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A/N: An update to the story. Spoiler warning! No flames, but reviews welcome!
Morning After
The pain from his injuries caused him awaken early as the medicine wore-off. The room was dark and through the window the moon and stars were visible. From his training at the Academy, he could tell dawn would come soon based on the midnight blue color of the sky. Iruka-sensei had always told him "the darkest hour is before the dawn". The unfamiliar scenery and sounds surprised him at first, but he soon realized that he was in the hospital. Moments later, he also realized the sound was Sakura's snoring. She was still asleep. He looked up and realized he leaning against her. He could see her wrinkled clothes and mussed pink hair. She must have spent the night. As he attempted to move his good arm, he realized that he was holding her hand tightly.
He sighed. Moments like this he had dreamt about since he had first met her. Yet, the great cost of the moment took something intangible away. Sasuke was dead. He had fulfilled his promise to Sakura in a way he had never expected. Instead of bring back Sasuke alive and well, he had brought a corpse. Would she later hate him for it? Would she blame him for Sasuke's death? He wondered what the future would bring. He still wanted to become Hokage, that he knew. Also his feelings for Sakura were still the same.
He wondered if he could ever win her over. Years of liking her had only caused him pain, a pain so obvious that even Sai had been able to recognize it. Although he had denied it to her, that promise that times had felt like a curse. However he had wanted to save Sasuke himself and would have attempted it even without promising it to a crying Sakura. He was soon interrupted from his thoughts.
"Naruto no baka," she whispered in her sleep. He was shocked to hear her say his name. Despite her disdain for him during their Academy days, she had grown to care about him as a friend and teammate. Would she ever care for him the way she had once cared for the traitor? Her confession had been fake; he had seen through it immediately. Yet there was a piece of his heart that had wondered if some of that act had been based upon truth. He wondered if she did love him the way he loved her.
He noticed that more light was entering the room. From his position on the bed, he would be able to watch the sunrise. As he watched it, he realized that he was free. He was no longer a target of a criminal organization and he had fulfilled his promise of a lifetime. The options before him were almost endless. He could undergo further Sage training, travel, train in another form of ninjustu or taijustsu, or any of the other possibilities available to a young ninja. Once again his thoughts were directed towards the sleeping pink-haired medic. Along with becoming Hokage, he would fulfill his goal of winning her heart.
"You're awake, Naruto-kun," said a familiar voice. He turned to see Shizune in the doorway.
"Yeah, I couldn't stay asleep," he answered. "At least I stayed in bed this time," he added quickly, remembering what had happened every time he had broken-out of the hospital and gotten caught.
"I see that. Afraid of Sakura's wrath if she caught you again," asked the Fifth's apprentice. Naruto laughed.
"I think she'd kill me or at least maim me if she's not capable of worse. I'm no medic, but I know she used a lot of chakra yesterday and she has much less than I do. Can you check if she's okay?" The woman nodded, her hands glowing with green chakra. After a few minutes, the exam was concluded.
"She's merely tired. Yesterday must have really been tough on her. Sakura wanted to bring everyone home alive, the traitor included." Naruto flinched at the jounin's words.
"I had no choice, Shinuze-san. Even before the prophesy, I knew it would end like this. That battle was destined and one of us was going to die. I tried to fight it, but I could not change that fate. I ended up killing my best friend and Sakura-chan's first love in one day. I hope she will forgive me one day."
"She gave up on him after that confrontation at the after the Kage Summit. Sakura was horrified by the cruel monster that Sasuke became after he ordered her to kill his teammate. She'll forgive you if she hasn't already."
"I hope she will. Sakura-chan is a precious person to me," he said. Shizune raised her eyebrows. It was well-known throughout the village that Naruto had a crush on Sakura. However, said kunoichi had consistently rejected him.
"You care about her as more than a comrade," she commented.
"I have since we were at the Academy. She's rejected me since then too. I love her, but it's not mutual. I can accept that as long as I get to see her happy, even if it's with someone else." There was a sincerity in his clear blue eyes.
"Naruto no baka," said Sakura once again in her dream. He wondered what Sakura was dreaming about that she kept saying his name.
"So how are you feeling," asked Shizune, ignoring Sakura's sleep-talking.
"Sore," answered the shinobi honestly. "The pain woke me up."
"That's because when you were admitted last night, you were immediately given a remedy to help you sleep so I doubt you noticed the pain. Take this," she said offering him a potion from her lab coat. "I will be back after I make my rounds."
The jounin then left the room, leaving Naruto to his thoughts once again.
"One day, I'll be the Hokage," he whispered to himself. He then looked at the sleeping Sakura.
"That day, I hope Sakura-chan will be at my side," he added as she squeezed her hand.
Unknown to the young shinobi, the kunoichi was awake and had heard everything.
