THE READER'S POINT OF VIEW
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Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Masashi Kishimoto
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Genre (s): Hurt/Comfort/Family
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Warnings: Typo is my most loyal fan. Spelling mistakes because English is not my mother language. Possibly OOC. Not Beta.
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Summary: Kakashi got an insight from an unlikely source.
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Kakashi fiddled with his gloves. With the hem of his green flak jacket, with his tilted headband, before he let out a long sigh and looked over the pouting student.
It was in the middle of the night, the day after Orochimaru out-of-nowhere attack. That devious snake had targeted team seven's members in their most vulnerable state, weary and exhausted because of the nonstop dodging. From the report he heard around the Jounin circle, it was clear the ex-Konoha soldier wanted Sasuke, landing his greedy sight on that newly awakened doujutsu. But then, something unexpected happened—at least to Kakashi, who knew the true face of the Genin under his wing.
Sakura, who was away from the clearing as she got blown away by the harsh wind jutsu, suddenly appeared from the bushes, shoved the emo kid so hard, he landed with his butt on the air, and causing Orochimaru's extended neck and fangs to pierced into the girl's exposed neck instead.
If the other saw that, they must think 'oh, Sakura was just trying to protect his crush. The man she loved so dearly. Definitely within our expectation, her cowardliness aside'. Yet it wasn't it. The pink-haired girl didn't like nor love Sasuke. Not anymore. Not after that weird, one day, where she appeared with her long hair cut short. Wearing a maroon jacket with short sleeves and hoodie on top of her black turtle neck shirt. Along with black short and black sandals that were equipped with high, black socks that reached her thigh. It was such a jarring transition that everyone who knew who Sakura was blinked twice in confusion, even Kakashi who spied on his future students from the tree across the classroom. And the most shocking scene to witnessed was—
She talked with Naruto.
Amicably. Almost friendly, even.
He thought this person is an impostor. Someone who tried to destroy Konoha's stronghold from the inside. But Kakashi recognized her chakra signature. And she didn't wear any makeup for natural disguise as well. Whether Sakura get off the bed on a wrong (right) foot or she was bestowed by some kind of an inspiring epiphany, he didn't really care. He just wanted to keep an eye on this 'anomaly' and dispose of her body if she turned out to be an enemy.
Now that this fiasco happened, showcasing that, she may dislike Sasuke, yet she still regards him as a teammate she needed to support, it was clear this Sakura is not an enemy.
Except she is indeed an anomaly.
A comic. Kakashi wanted to weep. The world we lived in is just a mere comic.
Sakura (not the Sakura he knew any longer. Not the Sakura the Konoha's citizen knew any longer—) revealed the bitter truth after a lot of cussing (something she—original or not—tended to never do. Now that Kakashi realized she censored her own cuss this whole time (crap, shot, freak), it was so weird to see her let her lips loose like that (hell, shit, fuck. He remembered she also said bitch and cunt). The girl allowed Inoichi to dive into her head, knowing nobody will ever believe in her story if she tells the tale by her words alone ("why don't you use a jutsu that can show everyone my memories? Like a movie in a movie theater.", "Uuh…I don't have that kind of skill, Sakura-chan.", "huh. It's just a headcanon? That fanfic lied to me!"). That she came from another world. Somehow, somewhat. Soul transferred into the mind of a teenager!Sakura and not reincarnated; that's why she acted so strange these past few months. The previous world she lived in, there were no ninjas nor an ability to control the elemental by human's sheer willpower (but their technology sure did. Way better than this world could ever produce. For now). And the universe she landed herself into was a comic book. Created by an ordinary man artistic hand and not a God like any religious person (or a cult) believed it to be.
"Well, I read a theory that, this world may be a comic book story in my universe but you are still real people otherwise. That your great feat slipped through the leylines—whatever that is—and the 'mangaka' in our universe subconsciously worked to retell it. Like clairvoyance," Sakura then explained at that time, huffing in irritation as she scratched the curse mark on her nape and glared at no one in particular yet trying to calm the ninjas' nerve down. She was particularly worried about how pale the Hokage looked, "then again, I read that theory in a fanfiction as well, so I can't really vouch for its truthfulness."
After that…revelation, Kakashi was now here. Visiting the girl's room in the middle of the night, perching onto the windowsill a bit awkwardly.
"Are you okay, sensei?" Sakura (who was her real name, really? He didn't think anyone asked. And he didn't remember her said her real name either) inquired, brows furrowed in concern.
No wonder. Because that afternoon, not only Sakura broke their reality by saying 'their life and stories are not real' (at least, for her point of view), she also told them about what will happen for the next weeks, months, years to come; the one she recalled, at least, as she wasn't an avid 'Naruto Manga' reader.
Suna's infiltration. One-Tail Beast. The death of the third Hokage. Itachi coming back to Konoha to steal the Kyuubi. Sasuke's defect. A new member of team seven. Asuma's death. Gaara's kidnapping. Pein flattening Konoha to the ground. The resurrection of allies and foes by your Kabuto truly. Madara. Zetsu. Kaguya (not in that order, she forgot if Asuma's death came before Pein or not. Time Travel story is not canon, after all).
Then Obito.
Obito. His ex-teammate. The one he failed to save. The one he failed to uphold his promise on.
The one who was still alive.
The one who released the Kyuubi from its container.
The one who indirectly killed Minato and Kushina because he was suffering and I wasn't there to pull him out of the darkness because I was too slow, too late, too arrogant—
"Rin—," he uttered that name instead (and not his depressing thought). Sakura's eyebrows rose to the hairline when her teacher showed open hesitation, "do you hate Rin?"
