It'd been four days since she'd been sent out onto the field. Her assigned Jounin had done his job, keeping her from harm and watching over her as she healed various shinobi. Tsunade had been right, as she always was, about Sakura needing support. It would've been much more difficult to watch her back whilst she was healing someone.

The group she'd been with had dispersed, stretching across the torn landscape to accommodate for the large area. Five medics weren't a whole lot, but it was help nonetheless. Each medic and Jounin possessed a flare, strong enough to admit a large flash of light (similar to lighting) to alert others if they had been taken down or were injured. Luckily, none of them had needed to use it yet.

Although four days wasn't technically a long time to be out, it had felt like weeks. Each day was endless. Each night was filled with paranoia and restlessness. Morning came and went, bleeding into the afternoon until the moon would rise high into the sky. Mornings were the quietest surprisingly. The Allies and opposing forces were at some unspoken agreement of lessening the fighting in the early hours of dawn. Sakura supposed it was so they could take a break, if you could even call it that. To admire the sun that they could see rise again. To feel that subtle warm feeling of being able to live another day.

No matter how insane or narcissistic a person was, there was no greater feeling that being alive gave someone. Especially after seeing it ripped from others so quickly. It was that feeling, Sakura thought, that gave them that extra shove to fight their hardest when the time came. To be as ruthless as the desert heat or the freezing temperatures of the night. To be as hard and unforgiving as the stone beneath their feet. To be as cold and calculating as the creatures of the forest. To be as logical and unfeeling as the truest of shinobi.

Even though the mornings were quiet, that did not mean the fighting had ceased. It was continuous and ongoing, never stopping or pausing for a breath. There was not a single moment of the days she had spent on the field where Sakura's ears were not ringing, or her eyes weren't watering from the ash, or her throat clogging from all the smoke.

War gave off a certain smell. It wasn't all carnage and blood. It was something feral and yet calm. It was this scent of unyielding effort and strain that brought forth the layers of other smells. It was like making a complex recipe. Each ingredient brought forth its own scent, but when combined with others, it turned into something truly magnificent and amazing in its own right. That was what war was. A recipe, carefully concocted and crafted by those that craved it. And when it was done, it was only the ones left that could enjoy the fruit of their labors.

War doesn't determine who is right. It only determines who is left.

Grimacing, Sakura shook the blood from her hands as she ran along the sidelines of various battles. War didn't look like what one would expect. People often pictured massive forces going against one another, pushing back and forth to get more ground, more leverage. They pictured warfare, filled with huge bombs, taking out millions instantly. But war was far from that. War was many, small battles. War was a shinobi against another shinobi, both fighting to make sure the other died. Sometimes it was a group of three against one. It was varied, but in no ways was it a large group against another, equally large group.

It was because war was neither fair nor equal. War was about having the advantage, whether that be three against one, or an extra kunai in their pocket. The object of war was not to die for your cause, but to make the other die for theirs.

Leaping through rubble, Sakura scanned for the wounded, the Jounin next to her doing the same. His name was Jumoku, named after the trees of Konoha. Fitting, as he was an impressively tall man, easily towering over any average height shinobi. His tallness made him an easy target, but he had the skills to accommodate for such a disadvantage. He knew how to conceal himself in the midst of battle. Literally. He had the ability to mold his chakra into something non existent, while at the same time, performing a Genjutsu to camouflage himself into any background. He was practically invisible, which was perfect for looking for wounded shinobi without being found.

Sakura, on the other hand, was made to stand out against the background. Her pink hair made her a bright beacon in the dark landscape, although it was mostly covered in soot and human fluid now. A white band, attached to her left and right arm, was supposed to signify that she was a medic. It made her an easy target, and she'd been attacked more than a few times, but that was what Jumoku was there for. To pick up any slack she left behind with the hindrance that was her hair and arm bands.

Purging her hands and forearms with chakra, Sakura made a sharp left, seeing a small body laying down a few yards away. Crouching next to them, Sakura placed two fingers to their neck, finding a weak, but still there, pulse. Jumoku stationed himself a few feet behind her, creating three shadow clones to watch over her at every angle.

Hovering a hand over the shinobi, Sakura scanned them with chakra, finding only a couple stab wounds and an injury to the head. Deeming it safe to do so, Sakura flipped them over and felt her heart squeeze.

