Ay me nodded and wrote out his order before noticing the look on Naruto's face, "What's the matter? You look terrible."
Naruto chuckled slightly before looking up at her with a tired grin, "I'm tired Ayame-neechan, damn tired. I'll be fine I just need some rest, I haven't just relaxed in forever. I can't remember the last time I just sat back and did nothing. I'd say I've earned it."
Teuchi came from the back and greeted the young boy, "Oh, Naruto! I thought you were in the hospital. When did you get out?"
Naruto grinned at him, "About four hours ago. Come on, did you really think that an entirely cracked skeleton could keep me down for long? Who do you think I am?" Naruto's eyes shined as they placed a bowl of ramen in front of him.
Teuchi chuckled at Naruto's expression, "Enjoy kid." He went off to begin washing dishes while Ayame took another customer's order. Naruto began to dig into his meal and ease his mind. He made it until his seventh bowl when a familiar head of pink hair sat beside him.
Naruto turned to Sakura with a face full of noodles and slurped them up while making eye contact. Green met blue as Naruto stayed silent and finished his bowl. Upon finishing Naruto set the bowl aside with a sigh and motioned Sakura to proceed, "Go ahead."
Her eyes trembled, "Naruto, Sasuke-kun I-."
Naruto held up his hand, "You should be asking Lee about this more than me. I wasn't here when he left, I wasn't there when he ran after getting out of that barrel, and I wasn't there to fight him. If I had been then he'd be in traction, sitting pretty in our hospital right now. All I was there for was to make sure the others didn't get in too deep, I never saw him at all."
Sakura looked as if tears would come to her eyes. Naruto sighed and stood up, "Which way do you live Sakura?"
She looked up at him, confusion evident on her face, "Why do you want to know?" Naruto paid for his food and looked over at her, "Because in the time it takes us to get you home, I'm going to listen to everything you have to say on this matter. When I get you to your door I'll tell you something from me that you need to hear."
Sakura didn't really understand but he was offering to listen so she couldn't really tell him off. So she told him about how she had seen Sasuke attempting to leave, how she confessed to him and what he had said before he knocked her out. Naruto walked and kept his mouth shut, much to Sakura's surprise as she had still yet to adjust to the new Naruto. The walk to Sakura's house took thirty minutes at the pace that they were moving.
Throughout the walk Naruto's face betrayed none of his thoughts. Sakura thought he wasn't listening until at one point when she stopped he instructed her to carry on. He reassured her that he was indeed paying full attention and was working out what he would say when they arrived at her home, so she kept going.
Sakura's throat was dry and she was slightly out of breath because of the amount of talking that she had done, but she had put it all out there. Now she was simply waiting for Naruto to speak as was their agreement. He stood in front of her for a moment saying nothing as he finished thinking about his dialogue. Finally believing that he had worked it out enough, he began, "You really love him? Seriously? No bullshit?"
She nodded and looked in his eyes without falter. Naruto smiled slightly at her, "That's a pretty big claim for someone as young as us to say Sakura. Are you sure? Things can change over time you know? You might not feel this way tomorrow, next month, hell, three years from now you might not."
"I am not flighty about things like this Naruto. I made this commitment a long time ago that I did love Sasuke, and I would prove it to him." She looked away, "I-I really would have left with him that night Naruto."
A frown worked its way onto Naruto's face, "That isn't something you should be saying out loud Sakura. But now what? He's gone. Gone to Orochimaru, the ultimate traitor of Konoha for power, what will you do now?"
Sakura clinched her fists at her side, "Then I'll get strong enough to save him. I won't give up. I'll get strong and then I'll bring Sasuke-kun back myself."
Naruto looked at her for a long moment, "You know that you actually have to take an active interest in your training right? What I did to you in our match was terrible Sakura, you have a lot of work to do. Sasuke might not willingly return even years from now, and if it comes to that, and you don't get far stronger he will tear you apart."
Sakura looked down at the ground sadly as Naruto's footsteps signified his leaving her doorstep, "But, who am I to cut down someone's goal? It's going to take a lot of training Sakura, you really need to up your skills, but it's far from something that's impossible to do. And who knows? If you get your chance to go after Sasuke, I might just want to tag along too."
Sakura raised her head to see a faint smile on Naruto's face as he walked away. Sakura turned and entered her home with her resolve for the future set. Naruto took to the rooftops to head towards the Hokage Tower. XxX
"Yo baa-chan."
Tsunade looked to see Naruto hanging around her window with a lazy look on his face, "Can you take the door brat? I already have Jiraiya jumping on the sill every time he comes by, I don't need you doing it too."
Naruto shrugged and hopped inside of the office, "It's easier than the door." A smirk came onto his face, "Unless you like it when I kick it open because I personally love it. I would have no problems with doing that for you."
Tsunade's eye twitched as Naruto flopped on a chair in the office, "So what are you doing here brat? Other than trying to get me to put you through the wall?" Naruto's jovial face fell as he got business-like, "How do you feel about starting up a program for combat medics?"
Tsunade's eyes widened before she went to normal, "I proposed that idea years ago during the last war, but Sarutobi-sensei shot it down. He said there just weren't enough resources to go around then for it."
A grin came onto Naruto's face, "Well why not do it now? You are the Hokage aren't you? Or is that pointy hat something I can buy somewhere for myself? Set it up, and I have someone you should look up first. She doesn't have much going for her except chakra control."
Tsunade laid her face in her palm, "Then why would I want her in the program brat?"
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