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To say they noticed each other from the start would be a lie.
It wasn't some sappy love story where they’ve been in love since they met- love at first sight and all that.
No, they had separate stories. They lived their own lives apart- perhaps a passing thought or conversation. But they were not intertwined.
Sakura was a shy girl growing up. She had bright pink hair, stunning emerald green eyes, and according to the other kids she had a forehead that was much too big. Instead of being brave she hid it away- just like the personality she hid behind her shyness.
The first time she met Ino, she was introduced to someone who was brave and pretty. She was strong and confident and everything Sakura wanted to be. When she gave Sakura the red ribbon she was delighted. Her first friend!
Then she met Ino’s friends and she had to start all over again. Chouji was nice- he liked all kinds of foods and he even liked reading! Sakura had always loved books. Her second home was the library, and the librarians all knew her. She and Chouji ended up getting along fantastically despite her initial wariness.
Shikamaru at first scared her. He was a Nara and had all the intelligence plus some to be a trademark member of the clan. Meeting him had been the hardest because she could never tell his thoughts. She had grown rather skillful at telling people's moods, but Shikamaru’s managed to evade her. She learned he was kinder than she thought though. Even though he would complain, he never made fun of her when she didn’t know something and even taught her shoji. He was a friend.
Slowly she came out of her shell. She laughed more and her tears stopped. She was braver and happier than she’d ever been.
Then she messed it all up by deciding she liked Sasuke.
Really she hadn’t meant it to happen! When she met Sasuke he was still young and cute. He was pretty to look at and very strong- and really he was everything she thought she wanted. When she found out Ino liked him too- well she hadn’t been mad. She thought it was funny- that it didn’t really matter because Ino would win his heart anyway. Her best friend was from a clan, prettier, and stronger than her- there was no way Sakura would have won.
But Ino decided they couldn’t be friends anymore. And Sakura had agreed readily. She didn’t know how to disagree with Ino- and even when she saw the hurt in Ino’s eyes at how quickly Sakura agreed… well she still couldn’t find the courage.
And suddenly it was her against Ino.
She lost 3 friends that day.
She found herself falling right into the fanclubs and excitement that was liking Sasuke. It wasn’t too hard to act like she was head over heels for him. She really did like him. He was still cute and strong- there wasn’t any reason for her not to. But she knew it wasn’t the same as how Ino or the other fanclub members felt. But she held onto the act just so she could find a reason to talk to her ex-best friend again. Even if it was hurling insults at each other.
Time flew by and Sakura found herself tired with the act. She’d resolved to destroy it as soon as she graduated. Sure Sasuke was still cute- but he had become a jerk. He was rude to everyone and he was angry. She understood why- really she did. But it wasn’t fair towards their classmates for him to act like they were scum. So even if he had pretty hair, she stopped liking him.
Of course it would be too weird if she stopped her act immediately- and she would lose her connection to Ino. Not that it mattered much- once they graduated she would probably never get to see Ino again…
Ino-Shika-Cho was a team set in stone. And even if she wanted to hug Ino again, or prepare food with Chouji, or play a game of shogi with Shikamaru. Well she couldn’t- because why would they talk to her after she abandoned them for a boy?
The chances she would be placed on an important team were low, if not 0. So the best she could do was get her team and move on from whatever ridiculous persona she had created at the academy.
And then it was all ruined when she was placed on a team with Sasuke Uchiha and Naruto Uzumaki.
Suddenly she was forced to continue her act- because Sasuke was right there. Which meant Ino would be watching her- her whole team would be watching- Chouji and Shikamaru! And suddenly she resolved to act for longer than she’d thought. A few more years couldn’t hurt? Right?
Then the mission to Wave happened and suddenly Sakura realized there was no point. Who cares if she stopped pretending to be a ditzy girl head over heels for the last Uchiha? She certainly wouldn’t care if they thought she was weird if it meant she stayed alive. Because acting like she was- it almost was her end. She was woefully unprepared and nearly died several times. She needed to get stronger- she needed to work.
