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Ever since they had crossed the border, Sakura had found it funny. As if the world had decided to solve the problem that had remained frozen in time for far too long between them, courtesy of her former mentor and now Sixth Hokage, she was dragged to the Land of Iron once more.
This time, she serves as the mandatory medic in the squad, while her masked teacher, whose old habits were still alive and well, being the last arrived at the reunion of the five Kages, will deal with peaceful politics alongside Yamato and Sai as his bodyguards.
With Sasuke absent, Kakashi had found it 'amusing' to mess with his other student, equally strong as the last Rinnegan holder. And despite everything Sakura had said to reassure her boisterous teammate about his newfound maturity, she would be openly lying if she told anyone else that she didn't enjoy watching him blabbing all sorts of excuses to take Sai or Yamato's place, only to be denied by Tsunade herself for his 'inappropriate manners'.
Confirming her assumptions, as soon as they all stood before the building and spotted every other leader and their own squadron, the man called Konoha's hero and world saviour had practically scurried ahead, greeting everyone on sight with nicknames more impolite than the others, even though none of the older generation seemed offended.
That, too, had snatched a giggle from Sakura, ever accustomed to the Jinchuriki's antics, yet admittedly weak against them, if not even more defenseless nowadays.
Right now however, given that the Summit had commenced, she and Naruto were forced to return to their temporary abode, a bit too far from their mentor's location from her perspective, but only a few steps apart from him according to her fast companion's judgement. At that statement, she could only nod approvingly, for she had seen with her very eyes —along with every single living shinobi— how he could vanish from their sight in a blink when cloaked in bright orange chakra.
In their current place, sharing a roof and seated before a hearth in respect to the biting cold of the country, the two members of Team Seven pass the time in whatever way they can think of, the first coming to mind being theories about what may transpire between their carefree sensei and the four other Kages.
"Hope that Octopops won't get on his bro's nerves too fast." Naruto chuckles while remembering his very first interaction with the Fourth Raikage, explaining to his pink-haired companion that his temper can be compromised as fast as he can launch a Lariat on an unsuspecting target.
Laughing back as she carefully listens to the spiky blonde's comical tales of the few times he had seen the Eight Tails' Jinchuriki's being shut down by a powerful fist from his unofficial sibling, Sakura's own mind conjures an image of two people reminding her of that particular chemistry. "So, they're a bit like Master Jiraiya and Tsunade back in the days, huh ?"
Although, as soon as this picture comes as a reliable example, her heart discomfortly skips a beat when the following recollections are words of wisdom from the blonde Sannin.
Words delivered in person by Tsunade to herself only a few months in the aftermath of the Fourth Great War, when Sakura had taken the spot of head of Konoha's hospital. After a tearful congratulation for what her 'beloved apprentice' had become throughout the years, the still-active-at-the-time Fifth Hokage had told her not to follow her path, especially in love, while throwing her a strange wink and a smug smile.
As if the world had taken it upon itself to address an issue that should have been discussed at least two years ago, the understanding of Tsunade's advice finally lights Sakura's mind with a flash of clarity, and with it, burns her cheeks with a mild blush.
From the comfy sofa where she's sitting, she looks over her shoulder, staring at the window facing her for a solid second, before gawking in place.
How she didn't realize it sooner would remain a mystery; nevertheless, right now, light remorse and boiling fluster flare up from the very tips of her toes to her highest strand of bright pink hair as the cogs of her brain run wild.
By a strange coincidence or a devilish trick of fate itself, the house in which they reside stands at the exact same location where she had attempted to help her teammate in —after having thought about it far too many times to keep the count— the worst way possible.
As she takes in within herself that she and Naruto are currently a few inches away from the spot where she had confessed to him, confused by her sudden turmoil, Sakura fails to notice that her lips had parted of their own to gasp quite aloud.
"Something's wrong, Sakura-chan ?" Naruto turns his head around and shuffles forward the tiniest bit, his confused eyes already full of concern for her sake.
"N-No, I'm alright." Sakura shakes her head and smiles, trying to regain her composure as quickly as she can. "I was just… Remembering some stupid thing."
Lifting an eyebrow, her teammate merely hums then scrubs the back of his scalp. "Remembering what ? When I fainted from your poisoned kunai ?"
She hears him snorting, and while she usually would shout to tell him that such an injury wasn't funny at all, in this moment, she takes these seconds to thank whatever deity had decided that the Nine-Tails Jinchuriki would be born and remain oblivious.