Pretty, brown eyes stared blankly up at the sky. They shimmered in the dull light, tears trekking down their face steadily. They were the eyes of someone who'd lost their innocence. They were the eyes of a mere child.

This wasn't uncommon unfortunately. Children were seen everywhere, fighting on both sides in this war. The one laying before her couldn't have been older than maybe eleven years old. A Genin based on the lack of flack jacket. They should've just graduated the academy then.

Those beautiful brown eyes slowly trailed over to look at Sakura, no trace of fear in them. Only a resignation that made her heart hurt even further. Their headband was gone, so Sakura had no idea who they held allegiance to, but at the moment, it held no importance.

"Hello," Sakura said kindly, mustering a feeble smile she hoped was passable. "I'm here to help. What's your name?"

The child merely blinked at her before turning their eyes back to stare at the sky. Sakura's mouth thinned into a straight line as she began to heal their injuries. The boy, Sakura had now figured out, was silent as she closed the gash on his forehead and released a cool stream of chakra to lessen the pain. Moving lower, Sakura's hands hovered over their chest, unsure on what to do. She needed to cut off his shirt, as it was in the way of another wound centered close to the middle of the rib-cage, but she didn't know how he'd react.

Tempting fate, Sakura pulled out a kunai and showed it to the boy.

"I'm going to use this to cut open your shirt, okay? I'm not going to hurt you."

The boy didn't respond though and kept staring at the blackened sky. Sakura could hear loud noises in the distance and they sounded like they were getting closer. Ignoring the boys lack of response, Sakura quickly cut through the shirt, exposing a nasty wound that looked as if it had been festering for days. The wound smelled absolutely rancid, the foul odor of rotting flesh filling her nostrils. The edges of the flesh had begun to blacken, the pus leaking out of it yellow and green. The muscle was almost devoid of color, a sure sign of infection and disease. Sakura would've gagged at the smell of it, but she'd seen and smelled worse. The same could not be said for Jumoku, who choked on the smell, even though he was standing multiple feet away.

The child seemed unbothered by it though, as he continued to stare at the sky, only shifting a bit when a breeze touched his bare skin. Sakura wondered exactly how long he had been laying here, letting his wound get infected.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked again, as she carefully unpacked a sealing scroll, taking out some bandages and other supplies.

Watching the rise and fall of the boys chest, Sakura concluded that he had a punctured lung as well. She watched as his chest stuttered for a moment, as he took a deep breath in and slowly released it.

"If you won't tell me your name, then I'll just have to give you one," Sakura smiled, moving into his field of vision. He stared into her green eyes and it seemed to awaken something in him as his tears began to flow once again, his mouth trembling.

"M-my name is Asahi. Asahi Ito."

Sakura's smile widened a bit, her eyes softening as she told him, "I'm Sakura. Sakura Haruno. I'm here to help Asahi," she reaffirmed, trying her best to act calm and kind. The boys wound was worse than she had previously thought. The infection led far deeper into his muscle than it had previously shown. She could see the veins in his arms bulging, a few popped veins as well. That could mean numerous things, but at the moment, she hadn't a clue.

"Asahi, I'm going to numb this part of your chest," Sakura pointed. "So don't be alarmed if you see me touching you but can't feel it okay?"

Asahi nodded, watching as green chakra laced his wound. Sakura worked meticulously, cutting away the dead tissue and trying her best to get rid of the worst of the infection. She could really only clean the top of the wound though. Had she wanted to go any further would've required a surgery, and time at the moment wouldn't allow that. The sounds of explosions were getting closer. They'd have to clear the area soon.

"Where's your team?" Sakura asked, still concentrated on detoxifying the wound.

Asahi went still underneath her hands and the tears abruptly stopped. His hands began to shake and Sakura worried that she had severely upset him when she felt hate surge from the boy. Absolute loathing was radiating from him and Sakura sensed Jumoku stiffen behind her, readying a kunai should the boy provoke an attack.

"They're gone," was all Asahi said as he gazed back up at the sky. "They left."

Understanding washed over her as she stared at the boys clenched fists, still shaking from the strain of containing such emotion. His team had abandoned him. Pity, overwhelming the logic of such a decision, left Sakura unsure on how to breach the subject, should she try and console him.

