Disclaimer for the rest of the story: I do not own nor am I affiliated with Naruto.

⧪-Book One-⧪

"Once again, life had a lesson to teach me: It takes years to build up, it takes moments to destroy."

- Haruki Murakami, Hard-Boiled Wonderland and the End of the World

It was supposed to be an easy mission.

Get in, get the scroll, then get out. And of course, return home.

...

I didn't even get to say goodbye to him, damn it.

My eyes felt like they were glued shut with tears and flashing memories but somehow I managed to pry them open. With a sharp inhale of breath, I tried to get my bearings and take in my surroundings.

This isn't where I collapsed, I think, or maybe I'm dead now and this is what heaven- or hell- looks like: trees. Lots of them.

The mission I had been on took place in Iwa. After collecting the scroll, shit went bad and I was the only one in my squad to have gotten out of there alive. At least, until I was nearing the border of the country and the group of enraged rogue nin caught me and proceeded to beat the life out of me. If I remembered correctly, I was left there to die since I had exhausted my chakra from trying to heal good-as-dead teammates and running away.

My blood had pooled around my broken body and looked nice contrasted against the taupe, rocky ground and the setting sun beyond Iwa's mountains. I was almost grateful that I would have died somewhere with a nice view until I thought about what I had left behind.

With those memories, I choked back tears that would cascade down my face and drown me in my laying position.

I'm alive, at least I think I am, but where am I? Had someone found me and spared me? I tried to sit up but I soon realized that my body was still battered and bruised. Not as bad as what I had mere moments of dying, but still pretty bad.

I knew I had to get up, though. Years of field experience has taught me that you're never safe, especially when you're just lying out in the open. I tested my chakra reserves and was pleased to see that I had enough to at least make the fatigue go away. My fingers glowed with that standard, emerald green that signified "medic-nin" and brought them to my forehead, curing my headache and numbing most of body pains as well as running a brief diagnosis over the rest of my body.

A fractured rib, countless bruises and small cuts, large amounts of swelling in both feet, and a slight fever.

Great, not enough to die but enough to get me there if I don't find some help or return to Konoha soon, I thought bitterly.

The first thing I have to do is find out where I am. I managed to stand on wobbly legs and used the trees that interspersed the area as a brace for me to walk. After about ten meters, I felt the slight presence of chakra coming in from my right. Instinctively, I tried to get into a defensive position to get ready for a confrontation, but my body only allowed me to bend over in pain when I tried to move so quickly.

"Fuck," I cursed under my breath, this might be my last dying word but I just couldn't get over my own self-pity at my situation. I clenched a fist at my heaving chest in frustration.

I heard the light footfall that indicated that whoever was coming had found me. I was still doubled over since I couldn't bring myself to look up at my murderers.

Always a coward, aren't ya, Hinowa-chan, the light, teasing voice of someone I love rang through my ears and instead of being hurt, I felt comforted by that masculine voice.

I want to hear your voice before I go, definitely, I thought to myself.

"Hey lady, you okay!?" The high-pitched, childish voice made my ears ring and I felt another headache wiggle its way into my head.

"Shut up, Naruto! She's obviously hurt!" Another voice scolded the other in an equally annoying, loud voice.

Seeing as they might have been distracted, I tipped my head up slightly, if only to get my dark bangs out of the way, and looked at my assailants.

Oh. Oh, gods.

In front of me were Naruto, Sakura, and Sasuke.

And standing behind them, as lazily as I've always remembered, Hatake Kakashi. It took all of my remaining self restraint not to cry out his name right then and there.

My eyes widened momentarily at the shock of seeing them so unexpectedly until I realized something strikingly different about them: they were all so young. In fact, I'm sure they were still genin just from seeing Naruto's old, orange jumpsuit. Even Kakashi, in all his silver-haired glory, seemed to be lacking the crows feet that adorned his masked face.

Quickly, I looked at my own self. Bringing my hands to face, I ripped the gloves off my left hand and noticed the lack of a scar across the inside of my palm. The scar had come from a mission where one of the enemy nin had managed to throw a kunai straight through my hand as I was trying to heal one of my teammates. Unfortunately, the kunai had passed through my hand and pinned it to the body below it, killing my teammate instantly. I managed to heal the top of my hand before I had to run, hence causing a scar only in my palm.

"Miss, are you lost? We're Konoha nin, we can bring you into the village to get you some medical help." Kakashi walked past his adolescent students, he brought his hands up in a placating manner and made his eyes crinkle in that way that made him seem unthreatening.

I shook my head at disbelief at what I was hearing and seeing. I'm not stupid, I can tell from the way they're acting that they don't know me. They don't know that I know them. My own fucking husband for Christ's sake called me "miss" and everyone, me included, is somehow younger!

Did I travel back in time? After the Fourth Shinobi War, the world knew of Time-Space jutsus because of people like Madara and Obito, but how did this happen to me? The last people I had been in contact with were teammates and mediocre (at least compared to beasts like the ancient Uchiha) enemy nin; I was grasping at straws, trying to figure out what happened. It was all just getting weirder and weirder. Perhaps I couldn't tell that my body had become younger because I had been in so much pain when I awoke that I didn't notice.

