#ssm18d1

[queen-serena]

SasuSaku Month super late day 1&2: Heroes & Side by Side

[reimz]

sasusaku month 2018 // day one: heroes.

[inanotherworld5599]

Heroes

Prompt: Sasusaku Month Day 1, Heroes

Summary: Her parents were heroes. She selfishly wishes that they didn’t have to be.

Note: So I’m not sure who exactly the enemy will be Boruto so that’s a little vague but none the less. Also umm… Sorry?

When Sasuke first tells Sarada the story about her uncle Itachi she is fifteen years old. She cries through most of it not for herself but for her father, her uncle and her entire clan. Then she gets angry. Angry at Konoha, angry at her parents for not telling her and angry at herself for being ignorant for so long.

But in the end she’s just filled with an overwhelming sense of pride as she says,”Uncle Itachi was a true hero.”

“Your uncle was a hero Sarada.” He agrees with her but his eyes are sad,”But I wish he didn’t have to be.”

___________________

The attack happens so suddenly that nobody has time to blink.

One second everything was fine and the next Sarada’s world had turned on it’s axis violently, her village, her home thrown into chaos.

While the Chunnins had all been on guard with most of the village elders gone she hadn’t expected things to go so wrong so fast and after an hour of continuous fighting Sarada finally thinks this is the end when her enemies blade looms over her and she’s too chakra depleted and injured to defend herself.

But then her hero arrives.

Armed with nothing but pink hair, large jade eyes and a punch, her mother sends the enemy flying back. But this is a small victory for the larger more eminent threat still looms over them threatening to destroy everything they know.  

Sarada’s knees wobbled making her stumble but someone catches her, supporting her weight.

“Sarada!” A voice calls out frantically as her vision blurs and she can vaguely make out that along with her mother Boruto had arrived too.

“Boruto?” She asked faintly,”Mama?”

“I can’t spare anymore chakra but I’ve stop the bleeding and closed most of the  wounds.” She tells Sarada and then looks at Boruto once she’s done healing her daughter,”You have to get her out of here safely.”

“But Aunt Saku-“ Boruto started but her mother put her hand up as if to stop him.

“This is not your fight Boruto, not while I’m here.” She says,”Right now it’s your job to save Sarada and the civillians who don’t have the means to defend themselves.You have to get them clear of the village.”

Her mother turns towards her and there is something so utterly sad in those green eyes but before Sarada can understand she’s pulled into a tight hug that smells like...home.

“Sarada, I’m so so proud of you.” Her mother mutters,”You know that right?”

“Of course.” Sarada groans,”But mama you’re squishing me.”

Her mother pulls back sheepishly and apologises,”Sorry.”

Sakura then nods at Boruto who picks Sarada up,”Keep her safe.”

Her mother turns around and it’s then that the devastating realisation of what her mother is trying to do sets in.

“Wait what- mama no!” Sarada manages to say and her mother freezes.

“No. No. NO!” Sarada screams trying to claw out of Boruto’s strong arms around her,”Mama PLEASE! LET ME -”

“Boruto.” Sakura said clenching her fists keeping a straight face,”Take care of my daughter.” His grip on Sarada tightens who was sobbing uncontrollably and heartbreakingly.

“I love you.” Her mother smiles, but Sarada can see the tears in her eyes and hear the finality in her tone,“Thank you for being my daughter Sarada.”

And everything goes black.

__________________________________

By the time Sasuke arrives he knows it’s already too late. He’d hurried as soon as he’d sensed something was wrong but he’d been too far away to make it in time. Sarada was already in the relief camp that had been set up.

Sakura, Sakura, Sakura, her name rings in his mind and her chakra is easy enough to find in a Konoha that is painfully quiet. The scars of the devastating battle that has reduced the once peaceful village are everywhere and at the heart of it all the perpetrator lies dead.

But she was still alive, waiting, waiting like she always had for him, propped up against a crumbling wall covered in blood, her purple diamond no longer present but a weak smile gracing her beautiful features that even death couldn't take away from her.

“Can you heal yourself?” He asks desperately but he knows her answer before she gives him a sad smile as she says,”I’m sorry.”

Sasuke immediately bends down wrapping her arm around his shoulders his mind analysing the best possible plan to get her to safety, to a medic, but the irony is not lost on him when he realises that in this situation the only medic who would be able to heal Sakura was Sakura herself.

But that didn't matter. He would not give up.

“Anata.” It’s all she can manage and he turns to her, her steady green eyes holding his mismatched ones steadily.

Understanding courses through him and his resolve crumbles pathetically. His heart beats erratically and he feels like it's been torn out of his chest.

"I'm sorry." She repeats.

Mismatched eyes meet green and suddenly his black eye shift to a blood red and the world around them fades.

Instead they are thirteen and Sasuke is leaving the village. Once again Sakura runs after him, she screams that she loves him so much that she can’t stand it and she vows to give him happiness and promises him that he would not regret it.

Only this time he hugs her and promises her that he'll stay. That he won't leave her.

It plays out like a movie after that. Sakura still trains under Tsunade in Konoha, there is no war, Naruto is still irritating, Kakashi is still a pervert but this time around Sasuke loves Sakura as he should have.

He smiles at her like she’s his world, he goes on countless dates, holds her hand and never lets go. Itachi comes back to the village, they get married and Sarada is born surrounded by all their closest friends and family.

Sasuke stays to become the chief of police in Konoha and watches his daughter grow up. They have a happy, mundane life together where Sasuke always greets Sakura after a long tiring day in the hospital.

“Welcome home.” He says tucking her hair behind her ears.

She wraps her arms around him and kisses him,”I’m home.”

Sarada becomes a Hokage like no other and she carries on the Uchiha legacy with her father’s pride and her mother’s compassion.

And Sasuke grows old with Sakura after he gives her the life that she truly deserved.

He gives her the life he wanted with her.

And then once again they're thirteen standing in front of that bench.

Except it’s Sakura who is leaving this time.

And once she goes, Sasuke knows she'll never come back.

"You stayed." Sakura says smiling softly,"You stayed in the village for me."

She stands ahead of him a few metres apart her pink hair flying in the gentle breeze that blows through the moonless night.

"It's what I should have done." Sasuke responds firmly.

She smiles at him faintly and closes the distance separating them. She puts her palms on either side of his face and says ,"I'd love you in any version of reality Sasuke-kun. May it be the one where you stayed or the one you left. You’re you, no matter what you do, no matter what you become.”

"Don't leave me." A strangled gasp escapes his lips and his panic shakes up the very foundation of the genjutsu they're in.

“I’m so in love with you, I can’t stand it.” She whispers the same words she’d said all those years back and even now they hold just as true if not more.

“Me too.” He says quietly.

“Did you regret it?” Sakura asks taking a step back her hands behind her back, a bright smile on her face,”Being with me?”

He shakes his head,”Never. Not one second.”

She takes another step back.

“I’d promised to give you happiness.” She says and takes another step back, “Was I able to?”

“You are my happiness.” He responds,”You and Sarada are everything to me.”

“You know I’ll do anything for you Sasuke.”

But she already has.

“You’re annoying.” He grumbles and she laughs out loudly her voice ringing out clearly in the night. He smiles.

“Yes.” She says, “I suppose I was a lot of things.”

“But not weak.” He says,”Never weak.”

Her eyes widen and tears spring to her eyes.

“Sakura.” He says and there are a million things he wants to say, stay, don’t leave me, I love you, I love you, but instead he simply says,“Thank you.”

And for the last time ever Sakura Uchiha smiles. But this smile is different. This is a smile that she can only give him, a smile that’s because of him, for him. It’s a smile that will never fade, it’s a smile that encompasses her compassion, her strength and her love.

“For what?” She asks faintly.

For Sarada.

For loving me.

For waiting for me.

For never giving up.

For being you.

Thank you for…

“Everything.”

The genjutsu breaks and Sasuke catches his wife and places her gently on the bench.

And then he kisses her goodbye.

Just like he’d done all those years ago.

___________________________________

Sakura may have been the one who died that day but Sarada had lost both her parents that day.

Outwardly Sasuke remains unaffected to most people, he’s now undoubtedly in charge with the seventh hokage missing, the sixth hokage injured and with the greatest medic in all five nations dead all the responsibilities fall squarely on his shoulders.

He doesn’t bend or break and sometimes people wonder if he’d ever even loved his wife. But that’s because they had never seen the extent of his love for her, the softness of his eyes and the kindness in his voice whenever she was there.

But Sarada, Sarada knew.

After all it had been her who had found him, clutching her Mama’s body crying so devastatingly that Sarada had to stop wonder if this was the man she’d known to be her father. But as her eyes sharpened, her Sharingan evolving itself to the pattern of a Mangekyo she saw all those things she’d missed before.

And she saw the large crack in the soul of a man who was broken beyond repair.

That day when she cried beside her Mama, she cried for the loss of her best friend, her hero and the man her father was.

And then comes the day that Sasuke finally falls in battle.

Boruto weeps and weeps over losing his sensei but Sarada just sits there holding her fathers hand in his last moments and giving him a soft bright smile that reminds him so much of his wife.

“Say hi to Mama for me.” Sarada says softly,”As much as I want to I’ll only be able to join you after living a long life where I’ve set everything straight.”

It’s a promise to him.

It’s a promise to her mother.

Their sacrifice wouldn’t be in vain.

“I’m proud of you Sarada.” He says faintly,”You’ve got your mothers strength and your uncles kindness.”

“And I’ve got your heart.” She says softly. The heart that had loved her and her mother quietly and endlessly.

Her father raises his hand and weakly and taps her on her forehead,“I’m sorry there won’t be a next time.”

That day Boruto inherits her father’s katana and his cloak while Sarada carries her mothers strength and her fathers eyes.Through his eyes she sees the world as he saw it, filled with cherry blossom pink hair, green eyes and ever present smiles. Through her strength she protects the things she cares about bravely and unflinchingly.

And with their love she lives a life they would be proud of.

“Your grandparents were heroes.” She tells her children years later with a far off look in her eyes,”But I wish that they didn’t have to be.”

___________

I think I died a little while writing this. Excuse me while I go and cry myself back to life. But this is the fic that I’m undoubtedly the proudest of. I know it’s a bit early but none the less, Reviews are always appreciated and HAPPY SASUSAKU MONTH.

[kaermenna]

if i could do more, i promise you, i would (x)

sasusaku month 2018; day 01, heroes

[roraewrites]

sasusaku month // day 1: heroes

[lavendersmiles]

In Her Eyes

SasuSaku Month 2018

Day 1: Heroes

***

Author’s Note: Ugh barely made it~ I’m baaaack for SasuSaku Month 2018! I had a lot of fun writing the prompts last year, and decided might as well enter this year, since it’s my last month of freedom before I enter medical school. I finally got that scholarship I applied for and I have to study even harder than my undergrad years. With that, I can’t fangirl as freely as I like~ 😭

FFnet link

***

Onyx eyes observed two figures huddled together in the kitchen.

