No longer could he find himself denying these feelings. It's been far too long since he had laid eyes on her beautiful face and seen her overly happy smile when she gazed at him. He wished to see those green sparkling eyes light up yet again at his form. It looked like she was seeing him for the first time. He had to admit this made him warm inside and important, to have her light up in his presence.
He was in a trail of acceptance for the way he felt for Sakura, something he never experienced before. A very strange feeling that he always had trouble understanding. This did not compare to the way he felt for Naruto, Kakashi or any of his comrades in the village, this was far to different and foreign. He thought of her often on his personal journey away from the village, far more than he'd like to admit.
When he had been preparing to depart for his journey he was faced with an eager, yet shy Sakura she then had admitted to him that she wished to accompany him on his travels he had denied her request. He instantly wished to take back his words as he saw the look on her face, it had been almost too much to bare as he watched her eagerness slip away replaced with sadness as she slowly broke their gaze glancing away from his, thus resembling that of a hurt puppy. He himself felt the stab more so than she. Realization then washed over him as he had offended her at the denial of her request, Without thinking his body did something beyond his control he gently tapped her forehead and surprised himself more than her, how his body quickly did the only thing close to an affection of love that he had learned as a small child as he extended his index and middle fingers, gently tapped her purple rhombus in center of her look in her eyes as she instantly lit up and meet his gaze once again was far to beautiful to describe as his fingers grazed her forehead. He explained she had nothing to do with his sins and than promised he would see her when he got back. A promise he only wished would be fulfilled the sooner. He reminisced this moment under the shade of a towering oak tree as he viewed the sun beginning to disappear over the horizon where he sat alone only wishing she was beside him. He was a man who enjoyed being alone, but he never did mind Sakura's presence. She was such an innocence in his life. Someone he felt he did not deserve, but yet she stuck around and supported him, even through his many regretted mistakes. He found that missed her.
When he returned to the village of all the people he wanted to go to Sakura first. He was having trouble with this inner terminal. It had been a long 4 months away from his home, and away from her. His younger self always protected her it was just in his instinct to always keep a watchful eye on Sakura. Even now, after how well she fended for herself. He wanted more than anything at this moment to make sure she was okay. It was all beginning to make sense to him now. I've never been a person to think about my feelings or even try to understand to feel at all...but it was obvious that I feel something foreign for Sakura. He thought now of how he was to put into words what he had wished to say to her. Never had he been one for affections but now with Sakura affections slipped from time to time. Something that he used to hate, only wishing now that he was able to use them more in her presence.
Here now he found himself standing far behind her as she stood gazing over the waters of Konoha. The wind gently played with her pink hair as she gazed over the water. She had sensed someone approaching becoming paranoid that eyes were looking upon her, slowly she turned herself around to face her onlooker. Her eyes lit up again no one in his life looked at him like that. Like he was the only one left on this planet and only he mattered. This time he couldn't help the smirk that graced his lips and the slight blush that heated his cheeks. She stood there for a moment more registering that he was real, her eyes growing big before her feet starting running to meet him. He found his own body moving swiftly to her to meet Sakura's jogging form. She hugging him with a ferocity so great, causing him to stumble back a little before his arms wrapped around her petite form. Her gaze quickly came up to him. She was so soothingly beautiful, her big green eyes and unique light pink hair, her soft looking porcelain skin and her cute pink lips that seemed so inviting to him now. She had not expected him to wrap his arms around her as well. She opened her mouth to speak Sasuke-kun yo- but his lips silenced hers.
No longer would he deny these feelings.