Sakura sat there, under the half-demolished tree of their training ground. Her hands clenched the grass beneath her. Her face had a hardened look, that of a person who had lost many. The war had ended just a month ago. They all had suffered a lot. Physical bruises were like sweets when facing mental breakdowns. Now she understood why Sarutobi said that 'Wars are dangerous when finished'.
She had seen many die in front of her. Even as a medic with miraculous powers to heal, she had not been able to save every life. But she was prepared as Tsunade had trained her to face death. Starting from a small fish to a full-fledged human, she had seen deaths in many shapes. Even her own when Sasuke put her under a genjutsu.
Remembering that event sent shivers down her spine. Sure, he hadn't killed her but merely warned. But he would have done it, if she had pushed any further. His eyes held no warmth or love.
'I was foolish' A tear trickled down her eye as she remembered all the hard work she had put in to bring him back. Even though she knew he was not in love with her, she had held a small ray of hope. She had given up on the Uchiha the moment he played the harsh genjutsu on her. She couldn't bear to be hurt anymore than she had already been. The only person she could now rely, on in these harsh times was Naruto. She was surprised herself when the first name to come to her list to mention as guardian was Naruto. The line behind her who had been entering the resting facilities built by Konoha was shocked as well.
Hearing that the hero of the world was someone's guardian sure shocked them. But then, the blonde hoped from god knows where and nodded vigorously.
That was a month ago. After that, Naruto didn't associate much with people. Or rather her. As if he was keeping a safe distance between them. She hated it but respected his decision. Daily she hoped he would return to his usual self and was hurt when he didn't.
She half knew why he was being like that but decided to not let it bother her. 'I have put him through a lot already. It's better if...' she hiccuped and tears welled in her eyes at a faster rate. She knew he was avoiding her. Why, she wanted to know too. But the other part of her always screamed in agony, berating herself for making him go through hell for Sasuke. When the latter wasn't even their friend anymore.
Yes, Sasuke was still the same. He didn't associate with them. He had Anbu tailing him if he wanted to go somewhere. She hadn't met him since the Valley of the End. After that sorry he said, she couldn't bring herself to forgive him.
With Naruto avoiding her, she often found herself sitting under this tree. It held memories of what little time the three had spent together. And later only she and Naruto. She waited under the tree, hoping Naruto would come to find her and only curse herself for being so selfish.
'Maybe,...I should keep pursuing Sasuke.' Unaware of her feelings and strangled by mental breakdowns, she kept thinking negative things. For her, being with Sasuke would be a good punishment for all trouble she had caused Naruto. In all the jumbled feelings and storm of thoughts, she forgot to notice that all her concerns had been for the blonde since a long ago.
As she was wiping her tears and readying to leave, the leaves and bushes rustled when someone entered the Training ground. She was alert but saw a familiar blur of blonde in the starry night.
"Sakura, what are you doing here?" Ino asked her as she stood behind Sakura. "Ino..." Sakura stared at her friend and then averted her gaze. She kept remembering how many people she had hurt just for one raven head.
Ino who noticed this change in Sakura's eyes sighed. "You are seriously not thinking about Sasuke even now are you, forehead?" Ino asked her as she grabbed Sakura's hand and made her stand up. Her hand tightened on Sakura's arm and she peered her eyes into hers. Sakura shook her head. "Good, because we are gonna have some real fun tonight." Ino grinned broadly, reminding Sakura of Naruto for a second. Sakura tilted her head in confusion but was pulled by Ino in a hurry.
On their way, Ino reported everything to Sakura. On the joyous moment of their Win in the war and sustaining a whole month's world peace, the residents of Konoha had decided to feast. Since the war, many of the people who had lost shelter and entire villages had shifted to Konoha. Mostly because the world's savior, Uzumaki Naruto was in Konoha. Along with other heroes of the war who were officially the strongest in the world now.
According to Ino, there was also going to be a game and it was unknown what it would be. As usual, the blonde was just happy to be participating in a party without knowing what it would have. Sakura tagged along, and she was done with her duty for the day. Almost all patients with light to heavy injuries had been healed. While Sasuke and Naruto had already gotten used to Single hands and the preparations of a prosthetic prototype was being prepared.
When Sakura arrived at the Village center, her eyes were charmed. The lights were hanging marvelously and the decorations were the best they could be after a huge war. It felt like Konoha was getting a new life. Her friends were all conversing cheerily and that soothed her a bit. However, Naruto was nowhere to be seen. Her eyes roamed in every direction but were unable to notice the hyperactive Ninja.
Slight disappointment jabbed her heart. When they got seated in front of a huge stage she saw Sasuke advancing towards them. He looked healthy now, unlike her who had huge eye bags. He looked at her, nodded, and sat beside her. She was surprised that he even cared to show up. And as if reading her mind he mumbled.
