Sakura puts away the last of her sharpening tools before inserting the last kunai into her pouch. The war that has plagued the Leaf Village has finally ended three months ago with the government besting the rebellious Uchihas. Not many of the Sharingan-wielding clan are still alive today. Those who are, are on a constant watch should they defect and restart the conflict. It isn't the ending anyone has wished, but Sakura is more than glad that it exists at all. Konoha will forever be marked by the death, bitterness, and bloodshed of their animosity, but it will heal in time. And change—Sakura is determined it will. Naruto is still working on becoming the leader who guides their nation into greatness. She may not be rivaling him for the position, but she's still searching for a role to play in their prodigious mission.
And what better event to find one than in the chunin exams. Sakura has waited longer than expected to achieve this chance, but at least she had used that time to train rigorously. Sasuke Uchiha, as it turns out, is an excellent sparring partner. His strikes are hard and accurate, and his mind is actually close to contesting hers. On the downside, he also doesn't express himself very often and behaves too cynically when the pinkette discusses her hope to make the world a better place. This, of course, infuriates Naruto when he finally meets the boy. Sasuke had also seem incensed to make the blonde's acquaintance, though his reasons are harder to understand. Fortunately, after a few fistfights land them in the hospital, Sasuke and Naruto have become close friends. They've also established a rivalry to strengthen each other; and with Sakura to bind them together, the ninjas have become a powerful team. The green-eyed nin then has had two sparring partners to keep her on her toes. Now, that the chunin exams have arrived, she is confident that very few if any shinobi will be able to deter her.
"Sakura!"
Sakura fastens her kunai pouch around her upper thigh as Naruto and Sasuke enter the classroom she has retreated into. Naruto is practically glowing with joy, and even Sasuke has a faint smile on his face. The kunoichi raises an eyebrow and walks around a desk to meet them. "Hey," she waves lightly. "What are you guys so happy about?"
"It's your birthday!" Naruto exclaims. "Why wouldn't we be happy?"
Sasuke nods.
"My birthday..." Sakura repeats. Then it hits her. Today is March 28th, the day she turns twelve. It isn't a huge milestone to hit, but getting to live another year is an accomplishment in itself. Especially in her line of work, in which any day could be her last. She isn't surprised that she has forgotten about this important date. She always has since she had become an orphan.
What does surprise her is that her friends haven't forgotten. Sakura barely remembers mentioning her birthday once. The boys aren't the type to keep tabs on dates, so it's surprising to see that the boys somehow recall the day she was brought into the world. And heartwarming. Sakura grins when she realizes just how valuable she is to the two most important people in her life.
"Yeah, happy birthday, Sakura!" Naruto greets. "Let's go get some ramen! I'll treat you, but Sasuke has to pay for himself."
Sakura glances at the raven-haired boy and is amazed that he doesn't remark. He only looks back with a bland daze and a hint of focus, as if he's thinking about something and it's about her.
Nevertheless, the twelve-year-old girl brushes it off and reverts to Naruto. Sasuke always keeps his thoughts to himself, even when it's just the three of them, so there's no point in asking what's on his mind. Especially now that Sakura's hungry and excited for a meal she doesn't have to pay for.
"Thanks, Naruto," she nods gratefully. "Let's eat!"
The walk to the ramen stand is shorter than the wait for their meals to be served. Once at the bar, Sakura sits on a stool between Naruto's and Sasuke's so she can hear Naruto slurping happily on her left and Sasuke eating much quietly on her right. The three engage in a friendly conversation in which Naruto does most of the talking. Sakura relishes every second and is grateful hours like this are normal to her now. After losing her family, living in an orphanage, and spending much of her childhood in war, she never would have predicted that she would gain loved ones who make her smile again. Sakura won't give up until everyone else can live like this too. She isn't just fighting for her future, she decides. She is also fighting for the people she'll share that future with.
The friends' late lunch lasts well until the sun sets over the western mountains. Sakura contentedly hops out of her stool and waves Naruto and Sasuke goodbye. She can't wait to go home and read the novels she had purchased in the quaint bookstore she had discovered a few days ago. She has already decided which to read first on her way to her apartment when Sasuke abruptly dashes to her side.
"Oh, Sasuke!" Sakura stops walking. An eyebrow raises while she observes the boy's hunched form. "What's up?"
"Can I," Sasuke looks ahead, "walk you home?"
The pinkette blinks, "...Sure. But you live on the other side of town; you know that, right?"
"I know," Sasuke stands straight. "I need to talk to you."
Sakura shrugs and turns back to the road. "Okay…"
They take a step at the same time to commence their journey together. Sakura glances at the Uchiha to hear what he wants to talk about, but the boy seems to be trying to figure out what to say and how to say it. She gives him time to sort it out because this is Sasuke and opening up isn't what Sasuke does. Whatever he wants to share with her must be important, because the subtle strain on his face really reveals how hard he's trying to get the words out. Then, after walking past two avenues of children retreating from an afternoon of games and other playtime activities, Sasuke finally speaks up with a glare at the ground.
