EDIT 8/19/21: Hello! I am currently in the process of revising and rewriting this story. It's been a little over two years since I started this fic and in that time, my writing has changed a little bit, and reading back on this fic, while I do love it and hold it dear to me, there are quite a lot of things I wish to change/ add/ fix before I begin writing newer chapters. Expect to see new chapters in between old ones, and new scenes in order to fix some pacing issues I had with this fic. Some interludes will also be added, and don't worry, they'll be longer ones. I hope to finish this "reconstruction" so to speak, before November, so I don't go a whole year without a new chapter update. But, as much as that's what I want, my current situation IRL is difficult, and this year has been tough on me and my mental health, but I will try my best. I consider writing an escape from these problems, but I won't push myself to the point of harming myself just to do so.
[ This chapter has been edited/ fixed as of 8/19/21 ]
Prologue
You don't usually see it, the beginning of the end. It can be said that one can never truly differentiate the beginning from the end. Does life begin at birth or does it start when one feels like living? Is death truly the end or is it the beginning of the mystery of what comes after it? Just because we are alive, is it certain that we have ever truly lived?
Peace brings chaos. Chaos brings fear. In fear, there's hope. And in hope, there's a chance for peace until chaos comes rears its ugly head back. It's a cycle, never-ending. That is one thing for certain.
But at this moment, all she could see was chaos, and for once, all hope within her dwindled into nothingness, a light scorched by the fiery depths of fear.
Bodies littered the ground like leaves in autumn, painted red instead of the russet tones she'd loved seeing beneath her feet every mid-October morning. Bodies piled on top of each other, lumped together like garbage to be discarded, as if the lives that had just inhabited them were of no value. Replacing the crisp fall breeze, the blistering heat of destruction weaved through the village she called home, leaving nothing but flames and anguish in its wake, wails of sorrow and despair filling the spots where disaster had not.
Was it true? Do Shinobi only ever bring destruction? All those years of bloodshed because of clashing ideals. Each side longing to achieve their goals, whether it be to change the status quo or to keep life as it was, was all that fighting to end in lives being taken so quickly, so easily, by something no one knew could? The world as she knew it was burning, to be molded into something new after the ash swallows up the land she held dear.
She was raised on the principle that Shinobi protect those who cannot protect themselves. But what happens when even Shinobi cannot protect anyone? What happens when this terror could stop even the most powerful of them all?
Helpless. She felt helpless.
Boulders aflame continue to plummet at high speeds, diving from where they were from high above down to her beloved village, as those still breathing scream for aid, panic and misery indisputably in the air. Explosions erupted all throughout the land, taking with it both the innocent and those with ill intent. It seemed like no one would be spared.
She felt hands tighten around hers, the sight she didn't want to be reminded of bringing her crashing back to the main cause of her heartache.
She looked down, eyes meeting the two people she loved so dearly. "Mama… Papa…"
Tears continued to fall as her mother slowly reached up to cup her right cheek, a rueful smile marred by the red stains scattered on her beautiful face.
"Sarada," her mother's usual cheery voice was replaced by one filled with strain, her throat tight making her have to fight for the words to escape her lips. "Go."
She wasn't used to seeing her mother like this. Her mother was vibrant, bright, a woman with such charisma and an aura to her that both drew people to her and scared them all the same. She was tough. She was a fighter. She was the person she looked up to the most, even if she wasn't aware of that.
She found herself shaking her head. Go? How could she even think she'd be able to? She couldn't leave them there. "No! I can't just-"
"Sarada…" her father's voice rings in her ears, softer than usual. His hair didn't cover the left side of his face like she was used to. Instead, they fell to the side of his face, leaving his bloodied and worn face visible. His complexion pale and his eyes, what most found the source of his intimidating nature, devoid of the fierceness people are used to. Still, the love he held for his daughter held on, and that's what made looking at him more painful to her.
Her father was a fierce man, a man feared, a man known for his power and for his skill on the battlefield. But right now, it was as if all the fight within him has ebbed, and all that was left was the part of him the wanted her to feel at ease, even in a moment like this. It was all he could do.
"No! I don't want to go!" She insisted, sniffing as the tears still fell, her cheeks being colored red by the blood-stained on her parents' hands.
