Okay let me know what yall think. It took me a while to figure out how I was gonna do this….let me know if you think I should change anything…..I feel like its kinda incomplete….but that's also ok, that means mooooore chaptersJ……. love you guys. And thanks so so sooooo much for the reviews, makes me want to right oodles moreJ!!
Chapter 8- Reunion
It was weird to sakura, to be standing in the doorway to her very own apartment after all this time. Everything was the same, to the cherry wood dining room table to her left to the deep purple couch and loveseat to her right. And straight ahead was the hallway to her bedroom and bathroom. After she shut the door and made her way to the bedroom to set down her things, she took note of how dusty everything was. Even her reflection in the mirror that was hung up in her hallway, was blurred by the debris. Once she entered her room she was in awe, literally everything was the same. All the way to the pencil laying on top of her desk, ' I always did forget to put it back in the drawer where it belonged,' she thought.
After she set her bag on the bed she knew shed have some major cleaning to do, when she noticed the dust roll out from under her bag and off the bed, 'ew.'
' where should I start,' she sighed. She then walked over to her almost full wall sized windows and opened the curtains only to cough as she was completely covered in dust and dirt. ' well, better now then never,' she thought as she went to the linen closet in the hallway and grabbed a bucket and bunch of dust rags. just as a knock sounded at her door, ' just perfect,' she scoffed hoping it wasent the blonde haired male shinobi.
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Sakura didn't know how it happened, but it did. Her entire apartment was clean from top to bottom, she was in awe. She missed her home so much, to the lavender walls to the sand colored carpet and all the way to picture of her deceased parents that hung above her sofa on the far wall. She was a little relieved when sai showed up to see if the rumors where true about her return. 'poor guy,' thought sakura as she remembered shoving a spray can of disinfectant in his left hand and a rag in his right. He was only there for two hours but it made so much of a difference. She was still surprised that her blonde, loudmouth comrade had not made an appearance.
'Maybe he isn't so ecstatic about my return like I thought he would be. Maybe I will just leave him alone. Ive done enough to him, hes happy now. And I don't want to ruin it,' she sighed.
"so, what now," sakura thought out loud. 'hmm,' maybe dinner would be a good idea. As she made her way to the kitchen she stopped in mid step as she noticed a box laying on her kitchen table. As she made her way over to the table she looked around to see if the missing owner of the item was still in the room,' sai must have left it.'
She reached for the box with shaking hands, ' should I assume its safe?'
She slowly took the lid off only to gasp in shock. Inside the box was a picture frame with sai, kakashi, her and naruto. She took the picture and set it on top of the bookcase that was connected to her entertainment center. She moved it slightly so that it was slanted in the direction she wanted, ' maybe I should….'
"nah," she said aloud. She continued on her quest for food instead of proceeding with the sudden thought that popped in her head. But as she opened the refrigerator the thought came back suddenly, and as she stood there in the fridge doorway debating.
"damnit," moaned a frustrated sakura, ' fine.'
She came around the kitchen to slide on her shoes and grabbed her keys, and out the door. She only stopped for a second to buy some to go ramen and a quick bushel of pink roses thinking to herself the whole way, ' this is so stupid, why have I been putting this off. Oh right because his reactions scare the crap out of me.'
She was freaking out, sure. Her heart was racing a hundred miles an hour the whole walk. But as she stood in front of the home and just stared at the slide door, her heart stopped beating all together.
'whew, just breath,' she reminded herself as she walked up the pathway to the house.
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'knock, knock.'
"I wander who that is," murmered naruto from his seat at the dinner table.
"are you expecting anyone?" asked his very curious dark haired wife.
"no, not tonight," he answered while exiting the dining room to answer the door.
'knock, knock, knock.'
"coming," sakura heard from the other side of the door.
Sakura began to think, ' okay this was a bad idea. But its too late now.'
As the door creaked open sakura's heart began to race, ' okay breathe, it will be fine. He's still your best friend for goodness sake.'
Naruto didn't know what to say as he stared at the once pinkette but was now a brunette girl.
" Hi," she said with a smile. " I just thought id come by and say hello and congratulations about the baby and such," she said,' he looks different.'
Naruto just stared at her, completely dumbfounded.
' he knew I was back, I guess this is a bigger shock then I figured,' she thought as she took in the new naruto, such as his longer hair and more masculine facial features. He was bigger in size too, looking very muscular and about 6 inches taller then when she left. 'why didn't I notice at the hokage dinner,' she wandered.
"well I brought hinata-san some flowers and some of your favorite ramen to-go," she said as she lifted the flowers and ramen to show what she was referring to.
