Forgive me, please. I'm very sorry for the lack of updates, but my excuse isn't "homework" or whatever. The truth is, I had total, complete, omnipotent - writer's block. My arch nemesis.
Now I've got my muse back, and I managed another chapter - I added a slightly changed tone of voice. I think it's the best chapter I've ever writter in this fanfic so far.
I'm sorry.
And thank you for reviews, I hope you continue to give me motivation; God knows I need some!
x.Serendipity.x
Reunion at Ichiraku's
Ten minutes later Tsunade studied the results on her clipboard. Her pulse was miraculously fast for someone who had just woken from a coma.
The Hokage glanced at her, as if frightened she should pass out again. "Don't tell anyone about this," she uttered in a low voice, mystery clouding her expression. "except for those whom you truly, truly trust. If word leaks out, there could be chaos."
Shakily Sakura nodded, forcing a quick jerk of the head for understanding. "I know."
"Good." The Hokage straightened up, pressed her lips together, and strode out.
The girl was left sitting on the bed with only the birds for her company.
Xxxxxx
In the busy, dusty streets of Konoha there was a certain ramen shop with a loud, obnoxious voice ranting on.
"And so Kakashi was all mad because we took too long at the inn - the fee was seven dollars per person and that costs so much! I mean, ramen is only two dollars a bowl - so I complained and Sasuke gave me the death glare, because obviously, there's not a bone in his body that's not glare-ful, and Kakashi just - "
"N-naruto - "
" - yelled something obscene because he was busy reading his book, and the manager of the inn kept screeching something in another dialect which was hard to understand because - "
"Naruto - "
" - his accent was all ,"Ooo, you guys did not pay for dis! You must pay for dis! - " and so the whole thing was stupid 'cause he kept clapping randomly - "
"N-naruto!"
"Huh?" He swallowed his ramen with difficulty and turned to his companion. "What, Hinata?"
She motioned to the right, her eyes large. The owner of the ramen shop, Ichiraku, was giving the blond-haired ninja a similar death glare as said. Sedately he pointed to Naruto's green, adorable, froggy, completely empty wallet.
"Oh."
,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-
A few minutes, a sad, dejected Naruto walked with his hands in his pockets, Hinata in tow, two of her quick steps matching every one of his.
"It's not fair, you know?" he started to complain. "I go for ramen and I'm supposed to enjoy today - no missions or any other horrible things to get in the way of ramen, but nooo, now that I - "
"Naruto - "
" - eat just a few bowls, and I didn't know I used up all my money - how could I know? - and I was eating ramen, too - "
"N-naruto."
The pale-eyed girl was trembling. He stopped dead in his tracks, concerned. "Hinata, what's - "
His gaze followed hers and his chin dropped several inches.
"S-Sakura-chan!"
Four eyes widened simultaneously, two pale, two cerulean blue. "S-sakura...y-you..."
Before them stood the very same - very same, yet somehow different - Sakura Haruno they had known - who they had assumed was gone forever - Ino had even dug a grave and dropped off fresh flowers every day -
Tears -
Crying, sobbing -
Hopelessess - despair - no more, no more -
And yet, in spite of everything Naruto had believed what was, here she stood, here she was, in the flesh, real live person, pink hair and all.
She wore her traditional small red dress, but also black pants. Her frame was on the border of emaciated, and there were deep hollows under her eyes. She expressed fatigue in the way her arms drooped to her sides, her stride slow.
But there was a bright and cheerful smile on her face, like the Sakura they knew, just like her.
She stood, and then stumbled, as her teammate crushed her in a hug.
"I - I'm back."
,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-
- Ichiraku was the first shop in sight, a first place to chat, so the trio hurriedly entered. The owner raised his slight eyebrows in confusion. After his biting diatribe to Naruto, he hadn't expected...
"No, we're not buying ramen," came the assuring words from Naruto, something the boy hadn't anticipated to speak for his entire life.
He turned to his pink haired friend, uncontrollably grinning.
"So...Sakura! You're back!"
She smiled. "I am!"
"All well?! Are you okay? Internal bleeding? Cuts, scrapes - headaches, migraines - the last time I saw you, Sakura, you were - ah, are you really? - "
She dipped her head. "Hai."
Inwardly she debated whether to tell him or not. She decided on her more practical self. I'm not telling anyone unless they press me. I'm not telling anyone unless they are close. I will follow the Hokage's words.
"S-sakura, I'm glad...you're back."
If only they knew...
"I am too, Hinata. I am too."
,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-'-;-.,.,.-;-
Sasuke was trailing the streets for a quick lunch when he heard a voice.
"I'm okay. I think the reason I went into a coma was because of dehydration. During the Chuunin exams, I don't think I stopped enough for much food or water."
The words were earnest and quiet, but they made Sasuke's breath freeze.
It can't be.
He lifted the shop's strips of cloth and met an unexpected sight. Sakura sat next to Naruto on a stool, chatting amiably. Her hair was tied back in a brisk ponytail - something he had never seen - and though her cheeks were plainly hollow from the weeks she had been unconscious, her eyes were shining.
Hinata was the most soft-spoken out of the three, and the most observant. It was she who was the first to notice the Uchiha, quietly standing there, with a now-composed face.
"I can't believe it! - Team Seven once again! Yeah - Kakashi will get a surprise outta this! And Sasuke too, though he was angry at me! Did I tell you about the time - just yesterday - at the inn - he made such a huge fuss over some money issues - actually I was the one who made a fuss, but - "
"Wait - what about Kakashi's mask?" she asked laughingly, glad to be in her friend's company once more.
"Tch, no such luck; on that mission in the inn we went to the public baths, and he - guess what he has under his mask?!"
"Hm? what?"
" - ANOTHER mask! Isn't that just so stupid? Now it's almost impossible to find out what..."
His voice trailed off uncertainly as he finally spotted Sasuke.
"Oi, Sasuke! Did you notice - "
"I noticed - "
" - that Sakura-chan's back?!"
" - she's back."
Sakura did not want to turn around. The silence that had begun was now deafening - she took a quick breath - and turned.
Disappointment surged through her veins.
What had I expected, anyhow?
His eyes were usually guarded, his mouth unsmiling.
What had I expected?
"Hi, Sakura."
Nothing else. Not a single word more.
She nodded mutely, trying to smile, trying to make sense of it all - with a burst of intuition - he doesn't know he doesn't know.
"Hi, Sasuke." Her eyes were cast down to the clean concrete; she traced its pattern with a weathered sandal.
Silence.
He gave a nod that she failed to see, and turned around. It was as if he had never been there in the first place, save for the ominous silence. Then Naruto, oblivious to Sakura's discomfort, started chattering away again.
She could hardly refrain from crying right there.
What had I expected? That he had changed? No. He doesn't know. He doesn't know.
He is the same Sasuke I knew then.
Then,
The same Sasuke who was ignored me all these years.
She wiped away her tears, saying it was something in her eye.
He hasn't changed.
Not one bit.
End of chapter four - Review please!