Here's another edited repost of a fic I posted back in 2014; it'll be like this for a while with Naruto fic in particular, but I do have a new drabble series planned for winter, and you can see more about it on my profile! If you'd like to find me on Tumblr, my main blog is oochihas and my fic blog is datte-ba.
As always, read and review, please!
The wobbling begins in her knees.
Sakura feels the world buckle beneath her, watches it momentarily blur as she takes on a fighting stance. A tremor works its way up her arms, and she stutters, but not before biting down savagely on her lip, forcing the burn of blood to bring her vision back into focus.
It's a temporary solution, she knows, but she takes it, immediately directing her line of sight to the pair of men stood nearly fifty feet in front of her. The sharp outlines of her husband and best friend aren't lost on her. Naruto rolls his shoulders with a resounding crack, and Sasuke's hand hovers at the hilt of his sword.
The summer gales toss and turn all around them, build up into an eerie and silent roar. A figurative thunder is on the horizon, luring bottled lightning into subsequent realization. Sakura's eyes shift to the rock face at the other end of the village, where four cloaked figures stand domineering above them.
A rag tag bunch of terrorists, according to Sai; ripe for blood and fear though they are, the lines in their skin are fresh, mendable. They haven't witnessed pain for themselves, only at the cost of others, and that's turned them wild, one pinch of mental instability mixed in with a number of volatile ideals.
The Akatsuki were misguided and cruel, but their crusade demanded questioning of the systems in place—not of human nature, which was uncontrollable to a degree.
Sakura pumps a fist into her open palm and holds it there, then yells, "Shannaro!" Her visions still swims a little, but the fierce nod of his head that Naruto offers her is mostly clear. Sasuke spares her a curious glance, too, eyes glowing lavender and scarlet as he activates his kekkei genkai.
It's been six long years since their reunion at the valley, but the reality of them fighting together as a team hasn't quite sunk in. There's something different now than from when they were children; so much of what they experienced as a new team was erring and wild and threw them into the worst of circumstances. And admittedly, the circumstances haven't always fared much better in their present.
But there is something about knowing that Sasuke will never run again and that Naruto will never let him that brings Sakura indescribable comfort. Her boys are breathing and beating back against time, and this time, she's here to do it all with them.
Naruto brings his thumb to his mouth and bites down, and a trio of towering toads springs into existence at his beckoning. He gingerly jumps onto the middle one's back—Gamabunta, if she remembers correctly—before turning to look at Sasuke in silent anticipation. The once rogue ninja draws his sword from its sheath, then turns back to Sakura and holds her gaze for a moment.
He's hesitating, she realizes. It's strangely reminescent of their childhood, and a part of her hates it because she's stronger now than she was then and he knows that, but—a part of her loves it, too, unabashedly. For the care, for the concern.
Sakura mirrors Naruto's earlier action and bites her thumb, blood tracing her lip once more as she calls for Katsuyu. The white and blue slug appears and cocoons her from behind, and Sakura makes a familiar sequence of seals with her hands before black chakra lines criss-cross down her face.
Sasuke remains rooted to the ground, but he motions for Naruto to go on without him, and Gamabunta lifts off into the air before his charge can protest. From what Sakura can see, the fighting has already begun down below, clouds of dirty smoke billowing all around the village as kunai and shuriken rip through.
"Enough already," she murmurs, quietly enough that only Katsuyu can hear. Sakura takes a breath and shuts her eyes, allows herself one moment of solitude before the village inevitably rests on her back, then presses the palm of one hand to her summon.
There's a brief moment of clarity; she sees the face of every Konoha resident flash before her eyes as their vitals are all accounted for.
And then, darkness, this time longer than the first.
A gloved hand takes her by the shoulder before her knees buckle, and Sakura blinks her eyes, one, two, three, four times until at last a caricature of Sasuke, severely blurred around the edges, appears in front of her.
"I'm fine," she insists, although the stress she puts on the latter word, she knows, tells her husband that she is anything but. The spots in her vision are larger and more pronounced, and sweat builds up on her brow, neck, and upper lip as she pants in exhaustion that would normally be two, maybe three hours away.
This—whatever it is—is not happening today. The people of the village are relying on her, and she refuses to back down from that duty for a few spots and sweat. Sakura places her hands on her knees and bends down, once, twice, before vaulting herself back up to a standing position.
Sasuke remains at her side, the embodiment of solemnity.
"You're not okay," he says with stone cold finality, and Sakura snaps, turns her head in a whirl to face him as hurt takes over.
As she looks over his shoulder, her eyes land on Naruto fighting in the distance, his body a whirlwind of color as shadow clones branch out from him in every direction. Hinata isn't far behind, either, leading the Hyuuga clan into the fray with her sister while maintaining a steady visual on her husband's back. There's Lee and Tenten at the center, too, and Choji, Kiba, and Shino a little off to the side while Ino and Shikamaru micromanage from the sidelines and Sai leads an aerial assault.
