• Dark Dawn •

Ep 29 - Crow [Ch.6]

(Arc 5 - Timelapse)
This chapter jumps from character to character really often so I apologize for confusion.
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2 weeks later
Sakura

After saying her goodbyes to her friends, Sakura headed to the riverbank which served as a place she went to when she needed to clear her head.

With a soft thump she let herself down onto the grass. She let her mind wander a bit.

The funeral procession for the Third Hokage, Sarutobi Hiruzen, was held a week after the attack by the Suna and Sound Village. The recession was a quiet one as everyone in the village mourned all those who died on the battlefront, which was barely any, to everyone's relief.

Strangely enough, another genin had gone missing, and no one knows where he is right now. It's as if he disappeared into thin air. They would have expected a few casualties, but not a disappearance.

It feels like the council is hiding something. Sakura thought.

Since the third Hokage had died in the battle, there was no longer a leader of the village.

Luckily enough, the council had decided on a new and capable Hokage quickly; Tsunade Senju. Apparently, the Hokage seat was supposed to go to Lord Jiraiya, but he refused and recommended her instead.

People say that she had come back on her own without the council sending any messengers. When she heard the news of the village being attacked, she rushed right over.

Lady Tsunade is a well-known expert medical ninja. She helped run the hospital and all the injured went in and out the hospital completely healed. There were almost no casualties because Lady Tsunade was here.

But Naruto isn't coming back. 

He was protecting everyone when Orochimaru went for other shinobi. Naruto even managed to drive him back, but at the price of his own life.

The rest of the Konoha 12 genin, or the next line of shinobi, had taken the loss of Naruto badly. Honestly, no matter what was said between Naruto and someone else, the blonde always struck a chord and formed a close bond with everyone he had made contact with. 

It wasn't until we lost him that we knew how much he had affected our lives. The strength, passion, energy and motivation within the group all came from him.

Sasuke, on the other hand, took the situation completely differently. He hasn't been talking to anyone lately and the last time anyone saw him, it seemed that he was always deep in thought, a frown present on his face most of the time. 

Sakura doesn't seem to accept the reality of his death that easily. Every genin knew those two were especially close, despite them having argued a lot.

Sakura let out a shaky sigh as she sat on the grassy hill at the riverbank. Clutching her knees closer to her.

I was so useless back then... she sniffled.

If I had done something, Naruto might be alive right now...

I wish I could've help in some way...

Silent sobs filled the air as Shikamaru, standing behind a nearby tree, left the scene in silence.

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Sasuke 

"I never go back on my word."

Sasuke knew that he had never heard someone else say that phrase before besides Naruto. But it can always happen. He had been pondering that exact phrase for weeks now.