Overcoming the Odds.

Chapter 13

Chapter 13: The Scroll, My Misery.

Naruto heard a rustling sound behind him. He quickly hid the scroll behind him with one hand and readied a kunai for a potential attacker with another hand.

He turned around and seen a blob of pink hair emerging from a tent. He immediately loosened up and lowered the blade, then placed it back in its holster.

"Um... Morning Sakura," he greeted while scratching his head.

"Morning yourself," Sakura replied. She smiled and walked towards him. "I was gonna go fishing so we can eat before the day..." She paused, noticing he was hiding something behind his back

She looked at the object behind him, not quite able to make out what it was. She looked back to him and noticed he seemed sort of panicked.

"What?" He asked pretending to be unaware.

She folded her arms playfully and raised an eyebrow. "Hiding something?"

'Damn,' he thought. "No! I was just... Um..."

"Mhm," she noised disbelievingly. "I'll let you off this time, but you better not let me catch you doing something stupid."

Naruto breathed a sigh of relief. Sakura would flip out if she ever saw the scroll.

The girl turned around and walked towards the lake that was nearby. "You're helping me, so hurry up!"

Once Sakura was gone and out of his view, he brought the scroll out of hiding for him to admire again.

He gasped.

It was a painting. Karin had made a picture of both him and her that detailed them in each other's arms and embraced in a hug. Below them were pieces of her handwriting:

“You're the only visitor I get, yet you're all I've ever needed. You might be an idiot sometimes, but I can only be grateful that an idiot like you is in my life when I need one the most.

I just want to thank you for everything: visiting, talking to me, playing your dumb games, your stories. You have no idea how much it means to me that someone cares enough to keep me company.

These past months have been bearable because of you, and to tell you the truth I'd be so scared and lonely if you stopped showing up one day.

For these reasons Naruto, I couldn't help but fall for you. I know I'm in the worst situation possible, and we haven't known each other for long, but if you give me a chance I know we can have something special when I get out of this shitty place.

In short, I like you more than just a friend. You need to think about this while you're gone.”

The scroll was an obvious confession. Just thinking about it sent crazy butterflies to his stomach, the picture too, and he felt like the luckiest person in the world right now.

He wondered to himself. 'What happens when I go back? Could we be a thing, like... A couple? What if she doesn't mean it that way?! But that makes no sense... She said she likes me! More than-'

"Hey Naruto!" Sakura yelled from within the forest.

He took one last glance at the scroll. He rolled it up and walked to his tent to place it inside, then he walked to the lake to help Sakura capture fish for their morning meal. He would have to think about this sometime else.

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The entire group rose up to eat and prepare for the rest of their journey home. They still had a week or so left in reaching the village, so they opted for spending as little time resting as they could.