"Staying in a tent the whole time is a bit too much." Maybe he was getting in his right mind, or he had finally hit it somewhere but Sasuke seemed 'Normal'. Sakura just hummed and didn't say much and the Uchiha didn't bother prying.
Unknown to the duo, a certain blonde head stared at them with his ocean eyes, each time a needle pierced his heart.
"Not getting cold feet now, are we?" a mundane voice entered his ears and Naruto looked at the owner of the voice, who was obviously Shikamaru. Naruto gave a small smile and shook his head. "It's gonna be a huge surprise, I guess?" The Nara spoke again. The people around them didn't know what they both were speaking of but it was interesting seeing a Nara strike conversation for so long.
"Ahem!"
The curtains of the stage wrapped away and a brown-haired kid made his appearance. "Konohamaru!" Sakura chuckled at the way the grandson of the third was pushing away the wires that had tangled around his legs.
"So, after the long war with the legendary Uchiha and measly wire, we are ready to begin our Game!" his voice boomed through the mic. Some laughed, some snickered and a few just smiled but his joke didn't fail.
"The party will start after this game so please hold on to your hunger. Especially Choji-San..." when the eyes of half of the crowd drove towards the Akimichi, he hastily put the huge bag of Chips away making everyone laugh. Konohamaru sighed and continued.
"The game is simple. Since we have been weeping for our lost comrades for too long, it's time we paid them our respects by showing them how we are moving forward strongly. They have sacrificed themselves bravely on the battlefield for us and the peace we are enjoying, so being stuck up won't make them happy." His voice was smooth but the words hit hard.
There was a brief silence and he continued again. "By putting this idea through the Hokage, we have decided to play a little game that's gonna make the participants either happy or brokenhearted. But whatever the results, we will be accomplishing a great move in our lives as a first step in moving on from the dreadful past."
"Anyone interested will have their right to come on the stage and sing a song, long or short for their loved one. Be it family or crush, it's all accepted here. Whether you get accepted or rejected, you have to be brave to move on."
Of course, it surprised many. It was like moving from a fearsome past to a Scary future. The game was indeed simple. A song for a loved one wasn't going to hurt anyone, but if someone did confess and got rejected,...it would be hell.
But his voice was so strong and confident that many cheered. Sakura shook her head helplessly. If it had been just a few months ago, she would be doing it too, for Sasuke. But now her eyes were just chasing to find her other teammate.
"Let's begin, with yours truly of course." Konohamaru bowed solemnly as he pointed to himself. Everyone expected the cheeky brat to confess to someone. But he just sang a song to pay his respects to every dead soldier on the battlefield. It brought tears to everyone's eyes, but they felt lightheaded and worries seemed to have run away.
It was a joy. Seeing people coming on the stage and singing. Without care if it sounded horrible or not, they were singing freely. Some got accepted, some didn't. But everyone left the stage with smiles. Konohamaru was proudly smirking on the sides, patting himself. Sakura felt he deserved it since not even Medics were able to push away the depression from the all shinobi after the war.
Many friends she knew also sang on the stage, until Kakashi made his appearance. He was dead drunk. And more than that, he was acting so weird, team 7 felt like they had seen something drastically new. Kakashi threw his arms in the air and started singing. He crushed many people's hope when he sang. First, His voice was not suited for singing in public. Second, he wasn't confessing, which sort of relieved some maidens.
What was funny was that he was singing for his summons and his team. Both of the mentioned hid their faces, trying to avoid blushes from embarrassment. The summons puffed away without a care. However, his team had to bear with it all.
Kakashi chirped. While blurting something along the lines of Love you my little puppies to his students, Kakashi fell asleep on the stage. Konohamaru pulled the man away by a leg and continued the game.
"The trouble starts huh, tsk." Shikamaru sighed.
The next appearance shocked many. Because the person in front of them was hiding behind a mask. A normal mask from a shop. Despite that, many could tell it was the blonde hero. Blonde hair wasn't rare, but the way his hair stood up was something specific to him. Sakura, on the other hand, felt a sting in her heart. If this was a time before the war, she would have been sure that this song would be for her.
But, she wasn't so sure anymore. After the time Hinata had confessed to Naruto during their fight with pain and the moment when she brought him back to his senses on the battlefield, she felt that Hinata was making an impact on him. She had even seen him chat with her after the war, smiling like he was enjoying their talks. She didn't know why, but that thought always left a hole in her heart.
Ino teased Sakura when Naruto came to the stage. "So, how does it feel knowing that the hero of the world is going to propose to you?" Ino smirked. "What are you on about? He probably loves someone. A proper love, not a childish crush." Sakura smiled but Ino could see the pain behind it.
"We will see that..." Ino looked at the front. She was actually surprised that Sakura thought Naruto didn't love her sincerely. In her mind, Ino rubbed her hand and smirked, wishing for some fun to happen.