The wounds on the boy would've impaired the way he would travel, thus hindering the rest of the team. It would've been imperative for the rest of the team's survival to leave him behind, especially if they didn't have someone with healing knowledge on the squad. That's what her logical side told her at least.

Her more feeling side was furious at such an action. He was just a child! Barely a Genin, forced to fight in a war! And his team had left him. A small child, severely injured, and left out in the open for anyone to attack him. Not only what had been done wrong and immoral, it show cased just how bad the war really was if the sensei of the team had made the conscious decision to leave behind one of his very young charges, in favor of leading and protecting the others.

The war in her thoughts had left her silent for multiple minutes, unconsciously still healing the boy. She had managed to alleviate the weight and pain from his punctured lung, but without the proper tools, nothing else could really be done for it.

Jumoku then tapped her on the shoulder, startling her from her thoughts.

"We should move soon," he said quietly, whispering in her ear. "There are enemies close by. About half a mile away from our current position. If we move now, we'll be able to move out of the way fast enough so they won't spot us. But…."

Sakura knew exactly what he had paused on, as his eyes had gently glanced at the boy beneath her hands. She nodded jerkily, pulling the chakra away from his body.

"Is it possible for us to take him?" Sakura asked, leaning away from Asahi to turn towards Jumoku.

Grave silence met her question and Sakura felt her stomach drop. She couldn't leave this boy. She couldn't.

Brown eyes met her green ones as she turned back to Asahi, and Sakura was reminded of her goodbye to Ino. Their eyes were the same. Sad and resigned. Ready to give up.

"How long have you been laying here?" Sakura asked, filled with resolve.

Asahi seemed to think on this, as his eyes closed and a grimace settled on his face, "Three days? Maybe four? I don't know. It feels like its been a long time…."

Four days, Sakura thought. Four days without food, water, shelter, or any medical treatment.

"Do you think you can walk at all?" She asked, scenarios running through her head. If he could at least walk, then he would be stable enough for her or Jumoku to carry-

"No."

Her thoughts halted and she saw how defeated Asahi was, "I tried. But I can't. I just c-can't."

Fresh tears renewed and Asahi's face turned into one of absolute despair.

"P-please don't leave me! I don't want to be alone anymore! Please! I-I promise I'll be good, I promise! I don't want to be here anymore! I want to go home!" he cried out weakly, his hand scrambling to grab onto Sakura's, desperate for her not to leave.

"I want to go home!"

Sakura could feel her soul being crushed. She wanted to scream and cry at the same time for how cruel and unjust this world was. He was just a child!

Jumoku tapped her shoulder again, and when she turned around she could see how much pain he was in. He had a son back in Konoha. This could've been his little boy. "We have to go, Sakura."

The sounds of bombs being detonated were so close now, barely a quarter mile away.

The hand holding hers tightened and Sakura looked back at Asahi, watching snot dribble out his nose as he hiccuped with each suppressed sob.

"Please don't leave me…. I want to go home! I want to see my mother! I want to see my family!"

Each word Asahi uttered killed Sakura. She wanted so desperately to take him with them. She wanted so badly to save him.

"Sakura-san," Jumoku said sternly, hand gripping her shoulder. Sakura could feel him shaking a bit, or maybe it was just the ground trembling.

She could do nothing to save this little boy in front of her. This small, beautiful child who had been unlucky enough to be born in a time of war. She could not heal him. She could not bring back his sensei. She could not bring him with her. She could not save this miracle that was him.

So she did the next best thing in her mind.

She gripped his hand tightly in hers and pulled him into her lap, hunkering down to hug him. His sobs became muffled in her jacket and she gently rubbed his back. Sakura hugged him with as much love and care she could give, hoping to soothe him in at least any way possible. He released her hand to wrap both of his arms around her mid section, squeezing so tightly, Sakura was surprised by the strength he had left in him.

Sweet nothings were whispered into his ear, drowning out the sounds of explosions in the distance, making him focus on her voice alone. His tears never stopped, and snot was staining her jacket, but he had been reduced to quiet hiccups, calming down just a tiny bit.