"I wish I can come with you."
Sakura forces her eyes to stay on the road. She doesn't want to stare and then scare him back to silence. "Come where?"
"To the chunin exams."
Sakura frowns. She understands why Naruto had been excluded from the exams (his grades have improved but have yet to make the cut), but not why Sasuke had also been held back. He would have been at the top of the class if she hadn't already taken the spot, and had fought valiantly in the war. She guesses it's because Sasuke is an Uchiha, and the government doesn't want their clan to advance so early after the war to keep them in line. But Itachi, his brother, is still a captain in the ANBU and protecting their village at the borders. There has to be another reason why Sasuke isn't able to compete this year. Until she discovers that cause, she'll just have to compete on the boys' behalf and come back with a new rank.
"Don't be too down, Sasuke," Sakura grants him a sly smile. "Maybe you and Naruto can participate next year."
"But you're in the exams this year," Sasuke remarks, "and…and…"
The pinkette patiently waits for him to finish. When he doesn't, she carefully fills their silence with, "The village is weird right now. The war had just ended, and everyone is still trying to get back to a 'normal' life. I know it's hard to wait right now, but the time will pas—"
"You don't understand."
Sakura stops walking when Sasuke does. She can't see his hands inside his pockets but can make out the outlines that show him balling them into fists. "What don't I understand?"
"People have died in the chunin exams, Sakura," Sasuke tells her. "We may have come from war, but at least we were in it together. If something happens to you, and I'm not there…"
Sakura also clenches her fists as anger fills her. "I'll be fine," she grits. She and the boys may be a team, but she has taken care of herself long before she had met them. If Sasuke is insinuating that she's too weak to—
"I know you will," Sasuke corrects, replacing her anger with confusion. "That's not…that's not why I want to be there."
Sakura frowns. "Then why do you want to be there with me?"
Sasuke lowers his head to hide his eyes. Then he sighs and tilts his head to her.
"Just promise me you'll come back home," he says. "I don't care if you come back a chunin or not; I just want you back here."
The frown vanishes from Sakura's lips and is replaced by a simper. Sasuke has expressed concern for her before but never this openly. He takes things more seriously than her and Naruto yet never expresses what he's so grim about. Today, he is clearly considering one thing: her safety. She's one of his closest friends, after all. It's only expected for him to care about her well-being.
Nevertheless, the pink-haired veteran feels her stomach flutter. She thumbs Sasuke's sleeve to show her appreciation before letting go, missing the way his body tenses when she touches him.
"I'll be back," she promises. "Thank you for caring about me."
Sasuke gives her a look then, the same one that appears as if he's saying something to her without actually speaking, and nods. Sakura grins and ushers him forward, bringing to his face a rare smile she won't forget.
The written portion of the chunin exam was easier than Sakura had expected. As it turns out, the test-takers were supposed to cheat without getting caught by the proctors. They had to, to answer the seemingly impossible questions; but Sakura had educated herself more than the average student to seek the solutions anywhere but her own mind. After a 30-minute lunch break and a quick briefing, she now stands at the gates of a thick green called The Forest of Death. In all honesty, the name sounds more amusing than intimidating. The tall trees, endless shadows, and vicious wildlife within may help her realize why the location has earned its title; but Sakura had been through war. To her, the lamely-named arena seems more like an untrimmed bush than a menacing deathtrap.
Her objective here is to reach the tower in the middle of the woods and arrive with two items: a scroll she already possesses and one she has to take from another competitor. The mission is perfect and thereby usually assigned to teams. However, because the recent war has drastically cut down the number of eligible participants, a scroll is instead given to every individual. To Sakura, this can be a good and a bad thing. Good, because she won't have to face multiple opponents at once. Bad, because this can make her competition desperate. Desperation usually resorts to killing.
Present travel bans prevent other villages to enroll in this year's event, so only the soldiers Sakura have fought alongside with as well as a few others are contending her today. The pink-haired nin had found it strange that the village has permitted the chunin exams to continue so soon after the war ended but has dismissed it assuming it's a way the village is helping everyone move on from the tragedies. Then again, if she and the soldiers are forced to go against each other, then the deaths may not end with the war. Not everyone who had emerged from the violence has emerged well. Many are still traumatized by the bloody conflicts, with a select few having to permit into asylums for their safety as well as for those around them.
But death isn't inevitable despite what the forest's name says. The pinkette remembers her shared goal with Naruto, and it strengthens her resolve. She doesn't have to kill her fellow soldiers. She'll just take them on in a more chancy sparring match and snatch their scroll when the opportunity rises. There's also a chance that someone will just hand his or her scroll over. Instances like that have happened to others in the past, and Sakura hopes that she has intimidated enough people to have it happen to her too.
Fortunately, retrieving the other scroll had not been that difficult. It hadn't been handed to her, as she had hoped, but her opponent had been relatively easy enough to defeat. Best of all, the simplicity of the battle had spared her of even the thought of finishing her opponent. Now the pink-haired victor is following the map toward the tall tower, wisely avoiding opposition she detects on the way there.
