Black Rose

Author: Moe-shi

Summary: After leaving an abusive relationship, Sakura finds solace in Naruto's arms. AU. NaruSaku Warning: Violence

Rated: T

Reviews for the last chapter:

woowoo13: Thanks a lot! :) I'm updating right now! I hope you like the new chapter.

Lais: Thanks! :) I'll try my best.

Animaman: Thanks, and don't worry, he'll definitely get beaten up.

Demon Naruto 117: Haha, I was gonna make it really angst-y, but... I didn't want the story to be too depressing!

Misteree Gurl: Thanks! That means a lot to me, because I'm constantly modifying and changing my style, so I can find a really good one that fits me.

NarutoRocks21113043: Thank you so much! I try, haha. I'm updating now, and I really hope you like this one as much as you liked the last!

Echo Uchiha: :O This story isn't really done... sadistically, necessarily... it was more just setting up the story for Naruto and Sakura to fall in love. You know, disasters often bring people together.

mrgirmjaw: Aww, thanks! :)

Emily: Thanks so much! I hope to be one some day! :)

Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, or anything else mentioned in this story... -sigh-

Chapter 2

Sakura closed her large green eyes for a moment, holding her breath anxiously for the familiar sound of his soft, warm voice.

Silence.

She waited, and waited, but the silence remained, and she was almost scared as she opened her eye's a crack, peering in front of herself in shock.

What?

This was not Naruto's apartment... and if it was, then Naruto must have gained 300 pounds and dyed his hair black.

"What do you want, missy?" a gruff man asked in a low voice, staring at her with sharp, beady eyes. She shook a bit, holding onto the door frame for assistance.

"Um... um..." she hesitated for a moment, blinking, still in shock, "I'm... uh, looking for Naruto..."

He gave her a look that clearly read, 'Are you stupid?', and Sakura sighed inwardly, as the man began to speak again, "No Naruto here, kid."

She blinked a couple of times, trying to get rid of the tears that were threatening to spill out of her eyes. "W-what?" she stuttered, taking a shaky step back.

"I said, there aren't any people named Naruto here!" he yelled at her, and she flinched, scared of the large man's wrath.

"W-well... do you know where he could have gone? His name is Naruto Uzumaki..." she trailed off, and was surprised when the man's face dawned with realization.

"Oh, Uzumaki. Got the wrong room, kid. He's a door down."

"Oh..." she breathed out a sigh of relief, blushing a dark shade of red and mumbling a quick apology, bowing deeply.

The door was slammed in her face without another word, and the sharp noise almost threw her balance off. For a moment, she stayed where she was, staring at the cherry red door in embarrassment. Wrong door... the man's voice echoed in her mind, and she wondered how she could have made that mistake.

She had been to this place so many times... how did she not know where he lived?

She took a deep breath in, moving toward the door the man had pointed her to, as her knees shook slightly.

"What if this isn't the right room?" she wondered, staring at the door where Naruto supposedly lived. It looked dirty compared to the other doors in the hall. One of the numbers, the 7 in 779, had fallen off. It left a light stain on the door, a faint outline of the number still there.

I don't recognize this place, she thought, as she cautiously raised her small hand to knock.

Although hurt, her knock still came out loud and full, and she smiled inwardly and thanked herself for her enormous strength.

Silence again.

She felt her eyes begin to fill with salty tears, and for a second she thought she would totally break down, letting out a small sigh as she began to turn back toward the elevator.

"Sakura?" a voice sounded behind her, and she whipped around, coming face to face with Naruto, holding multiple grocery bags. "What are you doing here?"

He doesn't sound mad anymore, she noted, as she clumsily tried to open her mouth and explain, but it just came out a slur, 'Sasuke' being the only eligible word, but he caught on quickly enough.

"He did this to you?" his face immediately became raged, and for a moment Sakura was a little scared, taking a small step back as he balled up his fists.

"Well, yes, but... don't overreact..." she finally found her voice, raising a hand to his shoulder, which he immediately shrugged off.

"Overreact? I'm not overreacting Sakura!" he turned slightly, punching the wall with such great force that it seemed to rumble, his grocery bags on the floor around him, forgotten.

Sakura looked fearfully around her, whispering to him in a hushed voice, "Don't be so loud, people might hear you..."

He looked at her then, straight in the eyes, his expression one of great disbelief. "Quiet? Sakura, you need to go to the hospital!"

She quickly shook her head, bringing up a bloodied hand to cover his mouth in a feeble attempt to shut him up. "No, not the hospital, or the police. Naruto, he said he'd get me if I did... Naruto, you're the only one I could come to..."

