Naru-Wars: Sakura of the Pink Blade

=*= a Naruto-Star Wars fan-fiction =*=

Chapter 1

As I woke, my eyes opened slowly and brought the whiteness expanse of my ceiling into focus. I sighed quietly, closed my eyes, and rolled over to go back to sleep. I knew that I wouldn't really fall back asleep though; I had the tendencies to wake up and stay awake. I mostly rolled over out of habit, from back in my academy-student-and-genin-days, but also because I cherished the warmth that wouldn't be anywhere outside my bed at this hour—5 AM.

I blew out another breath, this one bigger, and forced the quilted comforter and sheets away from my pleasantly heated body. I winced and shivered as the chilled air seeped into my skin. But after I sat up and stretched for a minute, I felt as though I had been awake for hours. Then I padded into the bathroom to turn on the shower. After stepping out of my maroon-and-pink plaid PJ bottoms and yanking my solid maroon cami over my head, I ducked into the shower. I felt the water rush over my shoulders, truly waking me up and starting my day. I sped through washing myself, then took an extra minute with the conditioner to let it set in my hair. I rinsed, finished up, and got out of the shower, wrapping a towel around myself as I went.

I dressed and dragged a brush quickly through my hair, smiling at the remembrance of when I had cut it during the second task of my first-ever chunin exam. I had called it "low-maintenance", and it was definitely that. I jerked myself back from memory lane. I quickly pulled on my work clothes, then placed my shinobi headband on top of my head and tied it behind my neck. I gazed at myself in the mirror for just a minute. I grinned at my reflection and turned away.

I knew I was ready for action. What I didn't know was that I would need to be for quite a while.

I had been training with Lady Tsunade for about two hours, but then the rest of the Hidden Leaf Village began waking up as well, so she had to return to her Hokage-ly duties. As I followed her back to the Hokage House to assist her by doing errands, paperwork and such, I wondered how much more boredom I would have to endure. But then I remembered that things always were more interesting when Naruto was involved. Hm. Naruto normally wakes up…when? 8:30? 9o' clock? I snorted softly and shook my head. That idiot. Always getting up late and making the rest of us always wait. Especially me.

I worked for another four-and-a-half hours before I saw anything of Naruto—unusually late, even for that knucklehead. I was on way back from running a short errand for Lady Hokage when I first laid eyes on the twerp.

He yawned and stretched as he walked my way, a zombie, dead on his feet. "Hey Sakura…whass…*yawn*…goin' on…?"

I stopped in my tracks and spun around on my heel, ve-ry slow-ly. I plastered a totally fake smile on my face, taking a page out of Sai's book.

"Oh, hey Naruto. I was just wondering WHERE THE HELL YOU'VE BEEN FOR THE PAST TWO-AND-A-HALF HOURS!"

That woke him up real quick. "Whoa! Sakura! I—"

"WASN'T THINKING? WELL AIN'T THAT THE TRUTH OF A LIFETIME! YOU IDIOT! C'MERE, I'M GONNA—!" I snapped my black gloves, readying myself to deal out a helluva pounding.

But Naruto beat me to the punch—literally. He grabbed me up in one of his sweet warm-'n-cozy hugs in his perfectly muscled arms. I sighed, dropped my arms down around his waist, and just about fell back asleep, despite my once-awake-stay-awake philosophies. Naruto held me for a few more seconds, then squeezed me an extra time and drew back.

"Sorry I'm late, Sakura. I really didn't mean to worry you…" He slowly massaged the base of my neck with his fingertips, just the way he knows I love it. "Can you ever forgive me?" Then he put his forefinger under my chin. I smiled softly in anticipation of what would follow "The Finger": "The Kiss".

We both leaned forward slowly, and my eyes fluttered shut and then—

"Ugh. What a drag…"

That voice…

…Was waaayytoo close

Naruto and I jerked our heads apart, and then stepped away from each other awkwardly. I glanced at his face. He was pretty annoyed, but was managing to hide it fairly well.

I cleared my throat and brushed myself off discreetly. "What's a drag, Shikamaru?"

"Well, seeing you guys, uh, like that," He smirked at our expense. Naruto rolled his eyes and grinned at me for a second. I blushed in reply. "You just reminded me again, thanks a lot, that I won't be able to see Temari for another couple weeks."

By the way, after the Chunin exams ended a while back, Temari never really put it on her schedule that she no longer needed to come here every two weeks—she and Shikamaru had fallen for each other pret-ty hard.

"What can I say?" Naruto shrugged. "That's what you get for being in a serious relationship with a girl who lives at least three day's journey away—lovesick!"

I smacked him playfully on the arm with a mock-scowl. "Now, be nice."

"Yeowch. Fine," Naruto smiled and rubbed his arm comically.

Shikamaru put his hands behind his head and leaned back a bit. "All I gotta say is that at least she'scoming here. Having to travel three days would just be such a drag, even if I did get to see Temari afterwards…"

I rolled my eyes playfully. Dang, that kid's lazy. I bet if he could see himself from somebody else's perspective, he'd definitely say 'Damn, I'm lazy.'

"Yeah, probably…" Naruto and Shikamaru said almost in perfect unison.

"What?" I frowned, confused.

"You were thinking about…" started Naruto.

"…How lazy I am," finished Shikamaru.

I giggled. "Yep."

Yeah, Shikamaru's a genius; he can guess your next move, while playing a game of shogi, go, and, of course, in the real world. But Naruto? He just knows me thatwell(though he may try to tell you otherwise).

I looped my arm around Naruto's waist and grabbed Shikamaru's elbow. "Well, c'mon guys. I've only got to check in with Lady Tsunade and then I'll be—"

And then, of course, the building next to us exploded, pretty much filling in my formerly empty schedule.