She ran her hands through his hair, slowly pushing chakra into his head. It soothed him, a calm cooling effect taking place. Sakura kissed his forehead, letting her chin drop to rest on his shoulder. He felt warm and cared for in that moment. He felt his despair melting away, replaced by Sakura's caring hands and the embrace she provided. Oh so slowly, Asahi felt his eyes begin to flutter, his vision growing blurry and unfocused.

"Sakura?" he mumbled into her. He felt really sleepy.

His question was met with more soothing chakra and a quiet voice that repeated, "It's okay. It's okay, Asahi. You're okay…"

And Asahi believed that voice, as his vision slowly faded away, and the world around him went dark. A small smile graced his face as he relaxed into Sakura's arms, feeling the warmth of her being and the wonderful feeling it gave. He would never forget this feeling. A few more tears escaped his eyes before he felt his body go numb and he knew no more

Jumoku looked on at the embraced pair. If someone were to take a picture right then and there, it would capture one of the most heartbreaking scenes he had ever beheld in his life. A small woman, covered in grime and blood, holding a broken child in her arms in the midst of a destroyed battlefield. It was beyond haunting, especially the lost look in the woman's eyes as she held the boy so gently, as if he were made of glass.

Finally, the boy had stilled and Sakura let go of him. Carefully, she removed the boy from her lap and picked him up. Looking around, Sakura saw a large rock and laid him behind it, covering his body with sticks and dirt. It was no burial but it was better than letting the vultures get to him.

Turning to meet Jumoku's eyes, which were equally as pain filled as hers, she nodded and they sprinted away from the field, thoughts of the small boy named Asahi, who had only wanted to go home, in their heads as the sounds of explosions rocked the ground beneath them.


A day later, they regrouped with the rest of the medics. They were to regroup every five days to report their findings which included the number of patients healed, estimated amount of casualties seen, number of deaths, and, of course, the names of every single one of the patients they had healed/treated/killed. It was all the same. Team One, who had taken Section Two, had reported 98 healed shinobi, 150 casualties, and 123 deaths. The names of the shinobi they had treated were sealed in a scroll. Team Two's report, who had Section Five, was much the same. Team Three, Sakura's team, had taken Section Six and reported a much larger difference in deaths than the others.

It was not because they had been incapable of healing patients or finding them. It was just because most injuries had been too severe and they had died before Sakura could've done anything about it. It was also where most of the forces were centered since fighting out in the open was preferable to the enemy and the Allies had to accommodate for that by sending more troops.

They set up camp for the night once they had sealed away the scrolls and sent them with a messenger hawk. The hawk would get to the Allies by dawn and report the medics findings.

Sakura sat by the dwindling fire, lost in thought as she gazed into the dying embers. Visions of the days still ahead of them left her feeling cold and hollow. It had only been five days since she'd been out here. Five days of constant turmoil and death. She had nine more to go.

Sighing, she brushed a hand through her pink locks, grimacing at each knot she felt. She had wanted this right? She had wanted to be out here doing something. Running around the field, saving lives, feeling the exhilaration of adrenaline running through her blood. She had wanted to feel alive again. Hadn't she?

But, in reality, being out here had only left her feeling empty inside. Sure, she felt the occasional heart wrenching sadness over the entire situation (Asahi had proven that) but she felt nothing afterwards. She would be feeling so intensely one moment, and then the next, it was like nothing had even happened. Every emotion she would feel would simply vanish the moment it came, leaving her feeling hollow inside.

It hurt her chest sometimes. How empty and hollow it felt. It felt like something was resting heavily on her heart, crushing her. Sakura liked to think it was the guilt she felt for feeling nothing at all. Feeling nothing towards the meaningless deaths of so many. She wondered if this was what Kakashi felt, after so many years of sorrow and undeserved guilt placed upon him.

He'd told her the story of his past team, even shown her their personal graves. He'd told her of all the anguish he had felt, all of the guilt that had festered inside of him, eating away at his very being until he had been nothing but a shell. She and Kakashi had grown closer over the years, becoming good friends, forming a bond that wasn't just student and teacher. They were equals and recognized each other as such, bringing forth respect that hadn't been there previously.

