Author's Notes: Inspired by murkybluematter's Pureblood Pretense which is such a wonderful story. I suggest you go out and read it (which is complete by the way). The story features a cross-dressing Sakura as Naruto.
Dedicated to my friend Artemis, and her exams. Good luck!
In a story where Minato Namikaze lives having never been voted hokage, Danzo a dictator of leaf who brings about an era of peace, and the third dying to seal the nine-tailed fox in a baby, an orphaned and adopted twice, Sakura Haruno longs to find her place in the world and when fate offers the chance to do so, she dives head first.
AU. So very AU
"Some choices we live not only once but a thousand times over, remembering them for the rest of our lives." – Richard Bach
The River Crossing
Chapter one
"What? I'm quite sure you're supposed to be the smart one!" Frantic, her adoptive brother ushers her inside his room, bolts his door and for good measure he tosses a few smoke bombs outside.
"Are there no more ninja spies outside dear brother?" Sakura, pale pink hair, receives a hand in reply. She shakes her head minutely. Her brother, always the dramatic one
"Shush!" The blonde, Naruto, puts an ear to his tatami mats. Sakura, quite used to Naruto's antics simply took a seat on his bed. Naruto lifts a thumb, still intent on listening further for footfalls. Sakura continues, "This isn't just some hare-brained scheme I created this morning! I've been thinking of this for a long time now, months even."
"Are you sure we're really going to do this?" Naruto shifted in his position before nervously glancing at the door.
"Well?" Sakura asks
"Er, let's move to the bathroom?"
Sakura rolls her eyes.
"Mom would kill us." The blonde explains
"More like dad would kill us while mother will throw knives at us, burn our hides then send us to bed without supper or ramen whichever, provided we're not dead yet." And at that her brother rolled his eyes at her - after a quick shiver of fear.
They shuffled their feet to the bathroom.
Naruto sat on the toilet seat as Sakura checked the vents.
"All clear?" The blonde peered up at her.
"All clear."
"So, you're going to Konoha to study, definitely." The blonde made a chocked sound. Sakura continued as she dropped to the floor, "and I'm off to some obscure civilian village but I'm actually going on a quest to find the toad sage"
Naruto blinked before giving her a goofy grin. There was a quick understanding that passed both their eyes. She'd stayed with the blonde long enough to make sense of how he ticked and vice versa.
"Well, what's the plan captain?"
"We ought to get out of your bathroom first, don't you think?"
It was a hideous shade of orange that seem to fluorescence even in bright daylight.
She'd even asked her adoptive parents when she was about eight how they'd gotten the effect only to receive, "Oh it didn't used to do that ask your brother" to which he answered- "huh? I'm not sure. I hardly notice since I stay here a lot."
From that day on Sakura never touches the walls.
"But I almost can't believe we're actually going through with this."
"We are"
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Naruto was pacing along the length of his bedroom floor. Naruto grinned up at her before frowning.
"I hate to burst your bubble since this is brilliant and all but you and I don't look like a piece of rock broken in half and I'm pretty much sure you're a girl"
Sakura gave him a glare as her brother the hem of her dress.
"We don't have to be 'a piece of rock broken in half' just close enough - in your case just momentarily, nobody has really seen you in Konoha and you don't really have fri-...er...go out much do you?"
Naruto gave her a small pout.
Despite her brother's wonderful personality, there was always something that kept the children away from him. She could remember as a child a vague feeling of fear coming over her – she'd cry so much before. She could hear whispers too "demon" "possessed" the old women uttered. She'd never really figured out what they meant, because sometime when she still roamed around by herself in a bit of rebellion she got picked by the other children too and unlike the whispers she so often heard, her brother was none of those, instead he was her defender.
Sakura gave her cheeks a squeeze. No sense thinking of odd old things now.
"My cheekbones happen to be yours as well, and I can always dye my hair blonde – it's all too easy. I'd even cut my hair, I don't mind. And 'sides if the roots show, dad tells me mom's flaming red hair is famous in Konoha although I'm not quite sure why though" Sakura rubs her chin and adds, "we can hide my eye colour with those lens I've brought."
There was a spark in her eyes that warned Naruto his sister had a plan. "We're so getting in trouble" Naruto gluped.
"Have you got that glob technique down? Throw one at me – and oh, use a lot of chakra...and wait! Do it in the kitchen."
He blinked; really sometimes he wondered if Sakura really was his twin, his sneaky evil twin and his parents just got bonked round the head at Konoha and dropped his sister somewhere and then found her again years later.
But he was going to enjoy causing mayhem.
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The Namikaze Kitchen, once spotless was covered in purple goo. The Kitchen floor was a slimy purple, the walls painted a bright purple adjacent to where the two children stood. Naruto glanced at the ceiling.
"NAMIKAZE NARUTO!" Kushina bellowed as she glanced at her Kitchen paying little mind to the purple substance coated children. "I...I...my pan, my lovely new pan!"
