Hey! I'm back! Pretty late, don't you think?

My life is in total shit right now (sorry for the choice of words, but that's the word that can describe what I'm going through) because I have the serious case of chicken pox! I know it may sound like crap to you, but once you have it, it's like you have zits all over your body and face. Only BIGGER. And now I'm here, isolated in my room, not allowed to go to school in 2 weeks, and also not allowed to attend taekwondo training.

The only good thing is that I got this laptop with full access in the internet any day. But it's not like you'll not get bored with it.

Shucks. So I'm trying to busy myself (and all the while ignore the pox) with continuing the story I started. Well, I hope this chicken pox doesn't affect my way of writing!

Thanks again to the people who reviewed my story, and also to the people who reads this even though they don't leave a review. Thanks again!

Oh, by the way, for the people who read my profile, thanks a lot. I know it's not very interesting but it tells how I derived my penname from. I'll try to improve it so that it could be somewhat worthwhile.

So,

This is the story I know by heart.

This is…

A Silver Hero.

A Silver Hero

By: angeLix

Chapter title: Is it just beginner's luck?

dedicated to punk boy H…

Sasuke just began to stare at her. Just stare her down. Stare her down and nothing will go wrong.

Wow, really nice solution isn't it? Try to pretend that we have laser eyes and try our best to melt her down. Nice work Uchiha, for someone as stupid as Naruto! His innerself screamed at him, inanimately.

Now is a really good time for Naruto to just pop out of nowhere. Sasuke thought flatly.

There was only one thing that he was sure about: she had changed. He might not know what happened through that span of one month, but he still has the right to judge her sudden transformation, right?

Same hair, uh… same hair… did he mention same hair?

Fine, to just shove the truth right up to everyone's faces, Sakura had changed a great deal. But still, that wasn't the greater question. Why was she back here all of a sudden? What place did she come from? What happened to her during her departure of one month? What really happened during that fateful day of their successful yet despondent mission? Everything is just a blur. A confusing, surreal blur.

That's when she spoke to him.

" What, you saw something you like, Uchiha?"

That drew the line. No one ever asked him that without having their heads growing lumps on top. If he felt a but merciful the asshole can go around Konoha with Chouji on his back. Yep, she's a girl. But, does he care? No.

He then shoved his hands inside his pockets, fixed on one of his nastiest glares, before saying, " Remember that I don't like you, Haruno."

She grinned mischievously. " I'm well aware of that. Well, whether you like me or not, you're leading me to Tsunade-sama's office." She decided, her tone ending with a sense of finality. She began to walk down the cobble-stoned path, to right where light seemed to burst out of the thick clump of trees.

Sasuke followed her disdainfully, grumbling about so many things.

But inside, he felt that big thing in his stomach disappear so suddenly.

Maybe, her being back is actually a good thing.

Damn… if he just knew.

A loud knock issued from the other side of Tsunade's wooden door. The blonde woman looked up from the thick files that she had stacked up on her table and stared at the door irritably. She has every right to be petulant right now, owing for the fact that she is the Hokage and had mountains of work to do. And add that pile of crap with Naruto who keeps on calling her an old woman, well, Tsunade has the biggest pile of shit ever in her entire life.

The loud knock continued.

" NARUTO, I AIN'T LETTING YOU GO OUT OF THE VILLAGE AND FIND SAKURA AND THAT IS FINAL!" she screamed in angst, almost in the verge of chucking the thick pile of manila folders right at the door.

She then let herself slump on the back of her chair, her fingers slowly massaging her temples. All of these piled up files are all about information on how to get back Sakura. Proposed plans of tacticians, background information about their last mission together, her capabilities… everything. You see, Konoha can't risk losing a brilliant mind like Sakura. She had helped the leaf get through attacks and missions because of her analytical background.

But when the door knob turned and the door swung open quite noisily, leaving the exhausted Tsunade left with no choice.

" Naruto—"

But then she looked up.

She saw Sakura. Then her gaze turned to her files. Then back to Sakura again. She let out a frustrated sigh, opened her drawer, and shoved all of them until they were out of sight.

What a complete waste of time…

She then fixed an earpiece on her ear, and muttered through it,

" Bring me Hatake Kakashi and Uzumaki Naruto."

Sure enough, a deep voice answered back roughly, " Hai, Godaime-sama."

" Come in." she spoke, addressing the pink-haired girl.

Sakura sauntered in quite hastily towards the office, a wave of uneasiness washed over her.

" I said come in." she repeated much firmly. It was horrifying how Naruto can act like his hyperactive self with Tsunade prowling like this.

Sasuke soon stepped inside the office, a glare captured in his onyx orbs, but still bowing a little to show his respects.

Tsunade gave a satisfied smile. " Now, we wait."

Sure enough, the pair entered the office quite comfortably—they must have been entering these doors almost everyday. The first man was looking around curiously, expecting something extravagant to appear suddenly. When he saw none, (he didn't notice Sakura. a/n god! IDIOT! Uhm… sorry!) he shrugged and plopped open his book. Who would read a perverted book just like him? Who else. Hatake Kakashi.

