Hokage's Room

Bound With A Kiss

Light rain softly fell from the black clouds that moved dreamilly across the sky. Konoha was draped in darkness, the only light being from the lamposts, glowing dimly in the raindrops. The river that coiled its way through the forest and under the bridge like a snake was making a soft shhh sound as the droplets bounced off its surface. This bridge was the same bridge Team 7 gathered every day for missions - or used to gather.

A lone figure was standing by the railings, her bare arms draped across them limply. The girl was Haruno Sakura, a pink haired kunoichi. Her jade eyes were dim in the mist of the rain and her eyes were fixed on the murky waters below. Sakura couldn't care less that she was cold and wet, she was deep in thought about her team mate, Uchiha Sasuke. Sure, Kakashi had said it would be fine, but how could she believe that? Sasuke was now...within the darkness. She remembered the look on his face when he had fought Naruto. It was not just the usual mocking smirk, but it was filled with malice and a new kind of evil had entered his dark orbs. Sakura shivered slightly and rubbed her hands up and down her arms. She had no desire to return home, her Mother would only pester her to come to her about her problems. Sakura didn't want to share these concerns with her Mother, they weren't very close.

"Sakura?" A familiar voice cut through the sound of the rain and reached Sakura's ears which were now covered in unpleasent goosebumps. She arced her head around to see Uzumaki Naruto standing a little way away from her. His bright blue eyes were filled with concern and worry and Sakura wondered why she had never noticed how caring and kind he was to her. Her lips curled there way into a gentle smile. "Hey, Naruto."

Naruto walked slowly over to her and leaned on the railings beside her. His shocking blonde, spiked hair was going slightly floppy in the rain but he didn't seem to care. His forhead protector was shimmering slightly in the moonlight. He grinned at her when he noticed her smile. "What are you doing out here, Sakura-chan?"

"Oh, just thinking..." Sakura replied, her smile fading away instantly as her thoughts returned to the raven-haired Ninja. Naruto's face fell when he spotted her expression. His face was just the same as the time Sakura had asked him on a "date" because she wanted to talk to him about Sasuke's seal. Sakura recognized this expression and felt ashamed of herself and humiliated for becoming so depressed. Naruto felt equally ashamed for breaking his promise to bring Sasuke back, after he had cheered her up and reassured her. His hand clenched into a fist.

"He...he always makes you sad, doesn't he?" Naruto muttered. Sakura's eyes widened and she turned her gaze on the orange-clad Ninja beside her. Naruto was staring into the river, his eyes filled with a mixture of emotions, sadness playing the main role.

"I-I'm fine, Naruto. Really!" Sakura answered him, forcing a very painful smile.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto said, connecting his bright blue eyes with her green ones. "You don't have to pretend with me, you know. I can see right through you."

Sakura's eyes wavered and she swallowed, her throat tightening. Naruto had always been the one who understood and recognized her, he had always been there to protect her and make her feel like she was worth more than life itself, whereas Sasuke had done nothing but hurt her. Naruto would gladly put his life on the line to keep a promise to Sakura and protect her. "Naruto..." Sakura whispered, at a loss for words. She often found he had that effect on her, the effect where she couldn't find the right words and she found herself muttering his name. Saying his name made her feel like she could take on the world. Suddenly she had the realization that she probably wouldn't be who she was today if it weren't for Naruto. What if he were gone instead of Sasuke? When Sasuke left, Sakura had cried but eventually pulled herself togther. If Naruto had left, Sakura didn't think she'd ever be able to pick up the pieces of her life. "Naruto.." She said again, tears forming in her eyes. She realized something else, she had never asked permission to address him with his first name, and using it without permission was extremely rude. "I never asked...your permission...if I could call you Naruto."

Naruto looked shocked for a moment, then he smiled. "Of course you can, Sakura-chan."

"You don't need to call me Sakura-chan, either." Sakura whispered so quietly that he had to strain his ears. "We're close enough now, aren't we?"

Naruto gave her a warm smile, and felt extremely happy that she had told him they were close. "Yeah, but I guess it's just tradition, you know?"

"Yeah." Sakura answered.

