No Going Back

6- A Friend or A Lover

Last Time

"Thanks, mom," I say looking up at her in things.

"You did sleep in a bit," mom says with a small pout probably because she can't pick out a cute name for me.

Naruko POV, Midday Shopping

"You look cute you know that Naruko. I like it, you should pick that one," my mom says.

I shook my head and said, "no it's too pink, what is this." I say raising my arm up showing the sweeps looking more like I have a towel over my arm. "What are they for? Yeah, it is kind of soft but it's heavy."

*Sigh* "what about the blue one I put on the table in the changing room for you. You like that one?" she says looking kinda sad probably because she like the pallet of pink going with my long blonde hair.

"I did try on, but it doesn't screen me, you know," I say imagining a beautiful orange kimono in my head, uh… maybe that one can work.

"Umm" My mom *hums* to a self, "the front desk lady says they didn't have any orange kimonos, but I can ask her if she has any red ones." She looks at me for an answer, to make sure I will be OK for wearing red.

"Yes!" I shouted as I ran around and jumped on my balls of my feet, but my mom just looks at me with her eyebrows raise.

"Uh… sorry," I say quietly as I stretch my back of my head, knowing I sound cute. But I clear my throat and say "yes, I will love to wear a red Komodo."

My mommy doesn't want me to talk like I am in the middle of a royal court, or anything like that. She says something like I need to sound more polite and use my words more.

She got up with a nod and say "I will go ask the front desk but while I'm gone, please try on some of the other dresses I pick out for you. And the ones on the shelf are the training dresses so you might want to try those on first." She said finishing off with a smile and then walking away to the front of the building.

After a moment just to watch her walk down the little pathway. *Sigh* shopping is so fun but so tiring at the same time, it is a weird combination.

When I see her disappear behind other clothes and dresses. I walk to the place will she put my training clothes, to try on. It is somewhat simple just a mini skirt that doesn't pass the knees and undershorts that go easy going with a jacket.

Huffing hot air up into my hair, I walk to the changing room forgetting something important.

XxXxX

Walking out of the changing room mumbling to myself about forgetting to pick up the clothes I am going to change into. It's just stupid.

But I guess now I can just say 'I am a blonde' and people will just think it was just cute.

When I got to the training clothes, I hear a soft sniff on the other side of the clothes rack.

I have a sad feeling that came over me by the chakra. I feel on the other side, it is sad but having a beautiful feeling.

So, I started to walk on your side when I continue to get closer, I recognize the chakra before turning the bin to see a beautiful Girl.

'Sakura.'

She was wearing the same green dress that she was wearing yesterday. But surprisingly it was slightly dirty like she was training.

And her shoes look like ninja shoes, but they were made by civilians by the green color. The green shade was the same as a dress she is wearing beautifully.

I looked up at her beautiful pink hair. And not surprisingly now her hair was slightly dirty like your dress. If she came to class looking like this, I know a certain someone who will probably get a nosebleed by the image.

But I felt like something was missing from her head.

Hum, the headband with the cute bow, was missing.

I tilted my head in confinement she loves that band.

I finally notice that she's trying to make herself as small as humanly possible. She has her feet touching each other and holding her arms tightly around her chest, holding her hands over her heart.

*Frowning*. Normally Ino will be standing next to Sakura, as her best friend/bodyguard. But there was she, she normally punched the ones into the ground, for made Sakura sad. Or having her arm around Sakura trying to make her laugh, trying to show her beautiful smile to the world.

But. No Ino.

Clearing my throat trying to get my crush's attention.

And it works, Sakura turns her lovely head but with sad eyes, and a frown. "Hi," I say with a small hand wave.

She looked me over having a site look of recognition and surprise, in those watery eyes of her.

But instead of punching me or asking if I was a girl the entire time. She bows before me, saying "if you are looking for a cute bow to go with your outfit allow me to move."

