Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Naruto *sobs*.
You're not alone, together we stand
I'll be by your side, you know I'll take your hand
When it gets cold, and it feels like the end
There's no place to go you know I won't give in
No I won't give in
I woke to hear someone pounding on her door.
"HARUNO SAKURA OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW!!! WAKE YOUR LAZY ASS UP!!!!" I heard the yelling of Ino. Ino became my best friend when Sasuke left. I guess she got concerned most about my welfare. I fell into a depression and stopped talking to my friends. I couldn't help it.
She had fallen for Shikamaru! She still had the same white blonde hair pulled back in a ponytail. Lazily, I stumbled out of the bed, and went to the door. I opened it leaning on the doorway half asleep, closing my eyes.
"What is it Ino?" I said yawning.
"Come on!! I'm not going to let you go to that stupid bridge today! You have a life to lead, so lead it already! Come one, we're going to the training grounds," Ino said with determination on her face. A thoughtful look flashed across her face and she added, "and maybe shopping after."
I sighed. What if I don't want to?" I said, stepping away from the doorway.
"Get over it. You've been a terrible friend for about six months. SOO get the FUCK out of this house, and show me there's still a Sakura in there."
A pang of guilt. She was right. What was wrong with me? I was being a selfish ignorant brat, and for what reason? Because some dumb boy had lied to me? That was a pretty bad damn reason I guess. But I wasn't shopping.
"Alright fine." I cursed in my head as soon as I said the words.
I quickly hobbled back to my room and changed. When I came back out, I found Ino staring at the all of the pictures I had in her room. I liked to collect pictures so that I would have the memories forever. I looked over Ino's shoulder at one photo in particular. It was a picture of me and Sasuke. I was grinning at the camera making a peace sign, and Sasuke was looking in the opposite direction with his arms crossed, and pouting. He had clearly been forced to be in the photo.
"Hey, Ino, I'm ready," I said. Ino jumped, and turned around quickly.
"Oh! You scared me. I didn't even hear you." She exclaimed.
"Let's go, I'm ready," I repeated. I waited for Ino to walk out the door, before I exited, and locked it behind her.
"Hey Ino I found that DVD you lent me and I was…just…" I turned in surprise as Naruto came running towards us, more specifically, Ino. His words died down and he slowed in surprise as he saw me. I hadn't seen him in at least six months I realized. He must hate me. Tears stung my eyes at that thought. I glanced up at his eyes and saw betrayal there. I almost cried out. It was true.
Well I didn't blame him.
I was a terrible person after all.
Lowering my head I said quietly, "Hey Naruto."
I gasped in surprise. His arms were around me. My eyes felt liquid-y as I reveled in how I had lived without my best friend for so long.
He pulled back and looked at me, his eyes searching, pleading for answers. "Going somewhere?"
I smiled, knowing my eyes were almost certainly shining.
"We're headed to the training grounds Naruto," I replied. Then hesitantly added, "Do you…want to come?" I looked to his eyes to see if I could spot a response. Would he want to be around me at all? I surveyed him. He still had bright blonde hair and piercing blue eyes he had six months. I saw a flicker. He was going to say no…Here it comes…
He grinned. "YEAH!" Naruto exclaimed, paying no attention to the stares elicited in his direction. "LET'S GO!" He began to walk ahead, happily walking along.
He had grown so much in the past five years I was almost unbelievable. After Sasuke…no. Stop it. I scolded myself as my thoughts were once again directed at that traitor-of-a-team mate, Sasuke. He broke my heart. So what? I was over it now.
Naruto and I quickly struck up a conversation. He told me of how he and Hinata were now dating and how he liked her so much, and how "Oh my gosh, Sakura, she's amazing!", etc. More guilt flooded my heart. Hinata. I missed her a lot. I smiled and laughed with him, and for him.
We reached the training grounds all too soon.
Naruto and I parted separate ways as he had a spar with Rock Lee planned. I hated to see him go, but I turned to Ino, suddenly thankful that she had been so quiet the entire time he was with us. She knew. I smiled. She knew I would want to talk to Naruto.
"Ok, Sakura. Show me whatcha got." Ino said, falling into a fight stance.
Here goes nothing… I charged at Ino, concentrating my rarely used chakra flow into me fist.
Keep holding on
'Cause you know we'll make it through,
we'll make it through
I swung her hand, but Ino dodged it. "Come on, I know you can do better than that," she laughed and swung at me, but I blocked the punch. We swung in turns, neither giving up, neither getting tired.
Just stay strong
'Cause you know I'm here for you,
I'm here for you
Ino aimed a kick for my head. I ducked and aimed a punch for Ino's face. She tilted her chin and flipped backwards to evade me, but she slipped and went tumbling to the ground. I ran towards her, and almost nailed her in the stomach. To my dismay, the would-be-Ino clone evaporated. Then I jumped into a nearby tree, while Ino flew into view, clearly intending to drop kick the me that had been there two seconds before.
