(AN: First off, I just want to say HOLY SHIT! DID YOU GUYS SEE THE PICS FOR THE NEW "NARUTO: THE LAST" MOVIE?! I'M TOO EXCITED! Though, I don't know if I like Naruto's new outfit… Anyways on with my story! I know we are already 3 chapters in and the NaruIno has been kind of low, but that will change! I plan on this being a pretty good-sized story. So everything I want to happen needs to develop, so to speak. The NaruIno will pick up, though, I swear! The action and plot will also get picked up! I wanted all of what's happened so far to be on his first day out of the apartment just to overwhelm Naruto a bit. I Hope you guys are enjoying so far and I look forward to continuing this story. Now ONWARD WIITH THE STORY! - NARU/SAKU FRIENDSHIP IN THIS CHAPTER! ^.^)
(BTW… still suck at commas.)
Chapter 3: Am I Ready…?
It had been a wonderful day for Tsunade thus far. The sun was bringing a warm heat over her through the multiple windows surrounding her office. She was having a very slow day when it came to paper work. As such, she was enjoying the relaxing ease she could take in filling out the small piles of paper. She looked up to glance at the clock by her desk that read 2:52 P.M, and then looked out over the clock to gaze fondly at her office, smiling. Her new office as of the rebuilding of the village smelled welcoming. The plants by the entrance to her office and the shelves by the windows held small, fresh flowers that gave off a sweet scent which helped lift her spirits. Her office was almost twice the size of her old one, which gave her freedom to move around more and feel less cramped.
Shizune was currently out of the office running small errands for herself out in town. This helped lift the weight of the world off Tsunade's shoulders even further, not having to listen to Shizune bicker about her so-called "slow paper work mentality today." Though with how things had gone over the last few months, it was hard to find Tsunade in a bad mood these days.
With the formation of the Ninja Alliance, Tusnade's life as Hokage had become so much easier. The paper work and her stress were cut into fractions, with the help of the other four great nations keeping the lands in order. The ninja world was on vacation, so to speak. Ninja were still needed though, as even in the most peaceful of times… there was always somebody trying to bring the world crashing down. Thus, the mission requests kept coming in at a steady pace to the Hokage's office, but they were no longer over pouring off of her desk like before the war. Life… was… good!
Tsunade set aside a mission report she had just signed, took a deep breath and smiled to herself.
'Ahhhhh… how I love these quiet days!' Tsunade thought to herself, leaning back in her chair and closing her eyes in relaxation. 'There is nothing that could POSSIBLY ruin this day!'
(WHAM!)
The side window to the office slings open, rattling the window loudly. Tsunade jumps 5 feet out of her chair in shock. A figure lands just on the inside of the window, placing his hands on his hips and shooting his chest out in a hero like pose.
"BAAAAAA-CHAAAAAAAAAN! I'M BAC-"
A large heavy scroll pegs the figure smack dab in the middle of his forehead, flinging his head backwards. He falls backwards out of the window and lands flat on his back on the roof outside.
Tusnade pulls her arm back at her side after heaving the scroll. Red-faced with embarrassment from having been so easily scared, Tsunade starts to shout.
"WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE, BARGING IN HER WITHOUT WARNING LIKE THAT!?" Tsunade slams her hands onto her desk, making a loud bang and cracking sound.
She flicks her eyebrow upward with a questioning look as she finally catches what the intruder had said.
'Wait… did he just say…. Baa-Chan?' Tsunade thinks as the figure starts to crawl back through the window.
Naruto slumps his body over the window and falls face first onto the floor, grumbling something about how much that hurt. He slowly lifts himself from the floor and catches himself from falling over from the dizziness caused by the head shot. Finally, he steadies himself on his feet while facing the open window. He turns his head to the side to look at his attacker. Rubbing his forehead while shooting daggers at Tsunade, Naruto closes the window.
"What the hell was that for?" Naruto shouts, not happy at all with his new knot. "Haven't seen me in half a year and you try and clear my head from my shoulders!"
Naruto marches over to the opposite side of her desk while still rubbing his sore head, clearly not seeing the shock written all over Tsunade's face at seeing him finally out of his apartment.
Tsunade continues to stare at Naruto with open shock written on her face, not knowing what to say or do. Blocking out the irritating shouting coming from the blond male in front of her, Tsunade chose to rather take in how Naruto looked. She didn't like what she saw… at all.
"You look like shit, Naruto," Tsunade states, interrupting Naruto from his banter with a blank stare and flat tone. "You barely look anything like what you used to… You look half dead!"
"Gee….Thanks!" Naruto says with saddened eyes and slumped shoulders, watching as Tsunade walked around her desk towards him. "Nice to see you, as well!" he says sarcastically with a twitch in his left eye.
He was about to say something else, but was interrupted by a bone-crushing hug from Tsunade.
Naruto looks slightly down with wide eyes at Tsunade, seeing she had a smile on her face and eyes closed happily. He smiled softly and raised his arms to hug her back, squeezing her lightly while letting his previous thoughts drift from his mind. Tsunade steps back and looks up at the now taller man, letting her eyes fall softly onto his dull blue ones. Turning on her heels, she walks casually back to her side of the desk.
"You're still loud and annoying as hell, I'll give you that; but I guess no matter what… that will never change, huh?" Tsunade flops into her chair and crosses her legs. "It's good to see you, kid."
Tsunade stared at Naruto for a brief moment before continuing.
"Now, Naruto… why did you barge into my office and ruin such a nice, quiet day?" she asks, placing an elbow on her desk and resting her chin on her palm.
Naruto blinks a few times, realizing the extremely rare ooshy-gooshy moment from Tsunade was over and it was time to get back to business. Naruto grins broadly, placing his hands on his hips once again and shooting out his chest.
"Reinstate me!" Naruto declares confidently, raising his chin up while squishing his eyes shut, keeping the huge toothy grin on his face.
"No…" Tsunade states blankly, still leaning on her hand with a lazy look on her face.
Naruto flinches in shock, letting the fake smile and hero pose fall. His attitude takes a complete 180 degree turn. He slams his hands onto the desk, causing scrolls to roll to the floor.
"WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN, 'NO'?!" Naruto leans over the desk so that there is very little space between their faces.
