#she worked hard under tsunade’s teachings to become stronger | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

fiercyy · 4 years

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Chapters: 11/? Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Team 7 - Relationship, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Tsunade (Naruto), Orochimaru (Naruto) Additional Tags: AU, Post-Chuunin Exams, post chuunin exams attack, Minor Character Death, Trauma, Team 7 Family bonding, Genin Era, Everybody moves in with Sasuke, he's got room, semi-au, Plot Twists, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Roommates, Friends to Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto) Feels, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), Team as Family, Slow Burn Series: Part 1 of Post-Chuunin Exam AU Summary:

Sakura always wished she could relate to her teammates better. She wishes she could take it back.

In which Sasuke acquires some unwanted roommates and a team becomes a family.

"You skipped training," Kakashi's one visible eye is narrowed in a foreboding expression. His large body takes up the whole doorframe when he holds himself up at full height.

Sasuke turns back to his book, earmarked not him but by Sakura, who the book belongs to. It's a historical account of the longest battle of the First Ninja War. For something so violent, it's extremely boring. "What's the point?" He asks petulantly.

"What's the point in training?" Kakashi asks incredulously. Surely Sakura's win hadn't hit him that hard.

"What's the point in the training we're doing? I'm not getting any stronger!"

"I'm teaching you restraint," begins the lecture he's heard what feels like a hundred times, "The Chidori is powerful and dangerous. You could hurt someone without meaning to."

Sasuke scoffs, "Sakura can beat me. I don't need restraint. In a fight, I'm trying to hurt someone."

"If your ego is so fragile then you're not ready for the responsibility of power."

"I am!" he argues. "But if power is such a burden then why can Sakura and Naruto keep getting stronger and now me?"

"They don't want power for power's sake!"

"Neither do I, I want power so I can use it."

Kakashi's eyes narrow, "I'm your mentor, not theirs. If you want my techniques you'll do things my way."

"Then I don't need you!" And desperate to escape the conversation, he jumps out the window.

"If you had control you wouldn't have hurt Sakura!" Kakashi shouts after him.

"I don't care!" he screams back. But that's a lie.

Sakura, for her part, has never been so thrilled to lose a fight. It doesn't feel egotistical to think that she basically won. She's just a softy who couldn't let him fall. It's a good thing, isn't it? That her instinct was to protect her teammate. (Even if, had he been thinking properly, he could have grabbed onto the wall with chakra.) That was what Kakashi was always ragging on her about, no? Not putting her team first?

She managed to surprise Sasuke and get the upper hand. She never thought she could do that. Never would have thought to… before.

Thinking about her parents brings her down. She can't do it often, it hurts too much. Since her heart to heart with Kakashi, she's being trying to focus on what she does have, not what she lost.

Her life has been in a quagmire since the attack, but at least she isn't alone. For that reason, she pities Sasuke. They both lost so much but afterward he had nobody. And she had so much. She's learning to be grateful for that, honest she is. She just gets so mad sometimes.

It's like when she was little. She was an angry kid. Her parents worked with her and taught her all the calming techniques; breaking deepy, counting, shoving it all into a box… The box worked best. All her longterm furies shut up where no one could see them. She let the bullies hit her as hard as they wanted. She wouldn't strike out. They could tease her all they liked, she wouldn't give them the satisfaction of a reaction.

She can't hold in that inner Sakura anymore. She won't be contained. Instead she's trying to come to terms with it all; work through it as best she can. It's freeing, to be a being who can feel anger again. The fight now, is to not allow it to consume her.

"Hey," Naruto starts, only for Sasuke to stalk right past him and slam the door to their room. He glances at the clock on the VCR. It's 11:00. The lock clicks. Shit. He's terrible at picking locks. "Aw man, what am I gonna do now?"

Sakura—who sits on the opposite side of the table, books open and post-its at the ready—is unsympathetic. "Sleep on the couch."

Alone in his room, the nightmares plague him worse than before. The prophecy of being swallowed by the earth came true. He finds new things to fear.

Sasuke wakes in the middle of the night.

The voices no longer reside in sleep. Orochimaru's whispers reverberate all around him; promises of power, of bargains. How will you kill your brother if you keep you as you are? He asks with condescension.

Sasuke shakes his head and for now, the pressure in his skull is dislodged. He rises and leaves the bedroom for the living room.

The apartment is dark. There is just enough moonlight to see by. He treads softly into the living room and stares at Naruto's slack body, thrown over the couch and covered in the red wool blanket. It's large enough that all three of them fit under it but in the heat of sleep he's kicked it off his feet. His soft snores, so familiar, settle Sasuke.

He didn't want Naruto to hear his nightmares. They've woken him before, but he never seems to grasp what the nightmares are about. He knew he'd be talking in his sleep tonight. It's always worse when he goes to bed angry. Orochimaru is preying on those feelings, he won't be taken in.

Except he's told no one. They might see it as a sign of weakness, or Kakashi might try and reseal him. What power reserves would be taken from him then? The temptation of more than a taste of what the curse can give him… He's stagnating here, while others flourish. He needs to be stronger. Now. And Orochimaru wants to give him strength. It's that simple.

He'll kill him before fulfilling his end of the bargain.

That thought, formulating a plan, is what makes it too real.

Sasuke's birthday is last in the calendar year and on the first morning of his 13th year, he wakes up to yelling and the sweet smells of an unhealthy breakfast.

"I made you an omelette actually," Sakura assures, plating her pancakes. It's dry and over seasoned, but he eats every bite slathered in ketchup. There's candles in it and they make him blow them out.

The day is spent in his favourite manner: outside, training. They read together in peace in the grass, for a while after that. (Sasuke and Sakura read. Naruto doodles crude caricatures in the margins of a magazine.) They go to lunch, then the baths. They henge into adult versions of themselves, laughing all the while at their absurd visions of the future. They use the illusions to sneak into a bar that's hosting a pub quiz. A jolly civilian in his 20s hosts. Naruto's only correct contribution is a question about the minutiae of the Teenage Mutant Firefighting Turtles lore.

They win second prize—a pitcher of beer. Their weak, 13-year-old tolerance ensures than they're unable to hold their henges for long after that. Once one breaks, the others do too and laughing all the while, they're kicked out of the bar.

"Technically this is your fault for giving it to us!" Sakura argues, "We didn't order any drinks!" The bouncer is unamused.

They stumble home, leaning on each other.

And when Sasuke stares at the spinning ceiling that night, he doesn't think of his childhood, his anger or the future. For the first time, he relives the same day he'll relive for years-the best birthday he ever had.

"Teach me how to unlock the Magekyou Sharingan," Sasuke demands. He doesn't know what he's asking.

Kakashi tries to tell himself this, but when he reaches inside himself, looking for compassion, he finds only rage. "No."

"It's my clan's legacy, the next logical step. I need it if I ever hope to-!"

"If you're very lucky you will never have the Magekyou," Kakashi warns, "The cost is too great."

"I'll pay it!"

"If you do," he replies, enunciating carefully, "I will strike you down myself."

They ambush him in the evening on his way home from another seemingly useless session with Kakashi. The Sound Four and all of their formidable strength and second-hand arguments (such as they are) meant to persuade him to defect on his own. Or to take him by force.

His curse seal burns, curling across his body.

The time has come to remember his purpose.

Sasuke strains against his restraints, spitting and snarling at his teacher. Kakashi's impassive eyes rove around, but his fingers are tight on the wire. The bark itches and the blood trickles down his arm where the wire has cut him.

"What's this all about?!" He demands.

"Sorry, but I knew you wouldn't want to sit still for another lecture." The second today. "Let it go, forget about revenge. Trust me, following the path of revenge never ends well. You'll only tear yourself apart. Even if you succeed, what will you have then? Nothing. Emptiness."

"Shut up!" Sasuke's blood boils, "What makes you think you know anything about it? You have no idea! Maybe if I were to kill the most important people in your life, anyone who's ever meant anything then you'd understand," he threatens cruelly, uselessly.

"Interesting theory, but everyone I've ever loved is already dead," he says it so calmly. Sasuke never knew that about him. "Besides you. And Naruto and Sakura."

Sasuke's sharp intake of breath is the only indication that his words have any effect.

"You and I are lucky. We've found new people to love, who love us."

The boy looks so small, his head drops so Kakashi can't see his face anymore. He loosens the restraints.

"That's all I wanted to say. You'll do what you want."

In the room he shares with his teammate, only feet away from his bed, Sasuke packs a bag in the dark. There's a photograph on the desk that he considers taking with him, but that wouldn't be wise. He lays it face down and leaves the room.

He hesitates at the front door and doubles back.

He doesn't know which cousin Sakura's bedroom belonged to. He never visited them before the Massacre. It's one of the reasons he feels safe here, it's untouched by death. They died at the compound with everybody else.

He opens her door a crack. The hinges are well oiled so they don't creak.

Asleep in bed, Sakura's back is to him, arm tucked under her chin and hair falling over her shoulders. He watches her for longer than he should, heart hammering in his chest. He's really going to do this.

He stays until he can't stand it anymore, it's too much.

Outside, the village is quiet. The streetlamps haven't been fixed in many neighborhoods, so he passes through the light and darkness with equal swiftness. His unhurried gait stops at the gates. They loom in front of him, a portal into his future.

"SASUKE!" Sakura shouts, breaking the stillness of the night.

He turns and can't hide his surprise at seeing her. He's a fool. He must have woken her with his goodbye. "What are you doing here?"

"This is the only way out of the village," she evades.

"Go home Sakura."

Before I say things we'll both regret.

"No," her voice breaks. She darts in front of him to block his path. "Why? I thought I understood you but I don't. I just don't. How can you throw everything away?"

"You could never understand me," he replies coldly. "I'm throwing away everything that doesn't matter. Anything that doesn't help me accomplish my goals."

"I know in the beginning you couldn't stand me. You probably hated me. But I thought-" here Sakura hesitates and the tears drip from her chin. "I thought that things were different now. You told me once that I have no idea what it means to be alone, well now I do. I do and I wish I didn't. It's horrible. But it's a little less horrible with you." She chokes on a sob and slaps a hand over her mouth to muffle it.

"You're just as annoying now as you were then." He steps up to her, so they're standing close. "Move," he commands.

"No."

"Move or I'll move you."

Her stance widens but her knees quake. "Try it then."

"Don't you understand that I'll kill you if I have to?" Move!

She laughs, so sad, "For the sake of your revenge."

"I'm travelling a path that you can't follow," in telling her so, he hopes to be kind.

Sasuke pushes past her. Like a willow branch, she moves aside then springs back to watch him walk away. All the fight has gone out of her. "You don't have to be alone. You don't think we would help you?" She cries, "Naruto and I would do anything for you. Why won't you let us?!"

