hey guys,

sorry this chapter feels so late to me! it's a little shorter than the others! anyway, the next chapters are gonna be more content filled, but this chapter is more for Sakura working out her feelings and etc! :)

i will have some answers to some reviews and more in the next upload! i just really wanted to get this up as fast as I could.

hopefully in the next 36 hrs next upload is coming..

alex xo

Chapter 16: Fear

Madara felt Sakura slip out of the bed, trying not to disturb him. He kept his breathing deep and even, and watched her through mostly closed eyes, glimpsing at her naked form through his dark lashes.

His heart clenched and rolled at the sight of her. His mind played over the memories of the night before. The way her eyes softened with feeling, but still held that little spark of determination he so loved in them. The way her body trembled and shook under his touch, the way that she bit her lip unconsciously making his knees weak. He could still feel her hot breath in his ear, her fingernails digging into his skin, the way they moved together. He swallowed. She was everything, everything he'd ever dreamed of and wanted.

But that look in her eyes before they went to sleep, the feelings that she tried to suppress worried him and his heart clenched because as much as he knew his feelings for her, as much as he was certain of her… he knew that she wasn't. The night wasn't a mistake, but he was beginning to doubt if she was really ready for it. She sat on the edge of the bed, staring at the wall, and Madara felt like if he moved or spoke, she'd break. There was something so fragile about her at that moment. Her usual strength had vanished and she looked small and frightened, her shoulder slightly curled forward, and her arms wrapped around herself like she was trying to hold herself together. He knew that she thought he was still asleep, otherwise he couldn't imagine her ever showing such vulnerableness.

She was scared of losing him, she'd made that much clear before they fell asleep. Even though he felt immense joy knowing that, he also didn't miss the fact that she hadn't said that she loved him. That the most she'd even voiced about her feelings was the reciprocal 'you're mine' she had uttered, and he knew that possessive speech didn't portray true feelings. It made him nervous. He felt like she was going to disappear, and if she did, he wasn't sure if he'd survive it. That knowledge of his own dependency on her made him feel like the biggest fool in the world. Flirtation, fleeting moments together, and a single night shared in passion did not mean they were tied together in any way, as much as he wished they were.

He saw her begin to take deep breaths, her back rising and falling and he frowned a little. He could feel the unease, the panic rolling off her body. He didn't understand what exactly she was so terrified of, but whatever it was, it wasn't going to be easy for her to get past. He moved his leg, and she suddenly snapped out of her thoughts and panic and turned back to him. He blinked tiredly, feigning waking.

"Good morning," she said quietly, pulling the blanket of the bed up and around her.

Madara lifted himself up to his elbows.

"Good morning," he greeted her with a soft smile. "What are you doing?"

"Nothing," she replied with a fake smile and distance in her eyes. "Just thinking."

Madara didn't push her. He sat up completely and wiped his eyes and looked out the window. Dawn had broken.

"I should go," Sakura murmured. "I need to change my clothes."

She stood to dress, and Madara watched her as she moved around, putting on the same clothes as the night before. Madara leaned over and picked up his shirt from the floor and passed it to her.

"Wear this over the top," he said. "It's a little cool out."

She gave him a grateful little smile and slipped on his shirt. It was far too big, two of her could have fit inside it. She giggled lightly.

"I'll see you later," she said, a foot on the window.

"Sakura," Madara called to her just before she jumped out.

She looked back at him questioningly. He wasn't sure what he wanted to say, so he just shook his head.

"Nothing. I'll see you later."

She gave a quick smile and left. Madara fell back on his bed, linked his arms behind his head and stared at the ceiling. He wasn't as happy or peaceful as he imagined he would feel after being with Sakura. He was worried. He wanted her to be happy, and now he wondered if he really understood how to do that.

Hashirama left with a small retinue of shinobi to accompany him to the border of Hot Water and Frost two days after they were supposed to leave, due to Kumo changing the arranged day. Madara, aided by Shikaru and Sakura, was left in charge of Konoha in his absence. After the departure of the Hokage, Sakura arrived at the hospital and Hikari immediately noticed that there was something off about her. Sakura usually didn't fidget, but she was picking at the hem of her sleeve. She seemed out of focus when she was usually always ready for anything. Hikari swallowed with some anxiety, remembering the last time that she'd seen Sakura act like that was some months earlier.