She was staring at the ground, trying to avoid his eyes, as Naruto tried to calm himself down, taking slow deep breaths.

He reached into his jacket and pulled out a key, moving in front of her to unlock the door. "Go inside," he mumbled, his voice still tight, "we can talk in there."

She tried to move gracefully into the room, but it only came out as a half wobble, and Sakura sighed in aggravation. She felt so weak.

The apartment was a little different than she remembered it, although the furniture was still the same. Instead of the beautiful place she remembered, this place was in slight shambles. What had happened here?

She realized that it didn't really matter right now, taking a moment to breath in the smells around her. They were the same. Maybe... maybe she had just forgotten what his apartment looked like...

For the first time in ages, she felt a bit at home, taking off her wet sneakers and placing them by the door like she always had.

But the question was, should she sit? Would Naruto be mad if she did?

She wasn't entirely sure why he would be mad, but she felt like he had the potential to be, so she remained standing, awkwardly twirling a piece of muddied pink hair between her fingertips as she waited for Naruto.

It took him a few minutes, but he entered the apartment with the picked up groceries, placing the bags on the counter, ignoring her completely as he began to put things away.

He reached up and grabbed two mugs from one of the top cupboards, filling them each up with milk and putting them in the microwave.

"Hot chocolate?" he asked, but she knew it was rhetorical, and chose to remain silent.

5 minutes later, the apartment was slightly clean (Sakura figured that the only reason Naruto had even attempted to put the groceries away was because he was trying to calm himself down), and Naruto was handing her a mug of warm cocoa.

She smiled gratefully at him, although, she was sure it looked like more of a grimace if anything.

"So..." she began, but he quickly cut her off.

"Why?" his voice was sharp as he spoke, his sky blue orbs glued to the window, "What was his excuse this time?"

She studied her mug carefully, looking at the swirls of Konoha's insignia printed on the cup. "I-I wanted to break up with him."

He glanced up at her in surprise, "You were going to break up with him?"

She nodded timidly, trying to avoid his searching eyes. "He didn't take it well."

Out of the corner of her eyes, Sakura watched as Naruto once again became inflamed with anger.

"That bastard!" his eyes flashed, "I'm going to kill him!"

"Calm down..." she whispered half halfheartedly, only to be ignored, as she had expected. "Please Naruto... don't do anything rash..."

"I won't do anything rash." Naruto glanced at her defiantly, "It's going to be very well planned out."

She had half the nerve to smile, but held it back. Right now, smiling didn't seem very appropriate. "Please! I came to you because I need somewhere to stay for the night. I didn't come because I wanted you to get him. He'll only hurt me more if you try."

He seemed to deflate then, collapsing into an old black leather couch in defeat. His head flopped against the back, and his eyes closed. He whispered softly, just loud enough for her to hear, "Sakura, you can use my shower, and I'll leave some clothes outside the door."

"Thank you." she ducked her head as she left the room, entering a hallway. It seemed slightly familiar, but the recognition went no farther than that. She moved cautiously towards the room that she expected to be a bathroom, but was surprised when it turned out to be a closet.

Where's the bathroom? She wondered, looking around the hallway in a panic. She would have asked Naruto, but he seemed to want to be alone at the moment.

Instead, she cautiously began to walk down the hallway, attempting to find it. Eventually, she noticed a slightly open door, with a toilette in the corner of the room.

She pushed it open slowly, jumping when it let out a loud squeak. The bathroom was similar to what she remembered... but, it still wasn't the same. She had to get to the bottom of this... although, what she needed first was a shower.

It was a classic bathroom, small, but it still had its charm. It was large enough that she didn't feel claustrophobic, but small enough that she didn't feel swallowed up. It was kind of perfect, she decided, as she peeled off layers of grimy clothes.

A shower would feel so good right now, she smiled slightly, stepping into the shower and drawing the curtain closed.

Soon, water began pouring onto her sore limbs, and she sighed contentedly, the warmth untangling her tense muscles. This is so nice...

She watched as dirt and blood swirled down the drain, making the water turn a very dark brown. She curiously waited for the water to turn it's pure colour again, but it still remained burgundy. Sakura groaned, wondering inwardly just how covered she was in dirt.

Just as the water began to return to its crystal clear state, Sakura brought a scarred hand up to her head, attempting to massage the dirt out of it. Once again, the drain was dark.

