Yo, so this idea was bugging me for awhile now but I couldn't bring myself to write cause, well, the idea is itself quite huge, so this fic is likely to be at least 100k. Just a few things you should know before reading:
- It's a Drama & Humor fanfic, meaning sometimes it's gonna be angsty and other times funny.
- The main characters are Team 7 + Kurama but there are going to be plenty more either major or minor characters.
- There is swearing – occasional, but still present.
- The plot is relatively similar but I say relatively.
Thanks for attention and read on!
Chapter One
"Sakura-chan!" a loud roar finally registered in her clouded mind, causing young girl to jerk up and try to access the situation she was in. "Sakura-chan, open your eyes, dammit!"
Everything slowly started to make sense, recent events rushing at her in waves. She was fighting against Madara and Obito. Someone – she couldn't put a face to the attacker - tried to kill Naruto. Instinctively, she ran forward, trying to prevent it, not thinking of shouting for him to dodge the attack. She couldn't remember anything after that.
It was Naruto's voice that was shouting at her right now, so, with slight relief, she realised that she succeeded. However, a moment later her senses kicked in and she felt horrible pain in her abdomen. Being a high-class medic – and a kunoichi, at that – she quickly accessed her body's condition and, with shock, realised that she was dying.
"Sakura-san, please, try to open your eyes," a female voice – probably, Hinata's – sounded next to her right ear, and she obeyed. It was more difficult that she could've expected, and for a period of time all she could see was a mix of grey and white. Then, her eyes were finally able to focus on the two worried faces that belonged to Naruto and Hinata. Hinata didn't seem as anxious as Sakura's best friend – her face was a mixture of unease and concentration, while blond didn't try to hide his distress. He was holding her hand – she couldn't see it, but she felt his sweaty palm clutching hers and that gave her a faint sense of hope.
"Sakura-san, your condition is critical," Hinata urged, a deep frown giving out just how serious it really was. "I-I'm trying to do my best but I'm afraid the reason I can't heal you isn't because of the lack of chakra – I simply can't. Your injuries are too deep and your vital organs are-"
"I know, Hinata," she slurred, not recognising her deep throaty voice. "I can sense it, and I would advise you to stop if you don't want to pass out cause of chakra deprivation."
"I can give her more chakra," Uzumaki exclaimed, "or I can give it to you and you can heal yourself."
"I don't think so – as Hinata said, my organs are damaged too much," Sakura responded on the edge of passing out. Shit, she thought she had more time, yet her ripped liver thought otherwise.
"Fight it, Sakura-chan! I know you can – Tsunade-baa-chan is probably on her way here right now, just hold on, she can do-"
"She can't do anything!" pinkette shouted, tears forming in her eyes. Sakura regretted shouting a moment later when she started coughing blood. "Damn it, Naruto, we are in the middle of the fight and we barely have medics, let alone spare organs that someone skilled can transplant for me!"
Inhaling loudly, she closed her eyes, her head falling back on the ground. She could still hear people shouting and deafening explosions in the distance. It struck her then how insignificant her life really was – or anyone's, for that matter. Her condition was vital and she was going to die in a matter of seconds, but that didn't change anything. People were still fighting, laughing, crying – living, even when she would be gone. She was there for a fleeting moment. And she was going to die.
"Sakura-san I..."
"It's okay, Hinata," she choked. "Just promise me to take care of this baka."
Tears started rolling down Hyuuga's rosy cheeks while Naruto gave out an inhuman roar of mixed pain and desperation.
"Please, try to think of something you love," brunette whispered. "Try to- It will make you feel better. Please."
And so she did. Sakura thought of things she valued – Konoha, helping people, fighting – but, somehow, she ended up thinking of Naruto. With his sky-blue eyes and happy smile that always made her feel protected. Their evenings in "Ichiraku", their occasional fights, their perfect teamwork...
She gave out a few more coughs before her she couldn't feel Naruto's hand anymore and her mind became completely blank.
Haruno felt like she was swimming. The feeling was strange and fuzzy, for she only swam a handful of times in her life, yet it was joyful. She couldn't remember the last time she felt so relaxed and genuinely happy – the war took her ability to be overoptimistic away from her.
She couldn't see anything and wasn't sure if her eyes were wide opened or closed; still, she, for some reason, was sure that she was in some safe place. It felt like home.
The sudden swirling reminded her of chakra flow but it was way stronger that her own, even at her strongest moments when her chakra was practically spinning out of control.
Some time later – Sakura wasn't sure if it was seconds, minutes or hours that have passed – the comfortable swirling abruptly stopped, as if someone pushed her to the ground. Instincts told her to resist, and so she did which caused her senses to finally catch up with her.
