Chapter 14:

Sunflowers and Cherry Blossoms

It had been three days since Zabuza's downfall, and Naruto and Sakura still hadn't awakened. Kakashi had been kind enough to allow Jinra to stay by their bedsides while he and Sasuke took shifts guarding the bridge. "After all," Kakashi said, "With Gatou gone I don't think we'll be having any more problems."

Jinra really hoped his teacher was right about that. He didn't think he could handle a battle like that again. The fallout had been far worse than anything he could have imagined before.

The silver haired boy's thoughts were interrupted when he heard a faint shuffling coming from his right side, where Sakura's bed had been situated, and turned just in time to see Sakura finally open her eyes after over seventy-two hours of slumber.

Jinra watched as her emerald orbs blinked groggily before they finally began to focus and take in her surroundings.

"Where am I?" she said in a half-asleep voice.

"You're back at Tazuna's house," Jinra said plainly.

Sakura jerked her head around in surprise. She obviously hadn't been expecting someone to answer her question.

"Jinra?" she said, her tone holding a hint of confusion.

He gave her a half smile. "The one and only."

Her mind was slowly becoming less fogged up and the events before her three-day nap were slowly coming back to her. "How long have I been out?"

"Three days. Haku put you in a temporary death-state. It took your body this long just to regain consciousness. Kakashi-sensei said it might be another week before you fully recover."

Sakura's emerald eyes snapped to full attention at the mention of Haku's name. "Haku!" She had quickly gone from calm to frantic as a million question began to run through her mind, only a few of which she managed to ask aloud. "What happened after I passed out? Is Naruto-kun all right? Where are Haku and Zabuza?" In her panic she tried to lift her body up, receiving a jolt of pain for her efforts because of her still recovering muscles.

Jinra quickly placed a hand on her shoulder in an effort to calm her and gently eased her back down onto the bed. "Relax, Sakura. Naruto is fine and is laying in the bed to your left. He's just suffering from chakra depletion at the moment. Zabuza is dead; Kakashi-sensei killed him. And Haku…" Jinra's voice faltered slightly as he trailed off. He was hoping Sakura wouldn't notice and instead would focus on Naruto.

Sakura did notice though. "Jinra, what happened to Haku?"

Jinra let out a small sigh. If he was going to explain this he would have to start at the beginning. "Naruto really cares about you. He may even love you from what I saw."

Sakura blushed slightly but managed to stay focused. "Don't try and change the subject Jinra."

"I'm not." Jinra then took a deep breath and started explaining the entire story, starting from the moment Sakura was hit, to when Jinra and Sasuke saw Naruto and Haku unconscious on the pavement. "Kakashi-sensei said that Naruto managed to break one of Haku's legs, a few of his ribs and gave him a slight concussion before he passed out. Haku got off lucky though. If he had wanted to, Naruto could have killed him; all because he thought Haku had killed you."

Tears were now trickling down Sakura's face, though whether they were of joy or sadness neither of them knew. "If Haku's not dead, then where is he?" she managed to choke out.

"He's unconscious in a room across the hall, though every doctor who's seen him says he shouldn't be."

"What do you mean?"

Jinra let out another slightly sad sigh. "None of his injuries are severe enough to keep him unconscious like this. He should be awake right now, but as near as we can tell he's entered a self-induced state of catatonia. His mind won't let his body wake up."

An uncomfortable silence filled the room for a few moments before Sakura decided to speak again. "It was because Zabuza died, wasn't it? Haku said that he was the one that gave him a reason to live."

Jinra leaned against the wall by Sakura's bed before he answered. "Probably."

Another short silence ensued before Sakura spoke again. "…Do you think he'll ever wake up?"

Jinra pondered this a moment. "I imagine he'll stay asleep until he either deals with his loss, or he finds a new reason to live, which may take a while if it ever happens."

There were another few minutes of silence before Jinra got up from his seat and started to head towards the door. "Just call if you need anything, I'll hear you."

His hand had just reached the door handle when Sakura's voice called out to him, causing him to turn back around and look at her. "Jinra? Could you do me a favor before you go?"

He couldn't help but smile, her voice was so hopeful. "Sure. What is it?"

Sakura blushed as her hands began to fiddle a little in a fashion that reminded him of a certain Hyuuga girl he knew back at the academy. "Could you, um, bring our beds together?"

