Fallen Petals
by Diana-san

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 4

"Sakura…"

A faint voice seemed to echo around the room.

"Sakura…"

The voice got louder and clearer.

"Sakura!"

Sakura opened her eyes. The bright lit room made Sakura cringed. Everything was white. Sakura closed her eyes. She couldn't stand the brightness. It was making her eyes hurt from looking at it. She opened her eyes again. This time, she was adjusted to the light. She glanced around the room. All she saw was the ceiling. That was because she was laying on a bed. She started to get up but a hand forced her back down.

"That's enough for you today, Sakura," a familiar voice said.

'Tsunade-sama?' Sakura thought to herself.

Sakura closed her eyes. Her mind was in a jumbled mess. She didn't know what was going on and she couldn't remember anything that happened. Sakura tried to think back but couldn't. First of all, she didn't know where to think back to. Second of all, she didn't know how long she been out of it. Her mind raced. It was full of questions. But the first question that came to mind popped out of her mouth.

"What day is it?" Sakura asked.

"It's been two days since the…" Tsunade paused, then continued. "… since the incident."

"Incident? What incident?" Sakura inquired.

"When you tried to heal Sasuke."

Suddenly, it all came back to her. 'Sasuke!' Sakura gasped and bolted upright.

"Sasuke!" Sakura exclaimed. "What happened to him? Is he alright? Is he okay?" Sakura asked, bombarding Tsunade with a bunch of questions. Sakura hesitated before asking one more question. Softly, she asked, "Is he dead?"

Tsunade sat down on the bed next to Sakura. She placed her hand on Sakura's hand.

"Sakura, he…"

"No!" Sakura whispered while trying not to cry.

"Sakura, you didn't let me finish."

"I know what you are going to say. He's dead isn't he? I couldn't do anything. I wasn't strong enough. I couldn't save him."

"You're right."

Sakura looked up and stared at Tsunade. Sakura gaped with her mouth opened. "You mean, he really is…"

"Dead?" Tsunade finished for her.

Sakura nodded in disbelief.

Tsunade sighed. "No."

"No?" Now, Sakura was confused.

"Nope. Sasuke is still alive. But he would have been dead if you acted the way you did a few minutes ago. You put yourself down, thinking that you were weak and useless. With that kind of attitude, Sasuke would have never had a chance of being saved. You know, Sakura, you are a lot stronger than before when you came to me six years ago, asking for me to train you. You shouldn't think of yourself as low. You have great potential and that was why I agreed to train you under my guidance. And that was why Sasuke was able to be saved."

Sakura looked at Tsunade. She had never heard Tsunade speak so wisely before. Sakura smiled.

"Thank you, Tsunade-sama," Sakura said softly. Another smile played on her lips. 'Sasuke, you're alive.'

'Of course he's alive! I'm one of the very best!' Inner Sakura boasted.

'What are you doing here? I thought I got rid of you six years ago.'

'Hah! You can never get rid of me. I'm un-riddable.'

'Is that even a word?'

'It is, if I say it is.'

Sakura's inner conflicts with herself got interrupted when Tsunade got up from the bed.

"Well," Tsunade started. "Since you're awake and well, I'll be in my office. You still shouldn't move too much since you lost a lot of chakra doing the healing. You need to rest up until all your chakra's been restored."

Tsunade walked to the door and opened it. Before stepping out, she said, "You should be getting visitors soon now that you are well enough to see them. But if it gets to be too much for you, then Shizune will kick them out for you." Tsunade walked out while waving good bye. "I'll come back in a little while to check on you again!"

"Wait! Tsunade-sama!" Sakura called out.

Tsunade stopped and turned around. "What is it, Sakura?"

"Uhm, don't drink too much sake."

Tsunade's eye twitched. 'How did she know?'

Tsunade grinned. "Yea, sure. Whatever." Then she walked out. 'This calls for a celebration. One sake bottle for Sakura's recovery and another one for her figuring out I was going to drink sake.'

"Sakura-chan!"

Sakura looked up from the medic book she was reading. A blond-headed boy came running in through the door that leaded into Sakura's room. He was panting like he was out of breath and Sakura sweat dropped.

"Naruto!" Sakura scolded. "You didn't have to run this fast to come see me."

"But, Sakura-chan! I had to come to see if you were alright. I waited two whole days without ramen so I could see you."

Sakura smiled. "Naruto, you didn't eat ramen for two whole days for me?"

"That's right! I didn't go to Ichiraku for two whole days," Naruto exclaimed.

Sakura giggled. Even though it's been six years, Naruto still hasn't changed. He was still the Number One Loudest ninja of Konoha and a ramen-lover. Sakura smiled as she reminisced over all her memories.

