I stared absently at the sunset, lost in my mind as I casually strolled down the dirt path on the edge of a huge forest. I was thinking about my genin teammates, my sensei, and the chunin exams. An image of orange, pink, and silver flooded into my mind. I rembered them, my team, my friends with a sense of fondness and admiration. I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of feet touching and pushing off tree branches. I halted my lazy pace, listening to the noise as it got closer… my eyes widened involuntarily in surprise. About fifty feet behind the ninja running towards me was another, louder one. The unknown noises were getting closer, but I didn't move. About four yards in front of me, a pink and red bullet shot out of the trees, followed by a red and black one. The female ninja landed on the ground, turning her fall into a summersault, she rolled a few times before standing and glaring towards the shinobi that was chasing her. I recognized the kunoichi as none other than, Konoha's cherry blossom herself, Haruno Sakura. I stared at her slender form in wonder. I hadn't seen her in over seven years. She certainly bloomed in to a beautiful woman. Her cherry pink hair was tied up in a sloppy ponytail; the bangs that sided her face were the same from all those years ago. Her face had slimed down to an oval shape, her features had matured; her eyes –once sea foam green– were now a vibrant apple green. Her nose was longer, slimmer. Her lips were fuller and darker, though I suppose it could've been lipstick, but they were still darker. Her leaf headband was still red and tied around her head like it had always been. She was wearing a red Kimono style blouse with no sleeves, held closed by a wide warm grey obi. Unlike Tsunade, she had a white tank top under it. The shirt was shorter than usual, falling a few inches above her navel. She was wearing black and red athletic short-shorts, and a strange belt that had a three quarter skirt on it. The skirt had the Haruno symbol on the bottom, intertwined with a black circle to counter the white one. Her boots were folded over at the knee, a bit of fishnet sticking out of the left one. She had a ruby on a silver chain around her neck, hanging to just above her bust; which, by the way, was big enough to rival the size of Tsunade's. The ANBU tattoo was clearly imprinted on her upper arm, not concealed. There was a leather cord wrapped around her left wrist, and fishnet on her right elbow. She had multiple medical and general packs slung around her waist, and a Tanto sitting above the huge medical pack on her back. I looked her up and down once more before she rushed at her opponent. She pulled a kunai out of the holster strapped to her thigh. Though the ninja dodged her rather straightforward attack, she caught his wrist as he jumped out of the way. She yanked him harshly downward and to left, sending him careening into a nearby boulder, effectively disabling him. She turned and jogged over to the downed man, standing over him. She squatted down at his side, whispering something in his ear, before growling in frustration and snatching his left hand and squeezing it roughly, breaking it and earning a scream in return. Her pale eyebrows shot up as she asked again, " Now, are you going to tell me what I want to know, or do I have to injure you further?" He shook his head furiously. She scowled and punched him in the gut harshly, sending him a few feet down into the rock. " How 'bout NOW!" she yelled after him. " Fine!" came his reply. She grinned and pulled him up out the hole she'd created. They whispered to each other for a while before she hugged him and mumbled a 'thank you'. She released him, watching him walk away, unexpectant of her ulterior motive. She flash-stepped behind him, stabbing him in the neck harshly. Letting him fall to the earth with a thud, she kneeled down beside him and began checking herself over for injuries. She found a long gash along her upper arm and a stab wound on her calf. She placed her small hands on them and green chakra oozed out of her palms, healing the results of the battle. She seemed to finally notice my presence, looking up and gazing at me warily. "If you want to fight to, forget it. I need to get back to the village." She said shortly. I almost smiled. Almost. " I'm not going to attack you. I don't need your death on my conscience," I joked. She stood, having finished healing herself, and cocked her hip to the side, hands on her waist. "So you think you can beat me?" she asked, doubt evident in her soft voice.

I crossed my arms over my chest defiantly. "Oh, I know I can beat you, Sakura," she grinned playfully and began to laugh mockingly. "You really think so, huh? Well… sorry; if you want a fight, you'll have to come with me back to the village. I really need to get back as soon as possible." I thought about it for a moment, deciding on a no. " No. I will not return with you," I said, finality ringing in every word. I watched her, expecting a reply along the lines of, ' OH NO! SASUKE-KUN! COME BACK WITH ME, PLEASE!' Yeah, not what I got. Her face didn't fall, she didn't pout, she didn't even frown a little. She shrugged and said, " Your loss, then." Before turning and jumping of into the forest, calling out over her shoulder, " Bye, Sasuke!" I stared after her retreating footsteps in shock. Before I knew what I was doing, I was following her through the trees. She turned to gaze at me, question in her eyes. " Change your mind?" her voice traveled back to me on the wind. I smiled, a tiny, tiny smile. " Yeah," I was finally returning. After seven years. I could tell by her fond smile that she was thinking the same thing.