Jinra smiled a little broader. "Sure, but no funny business or Kakashi will never let me or you hear the end of it. Okay?"

Jinra chuckled as Sakura blushed profusely and shook her head. The silver haired boy walked over to Sakura's single futon and pushed it over until it lay right next to Naruto's. He then turned back towards the door and proceeded to walk back out. As he closed the door he stole one last glance inside of the room and saw Sakura scooting over and cuddling her body close to Naruto's still unconscious one.

One last thought ran through Jinra's mind as he finally walked away from the room. 'Naruto, you are one lucky bastard. Too bad you're unconscious.'

Naruto awoke the next day and came down the stairs for breakfast in particularly good spirits, though no one in the kitchen knew why, save for a certain silver eyed shinobi, who kept his mouth shut. The blonde only stayed long enough to grab enough breakfast for two and rushed back upstairs.

After he was gone Jinra let out a loud laugh, causing everyone else to look at him strangely.

"What's so funny, Jinra?" Sasuke asked, unable to hide his curiosity behind his neutral façade.

Jinra could only lessen his laugh to a low chuckle before saying "Sunflowers and cherry blossoms, Sasuke, sunflowers and cherry blossoms."

Kakashi sat there for a moment and thought about the cryptic comment before his eye widened in realization, and a sly grin formed beneath his mask. "It's about time," he said finally.

Sasuke jerked his head towards his sensei. The raven-haired youth was starting to get irritated. What did Kakashi know that he didn't? "What's about time? What are you two talking about?"

Kakashi gave Sasuke a knowing look before clapping a hand on the boy's shoulder. "You'll figure it out soon enough."

Team Ten stayed in the village for another month until the bridge was finally finished and then, with a heavy heart, they packed up their supplies and left to return to Konoha. The villagers promised to take care of Haku until he woke up, and Kakashi decided it was probably for the best. There was no way Haku could make the trip back with them.

It was finally time for Team Ten to return home.

Some time after they left, a man approached Tazuna and asked him a simple question: "Tazuna-san, what are we going to name the bridge?"

The elderly man thought for a moment, thinking back to all of the things that had happened since they had first begun construction, his mind lingering on a certain blonde haired shinobi who he had been told had made all the difference.

"We'll call it The Great Uzumaki Bridge, in honor of a great shinobi," he said finally, his decision met with cheers of approval.

'Take care Naruto,' Tazuna thought with a small smile. 'You're destined for great things.'

Team Ten were well on their way when Naruto let loose a violent sneeze. Naruto rubbed his nose, completely baffled as to what caused it.

"What the heck was that?" he said in confusion.

Sakura, who had been walking beside him the entire trip, smiled. "Someone is probably thinking about you, strongly if that sneeze is any indication."

Naruto smiled back and reached out for her hand before holding it gently in his. "Maybe."

Sasuke watched this little display and came to the same realization that Kakashi had come to a month ago. He turned towards Jinra and asked a simple question.

"Sunflowers and cherry blossoms, huh?"

"Yep," the boy said with a smile. "The kind that bloom best when put together."

Sasuke couldn't help but smile as well, one of the few true smiles he had ever allowed himself since the day his brother had murdered his clan. 'Good job, idiot. I guess your more ahead of me than I thought…'

About a week's journey from Konoha, a lone figure suddenly jerked to attention from where he had been sitting in his cabin. A small smile formed on his lips as he realized what must have happened.

"So, its finally time." His golden eyes seemed to shine as he got up from his chair and grabbed his traveling supplies on the way out the door.

"Ready or not Jinra," he said, the excitement clear in his voice. "Here I come."

Author's Note: One last Naruto/Sakura chapter before the end of the Wave Ark of my story. I hope you enjoyed it. The next stop is going to be the chunin exams, a part of the story that I've been quite anxious to start.

Some of you might not be happy about what happened with Haku. I'm sorry, but it had to be done. Zabuza was such a big part of Haku's life that it would be impossible for him to move on so easily. He needs to find a new purpose in life first, though I'm not sure what that purpose is yet. I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually.

As usual, fell free to leave me a review. Reading some of the comments and opinions that people have given to me has been a real pleasure. They really help to focus my writing.

Anyway, see you next time!