Making a Choice

Chapter 2

Haunting Memories

Walking towards the ramen shop, Sakura gave a deep breath well this day was to start her time of not thinking of Sasuke. Naruto was a handful already as it was, but he was not the worst person that she could have been around that was for sure. There were pently of other people that she would rather not be around at the moment. So yeah, Naruto was alright. She another deep breath and proceeded to reach the ramen shop.

Sitting down Naruto looked over at Sakura who was beginning to sit down herself. Once seated Sakura noticed that the seat was a bit cold, but not that bad. It gave her a slight chill and then she was fine. Looking over at a menu that had nothing, but just diffrent types of ramen she was debating on what to have, but the Miso Pork Ramen sounded alright to her. Naruto looked over at her with a smile, "So Sakura-chan what is that you will be having today?" She looked over, "I decided the Miso Pork Ramen." Naruto's eyes blinked, "Really? I was going to have the same." Sakura gave a slight chuckle and looked at the Ramen Shop owner. Smiling Teuchi looked over at Ayame, "Well, I guess that means that we make two bowls of Miso Pork ramen then." Ayame smiled and closed her eyes, "I guess so." They then went to make thier ramen.

Sakura put her cheek in her hand and began tapping the table. She was a bit bored, but she was able to wait. She wanted a little bit of noise to lighten up the quiet. It really only bothered her a little, but still. Naruto looked over, "Sakura-chan? Something wrong?" Before Sakura even thought to answer she thought of him...Uchiha Sasuke. She knew that she wasn't suppose to, but she couldn't help it, this so-called mission or whatever was going to be a lot harder then probally Tsuande-sama thought, but that didn't mean that Sakura was going to give in to it either. She just kept thinking of that one day over and over again. Sasuke changed so much...too much in fact, but regardless she still cared about him just as she always had. She still wanted to find him after all. But! Right now she needed to shake the thoughts off even if she wanted to think about them. Taking a deep breath she turned to Naruto, "No...I'm fine." She smiled and turned back around to see that thier ramen was ready to be served. Ayame sat a bowl in front of both Sakura and Naruto. Naruto sniffed it and was ready to chow down at the sound of his chop-sticks breaking, "Time to dig in!" He then proceeded to eat it. Heck he loved his ramen. Sakura was a bit more slow and broke her shop-sticks effectivly, but slower then she really needed to and then she slowly began to eat it.

About, 15 mintues later Sakura had finished to where as Naruto was on his 3rd bowl. She gave a glarey look at him, "You sure you have enough money to pay for all that?" Naruto stopped midway through eating his recent bite. That was a good question did he? He quickly checked. Phew...he had enough for the three bowls that he ate. "Yup Sakura-chan I have enough for every bowl I ate." Glaring once more Sakura looked at him, "What about mine?" The blonde-haired genin froze...that was a good question. He really should have been watching what he was eating, but it was so good that he couldn't help it. "Well..." Ayame gave a giggle, "The last one that you had can be on the house...Teuchi said so." Naruto quickly wiped his forehead and sat back down. Phew...he was safe for now. He quickly finsihed his last bowl and paid for his 1st two and Sakuras. He was hoping that it was being considered a date and he almost blew it.

Sakura got up and saw Naruto realived that he was about to pay for hers. She was surly hoping that he wasn't taking thier time together a date. That was the farthest thing from her mind at the moment. She wanted to tell him that it wasn't a date, but she didn't want to upset him at the same time, and so she quickly turned to him and took a deep breath and began to speak, "Naruto...I wanted to tell you thank you for buying my meal, but I want you to know this was just a day to get away from you know who, and I hope that you were not thiking we were on a date or anything, because that is not the case, but again thank you." Naruto gave a shocked look, but he was not totally surprised, "Sakura-chan...I understand. I thought this would be good for you and well as me. I mean I wasn't thinking it was a date the whole time..." Sakura smiled, "Thanks." She knew that he was trying to be nice, and so she just left it the way it was.

"So, Sakura-chan what do you want to do now?" Naruto peeked his blue eyes over to his kounchi teammate. She looked over, "I'm not sure it is almost four 'o clock." "That's true...hmmmm." Sakura had decided that maybe she needed some time to herself, but she didn't want to be rude, "Naruto...not to be rude or anything, but I would like to somewhere else and clear my mind if that is alright with you? What I mean is I want to be alone for awhile." Naruto smiled, "Of course, then I will see you tommorrow for our mission then, right?" She nodded, "Right." "Catch ya later then Sakura-chan!" He then ran off to go do whatever it was that he wanted to do. Leaving Sakura to herself to do what she wanted.

