Thank you to those that have supported me! I did not expect any kind of support this early in the story, so to have it is very promising to me! The more that support me, and the further I get into this story the more excited I am! With that said, enjoy!
I do not own Naruto or any of its characters I just wrote the story for enjoyment.
"Inner talking"
"Thoughts"
"Normal talking"
Sakura woke up the next morning with a large feeling of excitement for her vacation. She slid out of bed to take a hot shower, and brush her teeth. She walked into her room in a fluffy red towel as she decided to what to wear for the day. She chose black capris that reached just below her knees, a red shirt with sleeves that reached her elbow, a high neckline collar with a slit that reached the top of her breasts, and had a black cloth belt that had a white colored belt buckle in the center of her stomach. Finally, she chose to go with black lace up boots that reached her knees, and left her hair in a low ponytail. After taking care of the rest of her hygiene, she began to pack things such as skillets, and clothes for her trip to her secret place in the woods. As soon as she finished, she realized she had not said goodbye to any of her friends, so with that in mind, she rushed out the door to meet up with her friends one last time before she left.
The first of her friends that she came across was Naruto and Hinata. Now, Naruto eventually realized that the feelings he had for Sakura were that of a sibling, and not long after, discovered that Hinata has always had loved him since they were kids. Once he found out, he realized that the weird feeling in his chest whenever he saw her blush was love, and asked Hinata to be his girlfriend. Sakura was happy that Naruto finally met someone that would love him, and she was glad that Hinata was finally able to get with him after all those years of waiting. Sakura jogged up to them as she yelled to them, "Naruto! Hinata!" Naruto lifted his head to look at the pinkete jogging up to them, and yelled back, "Sakura! Where have you been we have not seen you lately! I thought I was going to have to run in to Tsunade-baa-chans office to demand she give you time off!" Sakura smiled as she reached them, "Well, actually Naruto I was just approved for a two week vacation outside the village!" Sakura told them with a smile. "What! What do you mean outside the village?! Why don't you want to stay in the village? If you stay in the village, we could spend time together, and catch up at Ichirakus. Wait a minute, are you going to see someone outside the village. I don't approve of him if he dosen-" Sakura decided to stop that train of thought right there. "Naruto! I just want to spend time outside the village alone, so I don't have to worry about being called back to the hospital for little things like being understaffed. I need this vacation time badly, and I want to spend it getting the rest I need." Sakura felt bad she could not tell him the real reason why it is so important for her to have this time off alone, but if she told Naruto "what" she truly is, he would be in danger. Sakura has lost too many important people in her life already, and if she can find a way to keep him safe than she was willing to endure the pain that came with it. "Oh lighten up! Your friends aren't just a bunch of weaklings that would just allow themselves to be knocked off for no good reason" Inner said with a tone of disinterest as she lounged around in Sakura's mind. "I know Inner I just want to be on the safe side." Sakura responded. "Where is the fun in that? Being safe all the time gets boring. I mean you do nothing fun anymore! Where is the little girl that would make small bombs out of materials that just laid around the house, and set them off next to large dangerous animals such as bears?!" Inner said with a smirk. Sakura blushed when she remembered the scoldings she would get, "That was a long time ago Inner!" "I know! It has been far too long, and now you are so uptight about everything that I think that if you tried to be any more serious you would snap in half!" Inner said with a chuckle. Sakura was about to retortwhen Hinata's soft voice broke Sakura out of thought conversation when she said, "I am happy for you Sakura. People always surround you whether you are at the hospital or taking a walk. It must get a little suffocating." Sakura's eyes softened at the sincerity and understanding from the Hyuuga heiress, and she smiles softly as she says, "At times it can be suffocating, but most of the time, it is worth it because I am surrounded by my friends." After hearing this, Naruto smiled wide, and said, "If you are going to leave the village for 2 weeks I expect some souvenirs for when you return, and once you are home, I am going to drag you to Ichirakus for some ramen!" Sakura smiled at Naruto and Hinata then she pulled them into a hug. Sakura told them both byes, and then headed off to see Ino at her family's flower shop.
Ino was talking to her teammates, Shikamaru and Choji, at the counter when Sakura walked in. Ino looked up from her conversation with her teammates, and spotted Sakura by the entrance. She launched herself at Sakura screaming, "Forehead! You came to visit!" Sakura wrapped Ino her arms as she shouted, "Of course I did Ino-pig!" As the girls were squealing at each other, Shikamaru murmured, "So troublesome" and Choji responded, "Ah, let it go Shikamaru. They haven't seen each other for a couple weeks because their crazy schedules at the hospital." Shikamaru sighed when the girls finally decided to acknowledge the boys. "Hey Shikamaru! Hey Choji! How have you guys been? I have not seen anyone in what feels like a month!" Sakura said to the boys. "Hey Sakura it has been a while! Actually, I have been great! I just started dating one of the girls that work at my favorite BBQ restaurant, and she is so beautiful, I don't know what to do with myself around her! Also, Shikamaru here is going to be heading on a mission to Suna soon which means he gets to see Temari!" Choji answered for both of them. "Is that right. So, are you going to finally propose to your lovely girlfriend, Temari, when you see her, or is she too troublesome right now?" Sakura asked. Shikamaru sighed as he said, "I was going to propose over dinner with her, but she can be so unpredictable at times that I am not sure how well she will take it." His friends snickered at the thought of Shikamaru "the genius" had trouble predicting how well his girlfriend would react to him proposing. Sakura finally said, "I am sure that things will go fine Shikamaru. After all she loves you." Ino continued, "I mean she must really love you to date you from such a long distance when she could date a guy that lives in the same village as her. She not only does that, but she also deals with your lazy attitude every time she comes to visit. If that isn't love I don't know what is." Shikamaru said, "Thanks for the advice. Anyway, Sakura what are you doing here? Shouldn't you be working or sleeping by now?" Sakura forgetting about her previous objective of visiting responded, "Oh yeah. I am here to tell you guys that I am going on a 2 week vacation outside the village, and I wanted to say goodbye before I leave." Ino responded with a mischievous look in her eye, "So forehead, are you going to go out, and find yourself a nice lover or two to spend those 2 weeks?" Sakura blushed at what Ino was getting at, after all Ino has been trying to set her up with a bunch of guys, but all of them have failed to make Sakura notice them much less fall for them. Finally, she released a sigh as she answered, "No Ino. I am just going out to get some much needed alone recovery time. A guy would just succeed in causing me more stress than necessary." Shikamaru, Choji, and Ino snorted slightly at the statement, and they said their goodbyes and best wishes for her vacation. Sakura left to go say goodbye few more friends, and see how they were doing before she left.