The girl blinked, "where did that come from?"
"I got a feeling. When you talked about Obito's reason for doing all…this," Kakashi let one of his hand swiped the air for no reason, "you…looked disgusted for a split second. The thing is, that disgust wasn't aimed at Obito. It never was,"
Sakura was silent for a split second, before she hugged her knees, hiding half of his mouth between them. The bed creaked when she moved to leaned back and said, "yes. Yes, I am."
"May I…"
"It was because of you, sensei."
Huh?
Me?
"I know she means well. I know she didn't want the tailed beast to awaken and destroy Konoha. Not to mention, prolonging the war and adding body count to the previous statistic. But I don't like how she used you," she elaborated, voice turned harsher and sterner, "she wasn't brainwashed, nor she was controlled like a puppet. She was still herself. She still has her limbs operating on her own accord. Then why did she decided to jump into your line of attack? Killing herself, giving you a ton of PTSD, and causing Obito's poor mental health to deteriorate even further? Why won't she pull her own kunai, ram it into her own head, and be done with it? Yes, it is hard to kill yourself. Yes, I'm going to get a lot of flames if this world I resided in was actually a fanfiction and my reader will roast me good for suggesting a suicide—seriously meta, I know—but it still doesn't erase the fact that Rin was selfish. She thought about the greater good, yet ignoring the few individuals she left behind as a result. For a budding healer, she sure did a lot of damage to the patients she swore to take care of."
"So, yes. As a reader and as someone who knows how shitty your childhood was, I hate Rin," Sakura's green orbs bore into his blacks, determination and petty vindication roar like a blazing inferno, "I don't care if you hate me as well for this. I won't change my opinion whatsoever."
As a reader and as someone who knows how shitty my childhood was…huh.
When she put it like that…
Rin…really didn't think of Kakashi in that last moment.
Then again, what she did to herself was heroic in that era, full of anxiety and uncertainty. But the method itself…
Kakashi shook his head, ignoring the two conclusions clashing inside his head and pounced, blurting a question that had been brewing within his mind after that heated explanation from a girl twice under his age, "then what about yourself?"
"What do you mean?"
"What about your life?" Kakashi continued, "just because you're Sakura now, doesn't mean you have to be a ninja and be a 'support role' for Naruto's future achievement. You need to reach for your own happiness. And I'm sure, if Naruto knew about this, he'll say the same thing."
Sakura's shoulders instantly tensed, fists tightened. It seems Kakashi's word had hit right on the forgotten nail.
"…who are you and what have you done to Kakashi-sensei?" she squinted her eyes, suspicion playfully painted. It was clear there was no power or heat contain in it, "are you Naruto in disguise? Because that pep talk just now equaled to Naruto Talk-no-Jutsu."
Talk-no-Jutsu?
Sakura let out a long sigh, burying her head even deeper, not looking at Kakashi inquisitive expression, "that's nice, sensei. But I'm fine. I may not like this occupation and I still wish I won't have to kill someone in the future, but I'm starting to accept my reality as of now."
"…"
"Really. I'm not a person who likes to take an initiative myself anyway—I'm not kidding when I said I'll be a normal employee even after 5 years of work to my professor when he trained us how to interview that one time—so if you leave me to my own accord, I will just…not do anything. I'm an introvert. Seriously, I can hole myself in a room for three months onward as long as you gimme wifi" what's wifi? "becoming a ninja may not be preferable, but in this world of constant battle, it may just be my only card to stay alive. I don't like getting hurt, after all. Is it wrong of me if I said I want to be a nice person because I don't want people to hurt me?"
It wasn't wrong. It is not wrong at all. But—
But are you sure you're happy to be someone else's stepladder?
Are you sure you're happy to be someone else's stepping stone so they can rise over their weakness and leave you behind with their leftover dust?
(Am I sure I am happy to be someone else's tool to end the war? And at the same time, to start a new war as well?)
In the night of a not-so-ordinary day, a man shrouded in bloodied past and bloodied hand, along with a girl shrouded in a much lighter reality yet was thrown to the darker side for some reason, both of them were enjoying the breeze of a chilly wind in this less than uncomfortable time. The looming threat of a snake summoner or allied country turn traitorous weren't forgotten, not by a long shot. Yet for the sake of keeping their sanity intact, for the sake of keeping the false world of serenity in place, they savor the silent gloom of the calm before storm.
Side by side.
(A/N): Or, alternatively titled "A Cliché Self-Insert OC Story. But The Only Naruto Facts I Know Came From Fanfictions. And They're Not Canon!"
(I'm doing that super long title some manga or light novel Japanese people love to do a couple of years back. Scratch that, they still do it till this day lol)
(Decided to post a one-shot cuz I realized how true the alternative title was and there's no way I can create a full-blown series for this fandom. But I really, really want to write this scene. Soooo, here it is :'D )
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BONUS:
Sakura: "You know…Shikamaru and Temari have such a cute son at the end of the series…"
Kakashi: "Oookay?"
Sakura: "You should get married soon, sensei. I wanna see your cute children!"
Kakashi: *choked*
Sakura: "How about Mitarashi Anko? She's so badass, you're so badass, I'm sure you're going to get a badass kid too!"
Kakashi: *choked and sputtered*
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BONUS (2):
Kakashi: "I don't know if shipper!Sakura is better than fangirl!Sakura or not…"
Inoichi: "Hmm…"
Kakashi: "Inoichi. No."
Inoichi: "But Kakashi! Hatake Anko sounds like a great idea!"
Kakashi: "I said NO!"