A.N.: Thanks for all of your support, once more! The style is a little bit different than usual since this is a whole different point of view, but I hope you will still enjoy it.

Barebones - Interlude Chapter I: You are Awesome

When he first saw her, she shone like a dying star.

When he first saw her, she was in the middle of a fight against thin air, crying and swearing and sometimes letting out whimpers and pained words. Black fire consumed the grass around her feet - it melted the ground beneath the girl, literally crystallizing it.

She looked both like an all-powerful goddess and a deadly monster. Misho stared at her for a few seconds, wondering if it was a dream. He pinched his wrist and let out a little cry when it actually hurt.

Okay, perhaps it was some sort of hallucination. He was the one to forget about the secondary effects of certain chemicals, regardless of how much the rest of his family pulled their hair at the safety transgressions.

The kid just wanted some fresh air, after endless hours of insomnia. Even though the door of the refuge was locked every night, he had learned how to sneak in and out of closed spaces. It was the only way to get around the adults' restrictions.

Misho found her after hearing the strange twangs of bells, which he promptly followed. She was shining as brightly as the sun, so much that it was almost impossible to look at her without squinting. Her pink hair floated in the violent gusts of wind, jade eyes glimmering with tears of anger and sadness.

Black tendril-like marks snaked through her entire body, fuming with what looked like pure darkness. The boy noticed them very easily, because her clothes had burnt away. He didn't want to look for decency's sake, but the sight had him entranced in an instant.

It looked like the girl was performing a crazy dance. Her movements were chaotic and jerky, each of them triggered the bell rings he'd heard, different notes each time.

It felt like watching a wildfire consuming a forest, a landslide or a tsunami - something broken, or falling apart, torn to pieces by raw, uncontrolled power. Horrid fascination kept him on his spot atop a hill for a very long time.

"Misho? What-"

He immediately covered his brother's mouth with a hand, without looking away from the girl.

"I don't know," Misho muttered. The boy hadn't heard Soma's approach, but he was too focused on the pinkette to care too much. His absence hadn't gone unnoticed, was all he noted.

After a sigh of resignation, his younger sibling plopped down next to him. Whenever Misho didn't understand something, he could count on Soma to figure it out, analysing every detail carefully. That's the advantage of having a prodigy as a brother, he often thought.

They watched in silence, the spectacle of the girl's movements developing not very far from them. The black fire obscured their view of her overtime, until they could see nothing but a dark blur that caused stones to shatter and melt.

"I think she's out of it," commented Soma. His words broke the spell that had fallen over them. He got up to his feet and dusted off his clothes. Misho blinked - the black fire was gone, and now the girl lay on the ground, unconscious.

He wanted to walk towards her, but his brother's hand shot forward and grabbed his wrist, holding him back.

"Don't go alone again, alright?" Soma whispered. He proceeded to smack his head and pull him into a tight hug.

Misho nodded and returned the gesture, guilt gnawing at him now that he was back to his senses. His little brother cared for him a great deal and always worried for his wellbeing. Of course he'd notice if his sibling disappeared in the middle of the night.

"We should go back and tell," added Soma after they separated, glancing at the barely visible figure of the girl. "She looks like a normal person."

The boy didn't want to leave. Something about her seemed surreal. What if she just disappeared?

"I'll guard her," he replied, his eyes conveying his secret worry.

His brother always understood things that no one else did - and while Soma was quite respectful of rules and caution, he was always willing to help him out. So obviously, when he said this, his sibling just shook his head and rolled his eyes, saying he would be back soon.

Both of them knew Misho would inevitably give in to his curiosity and take a closer peek of the girl. Yet, his brother seemed to have figured out that she wasn't dangerous, and he would have trusted Soma with his life.

He only waited until his sibling was out of sight, to trot down from his hiding place and towards her. The air was hot and he had to avoid patches of melted ground and burning grass. If he had to compare it to anything, it would be the feeling of the atmosphere right after a lightning strike. Charged.

Actually, he could compare the whole experience to that: destructive yet beautiful, brief but intricate with detail, powerful enough to mark the ground and air around it. It left a mark, just like she had.

From up close, he was surprised to see she looked very young. Her body didn't even have many curves. The girl that had caused such a great impact on the landscape and him… she looked extremely vulnerable, real. She clutched a black feather in her hands, curled up on the ground she had just destroyed.

The dark marks covered her whole body, their pattern reminding him, again, of lightning. She was very hurt, starved and pale due to blood loss. She had a myriad of wounds in all sorts of places, most of them brimming with purulence and infection.

She was nearly dead, he noted with worry. How had she been able to do all these things, just half an hour ago? Misho noticed the little figure on her forehead - a purple rhombus, intertwined with the black tendrils.

Hesitantly, he reached out and pushed the wild strands of her hair out of her face, to see it clearer. She was so cold...

He knew it was a mistake when her eyes suddenly opened, darting around as if looking for a source of danger. He pulled his hand back as swiftly as possible, wondering what would she do now. The girl seemed to be delirious.

She was muttering things again, but even though now Misho was able to hear them, he couldn't understand anything. The moment her gaze managed to meet with his, it went unfocused, her features reflected deep panic.

"Calm down, please, you're safe," he whispered, in a vain attempt to reassure the girl. She didn't seem to listen, her whole figure shaken by shivers and her eyes closing once more.

It took a moment for Misho to notice that she must have been cold. He took off his jacket and covered her torso with it, trying to avoid touching her as much as possible.

It wasn't much, because he was quite a small kid and she had nothing on ner, but it was better than nothing.

"It's okay, miss," the boy added. The girl stopped quivering and blinked a few times, confusion and thoughtfulness reflected in her green eyes.

"N-Naruto?" she muttered. She attempted to raise a hand to his face, but didn't have the strength.

Without the slightest clue of what a 'naruto' is, Misho shook his head. The pinkette didn't seem to notice, she just whispered the same word over and over. He saw her desperation when she reached out to him and awkwardly held her hand.

The boy was surprised by how firm was her grip, her cool fingers closing around his smaller ones. She went quiet, closing her eyes again and features changed to a more peaceful expression.

Misho was frozen in place, his mind filled with questions and his heart beating a bit too quickly. All he did was wait until Soma came back with Mom and Dad, slightly fearful of disturbing this sudden tranquility.

The girl had lost consciousness, her hand gone limp and her breath barely present. They put her on a stretcher, taking her away from him. The boy noticed that her other hand still held the feather tightly, as they trudged back home.

What a strange person she was...

Her name was, funnily enough, Sakura Haruno. She was a kunoichi from Konoha and a very famous medic-nin. Almost legendary, and not even an adult. His whole family's abilities paled in comparison to hers.

Yet there she was, lying on the basement's floor and barely able to keep her heart working.

"She won't survive much longer," announced Mom, after they placed her there. As usual, she spoke with direct words. "We have to go back to the hospital, so it will be your task to make sure she doesn't suffer."

He noticed his brother's frown, an expression he usually did when he was deep in thought. It didn't take him much more time to speak out.

"Can't we put her to sleep?" asked Soma, throwing him an apologetic glance - he knew how much Misho liked the girl.

Mom shook her head, impassive.

"We don't have the right chemicals. You said she caused some destruction, and if her body's balance is broken, it could happen again. Just keep her drugged with the things we told you to use so she won't have any strength," she added. The medic hugged her children and turned to her husband.

When she and Dad left, Soma turned towards Misho with an air of severity to him.

"They're lying," he announced, teeth gritted. "There's a lot of ways to put someone out of their misery."

Misho glanced at Sakura and brushed her forehead with his fingers. Still cold… but alive. Why would Mom and Dad lie, though? They rarely hid anything from them, so whatever they wanted to keep a secret had to be very serious.

"I think they want to keep her alive," Soma added, definitely miles ahead of him. "She's important… but I don't know why did Mom say the opposite. Nothing of it makes sense," he continued, dejected.

The younger sibling had great admiration for their parents, so it hurt him quite a bit to realise they hadn't been honest. Misho was sure of the validity his judgement, but merely shrugged, drawing back his hand.

Misho's knowledge of the complex chemicals that Sakura needed to be put down was almost non-existent, so hadn't noticed the lack of logic in the situation.

"Well… Mom did say we had to take care of her. I don't think there's anything wrong with doing that."

Soma nodded, a plan forming in his mind. Misho busied himself with musical taps on the floor with his fingers, while he waited. After a few minutes, his brother had figured out what to do.

It was simple, really - they'd try to make sure she didn't suffer or perish. That would require using some of the strongest drugs, mainly painkillers, but it should give them enough time to wait for Mom and Dad to come back and tell the truth.

If Sakura ever woke up, no information about her real state should be mentioned.

The next days, however, proved themselves to be a bit more challenging than that.

Misho and Soma had been bantering about the strangest medics back at Yu. The oldest boy was sure that their impersonations were definitely flawless, his younger sibling laughing until he cried.

Then, Sakura screamed, scaring them nearly to death. It was a shriek of pure terror and pain - regardless of the drugs, her upper half jerked up and her eyes opened.

There was no fire, but the black smoke enveloped her with a wicked aura. The atmosphere immediately felt fuggy, as if a storm was about to be released. The strange energy sent shivers down Misho's spine. Like deer caught in the headlights, the brothers were frozen in place.

Sakura's eyes focused on an undefined point in space, her hands clutching her own legs so tightly she drew blood. Whatever she was experiencing seemed excruciating. There were stories about how she had been stabbed in the gut with a poisoned blade… and had barely flinched. This had to be something on a next level of pain.

Soma managed to snap out of it and ran out of the room, probably looking for the strongest drug in storage. Misho saw one of the pinkette's hands release its hold and reach forward in the air. For some reason, he knew what she was looking for.

When his brother came back with no less than three syringes, he found Misho kneeling next to Sakura. He held her hand and breathed heavily. It had hurt for a moment, but once the girl's gaze found his, she calmed down and fell back again.

Obviously, his sibling took less than five seconds to put aside the items he carried and smack his head. Misho grinned, but he felt very tired for some reason. Soma watched him lie down next to her, still holding her hand.

The youngest of the boys sighed and dragged a heavy blanket towards them, sitting next to bedroll and using it to cover everyone up.

"Thanks."

Misho received a half-assed smack on the head for his troubles.

Over the next days, they had to learn to keep a distance from Sakura whenever posisble. The energy that seemed to fill her body and the air around her was dangerous. It had burnt a few blankets, her own new clothes, syringes and even a little bit of Soma's hand.

Misho insisted on being the one to take care of her. His brother obliged, conscious of his fascination with the pinkette. It was an unspoken agreement between them - whenever one had a special interest in something, they'd get out of each other's way.

"She's… healing," the boy muttered, surprised. Soma scooted closer to take a peek, not very convinced.

They knew the girl should be in a near-death state, but against all odds… not only was she very far from that, Sakura was getting better.

Over the last days, she had started to mutter things in her sleep, mostly strange words they knew nothing about. And now, she was almost good enough to fully wake up.

She did, with an amused snicker. Apparently, she heard the two brothers casual bickering, as per usual when they had nothing better to do. They had argued about if she was asleep or not, so that was their answer.

Soma let Misho take care of the situation, keeping his distance. The eldest soon fell into his cheerful and carefree behavior, fueled by genuine happiness. He immediately befriended the pinkette, who seemed to accept his attention pretty nicely. The only lie he had to tell Sakura was about why their parents were gone.

Misho's growing admiration for her didn't seem to be hitting a limit anytime soon. The only way he could describe Sakura was with the word 'amazing'. She was a strange mix of a hero and a big sister.

He noticed Soma had been a bit too quiet lately, probably because now he had no one to talk to very often. His solution was to add him to the party without a second thought.

"I can't keep something so cool just to myself," Misho laughed, watching his brother smile.

Sakura's recovery was impressive, they had to agree on that. She was walking and clearly tried to get back on her feet as soon as possible. Most other people would need weeks to maintain fluent conversations, but she… she plainly refused to give up.

Even then, her dreams were usually plagued by nightly horrors. That much they could tell by her whimpers and whispers of nonsensical words. The dark marks on her skin seemed to react to her distress, fuming when she didn't feel alright. They had been dubbed 'black worms' and, strangely enough, she couldn't see them.

Misho spent many nights by her side, regardless of the danger, holding her hand. It left him exhausted and sometimes his fingers ended up with small burns, but it was the only thing that seemed to be able to calm her down. If she knew, she didn't say anything.

Sometimes she was in a dazed state, getting lost in her thoughts. Even if the drugs weren't enough to her down, it was likely that her ability to remain attentive wasn't at its best. He was used to Sakura's tendency to trail off mid-sentence and long periods of silence.

Another thing started to bother both Soma and him - Mom and Dad were taking a very long time to return. Even though they were usually busy people, they should have come back a while ago.

Misho's insomnia kept him from sleeping after a day of worry, so he decided to go for a walk outside. He stumbled upon the kunoichi and figured it would be as good of a time as ever to tell her about the brothers' idea of going back home.

Sakura was clearly determined to head for Yugakure soon, so of course, he requested to tag along. He had even discussed the reasoning with Soma, when they considered a plan to try and contact their parents. After considering it very thoroughly, she reluctantly agreed.

Misho ran, against Soma's attempts to hold him back. Sakura was… losing it. Something happened, perhaps a detail they had missed, triggered a reaction that caused her state to become similar to the one they found her in.

Except, this time, she was fighting against Yugakure's medics. And judging by the state of their bodies, they were about to be literally melted.

"Sakura!" he screamed, in an attempt to call for her attention. If only he had a moment, to catch her hand… that always worked. It had to work.

She turned towards him, eyes clouded by insanity. He froze in his tracks. That look… it was nothing like her. It was scary and wrong and broken.

He shook with fear, feeling her pain and anger as it radiated towards him. It was almost physical, and every fiber of his being hurt. At least, she had stopped her attack... Misho closed his eyes and extended his arm, hand open for her. If this didn't work…

To his surprise, the boy could feel her approach, the killing intent almost gone. Her fingers brushed against his, sending a jolt of chakra througout his body. When their hands were fully in contact, it burned, as if her same black fire cursed his veins.

But Misho didn't let go. Instead, he held tighter. In the tense silence that surrounded them, he heard Soma gasp.

Did his little brother stay back on purpose, because he knew the plan would work? It sounded like he was counting on him to defuse a trap, waiting in stressed expectation. Did he… believe in him?

The boy thought about many things about life, very aware that it might end in any moment... and for some reason, it felt nice that someone thought he could be useful. Even if it was just to stop Sakura from hurting herself and other people. So nice...

His thoughts lost their track, vital energy drained from his body at a dangerous rate. Misho opened his eyes when he felt Sakura slump over. He barely had time to catch her. The girl's weight sent both of them tumbling onto the ground, but at least, it was over.

The pounding Soma gave to him as soon as it was clear the situation had calmed down, taught the boy a valuable lesson about why you don't worry a little brother.

"Perhaps we should keep her in a cell," offered Keisho. The old hag was looking at the door to Sakura's room, her arms crossed over her chest.

From his hiding spot, Misho had to cover his mouth. Loud curses wouldn't help his situation.

"It isn't safe," replied Riko. "The state of her chakra pathways seems to be very… unstable. Attempting to keep it in check with seals and scheduled drains could kill her or trigger a violent reaction."

She always talked with weird words… worse than Mom, he grumbled, listening intently to hear every single word.

"We can't let her come and go as she pleases… she might suspect something and turn against us," retorted Keisho. "It seems like using chakra to sedate her works as a last resort. If she lashes out, we can-"

"She isn't dangerous!" burst out Misho, deciding he'd had enough. These people were talking about Sakura as if she was some sort of monster to keep in a cage, and that was just so far away from the truth... He couldn't just let them.

He walked out from where he hid and looked at the three medics defiantly, daring them to protest. Considering they were quite a bit taller than him, it was probably a funny sight.

"Shut up, kid, you'll wake her up," hissed the third adult, pointing towards the door.

Misho stuck out his tongue at him. In response, the man raised an eyebrow and turned to Keisho. His name started with 'Ki', that's all the boy remembered about him, because he wasn't from Yu.

"Isn't that the brat that took her down?" the medic asked. In that moment, the boy decided he definitely didn't like him.

The Head of Yugakure nodded, glaring at Misho so intensely that he was forced to gulp. Well, maybe this was a bit too reckless.

"Problem solved, then." decreed the man, with a casual shrug. "I'm sure she trusts him. Leave a dog with them to detect hints of a possible breakdown and have the kid watch her."

Misho blinked. Was this guy mocking him or trying to help? Why'd he do that anyway? He wished Soma was there to explain everything… his sibling had been basically dragged away from him as soon as they stepped into the hospital.

Keisho still had to argue against it and the kid managed to throw in a few loud protests, but they finally let him see her, accompained by one of the therapy dogs. Even though he was kicked out of the room pretty quickly, at least he knew that the girl was alright.

Over the next days, he became Sakura's new shadow, figuratively speaking. It wasn't just because they told him to, but because he felt he had to take care of her. Misho felt like he owed it to the girl - it was only due to her presence in his life, that he could finally do something of worth. Without failing horribly, that is.

He spent so much time with the girl that he didn't get a glimpse of his family for a long time. They were busy with hospital matters too, but at least now he wasn't just attempting to learn medicine on his own. It never went well.

Misho felt like he was useful, for once. Sakura appreciated his company and took care of him as well. She was sick and nowhere near a full recovery, mentally speaking, but it was better than nothing.

She was amazing, that much she showed when her practice started. Even in her state, the kunoichi was able to kick her opponents' asses. It was going well, until she suddenly froze and started muttering things again.

The boy knew what was going to happen before the black fire and smoke enveloped her. He saw how the medics beside him paled and tensed up.

A second later, she lashed out. Quick like lightning, she darted forward and slashed at her opponent with her arm. The man had no time to react - he was knocked backwards and into a wall, leaving a dent on it.

Blood flew through the air, Sakura's aura filling the room's atmosphere like a bad omen. A storm about to fall upon them…

She screamed and talked to no one. And she started walking towards the man she had just attacked, her torso slumped forward and with her arms dangling under her. She looked like a puppet controlled by forces that should only exist in nightmares. Sakura…

Kiri finally reacted. Misho had gotten to know the man in the last days, but he had never seen him so serious. He summoned what had to be a pool's worth of water with a jutsu and charged against the kunoichi. In no time, she was enveloped by the liquid, floating above the ground and thrashing around, to try and break free.

Misho didn't know what to do. The feeling of helplessness paralyzed him. He was useless. All he could do was watch as Kiri managed to make Sakura listen to him and calm down, immobilizing her right afterward.

The water was turned into steam at an alarming rate, but the shinobi miraculously held out long enough. He let go of her and the pinkette fell to the ground in the middle of a splash of water.

"Don't!" Kiri warned as he panted, when he saw the boy run to her. The ninja still had enough energy to pull him away, just as Sakura reached out...

He wanted to tell them he could do this, it was his thing, his ability, something no one else could do… his redeeming quality - being useful to Sakura Haruno.

Yet it was Riko who ended up by her side, trying to figure out what to do. There was no one in the room besides them and the injured man, who moaned in pain - this place was sound-proof, so whatever happened in here wouldn't be heard outside.

Sakura was scared, he noticed. She was so very afraid of Riko, even though Misho didn't know why. Soma's theory was that someone had done very bad things to her.

She tried to block it off in her mind, but sometimes she slipped… and now she was so drained of energy that she had no strength left for that or to protect herself from outside threats.

The girl was defenseless, and she knew. Misho could tell she was absolutely terrified, in the brief moments she was awake. He had never seen someone so scared, and he wondered what happened to make her like this.

No one died in the 'Gym Incident', as he called it. Sakura took a while to recover, but she seemed as determined as ever to get better. The kunoichi even agreed to be his teacher, and he put his whole soul into learning the sealing arts.

Sakura was patient and kind, much unlike anyone that had ever taken the role of mentor for him. In turn, he tried his best to be the most awesome student, ever.

He realised that her happiness and approval made him feel content. This was what Soma always talked about - the nice feeling that helping others provided. And now, he was actually doing it. On his own, no less!

She still had nightmares sometimes. The girl didn't say a word about it, but he knew. Misho held her hand many nights and late mornings, staying by her side to make sure she was alright. For once, he had something to do, and he was determined to keep her safe and sound.

He had always liked the therapy dogs from Yugakure, but he rarely had the chance to spend time with them. Now, there was always at least one of them with him. If Sakura started feeling distressed in the middle of the night, the canines would wake him up. He felt grateful for their company and help.

He knew there was trouble in the hospital, because the medics were going from place to place frantically, but he ignored it. The girl was alright, and that was almost all he cared about. He missed Soma, Mom and Dad.

Even if they normally spent a lot of time working, his new task kept him from seeing them at all. It was only when a reunion was called, that he got to meet with his family.

Soma dragged him aside as soon as he entered the room, and they sneaked out while the adults' attention was focused on Sakura. The first thing his little brother did, as emotional as always, was hug him tightly.

He explained something terrible to him. Over the last days, he had gathered information about the importance of Sakura, and figured out that old-hag-Keisho wanted to hand her over to some bad guy - the same, Soma added, that had hurt her so much in the past.

Misho was left shivering, only managing to nod as his little brother (bless his genius) offered a plan of action. It would require more lies, but if it kept her safe...

"I know she's the most important thing to you," Soma muttered, looking down with slight resignation. "You love Mom, and Dad, and me… but we're family."

He had accepted… that perhaps his eldest sibling's heart was drifting towards a different place.

"I know… that you love us, and we love you, but you can't always be chasing after our shadow," the boy added, failing to keep tears from his eyes.

He was quoting Dad's words about how Misho should find something to work on, even if it was different than his family's. Was he… saying farewell?

"Soma-" Misho muttered, feeling his own eyes become a bit too wet for comfort.

"It's okay. I got it covered," his brother cut him, covering Misho's mouth with a hand. "I have no idea what can you do to help her, but I'm sure you can do it, Misho. I believe in you."

When the reunion ended, they met up with their parents. According to Soma, Mom and Dad knew all about the plans for Sakura. Misho was definitely on his own to keep her safe.

He talked to them and was happy to know they were alright. Genuinely proud that Dad approved of his choice of studies, he got the idea of what he could do.

Misho leaned over and brushed Sakura's forehead with his thumb. Faking sleep until she was deep in slumber hadn't been too difficult, but he was still very tired. There was no time for rest.

The girl's skin was as cool as it was normal, the purple rhombus sticking out against her pale appearance.

"I'll save you," he muttered. Misho glanced at the dog once more - he sedated the animal, hopefully with the right dose, so it wouldn't wake up for a few hours. By then, he would be long gone.

Later, he sat under the stars, in the park that he and Sakura had visited so many times. Almost in their favorite spot, too. His back against a tree, he tried to steady his breath and calm down.

He had to admit, he was scared. Misho knew this might go wrong, but… it was the only option.

Misho recalled Sakura's rare smiles - many times, she tried to fake them, but from time to time a real one would show up in her face. That one time, she went out of the room and came back shocked and silent.

She didn't seem to be listening, but he kept trying. Eventually, she snapped out of it - that's how his fūinjutsu lessons began. She seemed genuinely happy for a brief moment, even though he sensed the girl was holding back a whole load of worry.

Perhaps she wouldn't share her inner turmoil, but he knew it was there, just as much as he was sure that he was helping her. They needed each other right now.

He was an anchor to the real world for her, he would always be there to make sure she didn't get lost in her insanity.

And Sakura… she was one of the nicest people he'd met. She was beautiful and powerful, but most of all, his hero. Because she helped those who needed it, even if they seemed like a lost cause. Like him.

She was, in one word, awesome. Sometimes scary and broken, but kind and caring too. Sakura... he'd never forgive himself if he didn't at least try to protect her.

'This is for you, miss-nin.'

He kept her smile clear in his mind, as he cut his thumb and slammed his palm down on the ground, chanting the summoning jutsu.

A.N.: Boom! I figured I could make a bonus for the end of Arc I and re-tell the story through someone's eyes - in this case, Misho, since he was there for most of the Arc. Mainly, to picture Sakura through another person's eyes and bring attention to things that she hadn't noticed, and the kid seemed like a good candidate.

The way he sees the world, thinks and reacts to things is different from Sakura's, so the style is quite more simple, innocent and less detailed/more fragmented (except when something calls his ever-hypeful attention).

And yes, if you notice that some parts are different from the past chapters... it's likely this was done on purpose :3

As always, reviews of any kind are very damn welcome.

Cheers!