Blinking to focus back on Kakashi, who I desperately wanted nothing more than to embrace and cry into his arms, I croaked out, "M-my name is Hata-," catching myself before I could say that my name was Hatake Hinowa, I tried again but used my maiden name instead, "Tatsuya Hinowa. If I could please get some medical help..." My voice trailed off, getting too hoarse to properly end the plea.

Hopefully they wouldn't catch my hesitance of saying my name and instead take it as the stuttering of an injured woman. Knowing my husband- Kakashi, I scolded- he would probably still be suspicious either way.

"If you would please get on my back, we can arrive there sooner." With a nod towards Kakashi's suggestion, he knelt in front of me and I clumsily fell onto him. Adjusting my arms and legs, I felt him nod his head at his team and take off.

For a brief moment of peace, I allowed myself to breathe in Kakashi's hair that tickled my forehead.

The second time I awoke, I knew I was in Konoha's hospital, specifically in a room meant for unknown ninjas. I blinked up at the pale grey of the ceiling until four people walked into my room.

"Thank you." I whispered, still looking up at the ceiling. Mainly because I was too tired to look at my visitors/saviors/friends/husband- definitely not because I was afraid of what I would see, yeah, definitely.

"No problem, Hinowa-san! That's what ninja like me do!" I heard Naruto's constantly excited voice speak out.

"Naruto! We don't know her that well so you can't just call her 'Hinowa-san', 'Tatsuya-san' is more respectful." I cringe at the thought of Sakura further cementing the fact that they don't know who I am.

Gathering up the courage, I turned my head and opened my mouth, "Hinowa-san is alright, I mean you all saved me back there," I corrected with a slight smile, "May I ask where my belongings are?"

Kakashi stepped up once more and waved his hand towards his students as if to say "scram" (which he probably was). Sasuke left with a grunt and Sakura followed, both leaving their blonde teammate behind. Naruto only stared at Kakashi with a "Huh?" until he noticed that the other two had left him and promptly ran off screaming about something.

With the "children"- gods I've seen these children's children be born- gone, Kakashi and I leveled a look at each other. I knew how he was probably seeing if I would crack under his stare but I knew he was stubborn enough not to speak first.

"You could probably tell from my outfit and my belongings that I'm a kunoichi, specifically a medic nin from the medicine and vials in my pack. I was heavily injured because I was running from bandits who thought they could make me into a prostitute. I come from," I paused, should I lie and avoid the trouble of coming from a village who didn't know me? Of course, "I come from a small village in the Land of Tea, but I like to roam the world and have been since I was young...and I obviously picked up on the ninja-arts in my time." I hurriedly added the last part, it was strange for people who displayed a talent for the ninja arts to not approach one of the hidden villages.

A few beats of silence passed through us, though I didn't feel uncomfortable, the man's presence calmed a storm in my heart even if he didn't know it.

Kakashi gave me another searching stare before responding, "I know it may be rude to ask but, how old are you, Hinowa-san?"

I looked past his shoulder and noticed the calendar was about ten years ago from that day, making me twenty-four, and Kakashi twenty-six. Sasuke hasn't left yet and that must have meant the Chuunin exams haven't happened yet.

"I'm twenty-four." I answered, hiding the surprise of going back in time.

After telling him my current age, he had drastically changed his demeanor and became the cheerful, though lazy, jounin instructor, "Maa, I'm only two years older, they say that's the perfect age difference for a couple! You must be very talented by the way, to have had enough control for medical ninjutsu and to learn without staying in a hidden village. In fact, I suggest you speak with the Hokage once you feel good enough to walk. Don't worry, I'll be there to escort you."

Though the man seemed to have a leer throughout our 'conversation', I could tell there was a slight suggestion of a threat in his words. Still didn't stop me from blushing at his words, however.

I took the time to examine the man who had been (is? was?) my husband. It was almost like an out-of-body experience, I felt like I was looking from the outside in; the woman in the hospital bed and the man across from her were nothing but random faces.

But it wasn't. It was me who had bandages wrapping my body. It was me whose possessions were confiscated and searched to confirm if I was a threat or not. It was me who seemed to be the only one confused and upset that the person who held my heart, my mind, my soul, didn't know me. Didn't even know my name.

The experience was jarring to say the least.

Once again I felt the rising feelings of heartbreak and helplessness threatening to consume my body and force me to break down and cry. Maybe this was all a bad dream and this, the hospital, the rogue nin, the mission, didn't even happen. I'd wake up and Kakashi would be there, mouth uncovered, face serene, and strong arms wrapped around me. Or maybe I really am dead and this was heaven? Though it seemed more like hell with how Kakashi was hurting me from not knowing who I was. This could even be a second chance, some merciful god saw me slipping into darkness on Iwa ground and decided that I could have a re-do. But why make me younger? Why erase my existence? I was left alone in a world that was created without me. I felt like I was intruding on their lives, in his life, which had continued peacefully until I came in. Like some anomaly in the universe, I was here and I would continue to be.

I didn't respond to this man. I grew exhausted all to quickly and faced the ceiling once more. I didn't hear him get up and walk out though the click of the door signaled that he was gone.

That man. He wasn't my Kakashi. Those children weren't my Team 7. I was a complete stranger to them and they were strangers to me. This world never once had the name "Tatsuya Hinowa" uttered through any of its mouths and now that it has, that name has pushed itself in and had itself be known. In this world, I had no one I can trust and I found myself having to rely only on myself once more.