Yay! Another update! What? You are just very lucky reviewers ne? I hope you like this, because this is where our favorite blonde female steps in, Ino! Then we get to somewhat find out the truth about what really happened at the party five months ago! I hope you all enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto... (Would STILL be a great Christmas present)

Chapter 19 – Truth

'In just two days I'll be on a flight out of here, out of Konoha,' Sakura thought, gently strolling. 'It's been a little over a month since I left the hospital and I can finally walk again, albeit only short distances, and I have a sling for my arm. Oh and let's not forget the bandage around my waist. Other than that I'm fine.'

'I've somewhat gotten over baby-chan's death. I know that baby-chan is in a better place now, better than it would ever be here on earth. Tenten really helped me, so did Neji in his own stoic way. Let's not forget my mom, Sasuke and Tsunade.'

'I suppose I wouldn't have mourned over baby-chan for an eternity but it is painful. Baby-chan was living and growing inside of me, something that depended on me to survive. It isn't an easy thing to get over and I guess I'm still not fully over it but I'll get there.'

'Sasuke-kun and I have been growing closer, especially since Itachi had made a miracle recovery, just like Obito. He told me that he finally realized that he really did love his brother, and that he really didn't hate him as much as he thought he did.'

'Obito has been growing and getting healthier each day, especially with Rin-nee caring for him. She and I have gotten on well. She told me that it was because she finally admitted her feelings that Obito was able to pull through.'

'It's strange what love can do; it can pull people from death. Love is an amazing thing; it can give a person a whole new reason to live. It can give them a purpose in life. Just like it gave Obito and Itachi new reasons to live and survive.'

'Well I am officially becoming an Uchiha when I get back to Suna. Sasuke-kun said that his offer still stood even though there is no baby-chan, he said that he loves me nevertheless. I feel glad that I'm able to spend my life with someone like him; we'll be a happy family. Who knows, maybe we will even have another child one day.'

'That would be nice,' she mused, allowing the gentle wind to ruffle her pinkette locks. 'Even though by that time it will be Obito or Rin Jr. bossing around little Sasuke or Sakura Jr. not the other way around.'

'It will be nice to be an Uchiha, I'll just have to avoid Fugaku for the first few months because that man really scares me,' she shivered, and it was from the wind. 'I wonder how long it took them to persuade him to allow Sasuke to ask me to marry him. They must have told him about Baby-chan, otherwise I don't think he would've wanted me in the family.'

'It'll be interesting to see how the first few months play out. I mean Sasuke-kun and I do want to go to college don't we? So it'll be quite weird arriving as a married couple but it'll most probably be worth it. I mean, I'm sure that we won't have to worry about the other looking at someone else because Sasuke-kun and I really love each other, don't we?'

'Otherwise he wouldn't want me to marry him and become an Uchiha,' she thought.

"Oi, Sakura-chan," the owner of Ichiruki ramen stall called. "Haven't seen you in quite some time, what happened?" he questioned, eyes landing upon the sling.

"A lot has happened jiji-san," she stated softly. "Heartache, drama, new-found love and I got knocked over by a car," she said. "Yup, that's about everything in a mouth-full."

"Wow, pretty tough eh?" he commented. "So today's ramen is on the house!" he exclaimed. "I have to give you something good to think about instead of all the bad things."

"Thanks, I guess this is my last ramen here," she grimly announced. "I'm leaving to go back to Suna in two days; meaning today is one of my last in Konoha."

"In that case, any ramen you order is on the house," the owner offered. "You and Naruto eat quite a lot so I'm sure you'll have more than one," he said. "By the way, where is Naruto? You and he are usually never far from one another."

"Naruto…is…busy…today," she stammered, gaze downward. 'Damnit, I wasn't supposed to remember Naruto,' she thought, frame trembling. 'I didn't want to remember him. Why did he have to remind me, now of all times, when I'm leaving tomorrow.'

"That's a shame, but you will see him later today won't you?" he queried. "You can't spend your last days in Konoha without saying goodbye to your best friend."

"I'm…meeting…him…later…" she lied, biting her bottom lip, 'Actually I won't be meeting him later because I won't ever be seeing Naruto again.'

'I can't say goodbye to him like this, not in this state. I don't even know my current feelings for him so I just can't face him.'

'I can't face him because I'm scared of what might happen. I'm scared that I still love him and that seeing him will make me want to stay here in Konoha with him. But Konoha holds too much pain for me, I just can't stay here.'

'I don't want to say goodbye to Naruto because I'm scared that I'll change my mind and leap into his arms, telling him that I really do love him and that I didn't mean any of it when I said that I was only playing him. But that would ruin absolutely everything.'

'I'm going back to Suna with Sasuke-kun and my mom and I'm going to become an Uchiha, along with Rin-nee.'