But maybe. Just maybe… She can take this opportunity to give him what he has always deserved.
Surprising herself and coaxing her heart to leap, the first idea coming to life in her head isn't the apology she had rehearsed dozens of times back then. Rather than that, she thinks of a retry.
As far as she's aware, there's nothing between him and Hinata, or any other girl that fawns over him for that matter, and they're now two grown adults who don't have to deal with the stress of a renegade comrade or a looming threat.
More importantly, she's not as confused as she was back then, and knows for a fact that the affection she holds for Naruto can't be described as a strong sense of friendship anymore. It's deeper than that and rooted in her heart since… Perhaps even further than the day she thinks of, uttering the three words he had always wanted to hear.
Swallowing a lump that had formed in her throat, Sakura ruminates and narrows her surroundings to focus. She just needs to have a little bit of courage. She did it once before, so it should be a breeze…. Unless Naruto reacts in the same way as two years ago.
Her eyebrows furrow of their own accord as she ponders the situation and mentally theorizes about what may transpire if she acts. Ultimately, it takes her no more than a dozen seconds to acknowledge the object of her fears.
More than rejection, she dreads damaging their friendship. Not once, did Naruto ever comment on what she did, nor did he try to broach the subject. Strangely, even to this day, he doesn't seem to be bothered by her stupid actions. She understood his lack of concern in the past, given everything they had to handle in such a short amount of time.
Between Konoha's reparations, the war, Sasuke's imprisonment, and his own studies to become a Jonin, it was perfectly normal that they had little to no time for discussing that conflict properly.
But now… What stops him from asking questions ? There's no way he doesn't at least hold even a slight bit against her, for she had practically used his feelings against him to make him reconsider. Even if her intent was good-natured, it doesn't pardon her mistake.
And yet, Naruto never judged her for that, always stayed the cheerful goofball around her and brightened her days.
This may be the reason why the guilt gnaws away at her so much even after so much time has passed, but what can she do—
"Oh, or is it about when I reacted like a jerk back then ? Sorry if I scared you, I was a bit surprised, to be honest." She's shoved out of her musings by Naruto's voice, directing her attention to him. Turning her head aside, she's met with his embarrassed smile and his quirk of rubbing the back of his scalp when flustered.
His words stick with her more than they should, poking her remorse here and there with his innocence and honesty. He truly doesn't feel resentful or remotely angry at her, if she has guessed correctly what he's speaking about. He even believes that he actually was in the wrong, and it doesn't help one bit in making her feel better or less ashamed.
While she was quite shocked to see him genuinely furious against her for the first time she had known him, he had every right to call her out, for he had seen through her right away.
"U-Um… You could say that, but… I'm the one who should be apologizing, Naruto." Her tone is almost a whisper as she looks away with flushed cheeks, reflecting how uncomfortable she is to address their unresolved dispute at long last.
"Huh ? Nah, no biggies, it's all good, Sakura-chan ! I could never be upset with you !" Naruto chuckles, still beaming at her while she can only blush stronger at his obliviousness. Before she can retort however, his smile turns into a toothy grin as his eyes adopt a smug feature, half-lidded not unlike her second best friend, coincidentally another rambunctious blonde. "But hey, next time you wanna stop me, try something other than a love confession or that you moved on from Sasuke, I ain't this dumb anymore, you know ?"
Following his jest, his left elbow playfully pokes her side, but on her end, Sakura remains silent and debates in her head whether she should give him a light smack in the face akin to the good old days, or sigh in exasperation.
If only he knew. He's as oblivious as ever.
Amidst her consternation, a light appears in the dark tunnel that is her embarrassment. This is her chance to correct him… And maybe make things really awkward between them if it doesn't work. But she's not the proud apprentice of Tsunade for nothing; she has learned not to miss any opening, and although she's not in a physical fight, her context is somewhat a different kind of battle.
Steeling her nerves, Sakura silently heaves out and looks straight at Naruto, zeroing in on his unexpectant face and eyes, a vastness of gentle blue she could easily surrender to. "Actually, you know… You've got something wrong…."
Blinking out of confusion, the Jinchuriki then brings his eyebrows together, his voice sounding sincerely curious. "What do you mean ?"
Facing the hearth anew, Sakura tips her chin down and joins her hands between her clenched thighs, her posture defensive as she's just about to make or break her relationship with the man she has come to like far greater than anything she had imagined when Team Seven was formed.
