"Happy birthday, Sakura!"

"Thanks, Ino. I am glad you remembered my birthday."

"Why shouldn't I remember your birthday?" Ino was confused, "I have come to every one of your birthdays since we were little kids. We might have had our differences, but we are still friends."

"I'm sorry; I'm just a little depressed. My parents are out of town. They gave me a nice present, these earrings, but it is the first time that they aren't here when I'm having my birthday. It seems like the rest of the gang doesn't even know it's my birthday. Naruto isn't here either, because he is training with Jiraiya. I sure miss him; it's just so quiet around here without him."

"Yeah" Ino answered, "It is really quiet around here. Finally that annoying brat leaves us alone for a while. I live pretty close to his him and he starts training very early. He wakes me up every time. I'm glad that he working so hard, but a girl has to get her beauty sleep. On top of that he is hyperactive and he gets aggressive fast. I'm glad he's away for a time."

"Hey don't call him that. He really is a nice guy, Ino. You just call him that because you don't know him the way I do. You have only seen the aggressive, annoying side of him, but I've learned that he has a real nice and caring side too." Sakura was starting to get a little upset and gave Ino a look that can kill.

"You sure seem fond of him, forehead. I sense love in the air." Ino smirked.

"What are you talking about, Ino-pig?"

"Why are you blushing then, eh Sakura" Ino had a devilish smile on her face. "I saw you guys hugging each other when he left. I had to go on a mission, so I had to leave through the gate too. And you're being awfully nice to him lately. So explain, what is going on between you guys?"

"I…I don't really understand it myself. I seem to have some kind of feelings for him, but I don't know what kind of feelings. I guess only time will tell eh. He has sent me a couple of letters. In these letters he usually says that his training is going well and that he'll get strong fast to keep his promise. But he also kept saying something about some organisation of criminals and that they are gathering information about that group. I am looking at my mailbox every day, looking for a letter. But he stopped sending them a while ago. I hope that nothing has happened to him." Sakura was starting to sound worried now and Ino noticed.

Ino walked over to Sakura and gave her a comforting look. "I might not know Naruto as good as you know him, but I do know that he's really strong. He won't go down easy. He'll come back safe. Believe me, Ino is always right." Sakura looked up to Ino and saw the blonde girl smiling at her. "Yeah, you're right, Ino."

Dingdong. "I'll go get it." Sakura walked to the door and opened it. There was a tall man standing in front of the door with a huge bouquet of flowers. She looked at the clothes the man was wearing and saw that he wasn't from Konoha.

"Special delivery for Haruno Sakura."

"I am Haruno Sakura."

"Then please put your autograph here" Sakura put her autograph on the place the man told her. Then he gave her the flowers and left. "Have a nice day."

"Wow, Sakura, that's beautiful. Who gave it to you? I bet your parents sent it. They know you are sad that they aren't here, so they must hope to cheer you up with these flowers. It is a nice bouquet. My parents own a flower shop, so I know when a bouquet is good and when it's not."

Sakura couldn't believe her eyes. She had never seen a beautiful bouquet like this before. "I don't know. There is a card in the bouquet. Let's see."

Dear Sakura,

I want to wish you a happy birthday. I know it's not much, but I hope you like the flowers. I bought them in the best flower shop of the small town I am staying in now. I wished I could congratulate you in person, but the time and place don't let me. I am on the other side of the world right now and I am training like hell.

I am sorry that I didn't write you any letters for a while now, but I have to keep my location a secret. The organisation that I told you about is trying to find me and if I send too many letters, they might locate me.

I really hope you'll get nice presents and that you have a nice birthday. I wish I could treat you by taking you out to dinner, but I'll make it up to you, I promise.

Please tell everyone that I'm doing fine and that I'm coming home soon. This is the last letter I will be writing. I am going to train harder then I have ever done the coming weeks, so I'm going to be very busy.

I am really missing you and I hope we will meet again soon. Goodbye.

Your hyperactive number one ninja,

Uzumaki Naruto

"How sweet of him. I wish a guy would send me some flowers. Sakura, I hate to say it, but I envy you." Ino looked a little sad. The only guy that wants to go out with me is Chouji. He is a nice guy, but a little to chubby. I really want to go out with Shikamaru, but since he met that sand ninja, he doesn't see me standing anymore.

Sakura's cheeks were pink and she was smiling. "He remembered, he remembered my birthday and gave me this beautiful bouquet. I never told him when it was my birthday; I didn't want him to come at my parties, so I never told him. So how does he know?" She looked at the flowers. These are my favourite flowers, red roses and daffodils. How does he know these are my favourite flowers? How sweet of him.

Ino looked at Sakura and saw that she was a little sad.. She put her arm around the pink-haired girl. "I…I really miss him, Ino. I think you may be right, these feelings may be more than I thought."

"He'll be back soon enough. And then you can talk with him all you want. I am sure he misses you too, Sakura." Sakura looked at Ino and saw that she had a comforting smile on her face.

"Yeah, you're right." Sakura started smiling a little. "I thought that this was my worst birthday ever, but it turned out to be a good one after all. Well, I am going to put these flowers into the water and then I'm going to bed. Tomorrow, I will have to go through another training session with Tsunade-sama. I am going to need my rest."

"Okay, then I will be leaving, forehead. I'll see you when I see you. Bye!"

Sakura went to bed after putting the flower in a vase next to her bed. She looked at the flowers once more before turning her head to the window. She looked at the sky. The sky really is bright tonight. I can see a lot of stars. She was surprised when she saw a shooting star. Need to make a wish fast: Please let Naruto come back safe to the village. She looked to the stars one more time and she thought she could see an image of her friend. Good night, Naruto.