Fade In

Disclaimer: Sadly, I don’t own Naruto or any of its characters.

Fade In

Chapter Two – Wake

…

It was five years ago when Sasuke Uchiha stopped being an avenger, when he returned to Konohagakure with his old teammates after the defeat of Orochimaru and Akatsuki. Though the reacceptance of the Uchiha had been slow, forgiveness wasn’t foreign to those who resided in the Hidden Leaf village.

However, it wasn’t long after their return that Sasuke and Naruto yearned to experience the life of roaming shinobi without the label of missing nin etched across their foreheads. Always the thought of becoming stronger occupying their minds, they had both agreed to leave Konoha together after days of persuading the Hokage.

And unknowingly in doing so, they had left behind the one person that had remained by their side since the beginning, the one person who hadn’t given up on either of them when all seemed lost…the one person they had drawn strength from, had let heal their wounds when they practically lay dying on the scarred battlefield.

The day Haruno Sakura woke up to find a note tacked to her apartment door detailing her former teammates’ decision was the day the world heard her heart break. No goodbye. No “Would you like to come with us Sakura-chan?”

But of course, she was always the weakest one. The one who always needed to be saved instead of doing the saving, the one cheering from the sidelines while they fought for their lives and all she could do was shout their names in hope and concern.

She had made a large crack in her wall that day and very nearly brought down the whole apartment building if it wasn’t for a certain Copy Ninja who showed up at her window at just the right time.

“Is it wrong of me to be angry?”

“Maybe bringing down the whole building with your anger is a bit extreme, but no, you have every right to be.”

She laughed bitterly, but even that sounded hollow to her ears. “You’re wrong. I should be happy for them. I should be happy that they’re chasing their dreams of becoming stronger and better.” Sakura slid to the floor, burying her head in her arms and bended knees, trying to keep the hot tears at bay.

“Things haven’t been the same in a long time. I just tried to ignore it. I was stupid for thinking we’d always be together Kakashi-sensei.”

“Sakura, they didn’t leave you intentionally or because you think you’re too weak for them, which you’re not. You scare them with your monstrous strength most of the time anyway to have them think otherwise.”

A hoarse chuckle met his ears.

“I know…but it still hurts.”

“You’ll learn to deal with it Sakura. You always find a way.”

When Sakura was twenty years old, she became a member of ANBU after completing her training under Tsunade. Having survived the rigorous physical and psychological tests, she emerged a little worse for wear (okay, so maybe she was more like half dead), but sitting there, getting the swirl like tattoo on her upper arm and meeting her first ANBU team had been such a critical stepping stone for her.

No longer was she pining over someone who would never be hers, or trailing after two of the strongest shinobi in her generation, or suffering her naïve delusions about finding the perfect love, one that would sweep her off her feet and make her heart hammer in her chest. All this had been thrown out the window with her first assassination, her first sexual encounter, and the first time she took her last breaths, on the cusp of death after a mission had gone awry and left her as the only survivor of her squad. The only reason she was alive was because of the Hokage’s furious efforts to save the life of her beloved apprentice.

ANBU had been the first of many experiences for Sakura. It was how she dealt with everything from the past. The dissolution of Team Seven, no goodbyes or any form of contact, a sensei who was no longer a sensei, but rather a fellow ninja whom she would occasionally see in ANBU headquarters or sitting on a tree limb with his infamous Icha Icha books in hand.

They had even gone on a few missions together in her three years with ANBU. It just served to solidify the fact that once you became part of this elite organization, you could never really escape it. The tattoo branded you as ANBU for as long as you still breathed. Kakashi could certainly attest to that.

Though their interaction was few and far between and the relationship of student to teacher was practically no longer existent, spending time together on those missions had left a rather nostalgic taste on her tongue. At times Sakura had found herself observing her once and former sensei. The naturally silver gray hair, the black mask that covered most of his face, the lazy droop of his eye and accompanying barely there crinkles that appeared whenever he smiled or greeted someone. She had noted, with a small bundle of jealousy, that Hatake Kakashi was ageless. He really could remain thirty for as long as he liked.

But unlike him, Sakura could no longer remain the naïve, bubbly, and whiny girl from her teens. Circumstances and her own personal choices didn’t allow her to do so. True, she still had a temper never to be trifled with and a killer right hook, but at the end of the day, she was still Haruno Sakura, just older and more experienced and suffering no rose colored delusions. She’d go home to a quiet apartment, an empty fridge, a neatly made bed, and with no one waiting up for her.

