Hello everyone, welcome to my second Fic from Naruto series.
This will be the story between one of the most popular and strong couple and cannon between Sasusaku. Actually I'm a big fan of Narusaku but ok! I have to admit they are the early couple through the series. I want to see them getting together and, ironically, they still have been popular and influential from the past till today on Boruto series!
Then I feel like eventually it's time for me to write a story between them and it will emphasise on how they get into a relationship together as they are hardly depicted on the Naruto and Boruto series.
Please be noted that all the characters are from Mashashi Kishimoro, author of Naruto series. The intention of this fiction is for entertainment and the illustration of my perspective toward this couple.
This fic will be AU from the Last movie in which the main character would gravitate to Sakura and Sasuke.
One thing I regret to announce but I have to make myself clear that my memory on the origin and story line of Otsutsuki - Sage of sixth path might be mixed as I cannot recall the exact memory of this clan precisely. I have to say sorry in advance of there's some mistakes on my fiction about this clan but I will try to research before putting it together.
—-
Chapter 1
It's going to be winter. That's what pink haired kunoichi thought when she opened windowed from her office at the hospital when the chilly breeze enveloped her and her office as well. She braced herself, rubbed her hands together to generate warmth with a frezzy gritting-teeth noise because the wind's so cold and dry because her hands moved to the chair but found no sweater. Haruno Sakuro's face crunched and crinkled as she found no sweater at her chair. It should have been here.
She flicked to see with her two eyes but it's not there. She thought it should have been there repeatedly as she always draped it over. Her normal soft green cardigan, matching her eyes color that she had brought one years ago. She crouched down to see if it fell down on the ground but none can be found.
Sakura got up and made a frustrated noise and clenched her right hands together for her forgetfulness because she also cannot think where it is or where she last put it. Thinking and cursing that, Pink haired medic moved to the window sill and watched from a sideline as the Konoha village was lively, crowded with the buzz of children along the street, playing and running around; some Genin and Chunin jumped on the roof to complete their missions, the picture of housewife buying things at market, walking with her children or her husband; hand crossing hand together. Sakura exhaled from the contentment as the renovation of Konohagakure went very well with the supervision from the recent 6th hokage - her sensei. Now he must be dozing off, gooding around and read his erotic novel - icha icha paradise at the corner of his office for sure. Thinking that made her chuckled alone by his steady goofiness. But damn because of him, Kanoha became Kanoha again and also her boys as well.
Sakura looked around at the empty office. How strange, her laughter dried but her ears could hear the hollow echo on the wall. How silent and empty...Sakura put the hand on her waist and exhaled a large one. "We're growing up now, don't we?" She said to herself and let the silence complete her answer.
The day when her, Naruto and Sasuke, even everyone in her class played around, laughed, bickered, drank, traveled had died out. It lasted in the memory as they had been gathering together mostly after the end of 4th great ninja war when everyone spent time together. It's like a last line before they will start to step up a new page of life. For her, it's after Sasuke..damn why I still thought about him?..but he still looked so cool back at that time..It's after when Sasuke Uchiha set out on his journey to atone his sin alone but fortunately he's kind enough to allow her and Kakashi sensei to be the only party to say goodbye to him.
How's he doing now? I bet he could travel through many areas now. His hair might be longer, more spikey? or more falling down? I wonder has he have a good portion of food or diet on his journey. How long has she thought about him? She didn't know but soon realised as she rested her cheek on her knuckle as she propped herself at the window sill with dreamy eyes like a 12 years old love sick and hopeless romantic girl.
Smiling, Sakura shook her head slightly and chuckled as why she always have been like this even she's sure she's mature and grown up now. How could she let nurses or younger generation of ninjas saw her like this? She's a proud disciple of the fifth hokage( who now fled to her journey of gamble and left her with the position of head of hospital) and a member of legendary team seven.
