Chapter I – Sakura's pain
"I'm feeling a strange ambiance. I've always been hurt by the memories of him, and it has always been painful for me to each and every passing day through those years. But, seeing him with these people makes me feel just so lonely for a reaso - ."
"Sakura-chan, watch out!" Naruto shouted. Quickly, Kakashi got her and carried the girl to safety. He carried her and gently put her beside the tree, near where the daffodils grew and bloomed. She gently caressed the wound she got at her arm and touched it as if she was trying to comfort herself.
"Sakura, what are you thinking? Concentrate. If I didn't get you there, you've been turned to shreds right now. I know you're tired but, try to heal your cut. If you don't heal it quickly, it would be hard to stop the bleeding" Kakashi said at his usual straight voice.
"Kakashi-sensei, I know that it sounds absurd, but, I'd like to keep this wound up until the battle is over." Sakura said gently while looking at her wound.
"That really is nonsense Sakura" said Yamato, and quickly jumped to avoid the kunai's.
"Kakashi-sensei! I don't get it! Why… why?" Then tears started to roll down from her eyes. Naruto, Yamato and Sasuke still continued to fight. Kiba and Shino cooperated to fight Juugo. Hinata, and Sai are still currently fighting Suigetsu.
Then, quickly, Sakura screamed in confusion. It was echoed to the lands nearby, and was heard to all the people present – including Sasuke and Naruto. They all stood still at a split-second, their eyes looked at the tree where she sat and quickly began to fight once again.
"I just do-on't understa-and…" And she gently closed her eyes. "I feel that I've lost everything when he left me – when he left us. Yet whenever I see him, hear his voice or gain sight of every memory of him, I feel the same exact feeling when I saw him go away. It hurts! I'm so confused! It hurts… That feeling hurts so much. And though I've felt it many times already, I'm still so afraid to lose him, though he was long gone before… though he never became mine... I'm still so afraid to lose him" Then she gently hugged her legs, put her forehead on her arms, the blood smeared to her pink hair and then said "I just don't understand…"
"Sakura…" Kakashi said quietly.
Kunai's started to explode all over the tree. The petals of the beautiful daffodils were sliced to pieces.
"What the heck are you talking about? Just shut it and fight me. I can't believe you'ld put such a cry baby on your team. Ha, the famous copy ninja Kakashi, bringing such a member. Simply pathetic!"
Kakashi and Sakura managed to escape that attack. They jumped high, and landed quickly on the sliced stems. The daffodils rained from the heavens, Sakura looked her head up. Her tears joined the flowers. They fell from her eyes, to her neck.
"Up to now… am I still this weak? Is it my jutsu? Is it my body? Is it my skill?"
"No" Kakashi silently said. "You're not any of those."
Sakura looked at him… She looked through his red eye. "I'm sure that you don't lack any of your guesses, I believe that it's just your emotions for him that's making you like this. You've trained so much for him to come back right? He served as your goal – your strength. It's true. But he also serves as your greatest weakness, because of the circumstances that just happened about three years ago."
"Hey, are you talking about my Sasuke-kun?" Karin said in flirty way.
"To tell you frankly Sakura, you are above our opponent's skills. But, if this keeps going on, she'll use Sasuke as her advantage to you. I'm not supposed to be here, and you know that. I entrusted you to fight that girl. I'm supposed to support Sai's company and Shino's group, and I'm still planning for it to be that way. I know it's hard, but haven't you wanted to become independent? I know you did achieve your goal. Look at yourself. You've defeated Akatsuki's Sasori." Kakashi said after a sigh.
"I had help from grandma Chiyo. Without her, I'm not standing right here now."
Then Kakashi replied "Do you think that if you weren't there, Chiyo wouldn't have lived. If that was the case, then Gaara wouldn't exist in this world again either."
"Sheesh… I can't believe I'm saying these words. Men, it's been long since I said something this long." Kakashi slightly laughed and then scratched his silver hair. Then He returned to support the other groups.
"Now that you're all alone" Karin teased "I'm gonna prove you wrong of what that that old hag said. I'm stronger than you. I know my assets. Your chakra is pretty weak though. Laughs… I can't believe I'm fighting a girl like you."
Sakura slowly stood up… slowly… so slowly.
"Look at your body. Are you a man? I can't believe they'd really get you! I mean you're weak, you're definitely not pretty, you surely have flat chest unlike mine. Well my point is, I'm 3 steps higher than you. You're so Patheti-."
"Stop it! Shut up! I'll show you the way I play. I won't let my teammates down, I won't let myself down, I won't let him go, I won't let him escape. No! Not anymore! Never again!" Sakura stood up. Standing on the ground dressed with the daffodils. "Let's start this!"