Time was ticking, and the clock wasn't going any slower.
The wind flew through her hair, allowing the sweat to cool her face and neck. Muscles were aching as the pinkette continued to push her chakra into Naruto's unconscious form.
He wouldn't die. She would not let him slip away.
Sakura continued to emit her chakra into his chest, just hoping that he would wake up. So it surprised her when she realized the kyuubi's chakra fading from her. She nearly slipped off Gaara's sand.
Wait, if the kyuubi's chakra is vanishing, that doesn't mean…
The pinkette instantly went for Naruto's hand, holding his wrist for a radial pulse. She adjusted her fingers on the blond's wrist a couple of times stunned to find nothing.
This wasn't happening. It can't be.
Sakura dipped her head down to Naruto's chest, ignoring the rushing sound of the wind passing her. Waiting for only the slightest beat, she received nothing.
His heart was not beating… no sound… no pulse…
Completely dazed, Sakura couldn't stop her fingers from shaking. She didn't know what to do.
"Medical ninjutsu isn't working! Why?" Sakura didn't understand. Was she just that weak that she couldn't save her own friend?
"That's because they removed the kyuubi from him!" Gaara responded through the blazing winds. Sakura could barely make out those words.
"That—"
"Madara did that." Gaara cut her off. It didn't matter; Sakura would have barely made out her thoughts into words. The words wouldn't come to her. "but there's a way to save him. That's why we have to get there fast."
"Where!?" the girl choked. If there was a way to save Naruto, her friend, Sakura would be more than willing to do anything.
"To the Fourth Hokage. Naruto's kyuubi told me that his other half is inside him. That's the only way to save Naruto!"
In hearing the Kazekage's words, Sakura's face beamed with hope. At that moment, her heart was pounding like a hammer in her chest. They could save Naruto. She could save her best friend.
But was there enough time?
"How long until we get there?" Sakura said, practically out of breath. She used up too much of her chakra.
"We still have a few kilometers to go," the Kazekage responded.
No...
That wasn't enough time. Naruto's heart had already stopped, and they still had a ways to go.
The pink-haired medic glanced down at the out-grown boy.
Sakura could only do her part.
With what little chakra she had left, Sakura manipulated her fingers into a blade as she pulled Naruto's mesh shirt out of her way. With quick and careful movements, Sakura cut an incision into the boy's side, cutting right through his ribs.
If the idiot wasn't going to pump blood through his system, than she'll do it for him.
With the chakra blade of her fingertips replaced by her normal chakra glow, the kunoichi slowly moved her hand into the incision. The sudden contact with internal organs slightly shocked Sakura. With this whole war going on, Sakura completely forgot to think about the hot temperature of the human body.
She maneuvered her hand past Naruto's lung before fully grasping his heart within her hand.
His body was so warm.
Sakura began emitting her chakra straight into him.
"I'm not going to let you die Naruto! I'm not going to let you die so easily as long as I'm here!"
She wouldn't let him die. She wouldn't forgive herself if Naruto didn't survive this war. She wouldn't live with herself if she let her best friend die.
This godforsaken war has already taken too many lives, but Naruto would surely not be one of them.
So lost in thought, the pink-haired kunoichi was oblivious to the sand wrapping around her waist.
"We're speeding up!" Gaara yelled before wind gushed harder at them.
Sakura only nodded, barely able to make a sound in comparison to the winds roars. Immediately after acknowledging the Kazekage, the medic-nin bent down over Naruto's face. With one hand, she tilted the blond's head up, opening his windpipe while pinching his nose tight.
She took in one deep breath before locking lips with the former jinchūriki.
Sakura exhaled her breath into the unconscious boy watching his chest slowly rise. Her hand could feel Naruto's lungs expand around his heart.
Was he always this big?
Sakura forced herself to take a deeper breath continuing the procedure.
Sakura never would have thought that it'd come to this. Where did the days go when they were all Genin: just her, Naruto, and Sasuke-kun? Those days were simpler times. Days when Sasuke-kun wasn't so obsessed with revenge towards his brother. The days when Naruto was just an idiot boy declaring his dream for the Hokage title.
