THE TRUTH UNRAVELS

Part 1


4 years ago

Training Ground 3

Over the course of time she knew Kakashi, training grounds 3 was usually where you would find him. She'd been trying to "bump" into him for the past year, but if the man didn't want to be found, well…. you'd go a little over a year before you actually saw him.

Kakashi had gone back into ANBU after team 7 disbanded, and essentially disappeared from her life.

She had been sad at first but now she was mad.

All of the other teams had their sensei, whether they were Genin or Chunin.

No she hadn't expected to actually find Kakashi here but she wasn't going to let him slip past her after all this time.

"Sensei," He didn't even acknowledge her. "Where the hell have you been? I've been looking for you and Tsunade-shishou tells me you went back to ANBU? You couldn't have even had the audacity to tell me yourself?"

Nothing. Not even a twitch to let her know if he heard her. Kakashi just kept staring at the memorial stone, was he even awake?

"Listen Sensei," she made her way to him before sitting besides him. "I know you're busy, especially right now with Konoha still recovering from our loss… but it's just you and me. And it can't be just me. Team sevens is not strong right now but we will be. You're my sensei and I need you to pull your weight." She glanced at him, his eye still on the stone. She had to fight for them. They were her family, a broken and emotionally scared family but family no less. She reached over and was about to place her hand over his before he jumped up. Stepping three steps back and finally meeting her eyes.

"What do you want, Sakura? You have a clean slate, you have a new sensei, learn from her and stop wasting your time looking for me. Move on kid"

Kami no. She knew that tone. And his eye, fuck it was like staring in an endless abyss.

She was staring at the eyes of a dead man.

Kakashi sighed and looked away from her. He already failed team seven, and it was a miracle none of them were dead. But they would be. He knew if he continued being their sensei one of them or all of them would die, they always did.

It was better for everyone if he stayed in ANBU, and did what he knew he was capable of. He was used to ANBU, it had become home after his sensei died. The village was crazy thinking giving him a team was a good idea.

"Team 7 isn't over, when Naru-

"Team 7 isn't a team anymore. Naruto's gone, Sasuke's gone, all that's left is you, Sakura. It was fun while it lasted but it's over."

He glanced at her before his famous eye smile appeared and he ruffled her hair.

Her eyes stung.

"I'm proud of you kiddo. Tsunade made you a fine ninja and you'll only get better with time."

Maybe she wouldn't have known anything was off if this had been a year ago. Before she started paying more attention.

Maybe if Tsunade-shishou hadn't left Kakashi's file on her desk, or if Sakura hadn't read it and saw how many solo A and S class missions Kakashi had taken over the past year. Or if she hadn't read Kakashi's medical files and seen how much time he's been in (or should have been in) the hospital. Toppled on with the fact that Kakashi had spent a total of 16 days in Konoha during the past year.

But she knew one thing, she had promised to make the Leaf a better place for everyone, Kakashi included.

She knew so many people who deserved to have a good life and Kakashi was one of them.

Sure he wasn't a good sensei, but what can you expect from someone who's been in ANBU since he was 14? From someone who lost so much since he was born.

Konoha had failed so much of their elite ninjas. There was a reason ANBU didn't have high dropout rates. And it wasn't because once you enter ANBU your life changes for the better and you never want to leave.

It's because more shinobi die on missions or come home and commit seppuku before they get a chance to leave.

The village knew this. And that's why they gave Kakashi a Genin team.

It hurt when she learned the truth. But Tsunade-shishou didn't sugarcoat policies or politics and for that, Sakura was grateful.

Just before he made a move to leave, Sakura leapt at him. Hugging his torso and adding chakra when he tried to pry her hands off him.

"You don't get to walk away! You're my damn sensei and we need you! Sasuke and Naruto need you and you don't get to let us down just because things are hard or complicated. Regardless of what you feel we love you, I love you! And I need you, Kakashi."

She was fine with being an emotional crutch, if it meant Kakashi living .

"Give me a month sensei," she begged, "I know it's-

"You don't know what you're asking." He said as he yanked her arms off of him and quickly put distance between the two of them.

"Tsunade-shishou pulled you off active duty for the next month." She tilted her chin up at him, "You no longer have a choice, sensei." Her eyes softened as she looked at him, slowly taking three steps in his direction. "I'm rooting for you sensei." Three more, "And as the last two members of team seven, we have a duty to each other to make sure we're ok." She was right in front of him

"I'm not a child, sensei. I know what comes out of my mouth. And I know what I'm putting on myself. You don't want to be my sensei, that's fine. Because now you're my friend. And you're not a burden, all I'm asking for is a month." She grinned at him before sticking her hand out to seal the deal.

