Blood
Sakura had gone home that day, tired, sticky, and grimy from another mission with Team Seven. It was meant to be just a simple mission, just to deliver a message of peace to a neighboring country, and Sakura had been having a good day so far.
Blood was spattered everywhere, the trees, the floors of the forest...
Blood wasn't the problem. She had seen it before, healing her teammates, wounding someone with the same weapons to heal, but it was the mans utter likeness to Naruto. Same straw hair, same vivid eyes, same bubbly, vivacious smile. She killed him because it was her mission; a duty to protect her own team.
Sakura couldn't sleep that night. She saw the man's blood, redness bubbling and hissing like carbonated water from his open wound, and wanted to retch. It was utterly impossible to fall asleep with those images playing over endlessly, like clockwork.
It was possible to contemplate; her team were shinobi. They were neither expected to live long nor hoped to even have their lives begin. It was completely understandable to have a friend one day and lose him within an hour.
Sasuke and Naruto appeared in Sakura's mind, just for an instant, and she hugged her knees and covers closer, trying to focus on the warmth and comfort of the sky through her window. The stars were radiant in the contrast of the dark sky, pulsing gently.
The next day, Kakashi was late. Again. Only Sasuke was on the bridge, leaning coldly against the wooden posts. Sakura embraced Sasuke, a selfish hug with Sasuke's arms bound to his sides. It wasn't a fan girl hug, or even a hug of "I-love-you-Sasuke!" or just another sporadic emotion. For some reason, Sasuke accepted the embrace, most likely understanding what was wrong and leaned gently, and oh so briefly against her.
They drooped together, cherry pink against noir. Sakura tried to make her breathing regular again, and finally Sakura let go and whispered, trying not to meet her duller, jadite eyes with his,
"Thank you. I needed that."