Eldritch
There was something off about Sakura Haruno.
It had been two years since the Fourth Shinobi World War. Peace reigned across the lands as the alliance initially established to combat the Akatsuki persevered among the five major hidden villages. Most skirmishes remained in rural, unclaimed areas where lawlessness prevailed.
Beneath the shiny veneer of world peace, the dark underbelly filled with drug lords, black market traffickers, and mercenaries continued on with their business as usual. Yet no one had the appetite to seriously intervene. The activities of criminals paled in comparison to the world-ending threat of Kaguya or the celestial shenanigans of Toneri Ōtsutsuki.
It all seemed normal. Expectedly human.
Business as usual was tolerated after experiencing first-hand events so unsettlingly abnormal and inhuman. Only when these factions threatened the safety and bottom line of the hidden villages was action taken.
At least that was the working theory Kakashi had.
He let out a long sigh. Towering stacks of paperwork surrounded him in his office. The harsh fluorescent light buzzed irritatingly above him.
Every day he prayed to Kami that Naruto would quickly take the mantle of Hokage from him. To his credit, Naruto was taking things seriously. Kakashi often sent him on missions as a diplomatic emissary – always accompanied by a disgruntled Shikamaru, and sometimes accompanied by a drunk Tsunade.
Although boisterous and constantly forgoing protocol, Naruto was always well received and productive. He was also diligent with his coursework and attentive during grueling meetings with the village elders, clan leaders, and the daimyō. Occasionally he slacked off to eat ramen with Hinata or spar with Sasuke (whenever he was in town).
Sasuke had been true to his word (thankfully) in not causing too much trouble during his journey of repentance. Kakashi received relatively consistent reports from the brooding ninja however intel on Kaguya remained sparse. One could only hazard a guess at how many dimensions existed and the amount of knowledge on Kaguya and her kin that was lost throughout the millennia.
When Sasuke did return to Konoha, it was fleeting. He always formally briefed Kakashi, sparred with Naruto, and joined one meal with Team 7. Inevitably insults would fly, disagreements would break out, dishware and furniture would be destroyed, and Kakashi would end up making his degenerate team (with the exception for Sakura) bow deeply before startled restaurant owners asking for forgiveness. Sasuke would quickly leave afterward for an indefinite period of time.
This logically brought Kakashi back to the topic of Sakura. He spent a fair amount of time with her as she spearheaded efforts to open a mental health clinic for children. She became a permanent fixture in the Hokage tower ever since she drop-kicked his doors open prattling excitedly about her new innovation.
She also defaulted as his unofficial advisor. The years she spent under the tutelage of Tsunade molded her into an incredible asset. Sakura was perceptive, politically savvy, and persuasive. Plus, she could process paperwork ten times faster than he ever could. Kakashi found this out after one day jokingly promising to look at a proposal for her clinic if, and only if, she helped clear his desk. The withering glares and book burning threats were well worth this discovery.
They also spent a lot of casual time with each other.
Late-night meals initially spent reviewing reports devolved into lengthy debates on the merits of Icha Icha Paradise versus Violence. Frequent spars kept their skills refined as neither were on the active mission roster anymore. Quiet moments were spent together on top of Hokage mountain overlooking the village whenever Sakura lost a patient.
During the past two years they really got to know one another. And he noticed curious things.
First, Sakura didn't have a social life.
She was always either working at the hospital or in his office. He'd hear gossip about turned down offers to go out with peers, rescheduled hang outs with Naruto or Ino, and rebuffed advances from suitors. The first two points made sense as Sakura had been heavily involved in the Hokage transition, and was highly in demand for complex medical procedures, consumed with the development of her mental health clinic, and tasked with training large classes of new medic nin.
The last point of gossip initially made the most sense as he thought Sakura harbored deep love and affection for Sasuke. Yet even that was questionable as he saw a cooling in Sakura's behavior and temperament toward the Uchiha. Sakura and Sasuke's interactions during those rare Team 7 dinners were friendly. But unmistakably platonic.
No pining. No blushes. No stolen glances.
Kakashi found it odd that she never asked about Sasuke despite knowing he was essentially the only one in consistent contact with him. Whenever Kakashi made a point to bring up Sasuke's whereabouts or wellbeing, Sakura would give him a small nod and smile while saying "That's good Kakashi-sensei, tell him to stay safe" before changing the subject. Curious.