Before the war had started, they would meet up somewhere, often at the old training ground of Team 7, and just sit in silence, enjoying each others company. Sometimes, they would talk about meaningless things, like what they planned to eat for dinner or their favorite book they had read. It had been one of Sakura's favorite past times, just sitting for hours with the presence of Kakashi by her side. She liked to believe it had been that for him too.

She wondered where he was at the moment. More than likely, he was at the front, fighting the "good" fight to lead Konoha and the Allies to victory.

Sakura huffed out a mirthless laugh. What victory was there to be had? What good did this war do? When all was said and done, what was going to be left? A home to go back to? No, that had been destroyed a long time ago. A family? Who were they kidding? Most of them were dead. A dream? What dream? The dream of burying the dead? The dream of telling loved ones that their son or daughter didn't make it? What kind of dream was that?

In times of peace, sons bury their fathers. In times of war, fathers bury their sons.

Such is the way of war with the mind and soul. It twists it around and forms it into something gruesome and disgusting to behold. When the soldiers would return back from where they came from, nothing would be awaiting them. There would be no tears of joy or cries of happiness. There would be no "home" to go back to.

For when a soldier leaves the battlefield, and the cries of war are left behind, it still resonates within them. It grabs hold of them never letting them forget what they had done. What they had seen. What they had felt. The body and mind will always remember what had happened out there. Your conscious mind may be merciful enough to let you forget it but, in all actuality, it's just stuffed in a corner. It stays there until a certain sound, event, sight, touch, word, or even a person reawakens it and brings it back to haunt you every waking moment of the day.

It leaves them feeling lost. A traumatic experience, no matter what or how severe, robs you of your identity.


A week had finally passed. It had been much the same as every other day that happens now. Run, heal, kill, repeat. Run, heal, kill, repeat. It was a never ending cycle of staying alive to keep others alive.

Sakura was traveling near a recent battle sight, looking for survivors. Again.

The smell of burning flesh was still abundant in the air. Anyone they would find would most likely not make it. Corpses littered the scene. It was a gruesome sight to behold, bodies with gaping holes within them, pieces of torn up arms and heads, torsos severed from the rest of the body. Gruesome indeed, but nothing unusual.

Jumoku signaled her, indicating he had found someone. Running over, Sakura found the Jounin holding a young woman in her late twenties. Red hair, made darker with the blood matted to her head, and sharp features made her appealing to look at. Wide, purple eyes looked around confused and panicked. Sakura knelt down next to her and inspected the insignia on the woman's forehead protector. She was from Suna it seemed.

"What's your name?" Sakura asked, sickly sweet. She had gotten tired of faking a kind tone to make it seem real. Now, she just opted for the fakest smile she could make, making it seem so fake, it appeared real.

The woman was off put at Sakura's smile but said, "My name is Riku Sora. I'm from Section 27, Squadron BLUE, and a registered Suna Chunin."

Sakura nodded, filing the information away to write down later. It was the standard response to be given if found by a medic. Just in case they didn't make it. It was too bad Asahi hadn't given her the standard. She only had his name and estimated age.

Jumoku shifted and turned to step aside so Sakura could attend to Riku, "Report, shinobi."

Again, Riku seemed a bit off put but answered anyway while Sakura healed the cut on her head and face. "Section 27, Squadron BLUE, Team 32, met an estimated 57 Zetsu and one unidentified shinobi wearing an orange mask. Kakashi-sama ordered for Team 32 to split up into smaller groups of three to take on the Zetsu, while he and another, I believe it was a man by the name of Naruto, pursued the shinobi in the orange mask as they headed east."

Sakura had noticeably stiffened when Riku had mentioned the names Kakashi and Naruto, but continued to heal as Riku finished her report. "What remained of the smaller groups when the Zetsu were finished, dispersed to continue to move forward. Team 32's original plan was to head west, but since Kakashi-sama had not returned, they opted to head back towards camp to report their findings. Camp is south of here, approximately 155 miles."

"How long ago did the battle take place? And why have you remained?" Jumoku asked, arms crossed.

Finished with healing the woman, Sakura leaned away and stood up, staring at Riku for her response. Riku fidgeted under their gazes and ashamedly looked back towards the ground.

"The battle ended about 45 minutes ago. I stayed behind to wait for a med nin to pass by….."

"And?" Sakura questioned. Riku wasn't telling them something.

