Chapter 41
Soon afterwards Naruto left for the hospital. Considering the fight she had, she would still be wounded a bit so on the way to the hospital I stopped at the Yamanaka flower shop to get some daisies for her.
Ino was taking care of the shop at that time so seeing me she said. "Well, I never thought that I would see you in my family shop one day. Which flower do you want?"
Naruto just smiled wryly at words and said "Well... I'm not sure. What should I take when I'm visiting someone at the hospital?"
"Are you visiting Sakura?" Ino asked.
"Yes. Do you have any idea on what flower I should take for her?" Naruto asked.
"Hmmm she seemed quite down when I visited her and didn't even come out of her blanket...well it might just be that she didn't want to see my annoying face" Ino said mockingly and continued "anyways take these peonies. They stand for good health and healing and they also match her hair colour a bit." Ino said as she handed Naruto a bouquet of pink flowers.
"Thanks for your help Ino." Naruto thanked her and went away.
'Now that I notice he's grown more handsome and approachable..' Ino thought to herself as she saw Naruto leaving her shop.
Naruto straight away went to the hospital from the flower shop. Soon he arrived in front of the room in which Sakura and knocked three times.
*Knock Knock Knock*
"..."
Getting no response from the other side he knocked again but still didn't get any response so he thought that she was most probably asleep. At the end Naruto decided to just place the flowers beside her and go.
He soon opened the door and entered only to see the back of Sakura who was sleeping. He quietly entered and placed the flower bouquet at the table beside her on the table.
As if sensing something being placed on the table Sakura quickly reacted by shouting "I TOLD YOU NOT TO ENTER THE ROO-" and stopped midway when she noticed that it was Naruto. The moment she realised what had happened she quickly turned around and covered herself with a blanket.
"S-Sakura?" Naruto called her name to get some response from her because he didn't know what else to do.
Sakura's body trembled slightly when she heard Naruto call her name which she soon controlled and said "Naruto please go away...I don't want to talk with anyone... especially y-you right now."
"I won't. Not when you're in such a state. I'll be here until you can calm down so that we can talk normally with me." Naruto said firmly.
Tears started filling up in Sakura's eyes as she felt like letting all her problems out but she soon controlled herself and said deliberately trying to make her voice firm "Naruto...please. I don't want to face you right now. I'll calm down I promise...just leave me alone for a few days."
Despite her attempt at hiding it Naruto figured out that she was crying... he knew that talking won't do anything now so he forcefully caught Sakura who was in the blanket as he removed the blanket from her face only to meet a tear faced Sakura with a visible scar present on her nose.
Sakura was caught by surprise but when she saw Naruto looking at her face she tried to resist furiously but it was all for a naught as she couldn't compare with the Naruto now in terms of strength...she could only look down in an attempt to hide her face from him and as she did that tears started falling down her face.
"Do you think you can hide it forever? Grow up! You're a ninja and It's just a scar! Who knows it might even fade away in a few years." Naruto told her.
"Then what am I supposed to do till then?! Do you think people would not make fun of me because I'm a ninja? Do you know how heart wrenching it feels whenever I feel people's gazes now?! Do you think anyone would like someone whose face is scarred?!...Tell me! Do you think anyone would be attracted by this face?!" Sakura retorted.
Seeing the silent Naruto Sakura felt her heart breaking bit by bit as she continued "Since you can't tell me..." but before she could say more Naruto said "I'm sure Sasuke won't mind such a small thing."
Hearing Naruto's reply Sakura couldn't help but flare up as she replied "Did I ask Sasuke?! I asked you! What do you think?"
"Why does it matter what I think" Naruto asked finding her words unreasonable.
"BECAUSE I LIKE YOU GODDAMMNIT!!" Sakura finally couldn't keep it in as she shouted it out loud for him to hear while crying.
It was now Naruto's turn to be caught up in surprise. He didn't know what to say as the only words came out of his mouth after a few seconds were "S-since when?"
"Since our mission to the wave country!" Sakura said finally calming down a little bit and realising what blunder she had created. She was already not confident previously but now with this scar on her nose she felt that Naruto would outright reject her brutally.
Seeing the frozen Naruto, Sakura couldn't bear it anymore and tried to resist his hold over her inorder to find solace in the cover of the blanket but instead was pulled closer by Naruto. In her blank state she didn't realised the soft sensation over her lips for a few seconds before finally realising what was happening.
Her heart skipped a beat and she didn't know how to react to it before automatically kissing him back. Time seemed to stop for the two of them as they both tasted each other's lips to the fullest.
After what felt like an eternity to an observer but a very short time to the one's involved the two finally separated their lips. As the two gazes met Naruto finally said to Sakura "I believe this answered your question"
Sakura who still had tear stains on her face smiled and nodded while saying "Yes...yes it did." and hugged Naruto tightly.