Sakura No Yousei: Chapter 7- First Impressions
It was another beautiful sunny morning in Kohona village as a blonde haired boy rushed around the apartment, his friend sitting on the couch, observing in confusion. The boy ran from room to room, the orange color of his jacket streaking through the halls. He stopped in his room and pulled a drawer on his dresser open, pulling random objects from it and tossing them about the room in a frantic mission.
He dashed to the kitchen and opened the fridge, pushing aside cups of instant ramen before closing the door and opening the cabinet above the sink. He scuffled through even more instant ramen before shuffling from the kitchen, his face downcast. His friend watched him as he slumped into a nearby chair.
" How could I lose it!" Naruto exclaimed frustrated. He ran his hands through his hair, his eyes going wide. " Not again!" he exclaimed, feeling the metal plate of his headband. Gentai laughed loudly and stood. " Well, now that you've found what you never lost," he said strolling over to the door of the apartment," we should go meet Sakura and Sasuke." Naruto happily jumped from the chair and joined his friend at the door.
" After you," Naruto gestured as he pulled the door open, his usual goofy smile on his face. Gentai bowed and stepped out the door before extending his arm to Naruto, who took it gratefully, locking the door behind him. They skipped down the hall arm in arm before exchanging a look and bursting out in laughter. They raced down the stairs and out into the sandy street. Naruto and Gentai ran through the empty streets lit by the pale sunlight before coming to the wooded bridge where Squad 7 always met for training.
Sakura and Sasuke stood together in the clearing beyond the bridge, Sakura in a long sleeved black shirt that fit her around her curves. She wore her usual small shorts and her satchels, but she had her hair pulled out of her face in a ponytail, her headband still around her neck. Sasuke looked the same as always, his normal white shorts and deep blue shirt with the Uchiha fan emblem on his back, his headband tied around his forehead.
They had been talking but became silent as their teammates approached. " Good to see you two on time," Sakura said happily. She eyed Gentai who was dressed in a black sleeveless shirt and black shorts, much like Sasuke's. A satchel resembling her own on her thigh was wrapped around his upper arm. " So I see Naruto got you weapons. How is it at Naruto's place," Sakura asked eagerly.
" I like it, a lot of ramen though," he said, Naruto smiling and placing his arms behind his head. " So where's Kakashi-Sensai," Naruto asked, his eyes roving over the clearing. " Late as usual," Sasuke replied sarcastically. A sudden pop in the treetops signaled his arrival as Kakashi sat perched with his book in his hand. " Glad to see you here on time for once, sensai," Sakura said happily. Kakashi-Sensai closed the book and placed it in his pocket before dropping from the tree branch and walking toward his team.
" Well I figured our new recruit deserved a proper introduction to my teachings," he said, his attention directed to Gentai. Gentai looked nervously at Kakashi, not wanting to seem weak by breaking the look Kakashi gave him. " Alright then, we'll start with some simple warm up jutsus then move on to combat," he said, allowing them to space themselves properly.
Sakura stood next to the small stream that cut the meadow off from the village, Sasuke next to her while Naruto and Gentai ran off a distance to face them. " Okay just perform your jutsus of your choosing, but do not attack yet. When you have the jutsu complete, focus it on the boulder in the center of the clearing," Kakashi said as they focused their chakra.
Sakura was determined to summon the dragon from her dream and formed the hand signs she had seen herself perform. The water shuddered in the small stream behind her as Sakura's eyes became the unnatural white. A small rope of water swirled out of the stream and circled her. Everyone stopped and watched Sakura form her hand signs silently, her eyes focused on a small boulder on the center of the clearing.
The water glowed before the form of a dragon took shape. It was small but grew as Sakura's hands moved quicker, the shadow jutsu flowing in her fingertips. Its fangs gleamed as it rose high into the sky, the dragon letting out an enormous roar. Sakura's eyes flashed a brilliant white before the dragon dove from the sky and lunged quickly at the boulder. Its impact was deafening as the boulder shattered, rock and water flying across the clearing.
Sakura brought her hands before her and lowered them as her eyes returned to their normal emerald. Sasuke, Naruto and Gentai stared at her, amazed at her mastery of the dragon jutsu.
" Well done, Sakura. Have you ever conjured the dragon jutsu before?" Kakashi asked. " Um no sensai, I haven't. I actually saw it in a dream I had," she said quietly, wishing she had done it in secrecy by the waterfall first. " Amazing. Very powerful. It comes in handy though. I believe it was one of your grandfathers favorite jutsus," he said.
Sakura raised her head and smiled brightly. He allowed them to practice their jutsus a while longer before summoning them to the center of the meadow. " Okay, well I suppose we should get right to combat then," he said. " So who should fight whom," Kakashi said, looking at each of his students. " How about Sasuke and… Gentai," he said, looking at the two boys. They exchanged a glance before striding away from each other and stopped at each end of the clearing.
Sakura and Naruto perched themselves in a tree at the edge of the clearing to watch. " Alright, whenever you are ready," Kakashi said. Sasuke and Gentai bowed before standing at the ready. Sasuke was the first to move. Pulling shuriken from his satchel, he crouched low and threw them. The hissing blades skimmed over the grass, moving quickly at Gentai. He dodged them nimbly before pulling a kunai out and tossing it at Sasuke.
Sasuke saw the blade and pressed his body low to the ground as it flew over his body, its metal blade narrowly gliding over his back and stabbing into the ground behind him. Sasuke darted forward and formed his hands in his customary fire no jutsu, the flames erupting from his hand. Gentai sunk into the ground, his hands moving into the earth no jutsu.
His head emerged into the ground just as the flame enveloped the grass around him, the green blades burning to a crisp. Sasuke stopped on the spot, waiting for an attack from below. The smell of the burnt grass met his nose as he searched the ground around him for movement. Sakura gasped as a hand rose up from the ground and Sasuke was suddenly grabbed from below by Gentai and pulled into the grassy soil.
Sasuke disappeared from sight below the grassy terrain, but seconds later the earth rumbled and a spout of fire flew from the hole in the ground where he had vanished. Gentai emerged from the ground a ways off as Sasuke climbed out of the hole. Sasuke was covered in dirt and Gentai was singed slightly, both staring each other down. Gentai wasted no time and formed his hands, his chakra raising a wall of rock from the ground around him.
He pushed it forward, the massive wall racing towards Sasuke. Sasuke brought his fist to his mouth and blew a fireball at the rock wall, but the rock and soil absorbed the blow. Sasuke attempted to jump out of its path, but before he could, Gentai had appeared behind him. The rock wall sunk before crashing into Sasuke, but Sasuke remained tense. The smooth metal of a kunai met Sasuke's throat as Gentai clutched it against his neck.
Seeing his defeat, he allowed Gentai to remove the blade from his throat. Kakashi poofed before the two ninja and Sakura and Naruto emerged from the trees. " Well done, Gentai. Nice earth technique. I'm impressed, although I must ask something. Sasuke, why didn't' you use your Kekai Genki?" he asked looking at the dark boy. " I guess I figured I didn't need to, but I know next time I will have to," he said, turning to Gentai. " Good job," he said congratulating Gentai. Gentai smiled at him and grinned as Sakura and Naruto praised him.
