Naruto is fine. Completely back to his old, over energised self after a nap and a bowl of ramen and currently off bothering Jiraiya about something or other.
Sasuke is mostly fine. Suffering chakra exhaustion and some scrapes and bruises, but ultimately he'll be physically fine with some bedrest - of which he's already complaining. Not that Kakashi can blame him, seeing as how he himself would be the same were he in Sasuke's place. The proverbial jury is still out on Sasuke's mental health, though Kakashi doesn't have to be a psychic to know that there'll be more Yamanaka in both his and Sasuke's imminent future.
Surprisingly, that is nowhere near the top of the list of Kakashi's current worries.
Amazing how an invasion changes one's perspectives, really.
Also surprising, is the fact that it is his third student that has managed to claw her way to the top of his list of worries. Not that Kakashi really has a list of worries - and even if he did, it'd be a purely mental one, hidden somewhere far beneath his bed in his mindscape. Not that he's been checking or anything.
…
Anyway, Sakura …
Kakashi swallows. There's a lump in his throat that he can't seem to get rid of, no matter what.
It's been a day since the invasion.
The Hokage is dead, and his funeral is about to start in another couple of hours.
Large parts of the village are in ruins or severely damaged. Civilians and shinobi alike have had their homes destroyed and instead been temporarily housed elsewhere - on friends' couches and floors, in public buildings and tents even.
There is still a search for dead or injured. Both civilians and shinobi have been hurt, though the shinobi force have taken the majority of the damage.
Still, ultimately, Konoha has won.
The invasion-force from Sound is all but eradicated, only Orochimaru and his closest henchmen escaping somehow.
Sand has lost a lot of its shinobi, and all three of the Kazekage's children are currently under lock and key - and chakra suppressing cuffs and, in the case of the jinchuriki, heavily restrictive seals.
Considering everything, things are looking good. Relatively, at least.
Still.
Kakashi very nearly lost his students.
Sasuke would be dead if it weren't for Naruto.
Naruto would be dead if it weren't for Sasuke.
Again. Just like back in Wave, where he'd been forced to let the two boys fight against an enemy far above their level, only to have them survive by some miraculous luck and the mercy of their opponent.
And just like last time, Kakashi failed to realise the danger to Sakura before it was already too late. Failed to even think about her amidst the chaos.
Except this time, she was forced to get out on her own. Kill her own enemies. There was no Kichiro to save her this time around.
What might have happened if Kakashi had decided to continue to mess with Hiashi for longer? - because, you know, it's not as if he was really going to deny Hiashi help, because the Byakugan is just that important to the village, even if the wielders themselves are practically impossible to stand.
What might have happened if Gai's girl hadn't spoken up, if Kakashi'd had too little chakra to summon Pakkun or if they'd been late for any other reason?
Kakashi might've arrived to find her corpse instead of her unconscious body, and she would've been put in one of the many graves currently being dug, her name added to the memorial stone and Kakashi would have the life of another comrade on his conscience.
That lump in his throat seems to grow bigger.
He can't bring himself to visit her. So instead he lingers in the tree outside her hospital window, watching her unconscious frame in the bed. She's lost a lot of blood, and though the medics have done what they can for her injuries they can't really say much about the trauma to her head.
They can't even say for sure whether she's suffered any brain damage. Just that she might've died if Kakashi hadn't brought her in when he did.
They're just waiting for her to wake up, and then they'll be able to tell. Until then, they can't do anything. He can't do anything.
He'll never forgive himself if she suffers any side effects of this. If she's damaged for life because he wasn't there, because he arrived too late to help her or-
"Quite unusual, finding you around here. How are you holding up, Kakashi?"
Kakashi doesn't so much as twitch, much less look at his uncle, even though someone supporting themselves on a cane should not be able to move quietly enough to sneak up on him.
"I'm fine." The reply is automatic and an obvious lie.
"Of course you are. You've been hiding in this tree, watching over your injured student for hours because you're fine."
Kakashi grunts, acknowledging the point, and finally tears his gaze away from the hospital room - amazing what favours the Hyuga clan head is able to get, even in a time like this when there are so many wounded and far too few nurses and hospital rooms - to look down on his uncle, who's looking up at him from the ground.
"I asked you to keep her safe."
"And I have. Mostly." Kichiro winces a little. Kakashi somehow gets the impression that he's not thinking about Sakura's current condition - which is, you know, food for later investigation. "Are you really blaming me for not being able to rush to her side the moment the invasion started?"
Wordlessly, Kakashi averts his gaze.
No, he doesn't really blame Kichiro for not rushing to Sakura's side when the invasion started. Kichiro's got plenty of subordinates, and just because Kakashi cares more about Sakura than he does any of those other subordinates does not mean that Kichiro can just abandon all of his other duties. Just like how Kakashi was forced to let Naruto and Sasuke fight the Sand jinchuriki, because it was the lesser of two bad options. Theoretically, he could've abandoned his own fighting and focused on keeping his students safe, but a lot of people would've died in the process.
And Naruto and Sasuke were both fine. Or mostly fine, probably, in Sasuke's case, but still.
Sakura though …
"I do pray that she'll recover. She's got a lot of potential, you know?"
Somehow, Kakashi finds his gaze returning to Sakura's unconscious form. She looks so pale against those sheets. So tiny and fragile and-
"She reminds me of you, you know?."
Kakashi chokes on nothing and tears his gaze away again to stare at his uncle.
"What?"
"I said that she reminds me of you, when you were little."
Kakashi blinks, slowly processing.
"... How?"
Sakura is tiny and pink and a girl and weak and-
-and apparently skilled enough to to kill two Kumo chunin on her own.
-and the first of his students to actually kill someone. To start a body count.
The only one of his students who doesn't have the advantage of a near-extinct kekkei genkai or a chakra demon sealed within them.
"She gets overshadowed on that team of yours, doesn't she?" Kichiro smiles, but it doesn't quite reach his eyes. "No wonder, with those two boys. But surely you've seen that there's more to her than meets the eye?"
"'Course I have."
He thinks of the issues with her clan, her homelessness and her eating-disorder-that's-actually-a-lacking-of-money-and-culinary-skills and her unexpected understanding of the importance of teamwork.
But Kichiro is shaking his head. "You really haven't seen it, have you?"
What can he really say to that? No, he hasn't seen whatever Kichiro has clearly seen that has allowed Sakura to transform into a creature capable of killing two Kumo chunin on her own. Quite frankly, he's still struggling to connect the sight of Sakura killing those two men with the frail little girl in the hospital bed..
Kakashi sighs and looks back to the hospital room, finding that Sakura has a visitor. Hyuga Hiashi, no doubt agonising over the fact that his daughter has now been saved twice by a Haruno. Ex-Haruno, in Sakura's case, though that's certainly no comfort for the ridiculously prideful clanhead.
Briefly, Kakasi wonders if she's even aware that her own father died to protect Hinata from kidnapping, much like she almost did. Father and daughter. Both genin, both owed the gratitude of the Hyuga. What are the odds?
"She's got exceptional chakra control, Kakashi. I don't think I have ever seen anything like it."
A small part of Kakashi wants to be jealous at the words, because Kichiro has known Kakashi since he was little and Kakashi has excellent chakra control himself, thank you very much. He can't really summon the emotion though, and a much larger part of him recalls seeing Sakura seemingly mastering the tree climbing exercise in less than an hour - something that had even taken him half a day, which is still objectively really impressive - and displaying at least a basic mastery of water walking just a few days later.
"Are you sure?" he asks quietly himself.
"It took less than a week before people started coming to me with tales about how skilled she was. Yes, I'm sure Kakashi. I even tested her myself."
"You tested her?"
Kakashi isn't sure how he feels about Kichiro testing his student. Even if he'd temporarily left her in his care.
"I did. You see, I gave her-"
"Da? What're you-"
Abruptly, Kakashi's done with the conversation and leaves in a flurry of leaves. He might be on semi-decent terms with Kichiro, but he's happy to continue avoiding the rest of his clan like they carry the plague.
The conversation has given him something to think about though.
Is it possible - like, actually possible, not just in theory - to master tree climbing in less than an hour?
Not that he has too much time to dwell on those thoughts. Konoha is in shambles and there's plenty of work to go around - enemies to round up still, borders to patrol in case someone else decides to take advantage of Konoha's current vulnerability, messes to clean and so on.
Luckily for Konoha, the Hokage's council is able to steer things up until a new Hokage is found. Unluckily for Kakashi, that means he has stuff to do and no good excuses not to do them.
