Chapter 6: First
Recommended Song: Rise by Katy Perry

"In the shinobi world, those that break the written and unwritten rules are deemed trash... but be that as it may... Those that would disregard their comrades so easily are even worse than trash. And those who don't have the decency to respect the memories of their comrades are the worst." -Hatake Kakashi

~. . . . . .~

News of Sakura's return was quick to circulate around the village, yet not all reactions were as positive as the guards and Naruto's had been. The first time a villager had spat at her feet, Sakura had been shocked. The next occurence had been when she had decided to buy some sweets for Shino; the shopkeeper openly dismissed the pink haired woman. Someone spilling their drink on her, slander across her belongings; words written such as 'Uchiha Whore', 'Traitor' and so on and so forth continued to appear around her. Dirty looks and harsh whispers surrounded her but Sakura kept her head held high; was this how Sasuke felt all the time?

Visiting her parents was a bittersweet occasion. Her harassers had the common decency not to target her parents which Sakura was grateful for but that didn't stop the awkward silences and lingering disappointment from filling the air whenever she sat down with Mebuki and Kizashi Haruno. The Haruno couple had always been supportive of their daughter's choices; to become a shinobi, to become the apprentice of Tsunade, to fight in a war to defend their home. They supported her and loved her unconditionally but that didn't mean they were without their own faults and sometimes love couldn't overcome everything.

Deep seeded disappointment filled Mebuki as she watched her daughter clean a wet stain from someone's wayward drink on her shirt. As a kunoichi; Mebuki was well aware that her daughter could avoid these projectiles if she saw fit, but the young woman opted to endure the abuse. Mebuki observed her daughter further as she watched the woman lower her hands to the sink and begin to wash them, almost meticulously. Sakura had grown into a beautiful woman; Mebuki's heart filled with such love and pride as she kept her gaze leveled on her daughter.

Then, Sakura reached for cherry blossom pendant dangling from her neck.

Disappointment, sorrow and anger filled Mebuki as her gaze fell to the single piece of jewelry. Sakura wasn't a materialistic individual and Mebuki knew her daughter better than most; the girl had not had that necklace when she left Konoha, it was not hard to place the pieces together. Sasuke Uchiha. Mebuki Haruno tried not to be a spiteful and judgemental woman, but the crimes and transgressions that boy had subjected her daughter to could not be forgiven so easily in her eyes. A mother's love was not something to be trifled with and Mebuki was glad she wasn't a shinobi herself otherwise she would have tried to hunt down the wayward Uchiha herself.

"Mom?" Mebuki was pulled from her thoughts as Sakura's voice registered in her mind and she refocused her gaze to see that her daughter now stood in front of her with a look of concern on her face.

A moment flashed before Mebuki's eyes; an image of Sakura when she was six standing in front of her with bright green eyes that sparkled with innocence and wonder. The image vanished and Mebuki met the gaze of her eighteen year old daughter; her eyes no longer sparkled with innocence and wonder but they held a quiet strength and determination in them. In that moment; all the negative emotions were swept away and Mebuki pulled her daughter into her arms for a tight embrace.

Sakura had made a lot of choices in her life; some of them good and some of them not so good, Mebuki wouldn't call them bad because her daughter had learned from them. The Haruno matriarch closed her eyes as she felt her daughter return her hug after a moment of hesitation. Growing up was such a hard thing especially during a time of war and violence, but Sakura had turned out just fine. She had blossomed into a fine woman in Mebuki's mind.

"Mom…?" Sakura's voice called out to Mebuki once more and the elder Haruno pulled back to look at her daughter with a small smile on her face. Tears beaded at the corner of her eyes and Sakura's eyes widened in alarm as she moved to look her mother over for injury but Mebuki halted her with a shake of her head as her hands moved to grasp her daughter's shoulders firmly.

"Sakura...I am so proud of the woman you have become," Mebuki praised her daughter out loud and a soft pink flush appeared on Sakura's cheeks before she moved forward to press her head against her mother's shoulder and Mebuki once again wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Mebuki slowly rubbed her daughter's back as she felt the woman begin to shake softly and the elder Haruno didn't say a word as she felt moisture begin to seep through her shirt on her shoulder. The war was over but Mebuki knew her daughter wasn't done fighting yet; but, this time the elder woman was determined to remain at her daughter's side.

A mother's love always came first.

