A Soul's Salvation

A/N: I am so glad that you guys are enjoying this fic. I guess I am just on an emotional rollercoaster, and decided that I needed a crew to go with me, so let's go, again.

Anymore themes that I do for chapters, you will find them at the bottom. I am glad to have you guys review and I look forward to reading each one of them.

On a different subject, I am writing another fic called, The Games Gods Play, and it will either be a Gaara/Sakura or Itachi/Sakura. Gotta give the bad boys some love, too.

Anyways, please continue to review, and know that I am happy, happy when I read them.

*Sorry guys, apparently my ability to spell has gone down the toilet. Thanks to phoenix for pointing out the misspelling of Konoha(notice that I spelled it right, this time, LOL) and Racer for the naruto info. The next chapter will have quite a bit of him in it, and I think that you will see that your words have been heeded. Gaara of the desert, I'd like to contact you, but can't without a way to do so. Thanks.*

~!~

Days quickly passed, and soon turned into weeks. To ease the ache of losing her friend, Sakura threw herself into the role of being ambassador, and was making great progress for Konoha. In fact, she had come up with an effective trade agreement that would benefit both villages with little complications.

She also found the sensei who trained her father in the way of the sword, and after listening to him for nearly two hours, yelling at her and telling her that her father would be ashamed of her previous behavior, he took her under his wing and began to instruct her, as well.

The man looked ancient, but he was sharp, and very direct. But, he was not without empathy. When he saw her determination to change herself, he dropped his attitude and took it upon himself to try and guide her, mostly because her father could not. Even though they were generations apart, he knew how to reach her.

She threw herself into her training, using the days when she was not needed to wield her sword and forget about all of her mistakes. He must have known what she was doing, because he would constantly say, “Don't try to use a bandage for your heart, girl. The only thing that heals those kinds of injuries, is time.”

But, when she was in her apartment, and night had fallen, she was forced to remember. It occurred to her that she had as of yet to mourn the deaths of her parents. She had been much too busy training, pursuing Sasuke, and moving on with her life, and so, she pushed all of her feelings deep inside of her, and sealed them away.

However, the urge to mourn had found a way out of the prison she had created and when the loneliness became too great, her tears would fall and she would allow the pain and sadness to wash over her, cleansing her from the inside out.

As winter approached, Sakura was called into Tsunade's office and sat down in the chair. The woman was grinning, and that meant that either she got lucky the night before, or something major was about to happen.

“Konoha is going to be host to an event that will include several other villages, and Sakura, guess who they are all coming to meet.” She said, her eyes twinkling.

“I feel sorry for whomever it is.” Sakura muttered, and crossed her arms. She watched as Tsunade walked around her desk and stopped right in front of her.

The older woman grinned and knew that her young apprentice had been going through a lot in the past few months, but with all the hard work that she had done, she deserved to be recognized for it.

“Well, then start feeling sorry for yourself. You, my dear, are to be introduced to the noble families from other villages, and I have heard that one of the lords is especially interested in meeting you.” The older woman clapped with glee and turned before she could see Sakura's pained expression.

“You'll need some dresses for affairs such as these and after everything you have done for Konoha, Konoha can see to it that you have the items necessary to blow these people out of the water. Go to the address on the back of this card, and tell them that I sent you. They will take care of everything.” Tsunade instructed as she handed a card to Sakura.

Gritting her teeth, Sakura accepted the card and walked from the office, her head hung. She didn't want to meet any lords nor did she want to dress up and be trotted out and around like some horse. But, she soon found herself in front of the shop that Tsunade-sensei told her to go and went inside.

When she stepped inside, Sakura had the fleeting thought that she had somehow stepped into the lowest pit of hell. Dresses hung everywhere, and because it had been so long since she went shopping, she couldn't remember how to start.

Feeling overwhelmed, Sakura nearly went back outside, but was stopped when a hand touched her arm.

“Sakura?”

