Authors Note: Oh look, the author actually updated at a decent time, what on earth is happening you may ask - well we hit 100 reviews! I'm so happy guys, please leave more reviews! Let's get my baby up to 200 reviews next!
Me myself: lets not take 6 months to post a chapter again, ok dickhead?
Title: If I Live
Author: ALightLit
Beta: - MIA (as in Missing In Action)
Type: AU
Status: Incomplete - Ongoing.
Rating: T (Rating may change due to maturing characters.)
Disclaimer: Naruto belongs to Kishimoto!
Pairing: Undecided.
Word Count: 2,154
Intro: It took one minute, one choice, and one girl, to mess all of Orochimaru's plans up. Sakura Haruno managed to beat fear – with love. She moved in front of her crush as a last resort. However, every victory has its price.
R&R
"We are children
We are children
We are-
Comrades."
― Patrie
The sun is dipping low and red over the horizon of the fire country casting a fiery hue over the forests and streets when she finally makes it home. Sakura absently casts a look at the blood sun, and wonders if there will be a day when she can no longer bask in this sunset here in her home village.
Hauling her shopping bags into the empty house was harder than she thought possible, but it was probably due to a long days strain. Her muscles screamed in protest with every step.
Sakura's parents weren't home, but that was nothing new. After they both retired from active duty they took to the trade market like fish to water, rarely home once she came of age. They were usually home late at night and on weekends, but she doubted she'd see them much in the passing month.
It's better this way. A darker part of her simmered. They'll only slow you down.
The young girl all but hurls her bags onto her bed before making a beeline for the shower. She was still very much so covered in the sweat and mud and grime of the day and needed a cold shower now more than ever.
Sakura yanks the stiff clothes off and throws them right into the trash bin, there was absolutely no point in trying to salvage borderline civilian clothing after a day of ninja training.
She stays under the cold spray long enough to get clean and let the water wake her up some before clumsily stumbling out of the shower and into her room. Sakura wrapped a towel haphazardly around herself before dropping down in front of her new purchases to organize them.
Buying new clothes had been the hardest, all the other tools had been simple.
Jounin-grade kunai, seven packs of shuriken, one bundle of senbon, a handful of assorted paper tags, about two packages of fresh wrappings that should last her roughly four weeks, and a brand new steel tanto she'd bought on a whim.
The clothing was much harder, Sakura knew now that she needed more practical clothes in order to be a good functioning ninja, she couldn't run around in dresses and skirts forever. So, in the end, Sakura got four sets of standard black ninja pants, four sets of spandex shorts, several t-shirts and sleeveless shirts made of water absorbent fabric, and two fishnet over shirts.
After the forest, the girl grew attached to the light airy feel of fishnet shirts, but these were steel enforced and woven for extra protection, they'd been a bit pricey but Sakura figured it'd be worth it. She finished it all off with a dark grey vest that had the red swirl patched onto the back, much like the Chunin and Jounin standard vests had, and new black Ninja sandals.
Her new outfits were much darker toned, the shirts ranging from grey to moss green, and burnt orange being the brightest. The color had clashed surprisingly with her hair, but it reminded her of Naruto.
Pulling the orange shirt in question on, Sakura shoved everything she hadn't packed up for later use to the ground and allowed herself to be consumed by sleep.
It's not a dreamless sleep, unfortunately, but when Sakura wakes at some ungodly hour in the morning it's surprisingly easy to push away the nightmares.
She changes quickly into one of her new shirts - dark brown in the hopes the mud won't stain it - and spandex shorts, new weights, and is out the door before even dawn.
The sun has yet to even begin to grace the sky with its presence and is just a distant grey thought upon the eastern horizon, and Sakura has so much to do she can't bring herself to care about lost sleep.
Instead, she grabs a modest breakfast on the way to the Library from one of the few vendors open this early (or late, whatever) and sets a schedule for the next month.
This is how the next few weeks go.
Sakura trains in a blur, early mornings spent in the Library researching any subject that catches her interest in the hopes she can use something in the competition, then she goes to train with her Hokage, he doesn't tell her how long she takes and she doesn't ask. Instead, she focuses solely on making it through the obstacle course as quickly and efficiently as possible, Sakura figures when he feel's she's met her goal he'll move on.
The afternoons are spent with Gai-sensei, working on new taijutsu forms, her overall stamina, and speed. Each week Sakura gets a new set of weights from the buoyant man.
Evenings are spent with Anko, surprisingly it involves a lot of meditation and focusing on the actual seal. She told Sakura in the beginning that the training was ordered by the Hokage and was, in whole, a secret to be kept.
Sakura didn't say anything to anyone, even the one who ordered the training, she didn't really have the energy to ask a billion questions anyway.
One week from the finals and the Hokage finally broke her normal training to teach her something new.
"Your stamina, speed, and overall strength have improved greatly in our short window of opportunity, I think it's time I teach you something you can actually use in battle."