~. . . . . .~

"I heard Ino and Sai are dating," Sakura's statement made Naruto pause in his rapid devouring of his favorite ramen dish. He slurped up the last of his noodles before he wiped his mouth with the back of his arm and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Yeah. Well, I mean, I guess," Naruto replied with a slight shrug and he turned his azure gaze to his pink haired teammate. Sakura wasn't looking at him; her gaze was focused on the streets of Konoha where a family was taking a walk. Her expression was thoughtful and Naruto was once again stunned by just how much he loved her.

Naruto wasn't artistic like Sai nor was he smart like Shikamaru; he didn't know fancy words to describe how much he loved Sakura or how he thought she was the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. The blond haired shinobi was a simple man and he was as straightforward as they came. Sure, there were times he was oblivious or maybe something just went completely over his head, but he wasn't an idiot.

"That's nice," Sakura finally opted to reply as she looked away from the street and Naruto offered her one of his brilliant smiles to which Sakura responded with a small one of her own.

Naruto began to tell Sakura about how his training as the next Hokage was going; the endless amount of paperwork and how Tsunade and Kakashi seemed to enjoy making him do the most boring tasks known to man. Naruto didn't realize how much he disliked filing and sorting until he had begun his tutelage under the two Kages. The topics of conversation jumped from one to another seamlessly and Sakura found herself laughing and smiling with each of Naruto's reenactments.

Her laughter was cut short as a shriek of surprise escaped her lips when something cold and wet drenched her from the top of her head and across her shoulders. The taste of strawberry soda registered in her mind as she closed her eyes in an effort to keep her tears at bay as well as keep the soda from getting into her eyes. She reached out blindly for a napkin to wipe her face even as she heard the sounds of angry shouts rear up around her.

"What the hell is your problem!?" Naruto's rage was nearly tangible as he glared at the civilian girl who didn't even pretend to look apologetic.

"I mistook her for a trashcan; it was an honest mistake," the girl clicked her tongue against her teeth as she waved her hand in the air dismissively and a growl escaped Naruto's lips as he moved to approach the girl. He had no plans to engage the girl in a physical fight, but he could speak his mind on how he felt about both her and her actions against his friend.

He was halted as he felt a hand on his wrist and he turned to look at Sakura; his breath caught in his chest as he took in the sight of her. Hair wet and dripping lightly; light pink droplets from the soda trailed down her cheek, her teeth had captured her lower lip between them. But it was her eyes that threatened to bring him to his knees in front of her.

Bright green orbs that shone with an emotion that Naruto couldn't place, but not a single hint of tears could be detected. No redness or tell tale sign of sorrow or anger could be detected; she was unshakable. Resolute. Naruto kept her gaze before he slowly reached passed her and picked up another napkin; his hand hovered near her face in silent question and she gave him a soft smile in acceptance.

Naruto began to quietly wipe the soda from Sakura's cheek and he didn't even acknowledge the civilian girl as she left muttering curses and slurs under her breath. His attention remained focused solely on Sakura and the pink haired girl remained still under his care; his heart raced in his chest as he realized the symbolism behind it all. Sakura was always taking care of him. Now he was finally able to return the favor; he felt his love for her grow.

"Thank you, Naruto," Sakura gave him a gentle smile and Naruto blushed under her gaze, before he shook his head and grinned at her.

"Always Sakura-chan."

Falling in love the first time was always magical.

Standing in front of the memorial stone; Ino looked over each of the names of those who had been lost during the war. Inoichi Yamanaka. He had expressed how proud he was of her and how he loved her; if he was watching over her now, Ino was curious as to how he would feel about her. Would he still be proud? Ino knelt in front of the stone and placed down the flowers she had gotten from the shop. She clasped her hands together, bowed her head and whispered a soft prayer before she stood up and turned to leave.

The blond kunoichi paused as she looked at the entrance and saw the current Hokage, Hatake Kakashi, standing there. He wasn't dressed in his formal robes but he still wore his shinobi attire; it was still strange seeing both of his eyes visible instead of the single one. Ino hadn't been close to the man in her time as a genin; sure she saw him in passing and even worked alongside his team occasionally but other than that they were virtual strangers.

"Hokage-sama," Ino inclined her head politely to Kakashi as she stopped in front of him and she watched as he seemed to cringe somewhat at the title. That was an odd reaction; perhaps he didn't like the formality?

Kakashi stood in front of Ino as the woman's sharp blue eyes seemed to penetrate through him; she was so much more like her father than she realized. Kakashi didn't know much about the girl outside of the fact that she was on Asuma's team and had passed the chunin exams a while back with Sakura.

