I just wrote this on a whim, sorry I haven't posted much. Anyways, lots of love.
DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN NARUTO ;(
You play that pet name card, and you just think that everything is going to go back to normal? How could you? I trusted you with everything! I trusted you with my heart, my mind, my soul; I trusted you with everything that I am. As a kunoichi, as a teammate, as your best friend... And as your girlfriend. But you... You... You just had the audacity to turn your back away from me. To ditch whatever history we had as teammates, through all the years and without telling me, you decided to keep one secret from me. This one little secret and I never knew that that would have been the reason for all the stares. Those pity glances, and just the feeling of being left behind again. I thought you knew everything about me, but I guess I just never knew that much about you.
The war was over and long story short, the five nations finally fought together and defeated Obito. As a whole, light overcame darkness and now just months before his coronation... I had to find out like this.
"Naruto!" He looked up from the bowl that was certainly taking all of his attention and my heart sang. His blue eyes shone and they shone at me. I could never get used to it, because until this day I stiill got those butterflies even after a few months of dating; but somehow the timing was off - as it usually is between us - and we ended it. But that light in his eyes, sigh I could just melt.
"Neh Sakura-chan! Join us!" I looked at to whom he was speaking about and low and behold, sitting beside him was Hinata Hyuuga. I felt something hurt inside, but I brushed it off. This, this was nothing. I'm sure of it.
"Ohayo Sakura," she smiled at me with the stutter now completely gone.
"Hey Hinata, how are you?"
"Fine thank you, but I sort of dislike staying in the hospital since the war."
I laughed at her response. Was I getting nervous around her? "Yea I totally know what you mean."
The discussion went on for a bit til Ayama, who knew my order already, brought in my bowl while Naruto was on his fifth while Hinata was still trying to finish her first one. Sometimes, as I ate they had their own discussions where it was almost hard for me to contribute to. Naruto finally had his heritage out since the war so the council had been getting on his back about the Namikaze legacy and clan politics in which Hinata Hyuuga would be such a strong contributor than to a kunoichi that had to make her name known through her medical skills that way surpassed the current hokage, Tsunade. Anyway, I finished my bowl in silence while they kept talking about politics. I left as soundly as I could by saying a quick good bye to the pair, but I knew in my own heart, I wasn't fully welcomed to sit with them.
"Naruto! Are you ready to spar?"
"YEA DATTEBAYO!" We laughed greedily as we made it down to team 7's usual training spot.
"Neh, Naruto," he half looked at me with his hands at the back of his head. "What does it feel like being the future Hokage?"
He smiled at the ground before placing a determined face forward. "Invigorating. Like everything that I've accomplished so far has a purpose. It made me this much closer to becoming Hokage. A Hokage that would be able to unite the shinobi of all five nations. It's crazy but I'm thankful for the war, because without it we'd still be separated and all fighting each other for power; but not with this new era. I'm going to go forward even if I have to drag everyone with me."
"Naruto, I'm so proud of you."
He finally looked at me and thanked me with his goofy smile. If only he knew that everyone else was as proud of him as me. Naruto, I know you're going to be great and I want to be able to stay there with you by your side to help you whenever you need it.
I went to go grocery shopping since after our "little" spar, the council called him for yet another meeting with Tsunade and the other clans about politics. It was getting annoying but Naruto was serious about his vocation, so who was I to argue about it.
Although it was a nice, warm, glorious evening, the stares didn't feel that great. People looked at me, as usual for being the fifth's apprentice but something was different about this time. I got bad vibes from the citizens in the market corner. Just what was going on?
I bumped into Hinata on the way out and it seemed to get even worse. I apologized for inconvenience, and she politely did the same. We talked for a bit and it seemed like it was yet another meeting about his clan duties and his soon to be Hokage duties. Who knew that Naruto was so intellectually inclined to give the council a run for their money. I couldn't help but smile as she talked about Naruto even though her crush was still very apparent. I was proud but, there was still so much I didn't even realize about him.
"So Naruto, why does the council still drag you out to those meetings? Like what are they even about?"