He stared at her for the longest. Trying to catch even the smallest glismp of regret in her eyes and he must have found none because not even a moment later he nodded his head.

"If this doesn't work, know that you're not responsible for anything I do to myself."

"Ok," she said, "but you have to shake my hand." He did as he was told and she tightened her grip on his hand as she let her chakra enter his system, then locked eyes with him.

"I love you sensei. And promise that you'll find me whenever you feel down ok? Every morning we'll get breakfast together before I go into work. And we'll try new hobbies weekly until we find one that sticks. During this month I'll heal you, firstly starting with the gash on your abdomen, and then I'll move to your right arm."

"Ahh it seems that you have this all planned out."

"I don't want to lose you."

"Ma you make it sound like I was trying to kill myself." He flung his head to scratch the back of his neck while the other pulled out his famous orange book.

"Sensei this is-

" Ja ne Sakura-chan!" And then she was alone.


THE TRUTH UNRAVELS


PRESENT TIME

He never wanted a team. Not his first one, and most definitely not the next one.

And it wasn't because he didn't like working with other people, or because he was lazy. Not once has death left him, killing every person who gained a part in his heart. To make him truly wish he never met them.

He tried to move past it. It took him years to get past the loss of a loved one, and then he lost them again, and again. It became a repeating occurrence. So he pushed. He kept people at a distance but they kept pushing back.

And it's funny at first, and then you see yourself slowly and slowly letting down your guard until their right at home in your heart. And everything becomes fine and you realize that life is worth living. Until they die. And now you're forcing yourself not to take the easy way out, all because they were so selfish and needed him in their lives so bad that they broke him.

And he knew everyone died. It was a part of life that everyone experiences. Dying was a part of being a ninja. Willing to die for your village knowing that you're a hero. But for what?

For your entire village to turn their backs on your son, after you gave your life saving it? Or for dying in a needless war, just for your entire clan to be massacred at home?

And sometimes it didn't make sense. Living just to die. He was so tired of it. Tired of fighting it, tired of living it. Tired of washing the blood off his hands that tainted his skin. Nights like this haunted him day in and out, he tried to get past it. Everyone handles death differently but every time he begins the first steps to move on, he gets thrown right back to the beginning. And he doesn't know where to go.

Grief.

That had always been his hardship. After his mother he tried to limit himself to it. He became independent and held his father at a distance, and even though he hoped the day would never come, he always thought he'd be able to handle the grief if he kept it at a bay. So after his father, he followed rules. Because if you follow rules and orders, no one dies. And then Obito came and made himself known in his life, he died fighting his way into his heart. Obito helped him realize that following rules came at a price. Ninjas weren't mindless tools.

But the good kept dying.

Slowly everyone around him began dying until it was just him.

He wasn't okay. Everyone that forced their way into his heart, ended up dead. And no matter how many times people told him it wasn't his fault, deep down (and it wasn't that deep) he knew it was.

And he knew it wasn't sound. Of course he couldn't prevent everyone from dying, but he held himself responsible for all their deaths. And that knowledge consumed him. It ate at him.

Now that he was thinking about it, it was honestly the village's fault. They put him in a team thinking it'd help him grow. And then it was just him left, and right before he was able to let go they forced a new team on him just for the same process to occur. They practically gave him a daughter and then ripped her from his arms. If he could take their place, her place, he would. Without a second thought.

Seeing the body that once belonged to Haruno Sakura, showed him why he didn't want to fight anymore.

"You can leave me alone, if all you're going to do is drink and stare at the sky."

Right, he was on Sakur- no Naruto's roof. And now he was tasked with carrying the information he had to the grave, or to tell the person involved. And as much as he didn't want to add more to Naruto's plate, he felt obligated to inform him. Even if the information was no longer valid.

Plus he was already here and he could blame the sake in his system if Naruto took this the wrong way.

But how is someone supposed to take this information? Be happy at what was or mad at what could no longer be?

"Everything still smells like her." Damn it, he couldn't do this. It would ruin him, Naurtos too fragile. "I don't think I can stay living here…" He watched wide eyed as Naruto made his way to him. "I don't know what to do, sensei." but he had to right? "Do I tell her parents, or would they even care?" Even if it broke him more? "And what about Ino?" Because he'd want to know. "How are we going to tell Sasuke if we can't find him? WHY HER?" Right?

"She had…" he needed to rip the band-aid off, but could he?

