Disclaimer: If I owned Naruto, why would I be writing fan fiction?

Pairing: NaruSaku

Genre: Romance/Friendship

In the mere seven years of her life, Haruno Sakura had never had any problems with conformity. In fact, one could say that the young girl embraced the concept. In a world where scrutiny ran rampant and appearances were everything, it only made sense to comply with the unwritten expectations of society. By simply following the crowd, one would be saved from a lifetime of humiliation, exonerated from the ignominy, chastisement and other natural consequences that come with freedom of expression or…of thought, for that matter.

Seven years old and wistful, if Sakura could see the realties of life so plainly, why did it seem that so many others just…couldn’t? Orthodoxy was easy to pull off- trying a certain hairstyle, a change of dress, becoming enthralled with the latest obdurate heartthrob, or…possibly dropping a few…less-than-desirable acquaintances would most likely do the trick.

Of course, in what should be a neat and orderly society, -bursting with a plethora of beautiful, fashion conscious people, and devoid of any severe faux pas- there is always one dissident.

That one dissenter who was audacious enough to walk the streets, all the while blatantly opposing all that was sane, sensational, sacred, and…and sanitary- that was who made Haruno Sakura’s blood boil.

Now, perhaps if this nonconformist hadn’t been a certain somebody -one whom Sakura’s parents had had her swear to avoid at all costs- maybe, just maybe, she could have just let his chronic incongruous behavior slide. If only this lone social insurgent wasn’t someone looked down upon by the very society Sakura was oh so determined to please, maybe, just maybe, she would have given the walking gaffe a chance…

But, it just so happened that the very recalcitrant individual who dared to disturb the smoothness of Sakura’s utopian social order was Uzumaki Naruto, a boy akin to the plague itself…

‘Naruto…’ Sakura shuddered, visibly retching at the sheer thought of her obstreperous blond classmate. Shaking her head wearily, she pushed open the door leading from Konoha Academy, continuing onto the chilly streets of the village. The mid-afternoon sun still hung high in the pale blue sky, bright rays of light showering the fall scene below, warming Sakura‘s face considerably. A shiver ran through the seven-year-old’s body, causing her to hug her vibrant crimson jacket tightly to her small, childish form.

The giant trees overhead dwarfed the little girl, their once forest green leaves slowly intensifying into hues of red and orange. A frown marred Sakura’s fair features, eyebrows furrowing in discontent as she turned her gaze on the trees above her head. Sighing, she shook her head, eyes focusing on the road in front of her once again. If there was one thing she positively despised about fall coming, it was the leaves changing color… Red was fine; red was deep, robust and warm- and not to mention one of Sakura’s favorite colors. But orange…well…

Orange was just plain hideous! And, as if that wasn’t enough of a reason to hate it, it clashed horribly with her pretty pink hair. To anyone with any remote aesthetic judgment, it was plainly obvious that orange had absolutely no business being anywhere near a color as regal as pink.

Orange was…brutish…at best! Pink was…graceful. Orange just oozed awkwardness, whereas pink boasted the utmost suavity. Orange was too…bold- the epitome of ostentation. Pink was...vivid, yet understated- the epitome of elegance. Orange was…Naruto. Sakura was pink in every sense of the word. (Though some would argue she was more green than pink…)

But, the fact stood that pink and orange would never mix. There was…simply no reason for them to.

Nodding decisively, Sakura quickened her pace, hurrying away from school. Her eyes darted from side to side, ever alert, peering around every corner in pursuit of a certain raven-haired enigma- devoted Sasuke fangirls had to be on the prowl twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week. Upon finding absolutely nothing, she pouted, her frame slumping and pace slowing yet again.

Letting out an irritated puff, Sakura trudged on, hopes of spotting her deadpan dreamboat almost dashed completely. Alas, she still had a smidgen of faith left- in a time where being judgmental is basic mentality, superficiality was the new black, and love was utterly shallow, sometimes, even for naïve virtuosos of social cognition like Haruno Sakura, keeping up the faith was…necessary.

