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merakireveries · 2 years

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KakaRin Crumbs (pt. 1): Kakashi’s Treatment of Rin’s Grave vs. Obito’s

Hey, everyone! Welcome to my first Crumb Post of KakaRin (and of any ship, really, hehe!)

Now, "What is a 'Crumb Post'?" Some of y'all may be asking. 👀👀👀Well, my dear friends, a Crumb Post can be explained like this:

Ships are like food. 🥐🥨🥪🧀🍔🌮🌯🍝🍜🍰🍉🍓We, as fans, often say that we are “getting fed” when our ship interacts on screen or has a special moment together. Now, obviously, some moments are big and obvious and get talked about often, like the dough of a pizza 🍕or the batter for a cake. 🍰But sometimes, there are crumbs that fall through the fandom’s cracks and don’t get the spotlight they deserve

So, I’ll be making ✨Crumb Posts✨ for ship moments I believe to be underrated and severely unnoticed, hehehe.

Now, I’m kickstarting this Crumb Post series off with the very ship that drove me to make a tumblr: KAKARIN.

✨Ah, yes, KakaRin, my beloved~✨

Y’all remember this?

Mhm, yup, the scene where Kakashi came to Rin's grave and told her that Minato and Kushina we're going to have a baby soon. This moment is underrated in both the KakaRin Fandom and the Naruto Fandom as a whole. I don't think not enough people talk about it. And I like to think of this scene as a KakaRin Crumb

There's just something so OOFERS about the CONTRAST between the way Kakashi treats Rin's grave and the way Obito treats it.

How Kakashi Treats Rin's Grave

Here's Kakashi kneeling at Rin's grave. In both the manga and anime, we see a little pail of water and flowers. He evidently cleans her grave regularly and brings flowers frequently to her grave to replace them. This is something he does on the regular, at least during this period in his life. Now, what about Obito?

How Obito Treats Rin's Grave:

This. This. THIS. is what we get. Y'all... 😶

Now, given the context, yes, Obito is hurting. Yes, he's upset. Yes, he's mad, furious, pained, at the fact that the most important person in the world to him died.

BUT DOES THAY SERIOUSLY MAKE IT OKAY TO DO SOMETHING LIKE THIS?!?!

here's the answer:

It isn't okay. It's incredibly disrespectful. You can't just grab the flowers on a person's grave and take them away. Much less throw away. Imagine just how offended Rin's friends and family would have been to see this? Something so distasteful, brazen, and disrespectful?

Now, the reasoning Obito has here is that: "No, I can't accept her death. So I won't accept this grave. These flowers. The real Rin is not dead." But that's delusional.

In thinking this way, and prioritizing his ideal vision of a living Rin over the real, dead Rin, he ends up disrespecting the real Rin.

He puts so much honor on his vision and his vision of Rin that he dishonors her real body and her real self. Kakashi, on the other hand HONORS the REAL HER.

HE was the one to clean her grave regularly. HE was the one to put the flowers there. HE was the one who showed RESPECT and HONOR to her as a hero of Konoha, as his friend, and as a real person.

BASICALLY

Kakashi puts the flowers. Obito throws them. What does that say about these two and their views of Rin?

A. Lot.

And I also feel like this difference in regards to respecting Rin and honoring her in death is also reflected in the difference the two boys had in respecting her and honoring her while she was still alive. (But! That's a post for another day, hehe!)

Kakashi treats her like the queen she is, even when she's not around anymore. Obito?... Not so much...

See y'all in KakaRin Crumbs (pt. 2)! Comin' soon!! :D

Hope y'all have a good day!

🌻Tags!!🌻

@jerzaneedstobecanon

@sonnaydi

@rin-noharas

This is dedicated to my KakaRin mutuals. Thank you guys for being so amazing! ☺️💕💕

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merakireveries · 2 years

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I would gladly kill a HP shipper(whether they be a filthy Romione, disgusting Dramione or dirty Harmione). And I would burn the body with incendio. And I would LOVE every second of it😈

Hello, hello!!

