Explosions created earthquakes with their shockwaves. Knives were soaked in enemy blood and saturated the ground. Bodies littered the areas and hung from branches.
Konohagakure verses Iwagakure.
"Fire the next line!" The Konoha commanding officer shouted.
Catapults launched flaming boulders flew across the night sky like comets in space. Fire burned bodies and nature, creating the horrid stench of death and burning flesh.
They had been fighting for days. Probably longer. It was impossible for anyone to keep track of long they've been in this godforsaken valley of hell. The two armies converged at the choke point and either were giving up. It was a matter of will over mind.
"We can't hold out much longer, commander!" The deputy Iwa captain yelled. "We've lost most our men! Order the retreat!"
"No!" The commander shouted. "Reinforcements weren't far behind! We need to hold on as long as we can!"
"But sir?!"
"Let's make the end memorable, captain!"
Iwa roared as they channeled their rock solid wills to keep fighting. Konoha fought vigorously, determined to not allow their enemy to push them back anymore. A line in the dirt had been drawn and not one Iwa shinobi had crossed it yet. The Will of Fire burned deep in their souls, fueling their bodies to keep fighting.
Two ideologies from different nations clashing against one another. It was only a matter of time before one started to falter. Numbers dwindled from hundreds to tens to singles.
Konoha had triumphed over Iwa in the valley of hell.
Until the reinforcements arrived.
A lone man. A stranger with hair and beard as red as lava. He watched the last of his fellow Iwa shinobi perish by the hands of the deadly Konoha shinobi. But he didn't stop them. He didn't care enough to. He stopped caring a long time ago.
"Commander!" A Konoha shinobi shouted, spotting the man. "There's one left. Should we capture him?"
The commanding officer approached the front. "Iwa shinobi…as an act of kindness, we are placing you under arrest and taking you into our custody, instead of killing you. In exchange for sparing your life, we will require you give us some information. Do we have a deal?"
Uninterested in what the commander was saying, the stranger let out a subtle, grunted sigh. Frankly, he didn't know why he was here. He hated following orders from the damn Fence Sitter. But this was the only way to draw him out. The one he needed to kill.
"A deal, you say?" The stranger began. "I'm usually a good sport for a little negotiating. Let's…rework this deal of yours."
With raw, contained speed, the stranger had shrunk the distance and dug his fist deep into the commander's chest. The following aftershock from breaking the sound barrier at a short distance caused an explosion that tore the commander's body in half, leaving the upper torso to dangle.
"COMMANDER!"
Tossing the torso aside, the stranger blocked the weak punch. "You call that a punch?! This is a punch!"
An upper cut from hell sent the shinobi's head shooting to the heavens, leaving the body to stay with the earth.
The remaining shinobi fell just as easy. The stranger outclassed them in every way. Speed, strength, and raw power. Burned alive from the fires of a raging volcano. Konoha had won the battle against Iwa but lost to the stranger.
Towering over the final shinobi, the stranger held a gentle, uninterested expression. "How about you and I make a deal, hm?"
The quivering shinobi nodded furiously. W-Whatever you want!"
Smiling, the stranger helped the Konoha shinobi back to his feet. While reluctant, the shinobi accepted. "Good. There's only one thing I want from you and you get to stay alive, got it?"
Nodding furiously again, the shinobi was beyond fearful of death. He didn't want to be just another name they send home. He wanted to walk through those gates himself.
"Tell me a bit of information and I'll let you go back to your little base and tell them how you heroically survived this massacre. It's simple, right?"
Confused and terrified, the shinobi agreed. He knew that this stranger could, and would, kill him at any moment. "W-What do you want to know!?"
The stranger smiled again. "Have you seen a little girl? Thirteen to fourteen years old, mint green hair, petite little thing. Goes by the name Fū. Seen or heard of her by chance?"
"A girl?"
The stranger tightened his grip. "Do you know anything about her or not?"
"N-No! I've never seen a girl like that! I swear on my life!"
Sighing, the stranger dropped the shinobi like a sack. "You're life isn't worth that much. Go. Run to your comrades and tell them what happened here. There won't be anything left by the time you get back up here."
