22

Water dripped from the pipes above.

Sakura let out a low sigh as she smiled at the Genin she'd just finished healing. She watched her get up and head out, leaving Sakura alone in one of the few rooms of Konoha's current makeshift hospital.

The actual hospital building was destroyed in the war and they were in desperate need to replace all their medical material. The new Hokage was at work in bargaining a trade with the estranged Ame, the most industrialized village of the entire Shinobi Nation.

Sakura let out another slow exhale as she stood up from the stool and left the building, giving the other medic-nin a small shaky smile.

Life always went on, it didn't matter if something awful or something great was happening—it never stopped. After the war, all those that aligned themselves with Danzo were taken into custody where Ino—as one of the strongest Yamanaka left, after her father's death—was taken to interrogate them alongside Ibiki.

ROOT was dismantled, every member's chakra network shut off and taken to the penitentiary. Sai had been among them. The Rookies had gone and vouched for him because if it weren't for him, none of this would have happened and Danzo would still be alive and ruining whatever was left of the village's purity.

From her group of friends, Neji and Shikamaru were the two that received more injuries. They'd barely made it to the funeral ceremonies given in honor of all those that were killed. Even then, they were on bedrest with medics coming in to check on them every few hours in case either tried to violate the order.

After the funeral for all the fallen shinobi, there had been a separate one for Tsunade, befitting for someone of her status. She was the granddaughter of the God of Shinobi, the last remaining Sannin of her decade and the Godaime Hokage. The farewell Konoha managed to give her despite the disorder around it had taken all those titles into consideration.

Sakura still felt as if every drop of blood inside her body had turned to lead whenever she thought about it.

Outside, Konoha was but a village dusted with ashes. The Will of Fire had been extinguished, taking along with its last embers every single mistake the predecessors had left behind. The new Hokage would break everything down and piece it all back together; clean everything and give the village and its people the chance to live in the closest they could get to peace.

Then, and only then, would the Will of Fire be reignited.

Sakura walked down the streets, then, observing as shinobi, kunoichi and civilian alike helped rebuild their homes. People of Suna and Kiri had traveled to help rebuild in order to show the bond of their alliance. With so many people to help, reconstruction was moving quick. Not quick enough, she knew, because some things were just impossible to rush.

As she walked, he waved at those she knew, tucking strands of her short pink hair behind her ear and looking down at the ground.

"Hey, let's hang out," she looked up in time to watch Ino wave at her, her other hand busy as she held onto the tools Kiba and Akamaru needed. "Later tonight!"

Sakura's smile grew as she nodded, something in her chest fluttering. It felt a lot like contentment and it'd been so long since Sakura'd felt the feeling. It was foreign; weird in her veins and almost tasteless on her tongue.

She inhaled, wondering how the Elders' trials were going and who would replace them when the inevitable condemnation happened.

The village didn't need Elders, in Sakura's opinion. The Hokage needed advisers, people to hold every last secret of the Kage, throw ideas and thoughts and considerations back and forth, give advice when needed.

And with their new Hokage, Sakura thought almost fondly, they'd need a lot of advice. If only so he'd put his book down and do some work.

Somewhere in her quiet walk, Sakura had subconsciously brought herself to a place that was very dear to her heart. She paused right by the bridge, observed the rusty red of the poles and the mossy green of the thick, wooden planks.

She wrapped her arms around herself, walked her way through the bridge and paused at a very familiar spot. No memories flooded in but she swore she heard the echoes of two loud twelve year olds, the grunt of a third, more moodier kid and the dismissive chuckle of a man.

She leaned forwards on the railings, resting her elbows on the top of it and looking down at the river beneath. Her reflection stared back at her, shiny under the sun's glow. The girl down there was still so thin, eyes baggy and dull. Her pink hair was choppy and messy and the diamond on her forehead practically glowed.

But… She looked like a fighter. She looked like a force to be reckoned with, someone that refused to go down, someone that stood up despite being so tired of it.

Sakura could appreciate that.

Slowly accept the person staring back at her and all she had to offer.