She left Sakura in her office and went to find Shouta. She found him in the back gardens of the hospital, directing the final building touches on the greenhouses.

"Almost finished?" Hikari asked him.

He nodded.

"I'd say we can begin to prepare soil tomorrow," he said.

"That's good," Hikari said, rocking back on her heels. "Lady Sakura's been looking forward to this."

"I know." Shouta looked at her and underneath his still annoyingly long hair, she saw him frown. "What's wrong?"

She didn't know quite how to word it.

"I think something happened to Lady Sakura," Hikari said in a low voice. "She's a little off."

"It's not unusual for people to have up and down days," Shouta sighed.

Hikari shook her head.

"No, Shouta, it's like what she used to be. Before you met her when she was sad all the time."

Shouta looked at Hikari with a critical eye.

"Are you worried?"

Hikari nodded, bit her lip and looked down.

"Lord Hokage left today, but I need to take some paperwork to his office for approval. Perhaps Lord Madara will know if something is wrong," Shouta said thoughtfully.

Hikari looked at him in surprise, she hadn't expected him to be so curious or inquisitive.

"Lord Madara is scary," she whispered.

Shouta gave her a little smirk and ruffled her hair.

"He's just a little…intense."

Hikari slapped his hand from her hair.

"Stop that. I'm not a kid," she hissed, annoyed. "I'm almost fifteen."

Shouta rolled his eyes and walked off.

"Come on," he said, collecting some papers from the wooden bench by the back door of the hospital.

Hikari looked at him in some confusion and he looked back with impatience.

"Hokage's office," he said, pointing at the paper.

Hikari gasped with realisation followed him through the village to Hokage Tower.

"Oh," she said with delight. "They're finally building the academy."

"Good," Shouta said quietly. "Children should learn in safety."

Hikari gave him a sympathetic look and had a strange urge to take his hand. She kept both her hands clasped tightly behind her back. Hikari and Shouta were stopped inside the Tower by two guards.

"Where are you two headed?"

"I have papers from Lady Sakura for Lord Madara," Shouta said.

"And who are you?" The guard asked, looking them up and down suspiciously.

"We're Lady Sakura's students," Hikari replied, standing tall and not liking the tone the guard was taking.

"Hmph. Right. Working on the weekend, is she?"

"The hospital never closes," Shouta replied evenly.

The guard looked at him closely then shrugged.

"Lord Madara's taken up the Hokage's office," he said to them.

Shouta and Hikari walked off past him and up the stairs to the second level. The Hokage, Lord Madara, and Lord Tobirama all had their own offices in the Tower on the same level. For Hikari, walking in the halls that were used by these great leaders was a little daunting. Shouta knocked on the closed door to the Hokage's office and after a moment they heard the muffled sounds of a voice tell them to come in. Lord Madara and Lord Shikaru were inside - two people that Hikari was intimidated by. She'd seen the look of disappointment and disapproval on Lord Shikaru's face when the two of them returned to the village with his son and the unconscious Lady Sakura, and it had hit her hard. Lord Madara's fear and anger had frightened her, even though she'd known it was all justified, and it was hardly soothed by his gruff thanks at the hospital.

Shouta, as always, greeted his clan leader with a kind of respect that Hikari didn't share for her own clan leader. But she hoped, one day, that Danzo would grow up to be a man that wasn't like his father, one that she could look upon with pride.

"Lord Madara, Lord Shikaru," Shouta said.

He passed over several documents to Lord Madara, who took them with a question in his eyes.

"For the greenhouses," Shouta explained. "They're almost finished. Lady Sakura wants the Hokage to read over and sign off on the plants she'd like to cultivate since some of them are foreign to our lands and others are very dangerous."

"Thank you," Lord Madara said.

Hikari swallowed nervously when his eyes landed on her.

"I'll leave this for the Hokage," Lord Madara said, his gaze drifting to Lord Shikaru. "He's more knowledgable about plants."

"Indeed," Lord Shikaru replied.

"Is there something else?" Lord Madara asked.

"Excuse us, Lord Madara, but we weren't sure who to speak too," Shouta said, sounding a little awkward. "Hikari noticed something about Lady Sakura."

Hikari noticed the look of interest in Lord Madara's eyes and the amusement in the face of Lord Shikaru.

"She seemed off," Hikari began nervously.

"Off?" Lord Madara frowned.

Hikari cleared her throat.

