Sakura kept her eyes fixed on the exact spot where Sasuke had disappeared, trying to process the strange warmth swirling in her chest. It was, without a doubt, the closest thing to a “take care” she had ever heard him say.

“Wow,” Naruto whispered beside her, his voice barely an exhale that broke the spell. “I think that was ‘good luck’ in Sasuke-speak.”

“I guess so,” Sakura replied, almost on autopilot. She hugged herself as a chill ran down her arms. The night’s cold was starting to set in, or maybe it was the accumulated tension of the day finally catching up to her. The strategy planning, the splitting of the teams, the latent fear of what tomorrow would bring… it was all a knot in her stomach.

They stood there, side by side, without saying anything else. The darkness enveloped them, dotted by the distant light of the stars. The only sound was the rhythmic murmur of the waves breaking against the shore and the chirping of crickets.

Naruto scratched the back of his neck and jumped to his feet, abruptly breaking the stillness.

“Hey, it’s freezing out here and my throat’s dry! I’m gonna see if Tsunami-san has some tea or whatever! I’ll be right back!”

Before Sakura could say a word, he had already disappeared inside the house, the paper sliding door closing with a soft thud behind him.

Sakura let out a long, tired sigh, slumping onto the wooden porch steps. Maybe it was for the best. Apologies were difficult. She didn’t know where to start, what words to use to undo years of being… well, of being herself.

She rested her chin on her knees and stared at the sky. Away from the lights of Konoha, the stars were sharper, brighter. She felt that if she reached out her hand, she could brush them with her fingertips.

Several minutes passed. She was about to give up and go inside when the soft sound of the sliding door pulled her from her thoughts.

Naruto returned. In his hands, he carefully held two ceramic cups giving off a light steam. A slightly embarrassed smile formed on his face.

“I couldn’t find the tea,” he admitted, his voice a little lower than usual. “But there was a bag of chocolate powder in the cupboard and Tsunami-san said I could heat up some milk. I burned it a little at first and had to start over.”

He sat down next to her on the step, the space between them much smaller than before. He held out one of the cups. Sakura took it, her fingers brushing against his for an instant. The ceramic was pleasantly warm against her cold skin. The scent of chocolate, sweet and familiar, reminded her of quiet mornings at home, of simpler times.

“Thank you, Naruto,” she said in a whisper.

She brought the cup to her lips and took a sip. It was a little watery and definitely too sweet, but right then, it was the most comforting drink she had tasted in a long time. The warmth spread down her throat and into her chest, loosening the knot of anxiety a little.

“Not bad,” she lied, forcing a small smile.

Naruto’s face lit up. “Of course it’s not bad! I made it, the next Hokage!”

He triumphantly brought his own cup to his mouth and took a big gulp, only to pull it away immediately with a pained expression.

“Ow, ow, ow, hot!” He blew on his tongue, fanning his hand in front of his mouth.

Sakura couldn’t help it. A genuine laugh escaped her, a bubble of relief that burst free from the tension and fear that had oppressed her all day.

“Idiot,” she said, but this time the word sounded almost affectionate.

They drank in comfortable silence for a while. The warmth of the chocolate seemed to have dissolved more than just the cold. She was the one who broke the silence, her voice so low that the sound of the waves almost drowned it out.

“I’m scared, Naruto.”

The confession slipped out before she could stop it. Naruto stopped drinking and looked at her.

“Tomorrow,” Sakura continued, her gaze lost among the stars again. “You’ll stay here, protecting Tazuna and his family. And I’ll be on the bridge with Kakashi-sensei and Sasuke-kun. If the enemy shows up…”

Her voice broke, and she had to swallow before continuing. “I don’t know if I’m strong enough. I don’t know if I’m good for anything.”

She looked away from the sky and at him. “At the lake, I realized. If it hadn’t been for you, I’d be dead. It’s that simple. What have I ever done for someone to risk themselves for me like that? I don’t have a Byakugan, I don’t have a ninja hound partner like the Inuzuka, and it’s clear I’m not an Uchiha.”

The words poured out of her, an avalanche of all the insecurities she had kept locked away.

“I’m just… me. The pink-haired girl with good chakra control. That’s all I am.”

“I always wanted everyone to see me as a ninja,” her voice was barely a murmur now. “For them to see I could be strong. But it’s not true. Tomorrow, on that bridge, I’m going to be a burden. I’m scared that because of me… something will happen to you, or Sasuke, or Kakashi-sensei. I’m scared someone will get hurt because I wasn’t good enough.”

She finished speaking. The silence that followed was absolute, broken only by her own ragged breathing.

Naruto listened without interrupting, his expression strangely calm. When she finally ran out of words, he didn’t offer empty platitudes or promises he couldn’t keep.

Instead, he said something that completely surprised her.

“You’re an idiot, Sakura-chan.”

She turned to look at him, her eyes wide. The bluntness of the phrase took her by surprise.

“What did you…?”