~!~

The day was cool, yet she found it to be pleasant. Her father was upset because he objected to her impending marriage to Kiba, but was quickly silenced with a look from her. Long gone were the days where he controlled her. Now, she controlled situations, and didn't have a problem letting him know when his opinion was wanted, and when it was not.

Her family was invited to the gala that was to be held later on in the month, and her father whined at her that she could meet a lord worthy of her at these kinds of functions. But, with a firm voice, she calmly told him that she already had someone special, and to be quiet.

Now, she strolled through the streets of Konoha, her beloved cousin right behind her, and made her way to the dress shop where she would buy a dress for the coming event. As she walked, she allowed her thoughts to turn to Naruto and softly sighed.

Neji, hearing the soft sound, made his way to his cousin's side and quietly asked, “Are you alright, Hinata-sama?”

Nodding, Hinata quietly said, “I'm fine, but I am worried for Naruto. He doesn't smile that much, anymore.”

Neji quietly regarded her for several moments, but then asked, “May I speak freely?”

The grin from her told him that he could continue, and he said, “Naruto longs for a woman who made some serious mistakes against him, but he can't bring himself to forgive her. Everyone knows that they are both miserable, but neither one will take the steps necessary to correct it.”

Hinata cringed and nodded. Both Sakura and Naruto were proud, and hard-headed. If only there was something that she could do to bring them together.

When they reached the shop, she teasingly asked Neji if he wanted to come inside, but the look of disdain on his face made her break out into soft giggles and she quickly told him that he was excused. Ever since breaking away from her father, Neji had taken it upon himself to see to her safety, and give her counsel, something she welcomed with open arms.

When she went inside, her eyes went wide as she took in the sight of Sakura, who looked as though she were caught in a trap, looking around with wild eyes. When she turned to leave, Hinata reached out and touched her arm.

“Sakura?”

When the pink-haired ninja turned, a kind smile crossed Hinata's lips and she asked, “Are you alright?”

Sakura sighed and shook her head. “Tsunade wants me to get dresses, but I don't know where to start.” She grumbled, an embarrassed hue tinting her cheeks.

Hinata's smile was kind as she gently took Sakura's arm and led her over to where a sales clerk was standing. She pushed Sakura forward and said, “We need dresses, for Sakura and for myself.”

Sakura was amazed at what time could do to a person. Hinata spoke clearly and didn't stutter once, as she did when they were kids. Her voice was filled with authority and her eyes didn't shy away.

The young woman smiled and led her customers to a set of chairs and quickly brought out dresses for them to chose from. Hinata decided that Sakura would get her dresses first, mostly because the female ninja looked as if she were facing a death squad, and then when Sakura had what she needed, she would get her own dress.

Hinata was quick to select several dresses for Sakura, and knew that she would look amazing, but it was one dress that was hanging off to the side that she knew would look stunning on her friend. Softly, she spoke to the sales clerk and told her to put the dress with the others that she had selected, but Sakura was not to know that it was there.

Once the dresses were selected, Sakura produced the card that Tsunade-sensei gave to her and presented it to the young lady. Her eyes growing wide, she bit her lip and quickly asked if she could have a minute to speak with the owner.

Soon, a short man came rushing out from the back of the store, and his smile nearly cracked his face. He motioned for the young woman to finish helping Hinata, and he happily exclaimed, “It is a great pleasure to have you in my store, Ambassador. I have also been instructed to include shoes, and the necessary accessories to ensure that you look your absolute best for the coming event. Now, let me get your shoe size, and I will gather everything together and have them deliver them to your address.”

Sakura, in shock, allowed him to lead her over to a chair and slip off her boot. Once he got her size, he mumbled to himself about some kind of new shipment that would fit her beautifully, and quickly jotted down her address. Once he was finished, he bowed to her and assured her that once he went over the dresses and ensured that they were in perfect condition, he would send them, and the other items over, at no expense to her, of course.

Nodding slightly, she watched as he bowed and turned away to speak with Hinata, who had asked for his attention. Sakura stood there, and waited patiently for Hinata, and when she was done, she walked over to Sakura and smiled.

