Sakura pressed her hands harder against his bloody chest in attempt to heal him faster as the first drops of rain fell...
"...please, please don't!" she whispered urgently, almost hysterically in between shaky breaths. The overflowing tears were obstructing her vision; damping her face . She tried summoning more chakra to her hands but she was quickly running out. Her constant sobs of frustration mingled with that of Tsunade's chants, "...the blood….the blood..".
Tsunade was trapped in her own world filled with it's own horrors.
"..please..please no.." Despite the overwhelming exhaustion it brought she summoned more chakra to her hands. She quivered uncontrollably; her body was screaming for her to stop. She pressed harder with trembling hands. I need to heal the wounds immediately, she told herself. But deep down she knew it'd be useless; he had stopped breathing thirty minutes ago.
Sakura
"Make sure you don't forget to pack some extra underwear" her mom yelled from the lower level of their home.
"Alright. Alright...sheesh.." Sakura replied as she shoved some extra underwear into her pack. She zipped it and made her way to the lower level of their home.
"Need any help mom?"
"...well..." The slender middle aged woman took a look around the kitchen.
"Do you think this is enough food?" Sakura took a brief glance around the kitchen loaded with over twenty large pots filled with various soups , stews, and meats.
"...I think you overdid yourself again mom...". Her mom smiled in satisfaction.
"Well unlike your horrendous cooking, mine is to die for. Just watch, this will all be gone in a matter of minutes", her mother replied smugly.
CHA! Whada ya mean horrendous?! My cooking just needs a little work is all!
"It's a small family gathering, not a whole village party" Sakura bit back. Her mother just sighed in exasperation and said,
"Just make some use of that monstrous strength of yours and pack the food and luggage into the carriage". Sakura reluctantly went to work.
"Hurry up honey, we've got to make it there before sundown" her father called from the second floor window.
After nearly an hour of packing the carriage finally took off. They were met by two people at the village gate.
"Hey Sakura" Naruto yelled cheerfully as he eagerly ran to meet the carriage .He gave a quick bow to the parents and made his way to where Sakura sat.
"First of all I hope you have a great family re-ACK!"
"Excuse me Naruto, I have something to say to Sakura as well." Lee cut in as he shoved Naruto out of the way.
"Sakura, my love, I have picked these beautiful Sakura flowers to accompany you on your tri-"
"Who do ya think your shovin' bushy brow?!" Naruto yelled as he pushed Lee away.
"Anyway like I was saying" Naruto continued
"Have a nice trip and come back quickly so we can go on more missions together...and uh, maybe we could eat some ramen together sometime. You know..like a da-OOF"
"How dare you try to make a move on in her right in front of me!" Lee said as he shoved Naruto once more.
"Pay no attention to him Sakura. How about we train together sometime...just the two of us?" He added shyly.
"Hey I asked first, ya jerk."
"This conversation does not concern you Naruto!" As the two shoved each other and argued the irritated Sakura muttered,
"Let's go dad". As the horses trotted at a steady pace her dad took a look back and asked,
"Are they going to be okay?"
"Yea, just let knuckle-heads be knuckle-heads Dad...I've got better things to think about anyway.." Sakura said as her mind wandered to her real reason for coming.
She was going to bring Sasuke back to the Leaf Village.
Sakura waited until they were thirty minutes from their destination when she said, "Mom, Dad lady Tsunade gave me a scouting mission to do for a few weeks while on this trip…." Guilt was already starting to build up in her chest for lying to her parents.
"How come you're telling us this now, dearest? I was hoping to show off my talented daughter to my family" her dad asked, sounding disappointed.
"Well, could you at least stay for a while before you go? And how come she sent just you alone?" cut in before Sakura could reply to her dad.
"I'm sorry I couldn't tell you earlier, I didn't want to dampen your cheery mood Dad. And I'm so sorry Mom, but I can't stay; the sooner I start, the sooner I could get this mission over with and return home…and I would prefer to go now." Sakura replied hoping that her parents would buy it. He father stopped the carriage abruptly,
"Now? It's pretty dark. Are you sure? " She hated to do this to her parents but she had to do it.
"Yes Dad, now." Her mother sighed.
"Well then, get going .Tsunade is not a very patient woman" her mother sad briskly as she gave her daughter a brief kiss on the forehead. Sakura got out of the carriage then made her way to her dad's side.
" I'll try my best to complete the mission very quickly then return home" she told her father as she kissed him on the cheek. Her father reached out and hugged her. Sakura buried her head in his neck, letting the hairs of his beard tickle her cheek. She pulled away.
"Bye Mom, bye Dad" she said as she stepped back from the carriage.
"Make sure to be safe honey" her dad called out as the carriage took off again.
"Did you pack all the equipment necessary?" her dad called out as he stuck his head out of the moving carriage.
"Yeah" Sakura called out.
"Did you pack some medical supplies just in case?" he continued as he got further away.
"Yep" she replied.
"Did you-"
"Focus on the road Kizashi! She'll be fine." Her mother intervened. Sakura stood in the middle of the road and watched the carriage until it blended with the night. She took a deep breath and adjusted her backpack.
It's time to do what I came all the way here for , she thought as she walked west, into the woods.
"Sasuke, I'm not coming back home unless I bring you with me."