"Unfocused," she said in a stronger voice. "She was similar too what she was like a few months ago, so I was worried something had happened. I don't know what we should do."

Lord Madara looked thoughtful.

"This isn't something for either of you two to concern yourselves with," he said after a moment.

"But Lady Sakura is - "

"Probably going to be upset that you didn't talk to her first," Lord Shikaru said.

Hikari shrunk back a little. He gave her a tired smile.

"She's more than capable of taking care of herself," he said. "Your dedication to her is commendable, but you'd better learn not to pry too deep into the lives of shinobi, else you get hurt."

Hikari gave a slow, slightly shamed nod.

"Yes, Lord Shikaru," she said.

"Shouta."

"Yes, Lord Madara?" Shouta said with some surprise.

"I'll confirm it today with Sa - Lady Sakura, but from tomorrow, you'll have morning training with me."

Hikari's eyes widened and she looked at Shouta who seemed completely shocked.

"Y-yes, Lord Madara," he stuttered.

The pair of them left moments later and once they were outside, and Shouta still looked shocked, Hikari shook his arm. Even she understood that what Lord Madara had just offered him was something important and rare.

"Training with Lord Madara!" Hikari squeaked.

"Yeah.." Shouta said, shaking his head. "I never - "

He stopped walking. Hikari gave him a smile when she saw how uncharacteristically emotional he had become.

"You never thought you'd have the chance to be a shinobi, let alone be asked to train with the most powerful member of your clan, and one of the most powerful shinobi in the world," Hikari supplied for him.

He stared at her and gave a small nod. She folded her arms over her chest and appraised him, and he looked at her disconcertedly.

"What?"

"Well." She sighed deeply. "You really need to cut your hair, get it out of your eyes."

He stared at her for a minute.

"Fine," he muttered.

Her eyes lit up and she fell in step beside him as they walked back to the hospital.

"Really?"

"Yes. Fine. You can do it," he said.

Hikari beamed.

"But if you mess it up, I'm never letting you near me again," he threatened.

"Oh, don't worry," Hikari waved her hand off. "I've cut all the Shimura kids hair."

"That explains it," Shouta muttered.

Hikari punched him in the arm and he smirked.

"So what are you going to do for Lady Sakura then?" He questioned.

"Just - " she bit her lip. "I'll just be there for what she needs."

"So will I," Shouta nodded.

Hikari stared at him.

"You sound like you're so grown up, but you're such a little kid still, about to faint over Lord Madara," she teased.

Shouta rolled his eyes again at her.

"As if you didn't when Lady Sakura said that Lord Tobirama had 'high hopes' for you."

She grinned.

"Well. How about we make a deal?"

He looked interested.

"At the end of the next year, let's have a proper battle to see whose training is better."

Shouta smirked.

"You're going to regret that."

Hikari shrugged and grinned wider.

"We'll see!"

Sakura and Madara met for lunch in the village, and Sakura purposefully chose an Akimichi restaurant since they were the next the clan she was invited to eat with. Hopefully word would spread quickly and Chosume would make sure to let the party be just a party, nothing more. She'd been struggling to rid herself of a sense of anxiety all day. No matter what she tried to do, she couldn't seem to focus on her work. But the moment she'd first seen Madara in the morning, it was the first bit of relief she'd had.

She recalled the way he looked at her, and how with his arms around her waist, her shoulders, his fingers twisted in her hair, that she felt alive and on fire. Looking at Madara, she felt safe. Yet, within seconds, that sense of belonging she felt twisted into something tinged with fear and anxiety. She knew that Madara sensed there was something wrong. It was impossible to miss the look of concern in his eye. But she smiled and replied and spoke to him, but when she left and returned to the hospital, she barely remembered anything he'd said.

Sakura closed her office door, drew the curtains and locked the window, and when the room was dark, she laid down on the floor, curled on her side with her cheek on the wood. She breathed. Slow, in and out, trying to find something, anything to hold onto that might help her still the rapid beating in her chest, and the whirlwind in her head. She didn't move when Hikari opened the door suddenly, closed it slowly, and locked it. Sakura heard her put something on one of the chairs, and then the girl lay down on the floor beside her. She rested her head on her hand and reached out for Sakura's hand. Sakura loosely held it. Hikari lay there quietly with her and Sakura concentrated on a freckle on Hikari's cheek, and matched her breathing to the girls until she was calmer. She squeezed Hikari's hand. Hikari gave a little smile, but Sakura saw there was a little fear for her in it.