Nodding faster than before, the shinobi took off in a dead sprint. Leaving his dead comrades to rot in this valley of hell.
The stranger watched the shinobi disappear, not caring to follow. He could easily track the movements all the way back their base and ravage them until death graced them and burn it all to the ground. But what was the fun in that?
Iron coated the air. Blood soaked the ground. The stranger hated the smell of blood. It reminded him of a time he wished to forget. A time he never wanted to experience again.
"You're nothing but a tool to this village!"
The ground rumbled as he focused his strength, channeling it from the core of the earth. Two fountains of lava burst through the gravel and filled the valley. Like his soul, the valley was burned and filled with liquid, molten fire.
"A disgrace! That's why you were chosen! Nothing but a lowlife with nothing to lose!"
As the fires burned the valley with the flames from hell, the stranger looked on with a sense of dejection. He never left a trace, only the charred remains. Why could never let the bodies naturally disappear? Why did he always have to make sure none of them saw the aftermath?
"Because they would see your tears, they would feel your sorrow."
The lava returned to the core, the holes closing up.
The stranger closed up a long time ago.
-With Jiraiya and Tsunade-
"Thanks." Jiraiya waved to the maître as she showed them their seat.
"Final stop before we leave port, eh? What are we going to do about a boat across the waters?" Tsunade questioned.
"I sent word ahead to one of my contacts here. He's securing a vessel for us to travel." Jiraiya took a drink of the complementary tea. He slowly spit it back into the cup. Horrible.
"That bad?"
"I need a palate cleanser." Jiraiya waved the server down. "Excuse me, can we get two bottles of your finest sake? We've been on the road and could use a drink."
The server nodded, rushing off to fulfill the request.
Tsunade was shocked at the gall. "Drinking? On such a mission?"
"You know better than anyone what some sake does to the nerves. Makes then nonexistent." With surprisingly quick service, the bottles and shot glasses were delivered. The male Sannin was just as quick to down the first shot.
"Nervous? You? That doesn't seem like you?"
"Considering the variables, how could I not be?"
Tsunade was still racking her brain. Could the Akatsuki leader really be his former student? She had a hard time considering someone that was under Jiraiya's tutelage could turn against the light. He had a knack for instilling his pure heart into his students, especially Naruto and Minato.
Pouring herself a drink, Tsunade raised her glass. "To Orochimaru."
Jiraiya stopped for a moment. To hear the words come from Tsunade, a woman who tried to force her fist through their teammate's chest in the past, many things were quickly put into perspective. The past was behind them and there was only the future to look forward to. Their traitorous teammate and friend had been killed by the very one he thought would unlock everything for him. It still didn't hurt any less for them.
Two glasses met for a toast.
"To Orochimaru."
The liquid went down harder than either wanted. It did not quell their thoughts on him.
"I never thought he'd be the first one to go. I always pictured the first one to be me."
Tsunade rolled her eyes. "Don't be so pessimistic, Jiraiya. He had too many people coming after him. It was bound to happen sooner or later. Still, I'd have to agree. I didn't think he'd be the first either. He was the best of us."
"In terms of genius and favoritism, yes. But that's not what I was getting at. Orochimaru was always afraid of death. He never truly accepted that's what was coming. I think that played the biggest role in his betrayal. It was his inability to accept that his time in this world would eventually come to an end. And in his case, probably from where he least expected."
"Sasuke Uchiha…do you think he's like his brother?"
Jiraiya questioned that himself. But that was a question for Naruto, not him. "Hopefully, for Naruto and Sakura's sake. Those two…they need him back."
Tsunade knew that. Hell, everyone knew Naruto and Sakura needed Sasuke back. He was probably the only one who could fully bring them back.
"Jiraiya, what are you gonna do if it really is him? The Akatsuki leader, I mean."
Taking another shot, Jiraiya needed some more courage to speculate that much. "…I don't know. Honestly, I won't know until we're in that moment. Nagato was different than the other two. Yahiko was brash, quick with his emotions. Konan was their glue, she held them together. But she hated fighting and tried to avoid it at all cost. But Nagato…he knew he was special. I remember…he asked me once, how come the world was so full hate? What could be done to stop it?"
Tsunade was on the edge of her seat. Jiraiya never talked about them.