After she was cleaned, hair shampooed and conditioned, she stepped out of the shower, shivering slightly at the abrupt change in temperature. She wrapped her skinny arms around herself, glancing around the room until her eyes found a towel. She wobbled over to it, wrapping herself in the blood red cloth.

She took a deep breath, opening the door a crack, only to see a small pile of clothes waiting outside for her, just like promised.

She grabbed them, closing the door again, her arms about to slip the towel off her partially dry body, but she paused for a moment.

Do I really want to go out there right now? She wondered, ultimately deciding that, no, she was not quite ready to face Naruto again.

She glanced around the room for a moment, her eyes resting on a pair of doors, hidden by large curtains.

Even though in her memories the doors were on the other side of the room, she didn't really care at the moment. Right now, she just wanted to relax.

It used to annoy her that there were giant terrace glass doors in the bathroom, leading out to the balcony, but right now she was grateful. Fresh air was just what she needed.

She stepped out into the cold night air, breathing it all in. The rain had stopped, and now it was just wet, the sky clear, and filled with millions of little stars.

"A perfect night," she mumbled under her breath, staring up at the large full moon, "a perfect end to a totally imperfect day."

Flashback

Her knees were curled up to her chest, in an attempt to warm herself from the coldness surrounding her, as small tears fell down her cheeks.

"Why are you crying?" a soft voice sounded from behind her, and she jumped slightly, turning to find a small boy her age.

"W-why do you want t-to know?" she sniffled slightly, bringing a purple sleeve up to wipe her nose.

He smiled at her lightly, slowly sitting down beside her. "Who says I need a reason?"

She lifted her face from between her legs, studying the boy beside her. He had hair as blonde and as bright as the stars above their heads, and eyes as blue as the morning sky. He was like summer, she realized subconsciously, gazing at him with wonder in her sea foam eyes.

"They said I look weird..." she bit her lip slightly, letting her bangs flop in front of her eyes, "my foreheads too big, and I'm too smart... I'm ugly."

He leaned close to her, bringing a small hand up to brush away the bangs from her face, his orbs piercing her soul, "You're not ugly. You're beautiful."

She blushed prettily, looking away from the small boy as she tried to avoid his gaze, "Thank you, I guess..."

He laughed, his voice rich and full, filling the silence around them. He flopped onto his back, looking up into the night sky, a smile still full on his face. "You know, if you shoot for the stars and hit the moon, it's okay. But you have to shoot for something. A lot of people don't even try."

He turned his head to look at her, and she smiled back at him, the tears dried from her face. "I'm Sakura."

He grinned, "I'm Naruto."

End Flashback

That was the night she met him, almost 12 years ago, when they were both 6 years old with hardly a care in the world. As it turned out, Naruto was as well liked by his classmates as she was by hers, and she found strength in how positive he stayed even though he was bullied too.

They were each others confidant, someone that they trusted their own lives with.

If she really thought about it, she would give her life for his in a heart beat.

O.o.O.o.O.o.O.o

By the time she went back into the apartment, it was almost spotless. She would have fallen over in shock if the situation had been any different.

She was clad in a pair of navy blue plaid pants and an old red shirt of Naruto's, which smelled faintly of Ramen, and a bit salty, like the ocean... just like him.

Said man was waiting for her when she came out, just like she had left him, but this time he was calm, and he smiled at her, patting the spot beside him as he flipped through the channels on the television.

Ah, she realized, he's going to pretend like nothing happened. That's fine with me.

She plopped down beside him, letting herself lean slightly into his body, the warmth feeling good on her aching limbs.

He glanced down at her in slight surprise, but he didn't make a move to push her away, instead wrapping an arm around her shoulders and pulling her closer.

"Thanks for this Naruto." she smiled up at him, and she felt drawn by his sky blue eyes.

"It's nothing," he said softly, "you know I'd do anything for you."

She stared into his ocean blue eyes, grinning up at him, before she remembered what she was going to ask him before. "Naruto... am I crazy, or is this apartment different then I remember?"

He chuckled softly, looking up at the ceiling with a sigh. "I had to switch apartments, because I couldn't afford the other one anymore. This one is much cheaper."

Oh... she nodded slightly, glancing at the pealing wallpaper on the walls. "What happened to your apprenticeship under Jiraiya?"

He looked pained for a moment, looking down at his hands as he mumbled softly, "He died."

She gasped, throwing herself into his arms, as she gave him a huge hug. "I'm so, so sorry Naruto! Why didn't you call me? I would have come..."

