Moments: Part II

vii. They were sixteen…

when they saw each other again.

The girl had trained constantly during Naruto's three year absence. She was the student of the Hokage. She could smash boulders with a finger. She had perfect chakra control. She was named one of the most talented medic-nin in the Fire Nation.

All of that information disappeared when she saw him standing on the ground above them.

He was still tragically beautiful. His dark hair framed his porcelain skin. His jaw was strong and angled just so. His body was sculpted and toned. But his eyes… His eyes were dead.

She did not have forever to examine him, though. A fight broke out, as had been predicted when they first took the mission.

Her heart tightened. How would the boy have changed so much? Memories could not piece together how Sasuke-kun evolved into this.

His head whipped towards her after the initial attack on Naruto. His face was cold, but his eyes… His eyes flashed for the briefest instance, and for a second, they showed sorrow.

It was that moment the girl knew that some part of the Sasuke-kun she once knew was still alive in that body.

viii. They were seventeen…

when she decided to clean his apartment.

The landlord had initially complained about wasted space, but could not argue with the Hokage's orders to leave the place alone. Still, no one dared enter the former residence of the boy since he had left. No one wanted to disturb any of the memories of him.

The girl decided to enter, though. She needed to know what the boy had seen before he left.

The apartment was bare, except for necessities. The bed sat near the doors to a balcony that overlooked the village. There was no sofa or seats to encourage lounging about. The kitchen was small, but housed just enough space to move around comfortably. All-in-all, the place was no-nonsense. Just like how the boy had always been.

Sakura ran her fingers along the smooth wood of the small dresser next to the bed. They brushed against cool metal. The girl, curious of the change in material, picked up the object, and felt her heart clench.

It was the portrait of Team 7.

She pulled the photo out of the simple black frame. It was surprisingly flexible, suggesting that it had previously been in a different location. Somewhere it could be looked at easily. Maybe a wallet.

They looked so young… so happy.

Tears threatened to fall from her eyes. The girl flipped the photograph over in attempts to clear her mind. But on the back, three words were written that made holding back tears impossible.

Reasons to stay.

It was that moment the girl knew they had meant more to Sasuke-kun than just teammates.

ix. They were eighteen…

when he came back.

Naruto had been returning from a mission when he felt a familiar chakra signature. Grinning, he sprinted towards it at full speed.

He saw the boy and threw a kunai at him. Sasuke easily deflected it. He turned and smirked. "Trying to kill me before I get back, dobe?"

The blonde grinned again. "Nah, just the welcoming committee."

When they entered the gates of Konoha, there were no guards. Only a girl with pink hair.

She smiled when she saw the blonde. Her face practically broke in two when she noticed the boy beside him.

"Naruto! Sasuke-kun!" She jogged toward the two. The girl hugged the blonde immediately, but stopped before touching the other. His eyes were dark, unreadable pools. She stepped back. "Welcome back, Sasuke-kun."

"Aa." As they walked to the Hokage Tower, their shoulders brushed occasionally. Sakura smiled.

It was that moment the girl realized that Sasuke-kun was just as glad to be with her as she was to be next to him.

x. They were nineteen…

when he was allowed out of his house.

In the months of confinement, Team 7 had lots of time to kill together. The bridges that had been burned were slowly rebuilt. Years of pent-up emotions flooded out. They smiled, cried, screamed, laughed, broke things, and fix them together. They were a team again.

The girl learned a lot about the boy through their hours together.

His favorite color was red, not blue or black. He only spoke when there was something important to say. His favorite pastime was actually reading. He thought of Naruto as a brother. His diet consisted of tomatoes and fresh vegetables because he didn't know how to cook. And despite what people thought, he secretly felt guilty for all the times he hadn't been there for his team.

He was trying to change. For them.

They went to the training grounds in the morning. It was time to show him how much they have improved since he left.

The spar only ended when the Hokage screamed that the three of them needed to stop destroying her village. The teens laughed, still panting from their activities.

The girl quietly worked on healing the worst of their injuries. When the warm green chakra stopped touching the dark-haired boy, he finally spoke.

"You've improved." The girl smiled, only nodding in response. Whether it was a compliment or merely and observation, it meant that the boy had taken time to observe her.

His eyes watched as the girl healed his best friend. They argued playfully, and a rare smile crossed the boy's lips.

"Hurry up or I won't treat you to ramen."

Sakura smiled as the blonde cheered and ran ahead of his friend. The other boy stood still, waiting for her to come too.

It was that moment the girl realized she had been right before; Sasuke-kun had always secretly been a nice person.

xii. They were twenty…

when they went on a mission.

It was only an escort job, but the young adults were still excited. It was the first time they went outside of the village as a team.

Their charge was obnoxious, however. His was in his early thirties, but behaved like a child. His clothes were meant to attract attention, and his many jewels signified great wealth. Not the ideal attire for travelling through bandit areas, but that was why he hired nin.

He was also fond of the pink-haired girl. His advances were sexual and constant through the four days of travel. All three nin were glad as they approached their destination. Their charge wanted to stop at a hot spring before reaching his home. The group could not complain about it when the man offered to pay for them as well.

When the girl entered the spring area, she couldn't help but shriek. It was deserted except for the charge who was sitting atop a rock, totally naked.

The dark-haired boy, ignoring the "Women only" sign, opened the door at the sound of the girl's scream. His eyes narrowed at the older man. He knocked him out in a swift movement, and dragged him to the door.

"Are you alright?"

The question was unusual coming from the boy, but the girl still smiled and nodded. His eyes swept her body for injuries before he quickly looked away.

"Call me if he tries anything again."

It was that moment the girl understood that Sasuke-kun would always be there to protect her.

xii. They were twenty-one…

when they first kissed.

In honor of all the hard work of the shinobi, the village called for a celebration. Lanterns hung from every surface, vendors lined the streets, and booths with games filled the corners. The festival had been nice.

The girl stepped away from the crowds. All the hustle was exciting, but she knew the boy wouldn't be near it for too long. She wandered the streets, her wooden sandals clacking lightly on the pavement. A lone figure sat on a bench not too far ahead.

Sakura smiled and quickly joined the boy. He looked up at the sound of her approach and nodded once in greeting. The two sat in silence. The girl noticed how they were on The Bench, but that this time, there was nothing threatening about the night.

"I owe you something."

The girl could tell her had put some thought into the words. She looked at him, waiting for him to continue. "I hurt you before. I hurt everyone, but especially you and Naruto. The dobe will always be the first to forgive me. But with you…" His fingers tentatively brushed the girl's hair behind her ear. "I had to think."

Sakura smiled. "And what happened?"

The no-longer boy leaned it. "I found a way to make it up."

Their lips finally pressed together in a kiss that everyone knew was coming, one which the girl had waited sixteen years to receive.

It was that moment the girl realized that Sasuke-kun might love her back.

She had been expecting the question for a while. Many others had asked, but it was only now that she answered.

"For the same reason you breathe, Sasuke-kun. It keeps me alive through every moment."

Author's Note

Thanks for reading! Please drop a review if you enjoyed :)

xo, Katie