Hi. Thanks for the feedback. I really appreciate this. I just can't take the suspense of the manga anymore!
I do not own Naruto.
I wish I did, so that I wouldn't make all the other characters die, especially Neji. I cried like an idiot over that one. :c
I hope the end would be that Naruto would be able to change Obito's mind like he did with Nagato's and that Obito will also use the same Rinnegan technique to bring the dead back to life. I very much hope so. I don't want to cry every time I read a new chapter of the manga. :c
Chapter 2 – The aftermath
Beneath the mountainous rubble lay the strength of all the heroes who fell during the war. Hope was fleeting, almost intangible but one could still grasp at it, as one would expect to grasp a trickle of water from a fountain which was almost running out of the liquid.
It was still there, elusive, but nonetheless, existent.
You would just have to be a strong shinobi to be able to amplify it.
During the first few days after the Shinobi war, countless tents and makeshift shelters were set up to house the wounded, the ones who went crazy from despair, and the ones who were dying. Even the five Kages were all in bad shape, considering Madara left them for dead during their confrontation.
Katsuyu, the faithful slug of Tsunade was able to give first aid to her Hokage and to the other four Kages as well so no one had died completely. But they were knocked out pretty bad and waking up to be like vegetables for a few months would definitely be a possibility.
It was still too soon to elect a new Hokage, as Tsunade was still alive, and she had said she wouldn't relinquish her post. Konoha didn't want her to step down in any case. They needed her at this time. But because she was in a coma, someone still had to take charge for the meantime.
So far, because of the utter chaos, not one of the five countries was in a hurry to go back to their politics. That could wait.
Sakura moved back from the latest patient she was tending to. She couldn't count how many she had patched up, and operated on. If she had to touch another broken bone or another dislocated rib cage one more time she feared she would scream in pain herself. It was just too much. Blood never seemed to stop pouring, agonized cries everywhere.
She looked around and found all of the other medic-nin from all the other countries tending to the wounded as well. She gained strength, no matter how tired and sleepless she was, that they were all working together to build a new future.
She was just happy that most of her friends came out alive, well, except for Hyuuga Neji, who died while protecting Naruto. His sacrifice had not been in vain.
Every one close to her seemed up and about. Lee, Kiba, Ino, Hinata and the others seemed to be doing okay. Naruto, being Naruto, was back to his usual jovial self, entertaining the patients with his antics. Everyone was in awe of the boy. He was truly the one who was sent to save the shinobi world from destruction. He was pretty amazing, too. He and Kurama seemed to be close buddies now and Naruto could make the fox do some of the things he wanted him to do, without the Kyuubi threatening to dismember him.
Like sharing a few chakra drops to those who really needed them. Sakura was very thankful to Naruto for sharing the Kyuubi's chakra to the ones whose chakra was almost depleted. The boy wonder also knew exactly how much to share so that the vile energy actually heal the person and not corrupt him. Which was to say that the Kyuubi's power was totally vast that if you were given a few ounces too much, you could die from it.
That was saying how amazing Naruto was to be able to handle Kurama, tails and all.
Sakura smiled as she watched Naruto from afar, their future Hokage. "Arigatou gozaimasu, Naruto!" she whispered to the breeze.
She proceeded to move to another patient, when she caught sight of another one sitting on a corner. She sighed. Her former sensei and team captain had always been quiet like that, during the few days that he was recuperating from his wounds. Kakashi Hatake was not a man of words to be sure but lately he made no effort to hide how much he wanted to be left alone. He refused all the aid of the medic-nins who tried to check him up and threatened to walk out of the tents if they continued to poke him with their medical tools.
Sakura sat beside the patient who needed her attention and prepared the procedure that needed to be done. Her hands worked adeptly, as if she was doing this all her life, and not just for the past year or so. At sixteen, she was still just a novice.
He eyes kept on drifting towards the silent brooding Ninja, who was not wearing his forehead protector over his left eye. His mask still concealed the lower half his face. Although she did not know the full story of Kakashi, Obito and the one they called Rin, as most missions were confidential like that, she knew it had to be big, considering that her former sensei never really got lost in thought like this. Never looked this dismal.