“Mama, papa, what are you two doing?”

Immediately two heads looked up from the book they were reading to look at their daughter. Sakura smiled and motioned for Sarada to come closer to them.

“Would you like to help, Sarada? We’re deciding what to cook for dinner tonight, something new from the cookbook that papa bought,” the medic answered. The young Uchiha eyed it, noting it was the same one her papa presented to them when he came home last night from his travels.

“There’s this sweet meat dish that we tried in our travels at Kumo which is really good,” Sakura continued. “And also this rice dish we also had at Suna.”

“That was really delicious,” Sasuke commented. His wife nodded in agreement.

“So what’s the final verdict, anata? Sarada?”

Their daughter smiled and pointed at the picture of Suna’s cuisine. “I vote for this one!” Husband and wife shared one quick look and Sakura handed out aprons for the three of them.

“Yosh! Let’s start making it then!”

Sasuke proceeded to take out the necessary pots and pans, while Sakura went to the refrigerator to get the ingredients. While cutting the onions, the only pink-haired shinobi of the family shared her day at the hospital, noting an increase of patients with the flu.

“I just hope it won’t be an outbreak. Which reminds me, you two need to have your flu shots as soon as possible. Maybe tomorrow?” she gave her husband and daughter a questioning look, to which the two gave a simultaneous, “Hai.”

The smell of fresh herbs filled the room and Sarada inhaled deeply. “It smells really good, mama!” She went towards her mother’s left side as her papa took the other. The genin took it upon herself to read the instructions on what to put in the pan next as the man of the house handed it to his wife.

As the last ingredient was placed, Sakura covered the pan and set the stove to low fire. She took a small piece of the dish and placed it on a small plate for the three of them to judge.

“Uwaah, it’s delicious!” Sarada and Sakura exclaimed and the mother and daughter looked too much alike, Sasuke mused. He himself allowed a small smile in agreement.

“And now we wait for five minutes. Sarada dear, can you please set the table?”

“Hai, mama,” she replied as she took three plates.

“I’ll make tea,” Sasuke offered, and was rewarded with a bright smile from his wife. “Arigatou, anata,” she replied as she helped him remove his apron.

Time passed by quickly and the three sat at the dining table, Sasuke and Sakura at one side with their daughter facing them. Sarada told them about her day, training with her team and meeting up with their friends for lunch.

“Chouchou then dragged me to her house to watch a movie. It was funny, and it was about a duo of drop-outs who saved their country and became heroes.”

“Did they train hard?” Her father asked, and Sarada immediately shook her head.

“Not at all. They found this strange rock from the sky and when they touched it, they got their powers.”

“Ah! The title is ‘Rockman and Waterman’ right?” Sakura asked. Her daughter nodded and swallowed her food before answering. “Did you watch it already, mama?”

A giggled escaped from her as her husband had a questioning face. She knew the gears in her head were working and trying to find it in his memory, and after one pointed look from her, Sasuke remembered.

“That weird movie?”

Sakura nodded. “That weird movie.”

Sasuke sighed and Sakura couldn’t help but laugh at his exasperation. Sarada tilted her head to the side in question. Understanding her gesture, Sakura explained it to her.

“During our travels, your papa and I helped an orphanage once. The kids liked that movie and idolized the two actors so much they wanted your papa to dress up like Rockman.”

An image of her papa in that hero’s weird costume flashed in her mind and it was too funny for her to take. She tried to stop a fit of laughter and failed horribly. The tips of Sasuke’s ears started to turn red and it didn’t help that his wife joined their daughter’s glee.

“It’s not funny,” he grumbled. He noticed a stray grain of rice on Sakura’s cheek and removed it with his thumb. She held his hand in place on her face and leaned on it.

After a few minutes, the laughter of the two most important people in his life started to die down. They resumed eating, and after filling their stomachs with the dish that they all helped to create, Sasuke grabbed the tea he prepared while Sakura took out the dango she bought before coming home.

“Rockman and Waterman are great and all that but I still think that mama and papa are really better than those heroes,” Sarada proclaimed.

Sasuke handed a cup of tea to her. “Why is that?”

“Because mama and papa don’t wear undies outside your pants,” their little girl announced proudly, a wide smile on her face. Jade and obsidian shared one quick look before laughter was shared between the happy family of three. Bright onyx eyes looked at her parents, a feeling of contentment and happiness filling her heart. She will forever treasure the little moments like this with the three of them complete, may it be training or doing mundane, domestic things like cooking dinner.

She listened to her papa voicing out his lack of knowledge about the new trend of movies, and her mama teased him that they’ll spend an entire day or two just watching it for him to understand. And since they’re all free tomorrow, they sealed the deal.

And as she laid down to sleep that night, Sarada closed her eyes with a smile. She’s excited to spend an entire day with her parents just watching movies of heroes and their superpowers. Though of course, no fictional superhero can match them.

To the world, Uchiha Sasuke and Sakura are two feared, legendary heroes of the shinobi world.

To Uchiha Sarada, they would always be her papa and mama.

[yangssunglasses]

SSM 2018 Day 1: Heroes

.

Sakura's running low on energy. She's spent majority of the night on making the antidote for a poisoned chunin team, a not difficult but time-consuming task. She slept barely three hours and she's already cutting it close for a morning meeting with the Hokage. Sakura brushes her teeth in a hurry as she dresses, then runs out of her apartment without breakfast.

She arrives at the Hokage tower with a few minutes to spare. To her delight, Sasuke is there too, and... in his hand, is that...?

“For me?” she asks hopefully, pointing to the object and he nods.

Sasuke wordlessly gives her a ham sandwich with cucumber and Sakura scarfs it down quickly.

Her green eyes light up when when he holds out to her a steaming paper cup with coffee to wash down the food. Sakura moans at the aroma of her favourite blend of coffee beans, cream and sugar, prepared in just the way she likes. “Sasuke-kun, you're my hero!” she exclaims. She chugs the concoction down and immediately feels the strength return to her tired limbs.

Sakura licks her lips and beams at Sasuke. “Thanks, I really needed that,” she says. She spots a trash bin in the corner and hurriedly disposes of the empty sandwich wrapping and the paper cup. A thought comes to her. “Wait, how did you know I didn't have breakfast?”

Sasuke shrugs nonchalantly. “Just a hunch.”

Before she can bug him for a clearer answer, they're called into the Hokage's office.

Sasuke is saved this time from revealing his ways. It wouldn't do for his cool reputation to admit that he saw her stagger down the street at an ungodly hour just before the dawn (his usual time for morning practice) and secretly followed her to make sure she got home safe. His lips twist in a frown. Sakura should take a better care of herself. She's been a mess since she moved out of her parents' house.

He'd have to do something about it.

.

Sasuke is supposed to have more of a downtime but the urgent request for help from the border village comes just two days after his return from the last job. He has no time except to gather his weapons and say goodbye to his wife. Too bad he can't find his favourite black cloak, it was all ripped up and he meant to fix it in his free time, but it would have done for one more mission...

“Sasuke-kun, wait!” Sakura stops him at the doorstep and he turns impatiently. She runs to the laundry room and comes back triumphantly holding up his cloak. “Here, I stitched it up and washed it for you.” She helps him put it on, then fiddles with his collar. “Looks good. Be careful out there and kick some butt, okay?” She smiles and winks at him.

“Sure,” he replies, still in awe that between working in her clinic, teaching the medic course and keeping up with her ninja training Sakura found the time in her busy schedule to repair his cloak for him. His wife is truly incredible. What he would even do without her? On the impulse, Sasuke leans in and brushes his lips softly against hers. “Thank you,” he says, smirking at the light pink tint on her cheeks. It's so easy to make her blush...

Sasuke leaves for his mission in high spirits, wearing a cloak that looks like new. He's already planning to take Sakura out for a nice dinner after he comes back.

It may seem trivial in a world of indomitable powers and epic conflicts, but in the everyday life Sasuke and Sakura are each other's heroes.

.

AN: Happy SasuSaku Month!

[kairi-chan]

Heroes - SasuSaku

Genre: Humor/Fluff

Rating: T

A/N: For SasuSaku Month 2018 Day 1: Heroes 

Disclaimer: song lyrics “Heroes” is by Alesso. I don’t own the lyrics, neither do I own Naruto. 

“We could be heroooooeeees!” 

Sasuke closed his eyes.

“Me and yooooouuuuu!” 

He took a deep breath, and sighed. 

“Weee could beeeeeeee!” The beat dropped, and Sakura started dancing wildly as she held on to the microphone. Naruto jumped from his seat and started dancing with her. It wasn’t long until Ino joined as well. 

Sasuke pinched the bridge of his nose. He really didn’t want to be here, in a small Kareoke room, crammed with all of their friends. But he was still sitting on the couch, as he had been for more than four hours for two reasons: Naruto dragged him here, and Sakura was here. 

He eyed the empty shot glasses on the table and then slowly shifted his gaze back to Sakura. Her cheeks were flushed, she had a wide grin on her face, and she kept singing horribly off key. No one cared, though. They were all too drunk to notice. All except Sasuke. 

In his sober state, he was able to see Sakura in a new state of rawness. She had always been carefree, and fun loving, but this was a different level. She was wild. Although he thought that he wouldn’t like it, he found it strangely endearing that she could easily toss her worries and inhibitions away. The corner of Sasuke’s lips tugged upwards and he took a sip of his beer. He would let her have fun tonight. She deserved a break, and to unwind. He would be there to take her home and take care of her in the morning, anyway. What were husbands for, right? 

For the most part going home, Sakura didn’t put up a fight, or caused any fuss. She would softly mumble and sing, half-asleep, all drunk. He smirked when she started saying sweet yet incoherent things to him. Finally, they reached their home. It was a small flat, being a newly married couple, they didn’t need much space. Times like tonight, he was thankful everything was so near each other. 

Carefully, Sasuke placed her down on the bed. When Sakura shifted and made a move to make herself comfortable, Sasuke stood up and turned to leave to take a shower. However, he stopped in his tracks when he heard her speak. 

“Sasuke-kun?” 

“Aa.” He glided back towards the bed and knelt by the bed to hear her properly. 

“Do you think...” Her eyes were closed, and her lips kept moving, but little to no sound was coming out. “Do... you...” 

He inched his face closer to hers to hear her better. 

“Do you think I can be... a hero?” 

Sasuke smirked and brushed her pink locks out her face. “You’re already a hero, Sakura.” 

A soft smile graced her lips and she opened her eyes before whispering, “You’re a hero, too.” 

He opened his mouth to retort, but she stopped him by whining, “No arguiiiing! I’m tiiiired and sleepyyyyy! Get in heeeereeee.”

Sasuke sighed and a low chuckle escaped his throat. “I have such a demanding wife.” He took his shirt and pants off before climbing into bed. Sakura eagerly gravitated towards him and rested her head on his chest. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her close to him. 

If only she knew how much of a hero he saw her to be. 

If only he knew how much of a hero she saw him to be. 

