𝗠𝗶𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗹𝗲𝘀

Firefly

Sakura drifts and like a ghost she wanders through a village she remembers in ruins. For a moment, she can see the desolation of Madara and then she blinks and it is gone.

She lingers like one of the departed.

She stands in the middle of a vibrant road where life is so blatantly present. And yet... though she is surrounded by it she feels disconnected. Almost as though reality was nothing but a hum. She jolts slightly at the thought of forgetting the sensation of reality.

But... she bites her lip. How can I be sure this isn't a genjutsu?

She recalls Naruto sending her back with painful detail.

Her breath quickens.

What... what—what if this is the Eternal Tsukiyomi?

"Kai." She whispers, then repeats louder. "Kai!"

Nothing.

She laughs.

She wouldn't be able to escape even if it was.

Sakura shakes her head and slaps her cheeks. The sting feels real, as does the lingering thrum of Naruto's golden chakra.

This is real.

It is real.

She just needs to remember that.

❀

"You weren't at training."

Red eyes burning with pure loathing staring into her soul.

She blinks.

Black eyes—not red—not yet.

There is no resentment in these eyes.

"Sasuke... kun?" Her mouth feels dry. "I—ah—needed to—"

He quirks a brow.

She sighs.

"I'll speak with Kakashi-sensei." She says and turns to leave.

"Wait." Says Sasuke and offers her a sheet of paper. "Kakashi-sensei gave us—!"

"—forms for the Chunin Exam." Sakura finishes with a tired smile. "Yeah, I know. I think some of our former classmates will be attending too."

She bows politely.

"Thank you." She says and takes the form. "I'll see you tomorrow, Sasuke-kun."

Sakura flees before he can stop her.

"She thought she was in a genjutsu." Sasuke frowns.

"So it would seem. And she knew about the Chunin Exams—that isn't common knowledge yet." Agrees Kakashi with a hum. "Keep an eye on her for me, okay, Sasuke?"

"Hm."

❀

She shrieks in rage as her fists pound furiously into a large tree.

"Weak." She seethes. "Weak. Weak. Weak. Weak."

The tree falls, birds flee to the skies, clouds of dust rise, and the earth cracks.

Huffing, she stands over the product of her destruction.

Blood drips from her black knuckles onto the ground.

She rears her fists back to strike again but a hand grabs her wrist firmly.

"That's enough, Sakura."

She swerves around and snarls at Sasuke.

"Let me go." She grits. "Now."

"You're going to damage yourself permanently if you continue."

"I won't."

"You will."

"Goddamn it Sasuke! I won't." She says as her fingertips glow green and her wounds mend at her touch.

He stares.

"See?" She thrusts her fists towards him. "No bruising! No blood! No damage!"

Sakura shuts her eyes and takes a deep breath.

"Sorry, Sasuke-kun." She forces out. "You didn't deserve that. I'm just—-I'm just..."

She gestures to the tree.

"Finally taking this seriously." She finishes lamely.

Silence.

"Fireflies."

She pauses and glanced around.

"You're.. right." Her throat goes dry.

They look like Naruto's chakra.

❀

She dreams of golden light blooming like fireflies—stars that shine brightly in the dark—stars that have descended onto the earth from heaven to light the way.

Why would a star choose the be reborn as a firefly?

She wonders.

Stars dwell in the skies of heaven and fireflies dwell on earth where pain and suffering exist. Still, they shine brightly.

Naruto was a firefly.

His hope was brilliant.

"Sakura."

She falls.

"I'm so sorry."

She reaches for the light but it's warmth slips like water through her fingers.

"Why?" She demands. "Why, Naruto?"

She trembles.

"How could you do this to me?!"

She cannot reach the stars.

She cannot catch the fireflies.

"You are not alone."