erode

Chapter Seven: Twenty-One Hours & Three Days

"Katon: Ember Seedling," Sakura intones for the second time in two days. This time though, the sparks are a dreary grey. They climb up the driftwood, displaying dark red and steel veins of light. Sakura swallows as she connects the meanings. The torch blossoms to life, the flames low and strong. The majority of the fire is grey, but red flickers by every once in awhile. Sakura stares, a chill trying to settle into her bones. The grey, isolation. The red, kin slaying. Sakura blinks as the wicked green of Uzishio's fire snakes through. Fast, but powerful. Greed, she thinks. When a torch for a children's burning day is lit, the flames colour rarely have any deeper meanings. They are almost always soft, happy colours. Meant to comfort them on the chance that they have yet to pass on completely. Despite that difference, the burning days of children are still worse. Because the fact of the matter is, children died. Sakura turns around and heads to the path. She has already started singing the blessing underneath her breath.

"Forgive the dead, they didn't know. Oh ocean risen through sea and flow," Sakura's voice is quiet as she makes it over the rise. It is not long until she reaches her place. A cursory glance reveals each stave with a ribbon tied and knotted just beneath the portion that will be set aflame. Another tradition fulfilled, Sakura supposes. Though it isn't wrong to forego the thing of the ribbons, as happened yesterday, it is oddly fitting for it to be completed now. On the last day of burning. Sakura lifts her head, squaring her shoulders as she raises the torch a bit, holding it out in front of her.

"Flicker and current, they burn and grow. Young as they come, and old as they go, Forgive the dead, they didn't know," the blessing is slightly different this time Sakura knows. But what she also knows is that many names have been hidden forever by the waves for lack of it. When brother kills brother, or father kills daughter, or mother kills son, the sea does not so easily forget. Unless someone pleads on behalf of the islander who committed such a grave sin, the sea will not easily forgive either. There have been figures written of throughout history whose named stones never returned to shore. And these people, Wave, they need that hope. The hope of their lost ones returning. The hope that the named stones will one day appear on the beach. So Sakura pleads, bending down on one knee and still singing.

"Oh ocean risen through sea and flow; as the waves rise, so too will the currents build high and low." A loud thunderclap echoes across the field as Sakura touches her torch to the first circlet. A smattering of claps and booms follow as she stands back up, the song of blessing nothing more than a whisper now.

"As the sea rises, the ocean too will flow." Sakura finishes, and light rain bursts from the clouds overhead. It passes quickly, lasting just a few seconds. But it's effect is deafening. Sakura can hear her mother's voice over the fading roar, and she is sure that she is not the only one to hear a lost one. She wonders how long it has been since the proper rites have been completed in Wave. From the ocean's reaction, it has been a long, dry, and painful season. A season of hiding away, ignoring the dead, and hoping for a better tomorrow. Sakura's fire regains its strength, and the dancing of the flames steals Sakura from her thoughts, It is a reminder. She continues.

Ahmya is at Sakura's side in an instant, a slightly different torch in her grip, unlit. Sakura nods to her, turning to face Ahmya. They both lean forward, foreheads touching. As they look down at their hands, Sakura brings her torch close enough for the fire to leap onto Ahmya's. They speak together, though Ahmya's words are that of her own dialect.

"The ocean too will flow." They both slowly return to an upright posture, turning on their heels and heading in opposite directions. Sakura to the left, and Ahmya to the right. When Sakura stops in front of the first ashioto, he waits for her to raise the torch before dipping his stave into the flames. The steel flames flash, then settle with a crackle. The ashioto turns from her, slanting his stave towards the ashioto next to him, and Sakura knows her part there is done. So she turns around once more, taking slow but sure steps back to the thirteenth column. Like the first day of burning, sakura falls into the cyclical motions of stepping, kneeling, and then standing up again. This time however, there are only five rows left to alight. Sakure moves methodically down the column, and when she stands after lighting the last circlet, her team is standing right in front of her. Kakashi in the center with Sasuke and Naruto flanking his sides. Sakura is glad to have remembered to set the torch on the final body. Otherwise, she wouldn't be able to burrow herself into Kakashi's arms, sighing in relief at his whispered comforts and strong embrace. Surprisingly Two other sets of arms surround her not long afterward, Naruto's furnace heat notably appearing first. Sakura is completely shielded from the world in that moment.

"They're resting now Sakura-chan. At peace in the pure lands," Kakashi murmurs into her ear, tightening his arms around her. Sakura almost thinks it a dream, but the presence of her echo lets her know that it isn't. She mentally views the scene in disbelief. If anyone who had known her during the Academy saw her in that moment, they wouldn't have believed it. Back then, Sakura defended herself with a fake personality and an even faker obsession. She had maintained her walls even at graduation, almost losing her chance at becoming a shinobi for fear of letting herself go. Now, it was almost as if she was a different person. A different, so much better, person. Sakura revels in the team hug for a moment more before moving to step back a little. Sasuke and Naruto quickly get the message, releasing her and moving a bit away. While Sakura's eyes are a little watery, she had spent most of her tears on the first day of burning. Good thing, too. She didn't want Sasuke or Naruto to see her as a blubbering mess.

"Thank you," Sakura whispers, attempting bow. Kakashi's hold on her stopped her from bending much, however, so she could only bend her head a little. "You all should return to training." Though Sakura had to stay in order to finish the rites, the boys didn't have to. Especially with their confrontation with Zabuza lying eminent in less than three days. Opposite to her expectation, all of the boys simply shake their heads. A closed-eye smile spread on Kakashi's face as he waggled his pointer finger in Sakura's face.

"Nuh-uh-uh Sakura-chan," Her sensei denies chastisingly, "You remember our motto, don't you?" It seems almost practiced the way Sasuke and Naruto quote their sensei next, the latter beginning the saying while the former finishes it.

"Those who break the rules are scum," Naruto starts, swinging in close on her left.

"---but those who abandon their friends are worse than scum," Sasuke's tone is a grave tone of promise. Sakura hadn't expected the boy's 'avenger personality' to take Kakashi's first lesson to heart, but maybe something had changed. Burying a hundred children---or even just hearing about it---does something to everyone after all. Kakashi snaps his fingers, regaining Sakura's attention.

"And you're our friend. Right, Sakura-chan?" Her sensei asks leadingly. Sakura has to choke back tears as everything hits her at once. She had pushing people away for so long, she didn't know how to properly let anyone back in. Her echo nudges her, reminding her that there was only one answer to a question like that. One answer for a man like Kakashi and the boys surrounding her.

"Yes," Sakura chokes. And then she burrows herself back into Kakashi's embrace.

They may have to fight Zabuza in less than three days. The boys may be unable to do the tree exercise just yet. But Sakura has faith in them. Faith in her team. And if they're willing to wait hours for corpses to turn to ash, for Sakura to gather the stones, throw them to the waves and only then return? Turning into a blubbering mess might've been worth it. Sakura presses a wobbly smile into Kakashi's chest.

Maybe a little more than just 'worth it'.