Chapter Text
There was no need for Sakura to be so angry. She was a genin of Konoha— the only civilian in her class who graduated. It was an honor to be assigned a team by the Hokage and serve the strongest nation in all of the Lands. To be a shinobi was to be the shield and martyr of the Leaf.
But that is exactly what made Sakura burn in rage.
She entered the Academy thinking she would bestow honor on her humble family of haberdashers. She dreamed of being more than a bride— an accessory. Sakura grew up watching ninja leap from rooftops and manipulate the Earth’s elements with ease. There was more to the world than needles and cloth, and she wanted nothing more than to explore what life could offer.
Her mother cried when she chose the route of a shinobi. She had begged Sakura to not follow the path of murder and tyranny. Young Sakura frowned, confused at this warped vision of her heroes; “Shinobi are protectors, Mā! They’re warriors of the Will of Fire, and without them, our home would be nothing,” she protested, stomping her feet. “I want to be a shinobi, and you can’t stop me!” Sakura watched her mother’s words bob in her throat. The older woman opened her mouth to speak but stayed silent; it was too late to change her mind— Konoha’s teachings had already gotten to her.
After Sakura was tucked into bed that night, Mebuki Haruno collapsed in her husband’s arms and mourned for her daughter.
So when Sakura’s first day of the Academy came around, she was not surprised to see the red underneath her mother’s eyes. What had shocked her was the red qipao Mebuki placed in her hands. “Your father and I will be going on a trip soon. You know that we have too much inventory and not enough sales,” her mother laughed, shutting her eyes. “We’ll be traveling merchants— like the rest of the family.”
Sakura could only nod; she did not protest her parents’ decision— she was smarter than that. Despite her young age, Sakura was a Haruno and was familiar with the nomadic nature of her clan. However, being an intelligent child did not exclude her from naivety; when she returned from her first day at the Academy to an empty home, she could not understand why all of the pictures on the walls were gone.
The first year of the Academy was spent with the only other civilians in her class: Ami, Kasumi, and Fuki. They were all from different civilian districts, but despite the differences in class, they stuck together. They had to, for it was clear that their shinobi-born peers and teachers wanted nothing to do with them— too prioritized with clan politics to bother with civilians.
The girls were all too familiar with the haughty attitudes of those in clans. Bullying was a common occurrence for them, and the term ‘nameless’ was thrown at them more than they could count.
But that didn’t stop them from dreaming of genin teams and helpful teachers and awesome jutsus and travels and discovery and strength. Like Sakura, they wanted more than civilian life. They yearned to feel the breeze in their hair as they flew through trees, and when the girls brought up their fantasies of having unfathomable powers and fighting for something more than themselves, Sakura swore to destroy the ground beneath those who stood in their way.
Yet, the system did not approve of civilian solidarity, and the girls’ friendship dispersed as fast as it came. Sakura and Ami, the 1st and 2nd of their class respectively, were placed in the advanced course for their second year at the Academy. Like a seed, jealousy was planted within Kasumi and Fuki, and when Ami saw Sasuke Uchiha, envy grew taller and stronger than the bond between Sakura and her friend.
For anyone, being attached to the Uchiha by name was a ticket to riches and power. Ami, like any civilian-born shinobi, was resourceful and saw an opportunity. She followed the boy and gave him gifts scented in perfume. Daydreams of rising from the ashes turned to boys with raven hair and ruby eyes. Sakura urged Ami to remember their goal of being in a genin cell, but her friend mistook the sadness in her eyes as resentment.
Bullying from clan kids was nothing like she faced when it came to her friend’s insults. They knew of her insecurities better than anyone, and in a dog-eats-dog world, Sakura was vulnerable. She was a child without any connections or resources, and when every civilian is trying to climb their way up, they must drag others down.
Ami was the leader of the pack, as she always was, and would order Kasumi and Fuki to do her dirty work. Even though they were unlikely to get in trouble, Ami was studying to become a shinobi, and not leaving evidence of your presence was the first and most valuable lesson they were taught. The girls would catch Sakura when she was walking back home— alone. Kasumi, with Fuki’s help, would hold her down on her back. They spat out insults of her parents, how they left her because of her ugly forehead and stupidity. At first, Sakura would fight back, yelling that they were wrong. Her parents loved her! They would never leave her behind! Yet, insults became physical, and Sakura soon learned that staying quiet— invisible— would grant her safety.
