The only thing she could see were their two bodies lying next to each other. Beaten up with cuts and bruises galore. Faces exhausted and their chests barely rising as they slept most likely in dreamless states. Even still, she could tell that whatever had led up to this, they were fine with it. In fact, in an odd way, she was sure that their bond was still the same. Never mind almost killing each other and blowing one of their arms off. It was still just an irrelevant detail somewhere in the space that they called friendship.
It seemed like they were always too far out of reach. She'd find them in the midst of something, too late for her to see the beginning of it, but just in time right before it ended. No matter how many times she spun it around in her head, Sakura couldn't deny it anymore. It's just the way they were.
Naruto and Sasuke.
She stood there just watching. She was exhausted too, but Kami, she had just enough chakra to stop the blood from the wounds and patch up what she could. Slowly she dropped to her knees, extending one arm each to touch them.
Tears were an annoying thing. An unstoppable thing. They dripped on their own accord down from her face and onto the damaged bodies of her teammates.
Kami, she loved them. She just loved them. And she wouldn't, couldn't, stop. Everything that happened all brought her here to see them both and it was exactly what she needed. They couldn't see, hear, or feel her as far as she knew. But she could see them. Feel them. Hear the silence between them that satisfied her more than anything.
Sasuke's face was the most peaceful she had ever seen. Looking at it now was a lot easier. A bit of embarrassment rose in her chest. She almost could laugh at herself. A love confession. To Sasuke. How else did she think he would react? Walk up to her and kiss her? Return equal feelings back? Was that even what she wanted? She didn't know how she loved him. She just did. He was just her Sasuke. Just like he was also Naruto's.
It was easier to contemplate while looking at Naruto. His unconscious face made him look older. But it was a gentle look. Almost serene. He wasn't in any pain, or worrying about the many people he was either trying to change or protect. An ache arose in her heart. She loved him too. There was a time when Sakura thought she was able to decipher between the different kinds of love, but now she didn't know. It was like they all morphed into one.
They filled up the space in her heart. Both of them carried a necessary piece that she needed to function. There was no other way around it. Did they feel the same for her? Maybe before the answer would seem to be no. Even years ago, there was something between them that she wasn't allowed into. They always made a point to keep her out of their battles. On the surface level it was like a constant rejection. But now, she saw it as an acceptance. An odd way to look at it, but it was true.
They wouldn't fight her, but they had proved to have her back while she did her best to have theirs. They would fight viciously, but she would be there soon after to patch up what she could. And she always, no matter how far behind she fell, caught up with them.
So here she was now. Utterly fatigued from her depleting chakra but growing happier by the second. This was another level of drained, but she figured if they gave their all then, well, she would too.
Her body became lightweight, her head starting to bow between them but she pushed her body for a few more moments. The bleeding of their armless shoulders and internal organs had finally stopped. She put together and realigned what she could, but her chakra slipped from her all too soon. There was no more strength to hold up her body as it fell with a muted thud in-between them.
It was a very comforting feeling to have each piece of her heart lying on either side of her. Like she was finally at home. They were all going to be unconscious for a while but that would have to do for now. No doubt they'd have more time to catch up later. Plenty of time. Her eyes finally closed shut and she accepted her slumber.
Sakura's breathe rose and fell in sync to Naruto and Sasuke. She fit nicely at her place in the trio.