Second, Sakura was staring into space a lot more frequently.
Kakashi would be mid-sentence going through quarterly mission earnings or goading her with a hot take about Icha Icha and catch her typically vibrant green eyes dull and unresponsive. Almost haunted.
Sakura was normally steadfastly alert and engaged. She was normally the embodiment of warmth and light, and the stark contrast in those moments was unnerving. The room would suddenly feel cold and empty. As if she wasn't really there, just her corporal form.
And he could have sworn sometimes a strange feeling of a deep, dark, enveloping despair radiated from her. Gravity around her felt oppressively heavier, slowly seeping toward him menacingly. His chest would constrict, and a raw, smoldering heat would settle there. Adrenaline would flood through his body, thundering in his ears, as if he was in imminent danger.
Inwardly he prevented his chakra from flaring. Outwardly he always remained calm and continued to speak evenly on whatever topic they were discussing. He chose to merely take these opportunities to observe.
Kakashi noticed she would quickly snap back to attention with a small shake of her head and a furrow of her brows. The strange feeling would instantly dissipate as she gave him a warm smile before diving back into the conversation with enthusiasm. As if she hadn't noticed. As if nothing happened. Curious.
Third, Sakura's chakra was… evolving?
In the past, whenever she healed him, her chakra felt cool and almost minty. The sensation was akin to a soothing, unintrusive breeze or a steady stream of water delicately weaving through the body. She also always had just above average chakra capacity, especially when compared to her teammates.
This didn't seem to be the case lately. Every time they sparred her chakra reserves seemed to continuously increase at an unnatural rate. He initially thought she had been refining her chakra control even further, using her reserves with utmost finesse and being prudent with her use of chakra-heavy jutsus.
But their spars were getting lengthier and more... intense. During hour three of their most recent spar, Sakura impressively caught him off guard with a Doton: Doryūsō no Jutsu embedded in a Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu that absolutely decimated Training Field 8.
His ANBU security detail was alarmed at the sudden viable threat to the Hokage's life. Unamused, they 'strongly recommended' for the spar to end.
Sakura seemed unfazed as she sat beside him. She proceeded to heal a deep gash along her left bicep while chatting aimlessly about her upcoming hospital shift. There wasn't any exhaustion evident despite her heavy use of A-rank ninjutsus and continuous chakra enhancement of her speed and strength for hours.
Kakashi was always mesmerized when she coaxed cells to regenerate and seamlessly stitched nervous, epithelial, connective, and muscle tissue back together. After stretching and flexing her left arm for good measure, she shifted toward him. Placing both hands above the scorched skin of his right thigh, she began emitting chakra while chatting about a new recipe she wanted to try after she got off her shift.
Kakashi slightly tensed. Her chakra no longer felt comfortably familiar. It felt… hotter? Yet emptier. More intrusive. There was less her in her chakra.
It was a differentiation few would be able to make unless they've been consistently healed by her over the years and had a strong sensory affinity. From civilians to Jonin being treated at the hospital, none would be the wiser. He doubted Naruto would have picked up on it given he spent a lot of time away on missions over the past two years.
But the changes were there. He was sure of it. It didn't make sense. Chakra characteristics were innate. Capacities were innate. They didn't shift (unless bijuus were added to the equation).
As she finished healing the consequences of her explosive tag, Sakura gave him a light punch to his arm telling him to 'not be so slow next time.' Giving him a grin and mocking salute, she strolled away. He could only stare after her. Curious.
A sudden thud in front of him broke his train of thought. Shizune dropped another large stack of pending paperwork on his desk while giving him a pointed look. As she left his office and gently closed the door behind her, he let out another long sigh.
Yes, there was definitely something off about Sakura Haruno – and it was starting to fill him with dread.
Doton: Doryūsō no Jutsu – Earth Release: Earth Flow Spears
Suiton: Daibakufu no Jutsu – Water Release: Great Waterfall Technique
A/N: This is a dark, suspenseful, and challenging story. This is a Sakura/Kakashi story. Thank you so much in advance for reading and I sincerely hope you enjoy.
Please (!) take the time to review if you do enjoy this story. Your reviews truly give me life, are highly appreciated, and are exceptionally motivating as I re-read them (repeatedly) when I experience writer's block.