Okay, this is the second fanfic I ever released, the first Naruto fanfic I've written, and the first time I felt as confident about a story of mine as I do now. I must give you a fair warning that this is a NarutoXSakura fanfic. There will be mush, there will be fighting, there will be blood, sweat and tears. There will be comedy (and I sure hope you'll find it funny), and there will be a lot of written material. Now, this chapter is pretty light on the action, and not very mushy, since I'm just trying to establish a situation for now. I hope you still enjoy it, though.
A Different Sort of Naruto
By Daniel Goldberg
Chapter one: And So It Starts
"It's kind of strange, y'know?" Naruto said, leaning a whisker-marked cheek on the palm of his left hand, "It's like everything's different, but so much is still the same; Shikamaru's still so lazy and indifferent, Hinata's just as shy as she used to be, even Kiba's the same. It's like Sakura and me are the only ones who changed."
Jiraiya looked up from his bowl of Ichiraku's miso ramen and looked sideways at the blond. "I know, kid. I feel the same way every time I come back to Konoha. Strange, but familiar – I suppose that's what it feels like to come back home."
"Home… Heh, I guess it is.," chuckled Naruto. To think that only three years ago Konoha was simply where he lived… He couldn't really call it home back when he was alone, ignored and hated, could he? When did I start thinking about it like that, I wonder. As far as he could see, it probably started when he became a ninja. That day, when Iruka gave him his forehead protector, was when Naruto finally found someone important – someone to care for, to miss, to protect. From then on, Konoha was not only a place of residence for Naruto – it was his home, which he'd protect, even at the cost of his own life. Smiling at the pleasant revelation, Naruto finished the rest of his ramen, and left the stand with the older man.
"Hey, Naruto," Said the white haired sannin, as they walked through the streets at nighttime, "Are you okay staying here? Didn't you want to go with the team that is supposed to meet Sasori of the red sand's henchman?"
Naruto shrugged, "Yeah, but you know Tsunade-baachan. She wouldn't have let me go no matter what - I'm too emotionally involved. 'Sides, it's not like Sasuke will be there; I somehow doubt Orochimaru is letting Sasuke move about freely and unchecked, I don't think he'll risk letting anything happen to his new body." He ended with a bitter tone, making clear the fact that he was angry at someone. Still unclear, however, was if that person was Orochimaru, Sasuke, or he himself.
Jiraiya noticed the bitterness in the teen's voice, but decided to leave it alone, and change the subject. "Anyway, this just means that you'll have a little more time to train for the chuunin exam, right?"
Naruto's countenance brightened somewhat at that. "Yeah, that's right, and this time, I will become chuunin, just wait and see, Ero-sennin!" after a few moments of silent walking, Naruto spoke up. "I wonder if tests are the same every year or if they change…"
Jiraiya smirked, "Alright then, I think this is a good situation for us to examine. Ready? Go!"
Naruto smiled. Part of the training he went through with Jiraiya involved these pop-quizzes. He was supposed to analyze each option, and then, judging by his knowledge, come to the most likely conclusion. "Well, it's logical to keep the same test every year, because if you have the qualities needed to pass a test, that probably won't change, so the only tests that matter are the ones you didn't make it through. This would also explain the clause in that contract we had to sign in the second test that said we couldn't tell anyone below chuunin level about anything that happened during the exam.
"On the other hand, changing the tests every year means that someone retaking the exam can't rely on prior knowledge of the test, and this accomplishes two things – one, it puts people retaking the exams on the same level as rookies, and two, it tests another one of the qualities a chuunin needs, the ability to adapt when the mission doesn't go exactly the way it was planned, or if the intelligence was incorrect.
"So, I guess it'll have to be a mix between the two – same tests, basically, but different catches." He smiled when he saw the older man nod, then sighed dejectedly and slumped, "Which makes things that much harder." He then shook his head violently, as if trying to get rid of that specific strain of thought. "But it doesn't matter – I'm still going to become chuunin, no matter how hard the test is."
