Sakura had no choice but to wait till her chakra was rejuvenated. It was agonizing, knowing there was something she could do, anything to help. But she couldn't. She was stuck there accompanied by the lifeless bodies of her two friends, not being able to help her village because of her stupidity. Her energy had been restored only a little, minutes later, but she could not take the waiting anymore. She hauled the two corpses with a portion of her strength, trying to stop the tears cascading down her bruised face. This was a stupid time to let them fall.
Sakura limped to her village, or rather what was left of it. The village was in ruins, buildings were on fire and dead bodies lined the streets. She looked all around, desperate to find a living being yet avoiding the corpses, afraid of finding a familiar face. She gently set her friends down, to make her search easier. She didn't find anyone, anyone alive. But she did find some others. Ino, once her best friend, was a bruised corpse with stab marks along her stomach. It looked like she hadn't died alone at least; she was in the arms of her boyfriend, Nara Shikamaru. His condition was worse, macabre scars and wounds visible all along his body. After exploring the whole town, Sakura saw the bodies of all friends. All the people she grew up with, laughed with, lived with, were dead. Hinata, Neji, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, TenTen, Rock Lee, and many others died as heroes. They all did. Sakura tried to keep her emotions together at the sight of each death.
Sakura had lost all hope. No one survived. She murmured to herself over and over, trying to keep calm her mind. Then, she heard a noise, a sound that was not coming from her. She saw a figure on the ground, a moving figure.
"S…..S…Sa-Saku….ra…?"
"TSUNADE-SAMA!"
"…Sakura…I'm glad you're alive…"
"Shishou…."
"Sakura. Is anyone else…?'
"No. I've looked around the village. There are no survivors."
Tsunade's blackened eye crinkled and Sakura knew she was holding back tears.
"Shisou, what happened to you?"
"I fought Pein. I wasn't powerful enough to beat him. My strength was lessened by the healing slugs I sent to assist the injured."
Sakura noticed that some of her wounds seemed fatal.
"Tsunade-sama, I need to treat your wounds."
Tsunade closed her eyes.
"No, Sakura. Do not waste your energy on me. My life is almost gone. You are a medic, you should know."
Desperate tears erupted from Sakura's eyes.
"No, Shishou. I've already lost everyone."
Tsunade felt too tired, so tired her eyes began to close.
"I won't lose you."
Sakura lifted her fragile mentor into her back and made her way into the medical tents.
A day later, Tsunade was settled into a futon that wasn't badly burned. Her conditions were still bad but they were better than yesterday's. The Hokage had only woken up once before and even that was only for a few moments. When Sakura wasn't tending to the Hokage's or her own injuries, she was burying bodies. Each and every one of them. Everyone deserved a proper burial. Naruto and Sasuke were the first and most painful ones. She tried to keep them quick and emotionless. But every time she failed.
As she was finishing the fifty-seventh burial of the day, she felt a presence. It alarmed her mostly because she did not have much chakra left from all the healing and burying she had done. A moment later, she was face to face with a member of the organization that destroyed her village. And she had thought all of them dispersed after the destruction. How wrong she was.
"Well, well, well, what do we have here, un?"
"Deidara."
"Ah, Sakura-san, I'm surprised you're still alive, un."
"What the hell are you doing here?! Aren't you freaking happy you destroyed Konoha? Isn't that enough?!"
"Well, actually I was just sent here to make sure there aren't any survivors, un."
"You're going to kill me."
"Oh yes, but first….Pein didn't tell me I couldn't have fun while doing it…"
"Get the hell away from me!"
"Oh Sakura-san, Art isn't the only bang if you know what I mean, un."
Deidara walked closer and she froze. She tried to run but she could not move. Her body was constricted by invisible chakra strings. He must've set it up before! And she did not even notice. How utterly weak and stupid she was.
"Shut up you bastard."
"Oh Sakura-san, I'm amazed you're not insane yet, what with the things you've been through."
"You know, it was your fault that this happened, un."
"W-what?"
Sakura didn't want to admit it, but deep down she had an inkling it was her fault, too.
"I was paying special attention to you. When you left your post, the medical tent was obliterated. Guess they were scared of you, un. But when you left… well, they didn't hesitate to eliminate the only comfort offered to injured people. So in short, several ninjas could've been saved if only you hadn't disobeyed orders."
"I…I…"
"Speechless, un? I thought so. Wow, what a weakling you are, no wonder Naruto-kun told you to stay out of the fight."
"What the hell was the reason you were watching me in the first place?!
'Well…that was my mission. But really, I didn't have to do much; you aren't much of a threat, un."
"Shut up!"
"You're the reason they died."
"Shut up!"
"Because you were too weak to fight for yourself"
"Shut UP!"
"And-"
"SHUT THE HELL UP!"
"-you should have died along with the rest of them."
Sakura stopped breathing.
He was right.
She should have died along with them.
"I'm right, aren't I? Your face tells me everything. Don't you know a real ninja never shows emotion, un?'"
Sakura struggled to break free of her bindings.
"Oh no, little ninja. You aren't going to move and punch me. I've been warned about what little power you have."
He walked even closer.
She was panting violently.
"You know, you're only really good for one thing."
"Shut up, shut up, SHUT UP and GET THE HELL AWAY FROM ME!"
He placed an arm on her shoulder, his smirk threatening.
"Please, please….please." She swallowed her pride and begged.
"Why the tears, un? Soon, you won't feel anymore pain. Soon…you'll be dead."
With the kunai he retrieved from his weapon pouch, he pointed it to her neck. Slowly, he dragged it down, tearing at the collar of her shirt. Blood dribbled down her neck as he sliced deeper. Sakura cringed, afraid.
He placed a hand on her face, tracing the shape of her lips.
Disgusted, Sakura bit his finger.
"You BITCH!"
And then he punched her. Hard, so hard she felt her jaw dislocate.
He raised his fist to punch her again and she braced herself for the impact.
But it never came.
"Sakura. Hide."
She found that her bindings were broken, rendering her free to go. She wasted no time in getting away. She laughed bitterly at her cowardice.
Deidara smirked as he faced an old enemy yet again.
"Well, well, what brings you here, un?"
"Revenge."