"I don't need you!" He roars. "We aren't the same."

"I love you, don't you understand? Please don't walk away!"

With his back to her, neither can see the effect their words are having on the other, but they can hope. They can imagine.

"Stay," she whispers brokenly. "Or take me with you."

He turns. "Where I'm going, I have no use for you. Forget you ever knew me."

"No. You know that I can't," she says with force. He advances and her speech quickens. "If you move I'll scream, I swear I will, I-" In a flash, he's behind her. A sharp pain in her neck. Darkness descends.

Whispered words. Thank you.

12 hours earlier…

Though some ninjas choose to work under the cover of night, many realize that it's far easier to work in plain sight, in the day, hidden by the crowd. Sasuke has only been to Kakashi's apartment once before, but he remembers the way. It's not so odd that a student would visit his master in the day time.

He knocks and Kakashi's surprised to find him at the door.

"Can I come in?" He trusts that his sensei's home is secure.

"Sure, Sasuke," Kakashi replies in his usual breezy tone. "What can I do for you?"

"I need you to get me a covert meeting with the Hokage."

In under an hour they're in her office. Shizune, their only witness. Tsunade surveys the boy over her steeples fingers. "What can I do for you, Uchiha?"

"I need you to assign me an S-rank mission, to infiltrate Sound." Kakashi's eye cuts to him, "As a double agent."

#sasusaku #team 7 #sasuke x sakura #naruto #fanfiction #IYC #if you can't hold on hold on #my fic

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evartandadam · 6 years

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I want to write a thing about Sasuke’s development throughout Naruto- and where Kishimoto failed his character. (I have been asked about my opinions on Sasusaku, but before I can remotely get to that, I need to establish what I think of Sasuke as a character by himself. He is a very interesting character, and he deserves his own rant.)

There are two important points in Sasuke’s life, and both of these points establish the main theme Kishi wanted Sasuke’s character to feature.

The first point is when Sasuke leaves to train under Orochimaru, and the second is when he is approached, and changed by Madara/Obito.

Point 1: Taking the Path of an Avenger. (Main Theme)

In Naruto:

Sasuke’s main theme throughout the series is slowly succumbing to the darkness for power.

He leaves his village and friends behind. Does this mean he doesn’t care about them? Of course not. He cares. But the point is that he chooses his revenge over his potentially fulfilling life with his friends. He would have been much happier if he could have just let his revenge go (and he knows this), but he didn’t. This is the point Kishimoto wants to drive home about Sasuke throughout Shippuden. Sasuke chose revenge over love (and forgiveness).

And who can blame Sasuke? His brother, after murdering their entire clan, DARED Sasuke to kill him. Sasuke, as a 7 year old, was faced with a responsibility to take care of family business, something no child should have to wrestle with. But it happened. And growing up, he feels it is his job to kill his brother. He listened to Itachi, was molded by Itachi. A traumatic external force in his life effected him greatly. Killing Itachi is now his DUTY.

The problem is that Sasuke is now only 13, and still developing mentally and emotionally, so he isn’t necessarily going to make the best decision about fulfilling this duty.

He knowingly goes to a terrorist S-rank criminal who wants to use him as a vessel, instead of staying at the village with Kakashi, whose power almost rivals said criminal.

Sasuke doesn’t know really anything about his own village, obviously.

He doesn’t know anything about Kakashi or his abilities. How strong and famous this man really is for being a ruthless killing machine by the age of 13, like Itachi!

Kakashi would have been a great person to learn from. That’s why Kakashi wanted to teach him.

But Sasuke assumes that because Kakashi is a “good guy”, he is weaker than Orochimaru. And this is his mistake.

Because his brother is “evil,” and very powerful, that must mean that evil people are better ninja, right?

Sasuke acts on what he does not know. And he does this all the time!

Ok so he’s 13 and kind of lacks basic foresight and judgement. So he goes to Orochimaru. And we skip forward 2 and 1/2 years.

In Naruto Shippuden:

Sasuke is much stronger.

He has held onto his core beliefs. (he refuses to kill innocent people for personal gain.)

Sasuke at this point is super cool, cause he’s edgy, but not a terrible person. Everyone loves Sasuke at this point. He’s got a cool top that shows off those pecs he’s been working so hard on. And he gives less of a crap than ever before.

He is mysterious, because the author purposefully doesn’t let the audience see his thought process or emotions. But we know enough.

But then what happens? He kills Itachi, as he planned all along. What he doesn’t count on is that Itachi isn’t the evil entity he had pictured in his little kid brain. And someone brings this to his attention. Makes sure he knows.

And this brings us to the second point.

Point 2: Manipulation from External Forces (Extension of Main Theme)

Before we get back to the Naruto timeline, let’s go over what makes Sasuke fall for this external manipulation:

"Sasuke is basically a very pure person who doesn't think about whether what he does is good or bad. He just does what he wants to do, which causes trouble for others" - Masashi Kishimoto

Itachi describes Sasuke this way:

And I love this, because it does describe him perfectly. I think this statement stuck out to many readers.

What Itachi means is that Sasuke:

lacks the ability to look ahead and judge things clearly.

He is easily influenced- gullible, even.

And even though he managed to cling to some moral standard up until Itachi’s death- not killing innocent people- everything else is easily replaced on a whim.

By focusing solely on killing Itachi, Sasuke left himself wide open to attack. Not physical attack. Something even more dangerous: emotional manipulation. He neglected every aspect of himself other than the physical- and the desire for revenge. What I’m saying is that Sasuke is extremely emotionally stunted. And people recognize this, and use this to their advantage. Anyone can come up to him and plead to his cause, and he will fall for it, against any better judgement he may have. If he were a character in a video game, he essentially maxed out his stats in one area, and left every other area under-developed and weak.

His ideals always outweigh his reality.

So, how does this aspect of his character get him in trouble? Well, let’s discuss a very big shift in Sasuke’s character.

Madara’s influence:

Back to the Naruto timeline:

The truth about Itachi totally shakes Sasuke’s world. And “Madara” is totally loving this. He’s going to use this to his advantage.

So. Sasuke feels that he has a new duty. He must now somehow avenge his brother. And this means he should kill the Kage- wait, what?

Oh right. Madara is talking into his ear.

“Itachi literally lived and died for this, so obviously he wouldn’t want what I’m suggesting, but you should totally do the dirty work for me and destroy everything Itachi believed in. That way, you can avenge him. I’m totally like, empathizing with you right now. I’m definitely not just saying this to get you to do what benefits me.”

Ok, so of course, Sasuke blindly listens.

And this is the second part to the main theme that Kishimoto explores with Sasuke’s character. What happens when a person, devoid of anything in the world besides revenge, falls into a false sense of justice? What happens after that quest for vengeance is fulfilled?

And at this point in the show, we see a new Sasuke. This Sasuke is very different from before. Why?

Sasuke is throwing his past moral compass out the window.

He’s going to kill people he doesn’t even know are guilty of anything. (Danzo definitely saw it coming, but Tsunade? What has she done to Sasuke? She is a great Hokage! She has nothing to do with Itachi. Neither does Gaara, or the rest of the current Kage.)

But Sasuke doesn’t care about this! Madara convinced him that they are evil, because of their position.

The Kage are automatically evil, because they represent authority. And it’s important to recognize that Sasuke doesn’t care about past authority or current authority- it is not his authority, so therefore, it is bad. It needs to be purged.

Sasuke is putting his problems on unrelated people.

And this is when Sasuke really falls into some dark stuff. He is actually becoming more of a villain.

The Final War:

By the time we see him in the war, he is ranting about “revolution.”

Sasuke is very deluded. And it’s due to outside influence. He is young and brash, and his world is very small. So so very small. All he knew up until this point was revenge and his brother. He doesn’t know how to live a normal life, or how to let things go. It’s like he was asleep until this point, and he finally realized that there’s a bigger world out there, and he needs to do something about it!

Sasuke is rather pitiful. But very zealous and dangerous. And I think people in the fandom downplay this too much. People want to like Sasuke- resonate with him. Up until recently, everyone is nodding their heads like “we feel you Sasuke, this sucks.” But people need to recognize when pity needs to stop.

Sasuke’s best trait is hyper-focusing on his goal. And this is also the most dangerous thing about him. He is easy to manipulate, as I have established earlier. And he is on the far end of fanaticism. He isn’t thinking about individuals anymore. He is only thinking about the collective... kind of like... the Akatsuki?

After all, didn’t the Akatsuki want to create world peace by killing a bunch of innocent people and enforcing lack of conflict through silence?

And we all agree that the Akatsuki are totally missing the mark, correct?

After all, is it really for the greater good? Sacrificing innocent people for one’s own idea of peace? Kind of narcissistic to assume one knows best.

Sasuke is talking about doing WHATEVER IT TAKES to “change the world” to make it “better”. Whatever his version of “better” is. And this is totally wrong! How is becoming what you hate most supposed to prove that your version of peace is correct?

Sasuke is getting high on “justice.” And by justice, I mean elevating himself into the god plane. He thinks he is better than everyone else- his opinion is the only one that matters. After all, these pathetic people can’t possibly think for themselves. He must force them to see the truth!

And he thinks this because his world is so small, and “Madara”, implanted an idea onto his “blank canvas.”

This is literally what’s going through Sasuke’s mind during the final arc of the show. It is extreme, and exactly the opposite of what Naruto, our protagonist, believes. So obviously there is going to be a clash.

This is where I think the author screwed Sasuke over.

Ditching the Main Theme of Sasuke’s Character:

Sasuke up until this point only knows a few things: His first reason for existing was based on a lie, and he now thinks he is fighting for the truth- that Itachi died for nothing good, and it is up to him to change the world.

Naruto fights Sasuke, and when Sasuke realizes he can’t beat Naruto in a PHYSICAL FIGHT, he suddenly changes his drastic opinions on everything he believes in. He says “Sorry, I was crazy, let’s start over.” And that’s it. End credits start to roll.

Kishimoto took Sasuke’s character on a very long journey. And it was all leading up to this peak- the point where Sasuke literally bursts. Sasuke resembles a very specific type of person- a particular path one can take in life. It is about a boy who chose the life of vengeance over happiness and positive personal growth. And the consequences of that decision.

During the entire show, I am expecting something drastic to happen to Sasuke. He is a drastic character. He is a flawed character- a beautiful example of what revenge can do to a good person. As an author, it is important to make this character’s fate what it is being set up for- tragedy.

So there were two (good) writing options here:

Sasuke either needed to die, because his mind could not be changed and he was a danger to innocent people, or, he needed to be redeemed over a decent period of time.

By the time Sasuke enters the war, he is far gone. Is it possible to change his mind again? Sure. He is still young and bendable. But it wouldn’t take two seconds.