Anon, you're using the same terminology and adjectives as the second and fourth ask I got. I'm Lowkey starting to think that you're the same person 👀👀👀👀

If you are the same person, WELCOME BACK, MY LOVE!!! 🤧😆😁💕💕💕💖

If not, and you're a different person hopping onto my page for the first time, 🌻Welcome!🌻 Happy to have you onboard the Meraki Reveries Blog Boat! 🚢 Weeeee, hehehehe (If you want more info about how things work here and are in need of a more thorough welcome, go to my Welcoming Post pinned on my page- another shameless plug lololol, y'all make this too easy hehehehe)

(couldn't find a GIF for a boat, so we'll just use this one. "Love Train" 🚂🚃🚃🚃- close enough, lololol)

💕💕💕💕

Now, to answer your ask, let's see... As I've established on the fourth ask, I think there may have been some form of miscommunication between you and the Romionians, Harmionians, and now Dramionians (OOH, girl, Hermione, you slayin' out here so hard that we've got multiple boys falling for you 🤭🤭🤭) . I'm sure there are no "filthy" Romione shippers, "dirty" Harmione shippers, or any "disgusting" Dramione" shippers.

Muddy floors? Ah, yes, filthy. Dirt-covered boots? Mhm, yeah, dirty. (Hehe, get it? Dirt-y? I'm a Pun Princess 👑😌✨ purrrr 💛). Maggot-filled carpet? Oh, yup, very disgusting. And I mean, VERY disgustang! You know, there's a vid on YouTube of a person cleaning that! You can check it out if you have an iron stomach.

But a Romione shipper? Nothing filthy about them as I'm far I'm concerned. Harmione shipper? Nothing dirty. Dramione shipper? Nothing disgusting. So we Gucci there, beebee. You don't have to worry about any germ spread. 😌✨💛

And let's see... What else on your ask? Ah, yes. Murder.

It says here that you would "gladly kill a HP shipper" (le GASP! I'M a HP shipper!!) Are you saying you want to ✨gladly✨ kill me...? 😳

Dang, ✨Confession Time✨, Y'all

The last time someone told me they wanted to kill me was when I was in middle school. He and I were classmates and he'd always shout insults at me and make fun of me for kicks and giggles. (He did this to literally everyone. No one cared about his behavior, lolol. I do think his jokes went too far, but everyone just let him. I was one of the few people who scolded him- and I guess that's why he was extra hard on me LOL)

⚠️Quick Warning⚠️: What I'm about to say is a bit out there. (It has to do with "kys") So, either brace yourself or scroll until you see the cat picture if you wanna skip this. 😅

At one point, he began to tell me to off myself. Like, he'd do it everyday. I'd be on the playground, minding my own business and eating a tangerine 🍊 and he'd be on top of the slide pointing down at me saying, "Hey! Mera, go K*LL YOURSELF." (And other insensitive stuff I'd rather not type here 😅) He'd be grinning and laughing all the while- such a gremlin, that dude! 🙄😒

I never took him seriously. And I'd just wave it off LOL. But, after several weeks of this, I kinda got annoyed with him and this is what happened: (let's call him Tin.)

Tin: Mera, why don't you just k*LL yourself, huh?

Me: You know what, Tin? If you want me to d*e so much, why don't you kill me, then?

Tin: ....

And THAT, ladies and gentlemen, is how Tin's and my dynamic completely shifted LOL. He was completely silent and at loss for words. It was funny. 🤣 Each day after that, I took the liberty of asking him when he'd- y'know- do the job.

It would always be like, "Heyyy, Tin, I'm not 6 feet under yet! What happened? Scared?" "DUDE. I was waiting for you ALL night last night! How come you didn't break in and off me yet?" "Aww, Tin, come on. I'm literally inviting you to get the job done! Take it!!" It was my way of teasing him, and I WAS HAVING A BLAST.

