WE ARE ALIVE NOW

CHAPTER FIVE

Promptly after arriving, Ino leads Sakura up to her bedroom, and laid her down. Ino also laid down beside her, and big spooned her. Neither of them had spoken on their entire way back, allowing Sakura's thoughts to run more deeper.

Laying there, Sakura couldn't help herself from reminiscing on all the times Naruto had been there for her.

" Ino, he was always there. Naruto was always there " said Sakura softly.

Ino decided to listen, and give her own opinion when Sakura was ready to listen.

" When we were genins, he was there. When Sasuke left the village, he was by my side, I was alone when Naruto left as well for two and half years, but I had you and I had my training. But he returned and became the center of my universe again, I secretly feared he would have changed after seeing him again back then "

Sakura smiled fondly at the memories.

" However, he didn't change. And I took all that for granted, watching him grow into the hero he now is today. But even though I watched him, all I fixated on was our pursuit of bringing Sasuke back. And when we finally had him back, I became glad and ungrateful, forgetting Naruto's feelings for me, and cooking up an idea in my head that it was all the rivalry he had with Sasuke.

" I made a mockery of his emotions, and pushed him into the arms of Hinata. Let down his feelings, " Ino could not keep listening to Sakura's rambling, she'd forced herself to stay quiet but she no longer could.

" Sakura, Naruto no longer has any of those feelings you denied- " " I know, but neither does he have any of the ones I thought he did for Hinata either ".

Ino found herself perplexed, by the length her friend would go through in her mind to make herself feel better, it made her pity her. Ino withdrew and sat up.

" You know. That's some real bullshit Sakura, really. You're going to stoop this low? Get a grip ", Sakura sits up as well and turns her fiery gaze to Ino.

" You don't believe me? Well that makes two of us! I don't believe me either. Cause I didn't want to notice it, I looked away whenever I caught a glimpse of it " she said, " a glimpse of what Sakura " Ino retorts.

" His sorrow Ino. This past year, Naruto has been walking around with a heavy burden, a burden I placed on him. And I know him, once Naruto has been tasked with something, he will hold on to it like that is his reason for living " said Sakura with conviction.

" You're saying Naruto's been treating his relationship with Hinata, like a task? " Ino questioned, trying to make sense of it in her head.

" Last year, when we went to the moon. We had to go through this pool of unnatural water, which briefly placed everyone under a genjutsu of sort. Eleven months ago, Naruto feeling affable told me that he had a dream while in that pool about his past with Hinata, and that was when he began to realize his feelings for her.

" I was happy for him, but ten months later, he stopped mentioning anything about his relationship with Hinata. And barely comes around, it was around nine months ago I began to notice that wearied determination he had when pursuing Sasuke " Sakura explained.

" But Sakura, you can't always be happy when in a relationship- " " how many times have you felt burdened since dating Sai? ".

Ino searched but she could not find a counterattack, yet she believed she couldn't let Sakura off: fearing what she would do.

" No one should feel that sad, when you're with someone you truly love " said Sakura, " and you? What about your relationship, didn't you feel like it was collapsing "