I Do Not Own Naruto
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Sharpening Thorns
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"Hi Gaara!" Sakura waved as Sasuke and Naruto were learning about sparring from Kakashi. Her red friend hesitated like usual before he trotted over to them and watched the boys with her. Over the past few weeks Sakura had gotten to know Gaara really well, he was actually really sweet if you asked her, and he had a cool jutsu he couldn't even control really; it would just react to his will. He was also really good at wall bal; a normal game of kick the ball played on the walls, he was always on Naruto's team because Sasuke was ALWAYS on her team. This was not negotiable, Sasuke and she had been on the same teams; no matter what the game they were playing; since she had been three. Naruto and Sasuke on a team was a fast way for stuff to start breaking; bones included.
"Sakura," Gaara nodded to her. she noticed two older children behind him, a blonde girl with four pigtails in her hair, and a grouchy looking boy.
"Do they want to join?" Sakura asked, looking to Gaara for an answer. He looked a little confused when he looked over to the two other kids behind him, and then he looked sad.
"They don't like me," he mumbled.
"Nonsense," she stated; her new favorite word since she had heard it from Captain Yamato, it was a really cool, good word, to use! "Come on! Let's go ask, Naruto and Sasuke are almost done with training and then we'll play wall ball!"
"Really?" he asked quietly as he blushed when she grabbed his wrist.
"Yeah! Kakashi's even going to play and so is Sai, Yamato said he'd referee, but I don't know what that is," she whispered conspiratorially in Gaara's ear as she pulled him along with her. He grinned a bit as he stumbled after her.
"Hi! Would you like to play wall ball with us!?" she asked once she was standing before the two older kids.
"Huh?" the green eyed, blonde girl blinked; she kind of reminded Sakura of a cat, in a good way, there was a cunning in those green eyes.
"Yeah! We play kick the ball on the walls, it helps with chakra control according to Kakashi!" Sakura explained.
"And you want us to join?" the older boy asked.
"Sure, it's funner when you have more people, more of a challenge!" Sakura explained; she could even sucker Shikamaru into playing back home; and that was a feat! But he was annoyingly good at the game too…
"Funner is not a word," the girl informed her.
"Well, you wanna play or not?" Sakura persisted, ignoring the older girl's jab at her wording. And funner was too a word! How else was someone supposed to say something was more fun than normal!?
"Uh…sure?" the girl guessed.
"Great! I'm Sakura, they're Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai, and this is Gaara; come on!" Sakura grinned as she grabbed both of their wrist with her chakra latching on too as she pulled them after her.
"What are your names!?" she asked eagerly as she pulled the older kids along.
"I'm Temari, that's Kankurō," the girl introduced herself.
"Kakashi! I have more people!" Sakura shouted.
"SAKURA!" five voices shouted at her; Gaara chuckled and she grinned broadly.
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"Well, that is the last of the negotiations," the Kazekage informed him later that evening. He heard laughter from an open window and he looked to where the Kazekage was looking. Sakura had convinced everyone to play a game of wall ball again, the Suna trio were playing as well and seemed to be having a lot of fun with Sasuke, Sakura and Naruto.
"I see your daughter convinced all my children to join her in this folly," the Kazekage said. Kakashi's exposed eye slid over to the man.
"Sakura does not tolerate leaving lonely people alone, even when they want to be alone," Kakashi stated simply. Mostly he remembered the first time he had met her as a nameless, tiny, pink toddler and let her return home with him. Then she had gone and adopted Naruto and Sasuke as hers' and his life had forever been turned upside down; in a good way.
"Your daughter should learn to fear monsters," the Kazekage mumbled. Kakashi's glare turned on the man in full force, the girl lived in a warring age, she had been orphaned by a war, and though she could always be happy and smile, she had nightmares; dangerous nightmares, from time to time about whatever horrors she had survived before he had taken her in.
"Not all children need fear in their lives," Kakashi said simply. "She is young, there will be time to fear later, for now, she should be happy."
"I do not disagree, but she also has no respect for the power some monsters possess," the Kazekage stated. Kakashi looked out that window. She was playing with two jinchūriki, an Uchiha, and the other two Kazxekage children, along with one of Danzo's elite assassins; monsters were clearly something Sakura did not see in these people.
"Perhaps, it is in treating monsters like they are human beings rather than weapons, that she is able to tame the monsters you speak of. No matter, I will be taking my party away tonight, thank you for this trade agreement, Kazekage-sama," he bowed a bit as he tucked the agreement into his pack and then left the office. Sakura was kind, he thought when he stopped to see Sasuke power kick a ball up to Naruto, she brought misfits together and made it all work.
Oh that wasn't to say she didn't have her flaws; he knew them extremely well too. She was quick to temper, deceivingly sweet at times, possessive, a little selfish and a tad spoiled, but she was good at heart. Her heart was big, her love was honest, she was always loyal to her friends too, despite her young age and all that could entail; for all the heartaches it could cause as well. She was light, in a world enshrouded in darkness.
In fact, she reminded him a lot of Rin.
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"Bye Gaara! Don't forget to write us!" Sakura waved as she left.
"Come on Sakura," he grabbed her and pulled her after him. She just frowned a bit as she jogged to keep up with him. Sasuke felt exasperated with her, she was so loud and demanding and she was so slow! If she said goodbye anymore they were never leaving Suna! It must be a girl thing, he guessed.