Sasuke frowned as Sakura patted Gentai on the back. ' How could I allow myself to lose to him, I'm far more capable of beating him,' he thought, disappointed in himself. Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, noticing the look of frustration on his face. She walked over to him and reached forward with her hand, grasping his. Sasuke looked up into Sakura's green eyes as she caressed his hand. He smiled weakly at Sakura before noticing a stranger approach them.
" Hey Gentai," came a voice from behind him. Gentai turned to find Ino standing in front of him, her long blonde hair billowing around her face. " Um hi… ," he said nervously. Ino walked casually up to him and smiled. " I noticed you training and thought I would say hi," she said smiling. Gentai nodded, lost for words at her sudden closeness to him. " Yeah, I was hoping I might see you again," he said, a lump forming in his throat as she laughed happily.
" Good. I was wondering, maybe after you're done, you wouldn't mind joining me for lunch," she asked, her bright smile causing him to fidget with the hem of his shirt. She giggled as he nervously nodded his head. " Great, I guess I'll see you when you're done with training," she said happily, turning from him and walking away. Gentai looked at Sakura, her face in a smile. She nodded her head at Ino and Gentai snapped out of it. " We're done," she said chuckling. His eyes got wide as he turned on his heel.
" Oh Ino!" Gentai said, running to catch up to her. She stopped and looked over her shoulder to see Gentai stop in front of her. " Uh I guess I'm done for the day," he said, a light pink creeping into his cheeks. " Great! Let's go then, I know the best place," she said, taking his hand and walking off toward the village. Gentai's face flushed a bright red before sparing one last glance at his friends.
Sakura waved and smiled wide while Sasuke and Naruto made motions with their hands, pretending to cut their throats. Sakura turned and glared at the two who immediately stuffed their hands in their pockets, whistling and kicking at the dirk with their gaze turned to the sky. Gentai smiled faintly before looking ahead with Ino holding his hand. They disappeared from sight as they rounded the bend.
" I can't believe you two!" Sakura exclaimed, turning to her two teammates. They both smiled sheepishly, their eyes cast down. Sakura sighed and leaned against a tree, a smile breaking across her face. " He's done for," she said as Sasuke and Naruto looked up and burst into laughter. She joined in as Kakashi left them with their merriment.
" So how did you come to be with Sakura's team?" Ino asked as she folded her napkin neatly in her lap and opened the menu in front of her. Gentai snapped back to reality, looking away from her and out the window of the restaurant as she looked up at him. " Oh, I lived in The Village Hidden In The Mist. Sakura was on a mission and she had to kidnap me in order to get to my father. But we became friends and she wanted me to come back to Konoha with them and be a part of her team," he said casually, trying hard to avoid her eyes, knowing he might get lost again if he met her entrancing gaze.
She smiled as he looked down at his own menu for the 50th time, trying to look interested in miso soup. " So what about your family, what did they think about you coming here," she asked, her eyes searching his downcast eyes. He smiled faintly, ' a painful smile,' she thought. " Well my mom died when I was young and my father…," he broke off, glancing up to meet her sapphire eyes. She had a look of deep concern and he turned his eyes away.
" Well my father was the reason Sakura had to kidnap me. He was killing innocent people and she was sent to assassinate him, but since she didn't know where he was, she had to kidnap me for the information. But in the end, she couldn't bring herself to do it and sent hunter-nin instead," he said, his eyes examining a white bird on the windowsill. Ino was shocked.
" Sakura? You mean the Sakura we know, was sent to assassinate someone… That can't be, Sakura wound never hurt anyone, and she's weak. I mean, she did beat Sasuke in combat once, but now that I know they're dating, he probably let her win…," she said, still in disbelief. Gentai shook his head. " You'd be surprised. She almost killed me when I threatened Sasuke. She's very powerful. I mean, she's mastered shadow jutsus," he said, regretting his last comment as Ino's face lit up.
" Are you serious? Wow, I would have never guessed… I mean I always figured Sakura was hiding something, but that's big," she sighed. This broke everything for Ino. No wonder Sasuke never paid attention to her. Sakura was now an elite ninja, how could he resist. She was beautiful with a flawless body and now that she had the power to back it up, she was probably irresistible to Sasuke.
She sighed sadly. " I bet you thought Sakura was something, when you first saw her… ," she said, her eyes retreating to look at her hands in her lap. Gentai frowned at Ino's unhappiness. " Well, yes, she's very pretty and she's powerful and all, but I couldn't be with a girl like her… She's more powerful than me… I mean, Sasuke can't even match her. To know how it feels to be outmatched by your girlfriend can't exactly be comforting. I noticed he regrets her skills now, he has no need to protect her any longer, she manages more than fine on her own. I find I like those who are comfortable being gentle and fun loving. Don't get me wrong, Sakura is great. But I'd rather be with you, if that's okay… ," he said, blushing and looking at her nervously. She raised her head and smiled at him. He smiled back as he lost himself in her sapphire eyes.
" Soo what do you guys want to do," Naruto asked as he trudged down the road, his hands placed carelessly behind his head. Sakura followed behind him while she looked up at the billowy white ribbons strung across the rooftops. She was excited as the White Ribbon Festival was only a week away. She smiled faintly at Sasuke who looked ahead. " I don't know. With Gentai gone on a date with the psycho, there isn't really much to do," Sasuke said blandly, a smile creeping across his face.
" Sasuke, Ino is a nice girl, I'm sure Gentai can handle it," Sakura said, slightly amused at his comment. As they turned the corner around the many house, they came face to face with a dozen girls, whose faces instantly lit when they saw Sasuke.
" Sasuke-kun! You're home! Go with me to the White Ribbon Festival!" they screamed in unison, pushing flowers and wrapped gifts into his hands. " Oi, get off!" he yelled as the many fan girls cornered him and shove their presents in his face. Sakura could feel the heat rise in her face as an attractive black-haired girl pressed up against Sasuke in a suggestive way and began kissing him.
Sakura pushed her way through the sea of girls and reached out to place her hand on the black-haired girl's shoulder. The girl turned, her eyes narrowed at Sakura. " What do you want, can't you see I'm busy," she snapped. Sakura curled her hand in a fist as she tightened her grip on the girls shoulder. " Get off him," she said calmly. " Or what," the girl spat at her, pulling her body off Sasuke who wiped the sweat from his forehead and sighed in relief. Sakura smiled sweetly.
" I don't like other people touching my boyfriend. I wouldn't want you getting hurt," she said casually as the girls broke out in laughter. The black-haired girl laughed loudest and stepped up to Sakura. " Ha, you expect me to believe Sasuke would choose you over me? Don't make me laugh," she said haughtily, laughing as she turned back to Sasuke. Sakura grabbed the girl's wrist as her eyes burned the eerie white.
The girls surrounding them gasped and stepped back and the girl turned with a sneer on her face, but her face fell as she met Sakura's deathly glare. " I said, get away," Sakura hissed through clenched teeth. The girls circling them stepped back further, seeing a potential fight as the black-haired girl tore her wrist out of Sakura's fingers. " I'm not afraid of you, Haruno. I know you're weak, you wouldn't stand a chance in a fight with me," she said, a smile spreading across her face.