She almost makes it to the rounded beige walls when she senses a presence closing in from behind her. She seizes a kunai from her pouch and scans her surroundings, silencing her mind to detect her stalker's chakra signature.
"Come out of there!" Sakura barks to the dark trees. "I know you're following me, so just come out!"
She steadies herself for battle. Her eyes dart to every corner, hoping to spot her opponent before he or she reaches her. To her surprise and confusion, her stalker simply emerges from her right and stands about 30 steps away from her. It appears to be a young woman with long black hair and a gown wrapped in thick purple rope. Sakura has never seen the woman before. And the feeling she's receiving isn't familiarity; it's danger.
"Sakura Haruno!" the woman acclaims. "I've heard good things about you."
Sakura tightens her grip on the kunai and glares at the stranger. "Who are you?" she demands.
"Someone who can give you power," the woman approaches. "Someone who can make you stronger than the Hokage himself."
Sakura grunts. The lady is obviously scamming her. She is only waiting for the kunoichi to fall for her ruse so she could attack and take the girl's scrolls. Well, Sakura isn't falling for it. She raises the kunai to her eyes, glaring at her opponent through the edge of the blade.
"You have to do better than that to take the scrolls from me," she dares. "I'm not easily fooled."
"So, you aren't," the woman sneers. She stops moving just twenty steps away from the girl. A hand rises to her left eye and stretches her skin. "Let's see if you are as strong as you are brave."
When she tugs her eyelid down, exposing the lower part of her eye, Sakura is assaulted by a vision filled with blood. A knife pierces her wide forehead and renders her motionless, allowing what appears to be a snake to wrap around her body and constrict her. If the majority were to get similar visions, they would have been frozen in fear. Not Sakura. She had tasted the blood thirst of her enemies too many times to be moved by the stranger's scare tactic. So, she returns the woman's gaze impassively, scanning her form to see what she plans to do now that the girl has passed her test.
"You're not afraid of me," the stalker grins wickedly. "You're not afraid to die."
"I've seen more than you can imagine," Sakura responds with a deep, heavy tone. "Nothing you do will make me afraid."
"I am far worse than anything you've encountered in this world," the woman boasts. "I'll show you!"
Sakura gasps when the woman's neck extends to her. The woman's eyes are sharper, hungrier—and her fangs elongate and gleam at the tip. This isn't an ordinary woman, Sakura realizes. It may not be even human.
Sakura channels chakra into her fists and throughout her weapon. Her opponent is moving too fast for her to make a clean evasion. She'll have to meet its attack with her own and distance herself from the fangs. Her knees bend, and her arms fold. When the entity's teeth are a meter away, she swipes her blade.
Barely missing a short, black sleeve.
Sakura jumps back when a masked figure tackles her assailant to the ground. The fanged stranger immediately retreats to the rest of its body just in time to dodge a slash of the ninja's sword. Sakura watches her savior engage her enemy in battle and realizes from his green vest, forearm guards, and painted animal face mask that he is part of ANBU. But then she also spots his long gray-black hair and fringes, and a connection with someone from her past sends a jolt down her spine.
No, her eyes widen. It can't be.
She immediately runs toward the soldier and their enemy and doesn't slow down when more ANBU arrive to chase the fanged stranger out of the setting. She focuses on the masked man before her, who pivots to face her incoming form.
"You!" she cries. She stops in front of the ninja, who looks no older than seventeen. "A-Are you…do you know who I am?"
The boy is silent for a long moment. Then he replies with, "Yes."
Sakura can hear her heart pounding in her ears. But she has to be more specific! If she's as well-known as she assumes she is, then anyone, including people she has never met before, can know of her existence.
"H-How," she persists, "how do you know me?"
She holds back the urge to growl when the boy becomes quiet again. It's bad enough that she doesn't know what he's thinking, but to also not know what he looks like because of that stupid mask is driving her crazy. She can only guess what his expression is behind that façade. This may not even be the boy she's looking for!
But then her speaker responds again, and her knees almost collapse beneath her.
"The same way you know me."
A catch seizes Sakura's voice, allowing nothing but quiet gasps to escape her lips. It isn't until an older soldier approaches them does she return her attention to the present. The stranger she had just faced isn't a woman nor a participant of the chunin exams, the ANBU with spiky red hair and a wolf-mask informs. He is an enemy that had managed to slither through the village's borders. ANBU has been hunting him down since he had passed their guard last night and finally manages to confront him after the boy Sakura has been speaking to spots him entering The Forest of Death. The fanged man has managed to escape, however. Like a snake, he evades arrest and combat by hiding in the shadows of the woods.
"Get all of the participants in the tower," the boy orders, calling both Sakura's and the older ANBU's attention to him. "I'll inform the Hokage about the situation and learn what his next course of action will be."
"Yes, Captain," the other soldier nods.