"It's very nice to see you're out and about, but you aren't ready to be out in the field again Naruto… Not yet." Tsunade blinks slowly. "Just by looking at you, I can tell you're not emotionally or mentally ready to be representing the Konoha military."
Naruto leans back to stand upright with a bewildered look on his face, not knowing how to respond to what she just said.
"…What do you mean, 'just by looking at me you can tell'?!" Naruto shouts, bringing an annoyed vein to Tsunade's forehead.
"Well for one, your hair looks like you haven't cut it in months. You look pale as a ghost, with the bags under yours eyes being the only color at all. Your eyes show no life in them at all… Frankly, you look like a suicide watch victim… not a Ninja!" Tsunade states, crossing her arms under her large chest and closing her eyes in a thinking manner.
"That's just because I haven't been out in a while!" Naruto snaps back, balling his fists at his side.
"That's another reason I can't allow you to just jump back into the rankings… you're mentally unstable, Naruto…" Tsunade opens her eyes to stare calculatingly at Naruto. "You've spent the last six months locked in your apartment… No one knows what's going on in your head right now. You very well might need to be on suicide watch!"
"You know I won't kill myself! I'm not like that!" Naruto flings his arm in front of him, jabbing his thumb into his chest. "I won't be a coward like that!"
Tsunade looks down from Naruto to stare forlornly at the blank spot on her desk, feeling bad for the young man she felt was like a son to her.
"Yes… I know, Naruto…. but what if you got others killed?" Tsunade asks quietly, still staring at the spot on her desk. "What if you go back out there and can't take it…? What if you have a mental break down in the middle of a fight? Letting important people you care about die because when they thought you had their back… you didn't... Do you think you could live with yourself if that happened? Could you take it if they… died… because you weren't ready?"
"I….. I… uh..." Naruto stared at Tsunade with a blank look, once again not knowing what to say.
Naruto felt his doubts rush into him again as they had for the past months. Thousands of sand bags had just been put on his chest, making it hard for him to breathe. Sasuke flashed through his mind for a second as Tsunade's words echoed in his head.
'Could you take that… take that… take that…?'
Flashes of his other friends run through his eyes. Sakura, Sai, Kakashi-Sensei, Ino, Iruka-Sensei, and all of his other friends... All standing together, smiling at him… welcoming him back. Tsunade's voice echoes again.
'Could you take it if they died… died… died?'
Naruto begins to sweat heavily and his breath becomes short and labored. His body begins to set into a panic attack as more flashes of his friends' bloody and mangled bodies went through his mind.
'Could I…..handle it?' Naruto asks himself, clenching his gray jacket above his heart.
"Naruto?" Tsunade asks, growing worried by Naruto's sudden silence.
Broken from his thoughts, he looks back up from the floor to stare at Tsunade. His mouth felt dry… like he was drowning in sand. He felt the urge to turn and run, to not have to face the onslaught of questions any further.
"Could you do it, Naruto?" Tsunade asks him once again. She sits upright to study Naruto, waiting for his response.
"I….. I don't know, Baa-Chan…" Naruto finally answers in a labored whisper. "I just don't know… But I won't ever know… unless I try… I do know that at least." His hand drops from his chest. He regains a slight air of confidence, gazing at Tsunade with solid dark blue eyes… no longer showing the doubt that lay hidden away within them.
"Hm!" Tsunade grunts, letting a small smile grace her face. "Interesting answer." She gives Naruto a slight nod.
"Not the one I was looking for… but interesting never the less." Tsunade lets her arms drop from the crossed position under her chest.
Leaning forward, Tsunade pulls a drawer open just to the left of her feet. She reaches in and pulls out a small, sealed, shoe-sized box and places it onto her desk. The box was very bland and seemed to be made from cardboard. The only distinguishing features were the words FOR SAFE KEEPING written on the side with sharpie. Both Naruto and Tsunade look at the box silently… contemplating it… but for different reasons.
"I'll make you a deal, Naruto," Tsunade says looking up at him while picking the object up and placing it into her lap. "I'll allow you to be a ninja once again."
Naruto starts to grow a wide, open-mouthed grin, giggling out loud.
"However!" Tsunade adds, making Naruto drop his smile and look at her with a questioning look. "I require you to do two very important things before I do."
"Go on..." Naruto says, raising an eyebrow and glancing with calculating eyes between the box in her lap and Tsunade's face.
"First… I want you to get a haircut and clean yourself up so you look like you're not dead on the inside," Tsunade says with a joking tone. "The second… I want you to see a mental doctor… a… therapist.
"A THERAPIST!?" Naruto shouts, stepping back with a disgusted look on his face. "I'm not going to go spend my time with a doctor while they pick my brain like I'm crazy! I. . CRAZY!"
"Oh, yes you will... Especially if you ever want to put on a leaf headband again." Tsunade gives him a mocking smile. "And I know you aren't crazy…. Stupid, yes…. but not crazy."
Naruto's muscles tighten at her words, wanting to be given his headband back and wear it with pride. He straightens his stance to be more upright and grows a look of contempt.
"Fine!" Naruto says with a hiss in his voice. "But I won't like it!"
Tsunade brings her eyes closed and gives Naruto a big grin, happy to see he was so willing to earn his forehead protector back.
"Good!" Tsunade says, still keeping the smile on her face. "But don't think of it as a reoccurring thing… you only have to do it once. I just want a specialist to take a look at you… 'Pick your brain,' as you say, to see if you are mentally healthy enough to be reinstated. Think of it as a… test… not a doctor's appointment." Tsunade gives a mocking laugh.
"A test… that I only have to do once?" Naruto asks, liking the sound of it. "Deal!"
Naruto extends his right arm, spreading his hand wide. Tsundae stands from her chair, raising her arm as well. She clasps Naruto's hand in hers, shaking it firmly.
"Deal," Tsunade says while shaking his hand. "Now if you will excuse me, I must go schedule your appointment and run some errands." She lets go of Naruto's hand, picking up the box as she begins to walk to the door.
She turns to look over her shoulder as she grasps the handle to the front door.
"I'll schedule it for 6 o'clock later today, so don't be late!" She opens the door.
"Wait, why so early?! Why not tomorrow?!" Naruto asks, completely baffled with how busy this day was getting. "And what the hell is with that box?!"