She was sitting – that much she could tell. And she was sitting on something soft – probably, tatami or bed. She felt her body – it was a foreign feeling but that wasn't her biggest surprise. Kunoichi opened her eyes and looked around. Her vision was still adjusting when she caught a faint smell of ramen. This is exactly how Naruto's apartment smells, she thought with a smile, yet her smile dropped when she registered her surrounding.
She was in Naruto's room. It was a tad different to how it looked the last time she saw it and was more dirty – the exact way it was back in their genin days. With a soft laugh, girl noted to herself that, actually, he was still a genin.
Alright, so it seemed that she died and her version of Heaven included Naruto's apartment – it could have been worse, right?
She wondered if her Heaven included the rest of the Konoha, so she stood up and walked to the window which caused her to realise a few things at the same time.
She was shorter – not majorly, but she was definitely shorter. Also, her clothes felt rather baggy and hair wasn't as long as usually – she didn't cut it for some time now, so why was it so short? Also, her hands were calloused that caused Sakura to look down at them. And freeze.
She was in orange jumpsuit. Her hands looked boyish and, Oh, Kami, please let it be a dream, her chest was even flatter than the one she had in her genin days.
She ran towards the only mirror Naruto had in his apartment and looked at the reflection. An inhuman scream left her throat as she realised that, yes, she was in Naruto's 13-years-old body.
Pinching herself didn't help; okay, so she wasn't sleeping, but what kind of heaven is it?! She was in her best friend's body, for Kami's sake!
It took Haruno some time to calm down and think rationally. If she was in Naruto's body, was there a possibility of her 13-years-old self walking down the street right now? And if so, how did she end up in someone else's body, instead of her own?
She was slowly, but steadily losing her hope that it was Heaven. To think about it, she remembered reading about different types of chakra clashing while healing nearly dying patient that caused him or her to fall in coma. Was she in coma now? Was it her imagination?
Or did she really just travel in time, only to be placed in Uzumaki's body?
Sakura, stay calm, she told herself on the edge of panic attack. It's probably some kind of sick joke that your brain made up to drive you crazy – don't give in.
Firstly, she decided to take a shower that would always help her to come up with solution for the most insane and unimaginable situation but her eyes widened with realisation that, if she looked like Naruto, then she surely-
Giving out a frustrated sigh, she whispered 'Henge!', transforming into her 17-years-old body. She and Naruto were close but not that close; she was a medic and a professional but seeing Uzumaki naked would be crossing all friendship lines, without doubt.
It took her half an hour to get ready and throw out rubbish – she couldn't imagine how could anyone keep milk that expired months ago. As she shuffled around, she noticed the lack of his headband and their team's photo – instead, green google glasses laid atop his cupboard, which meant he was still an academy student.
Shuffling around some more, she decided to leave the house for a walk. It was early evening; people were slowly walking down the street, occasionally throwing her a dirty look. Instantly, Sakura remembered that at this age Naruto was hugely bullied and despised by adults of Konoha. She tried to act like her blond friend by holding her head up and looking at everyone arrogantly, yet it was difficult with the level of hate she was receiving her way.
The safest place to go would be library but Naruto never went to libraries – unless she dragged him there – so she would only heighten people's suspicions. Going to 'Ichiraku' didn't feel right without her best friend on her side; instead Haruno decided to just mess around and soon was completely sure that it was, indeed, Konoha's state 4 years ago. Hidden Leaf was calm and protected, having no idea of the danger it was yet to indulge in – but then, not knowing was a bliss.
Cold wind, laughing people, strong smell of sake and sweets. No, it didn't feel like a dream at all and, being an atheist, she was more or less sure that it wasn't Heaven. Then was it genjutsu? Or did she really just travel in time?
She heard female screams in the distance with a sense of alarm, yet a second later she relaxed – those were just fangirls screaming 'Sasuke-kun!'.
Wait, Sasuke.
She abruptly turned around and ran towards the sound and was soon presented with a picture of 13-years-old Sasuke calmly walking towards his family's compound while a group of girls followed him with awe in their eyes.
The Sasuke in front of her was the one she felt in love with; he experienced his family's massacre and his goal was killing his brother – because he didn't know the truth. His life goal was wrong and she knew that much now - it's not his brother he should be targeting but Danzo.
She can save Uchiha brothers from their tragic fate. She can prevent Sasuke from getting Orochimaru's seal. She can warn Konoha of Orochimaru and Akatsuki, along with a number of other threats. None of them needs to die.
She can save so many lives.
Her task was crisp and clear and she couldn't deny it anymore: she had a second chance. A chance to change everything, to save everyone. She was the key.
"Why are you staring, usuratonkachi?" a familiar voice sounded a few meters away from her. As she looked up, this version of Sasuke was staring at her with deep frown on his face, head arrogantly cocked to the right.
How could she forget Naruto and Sasuke's rivalry? Sasuke's arrogance will undoubtedly annoy her enough to want to punch him, but then, wasn't it what they usually did?
Ah, this was going to be a piece of cake.
