Sakura, Sakura

Naruto walked amidst the falling flowers of the Sakura trees surrounding him. He stopped to close his eyes and feel the blossoms aurround him. He remembered the face of the one he loved. She smiling at him, and telling him everything was alright. She was running to catch up with Sasuke. She was running away from him. He opened his eyes and stared at a petal he had caught. He lifted it gently to his mouth, kissed it, then blew it away. The wind blew harder, and the Sakura petals swirled around him in a whirlwind. The scent wafted in his nostrils and brought him back to reveries.

"Sakura, what's so special about Sasuke, anyway?" Naruto had asked once. Sakura looked at him, with that blush that always appeared when the dark haired boy was mentioned. She looked down and struggled with her answer. "Well, Sasuke, he's...mysterious. I look into his eyes and I fall in love every single time." Sakura smiled happily, not noticing as Naruto looked away to wipe an angry tear away. Pretty soon, Naruto's feelings grew harder to control. He became engrier with the though of Sasuke, even after Sasuke was gone. It had gotten bad one night as Naruto took Sakura out for some ramen. It was raining and dark when they had finished, and Naruto wanted to walk her home. Sakura just laughed, "Naruto, I'm a big girl, I'll be fine." Naruto looked at her closely and stood up straight. "Would you let me if I were Sasuke?" He knew it was a mistake to mention that name the second it escaped his mouth. Sakura stared at Naruto, clearly hurt. "What if I would! You aren't Sasuke! I don't love you like I loved him and I never will Naruto! Leave me alone!" She stomped off into the rain, leaving a dejected young boy behind. As the rain fell down and mingled with his tears, Naruto felt himself get angry. No matter what he did, no matter how hard he tried, Sakura would always reject him.
He lifted him feet up and started to run where Sakura had vanished to. He caught her right before she reached her own house. Without thinking, he grabbed her shoulders from behind, pushed her against the side of the house and kissed her roughly. Sakura stared at him, shocked. Naruto let go once he realized what he had done in his rash movements. He let Sakura down and stared at her as the rain poured down harder. She looked down for a moment, and then up at Naruto. "Naruto...I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you feel bad. It just hurts to think about him." Naruto nodded, Sakura had to feel how Naruto felt most of the time. He felt suddenly foolish for forcing himself upon the girl. Before he could say sorry, Sakura was inside her house, and he was alone again. The two didn't see eachother much the next week, things were so awkward between them. When Sring finally came and the cherry blossoms were in bloom, Naruto invited Sakura to the large field that was a pride of the town. He relished in seeing her smile and watching her hair blend in with the trees. Everything that had happened the previous weeks didn't matter to them as Naruto grabbed Sakura and twirled her around in the falling petals. Sakura giggled excitedly, loving the pink world around her. As dusk fell, the two were enjoying a ramen dinner under one of the trees. The flowers were still drifting down, and the two laughed when a petal fell in their soup. "Now let's really start the party!" Naruto yelled excitedly as he pulled out some Sake and cups. He poured cup after cup for him and the girl, and the two drank long into the night. Sakura hiccuped as she look at the full moon. Naruto had somehow fallen asleep on her shoulder. Her inhibition lost, Sakura lifted up his head and tried to nudge him awake. He grunted and looked at the girl drowsily. "What is it, Sakura?" He asked, stifling a yawn. Sakura had a deep red hue on her cheeks that wasn't due to the alcohol. "Naruto..." She started shyly, "Naruto, I really do like you. I think I might even-" She was cut off as Naruto grasped her tightly in a hug. Tears streamed down the back of Sakura's neck. "Sakura, I've been waiting so long to hear that!" Sakura pushed Naruto back and held him at arms length to look at him fully. She decided that she really did love his face. His blond hair, those whiskers on his cheeks, his blue eyes, he really was attractive. Sakura leaned in slowly and Naruto closed his eyes. The two kissed for a long time underneath the Sakura trees.
Naruto carried Sakura to his little house that night, and the two spent the night together. Sakura woke up the next morning and stroked Naruto's cheek, smiling happily. She loved the feeling of waking up with someone beside her. Naruto opened his eyes and smiled widely at the girl. He grabbed her and they rolled around together, playfully fighting like lovers. Naruto never wanted this feeling to end.

Brought back to the present, Naruto looked at the tree from that day. At soem point they had gone back to carve their initials into it, and there the initials still stood. Naruto didn't cry much nowadays, he was an adult now, but the thought of Sakura still amde him cry like he was 12 again. He walked up to the tree and knelt down. A young girl, seeming about 6 years old, ran up to him. "Dady-y-y! Hurry up!" She smiled widely as her blond hair flew in the wind. Naruto smiled and rubbed her head. "Don't you want to say hello to you mom?" The girl looked embarassed, and then brough out the flower that had been in her pocket the whole time. "I'm sorry! I forgot!" She put it on the grave at their feet and went onto her knees, putting her hands in a prayer position. Naruto looked down at her, and then the grave. he smiled at the name Uzumaki Sakura engraved in the marble. He only wished Chibi Sakura, named after her mother, could have known her. Sakura had died during birth after given the chance to save her own life or her unborn child's. The memory hurt Naruto deeply as he watched the little girl stand up and wait patiently for him to finish. He knelt down and placed his hands together.

"Sakura, so much has happened this year. Chibi Sakura has grown alot, in size and her skill. I think she'll be really great at the Ninja Academy. I think she's a bit too much like me though, heh. But she has your brain and your eyes, so I think she won't be as rash as I am sometimes. Also..." Naruto's words drifted into the sky as Chibi Sakura danced behind him, singing her favorite song this time of year:

"Sakura, Sakura When I look at the spring sky,
I see the mist or the clouds.
The fragrance already fills the air Let's go! Let's go now!
To see the blooming Sakura.

Sakura, Sakura Yayoi no sora wa Mi watasu kagiri Kasumi ka kumo ka Nioi zo izuru Izaya izaya mi ni yukan"

a/n: I know this is short, but I hope you liked it! Please review and tell me what you thought!