No reviews… which makes me a little irked. How am I supposed to improve with no criticism and be motivated to post with no praise? -_-

Hope this motivates you. Two chapters at once, and over a week ahead of schedule too. Read, and then please review. If you guys don't, I'll get very sad. :'( Note: at the end of chapter 2 will be the release date for chapter 3, and I swear, if I don't get SOME kind of response out of you guys, I shall crawl under a rock and not write for a month.

I don't own Naruto. Also, sorry the story's moving slow at this point. It picks up in chapters 3-8, I promise. No bashing for SP! I checked it twice, people.

***From*The*Desk*Of*Tristen1497***

Chapter 1

Forgetful Friends

The light shined through the pink curtains adorning the window, soaking Sakura's room with light. It just so happened that her big, pink and red canopy bed faced that window and it was also a coincidence that each morning the light came through to shine directly on her face.

Moaning, she turned over and threw the covers over her head, trying to get back to sleep. At the same time, the sound of the kids playing out in the street amplified.

Sakura groaned again, forcibly trying to jam pillows into her ear canals. It did nothing to quiet the screeching. Throwing the covers off of her, Sakura I gave up, sitting up out of bed just a little too quickly. The room spun for a moment, then was still. The silky, pink night gown she wore to bed slid gracefully over her skin as she stood, making her way to the bathroom. She ran through her routine.

Get up, comb hair, brush teeth…

"Ahh!"

Her thoughts were interrupted once again by the noisy kids. Sakura turned around, walking back towards her window.

The two children didn't notice her head stick out of the second story window. They were too busy playing around with their parent's ninja tools.

Sakura's eyes widened. "Koujo! Konki!" She yelled down to them, her voice somewhat panicked. The boys whirled around, and as they did one lost hold of the kunai knife he'd been holding. The knife soared out of his grasp, through the air, and directly towards Sakura.

Cling!

The weapon changed direction, imbedding itself in the wood of the window frame, missing her head.

"Sakura-chan!"

Of course, who else would have been there to deflect the kunai but Sakura's loud-mouthed teammate?

Naruto, dressed as always in blinding orange, walked up her slanted roof, stopping right in front of her window.

"Are you alright?" he asked Sakura, looking slightly upward since he was still technically on the part of the roof belonging to the first story and her window was on the second.

"Naruto-" She started to say, but he was gone before Sakura could continue. He stood on the street below the house in front of Koujo and Konki, the two small boys.

"What do you think you were doing? You almost killed Sakura-chan! Didn't anyone teach you to never play with weapons? They're dangerous!" he barked at the cowering children.

Sakura felt a sweat droplet form on the side of her forehead and she sighed. He'd never change.

While her comrade's attention was still focused elsewhere her eyes drifted back to the kunai stuck in the wood of the house. It was like it was calling to her, daring her to touch it…

Now," Naruto said, placing his hands on his hips. "I hope you both learned your lesson."

"Yes, Naruto." The children muttered, keeping their eyes on their feet as their shoes drew patterns in the dirt.

"Good!" He smiled impishly. "That was a close call, right Sakura?" Looking back at the bedroom window, his friend was nowhere in sight.

"Sakura!" He yelled, running towards the house as quickly as his feet would carry him.

She had just managed to shove the box back under her bed before Naruto propelled himself into the room.

"Sakura-chan!" He yelled. His mouth automatically closed when he saw his friend get up from her knees as gracefully as she could manage.

"Naruto, you should lower your tone." She said calmly.

"Sakura-chan! Are you alright? You're not hurt are you? I can't believe those boys! They could have killed you!"

Her calm face decomposed, replaced with pure irritation. "Naruto! Shut up!" She barked, sending him her best glare. He lowered his head in shame, closing his mouth and taking a step back from his friend.

"I'm fine. Thanks for asked, but you know, I really don't like it when you hang around my house all the time. It's… weird."

"But… I was protecting you."

"I don't need protection! It's not like a clan of demons are going to suddenly appear and kill me at any given moment!" She groaned.

"How can you be so sure?" He replied, seriousness in his voice.

Sakura sighed. "Naruto, the point is I can't have my best friend hanging around my house all the time. It looks creepy." Her arms crossed over her chest. "We're both way too old to have you around at all hours, especially first thing in the morning when I'm in my PJ's!"

A light bulb went off in her mind at the mention of how they were too old for such antics, her head turning towards the calendar on her wall. It had X's on the days that had already passed and the next day not crossed out, was circled with writing in the middle and the number sixteen written in bold.

Sakura smiled, turning back to him. "I suppose it would be ok that you came over this early though if you had a good reason. A reason concerning what day it is." He didn't appear to get the hint. "What very special day it is."

Naruto thought for a moment, but she was not fooled. The confusion on his face was a ploy. There was no way he had forgotten her sixteenth birthday. Then his features lit up with recognition, his blue eyes sparkling.

"I remember why I came by now!" he said happily.

