Sorry for the wait. Instead of me writing a bunch of excuses, I'll just get on with the story.
A Single Flower
Chapter three- Budding Flower
Sakura
I smiled at Naruto as we walked down the dirt road. He seemed nervous to be out of Konoha. In fact, it seemed to be bugging him a lot. "What's wrong, Naruto?" I asked. He looked at me, then cast his eyes down. Something was definitely wrong.
I stopped dragging him and lifted his head so he looked at me, "you were never the one to hate leaving Konoha," I said with a little worry, "Why are you so depressed?" Naruto looked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't know how. He kept opening his mouth just to shut it again. It only added to my concern.
"Naruto, you can tell me anything. I hope you realize that." I said with a motherly tone. He half-smiled. Then he chuckled, "I'm okay Sakura. Just…a little nervous is all." I didn't believe him, but I let it slide. Then I grabbed his arm and continued towards the carnival.
Sasuke
"She's with that loser!" I said angrily. I was not too far from them, hiding amongst the trees. Seeing her holding onto his arm made me boil up inside.
"Why do I care so much who she dates?!" I screamed to myself. I leaned against the bark and watched them turn the corner. I started to go after them, but something made me stop. I absentmindedly touched my chest. I could feel my heart beating. I could feel the pain resonating with each pump. "Am I…jealous?" I asked my heart. It's continuous pumps told me I was. I sighed as I looked towards the corner they turned. I felt something wet fall onto my hand.
"What?!" I said looking at the droplet. I touched my face…and realized tears covered it. "Dammit!" I screamed, beating my hand against the bark. I did it again, causing my hand to bleed. "I can't believe I've gotten so weak!" I got on all fours as my self-pity grew. It was definite now. I'm in love with Sakura.
Sakura"Here we are!" I beamed. Naruto looked in awe at the lights and people. It made my heart melt. His expression was so child-like. "Don't just stand there, Naruto! Let's go!" He nodded and followed me into the crowd.
"Let's try this first!" I pointed to a small booth. You had to get two small balls into a hole to win a stuffed animal. I wanted to add to my collection at home.
Naruto nodded and walked up to the booth. "It's three dollars a game." The man said, rather rudely, to Naruto. Naruto didn't complain about the price, like I expected him to. He just gave the guy the money and picked up three balls. I watched as he easily got all three balls into the hole. Then he picked out the biggest, cutest stuffed animal.
"Oh! Thank-you!!" I squealed, taking the stuffed cat. Naruto smiled, but not with any real emotion. He was really starting to worry me. "Naruto If there's something bothering you…" "Let's go there." He interrupted. He took my hand and led me to a food stand. He ordered cotton candy. I got the same thing.
He walked to a bench and sat down. I followed him and watched him absentmindedly eat. I saw him glance occasionally to his left or right. I'd try to follow his gaze, but I always saw nothing. "Um…are you having fun?" I asked, trying to save the date. I never knew Naruto to be so moody. He wasn't listening. I saw him staring hard at something to his left. I looked to see a man staring back at him. Electricity seemed to form between the two.
"Do you know him?" I asked. Naruto's body became tense. I noticed that more than one person was staring at him. None of the looks seemed friendly. "What did you do to them?!" I asked Naruto. He didn't answer again. I sighed and took a bite of cotton candy. "Oh Naruto…"
Naruto
I knew this was going to happen. It's bad enough in Konoha when people disliked me for Kyuubi, but outsiders are worst. It hurts to be hated before they even know your name.
"Naruto…" I heard Sakura call. I knew she didn't know about Kyuubi. If it weren't for Jiraiya, I wouldn't have either. I hated to make her so worried, but the Fox's instincts to fight were slowly taking over.
"….." I heard Sakura mumbling something. I overthrew the animal instincts and turned to her. She was holding her head down. I could feel confusion and hurt coming from her. "You can tell me anything." She said quietly. She lifted her head. Tears were streaming down like a waterfall, "Please don't leave me out. I don't want to be in the dark."
My heart broke as she tried to keep from breaking down, "I can't take it anymore! Sasuke would always leave me in the shadows! He'd always make me wonder!" she started to sob, "I hate not knowing. It makes me feel like a bad person. It makes me feel like I should have already known." She looked me in the eye. All her sorrow was directed into my head. I spread out across my body, making my heartbeat faster. "Naruto…" she said softly, "don't leave me behind."
I sighed heavily and looked at the townsfolk. They still hated me. They still rejected me. I turned back to Sakura.
Sakura
"You know I'm different." Naruto said suddenly. I wiped my tears as he cast his eyes down. "I'm not a leader, but I'm not a follower. I always need things my own way. If it's not my own way…I pout. Like a child." I watched his breathing get heavier as he continued, "I'm not the best ninja. I'll be lucky to become a chuunin. I'm stupid and loud. I'm hard to deal with and hard to understand. But most of all," He looked up at me with the most seriousness I've ever seen, "I'm annoying."
I thought I would burst into tears again. All the times I've called him annoying and stupid…it's become hard to count. I never thought of how many others did the same. I never thought of him.
"You're not annoying!" I said defiantly. He watched me stand up and face the villagers. "A little difference is not making him any less human than any one of you!" I yelled to them. They averted their gaze to me as I climbed onto the table, "I don't know what makes you hate him, but I know damn well you don't know him! You don't know his problems; you only care about his faults! You only care for yourselves!" My heart began to beat faster as more people came to listen, " I'm not blaming you for your actions…I only cared for me too." I looked down at Naruto, "But that doesn't mean it's right. You can still make yourself a better person." I got on my knees and face him, "You have to make the right decision."
I kissed Naruto on the lips. Everyone watched as I pulled him on the table with me. Though shocked at first, Naruto embraced me and returned the kiss. I felt a tear fall from his eyes and onto my cheek.
"What good is he to us?" I heard a villager ask as we broke the kiss. I looked into Naruto's big blue eyes, "That's for us to find out. But I know his purpose for me." I felt them hold their breath. I smiled, "Love. I love Uzumaki Naruto." I kissed him again. I felt the villagers slowly absorb what I just said. Then they began to clap.
Sasuke
I felt my chest burning with hate. I quickly turned from the scene and held onto my tattered heart. "I should've just gone home." I said to myself, referring to my decision to continue following them. I should have known it would only result in my heartbreak.
I forced myself not to cry. To me, there was nothing masculine about it. But as I took a glance back at Naruto and Sakura, she didn't seem to mind his tears. In fact, it made her smile.
I stood up on the roof I was sitting on. My body felt wobbly and unsteady. "I lost." I said softly. I jumped across the rooftops towards Konoha. "He got to her before I even knew I loved her." I continued muttering to myself. "He was what she needed…"
"I stopped jumping when I realized I was at the gates to Konoha. Suddenly, anger filled me. "No! I can't lose!" I angrily stormed into the village and walked down the narrow walkways. "I'm not going to lose! Not while there is still a chance to win!" I looked up at the moon as it lifted into the dark sky. "I WILL win. No matter what the consequences."
Ah, finally. The next chapie. I don't have much to say here, so just R & R (no, not rest and relax! Read and review!)