CHAPTER XVI

To Meet Again...

He never felt fear this great in his life.

He never thought that he would feel such an emotion stronger than love itself… and that emotion is one thing he knew very well… guilt. Naruto wondered whether or not Sakura heard about his outburst against Sasuke. He grimaced, of course she did. Sasuke's living with her, right? Even so, he still needed to talk to her.

He still needed to apologize.

Naruto tried to lift his left foot but failed. He tried to move his arms, his body, his neck, but all he could do was just hide behind the wall, like a child afraid of his own shadow. He never felt like this with Sakura before, usually he was so carefree when he was around her; so blissfully ecstatic, that he felt like he was in heaven when he was with her. But those feelings were long gone, and now stood shame grasping his neck like a menace it usually was. It grabbed his neck so tightly that he couldn't breathe at all…

He just looked, never touching, and saw her… as the first snowflake of Konoha dropped to the ground to thaw.

'You can do this,' he thought to himself with a wavering voice which he barely heard in his mind before, 'She's still Sakura-chan,'

Still Sakura-chan. Was he sure about that fact at all, or was it some wish created by the selfish side of him? Somehow, he couldn't help but feel lost. He smirked without humor, 'Sakura-chan… you make things hard for me, know that?'

He stared at her longer, and noticed some things he seemed to have failed to notice before while he did so: her hair was longer than before, an inch longer, that is; her eyes and face reflected that of an older and wiser person; however, one thing still stood: she was still beautiful like he remembered her to be. Only… older. She was smiling as she sat down; reading what seemed to be a novel in her hands. She was blushing, but maybe because of the cold temperature blowing across Kohoha.

Naruto still stood; he was STILL frozen to that spot. He couldn't move, only his eyes did as he roamed her again and again, memorizing her changes and her attributes which didn't change over time.

"Sakura," he whispered to himself sorrowfully, resting his forehead on the rough surface of the wall, he blinked, "You've grown old…"

And he was still the youth he used to be, having lost years of his life to some cursed misfortune. Although, the curiosity was still the same: had she changed at all? Was she still the same, boisterous, knuckle-cracking Sakura-chan? Was she still his Sakura-chan? Those questions tempted him to move towards her, but once again his feet failed to move towards his desired destination…

Damn it.

His legs started to shake, and even though the air around them was fairly cold, he felt sweat come down his brow and crawl to his nose.

Damn it.

She turned a page, outwardly growing tired at each passing moment. Her eyes reflected that of tediousness and exasperation. What was she thinking of right now? Was she thinking about him? About the days gone by without adieu? Was she thinking about her son and Sasuke?

Was she thinking about him—at all?

The curiosity tugged him; moved him to budge himself towards her… but failed. He was just so nervous, so tense and uneasy that he just couldn't think straight anymore. Usually he'd just jump in front of her and surprise her, having the pleasure to see her drop the book and look at him, enraged. He had the pleasure of feeling her fist drive through his cheek; he also had the pleasure of screeching through the asphalt like broken glass, but that was just before, and both of them had changed since then. He won't DARE jump in front of her and startle her, for he didn't know how she'd react… and most of all, he didn't know if it was—the polite thing to do.

He gulped.

The polite thing to do? WITH Sakura-chan? He must've lost his mind!

He must face her somehow, if not then Neji won't buy him ramen and his deal would be lost and he'd be a looser chicken. Oh— who was he kidding? This wasn't about food anymore, this affair was more important than FOOD, oh god forbid it WAS… but…

Damn it.

He sighed: a great day turned bitter because of some childish anxiety. He involuntarily lifted his foot and set it over his other foot. After a small mental push of optimism his other foot followed… yes. He was ready.

He was ready to face her.

