Authors Note: Wow! I didn't mean 100 reviews by the next chapter, you guys, I meant over all! Thanks for the support and letting me know you're all out there! I'm sorry if this chapter takes forever to reach you guys—my beta and I are having some communicational issues. You're all going to have to forgive me—I usually plan with my beta… and now we are at a lack of communicational options. And as an extra note THIS IS MY UPDATED VERSION OF THE CHAPTER. For some reason, my computer has been being gay and wouldn't let me upload the actual saved and corrected version of this chapter. Needless to say, I thought I uploaded the actual chaptered the first time and I obviously didn't. Thanks to everyone who pointed that out to me. This is the beta-ed version.
Sacrifice: Wilted Blossom of Spring
Chapter 7: Self Incapacitation
Naruto watched the swirling in his bowl of ramen while Kakashi explained Sakura's strange behavior. The story made him sick, and he pushed the sacred bowl away in absolute disgust. His body lost all appetite and urged him to give back that which he had previously eaten. It defied all logic for this to happen to someone he knew and cared for—it was statistically inaccurate.
"In the end, Naruto… she was basically raped. Even if she had refused, Nishi would have still taken her in that paralyzed state." Kakashi finished.
He frowned, his eyes remaining downcast. "She gave everything away for Sasuke-teme and me… she tried to protect us. Sakura-chan never protected us before… I can't imagine what she felt when she saw we were fine and waiting for her the whole the time. It's not fair."
"No, it's not." Kakashi responded lightly. "I'd like it if you didn't speak to Sasuke about this, Naruto… Sakura needs to tell him herself."
"Why? Sasuke-teme would only make her feel worse by telling her she was weak or something wrong and stupid like that." Naruto countered.
Kakashi sighed. "Maybe… but it would be better that way, even if it sounds strange."
"How the hell is Sasuke-teme making Sakura-chan cry going to be good in any sense?" he cried, obviously unhappy with the thought. "He's always made her cry!"
"Exactly the point."
Confusion littered Naruto's face, momentarily masking the sorrow that filled his eyes during the discussion. Had his sensei gone mad? In Sakura's state, any insult, no matter how minor… he crossed his arms over his chest.
"I don't get it." He stated, but nodding in his decision. "That's the biggest load of crap you've ever said, Kakashi-sensei."
"The point is, it would be something Sakura was used to, something normal. That's what she needs right now, to feel safe. People feel safe when they're surrounded by an atmosphere they're used to. Sasuke's insults just happen to be a part of that."
An eyebrow rose on Naruto's face. "So him hurting her is supposed to make her safe?"
"Well… in theory, it should." He replied. "Isn't Sasuke supposed to come eat ramen with you today?"
"Kakashi-sensei, I lost my appetite."
Tension settled in the night air while Naruto traveled down the street toward Hinata's apartment. The building style was much like the ancient architecture of Japan, and obviously quite expensive. This move was being called "training" for the Hyuuga heir, but Naruto knew better. Hinata just needed to get away, and that was her escape.
At the moment, Naruto was going there to escape his own despair. He found it funny how he retreated to Hinata for protection, but it didn't matter anymore. She was his first instinct; Hinata was calm, quiet, and nurturing… she'd know what to do in this situation.
Truth be told, Naruto was scared. He wasn't sure how he should act when he saw Sakura again, or how he'd be able to hide what happened from Sasuke. The bastard deserved to know more than anyone else. Even if the world was blind and ignorant to the fact, Naruto knew and understood his best friend and rival. Sasuke had a soft spot for Sakura. It had been the focal point to most of Naruto's taunts and jokes toward his dark haired counterpart recently; they stirred strange reactions that made him blissfully suspicious. It also made him nervous—he wouldn't want to face Sasuke's wrath when the truth came out.
Hinata was waiting for him at the door when he walked in, enveloping him in a hug as if she could sense the confusion and sorrow radiating of his body. Despite the pain irritating her wounds, she held onto him until he melted into her and lost the rigid tension that encompassed his usually flexible spirit. They sat together on the floor, silence floating in the air until Naruto opened his eyes and stared toward the floor, an unfamiliar sling of tears finding their way out.
"Naruto-kun…"
He shook his head, and then leaned it back against the wall so he was facing the ceiling. "I found out why Sakura-chan is acting so weird."
Keeping her light gaze on his upturned face, Hinata waited for Naruto to elaborate. She couldn't remember the last time she had seem him disturbed to the point of tears—she couldn't remember ever seeing him cry. It worried her that the man who had always been so strong was suddenly breaking down and retreating toward her for sufficient comfort, when it was she who always looked to him for strength. Ironic as it was, she pushed the doubts aside and continued to focus on Naruto.
