THIS STORY IS DEDICATED TO dances.with.sunflowers., my amazing friend who reviewed ALL of my stories and wrote me some VERY nice notes and messages ?

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. If I did, this story would have ALREADY HAPPENED!

CAUTION: major fluff ahead :D

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"No."

Ino Yamanaka gaped at her best friend, trying to comprehend what the hell was going on. Only after letting the blunt response sink in was she able to response 'rationally.' "You haven't seen him for five years! You've been trying to win him over for twice that long! At least welcome him back!"

Sakura shook her head stubbornly, crossing her arms and turning away from the confused blonde. Looking out to the village she was so dedicated to, she sighed. This wasn't suppose to be complicated. Quietly, she spoke: "I said no."

The said blonde grabbed her hair and pulled sharply, gasping in frustration. Years ago this would have been so easy! It was obvious to Ino, and everyone else that knew Sakura, that she was desperatly in love. You don't just go rejecting ones' true love. Exasperated, Ino screamed "WHY WON'T YOU SEE HIM?"

Sakura fumed. "Why won't I see him?! THE STUCK UP BASTARD LEFT ME ON A BENCH! HOW THE HELL WOULD YOU REACT?!"

Somehow, though, Sakura knew that her anger was empty. In truth, he was ecstatic he was back in Konoha, that he was safe. Sakura cared not that he had left her on the bench. That didn't matter now–still, all of this was hard to digest. Still livid, Sakura furiously denied this in her own mind.

"Bastard? Is that how you would address your old teammate, Sakura?"

Sakura froze as the all too familiar baritone pervaded her every sense, setting off romantic warning bells in her mind. She turned slowly, fists clenched. As she suspected, her brilliant, forest-green eyes were met with none other than Sasuke Uchiha. She couldn't wait to give him a piece of what she had to live with for all these years. She was going to shout and bitc–

"S-Sasuke…?"

Her damn mind had left her.

Sasuke stood, aloof, in his classic laid back pose. His old clothes had been replaced by Konohagakure citizen clothing, and on his head rested a newly glimmering headband, signaling his new allegiance to her own village. His sensual, aristocratic expression said it all. He was interested. "Why don't we take a walk together, hmm?"

-

Without waiting for an answer, he calmly strode over to the speechless Sakura, took her by the arm, and led her away from (a positively screaming, squealing, hyperventilating) Ino.

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Sasuke had taken her to the cherry blossom field that lay just on the outskirts of the village. They sat down on the grass, cross legged. Despite their beautiful surroundings, a rather unorthodox and uncomfortable silence settled between them. Finally after what seemed like hours, Sakura decided that she couldn't take it anymore.

"Why did you bring me here?"

The smirk that enveloped Sasuke's face just then was simply torturous. Not to mention that it sent curious tingles throughout her entire being."Why haven't you welcomed me back yet?"

Sakura raised an eyebrow at him, caught off guard by the question. Since when was Sasuke so interested in her actions? Last time she checked, he had been violently opposed to her very company. "Do I need to?"

Sasuke sighed, exasperated. Clearly, it was going to take more than a simple prodding to get her to let her inhibitions go around him. So, he decided to dig a little deeper. "You spent years looking for me, and yet when your goal is finally achieved you simply give it up?"

Sakura's eyes narrowed immediately. "You have no right to say that. Your goal has been achieved and you have no follow up." A simple kind of conviction rung through her words, and it reached Sasuke.

He looked at her, thoughtful. Sakura thought that she could detect a spark of mischief in his eyes as she gazed into them. "Well, I do have one more goal that I need to accomplish…"

Sasuke looked at her pointedly. Sakura shot a glare at him in response. She remembered vaguely that he mentioned another goal, but what it was exactly escaped her. Being the curious woman that she was, Sakura decided to ask. "And what would that be, Sasuke?"

Suddenly, his body language changed. Sasuke shifted into a more intimate position, lowering her to the ground and hovering over her. The distance between them had been shortened considerably, and seeing as Sakura was vividly aware of their close proximity, she immediately blushed a deep red. "I a-asked you a q-question!"

Her mind reeled wildly as she felt his soft lips on her own, and all her anger melted away. Passion and warmth invaded her every sense, making it impossible for her to resist. The kiss was short, but by far the most enjoyable she had ever had.

"...To find my life partner." Or, as Ino would put it, Soul Mate.

Oh.

Sakura's eyes widened as he suddenly disappeared, leaving her all alone in the field. Only then did she become aware of her erratically beating heart. All she could think about was the kiss. What did it mean?

'That was...incredible.'

Suddenly, a stray cherry blossom landed on her outstretched palm. Looking at it wistfully, she gasped at she realized that the petals had writing on them.

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I love you.

Those three simple words decorated the petals beautifully, written upon them in a long, disciplined cursive. Then she remembered something important. Gazing at the petal, she spoke softly:

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun."

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Two Years Later, same place.

"Ha-ha…" She laughed lightly; gently leaning into Sasuke's chest as the breeze softly whirred around them.

The said man shook his head at his girlfriend and slipped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her even closer to him than she already was. "You laugh at anything, don't you?"

Sakura nodded into his arms and closed her eyes. Everything was perfect right now. This moment, this second, this memory…was faultless. Then she smiled. "Only when you say it…"

It was Sasuke's turn to chuckle. His chest rumbled warmly against Sakura's side, sending a loving shiver down her spine. "That was way too cheesy for your own good, Sakua." Sasuke shifted their relaxed positions slightly so that their eyes were tightly locked onto each others.

Sakura breathed in as quietly as she could, trying not to ruin their rare romantic moment. Since he had come back they had become much more at ease around each other… they had let down their inhibitions.

"Do you remember what I said the first time I took you here?" He inquired, his eyes delving deeper into her soul with ever word he pronounced. Sakura squinted her eyes in an effort to remember, but ended up shaking her head.

"Well," he continued, "I said that I had a goal that I needed to accomplish." Sasuke pulled a well preserved cherry blossom out of his pocket and showed it to her. I love you, it read, the beautiful cursive still delicate even through years of age. She couldn't help but let her breath hitch as she recognized it.

Sakura gasped as he drew yet another cherry blossom out of his pocket, but this one was fresh. He turned it toward her so she could read the writing. There in delicate cursive, it read:

Will you marry me?

Sakura breathed in sharply, eyes wide with surprise. It took her all of five seconds to answer.

"…yes. Yes! YES!"

-

Sasuke let a smile cover his face as he slipped his hands around his fiancé's waist and spun her around, cherry blossoms dancing around them as the slight breeze tickled them.

"Welcome back, Sasuke-kun."

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END!!

DID YOU LIKE IT?! I thought it was CUTE ?

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