One thing she has admired and felt grateful was her achievement, was not in vain. All days, weejs and years, her training paid off and could be useful to both of her teammates at the very last. She also earned the position of the head of hospital and now working on building the therapy place for taking care of children who would be victimized by the war and battle. She felt proud. Her self-esteem was drawn on her forehead, the byakugan and was apparent on her white lab coat.
Sakura felt proud but deeply alone as the time, position and age were driving the warmth of youth and the fun of life away. Her lip thinned into a soft smile. How nostalgic and how strange of life.
But it should go on. Keep moving.
"I'd better prepare myself as well!" Sakura clenched her fist and summoned her inner spirit to recharge her power. Because one of her boy, teammate, who's claimed to be Hero from the war, will be hokage on some days in the future. Setting a goal, she should be helpful to his no matter what. He's fitted right into that position. It's his dream after all and she bet to herself since genin day that she would support him no matter what, like he has always supported her about Sasuke.
"He's an idiot" Sakura meant to Naruto. "And also idiot as well" this one referred to Sasuke.
"Oi Doctor Haruno, how long are you gonna keep us waiting?" The familiar voice broke her from reverie. It's funny that she has always been like this. The more she grew, the more she thought back the past and couldn't stop herself from reminiscing it.
Looking back to the direction of sound, Sakura saw a distinctive orange jacket with black trouser, only one who wore such colorful apparel as a ninja "What are you doing here Naruto? You should be at the academy and help Iruka sensei?"
Upon her asking, he rubbed his head with a signature fox grin "Don't tell me you ditch his class again?" Naruto felt the tension in the air rising up again so that he waved his hand misery to make a refusal.
"Wait! Wait Sakura-chan, listen the thing is…" Sakura felt the muscle under her face twitch in anger as he frail on the attempt to make any excuses.
"I don't and I won't ever forgive you for this again Na-ru-to!" She channeled her chakra and jumped from the second floor of her office down toward him. Luckily her landing didn't cause the crater or breaking the ground with one split like she did in the battle.
"So what you will say Naruto? You're too much!" Naruto repeated ' no no no' and pull his ears following the ouch ouch ouch sound from him "you're an adult now. How can you skip to help in his class?"
Naruto winced and cupped her hand in order to alleviate her pulling from tearing his ear away "listen Sakura-chan the thing is Kanohamaru will attend instead of me as I asked for his favor hehehe so I'm free now"
Sakura looked at him in disbelief, crinkling her face to inspect his liar. "It's true you can go and watch for yourself Konohamaru is there" He protested and whined like a kid, even though now he's taller than her and his built was larger than her, unlike Genin day when he's smaller than her like a baby fox.
Sakura freed her hand and received a upset look from him. "Don't you dare make that face to me Naruto, it's not working at all" She puffed her chest out as she knew he tried to get her attention by making him look like a sad kid. It will work to any other girl but not her because she witnessed it a million times
"Hehe why aren't ya excited to meet me? Sakura-chan we haven't seen each other for a few days now" He said with a wiry and sly smile. That called for her punch so much but Sakura sighed with a smile for his playfulness.
Gawking at him mirthfully "Yeah I am and what brings the hero here after all?" She admitted directly that she's glad to meet him. The word 'hero' made him chuckling in bashfulness and proudness at the same time. She wanted to smack that smirk of him so bad! He always has his way to play around!
"Listen Sakura-chan, I got a free coupon at Ichiraku ramen so shall we go?" His face lift up in delight, plus his eyes.
"Hah again? Last time we ate at Ichiraku place and today again?" Sakura rested her hand on the waist, looking at him questionavbly.
Naruto nodded quickly and his eyes sparkled like a kid excited to go to an amusement park. Who will know the only man whom they praised as a hero, would act like a child, making a puppy face and even coughing and rubbing his running nose in front of her innocently despite of his status.
"Isn't it a good idea to have hot raman on this cold weather?" He pretend to hug himself cross-hand and rubbed together to show how cold it was.