The pink-haired kunoichi only stared down at Naruto.
He's grown so much. His determination to be Hokage has pushed him so far. And his goal of surpassing all the Hokage predecessors, it's fair to conclude that Naruto has passed them all. He saved the village from the Akatsuki, and now, he's leading the Allied Shinobis through this painful war.
It's a long way from the outcast child he was, and all thanks to his dream to be Hokage.
Sakura's vision soon began to blur as she was lost in memories of the past. The medic-nin only blinked the tears away.
Naruto…
The pinkette locked lips with him again, exhaling all the air from her lungs into his.
Naruto's dream of being the Hokage was so close, just inches away. Sakura couldn't let him die, not now: not like this. Not when he hasn't accomplished his goal to be the Hokage.
She will not let him die. She will do everything she can to make sure Naruto lives through this.
He will become Hokage.
But before he can become Hokage, they have to win this war, and they will win this war. Sakura will make sure of that. She will do anything to win this war. If not, she'll die trying.
Time was ticking, but the clock wasn't going any faster.
After absorbing the Jūbi with little to no difficulty, Madara only relished at the feeling within him.
So this is the power of the power of the Six Paths; the power of the ten-tail's jinchūriki.
The flow of chakra coursing through his body was euphoric to say the very least. At that moment, Madara could only taste his victory. Sadly, the situation spoke differently. The annoying Allied Forces—but more so just the Kyūbi's jinchūriki and Uchiha Sasuke—were dragging out this battle for far too long.
Why won't they just surrender and make their fate all the more easier on themselves? It would honestly speed up his planned peace with the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
A sigh escaped his lips. These ninja were irritating to no extent.
His fist tightened around his Truth-Seeking shakujō with a vice-like grip.
It didn't matter anymore. This war was almost over, and all he needed now was one more Rinnegan for his left eye, then he will be able to activate the Infinite Tsukuyomi.
Instantaneously, Madara pushed himself into flight.
This battle was nearing its end, and Madara was just about ready to finish it.
"Sakura-chan?"
"Hmm?" the girl mused, returning her attention back to Naruto.
"Oi, Sakura-chan! You're supposed to be listening to MEEE!" Naruto pouted, stomping his foot repeatedly to get the girl's attention.
Sakura glanced up to meet the boy, slightly embarrassed that she got caught. "Gomen ne, Naruto. I guess I just spaced out there for a while."
"Yeah right, Sakura-chan! Even when he's not here, you still daydream about Sasuke-teme—"
Her punch couldn't have been any harder. Immediately, Naruto was on the ground, cushioned by the grass. His arm felt like rubble.
"Oww! Sakura-chan, why'd you do that!?" The blond-haired man whined, rubbing his arm.
"Because! I wasn't thinking about Sasuke-kun, you idiot! Stop trying to make me look so desperate like that!" The girl said, crossing her arms and avoiding Naruto's eyes. Sakura couldn't keep down her smile. Surely she was blushing as well.
Naruto wasn't budging.
"Honestly, Naruto! I promise I was not thinking about him." She pulled him back to his feet.
"Then what's really on your mind," Naruto nudged. Sakura gave a nervous chuckle.
Naruto was never one for personal space.
"Ano… Tsunade-sama didn't want me to tell anyone, but I'm pretty sure that almost everyone in the village already knows anyway."
In fact, everyone knew it the moment the war was over. After Naruto and Sasuke finally released everyone from the Infinite Tsukuyomi, all seemed well. Everyone was in disbelief that they were all back from the genjutsu. Unfortunately, less than ten seconds went by before the whole army of the Allied Shinobi Forces was in complete sorrow. Sakura found her shishou in tears, sobbing for her lost loves. It tore at Sakura's heart.
And just like that, one cry brought another. Honestly, who wouldn't be affected from the Infinite Tsukuyomi. Everyone practically came back from their perfect reality. They practically spent their lives in the world they thought to be real, only to come back to the depressing reality that was theirs.
Some people were better than others. Konoha 11 was barely affected much to the kunoichi's relief. Sakura could have guessed that the only reason her comrades were not a sobbing wreck was because their realities were either too unrealistic or actually achievable. And she was right.
