Fallen Petals
by Diana-san

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto.

Chapter 7

Sakura woke up to the sound of birds chirping outside. She lazily stretched her arms out and sat upright. The morning sunshine shone brightly through Sakura's hospital window. Two days had gone by and Sakura felt that she had rested enough. She glanced at the small calendar hanging on the wall. The 6th was circled over with a red pen. Today was the 5th of April.

Sakura gasped. "The festival!" she exclaimed.

She jumped out of bed and ran out of the room and into the hallway. She came colliding head on with somebody and Sakura fell down on the ground.

"Oww…" Sakura said while rubbing the sore spot on her back. She looked up to see a tall figure towering over her.

Sakura stood up and blushed of embarrassment. "Sorry," she said apologetically.

"Hn," the figure responded.

Sakura looked up and her emerald green eyes met with Sasuke's onyx eyes. Sakura shivered. She wasn't sure if it was because she was in a nightgown or because of Sasuke's intense stare.

"What are you doing out of bed so early?" Sasuke asked.

Sakura broke contact with Sasuke's eyes and crossed her arms to keep herself warm. "I wanted to find Tsunade-sama and tell her that I'm ready to check out."

"Hn. Is that so?"

Sakura nodded. "What are you doing out here?" Sakura asked.

"I felt like getting out of the stuffy room," Sasuke answered. Sasuke turned around and began to walk in the direction he came from.

Sakura called after him. "Sasuke, where are you going?"

Sasuke turned his head and looked at Sakura. "You said you wanted to find Tsunade, right?"

Sakura nodded slowly. "Well, quit standing there doing nothing then," Sasuke said as he continued walking.

Sakura quickly ran to catch up to Sasuke who already turned the corner. She fell into step besides him and their walk down to the hospital's first floor was a quiet one. Before they reached the first floor, Sasuke suddenly stopped. Sakura who was walking behind him now, crashed right into him.

"Why did you stop?" Sakura asked as she ignored the bump on her head.

Sasuke didn't respond but he tossed a jacket over to her. Sakura caught it by surprise and she held it up as if questioning it. "Uhm, what am I suppose to do with it?" she asked.

"You wear it, obviously."

Sasuke clenched his hands. 'It's not like I'm going to let you parade around the floor wearing that nightgown.'

Sakura only looked at Sasuke with a confused look in her eyes.

"You're cold aren't you?" Sasuke asked in an annoyed tone.

Sakura laughed nervously. "Ah, right."

She quickly slipped into the warm jacket and zipped up the zipper. She looked over to Sasuke. "Aren't you going to be cold Sasuke?" she asked.

The worried tone in Sakura's voice made Sasuke smirk. Sasuke turned around and said, "No, I'm used to it."

He then shoved his hands into the pockets of his shorts and continued walking. Sakura followed after him as they made their way to the first floor.

They couldn't find Tsunade anywhere and Sakura suggested that they go to her office.

"Hn," was all that came out of Sasuke as a reply. Sakura decided to take that as a yes.

They were about to walk to the front door that leads outside when a female voice came calling after them.

"Sasuke-kun!" the voice shouted out as she called Sasuke's name. Sasuke turned around with an irritated look spread across his handsome face.

A black-headed woman came running down the hallway.

"Good morning, Shizune-san," Sakura called out cheerfully. Sasuke said nothing but grunted.

Shizune stopped in front of the two kids and panted as she tried to catch her breath. Then she stood up and regained her posture. She pointed an accusing finger at Sasuke and scolded, "You're not allowed to leave the hospital yet, Sasuke-kun. Not until Tsunade-sama said so."

Sakura looked at Sasuke and then at Shizune. They seemed to be having a staring contest at each other to see who would back down first. Sasuke broke contact with Shizune and looked away. "Fine," he muttered.

Shizune smiled as she pointed upstairs. Before she could say anything, Sasuke cut in.

"I'm going already," he said.

Shizune turned to Sakura. "Eh, Sakura-san. Where are you going so early in the morning?"

"I'm going to see Tsunade-sama. I need her to agree to me checking out early," Sakura replied.

"Check out? But it hasn't been a week yet!"

"Shizune-san, I'm a fast healer. Don't worry about me," Sakura reassured.

"Bye," Sakura said in good bye as she walked out the door with a wave. Shizune started to speak but Sakura was already gone.

Shizune sighed. "Teenagers are so hard to control."

Sakura walked briskly as the cold wind blew past her. She shivered. Even with Sasuke's coat on, she still felt cold.

'Well, I'm only in a nightgown. The jacket can't protect my freezing legs.'

Sakura reached the Hokage tower and hurried inside. Quickly, she made her way to Tsunade's office which was located at the very top.

Without knocking, Sakura went bursting through the wooden doors. Sakura gasped as she tried to regain her breath.

Tsunade swiveled in her chair and faced Sakura. With a stunned look, Tsunade almost choked on her drink.

"Sakura, what are you doing here so early in my office?"

Sakura took a deep breath. "I w-wanted to ask you…"

Suddenly, Sakura collapsed on the floor. Tsunade jumped out of her seat and rush over to Sakura.

"Sakura! Sakura!" Tsunade looked down at her student with a concerned look on her face. "Are you okay?"

Sakura opened her eyes and looked at Tsunade. "I'm fine…" Sakura slowly sat up with help from Tsunade. "I wanted to ask you something."

"What is it?"

Sakura turned and smiled at Tsunade. "Can I attend the festival?"

"THAT WAS WHAT YOU WANTED TO ASK ME?" Tsunade shouted.

Sakura winced. "Tsunade-sama, must you be so loud in the morning?"

