We are here today to consecrate the bodies of those who perished in the Siege of Suna; the brave men and women who died in the struggle for our closest ally and ultimately, Konoha itself” the voice drifted off into breeze, carried away like the desert sands.
The desert sun blazed mercilessly overhead – hot and arid. The sand under their feet was like liquid fire, burning and shifting with the breeze. Even on such a day and such occasion, nature would not pay her respects to the dead. Raising a hand to protect her eyes from the glare, Haruno Sakura silently observed the single katana jutting from the ground – the single memory of each jounin, chunin and ANBU who had perished here.
Consecrate, why? She thought, in a few years, no one will know they even existed…
She was suddenly reminded of the nameless and faceless ANBU captain, who – in her last moments – had entrusted her with the blood sodden memoirs.
Sakura jumped, feeling a hand wrap around her own; she turned to Uzumaki Naruto standing beside her with forced a smile on her lips.
“Daijobu desu ka” he whispered.
Gently squeezing his hand – the hand she thought she would never hold again – Sakura reassured herself that this was real and that she wasn’t in fact dreaming. But most of all the firm grip of his hand was complete assurance her that the nightmare was over; they’d survived it together. Being with him again reminded of just how lucky she was to have endured the ordeal.
He released her hand then wrapped his arm around her and drew her into his arms, “Aishiteru. Aishiteru.” he whispered into her silky pink hair.
“Naruto…” she murmured with a smile as she pulled away.
“Now it’s finally over…what should we do to celebrate?”
She thought for a moment, “There’s one last thing I must do.”
“Hmm?”
Sakura reached into her pack and produced a small book. Its blue cover was worn and rusted with blood, “I have to deliver this.”
“What is it?”
“Memoirs.”
Naruto frowned, “of whom? And why?”
“An ANBU captain handed me this book as she lay dying and requested that it be delivered to her father. They argued the last time she ever saw him. And I suppose she simply couldn’t take the resentment to the grave.”
He nodded thoughtfully, “how do you propose we find him?”
Sakura shrugged, “to read it I suppose – she left no name, nothing.”
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Chapter notes: This one is a real short chappie, as is the next one.
they are sort of introductory.
This will switch back and forth between Shizumi's story and that of Naru/Saku - to keep it interesting...ish.
XD