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wind-becomes-lightning · 2 years

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A new personality.

the lovely @skykashi has asked me for some KakaShizu for this event, which I was all to happy to comply with. <3 I wish I could give you the long Enemies to Lovers fic with them that you want, but I dont have the time for that, tho I hope you enjoy this shorter version of that.

Kakashi x Shizune

2167 words.

The worst thing about returning to Konoha was not the amount of work or having to be at the whims of elders again, or the work in the hospital, the worst thing about it, for Shizune at least, was Hatake Kakashi. And no, not because he was lazy or badly mannered or late or didn’t do his missions reliably or was rude to others, no, Shizune’s problem with Kakashi was that he wasn’t any of these things. Well, except for chronically being late.

When they had been kids, Shizune had not understood her female classmates, Rin especially, whom she had gotten along with extraordinarily well as they had both been from families with healer traditions. What did they all like about this Hatake kid so much? Before the White Fang had passed, Kakashi was too confident at best and arrogant at worst, but after his father’s death he was nothing but dismissive and cruel, even to his closest friends.

Time and time again Shizune had to watch Gai approach Kakashi and get shut down only to watch Asuma try, Rin try, even Obito without much success. It seemed like Kakashi valued nothing and nobody, at least nothing but his missions and their success. He wasn’t a boy to be having a crush on, she thought. Rin’s intelligence and calm demeanour and smart, quick ways of picking things up seemed so far out of his league, that Shizune was actively rooting against them.

Sure, he softened up a little after Obito had died, a pain their whole class felt to the core, but Shizune had left with Tsunade soon after that and so never really seen much of his development from that point. Everything she heard afterwards was just stories. Rin’s death, the Hokage’s death, the Copy-nin reputation, that he’d become ANBU squad captain. Soon people on the road asked them “The village from which the copy-nin is from?” when they said that they were from Konoha.

She could not stand those questions. She was so far away from Kakashi and still everyone asked Shizune about him. Still people raved and admired him. Didn’t they know he was nothing but a terrible asshole? Hadn’t they exchanged more than five sentences with him? It should be so obvious to everyone with any taste and any eyes, but apparently the majority of people didn’t have either of that.

The shock was accordingly high for her when she returned to the village after over ten years of absence and was greeted by Kakashi like an old friend. The twinkle in his visible eye and the smile on his face almost seemed wrong to her. His questions about her travels, his genuine admiration for her healing skills and acquired knowledge - it was wrong. Just so, so wrong. That was not the Kakashi she had known. He must have been exchanged for a different model somewhere along the way.

At first the reaction was allergic. Like a cat, all her hairs would pull up when Kakashi was in her area and she would try to bolt when he came too close. She didn’t know how to deal with this grown up version of her childhood enemy and she kinda resented him for having turned out to be so well mannered and kind in the time she was away. Shizune reverted back to teenage age and sulked at having been wrong about him. Had Rin known this all along? Had Rin seen something she herself hadn’t?

She stayed away from him when she could, which wasn’t too hard, as the shortage of Jounin in the village kept Kakashi away more than he might have wanted. Shizune watched from the sidelines as the Copy-nin got more and more unhappy with even Tsunade as a new Hokage. How he started talking back against her order not to return to his team of young students. How he eventually decided to ignore her order and go completely against it. The Kakashi she had known would have never done that. That night she was laying awake thinking about how angry his face had been. In her absence he had grown so much that she could barely keep up.

Though times slowed down again, she never really tried to be close to this version of Kakashi. Shizune kept her healthy distance. Kept busy with work or training Sakura and tried to ignore how it warmed the ice in her heart when she saw the girl interact with Kakashi. He was a good teacher, he was a good friend now too, Gai always said so, but she had been determined not to like him and even though he never showed any signs of still being the arrogant person he used to be, she was determined not to have been wrong.

Maybe it was her biggest flaw. Maybe it was something she had inherited from Tsunade. This determination to win a fight that the other party didn’t even know she was fighting. Kakashi greeted her when he saw her, he didn’t mind the small talk, he didn’t avoid her either and wherever she met him, he smiled.

He would become Hokage, Shizune knew that, behind the scenes people were pointing at him and whispering. He was a big deal, a handsome man, a strong shinobi and as such Shizune was expected to help him with his work, at least at the beginning of the transition. In the months leading up to the destruction of the village Tsunade talked about it constantly. She had never really wanted to be hokage in the first place and didn’t mind being replaced as soon as Kakashi was willing, which, as far as Shizune could tell, was not so soon.

One evening she found herself next to him sipping sake, while he was only drinking water. “I don’t think I would be a very good leader, “Kakashi said unprompted and made her sit up to look into his uncovered eye. “But if I were to become Hokage I hope I can count on your support, Shizune, as I don’t think there would be a better advisor out there.” Shizune could read in his face that he was serious. His cheek was red from the warmth of the place and he looked good. She nodded so quickly that she almost hurt her neck. If he asked her for help, who was she to say no to that?

The war separated both of them for several weeks. Kakashi was a good fighter and Shizune was a good healer, they were needed on different ends of the conflict. She thought of him, more than she wanted to admit, and every news coming in from the front just made it worse. Obito was back, Madara was back, Tsunade was defeated, but Kakash was still standing. To her own surprise she trusted him to fix the situation. She knew he could do it, where she got that conviction from she did not know.

Their first meeting after the war was awkward. Kakashi came into the hokage office on the day that Tsunade was out. He sat at the desk that would soon be his and called for her. Shizune walked in and though it was the first time she saw him sitting there, she knew that it was a fitting place for him to be. “Kakashi-sama”, she addressed him, testing the waters of the new honorific, testing if it would make her feel disgusted to address him so formally and to her surprise it didn't feel weird at all, especially not when Kakashi’s cheeks flushed.

“Don’t say that Shizune, please, we’ve known each other for ages,” he said and waved with his hand. She almost replied “Do we?” because she didn’t feel like she’d known him for ages. She felt like she had just met him three years ago, as if the version she’d known as a child was a completely different person. If she could go back in time and tell her younger self that one day she’d respect and even, possibly, admire Hatake Kakashi, her younger self might have punched her in the guts. For good reason too.

Gradually, she could feel her old resentments melt away under Kakashi’s ever burning sun. The transition period went over without a hitch, and though Kakashi could not cure his chronic lateness, he did his work diligently and calmly. He had ideas for the village after the war, had goals to keep the peace and there was never a moment in which he didn’t try to work towards them. Every step of the way he would pull Shizune in, ask for advice, listen to her opinions and didn’t spare in thank you-s and praises. Not even Tsunade had been so nice to her.

Why was he constantly on her mind? Shizune wondered that one evening again, all alone in her tiny apartment in one of the many rebuilt apartment complexes. She couldn’t reasonably argue anymore that it was because she disliked him so much when in reality she got along with him so well. She also had long since buried her quest to find out who the “real” Kakashi under the kind image was, because as it turned out, he was just a kind person. She changed in the time she was away from Konoha and he changed without ever leaving. Why had this been so hard to realise?