Madara didn’t change Sasuke’s mind- he filled blank space. Implanted an idea. He put something on a blank canvas.

Naruto, however, has to undo all of this brain washing. He has to change his mind.

There is a difference here.

Covering a blank canvas with color is easy. But covering those old colors with new ones is hard, and takes time.

As in, Kishi really needed to rethink his timeline for his manga.

The best thing he could have done, since he obviously wanted Sasuke to be redeemed, was to make Naruto fight Sasuke BEFORE the war.

Here’s an alternate timeline:

Naruto finally catches up with Sasuke before the war, and they fight it out. Sasuke loses, but only by a bit. And Naruto actually talks to him. Not the usual “this is my Dream”, but listening to Sasuke and discussing his experiences, and countering his opinion in a personal manner.

Naruto thinks he can’t change Sasuke’s mind, and he worries that if he doesn’t kill Sasuke, something bad will happen to those he cares about in the future. And Kishi puts a lot of time and emphasis on this encounter. This exchange of opinions. This is the cornerstone of their relationship up until this point.

But Naruto decides not to kill Sasuke, explaining the concept of unconditional love to him. And he leaves him.

And Sasuke spends time thinking on this.

And then the final battle begins, and Sasuke drops in, deciding on helping Naruto after all. Thus concluding the Naruto/Sasuke conflict.

This order of events would have been much better. Naruto and Sasuke fighting after the war seemed unnecessary, and it just didn’t flow. It made Sasuke look extremely fickle, when he is actually very stubborn.

Based on this sequence of events, why would Sasuke help Naruto defeat Obito? When Obito was literally trying to change the world “for the better,” just like Sasuke was. Maybe Sasuke didn’t agree on the method. Sasuke would rather kill everyone and start over with him as supreme leader. (Which is... worse than what Obito had in mind? Obito wanted everyone to live in a peaceful dreamworld, where everything was good.)

So, I guess my point is that Kishimoto had a path for Sasuke, and a few points to make about his choices. But he then ditched the consequences of those choices. Ignored the theme he created from the very beginning. In the canon timeline, we as an audience didn’t really learn any lessons from Sasuke’s journey. Sasuke’s part in the story kind of fizzled out. It didn’t have the zing I was hoping for.

Sasuke deserved more attention. More focus on the climax of his personal journey. And more time for the falling action after this climax.

For me to want to see him back at Kohona, I wanted more of his thought-process and journey. It would take time for a person as damaged as Sasuke to fit back into the social confines of his old village.

I would love additional thoughts on this! :)

#Sasuke Uchiha #sasuke #naruto #rambles #text post #masashi kishimoto #writing analysis

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narhinafan · 5 years

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How Kishi should have done Part 1 Sakura

So I will state this straight away I am not Sakura fan and in fact I dislike her character quite a lot for her personality and the fact she does pretty much nothing despite her screen time. However, like most side characters Sakura had a lot of wasted potential and even worse then most others cause unlike everyone else Sakura had the screen time, but they never made use of it. I am going to say how I think events should have gone down.

Wave Sakura should have got a chance to fight Gato’s hunch men and be shown struggling but beating one of them, but then getting overwhelmed by others and saved by Naruto and Sasuke. This makes her aware of the difference between the her and them.

Exams Sakura should never have tried to quite she can try and justify it being for Naruto, but it was obvious she was lying to herself cause before and during the first test she was shown doubting herself. They could have had her go to quite herself and then be stopped when Naruto gives his speech making her sick of herself and clearly show she starts seeing Naruto in a different light.

During the forest of death when Naruto goes to do his businesses Sakura would go to hit him, but stop and finally carry out what she said about being nicer to Naruto at the start of the series. Also I think her trying to help Sasuke by throwing Kunai during his fight with Orochimaru would be good as well.

As for the sound ninja fight can leave that, but I think she should have tried to fight along side Lee instead of getting up and fighting on right after he was taken down.

For preliminaries keep the part about her trying to get Sasuke to quite, but also have thoughts about quitting herself due to what she experienced in the forest.

She should lose her fight with Ino cause she only got a tie because Ino held back despite Sakura having ended their friendship and cause Naruto cheered. But also databooks confirmed that Ino was stronger then Sakura in all aspects at the time of their fight. If she lost it would have really nailed the lesson that she needs to improve herself instead it was more like giving her the lesson she is stronger then she thought and is at a higher level then she really is, but she still can’t fight anywhere near the level as everyone else in the exam.

During the one month show her training maybe even getting some taijutsu tips from Gai or Lee. Also when Sasuke vanishes she goes and looks for him, but never finds him. Add in her getting some genjutsu scrolls from the library or something and you can foreshadow her getting some new jutsu.

She really couldn’t do much during the Gaara fight, but if she learned some genjutsu she could have used it on him, it wouldn’t work, but it would have been better then just trying to use a kunai against a guy Sasuke couldn’t even beat.

Now onto when Sasuke leaves the village, not much I can change since fits with Sakura personality.

When Naruto gets back, I would have her be more upset and even blame Naruto a bit and them being on shaky terms when he left. I also wouldn’t have her go straight under Tsunade, but instead get training from Kurenai as well as taking the medical classes that Tsunade introduce for everyone before Naruto leaves.

Then after Naruto Tsunade sees Sakura has talent in medical jutsu, but has doubts about her aptitude as a ninja overall and tests her. Sakura manages to pass and Tsunade starts teaching her, but she is still not a full apprentice and more of an assistant and works her way up the ladder to learn more. Also I would have Tsunade mention Sasuke and that Sakura obsession with him is not how a ninja should act.

Like really instead of trying to get her to shine or just doing nothing they should have gone with developing her. Really show that she learnt her lesson as is not the same bitch that insulted orphans at the start. Like most of her development was not wanting to be behind Sasuke and Naruto, but she never shows any work towards trying to catch up to them or she did everything just cause of Sasuke and never had her own goals besides being with Sasuke. Have her learn the hard way that being a ninja isn’t easy and harder then she thought and then have her try and become a better ninja. Maybe even expend on her wanting to be like Ino more and make that want to be a more confident and kind person is her goal for being ninja by the end of part 1.

#anti sakura haruno

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raendown · 6 years

Link

@mouseymightymarvellous I hear your cries for more same age au and I deliver, with pleasure my dear.

Pairing: KakashiSakura Word count: 2744 Summary: Growing up together means changing together and Kakashi has always seen her from afar.

Follow the link or read it under the cut!

When We Were Young

She was soft and too pink and Kakashi hated her. How was he ever meant to become a great ninja and erase the stain of his father’s name if he couldn’t even be paired with decent teammates? He’d thought since Obito and Rin were both sick his temporary team might be better, might have stronger members that would help him grow instead of hold him back like usual. This was not what he had expected.

As if the rambunctious blonde who failed to catch him in a poorly concealed trap when he arrived wasn’t enough, the idiot pink-haired girl moping off to one side was a whole different story of terrible. Upon discovering that he would be standing in for “Sasuke-kun” today she had all but folded in half with disappointment and the already incorrect grip she had on her kunai had fallen out of place even more. Kakashi sniffed in her direction, thoroughly disappointed. These two were barely ninjas and would probably never make it past genin. Was the blond one really Sensei’s son?

For the entire day of training under the strangely emotionless Sai-sensei, all that Haruno Sakura did was compare him to her precious Sasuke-kun. She spoke of the boy constantly and told Kakashi how in love she was three times in just the first hour. By the end he was ready to stab both her and the poor idiot who obviously didn’t like her back.

And why should he? There was nothing to like; there was no substance to her. Sakura’s feet stood for Sasuke, her arms lifted for Sasuke, her heart beat for Sasuke. There was not a single part of her that fought for her own sake and Kakashi couldn’t stand the weakness of it. Didn’t she realize that love would break her? He would have pitied her if he could be bothered with the emotion but it was much easier to dismiss all three of these useless people from his mind.

When Kakashi left training he left his thoughts of Sakura behind him. He went back to Obito and Rin, still just as useless but at least a kind of useless he could work with. He went back to Minato-sensei, the strongest shinobi he had ever met who he just knew would cave and teach him the hiraishin one of these days. If he didn’t then Kakashi would just have to learn how to be faster by himself.

ii.

He was broken when she found him and even if he didn’t know it then this was only the first time that she would put him back together. She led him back to the fading light with whispers of hope, of Obito surviving, of a surgery gone well. Kakashi felt like she was pulling his head above the water and giving him air to breathe when for a minute he’d forgotten how.

Later it would shame him that he’d forgotten her so quickly in the moment, although she always insisted that she didn’t blame him. He was only twelve and the only friend he’d never even realized he had was alive, alive, alive. Obito was breathing despite odds. His arm would never be the same again and his leg had been amputated but his heart was beating steadily as Kakashi collapsed across his chest and wept like he hadn’t since his father had been alive.

Only after the storm had passed and he sat wiping at his face in embarrassment did a very tired Rin murmur quietly that it was all thanks to Sakura-chan.

“She did what I couldn’t,” his teammate told him with a hitch in her breath. “You both did. I was no help; I never am. But you brought him home and Sakura-chan brought him back to life and I just stood there like a stupid lump!”

“You’re not useless, Rin.” She looked at him like she’s never seen him before and Kakashi found that somehow more embarrassing than crying in front of her. “It was my fault the both of you were in danger in the first place. Obito was brave. And so were you. Both of you are always…really brave.”

Brave for facing the emotions that he’d never been able to face before. What he had always seen as a weakness they used as a strength and that was something he admired. Minato-sensei had been trying to teach him for years the truth about teamwork but it had taken him until now to get it. A team was not built on the back of whoever was strongest. No, a team was built on the strength of all of its members, every person bringing a skill to the table to cover the weaknesses of others and create an impenetrable unit.

He found the one he was looking for slumped over and sleeping on a bench. Sakura was only twelve years old, just the same as he was, but she had assisted with a seven hour surgery after being awoken in the middle of the night and she must have been very tired. Instead of disturbing her, Kakashi sniffed out the closest linen closet and brought her a blanket. It settled over her like the peace settling in his chest, a feeling he wasn’t familiar with. Fitting, he thought. The whole world around him looked unfamiliar now.

“Thank you.” He left his words as a whisper in her ear before disappearing down the hallway back to Obito’s room, not bothering to check over his shoulder to see bright green eyes fluttering awake.

iii.

Obviously he heard about Tsunade. The whole village had heard about Tsunade. She was sort of hard to miss as she came marching down the streets of Konoha bellowing, “Bring me your prodigy!” as though she hadn’t abandoned the village years ago.

Kakashi didn’t find out the context for this until late that night, huddled behind the academy with Rin and Obito, trading sips from a can of red bean tea. That was when Rin told him with only the shadow of jealously in her voice that the Lady Tsunade had returned to Konoha to chase the rumors of a medical prodigy.

