Petals of Memories
By Itazuki
Summary: What if you were given a second chance? What would you change? That's what Haruno Sakura asks herself as she is on the verge of death. What would she have done if she could have redone everything all over again? Destiny is a fickle thing as it allows her passage to the past and a second chance. However, she is not the only one with memories of a war torn future and as she tries to navigate the past to a more peaceful future she is constantly challenged with the fear of the inability to change the past.
Disclaimer: Really now, if I owned Naruto do you think I'd be putting this up as a fanfiction?
Prologue
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Her body ached horribly. Her once beautiful pink hair was matted down with dirt and blood. She couldn't move her head so it was stuck on the horrific scene before her. Konoha, the once great village torn down by the war and hatred that had spread like a disease, with thousands maybe even millions dead.
It shouldn't have mattered to her; all her loved ones were gone. No one was left, except her and even now she was a candle slowly fading. Soon she'd be with them in the afterlife leaving behind Konoha. An ache past through her as she stared at the burning village. Blood covered ninja surrounded her. She lay on the top steps of the Hokage tower allowing her to view the damage of the land. Her arms lay uselessly at her side her left dangling off the stairs. Tears fell from her sea foam green eyes.
She wished she had been able to be die next them. However, even before the war had torn officially broke Konoha they had been buried, buried with their selfish natures, leaving her behind to pick up the pieces, all three of them. Leaving her in a pit of pain and self hate, KakashiNaruto and Sasuke had left her alive and all alone, all alone to die in all by herself
They had left her to die in this burning hell. It was unfair of them to ask her to live while they died. To be burdened with the secrets and pain they all had held in their life time. All of it was positioned on her strong yet fragile shoulders. She wanted to laugh at her own oxymoron. She was without a doubt an idiot. A lonely, weak idiot. If only she had been able to be stronger in the past, if only she had known what she had known now. Then maybe she wouldn't be laying her all alone.
"Is being all alone really that bad?" a voice whispered in her ear. It was a melodious voice of an amused child. Sakura coughed as blood fell from her pink lips. She knew she couldn't answer out loud so in her mind she answered with a scream of 'Yes' as more tears escaped.
"If you had a second chance what would you do?" the voice asked chuckling lightly and Sakura, half crazed, lifted the side of her mouth by a fraction in attempt to smile. It was only a small barely noticeable smile but it was filled with a lifetime of bitterness.
"I'd change destiny." Sakura managed to say, not knowing where she found the strength to say all of this. The voice laughed fully now and in front of Sakura's eyes a beautiful being stood.
Flowing white locks cascaded down the beings back and front, while white eyes stared at her with amusement. However, the eyes were completely unlike the Hyuuga's as they were white but with something more to it, like all colors. Sakura didn't even understand her train of thoughts anymore. The face was young but wise beyond the age it showed. The being was dressed in black robes wrapped around a white body. It was beautiful, probably the most beautiful being Sakura had ever seen.
"I'd like to see you try." The being said throwing its head back and laughing. Sakura closed her eyes and ignored the laughter.
"Death may wait as Destiny wishes to see what this little girl can do." The voice laughed and Sakura opened her eyes as pain suddenly flooded into her. A multicolored light surrounded her and her body lifted.
A scream struggled to erupt from her throat. It stayed there however as her body felt lighter. The body of a beautiful pink haired woman disappeared from the burning wreckage of Konoha village.
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Pink locks flew round her as a chocked scream came out as a small moan. Tears fell from sea foam eyes in fright as pale hands fisted themselves in the green bedding. The petite body shook uncontrollably as her shoulders heaved. Sobs became to flow out as the shakes began to stop.
Finally even the sobs stopped and Sakura looked around her. It was dark and quiet. Slowly, she pushed off the familiar but unfamiliar covering and shakily got up. She glanced around shivering as a bit of wind past through the open window next to her bed. She realized she wore nothing more than a light red sleep dress.
Her feet made no sounds on the floor, years of having to work in silence had given her that ability, yet she noted, her regularly trained body felt different, lighter and less trained. Reaching out a trembling hand it hit the switch by pure luck. Light flooded the small room and Sakura's eyes widened in disbelief.
She stared at the mirror in disbelief. Her pink locks reached to her shoulders and her face was so young looking. Her body and her face were unmarked from the years she had spent fighting and training. Her eyes were dark and red from the tears. Carefully she reached out towards the mirror and touched the cold glass, a single tear escaped as she shook. Suddenly, though her eyes caught something behind her. She spun on her heel and fell to her knees in disbelief.
In cute handwriting, circled multiple times was the words "Chuunin Exam Tomorrow! With Sasuke! (A charming heart and smiley face sat next to his name) And Naruto (an adorable frowning smiley was after his name)". Her eyes glanced at the date dumbfounded. A single tear fell from her eyes as voices echoed in the back of her mind.
"If you had a second chance what would you do?"
"I'd change destiny."
"I'd like to see you try."
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tbc…
Author Note's: I hoped you enjoyed my prologue/teaser chapter. I know it's not much right now but I'm hoping to get it going. I've been seeing quite a few "going back into the past" fics but not any to my liking, then again I haven't really looked, so I decided to make my own. I hope you'll review and continue to read!