Kumo had been left in shambles.

Even if most of the damage had been concentrated in one area, the whole village had been shaken. The casualties were great, many of them civilians who couldn't get out of harm's way fast enough. Medics were on 24 hour shifts. There was no rest for rescue and safety squads sent out to dig any helpless people out of the rubble.

The entire village was on lockdown and practically all missions had been ceased. Rebuilding efforts were quickly set up, but everyone could feel that things would never be the same. Killer B's desertion was a twist no one had seen coming. Raikage A had knocked the jinchuuriki around silly until he dropped his transformation.

Before the raikage could even reach him from their distance on the battlefield, Killer B had flashed away to god knows where.

Silence fell over the land. They were truly fucked if their vulnerable jinchuuriki was caught in the crosshairs of an Akatsuki attack. Even worse, they were especially vulnerable because the raikage had just lost a brother.

The village and all its people seemed to move in slow motion. Sakura had been stretching herself thin through it all. If she wasn't helping in the hospital, she was using her wood technique to help the rebuilding efforts.

She knew the risk she was taking every time she used it and she was sure that the council wouldn't hesitate in chewing her out when they came back. It didn't matter to her though. What could be worse than dealing with the wreckage that came of a village she had come to love so much?

Her efforts in the hospital had been a great help. In the underground tunnel she had been allowed into, she ran into ninjas with odd white splotches dotting their skin. No one could identify where they had contracted the infection nor the long term effects of it, but Sakura's quick work in extracting them and treating them like a poison had helped keep the numbers for infection virtually nonexistent.

But through it all, Sakura had found this all to be an opportune time. In the midst of all the chaos, no one had realized that she hadn't eaten once in all her time there. She didn't even know how she was still standing at this point.

It wasn't until she was pulled out of one of her healing sessions by Sasuke that she ran into trouble. Naruto had woken up. Thankfully he was all intact, but the pain medications had made him a little woozy.

He'd asked if she would eat with him so they could catch up on everything that had gone down in his unconscious state. Sakura - probably from the lack of food - spazzed. She started yelling at him about how irresponsible he was being for calling her out at a time like this just to go get ramen. She told him that he was selfish and if he wanted to know what was going on he could've easily asked Sasuke if he needed to know so bad.

You could hear a pin drop in that room.

Naruto's face went from shell shocked to just plain hurt. Even Sasuke raised a brow at her uncharacteristically harsh tone.

Sakura was too ashamed to stay behind. She fought the incoming tears as she ran out of the room like a petulant child.

…..

After the craziest week of his life, Sasuke was relieved to be going back home. He'd been part of the search and rescue squad Kumo had haphazardly thrown together and the devastation was just too much for even him to bear.

So many people that would just never get up again. Just thinking about the smell of dead bodies made him gag.

Sakura had also been on edge the whole week. He should've known she'd blow up at some point, but she didn't think it'd be in front of her "precious" Naruto.

Out of pity, Sasuke had offered to pay for some ramen. Naruto didn't talk at all as they ate and his appetite had been restricted to one bowl before he was taken into a holding unit by Kakashi and Yamato. It had all been just one big, awkward mess and Sakura was back to hiding out wherever like before.

He had to say that in spite of her outburst, a tingly feeling rushed over his stomach at the familiar scene. He couldn't remember the last time she'd yelled at the blonde idiot and he had to say it felt pretty damn good for someone else to be on the receiving end of her newfound coldness.

Sasuke pulled at the hairs of his eyebrows. He was wasting time thinking of such frivolous things. Everything had been so stressful lately. He wished he could just pack up and haul ass, but he knew it would be unacceptable to return to Konoha without Sakura - who seemed to be doing everything in her power to extend her stay.

Sasuke had been obliging her for now, but he'd already met up with Yamato and other ANBU who'd said it would be best to press her now to return. The council was very unhappy with the whole of Team 7 and Tsunade could only do so much to defend their honor.

That's how he'd found himself waiting outside a drugstore taking the occasional glances through the glass windows. Sakura was shopping - Inuki by her side, arms intertwined. Weren't they just the cutest?

Sasuke held back a grunt. It was just so aggravating to watch the two together looking so...domestic. He'd rather pry his eyes out.

Fortunately, the two had just finished checking out their items and were making their way towards the entrance. They came out together smiling and laughing as if nothing else in the world mattered. Sasuke's eye twitched. He changed his nonchalant stance to standing with his hands in his pockets, signature scowl on.

"Sakura," he called out using a smooth timbre.

Even after he'd said it, he was shocked that he had called her name so seductively. Sakura's head whipped around...along with Inuki's. Sasuke walked briskly over to the two. He had grown impatient from watching them in the store.

He grabbed Sakura's arm and tried to pull her away without a word. Unfortunately, she had enough strength to pull both of them back. When he looked back, he felt his stomach lurch. He hadn't noticed the bags they were both holding when they came out. Sakura must've still been holding onto Inuki when Sasuke pulled her.

Their bag had gotten ripped in the process and all of its contents had been spilled. All of them. Including the box for a cheap pregnancy test. Sakura bent down to help Inuki pack up what they could. She ended up offering her own bag and just carrying her own things in her hands. She waved Inuki off before facing Sasuke again, fuming.

"What the hell was that for?" she said somewhere between the start of a shout and the anger of a thousand gods.

Sasuke had become too worked up from what he'd seen and decided to go for the jugular. "If you spent less time disappearing when you can't handle reality, maybe you wouldn't be caught up in such unusual circumstances," he seethed.

Sakura eyed him closely. She took a small breath before tilting her head in the boy's direction.

"What the hell are you talking about?" she questioned, venom dripping from her tongue.