He glanced around and fidgeted before responding the usual comment I got on these questions, "Just clan duties. That's all."
I was getting nervous. I was spending less and less time with him that it was almost as if I was another burden. I sighed and got the hint and left him to his thoughts above his father's head. It was the least I could considering that his coronation was in two weeks. He must be so anxious and stressed, I can only imagine how he feels inside.
On the way up to Shishou's room, I couldn't help but notice the stares again. It was pity, disturbing and just all together just one bad vibe. I then felt two different signatures other than Shishou and Shizune's. It was Naruto's and Hinata's. Now I was getting worried. What could possibly be going?!
I hid my chakra signature before reaching the door and tried to listen, but because of those blasted silence justus I couldn't hear anything. I just got readings from their signatures. Shishou's was very stressed out, Shizune's seemed to be near tears while Naruto's was stressed then relieved while Hinata seemed to be overjoyed. And in the midst of trying to figure all this out, I hear two first floor receptionists talk behind me.
"It's so sad that Naruto didn't choose one of his own teammates to be the one..."
"I know, I heard the Uchiha went on the road to find new adventures... A woman perhaps?"
"No no no! He's... but poor Sakura. Only to be left behind again."
"... Well pedigree just has to win in the end."
So that was why. All the stares and bad vibes and he doesn't even bother to talk to me about this! I thought that he could trust me, but apparently not. Nevertheless, what can I do now? Be behind his back instead of by his side. I guess I just need to find another call. I'll see what I can do around the hospital while Shizune's busy upstairs.
A week before his coronation, Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze had his beautiful wedding with heiress Hinata Hyuuga with just Tsunade and head master of the Hyuuga clan, her father, as the witnesses. Sad to say, I was completely forgotten and from what Tsunade has told me, Naruto didn't even try to fight for my presence nor Kakashi's or Sasuke's. Now there he stands; the Sixth Hokage and one of the three Sannins of our generation; Naruto Uzumaki Namikaze. Namikaze-sama, I am so proud of you.
"SAAAKURA-CHAAAN!" He grabbed hold of me and didn't let me go until I punched him off. "I'm sorry! But you went around the nations for three years helping the medical ninjas advance wherever they needed help. Like I'm proud of you but you didn't even tell me."
"Ehehehe, Tsunade told me before you were Hokage to do so. You were just so busy so I just left to let you have your moment. Gomen."
"Hn, Dobe, stop dampening the mood."
"But... Teme it's not fair. You came back a week after and then I didn't even notice that Shizune and Baachan took care of the hospital. I thought Sakura-chan was with them!"
"Now now Naruto, let's just eat like old times."
"Pft, Kakashi-taicho you still have that mask on?"
"Of course I do Yamato! It's my signature look."
"Simply because you have nothing else going for you neh Kakashi-san."
"GOOD ONE SAI-TTEBAYO!"
Anyway, it was like how it used to be, team seven was finally complete. For the night or how long I was needed till I had to go back to my travels. And in the three years of his monarchy, every villager I came across with knew who we were. The Legendary Sannins of this generation. The Uchiha, Haruno and Namikaze; however, it felt good to just be Sakura with these boys.
It was my last night and they all had a good bye party for me. It was then that I got to reconnect with a very pregnant and pissed off Ino Yamanaka for my stupid and inconsiderate disappearance. However, it blew over once the tears in our eyes blew over. We drank, sang and were merry with everyone else. Turns out I wasn't the only one leaving with Sai also leaving to travel and find out more about the past. The only Uchiha was settling down and was the Hokage's right hand man. Kakashi got reinstated into Anbu Ops and was also the Hokage's leading man in all things Anbu. Iruka got promoted to deal with all the missions, while Hinata was now pregnant with their first baby boy, going to be named after his grandpa, Minato. I was looking forward to going back to the Mist for Chuki - my new apprentice - was eagerly waiting for my arrival back. And right now, I was taking a breather on the roof of the Hokage tower.
"Neh Sakura-chan, may I join you?" He called me by the usual pet name after so long in just letters of calling me Sakura. I nodded although my heart didn't want him there.
"How've you been?"
"Good, you?"