The second one was… grumbling. Grumbling in a sense that he was furious because of the sudden interruption of his meal. And because of this sudden furiousness, he DID NOT notice Sakura. (a/n god! SUPER IDIOT! Uhm… sorry?…again?) Who would grumble like that? Who else. Uzumaki Naruto.

Kakashi and Naruto.

Naruto and Kakashi.

Tsunade… come on, find your inner peace… she thought, mentally holding back her innerself from tearing the two limb from limb.

" Oi! Old hag! This better be good, because you cost me a meal back at Ichiraku's!"

DOWN TSUNADE! DOWN!

Taking in one, shaky breath, Tsunade tried to calm herself down.

" Naruto, look at your left." She ordered, grasping her hands together.

The said boy turned ungracefully, his gaze landing at the unnoticed pink-haired girl. Hs gaze did not leave her. He continued to stare at her. Seconds passed… minutes… let's stop there. Then he bursted into an uncertain shout.

" Are you Sakura-chan?"

Tsunade almost fell off her chair. How dumb can this boy be! She knew that he was a little bit dim, but… god.

Inside their heads:

Sasuke: Dobe…

Sakura: NARUTO, YOU IDIOT!

Kakashi: Is the next volume available? What's taking it so long? Oh, hey, there's Sakura!

Naruto: Is that really Sakura-chan? blink yes! It is her! blink No she's not. blink Dude. Pink hair! The girl has PINK HAIR! blink she's not the only one with pink hair, dimwit. blink …

" Are you really Sakura-chan?" he murmured timidly, almost pathetically. His hyperactive self was swiftly blown away. And so did the waging war inside his head.

She felt the wall melt down another notch. The Naruto she knew for so long was the ramen-loving, hyperactive boy with the surreal dreams of being a Hokage. She never realized Naruto can be so… alone.

" Why do you ask?"

The blond boy's shoulders drooped down a little. " Nothing. She's the only girl who befriended me, I guess. If I lose her, that means I lost a friend. I don't really have many."

Okay. The wall felt like a wet puddle now. He completely melted it off. She could even imagine herself taking a little swim in it. She never expected him to break down the barrier she set up for a long time. She really was weak for someone controlled by some insane psycho freak.

She stretched her arms up above her head and said, " Well, you're lucky."

His azure eyes lifted from the dull, tiled floor to her strikingly emerald orbs. She saw hope flicker lightly in his eyes. All the while, Naruto had gazed into eyes for quite a few times, but when he stared at Sakura's, he could see something unnamable captured in them.

" …because Haruno Sakura is back." She said, giving him a small, yet genuine smile.

Tsunade produced a small cough to catch their attention. After that smart little comment Sakura made, everything just seemed to burst into a rainbow of color. Everything just felt… she didn't know, better, maybe?

With in the span of 5 minutes, Naruto had Sakura on a big bear hug, the poor girl beginning to change colors.

" SAKURA-CHAN I MISSED YOU SO MUCH YOU DON'T KNOW HOW I MISSED YOU I MISSED YOU FOREVER I ALMOST DIED OUT OF MISSING YOU!" Naruto cooed "affectionately", (a/n please note the quotation marks) rubbing his cheek on hers.

Sakura was going to die.

" Naruto, I don't think she's breathing anymore…" Kakashi muttered in a 'wow-I-never-knew-she-could-turn-into-different-colors' tone of voice, poking her face, as if checking if her insides were still intact.

Naruto immediately let go of the pink haired girl, a horrified expression tainted on his now angular face. Sakura took a deep breath, trying to erase the horror that befounded her in that very moment. Sakura reminded herself that she should not, at any cost, be in a place within 5 mile radius from Naruto, especially if he's in this kind of state.

" Don't push it, dobe." Sasuke growled, obviously annoyed.

Naruto's round, cerulean orbs reduced into mere slits. This is his idea of being sly. He began throwing Sasuke these questioning-crossed-with-suspicious looks, a concrete idea forming in his mind.

But even before he could speak the truth, Tsunade interrupted him with a fake, loud, cough. This time she was successful. Their attention snapped back to her.

Her face was masked with significance. They knew she was going to ask the most important question that certainly need her answers.

" Sakura, explain."

Sakura knew Tsunade didn't order. She requested. It might not be that way for most people, but she knew by that certain look in her eyes, that told her more than she expected. With the kind of woman Tsunade was, it was hard for Sakura not to admire her.

All eyes on her.

So, with that, Sakura let the memories flood back freely… ready to tell them her story.

Yet, that small voice muttered inside her head.

That annoying, commanding voice that she can't bring herself to get rid of.

Second step.

Identity must be kept hidden.

I repeat.

Identity must be kept hidden.

I know it's really short, but I also got to review for my damned quarterly exams. Okay, that's it for chapter 3. thanks so much for reading (and hopefully, reviewing)! I'll see you around then, I'll be back with more chapters of A Silver Hero.

Bye!

angeLix.