Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto or any affiliated characters.

I get frightened in all this darkness

I get nightmares

I hate to sleep alone

I need some company

A guardian angel to keep me warm when the cold winds blow

Late April - Friday

"Mor-ooh-ning," Sakura yawned sleepily.

Her mom was sipping coffee at the kitchen table and scribbling in her planner while Sakura fixed her bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, sweetie, did you finish your paper?" asked Rei Haruno when her daughter sat down at the table beside her.

"Yeah …" she trailed off, "… so have you heard anything from …" Sakura knew she'd understand what was meant.

"Sakura, don't worry about it. Everything's fine, I told you. Hurry up or you're going to be late for school," assured her mother, the strongest woman she knew.

"Okay, okay," Sakura poured the left over milk down the sink and washed her dishes.

While she was bustling about her room, preparing for an educational day of learning, she realized that her mother and she, despite physical appearances, were very alike. With pink hair and green eyes, Sakura was tall and lean without curves. Her mom had always been short and curvy with the most beautiful blond hair and blue eyes. No one guessed they were related, and if they did, they thought she was Sakura's older sister.

Despite all these differences, they shared the same mind. They thought in the same way. That's the only reason Sakura knew she was lying when she said everything was fine.

"I'll see you when I get home from work! Bye, I love you!" With that, her mom went out the door like every other day.

Sakura finished brushing her long hair and stared at her mirror image. Slightly pale with a wide forehead, she wondered if everyone she used to know would still look at this face and see a fragile little girl, utterly helpless and in need of protecting. When she found the letter stashed inside the microwave, she knew exactly how her mother still saw her.


"What do you say we go do something this weekend?" suggested Naruto, master of vague.

"And what do you propose?" Sakura asked, curious to see what his mind had concocted.

"Let's get a big group together and go to an –"

"Uzumaki, Inuzuka, Haruno! My desk right now," ordered Anko-sensei with five minutes left of class.

While the rest of their classmates talked leisurely, the trio was doled out their special punishments. It had been a week since the ill-fated fire ball incident, and Sakura had almost forgotten. Almost. She stared icily at Kiba and Naruto; they purposefully avoided her eyes.

"Inuzuka, you're job is to scrape the gum off the cafeteria tables."

Kiba groaned out load, earning a sharp look from the teacher.

"Uzumaki, you're job is to empty every single trash can in this school, wash all the windows, organize Kakashi-sensei's book shelf, polish the trophies in the trophy case and take my clothes to the dry cleaners."

Naruto blanched at his list of chores. "That's not fair! All Kiba has to do is scrape gum!"

"Kiba isn't a repeat offender," countered Anko-sensei.

"What do her clothes have to do with it?" Naruto grumbled a little more before turning away to sulk.

"And Miss Haruno, you get to help the drama club with their production of Ninja Assassin: A Tale of Blood and Love."

Sakura had to admit, her punishment didn't sound horrible at all, but she still glared at both guys, blaming them a second time for this mess.

"You'll start Monday, so be ready to stay after school," advised Anko-sensei with a glint of mirth in her eye. She enjoyed punishing students far too much.

The bell rang to dismiss for lunch, and the three of them made their way to the cafeteria.

"And organizing Kakashi's book shelf? How is that a special punishment? It just seems like all the teachers chipped in with something they wanted done – something to mark off their to-do list. And I have to take her clothes to the dry cleaner!" Naruto ranted the entire walk to lunch, pausing long enough to greet Hinata when she found them in the hall.

"Hey," Sakura smiled at Hinata.

"Hi," she chirped in her soft voice.

"Ready for that test today?" she asked. They both had Anatomy as their final class of the day.

"I studied but I think I'm going to fail," worried the girl with the second best grade in the class.

"You'll do fine, like always," Sakura brightly encouraged.

"Says the girl with the highest grade," said Hinata with a little smile.

After three weeks of getting to know her, Sakura discovered a few things. Other than the fact that Hinata was completely in love with Naruto, she was secretly competitive. She worried more about her grades than anyone Sakura knew – including her own intelligent self. She really wanted to be the best, and she strived hard to earn every mark. Sakura envied her natural determination.

"So can you go this weekend?" asked Naruto as Hinata and Sakura sat down.

"Go where?" asked Hinata.

"You never told us what you decided," Sakura reminded the scatterbrain.

"Oh, the amusement park! So can you go?"

"Yeah, I'd love to!" Sakura actually liked this idea. It was better than the time he proposed driving to the nearest abandoned house and converting it to a secret hideout or the time he wanted to make the largest bowl of ramen in history.

