Sakura," Sasuke rasps, "take it. Please."

Blood drips from her fingers, mixing with the dust and— and—

"What about Naruto? Wh-what if you make it?" He won't. She knows this. Naruto knows this. Sasuke knows this.

Sasuke's lips twitch up in a small smile, "Kurama would never let Naruto take it." The words shake, they quiver. Beside her Naruto stays silent, his chakra a storm of anger, his eyes seem to glow. She reaches out, grasping his hand tightly. His claws dig into her palm.

Sakura swallows, blinking through her tears, "Sasuke, please."

Gods, there's so much blood.

"It's yours, Sakura."

She chokes back a sob as she looks at Naruto, stony faced and lips twisted into a snarl. He nods sharply. Sakura turns back to Sasuke, memorizing the planes of his face before she reaches forward, hand glowing green to— to—

Warm, sticky, wet.

Her shoulders shake but not her hands as her fingers hook behind the eye and pull .

Messy. It's so messy.

Sasuke gasps and Sakura wants to die, she wants to die, she would gladly take his place. Naruto's hand warms her shoulder as she forces her newly scarred eye open to—

There's so much blood.

It'll never wash out.

Sasuke's eye socket stares at her, empty, bleeding. A corpse.

His hand, pale, reaches out; touches her.

Naruto's nails dig into her shoulder, holding her in place. He's bleeding, a hole where his heart should be.

Her hand's covered in blood, slathered.

She can't move. She can't scream.

(It'll never wash out.)

"This," Sasuke's grip turns vice, punishing. "is your fault."

Naruto smiles, blood spilling from his lips. Blue eyes lifeless. "Now it's your turn, Sakura-chan."

Sakura's eyes snap open, her chest rising and falling violently as she throws herself out of the sweat soaked bed, stumbling to the bathroom.

Fumbling for the light, she forces herself to breathe as she turns the tap on and promptly freezes. Slick hands, redredred. God there's so much blood. The more she tries to wash it off the more there is and—

She looks into the mirror, the sharingan glares back at her, spinning.

Time stops.

Glass shatters around her fist, digging into her knuckles as Sakura trips over her own feet, slamming into the wall behind her. Her knees buckle and she curls into herself, gasping breaths and blinding tears.

A flex of chakra before warmth presses into her sides, low purring moving throughout her body as Sakura rocks back and forth, soft fur brushing against bare skin. "Breath, Sakura, match me."

She tries and fails, tries again. Tugging at her roots Sakura claws for air, for the voices to just stop. She can still feel the beat of a heart pulsing around her wrist, still feel the jelly of an eye in her hand, still feel the blood sliding down her arm. So much blood. It'll never wash out.

Someone grabs her wrist and Sakura lashes out blindly before ice slides against her palm, the shock ripping through her before she slowly sinks back into her skin. She inhales shallowly, clutching the ice as she grounds herself, gathering her bearings.

Shōri and Eikō curl around her sides, the towering tiger and panther purring softly. She takes in a steadying breath, then another, and another. Mind foggy and hands shaking, Sakura forces herself to relax.

"I'm fine." A hoarse, raspy lie. She moves to sit a bit straighter and watches as dust trickles from the ceiling, the wall behind her now possessing hairline fractures. Great.

Her summons keep silent as she struggles to her feet, moving to turn off the facet, smearing blood. Eikō pins her with a look, their sleek black coat catching the easy morning light before they unsummon themself. Shōri uses his tail to sweep away the shattered glass, radiating worry.

Sleep, that's what she wants. Sleep. And maybe to simply will everything away, to disappear. She's tired. But when is she not?

A familiar chakra signature moves around her apartment, the smell of eggs and toast floating through the air. Sakura glares at Shōri who, in the cramped bathroom, shrugs his massive shoulders which in turn knocks over some bottled soap. The bastard doesn't even bother to look shameful.

Slowly, Sakura pushes open the door with her shoulder, stepping into the small apartment. Shoulders hunched and body aching, she scowls at her unwelcome guest.

"You look like shit, Forehead." Ino says from the kitchen, placing a plate piled with food on the table. "Sit and fucking eat."

Sakura licks her lips, if Ino's going to be a nosy bitch might as well take advantage of her. "Can you grab the first aid kit?" She asks, holding up her hands (she doesn't look at them, she can't because if she does, if she does).

