A/N: I do not own Naruto. Drabble. Dark. I hope you understand it. Subtle statements, of a sort. Opinions appreciated.

Glory

Sakura sat at the kitchen table, hands limp in her lap. Kakashi lounged across from her, uncharacteristically serious. Tea cooled in front of both of them, but neither moved to drink.

"You did what you had to do," murmured Kakashi, shoulders slumped, his one eye focusing on the blank faced girl before him.

"I know, Kakashi," she replied. "I knew what the risks were."

She tried to focus on the grain of the table. There was notches in the side, as though someone had carved in with a kunai. One notch, two notch, three notch....

"You'll get over it. They always do," Kakashi said, though it was an empty comfort.

'Will I?' she thought to herself. On the outside she spoke different words. "I'm already over it. It's done with."

She did not think about the injuries she had healed earlier that day. She did not think about the bruising around her neck, wrists, and inner thighs. Nor did she think about the soreness and the blood and goddammit she wanted to rip that man apart from fingernail to toe.

"Tsunade gave you few weeks off," Kakashi murmured. "Time to recover."

"You're not a damned therapist, Kakashi. Stop trying."

Kakashi frowned. "No one else is here for you, Sakura. You know we can't leave you alone."

She laughed bitterly, harshly, desperately. It was not a humorous laugh. She did not think about the lingering taste of blood in her mouth, or the bite on her tongue. She hadn't screamed. Too proud to scream. No matter how helpless. Her chakre blocked, her hamstrings sliced....

"Christ, Kakashi. I'm more of an expert than you are. I can handle myself," Sakura replied roughly.

"The mission was successful, thanks to you," Kakashi said instead, but his words were hollow.

"Yes, well," Sakura coughed, "necessary sacrifices, right?"

"You knew the possibility when you became a shinobi, Sakura. You were always warned."

"I know, Kakashi, I know." She would not cry. She wouldn't. She was shinobi. She was strong. And the strong do not cry.

Kakashi let loose a long sigh, rubbing his temple with a gloved hand. She knew he didn't want to deal with this, with her. He wasn't that kind of teacher.

"Out of anybody," he muttered, "I wish it hadn't happened to you."

"No glory in battle, right?" she cracked, and her fingers were shaking, her shoulders were shaking, and dammit, she was crying. Kakashi did not reach across to touch her, to comfort her. He did not pat her shoulder, or ruffle her hair, like he would have if she had been crying next to him only two days ago. He was smarter than that, and he knew touch was out of the question now.

"You're right," he whispered to Sakura, who clenched white knuckled fists to her eyes, attempting to stuff the tears right back in. "There is no glory in battle."