At Second Glance

Love with the Leaf's number one knucklehead for Sakura wasn't love at first sight. It was more like burning hate at first sight.

That loud-mouthed, snot picking, obnoxious blond was the abomination to her supposed love life. He came in between her and Sasuke in more ways than one throughout their missions as Team 7.

The annoying blond just wouldn't go away. Like a moth to a flame he would always find his way back - always.

Much to her initial dismay, he and she inevitably began to form a strong bond with each other. When and how it happened, Sakura didn't know. It just did.

Despite his head-strong annoyance and overly high zest, a sense of mutual trust and respect was felt between them. That she could not deny.

However at the end of the friendship they had forged, she began to exploit his strong feelings about camaraderie in order to save her dear-old Sasuke-kun.

A once in a life time request was what she called it. But that selfish request caused hardship and hurt, not just on her but on Naruto too.

Her plan didn't go her way: instead of repairing the cracked edges of their bond as Team 7 she caused it to shatter completely. All that was left were petty shards of glass sprawled across the floor, in a disoriented mess, just like her team.

They all went separate ways.

Sasuke turned rogue to attain power for revenge.

Naruto also set out on a journey to obtain power, but it was to bring Sasuke back to the village… back to Sakura.

So that one day he could finally say: "I told you I'd keep my word! Because's that's my Ninja Way!"

And Sakura, she remained in the village reminiscing and contemplating about the past.

To where she first met the two knuckle-heads and their perverted-sensei. To when she began to build a strong connection with Sasuke...

...And Naruto.

"I swear I'll bring Sasuke back! I promise that on my life!"

It wasn't love at first sight with Naruto, she told herself.

...But it wasn't hate at first sight either. Just misconstrued judgement which spiraled to, what she thought, was hate.

With Sasuke, however, it was...

"You're... so annoying."

It was...

"Don't leave me Sasuke-kun.. please, I'm begging you!"

"Sakura.. thank you,"

It wasn't love at first sight either, she later realized. It was just a mixture of childish desire, infatuation and just the urge of having the most popular boy in the Academy.

It wasn't love... just immaturity.

Immaturity which then twisted into a form of deranged love. A love which she found addicting, one that she couldn't help but feel attracted to.

It wasn't love... just blind lust.

That wasn't the case between Naruto and her. They were friends on common grounds. Their chemistry and bond were strong, almost unbreakable.

But that was it, she told herself it wouldn't escalate to further than friends. After all, Naruto was still childish; surely he wouldn't know the definition of love.

Yet at the second glance, she began to feel a stir in her stomach and emotions.

Sure, Naruto wasn't exactly her Knight and Shining Armour at day one, like Sasuke was, but repeatedly he saved her.

No matter what the cost.

It was during the Fourth Shinobi War Sakura began to acknowledge the emotions stirring underneath all of the layers of lies she had so meticulously constructed to feel guarded and safe.

The moment she thought Naruto was going to die, was the moment he broke through her defense.

Naruto shattered past her own darkness, like he always does, and light was shed in her heart.

That idiot Naruto, the most annoying teammate she'd ever had... made her lose her composed state.

Made her heart race for a second. Made her feel –

"Let's go," he spoke after regaining consciousness.

At second glance she began to fall.

She fell into deep depths, yet she didn't mind.

Because the deeper she fell, the closer she felt to Naruto.

There was reluctance in middle, probably out of apprehension or the feelings she had left of Sasuke (what was left of it).

Even so, she began to let go... one finger at a time. Daringly at first, but with enough precaution to have her mind at ease.

Then all together, in a tangle of mess, she finally released her body from her grasp, allowing it to spiral out of control.

She began to plunge deeper into the abyss.

Until...

"Naruto,"

"S-Sakura-chan?"

..she finally felt the surface beneath her.

"I love you."

It was at the second glance she fell.

She fell down hard onto the ground... and she didn't want to get up.

A/N: Honestly... how and why I wrote this is beyond me. I am not a shipper, nor do I really care for romance, but... I'm in one of those moods. Eh, why not let it take over my muse.

This little story will have a variety of chapters - ranging from half-drabble all the way to short-short. So each chapter will vary from 50 (or less) words all the way to 500 (or more) words! Just a little heads up: this story will also range from Rated K to M. But no.. there won't be any "boom-boom-pow" scenes. Just hints. Here and there... scattered all over the place.

And there is no definite chapter I want to end this on. So I will just keep posting until I run out of ideas. (Take note: I don't really do romantic genre stories! So I don't know how dully I did on this XD)

Anyway, thanks for reading!

Exciled3