Naruto © Masashi Kishimoto

summary: It was late autumn when everything came apart for Sakura; Naruto was dead and Sasuke was missing and the snow came too early. Then, a god came to her and laughed: "I am a God, and I can help you change reality." / ch 01. ashes in a ceramic jar

note1.: hello. slightly angsty and slow, though that will go away in a few chapters. I think. I hope.

note2.: obviously not canon and is set in the future in which I have taken liberty because this is AU and this is a fanfiction!

The White God

白神

01. ashes in a ceramic jar

It was winter when everything came apart for Sakura.

Sakura leaned her forehead against the cool glass and watched the snow drift by slowly. It was still technically autumn but the snow had come unusually early this year. Sakura hated it. Everything died early. She much preferred the spring that her family was named for. But it was not spring, no matter how she wished it to be so. Konoha's trees had shed their leaves and a thin layer of white covered her village.

Her village.

The words sounded very wrong.

She blew on the glass a little to fog up the window and traced the outline of a fox.

Sakura heard the creak of the office door as someone stepped in. The door clicked shut. A man coughed to indicate his presence. Sakura saw the reflection in the glass—it was Kakashi.

"Hokage-sama. It's starting. You must leave to attend." Kakashi said.

Sakura drew an 'x' over the fox and growled. "I know, sensei. Stop with the formalities. It's annoying."

Kakashi sighed and relaxed marginally at Sakura's familiar temper. "You're Hokage now, you know. You shouldn't be calling me sensei anymore, Sakura. You and Naruto both never seem to get that…"

Sakura snorted and picked up the Hokage's hat that felt much too heavy. "Stupid Naruto." She paused. "And the stupid letter he left me."

"Stupid. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!" Sakura's voice rose as she put on the hat that was too heavy and the robes that didn't fit—the robes that were tailored to fit her surrogate brother. The sleeves were too long, the fabric was heavy and itchy, and the hem dragged on the ground. It was uncomfortable to be in, to move in, and Sakura hated it all.

She had not imagined herself to be Hokage at twenty one.

"Ugh!" Her fist slammed into the desk, but there was no chakra behind the punch and the only thing that broke was her skin.

Sakura was halfway out the door when she looked back at Kakashi. She said rather dryly and bitterly, "C'mon, sensei. I have a eulogy to make and a body to cremate."

The door slammed shut and Kakashi sighed when he noticed the wood of the door splintering at the hinges. He looked at the fading drawing of the fox on the window pane and watched it slowly disappear.

"Ah, Naruto… Why did you have to die?"

There was no response, because the dead do not speak.

Kakashi teleported out of the room in a flurry of leaves and smoke.

.

.

.

Sakura thought she sounded hollow as she droned on about Naruto's life, but the villagers were crying and everyone seemed touched so she supposed she was doing a good job.

The scripted words still felt plastic and cold.

The snow kept falling and the only good things about the robe she wore were that it was very warm and smelled a bit of Naruto. Sakura stood on her podium, gesticulating and pausing at all the right places and the whole village looked to her for support but she never felt more alone in her life. The only thing that kept her company was Naruto's kage robes. And perhaps Kakashi and Sai who stayed very close behind her as her personal guard.

Sakura watched as they placed Naruto's corpse in a pure white coffin and set it ablaze. The fire was so bright and colorful compared to the darkened and naked trees and the white snow.

November ended with Sakura storing Naruto's ashes in a ceramic jar.

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.

.

The village recovered frighteningly fast, in Sakura's opinion. By the end of December, Naruto's death was generally forgotten by Konoha's citizens as the holidays rolled around. The Rookie Nine plus Sai remained in mourning, but many seemed to try to accept the reality of Naruto's death. Sakura did not—could not. Kakashi was the same. Sai was the same.

Sakura spent Christmas and the New Year putting flowers on her parents' grave and drinking tea with Sai and her Naruto Jar.

In January, Tenten, Kiba, Shino, Chouji, and Ino ended their grieving and returned to a regular schedule. Sakura sent them off on missions as they pleased. Sai stayed in his house and painted a lot. At one point Sakura realized that Kakashi, Tsunade-shishou, and Shizune were doing the paperwork for her. She didn't really care.