"Huh sensei?" It wasn't his business. Let it go, he told himself. But Naruto was as much his as Sakura was.

Does that justify it?

Will it destroy him?

"She had two chakra signatures before she left for that mission." he watched Naruto's face for any signs that he knew but he was met with confusion.

Cerulean blue met charcoal.

"She was pregnant, Naruto."


THE TRUTH UNRAVELS


2 ½ YEARS AGO

"Do you normally leave your door unlocked?" Naruto groaned as he buried his head deeper into his pillow. If he acted like he couldn't hear maybe she'd leave and he could finish sleeping.

"Scoot" He rolled to the other side of the bed and peeked his eyes open when the bed dipped.

"Sakura-chan as much as I love your company it's," he glanced at the clock as gasped "5 in the morning! What the fuck!" She laughed- an evil wicked laugh might he add, as he dragged the covers over his head.

"You should lock your door at night," he could hear her smile. How could someone have this much energy…. Oh, is this what everyone thought about him? "and invest in better traps." She dropped his dull kunai on the bed and took the covers off him to wrap around herself, as she laid in his side of the bed

"ME?" he pulled the cover from Sakura just to find it wouldn't bulge. "Sakura you have absolutely no traps around your house at all!" He pulled harder, "I'm surprised you know what traps are!"

She swatted his hand away and hmmed. This wouldn't be the first time he chided her about her "lack of traps." She seemed to enjoy herself when he and Sai fret over her safety. She always said "I will when I get off" and apparently she never got off work, so being the great big brother that he was (even if she was a few months older than him) he personally installed a few traps around her home, and also added green hair dye in her shampoo… lets just say his ribs still hurt thinking about it.

She draped the cover over the both of them and rolled on her side. "Naruto?"

"Mmhm" he was now facing her and she could tell he was fighting to stay awake.

"Wanna spar?" he groaned and put his hands on his eyes. "Noooo Sakura, it's too early, let me sleep woman!" She rolled her eyes and shoved him.

"Don't think I don't know what you and Shikamura mean when you say "woman", and hmmm how about ummm two hours?" she gave him her best puppy dog expression.

He threw his arm over his face and mumbled out, "Fine fine, only if we sleep now."

As much as he wanted sleep he knew it wouldn't be long before the devil called him. One thing about it, Sakura didn't show up to his house if something wasn't wrong. He interlocked their hands.

"Wassup Sakura-Chan?" After a few moments passed he squeezed her hand. "Talk to me."

"I can't go home."

"Ehh Sakura-Chan you know I love sleepovers! You can sta-

"No Naruto I mean I don't have a home to go to. And I understand, I mean it's literally the same fucking argument everytime. "Sakura ninjas are dangerous" and I get where they're coming from, I really do, but they don't get it. I'm not trying to "make a statement" or die. I'm trying to live! I love being a ninja, it's a part of me and I'm not giving that up for anyone!"

She pulled herself into a sitting position which Naruto followed.

"They kicked me out, and I'm mad but I don't blame them. I've been an adult for 4 years and I knew this was coming. Part of me just thought they'd wait for me to turn 18. Anyways I was staying at the hospital and Shizune told me I needed to look for a place so do you-

"Woah woah go back? You've been staying at the hospital?!" That didn't make any sense. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"Because I didn't think you'd understand and I was trying to avoid this conversation but now-

"Of course I don't understand, they're your fucking parents Sakura I think you should just talk to them." He dodged the pillow that came flying at his head, before he was tackled to the bed. "Oi what the fuck Sakura!" She pinned him to the bed before smashing his face into the mattress.

"I've talked to them since I started the academy!-

"Well maybe you should try again!" He head butted her

"10 years Naruto! 10 years I had this same conversation with them!" She rested her head on him, "Naruto they never thought I'd make it. This isn't like how Hinata's father wanted her to get stronger, they wanted me to stay weak. They want me to be a merchant, or to be a paper nin- which I refuse."

"Ok," he numbered, "but don't they know you're a Chunin? Maybe they're worried you'd get hurt."

"I wish it was that, but my mom" her voice broke and she tightened her grip around him, "my mom said she'd rather have no daughter at all than to have one as a ninja. She doesn't respect me and when I was 13 she told all her friends I died on a mission and then laughed it off when we got back from Wave."

After a moment they both broke out laughing.

"That's fucked up Sakura-Chan." He wouldn't lie and say he understood. But he also wasn't going to undermine her feelings. It shocked him when Hinata's father was alive but disowned her, but she ended up proving herself to him and now the Huygas were mostly good. But for Sakura? Her parents didn't want her as a ninja.