Sakura, sufficiently encouraged, reverts her gaze back to Sasuke. "I'm fine," she reiterates, adamancy still etched into her voice.
"Clearly," he shoots back, gaze still wary. Sakura opens her mouth in a retort, but as if to punish her for her stubborness, her legs give way instead and she falls to the ground. "You need to go to the hospital," Sasuke insists, catching her. He crouches a little and balances her weight against his, then flits his gaze to the battle at hand, as if weighing his options.
The sounds of fighting resonate from every possible direction; it's a surprise that no one has made their way here to the Hokage Tower already, although it isn't unlikely that Naruto or Sai has handled that.
A sudden bout of nausea crawls its way up her throat, and she holds it back as much as she can, but not without consequence. The spots in front of her eyes grow in size and clump together, until little more than a sliver of the dusty sky can be seen.
"I don't," Sakura whispers, in late answer to his words.
Sasuke's body shifts beneath hers. "Katsuyu," she hears him say, and the slug answers in tandem. The subsequent exchange between the two is hushed, though, and Sakura doesn't realize until it's happening a few moments later that her decision has been made for her. The protest on her lips dies out as he gathers her into his arms, then lifts her onto Katsuyu's back.
Her breaths are shallower, and there's little she can see besides black in front of her eyes, but she catches his hand at the last second nonetheless.
"I'm not. . . leaving you," she musters out, though she hardly hears herself say it.
His fingers linger under her palm, and he rubs a small circle with his thumb before answering, "Sakura, I know." The words are weighted, worth a thousand and more in gold, and she hates that she can't see his face when he says them.
She hates that he can't bring himself to say more before letting go.
It's several hours before anything quiets; Sakura doesn't know for sure until Ino visits and tells her that most of the fighting is over. Of the four primary targets, only one has managed to escape, and the details of a retrieval mission are being arranged. The squad for the job will be lead by Sasuke and Sai, and Ino leaves not ten minutes after she's arrived to go join them.
A few of the others check in with her throughout the night. Hinata is perhaps her most frequent visitor, and she apologizes on Naruto's behalf for him not being here. Sakura isn't surprised that he's scouring the village for missed casualties and survivors; he's doing the right thing because he knows she's in good hands.
The same, she supposes, can be said for someone else, though it genuinely surprises her when he shows up the following morning—she doesn't know if it speaks more for his prowess or well hidden concern.
Sakura hardly spares him a glance as he enters the room, choosing instead to focus her gaze on other objects, like the wall and its peeling paint. The bed shifts with Sasuke's weight as he leans into it, and his fingers brush her shoulder before she stubbornly curls away.
"Has she told you yet?" asks Tsunade, doing her morning rounds, from the doorway. The blonde peers at the married couple—mostly Sakura, actually—with a mixture of curiosity and worry. When Sasuke shakes his head, she frowns a little in disapproval, but nothing more than that. Trailing after her as she exits the room is Naruto, who noisily protests why he isn't allowed to enter. Sakura notices that he's injured in numerous places, with a multitude of bandages to show for it.
They all are, really—bruised beyond immediate repair but still mendable, even without her hands or her chakra to heal them. The thought makes her cringe, though she knows that it shouldn't.
Sasuke clears his throat and brings her focus back to him. "What haven't you told me?" he asks, and as her eyes flit to his face for a second, she sees remorse there, barely visible but present nonetheless. His brow is furrowed a little, too, and his lips are in more of a downturn than usual.
The whole ensemble of concerned attributes almost pleases her, if not for the reasons behind it. Sakura lets out a short huff before shifting under the covers, which fall away as she turns and props herself up against the pillows.
Her breath catches in her throat when she really looks at him.
There are dozens of scars, little and insignificant, that litter his face and hand and neck. A bandage flecked with spots of blood wraps around his head, and he fumbles with a splint that holds his only arm in place. In the grand scheme of things, the damage to his body is minimal, but it still hurts to look at.
"I'm sorry," he murmurs, reaching for her hand, then blinking in surprise when she doesn't pull back. Sakura curls her fingers a little into his touch, turning a single circle over the calluses on his palm. His skin is course and cut in some places, but she appreciates the warmth of his hand over hers, the security.
The truth of their lives will always be hard to look at, but it won't be without its moments that are worth living for either.
"I'm pregnant," she whispers, for the very first time. Sasuke's lips part around an emotion he can't comprehend; happiness, awe, maybe a little bit of both. He stutters for a moment, but then his fingers wrap around hers, squeeze tight, tight, tight. The first rays of sunlight slant in through the window.
And here in a hospital bed, their world begins to turn.