“You’re not weak,” he interrupted. “You’re wrong if you think that. Your strength isn’t in your fists. Not yet, at least.”

He tapped his temple. “It’s here.”

Sakura looked at him, confused.

“Do you think I noticed the bell test trap?” Naruto continued. “Not a chance! I was going to charge straight ahead like a fool, like always! You were the one who saw the trap. You were the one who realized Kakashi-sensei was tricking us. If it weren’t for you, we would have lost in the first five minutes.”

He leaned a little closer, and the intensity in his blue eyes took her breath away.

“Sasuke and I are the same in that way. We only know how to run forward and hit things. We’re simple. If there’s a wall, we try to smash through it with our heads. But you’re different. You see the whole game board. You see the pieces, the moves we don’t. You’re the smartest of the three of us, by far. That’s your strength, Sakura-chan. Everyone has their own. Sasuke’s is his technique. Mine is my incredible amount of chakra and my stubbornness. And yours is your brain. That’s the strength that keeps us alive.”

Naruto’s words, so simple and direct, filled with an absolute faith in her she never knew existed, opened a floodgate inside her.

The tears she had been holding back so forcefully streamed from her eyes uncontrollably. She covered her mouth with her hand to stifle a sob, but it was useless.

“I’ve been an idiot, Naruto,” she said through sobs, the words stumbling over each other. “For years. A complete and utter idiot. I’ve yelled at you, hit you, looked down on you… and I never stopped to think about how you felt, or that you were always alone. Hinata had to tell me to my face for me to realize.”

She looked up, meeting his eyes through her tears. “I never saw the boy sitting alone on the swing. I only saw the clown who disrupted class. I’m sorry. I’m really sorry, Naruto.”

The raw, unadorned apology hung in the air.

Naruto looked completely lost. Awkwardly, he raised a hand and patted her on the shoulder, a stiff and uncertain gesture.

“Uh… don’t worry about it, Sakura-chan,” he said softly. “What happened, happened. You can be a little scary when you’re mad, you know? But now we’re a team. We’re friends. That’s what matters, right?”

He pulled his hand back and raised his cup. “A toast to that?” he proposed with a small smile. “To Team 7?”

Sakura wiped her tears with the back of her sleeve, a choked, trembling laugh escaping her lips. She picked up her own cup.

“To Team 7,” she repeated. The soft clink of the ceramic cups was a strangely solemn sound.

They stayed on the porch a while longer. The tension was completely gone.

“Sakura-chan… about what we tried at the lake…”

She tensed slightly. “What about it?”

“I’m fully recovered,” he said, his gaze fixed on the dark horizon. “My chakra is at one hundred percent. So… the offer still stands. If you still want to do it.”

Sakura looked down at her now empty cup. The chance to never be a burden again. Before, the idea had terrified her. But now, after that conversation, everything felt different. Naruto’s words echoed in her head: “You’re the smartest of the three of us,” “That’s your strength.”

It was no longer about her insecurity or impressing Sasuke. It was about being worthy of the faith her teammate had just placed in her. It was about having the tools to protect them.

She looked up, her green eyes meeting his blue ones. Her gaze was firm, determined.

“Yes,” she said, her voice clear and strong. “More than ever.”

The smile Naruto gave her was answer enough. He jumped to his feet.

“Then let’s go. I know the perfect spot for this.”

He didn’t wait for a reply and started walking. Sakura left her cup on the porch and followed without hesitation. He led her in silence around Tazuna’s house to a small clearing behind the property that ended abruptly at a cliff. The full moon, high in the sky, bathed the rocks in a silver light.

When they reached the center of the clearing, Sakura realized they weren’t alone.

Two figures were already waiting for them there. Hinata, with her serene expression, gave her a small, encouraging smile. And beside her, Kurenai, her arms crossed, a look of quiet approval in her piercing red eyes.

Sakura stopped, surprised. She looked from Naruto to the two kunoichi.

“You guys… how…?”

“A secret like this needs guardians,” Kurenai said softly. “We’re here to make sure no one interrupts you.”

Hinata approached Sakura and gave her arm a gentle squeeze. “You don’t have to be afraid, Sakura-san. You’ll be fine.”

Sakura looked at the three people surrounding her. Hinata, her new friend. Kurenai, her unexpected mentor. And Naruto, the boy who had gone from her biggest annoyance to her best friend. She understood this was about much more than a simple power transfer.

She nodded with resolve. The last trace of fear evaporated, carried away by the sea breeze. With total confidence, she turned and gave Naruto her back, facing the vast, dark ocean.

Naruto knelt behind her. The atmosphere in the clearing became solemn. He glanced up for a moment and met Kurenai’s eyes. The jounin gave a single nod of confirmation. Beside her, Hinata activated her Byakugan, ensuring they were truly alone.

“Okay, Sakura-chan,” Naruto said, “close your eyes.”

She obeyed, sinking into the darkness, aware only of the sound of the waves and the presence of her comrades around her.

“It’s time for you to become incredibly strong.”