Sasuke shook his head and pinched his nose. What was he even getting mad about? There were more important things to tend to. If he spent all his time trying to figure out the wreck that had become his former teammate, he'd never have time to grow stronger. Sasuke turned stiffly, his back facing Sakura as he spoke over his shoulder.

"Tch. Never mind. Just be ready by tomorrow. We're heading back to Konoha."

…..

Team 7's morale had never been lower. There was obviously something wrong - but then again, when wasn't there?

Sakura and Naruto avoided each other like the plague. Sasuke surprisingly straddled between them not knowing what direction to pull himself in. Kakashi laughed at the irony of it all. He was sure that the young Uchiha had never considered he'd be in a situation where he'd have to rely on his own emotional intelligence to solve a problem.

Sasuke wasn't a man of many facial expressions, but Kakashi could tell that he was panicked and a little peeved. Kakashi sighed as he ran his hands down his face. What the hell was he going to do with his former three little genin?

Fortunately, that wasn't the same for the other squads. They seemed to be more amicable than ever as they cajoled and held each other along the trip back home.

It was really sweet to watch. But it only made Kakashi more curious. Why was he always the cursed one? At every point in his life - no matter the high - he seemed to always hit the lowest of low points.

His age creeped into his bones as he rubbed his sore back. He couldn't go on like this. Something had to be done to turn his luck around for once.

That's how he found himself worming his way over to Sakura's hiding spot as the rest of the entourage sat around a small campfire. He found her standing in one of the large trees gazing out into the moonlight, her arms crossed over her stomach. The moonlight glowed on her skin.

For a second, he thought he saw a tear glide down her cheek. When he realized he'd been standing there for a while just gazing up, he cleared his throat. She looked startled, then pissed off.

He guessed he should've expected that. Even though she'd been careful about her words, there was no way he could miss the undertone of her hatred in the last conversation that they'd had. It made this whole predicament even more complicated to him.

Why out of all of his students had he decided to go after Sakura? A girl who had said - and not said - that she'd probably hate him forever.

Reconciliation, he thought. A second chance to do what you'd never done before. Care.

In the time since their last conversation, he'd done a lot of reflecting. He knew that he'd always casted her to the side, but he hadn't really grasped the depth of his negligence. Memories of times where he'd sigh when she came to practice bubbled up.

He remembered his complete lack of empathy as she failed to do what her teammates could. The patronizing tone he'd take whenever discussing her abilities.

But he remembered most of all her eyes. Those big, pleading eyes that were desperately looking for someone, anyone to care. To want her. To find her worthy. And when he caught her eye for the first time tonight, all he could see was the silent rage that had bubbled to the surface under that little girl's eyes.

She gave him half a glance and sharply turned back to moon gazing. He rubbed the back of his head sheepishly. How could he even approach such a delicate situation?

You could show effort. You've never done that before.

So he did. He took a shaky breath, puffed up his chest, and called out to his former student.

"Sakura!"

He saw her shoulders drop with an annoyed groan. He tried not to let that sting.

Sakura reluctantly turned her head and that seemed to be as much of an acknowledgement as he'd get.

"You should come down, y'know. We're playing a few games near the fire," he called out, feeling as pathetic as he knew she thought he looked.

Sakura shrugged and averted her eyes back towards the night sky. "I'm not in the mood," she said.

Kakashi was not about to be deterred so easily. He had a lot to make up for.

"Well…the stew's good too if you want some. Gai's special. You might want to hurry up before Naruto eats it all," he chuckled nervously.

Finally, Sakura faced him. Her eyes cut him, dressed him down to the barest of bones as she scrutinized him. Kakashi gulped. He hoped she wouldn't find anything.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked, her tone holding a reserved anger that he'd become all too familiar with lately. "You never come out to bother me unless there's a problem with Naruto and Sasuke," she probed further. "If that's what this is about, figure it out yourself. I'm not their mother."

The corners of Kakashi's mouth quirked up into a nervous smile. She would be hitting below the belt tonight. He had to find a way to turn this situation around quickly.

"Well, that's not why I came to see you. But now that you mention it, did something happen between the three of you? You've all been…off."

Sakura scoffed, shaking her head. Kakashi watched her as she hopped down from her high perch on the tree. She walked a little until she was standing about three feet away. Kakashi licked his lips. They felt dry all of a sudden. Sakura crossed her arms and sized him up.

"Is this really the best you could do?"

Kakashi caught whiplash from the girl's sudden change in demeanor. He stepped back a little. Maybe she had moved closer to him just to read him. He felt extremely naked.

"Excuse me," he said, a lump forming in his throat.

"This is pathetic, y'know," she drawled sarcastically. "Did you not want to deal with Naruto or Sasuke first? Did you think you'd get an easier answer out of me about whatever you think is wrong with us?"

"Well, no-" Kakashi stammered. He could feel the individual beads of sweat roll down his back, seeping into his uniform. "I just wanted to-"

"You wanted to play sensei," Sakura scoffed. "That's a first."

Kakashi felt his words falter on his tongue. The venom that pierced his former student's tongue was deadly and she knew just when to bite. There was a moment of silence between them as the wind suddenly picked up. The smell of Gai's stew wafted through the air. He could hear the faintest sound of Sakura's growling stomach as she picked up on the scent, too. Embarrassed, she held her arms low over her stomach. He took this moment to take a few steps forward, feeling bold.

"What happened to you?" he asked, vulnerability leaking through his very being.

It seemed to be enough to crack through Sakura's tough persona. He saw her eyes soften with sadness, the remnants of the kunoichi he'd left behind surfacing again.

He reached out to her, slowly holding his hand to touch her arm. She jerked away looking like a frightened prey. He saw how emotion racked up in her body. Just one more word and he would've had the opportunity for the heart to heart that they both truly needed. But she turned away and retreated back to the trees before she left herself open to the man she once knew.