"He wanted to protect his friends so desperately. He vowed to do something. Vowed to be something for the world and stop all this fighting so that his friends wouldn't die. With that kind of determination, I had no reason to doubt the kid. Frankly, if he lost them, he'd be a powerful enemy."
Tsunade saw the picture as Jiraiya was. Being kind hearted in this world only got one so far. The need to protect their loved ones was something everyone felt. Losing those precious could, and would, make someone completely snap and lose all sense of right and wrong.
"Yahiko and Konan…they're dead, aren't they?"
"For Nagato to create an organization like the Akatsuki? Yeah, probably. Whatever happened must have pushed Nagato over the edge. It's the only logical scenario. I…truly thought he was the one. Before Minato, before Naruto. I believed Nagato was that Child of Prophecy. There wasn't a doubt in my mind."
Jiraiya reached deep into his pocket. "I wrote my first book about him."
Tales of a Gutsy Shinobi.
Tsunade held the tattered, well-worn book in her hands. Just by the looks of this book, she could tell the story was completely different from the smut he fantasied about. "You…wrote this?"
"It wasn't that good of a seller. Never caught on. Probably less than hundred copies were sold. That's when I changed it up a bit, decided to go a different route."
Pervert.
"…But why'd you choose to write smut?" Never how much she loved him, Tsunade would never let that go.
"Not smut, romance." He corrected. "But…because I was alone. I had all but given up on becoming a writer until after Dan came into the picture. I…lost you. And, I didn't think I was going to ever get you back. So, I fell back on the two things I knew best. Being a shinobi and writing. I ended up with the Make Out Paradise series after a well-known publisher caught me doing research in a local bath house."
Tsunade did not miss that part of him. She was glad he grew out of that.
"I guess I used it as my outlet. I wrote those stories because that's how I planned my life out with you."
The fucking audacity. "Those books are about us?! Fucking porn about us?"
"Good grief, Tsunade. Have you never read a single page? Yes, there are some lewd scenes in my books, but that's not the story. It's about heartbreak, self-reflection, and overcoming those deep dark sides of us that no one likes to talk about at parties."
Tsunade had to bite her tongue. She had never even read the synopsis on the back cover. The sight of those porn-filled pages made her skin crawl. For the longest time, she never understood why they were so popular and well loved. Maybe she was seeing it now.
"You wrote about me?"
Jiraiya's soft smile melted Tsunade's scorched heart. "Yeah. I poured so much of you into that character. And myself into the main character. It's not like what everyone thinks, Tsunade. It's a damn good story. You should read it some time."
"You've been saying that for years…"
"Then, maybe, you should listen for once."
Tsunade scoffed. "Listening to you only ever got me into trouble."
"Then let's make a deal. A bet, if you will"
The forbidden word. In a shaky breath, Tsunade felt her anxiety shoot through her spine. "…What kind of deal?"
"I'll bet that you'll read my books after this mission because I won't be there to read them to you."
"Hold on!" Tsunade damn near broke her glass. "Where's this coming from?!"
It was pointless to true and tell her to lower her voice. It was naturally that loud. "I won't lie, Tsunade, I've been trying to figure out how this will all play out. And I'm having a hard time wrapping my head around the idea that both of us will survive. The fight won't be easy."
"That's because you're thinking that everything you've heard is true. There's no way that Itachi was right about everything."
"You may have your doubts but I trust Itachi. And, I know it's him. It can't be anyone else. And I have an idea how strong Nagato has become. The Rinnegan is the pathway to many abilities that many would consider…unnatural."
Serious. That's all Tsunade could think. Jiraiya usually wasn't the type to take things this serious. His calm demeanor and aloof attitude often would confuse his enemies into a false sense, giving him the upper hand. This was different. Jiraiya wasn't just nervous, he was scared.
And she was too.
Pulling his large, calloused hand into her soft, gentle grasp, she could feel his fear. The slight quiver in his skin shook mountains.
"It's okay to be scared."
"…Just promise me that you'll bet on my dying. That why, I won't. Deal?"
Why did she have to have such bad luck?
"…Fine. It's a bet."