Jiraiya mentally chuckled, seeing the boy switching between emotions so quickly. He was truly impressed by Naruto's quick, intelligent response. Naruto had definitely changed. Gone was the short, stupid, annoying brat who was always seeking attention, and in his stead was a true ninja, with all the qualities and skills necessary to become chuunin, jounin, and probably even Hokage, if he worked at it hard enough, which undoubtedly he would. Hell, even his height increased exponentially; he was only an inch or two shorter than Jiraiya right now, and he was still in his growing phase. Therefore, one question burned in Jiraiya's brain, "Naruto, why don't you show the people here that you've changed?"
Naruto turned around to face Jiraiya as they arrived at a terrace of sorts, overlooking Konoha. The place was deserted. "Huh? What do you mean, Ero-sennin?"
Jiraiya sighed, "I know that you've changed since we left Konoha, Naruto, there's no reason or use in denying it. But you still act like the old Naruto whenever you're with anyone else. Kakashi told me that he actually explained to you how to fight people who use long range attacks, Tsunade told me that you were acting like a brat when she was giving you your mission, and I heard that you acted like an idiot when you were on your 'date' with that Sakura girl. I know I taught you better then that, Naruto, and I just can't figure out why you're pretending to be the same as you were three years ago."
The blonde let those words hang in the air for a minute, before he spoke, "I'm just scared, I guess – Y'know, that they won't like the new me. It's easier to be the same idiot brat that I used to be, rather than actually show them who I am now." A few seconds later he sensed a blow coming towards his head, so he swerved out of its way and opened up some distance between him and Jiraiya, "What the hell was that for?"
"Don't you get it, Naruto?" Jiraiya all but yelled, "The Naruto you used to be couldn't become chuunin, much less Hokage. If you want people to acknowledge your abilities, you can't stay like that." He walked up to the younger ninja and placed his hand on his shoulder, "You have what it takes to become Hokage one day, Naruto, but not like this. I know you, and I know that the real you, the 'new' you, is loads better than the 'you' you're pretending to be. Don't be afraid of them, kid, and show them just how incredible you are."
Naruto grunted, "You make it sound so easy."
"Because it is, baka," said Jiraiya, "Just let the real Naruto out, and everything will be okay."
Naruto nodded and said goodbye to the older man. After that, he went to the motel he was staying at since his old apartment got rented out to someone else. I'm gonna have to talk to Tsunade-baachan about getting me somewhere to live. He quickly fell asleep following that thought.
Sakura woke up from the sound of soft tapping on her window. She got up from her bed and walked over groggily to check it out. When she opened the window, she found a note taped to the windowsill, which read:
Hey, Sakura-chan, I'm sorry if I woke you up.
Come meet me back at our old team's training ground, today at 2 O'clock.
Bring some food with you, if you don't mind.
Looking forward to it,
Uzumaki Naruto.
Sakura couldn't help but laugh. Well, at least he wasn't noisy. She looked at her alarm clock. 9 o'clock, more than enough time. She took a quick shower, got dressed, and then went downstairs. On the table was a note from her parents, saying that they were off for their fifteenth anniversary, and that they would be gone for two weeks. Oh, geez, I totally forgot about that. As much as she hated admitting it, she would miss them and their constant nagging. These two weeks are going to be lonely.
After eating breakfast, Sakura decided to go visit Ino at the flower shop. As she walked through Konoha, her thoughts wandered to Naruto. Two and a half years had gone by, and he didn't really seem to change - he still appeared to be the same old baka. True, he was taller now, and stronger, and cute… What? Where did that one come from? But he was cute, as much as she would have liked to deny it. If nothing else, time was at least kind to his body.
Sakura shook her head
violently, No! Naruto and I are just friends. I can't think
about him like that! That determination held for all of ten
seconds, before she remembered the smile he had smiled when they met
again that day, when he returned. She sighed, It's a good thing
I'm going to Ino – I'm really going to need some advice.
"Gotta tell you, Sakura-chan, I can't blame you," that Naruto is one hot piece of as-" Ino quickly ducked under the pillow thrown at her head, letting the fluffy pink down filled sack collide silently with the wall behind her.
"Ino," Sakura could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, "Why do you always have to be so…"
"Honest?" The blonde gave a knowing smile. "Face it, girl, you never were really good with being honest, especially with yourself. That's half the reason you never had a boyfriend."
