Chapter Text
The blood stains the earth between her two - idiotic, irresponsible, borderline annoying - teammates and the result of that image pains her heart; if she could, she’d pick them both up by their collars and give them both a piece of her mind. Maybe later, maybe when they’re not bleeding out right under her feet. Immediately, Sakura slides down on the floor, landing on her knees at the same rate she feels her heart plummet into her ribcage. Seeing them like this is not something she ever wanted to experience. The part of her that’s pragmatic understands now why Sasuke put her under that dreadful genjutsu - in the name of Hagoromo, she won’t let him forget about that until the day they’re both six feet under. They would have died if it hadn’t been because of some divine intervention, she’s certain of that.
Her chakra flows into them both and a soothing wave of calm washes over Naruto and Sasuke. The first to speak is Naruto, his voice barely over a whisper. “Thank you, Sakura-chan. That feels nice.”
And then Sasuke speaks, and it irks her that he still believes they don’t want him to be okay - that she doesn’t want him to be okay. “Sakura… don’t mind me. You don’t have to -”
“Shut up. I need to concentrate.” She speaks with conviction in her voice, hushing him. That day in the Land of Iron haunts her on her good days and keeps her awake on her bad days. She knows why he wouldn’t think she’s still in love with him, despite her words a mere hours ago. Knowing him the way she does, he probably thought he was calling her bluff. He didn’t, because it wasn’t a bluff.
“...I’m sorry.” His voice sounds… small. She has no other way to describe it other than it sounds remorseful. She bites her lip; he can’t keep making her cry, it’s not fair.
It’snotfairit’snotfairit’snotfair.
She takes in a sharp breath through her nose, her chakra wavering. Surely they both felt the change in her demeanor. “You’re sorry?” She queries, keeping it short and sweet. She doesn’t trust her voice, not when her lower lip is trembling and her eyes are stinging with anger and disappointment and an all-engulfing love for this boy that she’d truthfully do anything that he’d ask her for. “...Sorry for what?”
Behind her blurry vision and lashes that are clinging to her eyes’ sclera, she barely notices the way his eyebrows furrow. He looks like he’s about to cry and she’s already drowning in her own personal river. “...For everything.” He speaks and it’s filled with regret and a kindness she hasn’t sensed in him since before he left the village - since before he encountered Itachi when they were Genin.
It’s been so long. She’s dreamt of having this Sasuke back. And is he really back? Is she allowed the luxury of trusting him after everything that’s happened between them? Does he trust her? The mere thought makes her let out a loud sob - she feels like she’s twelve all over again. She can’t help it, the only thing she can do is -
“You should be, you idiot.” Sakura chews out her words and they feel like daggers to Sasuke: Daggers that he deserves, welcomes home, settling into his heart, making it harder for him to keep up his composure. He hates seeing her like this, and it’s his fault. “...God damnit.”
It takes about twenty-four hours for the Ninja Alliance to finally settle down and handcuff Sasuke - Sakura scoffs at this, what is handcuffing a man with one arm going to do? And for countermeasures, they placed binding seals over his eyes, “So that the Uchiha mutt can’t use his cursed dojutsu to hurt anyone.” At least, that’s according to one of the Kumogakure ninja - and if Sakura catches a glimpse of him at any point, she will personally make sure he gets shoved into a boulder.
What Sakura actually hates is that no one told her they would be doing that to him on the same day he lost his arm. “That’s my patient, I should have a say on when he gets handcuffed or not.” Her hands lay on her hips and she stands tall, not wanting to show how she’s faltering looking at Sasuke the way he is. (She gets to decide wether or not she wants to show weakness, thank you very much. And right now it's no time to show anyone - especially people that have no idea what her, Naruto, and Sasuke have been through to be where they are now - any of her loose stitches.) Already with a missing limb he looked small, but now he looks defenseless. She can’t imagine what he must be feeling.
“Sakura.” Kakashi speaks tentatively next to her, stern yet kind, trying to reel back her horses. “Let these nice gentlemen do their job.”
For a split-second, Sakura looks shocked. Naruto immediately gets fired up, anger burning in his eyes. He didn’t just whoop his best friend’s ass back to them just for some strangers to place him in some prison tent. “Kakashi-sensei, he helped save everyone here, how can they just -”
“They can, and they will.” Their teacher pinches the bridge of his nose. Sakura wonders if it’s a lack of hydration. Kakashi knows he’s not ready for the headache this situation is going to cause him. “However, Sakura and Naruto, you'll be posted up with him.” Both of their students beam at this and look at him with faith that they knew was not misplaced. Some of the Kumogakure ninja begin to argue, trying to dismiss Hokage orders, until Kakashi silences them with a raise of his hand. “He’s a Konoha ninja, therefore he’s under my jurisdiction and I get to decide who gets to stay by his side until all this dust gets settled.”
So that’s what they do and Naruto and Sakura take turns spending time with Sasuke while everyone picks up the dead bodies that just keep piling up. It's horrible and the little voice inside of her head that keeps persisting in bringing her down and dismissing any and all of her accolades sounds so, so loud. Where was she when all of these people needed saving? Where had anyone been, for that matter? When Sakura looks at Ino, who has yet to show a shred of grief after losing her father in the middle of a war, she wonders how her best friend can be so resilient and strong and keeps her composure. Sakura wants to reach out to Ino, but her duty calls and she keeps getting whisked away by other on-field medics who are running out of medication, antiseptic, and chakra - and she’s the best there is. Tsunade is still not in a position to use her strength, so it’s up to Sakura and Katsuyu-sama to assist as much as possible.
She assists until her body is about to give out and there goes another day where she has yet to be able to ask Ino if she’s okay, if she wants to talk, if she wants to cry, does she need a hug? She just wants to make sure Ino is doing okay - Ino, who is doing just as much as Sakura is, but with the added weight of a broken heart and a newfound broken family.
The sound of Sasuke groaning brings her back to the present. It feels like he pulled her out of a black hole of not-so-friendly thoughts. Funny, considering the one person Naruto and Sakura are both worried about being swallowed up by the earth is the same one keeping her here, present, in the moment. Sane, even, if you'd believe that. She hadn’t realized she dozed off next to him and, like clockwork, she brought her hands to his stump, ready to ease his phantom pain. “Better?” she asks, quietly. Sakura figures It’s already the middle of the night; she can barely make out the full moon hanging proud in the night sky, high up enough that it marks quite late into the night. Sasuke nods, whispers a thanks. “Good. Then that’s settled -”
“Sakura.”
Oh. That’s different. She blinks, the sound of her name leaving his mouth foreign to her. “Hmm?”
“Thank you.”
Sakura laughs it off, nervously. She’s just doing her job, why is he being so dramatic all of a sudden? “There’s no need for that, Sasuke. Really, it’s -”
“No. Thank you.” He repeats one more time and it hits her like a pile of bricks, shaking her up with the force of an earthquake. Her heart skips a beat and she bites down on her tongue to stop the tears again. He hadn’t thanked her quite like that since he left the village. When he had thanked her for everything, thanked her right after she professed her love for him. A pure, honest type of love. He thanked her for loving him, but the way he’s saying it now feels different; it’s the same sincerity, but the passage of time has given his words a heavier meaning.
“For what?” She asks him, her voice small, testing the waters. She wants an answer, she wants to hear him confirm her suspicions - what they had before (whatever it had been) does it linger? Does it exist between the infinite lines that they have yet to fill up together?
“For everything.”
(How is she going to bring this up to Ino?
Maybe it’s best to keep some secrets locked inside a vault.)