Sakura wakes to a blinding headache, finding herself alive and safe in a hospital bed with no idea how either of those things happened. The last thing she recalls is being stabbed by that Kumo shinobi, and suddenly knowing that she's going to die. Even now, the memory chills her to the bone.
"Oh, welcome back to the land of the living! We've been worried about you, missy!"
The chipper voice draws Sakura's attention to the nurse that has just entered her room.
"Don't move, I wanna make sure you're alright first."
Swiftly the nurse pulls out a small flashlight and shines it into Sakura's eyes, which of course only makes Sakura's headache worse. Her eyes tear up and she swallows down a pitiful whine, trying instead to focus on something else. Anything else. Like that spot of dirt at the ceiling. The way the light reflects off of the too white colours of the room. Ow. The purple stripes in the nurse's otherwise short, silvery tuft of hair. The bags under her eyes.
"Can you tell me your name, age and rank?"
"Sakura, twelve, genin." Her voice comes out hoarse and her throat hurts a little as she speaks.
"Good. One plus one equals?"
"Two."
"Two plus four?"
"Six."
"Sixteen multiplied by two-hundred-and-sixty-eight?"
"Uhm …"
"Never mind, most of us've got some minor brain damage after the last few days anyway, and you don't seem much worse than most. I'm Gina, by the way. 29, chunin, specialising in medical ninjutsu. Do you recall what brought you here?"
Sakura takes a moment to swallow, realising that her mouth and throat are uncomfortably dry, as she tries to gather her thoughts. The nurse watches her curiously.
"Not really? The last thing I remember is fighting these Kumo shinobi."
"You suffered trauma to your head and lost consciousness. Hatake Kakashi and Hyuga Hiashi brought you in, alongside Hiashi's daughter."
"Kakashi-sensei?"
"Hah, that's funny! But yup. He tracked you down and brought you here himself, even though that man won't get near a hospital to save his own life." The statement is followed by a curious look, wordlessly prompting her to explain herself.
Sakura can only blink in surprise, her mouth opening and closing but no words coming out. How did Kakashi-sensei end up tracking her down and taking her back to the village? Hyuga Hiashi she can somewhat understand, seeing as he's Hinata's father, but last time she'd seen Kakashi-sensei he'd been with Naruto and Sasuke-kun.
"Which was quite lucky for you, I might add. We've mostly healed your other injuries, but like I said, we've worried about that head trauma of yours. If you'd been brought in much later, you might not even have made it through."
Finally the nurse puts away the flashlight, much to Sakura's relief, only to then gently poke her nose.
"Nothing too worrying so far. Now, let's take a closer look, shall we?"
She makes a series of quick hand seals before her hands start to glow with green chakra and she gently places them on Sakura's temples. Sakura has to remind herself to breathe, staring up at the nurse.
"Is Hinata ok?" Sakura hesitantly asks after a few moments of the nurse frowning down at her in silence.
"Her injuries were not as bad as yours and she's been discharged back to her family already."
A relieved sigh escapes Sakura. She'd made it then. Her efforts weren't in vain and Hinata would be alright. She was safe back with her family.
Family. Sakura swallows, suddenly finding her eyes tearing up.
"It doesn't look like you've suffered any serious damage, but we'll keep you overnight at least for observation." Finally the nurse pulls back, the chakra-glow on her hands flickering away. "I'd guess you want some painkillers though, right?"
"Yes please!" Sakura nods eagerly but immediately regrets it, as it sends another wave of pain through her head.
The nurse laughs sympathetically and briefly leaves the room, returning a couple of moments later with the promised painkillers and a glass of water. Sakura slowly sits up, pausing a moment as the world rights itself around her before accepting the glass and the pills.
"Anything else I can do for you?"
Sakura hands the now empty glass back and hesitates briefly before asking;
"What happened? There was an … invasion?"
The nurse's smile morphs into a solemn look. When she speaks her voice is sad, with a hint of bitterness to it.
"Sand and Sound were working together to infiltrate us. We suffered great damage initially, but eventually we were able to defeat them. However, Hokage-sama gave his life to protect us."
"The Hokage is dead?!"
The Hokage, the leader of Konoha, supposedly the strongest shinobi in the village - and of all of the kage, according to rumour - basically as ancient as the village itself in Sakura's mind.
The nurse nods sadly.
"What will happen now?"
"I don't know. They're searching for a successor. I guess we'll know soon enough who they decide upon."
With those heavy final words the nurse leaves Sakura alone to pull the covers over her head, closing out the painful light and pondering the new reality of a Konoha without the third Hokage.
Something is wrong.
Or more specifically, not wrong but definitely off.
There is no way that Shikamaru has actually won an argument against his father, yet here he is, descending the stairs into the depths of T&I alongside his father and Inoichi-ojisan.
All because Shikamaru had asked to see the troublesome Sand-girl. Temari. Which he knows is a pretty unreasonable request, born out of emotion rather than logic. He'd expected to be dismissed, because, you know, Shikamaru's a genin and doesn't have the necessary clearing or authority and should know better than to even ask.
Yet, here he is. Which can only mean one of two things.
Either his father has grown tired of Shikamaru's general disinterest in just about anything and therefore decided to humour him now that he has shown a sliver of interest in anything at all, even if that interest is misdirected and unreasonable.
Or, he's thinking that Shikamaru will be able to achieve something which he cannot. Which apparently not even Inoichi-ojisan can, considering that he's the one in charge of the interrogation of prisoners and therefore the person that his father has had to convince to let Shikamaru down here.
He's not sure which option is more worrying. Both seem to suggest that there'll be expectations on him to achieve something. Whether that is becoming a productive member of the shinobi forces in general or succeeding in some specific, unknown task doesn't seem to matter much. The result will likely be the same.
A sigh escapes him and he glances up at the ceiling. It's rough stone carved out of the mountain, illuminated by a flickering, luminescent light. The sight reminds him just how far down into the earth he is, and he sends a longing thought towards afternoons spent in the training grounds staring up at the clouds.
Maybe he's made a mistake.
Maybe he should've let the Sand-woman win their match after all. It's not as if he wanted to fight a woman. Or fight at all, really. But he's the heir to the clan and there are expectations on him to pass the chunin exams, and if he didn't pass this time he'll just have to take them again, which will no doubt be much more trouble than it's worth.
Plus, Ino never would've stopped nagging him if he'd let the Sand-woman win, so what choice did he have, really?
"We're here."
Inoichi-ojisan comes to a halt outside a nondescript door that looks just like every other door in the corridor to Shikamaru's eyes. He turns to look at them, exchanging a brief look with Shikaku before meeting Shikamaru's gaze - confirming Shikamaru's earlier thought that the two are conspiring together.
Meaning that they are hoping that he'll be able to achieve something which they cannot. Shikamaru has some ideas as to what, but none that really makes sense to him. He sends a half-hearted glare at his father.
How troublesome.
"I'll give you ten minutes, no more. If you want out before that, just knock on the door and we'll let you out, alright?"
Resigned to having become a puppet in his father's plotting, Shikamaru nods wordlessly.
Inoichi-ojisan unlocks the door and Shikamaru steps into the room, the door closing behind him with a heavy thud. The room he finds himself in is brightly lit and bare save for the bars separating him and the Sand-woman. No windows, of course, this far beneath the ground. The only light in the room is on his side. Her side has a drain for her bodily functions and absolutely no other comforts.
She looks up at his entrance, her eyes meeting his defiantly. There's a momentary surprise when she sees that it's him and not one of the guards, but it's quickly pushed down. Stubborn woman, he thinks as she continues to glare at him.
The guards have stripped her of all of her weapons, of course, as well as her headband, her clothes, her shoes, her hair-ties, down into a short underdress and a pair of chakra-restricting handcuffs. If the lack of clothing bothers her at all she doesn't show it, and Shikamaru isn't really interested in the view anyway.
He doesn't know what to say. He'd wanted to come, to see her, but now when he's here? Uncharacteristically, Shikamaru finds himself pretty much clueless as to what to do next.
The silence grows in between them as time draws out, becoming something almost physical, weighing down upon them, teal eyes continuing to meet his throughout it all.
"Come to gloat?"
He's stupidly relieved that she's the first to break the silence.
"No."
"Then why are you here?"
Shikamaru sighs, finally averting his gaze. She smirks, as if she's won something. Maybe she has.
Why is he here?
Simple answer: because his father and Inoichi-ojisan decided to humour his request, for which they no doubt have a whole slew of reasons Shikamaru can only begin to imagine right now.