The shift in Ino's eyes is barely noticeable, but Sakura knows her like the back of her hand. Ino may co-run T&I but she can't hide anything from Sakura, especially her displeasure.

can read the shift in her friend's eye. She studies Sakura intently, picking her apart before she nods and crouches down to dig under the kitchen sink. Silently, Sakura makes her way to the table, sliding into a seat. "Had the dream again."

"I know. Yūki came to get me." She places the kit and a bowl in front of Sakura before pulling up a chair, holding her hands out expectantly. Sakura obeys, not flinching as Ino works on digging the glass out. "Do you want to talk about it?"

A bitter laugh, more of a push of sour air, Sakura looks away. Talking wouldn't bring them back, nothing would bring them back. Her hands are ones of a killer, her hands do nothing but end things. Forgiveness, redemption? They do not exist for her. They never will.

Shōri pushes his colossal head into her lap. "She's been having the same dream every night since the cubs passed the bell test," he rats out.

Ino hums, the sounds of glass landing in the bowl fills the silence. "And how is your new team?"

"Fragile." Sakura bites. Ino wraps her hands and waits patiently. Annoying. "They're children. They're… loaded."

"With?"

"Potential, trauma, what do you think, Pig?" She snaps, yanking her hands from Ino's grasp. "Sakumo-sensei's son, Sasuke's cousin. A civilian immigrant. What do you expect?"

"Well obviously you care about them," Ino leans back into her chair, scratching between Shōri's ears. "Ibiki said you manipulated him into giving them a mental stability test. One that even you refuse to take."

Sakura dismisses her with a glare, turning to the plate Ino had made for her. Ignoring the way her hands hiss in pain, she reaches for a fork. "No one in ANBU would pass that test. You know this."

"Maybe that's because none of you are stable."

She curls her lip in a snarl, tracking the way Ino tenses. "You try doing what we do and see how you fare, Ino. Not everyone has a clan to lean on. Not all of us are privileged. Sure, you cut assholes up at home, but we cut them down in enemy territory. You don't know how many people, children, I've killed."

Her words ring out as she turns back to her plate, ignoring the way Shōri's eyes drill into her skull and Ino's faint traces of hurt. Hurt doesn't even compare to damaged. Because what is Sakura but a sluggishly bleeding cut? She has come to terms with being wounded, of course infection would fester.

"You gave them the bell test, then?" Ino stands smoothly, slinking to the fridge. She doesn't spare Sakura another glance. "You know, you ought to keep more food in this place. Or at least get into the habit of grocery shopping if you're going to adopt those kids." Unsurprising she figured it out, it's annoying though, as all things Ino does are.

"Well that's why I have you and Sai and Lee. Maybe even Kiba."

"Not Tenten?"

"Tenten already claimed the 'irresponsible aunt' spot." Shōri says when Sakura doesn't answer, moving to occupy the other end of the table, ground shaking with each step.

Ino hums again, pulling out a carton of orange juice and reaching for two cups. "I have the paperwork filled out for you already. And something else you might want to look into."

Sakura stops midchew, Shōri eyes them both curiously. "What is it?"

Ino sets the cups on the table before stalking to her bag where she pulls out a folder and slides it in Sakura's direction. Flipping it open, Sakura stares, a chill rattling her spine. Shori stretches his neck to catch a glimpse.

"Oh." Shōri murmurs, glancing up at Ino. "Clever."

Sakura purses her lips. She'll sleep when she's dead. She'll burn herself to close the wound if she has to. There's things to do still, legacies to hold up, people to kill. "Give me a pen."

With a victorious smile, Ino slides Sakura one of her good ones.

.

.

.

She blinks. He blinks back.

Rin shifts ever so slightly, fingers twisting in her lap. Ibiki leans back into his chair, pen tapping. "Do you know why you're here?"

Flinching at the deep, harshness of his voice Rin shakes her head, shoulders hunched. "N-no, sensei just kind of… dragged us here." Which was entirely true, Sakura-sensei grabbed Obito and Kakashi's collars and dragged them kicking and snarling into T&I. Rin had been helpless to follow, though it did make for a funny albeit concerning memory.

A slight twitch to his lips before, "That sounds like her."

"You know Sakura-sensei?" Rin could see it if she was honest. Both are terrifying like predators, the same look in their eyes. Haunted. Like her mom's.

