Chapter Text
Naruto’s point of view.
The whole thing had started out rather innocently, well as innocent as anything during wartime can be. The fighting had been taking its toll on all of them, any respite they could get from the death always sounded like a good idea. What hurt was having a little distraction anyway?
Even if that idea was talking about things they wish they could have done differently. She knew this was a bad idea, these things always started out the same way, silly little things.
“I wish I never took that bet against Lee.”
“I wish I never let Ino talk me into playing shoji with Shikimaru.”
Though it was never long before it started to stray more into a sort of longing wish. Things they regretted not doing and places they yearned to visit one more time and the ache of doing something one more time before all of this.
Then when the mood finally seemed to have become somber enough, and laughing seemed more like a cruel form of disrespect to everyone that wasn’t there, someone would speak up.
“I wish I could have saved them, all of them.”
No more words could be spoken, it’s just how it went. That was the part where we grieved for those they lost, all the people sacrificed trying to stop Madara and his army. So it was a great surprise when Ino mustered up the (I’m not sure what, Courage? Energy? Will?) to whisper
“I wish I could go back in time.”
Eyes misty as she stared blankly at Sei’s book. Clutched tight in her hands.
They had all heard her, as vigil as the war had made them, but no one managed to speak again. Eyes and thoughts kept firmly to themselves as they all lamented their reality. For just a moment she wished that the irony of it all could have kill her.