"The sooner the better with these kinds of things… or do you not want to be a ninja?" she retorts, now stepping through the door and turning to clasp the handle again. "Oh, but I know that you do, so just remember to not be late Naruto... And the box… Well, that doesn't concern you…."
With a wide smile stretching across her face, Tsunade pulls her office door closed and turns to walk down the hall, pulling the box to sit in her hands right in front of her face. She stares at the object with a small smile.
'Yes… not of your concern…..YET' Tsunade thinks, still walking down the hall on her way to the hospital.
Naruto was still standing in his spot in front of Tsunade's desk, but now looking at the clock above the window behind her chair. The clock read 3:04 P.M.
"GWAAHH!" Naruto grunted out loud, grasping at each side of his head with his hands. "This day is turning into the busiest fucking thing ever!" he yells, still staring at the clock while pulling at his hair.
"What am I even supposed to do for three freaking hours?!" Naruto asks himself out loud, letting his arms drop while resting his body in a slouched standing position. "(Sigh)… Well… it's not like this day could get any busier," he mutters grumpily as he lazily walks to the front door of the office.
(Ding ging dingaling…Ding ging dingaling)
Naruto's phone starts to ring and vibrate in his shorts pocket, making him stop in his tracks in front of the office door. He lazily reaches his hand into his pocket and lifts the device out and brings it up so he can read the contact name.
Naruto's eyes grow wide and he takes a big dry gulp as fear begins to grow in his stomach. His hand begins to shake, barely able to hold onto the device in his now sweaty palm. The picture of his caller on the screen was one he knew all too well… the name that flashed on the upper part of the screen sent butterflies rocketing in his stomach.
[CONTACT NAME]
^. ^ Sakura Haruno ^. ^
'Me and my big mouth.' His fear is obvious on his face. 'What do I do?!...should I answer?! …What could she want...? Did she hear that I'm out of the house…? Does news really travel that fast!?'
All of these questions fly through Naruto's mind as the time passes. Before he knew it, the phone stopped vibrating and a soft chime sounds.
(Ding)
(1 Missed Call)
"Phew…." Naruto says letting out a huge breath of relief, happy he didn't have to talk to Sakura just yet after all.
He did not have much time to relax though as his phone once again began to vibrate and play his ringtone. It was Sakura calling him once again.
'OH GOD, OH GOD!... She must really want to get ahold of me!' Naruto now stares at the phone like it is the scariest thing he has ever seen in his life. 'WAIT?! What if she's in trouble?!...What if she needs my help and I'm ignoring her?!'
Naruto grips the phone tightly, getting a worried look in his eyes.
"(Sigh)… I'm going to have to answer it now… aren't I?" Naruto asks himself, lifting his thumb to hover over the answer button with a flustered look on his face.
Naruto carefully pushes the green answer button on his screen… slowly lifting it to his ear with a shaky hand. With the best gulp he could manage and a deep, drawn-out breath, he speaks out with a clear, yet shaky voice.
"He…..hello….. Sakura-Chan…."
- - Earlier Today - -
(West Hill's Coffee Shop – Konoha West Side)
Sakura is currently sitting in the outside patio area of her favorite coffee shop. The patio is fenced off with benches and tables set up around the stone floored area. Sakura is the only one outside at the moment, just enjoying the quiet. The day had been quite lazy for her, not having had much to do at the hospital today and even getting out of her shift three hours early. Sakura had just enough time to get home and change before she got a rather strange message from Ino, telling her to meet at their favorite shop ASAP. Sakura didn't mind the sudden request though; she liked being outdoors, enjoying the light breeze that moved her hair and kept her face cool. Taking a sip of her mocha iced coffee, Sakura sighs happily, enjoying the weather.
"Hey, Billboard Brow!" Someone shouted loudly from behind her.
Sakura turns in her chair to see her best friend, Ino, walking from the coffee shop door, holding her own beverage in her left hand while her purse hung from her right shoulder. In her right hand hung multiple bags, indicating she had been shopping. Ino walks over and takes the other seat at the small table Sakura is sitting at.
"Ino-pig! How are you?" Sakura asks sweetly as her friend got settled into her seat.
"I'm doing great! Just been shopping with the big commission check I got after my last mission!" Ino happily leans forward so her elbows are on the table, her hands clutching her drink.
"Glad to hear… but what was so important that you told me to get here as fast as I could?" Sakura asks, raising her eyebrow and lifting her drink to her lips.
"Oh Oh Oh!" Ino says joyfully, bouncing slightly. "Guess who I ran into and had a very… very… quick lunch with earlier today." She leans far over the table to stare at Sakura with a wide grin.
"Uhh…. Who?" Sakura asks, taking a large sip of her coffee.
"Naruto!" Ino says in an excited whisper, still having the huge smile on her face.
Sakura is so shocked at the name that she has to turn her head to the side and spit her drink out violently. Coughing and rubbing her thought, she turns to stare with very wide eyes at the laughing Ino.
"Na… Naruto's out of his apartment?" Sakura asks quietly, getting a happy glimmer in her eyes.
"Emmmhmmm," Ino says, letting her chin rest in her hand with a cute look on her face. "Though he didn't look to good. Looked like he was beaten mentally and physically with a ten pound crowbar!" Ino let her smile fall into a pout.
"Oh…" Sakura says, the glee in her eyes drop into a look of concern.
'Oh, Naruto… Why won't you let me help you?' Sakura thinks to herself sadly. 'We could have comforted each other with our loss… Instead, once again….you had to do it on your own.' Sakura turns to stare at her drink.
"You know, you should give him a call! Invite him over… I'm sure he would be happy to see you," Ino says seeing the mood swing from Sakura after hearing of his condition and trying to pull her back into a happy state.
"I don't know, Ino…" Sakura says quietly, keeping her vision on her drink. "I tried reaching out to him before and he just ignored me. I even asked him to come find me when he was ready to talk… but he never did."
"Sakura… you have to reach out to him again… let him know that it's ok… I know from just talking to him that he really blames himself for what happened to Sasuke." Ino says, letting her eyes fall softly on Sakura before taking a quick drink. "He probably doesn't know what to say to you… afraid of losing… well…. the only best friend he has left."
Sakura looks up at Ino curiously, her mouth hanging open just slightly.
"Best… friend?" Sakura asks quietly as she softly set her coffee on the table.
'Does he really… think of me as his best friend?'
