Sakura walked entering the gate of konoha followed by her team. "I trust you" he trusted her and she failed the villagers everyone around her looked up to her when she was nothing leading a group wasn't that hard but she failed. How embarrassing!
She didn't want to face kakashi not now and not ever
She wanted to prove to him that she was old enough to stay by his side, to handle everything she will face when she come out to the villagers with her feelings for the hokage. But no she wasn't suitable yet.
(How hard was it to be with you?) she thought as she looked up, she blinked her bright green eyes, was she seeing things? Or was hatake kakashi really standing in front of her.."Oiii, kakashi-sensei" Sakura frozen in her place for the first time she was grateful for Naruto's loud mouth if he didn't shouted she would follow her heart and jump at him holding him close until he feels her heartbeat against hers.
She tightened her palms as she continued walking towards him "Welcome back" he said in his deep voice and it was unfair for her. How could he control her by only words? So unfair!
She bowed her head "thank you for comings, hokage-sama" so formal and it made him uncomfortable but he didn't say anything he shifted his eyes to his other student "So, as you expected?" Naruto nodded his head with a frown in his face "he didn't come back" Kakashi nodded his head and walked steps away before he stopped again looking back, she wasn't looking up at him she was facing the ground he knew what she felt after this mission.
But what could he say? "I will be waiting for the report in my office" as calm as he was he said that and left, Sakura walked ahead even though she missed everything here, she wanted to visit her best friend and go home and rest but she didn't want to face him.
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He invited here to have lunch with him, Shikamaru couldn't continue his day without Ino's blabbers, it was like she had experienced everything and she had full memory of the past and so many thoughts about the future, she talks about everything in this wide world and he didn't get sick of her company.
That until he saw tenten and rock lee and the other came in choji ran to them Shikamaru stood "welcome back" and before anything else he asked "where's team 7?" Choji was busy checking on Ino so tenten answered "sakura at the hokage's office and Naruto went home" Shikamaru walked out of the door heading to the office because of course thanks to that uchiha he will have a lot of work.
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Naruto stood in front of his door ,his home and he felt the desire to go in straight to his bed and rest.
But he knew that he was engaged now, someone behind that door had been waiting for him for weeks and now he's finally back of course heading to bed straight to bed won't be possible, why though?
What made him like this? He was going to get married soon but yet he had these mixed feelings inside, he wanted to see her but bow he wanted to rest first, he was avoiding her he knew that but why?
Naruto took a deep breath and opened the door,
The house seemed quieter and dark, he stepped few steps to the kitchen but no sound came out of it and it was empty the living room too where was she?
"Hinata I'm baack!" He expected her to walk fast to him with her open arms.. but none came.
So he just headed to their room even though he wanted to head to bed , still finding an empty home was a little depressing.
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Shikamaru took long to came sakura felt nervous, uncomfortable in front of him but when the door opened she looked at the person who came he finally showed up "hokage-sama" he bowed slightly and walked to stand beside her, she wanted to hide behind him so this person who was sitting behind this huge table won't see through her.
But she stood and didn't move "you're strong Haruno" she whispered to herself, "drop the sama Shikamaru" the hokage said as he looked up to the shinobi in front of him "sakura" she looked up quickly eyes full of hope and he saw that "would you please start" she shook her head trying to pull herself back to reality (No personal feelings involved, this is work!) she cleared her throat "hanabi hyuga informed us about the shinobi who attacked Ino" he smiled at that even though she tried to spoke professionally about hanabi she couldn't do the same to her friend, she had said her name as if she was talking with her group of friends No Yamanaka only Ino because she was her friend.
"Hanabi Hyuga told us to move in the night so they wouldn't be aware of us instead the day and we did but.." the sadness and disappointment furrowed her brows making her look down "Hanabi did the right thing " Shikamaru looked at the hokage he was trying to make her feels better this wasn't her fault nor was hanabi's it was an accident, the fate's fault that what would ino say.
"So what about sasuke?" Sakura looked at Shikamaru "sasuke left in the middle of the fight and he never came back" Kakashi nodded his head before looking at Shikamaru "what do you suggest?" Shikamaru stayed silent for a minute "Naruto would so tired by now, so how about sending an anbu to track sasuke?" Kakashi nodded "call sai and inform him to chose the best in tracking him, just that and if they found him let them in form us" Shikamaru nodded then left sakura intended to follow before Kakashi spoke "Sakura" his voice was out of any seigniory sending her a feeling that the person who called her name wasn't the hokage he was her sensei.
She looked back without straightening her back or lifting her chin... he was standing now, walking towards her and now she could see the difference of hight between them and it made her want to run and hide herself in his chest she wanted to be surrounded by his arms... when did she became so weak? She fought well against Kaguya!
"Don't be too hard on yourself" maybe if her stopped he will make it easier to move on "you did well, I don't want to see you like this" (stay strong Haruno!) she reminded herself again ..she was Haruno Sakura she would never teared in front if him "I hate to see someone who dear to me down" she was strong but this tear dared to rolled down her cheek and that encouraged the other to do the same and then she found herself sobbing but at least she had what she wanted she hided her head in his chest and was surrounded by his arms.