"You were right, I was lying to myself… I still cared about Sasuke, but…" She catches her breath, her face reddened from her bubbling emotions surging to life. "…Everything I said about you, and how I feel about you… It wasn't a lie, I swear it !"
A momentary silence follows in the wake of her boldness, prodding her to glance at Naruto, visibly processing what she just admitted.
His world stops for an indecipherable second, his eyes widening as her previous confession, coupled with these words, plays on repeat in his head.
There's no more Sasuke to bring back, no more impending menace that he must be kept at bay from. Hence, he has to come to terms with the fact that, as befuddling as it is, Sakura isn’t acting this time.
Yet again, Naruto tells himself, from her own statement, there is the possibility that she had told the truth back then… And it makes him feel even more of a jerk for lashing out this harshly at her, as justified as he was.
Gulping out loud, he braces himself and pries his lips open, almost trembling when they part. "Y-You love me, right ?" It’s the only response crossing his mind, for he is genuinely in disbelief, his heart pounding from stress and excitement in kind. "Why ?"
His tone reaches the pinkette’s ears with anticipation, as if he isn’t aware of all the qualities that made her and so many other people grow fond of him.
Looking away for a split second, Sakura gazes upon her friend equally as flustered as she is, and throws him the same smile she had managed to draw on her face that day.
This time however, it isn’t eclipsed by any feeling of urgency or guilt, just pure sincerity.
"Because, as I said back then, you were always there supporting me, and it took me a bit of time to realize how deeply I care about you." She begins, her confidence suddenly leaping as all the memories she shares with him resurface in a flash. "When you returned from your trip with Master Jiraiya, I was so happy. I couldn’t help but smile like a little girl; my parents always teased me about it. Then, we kept spending more time together, always going on missions, training, or just walking in the streets, and it felt like you never left in the first place. When we tag along, I feel like I’m at my best, like no matter what happens, I'll be fine because you're here. And before I knew it… I couldn’t imagine a future without you in my life. So, when I had to decide that day… If keeping you alive meant giving up on Sasuke, then I was ready to do it."
With so much conviction poured out of her mouth and her efforts to remain composed despite her apprehension and fluster, every single one of her heartfelt words weighs like the world, so much so that she's out of breath, waiting for her teammate's answer.
She's certain she could have phrased it even better, yet it doesn't matter. This time, there are no ulterior motives, simply her throbbing heart speaking.
Judging by how Naruto straightens his back and puffs his chest as if he held his respiration for a whole minute, Sakura deems it fair to assume that her truth had managed to affect him, possibly even reaching him.
"I… I see…" He breathes out, even as the only thing his pink-haired friend notices is the edges of his lips curling up without his consent. "So that's how you feel about me…"
The spiky blonde harbors a smile that defeats every other one he has displayed throughout his lifetime. Broader, happier, and somehow serene. His mind attempts to find a moment that had sparked an equal amount of happiness, and the occurrences are scarce. His entire being boils from within, assailed by a foreign joy, one forcing his heart to pound so vividly that he swears it's audible.
It almost feels like one of his numerous dreams involving such a scene happening, except that, as always coming from such an awesome girl, Sakura has exceeded his expectations effortlessly, just by being herself.
With his lips unable to fall, giggles after giggles echo into the air, the sounds of a young adult whose spirit is floating.
"I really don't know what to say, Sakura-chan. Thank you ? I love you too ? Nah, you already know that…" He crosses his arms and tips his chin up, staring at the ceiling while mentally rummaging, still with his smile that makes her giddy in the chest. "W-Well… What now ? What happens after that ?"
Letting loose a silent gasp, Sakura feels her body set aflame, engulfed in heat from the myriad of emotions swirling in her head. It's truly unfair how he presses the right buttons without so much as an ounce of awareness. And now she begins to wonder if he always looked that handsome and cute, or if she's just hopelessly enamoured.
Still content with the results she obtained, she chuckles at his antics. "I don't know either, I didn't plan that far ahead. I thought you would say no, to be honest."
"What ?! How could I ?! You're the smartest, prettiest, and coolest girl I know !" Naruto nearly jumps out of the sofa, pouting as he genuinely asks himself how his childhood crush can stay clueless about her charms.
Reddening her cheeks so fast and abruptly that her head fumes, Sakura's emerald eyes shimmer, deciphering complete honesty in the Jinchuriki's. Morphing her lips into a rejoiced smile, her next course of action startles him for a second, stunned as she pushes herself closer to him until their arms touch.