After they all made the depressing trip back to their rightful villages and eventually got settled back in, many of her friends told Sakura about their realities. Hinata told Sakura of her relationship with Naruto while Kiba also mentioned his rule as Hokage. Ino embarrassingly admitted to Sakura about the three-way love triangle between her, Sai, and Sasuke-kun. And to Sakura's discomfort, Ino also filled her in on Shikamaru's and Chōji's alternative lives without their knowledge. The pink-haired medic couldn't help but sweat-drop during the moment. Well, Sakura was just happy that Ino came out from the genjutsu fine. She's honestly been one of the more positive people in the village after the war. She even said that she would make attempts to get Sai to notice her.
Truthfully, Sakura was glad that Ino was alright after the war. Now, it seemed like the whole village was completely different. The streets were less crowded, and all the shops seemed silent.
"You mean the depression." Sakura turned her attention to Naruto.
"Yeah, I guess you can say that," Sakura shrugged. The two started to leave the training grounds. "It's funny; none of the villages are no longer at war with each other, but we couldn't have been any worse. Tsunade-sama thinks that we should open up a new psychiatric ward and create a mandatory evaluation for everyone in the village."
"Baa-chan said that?" Naruto looked over to the kunoichi, puzzled. "Has she asked Kaka-sensei about it?"
Sakura scoffed. "Baka! She doesn't need to ask him anything. She's still Hokage! And head of the Konoha Hospital. She doesn't need his permission!"
"Eh… Gomen, Sakura-chan." Naruto scratched his head. "It's just that… I don't think we should be doing something like that, you know?" They both stopped, just as they arrived on a village street. Naruto gave off an awkward grin, hopeful that Sakura would catch on.
The girl sighed. "I know that this isn't conventional, and honestly Naruto, I agree with you. These people need to experience their lives and remember the realities of this world: both happy and sad. I don't think intensive psychiatric care is the best thing for them."
Naruto only nodded to the girl, eyes wandering onto the ground.
Was he even listening to her?
And before Sakura knew it, the blond jinchūriki was beaming at her, eyes wide and bright with sparkles. "Why don't we hang out and remind them of what they missing! Me, you, Sasuke-teme, and the rest of Rookie 9, tonight?"
"What?" Sakura seemed skeptical. "Naruto, are you sure? I don't think that's what they need right now."
"Aww, come on Sakura-chan. It'll be great!" He was lightly shaking her by the shoulders at this point, "We'll go eat and have some fun! I promise it'll be great."
"Well… if you insist." Sakura chuckled at the blond idiot's successful attempt at persuading her.
"Alright then! Tonight it is!" Naruto could barely hold his excitement.
"Yeah," Sakura cheered on, "tonight!"
Sakura gulped down another cup of sake.
This night was never going to end.
It wasn't that Sakura was irritated—not necessarily. She was just a bit tired. That's all.
Her brow twitched.
Okay, so maybe she was… But it wasn't her fault.
She just had to have ended up on the other side of the large table, practically opposite from Naruto and Sasuke.
The girl took a deep sigh.
It didn't matter though, in the end. She looked down at her plate of rice and curry.
This night wasn't about her, it was about everyone.
"Wow Sakura, how are you not passed out on the table? How much sake have you been drinking anyway?"
Sakura glanced up from her food, finding Ino across her with a face of disbelief. The kunoichi only laughed.
"Training under Tsunade-sama has it's perks." the girl giggled. Thanks to her shishou, Sakura was perfectly capable of drinking in large quantities without losing her head. Mostly because of her well-enhanced chakra control and medical ninjutsu skills.
Ino sighed. "Too bad Hinata couldn't have sat next to us. I would have really enjoyed some more girl talk."
"Sorry guys, but I think Hinata is taking this chance to be with Naruto." Kiba nudged Sakura's arm. "I think she's completely out of it though."
Sakura leaned back, finding Hinata at the other end of the table. Kiba wasn't kidding: Hinata was stiff as a log, her face red like a tomato. She was sitting right in front of Naruto, but he couldn't be any more oblivious to her attempts.
He was drunk.