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She stood in front of his door unable to believe the thought that came suddenly in her head, (I can't!) of course she won't. Taking advantage of her ninja skills and barging into someone's place like a thief is a huge mistake But... she really missed him.
She sighed and held her few patient she had and left the stairs seemed too long when she stumbled on them and when she stepped out the sky looked amazing especially from this building, which had a beautiful view to the village far from people and far from noise "Hinata" she looked down fast to the person walking towards her "shino-kun!" She smiled to him relieved that he wasn't Shikamaru.
He looked up the building then to her and she wished she could use her byakugan to see the expression on his eyes "what are you doing here?" She tried to drift his attention from the place "I'm heading to the hokage's building" she looked behind her shoulders to the building "you got a mission already?" She was surprised by that "I don't know, but they called for me" she felt a little down when was the last time she went to a mission? "Do you think I should go with you it's been a while since I went to a mission" shino stayed quiet for a moment "Not today hinata" hinata looked at him confused "you should be home by now since Naruto is waiting for you" the reaction he expected didn't show up "They came?" It came out of her mouth slow and quiet as if she wanted to hide something but she was too surprised, he studied her for a moment before nodding his head "I know it's early" it wasn't early for her it felt like years "but they came because Sasuke disappeared and Naruto mentioned that he might left the village again" shino told her the news without knowing how would it effected her.. but now it was showing on her face some of the colors that painted her features beautifully disappeared her eyes widened but no tears of happiness sparkled her eyes
Her breathing somehow slowed trying to realize what he said yet trying to show nothing.
"Hinata-chan?" He stepped closer to her intending to tap her shoulders but she was gone she passed him he looked confused for a moment, he knew something was wrong with her but what was it?
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"Do you believe in miracle?" He looked dow at her "I don't" that day was one of the the day she would cherish in her head forever "will you leave the village again?" He didn't move his stare from the stone in front of him "Maybe"
She didn't think he would but now he was gone hinata leaned over the wall to support herself her hand holding back the sobs and the other clutching her chest hoping the pain inside will have mercy on her her sobs escaped her mouth and she fell down crying in the middle of this dark hallway. Hinata cried and cried letting all the tears she had been holding these past weeks out.
She was patient and she waited and nothing ended up as she wanted to be, he was supposed to be here waiting for her to cook dinner for them.
But he ran away...to the world.
And she felt lonely even though they were all here, hinata then realized what she wanted.
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The noise woke him up and he regretted getting up because he came face to face with his future wife so he fell down quickly pretending to be asleep
He then realized what he did and he felt terrible he don't want to lose anyone, so he got up slowly his eyes fell on hers then his heart clutched, her face was red tears threatening to fall in her eyes, he had hurts her so badly and yet he said nothing but staring "father is downstairs waiting for you I will change and follow you" he nodded felt a little disappointed and relieved at the same time that she didn't jumped at him and welcomed him with open arms she just turned to the bathroom and closed the door behind her, he said nothing even though he needed to wash his face.
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Shikamaru glared at sai he was late "why were you late?" Sai smiled his usual smile "I was making sure ino-chan reach her home safely" did he thought that was a good excuse Shikamaru looked at him again the changed his thought he was just being honest
"Choose one of your best men and by tomorrow send to find sasuke uchiha and if they found let them inform us" Sai nodded his head not asking for any further details he just sat on the chair around Shikamaru "how's Ino?" Shikamaru asked without looking at Sai "she is ok" Shikamaru nodded his head and after a moment Sai spoke again "you're lucky Shikamaru" that made him raise his eyes "Ino-chan was talking about you the whole day" warm happiness went through him ,he had the desire to throw these papers aside and asked Sai about what she said but he nodded his head looking back down to the paper to hide his small smile.
"She gives you flowers a lot didn't know you like them" Shikamaru don't neither does he hates them he just found them like any other plants only colorful and smell good , Shikamaru didn't know how to answer that so he kept quiet, she always gave them flowers whenever they came from a mission or anything what was so strange about that?
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Hinata was washing the dishes unable to take her mind off the news she heard from shino, he promised that he will come back, so where was he right now? She wished her byakugan could see further and further until she could find him from her rooftop (Then what?), Naruto walked but she never looked she was in another world, so he tried to make up for her "I'm back" he whispered shame was clear in his voice, she wiped her hand and looked at him longer than he could handle then she stepped closer to him trying something that would never work "hi..hinata-chan!" She narrowed her eyes at him "what's the point in saying something you didn't mean?" He looked confused so he drifted his eyes from her "you thought that I would say welcome back? I have saying them every time you came home, even though that I knew that they were tasteless in your mouth and yet I said them with every emotion I held for you for so long Naruto!" She closed her eyes as she said so long she was patient for so long had feelings for him for so long "I was afraid that this day would come, Naruto" her voice was so soft, so gentle, so sad "That I would feel like stranger around you again" she walked pass it him to her room and he heard nothing but the door slammed loudly,
Naruto leaned on the wall beside him feeling ashamed, sorry and many things
"I'm sorry, mother I failed"