“I am hungry, and would like to know if you would join me?” She asked, a smile upon her face. When Sakura nodded, Hinata reached out and grasped the door handle and opened it. The two women stepped out into the sunshine, and Hinata quickly steered Sakura over to a small cafe that she enjoyed. Both women ordered their food, and because she knew that he would be along shortly, she ordered something for Neji, too.

Finally, they were alone, and Hinata decided that it was time that Sakura knew that she wasn't alone. People were not made of stone, and needed companionship. Everyone needed a friend, and Hinata believed that she could give Sakura what she so desperately needed.

“I'm glad to have run into you, Sakura. I've heard that you have been a pretty busy ninja.” Hinata said, as she reached to grab onto her drink.

Sakura nodded and softly replied, “I've been learning how to use my dad's sword, and doing missions. It takes up quite a bit of my time.”

Nodding, Hinata smiled. “I understand that Konoha has you to thank for the new trade with the people from the valley. You've made many in this village happy with that agreement, simply because valley is rich in goods that we can get at a cheaper price than at any other village. That in itself, has made you a hero.”

Sakura allowed her eyes to stray to the table and silently wondered why Hinata was being so nice to her. Hinata was Naruto's friend, and she had hurt him terribly. Shouldn't the Hyuuga heiress be snubbing her?

Hinata frowned slightly when she noticed Sakura's saddened expression. She knew exactly what the other woman was thinking and reached across the table to touch Sakura's hand. When the woman looked up in surprise, Hinata quietly said, “Despite his actions, Naruto misses you, and still loves you. He just can't seem to overcome his anger, but I think that it is only a matter of time before he comes around. You'll see, everything will be fine.”

“I apologized to him.” Sakura whispered and looked up to see Hinata's shocked expression. “I apologized, and he made it quite clear that he wanted nothing to do with me.”

Hinata was stunned. Naruto never told her that Sakura had apologized. In fact, he just grew moodier as the weeks went on. When she looked into the eyes of Sakura, she could see the tears that had formed and the pain that lived within her without using her family's special ability.

Not knowing what to say, Hinata simply stood up and moved to Sakura's side and embraced her. The soft sobs coming from the pink ninja caused tears to form in her own eyes and silently, she wondered how many nights Sakura had cried alone.

Finally, when she managed to control her voice, Sakura said, “I made a lot of mistakes, Hinata. I was really awful to him. I pushed him away because he offered me something that no one else did, and that was acceptance. He accepted me for me, and because I didn't know how to deal with not having to prove myself to him, I attacked him for anything and everything.”

Hinata moved her chair closer to Sakura and held her hand in hers. Nodding, she quietly said, “Yes, you did make mistakes, but there is such a thing as second chances, and I believe that you, of all people, deserve one. And, if Naruto will not stand beside you, then I will and I won't be leaving, no matter how hard you try to get rid of me. Besides, I like the idea of having another female around that I can talk to.”

Sakura cringed and replied, “Naruto won't like that. He won't want to come around if he knows that I am going to be around.”

Shrugging, Hinata said, “Well, I want people around me who I consider to be good people, and because I consider you a friend, he will either deal with it, or he can move on. It hurts to say that, but I think that you need my friendship more than he does, especially now.”

Sakura heard the footsteps of the waitress coming closer and leaned back when her plate of food was placed in front of her. Glancing out of the corner of her eye, she saw Hinata smiling at her, and gave a tiny smile back when Hinata quietly whispered, “You don't have to be strong around me. If you'll be my strength in my troubled times, then I will be yours.”

Upon seeing Sakura's small smile, Hinata returned it and glanced at the door when it opened and Neji strolled in, just as she expected. He walked over to the table, and nodded at both women, and pulled out the chair where the third plate was sitting.

He listened intently as the two women talked, and was surprised to hear Sakura's intelligent answers to Hinata's questions, especially when it came to the politics concerning their new alliance. Sakura clearly deserved her position as ambassador, and her new attitude was very becoming. If he didn't know her before her change of attitude, he would have said that she was the type of woman he would have liked for himself. The change in her had been drastic.