She just couldn't believe it: a nice day in Konoha, and her beloved Rokudaime and his family were separated because of his obvious tasks. She felt ridiculously monotonous, and finally giving up, she slammed the book shut after quitting on it seconds ago, 'It's hopeless: she'll never get him now that she's a bitch…' she thought, the plot taxing her so far,

She pitched the hapless book on her seat next to her as her palms found her chin, while her elbows rested upon her knees jadedly. With a sigh she pondered and remembered the day… yes, this was the time when Sasuke—no, Naruto, who used Henge to TRANSFORM into Sasuke, approached her broken heart and mended it.

She smiled knowingly. Those days seemed like yesterday when she thought about it now: the days of Team Seven and their wonderful bridge of amity with each other—now broken because of rage, jealousy and power.

"Naruto…" she whispered, her voice barely audible among the windy breeze of Konoha, "Naruto…"

She smiled again, he was like a child back then… he WAS a child back then, but actually grew into a fine young man. Perhaps a man she could've been with before… shame, really. The heaviness in her heart grew placid as she thought of their times together.

Wonderful times… beautiful times…

Times which gave her peace whenever she thought about that young man, imprisoned on his bed without will or vigor. He was half-dead back then, very pale and sickly.

She sighed wistfully…

"You sure have a large, charming forehead…" she looked up leisurely; he smiled, "Makes me want to kiss it,"

A couple of birds passed their way singing a lofty tune about a lover's catastrophe…

They were both caught in some frantic moment, each of their chests beating in a rapid pulsation as their heart drummed harder, louder— more calloused as time passed their way. Sakura gaped, wondering how he could've possibly kept his youth, in all these years in a disturbing, gloomy, and overly sanitized hospital. His aura gave off the usual friendly ambiance she almost forgot, and which she both relished and esteemed at the same time. What'll they do? Do they have anything on their faces? Were they looking like idiots at all? Naruto scratched his neck and smiled bashfully, letting out a toothy grin and a joyful snigger.

"Hey," she said as she momentarily sat upright,

"Sakura-chan," his smile widened at the sight of her, "Long time no see, eh?"

She smiled back and slightly gave a short, yet slow, nod, "Long time no see,"

Both of them stared at each other with nervous, forthcoming eyes, each twinkling brighter than the other.

"May I?" he motioned his hand, mentally asking her, begging her if she would mind a fool to sit with her—

She nodded.

A fool he may be, but a brave, and not to mention sweet fool.

Naruto couldn't believe it: he had finally done it. His paces were long and hesitant, but right now his feelings before didn't compare to what he felt right now: dread. What if she still felt angry with him, and desired him to just leave her alone in her own life? What if she just ignored him there?

What if—?

"I'm just—so glad to see you, Naruto-kun,"

His eyes widened as the glimmer in his eyes increased, "Sakura-chan," he gasped in surprise, "You know you can call me Naruto instead…"

"Nonsense," she waved her hand as a gesture of gentle intolerance, "It's all right, Naruto-kun."

Another cold breeze whirled around them. Naruto relaxed a bit, enjoying the silence he once murdered with his furious trifles, 'This is good, this silence,' he decided, but then he gave away a nervous smile, turning away from Sakura so that she couldn't see, 'Heh, I feel so stupid right now…'

"Soo…" Naruto started, his mouth suddenly turning dry in a second, he swallowed the growing dessert behind his teeth, "How're you?"

She smiled, "Fine. Everything's going great and…" Sakura's smile faltered ungracefully. She looked down with unshed tears which she hastily wiped away with the back of her hand. Naruto just stared at her awkwardly, holding his breath as he waited for her utterance, "Naruto, I'm just… so sorry that you—"

"No, it's all right," Naruto said reassuringly, "I was just… shocked, that's all. In fact…" he tilted her chin as he softly made her turn to him, yet quickly pulling out his finger as he did so, "I'm supposed to be the one apologizing to you right now,"

She smiled wider this time. When did she ever make him feel this way? She never failed to give him the drive to live, and now, after many years of being parted, she's still the same. The same Sakura-chan, just like he hoped her to be. He remembered: when he was twelve he felt something a normal boy would feel towards a girl, and it seemingly grew from a small bud to a seamless portrait of a cosmos. They grew closer after his training with Jiraiya, and everything seemed perfect from then on. Everything used to be perfect.