The shadows became her friends.
It started with changing from her bright qipao into a dark set of shirts and pants. The long pigtails she grew up with were cut, and the newly-acquired bangs were used to hide her features. However, this inconspicuous style wouldn’t be enough, so she used the tall Konoha trees to escape the girls’ keen gazes. She would dash out of the class as fast as she could and burrow deep in the forests all too familiar to her. However, it would not last long. The girls had caught her once again.
This time, Ami was there with a scowl etched deep on her face, and with each hit she took, Sakura could see the contempt— the disgust— grow in her old friend’s eyes. It was all her fault. She could not believe how stupid she was. How could a weakling like her become a ninja? Her mother must have known.
That must be why she shut her eyes when she said goodbye.
But a voice rang out, and there stood a girl with short, blonde hair. Ami and the rest froze, eyes wide, before they ran off. The blonde walked slowly towards Sakura, as if she was a frightened animal. Yet when the girl was close enough to see through her swollen black eye, Sakura only saw the worry in her blue orbs. There was no pity— no disgust— only concern.
Her name was Ino, and she was a beautiful girl. She lifted Sakura up with careful hands and asked if she was okay in a soft voice. Sakura could only stare. She was glad her bangs hid her gaze— otherwise, she would look like even more of a loser. Realizing that the gap of silence was lengthening, Sakura blurted out that she was alright— that this wasn’t a big deal. And it wasn’t! “This happens all the time,” Sakura said with a laugh.
It was not hard to see how Ino felt when her expression was all too scrutable, and Sakura wished she took a second to think before speaking. She could hear her mother’s voice in the back of her head, “A lady always knows what to say and when to say it, Blossom.” Sakura ignored the pang in her chest as Ino took her hand.
The blonde had asked with a frown why she didn’t fight back. The answer was simple, but the words could not escape her throat. Sakura gripped the fabric of her pants. She wanted to explain that she needed to be hurt. That they did this because they loved her. They knew she was weak and alone— no one could protect her: not them, not her parents, and definitely not her. Why else would they search for her when she ran and hid? This needed to be done. She was growing stronger from this—!
But Sakura could only choke on her words— gasping as the tears and snot ran down her face. Each shake in her body caused a sharp stab in her ribs. It hurt so much. Why was love so painful?
She felt Ino’s arms wrap around her. The blonde’s soft strokes of her back compelled Sakura to grasp Ino’s skin, and when her savior pulled her back and promised to protect her, Sakura realized that love was so much more than pain.
After that day, the two girls were inseparable. No matter where they went, Ino held Sakura’s hand. The Yamanaka made a statement with this— mess with her and you mess with the heiress of one of the most powerful clans in Konoha. The bullying Sakura faced was now nonexistent, for civilians and other clan children understood their place in the hierarchy.
But that didn’t matter much to Sakura— not when her best friend was the most amazing person in all of the Lands! Sometimes she’d feel the phantom pain of being kicked or hear an insult when no one was there, but Ino would make her a flower bracelet and everything would be okay.
Many days were spent at the Yamanaka Compound. Everyday was beautiful for Sakura, and she cherished the moments they shared. What she loved the most, however, was how bright Ino was. She was a constant source of light— always courageous, always kind, and always strong. There was nothing Ino couldn’t do, and Sakura admired that.
Although, it made her feel guilty. She heard the whispers in the halls— that she was mooching off the Yamanaka heiress. Sakura wanted to believe it was not true, but when everyone was saying it, how could they be wrong?
So, she decided to avoid Ino and return to her house after school. It was the same as the day her parents left, however, a layer of dust sat on top of every surface. Her afternoon was spent cleaning— she could not believe she let it get this bad! However, the loud voice in the back of her mind snarkily stated that it was a given since she spent all of her time at Ino’s. The pang in her chest made her scrub the floor harder, and after a while, the sting of her arms shadowed the pain of her heart. Sakura hated when her conscience was right. Hopefully Mā wouldn’t be too upset.
It only took a day for Ino to seek Sakura. She was shaken awake to the blonde’s worried face. The first thing she noticed was how tight Ino held her. The blue nails Sakura painted dug into her skin. It hurt, but it was dull compared to the throbbing of her head. She felt the vibration from Ino’s yelling, however she could not fully understand what was said. It did not matter, for Sakura knew her friend was angry. When the black spots stopped dancing across the room, Sakura hid herself in Ino’s arms. If she pressed her cheek into Ino’s shirt hard enough, maybe she would disappear?