So she stopped fawning over Sasuke. She stopped yelling at Naruto- finding a way to connect with her team. Sure Sasuke was still an ass- even if he was pretty. And Naruto was still too loud, but he was kind and oh so lonely. So she took them in and made them hers. They were her family- and she even managed to make Kakashi fit in.
He has originally disregarded her. She understood why- she had been an annoying lovesick girl. No work ethic and no goals besides marrying a boy. But now she was different, and she made sure he noticed. And noticed he did- finally he trained her. He was still the worst- showing up hours late and teasing all three genin, but he was better.
The next time she saw Ino-Shika-Cho was at the Chunin exams. They looked older than before- stronger. But so did team 7. They had been through mission after mission and trained until they passed out from exhaustion. They were strong. And of course Naruto was still loud and he bragged, but he was smarter. More cautious. And sure, Sasuke was still a jerk with venom on his tongue, but he didn’t call them scum and didn’t skip hangouts anymore. He cared.
During the Chunin exam Sakura realized she did love Sasuke- but also Naruto. And not in the same way as before, no these were her brothers. She would die for them. (She almost did.)
So when she saw team 10- she didn’t feel sad. She felt longing to talk to them- perhaps to love them too. But she did not dwell on it.
Until her fight against Ino occurred and suddenly they were okay. Bloody and bruised, but okay.
A tie disqualified them from the finals, but she watched from the bleachers. Watched as her old classmates fought against foreign-nin. There was an itch in her bones to fight again- she wanted to prove herself as something more than a fangirl. But she resolved to take her stand later. Today was about her friends.
Then she noticed him.
When Shikamaru resigned she had the same reaction as Ino at first. Annoyed at his laziness and was halfway to demanding he fight anyway. Ino certainly tried to smack him into it.
But then she thought about it, and he was In fact logical. His chakra was depleted significantly, and despite the fact he most likely could have won. It wouldn’t have done him any good in the next rounds. It showcased the Nara intelligence he often neglected to show off. Realistically he would still be promoted to Chunin for his smart decision making. So she decided to hold off from yelling at the boy. Ino could do it for them both.
When she commented on his decision, he smiled. And it startled her- she was far too used to his bored or annoyed expressions. Anyone who met the boy knew he didn’t smile all that often. Instead of waving her off or not responding. The way he would have months ago, the way he had to Ino. He smiled and asked her to play a round of shogi while they waited for the exams to end.
They never ended up finishing that game- as the exams and village got attacked and the two hardly had time to look at one another before jumping into the fray.
It ended up being the beginning of a strong friendship though. Several times a week Sakura would hangout with Shikamaru when they didn’t have missions. Often it was team 7 and 10 all together. Or Sakura would hangout with team 10, but more often than not it would be just the two of them. Sitting for hours chatting and playing shogi. They played dozens of games- keeping count how many wins and losses each had. They would sit in clearings and watch the clouds together or visit Sakura’s favorite dango booth.
When Ino and Chouji got hurt, Sakura watched as Shikamaru sat outside their rooms and held back tears. She saw how he cared far more than he let on. She held his hand as he silently shook.
They didn’t mention how often they hung out to the others. Neither finding reason to mention it towards their respective teams. But still they would always find the time to hangout. Even when Shikamaru became so busy with chunin work or Sakura was busy with team missions. They still managed to find them time for one another. Perhaps it became so normal and that’s why it just never came up. They had entered each other's space and it was normal. One Nara and one Haruno.
The world still moved around them. Sasuke was dealing with the after effects of being bitten by Orochimaru. Naruto was training with Jiraiya and soon he left on a training adventure with his new master. A new boy named Sai was placed on Sakura and Sasuke’s team while Naruto was away. And Sakura found herself fighting with the boy all the time- but eventually they learned to respect one another. Of course the two still argued constantly- and Sasuke often got dragged in, but they were friends. Kakashi was still in the village and still trained them, but he took more missions. Often team 7 would join another team, usually 10, for practice when he was away. Sakura learned to see Asuma as another sensei. She saw why team 10 was so close.