More complicated answer:
"I wanted to see you."
She scoffs, her glare intensifying before she swipes out with her arms, the movement awkward with the cuffs.
"Then have a look at your rightfully won loot, oh mighty Konoha-scum!"
Her glob of spit doesn't quite reach all the way to him, but she stands and steps up to the bars, grasping them in both of her hands without breaking eye contact.
"Why don't you come in here and have a better look, huh?"
Pointedly, Shikamaru keeps the eye-contact without raising to the bait. Her shoulders slump a little when she realises that he isn't looking, some of the sharpness slowly retreating from her eyes.
"I wanted to see if you were ok."
The words come out like a drawl, even though he would probably be better served trying to project some sort of comfort or reassurance. At least if he's going to achieve what his father and Inoichi-ojisan probably want him to achieve.
"Never been better."
Reluctantly, he feels a small smile tugging at his lips. She's stupidly stubborn, but she's got some snark to her.
"Yeah, I guess I can see that."
He shivers a little. The room is cold, and the hair on his underarms are standing on end.
"Aren't you cold?" he asks, though the answer is obvious.
Wordlessly she raises her chin, glaring at him. Shikamaru sighs again, averting his gaze as he takes another couple of steps into the room, bringing them almost within reach of one another.
"Look, I really didn't come here to gloat or pick a fight, alright?"
"It's not as if you came to help either, is it? So what's the difference?"
Shikamaru glances back at the door. Both his father and Inoichi-ojisan are waiting on the other side, and unless he's mistaken about their reasoning for even letting him in here he'll have at least some leeway in what he can ask for.
"What do you need?"
"How about you let me and my brothers go?"
"You know that's not up to me."
"Not that high and mighty after all, are you?"
Her look is one of disdain, like she finds the mere sight of him repulsive. Perhaps she does. Then again, perhaps he's slightly less repulsive than the people who work in T&I. Perhaps she's lashing out because he's actually younger than her, because he's just a genin and by far the least threatening thing in here, including her very cell.
How troublesome, he sighs mentally.
"Look, I'm offering to help if I can. Be smart about it. I might be able to get you, like, a blanket or whatever."
She bares her teeth in a vicious grin.
"The last guy who tried to stick his hands in here nearly lost them. Why don't you try?"
He only hesitates for a moment before he steps back to the door, knocking on it twice.
"Can I have a blanket please?" he asks as soon as it swings open.
It takes Inoichi-ojisan less than a moment to produce one, proving to Shikamaru that they've been planning this from the beginning. His father gives him an approving look over Inoichi-ojisan's shoulder. Shikamaru scowls back.
The blanket is stiff and made out of some sort of quilted nylon, reinforced so that it won't tear or even fold without continuous pressure. He holds it between both of his hands as he steps up to the bars again, halting just out of reach.
"Do you want it?"
Her earlier grin has faded, morphing into one of surprise and suspicion. Notably, she doesn't reach for it.
"Why do you care?"
"Why do you care why I care?"
"Don't think that some pity will make me forget what you've done! What Konoha has done!"
"Sand are the ones who broke the alliance."
"Konoha broke the alliance the moment you started taking our missions!"
The blanket is getting surprisingly heavy in his arms, but he remains as he is with his arms outstretched.
"I remember, you know? What things were like during the war. And then Konoha came and offered an alliance, only to then turn around and stab us in the back, taking our missions! Don't think that a mere blanket can make up for that!"
"Good for you, I guess? That makes one of us who's old enough to recall the war." Shikamaru has to suppress a smirk as she just blinks at him in surprise. "Anyway, I'm just to be nice, woman!"
"Then why don't you cut your own throat, and there'll be one less Konoha-scum in the world? Because that'd be nice!"
Shikamaru just raises an eyebrow, pointedly offering the blanket as he takes another small step forward. Bringing him within her reach.
Something like a growl escapes her, and Shikamaru steps back just as she reaches out for him, leaving her grabbing at the end of the blanket. She tugs violently at it and he lets it go, making a point out of continuing to meet her eyes until she has reluctantly wrapped herself in it.
"Thank you," he says, feeling his own shoulders drop in relief.
Surprise flashes across her eyes momentarily.
"Wuss. Konoha men can't even stand to look at a woman, huh?"
"I'm twelve," he reminds her dryly.
Her lips twitch at that, almost like a smile.
"Practically a babe. Or a maggot."
This time, her voice is far less sharp than before.
Someone bangs on the door.
"Time's up!" Inoichi-ojisan barks.
They both glance in the direction of the noise, but when the door doesn't open they look back at each other.
"I'll be back, if I can."
She huffs, offering a weak glare.
"If you really want to help, then let me see my brothers."
"I'll see what I can do."
Her glare follows him out, burning into his back long after the door has closed and locked behind him again.
"Well done," his father says, placing a hand on his shoulder.
Shikamaru sighs, looking up at the flickering lights tiredly. "Is there something wrong with Inoichi-ojisan's mind jutsu, or am I just a pawn in the long game?"
The two adults chuckle quietly as they make their way back up all those stairs.
A pawn for the long game then, Shikamaru decides.
"So will you let her see her brothers, or is she supposed to fall into my arms when I deliver the news that she won't?"
"We'll see," Inoichi-ojisan says, patting him on the other shoulder. "We'll see."
How troublesome.
It is a different Konoha that greets Sakura when she's released from the hospital, a day after her awakening. Familiar, yet so different that it almost feels foreign.
Immediately outside the hospital, large tents have emerged, housing row after row of beds with the injured. Harried looking medics bustle around and in between the beds, tending to their patients.
Shinobi and civilians alike have suffered great casualties.
Entire districts have been levelled with the ground.
Piles of rubble are the only thing remaining where before there were homes and businesses.
Amidst the chaos, mini-communities have appeared; tents in various shapes and sizes, tarps and blankets and pallets and whatever has been available formed into some semblance of cover and gathered around improvised fire places.
Sakura walks slowly through the streets, eyes large as she takes it all in and tries to comprehend the sheer size of the destruction.
Most of the western districts have been destroyed, crushed as if stomped on by something enormous. Other areas are damaged as well, such as the arena where the third stage of the Chunin Exams took place and the surrounding area. Even the houses that have survived show signs of the disaster; damage from debris, shuriken or kunai littering the walls, blood splashed here or there.
And throughout it all, more tents for the homeless, scattered around the village, taking form wherever there is enough room.
By the time she reaches the Genin Corps' Headquarters, Sakura's stomach is in painful knots.
Luckily the Genin Corps' Headquarters is one of the buildings that have remained mostly intact. She finds Commander Hatake in his office, surrounded by a few of his assistants as they consult over maps and mission scrolls spread over the tables.
"We need to prioritise cleanup in these areas here, because of the proximity to the-"
She hesitates in the doorway, afraid to disturb, but before she can leave he looks up and spots her standing there. For a moment she thinks its confusion flashing across his face before he smiles, gesturing for her to step forward. His assistants fall quiet as he steps away from them, glaring at her in annoyance.
"Heard you had an adventure of your own during the invasion." If he is at all bothered by the interruption he doesn't show it at all. His eyes are warm and his smile welcoming. "Glad to see you're alright. Have you been cleared for missions?"
"Yes sir. Only D-ranks though, and no head trauma for the next few days." The nurses had really been stressing that point, explaining that further trauma too soon might lead to permanent damage. Still, medical ninjutsu is amazing, Sakura thinks. It's hard to imagine that just days ago she suffered two serious stab wounds and potentially fatal head trauma. All of it now reduced to aching muscles and a throbbing but manageable headache.
"Good. And Kakashi hasn't claimed you back yet?"
"Not that I'm aware of." She swallows down the disappointment the statement brings. "Do you know if he's ok? And Sasuke-kun and Naruto?"
The medic said that Kakashi-sensei had brought her to the hospital. Besides, he's a jounin. Probably more than capable of defending himself, even during an invasion. Still, she can't really help worrying. Especially about Sasuke-kun and Naruto. As good as they both are, neither of them are anywhere near Kakashi-sensei's level. They could get into a lot of trouble.
"Last I saw he was ok. And your teammates too." The commander briefly places a comforting hand on her shoulder, offering a smile that doesn't quite meet his eyes. "Kakashi focused on defending people in the arena during the attack, and the boys teamed up to take down the Suna genin."
"Oh."
