Sakura did not jog her way out of the medical tent; no, she had sprinted the short distance from there, ignoring Shizune's demands that she stay. The tension around the makeshift hospital, the wary glances other ninjas shot her hadn't passed unbeknownst to Sakura—and when she had heard—felt the pulsating explosion, she knew.
Outside the tent, Sakura was instantly reminded of the reality of war. They were miles and miles from Konoha, and yet the ruin and devastation before her brought the girl back to the day Pain had destroyed her village, her home.
What had been a couplet of hills decorated with trees prior to the battle was now flattened, allowing the battlefield to morph into wreckage of rocks and debris. And she wanted to be horrified at the number of lifeless bodies strewn about the field, but Sakura was a medic-nin, and this was a war—battles and explosions even now were continually roaring around her.
A rogue kunai whizzed by her ear, effectively knocking the pinkette out of her reverie. Something was causing her heart to pound into her ears, her fists clenched painfully in anticipation. With a hesitant lurch Sakura was sprinting again, toward the formidable flashes of lightning and the pair of inhuman chakras that stirred within it. She knew—she knew it could only be those two, and it made her heart thump painfully in her chest. Sakura could only hope they hadn't killed each other yet.
It was a good distance away from the center of battle, and yet it seemed she had reached the commotion too quickly. Here was another patch of woods that had been decimated—a massive crater was before her, and the depth wasn't an easy skip downward. The medic –nin barely managed to regain her footing and prevent an ungraceful spill down into the battle-made valley below.
Her relief to see both Naruto and Sasuke alive in their crater was short-lived; both of the boys from Team 7 bore severe injuries, and Sakura worriedly marveled at how both of them were still standing. Naruto was swaying back onto his feet, his entire left sleeve torn to reveal a burned arm that dangled painfully at his side. One half of his face was bruised and scratched, but those familiar blue eyes shimmered through the dust and debris, to gaze at Sasuke across the field.
Sasuke's own eyes seemed to be bleeding, much like they had at their last encounter. The Uchiha was blatantly ignoring the opening ripped through his abdomen, opting to stiffen his back, hand on the hilt of his katana. His face, ghost white from blood loss, deeply contrasted with onyx eyes that narrowed.
Back when her former teammate had tried killing her, he had pretty much convinced her of his feelings. Eyes full of hate, lust for insurmountable power and revenge. Cool, calculating lethality as Sasuke lifted the weapon to kill her.
So easy it was, reading his eyes back then. But now, even as the chilling chirping of chidori met Sakura's ears, she couldn't interpret his expression.
"Heh." Naruto's hands were forming the familiar sign before him, and in the blink of an eye the blonde's shadow clone was molding an energetic rasengan.
Sakura's green eyes widened, because before she could even shuffle a foot forward to make an attempt at stopping them, the two were leaping forward, intent on a full throttle attack.
Now her body acted—her legs, now sputtering and weak beneath her, stumbled down the rocky decline leading down to her boys. Sakura may have screamed out in her panic. She knew this scene too well; she had seen it countless times, in the past and in her nightmares.
The dirt she kicked up on her slide down now invaded her eyes. Even as Sakura staggered forward, shouting something meant to be a plea to both of them, she thought of how her team had once been. They had protected each other, defended each other. Now they tried to destroy each other. They were broken.
They probably never sensed Sakura's presence, even as her feet met solid ground below her. In her desperate, panicked state Sakura hardly managed to remain standing.
Naruto and Sasuke reached for each other's throats—Naruto's eyes an icy fire, always focused on the attack at hand. Sasuke's always cold but deadly.
Sakura's fists clenched painfully as her legs pumped furiously. She was a part of Team 7, too. And yet here she was again, chasing the other two, begging them to stop; hell, she would take the brunt of the attacks if it meant saving her boys. When would forgiveness and friendship every slow the spiral of vengeance?
She could only measure the distance between chidori and rasengan, estimating her own distance from the pair, and Sakura knew she wouldn't make it in time. She was never enough; it never mattered how fast she ran to them, how far she reached. But she refused to stop running…chasing…
"Please," she whispered into the wind.
Sakura had been too preoccupied to properly prepare her body for the blast. The energy pulsated away from the two ninja responsible, black energy hitting the female and vibrating every bone in Sakura's body. Her small frame was throttled back as her right side was pushed into the gravel dirt, grating her body as she ultimately made a crushing contact with the rigid, rocky wall of the crater.
For a few breaths Sakura could merely endure the pain. When the attack finally subsided, Sakura's ears were still ringing as she ignored the grind of her bones and sat up.
All she could see for a few pregnant moments was blurs of clouds and dust gathered up by the wind, thanks to the explosion. The pain, originally a thrumming down her appendages, was now also a concentrated pulse of fire planted on her hairline above her forehead.
