A/N: Trigger warning for hospitals and flashbacks
Last chapter I really struggled to come up with accurate events what with the manga and anime varying slightly as well as montages rather than an actual timeline, Forgive me? This should hopefully flow a bit better as I have more creative freedom due to the one-year time gap I have to work with.
All rights go to rightful owners.
(I Have removed chapter 1 because I'm not happy with it, it was more of a setup/filler anyway so the story isnt affected too much. Below is the authors note from Ch.1 )
I wanna start this out by saying I am NOT a writer. I don't claim to be one, this probably won't be some amazing piece of literary work. I am just someone who decided to fill in some gaps during "the blank period" out of wonder, curiosity, and a little bit of spare time.
I am also by no means up to date with any of the manga or Boruto series, I have some loose knowledge from social media and Reddit, etc. and will try to use as much of that as I can to make this canon compliant but again, its called a blank period for a reason so I may be way off the mark (or simply ignorant due to my limited knowledge). Therefore, feel free to correct me at any point, suggest changes, edits, or better ideas, if something feels off or I get things wrong, because I probably will. I want this project to be something we almost write together, for the community, by the community, anyone chipping in will be credited, and any scenes, directions, and any tiniest bit of input will go into this so that it fits even for the die-hard fans. Feel free to take any aspect of this and run off with it because I'm sure you could do better.
Customary Disclaimer, I do not own Naruto, Boruto, or anything tied to them.
It had been 6 months since the end of the war and Sasuke's imprisonment. Ever so slowly daily life and chatter were returning to the village, the scars of the past still ran deep for a lot of people, Shinobi and civilians alike but people were slowly starting to breathe easier and adjust to the new post-war world.
With the sun rising on yet another mild day, Sakura Haruno found herself slipping into the all too familiar rhythm of her medic duties. Stepping through the hospital's double doors, the halls were bustling with patients, nurses and visitors, milling about, trying to get to their destinations. The soft hum of medical ninjutsu accompanied her walk to the elevator. Despite everything feeling so familiar it all felt rather foreign at the same time.
She had grown used to regular meetings with Sasuke, but now, with his body fully mended, she had run out of excuses to see him and threw herself into work, she needed a distraction.
The council had decided that Sasuke no longer needed medical attention and as such any subsequent trips to the prison were abruptly stopped.
Tsunade along with a small, but competent team had begun work on reconstructing a working, synthetic arm for both Sasuke and Naruto, using Hashirama's cells. The hope was that by infusing the cells, the prosthetic limb would function just as well if not exactly like a genuine limb, with all the mobility and sensations as the one the boys had lost.
But Rome wasn't built in a day.
The elevator dinged, bringing Sakura's attention back to the present. Before the doors fully opened a nurse was awaiting Sakura, clipboard in hand.
"Morning Sakura-San, you're on this floor for the entirety of the day, lucky us!"
The nurse, Aiko, smiled pleasantly while Sakura tried her best to return it but the early morning hour and lack of caffeine prevented the smile from fully reaching her eyes. To anybody outside her close friends, however, the smile seemed as genuine as any and the nurse continued her brief.
"We've got a couple of post-op patients and with the never-ending shortage of staff, a few walk-ins with minor injuries have been diverted to our department, nothing too out of the ordinary"
Sakura reached for the clipboard and began scanning the patient list. Nothing that required her particular set of skills, but important nonetheless.
"Thanks, Aiko, I'll be okay on my own from here" Sakura stated in a polite but dismissive tone.
Her feet carried her through the winding, cream-coloured corridors until she arrived at the first patient's room. Inside she found a young genin, sitting up in bed, bandaged and looking bored. The name on the chart read Tsubaki Hirano, she'd been injured during a training accident.
"Good morning, how are you today?" Sakura greeted, with a kind smile
Tsubaki sighed.
"Definitely not my favourite day, one moment I'm sparring with the new kid and the next, he gets over-eager and I wind up being carried here. I hate being stuck in this bed"
Sakura Chuckled lightly making her way closer to her patient's bedside, diagnostic jutsu already gearing up in one of her palms. The clipboard cluttered lightly as Sakura placed it on a table and began examining Tsubaki.
"You're healing up nicely. I suspect in a few more days you should be back in action"
As the green glow of her chakra worked over the bandaged areas, Tsubaki visibly relaxed.
"Thanks Haruno-san. It's just frustrating being stuck here when I could be out training, I can't have my teammates surpassing me and with the crazy training schedule my sensei has us on, 3 days behind might be as good as 3 weeks!"
Sakura chuckled once again, her patient's overzealousness reminding her of more than a few of her own comrades.