That sounds … unusually sensible of them, actually. Part of her almost would've expected Naruto and Sasuke-kun to somehow get in way over their heads and do something stupid, but them remaining near Kakashi-sensei and focusing on fighting the other genin sounds perfectly reasonable. Quite a lot better than pursuing two chunin far away from the village and then getting into a life-or-death fight with them, actually. She ducks her head at the thought but cannot actually summon any remorse for her actions.
"They're ok. As I understand it, Uchiha Sasuke was briefly hospitalised due to chakra exhaustion, but that's about the worst of it."
"That's good. Thank you." Sakura raises her gaze again, smiling at the Commander in gratitude. "So what happens now?"
"Well, there's still time left on your contract, and we need all the help we can get at the moment. How's your chakra reserves?"
"They're good."
"Good. I want you to go to this area here," he says, pointing to the map. "There's a chunin in charge. Go to him and he'll tell you what to do. He'll be happy for the extra pair of hands."
"I'm on it!" she says, shooting off a half playful/half serious salute before hurrying away. Having a task at hand, a job to do, is a welcome relief that allows her not to worry too much about the future.
She hurries towards the indicated district, skirting around the many tent camps and piles of rubble.
Yet, despite the destruction there's signs of hope too: the structures that have survived, civilians and shinobi alike working alongside one another trying to sift through the debris and clean up, making space for reconstruction. A group of women gathered around a large fire, the scent of food cooking.
It takes her a couple of minutes before reaching the site, and she easily spots the green-vested chunin in charge. In general, the Genin Corps rarely need a chunin to command their projects, but considering the scale of destruction it makes sense.
"This is a critical site due to the proximity to the river and the sewage pipes running beneath us," he explains, leading her around a large pile of rubble. "We need to clear the rubble and make sure that the pipes aren't leaking sewage, and we need to do it carefully enough that we don't wind up causing any damage to the pipes either."
He pairs her up with a couple of genin she vaguely recognises from the Genin Corps and then moves on to supervise the other groups' work.
The work itself is … hard. Not difficult as such, but time consuming and physically exhausting. Probably not something the nurses would approve of, but not enough for her to step back from either. Instead she finds herself circulating chakra throughout her body, enhancing the strength of her limbs as she helps clear the debris. It does allow for her to focus wholeheartedly on the task at hand and otherwise empty her mind.
"Sakura!"
The exclamation is the only warning she gets before she is enveloped in strong arms, finding her face pressed against a big chest. She has to fight down the instinctive urge to lash out, forcing herself to stand perfectly still instead.
"Are you alright?" Hajime pushes her away at arm's distance, looking her over critically. "You never came back during the chunin exams, and then someone said you were in the hospital and I was seriously worried about you!"
"He was," Tomomi confirms from behind Hajime. Her voice is calmer but she too carefully looks her up and down, clearly looking for any injuries.
"Me too!"
A moment later, Sakura finds herself being tightly squeezed again, Aimi's hair tickling her nose.
Takeshi hangs back, standing next to Tomomi with a worried frown on his face.
Sakura feels something twisting strangely in her chest. Something warm and nice but also akin to guilt. They care. They've barely known her for a month, yet they so very clearly care.
"I'm fine," she assures them, having to clear her throat a little to make her voice come out right. Awkwardly she wipes away some dirt from her face, probably only succeeding in smearing it out further. "You guys?"
They look unharmed, she notes. Aimi's hair is messier than usual, and Takeshi's usually pristine uniform is a bit wrinkled and dirty, though still better looking than Hajime's, which looks as if he's slept in it.
"We're fine." Tomomi offers a reassuring smile. "The advantage of the Premium Balcony is that there are a lot of guards, so I don't think we were ever truly in danger."
"Told you the premium balcony was the best!"
Kakashi dodges a kunai with an exploding tag attached to it, throwing himself aside just in time to avoid the explosion. The enemy is upon him immediately but Kakashi is prepared, having predicted the move, and kunai clashes against kunai.
After that, the battle is short, and a couple of minutes later finds him wiping the blood off of his weapons on the enemy's uniform.
"Another enemy captured, oh rival of mine! Or is this one dead?"
Having sensed Gai's approach already, Kakashi is not surprised by the booming voice.
"He's alive, for now."
Stowing his kunai away Kakashi searches the enemy quickly, removing any obvious weapons or dangers before tearing a sleeve off to make a makeshift bandage for the Sand-shinobi.
"What's that, the ninth or tenth enemy you've rounded up?" Gai asks eagerly. "You've got some catching up to do, I've caught twelve so far!"
"This is the sixteenth."
Gai makes a frustrated noise before hurrying off to find more stray enemies that might be hiding still within Konoha's borders.
Satisfied that the prisoner will live long enough to survive the transport back to T&I, Kakashi throws the man over his shoulder and heads back for the village.
Bull is already howling in the distance, having found another track.
"Dinner is here!"
"Food for our strong workers!"
The two shrill voices manage to pierce through the noise of rubble being cleared. Sakura and Aimi heaves the large boulder they've been carrying across the river onto the riverbank, where it won't be in the way, before stretching their backs and wiping the sweat from their eyes.
"I'm starving," Aimi says.
"Me too. Let's go get some-"
"TANAKA AIMI, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?! GET BACK HERE IMMEDIATELY!"
Both Aimi and Sakura flinch at the shout, reflexively looking towards the source of it. On the other riverbank, right beside the food delivery cart, stands two familiar people; a tall man with windswept, orange hair and a woman with beautiful, blue locks falling past her shoulders. A laugh escapes Sakura. Aimi slaps her arm in retribution.
"You wouldn't be laughing if it was your-"
"TANAKA AIMI, I SAID GET BACK HERE! NOW!"
Sheepishly, her face as red as a tomato, Aimi obeys the command and scurries across the water. Sakura follows closely behind, forcing the laughter down.
"What do you want?"
"Don't use that tone with us, young lady!"
"What do you think you're doing? It's been two days since the invasion, and you're already risking your life with these-"
"What did I even do?!"
As Sakura watches, Aimi's father pulls her into a hug as her mother continues her tirade about the dangers of "shinobi tricks". Aimi submits to the hug with some grumbling, though Sakura notes that she hugs her father nearly as tightly as he hugs her.
"I was just doing my job."
"But surely there's more experienced shinobi to do these kinds of things. Walking on water like that looks dangerous! What if you fell in? The water is freezing, and what if you were swept away by the stream?"
"I promise I was being careful, mom! Besides, Sakura was there too, so she would've helped me if anything went wrong, wouldn't you Sakura?"
Both adults finally notice Sakura standing there, still on the surface of the river, and she offers them a polite smile and a small bow.
"Nice to see you. It's been a while."
They briefly frown at her, before mrs. Tanaka's face lights up with a wide smile.
"Haruno Sakura! My, my, how you've grown! I haven't seen you around in forever!"
Sakura can't help but flinch at the use of her former surname, but forces the smile to remain on her lips. Here and now is not the right time to go into specifics. If they haven't heard of her leaving the Haruno-clan yet, then she's not going to tell them.
"Are you too living in the dormitories, like Aimi?" mr. Tanaka asks, his face morphing into fondness.
"I do."
"In fact, Sakura and I'll be sharing a room now, to give room in the dormitories for those who've lost their homes," Aimi adds.
"How nice!"
"We thought Aimi was the only Uzushio-born to pass the Academy graduation. It makes me so happy that she's not, and that the two of you are friends!"
"And that you'll be sharing a room! I'll have to craft a new seal for your room, to bring you both luck."
"Da-ad, you're embarrassing me!"
"Why? Sakura's from Uzushio too, she won't laugh at-"
Rising voices draw Sakura's attention from Aimi and her family to the food cart, where she spots Takeshi arguing with a man that looks just like an older version of him.
"- I said don't-"
"What? I didn't do anything wrong! I just pointed out that-"
"DAD, please!"
"Don't tell me you're agreeing with those filthy-"
Mr. and Mrs. Tanaka glance over their shoulders and Mr. Tanaka hugs Aimi closer again, their expressions turning more grim. "Let's go somewhere else. You're due for a break anyway, right? Let's find somewhere nice to sit while you eat."
"And you're welcome to join too, of course, Sakura-chan."
"Why? What are you-"
"SHUT UP! Those are my teammates you're talking about, and for your information, I would trust them in a fight much more than I'd trust you!"
Takeshi shoves his father aside, grabs a couple of servings of food and storms away from him. Towards the Tanaka family and Sakura.
"I'm sorry about my father, he doesn't know what he's talking about." Still red in the face, Takeshi offers a deep bow.