"You've always been so open with your compliments like that… It's also a part of you that I really like." She admits through a confident grin decorating her face, while her hand travels towards his to rest atop it. "Maybe we should take things slow ? How about we go on a date when we come back ?"
Peering upon her face, inspecting every of her ethereal features as if it was the first time he'd seen them, Naruto gently squeezes her fingers and grins back with a blush. "Sure ! You can count of me for that !"
After his approval however, she feels his fingers trembling and heating up, and when she gazes upon his visage once more, she's met with his tanned skin turned totally red and his eyes shifting side to side. Knowing him far too much for him to lie under her nose, Sakura snorts to herself. She's certain that there is something he wants to say, and she's assured to swoon. "What is it ?"
"Um… If you don't mind… Can you close your eyes for a second ? There's something I wanna try…" He mutters sheepishly, a drop of sweat rolling down his cheek. "I promise it's not something perverted !"
Even though her heart beats at a rate that is by all intent unhealthy and requires medical attention, even though her mind conjures a plethora of ideas that she openly hopes for, Sakura grants him her entire trust and obliges, fluttering her eyelids shut.
Fully expectant, the soft warmth gracing her forehead thereafter leaves her shuddering and unable to formulate a coherent thought. Opening her eyes right away, she awaits Naruto's explanation, the color of his cheeks matching her own bright rosy hue spreading to her neck.
"I always dreamed of doing this…" He mumbles and looks away, scrubbing a cheek with a finger. "Ever since the first day I saw you, I thought about how charming your forehead was… It made me want to kiss it, you know ?"
She remains speechless for a moment, feeling a sense of déjà vu. She has heard similar words in the past, but—
Suddenly, a memory in particular flashes through her mind, and with it, her pupils widen on their own as she uncovers another discombobulating realization. "Wait… That day on the bench… That was you ?"
The response she receives is a silent nod, blatantly shameful and afraid. "Yeah, I'm sorry… I never told you because I feared how you would react… Looking back on it, I shouldn't have done that even if it made me understand why I love you so much…"
When he starts to look up, his breath is snatched away for the umpteenth time, caught by a surprise hug. Her grasp around him is tight, her arms wrapped around his torso and her head pressed against his left shoulder, but what confuses him the most are the subtle tremors in her limbs.
"You idiot… You have no idea what these words mean to me…" Her lips tremble. It's so mind-breaking that she could laugh if she weren't so distraught. Of course it was him. It was always him. The only guy who had constantly viewed her in a light that even she wasn't noticing. That compliment had carried her through her lows and brushed away her self-depreciation in an instant; it was the day she had come to accept that peculiar trait.
Playing that moment in her mind, she can't help but chuckle, sweet and bereft of any anger Naruto had expected. "You're really an idiot, but so am I. Sasuke was never the type of guy to praise a girl on her physique, to be fair. You almost gave yourself away, and I didn't pick up the clues." Leaning back, her arms still embracing him, Sakura smiles with tears at the corners of her eyes. "It's okay, we both messed up big time because we were stupid children."
"S-So… You forgive me ? We're still, like, whatever we are now ?" Naruto gawks in place, his question thrown out in a gulp.
Playfully humming for a brief instant, Sakura broadens her smile, now looking smug and quite devilish as a malicious giggle reverberates. "If you're really sorry… Then kiss me here." She closes her eyes again and brings a hand before her chest, a finger pointed to her mouth.
Almost coughing from bewilderment, the spiky blonde's blush trails all along his figure. "Y-You're sure ? Didn't you want to take things s-slow ?"
Lifting her right eyelid only, her voice is nearly a purr, coaxing every bit of uncertainty in his being to explode. "Wanna be forgiven or not, Naruto~ ?"
Effectively spurred on by a husky tone he had never heard before, Naruto delicately raises her chin with his thumb and index finger, before shuffling forward and closing his own eyes.
When his lips brush against her soft ones rather clumsily however, any and all logic quits him, replaced by fervent hunger that Sakura doesn't fail to match.
Following their first-ever kiss, a second one arrives even faster than their breath, succeeded by a third, then a fourth, until both of them forego keeping the count and simply enjoy the moment, consumed by a strange fire.
Throughout the exploration and boldness brought by their lips and tongue greeting each other, Sakura discovers how clingy her newly acquired boyfriend is, keeping an iron grip around her clothed body while tentatively caressing it. Despite not being known as an improper woman, she can't wait to return to Konoha and see for herself how long he'll keep control.