Purple eyes flashed in remembrance and she looked around wildly, afraid of something.

"I had to," She said, haunted. "I was afraid. They had all left in a big group, but I could hear noises in the distance. Really loud noises. Screams, explosions, death. Something had told me to stay behind, and then I saw Kakashi-sama fighting that man and I- I just couldn't move…."

Jumoku glared at the woman, finding her selfish for not continuing on just because she had been afraid. Everyone was afraid, everyone got scared, but that was no excuse to hang back and let the others march ahead. Sakura, on the other hand, was glaring at the girl for a different reason.

"Where are they fighting now?" She asked, a coldness lacing her voice as her eyes penetrated through the shaken form.

Riku looked away again and mumbled, "Somewhere past that rock formation over there," pointing to a plateau in the distance. "There were a lot of explosions coming from over there earlier. A lot of anger. It got quiet about 20 minutes ago."

Before Jumoku could even say a word, Sakura was gone, sprinting towards the plateau where Riku had pointed. He grunted and gave a piercing stare towards Riku, before quickly running after Sakura. He frowned deeply, troubled and aggravated at her quick departure. This wasn't really like her. In the time he'd known her, Sakura had shown that she was good at keeping her emotions in check. Sometimes a bit too good, but nevertheless, it had never impacted her decision making. Until now at least.

Appearing in front of her head long sprint, Jumoku raised a hand up and planted his feet.

"Stop, Sakura-san. Whatever is happening over there doesn't concern you. We need to keep moving- find more survivors. That's why we're out here," Jumoku stated firmly, a hard line forming his mouth.

Sakura stared blankly at him, green eyes betraying nothing. She stood no less than ten feet away from where Jumoku stood, and she slowly advanced towards him.

"This is not where we should be, Sakura-san. You know this."

Jumoku was getting a bit worried. Something was wrong with her and it was making him nervous. He knew of her mind blowing medical skills, but he'd never seen her in action, although he'd heard many tales about her legendary strength. If he was forced to turn her around, things could get remarkably ugly.

Suddenly, a screech of rage was heard, along with a wave of malevolent chakra, and it bounced off the rocks and cliffs, shattering the quiet. The scream of anger awakened something, and Sakura stiffened, her eyes becoming sharp.

"Move, Jumoku," Sakura said, eyes staring past him and to the plateau.

"Sakura-san. See reason. We are not here to fight. You are here to heal. I am here to protect you. And if that means forcing you away from something, then that is was I'll have to do. Please, Sakura-san, don't make me-"

Before he could even finish his sentence, Sakura had darted towards him as another screech was heard. Dodging swiftly to the side, he avoided a pointed finger glowing with blue chakra. He wasn't sure what it was, but he was sure as hell not going to let it touch him. A dance ensued, Sakura jabbing fingers at him, while he deftly maneuvered out of the way of each blow. She was much faster than he had anticipated, as he barely missed a collision with her fists and another chakra laden finger grazed his vest.

"Doton: Doryūheki!" (Earth Style- Mud Wall)

A large wall, stretching about 25 feet in length, quickly rose up between Jumoku and Sakura, separating him from her blows to allow him a brief rest. He had been wrong though, as it crumbled to pieces from a punch from the other side.

Sakura, no, a she-devil, stood amongst the rubble, eyes piercing as the dust settled. Jumoku's eyes widened as she flash stepped over to him.

Since when could she do that? He thought as he quickly paired her shuriken with a kunai. Again, Jumoku was on the defense as he struggled to dodge her flying fists. Another scream shook the landscape, and yet another wave of chakra following it. It only seemed to anger Sakura as she became faster with her movements, beginning to focus more on vital areas on him, aiming for his face, neck, and stomach. It was no longer a game, Jumoku realized. Sakura was going to seriously fight him to get to whatever was on the other side of that plateau.

A flash of color to his right distracted him, and it was in that split second that Sakura was able to land a blue finger on his arm, jabbing him by his shoulder. It fell uselessly to his side and Jumoku stared at it in bewilderment. He tried to move it, but got nothing in response.

Another flash of color to his left caught him off guard as it barreled into him, causing him to fall on his side, his right arm unable to catch him. Pain in his left shoulder left him squirming uncomfortably, as the weight resting on him shifted.

