Chapter 20: reasons why
There they were gathered around Sakura. She successfully went through surgery and was now sleeping peacefully. Kiara was standing on her left cradling her injured arm. She had to give herself a sling and she despised it. Naruto was also there, but sitting down next to her holding Sakura's hand. He was replaying what just happened a couple hours ago. The way Sakura was acting before she collapsed, seeing how shaken she was. What really hurt him was the way she pushed him away every time he reached out to her.
"She still thinks you hate her." Kiara stated still looking at Sakura. Naruto looked at her puzzling. "That's why she was pushing you away. She still thinks that you hate her, so when you reached out to her she felt like it was out of pity not because you cared." Naruto looked back at the sleeping kounichi and stroked her hand gently. The door then swung open and there was Ryu asking repetitively where Sakura was. Kiara then yelled, "Ryu you should be in bed resting! You came through the hospital with kunais all over your body and completely chakra drained!" Ryu ignored her and rushed to Sakura's side.
"Is she alright?" he asked as he took a look at her heart beat. Kiara nodded and rubbed his back to calm him down. He then saw Naruto at her side and snorted, "Why the hell are you here?" Both Naruto and Kiara were shocked at his question. He was staring at him rudely and repeated, "Why are you here Naruto?" Naruto stood up and replied, "Because I care about her." Ryu then snorted again and simply called out, "Bull Shit" This really surprised Naruto and also got him irritated. He stood up from his chair and snarled, "What did you say?" Ryu then stepped in front of him and replied, "You want me to repeat it?" Kiara then stepped in and separated the two.
"I think that I am the only one who cares about Sakura-Chan." Ryu stated as he took her hand. That was all it took for Naruto's patience to snap. Sakura-Chan? Sakura-Chan? Who the hell does he think he is calling her that? Naruto thought as he pushed Kiara away and pried his hand out of hers then grabbed him by the collar.
"You hate her remember!" Ryu continued as Naruto shoved him to the wall and spat out, "I don't hate her! I love her!" Tears were cornering his eyes, but he continued "I have always loved her. That's why I told Kiara that I wouldn't fall in love with her again, because I can only fall in love with Sakura-Chan again if I fell out of love with her, but I never did. I've always loved her and I always will. I was just mad and heartbroken, that's why I told her I hated her, but I really don't. It was my fault in the end. It's my entire fault…" Naruto's grip fell as he began to tremble. Ryu smiled sympathetically and placed his hand on his back and whispered, "I knew you could say it. Trust me Naruto, I don't think of Sakura-san that way. I just needed you to admit you still love her. You need to prove to her that you don't hate her." Kiara stood there looking at the two teens, with full relief. If Ryu was hard on Naruto it was because he needed to realize something.
"Wha…what happened?" Everyone turned around to see Sakura's eyes open. The entire group smiled and came to her aid. For about ten minutes they just tended to Sakura's needs fluffing her pillow, getting her water and telling her that she just went through surgery. The last part she didn't like at all, but she was glad that she was ok now. Her face then turned sorrowful and Kiara noticed right away. She placed her hand on top of hers and asked, "What's wrong Sakura?" Sakura stared down at her lap and began to fiddle with the sheets of her bed and responded, "The scroll is gone. He got it." Kiara gently stroke her hand with her thumb and replied sweetly, "We know Sakura. Riku told us everything that happened." Both Naruto and Ryu nodded they weren't mad at all, they were just glad she and Riku were safe. Sakura then looked up and Kiara and asked, "Why is that scroll so important though?"
"Let me answer you that since I am the most familiar with it," spoke Rika as she entered the room with medication in her hands. She set the medication next to Sakura and gave her the glass of water as well. "Many years ago there was a demon. She was the strongest demon of all time stronger than the Lord himself. Her name was Ai, the white tigress demon. She was strong, beautiful and extremely talented in the medical field, but the true reason why she was the strongest demon was because she was the Lord's true love. She could get the Lord to do everything she wanted him to do, even be her precious play doll if she wanted him to be. He would do anything for her. They were madly in love with each other, but one day the Lord just decided to leave her. No one knows why exactly only the Lord himself. She was completely devastated and enraged. She began to rampage around the entire village destroying everything and everyone in her path. No one could defeat her, except for the Lord himself, but he couldn't bring himself to kill her, so he sealed her into the demon scroll instead. The only way for her to come out of the scroll is to get a human and fuse souls with each other."
