A/N: Hello! This is the first time I'm trying a multi- chapter story but the idea was a little too intriguing to reduce it to a one- shot. Please do give this first chapter (baby's first step) a try!

On a bright summer's day, freshly minted art historian Tenten Jin walked briskly to the Tokyo Museum of Art and Civilization to see a an exhibit of artifacts and documents that had been newly excavated in the south- east of Japan. She was excited naturally, being an expert in the history of Japan and Japanese art. Crossing the busy roads that were a central feature of modern Tokyo, Tenten ascended the wide stairs leading to the metal- and- glass building that housed the museum, itself a proud reflection of modernity.

The collection was being exhibited on the sixth floor. Exiting the elevator, she saw the banner exclaiming "The never- before seen collection of artifacts dating back five hundred years from the village of Konoha, long thought to be of mythical existence!" Smiling wryly at the slightly exaggerated wording, Tenten nonetheless was intrigued. She had come across mentions of this Konoha village in her studies, although accounts had been sparse. However, from what she could gather, concrete evidence for its existence had not been found due to the fact that the feudal lord of the land had been thoroughly eliminated by enemies in the 1600s. Thus, she was not surprised to see the unusually large crowd meandering through the displays. Picking up a brochure for the exhibition, Tenten began her own path, peering carefully at each artifact and reading its description as she came to it.

Eventually, she reached the area where excavated paintings and prints were displayed. These artworks came in different sizes and design. There was a particularly detailed painting that caught her eye. It had been painted on a scroll, the old parchment yellowed and cracking in some places. However, it did not detract from the obvious effort put into the work. It was a portrait of a couple in their wedding finery (which was accurate, according to the plaque next to it). The man was standing, wearing a navy and silver yukata, his hand resting on the decorative hilt of his sword, somehow conveying quiet strength and calm even through the two- dimensional painting. The most striking part of the painted figure was not his clothing though, it was the unusually long hair, tied loosely at the back, and the silver, almost white, colour of his eyes. Tenten mused that it was probably fantasy on the artist's part. Surely nobody had such eyes. The man was very handsome though, and she laughed a little at her silly thought. She then turned her attention to the lady in the painting, and almost gasped out loud. There, sitting demurely beside her husband in a resplendent kimono of red and gold, was her own face smiling back at her on a parchment five hundred years old. Tenten leaned closer to take a better look at the details. Maybe this was her ancestor! The description on the plaque did not enlighten her though, merely stating that the painting was an example of wedding clothes worn during the eisho period, and provided viewers with a peek into the life and experience of the people of Konoha. Not satisfied, Tenten continued to scrutinize the painting. The eyes, nose, mouth and even the beauty mark she had just below her left eye had been captured! Marveling at the dedication of the long- deceased artist, Tenten suddenly felt a little giddy. The painting started to blur and she stepped back a little. Perhaps she had stared too long at it. Rubbing her temples absentmindedly, she glanced at the picture again. Its surface rippled. Wait—that could not have happened. Tenten shut her eyes tightly and then opened them again. The picture seemed to have gotten bigger, and it also seemed to be deepening, and how was that possible, and there was that funny rippling across the suface again and she must be imagining it, too much caffeine early in the morning, yes that must be it…The museum faded into darkness, and all she could see was the painting spinning and spinning in a downward spiral, that face, her face, staring at her…

"Miss, you have finally wakened! Thank goodness!" A feminine voice exclaimed beside her. Tenten shook her head to clear her grogginess as she sat up on what she discovered was a futon.

"Here, have some tea. It's a restorative brew that I created myself."

"T- thank you." Tenten received the cup, noticing her surroundings for the first time. The room was a simple blend of dark wood and cream walls, sparsely decorated with scrolls of calligraphy and a rough bookshelf filled with books. Frowning slightly, she wondered how she had arrived in a room straight out of a period drama when her last memory was of the ultra modern Tokyo museum. Her unease deepened when she noticed the strange cadence her companion was using in her speech, a form of language structure that she had only a rough memory of in one of her freshman lectures on olden Japanese in Tokyo University.

"…gave me a scare, finding you lying in the middle of the clearing, and without responding when I called you. Are you feeling better now? Perhaps you could recall how you came to be in the middle of the forest alone?" The girl, who had bright pink hair with a set of emerald eyes, was looking at her with concern. Tenten realized that she had asked a question, and struggled for a moment.

"Uh, actually, I have no idea how I got to be there. Where is this place? And my name is Tenten, everybody calls me that. Thank you for bringing me back here!" She was just glad that she had not been left to fend for herself in a forest, especially when night came… Though she, for the life of her, could not comprehend why the pink- haired girl had found her there when she had obviously been in a museum!

"Oh, Tenten- san! I'm Sakura Haruno. You may call me Sakura if you'd like." Sakura flashed her a warm smile. "This is Konoha, the hidden village of samurai in the Land of Fire. Did you come from a neighbouring land? I don't recall seeing you around this village before."

Konoha. The name sounded familiar. After a while, Tenten's head jerked up in shock and she nearly dropped the teacup. Wasn't Konoha the name of the ancient village where those artifacts had been found, the village that had been destroyed… four centuries ago? This was impossible. Tenten shoved away the covers and hastily stood up. "Sakura- san, I have to, that is, I have to get back to where I came from. This is- this is a bit too much to handle at the moment. If you will excuse me, I have to leave now. Thank you!" Tenten looked around for the exit and, spying the thick wooden door by the side, she hurriedly rushed to it, took a moment to figure out how to unlock the archaic lock before dashing out into bright sunlight. She did not hear Sakura's call for her to stop as she blindly starting running, unable to comprehend what, and how, and why… Her tennis shoes struck against cobbled streets, passing by building after building that looked like she had entered the old samurai street of Nagamachi, which she had visited on summer holiday two years ago. Pedestrians in yukata and kimonos stopped and stared at the strange girl, dressed in a polo tee and jeans, as she streaked by them in the direction of the forest. Not sparing a thought for any strange glances at her, Tenten concentrated on the tall mass of trees that she could see in the distance. Maybe, if she could find the clearing where Sakura had apparently found her, then, then things might return to normal and she would not be entertaining thoughts of time travel, of a dead village resurrected, or of an era that was a whole five hundred years away from her own-!

