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“Stop being reckless!” Sakura shouts with an emphasis on each word that had Naruto freeze, taken aback at her words.
”Sakura-chan—” Before he can even reply, Sakura stomps in front of him despite being in a battlefield, Thank Kami we’re at the back of the war, he thinks as he lightly scans the field for any enemies.
“No! You don’t think, Naruto!” She snapped at him with her fists balled, “Stop acting like you can fix everything!”
Naruto couldn’t help but scowl at her words, “What do you want me to do then? Do you want to watch everyone die?”
Sakura’s forehead forms a tick mark, “I want you to stop throwing yourself as if your life doesn’t matter!”
This had Naruto bite his words and flinch as Sakura continued her tirade.
“Every time you do that,” she says with a shaky voice, “I worry how I could go save you.”
“I worry you’d keep throwing yourself into danger like the sacrificial hero you are, and I won’t have enough time to reach you!”
Naruto stared at Sakura’s face, and he knew it was out of worry. But they were in a war. They were Konoha shinobis, one of the Great Five Villages.
“I’m not going to stop protecting everyone, Sakura-chan.” He says stoicly.
Sakura’s heart pounded as she felt slightly shocked at his rebuttal. “What happens if you can’t?”
“I still have to try.”
Before she can say anything, he flickers to run off to the frontline.
She wanted to pull her hair at how frustrated she was to see him battling left and right. And how she’d guess where the real one from his clones was to pull him out in case something bad happened.
-
“Sakura, you have to stop.” Kakashi scolds her, but he doesn’t move an inch away from her.
She was kneeling on the ground of the forgotten battlefield, they were probably somewhere in the border of the Land of the Wind and Rain. But she couldn’t care less.
Not when her hands were pressed on Naruto’s motionless chest. Not when she’s trying to save the stupid idiot.
“Come on,” she whispered, feeling the sweat on her face, “Come back, Naruto.”
She was at the outliers of the battlefield, making everyone in the medic unit follow her commands, as the frontline was still active.
Although she was quite safe, quite capable, she didn’t notice the red eyes trailing her until the last moment when she finally saw it.
“Sasuke-kun—”
“Come at me, Naruto!” He shouts as he launches at her with a sword in his hand.
She was ready to defend herself. She was almost near her Hunder Seal mark forming.
But then Naruto came to jump in front of her with a Rasengan in hand to push Sasuke’s sword away.
It was only a moment, and Sakura noticed Sasuke wasn’t trying to harm her. He was baiting for Naruto to come and save her.
The two couldn’t react fast enough for Sasuke’s chidori. But Sakura tried to punch him away with the strength she could muster. It was able to stop his chidori from fully piercing Naruto’s heart.
“Sasuke used his Sharingan to put Naruto into a genjutsu.” Kakashi muttered as he stared at the two.
“But my chakra should have woken him up.” Sakura choked, “Why is he still so weak, sensei?”
Kakashi couldn’t say anything to ease the pink-haired shinobi. He knew how powerful the Sharingan was and how each Mangekyo Sharingan was different.
After Sakura punched Sasuke, who flew away just a hundred meters ahead, several shinobis went after him. Kakashi wanted to follow, but the two needed him.
Looking at the blonde, with his bright yellow hair ashen, Kakashi couldn’t imagine what power Sasuke had to bring Naruto to this state.
He sees Sakura’s chakra run out and how the girl cries as she holds Naruto’s face.
“This idiot knows perfectly well I can handle it.” She cried, tears dripping down her face.
Kakashi sighed, “Maybe he knew you couldn’t deal with Sasuke like that.”
Sakura felt her teeth grinding in frustration, “He should’ve just sent a clone.”
“Why did you have to be the real one, you baka! ” She shouts with frustration.
Sakura knew how Naruto felt about her. How he’d defend or catch her and let his clones protect them.
But she didn’t know how he’d always have an eye out for her safety. If she knew, she’d push him far away before Sasuke even thought of using her as bait.
Kakashi looked around and noticed they were the only ones left. He knew they’d have to leave soon.
Naruto was still alive, but it’s dangerous for them to be in the open for too long.
“Sakura, we have to move.” He says as he tries to get up, stumbling back down from the exhaustion.
Sakura nodded, “Just give me a moment, sensei.”
Their last conversation felt too raw for her. And yet seeing him in this weakened state had her arguments dissolve.
“Naruto, wake up already…” she whimpered, “We have to make up for our fight.”
Kakashi watches how Sakura childishly talks to the blonde. How it was only Naruto that could get her to act this freely despite all the grime and blood they’re surrounded with.
As Sakura closes her eyes in defeat, she feels a hand lightly touching her tear-stained face.
She sees the bright blue eyes looking at her and hears him softly laugh, “Did you miss me, Sakura-chan?” he says in a teasing tone.
Before he could say anything else, he stared at the upside down face. How her emerald eyes are slowly tearing up and her face forming a big smile.
“Sakura-chan I—” he tried to say but was cut off by Sakura hysterically hugging him tightly.
He looks to Kakashi who just waved him off as if to signal him to let Sakura cry out.
“You idiot!” she shouts, not letting him go. “You knew I was a bait and still followed through!”
Naruto lightly groans, “I couldn’t let Sasuke do that to you.”
Sakura lets go of him and Naruto sees how worried she glared at him. “And you didn’t think I could handle it?”
He closed his eyes in frustration, remembering the fight they had before it.
Sakura placed her fingers on his hair to brush off some dirt clinging to it. “Naruto, don’t be stupid.”
As she places her hand on his face, “We have to work together.” She says firmly, reminding him how they are a team.
“I don’t care if you think you’re the strongest hero in this war,” Sakura says, “you shouldn’t act like—”
“I’m sorry for worrying you so much, Sakura-chan.” He cuts her off softly.
He holds the hand cupping his face and squeezes it. The two bumped foreheads as their sign of reconciliation.
“Thanks for looking out for me.” Naruto whispered.
The two locked eyes, and even with the inappropriate distance between them, they smiled like they always do.
Kakashi watches as the two pull each other to stand and fix themselves. He knew at that moment how Uzumaki Naruto and Haruno Sakura would dominate the war together.
And if it had any romantic implications, Kakashi wouldn’t mind seeing them blush once he retells this moment.