Missing in Action
Sakura had watched over the years as two of her friends grew closer. The quest for Sasuke had been successful, though it had taken a great many lives to achieve and Sasuke was not entirely himself. She observed quietly as Naruto and Hinata bonded over loss, as the two became more than friends, more than comrades. She watched as the two began to love each other, and gleefully looked on as they were married.
Perhaps they would have led a happy life if they were not shinobi.
Naruto gradually was acknowledged by the village (except the village elders, who everyone knew were cranky old bats, anyways). It came as no surprise to his former teammates when Tsunade appointed him as her successor. After all, the young man was a skilled ninja and had good relations with Kazekage-sama.
But then the war started.
Sakura didn't know what events had trigged the Fourth Great Ninja War; nor did she care. What concerned her was the danger it had put her friends, family, and self in.
They had all sensed disaster coming when Rokudiame left.
He was Naruto, happily laughing off their concern, saying, "If I don't go, I'll be fired!" and other comical remarks to alleviate the worry that gripped his friends. Soon after his departure, Sasuke left, shortly followed by Sakura and the rest of his friends. Hinata would have gone too, but Naruto ordered her to stay and guard the hospital. It was highly suspected that it had something to do with the fact that she was his wife, though no one blamed him for his decision. He seemed to work better without having to worry about her.
There was a brief cease-fire.
Two years into the war, Naruto had met with the enemy's leader and called for a truce. A border was agreed upon; and, for a moment, peace was restored. The Konoha shinobi returned home.
But it was not to be.
The standstill was two months ago. A brief, wonderful two months of peace had been granted to the war heroes. The calm ended, however, when one of the enemy's deserters came to Konoha and murdered a child, to be killed by the child's grief-stricken parents. This incident escalated, and Rokudaime could do nothing to stop the violence.
The incident led to war.
Despite his desperate efforts to prevent more blood shedding, war was declared again. All the heroes who had returned were forced to once again fight. Hinata again was left to watch after the hospital.
The war was going badly.
Things seemed dark for Konoha. The enemy was using their jinchuuriki against their ninjas—a dirty trick, to be sure. Somehow, Rokudaime managed to subdue the beast; but at a great cost. It seemed that he, like his father, had lost his life in his endeavor to stop the wrath of the biju.
Rokudiame disappeared.
More accurately, the man went MIA. Most of his shinobi believed he had died in the battle. Jiraiya and others believed that, were such a thing to happen, the Kyuubi would have been released. Many questions swarmed around Naruto's disappearance.
They found his note.
The note was discovered in his tent, hidden inside one of the many pockets of his 'Hokage trench coat'. Scribbled on the front of the envelope in his messy handwriting was one word: "Hinata".
And Sakura was sent to deliver his letter to his widow.
Hinata knew. She just could sense that something was terribly wrong. Maybe it was the heightened senses of the Hyuuga family that gave her this foreboding. Whatever the cause, she knew exactly what to expect as Uchiha Sakura, famed medical jounin and one of Hinata's close friends, approached her.
The pink-haired woman had changed little over the past years. She still wore her hair short, held back by her forehead protector. She still wore the same short skirt and black gloves, all of which were currently stained with the marks of battle, blood and dirt staining the fabric, tears evident in the close weave. The change that Hinata's sharp glance instantly recognized was Sakura's eyes—they were full of sorrow. Sakura apprehensively approached her friend, holding out a thick envelope.
"He-he left this for you, Hinata," she choked, her emerald eyes swimming with unshed tears. Shinobi never show their tears; never allow their emotions to control them.
Hinata stared at the letter, guessing its contents. Her expression was blank as she carefully opened it and read the contents:
"My dearest Hinata-chan,
Hehe…sounds funny coming from me, doesn't it? I was told by ero-sennin to write a 'just in case' letter. It seems the old man has lost his confidence in my battle skills; well I'll just have to show him, won't I?
I am aware of the intensity of this war. I have known this since I became Rokudaime. That's why I have to fight. I am sure you understand this, you always understood my motives. I am fully prepared for this battle.
Yet I am not the over-confident boy I used to be. I realize my weakness; I know how it could be exploited. That is why I commanded you to remain in Konoha—someone had to help with the hospital since Sakura insisted on fighting, right? I have faith in my ability, but I know that there is the possibility that this war won't end or that disaster should occur. If that is the case, there are so many things I need to tell you, Hinata.
The first is one I only learned yesterday. I am sorry that you had to give up the prestigious Hyuuga name when you married me. I am sorry that you had no honorable namesake for the past four years. If you receive this, then you may present this by law and revert to your maiden surname, if you so wish. I, Rokudaime Uzumaki Naruto, give you permission to do thus.
The second thing you should be aware of is the people of the village. Please protect them, Hinata-chan, you know that that is my legacy.
The last, and most important information I have to tell you is something I wish I had said before I left for the war.
As Rokudaime, I fight for the lives of those in Konoha; but as Uzumaki Naruto, I fight for you, my Hinata-chan."
There was no closing to the letter. No 'with love from' or 'sincerely yours'. The last words he had written on the page were her name, inscribed with love and devotion with his hasty scrawl. Hinata looked up from the page, her pale eyes devoid of emotion.
"Thank you, Sakura-chan." She replied before stuffing the letter in her coat pocket and retreating to her house, leaving Sakura stunned in the distance.
A/N: that's the first chapter. Cliff hanger-ish, I guess.
The next chapter will have more fluff, promise. This is merely the setting up of the stage.
If you liked it, please review. Because remember, writers need love as well. No flames please; I'm not a pyromaniac...