"Unfortunately." Ibiki intones. "You're here because your sensei is a paranoid bitch—" Loud, annoying knocking echoed from behind the adjacent wall's mirror but Ibiki kept talking. "—So you're going to take a psych eval. Did they explain what that is in the academy?"

Rin nods slowly, glancing around the windowless room. "You're going to gauge my mental stability." Her stomach twists, butterflies bursting to life. She's stable, she thinks. This is just another test. It'll be fine. Right?

"That's right." Ibiki murmurs, flipping open a folder. "Haruno gave you the bell test. How did that go?"

Her body still aches from the beat down she and the boys received two weeks ago and was still finding dirt in her hair. Flashes of green eyes and the earth around them crumbling away haunts her dreams. "It was fine."

Ibiki levels her an unimpressed look so Rin shifts nervously and elaborates. "Sakura-sensei gave us a bell and we had to keep it away from her. She… was very persistent?" She was wholly petrifying and Rin forever wants Sakura-sensei on her side.

Fear, Sakura evokes the emotion like second nature.

"You and your mother are immigrants from Kiri, correct?"

She hesitates only a moment before jutting her chin out, her fingers curling. "Yes. That's right. Why?"

Ibiki ignores her question, black eyes lingering on her tense shoulders. "Why did you become a ninja, Nohara?"

She curls her lip, crossing her arms. "You know why, Ibiki-san." The words are brisk, snappy.

"Oh?"

"We both know immigrants don't have a choice in how they serve the village." Rin half snaps, gritting her teeth. No, because despite being the nice village the Leaf rules with a cruel hand. Eight years they've lived here, eight years her mother has worked and broke her back to keep a roof over their heads, to get food on the table, to earn their place.

Ibiki levels her a blank look, "Why not just quit before you passed Haruno's test?"

"Because I'm going to get strong." Because I didn't have a choice, goes unsaid.

Rin leans forward, teeth flashing. Her eyes blaze because she has dreamt about this, thought about this, whispered about this for years and years and years. "And I'm going to protect my mother. And my team." And her suffering neighbors, the homeless children of the hood, the orphans that no one wants.

Rin's always known that she's the underdog, she's come to embrace the title.

(Because her mother didn't suffer through her life for Rin to not do something. Because Rin doesn't carry history on her back just for fun. Because she knows what it's like to look the devil in the eye and keep walking.)

The corner of Ibiki's mouth ticks up. "Alright kid. We're done for today."

"That's it?" Rin asks as she pushes her chair back, wincing as it screeches against the floor. Relief pulses through her, wiping sweaty hands on her ninja apron.

"That's it." He confirms, closing the folder and smoothly getting to his feet. "You passed, congratulations." The words are dry with mild humor and Rin blinks up at him in bewilderment. Ibiki holds open the door for her, Obito and Kakashi already waiting for her in the hall.

Sakura-sensei leans against the wall next to the door, turning her head to scowl at Ibiki. Or, at least Rin thinks she's scowling. The mask and the forehead protector makes it hard to tell most days. "Verdict?"

"Sound. You'll get my full write up when I get around to it." Ibiki waves his hand, not even bothering to look at Rin as she skitters between Obito and Kakashi. She offers a small smile in greeting, hands still quivering. Obito smiles back and Kakashi glances at her, inclining his chin the barest amount.

Their sensei crosses her arms, gloved fingers flexing as she stares Ibiki down, body angled towards him. He leans towards her, like a sunflower to the sun. Maybe Ibiki knows her sensei a little more than he let on. Huh.

Rin looks at the boys, "Do you think?"

Obito's brows furrow in confusion but Kakashi nods, giving a flat, "Probably."

She stifles a laugh behind a hand as Obito looks between them and then at the two adults, putting the pieces together. "Gross."

"You'll give me the write up as soon as you can, jackass." Sakura snaps. All three of the genin flinch at her language. Obito and Rin stare at her wide eyed while Kakashi narrows his eyes at Ibiki. Rin doesn't think she's ever heard Sakura-sensei so… lively. "And I'm not a paranoid bitch, you jerkoff."

There's so much they don't know about her yet, Haruno Sakura. Rin knows the stories, she knows the rumors. More times than she could count they've been told in whispers around a dying fire.