Ino didn't have to say the other half of the reason out loud, they both knew it – Sakura just never really got over Sasuke's rejecting her and leaving. She still remembered Naruto's bandaged form as he lay in the hospital. The sight struck a chord deep inside her when she realized that the condition of his body was the same as her heart's – bruised and battered, and all because of Sasuke. But Naruto's body healed already, so why did her heart refuse to do the same?
"Hey, Sakura," Ino spoke to her friend, as she recognized the sullen composure. Only one person ever made her space out this long, and with that specific countenance. "Girl, I've been telling you this for months. You have to let it go."
Sakura raised her head and sighed. She knew her friend was right. "You know I'm trying. I just can't seem to do anything about it. I've tried forgiving him, I've tried forgetting him, I even tried hating him, but nothing works; The fear's still there."
For a minute, the room was silent, but then Ino got an idea. "You should talk to Naruto."
"What?"
"Listen, Naruto was just as close to Sasuke as you were, and his leaving probably hurt him just as bad. If anyone can help you with this, it would be him."
The two girls sat there, once again silent. After a while, they started talking about less serious stuff, going through the usual gossiping rounds. When the clock struck twelve, Sakura left, having to make lunch for herself and Naruto.
14:10, thought Naruto nervously. What's taking her so long? Moments later, he saw a hint of pink in the surrounding greenery, followed by Sakura landing lightly in front of him, picnic basket in hand. "Hi, Sakura-chan."
"Hi, Naruto," She said, setting down the basket, "Sorry I'm late."
"It's okay," he smiled, "Just don't make a habit of it. One Kakashi is enough."
Sakura chuckled, before falling into silence. She wasn't sure how to ask him, but Ino made it clear that she needed to. "Umm, do you mind if we sit down?"
Naruto shrugged and sat down on the grass. Something seemed to be on Sakura's mind, and he felt he should let her talk first, "What's on your mind?"
Sakura sat in front of him and took a deep breath, before beginning to talk, "Naruto, I need to ask you something. How did you get over the hurt from Sasuke's leaving?"
The mention of the bastard stung a little, but Naruto maintained his composure. "Why do you want to know?"
"Because… Because I haven't been able to do it yet." She nearly blurted that out. Why was it so difficult and embarrassing to talk to Naruto about this? It shouldn't be…
Naruto lay down on the ground, closing his eyes before he spoke. "I guess I have to thank Ero-sennin for that one. He taught me that obsessing over Sasuke won't help me, and will only take me out of balance. He told me that Sasuke was the exception, not the rule, and that I can't let that one bad experience prevent me from making any more friends." He smiled sadly. "Still, it was… it was hard, you know? Even though I knew that, it was hard to make new friends. Trying to leave that big a part of my past behind me… And then Ero-sennin told me something that I'll always hold in my heart. 'The people from your past,' he said, 'will always be a part of who you are now. Trying to forget them is useless. There is no reason or sense in letting their memories go. Remember him, Naruto. He's part of who you are now, so don't forget him.'" Another long pause took place before he continued. "After that I suppose I managed to come to grips with the whole thing, and the hurt just went away with time."
They sat there in silence for a few minutes, letting it all sink in. Finally, Sakura spoke up again, voicing a question she has been dying to ask for quite a while. "Naruto?" she waited for him to nod at her before continuing. "What is it like?"
"Huh?" he grunted, "What do you mean?"
"Being a jin-" she caught herself quickly. He hates that word. "I mean, having a demon inside of you. What is it like?"
Naruto sighed, laying his body down on the ground. "Wasn't easy, I tell ya. I never knew I had the Kyuubi in me until I was twelve – I always had him in me, ever since a few days after I was born, but I didn't find out about it before I graduated from the academy. At least then I knew what the reason everyone always hated me and ignored me was."
Sakura didn't know what to say to that, so she chose to say nothing, and let him continue.
"I never really knew what it meant to have Kyuubi in me, either, before the battle on the bridge all those years ago. You remember, right? When we fought Haku and Zabuza?"
He then proceeded to tell her about that first time he was taken over by the Kyuubi, and of all of the times he used the demon's chakra. He told her of the treatment he'd received from most everyone in the village, avoiding, pretty obviously, Sakura thought, any talk of how she treated him. The story was sad, shocking, and amazing all at once. Here in front of her eyes lay one of the kindest, most giving, and strongest people she had ever met, and he had lived such a lonely, sad, empty life for so many years. How could he…?