One morning she entered the hokage office to find Kakashi already there. He had his head on his arms on the desk and was sleeping. There was paperwork all around him, he must have pulled an all nighter to get all his work finished. Carefully, she walked over to wake him up, but hesitated when she saw his sleeping face. Shizune had never seen Kakashi this relaxed before, his headband had fallen off his face and his hair was laying down in silver streaks over his eyes. She’d known he was handsome, she wasn’t blind, but she’d noticed as much as now.

She physically held herself back from touching his hair in amazement at how beautiful it looked and instead moved forward to shake him just lightly. Kakashi opened his eyes slowly and blinked. “Shizune”, he said with a smile in his eyes. “I’m sorry you had to find me this way, I must have fallen asleep.” He took her hand that was still on his shoulder softly away so that he could sit up. Shizune felt the skin touch like a burn and felt the loss when it stopped.

“I- I didn’t mind, Kakashi-sama”, she said, stepping back and bowing way too deeply, which made him laugh.

“Don’t call me that, Shizune, please,” he reiterated and shook himself awake. Picking up his headband he went with his free hand through his hair and put it back into position. Shizune followed each movement with bated breath. Being able to see his transformation from the calm, sleepy personality to the hokage was magical. She could feel her heartbeat speed up in her chest.

Hating Kakashi had been so easy for Shizune, falling in love with him was much worse. She was now not different to all her school friends that she used to make fun of. All these times she had made fun of Rin and now she was exactly the same. She was in equal measures ashamed and elated. Kakashi was a good person, he was friendly and kind, he made loving him so easy too. She wasn’t sure how good she was at hiding it when she was around him and her fingers were sweaty and her cheeks flushed, but she tried her best to be professional.

Maybe Kakashi was a perceptive person and noticed her sudden change in his presence, but he too started spending more time with her. Sometimes he called her into his office just to spend a lunch break with him. He was always smiling that way that made his eyes light up and she wondered how wonderful his real smile must look like and if Rin had ever seen what was beneath the mask. His attention to her just deepend her feelings, if she wanted or not.

“Shizune,” he said one day, “Would you like to meet me for dinner later?” His eyes turned to her, who had just sorted papers next to his date. She almost dropped the pile.

“Dinner?” she said and there was his smile again that made her knees weaker than they should be.

He put his fingers together: “Dinner, yes.”

“Like a date?” It was weird to say that out loud, but she needed to know.

Kakashi laughed. “Yes, something like that.”

“O-Of course, I’d love to.” She replied so fast that she almost choked on her own spit and again Kakashi smiled in this way that made his face light up.

When she returned to her sorting, her heart beating loud and her cheeks flushed red, she thought that maybe Hatake Kakashi was after all the best thing about returning to Konoha.

#fanfiction things #nisi turns 30 #hatake kakashi #shizune #kakashizu #kakashi x shizune #this is the 7th story i finish #its currently the 6th of august #my brothers birthday hey

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sischan · 1 month

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An Example for this Kakashi x Oc Family YCH. I decided to draw Kakashi x Shizune along with their daughter Siria Hatake.(My Oc) Mostly an example draw for fun!

#kakashi hatake #kakashi sensei #shizune #kakashi x shizune #boruto oc #siria hatake #hatake family #hatake clan

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wlwsakura · 2 years

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rare pair: shizune x kakashi

#kakashi hatake #shizune #kakashi x shizune #dhrp #rare pairs #dh art

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ultimateanna · 7 months

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Kakashi and Shizune (Naruto Part III)

はたけカカシ the last

シズネ the last

#naruto the last #the last: naruto the movie #the last naruto the movie #kakashi hatake #hatake kakashi #naruto shizune #shizune naruto #shizune #kakashi x shizune #はたけカカシ the last #はたけカカシ #ナルトシズネ #シズネ the last #シズネ #ultimate anna

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bougiebutchbitch · 2 years

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@shinobimagpie THANK YOU this had been sat in my drafts for so long but you gave me motivation to finish it!

Alternate title: no matter how much she gets paid, Shizune still deserves a raise

#kakagai #gaikaka #kakashi #maito gai #might guy #kakashi hatake #shizune #naruto #kakashi x gai #gai x kakashi #naruto shippuden #boruto #gai maito #hatake kakashi #my art #bbb creates #YES HE ASKED HER TO LEAVE THE FILES ON THE DESK #BECAUSE I AM SNEAKILY SHOVING MY SHIZUKAKAGAI AGENDA INTO YOUR FACES #<3

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lovedaisy02 · 1 year

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Me at age 12: Naruto/Sasuke would be gross the show is not gay gosh.

Me at age 22: Naruto IS THE GAYEST SHIT-

#might guy/kakashi #guy x kakashi #tsunade x shizune #naruto x sai #sai #sai x shin #anko #anko x kurenai #mirai sarutobi #kakashi hatake is gay i will die on this hill #gay ships in Naruto #Naruto #sasuke x naruto #internalized homophobia then vs now #tsunashizu #shisui x itachi #kakagai

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himehatake · 7 months

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🥰🌚

#naruto #kakashi hakate #kakashi imagines #shizune #kakashi #kakashizu #kakashi fanart #hatake kakashi #kakashi x shizune #shizune kato #anime art

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skykashi · 1 year

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Look at this beautiful Kakashizu art my friend 🌸 drew for me 🥺❤️

#naruto #kakashi #kakashi hatake #hatake kakashi #kakashi x shizune #shizune #kakashizune #kakashizu #naruto fanart

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stargliders · 3 months

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Not a Love Like Mine, a Ruin (KakaSaku)

So, I tossed this dove into the wood chipper, and...I have no regrets! The prompt was "Captured by enemies" and "Take me instead," courtesy @kkskdeaddove. Hope you enjoy!

Rating: E

Summary:

Their captor hummed in contemplation. "This is my show, and whatever I say goes. I think I’ll start by shutting that smart mouth of yours for good." Kakashi closed his eyes, letting out a slow breath. "Take me instead." "But you…you can’t," Sakura said. The words she desperately wanted to tell him refused to come out. (I love you. Please, don’t die.)

Read the one-shot on AO3

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everynarusaku · 1 year

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Assigned

#narusaku #naruto x sakura #sakunaru #naruto shippuden episode 8 #hatake kakashi #umina iruka #tsunade #shizune

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sischan · 1 month

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Another YCH example of Kakashi, Shizune, and Siria(my OC)

#naruto fanart #kakashi x shizune #kakashi sensei #boruto oc #shizune

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rainbowfey · 6 months

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Day 27: Outdoor Event

@flufftober

Genma rang the bell and counted to ten. Well, at least he tried to but before he could even get to three, Gai had already yanked the door open, the biggest smile imaginable plastered on his face. Before Genma knew what was happening, Gai had already grabbed his wrist and pulled him inside. A quick glance to the side showed him that Raidou had suffered the same fate. He too was struggling to keep up, his wrist firmly clasped by Gai’s other hand. Genma grinned to himself when he saw the helpless expression on Raidou’s face while they both tumbled after Gai, barely keeping up with his energetic pace. They exchanged a grin, Raidou a bit tormented which made Genma laugh to himself. He did know that Raidou wasn’t the biggest fan of gatherings but since he had insisted on accompanying Genma even though he had asked him three times whether he even wanted to, he had no other choice but to resign to his fate – which was wearing his usual green jumpsuit and was almost skipping in excitement.