When lunch was over, Sakura walked outside with the cousins, and was stunned when Hinata turned to embrace her. When she pulled back, Hinata smiled and said, “I will be coming over to your apartment the day of the gala, and will select your dress so that you will not have to worry about deciding on what to wear.”

When Sakura nodded, Hinata extended an open invitation to the Hyuuga compound and wrangled a promise from Sakura to join her and Kiba on Saturday. Satisfied that Sakura would be there, Hinata waved at her, while Neji nodded at her, and the two cousins walked away and disappeared into the crowded streets.

Biting her lip, Sakura turned on her heel and began walking towards the flower shop, intent on following through with the plans that she made before Tsunade-sensei called her into her office. As she walked, she thought about what Hinata said, and smiled. For the first time, she didn't feel so lonely, and realized that it was a nice feeling.

The town's flower shop, and only flower shop, was owned by Ino's father, and Sakura sighed when she realized that it was Ino, who was working the register.

Taking in a deep breath, Sakura pushed the door open and heard Ino's gasp. The two women stared at each other, but then Ino quietly said, “It's nice to see you, Sakura. How've you been?”

Sakura gave a small smile and said, “Good. How about you?”

Ino laughed, but inwardly cringed when her laugh came out hollow. But, she put on a brave front and said, “I've been great. I'm engaged.”

Holding her hand out for Sakura to inspect, she watched with baited breath as Sakura leaned forward, and then let it out when Sakura replied, “It's a very pretty ring. Congratulations...to you and to Sasuke.”

Inner Sakura waved her hands in the air and snapped, “Gee, that's some compensation. A huge rock on her finger in exchange for a loveless marriage. What a lucky girl.”

Sakura looked around and froze when her eyes fell on a group of flowers that she knew would be perfect. Moving away from the counter, she carefully picked up four bouquets and then moved back to the counter.

Ino smiled and quickly rang up the amount, but froze when her father came rushing from the back, his eyes frantic.

Sakura heard the loud pounding of footsteps and turned to see Ino's father rushing towards them. When he finally reached the counter, he was breathless, but that didn't stop him from putting on a charming smile and asked, “Ambassador, what brings you to my family's little shop?”

Sakura was quickly growing tired of being called 'Ambassador' despite the fact that she was one, and quickly said, “Please, Yamanaka-sama, call me Sakura. And, I am here to buy flowers.”

The man's grin widened, but then turned to a frown when he noticed that Ino had charged full price. That would never do. He knew that other establishments were grateful to Sakura and the new trade agreement, and that they had vowed to take care of her if and when she needed their services.

“Ino, those flowers are on sale. Please make sure that Sakura receive the sales price.” He said, his eyes turning to his daughter in silent warning to keep her big mouth shut.

Ino was surprised. Her father, as greedy as he was, never put flowers on sale, unless they were dying. But, she did as she was told and accepted the money that Sakura offered. Once the transaction was finished, Ino watched as her father escorted Sakura to the door, and cheerfully told her that should she need anymore flowers, to come to him personally.

Once she was gone, she shot her dad a glare and snapped, “Smooth dad. I'm sure she didn't notice the fact that you were totally kissing her ass.”

The older man blushed and quietly said, “It's because of her that I am able to pay for your wedding. So, do us both a favor and cork it.”

Ino sighed as her father turned and walked into the back and allowed her shoulders to slump. At the rate she and Sasuke were going, her father might not need to worry about paying for a wedding because there might not be one.

She and Sasuke had been fighting, now more than ever, and he constantly snapped at her that she should be thrilled that he was marrying her. She, of course, snapped back that she would be thrilled, if she hadn't been his last choice.

That fight, the most recent, was the reason why they were not speaking. In fact, they had not seen each other in over a week, and to be honest, she was glad. The man had an ego the size of a small village, and she....well, her eye had fallen on another. But, Sasuke had already gone to her father to ask for her hand, and he had agreed. So, she was stuck.