And then Asuma died. Killed on a mission- and everything went to shit.
Ino and Chouji were devastated and couldn’t leave their homes for days. Sakura was there for both of them- holding them close as they cried and making sure they took care of themselves. Shikamaru was the only one she was incredibly worried about. She could help with sadness- she could help with depression and isolation. She couldn’t help his rage.
He spent a day completely locked in his room- she couldn’t reach him. But when he emerged it felt like he was still stuck. Anger burned in his eyes, and anger that reminded her oh so much of Sasuke. Deep down Sakura wished she could have convinced him to not go after Asuma’s killers. But she knew that look, she knew it wouldn’t help. Instead she resolved to help him, because she would rather die than let another person become consumed with revenge.
She didn’t go with him when he left. But she was waiting with Ino and Chouji every second of his mission. She knew he would come back, because he had to. He promised her when he left that he would return to her.
“I’ll be back” He had said, “I’m going to kill that guy and then beat you at shogi.” He promised.
So she waited. One day, then two. Then 3. Finally a week went by and he returned. She was one of the first people to run and hug him when he returned. She didn’t care for the surprise Ino and Chouji gave off- and it seemed they were too preoccupied hugging him as well to care. Shikamaru was battered and bruised, but he looked lighter. She knew it was a success from the moment he walked into the gates. He’d looked angry and dark before leaving, and suddenly a weight was off of him. He had avenged Asuma, and he was going to be okay. Well at least after a hospital visit he would be.
Sakura and Shikamaru went back to their routine- but there was a difference. Shikamaru had begun smoking- and as a training medic. Sakura wasn’t particularly happy about that. She’d snatched cigarettes from his mouth countless times- lectured him on how dangerous it was, and told him he would die of cancer if he didn’t stop. He never took her advice- instead he would roll his eyes and grumble about “troublesome women” and lay down. It was a continuous cycle- and it seemed like her worry always just rolled off of him. Finally it all came to a point one night.
Just like every other time they hung out, Sakura snatched a cigarette from him before he could even light it. She’d noticed he looked a little more sour than usual- but assumed it was work related. As she began her usual anti-smoking rant he snapped.
“I get it! I get that it’s stupid and dangerous!”
Sakura stood stunned at his outburst. Shikamaru wasn’t known for yelling- but he certainly never yelled at her.
“It doesn’t matter though! Ninja’s don’t die from lung cancer- no they die on missions! They die from enemies not smoking.” Shikamaru sighed. He looked down at the ground, breathing in and out trying to calm himself down. He was shaking again. “Besides… that's all I have left of him.”
Sakura knew why he smoked. She knew it was in remembrance of Asuma- she knew he didn’t really like smoking. But instead because he missed the smell of cigarettes that accompanied his sensei. She knew- but she also knew he was playing a dangerous game. She knew she would rather he was safe and healthy than damaging himself on purpose. All because he thought he wouldn’t make it long enough to die from cancer. And she also knew he was right. The chances that Shikamaru or her lived long enough for cancer or an illness like it to be their end? It was incredibly low. But she wanted him to try.
Before he could speak again, Sakura smacked him. Shikamaru stumbled back slightly- eyes wide. He looked confused and startled by her sudden violence, he was holding his face and staring at her. Right as he was about to question it she looked up at him- and he went silent. She was crying. Her green eyes stared into him with anger and sadness- and worry. She was worried. She was standing shakily, hand lowering back down to her side as she sucked in an unsteady breath.
“I know that. You think I don’t? I work in the fucking hospital, Shikamaru.” He had forgotten. “I’ve seen more civillains and shinobi die than you could fucking imagine- hell I’ve treated people who die only minutes later. I know what the life expectancy of a ninja is. I know we’re unlikely to live to old age!” She was sobbing- each sentence becoming more strained. “I know! But I want you to try to. Because I need you to live. I need you to come back from a mission and be safe- but I need you to be healthy! Great sage, I need you to be here with me.”