Minato quirked an eyebrow at the mess
"Whoops?" Sakura uttered.
"IF THIS DOESN'T COME OFF I SWEAR YOU TWO AREN'T GOING ANYWHERE TOMORROW"
Sakura and Naruto blink
Kushina stopped before continuing sweetly, "And oh, I'm going to have you two exchange rooms. For the rest of your lives"
Needless to say both scrambled to get rags that very moment.
Goodness knew what horrors were in each other's rooms this was even worse than no supper.
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The following day
Sakura fingered her short cropped hair dyed blonde yellow. They'd gotten a little overboard yesterday but everything was falling into place. She even made them both trounce a bit in her room, perfectly away from her precious books but close enough to her closet full of girl clothes. No one would bother her about bringing purple specked dresses.
Meanwhile, Naruto grimaced at his purple locks.
"I'm bald"
"You exaggerate too much really"
"I'm bald and purple!" Naruto lamented.
"I offered you the hair dye yesterday"
"I-I'd still be bald!" It was really no use when he was in hysterics. Sakura sighed.
Hopefully the route was scenic.
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This was it.
They were to ride a caravan that moved from Whirlpool to Konoha then finally to a village near the borders of sand country. The Namikazee household took residence at Whirlpool which was Kushina's hometown a few months after Naruto had been born for some peace and the relative quiet. The caravan, which had come into fashion some years ago carted off civilians and the occasional ninja to distant villages. It really was convenient, at least for the two.
The first plan had been to escort both of them to their respective places a parent each for them. It was luck and a bit of whining that got them the chance to get carted off instead, in their own wagon too - an added bonus of being well off.
It was smooth sailing there on.
They'd just have to stick close to each other and pretend for a few miles of being lawn decorations, andwave with look-as-innocent-as-they-can smiles before ducking and changing their baggage with each other's. They'd even worn identical clothing to blend in and changed seats with each other (Naruto's share of the plan, really).
Sakura already had her hair dyed blonde and fashioned into a boy's close cropped style. She just needed some convincing contacts lenses which she'd bought a few months ago, practicing a few times in her room to get the feel of it. Then, will their almost complete disguise Sakura got hold of her blonde brother's head and shoved it outside the caravan window and dunked a canteen of water.
"uuuuuh" Naruto whined.
"I still have that dye - you know if you haven't insisted purple hair was awesome last night you wouldn't have to go through this." Sakura reached for another one furiously scrubbing on Naruto's scalp. "I just need the purple to get washed a bit more" "Saaaaaakuuuuuuraaaaaaaaaa..." "Well, fine that ought to do it"
Sakura stopped.
"I'm scared...but thanks really, you're the best brother I could ask for. This means a lot to me as well."
Naruto grinned up at her with that bright smile of his, "I never would've even found out who the Toad sage was if you haven't chucked your history book at me when we were 7 sis so-"
"Oh shut up!"
"Sure, I love you too sis."
"I'll see you in a few months"
"Alive and well."
"Yeah, alive and well you too."
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Konoha was breathtaking.
She found herself gobsmacked despite the numerous stories her adoptive father would tell her. Hearing about the hustle and bustle was different from seeing, feeling and experiencing.
It was so noisy this part of the village. So full of life, so warm, and for a brief moment she wondered why her parents would leave such a place.
Before realizing she'd lost her pouch of money. There was an empty spot where her soft blue pouch used to be. She'd never really taken that into account.
And she's probably lost too from running around frantically.
When Sakura decided to use her blonde brother's name she hadn't thought she'd get his luck as well.
Dejected, and a litte worn out Sakura decided channeling her brother's enthusiasm might do her good. "I will take Konoha by storm! I'm Uzumaki-Nami-" A tomato caught the back of her head
The crowd freezed momentarily to look at her.
"Shut up you brat, if you don't wanna get arrested!"
"Kids these days, bordering blasphemous I tell you!" And the crowd resumed.
The girl flushed bright red before running to duck in an alley.
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"No more outbursts." she wiped the mess on the back of her head with an annoyed expression.
"Next, I need a job and a place to count whatever money I've stashed"
"Taking to one's self is a sign of craziness" Sakura jumped at the voice before replying, "Yes, and talking to a crazy person is a sign of sanity?"
The boy chuckled. He looked to be about 2 or 3 years older than her. He had round glasses and pale hair tied at the base of his neck with a black tie.
"Academy?" It was a one word query and yet, Sakura perked.
"Um...yes, sorry about that" Sakura gave him a small smile
The boy made a small 'come forward' gesture with his hand before turning pointedly. Sakura jogged, lugging her rucksack with her.
When she caught up Sakura started "I'm Naruto Namikaze, first year" The yet nameless boy looked taken a back just slightly enough for her to miss it entirely.
"My name's Kabuto."
[Chapter end]
A/N: Awful? Interesting? Unbearably Horrible? Boring? Let me know what you think! Ask me questions too, I don't mind.