She was.....jealous of Sakura. Once she would have rubbed her friend's nose in the fact that Sasuke had chosen her, but now, she envied the woman Sakura had become, but could not bring herself to tell the woman that.

Besides, everyone in the village knew just how much of a lone wolf Sakura had become. It was a joke in the village that instead of calling her Ambassador Haruno, they would call her Ambassador Wolf. She was constantly alone, and if by some miracle she wasn't, she didn't keep company for too long.

Even Kakashi had tried to pull her out of her shell, but the woman simply refused to budge. It was well-known that Sakura was training with her father's old sensei, and the old man quickly got rid of anyone who dared to distract her from her training. The old man protected her viciously.

Sakura didn't know it, but her new sensei had traveled into the village, one day, when Sakura left to go to valley. He walked until he found Kakashi, and immediately, in front of a small crowd, informed the copy ninja that he was a sorry excuse of a sensei and out of all of his students, he had failed Sakura miserably. He left by telling Kakashi that it was a mystery to him as to why Sakura wasn't dead, because Kakashi sure the hell didn't teach her anything.

Ino cringed at the memory, and bit her lip. She, too, failed Sakura. They were supposed to be friends, and she should have called Sakura out on her behavior long ago. But she didn't, and it was because she knew that it was Sakura's behavior that had pushed Sasuke towards her.

When team seven parted ways, she and Sasuke grew close. He told her, one night, that he once considered Sakura as a romantic interest, but decided against her when her violent streak grew. Inner Ino had cheered and quickly suggested that she do something to take his mind off of her pink-haired friend.

Now, she was reaping the rewards of her actions. And, she was miserable. Sakura did a lot of damage on her own, but that didn't justify her friend suddenly abandoning her. All over a guy.

No, the real reason why she walked away from Sakura wasn't due to the violence. That could have been dealt with in a one-on-one match, probably ending with a couple of bloody noses and bruised egos. The real reason she walked away was because she didn't want Sakura to redeem herself in Sasuke's eyes. If she had, then the Uchiha might have turned from Ino to Sakura, despite Sakura not having any noble blood within her.

Now, Sakura was the village star, and was continuing to raise the village's opinion of her, and all she had was....well, she had a ring and a less than enthusiastic fiancée. Lucky her.

Shikamaru was right. Relationships really were troublesome.

~!~

Sakura smiled. A genuine smile that lit up her face as she approached. Taking a deep breath, she said, “I'm sorry that I'm late. I guess you might say that I've been pretty distracted for a while. But, I'm here now and look at what I brought the both of you. I picked these up at Ino's shop, and thought that they would look really pretty here.”

Pulling at some grass, she quickly arranged two of the bouquets so that they made an attractive display and then sat back to look at her work.

“There. That looks nice, doesn't it?” She asked, and was treated to the sounds of the birds chirping as a reply.

Sitting down, Sakura hung her head and quietly said, “I don't have any excuses to give to you as to why I am late, mostly because I've run out of excuses and am tired of trying to justify my actions. I'm coming here, to both of you, to tell you how angry I am at of you.”

Sakura took in a deep breath, and face the headstones that held her parents' names. “You left me. Yes, I know that it wasn't your fault, and you didn't want to. But, you did. You left, and I made a lot of mistakes without your guidance.

I'd like to think that if you had lived, I'd be married with children of my own. I'd be working at the hospital, and have a great, happy life. Instead, I have made mistake after mistake, and though I am trying, I don't know how to fix them. See, I hurt someone, both physically and emotionally, and now, he doesn't want to be around me. I understand why, and I accept it. I just wish things had been different, you know?”

Sakura took in another deep breath and said, “Now that you know why I am angry, I also want to tell you that I forgive you for leaving. I want to offer you the forgiveness that I won't be getting, and I want to tell you about the lessons that I learned. Maybe then, you will understand why I can give forgiveness so easily.

