Dried, raw, and hoarse screams rattled eardrums. Selfish, unforgiving, and vengeful tears shattered a state of inner peace. And the blood of your enemies were painted on different spots on your uniform.

These are the burdens that you will bare in war.


The thought of becoming mentally unstable comes to my mind when I think of the gruesome and merciless killings I've witnessed. If I survive and eventually make it to the top of the hill, will I still be the same person who first started climbing it? It makes me uncomfortable that maybe someday, I'll be a crazy and psycho lady in the hospital gown. There are always a few of them who accessional bump into me when I used to run shifts at the hospital, they scream at the nurses, telling them that there's someone out to get them or they think that someone's planning an attack. I avoided them however I could.

Green leaves and thick, long branches create a barrier as well as a camouflage as I crouch in hiding from the scene in front of me. Grime and dirt wiggle their way under my fingernails and toes, sweat slides down my cheek and my hair clings to the side of my face like a it's stuck together by glue. The loud thumping of my heart drums against my chest, causing my breath to quicken and my fingers to shake. My feet itched to jump and pounce to help, but in the back of my head the voice of Tsunade reminds me that Medical Ninjas stay in waiting and out of the fight.

Light spills over the war zone, casting long shadows of exhausted and fatigued Shinobi. I risk peeking from behind a few leaves and catch the sun finally pushing its way over the mountains. The sunlight feels warm and refreshing as it tingles on my pale skin. As I slowly inch back into the dark, my gaze drifts to the action ahead of me and my eyes catch a figure's stare who stands in the middle of battlefield with a unreadable expression. I barely had time to react before a kunai whistled past my face and hit the bark of the tree beside me. Not a moment later I felt my body hammer into the ground, knocking the wind out of me. The explosions made my ears to ring a noiseless sound and black dots obstructed my vision, threatening for my body to blackout. Trying to ignore the possibility that my hearing could be damaged permanently, I take a deep breath and heave myself up from the dirt. With chakra enhanced legs, I clumsily run in the opposite direction.

Before I could get very far, the same Sound Shinobi materialized in front of me. He had a poker face, but the shadows underneath his eyes gave away what was behind his emotionless disguise.

"...war...end..today," the man's voice was barely audible through the ringing in my head.

I inwardly cursed and mentally filled in the blanks in the man's sentence. My legs shook and my heart beat faster with fright, but at the same time I was ready to quench my thirst for some action. "You won't live to find out," my own voice sounded as if it was being muffled by a pillow.

The man's lips moved, but the noiseless sound from the earlier explosion succeeded in blocking all of his words. He cocked his head to the side and gazed at me expectantly.

I frowned and my eyes narrowed as I held my fists up.

As if a bell rang off, my muscles tightened and I sprang at the Sound Shinobi. But he didn't charge at me, instead he spread his arms open and a string of lined up paper bombs shielded and barricaded his torso. The man didn't seem fazed. I dug my heels into the earth and managed to pivot my feet and bounce into the sky. I watched with wide eyes as the man beneath me was enshrouded in grey smoke. The massive explosion caused a powerful wind to skyrocket me through the air. The black spots resurfaced and began dotting my vision, but I managed to crash - with as much grace as gravity would allow me - into some bushes.

For a few minutes, I lay there, thinking of the kamikaze that the man was desperate enough to do. My eyelids droop and feel as if they weighed a hundred pounds. I open my mouth and try to make a sound, but the ringing in my head continues to prevent from any other noises entering my eardrum. The bush was itchy and I tried to shift my position, but I stopped when I eyed the dark red liquid that dotted my uniform. I gently raised a hand to my face and wiped away blood from my mouth and from my ear. My palm flew to my stomach and I felt for my organs.

Well, shit. If it wasn't for the adrenaline, I would probably be screaming at the top of my lungs.

Not taking the adrenaline high for granted, I got to my feet and healed my wounds as I walked. Tsunade would not be happy if she found out her apprentice was seriously injured. Medical Ninja were not supposed to be the ones that needed medical attention. Instead of beating myself over it, I settle on blaming it all on the sleepless nights.

Searching for familiar chakra signatures, I find one a mile or so away from the bush I landed in. Carefully scanning the area for any sign of danger, I managed to avoid any confrontations of any Sound Ninjas. The chakra was very low, but at the same time strong and vibrant. When I saw the Ninja in my line of vision, I scampered over to him while glancing anxiously from left to right. He immediately caught sight of me, but when he recognized who I was, he stopped short and almost relaxed. One of the man's eyelids was closed and just by looking at it, I could tell there was no eyeball behind it. I felt the bile rising in my throat, but managed to swallow it down and approach him.

I could barely notice the two triangles tattoo marks on his cheeks, "Kiba?" I tried to sound angry, but my voice sounded like a strangled mouse.

He swayed on his feet, his knees ready to give out and buckle. Kiba didn't say anything to me, but instead motioned with his head.

I followed his gaze and my eyes fixed on a white lump of fur a little ways behind him. Silently getting the idea, I shifted Kiba so he was supported and leaning on my shoulder. As we limped over to the white mass, I was able to make out Akamaru's facial features as well as the wounds that decorated him.

In exhaustion, I crumpled to the ground and brought the Canine Ninja along with me. Despite almost being blown up and using some of my chakra, my strength did not fail me as I held Kiba down.

"Heal Akamaru first," Kiba said. Again, the words were muffled, but because he was so close I was able to make them out.

I sighed in relief, thankful that my hearing has not been completely lost. I took another glance at Akamaru before turning back to Kiba. "You're worse, don't move and this will be done quickly."

His bandaging was delicate and precise and I couldn't help but feel proud. Almost soothingly, I wiped away the last of the dried blood from the his face. When I glanced up to meet his eyes, I could tell that the Canine Ninja's attention was solely focused on surveillance. After coming to the conclusion that Kiba was ready to enter back into the battle, I wanted to focus on Akamaru. "Are you okay to keep going?"

Kiba nodded and stood up. "Don't let him die." Was all I heard before the Canine Ninja disappeared into the trees.

I sighed annoyance. Is it to selfish of me to ask for a thank you?

My attention reverts back to mass of white fur. Large, deep cuts where found around the side of his body and one of his ear was ripped out. Like Kiba, an eye had been torn out and missing. My palm rested lightly on his rib cage; his heart beat was slowing down. Well, it's a miracle he's still breathing anyway.

After applying ointment, sowing the wounds, and bandaging up Akamaru like a mummy, I took the chance to sense for any danger. Scanning for any familiar chakra, I sensed the one eye-ninja around 30 feet away.

I decided to leave Akamaru alone for a moment, but as I move farther and farther away I can't help but want to backtrack and stay beside him. I shake the thought away as I see the Canine Ninja's face. He was fighting a Sound Ninja in hand-to-hand combat, they hadn't noticed me yet.

I scowled as I identified fresh blood seeping out of his bandage. "Look out!" I yelled to get his attention.

The enemy Sound Ninja was caught by surprise and in that moment he let his guard down. Kiba swiftly plunged the kunai into the enemy's heart.

Before Kiba had a chance to open his mouth, I spoke up.

"Your wound is reopened," I said quickly. "And Akamaru should pull through, but you need to take him and head to the infirmary tent." I wish I could mention how Kiba should stay in the infirmary, too, but I keep my mouth shut when I see his grateful expression. Kiba and I had never been close friends, but some do say that catastrophes bring people together.

Kiba gave me a grin so wide that the bandages on the side of his face scrunched up. I was about to comment again on his reopened wound, but surprisingly he put his hands on my shoulders and embraced me, "Thank you so much, Sakura".


I should probably mention I DON'T own Naruto.