Disclaimer: How I wish Naruto is mine… Not the character, the show of course! But unfortunately, I'm just a poor Junior High Schooler, not a mangaka.
It had been a week since the Uchiha had been brought back. Though the elders were still "deciding" about the sentence to be put upon his head, they're pretty sure that he's already forgiven. Whatever he did back in the Oto was something Konoha should be grateful. And, it is clearer than sunlight at daytime that Sasuke won't receive anything as big as ordinary missing-nins receive, because for one thing, he is not an ordinary member of the village.
It had also been a week that the things between Naruto and Sakura were starting to get blurry and vague.
Ever since Naruto had caught Sakura and Sai sort-of 'embracing' each other, he had been distant to both people.
To make a clear background of why he's feeling such way, it's simply because he thought Sakura had reserved a place in her heart for the blond. It was true that after Naruto returned from his training, their relationship had been batter than what it was before he left. They had been more open to each other and they talk more casually than usually do when they were still genins. Besides, she, herself, vowed to protect him against the Akatsuki. Doesn't that sound that she have feelings for him even the tiniest bit?
He didn't realize that there are other guys that surround her. He didn't realize that Sai was there around her. He didn't realize that Sai might weigh larger than him in her heart due to his somewhat resemblance to Sasuke.
He didn't realize that he is still in love with her.
-+-+-
She spotted him on the top of a hill overlooking the eastern side of Konoha. Though Konoha isn't so big, it is still spacious enough to let someone have his/her own privacy.
She silently walked towards him, though she knows that he knows she is approaching him.
"Naruto, ano… We have talked about this, right?!" She said, more of restrained herself from yelling at the idiot who has his back facing her, sitting in a crouching position overlooking Konoha.
"I thought I had it clear on you?" She whispered as memories of the other week flood her mind.
Flashback:
She briskly walked her way towards him and pulled his right arm to face her.
"Hey Naruto listen." She said as she grabbed him to face her.
"What you saw was nothing. It was an accident. I lost my balance and--"
"You don't need to explain your self to me, Sakura-chan." He said, sadly though.
"Naruto for once will you listen to me please! You don't get it!" Sakura yelled at him, though discreetly enough for only the two of them to hear.
"What do I don't get, Sakura-chan?! To see you embracing that bastard, what could I think?" Naruto shot back.
"It wasn't like that. I already told you that! I stumbled at him that's all!"
"And you expect me to believe you?"
"Yes! Because in the very first place, you're just my bestfriend. No more, no less! You're not my boyfriend, so don't act like one!"
End of Flashback:
"Yes, I know. You're right. You made it clear to me, that we're friends, right? No more, No less." Emphasizing the words 'No more, No less'
"Yah, I did say that, but why are you still feeling like you're jealous or something? Don't tell me you still like my charming face after many years?" She joked lightly to lighten up the very 'dramatic' atmosphere.
"What if I say yes?"
Sakura frowned at his retort. She wasn't expecting. She thought Naruto finally caught Hinata's feelings for him. But then, she was wrong.
"Naruto…uh… You already know about it right?"
"Know that you can't love me back the way I do to you? Yah, hell I know and that's why it hurts me to see Sai getting more attention from you than what I get. Tell me, is this just a hang-over from Sasuke?" Naruto finally faced her, she, on the other hand, quickly turned her head away.
"No. You had it wrongly. Sai is nothing but a teammate, that might change but not for now. About Sasuke-kun, there was never even a hang-over or anything of that stuff." Her voice started to shake at Sasuke's name.
And for once, Naruto got what she really meant.
For it only means that she hasn't got over him.
-+-+-
"Tsunade-sama, the Uchiha had been doing fine lately. Though he's still unconscious, his internal organs are now healing. His rib cage and other bones, though fractured, are already cured. Chances of dying are of zero percent. Also, he is transferred from the Intensive Care Unit to the recuperating department. From your orders, we gave him a VIP room." A nurse with blond hair that reaches her back, at least five inches from her shoulders said.
"Arigatou, Ayame-san. You may now go back to your post at the lobby." The Godaime said as she dismissed the young nurse in front of her. But before the young lady disappear at the door, she called her again.
"Ayame-san, can you do me one favor? I like you take charge at the Uchiha."
And a smile answered her favor.
-+-+-
"Tsunade-sama, do you think it's alright to give the case of Uchiha-san on Ayame-san? I know for a fact that Ayame-san was one of his fan girls, though I don't know if she still is. And with that in mind, she might use the chance on getting closer to him. What about Sakura?" Shizune inquired.
"Well, we can't play the role of a cupid in here, Shizune. Besides, let us let Ayame do whatever she wants with Sasuke. She won't harm him anyway." Tsunade calmed her as she continues reading and signing papers.
"Wait. May I ask you something, Tsunade-sama?"
"Shoot."
"How long is Sakura-san going to live?" Shizune bluntly asked.
"…" Tsunade stopped what she is doing after the question was spilled. Truly, she hasn't expected that it would be the question. It was just way, way out of track: from Ayame to Sakura, that's far.
"Honestly, she only has two months and three weeks to live. It is getting shorter and shorter every minute. (A/N: duh…) Also, the chances of getting her cured is getting lower and lower. She had been very much pre-occupied lately: about hospital stuff, making up for her friends discreetly, and other stuff. Oftentimes, she runs away our medical sessions. If it wasn't for her training, we might not have cross our ways these past few days. Really stubborn." Tears started to form in the corners of her eyes, realizing how her student manages to ditch her check-ups just to feel alive, or to feel normal when she's not.