Gai didn’t show mercy until they had crossed his living room and made it to the patio door that led to Gai’s spacious garden. Only when he had dragged them onto his patio, he let go of both of them and turned towards them, smiling at them excitedly. “The others are already here,” he exclaimed proudly, pointing vaguely behind him.

Genma peered over his shoulder and noticed a group of people casually standing around an enormous garden table with at least ten chairs around it. Genma waved back excitedly when Ebisu noticed him and raised his hand in a greeting. His gesture seemed to alert the others who now also turned to face them. Genma grinned happily when he saw that almost all of their friends had gathered in Gai’s garden. He could see Kakashi, standing suspiciously close to Yamato who smiled at Genma and Raidou. Obito had his arm wrapped around Rin who was laughing about a joke Shizune had just made. Yukiko stood next to Ebisu, excitedly waving at her brother and Genma felt Raidou relax a bit when he smiled at his little sister.

Gai grinned and gave them a soft push, steering them both towards their friends. It took a while until Genma and Raidou had greeted every single one of them and when the group finally quieted down a bit, Gai puffed himself up, smiling at them proudly. “I am so glad that you all could make it,” he said loudly and his garden fell quiet when they all looked at him curiously. “As most of you know, I wanted to have one last outdoor gathering before it gets too cold to chill in the garden. And with the help of Yamato, Shizune and Yukiko, I have managed to put together an amazing feast.”

Gai grinned at the three mentioned, giving them a thumbs up which they returned with a smile. “But all of you know that we have also gathered for one specific reason,” he continued, eyeing them eagerly. Genma started grinning. He indeed knew what Gai had lured them in with and his stomach started rumbling at the thought. He noticed that Ebisu and Kakashi also nodded, looking at Gai expectantly. Gai seemed to enjoy the attention and he stalled until the silence almost got too long. “Well, I know you’re all waiting for it – but I decided that we’re gonna have some more fun today.”

Genma raised an eyebrow and looked at him curiously. “What shenanigans have you come up with this time?” he asked with a laugh and Gai returned his look triumphantly.

“Well, my dearest Genma, there is one problem – I only have enough pumpkin pie for three people. In order to get a taste of my famous pumpkin pie, you will have to prove yourself worthy,” Gai exclaimed, grinning at the puzzled faces around him. “You will all have to compete with each other in my infamous treasure hunt!”

For a moment, everything stayed silent but then all hell broke loose when all of them started chattering at once. Gai seemed to relish in the overarching confusion and Genma felt a soft tug at his sleeve. He turned towards Raidou who eyed him a bit perplexed. “Did you know about this?” Raidou whispered.

Genma shook his head and shrugged with a grin. “No, I didn’t. But honestly, I’m not surprised. Gai wouldn’t be satisfied with hosting a simple outdoor event. No, he has to do something extravagant, otherwise it wouldn’t be successful to him.”

Raidou smiled nervously and nodded. “I guess I could’ve seen this coming,” he agreed quietly.

Before Genma had the chance to reply, Gai raised his hands and motioned for them to quiet down. “Listen, you guys. I have hidden three Halloween tokens in my garden and whoever finds one of them will get to enjoy my infamous pumpkin pie while the others miss out and have to make do with the rest of our feast.”

Kakashi shook his head slightly incredulously. “You always have to go the extra mile, don’t you?”

Gai gave him his biggest grin. “You’re entirely right about this, my eternal rival. But don’t fret, you only have a couple of the greatest shinobi in all of Konoha competing with you. Are you up for the challenge?”

Kakashi straightened up and cracked his knuckles, grinning maliciously at them. “I’ll find all three tokens before anyone else does,” he proclaimed, evoking a whole bunch of equally as belligerent replies from Ebisu, Obito and Yukiko. Even Shizune and Yamato grinned, determined to prove themselves in this challenge.

Gai raised his arms, staring at all of them intently. “Well, I wish you all luck. Ready, set … go!”

And before Genma could form a straight thought, all of them scattered into the depths of Gai’s garden. Genma gave Raidou a look and smiled. “Shall we?” he asked and Raidou nodded with a slight smile. Then they followed the others’ example, also diving into the bushes around them.

Genma couldn’t stop grinning to himself when he carefully scoured Gai’s vegetable beds for anything that even remotely reminded him of Halloween but except for a couple of turnips he didn’t find anything. After he had cleared the vegetable patches, he moved on to the thicket next to the fence that separated Gai’s yard from his neighbor’s. But this spot also didn’t yield any results. He was about to move on to the next area when he heard a triumphant call, followed closely by another one in a different voice. “Only one token left,” he muttered to himself, intensifying his efforts.

Genma was digging himself through a giant pile of red and brown leaves, right in the line of sight of Raidou who was examining a tree hole, when he heard a third shout with glee. With a sigh, he straightened himself up and gave Raidou a look who returned it with an amused shrug. They both wiped their hands off on their pants and returned to the garden table where Gai had dished up the announced feast in the meantime.

Genma let his gaze wander over the table and stared at it in awe. Gai had done an amazing job, outdoing himself with over a dozen of dishes, beautifully arranged on gorgeous silverware that Genma would never had expected Gai to have. He gave him an impressed look and nodded appreciatively. “This looks amazing, Gai,” he said and Raidou next to him agreed wholeheartedly.

Gai thanked them graciously and looked around. Genma followed his gaze and noticed that three people were holding artfully carved jack-o-lanterns in their hands. Of course, Kakashi was one of them but to his surprise, the other ones were proudly held by Yamato and Rin.

Gai nodded at them approvingly. “So, we have our winners! Congrats, you three. As a reward, you’ll not only get to try my infamous pumpkin pie but I’ll also pass on the secret recipe to you!” While Yamato’s and Rin’s faces lit up, Kakashi grimaced. “You do know that I suck at baking, right?” he asked under his breath and Gai let out a thundering laugh.

“Well, then you better make sure not to poison anyone in the process,” Gai chuckled, giving Kakashi a pat on the shoulder. “And now I’ll serve the pumpkin pie!”

With these words, Gai disappeared into his living room and they all took a seat at the table, curiously glancing at the variety of dishes Gai had already served. “You’re one lucky woman,” Genma said to Rin who was sitting next to him, the jack-o-lantern sitting in her lap.

She gave him a playful nudge and grinned. “Well, I’ll be sure to share my reward with you guys,” she said with a soft smile and Yamato agreed empathetically. Kakashi however just grinned at them mischievously and shook his head.

“You do you but I won’t share with anyone,” he said grinning but Genma noticed his quick glance at Yamato and suddenly he was sure that there was at least one person Kakashi would’ve shared with had he not found a token himself. He chuckled to himself and exchanged a look with Raidou who was also eying Kakashi and Yamato with a smile.

“What do you think?” he whispered so that only Raidou could hear him. “How long until one of them asks the other out?”

Raidou shrugged with a smile but before he could reply, Gai appeared in the opened patio door, holding the biggest cake pan Genma had ever seen. They all stared at him in surprise and Gai seemed to relish the moment before he stepped towards the table, placing the enormous pumpkin pie in the middle of the table.