Why did she do this? Why did she always have to be saved? Why did she have to make the only person who cares about her worry?
All I can do is be a burden.
The room now sat in a still, overbearing silence. Sakura knew it was not her hearing, for she could clearly hear the shuffling of moisture in each of Ino’s shaky breaths. She kept her face on Ino’s chest and her eyes on the ground as Ino kept a sturdy arm on her back. The blonde used her other hand to grab something from her pocket.
It was a red ribbon. “I heard what people were saying,” Ino started, fumbling with the ribbon in between her fingers. “I wanted to find you the moment I heard, but Dad said I should give you time.”
She laughed, tears pricking her eyes. “You know I can’t do that.”
Ino paused before shifting Sakura away from her body whilst keeping the support on her back, asking with her gaze if Sakura could sit-up.
When Sakura sat comfortably, Ino continued, “So I decided to get you this— as a thank you— for being my friend.” She pulled Sakura’s bangs out of her face before tying the ribbon on the top of her head with the utmost care.
Sakura touched the red fabric. It was silk— undoubtedly expensive. Unable to express her gratitude, Sakura hugged her best friend. She murmured apologies on Ino's shoulder— now soggy with tears. The blonde sat with her until she calmed down, tapping her fingers along Sakura’s back.
That night, Sakura returned to the Yamanaka Compound with her red qipao in one hand and Ino in the other.
Their year was peaceful. Sakura and Ino were glued to the hip even more than before. Inoichi, Ino’s father, would often joke about how they were two kunai in a pouch and made sure the spare linen in their closet had Sakura’s name embroidered on it. Ino’s mother was the most ecstatic, loving how there was an extra plate added to their table.
Sakura adored the Yamanakas. Their home was a sanctuary, and with how the compound was adjourned with flowers, she wondered if it was blessed by the Sages. It must be, for they must have led her here to lick her wounds. That was the only explanation. After all, her bright pink hair fit perfectly with the budding petals. This was where she was meant to be— among the rickety well she sat upon, hidden deep in the Yamanaka’s garden. She loved the way her head buzzed in bliss.
However, everything came crashing down when Ino told Sakura her biggest secret.
Ino was at her desk, pressing dried flowers in the new notebook she bought, as Sakura laid on Ino’s bed. She was observing the knicks on the baby blue walls until Ino hissed through her teeth. Sakura leapt to her friend’s side, asking what had happened. She did not respond. Blood ran down Ino’s finger— submerging the pressed, white rose in red.
Sakura ran for the first-aid kit down the hall, and when she returned, she immediately started to treat the wound on Ino’s hand. The blonde’s eyes were glossy with unshed tears. Sakura shot her a questioning look. They both knew Ino had a gift of handling flowers, and in the time they spent together— many roses pressed— Sakura had never seen Ino be pricked by thorns. It was also unlike her to cry over this type of minute pain.
Something isn’t right.
And it hadn’t been for the past week. Ino became clumsy, her head in the clouds. She was often deep in thought— a dreamy look accompanying her breathy sighs. The blonde was unnervingly quiet as she pondered. What frightened Sakura the most was how Ino stopped passing notes to her since her eyes were stuck to the back of Sasuke’s head during class.
At first, Sakura ignored the squeeze of her chest. It wasn’t that big of a deal. Sasuke was pretty to look at, and Ino liked pretty things. It was a given she would gravitate to the Uchiha. However, in the back of her mind, she knew it was something more.
“Thanks, Sakura.” Ino wiggled her bandaged finger.
Sakura once again asked what had happened, concern painted on her face.
Ino smiled at her, tears no longer there. Please don’t say it. Please don’t say it. Please don’t—.
“I’m in love!”
Everything went fuzzy. Sakura’s head throbbed at the beat of her heart. Numbness spread from the tips of her fingers, yet she kept a small smile on her face as she grabbed Ino’s hands— hoping they would warm her up.
“Who’s the lucky guy?” She felt so cold.
It didn’t help that Ino confessed that it was Sasuke, and with each praise she sang, Sakura kept her gaze on the pictures on the walls, memorizing the smiles on their faces.