Soon, he became comfortable with this little arrangement, and it sorta became our "thing", I guess? 😅 I'd ask what his plan was "for tonight" and he'd answer with ridiculous things like: "My weapon will be syrup and a pan." Or "This plastic gun my little brother owns will totally work on you." I'd give my opinions on his "plans" and we'd go back and forth on it, further developing or improving them. It was FUN LOL. 😆🤣

And what was great was that he was so caught up in "planning" with me that he kinda just stopped joking and insulting everyone else. It was great!! And okay, I'm a little ashamed to say, but I Lowkey started ✨catching feelings✨for him along the way...? (LOL DON'T JUDGE ME I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL, OKAY? AND HE WAS HARMLESS. Sort of)

I genuinely had fun with the dude, and he was becoming less and less mean as the years went on. Fast forward a bit into junior high, and we're practically best friends. He's still funny and now really nice. I confessed to liking him. AND YA KNOW WHAT HAPPENED? He ended up saying that he liked me too. 😳😳😳😳

🍊Okay, there's the cat picture, lol!!! 🍊

For those who skipped the thingy, basically the last time a person told me they wanted me- y'know- six feet under, they actually had feelings for me. (Ooooooo 😳🤭✋ LOLOLOL).

Sooo, anon, do you have feelings for me too...? 😳🤭.... 😏✨✨✨✨

I'm Totally Not Flirting, Anon. Maybe. Yes. No. Perhaps.

Look... I'm just saying, anon... If you really are the same person as the second and fourth ask, like my dude, My Boi, you can...

Drop by again, y'know? 😉 Just keep coming back, cuz I'm enjoying you. A lot. LOL.

Okay, with that being said....

Let me Make Something ✨Clear✨

I do NOT condone telling people to off themselves!! (To anyone who read the lol story I told about my middle school years, just know that I never condoned Tin's behavior. It was insensitive and it's never okay to tell people that, even if it's a joke!)

I also do not condone burning people alive. Remember from my Welcoming Post (shameless plug again UwU) that I don't want mah boat burning, aight? I like water more than fire, kapeesh?

3. Murder is never okay. Unless it's to murder hate, y'know what I'm saying? 💕💕💕💕

4. So is disrespect. I want this boat to be a safe space for everyone. ☺️💛

Now, anon, just keep those in mind if you wanna be my friend or (date me- jkjkjk,.... Unless-)

I hope you have a good day and that you responsibly navigate through the fandom's waters without disrespecting and MURDERING others. Goodness, PLEASE don't do that. I KNOW I said in my Welcoming Post (shameless plug, hehehehe) and my Fourth Ask that I've committed many crimes, but take it from an Ex-con, committing crimes is no fun. (ب_ب)

Okay, that's all for today! Everyone, have a nice rest of y'all's week! And anon, call me.

😙😘💕☺️🤗✨💛💛💛🌻🌅

#harry potter fandom #answering ask #i am almost 100% sure that you're rhe same person as the second and fourth ask lolol #i love you beebee #call me?#maybe?#Yes I am a Harmione shipper #Harmione #harry x hermione #crush story #ranting about my crush lol #middle school story #middle school crush #how did this ask turn into me ranting about an old junior high flame #i wouldn't have it any other way #love y'all #peace out

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merakireveries · 2 years

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HAHAHAHA! Imagine thinking you are all innocent and your rivals are all bad. That is what you filthy Romiones and dirty Harmionians are!

Hello!! :D

You sound awfully familiar... Like, the second anon I had. Hmmm... Are you... The same person? 👀👀👀

Cuz if so, HEY! Welcome back, nice to have you back on my page!! 😆💛

Me with you, rn. 😘 If you're not the same person, well- Welcome to my page, hehe!!! Nice to have you- you are now onboard the Meraki Reveries Ship! 🚢 I hope you have a nice ride.

Now, to address your ask, we're not all innocent. Ohohouoh 😏 in fact, I'm pretty guilty. Yup, pretty guilty of committing some terrible terrible crimes.

Why do you think I tell people to call me "Mera" instead of my real name? It's cuz I don't want to get caught by the cops, as I've mentioned in my Welcome Post (check it out, hehe! Shameless plug lololol)

Now, I don't have any rivals as far as I can tell, soo... Not sure how to answer that one? 😅 I mean, the closest thing I had to a rival was this desk partner I sat next to in 1st grade and we always competed to see who can get the highest vocabulary score. (Had a mad crush on him, btw 😳- shhh, don't tell anyone)

Now, I pride myself in showering every day, hehe! So, I wouldn't call myself a dirty Harmionian. Pretty squeaky clean. And the Romione shippers I know always bathe regularly too!

