Ok so this is just a side project that I have been thinking about, hope you enjoy my ramblings. Let me know what you think
The world had changed, when Kaguya was awoken. It had forced everyone to put aside tier petty squabbles and come together. It was really surprising what the nations could do when they worked together. All it had taken was a truly massive event, it had taken the threat of the end of the world to bring them all together. There were now so few ninja left though, and though not all the weak ones died, those who remained were stronger. Almost all of her friends from the Sand and Leaf all most every one had lost the majority of their ninja and were lucky if they even had any civilian populations left.
Sakura looked around her as the battle ground was littered with bits and pieces of ninja., She was torn between terrified of finding them dead yet at the same wanting to bring them back, searching for the two bodies of the boys she loved dearly. The ones she had desperately tried to save in the past. She had tried to join the fight, and she had fought hard but they pushed her aside, they didn't trust her strength, so she went back to the main battle destroying wave after wave as more people died around her. She had to make the decision of saving chakra to heal people to go back and fight or keep fighting and save them that way, and she chose to save, that's what she did after all. Her reserves holding back the forces until there was a shockwave that went through the air and she saw both Naruto and Sasuke being flung through the sky. Both of their massive chakra signatures barely even registering. Kaguya's signature was draining from the air and surrounding areas as well, they had done it.
She looked over to Shino and he gave her a nod as she pumped through the remaining enemies to try and find them. They couldn't be dead, and when she finally was able to bring her mind together she was able to sense a flicker of energy and hastened towards it. What she saw broke her heart, but she had to try and save them. They had lost so much blood, they were both missing limbs and they were suffering from incredible severe chakra depletion, even naruto.
"S-s-sakura," she could hear naruto whisper as glowing green hands, pushed to save him. " we got her " he trailed into a cough
"Don't talk baka!" Sakura said cauterizing most of the wounds to stop the bleeding as she moved to Sasuke, both of them were missing their arm, but Sasuke was also missing a good part of one of his legs. Though he could barely open his eyes he still glared at her while she worked, he had joined them to stop Kaguya to help the Ninja world, but not to come back to her, maybe Naruto, but not her. She worked to heal him, no matter how much she tried to do for him, no matter how much she still loved him; he thought she was weak and an annoyance, even when she was trying to save his life.
She herd another medic come by and give her an update, most of the enemies had either been eliminated or disappeared with Kaguya, they were counting the dead as she spoke. "Take Naruto to the camp and continue healing him, he is a high priority," Sakura told the medic not breaking concentration to pull Sasuke from the edge, there were so many wounds and she wasn't sure how long she could go either, Sakura opened her mouth and the other medic nin threw a chakra enhancer in her mouth, every little bit counted and she had to, she just had to save him, images of them as kids flew threw her mind.
"N..no Sakura I'm not leave you and Sasuke,"Naruto weakly said as the medic moved to get him, "We just got back together,"
That didn't stop you both from pushing me out of the main fight she thought bitterly. Naruto I thought at least you still wouldn't underestimate me, "we are not separating Naruto, sow shut it." She looked over to the medic who nodded at her. They all were used to taking her orders by now. After Tsunade and Kakashi passed the one who had been holding things together had been her. She was the only one who had experience working to keep it all together. She had been the one keeping track of everyone, going to the meetings, the planning, and all while keeping track of the medics. She had been able to keep order in the small group there was left of the ninja. Shikamaru had helped, but he had lost so many he had become wary of his own ability to make decisions.
"They will be coming back to camp as soon as she had Sasuke stable." the medic said picking up the injured boy
"No no we have to stay toge-" Naruto went limp as sakura took a millisecond to through a needle into his neck to put him out, "That should have been your job" Sakura harshly said, "get him back to base now."
"S .. stop, sakura" Sasuke's voice came out choppy but bitter, she knew what he was trying to say, he was too injured, but he didn't know what she was capable of. And there were so many advancements in medicine now, mostly due to her and Tsunade. she would make his leg and arm from scratch, there would be no problem. "Be quiet before I put you out too." she ordered a little lighter, affection bleeding into her voice, but even though she was just trying to be kind she could see the recoil in his face, he truly found her disgusting didn't he.
He didn't even want her to touch him. The thought was making her sick, and the fact that this was making her sick made her feel guilty. So many people died today, and even more had died in the last few weeks of the attacks. Not wanting to feel his disgust at her anymore or wanting to think about it she knocked him out, he was safe now, she was able to categorize the wounds and heal a portion of the life threatening ones that he had taken, he just needed a blood transfusion and time to deal with the chakra exhaustion. She stood picking him up, but as she was about to head to the camp she thought she could feel another sharp chakra signature, but just as she felt it, it was gone.