A tranquil moment. Being vulnerable with one another was the peak of trust. To express your fears and anxieties to someone that will accept them and face them with you. A bond that could never be broken or destroyed. A love that would last lifetimes.
The perfect moment.
Until Tsunade vomited all over the table.
Gross.
-Sunagakure-
The Fifth Kazekage. Gaara of the Sand. The once ostracized experimented son overcame the failures of his father and pulled his village from the brink of extinction, making them one of the world's super powers once again. He, and his two siblings, had become the leaders they were born to be.
But this war was going to be the first true test of his reign and their leadership as a unit. Gaara felt out of his realm as Kazekage, being only a mere seventeen years old. He looked to his ally, Konohagakure, to help guide him in making decisions on the battlefield. He trusted his fellow Kage, Tsunade, would a great partner and mentor for him as to not lead lambs to slaughter.
Now, with Tsunade being removed as Hokage for lack of results, Gaara questioned his own ability to somehow win this war without her mentoring him.
Communication with Konoha tripled when Danzō officially was named the interim for the Hokage position. The Warhawk required all kinds of information on nearly every aspect of Suna's military, as if Danzō wanted to command Suna's forces himself. It opened Gaara's eyes to what he needed to consider moving forward. In a way, he believed that's how Danzō was going to mentor him like he believed Tsunade would.
Now was the time to put his skills as a leader and power as the Kazekage to the true test. Gaara had chosen to lead from the front lines and face off against the stubborn enemy. Alongside his counterpart from Konoha, Genma Shiranui, he was going to win the eastern front.
"Lord Gaara, Konoha's Third Division has arrived. Commander Genma will be here soon to meet with you."
"No need, I'll greet him at the tents. Thank you, Hiroaki."
The secretary bowed slightly before backing out of the office and closing the door.
The time had come.
Gaara was eager to talk to Genma and his other appointed officials. He wasted no time to meet him at the horde of massive tents they set up for their allies.
"Commander Genma." Gaara reached out and took hold of the man's hand. "It's an honor to finally meet."
Genma returned the fierce grip. "The honor is all mine, Lord Kazekage. And this isn't the first time we've met. I was the proctor for your Chūnin Exam match a few years back."
The memory resurfaced. As did the events of that day. "Ah, right you are. My apologizes. I…was not the same person I am today. I hope my actions do not damage our relationship moving forward."
Genma chuckled. He truly has changed. "Not at all. It's all water under bridge. Besides, we have a war to win. You, and your village, are going to be a great asset."
"I agree. We have much to discuss."
"We do. I'll let my other leaders know and we can start." Genma placed his pack on his bunk. "Do you mind of my team joins? I was given a personal team to oversee and this would be good experience for them."
"Of course. We can meet in my office in one hour."
"Sounds good. Gives me time to make sure everyone gets settled in."
The large camp was a hustled mess. Thousands of shinobi were centered in an encampment while they awaited orders from higher. Among those waiting for orders was Sakura Haruno.
She was unsure of where to go or what to do. Sakura was given the mission of basically rebuilding Sunagakure's medical division. If she had questions, who was she supposed to go to for help?
"Sakura!"
The pinkette was surprised, also relieved, to see Kaito approaching her. It was nice to see a familiar face. "Kaito! It's so nice to see you again."
"I'd have to say the same." If he could, Kaito would see Sakura every day. "I'm glad to see you accepted Lord Gaara's request to help with our medical division…or lack thereof."
Sakura nodded. "It's an honor, truly. I was beyond surprised that the Kazekage has that much faith in me. But I'm up for the challenge."
Kaito smiled. "That's good to hear, Sakura. Well, let me be the first to welcome you to Sunagakure."
Sakura smiled back, trying to hide her anxiety about everything going on. "Thank you, Kaito. I appreciate that."
"It's no trouble. And it's a good thing I ran into you. Lord Kazekage called a meeting with your leaders and requested that you be there. Allow me to be your escort." Kaito stuck out his hand, waiting for Sakura to take it.
Sakura nodded but politely declined with a simple wave. "What's the meeting for?"
Kaito quickly pulled back. "It's just an initial brief. Your Third Division's Commander needs to be briefed on Sunagakure's capabilities and there needs to be a battle plan in place…a lot of boring stuff really. I figured you could give your plan to Lord Gaara then we could dip out and I'll show you around Suna."
