Fallen Petals
by Diana-san

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 5

Sakura sighed as she sank into her soft pillow. Ino and Shikamaru had already left and now it was just Sakura by herself. She decided to take a small rest after reading several pages of the medic book she borrowed.

Sakura was just about to doze off when a loud bang woke her up.

'Dammit! I was trying to sleep!' Inner Sakura yelled out.

Sakura sat upright from the bed to see who had awoken her.

'Naruto!'

Sakura's eye twitched. She was still a little mad at Naruto for lying to her but she decided to let it go.

'Hmm, I'll just use it as an excuse to hit him the next time I need a punching bag.'

Sakura smirked as she thought about this.

"Eh, Sakura-chan, why are you smiling like that?" Naruto asked.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Oh, no reason Naruto."

Sakura looked at Naruto. "Eh, aren't you suppose to be visiting Sasuke?"

Naruto stomped his feet. "I can't! There's a long line that I have to wait in and my number is 103 and right now it is only number 24 and I have to wait for like two hours just to see that teme."

Sakura sweat dropped. "A line?"

"Yea! If you want to see Sasuke by the end of this week then you better get a number now from the 'Take a Number' machine outside. It's strange though, I wonder who brought that thing in. I mean it must be a pain to lug such a heavy…." Naruto blabbered on while Sakura sat in thought.

'So, Sasuke's fan girls already arrived?'

'It's strange to think that just a year ago, I was one of those fan girls. Still pining for him like he was mine even though he made it clear to me that he doesn't like me.'

'Well, it's different now! From now on, we will never be that annoying girl he used to know. Haruno Sakura would prove to Uchiha Sasuke that she has changed into a more mature and less annoying person. Yes, she will. Yes, she will.'

'Now, you're starting to annoy me.'

'Well, I'm you so you're annoying yourself!'

'Hn.'

Suddenly, the door opened and Ino came in.

"Naruto!" Ino cried out. "It's your turn to see Sasuke-kun."

Naruto looked up at Ino. "Eh, already? But it's only been five minutes since I got my number."

"Yes, but Sasuke-kun refused to see any fan girls of his and that he wanted no strangers to visit him."

"Alright! Then let's go!" Naruto yelled happily. He then stopped and turned around. "Sakura-chan, do you want to visit Sasuke with us?"

Sakura began to nodded but stopped before she did. "I don't think I should. Tsunade-sama didn't say I could leave the bed yet."

'Actually, I'm not sure if I could see Sasuke yet.'

"Ah, forget about Tsunade-baa-chan. She'll never know. She's probably out somewhere drinking sake or gambling or…"

"Or what, Naruto?" a scary voice asked from behind Naruto.

Naruto froze in fear. He turned around and came face to face with Tsunade or face to chest in his case. Tsunade looked at him as if waiting for an answer.

"N-nothing, n-nothing," Naruto replied nervously.

Tsunade ignored him as if he never said anything. "Sakura," Tsunade said. "You can go visit Sasuke if you want. Just as long as you go back to rest when you're tired."

Sakura started to protest. "B-but, I'm still healing from the…"

"Sakura," Tsunade interrupted. "I think you should go see him."

Sakura nodded. "Yes, Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade smiled. "Well, time to take care of some unfinished business."

Sakura, Naruto, and Ino looked at Tsunade in wonderment. Then, all of a sudden, Tsunade picked up Naruto by the collar of his orange jacket and carried him out to the hallway.

"Hey! Tsunade-baa-chan! What do you think you're doing! Let go of me!" Naruto yelled out loud. Tsunade ignored him as she continued to drag him through the hallway with her monstrous strength.

"Help meeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" Naruto cried out as he stretched out his arms, desperately trying to wriggle out of Tsunade's grasp.

When Tsunade and Naruto were out of Sakura's earshot, Tsunade dropped Naruto on the ground.

"OWW!" Naruto cried out as he yelped in pain. He rubbed the sore spot on his behind while glaring at Tsunade. "What was that for?" he yelled angrily.

"Shush." Tsunade hushed at him. "I want Sakura to see Sasuke alone."

"Huh? Alone? Why?" Naruto asked.