Eyes brightening a considerable amount, she stopped abruptly to observe her surroundings; toddling around aimlessly, fruitlessly searching for someone who refuses to be found, tends to get little girls -no matter how…mature for their years- quite…lost.

The wind picked up steadily, tossing prematurely fallen leaves around the barren street. Shaking off the unwelcome fall breeze that greeted her chapped cheeks, Sakura turned her head behind her, only to see…Konoha Academy, the building she had surely left at least a half hour ago. Checking her progress -almost nine-sixteenths of a block- the coral haired girl sighed exasperatedly.

Apparently, when one is enthralled with the spirit of the hunt, they can become...caught up in the moment. And possibly let their imaginations get the best of them.

As she attempted to continue on her way home, a flash of orange suddenly whizzed past her face, racing away behind her back. Jarring her head back and forth, Sakura shrugged off the occurrence, ready to complete her already drawn out journey.

That was, until she heard sniffling coming from the bushes on her left.

Turning her head hesitantly, Sakura narrowed her eyes, vainly attempting to see who was hidden beyond the greenery. Craning her neck while balancing unsteadily on the balls of her feet, the short academy student squinted over the hedge.

Seeing nothing still, Sakura scowled, inwardly cursing her shortness. Another soft sob carried on the wind, and, curiosity getting the better of the extroverted girl, she stealthily inched her way toward the shrubbery…effectively falling into said shrubbery, on her now scratched up face.

Why was it that super-sneaky ninja skills -such as the art of being…sneaky- always seemed so much easier in the books…?

Sighing wearily, Sakura snuggled her face into the bushes, resting her head on the ground. Closing her eyes, she let a few tears slide down her cheeks- her nose really hurt! Resignedly she squeezed her eyes tighter, willing the tears to stop- good ninjas in training were not supposed to cry, regardless of the searing pain in their once perfectly aligned noses. Hopefully there wouldn’t be any…permanent damage.

Suddenly, Sakura felt a light nudge on her shoulder, effectively jolting her out of her reverie. Letting out a small groan, she shied away from the person. Why should anyone see her in such a low state?

Tap.

Sakura grimaced at the grass and leaves beneath her face, petulantly grasping some grass in her hand. Why couldn’t they just go away?

Tap.

Well, whoever this person was, they were certainly persistent. …Not that that was a bad quality; in some popular activities, like stalking taciturn seven year old boys, persistence was needed to get the job done. (Not that it seemed to help Sakura any…)

Tap.

“S-Sakura-chan?” came a boisterous, albeit slightly unsteady male voice.

Sakura’s ears perked up. The shakiness of the boy’s voice- could this be the person who was crying behind the bushes no less than a minute ago? Pondering on this, Sakura began to twist her body around, a look of pure curiosity etched onto her features.

Tap.

“Sakura-chan?” the boy tried again, half shouting, jabbing her back again for good measure, “Are you okay?”

Cerulean stared into celadon for a split second before the latter tore her gaze away, impatience dominating her expression. “Naruto?” she practically screamed at the blond boy, causing him to falter, leaning backward cautiously.

Flashing Sakura a toothy smile, he bent down, grabbing hold of her small hand and successfully pulling her to her feet. Violently wrenching her hand from his sweaty grasp, Sakura crossed her arms haughtily, backing away from the tangerine clad boy. Naruto’s face took on a pale pink tinge as Sakura stared at him scornfully, obliviously mistaking her loathing for affectionate attention.

After all, when young children are starved for affection, they tend to imagine it in even the most unlikely of places…

Sakura looked the boy up and down, eyes lingering judgmentally on his tacky orange pants. Sticking her bruised nose in the air, she sighed, rolling her eyes. Of all the people to come along and help her, it just had to be him…

Naruto scratched the back of his head sheepishly, still baring his large canines in what seemed to be an unusually forced smile. Cocking his head to the side, the strident boy furrowed his eyebrows, eyeing Sakura with interest. “Hey, are you okay, Sakura-chan? Your nose is all purple!”

