In the Blink of an Eye (Sasusaku)

Ravens and Roses

"He's going to be fine." Sakura laid a cool, wet towel on Naruto's head, once again setting her hands on both of his temples. Her chakra flowed into her fingertips, tenderly healing his injury with a misty herb glow. "Luckily, he didn't hit his head too hard. Thanks for keeping an eye on him, Tazuna-san," she said in a soft voice. Her sage hued eyes examined her teammate once more before she felt a light hand on her shoulder.

She lifted her eyes to find her sensei giving her a stern look. But she had known Kakashi for so long, that by just looking into his one eye, she could tell all it held was a masked concern for her. She could also easily read how physically exhausted he was. I wouldn't blame him, she thought. Forcefully awakening yourself with chakra is draining.

"That's all we needed to know, Sakura," he said in a firm tone. "Now, you need to go and rest up. You've been sitting with him for the past hour. "

The medic gave him a slight nod, touched by his worry, and gave him a kind smile in return. "And you need to rest as well," she replied in a light, playful tone. "Your burst of chakra likely drained your energy." Her mood turned serious, a slight frown settling on her lips. "We won't be able to do anything without a fully-functioning sensei."

Kakashi's eyebrows drew together, his hand coming up to massage the bridge of his nose, before he gave her a confirming nod. He motioned her to follow Tazuna, who was standing in the corner of the room with a vacant stare. He must be so lost, she frowned sympathetically. Losing your family, just like that...

Sakura followed the drooping man across the hallway to a room with a closed, pale blue door. He didn't give her any words except a small tilt of his head, signaling that this was the room she was going to stay in. The kunoichi nodded, hesitating for a moment before looking at the man once more. His posture was saggy, his neck bent and his eyes trained on the floor, as if he held the weight of the world on his shoulders. Ever since they had come into the house, he had lost his entire stubborn and fiery demeanor, trading it for one of confusion and loss. The wrinkles on his face seemed deeper, the shadowy lines cracking his tanned face.

The medic's heart blossomed with empathy. So many times had she seen people's loved ones lost, so many times had she seen her own precious patients and friends next to her one second, then gone the next. She knew the feeling of not knowing whether someone was going to be okay. Stuck in a dark hole, waiting blindly, while her friends put themselves in danger. She also knew what it was like to be the person on the other side, the person who needed to go back home because they could feel the hope and love they left behind in the village.

"Tazuna-san," she called out quietly. The man turned his head to her, a little surprised that she had spoken his name.

"You haven't lost them yet."

"What?" His voice was quiet and heavy, burdened by the feelings of loss in his heart.

"I know what it's like to truly lose someone," she continued, lifting her eyes to face his own. "What I'm saying is, you still have hope."

That is more than most people could imagine to have.

"We can save your family. Don't let yourself accept that they are gone. If you love them, fight for them." Because if you don't, you'll really lose them.

The old man stared at her, his eyes carefully holding back tears. Sensing that he wanted a private moment, Sakura swiftly slipped into the room, closing the door behind her.

She wasn't surprised when she saw Sasuke sitting in the middle of the room with new clothes and damp hair, sharpening kunai with a concentrated look on his face. Team Seven had often shared rooms on overnight missions together, so they had developed a system to limit the number of disagreements (and annoyed Narutos and Sasukes) as they possibly could.