She was here to apprentice Haruno Sakura.

Turning this information over in his mind slowly, Kakashi contemplated what he should say to that. She deserved it, in his opinion. If not for her Obito wouldn’t be sitting beside him wearing a prosthetic leg, tired from a long day of physical therapy. On the other hand, she wasn’t who his loyalty was owed to.

“Well you’ll just have to show her that there are two prodigies in the Leaf,” he said, carefully not looking over in Rin’s direction. “Lady Tsunade better be ready to have two apprentices.”

He dodged the hug and scowled at the hair ruffling. It was as easy as ever to turn Obito’s teasing comments in to light hearted bickering, the very foundation of their friendship which continued to this day no matter how much stronger their bonds had grown. Just because he was learning what it was to have friends didn’t mean he enjoyed being the center of attention any more than he used to. What mattered was that Rin was smiling again and looked more determined than ever and he hoped Sakura was prepared for a little competition.

iv.

She split the ground with her fist the first time he saw her in a battle and Kakashi felt his heart cracking along the fault lines, fluttering like a weak thing behind his ribs. It was hard to believe she was the same bubblegum girl he had hated on first sight and a part of him wondered if she still moved and breathed and fought for her Sasuke-kun. Joining ANBU had kept him from fighting with the regular forces – even Rin and Obito hadn’t been at his side in nearly a year now – so it was rather easy to see how he might have never seen Team 7 fight before.

It was also easy to see he’d been missing out.

Although it might have been an odd detail to latch on to, Kakashi couldn’t help but notice that she had cut her hair. The pink strands were sweat drenched and dirt stained; they clung to her face and neck in a manner that should not have been anywhere near as alluring as it was. He almost lost his footing, actually stopping to stare in awe, as he bent herself to the earth and tore it open with a roar that shook the spine inside him.

Stupidly, he mind couldn’t help repeating that old line he couldn’t remember the origin of: she’s beauty, she’s grace, she’ll punch you in the face.

Even more stupidly, for some reason he felt as though he wouldn’t mind if she punched him in the face. He shook the feeling off by turning and sliding his kunai through an enemy’s throat. It was pure coincidence that his targets had happened upon a group of fellow Konoha shinobi just before Kakashi caught up to them, darting out of the shadows and in to the fray with nary a word to those already fighting. Sakura and her companions had grown so much since that day he dismissed them all as useless.

After the dust had settled and the only people standing bore the symbol of the Leaf, Sakura turned to him with a smile streaked in blood and eyes so bright he almost shielded his own.

“Thank you for your assistance, ANBU-san,” she called. “You fight pretty good.”

He was forever thankful that his double masks neatly covered the blush rising on his cheeks as he slipped back in to the shadows without a word. The Uchiha, whom he presumed was the fabled Sasuke-kun, watched him go with a single eyebrow raised. He looked a lot like Itachi, although the same could be said of everyone in their clan.

Kakashi made sure to casually mention the encounter to Minato-sensei later when he made his report in the Hokage’s office. He watched his old teacher swell up with pride that his son’s team had made such a good impression on one of his best, asking eagerly what Kakashi thought of them. Before he could stop himself the words seemed almost to fall from his lips like a cart running out of control.

“I think she’s beautiful.”

Minato-sensei laughed until his belly must have hurt. Kakashi smacked his shoulder and left without being dismissed.

“Do you still live for someone else?”

Probably it was a weird question to ask someone when their hands were wrist deep inside your abdomen and their chakra was the only thing stopping you from bleeding out. Kakashi had never been too concerned with social norms, though.

Instead of answering Sakura gave him a desperate wild look as she screamed over her shoulder for someone to signal the Hokage. He knew what that meant. They wouldn’t be able to transport him back in time. Minato-sensei’s teleportation was their only hope of keeping him alive. Maybe that should have bothered him more but when Kakashi was twelve he had seen this girl perform a miracle and if ever there was someone who’s hands he trusted it was her.

“S-Sakura.” His voice was small and wet. How strange. “Sakura do you…still live for someone else?”

For some reason it felt important that she answer. It wasn’t as though her answer would matter, in this life or the next. There was no way for her to know that the shadows watched her sometimes as she laughed at the bar with her friends. There was no way for her to know that the flowers that sometimes showed up on her doorstep came from his hand. There was no way she knew how hard he had fallen for a girl who felt so strongly and yelled so loudly that it shook away the darkness in him until all he knew was the light she gave off so freely.

“Don’t speak, ANBU-san,” she admonished him. Her brow creased in concentration as she forced more chakra in to his belly. Kakashi barely paid attention to the arching of his spine or the way blood bubbled up between his lips.

“You…lived for him. You breathed and broke and fought for him.” Breathing was more difficult than it should have been. “You shouldn’t.” When she looked down at him he prayed she couldn’t see through the holes in his mask or the cracks in his soul. “You are…enough on your own. No one should own who you are.”

He didn’t get to see Minato-sensei arrive. Too soon his vision faded and Kakashi spared a thought for Rin and for Obito, hoping they wouldn’t take this too hard. Better friends he could never have asked for. He owed them so much but he was certain both of them knew what they meant to him. No ghosts came with him when he felt the world fade to black around him.

vi.

“You’re stupid,” were the first words he heard upon regaining consciousness.

“I hear that a lot,” he croaked, “though never in regards to my actual intelligence. What have I done now?”

Only after he spoke did he crack his eyes open, immediately closing them again. His hospital bed – and he was obviously in a hospital bed – was set directly underneath the harsh halogen lights. A quick jerking tug sent his bed skittering to one side with a terrible squealing noise, obviously not the sound of a bed on wheels, and that answered the unspoken question of who had just called him an idiot before he was fully conscious.

“Hello Haruno-san,” he murmured, opening his eyes again now that he was out of the light’s path.

“Don’t you Haruno-san me you stalker creep.”

Despite her words she sounded more amused that anything else. That was the only thing that gave Kakashi the courage to roll his eyes to the side and take her in, knowing that if he moved his head a headache would start up. She looked as good in her medic’s uniform as she always did. Her hair, recently trimmed, was held back with a few cute little pins. On her face she wore an expression he’d seen too often on Rin, a mixture of irritation, exasperation, and fondness. He was more surprised than usual to see the fondness.

“Uhm…”

“If you wanted to ask me out you would have been better served using words instead of waiting around outside the hospital every morning.”

“You…saw that?”

“No but Rin-chan and I chat. Girls do that, you see. She’s been an absolute gold mine of interesting tidbits while you were sleeping.”

“Note to self: murder Rin.”

“Don’t you dare! We made a bet and I’m going to win; I won’t let you make me lose, you hear!”

“A bet?” Doing his best to ignore the way his head immediately began to pound, Kakashi turned to look at her in curiosity. “What kind of bet?”

Sakura waved one hand through the air casually. “Oh just a little thing. If I confront you and get a date then she has to go confront Obito and get a date out of him too.”

Kakashi stared. Swallowed. Shifted in his bed. Stared some more.

There was no porcelain mask to hide the blush this time and it was doubly embarrassing for her to see the line of red that crept overtop the small paper one some nurse had stretched over his mouth. Unless it had been her that put it on him. Had she been a part of his surgery? Had she peeked?

Putting that small panic-inducing thought aside for later, Kakashi had to clear his throat twice before he could string enough words together to respond to his long-time crush.

“Well. I’ve been telling those two to get their heads out of their asses for ages now. Who am I to turn down such an opportunity for them?” He smiled shakily when Sakura snorted.

“For them. Of course.”

“That’s me, the dutiful friend.”

“I hope you make as dutiful a date, Hatake Kakashi.” Sakura’s hand brushed his rather deliberately as she stood and made for the door. “Rumor says you have a habit of being as late for everything as Obito is. If you’re late for our first date I’ll remove your teeth for you.”

She was pink and only soft if you weren’t looking at her muscles – and Kakashi was so in love.

#rae writes #where did all this inspiration come from #i wrote this in like four ish hours #kakasaku #kakashi #sakura #fanfiction #naruto shippuden

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kuriquinn · 7 years

Text

The Girl Who Waited [10/10]

Disclaimer & Other Warnings

The war is over and life as she knows it has not ended.

In the last four months, every able-bodied man, woman, and child has been helping in the recovery process. Although there have been losses, the small circle of people who Sakura holds closest to her heart are all safe. She only wishes she could see them more often.

Naruto, in spite of his healing abilities, spends most of his time in and out of the hospital for physical therapy when he isn’t busy studying to become Hokage.

“I saved the damn world, I shouldn’t have to study anymore, believe it!” he complains constantly, much to the amusement—and quickly, annoyance—of anyone who will listen.

Kakashi is busy actually being the newest Hokage which Sakura finds hilarious. She suspects he’s spending most of his free-time teaching Naruto so that he can get out of the job as quickly as possible.

And Sasuke... He’s in prison.

He’s been there since the end of the war. Once the Infinite Tsukuyomi was dispelled and disoriented shinobi from the different nations were cared for, he surrendered himself to Konoha’s justice without condition. The Raikage is still bombarding Kakashi with extradition demands, but they’ve become weekly instead of daily, so that’s something.

As overjoyed as Sakura was with Sasuke’s return home, it was nothing like she pictured the event would be when she was young. Instead of strolling through the gates supported by herself and Naruto, Sasuke was led through in chains, a binding seal on his eyes. Instead of the village welcoming him home with open arms, suspicion and judgement fell on him from all corners.

Even worse, he deserves it and she knows it.

It seems like such a betrayal—worse than that day when she made up her mind to kill him. She can’t blindly support what he did the way she might’ve when she was twelve. Hell, she couldn’t even bring herself to visit him for that first month.

Seeing Sasuke again after everything was hard. From the first night after defeating Kaguya, Sakura was plagued by nightmares. Not of the battle itself, but of the genjutsu that Sasuke placed on her. It was stronger than anything she’d ever encountered, multi-layered and complex. The trial she went through to break herself out of it—she still experiences a little nausea at the memory.

It took her a full month and many one-on-one sessions with Tsunade to separate her real memories from what happened to her while under the illusion. In the process of unravelling the mental trauma, she even discovered an unexpected side effect: a sudden understanding about what Sasuke underwent as a child.

He was subjected to his brother’s Tsukuyomi not once, but twice. Without knowing what was happening or having anyone to help him through it afterward, he coped with the trauma in the only ways he knew how. He shut everyone out and sought out someone powerful enough to make sure he’d never become a victim again.

It’s no wonder he was never able to care for her with all that taking up space in his head.