She didn’t know whether to scream or beg at the blonde— maybe both. Sakura wanted nothing more than to stay by Ino’s side, but her body was twitching to run away. She didn’t, however. Rather, she sat next to Ino as she gushed about their classmate.
“He’s like the cool, dark Uchiha prince, y’know?”
They turned off the lights to sleep, and Ino thanked Sakura for listening to her. The blonde drifted off first, and Sakura could only stare at her peaceful image. Dirty envy clawed at her throat.
This wasn’t what a friend is supposed to feel. She should be happy for Ino, but the ugly cloud in her chest wouldn’t dissipate. Sakura was unable to sleep. She couldn’t breathe. She was suffocating— dying — with every waking moment.
Sakura left early in the morning, under the veil of dawn. She wanted to soak in the places she loved into her memory, but she knew it would be harder to leave if she did. So, she went back to the Haruno house. Dust had layered on everything once again. She didn’t pass out after cleaning this time— she couldn’t. Ino isn’t here anymore.
Sakura stopped Ino on their way to the Academy. The blonde held a puzzled look, but as she was about to speak, Sakura made a declaration of war. Sasuke would be hers. She would be the better kunoichi and prove that she didn’t need Ino to succeed. They would no longer be friends— but rivals!
Ino’s confusion turned into frustration, which ultimately turned into competitiveness. Losing was not in her vocabulary, and the pain from their breakup added fuel to the fire. Ino knew that Sakura understood that she would never throw her away; it hurt all the more that Sakura didn’t hesitate to do that to her.
So the two girls fought to stay by the Uchiha’s side— casting glares at one another in the process. It was a constant battle of one-upping each other. If Ino gifted a flower to Sasuke, Sakura would make him lunch. School became an afterthought to the girls. Training was unnecessary in the battle of love.
The war was ignited further by the announcement of their genin teams. Sakura ignored the voice in her head, whom she named Inner Sakura, that recalled a time where she once wanted to beat the odds with her rag-tag group of civilian girls. Sakura, now older and with more wisdom, shook her head at Inner’s remarks. The voice called her a coward. She became just like Ami— vying for the attention of a clansman .
(“A Pig !” Inner’s shriek rang in her head.)
But Sakura now knew that Ami was right. Friendships are too fickle to rely on. Always use what you can— even at the expense of others.
That is the way of a civilian shinobi.
When Iruka called out the names of Team 7, Sakura understood that the Sages gave her another opportunity, and this time, she would hold onto it with her nails and teeth if she had to. Sasuke will fall for her feminine charm. He would love Sakura to the point where he would do anything for her. It didn’t matter that Sakura didn’t care for Sasuke. All that mattered was that he loved her and not anyone else.
On the last day of the Academy, Sakura swore her angry sneer was from looking at Ino’s Pig face— it definitely wasn’t because they tied for Top Kunoichi.
Sakura continued the same routine of vying for Sasuke’s attention even after graduation. She amped up her acts of affection to the max— to the point where she said her dream was to marry the Uchiha. The look of annoyance her Team Leader gave from his lone eye did not bother her. She was far too deep in this game to stop, and now she had a rhythm she couldn’t halt. She was stuck in a similar catatonic state when she would be nearly finished with an embroidered piece. There was no need to think when the job was nearly complete.
At least that was what she deluded herself about. Inner would snap her out of her thoughts when Sakura would brush her long hair. For a moment, it would work. She would ask herself what she was doing. Was this truly worth her pride as a shinobi? What about her dream of becoming great?
However, reality would wrap itself around her neck when she walked through her empty house. The only bright parts of this place were where the pictures once were. She was alone. Seducing the Uchiha heir was the only way she could climb the ranks. The opportunity to become what she wanted would be within her reach when she had the resources of one of the greatest clans to back her.
But her feelings wouldn’t last long. Not after Wave.
It was already a horrible day to begin with. Naruto, being the overconfident fool he is, demanded their Hokage for a C-rank they were definitely not qualified for, and when Sakura was about to protest, Sasuke shot her down with a piercing glare.
Despite her body wanting to run away, she willed herself to smile— making sure it reached her eyes as she agreed to go on the mission. She was terrified. If they died before she could become Sasuke’s girlfriend, everything would be for nothing, and she would die as a dumb civilian girl.