Perhaps they could discuss that in the morning but for now, sleep. 

 You can read more of my stories in my master post, or visit my FFnet!

[mimi-love-4ever]

Heroes

SasuSaku Month 2018 - Day 1: Heroes

Rating: T

~*~

Sakura Haruno had been called many things in her short, young life - some especially hurtful things behind her back, she’s sure, but she’d learned to let them roll off her shoulders. One lesson her shishou had drilled into her was that labels and titles did not define a person. It did no good to dwell on how other people defined you and since then, Sakura had made sure to let her actions speak for her. After the Fourth Shinobi War, much had changed afterwards, but what she absolutely did not expect was to be singled out as one of the greatest medical nin and kunoichi in the five nations. In fact, she’d just about fainted on Ino when the bubbling blonde had cornered her in her office and relayed the news, which she had heard from some traveling civilians in one of her recent missions to the Land of Waves.

She kept a level head and gracefully accepted that her growth as a shinobi had been acknowledged. Something that she had been chasing since her resolve to catch up to her two teammates ever since she was a genin. She had truly thought that nothing would be better, but here she was, standing frozen in the middle of the early morning marketplace. Her mouth dropped open in a small ‘o’ as she stared at the old woman handing her a small bag of bright red tomatoes.

“Sakura-san?” The older lady nudged her slowly. “Are you okay, dear?”

The world caught up with her again. She shook her head slightly and smiled apologetically for her rudeness. “I-I’m sorry. You caught me off guard.”

The older woman laughed good naturedly and patted her hand gently to accept the bag she was trying to hand her. “It’s quite alright, dear. Like I said, I wanted to show my appreciation of your courageous services during the war. Without you, many of our own would have perished. You’re a hero.”

A small blush tinted her usually pale cheeks as a sliver of embarrassed bashfulness fluttered around in her stomach.

“I’m no hero,” Sakura replied truthfully, averting her gaze. “I simply could not let good men and women die, not if I could help it, and I certainly was not about to stand by and watch as our world ended.”

“My dear, one who fights for others that cannot fight for themselves is a hero,” the older woman stated confidently. “Now, don’t fight your elders on this one. Please accept this token from this humble old woman.”

Sakura bit her lip before smiling softly and nodding. She took the small bag and held it close to her chest. For a fleeting moment, the ruby red eyes of the boy she loved flashed across her mind and with it, her heart raced in response. The blush on her cheeks intensified as she became flustered, then cursed herself silently at the strong reactions he could get out of her. And he wasn’t even there.

“T-thank y-you,” stuttered Sakura. Great, I’m stuttering now…

The old woman bowed lightly and grinned at her, her steel grey eyes twinkled playfully. “Perhaps they may guide your sweetheart back to you.”

“Sweetheart?!” Sakura squeaked and almost dropped the bag startled. “What? No! I don’t have a-a… sweetheart.”

“Oh, do forgive this old woman,” she chuckled, waving her hand around dismissively. “I assumed you and that handsome Uchiha were together at last. It certainly seemed like it before he left.”

Sakura… thank you.

Her heart fluttered and her stomach churned, like a thousand butterflies had suddenly taken flight inside her. She dropped her gaze down to the floor shyly and a tender smile danced upon her lips as she remembered Sasuke on the day he left for his journey of redemption.

“We’re not together,” Sakura sighed softly.

The old woman clicked her tongue, then smiled. “You listen to me, dear. That boy, however many wrong decisions he made in the past, he paid for them on that battlefield and he became a hero too when he decided to save our home. He’ll be back soon.”

Sakura’s throat tightened with unshed tears as the older woman’s words sunk in. She knew people had not forgotten about any of the transgressions made by the young Uchiha and were even less likely to forgive, but to hear that someone, at least one person, thought him a hero was all she could ask for. A small, tentative smile erupted on her face as she thanked the older woman and began making her way back to her apartment with her fresh ingredients. She had nearly forgotten she’d promised to drop off a box of warm breakfast for Kakashi before she headed to work as a small thank you for all the paperwork she had been sending his way because of the children’s clinic. It’s been almost six months since the clinic was fully operational, but it seemed the paperwork would never end. She laughed quietly under her breath as she remembered Kakashi’s look of betrayal when she walked in with the first stack.

As she walked by the main road leading to the gates, she found herself stopping and staring off into the distance. She could make out the guards in the distance and even further, past the gates, an empty road. A crushing feeling of loneliness started up in her heart as she couldn’t but wonder when Sasuke would be back.

“Please, be safe,” Sakura whispered to the wind like a prayer. And come back to me soon.

~*~

Author’s Note:

Happy SasuSaku Month 2018 to everyone!

[kotokoharuno]

Día 1 heroes, como siempre quedo mejor sakura.

[desi-pluto]

SasuSaku Month 2018 Day 1: “Heroes”

[spriggansorcieresketches]

SasuSaku Month Day 1 : Heroes Red Lantern Sasuke and Star Sapphire Sakura I took this day too seriously XD and decided to crossover with my green lantern love

[ssmonth]

reminder

Please don't forget to tag your works for sasusaku month with #ssm18 and its respective day (ex. #ssm18d1, #ssm18d2 etc.), this is so we can find your works and reblog them.

Thank you and have a great ssm!

[conexaosasusaku]

SasuSaku Month: Entenda o que é e como funciona!

O   Q U E   É

SasuSaku Month é um evento anual criado de fãs para fãs que dedica um mês inteiro a celebrar o relacionamento de Sasuke e Sakura Uchiha.

Com o início marcado para 01 de Julho e o término para 31 de Julho, a celebração consiste em postar trabalhos de autoria própria como por exemplo; fanfics, poesias, edições, linearts, fanarts, desenhos, pinturas, vídeos, gifs, gráficos, montagens, etc. Para assim, mostrar virtualmente o amor pelo casal canon sem nenhum custo além do tempo e dedicação.

P R O M P T S

Para cada dia do mês haverá “prompts” que são os temas e guias de referência para os participantes criarem as obras e postarem de acordo com o mesmo. Sem delongas, eis os temas traduzidos pela Defenders Of the Deep Love;

1 - Heróis 2 - Lado a lado 3 - Inquieto 4 - Queimar 5 - Diferenças de altura 6 - Fantasmas 7 - Tanabata 8 - Flores 9 - Escrito nas estrelas 10 - Em qualquer lugar 11 - Eclipse 12 - Jantar 13 - Calor de verão 14 - Espere por mim 15 - Treinamento 16 - Faíscas 17 - Linguagem corporal 18 - Algo melhor 19 - Café e chá 20 - Compromisso 21 - Manto/Capa 22 - Pequenas coisas 23 - Novo sonho 24 - Sem piedade 25 - Acalmar 26 - Promessa 27 - Primavera escarlate 28 - Silêncio 29 - Encerramento 30 - Expectativa 31 - Escolha livre

Um fato importante é utilizar as hashtags #sasusakumonth2018 e #ssm18 em toda mídia social que for postar a sua obra principalmente se for no tumblr, a rede principal que o evento ocorrerá. 

Para participar, basta seguir as regras e criar a sua contribuição para o crescimento do evento. Os termos para participar da celebração foram traduzidos por mim diretamente da conta oficial do evento.

R E G R A S

01. Qualquer forma de mídia é aceita. Nós aceitamos sua criatividade porque é seu amor por SasuSaku. Desde que seja respeitável, aceitamos fics, arte, edições, AMV, poesia, etc. 

02. Siga nosso sistema de marcação! (ssm18, ssm18d1, etc) Assim poderão ver a sua contribuição e reblogar na conta oficial do evento. O sistema de marcação são as tags.

03. Por favor, não repassar o trabalho de outras pessoas! 

04. Não é permitido nenhum ódio contra ship ou personagem. Nem é permitido de passagem. Não é permitido em prenúncio. Não é bem-vindo em nenhuma forma ou formato. Mantenha-o fora do seu trabalho, mantenha-o fora deste blog, mantenha-o fora deste mês. Não é permitido. 

05. Comentários grosseiros não serão ignorados, mas provavelmente serão respondidos com gracejos espirituosos e talvez alguns comentários que vão fazer você refletir sobre sua atitude. Em algum momento, porém, será ignorado. Estamos trabalhando muito nisso. Por favor, seja atencioso.

Por último, dois itens que não são regras, mas que gostaríamos que você considerasse:

SasuSaku é o foco principal aqui. É o ship mútuo. Quando você escreve ou faz arte, especialmente, tente não tornar os ships secundários muito pesados.

Nós, os moderadores, somos pessoas também, então a vida nos alcançará em algum momento. Quando demoramos para reblogar o seu trabalho, não nos assedie sobre isso! Não envie spam para a caixa de entrada deste blog sobre o porquê de não termos traduzido sua contribuição e não presuma que seja porque não gostamos dela ou de você! Nós pedimos que você simplesmente aproveite o mês para o que é: um mês para o nosso OTP! Nós faremos o resto: reblogar as obras no ritmo que funciona melhor para nós.

– Tradução realizada a partir da conta oficial do SasuSaku Month. Não criamos nada, somente repassamos as informações do inglês para pt/br para que os participantes brasileiros entendam melhor e não quebrem as regras.

– Tradução dos Prompts pela Defenders of the Deep Love. 

– Todos os créditos a administração do evento!

─ Soein.

[amitds]

Sasusaku Month

Day 1

Prompt: Heroes

Summary: Sasuke is a lone hero in Leaf City who fights crime under the name Kagutsuchi but his path of loneliness takes a surprising turn when a new hero, or rather, a new heroine joins the fray. 

Notes: Pretty much me taking the prompt really seriously and drawing inspiration from BNHA, The Incredibles 2 and batcat drama going on rn.

Dealing with that apartment fire took more time that Sasuke anticipated. Even with his blessing, Amaterasu; his dominion over flames, Sasuke took the better of half an hour to stifle the blaze. Now, slightly winded and intensely anxious, Sasuke, or rather ‘ Kagutsuchi ’ as he is called by the citizenship, hurriedly set off to initiate his daily patrol of Leaf City. The sole remnant of his presence, the  smoldering ashes of a once grand complex left at his back. 

Time continues to burn away like the wick of a dying candle and nearly two years have gone by since Sasuke’s brother, Itachi, had died while the two engaged two super villains they cornered after they were rampaging through Senju Square, leaving Sasuke, now just shy of twenty-five, alone to carry on his brother’s will in protecting their home. When not preoccupied with extinguishing evil in this city, Sasuke leads his family, the Uchiha’s, land development conglomerate. Despite his loss, Sasuke embraces the loneliness and fuels the kindle of his ambition, his duty, with the loss of Itachi. 

“It’s past six,” Sasuke announced as he danced across the roof tops, a fireball blazing across the metropolis. By now the sun had begun its descent, melting into the horizon with shades of scarlet and marigold dancing,staining the inky purple clouds over the city. “I didn’t expect a fire to start this evening but at least it seems like the city is calm otherwise.” Despite his success in quelling the fire for some reason or the other a feeling of uneasiness and panic flared within him. As if something or someone was waiting... was plotting. As those words escaped his lips Sasuke was alerted to a disturbance, a loud crash, the sound of an explosion. 

