Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ Candle in the Wind ❯ Enter the Fray ( Chapter 4 )

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Hello everyone! I bring you another chapter of Candle in the Wind. I just wanted to make note of some things going on in the chapter. There are chapter 437 manga spoilers in this chapter. I'm doing my best to stay as canon as possible but Kishimoto is rather vague about death. At this point, I'm not sure who is dead in Naruto so I decided to interpret Pein's devastation of Konoha on my own. BTW, there is a large block of Sakura remembering those events. This flashback is italicized just like characters' inner thoughts and dialogue.

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Sakura felt guilty as she ran in the direction of Konoha. Her team was lagging slightly behind unable to keep up with her bruising pace. Concentrating a bit as she leapt through the trees at neck breaking speed, the rushed medic ninja could make out the familiar chakra signatures of Masao, Eiji, and Hinata Hyuuga. The latter of the group seemed to be keeping pace just fine considering that she was once on the brink of death two months ago. Sakura slowed her pace as her brain assaulted her with memories of blood, smoke and utter devastation.

 

She remembered being in the midst of healing her shisou. At that time, Sakura was so frantic about her mentor's fragile state that she could barely do more than focus on Tsunade's healing. When she felt the drained woman tense beneath her ministrations, she gave the Hokage a questioning stare as the chakra in her hands dimmed and then flickered to a halt. It was then that she sensed that the whole city was awash in a wave of sinister chakra. Having encountered this menacing power once before, she froze in sheer terror. The fox demon's chakra was much stronger this time, however. She knew that Naruto had lost control yet again. In that state, the Jinchuuriki could lay to waste the remains of Konoha and its survivors. Sakura remembered being near tears as she realized that no one was in any state to subdue Naruto. Tsunade tried to struggle to her feet, declaring that she would sacrifice what little power she had left for her village. Being the stronger of the two in that moment, the Hokage's apprentice subdued her master and hurried off to the Hokage's tower. At that time, she was dimly aware of being followed by a lone ANBU agent. Before she could reach the tower, there was a blinding flash of light and this horrid scream that left her ears ringing. The light dissipated as quickly as it came and the kyuubi's chakra diminished just as abruptly.

 

She remembered being protected by the ANBU agent, remembered struggling and screaming frantically that she had to get to the top of the tower. When the masked agent finally bowed to her will, using a transportation jutsu, the sight that greeted at her would forever be burned on her memory. Mangled body parts lay smoking on the singed roof of the Hokage tower. Corpses of the toads, demons, and Pein littered the ground. Upon seeing both Hinata and Naruto lying in pools of their own blood and gore, Sakura let loose a bloodcurdling scream. Torn between who to tend to first, she ran to Naruto's side knowing how damaging the fox chakra could be to his body. The young man writhed and groaned in pain as she drew close to him. Sensing her approach despite his near fatal injuries, Naruto begged his comrade to tend to Hinata. She could still his heartbroken cries.

 

“She's dying, Sakura. Save her. I can feel her dying...”

 

Approaching the injured Hyuuga heiress, she could barely feel the faint thread of life force within her body. It took every ounce of will she had to pull Hinata from the brink of oblivion. The process of pouring her chakra into the dying girl was grueling. Sakura remembered almost fainting in the process as black crept into the edges of her vision. It was then that a pair of warm hands belonging to the masked agent gripped her shoulders, flaring with a familiar chakra.

 

“Let me help you...” a man's voice commanded as Sakura tensed against the flow of chakra into her body.

 

Sakura nodded and replied in a hoarse whisper, “Yamato...sensei...”

 

Nothing more was said. The hours passed on as Sakura alternated between healing Naruto and tending to barely breathing member of Team 8. Once she ensured that both of them were stable, the overworked kunoichi remembered finally allowing the darkness of fatigue engulf her.

 

Feeling a faint tinge of worry brought on by her recollections, Sakura decreased her speed enough to match Hinata's. The experienced tracker had her Byakugan activated to watch for any approaching enemies or obstacles. Sakura smiled at the heiress's determined expression as they ran side by side.

 

Hinata broke the silence before Sakura could inquire, “No need to worry about me, Sakura... I'm fine...”

 

“You know me too well...” Sakura laughed.

 

“You and Naruto have worried over me for the past two months. How could I not?” the Hyuuga heiress replied with a smile.

 

It was true. Being a medic nin made Sakura instinctively fuss over her patients like a mother hen. However, she was most certainly surprised by how overbearingly protective Naruto had been of Hinata these past months. The Jinchuuriki was once completely oblivious to the heiress's long-standing affection. Now he seemed to hover over her incessantly. Sakura could not help but to wonder what brought on the change. In the frenzy of the past months, she barely spoke more than a word of greeting to her blond, whisker-faced friend, let alone found the time to interrogate him about his behavior. She had her own hypothesis but figured she could try to pry an answer out of the Team Kurenai's only female member.

 

“So... Hinata...” Sakura began, feeling her cheeks grow pink, “What's going on with you and Naruto?”

 

She heard the other girl squeak in surprise, “I... well... we... umm...” Hinata's cheeks reddened considerably before she found a way to answer, “I ... I... confessed my feelings to him during the battle with Pein.”

 

Sakura's eyes widened, “Really?! I knew it! I knew you had it in you.”

 

Hinata giggle before her expression fell, “I... Sakura-san... You don't mind? Me telling Naruto that is... I know that you two are close and well... I know Naruto really likes you a lot and... I wouldn't want to stand in the way if...”

 

Sakura nearly slipped off a branch as her concentration slipped. “You think Naruto and I have something going on?”

 

“I... well... I didn't mean to imply... um... yes... maybe?”

