In the Blink of an Eye (Sasusaku)

The Shinobi from Kirigakure

7:00am.

The young sun rose steadily past the distant horizon, greeting Konoha with its illuminating, warm rays. The newborn sky was painted over with strokes of deep purple and blush pink, creating an almost ethereal effect over the village. It was out in the village gate that Sakura stood, savoring the fresh, cool morning air and the peaceful quiet that came with the early hours. She had been the first one at the meeting spot, a little frantic over the multitude of possibilities Naruto and Sasuke's first real mission could contain. What if this time, both Naruto and Sasuke freeze up? What if Sasuke never awakens his Sharingan? There were some other questions she couldn't even bear considering that constantly arose in her head, though they were mostly projected by fear rather than her own conclusions.

The kunoichi gazed at the breaking of dawn, watching the sun rise over the shadowed hills to the east. A small smile lit up her face, entranced by the beauty of the sunrise, one that she shared with nobody else but herself. I need to just relax, she thought. In the end, the sun will rise again. I can deal with the problems and issues that arise when they happen, like I've always had. Sometimes, she forgot that she used to not know what the future had in stake. Sakura, like every shinobi, had always thought about the multiple negative outcomes for missions and still bravely forged on ahead, never letting her fear blind her. But, never before had the possibility of war been so vivid in her mind.

My loved ones will always be in danger, no matter which life I live. This one is no different.

Sakura tipped her head back, leaning her body against a sturdy post, willing all her thoughts to flow by like the breeze around her. The only difference now is that I will be strong enough to protect them.

After a couple minutes of standing idly by, the kunoichi started becoming impatient and checked her weapon's and medical pouch for the fifth time. Instead of her regular black hoodie training outfit, Sakura opted for a nice change in pace and put on a tight, scarlet qipao top with no sleeves that ended just above her belly button. Accompanying that, she wore a high-waisted, mid-thigh, sweet pink skirt with her black spandex shorts just peeking past the hem, allowing her easy mobility. On her arms, she wore black arm-warmers from her elbow to her wrist and heeled, knee-high black boots on her feet. Her pouches were clipped to her waist in a convenient manner and her red Konoha headband rested on top of her coral hair. A pouch was strapped across her shoulder to her waist, full of extra supplies such as clothes and emergency food.

Overall, she felt ready to take on their first mission as a team (in this life) and help Naruto and Sasuke achieve the valuable milestones that stay with them as they grow older. She also felt ready shinobi-wise, as all of her medical ninjutsu and offensive jutsu had vastly improved since the chakra unblocking she had done by the Hyuga clan. Her enhanced strength was still a little bit slow though, with her need to still build her physical muscle, but her chakra was working almost perfectly. She was able to summon the same amount of chakra to her fist, but was scared to unleash it as it would likely lead to her injuring herself severely. Once she built a little more resistance, she would be once again able to live up to her former glory.

The one issue that Sakura had, other than all of her jutsu, is that her chakra reserves were still at the level of a genin. Sure, she had built on them over the past week and a half, but they were still, at best, at the level of an advanced genin. Her stamina had never been her strong point in her previous life, and it didn't seem to be one of her stronger points now, but Sakura vowed to herself that in this life, she would become stronger than she was in her previous.

Because in her previous life, the world wasn't on her shoulders. Now it is.

"Sakura-chan!"

The joyful cheer in Naruto's voice startled Sakura out of her reverie, bringing her back to the sweet Konoha morning. Standing up fully, she spotted Naruto's orange jumpsuit running towards her position, waving to her animatedly with a grin splitting his face.