Sakura sighed with a smile. Naruto is always Naruto "You're something else Naruto about Ramen, I don't say I will forbid you from eating but according to dietary rules, you should lower the sodium.." managing a tone of professionalism, at least to warn every member of team 7, somwhow in a strange way, only Sai listened and complied with her.
"I know I know! You warned me a million times so let's go!" How dare he stop her on the right track?
"Hey I'm not finished! Listen to me first, Idiot!" Sakura threw her punch up in the air as the anger rose up.
Naruto chuckled and jogged ahead of her "you too if you still keep this temper like Tsuna baa-chan, your face will get wrinkles a lot and a lot like her" He touched his eyes and pulled up to imitate the wrinkles and had a gut to swayed his butt, his joke didn't help and earned her glower more and more.
"Na-Ru-To! Today you'll be a dead meat!" Sakura jumped down from her office and followed him. Every stomp under her feet could break the ground, running and following the yellow man. Somehow, they started to laugh again. It's like their good old days when there was no big responsibility awaiting for them like now. Sakura decided to spare this time to spoil herself out of the adult routine life
But why Ichimaku raman again? Skewered place, Yakiniku or Sukiyaki could be found along the marketplace since the renovation kicked off at Konoha.
Finally, they were at Ichiraku raman stall as usual and as regular customers since they were Genin. Naruto sat, slurped the soup with the sigh of contentment even if his head was swelled out slightly from her smack. It paid off as he could get under her skin and drag her out of office.
"Say Naruto you seem to like pain so are you a sadist or masochist now?" Another figure beside him was a gorgeous woman in purple apparel with long luscious blond hair from the Yamanaka clan, Ino.
"He deserves it!" Sakura who also sat at the left side of him, spatting so fast and ate her raman.
Naruto chuckled "haha I'm not, I just try to find a way to drag her out from the office. She always sat there at that boring room and stare at the sky like an baa-chan" his reason gave a tint of guilt in her head. Sakura chewed her cheek silently
Ino smirked and eyed her so smugly. She hated that "Hooo hooo! How caring of you, Naruto. You should let her there and let the age wither her youth and beauty" time to flame her best friend whom she could see her brows twitch in anger "Even I asked her out, she still refused me a hundred time, say it Forehead why you can go out from your cave today? I almost forgot your face now"
"I don't mean that… I just…" Sakura could feel how smaller she became because it's all a fact.
"Just what now forehead?" Ino found a chance to fuss out her innate anger, earned a sour sign from Sakura as well.
They sent the intense electrocute glare to each other while Naruto sat in between and rubbed his head with a breathless laugh when the owner and his daughter were terrified by these two kunoichi.
"Calm down guys! See today I finally can drag both of you out and hang around together! Isn't that right dattebayo!" Their anger slowly turned away by his intention. Sakura, in turn, thought to how long she tried to shut herself off from her friends? From her family? From her team? Just to focus on work and work. She's looking back and felt ashamed that her friends still thought about her and waited for her to return to them. It multiplied to her wrongdoing. She has always kept pressure on herself..from what? She started to think rationally.
Even though, she thought she had no one, she still had them around.
This revelation stunned her a second.
Sakura's lip curled slightly into a smile. Ino bet she could find a very tiny brim of tear at the corner of her best friend's eyes. Yamanaka's princess huffed herself defiantly but surrendered by nature.
"Yeah..yeah whatever..sorry forehead"
"Me too Pig..sorry I just have many thoughts" Sakura also turned to Naruto and waiting for him to finish slurping raman until he sensed her watching and gave her attention "you too Naruto. I should not have done that. I have done many wrong things..sorry and thanks you two for staying beside me"
Sakura touched her lip in disbelief. Why today's so emotional all of a sudden. Hoping, her words could carry her true meaning to them because she really meant it.
They were looking back at her in the mixed feeling. Fear(as a storm will always precede by the calm weather so as her emotion), sad, sorry and surprise to see this vulnerable version of this pinkette.
Sakura felt the intense of their eyes. It earned her flushed in frustration. "What guys? Come on! Eat it before it gets cold!" Sakura pretend to change the subject and they were nodding and responding in agreement awkwardly.