'I must not deviate from the plan, no matter how much I want to.'

----

Ino Yamanaka sighed, 'Damn this airport is small, why did Sakura even come to a place like this?' she questioned.

'I wonder what in the world possessed her to come here of all places. She could have gone to Iwa or another big city but she chose to come to this little town instead, she must have not been in a right state of mind when she left,' Ino thought, walking to baggage claim.

'Oh wait, I do know why Sakura is in this little town because I'm partly to blame, aren't I?' she shuddered. 'I was so wasted that night that I didn't even know what I was doing damnit.'

'I've wanted to apologize to her for so long but I never got the chance to once she left, I really wanted to tell her that it wasn't my intention that she get drunk like the that and then go off and screw with Sasuke. I wish that I had a little more sense that night and then I wouldn't have given her that damned drink that was meant for me.'

'Stupid Shino that gave me the drink, saying that he added a little something 'special' in it, it was meant for him to be-able to sleep with me. That kisama has always had a crush on me, hasn't he? Yet I always went and rejected him so then he tried to drug me.'

'Only it didn't work, Sakura got it instead. Then she and Sasuke slept together, she got pregnant, kicked out the house and came here to Konoha. And it's my entire fault and my entire fault alone.'

'I was so stupid. I can't believe I had the nerve to even try and purse Sasuke after all that I did to Sakura. He had to tell me the story so that I would leave him alone. I feel like such an idiot.'

'So that's why I'm here in Konoha. I'm here to make it all right and tell Sakura the truth.'

----

'I might as well drop by the school since I might not have time tomorrow,' Sakura thought, passing the school building. 'Even though it's holiday, some of the teachers should still be in, maybe even Kakashi-sensei and Anko-sensei. I want to say goodbye to them because they were my favorite teachers.'

Nodding, she stepped into the building, finding the door unlocked. 'Well look at that, there must be teachers around here if the door is unlocked because I'm pretty sure they won't just leave the school building unlocked during the summer.'

Humming to herself she walked down the familiar hallway to one familiar classroom. 'Anko Mitarashi – History,' she read, '…And the most awesome homeroom teacher out of everyone.'

Knocking gently she called, "Eh, Anko-sensei are you in there?"

"It's open," came the reply of the purple haired teacher. "Oh Sakura, what brings you here during the holiday?"

"I came to say goodbye Anko-sensei, I'm going back to Suna in two days time and I was worried I wouldn't be-able to get to say goodbye before then."

Anko chuckled, "Come here," she demanded, embracing Sakura. "Suna can't take you away after only three months. You were supposed to be in Konoha to stay weren't you?"

"I was but things happened you know? Things that I really didn't want to happen but they happened anyway," Sakura replied. "I'm really gonna miss this school and everyone; it was amazing to know the people I met here."

"I'm sure everyone the class will miss you," Anko responded. "Not many of the other students could hope to replace their pink-haired friend."

Sakura giggled, "You know, Guy-sensei still won't believe me that it is naturally this colour. He always stops me in the hall and tries to give me detention for dying my hair but then he looks at my record and finds that my hair is, in fact, naturally pink."

"Eh, that's Guy-sensei for you," Anko replied. "He's one of a kind."

"I guess," Sakura sighed. "Do you know if Kakashi-sensei is here? He's someone I also want to say goodbye to."

"Yup, he should be in his class at this present moment in time," Anko replied, blushing. 'Aren't they engaged now?' Sakura thought, noting the blush.

"Thanks," Sakura graciously replied as she began to exit the classroom. "And goodbye Anko-sensei."

----

'Damn, and here I was thinking that this city would be small,' Ino growled. 'Finding Sakura is like finding a needle in a haystack, I thought this town was supposed to be tiny!'

Groaning she scoffed around the corner, hoping to spot the pinkette. 'Ugh, dragging my bags around isn't either helping. I think I'll just go sit down somewhere and try to ask if anyone knows about Sakura.' She nodded, finding a bench.

"Now this is much better," she mumbled, stretching across the bench. 'I didn't realize how far I had been walking until now.'

"Can I help you?"

Ino turned at the voice, blushing as she found that while stretching her arm had mistakenly crept around the shoulder of another. 'Oh damn I'm in so much trouble,' she thought retracting her arm. 'He looks so mad with that scowl and with his spiky pony naturally pulling his face into a scowl-ish position.' "Eh, I'm so sorry, I didn't realize someone was sitting there."

"Troublesome," the teen mumbled. "You should look before you sit."

"Well I'm sorry for making one tiny mistake Mr…" she trailed, waiting for him to grant her his name.

"Shikamaru Nara," he replied, 'Who is this girl? Definitely haven't seen her around before. She's kinda pretty with those clear blue eyes and white blonde hair, different from the norm of Konoha.'