Panting slightly after the long run from the village that she resolutely refused to believe was real, Tenten entered the cool shade of the forest. She slowed down as she discovered another problem. She did not know her way around the thick undergrowth of the forest, and if she were to recklessly explore it, it was highly likely that she would run into some dangerous creatures such as snakes and other carnivorous hunters. Feeling real despair settling into her, she sank to her knees. This could not be happening! Where was the museum, where were the busy streets of central Tokyo? Suddenly remembering that she had her cell phone in the pockets of her jeans, Tenten hurriedly took it out, hope suddenly blooming again… only to die a hasty death when it displayed a "no valid service" notice on the touchscreen. Clutching the now- useless phone to her forehead, Tenten was too immersed in her troubled thoughts to realise that Sakura had caught up with her.

"Ano, Tenten- san? Are you ok?"

Tenten looked up at the other girl, who was frowning slightly in concern.

"Are you looking for the place where I found you? I could bring you there; it's where I usually pick medical herbs. Come, it's this way." Sakura indicated for Tenten to follow her as she went deeper into the forest. The two went deeper and deeper into the forest but Sakura seemed confident of the way. Finally, they reached an area where no trees grew, sunlight bathing it in warm golden tones. "I found you lying right here." Sakura pointed to the middle of the clearing. Tenten immediately stepped forward to the place where Sakura had indicated, expecting lightning and thunder, the sky to invert with the earth, or at least an epiphany to strike her… Nothing happened. She was still standing in the same spot, a pink- haired girl staring at her in overt concern now. Tenten continued to stay put, praying that something would happen if she just stood long enough…

"Tenten- san? Is something wrong? Have you managed to remember where you came from and how you came to arrive here?"

Racking her fingers through her long brown hair, Tenten finally moved from the spot and started pacing around the clearing. So far, the girl called Sakura had not disappeared and the forest where no forest should have been was still here (she was in the middle of it, for goodness's sake!). This was bad. She was delusional.

"Sakura- san, I think you should bring me to a hospital. I think I hurt my head when I- when I travelled here." On a time- space machine, judging by what her senses were trying to say. Tenten began to feel slightly faint. Sakura immediately nodded, relieved that this girl, whom she had chanced upon in the morning, had finally spoken after a full ten minutes of standing still.

The trip to Konoha Hospital (as it was called, cheerfully informed by Sakura) did not make Tenten feel any better. The streets that she had run through began to fill out in more detail now that she had the time to look. Single- storey buildings built of crude stone and wood, some with tiled roofs, others that were still thatched, lined the streets on both sides. People hurried by on geta and wafuku, exchanging warm greetings with Sakura in the same dated cadence and language structure. As they walked through the busiest street yet, Tenten saw the quaint layout and goods of the shops, noticing that most of the food and goods were handmade. There was not a single vending machine or convenience store in sight. Donkeys pulled large wooden carts laden with hay or goods, their owners in straw hats and simple garb guiding them by rope. She even saw men carrying swords tied to their backs, strolling on the streets as though it were an every day occurrence, which, much to Tenten's dismay, probably was in this era. Calculating in her head rapidly, if she had indeed travelled back in time to Konoha, and it was not destroyed yet, then she must have travelled more than four hundred years back.

"Sakura- san, may I know what year this is?"

The pinked- haired girl stared at Tenten a little strangely at her question before answering with an amused smile. "It is the year 1505, under the rule of Emperor Go-Kashiwabara."

Ah, so she had travelled back to the start of the eishou period. According to history, Japan in this period was separated into lands ruled by different feudal lords after a civil war. So, the Land of Fire that Sakura had mentioned must be one of such lands, and those men with swords were probably samurai, the great warriors of yon. She really had time- travelled back into an ancient time, and an ancient civilization… The jean- clad girl was lost in thought for the remainder of the journey to the hospital.

"You have a clean bill of health! I observe no injury on your head, nor any of the symptoms associated with brain trauma. However, you do seem a little peaked. I will prescribe some calming herbs for you. Sakura, please take some waka- sen in seven doses for your friend here. Come back later, I have some medical scrolls that Gaara of Sunakagure has kindly lent us." A tall, buxom medic, long blonde hair tied into two low pigtails finished her examination of Tenten and spoke to Sakura.

"Yes, shishou. I will return in an hour after I bring Tenten- san home." Sakura bowed respectfully to her master before she beckoned Tenten to follow her out of the examining room. "Tsunade- sama is not only the best medic that Konoha has, but is also our Hokage, that is, the leader of our village. She is very learned and can fight very well too! I'm glad that she did not find your sudden appearance in the village suspicious, although she did ask me to keep an eye on you… So, i'll just get your medicine before going back to my house? I believe that you need a place to stay for a while, at least until you remember how to get back to where you came from!" Beaming at Tenten, Sakura bustled around the medical supply room, weighing out the medicine expertly using bronze scales.

Tenten could only nod mutely, too overwhelmed by everything that day so far. At least here was a friendly person who was willing to lend her bed and lodging, and she was grateful for this little mercy. The conundrum of getting back to Tokyo, to the year 2005, was too baffling for Tenten's state of mind at the moment. She accepted Sakura's goodwill and followed the other girl home, where she slept her first night in Konoha in a daze of exhaustion.

To be continued.