"How could you not hate us, Naruto?" How can he not hate me? I've been just as bad as the others for so long. Why doesn't he hate us?
Naruto simply shrugged, closing his eyes. "I dunno, I just don't."
Sakura frowned slightly, before smiling. It was still Naruto, after all. You could do almost anything to him and he'll eventually forgive you. But hurt any of his friends and he'll turn into a demon even more fearsome than the Kyuubi. She simply sat there, gazing upon him, amazed. Amazed that her friend could have ever become the person he was. Without any guidance, most people in his situation would probably have become violent hermit sociopaths. Instead, Naruto was… well, he was Naruto. She lay on the grass herself, her head barely two inches from his. A few minutes later, she spoke up, once more being the first to break the silence. "Hungry?"
He was about to say yes, when his stomach spoke up for him. A slight blush crept up to his cheeks. "Should I bother phrasing it?"
She chuckled, shoving a hand into the picnic basket and tossing him a sandwich.
"Thanks, Sakura-chan."
"No problem. You asked me to make this, right?"
"No, I mean, for listening to me." He paused before taking a bite out of the sandwich, "Thanks."
Sakura wasn't sure why she did it, but the next moment she was hugging her friend tightly, yet softly. "You're welcome."
They both enjoyed the closeness for a few moments, before they realized they might be starting to enjoy it a little too much. Naruto was the first to pull back, a noticeable blush on his face. He felt her chest against his, and, although he knew why he had enjoyed the sensation so much, had to back away. Sakura was his friend now, nothing more. He couldn't let himself fall for her again. He'd worked so hard to put his feelings for her in the past… He couldn't surrender to them now. Not again.
Sakura was also flustered, but for a slightly different reason. As she felt Naruto's chest moving against hers, she realized that although she thought differently when she first saw him again, he had, in fact, changed - she simply didn't see it at first. He was a man now, if a young one still. And the realization brought forth another. As she held his larger body to her, she felt strangely warm and safe. She felt him pull away, and released the hug, a blush crawling up to her face, which intensified as she saw his own blush. Another conversation with Ino would be necessary.
It took them both a bit to compose themselves, but then they were able to enjoy a few hours of peace in each other's company.
As the sun began to set, Naruto entered the Godaime Hokage's office, seeing her look out the window. "You called, baachan?"
Tsunade sighed. It seemed he would never address her as anything besides that word. Oh, well, Naruto will be Naruto. It was part of his charm. "Yes, Naruto-kun, I did. There was a very important issue I need to discuss with you." She gestured to the chair on his side of the large oak desk, as she took a seat in her own chair.
Knowing better than to refuse a request from the woman, he sat in the chair she offered him. "What is it, then? I still need to go apartment hunting, y'know. I can't live in that motel forever."
"Naruto…" she said, her voice carrying a certain edge that silenced him immediately. "What I need to speak with you about is more important than your apartment-hunt, more important than your dinner, more important than Sasuke. Now, you listen, and you listen well."
Naruto blinked, before nodding.
Tsunade smirked; she had really thought she'd need to try harder than that to silence the kid. Either she had managed to be very intimidating, or he isn't as immature as he used to be. Whatever the case, she needed to get on with this. "Well, you know that you are the last remaining Uzumaki, right, Naruto?" she didn't wait for the nod, "Well, now that you're back, there are some family assets that are supposed to come into your possession now. Actually, they were supposed to come into your possession last year, when you turned 16, but since you weren't here to receive them back then, we will have to do this now."
"Family… assets?" Naruto never imagined his family had left him anything, much less something that could qualify as assets.
"Yes." She nodded, "You see, the Uzumaki, although a small clan, when compared against the Hyuuga for example, were of the most powerful in the fire country. And, not unlike several of those clans, they too had a bloodline limit, a doujutsu called the Aohigan, the 'Blue Flame Eye'."
…oh my god… "I- I have a bloodline limit?" Half of him was expecting Tsunade to wink at him and say 'Nope, just kidding!' The other half was doing cartwheels in his mind.
