My Ninja Way
Pairing: Sakura/Naruto friendship
Warnings: None, badly written fic?
Rating: K+
Just Sakura thinking about Shinobi things I suppose.
Special thanks to The Critic, Zoa for her help in how to improve this story and make it slightly better than the dump it was
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Though the slow moving flames of the campfire I could see my teammates sleep not far from where I was standing watch.
Both were covered in thick bandages to protect the few wounds as we as was normal on missions like these ran into more trouble than we had originally counted on.
I hadn´t had the chakra to completely heal their words and although they had assured me I had done more than enough I couldn´t help but feel guilty.
I sat down quietly besides one of them and couldn´t help but feel a little sad as my attention shifted to the blond besides me.
In the old days, back at the Academy, I thought I had learned all I needed to know to be a good Shinobi.
But by now I had learned just how wrong I had been, how much of a little girl I had been.
I sighed before moving my attention to the campfire again; listening for any sounds that indicated our resting time would be over.
As I sat there me couldn´t help but think back on all that I've been struggling with since I became a Shinobi.
Back when we were still in the Ninja Academy, learning under Iruka-sensei, we had to learn all kinds of things to become official Shinobi.
One of those things we had to learn were the 100 Shinobi sayings.
Especially number twenty-five was important to learn, being told that was the one we'd need the most.
"A Shinobi must keep emotions on the inside, no matter what the situation. You must make the mission top priority and you must possess a heart that never shows tears."
I had never had a problem with saying that rule. Hammering it out whenever it was asked of me without even a second thought.
But the truth is that back then I didn't understand the real meaning of that particularly saying, not before I became an actual Shinobi.
At the Academy they taught us thousands of things about being a Shinobi.
But somehow they failed to add the most important thing a Shinobi could ever learn into the education.
As the thought crossed my mind I couldn't choke back the soft cry as a tear slid down my face. I quickly glanced at my companions to see if I hadn't woken them but luck was with me and they were all still sound asleep.
Luck was another thing that didn't really exist to my experience but that was another matter.
The point was that they had failed to teach us how to deal with the pain of being a Shinobi.
How to react when your teammates are being injured in front of you, suffering and in pain.
Or when your teacher is being killed in front of you.
What are we supposed to do when the fear and shock bites at us, freezing us in our movements.
What are we supposed to do then?
Being forced to watch the people you've grown close to die, because if you take the rule seriously, it is in violation with rule number twenty-five to bring injured Shinobi back to the village, for it would mean abandoning the mission.
And we all know the mission must come first at all costs.
But they fail to teach us how to do so, how to abandon someone you basically share your life with in such a case.
How to just leave them behind, knowing it will mean a painful and certain end for them. Knowing that if the enemy captures them alive they will torture them.
Also, how are you possible supposed to deal with a teammate that betrays you?
When they turn their backs on the village and their own teammates, trying to destroy you.
A sob escaped my lips once more as tears slowly began to fall down at even the mentioning of Sasuke.
For he had betrayed his teammates. Had tried to kill us all on numerous occasions.
And they had failed to teach us what to do in a situation like that.
A situation where you loved your teammate so much that the mere thought of killing him tore your heart apart.
They tell you to fight the traitor, kill him.
But I know it is no answer.
For how can you fight someone that you care for, someone that is precious to you? Knowing you must kill them to ensure the safety of your village.
If you are daring enough to ask that you won't receive a proper answer.
Shinobi are nothing but mere tools, they only live to fulfill the purpose of protecting the village with their bodies. They told me that it was the reason why we had to become strong.
Enemies told us that long ago as well and for a long time I believed them.
I shifted my weight a little and glanced at my blond teammate who was sleeping soundly, like he had no care in the world.
A small smile made it to my face as I remember what Naruto had told me once.
He had told me that when you have someone precious to protect, then that is when you become truly strong.
When I had asked him who taught him that, he smiled his bright smile and told me Haku had told him that.
Yet one more enemy where the things were not merely so simple as to kill or be killed.
I smiled a bit as I remembered Haku and Naruto's reaction to that boy.
Shifting again I looked back at the blond beside me and reached out a hand to caress his hair out of his face so I could see his peaceful sleeping face a bit better.
For a long time I've been standing on the sideline, watching how he almost got himself killed time and time again while trying to bring back out lost teammate Sasuke.