"You're still the same, like I remembered you to be."

"Well," Naruto laughed without the humor in his eyes, "I didn't actually have the chance to change since I was apparently wasting time on a bed, sleeping, I hope—"

A quick laugh then a happy chuckle, "Your teasing haven't changed at all, I never thought that you'd still be the same after all… those things—," she made a small sound of unease at the back of her throat while her hands scuffled in front of her in a nervous way, shifting a bit on her seat like a child on time-out, "Do you… wanna join the family for dinner?"

… well that caught Naruto off-guard…

"Later— t-tonight, I mean." Sakura said as she sheepishly grinned at him, 'That was stupid,' she thought, feeling her chest go heavy because of the apparent embarrassment she just indulged herself in, "I mean, it would be nice… to have a Team Seven reunion— or something like that." Her eyes shimmered, begging him to agree with her proposal.

Naruto knew what she was doing, of course, since he understood very well how painfully she, a feathered reddish petal, was caught torn in the middle of his and Sasuke's conflict against each other. Naruto knew that their growing dislike for each other was hinted with a bit of respect and amiable love, but nonetheless he still felt the acidic pang of abhorrence towards the Uchiha. He looked up the skies and spied the clouds going their devious ways, the bold shades of blue meshed into his pupils as his eyes searched a solution in the skies. Sitting in front of Sasuke would be challenging… but then again, just for Sakura...

Well, he never, NEVER did have the heart to refuse her, except— well, there was this one time she dared him to use his Sexy no Jutsu technique and…

Naruto looked at her with his usual, toothy grin, "Sure! It'll be like—the good ol' times!"

She smiled back— a friendly smile.

"AAUGH!"

Naruto fell on his bed like a heavy stick, his arms spreading out in a very limp position and his hair forming a soft, silver halo on his head. His index finger twitched as he thought about his earlier interaction with his… with Sakura-chan.

'Shit… did I just accept to sit with Uchiha and have dinner with him?' he gulped,

Oh well, it was bound to happen, anyway. It's good to try to patch things up with the one who stole EVERYTHING from him due to spite (as he guessed), and Sakura was indeed biting her teeth and tongue just to make them get along. Her husband and he…

Her husband…

He turned to lie on his left side and propped his elbow under his head, scratching his hair with a lazy pace. Oh well, he'd have to face everything with a smile on his face and a positive disposition. He remembered the time when he believed that crying wouldn't solve anything, and right now his beliefs of before were starting to come back to him like some 'Cloth of Goodness' or something corny like that… damn. Naruto suddenly felt himself sink low in the bed as if it was trying to eat him whole, but then he realized that it was all in his mind. He shifted again and faced the ceiling of his room, aggravated by the whole ordeal of the bed shifting and the dull ache in his stomach.

"I wonder what she's gonna cook…" Yes: think of your stomach so that your heart can settle down to its normal paces…

"I wonder if she KNOWS how to cook," he said to himself, remembering one particular incident which included a badly cooked ramen and food poisoning… "I hope she KNOWS how to cook," his face did a small twenty-four/seven grimace,

He tried to calm himself more by walking around in paces and thinking about many things about Sakura and himself tackling their humorous encounters with life and food. He sat down on the ground and started meditating, but of course with no avail since his mind was filled with endless thinking; he drummed his hands on the table and created what he called 'crappy music', pretending that he was a failed minstrel who knew how to play the bongos and whatnot; he decided that he should train instead of sitting around in his home all day doing nothing—until he feared meeting up with either Sakura and Sasuke on the way.

His anxiety never ceased… that is, until he was met with a loud knock on his door. He cursed under his breath, lazily crossed the gap between him and the door, opened it, and was met with a slap on the forehead. As he crossly rubbed it he noticed the usual, shiny black hair between his fingers… Neji?

"I take it," he tediously said, "You talked to her, right?"

