DISLCAIMER:
Naruto is not mine. Kishimoto Musashi does.
PROMISES
The Hokage poured the sake at the polished marble stones of two graves and uttered a small prayer.
No one has expected it to happen
A slim finger traced over the small carvings at the stones, the words written still fresh at mind.
…then again maybe they had already known that such circumstances would arise and yet they merely continued on and waited.
It hurts to be left behind. Especially if you know that the persons who had left you will never return truly.
Never mind the others and just savor the moment of bliss. Forget the promises and convictions because they had needed a kindred spirit that understands. And who else but each other.
The Sixth hokage stood up from a kneeled position and brushed the dirt away from the crisp clean robes. From a distance a woman called and run towards the Rokundaime. "Hokage-sama! You shouldn't leave when there is so much more paperwork to be done."
The two were Anbus. Proud ninjas who died in the battlefield used as tools of war. But in the end they return to being humans.
"Ugh. You don't need to remind me. Just thinking about those brings me nightmares." The hokage jokingly shivered in fear while the woman mocked a dramatic sigh.
Among the other corpses of enemy shinobis, their bodies are found. Their hands intertwined and soft smiles on their lips. A certain show of affection showed only during at final moments because the two didn't really have the proper understanding of where they both stood. Was the bond merely platonic? Or was it something else? Others have expected the latter but in truth it was the former. No matter. The only important thing at that moment is that they won't die alone.
"Jeez Sakura. Is that the way a proper Hokage should act?"
"Ino!"
Ino smiled at the current Rokundaime Haruno Sakura before turning to the two stones and gave a respectful nod. She turned back to her childhood rival and friend. "Visiting Sasuke-kun and Naruto-kun again? With the amounts of visits you do each day you could have finished a shitload of paperwork already."
Even if there's so much things left undone, at least they weren't alone like they were when they were alive.
"I just need to remind myself of my duties Ino." Sakura whispered more to herself than the other. It's quite funny how things are alike at the time of the Sannins but at the same time how unlike.
Sasuke betrayed the village but came back, Naruto took on a team of genins and already one of them has the qualities to be hokage but at that time Naruto is already about to become one.
A small breeze went by; Sakura tucked a loose strand of her pigtailed hair at the back of her ear. And what about her? She has almost become the exact replica of her sensei while Ino has become like Shizune.
"C'mon." Sakura smiled lightly. "I could remind myself all day but unless I actually do it, nothing would be done."
Ino threw her arms in exaggerated fashion. "YES! Finally some sense has come back from your dead brain cells forehead girl!"
An anger vein popped out from the Rokundaime. "What did you say you pollen covered scheming aging pig! You DARE insult the hokage!"
'Both have failed their promises but I'm still here. To Sasuke, I'll continue your mission to avenge your clan's death and to Naruto, I'll protect this village with everything from my mind, spirit, heart and soul. I will continue being hokage and live up to the expectations of the Godaime.'
Ino merely laughed and ran away with Sakura fuming and smoke coming out of her ears.
'Because that's the only thing left inside me. What you guys entrusted me.'
"Be a good hokage Sakura-chan. Don't be too…sad. We'll be waiting for you…"
"I leave my brother to you…"
The Rokundaime ran after her smartass subordinate all the while destroying public property with her wild punches.
'Though I am quite empty at the loss of you two guys, my most loved, my most precious people, my family. I will find others to love though maybe not as much as I have loved you my brothers…before I join you I promise this. I will finish what has been started and it is a lifelong promise I intend to keep.'