Sakura could see from the other end of the table. Naruto was slurring a bit, leaning awkwardly on Sasuke with his arm outstretched, holding his cup. He seemed to be talking to Sai and Shikamaru, but they seemed to have lost him in his far fetched rambling. Sasuke pushed the blond boy off, insulting him for his drunken behavior. Sakura chuckled nervously. Poor Sasuke-kun. He honestly didn't look like he was having any fun at all.
"Can someone take the sake away from Naruto?" Sakura called from the other side of the table. Hinata was the one to react, moving the sake bottle to Choji, who handed it over to Ino.
"Ohh, Hinata! Don't do that!" Naruto whined in his seat.
Hinata stiffened again. "G-Gomen Naruto-kun. You've been drinking too much."
Naruto only pouted at the girl before his eyes widened. "Oi, Hinata, have you been drinking too? Your face is totally red!" Naruto looked at her curiously, actually noticing her for the first time in a while.
Hinata was quick to play pretend. "H-hai!"
Sakura sighed, returning her attention back to Ino. "Well, at least Hinata's trying. What about you, Ino-pig? I thought you said that you were going to make attempts at Sai?"
"Hmgh, I'm trying Sakura! I really am, but I was just too nervous about tonight!" Ino whined, eventually pointing a finger at back at the pinkette, "and besides, Billboard Brow, I could say the same thing to you?"
"Eeeh?" Sakura raised a brow. "What are you talking about Ino?"
Ino leaned forward.
"I mean you and Sasuke-kun, obviously."
"W-what!?" the pink-haired girl said a little too loudly. Kiba and Choji veered their attention to her, before she waved them off with an embarrassed laugh. She leaned closer to her best friend. "Ino…"
"Oh come on Sakura! I know you still have feelings for him," the long, blonde haired kunoichi said, emphasizing her point, "you love him, so why not make your affections known already."
"It's not like that anymore," Sakura denied, "and it wouldn't even matter now. I've confessed to him before he left the village, and he obviously didn't feel the same."
"But that was so long ago," Ino whined. "Things are different now!"
Sakura shook her head in disagreement towards her friend, "I don't know Ino," Sakura glanced over at Sasuke, "I don't think that he's in—"
The girl caught Sasuke staring at her.
Sakura froze mid sentence, her mouth opened a gap. Sasuke was staring at her. Why was he staring at her?
Sakura only stared back at him, neither one breaking the connection. His Sharingan was not activated, but he still had his Rinnegan.
Sakura stiffened.
Had he been listening to their conversation? Sakura was pretty confident no one could hear them, but even so, had Sasuke been reading her lips.
What did she say? What does he know?
Why was Sasuke staring at her?
His facial features didn't give off any hints. It was obvious that Sasuke wasn't looking as annoyed as he was minutes before with Naruto. If anything, Sakura concluded, Sasuke's face was relaxed. He seemed indifferent, and if not, curious.
Sakura forced her vision away, breaking the momentary connection between the two.
The pink-haired kunoichi suddenly began panting. Sakura must have held her breath for what felt like forever when she saw Sasuke. Good thing she had been drinking a lot of sake beforehand because blushing in front of him would have been even more embarrassing in the situation.
The girl continued to look down at her half eaten plate, too unwilling to look back. What if Sasuke was still staring at her? Shaking her head, Sakura poured herself another cup of sake, taking it in one gulp before slamming the ceramic cup back on the table and pouring herself another shot.
Eventually, the night ended after Choji finished his fifth plate while some other customers began complaining about Naruto's loud behavior.
"Hey! You can't kick me out! I'm the hero of the Hidden Leaf Village!" Naruto said, marching back into the restaurant, "I saved the wor—"
Sasuke smacked the wobbling blond in the head, scoffing. "Pft, you didn't do anything, Dobe."
"Oi! Teme!" Naruto raised a fist at the Uchiha, "don't make any fake claims about me! I practically fought that war myself!"
"N-Naruto, you're drunk." Sakura said, dragging the intoxicated boy away from the restaurant. "And please don't say those things. You know yourself that a lot of people sacrificed their lives in the war."
