Disclaimer: I do not own any characters just the idea.

Flashbacks of an Unforgotten Promise


Chapter 2: The Plastic Brown Ring



It had been a long time since the Chuunin Exam finished. It had been 3 years since then and everything was back to normal except of course for the daily training. It was a can't-live-without for the Teams, especially for Team 7.

Sakura strode to their training grounds, smiling as usual; as the wind gushed her, now, long hair. She grew her hair through the years and she was certain that Sasuke wasn't, anymore, the reason. She had no reason for it. She just loved it that way. And now as she crossed the bridge, she impulsively stopped as she saw the sun rising ahead.

We have so many memories... I wonder if I could part from it... Team 7... Sakura thought as she faced the rising sun, admiring it all for it's beauty.

"Oi! Sakura! What are you doing there?" Naruto chirped from a distance, his voice now lower and more pleasant than how it had been in the past. Unlike before, Naruto had matured a bit and is now engrossed with a more serious combat and Hinata. Sakura doesn't punch him the same way as before except for some weird moments that calls for a need of it.

Sakura looked at Naruto from afar... replying a soft "I'm coming." before she gracefully ran to their spot.

Sasuke was there. Earliest as usual, still, with his cold face and serene ambiance. There had not been so much change about him except for the fact that he grew handsomer than ever.

Sakura couldn't help but smile as she reminisced all her crazy antics just to get the attention the particular Uchicha when he liked none of them.

Sasuke glanced at Sakura, wondering what she was smiling about.

Grumble.

"Ah..! Why does Kakashi always come late? I'm hungry." Naruto said as he massaged his protesting stomach, his whiskers showing again.

Some things would never change.

Sakura smiled as she thought of one thing... Ramen..

"Ah... I can't take it anymore... I need nutrition..." Naruto said as his eyes sagged for effect, which was consecutively followed by a loud thunder... Naruto's stomach grumble.

Sasuke marked his lips with a half smirk. Dobe...

"Hmpf! Who wants to eat Ramen?" Naruto asked as he raised his right hand to show that he is more than willing to do so.

No reply.

"Sakura-chan? Sasuke? Nobody wants to go with me?" Naruto asked as he bowed down in defeat. He was planning to take the two along with him and suggest a game and then whoever loses, pays for the bill. "So much for the free food."

"I knew it... you were planning to make us pay for your bill, ne Naruto?" Sakura said as her eyebrow twitched.

Sasuke watched the two closely, quite used to the arguments by now.

"You don't really trust me, ne Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked as a pout appeared on his face just like a puppy's don't-hurt-me look.

"No. Especially when it comes to Ramen."

Naruto giggled loudly. She knew him better than any girl.

"Fine. Fine." Naruto said as he left. "Just tell Kakashi that I got hungry and that I decided to payoff a little bit." Naruto said as he waved to his other companions, goodbye.

Sakura smiled. "Hai! Hai! Wakatta!"

Now there were only the two of them...

Sakura turned to face Sasuke. "Aren't you hungry, Sasuke-kun?" Sakura inquired as she saw him face her.

"Iie... I don't eat as much as that dobe..." Sasuke replied, giving Sakura a smirk before closing his eyes to meditate from above the tree.

Sakura smiled softly as she climbed the tree as well. Sasuke opened his left eye to see what she was up to when he found her hanging by a branch beside him. "Do you mind if I sit with you?" Sakura asked with much vibrant personality that no one could resist.

"Do as you wish." He replied coldly to her. Sakura smiled.

"Sasuke-kun?" Sakura whispered.

"Nani?" Sasuke asked as he faced the girl, who seemed lost in thought.

"Nothing." She just smiled, perplexing her teammate for a moment.

"So ka..." Sasuke muttered as he went back to his meditation. It wouldn't matter to him if she was around as long as she didn't make any noise.

Sasuke sniffed the wind that continually tossed Sakura's hair. Good. She wasn't any bother to him now or a source of annoyance and he had already learned to accept her as a part of their team, not just a piece of furniture to stand behind them during the fight.

Moments of Silence.

It was start of springtime that day and the Sakura blossoms scattered everywhere, covering the streets, the forests and the temples. It danced gracefully with the wind, making the rustles of the wind it's tempo for their song. Sakura smiled as she watched the flowers encircle her as it flew with the wind. Sasuke peaked with his right eye to watch the girl pluck out the blossoms that had landed on her hair. Looks familiar...

Sakura brushed her hair with her candle-like hands, tying her hair slowly with a ponytail, tucking her bangs to her ears.

"Huh?" Sasuke muttered though audible enough to be heard from a close distance.

"Nani?" Sakura asked as her left hand froze from its hair-tucking position. "Nani... Sasuke-kun?"

Sasuke pointed to the brown plastic ring that had been worn on Sakura's left ring finger. "What is that?" Sasuke asked, never noticing that it was there before.

"Oh this?" Sakura asked as she took her hands of her ear, stretching her hand in her chest level. "It's a promise."

"Promise?" Sasuke asked with much attention focused on her.

"Hai." Sakura smiled as she stared at the brown plastic ring worn on her left ring finger as memories flooded her, bringing back the reason why she went back to Konoha.

Flashback of words

"You have to promise that you will come back."

"And when you come back we will play here again and then you'd never
leave again."

"IT'S A PROMISE!"

End of Flashback

"Sachi..." Sakura said inaudibly as she stood up. "Sasuke-kun... I have to go now... I have something important to do. Ja ne!" Sakura jumped after saying goodbye.

Sasuke, however, stayed in his position yet mentally disturbed.

Sakura ran through the forest. Sachi-chan... Gomen... I forgot our promise... Where could you be..? At the end of the thought, Sakura paused instinctively, just in time to catch a fallen baby bird.

Flashback (voices only)

"What happened to it Sano-chan?"

"It fell from its nest and it couldn't go back."

"I'll bring it back to its nest."

Sano watched from the ground as her friend climbed the tree with worried eyes.

THUD!

"I told you I can put it back!"

Sano smiled. "Arigato Sachi-chan."

End of Flashback

Sakura climbed the tree and safely placed the little bird back to its nest together with his 4 other brothers or sisters. Sakura smiled as she recaptured that memory when suddenly the branch she was lying on broke, so fast, she didn't have the time to prepare for the landing.

Sakura opened her eyes, hoping she was still alive when she met a pair of onyx eyes look back at her, asking "Daijobu?"

"A promise is never a promise unless you mean it..."

o.0 to be continued 0.o


A/n: Read the next chapter and Review! Arigato!