Lost Time

You Can Tell Me These Things

-------------------------*_THREE MONTHS EARLIER_*--------------------------

"Sakura-chan!!" a familiar voice yelled from the street. Sakura looked over the railing of her balcony at the yellow haired boy. Well, he's not a boy anymore, she thought. The once annoying, little knucklehead she knew had turned into a handsome, strong man right before her eyes. In one leap, he landed next to her on the balcony.

"Naruto!" she scolded, "I have a door, use it next time!" 

Still, she giggled. Naruto just wouldn't be Naruto if he didn't go around being loud and not using doors. 

Sakura hadn't seen her closest friend in ages. She had been busy on missions and working at the Konoha hospital. And Naruto, he had been practically shut away with Kakashi-sensei, the Sixth Hokage. Naruto's ambitions for the position kept him busy researching, studying, and training. He was so close to his dream that he felt as if he could reach out and touch it. Sakura knew that soon enough, she would be referring to Naruto as 'Lord Seventh'. 

"Go ahead inside, Naruto. The instant ramen is on the counter." 

"YES! Thank you for inviting me over, Sakura-chan!"

As Naruto stepped through the sliding doors that lead to Sakura's kitchen, a hawk squawked and landed on the balcony's railing. Naruto turned his head and noticed Sakura untying something from the hawk's leg.

"Hey, what's that?" He asked as he walked closer to the pinkette.

"Huh? Oh, it's uh . . from . . ." She let her voice trail off as she sent the hawk away. She then tried to tuck the letter into her pocket without Naruto noticing.

"That's Sasuke's hawk isn't it? Have you heard from him?" He said, eyeing what she was fumbling with. "Is that a note or something?"

"Mind your business!" Sakura said, pushing Naruto away. He could see that she was blushing heavily and put both of her hands in her pockets. "Sakura, you can tell me these things . . . " 

Sakura sighed and pulled out the piece of paper and showed him the Uchiha crest that sealed it shut. "I've been, ah . . . talking to him. He sends me letters." She said, her face now as red as a tomato. She kept her emerald eyes stuck firmly to the floor, refusing to meet Naruto's blue ones. 

Naruto smiled and grabbed Sakura's shoulders, forcing her eyes to meet his. "Sakura-chan, I'm happy for you."

She smiled at her friend and nodded. He knew just how much she loved the Uchiha. He was happy that she was finally being recognized by the boy she chased for all these years. 

"Okay, come on, let's go inside before the ramen gets cold. We have so much to talk about!" Sakura said and led Naruto through the door. 

I'll just have to read you later, she thought as she put the note back into her pocket.