"Bossy," she grumbled.
"Sakura! Sakura! Watch this!" Naruto shouted ahead of them. Sasuke frowned at her attention being diverted from him and then the dobe made a hand sign. "Shadow clone jutsu!"
BANG!
They were both looking at a mini-dud of a Naruto clone. He frowned and then scowled at the dobe, Sakura clapped.
"Just keep practicing, Naruto!" Sakura said carefully.
"Drat! I thought it'd work that time," Naruto grumbled.
"What is it supposed to be?" Sai asked then.
"A shadow clone!" Naruto shouted.
"Huh," he shrugged and resumed followed the captains. Sakura jogged to keep up with him as she held Naruto's hand while he was pouting. Sasuke didn't really care though if the dobe's feelings were hurt or not, he was irritated with Sakura holding the dobe's hand!
"Sasuke, when we gt home we should have a slumber party, Kakashi's got another ANBU mission," Sakura said suddenly as she grabbed his hand. He looked down at their linked hands and then at her as she walked with Naruto holding her other hand.
"Hn," he nodded.
"Great! And just in time for your birthday too!" Sakura declared, he scowled. He hated his birthday, and he didn't get why the pinkette insisted on celebrating his birthday all the time. Her birthday he could understand because it was her adoption day; March 28th, that they celebrated for her.
"Damn! I forgot about teme's birthday!" Naruto exclaimed.
"No ramen," Sasuke snapped.
"Huh!? But it's the best present ever! Right Sakura!?" Naruto pleaded. He smirked at Sakura's false smile then.
"Sure it is Naruto, maybe though we should get Sasuke something he'd want for his birthday and not something you'd want for your birthday," Sakura said delicately as she squeezed his hand. At least he wouldn't be having ramen for a birthday gift, again. The dobe was predictable.
"Fine! But I'll get the bestest kick ass birthday present ever! Sakura, you're going to help!" Naruto informed them.
"Alright Naruto," Sakura nodded.
"Kakashi, can Sakura sleep over on my birthday?" Sasuke asked.
"Sure. I needed to speak with Itachi about your family taking her for a while anyway," Kakashi said indifferently.
He grinned a bit knowing he'd be keeping his best friend for a while, Kakashi was going on a mission! That meant Sakura would be staying with his family, that was good. He liked it when she was home with him, his father didn't like looking at him and his brother was busy; not negelectful like some people thought, but his brother was working really hard to join the ANBU black ops, and to become the head of the family and to train him in his spare time. Itachi was a very good brother, but he was a very busy brother too; which was why he liked having Sakura around.
"YAY!" she shouted as she pulled from Naruto to give him an octopus hug, caught off guard he felt himself blush, and then she was back between him and Naruto, holding their hands as she hummed happily. Sasuke did catch the amused look Kakashi was giving him.
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Naruto was grinning that night when they made camp as he and Sakura whispered about what to get Sasuke for his birthday. Sakura had decided to get Sasuke a set of shuriken he had wanted, and Naruto settled for getting the teme a set of kunai; generic gifts, he knew; and not as awesome as ramen, but Sakura insisted Sasuke would rather have weapons than ramen.
"Sakura, can I tell you a secret?" he whispered as he sat there watching his food cook over the fire.
"What?"
"I kind of… like you," he mumbled as he blushed.
"I like you too Naruto! You're my bestest friend!" she declared and he turned redder as he stared at the fire.
"Well, this makes me and Sasuke rivals!" Naruto declared.
"Nonsense, I love you both, and you're best friends! Not rivals!" Sakura informed him tartly, he just chuckled happily at her superior look. He and Sasuke, though best friends, were always rivals, but now they were also rivals for Sakura's affections. Besides, Naruto had liked her longer and Sasuke had nicknamed her 'annoying' when they had first met. To be fair though, he had nicknamed Sasuke teme after Sasuke had nicknamed him dobe.
"Sakura, Naruto," Sasuke said as he sat on Sakura's other side. Naruto couldn't help but grin in delight; he loved having his favorite people around him, his parents, Sakura, Kakashi, Sakura, Sasuke, Sakura, and everyone else; and Sakura! He hated feeling alone and Sakura had never hated him for being a jinchūriki; which was apparently a very bad thing…
"Hey Sasuke! We know what you're getting on your birthday!" Sakura declared.
"Hn," he grunted and Naruto scowled.
"You could be more excited about it, teme!" Naruto snapped.
"Whatever dobe," he mumbled.
"No fighting!" Sakura screamed. He scowled, Sasuke glared at him, and Sakura glared at the two of them as she sat there scowling.
"He started it," Naruto defended.
"Tch," was Sasuke's response.
"That's it! You wanna go teme!" Naruto shouted.
"Sure," Sasuke snapped as surged to his feet, Naruto lunged for him only to find him and Sasuke yanked apart forcefully.
"Get along or this will be a very long trip home!" he and Sasuke both shrunk from creepy eye's look.
"Fine!" he and Sasuke squeaked as they glared at one another.
"Boys, Sakura, time to get ready to sleep, got a long day ahead of us," Kakashi called out.
"Fine," they all grumbled.
Still in a Naruto mood...
That's all for now folks!
Enjoy Blooming in Darkness! =)
