medicalpunch | 7th Punch

7th Punch | Video

[It's one of those things she feels like she ought to say. Ought to let people know, because it's important. They're important, even if they're not here anymore.

On the video, her expression is carefully calm, forced into composure -- but for those who know her well or who are very good at reading faces, it's obvious she's not at all calm about this, not really. They're too important to her for that, and Sasuke in particular... it feels like not enough time. Not enough to getting to savor having her team together again, whole again.]

For anyone wondering... Uzumaki Naruto and Uchiha Sasuke have both gone home.

[Once again, she's the bearer of bad news for Luceti's Konoha population. She takes a breath to say more, but then pauses. What else is there to say, really? And her throat is so tight with it. Her teammates, her boys, are gone -- but they're back where they belong.

It's not enough to ease the sense of loss, though.]

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[Rock Lee had just emerged from an intense session a room of the Battle Doom and was toweling off some sweat when he saw the message in his journal.

His heart shrinks as he hears the message. Naruto and Sasuke... both gone? Could it be? Sure, Sasuke was a figure whom Lee was still uncertain about, and he had to put some effort into trying to trust him again. But he wanted to try to truly understand their former comrade.

And on top of that... Naruto-kun. Could he really have gone home already? Lee and him had made such grand plans together. They were supposed to escape back home with all of their friends who would be saved from death. Neji, Naruto's parents, Sasuke's mother... They would bring all of them back. How could Naruto have gone home ahead by himself? What about his parents? They were united so blissfully in this place...

He waits a moment to try to compose himself before he turns on the video feed. But there still is a faint shimmering in his eyes.]

S- Sakura-san... Is this true? [Of course it's true. Sakura would not announce this unless she was absolutely sure of it. But Lee can't help but ask regardless.]

It's true. [She doesn't remonstrate him for asking the redundant question -- yet more evidence of how unsettled she is.]

I checked for both of them. Repeatedly. [Just to be sure. Because she remembers her mad search with Kushina for Naruto when he vanished before. But this time, it looks like it's for real.]

Lee... where are you? [From the background, she's in her apartment, alone. And she could really use a friend right now.]

[The background of the video is shifting. He has just exited the Dome and is moving quickly while talking into the journal. He closes his eyes for a moment in resignation.]

I - I see.

[And then he opens his eyes, looking back into the journal solemnly. It's all too easy to make out her apartment in the background, so he knows where to go.]

I am on the move. Please... Stay where you are for the moment.

I will. [She's just grateful he understood what she was asking. To say it outright feels weak, needy -- after all, she did just fine without them! -- but the truth is, she does feel suddenly very alone.]

[He keeps looking into the journal while picking up speed, trying to look right into Sakura's eyes and give her some early comfort.]

S-sakura-san, I...

[A low-hanging tree branch then nails him in the head, and he stops for a moment.]

...I will talk to you soon!

[Sasuke too?

Since the two have them had gone out of their mind in their search to find Naruto those months ago, Kushina felt a bit closer to Sakura. They went through similar things. She knows the girl must be hurting too. And to have Sasuke leave, Mikoto must be hurting.

So she's not concerned about herself. He could come back. Minato had said before... so many people had said before. So many people had. It wasn't the end of it. They could both come back.

That doesn't mean she should want them to though. Maybe for Sakura's and Mikoto's sake though. And Minato.]

At least Kakashi is still around, huh?

[Small smile.]

[Sakura's smile in response is shaky, but at least it's there.]

That's true... my whole team isn't gone. [Yet.]

Umm, Kushina-san... I hope this isn't presumptuous, but at some point, could we get dinner together or something? [She'd like to spend more time with her. Both because she really likes Kushina, and also because it might feel a little less like she's been abandoned.]

[In the event that Kakashi does leave though, Sakura isn't completely alone there either. Even so, Kushina senses the need for company for times like this since she had felt it many times too. She always had Minato at her side at those moments.

Sakura doesn't have anyone.]

Sure. [She smiles warmly. Sakura wasn't being rude at all.]

I'll send Minato off to spend time with Kakashi. He should spend more time with his student anyway.

[She's sure he must be feeling guilty too, even if it wasn't his fault. And she can't leave Minato alone either.]

[Okay, she really shouldn't be laughing at him getting hurt, but at least there's enough of a slapstick element that it lightens her mood momentarily.] Be careful! Don't hurt yourself getting here. I'll still be here if you take a little more time...

[Of course, the disappearance of both her teammates underscores that someone can leave Luceti at any moment, but she doesn't think she's liable to disappear in the next five minutes...]

[He just gives a sheepish grin at that.]

I... I will, Sakura-san! Please don't worry. Just know that... I am on my way. [He'll close his book in a moment, once he notices the flower shop is nearby.]