As Sasuke could see no form of fire in any direction, he relied on his hearing and sourced the disturbance. The sound emanated westerly, at the heart of Katsuyu Gardens, in the past a peaceful district and an easy patrol. However in recent months this middle class district saw an uprising in crime, specifically kidnappings of teenagers. The victims are snatched with no ransom demands and, perhaps most astonishing of all, are returned a few weeks following their abduction with no memory of their plight and the onset of weakness from anemia plaguing them. Despite Sasuke’s investigations, he still has no answer as to who was the mastermind here and what was his/her intentions.

 In just a few minutes he dashed past Anja Avenue and hurriedly entered Hernandez Street on his way to the basketball court, where he theorized that the sound was coming from, now ready to face his enemies. Now, faced with a new problem in Katsuyu Gardens, the hero known as  Kagutsuchi swiftly bounded towards his next mission, incognizant of the peril, of the struggle that would soon meet him. Could his answers lie here? 

“How many of these bastards are there?!” Sakura thundered as one by one she fell the mysterious Black Op mercenaries, as they dubbed themselves, that lay in front of her. Impressive as they fought, Sakura, code named 'Haruno' , currently held the upper hand due to, in no small part, her blessing, ‘Strength of One Hundred’ channeled through her mastery of the oriental fighting styles. “Shannaro!” she bellowed as her fist bombarded the asphalt of the basketball court in which she fought, calling forth an explosion that upended the earth at the feet of her attackers and launched them in all directions, launching them into submission.

 She didn’t expect to be dealing with all of this. A simple investigation into the surge in kidnappings in Katsuyu Gardens shouldn’t have led to this, at least she didn’t expect it to. Who knew that following a tip about teens meeting here to join a new cult would result in dozens of men joining the fray with even more men charging in as back up, all set on slaughtering her? However as those men fell by means of the exploding earth, more came forth parading weapons, targets set on the young woman: katana, guns and loose chains. The gunshots were tricky but through using the monster strength granted to her by her blessing, Sakura’s creation of sonic waves in the otherwise still night air repelled all projectiles into the flesh of the men who sent them forth. 

Unfortunately for the young kunoichi, a hero channeling the Japanese ninja in the modern age, while her stamina dimmed, that of the army’s new troops were at its zenith. In addition to this condition, her resolution as a hero to never kill weighed on her chances of victory and more importantly, her chances of survival. Alone, with the frigid night air brushing against her bare arms, Sakura knew it was only a matter of time before she was overwhelmed. As a fresh wave of attackers surged forward, she steeled her nerves and launched forward. Before her fist was buried into an assailant's face, Sakura was halted and rejected by a wall of screaming heat emanating from a barrier of brilliant titian flame.

 The warmth of the fire whipped the cold of night from the court and when she turned to source the flame, a new flame, a kindle of hope warmed her own heart. There standing behind her, clad is a cloak seemingly sewn from the night itself was Kagutsuchi, his face hidden behind a whole faced, lustrous samurai mask. Leaf City’s legend was here to save her and quell this disturbance. Sakura had always idolized Kagutsuchi and his partner Indra, especially after they rescued her and her classmates from a rampaging villain two years ago, and the thought of not only meeting Kagutsuchi, but of teaming up with him elated the kunoichi. Now was the time to act!

“What is this?” Sasuke thought as his eyes fell on the scene before him. Upon his arrival to the scene, where he tracked the explosion, Sasuke was puzzled at the sight of a lone girl taking on an army of mercenaries. In the gloomy court, pierced only by the single working light and the shower of silver moonlight Sasuke was uncharacteristically intrigued by the figure in front of him. The young woman who stood before him was clad in a sleeveless blood red qipao dress descending until her upper thighs, every section gripping to her lithe frame. A lone white circle was emblazoned at the centre of her back while black gloves wrapped her hands and wrists and grey elbow and knee protectors covered her. She possessed bright pink hair, now salmon in the wake of Sasuke’s now dying flames along with creamy, porcelain skin, free from flaw, now kissed by the moonlight. Her milky skin held beads of perspiration which were racing downwards upon it. Her face was delicate, framed by the bangs of her short fuchsia strands with a violet rhombus adorning her forehead’s centre. 

The woman before him was not ordinary. She was beautiful in the simplest way unlike those models dominating the billboards Sasuke often ignored as he traversed across the rooftops of Leaf City. Perhaps most enthralling were her eyes, eyes a rich light green which to Sasuke, reflected perhaps her naivety, her innocence but also her strength. Those were not the eyes of someone who was hurt by this world Sasuke concluded yet those eyes also cast strength, strength of compassion and strength of will. This girl was not ordinary at all. 

Sasuke though, was disappointed. Why must this girl get in his way? Why can’t he be left alone to fight? Teams don’t work, unless the team consisted of Itachi and himself and even then... Truly, Sasuke believed no one his equal now that Itachi was gone and he trusted no one on the field besides himself. After all, who could ever be as capable, as adept, as potent? That was the reason. It was the reason he worked alone, he worked in silence, the reason he rejected every offer to partner up, like from that insufferable blond idiot, and his damn waterfalls and whirpools, that wannabe hero, Kurama... Was it really the reason though?

 Sasuke was here, he was here now trapped in peril and hazard with an unknown hero who to him would hold him back. She would no doubt be as good as a bystander he kept telling himself as the last of his awe of the creature in his presence petered out. Peeved at his luck, or rather his misfortune, the hero pressed on. “You, stay back and stay out of my way. I’ll take out the trash over here,” he sneered as he pointed at the recovering troops before him with a sharp nod. As his words echoed on the now silent battlefield a grand flare of intense power and heat erupted among the enemies’ ranks and Black ops scattered, some in fear and others in pain. A new battle had commenced. 

“Um sorry but you can’t handle these guys alone,” Sakura asserted firmly. “I’m not going anywhere and if I didn’t know any better I’d say you were looking down on me,” she added with a sly smile painted across her face. “Do you think I’m just some weak woman who can’t keep up with you? I’m a hero of Leaf City just as you are.” 

With that remark she uprooted one of the ash colored basketball poles, space now freed around her from Kagatsuchi’s assault, and swung it, spraying Black Ops in all directions several yards away. The fencing surrounding the court was gone. Almost immediately following this the kunoichi hefted the pole and sent it barreling into a crowd of Black Ops as casually as one would launch a javelin. 

The nerve of this guy. How could he treat her as a damsel in distress? After years of honing her blessing and training with her father in their native Japanese styles: karate, shorinji kenpo and aikido Sakura was a hero. She was not dead weight and the thought of being treated as such and treated as another pretty damsel infuriated her. She looked up to Kagutsuchi and was still indebted to him and his partner Indra for saving her two years prior, but she was not a naive follower and even Kagutsuchi could only get away with so much.

 Despite her new born anger Sakura chose to remain calm and match his attitude with her own calm, her own unique ‘fire’. And well, despite all this exasperation Sakura did think that Kagutsuchi was kind of sexy. That assertive and incontestable voice was kind of alluring. It made her want to see the face under that mask even more than she did as a citizen.She wanted to see if his face matched his voice. Haruno wasn’t looking for a boyfriend but she never hesitated to...window shop. After all she was only a twenty four year old single woman. Is it weird that she thought the mask was hot too?

Sasuke was awestruck. Not by her display which he admitted to himself was remarkable, but at her attitude. This girl was fearless, determined and seemed to possess a courage and confidence to rival any man’s, any hero’s. Somehow this served to further annoy him, further dishevel him and unnerve him. This was a novel experience for the hero but regardless he firmed his resolve and continued. If this heroine wanted to try to help him, so be it. He knew that his main goal was ending this fight with the Black Ops. So he pressed on. 

“Inferno espada!” Sasuke screamed as two lines of fire sped across the court, grating the thick black asphalt as they hurried into the army of men. Despite his exhaustion from suffocating that building fire earlier in the evening and helping Haruno later on, the hero retained more than enough stamina to do this much. Through his mask, crimson irises burned as his heat claimed the court. Apart from a bullet streaking past his steel mask, nearly grazing his face, Sasuke was untouched. 

At that instant Haruno also resumed her onslaught and, with outstanding agility, dived into the crowd of soldiers, her limbs flailing among her targets. Every hit was precise, every action planned. Sakura wasted no movement and expertly utilized every ounce of her strength, sending bodies crashing either into the murky, rough asphalt or the rigid, mauve cherry wood stands which framed the court. Two heroes proved to be better than one as even the backup soldiers fell and buried themselves into submission against Kagutsuchi and Haruno’s combined assault. 

Close to fifteen minutes after Sasuke’s arrival, silence returned to the court as the Black Ops lay on the floor. Still, a sick glimmer of foreboding persisted in Sasuke’s heart and in his mind. The same feeling he pushed out of his mind earlier still radiated power in his thoughts. Something, he knew, was amiss. 

“See? Wasn’t it better working with someone? Neither of us would have been able to take out that many Black Ops on our own,” Sakura boasted as she steadied her breath and wiped the sweat off her brow. Now face to face... well mask, she continued. “You were great, Kagutsuchi. As expected of Leaf City’s finest hero. I’m Sa... Haruno. I’m Haruno by the way and well... as you can see I was blessed with super strength.” 

Despite the man’s ego and rudeness Sakura was still grateful to him and of course honored to work with him, even if it was strictly due to circumstance. This would serve as invaluable experience for the heroine.  Now that the villains were down Sakura was ready to tie them up (she preferred this over drugging them to sleep since, even as a medical student, she could only ‘borrow’ so much from Tsunade General). On the contrary, fate had something else in mind. Before she could register Kagutsuchi’s response (she thought it sounded like ‘Hmm’ whatever that means), an explosion boomed into the silence of the night and catapulted both heroes into the restroom’s red brick wall, beyond the court itself. One enemy remained, or is it that the real enemy arrived? 

The last thing Sasuke remembered before he impacted the solid brick wall was that cute hero girl blabbing on about how successful they were together and how great he was, which he agreed was a factual conclusion. He wasn’t really annoyed by her though, despite him telling himself that she was annoying. In fact he remembered somewhat relishing being there with his heroine. This was perhaps a new mystery he needed to address. Who is she and what is going on? In addition, Sasuke recalled nodding and ‘hmm-ing’ dismissively, as was his style, before his body and mind were bombarded with what felt like a canon being fired into his torso. His mask was now off, crumbled at his feet. The bullet barely touching it must have loosened the strap only to have it crushed by the red brick shards now nesting on the asphalt. Sasuke, however, had no time to worry about a secret identity.