"Well…YA!" Ino states in a (Well Duh!) tone. "You two were so inseparable before the war! And with the way you two acted like siblings…. Most people thought you two were family."
"Us…. Family," Sakura says out loud.
'Are we really that close?' Sakura asks herself. Images of her and Naruto over the years passed through her mind. The Chuunin exams, their hunt for Sasuke, saving Gaara, now most recently the war. 'Through all of that, he always stayed by my side… and I by his.'
Sakura stares blankly at Ino, absorbed in her thoughts. With a soft smile and the joyous glint returning to her eye, Sakura giggles.
"Ya… we are family," Sakura says sweetly, letting a soft smile grace her features. "I'll give him a call after this."
"Good to hear, Billboard Brow!" Ino says while letting out a slight giggle. "He's such a sweet guy… It's about time we started breaking through those walls of his." Ino took a large sip of her drink, letting a hush fall into their conversation.
Sakura shoots her attention from her own drink back to Ino after a few moments, a baffled look on her face. She had finally registered what her friend just said.
"Did you just call Naruto… sweet?!" Sakura asks, not believing her ears.
Ino chokes on her drink, but manages to swallow it roughly. Patting her chest with her hand to calm herself, she turns her head up to look at Sakura.
"Well…. Y... Ya, what of it?!" Ino asks, realizing her mistake and growing a slight pink blush.
"You never compliment a boy unless you lik…" Sakura stops herself, realizing what was going on.
Sakura's eyes squint together as a sly grin crosses her face. Tilting her head forward, she studies Ino carefully, thinking of how to go about this new information that Ino let slip.
"You like Naruto, don't you Ino?" Sakura asks in a dark but joking tone, never losing the mischievous and sly grin that was plastered on her face.
"WHAT?! NO! For the second time today, he is just a friend!" Ino declares, smacking her balled fist into the table, causing it to shake. Her face is growing pinker and pinker by the second.
"Wait… 'Second time?'" Sakura asks playfully, enjoying seeing her friend look so flustered and embarrassed. "So someone else figured it out? Since when did this happen?"
"Since WHAT happened, Billboard Brow!?" Ino asks, huffing and giving Sakura a death glare.
"Hahaha…" Sakura laughs quietly, letting her face fall back into normalcy while giving a bright smile. "Nothing…never mind Ino."
"Whatever…" Ino says quietly. She slouches forward and takes another sip of her drink to finish it off, her blush disappearing from her face.
Sakura quickly takes the last gulp of her drink and sets it down, turning her attention back to Ino, but not looking at her. Sakura looks out over the gated fence around the patio, watching a young couple walk by in the street, holding hands. Sakura watched them go past and remembered something of importance. Still staring into the street, she asks the question that she knew would bother Ino.
"So… how you holding up...? You know… over what happened with you and Sai? Are you finally going to tell me what he did?" Sakura looks at Ino for a brief second out of the corner of her eye.
Ino's posture and mood go from one of being flustered to one of complete sadness. Her eyes become glossy from her efforts at holding back tears.
"I still don't want to talk about it, Sakura," she says quietly and sadly. She turns to look out over the street. "I need more time to calm down and think."
"But Ino! It's been a month!" Sakura says, turning to face her friend and confront her on the topic.
Just as Sakura is about to continue speaking, Ino shoots up from her seat and grabs her belongings. She turns towards Sakura and gives her the biggest fake smile she can muster.
"Thank you for seeing me on such short notice, and I'm sorry our visit is so short," Ino says as the tears threaten to fall out of the corners of her eyes. "I hope things go well with your and Naruto's talk!"
With a swift turn on her heels, Ino marches out of the patio area and turns just to the left of the coffee shop, disappearing from sight down the street. Sakura is left speechless at seeing her so hurt at just talking about Sai. With how quickly she left, Sakura had no time to say anything back. So Sakura still sat in her seat staring at where Ino had just been.
'I'm sorry, Ino…I hope things turn up for you soon,' Sakura thinks sadly, turning to look back out over the street.
Sakura sits there quietly by herself for ten minutes, just thinking of different things and different people. Her thoughts wander before settling on the topic at the foremost of her to-do list… Call Naruto. With very slow movements, Sakura pulls out her phone and scrolls through her contacts… landing on Naruto's. She stares at his happy picture for what felt like hours to her before getting the courage to press call. With a deep, drawn out breath, she raises the phone to her ear and listens to the dial tone.
(Ring ring…ring ring.)
It seemed to ring forever to her. She just stares at the table in front of her, waiting for him to answer.
(Ring ring… ring ring)
Sakura becomes more upset the longer she waits for him to answer his damn phone…. she didn't handle anticipation well. She is cursing him internally before there is a beep, shaking her from her thoughts. His cheerful voice came to life over the phone… and for a split second… she got excited. Her happiness crashes back to earth quickly, though, at realizing it was just his voice mail.
(Phone) "Hey this is Naruto! Sorry I couldn't get to the phone right now but leave a message and I'll get b-"(Beep)
Sakura hangs up the phone, not listening to the full voice message, huffing in annoyance that he didn't answer her call…. AGAIN!
'Oh no you don't, Naruto! You are not going to ignore me anymore!' Sakura thinks angrily as she presses redial. 'I will keep calling your ass until you answer!'
She listens to the dial tone once again as she taps her fingers on the table impatiently. She thought it was going to go to voice mail again, which angered her even more…but right when it was supposed to end, she hears the tone stop. A deep breath comes through the phone.
(Phone) "He….. Hello….. Sakura-Chan…." Naruto says with a shaky voice.
Sakura freezes at hearing his voice. All of her anger washes away instantly and is replaced with an excitement at hearing him talk to her after so long. Yet she is partially saddened at how soft and depressed his voice sounds… she almost didn't recognize it… such a bittersweet feeling. She lost all track of what she was going to say to him and sat there, speechless, breathing into her phone.
'He answered! What do I do, what do I do?!'
She is brought back to earth, though, when he speaks once again.
(Phone) "Sakura-Chan... are you there?" he asks with a little bit with what sounded to her like worry in his voice.
She finally finds her bearings again as she lets a soft, loving smile grace her face.
(Phone) "Hello Naruto… Yes, I'm here… Sorry," she speaks softly and in a tone a loving sister or mother would use. "How are you doing?"
