Six months.
It took six months to rebuild Konoha and the village still wasn't the same. The laughter and frivolity which once marked the village now left no trace.
7,000. A mighty death toll that didn't even include the 20,000 more left wounded or permanently disabled as a result of the attack.
They'd done their best to evacuate the academy, but still so many ninjas in training had died. Classmates of the fallen had begrudgingly returned to class and if it wasn't obvious in the uptick of crisis counselors being sent to the academy grounds, they were suffering more than they let on.
The economy had dwindled drastically. Times were hard after everything had fallen and would've resembled Wave country's former self had the feudal lords, daimyos, and council not been forced to take major budget cuts. They weren't happy about it at all, but Tsunade was no stranger to their ire. You couldn't expect to be universally loved in a position like hers.
Along with a flailing economy and a mental health crisis came a steep rise in targeted violence. Especially those considered spared by the attack. Of course the Uchiha were no strangers to the scornful eyes of their fellow villagers, but it had reached its peak in this past half year. People were becoming more openly hostile towards them. Even blaming them for the recent attack and connecting it to the night the kyuubi was accidentally released.
Angry mobs swarmed their houses, pillaging them for resources, destroying their property, and in some cases resorting to physical violence. A coup d'etat looked more and more probable every day and would've happened had Tsunade not drafted up a village wide curfew, upped times and fines for trespassing, and drafted a formal reprimand that acknowledged the decades long abuse the Uchiha had suffered as a result of age old biases.
The council still weren't up to considering that last action until other prominent clans like the Hyuuga came forward about their abuse at the hands of angry villagers. She scoffed at the irony. How long did they think they'd be spared the ire of the village by hiding behind their enemies? Villagers complained that prominent clans got first billings on all resources like housing, food, and water. That all seemed to be true when she watched them clam up at her question.
Laws also had to be reimplemented about mentions of the kyuubi. Naruto and Kushina had to go into hiding for a while as tensions rose. Tsunade sighed. What the fuck had she allowed Jiraiya to rope her into?
Speaking of her teammates, Orochimaru was still enduring trials questioning his involvement in the attack. Reports of his snake summons and an unidentified white snake said that they'd added to death tolls and property damage. Nothing had been revealed of his devious affairs, but Kabuto hadn't been seen since and Orochimaru had been cagey about any questions regarding him.
She'd had paperwork out the woo-ha dealing with all this shit. She was sure that she was teetering on the edge of alcohol poisoning every day. The events surrounding Danzo's death had also been cause for major speculation. In trying to save that old, decrepit bastard she'd also revealed the deeply embedded issues of her beloved village. There were several sharingan implanted in each of his arms.
Tsunade remembered the way her heart stopped in its tracks. All those years of that bastard's shadiness laid out right there in front of her. She wanted to keep him alive to answer for himself, to tell the people of Konoha what he meant when he said their safety would be secured by any means.
She had to tell the Uchihas. Boy did it eat her up inside. Maybe all that resentment they held for the Senju wasn't for naught. The discovery of Danzo's corpse set off a chain of events that Tsunade was sure would reset the chains of history. The Uchiha were notified immediately and given back the eyes of their fallen comrades. What they did with them she didn't want to know, but they were extremely irate. Some wanted head while others wanted a long court process. Tsunade was able to get them to settle for an extensive investigation.
Evidence had been damning. Coercion of a 13-year-old to murder his clan, documented testing with dangerous chemicals of subjects from poor backgrounds or no families, the illegal underground Root unit, funding backed by big named daimyos and clans like the Hyuuga to spread smear campaigns about the Uchiha only broke the surface of the clusterfuck that had been the status quo. So many people would be implicated in these crimes. Her sensei - the Third - would be one of many.
She needed to lie down for a moment. A quick nap would do. Maybe even a coma. Court proceedings were ongoing, but at the top of the list was the formal acknowledgement of atrocities done against the Uchihas. The village had gone into shellshock. It was an all around scandal that sent waves throughout the five great nations. The Uchiha remained to themselves, but the animosity from the villagers had died down significantly. Coming years would be a tough transition as public opinion of the clan shifted. Perhaps they'd become more open towards others.