He glanced at her in slight surprise, "You didn't get my messages? Sakura, I've called you a lot. Sasuke said..." he trailed off, realization dawning in his eyes. "He never gave you the messages, did he?"

She felt her eyes become wet, "No... Naruto, I thought you hated me!"

He smiled at her, all anger forgotten, "Of course not. I forgave you the second you left my house. I tried to call you that night, but he said you were out."

Sakura glared at the wall, "I wasn't out. I was lying in my room, crying all night."

Naruto looked at her guiltily, "I didn't want you to cry over me..."

"You're my best friend, of course I cried over you." she smiled lightly at him, punching his arm playfully.

He jokingly winced, rubbing his arm, "Ow, Sakura-chan... why you gotta be so mean?"

Sakura grinned at the familiar suffix at the end of her name, feeling all previous awkwardness fly out of the room. "Because you're an idiot, that's why."

"Yeah, well, that's not what Tsunade said." he spoke fondly of the owner of Konoha hospital, and the mayor of their little town.

She gave him a look.

"Well... she wasn't as mean about it as you are." he pouted softly, and Sakura smiled up at him brightly.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger!" she smiled at him, and he laughed, ruffling her hair jokingly. "Naruto! Don't become like Kakashi-sensei!" she whined, pushing his hand away.

"Sakura-a-a, I'm going to be the best mayor this town has ever had... I don't need to get any stronger!" he grinned at her, and Sakura smiled at his familiar dream.

"Yeah, yeah." she waved her hand in the air, pushing away his comment like it was nothing, "How is everyone anyway?"

"They're okay I guess..." he trailed off slightly, "But, you should come and see for yourself! I could always just... call up everyone. Head to a bar..."

"Not tonight," she shook her head, although she was excited by the thought of seeing her old friends again, "maybe in a week... when I feel better... and don't look so horrible."

"Sakura-chan, for your information, you look beautiful..." he mumbled the last part, a soft blush staining his cheeks.

Sakura glanced over at him with a little smile on her face, a small blush of her own adorning her cheeks. As he continued to avoid her gaze, Sakura finally voiced a question that had been on her mind all night.

"Naruto," she glanced down at her hands, "do you still love me?"

He looked at her in shock, not expecting the sudden question. "O-of course I do Sakura... you're my first and only love."

Sakura smiled lightly to herself, knowing that some things would never change.

When she glanced up again, she was caught in Naruto's intense gaze, and she felt her breath hitch in her throat. "N-Naru-"

She was cut off by a pair of lips on her own. At first, she was surprised, but it only took her a moment to kiss him back, pushing all other thoughts out of her mind as he pulled her closer.

She shivered in delight, feeling something that she hadn't felt in a long time, as she reached her arms up behind his head.

Do I... do I like Naruto?

They both pulled away after a moment, breathing heavily as their breaths mingled, staring into each others eyes.

"Naruto... what just happened?" she asked, and the question seemed to knock Naruto out of a daze, as he jumped off the couch, looking at her guiltily.

"Oh god," he groaned softly, "what am I doing?"

He ran his fingers through his hair, "I'm so sorry Sakura. I don't know what came over me, and I..." he trailed off, glancing at her one more time, before leaving the room.

"Naruto?" she said softly, hearing the sound of a bedroom door closing. "Naruto, Naruto, wait!"

She got up off the couch, and with some strange burst of strength she didn't know she had, she raced to the door he had entered, banging on it loudly.

"Open up, Naruto!" she continued to bang, even though silence was her only answer, eventually becoming so frustrated that she flung the door open and marched forward.

"Why did you run away?" she asked, her voice low and menacing as Naruto avoided her gaze.

"Look, I'm sorry," he ignored her question, "it won't happen again."

She sighed, moving forward so that she was right in front of him. She embraced him slowly, "Naruto, I'm not sure what I feel right now... but that felt right."

Naruto blinked in surprise, glancing up at her blushing face, "Sakura-chan?" he looked at her curiously, as she smiled at him silently, dipping her head and capturing his lips in hers.

"W-what?" he stuttered, pulling away from her questionably.

She rolled her eyes, "Just shut up and kiss me..." and with that, she closed the distance between them.

End Chapter 2

Thanks so much for reading this story, and thanks to everyone that has reviewed so far! I am very proud of this story so far, and I'm happy so many of you enjoy it. If anyone's wondering, I edited this chapter and re-posted it, because I felt the original chapter was moving to fast, and missing some key stuff. Anyway, I hope you guys like this version better! Please read and review,

Yours truly,

Moe-shi