(Phone) "I'm doing… well… I guess… What about you?" he asks in a more stable tone.
(Phone) "I'm fine… I heard you're out and about today?"
(Phone) "Ya ….. Just …. Doing some stuff," Naruto says timidly. "So… what's up, Sakura-Chan? Why did you call?"
(Phone) "Well…. I was wondering…. if you could meet at the park in like 30 minutes? So we can finally have that talk." Sakura nervously waits for him to reject the offer or just hang up completely.
Naruto did not, but he did not respond to her immediately, either. Instead, he just sat on the other end of the call… breathing slowly as he is thinking. Sakura listened to his shaky breaths for what seemed like an eternity before he answered.
(Phone) "S...sure, Sakura-Chan…I'm on my way," he quietly responds, letting his breathing flatten out.
Sakura got a huge smile on her face thinking about how they were finally going to see each other and talk this out in person. She was so happy that she almost forgot to say something back.
(Phone) "Ok, I'll head that way, as well…. See you soon, Naruto." Sakura stands from her seat and heads towards the patio exit.
(Phone) "Ya, see you soon… Bye," Naruto says, sounding like he had started walking as well.
(Phone) "Bye." Sakura reaches the exit of the patio and pushes it open.
(Beep) (Beep)
They both hang up. Sakura slides her phone back into her skirt pocket, still walking towards the Konoha Park. She was lost in thought, barely able to keep herself from running into villagers passing by. She stared forward at the road ahead, but her eyes were not focused on anything. She was too busy thinking of a game plan on how to go about this conversation with Naruto.
'Ok Sakura, this is it…. the talk you've wanted to have with him for 6 months. Just stay calm and collective and try not to cry. This is for him, not you!' Sakura thinks, taking deep breaths and picking up her pace a bit. 'Here we go!'
With those final thoughts, Sakura was off at a quick, determined pace. She needed to stop by her home and pick something up that she had been meaning to give to Naruto. She marched with her head held high. Nothing in the world could stop her from getting to the park.
(Konoha Park – Konoha North side)
When Naruto reached the park, he noticed how unusually quiet it was for an afternoon. The academy should have been out for the day, letting the kids out to play. Yet they seemed to be gone for now. This left the park with an abnormal silence, not fitting with the large area. The only sounds were the occasional chirp of a passing bird and the soft sound of the trees shaking in the breeze. It was relaxing, and much needed for Naruto after his easy day had gotten very hectic very quickly.
"Hmmmm!" Naruto hums in a relaxed manner.
Naruto had always loved the park, even when he was very little. He would often came here just to sit in the grassy hills and take a nap. He loved coming to the small pond that was in the center of the park. He would skip rocks and generally pass the time there if he was thinking of how to go about a problem he was facing. This was also where Ero-Sennin would do some research, spying on young women cooling themselves off in the pond. Naruto could definitely say he had a lot of enjoyable memories in this area. It warmed his heart.
Naruto walked down the dirt and stone path towards the resting area. He was heading to the benches next to the pond where he knew Sakura would be waiting. She always seemed to beat him to wherever they were supposed to meet, no matter how early Naruto showed up. He guessed it was from her need to always be punctual. Naruto reached the top of the hill that the path brought him to. Looking down, he could see the pond stretching 200 yards in every direction. It was always so peaceful to look at. Turning his gaze towards the shore, he saw a row of benches where fishermen or passersby would sit. He saw only one figure among the rows of benches today, though. He got nervous… he could always spot her pink hair anywhere.
Sakura was staring away from him, just gazing out into the pond, clearly lost in thought. Naruto slowly walks up to her, almost not wanting to disturb her from her thoughts. As he drew closer, the stones crackled under his feat. Sakura turned over her shoulder to see who was approaching. She took in his features instantly just as Ino, Ayame, and Tsunade had. She was saddened by how fragile he looked. She noticed he was carrying a box underneath his right arm and was curious to what it was.
Naruto took in how Sakura had changed over the past six months. Her chest had seemed to grow over their time away from each other. It made her more womanly and definitely more attractive. Her hair was much longer, reaching just past her shoulder blades, bringing back images of the early Genin days. The diamond mark on her forehead was a bright green that matched her eyes. She wore her usual civilian black skirt with her knee high boots. Her red top with the Haruno Circle on the back was the same she always wore. A white long sleeve shirt was underneath the red top, reaching her wrists. Naruto gulped, thinking she looked very nice. He also noticed she had a box with her as well, sitting just next to her on the bench. This made Naruto curious.
Sakura decided to brake the silent staring by turning her attention to the box next to her. She picks the object up and sits it on her lap while scooting over to allow room for Naruto on the bench. Turning back to look at Naruto, she pats the open spot now next to her, gesturing him to join her with a soft smile. Naruto walked slowly over cautiously and took the seat next to her, placing his box in his lap as well. They both kept their attention away from each other, staring out into the pond.
The silence between them was driving them both mad. Each of them wanted to break the tension between them.
Finally, Naruto coughed awkwardly.
"It's quiet today, isn't it?" Naruto says, trying to think of anything to get them talking yet still not turning to face her.
"Yes….. It's rather nice, huh?" Sakura replies, looking at Naruto out of the corner of her eye.
Turning, Naruto picks up the box from off his lap and stretches it out in front of him for Sakura to take. She turns to look at the box, taking its appearance in. it was a smaller sized box with a nice blue wrapping paper wrapped around it. The bright red bow in the center of the box was frilly and bowed in the breeze. It was obviously a present.
"Listen; before we talk, I wanted to give you this…" he says quietly, looking at Sakura with a calm look. "I stopped by home knowing I would forget it again if I didn't bring it with me today."
"W… what is it?" Sakura asks, grabbing the package from Naruto and placing it on top of the box already in her lap.
She stared at the package, wondering what on earth brought this about. She looked away from the package to look at Naruto with a raised eyebrow.
"Well…. I didn't see you on your birthday last month… so… here's your belated present," Naruto says, looking down at the package in her lap. "I'm sorry I didn't see you or wish you happy birthday, but I was thinking of you that day… so please take this as an apology for me not being there."
Sakura picked up the present, shifting the weight in her hands as she grew a bright smile.
"I know why you weren't there, Naruto," Sakura says, facing him and giving him the most loving smile she could muster. "You didn't have to apologize… but thank you very much!" It put a small simile on Naruto's face. He laughed in embarrassment.