There's nothing you could say
Nothing you could do
There's no other way when it comes to the truth
There was no avoiding it though, I thought as we sparred. No avoiding anything really. No avoiding Sasuke leaving, no avoiding falling into a depression. No avoiding it when Tsunade went off on me, telling me he was probably dead by now, and not to expect him to come back anymore. That was six months ago. I had withdrawals. No duh.
So keep holding on,
'Cause you know we'll make it through
We'll make it through
I sat in the tree and breathed deeply. Although I had not shown it, I was growing weary. I watched as Ino recovered from her surprise and glanced in each direction looking for me. Figuring I had about ten seconds before she found me, I tried to steady my breathing. I smiled to myself, thinking about how many friends I had. Ino is my best friend, and she knew I would give her my all. She was my closest friend besides Naruto. She would always understand.
So far away,
I wish you were here
Before it's too late,
this could all disappear
And… here she comes. I felt her presence.
Three…
Two…
"Got ya!" I jumped straight up propelled myself forward out onto the grass just as Ino came sailing through the air right through the spot where my head was. I smirked and clasped my hands together forming a jutsu. My chakra flowed to my hands as Ino charged me, and with frightening speed, aimed a punch at me. I dodged around her fist and landed my own punch, (FINALLY) in her stomach. She dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. Oops. Guess I put a little too much pack in my punch.
I stooped down next to her and inspected the wound. Ouch. I cringed. Yeah, that was going to hurt. I healed the wound partially feeling guilty and jumped ten feet away quickly while she recovered. She slowly gathered herself up, and we sparred on, this time drawing out the kunais. We probably sparred like that for an hour, if not more.
We ended up with me holding her ponytail from behind one arm around her neck, kunai in position to cut her head off, and she with a death grip on my wrist, her own kunai aimed at the small of my back. Both of us breathing heavily, we dropped our positions and kunais.
"Call it quits for the day, Ino?" I asked panting.
"Sounds good, Pinky." With that, we collapsed onto the ground.
Our energy had just returned when Naruto and Lee came bounding up to us.
"Hey guys, care to spar with us? You girls against me and Lee!" We both turned as they heard the oddly shrill voice of Naruto. "Yes! It would be quite youthful to spar against each other in a very youthfully friendly match!" Came Lee's… um… strange interjection.
"You up for it, forehead-girl?" Ino asked with a smirk.
"I am if you are, Blondie," I countered.
"Ready?"
They all took their fighting stances. "GO!!"
We sprang into action.
Naruto charged at me, and Lee went towards Ino. Naruto and I began shooting kicks and punches while Ino and Lee were shooting kunais at each other. I stopped concentrating on Ino and focused on fighting Naruto. Punch to the left, no wait that's a clone! Where did he go? GOT HIM. Punch, kick, jutsu, punch.
I landed a punch to his gut and he flew back into a tree. Staggering, he got up and shook himself a little. Falling back into his stance he formed one of those energy ball things that I can never remember the name of and ran at me yelling ridiculously.
He looked pretty hostile.
I jumped out of the way as he shot his energy-ball-thing and landed behind him. Rounding, he and I sparred hand to hand, (or rather kunai to kunai).
"Sakura," he grunted. He swung a kick at my head.
"Naruto?" I responded, ducking.
"Why," right hook, "did," left hook, "you," swinging kick, "LEAVE ME?" He yelled as he rapidly aimed six punches one after the other at me, missing every time.
"I couldn't help it," I trick to kick his feet out from under him.
"What do you mean you couldn't help it?" he jumped over my leg and tackled me to the ground.
"I couldn't face you guys." I rolled us over and straddled his waist, pinning his arms above his head, all the while reaching for my dropped kunai.
Just as I reached it, he rolled us back over, "Why? Because Tsunade told you the truth?" he replied, knocking the retrieved kunai back out of my head.
Damnit! Stupid grip. I glared at him fiercely, "No! I handled that!" Blocking my face as he aimed a chop at it. His grip momentarily restrained, I glared at him again.
"Then why?" he said. Our kunais lay forgotten. I flicked him in the forehead and he clutched his face in pain. I took the opportunity and pushed him off, leaping to my feet. Running ten feet away roughly, grabbing my kunai on the way, I stood. Panting, I fell into a defensive stance waiting.
He picked up his kunai and ran to me. He raised it over his head and jumped into the air coming down hard onto my arms, raised and crossed, currently gripping his wrists.
"Why Sakura?" he demanded, pushing harder on his kunai, anger and hurt flooding his eyes, which were already brimming with hot tears.