Sakura widens her eyes at the ponytailed boy only to see that he has already disappeared. She remains quiet as she follows the red-haired soldier to the tower. She won't forget her encounter with the ANBU captain but will cast aside thoughts of him for now. The snake she had confronted turns out to be more dangerous than she had thought. If he isn't, then shinobi like ANBU wouldn't be as alert and barely-composed as they are right now. That's when fear finally fills her being. Not of the fanged man but of what his presence in the village could do. What if he slithers into the rest of the nation and attacks the citizens? What if he goes after Sasuke and Naruto?
Sakura's fists clench as she storms ahead of her escort. She allows her fear to stay only because it fuels her bloodlust. She will not let that fanged monster deliver another period of suffering to Konoha, especially now that she has something she hasn't had in three years: something to lose.
She'll be damned if she actually loses it.
The chunin exams have been postponed, and Sakura would have been furious if they weren't. Because soon after the Hokage sends her and the other participants home, the village is invaded by the fanged beast later identified as Orochimaru and an army with peculiar black markings throughout their bodies. The battalion looks monstrous, inhuman, and is almost as mighty as the foes Sakura had faced in the war. So, after evacuations and lockdowns are processed, those who are genin and up are sent to battle. Academy students have been excluded this time due to Konoha's significant population decrease. If the next generation were to have any future, they first have to live through the present.
Fortunately, this battle only lasts until sunset of the same day. Most of the enemies have been killed or imprisoned while the rest are chased out by jonin and ANBU troops. Sakura, who has been promoted to chunin by the third Hokage himself, is one of the remaining shinobi who are cleaning up the battle's aftermath. Her particular duties are helping the citizens reunite with their loved ones and returning them to their homes.
She works well until after midnight when the skies are dark, and the stars are unusually and almost tauntingly bright. Now she leans against her apartment's balcony with a cup of tea in her hands and looks on at the quiet village. If it weren't for the crumbling buildings, debris-covered streets, and shinobi and medics scouting the area, she would have mistaken the causatum for a peaceful night. She would give anything for it to end.
The shinobi sighs and sips her tea. She has specifically chosen chamomile because of its soothing effects. Sleep is still eluding her, and she refuses to take the same horrible drugs some of her fellow veterans have grown dependent on. She has to relax, at the very least. Her duties as a chunin start tomorrow, and they'll require more of her these days than others due to the recent battle.
At 2 a.m, Sasuke's boots land on the flat edge of her balcony. Sakura gives him a small smile as he descends, and leans an elbow on the painted wood. It's unusual to see her introverted friend this late at night. Then again, if he's just as shaken from the attack as she is, then it's understandable for him to seek comfort from a companion.
"Hey," she waves her mug. "Want some tea?"
"No, thanks," the Uchiha declines. "Are you okay?"
"Yeah, thanks for asking," Sakura answers. "I just can't sleep right now. How about you?"
She knows he and Naruto are okay because she had witnessed them expertly take their enemies down one by one and even multiple at once; but the raven-haired boy looks upset about something, and she only gets a hint of why when she catches him glancing at her chunin vest hanging inside her room.
"They promoted you to chunin," Sasuke notes.
"Yeah," Sakura smiles lightly, proud of her accomplishment yet burdened by the weight of its responsibilities.
"I heard Orochimaru was in The Forest of Death before coming after the rest of the village," her friend continues.
Sakura lowers her cup when his fists tremble.
"And that he attacked you before he was chased out by ANBU," he grits.
She bites her lip and thumbs her beverage's handle. It's no secret that she had been in The Forest of Death. Apparently, neither is her confrontation with the snake. She hadn't want her teammates to find out like this; especially when the battle had just ended, and everyone is still shaken by the calamity. But Sasuke has found her before she could bring up the topic. After all, this is what he has been afraid of at the very beginning
The pinkette doesn't expect Sasuke to growl and claw his hair, but he does. It's the most expressive she has ever seen him, and it isn't hard to figure out what has brought this out. The boy is protective of his pink-haired teammate, and said teammate had been alone with the army's wicked leader. What could have happened if the ANBU hadn't intervened? Would she have died? Would she have become part of that army and faced him and Naruto on the battlefield?
"I can't," Sasuke shakes his head, "I can't let you go out like this."
Sakura narrows her eyes. "What do you mean?"
"My brother is out there hunting that snake down!" Sasuke seethes. "He's always risking his life for me and the village, and all I can do is hope he'll come back alive. I never know when or if I'll see him again. I can't…I can't do the same with you."
Sakura lowers her mug on the balcony when Sasuke hides his face in his hands. She grips his wrists and pulls them down before looking up to his obsidian orbs.
"I have the same fears for you and Naruto every day," she tells him. "My father died in my arms, and my mother's severed head fell in front of me. You and Naruto are the reason I will be a chunin, jonin, or anything else I need to be to protect you two; because I would rather die than lose you the same way I lost my parents and never forgive myself if I didn't do everything I could to prevent it."