“Seems like I haven’t been entirely honest with you guys,” he said with a grin. “Of course, there is enough pumpkin pie for all of you! And now enjoy the feast with the power of youth, my friends!”

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neraawritesxx · 2 years

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the paths we walk (and the journeys we travel)

pairing: kakashi x sakura genre: romance, drama, adventure word count: 7,390 rating: mature chapter: 1/?

↬ note: so this is going to be my crack at a multichapter, octopath traveler au with our favorite pairing. let me know what you guys think! part 2

Sakura is in her twelfth summer when Tsunade comes to call.

It is also during that same summer that her gift makes itself known. It’s an accident, really, or rather the circumstances in which her gift comes about are an accident. The local kids were picking on the baker’s son to the point of injury, and Sakura could not sit idly by while they made someone bleed. After a swift kick to the shin and some name-calling, Sakura has taken care of the bullies.

However, the boy is still bleeding from the knee and crying at such a volume that it makes her head pound. She tries to settle him down, but that seems to make matters worse. He screeches when she gets too close to the wound, and she gets frustrated with his antics. She grabs him around the ankle to get herself a better view, but the pitch of his cries pierce through her, and her vision starts to swim. Sakura bites her lip to ground herself, but she abruptly becomes extremely cold, almost sickly so, and there is a thrill down her spine before something within her clicks. There is this sudden tug deep in her gut, and unexpectedly, her hands start glowing green.

Then the wound is gone.

She swears the baker’s boy to secrecy – though she knows he will do no such thing – and runs home to tell her mother about it. She tries to replicate what has happened, but she fails, and her parents laugh off her notion as childish antics and wild storytelling. She is sure that her parents will think twice about what she told them when the renowned clergywoman darkens their doorstep less than a week later.

She knows of Tsunade, of course; a former palace physician and scholar turned religious sect leader who heals ailing travelers and congregants with a mysterious power. She’s tucked herself and some of her more loyal followers away in a Citadel high within the mountains that overlook their valley. She has heard whispers that it’s a fortress, lined with guards and magicians, that anyone brave enough to try and penetrate its walls fails before they have even fully tried.

Her followers rarely travel down to their village outside of garnering some supplies, and it’s even rarer that Tsunade makes the trip herself. Still, Sakura assumes that this visit is because she is in much more trouble than she initially thought.

Tsunade’s older than she anticipated, though younger than her grandparents. With blonde hair ceding to gray and crow’s feet near her eyes, Sakura knows she has been around long enough to see actual conflict. To have seen men and women fight and bicker, to bleed and die — something Sakura has only heard about in fairytales.

Tsunade has a reputation throughout their village as prickly and snappish, as likely to scold as she is to aid when people come to her door. Her mother has often told her that most would rather risk traveling to other villages rather than deal with her bad moods.

She expects this visit to be about the baker’s boy, to be all fanfare, paperwork, and questions about how someone of Sakura’s lineage can utilize the gift of healing when there hasn’t been a recorded healer in their family for centuries.

When Sakura answers the door, however, all Tsunade does is stare.

Her gaze sweeps over Sakura with an intensity that makes the young girl want to slouch, to fold in on herself. She doesn’t, though. She pulls back her shoulders, drawing up to her full – albeit, unimpressive – height, and with a shuddering breath, she looks the older woman in the eyes and asks, “May I help you?”

Tsunade doesn’t immediately reply, but there’s something that enters her gaze, admiration – maybe – and what seems like amusement. She sidesteps the younger woman and enters her home.

“Come, girl,” Tsunade calls back, moving further into the foyer. “I want to see what those hands of yours can do.”

-o-

The Citadel, despite the rumors, is run more like a school than anything else. Its stone walls and vaulted ceilings offer enough room for the practice of religion and the healing arts.

She meets many people within the first month, but the one who stands out the most is Ino Yamanaka.

She’s a girl no older than Sakura, with a cheery disposition and bright eyes. She is one of the select few chosen to study under Tsunade with a knack for herbal medicines. Sakura hopes they will get along, as their mentor has been talking about pairing the two of them up for most of their training, but things don’t go as planned.

Ino pokes fun at her forehead within the first five minutes, and Sakura calls her a pig in retaliation, and Sakura is sure that they will never, ever become friends.

After a few more rounds of name-calling and an intervention to separate them by the other students, Tsunade announces that they are to be roommates.

-o-

Sometimes Sakura is bitter. Especially at the beginning of her training, Sakura is bitter all the time. She is bitter in the way that green tea is bitter, in the way that makes you want to swipe your tongue across the front of your teeth and pucker your lips. Her training is a slow process. Sakura feels that she is out of her depth, swallowed whole by her naivety, and she has thought about giving up at least half a dozen before the first week is through.

It’s grueling work, and no matter how hard she tries, she can’t seem to call upon her gift whenever she wants. It remains dormant most days, and Tsunade has her going through books and pamphlets and practicing incisions and forms that make her hands cramp and her eyes sting from focusing too long.

She breaks under her bitterness one day.

She tosses down the scalpel she was using to practice, and it clatters against the stone floor, ringing resoundingly in the otherwise empty room.

“Why did you bring me here?” She growls.

Tsunade seems unperturbed by her outburst, instead focusing on the letter in her hand. She doesn’t offer any answer, and Sakura is not sure that anything the older woman would have said would have been sufficient anyway. So, she screams. She screams, and she yells, voices her frustration with hollers and howls, and all of her bitterness boils to the surface, snapping with the tension of a coiled snake. She protests about why she was brought here, cries that she wants to go home, and says that she is a failure of a healer because she cannot even call upon the gift that she is blessed with.

When finished, she pouts, swipes her tongue across the front of her teeth, and stews in her sullenness.

There’s a pregnant pause, and Tsunade finally lifts her eyes from the piece of paper in front of her. She has formed a habit of not answering Sakura’s most important questions; in this instance, she appears to be doing the same. Instead, Tsunade slides another tome in Sakura’s direction, then looks back down at the paperwork in her grasp.

“Are you done?” She inquires, tone calm. Sakura isn’t sure she can see it, as the older woman is not paying any attention to her, but she nods morosely anyway. “Good. Now get to reading. When I worry about why your power has not presented itself, then you can,” Tsunade says.

It’s not a reply filled with comfort or warmth, nor is it an explanation for any of her questions, but Sakura takes Tsunade’s words at face value – for what they are. She opens the book and starts reading.

She doesn’t feel so bitter after that.

-o-

She can call upon her gift three weeks later.

-o-

Sakura is thirteen years old when she heals her first patient.

A glut of people crowds the door to the infirmary, enough so that she has to push her way past what feels like half the castle to get in. She’s not sure what could draw such an audience; most people here are squeamish, hardly able to handle what maladies they suffer, never mind something genuinely awful. They try to part before her, but it’s like trying to squeeze a coin through a cog – a slow business, and everyone’s going to get a little bent. She finally pops out from the crowd, slipping like soap in a bath, and –

It’s not her master she sees first, nor even their patient, but the slender back of Shizune, the head guard and Tsunade’s assistant.