Perhaps you happened to run into Harmionians and Romionians who don't bathe...regularly...? Although, I kinda don't think that's plausible. Perhaps you misunderstood them at one point? Maybe they said they haven't showered in like two days (which is honestly fine), but that was because they had to stay home and it was snowing and the pipes are cold. Y'know, different situations happen. That doesn't mean they're filthy or dirty!

And being dirty or filthy in itself isn't something to judge a person on either. Again, we're all in different situations, y'know?

And not all of us are rivals. I promise you that many of us respect one another even though we have differing opinions. I'm sorry you've had experiences getting rugged along in the middle of the canon ball fire 💥 of the Ship Wars 🚢. It's hard. I get it. It can feel like this, huh?:

Now, what could help is trying to stay away from the firing lines, y'know what I mean? Avoiding the toxic corners of the fandom can be really helpful. And with all the toxicity, I understand it can be upsetting. But I mean, you know what it feels like to be caught up in toxic fire, and you wouldn't wanna be part of the thing that spreads it, y'know?

Be like water, my child. 🌊 Douse them flames and navigate the seas responsibly. Mama knows you can do it, beebee. I gotchu.

Anyway, that's it for today, love! Drop by and give me a visit again soon, kay? And to all you great Harmione and Romione shippers out there, I wish y'all a good day!

🤗💛💕💖☺️

#Harry Potter Fandom #harry potter #answering an ask heheheheh #you sound a lot like the person from my second ask lololol #you the same person?#if so #it is nice to have you back here hehe!#i wuv you #mama loves you beebee #And yeah mhm #I'm a Harmione shipper and PROUD #Harmione #Harry x Hermione #have a nice day

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merakireveries · 2 years

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We need more Zuko & Katara being the parent friends to the rest of the group fics. They always hit just right.

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merakireveries · 2 years

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NaruSaku Day:

"Sunshower"- (A fanfic)

Hey, y'all!!! In honor of NaruSaku day, I made a lil short fanfic, hehe. Hope you enjoy!

Sunshower: "A meteorological phenomenon in which rain falls while the sun is still shining."

"Woahhh! Are you a doctor or something?" A voice echoed throughout the empty classroom. Or… well, she thought it was an empty classroom. In a flash, Sakura spun on her heel to see a boy standing in the doorway. Sunshine illuminated his tan skin and gave his blonde hair a golden glow. It was the new kid!

His eyes were wide in amazement. She couldn't tell if he was faking the amazement or not. Some people did that to her. And they would then laugh and point with a mocking glint in their eyes. Was he gonna mock her too? She shouldn't get excited at his interest. She should just stay calm and try to get him to leave.

Sakura sighed. "No, idiot. We're both still in junior high. I'm not even old enough to volunteer at a hospital, much less be a doctor."

The boy took a few steps forward, now fully in the classroom, pushing his fists in his pockets with an easy grin on his face. "Neh, aren't you the smart girl in class? Could you blame me for thinking that you could be one?" He asked her, his bright blue eyes gleaming like the sea on a summer day. Sakura's eyebrows lifted. He actually thought I was a doctor…?

"I…I am pretty smart!" She said, a grin appearing on her own lips.

His eyes brightened even further. "Yeah, you are! And you looked so cool, ya know? Walking around with the white coat and talking to that skeleton over there-" he pointed at the lifeless "patient" propped against a few desks, "- and with all the fancy words too! Like, checking his 'vitals' or something like that?"

Sakura beamed. "Yeah!!!"

"And 'administering' medicine?"

"Yeah!!" Sakura exclaimed once more. Naruto grinned even more at her expression. He took a couple more steps toward her, shrugging his backpack off so it hit the ground.

"Hehe! It's pretty cool- do you practice in here?"

Sakura took a few steps toward him, nodding her head vigorously. "Yup, yup! I stay behind here during lunch break so I could practice. The teacher- Mr. Ramos- trusts me so he always leaves the key for me under the mat outside!"

He rushed over to her, now only a few feet away. "Woah! That's so- that's so cool!! My teachers at my school never trusted me!" Sakura shrugged, smiling even harder. People usually call me a teacher's pet. They don't think it's cool the way he does… It confused, yet amused her.