The Sand Siblings visited to pay their respects and the Sakura thought she had never seen Gaara look so distressed.

(Standing over the grave that had no body under it; twisted face, clenched fists, and solemn vows of vengeance. Were those tears?)

Sakura offered Gaara a cup of tea but he refused.

In February, Shikamaru left his house for the first time in months and visited Kurenai and her child. Hinata left her mother's room with a new kind of quiet determination and started training formally as the heiress. Lee claimed he was starting to 'regain his youth'. Inari came with his grandfather and mother from the Land of Waves and cried.

Rumor had it that Madara and Sasuke were taking over the Stone country. Sakura sent a missive but didn't receive a response. Kiba, Shino, Gai, and Tenten died on a reconnaissance mission by the hand of Madara. They were buried and Sakura read four more eulogies. She wanted to die. But she couldn't, so she drank tea with Lee and her Naruto Jar.

In March, Shikamaru took over his father's old position and Ino began her apprenticeship under Morino-san. Sai came out of his house for once. Hinata was excelling at politics and negotiations and began helping Sakura by taking on diplomatic duties. Relations with other nations were peaceful, but tensions seemed to be rising as they competed for missions and financial income in the times of peace. That, and Naruto was dead—the link was gone.

Madara was still around. He wiped out a troop of Cloud shinobi and one of Sakura's ANBU troops. Sasuke had been spotted once, only to vanish again. To keep busy, Sakura forcefully took back the job of paperwork and officially started rounds of the village as Hokage. Reconstruction was relatively smooth. She renovated some places.

Sakura sent a weary Kakashi on a long vacation to the Land of Spring and told him not to return until summer.

In April, the winds changed.

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April

There was only the sound of the rain and the feeling of ANBU guards watching her. Sakura tapped the wooden end of her brush on the tabletop angrily. "Okay, you guys are dismissed. I can't concentrate with you guys here."

The ANBU stepped out. The team leader bowed, "With all due respect, Hokage-sama, we must remain here for security reasons and—"

"Tiger. There is no present or impending danger. In the event that there is, I am capable of defending myself. Go." Sakura tapped her chin thoughtfully. "That's an order."

Tiger sighed and seemed to want to protest before acquiescing. "As you wish, Hokage-sama."

Four bodies disappeared in a blur and Sakura stretched to ease her muscles. Silence stretched, and Sakura leaned down to open her drawer to take out the Naruto Jar and the letter.

Her desk was completely cleared except for those two things and a few scrolls and her inkwell.

Sakura looked resentfully at the envelope. She had read the letter only once, but the envelope was worn from her twisting it. She had even rolled it up in a ball once to toss it—the many wrinkles were a testament to that. But the letter was the last thing Naruto had left her, other than a great deal of his belongings. She could not simply throw it out.

It called to her now, though. She thought that perhaps, enough time had passed, and she would not feel so sad. But then again, she would never be not sad.

Sakura reached over to the envelope and pulled out the letter. Carefully, she smoothed out the paper and let her eyes take in Naruto's familiar scrawl.

Hey Sakura-chan!

If you're reading this, then I guess I died. Don't be too mad. And don't take revenge—I always said this, didn't I? Sasuke and I will kill each other. He's probably dead, too. I'm sorry. I'm sorry I couldn't keep our promise, and I'm sorry that we left you behind, and I'm sorry for everything. But I love you very, very much, so don't grieve too long, believe it!

There are a few things I need you to do for me. This is my last will, and I write this of sound mind.

First, I want to be cremated. My ashes need to be put in the white ceramic jar with the red swirl on it. Apparently it's an Uzumaki family heirloom. Shikamaru found it for me on a scouting mission to the Land of Whirlpool.

Second, as the Sixth Hokage, I officially appoint you as my successor.

Third, please take care of Konoha. Especially Ichiraku Ramen. Also, please make sure my stone face isn't ugly. They haven't completed it yet, you know. I don't want wrinkles like my dad. Not that his is ugly or anything!

Fourth, you can have all my stuff and share it with Kaka-sensei and Iruka-sensei.

I don't really know what else.

I guess this is a pretty shitty way to leave you behind, with nothing but some stationery I stole from your drawer, but there's no time anymore and I swear I'm not being rash. This is the only way everything can end.