“Tsunade,” she breathes, stumbling as the people behind her collide into her back. “What –?”

“Hold still!” Tsunade shouts, now visible as she comes around the table, still obscuring the patient’s face. “Shizune, administer the sedative to get her to stop this flailing about!”

Shizune has been in the field almost as long as Tsunade, she is lean and well-muscled, but she struggles with the patient for a while before administering the injection into the patient’s arm. With a sigh – Sakura can’t tell whose – the patient goes limp on the table. Shizune and Tsunade step back from the counter, and finally, Sakura gets a clear view of the person causing so much trouble. It’s a girl who can’t be much other than Sakura herself, with long brown hair and fair skin. For a moment, Sakura is drawn by the beauty of her. It’s only when Sakura can drag her eyes away that she notices this girl is dressed in rags. Rags covered in blood.

Sakura knows everyone in the Citadel and knows every one of her old village neighbors’ faces by heart, but this girl is not one of them. How did she end up here?

Her master’s sleeves are rolled back, arms painted from fingertip to elbow in painfully bright crimson, and she snaps, “Sakura, get over here and help me.”

Sakura’s not sure where she finds the momentum to approach the table, but she does, taking in the appearance of their patient. She’s more blood than a girl at the moment, the wound on her stomach spreading in a sluggish blossom, lacerations decorating her legs and arms like she got tangled in a thorn bush on the way here.

“What happened?” she asks, picking up a soaked cloth and blotting away at some of the wounds.

“She must have fallen down the stairs,” Tsunade drawls, sending her a cutting look. “How in the hell would I know?”

Sakura bites her tongue to stop herself from retorting, mild irritation crossing her features. Tsunade smirks at her then, seeing her rising anger. She and Sakura continue their cleansing of the injuries, assessing the full damage.

“What do you see,” Tsunade asks, voice drawing Sakura’s attention.

“Multiple small contusions and scrapes on the outer extremities, nothing that isn’t superficial, though. One large gash, clean-cut on the stomach. It doesn’t appear infected, needs a bit more disinfecting, but it’s deep enough that if it’s not closed soon, she could bleed out,” Sakura rattles off automatically.

“Good,” Tsunade hums, taking a step back from the table, cloth in hand, now cleaning her fingers. “Get to it,” is all she offers before she collapses into a chair a few feet away.

Sakura has no time to stop and think about the gut-wrenching fear that she feels at initially being told that she has to do this on her own. Instead, she tucks her hair behind her ears, hands glowing green, and moves closer to the counter.

It takes Sakura four hours and intervention from Tsunade about three-fourths of the way through when her power begins to wane, but they complete the task.

Later, Sakura finds out that the girl’s name is TenTen, and she had been traveling to the Citadel from her village, which had been raided by one of the warring tribes. Her parents were killed, and she had heard about the congregation from another villager before the attack. On her way up the mountain, she was confronted, by whom or what, she does not disclose, but they don’t push her for the information. It’s enough that she is alive and has made it to her destination.

They meet later that week when TenTen is no longer bed-ridden, and instantly, they get along.

She is proficient in martial arts and fits in well with the guards. She and Ino become thick as thieves in their friendly torment of Sakura throughout her day-to-day routine. She swears that the two of them make it their mission to ensure she is distracted from her studies every chance they get.

Tsunade later announces that TenTen will become Sakura’s personal attendant.

-o-

The door slams behind Sakura, who pushes herself up against it, pressing her back into the unfinished wood. Ino looks up from her position on the windowsill, her book long forgotten.

“Why do you look like you’ve seen a ghost?” She ventures, eyes raking up and down Sakura’s form, taking in her messy hair and wild eyes. “And why are you out of breath?”

“Hide me before Tsunade finds me,” Sakura pleads, vaulting herself off the door and venturing further into the room. She glances around, left then right, and after a moment’s hesitance, she crosses the dorm and attempts to tuck herself between the bookshelves.

Ino snorts, “What did you do? Skip out on your studies?”

Sakura, who cannot seem to wedge herself between the wood enough, abandons her would-be hiding spot. “Worse,” she cries, crossing the room and opening the closet door. “I broke the pitcher that holds Tsunade’s stash of plum wine.”

Ino perks up at the news, her book sliding out of her limp grasp and into her lap. She scrambles from her perch and rushes across the room, grabbing Sakura by the forearm and launching her towards the washroom at the opposite end of the dormitory.

“Hide amongst the dirty linens, Forehead. She’ll never find you in there.”

Tsunade appears five minutes later, and with one look in Ino’s direction, the blonde folds like a house of cards. Sakura is found hidden in the laundry basket with a sheepish smile on her face. They are both scolded until their ears are ringing and are forced to do extra chores for the next two months.

They giggle and jest over the look on Tsunade’s face when she found Sakura, head partially covered by a soiled washcloth, and they find solidarity in the late nights of cleaning the kitchens after dinner.

Their bond becomes a little stronger after that.

-o-

They are fifteen when Hinata joins them. There is a traveling merchant who frequents the castle often, bringing news and wares from other villages and towns. His special this week happens to be news of the war breaking out between the clans; the Uchiha and Uzumaki have officially called off their truce and are at odds. That particularly doesn’t tickle Tsunade’s fancy. The tribes do not travel this far west nor up the mountainside; they choose to remain in the eastern province among their own. War is something that they do not have to worry about in the Citadel.

What does catch her attention, however, is a singular item that the merchant happened to bring with him on this visit, and that item just so happened to be a young woman.

Sakura doesn’t think she has seen Tsunade so mad before, but a deal is struck, and currency is exchanged. Tsunade offers the girl her freedom almost immediately after she kicks the merchant off the grounds with the promise to never return.

To everyone’s surprise, the girl refuses to leave. “A deal is a deal, and I will pay off my debt,” Hinata says, and Sakura finds herself with another attendant.

By the time they are eighteen, Hinata has paid off her debt twice over, but she chooses to stay anyway. She doesn’t talk much about her time before coming to the Citadel, but she is a quick study and despite not being blessed with their gift, she fits in well with most of the students and Tsunade agrees to teach her the basics of healing.

One night when the four of them are tucked into one of the corners of the library, Sakura nose deep in a book. Ino – in Ino fashion – asks why she chose to stay.

“I found a family,” Hinata states softly. “I found a home. There is nothing for me back where I came from, not anymore, at least. I lost a lot, but I found something better.”

They don’t push her to share her story; they know she will eventually confide in them one day. So, Ino casually throws her arm around TenTen’s shoulder, jostling the other woman, and chuckles, smug and flippantly.

“That’s right,” the blonde teases. “You’re stuck with us.”

TenTen rolls her eyes, Sakura groans, and Hinata giggles at her antics.

-o-

“Why a praise flame?” Hinata asks one day when they are in the study. “Why not a figurehead or a god?”

TenTen hums in agreement. “I’ve been meaning to ask that myself. Why do we pray to the sacred flame here? What makes it so sacred in the first place?”

Sakura looks up from the scroll she and Shizune are reading over. “Have neither of you heard the tale of the original gods? It’s a story my mother used to tell me when I was a kid.”

