(no subject)
Here's a couple drabbles. I wrote them both for the naruto100 challenge "The Day After" but ended up entering the sannin one. Enjoy!
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Sakura still didn’t quite understand what she had done. She absently tightened her hand around her sprained wrist as she tried to piece together her actions. She didn’t regret it yet. She looked over at Naruto, wondering if he did. He was walking stiffly, not saying a word. The tension was suddenly so overwhelming that she wished it hadn’t happened. She wished that she were the one over Shikamaru’s shoulder, not Sasuke. She wished she were the one gasping for life, not Sasuke. It had been a whole day already and she was still waiting for the terrible, gaping chasm of regret and pain to swoop down on her. But it still wasn’t there.
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Tsunade felt terrible now, in this lonely bar. She should be out, celebrating, with her village. She should be happy that they had finally defeated one of their strongest enemies. But instead all she felt was emptiness.
Jiraiya slid in next to her. She wasn’t surprised to see him there.
“How are you?” He asked, eyes going to the long scratch on her right cheek. Her hand came up, running down the length of the wound.
“I’m fine. Of course I’m fine.” She looked back down into her sake as he ordered his. There was a pause. A long one.
“He wasn’t always evil.” She found herself saying. Her mouth felt numb. “Not at first.” Jiraiya nodded next to her.
“Always a bit of an ass though.” He chuckled gently, “Remember how pretentious he was about those robes of his? Said they were dry clean only.”
Tsunade tried a smile. “He would get so angry when they tore, wouldn’t he? Always making it out to be one of our faults. I guess he didn’t understand that Shinobi sometimes got dirty.”
There was another pause. Both of them traveled through years of memories.
“I wonder,” Tsunade said slowly, “Do you think he ever regretted any of it?”
“I doubt it,” said Jiraiya dryly, “This is Orochimaru we’re talking about.”
“Hm.” Tsunade looked back down into her cup. A tear fell into it. She could never be completely at peace with his death. Before they were enemies, they had been teammates after all.
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thanks for reading!
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Sakura still didn’t quite understand what she had done. She absently tightened her hand around her sprained wrist as she tried to piece together her actions. She didn’t regret it yet. She looked over at Naruto, wondering if he did. He was walking stiffly, not saying a word. The tension was suddenly so overwhelming that she wished it hadn’t happened. She wished that she were the one over Shikamaru’s shoulder, not Sasuke. She wished she were the one gasping for life, not Sasuke. It had been a whole day already and she was still waiting for the terrible, gaping chasm of regret and pain to swoop down on her. But it still wasn’t there.
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------------------
Tsunade felt terrible now, in this lonely bar. She should be out, celebrating, with her village. She should be happy that they had finally defeated one of their strongest enemies. But instead all she felt was emptiness.
Jiraiya slid in next to her. She wasn’t surprised to see him there.
“How are you?” He asked, eyes going to the long scratch on her right cheek. Her hand came up, running down the length of the wound.
“I’m fine. Of course I’m fine.” She looked back down into her sake as he ordered his. There was a pause. A long one.
“He wasn’t always evil.” She found herself saying. Her mouth felt numb. “Not at first.” Jiraiya nodded next to her.
“Always a bit of an ass though.” He chuckled gently, “Remember how pretentious he was about those robes of his? Said they were dry clean only.”
Tsunade tried a smile. “He would get so angry when they tore, wouldn’t he? Always making it out to be one of our faults. I guess he didn’t understand that Shinobi sometimes got dirty.”
There was another pause. Both of them traveled through years of memories.
“I wonder,” Tsunade said slowly, “Do you think he ever regretted any of it?”
“I doubt it,” said Jiraiya dryly, “This is Orochimaru we’re talking about.”
“Hm.” Tsunade looked back down into her cup. A tear fell into it. She could never be completely at peace with his death. Before they were enemies, they had been teammates after all.
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thanks for reading!