X-X-X

Exhaling a extended deep breath, Sakura looked up at the sky. Her eyes giving a pleading look as she pictured the day being perfect. In her vision there was a festival going on in the village. Everyone was there, the Hokage, Tsuande, was hosting it. There was games, competitions, food, items to buy, and much more. Sakura grabbed Naruto and Sasuke and had them come with her. Naruto was pleased and even though Sasuke was a bit disgusted he decided to go anyway. Though he probally wouldn't do much, but particape in the fighting tornament that was going on that day. Smiling Sakura turned to Sasuke and asked if he wanted to play some of the games...upon saying no...he slowly began to fade away. Going farther and farther away from her. She began to cry and ran towards him, "SASUKE! Please come back! Where are you going?" Just as those last few words escape her quivering mouth...she saw Orochimaru...and then Sasuke faded and there was no trace of him.

Comming back to her senses her eyes began to shake rapidly back and forth. She hadn't had a thought like that in a long time. She grew up from that, but still not being able to think about Sasuke was hard. She guessed that since she was told not to think of him it made it that much harder not to. She grasped her hands together and walked her way home.

X-X-X

Once in her room she spotted a notebook that she had written all her personal thoughts in...it was like her diary. She decided to look back at some of the memories that she kept close to her.

She read an entry that was from her young childhood, the writting was a little harder to read back then(do to some somewhat bad writting and misspelled words), but she was able to figure it out.

Dear Diary: Today I met a girl her name was Yamanaka Ino. She was pretty and very nice. She has told me she has somthing(something) for me twomarrow(tommorrow). I am not sure what it is...BUT! I CAN NOT WAIT! I bet it is somthing(something) very cool. She was actuawally(actually) the frist(first) persson(person) that realee(really) noteiced(noticed) me for me. I need to thank her twomarrow(tommorrow). Well diary good night. - Haruno Sakura

Sakura gave a slight laugh, "I remember that day. I was so excited to see what Ino had for me, and when I got the ribbon I was confused, but she helped me to become stronger. I thank Ino so much for that." Flipping through her diary more she noticed the times that she talked about Sasuke...it was almost every entry, untill the Chuunin Exams...and after she cut her hair. She then began to talk about him a little less and not as much as a fangirl, but more as a human being. Before it was always. Oh my gosh! Sasuke is so hot! But, that wasn't how her entries went after the Forest of Death incident.

Dear Diary: The Chuunin Exams as I said were a total mind breaker. It was an expericence that I am both glad I went through and for the most part somewhat wish I hadn't. Though, once I was glad that I went for was I learned what it meant to go and stand on ones own feet and to protect the ones that you really care about. If I haded thought about what I did back in the Forest of Death I am sure that both Sasuke and Naruto would be dead by now. Possible also Lee. Which reminds me. I know that Sasuke and Lee are in the Hospital. I need to get them both a flower and give it to them. I really want Lee to know much I appreciated what he did for me. I still can't believe that the little werido...well no he's not a werido...I still can't believe that Rock Lee made a promise to me like he did and he kept it. I respect him for the gentlemen that he is, and that is why I am giving him a flower. I just hope that both Lee and Sasuke are doing better.

Then there's the whole fight with Ino...I know we recindled our frienship. We had to...and even though it ended in a tie everything I knew that I gotten a bit stronger from the whole expericnce. Though watching Sasuke and that mark...I'm so worried about it. I hope hes alright. Then there was Lee losing to that Gaara person...he looked like he was hurt realy bad I just hope he gets a quick recovery. Well, journal as much as I wanna continue I have said a lot of this in other entries and it is getting late. I have a mission I have to get to in the morning...even though I am the only one going to be in it. A real easy one, that really I would only need to do anyways. Well goodnight diary. - Haruno Sakura

The memory of that dang curse mark made Sakura shed a few tears. She remembered when it was given to him, when it went out of control, when he lost control, and everything. She knew he still had it and she was wondering if he was relying on the power of it to become stronger. After seeing him that last time...she wasn't sure what to believe anymore. Well, the memories of that curse mark haunted her and with it in her head it was hard to sleep. What was Tsunade-sama going to think. Sakura knew better then to let "petty" things upset her, but Sasuke to both her and Naruto was not a petty issue. He was thier teammate and thier friend. Though, still starting tommorrow she was not going to let Sasuke bother her. It was the start of her time away from Sasuke...compeletly. She then turned over and her bed, and covered herself up. As a few more tears began to shed...she quickly drifted off to sleep.