Sakura's eyes flashed dangerously as Sasuke reached forward to grab Sakura's hand. " Sakura, lets just go," he said as Sakura's eyes grew a deep green. " No Sasuke, I think a fight would teach her some good," Sakura said with an evil grin on her face. Naruto pushed through the crowd to join Sasuke.
" Really Sakura, you almost killed Gentai last time he threatened Sasuke, and I don't want to know what you do to people who kiss him. Just let it go," Naruto said pleadingly, fearing for the black-haired girl. She had no idea what Sakura would do to her. " No Naruto, she asked for it, and now she's going to get it," Sakura said, shooting a nasty glance at him.
Naruto cringed and backed away as the black-haired girl spoke. " Alright then Sakura, where do you want to do this," the girl said smiling menacingly. " In the clearing across the bridge, right now," Sakura said, raising her hand and pushing the flowing chakra in her hand forward. The girl let out a scream as the force knocked her backward, sending her flying over the rooftops before landing in the clearing with a loud thud, the dust rising around her.
Sakura leapt up the walls of the building to land on a rooftop. Sasuke and Naruto followed, leaving a horrified group of fan girls below. Sakura ran across the rooftops, Sasuke and Naruto yelling after her. Sakura dropped from the rooftops and walked down the street and crossed the bridge to find the black-haired girl staggering to her feet, a small trickle of blood sliding from the corner of her mouth. Sasuke and Naruto ran up besides her, grabbing her elbows in attempt to stop her.
" Come on Sakura, she learned her lesson, let's go," Naruto said, digging his heals into the ground as Sakura pulled them along, her pace never slowing. " Sakura really, it doesn't matter, she's nothing to me," Sasuke said, hoping to god she wouldn't kill the girl. Sakura stopped and turned to Sasuke. " What would you do if my fan boys kissed me, huh? I could care less if she means anything to you, she's going to pay," she said hotly, causing Sasuke to let go of her. Naruto did the same and watched as Sakura advanced on the terrified girl.
" P-please, I didn't know. I'll never bother him again, just don't kill me," the girl begged, her eyes wide as she fell to her knees, her hands pleading. " Get up," Sakura growled, her eyes burning intensely. The girl rose slowly, the tears forming in the corners of her eyes. Sakura stepped forward and grabbed the collar of the black-haired girls shirt. " If you ever come near us again, I'll destroy you, understand," she whispered, her voice low and threatening.
The girl nodded eagerly, the trails of tears flowing down her cheeks. Sakura smiled, her eyes returning to normal. She released the girl and turned to walk toward Sasuke, but she felt the cool metal of a kunai meet her throat as she stepped forward. " Did you really think I would let you just have him," a voice whispered in her ear. Sasuke and Naruto's jaws dropped as the black-haired girl held Sakura with a kunai to her throat. " Sakura!" Sasuke yelled, running forward. " Don't even think about it, Sasuke-kun," she said threateningly, " If she can't beat me, she's not worthy of having you." Sasuke smiled faintly.
" Fine it's your funeral," he said as Sakura's eyes lit the intense green. The girls face fell to a frown as he stood there smirking. She suddenly felt an intense pain in her side as Sakura slipped from her grasp and raised her leg to kick the side of her opponent. The girl released the kunai and brought her hands to her throbbing side.
Sakura back flipped away from her before landing beside the stream. The girl's eyes went wide as the water snaked around Sakura, her hands moving swiftly in the dragon jutsu. The girl ignored the pain in her side as the form of a dragon emerged from the water and slithered forward. Sakura raised her hand and the dragon flew into the sky before plunging to the earth, making impact with the girl before she could even realize what was happening. She flew backward, sliding across the ground before stopping, her body soaked.
Sakura lowered her hands and made her way over to the girl's body. Her eyes fluttered open to meet Sakura's green eyes. She gasped and passed out, lying in the wet grass. Sakura smiled and walked away from the girl's unconscious body, joining Sasuke and Naruto. " God Sakura, you might as well just kill every girl in Konoha since they all adore Sasuke," Naruto said teasingly, his uneasy smile turned on the black-haired girl on the ground.
" Naruto, she's not dead, she passed out when I went to check if she was alive," Sakura said, rolling her eyes. " I mean, I wouldn't really kill her," she said hesitantly, making Naruto and Sasuke share a nervous glance. " Um yeah anyways, how about lunch then," Sasuke said quickly to change the subject. Sakura and Naruto nodded. " Let's get ramen!" Naruto exclaimed excitedly, running ahead of them toward the noodle shack.
Sakura and Sasuke sighed and followed. As they neared the noodle stand, Sasuke and Sakura noticed Naruto just standing still and staring blankly ahead. " Naruto what's wrong," Sakura said as she came to stand beside him. He just shook his head and continued to stare. Sakura looked in the direction of his gaze and smiled as her eyes met Hinata, a friend from ninja school and a member of Squad 8 sitting with her cousin Neji in the noodle shack. " Naruto, are you staring at Hinata-chan?" she asked, chuckling. Naruto looked over at her, his eyes wide.
" Sakura, help me! What do I say, what do I do!" he asked frantically. Sakura laughed and smiled over at Sasuke was standing amused at Naruto's fumbling. " Naruto, just go over and talk to her. For goodness sake, it's Hinata, you know how nice she is. Besides I think she likes you," Sakura said reassuringly, placing her hand on his back and pushing him forward. Naruto looked back over his shoulder, his face lined with worry.
" Really, she likes me?" Naruto asked desperately. Sakura nodded and sighed. " Naruto you are soo oblivious, all she did was stare at you in ninja classes and blush like crazy when you talked to her. You should ask her to the White Ribbon Festival. I heard we had to have dates and I bet Hinata is waiting for you to ask her," Sakura said. Naruto smiled widely before perking up and walked forward toward Hinata and Neji.
Neji whispered something to Hinata and she turned in her seat to see Naruto making his way toward her. Her face went pink and she turned around to face her cousin. " Oh Neji, he's c-coming over here, w-what do I do?" she asked frantically. Neji smiled as Naruto came to sit next to Hinata on the barstools that lined at the noodle shack counter. Hinata turned to face him, her face a deep red, a weak smile on her face.
" Hey Hinata-chan!" Naruto said happily, her face flushing even darker. ' Did Naruto call me Hinata-Chan,' she thought blissfully. " H-hi N-n-Naruto.." she fumbled. Naruto smiled wider and Hinata looked away, her face getting redder, if even possible. " So Hinata, are you going to the White Ribbon Festival?" he asked casually, even though it felt like his inside were swimming with butterflies. Hinata's ghostly lilac eyes widened as she looked at him. " No Naruto-kun, I-I'm not g-going," she said sadly, looking down at her hands. " Why not?" Naruto asked as she fiddled her thumbs. " W-well we h-have to have d-dates and I don't h-have one," she said simply, the red in her cheeks fading as she grew solemn.
