Wilted Efflorescence

Wilted Efflorescence Chapter 1

Chapter 1

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Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto or any franchise, unfortunately.

Efflorescence: The state or period of flowering, an example or result of growth and development.

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They lost.

They had lost so totally and completely that almost no one was left.

Even their contingency plan still wasn't finished.

Naruto was the mastermind behind such an amazing seal, with the help of Kurama and some notes on space-time sealing that Kakashi had... but now it was untouched. Almost complete, but what was she supposed to do? The war had dragged on for years as they slowly lost more and more people to Madara's plans.

The seal was meant to send all of them back. Before some of the most important events that led to now could happen.

The others had given up. Even Shikamaru, with all of his genius, sat broken and defeated. Choji's corpse slowly rotting next to him. Decompositon at a middle stage, where his flesh was infested with maggots and the eye he had left rotated slowly before seemingly melting in on itself, causing the fluid to poor our of his eye socket and over the blood stained yet visable nasal bone.

The stench of death was pungent and consuming. Ino had died long ago... and team 7... team 7 was no more.

The last of her hope began to rot away slowly, there was nothing she could do for the bright-eyed man she was clutching desperately. She was never strong enough for them, her boys, she had always watched their backs as they grew in strength. She strived to walk with them, but could never completely catch up.

For a while, she was okay with that.

Until the war started.

Before, even though Sasuke had left the village, she had been okay.

She wasn't great.

She doubted she ever would have been great again, but she was okay.

Then the war started and comrade after comrade fell. Her hands were always covered in the blood of those she loved.

She wished it had been her enemies blood instead.

Before Naruto had been Sasuke, before him, their sensei. And even now, as the last of her boys was bleeding to death in her arms, she could do nothing about it.

"Don't cry, Sakura-chan" A sad smile crossed his face, it was covered in grime and blood and more just kept pouring out of him.

"I can't Naruto, I can't lose you too. Please don't go, I... You're all that's left. No one else can go, please!"

"It will be okay, Sakura-chan," He gently clutched her hand, she squeezed back with all the strength she had left. Holding on as if the warmth of his palm was all that held her existence together. "You can fix it all, I finished it. Go back Sakura-chan. Go back and save everyone."

"I... I don't think I have the strength left... Naruto-kun. Without you... Without Sasuke-kun and Kakashi-sensei... Tsunade-shishou... I'm not strong like you, Naruto-kun. I can't hurt this much and smile. I just can't!"