So I finally caught up with the manga! With a cold winter bearing down on me, I had little to do but sit around and search the web and in doing so, I stumbled across my old fanfic account.
If you haven't finished the series: WARNING! This story is full of spoilers as it begins after 699 in the manga.
To be honest, I was kind of displeased with the ending of this iconic series. Although I do agree with the pair-ups (naruxhina & sasuxsaku... I mean, come on guys, it was all there from the start), I must criticize the way Kishimoto went about pairing everyone up (mostly that he took the lazy way out and had it all happen in a huge time gap). That, and the fact that Sakura really doesn't get much of a story line of her own, despite being the main female character in the series. In this respect, I wish Kishimoto had consulted his wife or some other female in his life to get some more incite on the female perspective because the fact that Sasuke eventually just turns around and marries Sakura, without ever truly understanding his impact on her or even really apologizing for it, seems a bit ridiculous.
At the start of the series, I hated Sakura. She was annoying as all fuck and she seemed shallow and ignorant. But honestly, the end of Part I and Part II was pretty great to her character and I like how she grows as a person and shinobi throughout the series. So, I believe she deserves a dope side story that explains how the romantic relationship between her and Sasuke, that results in a child(!), actually begins.
I felt the huge time gap between 699 and 700 would be the perfect setting for a somber but steamy SASUxSAKU story... so here it goes...!
Reviews are always much appreciated.
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"S-Sakura… I.."
"Don't… I need to concentrate."
"I'm sorry…"
She struggled to maintain her composure. Here she sat, leaning over the bloodied bodies of her two closest friends, desperately trying to close the severed tissues that were once their arms.
"Sorry..?" Strange. Despite all they had been through, she hadn't quite expected an apology, albeit she certainly deserved one. "For what?"
"For everything I've done…"
Sakura's body stiffened as she fought to hold back tears. Where would they go from here?
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"I'll see you when I'm back…. and thank you.."
His words rung in her ears and his touch lingered on her forehead as she watched him disappear into the horizon for what seemed like the hundredth time. For all her efforts, she still could not convince him to stay. Even after all these years.
Naruto ambled back towards her, a solemn look adorned his face as his empty right sleeve fluttered in the breeze. She turned her head away to hide the salty tears that were quickly filling her eyes and clouding her vision. She would not shed any more tears for Sasuke; For her recurring loss.
She had endured so much torment and heartache at his hands and yet she loved him more than ever. It was akin to torture. How could she expect to go on like this? After pouring so much effort and emotion into him, he still swiftly brushed her aside, leaving her whimpering at the village gates like lost puppy as his silhouette dwindled with the increasing distance between them.
Sakura abruptly turned on her heels, having decided it was fruitless to stand here and watch him go. After all, she had wounds to tend to and duties to fulfill to keep her mind off of the heaviness she felt bearing down on her chest, as though someone was standing on her heart.
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Four weeks had passed since the end of the Fourth Shinobi World War, which nearly claimed the lives of many of those Sakura held dear. The month immediately following the battle was marred with sorrow and loss. Funeral services were held daily as crowds gathered to mourn their fallen companions, flowers in hand and glistening tears streaming down their faces. The casualties were vast across the lands, despite their clear victory.
Sakura had done well so far to avoid much of the heartache that accompanied such loss. Every day she spent hours immersing herself in her work, pacing around the hospital and the tents that had been set up outside to house the overflow of injured shinobi. If there was one thing that could distract her thoughts from the dark-haired, stoic man she let slip through her fingers once again, it was tending to the wounds of those who had fought on the front lines. When she needed a break from the musty, blood-tinged atmosphere that was her workplace, she would venture over to Ino's or Hinata's to comfort her old friends over the loss of their family members.
As things started to die down and patients healed, the village slowly began to return to its usual affairs. Traces of the post-war devastation were internalized and pushed to the back of the collective mind, for the only way to move was forward.
Sakura, however, still felt stuck. Although the gruesome battle she witnessed was becoming a distant nightmarish memory, Sasuke was still fresh in her mind.
He had apologized. He had sounded sincere. But surely he could never understand the immense pain he had caused her. Over the years he had not only rejected her affections, but had also made a number of attempts on her life, seemingly without any hesitation. Part of her wanted to hate him. A despairing voice deep within her cried helplessly, imploring the love she harbored for him to cease, to ease her suffering. But the plea fell upon deaf ears. She had no control. She never did.
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Sakura awoke to light streaming through her bedroom windows, reflecting off the snow that had recently fallen, casting dancing patterns across the floor. It had been months since anyone had heard from Sasuke, since he had embarked on his "journey of redemption". She could only imagine what he was up to.
She sat up in bed, rubbing her eyes in an attempt to dispel the lingering image of his face that she had seen in her dreams. Konoha no longer felt like home anymore. She was haunted with memories of him when she walked down the street. She would hear his voice whispering "thank you" in the wind as it rustled through the bare tree branches. This time around, there was no motivation to bring him back, to return him to his former self. He had willingly undergone the transformation himself, in light of his and Naruto's near death experience and the loss of most of his arm. He would come back of his own accord, if ever. She was exhausted from wondering if he would truly return, from sulking over his absence when he was so close to coming back. She tired of gazing beyond the village walls, scanning the horizon for his figure. She felt as though she were beginning to spiral into a deep depression, the wounds he had inflicted, dragging her down.
It was then that Sakura decided. She, too, must leave.
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Just a little introduction for now! Hope you liked it! More to come soon :)