 Despite the harrowing pain lancing in his abdomen he concluded that he would live. Thankfully his technique, Ice Blue Flame’s, pyre smothered on his back and front braced his frame from the solid bricks and intense force at his anterior. As he peered over to where Haruno had been fired, he was amazed to see that the cherry blossom haired ninja was untouched and was already stepping out of a crater in the brick wall. Did her super strength grant her invulnerability too? He did not know. Regardless, now both heroes glanced at their front facing the villain currently simpering in their direction. 

Uncharacteristic fear and gloom washed over Sasuke. The visage of the ominous figure before him totally shook his being. This man had died, of that he was certain. Itachi had died taking him down with his brother. That duo had to be dead. If that was untrue then Itachi died, Itachi sacrificed for nothing. Sasuke would not accept it. The reason for his pain, the man who faced off against Indra and Kagutsuchi two years ago and who had perished alongside Indra and his own brother, his accomplice, was here. Kabuto was here standing firm, domineering and wearing a sneer of utter amusement that Sasuke had to remove. 

The figure before him remained unchanged from their last encounter.  Kabuto’s slim build was drenched in bone-white scales and his dark yellow eyes bore slits in the pupils like those of a snake’s. His short short ash grey hair gently danced in the cold night wind which failed to affect the villain as he only wore long black pants that just passed his knee caps. Something was different though, his eyes seemed to be more hateful, more menacing than Sasuke remembered and his aura exuded darkness and power. Kabuto had evolved from their last encounter, ascending from a snake to a great dragon. 

Okay now she was really pissed off. Dealing with those Black Ops was one thing but now some sonic wave burying her into a solid brick wall? This topped Sakura’s list of worst missions ever and now she wanted nothing more than to sink her high heeled sandals into that snake freak’s neck. Not only did this villain creep her out but he had a face and a sneer that made Sakura’s blood boil. It took all her anger management techniques to extinguish the reckless fury that swirled and blossomed within her. Kagutsuchi was okay thank God. 

Kagutsuchi... As she examined the hero Sakura was stunned as what reflected in her eyes. Kagutsuchi, no Sasuke Uchiha was standing beside her. “What the hell?!” she exclaimed but none of the men seemed to pay that utterance any mind. “Kagutsuchi is Sasuke?!” Well it really wasn’t that surprising Sakura thought. Only a billionaire would have the funds and flexible schedule to rise to the level of heroism Kagutsuchi had reached and as far as she knew Sasuke’s strategic mind had put his company on top. He was a hero to the city even in his civilian form. Yet the thought of the great Kagutsuchi’s identity being revealed to be Sasuke Uchiha, that handsome, mysterious elite of Leaf City, well that still somewhat overwhelmed Sakura. 

Now that she caught a closer glimpse Sakura noted to herself that the man before her was even more handsome than on tv. Sasuke sported spiky black hair with a slight tint of blue mixed among the strands as his locks, now freed from the restriction of the mask, hung over his face as bangs. His face was pale and it was characterised by delicate features. On the other hand, it also portrayed strength or character, a level of class and of maturity. His more noticeable trait however, were his eyes. 

Now that his powers were inactive Sakura was able to see their true color. His eyes were black, like a starless night and exuded authority; commanded attention. Sakura felt as thought she could be lost in those eyes, as if she would be totally engulfed. His gaze was no doubt powerful but as she examined the man before her she looked underneath it all. What his gaze truly let on was pain. His eyes held pain within, they gave off a feeling of loneliness and of strength married with struggle. He was indeed a handsome man and Sakura thought to herself that his assertive tone in tandem with his dark cloaked ensemble served to heighten his allure. He was different from all the other men in this city, in her life. Sakura empathised with those eyes.

 What could hurt him to such an extent? Did this enemy play a part in it all? She knew not the answers to her musings. Worry flooded her thoughts. Something was awry. Something was off. This villain seemed to bother him. No, bother was too light a word. Sakura saw  It seems that these two men knew one another and from the looks of it, this man enraged Sasuke and more importantly, traumatized him. 

 Using the might and fury steadily bubbled up within him upon laying eyes on his adversary, Sasuke dashed off, his katana in hand, bathed in the flames for his target. As was the case for all Uchiha, Sasuke was initiated in numerous styles of kenjutsu; esteemed Japanese styles of swordsmanship and now with the red-yellow flames imbued into the fine Japanese steel of his blade, Kagutsuchi was hell bent on unleashing these styles on the monster before him. His vow as a hero to never kill was now forgotten. The man who caused Itachi’s death must be killed. Nevertheless, this blade was never meant to meet the target as, just a metre or so before contact was made, the ground below the men erupted with an opaque bone white pillar blooming from below. Flames splattered chaotically as the blade rebounded off from the barrier that protected the man, sending Sasuke back, staggering, as he struggled to steady his footing. His attack was nullified and he hurled straight into the arms of Haruno, who by this time, was properly positioned to catch the hero from behind. 

Despite his panic Sasuke was momentarily calmed as he entered Haruno’s arms. She just clung to him to support him and cushion his fall but to Sasuke, who only knew loneliness and who was already intimidated by the beast in front of him, her caress, if only temporarily, set him at ease. If he wasn’t mistaken, he could have felt Sakura’s arms tighten and her warmth pressed against him as if she found comfort herself while holding him in the face of danger. It was as if her embrace devoured the darkness of fear that slithered around in his heart. Indeed there was a mutual attraction present between the heroes. 

Alas, this was a fleeting sensation quickly dissipated by the urgency of their predicament. Overwhelmed by shock, disappointment and the passion sparked from outrage, Sasuke looked on at the emerging behemoth that entered the conflict. Sasuke and even Sakura soon took stock of the situation, nerves on edge and their minds briskly at work. Something had to be done.

Emerging from behind the villain was a serpentine creature of massive proportions, tall enough to wrap around the complex Sasuke had recently saved, gnarling at the heroes facing its master. The beast wore a complexion of alabaster stained on its large scales and possessed darker rings of gray that ran down the intervals of its body. Massive fangs greeted those in its sight like that of a constrictor snake with moss green eyes nestled into its ghastly face, eyes that yearned for slaughter, eyes that seemed to call for blood. The dragon in their wake also notably wore four horn-like protrusions on its crown and let out a cry so terrible, so awesome that the heroes both quivered slightly in its presence. 

Sakura hated to admit it but she was comforted by Sasuke cradled in her arms. It wasn’t out of lust or even romance, but due to her need for intimacy and support in the face of these monsters. For the first time in her short period as a hero, she was scared. She felt the same fear course through Sasuke’s body as he readied himself for another attempt on the villains. 

“Sasuke we need a plan,” she softly informed the Uchiha. “That snake might even be stronger than me and that sonic wave from that small guy is no joke.” “Kabuto,” he bitterly responded. “That monster’s name is Kabuto and he is no joke. Indra and I together barely managed to beat him and his brother who was blessed with the power to become a giant.. a giant as big as that snake!” 

Sakura’s heart sank. If this guy was strong enough to handle Indra and Sasuke he was the real deal and, despite her confidence, she was logical and grounded enough to know the trouble she was in. She could very well breathe her last tonight and this thought near destroyed her nerves. “Well actually he is the snake.” Kabuto hissed. “Don’t you recognize him Sasuke? Don’t you recognize the man you tried to kill? My brother.. Manda!” Kabuto, astonishingly, didn't seem to care that Sasuke’s identity was revealed. It was if Kagutsuchi and harming him was all that mattered, whether he be Sasuke or a random citizen. He was an enemy all the same.

Sasuke could not fathom anything after those words parted with Kabuto’s lips. The courageous hero, Kagutsuchi was as good as dead with all his bravery replaced by appall, disdain and fear. It was apparent what had happened. It was all clear now; Kabuto had somehow changed his brother after that fight. Sasuke didn’t need any explanation yet he couldn’t refrain from responding, “Kabuto, what the hell did you do to him? What did you do to your brother?!” Sasuke angrily exclaimed, his rage at its zenith. 

“Ha ha ha” the demon cackled. “Well after your dear brother electrocuted Manda and buried us both under tonnes of rubble we barely escaped with out lives, unlike Indra if I may be so bold to add so I had to share my DNA, my blessing with him and viola!” he boasted as he spread his arms brandishing the serpent at his side which now gentle encircled its master.... its brother. “It wasn’t all that hard for a genius as myself...” Kabuto snickered, “Of course he lost his human brain and senses and his fork changed due to my blessing being alien to his body... and well he needs blood every few months to survive, the blood of blessed ones like ourselves being especially beneficial. But at least he’s not dead.. like certain other people.” He winked at the now seething hero. 

“At least I my dear brother is alive... Oh shoot.” he went on, clearly reveling in talking about himself. “ I guess I just should come clean at this point shouldn’t I? Yeah I kidnapped those teens and I was supposed to get some more today but this pink haired bitch sent those kids back before my men could round them up. Did you know that teen were curious about joining self help groups and were easily made to take drugs?” He then whistled and let out another unnatural laugh. “Who would’ve thought! Easy to manipulate teenagers! Wow!” 

Sasuke could feel the bile welling up, ready to leap out up from his gut. It all pieced together now. These suburban teens in his area were easily bored and misled and Kabuto cleverly drugged them to forget. After all he needed them to live on to be taken again. Sasuke was disgusted. He who had treasured his brother and loved him like no other couldn’t bear to see this. Sasuke’s heart was immersed in rage and his mind trapped in a storm of blood lust and hate. He had never experienced the darkness of such passion and for some reason he wanted to accept it. Sasuke wanted to use it, to use it to fight and to use it for power. Now more than ever he gauged how imperative his victory was. Sasuke needed to beat Kabuto and save Manda. 

As he peered to his side where Sakura now stood, shaking with what seemed to be a combination of pity and the passion that came with immense fury, their eyes met and he knew that she felt the same. A wordless understanding passed between the two, carried by their eyes. Sasuke had never experienced such a thing and as they steeled their resolve the two readied themselves to engage these enemies.

“Haruno, you take the giant snake. I’ll deal with Kabuto” Sasuke disclosed as he prepared his first attack.“Your strength should fare better against it than my flames did.” 

Sakura knew what she had to do. Sadness drowned her heart but she felt an opulent sense of surety and duty birthed from her compassion for the creature. Kabuto had to pay and Manda... poor Manda. There was nothing she could do for the poor creature. Such an abomination, an act of sacrilege against humanity. This especially distressed her as she was a doctor in training and couldn’t understand how a man of science could do such a thing. This is not how you help people! Sakura felt personally insulted and hurt by what she saw here tonight and channeled her outrage into her power and into her will. Indeed, Sakura knew what must be done. In order to grant eternal salvation to this poor creature Haruno and Kagatusuchi had to put him down. Manda, though a criminal, deserved at least that. This maniac must be stopped and she needed to subdue the snake to do it.

 “Right!” she responded as she charged forward, moments after wiping the single tear from her eye, the only expression of sadness she could afford in this situation. Despite her sensitivity and how emotionally charged Sakura felt, this was neither the time nor the place to break down. She could always do so later. This was how a hero had to live. This was the way a hero’s life, her life, the life she had willingly embraced. “Shannaro!” she hollered, in a display of her marvelous superhuman strength. When her charged fists met the hide of the dragon, it was if thunder was rupturing the fragile heavens. 