"I can imagine" Sakura began, nodding as she spoke. "But sometimes your body needs a break. You'll be better off once you're fully healed, we wouldn't want you ending back here for longer now would we?"
At this, the small girl bowed her head and sighed once again.
"No, I guess not"
Finishing up her examination, sakura left the room with a promise to visit again with a book for Tsubaki to occupy her time. But she barely had a moment to take a breath before Aiko called for her.
"Sakura-san, we've got an emergency"
Sakura immediately headed for the emergency room, deciding against the elevator to save time, she jumped out the nearest window, landing gracefully just outside the side entrance to the Emergency department.
Stepping through she followed a team of paramedics, as a civilian in his late thirties was carried on a stretcher to the nearest available room. His face was pale and sweating profusely, while blood seeped through a makeshift bandage, wrapped around his right arm.
Her heart skipped a beat.
The sight of the deep red against the pale skin of the limb triggered something inside her, and suddenly the air felt all too thick and the oxygen all too lacking.
In an instant, she was back in the valley of the end.
Sasuke and Naruto lay before her motionless, their arms mangled and bleeding copiously. Her breath caught in her throat, her chest tightening as she stared in horror at the wounds that mirrored each other. The life she thought she would lose. The two people she couldn't bear to be without.
Blood. Naruto. Sasuke. Blood. Her chakra forcing its way into their torn skin, willing them to stay alive. Blood everywhere- so much blood,
A pained scream jolted her back to the present.
The civilian lay before her now, bleeding but alive. His arm was nothing like what she had witnessed before. She shook her head, trying to suppress the tremor in her hands.
"What happened?" she asked, her voice far more even than she thought she could manage, pushing the memory back where it belonged.
"Woodcutting accident" one of the nurses explained as Sakura prepared her medical tools.
"He was brought in from the village outskirts"
Sakura quickly assessed the damage. The wound was deep, likely caused by a tool slipping, and the blood loss was significant, Without wasting time, she placed her hands over the injury, her chakra flaring to life as she focused on stopping the bleeding and closing the wound.
The room fell silent, all eyes on Sakura as her healing techniques worked their magic. Slowly the man's breathing steadied, and the colour returned to his face. He was unconscious at this point, long succumbing to the pain.
Once the wound was stabilised, Sakura gave instructions to the nurses to monitor him closely over the next few hours. The critical part was done, but she'd stay on call for updates.
With the immediate rush over, sakura took a brief break in the hallway, her hands slowing their trembling. Aiko caught up to her, handing her a bottle of water.
"You're really something you know that? You've got half the hospital amazed by how fast you can heal a major injury like that"
Sakura smiled tiredly and took a long drink.
"It's nothing really. Just part of the job."
Aiko shook her head.
"You never give yourself enough credit. But I know you miss the field. There's talk of some of the other teams being sent out to neighbouring villages as well as further out to other countries to help re-establish their hospitals, might be something for you to look forward to"
Sakura nodded, grateful for the distraction.
"Maybe but for now I'm just glad I can help out where I can"
Sakura was hiding out in her office, finishing the leftover paperwork she left the night before when, without warning, the door swung open.
There you are forehead! I knew I'd find you buried in work" Ino teased, stepping in with her usual confidence. She leaned against the doorframe, a knowing smirk on her face.
Sakura sighed, rubbing her temples at the interruption.
"Ino, I've still got a few more reports to–"
"Nope! Not today. It's break time and you're coming with me" Ino declared, walking over and grabbing Sakura's wrist before she could protest.
"Besides you owe me lunch and I'm not taking 'no' for an answer!"
Before she could properly process what Ino said, Sakura found herself being pulled out of the hospital and into the bright streets of Konoha. The smell of freshly cut grass and cooked meats filled the air as they headed to one of their favourite spots.
They settled down at an outdoor table, the sun casting a pleasant warmth over them. Ino wasted no time launching into conversation as they waited for their orders.
"So, tell me– what's been going on? I feel like I haven't seen you in weeks."
Ino waved at a passing waiter, winking somewhat flirtatiously at him while Sakura deflected the question with a shrug.
The young man came over and took their orders quickly, after explaining to Ino that he had a girlfriend to which she just scoffed and shooed him away. Sakura was thankful for the exchange as it gave her more time before the impending questioning from Ino would commence.
"Sakura I know you have not been getting a lot of fresh air lately but usually when someone asks you a question it's polite to answer" Ino lightly scolded rolling her eyes.
"Well to be completely honest I didn't answer because there's not a lot to say, just hospital work. You know how it is."
Ino raised an eyebrow, not buying it for a second.