Hinata nodded and answered in her small voice, "Sounds great."

"Awesome!" beamed Naruto, "I'll go ask everyone else!" He leapt up energetically and strode over to a table not far from theirs.

"For an idiot, Naruto seems pretty popular," Sakura joked.

"He wasn't always," said Kiba.

"What? An idiot or popular?" She waited for him to clarify, but he shot the pink-headed female a deadpanned look. "Right, popular," she answered.

"Let's just say that school hasn't been so great for Naruto," grimaced Kiba.

Sakura felt the tension and tread lightly. "What changed?" The Naruto she saw now was definitely well-liked by most everyone, even the teachers. No matter how annoying he was, something about Naruto was endearing.

"He started hanging around Sasuke Uchiha."

"The chicken-hair guy?" He chuckled at her query, amused with the description.

"Yeah, the chicken head. I can't believe I never thought of that one!" he lamented mirthfully.

"You're telling me that Naruto and Sasuke are friends?"

Kiba tilted his head to the side and thought about it. "Yes … and no. They hated each other until freshman year."

"Hmm," she commented, secretly dying to ask for details.

"They fought all the time. I remember Naruto would be yelling at Sasuke, who'd ignore him completely. They were together all the time because they were constantly at each other's throats," recalled Hinata, "and then they stopped fighting and were just … together. Does that make sense?"

"You forgot that Sasuke missed a week of school and then started hanging out with Naruto and the rest of us."

"Really? I don't remember that," pondered Hinata.

"Sasuke? Chicken-haired, Sasuke Uchiha hung out with all of you? But he's so …" Sakura thought of what she'd seen of him since starting school and came up with very little because he was never around to be seen, "… reclusive."

"Naruto says Sasuke's just depressed about Hitomi, but it's been, like, three weeks. He needs to grow a pair and get over it," said Kiba harshly.

"Kiba, don't be so cruel. Sasuke is just an intense person," reasoned Hinata.

The image of him slumped in the cherry blossom tree came to Sakura's mind followed by the amused smirk he wore when correcting her 'unladylike manners.' Part of Sakura wondered if he remembered that day three weeks ago; the other half wondered how she would feel if he didn't.

"Tenten, Neji and Lee are coming. Shikamaru didn't want to walk and Choji doesn't like amusement parks," announced Naruto to the rest. Sakura nodded appropriately, as if she knew who the heck these people were.

"I'll ask Shino," said Kiba, "he's probably eating with that stupid ant farm again."

While Kiba left the cafeteria, Naruto and Hinata talked about what they were going to ride first. Hinata was timid in her answers, blushing every time Naruto looked at her. "Y-yeah, I can't wait," she stuttered weakly, cracking a wan smile.

Meanwhile, Sakura connected dots. Sasuke, going by what Kiba said, had been sitting at this very table until the day he and Hitomi broke up. All the times she'd noticed Naruto tracking Sasuke through the cafeteria made sense now. It was concern playing out on the blond boy's face.

What she still couldn't understand was vivacious, kind Naruto and stoic, reclusive Sasuke being friends. She'd heard many descriptions about Sasuke Uchiha. He was adored by the female student body for his badass charm and handsome features, and guys were either jealous or admiring of him. He had quite the reputation for being a jerk.

Sakura took all the information at face value – gossip. She wasn't one to judge a person through other's opinions and decided to hold off on typing his character.

Naruto, on the other hand, seemed to have no secrets. He was albeit a moron half the time, but he truly cared about his friends. Sakura could tell he had a strong, compassionate heart, but as she studied Naruto's profile, she questioned his smiling face for the first time. How much pain he'd suffered was a mystery, but she knew that wounds became scars and scars never disappeared.

Saturday

If Kiba and Hinata hadn't graced her with the back story, her current calm demeanor would not exist. Sasuke Uchiha stood five feet away, enjoying the amusement park. She used the term enjoying loosely. He frowned and glared at everything, staying dark and silent in his midnight blue t-shirt and khaki shorts despite Naruto's many attempts at conversation. He managed to walk at a slow, proud gait behind the rest of the group on their way through the park. As always, his hands were stuffed in his pockets. On the other hand, everyone else had no problem expressing their joy.

"I want to ride that one next!" cried Lee. He had very bushy eyebrows and talked a lot about the 'power of youth' and Pokémon.

"No, that ride's for sissies. Let's ride the Gut Twister!" insisted Tenten. She wore her brown hair in two buns and feared nothing. Since they arrived, all she talked about was riding the thrilling, jaw-dropping roller coasters.