"I'll force her to attend your check-ups with her, Tsunade-sama!"
"You don't need to, Shizune." A voice cut her off.
"Sakura-san! Where have you been?! First, you sneaked your way out of Konoha, which is punishable by law. Second, you run off during your scheduled check-ups!"
"Okay, okay, that's enough Shizune-san. I know I've done enough mistakes now. That's why I'm here, to pay, owkie?" Sakura smiled at her, the one she uses to charm every person.
"Sakura, you know what you did was very wrong. But, hell, how can I prevent you from doing stuffs like that?" Tsunade smiled at her apprentice as she moved her way towards her.
"Tsunade-sama, I have something to tell you." Sakura started.
The older woman was merely a meter away from her when she started their conversation.
"Naruto…he already knows."
Silence.
One…Two…Three…Four…Five…
"WHAT! HOW DID THAT BLOCKHEAD KNEW?!" Tsunade was clearly shocked from what she had heard.
"Well, I didn't know that my disease has some side-effects. You didn't told me about it." Sakura said as-a-matter-of-factly.
"What side-effect? You mean, you're having symptoms and stuff?"
"I coughed blood, actually. I'm getting scared for my self. Is there any way we can hide this from people?"
"Well, there's no point of hiding it, anyway. Now that Naruto already knows about it, I can't see any reason for you to hide it." Tsunade said.
"BAA-CHAN! BAA-CHAN!!!"
"Speaking of the devil." Shizune whispered
"Naruto, will you please tone down your voice. It's irritating." The Godaime uttered as she rubbed her aching temples, due to fatigue, stress and problems…and Naruto in addition.
"Why didn't you told me about it?!" Naruto yelled at the Godaime in front of him.
"It wasn't me! It was Sakura's decision!"
Naruto turned around to face Sakura. Sakura, on the other hand, turned her face away.
"Why?"
"It will do nothing anyways. As if letting you know will cure this stupid disease of mine."
Naruto really felt guilty about what he did. He acted like a four-year-old. He didn't even gave her a chance to explain herself on what had happened with her and Sai, he didn't opened his mind for her explanation.
Flashback:
"No. You had it wrongly. Sai is nothing but a teammate, which might change but not for now. About Sasuke-kun, there was never even a hang-over or anything of that stuff." Her voice started to shake at Sasuke's name.
Naruto was silenced by the bitter truth Sakura had just said.
"I hope you understand that, Naruto."
"Sasuke… That teme…" Naruto muttered under his breath. Fuming with anger and jealousy, he was about to shout at her when he saw that she is clenching tightly at her chest, looking pale and coughing her lungs out.
"Sa-Sa-Sakura-chan, are you alright?" All of a sudden, Naruto's anger was replaced by worry and concern for his teammate slash friend slash love.
"I-I'm coughcough alcoughcoughright. Don't coughcough worry." Sakura struggled to utter a few words before really coughing out blood. And this made Naruto really worried.
"Why didn't you tell me that you are sick?"
Now getting recovered from coughing, she wiped the blood on her hands and mouth with her handkerchief.
"'Cause I'm not sick, Naruto. To tell you the truth, I didn't join the retrieval just to see Sasuke-kun or just to bring him back." Sakura explained. "…I joined your team for a deeper reason. And that is to see him before I die."
Naruto's face displayed different kinds of emotion all at the same time. To further describe it, it was indescribable.
"He-he, Sakura-chan, nice way of joking…" Naruto's statement was cut off when Sakura shook her head, indicating that she isn't kidding her way.
"I'm dying, Naruto. I only have two months and three weeks to live. Didn't you ever thought that there must be something fishy with me running away from Tsunade-shishou and her appointments with me and instead, spending my whole time with you and our friends? Well, you haven't used your head once before so maybe that didn't crossed your mind." She joked half-truthfully.
Sakura's tears are already forming in the corner of eyes when Naruto hugged her.
"Gomen-nasai, Sakura-chan. Gomen for being such a baka." Naruto buried his face on Sakura's neck as his arm tightened on her waist.
"N-Naruto…you're… CRUSHING ME!!" Sakura yelled.
End of Flashback
He is guilty, truth be told. He is guilty that he didn't used his mind to her understanding. He closed his senses to the 'fact' that he saw n their last mission. He's so stupid.
"Anyway, Sakura, you need to quit your job as soon as possible." Tsunade said.
Sakura was about to retort when the older woman cut her.
"I know that it's your passion, you know, helping weak people and healing injured nins. But, how about yourself? Aren't you going to do anything about your own disease. So starting tomorrow, a series of tests will be conducted. We don't want to lose one of our greatest ninjas here in Konoha,"
Tsunade strolled towards Sakura and held her hands on hers,
"We," as she looked around her, emphasizing the presence of Shizune, Naruto and even TonTon.
"don't want to lose you."
A/N: Yey! I'm already done with Chapter 5!
Well, well, what do we have there? It's Naruto and now he knows about Sakura's illness. Hmm, so is this a four-some love rivalry/relationship? Hmm, we'll see…
To all those reviewers who asked or think that this might be a SaiSaku or NaruSaku, well don't give your prejudices yet. There are lots more to happen, so watch out!
Also, I want to say my apologies for my late update…Gomen-nasai, guys!
Anyways, I'd like to know what you think about this chapter. Is it crappy? What things should I improve on? C'mon I know you have some words for me there, so hit the purple button down there and leave a message.
Trivia: I'm so freaking happy today coz today's Oct. 29 and tomorrow's my birthday. LOL.