Teammates
Chapter 2: Sakura-chan
-o-o-o-
Naruto decided that to best train Sakura, he would start with the very basics: Survival. After meeting up with Sakura the next day, he ran along with her to the forest close to the Hokage Monument, Training Ground 44. He found the place a couple of years back looking for an unused place to train, as they wouldn't allow him to train in others. It became a regular place for him after that. He learned everything about foraging, hunting, what to eat and not to. Along with that, this place helped him sharpen his senses and reflexes because of the constant danger it brings. Don't worry though, Naruto also knows Sakura isn't ready for that. Yet.
"C'mon Sakura-chan, we're almost there!"
"Wait up Naruto-kun!" A panting Sakura spoke.
Naruto suddenly stopped. "Sakura-chan I told you to just call me Naruto."
"B-b-but that's embarrassing!"
"No Sakura-chaaan!" He whined. Naruto following his Ji-chan advice told the girl to drop the suffixes as a show of friendship and closeness.
"Why do you add -chan to my name then?" She tried to defend.
"Because it sounds cute!"
She blushed.
"C'mon, Naruto, Na-ru-to" He instructed.
"…naruto" she mumbled.
"What was that Sakura-chan?" He pried smirking.
"N-N-Naruto!" She yelled.
"There you go!"
'I-idiot…'
As they made their way to Naruto's usual training spot, the villagers of Konoha send confused eyes at them. Sakura could see the villagers' heated stares directed at Naruto and the confused looks from kids around their age. It's as if Naruto was a criminal or delinquent-no- more like he was an outcast. Like he didn't belong here. As confusing as the experience was, Sakura couldn't help but wonder why. Naruto was a good person, a bit of an idiot if she's honest with herself. Still, Naruto was good to her, unlike some others.
Naruto was getting nervous; he could see the puzzlement in Sakura's pretty eyes. If she were to question him, what could he say? Even he didn't know what was the villagers' complete dislike of him all about. He did know one thing though. He did not want to lose Sakura. She was starting to become someone precious to him. He could see her becoming his confidant and he didn't want to lose a friend because of the village's hate. Not again.
"Hey, Naruto?" The girl asked.
'Oh no…' "Y-yes?" He forced himself to say.
"Are you okay?"
'Huh?' "Ehm, yeah? Why wouldn't I be?" Wasn't she supposed to ask something else?
"Just making sure." If Naruto is willing to help and protect her then she will too.
Naruto was getting confused; he couldn't tell what Sakura's pretty head was thinking. Wasn't she supposed to be questioning him right now? He didn't know what to think. Was she worried about him? Because if so, then the feeling in his stomach was good right? It felt funny and ticklish. This was good right? He remembers the last time he got this feeling; it didn't end well. At all.
'Arghh! Too much thinking.'
"Ne, Sakura-chan?"
"What is it?"
"Thanks."
"Huh? What for?
"For being you." He smiled big.
-o-o-o-
After training with Sakura, Naruto taught her how to hunt and survive in his usual spot in Training Ground 44, it was a moderate-sized clearing with a small stream full of fish running through it. It was also just barely inside the training area, so it was
"You're… a…monster…" An exhausted Sakura said. Just lifting the cooked fish to her mouth was strenuous.
Naruto flinched but was confused when Sakura started giggling.
"What's so funny?" He asked tilting his head to the side.
Calming down a bit she responded, "It just that… you're a weirdo."
"HUH!?"
Giggling some more she said, "You protected me… even though you didn't know me and then offered to help me and now you're munching on fish like if we didn't just do all that training!"
"But that was hardly training."
"For you! It was torture for me!"
Laughing Naruto went over to her, "You're amazing Sakura-chan! You just need to be confident in yourself. With some training, you could be even more amazing!"
Blushing and looking down Sakura said, "You're wrong, I'm nothing special at all. It'll be impossible for me to be a shinobi. I'll never be anything."
"You are the wrong one, you have everything it takes to be an amazing shinobi!" He corrected her, flicking her forehead with his middle finger at the end.
"Ow! I said no, I don't!" She said rubbing her forehead.
"You do! You will see, you will be the best konoichi of all!"
"It's kunoichi, you idiot!"
"That's what I said!"
Giggling Sakura stood up, "You are impossible…"
"I'm… possible?" He didn't understand that.
'That word is not in his dictionary, is it?' She thought.
"Anyway! It's getting late, won't your parents be worried Sakura-chan?"
"You're right. Let's go!"
Naruto went and put out the fire and was going to start walking before-
"Shannaro!"
He was hit with enough force to send him flying.
"That's for flicking me! Hmph!" Sakura yelled.
'She packs a punch!' He thought before laughing. 'And she said she didn't have what it takes, yeah right!'
-o-o-o-
Naruto woke up with a smile on his face. Last night was fun. After being done for the day, he walked Sakura home as he remembered Iruka-sensei yelling something along the line of, "A gentleman always walks a home Naruto!". So, he decided to offer her a walk home, and it turned out to be the best thing he could've done as Sakura hugged and thanked him for everything. Now he definitely didn't want to lose Sakura, she is awesome!
With a quick stretch, he went to his window. There, a Jade plant sat. He checked to see if the first 2 inches were dry. They weren't. "No water for you then." He could still remember when she gave him that plant, and all the instructions. Even if it was 2 years ago, he never could. He missed her, that's why he still took care of the plant. He never really cared much for plants as his world was always dull and gray, so plants just blended in. When he met her, however; he started taking notice of them. Especially the one she gave him.
Silently, he walked off and prepare for his day. As he closed his door, ready to head towards Ichiraku to have a quick bite, he put a smile on his face. He had to smile. Uzumaki Naruto doesn't frown. Not since he met her.
Leaving Ichiraku after bidding the Old-man and Ayame-nee goodbye, he left in the direction of the academy. Some time in the old swing sounded nice right now. As he made way there, however; he came across two people laughing like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a while. The one closest to him was Sakura, with her usual red ribbon on her head. The one across from her was a blonde with hair just past her shoulders. He immediately stopped. He gasped.
"Ino-chan?"