So far, they'd ridden the Tilt-A-Whirl and the Scrambler because the lines were short. Naruto had suddenly become hungry afterward and purchased two hotdogs. He swore up and down that his stomach was made of steel, but Sakura wasn't the only one who doubted his bold declaration.

"You'll puke after the next ride," predicted Kiba.

"Wanna bet?" challenged Naruto.

"Fine. Winner gets the loser's share of Hinata's homemade lunch." Kiba smirked as Naruto hesitated. Hinata was an amazing cook and had prepared a picnic basket full of food. Naruto drooled when he laid eyes on it and fretted about leaving it alone in the car.

"You're on!" he finally retorted, but a chink of worry besmirched his confident armor. Earlier, Hinata confessed to Sakura that she was really glad Naruto would eat her cooking. As Sakura looked at her now, the disappointment was evident. Everyone but Naruto knew he was going to lose, and Hinata's feelings were caught in the middle.

"Boys are stupid," scoffed Tenten. Neji Hyuga shot her an offended look, but she just shrugged and left his side to join the queue of thrill-seekers waiting to ride the Gut Twister.

When Sakura was told Hinata and Neji were cousins, she didn't believe it. Neji acted stiff and serious whereas Hinata was delicate and shy. The more she saw them together, however, the more she noticed their similar grayish eye color and dark brown hair. Both of them also walked with perfect posture, unlike the chicken-head slouching behind her.

After waiting in the line nearly 15 minutes, Kiba started craning his neck in search of someone. "Crap! Has anyone seen Shino?" called Kiba, an irritated expression on his face.

"He's at the Nature Center," supplied Sasuke.

Kiba rolled his eyes dramatically and griped, "Of course he is. That guy never tells you what he's gonna do next."

"Does this happen a lot?" Sakura's inquiry was met with quick consent.

"He loves entomology way too much," said a disgusted Tenten.

"I hate bugs," Sakura shivered immediately, "when I was little, this boy put one of those daddy long leg spiders in my hair as a practical joke."

"Gee, I wonder what kind of person does that stuff, Naruto?" insinuated Tenten.

Naruto laughed nervously, "In my defense … you didn't die."

Sakura's eyes opened wide at this. "He put a frog in Tenten's locker when she's allergic to them," clarified Neji in a stony voice. Volatile sparks ignited between Neji and Naruto as they glared at each other.

"I didn't know she was allergic! And that was two years ago!" defended Naruto heatedly.

"Eh, um … the line moved," said Hinata, breaking up the argument.

"We're next," said Kiba eagerly. He raced ahead while Tenten elbowed Neji in the side.

"Dibs on the front!" claimed Naruto.

Sakura pushed the odd, heated exchange between Naruto and Neji from her mind and boarded the ride.

As soon as the roller coaster lurched up the insanely steep slope, Sakura's stomach flipped. She glanced beside her to talk with Hinata and calm her nerves but the girl's face was white as a sheet.

"Are you okay?" she asked concerned. Hinata looked ready to pass out. Her face was taut with pure terror.

"I can't do this," she whispered. "I can't do this," she repeated, squeezing her eyes shut. "I'm afraid of heights!"

"Why didn't you say something?"

"Everyone was having a good time. I didn't want to spoil it," she whimpered. "Besides, I don't want Naruto to think I'm weak." Her eyes opened then, "Did I say that out loud?" Her face colored deep red in seconds.

"Hinata," smiled Sakura, "you are anything but weak. You got on this roller coaster because you wanted to be with Naruto. Love makes you do crazy things, or so I've heard."

"L-love? I-I don't l-love Naruto!" she sputtered defensively.

"You also stutter when you're nervous," Sakura grinned, cornering her.

"Is it that obvious?" asked a defeated Hinata.

"… I think Naruto is the only one who doesn't know," she admitted and Hinata's face colored even more.

"This is so embarrass-IIIIIINNNGGG!"

The roller coaster soared down the tracks, flipping through loops and cork screws. Hinata held Sakura's hand in a vice grip. By the end of the ride, Sakura had lost circulation to her fingers. "Sorry," Hinata apologized immediately, noticing their bluish hue. Ahead of the two girls, their friends piled off of the ride. Naruto and Lee had taken the front. Behind them were Sasuke and Kiba, next came Hinata and Sakura and then Neji and Tenten.

As they exited the ride, the crowd thickened around their large group and Hinata disappeared from Sakura's side, lost in the tumbling tide of motion. Unfamiliar faces swarmed around the pink-haired female, and an unsettling feeling shook her instincts. She turned left and right, trying to pinpoint the source of unease and only increased the oncoming feeling of hyperventilation. She was lost in a sea of unfamiliar faces.