When the world stopped spinning, Sakura was able to comprehend how far she had been thrown back—and Naruto and Sasuke surely covered more distance after taking the blows directly. She knew all too well she herself was bleeding—an array of scrapes and burns littered her body, and her forehead was definitely oozing blood as well. But Sakura only forced herself back up, numbly searching through the dusty haze for Naruto and Sasuke, ignoring her own drunk-like stagger.
She made it two steps before two knees smacked the hard dirt ground in exhaustion. The warmth that had originated at her hairline now spread downward, thick liquid slipping along the bridge of her nose. Sakura curled her lip in impatience; she knew the damage was probably extensive enough to need her healing chakra, but she couldn't afford to waste the reserves of power for herself. Swiftly she undid the red forehead protector in her hair, placing it above her brows to stench the bleeding; by now worry and panic had taken over Sakura's fingers, and it took her two tries to tie the protector back behind her head.
By now the dirt caused by the ninjutsu had lifted, reminding Sakura of just how alone she was. No Kakashi, no Sai or Tsunade. Sakura, this time, was alone in her plight.
With knobby knees the girl stood, urgently scanning her surroundings for the two other ninja; she didn't need her eyes to know they weren't doing well after that attack.
It didn't take a medical ninja, either; Sakura reached out with her own chakra, scanning for the pair of other signatures. Both boys still surprisingly clinged to life—but that could change with one puff of a breath.
Sakura decided she couldn't wait for her vision to fully clear; she skittered into a run toward the center, knowing she had to do something but not sure what.
It had come to this. Naruto and Sasuke. The very thing she feared, the choice that haunted her sleep.
And yet it was always going to come to this. Hadn't she asked herself what she would do in this situation? What she could do?
A foreign, feral sound sifted through her throat, and Sakura stumbled, hair exploding in a sea of pink as her knees again hit the rough terrain below.
She was wasting time. Time that could easily mean life or death.
But she could only see Chiyo-sama, smiling her toothless smile. It seemed so long ago, but the old woman's words had struck a chord. "Sakura…next time, save the people who are dear to you…"
"Don't make me choose…" Sakura whispered longingly. Only the wind answered her, taking hot tears away with the wisps of sand around her.
Sakura inhaled deeply. The pink haired ninja shielded her eyes to keep the abrasive gusts of sand at bay, but Sakura could only focus on Naruto's smile—his uncanny grin, paired with his cocky thumbs-up. She thought of Naruto's promise to return Sasuke to her. She remembered his vow to become Hokage.
His unwavering adoration for her. Adoration she didn't deserve. Sakura had depended on Naruto over the years, counting on him to keep her alive and sane. They were each other's support when things looked bleak, and he had become the village's hero and Sakura's sun. And now that promise he vowed to keep so long ago left him bleeding to death out there.
And Sasuke. They had never stopped searching, even when Sakura thought there was no more they could do. Naruto never lost hope for Team 7. Sasuke, the teammate she used to be smitten with, she somehow still cared for. After everything she still had to try to believe in Team 7. For Naruto, she still hoped. She vowed that she would end Sasuke's dark streak herself if she had to, and yet when faced with the opportunity she couldn't do it. It had nearly cost Sakura her life, if not for Naruto's quick action.
And now this. Now the two of them had fought to the death. Left her on the sidelines, forgotten again. Stumbling and frantic and scared.
"This is how it ends," she whispered haughtily. It would in the same fashion that team seven had functioned: broken and simply twisted.
Sakura inhaled deeply, her hands finally ceasing their trembling. Only the weak shook with fear. It was something genin Sakura would do. When the medical ninja finally looked up, the dirt had lifted completely, and it took Sakura's air supply with it.
Both bodies were strewn across the battlefield, contorted, bloody, and hardly breathing. Sasuke, to her right, had careened into a boulder that had probably easily crushed a multitude of bones. His body remained slumped forward, blood even evident this far away as it slipped from his mouth.
Naruto, on the left, had landed face down into a pool of his own blood, his arm outstretched and clutching what was probably a mauled forehead protector. Sakura's heart immediately sank into her belly.
Damn it.
"Naruto!" It came out as a weak and desperate scream—but Sakura's body didn't let her down. She was again running, legs straining and thoughts begging to keep the stupid, yellow-haired ninja alive.
Please, was the only word escaping her lips. Over and over. Please, please….
Her steps stuttered as she arrived at his side, gloved hand gripping Naruto's shoulder so she could softly roll him onto his back. "Naruto," she carefully repeated again, one hand touching an already cooled cheek while the other was placed on his chest—above four slash marks responsible for the blood loss.