"Indeed, Naruto-kun. You do have, or rather, will have a bloodline limit. There is one small complication… We don't know what the Aohigan does, or what causes it to manifest. I can only assume that it is supposed to happen when you are reaching the final stages of puberty, since the information about it could only be unsealed and brought here now that you are almost 17."
"What do you mean, unsealed? And what information?"
Tsunade reached below the table, pulling out a wooden box, two feet in length, and one and a half feet in width and height, a large leather-bound book, about one foot in height, a few inches smaller in width, and three or four inches in thickness, and a set of half a dozen keys.
"This, Naruto-kun, is the first part of your inheritance. The note that came with this said that this key," she held up the smallest key, "Opens the box. There seems to be a powerful seal placed on the lock, though, since anyone who tried to open the box using the key received a strong electric shock the moment they put it in. I do not know what the other keys open, save one, but I am quite confident that the information you seek will be inside the box."
Naruto sat there in silence for a bit, before speaking up. "Tsunade-sama, this… this is a whole lot of information to get in thirty seconds. Could we go back a bit? Can you tell me about who left me these? Who was the last Uzumaki?"
She looked at him sadly, only barely acknowledging that he hadn't called her baachan, "I am not at liberty to divulge this information to you, Naruto."
"What do you mean? Why can't you tell me?" He rose from his seat. "It's the only thing I want to know, Tsunade. I just want to know where I came from!" He half-shouted, "Haven't I earned the right to know by now?" He banged his fists on the desk. "What more do you want from me?" His eyes shone with unshed tears. "I'll do it, whatever you want, I'll do it, I swear." He hardly noticed the woman rising from her seat and leaping towards him, before he was caught in a tight, warm embrace. "So… please… Just tell me…" he wept freely now, not fully understanding why he had burst out like he did, or why he was crying. He never cared about his past before, right? So what was different now?
As his eyes settled on the three objects that sat on the wooden desk, he realized the answer to that question. The difference was that now he had proof that he had a past, that he had had a family. He now had indisputable proof that there were Uzumaki before him, and that he wasn't the only one to bear that name. That had made all the difference in the world.
As the young man's sobs finally ceased, Tsunade pulled him away from herself, and raised his face to meet her eyes. "Believe me, Naruto-kun, I would like nothing more than to tell you all that I know about your clan, but I am forbidden. All of the information about the Uzumaki was sealed by order of the Sandaime after the Yondaime sealed the Kyuubi inside you. I can't tell you about the last Uzumaki. You will have to find that information yourself, from within these objects of your inheritance." The blond nodded, and she pulled away further.
"I- I'm sorry about that, Tsunade-sama," He said, shakily, "I- I don't know what came over me."
She smiled warmly at him, "It's quite alright, Naruto, I understand. Are you ready to continue, or do you want to hold off on the rest until tomorrow?"
"I think I'm okay to keep going."
She nodded. "Alright, then to the second part of your inheritance. This key," she said, holding up the second largest of the six, "Is the key to your new home, the Uzumaki clan-house."
House? Naruto blinked, breaking a smile. "I have a house?"
Her smile widened. "You have a house."
I have a house… Naruto was beyond hiding any emotions right then, and he jumped up in a back flip. "I have a house!"
Tsunade smiled. She smiled so hard she was almost afraid her face will be stuck in that position. She just couldn't help it. After seeing him as sad as he had been only minutes prior, seeing him this happy, jumping and flipping, brought a certain warmth to her heart that she couldn't deny or ignore. The feeling she felt towards him made her feel as though she was a big sister to him, or an aunt… or even a mother.
Naruto, in the meanwhile, had stopped his literal 'jumping for joy' and just bathed in that feeling of happiness that swelled in him, so different than the desperate sadness he had felt only minutes earlier. "Can I see it now, Tsunade-sama? Please?"
Still smiling, she shook her head. "Not tonight, Naruto-kun. I'll show it to you tomorrow, though, first thing in the morning, okay?"
He half-sighed, but still grinning, nodded. "Okay, so where do you want me to meet you?"
Tsunade held her chin between her thumb and her forefinger. "Where are you staying?"
"At that motel near the village entrance." He raised an eyebrow, "But shouldn't you already know that?"
