Title: Sakura's Home
Author: Winter Ashby (rosweldrmr)
Disclaimer: Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto-sama. I don't own anything about Naruto, this is just for fun and if I did own Naruto I wouldn't have to right this, because I would have a team of very talented people turning this into a saga right now...
Rating: K+
Warning: this not only has spoilers until Manga 270ish, but it's kind of required for you to know what's going on. I use a lot of the Gaara mission, just made it AUish.
Summary: Sakura was kicked out of Konoha five years ago but now has been asked to return… She will meet old friends and be faced with the consequences of her actions. Future AU Sakura centric. No pairings, and you need to be up to date in the manga and series.
Authors Notes: Well, this is it. The end. It's been a great journey, and I'm so, so thankful for everyone who's been there since the beginning. There will be more thanks at the end, I don't want to keep you waiting. So, without further ado, I give you the last chapter of Sakura's Home.
Chapter 23 – Sakura's Home
Sakura stood in front of the memorial stone. It shone in the sunlight, and felt sensitive against her white pupils.
So much had changed in a month; Sakura didn't even feel like the same person anymore. But she knew she wasn't the same. She was a whole different person. After she'd told everyone Hinata's last words, she could feel a shift inside her. It was like she was at peace, balanced for the first time in five years.
Neji reacted the same way you'd expect him to. He nodded and 'humpfed' and slunk back into the shadows. Shino dropped the kunai he was holding and leaned against one the walls, his head in his hands. He just kept repeating 'proud of me' over and over under his breath.
And Kiba, Kiba cried. The barriers around his chakra tumbled, and Sakura could feel the power of his sorrow, and unrequited love. He dropped to his knees and wept into his hands. She wanted to move towards him, or hug him. But she didn't.
Instead, she turned to everyone in the room and told them what Hinata said. She looked right at Hanabi, and Kurenai, and everyone else and told them that Hinata was still inside her. Hanabi, who'd grown powerful and just as beautiful as her older sister let one tear slide down her cheek before she disappeared. Sakura knew the entire Hyuuga Clan who soon know too.
And finally, Sakura turned to Naruto. He looked at her strangely, like he couldn't understood why she was going to speak to him last. But everyone else in the room knew. Everyone in the village knew about shy-little-Hinata and her crush on Naruto. And if he was really honest with himself, Sakura knew that he was aware of it too.
Sakura told him, in broken sobs, what Hinata said. And she watched him; the face he hid, the soft, loving face that he pretended was only for her, she watched it seep through as she told him about Hinata. And he cried too, because Sakura thought he might have loved her all along. But because he felt like he was betraying Sakura, or something stupid like that, he never told Hinata, he never took the chance. And she watched him break because of it.
And now, everything was different. Sakura lost her winding seal, and was left with just a small diamond on her right temple, like she had all those years ago. She had white pupils, and even though she wasn't entirely sure what that meant, she knew it was an honor.
Today she stood, the entire village stood, in front of the memorial stone, waiting for the white paper to be pealed away at the base. Today, there was a new name going to be added to the stone.
Uchiha Sasuke.
His name would be engraved there, for her, and Naruto, and everyone else he protected when he used his last amount of chakra to save the future Hokage. Even though he was a missing-nin for ten years, in the end, he was still loyal to his home. To Konoha. And today, he would be honored because of the sacrifice he made in battle, defending his country.
As they waited for the ceremony to begin, Sakura looked around at all the people she used to know. They have changed, grown as people and as shinobi. And it almost felt as though Konoha it's self had come alive and changed along with everyone else. There were new buildings and stores, new neighborhoods of apartments and open markets that littered the streets with the smell of food venders and exotic spices. But the change in the people is what struck her the most.
Ino and Chouji stood together, holding hands, and Sakura remembered a time when Ino was her rival for Sasuke. Just another example of how things have changed with time and distance. Chouji moved his other hand, almost unconsciously to touch Ino's belly, and they smiled. Sakura felt a bittersweet kind of happiness sweep through her as she watched the life she used to dream of with Sasuke unfold between Ino and Chouji.
Kurenai stood with a small boy at her side. He had red eyes and dark brown hair. She stood alone in love. Asuma's name was also on the memorial stone. He was killed four years ago when they tried to stop Orochimaru from taking over Sasuke's body the first time. Orochimaru didn't get a chance to try it a second.