The Tanaka's stare at him in surprise for a moment, before Mrs. Tanaka glances at Aimi with raised eyebrows.
"Another friend of yours?"
"That's Takeshi. My teammate." Aimi breaks free of her father's arm and hurries over to him. "And you don't have to bow to my parents. Please."
She tugs at him, and he obediently rises from his bow, looking sheepish.
"A pleasure to meet you. And I'm really sorry about-"
Aimi silences him by placing a hand over his mouth.
"Don't. Your father doesn't know better, my parents are embarrassing. Let's just get out of here, ok? You've got food for Sakura and me there too, right?"
Because Aimi still has her hand over his mouth Takeshi simply nods in confirmation.
"Good. Let's go find Hajime and Tomomi then. Mom, dad, I'll see you guys later, ok? Sakura, you coming?"
Unable not to smile, Sakura offers a brief bow to the Tanakas before following Aimi and Takeshi to find somewhere else to eat.
So things have been a bit sucky lately, what with failing the chunin exams and the invasion and old man third Hokage dying and all that. On top of all of that, Naruto's getting the annoyingly nagging sense that Stupid Sasuke is pulling ahead of him in training. For a moment he'd thought he'd finally done it, finally been able to pull ahead and proved to the world how strong he really is - and it had been so cool too, hadn't it? Just swooping in and saving Sasuke like that when he fainted, almost like saving a princess or something, only, y'know, the princess being Sasuke, like Sasuke-Sasuke, not Sasuke-in-a-dress, though that's certainly a funny thought too.
Naruto snickers to himself at the mental image. He might have to set up a prank or something on Sasuke later, just to see his reaction as well. Man, that'd be great! And maybe he could even do it in front of Sakura-chan, and then maybe -
Anyway, luckily Naruto knows the perfect cure for everything sucky that's been happening lately - and he even has a free coupon! Which totally just makes it so much better, because it's free y'know, and somehow free ramen tastes even better than regular ramen, at least when it's Ichiraku Ramen and man is he lucky that Ichiraku ramen wasn't harmed in the invasion!
Naruto shudders at the thought of a world without Ichiraku Ramen before slurping another bite. He's so lucky.
Behind him another guest enters the little restaurant, to the attentive greeting of Teuchi. Naruto is too busy enjoying his noodles, at least until he hears a familiar voice speaking.
"So it's true then. You really do eat ramen all the time."
Naruto almost chokes on a maybe-a-little-bit-too-big mouthful of noodles at the unexpected voice - and wouldn't that be a nice way of dying, by the way, dying from eating Ichiraku?
"Pervy Sage!" he exclaims around the noodles.
And here he's been looking all over the village for the old man! Like really, all over! He's even been searching the bathhouses and been yelled at by angry women, even though Naruto isn't really a creep, he's just looking for Pervy Sage who most definitely is a creep!
"Finish up and come with me."
Hastily Naruto swallows down the rest of the ramen, even though it's a shame to swallow such good ramen so quickly and it gets caught in his throat and he almost winds up rolling on the floor as he coughs, because, y'know, as good as the ramen is he can't really breathe around it, but then it's all ok again and he can breathe again.
Naruto yells a hasty goodbye to Teuchi and hurries after Jiraiya, who's already halfway down the street.
"Hold on, wait up, where are we going?"
People glare after him as he hurries past, but Naruto has long grown used to their looks and barely pays them any attention at all. He's not going to let Pervy Sage get away again!
"We're going on a research trip, kiddo."
"Research trip?"
"Yup. So hurry home and pack your bag so we can get going."
"But why? Why do I have to go on a research trip with you, Pervy Sage?"
Knowing the old man, it'll just end up being Naruto chasing the old man down as he spies on bathing women or whatever, which is not at all what Naruto is looking for. He needs to get stronger! He has the summoning jutsu, which is totally an awesomely amazing jutsu but still not enough to beat Sasuke! Because while the old toad had been able to beat that strange Sand-shinobi mostly into the ground he'd still been able to slap Gammabunta aside in the end, and it had been Sasuke and his stupid chidori who'd defeated him in the end. And not just that either! Sasuke'd looked different too! Somehow he'd gone all grey and had these strange markings and even grown, like, a pair of claw-paw-wings or something which is, like, really not fair! Naruto can't do that!
So anyway, Naruto needs training, not to go on one of Jiraiya's stupid "research" trips!
"No, it's not just a normal research trip," Jiraiya grins creepily. "There's a woman I want to ask some questions to, so I have to find her."
"I have no time to waste on your perverted stuff. I have to train!"
Naruto's starting to wish that he hadn't hurried from Ichiraku so quickly. Teuchi'd been in a really good mood too, even giving Naruto some extra ramen. Maybe he even could've convinced the man to give him some more? But it'll be too late now to head back, probably. Besides, he does need to train, and while he's been training on his own too he really does need Jiraiya to show him another amazing jutsu so that he can finally prove that he's better than Sasuke!
"Train?"
"I'm going to have Kakashi-sensei teach me a lot," Naruto claims, totally just to annoy the perverted old man. "Like the chidori."
Though really, Kakashi-sensei's been playing favourites lately. Naruto frowns at the thought. Honestly, it's been a whole month of Kakashi-sensei training only Sasuke and teaching him stupidly awesome stuff like the chidori and that claw-paw-wing transformation-thing, and it's really not fair! Stupid Sasuke gets a sensei like Kakashi-sensei, who's never on time or anything but still actually shows up sooner or later. Not like Pervy Sage, who Naruto has to track down most of the time anyway, except for now of course, and who seems to just spend most of his time doing creepy stuff like spying on ladies and getting Naruto yelled at when he finally manages to find the stupid old man!
"Well, I don't really think you can master that move. And more importantly, the woman I'm talking about is really hot. Don't you want to see her?"
Naruto growls in frustration, because while Pervy Sage is a stupid, perverted old man he's one of the very few people who actually believes that Naruto can do things! It's not fair that he too is on Sasuke's side! Besides, Naruto doesn't really care about any lady, except maybe Sakura-chan.
"Not really. I'm not a kid that can be easily convinced by a perverted old man like you!"
"Then I have no choice," Jiraiya sighs disappointedly, starting to walk away from Naruto again. "What a shame. I know a technique that's more powerful than the chidori. I guess I'll just have to take Sasuke with me."
Naruto twitches at the words. Pervy Sage, teaching Stupid Sasuke a technique that's even more powerful and awesome than the chidori?
"No! I changed my mind! I'll go!" Naruto shouts, hurrying to catch up to the old man again.
"Hurry to pack your things then, and meet me by the front gate. We're leaving today."
"I'll hold you to that old man! The trip and the training both!"
With those words Naruto rushes back the way he came, heading for his apartment with a grin on his face. He won! He's getting training from Jiraiya again, and this time he'll definitely beat Sasuke the next time they fight! He'll show everyone! Jiraiya and Kakashi-sensei and Stupid Sasuke! Then they'll have to admit how strong he is and make him Hokage and Sakura will definitely fall in love with him!
"You guys go ahead, I'll catch up in a bit."
Sakura waves away the brief concern of her friends before they continue towards the Genin Corps' headquarters, where warm showers and much needed sleep awaits them. She looks after them for a couple of moments, hesitating before she turns down a side street. Continuing down it she follows a familiar-yet-unfamiliar path - these streets are mostly unharmed by the invasion, but walking down them brings memories that reminds her that she's no longer the same person that used to walk this same path before.
It still hasn't been a year. More like six months, but it seems like forever.
Soon enough she finds herself standing outside of the Haruno Compound. Like most of this district, the compound has remained mostly intact. A part of the outside wall has collapsed under debris from another, nearby building which seem to have been hit by a paper bomb, but the buildings within seem unharmed. Silent, but unharmed.
It's far past dinnertime and all of the shops are closed. Light in the window tells her that someone is at home in the apartment above aunt Kasumi's shop.
Her throat feels too tight, her limbs heavy from hours of physical work.
Another light comes on. Aunt Kasumi's sewing room.
"I wasn't expecting to see you here."
Sakura definitely, most certainly, absolutely does not jump in surprise at the voice.
"What do you want?" she asks, levelling Tanigawa with a glare. Yet neither the tone nor the glare properly manage to relay her distaste for him. Amazing what exhaustion can do for civility, really.
Then again, they'd been civil the last time they saw each other too, back at the premium balcony. Painfully, strangely civil.