Attempting to get up, Jumoku's head was roughly shoved into the dirt, a hand restricting his movements with his left arm.

"Don't do this Sakura," Jumoku said, staring at the figure that now towered over him.

"I had warned you to move. I have to get over there," Sakura glanced at the weight that rested on his back. "Riku, get off him."

Riku moved, and tumbled off of Jumoku as he jerkily got up, "Sakura, my mission was to protect you-"

"Your mission was to make sure my back was covered while I was healing. Nothing more, nothing less. I don't need protecting. Now, you will either let me through or I will make you stay put. Permanently if I have to," Sakura's eyes were cold as she said this, daring him to protest or concur what she had said.

Jumoku searched her eyes, hoping beyond hope that she wasn't serious about it. That she wasn't willing to kill him just to get to the screeching. He found nothing though, as he looked into those hard, unforgiving eyes.

He relented, sighing as he stepped to the side and bowed his head. She was right, after all. His mission had been to just watch her back while she healed. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He wasn't even sure he'd be able to stop her if he tried. He was already down an arm, and Riku had appeared out of nowhere, appearing to take Sakura's side in this fight. Two against one weren't ideal odds, and he'd like to be able to come back home and see his son again. This fight wouldn't be worth it in the end.

A firm nod and a cloud of dust later, Sakura was gone.

As soon as she had left, Riku gasped and fell to her knees. She looked around in a daze, and spotted Jumoku.

"W…. what happened?" She asked, still looking around bewilderedly.

A hard stare met her question and then, "We fought. Sakura-san left. You assisted her leave."

Dumbfounded, Riku slowly shook her head, "No, that can't be right…. I- I was in Suna…. training. I-I would never fight you!"

Like a piece of glass shattering, it all became suddenly so sharp and clear to Jumoku. Sakura had cast a very potent Genjutsu upon Riku, forcing her to think she was just doing some type of "training exercise" while she had been helping Sakura bring him down. He hadn't noticed her cast it, didn't even feel the pulse of chakra embedded in it.

His eyes widened in acute horror as he looked towards the pink blur that was on the horizon now. Riku watched him confusedly as he brought up his hands and whispered, "Kai."

The landscape around the two suddenly shifted, morphing into one of destruction. The ground was split, shattered rocks were scattered, and the wall Jumoku had risen up earlier had been completely decimated. Before, there had just been a single, large hole, big enough for three people to fit in. Now, the very edges of the wall were crumbling off, the rest of it turned into pebbles and dust.

Jumoku had whipped his head back towards the kunoichi that had previously been sprinting towards the plateau in the east, but found nothing. There wasn't even a plateau there, just barren land and a small, dying tree. Doing a full 360, Jumoku stumbled on the ground as his leg gave out beneath him. He cried out in pain as he fell on his knees, a sharp stinging feeling in his shin. Looking down, he noticed the frayed edges of his pants and saw the bandages there. Another part of the Genjutsu, apparently, covering up wounds that would impair him should he give chase. He wouldn't have noticed it if he had started running, but it was obvious Sakura had done something to his leg so he wouldn't be able to use it well whilst going at high speeds.

Damnit… Jumoku thought, as he looked around for some indication that Sakura was still in the general vicinity. He had also realized she had switched around their sense of direction (temporarily he guessed) so he currently had no idea which way he was facing, if it was north, south, east, or west.

Turning back to Riku, it seemed she was also disoriented from the Genjutsu. She clutched her head and squeezed her eyes shut, before vomiting all over her front. Coughing out a few strands of bile, Riku turned to look at Jumoku as well. Both of their faces were contorted in an odd grimace, neither of them having the strength or balance to get up.

"Which way is east?" Jumoku asked, his right arm clutching his immobile left. He hoped it wasn't permanent.

Riku groaned and clutched her head again, "I…. I think it's-"

Before she could say anything else though, the ground shook violently, causing them both to fall onto their knees once more. The Earth trembled and swayed, throwing them around, and both thought an earthquake was happening before a sound wave hit them.

A BANG had their ears ringing and their eyes rolling back into their skulls as the sound hit them, knocking Riku onto her back. It was so loud, Jumoku thought his ears were bleeding, the sound was so punctuated in his head as it reverberated and echoed off the surrounding area.