Hinata and TenTen share a look, then both shrug. Sakura sometimes forgets that they didn’t grow up in this part of the country and study in the Citadel as she has. She forgets that this way of life is new and foreign to them.

“We praise the flame because it keeps The God of Chaos at bay,” Shizune states. She pushes the paperwork away from herself and reclines in her chair. “I can tell you the story if you would like.”

Both girls nod their heads and tuck themselves into chairs on the opposite side of the table; rapt attention focused on the older woman.

“In the beginning, there were thirteen gods. They shaped the world, built the mountains, filled the seas, and gave life to the forests. Then, they created man, and man would soon become masters of the world created. Each of the gods had a role to play with man, to direct us and lead us to formulate our way of life. We thrived under the gods, built our homes and families, and created villages. When we were sustainable, the gods decided to allow us to live amongst ourselves, without their influence.”

Shizune pauses for a breath, then adds, “But one became greedy. Ekborah, The God of Chaos. He did not want to part with his creations. He wanted to rule over us, to make us worship him and keep us like pets. The other twelve deities were forced into a desperate struggle with Ekborah, and only with their combined magic were they able to create a sacred flame. The twelve gods cast the astral fire upon Ekborah and sapped his strength, sealing him away in the underworld.”

“We praise the flame because, without it, The God of Chaos would gain his power back,” Sakura finishes, pushing back from the table and taking the scroll she was reading earlier. She folds it up neatly, once, then twice, and crosses the room to the nearest bookshelf and tucks it between a few others.

“How have I not heard this before,” TenTen ponders.

“You’re not from this province originally,” Shizune offers. “It makes sense that you would not be up to date on our customs. It’s why we’re so careful and protect ourselves here. Some other provinces, mainly the eastern province where the tribes are, do not follow our customs. Some even wish to covet the power of the gods for themselves.”

“Is this why Tsunade chimes in the new year with that ritual?” Hinata inquires. “The one where she lights the fires of the alter at the mountain’s base? To protect us?”

“The very same,” Shizune answers with a small laugh. “And soon, that privilege will pass down to Sakura.”

“How cool,” Hinata praises, admiration within her gaze.

Sakura smiles tightly from her perch next to the bookshelf. She knows well enough that she would be the heir to the Citadel and the next in line to bear the privilege of praying to the flame’s grace.

So why is there such unease settling within her gut?

-o-

As the years go on, Sakura grows restless.

The war between the clans encompasses most of the other territories, and no one becomes safe at that time.

The villages to the west and north fall victim to poverty and famine, and many survivors who do not fall prey to the conflict in the east come to the Citadel for sanctuary. Their home is big enough to house those in need, and her home village to the south almost doubles in size with the overflow, but the days are so similar that they start to blur together.

She feels it is only a matter of time before war stands on their doorstep, and though they have guards that protect their way of life, they would be severely under-equipped if things were to escalate to that point.

Tsunade brushes off her concerns about something happening, not because she does not want to listen to Sakura, but because she has faith in their stronghold and its location.

“It would be suicide for someone to try and take this place down,” Tsunade declares. “The walls cannot be breached, and we have enough food stores for two full winters. We will be fine.”

The assurance falls flat and stale, and Sakura demands that Ino and Tenten train her as if she were one of the new recruits, which they do happily. Anything to poke fun at her, especially about her sloppy form.

Eventually, she gets the basics down and celebrates when she flips Ino onto her ass one afternoon during lessons. They both dub her safe enough to carry a small dagger, but they share Tsunade’s sentiment and do not understand why she is pushing herself so hard.

“I just feel it,” Sakura explains. “I can’t explain it, but something just doesn’t feel right about everything that is going on around us.”

“So what? You’re a psychic now?” Ino asks. “The whole healing thing wasn’t enough?”

“Oh, shut up, Pig,” Sakura growls as TenTen laughs.

“Everything will be fine, Sakura,” the brunette assures calmly. “You’re worrying over nothing.”

Sakura bites her lip. “I hope so,” she murmurs.

-o-

Sakura’s twenty-two when Tsunade announces that before the year’s end, she will be stepping down as leader of their congregation.

To no one’s surprise, she names Sakura her successor. Additionally, to no one’s surprise, Sakura names Ino her second in command.

“You were the likely choice,” is all Tsunade bids with a shrug. “It’s about time I took a step back and let you shine.”

And just like the flame they pray to, Sakura burns.

-o-

The midday sun dips low on the horizon, giving way to dusk, when Sakura hears a knock at her door that she chooses to ignore. The room is bathed in soft golds and oranges, and Sakura is nestled at her desk sifting through feathers and pieces of stone, multiple books scattered across its surface. She finds a feather that she likes, one that’s long and sturdy enough for her task, and she grabs her sheering scissors and starts to split it down the hollow shaft.

“May the sacred Flame light your path,” a voice calls from the entryway.

Sakura turns to find Ino standing in the doorframe, bracing her hip against the wall. She’s smiling, and that smile turns impish when she discovers that she has Sakura’s attention.

“And may it continue to cast its warmth upon you,” Sakura states as a greeting. She turns her attention back to her workstation, then adds, “You know I hate when you use the formalities on me.”

“And that is the sole reason I keep using them,” the blonde supplies, pushing off the doorframe and making her way into the room.

She takes in the surface of Sakura’s desk, noting the sharpened stone, various lengths of twine, and half-nettled arrow shafts.

“You’re not supposed to be making weapons, you know,” Ino chides, clicking her tongue. “If your mentor caught you, you would be in serious trouble.”

At the mention of Tsunade, Sakura’s eyes roll skyward. “We’re at war, Ino. It never hurt anyone to be prepared.”

“No, we’re not at war; the country around us is,” Ino corrects. “We just happen to be geographically located in the middle of it. The Citadel does not partake in the affairs of the tribes; you know that.”

Ino circles around the desk, plucking a polished piece of stone off the tabletop. She flips it within her grasp, tossing it up in the air and catching it, before adding, “Besides, when have you ever even handled a bow?”

Sakura grumbles under her breath but chooses not to respond. She instead finishes her task of splitting the feather and then turns her attention to the composite of stones next to her elbow. She pushes a few aside, looking for a specific size and weight. When she finds one that fits her needs, Sakura takes it and wedges it in the notches she has carved into the shaft wood in front of her. When it’s settled appropriately, she grabs a piece of twine and winds it around the neck of the arrow, fitting the stone into place.

Ino snorts at her lack of response. “What would the congregation think if they found out our high priestess spends her free time in her room making arrows? Of her partaking in violence?” She accentuates her dramatics with a hand on her chest, and the other pressed to her forehead. “Our chosen one is wasting away instead of reading up on her studies.”

Sakura drops the unfinished arrow onto the table and stands, flicking Ino on the nose as she passes on her way across the room. The blonde lets out an indignant yelp but knocks off her teasing as Sakura dips behind her changing partition.

“For someone trained in martial arts and swordsmanship, you sure seem to be against the use of your skills,” Sakura states, shucking off her shirt and reaching for a ceremonial blouse that was discarded on her vanity chair. It’s soft green silk with intricate yellow floral embroidery, one of Sakura’s favorites as it contrasts with the color of her hair.

