Sakura saw the sun rise. She had been standing on the top of the cliff for quite sometime. She always did this whenever she was back in the village. It gave her a little peace to know that it rose. The bright color, to light the day and give people a new sense of hope. But the latter no longer was true for her. She took a deep breath and traveled back down. Naruto had left with Jiraiya to train 3 years age and it had been such a long time since she saw Him. She paused for a moment to see if she felt anything. No there was nothing left to feel. At first when Naruto left her she felt more alone than ever that she cried and wallowed in her sorrow. But soon she came to a realization that this was the reason why everyone seemed to be leaving her, because they needed to be stronger because she was weak. So then she trained endlessly. It also helped that she was Tsunade's apprentice. She soon was one of the best medics ever seen in the leaf village. But still it didn't take the pain away. Kakashi had been gone for a couple of days because of a mission so the only one that was left was Sai. She then went to the hokage tower remembering that Tsunade wanted to see her in the morning.
Sakura was in front of the door and knocked. "Come In." Looking up Tsunade saw Sakura. "Hello Sakura. How are you?" "
I'm fine." She replied in an emotionless voice. "I need you to go assist a village that has been severely hit with an illness."
"Very well." "
All you need to know is in this scroll." Taking it from her hand Sakura made a hand sign and disappeared from the office.
Tsunade took a deep breath. Sakura had grown so incredibly strong in the last 3 years. But it seemed that in the last 3 years Sakura had also been dying inside. Kakashi even reported on how much Sakura power had grown. But the reason why she and Kakashi were worried about Sakura because of what she did. Tsunade somewhat regretted in aiding her but she didn't know what else to do. She remembered the night very well.
Flash Back- 2 years ago
Sakura had finished a shift at the hospital and it was the middle of the night. Sakura had to aid in the mercy killing of a man who was in such extreme physical pain that they had to do a special numbing jutsu so that he wouldn't feel it anymore. She looked at Tsunade and asked "Is there a jutsu that makes you stop feeling emotion?" Tsunade was shocked and looked at Sakura.
"Why do you want to know?"
She turned away and in a soft voice she replied," You know why. I... I need to stop this pain its distracting and I don't know how much more I can take. Please Tsunade if you know how teach me how to do it."
"Sakura do you truly know what your asking? To be emotionless you lose so much."
"Yes, I know but I can't lose much more than I already have can I?"
"The effects are complete emotionless but the jutsu does wear off."
"I understand"
"Do you really?"
"Yes."
"Are you ready?" Then Tsunade looked directly in her eyes and she saw such a determination and sureness that she knew that she couldn't back out now." Alright" and she began. After she was finished Sakura had passed out. When she woke up she didn't feel any different but then she started to notice little things were different like after Sai's remarks she didn't get truly angry but she felt somewhat the shadow of the emotion. And soon enough she only became a shadow of her former self. In a couple months the jutsu itself faded. Sakura never truly regained emotions she had learned how to block them and seal them deep within herself, all her love and all her hate.
End of Flash Back
Sakura had become an exceptional kunoichi and was well qualified for ANBU black ops and she even put a request for it but Tsunade didn't want to say yes because she was afraid of losing even more of Sakura, so she still had not answered it. She soon went into her draw and took out a glass and a bottle of sake.
Upon arriving at the village it took little time for Sakura to assist the problem. She brought a number of ingredients and quickly was finding an antidote for this strange sickness. Sakura remembered that she wanted to always help people, that it gave her some feeling of being useful and needed. After the jutsu she didn't feel that strong attachment from before but still felt it was her purpose for now to complete her mission. She stayed for two more days before departing back to the village.
It was mid day when she came back and Sakura decided that before going to check in that she would walk around the village. She saw Ino with Shikamaru. They were arguing as usual with the usual insults. Sakura just liked people display emotions. It was quite sometime before either of them noticed that she was sitting in the corner of the flower shop quietly. "Sakura! How long have you been there?"
"Not long." She had gained a great ability of stealth which was one of the reasons she believed she would be more useful in ANBU.
"How have you been? How did your mission go?"
"Fine." she replied to both questions. "I'll see you later I guess Ino."
"Yeah Sakura" and she left. Her relationships had become like this. All of her old friends were distant. It was because she became distant that they were now far away. They were worried for her in the beginning and after the jutsu she just wasn't really enjoyable company and she didn't blame them for not hanging out as often as they did anymore. It was probably for the best anyway.
Walking again she past by the Raman shop. She could remember all the times they had eaten there but not any more because they were gone and she remained. All over the village were reminders of what once was. She once felt sorrow but now nothing, at least nothing she would acknowledge. All the memories now just seem just like a dream from a very long time ago.
She wrote a report to the Hokage and sent it to her. It was soon becoming dark and Sakura never watched the sun set because she knew that once gone darkness world consume the world and it would leave the people to fend for themselves. She entered her apartment and fell asleep. What was there really left for her here?
Little did Sakura know that in the darkness there was a pair of eyes that had been watching her.