When she was growing up, Sakura always believed Sasuke’s relationship with Naruto was simply an immature childhood rivalry—boys fight about the same stupid stuff that girls do. She resented it, too, because he cared more about measuring his abilities against Naruto than acknowledging her.

Now, though, she understands that it’s the only relationship for which he had the capacity. Whatever Itachi did to him, it stamped out any understanding he’s ever had of the way normal friendships and relationships are supposed to work. Everything had to be framed as a struggle, and to him, a rival made more of an impact than a friend, or even a lover.

And yet, even knowing that he may never be able to view her as anything but his former teammate, Sakura can’t stop loving him. And that’s fine, really.

Lady Tsunade never loved again after she lost her fiancé, but it didn’t stop her from becoming the most powerful kunoichi in the world. Sakura still hopes Sasuke will return her feelings, but unlike when she was twelve, it’s not her only dream. She might not be destined to become Hokage, but there’s so much she can do for the world on her own.

And to start, she intends to make sure that what happened to her precious comrades—Sasuke, Naruto, Kakashi, and anyone else left orphaned by circumstance—will never happen again.

So, if Sasuke never left, she never would’ve discovered her ultimate purpose. Once she realised that, it finally made it easier to visit him. Not that he’s technically allowed visitors, but Sakura’s status as Tsunade’s apprentice opens doors. And if it didn’t, the fact that she’s one of the new generation of elite shinobi who helped to save the planet would.

Visits don’t happen very often—there’s so much work to do at the hospital, and so many relief missions being outsourced these days. She’s never allowed in without an escort because, she suspects, the Elders worry that perhaps one of Sasuke’s old teammates might try to break him out of prison.

And, of course, the visits themselves are hardly typical.

Sasuke remains bound completely, blinded by a seal, and tightly secured in a way that makes her sick to see, even if she understands the necessity (even if that small, still-healing part of her is glad for it).

He never speaks, but he does listen when she talks. She knows he does because she spent her childhood talking at him, and she recognises the signs when he’s listening or when he’s ignoring her. Sometimes, she closes her eyes and imagines they aren’t surrounded by bars in a cold, dank basement. It’s not quite like the old days, but it’s something.

Valentine’s Day comes around once more, and Sakura makes her rounds to all the men in her life, out of habit more than anything else.

It’s the first year she gives anything to Sai, who asks if he’s supposed to pay her back in sexual favours. Ino is not happy with that, and yet for whatever reason, it’s Sakura who she yells at and not Sai. It’s even more unfair because by now, Sakura’s a pretty good judge of when Sai is really confused or just messing with people. She has a suspicion about her two friends, but until she gets more confirmation, she just lets it go.

She also goes shopping with Hinata to help her pick out the right gift for Naruto. The Hyūga heiress is even more blatantly obvious about her romantic feelings than Sakura ever remembers being, but she’s also painfully shy. And Naruto is painfully clueless.

In the end, Sakura ends up giving him both her and Hinata’s gifts together, as if they’re both just gifts for a friend. Hinata is obviously upset with herself, but she thanks Sakura for her help all the same, and Sakura tells her not to worry about it.

“By next year, we’ll work up that confidence and you can give him chocolate all by yourself,” she teases, but it’s all in fun.

She’s not sure which situation is worse—being in love with someone who knows about your feelings and doesn’t return them, or being in love with someone who doesn’t even see you as a woman. Either way, she and Hinata are in the same boat.

Maybe we should start a support group...

At the end of the day, Sakura thinks nothing of heading to the prison with a bag of goodies, buoyed up by whimsical sense of nostalgia.

She’s a frequent enough visitor nowadays that, even if she wasn’t the Hokage’s apprentice, they’d admit her. Ibiki rolls his eyes while the guards tease her good-naturedly. Many of them are also still recovering from wartime injuries, and she’ll usually stop to chat with them or offer treatment suggestions when she has the time.

Today, she offers them each small boxes of chocolate because, working down here, it’s not like they’re accessible to the people who care about them.

“Make sure you pay it forward and treat your sweethearts well next time you see them,” she chides good-naturedly. “They have to put up with you, after all.”

Pleasant laughs and blithe protest follow, while Sakura submits to the usual protocol. They check her belongings for contraband or (ridiculously enough) poison, and then she’s wandering through the dank basement to the cell where Sasuke is being kept.

She thinks that Sasuke perks up when he hears her gait, but it’s dark down here and she doesn’t have a Sharingan.

Just an overactive imagination.

“Hello, Sasuke,” she greets softly, waving even though he can’t see it. “How are you?” As if he would answer her honestly or at all. “Is there anything you want me to check for you?”

She’s the only person he’ll allow to heal him, whether it’s examining the remnants of his arm, or keeping fevers and chills at bay. The stubborn fool had the gall to refuse medical care that entire first month she didn’t come visit him. Sakura screamed herself hoarse at him for that, considering she didn’t go through hell for him to die of sepsis. She suspects he was a little surprised at that, a fact which fills her with no small amount of satisfaction.

“Well, all right. But the minute you notice something isn’t right, you tell me, okay? I don’t want to find another infection in your arm.”

Silence.

“I can’t stay very long today,” she tells him apologetically. “There’s a backlog of patients. Mostly stomach trouble. There are way too many guys eating sweets.” She chuckles lightly, noting him tilt his head in question. “Valentine’s Day, you know?” His mouth makes a familiar, reflexive downturn and her eyes soften. “I guess that’s one upside to being in here, right? No one to bother you with unwanted chocolate.”

There’s no point in mentioning that, these days, she’s the only one who would consider getting Sasuke sweets.

“On that note,” she goes on, reaching for the contain of tomatoes she brought with her. “I actually did bring you something, for old times’ sake. I bet you probably haven’t had any in a while.”

She holds one of the plump fruits out to him before she fully considers the situation. Then she freezes, fingers hovering inches from his lips, suddenly unsure of herself.

Idiot! He can’t see what you have—and even if he could, he hates being useless! Way to remind him that he’s basically dependant on everyone these days!

Not to mention that feeding another person is a bit intimate. She’s suddenly conscious of her increasing heart-rate and must take a stabilising breath.

Stop it. There’s no ulterior motive here. It’s very simple. Sasuke can’t use his hands, so I have to help him—it’s the same as that time when Naruto couldn’t feed himself. It doesn’t have to mean anything.

“Open your mouth,” she tells him, and even with her brain giving her logical arguments, Sakura can’t help the flood of warmth to her cheeks. She can just imagine the expression he would be giving her—confused and suspicious—if not for the blindfold.

Right when she thinks he’s going to keep ignoring her and she’ll have to convince him, he does as she asks.

Before she loses her nerve, Sakura presses the fruit to his lips, and he carefully bites into it. A lone rivulet of juice runs down the corner of his mouth as Sasuke emits a definite noise of surprise—possibly even pleasure. Sakura experiences a giddy sense of accomplishment.

“Not too sweet, right?” she asks him nervously as he slowly continues chewing. “They shouldn’t be. This type isn’t supposed to be sweet and all, and I picked them early enough, so they’re only just ripe. I was just surprised there were any. I mean, so much of the Uchiha district is just rubble now, but this little plant managed to survive it. Against all odds!” She smiles even though he can’t see it. “Want another one?”

“Hn.”

In anyone else, that would just be a vocalisation, but Sasuke might as well have just waxed poetic. Sakura’s smile becomes a beam of joy, and the reaches for another tomato.

She doesn’t let him eat all of them as he’s on a restricted diet, and she doesn’t want to make him sick. She does, however, promise to give them to his jailor to include with his dinner rations.

“I’ll bring some more next time,” she tells him, standing. “I’ve got to go now though, so...” She trails off, and as expected, he has nothing to say. Her happiness ebbs a little at this, but she shrugs. It’s Sasuke, and she’s already gotten more from him today than she would expect.

As she slips back through the iron door, though, the silence of the cell is broken.

“Sakura...” His voice is gravelly from disuse, making her stomach do a queer little flip and a chill climb up her spine. “Thank you.”

The way he says it, she knows it’s not just the tomatoes for which he is grateful. And unlike the first two times he’s said these words to her, she isn’t crying.

She smiles into the darkness and tells him, “You’re welcome.”

Maybe there’s hope for the future after all.

つづく

Comments and constructive criticism are always welcome, but if you feel like keeping me caffeinated out of the goodness of your heart, it certainly would be appreciated! I’m also starting to post original works to my patreon.

I’m only able to keep writing as I do thanks to the support of readers like you, so every bit helps!

栗

Epilogue

#naruto fanfiction #sasusaku #rating: teen #the girl who waited #the legacy of fire series #sfw #hope for the future #sakura haruno #sasuke uchiha #connected feelings #slow build #slow burn #first love #valentine's day #sasusakufestival

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depressedkakashihatake · 4 years

Note

Age swap AU! Naruto and the rest of Konoha 12 are the senseis while Kakashi and the various jounin/chunin are the students. Jiraya, Orochimaru and Tsunade are of Hiruzen's age. Kagami is still alive and he, Hiruzen and Danzou are of the Sannin's age.

Tsunade is the Hokage while Orochimaru is the one running ROOT. Danzou is the one that run away from the village while Hiruzen is the one traveling the world and Kagami will be the fifth Hokage after Tsunade, who's the Third, while Jiraya is the one who died like it happened in canon with Kagami.

Sasuke is the one who "died" during the Kannabi Bridge and Naruto is the one with the Sharingan and the one in ANBU. Sakura is the Sanbi Jinchuuriki and the best medic after Tsunade, Rin is Kushina and Minato's daughter (Minato's generation is the only one that remains the same) and also the Kyuubi Jinchuuriki.

The Uchiha clan still gets killed, but not completely. Mostly the adults, while everyone under Obito's age gets left alive so that the village is forced to adopt the children and let them really grow up in the village, and Kagami survives because he's not in the village when that happens.

Itachi is older than Shisui instead of the other way around and he's the one killing himself in front of Shisui because of Orochimaru and awakening his Mangekyō, and Shisui is the one doing the semi-massacre and leaving the village to join the Akatsuki.

I think (unless we want really old man dad Sakumo) that Sakumo is about the same age as Minato and Kushina (cuz that hair is distinctive. we can change other people’s families but Kakashi i refuse to see as the son of anyone but the great white fang). Sakumo perhaps died on a mission protecting his teammates, leaving Kakashi as an orphan at the young age of 1.

So When Naruto gets team 7 he gets Kakashi (orphan since 1), Obito (Orphan since like 6 and hates his brother) and Rin (Orphan since birth). So not a single one of the people on team 7 knows what it’s like to have parents, or at least to keep them.

