The Princess in the forest

Could life exist in void? She was not sure she was alive. The only thing she had known was pain. Pain was her only companion in the void. There was a man. His hair was orange. She remembered. 'You would know Pain', he had said. She remembered. She remembered little else though. Blinding unimaginable pain blocked her senses. There was a boy with golden head and a girl with short dark hair and anxious expression. There were flashes of pink. Who were they? Who was she? She didn't remember. Dan… Did she love him? Would she finally find him once she manages to think past the pain? Dan… Nawaki… Nawaki… Dan… Old friend Jiraiya… where are you? Pain tore through her forehead. She screamed. No sound came out. The Godaime Hokage of Konohagakure continued to experience pain in her subconscious state, while her body twitched and writhed in her leafy bed.

The great slug Katsuyu was draped across her body, trying to stabilize her, while rapid regeneration of cells tore through her body in a great burst of chakra. Black marks covered the Hokage's body healing her regenerated organs, stitching her reattached torso. Death and blood. Pain and steel. Godaime Hokage Senju Tsunade endured, lying in the ferny floor of the Shikotsu Forest while her slug guardian lent her a steady stream of chakra to keep her going.

It was not only physical pain. The beheading was not enough to kill her as long as she was tied to her summon's chakra. The part of Katsuyu attached to her when the death penalty was carried out, kept her from bleeding out and managed to reverse summon the decapacitated Sannin to the slug forest soon after. Shizune's summoning had been strong, even when her mind was broken. The Godaime had lived. After her head was reattached, the dying Hokage had managed to release her Yin seal to make her body whole again. The jutsu had worked. But the pain was excruciating.

The Sannin's body showed clear sign of the stress that she was going through. Her blond hair had turned white. Her skin showed age lines. The Hokage thrashed and moaned in her subconscious slumber. It was not her time to rise. Soon. But not yet.

'How much longer?' Katsura, the smaller slug had appeared to her mother's side.

'Not long now'. The elder slug replied. 'She is in pain from overusing the Yin seal. It is excruciating. But it will pass'.

'Good. She is needed there.'

'I know. But we cannot let her go yet. She is in pain. But she is trying to go through it by putting herself in a meditative state. She will need to access the nature's chakra before she leaves this forest'.

'Senjutsu? But surely you have known that she has greatly shortened her lifespan by using the Creation Rebirth Seal? She doesn't have long to live'.

'Life doesn't need to be long to leave its mark, Katsura. She still has important roles to play in the Shinobi world. She is still needed for the sake of our ancestor too. Do not forget'.

'Mother Saiken is locked within the Gedo statue. Unless you extract her from the statue and seal her inside Tsunade sama-'

"In our plane, Katsura- we spirit animals connect to the human through our consciousness. It does not have to be tangible, Katsura. You will understand when you try to communicate with the human you are bonded to using sage mode'.

'I understand, mother'.

'Just be patient and wait, Katsura. The Hime will rise. She is after all the princess who was promised'.

'Do you still believe in it mother? The prophecy?'

'She wouldn't be here if the prophecy was not true, Katsura.'

The princess slept in pain.

'Shizune-San! Please have some onigiri', Itachi placed a plate in front of the silent Ninja. He was doing this for the last three days since Sakura had left in her quest with Sasuke. Shizune always accepted without saying anything. It was as if she had forgotten how to speak. But that day the former medical ninja properly looked at Itachi for the first time since his surgery. 'She left'. It was not a question.

'Aa. She will be back though'. Itachi answered carefully.

'I… disappoint her…' Shizune sighed.

'She is hurt'. Itachi agreed solemnly. 'But she had to leave for the sake of her mission'.

'I am not a child.' The medical ninja solemnly looked at Itachi. 'I am not who I used to be. But I am no child'.

'You are lucid. You were hiding from us. Why?'

'I wanted her to leave. Our quests are different. I was holding her back. I could see that. Most of the time I don't know who I am. When I do, I can see what a burden I have been'. Shizune looked down.

'I don't think Sakura sees you as a burden, Shizune-san'.

'She may not. But that's what I am. A burden'. Shizune was still looking down.

'You are not afraid of me?' Itachi asked carefully. He tried to gauge how much she remembered.

'Itachi Uchiha. I sneaked your pardon out of the Hokage's office before I was apprehended.' She smiled wryly'. 'I remember enough. And as of being scared…. What can you do to me that Danzo did not do?'

'I am sorry for what you had to go through'. Itachi bowed his head.

'It was worth it.' She smiled. 'The princess lives'.

'But Sakura said she was beheaded…' Itachi held his breath.

'The princess who was promised… It would take more than ROOT to kill her'. Shizune handed her bowl over to Itachi and lied down.

'Shizune-san?'

Silence. The medical ninja was staring at the wall with vacant eyes. Itachi could not tell whether she was lucid or not. The little slug was nowhere to be seen. Itachi covered Shizune with a spare blanket and stretched out on the cot next to hers. Sakura had requested Itachi to keep an eye on Shizune. The medical ninja was relocated to Sasuke's bed before Sakura left. On the morning of their departure, Sakura had taken Shizune to the terrace. What was spoken in the privacy of the little terrace, Itachi did not know. But Sakura had red and swollen eyes when she left. Shizune had maintained her stoic exterior, but she had stood in the terrace watching Sasuke and Sakura leave and did not come back downstairs till late in afternoon.

