A/N – Hello adoring fans! Hee hee! Maa haa! Anyway, this is my first ever one-shot! I hope you enjoy it! Please read and review!

As Close To Her As Possible

Sakura, Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi, stood in a clearing ready for the attack. They had been fighting this opponent from the village hidden in the mist for a while, now, and they still hadn't captured him, yet. Team Seven had been spilt up, but, on occasion, they were able to go on a mission, together, like old times. Sakura, an eighteen-year-old ninja, with pink hair, who had just recently passed her jounin exams, stood ready for action. Despite everyone telling her she would never become strong, Sakura had trained day and night, with the help of her former sensei, Kakashi. Sakura was now known as the strongest female ninja in Konoha. Naruto, and Sasuke, had become ANBU. Naruto had finally given up on Sakura, and married Hinata. Sasuke had become as withdrawn as ever, except for when there was a mission to be completed. Kakashi, their perverted sensei, had started acting a little strangely around Sakura, ever since he had begun giving her private training lessons.

Sakura dodge, as a kunai came flying at her. She knew the enemies moves, though the others didn't seem to be able to read his moves as easily, except for Kakashi, of course. Sakura, when team seven had received this mission, had taken some time to read up on their target.

Usu Mayaka, he was a high ranked ninja from the village hidden in the mist, he had a dozen special techniques that he, himself, had perfected. One beginning the ice venom jutsu, it summoned an ice snake, which attacked you and injected ice-cold venom into your body turning your very blood to ice.

Sakura glanced over at Naruto and Sasuke, not knowing the level of Usu's technique's they had become worn out. Kakashi, too, was showing some signs of fatigue, too, but he still had a good amount of Chakara left. As Sakura watched Kakashi block Usu's attacks, an icy blue snake came from behind Kakashi and dove at him.

Oh no! An ice venom jutsu! Sakura wondered, "Kakashi, look out!"

Sakura got there before Kakashi even had time to turn around, she knocked into him, and sent him flying over to the side of the clearing, while the ice snake drove it's long icy fangs into Sakura's side.

Sakura screamed out in pain, she could already fell the cold venom spreading throughout her body. She fell to the ground, and clutched her, as the cold pain seized her body. Sakura could hear Kakashi, Naruto, and even Sasuke calling her name. The only voice that stood out though was the voice of her attacker.

"Aww, I wanted to save you," Usu pouted, "You looked like you could have been fun to fuck."

Sakura slowly got to her knees, and looked up at Usu, and glared darkly at him, "And what the hell makes you say think that?"

Sakura didn't know why the hell she bothered to ask him, but she did. Maybe it was because no one had ever said anything like that to her before.

"Because you have the full package, honey," Usu answered, his eyes dropping from her face to her chest, where he could easily see Sakura fully matured, yet, slightly small, breast, given Sakura's current position.

Sakura tried to stand up, but failed and fell back to her knees.

"Besides, Sakura, was it?" Usu began, "No one else will ever want to, I thought I'd do you a favour, and fuck you."

Sakura stomach clenched, and it was because of the vemon. Usu had hit a soft spot, she had never been blessed in the looks department, and she knew she never would be, she always wished to meet some guy who didn't care about her looks, and just like her for her personality, and that sort of thing.

"Even your own teams mates know it's true," Usu laughed, gesturing to Kakashi, Naruto, and Sasuke, who were huffing, and puffing, off to the side, "They know damn well that you'll never amount to anything."

Sakura glanced over at her team, she had to admit, she agreed with Usu, Sasuke had always called her weak, Naruto had always felt like he needed to protect her, like she was weak, and Kakashi for the longest time had completely ignored her, while focusing on only Naruto, and Sasuke.

"What's wrong?" Usu asked, "Did you find some truth in my words? Huh?"

"Yes, I did," Sakura answered; Kakashi, Sasuke, and Naruto, all stared at her, as she continue, "You are completely right."

Sakura suddenly found a new born strength, and she climbed to her feet, while speaking, "My team thinks I'm a weakling, they probably think I'll never go anywhere in life, and, more than likely, they probably all hate my guts, and think that I slow them down."

"Are so what, do you hate them, now?" Usu asked; Sakura smirked.

"You think I would, won't you?" Sakura laughed, "But you know what, I love them. Every single on of them, some more than others, but I love them with all my heart. Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi, too."

"Your setting yourself up for heartbreak, kid," Usu said as though she was his best friend.

"That your own opinion, that I didn't ask for," Sakura said, and she felt her body grow warm, and start to overpower the venom, "I love them, and I will do everything in my power to stop you from hurting them!"

Sakura in an amazing surge of warmth, that blossomed from the very centred of her heart. Sakura rushed forward, and attacked Usu; Usu was taken off guard he didn't think she would be able to move with the venom flowing through her veins. The fight last for about five minutes, Usu had been tired already from fighting her Sasuke, Naruto, and Kakashi before.

In the end, Usu fell to the ground, he looked up at her, and spoke as his life fell away from him, "How, how did you destroy the vemon?"

"I didn't," Sakura said, smiling sadly, "I just found a way to fight it, but it's something that I can't fight forever."

Usu smirked weakly at her, "You thought that if you could hold out until you kill me that once I was dead my jutsu would disappear. Well, it's true my jutsu will disappear, but the venom, the venom stays forever."

Sakura's eyes widened, as Usu's closed and he left this world. Sakura shook her head, as she suddenly felt everything rush back to her.

They hate me, I'm nothing, Sakura realized, and the warm disappeared immediately, and the icy cold chill returned.

"Sakura?" Kakashi spoke, taking a step toward her; Sakura looked at him, and then turned and ran through the forest, Kakashi followed.

"Sakura!" Kakashi called.

Kakashi, Sakura spoke silently in her mind, oh, Kakashi, why do I have to love you so much!

Sakura's run slowed as the cold swept through her. Sakura soon stopped when she ran out of ground; she had come to a cliff, where on the horizon she could see the sunrise.

"Sakura!" Kakashi yelled; Sakura turned and saw Kakashi standing about ten feet away from her at the edge of the forest.

Kakashi watched in horror as ice began to form around Sakura's feet, and legs, "Sakura."

"Kakashi," Sakura spoke in a calm whisper, "I've wanted for so long to tell you."

Kakashi's eyes widened as his mind clicked into where Sakura was going with this, Sakura…I wanted to tell you too.

The ice was, now, covering all of Sakura's body, and it was slowly creeping over her face as she spoke her final words, "Kakashi, I -."

Kakashi's breath hitched as he waited for the rest of the sentence, but it never came, the ice had probably frozen her throat, and the ice had climbed to her bottom lip. Just before the ice overtook her mouth completely, Sakura gave Kakashi a small smile. Then as the ice froze over her top lip, a single tear rolled down her cheek, but it never hit the ground. Sakura's tear froze solid have way down her cheek. Soon, Sakura was completely frozen over with ice, while behind her the early morning sun rose, and it's beams shone off the ice that encased Sakura's young body.

Sasuke, and Naruto, appeared behind Kakashi, they walked out of the forest, a little, staring at Sakura's frozen form.

"Why?" Naruto asked, quietly, "Why Sakura?"

Only silence followed Naruto's question, while Kakashi answered it in his mind, Because, Naruto, I never paid enough attention to her. Even though I wanted nothing more, than to be as close to her as possible.

A/N – I hope you enjoyed this story! I know this is a one-shot, but I'm thinking of making a sequel to this story. Review and I will, and if I do, it will be entitled, "Smiling Tear".