Sakura groaned, touching a hand to her damaged nose, cringing at the pain that shot up her face at the contact. Eyes narrowing at the annoying apricot blob before her, she frowned deeply, silently wondering why she had such terrible luck. “I’m fine, Naruto. Just…go away,” she instructed shortly, tapping her foot in irritation.

Eyes downcast, Naruto sighed despondently, his left foot tracing patterns in the grass beneath him. “Oh, okay, Sakura… But,” his face brightened, foxy grin replacing his pitiful pout, “Do you want me to walk you home? You look pretty scratched up!” He beamed hopefully at the pink haired girl, eyes squeezed shut with mirth.

Just as Sakura was about to give a snappy derogatory retort, her gaze rested on Naruto’s flushed cheeks. Eyes widening a bit, Sakura stood stock still with shock. Were those…tear stains running down his face?

Shaking her head, Sakura disregarded her observation. After all, what did someone like Naruto -who removed himself from the betterments of society, caring not for things such as trends, responsibilities or…personal hygiene, most unfortunately- have to cry about?

Mistaking the shaking of her head for an answer, dejection dominated Naruto’s normally bright features yet again. “Oh, okay Sakura-chan… I guess it was a pretty stupid idea, anyway!” he bellowed, his unbearably loud voice cracking ever so slightly.

Sakura’s jade eyes bore into his deep sapphire, surprised at what they found there- Naruto’s usually cheery eyes, awash with unshed tears…

Rubbing her own eyes rapidly, Sakura blinked, unable to comprehend what she was witnessing. Naruto didn’t come across as the kind of person who hid behind bushes sobbing. …And, even if he was, why should she care…right?

Sniffle.

Upon hearing the sudden sound, Sakura’s eyes snapped open, eyeing the boy urgently. Naruto’s back was turned to her, his back and chest heaving sporadically.

Sniffle.

Bringing the back of his palm to his nose, he wiped his face, eyes fixated on the ground below his feet.

Sniffle.

Sakura felt a lump forming in her throat. She may not like Naruto -as a matter of fact, she’d been raised to hate the unknowing kitsune with every fiber of her being, just like the rest of her hypercritical peers- but…no one should be out crying by themselves.

Sniffle.

Everyone, regardless of their reputation for being gauche and utterly…eew, deserved to have somebody to comfort them, right?

Sniffle.

But…no matter how pitiful the poor little boy may have looked, Sakura had been told to stay away from him. Albeit, her mother never gave a specific reason why, save the fact that he was just ‘no good‘, but…there had to be a reason he was alienated (besides his atrocious taste in pants) from society…right?

Sniffle.

And…and talking to him, anymore than she already had, would just look…bad. He was a dissident, the infamous dissenter that plagued Sakura’s perfectly picturesque paradise. She fought nonconformity in all its facets…and that included that of discouraged, desolate, disheartened seven-year-old boys.

Sniffle.

But, Sakura decided, something about this scene just didn’t…fit. Naruto was resolute- if she refused him the right to walk her home, he’d pester her relentlessly, -which tended to end with her…punching him- his confidence never faltering. That was, unless a certain onyx-eyed prodigy happened to come within his vicinity... But, right then, Naruto seemed to have lost all of his ever-present persistence. Sakura frowned- something was off about him. And, Sakura decided, she didn’t like it one bit…

Sniffle.

…Ahem…not that she liked him in the first place…

Sniffle.

And, standing there, crying as he was…somehow, Naruto didn’t look any different from anyone else. Crying was…common. Normal. Sane. Understandable. Maybe…maybe one small act of iconoclasm on Sakura’s part could be pardoned, if only so he’d stop conforming.

Sniffle.

Because Naruto wasn’t meant to conform.

