Yay! Two chapters up in ONE (count it, ONE) day! I'm really getting attached to this story, haha. It's fun. And angsty. REALLY angsty. As another pairing warning, I'll probably end up pairing Shikamaru and Ino together, just incase somebody will hate me for not telling. But seriously, pairings are not the reason I'm writing this story. Really, it's because Team Seven is the best, most ass-kicking, team there ever was. I was really tempted to make it a NaruSasuSaku fic, but I tried and failed, so NaruSaku it is. Anyway, like I said, not written for romance specifically, but who doesn't love a rose here or there? Haha. I love this chapter, I love Ino, I love Sakura, I love Tsunade, I (spoiler) loved Kakashi, I love Shikamaru, and despite his total bastardly behavior, I love Sasuke.
Completely inanimate, Sasuke perched on a high-reaching ledge of the wall, soon joined by all three of his teammates staggered along the stone face wherever a protrusion could be found.
He knew the voices and faces on the other side. It was an odd sensation to see them all through his small peephole.
"No!" a single voice resonated above all others in the camp so tortured and mournful.
His eye swiveled to see Sakura pumping green chakra into an unidentifiable form.
"Sakura! You must stop this! There are-" Tsunade rested a hand on Sakura's shoulder, but the kunoichi instantly struck it aside, intense anger raging through her eyes. "There is nothing else you can do," the blonde's voice was much quieter.
Sakura ignored her and forced more of the chakra through her fingertips. Even from this distance Sasuke could see Sakura's efforts where all in vain, the silhouette was unresponsive.
"Sakura, listen to me! There are others here who need your help! I haven't got enough chakra left to heal more than one person, I can't have you waste your skills on a lost cause!" the Hokage shouted.
Tears of frustration began slipping down Sakura's cheeks, but she bit the insides of her cheeks and paid no attention.
Sasuke's breath caught in his lungs. No way. It wasn't-
"Sakura, serve your village! There are people dying, we need your help! Please, as your sensei, I'm begging you!"
"You're my master, not my sensei!" the pinkette screamed. Her eyes were closed to squeeze out all the tears and clear her vision. Her back was still to the Godaime, leaned over the hopeless patient.
"I know what it's like to lose a sensei, Sakura, but-"
"I HAVEN'T LOST HIM YET!" her shoulders shook.
"He's not breathing. He has no pulse."
Sakura flung herself over Kakashi's body and wailed like a small child. "Kakashi-sensei, please! Please don't leave us! Show Tsunade-sama you're still with us! I know you still care! Don't leave Naruto and me all alone! Kakashi-sensei!"
"Sakura, pick yourself up now!" Tsunade obviously had tears rolling down her cheeks. She chose to ignore them. "What is shinobi law twenty-five?" she bit her lip as she finished.
Sakura's body wracked with convulsing tears. "N-no matter wh-what the situation . . . a sh-shinobi must keep emotions on th-the inside . . . you must make your mission top, pr-priority . . . a-and you must possess a h-heart th-that n-never shows t-tears," she choked.
"Are you a shinobi?"
" . . . "
"Answer me Sakura!"
"I-I don't know!" she shouted.
"Listen to me Sakura," Tsunade said after Sakura had picked herself up. "Find Ino. I'll let you go out and look for Naruto if you can bring Ino here to do the healing."
Pink hair whirled as Sakura faced her master. "You'll-"
"Sakura," Sasuke pivoted his gaze to see Ino approaching, Shikamaru practically slung over her shoulder. One of his legs was bent at an unnatural angle. "You've got to pick yourself up!"
"Ino," the pinkette murmured, averting her gaze, one hand still absent-mindedly on Kakshi's chest.
"Sakura, get your ass into gear! Naruto's out there going crazy chasing after Pein! He needs your help!" Ino began gently propping Shikamaru by a large chunk of loose wall.
Sakura's fists clenched. "After all this time, still the only thing I can do is cry!" she howled angrily.
Ino knelt before her, grasping Sakura's shoulders and forcing Sakura's green eyes to meet her blue. "That's not true! Please, Sakura, believe in yourself. You are strong enough to do something, to help. Crying doesn't mean you're weak; it means you're human. Sitting there and refusing to move on, that's weakness. I know you aren't weak, Sakura. I've always known. Please save your friend. Once you've done that, you and I will get through this together, I promise. But for now, you need to save Naruto."
"Ino . . . " she stared at her friend, then threw her arms around the blonde's neck. "Thank you, Ino. Thank you."
Sasuke felt a faint stirring in his . . . gut? No . . . his heart?