"im sorry, naruto. I shouldn't have come. I just thought….well I don't know what I was thinking," she admitted.
As she turned to leave she heard in the faintest voice ," sakura-chan…"
She stopped and turned around only to have her eyes lock with a certain dark haired ninja, green locked with grey.
'wow, she looks exactly the same,' thought sakura as she stared at the beautiful girl in front of her. Hinata's hair had grown down to her mid back and her face hadn't really changed except she looked older, more mature in a way. Sakura took notice of her left hand holding her very rounded belly, cradling the unborn child.' I really wasent paying attention AT ALL at the dinner,' thought sakura.
"please, come in. im so happy you came," she glanced at her stiff husband, " im sure naruto is too, hes just in shock, " hinata giggled.
'wow she has changed, she's a lot more outgoing,' she thought, smiling as she glanced back and forth between the husband and wife,' he must have rubbed off on her.'
"um,are you sure?" sakura mumbled.
"of course, please come in," hinata begged.
As sakura walked towards the open doorway. Naruto pressed himself against the panel to allow more room. She handed the flowers and ramen to hinata, " the flowers are for you of course."
"they're beautiful, thank you," hinata said as she hugged sakura.
Once hinata left to take the ramen and flowers into the kitchen, sakura assumed, she then entered the home.
"you have a beautiful home," sakura said trying to make small talk as naruto closed the door.
"…"
" so how is everyone else," she said as she began to walk more into the house, looking at the pictures along the walls.
When naruto didn't answer she stopped and turned to him only to be almost knocked over by the blonde shin obi.
It wasn't until she felt him pull her tighter and rest his chin on the top of her head, that she came out of shock and returned the embrace.
"naruto why doesn't sakura join us for…." hinata began to say but was caught off guard as she entered the hallway only to see her husband practically wrapping himself around the female ninja.
Sakura and naruto embraced for a minute, or two longer, then finally released only to have their arms slide open to where their hands held.
"thank you, " he finally said." and please stay and eat with us."
"I would love to," she replied," I'm actually starving, I almost ate your ramen on the way over here."
The three laughed at the comment and then headed towards the table, once naruto let go of her hand she sat down.
Sakura sat to the left of him and hinata sat on his right, he reached for hinatas hand and held it on top of the table.
Hinata was a very good cook, she had made a sort of casserole with veggies and chicken, it was delicious.
" this is amazing hinata, you have to let me borrow the recipe," sakura commented as she took her last bite of her second helping.
" oh, no problem. Its one of naruto's favorites, ill be more the happy to lend it out," she said.
Sakura smiled at the dark haired shin obi,' she's definitely changed.'
30 minutes later….
" Would you like me to take your plate?" asked a very gentle voice, causing naruto and sakura to look up from their very intense conversation about sakura and ebizo's "training methods."
"of course, thanks," he replied. He leaned back to give her room to the plate but at the last second snuck a quick kiss on the cheek as his 'true' thank you. Sakura couldn't help but grin ear to ear.
"thank you," sakura said after hinata came around the table and took her plate as well, " it was delicious and don't forget, I want the recipe."
" ill write it down for you when I finish with the dishes," hinata smiled back.
Sakura smiled in return and turned back to naruto to finish her story, " so that's how I learned the spring leaf. All by accident."
Naruto laughed, " well atleast you have your own jutsu."
" you do too. What about the many rasengan's," stated sakura with her left eyebrow raised.
He replied watching her grab her drink to take a sip," copied. Well sort of. The fourth, my father, came up with the rasengan before and just never perfected it. I merely completed the task of fully finishing it. Its not my own jutsu, even though it does have my little perks," he smirked.
"true, but still. Its yours, no matter what anybody says," she stated.
"If you say so sakura-chan," he smiled. She smiled back thinking ,' I sure have missed you, naruto-kun.'
It was a little while later in the middle of one of his many stories about various missions since shes been gone, that she slowely reached for his hand. Stopping him completely in mid sentence because her sudden approach and face worrying him.
"what is it sakura-chan, whats wrong?" he asked placing his hand on top of hers, sandwiching it between both of his.
" its just….are you okay naruto-kun? I mean me being back doesn't bother you, does it?" she asked with sad eyes.
He stared back at her with shock all over his face," what do you mean? of course not. Im surprised yeah but im also so happy your back," he replied while reaching one hand to the back of his head, scratching in confusion.
" are you sure, I was afraid id like traumatize you," she said lowering her head.
"why would you think that?" he asked while bending his head really low to try to make eye contact with her.
She looked up and started to mumble ," well because of…..him."