"Sometimes I forget we're only five years apart," Sakura whispered to her.

"Me too," Hikari said. "You act like an old lady."

Sakura snorted.

"Someone has to keep the hospital running, and make sure the Hokage and his brother and Madara run the village properly."

Hikari smiled.

"You're not their mother," she said. "You should take a break every once in a while, just be a teenager for once."

"I did that last night," Sakura revealed. "I think I did something I shouldn't have."

"Do you want to talk about it? I'm not a little kid. I'm almost fifteen, that's middle-aged for a shinobi."

Sakura smiled.

"But you're still so innocent," she whispered. "I can't put my problems in your head."

Hikari pouted, but her eyes were angry and expressive. She gave Sakura a look she usually only turned on Shouta.

"I know you have your friends, like Lady Matsuri and Lady Mito, but I want to help you too. Maybe I can give you help they can't," Hikari said. "Just because I'm your student and younger than you, doesn't mean I don't know anything."

Sakura stared at her for a moment, remembering how she felt when she was kept in the dark about things to do with Naruto and Sasuke, even Kakashi, and how she had snuck out of the village and done her own thing to learn as much as she could about everything. She had been the same age as Hikari was, and Hikari was right. She wasn't just a girl anymore. She was a shinobi.

"About two years ago, I lost everything and everyone I knew," she said quietly, closing her eyes.

Her relationship with Hikari was something closer to a cousin, or even sister. Nothing like the student-mentor relationship she had with Shouta, or what she'd had with Kakashi.

"I only had Itachi Uchiha, one of my friends, and he only had me."

"I heard Lord Yori say that Lord Madara acted like you and Itachi were the reason behind the Uchiha-Senju alliance," Hikari whispered.

"You're spying on your clan leader?"

"Sometimes," Hikari shrugged. "I take care of his son some days."

"Ah," Sakura answered. "Well, Itachi and I came here and met Madara and Hashirama before the alliance, and then we went away for a little while and came back to find Konohagakure."

"And you lived here?"

Sakura nodded.

"In a little house in the woods that Hashirama built for us. We were…hunting something evil, that was threatening Konoha and the world. We made friends with Madara and Hashirama and Tobirama and Izuna. But then Itachi and I fell in love, and it was beautiful and I loved him so much." She squeezed Hikari's hand. "But then…"

"The night the Nine-Tails attacked?" Hikari prompted.

Sakura nodded a little.

"Madara was kidnapped by the evil thing we hunted, and forced to control the Nine-Tails. The thing, it killed Madara's brother, and we had to fight to save Madara."

"You beat it, didn't you?"

"Itachi was a very, very powerful shinobi. As powerful as Madara and Hashirama," Sakura whispered. "He sealed away the evil thing so it can't hurt the world anymore. But Madara was badly hurt and couldn't control the Nine-Tails. I used a lot of chakra to save Madara, and I was weakened from having my chakra drained earlier in the fight. So when the Nine-Tails tried to kill us, Itachi put himself in the path of the attack and died to save me."

Hikari's eyes watered.

"Tobirama was pulling me out of the way already, so I missed a lot of the attack, but it still got my stomach. I didn't know it though, because one second Itachi was in front of me, and when I blinked, he was gone and I couldn't save him."

"He tried to save you like you saved us," she said, tears dripping down her face to the floor below.

"It was really hard for me to understand why he did that," Sakura told her. "I was angry at him. Furious. But when I saw the Nine-Tails coming for you three, I just moved, and I finally truly understood Itachi."

Hikari closed her eyes and her jaw clenched, there was regret on her features. She opened her eyes.

"But you're not lying on the floor in the dark because of that," Hikari whispered.

Sakura wasn't surprised at her insight.

"Is it something to do with Lord Madara?"

Hikari looked worried, liked she'd stepped over the line. Another time and Sakura might've thought she had. But in this quiet moment between them, in the dark and quiet, it was okay. Sakura felt her lower lip tremble and she nodded instead of verbalising the thoughts.

"He's a little scary," Hikari admitted.

Sakura breathed out a little laugh.

"I thought so too when I met him here," she said. And when I met him back in my time too. "But he's not. He's very… he's very good."

"He carried you home from the Nine-Tails," Hikari told her after a moment.