But of the most tragic things that befell this once great village, the condition of Sakura troubled her the most. On the day Sasuke delivered her apprentice to the hospital, she took her up to one of the exclusive rooms and ran a bath. Sakura was presently only in shock, but Tsunade feared for the ways that she could not heal the girl with the green glow of her hand.
She stripped her down and bathed her like she was her own child. Shizune discarded the bloodied clothes. They could easily be washed but she doubted anyone would want the smidgen of reminder that their parents had bled out all over them. Instead, she found her a hospital gown and cotton underwear.
Red was all Tsunade remembered. The way it stained Sakura's body, changed the color of the water, and the residue that took forever to scrub out of the tub. It felt like forever as Tsunade ran the washcloth over Sakura trying so hard to erase any trace of what she'd witnessed.
But what lay underneath the caked up layers of blood was much worse. Tsunade had expected it but the sight was much worse. Her clothes had been getting baggier. Those thoughts clawed at her mind. She wanted so badly for them to be untrue that she'd allowed things to escalate. The already small, now shrunken in, breasts, the hollow cheeks, the concave stomach, spindly legs, thinning hair, and jutting ribs caused so visceral a reaction in Tsunade that she nearly vomited.
Sakura remained quiet and shivering as her mentor dried her off with a towel. Shizune dressed her, then laid her down where she spent days unmoving with her eyes fixed on the ceiling and her mind in a thousand places.
Tsunade couldn't stay. There were so many lives to save. Sakura wasn't physically injured. She could wait for her.
Unfortunately, that would turn out to be untrue. Aside from the occasional checkup every few hours there was no bedside therapy she could provide to her apprentice long enough before duty called. Oft were the calls of her subordinates to aid in a complicated operation and haste she had to make. Time slipped through her fingers.
The third day of Sakura's hospitalization set off alarm bells. She'd discharged herself, dressed in some plain black clothes, and stood in her office bright and chipper ready to work. Tsunade advised against it. Told her she wouldn't have her working anywhere near a patient before resting a few more days. Sakura prodded further but acquiesced to her master's demands.
Tsunade thought she'd wrangled the poor girl for a few more days, but that same evening she'd heard the civilians rave on about the kind-hearted Sakura using Wood Release to help rebuild their homes. Instantly Tsunade knew that putting a stop to Sakura would be futile. She'd never been completely open with her feelings and was a people pleaser. She'd sooner pick a needle out of a haystack than get Sakura to talk about her parents.
So she let her be.
Tirelessly she worked with Yamato to rebuild houses everyday as long as their chakra allowed. Tsunade had given her the ok to deal with minor bruises, burns, and broken arms, but she was sure the girl was doing more.
Weeks passed and Tsunade finally permitted Sakura back into the hospital where she took backbreaking shifts with little to no breaks. She remained amiable to everyone, but likewise managed to remain more and more to herself. Her friends in the Rookie 9 would sometimes voice their concerns to the Fifth Hokage, but would be disappointed when she knew no more of the girl than they did.
There was no one who looked after her health more than Sasuke though. An honest surprise that still dumbfounded her. He'd linger around the hospital after hours waiting for her to finish her shift and kept a close eye on her when within the village.
He'd become a ghost of his former self. Those raven eyes of his shimmered with guilt, his hands were constantly wringing, and he seemed to have picked up some nervous ticks. He'd become more skittish, more pitiful in the time past. Apparently it was so much so that his father had requested her personally to put a month-long hold on his missions. She prayed she wouldn;t have to be present for that upcoming meltdown.
Either way she had it, nothing was looking good. She'd contemplated the decision for months. She was not Sakura's parent. An executive decision like the one she wanted to make personally was not up to her to decide. Ninjas didn't have lengthy lifespans anyway. But there were loopholes in every contract. Hokages had a lot of sway in who could and couldn't be a ninja. Presenting this ultimatum would have to force Sakura into caring for her health.
Right?
…..
"Are you out of your mind?"
Sasuke stood before Fugaku wondering how things had ever gotten as bad as they were. It was hard to look anyone in the eye now. Even harder to look at what had become of the village. He'd become a shadow. Lurking in the dark whilst avoiding all that came with the light.