Her inner self started to morph into the body and slept on it to search for a fact why she's emotional today? Because of her panting up? Hormones? Or any related and relevant body mechanism?
"However forehead..how lucky of you to have Naruto taking care of you, ya know" her words called the owner of the name beam in glee and rubbed his head bashfulness.
Sakura nodded silently and gave a handful of nudges to him to lower his smugness. "You're right so thanks Naruto" today's lesson of Haruno Sakura, a civilian born and brought up into elite ninja background, thanking friend and showing them what you think were not that hard. She admitted she rarely showed it as she tried to keep her look to be more independent and strong woman, contrary, she's still the 14 years old girl inside with a need of company of her friends.
Naruto nodded quickly "It's okay Sakura-chan, whatever happened us will stay close together" his words cheered her up and she knew deeo down he still could not overcome the lost of Hyuga Neji. So did she. The life must go on and they had to live that part instead of Neji as well in order to make his sacrifice more valueble to them,
"What if haaaaa" Ino gave a long sigh "what if Sai gave me this attention. It would be great. What do you guys think?" It's like she had sake, the imaginary one, that she spilled out as if finally she could pull a massive chunks of though out of her head.
"What do you mean?" Sakura asked and her brow curlee upward.
"I meant what I said Forehead! Don't you listen to me? What this? Naruto looks at her!" Ino was enraged while Naruto tried to shoo her to be calmer.
"What the hell Pig? I listened to you and I just want to know more about Sai and you!" Sakura answered in a defiant attempt but it earned a stop from Ino until she sighed with a slump on her shoulder.
"Nah..sorry when it comes to this matter. I'm so sensitive, no not at all, so fucking sensitive…I don't want to open it to anyone except you guys. Then welcome to Ino and Sai fan club, feel free to buy any gifts" Although Ino's good at turning the dampened mood into the better version by her joke. It still left a nagging sensation on her head as well. The solely thought that she tried to keep away. About a certain person. About a dark raven haired man. About a man in a dark cloak. About a man who traveled with his long sword.
Sakura sucked a painful breath and tried to recompose to look okay in front of her friends "seeing you making a joke out of yourself. I should say serve your right? Haha come on, Ino, I'm joking" She quickly found the excuse to stop her friend from being super pouty.
"If we haven't known each other for too long, I though you hate me! Sakura and that joke's unacceptable. Try to learn a new one from Naruto or at least Shikamaru or Choji are also better" Ino spatted back.
"Not the time to judge me so speak up what's about Sai" Ino heard and took a gulp down on her throat as if she tried to recollect her words. She look hesitant and Sakura could notice it. She didn't want to hurry her friend because if she's in her shoes, she would be the same or even worse.
"Maybe he will pop from the corner, who would have known" Naruto chirped in.
Ino signed "Alright, alright…the thing is I'm thankful to both of you, Naruto and Sakura for trying damn hard to get me with him" She rested her chin on her palm, elbowing on the counter. "I try to reach him everyday. I think we are getting closer and closer till I want to ask him for a date or at least a short walk"
"Then he declines?" Sakura asked and finished her ramen.
"No he accepted with a smile as you know his smile" Ino tried to imitate the automate smile of Sai then continue "but all I felt is like there's a wall between me and him. Whatever I did or said, it seemed like it didn't and never got to him. I try hard to get closer to him. He's a good person as well, you know. He show a respect to me in many aspects but I still don't know do I really know this man or this man really is there? Or his clone? All I got is like the empty words from him, if we're comparing into literacy. It's like the words that carried no meaning, something like that and don't ask me further on this topic because this's all I know…back to the original topic..finally I felt like I made no progress. He's there but I can't feel him. I even don't know my attempts in vain or not. I just..wanna see his reaction to me as well." The last sentence of Ino earned Sakura wild pupils. She felt the same. Even they're strong, independent and capable Kunoichi, they're still normal girl who has a confidence in living her life but when it came to love. It's different.