Obito is still relitivly a bright personality, where Kakashi is still a very straight forward but kind of goofy personality, but the diffrence is Obito does harbour that anger towards Shisui that make’s him want to kill him. He tries not to let it eat him alive, but it sort of does just without it being seen. Naruto sort of see’s it where others don’t, so he’s always trying to keep Obito on track and out of the darkness.

It...does not work. but we’ll get to that.

When Team 7 is formed it’s pretty much the same as Team Minato, major difference being that Rin is the Jinjuuriki for the nine tails. So Rin, Kakashi and Obito are all destined to be power houses. They’re all either extreamly skilled, or they will have the skills honed inside of them over the years. One way or another they will all take names and kick ass.

At first the team is...less than stellar. Kakashi is a genius and he rises through the ranks pretty quick, Obito is trying to get stronger and he’s getting there but he has so much anger towards Shisui that holds him back, and Rin is always trying to prove herself and control the Jinjuuriki (cuz Tsunade tells her. She make’s sure Rin knowns what tf she is dealing with)

Naruto focuses the most on Obito because of their matching personalities, but he doesn’t forget about Rin and Kakashi (like my depressed boy sometimes forgets about Naruto and Sakura). Noticing Rin’s really great chakra control and the fact that she is a Jinjuuriki, he sets her up with Sakura for extra training. For Kakashi, he tries a variety of other teachers but Kakashi doesn’t really do well with any of them. Shikamaru can help him improve his tacticle prowess, but Kakashi refuses to work with someone who would rather watch the clouds. Kiba is a no go for Kakashi and he bites the poor bastard to make that clear, and Ino just about punches Kakashi through a wall for being a snide little shit. Fidning Kakashi a teacher is hard.

Obito (like Sasuke) activates his sharingan during the mission against Zabuza. Except he’s protecting Rin doing it, while Kakashi is fighting Zabuza with Naruto (like Sakura could have done if Kishi cared about his female characters).

During the chunin exams, Naruto’s team is the only one where all of them go ahead into the second round. Rin beats Asuma to head into the semi finals, Kakashi beats a Sand Shinobi, and Obito beats Ebisu.

Naruto teaches Obito the Rasangan (which he learned from his sensei Minato) to use against the Sand shinobi that he will be facing in the semi finals, Baki (who is the jinjuuriki for suna). Rin is meant to face off against Kurenai and Kakashi is set to face off against Gai.

After the chunnin exams and the attack on Konoha (in which Tsunade is put into acoma after having to fight her father (age so she’s hashirama’s daughter now lol) and uncle) Rin leaves with Sakura to go search for the new hokage that they have decided on, Kagami. Kagami reluctantly agrees and says he will find a good fifth hokage as soon as possible.

Afterwards, Team 7 tries to continue on (Kakashi, Rin, Gai, Asuma, Kurenai and Genma all get promoted to chunin, though Kakashi is a clear favorite as a tactical leader) Obito ends up getting approached by Danzo to become stronger so that he can face his brother Shisui. Obito ends up taking up the offer and getting taken in much the same way as Sasuke was, except the one’s who go after him are Rin, Kurenai, Asuma, Genma, Ebisu and Gai to face off against the last of the sound five. Kakashi is off on his first solo mission during this time.

Rin and Obito end up facing down (like sasuke and naruto did) and Rin ends up passing out after ending up with two tails worth of power. Kakashi is still the one to find them and carry Rin back, but he didn’t get there in time to stop Obito.

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sufferthesea · 7 years

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Headcanons for Konoha 11 kunoichi as study buddies/sparring partners? :)

Thank you so much for the request! I hope I did okay with this, and sorry it took so long. I’ve never really had a study buddy before?? I eitherstudy by myself or don’t study at all. (it’s really ?? a miracle?? I graduated college Summa Cum Laude?? I’m assuming the more tears you cried, the higher the grade you got.)

I hope these aren’t too redundant 💖 Under the cut because it’s 3.3k words, sorry. Someone should just tie my hands so I can’t type anymore.

KONOHA 11 KUNOICHI AS STUDY BUDDIES & SPARRING PARTNERS

SAKURA

Study Buddy: Sakura arranges to meet at the library - either theschool one or the public one, and has all her supplies ready (books,markers, highlighters, notebooks, Post-It notes, literallyeverything).She carries everything in a sturdy shoulder bag that she has a fewkeychains on. She texts you to remind you the week before, 2 daysbefore, and the day of so you don’t forget - and she texts you alist of things you should bring.

Will study far intothe night if she needs to. She’ll also stay with you until you’recomfortable enough with the material to move on or call it a night.She really wants you to pass because, 1) she wants you to succeedand, 2) it makes her feel good knowing that she helped you to dobetter and improve!

She has two moodswhen studying - it’s either “WE POWER THROUGH THIS LIKE WOMEN ANDSTUDY FOR 8 HOURS STRAIGHT, NO BREAKS” or, “I’ve read thisthree times and it doesn’t make sense, so I think we should grablunch to give our minds a break, but then IT’S BACK TO THELIBRARY!”

Thisgirl doesn’t sleep the week before exams, which means she won’tlet you sleep either. It’s all-nighters cramming over your notes,downing caffeine, and keeping each other awake (she punches you tokeep you from falling asleep and she forgets how strong she is so itusually ends up in you covered with a lot of bruises and taping youreyes open so she won’t think you’re falling asleep - please,Sakura stop PUNCHING ME).

Ifyou both do well on your exams, she’ll arrange a celebratory dinnerfor both of you. If she did well and you didn’t, she’ll let youknow that you did your best and she’ll help you keep studying (andshe’ll definitely buy you your favorite food/rent your favoritemovie to cheer you up). If you did well and she didn’t, she’d bereally disappointed but hide it so she could be happy for you - andthen she’d take you out to a bakery to get desserts because sweetsmake all sad things better, right??? She’shonestly so great but super intense; she doesn’t mess around withstuff like studying.

SparringPartner: Sakura hates being the “weak” one of the group and shehates being a burden. If she has someone to spar with and work withher faithfully and honestly, she would train until the sun goes downand well into the night. Having an actual sparring partner is a dreamfor her - everyone else seems too busy or disinterested in workingwith her, so when she finds you it’s like a blessing.

Sakuradoes not hold anything back when she trains or spars with you. Hergoal is to become stronger and to make you stronger as well - and itdoes no one any good to only exert 80% of your energy or strength,when you’d be using 100% of everything you have during a realfight. She doesn’t want you to go easy on her and she doesn’twant you to treat her differently than any other opponent justbecause she hasn’t had as much training as the other shinobi. Ifshe even gets a hintthat you’re holding back on her because you’re afraid she’s tooweak or unskilled, she will come after you with everything she hasand make it known that she - is - serious.

She’ll definitelyask you to try out new jutsus and fighting styles with her. She’llalso want to strengthen both her offensive and defensive moves so shecan be prepared for anything. While she partially wants you toexplain/show how a move should work, she also knows that she needs tolearn on the fly to read an opponent’s moves and will just let youcome at her so she can learn from observation/action.

Afterward,she’ll definitely practice her medical ninjutsu to heal any cuts orbruises you’ve received. She likes doing this because it’s “liketwo separate training sessions in one day!” Even if it’ssomething minor, she’ll eagerly patch you up or give you some typeof medicine to take (some of it seems pretty shifty, but you don’tsay anything). She’s incredibly grateful that you’re willing totrain with her (and continue to train with her even when she getsstronger and stronger and … oh my gosh, sparring with awoman trained by Lady Tsunade is not a good idea I’M GOING TO DIE)and she considers you one of the reasons she becomes successful andhas her true potential realized. (Somebody please pay attention tothis girl, she HAS SO MUCH POTENTIAL.)

HINATA

Study Buddy: Hinata is very smart but she’s unsure of herself asa study buddy. She doesn’t want to be a tutor, because she alwaysfeels like she is teaching her pupil incorrectly. She doesn’t wantto be responsible for them failing and then getting angry at her.You’d most likely have to approach her, but if you were alreadyfriends/friendly to her then she may ask you if you’d like to studytogether.

Hinata prefers tostudy at quiet places outdoors. She doesn’t like studying at herhouse because she feels like her family is judging her for “needinga study partner”, and she doesn’t mind the library but it alwaysfeel too formal and awkward there. So she’ll find a picnic table ata park, or a outdoor table at a cafe to study with you. She 100%brings snacks and drinks to the park, or buys you a drink and treatat the cafe because she’s happy you’re there with her to study.

She is really scaredof giving you false information, so she’ll ask you what answers youwrote down/what your notes say before she tells you anything. Shealso corrects you gently. If you say something that’s wrong, she’llsay, “Actually, I think this is what it is …” or “You’rereally close! But, um, this is the correct answer. I can see whereyou went wrong. If you want, I can show you how to get the rightanswer …” She’s super sweet about it all and is afraid ofhurting your feelings but you don’t really care - you just need topass this exam.

You’ll probablyonly study for a few hours (2-3) before Hinata decides to call it anight. She could easily study for much longer (and usually does byherself), but she doesn’t want to push you into burning out andgiving up. She’ll schedule your next study session for the next day“if that’s okay with you” and she’ll meet you at the sameplace every day until you’re both comfortable enough with thematerial.

She’ssuper happy for you if you do well and she credits your success toyou 100% - she “didn’t do much, it was you studying so hard!”She happily joins you after the exam for lunch/dinner and notes thatshe thinks you two make a pretty good study-buddy team, and would behappy to keep studying in the future. She’s so sweet ommgg, even ifshe won’t outright slap your pencil out of your hands and say,“YOU’RE DOING THIS WRONG, LISTEN TO ME OKAY? THIS IS NOT THECORRECT ANSWER SO STOP WRITING IT.”(that’s much more Ino tbh…)

Sparring Partner:Hinata will train with you as long as you’d like her to. If youwant to spar for a couple of hours, then that’s awesome. If you canonly do an hour or so, then that’s fine too. But if you only wantto spar for ten minutes, sporadically throughout the week she may geta little annoyed and finally tell you, “I really don’t mindsparring with you but … you’ll need far more than ten minutesonce every week to get better. Is your schedule really busy? I canwork around it, but I think we should set some days where we can sparfor at least half an hour.” (She’ll be very kind about it andfeel a little bad afterward for being so “confrontational”, butshe knows that improvement only comes with dedication and hard work.)

She wouldn’t mindtraining at her family’s house with you, but she can feel thejudgment from her family watching her train with you. She doesn’twant to subject you to the awful comments her relatives make, andshe’d really rather be away from home if she can be. So she’ll goto the training fields or to someplace you’re comfortable with. Shemight agree to let other people join the two of you, but she’drefrain from going out of her way to invite other people.