…

The sound of hushed voices stirred her from her sleep. Blinking bleary green eyes, she tried to focus her vision. When the familiar black spiky hair and honey colored eyes of Kano loomed above her, a small thankful smile graced her peachy lips. He was instantly shoved aside by the eager and lanky Aki, blue violets brimming over with relief and a lopsided grin adorning his boyishly handsome features. Their ANBU masks were swiped to the side of their faces as they stared down at her.

She felt stiff and sore all over but at least she was alive…right? This wasn’t some weird stage in the afterlife where they had hospital beds exactly like the ones in Konoha and holy crap, she didn’t really remember making it to the gates. All she remembered was falling hard and blacking out.

“Please tell me I’m still alive?” Her throat was dry, voice coming out croaky and hoarse.

“Of course you are! Though you sure as hell didn’t look it when Kotetsu carried you in. You scared us to death Sakura!” Aki tried to keep the emotions under control but the thought of almost losing her made his gut clench.

The pink haired kunoichi sighed in relief. “Sorry boys, but I did have it all under control.”

Kano snorted. “If you call being hauled in as a bloody and bruised mess with ribs broken and chakra depleted under control, then I beg to differ.”

Sakura rolled her eyes, trying to ignore that small trace of guilt nibbling away at her. “It was the only way to make sure the mission would be completed. I’d rather it be me than either or both of you.”

“Bullshit Captain, you know the three of us could’ve taken care of all of them.” Aki said as he slumped into the chair by the bedside, ANBU uniform wrinkled and reddish brown hair in disarray.

“I couldn’t risk it.”

Kano took his squad leader’s hand and sighed tiredly. “I know we’re ANBU but we’re also a team Sakura. Losing you would have been detrimental to Aki’s health…and perhaps mine. Next time you want to take on eight Sound shinobi, we won’t be so obedient.”

“I think Aki’s starting to rub off on you Kano.” She laughed softly as she squeezed his hand, knowing that it wasn’t often that her quiet but caring teammate spoke what he felt. “I’m sorry I worried you two so enough of the guilt trip already.”

“You’re forgiven Sakura. You know I can’t stay mad at a beautiful woman for long, especially when I’ve seen her naked—ooommph!” Unfortunately, the twenty-two year old ANBU shinobi wasn’t fast enough to dodge a flying pillow.

Ignoring his comment, Sakura looked herself over. Minus a few bandages here and there, she seemed in pretty good condition. “How long have I been out?”

“Two days.” Kano replied, taking the seat beside his teammate. He ran a hand over his face, soothing away the exhaustion but not the dark bags under his eyes or the jagged scar running the length of his right temple to just below his cheekbone.

But Sakura didn’t miss their haggard and spent appearances. She saw their weary postures and crumpled clothing and noticed how Aki had suddenly grown silent, cuddled up to the pillow and wait, was that drool?

“Go home and get some rest you two. Sleep deprivation isn’t good for your health.” She urged them with a shoo of her hands.

“You’ll be fine?” Kano raised a dark brow.

Sakura nodded, giving him a beaming smile.

He grunted and whacked Aki across the head. “Home and then sleep. Sakura’s orders.”

“Right!” The violet-eyed ninja shot up and cracked a grin, acting as if he just hadn’t fallen asleep and handed the white pillow to their squad leader. “If you need anything, just shout.”

“What am I? Two?”

“Hardly. You’re twenty three and an ANBU kunoichi, but even you need to be taken care of sometimes. It’s nice isn’t it?”

She was suddenly at a lost for words, not sure how to respond to his seemingly innocent remark. So instead, Sakura rolled her green eyes only to elicit a short laugh from him. It was soon cut off however, when Kano wrapped a strong arm around his teammate’s neck and gradually cut off his air supply. “We’ll be going now Sakura. Take care of yourself in the meantime.”

“Will do. Try not to choke Aki to death please.”

The tall and ruggedly handsome shinobi reluctantly nodded as he dragged his teammate out the door and shut it gently behind them.

She snuggled deeper into the pillows. Though it wasn’t her own bed, it sure as hell beat sleeping on the rock hard ground with pebbles digging into your back or on a large enough tree limb. But somehow, the room had gotten a little bit colder after her team’s departure. Listening to the silence and the occasional bird chirps, she let her mind wander.

It felt nice to be back in Konoha. Six months away on a mission collecting information and simultaneous assassinations wasn’t her idea of a vacation. It had left herself and her team drained and silently aching for a return home sooner.