Tsunade smirked, "Naruto, while you are important, you are not the only thing I have to keep track of as Hokage. Wait… you're at that Soun's place?"
"Yeah…"
Tsunade frowned. "That place is garbage, Naruto. I can't let you stay there."
"Well, where else am I going to stay, huh? Kakashi-sensei and Iruka-sensei are already on missions, so I can't crash at their places, and there's no one else in the village that will risk letting me sleep at their house, not even my friends. Their parents will never let them. I have nowhere else to go."
Tsunade kept frowning, before an idea crept into her mind that made her crack a smile. "Well, Sakura's parents are out of town, you know. And she's a friend. She'll probably have no qualms about letting you sleep at her house for one night. Alright, then, it's settled." she continued, without letting him speak his objection or approval.
"But…" He stuttered.
"No buts, Naruto-kun. Now, how about some dinner before you get your things over to her place?"
"Um…"
She grabbed him by the sleeve and dragged him off. "C'mon. Ramen, my treat."
"…"
Ino sighed at her pink-haired friend. "Okay, so you talked, and he told you this big secret that 'you can't tell me', and then you hugged. I fail to see the problem."
"It's not just the hug, Ino-chan. He- he opened up to me so much and then, when he told me thanks for listening to him, I just couldn't help myself from hugging him."
"Yeah, so?"
"So when I hugged him, I felt something… different."
"Sakura-chan, we've already been through this once today; you feel physically attracted to him, and it's perfectly okay."
"That's not what I mean. I felt warm, and safe, and if he didn't let go then, I don't think I would have."
Ino sighed again. Her friend just didn't seem to get it. "Okay, Sakura, I'm going to only say this once, and you are going to listen." She sat down next to her friend, on the couch in the Haruno family living room. "You. Like. Naruto."
"What? No, I don't!"
"Would you just shut it for a bit, so that I can finish? Ever since Naruto came back, looking all tall, hot and powerful, you've looked at him differently. I can see it. You're attracted to him now, and with the past you two share, you almost definitely like him, and not just as a friend, okay? Now, you need to get your mind around that, and decide what you want to do with it, but let me just tell you one thing: You made a big mistake with Naruto back then, honey. You know he always liked you, even when you were mean to him and ignored him."
"Well, you were just as bad."
"Yes, but he didn't like me, now shush. He always liked you, and you were the one to always push him away. You were his Sasuke, Sakura, and somewhere along the way, he just gave up on you, like you never did with Sasuke. One day he just up and decided that nothing he'd ever do will get you off of Sasuke and over to him, so he decided to stop trying. Oh, he still liked you at that point, I don't doubt that one bit, but you need to realize something, Sakura-chan."
"And what is that, pray tell?"
Ino kissed Sakura's forehead before getting up from the couch and heading towards the door. "When you came to him that day and asked him to bring Sasuke back, you gave him two things. The first was an objective. A way to make you happy. The only thing you want the person you like to be is happy, and you gave him a way to make that happen."
"Okay," she replied, with slight trepidation, "And what is the second thing."
"A broken heart." She walked over to the door, then opened it, allowing the light of the dusk to enter the room. "Oh, and just as a test, if you still don't believe me that you do, in fact, like the guy, try this: Think of a life without Naruto, think of a life with him only as a friend, and think of a life with him as your boyfriend. You'll figure out the answer." She smiled, winked, and then left, closing the door behind her.
Sakura just sat there for a few minutes, letting it all sink in. I broke his heart, didn't I? And yet, he still smiled at her, still was her friend, still refused to hate her. Naruto really was an amazing person. But did she like him? Well, as a friend, of course she liked him. But that wasn't the topic. There was no discussion over whether she liked him as a friend or not. The question was if she liked him as more than a friend. Before he came back, Sakura could say with utmost confidence that she and Naruto were just friends, simple as that. But she couldn't say it so confidently anymore, and Ino, at least, thought that the reason was that she didn't like him as just a friend anymore.