Sakura nodded. "I see. Well, I can brief him on what I have for now. Though, it's not as extensive as he will probably want. I know it's a top priority."
"It is." Kaito stated. "He's handpicked the first class to be first fully fledged medical shinobi. We need them desperately. The last true medical shinobi Suna had was Lady Chiyo."
The memories of that woman played through Sakura's mind like a movie on a projector screen. In their short time together, Sakura learned a great deal from the Suna elder. Much like her rival from Konoha, Chiyo was the definition of what a medical shinobi should be. "Well, I'm honored to be in the same conversation as her. I'm not nearly half the medic she was, but I'm doing my best to honor her and my master."
"Don't sell yourself short, Sakura. There's a reason you're here. You'll do an amazing job, I know it."
Hearing affirmation come from someone that was outside of her inner circle of people boosted Sakura's inner confidence. It wasn't forced or something a friend was supposed to say. Genuine faith.
"…Thank you, Kaito."
"C'mon. Let's go to that meeting. Then, I can give you that grand tour of Suna."
Following by his side, Sakura couldn't hide her small smile. For the first time in a while, she was genuinely happy and satisfied with her place.
And Naruto couldn't take stomach the sight of Sakura standing next someone else.
"Naruto, Commander Genma wants us to join in a meeting with the Kazekage." Ino called out to him. "Let's go."
It took all of his strength to tear his eyes away from Sakura's smile.
How could he be there for her when he could barely contain his own jealously and anger?
-Meeting Room-
Gaara sat at the head of the large round table, with the Suna elders and high officials to his sides, in the room aligned with the statues of the pervious Kazekage. Despite the many chairs, numerous people still had to stand.
"Allow me to formally welcome you all to the village hidden in the Sand. I wish this meeting was under better circumstances, but I know this wouldn't be possible without the current situation. Regardless, I am thankful for your patience and cooperation. Let us get on with the first order of business."
Genma addressed the room first, detailing the Third Division's capabilities and strengths all the while being honest with their weaknesses. He was adamant on saying that this war was going to be decided by the fights in the trenches. Meaning those hard, grueling battles that hardly left any survivors would be the ones that would give momentum towards victory.
Shikamaru Nara, the appointed strategist for the Division, gave a strong plan for movements and possible encounters they would face when they began their invasion into the Land of Rock. He made a point to detail that there were reports already coming in of Iwa shinobi being sighted in the Land of Wind. It was not going to be an easy fight. Troublesome, to quote the Nara.
As more Suna and Konoha shinobi leaders gave their briefs and reports, Naruto couldn't help but let his mind wander. Meetings were always something that bored him to no end. He could count the minutes until the conclusion. Nothing would be able to catch his attention during meetings like this.
"Sakura Haruno…could you please give me your initial plan for the medical division for Sunagakure?"
Except for her.
Sakura stepped forward. It was not missed that Kaito stood just off to her left.
"Of course, Lord Kazekage. First off, thank you for choosing me for this. It's a great honor and something I hope I can accomplish. As for the medical shinobi and their training, I'm going to mirror Lady Chiyo's and Lady Tsunade's teachings. They believed that medical shinobi needed to be a dual threat of both power and healing. And as for clinics and hospitals, I'm going to need heavily detailed reports on staff and stock supply for medical treatment and the training those doctors and nurses receive. Just because they aren't fully fledged shinobi, it doesn't mean they can't operate and think like one. I plan to rebuild the medical division from the ground up. Reconstruction and updates to clinics and the main hospital. And plenty of other objectives that can be discussed at a later time."
For those close to Gaara, like his two older siblings, they could tell he was impressed with Sakura's plan. It was exactly what he was hoping for. And probably more.
The meeting continued on for some time. More reports and briefings that Naruto didn't care to pay attention to. His mind only was focused on one thing.
Sakura.
From the words that fell out of her mouth, Naruto could see that her amazing confidence had returned. Openly staring, Naruto was stupefied by Sakura's beauty. It felt like a lifetime since he had been able to look at her. Admire her. He could feel his heart beat faster and the familiar feeling that she gave him slowly returned.