Her own injuries were ignored. The wound on her stomach, the pain on her legs, none of that mattered to her when she was on her knees between their lying bodies, weak and unmoving. She dug her hands to the ground, her persistence unwavering. "I won't leave you."
As the world they knew fell to ruin, a child stood her ground, despite her helplessness, determined to be with her parents until the end.
Their eyes were somber, watching her like this. The child they raised, the child that proved the love they shared was real, the child that, despite her age, was still their child, no matter how old she got.
The world burned into a bleary mess of colors brought together in a clutter of death.
'This is it, huh?' The mother thought to herself melancholically, allowing herself to shift her sights from her crying daughter to the man she loved, lying beside her. There was a pain in her neck as she did so, but she paid it no mind.
He sensed this and looked at her. They shared a lingering look, one they've had an innumerable amount of times. It was all they needed to express what they were feeling. Every single regret, every single thought, every single wish, all told in a glance.
They nodded before turning back to the product of their devotion, of their love. After all the hardships they both faced in their lifetime, having her, their daughter, was the greatest gift life could ever bestow to them. They wished, if anything, she'd be given more time to live.
Destruction continued to rain down upon them. Fires continued to burn. Lives continued to end. But at that moment, they knew that there was nothing could do. And so, they did what they could before their inevitable end could reach them.
Sarada sensed a small shift in the air and opened her eyes, watching as her parents reach out for her slowly. Her eyes widened slightly as she took in the serene smile on both of their faces.
They both reached up a finger and tapped the middle of her forehead.
A sharp intake of breath.
A sob.
Arms enveloping around their necks, bringing their limp bodies closer to her in a final embrace.
"Mama."
A tight hug.
"Papa."
No matter what, they vowed.
"We love you."
They will always be connected.
"I love you, too."
As the silence rolled on, some lives ceased, others managed to go on. Survivors, the few that existed, mourned the loss they experienced. Life, hard to go through and yet so easy to lose. It's a blessing that they were able to survive such a disaster. But questions remained.
Was it true? Did Shinobi truly only bring in destruction? Was it because of them that the catastrophe came? Was it to finally put a stop to the bloodshed they caused? Was that destruction the only way to bring about their demise?
Life went on, yet no one knew the answers to their ponderings. Eventually, the shinobi that once stood, fought, loved, protected, and destroyed were forgotten by the masses, written off as legend, and now, thought of like an old folk tale to pass to the next generation. The energy and power that had once blessed the lands, disposed of with those that used them, as well as the cause of what brought their demise.
But with the story untold, who could warn those that remained of what's to come? Who could warn them not to follow in their mistakes and be wary of their own?
Soon, they will realize that though the world had changed, chaos will inevitably return.
And it was coming soon.
From the rubble came new civilizations, new ways of life, new religions, and new people, somewhere, the power that caused the End of Shinobi was slowly returning, feeding on the newfound malice brewing within the earth's new people, waiting for its time to strike, waiting for the lesson to yet again be taught.
However, as one waited, the other's plans have gone into effect. After all, where there is fear, there is also hope.
It was thought that when life ended, their existence went with them. But that was far from the truth. People didn't cease to exist once they met their ends. Somehow, they will be remembered. By a few or by many, it didn't matter. With death, there was creation, and creation had already begun, placing the pieces needed to counter the darkness that was planted beneath the depths of the earth.
But even with a new battle being created, it will never be the last.
Everything is a cycle. It's limitless. It's neverending. And it will be the only thing truly eternal.
Notes:
Hopefully, that was okay. Quite dramatic, I think, but seeing as the main focus of this story are the Uchihas and Team 7, I'd say it's fitting lmao
I haven't written anything but school essays in years, so I'm quite rusty. But recently, I got back into the SasuSaku fandom because of nostalgia and this behemoth of a story popped up in my head one night. I currently have the whole story outlined, and the prologue is the only thing I've written fully.
This story is going to be mainly SasuSaku, with hints of other pairings. Also, there will be a lot of Team 7 in this story because I love and miss them so much. Thinking about this fic got me very excited to write it all, and also kind of scared to weave through two completely different times cohesively into a story since this is, again, the first time I've written fanfic in a long time and also because this is the first time I've written anything so ambitious, in my opinion, but I look forward to improving my writing skills.
Comments are welcome!