Sakura carried him back to camp and placed him in the same tent as Naruto, letting the other medics treat their wounds as Sakura went to her own tent and passed out, the day finally taking its toll on her body as it gave in to the days of exhaustion. When she woke she noticed that the mood of the camp was lighter than it had been in ages. She did not know how long she slept but it must have been a while because it was night again, momentarily wondering why
no one woke her she decided to focus on checking on her patients, she went to the gravely injured and passed through making sure all of the medics knew what they were doing, and helping the ones that were far beyond their capabilities. There were clearly people who had died while she had slept, but she could not worry about that now. She used to take turns with tsunade one working while the other rested, when she died there was no one to truly help bring those from the edge back they just didn't have the know how or the chakra controle she had.
As she made her final rounds through the tent she could tell it was getting into the beginnings of morning, and she felt a flutter in her chest of excitement at the thought of visiting her next patients. She headed to one of the nicer tents and heard the merry laugh of Naruto.
"And then I jumped down on the creature summoning my toads on to its head! You should have seen it! It was Amazing Sasuke!" his bright voice filled the air with a familiar warmth and a nostalgic laugh that brought her back to a better time. As she moved towards the tent she heard another laugh come from with in. Was that Sasuke? She had never heard him laugh. She was dumbfounded and excited to be a part of their warmth, and she rushed into the tent.
Naruto looked up and smiled at her his arm bandaged he was sitting on the end of Sasuke's bed. As she entered she saw Sasuke's face fall, any fun he was having obviously ruined his mood. Naruto caught on to it and tried to lighten the air with an awkward laugh, "Come on in Sakura! I was just telling Sasuke about the time -"
"I am sure she already knows the story Naruto." Sasuke interjected, "She was there"
"Ah, soka, your right she was, ha ha," Naruto let out another awkward laugh. Sakura felt sick, was this what she had been hoping so long for? What she had been getting stronger for? What she had been fighting for? They sounded so happy before she came in, it almost felt like she could feel their bond bringing her back to a simpler time, one where Kona was safe and there was not so much death. Her chest hurt, it hurt so much, more than just her heart.
"I … " she choked out, "was just doing my rounds and… just wanted to… I.. I..should just leave… " Sakura said turning to leave the two together
"No Sakura don't" Naruto semi pleaded, it was fine she could hear in his voice he was happy to get some more time with Sasuke, they after all were the friends, they were the ones who were a real team, they were the ones… always them.
"Let her go Naruto, I'm sure she has work to do." Sasuke said his eyes boring into her, clearly annoyed and still just so angry. What had she done that was so bad, why did he forgive Naruto yet constantly treat her as though she was less than the shit on the bottom of his shoe.
Sakura left, questions running through her head, she couldn't focus. Then her surrounding area came more into focus, how could she not recognize so many faces? There were a few here and there Shino, Chogi, Shikamaru, and Hinata was somewhere. But there were so many gone, all the people she used to go to for comfort Ino, her best friend, died not long after her father. She sacrificed herself so that they could get the last shot in on a particularly difficult opponent in the midst of battle. One by one so many went down like that, or other ways, it felt like the only thing they all had in common these days was that loss.
God she wished Ino was there, sitting calming her down, a flash of her dead body went through her head, her father, and a myriad of others she could not save. And the hate in Suaskes , eyes and the indifference to her presence Naruto had these days. They didn't give two craps if she was there all they wanted her to do was patch them up so that they could go at it again. The thought of that hurt every fiber in her being. How the hell was everything supposed to go back to how it was, there were no nations, no real government, fuck there were barely any people to fucking govern.
She thought back to the tent and tried to shake it out of her head she couldn't decide if it was better or worse than remembering her lost comrades, the fact that they were lost, or the fact that this crap after all this time still affected her. Then the last words echoed in her head, 'i should just leave'
"Yeah" she mumbled under her breath, "i need to get out of here." adrenaline began pumping through her system, her chest ached with anticipation. Her breath got heavier as she tried to push breathing the pressure from her chest. "I need to go." she needed to compose herself. Or did she, the war was over right, Kaguya was defeated. There were only a few in the hospital that were critical but if the other medics couldn't at least take care of that then, then…. Fuck it. Her reserves were gone she had whole armies reserves of chakra built up, but this war war beyond fighting armies she was fighting gods. Not anymore though, she went to her tent only grabbing the bare essentials. Running her hand through her hair she felt crazed, like she was in a manic state. She let out an odd and half crazed laugh that she immediately cut once she felt one of the medics approach, she let the tent as the girl walked up to her.
"We just got a new group in from the smaller camp down river, apparently they could not handle the overflow."
"Ok, so why are you coming to me? Take care of it" she ordered
"Mama?" the middle aged medic nin looked confused, "you usually like to look over the new patients yourself for diagnostics if they are badly wounded."
"Nope, Im done." Sakura said moving forward, she was not going to get drawn into this
"What?" the medic looked shocked, unable to comprehend
"You heard me, I have done my service. The war is done and so am I. the meetings the shifts, all of you will be fine without me for a while at least."
"So you are coming back?"