My own eyes began to sting with those damnable tears. Stupid crying. Stupid Sasuke. Stupid everything! They fell out of my eyes, running down my face, blending with my sweat. I had caused Naruto so much pain. I was so selfish! He had backed me up against a tree.
I lowered my head, whispering forlornly, "Because I was weak."
He stilled. Silence.
"Sakura. You were never weak. Lost? Maybe. Confused? Most of the time. But weak? Never." He said, letting his grip on his kunai loosen.
I lifted my head, tear stains and all. Before throwing my arms around him and laughing through my tears. He hugged me back! I was just so happy to have my friend back, that the tears of regret became tears of joy.
After a few minutes he mumbled, "Don't do that to me again Sakura."
"I won't."
We let go and he just grinned at me. Picking up his kunai, he said, "Now where were we?"
I grinned flicked him on the nose. Then I looked past him and saw Ino and Lee. There was one more person to be there for today.
I sprinted past a surprised Naruto, to where I saw Ino fighting Rock Lee. He had her cornered. I came up behind him while he was ranting unnecessarily, as usual and knocked his legs out from under him. Ino ran past him to me. There we stood, back to back, facing what was to come. Together.
Before the doors close and it comes to an end
With you by my side I will fight and defend
I'll fight and defend.
I was growing tired, and quickly. After not using my energy like this in so long, my stamina had become not-so-endless. Ino sensed my chakra weakening.
"Hang in there forehead," she said quietly. "I've got you're back."
"Ino, I have a plan." I whispered back. "On three, we execute operation dogpile." I glanced at Ino out of the corner of my eye, and saw her smirk.
"I had almost forgotten the silly names you gave plans. Just like old times, huh forehead?"
"Just like old times blondie," I smirked back.
"One," I punched Naruto in the mouth, knocking him down. Unfortunately, he got straight back up.
"Two," breathed Ino. She kicked Lee in the shins, sending him flying off his feet.
Simultaneously Naruto and Lee charged us. They were coming fast and furiously, Naruto with energy forming in his hands, and Lee with "youthful" on his lips. Those silly silly boys. There was no way they would be able stop running I cackled inwardly.
"THREE!" we shouted. We straightened and linked hands. I bent down on my knees and leaned forward. Using chakra I launched Ino into the air and rolled out of the way. Rock Lee and Naruto ran smack into each other, causing a miniature explosion as the chakra Naruto previously held dissipated. Ino did a spectacular flip and disappeared into the cloud of dust Naruto's explosion caused.
Keep holding on
Cuz you know we'll make it through,
we'll make it through
Just stay strong
Cuz you know I'm here for you,
I'm here for you
The dust cleared to reveal Ino sitting cross-legged on top of them, very purposely examining her nails.
Seeing me, Ino yelled, "WOO!" punching the air with a fist. I laughed and grinned running over to them. I leaned down and poked the nose of a very unsatisfied Naruto. He growled at me and attempted to bite my finger.
"Oooh, feisty!" I laughed. His eyes glittered back up at me. It felt good to be forgiven.
"Hey Ino." he mumbled, albeit disgruntled.
"Yes Naruto?"
"Can I stand up now please?"
"Mmm… Maybe in a minute." She replied, remaining her position atop the newly formed Naruto-Rock Lee-throne.
"I can't believe we lost!" Naruto whined. Lee said something to same effect only using the word "youthful" a lot…
Here me when I say, when I say I believe
Nothing's gonna change,
Nothing's gonna change destiny
Whatever's meant to be will work out perfectly
"Aw, cheer up guys! It's almost lunch time. How 'bout some Ramen? On me!" I offered. That instantly did it.
"RAMEN!" he jumped up quickly, Ino and Rock Lee toppling onto the grass. Lee jumped up, offering Ino his hand youthfully. Naruto stood impatiently at my side, asking when we were leaving.
I laughed as we set out for Ichiraku's. I don't deserve them. I thought. "Hey Ino, I believe you mentioned shopping earlier?" I asked.
"Yes! I did!" Ino said. We entered the restaurant and ordered. I made it clear to Naruto that three bowls was the limit, seeing as how I was paying.
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
Keep holding on
Cuz you know we'll make it through,
we'll make it through
Just stay strong
Cuz you know I'm here for you,
I'm here for you
0o0o0o0o0o0o0
"Ino?" I gained her attention as we approached my apartment, shopping bags in hand.
"Hm?"
"Thanks."
She smiled, "No problem. I'm just happy to have my friend back."
"Ino, you have wonderful taste in clothes, but your sense of friendship is absolutely appalling." I responded.
She laughed, "Maybe the Sakura over the past six months was a bad decision. I just needed to uncover the Sakura that became my best friend."
We both grinned.
I love having awesome friends.