" Oh good! Cause I was hoping you wanted to go with me!" Naruto exclaimed as Hinata raised her head. " W-what!" she said, still wondering if she was in a dream. She pinched her hand and knew this was no dream. " Well, that is, if you want to go with me, Hinata-chan," he said embarrassed. " Yes I would l-love to go with y-you, Naruto-kun," she said brightly, her face flushed a delicate pink. Naruto's face lit in a wide smile. " Great! How about I buy you lunch then!" he said happily. Hinata looked at Neji who smiled and nodded.
" I'll catch you later," he whispered as he rose and walked away. " S-sure Naruto-kun," she said happily. Naruto summoned the cook and ordered their ramen, along with Sakura and Sasuke who took a seat next to Naruto and Hinata. They all spoke of the Festival and who was going with whom and what dress they would wear, mainly Sakura and Hinata contributing to the small talk while Sasuke and Naruto listened to their gossip. Naruto kept glancing at Hinata, her eye catching his every once in awhile, resulting in both of them blushing profusely.
" Well, that was a good lunch," Sakura said, standing with Sasuke at her side. Naruto and Hinata exchanged an embarrassed glance before Hinata spoke up. " Well, I should be going home to train with Neji," she said shyly as she stood. " How about I walk you," Naruto blurted out, catching Hinata off guard. " Umm o-okay Naruto-k-kun," she said smiling as he took her arm, her face turning a deep pink. " I'll catch up with you two later," Naruto said, waving to Sakura and Sasuke as he and Hinata made their way up the street.
" Alright, bye Hinata, Naruto!" Sakura yelled after them, waving as they turned the corner. " That was interesting," Sasuke said, his face lit in a smile. " You have no idea," Sakura said as she took Sasuke's hand and walked toward her favorite training spot.
" Thank you for lunch, Ino. It was really good to spend some time with you," Gentai said as he led Ino out of the restaurant by her hand. Ino smiled as he interlaced his fingers with hers, a slight blush creeping into both of their faces. " Have you ever been atop the mountain," Ino asked as they stopped in the street, the great Hokages faces lit with the noon sun before them. " No, I don't think I have," he said, looking down at her. " Well, what are we waiting for!" she said, pulling him up the street toward the mountain face.
They trudge up the grassy hill toward the rock face. Ino stopped at the sheer cliff wall and placed her hand in a carved out handprint. The wall rumbled and a door just big enough opened up, leading into a sconce lit cave. Ino pulled him inside as the door closed behind them, the light from the outside disappearing as they were left in the dimly lit cave hallway.
They walked ahead until they came to the intricately carved stone steps that led to the top. Ino and Gentai climbed the extensive stairs until they emerged in to the warm sunlight through an opening in the top of the mountain. Ino pulled Gentai to the edge of the mountainside, the quaint village sprawled beneath their feet as they sat on the mountaintop.
" Isn't it beautiful," Ino exclaimed as her cerulean eyes explored the lush green forest that stretched to the horizon. Gentai looked over at her. Her long blonde strands billowed about her face as the wind blew softly over the mountaintop, her sparkling blue eyes lit softy in the sunlight. She tuned to look at him with a smile on her lips " Not as beautiful as you, Ino," Gentai said, the butterflies in his stomach rising uncomfortably. Her face went pink as he looked into her eyes.
" Gentai, the White Ribbon Festival is soon and we have to have dates and everything, so I was wondering, will you go with me?" she asked hopefully, her eyes twinkling. " I should be the one asking you," he said as he took her hand in his own. Ino shifted closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder as they watched the breeze billow through the trees below, a dot of pink moving just out of their sight.
" Gah, Sasuke what are you doing!" Sakura laughed as Sasuke wrapped his arms around her lean waist and kissed her on the neck. " Sasuke, people might see," she said, her face turning red. They stood beside the waterfall, Sakura attempting to focus on her jutsus, but Sasuke intent on distracting her. " So, I don't care who sees," he said as she turned around in his arms.
Sakura's eyes glimmered with joy as she wrapped her arms around his neck. " I can't wait for the Festival, Sasuke," Sakura exclaimed as Sasuke looked into her emerald eyes. " Me neither… I can't believe I just said that," he chuckled as Sakura kissed his cheek. " It'll be fun, promise," she said. " I know it will be. So, you told Hinata what you were wearing for it, right?" he asked curiously. Sakura nodded, but decided if he hadn't heard, it would have to be a surprise.
Noticing she wouldn't tell, he smiled. " Well, no matter what you wear, you'll be the most gorgeous girl there," he said. Sakura smiled wide before meeting his lips and pulling him into her tightly.
" W-well here w-we are Naruto-kun," Hinata said nervously as they stood outside her house. " It w-was really n-nice of you to w-walk me home, t-thank you," she fumbled, fidgeting slightly as she looked at the ground. " Yeah, it was nice," Naruto said, searching for something to say. They stood in silence until Hinata spoke up. " Well, I s-should go," she said, turning from Naruto.
Naruto's eyes darted up as she walked up the steps to her door. " Hinata-chan!" he said quickly as she turned the doorknob. Tuning around, she found Naruto close behind her. She blushed and looked down to avoid his blue eyes she often thought of. " Do you want to do something tomorrow? I mean, with me?" he asked hopefully. Hinata's ghostly eyes met Naruto's as she nodded. " Yes Naruto-kun, I would love to!" she said overjoyed, surprised she didn't stutter at all.
" Great! I'll come get you here then, say noon tomorrow?" he asked, his blue eyes dancing happily. " Yeah, s-sure!" Hinata exclaimed. " Awesome! See you tomorrow, Hinata!" he said as he ran down the street, punching his fist into the air. Hinata stood in slight shock, her heart thumping uneasily in her chest as she watch him depart. She slipped into her house quietly to find Neji on the couch, reading a magazine.
" How did it go?" he asked as he glanced over the article he was reading. Hinata smiled wide and walked over to the couch to sit. " It was… fun," she said, smiling happily to herself and Neji grinned knowingly before disappearing behind the magazine.
" Hey Sakura! Sasuke!" Naruto yelled as he spotted his teammates in the distance. " Naruto!" Sakura responded as the blonde fox boy ran up to them. " How did it go with Hinata?" Sakura asked with a sly smile on her face. " Well, me and her are doing something tomorrow. I just don't know what yet," he said, scratching his head as Gentai approached, a smile plastered to his face.
" Why are you soo happy," Naruto asked as Gentai joined them. " Oh, umm.. no reason," he said embarrassed. " Let me guess, your going with Ino to the White Ribbon Festival," Sakura said, smiling at him. " Uh yeah," he said, his face flushing a light pink. " Great, now we can all go together! I think I'll talk to Ino and Hinata about shopping for dresses together," Sakura said happily. " I'll catch up with you three later," Sakura said as she kissed Sasuke quickly and ran off to Hinata's house.
The three watched her go before talking amongst themselves. " So what should I get Hinata? I mean, I have to get her something, right?" Naruto asked. " Don't look at me. I thought I would get Sakura a necklace or something. I know she likes jewelry, even though she never wears it," Sasuke said thinking aloud. " What about you Gentai?" Naruto asked turning to him. " I thought I would get Ino flowers. I saw these deep blue roses in the flower shop I passed earlier, I thought she might like them since she likes blue," Gentai replied. " Gah, I have no idea what girls like," Naruto exclaimed frustrated. " Well I guess we should look around, right," Gentai said, the other two nodding.
