The Wilting Moon Flower || Naruto Shippuden Fanfiction

Chapter 38: The Calm Before A Storm

DISCLAIMER:I DO NOT OWN NARUTO, OR NARUTO SHIPPUDEN, BECAUSE IF I DID, IT WOULD TAKE ME FOREVER TO MAKE A NEW ISSUE *cries at my procrastination*

fever dream by mxmtoon

Chapter 38: The Calm Before A Storm
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THIRD POV
AFTER THE COMPLETION of her newly attained Goddess Mode, Tsuki spent the rest of her final days sparring. Though, not like her previous fight with Itachi where they basically roasted each other like a well prepped meal.  This time she drew back on her intent to set him on fire, and stopped when they had each other in a dead lock - pointing kunais at their vital spots. After all, fighting fire and fire doesn't bode well in literal fights, it just creates a bigger fire.

Apart from their fighting sessions, they spent the remainder of their days relaxing. It was essential for the Haruno as she made a point to push her focus away from the upcoming war. Each morning she would wake with breathless gasps as nightmares invaded her sleep. The bags under her eyes were continuing to grow darker with the lack of rest, and Cerridwen was seriously considering on knocking her out.

Tsuki waved her worries away, she knew her limit on staying awake. Heck, it's like she was back in the Akatsuki, forcing herself to stay alert by pushing chakra to her brain. Though, if she really needed it, she would fall through with Cerridwen's plan to be knocked unconscious, or maybe ask Itachi if he could put her in a peaceful Genjutsu to relax.

However, with the relaxing atmosphere, the Haruno spent some time meditating whilst using the Dark Energy to see the Dark Prophecies. She shifted her head everytime she glanced at a new possibility. Of course Tsuki knew that the prophecies weren't set in stone - they were just possible predictions, but she wanted to see them all. She wanted to prepare to keep them from happening, especially the ones that ended with death.

Sure, Tsuki wasn't in best terms with her peers from Konoha, but did that mean she want them dead? The answer is no, she didn't. Especially her sister, Sakura, they always had a rocky relationship apart from their early childhood, but there was always something in that conflict that made Tsuki want to protect her younger counterpart. Of course, Sakura would usually push her away and do things to spite her, but Tsuki would always stand firm in her place, and sometimes she would say hurtful things when her anger got the best of her - but wasn't that normal? For siblings to fight?

By all means, Tsuki was ready to begin mending her relationship with her sister. She wanted a fresh start. Realistically, it would be hard to rebuild the completely totaled bridge that they destroyed, but with equal effort, it would be possible. Her relationship with Naruto, now, that wasn't strained to the slightest - it's like the blond kept an iron clutch grip to their blooming friendship from their younger days and fought to keep it in tact. She felt relieved that he believed that there was still good in her despite her heinous actions with the Akatsuki - he was still that optimistic kid she found comfort in, and that's what she needs in a best friend.

With Kakashi, well, he was her former sensei and somehow she saw him as a male role model. Of course it hurt when he didn't believe in her like Naruto did, but she doesn't blame him. In a logical sense, her departure from Konoha was an ultimatum - to be killed or escape, she chose the latter obviously and immediately went to the number one enemy organization. Her treachery to the Leaf was silent, she never made any announcements to deflecting, no one came an - well, Itachi and Kisame came to inform her of their Leader's intentions, but she wasn't attacked, she was given an option - and she chose. Maybe that's why he didn't believe in her, she chose to be a bad guy. To Kakashi, Tsuki was another failure on his plate, a comrade he missed to save. He was too busy halting the fights between Sasuke and Naruto to notice her silent actions.