"I guess it's just cuz I follow the rules. Maybe that's why."

"Well, looks like following the rules is a great thing!" He shouted. Sakura chuckled. I guess so… Mr. Ramos taught 7th grade biology science, and he was always partial to her. Sakura genuinely enjoyed the class, and she had no problems raising her hand, answering questions, and helping out. People would usually call her a "suck-up", or say that she follows rules just so that she gets praise.

For the past two months, she's been allowed to leave her backpack and other belongings in the classroom during lunch. She'd grab a bite at the cafeteria and then run back here. She'd throw on Mr. Ramos' labcoat and practice with the plastic skeleton.

"Hey, um-" his voice came back to her ears.

"Yeah?" She asked.

"Wanna practice on me?" He asked, a grin on his face. She gasped, rushing over to him in a flurry. They were now only a foot apart. Her green eyes sparkled.

"OH, MY GOSH YES!" She yelled.

"Hehe! Thanks!"

"No! Thank you!!!" Sakura couldn't believe it! She had someone real to practice on! No one else wanted to. She had no friend at school.

"Nah! I should be thanking you anyway cuz I don't really have anyone to hang out with. And you seem really cool! So I choose you." He said, smiling wide. Sakura tilted her head.

"Is that why you were walking around by yourself?"

"Mhm, yup!" He said, completely unbothered and still grinning. Is he used to being alone…? Sakura paused, looking down at the speckled rug beneath them. He gets me, then. And I guess… She looked up to see him tilting his head at her with a confused expression. She grinned. I get him too!

"Well, I won't disappoint you! You won't regret your choice! Doctor Haruno will take care of you!" She said with certainty strong in her voice as she patted a hand against her chest. He grinned back at her.

"Doctor Haruno, huh? I like it!"

"Oh, and what about your name?"

"Naruto. Naruto Uzumaki."

"Okay! You're my patient from now on, Mr. Uzumaki!"

"And what's your first name, Dr. Haruno?"

She beamed. "Sakura."

"Sakura…" He paused. "Sakura," his voice lowered to a whisper. He repeated her name, letting it roll on his tongue over and over again. He grinned at her. "Sakura! Pretty, just like the flower!" A soft smile wormed its way to Sakura's lips.

Before she could say 'thank you', the bell rang, Naruto grabbed his backpack and waved, and she was left standing as she watched his golden hair disappear.

From then on, they would meet every day during lunch time. They'd grab a bite to eat and then rush over to the classroom. Sakura would bend down, uncovering the key under the mat and Naruto would excitedly whisper in a hushed voice, "It's like we're sneaking in or something!"

Sakura would roll her eyes and smile. They'd enter the classroom and he'd sit himself on a desk as Sakura threw on the lab coat. She would write his name down on her "files" (a couple of sheets on her binder) and record information about hypothetical questions. Then, she'd gently poke him with a pencil as her "injection needle". Or take his pulse. Or measure his height.

He'd fake injuries or sicknesses and she'd give him the cure or procedure he would need if it were real.

For instance, one day, he told her that his arm was bleeding "real bad". So, she showed him how to make a tourniquet on the skeleton. She'd gently wrap some cloth over his arm and say, "Like this, but much much more harder! Bleeding has to be stopped. If blood soaks through, always add more guaze or cloth!"

And he'd always nod at her with amazement. Every time she'd answer a question, give him directions, or demonstrate a procedure, his mouth would stretch in awe.

As time went on, those hypothetical questions became less and less hypothetical. The situations became less and less fake.

One day, he came in with a bruise on his cheek and Sakura screeched.

"NARUTO, WHAT HAPPENED?"

"Oh! Hehe, I fell down while I was trying to play soccer at recess earlier!"

"Idiot!" She shouted, punching him on the shoulder.

"Owww, Sakura!" He whined. She grabbed his wrist and pulled him to a desk. He watched as she bent down, zipped open her backpack, and pulled out an aluminum water bottle, along with a pair of rubber tweezers from a small box. He continued watching, slack-jawed, as she spun the cap off, pinched the tweezers, and reached in the bottle to pull out a neatly sized ice cube!

"Woahhh, Sakura!"