I tilted my head at my crush bowing in front of me, and it was just hot in every regard. I felt my cheeks turning to a cute shade of pinkish-red somehow matching with my hot pink kimono.

She slowly got up; she is standing there holding her hands together. Waiting for me to excuse her or allow me a chance to respond.

But I can't help but notice a cute blush appeal on her face after she saw mine.

I clear my throat and say, "no need to bow, and for cur-ios-ity hu… curiosity," I say the word slowly trying to get it. And I continue, "why did you bow?"

She looks at me like I'm an idiot. But she didn't punch me in the face this time, which is a good thing, I think.

She started to say, "I bow because your kimono is made for high-quality fabric, and a couple of days ago my mommy try to buy me one of those and the front test didn't even allow us to see it. Even after she started screaming about being on the civilian council."

Giggling softly and caching the back of my head. I say, "yeah, my mommy told me we are going to the capital city, to see our family, and she also says in the capital people wear clothes like this."

She just nodded like my idiocy is confirmed.

Trying to change the subject I ask, "so, which bow do you think to go with the kimono I have on."

Her eyes instantly brighten with a shine of complete assignment. like I know it will, how much she loves talking about her headband with a bow tie on top.

"I will love to my lady," she said smiling at me mainly focusing her beautiful green eyes on my head there the bow where be placed.

I do have a name you know

"Oh, sorry my name is Sakura," she says reaching out her hand.

"My name is Naruko," I say as I took her hand and shake it. I felt so grown-up shaking somebody else's hand, even if we were the same age.

"Naruko? I know somebody with a similar name. Do you know where the name is from?"

"Well, my mommy says my original clan was from Uzushiogakure." I smile at the word I say because I didn't need to slow down, or I didn't even mess it up.

"Original clan?" Sakura question.

I shrugged thinking nothing of it I say, "I'm adopted. The clan that adopted me were good friends with my mommy's clan."

When I finish and I look at my crush, she is tilting her head and looking like she is deep in thought. I know if I try doing the same thing, I will just get a bad headache.

Suddenly, she shook her head and said, "sorry I would just think about it later tonight." She then snapped her fingers and pick up a cute pink-looking bow, with an easy movement about her.

I got to admit, my second favorite color is pink because I do love Sakura's pink hair. Because of that, I let her slide the pink headband onto my head, pushing back some of my blonde locks. And the complete concentration on her face is a complete knockout.

She took a setback looking at my bow sitting comfortably in my hair. With a finger to her mouth, she says, "it looks good."

"It does? And you only put one on my head," I say locking my arms together.

She shrugged, "yeah and I already imagine every bow on the rack on your little pretty head."

I just look at her, "I feel like you like hairs bows."

She smiles and her cute blush appeal back on her beautiful face. "Yes, you can say that" her smile changed to a proud one as she says that.

I scratch my back in my head feeling a little awkward at the question I'm about to ask. "So, Sakura-chan do you know any places us girls can go to have fun at?"

"Chan?" she says looking lightheaded and a small setback in supplies. "Oh, uh Naruko-Chan I know a couple of good places but why do you need to ask?"

"You can say, my family doesn't like me to leave the Chan Compound," I say knowing it is a half-truth.

"I see," she says, "I can think of some good places you might like."

*Giggling* "Sakura-chan you mean places that you like to go?"

"Yeah," she says a little sheepish.

I laugh, "I guess I would tell mommy; that I would take the pink one."

XxXxX

Hours Later

Sakura and I both walk out from Sakura's favorite place to eat. We both are full of overeating too many dumplings, and somehow Sakura-chan is still eating some of them out of the left-over box

I can't help but think, 'she is just like me in eating the food of the Gods.'

"Hey, Naruko-Chan you so lucky the owner of the restaurant gave you a discount on the food just because you smile." She says as she pulls her chopsticks out of her mouth.

"What do you mean I'm lucky? who lucky, you got a free buffet meal." I say across my arms, as I glare at the dumpling getting placed into her mouth.