Shikamaru was frozen as Sakura finished. She was crying profusely- her nose and eyes were becoming red with irritation and at some point she’d bitten her lip. Before she could react he grabbed her arm and pulled her towards him. Trapping her in his arms he leaned his head in between her neck and shoulder. Through her rant he had begun to cry as well. She couldn’t see his face but his shoulders were shaking in the way that let her know. If she could feel her shoulder becoming wet? Then no one had to know. She held him there as she continued to cry as well. It was only a few minutes later, but it felt like hours, when Shikamaru finally spoke.
“I’m sorry- I know that isn’t much. Because I really can’t promise I’ll stop- I can’t promise that.” He mumbled from his spot on her shoulder. He held her tighter. “But I’ll try. I’ll try- because I don’t want to leave you.”
Sakura hummed questioningly. Not rushing him to speak- she didn’t know what he meant by that. She knew she’d given too much away. Too much of her thoughts and feelings for the Nara had been embedded in her rant. She cared about him, she loved him. She knew he was smart enough to figure that out, but she didn’t know what it meant for them. But as he finally backed away slightly. Letting her see him again- she looked into his eyes. Brown eyes met emerald green- and she knew what he meant. She knew that just as she loved him, he loved her. And they were okay.
Despite it all- it took the two another week to actually make it official. Even though they were the two smartest members of their graduating class- a Nara and a Haruno- it took them another week to realize it. They took it slowly- went on dates and talked about it. Really it wasn’t all that different than before. Except the two wouldn’t hesitate to hold hands while cloud watching anymore. But they still played shogi, ate food together, and spent hours chatting. Really it’s like they’d always been together- of course that wasn’t true. But it didn’t stop it from feeling normal.
Around the 2 month mark of their relationship Shikamaru was sent on a mission. The mission was to be a week long- and it would be the longest the two had spent apart since beginning to date. Realistically it wasn’t too bad- they’d gone months without talking before. But for some reason Sakura felt anxious knowing he would be gone for so long. Shikamaru had waved her worries away and told her it would be a drag, but he would be back in no time. Ino and Chouji were still in Konoha since he was sent on a solo mission- so she spent her time balancing hangouts with team 10 and 7. If she spent longer hours in the hospital during that week- no one had to know. She kept herself busy so she wouldn’t think about the dangers he could be in.
On the second to last day of Shikamaru’s mission there was a big event. The event was organized for every member of Konoha 12 to join. The reason for the event was because Naruto had finally come back from his training journey. When he arrived, Sakura had been right at the gate with Kakashi and Sasuke. All 3 of them jumped on the blond with happiness and hugs. Even though she was still stressed, she managed to smile and take time off from work to hangout with her teammate. They introduced Naruto to Sai and showed him the changes in the last 3 years. Sai and Naruto expectedly were rather different- and butted heads. Especially when Sai made a remark at Sakura. Rather than being annoying, Sakura found it rather endearing how heated Naruto got on her behalf. She did let him know that Sai and her were friends and he was only messing with her. (Not that Naruto didn’t still try defending her)
The rest of Konoha 12 decided it was perfect timing for a group dinner to welcome him back. They set up in a park by the river and everyone was there, including the team senseis. Well everyone but Shikamaru. Sakura tried not to let it get her down- because Naruto was back, and her friends were all in great spirits. But she knew the others could tell she was upset. Even Naruto asked her if something was wrong. She simply brushed them off and tried to enjoy herself. Ino had managed to drag her into dancing- and she sufficiently embarrassed herself. She managed to get Naruto and Sasuke to dance as well, although Sasuke looked like a fish out of water the whole time. She counted it as a win when he only threatened to kill her 3 times before she let him go.
