After Training

Sakura walked through the squad training area, worn out after squad training with Naruto and Sasuke.

Ryuumaru walked towards Training Ground 7, a cold, detached, emotionless expression on his face. He was never the same when his mother died.

She sighed and looked ahead, seeing Ryuumaru. She faltered and looked down as she passed him. Since he had changed, she had avoided contact with him so to not aggrivate him any further.

Ryuumaru looked out of the corner of his icy cold eyes and saw Sakura. He frowned slightly and stopped where he was. "Sakura" he said emotionlessly.

She stopped dead in her tracks, not even daring to turn around at this stage. "H-Hai, Ryuumaru-ku--" She cut herself off. "...Ryuumaru-San,"

He raised an eyebrow at the change from Kun to San but shrugged it off. "It....It's been a while" he said.

She nodded, lifting her head a little.
"Yes, it has...A few years, if i'm not mistaken.."
She replied, trying to keep her voice even.

"You sound like something's bothering" he said with slightly narrowed eyes.

She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Not at all...Nothings bothering me, Ryuumaru-San.."
She insisted, lying through her teeth.
"Will that be all?"

"Don't lie to me Sakura. This One can see something's bothering you" he said.

"I told you, i'm fine,"
She replied, coming across sharper than she intended. She soon realised her snappy responce and turned to him and bowed.
"Sorry...I should go..."
She murmured, straightening up and turning around again.

He appeared in front of her with a concerned look on his face. "What's wrong Sakura? Please tell me" he said with a frown.

"It's nothing you need to worry yourself with...You have more important matters to attend to, i'm sure..."
She replied with a grave nod.
"Can you let me past, please?"

"Sakura, you never seem to want to talk to me ever since...." he said, not wanting to finish the sentence by saying 'ever since my mother died.'

"It isnt that..."
She sighed, one hand moving over to rest on her opposite arm.
"Its just that you don't need me loitering around...And i only cause trouble to begin with,"
She said as she tried to step around him.

"Please Cherry Blossom, talk to me" he said, using his childhood nickname for her.

She winced, as if the memories were somehow painful. She shut her eyes again as a tear could be seen forming in the corner of her left eye.

"Please talk to me. This Ryuumaru misses talking to you so much my beautiful Cherry Blossom" he pleaded with her.

She sobbed and turned to him, hugging him for the first time in years as she buried her face against his shoulder.

"Shh, shh, it's alright" he whispered into her ear as he stroked her hair.

"Ryuumaru-Kun..."
She sobbed, returning to her childhood name for him also.

"Sakura-Chan" he whispered back to her.

"Akira...Nee-Chan...She...She's.."
She tried to explain, but only brought another bout of tears.

"What? What happened to her Cherry Blossom?" he asked her.

"...Gone...Her squad went out for a mission a while ago..and.."
She managed to whimper before shaking her head in despair.
"None of them came back..."