Sakura got up at four in the morning unable to sleep more. Ever since she went to the Fire temple she could only sleep for maximum five hour a night. The nightmares and voices were too loud in her head to let her sleep more. She made herself coffee in the comfortable kitchen and sat on the porch to enjoy the sunrise. As she was holding the cup she looked at her scarred hand. She remembered the countless times she tried to heal the burns but failed then the familiar dark voice she was now used to growled:"Deal with it. Nothing can be perfect. You have to be grateful to me that I at least gave you back the ability to use chakra."
Sakura took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Focusing on the noises around her she let them overtake her whole mind. The monks at the Fire temple taught her this technique in order to calm your mind and body and she used it draw a blank page in her mind as well. She then looked around:"My home is almost the same as it was." She thought and smiled to herself:"I wonder when the boys will come back?"
Tsunade looked around the now destroyed training ground with surprise. She felt that Sakura's strength had increased significantly as her speed. She eyed her student who was standing next to her and said:"You have become stronger." Sakura only smiled and awkwardly scratched the back of her head:"Did I tire you Shishou?" Tsunade merely smirked:"Not at all."
They walked back together to the Hokage tower so they can talk about future meetings and when Sakura would be able to return to her duties. As Sakura was talking Tsunade took the time to examine her. She really seemed better, that former shelf of her she saw in the hospital bed had disappeared and Tsunade found herself asking:"Did you manage to pick all of the pieces." Sakura stood silent for a while watching the motion of her booted feet as she was walking. The slight breeze was making the strands of free hair move around her face like halo. Her soft pink lips curled into a smile:"I picked up those who could be salvaged. The others I am trying to forget."
The team seven trio was walking back to Konoha enjoying the nice weather and the life around them. When the red gates of Konoha finally came into view they quickened their pace. All three of them wanted to go home take a shower and relax and forget the failed mission. When they were spotted by Izumo and Kotetsu one of them shouted:"Hey guys, hurry up we have some news." Naruto gave Kakashi and Sasuke a questioning look but both of them just shrugged their shoulders. Once they got to the desk Izumo said in an excited voice:"You will never guess what happened yesterday."
Sasuke took the clipboard and after signing his name into the returned column and handing it to Kakashi said in an indifferent voice:"If it's some petty village rumors I don't care." Kakashi closed his eyes and thanked the heavens that most of the shinobi in the village were used to Sasuke's behavior now and didn't care if he cut them off like that but he still was interested in what the two chuunin had to say:"So what is it? You two usually learn stuff last since you are all day here."
Both of them men grinned at each other and Kotetsu said in a proud voice:"Yes but we were the first to see Sakura-chan when she walked through the village gates." Three heads snapped in their direction and then Naruto almost screamed:"Sakura is back in the village!" Both Izumo and Kotetsu nodded and before they could say anything more Kakashi, Naruto and Sasuke were already gone.
Tsunade was in her office reading through her usual large amount of paperwork. Her focus disappeared when she heard some large commotion outside her office door. The muffled voices were coming closer and while she was trying to figure out what was the problem Naruto burst through the door excitement and happiness written all over his face:"Baa-chan is it true. Is Sakura-chan really here in the village?" The Hokage simply smiled and wrapped her hands under her chin:"I guess good news travels fast." Naruto's face lit up even more as he turned his head towards the door to welcome Kakashi and Sasuke into the room:"Guys she is back she really is here."
Tsunade averted her gaze to the other two shinobi in the room. Both Kakashi and Sasuke seemed cool but under the exterior you could see that they were also excited from the news as their blond teammate. Kakashi greeted her in a manner and then said:"I guess that makes up for the mission. Has she been here?" The blond Hokage leaned back in her chair and said with a smirk while twirling the pen between her fingers:"She was here about ten minutes ago but she went see her parents."
Naruto suddenly turned around and made his way towards the door but was stopped by Tsunade's voice:"Naruto where do you think you are going?" Naruto turned to face her with a sad expression:"I am going to see her?" Sasuke puffed a breath out:"Dobe we need to give our report first." The Hokage the followed:"Plus the girl hasn't seen her parents in a year are you sure you want to ruin a family reunion." Naruto crossed his arms in front his chest like a little child and muttered a slight:"Okay."
"Mom this is enough I am full already." Sakura knew her mother was going to cook food enough for an army but she didn't expect she had to eat half of it. Mebuki replied in a motherly tone:"Nonsense look how skinny you are. You need to eat." Sakura simply shook her head with a smile and averted her gaze to her father. She felt his gaze on her the whole time and knew he had to say something to her. She placed her gloved hand over his and smiled. Kizashi returned her smile and turned to his wife:"Mebuki can you please take out some sake."
Mebuki threw him a somewhat horrific look:"It's only noon. What are you thinking?" He made a happy face and simply said:"Our daughter is finally back. We should celebrate." Mebuki stood up and was muttering something under nose as she excited the living room of their small house. Then Sakura finally broke the silence:"It must be something really important you want to tell me since you made mom leave." Her father chuckled and gave her a loving look:"Nothing goes by those sharp senses of yours does it?" Sakura merely shrugged her shoulders with a knowing smile which earned her a laugh from his side. He then became serious once again:"My daughter the hero of the shinobi world."
Sakura tensed at his words and locked her gaze on the patterns of the table cloth. She never imagined that her father would come to see her as a hero. She always thought that in his mind she will always stay his little girl. His little cherry blossom. As if knowing what exactly she was thinking he continued:"Sakura-chan don't think that will change anything. You will always be my most precious. But however I know that in the near future things will be different for you. And what I want to say is that whenever you need me and your mother you will always find us here ready to help."
Sakura felt the tears coming but she managed to hold them back since her mom was coming back and Sakura didn't want to ruin the already pleasant mood. She felt her dad squeezing her hand back and she managed to smile and greet the never dying question from her mom:"So Sakura have you decided if you will retire as a shinobi?"
Sakura decided to walk through the civilian district in order to get home. When she was taking her usual route she saw and heard all of the shinobi talking about her and pointing at her. Their admiration awoke the voices in her head and she felt like her head was going to burst. It was somewhat amusing thought. Being formally greeted by people she wasn't sure she knew or whose names she just couldn't remember. Sakura took a deep breath and let it out. She massaged her temples while she was walking:"They acknowledge the power you have. They will seek you for protection and that itself is power."
Sakura came to know what exactly the trigger to the dark voice was. Power, violence, killing anything you can do to cause harm and disorder it made it happy. She pushed the thoughts she had earlier away and found the silence in her head once more. The time she was struggling with her inner demon she didn't notice how fast she actually got to her new home. Once she got on the porch she decided to sit there for awhile so she can get her thoughts straight. She leaned her head back and closed her eyes while taking in deep breaths. Her meditation exercise was interrupted by a loud familiar voice:"Sakura chan!" Her eyes snapped open and she couldn't hold her smile while watching her teammates quickly approaching her house.
So here is the new chapter and for the next one I will try to be faster :) Enjoy :)