The sole confidence didn't answer much because it also needed another person. She also need the reaction, the words, the signal or any mechanism of him to confirm her thought or else it would be they're living in their imaginary world again like a teenage love sick girl at the school. Sakura made a train of mental note on this matter and felt a hard lump on her throat. She wanted to reach out to Ino, yet Naruto sat between them. All she can do now was giving her the heartful and considerate look that she at least could get her feeling. They're on the certain age that need to have and to hear another action from a man for a confirmation in order to walk ahead again or else they would walk into a circle. That seemed to be a case of Ino but for her. Haruno Sakura walked into abyss that's endless, lightless and nothingness.
Thus hurted her as well. Not like a prick but an invisible knock on her head real hard.
'I'll see you soon' and his voice echoed in her mind velvetly. What's more bothering her from time to time since then was she betted he gave her a very faint smile, plus pecking on her forehead.
Sakura gave a strained grumble and clenched her fist to calm herself down because she hate his feelings. She hate how men make it hard for them. Why did they hang us up in the air on a display and just go around idly then what's up? Why it's only us thinking of him most of the time!
Sakura realized a second later from a breathless chuckle from Naruto and she nearly broke her chopsticks within her hand. Clearing her throat to calm herself one more time as Ino seemed to continue.
"Nah..that's my boring and lame story. Sorry you guys have to listen to me" Yamanaka princess said with a slump on her shoulder.
"Never mind Ino, I understand and I think Sai might give it a thought on your action" Naruto said on the bright side and received an understanding nod from Ino. It prodded her to think whether the conversation would shift to her about Sasuke or not. This nagging feeling didn't pass as Ino's eyes roamed to her.
"What do you say, Sakura?" Ino asked.
Sakura was startled, tried to keep herself more composed as she's afraid on the question about Sasuke drawing onto her "strang..strang because why you are acting like a love sick teenage girl" Both blondes looked at the seriousness in her tone. "Who would have known, the Ino the star since academy would gave a white flag to a man whom she never knew he had a feeling to her or not" Sakura set her eyes straight to her best friend "it's not like you. You never surrender easily why you let your judgement ruin your attemp…Ino speaking from a your friend, keep reaching him and one day..manage to ask him and tell him what you think and what you want" Sakura gulped because it should be her to have this note "or else he wouldn't know what inside your head. I bet most of men also live their own life by their eyes, body and head. They are human too, no supernatural power to know what's inside our mind or brain so..I'm looking up to see the fired up from you to get him Ino..I will support you. And you too right Naruto?" Naruto nodded to her and Ino with a soft smile. He felt strange to be a special guest listening to wonen's topic on men because he always had been a host with his boy gangs as well.
"If you want us to do something, tell us Ino" Naruto reassured. Ino nodded and wiped a small drop of tear from a corner of her eyes, bending to hide from a couple of team seven.
"Case closed" Ino clapped and showed them a toothy smile. "And you're still seeing Hinata right? Naruto"
He rubbed his cheeked in shyness "We are and still working on it" as he order another raman till the owner said to him
"Naruto-kun another round? Sure! This's my Naruto-kun so I will add special for you because you are a grown man to treat a girl now! That's great, my son haha" they both exchanged the handful of laughter and Naruto gave him a coupon. The owner's eyes widened in unexpectation and scrutinized the coupon again.
"Naruto-kun is…" He pointed to the coupon and Naruto gave a foxy grin to him "it's my friend's name! Don't worry about it" whatever it was, it looked fine so Sakura sip a hot brot to absorb the hotness and spices.
Ino's eyes landed on the pinkette next to the blonde man "and what's about you? Forehead. Time for you to share the story. If you thought you're here to hear my lame story, no you're wrong I wanna hear your love story as well. Any progresses?" Ino gave her a wry grinned and rubbed her chin in a judgemental demeanor because the interrogator role ignited her up once when Sakura showed she's shocked and not ready to answer.