"Shut up, you moron!" She strode over to him and lightly applied the ice to his bump. He kept quiet as the ticking on the clock on the wall beat in the otherwise silent air between them. She continually replaced the ice with new ones even before they'd melt.

"Hey, how come you're replacing the ice?" He asked, with wide blue puppy eyes and a tilted head.

Sakura sighed, an exasperated smile on her face. How can I stay mad at you? "It's to ensure that the temperature is fresh and remains cold. Also, I just like having fresh clean ice- prevents mess and any bacteria and makes the healing process faster."

"Oh, I see." He nodded, as the ice slid up and down his bruise. It stayed up only because Sakura was still holding it against him with her tweezers.

"What else do you keep in that backpack of yours, Doctor Haruno?" He asked. Sakura grinned. She threw the ice in the sink and wiped Naruto's cheek with a napkin.

"Looks like the swelling went down. Be careful from now on, okay?"

"Yes, ma'am!"

"Okay, as for my backpack," she put on some rubber gloves, "- here's what's inside!" She hoisted the bag onto the desk and pulled out the small metal box. Within was a packet of Band-Aids, a small roll of gauze, a few alcohol wipes, and ointment packets.

"Woahhhh!"

She chuckled as she pulled out a box of rubber gloves, a plastic bag of surgical masks, and hand sanitizer. "To prevent and kill germs!" She enthusiastically said.

"Wow!! You're so cool, Sakura!"

She smiled. "Thanks… Naruto."

The days passed. Autumn turned to winter. At this point, she had a record of Naruto's injuries, along with allergies. She was so glad that she had the same science class as him. It was their only class together, but she was grateful to have him in it.

He was her… her friend. He was bright like the sun, always smiling and always encouraging her. She never felt bad about her passions around him. She could always talk and talk about the information she learned and he'd actually listen instead of mock her. She could wear her rubber gloves without him judging. She could rub on sanitizer all day and he wouldn't bat an eye.

The days were getting colder. And Sakura would come to school with a mask on. Naruto never judged, but the rest of the kids did. She'd constant have her hand sanitizer and box of tissues sitting by her worksheets on her desk. She'd sometimes even wear gloves. The cold wind would seep through her skin and wrap itself around her bones.

She'd shake and shake in her seat as it stabbed her like blades of ice. Purple crescent moons appeared under her eyes. A weight pressed upon her back and threatened to push her to the ground.

Naruto would ask what's wrong, and Sakura would laugh and say she's okay. All the while telling him to be 6 feet away so he doesn't get sick too. She'd put on her gloves whenever she touched him. And he'd look at her masked face, worried.

One crisp Tuesday morning, she coughed and coughed in bed until drops of scarlet rained down onto her sheets. Her mother came rushing into the room. "My baby, my baby!" She wailed, gathering Sakura up in her arms and yelling at her father- yelling for him to grab the car keys and start the car up.

They took her to the hospital. She spent the rest of the week connected to chords and pumps.

Her weary eyes would stare out the frosty window. The only thing she liked was the sun that stared back at her and the pretty orange sunsets that would abound in the evenings.

The cold was never nice to her. The cold hated her. Or maybe… it was her body that did.

Ever since Sakura was a young child, she was always susceptible to getting sick. Horribly sick. So sick that she frequented the hospital, especially during the winter. She was weak.

And people hated her for being weak. Preschool days were filled with kids avoiding her because of her masks and gloves. Her "strange obsession" with being clean and germ-free.

And Sakura, early on, had decided that she wanted to be a doctor. So that she could help any kid, any person, who feels weak. Weak in body and weak in heart. Healing. That's what they need. And that's what she wants to give.

When she came back to school the following Monday, she decided to take a walk on the field, where it was quiet.

Naruto came out of nowhere, with gleaming eyes. He ran to her, alling at his knees, shouting her name. No amount of her shouting "Don't come close!", "You'll get sick too!", "You won't feel good if you touch me!", No amount of her shaking her gloved hands at him, or her pulling at her mask, could stop him.

Stop him from throwing himself at her. Stop him from wrapping his arms around her and tightly embrace her. The force of his embrace sent them flying into the grass. And Sakura, with her breath knocked out of her, laughed.

