Chapter 4

Tsunade stood before the glass window in her office that allowed her to gaze over the whole hospital grounds. Her arms crossed over her chest and a look of pure concentration fixed on her face. She sighed and let her forehead touch the glass loving the warmth she felt.

'I want my sake. . .'

Her thoughts were cut short when she heard a soft knocking from behind her followed by the creaking of the door open then the sound of it closing with a soft click.

"Tsunade-sama?"

"Hmm? Oh, Shizune . . . is there something you need?" Tsunade spared the black haired woman a glance before returning to her previous actions.

"No, but. . ." Shizune bit her lip as she looked around the room. "Are you okay? Ever since sakura-chan—"

"I've been doing it again haven't I?" A mirthless laugh echoed around the room.

". . . Yes," Shizune sighed and made her way over to stand next to her mentor. "You have."

"Can you blame me?" she smiled a crooked smile as her gaze fell onto two figures sitting on one of the many benches inside the hospital grounds. "She's been asleep for what? Nine years—"

"Ten." Shizune corrected with a small smile.

". . . Ten years, and—"Tsunade took in a deep breath before continuing. "And who knows how long—"

"Tsunade-sama . . . please don't." Shizune placed a comforting hand on her mentor's shoulder and gave it a soft squeeze.

"I- she's here and that's all what matters . . . right?"

". . . Right"

Naruto was happy.

No, happiness couldn't even begin to describe his feelings at the moment. Here he was standing beside his most important person in the world. Everything had been going great ever since sakura had woken up. He was with her 24/7 only leaving when Tsunade and Shizune throws him out, not until he finds another way to sneak in. and to think it was just yesterday.

Naruto laid sprawled on the futon Shizune had provided him earlier that night. His limbs were everywhere the blanket given to him barely covered his orange and white pajama clad self. His loud snores bounced against the wall and every now and then he will giggle, dreaming about ramen, frogs and Sakura.

"Hmnn . . ."

Naruto bolted up awake, eyes still closed upon hearing a feminine groan. "Sakura . . . chan?" He yawned stretching his arms out, adjusting his favorite nightcap, he rubbed the sleep out of his eyes and slowly slid out of his make-shift bed. "Are you–yawn—awake?"

Walking over to the bed careful not to trip on anything, his bare feet touching the carpet covered floor. "Sakura?"

A throaty moan.

"Sakura-chan?"

"Mi . . . mi . . ."

"Mi?"

"Mi . . .zu"

"Mizu? Mizu . . . Ah! Mizu!" He ran out of the room seconds later he came back running inside with a glass of water almost splashing the contents around the room. "Here sakura-chan," carefully helping the pinkette up he brought the glass up to her pink full lips and allowed her to drink the contents of the glass, as soon as she was done he set the glass down aside on her dresser and allowed her to adjust herself to make her more comfortable, slowly opening her eyes and blinking a few more times before she let her gaze wander to scan her surroundings then to herself confusion displayed in her eyes as she fingered her now long pink tresses.

"Sakura-chan . . .?"

As if snapping out from her trance like state she let her gaze settle on the orange pajama wearing blue-eyed blonde standing by the foot of her bed. Her eyes widened and her mouth opened as she softly whispered his name. "Na . . .ru . . . to?"

After that he ran out of the room screaming for Shizune and Tsunade waking up the whole hospital seeing as it was 4:00 a.m. in the morning. After that he got a good beating from Tsunade and a lecture for both him and Tsunade from Shizune about making noise in the hospital again. Then they all made their way back to her room only to see Sakura getting up and trying to walk for the first time after ten years.

After all the hugs, tears and a big breakfast of celebration, Naruto began to fill sakura in what she has been missing for the past ten years. This brings us now to Him and sakura strolling around the hospital grounds, with her on a wheelchair and Naruto pushing her to wherever she wishes to go.

"—Then, Kakashi-sensei got mad at me and Kiba and got us suspended for a week!" He laughed out followed by her soft giggles.

Naruto smiled at the sight of her laughing, it sounded like a soft soothing bell that drains all his stress away. He looked up and breathed in enjoying the warms feel of the sun. Looking around he saw more patients, mostly children walking around, deciding to go into the shade he parked her beneath a giant oak tree with a bench situated near it and took a seat staring off into the fountain.

Feeling eyes on him he let his gaze travel to his pink haired companion who quickly looked away a small blush dusting on her pale pink cheeks.

"What is it Sakura-chan?"

"A-ah! N-nothing, I was just thinking." She smiled once more and folded her arms on her lap.

"About?"

She looked at him straight in the eyes and smiled that beautiful smile of hers, "Just that, you've grown into a really handsome young man."

Naruto blushed at that statement and scratched the back of his neck in a sheepish manner. "R-really? F-first time I heard that,"

"Oh?" She tilted her head to the side in a cute manner, "It's true, you're really handsome."

She reached out and brushed his messy blonde locks, "I love your hair, it makes you look cool," her hand then fell to his cheeks her thumb softly brushing at his temples, "Your beautiful blue eyes that sparkle every time you talk," She grinned and pinched his cheeks, "And your scar like whiskers that made you look cute when we were kids, makes you look even cuter now!"

Naruto blushed ten shades of red at once before gently brushing her hand away, "Y-You can't call guys cute," He pouted and looked away.

Sakura giggled and poked his cheek in a teasing manner. "Aww, and your cute little pout didn't change a bit!"

"Really, sakura-chan" He sighed and pinched her cheek. "You call me cute, but you haven't even seen how pretty you are."

Okay that's an understatement, try BEAUTIFUL!

"Eh?"

"Well," Naruto blushed before standing up to fully face her. "When we were kids, you kept your hair short . . ." A small blush found its way on his cheeks. "Which made you look really cute—"

"So you think I should cut my hair?" sakura frowned a little, she was starting to like having long hair.

"NO!" He screamed surprising sakura, "No, I mean you were really cute now and then but with long hair, it makes you look mature and sophisticated. And your pretty green eyes . . . well they're more of an emerald right?" He smiled as Sakura giggled.

"Since when did you have a smooth tongue Naruto-kun?" She joked with a wink.

"Ha! I guess Ero-sensei's smooth talking skills rubbed off on me," He chuckled before sitting back again.

A comfortable silence settled on the two of them, enjoying the warm breeze that passed. Laughter of children heard in the background and the soothing sound of running water from the fountain.

"Naruto?"

"Hm?"

"Where is . . . Sasuke?"

Naruto froze, 'Sasuke?' he cleared his throat and sent a small smile her way. "What about him?"

"Well . . . You haven't mentioned him since, and—and I've been meaning to ask, where is he?"

Naruto closed his eyes and allowed a small bitter smile grace his face, "haven't even thought about him till now . . ." He mumbled under his breath thankful she hadn't heard him.

"Sasuke is—

"I HATE YOU! DON'T EVER TALK TO ME AGAIN!"

"—he's fine."

re-written: 10/31/11