Sakura stiffens when Sasuke grabs her wrists. Then, without warning, he presses their lips together. Sakura gasps and tries to pull away. Sasuke pushes her back at the attempt but keeps a firm grip on her shoulders.
"You're not the only one who'll do everything to protect the people he loves," he growls. Before Sakura could respond, he pulls her into another kiss.
"Sa…Sasuke, stop," Sakura gasps when he scrapes her chin. "Y-You're upset...and worried, an—"
"I know," Sasuke hisses, "but I also feel more for you than you've ever realized. I've never shown you. Not until now."
Sakura absorbs the truth in his words as he shoves her into her room. A startled breath escapes her lips when she falls onto the mattress, and she moans when Sasuke licks the skin behind her ear. His movements are rough and possessive, but not in a way that ignites a fire within her body. Without enough to injure him, Sakura channels chakra into her hands and pushes him off of her. She sits upright by the pillows while Sasuke pants at the foot of her bed.
"Sasuke, not…not like this," she tells him. "I care about you too; you know that. It's jus—"
"Not the way I care about you," Sasuke finishes, crushing her bed sheets between his fingers.
"I didn't say that," Sakura quickly corrects. "We've been friends for a long time. If we're going to have…that kind of relationship, we have to get to know each other…a little differently."
Sasuke gives her a strange look. Then, after a stiff nod, says, "Yes."
Sakura watches Sasuke rise from the bed and walk to the balcony. When he returns, he comes back with her cup of tea and sets it on her bedside table. He pauses in front of the stand to think. Then, after a quiet moment, he plants a soft kiss on her temple.
"Will you have dinner with me tomorrow, after your duties?" he asks.
Sakura thanks the shadows for hiding her blush and nods, "Y-Yeah. I don't know when I'll be done, though."
"It's okay," Sasuke responds. "I'll wait."
Sakura clutches her chest as Sasuke goes back to the balcony. She isn't sure if he's trying to hide his smile, but she spots it before he vanishes.
Sakura's chunin duties aren't difficult but tiring. Fortunately, the Haruno manages to focus just enough to attend to her assignments. She'll need the distraction. As if her worries about her new position, Orochimaru's army, and whether that ANBU captain-savior is still alive or not aren't enough to stress her out, she now has Sasuke's feelings to worry about. Her raven-haired friend had only been a companionable yet mysterious presence for three years. But their encounter on her balcony and then her bedroom had revealed a different side of him and their relationship. Sasuke has feelings for her. Romantic feelings. If his fangirls weren't so scared of her, they would have pummeled her to death.
Naruto isn't thrilled about this development. He had found out about it when their celebration dinner for Sakura's promotion had to be postponed for their first date, which isn't a good start. Now he has to watch where he goes and what he says because Sasuke has become annoyingly possessive over the kunoichi. Sakura knows that the blonde will endure and get over all of it as long as Sasuke makes her happy. He won't be doing that anytime soon, however.
Because Sakura isn't happy.
At first, Sakura thinks that her stress is preventing her from connecting with her partner. Then she eventually realizes that they are mismatched from the beginning. Their first date had been awkward, with Sasuke sharing little to nothing about himself even when they were walking alone in a park. He is gentle—almost hesitant—when he kisses her, and that's if he kisses her at all. Sasuke isn't an affectionate person, something that shouldn't have surprised Sakura but still disappoints her when she is reminded of it. The Uchiha doesn't hold hands nor cuddle, tenses when she initiates contact, and doesn't kiss when he comes and leaves. Sakura tells him this, of course, in hopes that he will discard the distance and give her what she yearns. But every time she mentions it, he pokes her on the forehead and smirks as if to taunt her before going on his way. It doesn't say much, but it says enough.
Nevertheless, Sakura has a hard time delivering her words today, the warm afternoon she decides to end their particular interaction. She and Sasuke had just finished a sparring match when she asks her partner to lay by the river with her. When Sasuke agrees, Sakura waits until they are settled comfortably on the dandelion field to recite the words she had practiced in her mind.
"I really like you, Sasuke," she starts, laying on her stomach while twirling a dandelion between her thumb and finger. "You're kind and attentive, and I'm so grateful for the support you've given me about my chunin status. You're a good friend, Sasuke; and I hope that…we stay friends for a long time."
A heavy silence passes between them. Sakura keeps her eye on the flower but takes quick glances at Sasuke, who is laying on his back, staring at the clouds. She waits for an answer to come out of his blank expression, and then becomes angry. The boy doesn't even look remotely disturbed by their "breakup". They may have just been seeing each other, thereby relieving them from any commitment, but can't he at least pretend to care? He may not have treated her like someone who really wants her to be a part of his life, but has that been the truth the whole time? Has she really just been wasting her time with someone who can't even be assed enough to say something while she's theoretically walking away?
Sakura takes a shaky breath as she rises to her feet. When she literally walks away, and Sasuke remains where is he is, she exhales through her nose, so she doesn't cry.