Sakura raised her hand as she caught her breath, knocking loudly on Hinata's front door. Hinata slowly opened the door, a smile spreading across her face as she recognized Sakura. " Hello Sakura! Come on in," she said happily, pulling the door open as Sakura stepped in. " Hinata, I was wondering if you would like to go shopping with me and possibly Ino for dresses. It seems Gentai is going with Ino and you're going with Naruto, so it would be fun if we all went together!" she said. Hinata smiled and nodded. " I would love to Sakura. By the way, who are you going with?" she asked curiously.
" Oh, Sasuke. He's actually my boyfriend," Sakura said, her cheeks glowing a soft pink. Hinata smiled wide. " Really! Wonderful!… oh umm who is Gentai, have I met him before?" Hinata asked. " Oh no he's a new member to our team, he's not from Kohona," Sakura replied. " Oh, just wondering," Hinata said happily. " Well shall we go find Ino," she offered, grabbing her purse from a chair. " Yeah, let's go!" Sakura said joyously before following Hinata out the door, leaving a shocked Neji standing in the kitchen.
" No way, Sasuke and Sakura? Wait till Shikamaru, Lee and Chouji hear about this. Man, Shikamaru is gunna be sad about Ino and I don't even want to think about Lee," he sighed before walking out the back door and striding toward Shikamaru's house.
" Ino! Wait up!" Sakura called as she and Hinata ran up to her. " Oh hi Sakura-chan, Hinata-chan!" she replied happily as they caught up to her. " We were wondering since we're all going with members from each others squads, maybe we could all go together to the White Ribbon Festival?" Sakura asked as Ino smiled.
" Yeah that would be great!" she agreed. " We were also wondering if you wanted to go dress shopping with us?" Hinata added. Ino nodded. " Yeah I haven't bought one yet and I was going to ask you guys the same thing!" " Great! Well, lets go then!" Sakura said as they walked through the streets, heading off to the many stores.
" WHAT! INO WITH SOME… GENTAI GUY!" Shikamaru yelled furiously. " GOD GIRLS ARE SO TROUBLESOME!" he yelled thunderously as Neji and Chouji watched amused. " Now who am I supposed to take to the festival… arg this is soo…soo troublesome!" he said before sitting down roughly on a chair with his head in his hands. " Its not that bad, I mean Lee is going to have a heart attack when he hears about Sakura and Sasuke," Neji said reassuringly. Shikamaru's eyes went wide.
" Are you serious? No way, you're lying. Sasuke doesn't even bother with girls, especially not Sakura. I mean, I don't know why not, Sakura is gorgeous with those perfect legs, but…" he said, shaking his head. Chouji snorted out of disgust. " I don't' see what the big deal is, it's a stupid festival," he said. " You just say that cause you have no one to take," Neji said with a sly smile on his face. " Actually, I'm going with Shik's cousin, right?" he asked.
" Yeah, yeah, whatever," Shikamaru replied. " So who are you going with Neji?" Chouji asked. " Oh I guess TenTen and I are going together, I don't know though," he said casually, although his heart beat quickly at the thought of her. " What, you haven't asked her yet?" Shikamaru asked still sulking. " Well, no but I'm getting around to it," Neji said nervously. " I have to talk to Ino," Shikamaru said, suddenly standing up and heading for the door. " What, now?" Chouji said as Shikamaru walked out the door and left the two alone. " He scares me," Chouji said as Neji watched Shikamaru walk down the street through the window.
" What about this one," Sakura said, stepping out of the dressing room in a long pink gown with Sakura petals sewn at the bottom and top hems. Hinata smiled but Ino shook her head. " This is Sasuke Uchiha we're talking about. Try on this one," she said handing her a black dress from her hand. Sakura looked at it hesitantly before walking back into the dressing room. Sakura pulled the form fitting black dress on, zipping up the low back, the zipper stopping mid-back.
The strappy ties criss-crossed the rest of the way up her back so it formed to her chest, her fingers lacing the strings in a bow. She brought the clasp at the halter-top to her neck and fastened it. The dress came a little above mid thigh, revealing her amazing legs and making her eyes and hair stand out. A smile lit her face as she stepped out of the dressing room, receiving gasps at her appearance.
" Oh Sakura, that's perfect. And look, it shows off your perfect legs," Ino said happily while giving Sakura a wink. Sakura grinned wide and returned to the dressing room to change into her regular clothes and taking the dress with her. " So what did you two choose?" Sakura asked as she emerged from the dressing room, fixing the satchel around her hip with her dress slung over her arm. Ino held up a dark blue dress with a low-slung neck and thin straps with slits up each side of the skirt.
" Oh that will look perfect on you Ino!" Sakura exclaimed. " What about you Hinata?" she asked turning to the violet haired girl. Hinata held up a golden floor length dress with a low neck and silken straps. " Naruto is one lucky guy," Sakura said laughing, Hinata blushing with a smile on her face as they walked up to the counter to pay. They left with their things just to encounter Lee with a red rose with a bow in his hand.
" Sakura! Just the girl I wanted to see," he said, extending the rose with a silky white ribbon tied around it to her. " Hello Lee," Sakura said smiling. " I was wondering if you would go to the White Ribbon festival with me," he said, holding the rose out to her. " Oh Lee, I'm sorry, I'm going with Sasuke," Sakura said sadly, a weak smile on her face. He looked up at her, his mouth forming in a forced smile. " Oh I wasn't aware. I am terribly sorry to bother you," he said bowing. " Ladies," he said politely, nodding at Ino and Hinata. " Oh Sakura, please take my rose as an apology," he said laying it in her hand before walking off, slightly downtrodden.
Sakura looked at the rose in her hand and then at Lee as he disappeared from sight. " That was weird. Did you see the way he just brushed it off," Ino said. " Yeah I expected him to act hurt or… something," Ino said as they walked down the street, Sakura sparing one last glance behind her. They had only gone a few steps when a furious looking Shikamaru rounded the corner ahead of them. Spotting Ino, he made his way quickly toward her.
" This can't be good," she said, handing her bags to Sakura as Shikamaru approached, looking on the warpath. " What's this I hear about you going with some stranger to the White Ribbon Festival!" he yelled, stopping in front of her. " What, you mean Gentai?" Ino said, shocked at how upset he was. " Yeah! Why are you going with him?" Shikamaru yelled at her, Ino growing annoyed at him yelling in her face.
" I asked him because no one asked me, so I figured he would like to go!" she yelled back at him. " WHAT! You asked him! What for, why couldn't you just wait for someone to ask you!" he said furiously. Ino's cheeks grew red as she became angered by his question. " What do you want me to do, Shikamaru, wait for you to man up while the festival is a week away. I wanted you to ask me, but I refuse to wait for you!" Ino said as her eyes filled with tears.
