Chapter 13: Burden of a Broken Heart
How long has it been since I last saw you? Since we last talked? Everyday…you don't know how much I miss the feeling you're arms around me or your hand entwined with mine. Or how you carefully held my face in you're hand and kissed me.
How long has it been since, I told you how much you meant to me? How long has it been since…I've felt happy and alive? How long has---
"SAKURA!" a voice screamed from behind me, causing me to jump from where I sat. The whole day seemed to pass by slowly and fast at the same time. So I decided to go up to the rooftop and look out into the city and do my usual things that I would do during break. Space out…sort out thoughts…think out loud. I turned to see Ino coming up from behind.
"There you are! I've been looking all over the place for you! You shouldn't be here all by yourself! Especially since it's your birthday!" she exclaimed and quickly grabbed my arm. My birthday….wow…did time pass by fast. She hurriedly rushed me downstairs, through the hallways of the hospital. Along the way, patients and other fellow workers would say birthday greetings and I would reply with a brief thank you and smile as Ino continued to drag me down the hall.
"Where exactly are we going?" I asked when we turned a hallway.
"Tsunade-sama wants to see you in the main lobby!" she explained. I continued to follow her with a confused look on my face. We quickly went down a flight of stairs and we entered the main lobby. There Tsunade-sama was standing having a conversation with Shizune-chan. When she heard us walk in, Tsunade-sama turned and smiled. I bowed and smiled.
"What brings you here great Hokage-sama?" I asked. She laughed at my formal address.
"Please, just call me Tsunade-sama. Saying that title is such a drag…," she said and gave a little exasperated sigh. I laughed and nodded in agreement. Out of all the Hokages I've known to rule over Konoha, Tsunade-sama was really free-spirited. Others thought that she wouldn't take the job as seriously as any other Hokage would, seeing that all she would do was gamble and act lazy. But when she had a duty to attend to she would do it. If it wasn't for her, I wouldn't be able to realize how I might be needed to in the village as a medical-ninja and how my abilities would actually be recognized for something.
"Well anyways, I asked Ino here to bring you down here so that you that I can wish you a happy birthday and to take a short vacation off you're job for a few weeks. That and I wanted to check up on how everyone is working here."
I looked at her stunned. It was not often I was given a break. "Thank you Tsunade-sama…but…why?"
"Shizune-san and other workers here have been noticing that you've been working hard lately. So with that, I decided to give you a break. I'm sure your skills have improved as well."
I opened my mouth to object, but I knew that it was true. After Sasuke left, all I've been doing is trying to work hard to try and get him off my mind. Even at times, when I got home I would feel totally exhausted.
"And besides, it's your birthday, you should go home and enjoy it," she finally said and smiled. "So why don't you and Ino end the day here and go home? I'm sure there can be people to cover for you."
Hearing that, Ino smiled. "Thanks Tsunade-sama!" she chirped. "Let me go get my things and we'll go do some last minute party shopping," she said and ran upstairs. Once she left, I turned back to Tsunade-sama who was discussing paper work with Shizune-chan. After they ended talking, I approached her again.
"Ummm…Tsunade-sama?" I asked. She looked up and put the papers down. "You don't happen to know where Naruto is do you?"
She looked up for a second and thought. "Naruto…..last time I saw him…he came to me and said he needed to finish an un-completed mission a month ago…"
I gave a confused, yet worried expression. "An un-completed mission? For what? Did he say anything?"
Again she thought and looked back at me. "No, he just said of an un-completed mission. One minute I'm in my office and he bursts in telling me he has to go finish a mission that wasn't completed. Of course, I believed him and told him he would go. But when I asked him what the mission was, he never responded. Why do you ask?"
Just then Ino, came down the stairs with her bag around her shoulder. "Ready to go?"
I looked back and nodded. I then turned back to Tsunade-sama. "Ummm…just asking. Thank you anyways," I said and rushed out.
Where could that idiot have gone?
………………………………………………………………………………………………
Once I got out of the shower, I threw on this beautiful maroon halter dress that Ino picked out. And personally I loved it. I decided to leave my long pink hair down and put a matching pin on one side of my hair. I also put on some dangling earrings to complete the look. As I was putting on my last minute adjustments and my heels, a knock came to my door. So I grabbed my purse and hurried downstairs. Ino and Shikamaru decided to invite me to a restaurant for my birthday. They would have invited Naruto too…if he was around. I looked a final time in the mirror and opened the door. There stood Ino and Shikamaru. Ino was dressed in a violet strapless dress with a matching jacket, while Shikamaru wore a simple tux.
"Close your eyes!" Ino exclaimed. I cocked a brow.
"Say what?" I asked confused. I then saw Shikamaru take out a blindfold from his pocket.
"Just do it…," Shikamaru said bluntly and covered my eyes in the blindfold. Now there really was no point in closing my eyes, if they were covered anyways. I sighed and waited as the finished tying the blindfold behind my head. Then someone took hold of my shoulders and started walking me forward. I took each step slowly, praying that I wouldn't fall flat on my face. We continued to walk forward as I walked in complete darkness. I heard Shikamaru and Ino talking a few words, but I couldn't clearly hear what they were saying.
"Almost there, don't fall now!" I heard Ino say. Soon enough, I felt as if we stepped into a room, cause the sound of me walking on dirt was changed to the sound of me walking on wood.
"Ok!" I heard a voice exclaim and the blindfold was untied off my head. Still, darkness enveloped my eyes.
"I can't see—"
"SURPRISE!" everyone in the room exclaimed and the lights were suddenly turned on the lights. I squinted as the brightness affected my eyes. As soon as my eyes adjusted, I saw that everyone was there. Lee, Ten-Ten, Neji, Kiba, Shino, Hinata, Chouji, and their trainers. I smiled a bit and looked around at all the decorations that were set up.
"I thought you said we would just eat at a quiet restaurant," I said when I turned to Shikamaru and Ino.
"That's what I thought too…but apparently, Ino didn't want to…," Shikamaru said annoyed. Ino glared at him.
"Well, I thought that was too….you know…blunt….you needed a surprised party!" she said and smiled. I couldn't help but laugh. The night went on with me chatting from person to person, giving my thanks to all the work they did into putting in the party. I looked around at one point to see if Naruto….or even Sasuke would show up later on. But unfortunately, they didn't. They started to make me worry. Even Hinata started to worry about Naruto that she decided to ask me about him. Unfortunately, I had to inform her that I didn't know about his whereabouts either.
The night went on and I sighed as I stood near the window….spacing out….like I usual did. Everyone was busy having their own good time. Ino shouting at Shikamaru about being lazy (as always), Ten- Ten trying to impress Neji, who wasn't even paying one slightest but of attention to her and Lee and Gai-sensei trying to act "youthly" in front of some of the guests, which included Hinata, Shino and Kiba who just either laughed or stared at them in a disgusted look.
I smiled a bit, but that smile slowly faded away and I resumed looking out the window. Yeah, it was my birthday, but…what was the use of having fun, when all you really wanted was to spend your special day with that one person you really cared about and loved.