“No,” Ino interjects from behind the screen. Sakura can hear her pat the weapon at her side, the metal jangling as it’s disturbed. “I’m against you fighting or even thinking about fighting. You have TenTen and me for a reason.”

“Oh yes, my two attendants. The ones who act like gossiping nursemaids than actual guards,” Sakura chides, snapping the last of the buttons on her chemise closed. She steps out from behind the partition, her eyes scanning the room.

Ino clears her throat, holding up two green silk sashes of the same design, the articles that Sakura was looking for. She steps towards her guard, who assists Sakura with wrapping one of the pieces of fabric around her waist and the other around her right bicep, tying both off with a neat bow.

“Your hands are made for healing, Sakura,” Ino states softly, placing a hand on Sakura’s shoulder when she’s finished. “Don’t be so quick to sully them with blood.”

Sakura opens her mouth to respond, but there’s another knock at her door, and then Hinata fills the entryway.

“May the Sacred Flame light your path,” Hinata greets.

Sakura and Ino parrot the appropriate response before Hinata adds, “The congregation has gathered. They are waiting for you to start the evening prayer, Sakura.”

“We’ll be right there,” Ino replies before reaching toward Sakura’s desk and pulling her discarded headpiece out of the clutter. She hands it to Sakura, adding, “Come, let’s hurry before Tsunade starts to worry.”

Sakura takes the headpiece from her, arranging the black lace entwined with pearls and emeralds into her hair before stating, “We’re not done with this conversation.”

Ino smirks, “Wouldn’t count on it, priestess.”

-o-

The evening prayer ends as it always does: with Sakura healing one of the congregates.

Her thumb brushes softly over the forehead of the older gentleman, healing the gash nestled there. The wrinkled skin smooths underneath her touch, and there’s a hush through the crowd, then a sudden wave of enthusiasm crashes forward from the people gathered about. Hushed whispers fill the hall’s silence, they bounce off the stone walls, and she can pick out certain words like ‘miracle’ and ‘holy power.’

She supposes that it must look like that to people who don’t understand her gifts, who don’t understand the training that one must go through to be proficient in the healing arts. To these people, she is someone holy, unsullied, a person who is capable of healing the most gruesome of wounds with the faintest of touches. But Sakura knows the truth. It was an accident. Sakura never expected that she would turn out like this, next in line to run the Citadel, to be in charge of their keep and the village below. Just the thought sours her mood and twists her gut.

The man is thanking her, and Sakura smiles, but it’s vacant, hollow, because this is something that she has done over one hundred times, and despite wanting to help others – it is her sole duty, after all – she yearns for something more. Something that is not so menial as healing bumps and scrapes; she longs for adventure, a true adrenaline rush, to be pushed to her limit. When Tsunade finished her training, there was no more growth, nothing more to be gained. It left Sakura restless, unsettled – like there was an itch beneath her skin that could not be scratched.

The older gentleman breaks from her and starts to mill about with the other congregates in the room, some talking with the other sisters and others talking amongst themselves. Green eyes scan the room, taking in the crowd. Ino and Tenten stand off to the side, surveying the room as well, ever diligent during the nightly rituals. They seem relaxed, smiling amongst themselves. Everything is as it should be, then.

Something in the back of the room catches her attention, and it’s then that she notices a figure tucked away in the last pew. A dark cloak shrouds their form, but she can tell they are tall, at least two meters and well-built based on their shoulders’ berth. She assumes they are male, but it wouldn’t be uncommon for a female of a warrior profession to come to one of these processions. People gather from far and wide to witness Sakura’s gift and to ask for assistance. Tsunade tries to keep her as sheltered as possible, as the only other person in the Citadel prone to healing, but it doesn’t deter people from trying.

Sakura can’t make out any distinguishing features, the torch’s flames don’t reach that far back in the room, but she catches a flash of red. Twin crimson eyes stare at her in awe from underneath the hood, and just as Sakura is about to take a step off the dais to approach this person, Tsunade comes into view.

“Are you ready for tomorrow’s ceremony?” Tsunade asks softly, diverting Sakura’s attention for a split second.

When she turns back, glancing at the edge of the room, the cloaked figure is gone. She has no time to ponder about this individual before her teacher’s demanding and slightly irritated voice calls out to her.

“Sakura,” she repeats.

“Yes. I hear you,” Sakura sighs, turning back to Tsunade. “If by ready you mean am I ready to walk down the mountain in extremely formal and constricting clothing to recite a prayer, then yes I am.”

Tsunade scowls, though she doesn’t rise to the younger woman’s taunt. She takes a moment to assess Sakura, her fatigue, the sag in her shoulders, and the deep cut of lines underneath her eyes. Tsunade’s glower lessens, if only a fraction, and she releases a deep breath from her nostrils.

“You know how important this is to us, right?” Tsunade asks, but it’s clear she already knows the answer. Sakura would never defy her mentor, not on this. “This ceremony rings in the new year for the entire village. It boosts morale, brings people together.”

“I know, master,” Sakura drones, fixing her posture to stand upright under the scrutiny.

Sakura understands that these responsibilities fall on her. She is the high priestess, next in line to run the Citadel and keep their patrons safe and secure in their faith. However, knowing her responsibilities doesn’t mean that Sakura does not yearn for something more.

-o-

“She’s worried about you, you know,” TenTen says.

They’ve stolen away to the kitchen for a snack after everyone has settled down for the evening. Sakura is munching on an apple, slices of assorted bread, and cheeses on a plate in front of her. She’s tucked herself into a chair, one knee drawn up to her chest, elbow resting on her folded leg. She doesn’t respond to her bodyguard’s claim, unsure of what she is talking about, but TenTen has her attention now, and Sakura turns to her with a brow raised.

“You’ve been distracted lately,” the brunette continues, taking a piece of cheese from the tray between them. “You’re going through the motions, Sakura. You’re there, but your heart isn’t in it anymore.”

Sakura grunts noncommittally, taking another bite of her apple. The room is silent for a moment, allowing her time to finish chewing. When she’s done, she says, “Do you ever think about what we do? About how there is more to life than just this Citadel and the congregation? There’s a whole world beyond these walls. None of us have experienced it because we rarely get to leave. When was the last time someone left the Citadel? And not just to visit the village, but truly left? Before I was born?”

TenTen whistles a low note, “Ino said that you were losing it lately, but I didn’t think you were this far gone.”

Sakura snorts and takes another bite of her apple. “Forget I even said anything.”

TenTen takes another piece of cheese, then scoots her chair closer to that of her friends. She reaches across the table and rests her hand on Sakura’s elbow.

“I know you feel bottled up here,” she starts calmly. “Hell, this has been our home for the better part of a decade, and we all rarely get to travel outside the walls. I know it can feel smothering, but you must understand that people covet the power you and Tsunade hold. You can’t just run around the countryside as you wish, especially with the unrest between the tribes. I’m thankful we’re high up in the mountains and away from the conflict. We’re hidden away, but we’re safe. You’re safe.”

“Do you really think someone would try and come for me? For Tsunade?” Sakura queries.

“With the way this place is built and the number of guards we have? No, I don’t think so. They would be stupid to try,” TenTen responds. “Also, Tsunade is a force to be reckoned with on a good day. I couldn’t imagine someone trying to kidnap her. She would chew their ears off within the first five minutes.”