That's good. I think Kakashi-sensei could use the attention, too... [After all, this isn't the first time that Sasuke and Naruto have gone off and left the two of them behind. It hurts less than last time, at least.]

Maybe tomorrow evening?

I know. And... thank you. [She gives him a warm smile before the connection cuts, then settles back on her couch to wait for Lee to get there, trying not to feel as alone and cut off as she did the last time her teammates left her behind. She'll just have to hope that they'll be okay until she gets back...]

[He finds himself missing Ino when he checks the flower shop - she could have provided a helpful hand. And it drives in to him how small their numbers within this village had grown. He, Sakura, Shikamaru, Neji and Temari were the only ones left aside from the adults...

But he manages to rush to her door in record time. He softly wraps on it, sporting a bouquet in hand. It was assembled in a rush, but he tried to include pink flowers as well as flowers that at least seemed similar to ones that Sakura had given him in the past.]

[She answers the door, and the sight of the flowers in his hand is so unexpected, such an absolutely sweet touch when she's feeling terrible, that she nearly laughs -- and just as nearly starts crying. But she does manage to rein in both impulses, and just steps back to let him in with a shaky smile.]

Lee, thank you... [She needs a friend so badly right now. And when things are dark, he's very good at being there for her.]

[He sits there quietly and nervously, breathing it all in. He knows he's not the same as Naruto or Sasuke. But even so, to have earned even that smile from Sakura, his heart feels just about full. He steps on in.]

Sakura-san... Speak nothing of it. You are very welcome. I hope that - that they are pleasing to you. [And he holds the flowers towards her.]

[Yeah, she thinks so too. The both of them.]

Mn. Did you want to come here? [Well, maybe not.]

Or we could go out somewhere. [Since being in the family house seems more empty.]

Edited 2014-06-13 20:50 (UTC)

... thank you for telling everyone.

[Yes, all the family knows. It's just... a relief not to do the announcement this time. Law's personally done too many.]

[She's a little more restrained with Law than with Lee or Kushina, but he's still hardly a stranger, considering Luceti's medical community. She does manage a weak smile for him, at least.]

Someone has to do it, right? I might as well... [Take the burden off the immediate family of either - and Law certainly counts as that, being Sasuke's brother-in-law.

[All of them need it. Minato and Kushina have lost their son, Kakashi two of his students, Sakura her two teammates. There's enough abandonment to go around.]

Either is fine...! I don't want to make you cook if you don't feel like it... [She certainly doesn't want to impose.]

[He's not the same, and yet - if it had been Lee who left, Sasuke certainly wouldn't have dropped any plans he had in order to run to her, and certainly not with flowers in hand! Naruto might have come, but the flowers wouldn't have been there. Lee... Lee has been a very good friend to her.]

They are. [The words are warm, if still laced with sadness, and she accepts the flowers and cradles them tenderly.] I know I shouldn't be taking this so hard, but...

They are your comrades. I understand.

[He's already lost Tenten twice and Gai-Sensei once.

And he has nightmares about losing Neji.]

You have the right to feel their absence. This... is a bittersweet time of youth.

{It's hard to avoid that pink hair. For a moment, Lightning hoped…

But no. This girl is different.}

I'm sorry for your loss. Were they good friends to you?

[Nobody else can leave. She will chain them all down with chakra.]

I don't mind it. [She says it just a little subdued. If it's for someone like Sakura. Or Minato. Or Naruto...]

I'll leave it up to you, Sakura. [Since she's worried about Sakura's happiness rather than hers.]

Edited 2014-06-13 23:16 (UTC)

[ He wasn't close at all to Naruto, but it's still sad to hear about the departure. More so with the way that it's given. It's straight-forward affair, but considering what he did know of Naruto's personality?

Maybe his message wouldn't be appreciated, but-

When Red's message come on, he's got the book propped up and with a smile on his face. ]

Hey! I didn't know the other person, and I didn't really know Naruto that well either -- he showed me he some cool ninja moves, and he helped me out with training my pokémon, a pikachu, a few times -- but he told me he was going to be the best where he's from, so he better be going back to do just that!

[ He nods, confident. ]

And -- I know he's got family here too - and friends, obviously. And yeah! I don't really know him at all, so you can think I'm just some dumb kid, but -- I bet he'd want you all to be smiling and feeling good again soon! So I hope you do, and the same with his parents too!

[ He pauses, feeling like he's being more daring than he should be right now, but then bows his head to the screen. ]

My name's Red if you want to call me a moron! But noisy and fun is the way a friend of mine described Naruto... [ He raises his head now ] And I agree! So that's the send off I want to give him!

Thank you for telling us, miss! [ Another nod. ] I hope they'll both be okay!

[ And then finally the message is done. ]

[Well. Damn it.]

Sorry to hear it, Sakura.

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