The event turned into catching up and celebrating the reunion of the group. Everyone had been incredibly busy in the last 3 years- so it wasn’t just Naruto who had missed things. Sakura found herself talking with Hinata and Tenten about missions and strategies- She found a like-mindedness in Tenten when talking about the idiocy of their boy teammates. Really, who thought charging into battle was a smart move? She even managed to talk with Neji about genjutsu practices before Lee interrupted and began flirting with her. Of course she managed to put a stop by smacking him in the head and told him she wasn’t interested.
Finally she managed to get a moment to herself and sat down at a table close to the edge of the clearing. She was content watching her friends interact and make idiots of themselves- She was pretty sure Lee was trying to challenge Sasuke to yet another duel- oh well. Wasn’t her problem! Well…. Unless they got hurt- then she was the medic….
“What’s got you thinking so hard?”
She barely managed to contain a shriek as a weight landed on her head. Before she jumped away she registered the voice and relaxed. Glancing upwards she saw the familiar sleeves of Shikamaru’s outfit and felt a smile taking over her face.
“Shika! When did you get back? I thought your mission ended yesterday?”
“Well that was the plan- But a little birdy told me about a party happening tonight. So I didn’t want to miss out.” He smiled teasingly. “What, did you miss me?”
Sakura rolled her eyes- she could feel her face turning pink. She swatted him off her head and turned around to look at him. “Maybe, maybe not. You don’t get to know if you’re going to be an ass!”
Shikamaru just laughed and leaned their foreheads together. They just looked for a moment before he gave her a light kiss and stepped backwards. He opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by a loud shriek.
“DID YOU TWO JUST KISS? WHAT THE FU-”
Sakura looked up startled at the yell and turned to see who made it. And standing a few feet away was Ino looking gobsmacked. Sakura glanced at Shikamaru who looked equally confused by the outburst before something akin to realization crossed his face. He looked at her with a sheepish expression.
“We never told anyone, did we?”
Oh. They’d forgotten to tell the others- let alone Ino about their relationship. She’d entirely forgotten everyone didn’t just- know about it. They hadn’t kept it a secret on purpose- both her and Shikamaru just preferred to not talk about it, and it slipped their mind that others weren't aware. As Ino yelled, the rest of Konoha 12 turned around to look at the duo. Both became a bright pink coloring as their best friend demanded answers from them. Soon enough the entire party was surrounding them with questions.
“I thought you still liked Sasuke!”
“I bet on her getting with Sai-”
“How long have you been together?”
“Wait, wasn’t Shikamaru dating Temari?”
“Why didn’t you tell us!”
“Maa~ Keeping secrets from your sensei?”
Sakura rolled her eyes at the last remark- giving Kakashi a glare. Finally calming the crowd down they began answering questions. No she didn’t like Sasuke anymore, he was like a brother. And ew, she would never date Sai either- (Besides Ino had already told her about having a crush on the boy), they’d been dating for 2 months, Shikamaru never dated Temari, and they hadn’t meant to keep it a secret. It just happened and they weren’t going to make it a big deal.
Ino had not let up for another hour- asking question after question. Naruto had a lot of questions too- but he was more understanding. He hadn’t been here for 3 years there was no way he would have found out. Still he was interested in hearing about how they became so close. Shikamaru had managed to escape most of the questions- which really just meant she was the one answering. When she tried to get him to take over he just responded with “What a drag.” She nearly socked him in the head the 13th time he did so.
Finally the two were left alone- Kakashi had to pry Naruto and Ino from their spots to give the couple any free time. Sakura sighed in relief and nearly fell to the ground in exhaustion. Thankfully Shikamaru caught her, she swore she heard someone booing, and he sat her down in a seat. He pulled up a chair next to her and leaned her head against his shoulder. He whispered “I missed you too” softly into her hair. For the rest of the night the two watched their friends, family, argue and laugh together. It was safe.
So no it was not some grand love story, but it was their story. It was slow and nothing exciting, but that was perfectly fine.
Just a Nara and Haruno.