"Why me? My life..is so so.. boring as well. I have no time to think this matter"
"Don't ever avoid me Sakura" Ino chuckled because she knew this reaction from the pink haired friend so well. This one was she's trying to shun away from herself. "Give me details. Naruto what do you about her?" Naruto gave her a awkward chuckle.
"Stop it Ino!" Sakura said and tried to avoid eyes contact.
"Hey don't react to me like that Sakura! Why you have to shut yourself in this matter! I'm not here to make fun of you, you and Naruto just consoled me about Sai a while ago"
Her point washed away her uncertainty. Sakura received a confirmed glance from her.
She felt like no way out for her finally. Sakura sighed "what you want to know?"
"What's about Sasuke-kun? He still contacts you, doesn't he?"
"No never heard of him almost a year now" her answer fell flat.
"You should write to him more. I know his situation taking on a journey with a long mission but at least he could have known about you through letter" Ino said in enraged as her friend looked so withering.
"I tried. Several tries. I even asked Naruto to double my send too. But no reply from him Ugh..I don't even know what most I'm waiting to see more - him or his letter to me nowadays" Sakura revealed and messages her temple.
Ino turned to Naruto who looked pained clearly by the reaction of Sakura "well..what do you hear from him? He said something about Sakura?"
Naruto answered with the unsure tone as he didn't want to upset her more "Ac-actually he said very little in the letter as well..you know who he is - talk less, act more ha-ha. Right now I bet he's more focused on doing mission as an atonement from his doing. It looks like this"
Naruto's fact didn't surprise her because she always pictured it like this and even Kakashi-sensei also confirmed this fact to her once around three month ago.
Sakura gulped and set herself straight "then case closed. At least I'm happy to have him return as a team seven but I think…" Ino looked unconceived at all. She shuffled and poked her finger fidgetly because she didn't know what she wanted to say was the right thing or not.
"I think it is what it is.. it's okay on this way tho"Sakura let out a sigh and blinked slowly to release her gloom. Ino cough her again that this girl still didn't utter her right words. As a friend, it annoyed her.
"What? I'm not used to hearing you said something unclear and cryptic like this Sakura" Ino accused and looked at her pointedly as a demand to retell again in her own language. It earned Sakura a sigh because she wasn't sure she should say this or not, in particular in front of Naruto who waited for her words intently.
"What are you gonna do about Sasuke! Okay I will open a real question in straightforwardness so let's see how much you can avoid"
Sakura sighed hard "why me? I don't have any things to say"
"That's not a case. What are you gonna do?" Ino's eyes showed high hope for Sakura. She wanted to hear the exact answer that blew her mind.
"I-I" Sakura gave a sideline stare to Naruto because she felt so considerate on the answer. One thing she still felt indebted and wrong was the way she put a pressure with high hope to Naruto to bring Sasuke back since Genin.
Sakura groaned in displeasure because now, it's different while Ino tend to wait for her real answer and she knew she cannot get away. Ino could activate her ninjutsu anytime and dig into her head.
Lying to her best friend was wrong. Caring her best friend was also a must. She's in two way dead lock,
"Spill it, Sakura-chan" Ino imitated the way Naruto always called her since Genin till now she's nearly 20 but he still called her with -chan.
"Fine! I don't know..actually" the confidence in her voice and demeanour flared down instantly. "I'm glad he came back and chose to get on a journey to explore the world or whatever he wanted..but…I'm not sure about how I feel to him right now" Her last phrase dropped especially on Naruto as he slowly turned to her with an unreadable expression. He's gonna enrage her for sure.
"What you mean…" Ino also look discomfortable.
"I mean I'm not sure my feeling for him..I don't know where should I stand. I haven't heard of him in a year. When he came back, I also never knew he returned yet only knew on the damn day he departed" her voice was strained and her throat was constricted hard. It's what she constantly felt over time.