Those first two months where no missions outside of the village were allowed made him grateful. The agony that came with being cooped up in a place that no longer existed drove him mad. He begged for any job that would release him of that weighted feeling in his chest. He built foundations, patched up ceilings, identified the deceased, and a medley of other things that were sure to take a nosedive on his mental health, but she seemed to be everywhere. Omnipresent she appeared. No corner of Konoha existed where Sasuke didn't hear the whispers of Sakura's name.
'Sakura's been such a blessing,' they'd say. 'An angel come down to earth.'
'I don't know how she remains so cheerful with all those suicide shifts she does at the hospital. Can't the hokage afford her a break?'
'Have you heard what happened of her parents? The poor girl. I've sent my condolences.'
'The worst always happens to the best people.'
'I don't want to say anything while she's grieving, but I'm sure her stubbornness had to do with their deaths. Civilians aren't meant to be ninjas. Another Icarus who flew too close to the sun.'
Murmurings of her name - good or bad - vexed him. Sharpness returned to his chest again and again at the sound of her name. He'd failed her. Completely and utterly. She didn't seem bothered by him, not that she knew of the true circumstances of that day, but the way she was now perturbed him.
Giggly, full of smiles and good cheer just like her days of the academy and their time together as Team 7. Where sneers and glowering once existed now stood unnaturally wide smiles and polite was exactly as he remembered. Isn't that what he wanted?
When time rolled around for missions again, Sasuke found that he was not at all picky. His ANBU officer had been very forgiving. Much more than he thought he deserved. No mission proved to be too demeaning nor undermining of his skill range. He took anything that would relieve him of the sight of her, her perfectly manicured face of suppressed distress.
What could his extended time in Konoha do? All he could offer the poor girl were walks home, stilted conversation, and his presence that he hoped would ease her loneliness.
His condition only worsened alongside hers. Sparse were his eyebrows now and aside from the lower three quarters of his leg, his upper thigh stood no chance against his hair pulling.
His mother worried after him. No surprise seeing that he'd withdrawn from even Naruto - his closest confidant with whom he was sure his mother had sent to cajole him out of his despondency. Naturally it didn't work. But his mother's persistence would only grow. He was suffocating in Konoha. Life was spiraling out of his hands. He needed some grounding. He needed control.
So he found it in Minari. The older woman never denied him any indulgence. She understood him, fed his soul, nursed his wounds. Every one of her kisses left a piercing sting, the trail of her hands a burning strip, and her breathy words brought forth illbread thoughts. His attachment to her scared him. He always intended for this time to be the last time yet he'd end up at her doorstep anew.
She'd only smile in that snakelike manner before ushering him inside her lair. Twisted was the best way to describe her. 'You just let all that anger out on me. You're in charge now. You call the shots.'
And he'd take her words praying desperately hoping that they were true. They had to be. Why else would he keep circling back at his own volition? He wanted this. Didn't he? 'I'm a man. I'm a man. I'm a man,' he'd repeat to himself like a mantra as he conquered her.
But after it was all done and he found himself lying cradled in her bosom in a fetal position, he knew that it was the farthest from the truth. No ache nor tug on his heart, cloudiness of his mind, nor numbness in his leg could be lifted by what he was doing. Cowering before the toilet, bile sat on his lip, stomach lurching for another round, he feared that he'd be stuck in this cycle forever.
In surrendering to these circumstances, he wagered that at least he'd have Minari to make home for him. Excessive scrubbing and hair pulling were of little consequence to her. Yes. He could go his whole life running errands and bedding her at night if she allowed him some escape.
She lived meagerly. Onigiri balls and mangoes could sustain her for months. Yes. Maybe this was the quiet life he needed.
His father was of very different mind however. Sasuke would be lying if he said he hadn't scared the shit out of him. Mangoes rolled down the street from the weak hold of his shopping bag. Fugaku - under a light henge but still discernible to his son's eyes - angrily charged the rolling fruit and held them in his arms. The market was bare of its usual hustle and bustle. Still, Sasuke didn't want to cause a scene. He pulled his father off to a more secluded corner, wary of the notionless people walking by.
"How'd you find me?" he said to his father in a spooked whisper.
"That's what you're worried about?"