I learned that people are not perfect, I am not perfect. I never will be. I learned that people need kindness and a hug, rather than harshness and a hard fist. I never knew that words could have such a horrible impact, but they do. And, I learned that sometimes, it really is too late to make amends.

See, there's this guy, Naruto, and I hurt him badly. All he offered me was kindness and acceptance, and in return, he received my temper....and fists. I apologized, but it wasn't accepted. I hoped it would be, but it wasn't. I guess 'I'm sorry' isn't enough to fix the damages that I caused, because he doesn't want me near him, and I'm going to respect his wishes, even if I didn't before.”

Sakura's eyes moved over the quiet field, and stopped on a headstone that made her smile. “Thankfully, someone brought me to my senses, and opened my eyes. It's because of him that I am here, today. Had he not intervened, well, I don't know where I'd be. Anyways, I just wanted you to know why my reasons for forgiving you. But, I have to go and promise to come more often. After all, we are family, and it's time I remember that. I love you both, and will see you later.”

Standing up, Sakura grabbed the other bouquets and moved over to where Obito and Rin's headstones were. Smiling, she knelt down by Rin's stone, and softly said, “Hi. You don't know me, but my name is Haruno Sakura. Your friend, Obito, is my friend, too, and I hope you don't mind if I come to visit you when I visit him. I brought the two of you some flowers.”

Placing the flowers in a display, much like the ones on her parent's headstones, Sakura grinned and brushed her hands off when she was done. “There you go. I hope that you like them. Both of you.” She said, and turned her eyes to Obito's name.

“You said that I could come and talk to you, and just wanted to let you know of what has happened to me since you were here. I became the ambassador for Konoha to Junaki, the head village in the valley. Want to know something funny?” She asked.

Her lips quirked up in a grin and she said, “The elder of Junaki told me that it was impossible for their enemies to know which village in the valley was the head village because no one knows the names of any of the villages, at least no one who isn't familiar with them. So, if an enemy wants information to find the head village, they can't because all of the villages are called the village in the valley. They usually distinguish the villages by numbers, but Junaki is the only one with a name, because it's the oldest.”

“I apologized to Naruto, but it was too late. But, thank you for your help, Obito. I'm much better, and despite losing Naruto, I think that things are changing for me. It's going slowly, but it's getting better. Anyways, I better go. I'm training with my dad's old sensei and he decided to change our training from morning to evening. So, I will see you later, and hope things are well with the two of you. Take care of yourselves.” She said, and smiled before turning and walking back towards the town.

As she walked, she noticed that her heart didn't hurt as much as it did before. In fact, she found that she was looking forward to getting together with Hinata, her friend.

Friend. She actually had someone who wanted to be her friend, and who didn't cringe away from her. Hinata didn't ask anything of her, other than to talk and it was nice. Yes, things were changing, and she had to believe that they would continue to get better. She had to have faith.

~!~

A dark eye followed Sakura's form until she disappeared and then glanced over at the flowers she left behind. Kneeling down, he allowed a finger to touch the soft petals of a flower and shook his head.

Why would Sakura bring flowers to someone she didn't even know? In all his time coming to this place, he never once brought flowers. Perhaps it was a female thing, but it never occurred to him to make such a gesture. After all, Obito and Rin couldn't see them, and it was silly to waste money on such things.

Kakashi sighed and sat down. This place was the one place he could do his serious thinking at, and he had a lot of things to think over.

Was the old man right? Did he fail Sakura? He knew that he showed Sasuke and Naruto more attention, but Sakura never seemed to mind. But, perhaps he was just too busy to notice her frustration. Maybe, he held some blame for how Sakura turned out. After all, when children become students, it is up to the sensei to raise them to be good ninja, and he had not done that with Sakura. No, he pushed her aside to train the boys, and she had suffered.

Gods, forgive him.

~!~

Theme for the chapter is.....

Forgive....sounds good,
Forget...I don't think I could,
They say, time heals everything,
But I'm still waiting.........

Dixie Chicks, Not ready to make nice.