"Sorry it's not my fault, you have a pretty smile." She says absentmindedly as she picks out a new dumpling from the box.

I open my mouth to respond but I realize she was just egging me on. So, I shut my mouth and let a thought pop up in my head.

When I came there as Naruto the owner of the restaurant just threw me out, but when I came there as my new self, I see him running around and laughing with the kids.

Life is so unfair sometimes.

In the middle of my sad thought, Sakura grab my arm and started pulling me in the direction we were going and shouted, "I have another place to show you."

I instantly got out of my depressed state and laugh at her excitement. As she pulls me along in the middle of the streets.

XxXxX

After a long time of weaving through people in the streets. The pink hair girl stops dragging me, we were both somewhat winded for jogging halfway through the village in a little bit outward.

As I took a second to take a breath, I lookout seeing a clearing and, in the middle, there stand a beautiful Sakura Tree in the middle of the clearing, surrounded by flowers.

I giggle loudly and say Sakura Tree? A beautiful tree and you with the same beautiful.

"Thanks," she whispers softly, with a cute blush appealing on the top of her cheeks.

And with her cute blush perfectly matching with her beautiful hair, I can't help but to grab her hand into my own. And like how she dragged me through the village I dragged her to the trunk of the tree to watch the sunset together, using the tree for shade and comfort.

When we sat down using the trunk of the tree as a backrest. We both watch the oranges and reds colors dance across the sky.

By the site, I can't help but remember all those times I sat on those heads as I watched the sunset. Maybe that will I fall in love with the color orange?

For some time, we just sat there, not saying anything just watching the sunlight cutting through the branches and the leaves. By the lights I felt especially tired and sleepy, I know my crush is feeling the same by how many yawns she was doing.

And by all these yawns, I felt even more sleepy and tired.

In the middle of a yawn, I ask, "So, Sakura-chan why were you so sad when we first met?"

The found form early today returned to her face. *Sigh* "Uhh… I told my best f-friend something, and-and when I did, she got m-mad at me and s-started making fun of me. S-so, I just ran away." She finishes off with a soft sniff from her nose.

What? Why would Ino do something like that? she might be a little self-centered, but she is overly defensive of the people she called her friends. I ask myself.

But what I did ask out loud is, "I am all hears, and if she gets mad about you confessing something to her, you two are not actually friends." After I say that it sounded a little bit harsh, but I know it needed to be said.

Sakura-Chan turns her head to the sunset and watches the radish clouds float above the sun. For sometimes we set there just watching the sunset.

After a semi-cool breeze blew across the branches of the tree we were sitting under, Sakura suddenly begin to speak what was on her mind.

"I told my best friend that I like a boy in our class," she says a little sheepish, nervous about my reaction.

I blushed thinking about the confession to her friend about liking me.

But before I can say anything she continues, "I told her that I also love Sasuke-Kun."

After a quick blink, I look at her, looking away from a beautiful sunset with the beautiful colors stretching across the sky.

By my reaction she quickly looked away and say quickly, "sorry, I didn't know you liked him too."

I made a not girlish sound, I can only put the sound as vomiting in your mouth, gross I know. "I don't like that Uchiha, I think he is rude and uncaring. But sometimes light does shine through."

She looks at me in shock and says in a surprised tone of voice, "I think you are the only girl I have ever met not in love with him or at least have a liking to him."

I laughed but it sounded more like a giggle, "maybe you can say, I am utt…rac-ti… uh."

"Are you trying to say attractive?" The pink-haired girl asked as she giggled softly.

I snap my fingers together, letting out a huge smile to her, "thanks for the help, Sakura-Chan." I say not even going to try to say the word again.

She looked at me in shock, but then she smiled her soft and happy smile. After the shock disappear from her face, what was left was just a happy girl with a slightly pinkish blush on her upper cheeks.

And it doesn't help that the color from the sunset makes her look even more beautiful.