 

Sakura ducked a wayward, thorny branch before replying, “It's true. Naruto and I are close. We've been a team for so long he's become family to me, like the sibling I never had. I guess it's easy to think we have something going. Once upon a time there may have been a possibility but I think when we were genin Naruto's crush on me was more about competing with Sasuke than actual feelings. I don't think Naruto's sees me as anything more than a friend now. It's obvious to everyone that he is into you even if he doesn't know it yet.”

 

Hinata didn't seem all that convinced, “He does go out of his way to try to make you happy. Even when he does it all wrong...”

 

Sakura chuckled, “Of course he does. I'm his family and as he grows closer to you, you will realize that he would do the same for you too. That's just how Naruto is. He would try to give the world to those he cares about, even he screws up most of the time... Give it time. You'll see.”

 

“Do... Do you really think so?” Hinata asked, her question brimming with hope.

 

“I know so.” Sakura smiled, “Let's get home to that knucklehead and see what trouble he's gotten into.”

 

“Do you think Danzou will cause us any grief?”

 

The lightheartedness of their conversation disintegrated quickly. Sakura's brow furrowed in determination as she surged forward, “If he does, I won't go down without a fight.”

 

“Nor will I,” Hinata agreed, as she picked up the pace.

 

The Suna ninjas watched the Leaf kunoichi pick up the speed.

 

“Not again,” Eiji grumbled sourly.

 

“I know what is it with these Leaf ninja?” Masao complained. “One minute they were all sappy and then the next they're running like demons are after them. What gives?”

 

“Don't complain too loudly, friend. Remember what Kazekage-sama said before we left. If he catches wind of any wrongdoings on our part he would...” Eiji shuddered as he ran to catch up with Hinata and Sakura.

 

“I know! I know! Don't remind me...” Masao sighed. “Gaara-sama is so harsh sometimes.”

 

When Eiji finally caught up with his team leader, he was winded and more than a bit irritable. Much to his relief, Sakura decided to call a halt to their marathon.

 

“We will rest here for an hour. How far are we from Konoha now, Hinata?” Sakura asked.

 

“At our current pace, we should reach Konohagakure by sunset.”

 

“Great. We all remember the drill. Should the guards behave suspiciously Plan A will be in effect. Hinata and I will take on the form of Masao and Eiji and you two vice versa. Hinata and I will send out clones to enter the village from the opposite side and find Tsunade. If Danzou has grown suspicious of my return, he will have the guards arrest me on sight. He's rather predictable. So be prepared don't let your guards down.”

 

The motley crew nodded at Sakura's commands.

 

“It's a wonder you don't have your own team yet, Sakura-san...” Eiji marveled at her air of authority.

 

Sakura shrugged, “I'm just a chuunin and medic nin in training. I have a ways to go before I'm experienced enough for such responsibilities. I don't even think I'm trained enough to become a Jounin.”

 

“You do make a great leader though,” Hinata chimed in.

 

The pink haired kunoichi blushed at the attention, “You flatter me. I'm just doing what anyone of you guys would do I think.”

 

The hour seemed to pass far too quickly for some before the team was back to bounding through the trees. Anticipation and anxiety swirled in Sakura's stomach as the gates of Konoha came into her vision. Forming hand signals rapidly, she disappeared in a puff of smoke before reappearing as Masao. A clone of Sakura dashed off into the trees, circling the perimeter of the village. Taking her lead, the rest of the team followed in her actions and transformed mid-stride. In the end, the team would discover that their careful planning was in vain. To Sakura's surprise, she found Izumo and Kotetsu lounging rather carelessly in their usual post at the gate. The Chuunin greeted the group rather genially.

 

“Oh there you are Haruno. Tsunade-sama has been expecting you.” Izumo announced with a lopsided grin, to Masao disguised as Sakura.

 

“Tsunade-sama? I thought...” Masao squeaked in an unconvincing imitation of Sakura's voice.

 

Izumo frowned. “What's wrong with you? You're voice is all weird?”

 

“I... ahhh...” Masao laughed nervously, “I caught a really bad bug in Suna. My voice has yet to recover... haha...”

 

Sakura looked over at Masao with an awful glare and Hinata, disguised as Eiji, stifled a giggle behind her/his hand.

 

Kotetsu eyed the group's odd behavior warily before speaking, “Well, whatever the case, our Hokage is expecting a report immediately so don't go wandering off.”

 

As the group moved forward, Sakura caught the whispers of the gatekeepers.

 

“What's with her voice? Think she's going through puberty again?” Izumo snickered.

 

“Even with the pink hair, I thought she was kind of boyish... Maybe she...”

 

Feeling her temper spark, Sakura broke her transformation with a terse yell of “Kai” and attacked Kotetsu. “Finish that sentence, Kotetsu,” she growled as her hands squeezed his throat, “and you are a dead man...”

 

The rest of her group sighed in exasperation and entered the fray at the front gate, pulling an enraged Sakura off of her fellow Leaf Ninja. Somewhere on the edge of Konoha, two clones shook their heads before disappearing into nothingness.

 

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Yeah!!! I finished another chapter. I'm excited by all the views and reviews I've been receiving. However, that is not the main motivation for writing so worry not that I will start pestering you for reviews and such. It's all up to you. I surely appreciate any reviews, criticisms and I am flame retarded... eh I mean retardant... Not that I have gotten any of those yet... As far as flames go... If you don't agree with me about my story feel free to make yourself heard in a constructive manner. Everyone is entitled to an opinion and if I feel your argument is relevant, you and I can enter into a dialogue about it. Otherwise, we will just have to agree to disagree, ne?

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