Her mother almost cried when she heard who Rin's sensei was.

But none of the stories said anything about hostile banter and hidden praise beneath insults and hesitant head pats. And yet and yet and yet.

She's drawn out of her thoughts when Sakura huffs, turning away from Ibiki (who was suddenly standing much closer to her sensei than before) and towards them. "Alright cu— kids, let's go."

Sakura gives Ibiki a lingering look before shouldering past him, Rin obediently falls into place at her left. They step into the village, the afternoon sun beating down on them. "No more interrogations, sensei?"

The question earns her a snort as Sakura carefully ruffles Rin's hair. "You know nothing of interrogations, Rin-chan."

"You do?" Kakashi asks, shoving past Obito to stand at Sakura's right. Obito yells, swiping at Kakashi's head but the other boy ducks smoothly.

Sakura turns to look at him, not breaking her stride as she moves to push at Kakashi's temple almost playfully. Which. Huh. "Wouldn't you like to know, brat."

"Hey sensei!" Obito calls from Rin's side, waving his hands in the air. "Where are ya takin' us? Thought we had trainin' to do today."

"We do, that's why we're heading to my apartment." Sakura-sensei answers mildly, stuffing her hands into her pockets. "What have we been working on the past two weeks?"

"Mediation," Kakashi mutters.

"Teamwork!" Obito cheers.

"The academy three." Rin finishes.

Nodding, Sakura steers them through the market. "Exactly, now we're going to introduce a new element to our training: weapons." Obito immediately jumps on their sensei, swinging from her arm as he shouts questions. Kakashi flinches at the noise but his brows twitch, betraying his interest.

Weapons? Rin twists her hands, fingering a loose thread from her apron as they keep walking. She had average scores in weaponry so maybe she could get better. A chance like this she can't turn away, she told the head of T&I she was going to get strong. She told the world that.

Nohara Rin does not break her word.

As the boys bombard Sakura-sensei with questions and bickering, she falls back a bit, glancing around. Her mouth twists down at how wide of a berth the civilians give them, not to mention the nasty sneers directed at her team. Civilians are always the worst, weak, annoying, hateful. She won't be like them, never.

One of the men behind Sakura-sensei steps forward, lip curled back and teeth bared, as he reaches for Kakashi—

The brutal snap of bones silence the market's crowd as Sakura-sensei's grip on the howling man's wrist tightens. Rin hadn't even seen her move, the air hadn't shifted, how—

"Don't you dare," Sakura hisses so lowly, so violently that Rin and the boys freeze, the very air seeming to grow colder, "touch one of my students again, do you understand me?"

The man screams, hoarse and pleading as Sakura twists the already broken bones, letting him drop to his knees. She looks around at the silent market, as if daring someone to say something. Savagery radiates off of her in waves, pulsing.

Rin takes a shaky step backwards, Obito following but Kakashi just stares at Sakura, lips parted. The angry slant to Sakura's shoulders melts away as she looks back at the team, her visible eye curved up in a smile.

"Who wants ramen?" The words too light, too airy to be casual as Sakura turns away from the crowd. One hand flipping the page of her book (and where did that come from?) the other stuffed into her pocket.

They nod without a word, Rin exchanging a look with Obito and Kakashi before following after her. Mutual agreement, mutual trust, mutual understanding. She pretends she doesn't notice the way Kakashi's hands shake as he holds them behind his back.

Maybe she isn't the only one who's looked the devil in the eye. Rin chances a glance at Obito, at the way he stares at Sakura's back with a calculative gleam in his eye. Perhaps they've all visited the depths of hell.

.

.

.

"She's really weird, ya know." Obito says around a mouthful of noodles, soup dripping down his chin. Rin grimaces and holds out a napkin for him. "I mean who eats that fast?"

Beside her, Kakashi grunts, swallowing his last bite. "Don't talk with food in your mouth, it's disgusting."

After she had bought them all lunch (and eaten it fast enough that none of them caught a glimpse of her face), a masked ninja had come to collect Sakura-sensei, who had looked annoyed if the slight twitching of her eye could be of any indication. Both Obito and Kakashi had shifted though, tense. Rin tucks that information away for later.

The stranger went on about how the Hokage wanted to speak with her and Rin honestly thought that Sakura-sensei was going to ignore the order until the masked nin grabbed her and shushinned away.

