The In between.
Chapter4.
By: RobinSparkelz
Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.
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The spray of the shower creates a soft thrum in the background, she is in her kitchen stirring a pot which is filled with five boxes of instant ramen, Naruto sits on one of the barstools around her kitchen island, uncharacteristically quiet. She supposes he's worried, right after they - Ino and Naruto - had arrived at her doorstep, she had let go, a bit too much, it seemed. Both the blondes had seemed shocked at her display of tears and in turn extremely concerned, but she had pulled herself together because she was strong Sakura and set about making them an early morning dinner-breakfast meal of "Ramen, please Sakura-chan."
Ino, dusty and dirty from their two-day journey, "...like it would take us the full three-days to get here, as if forehead." Had claimed her shower.
"All done." She exclaimed, removing the pot from the stoves heat and bringing it to rest in the centre of her counter.
"Smells great! Sakura-chan." Naruto spoke, but his voice lacked its usual zest, and his blue, blue eyes sparkled with so much of care, and love and worry, that she couldn't help the way her heart swelled, walking over to him, she draped her arms around his shoulders, and hugged him.
"I'm fine, Naruto, really I'm just super happy you're here." She consoled, she put her best fake smile on, because bless his soul Naruto had always been gullible.
She heard the shower switch off, removing herself from Naruto, she ruffled his hair and tried not to think of Sasuke's soft ebony locks. She had just dished out a bowl of Ramen for herself and Naruto when Ino appeared dresses in a pair of her sweats and a blank tank top.
"Really pig, you forgot your clothes?" she commented with a raised eyebrow and a amused smile.
"More like I was too excited to see you, forehead." She huffed indignantly.
Sakura's smile turned soft, "Ramen?" she questioned.
"Oh, hell no, don't tell me you addicted to that shit to!"
That morning, Sakura went to sleep for an hour before she had to get up, it was the best sleep she had, had in months.
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She was staring, she knew she was, but she couldn't help it, she had come home from work, to find Naruto pacing up and down the length of the apartment, his expression a mix of excitement and nerves,
"Sakura-chan, I have to be honest with you, I came here because I have some..news."
Her first thought was Sasuke, had something happened to him, it would explain Naruto and Ino's sporadic appearance, while welcome she had been suspicious about their apparent random visit, but since they were both notorious blabber mouths and hadn't said anything she had shoved her suspicions away, but here Naruto was, gripping her shoulders and telling her that…
"Hinata and I are getting married."
She blinked, a strange feeling passing through her at his words, loss?
" Sa-..Sakura-chan?"
"Oh my goodness, Naruto that is amazing." She gushed, enveloping him in a hug. Still confused about the way her stomach had dropped to her feet and the feeling of nausea that was creeping up on her.
It was only later that night when she had gone through an entire tub of ice-cream and numerous packs of sour gums with Ino- Naruto was out with Gaara- that she had realized she was jealous.
"I'm jealous, Ino, of Naruto and Hinata, I'm jealous because I've waited as long as Hinata for the boy I loved and she gets to have hers for the rest of her life, while I sit and wait for Sasuke who is doing Kami knows what, with Kami knows who, I'm -… I'm pathetic Ino." She whispered.
That night, Ino rubbed her back and ran her fingers through her hair until she fell asleep with tear tracks on her face and a sore heart.
They left two weeks later, with sad smiles and heavy souls.
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Naruto's wedding was in exactly two months and three weeks, the same week she would be back in Konoha, before leaving for Kumo.
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Days in Suna blurred together afterwards, she worked with her medical-nin, had coffee with Gaara and went out clubbing with Temari, she heard nothing of Sasuke and if it wasn't for her engagement ring strung around her neck, she would have forgotten she was an engaged women. She was not oblivious to the way males, shinobi and civilians alike looked at her, the way their eyes lingered on her legs or the curve of her breasts, but she was oblivious to the fact that her natural charms had, had an effect on someone. She found out the extent of a certain Kazakage-sama's feelings to her the day before she planned on leaving Suna, she had been in his office, sipping on Lemonade and going through her final mission report when he had interrupted her.
"As you are aware, Sakura, I have been invited to Naruto's wedding." He began.
She nodded, trying not to let the worry of Naruto's wedding show on her face, she'd only be arriving three days before the wedding date, and leaving two days later, time was tight and to top it all off she hadn't heard a word from Sasuke. She didn't know if he would make the wedding day and to be honest some part of her didn't want him to be there, it had been over a year and a half since she had last saw him, too long, but the other part of her, the part of her that loved him to a fault, wanted to see him, to feel him and touch him and kiss him again.
" …and I was wondering if you would do me the honor of being my date."
The last part of his sentence broke Sakura out of her Sasuke filled thoughts. "I'm sorry, but what?" she exclaimed tactlessly.
Gaara's expression was nothing short of mortified, to late she realized the way her words had come out.
"I am so sorry Gaara." She apologized quickly wanting to rectify her mistake, standing up she moved to stand in front of him.
"If you find the thought of accompanying me that repulsive I-"
"Not at all" she cut him off, placing her hands on his shoulders, a bold move she thought as she watched his gaze darken, and with a sinking feeling she realized the exact nature of Gaara's request.
"I-" she began, only to stop as her ears picked up a large commotion coming from outside his office. She frowned, removing her hands from his shoulders and turning around as she heard more noise again, "What is that…" the rest of her sentence was drowned out by the sound of Gaara's office door slamming open.
A tall figure stood in the doorway, in dust covered boots and shinobi pants, broad shoulders covered in a loose navy shirt, a katana strapped to his back, and a canvas bag slung across one shoulder. Messy windblown ebony locks fell into sooty eyes, eyes that were locked onto her figure.
"…Sasuke.' She breathed.
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Note: I know this chapter Is way overdue and I sincerely apologize to all my amazing readers, the follows are off the charts and my reviews are brilliant. To a reviewer – Mars who was confused about the timeline , I will post a Timeline at the end of the next chapter. Concerning chapter length, the story is not meant to be in depth so chapters will always be roughly this length.
Please Review, I promise to try my best to update soon. I love all you guys and happy B-lated Christmas and New years. The next chapter is very SasuSaku related, there will be no GaaSaku, Sakura is way to devoted to Sasuke. Check out my new story – Through the looking glass and leave prompts. :D