"Yes… i think." her voice was strained and rushed, she tried to calm down but her body was on overdrive, "But right now. I just can't stand the sight of any of this, the people, the stench the reminders of what life used to be like, and people who are trying to make it like that again…. I.. I just, I'm done cleaning up everyones fucking messes! Let Naruto know that I wish him the best, he always wanted to lead so I fucking give him the reins. He can grow up and do that now that his precious Sasuke is back" She needed to get out for a few days a few weeks until she was fully charged until she could face everyone and do what needed to be done, she didn't want to snap around any of her old friends right now, not when the war was finally over. She was a mess now, and she needed to get out and get her mind in order.
…. 3 months had passed
Sakura had been in the forest just catching food, and resting. The whole time refilling her seal in her head all day not only to replenish what she lost, but also to keep her signature untraceable. They would have a hard time tracking her with either since Kakashi's dogs and Kiba were both dead, god how had so many of them died. How had it happened, and where did the time go? She had needed to get away, it was amazing how clouded her mind had been. The first few weeks she had gone through a myriad of emotions all to the extreme, happiness, heartbroken, frustration, distrust, loneliness. After she evened out it was like she was empty, like there was no room for emotions left inside of her, she wondered if this was what Sasuke felt like, just too tired to feel anymore? No he felt. He felt plenty of hatred and annoyance, he even felt joy with Naruto. She was able to look back at her past as the days went forward during her numb period, she was analytical, she felt like it was how a true ninja should be. It was not her though, and after a while, she began to feel like herself again, but with a clear mind and a focus she had not had in ages. She had been able to work through all the shit that she had been piling up inside of her, and though she knew she needed to go back she didn't want to give up the quiet just yet.
So she didn't, and for a few weeks she just took time to rethink and grow her chakra pools. Then it happened. She could feel the earth shake and the giant chakra signature that she thought was dead returned. Her mind flashed back to the battlefield, to that tiny amount of chakra that she had felt. She had survived. And the land was breaking under the unopposed weight of her chakra. Sakura fueled her legs with chakra as she bounded towards the old camp. She pushed from tree to tree moving faster than she ever had before. Why had she waited to go back?! She chastised herself over and over, and as she went to land on a limb to propel herself forward the earth shook again and the lost her balance, she pushed chakra into her fetas she whipped around the branch rather than falling and steadied herself looking into the sky. It was bright with red and black smoke. Her vision blurry for a moment with worry then immediately moved faster towards it. She thought she heard screams and shouting, but it was just the smashing of trees. Where were the giant jutsus there chakra bursts, anything? As she got closer the lack of chakra signatures became more and more apparent.
Then she reached the camp. There was no need to examine the bodies. There was not need to search the wreckage, but it didn't stop her body from doing it automatically. Everyone was dead. They had never won. She felt sick, she could have done something. Why did she leave in the first place. She closed her eyes desperately trying to identify something a heartbeat a chakra signature. But they were all gone. All she could feel was the heat and power of Kaguya growing stronger and stronger. She was alone, and she had left them alone and defenseless. Her friends, gods how could she face them in the next life. She was in charge, she was the one who was supposed to keep everything together. Hot tears began to stream down her face as her mind swirled.
Without even knowing where she was going she was staring at the Kaguya. Time was nothing it didn't matter all that mattered was that they were all dead and she couldn't think of anything else but to join them whether they hated her or not, she would go out with a bang. She let her seal unravel the cakra overflowing her system she attacked Kaguya.
The fight had lasted longer than Sakura had expected. She had pulled all of her power and might that she had been able to save and thrust it at the overwhelming power that was Kaguya. The ned though was inevitable, her size and power negated any real damage Sakura could do. She had done damage though, just not enough, nowhere near enough. She may over power any man, but she was by no means a god. And finally she had spent the last of her chakra and she could feel her body reeling as Kaguya stood over her.
"You surprised me, girl. You should feel no shame in this defeat, for you fought with power that would destroy any other creature. Astounding really." Kaguya bent over sakura picking up her pink locks splattered with blood. "Especially for one not from my family line. No connection to my blood, yet so powerful. If your friends had fought with you they may have succeeded, but there is something to be said about how blind they were to true power, a simple trick and they were left weak and defenseless. Maybe if you had been a part of my line, they would not have disappointed me so. " Kaugas eyes narrowed, and a small smile played on her lips. "Suck a pretty pink color. Do you know the meaning of the Cherry Blossom Tree?"
Sakura was too weak to answer, she could barely breathe and it took all her strength to stare at Kaguya with a helpless anger that filled her soul. She killed them she destroyed everything everyone, why hadn't she killed her by now.
"The Cherry trees bloom beautifully for two weeks, a spectacle that all around took great joy in, then their blossoms fall and are whisked away by the wind. The cherry blossoms are so fragile and have short lives, but they entrance all who see them. They are a reminder that life is overwhelmingly beautiful, but also tragically short." Kaguya let go of Sakura's hair letting it float to the ground. "Perhaps I would like to see another season of blossoms, to see if it becomes more magnificent that the past one."
OK so let me know what you think, Id love to know