Naruto Fan Fiction ❯ The Song of the Forgotten ❯ I Tried So Hard ( Chapter 1 )

A/N: Here is my little SakuraIruka fanfic. I know they aren't a very popular couple, so I don't count on getting many reviews, but I love the couple almost as much as I love KakaSaku. So, I present to you my experimental IruSaku fanfic.

 

Also, please subscribe to The Dolphin and the Cherry Blossom C2 Community if you love this pairing.

 

 

Basic Info.

 

Title: The Song of the Forgotten

 

Rating: PG-13

 

Pairing: IrukaXSakura

 

Warnings: Violence, Death, Angst, Drama, very sad and depressing fanfic.

 

Summary: Ch. 1 POSTED. IRUKAXSAKURA. What happens to those who are forgotten? They can only lean on each other to heal, but can they face new obstacles in the comfort of each other? R&R!

 

 

 

 

The Song of the Forgotten

 

 

Chapter 1: I Tried So Hard

 

 

By: Oneesan no Miroku Houshi

 

 

 

 

 

::: :::

 

 

 

 

The skies were airbrushed a disturbing array of charcoal colors. There were tints and shades - from an eerie fog grey to a nightmareish black. The colors swirled around in a raged battling dance of a war of light and dark.

 

Below the raging heavens, carnage and disarray was also present. The land was scarred and torn by footsteps and weapons, cutting into the earth's tender flesh. Blood stained the once rich soil and crimson rivers ran like bloody tear streaks through the dry, battle-ridden earth. Corpses lay around for miles, the ground becoming one huge burial site for many ninja- enemy and ally.

 

Bits and pieces of bodies lay littered about the massive battle field. The only things left standing was a few ninja, both allies and enemies, among the few half-barren trees that were scarcely plotted on the land.

 

Among the scattered bodies, one body lay with one figure holding them in their crucial hour. Sadness, confusion and a hint of acceptance shone through glassy green eyes, the shade of a gloomy and forsaken meadow.

 

She had to accept it, the strikes were terminal. The girl could not heal her fallen team mate. Death was eminent. They lay there, blood oozing out of the wounds, which were all in vital areas. Swords, shuriken and various other weapons pieced tender flesh, exposing it to erosion and infection as the sensation of warmth washed over their being.

 

Through brown eyes, subtle as the earth flesh below them, a calm and weakness shone through. The team member gulped back the mixture of coppery fluid that was forcing its way up their throat to say something to her.

 

“Sakura…”

 

The now 20 year old blinked back her caged tears. No matter what her sensei had taught her in the past, she could not help but have kindness in her heart.

 

This was the battlefield where many dreams would collide and whoever was the strongest would fulfill their dreams. For many, dreams died on this field, singing the Song of the Forgotten.

 

Forgotten dreams rest here, in the walking ground of the dead.

 

“Yes?” The pink haired woman asked, not wanting to believe that her team mate was going to die, forcing herself to almost be delusioned in the fact that he would pull through, or that she would wake up and everything would be normal.

 

But in her mind's eye, she knew that it was not true.

 

“Do not worry…”

 

She didn't know what they were talking about. In this situation, what could break her out of her despair to worry about others? Sakura wasn't sure what the dying man below her meant.

 

And now it comes, from the dark depths of despair, a new knowledge that she failed, failed not just herself this time- but when did she fight herself anymore? -The woman failed her team mates, they were trying, the only way how, to pretend that it didn't matter that she failed, and he was dying because of it.

 

Why was it that the things that we love the most, hurt us most deeply, hurt us the most and most often?

 

Where did he come off dying anyway? It's not as though they needed him. He was already hurt from a previous mission, and she and Iruka said that they could take on the enemy by themselves, along with other Konoha ninja. He went anyway, being the stubborn man that he was. There he lay, in a haze of death as his soul hung in the parallel of the world of dead and the world of living. While the enemy watched them and laughed.

 

She was forced to see.

 

`Don't worry…Sakura.'

 

She blinked back the unseen tears; drops of sadness slide to her cheeks and blend there with reluctant, battled tears that his fingers, cold against the woman's cheeks and fall onto the face of her fallen team mate.

 

He was smiling.

 

How could he smile when he was hurting so much?

 

Her breath was ragged in her dry throat, a result of battle and the knowledge that once again, she had failed someone. She couldn't do it. Not for him, not for anyone.

 

Not for herself.

 

No miracles.

 

Ever.

 

“You shouldn't stay around here.” He warned.

 

“But-“The pink haired one protested.

 

“You should go. You're still separated from Iruka. He might need your help with something, or he could be hurt out there and in need of you.” The male, which was being held tightly and securely in the kunoichi's slender arms.

 

Meadow eyes looked at him. He was slightly younger then her, at the adolescent age of eighteen. His name was Torishima Haiyato. He was lean in appearance with muscles built long and lean for endurance more then strength. Around his forehead, he wore the Konoha leaf hitai-ate, and above it, long black spikes fell and stuck up from his head, much like a porcupine.

 

The kunoichi knew that she should go and help out Iruka and the other ninja, but she didn't want Torishima to die alone, with no one to bid him Farewell from the world of the living. She didn't want him to be one of the souls to dance in the afterlife with those who samba in the rhythm of the tune of the song of the forgotten.

 

So, she stayed with him.

 

“I'm not going to leave you.” Despite her current condition, her eyes held a certain edge of defiance to them and her team mate could tell that his words weren't going to change that one bit. He wanted to sigh, but knew all that would come up was a deep crimson.

 

Despite his urges to repress the fluid, it came churning up as he went into a coughing fit as the blood shot out of his mouth and sprayed into the air, specks latching on to red fabric.