Still, she didn't want to jump into any conclusions, especially not ones that Ino had come to. Deciding, for once, to follow her friend's advice, she got off the couch and sat on the floor, crossing her legs. She closed her eyes and tried to envision a life without Naruto. Sasuke would still reject her, she knew now, and without Naruto there to act all goofy and behave like an ass, there wouldn't be much joy there for her. A lot of sadness, a lot of frustration, and very little joy. She didn't want a life like this. Ever. Naruto was an important part of her life now, she realized. He always cheered her up, always made her smile in the end. She didn't want to live a life without him. The last two and a half years were enough.
Then she pictured the life she had now, with Naruto simply as her friend. It wasn't very hard to do, though, since she was living that life every day now. This life was pretty good, all things considered, but there was still something missing. Some part of her felt empty, and yearning to be filled. But she didn't know what to do to make it better, so instead she made herself busy by shopping and going on small, low-class missions, whenever she couldn't find anyone to hang out with or didn't have any important tasks to do. Her life was busy, but it definitely wasn't full. And Naruto had somehow filled that void a bit. This was a life that she could definitely settle for. After all, what's a little disappointment when you have friends that cheer you up whenever you feel gloomy?
Finally, she took a deep breath and attempted to imagine what her life could be if Naruto was her boyfriend. This was a fair bit harder to do than the other two situations, because she had never had a boyfriend before, and only ever imagined Sasuke in that position. Still, she had to try. Once again she took a deep breath and tried to picture going out on a date with Naruto.
But what would we do? Naruto would probably want to go and eat ramen, but from that point, she wasn't sure. She strained her mind trying to come up with a scenario that had any likelihood of occurring, but came up blank. What would Naruto want to do on a date? Sakura came to the stunned realization that she didn't know what Naruto liked, apart from ramen, or disliked, except for bad people. She was going nowhere, and she hated when that happened.
Okay, forget dates for now. What else would we do? Well, they would talk, and he would make her laugh by acting like an idiot. But they already had that. And if she ever got in danger that she couldn't take on by herself, what then? Well, he would protect her, of course. But they already had that too. So what would we have then that we don't have now?
Well, there was the kissing, for one. She could imagine him holding her tightly, but softly, like they did today, and then pulling back a bit to look at her with his big blue eyes, before cracking a smile at her and bringing her face closer to hers. Her heart started racing as she imagined feeling his breath tingling her lips, before feeling his lips suckle at her own. Shivers went up and down her back as she felt in her mind such warmth and contentment the likes of which she never felt before. The kiss stretched on and on in her mind, refusing to stop. And Sakura didn't want it to end. She felt his lips part from hers with more than slight disappointment, before hearing Naruto's voice.
Sakura-chan, he whispered in her mind, I love you.
Sakura opened her eyes wide, gasping. What she felt as she heard those words from her imagination's Naruto was nothing short of pure bliss. She wanted to feel that touch, to be held like that, to be kissed like that. She wanted to hear those words for real. And, so unlike the Sakura of a few years back, it wasn't Sasuke she wanted those things from anymore. Oh my god. "I like Naruto."
Author's Notes: Okay, okay, let's address the issue you most likely are concerned about right now, the fact that I had Sakura admit to herself that she likes Naruto, and at the end of the very first chapter, no less. Well, what can I tell ya? I didn't want to wait any longer.
I didn't want to write that entire long monologue just so she could admit to herself that 'maybe she felt a teensy bit of affection towards him'. I tried writing it like that at first, but I got discouraged pretty quickly. Besides, if you watched the anime and read the manga back from the beginning, you could see that as soon as the first battle with Zabuza, something has been building inside her for Naruto. She just needed to clear her mind and go into a situation that would bring those emotions to the surface.
Well, that's how I saw it anyway. But it doesn't stop here. If you paid good enough attention, you would've noticed that there is a fair bit of trepidation within Naruto concerning this. He believes she is still in love with Sasuke, and whether that is true or not remains to be seen, but either way it prevents him from allowing himself to fall for her again. You'll see that he can't keep away for long, however, especially when Sakura begins to actively pursue him. I'm sorry if I'm spoiling all the tension for you guys, but I thought I'd give the skeptics a little something to calm them down a bit.
So come on, send me reviews, critiques, hot blondes (female, mind you), whatever you want!
Next Chapter: Along with Sakura, Naruto finds out about his clan's history and about the Aohigan! Also, hopefully, the first fight scene in the fic. Hope to see you there!