"After she found out about Sarsori she lost it. I came home and all my stuff was packed." She rolled off him, taking his hands in hers. "I don't want it to be a big deal, hopefully they just need time to understand."

Naruto nodded and pulled her against his body, "So, I've never had a roommate before, this is gonna be so cool dattebayo!"

"Apartment hunting is not going to be fun." She rested her head on his shoulder before smashing his face in the bed.

"Actually about that," Naruto's laughter filled her ears as he rolled on top of her. "What if we didn't have to look for a place?" He shifted on top of her uncomfortably before bringing his gaze back to her, "Ya know I was thinking and I told myself when I got stronger and proved myself I would move into my parents home… and I don't think I'm there yet but sensei said Tou-san would be proud of me and ya know you keep saying I'm being too hard on myself and maybe I am? Maybe we should move there?" His eyes widened, "Or or maybe not!" Sakura softly grinned at him before pulling him down and wrapping her arms around him.

"Uzumaki Naruto are you asking me to move into the Uzumaki and Namikaze house?"

He rolled off of her, pulling her into a sitting position, "I wouldn't have known of my parents if you hadn't told me, Sakura. You're family, so yes, ya know if I'm going to live in their house I want you to be there too." She couldn't keep the wide grin off her face as she tackled him to the mattress.


THE TRUTH UNRAVELS


Present Time (One week later)

The sun was shining down on them, it was a nice day. A bright day, they type of day that had that children running through the village throwing fake kunai at each other playing ninja. Civilians were out making the most of the day, going to the market to get the best deals.

Their laughs filled the air as he walked down the street. A dog ran to him and the owner screamed at the dog to get away, before repeatedly apologizing to him. Letting him know that the dog just came from the shelter and wasn't trained yet.

But he didn't pay any attention to them as he kept walking. Not stopping for the civilians to greet him, or tell them what an amazing kid he's become.

Or for the kids who ran up to him and asked him to join them.

He kept walking.

Their voices died down the closer he got to the large group of ninjas, doctors, and civilians alike. All gathered for one purpose.

The weather did not match the mood, but he knew she would have loved it.

She loved bright days. Days that had kids running on no end. Days that made you squint your eyes as you looked up to the sky. Days where you could relax and enjoy the peace.

But today shouldn't have been like that.

Today should have been gloomy. The rain should be pouring down on them, reminding them of better days.

Instead he felt hot. Wearing black in this weather only made the heat more intense.

And he wondered why on all days they picked this day to lay Sakura to rest.

He'd been to funerals before. But none hurt as much as this, she was his. And now his family was falling further apart and he didn't know if he could fix it.

Sakura was dead.

Sasuke was gone.

Kakashi wasn't here, and Yamato and Sai were giving him space but he didn't need space.

He never needed space, he needed his family but they were gone.

Everyone was crying as he made his way to the front. Standing beside the rest of Team 7.

He felt empty.

Like there was nothing left for him here.

And there wasn't. Maybe he could guilt trip Tsunade into letting him find Sasuke, or go off with Jiraiya?

Anything would be better than staying here.

He focused on Tsunade but he could barely make out what she was saying. Everything faded into one another and before he knew it she was beckoning for him to come forward. He took a few short breaths before making his way to the front.

Ino told him before that he would have to say something, and insisted he wrote something down.

He had the perfect speech written out. Sakura would have loved it.

He glanced at everyone in the crowd and opened his mouth to speak.

Everyone showed up for her. Her parents were there too, and he noticed that her mother was crying. He wondered if they regretted making her move out.

"Sakura was…" What do you say in a time like this? Did you talk about their strengths (and she had many) or do you bring up the funny memories?

How did one say their Hokage sent someone on a mission they weren't prepared for and died? How was he supposed to say as much as Sakura loved the village, she could spend hours on end talking about how corrupt the village actually was.

Or the fact that Sakura crawled herself into his bed most nights crying about how nothing was ok, about how she wasn't doing enough to make a difference.

How was Naruto supposed to tell Sakura that she changed his life for the better. That before he knew her all he knew and had was his name. But now he had a sister, and now he knew his heritage because she told him.

After him and Sakura had their talk he tried to fall back on her. It wasn't love. He always thought he was in love with Sakura but he knew now it was love for a sibling and that just made the pain worse.

Someone out there killed his sister and Team 8 had nothing.

Everyone was here but no one was there for Sakura when she needed them the most.

Her murder was still walking around free and he was told he couldn't go find and kill him?

"Brat, you're scaring them."