The grey haired man cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck as he kept his gaze on the younger woman; he had heard through Naruto that Sai was dating her. Kakashi wasn't the type to delve or tune into matters that didn't pertain to him but at the mention of Sai of all people dating; well, it was enough to bring a shock to his system. So, the Hokage did a little bit of digging and he found out what he hoped was just a phase the woman had overcome.

"Good evening, Ino," Kakashi greeted the young woman with a polite nod of his head and Ino nodded her head once more, before she moved to walk past the man but was halted as Kakashi spoke up once more. "Take care of Sai...He really cares about you."

Ino's eyes widened a fraction, before she twisted her hands into the bottom of her shirt and bit her tongue hard enough to draw blood. What business did Kakashi have speaking to her about personal affairs? Was Sai even technically a member of his team? Sure; Sai was a member of Team Seven but he didn't work directly alongside the Copy-cat shinobi or any of the original members. Why was she being instructed to take care of him like he was someone of great importance and not a stand in?

A sharp jolt of awareness struck Ino as she registered her own thoughts; when had she become so callous and shallow to think like that? Sai was so much more than a substitute or replacement for Sasuke; he was his own person and he deserved to be treated as such. Yet; if that were truly the case then why was she with him and knew virtually nothing about him? Did he know anything about her? Did it even matter? They were both content.

"Thank you for your words, Hokage-sama. I will take great care of him," Ino murmured the words in a barely audible tone as she lowered her hands from her shirt and forced her body to relax. Sai loved her. He had expressed as much in words and with his actions; that's all that mattered. He loved her, he wanted her, he cared about her. She was his first...everything.

The first choice you make for your own happiness is the most powerful.

~. . . . . .~

Kakashi didn't speak up again as he watched Ino leave the memorial park and he turned his head to look at the stone where the names of several of his friends and comrades had been engraved. Who was he to get involved in the affairs of others? He had barely even managed to keep his team together. The guilt he had felt the moment Sakura left with Sasuke could not be described; not because he had any wayward attachment to his student but simply because he knew that there was nothing he could say that would sway her. He had failed her as a sensei countless times.

He raised his hand to touch the memorial stone and he closed his eyes; who had thought it would be a good idea for him to be Hokage? Did he love the village? Of course. Would he do everything within his power to protect it? That went without say. Was he the strongest shinobi in the village? Not by far; Naruto had earned his title as 'hero' well but he didn't have the experience needed to make the tough decisions. Kakashi did and so he took up the mantle of Kage-dom not only for the sake of the village but also for his student who still needed time to grow and mature.

While Sasuke was off on a journey for atonement; Kakashi was left to protect and care for the village alongside Naruto. As for Sakura...Kakashi wasn't sure what the single female member of Team Seven was doing; he had only seen her in passing since she had returned but from what he had seen and heard, she was growing up. Her return to the village had been received with mixed reactions; however, the young woman took the negative ones in stride.

Kakashi opened his eyes and turned his onyx gaze upwards towards the sky; he had promised Obito he would protect the village and he planned to do just that. But...Kakashi was beginning to realize that he hadn't done anything for himself. When was the last time he had made a decision for himself that didn't have a long term effect for an overall big picture? Even reading smut had been a decision to help him unwind and relax; sure, it was a hobby he enjoyed but ultimately it had been a decision he made to help better himself as a shinobi so he wouldn't make careless mistakes in his overtired state.

"Kakashi! My greatest rival! Let us go and regale the young ones with tales of our youth!" Might Guy's shout broke Kakashi from his reverie and he turned to see his wheelchair bound friend poised at the entrance with a blinding smile on his face.

The Hokage laughed to himself before he turned his attention to the memorial stone once more and offered a silent prayer as he came to a decision. He would uphold all of his promises to his friends and fallen comrades, but he would also take time to finally do what he needed to do in order to feel fulfilled and happy in his life. After all, he wasn't getting any younger.

He met Guy at the entrance and the retired shinobi began to speak joyously about how some new Academy students were inspired to focus solely on taijutsu. Kakashi listened with amusement and genuine content in his eyes as he walked along with his friend. Guy had the right idea on how to live a happy life; Kakashi would have to follow his example. His gaze flitted over the jumpsuit that Guy still opted to wear...well, maybe not all of the man's examples.

The first decision you make on behalf for your own well being….is the most fulfilling of them all.