More conflicts arise after Orochimaru's assault on the village. As it turns out, he doesn't just have an army; he has a village called Otogakure, or Village Hidden by Sound. It's a small nation but packed with inhuman savages conceived by the snake himself. Defeating Orochimaru and his fiendish mutations isn't easy. But after two months of war, the snake and his village are finally defeated by Konoha's greatest soldiers. The Leaf Village prepares to welcome back the troops with a night of glorious celebration. Sakura had been excited to meet Sasuke's brother through that event. The younger Uchiha had proposed to introduce him to her and Naruto.
But the meeting would have to wait. Only a few of the victorious soldiers had returned to the village while the rest pursued an even greater threat: a small but competent group called Akatsuki. The infamous organization roams the land collecting demons trapped inside human vessels called jinchūriki before utilizing the beasts to cause havoc around the world. Their method of extraction is just as abominable. Every capture results in a torturous ceremony which delivers excruciating pain to the jinchūrikis before eventually killing them. Their last target is a boy from the Sand Village, a village not far from Konoha. It's only a matter of time until they come after Naruto too.
Six years later, Konoha is still safe under ANBU's protection. However, at age 18, Sakura is promoted into their ranks to replace the lost lives sacrificed to keep their nation secure. The now ANBU has had mixed emotions at first. In the end, her desire to protect overrides everything. She won't allow Akatsuki to touch Naruto, who is exactly who they're looking for.
"You don't have to go, Sakura," the blonde tells her while he, Sakura, and Sasuke dine in his favorite ramen stand. He is eating sparingly tonight, however, because his female best friend will be gone in the morning. Five years have officially passed since Sasuke, his male best friend, has seen his brother. Who knows how long it will take until Naruto sees Sakura again, or if he'll reunite with her at all. "I'll talk to the Hokage himself. He can't force you to go."
"Naruto, I want to go," Sakura emphasizes with a point of her chopsticks. "Besides, I won't be gone for long. Once I have those Akatsuki-freaks' heads on a stick, I'll mail them back to you with a postcard."
She hides a grin behind her knuckles when Naruto cringes in disgust. It may not be appropriate to express her dark humor with the boy while he is serious for once, but that's why she's doing it. Naruto has been a source of inspiration and joy to her for so many years. It doesn't feel right to have him down like that, especially on the last night she would see him for an indefinite time.
Sasuke grunts behind her, and the kunoichi shoots him a teasing grin. Sasuke being serious is something she can live with but not as serious as he is right now. He is just as worried and frustrated to lose his female best friend tomorrow and even more so that he can't accompany her instead. Unlike their first promotions, Sasuke had actually graduated to ANBU around the same time Sakura has. But his first mission isn't the same as hers. He is to guard Naruto back home and serve as his last wall of defense should Sakura fail at the front lines.
"Hey," Sakura places a hand on the dejected boys' backs. "You know this isn't goodbye; this is just another battle we'll win."
"It isn't fair, you know," Naruto mumbles. "How we always fight but never side to side. Every war we fight separates us, and we can only hope that when we find each other, we'll find each other alive. Just for once I wish that when the battle comes, we'd fight it together."
"We are, Naruto," Sakura insists. "We all have our part. You still want to become the Hokage, right?"
She watches Naruto's head lift. "Yeah…"
"Then you staying in the village is a good thing," Sakura tells him. "If Akatsuki somehow kills me and gets to the village, you'll be here ready to take them out. Who cares if you're a jonin? I've seen you take down fools stronger than the Hokage himself!"
"Yeah, because the Hokage is an old man," Naruto chuckles.
"He's still strong!" Sakura points out. "He'll also do anything to protect the village, including working way past his retirement to do so." When Naruto still appears apprehensive, she adds, "Your dad did his best to protect Konoha too. Yeah, he did it by trapping a demon inside of you, but he wouldn't have done it if he didn't think you could handle it. No one thought you could handle it. But look where you are now, one of the most respected shinobi in Konoha. You will be the Hokage someday, Naruto. Who knows? Maybe once you are, we'll never have to be apart again. We can have dinners here every night!"
She isn't serious about the last sentence, but Naruto understands her intent and smiles. She smiles too before turning to Sasuke, whose scowl only deepens.
"Being the Hokage isn't going to end all wars," the raven-haired man states. "Neither is going out there and getting yourself killed."
"What do you want me to do, Sasuke?" Sakura asks. "Wait for Akatsuki to come here and start another war? Things today aren't like they were when we were kids, Sasuke. People are actually against children going off to war this time. And the only reason they are people like that today is that we fought to protect the citizens who grew up with this mentality. That's our goal, isn't it? To build a future when people could live in peace. Sure, we may never end all wars and violence; but if we can create a new beginning when most of the people are stepping up to protect each other, then we'll just have to endure until we get to that finish line."
Silence passes between them. For a moment, all Sakura could hear are the dishes in the stand's kitchen and the many activities of the civilians behind them. Then, after taking another mouthful of her cooling ramen, she hears Naruto speak.