Dark blue … She saw the spiked, messy hair and didn't think twice. Sakura reached for the hem of his shirt and grasped the fabric tightly in her slender fingers. He quit walking, feeling the tug of her weight. His neck twisted, and he looked down at the perpetrator over his shoulder. The instant glare went away when he met her doe-eyed gaze.

"What?"

At that moment, Sakura saw her reflection in his eyes. She looked frazzled and shaken up, her green eyes glistening on the verge of tears. To him she must appear insane.

"Ah, sorry, I – it's nothing," she stammered, feeling utterly ridiculous for her sudden display of weakness. She released his shirt, but his eyes remained glued to her face. She laughed nervously beneath the weight of his stare.

"Did you get lost in the crowd too?" Sakura inquired to fill the stretching silence between them.

"Yeah, but they're over here," he replied slowly, leading the way. She exhaled deeply once faced with his back and inwardly berated herself for what just happened.

"There you guys are!" exclaimed a relieved Hinata.

Neji leaned casually against a tree with a bored expression. Tenten sat beside Hinata on a small bench while Kiba sat on the back rest with his feet in the seat.

"Where's the dweeb?" asked Sasuke, noticing Naruto's absence before Sakura. Kiba smirked to himself.

"Isn't Lee gone too?" Sakura didn't see the guy in green jump suit anywhere. Kiba contained himself no longer and burst out laughing.

"Oh god, you missed it! Naruto threw up on Lee as soon as he got out here!"

"Which was disgusting," voiced Tenten, her nose scrunched up in distaste.

"Oh, gross," Sakura allowed, trying to ignore the pair of dark brown eyes still scrutinizing her every move.

While they waited for Naruto and Lee to return, plans were made for the rest of the day. They would ride as many attractions – namely roller coasters – as they could until two, when they would break for Hinata's picnic lunch. After that, so as not to repeat Naruto's disaster, they wouldn't ride anything thrilling.


Hinata sat out the next roller coaster, claiming she had a headache. Sakura offered to sit with her, but the sweet, surprisingly stubborn girl wouldn't hear of it. That was how Sakura lost her riding buddy and ended up in this stressful situation. Lee smiled creepily from beside her as the harnesses descended to strap them in tightly – no escape now.

"You're hair is refreshingly pink! I love what you're trying to say," he blurted.

She thanked him uncomfortably, wondering what exactly her pink hair declared and violently cursing the sloths working their ride. She wanted this to be over quickly. Since Lee had volunteered to ride with her in Hinata's place, that left Naruto alone. Sakura valiantly tried to dissuade what he called chivalry but to no avail. Also, despite his new outfit, the odor of vomit still lingered subtly.

Adding to her discomfort, there were four seats to a compartment, and they faced each other. Lee sat beside her, so she couldn't really see him unless she craned her neck and peered around the thick shoulder harness. Inhabiting the seats across from them, however, were Sasuke and Kiba, and it was a battle for Sakura to look anywhere but Sasuke. She was still embarrassed by the earlier scene in the crowd, and her thoughts were busy wrapped up in what he possibly thought about it. Did he think I was crazy? Did he think I was scared of big crowds? Was he upset that I wrinkled his shirt?

The ride lurched forward and soon wiped her mind blank in the rush of wind and velocity.

"Wooooo!" Sakura cheered happily, loving the sensation gripping her stomach. Suddenly, nothing else mattered. She was flying through the air, looping through the sky like a bird. She could worry when her feet returned to earth, but nothing could ground her up here. It was liberating. It was invigorating.

"This is so REFRESHING!" yelled Lee, and Sakura burst into wholesome, contagious laughter, intoxicated by this newfound freedom and afflicted no more by inane apprehensions.

She looked at Sasuke for the first time and smiled confidently, bolstered by her sudden heedlessness. He didn't smile back, but she detected a lightening of his facial features.

It was slight and at that moment, she wondered if anything about Sasuke Uchiha was ever drastic and uncontrolled. In the next moment, however, they hit a double loop and corkscrew, and she threw her hands up in merriment, screaming with delight and abandon.


A/N: Thanks for reading! You're awesome! I finally found time to write and upload the next chapter so I'm proud of myself.

Well, what do you think? Not much has happened, I know, but feedback is appreciated :) and adored like Kit-Kats (which are my favorite candy).

READ AND REVIEW, REVIEW REView ... eccho, eccho

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"... Where whenas death shall all the world subdew / Our love shall live, and later life renew."

- Edmund Spenser, Amoretti (Sonnet 75)

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See You Next Chapter,

Radiant Sun