She heard him before she could see him.
As she walked closer, stepping carefully over the rubble, his figure slowly came into view. He stood in the center of what used to be his home, where he grew up so many years ago. The Uchiha complex had once been a beautiful neighborhood, and now it was nothing but rocks and dust. Much like everything else in what used to be Konoha.
"Sasuke-kun?" She called out.
He looked at her out of the corner of his eye for a moment, and then went back to moving rocks out of the way. Sakura took it as permission to move forward.
He was clearing away the dust and debris off of two memorial stones. They were cracked and damaged and dirty, but still readable.
Uchiha Mikoto and Uchiha Fugaku.
Sasuke kneeled down and wiped the dust from the names, a bit haphazardly for his fathers and then delicately, carving the dust out of every letter of her name for his mother. Sakura didn't dare interfere or speak. She turned to leave, to give him a moment alone, but he spoke her name and for a moment, her heart sped up. She turned to face him and he hesitated before asking:
"Why are you here?"
She exhaled. To think, for a moment, she thought he would ask her to stay.
"Naruto was looking for you. It's almost time."
He stood up from the grave, dirt and dust on his face he brushed the rubble off his hands, picked up his sword up from the ground and they walked together to the front gates. He stood so tall, she noticed, his head looking straight ahead the whole time. He was putting his past behind him instead of letting it chase him again. The walk was silent, but not tense. No need for explanations or words of comfort. He wouldn't want them anyway… pity never gave him comfort. The war was over and their friendship could wait. They would fix things when the time came.
Fixing village was more important.
The survivors of the war huddled close outside the gates, some still in tears over the loss of their home. Others mourned silently for the dead. Naruto stood at the front of the crowd, waving to his teammates to hurry. Sasuke took his place beside Naruto and Sakura fell behind them, giving them room.
The signal flew up into the air and burst.
"Amaterasu."
Soon the rubble of Konoha was covered in the black flames. The few buildings left standing, fell. Sakura heard the powerful shields being put up around the village, containing the flames to do their work.
From the ashes of the old, Konoha will be reborn. Every shinobi has said their final goodbyes, and survivors have been accounted for. Sasuke deactivated his sharingan and let the flames slowly spread. Naruto put his hand on his friend's shoulder in a proud gesture. Maybe they couldn't fix what was broken, but they could always start over. Rise from the ashes.
Sakura smiled at the blue glow of the flames illuminating her boys.
And rise from the ashes they will.