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Konoha, Training ground three

My heart beat erratically, every muscle in my body screamed in agony, pleading for me to cease my impulsive attacks but I carried on, my mind only set on the enemy a few yards away. My shadow clone. She stood there motionless, her pink hair waltzing in the wind just like mine did. Her eyes observed me curiously before moving down to my hands, which held shuriken glinting between each finger, the sun's rays dancing against their sleek, angled surfaces. Her emerald hues met mine once more; a mischievous glint clearly evident in them and it annoyed me to no ends.

She was a part of me that I created and she obviously could sense that I was at my breaking point, my limit. I had almost run out of chakra, my legs wouldn't be able to withstand my weight much longer and yet I still was determined to defeat her. I would not allow a mere shadow of myself exhaust me, no matter how much my body commanded me to stop. And so I threw all my shuriken at her, running towards the clone. Just as I had predicted she ran and threw some of her own, effectively knocking my set of shuriken out of the air, letting them embed themselves on the rough terrain all around us. We met at the center of the training ground, kunai collided with kunai before chakra-infused punches and kicks were being thrown. After several minutes I knew I had to change tactics, for the training session had gone on for too long and I would tire myself even more if-

'Sakura!' The warm, although slightly loud voice screamed for me, causing me to become unbalanced and giving my enemy an opening, which she gladly took advantage of. A chakra-bathed kick to the stomach sent me airborne for a few hundred meters before my back welcomed the earth painfully, my body too weak to react. My clone disappeared in a cloud of smoke with a smirk plastered on her face.

'Sakura!' What sounded like Naruto above me shouted in concern and I could only groan in response, my weakened self had just enough strength to stare up at the faces of my boys, Naruto and Sasuke. Naruto's cerulean hues looked worried but Sasuke's… Sasuke's obsidian orbs showed some hint of emotion, something I have rarely seen from him.

I forced myself to sit up and began to heal myself with what little chakra I had left. 'I'm fine,' I whispered after I had finished checking my body. Both boys sat in front of me, both their faces wearing a mask of seriousness and both were staring straight at me.

'Saku-'

'Naruto I said I'm fine' I cut him off, which didn't surprise him at all.

'Sakura, you shouldn't be training too hard. We hardly see you anymore.' It was Sasuke's turn to speak, his husky voice almost monotonous and his Sharingan seemed to see right into my very soul.

'Spill it.' I commanded. I knew they didn't come here for me, judging by their polished ANBU uniforms catching the light in wonderful ways, accentuating their lean, muscular builds beautifully.

Naruto started, 'Saku-chan, we're going on a mission.' He continued after he saw that the news had no effect on me. 'We're going on an S-ranked mission for a year or so, Sakura.' I gasped slightly. Both Sasuke and Naruto had made it into ANBU and were one of the few teams to only serve and obey the Hokage. Along with Team 1, Team 2 –consisting of Kakashi as Captain, Sasuke and Naruto- were the few who could take S-ranked missions on a regular basis and come back alive. But never have they taken a mission that would last for a year.

'Am I allowed to know? I asked, my voice still shaking from the shock of not seeing my boys for so long.

'No,' Sasuke responded, his voice was but a whisper, barely audible but still there. He looked up from the ground to take a quick glance at me but I already saw what I needed to see. Tenderness. From his eyes I knew it was a serious mission, one that could decide whether I ever get to see them again.

'Why can't your brother's team go instead?' I asked Sasuke. I couldn't keep the shakiness away from my voice, which didn't go unnoticed by the two male ninjas.

'Itachi already has a mission to go on,' Sasuke replied, 'and this mission requires our expertise, Sakura.' I looked at both of them straight in the eyes. Naruto's blue hues carried something akin to pain and Sasuke's held affection, something I have only seen once. And it was at that moment that I broke down, crying like my life depended on it. They both scooted closer, wrapping their arms around me tightly, hoping to cherish this moment like it was their last.

From today, Team 7 may be no more.

Konoha, Hokage's Office

'But Tsunade-shishou, they can't go!' I exclaimed, glad that the Hokage's office was soundproof. 'There's just no way-'

'Sakura-'

'You can't allow them to leave for that long!'