Luckily, Kiba, Sai, Lee, Ten Ten, Neji, and Shino seemed to gathering together to have some training session together, so she did not have to look for all of them separately. Kiba spotted her, and yelled out to her, "Hey Sakura! We're gathering everyone to have a big training session together since it is rare for all of us to be in the village together at the same time!" Lee decided to add on, "Yes! Come join us in our youthful activities, and celebrate our youth filled reunion this summer!" Sakura shook her head at them as she said, "Sorry guys I can't. I am starting my vacation for 2 weeks outside the village today. I was coming to say goodbye to all of you before I left." At this statement, Lee and Kiba deflated a little bit while the rest nodded their head in understanding. Then, Lee perked up quickly, and said, "Then, next time we will come, and retrieve you first to join us in our celebrations Sakura!" Everyone in their group smiled, as Sakura's eyes seemed to soften with a tender happiness, and lightly smiled. "I would love that Lee." Sakura said softly, and then they talked to each other for a short time as everyone updated her on the happenings in their lives. Neji and Ten Ten are now engaged, and are thinking of having a spring wedding the following year. Somehow, Sai and Ino's relationship is still good since they started dating about a year or ago, and Lee, Shino, and Kiba are still single. Sakura started feeling her other side fighting against her, telling her that she has been in the village too long. "Sakura, we are on vacation. What are we still doing here? You have told everyone except Shizune you better hurry, and get out of here before you get stuck here." Inner said in an impatient and anxious tone. "Alright! I only have Shizune left to say good bye to than I can leave!" Sakura said being a little upset that she can't spend more time with her friends. "Ok, guys I really need to say goodbye Shizune, so I can start my vacation. I will see you at the end of my two weeks!" Sakura said as she started jogging towards the Hokage tower. She stumbled in her jog when she heard Ten Ten yell in a teasing voice as she left, "Have fun Sakura! Hope you find yourself a handsome sparring partner to bring home with you!" Inner was cackling madly from within Sakura's mind at her friends' teasing. Sakura huffed, and walked into Shizune's office.
Shizune has become something like a sister after all the years they spent together training and helping Tsunade, and they share their research when it comes to medicines and poisons. "Shizune! I am finally going to start my 2 week vacation, and I just wanted to say goodbye to you before I go." Sakura said. Shizune looked up from the mountains of paperwork that surrounds her office, and smiled softly at Sakura. She got up and pulled Sakura into a hug as she whispered in her ear, "I am going to pile mountains of paperwork on you when you return, so you better enjoy it while you can." As they pulled away Sakura was smiling despite being a little pale, and Shizune smiled back brightly. Sakura opened the door to leave when Shizune decided to have a little more fun at her expense. "I hope when you return you will finally tell me all about the man that you share these 2 week escapades every year." Shizune said loud enough for the passing secretaries to here. Sakura whole face flushed to make her head resemble that of a cherry, "Shizune!" Shizune just smiled as she waved goodbye. Sakura teleported home to grab her things, and she wanted to lock up her house before she left.
After she locked up her house, she started walking towards the village gate. As she headed towards the village gate, she smiled at the thought of having 2 weeks to herself outside the village. On another note, why does everyone think that the only reason wants to leave the village is to meet some guy? "Well if you most now, you are a very attractive and very successful young women that has not dated a single guy in her entire life, and she lives and breathes for her village's sake. Now all of a sudden, she wants to leave said village for 2 weeks just to be alone. I would not buy that story either if I was in their shoes." Inner said in an amused voice. "I take this 2 week trip every year! They did not assume I was meeting some guy back then why is it so different now?" Sakura thought back with an annoyed tone. Inner just smiled from within her mind, and said, "You just recently turned 21 years old, the age when you are completely a young ADULT women; you have lost many of your physical childish characteristics, and have replaced them with womanly ones such as flat figure with a lean and curvy one." "Hey! I can't help the fact my body took a little longer to develop than others!" Sakura thought back still defensive of her old childish figure. "True, but now not only are you a women but you look like one too. Whether or not you have noticed it, many men have recognized that, and they want a piece of the new Sakura Haruno." Inner responded with a wolfish grin to take the place of her smile. Sakura blushed, and thought back, "So! That has nothing to do with my trip! The bunch of perverts can go stare at someone else!" Inner just snorted as Sakura walked up to the gate. She suddenly got the feeling that something big was going to happen while she was out of the village, but she pushed it aside in favor of the excitement she felt bubbling underneath her skin at the freedom she is about to have after restraining herself for the entire year until now. With that in mind, she ran outside the village with a speed that could rival Lee's, and launched into the forest.