Hinata would commenton your fighting style and take note of how you hold yourself, howyou block, and what weapons/techniques you use most. She’d let youknow which ones work and which ones don’t. She’d use her Byakuganduring training and could easily deflect most of your moves, but ifyou happened to find her blind spot and hit her a few times, thenshe’d encourage you to “find the blind spot” in any futureenemy. (You’d also inform her exactly where her blind spot was andhelp her learn to always be on alert in regards to that weakness.) Ifeel that she’d be too afraid to use any of her stronger moves onyou so she doesn’t get to really practice them on a real person,but she does get a lot of defense practice in which she isappreciative of.

TENTEN

Study Buddy: Tenten doesn’t like people who are too dependent, so shewill be immediately turned off by someone throwing themselves at herdesperately, freaking out because “You haveto help me pass this class!” Uh … no thank you. But if you arepretty chill about it (whether you are doing poorly or not), thenshe’d be more than willing to help you. She loves helping herfriends and she’d be willing to do any type of study session thatbest suited your learning abilities - short sessions, all-nighters,snack breaks, going for walks every hour, whatever it was you needed.If she knew you were studying for a class with a fairly sexist orunfair teacher/student, she’d definitely make it an opportunity tostudy hard to get better grades just to prove the teacher/studentthat girls were just as smart.

Tenten likesstudying at teahouses or at outdoor restaurants. She likes to have aplace outside of the house and school to be, and doesn’t want thedistractions of other people from school - especially when loudgroups of students or school athletes pass by. Plus it’s nice to beable to order a hot drink or some dumplings whenever the mood strikesher. (And no one except for like 3 other kids at the school knowabout this restaurant so you won’t have to worry about running intopeople you don’t like.)

Honestly,she may get distracted by some small paragraph in your textbook thattalks about some obscure medieval weapon used oncein a battle that had absolutely no significance to the grand schemeof things, and she’ll get lost talking about this weapon for theentire study session. If you try to keep the conversation moving inthe right direction, she won’t even notice and she’ll probablybranch off to other weapons used during that time period, how theywere manufactured, what type of metal was used, who had access tothem, what they were the medieval ancestors of … Oh mygosh, Tenten, we aren’t even covering what’s on the test, WE’REGOING TO FAIL JUST STOOOOOP.

She likes to do“closed book pop quizzes” at the beginning of your studysessions. You’ll arrive, sit down, and the first thing she does isgrab your book and shout a question at you like, “Who was the nieceof the first Hokage’s great-grandson?” And you’d be like, “Uh- wait, what? I just got here.” And she’d sigh and say, “Youneed to study more … If you can’t answer questions like that offthe top of your head then we aren’t doing enough.” Honestly, youprobably knew it but it just caught you so off-guard. Still, shestudies with you until you can answer those “pop quizzes” withease. She’s pretty proud of herself for teaching you so well, butalso proud of you for studying so hard.

Sparring Partner:Hardcore. Tenten loves working with all of her weapons and anyopportunity to not only improve her skills, but to show off hercollection, will not be wasted. She’d be more than happy to trainwith you, no matter what ninjutsu or taijutsu you use because sheknows that she needs to improve her attacks and defense against anytype of enemy.

Be prepared forliterally everything in her arsenal to be used. Tenten just can’timagine sparring and not throwing everything she has at you. She’dalso want to try out new things - whether it’s what weapons shesummons, how she throws shuriken, or what position she’s in whenshe uses her kunai, she’ll be experimenting until she getseverything right. The point of sparring is to get better, learn howto block another shinobi’s attacks, and adjust your own fightingstyle. It’s her goal to fight flawlessly and defeat any enemy thatstands in her way, so the more unpredictable and unique your sparringstyle is then the more likely she’d be willing to spar for severalhours a day.

If you also happento use a lot of weapons, she’ll be ecstatic because fightingagainst someone who uses techniques and weapons like herself isreally exciting. She’ll also undoubtedly gush about the tools youuse afterward, and admire them as you pack them up. She’d also bewilling to exchange tricks on how to sharpen kunai or shuriken,discuss new tool designs, and how to maximize the lethality of yourchoice of weapons.

Tenten also likes togive verbal instruction if she sees you’re failing at a certainmove or struggling to block a certain attack. She’ll show you whatyou’re doing wrong and say something like, “You hold your armsdown here when I do this - but you need to hold them up here. See?But you have to wait until I’m this far from you, or else I’llsee your defense and attack easily around that. You have to take meby surprise! If I can read your moves before it’s too late todivert my course, then there’s no way you’ll win against me.”She’s got a lot of great advice and it’s smart to listen to her,but don’t be afraid to give your own advice to her. Sparringtogether is a unique opportunity to evaluate one another’sstrengths and weaknesses and point them out. The village is strongestwhen shinobi from different teams work together to fill in the gapswhere each one is lacking; pointing out weaknesses is the best way ashinobi can take care of their comrade.

INO

Study Buddy: Flashcards, all day every day. She thinks they’resuper helpful and a great way to stay organized. Plus it makes studysessions really easy. Just pull out your flashcards and go throughthem - bam! That’s five minutes of intense studying done! (Plus shebuys super cute stationery and glittery markers, and she putsstickers on them and everything. Go big or go home, right?)

Ino is usually busyhelping her parents out at their flower shop, so any chance to getaway from the store is great for her. She’ll suggest somewherethat’s sunny and warm, preferably away from crowds (and annoyingclassmates), and somewhere that is still conveniently placed for aquick snack break (c’mon, everyone needs snacks) - not to mention aplace that’ll have optional shading so she won’t get a sunburn ortoo tanned. She may even suggest the roof of one of the buildingsthat has a table and chairs (of course, Shikamaru tends to be upthere and while it may annoy her because, “Such a lazy bum neverstudies even though it’d be really easy for him!” she doesn’tmind having him there because occasionally he’ll throw out sometrivia or mnemonic to help you remember a topic you’re strugglingwith.)

Inois a good friend and all, but sometimes you just really test herpatience. If you’re still struggling with something she thinks youshould’ve gotten by now, she’ll slam her hands on the table andsay, “What aren’t you getting about this?! It’s so simple! I’veexplained it three times already! I know you’re smart - you’vegotten everything else correct - so what is it about this?!” Shecan be a little cruelwith what she says when she’s frustrated, but she’ll never callyou stupid or say studying with you is useless. But she may need afive minute break to scream into the void, collect herself, and comeback to calmly tell you what you’re doing wrong. When you finallyget it, she’ll probably cry with joy and shout, “Yes! Finally!”And then she’ll call it quitsfor the day and suggest that you and her (and Shikamaru if he wasthere for your breakthrough) go out to eat.

SparringPartner: Ino doesn’t mindsparring, but she feels like there are better things she can be doingwith her time. It seems that she’s either training or working ather parents’ shop. Doesn’t she ever get a break? But if sheneeded to train or you approached her and asked if she’d spar withyou, she’d agree and set a day and time for you to meet.

Ino’s most usedjutsu is her mind control/transfer jutsu, so she’d definitely wantto try it on you. However, it’d be easy for you to point out theflaws in her jutsu (the opponent has to be standing still and indirect line with her for it to work), so you’d try to work with herto come up with a way to make the jutsu more effective. Either youhelp her learn concealing techniques so she can hide more effectivelyto do the jutsu on unsuspecting victims, or you suggest ways tochange it up. You’d also gratefully train with weapons such askunai and shuriken, or using ninjutsu and taijutsu because it’simportant to be able to understand how these fighting styles work andwhat to expect.

Ngl,she’d probably trash talk during sparring. “You think that’sgoing to work on me? You’re forgetting that I’m on a team withShikamaru and Choji! Not to mention, I’ve gone on amission with Naruto before! If Icould survive that,then this is nothing. You’re going to have to try harder thanthat!” And don’t mention how you’d trained with Sakura beforeand how she was stronger than Ino. There’d be fire in her eyes andshe’d balled her hands into fists and start screaming, “Oh yeah?!You think that Billboard Brow is stronger than me?! Let me prove toyou who’s actually stronger!!” And if you aren’t prepared forthe pure wrath that will come out during the sparring session, thenyou’re probably not gonna last long, rip.

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fiercyy · 4 years

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Chapters: 10/? Fandom: Naruto Rating: Teen And Up Audiences Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence Relationships: Haruno Sakura/Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi, Team 7 - Relationship, Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto, Haruno Sakura & Hatake Kakashi & Uchiha Sasuke & Uzumaki Naruto Characters: Haruno Sakura, Uchiha Sasuke, Uzumaki Naruto, Hatake Kakashi, Tsunade (Naruto), Orochimaru (Naruto) Additional Tags: AU, Post-Chuunin Exams, post chuunin exams attack, Minor Character Death, Trauma, Team 7 Family bonding, Genin Era, Everybody moves in with Sasuke, he's got room, semi-au, Plot Twists, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Roommates, Friends to Enemies, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, BAMF Haruno Sakura, Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto) Feels, BAMF Dai-nana-han | Team 7 (Naruto), Team as Family, Slow Burn Series: Part 1 of Post-Chuunin Exam AU Summary:

Sakura always wished she could relate to her teammates better. She wishes she could take it back.

In which Sasuke acquires some unwanted roommates and a team becomes a family.

Sasuke hasn't needed an alarm clock to wake him up in weeks. Every night he falls asleep to Naruto's soft snores and the anxieties of his day as told by the voice in his head. When sleep finally drags him under, ankles first, he has the same dream.

He's in the Forest of Death, but instead of the canopy of trees, the trunks just stretch up and up into darkness. He is completely alone. He walks at a leisurely pace for a while; the scenery doesn't change. Eventually, he looks down, only to realize that ahead of him are a set of footprints. He glances behind him and finds that he has left his own track of prints, they curve behind him and into the trees. He realizes that the set in front of him are his own. He's been going in circles.

Beneath him, the earth splits. He hovers above the chasm. The chasm blinks. A golden snake eye glares up at him. A hissing noise rises like the roar of a river.

"Sasuke," Sakura whispers in his ear, but when he turns, she's 50 feet away and her fist touches the ground. She is the source of the chasm.

"Try to keep up, bastard," says Naruto, only he is right by his side. "Or we'll leave you behind."

Suddenly, Sasuke is falling into the eye. Naruto grabs his hand and stops him from falling. "Naruto," Sasuke orders, "pull me up, quick!"

"You can do it yourself, can't you?" He wrenches his hand away and Sasuke is falling falling falling again into the eye. Consumed.

Relying on them is foolish. They will leave you. A voice hisses from all around him. He's still falling. You can't trust anyone but yourself. They're not worth your time anyway. You've tried to pull them up to your level. But at what cost? They've dragged you down to theirs. You're better than this Sasuke Uchiha. I can offer you-

And it is often here, that he startles himself awake. But today. Today the nightmare continues.