Naruto suddenly placed his hands on her shoulders. "Listen." He said. "I know you'll probably smack me for putting my hands on your shoulders, but we're friends. You should be able to come to me for anything, Sakura-chan. That bastard doesn't deserve you. All he does is hurt you. But...Sakura-chan likes Sasuke very much, and I promised to bring him back for you. Just for you...I'd do anything."

Tears threatened to spill from Sakura's eyes and eventually her emerald eyes couldn't hold them anymore and they fell down her cheeks like an elegant, flowing stream. Naruto's expression became sad when he saw that she was crying. He hesitated before wiping a tear from her cheek with his thumb. Sakura was suprised at how gentle his touch was.

"Don't punch meee, Sakura-chan!" Naruto joked. Sakura actually giggled through her tears, making a slightly choked sound. At that moment, the truth was that she would do anything other than punch him. Her thoughts were the complete opposite. He's so...caring. He understands me. He protects me. Why...Why did I...

Sakura looked up at Naruto sadly, and shocked him by pressing her gentle fingertips against his cheek. She moved her fingers up and down gently, her thoughts and hormones racing.

"You're always...there for me, huh?" Sakura smiled. "You...you're always the one who understands me. Why am I so...so...stupid? I-I wish I'd never fallen in love with...with S-Sasuke-kun..."

Naruto felt a pang of pain upon hearing these words spoken from her lips, and the pain remained there when she broke down and began to sob infront of him. Her hand dropped limply from his face and she burried her face in her hands, trying to maintain what little dignity she had left.

"Naruto..." Sakura sobbed. "P-please help me...I don't want to feel like this anymore!"

Naruto gritted his teeth, the pain in his heart unbearable. Sakura removed her hands from her face and stared up at him with a red, tear-stained face. Her tears mingled with the raindrops in the air, and the weather reflected their moods in pathetic fallacy.

"Sakura-chan." Naruto said quietly. "I understand how you feel. Y-You know...I always asked you on dates didn't I? And I always joked with you...but...it's more than that now. It's become so much more. It's not just a stupid crush."

Sakura stared at him, the tears streaming down her pale cheeks. Naruto truly cared for her...and now that she took a closer look, he had become more handsome in the past half of a year. Possibly even more than Sasuke. He's always been there...always protected me...and now he's trying to say that he...and I...Sasuke-kun...

"...I mean.." Naruto said, turning a light shade of pink. "...I...I love you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura had been expecting this. How did she really feel? She tried to search inside her heart. Sasuke was a childhood crush. Why did she love him so much? He was a good friend but he made it clear that he didn't like her that way. He had turned his back on them and tried to kill Naruto. Naruto was so...so different...she had even come to admire him..

"I...I don't know how I feel." Sakura muttered, hugging herself. "I...I've come to really like you, Naruto. More than I ever used to. I admire you so much...I respect you...maybe...I think, maybe deep inside myself...I love you too. But...I just don't understand myself. You mean more to me than anything now...i care about you so much but...is it love? What is love? I don't...u-understand..."

Naruto suddenly wrapped his arms around Sakura in a gentle embrace. Suprisingly, she did not resist. She wound her arms around his neck and burried her head in his orange jacket. They stood together in the light rainfall, unaware of anything else around them. Naruto could feel her breath on his neck and felt her shivering against him. He was also aware of her sobbing into his shoulder. He pulled back slightly so that he could look at her, and ran his hand down her cheek. "Don't cry anymore, okay Sakura-chan?" He whispered. "I will keep my promise."

Sakura smiled but the tears continued to fall. Naruto drew closer and pressed his lips gently against hers. Sakura's eyes stayed open for a moment in shock, but her emotions took over and for some reason she found herself returning the gesture. She found that she was the one who made the kiss more affectionate, and she was suprised by this. But she didn't care anymore. She felt loved and cared for, and she couldn't have thought of a better person to share her first kiss with. This kiss was a seal, a seal binding Naruto's promise and binding his love for her. She knew that no matter what, he would aways protect her, and love her.

'Maybe deep inside myself...I love you too.'

THE END