"Our first mission as jounin was an assassination—Sakura, Sasuke, Kakashi-sensei and I went together. Tsunade-baachan pre-determined that Sakura would perform the assassination, Kakashi-sensei would be her back up, while Sasuke and I would secure the perimeter." He stated, turning his face toward his hand, tightly holding onto Hinata's. "Some things happened, and she was threatened with my life and Sasuke's to do her targets bidding—she was poisoned and paralyzed, so no matter if she agreed or not… Hinata…"
She nodded, her voice strangely calm. "I know where you're going—she served her purpose as a kunoichi to the end, and gave up everything."
His tears kept falling. "Sasuke and I never needed help. We were waiting for her when she came out."
She nodded again.
"We can't tell Sasuke." He added as an after thought.
Tsunade, being Hokage, expected mornings where she'd be irritated, disappointed and shocked. She expected to be pushed off her kind edge and into the abyss of temper flaring rage. It came with the job of being responsible for a village. This morning, however, was not one she expected. To have her door timidly opened and almost silently shut while she slept on her desk was not normal—people enjoyed slamming and smashing their way into her office.
It had been then Tsunade realized her day was spiraling downhill, and the news she was about to receive was going to break her heart.
"You're doing what?" Tsunade screamed, slamming her hands down onto her desk. "Sakura!"
"It's pointless." She stated.
"No! You can't be serious!"
"What good am I? You know what happened, and being a medical ninja, you understand the way a human mind works. I'm no longer a kunoichi; I'm just an extra body that gets in the way. A break isn't going to help this." Sakura stated calmly. "Here."
Shaking her head vehemently, Tsunade sat back in her desk and crossed her arms over her chest. "No, I refuse to accept those reasons or your resignation. You have too bright of a future… I am not letting you give that up, Sakura. I am not going to let you resign from being a ninja!"
"Even if you don't take them, the moment I leave them with you and walk out of this room is the moment I become a citizen of Konoha."
Reaching into her pocket, Sakura pulled out her headband emblazoned with the symbol of the hidden leaf village. Her fingers traced the groves and dents marring the once flawless metal, the rough cloth of the ties encircling her fingers. Each snag and scratch was a memory of battle, a souvenir of fighting to the death in order to protect the place she lived in and the secrets it held.
She set it atop her jounin jacket, placing both objects on Tsunade's desk. One by one she returned the possessions that identified her as a kunoichi of Konoha on the desk of her mentor—her shuriken, kunai, medical scrolls and poisons all filling up space in a neat array.
"This isn't going to solve a thing for you. You can't erase the knowledge you have as a ninja here, Sakura."
"I wouldn't want to… but I am no longer one. Goodbye, Tsunade-shishou."
Turning on her heel, Sakura walked out of the room, traveling past Shizun and ignoring the disapproval and shock imbedded on her face.. It had been her decision, and the only thought out one Sakura believed she had made in the past three weeks. As of that moment, Haruno Sakura was to disappear into the flow of society and become a nobody.
It was the only way she could assure that her mistakes didn't hurt those around her.
One of Kakashi's worst decisions was to tell his team to commence training before Sakura arrived. Team 7 had agreed to train together once a week (so long as missions didn't hinder their plans), and for the first time, Sakura was late. As always, it was expected for their infamous former sensei to be late, hours so at that. It was not like Sakura to be late.
To appease his disgruntled students, he proposed they begin training without Sakura and wait for her to arrive. Naruto's first instinct had been to complain and moan about how she'd be upset if they started without her; Sasuke simply threw a punch toward Naruto to start the match. The viciousness in the punch betrayed his usually stoic manner—there was pent up frustration in the way his arm moved and how easily it was evaded.
When scrutinized, Kakashi noticed that neither boy was sparring like they usually did. Naruto simply dodged and refused to take an offensive, while Sasuke continued to punch and kick like it would relieve whatever that was bothering him. He sighed—even after all these years, they were just as obvious as they were mysterious. Kakashi couldn't blame them. Sakura was never late for training, so their fears and maliciously concealed concerns were well justified.
A chirping sound averted his attention to the branch above him, where a small bluebird stood, a message attached to its leg with the words "From the Godaime" on it. Raising his only uncovered eyebrow in suspicion, Kakashi stood up and took a hold of the parchment, unrolling it as the bird flew off.
When he read the contents of the note, a solemn expression crossed his face.
'Sakura… what have you done?'
Author's Notes: Yup. I'm ending it here. I know you all waited for a large update, but I had such a hard time planning this out without my beta it didn't exactly work out quite as well. I'm going to try and get the next chapter out sooner.
Love and hugs-
Crystal Renee