"And how ironic that you got me a birthday gift!" Sakura says, letting her large smile drop into a smaller more calm one.
"What do you mean, 'ironic'?" Naruto asks while raising an eyebrow in confusion, letting his mouth drop open slightly.
"It's ironic..." Sakura says while pulling the box from underneath her gift and placing in Naruto's lap. "Because I got you a birthday gift too, hehe!" She bounces slightly in excitement that she was finally giving him the gift half a year later.
Naruto stared at the newly placed box in his lap with surprise. It was in orange wrapping paper with a blue bow on top. The bow had a nice reflective quality to it, making it shine in the afternoon sun. This gift is much more nicely wrapped then Naruto's was. He looked up from the present while picking it up off his lap, looking at Sakura with a baffled look as he blinked slowly.
"Y… you got me a birthday present Sakura-Chan?" Naruto asks in a whisper with raised eyebrows and a slightly open mouth. It was a cute look that Naruto gave whenever he was shocked.
"Well, I didn't just buy it, so to say… I had it custom made just for you." Sakura tilts her head slightly in a cute manner as Naruto continues to stare at her. "I had it made shortly after the war… but I haven't been able to give it to you until now." She looks at him sadly.
"Wow… thank you very much, Sakura-Chan... This means a lot to me," Naruto says quietly, growing soft eyes. He felt warm from getting his first ever birthday present from her.
"Oh, don't get all gooshy on me idiot… It's just a gift." Sakura crosses her arms and rolls her eyes.
"No really, Sakura, this means a lot coming from you," Naruto whispers, giving her a genuine smile of happiness. "Especially after what happe-….." Naruto stops himself, realizing what he was about to say. His mood turns depressed once again.
Sakura catches where he is going with what he says and also grows slightly sad. She knew this conversation wasn't going to be easy…. at all.
'(Sigh)…. How do I go about this?' Sakura asks herself while turning her head, glancing down at the gift and then back at Naruto. Putting on a forced small smile, she lifts her gift from her lap.
"May I open my gift now, Naruto?" Sakura asks, making Naruto turn towards her. His mood changes from sad to excitement instantly.
"Please do!" Naruto says loudly, growing a smile. Turning his body to face directly at her waiting for her to proceed.
"Hm… Ok!" Sakura says, giving him another happy smile as she begins to open her gift.
Sakura pulls at the wrapping carefully, making sure not to make too much of a mess. Pulling the paper completely off, she wads it up in a ball and places it neatly on the bench next to her. She looks at the now bland box before lifting the lid off, revealing her present underneath. She gasped back a breath, seeing what was inside.
"D… do you like it?" Naruto asks softly, getting nervous with Sakura's shocked reaction.
Sakura pulled her gift from out of the box so she could get a better look at it. She smiled wide as tears threatened to fall from her eyes. It was so simple… but it instantly meant the world to her.
The gift from Naruto was a leaf forehead protector with a long black cloth as the strap and a dented and scratched Leaf Plate. She recognized the black cloth used as the strap from Naruto's old headband cloth he had worn since returning with Jiraiya-Sannin. It was re-stitched and washed so it looked just like new to the naked eye… but she knew it was his old one. The Leaf plate definitely got her right in the heart, though. It looked just like a normal plate except for the repaired long gash that ran horizontally along the Leaf symbol. It was filled in and polished, making it look less of a gash and more of a battle-worn scratch. It was hardly noticeable unless you looked at the plate very closely. Sakura's eyes began to water.
'Sasuke's old plate…'
Sakura lets the tears flow. Cradling the precious object in her hands, she flips it over to inspect every inch of the headband. She stops when she sees a small message stitched in the cloth on the back of the plate where you normally place your forehead.
(Stitched Message)
So no matter what happens … no matter how impossible… you will always have a piece of us with you, Sakura.
-Naruto / Sasuke
Sakura closed her eyes as she quietly cried, cradling her new forehead protector right next to her heart.
'DAMMIT! I said I wasn't going to cry!' Sakura yelled at herself.
"I thought since, you know… how everything has happened… with that headband… you can always have a piece of us by your side!" Naruto said, giving her a wide, loving smile as Sakura lifted her teary eyes to look at him.
She flung herself forward and crashed into Naruto, almost causing him to fall off of the bench. He catches himself by flailing his arms to balance himself and then turns his attention down at Sakura. He was just about to yell at her for almost knocking him off, but stops, letting his look drop from anger… to a smile.
Sakura was giving Naruto a large hug, digging her face into his shoulder and wetting his grey jacket with her tears. She clenched at the headband in her hand while wrapping her arms around his chest. Naruto leaned forward and hugged her back tightly. They sat there quietly for a few minutes.
Leaning back, Sakura let go of Naruto to look at him with her red, puffy eyes. She had a large smile on her face as she wiped the remainders of her tears away.
"Thank you, Naruto… This is the best gift I have ever gotten." Sakura happily lifts the headband to her head.
After placing it on her head and tying it into place, she lets her hands drop to her sides, looking at Naruto. The long black cloth reached from underneath her pink locks to rest on her back a couple inches past her hair. It looked just like the way she wore her other headband… but the blacked seemed to pop on her pink hair.
"Looks great Sakura… Like it's made for you!" Naruto says, getting Sakura to smile widely. "Well, it is after all, HAHA!"
"I'll wear it with pride, Naruto… It's an amazing gift." Sakura lifts her hand to touch the plate above her head.
"Good!" Naruto says loudly, almost sounding like his old self. He crosses his arms and turns to look at the pond once again.
"Well, just don't sit there. Open mine, idiot!" Sakura declares, giving Naruto a joking punch in the shoulder.
Naruto was rocked backward slightly from the impact. Sakura never did understand her own strength.
"OUCH! God Sakura, watch your punches… god damn!" Naruto yells, rubbing his left shoulder in pain.
"Eh… heh… Sorry, Naruto" Sakura says rubbing the back of her head with a chibi sweat drop.
Naruto rolls his eyes, turning his attention to his gift while letting go of his sore shoulder. Sakura was bouncing in anticipation for him to see her present. As he began to rip through the wrapping paper in a slow manner, Naruto grew a wide smile. He flung the last of the paper to the park floor in a quick motion and lifted the lid off of the box. He stops and gasps just as Sakura had at seeing his gift.
