All characters belong to Kishimoto, I own nothing except this plot idea. Hope you enjoy!
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Gently knocking on the large oak door of the Hokage's office, Sakura listened carefully for a response. The pink-haired medic knew that her shishou was in the room from the slightly fluctuating chakra signal, yet the room stayed silent. Again, she knocked firmly on the door, finally opening it when there was still no answer from the woman inside.
The sight that greeted Sakura's eyes tugged at her already weary heart strings. It had only been three days since news had arrived of the toad Sannin's death. She had watched her mentor put on a brave face for the shinobi she commanded, but three years of working with the older woman allowed her to see past the facade. With everyone gone for the day, she had let down her mask. Tsunade was slumped over her desk with tear tracks staining her cheeks, a bottle of sake sat unopened on her desk. Almost as if she was too emotionally distraught to drink. Although, the apprentice wasn't sure if that was the case, with the added stresses of the past few days it was also possible that her shishou had just passed out from sheer exhaustion.
Walking quietly over to the desk, the picture sitting loosely in the Hokage's grip caught her eye. She immediately recognized the white-haired man wearing a shit-eating-grin with an arm slung around a smiling Tsunade. The photo looked fairly recent, with only tears marring its smooth surface. Studying the image, Sakura picked up on the softening of her teacher's expression, and the cheeky adoration that her teammate didn't bother to hide. Could there have been something there if they hadn't been too stubborn to act upon it?
The moment she silently voiced her question, she felt an uncomfortable pang of familiarity. An image surfaced in her mind of the blonde young man who had become such an important constant in her life; the hyperactive boy who had grown into a brilliant ninja and precious friend right before her eyes. Recently, the thought of losing him had been weighing heavily on her mind. She wasn't even sure she could handle being left behind…again.
It hadn't helped that she had recently made a connection between the Sannins and team seven. Although if one actually thought about it, the correlations weren't all that hard to make. So far history was repeating itself in a disturbingly accurate way. It scared her to think that a few years down the road that she might be in the same shoes as her teacher. Alone with only misery and regrets to keep her company.
Shaking her head slightly, Sakura forced away the pessimistic thoughts. She wouldn't let it happen to her. She had already promised herself that no one would ever leave her behind again, not if she could help it. All that rigorous training hadn't been for nothing! Screw history and fate, she would make her own future. Quickly grabbing a cloak on the coat rack, she covered her shishou with efficient care. Tsunade stirred slightly, but did not wake, proving just how exhausted the woman actually was. After one last glance, the young medic left the office with renewed determination, and went in search of the boy who had come to mean the world to her.
The Fifth Hokage watched the scene below her with almost a bitter satisfaction. Her two favorite youngsters sat beside each other having an animated conversation. The depression Naruto had been wallowing in since hearing about his beloved sensei's death seemed to have dissipated, although an occasional somber expression would cross his face when he thought his pink-haired teammate wasn't looking. She watched as the discussion turned towards a more serious route, and their body language sobered.
A pained look appeared on the blonde's face at one of Sakura's comments. Suddenly, the girl reached out and embraced the distressed boy. After a few seconds of hesitation, the girl leaned forward, softly pecking the blonde's cheek leaving one blushing and the other wearing a look of disbelief. Tsunade could almost see the proverbial light bulb turn on in the young man's head. Jumping up with a whoop of joy, he grabbed the girl and swung her in dizzying circles, his laughter echoing through the streets. As Naruto set Sakura down, she smacked him lightly for his overenthusiastic response. He just returned his usual cheeky grin, and grabbed her hand pulling her down the road. Knowing him, he was taking her straight for ramen, to celebrate of course.
A slight smile graced the Sannin's lips as she settled down behind her desk to resume the duties that came with her job. The peace couldn't last long with the Akatsuki looming so close, but it would be good for both of them to really enjoy some quality time together. She paused to stare at the picture of the man she had always been too afraid to love, and the teammate who had given his life to protect her and the rest of the village. At least she could draw comfort from the new found knowledge that in this instance, history wouldn't repeat.
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Please review! Critiques are always welcome, because I am always looking to improve my writing, even if it is as simple as hey you misspelled something or missed a comma somewhere. Many thanks go to be best friend and honorary younger sister ShreyaGirl07 for acting as beta for this and for encouraging me to post it.