"Nothing." He raises his hands, as if to show his innocence. "I'm just here to visit Kiku-chan. You?"
Sakura shrugs, glancing back at the compound.
"I don't know. I guess I just … wanted to see if the place was still standing."
Her voice comes out quiet. He doesn't tease her, like she half expects him to. Instead he nods, as if he understands what she means. Which is a ridiculous notion to begin with, of course, because she herself isn't sure what brought her here in the first place.
"They're alright." His voice is almost as quiet as hers. "Frightened by the whole experience, but unharmed."
Bizarrely, that makes her feel a little lighter. Her breath comes a little easier.
For a couple of moments he just stands there next to her, gazing at the compound in semi-companionable silence. Then he has to go and ruin it, of course.
"We should have another duel. I'm still not convinced you're a real shinobi."
She scoffs at him, but the effect is somewhat ruined by the smile she struggles to hide.
"Another time," she replies, raising her head and looking away like she's above even looking at him. "I've got work to do."
"Oh? Important, super-secret missions? Princesses to save and nations to protect?"
His voice is teasing and she smiles back.
"Something like that."
When she leaves it is with a small ball of warmth and goodness in her chest, her limbs feeling lighter than they reasonably should.
"Just relax, like I showed you."
Sasuke resists the urge to growl, clenching his hands together instead before forcing himself to relax again.
Stupid meditation exercise.
"Deep breaths. In …. And …. out."
The stupid, girly Yamanaka breathes with him, as if that's somehow going to help.
"Aren't you supposed to be some kind of expert on this stuff anyway? Why do I have to do all the work?"
"Because it's your mind. Like I told you, I can guide and help you, but I can't clear your mindscape for you."
Sasuke scoffs, because that sounds like a stupid excuse, but reluctantly settles back anyway. He imagines his mindscape, such as he remembers it. The fire. The altar. The annoying lantern that doesn't belong there, and the growing purple stain surrounding it.
"Just like that. Relax, focus on your breathing, and imagine yourself falling into your mindscape."
His arm is itching. There's a bruise on his leg that's aggravated by the cross legged position he's currently in, so he shifts a little to relieve it.
He breathes deeply. In. Out. In. Out.
"Good. Just like-"
"This is stupid. Show me something else to do!"
The girly Yamanaka sighs.
"Perhaps that's enough for today. Continue practising your meditation, and I'll be by tomorrow to check your progress."
Relieved to finally be allowed to leave, Sasuke happily escapes the Mind Clinic, heading for his usual training ground.
Not that he'll be meditating. No, he's got better things to do.
He might be too low on chakra to practise any of his jutsu, but he's physically recovered enough that he can do some stamina training or katas or something.
Besides, no one will bother him there.
Maybe he'll go by the old Uchiha Compound later. It's been a while since he visited the many - many - graves.
On the morning after her release from the hospital, Sakura wakes to a kick to her stomach and a short but terrifying fall. She lands ungracefully on top of something soft but angular that takes her breath away as it digs into her ribs, and before she's fully awake she finds herself on her back with a knife at her throat.
She and Tomomi blink at each other in confusion.
"Sorry!" Aimi's face appears from on top of the bed. "Didn't mean t'kick you."
Aimi yawns widely.
Tomomi swiftly pockets her knife, pulling back to allow Sakura to sit up. "Told you the bed is too small for two people."
"It's not! There's plenty of room, right Sakura?"
"Right up until a minute ago." Gingerly Sakura rubs at her ribs. She's a little bit sore from the fall and Tomomi's handling, but not too badly off.
They get up and get dressed in mostly companionable silence; Tomomi apparently a grumbling zombie before her morning coffee, and Aimi yawning even more than Sakura.
The room - Aimi's room - is a tight squeeze for the three of them, but considering all of the people who've lost their homes both Tomomi and Sakura are happy to temporarily give up their own rooms. Aimi's bed has been pushed up to the wall, next to the window, and Tomomi's futon and backpack takes up most of the remaining floor space. Sakura is grateful to be able to store all of her belongings in one storage scroll, currently opting not to think about the scroll's mysterious past. She'll ask Kakashi-sensei when she has the opportunity. For now, she's grateful to be alive and to have a roof over her head and a bed to sleep in.
They join up with Hajime and Takeshi - both of whom are now sharing rooms too - in the mess hall, and have a quick breakfast before Commander Hatake and a group of chunin arrive to give them a rundown of what needs to be done today. The structure of the Genin Corps does not typically include set teams, and that is especially true right now. Their work does not so much resemble actual missions, as it does piles of work which the whole Corps need to work together to get done. There are graves to dig, sewage pipes to clear and repair, temporary latrines that need building or emptying …
Without having to discuss the issue, Sakura and the others join a chunin in charge of clearing and repairing a certain section of the wall. It's hard, physically demanding work, but at least it won't stink.
"Do you have any plans for today, son?"
Shikamaru sighs heavily at the question.
"I guess not."
Asuma-sensei is off doing jounin-stuff, so there won't be any team training or missions happening. Of course, he could meet up with Choji and Ino anyway - or maybe just Choji, because Ino will probably drag them into doing something productive, or whatever, rather than cloud watching - but the fact that his father is asking about his plans most likely means that he does have plans for the day. He just hasn't been informed about them yet.
So that's what Inoichi-ojisan and his father stayed up late talking about last night.
About half an hour later Shikamaru finds himself far beneath the Intelligence Division, walking through a corridor that is just as nondescript today as it was yesterday. Mentally he counts the doors as he's passing - fourteen, fifteen, sixteen - and casts a quick, questioning glance at Inoichi-ojisan when they pass by number seventeen, eighteen and nineteen, finally coming to a halt outside number twenty.
"Ten minutes," Inoichi-ojisan tells him before unlocking the door and letting him in.
Shikamaru scowls, because he does not appreciate surprises, but obediently steps into the room. It looks just about exactly like Temari's cell, except this one has a complete stranger in it. The door closes behind him, and Shikamaru's gaze meets that of the boy on the other side of the bars. He's a little bit older than Shikamaru but not too much. A year or two maybe, fourteen or fifteen, with a tuft of messy, brown hair. Like Temari, the boy's been stripped of everything, down into a pair of plain briefs and an armless undershirt. Unlike Temari, the boy has obviously accepted both a blanket and a pillow and even some food, judging by the empty bowl sitting next to the bars.
Awkwardly, Shikamaru glances at the now closed door before looking at the boy. What exactly is he supposed to do this time?
"What do you want?"
The voice is a little bit hoarse but familiar, and suddenly Shikamaru understands.
"Beats me," he sighs, shoving his hands into his pockets. These damn cells are cold. "Yesterday they made me talk to your sister, and now you."
"You spoke to Temari?"
"You have another sister?"
The boy - Kankuro - sits up straighter, worry plain as a day on his face. For all of his puppetry skills, the guy seems to have absolutely no poker face.
"How is she? I swear, if you Konoha-scum have hurt her, I'll make sure you regret it!"
More threats. Shikamaru sighs, averting his gaze.
"She's fine. Or was, when I saw her at least."
"Is that a fucking threat? Why don't you say it again, I dare you!"
Kankuro stands, stalking over to the bars and glaring down at him. He's not that much taller than Shikamaru, and between the bars, the lack of proper clothing and the chakra-restraining handcuffs it's not nearly as intimidating as it's probably supposed to be.
"She's fine."
"She's not fine, you asshole! Why are you keeping us apart?"
"Look, I'm not-"
"I know what happens to kunoichi in enemy captivity, and I promise-"
Shikamaru takes an abrupt step backwards, disgusted by the insinuation.
"-I will cut your dick off myself if you've-"
Bile rises in his throat and he has to forcefully push it back in order not to humiliate himself.
"-and I will carve out your-"
"I'm twelve," he interrupts loudly, relieved when the other boy pauses his tirade. "Trust me, I have no interest in what you're suggesting, and even if I did it'd be foolish to try anything of the sort with your sister."
"She'd castrate you!"
"Exactly."
Keeping his gaze even and deadpan, Shikamaru makes a show out of relaxing his body language. His hands in his pockets, shoulders slouching - the left one a bit farther than the right one, creating an uneven, gainly stance he knows does him no favours as far as intimidation goes.
"She's … fine?"
This time, Kankuro's voice comes out lower, more hesitant. It sounds almost childish, to Shikamaru's ears.
"You tell me. Seems to me she'd rather die than let anyone hurt her. Last time I saw her, which was yesterday, she was very much alive. Telling me to commit seppuku, or whatever."