"YOU GOT ME WORRIED SICK! I THOUGHT YOU WERE HURT OR INJURED!"

Sakura laughed. "Well, can I?"

Tsunade calmed down. "Sakura...I'm still concerned about your health and I'm not sure if it's good for you to be prancing around the festival when your chakra levels are still low."

"Tsunade-sama!" Sakura whined. "I feel a lot better now and I'm positive I will be alright!"

Tsunade still wasn't convinced. "I don't think so, Saku-"

Sakura interrupted her. "What if Sasuke and Naruto accompanied me?"

Tsunade sighed. "Sasuke is confined to his house when he gets out of the hospital and as for Naruto...he isn't exactly what I picture as a nurse." A mental image of Naruto in a nurse uniform popped up in Tsunade's mind. Tsunade shuddered at the thought.

"Tsunade-sama! Then let Sasuke accompanied me to the festival. Give him permission to be out just this once."

Tsunade looked at Sakura. She knew she couldn't win. "Alright then. I will allow Sasuke to accompany you during the festival but that is it and-"

Sakura shouted in delight. She jumped up and ran to the door. "Thank you Tsunade-sama. I will go ask Sasuke right away!"

"Wait! If I let Sasuke go then you have to promise me that you will…" Tsunade cried out but stopped when she saw that Sakura was out of earshot. "Be his assigned medic when he gets out of the hospital," Tsunade said with a sigh.

Sakura quickly ran to Konoha Hospital while ignoring the cold around her.

'Yes! I can go to the festival now!'

'B-but, you have to go with Sasuke!'

'So what?'

'Wouldn't that be awfully awkward?'

'Ah, Sasuke and I are just friends. There's no reason to feel awkward around him anymore.'

'And you really believe that?'

'Yes. Now shut up.'

'Hmph.'

Sakura reached the hospital and she quickly ran up the flight of stairs to room 207. She paused in front of the room and tried to catch her breath since she ran the whole way there. She brought her hand and slowly knocked on the door. A grunt could be heard from the room indicating for her to come in. Sakura opened the door and walked inside. The room was dark when Sakura stepped inside. She walked to the bed but Sasuke was not in sight.

'Where is he?!'

"Behind you," a voice said. Sakura whirled around to see Sasuke standing behind her.

Sakura gave a sigh of relief, glad that Sasuke didn't run away.

'Shannaro! I was damn worried that I couldn't go to the festival.'

"Ah, Sasuke!" Sakura cried out cheerfully. "You scared me back there."

"Hn."

Sakura continued on, "As you know, the Cherry Blossom Festival is tomorrow and the whole town is going to go celebrate it."

"Never heard of it," Sasuke lied.

Sakura looked up at Sasuke in surprise. "Never?"

"Ah."

"Well, it only comes once a year and… well… I never missed it and I was hoping you could come with me…"

"Don't want to," Sasuke interrupted.

Sakura looked down at her shoes in disappointment. "Oh," she said softly. "I understand, I guess."

Sakura looked back up and forced a smile on her face. "Oh well, it was silly of me to ask." She walked towards the door. "Sorry for bothering you."

Sakura opened the door and stepped out before Sasuke could say anything.

Sakura leaned against the wall. 'Things haven't really changed at all. Sasuke is still cold towards me.' Sakura thought sadly.

'Wha! We can't miss the festival! We never missed the festival! Not since…"

Sakura slid down and looked down at the ground sadly when she remembered what had happened five years ago.

"The Cherry Blossom Festival. That was the last time I saw them."

Flashback

"Okaa-san, otou-san!" Sakura cried out to her mother and father. "Hurry up or we'll be late!"

Sakura's mother and father came out of the Haruno's house as the walked towards their daughter. Sakura was dressed in a beautiful pink kimono with white blossoms. The pink sash that was around her waist swayed around her as Sakura skipped around.

"Hurry! The festival is about to start!" Sakura called out impatiently.

Sakura squinted into the sunlight as her parents walked towards her.

"Eh, why aren't you in your festival clothes?" Sakura asked.

"Sakura, I'm sorry. But we were assigned a mission today and we can't make it to the festival," Sakura's mother said.

Sakura looked down at her shoes while biting her lip as she tried not to cry.

"Ah, I see."

"I'm sorry Sakura," Sakura's father said softly.

Sakura looked at her parents and forced a smile. "Don't worry about it. I'll just go with Naruto. Just be sure to come back safely from your mission so I can tell you all about the festival."

Sakura's parents nodded and smiled. "Enjoy the festival!" they both said to their pink-headed daughter.

They disappeared in a poof and were gone.

Sakura went to the festival with Naruto but when she came back, her parents were still not home yet. After a few days, the Hokage came to tell her that her parents had died in the mission while in combat. When the funeral came, Sakura was already shut off to the world. She couldn't believe it. She didn't want to believe it. Yet, it was true. To this day, Sakura promised that she will attend the festival each year for her parents. She will do it for them.

End Flashback

"I promised them and myself. I would go no matter what, just for them. Until the day I died, I will attend the festival just like they were still here. Just like when we were all together on that day. Okaa-san...otou-san, I promise you this," Sakura whispered softly to herself.

Sakura stood up and winced when she felt a shooting pain in her leg.

'My chakra. It's going out of control. Ever since I used it all up to heal Sasuke.'

Sakura groaned. The pain wouldn't leave. 'I still need to rest for another few days before it all returns to normal. B-but, the festival…'

Sakura began to feel dizzy. Her legs couldn't support herself any longer and slowly, she collapsed onto the floor.

'Okaa-san, otou-san.'