The first thing Sakura found upon her assessment was a heartbeat, weak and thready, but present. Something between a gasp and cry escaped her lips, and she was unsure if the tears blurring her vision were of happiness or grief. The blonde's breaths were soft and slow, though his face was eerily serene as the medic-nin watched him in her own torment.
Sakura's hands were immediately electric green, her chakra flowing through the boy's systems. Swollen liver…punctured lung, three fractured ribs. Bradycardia…extensive blood loss.
Respiratory system, circulatory system…
The female ninja was so focused, so wrought with worry, she didn't see Naruto's eyes drift open. It was his groan that alerted Sakura he was awake. "Sakura-chan," he moaned.
"Ssh, Naruto," she clipped, using the fabric gracing her collar to wipe away tears. "Stay still so I can-"
His hand gripped her dainty wrist, halting her progress. When Sakura tried biting the damn ninja's name out, Naruto cut her off. "Sakura-chan…you need to…Sasuke…"
Heat was immediately rising through her, growing on the nape of her neck. "Naruto, you're talking nonsense."
"Please…Sa…chan…he needs-"
"You're dying."
Naruto cracked a cocky smile, briefly reminding Sakura of the bone-headed genin Naruto. "Not until I become Hokage."
"Naruto-"
"For me. Please."
The young woman in question stifled a nose between a sob and a scream. "I won't leave you!"
"Sakura-chan, it's okay."
Confused and distraught at the new voice, Sakura snapped her head to the side to find one of Katsuyu's minis on her shoulder. "K-Katsuyu…when…"
"Tsunade-sama would never have you do this alone. Now hurry, I'll keep Naruto stable until help arrives."
Carefully Sakura helped the miniature slug climb onto Naruto's shoulder. Biting her lip as she clenched her fists, Sakura had no time hesitate as she placed a soft, quick kiss on Naruto's furrowed brow. "Promise you'll stay alive, Naruto."
The medic ninja stood up, body rocking forward until she caught her footing. Perhaps it was due to the head injury, or the shock, or her low chakra reserve. It was probably because of all three.
Again she was storming across the battlefield. Numbly Sakura realized her knees felt bruised and swollen, her scrapes unattended and bleeding; she too wasn't in prime shape.
The ninja couldn't dwell much on it—the thought of approaching Sasuke, of touching him, had her brain scrambled. The only thing pressing her forward, besides her medical training, was Naruto's request.
Sakura collapsed again onto her knees, looking over Sasuke but not really seeing him. She couldn't look at him as an old teammate; not at how his hair was the same unruly raven tresses, not the chiseled face that somehow maintained that pinched, subtle nose from childhood. Not those all-knowing onyx eyes, thankfully hidden behind bruised eyelids.
Her heart pounded in her ears, and the hands now shuffling Sasuke's bloody robes to glimpse at the damage done were going numb.
Dead, unconscious, or otherwise, Sasuke's still form was still Sasuke. A dangerous being that could—and would—kill her. Fear was undeniably causing Sakura to hold her breath.
Naruto made me a promise years ago. Sakura shut her eyes in an attempt to ignore her tears. If this is what I can do…to repay him…take away his burden and fulfill my duty to our team…Then I'll heal Sasuke until I die.
Immediately Sakura went to work, bringing her clammy hands forward, warm chakra flowing to assess her second patient. Sakura willed herself not to look over Sasuke's face. Only another patient; another life to save. The hole blasted through his side was a priority, and these ribs…
She prayed to whomever would listen that the missing nin slumped against the rock wouldn't wake. Not long ago she was willing to kill Sasuke and now…now…
A cool bead of sweat, likely mingled with blood, slipped down her temple. Quickly Sakura's body was straining with fatigue, her chakra burning its way through her, and muscles aching and trembling with effort. Since the beginning of the war Sakura had been completely enthralled in fighting and healing ninja after ninja. For days it had been so, and now she was frighteningly low on chakra.
Had she even sorted out her feelings for the Uchiha? No. If she had, she would have never hesitated back then, when she held that poisoned kunai.
Sakura muffled a whimper, teeth clamping on her bottom lip as she forced Sasuke's heart to beat regularly. She needed to concentrate, especially now that her chakra reserve was running empty.
It was an insufferable amount of time before his heart would steadily contract correctly, on its own. Meanwhile, the gash in his abdomen was at least closed enough to prevent hemorrhaging…
She tried to even her own respirations. She tried smothering her trembling. Sakura couldn't afford to stop; she was hardly done, hardly close…
An iron grip locked both of her wrists, grinding bones—when Sakura blinked, she realized it was Sasuke's hand, even colder than her own, gripping her fragile wrists. And it was Sasuke's charcoal eyes burning into her own. "Stop," he demanded, venom dripping from a single word. Sakura's medical eyes weren't fooled—even with the ninja's murderous tone, it was hard to ignore the sheen of sweat and pale skin.