Sakura looked at her in surprise.

"He didn't let anyone else touch you until you were in the hospital here. Only Shouta and I could treat you on the way home and he didn't leave your side in the hospital until you woke up," she whispered. "Lady Matsuri brought him a change of clothes."

Sakura stared at her. This time, Hikari was the one who squeezed Sakura's hand.

"I think Lord Madara's the kind of man who would pull the moon to earth to make sure you were safe," she said.

Sakura entire jaw started shaking and she closed her eyes.

"But what if he goes away too?" She breathed, her voice breaking.

She felt herself curl up more, her fears spilling out.

"I don't know - I can't breathe when I think about it - everyone is gone and if he goes too, I won't survive it."

"Sakura - "

Sakura's eyes blinked open at the odd sound of her name without the title from Hikari's mouth.

"I don't know much about love, but I don't think you should be scared of it like this."

"Why not?" Sakura whispered. "It hurts, it hurts so much to lose someone. You don't understand."

Hikari's eyes shuttered off for a moment and then she looked at Sakura with less sympathy and more fierceness.

"I don't know what it's like to lose someone like you lost Itachi, but I lost my father and most of my clan. I'm not a stranger to feeling broken hearted and sad."

Sakura swallowed her regret.

"I'm sorry."

"But Lady Sakura, Lord Madara isn't lost. He's still here."

"For today. For now. But what about later?"

Sakura looked at Hikari desperately. She just needed to hear something, something she could hold on to.

"There's one thing that I can say for sure about both you and Lord Madara," Hikari said, the hint of a smile on her lips.

"What's that?"

"No matter what happens, you'll fight."

Sakura felt the word hit her somewhere inside.

"You don't have to worry about losing Lord Madara," Hikari whispered. "Because he'll never stop fighting to stay beside you. No matter how badly wounded he might get, or how far away he might go, he'll always come back to you because he loves you like that."

That was what it was. That was exactly what Sakura needed to hear, to be reminded of. It took a moment for her mind to clear, for her eyes to stop watering and her throat to ache less. She looked with slight wonderment at Hikari, who was so young, yet filled with such strange wisdom. Romanticised wisdom, perhaps, from her age and naivety, but Sakura knew that Hikari was anything but stupid. Sakura shuffled across the floor a little and then wrapped Hikari in a hug.

"Never change," she whispered to her.

Hikari's arm wrapped around Sakura and tightened for a moment.

"I told you I was as good to talk to as your other friends," she said, a little stubbornness creeping into her voice.

Sakura laughed and then pulled back and sat up. She fixed a stray piece of Hikari's hair, tucking back into the up-do.

"You're going to be a force when you're older," Sakura said fondly to her.

"I have a good teacher," Hikari grinned.

Sakura rolled her eyes a little.

"Why don't we take the rest of the day off," she said, looking around. "I don't want to work anymore."

"Lady Sakura, I already have the rest of the day off," Hikari reminded her.

"Oh, right. Well, then I'm taking the rest of the day," Sakura said.

"What are you going to do?" Hikari asked her, getting to her feet.

"I think," Sakura said, drawing back her curtains, "I'm going to go for a walk."

Sakura lay on the floor in the bedroom she'd shared with Itachi, watching the clouds wash over the moon through the open window and repeating the mantra 'feel what you feel' over and over again in her head. After her talk with Hikari, she'd walked through the forest, taking her time over the familiar paths and letting the fresh air refresh her. She'd come to the house and decided to clean it. She spent the afternoon dusting, washing, airing out everything that was inside. It was cathartic. She cried and recalled happy, loving memories. She sobbed as she dropped and broke one of the plates, and stared at the spring in the back of the house, which held clean fresh water and one specifically important memory of love and confession and joy.

When the dust was gone and the musty smell had faded, Sakura felt a deep sense of relief and laid down on the floor in the bedroom. The cleaning and crying had exhausted her emotionally and physically, but she needed the comfort of human contact and there was only one person she wanted to see. Sakura went to the bathroom and washed in a quick bath. There were a few little knick-knacks in the bathroom, and she used one of the old scents she didn't remember to make sure she didn't smell like sweat or dust.