"Great thanks." And it was quiet.
"How's your apprentice Churu?"
"Chuki and she's doing fine, how's Hinata and the council?"
"Excited about the baby but stressed out. The council and screw off for all I care."
And it was quiet again.
"Neh Naruto-" "Sakura-chan..."
"I'm sorry go ahead."
"You know it's been weird without you around the village."
This was surprising, "how so?"
"Well, Sasuke's back and I just thought yenno, we could finally be team seven again."
"Naruto, that's got nothing to do with why you're up here isn't it?"
He sighed and faced me while I still stayed true to the village. "No it's not, it's the fact that you haven't been there for me since we got back from war. It's the fact that I-"
"Naruto, are you listening to yourself? You kept secrets from me. I had to find out everything about you from other villagers. I didn't bother Tsunade with it because I knew she was taking care of you, but to find out through gossip. Not even Ino told me. Do you have any idea of how betrayed I felt?"
"Sakura-chan, I'm-"
"Namikaze-sama, you don't even deserve to call me Sakura-chan. You play that pet name card, and you just think that everything is going to go back to normal? How could you? I trusted you with everything! I trusted you with my heart, my mind, my soul; I trusted you with everything that I am. As a kunoichi, as a teammate, as your best friend... And as your girlfriend. But you... You... You just had the audacity to turn your back away from me. To ditch whatever history we had as teammates, through all the years and without telling me, you decided to keep one secret from me. This one little secret and I never knew that that would have been the reason for all the stares. Those pity glances, and just the feeling of being left behind again. I thought you knew everything about me, but I guess I just never knew that much about you."
"Sakura-chan just listen."
"Naruto, I gave you everything you ever needed from me. I pushed so hard to get to where I was in the war to be able to fight along side you and Sasuke, but not even you could turn to face me and say thank you or even acknowledge what I've done. The fact that you couldn't trust me with something as important as your love life! The whole time I thought we were great friends, but then I just got bad vibes every time I tried to talk to you, or see you or just plain our said your name in a conversation. It felt like nothing was right between us. Naruto... just... why couldn't you tell me?"
"I'm sorry."
And it was quiet.
"So that's it?"
He was quiet.
"Congratulations on your baby Hokage-sama. I am sincerely proud of you."
And I was gone.
Years later, an epidemic hit Konoha just several years after Tsunade had passed away. I was there for her funeral but left as quickly as I could before any one could say something. I missed her the most. I wanted to teach Chuki everything she taught me so that one day she would be able to be strong enough to stand alone and take the heat. I taught her everything before the epidemic and she went ahead and healed everyone all while searching for an antidote. She was begged to stay but claimed that her loyalty belonged to nature. Funny seeing as though she would taunt me by calling me mother nature because I reminded her of the Sakura trees that would bloom every year. So to say, their medical wing needed help and Chuki helped rebuild what was left behind by amateur med nins.
I went to Sound and looked for some new blood to take on the legacy Tsunade taught me, with Chuki by my side of course. But on the day of Tsunade's death, I always managed to come back to Konoha and pray to her. I prayed to her to also keep on eye on Konoha's number one knucklehead ninja. He was too far for me to reach now, but through her loving care, I knew she would take care of him.
To Naruto Uzumaki,
I write to you because... Well I don't even know why. But through my travels there is nobody who doesn't know about you. I just passed through Rock and they spoke very highly of you considering just several years ago they hated your namesake. Regardless, you're doing a mighty fine job there Hokage-sama.
To be honest, I don't know if you'll get this, but if you do and you do decide to read this. I just want you to know that I can't take back the words I said that night. I can't rewind time and make it all better but I just want you to really know, that I loved you. I sincerely did. Even now with Chuki reminding me all the time. But because I loved you, I only wish for your happiness, even if it didn't come across that way. Nevertheless, I am proud of you my old friend.
Say hello to the others as well.
With love, Sakura Haruno
PS. I will be sending Chuki to you later, she'll take care of the Hospital wing that you need to replace so badly. Give Shizune her retirement already and give Hinata and Sasuke my best wishes.
Thank you so much!