🌸 The Flower He Saw 🌸 A Kakashi and Sakura Story

Neji Hyuga

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She was a soldier in her own sorrowful world. There was a war in her own body, and the only person fighting was herself while the only enemy and victim was herself as well. 

She was war. 

"Alright, they're coming in." Shizune remarked, "I'll stay out of the room as you asked, so take all the time you need and you can call out to me whenever you need something."

As Sakura waited for her desired visitors to make their arrival, she glanced down to her hospital gown. It felt strange through this thin fabric, she couldn't really describe it so she let her hand fall back to her lap in defeat. Maybe, she'll never get answers to this.   

She knew that she was impotent in these last hours of hers, and bearing that in mind, she chose to take one last action before her death. One painfully sharp breath in, the door creaked open with a bundle of white hair poking in. She would have laughed if this were a couple days ago.

"Key kiddo, your hair's still looking flawless as usual!" Jiraiya's entrance was followed by Itachi's. "I'm proud of you for everything you did, and your parents would've been even more proud." he took a seat onto one of the stools and signaled for the raven to do the same. "I want to tell you something that I think might help you have more insight on your parents, and yes, I mean both of them."

She contemplated his words gingerly, of course he'd never get her hopes up for nothing. Glancing over to Itachi for some reassurance, her hopes remained untouched as his expression bore nothing to give any hints away. Itachi could very well tell her about her mother too since he'd worked with her for quite some time, however his lips remained tightly shut as he looked passed her head and onto the headrest. 

"You knew mama and papa?" She asked, turning her head to Jiraiya with saddened yet expectant eyes. 

"They were my students long ago." he said. "I want to tell you a story about your parents, and why you're a sign of how amazing they once were." He sighed and contemplated where to start, although the best thing that he could muster was something awfully sorrowful. "They were orphans. Yahiko was the name of your father, Konan was the name of your mother and there was one more person whose name was Nagato. He would've basically been your God Father. They were kind people to say the least, and they genuinely cared for each other, although after I left them it was supposed that they were killed in the war their land had always been a part of. You're not from the Cha no Kuni, you're from Amegakure─ a land where it always rains."

"Were.... Were Tou-san and Kaa-san always together?" Those words barely managed to come out of her mouth from the unfamiliarity with it. 

Jiraiya sadly smiled. 

"More than what you think. They shared the same birthday, have been together since their birth, they stole food together so that they could survive, they acquainted themselves with Nagato together, and then, they made a child together which is you." He chuckled, it was almost unbelievable how a part of his life from so long ago came back to him in the form of a pinkette. Now that he looked her, he could see it. Those eyes─ those green eyes said it all; Yahiko's will was right there in them. He opened his mouth to speak, thought closed it back as he observed Sakura's awfully troubled expression.

A warm feeling flooded Sakura's chest at the mention of the few things her parents did. They were just like her when they were younger except, she lucky enough to know her parents and have a place to reside in. Her parents were truly admirable, although admiration could only go so far when the underlying cause for their resilience was war. A damn war that in fact never ended, because it was the children who carried on the weight of the past and tried to find their way without their parents. That admiration could only go so far when her thoughts flooded with hate for the people who allowed her parents to suffer the way they did.