"You're right," he concedes. "If we're going to change the world, we have to do our part. Go ahead and do what you need to do out there, Sakura! When you come back, I'll be the new Hokage and protect you and your third family. If you want one, of course."
Sakura doesn't have to think hard to know what he means; she just hasn't thought about it before. The ANBU doesn't know if being a wife and mother is in the cards just yet. All she has been focused on is the present and what she needs to do right now.
"I'll keep Sasuke in line," Naruto taunts his other friend. "He may be my bodyguard, but I can still kick his ass if he deserves it."
To Sakura's delight, she actually catches a small smirk cross the Uchiha's features.
"Yeah, right," the man mutters.
The three resume their meal in a much lighter atmosphere. Naruto continues to tell jokes, Sakura continues to laugh and half-heartedly scold him, and Sasuke continues listening attentively in the background. None of them know how they have returned to such amicable terms after their previous conversation. Perhaps it's because it will be a while until they could be together like this, and they don't want to spend their last moments together arguing.
The shops and vendors slowly retire behind them, leaving behind a quiet air only broken by the team's laughter. When the moon rises halfway toward the night sky, Naruto proposes that he and Sasuke walk Sakura home to continue their interaction. He is ready to lead the way when Sasuke offers to escort Sakura alone. This raises tension within the group. Sasuke and Sakura had not been alone together since they had ended their romantic relationship.
But with more maturity and what seems to be knowledge of what is really happening, Naruto surprises his companions by bidding them goodbye. He appears dismayed to not join in the couple's stroll but alleviates himself by reminding them of their final goodbye tomorrow morning. Sakura silently swears as the blonde walks off with his arms crossed behind his head. Does he not remember how hurt she was when she had "broken up" with Sasuke? He was the one who had been cynical about it from the very beginning and only offered sympathy and understanding when her fling with the Uchiha inevitably ended. So why does he seem indifferent now? Yes, what she had with Sasuke had ended six years ago, but...but...
Sakura mentally groans as she and her raven-haired companion traverse the hushed streets of Konoha. Maybe she is being ridiculous. What she had with Sasuke ended six years ago, and the two had made amends since then. It isn't fair for herself, Sasuke, and even Naruto to let the past ruin their present. The three have forged a bond that can't be easily broken. Nothing, not even grudges, should tear them apart. Besides, isn't she leaving them tomorrow? Does she want to spend her last moments with either of the two most important people in her life in bitterness?
She opens her mouth to speak—probably about something harmless—to break the silence, when Sasuke beats her to it.
"Don't travel too far tomorrow," he says. "Soon after Naruto and I see you off at the gates, I'm coming after you."
Sakura's eyebrows furrow. "No, you're not," she states. "You're staying here with Naruto."
She doesn't mean to bark, but Sasuke, who is supposed to be a grown man, can be such a spoiled brat sometimes. Maybe that's why he's so quiet, she thinks, so no one can say no to him. Sakura should've gotten used to this by now considering she has put up with him for half a decade, but she is surprisingly irked tonight. Maybe it's because their moment of peace is ruined. Or maybe it's because she's still upset with the man after all these years, and no amount of logic can resist the slightest trigger.
"You can't stop me," Sasuke warns.
"Yes, I can," Sakura retaliates. After a glance to her left, she adds, "I'll knock you out and put you on that bench if I have to."
"I'm being serious."
"So am I!"
"Stop shutting me out!" Sasuke demands. He turns to yell at her, which freezes Sakura in place. "You always go to Naruto and never to me! Why am I always the last person you turn to?"
"I'm shutting you out?" Sakura snarls. "You're accusing me of shutting you out? How many times have I reached out to you only for you to push me away? You don't like being left out of everything? Try being left out for six years!"
"You think it's easy being with you after you told me you just wanted to be friends to my face?" Sasuke growls. "How can I open up to someone who walked away from me?"
"How could I stay with someone who didn't even stop me!" Sakura remarks. He's the one who has brought up the past. If he wants an explanation, she'll give him one. "I wanted to give us a chance, Sasuke; I really did! We had almost nothing in common, but I was willing to try if you did—but you didn't! You kept me at a distance so you could be comfortable. You didn't care if I felt neglected! You only wanted what was best for yourself! What about me? Have you ever thought about what was best for me?"
"What are you talking about?" Sasuke demands. "Don't you remember the night I came to your bedroom? I was worried about you! Nothing about that was selfish!"
"You only went to me because you thought I could have died!" Sakura points out. "Are you saying that's the only way I can get any damns from you? When I could've died?"
When Sasuke doesn't say anything this time, reverting his angry expression into a blank one, Sakura's fists tremble at her sides while tears gather at edges of her eyes.
"So that's it," she scoffs. "You don't care about me. You probably never did. You're just scared of being lonely."
Sasuke's eyes harden. "Sak—"
"Naruto needs you here; you know that, right?" Sakura adds, trying to move past her painful revelation as quickly as possible. "I know you think he can take care of himself—and so do I—but what do you think would happen if Naruto loses both of us? You're the only one who still has a family, Sasuke. If you think you can't handle being alone, imagine how Naruto and I have felt before we found each other."