"I'm scaring them?! Sakuras dead and no ones looking for her murder! Tsunade benched me!"

"Naruto do you need a minute?"

"Do I need," He chuckled, his voice low. "What I need is to be let on a mission to find Sakura's murderer seeing as Team 8 came home empty handed." He hissed.

"Naruto, calm down." Tsuande pushed her way to stand in front of him.

He looked around the crowd and they had put quite a distance between them and him, all staring at him with wide eyes. Yamato had taken a few steps up, his hands already in the familiar sign to control Kuaruma.

Sakura had stopped being afraid a long time ago. Hell when they spared she even let him bring out Karuma, she could match his blows hit for hit.

He misses her.

But he hadn't meant to snap at Tsunade in front of everyone.

He turned from the crowd and tried to control his breathing.

He began heading home. There was nothing left for him there.

Team 7 had been through so much, when Sasuke left there was a chance they'd be disbanded but as long as Naruto and Sakura were willing to fight, no one was breaking up their family.

And that was because Sakura had political access, she was the Hokages apprentice. She had leverage where he didn't, and sure he could fight to keep Team 7 alive but for what.

Kakashi was no longer sober, Yamato and Sai were just going to head back to ANBU. They wouldn't fight. And he was tired of putting off bringing Sasuke home so he might as well do that one thing.

"Naruto wait up!"

Maybe Sakuras death will be enough to convince the Teme to come home. As fucked up as that sounded, that was his only plan.

He just needed someone else to fight with him.

He needed his sensei but… he knew how that was going.

"Naruto hey!"

He snapped his head in the direction

"Oh Ino hey." He could have sworn he heard someone else. "Sorry I messed up my speech."

"No, don't worry about that! Umm I just wanted to check on you? Sakura was always going on and on about you so I figured you could use a friend?"

Ino wasn't bad, he realized. She was Sakura's best friend.

"Actually, I have a question..." There was only one person he could think of that would know who the baby father was… too bad she didn't know either.

"Sakura would have told me if she was pregnant!"

He slapped his forehead. "Ino, Sakura didn't tell us either. Sensei found out when they were sparring because of his sharingan. I just figured she would-

"Ok I get that, but Sakura is MY best friend. She tells me everything!"

"Well apparently not!" he snapped at her, he was tired of everyone thinking they knew Sakura better than him, when HE had been her roommate, her best friend, and her brother.

Her puffy blue eyes widened, and Naruto instantly felt bad.

"Ahh I'm sorry Ino, I miss her, Dattebayo."

"Are you sure it's not Kakashi's or Sais?" Ewwww, now it was turn for his eyes to widen.

"What the fuck Ino! Kakashi thought it was mine, and SAI? No way, they're just friends!"

She burst out laughing, putting her hand over her mouth to stifle the laughter "Well, I don't like to spread gossip about Sakura but I'll tell you this." She beckoned for him to come closer before saying, "Sakura has been glowing, if you know what I mean. And I asked her who's got her all happy, but she wouldn't tell me. So I asked if you knew, and the girl got all serious saying you'd try to kill him if you knew who he was, but she laughed it off. So that's why I figured it's Kakashi. "

"Why would she sleep with someone I don't like?"

It happened so quick, he wasn't able to dodge her hand and fuck, did his face hurt.

"Sakura is a grown ass woman and a kunoichi. She does not need your approval on who she sleeps with. And then you wonder why she didn't tell you."

He nodded his head, he can understand that. But still, Naruto didn't think he'd be mad at anyone who made Sakura happy. There was only a short list of people he wouldn't want Sakura to be with. And it wasn't because he didn't like them. She just deserved better than them.

And besides the only person he'd really fight was- fuck!

"She's been going on a lot of-

"NO"

"missions you think-

"DON'T SAY IT"

"It might be-

"TEME?" "Sasuke?" He looked baffled at Ino. No WAY! Quickly shaking his head, there's no way. No no no no no! She would have told him!


THE TRUTH UNRAVELS


A/N:

"Clears throat" I am so sorry, I was supposed to update last week and then I realized I had an essay due yesterday and I was so far behind. But I finished it on time! And how crazy is it that it takes me over a week to write an essay about plants but like two days to write a 12 page chapter over Naruto lmaoooo what am I doing with my life -_-

Anyways I hope y'all liked this chapter and the whole time I'm writing the Naru/Saku scene I'm like aww they are adorable I hope y'all like their relationship!

And I- …. Is Sasuke the baby daddy? Find out next week on chapter three of, What The Fuck Is This!

Thanks for reading. I love y'all! Please stay safe out there!