Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto because if I did, Naruto and Sakura would already have had grandkids.
Author's Notes: Thanks to all that reviewed! Yay! This chapter came out fast. I'm sort of hoping to get a bit more reviews now though…Here is the latest chapter of A Wish on a Star. Hope you enjoy and don't forget to review for this chapter!
'Jutsu' Bold means Jutsu name
'Inner Sakura/Kyuubi' Bold Italicized means Inner Sakura or Kyuubi is speaking
'Inner Thoughts/Flashbacks' Italic means the Inner thoughts of a person or a Flashback when stated
Chapter 12: And They Love
"How much did you hear?" Sakura asked him looking away.
"Everything. But the real question is… How much did you hear?" Naruto raised one eyebrow amusedly.
Sakura looked up at him knowing exactly what he was talking about.
"I…heard that you got together with Hinata-san. That's nice. You two are… good for each other…" Sakura kept her urge to sob inside.
Her heart felt like someone stepped on it and cut it into pieces.
'This must have been how he felt when he made the promise of bringing Sasuke back to me. I'm a horrible person for making him have to go through it. Its only fair that it happens to me too.' Sakura thought feeling so pitiful of herself.
"Me? And Hinata-chan?" Naruto looked at her incredously.
"Yeah and don't bother telling me it didn't happen. I was there when you told her." Sakura said sighing but keeping a fake small smile on her face.
"Told her what?" Naruto chuckled.
"Told her you loved her! Don't play coy with me!" Sakura shouted with tears making their way down her pale cheeks.
Naruto laughed.
"What? Why are you laughing?!" Sakura cried.
Naruto made his way beside her and sat down.
"Y-You said you loved her back." Sakura said.
"Did you run away before I finished talking with her?" Naruto raised an eyebrow.
"Y-Yes but that doesn't change anything!"
"Of course it does." Naruto chuckled out. "It changes everything."
"Yeah and how so?"
"Yes. I told her I loved her." Naruto admitted.
"See I tol-"
"As a sister." Naruto interrupted.
"As a… sister?" Sakura's eyes widened.
"Yeah. As a little sister…"
"H-How?" Sakura asked.
"What do you mean how? I told her." Naruto smiled.
"No I mean… You mean she told you she loved you as a brother and you said you loved her as a sister?" Sakura asked confusedly.
"She told me she loved me as a woman does a man but then I explained to her that I loved someone else and she got angry and a few sparks flew but then it got us talking and she realized that she loved someone else as well." Naruto explained gently.
'Great. Now he loves someone else! It's never going to be me!' Sakura wailed to herself.
"What do you mean she loved someone else? Like who?" Sakura said as she wiped her tears.
"Make a guess." Naruto grinned.
"K-Kiba?" Sakura inquired.
"Yep. I don't know why she never noticed it. Everyone else did."
"So you mean… You said you loved her as a sister and now she loves you as a brother?"
"Yeah took a bit of talking to get her to realize it though." Naruto said playing with the grass beside him.
"Why don't you love her?" Sakura murmured.
"Because she isn't you." Naruto said as if it was the easiest thing in the world.
Sakura's emerald green eyes shined with tears as she threw her arms around him and cried into his shoulder.
"Ah! Gomen Sakura-chan! I didn't mean to make you cry. G-Gomen. You can pretend you didn't hear that." Naruto patted her back.
She pulled away from his arms.
"Naruto no baka! I love you back! Kami, I love you back! A-And when I heard you say you loved Hinata-san I jumped to conclusions and I ran. I ran as fast as I could to the only place I knew where everything was right. I thought… Oh, I don't know what I thought!" She cried to him.
Naruto stiffened.
"Naruto?" She wiped her eyes. "Naruto, what's wrong?"
"Did you say… you loved me?" He whispered.
His eyes were closed.
"H-Hai." Sakura looked at him with worried eyes but she could not stop the faint red that had appeared on her cheeks.
"Hmmm… It feels good." A grin slowly made its way on his face. He opened his eyes. "Being loved back…"
He chuckled.
Sakura who by now was blushing seriously walked into him. His arms wrapped around her tightly.
"I love you, Sakura." He murmured into her pink hair which he then kissed.
She sighed in happiness.
"I love you too." They swayed gently in each other's embrace.
She pulled away from him and leaned back into the tree still looking at him. He laid his head on her lap but made sure to face her so that he could see the face he fell in love with.
"Do you really?" Naruto asked gently as he rubbed circles into her hand.
