Ramen
Sakura sighed as she glanced at the unfinished bowl of ramen before her. She didn't know why she ate at Ichiraku's... she was on a diet and she wasn't even hungry.
"Sakura, you want some more?" ayame said from behind the counter.
"no, I'll be ok." she said with a surpridingly realistic fake smile. it wasn't the only one she had to proiduce since Sasuke was gone...
No, she didn't have feelings for the Uchiha anymore. It was more like a treason to their friendship. they where all chuunins, and she rarely saw Naruto, except from the occasional visits to the hospital after tough missions.
"Oi!!! Ichiraku! give me a big portion of pork-miso Ramen!!!" a voice boomed behind her.
The pink haired woman turned to the Kyuubi vessel, and put on one of her fake smiles... again.
"Good evening, Naruto." she said.
"Ne, Sakura-chan! nice to see you here. say, you don't usually come here, don't you?"he said with his trademark Uzumaki grin.
sakura considered the wild ninja that sat beside her. He had quit the orange jumpsuit for a black T-shirt with a swirl(uzumaki) on it. He wore the traditional chuunin vest unbottened and green cargo pants hung to his waist. Even without the jumpsuit, his whisker marks and happy atitude was always there. She felt her apetite returning when she saw his smile.
"Same thing here, Ayame." She said.
They chatted about various things awaiting their orders. when the bowls came, Sakura was surprised to see Naruto pursuing the conversation instead of diving headfirst in the hot Ramen.
"so, how are things going as a Medic-nin?" He asked.
"oh, it's cool. I'm glad I can use my abilities to help out, but I still have a long way to go to be at Tsunade-sama's level." she said.
She dug into her Ramen and focused on her chopsticks.
Naruto watched her as she hit her bowl after she finished talking about Tdunade. He had trouble concentrating on his food, and couldn't help but look at her tongue as it laped noodles of her chopsticks... 'no! Baka! she likes Sasuke, get it? Aaaarg... why am I acting this way? when I did that around Sakura-chan when we where young, I was joking! why am I feeling this?" Naruto Thoughtfully pondered.
"Naruto?" she asked.
"huh? what is it, Sakura-chan? Something on your mind?"
"well... it's about Sasuke." she whispered.
Since Sasuke had become a missing-nin, it was taboo to speak of him. Naruto felt his stomach constrict at the inner vision of the Raven-haired boy.
"Even since he left, I've been feeling... depressed. I can't seem to progress on training, and if it wasn't for your arrival, I would have gotten home without swallowing anything. I just... I don't know what to do." she shed tears upon the last sentence.
"Sakura..." he said.
He put an hand under her chin and lifted it up.
"I know about the pain, I feel it too. This is why I promised to bring him back, even if I have to die trying... Sakura, if you ever need a crutch on which to rest... I vow to be there." he smiled at the end.
She looked at him with tearful eyes, unable to think, unable to speak, unable to live longer without the warmth of an embrace, She leant forward and wept all of the past grief into his welcoming and strong arms.
About an hour later, they walked in the dark, lantern-lit streets of the Village hidden in the Leaves. Sakura no longer cried, she smiled. She thought she was stupid for all those times she had treated Naruto as a nuisance.
"say, Naruto..." she said.
"Yes, Sakura-chan?" he answered innocently.
"does that wound on your leg... I don't think it's fully healed... care to pass by the clinic?" she asked with a faint hint of slyness in her sparkling emerald eyes.
Naruto just nodded and smiled like a kid caught in a prank. He knew the said wound was completely fine, and that she only had the keys to the clinic, closed at this hour.
This night was definitely full of promises.
END(of chptr)
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Chapter notes: yes... our pink haired kunoichi meets our ramen loving freak! seriously, it's angsty at the beginning, but fear not... an orange toting ninja will save the day!