A Hundred Steps Ahead

Aftermath

CHAPTER 16: Aftermath

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Sakura gazed upon the picture ahead of her. The Sandaime's smiling picture seemed to look at her from her perspective, but she knew that it was simply a trick with how the frame was angled. The pinkette knew that she should be sad, heartbroken even, about the Sandaime's passing, but she was just tired. She looked at her teammates beside her, both of them just seemed as tired as she was.

'32,' She thought as she looked at the casket in front of her. '32 lives,' she thought. She was tired, both physically and emotionally. She knew that the life of a shinobi was taxing and highly demanding. But she never expected to have taken 32 lives from the attack alone.

'At times like these, one would begin to wonder what peace truly is...' Sakura looked at Asuma who was at the very front of the crowd. She wanted to feel sorry that he lost his father, but she couldn't help but think about all the lives they had taken as well. Did they have a family of their own? How many children were left as an orphan simply because their parents never came back?

Hours passed by as the crowd simply stood in somber. The rain seemed inconsequential to what they were gathered for. Sakura liked to think that the whole morning passed with just them standing and expressing their sorrow before people began to leave one by one.

Team 10 was one of the last people to leave, offering Asuma their silent support and condolences before they respectfully told the man that they were leaving. "Let's meet up at the Hokage Tower two days from now," he had mentioned before they left.

Too tired to question why the trio had simply nodded in understanding before they split up to their respective families and homes.

X

Tired emerald eyes watched at the domestic scene in front of the dozing pinkette. The girl watched as her parents seemed to dance around one another as they cooked dinner for the small family.

The girl noted and mentally tucked away the small details of the view. Like the way her Mother tended to be the one to flip the meat to its other side while her Father unconsciously continued to finish cutting up the vegetables. The way how the two would lean towards one another while watching over the simmering pot of soup and how they would whisper soft words to one another.

'Is this what peace feels like?' She thought.

She continued to watch as the pair continued to stay in their own bubble, not in the least aware that their daughter was watching them. Sakura smiled softly before she silently stood up from her previous position on the kitchen stool. The pinkette began to walk back to her room, more than willing to give her parents privacy and confident that they would just call her when it was time to eat.

Sitting down on her bed, her eyes strayed to her bookshelves. If she thought about it, peace was back when all she had was her friends, family, and books. Being a shinobi was more than she expected. She excelled in being one, but she was beginning to realize that maybe she overestimated her capability to keep her emotions to herself.

Looking back, the number 32 didn't seem that daunting when it didn't come with context. It could stand for anything – 32 bottles of milk, 32 pieces of candy, 32 clothes, 32 sticks. But 32 in the context of deaths; She wasn't sure if she was ready to shoulder the weight of the people she had killed.

Sakura couldn't help but be wary as she thinks of what tomorrow may come. Tomorrow was the day Team 10 would have to meet up again, as mentioned by Asuma. The pinkette was curious as to why they had to meet at the Hokage Tower instead of their usual training ground. She was sure that it wasn't about the Chuunin Exams because without a standing Hokage, no results would be announced.

Still, whatever tomorrow may come, she just hoped that she could bear it.

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Sakura pursed her lips in nervousness as she closed the file she was previously given. Her head turned to watch Shino and Shikamaru do the same while their posture seemed to be just as uncomfortable as hers. She turned to look at the three figures in front of them. The three Konoha Council members calmly sipped their tea, as if they hadn't issued a Diplomacy Mission to three Genin.

"How many weeks will they be gone?" Standing beside Shikamaru, Asuma asked the Council. "A week? Two weeks?"

Koharu, the female Council member, scoffed before she replied, "Six months. We're expecting a detailed monthly update every end of the month, along with a short check – in letter once every two weeks."

"Isn't six months too long for a bunch of Genin?" Shikamaru frowned. "Not to mention that you're splitting us into three different villages rather than our usual team set – up."

"Unsupervised without a Jounin, too," Shino spoke with a voice just loud enough for the Council to hear.

Homura, the other male Council member, crossed his arms. "You'll be surrounded with hundreds of high – ranking shinobi at your assigned villages. No harm will happen to you while you're there."

"Plus, the village is understaffed as it is." Danzo, the last member, spoke out. "Without a Hokage to lead the village, we're being flexible with how we...manage things around here."

"When are they expected to depart?" Asuma asked.

"Two days from now." Homura sipped his tea.

"Because of Orochimaru's attack on the village, tensions are running high between the nations. The diplomatic missions were initially made by Hiruzen with a partnership with Kirigakure, Sunagakure, and the Fire Daimyo." Koharu voiced out, "The Sunagakure Council Elders were adamant to regain their reputation and trust among the nations, they were practically ordering for the exchange to pull through."

"This is a fairly easy mission. Observe, learn, and memorize everything." Danzo stood up with the use of his cane. His lone eye seemed to pierce through the three Genin, "Try not to disappoint us."

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"All alone, squirt?" Hoshigaki Kisame's tall, daunting figure was the first thing she saw when she calmly exited the boat that helped her get to Kirigakure. His voice was intimidating and his sharp teeth didn't particularly help in softening his image, but Kisame was the closest thing she had as a friend here.

"Don't you have other people to terrify?" she asked while tilting her head to the side to give off an innocent gesture.

"Nah," Kisame chuckled, "They're boring and basic. You, on the other hand, are pink, fluffy, and you owe me a spar."

"I've been here for less than five minutes and you're already demanding for a fight? Such a shame." A pink brow rose in a taunting manner.

The shark – like man snorted in amusement, "In other news, I'm your escort to the Mizukage's office. She's pretty busy, especially after that clusterfuck of a mess that happened with Orochimaru and Sunagakure." He turned to walk towards the village while he waved his right hand in a 'follow me' manner.

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A.N:

Yes, I'm alive! Is the chapter dry? Yes, yes it is. I am aware of that. We're having our finals week next week so I'm pretty swamped with research papers, essays, and (obv) exams, so I'm sorry for the long delay and boring chapter. I'll make it up to you guys though!!