"I don't feel like explaining. Besides, Iruka promised you that he will buy you ramen today at Ichiraku."

Naruto's eyes lit up like when a little child lights up at the mention of candy. "Ramen!" he exclaimed. Naruto got up and fixed his forehead protector. Then he rushed out of the hospital yelling, "Iruka-sensei, I'm coming!"

Tsunade rolled her eyes. Naruto was such a kid sometimes. Tsunade laughed. 'That's why you like him, remember?' Tsunade walked out of the hospital as she made her way back to her office. 'Well, time to get some work done. Shizune must be looking for me everywhere.'

Sakura blinked her eyes. She still didn't understand what had just happened back there. She decided to ignore it and go back to sleep. But before she could do that, a loud noise interrupted her again.

"Now what?" Sakura grumbled to herself. She opened one eye and saw a cerulean eye staring back at her. She opened her other eye and saw yet another cerulean eye looking at her.

Sakura sighed. "What do you want, Ino?"

"You," Ino replied. "You're going to see Sasuke-kun, right?"

Sakura shook her head. "No, Tsunade-sama isn't here anymore so she can't make me go."

"Yes, but you're forgetting, I can make you go."

Sakura laughed. "Sorry to burst your bubble Ino but I'm a lot stronger than you now. You can't win against me."

"Yes, but you're weak now and I'm not so…"

"NO INO!"

"Too late, Sakura!" Ino pulled Sakura by her arms and half carried and half dragged Sakura along.

"Wait!" Sakura called out. "I can't be seen in my hospital clothes!"

Ino looked over her shoulder. "Why not? You're seeing him in his hospital clothes."

Sakura protested, "B-but-"

Ino sighed. "C'mon, hurry up and change so I can go find Shikamaru."

Sakura smiled as she picked up the phone and dialed a number. The phone rang twice and a woman picked up and answered. "Hello?" the voice said.

"Uhm, can you please send up my clothes to room 201?" Sakura asked.

Sakura could hear clicking of a keyboard on the other line. "Ok, your clothes are being sent up to you right now, Ms. Haruno."

"Thank you," Sakura replied as she placed the phone back down on its cradle.

Seconds after Sakura hanged up, the door knocked. Ino went over to open it and a nurse with Sakura's clothes came in.

"Here you go, Ms. Haruno," the nurse said as she placed the red dress down on the bed.

"Thank you," Sakura said with a smile. The nurse smiled back and went back outside. Ino smiled before saying, "Well, forehead-girl, nothing's stopping you from going to see Sasuke-kun so you better hurry up and change. I'll go wait outside."

Sakura stuck her tongue out. "Yea, yea, whatever, Ino-pig."

Ino stuck her tongue back out at Sakura and left the room while closing the door behind her.

Sakura sighed. 'Guess there's no way out of this.'

'Well, it's not like we can avoid it forever.'

'No, just momentarily.'

'Besides, I can't wait to see his hot self.'

'Hey! Stop thinking like that!'

'Look, even if we don't love him anymore, there's nothing wrong with thinking he's hot.'

'Yea, he is still handsome.'

'He has the finest body…'

Sakura blushed. 'Shut up!'

Sakura finished changing and she started to smooth out her hair. Her long pink hair swayed around her hips. It had grown longer since it used to be at the chest. Sakura sighed. 'I guess it's time.'

'You make it seem like you're going to hell.'

'Yea, well what do you expect?'

'Let's just go!'

Sakura went to the door and opened it. She peeked outside, searching for Ino's long blond hair. There was no sign of her. But taped to the wall just across from Sakura's room was a note. Sakura walked closer to read what was written on the note.

Gone out with Shikamaru. Go see Sasuke-kun. He's in room 207.

-Ino

Sakura tore off the note from the wall and crumpled it. 'So, Ino, you planned to leave me alone with him this whole time, didn't you?'

Sakura threw the note into the nearest trash can and walked down the hall. She stopped in front of room 207 and stared at the door. Slowly, she brought her hand up to knock on the door.

"Come in," a voice from inside said.

Sakura took a deep breath. Then she turned the door handle and walked in.

A figure sat upright in bed and looked at Sakura. His onyx eyes gleamed in the darkness.

"Sakura," he said.