She thought he would be one of those who would join Naruto in pestering the others. Kakashi, as serious as he was at times, could still be easygoing and funny. She knew of course since he was her teacher when she was a genin at twelve.
So it had been four years. Four years after she graduated to be a Chuunin. When she thought about it, they never really had said much in those years.
During her inauguration he simply ruffled her hair cheerfully and said "Omedeto." Like it was never mind boggling that she, Haruno Sakura, forever weak and talentless, would rise up the shinobi ladder at such a young age. Well, it was normally the age when one became Chuunin, but still.
Kakashi showed her that he had never lost faith in her that she would become a strong kunoichi all by her rights. But after that he had not spoken to her much.
He was a great mentor, well, not really that patient though as if he expected them to learn on their own, from his examples other than elaborating on his examples. He had been annoying at times, but he was a good man. Behind that mask.
She knew he had swatted away a few nurses who tried to get close to him, saying others needed their help more than he did. But in spite of that, when she left the bed of her patient, she found her legs gradually walking towards his direction on the far corner.
Sure he had been her teacher but it seemed like a long time ago. Missions always demanded his time so he was seldom in Konoha for anything, not her birthday, or anyone else's birthday for that matter. He simply came and went.
What if he swatted her away too? Naaah, with that insane strength of hers, she was sure she could persuade him to stay still as she did her routinary checkups.
Kakashi seemed to sense her presence, amidst all the noise. He tensed and turned away, obscuring his face even more.
"Kakashi-sensei."
Without looking at her, he raised up a hand. "I'm fine. Go tend to the others."
"I've seen to most of them. All that's left is you." She made her tone chirpy, as chirpy as someone could get after she survived a bloody war.
He snorted behind his mask.
She knelt beside him and took out her medical tools. "I just want to know if everything is okay, sensei."
Sitting back with a resigned look on his face, his shoulders relaxed, his face still turned away but for a moment his eyes glanced at her. "I don't want you opening my shirt."
"Fine," she grunted. In quick minutes she inspected him, even checked to see his left Sharingan. During the entire ordeal Kakashi sat unmoving, looking anywhere but her, his mind seemed to be drifting somewhere else. Sakura noticed this but did not make any comment.
At last she moved away from him. "Well, you've suffered some minor fractures and broken bones that –"
"… that I assure you would all heal nicely, in time. I'm okay, Sakura. The other medics have tended to me on the first day. They fixed some of the broken bones. I just need to rest, is all."
Sakura bit her lip uncertainly. "Does it hurt anywhere? I still have some chakra remaining and I can numb some of the pain…"
Kakshi shook his head vigorously. "You look dead on your feet. You're the one who needs to rest."
She smiled, knowing they could argue for days and still he would come out the winner. He was like that, easygoing but resolute when it came to things he knew was right. "My shift is still not done for another hour. After that I'll try to see if I can get some sleep. It's not particularly easy if you're trying to get some while sitting down beside a screeching patient."
"I reckon it's easy. I sleep while sitting down most of the time," he said.
"Good for you, then." She stood, taking away all her tools with her. "I wonder why you did not push me away, sensei. I was half afraid you were going to whack my butt like what you did when I was twelve."
"Did I do something like that?" he asked, puzzled.
"Yeah, just once. I believe all three of us got equal beatings."
Kakashi showed a little smile for a moment. "Well, if I did that then that means I needed to, at that time. And I didn't push you away because - because-" He paused for a moment, not really knowing what to say. "That's not how you treat an old student. A favorite student."
Then his grin got wider. He was back to being his jolly self, easy going, and cracking up jokes. Sakura was happy to see him smiling. "Favorite eh? That's so sweet, sensei."
"Now off with you, and leave this man in peace," he huffed, feigning annoyance.
She nodded in acknowledgement, and walked away.
Kakashi watched her as she left, the smile disappearing. The dark look was back on his face. He sat straight and cradled his still pounding head on his hands, angry at himself because he was alive when all the other people that he loved were dead.
….
There. Quite short. Hope you guys like it. Ja ne!