Naruto pulled out the gift slowly, growing a shocked look. Staring at the gift… Naruto fell in love.
It was a new black zip up ninja jacket. The zipper going up the middle of the jacket was a bright orange. There were 2 pockets, one on each hip towards the bottom of the jacket. The openings to the pockets were the same orange as on the zipper. There were 2 more pockets located on each breast of the jacket that were zipped up; they were the jacket's quick-access pockets Ninjas used when they needed a scroll or kunai very quickly. They were also orange, of course. The jacket had a large hood: the outside being the pitch black of the jacket, but the inside being the intense orange located on the zippers and pockets. The jacket had a secondary layer inside, a high-rise neck colored shirt. The shirt had a black zipper in line with the orange zipper on the upper layer. The color of the under layer was orange on the inside; the outside being black, just like the hood. The sleeves were short on purpose, meaning Naruto would have to have them pushed up on his elbows, enabling him to use his hands without the worry of his sleeves getting in the way. On the back was the whirlpool symbol Naruto always wore… This was also orange. The jacket…. was beautiful…. Naruto was speechless. (1)
Folding and placing the jacket next to him. Naruto pulls out of the box matching Jonin pants that were black as well, with a single orange stripe running down each leg. Naruto stared at the outfit with no words to say, his eyes glowing just looking at it.
"I thought since your old outfit was trashed after the war… I'd get you a new one!" Sakura said happily, seeing how Naruto clearly loved his new outfit. "I hope you don't tear up this one as badly, though."
Naruto put the pants back in the box as well as the folded jacket and put the lid on the box carefully. He turned and placed it next to him on the bench. On his face was a smile so wide, it looked like it hurt. Turning, Naruto leans in and gives Sakura a very quick hug, not giving her enough time to return it.
"Thank you Sakura… this is the coolest jacket I've ever seen!" Naruto exclaims, leaning back to sit casually next to Sakura, never losing his smile. He lifts his arm and clenches his fist over his heart. "I will also wear it with pride!"
"Ha-ha… Well, I'm happy to hear that, Naruto," Sakura says, turning her attention to the pond… knowing this was where the conversation would get serious.
Naruto also turned his attention to look over the pond, leaning forward with his elbows resting on his knees. His smile dropped into a serious look… he played with his hands as he thought. The silence between them grew again just as it had when he arrived… both waiting for the other to talk first. Once again… it was Naruto.
"I'm sorry, Sakura-Chan," Naruto said quietly, never looking at her. "I'm sorry I couldn't keep my promise to you."
Sakura turned her head to look at Naruto, also very serious.
"You know I don't ca-" she started to speak, but was cut off by Naruto.
"Let me finish, please."
Naruto turned to face Sakura and looked her right in the eyes for the first time since getting there. He saw the same emotions that he saw in his own eyes. Fear, sadness, depression… she was going through the same things he was. She just always hid her emotions better. Still looking into her eyes, he took a deep breath and continued.
"You know, I thought you would hate me forever for not bringing him home… like I promised. I hated myself even more than I thought you ever could, though… I despised myself. I let myself get caught up in the moment and let him sacrifice himself…. I watched as he died. It tore me up inside instantly, knowing he was gone. It destroyed me even more though knowing how you would react…. Knowing I lost my best friend…. and let down my other. I hid away from you…. away from everyone… not wanting to see your faces…. seeing the pain that I caused just for being a Jinchuuriki. Seeing the pain I caused for starting a war… just for fighting back."
Naruto turned away from Sakura to stare at the floor by his feet, balling his fists.
"I was being a coward, though… I'm starting to see that now, thanks to Ino. I was not remembering the people who fell for my sake in that war with honor… I was disgracing their memories. I will change that, though… Starting today, I will not be a coward and I will rebuild myself. That's also why I'm here with you, Sakura… I've missed you… deeply, over the past few months. I was afraid of what you would say to me… afraid of… of what I would say. Though, over the past couple minutes that I've seen you… you don't look at me with disgust like expected. You look at me just like you did before I left on the mission before the war. You look at me with… comfort. So I realize…. you don't hate me… even after I failed you." Naruto let go of his balled fists and turned to look at her with a small smile.
"Although, you could just be a great actor and you actually do hate me... ha-ha." Naruto took a deep breath, preparing himself for what he had been meaning to say. He lifted his sight from the floor to look Sakura in the eye once again.
"I guess what I'm trying to say, Sakura… is… even if you do hate me… you are very precious to me. I will always hold you in my heart… because no matter what happens… you'll always be my closest friend. I'm sorry…. I disappointed you."
Naruto looked away from the quiet Sakura, choosing to watch the ducks swim slowly across the pond, leaving ripples in the pure blue water. He was waiting for her response… and her silence was killing him inside.
Sakura turned her attention towards the ducks as well. She placed her hands together in her lap while rubbing her thumbs together. Naruto caught this out of the corner of his eye knowing what it meant… she was thinking.
Sakura spoke very quietly…keeping her vision towards the other end of the pond. She didn't want to look at his face while she spoke… because she knew if she did… she wouldn't be able to focus.
"You're such an idiot, you know that?" Sakura asks in a somber tone, making Naruto flick his head to look at her with pouting eyes. She didn't look back; instead she kept her vision on the pond.
"I would never hate you, Naruto… and you might mess up… a lot... but you have never once disappointed me. I understand why you would think I would hate you… I never treated you well when we were younger… but I have grown up and have seen how you are such a beautiful person, Naruto." Sakura smiled gently, still looking at the pond.
"You did hit me a lot," Naruto agreed, rubbing his head where she normally left lumps.
"Ha-ha... yes… that I did… but you always deserved it!" Sakura replies, laughing at the memories.
"Hey!" Naruto objects, slumping into a pout. "I didn't always deserve it!"
Sakura places her finger to her lips, gesturing him to be silent. She still would not look at him.
"Let me finish, please. I let you speak without interruptions, didn't I?" Sakura asks with a slight giggle.
Naruto nodded his head, relaxing into his seat. He gestured with his hand for her to proceed.