Rin and the boys decided that if Sakura had let herself be taken that there was no need for a rescue mission. Plus, she could use any free food she got.

"What do you think sensei meant by weapons?" Rin asks, pushing her bowl away from her. "I don't think I've ever seen shinobi use anything but shrunken and kunai."

"Then you haven't been looking hard enough." An amused voice says from behind them.

The three of them turn around slowly to find a woman grinning at them devilishly. Where Sakura-sensei was all loose clothes and severely cropped hair, this ninja was the exact opposite: two buns crown her head, bangs hanging loose, tight clothing and weapons upon weapons strapped to her body.

Sakura-sensei slouches, similar to how a cat prowls. This shinobi stands tall, like unwavering bamboo. Her dark eyes study them closely before the corner of her mouth pulls up in a smirk.

"Your sensei got in trouble," the woman snickers, "Who knew you couldn't just go around breaking wrists, huh? Though the guy must've deserved it if Sakura fucked him up that badly. She only breaks bones when she's really pissed off."

Rin looks at Obito and Kakashi, the confusion written on their faces mirrored on her own. What the hell is going on?

"Sakura's like the tenth nicest person I know, but anyways, she asked me to fill in for your weapons training today." She stalks towards them silently before sliding into the seat on Kakashi's right. "Call me Tenten-oba, I'm your new bad influence."

.

.

.

She lands next to Tenten, book in hand, other hand in her pocket. "How are they doing?"

"They're quick learners." Her friend says, eyes trained on Kakashi as he folds into another kata, the two swords in his hands moving smoothly. Sakura looks at Obito who flings a volley of shrunken at the target, three of them digging into the tree. And then to Rin, who dances around the chain of her kusarigama. "I let them pick from my collection, you owe me."

"Obito was going to go for the axe, but I told him to master the long distance weapons first and then I'll show him the ways," she goes on, crossing her arms loosely. "Thought it would be good if he had that in his arsenal, especially if you're going to teach him some of your tricks."

Sakura smirks, bumping her shoulder with Tenten's. "This is why you're my favorite." She jerks her chin towards Kakashi, ignoring the way her heart twists. "And he chose those by himself?"

"Drawn to it like a moth to a flame. Like father like son." Tenten confirms before turning to look at Sakura, eyes narrowed and mouth a harsh line. "You need to be careful, Sakura. Your team is a powder keg waiting to explode, there are eyes, ears, everywhere now."

The smirk on Sakura's face melts off as she nods sharply. "I know."

Tenten gives her one last lingering look before approaching the genin, calling them into a circle.

Holding back, Sakura watches the three cubs as they scamper over to Tenten, studying the plans of their faces, the light in their eyes, the sweat on their brows. The Hokage attempted to reprimand her for two hours, trying and failing to bully her into submission.

It was worth it though, shattering the man's wrist as a warning. Kakashi flinches when people are too close, he shies away from any contact. It's the village's fault. It's her fault. It's time to take responsibility for her inaction.

There's two swords laying in her closet with his name on it. There's a summons contact waiting for his blood. There's an entire history that has yet to be told.

So much to do, Sakura closes her eyes, tilting her head back. She can almost hear Naruto's laugh in the wind, feel the reassuring squeeze of Sasuke's hand around her wrist, the annoying hair ruffles from Sakumo-sensei. She can't let them down, she won't.

She thinks about what Rin told Ibiki and everything she didn't. Rin isn't just some civilian medical prodigy, no. She's a survivor, she's a fighter, no matter how dull her claws are. Sakura can work with that, she knows how to mold, how to shape.

And Obito, sweet Obito. He's a good liar, a good deceiver, but he's also genuine, so kind. He's quick, driven, strong. Sakura watches as he listens to what Tenten has to say, black eyes sharp, drinking in her words. There's something dark in him, something lurking. She wants to pull it out, to slit its throat.

Team 7: the team for the surviving, the team for the bloodied, the team for the strong.

Yeah, Sakura thinks as she makes her way towards her kids. Obito sees her first, his face lighting up as he clammers over to her, waving his weapons around dangerously. Rin and Kakashi follow after him, excitement visible on their faces. She kneels down for them, ignoring the tightness in her chest as they fight for her attention, all smiles and quiet elation. I can sleep when I'm dead.