It also didn’t help that the man they were escorting was a total drunk. Konoha’s windless summers made his stench simmer in the air around them. Her mind was racing from her anxiety. It didn’t help that the amalgamation of her qipao sticking to her skin, Naruto’s endless parading, and the smell of Tazuna’s bottle was beyond overstimulating.
It was to the point where she missed the puddle of water they had passed.
Kakashi was ripped into pieces faster than her mind could comprehend. Chains slashed effortlessly through his flesh. The remains of his body splattered against the ground. The chunks of his mass made such an ugly squish , and Sakura screamed— trying to drown out the traumatizing sound.
The perpetrators, a duo with the mark of Kirigakure on their hitai-ate, turned to Tazuna and leapt towards him. Sakura had always thought that time would slow down, but all she could see was a flash of movement and a glint from the chains in less than a second. She had no idea where they were. There was no time to react—!
But there Sasuke was, lodging their chains into a tree with a kunai. He landed on their shoulders and swiftly kicked them in the face. They released their chains from their gauntlets, and turned their attention back to the builder. Like an instinct, her body moved in front of Tazuna. She held her kunai to her chin in hopes of—.
“Of what?! ” Inner yelled in frustration as she pulled her hair. “Of trying to protect the client? With what skills?! What can you do? ”
A breeze tickled her nose. Sasuke’s back greeted her— his arms spread out.
“Ha!”—Inner grasped her stomach— “ Look at you being saved by the only person who can save you !” One of the shinobi was hurtling towards them. The claw on his gauntlet aimed at Sasuke’s throat.
“Sasuke will die. Tazuna will die. Naruto will die. Everyone will die! ” Inner’s laugh rang inside Sakura’s head. “ Kakashi-sensei is already dead because of you !”
There was a thud. A second one followed soon after. The shinobi were knocked out— splayed across Kakashi’s arms. “The Demon Brothers…” Kakashi started, closing his lone eye with a grin. He turned to Tazuna. “My lovely client,” he chirped, an intense gleam replacing his smile. “Don’t you have something to tell us?”
Tazuna spilled the beans immediately. Sakura listened but was still processing how her sensei quite literally came back from the dead.
And what if he didn’t?
There was a sharp twist deep in her gut. Kakashi was talking, but it was hard to hear when all she could concentrate on was the dread washing over her body.
The sight of blood brought Sakura back. Naruto had cut open his palm with a kunai. He swore to never freeze up again and to protect his friends. He looked each of them in the eye; when he got to her, the blue in his eyes seemed deeper than before.
“What about you?” Inner asked when Naruto’s gaze shifted away. Sakura was silent.
Time moved at a debilitatingly slow crawl. With each step they took towards the Land of Waves, her stomach lurched, and Sakura had to dig her nails in her palms to ignore the pressure in her head.
Sakura was fervently snapped out of her trance when a giant sword nearly swiped her head off clean, and she nearly barfed when Kakashi was trapped in the shinobi’s prison technique.
There was so much terror in her system that she shut down— her body on autopilot. Her thoughts were strangely calm as the shinobi’s clone ran toward Tazuna. She jumped in front of him, and would have been shocked when she saw Naruto and Sasuke doing the same if she wasn’t so numb. The boys kept darting their eyes from the clone to each other as they planned under their breaths. If Sakura was able to think, she might have been upset at not being included, but all she could hear was her blood thumping under her skin— a song of survival.
She watched her teammates with sharp eyes. Sakura would never forget this moment— seeing the individual veins on Sasuke’s arms as he threw a large Fūma Shuriken. The sound of Kakashi collapsing after Naruto’s perfect kunai throw was nearly deafening.
Sakura wanted to scream in praise, maybe even cry of joy, but her feet remained glued to the ground, unchanging. Kakashi quickly defeated the shinobi, Zabuza was the name Naruto hissed as he fell to the ground. However, before Kakashi could deliver the fatal blow, a hunter-nin appeared. They pierced Zabuza with senbons. A quick and painless death was the first thought in Sakura’s mind— coming down from the adrenaline rush.
Her body felt as if it was sludge as she helped carry an unconscious Kakashi to Tazuna’s village. As they traveled, Sasuke couldn’t hide his small, triumphant grin when he looked at Naruto, who kept glancing at his bloodied hand with pride. Sakura recalled her sensei’s words about there being many young shinobi that were stronger than him.