"Let go of me." It was too easy to break free of the hold—Sasuke had bled too much, used every last reserve of chakra.
His voice didn't waver. "I'll kill you."
"You and what chakra," the pinkette countered evenly. Sasuke wasn't the only one capable of sounding stronger than he truly was.
Oh, it angered the Uchiha; rage was pulling at the muscles of his face even as Sakura's hands again glowed painfully over his chest.
"Idiot. You should be keeping Naruto alive," Sasuke growled, attempting to pull away and pushed the medic nin back. Sakura's brute strength pinned him in place; quickly Sakura's fear was being stifled by anger. "Keep the last Uchiha at bay. Save Konoha. Wasn't that the plan, Haruno?"
"Shut the hell up," Sakura instructed, ignoring the tears splotching her cheeks. Her chakra was fading, Sasuke was still bleeding out somewhere internally, and now she was abruptly reminded Naruto, struggling to survive somewhere behind her. "You deserve to die."
"Then kill me."
Sasuke's voice was still solid and spiteful—but with a surprised glance Sakura caught the Uchiha's eyes. Usually so angry and cold, they now gleamed with an intensity Sakura was not accustomed to seeing. Perhaps Sasuke truly wished she would run back to Naruto.
But Sakura wasn't going to break the third clause; call it impulsiveness or naivety; call it martyrdom or sainthood—regardless, Sakura's strong heart had decided ages ago.
"I promised Naruto I'd keep you alive." And now a part of her willed Sasuke to survive, too. The female ninja peeled off her gloves, uncovering a pair of oddly clean hands. Quickly she sifted through her medic-pack until her hand found the secret pocket within, and pulled out the large syringe she was looking for. Her hands were steady now as she uncapped the syringe to reveal a two inch needle.
"…the fuck is that."
"Chakra-enhancing serum."
His eyes were cool and even, voice dead-panned as if he was consciously controlling ever single syllable with his remaining strength as he said, "That could kill you."
Sakura smirked; in one quick motion the needle was buried into the side of her thigh, her thumb gracefully pushing the fluid into the soft tissue. "I'm not that weak, foolish genin anymore, Sasuke." The ninja mentioned seemed to notice the lack of "-kun" on his name as he furrowed his eyebrows ever so slightly. "Things have changed."
The empty syringe Sakura tossed aside, and she completely ignored the small pool of blood receding from the puncture. The serum would take effect almost immediately, and though it was incredibly risky, it was necessary. Already Sasuke was losing more ground, his back slipping defeatedly against the rocky wall behind him.
A surge of strength was warming Sakura's core as she began exhibiting the side effects she had until now only studied. Her heart rate had increased, throbbing through her temples as something akin to adrenaline took over her system. She felt the flush of her cheeks, and of course, the surge of chakra.
Sasuke's eyes were again closed, and it gave Sakura the courage to use this new power. Now as her chakra coursed through her, it emitted a teal, milky color.
There were still his kidneys that were in shock. His ribs she had reset, but there was still fluid in his lungs, and his heart was having difficulty maintaining a steady beat again. She needed to find the source of bleeding…
Bare hands were back to work, her eyes still creating tears formed out of worry and fear. For Naruto. For even Sasuke and herself.
The new power was unfamiliar-it flared in urgency and Sakura nearly lost control over the new chakra. But she was too good of a medic, trained by Tsunade-sama herself…
Sakura didn't notice how untamed her tears were until one slipped, landing on Sasuke's bloodied cheek. Too many distractions, and yet she could feel the power being sucked out of her being. The potion was meant to revive those on the field needed alive at all costs. VIPs. Like Tsunade, or Kakashi; Shikamaru or even Naruto. The side effects were normally enough to keep medics away from using it. Even now Sakura's toes burned, and eventually the feeling would travel upwards….she had to move quickly before…
"You're still annoying."
A thin smile painted Sakura's lips. The chakra was still surging evenly, though her legs beneath her wished to give out. "Some things don't change, Sasuke-kun."
But this time…I'll keep my promise for Naruto.
This time, I'll save you, Sasuke-kun.
Sakura noticed now that the burning that settled through her legs was now a surging numbness. She should stop now, before… "We're still…we've always been a team," whispered Sakura; either to herself or to her audience, whichever was listening. Her head was beginning to float into space, making it hard to keep logic within her reach.And her tongue, it seemed.
One leg slid back, knee scraping with the movement but painlessly tearing skin. Her hands, still weakly emitting chakra, remained in contact with Sasuke's warming skin.
The Uchiha's hands were firmer now as they gripped the pinkette's arms, shaking her twice. "Enough."
But now the world was spinning, the darkness encroaching on Sakura's vision. She tried to say something, anything—but the blackness was calling her. The female's body slackened, falling forward into Sasuke's bloodied chest.