"Yes? Yes?" Sakura could feel her excitement rising.

"Because today is a very special day!"

"Yes! Yes!"

"Today's Sunday!"

Her face fell. "What?"

He smiled brightly at her. "Yeah! Today's the day Sasuke's agreed to battle with me!" Her face fell further. "And I was coming by to ask you if you would come with us-"

Me? Be allowed to fight? Hand to hand combat? Forget that he didn't remember my birthday. This so makes up for it!

Then Naruto finished his sentence "And be referee!"

Sakura almost died, but, as usual, Naruto didn't notice.

"I don't think I can go Naruto. I've got plans today." She said. If he was going to forget her birthday like that, then she wasn't going to help him.

"Aw! PLEASE?" he started to beg, dropping to his knees and clasping his hands in front of his chest. "Please, Sakura?" Then came the fake tears, rolling down from his big blue eyes.

"Naruto…" She tried to protest, obviously faltering on her decision not to help.

"Pleeeeeeeeeeas?" he whined, his eyes still glistening with tears.

Sakura sighed. She always gave in. "Alright."

Naruto grinned. "Thanks so much Sakura-chan! You're the best!" He gave her a spine-crushing hug. "We'll be down at the training fields. Come by after lunch, alright?"

"Alright…" She sighed again. "Now can you leave me along so I can get dressed?"

"No problem!" He grinned at her before moving to hop out the bedroom window.

She shook her head back and forth as she walked towards the bathroom door. Naruto would never change.

The bathroom was big, and, like most things Sakura owned, it was pink. A pink marble tub and shower and light pink walls. Looking in the mirror, she wondered why this was. Was it because her hair was a pastel pink that everything owned seemed to be that shade? Or was it just because her mom and dad had it stuck in their heads that she was a princess?

She grabbed her hair brush and started the battle against the mess, the most exciting part about the day. It had become quite a challenge over the years, especially now that it ran like a curtain way down her back, stopping at her hip bones. After untangling the pink hair Sakura washed the sleep out of her emerald eyes and hopped into the hot shower.

For some reason as she ran her fingers through her wet hair all she could think of was Naruto. They'd been friends for… ever, she supposed. Ever since grade school at the ninja academy.

Sakura always wondered how they became friends. Her parents had insisted she was far too delicate to become a real shinobi, but seeing how much she wanted to at least try, they enrolled her. Unfortunately, Sakura didn't know until her first class that she was not going to be trained as a real shinobi, but at a medical ninja.

And so she was limited to working inside. No hand-to-hand combat. No weapons. No hard physical work. Just her, her chakara, and a hospital room.

So, Naruto and Sakura weren't even in the same classes, yet still, somehow he managed to form a friendship with her. He was nearly three years older than her as well, but way back when, ten years ago during that first day when she had no one to sit next to at lunch he'd invited her to join him.

Ever since, they'd been the best of friends. He was always looking out for her, protecting her from anyone who dared to hurt her in any way and helping her however he could. Sometimes, more than he should. Once Sakura got him in trouble by asking him to train her as a real shinobi. Her parents were so upset she wouldn't have been surprised if they'd never been able to hang out after that, but for some unknown reasons they did nothing about the incident.

Naruto had no parents, and somehow that made their bond stronger. They were each other's family. There were times when Sakura had her doubts, thinking that maybe he liked her as more, but she had nothing to worry about. He had a crush on Hinata Hyuga, feelings the blond refused to act upon no matter how often Sakura encouraged him.

For some reason Naruto managed to fail his Gennin exam three years in a row, so they ended up graduating together. Regardless, Sakura thought for sure graduation would be the end of their friendship. He'd become a shinobi. She'd be trapped in a hospital, but something amazing happened.

Come graduation day Sakura was informed she would be part of a ninja squad. She still wasn't allowed in hand-to-hand combat, or allowed to go on missions, but she was still a part of a team.

And even more extraordinary was that Naruto would be her teammate. They would still be able to have their friendship. Sakura thought it couldn't get any better but it did. Sasuke Uchiha was on the team. Of course Naruto didn't like it one bit. In fact, he seemed to outright hate Sasuke's guts, like he didn't want anyone else near Sakura whether they be friend or more than that.

Eventually they got used to each other, and though Sasuke still didn't return her crush-like feelings at least they'd become something along the lines of friends.

And then of course there was Kakashi-sensei. To put it simply, Kakashi-sensei, in Sakura's opinion, was the coolest guy ever. He took her under his wing, making her feel included.

All of them, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi; they became Sakura's family. She frowned as she turned off the water and stepped out of the shower. And her best friend, Naruto, had forgotten her birthday.

END

So, what did you think? Boring? Lame? Or maybe, perhaps –probably not- good? Review or I'll go into a state of depression! 0_o

Also, since the story is not complete as of yet, PLEASE, feel free to pitch ideas about what you'd like to see happen. I'm WAY open to suggestions. Thanks!

-Tristen1497