We'll meet again, one day.

Believe it!

Love, Naruto

Sakura sighed. He had effectively pushed her into a position she never wanted, stopped her from spiraling into a maddening depression, and prevented her from taking revenge—Sasuke had not, in fact, died. He had teamed up with Madara and killed Naruto for his own selfish reasons of cutting away the past. The last Uchihas had not been seen since.

Teme, indeed.

And the letter was super brief without any of the heartfelt nostalgic recollections that they usually had in the movies. It was a suicide note, in Sakura's mind, and she hated it. Sakura had followed everything in the letter, except for the grieving. She was still grieving and she didn't think that she would ever stop.

Sakura put the letter down and picked up the Naruto Jar, tracing the red swirl on it.

The most curious thing happened.

As soon as Sakura's finger reached the end of the swirl, the room seemed to get colder.

Sakura stiffened, but no one was there. For a moment, nothing happened. Then, everything happened.

The jar changed. Seals appeared on it and spread rapidly onto her desk in a complex array she had never seen before. The characters came alive and crawled all over her walls, filling everything with red ink. In one instance, it seemed everything was red except for the white jar with Naruto's ashes and herself. Some characters Sakura didn't recognize hung in the air in front of her desk in a hexagon, a symbol per vertex. The words and symbols seemed to glow and suddenly a light filled her room.

The sound of wind filled her ears in a hiss and it howled and howled and why was the light so bright?

"What—" Sakura gasped, as she faintly realized that something was being summoned.

Perhaps the ANBU should have remained.

The light disappeared and her office went back to being dark. The wind stopped. For a moment, Sakura thought nothing had happened as her eyes recovered from the brightness of the strange light. The red was gone.

Then, she jolted at the sight of the man in front of her.

He was completely white—shaggy, white hair; pale skin; a clean and crisp white kimono. He was bright in the moonlight. Only his eyes had color, and they were red. He smirked at her reaction.

The rain pittered and pattered on her windows.

"Who are you?" Sakura snapped, still seated. She pushed chakra into her hand, ready to strike.

The man walked lightly and smiled broadly. He was beautiful in an eerie way.

"Answer m—"

"Put away your fist, Haruno Sakura. I shall respond."

Sakura relaxed her hands but remained wary.

The man nodded in approval.

"In human terms, I am nothing and everything, I suppose." The man said. "You are intelligent, Haruno Sakura. I am sure you can figure out what has just transpired." He waved a hand at her desk.

Sakura's eyes widened. The jar! It was gone.

But when? How? Who—

She snarled. "Give it back!"

The man shrugged and laughed. "I never took it."

"But—"

"I do not lie. Do not presume me to be as foolish as a human being."

Sakura glared at the empty space, but her mind was already making logical connections for her. The Uzumaki heirloom, Naruto being an Uzumaki, the Uzumaki clan's proficiency in seals, the reality of ethereal beings, the red swirl and the seals, the man's words.

Sakura gaped as a completely ridiculous idea struck her. Before she could stop herself, Sakura blurted. "Are you the jar?!"

The man stared at her for a moment, dumbfounded, then laughed. "I haven't heard that before! Goodness, no. And they told me you were one of the smarter humans."

Sakura glared in annoyance but the man ignored her.

He raised his arms rather dramatically.

"The earth of the jar and the ashes of the Uzumaki heir provide me a body for this world. The ancient contract with the Uzumaki Clan, the knowledge of Uzumaki Naruto's death, and your grief summons me."

Sakura looked at him, trying not to jump to conclusions.

The man smiled. His arms dropped down. He leaned forward and Sakura froze in her chair.

A whisper tickled Sakura's ear:

"I am a God, and I can help you change reality."

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Haruno Sakura. Twenty-one years old. The Seventh Hokage, and perhaps the only person alive to have met a 'God'.

tbc

note01: hello! I'm back. I love love love time travel fics. So, I decided to give it a shot, despite the many that are already out there. I realize the writing probably has mistakes; um, I don't have an official beta, but please tell me if there are some really weird plotholes or stuff that I should fix, but please keep in mind that this is AU. Enjoy! Please review~