Manda’s thick elongated head lurched backwards, the beast flying several yards behind, crashing into the stands at the mercy of Sakura’s gut punch. Her victory was short live though, as it seemed the serpent was barely phased by her onslaught. For the first time in her life, Sakura felt weak. Regardless, she glared back at the recovered monster beyond her, ready to fight as the fearsome dragon gazed upon her, a predator ready for its prey. The scene could have been extracted from Grecian myth, the tension, danger and implausibility of the conflict- a hero battling a massive leviathan. All she could do was press on and continue her assault. 

The boom of Haruno’s blows against the serpent’s harsh iron hide resounded throughout the court, echoing into the previously still, cool night. What was once a sleeping court was now set ablaze with the heat of combat and the clash of these four super humans. Sasuke noticed that Sakura was holding her own, evading the snake’s massive swinging tail and through her incredible power, sending the snake flying back with jarring blows. She really was something else. The heroine presently fared better than Sasuke who, despite calling forth his most violent flames and performing his most practiced techniques, could not get past Kabuto’s blessing, or rather, his curse.

 As scorching pyres tore through the atmosphere Kabuto’s state remained unchanged. In the face of Kagutsuchi’s fire, Kabuto seemingly dislocated his jaws, clasped his hands in some form of concentration as he locked his eyes and let out a fierce wail. Summoned from his maw was a cruel, robust sonic wave which easily blew back Sasuke’s fire and even Sasuke himself, taking the form of a stream modeled after a pale white oriental dragon. Kabuto’s blessing improved astronomically since they last fought, his tiny sonic boom now a potent, ear bleeding explosion in the wind. Sasuke’s was barely able to survive and depended on the force of his own fire, dying by Kabuto’s blast to mitigate the damage. Exhausted, powerless and rattled, Sasuke saw no way out. Letting out a sea of wildfire, he made one last stand. 

“Pathetic!” Kabuto mocked as he let out another bellow of power, breaking Sasuke’s wave of flame. “I guess living in a mansion, having everything you ever wanted really hampers training and actually growing your blessing huh? Ha ha!” His disgusting laugh poisoned the air irritating Sasuke even more who was now knelt on the asphalt trying to get his legs to support his body.

 What could he do? Fire was ineffective and without a means by which to close the distance between them, Sasuke knew that he couldn’t even attempt to cut Kabuto with his katana. There was no telling if swords would even be enough to beat Kabuto since even he had tough scales hugging his frame, though probably not as solid as Manda’s. At best, Sasuke might manage rest a shallow cut on him before he beats him back and sends him flying. Meanwhile Kabuto could easily close his eyes and fire another massive wave of sonic energy send Sasuke ever further back. That’s it!

Why didn’t it dawn on Sasuke before? Every time Kabuto attacked he first had to close his eyes and extend his jaw to accommodate his screech! In the split second that his eyes were closed and his attack under way Kabuto was vulnerable. Also judging from his long ranged style, Sasuke reckoned that Kabuto’s scales really were not as hard as Manda’s and while his fire and swords still might not do the trick, perhaps another type of physical attack would. Unfortunately, before Sasuke would even finish his scheming his thoughts were halted by a piercing shriek. Gazing at source of the scream Sasuke was startled at what he saw. Haruno lay stiff on the ground, dead. 

Panic washed over him. How could this happen? “Haruno!” he begged, his voice burdened with desperation and fear. Alas the limp frame a few meters north east of him gave no response. Haruno rested face down on the asphalt, with no movement crossing her body. This is the real reason he chose to work alone, he confesses to himself. It wasn’t because he thought he was better, it was to avoid losing partners, losing lives to the villains that plagued this world. No doubt Manda had managed to overpower her in the end. Manda who was now moving closer to his master, readying a combined strike against the lone hero. 

Sasuke raced towards the fallen heroine and stayed, eyes fixed on the adversaries before him. “Sun storm!” he proclaimed as swirls of near golden flames split the battlefield. He had poured every ounce of his concentration in this attack in a last ditch attempt to keep those creatures at bay while he would try to save the girl; he thought he could at least retrieve her body. He knew it was only a matter of seconds before Manda swept his robust tail to part the sea of flames but he had to get to her. 

As expected, this too failed and on nearing Haruno, he saw the flames whipped away making way for Manda’s strike. The beast lunged at Sasuke in a swift strike, it’s silver crown glittering in the cold, pale moonlight. In the meantime Kabuto’s jaws opened and his eyes sealed in a familiar manner as he himself readied his attack. It was here that Sasuke realized that he was doomed. He had neither the power nor the time to react to the serpent’s dive. He looked at Haruno’s body, now resigned to the fact that he would join her and then stared down his opponents, his arrogant gaze decorating his face in his last moments. He was an Uchiha and would go out with his pride. 

“Shannaro!” blared Sakura, her right fist sinking Manda’s throat. The snake was sent barreling into Kabuto just as the man was sending out his sonic wave. The result: a massive white explosion of compressed air pressure blooming into the court like a cherry blossom in the warmth of spring. In the last minute before Manda reached Sasuke, Sakura briskly revived and jumped into action and she was able to save him. Both man and snake were stunned, if only for a few minutes. Sakura, now perfectly upright and standing firm, turned and extended her hand to the bewildered cloaked man behind her, pulling Sasuke up from his kneel.

 “You played possum, Haruno?” Sasuke inquired, his voice still lighting with panic. “Well somewhat” she giggled in response. “You see my ‘Strength of One Hundred’ blessing not only gives grants me super human strength but also super human healing...” she continued, “...and a natural resistance to injury and illness beyond that of normal people. Of course my resistance didn’t do much against that thing” her eyes pointed towards the leviathan buried in the asphalt on that last word. 

“It’s not as simple as it seems. Manda really did catch me off guard and I hate to admit it but he landed a critical blow on me. If it weren’t for my healing, I’d be dead for sure. But I still played dead even after I healed myself just to catch those cocky bastards unguarded. I knew they’d target you so I sat and waited to make my move. But Kagutsuchi, we have to end this now, for both our sake.” 

“Hmm. I’m glad you are okay, Haruno” Sasuke replied. He was impressed by what he witnessed, a heroine with an amazing blessing and the training and intellect to use it... and perhaps more importantly he was happy that his new partner was okay. Partner... He didn’t even realise that he was considering her his partner now. Today was really full of surprises. Wrapped in all of this he didn’t even notice how his comment reddened the heroine’s complexion and averted her eyes.

  “Oh and Sasuke, if I can call you that...” Sakura swiftly conditioned herself and went back to being a serious heroine, “ I when I fought him that Manda has a minute crease in the folds of his neck unprotected by those scales. I can’t get them but when he moves his head to attack I believe your flaming sword might.”

A new source of awe and excitement now dwell within him. This girl really was a hero. She was every bit as formidable in combat as he was and her analytical ability rivaled, maybe even superseded, his own. She wasn’t unlike Itachi he thought. This Haruno girl was extremely intelligent, exercised delicate control of her blessing and held a strategic and analytical mind. Also, he felt like Haruno worked well with him, which is something he never expected since his brother’s passing. This was truly a profound and new experience but the enemy before them took precedence. His introspection would have to wait until calmer times. 

“Okay good. Then let’s switch enemies.” Sasuke suggested. “ I myself noticed that Kabuto’s blast is linear and he needs to close his eyes to fire it off..” “And you’re saying in those few seconds I might be able to close the distance with my strength and knock him out?” Sakura interrupted, completing his thoughts. Amazed yet again, and slightly peeved Sasuke smirked and went on “ Yeah something like that.”  It was strange how well they read one another so well. With that the heroes faced down the now recovering monsters in their wake and bounded across paths to meet their respective new foes. 

“Aww did the lovebirds decide to switch?” Kabuto hissed. Sakura really hated his guy. Even his voice and his manner of speech made her sick. Maybe that’s why it was appropriate for her to defeat him. That thought swirled in her mind for a brief moment. One thing was for sure though, regardless of how irritating he was, he was an evil man, a powerful man and in order to make him pay for his crimes against humanity and his misuse of the medical arts, Sakura would have to focus all of her attention and might on this fight. Easier said than done though, since, unbeknownst to Sasuke, fighting all night, especially fighting Manda and then invoking her ‘Strength of One Hundred’ healing had left Sakura thoroughly exhausted. This had to be done and it had to be done as quickly as possible. 

“Shut up and fight, idiot.” she snickered back. “Or are you afraid to hit a cute girl like me? ” The fight commenced. 

Just as anticipated, Kabuto initiated with a large sonic wave, his eyes closed and palms clasped together. Sakura met this with a sonic wave of her own. By punching the air her abnormal strength formed a pulse of wind and sound that thundered towards his. Alas, Kabuto was the victor. For a moment the waves met and the intense air pressure caused ripples of power into the night but as Sakura’s punch petered out, Kabuto’s stream lasered on and pieced through. Sakura anticipating this and managed to imbue tiny ounce of strength into her feet and kick off with a burst of speed out of harm’s way. This solved nothing though, as Kabuto was unaffected and still posed a threat. How could he have so much stamina to fire those things all the time? He must have trained a lot to reach this far. Eyes targeted on Kabuto, Sakura tried again.

Was this snake totally flame proof? It’s been five minutes since him and Haruno switched opponents and none of his flames have done anything to the monster. The leviathan’s solid hide of steel like scales made it impossible for Sasuke to coax him into the required position. He knew the hide was tough but Sasuke still thought that with some power behind his flames he would be able to bend the snake to reveal its weakness. Haruno was able to do it with her strength but lacked the power to get into the crease. Conversely it seemed that the opposite was true for Sasuke. He could cut into the beast with his katana but getting the monster to bend in the right way was proving an arduous and impossible task. On top of that he didn’t have the stamina needed to keep this up for much longer. This conflict needed to be extinguished. 

Manda whipped his tail sending boulders of asphalt hurling towards Sasuke, who barely managed to slap them with his flames. Manda was the toughest opponent Sasuke had ever faced and the only reason they managed to beat those brothers two years prior was because of Itachi’s plan. Sasuke drenched them by activating the sprinkler system, left the warehouse and allowed Itachi to let his “Susanoo” lightning blessing run wild. No one anticipated that Kabuto had a gun and that Manda would inadvertently knock down the beams supporting the large complex. Self hatred still forced its way into Sasuke’s hear. If he had only stayed with Itachi....  However that was then, now Manda had powerful scales and neither Sasuke nor Haruno had dominion over lightning or water. Sasuke almost hoped that usuratonkachi, Kurama was here... almost. 

As Manda glared at Sasuke as a snake glares at its prey, a new revelation, a new idea was born. “The eyes! Why didn’t I think about that before?” Sasuke scolded himself then attacked. “Great Fireball Jutsu!” Like a dragon from medieval times Sasuke belched out seven shining balls of heat and flame, his favourite technique. Like shooting stars across the sky, these projectiles cleaved through the night air and engulfed Manda and everything around him. 

