Disclaimer: I do not own Naruto, its characters, its storyline, or any related trademark.
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Pairing: SasuSaku
Summary: Outside, the war is over but, inside Sakura's heart, the war has only just begun.
Prompt: Bravado
Rating: K
Warnings: Possible spoilers
Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who's been reviewing!
Brave Faces
by: theevilmuffin
x-x-x-x
When Naruto stumbles into the Konoha War Camp after a five day disappearance, bruised but smiling, everyone knows that the war is over. The cheers deafen Sakura as Naruto slams into her, crushing her into a bruising hug. Barely, just barely, she can hear him over the roars of celebration around them. "Is he okay?"
For once, she doesn't have to lie. "Yes," she says. For now, she thinks.
Naruto releases her with 'whoop!' and charges into the crowd, ready to celebrate. He meets Kiba mid-air, chest to chest, and knocks the Inuzuka to the ground, howling with laughter. He wraps an unsuspecting Shino in a bear hug and lifts the man off his feet for a moment before setting him down to grab Hinata. He spins her round and round until her face is so red it looks like it's about to explode, and then he keeps spinning. Finally, he trips and tumbles to the ground with her, taking Shikamaru with them.
The rest of the Konoha 11 seem to collapse on the dog pile (mostly through the powerful, youthful shoves from Lee) and Sakura just smiles and watches from a distance. Naruto flails and laughs under the combined weight of Akamaru, Chouji, and a very embarrassed Hinata. Next to him, Shikamaru sighs and lets his gaze rest on the clouds above.
Sakura shakes her head and ducks into the medical tent next to her to check on her patient. The noise, it seems, has woken Uchiha Sasuke from his slumber. His face is set in a scowl and the muscles in his jaw jump whenever there is a particularly loud noise or high pitched scream from outside. His eyes flicker as they watch a small part of the celebration through the opening in the tent.
Sakura knows they are both putting on brave faces. This is Naruto's victory, and yet…
Sakura looks to Sasuke, who lays, broken, and feels contempt rise within her with every cheer from outside. The ones who celebrate Naruto's victory, who feel guilty for his hard upbringing, are the very same ones who will fight to have Sasuke condemned to death when they return to Konoha – Sakura knows this, and it makes her sick.
Still, she smiles when someone pokes their head in – curious of her whereabouts (After all, she is Sakura, and Naruto and Sakura are supposed to be inseparable. But that's not true, her mind argues, all of Team 7 – Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura – are supposed to be inseparable.) – and tells him, "As long as I have a patient, I'm afraid I'm still on duty."
The man gives a disdainful sniff at Sasuke, who doesn't even bother to glare back, and quickly returns back to the party outside.
"Ridiculous," Sasuke huffs once they are alone again.
Sakura knows he can see through her mask.
"I could say the same about you," Sakura murmurs.
She sits next to him and rests her hand over his. His arm twitches, but he makes no move to break the contact.
The celebration thunders outside, transitioning from cheers to drunken laughter. As the clamour of triumph roars to a peak of deafening noise, Sasuke speaks the words he wants no one to hear, when he is most sure that no one will.
"I don't want to die."
Still, Sakura's hand tightens around his.
x-x-x-x
END