He stops falling. Heart in his throat, he floats in the inky blackness of the snake eye pupil. I can offer you power. You languish in this village, thwarting your true potential. Look at what Uzumaki Naruto has achieved with the help of a sannin. he is weak but he almost beat you. Why? And Sakura Haruno. Pathetic, sobbing Sakura Haruno. She will learn to bring men back from the dead. What can you do? You need me. Come to me. I will give you power the likes of which you've never-

"Sasuke!"

He gasps and emerges from the nightmare. His heart races under the fist he's clutched to his chest. His neck burns. Sakura stands over him, hands on his shoulders. He slaps them away.

"What!?" he demands.

Sakura deftly takes a step back, like dodging a fist. "Fine. I'll train on my own today…" her tone is sullen until she takes a good look at him. "Are you sick?" Approaching with the slow unstartling gait of a snake charmer she lays a hand on his sweaty forehead. "Oh no, I'm sorry. I should have let you sleep."

"…It's fine."

"I'll pick up some soup on my way back from my lesson with Tsunade," she promises. He's glad she hasn't offered to make any herself. Salty, spicy and oily broth might make him feel worse than he already does. Then again, the longer he's in her presence the worse he feels—the more he thinks about the voice from his dreams.

He nods, tense and shivering and goose-pimpled like he's just come out of a freezing lake.

Sakura shoots him one last look from the doorway, hesitant to leave.

"Would you go already?!"

Her mouth presses into a firm line and the door snaps closed.

Once she's gone and he's left to fixate, Sasuke spirals lower. He can't be around anyone, but he doesn't want to be alone. He's furious. He's scared. He desperately wants to go back to sleep but knows what's waiting for him if he does.

So Sasuke makes a liar of himself and prepares for some solo training.

Sasuke is being so weird and Sakura is torn between genuine worry and anger. He could be such a hypocrite sometimes. She slept in once an he left without her. She was kind enough to wake him and he was nothing but cranky! He looked terrible though; red rimmed eyes, gaunt and seeming a little lost.

What a stupid, self-centered jerk! …Who patiently waited for her most mornings and helped her catch up to him and Naruto with extra training…

Sakura quickly grows bored of training by herself, having been ditched by her old friend. Her new friend. Her former crush and former enemy. Sometimes it's hard to keep Sasuke straight. Living with him and dealing with his henpecking ways makes it hard for her heart to pound every time he talks to her. It would become a medical condition. But does that mean she doesn't love him anymore?

She does… she thinks. She's just figuring out how.

With Naruto, it's so easy. He wheedled himself into her heart slowly; with jokes, support and attention. It feels as if they've always been together. He has never once confused her.

After they came to live with Sasuke she didn't have the emotional bandwidth to worry or question the way the boys treated her. There was no room for surprise at the delicacy with which they both handled her. In retrospect It's not shocking at all that Naruto filled her cracks and held her together, but it is surprising that Sasuke did too. He found it somewhere within himself to give her a home, acceptance and empathy. Even though there was no conceivable means for him to have acquired it. Sakura doesn't have her parents anymore, but she does have a family. They must love her very much.

She turns on her heal and stomps away from the training ground toward the market.

She's early for training with Tsunade, but the Hokage is already there. The training ground is a rocky clearing that peaks just below the treeline. Konoha is in the middle of a draught and the air is dusty. A small stream runs through the middle when it rains; sometimes Tsunade plucks a small fish from it with her bare hands and makes Sakura keep it alive for as long as she can.

"Good morning Shisou."

"Morning Cutie." That tells Sakura that she's in for a rough morning.

It doesn't matter that they're both half an hour early, they get started right away.

"What am I-" Sakura chokes on the sentence because a rock the size of her head is flying right at her. She dodges. "What the hell?!"

"Strength training, block, don't dodge."

"NO!" Sakura shrieks as a rock twice the size of her head flies overhead.

Tsunade picks up a boulder. "They're just going to keep getting bigger!"

When Sasuke wakes up again, he's cranky. It's why he doesn't often sleep in or nap. He always wakes up worse off than he started. The bitter taste of his tongue travels to his heart and his belly with each aching breath of wakefulness.

He glances at Naruto's bed. Gone, training with Jiraiya. They're set to go on an expedition soon. He says the Sannin's going to teach him a new technique.

Sasuke scowls. They haven't fought in months, not since the Chunin exams, but Naruto bested him when they fought Gaara and that counts. Meanwhile, Sasuke has stagnated. Kakashi's one-on-one training is centered on control and expanding his chakra reserves. It's a long, painstaking process and he isn't getting stronger fast enough. Itachi is so far ahead. By his age, Itachi was already in ANBU. Meanwhile Sasuke couldn't even make Chunin on his first try.

He's never failed at anything before and it hits harder than he cares to admit. The prospect of retaking a test is maddening—the kind of thing reserved for dead last losers in the academy, like Naruto.

"At least we'll get to do it again as a team!" Naruto had proclaimed, sunnily. To him, the greater tragedy would have been one of them passing without the others.

Sasuke would have been perfectly fine leaving them behind. He sees them every day at home anyway.

A creature of habit, Sasuke drifts to the kitchen for breakfast.

On the fridge the magnetic dry erase notepad reads 'check the microwave' in Sakura's handwriting.

In the microwave is a takeout container of chicken broth.

That night, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura fall asleep under the chunky red blanket on the couch in front of the TV.

In the morning, Sasuke wakes up first and waits a few minutes before jiggling his shoulder free of Naruto's head and shaking Sakura awake. Together they go to morning training as usual.

Naruto can't help but think that Kakashi's getting a little lax in the sensei department. Team training's been pretty lackadaisical lately (a word he heard Sakura call their training sessions, that he liked the sound of). It's usually just exercises. Or style specific sparring; Taijutsu only, no chakra, kunai only, substitution only etc. He hasn't given them a team building exercise in forever. And while that was Team 7's least favourite kind of exercise, they were really really good at it. Especially lately. With Sasuke being more of a grouch than usual, it'd be nice to be on the same side for once.

"Today we're doing round robin spars," Kakashi tells them, "All out, no holds barred."

"YES!" Naruto screams. Screw being on the same side, he wants to beat Sasuke into the ground at full power.

"Great, you can go first."

"I wanna fight Sasuke!"

"Of course you do," Sakura rolls her eyes and drags her feet on her way you a tree. She settles in the roots and her peevish expression makes him feel a little bad. It's just that… He loves fighting Sasuke, with Sakura he doesn't feel like he can go all out.

"Hm," Sasuke rolls his shoulders. "Let's go then."

The spar lasts a while. Sasuke is down to his last Chidori. Naruto's crowd of clones has thinned, there's only two left.

He knows that Naruto needs at least one to shape his Rasengan, so all he needs to do it get rid of them both, or keep his eye on the pair that are together. One Naruto holds out his hand to the other, getting ready for the assist. Sasuke won't give them the chance. He makes the safe bet that the one assisting is the clone and charges his last Chidori. He needs much less runway for his attack. He lunges for the pair of Narutos, ready to aim his leg for the clone, and Chidori set on Naruto's gut.

Suddenly, he's flying through the air, hits a tree and crumples to the ground.

What just happened? Naruto… he used the Rasengan without the help of a clone. How did he do that? When did he learn to do that?

Sasuke doesn't get up—not because he's hurt. The attack was only at 20% of its power, otherwise he'd have been killed. He just… can't understand what just happened.

Naruto hasn't seen Sasuke since the end of their spar yesterday. He stormed off right after and was asleep before Naruto and Sakura came home. In the morning he was gone, but when they arrive at the training grounds for day two of the round robin spars, he's already there.

"You look like you're chomping at a bit," Kakashi remarks when he finally gets there an hour after their meeting time. "Sakura, you wanna take him on when he's like this?"

Sakura quirks an eyebrow and switches her considering gaze between Sasuke and Kakashi. Naruto just knows she's weighing whether or not she's going to be insulted. "Yeah," is all she says.

From her pouch she puts on these sick black leather gloves and cracks her knuckles.

Sasuke's expression doesn't change, but at least he takes a stance. He's taking her seriously.

Naruto isn't really sure what goes on at their extra training sessions. He's had absolutely no desire to join them because honestly? He needs every extra bit of sleep he can get and they take everything so seriously. The one time Sakura made him tag along, they did three hours of Katas. Snooze.

Sasuke streaks across the field going right for Sakura. There are two approaches to beating Sakura: speed or stamina. He's faster but he can also outlast her. They've been working on building up her stamina and chakra reserves.

With Sakura, he doesn't have to worry that she's going to have any big finishing moves. He's got to watch his back for a sneaky kunai and use his head to figure out what elaborate strategy she'll use on him.

He engages her in a taijutsu bout to test her reflexes and warm up. Maybe he won't finish her off right away. It would be mean and embarrassing for her. They'll play a bit. Just long enough to see what she comes up with. Sakura's a fun sparring partner because it's also a little like playing Go.

Close combat's the way to go, if he loses track of her, she'll take advantage and substitute herself until he makes a mistake. He dodges a punch and blocks a kick with his right arm only to hear a crack.

What?

She sweeps her legs again, determination blazing in her eyes and Sasuke jumps over them, nervous for her to connect again. Pushed by yesterday's wounded pride, he changes his mind. He wants to end this swiftly. He charges his left hand with a Chidori. It's just at 1/5 power, so it won't hurt her too bad.

His range is good, she won't have enough time to get far enough for a dodge. He thrusts his arm out.

Sakura ducks—no, she strikes the ground with her gloved fist. With a spine tingling crunch the ground opens up beneath their feet.

(It's just like his dream.)

He's weightless, falling, his arm still reaching out to strike Sakura. Their eyes hold, all widening in alarm. He sees it all in slow motion, Sakura reaches for him even as he drops into a chasm of her own making-

(How did she do it?)

-She takes his hand, grounding the circuit. Sakura spasms, but holds on. Tears gather in the corners of her eyes and she cries out. Holding on is making it worse, but if she lets go, he'll fall.

"Sakura," he says, gentle and shell-shocked, processing what's happening in sluggish disbelief.

"AAAAAAAAHHHHH!" She shrieks, not in pain but determination. She hauls him up and over the lip of the crevice. He tumbles on top of her. With his head against her stomach he can feel the rhythm of her ragged breaths. Sasuke rolls off of her and pants. He's barely exerted himself but his heart is racing.

Sakura has gotten so strong. He sits up and turns to the side so he can look at her. Her eyes are closed, her hands curled loosely at her sides.

"Uuuh, Kakashi-sensei," Naruto considers from a short distance away, "Who do you think won?"

Sasuke is the only one left standing, but he doesn't feel like it was him.

#sasusaku #sasuke x sakura #naruto #team 7 #fanfiction #IYC #if you can't hold on hold on #my fic

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