"I do miss him, Naruto. We had Sasuke back for such a short time during the war… but I never got to speak with him. I never sat him down and told him how much he meant to me… how much I loved him. Now he is gone, and I never will have that chance… it saddens me. But I will never blame you for what happened to him. He's gone, but he will always be in my heart… as well as yours." Sakura turned her head to look at the clouds above. They moved slowly in the breeze… so peaceful to look at.
"It almost killed me when Sasuke died, Naruto… but I would have died… if I had lost you as well." Sakura finally turned away from the sky and looked at Naruto with nothing but confidence. She seemed to look into Naruto's soul with her gaze. It made him shiver.
"Despite how I've treated you in the past… I never hated you. When I was talking to Ino earlier, she brought up feelings I never thought I had towards you, Naruto," Sakura says, letting her eyes fall into a soft glisten that Naruto only saw her give when she was looking at Sasuke or her parents. "She made me realize what you are to me. I know I've always loved Sasuke… but in turns out… I've loved you, as well."
Naruto flinched backwards at the information, his mind going blank, even forgetting how to breathe.
"But before you get any ideas, I don't mean I love you like a lover… I mean I love you…. like a brother. I guess, in ways, I love you more than I loved Sasuke… because even though I sought him for affection, I have always had a connection with you, Naruto… because you're like my brother….. You're my family… and family always comes first." Sakura rests her hand on Naruto's shoulder.
Naruto stared at Sakura with the widest eyes that he could possibly muster. His mouth was wide open and his heart was beating a thousand beats per second. He slowly closed his mouth and changed his face into something he didn't think he could do anymore… he gave her half of his normal foxy grin.
"I love you like a sister, too, Sakura-Cha-…. Sakura-Imouto!" (2)
This made Sakura smile even brighter at seeing the old Naruto starting to come out… even it was just a baby bit. She was happy nevertheless. Naruto opened his eyes to look at Sakura with a slight happiness… and for a brief moment, Sakura could have sworn the color in his eyes got brighter.
'His emotions did always reflect in his eyes,' Sakura thought, watching the flare of color wash back to the sad dull blue.
Naruto started rubbing the back of his head while a blush reached his cheeks; he giggled. This made Sakura drop her hand from his shoulder and give him a questioning look.
"What?" Sakura asks, curious with Naruto's sudden change in behavior.
"Well... it's just that…. I always saw you as a love interest… if we are siblings now… that makes it weird," Naruto says, still rubbing the back of his head with a blush. "I guess I'll have to find someone else, ha-ha! Though I've never been a ladies' man..."
Sakura looked at Naruto with a happy look in her eye at hearing him talk about finding another love interest.
"Ya, don't do that anymore... it's weird now," Sakura says in a joking manner.
Both Sakura and Naruto burst into laughter at this, not stopping for almost five minutes.
'Oh… don't worry, Naruto… I believe you won't be single for much longer, heheee.' Sakura thought as an image of her loud blond female friend popped in her head. 'Not long at all…'
"Why are you spacing out on me, Sakura-Imouto?" Naruto waves his hand in front of her face and snaps his fingers.
"Nothing, Naruto, now get your damn hand out of my face…. And why the hell are you calling me Imouto? It should be Oneechan (2)." Sakura stated giving him a joking evil glare.
"ONEECHAN! Why the hell are you the older sibling?!" Naruto asks with a huff while crossing his arms.
"Because I'm seven months older than you, dummy… You turned 18 in October while last month I turned 19!" Sakura says happily, waiting for Naruto to get what that meant.
Naruto stared at Sakura with wide eyes, finally letting his brain click with the information.
"THAT MEANS I'M YOUR LITTLE BROTHER!" Naruto shouted, flailing his arms in anger. He didn't like that sound of that at all.
"Yep… you're younger than me, so that makes you my wittle Otouto (2), huh? Little boo-boo brother," Sakura teases Naruto while grabbing his cheeks and pinching and pulling them.
"Knock it off!" Naruto retorts, smacking her hands away from his face.
Sakura bursts into laughter, having to hold her sides from them hurting.
'This is bull shit!' Naruto thought with a pout, listening to Sakura's laughter.
Naruto didn't mind, though… if this helped to bring them back to where they were before the war… he would gladly take one for the team.
After Sakura's laughing had settled down, they sat there talking about silly things and memories, simply enjoying each other's company. They laughed and they joked about how silly they were as kids. Naruto started catching up on what all had happened in the village while he was locked away in his home. Before both of them knew it… hours had passed by.
Sakura looked up towards the sky, watching how low the sun was getting. She huffed in annoyance, knowing it was time for her to head home for dinner.
"Well, it's getting late; I better be getting home," Sakura says, turning away from the sky towards Naruto.
"Ya its ge-… wait… Did you just say it's getting late?!" Naruto springs to his feet, showing a face of fear. "Sakura-Oneechan, what's the time?!"
Slightly shaken by Naruto's sudden change from happy to fearful, Sakura reached for her phone. Pulling it out and clicking the power button to bring her lock screen to life, she reads the time.
"Its 5:54…why?" Sakura asks, putting her phone back into her pocket.
"SHIT! I'M GONNA BE LATE!" Naruto shouted while grabbing the box holding his new outfit. "Sorry Sakura, I got to go! I'll talk to you later, bye!"
Naruto stepped forward, gave Sakura a very quick hug, and before she could ask what he was late for, he was off running. Seeing him trip and fall flat on his face skidding to a stop about 50 yards away, Sakura giggled. Naruto quickly recovered, re-grabbed his present, and was off again, running out of sight.
'Such an idiot…..' Sakura thought, turning towards the wrappings to her own present that still rested on her head. She started to walk towards home, letting her thoughts go to Ino and Naruto. 'If they play their cards right… I think they could make a great couple… Loud as hell…. but great.'
Sakura reached the park exit and dropped her trash into a bin as she passed by. Sighing to herself and reaching up to touch her new Forehead protector, Sakura smiled.
It had been a great day.
END CHAPTER 3
1 - Ok so I know describing this jacket was a bitch, so here is how you can see it for yourself. BTW - I DON'T OWN THE RIGHTS TO THIS JACKET….. It's just badass looking! Google image search Orange assassin jacket… it's the first pic that pops up on mine… The jacket is on a black headless manikin wearing a necklace with a ring on it. I hope you find it if it's not the first pic for you!
2 – Imouto – Little Sister; Oneesan/Oneechan – Big Sister; Otouto – Little Brother