Severance
Disclaimer: I do not own the characters, plot, or any other idea affiliated with Naruto except for this story alone, from which I make no financial gain.
Author's Notes: Everyone's always saying how Team 7 will be the new Sannin so I wanted to do a sort of anti-story along that line. Plus, I don't feel like studying for my exam anymore right now. Quickest story I've ever written (I'm amazed at myself – I'm a ridiculously slow writer), but I think it has reasonable substance. Your thoughts and comments are greatly appreciated.
"History repeats itself," someone once said, but she had never considered that it would apply to her life.
To all appearances the old saying seemed to be true. Some villagers had been talking, carelessly, about the disciples of the Sannin, how a team of the Copy Ninja's students had been passed on. Isn't it funny, they had said, that even the Uchiha boy's betrayal had been the same as Orochimaru's? These words died quickly when they saw her approach, but not quickly enough. She didn't begrudge them their talk. One couldn't let the truth be a source anger, no matter how painful it was.
Yes, she supposed they were right to an extent. She had never looked at it from that angle, or considered the situation with that thought in mind. Mostly it was concern for Kakashi's listlessness that she thought about when the topic came to mind; that, along with Naruto's well-being and Sakura's progress, was enough to occupy her. None of them had planned for things to fall this way. At the time, it had just seemed the most logical solution.
One couldn't deny the similarities. Naruto's immature boyishness, passed on from his father, who had picked it up from Jiraiya; his stubbornness and refusal to give up on his friends, the wounds that he tried to hide with a smile. Even Naruto's love for Sakura was more than passing similar to that of Jiraiya's for her. Sasuke had his greed and power and selfishness, his lack of appreciation; the drive to excel so similar to Orochimaru's. Those two would be content to let the world end, so long as they got their hearts' desire. The ends justifies the means, sometimes, but not often enough. Sakura with her insecurities, wanting to be of use, to know more, never to be part of the world her teammates had created of which she so desperately wanted to understand. Theirs was a battle of brothers alone. She could sense her own bitterness in Sakura's heart, bitterness at knowledge she had thought so fine but in the end was useless in helping her keep the things she held dear. Oh, she could see the similarities. Perhaps history had enjoyed itself too much the first time.
But as if it had learned from its mistakes, history made modifications. They seemed similar on the surface, but Naruto's pain ran deeper and was far more private than the scars on Jiraiya's heart. Living as an outcast when he should have been a hero, scorned when he should have been loved. Jiraiya's was a self-imposed exile. Naruto had been set up with a lifelong goal, one that may never be achieved. She believed in him; but Jiraiya had never suffered as much, or longed so deeply. The burdens weighing down on him could crush him whole.
Orochimaru had kept himself distant, although Jiraiya had still defended him fiercely. Sasuke had bonded with them long enough to make them feel like it was their fault he left, that they weren't good enough. Orochimaru wanted to destroy the world; Sasuke was content with destroying one man. Sakura often wondered, she knew, what their lives would have been like if Sasuke had had a normal childhood. One event and their friend had become a monster. It was easier to sever their feelings from someone with a wholly destitute soul; she had done it readily enough. The goodness that they thought was left in Sasuke, that place of morals that they thought had kept him from killing them, could only bring them pain. Tsunade was no longer troubled by Orochimaru's betrayal, although Jiraiya never spoke of it. There were some things that, even between friends, should never be discussed. Severance, she thought. One must break off the bonds that only bring pain.
A knock on her door pulled her out of her reverie.
"Come in," she called, pulling papers forward to look busy.
Sakura's head poked in the door, body sliding into the room with ease. "I just came by to drop these off before I left."
Her eyes glanced over the papers, some reports she had ordered done. "Good. Thank you."
The girl usually knew when she was dismissed without having to be told, but Sakura seemed to be debating something in her mind. Tsunade glanced up at her disciple. Wrong colouring, she thought, but maybe the resemblance was there, too.
Before I left. Now the words tugged at her mind and she could tell what the trouble was.
"Nervous about your mission?" She asked it not unkindly, although she pretended to look back at her work to give the girl some space. Sakura shifted her weight between her feet, a bad habit Tsunade had been working to rid her of.
"No, I—I don't think so. Well… a little, I suppose."
Tsunade sighed. Perhaps we are meant to suffer. Of all the things Orochimaru had put them through, at least she had cut off her feelings for him soon enough. At least she had not been in love with him. She looked at Sakura again, studying her with her eyes, trying to read her mind. But she realized that for the past two and a half years, Sakura's mind and soul had been residing somewhere else entirely.
She wanted to offer words of kindness, but instead said only, "What will you do if you can't get him back?"
Sakura's back stiffened, her posture rigid. Gone was all the nervousness that had plagued her only a moment ago.
After a moment of never-ending silence she said, "We'll get him back." The faintest hint of a smile was on her lips; her eyes were distant. "We will."
Break not bend, she thought, looking at Sakura's face. Yes, her and Naruto both. They would never break free from their love for Sasuke, nor would they let it go. If they couldn't return things to the way they were, they would rather die together than keep on living without. That much was clear to her now; that was the only way they would sever their ties.
History was kinder the first time, Tsunade thought, but perhaps this time they're better equipped than we were. Maybe this time things will work out.
But instead of sharing these thoughts, she only smiled in encouragement. "Good luck on your mission," she said, refusing to look up.
Sakura was at the door before she turned to say "Thank you" in the quietest of voices. Tsunade dropped her pretenses as soon as she was gone, gazing at the spot where Sakura had been.
She hoped they wouldn't have to break at all. She hoped, for their sake, that history hadn't learned enough.
End