The flames surrounded him, distracting from what was to come. As explosions of sprung up around Manda, Sasuke let out a final fireball which he detonated before it made contact. Manda was now blinded. Maybe he couldn't cut through his eyes, but it was still an exposed and sensitive area. In a daze the serpent jerked its massive form, dancing about the asphalt of the court trying to gather its senses. Sasuke noticed Kabuto peeping into their battle only to be too distracted by Sakura hurling boulders his way to make any sort of attempt to move in. The predator was now the one being hunted and now was the time to act. Sasuke waited and while Manda squirmed he targeted the now bare slit of exposed flesh upon the snake’s neck, where his body met his cranium. Sasuke, using every drop of his concentration funneled his flames into his blade and set it ablaze with power. Titian and gold flames danced upon the blade, warming the cold Japanese steel in Sasuke’s hands. With a resounding battle cry the young Uchiha charged onward. 

Sasuke had never felt this passionate before, this alive. Thoughts, not only of avenging Itachi, but of delivering justice, saving Manda’s soul and also of protecting Haruno all fueled him and it was then that the transformation occurred. Born from Sasuke’s determination and emotions, the fire of his sword was dyed black.Just like Itachi’s black lightning. Sasuke finally attained the pinnacle of an elemental blessing, a blackened fire. For years Sasuke had heard legends of special Uchiha with elemental blessings surpassing their limits and obtaining the ‘God power’ and he was fortunate enough to see Itachi do the same but now it was different, now Sasuke had reached the level of his brother and he has shown that he can carry on his family name and the legacy of its heroes onward with excellence.  It was if all the hate and anger had left his soul, all the pain of Itachi’s demise and the murky fog of solitude, everything left and was absorbed by his fire.

 Flames that seemed to be weaved from the darkness of the night sky now armored the katana and upon contact erupted against the skin of the animal. Onyx flames and embers showered the battlefield like ink staining paper and Manda’s terrible shriek reverberated in the night. Manda trashed about in pain and finally calmed when all his life had drained and he lay dead, his body resting in the trench of its impact. 

Sasuke broke his vow to never kill but he knew that taking on the burden of this sin was worth it. Sasuke and Haruno both knew that Manda was no longer human and could not be saved. For his own peace and for his own well being he had to be put down. Yet, even knowing this, Sasuke still shivered after finishing his assault, guilt infecting his mind and his soul. This is what it meant to be a hero. This is what saving the city would take. Sasuke knew this now. He wouldn’t always be able to adeptly beat any villain. In cases such as this Sasuke had to be the judge, jury and executioner. It was a dark truth never spoken of in this profession but just as the case of a hostage situation where the culprit would kill a child if not killed himself, Manda was held hostage by his brother’s experiments and Sasuke knew that for the greater good he had to kill. It was for the greater good. Sasuke’s own bad karma was inconsequential. Plagued still by guilt and shock about what had transpired, Sasuke collapsed, kneeling on the asphalt, exhausted. He could not aid Haruno in any way right now. 

Ever since that first burst of energy Sakura has been hurling projectiles: benches, poles, boulders, even trashcans and Kabuto has made quick work of everything. Her own sonic waves still made no dent in his own and even striking the ground, her signature ‘Cherry Blossom Impact’, couldn’t hold up when he bellowed back. Of course the heroine Haruno knew this would happen.

 “You’re weak Haruno.” Kabuto was now mocking her. He knew he had her cornered and he could tell she was almost out of energy and vitality. “Even Sasuke and Itachi couldn’t stop me. What do you think you can do? You’re a rookie and a weak woman.” He then unleashed another wave of energy. 

“Shannaro!” Sakura howled as she punched the ground one more time to delay the strike, stealthily evading soon after. “A woman. Yes. Weak? Never.” With that she eyed her opponent and attempted to set her plan in motion. 

“Manda! Mandaaa!” Kabuto’s shriek echoed through the entire court and even the surrounding field. Before Sakura would even make a move, her fight was halted. Sasuke had just defeated Manda and, as she knew he would, freed his soul by putting him down. Manda lay dead, his corpse erupting in an onyx pyre. Sakura, being the compassionate woman that she was, couldn’t help but agonize over this even in the heat of battle. Not only Manda, but Sasuke had to live through this. He had to kill... and Kabuto?

 The usually arrogant and calculative ‘genius’ was whipped into a frenzy. He spewed venom in his cussing and he trashed about, balling up his fists. “Sasuke I will kill you!” With that he set his sights on the wounded hero. It was as if he forgot that Haruno existed. 

Sakura rushed, empowering her feat with her strength to meet the villain as he readied his attack. It was for naught though as he quickly regained his composure, no doubt realizing that he had to deal with her first. “I’ll kill you first...” he uttered. “Then I’ll torture that murderer.” Sakura now a few meters away braced herself for that attack that would come. As usual Kabuto faced her and let out his roar, eyes closed and hands clasped. This was his mistake. 

All the while fighting him Haruno realized that, not only did he close his eyes to accommodate his power, but that once he commenced his roar he had not the strength to move his head much in any other direction, especially not up. It was too taxing she surmised. The wave now shooting towards Haruno, the kunoichi answered once more with her ‘Cherry Blossom Impact’ focusing all of her body’s outrageous strength into her heel in an awesome display of unarmed combat. Her heel swung downward as if a meteor had bombarded the court and she propelled herself into the sky. Kabuto’s blast met the impact of her attack head on but that was of no consequence to Sakura. Now, gracefully moving through the air she set her sights on Kabuto. Carefully, dialing down her strength, Sakura descended upon Kabuto, her balled fist sinking into his cranium. A loud smack is all that was heard as the man lay defeated on the floor. 

Sakura was victorious. They both were. Kabuto was unconscious slumped down and Manda’s soul was free at last. Sakura hurriedly rushed to Sasuke’s side, the hero now trying to stand up in his corner. Sasuke had never seen such a display. Haruno was amazing. He was strangely proud of her and of course glad that she was the victor. He couldn’t lose anyone else to this life, anyone else dear to him. Dear to him... Sasuke pondered these thoughts. He didn’t know her well and obviously couldn’t love someone he just met but he understood what he felt. Attraction, yes it was there but something else. Through partnering up tonight they had forged something special that went beyond attraction. A bond of camaraderie had been formed between them. Sasuke wanted to be around her more, to protect her and even to have her protect him. Maybe he was... “Frrk!” the explosion came, deafening in its jubilation. Sasuke was shot. 

“Sasuke!” Sakura could not believe what had transpired. As she made her way to Sasuke, grinning in the wake of their resounding victory, the worst had happened.  

Where the hell did that gun come from? I knocked him out! “Oh my God! Sasuke!” her panic and fear radiated throughout the court. Kabuto was in a daze, his eyes glossed over as if he were barely conscious. The man was fueled solely by hate and blood lust and in a blaze of hate and anger, he managed a last ditch attack. Just like a serpent Kabuto birthed from his gut, a concealed silver revolver and fired it in Sasuke’s direction, piercing his chest. With that Kabuto sank right back down into the ground as if he could only rest if Sasuke died. 

Sakura could barely form thoughts upon witnessing this but as a hero and a doctor her body moved on its own. Sakura tossed a boulder remaining from her attack on top of Kabuto’s body, trapping him even though he was unconscious this time. Sakura could take no chances and if they both got shot there would be no one to help Sasuke. She then proceeded to treat Sasuke. 

Sasuke rested in a bed of crimson blood, almost looking at peace. He groaned softly, his eyes shut. Sakura held him in her arms, and stripped off his cloak and shirt. The bullet had penetrated his chest, nearly piercing his heart. Regardless, he was not in good shape at all. Sakura knew that there was nothing she could do as a doctor for him. There was nothing any doctor could do at this point that could guarantee his survival. He might not even last the trip in the ambulance and even then his chances were slim. Indeed there was nothing she could do as a doctor but as a hero... 

Summoning the last bit of her power, Sakura unleashed her final trump card. As the kunoichi discarded her right glove, a light green flame illuminated her hand. It was as if a bright green star had landed and settled in the court that night, chasing away the darkness to the corners of the court. The jewel like amethyst rhombus upon her forehead spread out, delicately weaving violet ribbons around her limbs. ‘Strength of One Hundred Healings’ as Sakura called it was her most coveted ability. Through sharing her power with another, Sakura’s impressive healing abilities could transfer into the patient and restore them to an unaffected state. Sakura first realized that she held this power when her best friend, Chanel was hit by a truck when they rode their bikes in the streets. She had saved the young girl’s life and till this date Chanel was the only one she trusted with her secret.  With Sasuke nestled in her left arm she lay her right hand, now ablaze with healing power, gently caressing his wound. 

After a few seconds, the bullet surfaced, popping out of the wound and clunking on the asphalt, leaving behind a closing wound. But is it enough?! I can’t keep this up much longer and he’s still terribly hurt.

 Doubt swept across her mind as Sakura struggled to keep her power activated. Signs of fatigue from tonight’s clash began to seriously take a toll on her body. All of her strength, her vitality and her stamina were nearly gone. No. Sakura still had power. She had a little more. She had enough. If she didn’t she’d just make her body make more. Such was her resolve. “I’ve... I’ve got to give it everything I got!” she breathed to herself then with a final burst of power bellowed, “Shannaro!” 

Am I dead? The last thing Sasuke remembered was Haruno in all her glory taking out Kabuto and smiling at him. That smile...Haruno looked amazing when she smiled and Sasuke remembered cracking a smile and a standard ‘hmm’ back, before the sharp pain bloomed in his chest. The hero remembered feeling the warm blood in his hands and wafts of iron, the scent of blood perfuming the air but anything beyond that and Haruno’s frantic screaming was unknown to Sasuke. Hmm.

For some strange reason Sasuke was resigned to his fate. All he could see was darkness, it’s icy touch chilling his being. He already lived a good life and honestly, he felt tired. His parents died years ago and then after Itachi had passed, he was totally alone. The trials of heroism battered against his mind, body and soul daily and even with all his money and all the opportunities for companionship available, he really couldn’t care to live or to die. Whatever happened next was inconsequential to him, he thought. “Well of course you think that. You were always a little kid at heart.” a powerful voice echoed in the darkness.

“Itachi?!” Sasuke’s yell overtook the dark chasm. “Where are you, brother?!” Itachi was nowhere to be seen but he could be heard laughing in the background. “Is this a dream or is this really you, brother?” 

“Ha... maybe it is...” “Sasuke, I am not going to meet you any time soon...” his tone grew serious. “I can never walk this earth and as much as you think you need to meet me... meet us, it is not your time.” 

These words pounded against Sasuke’s mind. He felt that he would go made in this abusive lonely chasm of shadow. “Why Itachi why won’t you show yourself to...” Itachi silenced him. 