 

A pained look crossed the kunoichi's face as she witnessed the gory sight before her and tried to calm her dying comrade down. After a few minutes he did. His breathing slowed and he began to flutter his eyes shut. Death latching onto his soul, pulling it gently from his corpse as his body deflated for the last time in the pink haired female's grip.

 

Sakura, once again felt helpless to do anything. She knew that Iruka was still out there, fighting the enemy. She gently sat down Torishima, and knew that soon the other leaf ninja would be there to destroy the body so none of Konoha's secrets fell into enemy hands. She didn't want to see the process in which they eliminated the body.

 

At this moment in time, she wouldn't be able to take it. She had already lost many friends and acquaintances today, and she knew the path of the ninja was never pretty or filled with peace.

 

The pink haired woman slowly arose and took a few steps away from the body, which lay motionless on the ground a distance away. Morbid eyes glanced over her shoulder as her last mourning tear fell, retracing ancient rivers of tears shed before it.

 

She stood in silence as the gentle winds blew; playing with her hair in the wind, intertwining the pink locks together as a few leaves blew past her form. She turned completely around, not quite ready to leave behind those of the past, but forcing herself to move on.

 

They were still in war, and she would worry about details later.

 

She would do what had to be done.

 

Sakura took off Torishima's headband, a memento of his existence.

 

She marched onward, into the field of battle, death and sorrow clinging to her heart and blood clinging to her clothes.

 

 

 

 

 

:: ::

 

 

 

 

 

A distance away across the battle field, another ninja was doing his best to fend off the enemy, but not doing such a great job. The man kneeled upon one knee and panted heavily to himself. Sweat and blood mixed together in a spiraling pit of turmoil as the fierce clashing of weapons. His left arm was badly damaged, so he was only using his right to defend himself with, clutching a giant shuriken to defend whatever was left of his physical being.

 

There was constant clashing as his enemy was slowly bringing him to the ground. He was protecting another ninja, who lay behind him on the ground. Iruka wasn't about to give up. If the enemy was going to take the other ninja, they would have to go through him.

 

With one final strong stroke, Iruka was knocked off of his feet, the massive shuriken spiraling over and one of the blades struck into the ground. Fast foot steps approached the battle scene.

 

A sword was drawn back, ready to make the kill as Iruka hovered over the fallen ninja, covering them from the blow which was about to be struck. The Leaf Ninja clenched his eyes shut; awaiting his eminent death as the blade came crashing down upon him, ready to make the lethal, killing blow.

 

Shock struck through the meadows as frantic thoughts bounced around in the recesses of her mind. Thinking quickly, she grabbed the shuriken and threw it as hard as she could; it struck the enemy ninja, catching him off guard and allowing her to run over to Iruka and the other ninja, who was clinging to life underneath of him.

 

“Sakura, what are you doing here? “ Iruka asked. “You were supposed to be with Torishima.”

 

“…” was his only reply.

 

“Oh, and Sakura…”

 

“Yeah.”

 

“Thank you.”

 

“No problem, I'm glad you're alright.” Sakura told him. “You're hurt, pretty badly.”

 

“I'm fine. We've got to protect this ninja. If we can get him back with us, his wounds can be healed by the medic nin there.”

 

“Right.”

 

As they were both picking up their fallen comrade, ready to bring him back to Konoha, everything went black.

 

….

 

…

 

..

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

.

 

 

An eye cracked open to see everything around it in shambles. The enemies were gone. Glancing over to see the other ninja, she grabbed his hand. It was as cold as ice and held a blue tint to it.

 

He was dead.

 

She failed again.

 

The green eye looked over to see Iruka, who was lying on the ground, blood oozing from his wounds, and flaking from dried ones. As she came more and more into consciousness, she was reminded of the assault. The pink haired girl looked down to see that she had been stabbed, and a deeper, richer shade of red adorned her clothes. She groaned in pain as she sat up.

 

She knew that she'd be able to recover quickly, due to her medic ninja training under Tsunade.

 

A small, slender and feminine hand touched the fallen body next to her as she lay back down, trying to muster up enough chakra to make it back into Konoha. She turned to look at the figure, whose face was turned toward her.

 

Eyes shut in a disturbed dream sequence; she shook him lightly with one hand gripping his arm.

 

“Iruka-sensei?” A quiet voice was emitted.

 

“Iruka-sensei?” A bit louder it was repeated, in a more frantic voice.

 

She couldn't lose him, not today. Sakura didn't know what she'd do if she lost one more person. She could never get used to death, no matter how much she had seen, and nothing could kill the remaining kindness in her heart.

 

“Please wake up.” Sakura's voice faded off into a whisper, as a flash of sorrow and disappointment as well as worry shot through the meadowscape.

 

“Ungh…” Dark eyes were cracked open.

 

 

Sakura couldn't hold it back, the crystalline tears poured from her eyes, retracing those ancient rivers, flooding them with new life.

 

“What's wrong Sakura?” The male asked, voice trying to hold back pain. “Where's the other ninja?” Eyes widened upon realizing that he was not beside of them.

 

“He's dead. I'm sorry.” She cried as she grabbed his hand. Her hand shaking with the emotion she felt, griping his hand as if she let it go, she would die.

 

All that could be heard from her was a sniffle every once in a while and a pained gasp. Iruka's facial expression turned dim and stern as he looked down, but then softened upon feeling the warmth and grip of her shaky hand on his. A small blush crept to his cheeks.

 

“Sakura…”

 

“I'm sorry…” She sniffled. “I tried so hard…”

 

 

 

To Be Continued…

 

 

 

A/N: That was two pages over what I originally wanted, but I had to finish it there. Sorry about that. I'm still working on my other stories, so please feel free to check them out. Please give me a review, I want to know how I'm doing.

 

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