Love Is Friendship [#OtakuBattle2017]

9.

"Sakura, I missed you!" Mr. Uzumaki said, hugging the young girl.

The girl laughed, hugging him back and causing her white trench coat to wrinkle, the familiar red scarf tied loosely around her neck.

"How have you all been?" He asked, greeting Sasuke and Mikoto before leading them into his house.

"We've been well, how are you and the college?" Mikoto questioned.

"Fine, fine." He motioned for him to follow him up the stairs and showed them their rooms.

"Make yourselves comfortable, dinner will be ready in a few." He grinned.

-

After dinner, Sakura sat her grandparents down on the couch, taking out the letter from her mother.

"Read this, please.." she said, handing one the letter and the other the picture.

Mr. Uzumaki examined the picture, widening his eyes once he recognized the girl in it. Meanwhile, Mikoto had tears in the corners of her eyes as she read the last letter her daughter-in-law left.

"Will you help me?" The younger Sakura questioned, crossing her fingers for good luck.

Taking one last look at the letter, Mikoto gave the girl a soft smile. "Of course."

"Hold on, I want to read the letter as well!" Mr. Uzumaki exclaimed, swapping the picture for the letter. As he skimmed over the papers, Mikoto looked at the woman that would soon be her new daughter-in-law, if things went as planned that is. Mr. Uzumaki finished reading the letter and turned to the girl, patting her head.

"Sakura Haruno was a lovely girl. I'm sure we'll be able to find her." He encouraged.

Mikoto looked at the man. "You're the principle right? You should have her address in some files, lets go look!" She demanded.

"N-now?!" He asked.

"Yes now! Get up!"

"Y-yes ma'm!"

-

Sakura Haruno was taking off her bracelets slowly, deep in thought. Her engagement party was wonderful; many people came to congratulate her and Naruto.

"Sakura," her mother's voice startled her.

"Oh? Hey mom." She said, continuing with what she was doing.

She felt the bed shift under her from where she was sitting, her mother had sat next to her. "Sakura, are you happy?" The woman asked out of the blue.

Sakura looked up at the woman with surprised eyes. "Of course I am, I'm engaged and Naruto is a wonderful guy, he loves me a lot and-"

"But do you love him?" Her mother interrupted.

Sakura froze, did she love him?

"Sakura?" Her mother questioned again.

"I-I've already loved before, mom. I don't think I can do it again.." she explained, looking down at her feet.

Her mother stared at her, shocked. "You could think of this as... a compromise." Sakura continued.

-

"Find anything?" Mikoto asked Mr. Uzumaki for the nth time.

"Only the address of her aunt, there's no information of her current one." He said, massaging his temples.

"Are you sure that's all you can do, grandpa?" The younger Sakura questioned.

"Yes, I'm sor-" he was cut off my Mikoto. "It can't be! You're the principle, aren't you?"