"Right, and the fact that you suddenly have so many hospital hours has nothing to do with a certain brooding Uchiha? Come on, spill! You were practically living at the prison for a while."
Sakura shook her head smiling sadly. Great, she thought to herself, just as I was finally getting some respite from my thoughts of him.
"There's nothing to tell. I haven't been able to see him much recently…He doesn't need a healer anymore."
Ino narrowed her eyes, but there was no malice in them– just curiosity.
"You're being awfully tight-lipped, forehead. Even though I know you can't give me the details, you can't tell me there wasn't something."
She leaned in lowering her voice.
"I mean, what does he talk about? Does he even bring up the past? You?"
Sakura hesitated, remembering his apology as well as the sometimes cryptic conversations she and Sasuke had shared during their sessions. Like the time she accidentally bumped into his forehead with her elbow while he slept and he called her itachi by mistake.
She tried to talk to him about it at a later time and tried to get him to open up about his brother some more but to no avail.
"He's…different" She admitted quietly.
"It's hard to explain. He's still focused on the past but not in the same vengeful way as in our academy days. More so on making things right, but he doesn't say much. Not about me, not about anything too personal, he asks about Naruto a lot."
Ino leaned back, a sly grin spreading across her features.
"Asks about Naruto a lot, huh?" she tapped her chin thoughtfully.
"You know I've always wondered… Do you think he's secretly in love with Naruto? I mean there was that kiss we witnessed back in the day…"
Sakura was just taking the first sip of her peach iced tea that the waiter wordlessly left when she choked.
"W-What?!"
"I'm serious!" Ino leaned in closer, ignoring her own drink, and lowered her voice like she was letting Sakura in on a deep conspiracy.
"All that 'you're my rival' talk… and the way they're always chasing each other around the world? Tell me that doesn't sound like the setup to some epic love story."
Sakura rolled her eyes, exasperated.
"Ino…"
Ino just smirked.
"I'm telling you forehead, the tension was always a little too intense, if you ask me. Not to mention it explains why he never gave us girls a second thought"
Sakura shook her head, stifling a laugh despite herself "You're unbelievable"
A smile crept onto Ino's face at that.
"Speaking of unbelievable– did I tell you how great Sai's been lately? He's still a bit clueless but he's so sweet. He brought me flowers the other day. Real ones, no less not just drawings!"
Sakura chuckled ignoring the strange heaviness she suddenly felt in her chest.
"I'd expect nothing less from him, you've whipped him into shape" Sakura replied plastering an over-large grin on her face, it wouldn't do to not be happy at her best friend's happiness.
Ino beamed.
"Well, someone has to! Anyway, everyone else has been busy too. Shikamaru's practically running all the rebuilding effort, meeting with the Hokage every day, while Temari stayed behind as an ambassador after the other kages left, helping out with some missions even. Kibas still on his 'best ninja' crusade with Akamaru. And Hinata…well you know she's managing, she's always busy too, but somehow she always finds time for Naruto, that clueless idiot."
Sakura smiled at the mention of her friends, feeling a small pang of longing. "It's good to hear everyone's doing well."
"You should really come to hang out more often," Ino urged, stirring her now cold drink.
"We all miss you, you know. You've been so absent lately, you deserve a break. Even Naruto's been whining about it and he's never far from you!"
Sakura nodded but didn't say much. She knew they were all trying to help, but no matter how much she tried to focus on the present and move on, her thoughts always drifted back to him. Sasuke, still sitting in that cold, isolated cell. The weight of it was unbearable at times, this quiet, aching longing she carried around like a second skin. She wished more than anything, for his release, for the day he could walk free, and team 7 could start over.
Her mind wandered further back, to a time before everything became so complicated when they were just a team, kids running missions together, bickering over the smallest things, training in the fields until dusk. Those were simpler days.
Her fist clenched under the table. She couldn't help but feel the emptiness that came with the passage of time, the gap left by Sasuke's absence. It wasn't just about love– it was about the friendship they'd once shared, the camaraderie that had been shattered when he left. She missed the days when they were all together, before the war, before the pain and betrayals. It all seemed so distant now, almost like a lifetime ago.
She couldn't be sure of what the future held. All she could do was wait. This made her think back to the sorrowful childhood of her teammates, and to the children in the hospital, she'd seen struggling not just with physical injuries, but mental ones left behind by the war– wounds that ran deeper than anything physical. Maybe…maybe there was something more she could do for them. Something to give them the support they needed, something to truly make a difference.
The idea was small, just a passing thought for now, but it planted itself firmly in her mind, waiting to grow.