Because, as it turned out, from an intelligence report that Tsunade forwarded to her, Sasuke killed Orochimaru. Before he set off to fight Itachi, he killed the snake who wanted to destroy him and steal his mysterious eyes. Sakura suspected that had a lot to do with why his name was being added.
Tsunade stood close to Jiyara. They grieved silently the loss of a teammate. And even though Sakura hated Orochimaru for all the pain he caused, she understood why they mourned.
Shizune was only a foot behind them, hands clasped and head bowed. And Sakura noticed the way Genma stood closely behind her, careful not to touch. She recognized the stance, because it's the way Hinata used to gravitate around Naruto.
In an almost-strange twist, Shikamaru and Temari stood together, next to Kurenai and her son. It was something Sakura never imagined would happen. When they were young, she thought maybe, maybe, but Temari was from another country so she thought it would never turn into much. But somehow, they've made it work. She can tell, because Temari looped her pinky with his at their sides, a silent, small gesture that spoke volumes. And Kurenai's son looked up at Shikamaru like he was the best thing the boy had ever seen. He looked a lot like Asuma. She wondered what his name was.
Next to them stood Anko and Kotetsu, who even Sakura knew when she was younger were in love. Anko looked as fierce as ever, still daring and bold, which perfectly complimented Kotetsu's quiet demeanor.
Gai was only a few feet behind them, looking more somber than Sakura was used to. But there was a purple-haired woman next to him that Sakura found vaguely familiar.
Naruto was to her right, his hand in hers, silently, supportive as ever. But since she told him what Hinata said, she saw him pull away, tether the furtive glances he used to give her. And she thought it's because maybe he was finally realizing that he wasn't in love with her, but loved her. And therein lay all the difference.
Kakashi was behind her. He wore a new mask today, black, and Sakura almost wished that it would rain, for him. Because she knew it was easier for him to grieve in the rain. Sasuke wasn't the only name he watched on the stone. Now, he would have one more reason to come everyday.
Shino was just behind them. He was alone. And Sakura thought maybe he loved Hinata too. But she'd never ask him. And when his eyes met hers, he didn't look away. But she could see the wave of grief that washed over him every time he looked at her. She hoped one day he'd be able to look at her without seeing what she took from him, but if he couldn't, Sakura knew why. It was the same reason she felt a pang of regret whenever she sensed Naruto's new convoluted chakra patterns, all jumbled and hodgepodge with the chakra remains of the man she loved. It was hard to be around him and be reminded of what she lost. But that could never keep her away from Naruto.
Across from her, Lee stood with his strong arms firmly around Ten-Ten. And Sakura was only a little surprised. She always thought Neji and Ten-Ten were better suited. But when she saw them walk into the small clearing this morning, and the smile that played across Ten-Ten's lips, she understood what she saw in Lee.
Sakura caught Kiba's eye from across the circle, and he smiled and looked away, sheepishly. Ever since she woke up, with half of Hinata's eyes, and heard what she had to say, he hadn't been able to really look her in the eyes. Two weeks ago, she ran into him in the market place, holding hands with Hanabi.It wasn't until then that Sakura noticed the matching, dull metal rings they both wore. Hanabi had one that hung from a chain around her neck and glinted silently in the sunlight. Kiba apologized to Sakura over and over, and she wondered who he really wanted to apologize to. She told him not to, but she knew, when he looked at her, he saw the woman he used to love. And the fact that it was Hinata's little sister just made it more difficult. But he'd eventually get over it. And Sakura was happy for them, that they were able to move on, and find love.
Neji stood to Sakura's left, flanked by Haishi and Hanabi. It was the first time Sakura had seen Hinata's father since the council of Hyuuga elders met a three weeks ago and made her a partial member of their clan. He was careful to avoid her eye now as Sakura scaned the circle of people. She didn't think he'd ever really be able to forgive her for what she took from him.
She has seen Neji more often. Since her declaration of Hinata's last wish, Neji was officially instated as the next Hyuuga Heir. And as the appointed heir, the first thing he did was dissolve the Main and Branch families into one, which was good. Because if they were still separated, Sakura would now exist somewhere are the edges of that. She was a Hyuuga now, like Kakashi was the last Uchiha. And Neji was now her sempai, which was strange for Sakura. But he insisted that she had to learn Juuken. It was part of her duty as a member of the Hyuuga clan to help protect the secrets of the Byakugan.