'Things sure hasn't changed around here. Even though we are a lot stronger and quicker, things are still the same. Naruto is still Naruto and I'm still me. A lot has happened in the last six years but it seems just like yesterday. Like Sasuke never left and we are all together again. Team 7...'

Sakura's thoughts were broken when Naruto started to speak again. "Well, I'm going to go see that Sasuke-teme to see how's he doing. Are you going to be okay alone?"

Sakura nodded and smiled. "Yes, of course."

Naruto started to walk out. Sakura called out to him, "Tell me how he is doing, okay?"

Naruto grinned and nodded. "Okay!" Then he walked out with his hands folded behind his head, walking with his signature relaxed walk.

Sakura smiled and went back to studying as she turned a page of the twenty pound book.

The door flew opened again as a blond headed girl followed by a lazy looking guy walked in.

Sakura looked up in surprise. "Ino!"

"Eh, forehead-girl. Took you long enough to wake up," Yamanaka Ino replied. She sat down by Sakura and Sakura could see that Ino's blond hair has grown even longer since the last time she saw her. 'How did her hair grow three inches in three days?'

"Sakura," a lazy voice drifted over. Nara Shikamaru walked to the bed and stood beside Ino. "Did that idiot come see you yet?"

"Who? Naruto?" Sakura asked.

Shikamaru nodded. "Yea, he owes me 300 yen for the ramen I bought him yesterday."

Sakura's eyebrow raised up. "Ramen?"

"Shikamaru nodded lazily. "Yea, he ran out of money so I bought him some ramen from Ichiraku."

'Didn't have ramen for two whole days, eh?'

'How dare he lie to us?!'

'I'm gonna pound him once I get better.'

'Heck. Why not pound him when he comes back?'

'Even better.'

Sakura's evil thoughts of hurting Naruto for lying to her was interrupted when Ino spoke up, "So how are you doing?"

Sakura looked at the blond-headed girl. Her rival and yet also her best friend. They became friends again during the six years they spent together. They were best friends again even though not one of them implied it. They were still rivals of course. Always competing in everything they do. Now that Sakura has gotten stronger, she doesn't see Ino as a rival really.

'Heh. That's because I'm a lot stronger than her!'

Ino looked at Sakura and frowned. 'If she thinks she is stronger than me, then she's wrong.'

"What are you thinking about, Sakura?" Ino asked.

"Oh, nothing," Sakura replied. 'Just that you're weaker than me.'

Ino got up. "Well, I'm going to see how Sasuke-kun is doing." Ino waited for Sakura to say something to her like 'Ino-pig, you stay away from my Sasuke-kun' or 'You better not touch him or else.' But nothing came out of Sakura except for, "Okay. Tell me how Sasuke doing."

Ino looked shocked. 'Is Sakura over Sasuke-kun?'

Ino bit her lower lip. 'Even though me and Shikamaru have been a couple for four years, Sakura still should see me as a threat to interfering with her love life with Sasuke-kun.'

Ino pondered over this. 'Hmm. She doesn't call him Sasuke-kun anymore either. Now it's just Sasuke. What happened to the -kun?'

Ino's head started to hurt. 'Ahhh. My head is starting to hurt.'

Shikamaru sighed. "Women are so troublesome."

Ino turned around and glared at Shikamaru. "You say something?"

Shikamaru shook his head. "Nothing. Nothing."

Sakura giggled at the two of them. They were a couple even though they didn't act like it. Sakura was surprised when Ino first told her. It was just four years ago.

Flashback

"Sakura!"

Sakura turned around to where the voice was coming from. Ino came running over to her. She seemed out of breath liked she had just ran a marathon.

"Ino! Why are you panting like that?"

"I needed to tell you something." -pants- "Me and… -pants- …Shikamaru…"

"Did something happen? Is Shikamaru okay?"

"Yea, he's fine." -pants- "We're a…. -pants-

Sakura stared at Ino, wide-eyed. "A couple?" Sakura asked.

Ino smiled and sat down on the bench beside Sakura. "Well, forehead-girl, I guess Sasuke-kun is all yours."

Sakura smiled. "He was never yours to begin with."

End Flashback

Sakura smiled as she thought back to her conversation with Ino. She had been so in love with Sasuke that it became her motivation to become stronger. Strong enough so that someday she could prove to him that she wasn't weak. Overtime, however, her feelings for Sasuke dwindled and now she feels nothing for Sasuke but friendship. Sure, she might feel jealous if she sees him with another girl but that was just because she liked him all those years and feelings can't disappear overnight.

'It's been six years since I last saw him. My heart doesn't beat as fast like it used to. My hands doesn't get as sweaty when I'm around him. I'm truly…'

Sakura hesitated before finishing her thought. '…truly over him.'