Obviously an AU where Jiraiya lived after his infiltration in Ame.
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Jiraiya could see the uncanny likeness of Sakura to his love, Tsunade.
They had the same temperament. The same exhausted tone they used when exasperated. The same glint in their eyes when they talk with determination and about their passion. The same tone they used when interacting with his godson.
They were the same in some way or another but he could still clearly see the stark differences between them.
The way that Tsunade carries her grief. The way that Tsunade berates him for something reckless that he'll do. The way that Tsunade denies his feelings unlike Sakura to Naruto.
She was the first one to go.
He remembered coming back to Konoha, on death's door, and reported everything he could to Tsunade before collapsing from fatigue, blood loss, and chakra exhaustion.
He remembered falling in and out of consciousness while he hears destruction outside the underground bunkers.
He remembers a loud voice declaring her conviction to protect her master and her home.
He remembers the feel of the Kyuubi's enraged Chakra.
He remembers trying to get out of his bed. An ANBU preventing him from going to Naruto to get the tailed beast under control.
He then remembers waking up to Tsunade's tears.
He then had an inkling on what happened. Judging from his shoddy memories and the smell of rubble from his teammate. It was bad.
"Take me to her."
Jiraiya sees her tear stained face and resisted the urge to come near her and tell her that everything will be okay.
He swore that he could hear his bones creak from the eerie silence from Tsunade as she lead him down somewhere.
The winding hallways lead them to an all familiar area. He had visited it many times before. It was a hallway filled with different rooms for different people: traitors, spies, shinobi, civilians. But they were all the same.
They were all for the dead.
The stark white sheet that covered the lone body inside the room made his hairs stand up.
He had thought that he would die before seeing any of Naruto's generation under it.
His throat felt dry at the thought of his godson, damage control and all that.
He could try and distract Naruto with Sakura's words in her letters, risking of ruining said letters but would certainly calm the blonde.
Naruto had always listened to his 'Sakura-chan' more than from him. It was clear who had held his godson's heart.
He turned to the figure behind them that followed them here.
"Can you get my tools?" His scratchy and tired voice didn't surprise him one bit.
A nod and a simple 'hai' left the ANBU before vanishing.
He walked towards the lone examination table and neatly pulled off the sheet.
The pink hair and pale skin, now dried and clean from any blood, smelt like soap and water.
The red qipao-styled shirt, medic skirt, and black shorts seemed crisp and new. The shinobi boots were placed beside the body. No doubt, it would be worn on her before her burial.
He feels another presence and sees the same ANBU with his tools. Taking them from him, he took out his sealing kit.
The inkstick, now grinded on the stone and turned into ink. His brush hovered over the pale skin, the metaphorical heaviness weighing down on him.
His hand came down and he drew an all to familiar seal that he had placed on his people's people.
Nawaki.
Dan.
Kushina.
and now,
Sakura.
The ink lines grew and grew, covering most of the visible skin. It was an almost-extinct ritual for the dead, once made famous by the Uzumakis to bid the spirits a safe journey to their next lives.
The lines that resembled inactive seals as it was more symbolistic and showmanship than function. The lines meant nothing to others but to seal masters, it spoke of a spirit traversing to the next plane.
Now, it was mostly used by Konohans that had ties with the Uzumakis.
It was fitting for her, no matter how he felt for this unfortunate situation. To him and anyone other than the two, she was Naruto's and him to Sakura's.
The devotion and passion she had, like an Uzumaki in all but name and that would be remedied when the two ties themselves to marriage. But it wouldn't be possible now.
When his brush left her skin, he felt the weight ease on him slightly.
Tsunade, who kept watch, was quiet and clearly deep in her thoughts.
He held his palms together, closed his eyes and prayed.
'You have done more than I could ever have for two of my most important blondes in my life. For that, I thank you.'
Not that he had other loved blondes in his life as the other one was dead.
His eyes opened and looked at Tsunade who had finally broken the silence.
Her ear-shattering wails were enough to last him a life time.
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EDITED TO ADD THIS BIT
Just a sad Oneshot.
Just the bits and pieces for the one shot's foundation(?)
Sakura died during the Pein Invasion but not before saving a whole lot of other people. Like a lot.
Naruto went ballistic and killed Pein, so there were a lot of casualties. Also since Pein couldn't reverse the deaths as he is dead already.
Sakura met Naruto instead of Ino when they were younger. So they basically grew up together.
The ritual is like a seal array drawn on skin but it has more story elements(the spirit crossing to another plane) than what is used in the functioning sealing stuff and it isn't imbued with Chakra when drawn on.
I kinda wanted to include Rin but it felt like she didn't have that much of a connection to the sole Uzumaki in her time.
I obviously couldn't place Obito since they didn't retrieve his body from the boulder.
I had Sakura her shinobi clothes on since she died on duty. The headband isn't there since it would be given to a loved one than be buried with the body.
I think that is all(?)
Bye,