She has never been in a clan before. Her family was always enough for her. But now that she came back, she learned of her parent's death from the flu. They lived out past the edge of town, farming, trying to make a living, shamed by their only daughter's extradition from their country. And Sakura felt tightness in her chest at the thought that she'd never get to see them again. But even more so, because if she had still been here, kinjutsu or not, she probably would have been able to save them.
But Naruto squeezed her hand, like he knew how she felt, and it brings her back. Even as Tsunade presides, and gave a small speech about Sasuke, and what he did for the village, Sakura could feel the tears trickle down her face. She'd miss him, because she loved him and the man she's glad he became, in spite of all the bad decisions he made.
Likewise, the woman Sakura has become, in spite of all the bad decisions she's made, has lead her to this. She was reinstated as a medic and her disciplinary hearing was set for a few weeks to discuss the fate of her kinjutsu. Part of her still wanted to use it, part of her wished she never tried to develop it in the first place. But Tsunade seemed hopeful that because of Sakura's unique new abilities, granted by the Byakugan, the council will see fit to at least give her a chance to prove she could control it. After all, if she were to learn to combine her exact chakra control, harnessing life force technique, and seeing a person's chakra circulatory system, she would be the greatest Medic-nin in the history of Konoha.
She still had a long way to go before she could control it properly though. It was take a lot of hard work and training. She was new to the ways of the Byakugan, and it was exhausting to train everyday. Neji was a big help, but she was much older than typical Byakugan beginners, and there was the added difficulty that her eyes didn't seem to work the same way other Hyuuga's did. She had no budging veins hear her face; instead, the chakra came directly from her extra tenketsu on her temple, hidden behind the small green diamond. Her Byakugan wasn't as powerful as Neji's either. But still, being able to see temperature, chakra pathways, and long range distances through objects all made for a very different life.
Sakura was adjusting, slowly, little by little. She rented an apartment, not too far from Kakashi. They had lunch sometimes, Naruto would join them. Kakashi was training him again. So that he'd be able to take advantage of the four different kinds of chakra he now possessed. Wind from his own, lightning and fire from Sasuke, and earth from Chiyo. Sakura knew that someday, he would become Hokage. And the thought that she might have missed it made her heart ache in a way that made her think there were two hearts in her chest torn open. He would become great, and strong, and a leader to his people. And Sakura was filled with infinite pride just knowing that she'd be there to see him rise to power.
She was still under the watchful eyes of the village elders, and the Hyuuga Clan. She would still have to spend the rest of her life trying to live up to the memory of Sasuke's last sacrifice. And as her hand fit into Naruto's, holding her tight, grounding her, she knew that even though it wasn't the ways she planned it, it wasn't what she dreamed, it was a life. It was her life, one that she nearly lost, gave up, squandered away on an adolescent dream of obtaining power. In that regard, she was no different than a monster like Orochimaru.
But now she followed after Sasuke's example while she mourned him, and loved him, and missed him all once. The cold boy who ignored her, the chilling shinobi with so much power he defeated a Sannin. The whole village, it looked like, was gathered around to listen to the story of the last Uchiha prince who went to his grave a hero, because he gave his life to bring back another hidden leaf. And from the turnout of the crowd today, it looked as though the village had forgiven him for his betrayal so long ago. This gave Sakura hope, hope that one day they would be able to forgive her as well.
She turned, to look at Kakashi, who she knew would never be okay. And it made it all a little easier to know that she wasnt the only one. Naruto would never be okay, Neji and Hanabi would never be okay, and Shino and Kiba would never be okay. And Sakura mourned the other name engraved on the black stone, whose eyes she stole, and life she now inhabited. And sometimes, just sometimes, Sakura imagined she would hear another voice inside her when her inner self got too excited. It was a soft voice that made her think of the full moon, and violent-stained milk.
And as the ceremony draws to a close, and the warm Konoha breeze picks up her pink hair and moves it through the air, accentuating her white pupils and revealing the small green diamond on the side of her face, she smiles, because Sakura's home.
The End
First of all, I want to thank SpiritualEnergy, without whom I would not have gotten my lazy but into gear and gotten past chapter 7. Nor would I have posted this at all.
Thank you to every single one of my reviewers. I love you, I cherish you, I wish this could go on forever. And, I just wanted to thank everyone who read this, and enjoyed it, and yes - even those of you who critiqued the fan-japanese out of it. This is a legacy to all the fans, everyone who put this on alert, or reviewed, or even just read it. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.
And, up next, I tackle the Kenshin fandom and the lovely world of Sanosuke & Kaoru!