Square one

Prologue

War was not something Sakura wished upon anyone. It was the epitome of death and destruction.

"Sakura! Neji's in critical state!"

It was a measly thing that slyly creeped it's way out from the shadows, waiting for the perfect opportunity to strike and wreak havoc.

"Hurry he's not breathing!"

"What do we do Sakura?!"

It tore entire nations apart from the inside out.

"Clear!"

Chakra pulsed through her hands into the Hyuga's body. The latter gave a slight jolt from the electrical shock, but his lids did not open.

And claimed countless lives.

Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief as the heart monitor suddenly went static. Determined not to give up, she sent another pulse of electricity through Neji's body, but the attempt was fruitless.

Neji's curse mark had already disappeared.

Sakura's lips were set in a straight line, but she her eyes held pain. She was tempted to wail, she was tempted to cry, but she was past crying, or rather, she had no more tears to shed. The war had hardened her, frozen her heart to a point where it had gradually become numb. There was no time to grieve when others were in constant need of medical attention.

"Everyone move!"

Sakura turned towards the new body they were hauling into the tent and her breath caught in her throat.

Ino.

The blonde looked pale as ever, her skin and hair matted with dirt and blood. Multiple stab wounds were issued along her chest and a broken rib clearly poked out of her side. Ino's blue eyes were closed shut but Sakura could still hear her small puffs of breath from across the room.

"Out of the way!" she roared, and everyone cleared a path for the head medic.

Sakura was immediatly by Ino's side, inspecting the damage with a grimace. Six broken ribs, three stab wounds, a punctured lung, and internal damage. It was a miracle Ino was still breathing.

Sakura immediatly channeled her chakra into her hands, placing them above Ino's wounds. Suddenly a feeling of panic rose within her when the normally strong green glow sputtered weakly and died at the palm of her hands.

No, no, no! Not now! 

She desperatly forced chakra into her hands once more, the green glow returning, but still weak. Still, it wouldn't be enough to heal Ino in time. Out of pure will power, Sakura mustered up the every last bit of chakra she could, forcing it into her hands. She watched in satisfaction as the last of Ino's wounds closed up, but cursed as a waves of dizziness swept over her, causing her to lose her balance and stumble slightly.

Damn, chakra exersion.

Sakura fell to her knees, a sharp pain in her chest causing her to cry out. Her vision was blurring, her surroundings becoming more unfocused by the second. The clamor around her had dulled to a light buzz, and for the first time in four years, Sakura felt at peace.

The figures around her were now indistinct blobs, moving frantically, poking and prodding at her. Sakura didn't care anymore, she wanted to give in to the overwhelming desire to sleep.

And as the darkness came, she welcomed it with open arms.