Her lips twitched but the smile only appeared when a second person appeared on the river's surface. He had bindings wrapped around his forehead, a ball of cotton taped to his left cheek and the bottom half of his face hidden behind the collar of his shirt.

But, she noticed as she observed the picture they made, he was looking at her, his head tilted and his hair messy as the breeze caressed it. The expression he wore almost looked soft, delicate, like she was someone he needed to assure himself was alright so that he, too, could be.

Her smile widened and she closed her eyes, her skin warm more because of Sasuke's eyes on her than the sun's approving rays. They looked nice, she decided, in her mind painting a picture that mirrored their reflection.

They looked… like they belonged. Him and her—Sasuke and Sakura.

"Oh, look," Naruto's scratchy voice drawled. "Sasuke thinks he's so cool because he got here before me."

"Tch," Sasuke scoffed and Sakura opened her eyes, looked up at Sasuke as he looked away. "Why are you even here?"

"Did you think I'd leave you alone with Sakura-chan?" Naruto asked incredulously, coming to a stop on her other side.

Sakura coughed to hide her small laugh, green eyes looking back down at their reflections. It was like they were twelve again. Sasuke was scowling, looking away, Naruto had his expression pinched, blue eyes on his rival and Sakura stood in between them, smiling a smile she had expected to be impossible to offer anymore.

They were older now, the three of them. They were jaded and they knew too much for a couple of teenagers with their lives ahead of them. They were a prankster, a prodigy and a know-it-all, trained by legends and taking their place in history now that they were gone.

She linked her arm with Naruto's and brought him closer until he was pressed to her side. She did the same with Sasuke, taking the gesture to the next level and interlacing their fingers, hidden away from their more obnoxious teammate.

All three jumped as a pop! resonated behind them and behind the smoke their crazy sensei appeared. His haori danced with the wind, gloved hands patting Sasuke and Naruto's heads, ruffling their hairs and his eye crinkling as he cooed at them.

"Ain't you s'posed to be signing papers, you old man?" Naruto pouted.

"But that's what I have you for," Kakashi chirped.

Next to her, Sasuke snorted.

"All three of you!"

"Don't be a jerk," Sakura called out, glaring at him through their reflection.

"Aw, don't yell at me, Sakura," Kakashi mock pouted. "Think about all the yelling I'm gonna have to deal with now that I have an entire village to look after and all these diplomats to deal with. Have mercy."

Sasuke snorted again but this time Naruto and Sakura joined him. But at Kakashi's feigned helpless expression, she couldn't help but smile a real smile and let out the realest laugh.

And how long had it been since either of those happened? How long had it been since her smile reached her eyes and her laugh had life to it?

Sakura was learning. She was a work in progress, shaping herself with all the hardships that came with life. She was learning to understand that there was no point in worrying about things that could not be changed.

It was better to learn from them, take it with a grain of salt, hold it close and mold it to become a part of her. Mistakes and harsh instances that life put her through shaped her, but did not define her. It was a hard lesson to accept, hard to succumb to. And it would just continue to be hard—it would always be hard and she'd die learning before the lesson could even end.

But it was okay.

She'd just hope for the best. She'd hope for herself, for her growing relationship with Sasuke. For everyone. Hope… She could do that. Sakura was sure she hadn't forgotten that powerful, vulnerable feeling.

She gave Sasuke's hand a soft squeeze and when he turned his attention to her, she felt her heart beat faster, felt as comforted as she'd felt at her worst.

Konoha was going to grow and with it so would they. They were going to fix the rift between them and they'd go out to eat ramen. Then they'd fight again and not soon after would they fix it all over again. And it would continue like that, the cycle. Them; the three of them. A team formed as a last ditch effort to make respectable shinobi of the three and the outcome came to be something golden. That was like them, Sakura thought. So very like them, to argue and fight and make up over and over again.

They were, after all, Team Seven.

.

.

.

ayurnamat
(n). the philosophy of there being no reason in worrying about things that can't be changed.

my utmost gratitude to all my friends that supported me. thank you for reading.