“No. Listen to me. Sasuke I have told you. I am dead. Seeing me, you’d never really accept that I am gone. I am gone and you will never see me outside of memories as long as you live. Understand that Sasuke. Understand that I am where you cannot follow.. yet. Understand that you ought not accept anything as long as you can fight. Do not resign yourself to this. Live Sasuke. Live and allow yourself to indulge in life. Live and protect those in need like our family has always done. Live!” 

With that Itachi’s voice died. Before Sasuke could even process what happened he was blinded.

Erupting from a single point in the darkness, a star of green light encircled by ribbons of fuchsia pierced through, nearly overpowering Sasuke’s senses. He knew it was her. All around Sasuke, the cold of loneliness was burned away by the brilliant light that now danced about the darkness. Sasuke was warmed, vitality and power surging through him. He felt as if he could fell any villain with just the flick of a finger, as if he was high on some drug, burning through his senses. Ecstasy brushed away all the sad thoughts from his mind. Sasuke felt as though he was witnessing hundreds of sakura trees blooming in profusion, their sweet scent blanketing him and protecting him from the world. Sasuke also felt Sakura’s presence as if she were calling to him with no voice. 

Sasuke realized that Itachi was right. He wasn’t meant to die yet. He was meant to live and fight as a true hero, a true Uchiha would. As Sasuke would. He could not be true to himself if he let himself die here and as realization dawned upon him, he burst forward, floating, heading towards the central point of Sakura’s light. As he touched it’s warmth, he felt as though her strong yet gentle hands were pulling him towards safety. A single, brief glance at the waning darkness behind him was all he could manage. “We’ll meet in the true afterlife, ‘The White Land’ some day, brother...” Itachi’s voice returned for a fleeting moment. Sasuke could feel a tear well up in his eye and a strange but familiar warmth on his forehead, the place where his brother would affectionately poke him. It was then that Sasuke knew that his brother would never truly leave him. The hero set off, head faced towards Sakura’s rich and vibrant light.  

“Haruno, huh?” Sasuke whispered as his eyes creaked open. “Sasuke you’ll be okay now!” Haruno excitedly announced as she wrapped both her arms around the fallen hero. 

Sasuke didn’t know how to feel. Yeah she was kind of squishing him but it hurt in a good way... he didn’t know what he felt. Sakura’s entire body pressed against his as she hugged him. Her warmth, her fragrance, even the beat of her heart was known to him. Sakura smelt of fresh cherry blossoms thriving in the Japanese springtime and her embrace felt comfortable, warm... nice. Sasuke felt at home just like he had when he was being healed. He had never really been close to anyone. He only ever hugged his mother, Mikoto, and had no interest in any of the women who shamelessly threw themselves at him in the past. This was different though. After a while though they both realized how awkward it became. 

“Oh my. I’m sorry” she anxiously apologised, arms waving in the breeze. “I’m just... I’m glad you’re okay Sasuke.” “Hmm” Sasuke didn’t want to tell the girl that she could have stayed a bit longer. “Thank you.” A word of thanks was his only response... that and a slight red blush upon his pallor. Sakura look beat but she was okay and Sasuke was grateful for that.

In the moments that followed, Sasuke contacted the police chief and gave him all the details, before the the squads of police officers would no doubt arrive due to all the ruckus caused in the battle. By now Manda’s corpse had almost burned out, black ash like powdered snow dusting the ruined court. Sakura bent a large pole around Kabuto, and in so doing, sealed his movements. Being the perfectionist that she is, she also injected him with a potent tranquilizer (I guess she had to exhaust some of her supplies after all) and chained his head upwards so he couldn’t harm the cops with his howling. Sasuke was as usual impressed by her foresight but didn’t let it on. 

“Too bad the court’s ruined,” she finally remarked, after everything was taken care of. “Well I know a billionaire who wouldn’t mind donating a new one” she added, this time winking at Sasuke. A delicate smile passed across his face. “Hmm. I think I know one too.” Sakura’s face lit up and she let out a chuckle. 

“Um Haruno...” 

“Sakura... my name’s Sakura. Sakura Nakamura,” she corrected. Sakura and Haruno. Sasuke gave another smile upon hearing this. Cherry blossom and blooming. This girl... 

“Thanks for everything....” he uttered and, with nothing else coming to mind, he continued. “Um...Sakura, I was wondering for a while now, just how do you keep a secret identity with no mask?”

Sakura now burst out laughing. “Oh yeah... well this is my natural appearance. My power comes from this yin seal” she gestured to her forehead mark as she spoke, “I usually wear glasses, use concealer on the seal and, don’t laugh, but I wear a blond high pony tail wig during the day.” 

This girl had another power Sasuke concluded, the power to amuse him. “Hmm” was all he offered. 

“Yeah my friend, Alice keeps telling me I’m trying to look like that supermodel, Ino Uzumaki but hey, it works!” 

Sakura could feel the words being vomited out but she couldn’t stop talking. She realised that she loved talking to him, that she sort of liked him. Sasuke was the first person she met who she felt close to like this. He was handsome, intelligent, successful, interesting and he just... got her and his smile... Sakura knew she was into him. Was he into her? Sirens wailing messed up her thought process and once again she was back to hero mode. 

“Anyway Sasuke... you’re still not back to full strength. I just had enough power to heal the major wound in your chest. If you’d like we can go to my place, which isn’t far, and I could patch you up there. Not with any powers though. I am out of juice. Ha ha.” 

Sasuke’s faced reddened further.

 “Oh my gosh no! I didn’t mean... not like a date or anything. I’m a medical student so I thought...”

 “Hmm...” Sasuke felt like an idiot now. Of course that’s what she meant. Of course with her intelligence she was going to be a doctor. Did he sell out himself? Was it obvious that she made him blush? 

It was the first time he met someone so different yet so complementary to himself. They fit together perfectly. Sakura was every bit a match for him in terms of heroism despite being a rookie and her intelligence rivaled and probably even surpassed his own. Yet she was bright and cheerful like a newly bloomed cherry blossom. Unlike him, she was not tainted by loss and sadness; the darkness of this world and while, he had relied on his sense of duty and his pain to fuel his heroism further, Sakura just wanted to help people and do what was right, much like Itachi did, much like Sasuke himself did before tragedy struck. He really was attracted to her.

 “Sakura, I know.” He had to keep up is serious facade. She couldn’t know that she got him bothered. She shouldn’t sense his internal screaming.  Maybe it was time to partner up with someone. Sakura and him worked together beautifully and he couldn’t deny that something was there. Whether it be romance or whatever Sasuke knew he needed her to be around him. If that led to romance at some point so what? Itachi told him to live, to enjoy life and that’s exactly what he intended to do. He wanted to get to know Sakura and now was the time Sasuke was going to rely on his heart, not his head.

“Lead the way.” 

Sakura’s sunny smile was her only response and the two walked off into the night. 

“You know I met this other hero the other day...” 

“Hmm.” 

“His name was Kurama. Wouldn’t it be great if we all teamed up to patrol?...” 

That usuratonkachi!

[sakurauchiha2018]

SS Month Day 1: Heroes

Ah this is my first ever time participating in SS Month.

Heroes….

Jade eyes bat a few times trying to register exactly what happened in the last few days. Two hands move up to rub the exhaustion away as a stubborn pinkette continues to heal countless patients. For Sakura this is another day working in the hospital but it’s far different from that.

Just a few hours ago all of the Hidden Leaf shinobi returned home from war. Each having more than just physical wounds that’s all thanks to Madara Uchiha. Sakura can only help with the healing process for mental damages, it’s not the same as healing a broken bone. That’s why she can’t accept the whispers that echo through her friends lips.

‘Heroes…’ that’s what Team 7 has been titled. Sakura believes that her boys deserve that more than she ever could. In her eyes she wasn’t on the same level as them after their run in with death. Sure she was able to help seal away Kaguya but Sasuke-kun and Naruto were the true heroes.

The calming green glow disappears around her hands as she moves away from another successful surgery. She knows that her chakra won’t last much longer as she makes the short journey to a certain room. Inside her teammates are sleeping and recovering from their injuries.

As the door slides open silently, moisture can’t help but gather in her eyes. If only she was able to stop them from causing so much damage to each other. Each made a sacrifice almost too great for a Ninja. Lucky these two are able to overcome most obstacles. Sakura takes the chair between their beds and instinctively reaches to check each of their injured arms. A sigh of relief washes through her as she sees no sign of infection.

Sleep is something of a mystery for her these days. The words of countless people run through her mind, the words of her Shishou stand out more than others. Lady Tsunade called her the Top Medic of the Leaf. Just a few short years ago Sakura would’ve never thought that would be possible but now she sits in her dirty ninja gear with a seal proudly displayed on her forehead. A hand reaches up to stroke the skin where her accomplishments display.

“Sakura…” The low voice breaks her from the depths of her thoughts as she turns to the sole Uchiha. His left eye is shut tightly to keep his newly acquired Rinnegan from sight. Sakura is secretly thankful since it’s the one thing that can keep her inside a genjutsu.

“Are you feeling okay Sasuke-kun?” The softness in her voice causes a small smile to creep on the Uchiha’s lips. He’s forgotten what it’s like to have someone be so gentle towards him, even though he’s always known Sakura would always be.

“You’re thinking awfully hard.” He motions at the wrinkles on her forehead from the furrowed brows. Sakura’s cheeks darken slightly at the thought of Sasuke watching her closely. A simple shrug of her shoulders is all she can muster for a moment, trying to find the words to convey her thoughts.

“It’s just…everyone keeps calling me a hero. When all I did was what any medic would do. I healed and supported my comrades.” As the words flow from her lips, the tone changes into something somber. Sasuke is shocked by her naïve words. To him Sakura has just as much to do with saving the world as him and Naruto did. The ruffling of sheets fill the silence as Sasuke turns on the bed to meet Sakura’s gaze fully. For the first time in a long time, he’s not left searching for the right words.

“You are a hero Sakura. You were able to heal the entire army at once while we fought of the Ten Tails, not to mention you saved me from the Desert Dimension. Also Naruto and I would’ve been dead and the Infinite Tsukuyomi would still be in place. Even now I can tell that you’ve been working yourself to death while we just lay here.” Sakura’s can’t help but let out a nervous chuckle. In this moment she’s glad that their blonde friend sleeps deeply, for the first time in a long time they are sharing a private moment.

“But you and Naruto did so much more than I did.” This isn’t the response that Sasuke was expecting. Instead of calling her annoying or stubborn he reaches out for her hand, it’s smaller and softer than his own. Almost as if it belongs with his.

“Sakura you’re more of a hero than I am. In more ways than you could ever imagine.” His eyes shift down, she is his own personal hero. Even though it was pushed to the background Sakura helped him remember what it was like to love and be loved by someone. Sakura’s eyes widen at his sudden confession as the corner of her lips turn upward slightly.

“I guess then we’re both heroes then Sasuke-kun.” It was Sasuke’s turn to be surprised. Bright green eyes met a single coal orb, a smile on both of their lips.

“Yeah, I guess we are.”