[One-shot] Naruto: The Strongest

[graychalk]

Fandom: Naruto
Characters: Haruno Sakura, Team 7
Rating/Status: PG/PG-13 for blood / 404 words, complete
Timeline: Future fic for confrontation between Team 7. No spoilers.
Summary: Sakura became the strongest just for them and for this moment, but sometimes even that isn't enough.

Author's Notes: This was completely inspired from reading the latest Naruto manga chapters 305-306, but there are no spoilers. It's a future snapshot so it's purely made up. Finished within 15 minutes... but it's angst so it takes me faster to write. :p The style makes it kind of choppy though, and it's also the first time I wrote something using present tense. I might build around it later?


The Strongest
by Téa P.

In the end, Sakura lies unmoving on the sharp bath of rocks and blinks up at the sun. She tries to recall another time when the sky looks this majestic and clear, but she finds that she does not want to remember. She wants to stay there forever, just watching the birds fly across the sky in their carefree manner. Instead, she turns her head to the side and stares blankly into the distance.

She doesn't notice the wide, angry chasm that tore up the ground. She doesn't notice the trees that had been ripped from the roots scattered about. She doesn't even notice the large boulder crushing its weight against her legs, and she doesn't pay any attention to the fact that she can no longer feel anything in the lower part of her body.

10 feet. His dark eyes are open, staring right back at her, and Sakura thinks he's as beautiful as ever. She doesn't see that he's barely even recognizable anymore, and she doesn't see how he has a gaping hole in his chest where his heart should have been.

12 feet. His blue eyes are closed to her, and this time she sees the blood. It covers every part of his body, pouring out of the gashes that seems to keep stretching across his skin. She sees so much red that her eyes begin to water, and she thinks she's crying blood.

A terrifyingly savage scream pierces through the still air, and she wonders where it's coming from. It takes only a moment longer for her to realize that it's being forcefully wrenched out of her own lungs.

Her body shakes and someone kneels down next to her, blocking her view of red. She still sees them, the imprint digging its claws and carving itself into her. She squeezes her eyes shut, and the image stays.

It doesn't go away.

It won't go away.

Gentle murmurs coax her, but Sakura hears only three words.

It makes her wonder how it is that she became the strongest when she can crumble so easily from just hearing them.

It makes her wonder when Sasuke had become the man of her nightmares and when Naruto became bigger than the world itself.

Sakura, they're gone.

She lies there under the glaring sun, and she doesn't understand how she became the strongest for them, and in the end, became the one who lost everything.


/End

As always, comments and concrit very appreciated!

Edit 04/06/2007: There's now a "companion sequel" one-shot for this fic, called Paths of Deaths.

Comments

[darksideofstorm.livejournal.com]

*shivers* very powerful stuff. I like the language, descriptive but not too purple, and the tense used works very well. I like the very small difference in the distances Sakura is from Sasuke and Naruto, they're so close but Sasuke is just that tiny bit closer, very symbolic.

I loved this line:

It makes her wonder when Sasuke had become the man of her nightmares and when Naruto became bigger than the world itself.

And I'm very curious as to who is kneeling next to Sakura at the end, I'd place money on Kakashi ^__^ Actually, it'd be very interesting to see the same piece written from his point of view totally shameless hint whut.

My only minor nitpick is the numbers '10' and '12' which, as this would be considered formal writing, should be written in words (e.g. 'ten' and 'twelve') *complete grammar freak*

[graychalk]

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me such a detailed comment on what you liked, etc. :) I'm glad you actually noticed the difference in the distances between the characters- it was done on purpose, but not much people see it. ^^;

Also, I found it interesting that you picked at the 10 and 12 in numbers...because I had debated on that for a while, myself. In the end, I chose the numbers purely for the way it looks in terms of the spacing. Because the letter spacing would be the same when numbers are used, the sentences end up looking more like a pair- but on hindsight, I wonder if that's a smart choice since you noticed the usage of numbers and all. ^^;

I actually did think of writing a complimentary piece from another's POV (say, Kakashi) but I'm afraid it might ruin this one. I'll see. ^_^ Thank you once again for your comments! :)

[shiny-glor-chan.livejournal.com]

*eyes tear* Aw! Noooo! ;-;! Good fic but so sad...

[graychalk]

Thank you so much! It is sad, isn't it? I hope something like this won't actually happen. T_T

Anyhow, thank you for taking the time to leave a comment for this fic! :)

[aradiantsun.livejournal.com]

Wow, this was awesome. I admit that Sakura being crushed by rocks instantly made me think of Obito and reminded me of how Team 7 parallels Team Yondaime. Very lovely, I"m glad you shared it at chuunin, since I followed the link. *adds to memories*

[graychalk]

Thank you so much! I've always been wary about sharing fics on chuunin because I figured people don't really want to see fic spams there. This time I just had to post it there because it's kind of related to the recent chapters, somewhat. ^^

I'm so glad you liked it and also saw the parallel between Team 7 and Team Yondaime. I always thought it was interesting how Kishimoto connects the teams from Sandaime's time all the way to the present. :)

[aradiantsun.livejournal.com]

You're welcome. I don't really post my fics on chuunin for the same reason, but as I said before, I'm happy you did.

I love how the teams are all inter-connected with their predecessors. The whole "history can/may repeat itself" thing, you know? It gives the Narutoverse so much depth. I also love the way Kishimoto adapts legends for the series.

[heronite.livejournal.com]

I loved that! The imagery was beautiful, I really loved this:

It makes her wonder when Sasuke had become the man of her nightmares and when Naruto became bigger than the world itself.

... and the conclusion was powerful. She became strong to protect them. But it still wasn't enough.

[graychalk]

Thank you so much for taking the time to leave me a comment about this fic! :) Yay for liking that line too- it's probably the line I spent thinking about the most. ^^;

[rawblister.livejournal.com]

Whoahh, that was unbelievably addictive and poignant all at the same time. I love the way you portrayed Sakura's character and unfolded the ending. It was terribly depressing; I do hope the future chapters will not steer in this direction ;__;. Write more soon!

[graychalk]

Thank you so much! I'm so glad you liked it. :) I also hope the future chapters won't turn out like this. T_T Even though I wrote this, I depressed myself thinking about it. >_>;;

[ballades.livejournal.com]

Oh, beautiful angst. *sighs and clutches at chest*

I feel it works very well as a one-shot or drabble.

[moonwitch.livejournal.com]

Oh, you made me cry.