Naruto gave Sakura a shy grin. "Gomen, Sakura-chan. I guess I got ahead of myself." The jinchūriki stopped in his track. "Neji. Ero-sensei… Everyone sacrificed so much for that war." His grin slightly widened, the blush of his cheeks popping from the sake. "They saved the village, and I will always be gratef—"
Ino sneezed through Naruto's words, or at least that's what Sakura thought. It sounded so loud and harsh. She turned to her friend, finding the blonde with a red face and watery eyes.
"Ino?"
"Ahh, sorry everybody." Ino waved them off, wiping the tears away from her cheeks. "I think my allergies are coming in again."
"Allergies?" Shikamaru asked. "It's the middle of winter?"
"Hey! You don't know how my allergies work Shikamaru! Don't question me!"
The man scoffed, watching the girl wipe her nose and face.
"Ino," Hinata interrupted, "maybe you should head home."
"Waaahh! I can't! Who will walk Sakura home?"
"I-Ino, what are you ta—" the pink-haired girl was cut off.
"Sasuke-kun, will you walk her home?" Ino asked, nudging the girl to her onyx-haired teammate.
"I-Ino! I'm fine! What are you trying to pull?" Sakura dug her feet to the ground, as Ino continued to drag her closer to Sasuke. "Seriously! I'm fine! I'm fine!" She glanced up to find Sasuke looking at her through the whole ordeal.
Ino! Ino! Ino! You've completely done it now! The girl couldn't not help but feel a bit flustered. Walking home with Sasuke? He practically just came back! What would she be trying to imply by that?!
Ino held Sakura still as Sakura was forced to wait for Sasuke's answer. As if that wasn't intimidating enough, it was Sasuke for kami's sake! Sakura's face blushed as she stared at him. The Rinnegan only added to the intimidation. Not to mention that the rest of Rookie 9 was with them as well.
Sakura never felt so embarrassed.
"G-gomen, Sasuke-kun. I think Ino had way too much to drink." Ino smacked her in the head.
"Oww! Ino!" the girl only gave her a sly smile.
Sakura sighed. "Sorry about that Sasuke-kun. You don't need to—"
"I'll walk you home."
The words didn't seem real. A moment of silence followed suit, and then Sakura's jaws dropped.
"WAAAHH!" Ino, Naruto, and Sakura could not believe it.
"Sasuke-kun, are you s-sur…" Sakura couldn't properly think.
"Aah, it's fine. I have nothing to do anyways."
"Oi! Teme! If you and Sakura are going, then I want to come too!"
Naruto marched forward, but Ino grabbed him by the ear, dragging him away. "Oww! Ino, what are you doing!?"
"Not today, you idiot. Why don't you walk Hinata home instead."
Sakura listened to the blond boy whine further away from them, but she couldn't hear the rest of it as Sasuke walked away from the group. Wait, should she go with him? He said he would walk her home, but did he actually mean it? Besides, what would they talk about? It's been so long since Sasuke left the village, and he only just came back. They were practically strangers at this point, right?
Who even gave Ino the right to do this to her? Sakura could have walked home herself! She didn't need a cheap tactic like this to get close to Sasuke! Nothing like this!
The girl sighed. Her feelings for Sasuke were so mixed. She knew she loved him; Ino was right, but things were truly different now. It just—
"Are you coming?"
"What?" Sakura lost her train of thought, finding Sasuke waiting a few yards in front of her.
He raised a brow, before scoffing at her. "Are you coming?"
The girl scurried over to him. "H-hai!"
Alright everybody! This is my first chapter for my new story that I am writing! I was going to write more, but I honestly got too lazy. I mean, on self-motivation, I'm surprised I even got this far.
Please review the chapter and tell me what you think! I'm dying to know! So PLEEEASSE and thanks…
Shoutout to Of Healing Love for inspiring me to write! I hope you are feeling well! I love your work, and everyone should check her out! She's a great writer!
On another note, I already have the plot mostly planned out for this story, and it's going to get dark. Eventually, at least. So, you have been warned…
Anyways, I hope you all enjoy it! Tell me what you think!
Until the next chapter,
~Another Way