Shikamaru's face fell and he felt his anger die as Ino stood before him, tears running down her face. " I'm sorry, Shikamaru, but I can't do this," she said as she turned from him, wiping the tears on her hand. " Ino, I didn't know," he said as she took her bags from Sakura. " Well, now you do," she said over her shoulder as she walked away with Hinata and Sakura at her heals.
Ino sniffled as she wiped her tears away angrily. " Oh Ino, I'm sorry," Hinata said sadly, placing her hand on Ino's shoulder. " Its okay, I don't know why I like him. I thought he knew, but he's just stupid like the rest of them," she said, her voice shaky as she wiped at the tears again. " Ino, why did you ask Gentai instead of Shikamaru," Sakura asked as the thought of Gentai's delirious smiled appeared in her mind. " Because, he's sweet and he's really nice and I like him too, its just I think I.. I love Shikamaru," she said, her tears falling harder as she said the last words.
" Oh Ino, why don't you talk to Gentai, I'm sure he would be okay if you wanted to go with Shikamaru instead," Sakura said, beginning to feel bad for Gentai. He really liked Ino and she was in love with someone else. " Oh I couldn't do that to him. He's so broken, I don't think he could take another heartbreak," she said sadly. " I'll just have to think of something."
Sasuke walked around the quaint jewelry shop, his eyes searching for something he thought would suit Sakura. Yet everything he looked at was simply not her. He walked up and down the jewelry cases containing gems upon gems, but nothing seemed to fit. That was, until his eyes fell upon a bracelet. He eyed the sparkling emerald bracelet, its glittering gems reminding him of Sakura's eyes. A small silver heart hung off it, plain and glimmering.
He knew it was perfect, but lacking a special touch. Sasuke summoned the clerk and ordered the bracelet for his purchase, but not before requesting the special extra. The clerk returned with the bracelet moments after Sasuke's order and placed it in a small black box, a delicate white ribbon crowning the top of the gift. He handed it to Sasuke and he left the store, pleased with his present for Sakura.
Naruto and Gentai sat on the curb, waiting for Sasuke to leave the store. Sasuke stepped out beside him, the box held gently in his hand. " So what did you get her?" they asked as he waited for the two to get to their feet. He opened the box and the two " oooed and awed" for what seemed like hours. " Seriously, you guys can stop," Sasuke said, stuffing the box in his pocket. " Wow, that pretty nice, Sasuke. She'll love it," Gentai said as they walked through the steadily growing dark streets.
" What a day, eh. Me and Gentai better get home, I have to meet Hinata-chan tomorrow and I don't want to be sleepy," Naruto said. Gentai and Naruto waved goodbye and walked up the dark street, Sasuke walking toward his apartment. He was really happy for the first time since their departure and everything happening with Sakura. His finger caressed the box in his pocket. He couldn't wait to give her the bracelet. He knew she would adore it.
" Sasuke-kun," came a soft voice from the street next to him. " Sakura?" he said, his eyes straining in the dark as a figure came toward him. Sakura stepped under the dim light of the lamps lining the streets. " So how was your day with the boys?" she asked, taking his hand as they walked steadily to Sasuke's house.
" It was interesting. I'm a little worried though. I think Gentai is getting ahead of himself. He seems to really like Ino. All he did was talk about her, I swear I was gunna go out of my mind," he said smiling down at her. " What about you," he asked when she didn't chuckle, but stared blankly ahead. " I think you're right to worry. Some how Shikamaru found out about Gentai and Ino going together to the festival and he yelled at her when we came out of a dress shop in town. Ino ended up telling him she wanted to go with him, but couldn't because he was too late. She was crying pretty badly. She loves him, Sasuke. You should have seen the look on Shikamaru's face when she told him he should have asked her. It was like someone had punched him in the face. He had no idea. I just worry about Gentai. Ino doesn't want to hurt him, but its inevitable that she'll leave him for Shikamaru," she said as they reached his door.
" That's not good," Sasuke said thoughtfully as he unlocked his door and let Sakura in before closing it behind him. Sakura threw her bag containing her dress in the corner and slumped onto the couch. " I have no idea how to fix this," she said frustrated, sweeping her hand through her hair. " We'll come up with something," Sasuke said as he put a kettle full of water on the stove.
" I hope so," she said as Sasuke sat next to her. She scooted over to him, but stopped at she met a hard lump in Sasuke's pocket. " What's that?" she asked as Sasuke stood frantically. " Um nothing. I have to go get something," he said nervously, walking to his room, taking the box from his pocket and hiding it in his dresser drawer. ' That was really close,' he thought as he returned to the room to find a surprised Sakura staring at him. " What was that about?" she asked curiously. " Oh nothing," he said as he removed the steaming kettle from the stove. " Want some tea?" he asked, trying to avoid the suspicious looks Sakura was giving him.
She shrugged, figuring it was nothing. " Sure," she said as she rose from the couch to sit at the bar in his kitchen. He poured the green tea into a cup and set it in front of her. She took it gladly and raised the steaming tea to her lips and sipped slowly as to not burn her mouth. Sasuke took a seat beside her and drank his tea in silence.
Sakura finished off her tea and stood, ready to leave. " Are you going," Sasuke asked as she moved over to the door and picked up her bag. " Yeah, we've got the day off tomorrow, but I want to train early," she said happily. Sasuke stood and walked over to her as she watched him approach. " Why don't you stay here, you can go train in the morning when you want," he said, taking the bag out of her hand and tossing it onto the couch. " Oh Sasuke, I don't know," she said hesitantly, but let a smile creep across her face.
" Okay," she said as he smiled and took her hand. " Great. So what do you want to do?" he asked as he looked down at her, a content grin on his face. " What, I don't know," she said laughing as he looked at her with a smile. " Want to go to sleep or go somewhere," he said, a sly smile creeping on his face. " Go somewhere? Sasuke, its late, are you crazy?" she said laughing as he looked at her seriously.
" Okay, where do you want to go?" she asked, seeing his face. He smiled and pulled her out the door, locking it securely behind him. Sakura walked with Sasuke as he led her through the dim village, already fast asleep like they should be. " Sasuke, where are we going?" she asked as he pulled toward the town large square. Sakura gasped as she gazed at the romantic scene before her as they rounded the corner. The square was hung with white lights, silky white ribbons floating around them.
" Oh Sasuke, it's beautiful," she gasped as he pulled her to the center of the square. Sakura gazed up into Sasuke's onyx eyes, her smile warm and inviting. " I thought you would like it," he said as he looked back into her emerald eyes. " I love it," she said as she kissed him softly in the faint light of the square. He looped his hand around her waist, drawing her closer to him as they shared the fiery kiss. " Come on, let's go back to my place and crash," Sasuke said in Sakura's ear as he pulled her from the basked light. She followed him quietly, not noticing as two figures emerged from the shadows after their departure.
Ino came to stand silently in the inviting space as the second form came to stand behind her. " Why did you come here," she said as the figure moved towards her. She let a tear slide from her sapphire eyes as the figure stopped directly behind her." Ino, I didn't know that I meant anything to you until today. I guess I'm a fool for never knowing. I never meant for you to cry, I guess I feel like I've lost you," the figure said as Ino turned to face him. " How could you not know how I feel about you, Shikamaru? A fool could see that I love you," she said as he stepped into the light.
