Sakura stood in front of her dresser and starred down at the rose. It has been two weeks since she fled the oasis and Gaara's arms. She placed her rose that he had given to her in front of her mirror on her dresser and that was where it stayed.
She found it hard not to think about him. Even when Naruto was made the 6th Hokage she could not keep her mind off of Gaara and the Sand. When she thought about him, the strangest feelings would come over her. She would feel a warmth of acceptance and a longing that she never knew she could feel.
She sighed when she heard a knock on the door. 'That will be Ino.' She didn't even take her eyes off the rose. "Come on in Ino."
Ino walked in with a smile but that turned to a sad face when she saw the defeated look in her friends eyes. Once they both let it sink in that neither of them were going to get Sasuke, they became best friends again. But she knew that look.
Sakura told her about the kiss between her and Gaara and how she reacted to it. It was painfully clear that she had fallen love with him over time of working with the Sand. The kiss was what sealed it for both of them it seemed. And that she was thinking about him all the time anymore. Even now.
She walks up beside her and smiles as she watches Sakura methodically run her fingers over the rose. "Sakura why don't you stop denying it and yourself. Go to him. It is written all over your face that you are in love with him. I am sure that even lazy Shikamaru could tell that one."
Sakura's face rushes with a blush. "You are crazy Ino. Gaara and I are just friends that's it."
"Then why did he kiss you Sakura?"
"I don't know Ino." Sakura turned away from the rose and the mirror and went to the window and starred out over the village. She couldn't be in love with Gaara. She just couldn't be! She was close friends with Temari and he was her brother. They were just friends and he never really paid that much attention to her except for the two days she was in his village this last time.
Ino glared at her. She couldn't believe that Sakura was passing up a chance to have love in her life and be happy! It was almost as if she was still waiting on Sasuke. She walked up behind her and smacked the back of her head, almost sending her flying out the window.
"Look Sakura you need to go to him and see if you can be happy with him instead of mopping around all the time like you lost your puppy. Look at is as a trial relationship. Tell him you will stay for a few weeks and if you still want to come home then you will. If not then you will stay forever."
Sakura just stares out the window with a distant look in her eyes. She didn't know how to take this. Every time she decided to let a man in her life, it never worked out! Sasuke was so hung up on revenge with Itachi that he didn't even notice her and was now so evil that nothing could bring back the Sasuke she fell in love with so long ago.
Naruto would never be anything more to her than a best friend or a brother. Someone that she could lean on when she was down and help pick her back up. She could never see herself with him in a relationship. And he was with Hinata now. And even he had given up on Sasuke.
Lee was with Tenten now. It seemed like the whole village had given up on Sasuke, and had moved on with life. Even though she had given up on Sasuke, she had saved herself for just one man her entire life. The thought of being with someone else scared her. But what did she have to loose?
She smiled as she looked up at the sky. "You're right Ino. Why not give it a try? I'll write a letter to Lady Tsunade and Naruto. Will you take them to them?"
Ino smiled and nodded. She had passed up the chance to be happy with someone once for Sasuke. That person didn't wait on her and moved on. Now it was Sakura's turn and she was going to run from it! "Good. I am glad that you are not making the same mistake I did."
Sakura wrote out a few notes and handed them to Ino. "I know Ino. But you never know. Maybe he wasn't your chance at true love and someone else will come along?" Then she packed her a bag and gave the notes to Ino and hugged her then fled in a hurry.
x
Naruto sat on top of the 4th Hokage's stone head with Hinata. He cradled her close as he thought about the six years since he became a Genin with her and the others. All the Genin that participated in the Chunin Exam that year were all still in the village and Jonin or higher. Well except Sasuke. But that was Orochimaru's doing.
Even he found out things that the old man had kept from him. Tsunade had been going through old documents when she found his birth certificate. It turned out that he was the son of the 4th Hokage. But that his father wanted him to live the life of a normal child and go through the hardships like all the others would have had to do.
And for that he was grateful. And now that he was Hokage after his father, it was right. And then he was married. Hinata was not someone he would have thought twice about when they were Genin. She was shy, quite and wasn't that talented. But when he returned from his training with the Pervy Sage, she was different.
Hinata smiled as she laid in Naruto's arms. She never thought that she would be there! She always pictured Sakura being his wife. But she was and she was enjoying every second of it! And just like he had told Neji in the Chunin Exam, he changed the way of the Hyuga. There were no more branch families and head families. All were equal to the other one and it was Neji that had the curse mark removed first.
She turned her head when she heard someone. "Ino what are you doing here?"
Naruto turned and raised an eyebrow. She was happy about something. "What has you in such a good mood Ino?"
Ino handed him the note from Sakura and just smiled.
Naruto opened the note and held it out so that Hinata could read it as well.
"Naruto,
If you get word that I fled the Leaf Village, it is only half right. While you and your Genin were off on your mission a few weeks ago I left. I couldn't take all the bad memories. I ended up saving a child from the Sand Village.
Well while I was there, one thing led to another and I was kissed by Gaara. I need to go back and see if I can be happy with someone other than myself. That is not working out that well you know.
I will send word in a few weeks if I am going to be staying or coming home.
Sakura"
Naruto smiled as he pulled Hinata closer to him. "It is about time that she moves on with her life. Of all the people effected by Sasuke turning his back on us and the village, she was effected most of all. She deserves to be happy more than anyone."
Hinata nodded and kissed her husband.
x
Gaara sat in his office window starring in the direction that they would have to go to get to the Leaf Village. That was where his heart was with Sakura and he didn't know how to get it back to mend it.
When he kissed her and she kissed him back, he thought for sure that he had a chance with her. Then she fled. Since then he has not wanted to be bothered by anyone unless it was something important. He had never had to deal with a hurt like this before in his life. And had no clue how to deal with it!
He turns his head when a Jonin walks into the room. "I told you and all the other Shinobi that I didn't want to be bothered unless it was important. So what is the emergency?"
Kanta nods his head and says, "Lord Kazekage you have a visitor. I told them that you did not want to be bothered unless it was important. They gave me this and said to take it to you." then he held out a dried Desert Rose and a few strands of pink hair.
Gaara's eyes go wide! It was a dried rose and pink hair. He knew only one person in this world who would have put the two together. Sakura! "Go get her and show her in."
Kanta nods and rushes off to get her. He finds her standing in front of the painting done of Gaara. "Come with me."
Sakura follows him to the door that leads into his office. She hesitates before she walks in. 'I can do this. After all, what do I have left to loose?' Then she walks in.
Gaara is on his feet by the window when she walks in. He watches her as he holds his breath. 'Why did she come back?'
Sakura walks up to him and smiles up at him. "Gaara, I have something that I want to tell you."
"What is that Sakura?" Then his eyes goes wide!
Sakura sucked in a wild breath and tiptoed so that she could reach his mouth and kissed him as she held on to his shoulders to balance herself.