Sasuke made no move to answer. His silence was enough confirmation for Fugaku. The older man pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not just your family you're worrying. Your friends are concerned about you too, you know?"
Quiet remained Sasuke. The only indication of his having heard his father was the way his arms went to wrap around his body like a child trying to soothe themselves. "Your mother started asking your friends about you. Nothing came up - as I'm sure you intended. A pretty little red-headed girl volunteered to help."
Karin. Sasuke scoffed. He should've known. There wasn't a nook or cranny that girl wouldn't find him in. And he'd left her on her lonesome after stringing her along again. Damn it, he cursed. I need to get a handle on things.
"She tracked you all the way to this village. I sent her home already. Don't worry about her jumping out to grab you."
"I'm not."
"Then what are you worried about?"
"Nothing."
His eyes flicked downwards. There really wasn't anything to say. Nothing that wouldn't have him sounding like a raging madman at least. Fugaku sighed. Sasuke peered up to meet his eye. He watched his father plop onto a spare ledge. Years seemed to spread all over his face. Funny. His father had never been so old to him before.
"Sit down."
Sasuke complied. Room for argument had long since left. Any rapport of their usual kind would definitely end up town gossip for the next five years.
"I entered this village and the first thing I heard of was a woman with a reputation for bewitching teenage boys." Fugaku's eyes clasped closed tightly at this. His crow's feet fanned out to show his true age. "I didn't want to consider it as an option. That you could've possibly been spelled by such a person. But a nagging voice urged me to go. To assure myself because deep down I knew…it was the only place you'd be. Lo and behold, when I walked past the house. There you were walking out the front door."
Fugaku turned to Sasuke finally. Pools of dark ebony warbled with moisture. The image seared into Sasuke's mind. Fugaku - a man of great stature and pride - had been reduced to tears. "A baby like you getting caught up in that spider's web is reprehensible."
"I'm not a baby."
Fugaku scoffed. "I thought I knew everything at 16, too," he lectured. "Then what are you, pray tell?"
"I'm a man."
At that Fugaku guffawed. Sasuke ground his teeth. He really hated the pompous bastard. "You are a petulant child who hates to see reason. Don't ever mistake that for a man."
"You don't even know her."
"What I do know is she should be flogged in the village square."
"She needs me."
"She needs you?!"
"Yes," Sasuke huffed, rising to his feet now. "I made this decision. I keep coming back because I'm in control. I'm a man," he added, hitting his chest for emphasis on each point.
Fugaku's brow raised. He stood to match his son's eye level. Both tensed their bodies. With each slightly bent in a stance prepared for battle, the air around them went frigid. Save for the lingering eyes of nosy villagers, a fight was sure to break out between them. Fugaku relaxed. He needed to be the bigger person. After all, he was the adult here.
"Is that what she told you?" he asked. His Adam's apple quivered as he swallowed. In turn, Sasuke lowered his guard. "I know it for myself," the boy replied with the same base in his voice. "I don't care what you have to say about it."
Fugaku ran his hands over his face. Broaching this subject required a lot more emotional competence than he possessed. "How long has this been going on?"
There was a long pause that was cause for worry. Whatever answer there was would upset him greatly. Sasuke wound his arms around himself again. He looked like the little boy who'd beg him to be taught clan techniques. He'd be mourning him for a while.
"Three years," he admitted barely above a whisper. All the fight had gone out of him. Fugaku pressed his eyes closed tight. "I'm taking you home."
"I don't want to-"
"This is not up to you," the older man barked.
Sasuke puffed his chest out ready to bark back. His father soaked up all that gusto with one final threat. "The deal's already been arranged. Return to Konoha with me or that one month break will become permanent."
Sasuke clenched his teeth. He snorted, pouted, kicked angrily at the dusty road, but in the end, even someone as bullheaded as him knew when he'd met his match.
…..
A break was much needed. Of course he would've liked one on his own terms, but he'd have to make do with the cards handed to him.
Mikoto cried when walked through the door. Even more so when his father got him to confess what he'd been up to. "My baby! My poor baby!" she sobbed while holding him like a newborn, pressing him close to her bosom. Embarrassing was what it was. Mirrors were not needed to reveal that his countenance looked anything but ashamed. The jeering from Shishui and Itachi did little to lift his spirits either.