Sakura had run the course in fifteen minutes three times in a row. It was a personal best and although she didn't meet her goal if she kept at it she could shave off another ten minutes, she was sure, but the chance to learn an actual jutsu sent her blood in a frenzy.
"This is Katon: Haisekishō, with this jutsu you can use chakra infused gunpowder, and then ignite it with your fire release, watch." He went on to spew the substance in subject, and then using a flint Sakura hadn't noticed he had in his mouth, the ash exploded spectacularly.
Something swam in Sakura's chest and it felt so much like hope the girl squeezed it tight and got to work. Neji would not win.
[If I Live]
Five days from the exam and Sakura was admiring the results of her training with Gai-sensei.
Where smooth barely visible muscle had once been was now pronounced, after a month of straining physical workouts and Sakura was starting to see the benefits, she had the beginnings of abs and the fine contour lines that one got at the forming of muscle was showing in her arms and legs.
She'd done away with the silly diet and was glad to be able to see the results and feel the energy actually eating gave her.
Sakura thinks, even if she doesn't win her round, she'll keep up the training after the exams. At this rate, she'll be a ninja in her own right.
[If I Live]
Three days from the exam and Sakura sat across from Anko, lost deep in her meditation.
Her reserves had been growing steadily over the last month, though Sakura thinks it's partly due to her cursed mark she doesn't voice her opinion.
Anko's training is by far the oddest and least of what she'd been expecting. After having Sakura meditate for several hours they'd move on to focus on her actually trying to draw on the seal. It was a slow gradual thing, but the young girl was grateful for the controlled environment.
In the end, Sakura could still only call on it when she felt she was in danger or when she lost control of her emotions, but she had a tad more control on that odd lightening now.
During her meditation Sakura never saw the image of Anko waver, she never saw the flash of grey or gleam of glass.
She never realized the snake sitting in front of her, waiting to strike.
[If I Live]
It was one day from the exam and Sakura and her Hokage sat by a stream. He had brought small bandages dipped in a burn ointment for around her mouth, Sakura had finally managed the jutsu itself, but it took a lot more than she realized to actually control the explosion.
She suffered from the minor miscalculation but as always her 'sensei' was there to help.
Sakura could feel the bond she had with Sarutobi growing every day, more so than with any of her other teachers, the old man actually cared about helping Sakura grow stronger and it meant the whole world to her.
"Sakura, can you tell me what you think the Will of Fire is?" He asked out of the blue that morning, turning wise eyes onto the startled young girl.
She pauses for a moment, considering, and thinks of bright blue eyes, declarations and youthful promises meant to be true until proven otherwise.
She thinks Sasuke-kun and his tired eyes, pale taunt skin and the vow of revenge always on the tip of his tongue, the desire for a blood payment to recall what was stolen from the village.
She thinks of a misty clearing, and the stench of blood in the air and her Sensei vowing in such a strong voice it cut to bone, he vowed to not let any of them die.
"I think," She starts slow, "It's different for everything. Everyone has different hopes, dreams, promises to keep, everyone has a different fire." Sakura frowned, pausing for a moment.
"I think the Will of Fire is what drives everyone, it's the inner strength..." She turns then to look up at Sarutobi, and what he sees is startling.
Sakura looks at him with ferrous eyes, a click of understanding shining in them.
Sakura thinks of that horrible forest, of blood on her hands and the instinct to protect even if it costs her, she thinks of soft pink hair trailing in the wind and pain that never leaves.
"Like becoming stronger to protect your precious people, your Nakama."
In a flash, the old man seems to see something he'd missed this whole time, but the surprise is gone as soon as it came, and a look of understanding takes place instead.
He's seen a lot of potential over the years, some wasted and some tainted, and through the young sapling before him had been tainted in her own right she was fighting it. Someday she would not only move mountains but destroy them, he was sure of it.
"Always remember Sakura, every part of the tree is important, from the darkest root to the smallest leaf and weakest branch, it all must be protected." There's a pause as Sakura scrambles to make sense of what's been said, but before she can think about it too hard he smiles.
"Tomorrow is a big day, go home and rest, I have faith that your Will of Fire will burn brightly tomorrow, make the tree proud Sakura-chan."
Sakura dimly realizes why people go to war for their Kage.
[If I Live]
It was the day of the exam, and Sakura moved in a daze.
She wrapped her chest and then donned one of the steel fishnet shirts, along with her standard black ninja pants, and the grey vest to top it off.
Looking in the mirror now was completely different from a month ago, sure she still looked pale, and Sakura had never really got around to fixing the jagged cut of her hair, but the muscle was visible and she felt better, more in control.
She felt like a Ninja.
.
.
.
tsuzuku
Next few chapters are the exams, get ready for some big shit kiddos.
Question for this chapter: What do you think will happen during the exam?