Naruto held the mic to a certain distance. No one knew how the knucklehead ninja of konoha would sound, but they weren't bothered a bit. Seeing their hero move on was a more satisfying moment than being bothered by his voice. But surprisingly, when he spoke, his voice was light.
"I don't know if this will work. I don't have confidence that I will be accepted. But I have been carrying these feelings for too long. Konohamaru, as you said, I guess it's time to move on." Even with the mask on, one could see the saddened smile on his face.
'Who wouldn't accept him?' Many thought the same thing. And in the midst of all this, the pinkette's eyes widened. She dared not think that it was what she assumed. 'I have hurt him too much,...he deserves someone kind...' Subconsciously a tear fell from her eye. Ino noticed but let her be. Even though she wished she could make some things clear to her friend, letting the moment and time do their charm was the best option, in her opinion.
Naruto tapped the mic and inhaled heavily for the last time before starting.
Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound
You got to lower the noise a little bit now
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
It was smooth, his voice rang through the place. It made them feel his emotions. Sakura looked at her friend as he continued, knowing what he was trying to speak to them,...to her.
I'm not making the same mistake
Won't be putting my heart on display
I'll just water my feelings down
I'm not going out looking dumb
Tellin' all my friends how you're the one
Those words never leavin' my mouth
She remembered him avoiding her. Trying to stay away as much as possible. Her mind cleared, knowing why he was doing so. 'Did he think...' she looked at her teammate seating beside her. Guilt and sadness washed over her face. She wanted to stand up and tell him, that he was wrong. He didn't have to be quiet thinking she loved Sasuke. But she couldn't, her legs won't move.
But the feeling gets
Stronger, baby
What am I gonna do now?
When you touch me
'Cause it's all gettin' too loud
Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound
You got to lower the noise a little bit now
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound
You got to lower the noise a little bit now
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
I'm not gonna do more than like
Won't be sleepin' over every night
I'll act like I don't even care, yeah
I'm not goin' out looking dumb
Tellin' all my friends I've found someone
Then wakin' up without you there
She remembered their times spent together. The moments they had spent even their nights together. Imagining her future where Naruto was just 'someone' made her heartache. His song's focus wasn't to make you cry, but her tears kept pouring nonetheless. Because she could relate,...too well to it.
But the feeling gets
Stronger, baby
What am I gonna do now?
When you touch me
'Cause it's all gettin' too loud
Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound
You got to lower the noise a little bit now
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
Charlie, be quiet, don't make a sound
You got to lower the noise a little bit now
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
If she knows you're in love, she's gonna run
Run away
The song ended. Time stood still. She met his eyes behind the mask from the holes. Maybe she was imagining or maybe tears were accumulating too much in her eyes, but she could see water in his eyes.
She could remember every word of his song. Every feeling he shared. She wanted to get up and move forward. Hold him, feel him. Let him know, he didn't have to stop caring. He didn't have to stop being the way he was.
Her feelings surprised her too, but she wanted to kiss him, soothe him that she was here, listening and accepting him. But her legs still won't move. As if she was hooked to the ground and her heart chained.
The crowd was screaming in unison for the girl to accept him. Naruto wouldn't move. Sakura couldn't stop crying.
Ad then he moved. His hand reached his face and the mask fell. The mob went silent. Sakura gasped and hiccuped from the crying. Naruto's eyes were watering nonstop yet he had a smile on his face. And something told her that if she didn't take him now...she would miss that smile forever.
"Won't you love me,..." his voice was heavy and cracking. "Sakura-Chan?"
She clenched her fist near her heart. It was pounding like crazy. Cursing herself, for not knowing how deep his feelings were for her and for being so...harsh on him. How could such a great person like him,...ever love her so much?
As she was continuing to berate herself, a push woke her. "Why don't you give him a chance?" Ino told her with a smile. 'Chance? Me?' Sakura laughed sarcastically at herself. If she was accepting him, he would be giving her a chance instead. A chance to love him and prove herself.
She saw his feet tremble and move to leave the stage with a broken, shattered heart. Sakura stood from her place and ran to the stage. His eyes followed her, each of the pieces of his heart being collected. Until the girl of his dreams was on the stage, the broken heart, collected. She held it in her arms. Now, one answer would decide, whether it stayed the same or would his heart crumble forever.
Sakura neared him, her hand resting on his face.
"Don't be quiet naruto. You can be as loud as you want and love me, let me know. I won't run away,...never." She perked up on her toes and planted a light kiss on his lips. "I Love you, Naruto. I am not lying to anyone this time."
Her sincere eyes made him cry further and his heart raced faster. He felt like his life was worth it now. He had achieved one of his precious goals. Naruto threw the mic and hugged the pinkette tight. "I love you Sakura-Chan..."
"I love you so much!"
His voice echoed, no more quiet. Nor his love running away when he said that. He was in love and she was staying, life couldn't be any better for him.