He missed her.
But then, as the meeting was adjourned, that's when he saw it. The other person in the room that admired Sakura like he did.
Kaito.
That jealously and anger instantly returned and soiled his feelings. It was like a stab in the heart as he watched the smile Sakura held for him was directed to someone else. Heartbreaking.
"Naruto, please stay for a moment."
It was brief. Near instant. But Sakura froze slightly at the name being said aloud. No one noticed but him. And he knew Sakura was aware of him. Of his feelings. Even so far apart, Naruto and Sakura were connected.
The meeting hall was empty, save for the two who understood the burden.
"I'm glad to see that my request for you to be here was honored." Gaara outstretched his hand. "It's good to see you again, old friend."
Naruto greeted him back. "Yeah. It's been a while."
"It seems you have been busy since we've last met. I've read the reports on the Land of Waves and your visit to Kirigakure. I'm…sorry about that attack on Konoha. I regret not being able to send up. We were still recovering and rebuilding."
Naruto waved it off. "Don't mention it. Nothing you could've done anyway."
"I wish to argue that but it seems pointless. Nevertheless, I am glad we can fight together in this."
Naruto smirked. "Me too. We can show those bastards what real strength is."
"And the Akatsuki, too. We need to make sure we keep those rogues in check as well."
Naruto sighed. With him, the Akatsuki wasn't far behind. In conversation and reality. "Yeah. But it won't be easy. They aren't the easiest to defeat. Those guys…they're on completely different levels."
Gaara sat back at the head of the table, Naruto joining in the adjacent seat. "Do you have any idea what they're after? What do they want with the Bijū?"
Scoffing, Naruto thought Gaara he had it backwards. "I should be asking you that. You're the one who was captured. I figured you must've learned something while captured."
"I don't remember much. I was in such a deep state of unconsciousness that death was reliving."
"Yeah, I can imagine." No, he couldn't. And he didn't want to know what that state felt like. "And, by my count, three have been captured. The One, Two, and Five Tailed Beasts."
"Our intel agrees. But possibly the Three Tails as well. Unconfirmed but heavily rumored. I've sent undercover agents and scouts all over the world in search for any and all information on the Akatsuki. My hope is we learn more and more about their motives in the coming weeks."
"Talk to Pervy Sage. He's a leading expert." By Gaara's confused look, Naruto needed to elaborate further. "Jiraiya of the Legendary Sannin. He's Konoha's self-proclaimed Spy Master. Kinda defeats the purpose if you ask me."
Dismissing his godfather's antics was only a way to hide the fact he thought the name sounded cool.
"Ah, yes. I can see what you mean. Speaking of the Sannin, have you heard of Orochimaru? Apparently, he's been killed."
A truly shocking revaluation. But Naruto knew that was coming. Good work Sasuke. Just one more. "It's about time that snake got was coming to him."
"It was Sasuke Uchiha, your former teammate. I was wonder the impression that he was captured then followed Orochimaru if his own free will. Playing a part or outgrowing the master?"
Naruto shrugged. "Couldn't tell ya. Sasuke's always been a hard one to read. I know his true goal is to take down his older brother, Itachi. That's probably what he's doing."
Not the reaction Gaara was expecting. He remembered hearing the rumors of Naruto's 'death' at the hands of Darui and how Sasuke did little to stop. Obviously, there was something Gaara didn't know. As with a lot of missions, not everything was put in the reports.
"Another piece of intel states that Itachi has gone rouge from the Akatsuki. Your thoughts on that?"
Naruto found it interesting that Gaara was wanting his input on all this, probably, classified pieces of information. "Yeah, I was there. It was during the rescue mission for you, actually. After me and Kakashi sensei chased him down, he stood up against another Akatsuki member that appeared. I don't know why he would go through the trouble of capturing you if he was going to leave the group anyway."
"That is interesting." It seemed Gaara didn't get the answer he was hoping for. "We need any and all intel on the Akatsuki we need if want any chance of defeating them before they can finish whatever it is they're planning."
Naruto chuckled. "Well, it apparently requires me. And I don't plan to get caught any time soon."
"But what if you do?"
