Lovely Sorrow

One

Team 7 had just completed a B rank mission: we were assigned to and successfully captured several missing ninja who were all disciples beneath Orochimaru and placed them into the custody of the Leaf Village officials.

The Third Hokage therefore put on a day-long, village-wide festival for the members of our team, for it was the first time in Leaf Village history where a group of genin completed a B rank mission all on their own without any unnecessary deaths or afflicted injuries.

It was awesome to think that we were suddenly so famous! And to be honest, I didn't mind all the attention I got from everyone either...

But that stupid Sasuke made the whole freaking festival all about him, without even trying! Always getting the attention of all the girls in town with his good looks and cold, dark eyes and pitch black hair with that evil hard-lined smirk he always had plastered on his face - he was the most annoying person I'd ever met!

And yet...I found myself to be helplessly in love with him.

I don't really know when it happened, or why for that matter; but only that it did, and there was no coming back from where I was now.

During the five months our team was on its mission, Sasuke and I had finally achieved to maintain a stable friendship, and the last thing I wanted to do was ruin what we had now.

I loved Sasuke Uchiha with all my heart, and because I was so scared of losing him, I vowed to never tell him the truth of my feelings for him. If he knew that I gave my heart to him, he might reject me forever, and living a life of lies for his sake and for mine was better than not having him beside me at all.

The festival began at the break of dawn and was scheduled to go until dusk. Gramps allowed just about every single game and food stand the Leaf Village could get our hands onto.

"Sakura, Sakura!" I cheered as I sprinted in her direction. She turned around and I nearly tripped over my own feet at the way her eyes perfectly caught the light in the sky. She was a radiant vision of beauty, and it made my knees weak just getting a glimpse at her.

It was in that moment, when I was caught up in all of her perfect essence, that I realized why I had loved her for so long.

"Hey, Naruto," she greeted with a completely monotone voice. I noticed she was with Shino and a couple other girls we attended the academy with, and they all appeared to be waiting anxiously for someone or something to pass by.

"What are all you cute ladies waiting for?" I said flirtatiously with a blush. Sakura glared at me for a long time before suddenly pinching my cheeks and angrily grinding her teeth together.

"Just who the hell do you think you are, flirting with me like I'm some damn fangirl of yours?!" I gripped onto her wrists to try and loosen her hold, failing in the end to escape her fiery wrath.

"Sakura-chan, I didn't mean to make you upset! Please, I'm begging you, lemme go before you kill me!" Her eyes only became sharper at my response.

"AND WHAT THE HELL IS UP WITH THAT 'SAKURA-CHAN' BS?! THERE IS ONLY ONE PERSON I WILL EVER ALLOW TO REFER TO ME AS THAT AND IT IS NOT YOU!"

"Why are you causing such a ruckus in the middle of the street?" I heard a deep voice say. Just hearing it made my stomach churn uncomfortably, and its effect on the girls silenced them all - it even distracted Sakura so much that I was finally able to push her hands away and fall hard onto the ground.

"It's so uncool," he stated as if it were a proven fact. All of the girls swooned dramatically over him. All I did was stand up and brush off my now dirt-covered orange pants.