In the bedroom, earlier in the day, she had taken out one of Itachi's old outfits from the Uchiha clan. Her clothes smelled, and his, although a little stale, were better. She rolled his pant legs because they were too long. She slipped the high-necked shirt on and tied an obi around her waist to keep the pants from falling down. She looked a little silly and childish but shrugged it off with a little smile. She was sure that Itachi was laughing at her, and she knew that Shisui would be too, and those were sad but comforting thoughts.

She made her way through the forest, flickering impatiently towards her destination until she reached the window she'd exited from in the morning. It was open, and she peeked inside the bedroom, seeing that Madara wasn't inside. Silently, she climbed through the window into the room and sat on the window sill waiting for him. Five minutes later, the door to the room opened and he paused in the doorway when he saw her. He slowly closed the door behind him and Sakura's heart beat hard and fast in her chest. He looked tired.

"I wasn't expecting to see you," he said to her.

Sakura slipped off the window and into the room, walked across to him and hugged him. Her arms wrapped around his waist, and her cheek rested on his chest. He was surprised and flinched slightly at her touch. She held him tightly for a moment longer, scrunching her eyes shut and then she pulled back.

"I thought I made a mistake," she said to him. "Last night. I thought it was a mistake because all day the only thing I could think about was being alone again. Really alone, with everything I cared about gone forever and never coming back. I was taken away from my life, and only Itachi came with me and then I realised that I loved him, I really loved him for years and I just didn't know it."

Sakura was rambling, but there was so much she needed to say that it wouldn't stop tumbling out.

"But then he died too and I was stuck in a coma and time passed. I woke up and I was so lost, so lost and hurt and angry and in all of it, in the worst of it, you were there."

She looked at him with a slightly tilted head, a teary-eyed smile.

"I don't know how I earned your love, I don't think I deserve it. But I don't think I'd be here right now, actually feeling alive again without it, without you."

Tears rolled down her face, spilling from her eyes. She wasn't exactly sure why she was crying, but she just couldn't stop.

"I'm not scared right now," she said, and she meant it. The fear that had been eating away at her was gone. "I'm tired of running away and being scared. I don't need to be, because I know that we're both fighters. We fight for what we want."

She placed her fist over her chest, on her heart.

"I know what I want. I can feel you here," she whispered. "I can't fight against that anymore. I feel like if I don't keep tight control on it, I'm going to drown in you. I just - "

She choked off her words and swallowed, and laughed a little bit. She took a breath and stood up a little straighter, she wiped away the tears on her face. His eyes followed her, but she couldn't tell what he was thinking or feeling.

"Madara Uchiha," Sakura said. "I love you. I love you so much that I can't even - "

She shrugged and looked at him. She didn't know how to put all that emotion into words.

"Um. That's it," she said, feeling a little awkward and clearing her throat. "That's what I came here to tell you."

Sakura felt her cheeks heat up the longer that Madara remained silent. She was about to turn and leave, or just say good-bye or something when she saw the smallest of twitches at his lips. Faster than she could see, he moved, and suddenly, Sakura was caught in his arms, lifted off her feet, turned around and dropped on her back onto the bed. She blinked in shock, looking up at Madara, who loomed above her.

"You talk a lot," he said to her, a smirk on his face.

"I - "

He moved his hand to cover her mouth and shook his head.

"No," he said. "It's my turn to talk."

She nodded and he let his hand off her mouth.

"Sakura, I don't know how things happen in your time, but last night wasn't normal for this era, although it's definitely more common with shinobi."

Sakura blushed and looked away.

"What is common in this era, is men asking the women they love to marry them."

Sakura stared at him with wide-eyes and he chuckled.

"That is the reaction I expected," he said. "I'm not asking you."

She felt some relief at that and he laughed again. She liked the way he laughed, it was free and filled with a little more cheer than usual. His eyes were shining and it made Sakura's chest soar.

"What I am going to tell you Sakura, is that I love you."

They shared a smile.

"I want to spend my life walking beside you. I want you to be the last person I see when I sleep and the first person I see when I wake up. So if you don't want that, or if you're not sure, please tell me now."

Sakura took a deep breath. How was it that they'd reached a point where they were asking each other not to break one another? Even a month ago, she'd never imagined they'd be here. But it just felt…it was right. Sakura lifted her hands and lightly grabbed his face, pulling him down to her. She kissed him.

"I want those things too," she whispered.

They kissed again and then they both looked in each other's eyes and gave that laugh, that light laugh that only came in these intimate moments of pure feeling.