room, "Alright, let's get back to what we were talking about to begin with. The issue with Sasuke..." Sakura's eyes gave a shocked look. They had been talking about the one person that she had still wanted back in this village. She clenched her fist and put it towards her chest, but kept total focus on everyone else and the conversation.

Looking over towards the others Jiraiya decided to give his response in, "I think that you should go with what you were telling me ealier, Tsunade. It seems like a good way for these two to actually calm down for a little while and then be ready for the next time that he is spotted." Naruto slammed his hand on the desk, "What are you talking about Ero-sannin? What did Granny Tsunade say?" Jiraiya rolled his eyes, "You're just as persisent as ever, aren't you Naruto?" Shifting his eyes Naruto spoke up, "Or course I want to know what the heck you two are hiding!" Tsunade shifted her eyes between her fromer teammate and the knucklehead that she grew to be fond of, "Alright, both of you shut up. The thing is I believe that you and Sakura should give up on the whole Sasuke thing for about a couple weeks." Before Sakura or Naruto had a chance to respond to what she said to them she raised her hand, "I'm not done. Now, I understand that we need to find him and bring him back, but you two also need to try to live your lives on your own and not worry about Sasuke all the time. Naruto, you just stay with Team Kakashi along with Kakashi, of course, Sai and Sakura. Sakura like I said to Naruto you do the same. For the next few weeks you will have missions that will assciate with your rank, though Naruto I am giving you Chuunin level missions, because you are diffrently at the level of a chuunin or higher. Any questions? And before you say anything I do not want to hear them have to do with Sasuke." With the last part said Naruto nor Sakura said anything. How the heck were they suppose to just forget about Sasuke? It was a lot easier said then done. He was once on thier team did she not understand that? "But, Tsuande-sama Sas..." "SAKURA! I said nothing about Sasuke. I already know what you are gonna say. I know he was on your team, but I am sorry. You need this break for your own well being. If you think I don't understand think again...remember Orochimaru was my teammate back in the day, and looked what happened to him." Sakura and Naruto gave a shocked look. How could they have both forgotten that? It was almost the same situation though she had gotten over it, but was that only because both Jiraiya and Tsunade knew that Orochimaru was totally evil...what if...what if Sasuke was to turn out the same way? Sakura shook, but then got ahold of herself, "Alright Tsunade-sama I will try my hardest to do this." Tsunade gave a smile, "Good job, and you Naruto?" The blonde-haired genin had been standing there clenching his fist, "Alright...but for this 2 weeks and then it is back to trying to figure out what he is up to." "Good. Now I have scheduled that you both just have the day to yourselves. You're "missions" will start to tommorrow. Good day." She then turned her chair and looked out the window. Oh how the day was going by so slowly.

"Tsunade. I am going to get some important business done. I will talk to you later." Jiraiya waved Tsunade off and left. His business was nothing more then getting more and more ideas for the next segment of his Icha Icha series. He figured he could probally get enough research for a 4th one, probally by the next year or so. Though this was going to be on the greatest days of his life. Hey he was getting old already fifty-three said a lot. He was only going to get older so might as well have his fun...errr buissness while he still could, right?

X-X-X

The day to herself huh? Sakur took a deep breath. No talk about Sasuke for a full two weeks. Didn't Tsunade ever think that it would make her worry more, that she wasn't allowed to worry or talk about him? Sakura gave a odd look, that was just a bit messed up. She was worrying over worrying. Alright...she took another deep breath and headed back to her house. She figured she would find something to do there.

"Sakura-chan!"

She gave a aggervated look, but in truth she wasn't mad that Naruto called out to her it was just he totally made her lose her train of thought, though she figured that wasn't nessiarly a bad thing. She quickly turned around to see Naruto running towards her. She put on a smile and began to walk towards him, "What is it Naruto?" Catching his breath once he made it to her he smiled, "Wanna go get some ramen?" She smiled, "Sure, but you are paying." Naruto smiled, "Just like last time huh? Well I don't mind it at all Sakura-chan." She gave a smile, "Good." They then headed to the ramen shop to go get a delious mid-day dinner. It was only about 2 PM and by the time they would probally be done knowing Naruto it would be about 3:30 or so. Hopefully it would be a great mid-day dinner. Hopefully it would clear thier minds of thier once known teammate...Uchiha Sasuke.