" Ino, I love you too," Shikamaru said before pulling her to him, his hands wrapping about her waist as she clung to him. She felt her heart burst with joy as she looked up into his warm eyes, a small discomfort settling in her stomach. " I can't go with you to the festival though, Shikamaru, I can't hurt Gentai," she said sadly. " I understand, I just hope he doesn't like you more than you think he does," he said, holding her close to him as she buried her face in his warm shirt. " Me too… me too," she whispered as the darkness enveloped the two.
" Oh no, Oh no, Oh no!" Naruto yelled as he dashed to the kitchen, pulling his jacket on while also struggling with his sandals. " No, No, No, how could I sleep in! I knew we should have just left after Sasuke went into the jewelry shop! He took forever in there!" he breathed frantically as he hastily zipped the orange jacket and tied his headband sloppily around his forehead before dashing to the door.
" Well, have a good day," Gentai said, throwing an orange to Naruto as he yanked the door open. " Thanks," he said, quickly catching the orange and slamming the door behind him. " What a weirdo," Gentai sighed as Naruto's cursing could be heard echoing up the hall. " I HEARD THAT," Naruto yelled as Gentai moved to the window to see Naruto dash through the crowded streets to Hinata's house. He smiled as Naruto ducked and dodged the furious people he pushed by before disappearing around the corner. " I wonder what Ino is doing," Gentai mumbled as he sat on the chair and read over the newspaper.
Naruto pushed his way through the crowds of people before deciding to take the quick way and jumped atop a roof lining the street. He spotted Hinata's house in the distance and dashed as fast as his legs would carry him, pushing the chakra to his feet. Hinata stood outside her house, her eyes searching to and fro for any sign of the fox boy. She sighed, figuring it really was too good to be true and turned to enter her house.
" HINATA!" Naruto yelled as he dropped from a rooftop and ran to her. Hinata's face lit in a smile as she turned to face a distraught Naruto. " S-sorry I'm late," he said through gulps of air. She nodded and smiled. She had honestly forgotten he was coming too and had rushed to get ready. She had only been waiting 5 minutes. " So are you ready to go?" Naruto said as he stood up, still slightly out of breath. " Umm y-yes Naruto-kun," Hinata stuttered as he took her hand. Hinata felt her knees go weak as his fingers interlaced with hers.
" Great, I know just what we should do today," he said as he pulled her along. Hinata felt her stomach swirl uncomfortably with excitement. Her face burned a bright pink as her eyes met their entwined hands. ' Oh Naruto-kun, its just like my dream!' she thought as he smiled back at her warmly, her blush intensifying. Naruto led her over the bridge and through the clearing to the edge of the woods. " W-where are we g-going, Naruto?" she asked as he led her through the thick forest.
" You'll see," he said with a sly smile on his face as he pulled her through the dense trees. A sudden opening in the tree line exposed a patch of purple daisies, their delicate faces turned to the sun. Hinata felt her eyes widen as she stared at the lilac streaks across the velvet petals, the perfect color of her eyes. Naruto smiled, a blush creeping into his face as Hinata smiled at him before reaching down and brushing her fingers over the sweet flowers.
" Naruto, their beautiful," she gasped as she looked up to see a whole meadow filled with the perfect purple flowers. " I thought you would like it, I found them the other day and they reminded me of you," he said as the pink tinge in his cheeks deepened to red as he looked at the ground. " Oh Naruto-kun, thank you," Hinata said as she embraced Naruto gently. Naruto, caught off guard, wrapped his arms slowly around her waist and pulled her closer.
" Sasuke, I'm going," Sakura whispered into Sasuke's ear. Sasuke opened an eye to look up at a dressed and ready Sakura. She sat down onto the bed as Sasuke yawned and smiled at her " Will you wait for me, I want to come with you," he mumbled as he rose groggily from the pillow. She smiled and nodded and he slipped from the sheets and walked to the bathroom to shower quickly. She giggled as he ran his hand through his messy black hair, adjusting the waistband on his boxers.
'Sasuke is defiantly not a morning person, but I do like to see him in his boxers only,' Inner Sakura thought as she gazed after Sasuke's form. Sakura chuckled and rose to make some tea for Sasuke when he got out of the shower. Sakura whistled to herself as she poured water into a kettle and set it on the stovetop. The sound of running water caught her ear as she fumbled through the green tea packets.
" This'll take too long," she mumbled as the water slowly heated up in the kettle. Sakura formed three simple hand signs and held the kettle with one hand and placed her other hand below it. A bright fire ignited in her palm and the water boiled in seconds. Smiling contently, she poured the hot water into a mug on the counter as Sasuke walked into the kitchen, dressed and ready.
" Well, maybe I was wrong about you not being a morning person," she giggled as he kissed her cheek and took the mug from the counter. " Maybe, but I definitely like the night better," Sasuke said, winking at Sakura. She blushed a deep pink before adjusting her satchels. ' Shame on that Uchiha, he knows better than to talk about that,' Inner Sakura scolded while laughing. Sakura chuckled as Sasuke set the mug down, his eyebrows raised in wonder.
" Why are you always laughing at me?" he asked slyly as he walked over to her. " No Sasuke, I've got to train, I swear, come on, let me go.. Sasuke!" she laughed as he picked her up and held her to him. " Really, come on," she sighed as he released his hold on her. " Okay fine, but I'll make you tell later," he said with a smirk on his face. " Sure, sure, like I'll tell you," she said sarcastically before running to the door as Sasuke made to grab her again.
Following her to the door, Sasuke pursued Sakura out into the noon sun, the warm air creeping under his shirt. " Hm better than early in the morning," he said as Sakura pulled him by his hand. " Well, if someone had let me sleep, I might have had some more sunlight to train. It's practically evening," she said, scolding Sasuke as he wrapped his arm around her waist. " Yeah I know," he said smiling, thinking about the night before.
Sakura and Sasuke walked through the slightly crowded street to Sakura's secret training spot to avoid the stares from fellow teammates, but that was hard. Right as they turned the corner, they met Shikamaru and Chouji. " So it is true!" Shikamaru exclaimed loudly, people in the streets stopping to watch. " I heard you two were together, but I never thought it would be true. The Uchiha and Sakura, classic!" he laughed as Chouji just looked at the two in disbelief.
Sasuke let his arm around slide away from Sakura and stepped forward into Shikamaru's face. " And what is soo funny," Sasuke growled. Shikamaru stopped laughing and grew quiet as Sasuke took Sakura's hand and led her around the two boys. Sakura smiled nervously at Sasuke before looking back at Shikamaru, whose face was in pure shock. " Sasuke, who do you think told them," Sakura said quietly as Sasuke fumed. " I don't know, but I'd love to find out," he said as they disappeared into the forest.
" Maybe I should go see Ino," Gentai said while pacing in Naruto and his apartment. He had been thinking about the blonde all morning and was growing restless. He walked slowly to the balcony to watch the people below and, to his luck, noticed a blonde haired girl walking down the street.