This all made since to Sakura now, if Dr. Netto got the scroll he would be able to control the strongest demon in the village. Sakura then began to panic, she let him get the scroll it was all her fault. She then felt pressure on her hand and found Kiara staring at her.
"Don't panic Sakura. That scroll is useless unless he has found the right human. I really doubt he did though. There will only be one person who can fit her soul and there are more than a million people in the world." Kiara explained as Sakura began to calm down. Rika then smiled and told everyone to leave and let Sakura rest in peace. They all nodded and left Sakura alone. She then took the medication that Rika had given her and began to drift into a dreamless sleep. Once she did, the door opened and Naruto graciously walked in. He then sat down next to her and held her hand once again. His heart and gut were tightening, but he just sat there looking at her. With one tear sliding down his cheek he whispered to her over and over, "I am sorry Sakura-Chan. I love you." As he repeated the words he began to remember why he even left. If it wasn't for that stupid dream, I probably wouldn't have left you. Naruto could remember the dream so well like it was yesterday. It was after Naruto and Sakura were done and they both fell happily asleep in each others' arms.
There he was wearing a tux with Sakura right in from of him. She was about to say I do when Sasuke comes barging through the doors and exclaimed that he objected the wedding. He said that he loved her and Sakura smiled brightly and was about to go to him. Naruto grabbed her arm and said, "No, you are going to marry me. I have waited far too long for this Sakura-Chan. I deserve to be happy too!" Sakura began to shake her head and cried out, "I love Sasuke-kun! I only was going to marry you because I thought that he would never come back. I will never be truly happy with you Naruto!" Naruto once again told her no and she nodded sniffling with tears rolling down her beautiful cheeks. She tried to say I do once more, but Naruto just cut her off and said, "Go" She looked at him and he yelled at her once again, "Go!" She then nodded and gave him a hug and left him at the altar with Sasuke as Naruto just fell to the ground crying. Naruto then woke up from his dream and found Sakura in his arms sleeping peacefully. Naruto smiled and whispered to her, "I will get you who you truly love Sakura-Chan." With that he kissed her on the forehead, got dressed and left her.
Naruto hated reliving that horrible nightmare, but there she was as a mother now. He began to cry some more and gently stroke her hand.
"If I had never left you those twins would have been mine. We probably have been still together," he whispers to her as he caresses her cheek softly. "I regret everything I have done, that has brought pain to you Sakura-Chan." He then silently sobs and chokes out, "I shouldn't have left you." With that he fell asleep. Hours past and it's the middle of the night. Sakura begins to open her eyes and finds herself still in the same room. She sighed then tried to get a bit more comfortable when she realized that something was weighing her down. With one turn to the left she found Naruto's sleeping soundly on her lap. At the sight of him she smiled and her heart was bursting. Naruto had actually stayed with her through the night. Her fingers raked his soft blonde hair tenderly and she whispered, "I love you Naruto-kun. I would do anything for you to love me again." Naruto began to stir and mumbled out words. Sakura leaned closer and he mumbled, "Yes grandma, I will be honored to become Hokage." Sakura smiled at the blonde shinobi. He was having another dream of becoming Hokage and Sakura loved that he still kept his dream alive.
"My amazing wife will be so proud of me," he mumbles once again as he then begins to snore afterwards. This caused Sakura's smile to fall. He's in love with Kiara… She thought as she began to look at how she was. She was in a weak state as Kiara was on her two feet only with a sling on her arm, which she knew it was coming off the next day. She looked at Naruto once again and thought, maybe Dr. Netto was right. Maybe the only way Naruto can love me again is if I was stronger.