'Nii-San! Will you take care of yourself, when I am gone?'

'Foolish little brother. Don't worry about me'

'Nii-San, I can't help worrying… I have left some money. This will last you at least for a couple of months…'

'Sasuke… I can take care of myself. I am well enough to work now. You will need the money…'

'No. You have taken another person's responsibility-'

'And Sakura gave me money for it-'

'Not enough. Nii-san. Please. I can work and earn more. You are not well enough to work yet. You need rest. You are on a diet.'

'Sasuke… when did you grow up so much?'

'Nii-san…'

'Sasuke… Take care…do not get into unnecessary fights. Try to be subtle and do not draw attention to yourselves.'

'I will come back for you Nii-san'.

'Sasuke…' he flicked his brother's forehead with two fingers. ' We will see each other again'.

Days pass. The landscape changes. From rolling meadows of the Grass country, they touch the border of the Fire country. They spend a night camping under the great trees of the Fire country. The next day they move east to the Wind country and then move north. They get used to travelling together. They get used to sharing their meals. They get used to discussing finance and sharing a room when they pass through a small town. They get used to drinking together in bars when they fish for information. When they run low on money, she takes up medical assignments. She works in small town clinics while he scouts for leads. Their cloaks get ragged and torn near the edges. Their bones start to stick out and their eyes develop dark circles from constantly being on guard. Sakura sneaks into Suna for two days, nearly runs into a ROOT platoon and deduces that Naruto is not there in Suna. Sasuke scolds her for recklessness when she comes back. They rent a room in a run-down hotel near the border of the mist country. Sakura washes her hair and dyes the newly exposed pink roots. Sasuke takes a mission to kirigakure. But Kiri turns out to be another dead end. They get frustrated. They drink. They have frenzied sex when they get time. They do not talk about it. Or rather Sakura does not talk about it- even when she is wrapped in his arms after a session of intense sex- or when they share a cigarette in bed after sex. They never run out of topics to talk about though. Sasuke shares bits and pieces of his life in the Sound country. Sakura tells him that she is closer to building up her creation rebirth seal than she ever was. He tells her about Itachi. She tells him about training with Tsunade. They make plans on finding Naruto.

It takes them surprisingly less time to fall in bed together. They seek warmth from each other in cold nights when they run out of money to rent a room. Sasuke- being the better cook out of the two, makes food for both of them when they camp outside. Sakura teaches him basics of medical ninjutsu. Sasuke teaches her how to cast a slightly complex genjutsu. They grow closer. Sakura thinks she likes this life. She thinks she might give Sasuke a try, once this mess gets sorted. But then Sasuke gets nightmares. They closely miss ROOT platoons. Naruto remains unattainable. Tsunade remains dead. Sakura does not think this mess will get sorted anytime soon.

'Sakura?'

'Hm?'. She was content. She was in his arms. His fingers were playing with a couple of loose locks of dyed hair. She was listening to his heartbeats. She was almost sleepy after their love making.

'Find your peace. I will wait for you'. He gently kisses her forehead.

'Sakura?'

'Yes Master?'

'Do not turn down love when you find it.'

'Love brings sadness, Shishou'.

'Aa. It does. But you have not lived your life, until you have found love.'

'Too much Sake, Master Tsunade-'

'No. Don't brush me off child. You will find love. You will live your life. Get over your bitterness. Everything doesn't revolve around you, you know!'

'Shishou, you are sounding like Naruto'.

'And you still think that there was something you could have done to hold Sasuke back.'

'But… master… I was weak…'

'No Sakura. You are not a correctional home for a revenge-obsessed teen ager boy. You are my apprentice. You are a healer. You have to look past your own desires.'

'You make it sound easy, Master'.

'I became the Hokage, did I not? It was the last thing I wanted.'

'What did you want from life, Hime?'

'To heal. To see my little brother become Hokage. To be happy. To be worthy of calling myself the granddaughter of Shodaime Hokage- '

'Are you happy now?'

'I try to be Sakura-chan. I try to be'.

'Jiraiya… Dan… Nawaki… Sarutobi Sensei… Shizune…Sakura… Naruto… People of Konohagakure… I have let you down once. But never again.'

Honey colored eyes opened to look up at the leafy forest boughs hanging above her. She has finally felt the Nature's chakra within her own system. She is a sage now. She has not tied back her long white hair. They covered her back, framing her aging face. She has not used a henge since her decapitation. Frivolous wastage of chakra. Her time here is nearing its end. She is needed somewhere else. She can feel it in her blood. Tsunade stood up.

The great slug Katsusy joined her silent contemplation.

'Tsunade Hime. It is time for you to hear the prophecy'.

'Aa. I am ready'. She turned to face the slug.

'Katsuyu?'

'Yes?'

'I am no princess. I am the Fifth Hokage of Konohagakure. I am ready to resume my duties to my village'.