Her heart was heavier than Kakashi on her back.
When they reached Tazuna’s home, she tended to their leader as the boys readied for bed. It was the least she could do.
That night, she pondered as everyone slept. Naruto had proven himself as someone they could rely on. Sasuke and Kakashi had already done that long before. Sakura closed her eyes in both a prayer and oath.
“I will too.”
When she stood on top of the tree she was practicing on, she truly felt as if she really could. Each step she took reminded her of old dreams, and as she watched her boys struggle with a giggle, she knew that this would be how she could protect them.
Despite her boys’ jealousy, her bliss remained. Her precise chakra control would be her tool, and for her team, it would be their shield.
High on joy, Sakura nearly skipped towards the bridge before she had to remind herself that she was— in fact— a representative of Konoha and had to maintain some decorum. The girl opted to walk but couldn’t hide the small bounce of her steps.
For around a week, Sakura stood near the builders and surveyed the land while pooling chakra at her soles— latching and unlatching herself from the ground. She was all too eager to perfect this new technique at her disposal, conjuring theoretical applications of chakra control at lightning speed.
It had been awhile since she had so much fun at just thinking. Since, well… everything, her thoughts had been shrouded in despair. There was no time to think of heroes and triumph when everything she tried to build was destroyed.
But Naruto and Sasuke had changed that. She saw the scrapes on their knees and how they flinched when using chopsticks because of the splinters lodged in their hands from when they couldn’t hold themselves by their feet anymore. Their determination was raw— inspiring, even. It made her think that Team 7 might be different.
She desperately hoped so.
Zabuza had returned alive and well with the hunter-nin standing by his side, but that was expected since Kakashi had told them his doubts on their enemy’s death. Worries still clawed at her throat, however, since Naruto was still sleeping. Mist completely blinded her, but the only fear she felt was at the thought of Naruto being ambushed while they were preoccupied.
Kakashi told Sakura to protect Tazuna as Sasuke fought the hunter-nin, Haku— as Zabuza called them. Their strange ability of ice release, an unheard of nature transformation, combined with their precise movements made them a formidable opponent. They slid across the ice with speed that rivaled Sasuke’s, and with every frozen senbon launched at her teammate, Sakura lurched out of her skin. Her heart dropped when Sasuke was trapped in Haku’s kekkei genkai.
If Sasuke’s triumphs were ingrained in her mind, his screams were etched in her bones.
It was blood-curdling. Yelps of pain turned to cries of sorrow. When he could no longer yell, there were soft, broken sobs. Sakura ran towards the ice prison but was stopped by Kakashi— who shook his head despite the frenzied look in his eye. His fingers dug into her shoulder anytime she would try and make a break for it.
Sakura grasped Kakashi’s arm and pleaded. Not with her voice— Sasuke’s was enough— but with her gaze.
She immediately threw a kunai when Kakashi could no longer look at her face. It was the most precise throw she had ever done. It had deadly speed, slicing the air with a sharp whistle.
Sakura realized just how foolish she was when Haku caught it with two fingers. She was no hero. Where was her chakra control— her power— as Sasuke curled-up on the ground? What use was being talented when his lips turned hydrangean blue? Sasuke was slipping through her fingers, and she had sighed in bliss at the idea of being able to protect him earlier that morning.
That feeling didn’t dissipate in her chest even when Naruto appeared— distracting Haku with a quick smoke bomb. Every step and word of his were thundering compared to ice-nin, and yet despite being so outclassed, he had done more than Sakura ever could.
He protected Sasuke with his Shadow Clones and spoke to him with unbreakable faith. He was brash and crude with his words, but that was exactly what Sasuke needed as he pushed himself to the limits. The boys fought in tandem. Each blink— each breath— one would take, the other would soak it in and move.
And when one of them fell, the other was lost. Naruto awoke a dark power in front of Sasuke’s bleeding form. He was rabid with his fighting. His chakra scorched the ground as the ice-prison shattered. Sakura watched Naruto raise hell for his dying teammate.
There was nothing she could do.
That rang true even when Haku took Zabuza’s dying blow, even when Zabuza ripped through Gato’s forces in a bloody rage, even when Zabuza, a shinobi, died out of grief and not as a martyr.
All she could do was hold Sasuke and weep.