It took a moment to register in his brain who "him" was, but he took notice of her now glaring at a picture along the wall. The blown up team 7 picture was a gift from hinata on their one year anniversary. Sure it had nothing to do with him and hinata's relationship, but she knew it would please him, and it did after the pain settled.
"sakura im not giving up, I can save him you know," he said glancing back her. He watched her glare at the young sasuke uchiha for a very good minute before he slightly put it finger underneath her chin and turned her head to look at him," I will. I don't break my promises."
Sakura sighed," he isn't worth saving anymore uzumaki-san."
Naruto smiled knowing the subject was not to be spoken of for awhile, be he also knew that sakura was hiding,' true feelings will come out sometime.' and with that thought he smiled watching hinata walk back to her seat. ' the really do,' he smiled taking her hand. He laughed when he saw the sly smirk show up on her face almost like he knew what she was thinking.
"you two are weird," huffed sakura in a joking tone as she watched the two lovebirds.
Sakura began her walk to her apartment shortly after that, after getting too creeped out by the "new" naruto and his "mature" behavior.
" its just not right," she laughed.
that's when the last few minutes of the visit flashed back into her mind, making her heart tighten.
Flashback
Naruto and grown serious as he walked sakura to the door," make sure that the next time something big goes down. Like you coming home for instance, make sure YOU tell me and no sai."
She just looked at him," I thought seinsei told you?"
"no, sai came over after he left your apartment. Completely beat and gross and asked if I would go help in his felt bad leaving you with such a disgusting apartment," he smirked.
"it wasent that bad," she stated with her hands on her hips.
Naruto simply raised his eyebrows in response.
"okaaaay, it was worse. But still, I cant believe seinsei didn't tell you. He knew before everybody," she responded.
Naruto got a very angry and yet shocked look on his face," he did?" he asked through clenched teeth.
'uh oh,' sakura thought." well im sure he wanted me to tell you on my own, make this as easy as possible." she stated trying to calm him down. He didn't move, he just stood there like a statue in the middle of the hallway. With the angry look on his face, he looked 10 years older, scary even.
"na-na-naruto?" sakura asked trying to gain his attention. She even resorted to waving her hands in his face.
"hinata-chan…" sakura yelled as she continued to shake the boy.
"oh he gets like this, he will snap out of it in a second," hinata stated as she came around the corner. As she leaned against the wall to watch the two former team mates, she stated," better move out of the way."
"huh," said sakura as she glanced at the girl. But sakura was too late, she was pushed into the wall with a thud. When she looked to see what caused her imbalance, all she saw was the door wide open and a flash of blonde and orange. She began to laugh as she made it outside the front door watching the blur and listening to his rants and raves about ' I was with him all day today and he didn't say ONE SINGLE THING. Im going to kill that seinsei.'
Sakura was besides her self,' theres the naruto I know. Always loud and obnoxious,' she sighed at the thought. Happy with how the night turned out.
'im home and every thing is as it was supposed to be,' she smiled.
She began to walk down the street back towards her home when she stopped remembering to wave goodbye to hinata. She turned around to see her leaning against the door panel,' good bye hinata-san. Ill see you tomorrow then."
Hinata came towards sakura to embrace her in a hug, she whispered in sakura's ear ," hes going to make sure he keeps that promise you know."
Sakura froze, " theres nothing to save hinata."
As they released their embrace, sakura began to walk away again.
" hes not just doing it for you sakura-chan," hinata called out.
Sakura turned around to respond with, " if he wanted to do something positive he would kill the bastard instead. After all the pain hes caused, a little wouldn't hurt him in return."
And with that sakura walked back to her home, leaving a shocked uzumaki on her doorstep.
flashback over
she sighed when she finally reached her apartment she thought,' HE will not be the reason i tell naruto the truth. it will be for naruto, to help him understand even if it hurts.'
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"shit," yelled sasuke as he sat straight up in his bed..
'its back,' he thought as he began to rub the bridge of his nose. He got up and went to the bathroom to wash his face. He had been staying at a hotel in some little town not too far from the leaf. His "gang" also known as team snake, had been camping in the woods for cover. Their leader on the other hand got tip top treatment, he wasent going to sleep in the cold ever again. that's how he thought of the nights in the hide outs of orichimaru. 'it was always so cold,' he thought at the memory.
As he went to sit back down on the bed he opened the window on the far right side of the room.
"not too much longer," he stated.
And with that he laid back down on the bed, daydreaming of a certain pink haired shin obi. He was hoping the ending this time would not be the same, he would kill himself before seeing what he saw in that nightmare in reality. And with that he slowly dazed back into bliss, with his cherry blossom.