"I'm Ino Yamanaka," she greeted. "Okay look I'm sorry for not watching where I was sitting. Forgive me?" she pleaded. 'I don't want to make an enemy in this town, not now. Shikamaru could my only hope of finding Sakura!'

"Troublesome but no matter," he lazily replied, gaze skyward. 'Now if I can just ignore her until she leaves, everything will be fine.'

'Might as well ask, I mean what is the worst that could happen?' "Hey Shikamaru," she began. "You wouldn't perhaps know someone named Sakura Haruno?"

"I do," he replied. 'She must be a friend of Sakura's now that I look at her, same exotic looks.'

"You are a life-saver!" Ino exclaimed, eagerly enveloping the boy in an embrace, not noting how he tensed at her touch.

'He doesn't have that bad of a build to boot!'

----

"Thank you for everything, Kakashi-sensei," Sakura softly said to the white haired teacher. "Bu I guess some things were never meant to last."

"I'm sure we'll meet each other again Sakura, you might just become famous one day and I'll have the pleasure of saying that I taught you," he joked, smiling through the mask he wore. 'It's strange, I've never once seen him take off that mask,' Sakura thought, curiosity increasing.

"Ne Kakashi-sensei, since I'm leaving…" she began. "You wouldn't mind showing me what's under that mask would you?" she questioned. 'He has to show me, he just has to.'

"Hmm, sure," he said, pulling down the fabric. "Behind this mask...is another mask! Pretty cool, huh?"

Sakura's sweat-dropped, her eyebrow twitched and she fought back a crude comeback. "Very… 'cool' Kakashi-sensei," she stated, smiling weakly. "Well I have to go now…" she said, exiting the class.

"So I guess this is goodbye," she whispered, leaving class. 'He was just another person I had to say goodbye to in the end,' she thought. 'I really don't want to go, do I?'

She sighed, 'Maybe I should go say goodbye to Asuma-sensei if he's here.' Nodding she turned the corner. 'He was strict but a good teacher none the less and I did enjoy the lessons,' she concluded. 'I wonder if he and Kurenai-sensei have finally gotten together, they were flirting with each other the entire three months I was here.'

'I'm sure they'll-, her thought train stopped, her eyes widened and her face turned red. 'I think they're already together,' she thought, gazing upon the kissing pair. 'I really hope they don't notice me,' she thought, backing from the door. 'But it really does look quite sweet with the way they are standing. Asuma-sensei has his hand on Kurenai-sensei's cheek while her arms are wrapped around his neck.'

'Reminds me of the time with…' she paused, frame trembling.

'With… Naruto...'

----

"Thank you for showing me to Sakura's house Shikamaru," Ino graciously thanked. "I really would have gotten lost if it wasn't for you," she continued. 'Although, I wouldn't have developed a slight crush on you if you hadn't helped me,' she thought, somewhat blushing.

"It was troublesome," he mumbled. "But I'm glad I could help," he stated. 'Did you have to go and hug me like that earlier? I mean I wouldn't have minded if you just hugged me but to embrace me like that is madness.'

"So I guess I'll be seeing you around?" Ino questioned, smiling. "I'd like to get to know you better despite our impromptu meeting earlier," she suggested. 'I don't know how long I'll be in Konoha but I would definitely like to get to know him better, despite the fact that he keeps on saying 'troublesome'.'

"Well if you're a friend of Sakura then you'll be seeing me more often then," he replied, shrugging. "How long you in Konoha for?"

"It all depends on how things go with Sakura," Ino admitted. "It could be days, months, hell even years."

"Then I'll see you around troublesome woman," he mumbled.

"WHAT?" Ino screeched. "I am not a troublesome woman!" 'Damn right I'm not Shikamaru Nara,' she snarled.

"Eh, I didn't mean it like that-

"Ino and Shikamaru?"

Both teens turned upon hearing the voice. "Sakura?"

Ino and Sakura stared, wide eyed.

'Well I guess it's time; time for Sakura to know the truth.'


Did you guys like it? Hmm? I personally liked this chapter, so I'm hoping you do too! Even though Sakura and Naruto haven't been in contact for a month but I hope you can understand my reasoning behind it - I mean after all that you'd just want to leave right? Then don't kill me about Sasuke 'loving' her, he just has to for the purpose of torturing Sakura okay?

IMPORTANT!!!!

- I have a new story idea but I want your opinion on it

Summery:

Sakura Haruno was merely hired as his nurse, yet she was unwillingly thrust into an underground war between Konoha and Oto. Now she must chose between love, friendship and responsibility as she realizes nothing is what it seems. SakuKimiNaru. End: NaruSaku

So?

Lorelock