Sakura

“Sakura-Chan? What are you doing in my room?” Naruto squinted at her. “After I already saw you just half an hour ago.” He looked passed her at the window, which showcased just how late it was. “At night.”

Sakura just sighed, shaking her head at him. “Honestly, Naruto. Did you not pay attention to what I said before you left?”

Naruto stared at her blankly.

“Yes.”

Sakura inhaled a large breath, and slowly let it out, repeating the mantra that she wasn’t allowed to hit or kill patients just after surgery.

“I need to check your arm again to make sure nothing is wrong.” Naruto made an ‘O’ face.

“Right, right.” He showed his arm, already unwrapped from the bandages when he went to go take a shower, showing it off in all it’s pale glory.

Sakura frowned at the mangled, makeshift excuse for an arm, hating herself for not being able to do better with it. It wasn’t the same shade as Naruto, the musculature didn’t match Naruto’s lean, but sturdy build, being a thin, pale replica that would only just be a reminder of a past war that no one wanted to remember.

And he was stuck with it, because she was weak, helpless, and couldn’t get over feelings for a man that wanted to take over the world by killing the kage, one of which was her own teacher who she saw as a second mother.

Naruto must have noticed the emotions rising up in her, probably in part because of the nine tails that let him sense said emotions.

“Hey, look, it’s not your fault, alright?” He swept his normal arm through his hair, which he had kept the same length since his fight with Sasuke. “Nobody could have seen it coming, least of all you or me. Plus, look at the good it did! We brought back the bastard to the village, made him see the light again when he was stuck so far into the darkness!” Sakura couldn’t help but smile at the exuberance Naruto was radiating right now, couldn’t help feeling happy that he was happy.

“You brought him back, Naruto. Everyone else, me included, thought it was a lost cause, but you? You managed to do it.” Naruto just blushed and kicked his feet a bit bashfully. “Aw, come on, Sakura, that’s not true. We did it together, as Team 7. Heck, if it wasn’t for the promise I made to you, none of this would have been possible. Give yourself more credit where it’s due.”

Sakura couldn’t help but gaze into those intense, ocean blue eyes, and remember that he had made that promise, and that he had brought back Sasuke, not just for himself, but for HER.

Looking at the man that was Naruto Uzumaki, she couldn’t help but ponder what she ever saw in the boy that was Sasuke Uchiha. Suddenly, her eyes started drifting lower to his…