Bracing herself, Sakura jolted her feet forward, tapping his shoulder. His body tensing up, Naruto flew around, trying in vain to wipe the fallen tears from his face. Gulping, Sakura gave him a tight smile. “Naruto, why are you crying?” she demanded bluntly, proving she had just as little tact as the indelicate boy with whom she conversed.

Naruto jumped, trying his best to cover up his blotchy eyes. “I wasn’t crying!” he insisted, voice still weak.

Sakura raised her eyebrow, glaring at him. “Just tell me what’s wrong, baka!” she shouted, left brow twitching.

Looking stricken, Naruto gave in, albeit reluctantly. “I-It’s my birthday…” he began somberly. Sakura’s sharp green eyes urging him to go on, he continued, “That’s just it- it’s my birthday. …No one ever remembers my birthday…except for Iruka-sensei…”

Feeling a pang of sadness overtake her, Sakura softened her gaze. If no one rembered her birthday…she guessed she’d cry, too. It must make you feel pretty insignificant, having no one commemorate the day you were born…

At a loss of what to say, Sakura just stared at him. What was there to say in a situation such as this- “I’m sorry no one cares about you, try wearing darker colors?” Sakura bit down on her lip. No, that just wasn’t…nice.

The fall breeze continued to blow around the pair of children, leaves scattering the ground around their feet. Eyes now averted toward her feet, Sakura examined the crisp fall leaves. Out of the blue, an idea came to her; it was unbearably stupid, but now was her one moment of iconoclasm- why not go all the way? Bending down, she scooped up a particularly colorful, untarnished leaf- its bright orangey-red hue standing out against the peachy complexion of her hand.

Breath bated, Sakura’s arm shot out toward Naruto, thrusting the small bit of foliage into Naruto’s unsuspecting hand. Smiling, this time more warmly, at him, Sakura exclaimed, albeit uncertainly, “Well, Happy Birthday, Naruto!”

Smiling, this time sincerely, at Sakura, Naruto examined the gift resting on his palm. Feeling his face warm up, he beamed at the pink-haired girl he had for so long admired. “Thanks, Sakura-chan! But, you didn’t have to…give me a leaf! I wasn’t that upset in the first place!”

Shaking her head, Sakura sighed, overlooking his insincere comment; at least Naruto was acting normal -in his usual nonconformist way- again. “No problem, Naruto…” Suddenly, a splotch of spiky raven hair could be seen turning the corner, walking in the direction of the Uchiha compound. Groaning, Sakura hung her head- of all the days to discover she was capable of empathy…

“Hey!” A boisterous voice broke through her thoughts. Naruto stared at her intently, a small blush plastered across his tanned skin. “Are you sure you don’t want me to walk home with you? I mean, it’s getting dark…” He broke off from his comment, averting his nervous sky blue orbs from hers.

Still peering ruefully at the retreating head of jet-black hair, Sakura tore her eyes away, resting them on the earnest blond beside her. His eager expression made an unknown…something turn in her stomach; somehow, she found herself having trouble saying no. Nodding slowly, she grabbed his hand. “Yeah, come on- I live this way…”

Perking up immediately, Naruto sprang to his feet, bounding off down the road at an ungodly speed, dragging a surprisingly compliant Sakura alongside him.

So, the two children made their way home, Naruto proudly clutching the bright orange leaf in his tiny hand, and notching off yet another reason why Haruno Sakura was simply perfect in every way imaginable.

The brisk fall air nipped at their sensitive skin, chilling their cheeks to no end, but, somehow, for whatever reason, as she listened to the unsung pinnacle of nonconformity ramble on unremittingly, Sakura thought that…she’d never felt warmer, if that made any sense in the least. Moving closer to Naruto, the little girl felt a small smile playing at her lips.

And being an iconoclast had never felt so fulfilling.

…This is my first NaruSaku, and it wasn’t supposed to be so Sakura-centric, but…I’m still proud!

Hope you enjoyed it! Please leave a review! (...Pretty please?)

10/14/07 - Fixed some errors!