A short, broken laugh escapes the other boy.
"She's alive?"
"I just said that, didn't I?"
To Shikamaru's immense surprise, Kankuro sinks to his knees, hands still grasping the bars hard enough that his knuckles are turning white.
"She's alive. Temari … she's …"
Awkwardly Shikamaru glances back towards the door, but of course no help is coming from his father or Inoichi-ojisan. Not that he can truly blame them. If this was his job, he'd probably be trying to pawn it off on someone else too. Why does it have to be him though?
And what is he supposed to do with a crying Sand-shinobi?
"There, there," he says after a couple of minutes of awkward silence only broken by sobbing. Hesitantly he reaches out to pat the other boy on the head. "Everything will be fine."
To his surprise, Kankuro accepts both the touch and the comfort.
Shikamaru glares at the door, imagining that the two good-for-nothing slackers behind it are very proud of themselves for pawning their jobs off on him. Even if they are playing the long-con, hoping to tie the trust of the Sand-siblings to him, he doesn't have to like it.
The days start to blend into one another again. Sakura is kept busy with work at various sites throughout the village, working alongside Hajime, Tomomi, Aimi, Takeshi and the other genin and chunin in charge of the repairs.
Training is no longer a priority. In the evenings she's tired enough that she only really has energy for dinner and a shower before she falls into bed, only for the routine to start over again the next day.
Slowly the clean up and reparations start to take form: new buildings rising from the chaos like flowers in spring. The heavy feeling that has lingered over the village ever since the assault starts to evaporate. Konoha may have been forced to fight the enemy on her own streets, but at the core of her heart it is still a shinobi village. They have suffered a blow but slowly the village is healing.
Before she knows it a week has passed without her really noticing. The end of her contract with the Genin Corps is approaching, and still there has been no words from Kakashi-sensei about what will happen then. She hasn't seen any of them - not Kakashi-sensei, nor Naruto or Sasuke-kun - around ever since the invasion, even though she's been looking. Only the Commander's reassuring words that they're all ok has kept her from abandoning her work in search of them.
Will she even be welcome back to team 7?
One afternoon she decides she's had enough of avoiding the issue and asks Commander Hatake for Kakashi-sensei's address and some time off to go see him. He happily gives her both, and so she's off, stalking down the streets with her jaw clenched in determination.
Kakashi-sensei's apartment building is in one of the lesser damaged districts, and the whole building seems to have escaped the ordeal entirely undamaged. She lingers outside for a few minutes, staring up at the building and trying to gather enough courage to approach him.
Suddenly her determination is all gone. What if she's not welcome back to the team?
What if he doesn't want her?
"Sakura?"
The voice takes her by surprise and she turns around to face the speaker. Sasuke-kun looks surprised to see her, eyes somewhat wider than usual and mouth slightly open, as if ready for a scathing remark.
I refuse to continue to be on a team with that utterly useless, pathetic dead weight! he'd said last time they saw each other. I demand that she be put off the team! She'll only sabotage us otherwise!
Her breath catches in her throat for a moment, her skin crawling with discomfort as she remembers the furious look in his eyes and his tone of voice. The words echo in her mind until she notes that while he doesn't look exactly pleased to see her, that anger isn't at the forefront either. She forces herself to smile then, tilting her head a little to seem even more friendly.
"Sasuke-kun! I wasn't expecting to run into you here! Are you here to see Kakashi-sensei too?"
Her voice sounds different to her ears. Older than last time they spoke, ringing with feigned cheerfulness. If Sasuke-kun notices, he doesn't comment.
"Yeah."
His voice is different too, she notices. The sound of his voice used to make something within her sing with joy, but now it just seems to … fall flat, for some reason. She isn't sure what's different, but there's definitely something. Not enough that she isn't convinced that it's really Sasuke-kun, but something is different.
"We were supposed to meet up earlier today but he never showed up," Sasuke adds after a moment of awkward silence.
"We were?" she asks impulsively, momentarily afraid that she has missed the memo or something before catching herself. "Or, you mean you and Kakashi-sensei?"
He just nods wordlessly. Sakura fumbles for something else to say, to fill the suddenly awkward silence in between them.
"So, training alone with Kakashi-sensei must be exciting. At least if he's ever on time, I guess. So, are you like his apprentice now, or something? Because that'd make sense, I think, because of your skill and -"
She bites herself off, realising that she's rambling. Her cheeks burn with embarrassment,.
Sasuke-kun just scoffs. "I guess."
He looks away, shoulders stiff even as he places his hands in his pockets and tries to look relaxed. His jaw tenses too, slowly working in that frustrated manner that she has come to associate with Naruto.
"Where's Naruto?" she asks before she can stop herself. "Who's he training with?"
Sasuke visibly tenses further, jaws biting together hard enough that she is almost worried he will break his teeth.
"Last I heard he was out of the village, training with Jiraiya of the Sanin." The words are clipped and cold, but with an undertone of what she might label jealousy if it were anyone other than Sasuke-kun speaking.
"Jiraiya of the Sanin?" she repeats, stunned. "That's … How did that happen?"
She thinks back to the Chunin exams, and the older, silver-haired man that had been with Kakashi-sensei. Had he really been Jiraiya of the Sanin? She feels foolish for not recognising him, but then none of the Sanin have been back in Konoha for ages. First Lady Tsunade, the legendary medic, had left, and then Orochimaru the Snake Sannin had left and turned against Konoha, only for Jiraiya the Frog Sage to leave soon thereafter. All that remains of either of them are old pictures in the history books, so maybe it's not so strange that she didn't recognise him after all.
Sakura's stomach twists painfully at the realisation that not only have Sasuke-kun been receiving specialised training with Kakashi-sensei, but Naruto has also been training with one of the Three Legendary Sanin. And what has she been doing? Working with the Genin Corps. Doing D-ranks and falling even further behind.
But then, despite that realisation she can't really bring herself to regret her time with the Genin Corps. She might not be on par with Sasuke-kun, but she has grown so much during the past month. Besides, it's not like she ever had the same potential as Sasuke-kun anyway.
Sasuke is of the Uchiha-clan. Both of his parents were jounin, as were most of his aunts and uncles and cousins and even his brother. So yes, Sasuke will most likely make chunin and even jounin in time, she recalls Kakashi-sensei telling her shortly before she decided to join the Genin Corps. And when she'd asked about herself, if she had what it took to become a chunin, he'd said; At the moment? No. In the future? Who knows? Not exactly a glowing recommendation.
Sasuke-kun shrugs and turns back towards the tall building that is Kakashi-sensei's apartment complex. "So, were you going to go up or not?"
Forcefully Sakura breaks away from that negative thought-spiral.
"Yeah, sure."
Awkwardly she follows him as he takes to the stairs, heading for the right floor.
A month and a half ago she would've been overjoyed to have these few minutes alone with Sasuke-kun, especially after such a long time apart. What is wrong with her now, for only feeling awkward and jealous?
There are voices coming from Kakashi-sensei's apartment. Sakura hesitates, afraid to interrupt something, but Sasuke-kun continues without so much as a moment of hesitation.
"It appears that they haven't found Naruto yet."
"Those guys had already infiltrated the village. It should be easy for them to find Naruto."
This is definitely not the kind of conversation she should be overhearing, she thinks, pausing in her step. Sasuke continues on, pushing the door open a moment later.
"Kakashi!" he says, voice thick with annoyance.
He pauses in the doorway. Sakura is still a few steps behind him, further down the stairs, and so she only sees the heads of three other shinobi within the apartment. Asuma-sensei, Kurenai-sensei of team 8 and Gai-sensei of that team with Hyuga Neji and Rock Lee.
"Why is Kakashi sleeping?" Sasuke asks after a moment. "Besides, why are you jounin gathering here? What is going on?"
It is not even dinner time yet. Kakashi-sensei shouldn't be in bed, unless something bad has happened. And the gathering of jounin in his apartment suggests that it is something really bad. Sakura swallows nervously and begins to step forward again, afraid to find out what has happened yet also needing to know.
Because she's mid-step she is caught off guard when she is roughly pushed aside as another jounin rushes past her, hurrying into the apartment.
"Is it true that Uchiha Itachi has returned?!" he shouts into the apartment, loud enough for her to easily hear him. "And that he's after Naruto?!"
Her breath catches in her throat. Uchiha Itachi? That's -
Sasuke-kun rushes past her without so much as a glance at her where she's still inelegantly sprawled across the stairs.
"Aoba, you idiot!" Asuma-sensei curses from within the apartment.