Mikoto suggested he start seeing some form of counselor. Sasuke refused vehemently as expected so she offered her ear to him. He realized he could only endure so much of her hysterics while providing forced and very sanitized versions of his feelings before seeing a professional. He'd only gone to two appointments so far, but he highly doubted he'd be healed as his mother wished.
He was sparring with Naruto now. Spurred only by the line: "Fight with me bastard." Some habits were hard to break. But Sasuke relished in the jovial familiarity of the situation. He was out of commission for a month. What better did he have to do?
They set about their usual training grounds. Naruto sent furtive glances every now and then as they warmed up. Quickly did that worry disperse once they started buffeting each other about. A swift sweeping kick, a well tossed blow, the crackle of their chakras as they used their special techniques.
The duel spanned hours - as it usually did. The training grounds were in a state that the village bemoaned every time those two went at it. Both boys lie with their backs to the ground, breath rapid, and chests puffing up and down.
Naruto was the first to roll to his side and stand. He moved to stand over Sasuke, studying his countenance, looking deep into his friend's psyche as no one else could. A cheshire smile broke out over the sunshine boy's face.
"You look like shit," he jeered, reaching out his hand in the process. Sasuke smirked and took it all the same. The regal boy dusted himself off upon standing. That worrisome glint had returned to the blonde's eyes. "Do you- A-are you up to going to Ichiraku's?"
Sasuke shrugged. He made no verbal response, but his hands were in his pockets, feet already leading him towards the familiar ramen stand. "Hey!" he heard his friend shout indignantly behind him. "Wait for me bastard!"
…..
Talking - and actually talking without a preamble to a vicious argument - to his father was something he'd have to get used to. The two had started off awkwardly. Neither was much for conversation, nor knew how to hold one.
Fugaku cleared his throat and did his best to start. He informed him of a 'freak accident' at Minari's home that led to a fire that burned down everything with her inside of it. Sasuke paled a little, but there was nothing much to say on the matter. His skin hadn't felt so slimy and in the need to be scrubbed raw since separating from her.
His father also came to tell him that he'd be going on a mission for the next few weeks with Itachi and Shishui. Obviously he couldn't divulge the details, but he thought Sasuke might want to know. The boy stood dumbfounded trying to process what was happening. Fugaku - way past his limit of social interaction - waved him off into the night.
Mikoto scampered up to scoop her arm around his in quick succession. Sasuke's brow - now much fuller from less stress plucking - raised in silent question. His mother tittered good-naturedly. "It'll take some getting used to, but your father is trying," she explained. "He loves you. You know that right?"
There was no answer. Sasuke's brow remained raised. Mikoto giggled like a schoolgirl and clung closer to his arm. "You always wander off at this time of night. I wanna go with you this time."
Sasuke had the sense not to argue. Mind made, his mother would stop at nothing when there was something she wanted to do. Fighting his blush was much harder though. Even with the late hour, villagers of all walks of life still roamed the streets. Hate to admit it he might, Sasuke was still a teenager, therefore was subject to feeling embarrassed about appearing cozy to his mother.
She prattled on the whole while unperturbed by his unease. She only slowed down in her recounts of juicy gossip as they neared the destination. "You hang around the hospital this late at night?"
No noise besides the crunch of dirt, pebbles, and leaves under their feet hung in the air. He tuned his mother out as she huffed about teens these days and their weird hobbies. Set to walk up the steps of the hospital entrance, a familiar figure emerged, bolting out of the door in an upset frenzy.
The figure hadn't noticed them as they struggled to untangle themself and their satchel that had gotten stuck in the heavy door. "Sakura!" Sasuke called out, freeing himself from his mother's grip.
Sakura's head snapped in his direction, eyes wide and red rimmed. She struggled to wipe away her tears and free her satchel. Sasuke rushed over to help her out. "Sasuke-kun?" she called to him in that alien voice she'd been using the past half year.
He remained steadfast on unlatching her satchel. Mikoto's eyes darted back and forth between the pair like a game of pinball. Sasuke - finally successful in his attempt - met his mother's eyes. That slow grin let him know that he was in for a long night.
"Sasuke! Why don't you invite your friend over? It's already so late."