'Sakura just listen fo-'

'They're the brothers I never had-'

'Sakura!' Tsunade yelled back at me. I was unaware that she was actually trying to grab my attention but nevertheless I still looked back at her, her almond coloured eyes portraying her impatience and her anger. 'This mission is so confidential I cannot even tell you, their sister and best friend. I cannot let you know anything about it but I need you to trust them as well as your Hokage. I know for a fact that they will not fail me because they are one of the strongest teams under my command. Do you understand?' I reluctantly nodded in agreement, my pink tresses hiding my tears.

The fact that they were going to leave for so long was so overwhelmingly heart-breaking that I couldn't keep my usual cool composure in front of my shishou. Every part of my body cried for them to stay with me, but I knew they were only doing their duty for their village. Yet the pain still remained and I wept. Wept for my brothers' safety, wept for my futile attempt to keep them with me, wept for my selfishness. And it was at that moment that I felt it. The burning.

The searing pain that came like white hot fire racing down my back, producing my ear-splitting scream. I fell to my knees, and removed my top in a haste to relieve myself of the heat. I couldn't register Tsunade shout my name and I couldn't feel her hands come to my back to comfort me, but I knew they were there, and so I swatted them away like pitiful flies before I reached for my back and scratched. I scratched my skin like my life depended on these gestures; just to lessen the pain and I could feel my skin break under the brutal actions of my nails.

It seemed to work though for the pain subsided until it was a dull ache, and I opened my eyes to find them brimming with tears that have not yet coated my face. I finally heard Tsunade call for me, a muffled whisper but I still looked up from my lap to find her eyes focused on me with such fear and helplessness that for a minute she didn't seem to look like the Hokage. Instead she appeared like a mother who was powerless against the pain of her child, looking on in bewilderment. So I let her hold on to me, her touch gentle and comforting, and her healing hands already mending the broken skin of my back. The Hokage's office fell into a blissful silence, as we both sat there arm in arm, no one asking about the event that had occurred not even a moment ago.

And that was fine by me.

Land of Waterfall, The village of Raijin, The Royal Chambers

Amaranth pink hair tied up in a messy bun that inflated her beauty so much more, Queen Sumiko plunged her lithe and feminine body into her amethyst-encrusted bathtub. She sighed in pure contentment as the water wrapped around her body, encasing her in scents of fresh spring. Her maid-of-honor, Kamiko, smiled at her queen's pleasure before gathering said royalty's dress from the floor and planting it on the amethyst and golden chaise lounge by the gold-plated double doors that led to the royal chambers.

'Your Eminence,' Kamiko started as she sat by the bathtub, her voice harsh yet wise and soothing, 'I have heard from one of your Queen's Guard about your daughter.' She halted her words to grab the lavender scented soap and using it to lather up the bath sponge before working on the queen's body.

'Yes, Kamiko. She's alive and well, have I not told you before that I can feel her blood still running through her veins?' The queen asked, almost irritated that her maid-of-honor and closest friend couldn't recall their previous conversation. Said friend nodded minutely before Sumiko carried on in her low tone, 'I feel her strengths, her weaknesses, her pain, her solitude. She must come back home in order to become the heir that she rightfully is.'

'You are right, Your Eminence,' Kamiko started as she finished cleaning Sumiko's pale and flawless skin, 'But she was raised in a foreign country, unaware of the power that lies within her and so she may not be willing to listen to someone who, in her eyes, is not her mother. All I am saying, Your Eminence, is that you have to look at this from her point of view.' And behind the queen's jungle coloured eyes lied something akin to wonderment, like a child with a new toy. Sumiko rose from her bath, the scented water hugging her every curve with a lustrous shine as she stepped out of her tub and was welcomed in the arms of her warm golden bathrobe.

'You have yet to disappoint me, Kamiko,' her eyes watched Kamiko's slight smile explode into a grin as she mumbled a quick thank you, 'But I need you to go and bring Lord Commander Takashi this instant and have him in my chambers, I will get dressed myself.' Her maid-of-honor curtsied in response before she obeyed, leaving the queen to dress into a red and silky nightgown.