The Sound tracking unit had been a slight surprise, but not unexpected. She supposed having a few of their fellow ninja mysteriously disappear while on duty would alert them to unwanted guests on their premises. Perhaps if the ninja had been more trained and not just able to jump from branch to branch they would have been more formidable foes, but as luck would have it, they were mostly inexperienced ninja that she was able to dispose of rather easily.

A sudden tap on the crystal clear window broke through her contemplation and her eyes instantly recognized the person on the other side. She motioned for him to come in, a small smile playing on her lips.

“You know, why can’t you be like normal people and use a door?”

“Ah, well, whoever said I was normal?”

“Oh yeah, right. You’re the infamous Copy Ninja in every bingo book out there. Be afraid. Be very afraid.” Sakura rolled her eyes.

Kakashi scratched the back of his head, clearly not finding the humor in her words and decided to make himself comfortable in the wonderful cushioned chairs the hospital provided, pulling out the latest volume of Icha Icha.

“And to what do I owe this rare honor? If I remember correctly, you were never a big fan of hospitals. Actually come to think of it, you avoided them like the plague.”

“You know, I heard from two certain patrol ninja manning the entrance and exit of this fair village that an ANBU with pink hair fell from the sky, barely alive and breathing. I guess curiosity is a powerful thing.”

“Well, curiosity killed the cat.”

“But I’m not a cat my dearest. I’m a highly trained shinobi.”

“And I can handle a few shinobi on my own.” Sakura reminded, a bit haughtily.

“A few? I heard there was at least half a dozen.”

“Sorry, I lost count while I was pounding their faces in. And hey, how do you know all this? ANBU missions are strictly classified.”

Kakashi shrugged as he lowered the book and let his eye glance over her. With only a bandaged shoulder, it would seem like she hadn’t suffered much injury, but he was well aware that the rest had been healed by the medics. Izumo’s description hadn’t been pretty when he had asked about the extent of her injuries earlier. His gaze then strayed to the bubble gum pink hair, noticing the side sweep of her bangs and how the locks were messily french braided, wayward strands falling here and there.

“What?”

He reeled in his wandering eye and looked directly into her emerald ones. “You were foolish.”

She snorted in indignation. The last thing she needed to hear was a lecture from her former sensei. “I can’t believe you just said that.”

“You should’ve consid—”

“You have no right to criticize my actions. I know you would’ve done the same thing had you been in my position. The safety of my team and the mission comes first, even if it costs me my life. I’m ANBU Kakashi, you should know better than I do that every mission I take is one that I may not survive, but I sure as hell am not going to risk the lives of my team if I can help it.” Sakura cut him off, her tone sharp and a little colder than he remembered.

“You almost died Sakura. Again might I add? I’m beginning to think you’re the cat here.”

The kunoichi released a dry laugh. “I’ll try to make the last four or five of my lives count then.”

“Death isn’t something to go looking for.”

“You’re one to talk Kakashi.”

He closed his book and stuffed it in his back pouch. “Well, I see you’re doing fine, but I’ll let you get some more rest.”

She saw his fake smile outlined on his mask and the slight tension in his shoulders and suddenly, she felt like a royal bitch. She knew he was just concerned for her, in his own Kakashi-ish way, which basically consisted of ‘You were wrong and I am right, end of discussion’. Kami, what was up with the guilt trips today?! It wasn’t like she had never had a near death experience before!

So Sakura did the only thing that came to mind. She grabbed his hand and forced him to look at her. “Look, so maybe I might’ve been a little, the tiniest bit irrational in my decision, but I’m not going to tell you that I was wrong because I wasn’t. You wouldn’t have let your team get harmed if you could help it. I should know because I was a part of it once.”

“Sakura…”

She shook her head, giving his calloused hand a firm squeeze. “Thank you for worrying about me Kakashi. It lets me know that you’re not all Icha Icha, lazy and aloof.” And then she let go of his hand.

He stared at her for a moment then nodded. “Just…be careful next time. I’d hate to have another reason to visit the memorial.” Before she could get another word in, Kakashi had ‘poofed’ as was customary of him, leaving her alone to deal with the thoughts his presence and words always seemed to dredge up.

Sakura turned on her side, bringing the thin white blanket up and over her shoulders. Stifling a yawn, Sakura grasped the old and unwanted memories encroaching on wakeful territory and placed them inside the dark chest hidden away within her heart. Only when she dreamed would it fully open. And then and only then would she embrace them, bask in the times when Team Kakashi was still a team and everything was happy and hopeful, when life was much simpler and she didn’t have so much blood and pain on her hands.


…to be continued…


A/N: I’d just like to give a great big THANK YOU for all the wonderful reviews and positive feedback! I’m glad you guys are enjoying this!

-hasu86