"Hai. It's an overpowering emotion. It made be go a bit haywire actually but I think now that I've been able to tell you, I'm a bit more mature. Must be the release of all that tension and emotion." Sakura laughed and inhaled his scent.
"How did you know? When did you realize it?" Naruto asked as she traced her fingers on his face and most especially his whisker marks which he had inherited from his host.
"I don't think you realized it but your wish… on that star. I heard it and it got me thinking. I was already feeling something for you by then but… I couldn't put my finger on it until I heard you and I realized that, it was the same for me…" She stared into his deep cerulean eyes full of emotion.
"I was willing to give up everything I had, even you, so that you would be happy." Sakura smiled.
"Yeah. I heard you a while ago." Naruto smiled.
Sakura looked at him and smiled.
"Can I… Can I kiss you Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked looking at her.
"Hai." She breathed out in anticipation.
He sat up and wrapped his tanned hands against her pale smooth cheeks. He gently pulled her towards him.
His lips gently touched hers and they moved against each other.
The cheeks which Naruto had been touching turned scarlet.
He smiled into the kiss and pulled away.
"You're cheeks are awfully hot, Sakura-chan." He said in an unintentional low masculine voice which sent shivers up her spine.
"A-Ah… I know." Sakura smiled shyly.
"But then again… So are yours" She whispered in his ear.
The pink haired medic-nin giggled.
They sat in that small corner where so many memories were lived and spent their time just talking about themselves being together.
"You make me so happy, Sakura-chan."
"I think I want to spend the rest of my life doing that." Sakura said with a smile on her face. She seemed to be glowing and radiating happiness.
"I love you."
"Same here… Even though you like that hideous color, orange." Sakura giggled.
"Hey! Orange just happens to be a very nice color. Besides, pink and orange match." Naruto said enthusiastically.
"Yeah! It does. I guess we were compatible the moment we chose the colors we liked." Sakura pondered outloud.
"Ne, Sakura-chan!"
"Yeah?"
"I'm going to marry you someday." Naruto said seriously.
'Wow. He moves fast…' Sakura laughed to herself.
"Is that a proposal?" Sakura said with an eyebrow arched up. She tried to hide her blush but it still appeared.
"Not yet. But believe it! I will give you make you my wife someday! Dattebayo!" Naruto grinned widely.
"I believe you and I think I'd like that. A lot." Sakura smiled gently and kissed him softly again.
"I really don't think its sunk in yet. You loving me… I have a feeling that in the morning I'll wake up and it'll be a dream." Naruto said.
"Then I'll sleep with you." Sakura replied.
Naruto's cheeks flushed with color.
"N-Not that way, you pervert!" Sakura said hitting him lightly on the shoulder.
"I k-know that. You just…surprised me…" Naruto chuckled nervously.
"I'll sleep beside you, fully clothed tonight so that you when you wake up tomorrow you can see me and remember." Sakura repeated.
"Arigatou…"
"AHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!" Naruto shouted to himself the next morning seeing his pink haired girlfriend sleeping beside him in the bed, fully clothed of course.
"YATTA!" Naruto jumped out of the bed unintentionally pulling the blanket with him causing Sakura to fall on the floor with a 'thud'.
"NARUTO!!!" Sakura shouted before bonking him on the head.
"Itai!" Naruto whined.
'It's like his maturity yesterday just vanished into thin air.' Inner Sakura remarked dryly.
'I guess maturity for him lasts just for a day…' Sakura sighed amused.
"G-Gomen Sakura-chan! It's just sunk in! You're my girlfriend. I love you! You love me! Dattebayo!" He said excitedly and elatedly while twirling for some reason.
He pulled her in for a swift kiss then rattled on about how he was so happy and how he was going to make her the happiest person in the world by accepting his love and returning it.
Sakura could only stare at her blonde boyfriend's childish antics as he enumerated what their lives would be like in the future. A genuine smile made its way unto her face.
They would start from there.
It was far from what she had expected. There was no making out or exaggerated professions of love. Just peace, happiness and contentment. The passion would come much later.
And she wouldn't have had it any other way.
Author's Notes: Yay! I finished another chapter! It's not that long but I wanted to finish it as soon as possible because the next chapter is going to need a bit of researching so it would probably take a bit longer to write. Some people might say they're a bit out of character but they're 18 years old so they are sort of more mature and I wanted to show that they're still changing but they still keep parts of their original characteristics. Just to clarify, Hinata only had a total character change because her love was directed to the right person so she sort of broke the 'shyness barrier'. Haha. Anyways, enjoy! I accept constructive criticism. Review please!