"Asuma, we need to report this to the Hokage," Kurenai says.
Awkwardly Sakura stands, hesitating between leaving and letting them know that she too is here. Or maybe she should go after Sasuke-kun?
Then Asuma-sensei is in the doorway, his gaze falling on her. He glances back into the apartment before closing the door behind him.
"Sakura-chan," he greets her, voice slightly strained. "Did you overhear us talking?"
She nods, finding herself unable to lie to him. He probably wouldn't believe her anyway.
"I didn't mean to eavesdrop," she hurries to explain. "I was just coming to see Kakashi-sensei, and then I ran into Sasuke-kun outside and -"
Asuma places a calming hand on her shoulder. He's familiar and comforting and she feels herself relax a little again.
"It's ok, Sakura-chan. You did nothing wrong. I'm afraid, though, that this isn't a good time. Kakashi's indisposed at the moment, and I need to talk to the Hokage as soon as possible."
He squeezes her shoulders comfortingly and gently leads her back down the stairs and out into the streets.
"Will Kakashi-sensei be alright?" she asks worriedly, glancing back towards the stairs and the apartment.
"I'm sure he will. He probably just needs some rest. Now, if you'll excuse me -"
Asuma-sensei doesn't even finish the sentence before he's off, heading for the rooftops. Sakura lingers on the street for a few more moments, looking first in the direction Asuma disappeared and then back up the stairs towards Kakashi-sensei's apartment.
With a sigh she then turns away and heads back towards the headquarters.
She'll just have to wait. There's still some time left on her contract. Besides, she'd probably just get in the way if she tried to help. Best she just stays out of the way and lets her superiors handle things.
The thought stings, despite the truth of it.
Sakura will make herself useful elsewhere while she waits to find out if she has a team to return to or not. It's not as if she actually dislikes the work she's doing with the Genin Corps.
"Kankuro!"
"Temari!"
The two Sand-siblings rush forward, embracing each other as best as they can while they're both still wearing their chakra-restraining handcuffs. Kankuro is crying, burying his head against Temari's shoulder while she stoically comforts him.
Shikamaru rolls his eyes - not at the emotional display before him, but at the blatant manipulation. The stupidest part is that it even seems to be working, judging from the grateful looks thrown his way.
"Thank you," Temari mouths over Kankuro's head.
Shikamaru just makes a vague gesture, waving the gratitude away. She must be smart enough to realise what's going on, but he supposes being allowed to see her brother is enough motivation for her to allow it to happen anyway. Shikamaru doesn't have any siblings, but he supposes it must be somewhat like having really close teammates. Like Ino and Choji, and he can't even begin to imagine what it would be like to be caught in enemy-land, not allowed to see them and fearing the worst.
"Can I see Gaara too?" Temari asks at last. "Please?"
"No." Inoichi-ojisan's voice is rough and hard, his arms folded over his chest. Standing next to Morino Ibiki, the both of them towering over Shikamaru, Temari and Kankuro, he makes quite an intimidating impression. Which is exactly the point, Shikamaru supposes. Still, it's not exactly subtle.
"Please? He's my youngest brother, he needs me!"
"The Sand-jinchuriki has been placed under restrictive seals for his own protection. Be grateful that we're making this much of a concession."
Morino Ibiki is, of course, even more intimidating than Inoichi-ojisan. Temari ducks her head, not arguing the point further, but throws a pleading glance in his direction.
Shikamaru shrugs, tilting his head in acknowledgement. Of course, he doesn't really have any power at all, but if she's ever allowed to see her other brother again he's sure that too will be done in such a way that she'll associate it with him.
Two days after her run-in with Sasuke-kun Sakura learns that both Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun have been hospitalised, following their individual fights with Uchiha Itachi. Whatever he's done to them, it must be bad.
Meanwhile, Naruto still hasn't returned to the village. According to rumour, he's off somewhere chasing the only person who might be able to help; Senju Tsunade. The Legendary Medic, the granddaughter of the first Hokage and the strongest kunoichi Konoha has ever produced.
That will be the third of the Three Legendary Sanin returning to Konoha for the first time in forever within the scope of just a couple of weeks, Sakura thinks to herself. It almost sounds like the plot of an adventure novel or a historical drama.
That evening she heads to the hospital to visit Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun. She places a flower in a vase on each of their nightstands, before a nurse sternly informs her that visiting hours ended hours ago.
As she leaves, she prays that Naruto is successful in his search.
There is a knock on the door.
"Enter," Hiashi says, not looking up from the array of symbols he's drawing on the floor of the dojo.
The door slides open and timid steps enter.
"It's almost ready," his father says, his voice both controlled and reassuring in its own way.
Hinata doesn't reply but from the corner of his eye Hiashi sees her nodding quietly, arms coming up to hug herself.
The dojo is lit by one lantern closest to where Hiashi is still working on the sealing array, casting the rest of the dojo in shadows. The scent of wood polish and sweat intermingles with that of blood, filling his senses and making Hiashi tense with anticipation. This isn't his first time performing the Hyuga juinjutsu but it is the first time he's performing it on his own child, which makes the ritual carry a whole different meaning.
At last the symbolic array is finished and Hiashi stands, pulling out a napkin from his pocket and pressing it to his index finger to stem the blood flow. For a moment he sways on his feet and he isn't sure if it's the bloodloss, his age or the fact that he is about to permanently mark his eldest daughter that is affecting him.
The moment passes and his father gestures for Hinata to step forward. Obediently she does, her gaze lowered and shoulders hunched.
Hiashi knows that she doesn't understand why he's doing this. She thinks that it is a punishment for her weakness, for her failure during the chunin exams. What she doesn't realise is that he's doing this out of love, to protect her. Already there have been two separate kidnapping attempts on her, and twice she has been saved thanks to the interference of people outside of the clan.
He has known for some time now that this must happen, and her performance in the chunin exams only serve to highlight the need. Had her loss to a branch house member been less public he might have been able to postpone the marking of her for another few years. As it is, the prospect of a weak main-house Byakugan wielder poses too much of a temptation to their enemies.
Delicately she steps between the symbols on the ground, careful not to step on anything and mess up the array, and kneels in the middle. Strictly speaking she doesn't need to be kneeling, especially not with her still being so much shorter than him, but there is nothing preventing her from kneeling either. It does make a nice symbolic gesture though; her submitting to him and accepting her place in the branch house. Though judging from the way she's trembling, Hiashi suspects that the act is less a sign of her submission and more a way for her to prevent herself from collapsing.
Hiashi feels a brief flash of pride at her bravery and poise in that moment but ruthlessly pushes the feeling aside. It is too little and too late.
He steps forward and raises his hands.
"I-I'm so-sorry, f-father," she stutters, raising her head to meet his eyes. Her eyes glisten with tears but Hiashi is relieved to find that there is also resignation there, an acceptance for what is about to happen. He meets her gaze calmly, hoping that it will calm her as well. This is for her own good.
For a moment they stand like that, almost frozen in time. Father and daughter.
Then his father clears his throat and Hiashi takes a deep breath.
Tears begin to fall from Hinata's eyes. She cries silently but keeps herself rigidly still, her gaze never turning away from his. With ease born from practice his hands run through the seals carried down through the main house for generations. Had things gone as he had planned he would have started to teach them to Hinata soon, to prepare her for her future duties as clan head. Hiashi isn't exactly in a mood to enjoy the irony.
The final sign is the ram-sign and then Hiashi places his hand on his daughter's forehead, eyes still locked with hers.
Hinata's eyes roll backwards in her head and her whole body tenses as her chakra fights the seal. There is a surge of chakra from his palm as the seal forms. The symbols he painted on the floors begin to glow and slowly slither towards the centre of their circle, up Hinata's body and to her forehead.
She's gasping for breath but it is too late to stop things now, even if Hiashi would want to. His hand is locked in place onto her forehead, holding both him and her in place. An unnatural warmth begins to grow under his hand as the seal slowly forms, binding her chakra, her Byakugan and her nerves together and forcing her to submit to his blood.
It takes less than a minute but it is a minute that seems to last for hours. When Hiashi at last pulls his hand away there is a seal on his daughter's forehead.
She collapses, unconscious, but Hiashi catches her before she hits the floor.
"I'll call for one of the maids," his father says quietly.
"Do that, " Hiashi agrees, lifting his daughter fully into his arms and standing. "I'm taking her to her room."
Cradling her closer to his chest as he carries her away he silently thanks the higher powers that he doesn't have a third child.