Laughed so hard and so loud. She put her arms around Naruto, and the mask on her face fell off. He looked up at her, his eyes only a few inches away from hers.

"Your eyes… so pretty…"

"What?" She asked, not processing his words. Still dazed from everything.

"You… I missed you."

"It's only been a few days," she said, out of breath.

"Yeah, and I'd be happy for you to be gone a few days. You really deserve the break. But… you didn't seem like yourself the past few days. I thought…" He rolled off her, sitting down and gathering his legs up in a criss-cross. She still laid down next to him, looking up at his face. "I thought something bad happened. Was it really bad?"

Sakura hesitated. She was scared. Scared that he'd stop hanging out with her if he knew the depth of her illness. If he knew just how weak she was.

"You don't have to say if you don't want to." He said.

"I…" She took a deep breath. "Yeah… it was pretty bad."

"What happened?"

"Naruto… I'm sick. I have this sickness and I get sick real bad real easily." He nodded slowly. "And… I can't tolerate cold weather very well either. I've always gone to the hospital a lot cuz of my weak immune system. It's always the worst in winter."

"Well now I hate winter!" Naruto huffed, crossing his arms. And Sakura's eyes widened, widened so much until she just started laughing. That's it? No judgement? No mocking? Just anger at winter? She couldn't stop. She laughed and laughed. He simply tilted his head.

"What? I'm serious! Winter is forever sucky to me now, Sakura."

"Pfft! You don't have to hate winter!"

"Well, it sucks cuz it makes you suffer!"

She grinned at him. "Naruto…"

"And you're not weak!! If I had the sickness you had, then I'd be dead already! You're amazing, Sakura." Her eyes widened at his words. He stared at her, a serious expression in his hard eyes. "And… is that why you want to be a doctor?"

He… he gets me… Time seemed to slow. Sakura simply nodded her head slowly, staring ahead of her. "Yeah… yeah, that's why…"

He shook his head as he stared at her, his mouth pressed in a tight line. "That's it… that just tells me you're strong. Cuz you wanna help people out of pain. Cuz you know how it is."

She smiled at him, and threw herself against him. They landed on the grass with him on the bottom this time. He stared up at her as she beamed down at her. Her hair brushed against his cheeks.

She stared at those tan, sun-kissed cheeks. Her hand came up, her fingers tracing the pink scars along his face. They were straight and fanned out like sun rays. Like whiskers. She giggled to herself and she stroked his cheeks in awe.

He simply stated back, admiring her pink hair and her green eyes.

The bell rang. They got up onto their class.

The next day was the last day before winter break, and they were there on the field again, idly chatting and joking around. It was cold, so Sakura had her gloves on today. She put a gloved hand on Naruto's shoulder.

"Hey, Naruto?"

"Yeah?"

"What do you wanna be when you grow up?" She asked. Naruto stiffened and his eyes widened. Oh no! Did I ask him a bad question? Is he unsure? Is his parents trying to pressure him to do something he doesn't want?

"I'm sorry, Naruto, you don't have to answer if you don't wan-"

He sighed, smiling at her. "Nah, it's all good…" Sakura tilted her head. You sure about that? "I… um- I actually don't know what I wanna be."

Ohhhh, I see. He still seems a little upset though… "Well, that's okay!! You don't have to know right now! Your parents aren't pressuring you or anything, right?"

He stiffened again. "I… I don't have parents." Sakura gasped. "Oh! Oh, my god! Naruto, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean-"

He smiled. "It's okay. They died when I was really young. I'm at a foster home right now, so I guess that's good, right?"

She put an arm around his shoulders. "It's okay to be upset, Naruto. Don't do that fake smile around me." His eyes widened at her words, and he looked down at the ground, sighing.

"Thanks, Sakura…" His lips curled slightly, and Sakura was satisfied to see that his smile was more genuine than the last. He deserves to heal too. She thought. I wonder what weight he carries. I wonder how heavy that burden is.

"Don't thank me." She paused. "Is there anything you like to do?"

"Soccer, I guess."

"You're pretty good at soccer! Maybe you can be a soccer player!"

He chuckled. "Maybe."

"Or a soccer coach!"

"You think I'd be good at that!"

"Yuh-huh!!! Anything! Anything you like as long it makes you happy!"

