On autopilot, Sakura's sandaled feet shuffle to the field of flowers near the Academy. The walk felt like the longest and shortest trip she's ever made, and before she knows it, she's standing in front of a quiet and sympathetic Ino.
"What did he say," Ino softly asks.
Sakura's wide eyes finally focus on Ino, and though she feels like she should be angry at the platinum blond, or raging in defense of her love for Sasuke she, in fact, feels nothing.
Sakura is in such a state of limbo, she has to question something she never thought would be an issue.
To her horror, Sakura actually contemplates if she's more shocked about the fact he threatened her parent's lives, or how he claims she could never understand him while her parents still live and that made her sick to her stomach that she would weigh the possibility of her own parent's deaths their murdersimply to better understand this boy.
At the smiling faces of the mother that birthed her and the father that loves her unconditionally, under the full bloom of Sakura trees Naruto had reminded her of, Sakura felt sick.
For the first time in her life, Sakura was scared of this dominating feeling she has for Sasuke. Thinking evil, morbid thoughts against her own family in order to understand the boy in her heart is 'wrong It's wrong! Something about this is wrong! My love is'
Sakura's tears are flowing before she's even aware of them. The moment her confused mind feels the fat globs of salty liquid racing down her pink cheeks, Sakura begins to wail in agonizing sadness. Both kunoichi end up on the grass with Sakura wrapped in the Yamanaka's arms.
Ino doesn't simply hug the wailing girl for comfort, she holds Sakura together, to keep her once best friend from breaking, periodically whispering, "it'll be okay," and, "I have you, Sakura. I have you."
Sakura wanted to respond, 'it'll never be okay,' and, 'I hate you,' but she couldn't stop crying and Ino was the only life-sustaining warmth in that very cold day. They stay in the field of flowers, where a crying Sakura and an understanding Ino first became friends until late into the night.
NARUTO
If it wasn't for Naru-nii, Haku, and Kurenai's unyielding support, Naruto couldn't imagine walking beside a morose Sakura and a rigid Sasuke up to the exam room a mere five days since his night with his pink-haired teammate.
"I suppose you do," Kakashi sheepishly admits, mono-eying the less jovial Naruto. "And here you stand, one of the strongest genin to come out of the Academy. Despite all your opposition and hardships, you overcome. I'm not excusing them, but isn't that a valuable trait to learn about yourself?
It means you're a survivor."
Snorting, a glum Naruto simply asks, "you think it'd be asking too much to be a survivor with friends, family, and or a sensei who doesn't favor one student?"
"No," Kakashi admits, considering his own history a moment. Realizing that Naruto is heartbroken on top of consistently brushed aside, Kakashi tries to balance the other end of this state of rejection. "Listen, it's not like Sasuke-kun and I are eating ice-cream or going to the hot springs to relax.
Whether you believe me or not, Sasuke-kun needs more help, and I just so happen to be in the best position to do that."
'No, you're not,' Naruto thinks, wondering if he can run into Itachi sooner than Naru-nii had. "I get it. He can be an obnoxious ass, but I want to help him too."
"Focus on your training," Kakashi tells him. "You're already cutting the leaf with your Fton chakra. Training in the waterfall is going to be even harder."
"Yeah, well, it's not enough," Naruto despondently states, not bothering to correct his sensei on the progress he's recently made as thoughts of Naru-nii's warnings and aches of a broken heart cloud his mind horribly.
Kakashi states, "you don't have the frame of reference, but trust me, the way you're going is an amazing achievement."
.
You can visit my store to read up to 400 chapters in (PDF)
/BlackGoku222