" INO!" he yelled as she walked below. Her cerulean eyes met his as she looked up to the balcony. " Hi Gentai," she said smiling. " You want to do something today?" he asked as she stood gazing up at him. Her eyes darted away and her smile faded. " Oh Gentai, I-I can't," she stuttered as he looked down at her, a frown lining his face. " Wait a minute," he yelled down to her.
She frowned and stood in the street as he emerged seconds later from the apartment building. " What's wrong," he asked as he went to hug her, but she moved away and turned her back to him. " Gentai, we have to talk," Ino said softly, her heart beating wildly in her chest. " Um o-okay," he fumbled as she walked away from him, his feet carrying him after her. Ino came to a stop at the bridge and rest her arms on the railing, her eyes searching the clear stream below her.
" Ino, what's going on," Gentai asked as he stood beside her, his eyes longing to meet hers. Ino looked up at him, her hurt reflecting in her eyes. " Gentai, I don't want to hurt you, but I'm in love," she said, a weak smile finding its way onto her lips. Gentai looked down into the waters below their feet, his head hanging sadly.
" I understand," he said in a choked whisper, the pain of losing yet another love rushing back to him. Ino reached out and set her hand on his shoulder protectively. " Gentai, I never wanted to hurt you. I sincerely liked you, its just, there's someone else and…," she trailed off, seeing a lone tear fall into the water below. " I get it," he said dejectedly before walking away, leaving Ino silent on the bridge.
" God! How could I be soo stupid!" Gentai yelled as he sat alone upon the mountaintop, the sun beating down on his tear stained face. ' Ino could never love me, how could I hope that she would be different,' he thought sorrowfully as he gazed out onto the see of green forest. " Anka, I miss you so badly," he whispered as a familiar warm breeze rushed across his face, drying his tears and slowly healing his broken heart once again.
" Sasuke, knock it off already," Sakura yelled as Sasuke threw rocks at Sakura's back, forcing her to dodge them as she focused on her jutsus. Sasuke tossed a rock up in his hand and caught it again, looking at Sakura's silent form before lobbing the large stone at her. Sakura ducked as it made its way for her head and forced her chakra at Sasuke.
The force knocked him from his seat on the boulder beside the waterfall, causing him to crash into the chilling waters. " Ah Sakura, you're quick," he said sorely as he stood up in the freezing waters. " Well, you shouldn't have bothered me," she said calmly before closing her eyes in meditation.
Sasuke felt an urge to ruin her concentration with his fun and kicked the water at his feet, sending a spray of icy water at Sakura's backside. The water fell over Sakura's frame, soaking her back. Her head spun, her eyes a fiery green. Sasuke's laughter stopped abruptly as she came at him, her fists at her sides.
" How can I stand you," she growled as she cornered him against the wall, the waterfall flowing down her body, yet her eyes remained focused on his. She suddenly lost her nerve and grabbed him, her lips meeting his forcefully in a crushing kiss. Sasuke retaliated and swung her around, trapping her against the wall as their feverish kiss escalated.
Sakura left his lips and rest her head against the wall, her breath heavy and strained. " I hate when you do that," she whispered as his forehead leaned against hers. " Do what? This?" he asked as he met her lips again, his tongue slipping into her mouth. Sakura's eyes fluttered as Sasuke's hands slid over her wet skin. His lips moved from hers and trailed down her neck as his fingertips caressed her lower back, pulling her away from the wall and into his warm body.
Her hands ran feverishly through his hair as his mouth warmed her skin, leaving her weak and delirious. His onyx eyes met hers as she slyly pulled him against her, her lips pressing against his. Sasuke ran his hand down her back to meet her bare thigh, pulling it to him as she gasped into his mouth. Their lips separated, the cascade of chilling waters flowing between them. " T-that was f-fun," Sakura sputtered as the water trailed down her face and over her lips.
" Yeah, let's go dry off, I'm freezing" Sasuke replied as he pulled Sakura away from the waterfall and into the warmth of the sun. Sakura pulled her soaked shirt from her body and laid it in the sun to dry, Sasuke watching her. Sakura felt his eyes and looked over her shoulder to find his eyes on her.
" Don't even think about it," she said quietly as she undid the satchels and placed them beside her shirt. " What, I mean its not tempting at all to have you stand in front of me in your bra and shorts. Its not as though I want to do anything, if that's what you're getting at," he said calmly, a sly smile creeping across his face.
" I'm serious," Sakura retorted, seeing his smile. " Fine," he said, pulling his own shirt over his head and dropping it next to hers. Sakura looked over at him slowly, her stomach fluttering as her eyes took in his muscular body. " What?" he asked as she looked away quickly. Sakura smoothed her hands over her shirt, flattening the wrinkles as she shook her head. " Nothing," she said softly, avoiding his eyes.
" Oh I know what it is, you can't look at me either without wanting to pounce on me, is that it," he said, laughing while Sakura's face turned a bright pink. " N-no that's not it," she stuttered as she turned from him, her hands crossed at her chest. " Well, I think it is," he said as he walked up behind her and wrapped his arm around her waist. " Sasuke, not here," she whispered, her eyes looking through the trees, half expecting to meet someone there. " Sakura, there's no one around for at least a mile," he sighed as his lips touched her soft skin. " Sasuke.." " Hn" " I hate it when you do that," she breathed as she turned in his arms and kissed his lips hungrily.
" Shikamaru, what are you doing here?" Ino asked as Shikamaru walked up and stood next to her on the bridge. " I saw you when I was walking. I noticed you talking with some guy," he said, his eyes watching the swirling water below them. " Yeah, that was Gentai. I told him, well I said I was in love and he understood. It was so hard to tell him," she whispered as she swiped away a tear forming in her eye.
Shikamaru turned to face her, his hand inching towards hers. " Ino I'm sorry, I never thought this would happen, I didn't want you to have to choose," he sighed as she smiled over at him. " Shikamaru, what else would I have done. I would choose you a thousand times over," she said as she linked her fingers with his. He returned her smile and stood in silence as they watched the water run and whirl beneath them, the warm breeze swirling about them.
Finally another fight sequence, been dying to have people get their butts handed to them, too bad it was Sasuke. Get over it Uchiha, can't win all the time. Hehe love the whole Gentai and Ino thing after training. Sakura dishes out the pain! woot woot so great
I love how Sakura icks that girls ass , the one all over Sasuke. I had to involve his fan girls somewhere and have a raging Sakura on the lose. Pity, shoulda killed her like Naruto said ehehe oh well
Oh and the totally cute Hinata and Naruto moment. everyone say AWWW so cute!
I love the little Sakura and Sasuke things i add, hope you like them too. total fluff, oh yeah Naughty Sakura staying at Sasuke's house, you just wish i went into detail..ehehe
Then the Shikamaru freakout. For all you InoXShikamaru fans, this is for you! they are totally cute together.Poor Gentai though, thats too bad but he's used to it. By the time i had wrote the whole thing on Ino and Gentai i realized Shikamaru is a better guy for her cuz they're all disfunctional! Soo i worked with what i had, oh well i'll find someone for Gentai, love will prevail! lala