"Excuse me?"
Gaara held a silent fear that the Akatsuki would somehow pull out a victory over everyone because the world was focusing on each other rather than them. Their strength was no joke, even for their lack of numbers. Their goal was the capture of all nine bijū, they had to be taken seriously.
"I'm only being cautious, Naruto. You and I, we're the only ones that understand what it's like to be hunted. To be ostracized. We are the only ones who know that the Akatsuki are more of a threat to the world than the current conflict. If the Akatsuki are successful in capturing the nine Bijū…the world, as we know it, will cease to exist."
In one part of his brain, Naruto knew Gaara was right. The Akatsuki were a worldly threat. Hunting and possibly controlling all the bijū was something that could easily bring the end of all life. It was no question.
In another part though, Naruto just had no mental capacity to want to deal with it. Things were slowly becoming chores to him. He was losing the feeling of wanting to do things. It just didn't feel like his problem. But he knew it was because of that stupid prophecy. It would eventually come down to him. Thus, making it a chore and the responsibility to see it through.
Naruto didn't want to disappoint his master.
"Yeah…I know."
"You don't seem as concerned as I do, Naruto."
Naruto was almost hesitant to answer. "I've…been told a terrible prophecy about the future. I'm not looking forward to what's coming."
Gaara shifted slightly, confusion consuming his fear. "A prophecy? To what end?"
"A stupid destiny that says I'm the supposed savior or destroyer of this world. And the world will be saved or destroyed because of my choice."
Shifting uncomfortable, Gaara heavily sighed. "I wouldn't call something that altering stupid."
"You would if you were in my position."
"When was this prophecy told to you?"
"A few years back, close to two now, I think." Naruto was having trouble with the timeline. Recent events were messing with his internal clock. "It was during my training with my master."
Gaara nodded. "I see. And when does this come to pass?"
Naruto shrugged, unsure himself. He hoped it never would.
"Who told this to you?"
"A toad that's well past his years. Frankly, I'm surprised that geezer frog can even see...or dream like he says."
That did nothing to quell his confusion. If anything, Gaara was more lost than before. "Uh huh…This is certainly more interesting than I anticipated. It's hard to imagine that there's a prophecy like that."
"Agreed." Out of anyone, Naruto was probably the one who believed in it the least.
Gaara approached the window that over looked the Hidden Sand Village. He could see some of the allied shinobi from Konoha mingling with his villagers. A rare small smile graced his stern face. Seeing the two villages finally come together helped his fear of the Akatsuki. It was calming and reassuring that things would somehow turn out fine.
Naruto…if that prophecy is right, I truly believe that you are the only one that completely take down the Akatsuki and safe us all.
"Lady Chiyo entrusted us to bring about peace. She believed that we would save this world and change it. We can't fail that promise, Naruto."
Great. Another weight added to my shoulders.
"…We won't..."
Can I really promise that?
-With Sakura, hours later-
Barking out orders like a general wasn't something Sakura was used to. She was so used to being given the orders. She hoped that she wasn't harsh and that the people now working for her weren't intimidated.
By their reactions, they seemed happy and excited through their stern faces.
Hours of briefs and meetings with countless officials had Sakura wiped. She didn't consider that public speaking would exhaust her more than training would. It was surreal to think about.
Within ten minutes of being showed her office, Sakura had papers and folders covering its surface. She truly was modeling this whole division after what her master designed. Granted, that was her plan of action to begin with.
There was a knock on the door.
Sakura's breath hitched. So late? Is this how Lady Tsunade felt?
"E-Enter?"
The door opened and Kaito entered.
"Have a good first day?"
Sakura's stress and anxiety from the day drained a bit. "I hope so. I don't think I've talked so much in my life. It was exhausting! I just hope I conveyed everything good enough. It was hard to get a read on them."
Kaito chuckled, closing the door behind him. "Don't sweat those old farts. Change has been happening a lot in the last few years. It's hard for them to imagine things being different from what their used to. But I know this medical division is something everyone is excited about. Even them."
Hearing that really took stress off Sakura's shoulders. "Thanks Kaito. That means a lot."
"That's what I'm here for." Knowing the time, Kaito decided to move along with this visit. "You hungry? I know this great restaurant just down the block."
