And So The Cherry Blossoms Fall ◊ 1 ◊

Dull green eyes that had previously been a vibrant emerald gazed out the window at her bedside, carelessly studying the outside world's hustle and bustle as it continued to move on without her.
Haruno Sakura's entire world had changed after a single mission, and only two people knew why. Tsunade and Sakura herself were the sole bearers of this massive secret that had the possibility of changing many perspectives if it were revealed.
"Sakura-chan!" cried the rambunctious teen as he darted into her room, charging past Tsunade to do so. "Why are you still in the hospital?! I thought your injuries weren't that bad!"
Sakura had twisted to observe him approach her, and there was naught a single emotion in her eyes or figure that would confirm her recognition of her close friend.
Tsunade twitched as she grasped his arm and hauled him out of the room. "Naruto!" She slammed the door shut, glaring at the Kyuubi wielder whilst doing so. "Sakura doesn't need to be disturbed right now!"
"You're just trying to keep her away from her friends!" he yelled, pointing at the door that was scarcely noticeable behind Tsunade's back. "You don't want to let me see her because you're afraid that--"
"Naruto, shut up already," a deep voice ordered, making both blondes glance up. "Sakura's injuries weren't only physical. Some of them were mental, so she needs to be kept here until the medics are positive that she can cope with everything in the real world again."
Naruto stuttered to find a fast excuse. "B... But she would get better faster if she faced the outside world! Hiding her away won't help her at all!"
Tsunade sighed while tapping Naruto calmly on the top of the head. "If it were that easy, we would have already released her. Unfortunately, if we send her out there, she'll only be reminded of what happened, and it'll hurt her more than if she was kept here for a few months and slowly reinitiated into normal society."
Naruto's confusion was easily to spot, so Kakashi decided to help out and put it into an easier way for the young blonde to understand.
"If she's kept here, it may keep her from being suicidal in a case where she may have been had she not been slowly brought back into society."
The whiskered boy's eyes were as wide as saucers at this blunt statement. "S... suicidal?"
"She went through some things that are exceptionally hard to deal with, Naruto... There's a likelihood that she may grow tired of living with the comprehension that if she'd been a split second faster she could have saved them, and she may try to kill herself to finish it all."
"Oh... I understand... sort of..." His eyes brightened suddenly. "I can still visit Sakura-chan, though, right?!"
"As long as you're not too loud, yes," Tsunade granted, smiling inside.
He grinned before scampering off, leaving the Hokage to roll her eyes at the Copy Nin and reveal her hidden smile. Kakashi chuckled before gesturing to the door that led to Sakura's room, his implication apparent.
"Go for it. Anything could help right now... Except for Naruto's shouting." She waved nonchalantly before sauntering down the hallway to return to her office.
Kakashi strolled into the room, and dropped calmly onto the bed near the rose-haired girl's feet. "It's okay to cry you know."
"A shinobi never shows his feelings no matter the circumstance," Sakura mumbled, no emotion in her voice at all. You could only tell it was Sakura saying that by the fact that her lips and the sound were in harmony.
"Throw the rule book out the window for once, Sakura!" Kakashi yelled, seizing her shoulders. "Even if you're a shinobi, you were something else first! You were human first! You were born with feelings, so don't just throw them away! Feelings can save your life or get you killed, and they can make your day or ruin it."
He shook her gently, and her green eyes were stunned as she gazed into his black eye. "You need to chose wisely on when to act on your feelings, Sakura, but you can't just ignore them fully."
She veered her gaze away from him quickly, staring out the window once more. "Leave." It was barely audible, but it hid nothing as to its meaning.
Kakashi stood, only to smile a bit at the next thing she muttered. "I trust you can find your way out the door, sensei."
Well, it's an improvement at least.
...
If you don't like KakaSaku, don't read it. Simple as that.
Sending cruel messages will not make me stop writing. It will inspire me.
~^_^~