Work Text:
You are Sakura Haruno.
You are alone.
Your best friend is the Hokage, your husband has left the village, your daughter moved out.
You are Sakura Haruno.
You are alone.
You eat ramen at Ichiraku's every other night.
You eat canned food on the nights you don't.
You oft hold hands with women you don't know and never will know.
You hold hands and bite flesh and mend wounds all in the same night, simply because you can.
You can and you will.
You are Sakura Haruno.
You are alone unless you make it so you're not.
You are Sakura Haruno.
Your second mentor, who loved you like a daughter more than your real mother ever could, has died.
Your first mentor, who was a husk of a man even when he tried his best, has refused to die even though he is alone.
He is just as alone as you are.
He is used to the loneliness.
The tragedy of loss has sunk deep into his bones since day one and he rarely spoke of it but when he did you listened with intent.
You listened because you thought you'd never understand. You thought you would always have a friend or a lover at your side. You thought you would never feel lonely like he does.
How the tables turn.
You find yourself alone like Naruto was.
You are Sakura Haruno.
And, well, you already know what comes next.