"I don't know how to contact him and get his a tiny little damn reply for my letter" Sakura made a sarcasm and she herself hurted "I don't know how he think of me or see me. I don't know he has any opinion about me at very least" Sakura gulped down the sorrow. It's a high quality food that she fed herself several times when thinking about that certain dark raven haired man. "I don't even know he remember my last name or not…"
The last comparison of Sakura sounded tiny but it inflicted a pain to her companion as well. It carried how little she felt right now.
"You see all I have is 'I don't know' and 'I don't know' ..shanaro…" her cheering jargon died so fast "one thing I know, he goes out and does a right thing to the village so it makes me feel like I'm a selfish person as I want to know what he's thinking about me…I don't know where should I stand to him"
Naruto's mouth agap as he never heard his Sakura confess in an intense this much, placed a hand on her shoulder to coo her.
"It's alright Sakura-chan. That Teme's gonna back to you" offering the faithful word, Sakura nodded to him. "You have to stand by his side, Sakura-chan or else who will. Everybody know you have a good faith in him and always have..right?" His voive was trembling but managing to sound optimistic
"Yeah.,well it seemed on that way" She said and clearly showed she's not regard his word much. Sakura let out a flat smile like the mood and situation forced her to do so - oh right now we're talking about Uchiha Sasuke, the sole survivor and the last of Uchiha, the hero and the repentance of the fourth great Ninja war and the fine, handsome and mysterious man - With these note, Sakura could have been in bliss listening about him so it sickened her at some points. This notion irked her now. Why did everyone expect her to always look happy when the talk's about Sasuke coming up? She bet she saw Ino frowned and Naruto's mouth agap.
"I'm not conceived, Sakura-chan..why you look so glum and down"
Sakura gave a flat smile to him "I don't know either, Naruto"
Naruto threw his hands around to gain her attention, asking her explanation "why? I don't get it Sakura-chan. What happened to him? Did Sasuke hurt you? I'm gonna get to beat his ass!"
"No no stop it, Naruto" her answer calmed him somehow "nothing happens and like I said before I haven't heard from him for quite a time now. I think it's fine in this way" Sakura exhaled and smiled sourly.
Ino could see the tension behind her fine demeanor. How this girl put up with this uncertainty, how she brought the strength to offset this dark passage, eventually how she put up the smile. If it was her, she would have weeped and sobbed to flood the place now.
"Sakura-chan..don't you mean.." his words was gilded with pain.
"I think we have grown up now so I have seen the way the world works differently than when I was genin. I'm happy to know he's somewhere, safe and sound and committed a good deed but talking about relationships. I think it's clear for you guys right? it's time to live on your own timezone. I have mine and he has his."
At the meantime, at the mysterious cave with the glittering prism of crystals standing through the place, there were sound of natural existence including a drop of water from a ceiling or the flow of small river except that there's also a stepping sound of a man in ragged robe echoing through this elusive, nowhere and unreachable place. Because this's not a normal place. As he speculated, it could be called a passage to the next destination in which he didn't have any idea what it would look like. All he knew was he discovered it accidentally at the isolated waterfall on the outskirts of a certain town. It served as a portal because his eyes could detect some strange energy of portal passage there so he's here at the place that he was inclined to tell it might lead to the ancient town known as Otsutsuki's hidden village. His pace was steady and halted.
His mismatched eyes moved back when he heard some noise from behind. There were several bodies of giant crabs but all were dead, burnted, slashed or incinerated by the electrocution. It's just the sound of a small pebble falling down on the exoskeleton structure of that creature.
He let out a sigh in relief as there could not be any threat from the giant crab. Why it bothered him? He felt like he heard someone sound. Someone who should not be here because she could be in Konoha with her responsibility, works and should be under the care of his rival friend and also his sensei of team seven. He continued his walking and set his sight ahead in full determination to see what awaited him as it could relate to the mission that he had tracked for so long. The new rotation of a moon getting closer to the earth and it will cause a big threat to humanity so he should work it out faster or else it would be the end of humanity so Otsutsuki village could provide him some information of certain Otsutsuki group that casted himself to the moon and the connection to sage of sixth path brothers.