"Don't I have to be good at it too?"

"Well, duh. But there's no point if you don't like it. Plus, you're good at a lotta stuff, Naruto!"

"Like what?"

"Making people smile." She said, looking directly at him. They listened to the wind around them. Sakura closed her eyes. "Promise to never fake smile around me?"

He grinned at her. "Yeah, I promise. Believe it!"

The bell rang, and they were off to their classes. Once Sakura got home, her winter break began. And. It. Was. Miserable. Yeah, she liked having a break from school. But, this year was hard.

It was her first year in junior high. Ino, her best friend from elementary, would be the one she would hang with during the breaks. But she moved to another state in another school. And they lost contact. Sakura came into junior high alone. Naruto became her new friend.

And! She didn't know where Naruto lived so she couldn't visit him at all. I'm such an idiot! I need to ask him! But she couldn't ask him because she didn't have his social media information. Did he even have a phone?

She would have to wait until winter break ended for her to ask. I should ask for his mailing address too so I can write letters to him in case he has no phone!

Winter caused her to sick, and she swung by the hospital multiple times throughout those weeks. Winter break was also the time for family gatherings. And well, at school, she was mocked and ignored. At family gatherings, she was passive aggressively rebuked and scorned. Especially by the adults.

Aunts and uncles and grandmothers and grandfathers would whisper every time she passed by. "There she is. The girl sucking up the money in the family." "The weakling." "The burden."

Sakura knew that her frequent hospital visits were causing financial strains and her parents would sometimes ask the family to chip in. Sakura never wanted to be a burden. That's why she worked so hard and tried so hard and fought so hard.

But hearing these things just didn't help. She didn't have Ino to turn to. Or Naruto. And her parents weren't always at home.

Her heart felt heavy. She felt damaged and broken. Weak and a burden.

Healing… I just need…

When school finally came back around, Sakura was discouraged to see that she shared no classes with Naruto. Since it was a new semester, she got switched from a science class to a history one.

She didn't even see Naruto enter the school. It was raining that day. She was hoping he'd be late. Maybe because of traffic from the rain? But the hours ticked and still no sign of the sun. Of the sun in the sky. And of her sun. Her golden Naruto.

By lunchtime, she was standing under the shade of an awning by one of the classrooms. She couldn't go inside Mr. Ramos' classroom since she wasn't in his class anymore. So she was left standing outside in the cold. Other students were standing in circles under umbrellas.

“SAKURA!!” Naruto! Her Naruto! He had shot up out of nowhere, bounding to her. So he was late afterall! He was shaking his hair to and fro, like a dog. She laughed as he grinned ear to ear at her.

"What took you so long?" She asked. He quickly shrugged off his soggy orange hoodie.

"Sorry! I got up super late. Right after break time! I ran over here as fast as I could- I was two hours late to school and my teacher yelled at me!"

Sakura laughed. "Oh, I'm so relieved- oomph!" She felt his arms wrap around her and she sighed as she buried her head into his neck. He took off his sweater so he'd be dry. For her. So she wouldn't get sick.

She hugged him tight. She could feel a hand stroke the back of her head.

"What do you want to do, Sakura?" He whispered into her ear.

"I…" What do I want to do? She sighed, remembering just how happy Naruto looked as he ran to her. She saw the way he splashed in the puddles and sparkled in the rain. She never got to do stuff like that because it would just make her sick. But… Naruto can. And I like that he can. She gripped his arms and nuzzled her head against his chin.

"Have fun for me out there, yeah?"

He tilted his head against her touch. "What's something you've always wanted to do in the rain?"

She smiled into his neck and whispered, "Dance." She felt him nod as he pulled away from her with his eyes on her and his hands on her shoulders.

“Okay. I’ll dance for the both of us.” He flashed another grin at her before rocketing back off to the rain, spinning, splashing, sliding, and dancing, making sure to direct his eyes at her every time he spun around. She watched him the whole time, laughing and smiling.

The sun peeked behind the clouds. It's rays of light reflected in each drop of rain, coloring the sky in a golden haze.

Naruto and Sakura laughed, smiled, and howled into the air.

It's golden. It's good. It's bright. It's…

Healing.