He could hear Riku screaming before all went silent. The Earth had stopped shaking, and a horrible high pitched squeal rang through his ears. He could tell that Riku was still screaming, as her mouth was left wide open and her hands were covering her ears, but he couldn't hear it. All he could hear was that awful ringing. Ringing. Ringing. Ringing.

Oh kami…. He thought as he raised his right arm to his ear and snapped his fingers. Nothing. He did it again. Nothing. He did it a third time. Nothing. There was nothing. Nothing. No sound. No click. Nothing. Nothing.

He looked over at Riku and saw her lying on her back, mouth still open, eyes staring right into the sun. They were glazed over and looking at nothing. Nothing. She lay absolutely still, her hands resting by her head, palms facing skyward. A trickle of blood began to pool around the sides of her head, leaking out of her ears. He crawled over to her, staggering on his weight as his useless arm and leg gave out.

Slumping beside her, he reached out two fingers and felt for a pulse. Nothing. He reached for her hand and placed it in his lap and felt her wrist. Nothing. Awkwardly shifting, he leaned down and placed his head on her chest before stopping cold.

Right. He couldn't do that. He had gone deaf.

He opted for placing his hand on the left side of her breast. Hoping to feel some sort of vibration, any indication at all, that her heart was still beating. He waited. And waited. He kept his hand absolutely still, straining his remaining senses for some sort of sign. Any sign.

But got nothing.

He jerked himself away from the body, heaving himself as far as possible from it. He laid down in the fetal position, covering his ears with his hands. He rocked slowly, oh so slowly. He should've been able to hear the shift of the fabric of his clothes, or the crunch of gravel underneath him, or his heavy breathing. He should've been able to hear. But he couldn't. He didn't hear anything. He heard nothing.

Staring straight ahead, Jumoku looked at a large rock. It was a plateau. The plateau Sakura had left them to go to.

Scrambling to his knees, Jumoku began to claw his way across the landscape, passing rubble and small cracks in the Earth. He was yelling obscenity after obscenity, but who was he to know if he actually was? He couldn't fucking hear.

"Damn you Sakura!" he screamed into empty air, ringing still clanging in his skull. "Damn you!"

Repeating nonsense over and over again, Jumoku dragged himself along, his pants tearing and his useless left arm trailing behind him. He had obeyed her. He had stepped aside. He had done as she had asked. He had followed every single damn order from her and the Hokage. He'd been a good shinobi! And this was what he got! This was what he fucking got!

Falling forward, Jumoku hit his chin hard on the ground, biting his tongue in the process. He lay there, panting harshly as the afternoon sun glinted down on him, few clouds drifting lazily across the sky. Blood dribbled down his chin and Jumoku glared at the rock formation in the distance. His glare was so filled with hatred, absolute malice rolling off of him in waves as he lay there, defeated. And then….. The proud, war hardened, battle ready Jounin... wept.

He cried for so much and yet so little. This wasn't the worst injury he had ever received, but the implications behind it were enormous. He'd never be able to hear his son again. He'd never be able to hear him laugh, or shout, or talk, or tell him how his day had been. He'd never hear his son call him "Papa" ever again, or hear his wife whisper lovingly in his ear. He'd never be able to listen to the people he had loved and cared for the most.

And all because he had listened to the call of war and followed it.

Appreciate everything around you before moments turn into memories.

If someone were to happen upon the scene, they'd find the body of a dead woman, her face still contorted in a scream of agony, and the sad shell of a man who could no longer hear and wept for the loss of it all.

And because neither could hear it, one being dead and the other condemned to a fate worse than death, they missed the forlorn keening coming from the plateau and the sounds of birds chirping that followed it.


I realize that Sakura's actions may have been a bit out of character, but please remember. This is war. There is no time for making irrational decisions and leading head first with your emotions. Sakura knows this, as she had learned the consequences of it in the first year of the war. Though she retains most of her emotions inside of her, they occasionally slip out, as seen when she hears about Kakashi and Naruto's fight. Thank you so much to everyone that reviewed! I honestly didn't expect such positive feed back! I'll update ASAP, since the next chapter will finally have the actual Time Traveling bit. Thanks again!