At the offer, Sakura realized she hadn't eaten much today. It sounded like a good idea. "S-Sure! I haven't had a solid meal in a few days. That trip here was pretty stressful."
"Then let's go! If we go now, we'll make it before closing."
Quickly tiding up the mess and signing a few more papers, Sakura locked her office door behind her. She followed Kaito through Suna and into the restaurant he raved about.
Drinks and food orders were taken, all the while exchanging small talk about Suna and Konoha. The food was wonderful and flavorful, more than Sakura anticipated for a village in the middle of a desert.
"How have you been lately?"
Sakura pondered the question seriously. "Fine, I guess. Just been under a lot of stress lately."
"I mean…after you mother…"
A strong pull at the heart strings. One that she really didn't want to be pulled. "Oh…um…"
Kaito realized he may have over stepped. "If you don't want to talk about it, I get it. I don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything. Forget I asked"
"N-No, it's fine. You were there. You have the right to ask."
Realizing that Kaito asked a question her own father hadn't asked, Sakura was a bit unsure of how to respond. Feelings that came with thoughts about her mother's death were only anger and frustration. And through that anger, it was hard for her to grieve.
Had she even grieved at all?
Was she happy?
Sad?
Full of regret?
It was hard to tell.
"I…wasn't ready to lose her. I mean, who's ready to lose their mom?" Sakura's fake smile broke almost instantly. "I've just been angry. So unbelievably angry. And I thought I was right in acting on that anger and lashing out. But…I lost the person I held so dear and nearly killed some of friends because I was so lost in my anger."
Voicing her feelings helped release some anger towards him…
Even thinking about it hurt more. She called him the one thing that could only cut him deeper than any blade. It was horrible. Justifiably horrible. Sakura felt justified in calling him that disgusting name. And that only made her angrier.
Kaito could easily tell that the girl was hurting. It was blatantly obvious that could be written on her face. He could only imagine what she felt like. Watching her mother be killed by her teammate. Kaito didn't know the full story. Truthfully, he didn't want to. He didn't need to.
"Anger is easy to fall into. But it's okay. Never fault yourself for voicing your emotions in whatever way you want. People grieve and deal with their emotions in different ways. You have your right."
"…Thank you, Kaito."
Paying for the bill in full, Kaito led Sakura back through the village and back to the Konoha's tents. He wasn't sure which was hers so he just stopped at the gate. The guards stood ready at the small entrance to the make-shift camp.
"You're staying here? Aren't staying her permanently?"
"They don't have anything set up for me yet. It's only until the Division deploys."
"I see. Well, I guess this is good night."
Sakura smiled as genuine as she could. "Thank you for the meal, Kaito. I had a great time."
"Anytime. I'm always down for a meal."
Sakura could feel her exhaustion. It wouldn't take long for her to get to sleep. A good night's rest would really set her right.
But before she could get to that rest, Kaito leaned in and stole a kiss right as the change of guard arrived.
Stunned, Sakura could only stare in bewilderment. What…was that?
Kaito felt his stomach hit his balls in embarrassment. Fuck! What did I just do?!
Watching from a distance, Naruto could feel his heart shatter. The pieces of his heart fell into the deep pits of his stomach and disappeared into the acid that was his anger. His jealously. His love.
Was it that easy? Did Sakura forget about him just like that? Could she just throw away everything between them? Just like that?
Was it all…a waste of time?
He thought he was healing. He thought he was doing the right thing by abiding by his master's words. He was going to be there for her. To silently support and watch over her. To be her silent guardian. All in hopes that she would one day return to his arms and they could be together again.
Why did he think that she wouldn't move on?
Why did he think she would wait for him too?
Why was he so convinced that it would all work out somehow?
But the flower…she kept it…
It didn't matter. It meant nothing. The evidence was right in front of him.
Sakura had moved on…
…and Naruto's heart went with her.
"…Get under one body to get over another…"
A warm body to sleep next to? In this desert heat?
If she can, then I can too.
He turned away, unable to watch anymore. He vanished into the night, looking for that warm body to try and mend the shattered remains of his heart and soul. Fully knowing that there was no one in the world that could.