Training and fighting his damn hardest because he couldn't bring himself up to live up to the Shinobi Rules.
He even went as far as to give in to the demon sealed inside of him to bring Sasuke back, even if it would cost him his life.
When I asked him why he'd do that he just smiled at me and told me it was a promise of a lifetime.
I had made him promise that he would bring Sasuke back. But even putting the promise aside I knew he would never give up on his best friend like that.
To leave one of his most precious people to fall into the claws of a monster like that.
He called it his own Ninja way.
In the old times I always laughed when he talked like that, calling him an idiot.
But now that I am older and a bit wiser I was starting to see just how right he was.
We are Shinobi, tools to the villages.
But that did not mean we weren't human.
Shinobi were only strong if they had someone to protect, someone to live and die for.
With determination I turned back to the fire, poking it a little with a stick before turning back to Naruto and shaking him slightly.
He immediately stirred at my touch and groggily sat up while rubbing his eyes.
"Sakura-chan?"
I smiled at his childish behavior.
"It's your time to take watch"
He blinked once before nodding and standing up to stretch out a little before sitting down beside me.
"Okay" He simply said with a bright smile as he took over the stick I'd been using to poke the fire.
"Are you okay?" He asked as he looked at me more closely and I could see worry in his cerulean eyes.
"Why wouldn't I be?" I asked confused, wondering how he could possibly know what I had been thinking about.
"Because I know you. What's wrong" He asked and I sighed as I shifted a bit.
"I was thinking about the Shinobi rules"
He pursed his lips and frowned a little.
"Which one?"
"Rule Twenty-five"
He blinked and then looked at me with an adorably confused face.
"Rule Twenty-five…what is that one again?"
I started to become mad but decided to sigh before shaking my head and laughed. There really was no point in berating him for not knowing.
He never paid any attention in class so why was I even expecting him to know that one.
"A Shinobi must keep emotions on the inside, no matter what the situation. You must make the mission top priority and you must possess a heart that never shows tears."
I repeated the rule quietly and watched as his face went from attentive to shock, flashed to anger and eventually settled on peaceful again within a second.
"That rule is bullshit Sakura-chan. You should know that by now."
I sighed again as I nodded slightly.
"I know…but I cannot help but wonder about it."
I pulled my legs up and wrapped my arms around them.
Naruto matched my position as stared at the fire for a while without speaking.
I also turned my attention to the fire and watched him poke occasionally.
"I bet some stuck up bastard made that rule."
"What?" I looked at his grinning face with confusion.
"Someone who clearly has never been into the field. You can only become strong if you have something you wish to protect. How can you wish to protect something if you are not allowed to feel?" He asked
"Besides, you know what Kakashi-sensei taught us. Those who break the rules are scum, that's true...but..."
"But those who abandon their friends are worse than scum." Sakura smiled as she remembered the words Kakashi-sensei had spoken to them long ago.
"Exactly, besides, if we do not have feelings and look out for one another, the village would soon be without any Shinobi at all. They place us in a team because together we are strong. To work together as a team you need to be able to anticipate the other's action and movement. How can you do that without caring about someone? So you see Sakura-chan, clearly the one who made that rule is a moron."
He grinned at me and I couldn't help but laugh quietly as I felt my sadness fade away.
Leave it to Naruto to come up with a completely weird explanation to a serious question. But for all the weirdness of it, he had managed to cheer me up.
"Thank you Naruto."
He blinked "What for?"
I smiled again. "For being your usual self"
I answered as I ran a hand through his hair before standing up.
"I'm going to sleep"
He glanced at me confused for a moment before nodding with a smile.
"Goodnight Sakura-chan"
I lay down and shifted into a comfortable position before smiling.
"Goodnight Naruto"
Naruto was a weird unpredictable guy, but for all his weirdness he had one point.
And from now on, I too would follow my own way of the Ninja and protect my precious people no matter what.
With that thought I closed my eyes and slowly drifted asleep.
I would no longer stand aside and let anyone hurt those I loved.
The end.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
When I originally wrote this I had no idea where it came from or what it's supposed to mean…but I was asked about it after I had deleted it so it's back again.
I wrote this little thing a few years ago in 2008, at the same time as Dark Valentine and though I still think it sucks I'm not one who normally believes in deleting stories just because I think it's horrible.
Both stories have been re-made now and I hope the changes are appreciated even if the story still sucks