I finally decided to write my very own fanfic. This is my first fanfiction, and I was inspired to write it after the fight against the Kara. I hope you guys enjoy it! I am hoping to hit at least 20 chapters.
Chapter 1: Sunsets
"Sakura... Thank you."
/
It was a late, warm summer evening in Konoha. Sakura had just worked a grueling 17 hour shift – and she could feel the ache spreading across her body. To top it off, the pressure in the back of her skull from the headache that had been plaguing her all day was almost unbearable. The news of Sasuke losing his Rinnegan and Naruto losing Kurama amidst their fight against Jigen of the Kara had quickly taken its toll on Sakura. Taking a deep breath, she paused and looked up at the sky. She felt blessed that Sasuke and Naruto were still here, but the cost of their sacrifices hurt. She thought about seeing Sasuke with only one eye for the first time, with pain painted all over her face. Sakura felt an overwhelming sadness wash over her, one that was all too familiar. She has so much faith in Sasuke, but he isn't invincible, and this had reminded her painfully of that. She shook her head to will the thoughts away and kept walking toward her home. Sakura had an idea brewing but she knew she needed to act on it on her own. Even though she was tired, there was something she couldn't stop thinking about.
/
Sasuke and Naruto were being observed in the hospital. Their battle against Jigen had taken more than their abilities from them, and their bodies needed time to recover. Sasuke noticed Sakura had been working long hours, but when Shizune arrived to check on them he also noticed how Sakura had left tonight without saying goodbye to Naruto and himself, which she usually did before she departed each night. Maybe she's just tired, he thought. Sasuke knows how devastated Sakura was over the loss of his Rinnegan, the sadness nearly bled out of her the first time she looked at him when he got back. The look on her face had given Sasuke an awful feeling in the pit of his stomach, and he couldn't help but feeling disappointed for the condition he was in. It was always Sakura who healed him when he needed it, and Sasuke felt guilty for burdening her with worry once again.
"Hey, Sasuke," Naruto said as he looked over at the bed across the room.
"Hn?" Sasuke replied monotonously, pushing his previous train of thought to the back of his mind.
"I never said I was sorry. You were right back there, I did let my guard down... I let my emotions get the best of me."
Sasuke paused for a moment. Naruto had been taken to another dimension by Jigen, and Sasuke traced his chakra signature and followed behind. Things could have gone worse, he thought.
"It's fine," Sasuke stated, "We made it out alive. That's all that matters."
/
It was nearly 3:00AM when Sakura returned to the hospital. She had left around 11:00PM, and now she was confident she had a plan. Lightly knocking on the door of the room Sasuke and Naruto were residing in, she quietly slipped through the door and approached Sasuke's bedside. Naruto was fast asleep, snoring loudly, but Sasuke, per usual, was wide awake.
"Sakura," Sasuke began. Sakura gave him a warm smile and sat down beside his bed.
"I have to leave on a mission. I shouldn't be gone too long, but I wanted to stop by first. I'm sorry it's so late," She shyly added.
Sasuke nodded. He could see the apprehension in Sakuras body language and decided not to question her. He knew she needed her space too. Sakura reached over and grabbed Sasukes lone hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. Sasuke returned the gesture and Sakura gave him a loving smile before standing and making her exit. Sasuke laid there and questioned whether or not he should have made more of an effort to make sure Sakura was alright. He loved her, but in certain situations he just didn't know how to properly express it. He rubbed his remaining eye exhaustedly and hoped Sakura knew just how much he cherishes her and her love.
Actually, it wasn't even a mission. Sakura knew she shouldn't be leaving the village under false pretenses, and she felt bad for lying to Sasuke, but she couldn't risk any information leaking. Not this time. The only person that had even a small glimpse of what she was doing was Shikamaru, because she needed his permission to leave the village. She was sure to keep most details to herself. Sakura went into her office and opened a small, hidden drawer and pulled out a red and white scroll tied tightly with ribbon. She stuffed the scroll into her pocket, opened the window, and after taking a single, deep yet satisfying breath of the cold night air she vanished into the darkness.
/
It was around 6:30AM when Naruto was woken up by his wife, Hinata, coming to visit him with Himawari and Boruto. Boruto had been injured during the battle with Jigen, but luckily he had taken the least amount of damage and recovered rather quickly. Boruto was lost in thought looking down at the Karma carved into his palm when Naruto put his hand on Boruto's shoulder.
"I'm proud of you," Naruto said with a big smile on his face. "It's thanks to you and Kawaki that the outcome tipped in our favor, ya know? Oh! How is Kawaki?" Naruto added.
"He's... okay," Boruto started. "I think he feels guilty for all of this happening. I tried to make him feel otherwise, but..." Boruto trailed off as he rubbed the back of his head and tried to hide his disappointed expression.
"Give him time." Sasuke chimed in.
Naruto sat there with an inquisitive yet worried look on his face. Perhaps Sasuke was right. Kawaki has been through a lot and could use some time to regather himself, without being constantly bothered. But Naruto couldn't help but worry about the boy he thought of as his own.
"Naruto... I brought you and Sasuke some breakfast. Hima picked some flowers out for you two as well" Hinata said, trying to brighten the mood.
"That's exactly what I need right now! Some real food! Thank you Hinata, Hima!" Naruto said cheerfully. The family smiled and giggled as Sasuke sat on the other side of the room, in deep thought. The last thing he was thinking about was breakfast.