The thought draws a snicker out of Sakura.

They settle into a companionable silence for a bit, nothing but the sound of them chewing filling the kitchen’s silence. Eventually, Sakura polishes off the plate, snagging her brunette counterpart's last piece of cheese.

“I’ll try and do better,” Sakura says eventually, tone eerily calm.

Something flashes across TenTen’s face, something that Sakura can’t quite decipher, but before she can scrutinize it any further, TenTen’s traditional warm smile encompasses her features.

“That’s all we can ask for,” her companion murmurs and Sakura gets a distinct impression that TenTen doesn’t believe her.

-o-

War comes to their doorstep the following day.

Envoys arrive from the Uzumaki and the Uchiha clans, both of whom demand an audience with Tsunade.

Her mentor does not allow her to sit in on the meeting, much to Sakura’s chagrin. It doesn’t stop her from snooping outside Tsunade’s office, ear pressed against the door in an attempt to hear something, anything about why it is that they are here.

She can’t make out much, but from what she can tell from the stints of conversation that do filter through, it appears that each of the clans is asking for assistance on their side of the war. Healers are hard to come by, and Tsunade has trained about twenty-five, all of varying strengths and skill sets, yet they remain in the Citadel. Sakura can’t hear the full arguments on both sides, about why Tsunade should offer her support to one clan over the other, but she can pinpoint the exact moment when Tsunade turns both of them down.

Voices are raised, and Sakura is pretty sure she can hear a curse or two; then, footsteps are storming towards the door, and she barely has time to scramble around the nearest corner to hide.

“You will regret this,” a voice seethes.

“Is that a threat, Uchiha?”

Sakura pokes her head out to see that her mentor is nose to nose with a raven-haired male. He looks to be Sakura’s age, maybe a tad older, with an unruly set of curls. His face seems delicate, almost feminine in its features, but the anger in his eyes diminishes any gentleness about him.

To Tsunade’s credit, she doesn’t even flinch at the scathing sneer the boy throws her way. He offers her no reply, just another sneer before he turns on his heels and stomps down the hallway.

“Maa, always so quick to temper those Uchihas,” jests the third voice.

It’s the Uzumaki representative, though from the angle she’s positioned, Sakura cannot get a good view of him. Tsunade stands mainly in the way. The only thing Sakura can make out is a spiky head of gray hair.

“Do you have something you want to say also? Or are you just going to stand there all day taking up space?”

“I just wanted to see how things played out, that’s all,” the envoy replies. He doesn’t sound anywhere as near as perturbed as the Uchiha. Almost like he knew what Tsunade’s answer would be before the meeting even started.

He turns from Tsunade then, placing his hands in his pockets, and meanders down the same hallway that the Uchiha had, but at a much slower pace.

“I’ll provide Naruto-sama with your reply,” the envoy calls back, one hand lifting to salute his departure.

There’s a pregnant pause, and for a moment, Sakura believes Tsunade to be perturbed, but the emotion is gone from her face as quickly as it came. Abruptly, the older woman turns towards Sakura’s hiding spot.

“Are you done snooping, girl?” The blonde asks, brow arched.

Caught in the act, Sakura willingly comes out from around the corner and approaches her mentor. They stare at each other for a long moment, neither saying a word about what transpired, but Sakura’s curiosity gets the better of her, and she is the first to open her mouth. Tsunade cuts her off quickly, however. Hand raised in a silent cutting motion.

“We can discuss this later,” Tsunade assures. “I know you’ll have many questions, but we must first focus on the new year ceremony. We can worry about everything else till after it’s complete. Now, off with you. You have to get ready.”

All Sakura can do is nod and obey.

-o-

The ceremony itself is simple.

Sakura and a few of the fellow congregates must take the ceremonial lantern to the mountain’s base. There she will light a fire at the original altar of the Citadel and say a prayer for the following year. It is an honor to partake in the ritual, as all high priestesses do, but to Sakura, it no longer holds the shiny, new intrigue it once did. She wanted to pass this year’s duty back to Tsunade, as she was perfectly capable of doing so. Still, Tsunade insisted that it was the duty of the priestess in charge to complete this task, and whether Sakura liked it or not, it was her responsibility to complete it.

As she meets her gaze in the mirror, Sakura’s eyes are steady and determined. Around her, her bedroom is in utter chaos. Chambermaids are rushing and bustling about, attempting to get everything set up in time. One is applying rose-colored blush on her cheeks, and another is dabbing lavender paint in the shape of a diamond on her forehead. A third is braiding her hair, pulling her bangs back into a clip, nestling her pink tresses into a loose bun at the base of her neck.

She feels the corset’s steady pressure and weight of her hefty skirts, and the green and off-white patterns on the fabric match the tapestries hanging in her room. Her skin feels tight under the layer of chalky make-up, but despite this, not a muscle on her face moves to make her discomfort known.

When she’s ready, she stands steady on her feet. Tsunade, who has been sitting in the corner quietly, rises as well and excuses the maids. Her oval-shaped, worried eyes meet Sakura’s and then slide down to appraise her. The gaze is like a physical touch, and Sakura has to stop herself from cringing underneath the scrutiny.

“Are you sure you’re up for this?” Her teacher asks.

No, she wants to say. No, she is not up for this. She wants to postpone this entire thing and discuss what happened earlier. To discuss the thinly veiled threat that the Uchiha made earlier this afternoon. What was to become of them? Was war on the horizon? After all this time, would their peace finally be broken?

She doesn’t voice any of these concerns, however.

And despite the discontent that has settled deep in her stomach, Sakura nods her head.

-o-

She should have known something was wrong when they reached the entrance to the cave.

It was too quiet.

There was a moment of calm before the ceremony was complete, a moment where she felt like she could breathe for the first time in the week leading up to the proceedings. Next, bodies are flooding the entryway. There is fire and ash and screaming, so much screaming. The stone of the path is bathed in so much blood, and Sakura does not realize that she is in danger until something collides heavily with her back, and she tumbles to the floor, her world temporarily going black.

As she becomes aware of her surroundings, Sakura returns to herself harshly, jerking, stomach clenching. Her vision swims, and once the pain in her head has been reduced to a minimal, dull ache, she realizes she is lying in Ino’s lap. She cannot mistake the familiar purple robes that her attendant wears.

She jolts up, which makes everything flare into agony again, and she can’t stifle the groan as she flops back on Ino’s legs. She cannot help but dry heave as her senses return, the acrid smell of burning flesh infiltrating her nostrils, hanging in the air like smog. She fights to sit up again but realizes her hands are tied behind her back, and a miserable shiver crawls down her spine. Ino must still be passed out because she is shockingly still.

With as much effort as she can muster, Sakura lifts her head and turns it towards her attendant’s face. She finds it slack with unconsciousness. She lets her head fall back unceremoniously onto Ino’s thigh when the strain becomes too much.

Something moves near them; there’s a shift in the shadows, then a scuffle and a pair of boots come into Sakura’s line of sight.

Sakura glances upwards and comes face to face with a shockingly familiar pair of wonder-filled red eyes.

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