"Yeah!" Naruto exclaimed, "And why the hell did you slap me, idiot?"

"To release your anxiety— idiot,"

…

"Oh." Naruto rubbed the back of his neck with a sigh, "So, what's the reason for your gracing me with your icy presence, eh?"

"Actually," Neji looked down at his feet, suddenly looking strangely sheepish in front of the blonde, "I told Hinata about you, and she told, no, she actually NAGGED me to invite you to dinner…"

"Eh? Dinner?" Naruto smiled, "Sure! But… well, I'm having dinner with…" he paused,

"Wiiiith… ?" Neji pressed,

"Wiith… the Uchiha family…"

…

"I told you to speak to her, not go head on and act like a fool in front of Hokage-sama."

"What was I supposed to do? Tell her 'No, because I wanna ring stupid jackass Uchiha SASUKE'S neck until his head pops off!'? Not very appropriate, don't ya' think?"

"Well, I'm guessing that you were doing stupid things in there just now, correct?"

Naruto's shoulders drooped, "Yeah…"

…

"Can I come in?"

"Sure,"

"Thanks,"

"No prob',"

"Okay,"

"Right,"

"Fine,"

"Okay,"

…

Both men looked at each other drearily until Neji suddenly rolled his eyes, annoyed at the clueless one, and pushed Naruto out of the way and entered on his own. Naruto closed the door behind him as he eyed the sterling youth sit down on a chair like a prince, "So…" he started,

"Soo, why did you drop by all of a sudden? Why all the attention, Nej?"

Neji paused all of a sudden, looking out Naruto's window he started to spy a couple of birds flying up in the air, with free wings flapping about their sides, and giving a barely audible sound of approval, he thought: 'Eight birds, Hinata… there are eight…'

He looked down, closed his eyes and smirked rigidly, "I owe you one, Uzumaki,"

"Eh?"

"The Chuunin exams, remember?" Neji turned his gaze towards the blonde with robust eyes, "I couldn't help but feel changed after that, Uzumaki. And I have to say that if I didn't learn anything that day, I could've walked into the dark path that Uchiha Sasuke walked into, and back. I hate to go around blindly— and for that, I wish to thank you. You're someone I truly admire after all these years of your hardship." His eyes softened as the tragedy of Uzumaki Naruto replayed in his mind, "I'm just here… to make sure that all your hard-work comes out worthwhile, that's all..."

Naruto sat down in front of him with a soft thump as he massaged his neck again, looking at the black-haired youth in front of him with warmth "Gee, Nej, that's pretty… yeah," he smiled, "You're welcome, I guess."

Neji sighed, a dreary sigh, he crossed his arms and relaxed in the chair he was sitting on, "Please tell me that you're going on with your forthcoming engagement with the Uchiha clan."

The blonde frowned, looked outside the window, and saw nothing. The clouds have gone; therefore there were no answers there, just the unavoidable abyss of light-blue, and the kind of silence which came back to haunt him. He swallowed his doubts and thought about what Neji just told him: Uzumaki Naruto, the man with the Golden touch, no doubt; the man with a Golden heart, no less. He felt satisfied, and also felt confident that he can, indeed, accomplish this mission: he MUST patch things up with Sasuke, no matter how proud he felt; no matter how selfish he got, just for Sakura-chan.

"Yeah," Naruto uttered with his voice, deeper like the tone he used in his prime. Striking up his confident pose, he said: "Of course I will! Who do you think I am, Sasuke?"

A/N: And so, the sudden chapter 14 is here. Now I dedicate this to all my friends back at :waves: HEYA DORKS! Anyways, please, R&R so that I can finish this earlier. The end is nearing, and I'd like to see some of your comments, please! Oh, and speaking of reviews, I thank you all who have reviewed me, and I assure you: why won't this be a NaruSaku, since I dwell in the paradise of NaruSaku itself:lol: Relaaax, it's gonna be a bit tainted, but believe me, it'll be worthwhile :gulp-- I hope: