He didn't know if it was the crowd restaurant, the liquid courage in his stomach, the fact they had finally convinced her to go out or the fact Naruto was due back any day, but Shikamaru couldn't help but sit there and stare at Sakura. She had changed so much these last three and a half years and he couldn't be prouder. No one would have thought she would have come as far as she had. Abandoned by her teammates, she went out and surrounded herself with teachers and friends who were all too willing to piece back together the broken hearted genin.
People had joked that his second team was definitely a unique mixture. The heir to the Nara clan, the Hyuga prodigy and the Hokage's apprentice were starting to make a real name for themselves all across fire. They were quickly becoming the number one most requested team due to their success rate and versatility. Though Shikamaru wonder what would happen when Naruto returned. Would she return to team seven and completely forget about them, forget about him? Or would she try to find some type of balance between the hospital, team seven, Genma and them?
Shikamaru really did wonder how she did it all. She made it look so effortless. She made almost everything she did look so effortless. Even now as she sat next to him, playing with the straw in her sweet tea, he wonder how long it took her to get ready before she came here. Ino had ambushed her as Sakura walked out of the hospital after a twelve-hour shift and had made it to the restaurant within an hour. Yet there was no mistaking Sakura's freshly washed hair and fresh makeup. A simple pair of jeans, black long sleeve and kunoichi sandals completed her transformation from doctor to newly promoted jounin Sakura.
"Come on forehead there has to be someone you have your eye on?" Ino whined as she removed her bbq meat from the grill. Sakura just giggled and shock her head. Choji looked up briefly from his food before nudging Shikamaru's foot under the table. For some reason Choji had gotten the idea that he had a crush on her ever since their time at the waterfall and no matter how many times Shikamaru told him he didn't, Choji just wouldn't listen.
"Between training, the hospital and missions it's not like I have much time for anything else." Sakura reasoned, but her best friend wasn't having it.
"Please tell it's not because you are still waiting for Sasuke to come back?" Ino questioned, but immediately wished she could take it back when Sakura's smile disappeared.
"Ino" Shikamaru warned.
"It's not that Ino." Sakura said waving her hand in the air. "It's just for so long my focus was on Sasuke. We both grew out our hair because a stupid rumor said he only liked girls with long hair. I was more forced on my looks than my skills. I thought muscles were to manly and being sweaty and dirty was gross. Everything I did back then was to get his attention. I treated Naruto like shit because that was what Sasuke did. I let our friendship get ruined for what? Some boy who in the end I didn't even really know."
"Sakura I-"
"It's okay Ino." Sakura said reaching across the table and catching one of Ino's hands in hers. "It's just, these last few years I've had time to focus on just me, you know. For the first time in forever, I trained not because I wanted to impress someone but because I wanted to be able to protect them. I'm finally doing things just for me, and it feels so good. I don't want that to change."
"I just worry that your lonelier than you let on sometimes." Ino said squeezing her friend's hand. With her parents gone, Ino worried that Sakura spent too much time alone. Her best friend had perfected that fake smile of her's years ago, so much so that Ino worried she was no longer immune to it.
"I appreciate your concern Ino, really I do. It's just I don't think most guys will understand my lack of time. They are going to want me to pick and they won't be happy when its not them. Besides with Naruto coming back I am sure its about to get even crazier. I know he has been training so we can go after Sasuke."
"Is that something you even want?" Shikamaru asked surprised she was openly talking about this. When they had tried to get her to first talk about Sasuke after Naruto left, she absolutely refused to. It was common knowledge among the group that his name was not to be spoken in front of her.
"It's okay if you don't." Choji chimed in. "You already have other responsibilities and duties; I am sure Naruto would understand."
"I couldn't do that. The minute I made him promise to bring Sasuke back, I put this all on him. I can't let him deal with this alone. Sasuke was a member of Team Seven, so its only fair Team Seven deals with him." She said letting go of Ino's hand and taking a long sip of her tea.
"Just don't lose what you have worked for." Shikamaru said turning to look at her fully. "Don't let Naruto or Kakashi come in and make you stand behind them."
Sakura's checks turned pink before she nodded. "I promise."
"Not to change the subject, but how do you suppose we get mister white eyes to finally notice our favorite weapons mistress." Ino giggled and just like that they fell back into playful banter.
After the meal was over Choji offered to walk Ino home and was already pulling her away from the restaurant before she could even say goodbye. Leaving Sakura and Shikamaru alone. He quickly offered to walk her home, making some excuse his mother wanted him to get something from one of the stores by her apartment complex.
They walked in comfortable silence for a few minutes. Both just content to be in one another's company. They had spent a lot of time together over the last couple years. He was going to miss this. He was selfish enough to admit he wasn't excited about Naruto coming home as everyone else was. The loudmouth blonde was going to come running into the village and act like nothing had happened. Like he hadn't left his female teammate behind when everything fell apart. Like he hadn't lost contact with her all these years, he hadn't even bothered to send her one damn letter. Naruto was going to come in and try to take Sakura all to himself, and apart of Shikamaru was very bitter about it.
Shikamaru had been the one to take the long-term mission out of the village with her after her parents had died. It had been his team that helped her redo her parent's condo so she could sell it. It was Neji and him that helped her move into her new apartment. It was Team 10 and Team Guy who Sakura celebrated her Chunin promotion with. She had been his first kiss on one of their partner missions together. He was the one who waited with her in the hospital three months ago when she came back half dead, with over half her team dead. Shikamaru had been the one who held her when she woke up and cried.
Naruto was going to take her away from them, from him. After everything that happened Naruto didn't deserve Sakura. Bottom line. He had left her. They had all left in some sort of way. None of them made sure she had any type of support, or guidance, or fucking teacher to help her progress.
"Shika say what you want to say before you get yourself so worked up your face gets stuck like that." Sakura voice quickly calmed the anger that was building within him.
"How do you really feel about Naruto coming back and Team Seven being reformed?"
She took several long moments to form her answer, and Shikamaru could read several different conflicting emotions that flashed through her eyes. "I promise Team Seven will not get in the way of the special bond I have formed with you and Neji. We will still go out on missions; we will still be a team."
"But?"
"Something big is coming." Sakura said closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. "There are rumors being spread that the Akatsuki have increased their activity. Several more jinchuuriki have gone missing. It won't be long before they focus on Naruto again."
"So you just plan to take this organization head on to protect him?" He asked his anger flaring slightly.
"Calm down Shika, I'm not stupid. You and I are paper ninja, I'm not going to run into a fight unprepared without a plan. But Naruto cannot be left without a team, he needs people there to look after him."
"And what about you? Who looks after you?" He questioned. He didn't want this conversation to stop but he could see her apartment up ahead, and he knew Sakura. Once she went inside, she wouldn't bring this up again.
"I have you." She turned and smiled at him, and his stomach filled with butterflies. "You'll be my shadow and pull me in if I go to far into the dark."
"Sakura-" But its was to late they were in front of her apartment.
"Night Shika" Sakura said wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you." Those two words so loaded it was hard to tell what she was thanking him for. As she disappeared up the stairs somewhere deep down he knew once Naruto stepped through the village gates, things would change. Though he left a little better with the knowledge Sakura wouldn't leave her second team, they had made their bond through blood, sweat and tears and those bonds weren't easily broken.
No matter how troublesome it would be, he would never just let Sakura walk away from him.
After four days of traveling the trail Sakura left stopped, but she had done it. She had gotten them close enough where they were able to pick it up from there. The moment Pakkun sensed her they were bolting, pushing as much extra charka into their legs as they could as they fought to close the gap between them and their precious friend.
A mixture of hope and fear made up the rescue squad. No one had dared talked since Pakkun had taken off running. They were almost at the top of the mountain when Bull started whining and Kakashi catch the scent of fire. Within minutes the group had reached the top of the mountain, but the sight that laid before them was not one of hope.
"No" Naruto whispered as he felt the panic begin to build. Maye five miles out there was a massive cloud of black smoke coming from somewhere in-between the trees.
"Boss her scent…its to spread out. I can't make out exactly where she is." Pakkun confessed his eyes locked firmly on his master.
"What do you mean to widely spread?!" Sasuke snapped. What fucking good were the dogs if they couldn't even track probably.
"Either the enemy has spread items with her scent all around to throw us off." Kakashi started to explain.
"Or her blood" Sai finished Kakashi's unspoken words.
"Regardless, we need to keep a level head." Radio reasoned. "Protect your medics in every team, when we get to Sakura, she is going to need us."
Kakashi could feel it in the air, something was wrong. There was a fire burning but he couldn't feel any charka signatures. If the enemy had set fire to cover their tracks, it wouldn't make sense why they were able to pick up on her scent. A gut feeling told him he knew which trail lead to her. That area was saturated with her scent, and his stomach twisted as to why. "We will take the southeast. Team two I want you to follow Biscuit, Akino and Uhei. We need you to search the south. Team 3 go and check out was is causing the fire. Shia and Urushi go with them. Pakkun, Bull, you're with me. Everyone stay alert."
No one had to be told twice. Their friend was out there. One way or another they were going to get her back.
The room was dark and cold, but she didn't care. It seemed hard to care about such frivolous matters when she felt like everything around her was falling apart.
Her villagers were scared. Her shinobi were waiting for answers. Her daughter still gone.
Tsunade had hoped Sakura's office would help guide her in the right direction. But things were so torn apart. She had started in one corner of her office, looking at files, rereading Sakura's small notes, just hoping something would catch her eye. Tsunade had helped mold Sakura. She had personally trained the pink hair kunoichi. Sakura was smart, to smart for her own good most the time. Tsunade just knew Sakura had written something down just in case.
As she worked through the room, it was easy to tell whoever had searched it, had become angry. Maybe they hadn't found what they were looking for. It look Tsunade an hour before she had worked to Sakura's desk and at first glance nothing stood out. Her pictures she kept on her desk either laid broken on desk or scattered somewhere around the room. It bugged Tsunade.
Maybe she just wanted to see Sakura with her own two eyes so badly, she was willing to settle looking at photos to bring some kind of comfort. So Tsunade spent the next ten minutes finding all the pictures that would have been hung behind the desk or on it. Sakura had always had seven pictures in her office. Team Seven had been what started her shinobi career, if it hadn't been for Team Seven Sakura always claimed she never would have come as far as she did. For that reason, seven became Sakura's lucky number, and when fighting with death, it always helped to have a little luck on your side.
One by one Tsunade found them. Sakura's genin team photo. The last photo ever taken with her parents. Her and Genma covered in glitter and glue from helping the children in the hospital make Mother's Day cards. Shikamaru, Neji and Sakura watching the clouds somewhere inside the village. The newest photo of Team Seven which included Yamato and Sai. The photo of Sakura and Ino hugging in front of the new children's hospital.
But when Tsunade found the last photo it was different. The last time she had been in Sakura's office it made been of the two of them. Shizune had taken it. Master and apprentice, their back to the camera as they stood on top of the roof of the Hokage building overlooking the village. Though Tsunade's head was turned slightly and it was clear she had been looking at Sakura. It was one of Tsunade's favorite pictures, though she had never admitted it.
Now the last photo was of Sakura on her hands and knees bowing before Tsunade as she was awarded the status of jounin. But why had Sakura changed it? The promotion had been over a year. If Sakura was going to change the photos, it would have been then.
Tsunade took the photo out of the frame, checking to see if there was any hidden justus somewhere, but found none. The photo didn't look altered, it looked the same as she remembered it. But when she turned the photo around, clear as day there was Sakura's clean written notes.
"When you don't know who to trust, trust no one." -Monkey King
Tsunade could feel her heartrate soar as she reread those words for a fourth time. Sakura had managed to leave a clue specially for her to find. But why? And who was monkey king?
Team one followed Pakkun and Bull anxiously. They had already seen scattered paper bombs and kunais. Patches of blood could be seen here and there but so far none of them had belonged to Sakura. Each member had already drawn weapons waiting for the enemy to jump through the trees.
They had separated slightly from each other. Just enough where everyone could still be seen, but enough were they could cover more ground with a more careful eye. Shikamaru felt like he was walking on eggshells. One wrong move and it would all be over. He had never faced against an enemy he had no way of detecting. How had Sakura remained so calm when she took them on inside the village?
"Look" Shizune calls out. Shikamaru turns, making out a body several yards ahead. Genma reaches it first, kicking the body onto its back. His body was covered in cuts and blood, but there is no mistaking the clean-cut line that runs from his lung through his spleen before finishing in his stomach. That kind of cut could only be from a medical scalpel.
"Is there any way to tell how long he has been dead?" Genma asks his eyes hard. Somehow his partner had broken free. But how many people did she have to fight off when she did?
Shizune kneels next to the body, her hands hovering above his heart. "He's cold. While this amount of blood loss would have caused the body to cool more quickly my guess is, he has been dead for over twelve hours." She stands, her body tense.
"No headband. No visible recognizable features that could link them to a certain village or group. We are still no closer to finding out who is behind this." Shikamaru notes.
"Pakkun can you smell her any place nearby?" Kakashi asks turning his full attention to the pug.
But he is meet with a shake of his head. "There are to many scents mixed in the air to pinpoint her location. But the scent doesn't expand over a mile or so. If she is here, we will find her."
"Lead the way."
"Finally." Naruto takes a deep breath, the fire finally out. It hadn't been hard to follow the smoke. There was a house in the middle of nowhere. The firer had burned pretty much the whole building to the ground. The dogs had been ordered to search the area while the dealt with the burning complex.
It took Yamato creating three water dragons before the flames were finally out. At fist glance it looked as if nothing was there. Only ash and rumble. But Sasuke quickly called upon his blood limit and said something was off. So, Yamato, Naruto, Sasuke and Ino started to swift though the rumble, being mindful there could be traps lying in wait.
After twenty minutes of searching Yamato was about to call it off, in favor of searching the surrounding area, when Sasuke found it. An uneven spot had caught his eye. After moving part of the roof he found an access point. He quickly pulled it open only to find a set of stairs that led into a hallway. Naruto went to rush in when Yamato stopped him.
"Keep a level head. Create a clone, send it in first. Only after it has scout will we go in." He order. Naruto nodded his head in understanding, creating several clones that quickly climbed down the stairs. His level head lasted all of three minutes before he was pushing past Yamato and jumping into the opening.
"Naruto!" Ino called out, but the blonde was already gone.
"Damn it!" Yamato cursed as he followed in after him. He estimated the stairs were maybe two stories in height. His feet hit the ground and he is running. There was no way to know what Naruto saw but he felt the nine-tails charka grow stronger and stronger. Whatever Naruto found had not been good.
The hallway was barely visible with small lights every couple yards. There were several metal doors placed on either side of the hallway. The deeper they made their way into the hallway the moor rooms Sasuke counted. He had made it to twelve before they found the room Naruto had ran into. He entered and felt his stomach turn.3
The first thing that Sasuke registers is the smell of blood, then the body of the man Sakura had fought against in the village. A pool of blood had formed around him, and irritation rose in Sasuke. He had wanted to be the one to kill him. Quickly dismissing the body, he turned to take in the rest of the room. On the far-right side there was broken glass and blood that seem to mix together. Blood drops could be seen on the ceiling and surrounding wall. His eyes then moved to the chains that hung in the center of the room. The cuffs covered in blood. He could see several pink strands of hair on the ground. Several more patches of her blood all over the floor along with several discard syringes. Then there was Naruto just standing there, his back to them, with something in his hands.
Pure rage overtook him. His hands shock uncontrollably at his sides, his hands clenching and unclenching, as he tried to regain his composure. Sakura had been tortured. From what he could tell in this room, she had bleed and been in pain for hours. He wanted to scream. He wanted to punch something. But most importantly he wanted to find her. Why wasn't Naruto saying anything?
"Naruto?" Ino called softly as she walked closer to him. But he stood still as a statue, unmoving. It wasn't until Ino walked in front of him and gasped that he seemed to snap out of it. "Is that-" she stopped unable to finish her question. Silent tears began spilling from her eyes as she just stood there and stared at Naruto's hands.
"Naruto what is it?" Yamato asked still standing in the doorway. While his stomached twisted painfully at the site in front of him, someone had to keep watch. None of his other teammates were thinking clearly. He highly doubt Naruto's clones searched this underground hideout. There could still be enemy ninja lying in wait just waiting for the right time to attack.
He turns quickly, his tears flying into the air as he did so. His blue eyes replaced with heartbroken red ones. The other two males suck in a breath as their minds jump to the same thing. In Naruto's right hand was her white dress and in his left the jewelry they had bought her…
"Shino is your beetle picking up her scent at all?" Neji asked as they made their way deeper into the forest. He was starting to develop a headache from keeping his kekkei genkai activated for too long, but he ignored it. He would keep pushing himself until they found her.
"No. There is something in the air that is affecting it. I'm sure it is the same reason why Kakashi's dogs cannot track her either." He explained, his beetle flying in circles around him.
"Someone is trying to cover their tracks." Radio said, trying so desperately to hold onto that little bit of hope in his chest. He could see how this was completely killing Genma and Shizune. Both of them had taken Sakura under their wing when she was younger. They both looked at her like a younger sister. Radio could still see Sakura clear as day in his mind the day she came out of the brushes crying saying her team needed help. Genma had refused to put her down the entire way home. From then on Genma had slowly brought Sakura into their small group, until one day everyone loved her and had become overly protective of her. If this was the pain he was feeling, he couldn't even imagine what Genma and Shizune were going through.
Sai had stopped walking, in order to pull out his scroll and ink brush. He quickly drew several sets of mice before pumping charka into the paper. They jumped off the scroll and quickly disappeared into the trees around them. Once he was done, he quickly regrouped with the others. The dogs had stayed alert, his noses alternating from the ground to the air looking for any scent.
"Team one found a body" Shikamaru's voice boomed over the radio. When the line remained silent it was clear they hadn't found her. "No identifiable markers, dead approximately five hours."
"Copy" Radio answered, then the line went dead again.
Team two continued to make their way into the forest, their eyes and senses open and alert. Just because the body had been dead several hours didn't mean back up hadn't arrived. Radio was just about to jump into the trees to get a better view when the dogs started sprinting.
Biscuit, Akino and Uhei dashed through the trees not waiting to make sure the humans were following them. They had finally caught her scent. Biscuit turned his head yelling "we smell her." Sakura was their boss's mate, and they would give it everything they had to get her back.
Akino reached the small spot first. The once full forest had been turned into a small clearing. At least fifteen trees had been knocked down, several more had been burnt. Weapons and blood were scattered throughout it. A small whimper escape the dog when he noticed a large amount of her blood was mixed among it.
The boys came crashing into the clearing thirty seconds later, their weapons drawn. Neji immediately notices a body laying in-between two of the fallen trees. A kunai buried deep into his neck. "Spread out" Radio orders. They scatter.
Neji follows after Biscuit who seemed to be following some kind of trail. It was hard to tell what had happened. "How much of this is hers?" Neji asked as Biscuit stops in front of a bush.
The dog just ignores him, to forced on his task. He slips his small body underneath the bush, pushing his body forward until he finds the objects. Very softly he is biting into the fabric and backing up. Neji's eyes widen in surprise as the dog deposits the item in front of him. "An alarming amount of the blood here is hers. There are several others though to."
Neji just nodes as he picks up the blood-stained bra. "Do you still smell her scent past this area?" The small dog just shakes his head no. Rage fills Neji as he stares at the item of clothing in his hands. If this had been discarded in battle, he burned to think the kind of torture that would have left her in this state of undress. Sakura had always been so private when it came to her body.
"Neji" Sai tight voice calls from behind him. Neji nodes his head showing he was listening, his eyes still focused on the amount of blood the fabric had absorbed. "We found two more bodies. One with their head cut clean off. It seems Ugly was able to break free and fight. I see no signs of her super strength, but the three bodies all show signs of her other skills."
She killed three of them. How many more had she had to fight alone?
"Team 3 has found the enemy's hideout." Yamato informed his voice laced with emotion. "One body was found a mile out."
"What did you find inside the hideout?" Kakashi asked his voice hard.
"We found the room she was tortured in. Her dress and jewelry were left behind. From what was left in the room, Sakura is badly hurt. Shizune there was also syringes all over the place. The dogs can't tell what was in them."
"Team 2 has found three more bodies. This area was completely destroyed. One of the dogs found another article of her clothing. She lost a lot of blood in this area." Radio voice was like knives in Kakashi's ears.
"Team one found a body as well. Pakkun still smells her scent in the area." Kakashi spoke, trying his best to keep his tone even. He was the leader of this mission. It wasn't over yet. Shizune was one of the best medics the village had to offer, if they got to Sakura in time, she could keep her stable until they were back in the village. "Regroup at my location, the dogs will lead you."
Kakashi was starting to find it extremely hard to breathe.
"Good fucking damn it!" Genma exploded before turning to the nearest tree and punching it as hard as he could. The bark splintered and cracked as he shoved his hand through it. "Where the fuck is she?!"
"Genma" Shizune called softly as she went to his side.
"Boss" Pakkun called softly, waiting until his master's eyes locked with his. "Her scent is still in this area." He tried to encourage. Hope was not lost yet. "She could still be here."
"Lead the way." Kakashi said already moving forward. He had to keep moving forward, if he stopped now he would break.
The group traveled another three miles before the trees began to thin out until they eventually lead them to a field that was covered in wildflowers. The grass was tall and came maybe to their knees. The small pug easily disappeared among the grass and flowers.
Kakashi didn't even have to give the order to start their search. Each member of the group picked a direction and started looking. The field was maybe four, five miles long. The grass making it more of a challenge than anything else. Kakashi just blindly followed Bull. The mastiff kept going straight, the grass slowly changing to more and more flowers. Red, blue, yellow, purple and orange were quickly surrounding them. His eyes just looking for a touch of pink anywhere among them. They walked for several minutes before Bull just stopped dead in his tracks. The dog had stopped so suddenly that Kakashi almost tripped over him. Then Bull started to whine.
That's when Kakashi saw it.
Pink could be seen several yards ahead in-between the flowers and grass. His body moves before he can process what he is seeing. He had finally found her. He closes the distance between them in a matter of seconds. "SHIZUNE!" Kakashi screams, his knees hitting the ground hard as he comes to her side. Full blown panic started to take over as he takes in the state, she was in.
Her eyes were closed. Blood and dirt covered her half naked body. Her lip busted and bruised. Her bare chest covered in cuts and bruises. A shallow cut along her neck. A burn covered majority of her left arm. Her anbu symbol carved out on her right shoulder. A leaf symbol craved into her thigh. Several fingers broken, severe bruising around her wrists. Her right knee dislocated. Countless other injuries all over her body. Blood had spread out and stain the ground red. All of this he gathers in a second.
Then he realized she wasn't breathing.
His hands immediately went to her chest as he started the compressions. Please don't let me be to late. His masked lips meet hers as he blows in a breath. He starts his compressions again trying to ignore how cold she felt on his lips. With each compression he felt a piece of his heart break. He blows in another breathe, seeing Shizune join across from him. Her hands already glowing as they hovered above Sakura's heart. Come on Sakura!
"No" the word escapes Genma as he finally reaches them. His knees give out on him as he drops next to Shizune. Her hands glowed a bright green as she moved them up and down Sakura's body. But one look at the tears following down her face and he knows…
Kakashi hit another thirty before he is bending and blowing another breathe into her. "Come on Sakura!" He yells, hoping she could still hear. "You need to fight! You can't do this to me! Come on!" Their lips lock again, but nothing. "Please Sakura." He begs.
Shikamaru was frozen in place. He was useless in this situation. He knew nothing about medical jutsu. All he could do was stand there and watch terrified as Shizune pumped chakra into his beloved teammate.
"Shizune pull back" Kakashi shouts, his hand filling with electricity. As soon as her hands left Sakura, he pushes the electricity directly into her chest, trying to restart her heart. Sakura doesn't respond. Kakashi did it again, this time stronger, but still nothing. "No, no, no," he starts to repeat over and over again as he begins his compressions again. "You cannot do this Sakura! You cannot die on me! I love you! Please!"
Shizune's hands stop glowing and she pulls her hands back. Squeezing her eyes shut, she tries to fight the sobs that so desperately want to rip through her. Tears flow like rivers down her face. She barely makes out the words "she's gone."
Kakashi freezes. His sharingan spins uncontrollably. He could pick up no detectable life from her. His whole world crumbles as he leans forward, cupping her face with his hand. A tear bounces off her check as he begins to break down. Her skin felt so cold. He pulls her into him. His eyes widening in horror as he sees the state of her back. Her once smooth skin now nothing but gashes and welts. His arms wrap around her, holding her, as he sat there and cried. He had been to late again. Another precious person he had sworn to protect, gone. When would he learn he ruined everything he touched? The tears just continued to pour as he held onto the women he loved.
Genma couldn't do it, he had to look away. Seeing her so broken left him unable to breath. So, he held on tightly to Shizune as she balled into his vest. His own tears hidden as he buries his face into her shoulder.
Shikamaru makes it six steps away from her before he is on his knees vomiting. He couldn't take it. She had died alone. After all the pain she had endured, after she had fought like hell to escape, she died alone because they hadn't made it to her in time. Pakkun brushes against him as he started to hyperventilate.
The moment they made it to the clearing Neji knew. It felt like the wind had been knocked out of him as he looked at Kakashi holding her. The pain written on Kakashi's face said it all. Then there was Shikamaru several feet away on his hands and knees. Genma and Shizune were no better, clutching onto each other for dear life. Neji felt the men besides him stiffen as they made the same connection.
"Sakura-chan" Sai calls out and goes to move toward her when team three came walking up behind them. Sai instantly turns his attention to Naruto.
"They found her!" Naruto yells his eyes locking onto the girl in his sensei's arms, completely ignoring everything else. He starts to run toward her when Sai appears in front of him, grabbing his shoulders stopping him. "What the hell Sai? Move I want to see her." He tries to shove Sai off, but he just held tighter.
"Naruto" Sai calls his name trying to get him to understand. "Sakura's gone."
Before Naruto can even react Ino is bolting toward her best friend. Sai wants to stop her; she shouldn't see Sakura like that, but he couldn't let go of Naruto.
Luckily, she didn't make it to far before Shikamaru is in front of her trapping her in a hug. "No Ino." He says, his voice barely above a whisper. Tears still running down his face.
"Let me go Shikamaru!" Ino screams as she begins to struggle in his arms. "She needs help! I have to get to her she needs medical attention!" Shikamaru just held her tighter. "Sakura!"
"I won't tell you see her like this." He says beginning to turn them around, so Ino was facing toward team two and three. "There is nothing you can do."
"No! You're lying!" Naruto shouts. "Sai fucking let me go!" The nine tails charka already bubbling to the surface. "She can't be dead!" He cries. "She can't be!" Naruto moves to shove Sai off, but Yamato appears behind him, slapping the seal Jiraiya had given him onto Naruto's back. Instantly the nine tail's charka disappears.
"I'm sorry" was all Sai could say as he helps Naruto lower to his knees. When he feels Naruto was no longer going to run, he lets go. Naruto breaks down into hysterics. He lowered his head to the ground, his body shaking with sobs. Sai could do nothing but sit there, his hand on Naruto's back, as a reminder he was not alone. That night he had shown up alone at Sakura's apartment she had made him promise to look after Naruto when she was no longer on the team. How foolish of him to think she meant when she resigned. She had known this was going to be the outcome all along, hadn't she?
Blood poured out both of his eyes like tears. He didn't know how to handle the emotions that were ripping through him. His sharingan picking up all the small details about Sakura as Kakashi had. Sasuke could do nothing as he stood here watching Kakashi hold Sakura in his arms crying. His whole body went numb, never realizing he had activated his Mangekyo Sharingan. Not that it would matter, Sakura Haruno was dead, and his world would never be alright again.