Sasuke curses under his breath and turns to the bench Sakura had referred to. The female ANBU watches him carefully and spots what looks like resolution in his eyes.
"Oh no," Sakura steps back. "You are not going to use my plan against me."
"Then tell me you'll stay," Sasuke marches toward her. "You don't have to leave the village. We can protect Naruto here. Together."
"Sasuke, just stop!" Sakura halts. She takes a sharp breath while trying to hold back tears behind her eyelids. "I can't...I'm tired of fighting. It's going to be tough for me too, okay? I don't want to leave you guys. You're all I have! But I also don't want Naruto to die. I also don't want to bring another war to the village. I don't want any more children to watch their families die. I...I don't want to do any of this. But I have to. For all of us."
She wishes Sasuke doesn't insist. To her relief, he doesn't. He seems just as tired as she is. She isn't sure, though. It's hard to look at him while she's trying not to cry. She's so angry at him for putting them in this situation. But she's also angry that starting tonight, they'll be going on different paths. She can't blame Sasuke for being upset over this divide because she's just as frustrated as he is. None of them had chosen the lives they're living. Only made the best of them. Together.
Sakura tenses when Sasuke takes another step toward her. She raises her guard then, keeping an eye on the bench they have threatened each other with. She inches away when she can feel the man breathe on her. Then, before she could extend their distance, Sasuke pulls her into a tight embrace. She feels his body quiver on her skin. It takes her a while to realize that he's crying.
"Please don't go," Sasuke croaks. "I'm sorry I didn't stop you from walking away back then. I thought that if I let you go, you'd still want to see me the next day. All I ever wanted was to have you in my life, Sakura. Even if I have to you watch you fall in love with someone else."
Sakura gasps, and the tears finally fall then.
"But if you give me another chance, I'll do things differently," Sasuke vows. "Just tell me what you want me to do, and I'll do it. I am scared of being lonely, Sakura, but I'll only be lonely without you."
Sakura coughs and pulls him closer. Sasuke has grown significantly taller over the years, tall enough for her eyes to press against his shoulders.
"I love you, Sakura," she hears him mutter.
"No," Sakura immediately shakes her head. "No, please don't—"
"I love you more than anything in the world," Sasuke insists. "I can't live without you. I don't know how."
"You'll be strong, Sasuke," Sakura tells him. "Naruto is here. He'll be with you while I'm gone."
"You're the only reason I'm still alive," Sasuke adds. "If you go, I'll..."
His entire body stiffens before falling into Sakura's arms, unconscious. Sakura croaks as they both collapse onto the ground. She pulls Sasuke closer to her, dampening his raven hair as she whimpers onto his head. When she regains the strength to move again, she utilizes her chakra to carry the man to Naruto's apartment. All drowsiness vanishes from Naruto's eyes when they see a sobbing Sakura bearing Sasuke's sleep-induced body. The blonde helps her bring their friend into his apartment. When Sasuke is laying comfortably on his couch, Sakura makes Naruto promise to never take his eyes off of him.
"I won't," Naruto vows. "Sakura, what happened?"
The pinkette tells him everything then. When she trembles too much, Naruto brings her a cup of hot chocolate and wraps her in a blanket.
"He told me he loved me after I have to leave," Sakura grits. "He's had six years but tells me when it's too late."
"Sometimes, that's the only time you realize it yourself," Naruto glances at Sasuke, who is still unconscious on his couch. "But why is he knocked out? Did you put him to sleep?"
"Yes," Sakura admits. "I was afraid he'd do something drastic."
"To you?"
"To himself."
Naruto sighs and rakes his spiky hair. The gravity of the situation weighs upon him, and he suddenly looks as tired as Sakura does.
"Am I making a mistake?" Sakura asks. "Should I really not leave? Should I stay in the village?"
"You know how much I want you to stay," Naruto tells her, "but I won't stop you if you want to leave. I may be the one Akatsuki's looking for but...I'm not the only one who needs saving."
Sakura tenses before turning to Sasuke. His onyx eyes are closed now, but they'll open again tomorrow. What she's afraid of is the day they don't.
"Don't worry about him, Sakura," Naruto assures, returning her attention to him, "Sasuke may be my bodyguard, but I'll keep an eye on him too. He's had it tough, like the rest of us. He just...needs a little help coping."
Sakura sniffles, combing Sasuke's locks from his dampened cheek. "Thanks, Naruto."
Naruto grins. Then, after observing her slow action, asks, "Do you love him too?"
"I do," Sakura retrieves her fingers, "just not the way he loves me. I love him like I love you. You're both family to me."
"Then he'll forgive you," Naruto promises.
The ANBU only understands what he means when he takes her fingers and wraps a hand around Sasuke's wrist. They form a triangle that inspires a connection tracing to a day when they were fifteen-years-old. Sakura doesn't remember what was happening at the time but does recall the vow they had created. They had managed to stay together for five years. They can stay together for five more.
Alive.