Chapter 32

SAKURA

Sakura happily walks the moderately busy streets of Konoha, holding a birdcage with the purple starling Naruto-baka had brought to her. The idiot knows she only just started training in medical ninjutsu, yet for some odd reason, he thought she could heal the bird's injured wing—not that she minded all that much. It was a beautiful bird, but the goal of her training was her team, more specifically Sasuke-kun—if she was being honest with herself—not healing birds.

It's the reason Sakura has been so happy this week. She finally managed to heal a few cuts on his arms, three bruises on his back and bicep from when Kakashi-sensei sparred with them and the most marvelous one of all was the small cut on his cheek. She had been so nervous, yet so thrilled to be so close to him—to feel his body heat—her hands were shaking from sheer joy and womanly thrill.

Her absolute jubilation is the only reason she's taking the mostly healed Starling across town to the idiot's apartment. Her parents do well and they have a two story house in some of the better civilian blocks while Naruto's one bedroom is somewhere between the civilian markets and bars. She didn't recognize the area as she's never stepped foot in this part of the village. It's easily one of the seediest parts of Konoha most are warned to stay out of.

She noticed a few rougher necks standing or passing by would either monitor her as a mark or just plain ogle the roundness of her sixteen-year-old posterior. Like every kunoichi in the village, Sakura had to take special classes on the affects women can have on men, so she understands—as repulsive as it makes her feel—their carnal gaze of her body is in part due to her being a ninja—a very popular fantasy among civilians, she's been told—as well as the positive physical affects daily chakra use and physical conditioning can have on a body. Molding spirit energy with physical energy as Kunoichi often do, they develop slightly faster than civilians her own age. Her breast may not have grown much as of yet, but her derriere was developing nicely. With her long lustrous pink hair, hips, butt, and toned legs, Sakura appreciates what she has, and judging by the attention she receives, others do as well.

In stark contrast to her attractive features—her long pink hair being the most noteworthy—it seemed like everyone in the area was ugly, dirty, poor, and or unsavory in some other way. Dirty laundry hangs outside on laundry pins, garbage littered much of the area, some of the streets were muddy, and the smell of raw meat from the market permeated the air. She actually spotted a dirty broken toilet on the road. Sakura made a vow when she neared Naruto's four-story apartment that she would never visit him again.

"That idiot better be grateful," Sakura spits out as she makes her way to the top floor. Fortunately, his is the only occupied apartment on the top floor, and once outside his browning red door, she kicks it a few times, rather than mar her knuckles on the rusty surface. She hears a, "coming," a few seconds before the door opens.

Naruto, in his abhorrent orange jumpsuit, instantly smiles at the unexpected visit, "Sakura-chan! Hey!" It should feel nice to see someone regard you this happily, but Sakura can't stand him. 'He's just so clueless... well, aside from his suggestion I study Iryō-ninjutsu.' "Come in! Come in!" He happily beckons.

"No," she tells him. "I'm not staying. I just came to give you this." She raises the birdcage with the purple Sterling keeping perfect balance on its swinging perch. "I wouldn't even have come here today but okaa-san is making me. Tou-san's allergic to the feathers, so, here." She shoves it forward and he automatically takes it.

"Uh, well, thanks," Naruto says. "It's so cool you managed to heal her, really, but I think I'm just going to let her go."

"Baka, that's the first thing I did," she responds. "She leaves and then she comes right back."

"Okay," he tells her. "I was heading out, actually. I could walk you home if-"

"No way," Sakura returns. "Thanks, but I can't let someone see us together without our teammates. They might think we're friends or something worse," she says making a queasy face that sort of hurt Naruto to see. It sort of reminded him of the face Ino-chan made after the last round of sex. He hadn't seen her at all during the week, and thus far he was beginning to think the flower she was looking for didn't work as well as he'd hoped.

Since that amazing experience with Ino, Sakura-chan's constant scorn, and Kurenai's cold attitude toward him, Naruto is starting to wonder what it is about him that women don't seem to like. Outside of Ayame-neesan, he didn't have much interaction with women, but even then talking with Ayame-nee is only ever for a few minutes when she has a break from work.

He just doesn't understand what woman want from him, and on top of that, he doesn't understand how Sasuke-teme can be the object of their affection when he acts like he doesn't even care about them. Sure he's the last Uchiha, and he seems to have a face girls like, but he never smiles, or cracks jokes, or plays pranks. Naruto was so excited to be on the same team with Sakura-chan, and even after he gave up pursuing his love for her growth, she's still treating him as if nothing's changed.

Still, she did bring the pretty bird all the way here, and if he was ever given the option of being friends or not, he'd always pick friendship. So, Naruto smiles as best he can, which barely pushes at his cheek and offers an olive branch. "Well, maybe next time. I have an old camera that prints out the photos right away, if you want to keep a picture of her. You can even name her if you want."

Sakura pauses for a moment, considering the offer. She did love the way the purple shines, and starlings are one of her favorite birds. Sakura nods, saying, "make it quick though. I want to get out of here as fast as possible." Running inside, Naruto quickly grabs his old camera and his last cartridge and takes a picture of the pretty bird. Handing it to Sakura, she reminds him, "and don't feed it Ramen, or you'll end up killing her after I went through all the trouble of healing her. Get bird food, please.